Putin Deadline: Two Weeks - More Trump Bluster? w/Larry Johnson

May 29, 2025

Larry Johnson, a former CIA analyst and the mind behind sonar21.com, dives deep into the complex situation surrounding the Ukraine-Russia conflict. He critiques Trump's vague two-week deadline for Putin and questions Trump's claims of neutrality, given his support for Ukraine's militarization. Johnson highlights the Western media's bias, scrutinizes Putin's increasingly hardline peace terms, and argues that the West has lost leverage. He suggests that Ukraine's rejection of these terms indicates a lack of genuine desire for peace.

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INSIGHT

Putin's Hardening Peace Terms

Putin's terms for peace include Ukraine withdrawing from all claimed Russian territories and halting NATO expansion.
These demands are expanding, indicating no softening stance from Russia.

INSIGHT

Ukraine Rejects Withdrawal Demand

Ukraine and its allies reject Putin's demand to withdraw from annexed territories.
This refusal suggests Ukraine does not genuinely want peace on Russia's terms.

INSIGHT

Russian Strikes Primarily Military

Russia's extensive missile and drone strikes cause relatively low civilian casualties.
This implies Russia targets military objectives contrary to Ukrainian strikes.

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Trump’s "Deadline" to Putin:

Trump vaguely set a two-week deadline to assess whether Putin is genuinely interested in ending the war in Ukraine. The speaker is skeptical about Trump’s track record with deadlines and his neutrality in this conflict.

Analysis from Larry Johnson (ex-CIA analyst):

Western Media Bias: Johnson criticizes Western media for presenting a one-sided narrative that paints Russia as the sole aggressor while ignoring Ukraine’s missile and drone attacks on Russian territory.

Putin's Peace Terms: Putin is open to a negotiated settlement but only on his terms:

Ukraine must withdraw from all territories Russia claims (and possibly more in the future).

Ukraine must stay out of NATO, and NATO must stop expanding eastward.

Protection for Russian-speaking populations in Ukraine.

Escalating Demands: Putin's conditions are hardening, not softening. He's expanding territorial demands beyond those annexed in 2022.

No Western Leverage: Johnson asserts that the West has no leverage over Putin and that Russia has lost trust in Western negotiations.

Trump’s Role: Johnson criticizes Trump’s claim of neutrality, noting he contributed to the conflict by sending weapons to Ukraine and supporting militarization.

Ukraine’s Position: Zelensky has rejected any withdrawal from currently held Ukrainian territories, making Putin’s conditions non-starters. Johnson argues that Ukraine doesn’t genuinely want peace if they refuse those terms.

Historical Context: Johnson traces the roots of the conflict to NATO expansion and U.S. support for insurgents against Russia starting in the 1990s. He suggests Putin has patiently prepared for this confrontation.

Military Activity: Johnson notes a large Russian missile and drone attack on Ukraine on May 24–25 was retaliation for Ukraine launching over 1,400 drones at Moscow in the prior week.

Civilian Casualties: He claims the low number of civilian casualties from Russian strikes suggests they are not targeting civilians, unlike Ukraine.

Tone and Perspective:

The discussion is heavily critical of the U.S., NATO, and Ukraine.

It portrays Russia as reactive rather than aggressive.

The speaker emphasizes underreported facts from the Russian perspective.

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