While I'm no foreign affairs expert, here's my analysis:
The war has been lost. Ukraine cannot win the war unless Europe, Canada and America jump in with boots on the ground.
Yet, No one wants to do that. Not us, not you, not the other Europeans or Canada. So we are stuck negotiating a ceasefire. Like it or not, the easier party to influence is Ukraine. Why? They are the party in the conflict we are supporting. And when i say we, that includes you too.
Its harder to influence the guy you are not supporting or sending weapons to. This is just common sense
That said, the ceasefire is not on anyone's terms. Its what is necessary under the circumstance. Something Biden and your version of shit gibbon should have done 3 years ago. But to assuage their egos, they let a 100000 young Ukrainian men die fighting a war they couldn't win... That's the travesty here. Trying to evd the wat is not the problem. Continuing it os the problem.
We just have a totally different view on this. There have been no public negotiations with Russia. There would have been none with Ukraine too if some weren't acting like children. That includes Trump by the way. He and Zelensky are actually birds of similar feathers... Egotistical babies.
As for Russia, Trump is now threatening to put sanctions on Russia if they dont come to the table. Again, the U.S. is on Ukraine's side: How do you know this? That's the side they gave money and ammunition to. But for the purposes of ending the war, the U.S has to feign neutrality... Yet some are making those efforts incredibly hard as hell.
2nd, Ukraine is not giving up its resources to America for nothing . Its entering a joint venture to excavate its minerals and share profits. In short, its a backdoor way for America to put boots on the ground next door to Russia while pretending we are not doing it.
I mean, its the same stunt China pulled in Panama until Trump balked against the nonsense and told Panama to kick China out of our area or we'll take the canal back. And Panama did. No Superpower wants other powers at their doorstep. Russia included. But we will be. And the deal ( many here told me didn't exist but has now been signed) would do that
We are about to encroach on Russia but some of you Europeans wont just shut up long enough so we can build a legitimate stop to their aggression in their backyard. Its almost as if you guys want Russia to succeed.
And while we are on the topic of the threat of Russia, why does Europe buy so much energy from Russia? And can you guys work on reducing your dependency on their energy so we could stop funding Putin's military aggressions you claim to hate so much?
Europeans are practically funding both sides of the war... Get your shit together Europe!!
Oh yeah, i want all the smoke :)
No he was not set up... I am happy you brought this up coz I didn't have time to watch it when it happened, but by the time I did, it wasn't worth discussing here anymore.
Lets get some bask facts straight:
1. Whatever you think of the deal, and i get many here dont like it for whatever reason... I don't know 'America bad' or something...
The original minerals deal, or the idea of it was first proposed by Zelensky. Not Trump, not the Americans... Zelensky proposed it.. Granted, his preferred version was in exchange for boots on the ground. Which the American negotiators shut down as a no go.
Ill skip over other shenanigans for now and get to the Whitehouse bit...
Then after weeks of negotiations by his foreign contingent, they (Zelensky's people) and the State department agreed on a deal in principle and the Whitehouse meeting was simply supposed to be a photo op where the principals i.e. Trump and Zelly shake hands, play nice and sign papers.
BUt what did Zely do? Came in with intent to derail and from the start, acted like a right dick. Starts talking as if they are still in negotiations... Brings out pictures of Ukrainian victims and POWs, pretends he is just showing it to Trump but really he flashes each picture to the media forst before handing it over...His whole act was an attempt to sabotage the deal his people had worked to put together. He was argumentative, cut Trump off multiple times, corrected Trump even when his corrections were wrong. His whole act was an attempt at sabotage.
Granted, I think he was boosted by the Democrat Senators he had gone to see earlier who were playing their own internal US politics games and convinced him not to sign the deal his tram negotiated. If you watch the whole interview from start to finish, it was clear Zelly was just trying his best to be an ass. Eye rolling, arm folding, disrespectfully referring to the VP as JD in a heated moment. He was a purposeful disaster.
It is clear to anyone who doesn't have a pre-existing bias against Trump, what Zelly was doing... He was trying hard to be unagreeable all through.
Trump was actually quite good until the end when Zelensky made a threat. For Trump, it seemed he was in "lets sign a deal" mode. So he took all of Zelly's rudeness in stride. Because at the end of it all they were there to simply sign a deal and then have a lunch. The rest was just Photo-op.
Like the young kids like to say, Trump knew the assignment, but Zelensky wasn't about that life.
Finally, a concession... I love JD Vance, and unlike Trump, i will happily and delightedly vote for him if the opportunity presents itself in 4 years. That said, he had no business piping up during that discussion. You are the V.P., when 2 Presidents are talking, sit back and chill out. Its not your place to talk. Be more like Marco. Know your role... Let the Primary:s address each other.
In the end, his outburst was what gave Zelensky the out and what forced Trump into aggressive mode.
Anyway, thats that. Will call it quits for tonight. But im sure there'd be more tmrw.
I'll also revisit 7-10
@KS55 I saw your post, will respond soon.