Putin your place
President Trump just upped the ante for tomorrow's summit in Alaska with Russian President Vladimir Putin, both for the war in Ukraine and his own credibility. Trump told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and NATO leaders that his goal was a ceasefire, and then publicly threatened Putin with "very severe consequences" if he doesn't agree to stop the fighting.
The pressure is now squarely on Putin. He saw the secondary sanctions applied to India, which is one of Russia's most important energy customers. Trump vowed that the meeting scheduled for tomorrow may only last two minutes. Putin will have to Agree to a ceasefire or show real movement or there will be severe repercussions. Putin will try to keep as much Ukrainian territory as he can, but that may have to wait for a second meeting with Zelensky.
European leaders have reached out to Trump, recommending that a 30-day cease fire should be the prerequisite to the talks between Zelensky and Putin scheduled to follow immediately after the Alaska meeting ... if all goes well.
In other news:
A federal appeals court on Wednesday ruled that President Trump can withhold some $2 billion in foreign aid payments, overturning a lower-court order that had blocked the administration’s plans to slash disbursements from the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
On Monday, Los Angeles police and prosecutors announced a new plan to prevent illegal street takeovers. The frequency of these events has increased within the city, with one taking place almost every week. The results of these events include store looting, violence and fatal accidents. In some cases, like in 2024 and 2022, innocent bystanders are killed after being struck by vehicles. This announcement came after a large takeover near the Crypto.com Arena in Downtown.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Younkin has directed state police to open a criminal investigation into allegations that staff at a Fairfax County school arranged abortions for students without parental consent, potentially using public money.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, who presided over the city during the 2020 Black Lives Matter riots, has lost the Democratic Party’s endorsement to a Somali-American socialist, State Senator Omar Fateh, ahead of the 2025 mayoral race.
C orruption is rampant in Washington, and Sens. Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Gary Peters (D-MI) want to do something about it. They introduced legislation that would prohibit members of Congress, the president, and the vice president from trading stock. The bill has a real shot at passing.
In its campaign against “woke” science, the N.I.H. has finally ended the research on the gaps between racial and socioeconomic groups.
Sudan, which is engulfed in civil war, is experiencing its worst Cholera outbreak in years.
China has quietly turned to clean energy development. In 2000, Chinese applicants filed just 18 clean energy patents that analysts said were internationally competitive. In 2022, they filed more than 5,000, leading the world in clean energy innovations.
A POLITICO-Citrin Center-Possibility Lab survey found that 36% of registered voters in California support returning congressional redistricting authority to state lawmakers. Sixty-four percent of voters in the state want to keep the commission.
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Good morning and welcome to the news.
Much of the country is still experiencing extreme heat. It will be another hot & muggy one in Columbia, South Carolina with 88% humidity.
Keep cool my friends.
and?
The President issued an opinion.
no one cares
Then why do you spend all day every day posting everything he says or does?
I thought you followed every word to come out of his mouth?
not when they all sound the same
That's because you don't feel it.
For many he says what we are thinking.
Leftists say he likes to repeat himself when he is speaking, so, yes, you do follow every word.
I'm surprised people want to associate themselves with that babbling drivel.
Apparently you do. Why else would you comment.
You seem to do it daily.
Now that is funny.
hourly
Can't really argue that.
Every...single...day
"Very unfair"... Poor little snowflake...
"First lady Melania Trump is demanding that Hunter Biden retract and apologize for comments that linked her to disgraced financier and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
She is seeking $1 billion in damages over comments Hunter Biden, the son of former President Biden, made in an interview last month with YouTube personality Andrew Callaghan."
Melania Trump seeks apology from Hunter Biden over Epstein comments
What else is new from a Trump? Suing is the stuffing in their lives.
They learned it from Dominion Voting Systems.
The precedent for lawsuits over defamation was set right there.
The Trump family says thanks.
When it works then why not do it. Well, not so much for the Democrats but it works for Trump.
Maybe the 1st Crackhead should keep his mouth shut. He's going to have to sell a lot of his shit paintings to come up with that kind of money.
O puhlease ... the Trump family learned it as toddlers.
Freedom of speech.
Once again, NATO sitting back in the shadows while the US does the actual work.
The Europeans are very funny. Even though many of them are Socialist, they are Aristocrats at heart and like to publicly denounce the US, but in private they want the US to protect them. I'm glad that Trump has them paying their fare share of NATO and now even the weapons we provide for Ukraine.
