World News: Trump, Putin, Ukraine, and the Master of the Game

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Category: World News - Europe

Published on Monday, 24 March 2025 07:54

Written by Olivier Longhi

President Trump has convinced himself he can force Russian President Vladimir Putin into a peace accord with Ukraine, even if it means flattering him, not realizing the implacable determination of the Kremlin's strongman, inflexible and master of the game.

During his election campaign, candidate Donald Trump boasted that he could solve the Ukrainian conflict in one day. Of course, no one believed it, but the voluntarism displayed by the former candidate raised questions and led one to think that, perhaps, the businessman in a hurry would make Vladimir Putin bend.

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Once in the White House, the reality of the conflict invited itself to the table of certainties of the new president, who was forced to adapt to a counterpart he already knew from having experienced it during his first term.

Certain that he could tame the Russian bear, Donald Trump has multiplied his stunts, going so far as to humiliate in the Oval Office, accompanied by J.D. Vance, his vice-president, and in front of the whole world a defeated Volodymyr Zelensky, forced to contrition and expiation, which he did not force himself to do.

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Show of Force

Sure of his fact, Donald Trump has therefore issued statements that are ever more worrying for the Ukrainian people, announcing in turn the suspension of military aid and American intelligence, thinking to force Kiev to accept the terms of peace wanted by the United States and the Russians.

But in this easy and gratuitous show of force, Donald Trump forgot how much the Kremlin strongman played his own part, mocking the American gesticulations of a cheeky president when Vladimir Putin, cold and cynical, preferred targeted words and precise actions.

Today, still in this logic where fire and ice clash, Donald Trump faces the Russian wall which reflects back to his counterpart all the arrogance and contempt that the American president has shown towards Volodymyr Zelensky. The sprinkler must now deal with the goodwill of Vladimir Putin, who will not let go of a single strategic concession, crumbs at most.

This situation, far from being new, and which Donald Trump thought he could resolve without difficulty, has persisted in fact since the first days of the Russian invasion of Crimea in 2014 when the international community looked the other way, knowing full well that nothing would make Vladimir Putin back down if he did not stop at the Black Sea peninsula alone.

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Attempts and Entryism

A proven strategist, trained in the KGB, Vladimir Putin has the quality of being able to gauge the ambitions and abilities of his opponent. It is perhaps not wrong to say that the Kremlin strongman has more esteem for Volodymyr Zelensky than for Donald Trump.

The future will tell, but if anyone has the advantage today, it is Vladimir Putin who holds the peace in his hands. Donald Trump's attempts to seduce the Russian president have visibly failed, clashing with the acid realism of the former KGB spy. The telephone conversations between the two men could multiply at will: if Vladimir Putin is not getting what he wants, all the entryism and all the flashy voluntarism of Donald Trump will not be enough to change his mind.

Perhaps it would have been wise for Donald Trump to reread the verses of Pushkin, he who was able to grasp so well all the depth and mystery of the Russian soul. For the moment, no one really knows what Vladimir Putin will demand tomorrow.

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Bio: Olivier Longhi has extensive experience in European history. A seasoned journalist with fifteen years of experience, he is currently a professor of history and geography in the Toulouse region of France. He has held a variety of publishing positions, including Head of Agency and Chief of Publishing. A journalist and recognized blogger, editor, and editorial project manager, he has trained and managed editorial teams, worked as a journalist for various local radio stations, was a press and publishing consultant, and was a communications consultant.