Putin and his 'siloviki' are toasting each other with glasses of vodka

The political 'hand grenade' that Trump threw at the Foreign secrataries of the EU, UK, and, more particularly, Ukraine, continues to reverberate around the world.

Using the 'mantra' of "peace ... peace ...", US president Donald Trump and Putin had a PRIVATE telephone conversation about the war in Ukraine

No doubt, this coversation followed a pattern similar to their meeting in Helsinki in 2018.

As Hannah Golden then reported of their PRIVATE Helsinki tête-à-tête in 2018,

"The meeting between Trump and Putin, which included translators, but no other aides or staffers, went overtime. The Wall Street Journal's Rebecca Ballhaus added that after the 90-minute mark, the two were supposed to be joined by staffers, but had not." (Elite Daily: 16 July 2018) (my emphasis)

Recall that in 1938, Neville Chamberlain met Hitler PRIVATELY on 3 ocassions, and

"... [at] Munich, Chamberlain got an international agreement that Hitler should have the Sudetenland in exchange for Germany making no further demands for land in Europe. Chamberlain said it was ‘Peace for our time’. Hitler said he had ‘No more territorial demands to make in Europe. " (The National Archives (Gov.UK)) (my emphasis)

 

Humanity's Archives : 6 years ago : YouTube

Fast foreward to 2024 and Trump, similarly, pronounced after his call with Putin that,

"US President Donald Trump has said he had a "lengthy and highly productive" phone call with Vladimir Putin on Wednesday in which the leaders agreed to begin negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. (Bernd Debusmann Jr., Mike Wendling, and James Waterhouse: BBC News: 13 February 2025) (my emphasis)

                                      

CBS News: 12 February 2025: YouTube

Furthermore,

"In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said he and the Russian president had "agreed to have our respective teams start negotiations immediately".
…
Trump also told reporters at the White House that it was unlikely Ukraine would return to its pre-2014 borders but, in response to a question from the BBC, he said "some of that land will come back". (ibid: Bernd Debusmann Jr., Mike Wendling, and James Waterhouse)

 Reinforcing Trump's pronouncements that :-

• Ukraine returning to original borders before Russian invasion was ‘unrealistic,, and
•  NATO membership for Ukraine was also unrealistic,

former contributor for Fox TV News and current U.S. Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, re-stated Trump's pronouncements at his press conference following his call with Putin.

PBS News: 12 February 2025

Presciently, regarding the latest calls between Trump and Putin,  Emma Burrows (left) reported that,

"Putin is closer than ever to achieving his objectives in the battle-weary country, with little incentive to come to the negotiating table, no matter how much U.S. President Donald Trump might cajole or threaten him, according to Russian and Western experts interviewed by The Associated Press.

Both are signaling discussions on Ukraine -– by phone or in person -– using flattery and threats." (AP: 8 February 2025) (my emphasis)

No-one expected Trump to propose handing over to Putin Ukraine territory that is illegally occupied by Putin's armed forces.

Surely Putin must be pinching himself to feel whether he's dreaming or not.

As Adrian A. Basora (left) and Aleksandr Fisher (right) wrote in 2014,

" Putin and his surrogates have made it clear that the Kremlin’s goal is once again to establish its dominance over the lands once called Novorossiya
. Furthermore, it is clear that Putin hopes to push his control well beyond this region’s historic boundaries to include other contiguous provinces with large Russian-speaking populations." (Foreign Policy Research Institute: 2 May 2014) (my emphasis)

To-day, in 2025, it is precisely Trump's revealed "peace" formula for ending Putin's war in Ukraine that has is further whetting Putin's appetite of territorial expansion beyond Ukraine, causing deep concern amongst UK and European politicians.

Putin and his 'siloviki' are now toasting each other with glasses of vodka, thanks to Trump.

UPDATE: 14 February 2025: 07:39 GMT 

The political chasm between the EU and Trump, following Trump's "Ukraine capitulation-plan" to Putin, is fast emerging.

