Putin and Trump are now boxed in by their own rhetoric.

In my last blog entry I wrote that

"Putin and Trump are now, together, raising an Iron Curtain against Europe and the UK." (blog entry: 28 March 2025)

Yesterday, in Trump's announcement about his TARIFFS imposed upon countries exporting goods and services to the USA, he conspicuously excluded Putin's Russia from ANY tarrif restictions on its imports into the USA.

As Arpan Rai and Alex Croft report,

 "Donald Trump has not included Russia on its expansive list of countries that will face major new tariffs starting today as Vladimir Putin’s top negotiator held meetings in Washington.

At the same time, war-hit Ukraine is facing 10 per cent tariffs from the US administration.

The White House has not explained why Russia will not face tariffs." (The Independent: 3 April 2025) (my emphasis)

Meanwhile, as Trump wields a tariff sledgehammer against the economy of the world, excepting Putin's Russia but also slapping tarrifs on Ukraine, Anna Chernova and Rob Picheta (right) report that,

"One of the largest rounds of conscription to Russia’s military for several years is underway, as President Vladimir Putin pushes ahead with an expansion of the country’s military at a crucial moment in the war in Ukraine.
...
It will see 160,000 men between 18 and 30 join Russia’s armed forces – an increase of 10,000 on last year’s spring drive, and a rise of more than 15,000 compared to three years ago, according to Russian state media outlet TASS." (CNN: 2 April 2025) (my emphasis) 

This increase in Putin's military consciption underscores the fact that, as reported by DW,

"Russia cannot accept a proposal from US President Donald Trump's administration for a ceasefire in the war in Ukraine, according to comments by Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov (left).
...
Ryabkov added that the US proposals, in Moscow's view, do not address Russian concerns about the cause of the war. Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and illegally annexed the Ukrainian region of Crimea in 2014. (DW: 4 April 2025) (my emphasis)

CNN: 2 April 2025: YouTube

In other words, the US peace proposals do not address Putin's military intention of realising his "Novorossiya" dream i.e.,

" ...  when Russian President Vladimir Putin stated in an interview on 17 April 2014 that the territories of Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, Mykolaiv and Odesa were part of what was called Novorossiya. In May 2014, the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic and Luhansk People's Republic proclaimed the confederation of Novorossiya and its desire to extend its control towards all of southeastern Ukraine. (Wikipedia) (my emphasis)

Further underscoring Putin's delusions of his "Novorossiya" dream, and as reported by Robert Greenall and James Landale,

"Vladimir Putin has suggested that Ukraine should temporarily be placed under UN control to elect what he called a more "competent" government.

It is the latest attempt by the Russian president to challenge the legitimacy of the Kyiv government.

Ukraine accused Putin of proposing "crazy" ideas to delay further movement towards a peace deal - being championed by US President Donald Trump." (BBC: 28 March 2025) (my emphasis)

But calling Putin's bluff, James Landale (left) reports that,

"A poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) in March suggested the number of Ukrainians who trusted Zelensky was up a couple of points on the previous month at 69%.

Diplomats say the president might think now was his best chance of winning a second term rather than wait until political divisions emerge after the war.
…
Perhaps the strongest argument against elections is that Ukrainians themselves do not want [elections]. That same March poll by the KIIS found about 78% of people opposed holding elections even after a complete settlement of the war." ( BBC News: 1 April 2025) (my emphasis) 

Even with his distraction of the eyes of the world from Ukraine with his tariffs announcement to the world, US president Donald Trump still has to contend with the fact that,

"Russia cannot accept a proposal from US President Donald Trump's administration for a ceasefire in the war in Ukraine, according to comments by Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov" (ibid DW)

Exempting Putin's Russia from his tariff assault against the economies of all other countries in the world once again exposes Putin and Trump, together, raising an Iron Curtain against the UK and the EU.

But as Andy Bounds (left) reports,

"The EU has given itself a four-week window to convince Donald Trump to drop his 20 per cent tariffs on the bloc, with retaliation ruled out before late April.

