OPINION: Putin and Trump Wars

Bear Flat Dispatch.  October 15, 2026.

Thanks to Premier Eby, we are stuck with having an unnecessary and expensive provincial election happening concurrently with the regularly scheduled municipal elections. However, the Conservatives should thank our Premier for pulling their fractured party together where they themselves were failing miserably, although that newfound solidarity may yet prove to be fragile.

Anyway, such is the hand we were dealt.  There are many issues at stake, and it is important for folks to educate themselves and vote in both elections.  However, the upcoming election that will have the greatest impact globally is the US mid-terms in November.

Sure, no matter what happens, Trump will continue to do harm as President for two more years.  However, with loss of control of the House and perhaps even the Senate, Trump will be a much-weakened lame-duck President, and perhaps more of his former supporters will find the courage to finally rein in his frequent bad impulses.

The Russia/Ukraine war is horrific and illegally started by Putin based on his old-world view of ruthless empire expansion.  Unfortunately, Trump admires Putin and shares that “might makes right” world view, and he has consistently supported Putin over Zelensky. 

Now Trump is blaming Zelensky for high fuel prices when everyone knows that it is Trump’s foolish war with Iran that is causing most of that problem.  But Trump persists and is now about to let Putin add to his war chest by selling diesel fuel abroad despite western sanctions that ban such trade.  

Once again, Trump is throwing Ukraine under the bus in an attempt to bring down domestic fuel prices and help Republicans in the mid-terms.  The fact that Russia is also targeting domestic energy infrastructure critical to Ukraine doesn’t bother Trump, or that Ukraine is suffering staggering civilian casualties from Russia’s deliberate targeting of civilian targets.  Right and wrong doesn’t register with Trump, what is most important is winning the mid-terms.

Now we hear that the Starshield system by Elon Musk’s SpaceX that is critical for Ukraine’s defense inside their borders has been greatly diminished.  The Pentagon pays for that service, and while unclear, it appears they are responsible for this cut in support.  Although it would normally seem unfathomable, one must question whether this is a result of Trump complying with a request from Putin in their recent friendly phone call.  Similarly, we know that it was Israel prime minister Netanyahu that helped convince Trump to launch the Iran war.

I think Ukraine leader Zelensky recently put it best when he said that Trump “is not on the right side of history” in his support for Putin.  Hopefully enough Americans are fed up and will vote accordingly, and hopefully the election results will be respected.

Ken Boon