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Trump: Putin ‘tapping me along’ with Russia strikes on Ukraine
The Hill ^ | 4/26/2025 | Alex Gangitano

Posted on 04/26/2025 7:49:25 AM PDT by marcusmaximus

President Trump on Saturday said he thinks Russian President Vladimir Putin may be stringing him along after the latest deadly strikes on Ukraine, as the U.S. seeks to bring an end to the war in Eastern Europe.

“There was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days,” Trump posted Saturday on Truth Social. “It makes me think that maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war, he’s just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through ‘Banking’ or ‘Secondary Sanctions?’ Too many people are dying!!!”

His post came as the president was traveling back to the U.S. following Pope Francis’s funeral in Rome and after he met briefly with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The two leaders spoke ahead of the funeral, their first face-to-face interaction since the contentious Oval Office meeting earlier this year.

The White House has not yet released details on what was discussed during the roughly 15-minute meeting.

Trump’s latest remarks also come in contrast to what he said week ago, when the president insisted “nobody’s playing me.”

(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat
KEYWORDS: anothertrillion; anydaynowukrainewins; botched2022treaty; circlejerk; coldhardtruth; dontbetagainstputin; dontbetoncomedians; kievkaren; neoconsock; omgputinputinputin; putin; putinishitler; putinsfolly; putinswar; sendmoremoney; tappingtrumpalong; thecookie; trump; trumpishitler; vanceishitler; zelvisvictoryparade
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To: imabadboy99

I think its called a “double tap”


21 posted on 04/26/2025 8:13:28 AM PDT by spokeshave (Proud Boys, Angry Dads. Grumpy Grandads & Curmudgeon<p.s)
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To: bobbo666

Gas line, absolutely.
Car bomb, strong possibility.
Sent assassin?
Actually Hadn’t considered that one, but willing to hear it out.

Whatcha got?


22 posted on 04/26/2025 8:14:13 AM PDT by OKSooner (Oh, the mad fools!)
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To: McGruff

It’s always been Putin’s war.


23 posted on 04/26/2025 8:14:14 AM PDT by marcusmaximus
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To: JonPreston
… he's just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through "banking" or "secondary sanctions?"

One might ask, why did it not occur to President Trump to apply these magical "Second Sanctions" at the beginning of his negotiations according to his own doctrine in, "The Art of the Deal," at a time before he undercut Ukraine's negotiating position?

If the sanctions are available now why weren't they used then? Why did Trump apply sanctions and threat of sanctions against his ally Ukraine when they might have been applied to help his ally?


24 posted on 04/26/2025 8:17:51 AM PDT by nathanbedford (Attack, repeat, attack! - Bull Halsey)
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To: marcusmaximus

IOW’s Trump has no cards he can use on Putin. Everybody is still waiting for Trump to defeat the lowly Houthi’s btw, something the weak Biden couldn’t do either.


25 posted on 04/26/2025 8:19:04 AM PDT by Karl Spooner (Putin: "Time to finish off the Ukraine troops"- 3/28/25)
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To: Karl Spooner

Don’t bet against President Trump.


26 posted on 04/26/2025 8:23:20 AM PDT by marcusmaximus
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To: marcusmaximus

Russia and Putin are enemies of the United States.

Always have been.

Always will be.

Trump’s “bromance” with Putin has always been a media myth and globalist, Deep State, neocon warmongering talking point.

What has been played as a “bromance” is nothing more than Trump’s openness to negotiate with our enemies.

He used the same tactic to successfully negotiate with Kim Jong Un.

But as surely as Putin is our enemy just as surely the Euroweenies and their boy toy Z are NOT are friends nor allies.

Trump is in the difficult position of disentangling a position he had no part in taking and then explaining that paying the bills for a war that cannot be won nor is not really that great a threat to our national security is NOT in the national interest of the United States.

Trump’s strength is his optimism.

He truly believed a deal could be made.

The reality is neither side wants a deal.

Trump now has to exit more gracefully than we exited our failures in Southeast Asia and our failure in Afghanistan.

Since there are no American troops on the ground it should be easier.

That and the fact in 90 per cent of counties won by Trump, few give a rat’s patootie about the Euroweenies and Zelensky nor whether Putin takes all of the Ukraine.


27 posted on 04/26/2025 8:25:24 AM PDT by Biblebelter
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To: marcusmaximus

Yemen in 3 days.


