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Far from his adminstration worst idea.
There is speculation that he wants Russia and China to also cut their military budgets. Russia will do that anyway once the war is over. China has it's own financial issues so it might play ball, at least openly.
Once the US has even fabs then he will sell Taiwan out like he did Ukraine.
Reports that Trump had ordered an 8% cut in military spending for each of the next five years.
Curiouser and curiouser. This has to be met with pushback by a lot of parties… veterans, arms manufacturers, regular sane people both Republicans and Democrats.
Why when temperatures globally are at boiling point would he consider this??? It’s unhinged.
another Quid pro quo even.
And that 500 billion is in repayment for the 65 billion actually drawn down out of the 175 billion allocated for Ukraine. But much worse, Trump now wants a50% part of all profitable Ukrainian enterprises, in perpetuity. Black mail is the only word for it. No difference between Trump and Putin.
Thanks. You did not quite answer whether you were pleased or not with the new US approach to Ukraine (and European security) though!
I didn't expect Trump would support Ukraine, and believed US aid was on the clock once he got elected, and if the US was to provide anything else, Europeans or Ukrainians would be paying top dollar. I think them getting "tired of it" and adopting an utterly mercenary approach to making others pay for everything would have been fairly disgusting, but surmountable and manageable, if that's all it was.
This mood music with the US (or Trump and co.) and Russia going on now is something else entirely - much worse and very disturbing. Maybe I am being premature but can't see how an earthquake in politics/international relations like this won't end up affecting everyone (old and young!) all over Europe quite rapidly (even way out here in Ireland), and not in a good way.
I do admire it, but, it was a bad move diplomatically… Trump needs his ego massaged, you won't get away with saying things like that with him if he is in the place of power.
These poxy EU leaders better start growing a pair or someone from the Eastern block take charge… this silence is deafening.
Zelenskyy would have been wiser to criticize what Trump said without criticizing Trump - 'I have more than 4%. Russia started this war' Counter what he said without even mentioning his name.
Not quite correct that it was Zelensky who first offered mineral rights. It was Trump who brought up the idea of obtaining minerals on Monday, February 3rd and then Zelensky said he was very open to the idea of exchanging some mineral rights for military aid four days later.
But Trump has now come in this week mafia / gangster style and seemingly demanded $500bn of Ukraine's resources.
If he really wants it, he will take it. Not much Denmark can do about it.
This would be a good time for Denmark to tell Trump, we'll sell you Greenland when the Russians are back in russia
Eggs are still $10 and that's what this has always been about.
If they thought Trump was doing well they wouldn't shut up about it even as far away as Boards.
The Russians probably can’t believe their luck over the past 2 days.
How Trump has the balls to call Zelensky illegitimate but yet is about to sit down for talks with a president that has been in office for over 20 years? **** mad this all is.
I’m waiting for the sanctions to be lifted by the Americans, it won’t matter for **** what Europe does then. It’ll be a free for all
Since 2020, the world has gone batshit crazy.
Honest question. Honest answer. I read as much as possible about geopolitics. Not saying that I know much about any specific topic despite my research. The Russian invasion of Ukraine is only one of the areas that I am interested in; very much secondary to the question of whether Clare will retain the All-Ireland etc. etc. I always believed that the US would eventually get tired of the conflict as they invariably do with most issues. I am just surprised at the unprecedented speed of the u turn. not scared as I am of an age where it is unlikely to impact on my life but most certainly fascinated.
Is there a scenario here where the CIA step in and have him offed? Surely it's completely unacceptable to have a confirmed Russian asset as the US president running around upending a world order they spent 80yrs cultivating. Whilst trying to neuter the agency in the background. Maybe Airforce one has an in-flight malfunction with his "best and brightest" on board.
They can blame a DEI hire.
You have to admire Zelensky for saying Drumpf lives in a russian disinformation space,
Only for Drumpf to prove his point in short order.
Not much of a poker player is old Don!
I’d reckon trump is after something like the molotov ,ribbentrof pact of 1939. And carve up Ukraine between them.