As reported by BBC News,

"French President Emmanuel Macron warns that a peace agreement to end the war in Ukraine that was in effect a capitulation to Russia would be "bad news for everyone", including the United States.

Macron tells the Financial Times, external that only Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky could negotiate on behalf of his country.
...
Macron also tells its European partners they need to "muscle up" on defence and the economy." (BBC News: 14 February 2025) (my emphasis) 

Trump and his current cabal of  'US AI oligarchs', believing as they do that they can upend the UK and Europes' political history by simply applying a rather crude economic 'quid-pro-quo' approach to politics, devoid of any moral framework, are beginning to have a rude 'political' awakening. 

Together, the UK and Europe are sleeping economic and political giants that Trump and his cohorts have awakened.

That first flush of power that Trump and his 'cabal of US AI oligarchs' believe they can simply impose upon the UK and Europe, together with imposing it upon the rest of the world, will soon begin to wane.

As the old saying goes, "The bigger they are, the harder they fall."     

                                                                                

        

 

(to be continued)

Putin is now running around like a political 'headless chicken'.

In my last blog entry I wrote that,

The question is :-

"Will Trump fall for Putin's feeble 'bluster' about his defeating Ukraine?" (blog entry: 9 February 2025)

And true to form, Arpan Rai (left) and Alexander Butler (right) report that,

"A senior Russian official has said that all of president Vladimir Putin's conditions must be met in full before the war in Ukraine can end.

Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said it would not be possible to reach a US-brokered peace deal if Mr Trump undermines Mr Putin’s fundamental aims.
…
He suggested the non-negotiables for Mr Putin include:-

• Ukraine abandoning hopes of joining Nato and 
• its withdrawal of troops from the four regions Russia illegally annexed in September 2022. All four regions remain partially unoccupied. (The Independent on MSN: 11 February 2025) (my emphasis)

Let us recall  that in 2014, in an article entitled "Putin’s “Greater Novorossiya” – The Dismemberment of Ukraine", Adrian A. Basora (left) and Aleksandr Fisher (right) wrote that,

"On April 17, Vladimir Putin introduced a 
dangerously expansive new concept into the Ukraine crisis. During his four-hour question and answer session on Russian TV that day he [Putin] pointedly mentioned “Novorossiya” – a large swath of territory conquered by Imperial Russia during the 18th century from a declining Ottoman Empire. This historic Novorossiya covered roughly a third of what is now Ukraine (including Crimea).


Subsequent comments and actions by Putin and his surrogates have made it clear that the Kremlin’s goal is once again to establish its dominance over the lands once called Novorossiya
. Furthermore, it is clear that Putin hopes to push his control well beyond this region’s historic boundaries to include other contiguous provinces with large Russian-speaking populations." (Foreign Policy Research Institute: 2 May 2014) (my emphasis)

That was in 2014, when Putin illegally invaded and occupied Ukraine's Crimea, and started to foment a war in Ukraine's Donbas between Ukrainians' and Ukrainian Russians'.

Fast foreward to 2024, and with almost a million Russian war casualties in his current war with Ukraine, Putin is still obsessed with the idea of recreating "Novorossiya", the so-called initial [2014] aims of Putin as recently stated by Sergei Ryabkov. 

Putin's "obsession" about recreating Novorossiya has now morphed into "non-negotiables" in any 'peace deal' Trump may propose to end Russia's war in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Trump himself is obsessed with the idea that Ukraine gives its rare earth minerals to the US as payment for war aid.

 

The Independent on MSN: 11 February 2025

Furthermore, tacitly supporting Putin's  obsession with the idea of recreating "Novorossiya", Trump has suggested that,

"... Ukraine could be Russian in the future - a statement that will set alarm bells ringing in Kyiv amid discussions over potential peace talks.

