Two days ago, following Ukraine’s brilliant attacks on Russia’s bomber fleet, I contemplated what Vladimir Putin’s likely response might be, and offered the following thoughts:

“Of course, there is the question of what will happen when the Kremlin has had time to fully process these developments. In the best-case scenario, Putin — always unpredictable — could react rationally, realize that his position has been somewhat weakened, and finally begin to negotiate in earnest. Or he could do what he and every autocrat throughout history have always done: let his megalomania and his temper get the upper hand, and escalate the fight.”

While hoping for the best, I feared that Putin’s evil twin would win the struggle . . . and unfortunately, my fears have been justified.

Today, Donald Trump revealed in a social media post that he had had an hour-long phone conversation with Putin, in which ”President Putin did say, and very strongly, that he will have to respond to the recent attack on the airfields.” [Bernd Debusmann, Jr., BBC News, June 4, 2025.]

But then Trump added that they had also “exchanged views on the prospects for restoring cooperation between the countries, which has enormous potential.” [Id.]

If, by “restoring cooperation” you mean acceding to Putin’s demands while he continues blasting the hell out of Ukraine until there is nothing left to defend, then I suppose there might be some potential for a solution. But that’s not a road to peace; it’s a direct route to Ukraine’s total surrender.

For his part, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has challenged Putin to sign an immediate ceasefire and to arrange a face-to-face meeting to work out mutually agreeable peace terms. He said that such a meeting could include both Trump and Turkish President Erdogan, ruling out any further talks between lower-level delegations:

“We are ready for exchanges but to continue diplomatic meetings in Istanbul at a level that does not solve anything further, I think, is pointless. My proposal, which I believe our partners can support, is that we propose to Russians a cease-fire until the leaders meet. . . . We are ready for such a meeting any day.” [RFE/RL, June 4, 2025.]

But Putin was having none of it. Once more going on the offensive, he claimed that Ukraine would “use” the pause to rearm and mobilize more military forces — the precise tactic that he himself has been using for years.

He also pointed to the destruction on May 31 and June 1 of two bridges in Russian regions bordering Ukraine and Belarus, rhetorically asking: “How can we negotiate with those who rely on terror?” [Id.]

Apparently, the man who blithely invaded a sovereign nation without cause — and has spent more than three years terrorizing, kidnapping, torturing, raping and murdering its civilian citizens while also decimating the country’s infrastructure — is incapable of seeing the irony in his own words.

And if Donald Trump really believes that there is “enormous potential” at this point for the restoration of cooperation between Russia and Ukraine, then he is equally blind to the truth, and is once again playing the cards that Putin has dealt him.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
6/4/25