Is Trump Puttin's puppet?

[Thisandthatandthensome]

Trump seems to be captured and in awe of Putin and is spouting what Russia has previously said. Putin and Trump are a loved up but odd Bromance.

His he unable to have independent thoughts or ideas?

Previously, America was fully behind Ukraine. A mere few months and Trump is in love with Putin and sounds like his puppet. Putin has the biggest smile.

The Three Disasterteers!

Russia is tiny in terms of GDP it's not a serious threat to the US. So no I don't think so.

The claims about russian interference in the US elections and the piss tapes have been thoroughly debunked. It seems everyone is looking to conspiracy theories these days, on both sides, which isn't great because it means failing to tackle what's really going on.

Neither trump nor Putin are mad or stupid or in each others' pockets. You don't get to be leader of a globally important economy by being a sap.

Trump is saying what he's saying because he judges that's what's best to do politically, Putin likewise. Both are masters at spinning out multiple semi-truths and creating widespread confusion and division.

Putin in particular has been doing it for decades - the Kremlin and its agencies both close and remote constantly release "information" that contains kernels of truth hidden in multiple layers of flannel, often on several different opposing angles for one story. These days of instantaneous intel dissemination that the populace themselves willingly facilitate are a dream come true for guys like Putin and Trump who operate like this - sound and fury signifying very little - because it obscures true motive.

It's not for the first time that a US president fell hook line and sinker for a Russian leader. During WWII Roosevelt fell for Stalin even to the point, like Trump, they held secret meetings together and carved up vast tracts of land to become the soviet union all behind closed doors and against the wishes of the people who actually lived there.

Roosevelt wanted to administer France after WWII so there was something in it for him too. Thankfully the French and de Gaulle had other ideas and it was stopped.

History is repeating itself because the world has continued to sleepwalk into anything the US, Russia, and China wants and are addicted to the money they imagine they will get for being their dog

What Trump doesn't seem to grasp is he has little to no power in the US in comparison with the other 2. Nor that he is being used to further their expansionist aims while the US piddles about wanting small parcels of land for real estate. What a fuckwit move.

I think Putin is massaging Trump’s ego so Trump will agree to his demands without involving anyone else. Between them they’ll agree to carve up the mineral reserves so both get what they want out of it.
Putin will refuse to negotiate his terms and Trump will acquiesce and start saying what a wonderful man he is. Trump wants to be recognised as the man who stopped the war and is hoping he get the Nobel Peace Prize to prove it.
Zelensky won’t have a say or get any choice in the matter because Trump and Putin hold all the power, Europe and NATO will flap around but do nothing and Starmer will side with Zelenskyy because he hasn’t got any other options - Trump and Putin will consider Zelenskyy and Starmer as mere pawns or minor irritations.
Inevitable and look out for who Putin invades next, Poland? Romania? He might even help Trump’s moves on Greenland and Canada if the price is right?

Trump is delusional enough to think he is controlling Putin, while Putin is pulling Trump's strings like a master puppeteer.

@Zippedydodah agreed that Trump genuinely believes he should get a Nobel Peace Prize (simply because Obama got one and he doesn’t like Obama having things that he doesn’t have) and so he is pushing Ukraine and Gaza.

He couldn’t give a toss what actually happens or about the people there, he just wants the big shiny award so that he can feel better about his Daddy not loving him.

No, I don't think Trump is Putin's puppet.
I think, however, he's right in many ways, especially asking about that 300+ billion dollars.
There are more people, who didn't fall for
Mr. Zelensky's "charms".
They are not Putin's puppets.
By the way, however I try to change my view (why should I?) I'll always see Ukraine as part of the great Soviet Union. That's how it worked when
I was born and lived quite near to it all.

Trump is being played like a fiddle by Putin and he is too dumb to see it. It's horrifying to watch.

Yes he is @Thisandthatandthensome. Putin paid handsomely for Trump's presidency.

It’s like The Mooch has repeatedly said - the way to get on Trump’s good side is flattery, flattery, flattery. If you tell him/the world how great he is then he doesn’t actually care what else you do.

If I was being extremely generous I'd say that Trump has decided that it is better to have a USA/Russia relationship than force a Russia/China relationship - but honestly that might be giving him too much credit

Sorry but, no.