"They may make a deal, they may not make a deal. They may be Russian someday, or they may not be Russian someday," Trump told Fox News in an interview aired last night." (Sky News: 11 February 2025) (my emphasis)

As also reported by Edward Szekeres (left),

"US President Donald Trump has suggested Ukraine may fall under Russian control “someday,” as he called for the war-torn country to share its natural resources in exchange for US assistance." (CNN: 11 February 2025) (my emphasis) 

Bear in mind, as reported by Yahoo,

"Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. Vice President JD Vance (right) may meet during the Munich Security Conference later this week, the Presidential Office confirmed for the Kyiv Independent on Feb. 9.

The news comes amid U.S. President Donald Trump's push for a quick resolution of Russia's all-out war against Ukraine that nears its three-year mark." (Yahoo: 10 February 2025) (my emphasis)

What, then, exactly, will Vance have to discuss with Zelensky when Trump has already stated that, "Ukraine may fall under Russian control “someday,”", thus tacitly supporting Putin's  obsession with the idea of recreating "Novorossiya" ?

Apart from parroting Trump, very little indeed.

We now also learn from Max Parry and Will Stewart that,

"NATO has scrambled Western warplanes after Russia launched a major missile and drone attack on Ukraine's energy infrastructure.

The defensive alliance deployed F-16 and F-35 multi-role fighters on NATO’s eastern flank in the wake of the Kremlin's latest act of aggression.
…
The brutal onslaught came after Donald Trump once more insisted he was talking to the Russian leader and was seeking an end to the war." (Express: 11 February 2025) (my emphasis)

This onslaught by a 'panicked' Putin against Ukraine comes against the backdrop of Russia's dire economic state.

As Rebecca Robinson reports,

"Russia's only allies are finally turning on [Russia] in the wake of economic sanctions from the West, a leaked government report revealed.

The bombshell report was presented at a strategy session led by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and gives a grim insight into the state of the economy.
…
The Financial Times reports that its analysis admitted that increasingly stringent sanctions are "driving a wedge" between Russia and some of its "nearest trade partners."

This is something that Vladimir Putin has been accused of hiding as he continues to paint a more positive picture of the war in Ukraine's economic impact" (Express: 11 February 2025) (my emphasis)

 

 Joe Blogs: 9 February 2025: YouTube

And piling the pressure on Putin's head, we now learn from John Varga (left) that,

"Splits in Russia's army are deepening, as commanders increasingly refuse to carry out "suicidal" attacks - Ukrainian partisans have told the Express.
…
However, reports are emerging that an increasing number of senior officers are starting to defy orders as they become disillusioned with the tactics of the Russian military command." (Express: 10 February 2025) (my emphasis)

 

USS Pentagonal: 10 February 2025: YouTube

Putin is now running around like a political 'headless chicken'.

                                                                                

        

 

(to be continued)

Will Trump fall for Putin's feeble 'bluster' about his defeating Ukraine?

The call between Trump and Putin, in which they discussed the fate of Ukraine, and as reported by Lidia Kelly (left), reveals that,

"In an interview aboard Air Force One on Friday Trump said that he had "better not say," when asked how many times the two leaders have spoken." (Reuters: 9 February 2025) (my emphasis)

One can assume that, as in the case of the "private" Helsinki tête-à-tête in 2018 betweeen Trump and Putin, 'no notes were taken'.

As reported by Hannah Golden,

"The meeting between Trump and Putin, which included translators, but no other aides or staffers, went overtime. The Wall Street Journal's Rebecca Ballhaus added that after the 90-minute mark, the two were supposed to be joined by staffers, but had not." (Elite Daily: 16 July 2018) (my emphasis)

Regarding the latest calls between Trump and Putin,  Emma Burrows (left) reports that,

"Putin is closer than ever to achieving his objectives in the battle-weary country, with little incentive to come to the negotiating table, no matter how much U.S. President Donald Trump might cajole or threaten him, according to Russian and Western experts interviewed by The Associated Press.

