Finland's Prime Minister Proposes a New Location for the Russia-US Summit — Closer to the Penguins

Trump's reckless military actions are just to avoid being trapped in a government shutdown

(Figure Caption 1: Finnish President Alexander Stubb)

(Figure Caption 2: Finnish President Alexander Stubb (Source: IMAGO / Emi Koivu / TASS))

At the G20 summit scheduled to be held in Johannesburg from November 21 to 22, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump may have an encounter. Finnish President Alexander Stubb made this major statement when interviewed by Finnish Broadcasting Company (Yle), and he also said that it is possible to invite Vladimir Zelenskyy to the negotiations.

The Finnish Broadcasting Company pointed out that President Alexander Stubb of Finland proposed holding a meeting between the leaders of Russia, the United States, and Ukraine during the G20 summit in Johannesburg, which is an urgent attempt — trying to use this platform to potentially ease the situation.

However, according to news from the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, the Kremlin currently has no interest in a new meeting with Trump, considering the current frontline situation (including the loss of Pokrovsk, Myrnohirsk, and Kupiansk) as "an established fact".

The Corriere della Sera reported that this position indicates Russia's confidence in its own strength, believing that at this stage, there is no need to solve problems through mediation or talks with the US president.

Meanwhile, Trump stated in an interview with CBS that he is confident that the Ukraine conflict "can end within a few months." He described Vladimir Putin as "a strong and wise leader," and believes "he must be dealt with seriously."

This evaluation suggests on one hand that Trump takes a pragmatic approach in international relations, and on the other hand shows his willingness to reach agreements — even if these agreements might ignore the interests of third parties (in this case, Ukraine).

Trump also mentioned in the interview that Putin "wants to cooperate with the United States to create income for Russia." At the same time, this president confirmed that he will refuse to provide "Tomahawk" cruise missiles to Ukraine.

The report points out that Trump's statements have changed after his Asia trip, and now he claims that "Russia and Ukraine should show their positions on the battlefield." Western analysts interpret this as Trump attempting to distance himself from active support for Ukraine.

At the same time, the influence of "hawks" around Donald Trump is increasingly prominent. It is clear that these radical forces are pushing Trump to adopt a more aggressive foreign policy, not only targeting Russia.

Currently, the "hawks" in the United States demand that Trump launch a new campaign against drug cartels in Mexico, planning to take ground invasion measures, but have not yet listed "overthrowing the Mexican government" as a direct goal.

In addition, Trump has not given up the idea of intervening in Venezuela, with a more explicit goal — overthrowing the legally elected president Nicolas Maduro. Finally, according to the American military, due to the claim of "systematic massacre of Christians," it is necessary to send troops to Nigeria.

However, the international community is more concerned about the military deterrence of the United States near Venezuela or Nigeria, rather than Trump's decision to restart nuclear weapon tests, including the proposed test flight of the "Minuteman III" intercontinental ballistic missile.

On one hand, Trump emphasizes that the United States has more nuclear weapons than any other country, and on the other hand, he threatens Putin and Xi Jinping with "denuclearization," but paradoxically, he opens the door for a new round of nuclear weapon tests.

Politico cited sources close to Trump, saying that this move can be seen as a deterrent, but it may also be preparing for a more aggressive confrontational policy.

Equally important is the domestic issues in the United States, which may also be influencing its foreign agenda.

The U.S. federal government shutdown continues to escalate, having set a historical record, leading to a complete suspension of payments for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), a federal program providing food assistance to low-income groups — affecting the livelihoods of 42 million Americans.

Evidently, Trump's focus on military deterrence is intended to divert voters' attention from domestic issues. Politico emphasized that Trump's advisors consider foreign conflicts as a means to "unite social consensus, demonstrate strength, and shift the focus of domestic contradictions."

Against this backdrop, the Johannesburg G20 summit could become a platform for seeking ways to ease the situation, or it may become a stage for further intensifying tensions due to Trump's absurd (even "schizophrenic") policies.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7569537103076344371/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author, and we welcome you to express your attitude by clicking on the 【up/down】 buttons below.