In any adversarial relationship, there will obviously be opposing points of view and a clash of individual interests. But when one or both of the parties appear to be disconnected from reality, it’s difficult (if not impossible) to be sure of what is actually happening.

Unless, of course, we’re misreading the “adversarial” part.

A perfect example of this is what we are (or are not) being told about this week’s telephone conversation between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump on Tuesday, which followed the meetings between Trump’s Keystone Kops envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, and the presidents of Russia and Ukraine.

What Trump had to say on Wednesday was that his talk with good old Vlad had been “great,” and that:

“He is wanting to make a deal, and if Zelensky is wanting to make a deal, that’d be very nice. . . . The holdup is two people who hate each other. I think more than anything else, it’s two people that hate each other.” [Steve Holland and Gram Slattery, Reuters, September 9, 2026.]

Well, I really can’t argue with any of that. It would indeed be “very nice” if we could finally see an end to this war — or what Trump prefers to call “a deal.” And there’s certainly no doubt in anyone’s mind that Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky are bitter enemies. So Trump did not lie; he just didn’t say anything useful.

The question is: Does Putin really want to make a deal? If so, then why did his bombardments continue across multiple regions of Ukraine, sparing only the capital city, throughout the duration of Witkoff and Kushner’s meetings with Zelensky — and then resume against Kyiv itself immediately following their departure?

Why does he continue to target civilians, killing children, women, the elderly and infirm, and destroying schools, hospitals, and vital life-sustaining infrastructure?

And why does he continue to strengthen his already outrageous demands, and threaten military action against any other countries that offer aid to Ukraine?

Finally, please explain why Trump would for one moment believe that Putin really wants to make a deal.

The answer is simple: Because Putin actually does want to end the war. His country is hurting. He just wants to end it on his terms; and the only way he can conceive of doing that is by continuing to kill, and destroy, and threaten, until — he hopes — Ukraine has no choice but to agree to cede some 20 percent of their territory to him, renounce all rights to future security guarantees and membership in the EU and NATO, and leave themselves wide open for the next invasion and the eventual loss of the remainder of their nation and their heritage.

And Trump, ever anxious not to damage the prospects of increased, mutually-profitable trade and economic relations with his friend Vlad, is more than willing to go along with that while he pressures Zelensky to make concessions that would be ruinous to Ukraine.

Then, as if Trump’s attachment to Putin weren’t already obvious enough, the irrepressible Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, had this to say in an interview with Izvestia this week concerning a meeting between the two leaders in the near future:

“We remain open to negotiations. We hope that, as was said with the American negotiators, in the foreseeable future we will be able to gather again as a group of three and continue the dialogue.” [Daily Sabah, September 11, 2026.]

And while discussing any potential attempts by Zelensky to influence Trump ahead of such a meeting, Peskov added that Trump has his own view of his relationship with Putin, which is unlikely to be changed by anyone. [Id.]

Best friends forever.

Which also explains why Trump continues to send Frick and Frack to the negotiating table, rather than find someone with historical knowledge and diplomatic experience who might apply some pressure against the tyrant who actually started the war, and not against the victim.

So it’s a good thing that Europe is stepping up to play a greater role in dealing with Russia and providing increased aid to Ukraine. Because I wouldn’t trust these two stiffs to negotiate the sale of my condo . . . and that’s supposed to be their area of expertise.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
9/12/26