They are always running their mouths with their hands out.
Do you remember the group site called "The Deplorables?"
Believe it or not there is a private article there this morning.
Interesting ...
You going to make them cry again?
In this case I'm trying to help rational members.
there aren't any in that group ...
That's why I restricted it to Conservatives only.
I didn't want to get the usually outraged any angrier:
Do you actually think Putin would agree to a sit-down surrounded by his 'enemies'? One toy at a time!
My comment (that you even quoted) speaks to the lack of action by NATO. WTF are you talking about.
By lack of action you must mean the 5,000,000 Ukrainian refugees Europe has taken in.
It's cute you think you know what I mean. Naturally you're wrong.
What I meant is right there in the comment #4. It's not hard to figure out what it said.
Nancy isn't going to like that. I expect one of her drunken rants any time now.
She & her husband turned out to be the greatest investors that ever lived.
They outperformed the market by about 700%.
Very good chance she will retire if that legislation passes.
She probably thinks she is immune from prosecution if she is no longer in congress.
yeah, not so much. She should be reminded of what she had shrieked for a few years - "Nobody is above the law".
The war will end one day and Trump will take credit for it.
The rest is yada yada yada.
If he negotiates it then rightly so.
Well, swing and a miss... LOL
So who would you give credit to?
How will it end? Will Ukraine fall to Russia? If that happens, [deleted] the [✘] left will blame Trump.
It's amazing how many on the left are behind Putin.
Does 'many' have an actual number assigned to it and should one start the count with that well known rabid leftist Orban?
Trump's strategy in Ukraine is to hope everything somehow gets resolved in a way he can take credit for. That is it, and thats all it is.
He could come out of that meeting tomorrow and say "I'm giving Putin 50 more days to agree to a cease fire" and you'd claim it was a brilliant thing to say.
You seem to be poisoning the well before any water can be drawn.
Trump does have the power to hurt the Russian economy.
Trump has never, in his life, said anything bad about Putin, and you think he's going to start now? lol.
A cursory glance at the comments from the left will give you that number.
How does one negotiate with people after insulting them?
Wasn't that the lesson the Biden administration learned?
Secondary sanctions are what brought Putin to the table.
So you're mad he hasn't lowered himself to the levels of the left?
That's odd seeing as just a minute before you claimed that the 'left' was behind Putin.
Just saw this:
And your point would be what again?
That raises another issue. I think at this point nuclear arms control agreements must include ALL nuclear powers lest those not a part of the agreement become stronger. The other issue remains verification, which we have failed at.
Trump did say everything is on the table.
Tomorrow will be an interesting day.
It will be. I recommend preparing for a major tantrum (again).
Maybe Trump will walk away as he did with North Korea. If both sides are determined to fight it out, he can't be blamed for the outcome.
so Putin is a good guy now?
this is ridiculous
And exactly where did I say that?
Especially if something positive comes out for the US.
Doesn't matter to some folks. The positives will be second-guessed through eternity, followed by the "he should have" bullshit. If there were to be any kudos for positives recognized, they could have done some of that already.
Naw, cue the "Trump caved" unless Russia does a complete withdrawal, pays for rebuilding Ukraine, issues a world wide apology for being a bad bad Puttie and destroys all their nukes.
Another ridiculous claim trying to portray critics of Trump as unrealistic and unfair. All that does is stir the pot.
If Trump can (don't hold your breath) negotiate a deal where Ukraine is not worse off than when this war started, then it is likely a success. After all the shit that Russia put Ukraine (and the rest of the planet) through, they cannot walk away as winners. Ukraine has been brutalized both in terms of land, equipment, and (crucially) people. This represents deep damage to Ukraine and no way does Russia get to further the damage by grabbing land (and people on that land).
But all indications (since he first started yapping about this) are that Trump's idea of a deal is to force Ukraine to give in to some of Russia's major demands.
A proper deal (which will not come from mere talks with Putin at this stage) is for Russia to withdraw with a 'deal' that satisfies Putin's excuse for attacking Ukraine in the first place — Russian security. A deal could provide guarantees that Russia will not be invaded, etc. by its neighbors. Satisfy the bullshit 'concerns' Putin put forth as his excuse.
Not gonna happen, at least at this stage, but that is an example of what might be within the realm of both sides losing in order for both sides to have peace.
