Pod Save the World: Unpacking Trump’s Ukraine “Peace Deal”
Date: November 26, 2025
Hosts: Tommy Vietor & Ben Rhodes
Episode Overview
This episode dives into the chaos surrounding the leaked Trump “Ukraine peace deal”—a controversial plan packed with concessions to Russia, currently the subject of chaotic negotiations and intra-administration infighting. Hosts Tommy Vietor and Ben Rhodes break down who’s driving the process, what's actually in the plan, the international fallout, and how it relates to America’s shifting global posture under Trump. Other hot topics include boycotted summits, dramatic moves in Venezuela and Brazil, escalating Japan-China tensions, and a roundup of right-wing conspiracy madness.
Main Segment: Trump’s “Ukraine Peace Deal” – Chaos, Leaks, and Global Consequences
The Plan and Its Origins
[05:32-08:52]
- The original 28-point “peace plan” leaked to Axios is essentially Russia’s wish list:
- Massive Ukrainian territorial concessions (Crimea, Luhansk, Donetsk recognized as Russian).
- Caps Ukraine’s military (initially at 600,000, now reportedly 800,000—actual force stands at 880,000).
- Ukraine barred from NATO, NATO expansion frozen.
- US gets 50% of profits from investments using frozen Russian funds for Ukraine’s reconstruction.
- Ukraine must hold elections within 100 days.
- Russia regains G8 status, war crimes amnesty, sanctions relief.
- The plan is being narrowed in talks (now at 19 points), but lingering issues (territory, security guarantees) are being left for a potential Trump-Zelensky meeting.
- Key Trumpland personnel involved: Jared Kushner, Steve Witkoff (real estate developer), and Army Secretary Dan Driscoll (close to J.D. Vance).
Keystone Cops Diplomacy
[08:52-12:17]
- “Spoiler alert. No, the Russians are not going to accept the deal.” — Ben [08:52]
- Plan clearly originated from Russian approach to Kushner/Witkoff, who pushed it without basic vetting.
- “It was a surrender plan, essentially, for the Ukrainians.” — Ben [10:34]
- Rubio (as NSC adviser) and other Republicans (even some hawks) try to sanitize the plan, but the basic dynamic is “Trump wants to look like a peacemaker, even if it’s actual Ukrainian surrender.”
The Messaging Disaster and Putin’s Strategy
[12:17-14:53]
- Experts note the plan’s roll-out was “a disaster ... any other White House would be killed if there was a policy rollout like this that caused, like, literally a global freakout.” — Tommy [12:23]
- “Putin can figure out how to deal with more sanctions. He cannot necessarily figure out how to create a normal, non-wartime economy.” — Tommy [13:22]
- “Putin is just playing Trump over and over again.” — Ben [14:53]
Internal Power Plays, Leaks, and Sidelining of Officials
[18:01-23:28]
- Infighting among administration factions: Vance allies trying to edge out Rubio, randomness in who’s empowered in negotiations.
- State Department, Rubio both trying to clarify that the document originated from Russia and is not US policy—contradicted by ongoing press and internal confusion.
- “The White House has spent in the State Department. They spent the last few days kind of spin a more sanitized version of the story. Taylor Swift stands might call it Jared’s version.” — Tommy [21:16]
Shocking Corruption and Lack of Expertise
[23:28-26:57]
- “We are normalizing a degree of corruption in our foreign policy that is absolutely staggering.” — Ben [23:32]
- Explicit business interests in the Russia–Kushner talks—sovereign wealth fund meetings in Miami; ongoing search for future deals.
- “None of these people are like Russia hands. They have no experience with Russia and Ukraine.” — Tommy [26:23]
The Realities for Ukraine and the West
[26:57-28:56]
- Russia continues punishing attacks while peace talks drag on.
- “Russians have been running, like, at least a 10 to 15 year plan on Ukraine. They've been at this. ... Trump thinks in terms of the announcement he can get on television and the plaudits he can get from Fox pundits and Jared and Witkoff think in terms of, like, the deals that could be done.” — Ben [26:57]
- Trump refuses to use US leverage (unfreezing Russian assets, providing advanced weaponry) to pressure Putin.
Global Context: International Summits Without the US
[29:20-36:44]
US Skips G20 and COP
- The US boycotts the South Africa G20 (first on the continent) and the COP climate summit in Brazil—delivering a message of American disinterest and racism.
- “Not going to the first G20 in Africa is just an incredibly racist thing to do. ... we have a racist administration that doesn't give a shit about Africa.” — Ben [33:23]
Fallout and Vacuum
- Absence allows China to step in as a champion of international rules and climate leadership.
