Considering what came out of talks with Russia today, and what Zelensky wants, they are not compatible.
So, today’s talks have had Russia say that they will absolutely not accept any peacekeeping teams from the EU military in Ukraine. Zelensky has asked for tangible aid, not just on paper. And never the twain shall meet.
Seems to me that Russia is getting excessive in its demands regarding Ukraine. They were, and are, still the aggressors in this party. They want Ukraine to give up land. They won’t accept peacekeeping troops from NATO and/or the EU in Ukraine. This sounds to me like they could end the war (for now) and then restart it in the future. Can’t let this uppity little country “win” against big and powerful Russia, after all. They’ll just do their best to push through and get all of it.
Zelensky is asking for help to keep the peace. He’s not asking for help to attack and defend, just a deterrent to have another invasion. That seems pretty reasonable to me. Now, they *might* be needed for defense at some point in the future, but NATO and/or the EU are not going to take kindly to Russia trying this again. And they are perfectly willing to stop that shizzle. Zelensky needs tangible help, not just something on paper.
There’s so much going on with what Russia wants and what Ukraine deserves. They need Russia to GTFO their country. They need and want it back. After all, Russia has been f*cking with them since the annexation in 2014. Russia does not have a right to Ukraine, much as they are trying to say so. Ukraine belongs to itself.
In addition, the US has served notice that they won’t be helping anymore after the money that has been allocated is used. THAT is some bullsh*t. tRump doesn’t care about the rest of the world, just ourselves now. Also see USAID, CFPB, and so forth. And the just ourselves devolves down to the Mango Mandarin and his lust for power. All those Executive Orders are certainly not helping the US. He’s flexing his muscles and thinks he can solve things quickly, so the US is like *he* wants it to be, and that’s certainly not the United States as we knew it. Also, how about personnel cuts in places that *really* ought not to be cut? See NASA, the FAA, the nuclear employees and I’m sure there’s more.
These things should be discussed with Ukraine and Russia and the EU at the table. I’m betting the EU will be shut out and that’s bad. The US and Russia will be on one side, and Ukraine will be on the other with no more support against two superpowers. Can you say ugly? I thought you could. Ukraine is being shat on left and right now. That’s grossly unfair. And all we peons in the US can do is send them mental support because the Confused Carrot is in power now.
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Ukraine’s support will come from Europe. Any “deal” made by Trumpler & Putin in their smoke-filled back room won’t be worth the hot air it generates. And it sure as hell won’t bring peace, so it sure as hell won’t get Trumpler his much-desired Nobel Peace Prize. Trumpler’s stupidity is doing what Putin’s bullyboy aggression couldn’t: it’s uniting the EU (with the exceptions of neo-Fascist Hungary & Slovakia). Russia’s economy is tanking and its armies are losing. Any proper American govt would realise that this is the moment to stand up against the criminal invader. Sadly, there is no such thing in America now.
While there is a desire in Europe and the diverse governments may come up with a sound response, the fact is their economies and resources are not overly strong and they will need support from the US, preferably in kind but certainly at least tacit authority. Moral support from an immoral, transactional, big picture blowhard and his “team” of Vance, Hegseth, Gabbard et al? Poor Ukraine
Just got worse, he (Trump singing to Putin’s songsheet) is now asking for “democracy” to work in Ukraine i.e. elections (where there will with certainty be a helluva lot of disinformation/pressure/corruption) that will remove Zelensky. The propaganda rallying cry at the start of WW1 was “poor Belgium”. Who will cry “Poor Ukraine”? One has to weep at US perfidy.
Also necessary to this discussion is the information we have now of the horrific shakedown attempt by Trump–he wants more than 50% of all the mineral rights to Ukraine, and from everything I’ve read, this is both in perpetuity and with no freaking guarantees that we will even help. Which of course makes no sense because without help first, why would Ukraine agree to anything the mango monster wants? But the big deal here? Why would Trump think Putin would stand still for the USA in essence robbing Ukraine of its minerals in the first place? This is not three-dimensional chess on Trump’s part, it’s the crazed product of a demented mind and too many advisers who are either cowed by him or aren’t the coldest beers in the frig. And while I’m on the subject of this “little” ask—every source I’ve read has held that this shakedown is worse than what was done to Germany following WWI, and which is among the major problems that propelled Hitler to power. The German people felt humiliated, worthless and frankly, economically broken.
As we are beginning to see, the dissent and protests are coming from almost every corner of America and we have to be smart enough to understand that Europe is watching this shit show and making policy based on what is happening here–we are coming apart at the seams. If we aren’t going to help Ukraine, and this is damnably clear, then all of Europe is quite capable of stepping into the fray–we’ve already heard that Starner of Great Britain is ready to help with Brit troops in Ukraine. This is just the beginning of the commitment. Europe went it alone during WWII until Pearl Harbor and my guess is that they are preparing to do it again. The problem though for us? The next time we need NATO, they won’t be there for us. Betting on Putin is so typical of Trump—he is after all the guy who ran a casino into the ground, something almost impossible to do. And we will be the worse for this horrific alliance, pariahs in the world and broken financially as the world supports Ukraine and turns its back on us.
“Seems to me that Russia is getting excessive in its demands regarding Ukraine.”
Who could have predicted this?