My hyperbole aside you pretty much proved my point. You give Trump a goal that can't be reached and will proceed to complain that he caved if he does not meet the goal. As unfair as it is Russia will get some land, no two ways about it. Critics of Trump are unrealistic and unfair if they expect the impossible.
Putin probably is aware that his excuse was bullshit. He wanted land. He has some. He won't be giving it all back.
It cannot be reached today because we have not created conditions where Putin will make a deal. Not because it cannot be reached.
And your comment is bullshit ... pretending that all criticism of Trump is unfair.
Of course he knows his own bullshit. It was an excuse. The idea is to provide a way for Putin to save enough face to withdraw.
I'll even call it a Piece Prize, right now, just to let out your air.
DW News has been frantic in its reporting on the meeting between Trump and Putin. Here's a summary listing:
(Scroll down the page, there are a number of news reports listed.)
Seems apparent the Europeans feel they are being cut out and pushed aside. Zelensky has been engaged in a number of bilateral talks in Europe to play NATO and the EU against Trump.
There won't be any serious peace negotiations until the eastern Ukrainians have a seat at the table. If Putin has to give up the territory then obviously the next negotiating position would be demands for eastern Ukrainian autonomy. Will Trump try to revive the Minsk framework that all parties agreed to in 2014-15? Europe would balk since that would put them squarely in the hot seat. It's apparent the Europeans prefer sniping from the peanut gallery.
That is an important point. I read a similar article.
Does anybody realize that Ukraine could be completely defeated?
The longer this goes on the more dangerous the war becomes for Ukraine.
2 years ago you said Russia would would walk over Ukraine in 2 weeks. Stick to Triple Crown stuff.
I think that is what you heard rather than what I said. What I just said in post 7.1 is open to debate.
Are you saying that Ukraine cannot be swallowed up by Russia?
The only way Ukraine can be swallowed up by Russia is if the rest of the world lets it happen.
So you want american troops to die there?
We should give Ukraine everything it takes to make Russia want to stop the war.
Ukraine should not be forced to accept defeat because their "allies" abandoned them.
Putin has never indicated there was any desire to annex the whole of Ukraine. The course of the war really has progressed according to the justifications Putin presented before entering Ukraine.
Eastern Ukraine was the industrial region of Ukraine. And there were very close economic ties between Russia and eastern Ukraine. Rewind to before the invasion when Putin emphasized Luhansk, Donetsk, and Crimea. That's what Putin said he wanted and that is what Putin has gotten. If Putin wanted Ukraine then he would have escalated attempts to take Kiev. The Russian forces wouldn't have stopped with a threat to take Kiev. Russia would not have avoided artillery and missile attacks on Kiev. If Putin wanted all of Ukraine then Kiev would have been destroyed the same way Mariupol was destroyed.
The Belarusian ass is kind of hanging out there. Russia attempting to annex western Ukraine would have required defending Belarus. Putting Belarus in a tenuous position to allow Russian annexation of western Ukraine could end up losing Belarus.
Russia annexing all of Ukraine would only be important if Russia wanted to engage in nation building like the US did in Iraq. Putin is not that stupid. A puppet Ukraine would be an expensive drain on Russia for absolutely no benefit. Eastern Ukraine is the only part of Ukraine that has any value for Russia. Russia doesn't need more farmland, outdated nuclear power generators, or corrupt politicians. It would be much, much easier for Putin to make deals with the corrupt oligarchs in Kiev than to set up a puppet government.
It's all too apparent that Putin is going to pound Ukraine until Kiev gives up fighting. Putin wants to keep Crimea. Putin wants NATO to stay out of Ukraine. And Putin wants to keep economic access to eastern Ukraine. As long as Kiev demands a 'right of return' then the war will continue. IMO the focal point for the last 11 years of fighting has been Crimea; Russia will not give up Crimea under any circumstance.
Ukraine needs soldiers, and lots of them, if they are going to retake Russian occupied territory. Or nukes.
Which do you want America to supply?
Why didn't we do that 3 years ago?
I have a feeling after 3 years Ukrainians feel they have been abandoned. And they have, they west is just watching the slow bleed and looking at who they can blame for it.
With the benefit of hindsight, it seems to me that the best way to stop aggressors like Putin is:
I suspect an overwhelming response would be cheaper (and better) for all the 'good guys' and would seriously dissuade future aggression (from anyone).
