Today, at the White House, in order to placate the pathological narcissism and delusions of grandeur of America’s president, European leaders one after another fawned over Donald Trump even while each knew they were actually meeting with him to try to contain his worst impulses.
They nodded and smiled as he described each of them in terms of their personal relationship with Trump. Periodically, they would go along with Trump’s ravings, as when the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen smiled and seemed to agree as Trump characterized his non-deal trade “deal” between the EU and the US as the biggest trade deal ever (even though details remain to be worked out and big parts of it were promises by the Europeans to do things everyone knows they cannot and will not do.)
“Mr. Emperor, your clothes are so splendid! You don’t look a thing like a fat naked lunatic with ballooning cankles!” (Cankles which, as reported elsewhere on this website, were strategically hidden from view by the strategic placement of a model of Air Force One repainted in Trump’s preferred livery.)
Earlier, the press, covering Trump’s meeting today with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky prior to the meeting of the two with the Europeans, raved about how the meeting was somehow more “normal” than the last time Trump and Zelensky met in the Oval Office. This despite the fact that the session involved a bizarre series of press exchanges in which Trump ranted and unleashed a torrent of lies about subjects that had little or nothing to do with peace in Ukraine—from voting by mail to his authoritarian show of force in Washington, D.C.
That said, craziest of all may be Trump’s detached-from-reality catechism about how he was the world’s peacemaker. He asserted again and again that he has ended half a dozen wars this year already. Single-handedly. (Except he hasn’t.) He was even heard in a hot mic moment, bragging that he thinks Putin wants to end the war in Ukraine as a favor to Trump.
He said all this despite the fact that his Friday summit with Vladimir Putin was widely seen as a flop. Further on throughout his efforts to bring “peace” to Ukraine, he has performed a series of rapid-fire policy twists and flips that Simone Biles would be hard-pressed to replicate. He would end the war in 24 hours until he couldn’t. He would get tough on Putin until he never did. He would demand a ceasefire until he was against ceasefires.
Today, when pressed on the last point by the European leaders—notably by German Chancellor Merz—it seemed like Trump might have to become pro-ceasefire again. He wobbled. Then, he spoke of security guarantees for Ukraine in which the U.S. would play a big role. Except in his social media message following the event, Trump indicated that the Europeans would provide the security guarantees and “coordinate” with the United States. Which is pretty thin gruel, especially since the Financial Times on Monday reported that Zelensky had come to the White House planning to sign a deal which would require—grab your air sickness bags, everybody—Ukraine to actually pay $100 billion for the promise of the U.S. guarantees.
Some countries have a foreign policy. Given trade deals, the Ukraine rare earths deal earlier this year, and this promise of payment for U.S. muscle, it’s clear that Trump and his captains like Marco Rubio and Steve Witkoff are actually running a protection racket. U.S. national interests and standing up for what is right be damned.
Another mid-air twist also followed the meeting when Trump, after spending 40 minutes on the phone reporting back to his client, er, boss, er, benefactor, er, BFF, Putin, Trump reported that contrary to his earlier assertions a trilateral meeting between Trump, Putin and Zelensky would be the next step in the “peace process”, Trump announced that the “trilat” would have to wait. Up next, if it can be arranged, will be a bilateral sit down between Russian and Ukrainian delegations, Putin and Zelensky.
Why? Did Vlad not want Donald to get in the way? Is it because Putin wants to be able to frame the narrative and identify Zelensky as the obstacle to peace?
It’s hard to know—although leaks and reports will surely emerge as the European leaders who were at the White House today sit down with their spin doctors and favorite reporters.
What we do know is this: After all the talk and the pomp and the elaborate staging and hyperbole about the “historic” and “unprecedented” meetings in Alaska, there are still a few obstacles to getting to peace.
First, the war is still going on and Russia doesn’t want to stop fighting. Zelensky and the Europeans want a ceasefire, Putin doesn’t and Trump is confused and looking for compression socks (Spanx for cankles? Spankles?) Russia wants to hold land it has stolen. Ukraine does not want to give it up. (The land issue was danced around all day at Monday’s White House events.) Ukraine wants NATO-like security guarantees that Russia likely won’t accept.
Further, Ukraine and Russia would like the U.S. to play a bigger role in those guarantees but Trump doesn’t seem to want to get too deeply involved in that. As much as the Ukrainians and Europeans flatter Trump publicly, they do not trust him. No one trusts Putin who has never honored a single agreement he has ever signed on to. (This is one of the areas he has in common with his BFF.)
America’s withholding of aid to Ukraine seems certain to continue and this encourages Russia to keep fighting. Russia still asserts all of Ukraine belongs to them. Russia won’t accept its culpability for its crimes and the U.S. seems ready to back them up on that. It seems very unlikely Putin will acknowledge his kidnapping of tens of thousands of Ukrainian children.
And then, of course, there is the fact that America’s president does not have the stamina, character or expertise to lead the kind of demanding, detailed negotiations that such differences require. Neither do his anointed proxies, JD Vance, Witkoff or Rubio.
Oh, and also, the president of the United States is, as my dear old Daddy would say, “not a well bucket.” He’s cracked and to get from here to a settlement everyone is going to have to deal with his mental illness throughout this.
So, sure, peace could come. Also possible: Architectural Digest names Trump’s fool’s gold-plated Oval Office to its list of the world’s ten most elegant work spaces. On the same day that Trump win’s his Nobel Peace Prize, we get to see his tax returns, the secret of Melania’s genius visa is revealed and we learn the truth about Trump and Epstein.
Ok, that may be unfair. It’s a hideous and expensive war and there are good reasons for both sides to want it over. Exhaustion and common sense could prevail. But that said, based on what we have seen over the past few days (and weeks, and months, and years) if it does happen, it will have precious little to do with statecraft of our King of Queens.
The post Opinion: Is Peace in Ukraine So Crazy? Maybe Not, But Donald Trump Certainly Is appeared first on The Daily Beast.