Russian interference in the US elections (particularly in 2016, in favor of Trump) has been absolutely and conclusively proven.

What was not proven was wilful collusion by the Trump campaign - although the Trump Tower Meeting, with Trump's sons in attendance, was deemed an instance of possible collusion, Mueller didn't think intent would be established. Mueller also declined to exonerate Trump or his campaign because, although he didn't find sufficient evidence to prove criminality, Trump and the witnesses meaningfully obstructed the investigation and repeatedly lied to the FBI.

The Steele Dossier (with the pee tape allegation) was largely not debunked but, equally, the "juicy" parts were not coroberated either.

Trump is Dunning Kruger personified. He's desperate to look like a strong alpha male so sides with Putin whom he perceives to be just such a strong man. In reality they're just two aging white males who should stfu and be put out to grass or pushed out of a window perhaps.

Thing is, even if those things were all absolutely conclusively proven, it wouldn't make any difference anyway. Trump wouldn't lose a single voter, its a cult, like Brexit, it doesn't matter how bad it gets. I can't think of a single thing Putin could possibly have that would damage Trump. Massive corruption, just shrug it off, sadistic sex video, just denied. Nothing would make a dent. This is a man who refused to accept the result of an election, has numerous criminal convictions, has been found in court to sexually assaulted (raped) a women. The American voter saw all of that and reelected him. A piss video would hardly even make the news.
I think Trump supports Putin because he admires Putin. Putin sees what he wants and just takes it, this is what Trump wants for himself and America.

Erm sorry to break it to you but the Soviet Union doesn't exist anymore. Much as Putin would love those days back.

So just because it was how you were born does not mean it has to be the same now.
The world has moved on quite a bit.

Zelensky's charms have nothing to do with anything.Putin and Russia is the aggressor invading sovereign territory of Ukraine.

They can piss off.

Interesting question op and lots of pundits are putting theories around.
Unfortunately I don't think zelensky helped matters by freaking out at the initial talks
I certainly don't blame zelensky at all but dealing with these two characters I don't think it helped.
Re trumps remarks about putin, people who have studied trump said that is how he works. That is his tactic to butter people up.
However it's also been said that Trump admires putin and he feels it's easier to work with men like putin who can get things done than say numerous heads of eu countries who simply can't.
I definitely think they admire each other strong man ethos.
Having said that I don't think for one second trump would appreciate being called putin s puppet. I also don't think Trump could have got near putin without getting expert consulting about how putin operates. I think it's ridiculous to assume that.
We all want putin to suffer and be punished for what he has done but realistically at the moment that's not happening.
The people suffering are the Russians and if course the Ukrainians

There was no freaking out. Don't try to gaslight and rewrite history. It is absolutely unacceptable to meet with your allies enemies and discuss how to split the spoils after you have blackmailed and threatened them into surrender. Anyone who thinks that is ok is two sandwiches short of a picnic.

The Russians that are suffering are free to leave Ukraine at any point and go back to Russia.

To be honest...I try not to believe more salacious allegations unless they are well evidenced...but I'm coming around to the idea that Trump is compromised.

Was interesting to hear, on TRIP US, Scaramucci saying he believes Trump to be compromised and that other former Trump WH officials believe the same.

It's one thing to re-vamp US foreign policy in an isolationist way, but Trump does seem particularly meek and pathetic in the way he deals with Putin.

Trump was compromised last time and he's compromised this time. The difference in the interim is Ukraine and Putin wants something from him. We're seeing how that plays out now.

Trump is a narcissistic dolt and although I loathe Putin, he will do circuits and bumps around him, not least because, compromised.

It would appear that the vast majority of people in Ukraine, including the democratically elected President, reject your view.

That's nonsense. Trump is his own man.

Years ago Trump said (about Putin) "I like the guy, I could work with him".

Years ago Churchill said "Jaw, jaw is better than war, war."

So let's see what can be done to negotiate an equitable settlement to hostilities.

Years ago Trump said (about Putin) "I like the guy, I could work with him".

Yes, I bet also he's quite envious of his ability to successfully rig elections.

Now that would be a far more compelling argument if the key US cards hadn’t been laid out on the table beforehand.