Trump must show Xi Jinping he can put Russia in its place, politician Rybachuk says

Ukrainian politician Oleh Rybachuk said on Espreso.

“I think that after what he considered an extremely successful meeting in Alaska, Trump now finds Putin’s behavior shockingly brazen. It’s clear Trump has acknowledged that what he thought were good relations are now in the past and he has no influence. When asked how Trump feels about Putin, he said he would give an answer in about a month — and in about a month Trump meets China’s leader Xi,” Rybachuk said.

In Rybachuk’s view, if Trump goes to that meeting with a major leader like Xi and has not demonstrated the ability to stop a small, contemptible Putin, it will be very difficult for him.

“So Trump needs to demonstrate — and he’s already starting to ratchet up pressure. He must show Xi that he can exert influence and will exert it, and that the United States is a country of power that, together with the European Union, can put a man who has long since lost his mind in his place and put Russia back in its box,” the politician stressed.

He added that this is why Trump openly told Erdogan that “we must and will stop Putin.”

“That is important for Trump and timing matters. He needs a successful visit to China; otherwise faith in what he promised will collapse. He convinced his voters that his election would bring peace and universal respect, but now the situation is critical. Putin has gone too far and Trump must seek very fast, decisive moves — given the stakes, one can expect him to consider such steps, perhaps including long-range weapons,” Rybachuk concluded.