
Will Trump's threats be enough to pull Putin to the table for peace talks?
After a day in the office he tells her he had a nice chat with Vladimir but then when she puts the TV on, she says 'Oh really, he's bombed a nursing home', which upsets the President.
How's that for a glimpse of geo-politics Chez Trump?
As a result of too many chats followed by too many strikes President Trump, who just a few weeks ago suspended military aid to the Ukrainians, not for the first time, has decided he's going to arm them.
Quite how many Patriots is, in true Trump style not entirely clear, but they will get some. In further Trump style, with America First, Nato members will pay for them.
If that's not enough to get Russia to the table, and in reality it's probably not, he's proposing further tariffs and other financial penalties in 50 days.
The target of extra tariffs would be on countries doing business with Russia, but it's doubtful it will be all those countries, some of which are allies of the US - and also doubtful how firmly they will be enforced if they even come into play at all.
On a balmy Saturday in May, in Kyiv, I listened to the British, French and German leaders demand Russia sign up to an unconditional ceasefire with huge financial penalties if said ceasefire didn't materialise by Monday. It was a proposal apparently backed by Donald Trump.
A few hours later President Putin offered unconditional talks -but ignored the ceasefire demand and the talks have been pretty pointless.
Ukraine is now under aerial bombardment as never before and the number of civilian deaths and injures in June is at a record high. There's nothing to say there won't be a similar move this time.
It is going to take more than the threat of more financial sanctions to really shift this war.
There is of course, relief in Kyiv that President Trump seems to have mellowed in his position towards Ukraine, however there is no sense of security in that.
After he humiliated President Zelenskyy's in the Oval Office, nothing is for certain anymore, and there's no belief that even when he's playing nice, the US leader can be relied on.
Within a few hours of the President's threats, the missiles were hitting civilians again. In one of their last calls Putin warned he would escalate over the next 60 days.
That's one presidential promise the Ukrainians can be sure of.

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Western Telegraph
22 minutes ago
- Western Telegraph
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The Independent
29 minutes ago
- The Independent
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The Guardian
30 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Ukraine awaiting details on ‘billions of dollars' worth of weapons promised by Trump
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