Trump Still Does Not Understand What Russia Wants and Demands
One hour after Russia ended its three day ceasefire with Ukraine, President Putin met with a gaggle of reporters in Moscow at 0135 hours Moscow time and made news by offering to meet Ukrainian officials, without preconditions, on May 15 in Istanbul. Putin’s offer is a shrewd move, but it is unlikely to be accepted by Ukraine. First, Volodymyr Zelensky will have to repeal his September 2022 decree prohibiting any Ukrainian official from talking to the Russians. Second, the US and the Europeans are now demanding an unconditional 30-day ceasefire. I think Putin’s offer for direct talks with Ukraine was a way to politely, but firmly, reject the Western demand. The West, in turn, is not going to let their organ grinder monkey — Mr. Zelensky — accept such an offer.
Vladimir Putin repeats the phrase, root causes. While Mr. Putin has not consulted me, nor am I privy to his thoughts on the matter, let me attempt to explain what I think that means. The root cause of this conflict dates back to 1997, when NATO made Ukraine a de facto member of its alliance. That is when the first formal agreement on military cooperation was signed and it marks the time that NATO and USEUCOM began using Yavoriv, the Ukrainian military base near the Polish border, as a headquarters and operations center for military exercises. In other words, the expansion of NATO to the East is the root cause of this current war.
Ending the war in Ukraine will require more than Ukraine making a pinky swear that it will never join NATO. If I am the Russian negotiator, I will demand that all NATO personnel be withdrawn from Ukraine; that all Ukrainian military and intelligence personnel will be proscribed from training with NATO forces; that all Western military aid supplied to Ukraine be destroyed; that all intelligence sharing with Ukraine cease; and that NATO bases in Poland and Romania be closed.
Russia would prefer to achieve these objectives thru negotiation, but it that avenue is closed, Russia will do it militarily. Russia must make NATO too costly to continue operating.
Trump reportedly approved the shipment, via German supplies, of ATACM and Patriot missiles to Ukraine. Apparently, he and his advisors stupidly believe that this will pressure Russia to make concessions and come begging for an unconditional ceasefire. Ain’t going to happen. Russia will intensify military operations to destroy these new supplies, even if it means killing NATO soldiers and officers in the process.
I just posted an interview I did earlier this week with a remarkable, brave young lady… Elizaveta Igorevna. She is an embedded war correspondent in a Russia military unit currently operating in Kursk. She is the only woman in that outfit. She is articulate, knowledgeable and beautiful. She assured me that her fellow soldiers treat her like their little sister and are quite protective. I learned a lot from this courageous young woman.
Many, many people are starting to see that DJT tends to parrot the last person he’s spoken with. Unless he is playing some kind of head game, this seeming tendency is really starting to undermine his credibility. Many people voted for him based on his pledge to “end this war in 24 hours.” It’s been MUCH LONGER than 24 hours! People are being disillusioned and disappointed in DJT and his administration. Others say that something happened to him last July. Whatever it is, he had better get it together! He has about 4 more months to END both the Gaza issue and the Ukrainian issue! The way he’s acting now is really going to color the next election cycle and it will not be such a good win for him. Whoever is advising him MUST BE REPLACED! And NOW!! And he MUST start listening to you, Larry, to Doug, to Scott, to Ray & especially to JEFFREY SACHS!!! ALL OF YOU ARE TELLING THE TRUTH AND NOT SHINING A WORN OUT, ISRAELI WISH LIST FIRST!! WE ARE NOT ISRAEL AND WE SHOULD NOT BE SUPPLYING THEM WITH WEAPONS AND SATELLITE RECONNAISSANCE SO THAT THEY CAN FIRE ON RUSSIA!! Did you that WE, the taxpayers are PAYING FOR THEIR KIDS-ALL OF THEM-to go to college?? Yup! We are!! Time for that to STOP!!
DJT could be exhibiting cognitive decline that comes with age along with spending too much time watching TV, thus reducing the size of his brain and negatively impacting functions such as the speed of processing new knowledge, memory, and attention span. I wouldn't be surprised if he still believes Spain is a member of BRICS! Does anyone know that Suzanne Massie died this year? I mention this in passing because I did not see any major news network cover her obituary. Although an outsider, she was instrumental in convincing the Reagans to end the Cold War with the Soviets. I had thought Tulsi Gabbard would play a similar role in the Trump administration, but my hopes have been dashed.