The Dwarfs had to slink away. Will they, at long last, tell Zelensky they cannot back up their rhetoric with the needed arms and financial support?
German Chancellor Frederich Merz, the 6 foot, 6 inch “dwarf”arriving at the White House on Monday,. (White House/Wikimedia Commons)
By Ray McGovern
Special to Consortium News
I shall not make the de-rigueur disclaimer lest anyone infer that I think President Donald Trump is Snow White. Nor do I feel a need to assure readers that I am not “in Putin’s pocket.” In the tradition of a “current intelligence” analyst, I shall simply “call ‘em like I see ‘em.” And there are lots of dots to put together.
It has been clear since the Alaska summit that Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have come to an overall agreement on Ukraine and that it is now being fleshed out in plain sight. And both are acutely aware of the many forces wishing to sabotage moves toward a negotiated settlement.
They have agreed to call it “Biden’s war” and then to conduct themselves as though they have bigger fish to fry – first and foremost improving U.S.-Russia relations.
Why have so many observers been unable to grasp the significance of this key sentence in the first paragraph of the readout from the Aug. 6 Putin-Witkoff meeting – the meeting that set these hopeful events in train?
“Once again, it was noted that Russia-US relations could be placed on a totally different, mutually beneficial footing, which would be in stark contrast with the way these relations have evolved in recent years.” (Emphasis added.)
(Pardon the pedantry, but it is not widely known that the Kremlin’s Russian-to-English translator erred in using the subjunctive could. The word in the Russian readout is stronger; it means can – the indicative, not the subjunctive mood.) This is, well, indicative.
The shared, overriding objective to improve bilateral ties came through clearly both at the summit on Friday and at the “March of the Gnomes” on Monday when seven European leaders arrived at the White House to back Volodymyr Zelensky (no offense to garden gnomes – or dwarfs).
Enroute Alaska
On Air Force One, Trump told Fox’s Bret Baier, “I won’t be happy if I walk away without some form of a ceasefire.” Nyet, was Putin’s answer.
Perhaps the president thought he could work his persuasive powers on Putin one-on-one and change his mind. More likely, Trump knew his gambit had zero prospect of success, and merely wanted to be able to tell the foot-draggers later that he had thrown one last Hail Mary pass, but in vain.
Just a few hours later Trump wrote on truthsocial:
“It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up.”
The New York Times and other media were quick to point out that Trump was “siding with Putin.”
Maps … and Charts
While Putin used the Alaska summit to make clear Russia’s core interests on Ukraine and to argue that he had no option other than to invade, it is a safe bet that he also showed Trump a map depicting the “order of battle;” that is, the disposition of forces along the contact line and in reserve.
I can also envision Putin suggesting to Trump that he fire whoever told him in January that “almost a million Russian Soldiers have been killed” and that the Russian economy is in deep trouble.
This morning Trump hinted that Russia should be allowed to hold onto the territory it has occupied in Ukraine, a concept so far anathema to Zelensky and most of the European leaders.
THE Map
“The Ukrainian soldiers were brave as hell because it’s fighting a force that’s much, much bigger and clearly much more powerful,” Trump said of the Russian military … “And you know, it’s not like they’ve stopped. If you, I assume you’ve all seen the map, you know, a big chunk of territory is taken, and that territory has been taken.
“Now they’re talking about Donbas. But Donbas, right now, as you know, is 79 percent owned and controlled by Russia,” Trump added. “So they understand that.”
Zelensky and the Seven Dwarfs
The Dwarfs had to slink away. Will they, at long last, tell Zelensky they cannot back up their rhetoric with the needed arms and financial support? It will take a while, but in the end they will have to do so.
The end is near.
Ray McGovern works with Tell the Word, a publishing arm of the ecumenical Church of the Saviour in inner-city Washington. His 27 years as a C.I.A. analyst included leading the Soviet Foreign Policy Branch and conducting the morning briefings of the President’s Daily Brief. In retirement he co-founded Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS).
Views expressed in this article and may or may not reflect those of Consortium News.
The past undoubtedly carries great influence into the present events, what happens both today and tomorrow See: 1 the civil war’s influence on the southern culture to this day. (the south shall rise again slogan for example).
Note: WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, the list continues to this day.
