by Scott Ritter [9-23-2025] Scott Ritter(bio).

(RAD: I'm not sure what to make of Trump's recent statements. On the surface it looks like he now thinks Ukraine can win against Russia, which is impossible if you really understand what is happening. His statements about the Russian economy are totally false. His statements about the number of people killed & injured on the Ukrainian & Russian sides are definitely wrong by a wide margin. Ukraine is making no effort to reach an agreement with Russia to settle this conflict. In addition to Scott's following article, I've included 3 additional articles that have somewhat different perspectives than Scott. What is clear is that we will need to wait days or weeks to see how all of this plays out. In the meantime, Ukraine will continue to lose massive military troops, equipment, and other resources essential to their losing war effort. The Ukrainian military is short of supplies & men and are losing along the entire line of contact. — RAD)

President Trump announced that he supports Ukraine’s goals of returning to their 1991 borders with Russia. He believes he is helping Ukraine. All he has done is insure the destruction of a nation.

With one stunning social media post, President Donald Trump ended all pretense at being a broker of peace between Russia and Ukraine. During his campaign in the 2024 Presidential election, Trump repeatedly emphasized that his goal was to bring the conflict to an end “within 24 hours” of being sworn in. While this timeframe proved elusive, Trump remained committed to achieving a lasting peace, even if he was unable to articulate a strategy on how exactly this would be accomplished.

Trump has, from the very onset of his presidency, been ill advised by a coterie of foreign and national security officials who, with very few exceptions, are dyed in the wool Russophobes. From his Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, to his National Security Advisor (initially Mike Waltz and, after his firing in May,)Marco Rubio, wearing two hats ala Henry Kissinger), to his Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, to his CIA Director, John Ratcliffe, and on to his Secretary of the Treasury, Scott Bessant, Trump has surrounded himself with people who have spent their adult lives loathing Russia and its leadership.

To the extent that Trump has access to advisors who might advocate good relations with Russia, he either dismisses their advice (as is the case with Tulsi Gabbard, his Director of National Intelligence), or nullifies their advice by having a Russophobic counter (as is the case with his Russia Special Envoy, Steve Witkoff, whose insights are offset by the anti-Russian positions held by Keith Kellogg.)

Trump’s base instincts, which incline towards not only ending the conflict in Ukraine but also normalizing relations with Russia, are subjected to considerable pushback from his inner circle, with little or no pushback coming from any other source. Making matters worse is the fact that America’s European allies are almost unanimously supportive of policies designed to keep Ukraine in a fight designed to strategically defeat Russia. As a result, what passes for Russia policy in the Trump administration suffers from severe vaccination as Trump is subjected to pressure from all sides to turn his back on Russia and its leader, President Vladimir Putin.

In August, it looked like the President’s instincts had won out, with Trump meeting with Putin in Alaska. This meeting resulted in Trump largely embracing Russia’s positions of conflict termination which would require Ukraine to agree to territorial concessions as well as limitations on its military size and political sovereignty.

Barely a month later, President Trump appears to have done a complete 180 degree turn regarding the issue of territorial concessions. “After getting to know and fully understand the Ukraine/Russia Military and Economic situation,” Trump posted on his Truth Social account, “and, after seeing the Economic trouble it is causing Russia, I think Ukraine, with the support of the European Union, is in a position to fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form. With time, patience, and the financial support of Europe and, in particular, NATO, the original Borders from where this War started, is very much an option.”

Trump then changed direction regarding his prognosis of how the conflict was progressing. Back in May, Trump acknowledged that Russian President Putin was not looking for an off-ramp from the conflict in Ukraine because Russia believed it was winning the war. This perception was held through the Alaska Summit. But Ukrainian claims of a successful counterattack north of Pokrovsk, and continued Ukrainian drone strikes against Russian energy targets, helped sway Trump into changing his analysis. “Russia,” Trump noted, “has been fighting aimlessly for three and a half years a War that should have taken a Real Military Power less than a week to win. This is not distinguishing Russia. In fact, it is very much making them look like ‘a paper tiger.’”

