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)