- “Our absence is just a huge gift to China and anybody else that wants to kind of create an alternative world order to the United States.” — Ben [35:21]
Quick Hits: Brazil, Venezuela, Israel/Gaza, Asia Tensions
Brazil: Bolsonaro’s Bizarre Escape Plot
[36:44-39:54]
- Bolsonaro, sentenced to prison for his attempted coup, tries to escape by sawing off his ankle monitor (“tripping balls” on medication, he claims).
- Trump’s only comment: “That’s too bad.”
- Admiration for Brazil’s swift accountability: “If someone is guilty, as Bolsonaro was, of trying to overthrow the results of a democratic election, maybe you should actually hold that person accountable on a credible timeline.” — Ben [39:10]
US Regime Change Signals in Venezuela
[41:02-48:45]
- Ramp-up of military “show of force” in the Caribbean and terrorist designation games.
- “This feels very ominous to me, Tommy. ... what may seem irrational could become an option for Trump because he needs to do something dramatic somewhere.” — Ben [45:23]
Israel / Gaza & Lebanon
[48:45-55:39]
- So-called “ceasefire” in Gaza and Lebanon is anything but: hundreds killed since declared; IDF airstrikes in Beirut; humanitarian disaster ongoing.
- UN okays Trump’s Gaza plan, effectively codifying ongoing occupation.
- “There’s not a ceasefire. A ceasefire means you've ceased firing. ... Like, if this was measured ... against the height of Israel's assault on Gaza, this is like a lower boreal war. But if you measure this against ... a normal status quo, like, this would be a shocking amount of violence.” — Ben [53:13]
Japan–China Tensions Escalate Over Taiwan
[55:39-60:05]
- New Japanese PM Yitakaichi signals willingness to defend Taiwan; China goes ballistic — cancels flights, ramps up nationalist rhetoric.
- “Taiwan is the flashpoint. ... this is going to be— we should get used to the fact that we're gonna be living with some tensions over here in Asia as well as everywhere else.” — Ben [57:43]
Notable/Quotable Moments & Humor
- “This whole thing feels very Keystone Copsish at a minimum.” — Ben [10:47]
- “It was a disaster. Any other White House would be killed if there was a policy rollout like this that caused, like, literally a global freakout.” — Tommy [12:20]
- “We should just say: not going to the first G20 in Africa is just an incredibly racist thing to do.” — Ben [33:23]
- “We are normalizing a degree of corruption in our foreign policy that is absolutely staggering.” — Ben [23:32]
- (On Candace Owens' conspiracy meltdown) “She wants to make sure ... there was a Jewish person involved who was trying to kill her. No, that is definitely not the center of all of this.” — Tommy [70:41]
- (On X/Twitter) “This synergy between the people trying to make a buck and the people trying to, like, destroy society... That’s a perfect circle, that overlapping Venn diagram.” — Ben [75:15]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- [05:32] Breakdown of leaked “peace plan” details
- [08:52] Why the Russians’ offer is a non-starter; GOP/European reactions
- [14:53] Putin’s strategy and manipulation of US confusion
- [18:01] Internal Trumpland struggles, who’s actually running the show
- [23:32] Corruption and bizarre business angles
- [29:20] Ukraine realities/alternatives, Trump’s refusal to help
- [33:23] US skips G20/COP, impact on international order, China’s advantage
- [36:44] Brazil: Bolsonaro’s farcical escape plot
- [41:02] Venezuela regime change drums, covert ops
- [48:45] Gaza/Lebanon “ceasefire,” continued violence
- [55:39] Japan's new PM ramps up China tensions
- [66:01] Candace Owens’s France-Israel assassination conspiracy spiral
- [71:27] Foreign-run MAGA accounts on X/Twitter make the news
Final Thoughts / Tone
The hosts mix sharp policy insights (“this isn’t a peace deal, it’s a surrender plan”) with biting humor and incredulity at the “Keystone Cops” spectacle that US foreign policy has become under Trump. The episode’s tone is incredulous yet analytical, with outrage and black comedy juxtaposed against the urgent seriousness of the subject matter.
Summary by topic:
- Trump’s Ukraine “peace deal” is a Russian-derived surrender wishlist, being peddled by inexperienced, business-minded operatives in the Trump administration.
- The diplomatic process is shambolic, leaderless, and riddled with internal White House feuds.
- America’s refusal to engage in global summits is ceding influence to China.
- World events continue to spiral: Brazil (authoritarian accountability and escape farce), US saber-rattling on Venezuela, violence in the Middle East, rising Japan-China friction.
- The episode closes with exposés of right-wing conspiracy mania (Candace Owens, foreign MAGA accounts) and the enduring farce of Trump-era international politics.
For Listeners Who Missed the Show:
This episode decodes a week of global mayhem: a US-brokered Ukraine surrender plan straight out of Moscow, the farcical personnel running negotiations, the real-world dangers of US withdrawal under Trump, and why the world keeps moving (and erupting) as American leadership evaporates. Expect humor, dark truths, and a wild tour of this week’s foreign (and domestic) fiascos.