Trump Dances to Putin's Tune
A phone call, pompously announced as a diplomatic milestone, ended in exactly the absurdity that has become the hallmark of Donald Trump's presidency: a grotesque spectacle of peace efforts completely ignoring the harsh reality on the battlefield. For two hours, Trump spoke with his friend in the Kremlin, yet an end to the war seems further away than ever.
Instead of decisive mediation, Trump once again showed how easily he allows himself to be harnessed by Putin. While Ukraine and its European allies desperately call for a 30-day ceasefire to create room for genuine peace talks, Moscow insists on immediate negotiations, fully aware that such talks would take months. A perfidious strategy to continue the murderous offensives against Ukrainian civilians unhindered.
Yet Trump overlooked this obvious trap with casual ignorance. Instead, he vaguely announced that Russia and Ukraine would now speak to each other "as only they can," even as bombs continue to fall on Ukrainian cities. A statement as empty as it is cynical - a clear signal of support to Putin, who likely secretly enjoys the gullibility of his American counterpart.
Equally cynical was Trump's casual remark that he would simply "walk away" if the negotiations stalled. Here speaks not the responsible mediator but the spoiled businessman who grows bored if a deal isn't quickly concluded. In the logic of a real estate mogul, this might be seen as tactical finesse – but in the bloody reality of war, it is nothing less than an unveiled threat to abandon Ukraine to its fate.
Trump's alleged peace efforts thus bear all the hallmarks of a cheap show lacking depth and seriousness. Instead of concretely employing sanctions or military support as leverage against Russia, he rambles vaguely about possibly involving the Vatican and the American Pope Leo - a surreal suggestion showing just how little Trump understands or respects genuine diplomatic work.
"It seems as if the president didn’t even seriously pressure Putin," notes Beth Sanner, former Deputy Director of National Intelligence, dryly. Putin, she argues, got exactly what he wanted: the continuation of maximal demands and no substantial concessions. This flatters the Kremlin leader's ego and once again exposes Trump as a puppet whose strings are pulled from Moscow.
The atmosphere of this call was described almost gleefully by Kremlin advisor Yuri Ushakov: "Such conversations, where neither president wants to hang up, are rare." This remark is like a mocking footnote to Trump's supposed strong appearance - in reality, the American president once again proves to be easy prey, his vanity blinding him to political reality.
And while Trump complains in Washington about the supposedly high costs of war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky politely but clearly contradicts him: the U.S. must not withdraw from peace efforts, as only Putin would benefit from such a move. A subtle yet clear appeal to Trump’s responsibility - or what remains of it.
Yet true responsibility and genuine statesmanship seem alien to Trump. The president, who claims he wants to dedicate his term to peace, has so far left only a trail of devastation and escalation. Whether in Ukraine or Gaza: wherever Trump loudly promises mediation, the violence only worsens.
Only recently, Trump asked if Putin was "stringing him along." After this call, it's clear: Trump is already dancing to Putin’s tune - and the world helplessly watches as the supposed mediator slips ever deeper into the arms of a man who knows only one interest: his own power, at the expense of thousands of human lives.
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