Brussels would prepare measures to hit back, but hold off for the time being in the hope that it could negotiate a solution, two officials told the FT.
...
Ursula von der Leyen (right), president of the European Commission, said on Thursday the bloc was “prepared to respond” to the US levies but emphasised it preferred to negotiate to “remove any remaining barriers to transatlantic trade”. (Financial Times: 3 April 2025) (my emphasis) 

 

 Bloomberg: 1 April 2025: YouTube

Putin and Trump are now boxed in by their own rhetoric.

                                                                    

        

 

(to be continued)

Putin and Trump are now, together, raising an Iron Curtain against Europe and the UK.

In the White House, discussions about a ceasefire in Ukraine and, more importantly, about Putin dragging his feet over any ceasefire by constantly moving the goalposts in favour of Russia, at the expense of Ukraine, can only be described as, "a dog's dinner" i.e. White House 'ceasefire' discussions that are "messy or bungled". 

 

Sky News: 26 March 2025: YouTube

On the one hand US president Trump says that,

Interviewer: "Would Putin accept European peacekeeper troops in peace deal?"

Trump: "Yeah, he would accept that. I've asked him that question .... Because he's not ... Look, if we do this deal he's not looking for more war. He [Putin] does'nt mind .... " (Trump on video clip: Matt Watts: Evening Standard on MSN: 27 March 2025) (my emphasis)

Hindustan Times: 27 March 2025: YouTube

Whilst on the other hand, skipping from 25 Feb. 2025 to 28 March 2025, Ed Holt (left) reports that,

"Donald Trump's proposed minerals deal [as an integral part of a 'ceasefire with Putin in Ukraine] with Ukraine has been laid out by insiders - and compared to holding a gun to Volodymyr Zelensky's head.

The deal will see the United States handed control of Ukraine's mineral wealth and infrastructure linked to natural resources in an agreement which would be unparalleled in the history of modern diplomacy.
...
Despite the massive economic control handed over to the US it would come with no security guarantee in light of a future Russian invasion. " (Mail Online: 28 March 2025) (my emphasis)

Meanwhile, Matt Watts (right) reports that,

"French President Emmanuel Macron has said a European peacekeeping force installed in Ukraine could "respond" if Russia launched an attack.

He spoke after talks with Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky and ahead of a summit in Paris of 30 nations on Thursday that will discuss the proposed force that could be set up in Ukraine if a peace deal is reached.

"If there was again a generalised aggression against Ukrainian soil, these armies would be under attack and then it's our usual framework of engagement," Mr Macron said." (Evening Standard on MSN: 27 March 2025) (my emphasis)

Furthermore,

"Europe is mobilising on a scale "not seen for decades" to be ready to sustain a peace deal in Ukraine, Keir Starmer says at a summit of Kyiv's allies in Paris
...

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky calls on the US to be stronger against Russia and to react to Moscow's violations of agreements

Leaders at the Paris summit agree that now is not the time to lift sanctions on Russia (BBC News: 27 March 2025) (my emphasis) (cf, also: James Gregory and Laura Gozzi: BBC News: 27 March 2025)

 

CBS News: 27 March 2025: YouTube

 

BBC News: 27 March 2025: YouTube

And against the backdrop of Europe and the UK seeking to defend Ukraine, Putin's mouthpiece, Dmitry Peskov, (left) has revealed that,

"Russia and the United States have a desire to move towards resolving the Ukrainian crisis. This was stated by the press secretary of the Russian leader Dmitry Peskov.

"Apparently, we are talking about the desire and willingness of countries to move towards a peaceful settlement — there really is a common understanding here," Peskov said, answering the question whether Russia and the United States really agreed on common parameters for a Ukrainian settlement or whether US President Donald Trump's assessments are too optimistic." (Pravda: 24 March 2025) (my emphasis) 

As I wrote in my blog entry of 1 March 2025,

"It is without a doubt that the political world, and the people of the world, have now heard how Trump and his sidekick Vance are raising an IRON CURTAIN between the US and Europe."

