Trump Only Had Three Cards He Could Play - And He's Already Blown Them All

[Terrance8812]

The most revealing part of the situation in Ukraine after the failed negotiations with Zelensky is that Trump now knows for certain he cannot end the war. He likely knew this even before he was voted back into office, but he still had to give it a try. He had spoken with Putin multiple times, and it was already clear that Putin will not accept any terms that Ukraine would agree to, especially those requiring Russia to give up occupied land. On top of that, Putin will never allow Ukraine to join the European Union or NATO. Something that Ukraine obviously won't accept either.

 

Despite this, Trump promised Americans and the world that he, the so-called master dealmaker, would bring the war to an end, a promise he now cannot fulfill.

 

In reality, Trump only had three cards to play:

 

1. Zelensky agrees to all of Putin’s demands - This was never a realistic option. If Zelensky were willing to surrender Ukraine’s land and sovereignty, he could have done so directly with Putin a year ago without needing Trump at all. Since that was never going to happen, Trump quickly moved past this option.

2. Blame Zelensky for failing to end the war - Trump knew Zelensky would never agree to a deal that handed Ukraine over to Russia. So by bringing him into the Oval Office and offering an unacceptable minerals deal with no security guarantees, Trump gave himself an easy out. Now, he could shift the blame onto Zelensky, portraying him as the obstacle to peace. The goal was to weaken Zelensky’s popularity in Ukraine and create political instability.

 

3. Force Zelensky out and install a puppet government - If Trump could successfully weaken Zelensky, the next step would be to push him out of power and replace him with a more compliant leader, someone who would accept Putin’s terms. That would allow Russia to take full control, effectively reducing Ukraine to a failed state annexed by Russia.

 

The problem for Trump is that his plan is already backfiring. Instead of Zelensky’s political standing collapsing, his popularity in Ukraine has actually increased since the Oval Office debacle. That makes it far less likely that Trump can force him out, ending any chance of installing a pro-Putin government.

 

With all of Trump's cards already failing, Trump is now left with just one last move: cutting off all financial and military support and allowing Ukraine to slowly lose the war with Russia in a prolonged battle of attrition.

 

Trump has already announced his intention to do exactly that. So instead of ending the war, as he promised, he is ensuring that it drags on for another year, another stain on his record as the so-called great peacemaker and dealmaker, and yet another failed Trump promise added to the history books.

[flyingtlger]

[ExpatOilWorker]

The oval office confrontation was a major win 🏆 for Zelensky. The world saw how unreasonable and manipulating Trump and JD are. The world now stand behind Ukraine 🇺🇦, without the US.

[Jingthing]

Putin and Trump share the same "sphere of influence" ideology so it's natural that he is on Putin's side. Putin wants Ukraine and more and Trump wants Canada and more. Same same -- tragically not so different. The USA under Trump has exited the western world. USA promises are as worthless as Putin's.  Yes, it has come to that. This is a big adjustment for decent Americans that are horrified by this change. But they need to adjust because the damage to the American brand is permanent and also Trump is quickly succeeding into turning his regime into an autocratic dictatorship where future elections will be just for show.

 

It Was an Ambush

 

Quote

Friday, February 28, 2025, will go into the history books as one of the grimmest days in American diplomacy, the beginning of a long-term disaster that every American, every U.S. ally, and anyone who cares about the future of democracy will have to endure. With the White House’s betrayal of Ukraine capping a month of authoritarian chaos in America, Putin, along with other dictators around the world, can finally look at Trump with confidence and think: one of us.

 

[theshu25]

20 minutes ago, ExpatOilWorker said:

The oval office confrontation was a major win 🏆 for Zelensky. The world saw how unreasonable and manipulating Trump and JD are. The world now stand behind Ukraine 🇺🇦, without the US.

Totally agree, Trump and his little make up wearing  freak Vance not fit enought to be running a  Hamburger stand let alone the most importnat country in the world.

[hotsun]

28 minutes ago, ExpatOilWorker said:

The oval office confrontation was a major win 🏆 for Zelensky. The world saw how unreasonable and manipulating Trump and JD are. The world now stand behind Ukraine 🇺🇦, without the US.

From an american perspective, the rest of the world can go to hell. Good luck to everyone else

[Harrisfan]

57 minutes ago, Terrance8812 said:

The most revealing part of the situation in Ukraine after the failed negotiations with Zelensky is that Trump now knows for certain he cannot end the war. He likely knew this even before he was voted back into office, but he still had to give it a try. He had spoken with Putin multiple times, and it was already clear that Putin will not accept any terms that Ukraine would agree to, especially those requiring Russia to give up occupied land. On top of that, Putin will never allow Ukraine to join the European Union or NATO. Something that Ukraine obviously won't accept either.

