Donald Trump Wants Ukraine to Surrender to Putin

National Security Journal ^ | 10/20/2025 | Reuben F. Johnson

[whyilovetexas111]

I respect the many views on this topic. So here is one I think many would appreciate. I know this war won't be easy to solve...

[Opinionated Blowhard]

This article sounds gossipy and sourced by someone with an agenda. I get it that, on principle, Ukraine should not have to give up territory. But the idea that Ukraine is going to fight its way back to its pre-war borders is a fantasy. Trump is making the best of a bad situation. Each of these stories is unintentionally proving Trump to be the most realistic, sane person in the room in these negotiations despite the sources trying to portray Trump as an unstable Putin lackey.

[Worldtraveler once upon a time]

--- "I respect the many views on this topic."

Blog flogging. J. Beth Gorton would approve.

[kiryandil]

Yeah, it’s the National Spewcurity Urinal.

[pierrem15]

There's a lot of bloviating in the press about Trump's conversation with Putin and his meeting with Zelensky.

Here's all I think we really know at the current time:

a) Trump is holding back on the Tomahawks for the moment;

c) Putin suggested some kind of swap involving Ukraine giving up the unoccupied parts of Donetsk.

The rest is speculation. If Putin were really trying to force Ukraine's capitulation, there's no reason for Trump to meet Putin. So something else is going on.

[WeaslesRippedMyFlesh]

Draw the line. Cleave. That’s it. I said this 2 months ago. Rare earth minerals are at the bottom of this.

[Carry_Okie]

I get it that, on principle, Ukraine should not have to give up territory. But the idea that Ukraine is going to fight its way back to its pre-war borders is a fantasy.

My take is that Ukraine's treatment of rebellious Russians in the Donbass was pretty nasty and in character with the historic antipathy the hold toward Russians in general. They don't want to cede it, but don't deserve to own it either. Hence is Trump's position.

That take is NOT meant to sound authoritative; it is just my best guess at this point.

[Williams]

Publicly Trump has called for both sides to stop where they are.

I only have a concern that Trump wants to end the war so much he doesn’t really care about the details.

I don’t want Ukraine to give up the fortress cities which Russia has failed to take, and I know in the future Putin will use them to attack.

But I will support Trump and his decisions.

It’s also politically untenable to give Russia too much.

Putin wanted to prevent the tomahawks. OK he delayed that. It seems like too much to also be demanding big concessions on top of that.

I doubt Trump behaved in the way reported in this story.

[Dalberg-Acton]

After the CIA/State Department overthrew their elected government in 2014. And no elections anymore.

[CodeToad]

Trump never said that. These are idiot bloggers truing to make drama queen sensational headlines.

[pierrem15]

I did read Putin (or someone) suggested a Donetsk swap for the currently occupied Zaporizhia and Kherson oblasts.

I think that would be a good deal for Ukraine. It would prevent future Russian attempts to seize Odessa. As far as the "fortress lines" ago I would assume any swap would be in phases and Ukraine would get assistance in fortifying a new line.

The latter is a non-trivial issue: maybe the Donetsk swap is Putin's "golden path" out, but what is Ukraine's? It needs some post-conflict security arrangements so that it is not attacked again. The last thing Ukraine needs is a frozen conflict where Russia gets R&R and comes back for round 3.

[delta7]

Full unconditional surrender suits me fine. Carve Ukraine up into its historical borders, Russia, Romania,Poland, Hungary all get their territory back.

The US (the West) did that to Yugoslavia…the only solution for lasting Peace.

[pierrem15]

And no elections anymore.

There were multiple elections after 2014. There have been no elections since the this war started in 2022.

[Bruce Campbells Chin]

Bad headline. Though I disagree with Trump on this (I’d prefer to see Russia bled as much as possible), asking Ukraine to give up Donbas is not urging “surrender”.

[Petrosius]

Trump has denied the report.

[montag813]

The Donbas has always been largely Russian. Russian is the main language of 74.9% of residents in Donetsk Oblast.

The "borders" of Ukraine are a mere construct, like the ones in Africa or the Mideast. Is it worth the blood of hundreds of thousands more Christian men to maintain this fantasy?

[Bratch]

MSM Trying To Derail Peace in Russia-Ukraine War, Reporting Trump Told Zelensky ‘Accept Putin’s Terms or Be Destroyed’ – Moscow Criticizes Kiev and EU Leaks – Trump Denies Reports

[tumblindice]

https://www.rollingstone.com/author/reuben-f-johnson/

He works for Jan Wenner.

[Worldtraveler once upon a time]

--- "...the National Spewcurity Urinal."

One observes that by this time in the thread's length, not a single Freeper who addressed a comment to "whyilovetexas111" has been given the courtesy of a response?

This is a regular MO. Post and, at best, rarely respond, pro or con.

[Williams]

So long as Putin is in power he is coming back for round 3. Don’t forget Trump will not be president forever and as much as Everyone likes to tell me the Democrats are finished, tragically there will probably be an idiotic Democrat sitting in the White House fairly soon who will give Putin everything he wants while pretending to be tough on russia.