Russo-Ukraine Peace Deal Gets Gamey Again

Letter to Ephesians: Trump ate his pre-summit words on “ceasefire” or else to Putin & was talked into going straight to “peace” without saying how. No, it doesn’t look like a “10” for No. 47 as he meets with equally stubborn Zelensky Monday. But our man still did hold some cards & wiggle room ... and a "security gurarntee" break through may have occurred.

The supposed downpour of sanctions on Russia for not laying down arms immediately may now seem like an unlikely next step if not empty threat from the get-go. BUT that doesn’t mean Trump can’t indirectly impose sanctions on oil purchases by China like already imposed on India. Still more military aid to Ukraine by US AND EU is another development Putin wouldn’t want to see happen. And, if words might not kill the Russian leader, US and EU rhetoric suggesting a growing comfort in the West with Ukraine joining NATO as well as the EU certainly would give him a stroke.

As it happened on Saturday, WSJ reports Trump told EU leaders some sort of "security gurarantee" aka Western troops in Ukraine to ensure any bartered peace was accepted by Putin in their Friday pow wow. If so, it represents another shift of sorts in Trump's own past approach to these peace negotiations, bluntly having been against any US troop boots on the ground for fear of involving the US in yet another long term foreign war; yet, perhaps a UN-like coalition of Western troops is what's now contemplated. We'll see. But, the WSJ also reports further face to face talks that include Zelensky are envisioned within the next week or two. So, the peace game appears to still be afoot ...

Davd Soul