** NEW MERCH ** Jackets & Sweatshirts, Thermo Mugs!! Daniel Davis Deep Dive Merch: Etsy store https://www.etsy.com/shop/DanielDavisDeepDive?ref=seller-platform-mcnav Donald Trump publicly told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to “get your act together,” signaling Trump’s frustration with stalled peace-plan negotiations. Trump has circulated multiple versions of a proposed peace plan and sent senior envoys to Europe and Moscow, but little progress has resulted. Zelensky and European leaders continue to publicly reject Trump’s ideas—especially territorial concessions to Russia—creating an open rift between the U.S., Ukraine, and Europe. Guest analyst Bill Buppert argues that: The U.S., EU, and NATO are increasingly divided, with Europe asserting more independence and resisting Trump’s direction. BRICS and Russia have formed a stronger, more institutionalized bloc, while NATO militaries are weak (“midgets,” in his words) and unable to take a real leadership role. Zelensky cannot agree to territorial concessions because it would destroy him politically or even physically inside Ukraine. All players—Russia, Ukraine, the U.S., Europe—are acting according to their own self-interest, creating friction and making compromise unlikely. Daniel (the host) notes that European leaders like Germany’s Olaf Scholz and France’s Macron openly push back on Trump’s positions and do not defer to him, implying Trump has not exercised the traditional U.S. “800-pound gorilla” leadership role. Burt sees Europe as militarily too weak to lead but politically unwilling to follow the U.S. The conversation concludes with commentary on how hollow European military capacity is compared to the aggressive rhetoric some leaders are using—highlighting the widening gap between Western political statements and actual military power.