Trump, Putin, and Ukraine

Trump is one step ahead of everyone.  Eight years ago, Trump told European countries that they need to step up to the plate and protect themselves, as the US can't afford to continue doing so.  Some countries kicked in a few extra bucks to NATO, but the suggestion largely fell on deaf ears.  Trump is currently negotiating on muliple fronts.

1.  He is putting fear in the mind of Zelenskyy, allowing for the US to negotiate a repayment of sorts for the money we spent on the war.  Trump wants a portion of Ukraine's raw materials (oil and minerals), and this is fair.  Trump also wants the war to end, and Zelenskyy knows that without the US, Russia takes the entire country.  This puts Trump in a very strong negotiating position.

2.  He's putting the fear of god into the balance of Europe, letting them know that they had better take care of  themselves, or quickly learn to speak Russian.  Europe has gotten fat and lazy on the backs of American security in Europe.

3.  Trump doesn't want Russia to gain any land in Ukraine, but he also wants Europe to take the lead in stopping Putin.  He's urging through policy that Europe step up, and this would allow the US to largely exit the negotiations with Russia.  If Europe doesn't take the lead in protecting Ukraine, the country goes to Russia.  This  would put enough fear into Europe, forcing them to become self reliant militarily, and more aggressive vs Russia.  Europe will finally start paying the cost of protecting themselves moving forward.

4. Trump would like to put a spinter in the Russia/China relationship, as China is without doubt the elephant in the room when it comes to US adversaries.

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/02/17/european-leaders-battle-for-unity-in-new-phase-under-trump-a88052

Before any response I should note that Boilerman has a big problem with Lyin' Libs.

Now I ask you : what lie is bigger?  When Trump said he won the 2020 election?  Or now when he says Ukraine started the war with Russia?    

Thats the official position of the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.    And all his little insurrecctionists are getting in line.   Zelensky is the bad guy for having his country invaded.   Zelenesky is the bad guy for having his country's children kidknapped.  Zelensky is the bad guy for having his civilians targetted and indiscriminantly bombed.     And not one word of negativity about the Vladimir Putin.

Add to that Trump now has the same arrangement with NATO that he has with Eric Adams.   He'll only help defend free Western Europe from dictators if there is something in it for him.   

Trump is killing every diplomatic relationship we have with Democracies  and snuggling up to dictators.    Its going to take over a decade to repair all that when he's gone.

Trump wants to loot Ukraine of its rare earth minerals to line his pockets. That is disgraceful. The most corrupt President in the history of the United States.

Reagan understood how to negotiate peace through strength.  He called the Soviet Union's bluff in the arms race because both sides knew their economic engine was no match for ours.      Putin's economic engine is 10x worse off......but we dont have Reagan calling his bluff.   We have the bone spur coward.     And he's laying out the red carpet for Putin to invade Latvia, Estonia, Poland and on and on and on.

Trump will get nothing from a deal for oil and minerals, and that is such a stupid concept.  The United States will reap gains, however.

Unfortunately, we don't have the money to keep being the protector of all.  All Eurotrash countries must step up their military defenses to avert such situations, or pay the consequences...one of which is learning Russian.

Europe is peeing in their pants at the thought of having to pay their own way on national defense.  They might have to move retirement ages beyond age 52.  They might have to stop taking month long summer vacations.  They might have to work an extra hour per day.

Finally we have a president who is actually doing something about our deficit, and Liberals can't handle what that means.

Well, lets go back and read history where NATO said they would not push 1 inch towards Russia...and then added over a dozen countries on the border, poking the bear for decades and overthrowing the democratically elected leader of Ukraine while Ukraine shelled its own citizens on the border because they were Russian speaking.  You could go deeper into the Nazis and Azov if you'd like, but you'll deny it as a fascist.

So your claim that Russia started the war is completely baseless.

I have no love for Russia, but have also no love for the MIC and BlackRock.

He's not Biden, for god's sake.

How about he wants payment for all the Italian villas, yachts, lambos, bullets and bombs we've bought for the now rich Ukes political class?

Remember when FDR told Europe he would help fight Hitler...but only if we got control of France's vineyards and England's crown jewels?     

Me neither.

First let's just agree that Putin is a brutal dictator, the aggressor and a war criminal.  That said, Democrat warmongers and neocons just seem to want another forever war so hundreds of billions of dollars go to their cronies in the Military Industrial Complex. To them, the only good Ruskie is a dead Ruskie.  It's like the 80's called.  They want their foreign policy back.

Remind me what Joe Biden and the Democrat's plan was to stop the killing in Ukraine.  I think it was something like 'as long as it takes' which means as much of our money as it takes and as many dead Russians and Ukrainians as it takes.   And when you're talking about our money, why was much of the European money for Ukraine in the form or loans or recouped from Russian Assets while ours was simply no strings hand outs...Aparantly they can't even account for half of the money we've given them.

Never once has a Democrat here stated what the end result of this war needs to be in their opinion.  Do they honestly think Crimea will be returned to Ukraine?  That Ukraine will join Nato?  That Russia will be defeated on the battlefield?  That we need to supply Ukraine with Nukes or put boots on the ground or it's a good idea to continue to escalate this proxy war?  

And so where does that leave us?  There was a time when Democrats would have tried to find a way toward peace and to stop the killing...'whatever it takes'..  Should Trump negotiate with a brutal dictator, aggressor and war criminal?  Is that simply appeasement ala Neville Chamberlain?  Could some of Trump's rhetoric just be negotiation tactics?  Well maybe we should be talking to the head of the country with more nuclear weapons pointed at us than any other.  Maybe we should at least try to find a way to de-escalate the situation and stop the killing.  Maybe there is a way to a lasting peace with security guarantees for Ukraine.  The devil is in the details and there are no details yet.  How about Dems stop their pearl clutching and hand wringing until we see an actual proposal?  All we know is that if Dick Cheney, his new Democat idiolizers and the Neo Cons have their way, the killing with never end....it's profitable.  Maybe give peace a chance instead.