As Trump's 'Tarrif Strategy' is on the cusp of coming into full force, this Iron Curtain is now also rapidly taking shape between Trump and the UK.

Putin and Trump now occupy one side of this Iron Curtain, whilst Europe and the UK occupy the other side.

Putin and Trump are now, together, raising an Iron Curtain against Europe and the UK.

                                                                    

        

 

(to be continued)

The UK and EU re-armament program has now become Putin's nightmare

Towards the end of last month (blog entry 24/02/2025) I wrote that,

"The autocratic leanings of US President Trump has now reached the stage of wishing to overturn the democratic Constitution of the US.

 Putin and his 'siloviki' are practically jumping for joy, but with one cautious eye on the re-awakening of the European giant." (blog entry 24/2/2025)

Earlier, I wtote that,

"Is Tump's embrace of Putin about 'peace' or 'about crude' economics." (blog entry: 19/02/2025)

We now learn from Reuters that, under the guise of  trying to breathe life into a 30-day ceasefire in Putin's war with Ukraine, US president Donald Trump is suggesting that,

"The Trump administration is seeking new terms for U.S. access to critical minerals and energy assets in Ukraine, widening its economic demands on Kyiv as it pushes for a peace deal with Russia, the Financial Times reported on Friday, citing two Ukrainian officials." (Reuters: 21 March 2025) (my emphasis)

Let us remind ourselves that in 2016,

"On June 18, 2013, Donald Trump had some exciting news: He would soon be whisking dozens of the world’s most beautiful women to Russia.

“The Miss Universe Pageant will be broadcast live from MOSCOW, RUSSIA on November 9th,” ....

And maybe not just the countries, Trump said: “Do you think Putin will be going to The Miss Universe Pageant,” he tweeted later that day. “[I]f so, will he become my new best friend?” (Michael Crowley: Politico: 15/05/2016) (my emphasis)

Still mindfull of US president Trump's wish for Putin to become his new "best friend" all those years ago, Putin is now enticing US president Trump's mediocre "property development" background with the lure of greater "property development" riches than Ukraine can ever afford.

As reported in The Moscow Times,

"Russia and the U.S. have been discussing resuming their economic cooperation, with Moscow touting potential joint projects in metals, rare earth mining and Arctic development." (Moscow Times: 6 March 2025) (my emphasis)

Underscoring this lure of Trump by Putin, Maximilian Hess comments that,

Proposals like Putin’s rare earths offer are “all for show,” said Maximilian Hess, founder of Enmetena Advisory and a fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute." (ibid The Moscow Times)

Yet it would seem that this "lure" of Putin to 'bathe' US president Trump in "potential joint projects in metals, rare earth mining and Arctic development" was in the forefront of Trump's mind during that recent call he had with Putin about a 'ceasefire' in his war with Ukraine. (cf: Aamer Madhani, Zeke Miller and Vladimir Isachenkov: AP News: 18 March 2025) 

It is no wonder, as Kathryn Watson (right) reported, that,

"President Trump said he and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to an "immediate ceasefire on all energy and infrastructure" in Ukraine when the two spoke Tuesday in a lengthy phone call, but Russia has not agreed to a full 30-day ceasefire like Ukraine has.
…
A Russian readout of the call from the Kremlin said a key condition for working toward a resolution to the conflict "should be the complete cessation of foreign military aid and the provision of intelligence information to Kyiv." The White House readout did not contain that information, or Mr. Trump's response." (CBS News: 18 March 2025) (my emphasis) 

 

 Global News: 19 March 2025: YouTube

This rejection of Zelensky's "ceasefire"proposals by Putin was as inevitable as day follows night.

As Zelensky has, on numerous ocassions, re-iterated,

"Volodymyr Zelensky says Russia is trying to drag out talks on a Ukraine ceasefire because it wants diplomacy to break down and the war to continue" (BBC News: 13 March 2025) (my emphasis)

This is evidenced by the continous and near 'frantic' bombardment by Putin of Ukraine's civilian population and its infrastructure, notwithstanding his 'ostensible' partial ceasefire proposals. 

