Why he is doing this — for money, compromising information, or the ambition to win the Nobel Prize — is irrelevant. This is simply how he sees the easiest way to get what he wants.That is why he feels sorry for poor Putin, who is suffering from a long war. That is why he makes up stories about Russian tanks that would have reached Kyiv if they had driven on highways, but were stopped by a general who sent them across fields, where they got stuck. That is also why he criticizes Zelenskyy for resisting the Russian attack.And, of course, this is the source of his constant claim that the war would not have happened during Trump’s presidency. Of course, he is convinced that if he had been president in 2022, he simply would not have provided assistance to Ukraine, and Putin would have quickly seized everything he wanted. And for this very reason, there would have been no war in Trump's “perfect” world — Ukrainians would simply have been killed by the Russians.The only thing preventing Trump from directly helping Putin is public opinion. Trump doesn’t want to appear as a scoundrel, and worldwide public opinion still does not support the killing of Ukrainians. Therefore, Trump has to not only conceal his efforts but also take steps to change public opinion. Using a “salami” method, gradually normalizing dealings with Russia.It must be said that he has made significant progress on this path of normalization. Now, it is even possible in the U.S. to invite Putin without arresting him as a war criminal.Therefore, this meeting is just another step for Trump in normalizing Putin. It is a self-contained goal, more important than any specific agreements. It pushes the boundaries of perceiving and accepting evil itself. And since most focus on ceasefire deals and other unlikely outcomes, this fundamental harm will simply be swallowed unnoticed.The only way to counter Trump’s eager desire to help Putin and the war is to consistently show that this path is extremely difficult and deeply disgraceful for him. Remind him in every possible way and through every communication channel that betraying Ukraine will be hard. It is a path to personal shame and global disdain for Trump as an individual, on a scale that even the “Teflon” nature of this shameless character cannot withstand.SourceAbout the author. Olha Len, journalist.The editorial team does not always share the opinions expressed by blog or column authors.