The Game of Chicken

Note: Behind the green door, there is a post about the blob, a post about big stupid trucks, and the Sunday podcast. Subscribe here or here. Last Wednesday was the kickoff of a show with Paul Ramsey, which you can watch on Paul’s channel. I also did an appearance on the Mike Farris show, which can be seen here.


The Trump administration’s opening of direct talks with the Russians setoff panic in Kiev and the capitals of Europe. The reason for that is Project Ukraine was centered on the acceptance that there could be no direct talks with Moscow, until the Russians surrendered their country to the control of the usual suspects. Trump’s call with Putin and then the meeting in Saudi Arabia violated this central assumption. First there was panic and now there is a game of chicken.

The Trump administration has concluded, after assessing the situation inside and outside the issue of Ukraine, that normalizing relations with Russia is in the best interest of the United States. One of the obstacles to that is the war in the Ukraine, so logically they are looking to wrap up the war as quickly as possible. The Russians have agreed to talks with Ukraine but insist on elections in Ukraine first. They point out that by the laws of Ukraine, Zelensky does not have the power to sign a deal.

Russophobes argue that this is a stalling tactic, but they are the ones demanding the unconditional surrender of Russia before any talks can start, so this is the usual projection that is a feature of the post-liberal West. The Russians, having been burned by the Minsk agreements charade, want the next deal to have teeth, so they are insisting that it be signed by the internationally and domestically recognized leader of Ukraine, which means new elections.

The Russians would probably drop this demand if the EU were willing to co-sign whatever deal is struck, but such an offer will never come. The reason is the whole project relies on never having direct talks with the Russians. This is the trap setup in 2023 to keep everyone committed to Project Ukraine. Ukraine passed a law forbidding direct talks with Russia in exchange for unlimited support. Europe signed on in exchange for unlimited support from Washington.

The reason the Biden administration expedited the remaining weapons and money allocated to this project was an effort to prevent the incoming Trump administration from rethinking these arrangements. They would not have time to do that, as Ukraine would immediately need more money and weapons. The assumption was that they would have no choice but to go along with more money and weapons, thus entangling Trump in the Ukraine trap.

The underlying assumption was that Trump would not walk away from Project Ukraine and risk the image of Russian tanks rumbling through Kiev. This is the assumption the Europeans and Zelensky are relying on as they deal with Trump. In fact, Zelensky is so confident of this that he is going out of his way to jerk around the Trump administration on the mineral rights deal. Emmanuel Macron and Keir Starmer are coming to Washington this week to set Trump straight.

Reportedly, Starmer and Macron will present a plan to Trump that has the UK and France putting troops into Ukraine, while the United States provides air cover from bases in Poland and Romania. In effect, the United States must create a no-fly zone over Ukraine and go to war with Russia if the Russians violate it. The madness of the scheme is so beyond the pale it is hard to accept as real, but the Europeans are operating in an alternative reality from the rest of us.

The Trump people see that the main obstacle to their plans for normalizing relations with Russia is Zelensky. Anyone who has dealt with a deadbeat knows Zelensky and the best way of dealing with this type is to get rid of them. Elections will remove him from the picture. The end of American support will also remove him from the picture, as the only reason for him to exist is as a facilitator of money and arms into Ukraine, mostly the money, which is stolen by Ukrainian officials.

The danger of pulling the plug on Ukraine is that it could be bad public relations, which is where the mineral rights dispute comes into play. The point of this is to make it appear as if Zelensky is unwilling to make a deal for more money and make it look like he is the obstacle to a peace deal. Trump’s team has figured out that Zelensky cannot sign the mineral deal, and he cannot agree to negotiations, so they are pressing on both in order to shift the blame to him.

What is setting up is a game of chicken. On one side we have Zelensky and the Europeans, who are sure Trump will never walk away from Ukraine. It is why they are getting bolder in their demands. They think Trump is bluffing. On the other side we have Team Trump who is sure the Europeans will fall in line, rather than risk a break with Washington, even if it means abandoning Ukraine. Zelensky is sure he has fooled everyone with his latest schemes.

For their part, the Russians are making the prudent bet. It costs them nothing to talk with the Trump administration and there is a good chance it leads to a positive outcome, so they will follow that route to the end. Similarly, the Chinese have made positive noises about the start of talks between Moscow and Washington. Like the Russians, the Chinese welcome the return of normalcy to Washington. China and Russia are open for business and ready to make deals.

It is too soon to know how this ends, but this game of chicken revolves around Zelensky being the ruler of Ukraine, which means the way to avoid a collision is to remove him from the equation. The Russians figured this out two years ago. The Chinese figured it out last year when they had talks with him. Now the Trump administration has arrived at the same conclusion. That leaves the Europeans and the bet in the White House right now is they will choose Washington over Zelensky.


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Silver
Silver
1 month ago

At this point the Eurorats should go all in and see how quickly their native population starts building guillotines. What else is left but a complete collapse of EU? I live here and I love my heritage but the cancerous parasites must die before our people can once again begin to innovate, create and find a spiritual calling.

Jack Dobsen
Jack Dobsen
Reply to  Silver
1 month ago

Many young Englishmen and Frenchmen have stated they will go to prison before they go to Ukraine. It is hard to see how an inevitable miliary draft wouldn’t set off domestic unrest that would quickly spiral out of control. That might even be a good thing for indigenous Europeans.

Xman
Xman
Reply to  Jack Dobsen
1 month ago

“Many young Englishmen and Frenchmen have stated they will go to prison before they go to Ukraine.”

LOL the “young Englishmen and Frenchmen” are all named Mohammed and Abdul…

Jack Dobsen
Jack Dobsen
Reply to  Xman
1 month ago

France no longer maintains demographic breakdowns, for reasons, but it it is believed most under 18, let alone those who are older, continue to be white. That obviously is the case in Britain as well, although there are hard numbers to back that up. There are now more non-white births in the United States than white ones. No European country is as bad off. If drafts are implemented, the way to bet is Mohammedans would be excluded even though they are not the majorities; again, for reasons. The problem for the warmongers is both the French and British white youth… Read more »

Compsci
Compsci
Reply to  Jack Dobsen
1 month ago

“No European country is as bad off.” Not so sure. With respect to Germany, the influx of “refugees” in 2015 was over 1.2M. The overwhelming bulk were males of military age. This I’ve read caused an imbalance of marriage age men to (German) women. Hence a demographic catastrophe was set in the making. I tried to get current figures on births and heritage from ChatGPT, but (not surprisingly) ChatGPT dances around the question—refusing to present current figures on such. My general thinking is that Germany is as screwed—if not worse—than the USA demographically. If Germany still retains a slight edge… Read more »

3g4me
3g4me
Reply to  Compsci
1 month ago

Compsci: Use Yandex as your search engine, and try different wording for searches. I got results of 87.2% ethnic German in 2018 and 86.3% in 2021. Yes, I’m certain current birth %s are far worse, but there is no European country as far gone demographically as the US. They may have more Mussulmen, and may have lost their more nationalist/martial men, but they are still unquestionably majority White – not in the big cities, but in the nation overall.

Mycale
Mycale
Reply to  3g4me
1 month ago

The big issue, and I am going from memory here, is that the people coming to Germany (and England, and France, and other countries) have a lot of children and Germans have almost zero. So while the top line number might be better than the USA, the next-generation is much closer to the USA’s.

