Putin's Advice to Trump; Ratcliffe's Ukraine Power Grab
Executive Summary
Alex Christoforou and Alexander Mercouris discuss what they describe as Ukraine's worsening military, financial, and diplomatic position. Mercouris attributes a collapsing front and tax base to Russian strikes, treats a reported Lyman counterattack as unconfirmed public-relations warfare, and says US approaches to Moscow through Ratcliffe's pressure and Witkoff and Kushner's inducements both failed. He reports that Putin told Trump the war ends if Washington stops helping Ukraine. These statements remain the hosts' claims, not independently verified facts.
Chapters & Key Takeaways
Putin's Advice to Trump: Stop Helping Ukraine
How do the hosts describe Ukraine's military and financial collapse, and what do they say Putin told Trump?
A Front the Hosts Call Unraveling
Alexander Mercouris tells Alex Christoforou that Ukraine's military situation is deteriorating fast in every respect. Alexander Mercouris 01:10 “it is deteriorating fast for Ukraine” Direct Audio Anchor Listen from 01:10 He describes Russian bombing of Black Sea ports and southwestern depots, then resumed round-the-clock strikes on Kiev. He says there is no air defense to speak of. Alexander Mercouris 02:44 “there is no air defense to speak of” Direct Audio Anchor Listen from 02:44 Reports of a pullback near Kramatorsk and fighting at Druzhkivka are attributed to Russian sources he calls relatively reliable. A rumored Lyman counteroffensive, he adds, still lacks confirming video or an official Ukrainian statement. None of this is independently verified here.
Money, and a Magazine Headline
Mercouris says Ukraine collected only half of what it usually collects in tax last month, and that this month will be lower. Alexander Mercouris 07:02 “Ukraine collected only half of what it usually collects in tax” Direct Audio Anchor Listen from 07:02 The hosts point to a New York Times report that Europeans are asking where $27 billion went. They treat a Spectator article titled "Ukraine is losing the war" as the British political class being told the same assessment the program has been making. Alexander Mercouris 14:38 “Ukraine is losing the war” Direct Audio Anchor Listen from 14:38 That is how the hosts read the magazine, not a finding of this project.
Threats, Inducements, and One Sentence of Advice
Alex asks how Ratcliffe can negotiate if he cannot meet Putin or Lavrov. Mercouris's answer is that Ratcliffe cannot even get a meeting with Putin or Lavrov, after which Washington tried Witkoff and Kushner with economic inducements that also failed. Alexander Mercouris 14:17 “Ratcliffe can't even get a meeting with Putin or Lavrov” Direct Audio Anchor Listen from 14:17 He reports that Putin told Trump, on Ushakov's account of their call, that ending the war is simple: stop helping Ukraine. Alexander Mercouris 27:46 “stop helping Ukraine” Direct Audio Anchor Listen from 27:46 Zelensky's UN trip, on this telling, is a search for money because the Patriot interceptors do not exist. These remain the hosts' claims.
Interview Highlights1 exchanges
Direct dialogue & timestamps from the recording
How is Ratcliffe going to negotiate if he cannot get a meeting with Putin or Lavrov?
Mercouris says the Americans first sent Ratcliffe with threats, which failed, then Witkoff and Kushner with economic inducements, which also failed; Putin refused both.