The normally strident Donald Trump defenders at “Fox & Friends” took a rare moment to (gently) admonish the president Friday, warning it appears he’s getting played by Russian President Vladimir Putin in the effort to secure peace in Ukraine.
Describing Russia’s war in Ukraine in stark terms, co-host Brian Kilmeade made it clear that, contrary to Russia’s portrayal of the war to Trump, it’s not going well for them.
“The way Ukrainians are fighting has embarrassed Russia to no end,” he said, noting Russia’s been forced to conscript prisoners and recruit fighters from North Korea who go to war backed by Iranian weapons.
While Russia has the advantage of time, because Putin destroyed all of the country’s checks and balances, that doesn’t mean Trump needs to capitulate if Putin refuses to make concessions.
“Vladimir Putin, I think, to a degree, is embarrassing President Trump when he bombed Kyiv in this brutal attack,” Kilmeade said, referring to the barrage of missiles Russia hit the Ukrainian capital with Thursday, killing scores of civilians.
After the bombing, Trump was reduced to begging Putin to stop via social media: “Vladimir, STOP!”
“Trump is giving Russia an open door to end this war,” Kilmeade assessed, but, “if [Putin] is going to embarrass the president … it’s going to get worse.”
Kilmeade’s points were emphasized later in the segment during an interview with retired Army Gen. Jack Keane, who sharply criticized Putin and the Russians for their conduct both at the negotiating table and on the battlefield.
With his attacks on civilians in Kyiv, Putin is going “full-throttle,” Keane observed. He also noted the Russians walked away from a “reasonable” 30-day ceasefire, whereas the Ukrainians were on board.
″[Putin] is the problem here,” Keane said. “He has been the problem from the beginning because he obviously invaded a country illegally. And he committed genocide. He’s a thug and he’s a killer and he’s a war criminal.”
The general predicted that Putin would only participate in peace negotiations if he thinks they’ll make Ukraine vulnerable to a future attack.
“Russia fully intends to take control of Ukraine and then also other countries in Eastern Europe,” Keane concluded.
That’s likely news to Trump, who told reporters Thursday he thinks the only concession Russia needs to make is to “not take the whole country.” Russia has been attempting ― and failing ― to take the whole country since February 2022.