3g4me
3g4me
Reply to  Mycale
1 month ago

You are correct that the next generation is going to be the issue – for all formerly White nations. The older and dying are Whites. The births everywhere are majority non-White. Yes, I know some sperg will comment that “acshually, Latinos in the US average ‘x’ kids” but overall, each succeeding 10 year cohort is less and less White.

Tired Citizen
Tired Citizen
Reply to  3g4me
1 month ago

The elementary school in my neighborhood is probably 95% non-white. There’s even more negros than Whites, but it’s mostly pajeets and mestizos. Let that sink in.

Paintersforms
Paintersforms
Reply to  Mycale
1 month ago

Right. They’re where we were in the 80s. Also, Hispanics vs. Muslims and so-called ‘Asian’ subcontinentals. Play it out. Cultural differences will be a much bigger factor over there.

Last edited 1 month ago by Paintersforms
Kristen Kidd
Kristen Kidd
Reply to  Mycale
1 month ago

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Last edited 1 month ago by Kristen Kidd
Ben the Layabout
Ben the Layabout
Reply to  3g4me
1 month ago

In fairness, the USA began with a significant handicap of the (now) obsolete farm equipment as well as the various indigenous tribes as well as the substantial Mestizo population from what we annexed from Mexico. Of course percentage of total population has changed over time. I know we were “majority white” as recently as late 1950s but might that include whites that later were reclassified as “Hispanic”? That term has to be the #1 weasel word of demographics. To claim “Hispanic” or “Latino” is a race is as ludicrous as it’d be to claim than a Patwah-speaking Jamaican Negro and a… Read more »

pyrrhus
pyrrhus
Reply to  Ben the Layabout
1 month ago

No, before the 1965 Immigration Act opened the doors to massive 3d world immigration, America was more than 80% white….

Ostei Kozelskii
Member
Reply to  pyrrhus
1 month ago

Closer to 90%.

Horace
Horace
Reply to  Ostei Kozelskii
1 month ago

1950 census iirc: 90% European, 10% African, to the 1% level. yes, there were some browns including Amerindians, but they did not rise to the 1% level

Steve
Steve
Reply to  Ben the Layabout
1 month ago

My late Uncle Gabriel would agree. His family came from a region of northeastern Spain that’s right at the base of the Pyrenees. When I was a kid he would say that they were the original “Blue bloods”. He had fair hair and gray-green eyes, was tall and had fair skin. Yes, his family looked Germanic.

Kristen Kidd
Kristen Kidd
Reply to  3g4me
1 month ago

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Last edited 1 month ago by Kristen Kidd
Mycale
Mycale
Reply to  Compsci
1 month ago

Yep. You read about the mass migration of Germany in 2015 and it basically wrecked the demographics of the country in one fell swoop. What they did to the USA starting in 1965 and rolling on over decades, they did to Germany in basically one year. Even Canada needed like five years to be destroyed. Of course it’s not just demographics, it wrecked their social safety net, it wrecked the jobs market, it wrecked their pension system, it wrecked their housing market, it destroyed the healthcare market, it wrecked the policing of the country, it led to mass rapes and… Read more »

Donna
Donna
Reply to  Mycale
1 month ago

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3g4me
3g4me
Reply to  Mycale
1 month ago

Another issue is the size of the native population. Canada has land mass but a relatively small population. The massive number of immigrants in the last decade, plus their younger average age and higher birth rates, has left native Whites swamped. Same is happening in Italy and Sweden and Germany – almost no native White births.

Jack Dobsen
Jack Dobsen
Reply to  3g4me
1 month ago

Yes. White TFR in the States remains just slightly below (1.6 vs. 1.75) the overall TFR nationally, so the large existing white population as a percentage, despite the Boomer die-offs, means a plurality for some time. Smaller white populations with far lower TFR’s than the nons in Europe could feel the shock in short order. Again, the US is far worse as things stand overall right now but that disparity with Europe could disappear rather quickly. I hope Europeans see what is unfolding in North America and adjust while they can. Whites very well could be a minority already in… Read more »

Compsci
Compsci
Reply to  Jack Dobsen
1 month ago

Well, if you consider “race traitors” within the White population, Whites are already a plurality of the population. When you look at a demographic percentage as per the last Census—say 60% White—subtract at least 20% off of that.

3g4me
3g4me
Reply to  Compsci
1 month ago

Subtract 2% Jews, 1.5% Muslims/Arabs, another 2% at least for Mestizos and dot Indians who consider themselves White – the official 58.9% ‘non-hispanic White’ is based on self-declaration of race on census reports. So Whites of European Christian heritage are about 55% at most. With Biden’s open borders and non-White births I suspect it’s closer to 50%. If you subtract the “race-traitors” and those simply blind to reality, you’re lucky to have 35% Whites who give a damn for their heritage and their children.

Ostei Kozelskii
Member
Reply to  Mycale
1 month ago

Sounds very much like a planned extermination.

Jack Dobsen
Jack Dobsen
Reply to  Ostei Kozelskii
1 month ago

It is genocide. Mass migration was part of it, the Ukraine war was supposed to be part of it.

Jack Dobsen
Jack Dobsen
Reply to  Compsci
1 month ago

Compsci, Ben: as 3g referenced, as things currently stand the United States still is the worst numerically (it is interesting how difficult it is now to readily access these statistics). Long term whites in the States as currently configured will be a plurality for the indefinite future and in some European nations that is not as assured in the years ahead. It is especially galling what is underway in small nations such as Ireland, in which the natives might not be even a plurality in relatively short order. In the States, the future either will be Brazil or a separation.… Read more »

William Quick
Reply to  Compsci
1 month ago

Dump ChatGP. Use Grok:

Grok says:

Thus, as of the end of 2024, approximately 15-18% of Germans under the age of 21 are likely non-white, based on migration trends, birth data, and demographic shifts. This is a rough estimate, as precise racial data isn’t available, and “non-white” is a subjective category not officially tracked in Germany. The true figure could vary depending on how one defines “non-white” and the pace of integration and immigration through 2024.

Ben the Layabout
Ben the Layabout
Reply to  Jack Dobsen
1 month ago

I’m too lazy to check sources, but I am doubtful. The White population in most nations has been far, far below replacemnet values and for a long time. I’d bet good money that EU-wide Whites are < 50% of live births in country.

3g4me
3g4me
Reply to  Ben the Layabout
1 month ago

Officially, in 2023, overall EU births 78% was to two ‘native-born parents.’ What % of those ‘native-born’ are Turks or Moroccans or Nigerians is impossible to find. But with 22% from one or both parents being foreign born, one can guesstimate that at least 33% of all births are non-White. Likely significantly higher.

Jack Dobsen
Jack Dobsen
Reply to  3g4me
1 month ago

From memory, that pretty well corresponds with the last stats I saw some time back.