Trump then went on to further characterize his perception of a weakened Russia now vulnerable to an emboldened Ukraine. “When the people living in Moscow, and all of the Great Cities, Towns, and Districts all throughout Russia, find out what is really going on with this War,” Trump wrote, “the fact that it’s almost impossible for them to get Gasoline through the long lines that are being formed, and all of the other things that are taking place in their War Economy, where most of their money is being spent on fighting Ukraine, which has Great Spirit, and only getting better, Ukraine would be able to take back their Country in its original form and, who knows, maybe even go further than that!”

Ignore for the moment that Trump literally greenlighted actions which, if implemented, would most certainly result in a nuclear war. The fact is someone has convinced Trump that Russia is vulnerable militarily and economically. “Putin and Russia are in BIG Economic trouble,” Trump declared, “and this is the time for Ukraine to act.”

Trump closed by “wishing both countries well” and stating that the US “will continue to supply weapons to NATO for NATO to do what they want with them.”

This post by Trump puts to rest any notion that he remains committed to solving the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. No one should have been surprised by this move—Trump has been stating that he would walk away from the conflict if he were unable to get both parties interested in concluding a peace deal. Neither were, and this is the result.

On the surface Trump’s posting comes off as anti-Russian and pro-Ukrainian. But the public posturing hides the simple truth that Trump is largely abandoning Ukraine to its inevitable destiny with fate. While Trump has embraced Zelensky’s narrative regarding Ukraine’s battlefield prowess and Russia’s economic weakness, he has taken no meaningful action to further either to Ukraine’s advantage.

Trump will not be altering his administration’s policies regarding arms sales to Ukraine, continuing instead to follow a formula which has Europe purchasing weapons from the United States and then transferring them to Ukraine. There is no change in the prioritization of manufacture, which is skewed in favor of replenishing depleted US stockpiles. The result is that the weapons Ukraine claims it so desperately needs will not begin flowing into Ukraine in any meaningful quantities until 2027.

Trump likewise has linked any decisive US move regarding the sanctioning of Russia to similar moves on the part of Europe, including the cessation of all purchases of Russian oil and gas and the imposition of sanctions on India and China as punishment for their continued purchasing of Russian energy. The problem is Europe is unable to meet these prerequisites, meaning that the US policy when it comes to the sanctioning of Russia will remain largely unchanged.

The reality is that Trump’s highly charged rhetoric aside, there is no fundamental change in the US approach toward Russia and the Ukraine conflict. And just because Trump claims Ukrainian military superiority over Russia, and Russian economic weakness, does not make either so.

Russia continues to maintain a strategic advantage over Ukraine across every metric used to measure success in conflict—militarily, economically, and politically.

Worse, Trump’s words make achieving a negotiated settlement all but impossible. As a result, Europe will continue to provide financial and military support to Ukraine, prolonging a conflict which has been lost for some time now.

But this prolongation will be to the detriment of Ukraine. Russia has mastered the algorithm of attritional warfare, and Ukraine will continue to lose manpower and equipment at a rate that far exceeds its ability to replace either. Russia will likewise continue to destroy critical industrial and energy infrastructure, making Ukraine even more dependent upon European largesse for its continued survival. The combination of military and economic stresses will in turn place strain on the continued political viability of the Zelensky government. Eventually the combined stress of these three collapsing pillars will lead to the disintegration of Ukraine as a governable territory.

In short, Ukraine will no longer exist as a sovereign country.

The price of this defeat will be unbearable for Ukraine. One can easily anticipate death tolls among Ukrainian soldiers that double the 1.7 million dead and missing Ukrainian soldiers who have fallen to date. Ukraine will lose additional territories as well, including Odessa, Mikolayev, Kharkov, and perhaps Dnepropetrovsk and Sumy as well. One can anticipate, too, the further loss of territories as Poland, Hungary, and Romania carve up what remains, leaving only a small rump state centered on Kiev that would be known as Ukraine. The concept of independence and sovereignty has likewise been mooted—whatever remains of Ukraine will forever be under the control of Russia. Dreams of European Union membership will be replaced by Ukraine’s status as the junior partner of an expanded Union State.

This is what Donald Trump has accomplished through his social media posting and subsequent media appearances. He thinks he is posturing as a strong man. But the reality is far different: Donald Trump, by lifting the hopes of Ukraine while simultaneously dashing them, has exposed himself as being intellectually limited and morally diminished. Only too late will Ukraine and its European allies realize they have been duped. By then, the duplicity of Donald Trump will be evident to all—except of course the millions of Ukrainians who will perish as a result.

