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What More Can Putin Offer Trump?
Trump seems to hold all the cards
In case you thought Trump’s current negotiations with Putin are about Ukraine, they’re not. To Trump, Ukraine is only a bargaining chip. Trump wants to make a deal with Putin from which Trump comes out the winner.
Having helped Trump win the U.S. Presidency twice, but now being bogged down with his war in Ukraine, Putin has little to offer Trump in exchange for several big things that Trump can offer Putin: Ukraine, removal of sanctions against Russia, and U.S. withdrawal from NATO.
So what can Trump be asking from Putin in their private conversations that he thinks could equal or exceed what he can offer Putin? Help in acquiring Canada and Greenland? Help in forced removal of Palestinians to somewhere else (Siberia?)? KGB assassins to kill Trump’s political enemies?
Maybe all of the above.
Added on March 1, 2025: After Trump and Vance ganged up on Ukrainian President Zelensky in the Oval Office yesterday, it’s even more clear to me what Trump’s “game” is (and he actually called it a card game!). Trump wants Zelensky to sign over Ukraine’s rare earth mineral rights to him so that Putin will have something to offer Trump when Trump makes a deal with Putin to withdraw U.S. support for Ukraine: “My friend Vladimir, you can take Ukraine as long as you agree that we can keep the rare earth mineral rights.”