 The Telegraph reports that:-

• Ukraine has accused Russia of blowing up its own gas pipeline in order to pin the blame on Kyiv and undermine the proposed energy ceasefire.
•  Ukraine’s air defences shot down 114 out of 214 drones launched by Russia in an overnight attack on Friday, the air force said.
•  Petr Pavel, the Czech President, was in Ukraine’s Odesa as Russia pounded the city with several waves of drones in an overnight attack, Ukrainian officials said this morning. (The Telegraph: 21 March 2025) (my emphasis) (cf. also: BBC News)
  

No doubt this 'frenzy' of bombings by Putin's army against Ukraine stems from, in part, the awakened giant of Great Britain, the EU, and those countries willing to defend Ukraine.

As reported by Deborah Haynes (right),

"Vladimir Putin will break any peace agreement with Ukraine that is not "defended" by an international coalition of forces, the British prime minister has said.

Sir Keir Starmer was talking on Thursday as he visited a UK base to meet a group of senior military officers from more than 30 nations tasked with turning a political desire to support Kyiv into an actionable plan to help protect the country from land, sea and air in the event of a ceasefire."(Sky News: 20 March 2025) (my emphasis)

 

DW News: 16 March 2025: YouTube

 

The London Standard: 21 March 2025: YouTube

Both Putin and Trump now find themselves confronted by Starmer's "coalition of the willing", a "coalition of the willing" drawing up an actionable plan to help protect the country from land, sea and air in the event of a ceasefire.

The re-armament of Great Britain and the EU has now become Putin's greatest nightmare.  

UPDATE: 23 March 2025: 05:26 GMT 

It would seem that Sir Keith Starmer's plan for an international force to support a ceasefire in Ukraine has 'ruffled the feathers' of Steve Witkoff, US president Trump's "main channel of communication between the Trump administration and the Russian presidency" (Wikipedia)

As Michelle L. Price and Aamer Madhani report,

"Witkoff, who runs a real estate development and investment firm, is a longtime friend and golf partner of Trump. (right: Trump and Witkoff)

Witkoff first met Trump in the 1980s, when he worked for a real estate law firm that handled a deal for Trump, himself a real estate developer, according to testimony Witkoff gave in the president’s civil fraud trial in 2023." (AP: 13 March 2025) (my emphasis)

Like Trump, this same Witkoff,

"... leading the US ceasefire negotiations with both Russia and Ukraine but he was unable to name the five regions of Ukraine either annexed or partially occupied by Russian forces. (James Landale (left): BBC News: 23 March 2025) (my emphasis)

As James Landale further reports,

"In an interview with pro-Trump journalist Tucker Carlson, Witkoff praised Vladimir Putin, saying he "liked" the Russian president.

"I don't regard Putin as a bad guy," he said. "He's super smart."
…
Witkoff made several assertions that are either not true or disputed:

• He said Ukrainian troops in Kursk were surrounded, something denied by Ukraine's government and uncorroborated by any open-source data
•  He said the four partially occupied regions of Ukraine had held "referendums where the overwhelming majority of the people have indicated that they want to be under Russian rule". There were referendums only in some of the occupied parts of Ukraine at different times and the methodology and results were widely discredited and disputed
•  He said the four partially occupied oblasts were Russian-speaking. There are many Russian-speaking parts of Ukraine but this has never indicated support for Russia." (ibid James Landale)

Is it therefore any wonder that Witkoff,

" ... gave details of how Trump wanted to co-operate with Russia after relations had been normalised. "Who doesn't want to have a world where Russia and the US are doing collaboratively good things together, thinking about how to integrate their energy polices in the Arctic, share sea lines maybe, send LNG gas into Europe together, maybe collaborate on AI together?" (ibid James Landale)

The re-armament of Great Britain and the EU has not only become Putin's greatest nightmare but, it would seem, also that of Trump and Witkoff.

