Trump's gamble: Risking American legacy for Putin's favour
A "New York Times" commentator warns that if Donald Trump hands over Ukraine to Putin, he will be remembered as a traitor to American values. The US president and his deputy, J.D. Vance, will never "wash the mark of Cain from their foreheads."
What do you need to know?
- Thomas Friedman, a New York Times commentator, warns that Trump and Vance's handing over Ukraine to Putin will seriously damage their reputations.
- Friedman emphasizes that American foreign policy for 250 years has been based on defending freedom against tyranny.
- According to Friedman, Putin wants to weaken the international position of the USA and destroy its network of alliances, making Trump his pawn.
The echoes of Tuesday's conversation between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin continue. The Russian side agreed to a 30-day ceasefire concerning only Ukraine's energy facilities and infrastructure. Trump stated they had a "great" conversation and boasted about his good relations with the dictator.
A commentator for the "New York Times" and three-time Pulitzer Prize winner, Thomas Friedman, expressed doubts in the American press about the White House's narrative that suggests a few conversations between Trump and Putin are enough to "end the Russian invasion of Ukraine on terms favourable to Kyiv."
Friedman warns the US president and vice president that if they "sell" Ukraine to Putin, they "will be forever remembered as traitors to the fundamental value that has driven US foreign policy for 250 years—defending freedom against tyranny." He bluntly writes that Trump and J.D. Vance "will not wash the mark of Cain from their foreheads."
Trump as Putin's "pawn"
Friedman notes that Putin aims to weaken the USA's international position and destroy its network of alliances, especially in Europe. He refers to the opinion of a Kremlin foreign policy analyst who suggests that Putin and Xi Jinping "see Trump as their pawn" to help them achieve these goals.
Friedman emphasizes that Putin wants Ukraine to have a government like Belarus rather than being independent like Poland. He points out that it's unclear whether Trump supports the "Belarusian or Polish version."
As noted, Putin needs Trump only because he wants to impose "post-war restrictions" on Ukraine without further war losses. Trump is expected to secure these for him.
The author criticizes Trump for sidelining European allies during negotiations with Putin. Although the allies spent more on aid to Ukraine than the USA, Trump abandoned their support. Friedman wonders why the US president halted military and intelligence assistance to Ukraine, calling Volodymyr Zelensky a "dictator."