I agree with what you say but I find it hard to believe those involved didn't already know that.
There seemed to be alot more involved than what should be done.
It seems many countries were not willing to commit what was needed because they were afraid (rightly or wrongly) of a madman with a nuke. That may or may not be relevant the next time around.
It did not seem anyone in the area was willing to commit troops. I don't see that changing unless the the aggressor is knocking at their door.
Not sure what overwhelming force looks like without boots on the ground. IMO including more countries in Nato would help starting with Ukraine. There seems to be no stomach for that at present. The real lesson here may be don't take the deterrent away from a country (nuke) that lives next to a country with eyes on them. Not sure how good an idea that is.
Crippling sanctions are great but all parties involved need to be a part of that. In the case of Russia sanctions would have to include oil to be crippling (IMO). Neither China not India seem interested in that so I don't see all countries agreeing to cripple anyone.
Diplomacy is always a good thing. Unfortunately both sides need to do it in good faith.
The only way Russia has any chance of swallowing up Ukraine is if Russia wants to do that. The idea that Russia wants to swallow up Ukraine has come from US military planners and advisors.
President Joe Biden implemented a strategy prepared by the US military to fall back to fortress NATO and hold Russia at the gates. That strategy was premised upon the expectation that Russia wanted to capture Ukraine as a gateway into Europe. Has the threat of Russia annexing Ukraine only been an invention by the US military?
The military planners and pundits expected Russian forces to pounce on Kiev and roll over Ukraine in a matter of weeks. And Russian forces did appear to be moving to surround Kiev to lay siege. But Russia didn't follow through. Military planners and pundits began searching for excuses, blaming bad tires to the might of the Ukrainian Soviet era arsenal for why their planning and expectations failed to materialize. The Russian forces were in striking range. Why didn't the Russians subject Kiev to withering artillery and missile attacks? There wasn't any Russian reticence to utterly destroy Mariupol to capture that city.
The US military made up a fair tale about a bogeyman. All the military expectations and planning by the US and NATO Europe proved to be a fiction. Putin laid out justifications for a limited military action to calm the fears of the Russian people. The Russian people didn't want to fight a war with NATO or Europe and Putin went to great lengths to reassure the Russian people that wasn't going to happen. Instead to trying to understand the simple politics inside Russia, the US and NATO military planners claimed Putin was lying and Europe had to prepare for World War III.
We've been suckered by the duplicity of our own military.
Since Russia has faced no serious consequences for it's actions I don't think anything short of talk of a full scale NATO deployment would get their attention.
After 3 years I think the world has given their response to that
It doesn't require hindsight. The whole thing could have been avoided by Barack Obama taking a less provocative position on the Ukrainian coup. The invasion could have been avoided by Joe Biden deploying a show-the-flag force to Ukraine before the invasion.
What Obama and Biden did was to deliberately avoid diplomacy. Obama and Biden immediately deployed punitive economic measures and demanded Russia capitulate to US efforts to expand NATO, the EU, and western influence into eastern Europe.
One potential positive of this Ukraine tragedy is that those involved might now recognize the importance of a shock & awe response to aggressors.
Reality is not so clear-cut. The whole thing might have been avoided if ... It is one thing to pose notions, it is another to play armchair quarterback (with hindsight).
Many highly experienced people have spent years trying to deal with this war, and none have found a magic solution. Your claim that you’ve identified how this could have been prevented carries little credibility.
Something like that. IMO, it has to be overwhelming.
I would hope so. Although remember the next hotspot may be Taiwan.
It would get their attention but I think it will not make Russia give back much of what they have gained. Hindsight is a lovely thing but I have to wonder how things would be different if that happened 3 years ago.
You've been lied to. The provocation/negotiation/concession model of diplomacy was established during the Cold War. The Cuban missile crisis set the precedent for diplomacy with the USSR (and Russia). If the provocation was great enough, the United States would negotiate and make concessions. John F. Kennedy really did establish the pattern of threat, provocation, negotiation, concession with the USSR and, subsequently, with Russia. Diplomacy with the USSR and Russia has followed that pattern since 1962.
Those experienced people have built their careers on the fear of a Russian threat, too. They see themselves as a hammer and everything Russian as a nail. Be afraid, be very afraid, or the Russians will get you.
Two years ago leftists were hoping for the defeat of Ukraine because they said the country was filled with nazis and white supremacists.
