Drone Terror and Diplomacy: Why Trump Is Losing Patience with Putler

Trump speaks to war criminal Putin as Russia launches its worst drone attack. Will this be his final attempt at peace—or the prelude to sanctions?

At the moment we are writing this text, U.S. President Donald Trump is preparing for a phone call with the well-known war criminal Vladolf Putler, during which he is expected to discuss "stopping the ‘bloodbath’" taking place in Ukraine, and "trade." The inclusion of "trade" at the end of President Trump's statement seems somewhat out of place, but perhaps it's a veiled signal about possible repercussions if a ceasefire cannot be established—one that was supposedly the goal of the hopeless peace talks in Istanbul. After speaking with Putler, Trump is scheduled to speak with President Zelenskyy and NATO partners. All of these U.S. presidential efforts for peace are unfolding against a backdrop of events that, in the eyes of any independent observer, render such efforts almost impossible. Russia has just carried out what is likely the largest drone attack on Ukraine since the beginning of the war. Is this a signal to Trump that the conflict still has room to escalate? Or is it more of a warning to everyone that Putler wants to humiliate Trump? In any case, it would be wise for the U.S. president to finally realize that he’s not dealing with a negotiator but a terrorist and a fraud. In our opinion, Putler is simultaneously playing to prolong the conflict—buying time for a military victory (his top priority)—and to weaken President Trump’s standing with both current and potential allies. We’ve said this many times, and now the President of Finland confirms it—Trump is losing patience with Putler. And that’s a good thing.