Putin - "not a bad guy"

 

In an interview on the weekend with Tucker Carlson (the "journalist" who provided a platform for Putin's ahistorical rant on the eve of the 2022 invasion of Ukraine), Trump's de facto envoy to Russia, Steve Witkoff, shared that he doesn't regard Putin as a "bad guy" and that he is "super smart."

Witkoff has scored some notable successes through pandering to the ego of the dictator in The Kremlin - such as negotiating a prisoner exchange with The Kremlin last week. Arguably forgiveable then.

What was more concerning was his direct alignment with virtually all of the Kremlin's demands in negotiations, including over the regions of Kherson and Zaporizhia, which, unlike Crimea, are home to an overwhelming pro-Kyiv population and which are only partially occupied by Russian forces. Witkoff suggested that "the majority of people in these regions voted to be under Russian rule." 

The "referendum" in which the occupied portions of those regions apparently voted to join Russia was conducted in the traditional Putinist style - armed soldiers in polling stations and violence against those who might vote the wrong way. Not to mention that most voters in those regions did not vote at all since they either remained in areas held by the Ukrainian armed forces or had fled to them.

Not only do Witkoff's comments show a complete lack of balance (we are yet to hear a peep from the Trump administration on what concessions Russia should make), they come as Putin has targeted civilian infrastructure no fewer than three times since his pledge to halt attacks on such targets. Yet team Trump remains convinced that good guy Vlad is negotiating in good faith.

We would do well to remember: though Ukraine might be supported by the demagogues in Brussels and our own authoritarian-socialist Prime Minister in Keir Starmer - that is no reason for Trump to hand their liberty on a plate to the rabid dog in the Kremlin.

Alex Zychowski