Both are signaling discussions on Ukraine -– by phone or in person -– using flattery and threats." (AP: 8 February 2025) (my emphasis)

Meanwhile, as John Varga reports (left),

"Ukraine is reported to have wiped out the entire command of Russia's 35th Brigade in a deadly missile strike.
...
The town was captured by the Russians in October last year and lies just 11 miles northwest of the strategically important city of Pokrovsk." (Express: 8 February 2025) (my emphasis)

Express: 8 February 2025

Furthermore, as reported by Nicholas Cecil (left),

"North Korean troops have been withdrawn from the frontline in Vladimir Putin’s Ukraine war, according to British military intelligence chiefs.

Pyongyang is believed to have sent some 11,000 soldiers to help Putin’s army recapture a swathe of the Kursk region of Russia which Ukrainian forces seized in a surprise attack last summer." (Evening Standard on MSN: 8 February 2025) (my emphasis) 

Evening Standard on MSN: 8 February 2025

Eleanor Burleigh (left) also reports that,

"A new wave of battalion assaults on Russia’s Kursk region has given Kyiv fighters a three-mile gain behind enemy lines, according to a report from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW)." (Express: 7 February, 2025) (my emphasis)

Marco Giannangeli (right) now also reveals that,

"Britain will lead backroom talks to discuss arming Ukraine once hostilities with Russia are ended, sources said last night.

It centres on concerns that Russian leader Vladimir Putin will use any ceasefire that may be brokered by US President Donald Trump in coming months to reconstitute his battered armed forces before attempting a third invasion of Ukraine." (Express: 9 February 2025) (my emphasis)

Which, as reported by John Varga, Nicholas Cecil, Eleanor Burleigh, and Marco Giannangeli, rather questions the assertion of Emma Burrows (cf above) that, "Putin is closer than ever to achieving his objectives in the battle-weary country [i.e. Ukraine]"

Putin is, in fact, seeing his "Novorossiya" dreams about Ukraine crumbling on the battlefield and, as reported by Ukraine Today,

 "Russian Economy Paralysed. New Sanctions Have Taken The Last Of Putin's Money!" (Ukraine Today: 6 February 2025: YouTube), 

 also crumbling on the economic front.

Ukraine Today: 6 February 2025

As this extension of, and addition to, EU economic sanctions against Putin come into force, Putin's delusions about achieving his original objectives in Ukraine are fast beginning to evaporate.

All that he now has left is "pure" bluster with which to try and convince Trump to come to his rescue.

The question is :-

"Will Trump fall for Putin's feeble 'bluster' about his defeating Ukraine?" 

                                                                                

        

 

(to be continued)

Will Trump favour Putin over Zelensky?

Finally another reason for Putin's war with Ukraine is fast emerging.

Alexander Smith (left) reports that,

"President Donald Trump says he wants access to Ukraine’s bonanza of rare earth and critical minerals in exchange for the billions of dollars in military aid Washington has been supplying to Kyiv.

It’s an idea previously suggested by Republican senators and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who sought to appeal to Trump’s dealmaker persona as a way of keeping alive Washington’s support of Kyiv." (NBC News: 4 February 2025) (my emphasis)

Alexander Smith goes on to report that,

"That impulse has prompted nervousness among Kyiv’s supporters that Trump may try to force a ceasefire favorable to Russian President Vladimir Putin. With Russia making steady battlefield gains, Putin has shown no appetite for a truce without significant territorial gains and a promise Ukraine will never join NATO." (ibid Alexander Smith)

As  Rob Crilly (right) also reports,

"President Donald Trump said Monday that he wants to do a deal with Ukraine for access to the country's rare earth minerals in return for U.S. support in its war against Russia." (Mail Online: 3 February 2025) (my emphasis)

 He goes on to report that,

"National security analysts say the U.S. has lost ground to China on securing access to the crucial elements.

That gives China leverage over the U.S. if Trump's plans to slap tariffs on Beijing trigger a global trade war." (ibid Rob Crilly)

 

WION: 4 February 2025: YouTube

This 'quid-pro-quo' from Trump viz. Ukraine's minerals for US support, has come under fire from German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

As Tim Zadorozhnyy (left) reports

"German Chancellor Olaf Scholz criticized U.S. President Donald Trump's proposal to tie military aid for Ukraine to access to the country's rare earth resources, calling it "very selfish and self-centered," Spiegel reported on Feb. 4.

