LOS ANGELES.–Cautioning 78-year-old President Donald Trump to not jump into ceasefire or peace deal with 72-year-old Russian President Vladimir Putin, 80-year-old former MI6 Director Richard Dearlove [1999-2004] said if Trump wants the Nobel Prize he shouldn’t act too quickly. Well, in case Dearlove hasn’t noticed, nothing is happening quickly when it comes to peace largely due to 47-year-old Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that doesn’t want peace with Russia. Zelensky believes Putin should return all of Ukraine lost sovereign territory, but, more importantly, remove all its soldiers from Ukrainian soil. Zelensky peace plan would have Putin surrender the Crimean Peninsula, territory given to Ukraine by Premier Nikita Khrushchev in 1954 when Ukraine was a loyal Soviet Satellite. Dearlove knows that Zelensky doesn’t want peace because he wants all his sovereign territory back.
Dearlove co-hosts the “One Decision” podcast with 86-year-old former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, two octogenarians opining about foreign affairs and the Ukraine War. “Ukraine is pretty close to a tipping point,” Dearlove, said. “But the worry at the moment is that Trump will do premature deal with the Russians,” making too many concessions. But when Dearlove talks about concessions, what’s Trump supposed to do wait until Zelensky decides he’s ready to make peace? Dearlove thinks a premature deal would “embolden the Russian, over time, to be more aggressive and assertive in Europe,” Dearlove said, despite there are no facts that Putin seeks to takeover any EU countries. Codenamed “C” in the MI6, Dearlove spent five years leading the British spy agency. Dearlove doesn’t like Trump’s irreverent ways with foreign leaders, though he finds most Americans gracious.
Dearlove agrees with Trump on pushing EU leaders to increase defense spending, knowing the U.S. can’t expect to defend Europe from another Russian invasion. Dearlove admits European countries spend a disproportionate amount of social welfare benefits, not inclined toward more defense spending. “President’s Peace Through Strength has delivered historic achievements across the globe and restored American dominance on the world stage,” said White House Deputy Press Secretary Harrison Fields, praising Trump for his master negotiating skills. “The experts have been wrong for decades and doing the same thin while expecting a different result is the definition of insanity,” Fields said. Dearlove wants Trump to include Zelensky and the EU in any peace talks with Putin. But Dearlove knows that Zelensky can’t stand Putin, barely acts civil.
Dearlove dismissed the “Signalgate” controversy as a “stupid and silly mistake,” with Democrats and the press going overboard to score political points. “It wouldn’t have a long-term impact on Western intelligence sharing,” Dearlove said, disputing the weeks of negative publicity in the U.S. press. Dearlove gave Trump some advice if he hopes to get the Nobel Peace Prize for ending the Ukraine War. “If you want to get the Nobel Peace Prize, don’t do a premature deal with Ukraine—wait,” Dearlove said. Dearlove doesn’t see that the one delaying any peace deal is Zelensky because he’s afraid to admit to himself and the Ukrainian people that he’s lost the war with Ukraine. “The Russians, themselves, badly need a ceasefire, but Putin is incapable of seeking one because he doesn’t have a reverse gear,” Dearlove said, referring to Putin not admitting his mistakes.
When it comes to Iran, Dearlove thinks Trump should go ahead and demand that the Ayatollah give up his nuclear enrichment program. Nuclear enrichment has given Iran for years added leverage on the world stage, once referred to by former Iranian President Mahmoud Amadinejad as ”a nuclear power.” Ayatollah thinks Iran’s nuclear ambitions keep Western countries from trying to topple the repressive mullah regime. “I think there’s a bottom line for Trump and Israel that Iran must not have nuclear capability,” Dearlove said. “ I think it’s pretty clear that Iran were to try to weaponize or if the intelligence suspect that they are weapononzed, then there would be joint Israeli-American attack. “If the Iranians don’t negotiate, or if they mislead, which they’re quite capable of doing, they’re ones heading for a crisis,” Dearlove said, saying Trump means business.
Dearlove sees the future confrontation as one between the United States and Communist China. Former President Joe Biden said he would use U.S. troops to defend Taiwan but never committed U.S. troops to Ukraine. Dearlove sees the U.S. and China competing for world dominance, not knowing where it would end up. “China and the West are intimately intertwined. You can’t take disentangle them,” Dearlove said. But at the same time, it’s totally opposed to the Western value system,” something that makes little sense. Why would China try to imitate the U.S. middle class extending citizens the benefits of good paying jobs with a host of capitalistic fringe benefits like cars and world travel. Trump understands that there’s more in common with the U.S. and China than meets the eye. Chinese President Xi Jinping wants for his citizens the same modern lifestyle as the U.S.
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.
