As Democrats insist President Trump is Putin’s puppet, selling out Ukraine, NATO’s leader Mark Rutte went on the Sunday morning political shows to endorse Trump’s efforts to bring peace to Ukraine.
He killed any idea that Trump is on Putin’s side.
Politico reported in an interview with host Jonathan Karl, Rutte said he believes Trump is willing to push Russia’s president about this brutal war.
“I do believe that, Donald Trump, the president, wants to end this,” Rutte told Karl. “He wants to end the terrible loss of life. He wants to end the terrible damage being done to the infrastructure in Ukraine. So many people losing their lives. So much damage being done.”
Rutte, a former prime minister of the Netherlands, added: “We have seen President Trump putting incredible pressure on Russia.”
Trump has faced criticism from angy Democrats and John Bolton for setting up a meeting with Putin without Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, though Zelenskyy might still be invited. The president has been assailed, especially by warmongering former Bush-Trump employee, John Bolton.
The Only Reason to Bring on Bolton Is to Trash Trump
John Bolton was on the same ABC program after Rutte. Bolton, who does not have a job giving him knowledge of the situation, condemned Trump for bringing Putin on to American soil and for stating that Ukraine might need to yield some of its territory.
[Bringing Putin to Alaska, which they gave away to the US, was clever.]
“I think Trump has made some mistakes already,” Bolton said, “No. 1, in holding this meeting on American soil, legitimizing a pariah leader of a rogue state. Second, he’s allowed Putin to get first mover advantage by putting his peace plan on the table first.”
The problem is that Zelensky has no peace plan – except to declare victory – and he lost the war. His plan is every piece of land goes back to pre-2014.
Bolton is the war mongering coup man:
John Bolton attacks Trump for trying to bring peace.
Bolton also has no problem bragging on TV about planning coups around the world.
Bolton has claimed that Russia’s “election hack” was an act of war.
Bolton represents the worst of our government.pic.twitter.com/tNZrWU6n4I
— MAZE (@mazemoore) August 9, 2025
Alaska Is A Good Starting Point
Speaking to Karl, Rutte said he saw the Alaskan meeting as a valid starting point. However, he said no deal was possible without Ukraine. He added that Ukraine’s long-term security and independence must be part of the deal. The latter is a problem.
Trump’s pressure campaign to bully Putin into coming to the negotiating table is working, and it’s making Democrats and John Bolton very unhappy.
The Gallup Poll Points to Ending the War
Ukrainians are war weary according to the latest Gallup poll and it’s taking its toll on morale.
According to Gallup, most Ukrainians now favor ending the war with Russia through negotiations, as support for fighting until victory has dropped sharply since the early days of the conflict.
Although their hopes for joining NATO and the European Union have faded and approval of U.S. leadership has plummeted, Ukrainians still see the EU, U.K. and U.S. as key to ending the war. Most doubt that will happen anytime soon. More than three years into the war, Ukrainians’ support for continuing to fight until victory has hit a new low.
In Gallup’s most recent poll of Ukraine conducted in early July:
69% say they favor a negotiated end to the war as soon as possible.
24% who support continuing to fight until victory.
In 2022:
73% favored Ukraine fighting until victory.
22% preferred that Ukraine seek a negotiated end as soon as possible.
In light of this, the Ukrainian Ambassador Oksana Markarova endorsed the Alaska summit to be held this Friday. Oksana Markarova on Face the Nation:
“Well, that’s something that all Ukraine prays for President Trump to be effective and to have great results. And as you know, since the discussions here with President Trump, Ukraine agreed to full ceasefire, to partial ceasefires, to any type of ceasefires. Because again, let’s remind everyone, Ukraine did not start this war. Putin started this war in 2014, he continued with full fledged invasion in 2022, and it’s Ukrainian citizens, Ukrainian cities, Ukrainian defenders on the front lines, Ukrainian children who suffer every day.
“So yes, we want Putin to stop, and we really are hopeful that this push from President Trump, and the sanction packages which are on the table, and secondary sanctions which are already implemented against those who help Russia, will convince President Putin that this is time for him to finally stop his aggression.”
Meanwhile, Democrats are opposed to the plan. Why don’t they tell us how they would solve it?
“Meanwhile, Democrats are opposed to the plan. Why don’t they tell us how they would solve it?”
They have! Keep the war going so they can keep skimming.
I do not care what Rutte thinks. He plays both sides.