Speaking after an informal meeting of European leaders in Brussels, Scholz (right) reportedly stressed that Ukraine should first be helped to "get back on its feet" and that its resources should be used for reconstruction after the war." (Kyiv Independent: 4 February 2025) (my emphasis)

But it is not only Putin's war in Ukraine that Trump views purely through the eyes of a possible  "business proposition for the US".

Trump has also set his "business eyes" on Greenland and, more recently, on Gaza.

 

 BBC: 5 February 2025

And as Ivana Kottasová (left) reported, earlier the Biden administration had,

"A memorandum of understanding prepared under the Biden administration last year said the US would promote investment opportunities in Ukraine’s mining projects to American companies in exchange for Kyiv creating economic incentives and implementing good business and environmental practices." (CNN: 4 February 2025) (my emphasis),

Trump's "quid-pro-quo" demands to have, "access to Ukraine’s bonanza of rare earth and critical minerals in exchange for the billions of dollars in military aid Washington has been supplying to Kyiv" signifies a real political gulf between the EU and UK, and President Trump.

The EU and Britain sees Putin's war with Ukraine as a matter of European security, the international 'Rule of Law', and morality, whereas Trump seeems to view if purely in "business 'dealmaking' terms", as he now also views Gaza and Greenland.

Thus, as Ukrinform reports, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (right) stated that,

"Ukraine's fight against Russian aggression is a defense of its right to freedom and its place in the European family. Therefore, its accession to the European Union is a matter of justice for Ukraine and security for the EU.

...

And this is not only about Ukraine. In a world where size and weight matter, and where small countries can be blackmailed more easily, it is in our shared interest to unite the European family," von der Leyen said." (Unrinform: 5 February 2025) (my emphasis)

Undescoring Ukraine's  right to freedom and its place in the European family, Vlad Litnarovych reports that,

"The United Kingdom will deliver more military support to Ukraine in 2025 than ever before, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer (left) announced during a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Brussels on February 3.
…
Starmer urged Ukraine’s allies, especially in Europe, to step up their support to help Kyiv sustain its defenses.
…
Earlier, the United Kingdom and Ukraine signed a 100-year partnership agreement to foster strong ties across the full range of relations, including trade, security, defense, science and technology, education, culture, and more." (United24: 4 February 2025) (my emphasis)

The fact that,

 "A little over £6 trillion of Ukraine’s mineral resources, which is around 53 per cent of the country’s total, are contained in the four regions Mr Putin illegally annexed in September 2022, and of which his army occupies a considerable swathe." (Tom Watling: The Independent on MSN: 5 February 2025) (my emphasis)

further cements Putin's demands for Ukraine's full capitulation.

Thus, as Pravda EN reports,

"Putin will not end the war soon and has planned a slow offensive": The Americans have no doubt that the Russians will continue to win, and Kiev will continue to lose territories. (Telegram "dimsmirnov175": Pravda EN: 5 February 2025) (my emphasis)

Trump, with his demands of "access to Ukraine’s bonanza of rare earth and critical minerals in exchange for the billions of dollars in military aid to Kyiv", strengthens Putin's negotiating hand.

With Russia's economy failing, and Putin's army illegally occupying Ukraine's territory containing 53% of Ukraine's mineral resources, Trump may try to force a ceasefire favourable to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

UPDATE: 5 February 2025: 18:31 GM

Putin's TV political propaganda pundits discuss Trump following the Putin political  'road map' that demands the complete capitulation of Ukraine in the war he has unleashed on Ukraine for the SECOND time since 2014. 

 

PART 1: Russian Media Monitor: 4 February 2025: : YouTube

 

PART 2: Russian Media Monitor: 4 February 2025: : YouTube

                                                                        

        

 

(to be continued)

Whither the support of Putin's "Novorossiya" dreams by Trump?