Everyone must realize war in Ukraine was never inevitable. The political implications of NATO to Russia always were well understood or should have been. In the end right wing interests prevailed there, something which could have been and should have been prevented had the U.S. behaved as a world leader and acted responsibly dealing with the issues there. Those who know about negotiations know damned good and well the U.S. should have talked to Putin while stirring up trouble in Ukraine. In stead they forced a war to start which could have prevented and saved thousands of lives and billions of dollars, but no war it must be! Why! Think about that!
As I have been saying from the very beginning of this slaughter of civilians and war fighters manning the armies of both sides, this conflict could have been avoided if someone had remembered to honor the deals from the past intended to address the various conflicts occurring there
The NEOCONs were never happy with the results of WWII or the others on the list above. CIA constantly probing and instigating public unrest at any location they chose as they ran U.S. foreign policy from the shadows, seldom taking responsibility for the volatile uprisings in various locations around the world.
The U.S. has had it’s chance at being an effective fair leader using it’s “Peace Maker”, moniker in an effective manner.
Now without dynamically positive changes in D.C. we are screwed. To be perfectly honest with everyone out there the U. S. has no excuse for letting things get so far out of control in Vietnam but the lesson failed to teach anyone in the U.S. government anything, other than military improvement in the business of death, $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$!
The result is my total revulsion with the current status of U.S. foreign policy. Not to be misunderstood, I will make my opinion clear.
I have no interest in what happens in Ukraine or Russia for that matter. Those who have administered U. S. foreign policy and our economy blew it totally. Simply look around. This is not my fight but you are welcome to make it yours but you best wake the hell up!
I doubt anyone believes the U.S. will recover if something isn’t done to stop 47 and his full blown insanity, remember this the war in the Ukraine should have never happened, the U.S. lead there has been a total catastrophe. This is not my war, no part of it and dear leader is not!!! I don’t need anyone like him leading me anywhere. If you are a true believer don’t let me waste your time any longer. C Ya!
I’ll offer some advice. Get ready for really serious problems here at home because we have got them and neither the U.S. Government or the administration of 47 are going to worry about what happens to you because of their insanity.
Time for a change and some paybacks to be delivered to We the People. Remember each of us are either part of the solution or part of the problem. Y’all best be getting your heads on straight and get ready to fight for your country before 47 gives it away.
Have a nice weekend everybody!
Should we see how “The Seven Dwarfs” stack up in the stats? GDP per capita in USD: France 48,700, Netherlands 53,100, UK 41,900, Germany 42,000, Finland 48,700, Italy 33,000. Russia? 11,600.
Next, life expectancy: Finland 82 years, Italy 83, UK 81, France 82. Russia? 72
One of the “Dwarfs” (Finland) ranks #1 on the 2025 World Happiness Index. Russia ranks 66. This index includes measures of GDP per capita, life expectancy, social support, freedom to make life choices, generosity, and perception of governmental corruption.
Biden’s wars may indicate religious war against an alternative orthodoxy and continued pressure from EU-NATO may still be aimed at crippling Russia in religious war and economic war on BRICS as Trump pivots on to China and India leaving Iran to…
Regarding ‘can’ vs ‘could, Gemini tells me “neither side released an immediate readout of the talks.” I suspect it is the more-subtle distinction in Russian than in English, probably either the plural version of
“”mozhna bwi vwi mnye pomoch,” where the conditional particle “bwi” coveys the subjunctive, or some version of the passive “mozhna.”
I was a Russian specialist in the Army Security Agency, so I find this an important distinction, Ray–I take it you have access to more transcripts than Gemini does.
I hope you’re right that the end is near.
I hope you’re right.
Excellent perceptive on the mark article.
Ray for President.
Putin practices St. Augustine’s “Just Theory of War”
by doing everything to avoid it. While bankster
Biden and son arm the neo-Nazi coup state for NATO
war industry profits; not to forget the 14,000 Russians
killed in the Donbass.
Yet Ukraine’s NATO proxy war to diminish Russia
(Biden’s Secr. State Austin), ranks in “horrific” far
below the US-Israel/West’s genocide in Gaza.
