<
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/dec/07/putin-accept-trump-deal-russia-economy-ukraine-war>
"People in Britain who think they are governed by fools should take a closer
look at the Russian and US presidents. Vladimir Putin is systematically ruining
his country. His war of choice in Ukraine is an economic, financial,
geopolitical and human calamity for Russia that worsens by the day. For his own
murky reasons, Donald Trump, another national menace, offered him a lifeline
last week. Yet Putin spurned it. These two fools deserve each other.
On the table in Moscow was a “peace” deal that, broadly speaking, rewarded
Russia’s aggression by handing over large chunks of Ukrainian land, compromised
Kyiv’s independence and weakened its defences against any future attack. The
Trump deal, if forced through, would have split the US and Europe; ruptured
Nato, perhaps fatally; reprieved Russia’s pariah economy; and probably toppled
Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s government.
These are key Russian war aims. But Putin, suffering from neo-imperial
fantasies and legacy issues, said “no”. He reckons he can get it all, and more,
by fighting on. He has persuaded the idiot Trump that Russia’s victory is
inevitable – and that scheming Europeans are the real warmongers. Yet his
premise is fundamentally flawed. Hard facts confound him. Almost four years on,
he’s still trapped in Donbas mud and ice. And at home, things fall apart."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
