Putin says Trump must go harder on Europe and Ukraine; must move faster; he promised 24 hours; won’t meet with Trump until Trump is ready for serious results; the cause of the war is NATO
Putin: I’m surprised by Trump’s restraint toward allies who behaved rudely 0/
Putin: The U.S. is working with European allies on Ukraine to reach solutions acceptable to both sides. It’s not an easy task.
When Trump was a candidate, he spoke about resolving the Ukraine crisis quickly. But after becoming president and receiving more information, his position changed. 1/
Putin: I haven’t seen Donald in a long time. We don’t have a close relationship, but during his presidency, we met and discussed U.S.-Russia relations. I’d gladly meet him again today.
I think he would too - it was clear from our phone call. But just meeting for coffee isn’t enough. Our teams need to prepare serious issues that matter to both Russia and the U.S. 2/
Putin: There are many issues where both the U.S. and Russia are involved.
Of course, Ukraine remains our top priority. 3/
Putin: It’s natural - Trump started receiving real information, and it changed his approach. That takes time. I want to meet, but the meeting must be prepared to bring real results. 4/
Putin: Trump was accused of ties to Russia, dragged through courts - nothing was proven because nothing happened.
Meanwhile, European leaders openly interfered in the U.S. election, even insulting a candidate. We had our sympathies but didn’t interfere. 5/
Putin: We don’t speculate on Euro-Atlantic relations, but Europe, as U.S. allies, is to blame for what’s happening.
They dragged him through courts, accused him of ties to Russia, while every European leader directly interfered in the U.S. election. 6X
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Hillary Clinton: If Trump thinks he can dominate the Western Hemisphere and give Europe to Putin, he’s mistaken — and Europeans must prove it.
If you want a just, lasting peace in Ukraine, you have to better equip them. That’s the only thing Putin understands. 1/
Clinton: One of the biggest threats we face is Trump and Putin forcing an insecure, unjust end to the war in Ukraine that favors Putin.
There is reporting about corruption among their allies and oligarchs trying to profit from the misery and death of the Ukrainian people. 2/
Clinton: The rift between Europe and the US is deep. For a year, Trump and his administration have baited and insulted European leaders, countries and civilization.
After disbelief that a close ally would act this way, Europeans are pulling together and facing the reality. 3/
Ukraine’s former army chief Zaluzhnyi: Tensions with Zelenskyy began soon after the 2022 invasion over how to defend Ukraine.
It peaked when SBU agents raided my office. I called Yermak and warned: I will fight you. The 2023 counteroffensive dispute was especially bitter, AP. 1/
Zaluzhnyi: Dozens of SBU officers entered my Kyiv headquarters in 2022. I stopped them from searching documents and computers. I viewed the raid as intimidation.
2/
Zaluzhnyi: My 2023 plan concentrated forces into a single fist toward Zaporizhzhia and the Sea of Azov to cut Russia’s land corridor to Crimea. Political decisions dispersed the troops and diluted the strike.
3/
Stubb: Is it in U.S. interests that Finland, with its 1,340 km Russia border, has a strong army?
That Sweden and Norway defend the Arctic? That Russia creates no spheres of influence in Europe? Yes. Right now, interests matter more than values.
1/
Stubb: Europe and America’s interests sometimes align, sometimes don’t — values are complicated.
One strand is MAGA, which sees Europe as too liberal, “killing itself with immigration,” and attacks places like London as multicultural melting pots.
2/
Stubb: The other strand is policy — America First. There’s a pecking order: 1) Western Hemisphere, 2) Pacific, 3) Europe, 4) Middle East, 5) Africa. That’s the reality we live in now.
Kasparov: Any real compromise removes the causes of conflict. Ukraine-Russia “peace talks” are cowardly and corrupt, openly corrupt on Trump’s side.
Europe isn’t ready to admit this isn’t just a standoff, but a real war. Even after four years, it’s still living in illusions. 1/
Kasparov: The cause of this war is Putin’s desire to destroy Ukrainian statehood, restore imperial influence in Eastern Europe, and revise the Cold War’s outcome.
A “compromise” just lets him regroup — his war is against the liberal democratic West.
2/
Kasparov: Witkoff is basically a mid-level real estate speculator now trying to “sell property the size of New Jersey.”
Europe makes a brave face but avoids saying the simple words: Ukraine must win. Instead, it keeps searching for a middle ground to avoid decisive action.
Ukraine recaptured 78 sq miles of land in 5 days — its fastest pace since summer 2023.
That equals Russia’s total gains for the entire December, due to Russian battlefield communications collapsed, The Telegraph. 1/
After Starlink access was restricted to verified Ukrainian terminals, up to 90% of Russian units reportedly lost connectivity — crippling drone coordination and command links. 2/
ISW: Ukrainian counterattacks likely leveraged the Starlink block.
Russian milbloggers report C2 disruption. Drones were grounded. Armored vehicles advanced through the grey zone — normally a kill zone. 3/