Trump Humiliated in Peace Talks: Putin Set to 'Weaken the Resolve of the United States'

The façade of control surrounding Donald Trump's peace negotiations appears to be crumbling, exposing a stark reality where the Kremlin holds the cards. Even the President's staunchest allies are finding it impossible to defend the current trajectory of the talks to end the war in Ukraine.

Not even the most loyal henchmen in the administration can deny that Vladimir Putin is effectively dictating the terms of the proposed peace plan.

NATO Ambassador Admitted 'Some Truth' to Claims of Kremlin Dominance

On Tuesday morning, NATO Ambassador Matthew Whitaker appeared on Fox News Business and conceded a damaging point regarding the months-long negotiations. Faced with analysis that the Russian dictator has refused to yield a single inch, Whitaker admitted there is 'some truth' to the claims. The admission came during an appearance on Mornings with Maria, where host Maria Bartiromo played a clip of retired Gen. Jack Keane dismantling the perception of progress.

Keane argued that Putin is operating in a win-win situation, refusing concessions to prolong the killing. According to the general, the Russian leader believes this strategy will 'weaken the resolve of the United States and its leadership,' he added. When Bartiromo pressed Whitaker—who has previously been lauded as an aggressive media surrogate for Trump—he could not offer a rebuttal.

Instead, the former acting Attorney General conceded that Keane's assessment wasn't false. 'There is some truth to what the general says,' said Whitaker. He attempted to pivot, noting that 'let's remember there's no perfect answer to this situation,' and insisted the administration is 'negotiating a peace deal from reality.'

Why Lawmakers Slammed the 'Surrender Document' Written for Ukraine

The admission follows a weekend of bipartisan outrage directed at the initial draft of Trump's 28-point peace plan. Presided over by Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, the document faced accusations of being a total capitulation to Moscow. Critics noted it required Ukraine to surrender territory, abandon NATO aspirations, and invite Russia back into the G8.

The backlash was severe, with some accusations suggesting the proposal read as if it were written in Moscow before being presented as a US-led proposal. In response to the outcry, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has revised a new, 19-point plan that Ukraine has tentatively agreed to, CNN reported. However, the internal discord highlights the chaos behind the scenes.

Many members of Trump's own party have cast doubt on his administration's ceasefire plans. GOP Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick described the initial proposal as 'nothing more than Russia's absurd wish list that should be dismissed and shredded for the garbage that it is.' Rep. Don Bacon was equally scathing, writing on Monday that the Witkoff proposal was 'a surrender document for Ukraine that would have left it at the mercy of Russia for decades to come.'

Trump's History of Failed Summits and 'Bad Timing' with Putin

While Bacon welcomed Rubio's involvement and noted the plan was getting 'better,' the struggle to extract concessions fits a pattern. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, a Yale law-school buddy of JD Vance's, has now taken centre stage to deliver the latest proposal. Yet, Trump has a long history of letting Putin get what he wants.

Only three months ago, the President rolled out the red carpet for a summit in Alaska that ultimately flopped. Trump emerged with little to show for the effort, save for a puzzling lecture from Putin on eliminating 'all the primary root causes' of his full-scale assault on Ukraine. More recently, Trump was forced to cancel a planned meeting in Hungary intended to end the war.

Publicly, Trump chalked up the blunder to 'bad timing,' even as top White House officials privately acknowledged that the tone of the meeting's arrangements had doomed the talks before they even began. Trump expressed his frustration to reporters on Air Force One in October, stating, 'I'm not gonna be wasting my time.' He lamented the situation, noting, 'I've always had a great relationship with Vladimir Putin, but this has been very disappointing.' It seems the sources of his frustration are far from over.