Here we go again. In his 2024 campaign, Donald Trump vowed he could stop Russia’s war on Ukraine with a single phone call. Instead, Russian attacks on Ukraine have doubled since Trump took office.
Friday was his deadline for Putin to agree to a ceasefire in his illegal invasion of Ukraine, or face further sanctions. Instead, Trump announced that he will meet with Putin on August 15. In Alaska.
Putin has been indicted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes. He has stolen children from their parents and country. And yet Trump is welcoming him to America. To a state that was once Russian territory. Oh the symbolism.
Bloomberg reported yesterday that US and Russian officials are planning this summit to hammer out an agreement that will force Ukraine to cede land currently occupied by Russian troops. And Crimea. Violating Ukraine’s constitution and blessing the principle that one country can seize territory from another through force.
So why wouldn’t Putin do it again?
The planning apparently excludes Pres. Zelensky and European allies and is similar to the one Russia demanded in April 2025. And that plan, in turn, rehashed almost entirely the one that Russian operatives presented to Trump’s 2016 campaign manager, Paul Manafort, in exchange for helping Trump win the White House.
Which Russia did. Regardless of current efforts to again whitewash and rewrite history. And blame Democrats.
The so-called Mariupol plan is alive and well and being revisited. Trump’s actions, once again, belie the real intent. He talks tough. He makes us believe he will be tough on Putin. But it seems to be no more than a nudge nudge wink wink let’s get on with our deal making kind of tough.
The world will be watching what he does, not what he says.
Of course observers are going back to long-held speculation that Putin might possess some form of the Epstein files that Trump would prefer to keep from seeing the light of day.
Putin has always behaved like someone who is holding a strong hand of cards. And so far the guy who likes to remind people when they don’t, sure is acting like he knows he doesn’t either.
Here’s betting any meeting between Trump and Putin will result in a lot of chest-thumping rhetoric and coy diplomatic speak but will ultimately result in Ukraine getting the shaft.
At least on paper. Ukraine might have other ideas.
Trump and Putin will kiss and make up. Ukraine will be abandoned. America will be shamed. And the president will declare he has ended another war.
But we’ll see won’t we?
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