The ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus once said, “All things flow, nothing stays.”
This kind of flow seems to have accelerated into a dizzying rhythm.
People who are following the situation between Russia and Ukraine have suddenly made a new discovery:
On August 21st, Trump suddenly posted two messages in a row, implying that he was advocating for a Ukrainian attack on the territory of Russia.
Just a week ago, he and Putin were having a good talk in Alaska, and even Zelensky and European leaders’ visit to the White House didn’t shake his determination.
It is difficult, if not impossible, to win a war without attacking the aggressor country. It’s like an excellent team in sports that is not allowed to attack despite having great defense, they have no hope of winning! This is precisely the case for Ukraine and Russia.
Joe Biden, who is dishonest and incompetent, only allows Ukraine to defend and does not allow it to counterattack. What are the results? If I were the president at that time, this war would never happen – the chance is zero. The future is full of hope!!!
Finally, three iconic exclamation marks; signed by President Donald Trump.
Although there are few words involved, big things are happening in the situation between Russia and Ukraine. What is Trump up to again?
There are still several new trends emerging from this post.
First, he accused Russia of being an aggressor country. This is Trump’s first time qualifying Russia in this manner.
Second, he rarely spoke up for Ukraine, implying that he would provide offensive weapons to attack the territory of Russia.
Third, he reiterated his consistent statement that if he were the US president at that time, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine would not have occurred, and Biden bears responsibility for it.
Just when people are skeptical about his sudden change of stance, Trump, who is still enthusiastic about it, posted two comparison photos.
The next photo is the famous “kitchen debate.” In 1959, at the opening ceremony of the American National Exhibition in Moscow, Vice President Nixon and Soviet leader Khrushchev had a fierce debate on the ideological differences between the East and West as well as nuclear war.
The kitchen appliance display area became known as the “kitchen debate” due to this event. Nixon’s right index finger pointing at Khrushchev’s chest naturally demonstrated his tough stance on the Soviet Union.
Trump is likely to use this as a comparison. Therefore, the other photo he posted is a picture of him pointing at Putin with his right index finger during their meeting in Alaska.
As we often say, a picture is worth a thousand words.
However, we must be more vigilant in terms of dissemination, as pictures and videos can sometimes deceive people more easily.
There often exists an abyss between appearance and reality.
Trump points at Putin, showing his strength. But people also need to be clear that a few days ago, he rolled out the red carpet to personally welcome Putin at the airport.
Not to mention, Putin also pointed at Trump.
Is Putin showing strength or closeness?
Regardless, Trump’s two photos and two tweets should convey a clear message.
The first is intended for Putin.
It should also be pressure on Putin, with serious consequences if he doesn’t agree to a ceasefire. It cannot be ruled out that the United States will provide offensive weapons to Ukraine to attack Russia.
As for the “aggressor country”, don’t take it too seriously.
Trump has a big mouth and is also prone to making mistakes, such as mistakenly saying he went to Russia when referring to Alaska.
As Nietzsche said, “There is no truth, only interpretation” in international politics, and it all depends on who is interpreting and why.
The second is intended for Europe and Ukraine.
After a stick, comes a carrot. Don’t be too anxious, I am not biased towards Russia; look, I have characterized Russia as an “aggressor country”, haven’t I?
Moreover, Biden is too incompetent and has tied up Ukraine’s hands; if I get serious, I can provide any offensive weapons.
Germany, why don’t you provide Taurus missiles too?
The third is intended for Trump’s critics.
Aren’t you criticizing me for being too polite and weak towards Putin, and too arrogant and snobbish towards Europe and Ukraine?
不得不要说，现在许多西方漫画家最喜欢画的，就是特朗普对普京殷勤的画面。
But look, there are people like me who are tough on Putin.
I can compare with Nixon’s tough stance on Kruschev.
Moreover, I still have many tricks left, and cannot rule out providing offensive weapons to Ukraine.
Since we are going to fight, let’s just do it.
Of course, Europe, make sure you have the money ready to buy US arms first, and then deliver them to Ukraine.
In general, these two tweets also reveal Trump’s two distinct characteristics.
The first characteristic is his mutability and uncertainty.
In this world, the only thing we can be certain of is Trump’s uncertainty. After all, the only thing that can overthrow Trump is the Trump of a few minutes later.
Changing orders frequently is considered a big taboo in governing a country; but for Trump, it’s a common occurrence.
There is a joke that Trump attended a meeting and finally made a decision, which made everyone relieved, but when he went out and had a chat with the security guard, he changed his mind again, making everyone frustrated.
The second characteristic is that Trump likes to show his strength but he is actually extremely intelligent. So, if you look at his social media accounts, he seems to contradict everything and everyone around him. Whether it is Macron, Stamer or Merkel and Trudeau in the past, he has criticized them severely. Not to mention Biden, who is often used as a target by Trump. Biden also feels helpless about this because Trump is the one who always remembers him in the American political scene.
However, don’t underestimate Trump’s emotional intelligence. There is great skill in who he criticizes, how he criticizes, and when he criticizes. Machiavelli has already pointed out in “The Prince” that true power lies in accurately displaying strength and the timing of compromise.
Some friends analyzed that even though Trump’s two tweets above strongly scolded Russia and even used the unprecedented term “aggressive country,” he did not name Putin directly but pointed the spearhead at Biden instead. Biden, after all, you are just too incompetent.
Moreover, when seven European leaders visited the White House to stand up for Zelensky, Trump not only let them sit in small chairs and listen to him lecture in the White House, but also avenged the “six major powers attacking the光明顶” incident from years ago. According to Western media reports, during this White House meeting, Von Der Leyen spoke a lot about the missing children incident, which made Trump very unhappy and even kicked her out of the meeting room at one point because he wanted to talk with real national leaders. It’s like one thing克制another thing. Von Der Leyen, do you know about this?
Finally, back to the original question, has Trump changed? His words have changed, but I don’t think he has truly changed. He just spoke more empty words and made more headlines. Besides, even if he really changed, he would probably change back again in a few days. A 180-degree turnaround or even a 360-degree or 720-degree dance is definitely a huge challenge for others, but it is just a routine for Trump.