How will Trump respond to Putin's 'panicked' overtures about 'peace negotiations?

There is an old saying that, "Empty vessels make the most noise". 

And on cue, as the evidence strongly points towards :-

• Russia shooting down the Azerbaijan Airlines flight, on 25 December, killing 38 people (Tom Bennett: BBC News: 27 December 2024)

 Sky News: 27 December 2024: YouTube

• Russia being responsible for the cutting of undersea cables supplying electricity to Estonia. As reported by Sarah Shamim, "Finnish authorities seized a Russia-linked ship in the Baltic Sea on Thursday, on suspicion that it damaged an undersea power cable between Finland and Estonia a day earlier.
  
  The incident has intensified fears in Europe over a Russian hybrid war targeting critical infrastructure in the Baltic and beyond." (Aljazeera: 27 December 2024) (my emphasis)

Aljazeera: 27 December 2024

as reported by The Times of India, we have Putin's glove puppet, Dmitry Medvedev, fuming that,

"Putin Aide Suggests Punishing Europe Over Its 'Bloodthirsty Policies' Against Russia.

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has called for decisive action against Europe, accusing it of "anti-Russian" policies and advocating political, economic, and hybrid measures to punish European nations aligned with the U.S" (The Times of India: 27 December 2024) (my emphasis)

The Times of India: 27 December 2024

Meanwhile, as reported by  Gabriella Borter (left),

"North Korean forces are experiencing mass casualties on the front lines of Russia's war against Ukraine, with a thousand of their troops killed or wounded in the last week alone in Russia's Kursk region, White House spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Friday.

The number far exceeds the figure U.S. officials have previously provided.

"It is clear that Russian and North Korean military leaders are treating these troops as expendable and ordering them on hopeless assaults against Ukrainian defenses," Kirby said, describing the North Korean troops' offensive as "massed, dismounted assaults." (Reuters: 27 December 2024) (my emphasis)

 

It is therefore no wonder that Putin, splashing around aimlessly in the 'political puddle' that he now finds himself in, is now open to 'peace talks' about his war in Ukraine.

 

But, as Chris Jansing (right) reports,

"I want to read to you what John Kirby has to say about Putin's comments [about peace talks]. He described them as vacuous and said, "This is not a man that anyone should take seriously when it comes to saying, "...  he is ready for a negotiated settlement ...".

She then asks the fomer US ambassador to Ukraine [William Taylor], "Are you as sceptical as John Kirby?"

To which the former ambassador replies, "I am Chris .. I am" (MSNBC on MSN: 27 December 2024) (my emphasis)

 

MSNBC on MSN: 27 December 2024

 

The $64 question still remains :-

"How will Trump respond to Putin's 'panicked' overtures about 'peace negotiations?" 

 

 

 

(to be continued)