LOS ANGELES.–Saying the 72-year-old President Vladimir Putin is at risk of “overplaying his hand,” former National Security advisor John Bolton cautioned Trump. Bolton is often cited in the fake news because of his known hatred toward Trump. Bolton was fired after a brief stint at National Security Adviser [2018-2019] under Trump’s first administration. Trump fired Bolton because he was advocating war in many foreign policy challenges, especially with Iran after Trump cancelled former President Barack Obama’s 2015 Nuke Deal AKA JCPOA. When it comes to peace talks to end the Ukraine War, Bolton supported former President Joe Biden’s proxy war with the Kremlin knowing that it wrecked decades of diplomacy, détente, arms control and global cooperation with the Russian Federation. Bolton opposes everything that Trump does since getting fired Sept. 10, 2019.
Bolton knows little about what Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff has done meeting with Putin four times to help resolve the over three-year-old conflict. Putin knows that Trump has his back, even though the European Union clearly takes Zelensky’s side. Trump was the only world leader pushing for peace until a so-called coalition of the willing was willing to step up and call for peace. French President Emmanuel Macron, once a close friend of Putin, while France received Russian oil and natural gas, has turned into his nemesis, blaming him for the Ukraine War. While it’s true that Putin invaded Ukraine Feb. 24, 2022 with 200,000 Russian troops, it’s also true that Biden refused to stop arming Ukraine with lethal weapons. Putin asked Biden for months before the war to discuss new security arrangements for Ukraine knowing that NATO membership was a red line.
Bolton said as the war drags on, he sees Putin’s position getting weaker. “Putin has already gotten a lot of concessions for what he wants. He wants to hold on to the territory Russia’s seized in Ukraine but I think at this point, he may be at risk of overplaying his hand with Trump,” Bolton told John Catsimatidis’s WABC radio. Bolton is completely out of the loop has no clue what Trump chief envoy Steve Witkoff has already negotiated. Trump told Ukraine’s 47-year-old President Volodymyr Zelensky that he must take Putin up on his offer to meet in Istanbul to discuss without conditions a ceasefire and peace deal. Putin knows that he’s under pressure from the EU and Trump to accept a 30-day ceasefire or face more economic sanctions. Putin wants a face-saving way out of the war now that he’s no longer battling the U.S. with Trump normalizing relations with Moscow.
Zelensky thinks that involving French President Emmanuel Macron in ceasefire and peace talks buys him more leverage, something that could actually derail any concrete peace talks. Macron leads the coalition of the willing including E.U.’s Keir Starmer, Germany’s Friedrich Merz and Poland’s Donald Tusk in pushing Putin to accept a 30-day ceasefire. There’s nothing left for Putin to fight about anymore in Ukraine. Trump made him realize he’s no longer battling the Western Alliance seeking to topple his Kremlin regime. Putin know that Trump wants normal diplomatic ties with Russia, over the objections from Ukraine and the EU. Zelensky was incensed that Trump would want to mend fences with Russia, actually blowing up in the Oval Office Feb. 28 when he was there to sign a rare earth mineral deal. Zelensky signed the deal recently with Trump.
Trump might decide to join talks in Istanbul next week, though it’s no clear whether Putin would attend the talks. Putin more likely would send Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to Istanbul to deal with Zelensky. But it Putin is really serious about looking involved in peace talks, he may wind up going himself to Istanbul. Vice President J.D. Vance thinks Putin is serious bout peace talks just has certain conditions he’s like to meet. Vance said he though Putin was asking for too much, especially when it comes to restricting the amount of arms received from the U.S. and NATO. Putin wants arms shipments to Kiev to stop, something unlikely under the current scenario. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he appreciated the mediation role the U.S. was trying to play in peace talks. Putin trusts Trump far more than anyone from the EU and certainly Ukraine.
Bolton offers no insights into the peace process in Ukraine. He pretends to the liberal media that he’s still in the loop when he couldn’t be more out of the picture. Trump has done everything possible to bring about peace between Ukraine and Russia. Both countries know that he’s the only world leader pushing for peace, despite Johnny-come-latelys like French President Emmanuel Macron. Macron and his coalition of the willing doesn’t need to advocate for Zelensky, knowing that Trump would get Zelensky the best deal possible with Putin. Trump is a patient man, proving that he’d outlast a lot of his competitors in business and politics over the years. Trump nailed down his rare earth mineral deal with Zelensky and no looks poised to pull off a ceasefire and peace. It doesn’t help the peace process to the threaten Putin with more economic sanctions. It makes sense to get a peace deal.
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.