Trump changes rhetoric on Ukraine conflict

by RT [9-23-2025].

Kiev can still prevail against Moscow, the US president has claimed.

US President Donald Trump has claimed that Kiev can still prevail in the conflict with Russia three years into the fighting, even as Ukrainian forces have been steadily losing ground in recent months. The statement marks a stark shift in rhetoric from the US president.

Since taking office, Trump has made repeated attempts to mediate the Ukraine conflict, initiating numerous rounds of talks with Russian officials, which culminated in a summit with Putin in Alaska in mid-August. He recently expressed frustration over the lack of progress in settling the conflict, but still referred to Russia as a powerful nation while arguing that Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky had no “cards.”

However, in a Truth Social post on Tuesday, following a meeting with Zelensky, Trump said he believes Kiev is “in a position to fight and win all of Ukraine back,” if the EU and NATO continue to support it. He also referred to Russia as a “paper tiger,” arguing that it had failed to defeat Ukraine in three and a half years.

The US president also claimed that Russia is “in big economic trouble” over the conflict, and it is “time for Ukraine to act.” He did not announce new financial or military aid packages for Kiev, however, stating instead that the US will continue to “supply weapons to NATO” for the bloc to use them as it sees fit.

The Russian economy has recently showed signs of slowing down compared to growth of 4.1% in 2023 and 4.3% in 2024. It is still expected to grow 2.5% this year, despite sweeping Western sanctions.

President Vladimir Putin said last week that the country “is still far from a recession,” citing the “historically low unemployment rates.”

The governor of Russia’s central bank, Elvira Nabiullina, also recently dismissed the rumors about recession. “The economy is slowing, but there is no recession,” she said at the Moscow Financial Forum last week.

The nation’s military have also been steadily advancing on the front lines for months. Russian forces had taken control of 3,500 square kilometers and 149 settlements since March, Chief of the General Staff General Valery Gerasimov reported in late August.

Related

Pepe Escobar – Mythic Trump: the Incendiary Narcissus [8-27-2025]

Larry Johnson – Donald Trump Still Does Not Understand the Russian Position Regarding Ukraine [8-28-2025]

Russia is learning. The West is running in circles [8-25-2025]

Alastair Crooke, Nima Alkhorshid – Hands Down the Ukraine War was LOST! Insights from Alaska for Trump, Putin, Europe, Ukraine [8-24-2025]

This is how a front line fails: Russia’s summer offensive is breaking the war wide open [8-26-2025]

Larry Johnson - Donald Trump: Crazy Like a Fox or Just Plain Crazy?

by Larry Johnson [9-23-2025] Larry C. Johnson(bio).

If you read the latest Trump Truth (that is what he calls his posts on Truth Social) that is posted above, you will come to the reasonable conclusion that Trump has either changed his position on the war in Ukraine and accepted the delusional beliefs of General Kellogg or he is engaged in some massive sarcasm.

Well, based on what happened subsequently at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), it looks like Trump was doing sarcasm. Following Trump’s meeting with Zelensky, France, Germany, the UK, and Ukraine proposed a resolution to the UNSC that called for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine, the release of all hostages, and for Russia to immediately and unconditionally lift all restrictions on humanitarian aid entry to affected regions. The resolution also reaffirmed Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and urged Russia to engage in meaningful negotiations to end the war. The initiative was framed as a direct response to escalating Russian attacks, civilian casualties, and violations of international law, and was presented during a high-level Security Council meeting amid broad European and international support.

The United States UN representative, acting on orders of President Trump, participated actively in related diplomatic discussions, but ultimately vetoed the resolution. The US government justified its veto by emphasizing its preference for ongoing direct negotiations and mediation efforts, and expressing concerns that the resolution’s language or requirements might impede the fragile diplomatic momentum currently underway between Ukraine and Russia and international mediators. While commending European partners for their support of Ukraine and urging continued pressure on Russia, the US insisted that further Council action should not restrict the possibility of peace talks or escalate tensions further. The US remains committed to backing Ukraine and facilitating diplomatic efforts but did not support the resolution in its current form. In other words, I think Trump is buying time for Russia to finish Ukraine off while taking a public posture that allows him to appear to support Ukraine.

