Derek Burney: Disillusioned Trump tries to talk tough on Ukraine
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Trump has agreed to sell much-needed military equipment, like the Patriot air defence missiles and long-range missiles that could reach deep into Russian territory, to European NATO members for transfer to Ukraine. Among other things, the move benefits U.S. defence suppliers. Some European nations intend to send their existing supplies to Ukraine soon and obtain replacements from the U.S. Outstanding questions are: how long it will take to ship the equipment and in what quantity?
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Trump is intent on extracting the U.S. from the Ukraine conflict, which he often describes as 'Biden's war,' suggesting that Putin would never have invaded Ukraine if Trump had been president. His campaign promise to end the war in 24 hours has fallen to the wayside. He has slow-walked and even paused military shipments to Ukraine authorized by the Biden administration. For six months, Trump has steadfastly ignored the distinction between the aggressor and its victim. At least he has now succeeded in getting Europe to assume more of the burden. But some of the smaller European countries like Hungary are backsliding on NATO commitments to Ukraine.
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Trump has threatened 100 per cent secondary tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil — namely China, India and Brazil — if there is no progress toward a ceasefire and peace within 50 days — a bit like the tactic he is using unlawfully to extract concessions on trade from friends and foes alike. Trump's sanctions 'threat' is a reprieve enabling Putin to continue his summer offensive that has already subjugated more than 500 square miles of territory in Eastern Ukraine. Putin told Trump in a recent phone call that he intended to push hard for the next 60 days. John Lough of the New Eurasia Strategic Centre's think-tank observed that the intensifying Russian attacks were 'aimed to demoralize Ukraine's population and zap its will to fight.'
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Meanwhile, 85 members of the U.S. Senate want to vote on a bill that would levy tariffs 'up to 500 per cent' on countries buying Russian oil, but the Republican majority will not move forward without a green light from the White House.
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The Kremlin has stoutly rejected Trump's 50-day proposition as ' unacceptable. ' Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told the state-run Tass news agency that Russia's position is 'unshakable.'
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Despite the excessive flattery expressed by NATO's Secretary General, there are misgivings in Europe about the meaning of Trump's 50-day threat. Kaja Kallas, the EU's foreign policy chief, told reporters in Brussels that, 'Fifty days is a very long time if we see that they are killing innocent civilians every day.' Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, however, diplomatically thanked the U.S. president for 'his willingness to support Ukraine.'
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No mention was made about the $300+ billion in Russian assets held in the West, primarily in Europe — funds Ukraine could desperately use to repair the infrastructure being demolished by Russian drone and missile attacks.
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