And here I thought they hoped for the fall of Ukraine so it would cover up the Biden family activity with those nazi's and white supremacists.
Well that family does have a rich history with them
That they do.
Any response to such idiocy would be a CoC violation.
[✘]
For those [ Removed ] [ ✘ ] who forget too soon,
Ukraine has a Nazi problem, but Vladimir Putin's 'denazification' claim for war is a lie.
Commentary: Ukraine’s neo-Nazi problem | Reuters
Ukraine, Anti-Semitism, Racism, and the Far Right - Atlantic Council
[✘]
[✘]
The same as in any country ... Patriots. /S
As to your last link ... read it slowly.
Ask the Biden's. They were in pretty tight with them.
“We should give Ukraine everything it takes to make Russia want to stop the war.”
well then grab a gun and head to ukraine. Join the fight, but don’t volunteer others to put their lives on the line.
Exactly. It has to be enough to threaten to take back Eastern Ukraine in days not months. Leadership can't be fucking around either. Make the threat and if it's not taken seriously then start moving equipment and then bodies. No one wants to see war, but enough is enough. Too bad Putin has Trump in his pocket.
If Trump was in Putin's pocket, Trump would declare "Ukraine is a core interest for Moscow, in a way that it is not for the United States… The fact is that Ukraine, which is a non-NATO country, is going to be vulnerable to military domination by Russia no matter what we do. This is an example of where we have to be very clear about what our core interests are, and what we are willing to go to war for." and refuse to send any military aid to Ukraine.
I have to disagree. You may recall that Putin called Ukraine a made up country which had a long Russian history. If he wasn't thinking that then he is surely thinking that now. A million casualties demands a justification.
When they have nothing they just pull shit out of their asses, paint it yellow and shout "Gold! We found Gold in them hill!". Sure, the premise that Democrats were accusing Ukraine of being white supremacists is laughable and moronic and so fucking stupid it stuns the senses, but that's all they have. Pointing out their stupidity would border on being cruel so we can't have that, we need to protect those who are too stupid to even recognize their stupidity.
It's "In dem dar hills".
I stand corrected
.
American troops have died over far less. American Troops fight for Democracy....not fascism, which is what Russia is now.
Maybe you should grab a gun and head for Russia. Personally? I would love to see a nuke land on Moscow. Russia is NOT and ally, Ukraine is. PERIOD.
Just in:
WASHINGTON (AP) — A man charged with a felony for hurling a sandwich at a federal law-enforcement official in the nation's capital has been fired from his job at the Justice Department, Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a social media post Thursday.
A video of Sean Charles Dunn berating a group of federal agents late Sunday went viral online. Dunn was arrested on an assault charge after he threw a "sub-style" sandwich at a Customs and Border Protection agent, a court filing said.
Dunn, 37, of Washington, was an international affairs specialist in the Justice Department's criminal division, according to a department official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a personnel matter.
Pam Bondi fires Justice Department employee accused of throwing sandwich at federal agent
Gee, I guess Sean Dunn should have changed his name to Jared Wise. /S
Was just reading an article about this guy where they interviewed the guy who filmed the incident , what cracked me up was his discription of how dunn ran away after the sub bombing , like a lizard running away , first thing i thought of was one of those discovery or mutual of omaha episodes ( yeah i showed my age ) , showing a lizard running across water .
The pathetic part of this whole thing is the number of people focusing on the sandwich. Not the fact he assaulted law enforcement. But then again these are the same people who are supporting arson, rioting, looting across the country.
Same Pam Bondi that told trump he is in the Epstein files? Just want to be clear.
Missed one story me thinks , about a sea going collision in some disputed waters . got the feeling i was watching a keystone kops reel .
Philippines blames China for ship collision in disputed South China Sea
also missed one about "Frankenstein bunnies .
Mutated ‘Frankenbunnies’ Spotted With Tentacles Sprouting From Their Faces
origins of the mythical "jackalope" ?
(fiddle Dee dee , you'll never catch me .....)
There are times you make me wonder why I chose I-40 instead of I-80 for my road trips across the US.
you didnt miss anything , especially in the stretch going through Wyo.
Couldn't be as bad as driving through Northern Texas with its endless strings of churches, steak houses, gun shops and tattoo parlors all butted up together.
( does the renfield laugh)
i just heard I-80 say hold my beer .
