Trump is talking tougher toward Putin but has yet to ratchet up assistance to Ukraine

[Christopher Hitchens]

Excerpt from NBC News:

WASHINGTON — The bromance between Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin has noticeably fizzled in the new term, though Trump has yet to reveal the extent to which he’ll pressure Russia to end its grinding war with Ukraine.

Since taking office, Trump has dropped talk of Putin’s strategic "genius" and “savvy.” In a conspicuous rhetorical shift, Trump has instead been warning that the Russian president he once called "very smart" is leading his country to ruin by prolonging the war.



“He [Putin] should make a deal,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on his first day back in the White House. “I think he’s destroying Russia by not making a deal. I think Russia is going to be in big trouble.”

The rationale behind the frostier tone is simple enough. Trump promised during the campaign to end the fighting within 24 hours of taking office, if not sooner. That deadline has passed, meaning the clock is ticking on Trump’s vow to stop a costly, destructive war that began nearly three years ago when Russia invaded its democratic neighbor.

Trump needs both Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to come to the table and negotiate a peace deal, which for Russia means abandoning any hope of swallowing up Ukraine in its entirety.

Ukraine is prepared to bargain, Trump told the World Economic Forum three days after his inauguration. And Russia?



“Well, you’re going to have to ask Russia,” he said.

“Having listened to Trump talk about Putin for almost a decade now, this is the most critical stuff he’s ever said,” Michael McFaul, a former U.S. ambassador to Russia in the Obama administration, said in an interview.

The Russian embassy did not immediately return a request for comment.

Full article :Trump is talking tougher toward Putin but has yet to ratchet up assistance to Ukraine




@mrln so what do you have to say with this and him not abandoning Ukraine? It’s early I understand that BUT

 

[(G.O.A.T.) Tubemonkey]

Fuck Ukraine! not another fucking penny.

And Fuck you too, ivan!

 

[Dirl]

Excerpt from NBC News:

WASHINGTON — The bromance between Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin has noticeably fizzled in the new term, though Trump has yet to reveal the extent to which he’ll pressure Russia to end its grinding war with Ukraine.

Since taking office, Trump has dropped talk of Putin’s strategic "genius" and “savvy.” In a conspicuous rhetorical shift, Trump has instead been warning that the Russian president he once called "very smart" is leading his country to ruin by prolonging the war.



“He [Putin] should make a deal,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on his first day back in the White House. “I think he’s destroying Russia by not making a deal. I think Russia is going to be in big trouble.”

The rationale behind the frostier tone is simple enough. Trump promised during the campaign to end the fighting within 24 hours of taking office, if not sooner. That deadline has passed, meaning the clock is ticking on Trump’s vow to stop a costly, destructive war that began nearly three years ago when Russia invaded its democratic neighbor.

Trump needs both Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to come to the table and negotiate a peace deal, which for Russia means abandoning any hope of swallowing up Ukraine in its entirety.

Ukraine is prepared to bargain, Trump told the World Economic Forum three days after his inauguration. And Russia?



“Well, you’re going to have to ask Russia,” he said.

“Having listened to Trump talk about Putin for almost a decade now, this is the most critical stuff he’s ever said,” Michael McFaul, a former U.S. ambassador to Russia in the Obama administration, said in an interview.

The Russian embassy did not immediately return a request for comment.

Full article :Trump is talking tougher toward Putin but has yet to ratchet up assistance to Ukraine




@mrln so what do you have to say with this and him not abandoning Ukraine? It’s early I understand that BUT

 

[RandyScott111]

Putin and Zelensky/Ukraine can both eat shit. As much as I love a proxy war bleeding my adversaries this war is retarded at best. Stop the slaughter. I hate white on white crime even when its retarded gypsy Eastern European trash.

 

[GrizzlyRazorblades]

That article proves to be more of a hit job on Trump than informative news., full of biased slants. NBC is shit news.

 

[Amalgamation]

Negotiations.

If we start giving less now, then there's one card off the table to be used during discussion of it. Stopping now is doing so for free, without getting them to figure out a deal.

 

[45cal1911]

Negotiations.

If we start giving less now, then there's one card off the table to be used during discussion of it. Stopping now is doing so for free, without getting them to figure out a deal.

Spot on. To add Trump is also seeking compensation for the billions of money laundering from the Biden Administration and imo he expects American tax payers/US should be paid back in minerals.

I am certain Trump and Putin can make a deal.
Fuck Ukraine.

 

[hedgerow]

CH, we know you hate Trump so much you voted against him and for a continuation of the Biden/Harris Regime...you're a DemonRat.

 

[Dirl]

Spot on. To add Trump is also seeking compensation for the billions of money laundering from the Biden Administration and imo he expects American tax payers/US should be paid back in minerals.

I am certain Trump and Putin can make a deal.
Fuck Ukraine.

Well, half of the minerals are in western Ukraine and I heard there are talks to divide the country into several parts.
We talked about this many months ago.

 

[45cal1911]

Well, half of the minerals are in western Ukraine and I heard there are talks to divide the country into several parts.
We talked about this many months ago.

