LOS ANGELES (OC).–Russian Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Kremlin was well-aware of 79-year-old President Donald Trump deploying at least two nuclear submarines in response to veiled threats by Russian Deputy Security Council Chairman Dmitry Medvedev. Peskov told Trump that “everyone should be very, very cautious with nuclear rhetoric,” signaling to Medvedev to tone it down and, at the same time, telling Trump to keep the hyperbole in check. Peskov wasn’t too concerned about Trump’s recent deployments saying it was common for the U.S. to patrol the open seas with its fleet of nuclear submarines. Peskov said that Russia wasn’t interested in getting into a row with Trump over controversial topics, including the Ukraine War, where, more recently, Trump wants Russian President Vladimir Putin to sign onto a 30-day ceasefire agreement to see if he can agree to a peace deal.
Trump’s insistence on a 30-day ceasefire attempts to curb the bloodshed and destruction happening nightly for Ukraine and Russia, where both sides continue to attack civilian infrastructure including residential buildings. Peskov tried to reassure Trump that Medvedev didn’t speak for Putin and whose words should not be taken too seriously. Medvedev said recently on his X account that Trump’s threats of extra tariffs could lead to war. Well, Medvedev is partially correct that economic warfare doesn’t help the reconciliation atmosphere where Trump attempts to restore normal diplomatic relations with the Kremlin. Peskov and other members of the Kremlin appreciated Trump’s peace overtures toward Russia, especially ending Biden’s proxy war. Trump agreed recently to let NATO supply and pay for any Patriot missiles for Ukraine.
Trump knows that Putin isn’t the only obstacle to peace, looking at Zelensky run to the EU to oppose Trump’s peace plan with the Kremlin. Trump sent his special envoy Steve Witkoff to meet with Putin four times in the last six months, planning another visit to break the impasse Aug. 6. With Putin agreeing to the meeting, it’s his way to telling Trump he’s still invested in the peace process, no matter what happens on the battlefield. From Putin’s point of view, there’s no peace settlement until Ukraine’s 47-year-old President Voldymyr Zelensky agrees to certain basic conditions for peace. Putin wants Zelensky to abandon his ambition to join the NATO alliance, remaining neutral. Zelensky has asked and been denied NATO membership because Ukraine does not meet NATO’s membership requirements, especially the fact that it’s at war with the Kremlin.
Trump made some statements about shortening the 50-day time frame to let Putin come to a 30-day ceasefire agreement, putting it at 10-12 days. Trump wants to push Putin along but he’s not one who respond to arm-twisting, so it’s not the best negotiating strategy. Peskov considers Witkoff’s visit with Putin “important, substantial and helpful,” thinking that it can only help moving things along. Trump took the right tact with Putin for the last six months but somehow let Zelensky and the EU color his thinking. Since Zelsensky went to the EU to get a better deal than Trump offered, things have only gotten worse for him. He continues to lose precious sovereign land with Putin advancing daily on the 600-mile battlefront. Sending Witkoff back to Moscow is the best thing Trump can do to reassure Putin that he still seeks peace with the Russian Federation.
Putin doesn’t want to be railroaded into a ceasefire agreement until his negotiating team comes up with a plan that accepts his “memorandum” or conditions for ending the conflict. Zelensky acts like he’s calling the shots but Putin has earned his superior position on the battlefield spending over three years seizing more Ukrainian territory. Zelensky is so afraid to admit to the Ukrainian people the sovereign land lost to Russia, fearing a putsch to evict him from Kiev. Zelensky has been gaslighting the Ukrainian people for years saying he’s winning the war against the Kremlin. Once the public realizes the losses of sovereign territory to the Kremlin, they’ll take revenge on Zelensky. Ukrainians will question what the war has gotten other than death and destruction. Zelensky pretends that if he keeps the war going, he doesn’t have to admit his losses.
Peskov expressed the hope that Witkoff’s visit can put U.S.-Russian relations back on the right track, without Trump threatening new sanctions or tariffs, especially on countries that buy Russian oil. Buying Russia oil is the right of any country that wishes to do business with the Kremlin. Because the U.S. or EU takes a position against Russia in the Ukraine War, doesn’t mean that Putin doesn’t have long-standing business relationships, especially Russia and China. Trump doesn’t want to go down the tariff or sanctions route with Putin. He wants Putin to agree to a pause in the fighting so he can work on Zelensky to get a final settlement that meets at least some of Putin’s conditions. Trump accepts the principle that Zelensky must trade land-for-peace to end over three-year conflict. Zelensky has played hardball for too long, now needs to step up the negotiation and compromise.
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.
