Just a reminder Ukraine news includes Trump taunting his counterpart Zelensky about Ukraine not holding elections. Their country has been devastated by Russia initiating a brutal war. Russia has committed war crimes on an almost daily basis against Ukraine. If there’s any justice in the world there will be a Nuremburg type tribunal where every Russian including Putin who orchestrated or ordered war crimes will get hauled up. Ukraine is literally fighting for it’s very survival and they aren’t about to give up. So Martial Law and not holding elections isn’t a big deal to them. Still, there are those who if elections were held would run against Zelensky assuming he doesn’t step aside when the war is over. Trump just tried reaching out to get them to go after Zelensky on the elections thing and they told him NO!
As reported by Mirror Trump had not so secret phone calls trying to mobilize open opposition to Zelensky from within Ukraine. Somebody on Trump’s staff seems to have looked up who Zelensky’s main rival(s) might be and handed him the names of the top opposition leader and a former President of Ukraine. Trump decided it was time for some ‘Perfect’ phone calls. I’m sure he thought they’d jump at the chance to work with ‘The Mighty Trump, Master of the Universe’ to start ripping on Zelensky and DEMAND elections NOW. Well, things didn’t go the way Trumpty thought they would. In fact, they flat-out have embarrassed Trump leaving him with lots of egg dripping from his ugly orange face:
Members of Mr Trump’s team are reported to have held calls with Ukraine’s opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko as well as ex-president Petro Poroshenko, where they discussed whether they could hold elections during wartime. Today both opposition leaders confirmed talks had taken place with the Trump administration.
But both opposed any elections while the country continues to remain at war with Russia, dealing a blow to Trump’s team that has regularly pushed Mr Zelensky to hold elections despite the imposition of marital law. Taking to Facebook, Mr Poroshenko said: “We work publicly and transparently with our American partners, aiming to maintain bipartisan support of Ukraine.
Ouch. A double-punch and a HARD one to Trump. That’s not all they had to say publicly either:
“The essence of our conversations with representatives of the American side has always come down to two principles – security first and peace through strength. Namely—weapons, intelligence, sanctions against Russia, financial support, democratic stability (freedom and democracy), transatlantic unity.
“Our team has always been and continues to be against elections during the war…We have said and continue to say that elections can only take place after a ceasefire and the signing of a peace agreement with security guarantees for Ukraine.”
Note that mixed in with clear language about continued military, intelligence and other support there was a specific mention of something that had to REALLY piss Trump off. That part about sanctions against Russia. Trump of course wants them lifted. Not to mention pretty much giving Putin whatever else he wants when it comes to Ukraine. However these guys have Trump’s number and have gone public saying Trump can either support Ukraine or get the hell out of the way. Again, this is NOT what Trump expected.
I’m sure he made all sorts of promises, assuming his ‘vaunted’ ‘deal making’ skills would sway them. His ‘charm’ seems to have been lost on his would be Zelensky Presidency killers. Gee, one might reasonably think they did their homework on Trump – and know his promises aren’t worth a big pile of steaming sh!t. The fact is, most Ukrainians HATE Russia. They were raised to and for good reason given a century’s worth of appalling abuse from Russia. The question is whether this might actually make Trump re-assess his Ukrainian policy. When even leaders who might emerge to get rid of Zelensky say ‘Nope. We’re sticking with OUR guy and are all in on driving Russia out of our country’ Trump might have to at least partially back down from abandoning Ukraine. For now.
I’m sure the time will come when this is all over and, as I said if Zelensky runs to keep his office there will be plenty of criticism from these guys or others. However what matters at this crucial moment is that Trump tried and FAILED to rouse credible political opposition to Zelensky. THAT my friends is going to get noticed. Maybe (probably) not the way it should here in the U.S. given how major media outlets are afraid of Trump almost as much as Congressional Republicans. However with everyone else it WILL get noticed. “Bigly.” I don’t think Trump expected ALL of our allies to abandon Ukraine after the Oval Office Mugging of Zelensky. I do however think he thought quite a few would, at least one of the ‘Big Three’ of the UK, France or Germany to at least partially pull support. Instead, Trump wound up UNITING our allies and most of the world in support of Ukraine.
I’m betting Trumpty reached out to his pal Pootie who suggested ‘work the opposition in Ukraine.’ The problem with that is that opposition there is very, very different than it was when the Russian puppet President fled Ukraine and back to Russia. Over time, much (sadly not all) of the corrupt Russians or Russian collaborators have been rooted out and what’s left is mostly Ukrainians. And as I said they f**king hate Russia!
So what we have is Trump trying and FAILING to mount an opposition to Zelensky campaign from inside Ukraine. Worse (for him) is that those he reached out to have publicly made clear Trump can stick his dreams where the sun don’t shine! Since our own news doesn’t seem to be covering this I say reach out to your Congress Critters, especially Republicans. Be blunt. Tell them Trump tried to mess with Ukraine’s internal politics by trying to sweet talk top potential political opponents into challenging the Ukrainian President. And not only did they tell him to f**k off, they then turned and told the WORLD what Trump tried to do and that they stood with President Zelensky and AGAINST Russia.
Slava Ukraini (Glory To Ukraine)
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“Instead, Trump wound up UNITING our allies and most of the world in support of Ukraine.”
And uniting Ukraine in support of Zelensky as well. And when you say “most of the world in support of Ukraine” that includes actual Americans (not the bad imitation running the government at the present time).. Could that snowball into actually (dare I say it?) a more unified U.S.A.? Trump’s public bootlicking to Putin, his disgusting behavior to Ukraine, to our allies and to his own country, , shows Americans that he is an unmitigated disaster and that Ukraine’s fight and our fight really are one and the same.
I sure miss the time all those years ago when a president who stopped congressionally approved funding for Ukraine would get impeached for it.
The good old days of (checks notes) four to five years ago.
This is not trumps plan, it’s putin’s. Trump plans on handing the US to russia.
I’ve he pulls us out of NATO it’s all over because we now have no partners to help us defend ourselves