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BREAKING NEWS: The much-touted phone call between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin on Monday delivered exactly what seasoned observers expected: flowery statements about "peace" that mask a far more sinister reality on the ground in Ukraine.
Just one day before their scheduled two-hour conversation, Russia launched its largest drone attack of the entire war, sending 273 drones into Ukraine, killing a civilian woman and injuring others. This wasn't coincidental timing – it was a calculated power demonstration showing who truly controls the pace and direction of this conflict.
The Message Behind the Missiles
Russia's massive drone barrage sent a clear message ahead of diplomatic talks: Putin negotiates from a position of strength, not compromise. This follows a familiar pattern we've documented throughout the conflict – Russian forces escalate militarily immediately before "peace" discussions to strengthen their bargaining position.
"This is exactly what the ceasefire is. I mean, exactly what they did last night," noted Ukraine expert Olga Lautman during our Trump Tyranny Tracker broadcast. "This was a message."
The timing is particularly revealing, coming shortly after Friday's talks stalled when Russian negotiators demanded Ukraine surrender territory and halt Western arms shipments before agreeing to any ceasefire. Rather than showing flexibility after these failed discussions, Moscow opted for the largest drone assault of the war.
The Choreography of Power
The diplomatic choreography around the call itself reveals much about the power dynamic between Trump and Putin. As has been consistent since 2017, Putin released his readout of the call first, with Trump following his lead – a subtle but telling indication of who sets the agenda in this relationship.
Both leaders claimed progress toward a "memorandum" on a possible peace accord, with Putin thanking Trump for supporting direct Russia-Ukraine talks. Yet neither provided any substantive details beyond vague commitments to continue talking about talking.
"I can tell you that from 2017, when Trump came into office, I monitor Russian news all day and night. And I can tell you that this has been the pattern," Lautman explained. "Since 2017, every single meeting, every single phone call, every planned meeting... every visit, everything was always put out by Russia first and then the United States."
The Strategy of Endless Delay
For Ukraine, these endless rounds of inconclusive "peace" discussions serve only to drain international support while Russian forces continue grinding away at Ukrainian defensive positions and infrastructure. Each week spent in fruitless negotiations means more Ukrainian civilians killed, more territory potentially lost, and more pressure on Kyiv to accept unfavorable terms.
"I promise you will be like, you know, summer and fall and winter next summer. And it's going to be the same result," Lautman predicted, "because the only way for, you know, this to end is for Ukraine to receive the weapons they need and to finally be able to finish Russia off inside of Ukraine."
The fundamental reality remains unchanged: Putin cannot end this war on terms that would allow him to remain in power. Having framed Ukraine as an existential Nazi threat to Russia's security for over a decade, Putin cannot suddenly reverse course without devastating political consequences.
"What is he going to say? Never mind. I was just kidding. They're not Nazis and they are no longer a threat," Lautman asked rhetorically. "I mean, you cannot hang the country as a threat and to your own existence with what he has done over the past decade, and specifically 21 into 22 before the full-scale invasion, and then say, oh, no, you know what? We are happy with these territories."
The European Response
As Trump signals potential U.S. disengagement from Ukraine's defense, European nations face increasing pressure to fill the gap in military support. The recent election victory of centrist Nicușor Dan in Romania – defeating a pro-Kremlin, Trump-aligned candidate who wanted to cut Ukraine aid – represents a significant setback for Putin's strategy to fracture European unity on Ukraine.
This outcome, along with similar results in recent elections in Canada, Moldova, and Albania, suggests a growing international rejection of Trump-style populism and its associated accommodation of Russian imperial ambitions.
"Everybody's watching what is happening in the United States, and they're saying, fuck no, I don't want any of that," Lautman observed. "We saw it with Canada. We saw it with Moldova. We saw it with now Romania."
The Real Path Forward
History and current reality both point to the same uncomfortable truth: genuine peace will only come when Russia is decisively defeated within Ukraine's borders. Everything else – memorandums, negotiations, ceasefire proposals – simply extends the bloodshed while giving Russia time to rearm and regroup.
"The only historically, the only thing that has ever worked is that Russia must be defeated in Ukraine," Lautman insisted. "That's it. That is it. Then they will go lick their wounds."
Until Western leaders recognize this fundamental reality and provide Ukraine with the means to achieve military victory, we'll continue seeing this cynical cycle: Russian escalation, hollow peace gestures, endless delays, and more Ukrainian suffering.
The 273 drones that rained down on Ukraine before Monday's call tell us far more about Putin's true intentions than any diplomatic statements that followed it.
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