The Duran Podcast - Q & A: Alaska summit, final off-ramp for Trump

Episode Date: August 15, 2025

Q & A: Alaska summit, final off-ramp for Trump

All right, Alexander, let's go through the questions from our live stream with Robert Barnes. And let's begin with Nikos, a two-part question. I believe we answered this, but let's read through this. Brian Berletic and others have a very nihilistic view of this meeting and Putin's decision. They think it's a trap and that the U.S. will betray Russia. Most see Russia's future as bleak and there's a lot of anger towards Putin. I think they're overreacting. But what are the consequences for Putin after this meeting, even if he doesn't make

concessions. Well, I mean, I think that he will not make any of the fundamental concessions that some people are thinking of. And I think if there's any traps, he's going to be far ahead of any attempts at trams. He's not going to fall into them. So I think that from Putin's point of view, it makes sense to have this meeting. Obviously, the Americans have come up with some ideas, they seem to be ideas which are moving towards Russia's long-standing positions. The military situation on the battlefields is now obviously going very much and very heavily in Russia's favour. And last but not least, we've had a whole slew of economic news over the last couple of hours and they show that the Russian economy is stable and starting to grow, in fact, growing.

So I think that this pessimism is overstated and misplaced. I mean, that's all I can say about this. Michael Russell says, obviously, Trump has lied about the territory swap. He wants to set the narrative before any dialogue takes place. It's an art of the deal, SOP. Well, it may very well be. But I mean, if he is lying about that, then, as I said, is Putin going to fall? for that. Hardly. This isn't going to achieve him anything. I think he's just saying things

to keep the Europeans office back, if you want me to say what I think. Default 862 says, is Trump manufacturing a law and order emergency in D.C. this week to act as a smokescreen for media regarding outcome of these negotiations. Robert answered that question. Nico says, I also think that we need to accept reality. We are in the Second Cold War, only now you have leaders in the West who are ready and willing to use nuclear weapons, look up the endgame theory. Well, you may very well be right. I mean, the fact that we are looking at the possible collapse of nuclear arms control

in just a few months rather reinforces your point, actually. Sancho says, Larush's old Bering Strait Land Bridge idea is getting attention in the cards. P.S. God bless the Alexes. True enough. The Russians have been floating the idea of a Bering Strait bridge for some time, actually, back in the early 2000s, I seem to remember. Viva Las Vegas. Thank you for that super sticker.

Elsa says, suddenly Alaska has become the hottest place on earth where everybody wants to go to. Pasha Moyer says, I think all three of you believe in the correlation between the actions of World and One superpowers in today's version. How far can we push this analogy? I answered that question. Yeah. Sanjava says, hello again, Duran. Lovely day to you.

Hello, Sangeva. Stefan Gavrilla says, hi, hi, all. Death says looks like the goal of the Abraham Accords was technically cleansed Christians from the Middle East and Eurasia. Well, I'm sure that wasn't the aim of the Abraham Accords, but I mean that that might have been the result or at least one of the consequences. The Abraham Accords, in my opinion, were created in a completely different geopolitical environment. They were based on the assumption that the goal states their priority was fighting Iran. In fact, what then happened was that during Biden's period, China broke a peace deal, a rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran and the other Gulf states. And since then, the Abraham Accords have lost their meaning.

Sutherland Jennings says hello from Florida. Cactus Ray, thank you for that super sticker. Matt Ward says, for security, have that summit on Shem, have the summit. on Shemya Island. It's a small island in the chains with a giant runway surrounded by oceans. Only U.S. military have access. We now know that it'll happen on a military base near Anchorage, but I mean, there's the same concerns, I mean, to secure the area. So that's why it's happening in a military base. Petro says, I'm Orthodox and lived in Alaska. There's a sizable Russian-speaking population. Natives generally view Russians in higher regard than American Protestant missionaries

who forced them to learn English. Interesting. Sanjeva says Mr. Barnes, why does Fox News have the ear into access to Trump when News Corp and Robert Murdoch have been anti-Trump? He's answered that one. Alexander G. says the Alaska Summit could be at a Russian base just inside of Russia. Trump slips up the tongue might just be the truth. Lada Maro says, hello, dear gentlemen, are we at all sure that President Trump even can see this off-ramp? or he won't take it and it's going to be another blunder for him again. Robert answered that one again. Why, our sake, says, Trump 47 resembles Henry VIII

after his jousting accident in coma, erratic and arbitrary supports Protestants one day, persecutes them the next day. And Henry the 8th was an extremely clever king, and gradually the academics who have studied his time have come to the conclusion that even after he's jousting accident, He knew exactly what he was doing and was keeping everybody of balance and was centralizing the English monarchy, increasing his own power and in the process modernizing the English state. I think Donald Trump in some ways might be flattered by the comparison. Just saying.