Mycale
Mycale
Reply to  3g4me
1 month ago

Also IIRC, France doesn’t even keep these statistics by law, and we all know that France is the worst European country on this front by a large margin, I would be surprised if 40% of the births in that country are two actual-French people. This isn’t to say “my country is better than your country”, which is something I’ve noticed a lot of Euros do on sites like X and the chans, but merely to say that we are all on this sinking ship. Many Euros seem to be under this delusion that they are still European countries when the… Read more »

Last edited 1 month ago by Mycale
Jack Dobsen
Jack Dobsen
Reply to  Mycale
1 month ago

The French stopped keeping these statistics some time back. Interestingly, they did the same in colonial Lebanon when it became likely the Maronite Christians (many of whom probably qualify as white like their Cypriot neighbors) became a minority and different Muslim sects (who uniformly are non-white) became the majority. Different reason, same tact.

c matt
c matt
Reply to  Jack Dobsen
1 month ago

Mohammed is the #1 new born boy’s name in Britainistan.

Ben the Layabout
Ben the Layabout
Reply to  Jack Dobsen
1 month ago

EU should offer all so-called “asylum seekers” a choice of: Either a one-way ticket back where they came from or some quick military training, here’s a rifle, and send to the front lines in Ukraine. Those who survive might – might – be offered residency in a EU nation (note I didn’t say “citizenship”).

Last edited 1 month ago by Ben the Layabout
Compsci
Compsci
Reply to  Ben the Layabout
1 month ago

Careful what you ask for. Training and arming a 5th column within your country? Also note that we—the US—gave up the draft in late stages Vietnam conflict because of the problem with recalcitrant troops who were then being drafted as well as protests back home.

NoName
NoName
Reply to  Jack Dobsen
1 month ago

Jack Dobson: Many young Englishmen and Frenchmen have stated they will go to prison before they go to Ukraine. It is hard to see how an inevitable military draft wouldn’t set off domestic unrest that would quickly spiral out of control. That might even be a good thing for indigenous Europeans. I don’t know what things are like in Europe, but in the USA right now, we are rapidly losing the Testicular Fortitude necessary for fighting any war whatsoever; the following are the new GLBTQ+ numbers from Gallup: Silents: 1.8% GLBTQ born 1927-1945 Boomers: 3.0% GLBTQ born 1946-1964 GenX: 5.1%… Read more »

Tired Citizen
Tired Citizen
Reply to  Silver
1 month ago

You got that right. And that’s exactly what it’s going to take. Once your people have finally had enough, let the games begin. The same thing is going to be required here.

pyrrhus
pyrrhus
1 month ago

“The Russians would probably drop this demand if the EU were willing to co-sign whatever deal is struck..” No, not a chance…That was Minsk I and II..Russians would trust a rabid dog before they trusted the EU or the Ukraine…It’s Trump only and entirely, and Russia would demand many safeguards, probably with Russian troops embedded…Which is why a deal is very unlikely…which is why the war will end only when Trump pulls all US support for the criminals who run the Ukraine…

Captain Willard
Captain Willard
Reply to  pyrrhus
1 month ago

Yeah, this is a Gordian Knot. From Putin’s point of view, with whom is he signing a deal? Obviously not Zelensky, since his term has expired. With Europe? What’s that? On top of it all, Scholz is done, Starmer will be done soon and Macron has lost 3 elections in a row. Even if he trusted Trump, Putin may fear that Trump/Vance could be done in 4 years and he may have to relitigate (or re-fight) the whole thing again. It’s just a mess. These knuckleheads have created a generational problem in Ukraine. Even breaking up Ukraine along the lines… Read more »

pyrrhus
pyrrhus
Reply to  Captain Willard
1 month ago

What Russia needs to do to avoid future headaches is to take the entire Ukraine, disarm it, get rid of the neo-nazis and put in a rump pro-Russian government with all foreign NGO’s banned, and some Russian forces based there to make sure it stays that way…

Pip McGuigin
Member
Reply to  pyrrhus
1 month ago

Dealing with Ukraine is like dealing with Californication.

pyrrhus
pyrrhus
Reply to  Pip McGuigin
1 month ago

Same solutions are necessary….But it will probably exit the US at some point, since its leaders don’t want to obey US laws…

Filthie
Filthie
Member
1 month ago

Somebody needs to look at a map. Those mineral deposits are mostly in areas currently controlled by the Russians.

Unless Trump betrays the nation as all his predecessors have, Macron and Starmer are wasting their time. How soon they forget the clown show when Angela Merkel loomed over him, trying to intimidate him as he sat at the negotiating table. I don’t think a couple Euro soy boys will have any better luck, but whadda I know.

I also think Zelenskyy is either going to disappear with his stolen millions or have his Ceauşescu moment soon. The world is changing.

Captain Willard
Captain Willard
Reply to  Filthie
1 month ago

The people who talk about “valuable mineral deposits” have never spent one day analyzing mineral or oil projects, nor have they ever bought a single share in a mining or oil stock. I have lost money in “valuable mineral/oil deposits” on every continent at this point (except Europe haha). Fertile agricultural land (of which Ukraine has plenty) holds its value though, assuming they don’t take it away from you.

DLS
DLS
Reply to  Captain Willard
1 month ago

The problem is that the “valuable mineral deposits” are not sitting in a vault, like our gold at Ft. Knox (sarcasm). It is very expensive to mine them, which is why they are still in the ground.

The Infant Phenomenon
The Infant Phenomenon
Reply to  DLS
1 month ago

And the Rare Earths are *very* costly and “environmentally unfriendly” to process after they have been mined. Even more unfriendly than the dreaded carbon dioxide.

Alzaebo
Alzaebo
Reply to  The Infant Phenomenon
1 month ago

It turns out there might not really be any more than the usual, the “rare earths” were just snake oil, a trick.

BigJimSportCamper
BigJimSportCamper
Reply to  Captain Willard
1 month ago

Value, sure, once they’re cleared of millions of mines.

Compsci
Compsci
Reply to  BigJimSportCamper
1 month ago

Not sure about the “mines”. Russia may not abide, but from what I read for many years is that NATO and American stuff has timers to make them inactive after a period of months/years, which is why we’ve never signed any of the UN BS agreements.

Jeffrey Zoar
Jeffrey Zoar
Reply to  Compsci
1 month ago

I had long been under the impression that it was the Korean DMZ keeping the US from agreeing to any of the anti-mine treaties

Compsci
Compsci
Reply to  Jeffrey Zoar
1 month ago

That’s probably correct. Mines deactivating was (IIR) the sop we gave to continue their use.

Cal
Cal
1 month ago

Apparently, soy boy Starmer and his gay sidekick Macron are planning to create their own no-fly zone over Ukraine, with planes based in Poland.

Of course, these planes will quickly be shot down, and possibly the bases in Poland will be attacked too, as Russia has previously promised.

They hope this will provoke an “Article 5” event, forcing the US to join the war.

Yes, they are insane. And no, I don’t think Trump will go along with it.

Vegetius
Vegetius
Reply to  Cal
1 month ago

France is irrelevant. The UK is worse than irrelevant. What matters is Germany. Right now there is an illegitimate caretaker regime in Berlin. And so what matters in Germany is where the new regime will position itself on the Ukraine question. At the moment, this is unclear. But given the most likely complexion of such a coalition, the range on Ukraine appears to run from no change to cosmetic change, i.e. more drift. But one clue is a bit of timing. The incoming Chancellor, Merz, has said that he expects to have a new coalition — one that will exclude… Read more »

Jack Dobsen
Jack Dobsen
Reply to  Vegetius
1 month ago

Sharp, particularly the insight about the long delay in forming a government.

