Trump prolongs the war in Ukraine

Donald Trump wants to end the war in Europe to let the US Army focus of the looming conflict in East Asia. But basically being a salesman he advertises more than he can produce. Failing to end the war in the Ukraine, he might just be responsible for more unnecessary deaths. He could probably end the war, but he is doing it all wrong.

Being a salesman and a wannabe actor who seeks the attention and the spotlight, Donald J. Trump boasted to swiftly end the war in Ukraine. In his election campaign for the 2025 presidency he went so far to say, that he will end the war within 24 hours after his election. He was elected, but failed to fulfill this and many other promises he gave his voters. When he was once asked about his promise to end the war in the first 24 hours of his presidency, with the war still raging, he said something like I was joking. Some people could argue now that with many things he promised in his campaign were jokes. But people believed in him and voted him into Office — again.

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Putin needs to continue the war to politically survive

It appears former KGB agent Vladimir Putin, who served in East Germany back in the 1980s, wants the USSR back. According to some reports, Putin was shocked when the Berlin wall fell 1989, and devastated when the USSR was dissolved two years later. He rose through the ranks with the goal in mind to become president of the Russian Federation, to take things in his own hands. In 2000 he succeeded. He swiftly started to take control of former parts of the USSR, after their collapse into sovereign countries in 1991. Usually by installing a puppet government, where Moscow pulls the strings. The world looked on and did almost nothing. In 2014 he set his eyes on Ukraine, annexing the Crimea peninsula and tried to occupy eastern Oblasts. The world still watched, although some countries were imposing mild sanctions, probably to not severe economic ties, like the cheap sweet sweet Russian gas supplies Europe became depended on since the first Nordstream pipeline was build in the 2000s.

In February 2022 the full scale invasion of Ukraine began. Only Russia and its allies called it Special Military Operation, while for the rest of the world it was a war. Putin thought his Blitzkrieg would swiftly subdue Ukraine's President Woldomir Zelenzkyy. So thought the world, and looked on — again. But the Ukraine Army proved to be more resilient than anyone expected, and repelled the Russian Army from many places, including foiling the attempt to take Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. It was a total disaster for Russia and embarrassing for Putin to see when the second largest Army in the world would succumb to Ukraine's arm; only in the top 20. The West finally woke up and started supplying Ukraine with more and more, and more lethal weapons, while carefully avoiding to be dragged into the war. Ukraine just received enough weaponry to defend their positions, while the West continued to walk the tight rope not to directly enter the war.

Not to lose face, Putin opted to continues the "Special Military Operation". To do this he switched into a war economy, where many of the products became single use items, like tanks, armoured vehicles, shells and other items produced for a war. They're used once and bring no financial return. An economy switched to war cannot just been switched back from one month (or year) to the next. It collapses if attempted too quick.

Putin also went to use pension plans and other funds, which were supposed to create social benefits for the Russian citizens, to be able to pay large sums for recruiting people, to then often be used as cannon fodder in meat wave attacks. Those are designed to overwhelm the Ukrainians and waste drones and shells against these Russian soldiers. These World War II tactics were already employed when fighting the Nazis, and were quite successful. They are today also successful in the way, that Russia gains ground in Ukraine, although by grinding forward slowly, resulting in a high number of Russian KIA (soldiers Killed In Action) and wounded. Others lost their limbs. Russia sends even some of these back to the meat grinder, after being treated in hospital. There are reports about "Crutch Regiments". Putin has no respect for human life to reach his selfish goals of Making Russia Great Again. He doesn't care how many loose their lives.

Another option for Putin to stop the war is the total annexation of Ukraine, and installing a puppet government in Kiev, like he has done in some of the former republics of the USSR. Unlikely, the Ukrainians would accept a surrender. Especially after the high price they already paid to prevent a Russian occupation for now.

Putin is playing Trump like a violin-virtuoso

Trump went on attempting to bring an end to the war, but failed every time. He went to talk to Putin directly, or with Witkoff and other aids. After several meetings Trump usually stated they were successful and will bring a substantial result. He also once mentioned Putin is okay. But talks went nowhere. The war grinds on. And after pretty much every meeting Putin launched even bigger assaults on Ukraine, also killing or wounding civilians, while — by the way — Ukraine never targets civilians. Still Trump didn't condemned Putin's actions. Until one day in summer of 2025, after Russian drones or cruise missiles hit a nursing home, killing many elderly, Trump finally appeared to see the fact, that Putin played him again and again. Now using harsh words he put an ultimatum of 50  days on Putin, to stop the war. Russia would objected to harsher sanctions, even secondary sanctions, putting tariffs on countries continuing buying Russian oil and gas. When Trump noted Putin continued blanking Ukraine with drones and cruise missiles, he said he sees no action on Putin's side, thus reducing the ultimatum to "12 or 10 days, or so".

Yet in August Trump's aid went to Moscow to talk to Russian officials. Yet again Trump said, substantial progress was made, because now they understood the Russian side. Did they had hearing problems before? For the new peace deal Ukraine is to give up all, even partially occupied parts of their territory. Then Russia agreed to a (unconditional) cease fire, something Ukraine will not agree to, because it would be a capitulation.

Trump again said this is Biden's war, and that he also prevented World War III. He stopped short saying he deserves the Peace Nobel Price. Trump is an incompetent and weak President, leader of the most powerful country of the world. Not noticing, Putin plays him like a violin, so the US wouldn't put more sanctions on Moscow or arming Ukraine, so that Putin can undisturbed continue to commit war crimes (killing civilians, even abducting children, to brain wash them).

Trump might be directly responsible for unnecessary deaths

It is unlikely Ukraine will accept capitulation. Because Europe is very interested that Ukraine is stopping or at least delaying the Russian onslaught, countries of the European Union will continue to help Ukraine with money and military aid. Even if the US should withdraw military packages they also agreed to deliver to Ukraine, if Zelenzkyy does not agree to Trump's "peace plan". The result is, that the war will drag on for many more years, with many more casualties in the 100 thousands or millions. Trump is not going to end the war. In contrary. Trump's legacy and history books might later state, that Trump is a hollow shell of a politician, a failure. History might label Trump's Presidency as one of the darkest years of American democracy. Aligning him with the likes of Richard Nixon, nobody has a kind word for today.

How to shorten the war

Looking at all of Trump's failures, his repetition of these again and again, like a broken record, he might still shorten the war, albeit not end it right away. If Trump would instead give Zelenzkyy the (especially military) aid his army needs, it would most likely be able to not only stop the Russian advances, but defeat the army, pushing it out of the occupied territories. Keeping the Russians at bay, Ukraine could force Russia into capitulation, or at least negotiate a truce, with Blue Helmets (UN Troops) stationed at the borders. Then Ukraine could just ride it out and wait until the Russian economy caves in on itself. May be even force an occupation upon Russia for a decade or so, to "dePutinize" the Russian people and get rid of Russia's sick ideology to conquer other countries. Like the allies occupied Nazi Germany and Japan after World War II, denazifying their populations. After that, both countries abandoned building large armies or having an appetite to invade other countries. Both countries even became pacifist states. That might also work for the remnants of Russia, after the war has ended and Putin is removed from power.