Pasha Moyer says, Robert, I have your memes, see your local channel. We mentioned that in the live stream. Ziknaz says, how can Putin trust him when Trump? tears up the agreement the next day, the deep state will dangle Epstein Fowls in front of Trump, and he will cave to their wishes. What makes you think Trump or anyone will honor any agreement? Well, Putin's answered that. He's already said many times. He doesn't trust any boldie in the West, and he was asked whether that includes Trump, and he said yes. So I mean, he doesn't trust it. He will see what he can get and he can bank it now, but I don't think he expects,

At the moment, for the moment at least, any long-term improvement in relation, any long-term improvement in the U.S.-Russian relationship in the way that I think you fear or expect or home. Sparky says, Robert, isn't President Trump going to trick, isn't President Putin going to trick President Trump into giving Alaska back to Russia? Perhaps the swap is actually swapping Rump Ukraine for Alaska. We actually talked about that at the live stream. Life of Brian says by Trump's law, as stated by Parvini, this withdrawal portrays a move to occupy Gaza. Trump does nothing without an order from Netanyahu.

Oh, I don't think so. I don't think so. I do think Netanyahu is involved in that way. I think he has played a role, by the way, in some of the back channel conversations. There have been two telephone conversations between Putin and Netanyahu. over the last couple of two weeks or so. And in the second one, very interestingly, the Russians didn't provide a readout. They just said it had happened without telling us what took place.

I wonder what that was all about. Sophisticated caveman says the Ukrainians resemble the extremes of Japan at the end of World War II. They'll fight forever, especially in the Levov region. No, I don't think so. I think that there's a fundamental split within Ukrainian society. I think that there were some people who were prepared to fight to the bitter end. I think most of them are wounded or dead, but the wider population, as we can clearly see, do not want to join the war. And that explains one of the, that's one of the reasons for the crisis.

Cydostratus says reported attack and smoke on Zaporosia. Yes. Apparently there was an attack, but it failed. Jamila says, my expectation for Trump's never changed. Guys, I think all of you support Trump. My question is Trump. Why not keep the promises of your voters? Well, I mean, I did it with support Trump.

We comment on him and try to stay up to date with him, which is not always very easy, because as you correctly, as people have correctly said, he's volatile and unpredictable. But at least we have a summit meeting between Putin and Trump. Imagine something like that happening during the Biden era, inconceivable. So summit meetings between leaders of nuclear powers. are objectively a good thing. Latimeros says, is it not true that President Trump wants to exit Euro wars to start U.S. wars in Asia and the Middle East, give an impression of such a move?

Yeah, I think there may be, you know, I think there's a lot in that, actually. But, you know, having said this, I mean, let's not rush too quickly into worrying about the next war when we have an already very big war to worry about now, which is the war in Ukraine. Commander Crossfire says, saw someone in a Duran shirt yesterday. Nice. Excellent. Andrew Camden says they already tried to kill Putin and Kursk. Putin is going to be the next Raeisi if he isn't intimidated into becoming the next Emil Hacham. I do Zikul will let, I do that will happen in Alaska. That's what you fear. There have been many, many attempts to assassinate Putin, including by the Ukrainians.

And Budanov, the intelligence chief, the Ukrainian intelligence chief, said that they've all failed, whole business. Yeah. Sir Muggs game says, this just in. Zelensky just nominated Trump for this year's Nobel Piss Prize. Tim Jones says, I hope Sir Kier's internet censorship crackdown doesn't sideline Alexander. Well, I hope so too. So too. Sancho says trusting DJD after the Iranian backstab is iffy. Well, I don't think Putin trusts DJD. I mean, I've already answered that with. Andrew Camden says Trump is desperate to distract from Maxwell and Epstein and knows he can't win the war. If something were to happen to Putin, though. I don't think that anything is going to happen to Putin in Alaska. I think this is, I think he's going to go there meet Trump. He's

not going to make any of the terrible concessions that people think, and he'd think he's going to return to Russia's safe and sound. That's my view. Sancho relaxo says, God help us if something happens to Putin. Gerald Armstrong says, Trump keeps saying this isn't his war. It is his war now. Oh, well, yeah. Elza says, what about the peace deal that was made with Armenian-Azerbaijan? I think we've answered that.

And we've done a dedicated video about it. Elza says, for Kiev and Brussels next Friday the 15th is the new Friday the 13th they are afraid of. Yeah, true enough. Sancho relaxa says, no, Robert, it's the deep state, M-I-C that want Putin dead, even if DJT doesn't, that's the risk. Yeah, but I don't think it's going to happen in Alaska. Can I just say something else? To repeat again, Russian security will be there as well in very, very large numbers.

