Summits however are mostly about symbolism and here Mr Trump's performance was shocking.

Many in the US, including some senior Republicans, have described Mr Trump as "treasonous" because with Mr Putin next to him he dismissed as a "witch-hunt" the charges laid this week by US special investigator Robert Mueller against Russian military intelligence for interfering in the 2016 US election.

Mr Trump effectively accepted Mr Putin 's word over the FBI that Russia had nothing to do with hacking Democratic Party files and even welcomed Mr Putin's "interesting idea" of working jointly with Russian authorities on the issue. Talk about handing the fox the keys to the hen house! If ever acted on, this plan would indeed verge on treason since it risks exposing to the KGB the identities of undercover US agents working on the Mueller inquiry.

Mr Trump loves the art of the deal but this summit legitimised Mr Putin without extracting from him anything in return. Even Mr Trump's meeting with Kim Jong-un in February at least extracted a pledge, however fluffy, for North Korea to denuclearise.

In Helsinki Mr Trump got nothing. Russia is too big and powerful to "shirt-front" but Mr Trump's one-sided fawning showed the Russian president far too much respect and contrasts with his lecturing of EU allies a few days before.