Trump and Putin will speak this week on Russia-Ukraine war, U.S. envoy says

“I think the two presidents are going to have a really good and positive discussion this week,” Witkoff said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

Witkoff is only there because Putin refused to talk to the more knowledgable and skilled Kellogg.

Don't expect it to go well. Putin will have included demands that Ukraine will not agree to. That puts Trump in a bind.

Some good news is that the Trump administration did not extend sanctions loophole for Russian energy payments.

Day 56 of no ceasefire in the Trump Administration.

Trump is being played for the fool he is,

Day 56 of no ceasefire in the Trump Administration.

Keep counting, it will happen, whether 56 days or 200 days, the time is less important than a solid and permanent lasting ceasefire.

BlacklabelToday 07:49 am JST

the antics of Zelensky in our White House cause several extra weeks to need to be spent.

No, the antics of the Manchildren in the White House brought them even closer to receiving a face full of the brown stuff.

So for those of you rejecting a ceasefire:

what’s your alternative considering Ukraine couldn’t win with 4 years, 300 billion dollars and every weapon we had to give?

BlacklabelToday  08:20 am JST

So for those of you rejecting a ceasefire: 

what’s your alternative considering Ukraine couldn’t win with 4 years, 300 billion dollars and every weapon we had to give?

The US president speaks with a little bit of bass in his voice and puts another 100k russians in the ground. The process is then repeated until Kyiv is secure since it costs us essentially nothing.

BlacklabelToday  08:20 am JST

4 years, 300 billion dollars 

3 years, 150 billion dollars. Just the facts, ma'am.

what’s your alternative considering Ukraine couldn’t win with 4 years, 300 billion dollars and every weapon we had to give?

Blacklabel:

I agree with you. A ceasefire with Russia pulling out all of its troops from Ukraine's lands, and with full security guarantees by allowing NATO membership for Ukraine. In return, Russia gets the privilege of not having to pay for any damage they caused to Ukraine's lands and will get to escape being prosecuted for war crimes. Seems like a fair deal if you ask me.

You: since it costs us essentially nothing

also you: 3 years, 150 billion dollars

So it does cost us something- both a lot of time and a lot of money.

and puts another 100k russians in the ground.

just a bloodthirsty warmonger approach. Ukrainians will continue to die too.

and Americans too if we stupid enough to support this continue as you recommend.

so your solution is just let’s fight until every single Ukrainian but Zelensky is dead?

BlacklabelToday  08:33 am JST

You: since it costs us essentially nothing

also you: 3 years, 150 billion dollars

So it does cost us something- both a lot of time and a lot of money.

It's money going into US industry we should be incentivizing. It's almost free.

BlacklabelToday  08:36 am JST

and puts another 100k russians in the ground.

just a bloodthirsty warmonger approach. Ukrainians will continue to die too. 

Ukrainian casualties are remembered fondly for delivering their country from enslavement. russian casualties are remembered as toilet thieves.

and Americans too if we stupid enough to support this continue as you recommend. 

If Putin is dumb enough to escalate a proxy war (but still a just war for Ukraine) into a direct war, then I am ready for MAD. It would happen sooner or later.

so your solution is just let’s fight until every single Ukrainian but Zelensky is dead?

Every russian dead is less territory they will ultimately be able to grab. This is all that should matter to an American patriot. It's also the will of the Ukrainian people.

Blacklabel

So for those of you rejecting a ceasefire:

what’s your alternative considering Ukraine couldn’t win with 4 years, 300 billion dollars and every weapon we had to give?

Mathematics not your forte?

Blacklabel

You: since it costs us essentially nothing

also you: 3 years, 150 billion dollars

So it does cost us something- both a lot of time and a lot of money.

Money replacing old equipment and arms that would have to be decommissioned for a cost are replaced by new equipment and arms.

The US doesn't have to pay for decommissioned and they get a refresh of arms and equipment.

Ukraine use the old arms and equipment.

Win-win.

Two scenarios.

One: Trump is manipulated by Putin and quickly gives in to Russia’s maximalist demands and then forces Ukraine to capitulate in order to claim a political victory.

Two: Trump isn’t manipulated by Putin. Trump negotiates a deal providing for Ukraine’s territorial integrity and gives real security guarantees.

Which do you think is more likely?

Bring PEACE to Ukraine Mr. WITKOFF.

Well Done Sir.

Trump and Putin will speak this week on Russia-Ukraine war, U.S. envoy says

Well, to be more accurate, Putin will speak...and Trump will grovel...

Then afterward, Trump will speak as Putin pulls his strings...

geronimo2006Today  09:07 am JST

Two scenarios.

One: Trump is manipulated by Putin and quickly gives in to Russia’s maximalist demands and then forces Ukraine to capitulate in order to claim a political victory.