President Donald Trump’s selection as Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, has undergone rigorous questioning from the Senate Intelligence Committee.

All, however, did not go smoothly.

As Brian Bennett (left) reports,

"Senators from both parties expressed serious concerns about whether they trust Gabbard in that crucial role." (Time on MSN: 30 January 2025) (my emphasis)

This 'mistrust' of Gabbard stems partly from the fact that she,

"...refused to recant past comments justifying Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. “Can’t we do better than somebody who can’t answer whether Snowden was a traitor five times today, who made excuses for Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine?” (ibid Brian Bennett)

Senator Bennet (right) stated during his Senate Hearing interview with Tulsi Gabbard,

"At the very moment that Russian tanks were rolling across the peaceful border of Ukraine for the first time, you tweeted at 11.30 pm, your time, "This war and suffering could have easily been avoided if the Biden administration/NATO had simply acknowledged Russia's legitimate ... legitimate ... security concerns regarding Ukraine becoming a member of NATO." (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: 30 January 2025: YouTube )

 

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: 30 January 2025: YouTube

Let us recall that in November of 2024,

"Tulsi Gabbard, President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to lead the U.S. intelligence services, in 2022 endorsed one of Russia’s main justifications for invading Ukraine: the existence of dozens of U.S.-funded biolabs working on some of the world’s nastiest pathogens." (David Klepper, Ellen Knickmeyer and Edith M. Lederer: AP: 17 November 2024) (my emphasis) (cf. also: Rolling Stone: 5 December 2024)

And following on from Tulsi Gabbard's justification of Putin's invasion of Ukraine, Russian TV (cf. at end of Russian Media Monitor) extolled Tulsi Gabbard's antipathy towards Ukraine, and her support of Putin's arguments for re-invading Ukraine in 2022. 

 

Russian Media Monitor: November 2024: YouTube

Let us now recall, as reported by  Aamer Madhani and Will Weissert, that,

"Trump publicly sided with Putin over U.S. intelligence officials on whether Russia had interfered in the 2016 election to help him, and Trump has praised the Russian leader and even called him “pretty smart” for invading Ukraine." (AP: 31 January 2025) (my emphasis)

Which puts into perspctive Trump's choice of Tulsi Gabbart to become the Director of National Intelligence; Tulsi Gabbart who, "...refused to recant past comments justifying Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine." (ibid Brian Bennett)

Aamer Madhani and Will Weissert also report that,

"President Donald Trump on Friday (31 January 2025) said his administration has already had “very serious” discussions with Russia about its war in Ukraine and that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin could soon take “significant” action toward ending the grinding conflict." (ibid Aamer Madhani and Will Weissert)

                                                           AP: 31 January 2025

These “very serious” discussions with Russia about its war in Ukraine, according to Redstateobserver, included,

• Central to the proposal is a call for a ceasefire by Easter, which falls on April 20. This ceasefire would require Ukraine to withdraw its military presence from contested areas, signaling a new approach to resolving the ongoing conflict. (Redstateobserver: 31 January 2025) (my emphasis)
• The proposal includes stipulations for Ukraine to refrain from seeking NATO membership while aiming for European Union integration by 2030. (ibid Redstateobserver)
• Ukrainian military operations could continue under U.S. support, provided the terms favor a peace negotiation that acknowledges Russia's territorial claims. (ibid Redstateobserver)
•  France will deliver Mirage 2000 fighter jets to Ukraine by the end of the first quarter of 2025, according to the country’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, who made the announcement on January 28 during a broadcast on Sud Radio. (Amira Barkhush: United24 Media: 28 January 2025)

So, in effect, Putin can continue to try to expand his invasion of Ukrainian territory through bombings and killings of Ukrainians until Easter, to satisfy his expansionist dream of re-creating "Novorossiya" on the lands of Ukraine.

