Posted on 09/24/2025 7:33:46 AM PDT by delta7
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?
“immediate ceasefire in Ukraine”
The reasons why that isn’t going to happen have been given to Trump by the Russians.
Nope. Just Trump being Trump.
“lift all restrictions on humanitarian aid entry to affected regions”
The Ukrainians can obviously supply their troops in Donetsk oblast, so stuff can obviously get through to all of Ukraine held by Kiev.
Potatoes can be grown and were most likely grown in all the oblasts partially and completely held by Kiev.
President Trump is attempting to threaten or inflict economic hardship on Russia in an effort to end the war. He is also authorizing sales of weapons that will go to Ukraine in an effort to convince Russia to end the war.
The war has not yet ended and Russia has not yet been convinced to make a reasonable peace agreement.
If Russia is as strong as you believe, all the more reason not to let it Rampage through Europe seizing countries.
Trump tried the carrot and now he is utilizing the stick. He previously did this more strenuously with Ukraine.
I don’t know if the efforts will be successful, and don’t predict the outcome of something as unpredictable as a war.
My Hope Is that the economic sanctions will take more effect, meaning that your up and other regions will actually reduce or stop purchase of Russian oil.
It’s also very possible that in the sale of weapons to ukraine, Trump is going to take the blinders off the horse and permit more significant damage to take place within russia.
Regardless of any advantages that Russia May hold a present, the fact is Russia has been largely stalemated for 3 years so that is not an indication of easy Russian success. Especially when Trump has decided he must now Place pressure on russia.
Like I said yesterday: He is openly mocking European NATO and Ukraine.
And Ukrainian partisans everywhere.
Yes.
Larry C. JohnsonLarry C. Johnson is a former CIA officer and intelligence analyst, and former planner and advisor at the US State Department’s Office of Counter Terrorism. As an independent contractor, he has provided training for the US Military’s Special Operations community for 24 years.
Since its founding in 1998, Larry has been managing partner of BERG (Business Exposure Reduction Group) Associates LLC, which specializes in investigating money laundering and counterfeit products, as well as providing financial analysis and counter terror strategy.
Larry was a frequent guest on all major US networks from the 1990s to the late 2000s, but made the “mistake” of consistently offering candid insights and honest assessments, without deferring to establishment bias. As waging “Forever Wars” became the singular policy objective of 90% of the nation’s elected officials, and of the entire media, those voices offering independent and unbiased analysis were relegated to the wilderness, Larry’s along with them.
Vilified by the establishment right, left and center, Larry must be doing something right. His take on global security, intelligence and geopolitics is regularly sought by businesses, by non-mainstream media, and by an organic and growing online cooperative of non-partisan dissident journalism and commentary.
In 2024, Larry addressed the United Nations Security Council, and attended the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF). He appears regularly on various news sites, video blogs and independent online channels, including Sputnik, RT, Judging Freedom, Redacted and The Duran, among many others.
It’s pitiful the way people of limited wit trash Trump. Thank goodness they are irrelevant.
“Which economy would you rather have?”
The US economy is still superior to that of the RF. We have government problems in the USA.
“so stuff can obviously get through to all of Ukraine held by Kiev.”
Except for that pesky artillery fire.
L
No, he is just listening to Zelensky in many discussions saying he can get this done and has absolutely no reason to negotiate with Russia.
So I say let Zelensky do what he wants to do. He's an adult.
In other news, on this planet we anre about the only ones left who strongly and without waiver aid and support Israel. I know there will be the blessing from Heaven for doing so. That’s hard to measure.
This the same Larry Johnson who writes for the Huffpost? And is former CIA?
And yet the "largely stalemated" Russian "paper tiger" is being advertised as near to invading Germany, Poland, France, the Baltics and Great Britain. It's a fascinating display of doublethink. The "invader" stalemated, and the "paper tiger" ready to march into Berlin.
"To know and not to know, to be conscious of complete truthfulness while telling carefully constructed lies, to hold simultaneously two opinions which cancelled out, knowing them to be contradictory and believing in both of them, to use logic against logic, to repudiate morality while laying claim to it, to believe that democracy was impossible and that the Party was the guardian of democracy, to forget whatever it was necessary to forget, then to draw it back into memory again at the moment when it was needed, and then promptly to forget it again, and above all, to apply the same process to the process itself—that was the ultimate subtlety: consciously to induce unconsciousness, and then, once again, to become unconscious of the act of hypnosis you had just performed. Even to understand the word—doublethink—involved the use of doublethink.""You know the thing...."
America First In All Things.
Trump will not be able to sell the sort of money totals of weapons to the EU he would like to sell if the EU were told Ukraine was losing. That would poor salesmanship.
At such high debt levels and deficits of 1.8T, Trump would love for the ECP to print up some money and send it to the US. That’s a pretty straightforward numerical configuration. They create money (having whatever effect on currency exchange) and then give it to the US in return for Lockheed products.
Keep in mind that also prominent in the politics is the reality that the EU inflicted $billions in fines on US companies like Google, etc. Trump has to punish that. This can subsidize those fines.
ECB European Central Bank. The EU’s Fed.
You’ll have to make up your mind either Russia is a juggernaut economically and militarily which is trying to place itself in a position to further attack or undermine Western europe,
or Russia is a furry little kitten that nobody has to worry about. It seems like some people pick one or the other whenever they feel like it.
Russia is a threat, Putin is a determined thug, but Russia has also been stalemated for 3 years militarily while causing terrible destruction.
While what Putin is doing is wildly irresponsible, if he is permitted to Prevail then he will consolidate his gains and start to threaten and even destroy any other targets of opportunity.
The realities of the world and dictators and deterrence haven’t changed just because some people don’t want to get involved in Ukraine.
In any event Trump is just trying to end the war and deserves support.
President Trump is always negotiating. Remember this whenever he says something out of the ordinary. He is just working another angle to get what he wants.
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