Finland, If You're Listening ...

As Monday's performance review in Helsinki between un- indicted co-conspirator Donald "Rump" Trump and his handler, Vladimir Putin, approaches, we're keeping our hopes up and our fingers crossed that our intelligence community (or more likely that of one of our European allies) is working with Supo -- the Finnish Security Intelligence Service -- to listen in on the one- on- one conversation between the two partners in crime.  One can imagine what a trove of insights would be gained, from Rump getting his marching orders on NATO, Syria, etc., to "Vlad, you've got to help me get out of this Mueller jam," and "Can you ramp up your election meddling, Vlad?"

Of course, this is rank speculation with some wishful thinking thrown in, but it's not at all far- fetched to imagine that the Rump- Putin secretive meeting would be a molten target for intelligence gathering.  Because Supo has a history of close cooperation with Western intelligence agencies dating back to the Cold War, they or a sister agency (the Germans and British have excellent services with ties to Supo) might do the risky "dirty work" of monitoring the conversation. If the Brits or Germans should happen to receive intel directly or from their Finnish counterparts, their cooperation in the Trump- Russia investigation to date would suggest that intel would find its way into Robert Mueller's hands shortly.

The meeting will be held in the Finnish Presidential Palace, which is well suited for a domestic intel operation. So, Finland, if you're listening ...

(Image:  Those Germans have a way with humor, and maybe intelligence gathering.)

Trump's Next Capitulation: Helsinki

With the meeting set between Russian thug and neighbor invader Vladimir Putin and his American manager and first fan Donald "Rump" Trump in Helsinki on July 16, the question isn't whether, but how much Rump will give away to his idol and mentor. He's already indicating that he has doubts about the role of the Kremlin in securing his election, contrary to every Federal intelligence agency, and he'll no doubt bring Putin some interesting intelligence from his meeting the day before with NATO leaders in Brussels. Our allies are very nervous about the reason behind his meeting with Putin, coming so close on the heels of the disastrous G7 summit in Quebec.

What we've recently called Rump's "performance review" from Putin will likely be a disaster for the Atlantic Alliance, which has already felt Rump's animus toward NATO and tariffs while noticing Rump's slavish affinity to and regard for Putin. It's not as though Russia has much to offer: Sen. McCain once described Russia as a gas station with nuclear weapons, it has an economy that's only half the size of California's, and they'll only make things worse in Syria. But what it does signify-- as Mueller's investigation may likely reveal -- is Rump's business' dependence on Russian oligarch money, whether laundered or hard wired to outfits like the Bank of Cyprus or Deutsche Bank. There may have also been commitments made by Kremlin representatives to Rump to reel him in as a Russian agent of influence for grand projects in Russia in years to come. Putting his personal business interests over the interests of the U.S. should be one of the primary articles of impeachment for the odious Rump.

Whatever the outcome, Rump has gone from defensiveness on Russia to flagrantly thumbing his nose at the appearance of cozying up to Putin, even as the Russia investigation heats up toward a climax. These are the actions of someone who feels emboldened by his rabid base's loyalty and his virtually unopposed discrediting of the institutions which are on his trail, digging for the truth about Rump's corruption and potential treason.

(photo: Getty Images. Putin likes what he's saying.)