But as reported by Kate Nicholson (right),

"North Korean troops are no longer fighting on Russia’s behalf in Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine, according to reports.
…
Anonymous Western sources told the BBC earlier this month that there were 4,000 North Korean losses after just a few weeks of fighting, including 1,000 deaths. (HuffPost UK on MSN: 31 January 2025) (my emphasis) 

Kim Jon Un, it would seem,

"... considers the 40% loss of North Korean troop deployed in Russia to date "unacceptable" "

 

 HuffPost UK on MSN: 31 January 2025

 Furthermore, 

• About 90 Patriot missiles from Israel are being sent to Ukraine in a transfer facilitated by the United States, according to a US defense official. (Oren Liebermann: CNN: 28 January 2025) (my emphasis)
• Sweden will provide Ukraine with 13.5 billion kronor (US$1.23 billion) in funding and equipment in its biggest military aid package yet, the government said on Thursday.(Rudy Ruitenberg: Defence News: 30 January 2025) (my emphasis)
• YLE News reports that, "President Alexander Stubb has approved another military aid shipment to Ukraine, Finland's 27th since the Russian attack began nearly three years ago. He signed off on the government proposal on Friday." (YLE News: 31 January 2025) (my emphasis)
  

More critical for Putin, as reported by John Varga (left),

"Russia has suffered a major economic setback, after China and India halted their purchases of Kremlin oil.
…
Compounding Putin's problems, Indian banks have blocked payments for Russian oil imports due to the new sanctions." (Express: 29 January 2025) (my emphasis) 

Putin is not alone in causing Russia to suffer economic setbacks because of his war with Ukraine.

It turns out that the American Enterprise Institute has determined that the US could have to increase their military budget by $800 billion if Trump allows Putin to defeat Ukraine.

As Elaine McCusker (right) reports,

"Analysis conducted at the American Enterprise Institute has determined that Russia defeating Ukraine would cost American taxpayers an additional $808 billion over what the U.S. has planned to spend on defense in the next five years. This is about seven times more than all the aid appropriated to the Pentagon to help Ukraine since Russia’s 2022 invasion.

This estimate is based on a scenario in which the U.S. stops providing aid and the resulting Russian victory requires us to adapt our military capabilities, capacity and posture in order to maintain our security." (The Hill: 30 January 2025)(my emphasis) 

This is a bill that Trump may be saddled with in the next four years of his presidency.

Indeed, is Tulsi Gabbard even aware of this possible cost to the US of her support for a Putin success in Ukraine?

So the question is :-

"Whither the support of Putin's "Novorossiya" dreams by Trump?"

UPDATE: 2 February 2025

In an interview  Zelenskyy says talks between US and Russia that exclude Ukraine would be ‘very dangerous’.

As AP reports,

"Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that excluding his country [Ukraine] from talks between the U.S. and Russia about the war in Ukraine would be “very dangerous.” Speaking on Saturday in an exclusive interview with The Associated Press, Zelenskyy also asked for more discussions between Kyiv and Washington to develop a plan for a ceasefire." (AP: 2 February 2025) (my emphasis)

 

AP: 2 February 2025

Ominously,  Robert Folker reports that,

"NATO fighter planes were scrambled today amid a Russian barrage of drones and missiles on civilian, energy and military sites in Ukraine." (Mail Online: 1 February 2025) (my emphasis)

Folker goes on to report that,

"The massive strikes may be a sign that Putin has no intention of ending the war on Ukraine which approaches its three-year mark this month." (ibid Robert Folker) 

 

As Charlie Bradley (left) also reports,

"Russian President Vladimir Putin is planning new attacks on Ukraine that could extend the war by another nine months, experts have claimed.

The move comes despite US President Donald Trump's attempts to get the Kremlin chief to the negotiating table for a peace plan.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a respected Washington DC-based think tank, said that Russian forces plan to surround Kupianks, Kharkiv oblas, as well as other operations.

ISW claimed that this is proof that Putin has no intentions to end the war yet." (Daily Express on MSN: 1 February 2025) (my emphasis)

 

Which again raises the question,

 

"Whither the support of Putin's "Novorossiya" dreams by Trump?"

                                                                                

        

 

(to be continued)