DLS
DLS
Reply to  Cal
1 month ago

A stunt like that would create a nice opening to pull out of NATO. Trump 2.0 might just have the balls.

Jeffrey Zoar
Jeffrey Zoar
Reply to  DLS
1 month ago

While I would be overjoyed to see that, I don’t believe the majority of my fellow “countrymen” would. Although they would struggle if asked to articulate what interests of ours are served by remaining a member of the alliance. It’s just what they’ve been conditioned to believe.

DLS
DLS
Reply to  Jeffrey Zoar
1 month ago

You’re probably right. And Trump still has enough normie in him to stop short. But he can bluff right to the edge, which will scare the Euro girl bosses into submission.

The Infant Phenomenon
The Infant Phenomenon
Reply to  DLS
1 month ago

Trump had better remember that he promised–promised–no wars. The voters were quite clear about that. And the mid-terms are not far off. And his hold on the House is razor-thin. And after shooting him, impeachment and prison for him and his whole family would be a minor thing for a new House, and 30 Senate seats are open in ’26. He would do well to remember all that.

DLS
DLS
Reply to  The Infant Phenomenon
1 month ago

You might be right that this is an issue that can be finessed. He can pick his spots for soft power. But on almost every other issue, I prefer balls-to-the-wall beast mode, and let the chips fall. My entire life, the Repubs took the “wait until after the next election” approach on every issue, and lost every time. He has DOJ and will have at least 40 in the senate. If he loses the house, they can impeach him and hold as many House investigations as they want.

Ben the Layabout
Ben the Layabout
Reply to  DLS
1 month ago

If I were a Federal official, I would lose no sleep over impeachment, no matter how crooked I was. There have been 22 impeachments and only 8 removals (all judges) in our entire history. Out of how many thousands of officers?

Ostei Kozelskii
Member
Reply to  DLS
1 month ago

NATO should have been disbanded directly the USSR collapsed. The fact that it not only did not but continued to expand toward defeated Russia gave the lie to the notion that NATO was strictly a defensive entity. Ever since 1991, AINO/NATO has been the belligerent and Russia the prudent state. And unless Trump radically alters the dynamics, that is still the case.

Xman
Xman
Reply to  Ostei Kozelskii
1 month ago

Yes. There’s no question that the U.S./ZOG/GAE/EU are the aggressors. Hell, Team Obama overthrew the “democratically elected” Viktor Yanukovich in 2014. Now they have that champion of “democracy,” Zelenskyy, who canceled elections, LOL. GAE/NATO wanted Georgia and Ukraine to join NATO. Imagine how we’d freak out if the Warsaw Pact were still in existence and the Russians wanted Mexico to join so they could station troops in Tijuana and Juarez. Of course the Western Europeans were the aggressors in WWII, also… remember, France and Britain declared war on Germany after Poland as partitioned — but didn’t declare war against the… Read more »

Ben the Layabout
Ben the Layabout
Reply to  DLS
1 month ago

Just load up all our nuclear warheads and fly or ship them back Stateside, likewise for any classified gear or for those that can’t be removed for whatever reason, lay a thermite grenade on top of it. Tell the Europeans they can have whatever’s left, and good luck. If they want nukes, maybe ask Britain or France, they might have a few.

steveaz
steveaz
Reply to  DLS
1 month ago

France’s tool in Ottawa just gave 5 billion to Zelensky. The EU wants to replace America’s uncertain funding, and keep the war going.

Meanwhile, Americans are still strapped into France’s and England’s defence should Russia strike one of them in retaliation.

NATO-EU have roped a millstone around our neck, and are proceeding to toss it overboard!

august
august
Reply to  steveaz
1 month ago

>>>The EU wants to… keep the war going.

The EU is now realizing that the Ukraine War has been lost; additional funding at this point is just an attempt to end the war with better cosmesis, since martial glory is far beyond them, even in theory.

Steve
Steve
Reply to  Cal
1 month ago

Or in the event that an attack is not forthcoming, a false flag event will be provided for the necessary outrage.

Karl Horst
Karl Horst
1 month ago

It’s been clear from the beginning of this debacle that European leadership is nothing but empty vests. I applaud Trump and Vance and hope they simply ignore the Europeans and just work with Putin. If Putin wants Zelensky out, then get the elections done as quickly as possible regardless of any European complaints that they’re not somehow sitting at the negotiation table. Considering they have absolutely nothing to bring to the table means there’s no reason for them to be there anyway. Like her or not, Angela Merkle was correct decades before that it’s in all of Europe’s best interest to work… Read more »

Jack Dobsen
Jack Dobsen
Reply to  Karl Horst
1 month ago

The call for Ukrainian elections also is propaganda gold. Westerners have been told the country is a democracy and probably buy into it.

joey jünger
joey jünger
1 month ago

Some people hate Trump and will always hate him. Some people hate Putin and will always hate him. It seems to me, though, that everyone outside of the hothouse of propaganda and official narrative hates Zelensky, including the Ukrainians. That hothouse support might mean something if Trump’s team weren’t cutting off funding everywhere, destroying the propagandists’ main force multiplier in this psyop. But as it stands, the Ukraine flag pin wearers shouting “Keef!” are now shouting it into the wind . The main impediment to peace is Zelensky, who is weak, unpopular, and corrupt, and probably a physical coward. But… Read more »

Arthur Metcalf
Arthur Metcalf
1 month ago

Von der Leyden and other EU leaders took the Special Forces train to Kiev this morning to pledge more weapons and support, and to urge Ukraine to continue the war. A big middle finger to Trump and Putin. How does this end? With Trump declaring war on the EU? What’s wrong with these people? It’s like the governor of Maine with the trans thing — there can’t be any other reason for this than money. They’re the only people who want it. And they’re destroying all of us to get it. It’s got to stop. Europe will be gone in… Read more »

ray
ray
Reply to  Arthur Metcalf
1 month ago

‘How does this end? With Trump declaring war on the EU?’

Be still mine heart! Commandos in Brussels. . . van der Leyen in chains. . . .

Last edited 1 month ago by ray
Zulu Juliet
Zulu Juliet
Reply to  Arthur Metcalf
1 month ago

Von der Leyden and other EU leaders took the Special Forces train to Kiev this morning to pledge more weapons and support, and to urge Ukraine to continue the war.

You go Girl!

It is to laugh: Without Uncle Sugar these EU leaders have nothing to offer.

Evil Sandmich
Reply to  Arthur Metcalf
1 month ago

Trump telling the Euros that he’s making up with Russia and that they’re on their own.

c matt
c matt
Reply to  Evil Sandmich
1 month ago

Just treat NATO like our version of the Minsk agreements with EU.

iForgotmyPen
iForgotmyPen
1 month ago

Will no one rid me of this turbulent dictator?

Rented mule
Rented mule
Reply to  iForgotmyPen
1 month ago

I would not bet on zelinski ever being able to ejoy the billions he has stolen, unless his tribe gets him out. Like the way they got epstine out.
After some plastic surgery he & jeffery can sit on a beach somewhere & talk shop.

Last edited 1 month ago by Rented mule
Jack Dobsen
Jack Dobsen
Reply to  iForgotmyPen
1 month ago

While the Russians certainly would do it, the far more likely outcome always has been a murder of Zelensky at the direction of Western intelligence or Ukrainian nationalists.

