
Will Trump's threats be enough to pull Putin to the table for peace talks?
After a day in the office he tells her he had a nice chat with Vladimir but then when she puts the TV on, she says 'Oh really, he's bombed a nursing home', which upsets the President.
How's that for a glimpse of geo-politics Chez Trump?
As a result of too many chats followed by too many strikes President Trump, who just a few weeks ago suspended military aid to the Ukrainians, not for the first time, has decided he's going to arm them.
Quite how many Patriots is, in true Trump style not entirely clear, but they will get some. In further Trump style, with America First, Nato members will pay for them.
If that's not enough to get Russia to the table, and in reality it's probably not, he's proposing further tariffs and other financial penalties in 50 days.
The target of extra tariffs would be on countries doing business with Russia, but it's doubtful it will be all those countries, some of which are allies of the US - and also doubtful how firmly they will be enforced if they even come into play at all.
On a balmy Saturday in May, in Kyiv, I listened to the British, French and German leaders demand Russia sign up to an unconditional ceasefire with huge financial penalties if said ceasefire didn't materialise by Monday. It was a proposal apparently backed by Donald Trump.
A few hours later President Putin offered unconditional talks -but ignored the ceasefire demand and the talks have been pretty pointless.
Ukraine is now under aerial bombardment as never before and the number of civilian deaths and injures in June is at a record high. There's nothing to say there won't be a similar move this time.
It is going to take more than the threat of more financial sanctions to really shift this war.
There is of course, relief in Kyiv that President Trump seems to have mellowed in his position towards Ukraine, however there is no sense of security in that.
After he humiliated President Zelenskyy's in the Oval Office, nothing is for certain anymore, and there's no belief that even when he's playing nice, the US leader can be relied on.
Within a few hours of the President's threats, the missiles were hitting civilians again. In one of their last calls Putin warned he would escalate over the next 60 days.
That's one presidential promise the Ukrainians can be sure of.

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NBC News
12 minutes ago
- NBC News
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"Maybe Matt Gaetz can lead the special counsel,' she added, referring to the former Florida congressman who was Trump's first choice for attorney general. Bannon said Trump is open to the idea, despite his past history with special counsels. Special counsel reports can take months and, in some cases, years to compile. In his interview with Mike Johnson, Benny Johnson asked the House speaker if he would support Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's co-defendant, testifying before Congress or lawmakers subpoenaing the DOJ to get the files. The speaker replied that he hadn't spoken to lawmakers "about that specific subject, but I'm for transparency." Asked Wednesday whether he would support a special prosecutor, Trump said, "I have nothing to do with it. Hold congressional hearings Hawley said he was also open to a hearing on the matter before the Senate Judiciary Committee that could include Maxwell, the only other person who's been convicted in the case. Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison term that she's appealing. 'Why not put her under oath?' Hawley said. 'I think that could be good,' he added. Send a congressional message Several House Republicans have signed on to an effort by Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., to force a vote on calling on the DOJ to release the entirety of its records related to Epstein. "We all deserve to know what's in the Epstein files, who's implicated, and how deep this corruption goes. Americans were promised justice and transparency," Massie wrote Tuesday in a pair of posts on X. The procedural effort would force a vote to release 'all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials' related to Epstein. Massie's discharge petition would take time to move forward. "In 7 days we can start collecting signatures. At 218 signatures, the House must vote on our bill requiring a full release of the Epstein files," wrote Massie, who's repeatedly clashed with the president. A number of Republicans have already signed on to the effort, including Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee, a Trump ally. Burchett told NBC News on Wednesday night that he'd done so because "I'm big on transparency." Fire Bondi Some Trump supporters online, including Loomer, have called for Bondi to resign or be fired. "Someone needs to be fired for this," Loomer said on X, adding that letting Bondi "resign is more than she deserves. Trump should just FIRE her." Trump has vigorously defended Bondi as doing a "great job." Bondi told reporters Tuesday, 'I'm going to be here for as long as the president wants me here, and I believe he's made that crystal clear.' Glenn Beck echoed those sentiments in a video. 'Pam Bondi has created so much doubt and chaos in this whole thing," he said, urging Trump to "fire Pam Bondi." Take it to the courts The president of Judicial Watch, an organization that's been trying to obtain Epstein documents, suggested a different way forward. 'Just give us the records under FOIA,' Tom Fitton said on Bannon's 'War Room' podcast, referring to the Freedom of Information Act. 'Describe what the records are. If they're withholding anything, tell us why. And there's a court process for it. If we don't like it, we can challenge it.' 'But at least it's a transparency that we don't have currently because of the awful memo that was sent out,' he said. Release all the documents Others suggested the simplest path was for the DOJ to just release the files, while protecting information about the victims. "The Epstein files need to be released" and "I'm for releasing it now," said Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C. Boebert also backed the release of the files Wednesday. "The American people deserve and can handle the truth. Let's see the files," she wrote in a post on X. Hawley said he was in favor, as well. 'My view is, make public everything you can make public,' he said. 'Let's make it all public and get it out there.' Lara Trump, the president's daughter-in-law, also joined the calls for more information on Epstein. "I do think that there needs to be more transparency on this, and I think that that will happen,' she told Benny Johnson this week. "I believe that there will probably be more coming on this, and I believe anything that they are able to release that doesn't, you know, damage any witnesses or anyone underage or anything like that, I believe they will probably try to get out sooner rather than later.' North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis — a Republican who has clashed with Trump — was more blunt. 'Just release the damn files,' Tillis said. 'Maybe somebody was wrong. Maybe they embellished a little bit about what was in the contents of the file. Apologize for it. Get this off the table. It's sucking up too much oxygen. And we all should know.' Trump, for his part, has placed some of the onus on Bondi, saying Tuesday that "it's going to be up to her, whatever she thinks is credible, she should release."