Thank You Ray
Interesting that there is no mention that the Russians have tested three cease-fires so far this year. Each violated by Ukraine with EU, probably especially UK assistance. First, in a call with Trump, Russia agreed to an “energy” cease-fire where both sides were supposed to stop hitting energy sites. Russia then reported almost daily strikes with long range weapons supplied by France/UK and which likely need support to work at such ranges. Then, there was an Easter cease-fire and another ceasefire. Not a single cease-fire has worked so far with The Free World.
This of course adds to the Free World’s otherwise abysmal record when it comes to cease-fires. This region has seen both Minsk and Minsk II cease-fires, which are now openly acknowledge by leaders like Merkle that they were fakes that were not meant for peace and resolution of conflict but for pumping in more NATO weapons for a future fight. The Free World’s cease-fires in Gaza and Lebanon have also been a bad joke accompanied by ongoing funerals.
On top of this track record that says people keep dying after you agree to a cease-fire with The Free World, France and the UK have been openly saying that they will view a cease-fire as an opportunity to put tens of thousands of NATO boots on the ground in Ukraine. Which, with the track record, would be intended for a future fight with Russia.
Trump’s comment pre-meeting that he was going to get a cease-fire only shows that he’s a fool, as why on Earth would Russia have agreed to a cease-fire with liars.
The Washington-Zionist empire is perhaps moving on to prioritize Venezuela and Iran, again. Temporarily of course, since as long as a sovereign Russia is extant, it will always be a target to some degree.
“Will they, at long last, tell Zelensky they cannot back up their rhetoric with the needed arms and financial support?”
If Zelensky was not a fool and a puppet, then he would already know this.
A real President of a real nation is getting their own analysis from their own experts and would thus have had their own reports on the EU economies and military production and thus their ability to keep these promises. And its not like its been a secret for the last three years, as the EU and the USA were trying to make as many howitzer shells, drones, and SAMs as they could and never making enough.
I’m nor sure that Mr. McGovern or the editor who wrote that blurb meant to so fully summarize the fake status of the ‘nation’ of Ukraine so completely, but they did. A real leader of a real nation, would already know this.
Ray –
Rumor has it that each of the 7 is vying to be “Dopey”!! Who is your candidate?
Bro Larry
Well, the scowl of Sir Daily Stormer wouldn’t work well with the Dopey role. However, Macaroon usually does manage some sort of silly look on his face, when its not getting slapped. To bad Sergeant Schultz has left the cast, he’d have been my pick for Dopey. I know nothing!
The Dopey award goes to six of them ex aequo.
Italy’s Giorgia Meloni was, suitably, Grumpy — rolling her eyes as Germany’s Merz spoke, as if to say “Mio Dio! Stronzo! Italy will join no new Axis on my watch.”
I really hope that Vladimir Solovyov gets his Italian villas back. It’s really unfair what he has been through.
‘“The Ukrainian soldiers were brave as hell because it’s fighting a force that’s much, much bigger and clearly much more powerful,” Trump said of the Russian military’.
I’m not sure of the current balance of forces, but for most of the time since 2022 the Russians have been quite heavily outnumbered. Of course the total Ukrainian strength is deceptive, as many soldiers are tied up in support roles behind the lines.
As firepower has increased, people counts have become less relevant. In the US Civil War, the firepower of a regiment was directly connected to how many men were carrying rifles in that formation. Today, the real firepower on the battlefield seems to come from suicide drones, long range missiles, and guided bombs. How many people are in formation really doesn’t matter when the firepower comes from one person looking at a screen and pushing a red button. It will matter even less when the generals get their AIs and robots and don’t need to con humans into doing that for them.
Trump of course is the sort of idiot who would still focus on people counts and body counts.
Where did you get the idea that Russians were “heavily outnumbered”? From Fox News? CNN? Other mainstream propaganda rags?
“Pardon the pedantry, but it is not widely known that the Kremlin’s Russian-to-English translator erred in using the subjunctive could. The word in the Russian readout is stronger; it means can – the indicative, not the subjunctive mood”.
But surely “could” is the past indicative of “can”?
“…it was noted that Russia-US relations could be placed on a totally different, mutually beneficial footing…”
“It WAS noted…could be placed”.
Oooh, Tom, I love it when people like you carefully parse the language. Thanks for a sage insight, and amen.