On the campaign trail, Trump promised to end Russia’s war on Ukraine in 24 hours. On Friday, he demonstrated not only that he is incapable of ending the war but that his incompetence will prolong suffering in Ukraine and increase instability in Europe.
Before the meeting with Putin, Trump promised that there would be “very severe consequences” if Putin did not agree to a ceasefire. There was no ceasefire announcement, and there were no consequences for Russia.
Even a Fox News reporter said that during the joint press conference it appeared that Putin “steamrolled” Trump by getting a photo opportunity and leaving without making any concessions.
It is an embarrassment for America to watch its president be played for a fool by the leader of a failing state that remains relevant only because of its legacy nuclear arsenal. For the sake of Ukraine, Trump should have had an agreement in place before the meeting and should have followed through on his threat of severe consequences after Putin took the PR win and decamped post haste.
What are you doing to stop the war in Ukraine?