Rented mule
Rented mule
Reply to  Jack Dobsen
1 month ago

Either way works as far as repeating history, I like option #2.
Cherry on top.
String Z & his wife upside down,
Mussolini style.
Bastard earned it.

Pozymandias
Reply to  Jack Dobsen
1 month ago

Western intel agencies, the Ukie Nazis, and Russia’s FSB could all have a big love-fest. Killing Zelensyyyy is probably the one thing they can agree on.

SamlAdams
SamlAdams
1 month ago

Have to question what Zelensky thinks is the “move”. Normally the local dictator would have departed for Caribbean or Riviera pastures by now, rather than get Diem’d.

Trek
Trek
Reply to  SamlAdams
1 month ago

Since Zelensky is not an ethnic Ukrainian and only learn to speak the language a few years ago I wouldn’t think he would hang around and go down with the ship. But he seems wildly overconfident.

Salmon Jones
Salmon Jones
Reply to  Trek
1 month ago

Chutzpah. His kind always doubles down when cornered. They can’t not. It is of them. You can bet on it. It’s like the tide.

Tarl Cabot
Tarl Cabot
Reply to  SamlAdams
1 month ago

Zelensky may be counting on Congress to save him. We will see what comes out of budget reconciliation, but our legislators, who are probably looking for new kickbacks in the wake of DOGE, might unlikely to leave him high and dry. Trump could impound some of it, but not forever, and Zelensky could probably borrow against its eventual release.

TomA
TomA
1 month ago

An excellent synopsis. Russia’s ultimate goal is a NATO retreat from Eastern Europe and the removal of bases in which a nuclear armed missile can reach Moscow in less than 5 minutes flight time. This is rational, and we would not accept this dilemma if it were DC in the crosshairs. Trump is willing to comply but wants something in return, hence the negotiations. European governments are broke and need a war with Russia in order to mask their impending sovereign debt disaster. The wildcard is this is what will the 3rd World invaders do when the gravy train derails?

mmack
mmack
Reply to  TomA
1 month ago

European governments are broke and need a war with Russia in order to mask their impending sovereign debt disaster. The wildcard is this is what will the 3rd World invaders do when the gravy train derails?

I was just thinking perhaps the Europeans want a war to 1) Hide their level of indebtedness and 2) hopefully force the immvaders back to their home countries, or at least take evidence of their “stabby-stabby, ‘splodey-‘sploey, screeech-splat!” tendencies off the front pages, TV and Computer screens.

LineInTheSand
LineInTheSand
Reply to  TomA
1 month ago

Tom, any thoughts on Dan Bongino’s appointment as Deputy Director? I recall that you listened to him as a barometer of conservative thought.

TomA
TomA
Reply to  LineInTheSand
1 month ago

Bongino will swing a wrecking ball through the FBI, which is why he was brought in. He will also force into the limelight a lot of the malfeasance previously committed under Comey and Wray. Expect to see huge revelations regarding the Russia Collusion Hoax, the DNC pipe bomb incident, Jan 6th, and other less well known covert OPs run through the FBI. Expect a lot of resignations in order to avoid indictment. All of this is good stuff and should be praised, but never forget that Dan is owned lock, stock, and barrel by the Zionists.

Fast-Turtle
Fast-Turtle
Reply to  TomA
1 month ago

Hmm. SO let’s say ONE part of an organization is found to be “criminal.” Isn’t there a precedent that the ENTIRE organization, every man and woman, is thus a “criminal”?

Ben the Layabout
Ben the Layabout
Reply to  TomA
1 month ago

The dissolution of NATO is inevitable over any sufficiently long time period (to borrow from Zero Hedge’s slogan), the survival rate is zero. This isn’t being anti-NATO, although that seems to be the popular view here, it’s just an historical observation. The Roman legions that once garrisoned Britannia or Gaul are long gone. Some day so will be NATO’s (well, ok, we left Gaul when politely asked…) The only unanswered and unanswerable questions are precisely when and under what terms we shall leave. Will it be with a whimper or a bang?   As I already made the case elsewhere,… Read more »

Fast-Turtle
Fast-Turtle
Reply to  Ben the Layabout
1 month ago

NATO has no viable plan. Finns and Swedes are like children, wanting to be ‘in’ this dying little ‘club.’

Okay, say you are Lithuania. The plan says you get invaded by big bad people. Your valiant 50 man army with one Jeep holds out until the ‘cavalry’ arrives. That is the plan, right?

A long column of proud Frenchmen, Brits, and Germans rides in and saves your little country.

Right?

Fast-Turtle
Fast-Turtle
Reply to  Fast-Turtle
1 month ago

Everyone watched when a column of proud Frenchmen and Brits rode in to save little Finland. Oh, the humanity!

Let’s turn back the clock. It’s 1939 and instead of Lithuania, you are Poland. While waiting for a long line of proud Frenchmen and Brits to ride in and save your country … they did give you a ‘guarantee’, yes?

They watch Stalin ride in, get more than the German half. Then become allies of Stalin.

Last edited 1 month ago by Fast-Turtle
Fast-Turtle
Fast-Turtle
Reply to  TomA
1 month ago

When Hitler’s generals ordered the 22nd Panzer Division to move out and relieve the quarter million trapped at Stalingrad … mice had a say in the matter. Just like they do if you store your car over the winter on the side yard.

Nukes? What about the mice?

When some 250,000 Axis soldiers, mostly Germans disappeared into the POW pens after Stalingrad IIRC a whopping 5,000 or so made it home after the war.

Also using recall, it was blamed on typhus. Bad disease.

Last edited 1 month ago by Fast-Turtle
Arshad Ali
Arshad Ali
1 month ago

“The Russians would probably drop this demand if the EU were willing to co-sign whatever deal is struck, but such an offer will never come.” The Europeans co-signing wouldn’t give the agreement teeth either. Look at the Minsk agreements. Sorry to use such blunt language but the European “leaders” are a bunch of faggots whose word or signature means nothing. The Russians have to be knowing this. “Reportedly, Starmer and Macron will present a plan to Trump that has the UK and France putting troops into Ukraine, while the United States provides air cover from bases in Poland and Romania.… Read more »

Last edited 1 month ago by Arshad Ali
mmack
mmack
Reply to  Arshad Ali
1 month ago

Reportedly, Starmer and Macron will present a plan to Trump that has the UK and France putting troops into Ukraine

I keep coming back to “What troops from where?” Then I think “Maybe they think Trump will commit US troops to pick up the burden.”

As they used to say back in the day “WWW dot NOTGONNAHAPPEN dot COM”

Jack Dobsen
Jack Dobsen
Reply to  mmack
1 month ago

That quite possibly is the plan–a DMZ-type tripwire where their soldiers get slaughtered and it pulls in the United States. I’m not so certain France and Britain are domestically stable enough to withstand the blowback from such folly, and the United States more than likely would not intervene unless the Russians rolled into France and Britain faced the prospect of invasion. It’s a very stupid strategy based on wishful thinking, which is keeping with the whole shitshow. As an aside, NATO is more a concept than reality now and that will not change.

Arshad Ali
Arshad Ali
Reply to  Jack Dobsen
1 month ago

That quite possibly is the plan–a DMZ-type tripwire where their soldiers get slaughtered and it pulls in the United States.”

