I think there is a lot of truth in Andrew’s excellent article. But, I still think Putin is different. Trump’s number one concern is himself, and his #2 concern is family, especially his hot daughter. Xi is a strong man, almost certainly more powerful than Putin, he doesn’t even have to put up with pesky elections. But still Trump deals with Xi in fashion that is vaguely consistent with an American president. Sure there was probably some pay off with ZTE.
But Putin alone is treated differently. The reek meme isn’t a huge exaggeration for how Trump treats him. It is unlike how treats anyone else, foreign or domestically. As I’ve posted previously, I sincerely belief that Putin has a ton of stuff on Trump and has turned him. Which for a former KGB agent has to be the greatest coup in history of espionage.