The "coalition of the willing" drawing up an actionable plan to help protect Ukraine from land, sea and air in the event of a ceasefire has ruffled feathers in the White House.

                                                                    

        

 

(to be continued)

Something seems "Rotten in the 'cosy' relationship between Trump and Putin"

Four days ago John Bolton, who became the 26th United States National Security Advisor during Trump's first presidency, stated that,

That Trump is, "... considering placing large-scale banking sanctions and tariffs" is, in the words of John Bolton (left),

 

"Because I think he [Trump] knew that the so-called 'threat' about placing large scale banking sanctions and tarrifs on Russia] this morning was totally hollow,  as did Vladimir Putin.. He did it simply to show some kind of balance given the things he had said about Zelensky and the Ukrainians .... " (CNN : 7 March 2025: YouTube)

 

We now hear from Samuel Osborne that,

"The Russian president thanked Donald Trump for "paying so much attention to regulating the conflict in Ukraine" and said he needs to speak with his American counterpart.[i.e. Donald Trump]" (Sky News on MSN: 13 March 2025) (my emphasis),

 

 BBC News: 13 March 2025: YouTube

 

following on from Ukraine agreeing to a 'ceasefire' in its war with Putin, a war that Putin set in motion 3 years ago.

 

As the BBC also reports,

 

"Vladimir Putin says fighting must end in Ukraine, but adds a ceasefire should lead to "enduring peace and remove underlying causes of this crisis"

The Russian president was speaking as Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff is in Moscow ahead of US-Russia talks on a 30-day ceasefire proposal" (BBC: 13 March 2025) (my emphasis)

In laying out HIS conditions for a 'ceasefire', Putin stated in his press conference with Lukashenko of Belarus that,

"Mr Putin was speaking alongside Belarus's President Alexander Lukashenko and the pair said in a joint statement that NATO's actions regarding the war in Ukraine were fraught with the risk of nuclear conflict." (ibid Samuel Osborne)

It is interesting to note that, as reported by David Hughes,

"Vladimir Putin has said he agrees in principle to a 30-day ceasefire with Ukraine as Downing Street warned that if the war continued sanctions would “cripple” the Russian economy.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer (left) said a peace deal in Ukraine is needed to ensure the Russian president’s war does not maintain a “choke hold” on Europe.

Downing Street made clear the UK supported Donald Trump’s warnings of “very bad” financial consequences for Moscow if Mr Putin failed to co-operate with peace talks." (The Standard: 13 March 2025) (my emphasis)

 

Yet, as John Bolton has said  few days ago,

 

"Because I think he [Trump] knew that the so-called 'threat' about placing large scale banking sanctions and tarrifs on Russia] this morning was totally hollow,  as did Vladimir Putin.. He did it simply to show some kind of balance given the things he had said about Zelensky and the Ukrainians" (ibid John Bolton)

 

These conflicting views of Keith Starmer and John Bolton about Trump willing to place large scale banking sanctions and tarrifs on Russia if Putin rejects a 'ceasefire' or 'peace talks' raises the question of the 'veracity' of Trumps' seriousness about a 'ceasefire' in Putin's war with Ukraine.

 

The situation in Kursk, following Trump halting US intelligence sharing with Ukraine, on top of the halting of US military assistance to Ukraine has, even for those few days, allowed Putin's forces to gain an upper hand against Ukraine's forces in Kursk.

 

Something seems, "Rotten in the relationship between Trump and Putin". 

 

UPDATE: 14 March 2025: 08:31 GMT 

 

As if on cue, we now learn that,

 

"Russia may have to accept European peacekeepers in Ukraine while Kyiv could be forced to cede territory and abandon hopes of NATO membership, U.S. national security adviser Mike Waltz (left) indicates." (Zoya Sheftalovich : Politico: 14 March 2025: 8:30 CET) (my emphasis)

 

Needless to say, Putin has his "Novorosiyya" dream coming true, the very dream that led to the invasion of, and annexation of, Ukraine's Crimea in 2014.

