Thursday, President Trump used his social media platform Truth Social to announce yet another move to try to end the war in Ukraine.
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) October 16, 2025
I have just concluded my telephone conversation with President Vladimir Putin, of Russia, and it was a very productive one. President Putin congratulated me and the United States on the Great Accomplishment of Peace in the Middle East, something that, he said, has been dreamed of for centuries. I actually believe that the Success in the Middle East will help in our negotiation in attaining an end to the War with Russia/Ukraine. President Putin thanked the First Lady, Melania, for her involvement with children. He was very appreciative, and said that this will continue. We also spent a great deal of time talking about Trade between Russia and the United States when the War with Ukraine is over. At the conclusion of the call, we agreed that there will be a meeting of our High Level Advisors, next week. The United States’ initial meetings will be led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, together with various other people, to be designated. A meeting location is to be determined. President Putin and I will then meet in an agreed upon location, Budapest, Hungary, to see if we can bring this “inglorious” War, between Russia and Ukraine, to an end. President Zelenskyy and I will be meeting tomorrow, in the Oval Office, where we will discuss my conversation with President Putin, and much more. I believe great progress was made with today’s telephone conversation.
My colleague Rusty Weiss covered the story at RedState earlier Thursday: Peace President Never Rests: Trump Announces Meeting With Putin to End ‘Inglorious’ Ukraine War.
What brought about this sudden change? After the, in my opinion, disastrous meeting between Trump and Putin at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, in August (see President Trump and President Putin Meet in Alaska--Here's What Happened), I find it surprising that Trump would put his reputation and credibility on the line again in a high profile summit with Putin that excludes either the EU or, more importantly Ukraine. Not only was there no agreement reached on anything, but Russia used the occasion of the meeting to launch a major missile strike on Ukrainian population centers.
The reason why Putih has agreed, in principle, to another meeting with Trump is pretty obvious. In the last week, the Trump administration has hardened its position toward Russia. There was movement in that direction after the failed Anchorage summit, with increased intelligence sharing and the U.S. green-lighting Ukrainian attacks on Russia's oil industry. Recently, though, the pressure has escalated.
Zelensky is visiting the White House on Friday to discuss war strategy. Part of that discussion will be the rules of engagement should Trump go ahead with the expected transfer of fewer than 100 Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles.
[Q]: You're going to have Volodymyr Zelenskyy here this week. What is your message at this stage of the war for him? Shy of Tomahawks for Ukraine, are you considering other options and will you speak with Vladimir Putin about it?
— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) October 15, 2025
President Trump: We're looking at other options,… pic.twitter.com/gKJ5zenQbv
Pete Hegseth made an appearance at the monthly Ramstein donor conferences. This was significant because it was only the fourth time he had participated. In his inaugural meeting in February, he handed leadership to Germany. This time, he had a message.
Pete Hegseth speaking at the NATO summit.
— Jimmy Rushton (@JimmySecUK) October 15, 2025
A very different tone from a few months ago:
"If there is no path to peace in the short term, then the United States, along with our allies, will take steps necessary to impose costs on Russia for its continued aggression." pic.twitter.com/jv8NZa2zLU
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday warned the U.S. will “impose costs on Russia” if it does not seek to end the Ukraine war, his strongest criticism yet of Moscow and a signal of the administration’s increasing support for Kyiv.
Hegseth’s comments, which came during a meeting focused on Ukraine at NATO headquarters, reflect the White House’s deepening frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of a Friday meeting between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“If there is no path to peace in the short term then the United States, along with our allies, will take steps necessary to impose costs on Russia for its continued aggression,” Hegseth said, without naming specifics.
His comments are an about-face from his first appearance at NATO headquarters in February, when he told allies the U.S. had other more pressing interests in the world and would likely turn away from Europe. The move unsettled some European nations, who feared the new administration would pull troops from the continent and back away from the NATO alliance.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has also been increasing rhetorical pressure. He met with Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko.
Secretary Bessent also reiterated the United States’ commitment to working with G7 partners to significantly escalate pressure on Russia. He stressed the need for European allies to ratchet up their pressure campaign not only against Russia, but also against any country that finances the Russian war machine through purchases of Russian oil.
He followed that up with media appearances in which he raised the specter of consequences for India and China.
Bessent: The real culprits have been China and India in terms of buying Russian oil. They are keeping the Russian war machine going.
— Tymofiy Mylovanov (@Mylovanov) October 10, 2025
If we were to do the same thing on China [as with India], I think the war would end quickly. We need our NATO or European allies to join us. 2X pic.twitter.com/0rHt20X9CF
Bessent threatens 500% TARIFFS on China for buying Russian oil
— Avinash K S🇮🇳 (@AvinashKS14) October 15, 2025
Think Beijing will be fazed? pic.twitter.com/ACx3oUTaRr
Clearly, Putin feels that Trump could be on the cusp of doing the right thing, like selling more weapons to Ukraine, particularly ones that can influence the course of the war, and hammering the major customers for Russia's oil. Does this mean he's willing to deal?
A few of you may be old enough to remember the epic boxing matches of Muhammad Ali. He became famous for his use of the "rope-a-dope." This tactic required the fighter to retreat to a neutral corner, avoiding serious hits while letting his opponent wear himself out. The fighter using the tactic didn't absorb the full power of the punches; rather, he fell back on the ropes to absorb the shock. One of the best examples of how it could work is in this video of an exhibition match with an overmatched fighter named Michael Dokes.
This is not a serious offer. The only way Russia will come to the table is if the pain of the war hits the Kremlin elites because the men dying in Ukraine are either from Russia's Far East or the powerless classes. In a word, they are expendable.
I submit that Putin is simply pulling another round of rope-a-dope on President Trump. He knows Trump has his ego invested in ending the war, but Putin has his very life invested in bringing home a win. You'll note that Putin has never wavered one iota from his insistence that the Ukrainian military be disarmed, the Zelensky government removed, that Russia be given a voice in Ukraine's foreign and domestic policy, that Ukrainian nationalism be suppressed, that five Ukrainian provinces, which are still contested, be handed over to Russia, and that the international coimmunity recognize the annexation of those five provinces. By giving Trump a meeting and seeming to be amenable to peace, Putin is lazing back on the ropes, dodging and weaving, and waiting for Trump to run out of interest or time.
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