It appears that Trump is opting for the crazy like a fox strategy, but he is doing it in a clumsy, crass manner in my opinion. In his Truth post, Trump repeats General Kellogg’s false claims that Russia is struggling on the battlefield and is on the verge of economic collapse. Instead of failing on the battlefield, the Russians are steadily advancing and inflicting heavy casualties on Ukraine all along the line of contact.

On the economic front, Russia’s economic growth rate is estimated to be 1.8% year-on-year, according to the Central Bank of Russia. While this number represents a significant decline in economic growth compared to 2024, it is a direct result of monetary policies imposed by the Central Bank to attack what was double-digit inflation. The policy has worked and inflation in Russia is now trending below 10%. Russia’s economic fundamentals are strong: i.e., low unemployment, a 19% debt-to-GDP ration, and real wages have increased compared to 2024. Real wages in Russia have continued to grow in 2025 but at a slower pace compared to 2024. In 2024, real wages increased strongly—by 8.7% according to official sources, with some estimates as high as 9.1%, marking the fastest growth in 16 years due to labor shortages and rising nominal pay. However, for 2025, estimates show that real wage growth has slowed to approximately 3.3%, with monthly year-on-year growth figures showing increases between 4.2% and 5.1% in the spring and early summer.

Trump’s economic team has failed to understand that their assumption that the diversion of resources into the defense sector will damage economic productivity is wrong. While Trump is predicting an economic catastrophe for Russia, he is ignoring his own problems at home. As of 2025, many economists and analysts warn that the U.S. economy is showing signs of entering stagflation — i.e., a combination of stagnant economic growth, persistent inflation, and rising unemployment. Key indicators supporting this concern include:

• Slowing GDP growth, with figures dropping from about 2.1% in late 2024 to around 0.8% in early 2025 and forecasts near 1.5% for the year.
• Inflation remaining sticky, with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and core inflation measures hovering above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target, around 3.5%-4% in 2025.
• Unemployment creeping up from approximately 3.8% in 2024 to about 4.4% in 2025, and signs of a softer job market with slower payroll growth.
• Added pressures from recent tariffs and trade barriers, which have raised costs for businesses and consumers, further slowing growth while keeping prices elevated.

Russia’s economic outlook is far brighter than that of Trump’s America. Oh yeah, almost forgot… The US debt-to-GDP ratio is 126%. Which economy would you rather have?

BREAKING: Alexander Dugin on Trump’s Sudden Betrayal of Russia

by Alexander Dugin [9-24-2025].

Alexander Dugin: When discussing global politics, one name often resonates with Vladimir Putin. His influence and policies are well known worldwide, but a less familiar figure who significantly impacts Russian thought is Alexander Dugin. Known to some as "Putin's brain" Dugin is a philosopher and public intellectual who shapes Russia's geopolitical strategy. Understanding Dugin is crucial to deciphering the motivations behind many of Russia's domestic and foreign policies.

“Trump announced that he now believes Ukraine can retake all territories from Russia by purely military means, that Russia is a ‘paper tiger,’ and that he intends to sell weapons to NATO’s European members so they can flood Ukraine with them.

This is a wholly different position than the one he held a minute ago. That, however, is Trump through and through. There is no other.

This is nothing like MAGA or Charlie Kirk, who consistently sided with Russia and opposed aid to Kiev. But Kirk was killed. The boldest figures in MAGA are already beginning to suspect that this is not just the act of a lone liberal with a rifle living with a transgender furry.

Trump is faithful to no one and utterly faithful to himself — half MAGA, half neocon, and willing to compromise with the Deep State. That is what he is.

At the same time, a pattern emerges: Trump facilitates the construction of a multipolar world even as he attempts to resist it. Consider how his wild tariffs deftly pushed India closer to China. This dynamic repeats itself across the board.

One might have thought a deal with Trump on Ukraine was possible, but in reality it is not. His positions shift by the minute; he never engages with historical or geopolitical details, and any agreement struck by a businessman is immediately overturned if someone offers better terms. That is business. This is an extremely volatile and ruthlessly brutal arena of aggressive, inhuman deception.

The worst outcome would have been for us to be drawn in. Now there is nowhere left to be drawn.

We have only one path: the sacred patriotic war. It was so and it remains so. Once it begins, it can end only in our victory.”