 

Despite this, Trump promised Americans and the world that he, the so-called master dealmaker, would bring the war to an end, a promise he now cannot fulfill.

 

In reality, Trump only had three cards to play:

 

1. Zelensky agrees to all of Putin’s demands - This was never a realistic option. If Zelensky were willing to surrender Ukraine’s land and sovereignty, he could have done so directly with Putin a year ago without needing Trump at all. Since that was never going to happen, Trump quickly moved past this option.

2. Blame Zelensky for failing to end the war - Trump knew Zelensky would never agree to a deal that handed Ukraine over to Russia. So by bringing him into the Oval Office and offering an unacceptable minerals deal with no security guarantees, Trump gave himself an easy out. Now, he could shift the blame onto Zelensky, portraying him as the obstacle to peace. The goal was to weaken Zelensky’s popularity in Ukraine and create political instability.

 

3. Force Zelensky out and install a puppet government - If Trump could successfully weaken Zelensky, the next step would be to push him out of power and replace him with a more compliant leader, someone who would accept Putin’s terms. That would allow Russia to take full control, effectively reducing Ukraine to a failed state annexed by Russia.

 

The problem for Trump is that his plan is already backfiring. Instead of Zelensky’s political standing collapsing, his popularity in Ukraine has actually increased since the Oval Office debacle. That makes it far less likely that Trump can force him out, ending any chance of installing a pro-Putin government.

 

With all of Trump's cards already failing, Trump is now left with just one last move: cutting off all financial and military support and allowing Ukraine to slowly lose the war with Russia in a prolonged battle of attrition.

 

Trump has already announced his intention to do exactly that. So instead of ending the war, as he promised, he is ensuring that it drags on for another year, another stain on his record as the so-called great peacemaker and dealmaker, and yet another failed Trump promise added to the history books.

Trump is American 

[Jingthing]

1 minute ago, hotsun said:

From an american perspective, the rest of the world can go to hell. Good luck to everyone else

Especially Canada, Denmark, and Panama. 

[Harrisfan]

2 minutes ago, hotsun said:

From an american perspective, the rest of the world can go to hell. Good luck to everyone else

Exactly how clueless is the left. Ukraine is not Nato. Trump can walk away totally. 

[Harrisfan]

32 minutes ago, ExpatOilWorker said:

The oval office confrontation was a major win 🏆 for Zelensky. The world saw how unreasonable and manipulating Trump and JD are. The world now stand behind Ukraine 🇺🇦, without the US.

Major loss. No deal, looked like an arrogant fool. Men dying. 

[Harrisfan]

48 minutes ago, flyingtlger said:

Russia inflation 10%

Men dying

 

 

Men running away to Phuket

 

USA has 3% inflation and best economy 

[hotsun]

Exactly why should trump care about anyone other than the US? Even when we were giving our money away for nothing, nobody appreciated it, you can see it on the forums. Good riddance to europe

[MicroB]

[MicroB]

[Harrisfan]

4 minutes ago, hotsun said:

Exactly why should trump care about anyone other than the US? Even when we were giving our money away for nothing, nobody appreciated it, you can see it on the forums. Good riddance to europe

Exactly

[Harrisfan]

1 minute ago, MicroB said:

Loser of the month - entire left

[sometimewoodworker]

1 hour ago, Terrance8812 said:

With all of Trump's cards already failing, Trump is now left with just one last move: cutting off all financial and military support and allowing Ukraine to slowly lose the war with Russia in a prolonged battle of attrition.

That suggests that without the USA Ukraine cannot continue, however Trump has united Europe as fiercely supporting Ukraine so the USA is not the only ones who can support and enable Ukraine to continue.

 

Trump has single handedly pushed the USA out of its central role in world politics and world trade and world finance, diminishing its role.
 

Too much winning 😉😉😉 

[hotsun]

2 minutes ago, sometimewoodworker said:

That suggests that without the USA Ukraine cannot continue, however Trump has united Europe as fiercely supporting Ukraine so the USA is not the only ones who can support and enable Ukraine to continue.

 

Trump has single handedly pushed the USA out of its central role in world politics and world trade and world finance, diminishing its role.
 

