Ekaterina Girnyk10:04, 17.10.25
Putin will be received on EU territory for the first time since the start of the war.
Vladimir Putin’s phone call with Donald Trump on the eve of Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to the White House was no accident. It was a clear attempt to prevent arms sales, which Moscow considers a dangerous escalation, and to bring Donald Trump back to a Russian mindset. And, according to Sky News columnist Ivor Bennett, Putin appears to have achieved some success.
Given the apparent lack of progress since Alaska, however, it’s doubtful the Budapest meeting will be any different, Bennett writes, noting that while there’s a chance Trump could still provide Zelensky with the ammunition he needs at their meeting today, that’s unlikely to happen.
“If he does this, Putin will be forced to react, and Budapest will be the loser,” he explains.
He emphasizes that this telephone conversation and its outcome demonstrate the standard pattern of interaction between Trump and Putin:
“Trump seems willing to support Ukraine and put pressure on Russia, and not just in words, but Putin somehow manages to convince him and buy time, despite the lack of any signs of compromise or any concrete concessions.”
Bennett notes that Putin’s tactic appears to be to offer Trump something he can pass off as a breakthrough, and to serve it with a torrent of outright flattery.
“If Budapest takes place, Trump will get what he wants – a television moment that will serve as further confirmation of his peacemaking presidency. But perhaps the main prize will go to Putin, who will be welcomed on EU soil for the first time since the war began, despite Europe’s ongoing sanctions against Russia. You can already see his smile,” he concludes.
(C)UNIAN 2025
Putin has won already by being in Budapest, on EU soil. Next time in London?
“But perhaps the main prize will go to Putin, who will be welcomed on EU soil for the first time since the war began, despite Europe’s ongoing sanctions against Russia. ”
Except he won’t be on EU soil, it’s de-facto russian soil.
Someone has to arrest him for flying through Europe while having a warrant for war crimes will be a joke.
All the EU need to do is deny permission for his plane. That will be that.
The EU doesn’t have the spine for that as I see the EU still sucking up to Trump.
Yep, and he got the NATO countries to increase their defense contributions from 1% to 5% which really helps Ukraine.
Sure, while at the same time, taco gives nothing to Ukraine if it hasn’t been paid for. Face it, Red, taco is a piece of human trash.
By your statement, you completely ignore what Trump has done to strengthen NATO (which helps Ukraine), facilitate the PURL program (which helps Ukraine), to approve the first “lethal aid” weapons transfer to Ukraine in 2017 (which helps Ukraine). extend sanctions and approve new ones (which helps Ukraine), close Moskali Consulates and Embassies (which helps Ukraine), helped to shut down NS2 (which helps Ukraine), to allow the US military intelligence to share ruSSian infrastructure intel with Ukraine (which helps Ukraine), not as much as we would like, but Trump also signed Ukrainian aid spending bills approved by Congress (which helps Ukraine), he established the “United States-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund” (which helps Ukraine), he has also approved other arms sales and removed Biden-applied restrictions on targets inside Moskovia.
There is more and it is obvious he has also hurt Ukraine at times. But we have just one POTUS which means there is just one to help Ukraine. We would be serving UKRAINE if we used persuasion instead of insults, but some people prefer to help the Kremlin and divide people and call them trash. I challenge you to find ONE Ukrainian that agrees with you………..
I know exactly what the gangster has done. Pressuring allies is his specialty, as is sucking a dictator’s cock. Making the Europeans pay more for defense is about the only positive thing this child rapist and traitor has ever done.
He is your POTUS, not mine. I refuse to see him as such, with the deep corruption and criminal energy he embodies.
Do both of us a favor, and just leave me alone with your maga bullshit, Red. I don’t need you to preach maga crap to me.