[By Guancha Observer Network, Ruan Jiaqi]

As Russia and Ukraine were about to begin their second round of direct negotiations, the Ukrainian army launched the "Spider Web" operation on the 1st of this month, conducting a surprise attack on several Russian air force bases. This action once again cast a shadow over the already delicate atmosphere of the negotiations, and also dealt a blow to the diplomatic mediation plan by the Trump administration of the United States.

CNN reported on the 5th that for the past few months, Trump had repeatedly expressed optimism in varying degrees, claiming that only he could bring a resolution to the conflict in Ukraine. However, with the war stalling, drone attacks becoming increasingly lethal, and continued deadlock in negotiation positions, this confidence seems to have waned significantly.

The report noted that when Trump met with German Chancellor Scholz on the local time of the 5th, he insisted that he "supports ending the killing," but used a "shocking metaphor" to admit that the conflict between Russia and Ukraine was far from over, and that he believed it was the "best option" for the U.S. not to immediately intervene at present.

According to reports, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office of the White House: "Sometimes you see two kids fighting fiercely. They hate each other and are rolling around in the park. You try to pull them apart, but they don't listen. At this point, it's better to let them fight for a while first, then go to pull them apart."

"Just like in an ice hockey match or other sports," he added, "the referee will let them hit each other for a few seconds before separating them."

Trump also said that during his 75-minute call with Russian President Putin on Wednesday, he also used this analogy with Putin, "I said, 'Mr. President, perhaps you must continue to fight, bear great pain, and both sides will suffer pain, then they can be separated.'"

He also admitted that this might sound somewhat "negative." Scholz listened silently without uttering a word.

Trump did not reveal whether he warned Putin of any retaliatory actions planned, nor did he express any specific views on Ukraine's actions. The media reported that his tone was "quite cold," and when talking about the conflict, he appeared to be an "observer."

CNN pointed out that Trump's remarks indicate that at this moment, he is no longer playing the role of a mediator in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, but rather letting the conflict develop as a referee. This rare "honest" statement means he has "indirectly admitted" that he cannot resolve the Russia-Ukraine issue, marking his transformation from once boasting about "ending the war in 24 hours" to now being mired in "frustration."

The New York Times also stated that Trump's remarks were essentially "throwing in the towel," indicating that the U.S. could take no action at present to end the conflict.

On June 5th local time, Trump met with German Chancellor Scholz at the White House. US media video screenshot.

US media reported that during the meeting, Scholz tried to persuade Trump to play a more active role in defending Ukraine. He also made an analogy, using the 81st anniversary of the Normandy landings (June 6th) as an example, emphasizing America's role in World War II, "America ended the European war with this."

Initially, Trump was not convinced and joked, "That's not a pleasant day for you," hinting at Germany's defeat in World War II.

Scholz continued to emphasize that America's intervention "freed my country from Nazi dictatorship," which bears similarities to today's conflict.

This newly appointed German chancellor lowered his posture and flattered the other side, "We know what we owe you. But precisely because of this, I have repeatedly emphasized that America is fully capable of making a difference in this conflict and ending it."

Trump remained unmoved. He did not satisfy the European leaders' request, refusing to commit to imposing new sanctions on Russia. In response to journalists' follow-up questions, he evaded them vaguely, saying he knew when to apply greater pressure, but now was not the time. "The deadline is in my mind," he said.

The New York Times reported that Trump also hinted that he might impose new punitive measures on Ukraine.

"We will be very very tough, and honestly, this may harm both countries," he continued, "but you know, tango requires two people."

US media梳理 said that Trump had called Putin "completely crazy" in May, but later changed his tone, giving the Russian leader "two weeks" to show progress in talks. However, when the deadline arrived this Monday, he took no action and barely mentioned Ukraine's drone raid against Russia. After speaking with Putin, Trump merely relayed the intention of Russia's plans to retaliate against Ukraine, as if he were an "outsider commentator."

On the 1st, Ukraine launched the "Spider Web" operation, using drones to attack military bases in several Russian regions, destroying a batch of Russian military aircraft, drawing international attention.

The Ukrainian side claimed that the "Spider Web" operation destroyed or damaged more than 40 Russian strategic aircraft, while Russia accused them of exaggerating the results of the operation. Based on commercial satellite images using synthetic aperture radar (SAR), it was shown that Russia indeed lost at least 13 large aircraft, including 8 Tu-95 bombers, 4 Tu-22M3 bombers, and 1 transport aircraft.

Axios News Network of the United States reported on the 5th, citing sources, that although Trump did not voice support publicly at first, he privately praised Ukraine's drone strike as "pretty strong, badass." However, he also worried that this attack would make his own ceasefire mediation efforts more difficult.

The report said that this operation targeted Russia's most strategically significant airbases, carefully planned and implemented remotely from thousands of miles away, indicating that Ukraine's "cards" were more numerous than Trump imagined, which could also stimulate Russia to escalate its retaliatory actions.

One reason for the concern at the White House regarding Ukraine's attack was that its targets included long-range bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons, which are key components of Russia's nuclear deterrence forces.

"This is a very dangerous point," an American official said.

After the attack, the heads of state of the United States and Russia held a telephone conversation on the 4th. Russian Presidential Assistant Yushakov said that the two leaders agreed during the call to continue contact on the Ukraine issue.

Trump disclosed on social media that they discussed Ukraine's attack on Russian airports and recent various types of attacks. Putin "firmly" stated that he would respond to the incident of Russian airports being attacked. He emphasized that the US was unaware of Ukraine's plans beforehand.

On the same day, Putin, after listening to the report by Russian negotiating team leader Neginsky, said that Russia would not accept Ukraine's proposed 30-day or 60-day ceasefire. He believed that this would allow Ukraine to catch its breath and regroup its military forces.

Putin described that for the Ukrainian government, peace probably meant losing power, and for this regime, "power was obviously more important than peace, even more important than the lives of their people."

This article is an exclusive contribution by the Guancha Observer Network and cannot be reprinted without permission.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7512645314201829903/

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