Too much winning 😉😉😉 

Europe can play hero, the reality is that they have alot more issues than the US. Europes leaders have been putting others before themselves long enough now its going to be the end of them

[Harrisfan]

2 minutes ago, hotsun said:

Europe can play hero, the reality is that they have alot more issues than the US. Europes leaders have been putting others before themselves long enough now its going to be the end of them

Asia and US are doing fine. Europe, Ukraine and Russia in decline.

[hotsun]

1 minute ago, Harrisfan said:

Asia and US are doing fine. Europe, Ukraine and Russia in decline.

The left narrative around not letting putin win doesnt make sense. He didnt win much, just bragging rights. And the fault is on the left. But Trump is bad for not funding to keep the war going

[Harrisfan]

11 minutes ago, sometimewoodworker said:

That suggests that without the USA Ukraine cannot continue, however Trump has united Europe as fiercely supporting Ukraine so the USA is not the only ones who can support and enable Ukraine to continue.

 

Trump has single handedly pushed the USA out of its central role in world politics and world trade and world finance, diminishing its role.
 

Too much winning 😉😉😉 

United Europe 

[Harrisfan]

1 minute ago, hotsun said:

The left narrative around not letting putin win doesnt make sense. He didnt win much, just bragging rights. And the fault is on the left. But Trump is bad for not funding to keep the war going

Russia has lost 600,000+ plus men to death or injury. Lost moral. Lost equipment. Trump hasn't lost a thing except Biden gave billions away.

 

The left get their ideas from cartoons 

[JimHuaHin]

A big win for the free world - Trump-Vance reveal their true selves to the world.

 

But, a bigger win for China, North Korea, Russia, etc. - the free world has lost its biggest player - the USA - divide and conquer.

[Harrisfan]

Just now, JimHuaHin said:

A big win for the free world - Trump-Vance reveal their true selves to the world.

 

But, a bigger win for China, North Korea, Russia, etc. - the free world has lost its biggest player - the USA - divide and conquer.

North Korea is the worst country in the world. China is a miserable place for the non rich. Russians are running away. 

 

Europe high unemployment.

 

 

[blaze master]

35 minutes ago, hotsun said:

From an american perspective, the rest of the world can go to hell. Good luck to everyone else

 

Only thai are allowed those jobs mister. 

[FriscoKid]

 

[Summerinsiam]

Yet, the inconvenient truth for many on here is that Ukraine is losing, has no way to actually reclaim its lost territory, and cannot win the war. All Zelenskey has is the moral high ground and admits himself that without the Americans the Ukrainians cannot win the war. Hence his and the Europeans desperation for American security guarantees in the event of a ceasefire. The Europeans make the right noises, but thats all they are. If Starmer and Macron want to pretend that westetn Europe is in danger of imminent invasion from an ailing Russia then more fool them. Any rebuilding will take five years anyway. The strategy employed by the previous US administration has already failed. As unpalatable as Trump is it will take a wildcard to break the stalemate.

 

[sometimewoodworker]

41 minutes ago, Harrisfan said:

United Europe 

The joke is on you, as I did not say that Europe is/was United.

I said that trump has United the support for Ukraine by Europe.

but maybe you have difficulty in understanding the difference.

 

It is clear that Trump might possibly be a checkers player but is incapable of the thinking that chess requires.

[Harrisfan]

3 minutes ago, sometimewoodworker said:

The joke is on you, as I did not say that Europe is/was United.

I said that trump has United the support for Ukraine by Europe.

but maybe you have difficulty in understanding the difference.

 

It is clear that Trump might possibly be a checkers player but is incapable of the thinking that chess requires.

Billionaire vs some poor person online. Next.

[Harrisfan]

19 minutes ago, Summerinsiam said:

Yet, the inconvenient truth for many on here is that Ukraine is losing, has no way to actually reclaim its lost territory, and cannot win the war. All Zelenskey has is the moral high ground and admits himself that without the Americans the Ukrainians cannot win the war. Hence his and the Europeans desperation for American security guarantees in the event of a ceasefire. The Europeans make the right noises, but thats all they are. If Starmer and Macron want to pretend that westetn Europe is in danger of imminent invasion from an ailing Russia then more fool them. Any rebuilding will take five years anyway. The strategy employed by the previous US administration has already failed. As unpalatable as Trump is it will take a wildcard to break the stalemate.

 

Ukraine inflation 13%, % rates 14.5%

Russian inflation 10%, % rates 21%

Men lost

Moral low

 

Both Putin and Zelensky are losers

 

Only Trump is winning.