Trump won’t go for this bait. He will just say, “Look, it was your half-assed idea to send your troops there. They got killed. Now you sort it out. Not my problem. This is assuming they send any troops there in the first place. Which I doubt. It’s just more hot air.

Mike
Mike
Reply to  Arshad Ali
1 month ago

Macron made the pilgrimage to DC this morning. Rather than Trump greeting him at the WH entrance, he had to some in alone. That was a pretty big snub right there and it’s likely that he will slink out alone with no changes in policy. That no-fly zone is a non-starter no matter what.

Fast-Turtle
Fast-Turtle
Reply to  Mike
1 month ago

Macron sure married a real looker there.

How real?

Tars Tarkas
Member
Reply to  Arshad Ali
1 month ago

but the European “leaders” are a bunch of faggots whose word or signature means nothing.

Their signatures have got to mean more than America’s signature. America’s signature is not worth the paper it’s not even printed on. Putin doesn’t even know who the heck is in charge here. Is Trump’s name worth anything? He won’t even be here in 4 years.

Perhaps the EU’s signature is worthless (I don’t know), but how much more worthless are theirs than ours?

Puszczyk
Puszczyk
Reply to  Arshad Ali
1 month ago

For Europe to liberate itself from the American Empire would require to renounce the imperial ideology of post-liberalism/post-modernism. Given the origin of post-WW2 Europe this would amount to de-facto patricide and complete uprooting of the reigning order (EU included). This is not so much an issue of “balls” (later on that), but the organic inability to divorce themselves from the very order that they owe everything. Only Renegades seek to upend the established order as they see no desirable prospects for themselves in the status quo. This not to mention the fact that the (real) Politics would re-enter Europe in… Read more »

Fast-Turtle
Fast-Turtle
Reply to  Arshad Ali
1 month ago

Look at the Minsk agreements…”

Yup, the fugly ex Stasi nudist harridan Merkel said they never planned to honor that one. Great way to cement Putin’s opinion that The West thinks it’s still treating with Sitting Bull…

ray
ray
1 month ago

Ukraine is too far away to maintain logistics, except at ruinous cost. Obviously known years ago.

Not practical to support war there. Not winnable nor sustainable. So the reasons for extended engagement are not military.

The whole world knew ground troops in Afghanistan was madness, futile, but it went forward anyway. So for the U.S., this was about money, not conquest. Bankster wars.

Jack Dobsen
Jack Dobsen
1 month ago

I have far more questions than commentary. As Trek asked below, exactly why is it that Zelensky cannot sell the mineral rights? Laws do not seem to matter to him. Is it a previous public commitment or one made in private to a Western corporation such as Blackrock or to European and American officeholders? I actually LOVE Trump’s mineral acquisition proposal because it drops all pretense of Muh Principles and cuts to the heart of what drives everything in the modern world, money. The prominent folks banging on most about Muh Democracy (vs. the retarded NPC chorus) are the greediest… Read more »

Lavrov
Lavrov
Reply to  Jack Dobsen
1 month ago

It is For the same reason as you cannot sell Brooklyn bridge. You do not own it.

The access to rare earths is contingent on US troops taking over Donbas from the “weak” russkies.

Pip McGuigin
Member
Reply to  Lavrov
1 month ago

OK… How about this possibility? Trump makes a deal with Putin for the minerals and then tells Europe and Ukraine to corrupt each other to death?

Jeffrey Zoar
Jeffrey Zoar
Reply to  Lavrov
1 month ago

In fact there was a guy who successfully sold the Eiffel Tower. Twice.

c matt
c matt
Reply to  Lavrov
1 month ago

You can sell it – whether the buyer receives anything is a different issue. Which should make it difficult to find a buyer.

Don’t know why Zel doesn’t just go with the deal. When he loses the war, it would be no skin off his nose. If by some miracle it works, he’s no worse off either.

Tars Tarkas
Member
1 month ago

“They point out that by the laws of Ukraine, Zelensky does not have the power to sign a deal.”

Rules for Radicals. Always make your opponents live up to their professed beliefs.

All the kvetching about Putin being a dictator and how we are the good democrats defending “our democracy” while allowing Zelensky to cancel elections is hypocrisy at its worst.

Arthur Metcalf
Arthur Metcalf
Reply to  Tars Tarkas
1 month ago

No, by that they mean that Zelensky has already signed legislation making it illegal to negotiate with Russia. It’s unlikely he will tear up that decree in order to make it legal for him to do so, after he signed a previous document saying it was illegal for him to do so. That would compound the retardation beyond limits previously thought unthinkable according to human logic and reason.

Basically, Zelensky and that law have to go before they can negotiate with Russia — that’s what it means.

The Infant Phenomenon
The Infant Phenomenon
Reply to  Arthur Metcalf
1 month ago

“That would compound the retardation beyond limits previously thought unthinkable according to human logic and reason.”

You seem to have forgotten who these people are.

Ostei Kozelskii
Member
Reply to  Tars Tarkas
1 month ago

Funny how democracy so often leads to hypocrisy.

Pozymandias
Reply to  Ostei Kozelskii
1 month ago

And to outcomes that directly defy the “will of the people”. In the case of Ukraine it’s also another case of “we had to destroy the village in order to save it”

ProZNoV
ProZNoV
1 month ago

It’s obvious the Euros are running the oldest play in the “democratic” book: unite your increasingly restless populace by presenting an outside enemy. In this case Russia, but soon, the US. According to Grok (I know, I know) the US sells/supplies somewhere between 55-63% of all European armaments. It’s been increasing steadily since the mid 2010s. The US is THE arms merchant for NATO. These countries will take years to retool their arms factories. I’d be shocked if the US couldn’t “brick” the high tech stuff immediately as well via software back doors. The US holds all the cards when… Read more »

Mow Noname
Mow Noname
1 month ago

Great essay, as usual.

One nit, however, in spelling “Kiev”. According the current AP style guide, it is spelled “Keeeeeeve”.

Ostei Kozelskii
Member
Reply to  Mow Noname
1 month ago

Just as yet another blade in a Gillette razor gives you a noticeably closer shave, and still one more type of cheese on a DiGiorno pizza makes it so much tastier, every addtional “e” in Kiev augments the writer’s virtue.

august
august
Reply to  Ostei Kozelskii
1 month ago

Noticeably closer perhaps, but probably not notably closer. YMMV!