28 posted on 04/26/2025 8:25:45 AM PDT by Karl Spooner (Putin: "Time to finish off the Ukraine troops"- 3/28/25)
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To: everyone
JD Vance needs to sit down with and educate President Trump on who started this war.


29 posted on 04/26/2025 8:31:33 AM PDT by McGruff (Biden will go down in history as the worst president ever.)
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To: roving
I would just let the two go at it. Trump needs just bow out. It’s Europe’s problem now.

Trump also understands there are financial benefits to peace for U.S. companies in Russia and Ukraine. Putin is obsessed with conquering Eastern Ukraine, and to him, that is more important than the financial benefits of peace. It would be a very large mistake for Trump to declare peace and ease sanctions on Russia before it exits Ukraine. At present, he is pressuring Ukraine to accept the status quo more than pressuring Russia to end its military occupation of Ukraine. That is a mistake.
30 posted on 04/26/2025 8:39:44 AM PDT by Dr. Franklin ("A republic, if you can keep it." )
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To: Dr. Franklin

why do you zelensky puffers ignore the US / obama coupe in ukraine that overthrew the democratically elected leader of fagboy zelensky bombing his own citizens in eastern ukraine, or that the people in crimea voted to join Russia? Because you are just spewing neoCON globalist propaganda that is why


31 posted on 04/26/2025 8:41:51 AM PDT by imabadboy99
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To: marcusmaximus
It is Biden's war. But, it will end up being Trump's if we don't end all involvement with it if we can't make a deal to get our money back.

If Zelensky won't sign a rare earths deal, it's time to get the hell out of Ukraine.

32 posted on 04/26/2025 8:49:43 AM PDT by Kazan
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To: Dr. Franklin
Some people are thick as a brick on that point.

Yes, this is true. According to some, none of this should matter because Putin will be gone soon anyway.

“Putin's regime is ready to collapse like the Tsar did in 1917.”

28 posted on 4/25/2025, 8:36:29 AM by Dr. Franklin

https://freerepublic.com/focus/news/4313176/posts?page=31#28

Of course, this is despite Putin having a 90% approval rating from the Russian people and no actual signs that Putin has any credible chance of political collapse any time soon.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/896181/putin-approval-rating-russia/

People can “play” President Trump only for so long. Fauci did it during President Trump's first term, now President Trump is going after him.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-administration-swiftly-enacts-retribution-political-enemies-rcna188763

Fortunately, President Trump has the ability to see through B.S. well in most cases. It is worth noting that the assassination attempt by Ryan Wesley Routh had Ukraine's prints all over it, as did the Democrats attempt to impeach President Trump using their puppet boy Zelinsky long before the invasion. No one needs to remind him that Zelensky actively campaigned for Biden and Harris and that Zelensky would like to see him dead.

President Trump is constantly and continuously accused by the Democrats and a certain faction on this forum of being taken advantage of by Putin. Fortunately, we have plenty of examples that show that President Trump is highly critical of Putin when it is appropriate.

33 posted on 04/26/2025 8:56:07 AM PDT by fireman15
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To: bobbo666
Plus, the UK tyrant, Zy, has repeatedly stated that he will fight until all land HE THINKS is UKRAINE be given to him.

You mean the land that Russia has recognized as Ukrainian by treaty.

34 posted on 04/26/2025 9:06:03 AM PDT by Petrosius
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To: McGruff
Victoria bragged about spending 8 billion dollars to get the results we see today.

.

I guess we even paid for the gas, not to mention the protestors.

/

Odessa, Ukraine, 2.5.2014:?> Neonazis entered the trade union house before burning it down

35 posted on 04/26/2025 9:08:20 AM PDT by Karl Spooner (Putin: "Time to finish off the Ukraine troops"- 3/28/25)
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To: marcusmaximus

Trump needs to check his ego and get out of the Uk mess while the getting is still good. Leave the problem to the EU et. al.


36 posted on 04/26/2025 9:08:55 AM PDT by pt17
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To: McGruff
Perhaps it is you who needs to be educated on who started this war.

A column of Russian tanks marked with the Z symbol stretches into the distance as they proceed northwards along the Mariupol-Donetsk highway on March 23, 2022.

37 posted on 04/26/2025 9:14:03 AM PDT by Petrosius
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To: Strict9

“It’s not our business being there. Let them make peace or kill each other with no assistance from us.”