Rightly or wrongly it’s a different story when it’s on your border. The Baltic nations will be demanding action surely…
Trump bight become the first US/Russian oligarch. Up to now there are onlyRussian or US oligarchs!!!!
ESB have been sending Ukraine old spares just for the craic the last 3 years
How does Lavrov square his stance when Trump has asked the EU countries for what they can contribute to the solution including peacekeepers, someone correct me if I am wrong
Personally I think this boils down to money and resources.
-Ukraine (rightly) said no to giving up their rare earth minerals/precious metals -Russia made an offer that if sanctions were lifted and they were brought in from the cold they would strike a deal with the US for access to these in the areas they currently control in Eastern Ukraine -Russia may have also made an offer for access to US drilling companies to oil resources on their own soil
I think that's what has triggered the flip. It's completely morally bankrupt but Donald Trump is completely morally bankrupt.
The US can agree with anything with Russia but it is ONLY with Russia. It can even agree to buy 100 tons of tooth picks a year from Russia . So what. Any such agreement - even how the war might end - is ABSOLUTLY USELESS as UKr/EU was not involved. IMO , because Trump is on his ‘transactional only’ strategy - as he is all the time- has decided that his only objective is to do an economic deal with Ru , rekindle/ cement a working relationship in Russia and seek opportunities for investment. THEN when that is done there is the ‘minor matter ‘ of this little iritiant of this war ‘started’ by Ukr.
So, in summary, the US/RU meeting is dealing with two distinct , independant and VERY separate issues. Need I say no more when we see the comments from Trump about VZ, etc, before he meets the guy as an , hopefully, ‘equal partner’ in solving the war problem . And not a zilch re Putin apart from that ‘he is a very nice’ fellow or words/gesticulations to that effect
Ireland will respond with the action of handing him a bowl of shamrocks in a few weeks!
Were people not paying attention for the past year when Europe did absolutely nothing when Israel brazenly committed genocide while their leaders openly spoke of their desire to kill millions through starvation? Europe watched in silence rather than create friction with an American ally. There are no red lines when it comes to US support.
Europe is a continent of weak leaders embroiled in turmoil in their own countries who are all completely subservient to America in whatever it does.
Look forward to many statements of "concern" and zero action from the European leaders in the coming days and weeks.
That is the greatest problem, a nations international standing being dependent on the whims of an egotistical self entitled bore.
This term is easier to handle because he's outed himself entirely as Putin's bitch.
Trump being sooooo mercurial he might decide to ‘switch sides’ when he sees the EU and maybe other countries standing up to him , the EU agreeing to increase military expenditure, etc,etc.. he likes strength being shown and may perceive these type of developments as a source of strength. To do the above would be no problem to a psychopath
The pope is a scumbag and he leads one of the most evil institutions on this planet. All their assets should be siezed just like Russia.
Lads apologies but I keep typing Putin instead of trump. Visually I always picture one with the other. A few slips get through but I usually correct the mistakes before I post.
…..
Trump really has let his true colours show and it is obvious now why putin was throwing everything he had at the offensive in Ukraine as he believes he now has a big dog to help him out:
There will be no plunder. Ukraine is not going to be in a position to pay anyone back. I think its clear the US leaned into Zelensky's offer of mineral rights (and the minerals offer was a Zelensky idea) at the Zelensky-Vance meeting was for the same reason the US sent a questionnaire to European leaders quizzing them on what they could militarily contribute for post-war peacekeeping.
In both cases, it was to highlight to how silly the idea was. Ukrainian minerals (to the extent they can even be accessed)cant repay what the US has invested . Europe cant contribute anything meaningful to post-war peacekeeping.
The only ones making money out of the whole debacle is a few arms manufacturers in the US and many Ukrainian oligarchs.
EU/European states should hold “peace talks” with Ukraine in Greenland. If anything it would at least piss Trump off. Trump has crossed a red line now and all of Europe needs to respond with actions not words.
