Even if Ukraine folded, what’s the point? What’s the gain? You’ve just made the world mad at you again and millions of surviving Ukrainians that want to kill you.
Play nice, make them a good trading partner, you have very similar backgrounds. Have a beer and a game of pool.
I think I would make an excellent President.
For Putin, it is as much about appearing strong and dominant to his domestic audience as it is anything else, which is partially why he is so paranoid about someone trying to coup him. The ‘juice’ of resources and strategic advantage of taking Ukraine (and trying to hold it against constant resistance, because Ukrainians aren’t going to lie down for another tsarist pretender) were never worth the squeeze.
Stranger
Back in the ‘80s (I started paying attention to politics in 1979/1980), I thought the same thing about Cuba. Let McDonald’s move in. There’s even a name for it.
The book puts forward a capitalist peace theory, first published as an opinion piece in The New York Times in December 1996, called the Golden Arches Theory of Conflict Prevention; although slightly tongue-in-cheek,[1] it states:
No two countries that both have a McDonald’s have ever fought a war against each other.[2]
He supported that observation, as a theory, by stating that when a country has reached an economic development where it has a middle class strong enough to support a McDonald’s network, it would become a “McDonald’s country”, and will not be interested in fighting wars anymore.
This post is like asking, “Why do serial killers commit murders? Wouldn’t it just land them in prison? I wouldn’t do that if I were them.” Yes, but you aren’t them. So it’s a good sentiment, but kind of meaningless. They do things the way they do because of their brain programming.
As this thread shifted from if the meeting would happen in Alaska to how awful it was to give Putin the red carpet treatment and accomplish nothing to Trump trying again for the Nobel tomorrow (All the red carpets are still in Alaska) with Zelensky, he’ll not be alone this time. So far (according to BBC) these folks are going:
After being booted from a Pub in Cornwall, Vance is golfing in Scotland and is probably not welcome in any of their pubs either, so Trump will have to call in Hegseth and Marcos, I presume. Maybe his son-in-law who hasn’t yet started mining Ukraine or building resorts in Gaza.
It’s a party at the White House!
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is going too.
Might need to open the East Room (what used to pass as a ballroom)
ETA: Also Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni
Nato Secretary-General Mark Rutte
It’s great that Zelensky won’t be on his own this time. But how does it work in terms of international diplomacy? Trump didn’t invite them, they’ve just invited themselves. Can you do that if you’re a Head of Government?
What would happen if Trump refused them entry to the White House? Or even refused them permission to land?
Then the meeting would be moved to Downing Street or elsewhere and Trump would look like the loser left out of the party.
To not allow the heads of state and other diplomats into a country would, I reckon, be a first and definitely a new low for Trump (there’s plenty of room down).
If Trump really wants to get out, his “doctor” can announce he’s come down with a case of “Russian American flu” and have Marcos host the party. Or Vance would have to cut his Scottish holiday short and fly over.
All very bad optics for Trump. I’m not sure these folks “invited themselves” yet I am sure Trump isn’t happy about it yet he has to put on a smile else he can only look like a loser, even to MAGAs.
Maybe it’s like how Gandalf, in “The Hobbit” got everyone into Beorn’s house by using words like “a couple”, “several” and a few more.
What would be hilarious is if they all turned up in battle dress.
From Moscow Times:
In his post-summit statement in Alaska, Putin had warned Ukraine and European countries not to engage in any “behind-the-scenes intrigues” that could disrupt what he called “this emerging progress.”
Dunno if this was before or after the Kegger at the White House was announced. Sounds vaguely like a threat.
There’s a possibility Trump, as Mouth of Putin, will only do a one-on-one with Zelensky and have Marcos entertain the rest, then thank them for coming and walk away.
We’ll have to wait to see how NATO East responds to Putin’s veiled threat with “Or else what?”
According to FOX, Trump won the optics of the meeting. Because he was standing on a giant swatch of red carpet, and he made Putin walk toward him on a ‘tiny strip’.
At about the 22-second mark of this video.
They’re just digging for the slightest advantage they can find. (Meanwhile when the POTUS is a Democrat, every slight is amplified.)
How many holidays does that guy get? He was just on vacation in the US, when he ordered the army corps of engineers to raise the water level in the river he planned to boat down.
Just Macron and his grip of steel would have been enough for that.
“The Coalition of the Willing” (Super-friends was already taken) are coming to give the USA under Mouth of Putin a chance to remain relevant in Europe. No hidden intrigue Mr. Putin. The USA’s cooperation would be nice yet not necessary. Your time is gonna come.
When your predecessor was threatened with hanging by a mob, and encouraged on by your primary work partner in just such an effort, it’s probably reasonable to spend most of your time with a few thousand miles between you and your partner.
"I have only a few statements still to make. I am grateful to Mr Chamberlain President Trump for all his efforts. I have assured him that the German Russian people desire nothing else than peace, but I have also told him that I cannot go back behind the limits set to our patience behind the territory we have seized nor return the kidnapped children. I have further assured him, and I repeat it here, that when this problem is solved there is for Germany Russia no further territorial problem in Europe." Adolf Hitler Vlad the Impaler, 26 September, 1938 15 August 2025.
“We are on the verge of a war for which we are still unprepared, and for which no one has offered a feasible plan for victory. … This is not a question of banding together to defend the White race against foreign invasions. This is a question of which three groups [Jews, British, Roosevelt administration] are most responsible for pushing us toward war.”
Charles Lindbergh, Aviator. 1941.
I’m still trying to figure out what Putin’s play is here when he told Trump that there would not have been a war if he had been president. Yeah, it was manipulating Trump with an ego boost but it makes no sense. If he is implying that he would have been afraid to start it, then why is he not afraid of what Trump will do now if he doesn’t end it? Little Marco was talking about this on a morning show like it’s an important fact (and, of course, all Biden’s fault). But anyone thinking about it for two seconds would see that it’s just bullshit. It’s astounding how they can be so stupid. Which I guess answers my question. Putin didn’t need it to make sense. He knows he is dealing with idiots.
It doesn’t have to make sense.
Donald Trump isn’t going to think critically about anything that makes him feel good about himself. It’s really that simple, because he is really that simple.