Meanwhile, Putin needs these summits to legitimize his status as a big boss, a vital task for any dictator. His supporters don’t like the penalties Putin’s leadership has brought down on them, but they are also convinced that he is the only one who can ever hope to rescue them. They might lose that hope and turn against him should Putin ever be effectively isolated and condemned on the world stage, as he should be. But Putin will never be treated like a pariah while nearly everyone believes he has the U.S. President in his pocket at least until Jan. 20, 2021.