Answered from 581. Trump and Putin vs. Zelensky: Is Europe Sleepwalking into Disaster? · The Rest Is Politics · 2026-10-20
Yes. Rory Stewart argues Trump has been on Putin's side since taking office in January, and that this is the only reading that makes sense of the Oval Office humiliation of Zelensky, the Alaska summit, the satellite switch-off, sanctions relief for Russia and pressure on Europe to buy Russian gas. He says Trump's promise to end the war in 24 hours only works if the plan is to give Putin what he wants, and that many Europeans are still in denial about it.
Source: our own transcription of the episode. The full conversation is on The Rest Is Politics (2026-10-20). Read the whole episode summary →