Friday's hastily put together meeting in Russia Alaska between soulmates Vladimir Putin and his junior imitator the Malignant Fascist has Ukraine justifiably worried that the big sell out is coming. Putin understands that the MF is desperate for a "deal" to distract from a range of domestic problems (Epstein scandal, tariff disaster, Big Ugly Bill). He's therefore in a dominant negotiating position with the MF. From Veronica Melkozerova at Politico:
"Ukraine’s nightmare is that U.S. President Donald Trump will use Friday’s summit with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to style himself as a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize by forcing through a war settlement that sells out Kyiv.
That’s why Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and key European allies will use a pre-summit meeting with Trump on Wednesday to map out red lines they hope will deter Putin from using an accord with Trump as an opportunity to regroup and press on with his core objective — not the seizure of a bit of eastern Ukraine but rather the destruction of an independent, democratic Ukrainian state.
'We understand the Russians’ intention to try to deceive America — we will not allow this,' Zelenskyy said earlier this week." (our emphasis)
Putin will find a ready recipient of his deceit in the MF, especially since he's absorbed Kremlin talking points courtesy of his inept, Kremlin-aligned "special envoy" Steve "Witless" Witkoff. Witkoff misinterpreted Putin's desire for Ukrainian forces to withdraw from parts of the Donbas as an offer for Russian forces to withdraw. That "land swap" nonsense and other disinformation was fed to the MF and resulted in him deferring sanctions against Russia, and agreeing to Friday's meeting instead.
Ukrainian officials are doing their best, in combination with our European allies, to warn the MF about the tricks Putin will play to Ukraine's detriment. Melkozerova's article continues with a quote from a Ukrainian official:
“'I don’t expect any breakthrough from this summit. Putin did not abandon his ultimate goal to destroy Ukraine. He can only agree to a ceasefire that will create the conditions for our destruction,' said Oleksandr Merezhko, head of the foreign relations committee in the Ukrainian parliament.
In the case of Trump and his diplomacy, it’s all for the sake of the picture … A spectacle for the media, like the meeting with [North Korean leader] Kim Jong Un. But for Putin, this meeting means a lot, as it shows him as the leader of a great state with its political interests, not an international pariah he should have been, as he has not abandoned his desire to destroy Ukraine’s statehood,' Merezhko added. (our emphasis)
Having the MF at the negotiating table one-on-one with Putin is a nightmare for Ukraine. They, and we, can only hope a cocky Putin overplays his hand and offends the MF into imposing harsh sanctions on Russia, and supporting Ukraine's defense needs. Sadly, that's not likely.
BONUS: Please read this opinion in The Guardian by Rafael Behr, who writes:
"[Trump] values two kinds of deal -- those that make him richer, and those that allow him to luxuriate in the status of a great dealmaker. If he thinks such benefits are available by abandoning American allies and interests there is no reason to think he wouldn't do it.
That will be Putin's aim in Alaska."
(photo: The infamous Helsinki pic after the capitulation by Trump. Worth a thousand words)
No comments:
Post a Comment