So why exactly is Trump having a summit meeting with Putin ?

"This is a summit about appeasement and we should be terrified that Trump is going to sell out America and its allies.Any other President — Republican or Democrat — would use this summit to confront Russia for its on-going attack on our democracy, for its illegal occupation of Crimea and invasion of eastern Ukraine, for its efforts to assassinate people using chemical weapons in the U.K., and for its backing of [Syrian President Bashar al-]Assad. We should be confronting Russia and redrawing clear red lines, not trying to cut any deals because the only deal to be had is one where Russia agrees to completely change its behavior. That's not going to happen." - Max Bergmann of the Center for American Progress.

"If Trump really were a Russian asset, it's hard to think what else he could do to rupture the Western alliance, diminish U.S. influence, undercut democratic government and human rights, boost Russia's leverage in the Middle East and give Putin a green light to manipulate our elections with impunity." - Jennifer Rubin , WaPo.