 

Zoya Sheftalovich (right) goes on to report that,

 

"[In an interview with Sean Hannity],  Hannity probed Waltz for details of what a “negotiated settlement” could entail, listing a range of potential terms: a U.S.-Ukraine minerals deal, the potential for European troops on the ground to secure peace, Kyiv giving up its ambition to join NATO and Ukraine ceding parts of the Donbas region as well as “areas that are heavily populated by people from Russia.”

Asked whether that was close to what was being discussed, Waltz said: “You’re not wrong in any of that … we’re discussing all of those things with both sides." (ibid Zoya Sheftalovich)

 

As I say, "Something seems, "Rotten in the relationship between Trump and Putin"." 

 

Does Trump really want a 'ceasefire', or does he simply want Ukraine's mineral wealth due to the fact that,

 

"China accounts for 60 percent of global rare earth production but processes nearly 90 percent - [it] is dominant on this stage," says Gracelin Baskaran, director of the critical minerals security program at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C." (Esme Stallard (left): BBC News: 14 March 2025) (my emphasis)

 

Is this really why Mike Waltz admits to, "a U.S.-Ukraine minerals deal" as a "critical" detail of Trump's conditions imposed upon Ukraine for a "ceasefire" in Putin's war with Ukraine?

 

Is this why Waltz is also:-

• giving in to Putin's demand of a Non-NATO Ukraine, 
• as well as Ukraine ceding parts of the Donbas region as well as “areas that are heavily populated by people from Russia.” ?

Could it also be due to the fact that,

 

"Trump's right-hand man understands more than most the importance of critical minerals in the green transition. Space X and Tesla – the companies Elon Musk leads - rely heavily on critical minerals like graphite (in electric vehicles), lithium (in batteries) and nickel (in rockets)." (ibid Esme Stallard)

                                                                                 

        

 

(to be continued)

Trump's pronouncements has the fingerprints of Putin all over it.

Is it mere coincidence that :-

• 
  Trump halts military aid to Ukraine, as reported by Kevin Liptak, Samantha Waldenberg and Oren Liebermann . "President Donald Trump is ordering a pause on shipments of US military aid to Ukraine after his heated Oval Office argument with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last week, a White House official told CNN Monday. (CNN: 3 March 2025) (my emphasis)

• Trump halts 'intelligence' aid to Ukraine. As the BBC reported, "US officials have confirmed that President Trump has suspended intelligence sharing with Ukraine on top of the pause in military assistance
  
  "We have taken a step back, and are pausing and reviewing all aspects of this relationship," National Security Adviser Mike Waltz says" (BBC News: 5 March 2025) (my emphasis) 
  
  
• Putin then rains bombs on Ukraine,

• Trump sudddenly follows on by ".. [issueing] a surprising threat to Moscow on Friday, saying “based on the fact that Russia is absolutely ‘pounding’ Ukraine,” he is considering placing large-scale banking sanctions and tariffs on Russia until it agrees to a ceasefire and final peace settlement."(Daria Tarasova-Markina and Christian Edwards: CNN on MSN: 8 March 2025) (my emphasis)

• Trump then, once again, shifts the blame onto Zelensky for Putin's continuing near 'manic' bombing of Ukraine by stating that, "We're doing very well with Russia .... I think he's [Putin] doing what anybody else would do [i.e. raining bombs on Ukraine]. I think he wants to get it stopped and settled, and he's hitting them harder than he's been hitting them." (Ian Aikman and Tom Bateman: BBC News: 8  March 2025) (my emphasis)

• Trump continues, "He added that he believes Putin wants to end the war but he cannot say the same of Ukraine.
  
