Sycophant
Up front: I think Donald Trump, and more importantly, the Heritage Foundation sponsored ideology behind him, is a real attack on the American experiment in Democracy. If they get what they want, the America of 2030 will have little resemblance to the America we imagined in 2015. The threat is real; and the outcome is in serious doubt.
I should add that I think Trump’s sycophantic display towards Russian dictator Vladimir Putin last week was ugly and degrading. Trump literally invited Putin to the United States. He rolled out the “red carpet”, gave him a military display, invited him for a personal “ride” in the Presidential limousine, and even had a personal “award” created for him. For all of that recognition, Putin’s “entre” back into world diplomacy, the United States seemed to get absolutely nothing.
No deal, no agreement to work on a deal, no ceasefire in Ukraine, no bargaining: nothing happened. Putin demanded that Ukraine give up territory, acknowledge Russian conquests, and be denied any protective alliances. And when Trump wanted to continue discussions over lunch (and give the “award”), Putin just left. He went to honor Russian airmen in an American military cemetery on base, paid cash for a refuel, and flew back to “Mother Russia”. Trump, his aides, and the world was left holding an empty bag.
Back Door Leaders
Monday Trump met with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, and a full delegation of leaders from Europe. Unlike the “red carpet” for Putin, these world leaders were met at the back door (really, the back door) of the White House by the “chief protocol officer”. Each of the world leaders, including Zelenskyy, learned the lesson of Zelenskyy’s last White House meeting. They all began their statements with paragraphs of praise for Trump’s diplomatic “acumen”, and complimented him on his fitness and dress.
And Trump responded in kind, with glowing words for the leaders of Germany, NATO, the European Union, Italy, the United Kingdom and especially Finland (they played golf together earlier this year). He was a little less generous with Zelenskyy and Emanuel Macron, the President of France, but was at least cordial. That certainly was an improvement over the “beat-down” Trump and Vice President Vance gave the Ukrainian in the Oval Office last February (The Beat Down).
Article Five
In that spat of “negotiations”, Trump promised US support for Ukraine, including being a part of an “Article Five” style alliance with the embittered nation. “Article Five” is a section of the NATO treaty agreement (all of the nations at the table are in NATO except for Ukraine), that states simply, “An attack on one nation in the alliance, is an attack on all nations in the alliance”. It’s been put into effect once, after the terrorist attacks on the United States on 9/11.
Ukraine may not be admitted to NATO, but it may still get the benefits of NATO membership. It’s hard to imagine Putin agreeing to any deal with that included.
Another Beat Down
But one of Trump’s base demands seems to be a “tri-lateral” discussion among Trump, Putin and Zelenskyy. Macron wasn’t having that; it looks too much like the two-on-one Oval Office beat down of the past, with Putin taking Vance’s place. The odds of Zelenskyy actually going to Moscow for that discussion seem quite small.
In the midst of all of this discussion on Monday, Trump abandoned the world leaders to make a forty-minute phone call to Putin. From what we learned, it didn’t seem like Putin “gave” anything, but it did show Trump’s priority: Putin over all.
So here we stand. Despite Trump’s hopefulness, there doesn’t seem to be much movement, and the death and destruction continues along the stalled battle front, and as the result of the Russian attacks on civilians behind Ukrainian lines. If Russia won’t move, Trump will be forced to take a stand WITH Ukraine. That’s something he’s been loath to do. Or worse, Trump will allow Ukraine to “hang”, and just let the killing continue.
Let Them Fight
As Trump himself said:
“Sometimes you see two young children fighting like crazy. They hate each other, and they’re fighting in a park, and you try and pull them apart. They don’t want to be pulled…Sometimes you’re better off letting them fight for a while and then pulling them apart. And I gave that analogy to Putin yesterday. I said, ‘President, maybe you have to keep fighting and suffering a lot’ because both sides are suffering, before you pull them apart before they’re able to be pulled apart.”
Of course, those young children aren’t probably going to kill themselves, or the other kids on the playground.
But I will give him this. If the Trump Administration can find a way a negotiate any kind of settlement that stops the bloodshed, without selling-out the people of Ukraine, they’ve earned a prize. And if giving Donald Trump “his” Nobel Peace Prize, makes him “equal” to President Obama, then so be it.
He wins. And so will the world.
