The Wall Street Journal editorial board continues to take on the role of a journalistic media outlet since mainstream media has mostly abandoned their due diligence, putting the kibosh on Trump's Alaska meeting with Putin. Their lede is brutal: " Whether it’s the start of a road to peace, or to appeasement, is impossible to know. We’re not sure if Mr. Trump knows himself."
Harsh, but true.
The WSJ didn't 't waste time calling out Putin's puppet: What Kind of Peace in Ukraine?
The President went into the summit promising “severe consequences” if there was no agreement on a cease-fire. He left the summit having dropped the cease-fire with no consequences in favor of Vladimir Putin’s wish for a long-term peace deal as the war continues. Mr. Trump took new sanctions on buyers of Russian oil off the table.
Mr. Trump also said the burden is now on Ukraine to close the deal. European leaders told the press that, in his conversations with them, Mr. Trump said Mr. Putin demanded that he get all of Ukraine’s Donetsk region, which would mean that Ukraine give up its main line of defense in the east.
Putin got more than he could ask for in the Alaska summit, while Zelensky was thrown to the wolves.
As for the greatest four-dimensional chess dealing narcissist, what did he receive in return?
White House leaks to friendly media suggest Mr. Putin promised that, in return for Donetsk, he’ll stop his assault and won’t invade other countries. No wonder Russian commentators and Putin allies were celebrating the summit’s results. Their President ended his isolation in the West, made no public concessions, and can continue killing Ukrainians without further sanction.
What a deal!! For Putin.
Trump defends Putin at every turn, but the WSJ understands what we all do.
Mr. Putin’s promises are worse than worthless. He has broken promise after promise to Ukraine and the West. This includes the 1994 Budapest Memorandum promising to defend Ukraine against outside attack, and multiple Minsk agreements. He wants Donetsk because he would gain at the negotiating table what he hasn’t been able to conquer on the battlefield. It would also make it easier to take more territory when he or his successor think the time is right to strike again.
As emptywheel writes, "The hold Putin has over Trump is existential for Trump. And unless we can expose that, the US will increasingly become a mere satellite of Russia. Trump is not making America great. He is gutting America."
He's gutting the US and Ukraine and gifting it to Putin.
The outcome would be, Ukraine surrenders and then eventually Russia invades again. Trump will not use our military against Russia so Ukraine is destroyed as the first step on the march toward invading Europe.