  "I want to know they [Ukraine] want to settle and I don't know they want to settle," Trump said, when asked why he had cut off aid to Kyiv." (ibid Ian Aikman and Tom Bateman)
  

CNN: 7 March 2025: YouTube

When looking at:-

• the timing of Trump's 'announcements', 

• Putin's 'manic' bombing of Ukraine's civilians, and Trump's shifting of the blame of Putin's bombings onto Zelensky (cf. he's [Putin] doing what anybody else would do [i.e. raining bombs on Ukraine]. I think he wants to get it stopped and settled, and he's hitting them harder than he's been hitting them." (ibid Ian Aikman and Tom Bateman) )
  

• Trump using Putin's bombings of Ukraine's civilians to repeat his 'cracked record' mantra of simply wanting 'peace'.  As  Ian Aikman and Tom Bateman report, Trump stated that "The US is "doing very well with Russia", and "it may be easier dealing with" Moscow than Kyiv, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Friday." ( BBC News: 8  March 2025) (my emphasis)

one could almost conclude that Trump's  pronouncements has the fingerprints of Putin all over it. 

 

UPDATE : 8 March 2025: 14:59 GMT 

 

That Trump is, "... considering placing large-scale banking sanctions and tariffs" is, in the words of John Bolton (left),

 

"Because I think he [Trump] knew that the so-called 'threat' about placing large scale banking sanctions and tarrifs on Russia] this morning was totally hollow,  as did Vladimir Putin.. He did it simply to show some kind of balance given the things he had said about Zelensky and the Ukrainians .... " (CNN : 7 March 2025: YouTube)

 

Which rather says it all!  

 

CNN : 7 March 2025: YouTube 

                                                                                

        

 

(to be continued)

The 'backroom' boys of the EU and Great Britain are silently preparing for the defence of Ukraine.

The first lighning bolt has struck from the gathering international storm that Trump and his sidekick, Vance, has set in motion.

As Kevin Liptak, Samantha Waldenberg and Oren Liebermann reported,

"President Donald Trump is ordering a pause on shipments of US military aid to Ukraine after his heated Oval Office argument with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last week, a White House official told CNN Monday. (CNN: 3 March 2025) (my emphasis)

 

CNN: 4 March 2025: YouTube

They go further on to report that,

"It will remain in place until Trump determines Zelensky has made a commitment to seeking peace talks, one official said, essentially forcing Ukraine to a negotiating table by threatening further losses on the battlefield." (Ibid Kevin Liptak, Samantha Waldenberg and Oren Liebermann)

And in his report to Congress on 4 March, Trump revealed a letter sent to him by Zelensky, which massages Trump's ego by referring to his "strong" leadership, and stating that, "Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possibe, to bring lasting preace closer" (BBC: 5 March 2025) 

Forbes Breaking News: 5 March 2025: YouTube

At the same time, and before Congress, Trump said that,

"Simultaneously, we've had serious discussions with Russia, and I've received "strong" signals that they are ready for 'peace'." (ibid BBC)

What Trump let slip is that he possibly spoke to Putin when he received the letter from Zelensky and, it may be assumed, read him the contents thereof.

Which rather raises an important, yet "unspoken", possible relationship between Putin and Trump.

As Michael Hirsh (left) wrote in 2024,

"... the American public has no idea if Russian President Vladimir Putin has “something” on Trump—in other words, some compromising information about the would-be 47th president’s past, or what the Russians call kompromat." (Foreign Policy:30 October 2024) (my emphasis)

In 2020, during Trump's first presidency, Max Boot set out 18 reasons why Trump could be a Russian asset. (cf. Video below)

 

 CNN: 2020: YouTube

 And let us not forget the Steele Dossier of 2016, which emerged duringTrump's first presidential race, and which detailed some of Trump's actvities in Russia, as well as his compromising relationship with the Kremlin i.e. Putin.

More recently,  Joseph Camp reported,
 

"A former aide during Donald Trump's first term in office has given a scathing assessment of his former boss's relationship with Vladimir Putin - claiming he is being used a "puppet".

