Donald Trump the Megathread part II - mod warnings in OP, Updated 18/03/25

Of course he didn't ..there was nothing there for Ukraine

After watching his interview on Fox News and letting it sink in a bit I do think it was a definite ambush so Trump can withdraw aid and pivot to Russia when Putin maybe then offers him a mineral deal from the seized territory in Crimea ?

This is the only thing that would make seemingly siding with the Russians acceptable to his voters ..

"It's the economy , stupid! ..duh".

This excuse that Trump is 'transactional ' to explain his complete moral abandon and lack of common courtesy and diplomacy is just an excuse for It's all ok if it helps the American economy .

what about those rendering flights that Mick Wallace et , al. Have a problem with. Did Channon charge them a premium rate for the facilities

what do you mean that the typical American care little about what’s happening in , eg, UKr and Gaza because they are a geographical world away. If, after work they listen to the radio or turn on Their Prime Time equivalent they would know instantly what is happening. Where do the various stations such as BBC 1, BBC 2 , Sky news, Virgin Media , etc, etc, get their coverage from . There is enough on the ‘air waves ‘ as to what’s happening in the world and I would assume that you’re typical American. As a re

As a reflection of how some sovereign nations care there are a raft of Irish , French, Swedish German, Swiss, Danish, Italian voluntary and professional organisations working in troubled spots all over the world and are significantly funded. By the private sector. Are you saying that it is DIFFERENT IN AMERICA???????????

I never realised how much influence I had in the world 😝

Trump has I think gotten rid of some of those checks and balances already . Loading the Supreme court with his choice of judges , preventing any prosecutions against whatever a sitting president might do.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c70kd686k2do

This is only the beginning.

It's ironic that it is an immigrant (Musk South Africa)that is chopping all these Americans from their jobs

I'll stick my head above the parapet. Having watched the full press conference. I think Trump and Vance were right to call out Zelensky. He's a petulant upstart who has been going cap in hand, playing Europe and the USA against each other the last 3 years. As the meeting drew on, it became evident that Zelensky was wanting more than was discussed in any prior agreements. Trump could see he was saying more in front of the gathered media than what was agreed and he felt Zelensky was pushing his luck.

It became more and more obvious Zelensky has no interest in a ceasefire or a deal and only wants arms and funds from both the USA and Europe. He will keep sending soldiers to their deaths once he is funded.

Zelensky is playing the two sides against each other and the suits in Brussels and Davos are licking their lips that the US could be pulling away from getting their hands on Ukrainian resources.

Why should Trump and the USA contuine funding a war and get no payback on it. While Trump and Putin are questionable characters, Zelensky is no saint either and is pulling European countries to a war that is not theirs to fight or loose citizens too.

Russia have killed people on European soil ffs

May be unpopular to say but I do think Zelensky created a rod for his own back yesterday. That's not to excuse Trump and Vance behaviour. Zelensky should have known better than to speak directly to Vance.

The big mistake Zelensky made in front of the cameras was attempting to engage with Vance. That started the problems and I think it showed a lack of tact from Zelensky. It gave Vance the green light to act as he did. No other responsible politician would fall in to that trap, they'd have spotted it a mile off. Unfortunately for Zelensky he didn't see it.

So yes obviously the behaviour of the hosts was despicable but Zelensky fell in to the trap without being pushed. He should have said nothing.

Zelenskyy is the wartime president who is leading his country through the shitstorm Putin opened on Ukraine, unlike the bluffer in the White House pretending to be the world's saviour from what he called WWIII.

No bargaining to make a deal followed by a news conference to tell the world about the deal reached, which is the usual way for two parties to do business. Trump chose the cowards way, pulling the theatre-stunt in the Oval Office after stacking the audience with his appointed ones before the world, evading the chance that he would have to sit face to face with Zelenskyy for a real bargaining session on a one to one basis, cos if he did that, he'd have to face Putin down for real.

No chance that he would have a live-feed bargaining session in front of the world's media with Putin to force Russia's military and police, and NK troops, into a humiliating retreat from Ukraine. Much better to claim to the world that he'd ordered Zelenskyy out of the White House for insulting the US.

Where any poster here gets to assert that Zelenskyy did not thank the US for the military assistance it had given to the defenders of Ukraine is beyond me. As the lies originated with Trump and Vance, their reality is as long as the noses of the pair telling the lie.

Trump is under nobody’s thumb, and therein lies the problem. Just a nutcase running loose

Vance is an empty vessel. I keep hearing about how intelligent he is. To me, he is a complete imbecile. He has the world view of a 10 year old. Despite what people say he's is not a good debater. I have zero fear of him becoming president after Trump. Even amongst maga he is deeply unpopular.

Starmer and Zelensky with a warm embrace, chat and smiles at number 10 Downing Street. No smart alec remark about how Zelensky is dressed, like Trump did yesterday right at the start before they even entered the White House.

Zelensky speaking English to 99% of people is fine. He maybe should consider speaking in his native language through an interpreter when the discussion and understanding are so critical. I feel he was at a disadvantage communicating with trump and then vance.

As a side note, imagine Vance butting in to speak with another head of state like China or a Middle eastern leader as he did yesterday. It would have been a diplomatic bomb.

I actually considered that if Zelensky had an interpreter it would have slowed everything down yesterday and Vance (and Trump) wouldn't have had the same opportunity to berate him. A trick missed.