I've seen these guys, by the way, that are Putin's body gods, and they're very, very scary people, just as said. Sir Mike's game says, in September, Canada, the UK, EU and Australia will recognize the establishment of the state of Palestine. In Syria, et voila, voila, problem solved. Hardly. I don't think anything will be soft, to be frank. Rich says American troops have been stationed in continental Europe since 1944. 84, 81 years at this point. Does anyone else find this absurd? 43, in fact, 1943. Zizi's Karianis. Thank you for that super sticker. Armand says, I personally think Trump will swap Alaska for Ukrainian territories, he'll give Alaska back to Russia so that Russia has a reason to give

some Ukrainian territories back, so many and a few more villages in the vicinity. We talked about that in the live stream. Salim M, thank you for that super chat. Utis 4321 says Robert Barnes did not turn against Israel until he was losing audience share. He still denies the genocide. He has no right to call anyone a grifter. Now, I don't accept this for you. And I think that underestimates the changes in American society that have taken place.

Andrew Camden says Brian Berlietta correctly predicted what happened to Iran. And now he's predicting a trap in Alaska. Trump is reckless, dishonorable and desperate. Yeah, to say this quickly, the 12-day war was a failure. It failed with Iran. And if there's an attempt to lay a trap for Putin in Alaska, that will fail to. Sir Mug's game says Putin gets that geopolitically Trump has the morals of an alicat, no meeting in Alaska unless Putin has suffered massive head injury recently. No, well, I don't accept this Hughes.

Elsa says, listen to Duran, always the best advice. Sticky Marx says, what odds will you give me for the race to the bottom for the old bag Vandalean in the crazy train derby? I trust you. Or did I tell you grew, or I did tell you grew the beard? Love this in Yorkshire. Is that an offer to bet? Because I don't bet. If it's a prediction where Ursula is concerned, I would agree with him.

Patrick, thank you for that super chat. Josh Winston says, do you guys think Ukraine could be partitioned before a blasts going to Russia, Central East Ukraine neutral or a Russian-influenced state based in Kiev, a West Ukraine, EU state and Lavalv, and the Carpathians to home. I mean, this is absolutely one of many possible outcomes to the war. It's not implausible at all. In fact, you can even argue it's the most likely one. Elsa says, Mr. Barnes, thank you for explaining Trump and bring some sense into his presidency,

watching him as like being on a roller coaster. True. Mitchell LeBlanc says, what are the odds the U.S. eventually allies to join Bricks? Well, I think we discussed this. Natalia Norskov, thank you for that super chat. Sparky says, Robert, real Russians feel cheated if they don't get Odessa. We answered that too. We answered that.

Sparky says, Robert, seems like Lula may be hitting his stride again. What do you think about Brazil's relationship with the U.S. and its place in the world these days? Maybe Lula's health has improved. Robert also answered that one. We answered that as well. Galactia Actual says New Border will be the Dnieper. Trump will promise Moldova to Ukraine, art of the deal. possible. I don't think he will, the Moldopans will want to go to Ukraine, though. Not at all. I think if he does, it'll be in a whole new set of trouble.

Elsa says, were there bets on Alaska? No. I mean, Alaska was a surprise to me. It shouldn't have been. Yeah. Sparky says, Robert, shouldn't cut the earth forget about Macron and make a deal to be for to be Burkina Faso. Niger and Mali's path to the sea before Ghana does. Okay. Interesting. Well, I'm not going to comment on that. I mean, that's a whole video discussion, I think. From Okido Debdo, unfortunately, Brian Berletek predicts that the U.S. will off President Putin.

If that event occurs, I hope Medvedev has positioned the Oresniks to strike Mar-a-Lago and the damn White House. Putin is the greatest world leader of my lifetime, and I am ashamed American saying this. I really don't believe this. I do not believe there's going to be any kind of assassination of Putin in Alaska. And if there was, I'd say, I mean, it would be an international crisis of an enormous scale. And it would be completely disastrously counterproductive. If there's an assassination, we're all screwed. If there's an assassination, we're all screwed. Exactly.

I'd say it's an actor. It would be the equivalent of a declaration of war. Yeah. A bad wolf T. T.X says, As Robert, how much influence he thinks Lady Lindsay has, actually. I think it's nearly zero. His only real usefulness expired with the passage of the BBB.

I think Robert answered the whole question about Lindsey Graham, yeah. Yeah, he answered that. A couple more, Alexander. Bad Wolf TX says, funny question. Does Putin actually have Hillary's missing 30,000 emails? Yes. I'm sure he does. Oldslow says, is the US in a similar position as Russia at the end of the 80s?

We discussed that. We discussed that as well. All right, those are the questions from the live stream with Robert Barnes. Take care.