MICHAEL WALSH REPORT: January 22 and the ominous headlines in the Russian Press suggest a future Washington on steroids. ‘Trump offers Putin a Deal.’

In the American lexicon, a deal is synonymous with “Trump offers Putin an ultimatum.” This can be interpreted as “my way or highway.”

Trump’s ascendancy and ultimatum brought to mind the wisdom of Sir Robert Walpole, the United Kingdom’s first prime minister.

“They may ring their bells now but tomorrow they will wring their hands.”

Be afraid, be very afraid. Historically, a deeply indebted United States relies on war to stimulate growth. Up for grabs – an expression seemingly coined by Donald Trump – are Canada, Greenland, Panama Canal – and Russia or China.

Day 2 of Donald Trump’s presidency: ​The US president has urged Moscow to end the Ukrainian conflict ‘the easy way’ by threatening sanctions and much else if Russia fails to comply.

Donald Trump’s ‘Foreign Relations for Dummies’ or ‘Diplomacy for Beginners.’ Ultimatums, regime change, trade tariffs, threats and sanctions.

Russia’s response has already been voiced. ‘Excuse my language but we don’t give a s**t about sanctions’ says Viktor Tatarintsev the Ukrainian-born Russian ambassador to Sweden writing for the Swedish newspaper group Stockholm Aftonbladet.

A Russian spokesman says Biden has already imposed 6,400 sanctions so ‘the duct tape has run out.’

Besides, Sanctions work two ways: Putin is considering sanctioning the export of platinum, radioactive chemicals, mineral chemicals, and potash fertilizers. ‘Go ahead make my day.’

Echoing the words of former US President Barack Obama and the recently deposed President Joe Biden, ‘I am going to do Russia, whose economy is failing, a very big favor. Settle now and stop this ridiculous war or it will get worse,’ Trump asserted.

One can hear applause raising the rafters at the Brussels headquarters of the European Union – and in the Kyiv parliament (RADA).

Firing from the quip, Russian President Putin retorts: “We are worried about only one thing. How not to catch a cold at your funeral?​”

Doing things Trump’s way appears to be a reversal of Winston Churchill’s adage’ “To jaw-jaw is always better than war-war.”

Trump falsely claims a harmonious relationship with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin. He says he understands Russia well. Does he?

Then why isn’t Trump aware that rather than tanking the Russian economy has catapulted to fourth position in the world?

Before the Christmas tree lights were doused the International Monetary Fund (IMF) congratulated Russia on its economic growth (8%) U.S. 5.6%. Eurozone 1%.

Washington’s foot-in-the-door salesman is as foot-in-the-mouth as Joe Bidens’s. Trump claims Russia sacrificed 60 million in its 1941-1945 war against the Reich​ —​ a preposterous trebling of the victims claimed by Soviet dictator Josef Stalin.

So far so inglorious but how do Europeans view the phoenix-like flames of a resurgent America?

With trepidation accompanied by an air of wait and see. The latter is because of 1) Mixed signals coming from Washington and 2). Allowance is being made for Trump’s headline-grabbing but otherwise vacuous hustling.

The fact that China has their glad eye on some of Germany’s defunct Volkswagen plants tells you all you need to know about the state of the EU and UK Kingdom’s economy.

Yes, it is bad: If the European Union was your average American or European consumer, further borrowing would be curtailed.

Since the beginning of 2025, the British pound has been the weakest currency among developed countries. The economy has shown near-zero growth throughout 2024.

In previous years, Britain repeatedly slipped into a technical recession (GDP has contracted for two quarters in a row). London’s Square Mile may need to go cap in hand to the International Monetary Fund. 

If, as he proposes, Donald Trump raises the trade drawbridge whilst digging the Atlantic moat deeper and wider. Perhaps the EU and UK will see the writing on the wall only when their backs are up against it.

Unquestionably, Europe and the UK are ​being thrown into the long grass by US President Donald Trump.

Is Russian expansionism a matter of concern? I think not. Putin has repeated that Russia has no designs on Ukraine outside of the disputed territories. Russia’s head of state described Russian aggression on Europe as ‘absurd.’

Why believe him? Russia lacks the means to attack any NATO member. And, apart from trouble and profitless expense what on earth have these territories got that Russia needs or wants?

But let us not miss an opportunity to profit from creating a war psychosis which offers plunder of taxpayer-funded resources, opportunity for personal aggrandizement, and an opportunity to blame Putin for failures in EU foreign policy, principally the back-firing anti-Russian sanctions.

What we can be certain of is a serious breach in Atlantic Alliance relations. Britain and Europe are on the economic ropes. Caught between a rock and a hard place, both depend on bluster to deter Russia in the event of Putin facing down Donald Trump.

There are several hot spots: Russia has guaranteed the independence of the Panama Canal. American occupation of Greenland would be a declaration of war on Europe,

A Trump ultimatum on Ukraine could trigger a Russian naval fleet on America’s Western and Eastern seaboard. Trump is seemingly a Man for all Reasons. PLEASE ENLIGHTEN OTHERS BY SHARING OUR STORIES

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