From: Doug Landro (missionary serving in Ukraine). Russian President Vladimir Putin has emerged decisively victorious in his first diplomatic confrontation with President-elect Donald Trump, skillfully maneuvering Trump into a position where he must either publicly admit to lying or face embarrassment over an alleged November 7 phone call. The situation stems from Trump supposedly warning Putin against escalating the Ukraine war and reminding him of America’s strong military presence in Europe, only to have Putin thumb his nose in response and launch a major escalation of the war within days. The Kremlin has given Trump a way out of the situation by claiming the phone call never happened, but that would mean that Trump’s camp lied about the phone call.
Putin’s dominant position has already influenced Trump’s camp to shift toward accommodation, with Trump’s senior advisor Bryan Lanza telling the BBC that the administration would prioritize peace over helping Ukraine recover Russian-occupied territories, boldly declaring “Crimea is gone.” This aligns with Trump’s undetailed promise to end the war “in 24 hours” through direct talks with Putin, a stance that has earned optimism from Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov despite initial skepticism about potential policy changes, marking a clear departure from the current administration’s position.
Trump now faces a constitutional crisis of his own making, as forcing Ukraine to accept territorial losses would violate the US Constitution. The Constitution requires honoring all treaties, including the 1994 Budapest Memorandum guaranteeing Ukraine’s territory in exchange for nuclear disarmament. This leaves Trump with limited options: either acquiesce to Putin’s demands and violate the Constitution, or abandon his campaign promises regarding peace in Ukraine.
The international community stands in opposition to this emerging Trump-Putin dynamic, with British Prime Minister Starmer and French President Macron not taking the cowardly and dishonorable approach advocated by Trump, but jointly pledging continued support for Ukraine, while Poland’s Prime Minister Tusk plans meetings with Starmer and NATO Secretary-General Rutte to maintain Ukraine’s support. France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot has cautioned against premature judgment of Trump’s Ukraine policy at the Paris Peace Forum, emphasizing Ukraine’s need for a stronger negotiating position. Meanwhile, Putin maintains his demand for Ukrainian troop withdrawal from eastern and southern territories before negotiations, despite President Zelensky’s warnings against such concessions.
Voice of Ukraine 