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Not our business you say? Why then have America signed all these agreements with Ukraine these last decades...

Here is a list of all the US administrations signed agreements and deals with Ukraine (the first Trump Administration is the one who was the most active with Ukraine, I published Trump’s entire list of actions for Ukraine and against Russia on my FR profile) :

1991–1993: George H. W. Bush (Republican)

December 25, 1991 – U.S. Recognition of Ukraine’s Independence
→ The U.S. formally recognized Ukraine as an independent nation after the fall of the Soviet Union.
1992 – U.S.-Ukraine Bilateral Relations Established
→ Full diplomatic relations opened; embassies established in Kyiv and Washington.
May 6, 1992 – Memorandum of Understanding on Strategic Cooperation
→ Focused on dismantling nuclear arms (precursor to later denuclearization agreements).

1993–2001: Bill Clinton (Democrat)
1994 – Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances
→ U.S., U.K., and Russia pledged to respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and borders in exchange for Ukraine giving up its nuclear arsenal.
1996 – Charter of Ukrainian-American Partnership, Friendship, and Cooperation
→ Established a framework for political, economic, and military cooperation.
1997 – U.S.-Ukraine Strategic Partnership Commission Established
→ Regularized high-level dialogue between governments.
1998 – U.S.-Ukraine Defense Cooperation Agreement
→ Provided frameworks for military exchanges and assistance.

2001–2009: George W. Bush (Republican)
2002 – Joint Statement on U.S.-Ukraine Relations
→ Reaffirmed Ukraine’s path toward democracy and market economy.
2005 – Support for Ukraine’s Democratic Reforms
→ After the Orange Revolution, U.S. boosted support for democratic institution building.
2008 – NATO Bucharest Summit Declaration
→ While not a direct U.S.-Ukraine treaty, Bush pushed hard for Ukraine’s future NATO membership path (although it was deferred).

2009–2017: Barack Obama (Democrat)
2010 – U.S.-Ukraine Charter on Strategic Partnership Renewal
→ Reaffirmed the 1996 Charter and expanded areas of cooperation (energy, security, democracy).
2014 – Post-Crimea Invasion Response Agreements
→ U.S. provided non-lethal military aid (first under Obama) after Russia’s annexation of Crimea.
2015 – Defense Cooperation Expansion
→ Further security agreements enhancing training and assistance (non-lethal initially).

2017–2021: Donald Trump (Republican)
2017 – Expanded Military Assistance to Ukraine
→ Approved lethal aid to Ukraine (including Javelin anti-tank missiles).
2018 – Cybersecurity Cooperation Agreement
→ Enhanced collaboration against Russian cyber threats.
2019 – Renewal of Strategic Partnership Agreements
→ Focused on energy security, defense reforms, and anti-corruption efforts.

2021–2025: Joe Biden (Democrat)
September 2021 – Renewed U.S.-Ukraine Strategic Partnership Charter
→ Upgraded from the 2010 version; deeper focus on defense, cyber, energy, and democracy.
2022 – Massive Military and Economic Aid Agreements
→ Following Russia’s full-scale invasion, the U.S. signed dozens of military support and reconstruction aid packages (Lend-Lease Act for Ukraine reintroduced).
2023 – U.S.-Ukraine Bilateral Security Framework Negotiations Begin
→ Talks for long-term U.S. security guarantees (still ongoing).
2024 – Defense and Reconstruction Cooperation Agreements
→ Multi-year commitments to help rebuild Ukraine’s military and economy.
Other Important Ongoing Agreements
USAID partnerships (Democrat and Republican administrations) for democratic development.
Energy security memoranda, especially for LNG (natural gas) supply.
Cybersecurity and intelligence sharing agreements (increased after 2014 and 2022).


38 posted on 04/26/2025 9:17:09 AM PDT by USA-FRANCE (Silence against evil isn't neutrality, it's complicity. Oppose the Iran-Russia-North Korea Alliance!)
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To: USA-FRANCE

yes, the treaties are what always drag us into world wars. These papers were signed because our leaders are bought and paid for. It is scummy. A lot of money changes hands and deals are made. Nobody votes for this sh&@


39 posted on 04/26/2025 9:21:56 AM PDT by Strict9
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To: Kazan
Not winning.


40 posted on 04/26/2025 9:41:57 AM PDT by marcusmaximus
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