'A complete joke': Analysts blast Trump claim on foreign policy

01 May

FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin hold a bilateral meeting at the G20 leaders summit in Osaka, Japan, June 28, 2019. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo/File Photo

President Donald Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin still wants to take all of Ukraine, but added that he would not succeed due to the Russian president's “respect” for him.

“I think that he.. Let’s say he respects me. And I believe because of me he’s not going to take over the whole [country] - but his decision, his choice, would be to take over all of Ukraine,” Trump told ABC News on Tuesday.

In an article in The Hill published Thursday, national security analysts Jonathan Sweet and Mark Toth strongly challenged Trump's claim that Putin respects him.

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The analysts wrote that Putin has shown he does not respect Trump. "He mocks Trump, as do his propagandists," they added.

The writers noted that the last 100 days under the Trump administration’s negotiations have produced no results "except more death and destruction for Ukraine." "Putin must be pushed to the negotiation table — not enticed," they said.

The national security analysts called on the president to support German chancellor Friedrich Merz, who said Germany is willing to send its Taurus long-range missiles to Ukraine “if it were done in conjunction with allies.”

"Together with those from France and the United Kingdom, German missiles can encourage Putin to stop attacking Ukraine," the article reads.

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On Monday, a three-day ceasefire was announced by Russia for May in the ongoing conflict with Ukraine to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union and its allies' victory in World War II.

The Kremlin stated that the 72-hour ceasefire would take place from May 8 through May 10, with May 9 coinciding with celebrations hosted by Putin that will feature international leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, to mark the victory over Nazi Germany.

But according to Sweet and Toth, Putin’s call for a three-day ceasefire from May 8 to May 10 is "a complete joke."

"It is solely intended to ensure Ukraine does not strike Moscow as Putin and his guests celebrate Russia’s World War II Victory Day Parade — the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany — on May 9," they wrote.

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AlterNet reached out to the State Department for comment.

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