LOS ANGELES (OC),.–Announcing that he would approve sending defensive weapons to Ukraine, 79-year-old President Donald Trump undermines his own policy of improving ties with the Russian Federation. Every statement or move made by Trump is closely watched at the Kremlin, with Trump latest statements viewed cautiously by the Kremlin. Since taking office, Trump has made resetting U.S.-Russian relations a top priority, requiring Trump to reverse the Biden proxy war policy with the Kremlin. Trump made sure that Russian President Vladimir Putin knew that he no longer supported proxy war in Ukraine with the Kremlin. Putin appreciated Trump’s overtures saying he looked forward to once again building a cooperative partnership with the United States. So, when it comes to Trump approving any arms shipments, even ones promised under Biden administration, it’s tricky.
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Kremlin would wait-and-see what arms shipments the U.S. supplies Ukraine. Trump expressed disappointment with his last call with Putin because he showed little enthusiasm for any ceasefire or peace talks. Trump knows that has much to do with Ukraine’s 47-year-old President Volodymyr Zelensky who has stabbed Trump in the back at the Munich Security Conference, telling the European Union that Trump was not concerned with European security. Trump knows Zelensky undermined his Ukraine War peace efforts, running to the EU thinking he’d get a better deal from French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and U.S. Prime Minister Keir Starmer. EU leaders undermine Trump peace efforts with Putin, saying the Putin needed to remove all his forces from Ukraine.
Trump finds himself under enormous pressure from war hawks in Congress to supply Ukraine with weapons already promised under agreements with the Biden administration. Trump knows that it’s his policy now that only counts, with Biden long gone. Trump made clear that whatever weapons the U.S. sends to Ukraine they would be defensive in nature like more Patriot missile batteries. Zelensky has complained that he can control the skies over Ukraine’s major cities without Patriot missiles. Trump walks a fine line with the Kremlin sending Ukraine any weapons at all, considering Trump’s overtures to normalize U.S.-Russian relations. “Obviously, supplies are continuing, that clear. Obviously, the Europeans are actively involved in pumping Ukraine full of weapons,” Peskov said, excluding the U.S. from the same kinds of weapon deliveries as the EU.
Kremlin officials are actively watching the kind of weapons Trump releases to Zelensky, given that he’s singlehandedly undermined Trump peace efforts. Trump got a good taste of Zelensky in the Oval Office Feb. 28 when Zelensky through a fit, realizing that Trump wanted to normalize U.S. ties with Russia. Zelensky can’t reconcile how Trump could be an ally of Ukraine when he’s restoring U.S. ties to Moscow. Well, the U.S., before Biden, had workable, pragmatic ties with Russia going back generations. Every American President except Biden worked hard on restoring good diplomatic ties with the Kremlin. Biden decided to fund proxy war against the Kremli, all but killing generations of diplomacy, détente, arms control and global cooperation with Russia. Trump finally got relations heading in the right direction, now he supplies Ukraine with more weapons.
Peskov said the Kremlin is taking a wait-and-see approach, knowing Trump has poor relations with Zelensky, while, simultaneously, dealing with war hawks in Congress wanting to supply Kiev more weapons. “As for what kind of supplies and in what quantity Ukraine continues to receive from the United States, it will still take time to clarify this definively,” Peskov said. Trump made clear that he no longer supported offensive weapons to Ukraine. He opposes Ukraine striking deep inside Russia, seeking instead to move the conflict to the peace table. Putin sees the same thing as Trump that Zelensky wants no part of any peace deal that would require Ukraine to trade land-for-peace. Most peace experts encourage Zelensky to compromise on his sovereign territory in order to get a peace deal. So far, Zelensky has refused to cooperate on a peace deal.
Putin’s fierce prosecution of the war sends Kiev a message that if they refuse to make peace then the war goes on full force, nothing being held back. Zelensky wants Trump to return to the Biden policy of supplying unlimited cash and arms to the Kiev government. Peskov said the Kremlin appreciated Trump efforts to mediate peace talks with Ukraine. “But at the moment, the United States is implementing a number of restrictions. We believe that these sanctions are illegal, and they harm not only our entrepreneurs, but also the entrepreneurs of the United States,” Peskov said. Trump walks a fine line handing Ukraine new defensive weapons and implementing any news sanctions against the Russian government. Whatever disappointment Trump has with Putin over a ceasefire of peace talks, he should remind himself that the real obstacle to peace is Zelensky.
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.
