Looks Like Trump Has Zero Interest in Stopping the War in Ukraine
I’ve included the latest cartoon from Nemo because it simply tells a terrible story. But this is not the theme of this piece. Although Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, had a pleasant meeting with Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump’s actions today seem designed to sabotage any chance for a negotiated settlement to the war in Ukraine.
Trump celebrated Witkoff’s meeting with this Truth Social post:
Later in the day, Trump’s team leaked to the press that he might meet with Putin, perhaps as early as next week. I doubt it.
Even before Trump talked to Witkoff, he issued the following Executive Order:
ADDRESSING THREATS TO THE UNITED STATES BY THE GOVERNMENT OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Section 1. Background. Executive Order 14066 of March 8, 2022 (Prohibiting Certain Imports and New Investments With Respect to Continued Russian Federation Efforts To Undermine the Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity of Ukraine), expanded the scope of the national emergency declared in Executive Order 14024 of April 15, 2021 (Blocking Property With Respect To Specified Harmful Foreign Activities of the Government of the Russian Federation), to include the actions taken against Ukraine by the Government of the Russian Federation. To address that unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States, Executive Order 14066 prohibited, among other things, the importation into the United States of certain products of Russian Federation origin, including crude oil; petroleum; and petroleum fuels, oils, and products of their distillation.
I have received additional information from various senior officials on, among other things, the actions of the Government of the Russian Federation with respect to the situation in Ukraine. After considering this additional information, among other things, I find that the national emergency described in Executive Order 14066 continues and that the actions and policies of the Government of the Russian Federation continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.
How in the hell is Russia threatening the United States? It is not. The opposite is true… The United States, by its provision of intelligence and weapons to Ukraine, is threatening Russia. But put that point aside for the moment. Trump is using this bellicose language because it is the only way he can impose tariffs via an Executive Order, i.e., he is responding to a national security threat. Trump is lying. Maybe this is just another example of confabulation, i.e., saying something that is false while genuinely believing it is true.
As of this writing, Russia has not released a readout of its account of the three hour chat with Witkoff. I wonder if they will choose to ignore Trump’s bombast. The real target of this order is India… Trump is using the fabricated excuse of a Russian threat to justify punishing India for buying Russian oil. This really has nothing to do with the war in Ukraine, this is all about Trump’s new, undeclared war on BRICS.
To deal with the national emergency described in Executive Order 14066, I determine that it is necessary and appropriate to impose an additional ad valorem duty on imports of articles of India, which is directly or indirectly importing Russian Federation oil. In my judgment, imposing tariffs, as described below, in addition to maintaining the other measures taken to address the national emergency described in Executive Order 14066, will more effectively deal with the national emergency described in Executive Order 14066.
Sec. 2. Imposition of Tariffs. (a) I find that the Government of India is currently directly or indirectly importing Russian Federation oil.
Trump labors under the illusion that the US has economic leverage over India. It appears his team of mental midgets who came up with this scheme did not take the time to do basic economic research regarding the potential economic impact of the tariffs on India… It is negligible.
India’s trade with the US—specifically merchandise exports to the US—accounts for about 2% of India’s GDP as of 2025. This figure comes from India’s annual exports to the US of approximately $87 billion, a modest share of its economy.
Additionally, detailed economic impact assessments confirm that even significant changes in US-India trade, such as new tariffs, would only affect Indian GDP by around 0.19%, underscoring that the overall share remains in the low single digits relative to the country’s total GDP.
What Trump has achieved is souring relations between Washington and New Dehli. I don’t think Prime Minister Modi is eager to “kiss Donald Trump’s ample ass.” Maybe this is a secret Trump strategy to win the Nobel Peace Prize. How so? In tandem with this action, Modi announced he will be traveling to China for a personal meeting with Xi. Way to go Trump! You have convinced the Indians and the Chinese to set aside their previously rancorous relations and intensify negotiations between the two ancient civilizations. I am sure Modi and Xi will have some choice words about Donald Trump and his erratic behavior.
I think Trump’s decision to use tariffs as a form of political sanctions will backfire. He cannot produce one piece of evidence to demonstrate that Russia selling oil to India harms US national security. It is a fantastical lie and the courts are likely to overturn these tariffs.
Danny Davis and I discussed the Putin/Witkoff meeting:
Following my chat with Danny, Dr. David Oualaalou hosted me. We had an unplanned shirt competition and he clearly kicked my ass. Congrats Dr. David, you won:
According to Trump, Russia has been, and is, posing an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States. I fail to see this as true.
Russia went into Ukraine to stop the threats of the US biolabs, Ukraine terrorism of the people living in eastern Ukraine, and to keep NATO bases out of Ukraine. Russia did these things to protect its people.
The threat Russia poses to DJT is that it is a big and powerful nation that aims to preserve its sovereignty. Trump and his group want to conquer, subjugate, and divide Russia.
And Trump will not back off. Money and weapons continue to flow into Ukraine, despite his talk about wanting peace.
I am praying for DJT to STOP.
Miracles do happen.
Excellent article! Thank you Larry. I’m sick to death of DJT. 😡 I’m actually thinking that this is the “real” DJT & who we had in the first rendition was kept in check by the Russia Collusion Hoax. What a BLOVIATING Liar he is! Putin is the adult in the room here-obviously DJT is not. Just bc Putin doesn’t want NATO on its borders, & doesn’t want to allow itself to be plundered by all the neocons frothing at the mouth to be able to rape and divide that country into districts so that Georgie Porgie Soros and the rest of the criminals can profit off the rare earth resources that Russia has, does not make him a threat to us! DJT is just mad that he can’t fulfill all the cretinous Banker’s dreams of more and more money to be made at the cost of Russia being taken over. I’m DONE with him! He’s a liar and a murderer and he’s making US CULPABLE for continuing the crimes in GAZA! Apparently Laura Loomer that bat-crazy bitch, along with Susie Wiles has DJT’s ear. What the hell!? This guy is NOT the guy who was on the campaign trail! This is NOT the guy we voted for!! He’s doing everything by EO, so that when he’s finally out of office, whoever is next can just undo those actions with their own EO!! OMGOSH!! Somehow Larry, you, Ray, Doug, Danny, Aaron, Max, John, Karen, the Judge and so many others have GOT to get to DJT and snap him out of the drugged-induced spell they have on him!!! They’ve got to be putting stuff in his Diet Coke! 😡