The Post Call Pivot: From Broker to Servant

john raymond
May 19
2 min read

Here are the takeaways from the May 19th, 2025 Trump phone call with Putin. They are based on Trump's own Truth Social post...

1. Framing Putin as a Partner

“The tone and spirit of the conversation were excellent.”

Trump immediately sets the tone: Putin is reasonable, open, cooperative. Not a dictator waging an illegal war. Not a war criminal under sanction. No, here he is painted as a visionary trading partner. This is the pivot: Putin is no longer the villain — he’s the co-author of peace. This sets the foundation for shifting blame onto Ukraine when things inevitably fall apart.

2. Framing Ukraine as Equal — But Isolated

“The conditions… will be negotiated between the two parties… because they know details… that nobody else would be aware of.”

This is strategic abandonment. It removes the West as guarantor of Ukrainian sovereignty. Trump is giving Russia the unfettered power to define the terms. It erodes allied solidarity. It pretends Ukraine is entering the negotiation on equal footing — when, in fact, Trump is reinforcing Putin’s leverage by erasing Western involvement. This isn’t diplomacy. This is forced isolation disguised as neutrality.

3. The Bait: Trade with Russia

“Russia wants to do largescale TRADE with the United States… I agree.”

This is where Trump leaks his real goal. It’s not peace. It’s normalization of relations with Russia. His praise for Putin’s economic potential is the rhetorical carrot, and his silence on Russia’s crimes is the concession. He’s already selling out Ukraine’s suffering in exchange for the illusion of economic reward. He’s inviting Russia back into the global market before a single term of the war’s end has been seriously discussed.

4. Ukraine as Afterthought

“Ukraine can be a great beneficiary on Trade, in the process of rebuilding its Country.”

Here’s the insult. Ukraine isn’t a partner — it’s a ruin to be rebuilt. There’s no talk of justice. No security guarantees. No discussion of sovereignty. Only economic consolation once the terms — ones dictated by Russia — are accepted. This is not leadership. This is strategic abandonment wrapped in the language of reconstruction.

5. The Pope as Prop

“The Vatican… would be very interested in hosting the negotiations.”

This is symbolic cover. Trump invokes religious diplomacy to cloak a power play in moral language. But the Vatican has no power. Its role is decorative, meant to give the appearance of legitimacy while shielding Trump from criticism. It is the diplomatic version of putting a cross on a contract that has already been signed by Putin.

Where Does That Leave Us? The Shift Has Happened

Trump’s post-call statement is not an attempt at balanced diplomacy. It is the next stage of the May 9th Gambit. The parade was secured. The ceasefire narrative was launched. And now, the West is being pushed out of the room while Trump aligns with Russian interests under the guise of peace.

What comes next is predictable: