Putin wants new 'grand bargain' with the West, says Turkish official

[Hortensis]

37. Great posts. Also, Putin was pursuing a far, far better "grand bargain"

with tRump, and it, or an even better version of it, could solve all the post-2020 problems he created that threaten to destroy him and his ambitions. He needs tRump to be reelected, and 2024 would be, for instance, a mere 2-year semi-detente with Ukraine away.

NATO! Our election of Biden, coupled with Putin's invasion of Ukraine, has caused dreadful reverses in Putin's grand plan to destroy NATO and restore hegemony over the Soviet Union nations; But a President tRump could still pull the United States out of NATO. Putin could still achieve complete victory in Ukraine and force capitulation of other states no longer protected by the remains of NATO, and whatever other problems he's been able to maximize in Europe and America.

Of course he could once again enable tRump to prove he was the greatest deal maker of all by cancelling sanctions, and also imagine he was in control by refusing to. He and tRump could still form the "joint cyber agreements" that mere suggestion of once made us shudder. And of course Putin could continue the maneuvers that election of Biden interrupted for the transfer of U.S. power and relationships in various regions of the world to Russia. Including right here.

All must still seem within reach, and more, by using tRump to block and/or destroy the U.S.'s ability to stop him. Or other means, failing that. America's Democrats are Putin's biggest obstacle. No one must be more aware than him.