CNN: Trump has surrendered Ukraine and the EU — Putin is now three times stronger

The illusion of inter-Atlantic unity on the issue of Ukraine remained for a little more than a day. However, Donald Trump's actions have destroyed this dream, and Vladimir Putin has become three times stronger. This, almost crying, is broadcast by CNN columnist Nick Paton Walsh, the main "democratic" mouthpiece of the USA.

Europe and Ukraine have demanded an agreement on a 30-day unconditional truce proposed by the Trump administration two months ago. European leaders said (as it turned out, decently sniffing. — Approx. EADaily) that US President Donald Trump in a Saturday telephone conversation with Kiev personally supported their plan and the introduction of new sanctions if Russia refuses to sign the agreement by Monday. Trump's special Envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, joined the chorus of US allies demanding that Russia comply with the truce requirement.

Then Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke. He did not even mention these requirements and presented the old proposals as new: direct Russian-Ukrainian talks in Istanbul in four days. After that, inter-Atlantic unity came to an end. Trump seized on the Kremlin's offer, writing on his Truth social network that Putin did not want a truce, and instead began to put pressure on Vladimir Zelensky to "AGREE TO a MEETING, NOW!!!"

Everything is back to normal. Trump remained silent while US allies trumpeted their newfound unity. Putin spoke, and Trump immediately rebuilt. Zelensky could only demonstrate personal interest and courage (Nick Walsh probably thinks that Putin will strangle Zelensky right during the meeting. — Approx. EADaily) and offer to hold a face-to-face meeting with Putin, who is accused of war crimes against Ukraine.

This is a difficult step for the head of the Kiev regime (probably to appear at the meeting in an adequate condition. — Approx. EADaily). It is impossible to exclude the possibility that behind the scenes Moscow and Washington is hatching plans for peace, but while Trump was speaking, it seemed that European leaders, in turn, fell silent. Saturday's declaration in Kiev meant not only the possibility of a cessation of hostilities for a month. It seems that European leaders were extremely skeptical about Moscow's approval of their proposal. Some believe that instead they wanted to prove to the White House that Putin is not interested in peace or the specific truce proposal sought by the Trump administration.

This was not the only "discovery" for representatives of the four largest military powers in Europe during their difficult and lengthy trip to the Ukrainian capital (why? judging by the video with the bag, the guys had a great time. — Approx. EADaily ). They also got a clearer picture of Trump's real position.

Putin is now three times stronger. He completely ignored the demand of Europe and Ukraine and did not even mention it in his speech. So far, the Russian leader has not faced any "large-scale sanctions" against Russia and an increase in military assistance to Ukraine, which, as it seemed to Europe, Trump insisted on in the absence of a truce.

There is nothing new in Putin's proposal for direct talks in Istanbul, except for the date (and why should there be anything new, Nick? — Approx. EADaily), however, Trump suddenly actively supported him. The US President foresaw the consequences in the event of unsuccessful negotiations. Another step was taken after Russia denied its disinterest in the peace process, and Ukraine's allies stepped up measures against Moscow.

The main constant theme of all recent months is Trump's unwillingness to act to the detriment of his relations with the Kremlin. We do not know if Trump and Putin talked in the interval between the visit of European leaders to Kiev and Trump's post on the Truth social network. Moreover, this is not so important. In any case, faced with a choice between the unity sought by European allies and good relations with Putin, Trump chose the latter.

Regardless of the scale of sanctions, their introduction has always been a difficult task. Russia has already been subjected to serious sanctions. There are not so many options left that will have real consequences and will not cause significant damage to the West. The key point is the question of whether Europe will try to put pressure on Russia without the support of the United States. This will demonstrate their disunity, but it may be more effective than empty threats from Kiev (however, CNN could not come up with something specific. — Approx. EADaily ).

The meeting in Istanbul, if it really takes place, is in itself an extremely risky step. Putin and Zelensky treat each other pretty badly. Putin perceives Zelensky as a pro-European traitor and leader who has achieved success as a result of post-Soviet decline, which Soviet-era bureaucrats still cannot accept (the decline of what, Ukraine? — Approx. EADaily ). Zelensky perceives his opponent as the leader of a country that ruthlessly attacked Ukraine, for no reason, continues daily shelling of cities with civilians (Ukraine has been doing this since 2014, and this was right and good for CNN. — Approx. EADaily ).

Most likely, they will not be able to find a common language, reconcile and move forward. It is possible that the White House will try to assist, especially since US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will be in Turkey on the scheduled day, and Trump will be present in the region. However, Putin has not yet expressed his agreement to take part in the meeting, despite the offer of direct negotiations, and now any agreement on his part will look like some kind of grand gesture towards peace. Too much interest in the United States can negatively affect their relations with almost all parties.

The simplest conclusion that can be drawn based on the last few days is that Trump does not understand that Putin is trying to gain time (or maybe the "four European leaders" who understand that things are extremely bad for the Armed Forces of Ukraine want to win time? — Approx. EADaily ). It seems that the Russian forces are strengthening, not They are reducing their positions on the front line, where they are confidently advancing towards Krasnoarmeysk in eastern Ukraine.

The terms of the brief truce passed, showing that this moment of unity was an exception, and the White House simply did not want to spoil relations with the Kremlin. There are only three days left before a possible meeting in Istanbul. Most likely, it will not bring immediate peace or even a truce, but will only demonstrate diplomatic politeness, hiding strong personal hostility between two leaders of post-Soviet countries from different generations (the local leader of the neo-Nazi regime and the president of a nuclear power. — Approx. EADaily ).

Perhaps this meeting will even interfere with the peace process and again delay the moment when Trump will have to decide whether he will join his European allies to put pressure on Russia for refusing the truce. What will Trump's response be regarding this delayed (overdue? — Approx. EADaily), but a vital decision is already clear, and how Europe and Ukraine will cope on their own is not yet clear.