My wild guess. Trump will demand reimbursement and so will Putin.

Zelensky asked for NATO membership or nukes. The clown thinks Biden is still in office.

 

[j.f.🔎]

The Ukraine Russia war is like Sons of Anarchy, I don't care anymore it's been on too long.

 

[Dirl]

My wild guess. Trump will demand reimbursement and so will Putin.

Zelensky asked for NATO membership or nukes. The clown thinks Biden is still in office.

The part that is most destroyed is where the Russians are, so they will be the ones who have to deal with it.

 

[djdeeds]

I didn't read beyond the first sentence, it was enough for me to confirm my assumption it would be yet another bullshit hit piece trying to discredit Trump again.

The (clever - not so clever) use of the term "bromance" is all I needed!

 

[Chief Queef]

CH, we know you hate Trump so much you voted against him and for a continuation of the Biden/Harris Regime...you're a DemonRat.

So true. Because of that he isn't worth pissing on if he was on fire. An absolute traitor to humanity...

 

[mrln]

instead of taking over gaza,we should take ukraine over. what does gaza have over ukraine as far as worth goes? plus ukrainians would love to see americans there. also putin and trump can be neighbours and swap wives once in a while.

 

[Groundbound]

Excerpt from NBC News:

WASHINGTON — The bromance between Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin has noticeably fizzled in the new term, though Trump has yet to reveal the extent to which he’ll pressure Russia to end its grinding war with Ukraine.

Since taking office, Trump has dropped talk of Putin’s strategic "genius" and “savvy.” In a conspicuous rhetorical shift, Trump has instead been warning that the Russian president he once called "very smart" is leading his country to ruin by prolonging the war.



“He [Putin] should make a deal,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on his first day back in the White House. “I think he’s destroying Russia by not making a deal. I think Russia is going to be in big trouble.”

The rationale behind the frostier tone is simple enough. Trump promised during the campaign to end the fighting within 24 hours of taking office, if not sooner. That deadline has passed, meaning the clock is ticking on Trump’s vow to stop a costly, destructive war that began nearly three years ago when Russia invaded its democratic neighbor.

Trump needs both Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to come to the table and negotiate a peace deal, which for Russia means abandoning any hope of swallowing up Ukraine in its entirety.

Ukraine is prepared to bargain, Trump told the World Economic Forum three days after his inauguration. And Russia?



“Well, you’re going to have to ask Russia,” he said.

“Having listened to Trump talk about Putin for almost a decade now, this is the most critical stuff he’s ever said,” Michael McFaul, a former U.S. ambassador to Russia in the Obama administration, said in an interview.

The Russian embassy did not immediately return a request for comment.

Full article :Trump is talking tougher toward Putin but has yet to ratchet up assistance to Ukraine




@mrln so what do you have to say with this and him not abandoning Ukraine? It’s early I understand that BUT

STFU

STFU

 

[D.O.A.]

The part that is most destroyed is where the Russians are, so they will be the ones who have to deal with it.

Russians will either partner with the Chinese or do offtake agreements and that shit is gone. The west can bitch all it likes about losing a couple mines but everything ends up in China anyway. That lithium will end up in western consumer goods, the irony of the mineral refining chain.

 

[chewbok]

Ukraine needs to account for the aid and arms they have already been given. It’s a bottomless pit. They say they don’t know where 50% of the aid/$ went. Find it and you will have plenty of money/aid/arms. Quit stealing and selling the aid and give it to your troops and use it to defend your country. Duh.

 

[Christopher Hitchens]

Ukraine needs to account for the aid and arms they have already been given. It’s a bottomless pit. They say they don’t know where 50% of the aid/$ went. Find it and you will have plenty of money/aid/arms. Quit stealing and selling the aid and give it to your troops and use it to defend your country. Duh.

Where did you get that 50 percent number? Cuz that sounds like bullshit to me. Most of the aid from the US is military and related equipment, how would 50 percent of that disappear? Makes no sense.

 

[chewbok]

Zelenskyy said over 1/2 of the $177 Billion aid package “has not been received”. The US says it’s been provided.

There seem to be a number of valuation factors:
1) cash vs equipment
2) training and logistics
3) aid to other countries that are directly assisting the war efforts.
4) shrinkage along the way.

So, there seem to be enough accounting errors, misappropriation, corruption and general bad tracking to go around. Everyone shares blame. Bottom line is that no one really knows who got what and where over 1/2 of the “provided aid” is or was the value and location of cash/arms/training/logistics support and the like currently in the pipeline.

The general consensus seems to be that everyone needs to tighten up, identify where the $ went and reassess needs before anything else gets pushed that way.

Fingers are being pointed in every direction while checks are being written by the US.
Read pro Ukranian press and they are blameless, pro US press says they are to blame….

Ukraine has received less than half of US assistance allocated during full-scale war, Zelensky says

Zelensky implied that half of U.S. assistance was "lost" due to corruption or lobbying from the side of U.S. companies. Ukraine's head of state said this in response to Fridman's question about corruption concerns in Ukraine.

kyivindependent.com