Trump's Opening Cry To Russia Falls Flat

 

 Moon of Alabama

In May 2017 the Russian president Vladimir Putin had an interview with Le Figaro. He explained his experience with policy preferences forwarded by U.S. presidents:

I have already spoken to three US Presidents. They come and go, but politics stay the same at all times. Do you know why? Because of the powerful bureaucracy. When a person is elected, they may have some ideas. Then people with briefcases arrive, well dressed, wearing dark suits, just like mine, except for the red tie, since they wear black or dark blue ones. These people start explaining how things are done. And instantly, everything changes. This is what happens with every administration.

It took only two days for that to happen with the second presidency of Donald Trump. Instead of seeking better relations with Russia to end the war in Ukraine, as he had promised during the campaign, Trump initiated a public 'dialog' with Russia that seems to make both of these aims impossible.

He posted on Truth-Social:

Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump - Jan 22, 2025

I’m not looking to hurt Russia. I love the Russian people, and always had a very good relationship with President Putin - and this despite the Radical Left’s Russia, Russia, Russia HOAX. We must never forget that Russia helped us win the Second World War, losing almost 60,000,000 lives in the process. All of that being said, I’m going to do Russia, whose Economy is failing, and President Putin, a very big FAVOR. Settle now, and STOP this ridiculous War! IT’S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE. If we don’t make a “deal,” and soon, I have no other choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries. Let’s get this war, which never would have started if I were President, over with! We can do it the easy way, or the hard way - and the easy way is always better. It’s time to “MAKE A DEAL.” NO MORE LIVES SHOULD BE LOST!!!

One wonders what the people in dark suits were thinking when they fed such bullshit to Donald Trump.

Russia did not 'help' to win the Second World War. It did win it. It was the U.S. and others who were merely helpful in doing so.

As Kremlin spokesmen Dimitry Peskov rightly replied:

"The main burden in the fight against fascism and the biggest price for the victory in the fight against fascism was paid by our country, the Soviet Union. The US did indeed help. It made a significant contribution. But there’s one caveat: America always makes money, for America it's always about business," Peskov emphasized.

The Soviet Union did not lose 60 million lives in that war but less than half of it - about 11 million soldiers and 15 million civilians. [The US lost 418,500 deaths, including 416,800 military deaths.]

Russia's economy is not falling.

Even Reuters, which has anonymous sources speculate about Putin's 'concerns' with the economy, has to admit:

Russia's economy, driven by exports of oil, gas and minerals, grew robustly over the past two years despite multiple rounds of Western sanctions imposed after its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Russia currently has a somewhat higher than usual inflation. But a shortage of labor has let to wage growth beyond the inflation rate and to a spread of general prosperity:

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, when asked about the Reuters reporting, acknowledged "problematic factors" in the economy, but said it was developing at a high rate and was able to meet "all military requirements incrementally" as well as all welfare and social needs.

"There are problems, but unfortunately, problems are now the companions of almost all countries of the world," he said. "The situation is assessed as stable, and there is a margin of safety."
...
After contracting in 2022, Russia's GDP grew faster than the European Union and the United States in 2023 and 2024. This year, however, the central bank and the International Monetary Fund forecast sub-1.5% growth, although the government projects a slightly rosier outlook.

Trump's threat to put "high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States" demonstrates his plain ignorance. The only valuable product Russia is still selling to the U.S. is the enriched Uranium needed to run U.S. nuclear power plants. Trump can tax, tariff and sanction that as much as he likes.

He could also try to sanction other Russian energy exports. But those are double-edged measures:

Trump’s proposed tariffs and sanctions could also backfire on the United States and its allies:

• Energy Prices: A reduction in Russian energy exports could spike global oil and gas prices, hurting Western consumers.

• Geopolitical Realignments: Aggressive sanctions might accelerate the creation of parallel financial and trade systems outside of Western control, weakening U.S. influence.

• Economic Blowback: American industries reliant on certain raw materials from Russia, such as metals for manufacturing, could face higher costs and supply disruptions.

No one in Russia, for certain not Putin, will take such Trump's attempt to open negotiations seriously.

If Trump wants to achieve a peace agreement over Ukraine he will need to reject the neo-conservative dark suits' opinions and find people who know what they are talking about.

Senseless barking at Moscow, as Trump has done so far, will be responded to with a rather bored yawn:

The Kremlin is not impressed by United States President Donald Trump’s threat to impose new sanctions against Russia if it does not agree to strike a peace deal with Ukraine.

"We do not see any particular new elements here," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Russian media Thursday. Peskov added that Trump “liked sanctions” and used them often during his first presidential term.

“Russia is ready for an equal and careful dialogue with the United States, which we had during Trump's first term," Peskov said, according to Russian independent media outlet Meduza. "We are waiting for signals that have not yet been received."