LOS ANGELES.–Looking to make good on his campaign promise to end the Ukraine War, 78-year-old President Donald Trump tries sound tough to Russia and Ukraine as he prepares both sides for the tough negotiations ahead. How ironic that former President Joe Biden, 82, said he was supplying Ukraine with unlimited lethal weapons and giving Ukraine’s 47-year-old President Volodymyr Zelensky the green light to attack deep inside Russia with U.S. weapons. Biden claimed the more weapons he gave Ukraine a better bargaining position when peace finally came up. Under Biden or Harris there would be no talk of peace only perpetual war letting Zelensky decide how long he would battle the Kremlin. Trump now says to both parties that enough-is-enough after three years of carnage, destruction with Ukraine only wrecking its economy and losing more sovereign land.
Trump put out for fake news consumption that he would hold 72-year-old Russian President Vladimir Putin accountable if he didn’t cooperate in good faith to end the conflict. Trump actually knows how to play the diplomacy game, when the fake news accused him for years of pandering to dictators like Chinese President Xi Jinping, Putin and North Korean President Kim Jong-un. Biden didn’t waste any time wrecking U.S.-Russian, Chinese and North Korean relations, turning decades of diplomacy, détente and arms control into potentially WW III or nuclear war on the European Continent. Zelensky isn’t a bit concerned about sucking the rest of Europe into his conflict with Putin. He’s begged NATO for membership knowing it antagonizes the Kremlin and makes peace impossible. Trump knows that Zelensky won’t be happy with the deal he’ll cut with Putin.
Zelensky, as Trump pointed out, made atrocious decisions going to war with the Kremlin. Biden’s decisions due to his cognitive decline were equally bad. Can you imagine the U.S. government going to war with the Kremlin? All the work put in by presidents since WW II to make peace with Russia trashed by Biden’s abysmal decisions. Biden and his former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin actually specified the U.S. mission in March and April 2022, saying the U.S. would degrade the Russian military to the point it could no longer wage war. Can you imagine something that reckless? Well, after three years of war and Zelensky losing 25% of Ukraine’s best sovereign territory around the Black Sea coast, how has that worked out? Trump has the unenviable task of finding a solution to end the conflict, saving countless lives, and of course billions in U.S. tax dollars.
When Trump tours the devastation from wildfires in California he’ll see the why conserving U.S. tax dollars is a high priority. Trump met with Calif. Gov. Gavin Newsom today on the tarmac of Los Angeles International Airport, promising federal support for the unprecedented destruction from wildfires. Trump knows what Newsom and other Dems say behind his back but acted gracious as usual, coming to Los Angeles to survey the devastation, looking more like Dresden after WW II. When it comes to Zelensky, the same devastation is all over Ukraine because he stubbornly resisted striking a deal with Putin in March 2022. Putin offered Zelensky to recognize Russian sovereignty over Crimea and accept independence for Donetsk and Luhanks, the pre-war conditions. Zelensky rejected Putin’s offer and opted for war with the Kremlin.
Trump told Fox News Sean Hannity the whole war that Zelensky “shouldn’t have allowed this war to happen.” “Zelensky was fighting a much bigger entity, much bigger, much more powerful,” Trump said. “He should have done that, because we could have made a deal . . . and Zelensky decide that I want to fight,” Trump said, reminding Zelensky when the conflict finally settle he’ll have to accept the terms of surrender under the rules of war. Zelensky knew that if he lost the war to Russia, there would be consequences to Ukraine in terms of lost territory and a security arrangements. Zelensky told the Global Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland the he wanted the European Union to commit a minimum of 200,000 troops to Ukraine. Well, how’s that suppose to work with Trump, trying to work out a deal to bring Putin and Zelensky to the peace table?
Trump talks about putting more tariffs on Russia if they don’t work promptly to end the war soon. But all the talk is for the fake news because they accuse Trump of pandering to Putin to end the conflict. Now that Biden’s long gone, Democrats and Republican war hawks know that Trump won’t tolerate more war mongering with Russia. Trump wants to restore normal diplomatic relations with Russia, get back to global cooperation and arms control. Biden left U.S.-Russian relations in shambles, now mortal enemies, no longer cooperative partners. Zelensky never understood the importance of U.S.-Russian relations, playing Ukraine against the Kremlin. In the scheme of things, Russia is far more important to the U.S. than Ukraine and Trump will help Zelensky understand it.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.
