This Friday, Trump and Putin will talk in Alaska about the future of Ukraine. Why has Putin asked for this meeting?
The two have spoken repeatedly on the phone …. but, something changed. As I indicated in my previous post (here), Trump has turned from his preferred plan to end the war, to one of confrontation and coercion of Putin (what I have called “Plan B”), aiming to force him into halting his war of aggression and seriously discuss peace proposals.
It was an honor to speak with Natalia Lutsenko of Channel 24 TV in Kyiv, and the Ukrainian national audience on these heavy issues of war and peace. The video interview – about 34 minutes long – goes into some detail of my analysis of the balance of forces.
Most especially, I stress here (as before) that the USA clearly has the cards, as Trump would say, to crush Russia’s oil exports. Oil revenues are by far the largest contribution to the Russian federal budget, and by extension to continuing to finance Putin’s war of aggression again Ukraine.
I am happy to answer questions, corrections or other interpretation and especially to discuss alternative analyses. Don’t hesitate to write to me at tomod..com@gmail.com
Best, Tom O’D
The Global Barrel 