Donald Trump apparently saw John Bolton, his former White House national security adviser, tell a national television audience this week that Russia’s Vladimir Putin has “already won” ahead of the bilateral summit in Alaska.

The American president was not pleased. “What’s that all about?” the Republican wrote to his social media platform. “We are winning on EVERYTHING.” (Trump went on to reference “Leningrad” in his missive, despite the fact that St. Petersburg hasn’t been called that since 1991.)

Of course, it’s difficult to take seriously the suggestion that the administration is “winning on everything,” given how badly it’s struggling on multiple fronts, but if he’s genuinely confused as to why Bolton and others have argued that Putin has “already won” ahead of the meeting near Anchorage, it’s really not that complicated. The New York Times reported:

President Trump has spent the week setting the bar extremely low for his high-stakes U.S.-Russian summit on Friday in Alaska. Hardly anyone expects him to make much progress in halting the fighting between Russia and Ukraine, given how far apart their views of the conflict are. But those two warring countries do seem to agree on at least one thing. Merely meeting with Mr. Trump is a big win for President Vladimir V. Putin, bringing the Russian leader out of a diplomatic deep freeze and giving him a chance to cajole the American president face to face.

The Times quoted one speaker on a Kremlin-controlled television program who told viewers, “Putin’s visit to the U.S.A. means the total collapse of the whole concept of isolating Russia. Total collapse.” Another pro-war Russian political scientist added that for Moscow, the summit is “a breakthrough even if they don’t agree on much.”

It’s hardly an outlandish point. Trump publicly declared earlier this month that if Putin didn’t agree to end its war in Ukraine by Friday, Aug. 8, the White House “would have no other choice” but to impose new economic sanctions. The American president had made similar threats before, and he failed to follow through in each instance. But the public was told that he meant it this time.

He did not mean it this time. After Putin ignored the threat, Trump announced that he’d welcome the Russian dictator to American soil — a move NBC News described as “a huge win” for Putin and “a diplomatic coup.”

Just days earlier, the official White House line was that Trump was willing to meet with the Russian leader, but only if Putin agreed to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. This, like Trump’s sanctions threats, proved to be about as meaningful as the Republican’s campaign promises about ending the war “in 24 hours.”

Indeed, whether the American president understands this or not, he’s handed Putin a victory before they even shook hands by giving the Russian exactly what he’s wanted all year: a face-to-face meeting with Trump, elevating his legitimacy — effectively putting him on equal footing with the president of the United States — after years of pariah status.

The White House gave him this, not after extensive negotiations that forced Putin to make some modest concessions, but in exchange for nothing.

This came on the heels of a series of related developments that were likely celebrated in Moscow in recent months.

• The Trump administration halted cyber operations and information operations against Russia.
• The Trump administration halted work on a coordinated effort to counter Russian sabotage efforts.
• The Trump administration agreed to help Russia sell its grain and fertilizer on the world market.
• Trump upbraided Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office while peddling Kremlin-style talking points.
• Trump blamed Ukraine for starting the war that Russia started.
• Trump suggested Vladimir Putin was a victim of the 2016 Russia scandal.
• Trump said he would reward Russia by welcoming it back into the G7.
• The Trump administration disbanded the FBI’s Foreign Influence Task Force.
• The Trump administration pared back enforcement of the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
• The Trump administration disbanded the Justice Department’s program responsible for enforcing Russian sanctions and targeting oligarchs close to the Kremlin.
• The Trump administration slashed the U.S. Agency for International Development, to the delight of Moscow.
• The Trump administration targeted U.S. intelligence officials as part of its mass firing campaign.
• Trump’s delegation to the United Nations voted with Russia — and against U.S. allies — on a resolution condemning Russian aggression in Ukraine.
• Trump reassigned the White House’s special envoy for Ukraine and Russia after Putin let U.S. officials know that he did not approve of Trump’s choice.
• Trump repeatedly threatened to impose sanctions on Russia, only to back off in every instance.

If the Republican is genuinely baffled as to why he’s handed Putin yet another win, he’s not paying close enough attention.

This post updates our related earlier coverage.