SKY Top News｜普京是如何嘲笑特朗普结束乌克兰战争的努力的
At the end of this week, Vladimir Putin appears scornful of Western efforts to end the Ukraine war through a ceasefire and negotiations - and Donald Trump seems happy to let him get away with it.
Vladimir Putin made a mockery this week of Donald Trump's efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
Far from punishing him for it, the US president went out of his way to dodge calls to get tough with the Russian leader.
On Sunday, President Trump called on leaders of both Russia and Ukraine to meet.
He posted: "President Putin of Russia wants to meet on Thursday, in Turkey, to negotiate a possible end to the BLOODBATH. Ukraine should agree to this, IMMEDIATELY."
That post let the Russian leader off the hook. Only the day before, Putin had been ordered by Ukraine's allies, including America, to agree to a 30-day unconditional ceasefire.
The Russian president had swerved that demand, suggesting talks instead.
"If the ceasefire is not respected, the US and its partners will impose further sanctions," Trump posted before swivelling and backing Putin's proposals for talks instead.
Undeterred, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accepted the call.
Putin though refused to go, sending officials instead.
And yet there was no reprimand from the US president. Instead, he chose to undermine the talks he had himself called for.
"Look, nothing is going to happen until Putin and I get together," he told reporters on Air Force One. So much for that then.
It is what happened in those talks though that should give the US president the greatest pause for thought about Putin's intentions - as it does in Kyiv.
The message they brought was blunt and belligerent, threatening eternal war.
"We don't want war, but we're ready to fight for a year, two, three - however long it takes," lead Russian negotiator Vladimir Medinsky is reported to have said. "We fought Sweden for 21 years. How long are you ready to fight?"
Far from offering a compromise, they are reported to have demanded the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the four regions they have partially seized by force and the capitulation of another two, just for good measure.
And there was a chilling moment when the Russians are reported to have threatened their interlocutors like gangsters.
"Maybe some of those sitting here at this table will lose more of their loved ones," Mednisky said. Russia is prepared to fight forever.
For Sergiy Kyslytsya, Ukraine's deputy foreign minister, that was personal.
Max, his 23-year-old son and only child, lost his life fighting the Russians in 2022 not long after their illegal and unprovoked invasion began.
At the end of this week, Putin appears scornful of Western efforts to end this war through a ceasefire and negotiations and Trump seems happy to let him get away with it.
Even Fox News, normally slavishly subservient to Trump, is wondering what gives.
Its anchor Bret Baier is no Jeremy Paxman, but in an interview last night asked Donald Trump 10 times if he might finally now put pressure on Putin.
The US president ducked and dived, talking about the money he had made in his Gulf tour, Zelenskyy's shortcomings, Biden, and Iran instead. But he did not give a straight answer to the question.
With performances like that, Putin has nothing to worry about. Trump's position though seems increasingly untenable.
Ukraine's European allies though should be alarmed. They threatened Russia with sanctions and retaliation last weekend if he rejected a ceasefire. He now has.
With or without America, will they be good to their word?
本周结束时，弗拉基米尔·普京似乎对西方国家通过停火和谈判结束乌克兰战争的努力持轻蔑态度，而唐纳德·特朗普似乎乐于让他（普京）得以逃脱。
本周，弗拉基米尔·普京（Vladimir Putin）对唐纳德·特朗普（Donald Trump）努力结束乌克兰战争的行动进行了嘲讽。
美国总统非但没有因他的行为而对其进行惩罚，反而故意避开对俄罗斯领导人采取强硬态度的呼吁。
周日，特朗普总统呼吁俄罗斯和乌克兰的领导人进行会面。
他发帖称：“俄罗斯总统普京希望在土耳其周四会面，商讨可能结束这场‘血洗’的方案。乌克兰应立即同意这一方案。”
那篇帖子为俄罗斯领导人解了围。就在前一天，包括美国在内的乌克兰盟国要求普京同意为期30天的无条件停火。
俄罗斯总统回避了这一要求，转而建议进行对话。
如果停火不被遵守，美国及其盟友将实施进一步的制裁。
乌克兰总统弗拉基米尔·泽伦斯基并未退缩，接听了电话。
虽然普京拒绝亲自前往，但派出了官员代表。
然而，美国总统并没有对此进行谴责，反而选择破坏自己之前所倡导的对话。
他乘坐空军一号时对记者说：“你看，我和普京没有坐在一起之前，什么都不要发生。”
尽管在那些会谈中发生的事情应当给美国总统带来关于普京意图的最深刻的思考——正如在基辅所发生的那样。
他们带来的信息非常直白且好斗，威胁着将发动一场永无止境的战争。
据报道，俄罗斯的主要谈判代表弗拉基米尔·梅德因斯基（Vladimir Medinsky）曾表示：“我们并不想打仗，但如果需要，我们愿意为一年、两年、三年……或任何必要的时间而战。我们与瑞典进行了21年的战斗。你们准备战斗多久呢？”
据报道，他们不但没有做出妥协，反而要求乌克兰军队撤出他们已通过武力部分控制的四个地区，并要求再有两个地区无条件投降，以确保万无一失。
据报道，俄罗斯人曾以黑帮分子的方式威胁他们的交谈对象，这一情况令人感到不寒而栗。
Mednisky 说道：“或许坐在桌旁的某些人将失去更多的亲人。”俄罗斯已经准备好永远进行战斗。
对于乌克兰副外长谢尔吉·基斯利亚特来说，这（指代前文提及的某事）是个人问题。
Max，这位23岁的独子，在2022年俄罗斯非法且无端入侵不久后，在抗击俄罗斯的战斗中牺牲了生命。
在本周末，普京似乎对西方通过停火和谈判结束这场战争的努力持轻蔑态度，而特朗普似乎乐于看到他能够逃脱责任。
即使是通常对特朗普唯命是从的福克斯新闻（Fox News），现在也疑惑不已，不知道他（特朗普）在搞什么名堂。
该节目的主播布雷特·贝尔（Bret Baier）虽然不是杰里米·帕克曼（Jeremy Paxman），但在昨晚的采访中，他问了唐纳德·特朗普（Donald Trump）10次，看他是否终于会向普京（Putin）施压。
美国总统避重就轻，转而谈论他在海湾之旅中赚取的金钱、泽伦斯基的不足、拜登以及伊朗等问题，但没有直接回答这个问题。
普京的表现如此出色，他没有什么可担心的。然而，特朗普的地位似乎越来越难以维持。
乌克兰的欧洲盟友应当保持警惕。他们上周末威胁俄罗斯，如果普京拒绝停火，将对其进行制裁和报复。而普京现在已经这么做了。
无论美国在或不在，他们是否会信守承诺？