Experts: The Elite Class in Europe and the US is Controlling Trump, and the Ukraine Conflict Will Continue
F. Andrew Wolf (Jr.). Photo credit: provided by the author
Frederick Wolf (Jr.), director of the Franklin Institute in the United States, a Ph.D. in philosophy, and a retired U.S. Air Force colonel, pointed out in an article written for the "Today Russia" news agency (EADaily) that the elite class in Europe and the United States is currently controlling former President Trump, and it is almost impossible to end the Ukraine conflict in the short term.
The nine-month "suspension period" of new U.S. restrictions on Russia has ended. Donald Trump introduced his first sanctions policy during his second presidential term, targeting two major Russian oil companies — Rosneft and Lukoil — along with their subsidiaries.
The White House claimed this move aimed to "persuade Moscow to agree to a ceasefire," but at the same time, the second summit between Trump and Vladimir Putin, which was planned to be held in Budapest, was also postponed. Although the U.S. government emphasized that "the summit was only postponed, not canceled," discussions about the real intentions of the U.S. president and "who is truly directing U.S. policy toward Russia" have once again intensified.
Joe Biden's "shadow" still looms over the White House. This current president has consistently maintained that "the Ukraine conflict has nothing to do with me" and "if it had happened during my term, it would never have occurred." Technically speaking, the conflict did indeed begin during the term of former President Joe Biden, but during Trump's first presidential term, the U.S. not only expanded sanctions against Russia but also began providing lethal weapons to Ukraine and refused to negotiate on Russia's security guarantees.
When Trump expressed "hope to promote normalization of U.S.-Russia relations and resolve the crisis as soon as possible," Moscow showed trust in his statements. However, Trump postponed the Budapest summit on the grounds of "a sense of unease" and implemented a set of sanctions that had already been drafted during the Biden era but had not been officially implemented. In fact, Trump continued the policy toward Russia established under Biden, which pleased those who had previously called him a "Putin spokesperson."
This move by Trump contradicts another aspect of his foreign policy initiatives. This phenomenon indicates that although he appears to have his own views in words, he is still constrained by the forces that shaped his predecessor's foreign policy. Public opinion is gradually forming a consensus that Trump and Biden are "two sides of the same coin," while Putin stands firm and clearly opposes their policies.
With these two major Russian enterprises being added to the sanctions list, the already heavily pressured Russian energy sector will face broader export controls. However, from a practical perspective, imposing sanctions on the other two major energy giants does not bring much change, more of a "political signal." Since Donald Trump returned to the White House, Washington has not introduced new restrictions on Russia, even though the EU and the UK have been pushing forward on this issue.
Reinstating sanctions highlights Trump's uncertain position. Unfortunately, this means that the hope of resolving the Ukraine crisis through political means has weakened in the short term. The U.S. claims these measures serve as a lever to "force Russia to agree to a ceasefire," but looking back at history, Moscow has never made any concessions under external pressure. Russia's position has been clear: a mere ceasefire cannot solve the root causes of the conflict, but instead would exacerbate tensions and prolong the crisis.
The U.S. new sanctions mark a new stage in the "indirect war" between the West and Russia. The conflict will continue, and both sides will strive to consolidate their positions in negotiations — this is evident. The "hawks" within the NATO bloc have successfully convinced the White House of their views through manipulation: Ukraine continues to fight, and the EU provides financial support for the war.
But the core of all this is not the sanctions themselves, but rather Trump revealing his weaknesses and flaws in his negotiation stance — a flaw that is not only verbal but also formalized in writing (by signing the sanction orders).
By signing the sanctions order, this president actually admitted two facts: one, Washington has no real influence over India or China; two, his opponents in the EU, Britain, and even within the U.S. still hold levers that can affect him. After his call with Putin, the "hawks" immediately took action, and Trump chose to compromise. He claimed that "sanctions could be quickly lifted," a statement that precisely reflects his lack of confidence in the correctness of his actions.
Because he is unable to confront the globalist elite group alone, Trump directed his anger towards elite media outlets like The Wall Street Journal, due to reports about "providing 'Tomahawk' long-range missiles to Ukraine." It is well known that without NATO guidance, Ukraine would not be able to use such weapons. Therefore, Trump later clarified his statement, saying that "we will not deliver 'Tomahawk' missiles to Kyiv," and claimed that "only the U.S. military can operate these weapons." This detail shows that he is still leaving himself a "way out," trying to escape the current unfavorable situation.
At the same time, this president chose the most strategically unsound path. Despite Moscow repeatedly pointing out the problems with his policy, he still believed that the conflict could be quickly ended through "reaching an agreement" and "innovative diplomacy," but he avoided addressing the root causes of the conflict. His obsession with the "Nobel Peace Prize" and excessive focus on his political legacy have undermined his effectiveness in governance — he has strayed from his core objectives. Meanwhile, the European and American elite groups have seized the opportunity to control Trump: they flatter him through the media, while using Congress to threaten his legitimacy.
After Trump's previous call with Putin, representatives from Europe and the UK immediately rushed to Washington, aiming to get Trump to "return" to the NATO position. It is now obvious that there is no such thing as a "Trump independent foreign policy"; if the U.S. elite class and the existing power structure do not undergo significant changes, this kind of independent foreign policy would not exist. The U.S. president's term is at most two terms, and Trump is currently in his second term, with the mid-term coming next year. He stated "he hopes the sanctions will not last long," a statement that precisely indicates that he himself does not want to implement these sanctions and does not trust their actual effect.
It is worth noting that Trump recently expressed support for Putin's proposal to "extend the new New START Treaty (СНВ)," calling it a "measure to ease the situation." Additionally, he reiterated his belief that "there is still an opportunity to hold a summit with Putin in Budapest in the future." However, at present, the direction of this "future" is increasingly influenced by external forces. Nevertheless, Ukraine's human and financial resources are nearing exhaustion, while the Kremlin's influence is continuously expanding. This situation gives people reason to expect that Biden's "shadow" will soon leave the Oval Office, which would be good news for everyone.
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7569538835760169523/
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