Just in:
"A lawsuit by SMART Legislation highlights alleged voting discrepancies in Rockland County, NY, during the 2024 election. Voters reported that more ballots were cast for independent Senate candidate Diane Sare than counted, indicating a possible vote undercount. Additionally, there are concerns that some voters supported Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand but did not vote for Vice President Kamala Harris.
SMART Legislation Founder and Executive Director Lulu Friesdat stated, “There is clear evidence that the Senate results are incorrect, and there are statistical indications that the presidential results are highly unlikely.”
Friesdat added, “If the results are incorrect, it is a violation of the constitutional rights of each person who voted in the 2024 Rockland County general election. The best way to determine if the results are correct is to examine the paper ballots in a full public, transparent hand recount of all presidential and Senate ballots in Rockland County.”
Friesdat stated, “We believe it’s vitally important, especially in the current environment, to be absolutely confident about the results of the election.”
Physicist Max Bonamente found voting patterns statistically improbable. The findings prompted Judge Rachel Tanguay to authorize subpoenas.
Bonamente said, “These data would require extreme sociological or political causes for their explanation, and would benefit from further assurances as to their fidelity.”
Unverified reports of pre-election voting machine changes have also raised concerns. Certifier Pro V&V has faced scrutiny for limited transparency."
Roger Anderson covers U.S. politics & news for content partner Modern Newsstand LLC.
‘Constitutional Violation’: 2024 Ballot Count Sparks Lawsuit
That is an insult to the US military.
Yes it is. Do you not recognize who is the CiC and thus who is ultimately responsible for having military roll out the red carpet for an active war criminal?
I recall a much bigger war criminal:
As I recall we did all we could for him.
Does not change the facts underlying my post.
Also, ignores the fact that the USA and USSR were fighting the biggest threat of the time — the German war machine. And the USA (especially the PotUS) never deemed any of Stalin's brutal acts as genius, never approved of the brutality of Stalin, never blamed the victims for 'starting it', never provided Stalin with useful quotes for propaganda, etc.
There is no excuse for Trump applauding the arrival of Putin, putting down the red carpet, etc. This obsequiousness is counterproductive (more stupidity from Trump).
In other words, there are times that we sit down with traditional enemies and even welcome then.
Now that we settled that please tell us if you believe in a peace settlement for Ukraine?
This is absolutely NOT the time. In this case Putin is the enemy ... he is the instigator and invader who attacked Ukraine (an ally). Russia is not an ally, Russia IS the problem.
Welcoming Putin with a red carpet, etc. is exactly the wrong optic. Trump is an idiot.
Nothing was settled, your comparison was totally wrong.
Why do you need me to tell you that I want a peace settlement for Ukraine? Obviously I want a peace settlement. It should also be obvious that handing Putin a victory is a long-term, strategic mistake and throws Ukraine under the bus. Tell us that you do not want that.
He is our enemy? And Stalin who devoured eastern Europe after the second world war was not? I have to disagree. Neither Stalin nor Putin has openly attacked the US, but both regarded the US in the same way. What is true of one is true of the other and if you want to negotiate with either, you must treat them with respect.
your comparison was totally wrong.
Oh dear.
Why do you need me to tell you that I want a peace settlement for Ukraine?
Because it sounds like you simply want Russia defeated, which is a valid argument. I'd rather people were open about it.
It should also be obvious that handing Putin a victory is a long-term, strategic mistake and throws Ukraine under the bus.
What victory has Putin been handed?
Tell us that you do not want that.
I already have half of what I want. Europe will now pay for the weapons that we send to Ukraine. We should not send a dollar in aid that is not accounted for. And the other half of what I want is for Trump to listen to what Zelensky and Putin are saying. Neither are willing to concede anything. That means NO DEAL.
It is time for Trump to walk away from this.
He is the aggressor who has invaded a nation we are defending. You are trying to make Putin look like some kind of an ally. This is an example of how distorted the GoP perspective has become with Trump.
Focus, Vic, you first talked about Stalin during WWII and I explained that at the time we cooperated because we were fighting the German war machine. Now when your example was shown to be flawed you move the goalposts. After WWII there was no motivation to cooperate and the relationship between the USA and the former USSR was yet again adversarial. Do I need to explain the Truman Doctrine and the Cold War now?
What I want is Ukraine to be restored to a fully sovereign nation as it was before Putin invaded it. That is what I want . The only way to get even close to that is to get Putin to withdraw, and that pretty much means he needs to be defeated.
