By Matt Underwood Trump says he spoke with Putin ahead of the Zelenskiy meeting, and honestly, where do we even begin with this? The immediate reaction, and the one that seems to be echoing, is a mixture of bewilderment and a grim kind of predictability. It’s like watching a movie you’ve seen a hundred times; you know the plot twists, the dialogue, everything, but you’re still sitting there, waiting for it to play out.
The fact that Trump felt the need to have a conversation with Putin *before* meeting with Zelenskiy, the Ukrainian president, is the core of the issue. It immediately raises questions, doesn’t it? What was discussed? What was the purpose? Why was it necessary for Trump to essentially “check in” with Putin before sitting down with Zelenskiy? The implication, and it’s difficult to ignore, is that Trump was seeking instructions, guidance, or perhaps even a blessing from Putin on how to approach the meeting.
The tone of the situation is truly unsettling. We have the leader of a nation, the United States, supposedly negotiating a peace deal in a long-running war, and before doing so, he seemingly feels the need to consult with the opposing side. It’s like a referee consulting with one team’s coach before the game even starts. This isn’t how diplomacy is typically conducted. It’s not how you build trust or try to achieve a fair outcome. It feels more like a puppet seeking direction from its master.
The whole scenario is compounded by the comments around the meeting itself. It’s being described as a “show,” to be held at Mar-a-Lago with the press invited. This feels more like a carefully staged performance than a serious attempt at peacemaking. The suspicion is that this is less about diplomacy and more about optics and playing to a certain narrative. The details of the meeting, the location, the invited press all contribute to the impression of a performance, a spectacle designed to create a specific impression.
The other thing that’s hard to shake is the sense of déjà vu. This pattern of Trump seemingly prioritizing Putin’s interests over those of the United States, or even Ukraine, has been a recurring theme. The idea that Trump might be “compromised,” that he might be beholden to Putin in some way, is a shadow that has followed him throughout his time in office and persists. It’s the elephant in the room that everyone’s trying not to acknowledge openly, but is hard to ignore with the recent headlines.
The predictions that emerge from the comments are also extremely telling. Many expect the meeting to follow a predictable script: Trump will present some kind of deal, possibly one that favors Russia; Zelensky will reject it; and then Trump will turn to the press and place the blame on Zelensky for the lack of progress. That’s the narrative that’s been consistently seen before and it’s hard to imagine that the play would be different this time.
The calls for accountability are prominent. There is the feeling that this situation is, at best, deeply unethical, and at worst, potentially treasonous. Many wonder why there aren’t more investigations, more scrutiny, more consequences. The perceived lack of accountability and the continued acceptance of this behavior contribute to the prevailing sense of unease.
The fact that Trump’s messaging on Ukraine and Russia has been inconsistent, and often seems to change on a whim, only adds to the suspicion. This kind of flexibility, depending on who’s being spoken to or what will benefit him politically, is a cause of alarm. It reinforces the perception that Trump is not acting in the best interests of his country or its allies.
Finally, the whole episode just feeds a sense of exhaustion. It’s another cycle in a seemingly endless loop of scandals, controversies, and troubling behavior. The feeling is that we’re caught on a relentless merry-go-round, forced to witness the same patterns of behavior play out over and over again, with no real resolution in sight. The public’s desire to get off this ride is real.