Trump’s former aide, Anthony 'The Mooch' Scaramucci (left), claims the firebrand Republican leader is the exact president that the Russian dictator wants in the White House." (The Mirror: 20 February 2025) (my emphasis)

As  Rachel Maddow (right), of MSNBC, also pointed out from Trump's recent meeting with Zelensky,

• Trump let slip that he spoke with Putin but a few days ago. No-one knew about this, neither do they know exactly how frequently Trump and Putin have their tête-à-tête's without ANYONE knowing about it and

• a Russian state media reporter from Tass gained entry into the Oval Office for the Trump-Zelesky sit down, even as AP (Associated Press) and Reuters were barred from this high-level meeting. (MSNBC:  March 2025) (my emphasis)

These concerns about the Trump/Putin relationship rather puts into perspective why Trump is so willing to :-

• concede to Putin's "Novorossiya" demands about what Putin wants from any so-called 'peace' deal with Ukraine, 
• Trump's demand that the US be given Ukraine's mineral wealth, 
• that Ukraine effectively concede to Putin's demand of 'total capitulation to Moscow, 
• black-mailing Ukraine by the witholding of US armaments aiding Ukraine in its defence of its territory against Putin's invasion and,
• as Alexander Smith reports, "President Donald Trump’s decision to pause American military aid to Ukraine is handing Russia’s Vladimir Putin the upper hand on the battlefield and in geopolitical negotiations, former officials and experts warned Tuesday." (NBC News on MSN: 4 March 2025) (my emphasis)

These are some of the facts that are focussing the minds of EU members and the UK in continuing their unwavering support of Ukraine.

It is therefore no wonder that, as reported by James Titcomb (left),

"Satellites backed by the British taxpayer could be used to replace Elon Musk’s Starlink in Ukraine as the United States withdraws its military support for the country.

OneWeb, the London-based subsidiary of French satellite company Eutelsat, said it was ready to “swiftly deploy” equipment to Ukraine." (The Telegraph: 4 March 2025) (my emphasis)

Furthermore, though Trump may be 'patting himself on the back' with all those tarrifs he's imposing upon many countries around the world, he is reaping the 'whirlwind of international reaction' that will soon be felt by the people of the US. 

As I wrote in my previous blog entry (1 March 2025),

"Putin is ecstatic that Trump is raising an IRON CURTAIN between the US and Europe, and between the US and Ukraine."

But Putin knows that the 'awakening' giant of the EU and Britain will not be held down, and that any of his  'nuclear' threats against Europe will be met with the 'nuclear' forces of Britain and France.

So whilst Putin's survival is hanging on by a thread, and Trump, Putin's possible asset, struts before his admirers in the US, the 'backroom' boys of the EU and Great Britain are silently preparing for the defence of Ukraine.

 

Lawrence O' Donnell: MSNBC: 4 March 2025: YouTube   

UPDATE: 5 March 2025: 19:07 GMT

As to be expected, Trump has now prevented the Ukraine army from using the US Himar missiles, for which Trump is exacting the price of  obtaining and, possibly, controlling, Ukraine's mineral resources, by switching off  US intelligence sharing with Ukraine.

 

The very sharing of intelligence information between the army of Ukraine and the army of the US, which served to protect Ukraine's civilians from Putin's 'flying' bombs, has been stopped.

 

As the BBC reports,

 

"US officials have confirmed that President Trump has suspended intelligence sharing with Ukraine on top of the pause in military assistance

"We have taken a step back, and are pausing and reviewing all aspects of this relationship," National Security Adviser Mike Waltz says" (BBC News: 5 March 2025) (my emphasis) 

This action of Trump gives the TOTAL LIE to his 'cracked record' repetition of wanting 'peace' since Putin can now, with impunity, bomb Ukrainian children, mothers, and civilians.

 

Trump may as well scream at the top of his lungs, and from the rooftops of the New York skyline, "Putin ... Kill the Ukrainians!!"

 

We now await that "Privileged Apartheid  Reared South African", 'PARSA Musk', switching off his Starlink being used by Ukraine's soldiers.

                                                                    

        

 

(to be continued)