Two: Trump isn’t manipulated by Putin. Trump negotiates a deal providing for Ukraine’s territorial integrity and gives real security guarantees. 

Which do you think is more likely?

Three: Trump is manipulated by Putin and feigns forgetting about the whole ceasefire thing.

geronimo2006Today  09:07 am JST

Two scenarios.

One: Trump is manipulated by Putin and quickly gives in to Russia’s maximalist demands and then forces Ukraine to capitulate in order to claim a political victory.

Two: Trump isn’t manipulated by Putin. Trump negotiates a deal providing for Ukraine’s territorial integrity and gives real security guarantees. 

Which do you think is more likely?

Three: Trump is manipulated by Putin and feigns forgetting about the whole ceasefire thing.

Four: Vietnam 2.0. The US/Ukraine/Russia negotiate a peace agreement and the US says it will guarantee Ukraine's freedom with troops if needed. Russia violates the agreement and overtakes the entire country - and the US does nothing. Remember that was a Repub President too...

Ukraine use the old arms and equipment.

oh so you confirmed we are only giving them our old crap we were going to throw away? Nothing at all is new or modern?

oddly absent is all the tens of billions of non weapons money we sent them, to pay their government and pensions and schools and oligarchs.

Kellogg has been sidelined and his spud gun license seized. Won't be hearing more from him.

The obvious solution is quite simple:

Implement President Putin's conditions, which he has already outlined, and a ceasefire starts immediately, opening the door to proper negotiations which can solve the root causes of this conflict - especially the provoking factors, like that horrible Odessa mass casualty event for example.

After all, he is holding all the cards and playing the strongest hand.

Classic how Mr. Witkoff 'brushed aside' comments, as the article phrases it, by the wannabe Napoleon Macon and gave him a dunking.

Confirms the EU warmongers have been sidelined.

Truth is Macron is a professional liar. Russia does not want to attack NATO. Instead it seeks to protect Russian speakers in the south-east, who were abused from 2014 onwards.

This why they are petrified of elections. Hypocrites the lot of them.

Five: after territorial changes that reflect new realities, the new Ukraine re-adopts neutrality like Austria and Switzerland, and which it had from 19991-2014, thereby thus guaranteeing long term peace.

I agree with you. A ceasefire with Russia pulling out all of its troops from Ukraine's lands, and with full security guarantees by allowing NATO membership for Ukraine. In return, Russia gets the privilege of not having to pay for any damage they caused to Ukraine's lands and will get to escape being prosecuted for war crimes. Seems like a fair deal if you ask me.

Tell me you are being sarcastic. If you have followed any news from the Ukraine in the last 2 years, even the most biased Kiev propaganda, you would know this is beyond a pipe dream.

I've been saying since the failed spring offensive that the war was over. The Dombas and south are lost. Crimea was always Russian and would remain so. The Ukrainians would get to keep Odesa as Black Sea port and that EVERY death from this point would be a waste. Sadly for some Russians and many more Ukrainians I was correct.

JJEToday 09:54 am JST

Five: after territorial changes that reflect new realities, the new Ukraine re-adopts neutrality like Austria and Switzerland, and which it had from 19991-2014, thereby thus guaranteeing long term peace.

I think we can safely assume that surrendering territory and their armed forces are not going to happen.

Mr KiplingToday 10:07 am JST

I've been saying since the failed spring offensive that the war was over. The Dombas and south are lost. Crimea was always Russian and would remain so. The Ukrainians would get to keep Odesa as Black Sea port and that EVERY death from this point would be a waste. Sadly for some Russians and many more Ukrainians I was correct.

Putin still has his eye on taking all of Ukraine or removing its armed forces. This is direct from his public statements. Not at the ceasefire table.

JJE

Truth is Macron is a professional liar.

Nope.

Russia does not want to attack NATO.

No, but it does want the Baltic states.

Instead it seeks to protect Russian speakers in the south-east, who were abused from 2014 onwards.

Abused by little green men from Russia descending the area into a civil war.

The people of the Donbas can do without Russian terrorists.

Western media has basically gone silent, but last week the top European court (ECHR) found the Kyiv regime guilty and culpable for the Odessa massacre.

It's another brick in the false narrative about this being an "unprovoked" conflict falling. That shocking event precipitated the uprisings in the south-east.

The origins of the civil conflict that provoked outside intervention are complex - the remedies are just as complex. Meaningless ceasefires without conditions or obligations are a carefully laid trap. Moscow was correct in sending the ball back with a dose of reality, especially considering how signed ceasefires were abused in 2014, 2015 and there definitely wasn't interest in peace at Istanbul in 2022.

Mr Kipling

I've been saying since the failed spring offensive that the war was over.

Yes. And without evidence.

