Will Trump really support Ukraine at meeting with Putin?

I found a lecture by Professor John J Mearsheimer on YouTube on “The causes and consequences of the Ukraine War”.
In a nutshell, Russia has always wanted Ukraine as a bulwark against the expansions of the West. Russia has a complete red line- Ukraine must not join NATO nor the EU. Russia has only 190,000 soldiers in Ukraine and this is not sufficient to conquer and invade Ukraine. Russia is not after the whole of Ukraine but a specific section in the Donbass region.
Etc
foxie48.

If Putin is not stopped and Trump succeeds in “giving” him some of Ukraine, and possibly a Ukrainian President who favours Putin, then he will be laying down the preparations for WW3

I thought Putin had made it so there are no elections in Russia and that he would be the leader until his death? Perhaps I imagined it but I thought he took away their democracy some time ago. Once a KGB man, always a KGB man. I don’t think Europe has the power to stop him, sadly. Trump is,right at the moment, the only chance but he will likely sell Ukraine down the river. Hope, really hope,I am wrong and peace can be found.

I don’t think that the signals are looking good from Trump over Ukraine.

Once again he has been persuaded by someone he perceives as “strong”

Russians had no concerns apart from their fall in living standards etc which almost certainly meant that the psychotic murderer and bully Putin would have been voted out - unless of course he managed to kill more of his opponents.

So he took the opportunity to start a war - to keep peoples’ minds focused and away from their rubbish economy.

Ronib when you say "listen to the concerns of Russia" what or who are you actually talking about? The Russia which interferes in the elections of other countries and funds hackers to cause mischief and mayhem in the infrastructure of other countries, cuts undersea cables, poisons people with nerve gas putting non Russian citizens at risk, locks up opponents in gulags until they die, throws opponents out of windows, contols the media and siphons off money from it's citizens as if it's own private thiefdom. Oh and invades it's neighbours, kills it's women and steals it's children etc etc Listen to the concerns of that Russia?

The biggest thing Europe can do is encourage a new Eastern Bloc as Russia and China form a new alliance. Alternatively Europe could start listening to the concerns Russia has been voicing for some time now. Fat chance.

I hope Europe will do something big.
I fear it won't.

My point exactly Whitewavemark.
How awful.

Now that the "Summit" turned into a damp squib (instead of showcasing Trump as a saviour) he's changed his mind and decided Ukraine should hand over large chunks of territory to Russia.

Obviously, Trump has displeased his Puppet Master, Putin, and must appease him. Or else.

Even if it means throwing Ukraine under a bus and significantly risking WW3.

I would add that the West has some pretty screwed up ideas about Russia

I'm wondering what exactly those screwed up ideas are?

I would add that the West has some pretty screwed up ideas about Russia who in turn exhibit some psychotic attitudes towards the West.
Thanks for reminding me Elegranthat we can simply ignore and disregard all the blood shed over the centuries because… it happened centuries ago. That’s okay then.
The present time doesn’t seem to have moved on much since the Battle of Bannockburn. Look at Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine and Northern Nigeria for example. Real examples of enlightenment…. Not.

Elegran No I am not saying that.

ronib

Lathyrus3 there’s a lot of blood shed between England and Scotland over the centuries.

Are you really saying that because, centuries back in the wild and woolly past, other regimes have used force to get power over other countries whose people did not want them taking over, a regime or a leader in the enlightened twenty-first century with expansionist ambitions can bomb the shit out of a country whose land and resources they covet with impunity, and then share out the spoils with a fellow-conniver in the name of "ceasefire" and "peace", while the rest of the world looks on and says "Well, it is no different to what happened to XXXX" ?

Whitewavemark2

It is worrying that on Monday, Trump will lay impossible demands on Zelenskii - which he will not be able to agree to..

Trump will then blame Zelenskii, and then walk away.

I hope he will walk away. While Trump has been in Alaska Zelensky was courting European leaders, they no doubt agreed a plan of their own so let’s hear that.

If Putin can say “get lost” to Trump I’m not expecting a better response to Europe.

Oh! I should have read your post notspaghetti 🙄

It is worrying that on Monday, Trump will lay impossible demands on Zelenskii - which he will not be able to agree to..

Trump will then blame Zelenskii, and then walk away.

NotSpaghetti

I think he will make it look like Zelenskyy is rejecting something he has worked on.

I hope I'm wrong but fear he and Putin will go on blaming Ukraine.

He will have completely shot his credibility if he does that, and not just with Europe. I’m not sure his ego can cope with being seen to fail his ‘allies’, he’s already being portrayed as weak in the US press. His back is definitely against the wall.

Smileless2012

Trump's the one person who could do something by imposing the tariffs he's threatened too; the only problem is he's merely sabre rattling and has no intentions of doing so and Putin knows that, as do many of us.

Actually no, Trump has a plan to impose tariff on goods into the US from nations buying Russian oil. Do we or any other countries also have a similar plan to back up the US.

We don’t know yet if the US plan will go into action, probably a lot will depend on what Europe does next

I think he will make it look like Zelenskyy is rejecting something he has worked on.

I hope I'm wrong but fear he and Putin will go on blaming Ukraine.

Trump is not going to withdraw from the negotiations though, his credibility rests on him being the one who brokers a deal. I don’t think he has any intention of leaving it up to Europe, that would undermine his perception of the USA as the leading world power. Until there is no place left to go with USA/Russia negotiations, all the European leaders can do is at least outwardly, support him, and lobby.

Trump's the one person who could do something by imposing the tariffs he's threatened too; the only problem is he's merely sabre rattling and has no intentions of doing so and Putin knows that, as do many of us.

He didn't have to condemn Trump or say nothing, he also didn't have to say that Trump's efforts have brought an end to the war even closer, because they haven't Casdon.

I don't agree that He and other European leaders are between a rock and a hard place, the only one in that unenviable position is Zelensky.

As David has said peace negotiations or not are now up to Europe. Trump has achieved nothing and I'm sure he will criticise Europe's efforts but isn't really in a position to do so having achieved nothing himself.

Starmer wont condemn Trump, the peace negotiations (or escalation) is now up to Europe, that is a very different proposition to sniping at others efforts.
It’s now up to Trump to criticize our efforts

Smileless2012

{hmm} well KS maybe pretty well respected in the world stage MayBe but his statement following yesterday's embarrassing display by Trump with Putin elicits no respect from me.

IMO Trump not only made a complete fool of himself and his country but also of any leaders who are trying to sell yesterday's debacle as any kind of success, including KS.

I’d like to know what you think the other options were for Starmer - condemn Trump, say nothing? He, and the other European leaders are between a rock and a hard place on this at the moment.