May 25, 2025 4:18:43 pm

Not so long ago I asked the question, can a leopard change its spots? Trump had just met with Zelensky at Pope Francis’ funeral, and for a brief moment, there was a tiny glimmer of hope. This past week finally extinguished the possibility of any meaningful change manifesting in the near future. Trump is compromised on so many levels that even if he wanted to change, the external forces that control him won’t allow it.

Decades of corruption can’t just be undone overnight. On Monday Trump spoke to Putin, the call of calls, yet nothing changed. Keep in mind that Trump promised he would end the war on day one. America refused to commit to the very sanctions Trump himself threatened to impose if Putin didn’t agree to a 30 day ceasefire. Europe then went ahead and triggered a new set of sanctions on Russia. 

This was followed by the UK, France, and Canada releasing a joint statement condemning Israel’s starvation of civilians and latest escalation in Gaza. The EU spoke out, as did China, Spain, and even Trump halfheartedly mentioned something about the intolerable situation. 

Then on Wednesday, Trump tried to shift the blame of Israel’s ongoing genocide onto South Africa by ambushing president Cyril Ramaphosa in the Oval Office. He was also trying to hide the fact that the Pentagon had taken control of the plane given to him by Qatar. Smoke and mirrors. The plan backfired as all of Trumps claims of white genocide in South Africa were debunked. 

Early Friday morning, the night after hosting a dubiously corrupt crypto ball, Trump decided that he would slap 50% tariffs on the EU, starting on 1 June. He sent a long tweet attacking Europe and saying how bad they are and on and on he went. Who wins, Putin. The EU sanctions Russia, Trump uses tariffs to punish the EU. So let me get this straight, of all the countries on earth, including Islands only inhabited by penguins, Russia was one of only a handful with zero tariffs imposed on them by America on ‘Liberation Day’. Not only no tariffs, but also no sanctions. 

The evidence points to Trump doing everything in his power to help Putin, this is now an undisputed fact. The president of the United States is compromised and corrupt, a rather unsettling reality. Trump and Putin are squeezing Europe from opposite sides in order to destroy democracy, freedom, and human rights on the continent. 

SMOKE AND MIRRORS: Russia has intensified strikes on Ukraine, with the highest number of drones and missiles launched in a single night yet. The attack was the second large-scale assault on the country in 48 hours, coming a day after the Ukrainian capital Kyiv suffered one of the heaviest assaults since the start of the Russian invasion.

Saturday’s overnight strikes come as Russia ignores calls for a ceasefire.

“Russia is dragging out this war and continues to kill every day.” “This cannot be ignored.” Ukraine is again urging its allies to apply more pressure on Moscow to engage in a ceasefire.

“Without really strong pressure on the Russian leadership, this cruelty cannot be stopped,” he added, calling for fresh sanctions. Zelensky said “America’s silence will only encourage Putin” – an apparent effort to exert pressure on US President Donald Trump who has said the Russian leader is interested in ending the war.

In terms of the numbers of drones and missiles launched, Saturday night was the highest yet. Russia is able not only to just manufacture them at a faster rate, but they are also evolving. Shahed drones are now being packed with more explosives and improved technology to evade detection.

The strikes come as the capital marks its annual Kyiv Day holiday. Sunday is also the third and final day of a major prisoner of war exchange between the two sides, and after this weekend, there is even less hope it will lead to further co-operation. 

Earlier this week, Trump and Putin had a two-hour phone call to discuss a US-proposed Ukraine ceasefire deal. Trump said he believed the call had gone “very well”, and added that Russia and Ukraine will “immediately start” negotiations toward a ceasefire and “an end to the war”. However, Putin has only said Russia would work with Ukraine to craft a “memorandum” on a “possible future peace”, and has not accepted a 30-day ceasefire. – James Waterhouse BBC Ukraine