RealityRules
RealityRules
1 month ago

Perhaps Zelensky can go on a tour of the capitals of the world playing the piano with his dick dressed like he is ready for a night out on the Castro district underground.

tashtego
Member
1 month ago

If there ever was even a kernel of truth to the ideological motivation for NATO as deterrent to the aggression from the totalitarian Soviets as opposed to just naked expansionism, that motivation can no longer exist. The European rulers are openly anti-democratic and hostile to their own populations. They enthusiastically embrace many of the hallmark characteristics of the kind of ideology and political organization that the US was previously ready to nuke the entire world to prevent from ascending to power globally. Up to a month ago our own rulers were aligned with these authoritarian malefactors who assume the power… Read more »

Last edited 1 month ago by tashtego
Alzaebo
Alzaebo
Reply to  tashtego
1 month ago

I asked, “why not Cuba?” and surmised that the Cold War was a kind of stable balance of powers. I was utterly, completely wrong. The function of the Cold War and Intelligence- that is, the State Department’s CIA and its various cohorts- was not to fight Communism, but to enable its spread. That’s why our “intelligence gathering” never predicted or prevented anything. The goal of the the covert was to sabotage pro-Western regimes from within…even their own countries. Through inaction, seeming mishaps, or disguised as incompetency, or disarray amongst would-be allies, withdrawal of support, or outright hostility… Ignoring or fumbling… Read more »

Last edited 1 month ago by Alzaebo
tashtego
Member
Reply to  Alzaebo
1 month ago

I believe there is a lot of truth to that but I do think there was significant internal tension with traditionalists (allied with former enthusiastic Soviet ex-pat aliens) throughout and up until the purges during the Barack Hussein admin. One further observation in support of general idea you express is the abrupt reversal of Democrat party sympathy for Russia once it was no longer a soviet dystopia. Only then did Democrats start wrapping themselves in the flag and begin expressing faux patriotism and mock outrage with respect to Russian political realities which was startling for its outrageous hypocrisy, coming from… Read more »

Zulu Juliet
Zulu Juliet
1 month ago

It seems a rather lopsided game of chicken; The U.S. has no long-term interest in Ukriane [now that the Biden’s don’t need it to launder money anymore]. If the U.S. walks away there might be a lot of screaming from the usual hysterics, but there is no material downside. Even the Euros could walk away, and very little of real significance will happen. Ukraine won’t be any worse off than it is now, except they won’t have the “excitement” of war. Zelinsky and the Euro stooges who run France, Britain and Germany are the only ones playing chicken, because they… Read more »

c matt
c matt
Reply to  Zulu Juliet
1 month ago

Even if they scream, real people are beyond caring anymore.

Jeffrey Zoar
Jeffrey Zoar
1 month ago

What does the “new” oligarchy that’s backing Trump want re: Ukraine? If the public face of this oligarchy, Elon, can be considered representative of them, then they want out, Ukraine and the EU be damned. Maybe especially if Ukraine and the EU are damned, as a feature and not a bug. (whether or not Elon really speaks for them, another discussion). Thus I conclude that little to no concessions to Zelensky or the Eurocrats will be made. Whether and how this is to be sold to Civnat G. Normiecon, conditioned to see Russia and Putin as the current incarnation of… Read more »

Pozymandias
Reply to  Jeffrey Zoar
1 month ago

Civnat G. Normiecon believes whatever the TV tells him to. What needs to happen is that Conservative Inc and Fox News needs to start “discovering” that Zelenskyyyy is a crook and a dictator – “I’m shocked, shocked! to discover that corruption is going on here!”. I occasionally listen to local neocon talk radio blowhard Lars Larson in my car. I’ll be listening especially to see if he starts putting this kind of stuff in his Boomertard listeners’ heads. Civnat G. Normielib believes whatever the hosts of “the View” tell her to. All that’s needed there is some pussy-grab stories about Zelenskyyyy misbehaving… Read more »

Hokkoda
Member
1 month ago

If Starmer and Macron pitch that ludicrous idea, Trump no longer has to play chicken. He can simply walk out and call an end to US support for Ukraine on the grounds that the only “peace” plan suggested by Europe is a de facto declaration of war on Russia through a no fly zone. The American people sniffed this trick out almost 2 years ago. Everyone knows a NFZ means Americans and Russians engaged in aerial combat over Europe. The NFZ is, in itself, a bluff. I somewhere saw an interview with Eric Ciaramella. He’s the fake Ukraine whistleblower from… Read more »

Fast-Turtle
Fast-Turtle
Reply to  Hokkoda
1 month ago

“The war in Ukraine is over.” The ‘war’ in Ukraine was always over. There never was a shred of a plan, no path to ‘victory’. The vast using-up of obsolete war materials … the waterfall of money ‘sent there’ that got as much there as Haiti money got past the greedy mitts of Hugh Rodham and his leering rictus war criminal sister. Russian internal lines of communication. Cheap energy cut off from Eurotrash could never be cut off from the source: Russian Federation. This thing the shysters call “money” … and wielded via sanctions never, ever was going to have… Read more »

Last edited 1 month ago by Fast-Turtle
Ostei Kozelskii
Member
Reply to  Hokkoda
1 month ago

Why not a free helicoper tour of the Black Sea? I understand it’s lovely this time off year…

Fast-Turtle
Fast-Turtle
Reply to  Ostei Kozelskii
1 month ago

“Dat Omar wuz alwaze a peece of chit.”

My favorite movie helicopter scene.

Ketchup-stained Griller
Ketchup-stained Griller
Reply to  Fast-Turtle
1 month ago

What about Ride of the Valkyries?

Moran ya Si's ba
Moran ya Si's ba
1 month ago

The Russia haters in Europe and elsewhere are dangerously detached from reality. Russia might have taken the bait in the 1990s. But that is both literally and figuratively a different century. And the Russians are not going to fold now. Trump’s election is America admitting globo insanity is not working and abandoning it. The European minions and princelings who have gotten rich selling out their heritage, are still in denial. And that is dangerous, especially for Europe

Dutchboy
Dutchboy
1 month ago

There will be no peace until Trump tells the Ukes and the Euros that the jig is up and there will be no more largesse from the USA (and does it!). It is the only thing keeping this war going.

Tarl Cabot
Tarl Cabot
1 month ago

At this point, i’m more interested in what Putin thinks the endgame is. Hard to believe he will accept any deal that includes NATO peacekeepers or even bilateral security guarantees, let alone a no fly zone. Even a minerals deal, however sketchy, looks like a trap.

They might just force him to take the whole thing, and turn Ukraine into Belarus.

Xman
Xman
1 month ago

“The Trump people see that the main obstacle to their plans for normalizing relations with Russia is Zelensky. Anyone who has dealt with a deadbeat knows Zelensky and the best way of dealing with this type is to get rid of them.” 

Maybe the little Jewish comedian will have to go back to playing piano with his dick for a living instead of grifting off the U.S. taxpayer… oy vey:

Volodymyr Zelenskyy 2016 Playing Piano with Penis – YouTube

Ketchup-stained Griller
Ketchup-stained Griller
Reply to  Xman
1 month ago

I’m not clicking. It’s breakfast time here.

Ostei Kozelskii
Member
Reply to  Ketchup-stained Griller
1 month ago

You’re a wise man. Never click the links. NEVER click the links.

Xman
Xman
Reply to  Ketchup-stained Griller
1 month ago

Well, it just goes to show that the guy is and always has been literally a carnival act.

Funny how the same leftists who contemptuously derided Donald Trump as a “reality TV star” regard an actual Jewish-Ukrainian clown as some kind of latter-day Solon…

The Greek
The Greek
1 month ago

I’m not so sure why people on our side are so confident that Zelenskyy will lose an election? They quote opinion polls as if they matter. It doesn’t matter who votes in the election, but who counts the votes. Are people on our side so confident that Zelenskyy is above election fraud? What matters is whether he can strong arm enough people internally into getting the right result.

Ostei Kozelskii
Member
Reply to  The Greek
1 month ago

Presumably, any elections would be strictly monitored by people Trump trusts. That would have to be part of the deal.

