Theatre of Peace – Trump Doing the Rope-a-Dope
The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same
Another day..... another supposed breakthrough in Ukraine.
Summits in Washington, speeches about peace, leaders posing for photographs. Touching letters sent through Trump about the fate of Ukrainian children taken to Russia.
And yet..... on the ground, nothing has changed.
Russia continues to bomb civilians in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, and elsewhere.
Ukraine continues to fight for survival.
Europe continues to wait, hesitant to act for fear of Trump withdrawing support.
Trump's position is resolute and it is not to bring peace but to block action. He does not want Europeans to make the heavy commitments Ukraine needs — the weapons, the money, and other needed support. He does not want the Senate to impose severe secondary sanctions on Russia. What he offers instead is the illusion of progress: promises of meetings with Putin, handshakes for the cameras, and a constant performance of "deal-making." It is theatre, not diplomacy.
Anyone who thinks Trump's position has changed since taking office is just falling for his rope-a-dope.
Russia's demands have never moved an inch: all of Donbas, all of Crimea, recognition of their conquest.
Ukraine's needs have not shifted either: serious defense and eventual NATO membership. Anything short of full NATO membership is meaningless — and if Putin ever agreed to it, it would only be because he also believes that it is meaningless.
I have written extensively about this, most recently in my op-ed Trump's "Supposed" Turnaround in Alaska. The conclusion remains the same: Trump is on Russia's side, and he wants Russia to get exactly what it wants.
This latest proposal could only be serious if Russia were truly desperate — and there is no indication that this is the case.
Europe must finally make the full commitment to stop Putin.
Until then, Trump will keep playing rope-a-dope, and Putin will keep dictating the fight.