Reviewing the Trump-Putin Meeting

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Kfab's Morning News on this Monday, welcoming John Marshall Callahan
of the program from the Institute of World Politics for
he as an adjunct professor also dean, or was a
dean of the School of Graduate and Professional Studies at
New England College. John, good morning, Good to have you on.

Speaker 2 (00:18):
Hey, good morning, it's a pleasure.

Speaker 1 (00:20):
Appreciate you taking the time here. Did you have one
or two big takeaways from the Trump Putin meeting?

Speaker 2 (00:28):
Well, yeah, I think the biggest takeaway I just heard
a Secretary of State Rubio say it as I was preparing,
is that some positive may come from the talks, but
there's been no significant breakthrough. So that's number one. There's
more to do. But then the other main point would
probably be the shift and emphasis on behalf of the

(00:49):
administration from looking for a cease fire, so looking for
a comprehensive peace deal and so that those probably are
the two things that not a lot of move but
what movement there is is toward a comprehensive piece.

Speaker 1 (01:02):
Deal, which raises the specter of Putin having any interest
in doing that. And with that guy, it's always about incentives, right,
Is he exactly feeling the squeeze of the sanctions. Yet
do you think I think he is.

Speaker 2 (01:19):
I think he is, and I mean it's difficult that
the Russians are of course quite good at shutting down
what we call open source intelligence, you know, finding out
what's going on inside their country. But what we do
know is because of the sanctions, weapons quality has gone down.
They still make stuff, but you know, their missiles aren't
guided anymore, their tanks don't have the updated computer systems,

(01:42):
that that sort of thing. So we know, we know that.
But another big, big thing that probably drove Putin to
meet last week was the sanctions on India for buying
Russian oil. Basically, all Russia has as an economy is
petroleum product to sell, and when you hurt that long term,
you are hurting them.

Speaker 1 (02:01):
Absolutely right, And Rubio Rubio seemed to make the point
and look, if we put big sanction, more big sanctions
on Russia. Uh Now, a couple of things happened. Number One,
at this incentive in sense Putin to be agreeable to anything,
but more importantly, it takes them a while to kick in.
These are secondary sanctions that could be just as effective.

(02:25):
Right they have the tariffs on Indian.

Speaker 2 (02:27):
Oil, Yeah, yeah, exactly products.

Speaker 1 (02:33):
Yeah, so what do you look for today Zelensky and
several other European leaders coming to the White House.

Speaker 2 (02:40):
Well, you know what happened in the spring of Zolensky.
I think nobody has an interest on any side of
having a repeat of what happened the lost time Lensky
was over, and I don't think Zolensky probably needed to
fear that again. However, bringing the Europeans along as because

(03:01):
also you know that the US is capable of protecting
Ukraine and protecting Europe, but obviously we're increasing the word
about the price and in Europe, which has benefited from
from the US protection, needs to step up, and the
US needs to stay involved, but Europe needs to be
part of it, and they need to spend their own

(03:22):
money and their own equipment. And I think that then
showing up will be a movement in that direction, which
is something the President has been pushing for very hard.

Speaker 1 (03:31):
How do we possibly get around the fact that the
Ukrainian constitution does not allow the president to unilaterally seed
any territory.

Speaker 2 (03:43):
It's a good question, and and you know, my my
immediate response would be, you know, would we and of
course we wouldn't. But but I know that's not exactly
what you're asking. I don't know, I don't know. It
is a big, big point.

Speaker 1 (04:00):
Yeah, they I guess their parliament would have to uh
say amen, yep.

Speaker 2 (04:05):
Exactly And and and I suppose you'd look at a
fall of a government, uh you know, if if Source
decided to make a stand on that. So yeah, So
the answer is much like with us, there would have
to be a parliamentary change in in the rights that
they would have.

Speaker 1 (04:22):
So yeah, yeah, the uh yeah, the last Lensky appearance
in the Oval office was a disaster, so let's hope
we need we don't ever a repeat of that one.
So I don't know, there's so many moving parts in
it is just such a tangle. The uh. The good news,
I think if if we can believe Steve Whitgoff, and

(04:44):
I think we can the Special Envoy is that is
that Putin has said okay to a security agreement if
they reach a peace agreement. Yeah, that would involve the
European countries NATO type gun. Trump's even talked about a
potential Article five type protection.

Speaker 2 (05:01):
Plan, right, you know, right, So I like.

Speaker 1 (05:05):
That if we ever get there, if we ever get there,
doctor John Marshall Callahan Institute of World Politics. Thank you.
John here on kfab's Morning News