Hun
Hun
1 month ago

The Russians, having been burned by the Minsk agreements charade, want the next deal to have teeth, so they are insisting that it be signed by the internationally and domestically recognized leader of Ukraine, which means new elections.

Is this even possible when Crimea and the new republics are not recognized as parts of Russia, yet, they are not going to participate in the elections?

Last edited 1 month ago by Hun
Gespenst
Gespenst
1 month ago

Completely off any topic here, but I wish Zman would go full Orthodox Metropolitan with that beard. He could do it if he wanted to.

Alzaebo
Alzaebo
1 month ago

Comments re Margaret Brennan’s interrogation of Steve Witkoff on Face the Nation:
(As the President’s Emmisary, Witkoff met with Putin for 3 1/2 hours. He didn’t have his Vindmann, err, his political officer from Intelligence, with him; it was just him, the translator, and Putin. Brennan was aghast.)

Query: why do people still watch the MSM?
“Because…we enjoy watching the beatings.”

“The gaming of the shrew…”

“She reminds me of a little Chihuahua who attacks your ankles for just being in the same room.”

Last edited 1 month ago by Alzaebo
Ben the Layabout
Ben the Layabout
1 month ago

Zelenskiyyyyy must have an extraordinarily competent security detail, or he would have been “removed from the equation” long ago.

The Greek
The Greek
Reply to  Ben the Layabout
1 month ago

There have been substantial rumors that his personal security is actually headed by French special forces. This would explain not only their competence, but also a reluctance of internal enemies and Russia to unnecessarily bring the French into the conflict.

Trek
Trek
1 month ago

This analysis makes sense. But why can’t Zelensky sign over minerals or agree to negotiations? Is it because the Ukrainians won’t let him do it?

Jack Dobsen
Jack Dobsen
Reply to  Trek
1 month ago

My question, too. I assume it is legalistic. The reality probably has something to do with a corporation like Blackrock or public officials. promised the spoils in exchange for greasing the right palms.

Salmon Jones
Salmon Jones
Reply to  Trek
1 month ago

Most of the minerals aren’t in places he has any control over.

Marko
Marko
Reply to  Trek
1 month ago

I imagine that however maniacal our European and NATO “allies” are, native Ukes and their GAE running dogs have twice the mania. They really do believe that Russia is their greatest enemy, not the hordes from the global south, nor the sexual and racial ideologies from the GAE.

Also he got mere gibs from the USA, but with Europe he has guarantees to repay.

Hemid
Hemid
Reply to  Marko
1 month ago

Europe seems to have no politics, and the post-Soviet states even less. The people—especially the ones who write English where we can see it—embrace their role as masses to be destroyed, weapons to be aimed at each other. The conservative myth of the Bloc’s hard-earned political wisdom, and the /ourguy/ idea of a based Orthodox East, are total bullshit. They’re just like us (with prettier girls).

Ben the Layabout
Ben the Layabout
Reply to  thezman
1 month ago

A fourth — oops no, I see it’s Z’s third — reason is that any “Rights” granted, to property ownership, etc. would be pretty close to fantasy in that part of the world. That would seem to hold true even for pre-war Russia and doubly so for Ukraine. These nations rank near the top of the list each year on indices of corruption, and that was true well before 2022.

Trump-he'll Boldly Go
Trump-he'll Boldly Go
Reply to  Trek
1 month ago

Haven’t the rare earth mineral rights already been previously sold to Britain?

Hun
Hun
Reply to  Trump-he'll Boldly Go
1 month ago

I would love to see Trump go to Britain and threaten Starmer (or whichever clown is “in charge” when that happens) to hand over the mineral rights or face sanctions.

Ostei Kozelskii
Member
Reply to  Trump-he'll Boldly Go
1 month ago

I’ll just want to celebrate if Rare Earth goes to Russia…

Hun
Hun
Reply to  Ostei Kozelskii
1 month ago

Isn’t most of Ukrainian lithium around Pokrovsk and already taken by Russia?

Ketchup-stained Griller
Ketchup-stained Griller
Reply to  Ostei Kozelskii
1 month ago

Just put your faith in the people.

BigJimSportCamper
BigJimSportCamper
Reply to  Ketchup-stained Griller
1 month ago

But the people let me down..

Ben the Layabout
Ben the Layabout
Reply to  Ostei Kozelskii
1 month ago

They had their hand on a dollar bill and the dollar bill blew away.

Danny
Danny
Reply to  Ben the Layabout
1 month ago

Excellent

Last edited 1 month ago by Danny
ZFan
ZFan
Reply to  Ostei Kozelskii
1 month ago
Ketchup-stained Griller
Ketchup-stained Griller
Reply to  ZFan
1 month ago

It’s a great old rock tune. It’s on my playlist of the 146 greatest songs of all time!

Ostei Kozelskii
Member
Reply to  ZFan
1 month ago

Should I click on the link? Could it be a trick link with Zelenskyyyy playing a Strat with his li’l schlong? Aw hell, caution to the wind, why not?

Last edited 1 month ago by Ostei Kozelskii
Ostei Kozelskii
Member
Reply to  ZFan
1 month ago

One of the very greatest funk-rockers. Nobody’s capable of making music like that these days. Nobody.

steveaz
steveaz
Reply to  Ostei Kozelskii
1 month ago

In America, when one buys real property like land or cars, its important to verify all the title holders (including heirs, agents and “assigns”) so that all the seelers are properly listed as the “Grantors” on the deed of sale.

Second, it is imperative that the property being transferred is properly described on the deed. Vague “rights” to resources require a description of the area’s geographical metes and bounds.

Anyone interested in acquiring The Ukraine’s metallurgic resources must be aware that neither of these requirements can be fullfilled.

To use an American auto trader’s vernacular, the title’s too dirty.

Jeffrey Zoar
Jeffrey Zoar
Reply to  steveaz
1 month ago

That may be, but even so, if there are exploitable minerals there, someone is going to control them.

TempoNick
TempoNick
1 month ago

Re: Paul Ramsey

The commercials I got stuck with were unbearably long and there was no option to skip through. It was something about people stealing the signal from your credit card. I clicked out of it.

I’ll have to try again.

Last edited 1 month ago by TempoNick
Arthur Metcalf
Arthur Metcalf
Reply to  TempoNick
1 month ago

His advertisers know his audience!

TempoNick
TempoNick
Reply to  TempoNick
1 month ago

^^^ Turns out it was a glitch, but I installed the rumble app so that I could multitask on my tablet and the rumble app doesn’t seem to like Android 15 at all.

Silver
Silver
1 month ago

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Last edited 1 month ago by Silver
Quartermaster
Member
1 month ago

“Russophobes” This is a term similar to “racist.” It is meant to end any sort of reasonable conversation on the subject. Those telling the truth about Putin and Russia are not Russophobes. They are simply honest men. Trump, however, is extremely gullible when it comes to the Russians, and Putin is playing him like a cheap violin. Putin started the war and Trump has simply spewed the same lies Putin has been spewing about Ukraine. Geopolitical specialists are very nervous and for very good reasons. There has not been such negotiating incompetence since the Obama maladministration. If Trump keeps acting… Read more »

houska
houska
Reply to  Quartermaster
1 month ago

Go away you bother me with your bs.