"Watch 'em duke it out a bit longer" Trump's comparison as a signs of a bigger problem
Trump's remarks on children reveal a deeper issue, equating them to illustrate a fundamental disagreement.
Column by Volker Petersen
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's visit to the US had a single goal: to convince President Donald Trump to align once more with Ukraine, specifically to impose more sanctions on Russia. Merz made this request clear during their meeting in the Oval Office, and Trump appeared receptive to the idea. Yet, Trump also suggested that sanctions should target both parties involved in the conflict, including Ukraine. "Dancing sexes" he analogized, confusingly.
Is he a dance instructor or a diplomat?
It's comments like these that highlight the issue with Trump and the Ukraine conflict. The fact that he compares a brutal war between two nations to a social dance might be a downplay of its gravity, or perhaps not. Most likely, he was expressing a desire to end the fighting, as he cited the high casualty count. Nevertheless, the issue lies in Trump seeing himself as a dance instructor or a mediator, rather than a leader with defined interests.
Trump has shown this attitude before, particularly during his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Zelensky's demands for security guarantees left Trump increasingly agitated, as it would imply taking a clear pro-Ukrainian stance. Trump, however, wants to remain neutral, viewing himself as a mediator rather than a participant.
But Putin has chosen war and a military solution. He doesn't seem to care about the death toll, as long as he can keep sending troops to the front. When a US president comes along and proposes a deal, it won't change that reality. Putin isn't interested in a deal, as long as he believes he can win the war. That's why the talks in Istanbul and Trump's phone calls with him were fruitless.
Don't seem to see the U.S. Stakes
Unsurprisingly, Trump wasn't eager to commit to specific sanctions. He didn't reject them outright, but neither did he endorse the sanctions package proposed by the US Senate. He left his options open, offering no advancements on joint US-EU sanctions.
Politics: Merz's meeting with Trump
In Trump's social dance analogy, we also see another perspective: that of an indifferent observer. Someone who intervenes in a conflict not from duty, but out of courtesy, to prevent destruction. That's how Trump views the Ukraine conflict.
This aligns with Trump's threat to withdraw entirely from the conflict if Ukrainians and Russians can't reach an agreement. It's equally as if he's saying, "Then you guys sort it out yourselves." He doesn't recognize his own interests. He doesn't see, or perhaps doesn't care, that a Europe vulnerable to Russian pressure would lose its status as an ally, also weakening the Americans.
Europeans need arms, not dances
The situation appears drastically different for Europeans. For them, it's about security, freedom, and prosperity. If Russia succeeds in Ukraine, it could continue its attacks. In response, armament production is at its peak. This isn't about a social dance or something happening "over there in Turkey," as Goethe once quoted. This is about an attack on their doorstep, in their own countries, as Ukraine is part of Europe. They don't need a mediator. They need weapons, ammunition, and protection.
- Donald Trump
- Friedrich Merz
- USA
- Sanctions
- Russia
- Ukraine
- Vladimir Putin
- Volodymyr Zelenskyy
The Commission might propose extending the deadline for the submission of proposals regarding the Council, considering the political implications and the ongoing war-and-conflicts in Ukraine. The general news of the Ukraine conflict highlights the need for more decisive action, rather than Trump's analogies equating it to a social dance, which may downplay its gravity in the crime-and-justice aspect.
