Tornado Alley (PROG)

[fuagf]

Marvin Kalb's is good. I think in the end Trump's desire/need to be liked and his increasing realization he is being seen as being manipulated by Putin (that would bother Trump), and with Europe's steadfast support for Ukraine, that Trump will not be able to sell Ukraine short as much as he initially felt, in his arrogance, he would be able to. But we come down to how much Putin needs his war. I Browder right in that if he settled he would lose power and even his life .. https://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=176589032 .

Can Trump be brought to the realization he has to be much tougher on Putin.

To Kalb's:

-- "Trump seemed satisfied, assuring the Europeans a “peace agreement” was “very attainable…in the near future.” Then they flew home, tired but hopeful that at least the Trump effort was real.
[...]
Since Ukraine’s proclamation of independence in 1991, it has been assured time and again by the international community, including Russia, that it could live in peace, backed by strict diplomatic language that says Russia would not attack Ukraine. In 1994, Ukraine agreed (naively, it might be argued) to transfer control of its atomic weapons to Russia in exchange for a solemn agreement by the United States and Great Britain to protect Ukraine’s independence. Obviously, this agreement was never honored.
[...]
Dipping into Russian history, a passion for Putin, he reached into a rationalization for action against Ukraine by tweaking the Brezhnev doctrine, as noted by a Putin acolyte, Konstantin Zatulin. “Everywhere that a Russian soldier has put his feet,” he bellowed, “will undoubtedly be kept by Russia.” If language has any meaning in Putin’s diplomacy, Russia seems to believe that it can own any part of Ukraine where once a Russian soldier fought.

Does Trump appreciate the depth of Putin’s commitment to Russian mythology and history? I doubt it, but Zelensky does. As president of his country, he is obliged to defend Ukrainian interests, even if that defense offends Trump’s eagerness, one way or the other, to claim that he ended the fighting in Ukraine. Zelensky currently enjoys the backing of his West European allies, but this seems dependent on Trump’s backing. Everyone knows that is problematic, because it is rooted in and subject to Trump’s uncontrollable ego, not in America’s national interest. Therefore, many Western experts have come to the reluctant conclusion that so long as Putin remains in power, a true, lasting peace in Ukraine is impossible. The war continues.

Your - https://contrarian.substack.com/p/the-war-continues-peace-talk-notwithstanding?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email