Trump's "Stop!" to Putin: A Penelope Pitstop Moment in Ukraine’s Crisis
A Cartoonish Plea in the Face of Brutal Reality
Trump telling Putin to "STOP!" on Truth Social gives me big Penelope Pitstop vibes - like, "Oh heeeelp! Stop this awful war, you brute!" Meanwhile, the Dastardly Putin and his chortling sidekick Dmitry ‘Mutley’ Peskov are racing ahead, launching ballistic missiles at Ukraine and mocking Western efforts to halt them in their tracks.
This image of a cartoonish Trump imploring Putin does play out like a scene from a cartoon - a desperate, over-the-top plea to a ruthless adversary that only exposes the hollowness of his approach to the Ukraine crisis.
The Kremlin will undoubtedly scoff at any plea from Trump on social media. Putin doesn’t respond to empty rhetoric or desperate cries; he only respects power. Trump’s public theatrics, no matter how loud, will do nothing to sway a leader who has spent years exploiting the West’s indecisiveness. For all his bombastic statements, Trump’s approach to Putin is as ineffective as it is hollow. Putin sees through these hollow gestures and remains unmoved by anything short of real, tangible pressure.
But there are real tangible measures that Trump has previously threatened to undertake. His administration is supposedly backing a bipartisan U.S. Senate bill that would impose secondary tariffs of up to 500% on countries buying Russian oil, gas, and other commodities if Putin fails to reach a ceasefire deal with Ukraine.
The bill, supported by 50 senators from both parties, also targets Russian sovereign debt and the "shadow fleet" of tankers used to evade sanctions. It would primarily affect China and India, Russia's largest oil customers since European imports have dwindled.
Yet it remains to be seen if Trump is prepared to impose harsher penalties, including targeting Russian energy exports and its shadow fleet. Most of the pressure coming from Washington these days is directly firmly at President Zelensky.
On Wednesday, Trump said Zelensky's refusal to consider recognising Crimea as Russian territory was "very harmful" to peace talks In a post on Truth Social, he added that Zelensky's statement would "do nothing but prolong the 'killing field,' and nobody wants that! We are very close to a Deal, but the man with 'no cards to play' should now, finally, GET IT DONE."
Intense U.S. demands on Ukraine to accept a deal now hang in the balance. Yet, in a glaring contradiction, Trump has exerted almost no significant leverage on Russia. Instead, he dangles the alluring possibility of lifting devastating U.S. economic sanctions on Moscow - if, of course, the fighting comes to a halt.
Almost 100 days into his presidency, you have to wonder whether Trump ever intended to grapple with the brutal realities of the war. The White House’s view of Zelensky as a stroppy ingrate - for refusing to surrender Crimea and other occupied lands - reveals a dangerous naivety.
Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians have died defending their homeland. To capitulate now would betray that sacrifice. Without ironclad security guarantees, Putin will simply regroup and strike again. Yet Trump’s team shows little appetite for the hard, strategic work peace demands.
Calling for an end to the war, or sending "strong messages" to Putin, may sound good on paper, but without tangible, actionable solutions, it’s akin to a child stamping their feet and demanding an end to the fight without understanding the cost of making that demand.
In the war with Ukraine, Putin has become the ultimate Dick Dastardly of the geopolitical Wacky Races - always scheming, always looking for shortcuts to victory, and relentlessly pursuing his own interests at the expense of others. Like Dastardly, whose every move is calculated to outsmart his rivals in a twisted game, Putin thrives on chaos, using misdirection, brutality, and manipulation to stay ahead.
Meanwhile, Zelensky plays the role of the determined but increasingly exhausted hero, steadfastly navigating the treacherous track in a bid to outlast the villain, all while Russia’s missiles massacre innocents in Kyiv, Odessa, and Kharkiv.
Perched on the sidelines, Trump offers his own often cartoonish interventions, promising to end the race in a day but ultimately adding to the noise. As the world watches in disbelief, waiting for Putin to slip up, the race rages on—Putin charges ahead unchecked, while international leaders scramble to respond in a game where the rules are continually bent to serve the Kremlin’s designs.