President Trump: Help the people of Ukraine or don't help them, there is no try

The film "The Empire Strikes Back" is perhaps the best of the entire Star Wars saga, and it has a quote that has generated a lot of commentary.

Putin, strengthened by appeasement, reveals his true purpose in Ukraine
An effect of appeasement: Putin targets Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia

In that quote, the old Jedi Master Yoda tells the young Luke Skywalker: "Do or do not, there is no try." The phrase seems meaningless, but it isn't. The veteran master was sending a message to his student to commit, abandon indecision and move on to action, after seeing that Skywalker didn't seem to take his Jedi potential very seriously during his training.

A change of heart by Trump on Ukraine?

I was reminded of that wise phrase while watching the latest news about Donald Trump's position on Ukraine. After spending months focusing his pressure on the invaded country and making shameful gestures to the invading country, the US president finally seemed to take this war seriously and was willing to put pressure on Russia. This attitude has emboldened Putin, who sees Trump's weakness as an opportunity to weaken his enemies.

On Monday, the Ukrainian president reported that he had had "a very good conversation" with Trump, in which the US president reportedly showed "the willingness to support Ukraine", according to Zelensky: "We discussed the necessary means and solutions with the President to provide better protection for people from Russian attacks and to strengthen our positions. We are ready to work as productively as possible to achieve peace."

Trump gives Russia a new deadline: 50 days

That same day, the New York Post, a newspaper very close to Trump but also supportive of Ukraine, noted: "President Donald Trump’s decision to send “billions of dollars” worth of weapons to Ukraine via NATO could prove a game-changer in Kyiv’s 40-month-old war against Russian aggression. The prez on Monday also announced 100% “secondary tariffs” targeting Moscow if it fails to agree to a cease-fire within 50 days. It’s a terrific combination."

The plans sound great, but the big problem is the new 50-day deadline Trump has given Russia, which offers Putin another breathing space so he can launch an offensive against Ukraine this summer with the peace of mind that Trump won't react until September. Let's remember that in mid-June, Trump gave Putin a two-week deadline to consider peace in Ukraine. Once that deadline has expired, the US president continues to give the Russian dictator something as valuable as time, time that Russia uses to continue murdering Ukrainian civilians.

The Kremlin is joking that Trump keeps giving them time

In Moscow, the US president's promises are already being laughed at. Yesterday, the Kremlin joked about the deadlines given by Trump: "Fifty days, 24 hours ago, 100 days—we've been through all of that", said Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister. Until now, the American president has boasted of being a great negotiator, but the reality is that Trump has been bluffing too much and the enemies of the West no longer take him seriously.

I think the time has come for someone should tell Trump: help the people of Ukraine or don't help them, but don't try it. Stop playing games with a people who are dying under Russian attacks on civilian targets. Stop posturing, stop making promises and show your commitment to the West, which right now has its eastern European border defended by an admirable people who have been fighting heroically and alone against Russia for years. It's time to turn words into deeds.

---

Photo: Reuters.