The Dombas and south are lost. Crimea was always Russian and would remain so.

Why? Because you say so?

The Ukrainians would get to keep Odesa as Black Sea port and that EVERY death from this point would be a waste. Sadly for some Russians and many more Ukrainians I was correct.

Hasn't been demonstrated.

The fact that you neglect is, that Putin doesn't want peace. You seem to constantly ignore this.

Any of his "peace offers" previously had conditions that Ukraine would never accept.

Plus, it's important to reflect on events after the passage of time. Sometimes truth can fall victim within a set narrative. Important that ceasefires/negotiations going forward attempt to set a more decent standard:

https://x.com/simpatico771/status/1901384039648354375

JJE

It's another brick in the false narrative about this being an "unprovoked" conflict falling. That shocking event precipitated the uprisings in the south-east.

This conflict was unprovoked. That isn't a false narrative.

The origins of the civil conflict that provoked outside intervention are complex - the remedies are just as complex.

Russia interfering isn't complex.

Meaningless ceasefires without conditions or obligations are a carefully laid trap. Moscow was correct in sending the ball back with a dose of reality, especially considering how signed ceasefires were abused in 2014, 2015

Abused by Russia.

and there definitely wasn't interest in peace at Istanbul in 2022.

Certainly not by the Russian side.

Truth is if there had been no decision in April 2008 to enlarge Nato into Ukraine the situation in Europe today and the European Russia relations would look fundamentally different, and we would have a peaceful Europe. The catastrophic decision by George W. Bush and Condolezza Rice to expand Nato was totally ill conceived: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0epyHOz-Pbs

JJEToday 09:44 am JST

The obvious solution is quite simple:

Implement President Putin's conditions

The solution is to give the aggressor and accused war criminal whatever he wants?

Somehow I doubt you'll be saying that when China starts stealing your Far East.

After all, he is holding all the cards and playing the strongest hand.

The "strongest hand?"

Economy on an unsustainable war footing with around 40% of the budget spent on the military, trade with the free world dropped immeasurably, energy export profits down, inflation up, reserve currency in short supply, severe brain and manpower drain, millions involved in the war that could be working in the economy, reputation and trading relations destroyed for many generations, and hurtling toward being a vassal of China?

If this is a strong hand, I'd hate to see a weak one.

Mr KiplingToday 10:07 am JST

I've been saying since the failed spring offensive that the war was over.

And you have been wrong, since the war is still going on.

The Dombas and south are lost.

Again, perhaps you haven't noticed, but the war is still going on.

Crimea was always Russian

Only if you ignore international law.

EVERY death from this point would be a waste.

EVERY death since Putin started his aggression has been a waste.

EVERY death is the result of his vile actions.

Witkoff has done a tremendous job at rebuilding relations between these two great powers. People like Macron who make ignorant and uninformed comments, as the former said, are demonstrating why it is imperative these irrelevant obstacles to peace be shunted aside from future decision making. He also correctly identified the two most important card holding players in that future process - Putin and Trump. They make the buy-in and will get a seat at the table, unlike others such as EU/UK. This will be the only show in town going forward with diplomacy.

Blacklabel

So for those of you rejecting a ceasefire: 

what’s your alternative considering Ukraine couldn’t win with 4 years, 300 billion dollars and every weapon we had to give?

JJEToday 11:49 am JST

Witkoff has done a tremendous job at rebuilding relations between these two great powers.

The US is one great power.

Who's the other one?

So for those of you rejecting a ceasefire: 

what’s your alternative considering Ukraine couldn’t win with 4 years, 300 billion dollars and every weapon we had to give?

Except we didn’t “give” 300 billion, not even close and most of that went to domestic industries. And we certainly didn’t give “every weapon we could”, that was a big part of the problem. Four years? Yes, despite being 1/10 the size of the enemy the Ukrainians have been able to hold off Russia’s obvious joke of a military.

Obviously vision, facts, and math aren’t your strong areas!

President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are expected to speak this week as the U.S. tries to broker a ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine war, according to Trump special envoy Steve Witkoff.

These are very positive steps to putting an end to this war.

Fos

Truth is if there had been no decision in April 2008 to enlarge Nato into Ukraine the situation in Europe today and the European Russia relations would look fundamentally different, and we would have a peaceful Europe.

Untrue.

Paul Novax

President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are expected to speak this week as the U.S. tries to broker a ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine war, according to Trump special envoy Steve Witkoff.

These are very positive steps to putting an end to this war.

Unlikely.

A ceasefire is better for Russia than it is for Ukraine, so why didn't Russia just accept it? The reason is that Putin isn't interested in peace, but he wants to use the peace process to disrupt Ukraine.

Which won't lead to peace, but he may be able to convince Trump to harm Ukraine.