Trump’s delays, dodges, and dodged dollars hand Putin a lifeline—his tough talk masks soft moves that give Russia time, cover, and room to kill.
President Donald Trump may have changed his tone on Russia, but not his tactics. After months of cozy signals to Vladimir Putin—including a public flirtation with visiting the Kremlin—Trump finally barked on July 14. But instead of biting, he tossed Moscow a delay: 50 more days before any tariffs kick in. That’s nearly two months of runway for Putin’s war machine to stay in motion, while Ukraine waits and bleeds.
Trump’s supposed “get-tough” moment came during NATO boss
Mark Rutte’s visit to Washington. He announced Patriot missiles and other
weapons for Ukraine, but not from America’s deep pockets. This time, European
allies would have to foot the bill. Billions in U.S. aid, already approved
under Joe Biden, remain untouched. Trump’s reason? “It wasn’t my war; it was
Biden’s war.” That’s not leadership—it’s ghosting a war effort mid-crisis.
In Kyiv, the reaction was a mix of relief and dread. Yes,
weapons would flow. But the 50-day grace period handed Putin time to pound
harder. Ukrainian lawmaker Oleksandr Merezhko welcomed the news—but warned that
“these 50 days might be dangerous for us, because Putin will definitely use
it.” Trump had already given Russia “two-week deals” before. Now he’s giving
them almost two months.
Markets barely blinked. Oil prices didn’t budge, showing
just how little faith anyone has in Trump enforcing his own threats. Meanwhile,
a bipartisan Senate bill pushing 500% tariffs on Russian business partners may
gain traction—but still gives Trump all the control to waive or stall. He’s a
master of the tariff tease, using them like poker chips, not policy tools. One
minute he slaps penalties, the next he peels them back to strike a side deal.
That’s not strategy—it’s shadowboxing.
Trump’s promises on weapons were no clearer. Yes, he
dangled the Patriot missile system. But how many batteries? How many
interceptors? No one knows. Air-defense systems are already scarce—America used
up a chunk defending Israel and Qatar during the Israel-Iran war. Ukraine,
facing Russian cruise missiles, needs certainty, not slogans.
Then there’s the elephant—or missile—in the room:
long-range strikes. Biden sent ATACMs that reach 300 kilometers. Moscow is 500
kilometers away. Ukraine would need Tomahawks or JASSM-ERs to strike that deep.
Trump didn’t say a word about them. Even talk of possibly letting Europe buy
and hand them off was left in the fog. Silence speaks volumes.
The bigger picture is uglier. Trump has never clearly
stood up to Putin. He mocked Zelensky earlier this year, cut off intelligence,
and only resumed aid under mounting pressure—from Ukraine, Europe, and hawks
like Lindsey Graham. Even Graham said, “For six months President Trump tried to
entice Putin to the table. The attacks have gone up not down.” This isn’t
peacemaking—it’s poker, with Ukraine as the ante.
And while Trump’s MAGA base yawns at Ukraine’s fate,
Russian troops grind forward in the east. Trump refuses to say what he’ll do if
Russia escalates. And Putin? He’s not retreating. He still wants Ukrainian land
and control. That’s not changing unless he faces real pressure—not polite
deadlines and polite threats.
Even the “tariff threat” is tangled. Trump’s idea of
taxing countries that help Russia clashes with his charm offensive toward
India, one of the very countries buying Russian oil. It’s hard to wage a trade
war when you’re still picking dance partners at the geopolitical prom.
So here’s the truth: Trump may have raised his voice, but
he hasn’t raised the cost for Putin. No timeline, no hard arms delivery, no use
of Biden’s approved aid. Just another drawn-out bluff wrapped in patriot talk.
For Ukraine, the message is chilling: don’t count on a cavalry when the general
won’t even load the cannons.
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