There is some nervousness that U.S. President Donald Trump may flinch on the U.S. taking the lead in smashing Russia. The inimitable Sen. Lindsey Graham posted on July 15 his snarky threat to Putin: “@POTUS’ announcement about sending American-made weapons—paid for by Europeans—to Ukraine through NATO was welcome news. Equally important was his statement that if the fighting had not ended in 50 days, he would impose up to 100% tariffs on countries buying cheap Russian oil propping up Putin’s war machine—hitting Putin where it hurts the most. If Putin and others are wondering what happens on day 51, I would suggest they call the Ayatollah.” It wasn’t clear whether Graham was referring to hitting Russia’s capital with a 30,000-pound bomb. He concluded with a threat to Russia’s trading partners: “If I were a country buying cheap Russian oil, propping up Putin’s war machine, I would take President Trump at his word.
The super-inimitable John Bolton, dismissed from Trump’s first administration, took to NewsNation’s “On Balance” shortly after the President’s July 20 announcement to explain Trump’s actions:
“He didn’t get what he wanted, which was a quick ceasefire from his friend Vladimir. He tried for six months, it’s not going anywhere. So now he’s justifying taking steps against Putin, but I think it also lays the groundwork for him to say, ‘I’m done with it, it’s Europe’s war, that’s what I said in the beginning, I’m done with it'.”
He continued: Trump was fooled by Putin. “I think he believed Putin was his friend—I think he still believes Putin was his friend…. I think what was really going on today was that he was saying, ‘This is not my war, this is Biden’s war’, and in 50 days, he may put secondary sanctions on Russia or he may not. I think he’s trying to walk away from this.”
In Bolton’s world, what must be done? “Look, a number of American commanders in Europe, former commanders in the European combatant command, have said they think Ukraine could win the war. And I think what the U.S. could do uniquely to help the Ukrainians out is give them a strategy to do that, and then give them the weapons systems that they need…. And I understand it’s three years into this thing, but the fact is Putin thinks he’s on a roll now, he thinks he’s doing well in Ukraine militarily. I don’t understand how he believes that, but that’s what he believes. And a real defeat on the battlefield would have implications not just for what Russia’s done in Ukraine, but for Russia’s threat to all the former parts of the Soviet Union and to China watching America stand up to this aggression.”
One doesn’t have to understand how Bolton believes Ukraine is to win the war over Russia—just that there’s a “permanent warfare” gang trying to manipulate Trump.
