It seems so unnecessary for Russia to provide security guarantees when they already provided them in Budapest in 1994

Don't give up your nuclear weapons, kids.

yes, QUITE

And all those European leaders in Washington isn't an "honour" for Trump. They're there to support Zelenskyy and to make sure Trump doesn't try and trample all over him again.

- and offer him a Nobel Peace Prize as a reward for signing on the dotted line ... I think they've agreed to bribe him with the one thing that he most wants, and that only they can provide. It's the only reason I can think of why he'd be SO happy to see them. Just watch

that roundtable press conference again, and see how many times 'Peace' is mentioned, - it's every other word ...

And frankly, if it puts Putin back in his box for long enough to allow us to re-arm and so helps save western democracy in the process (- the European bit, at least) - it's a dirt-cheap price to pay ...

And to create a situation that is too embarrassing for Trump to do what he wants in front of all of them in person.

Yes and no. Trump famously listens to the last person who spoke to him. If they go in and fully insert their noses where the sun shines not, they might actually get something out of him.

Perfect summary

I'm so angry at this charade, Tony. The European leaders are going into this in good faith, but Putin and Trump are not, so it's doomed.

What is Putin’s next move? Can Trump be persuaded to put more pressure Putin if he doesn’t play along?

Trump will hate looking stupid when Putin fucks him over

Putin keeps mugging him off and he seems to be fine with it, doesn't mind being the feeble supplicant to a dictator.

More stupid.

I wonder if the European leaders will seek to point out that whatever Putin can offer by way of business is dwarfed by what Europe offers? Or, perhaps, that Putin’s success is Xi’s success?

thing is, Trump doesn't operate rationally. He might take that bait if Putin humilates him, I guess

I imagine Putin realises that too. Perhaps all he can do is play along while sowing seeds of doubt in Trump’s mind about the Europeans.

I get Starmer etc feel they need to keep Trump on side, but they are dangerously close - maybe already tipped over into - pandering and ego massaging for no benefit.

I think they're right to keep Trump on side, even if that does involve pandering to his ego.

I hope that while pandering to Trump for the last 7 months as they have been doing, the European countries have been ramping up rapidly their military capability way faster than publicly acknowledged to free themselves from their dependence on an unreliable ally.

They are there to flatter him and keep him from walking away in a huff. Buying time for Ukraine. It’s a thankless task.

Offer him the Nobel Peace Prize for coming out for UKR.

I think that's it, it's the one thing he most wants, but Putin can't supply it, whereas the Europeans 'can' ... Hence the beaming smiles all-round, and every other word being 'Peace' ...