Amazing. The president of the USA has publicly announced that Ukraine started the war, that Ukraine 'holds no cards' (is defeated), and that the invasion was 'genius'. The PotUS treats Putin with dignity and respect (he clapped, welcoming Putin's arrival). Trump has been supporting Putin and diminishing Zelenskyy. He has been feeding Putin's propaganda machine. Trump is an idiot.
In terms of serving as an intermediary, Trump should walk away. He should never have tried to serve in this capacity because he is not a skilled negotiator. If he cannot bully, he has no game. All Trump has done is tilt the negotiations in Putin's favor. Trump should indeed walk away and STFU and let adults engage in negotiation. In the meantime, continue to provide military support for Ukraine to ensure they have a strong negotiating hand.
Here is what Trump has 'accomplished' with his latest fiasco:
Remember now what the braggadocios clown promised versus what he can do:
Actually, I'm not.
This is an example of how distorted the GoP perspective has become with Trump.
Wrong again.
Focus, Vic, you first talked about Stalin during WWII and I explained that at the time we cooperated because we were fighting the German war machine. Now when your example was shown to be flawed you move the goalposts. After WWII there was no motivation to cooperate and the relationship between the USA and the former USSR was yet again adversarial. Do I need to explain the Truman Doctrine and the Cold War now?
As a matter of fact, we (FDR) made the defeat of Germany priority 1. It was Japan that attacked the US and had Hitler not declared war on the US, FDR would never have been able to convince the country to fight on two fronts. Stalin had been part of the Axis powers, starved the people of Ukraine, murdered thousands of loyal officials and he was the one attacked by the German War machine in 1941. Don't bother with Truman. After FDR let Stalin walk all over him. As for Truman, I guess you don't know that he invited Stalin to a meeting in the US and was even going to send the iconic battleship Missouri to transport him.
What I want is Ukraine to be restored to a fully sovereign nation as it was before Putin invaded it. That is what I want . The only way to get even close to that is to get Putin to withdraw, and that pretty much means he needs to be defeated.
That is all you needed to say, and I was correct about your view. So let us understand each other. You would prefer the war to continue and Ukraine to defeat Russia. I personally would love to see that happen, but it is not likely.
Amazing. The president of the USA has publicly announced that Ukraine started the war, that Ukraine 'holds no cards' (is defeated), and that the invasion was 'genius'. The PotUS treats Putin with dignity and respect (he clapped, welcoming Putin's arrival). Trump has been supporting Putin and diminishing Zelenskyy. He has been feeding Putin's propaganda machine. Trump is an idiot.
He did shame Zelensky didn't he? As I recall Zelensky was in the White House in front of reporters telling the President what the terms of the deal should be. That was what led to that debacle. Not long after that Zelensky did an interview with Brett Baier. Baier asked him a question that began with "Soon you will be sitting at a table facing Putin and President Trump sitting between you and Putin." Zelensky interrupted and said "I'd rather have Trump sitting beside me. That you see, is the flaw in thinking about negotiations. Only the US has the power to act as negotiator. It can act as an ally in war. Basically, that is what everyone wants.
So, I'll say it again: Go at it and Trump should spend his time on other things.
Trump has diarrhea of the mouth and is rarely if ever confronted about it in the mainstream media.
The GOP has turned from the party holding true to the CotUS and the law to one that supports and defends the most lawless PotUS in our history. The GoP is no longer recognizable to me.
So you agree with my point.
Truman invited Stalin to help keep the spirit of cooperation intact after the war. At that time the relationship was degrading and Truman hoped to give it some more life. In reality, the relationship quickly fell apart. Your factoid did not in any way counter what I wrote in my prior post.
NO, Vic, I would prefer to have immediate peace. But what I prefer is not likely to happen. It appears as though Putin must be defeated (and that means the situation needs to change enough for him to want to negotiate). Right now, the pressure is not enough to make that happen.
The absolute best scenario that is within the realm of possibility is for Russia to be forced to withdraw and leave Ukraine in peace. We would want to get as close to that ideal as possible. Diplomacy and sanctions alone are not enough.
You applaud that disgusting, unpresidential attack on an ally?
Yeah, too bad we have a psychopathic buffoon as PotUS.
The Constitution is the same for every President. Trump has the same rights as Obama & Biden.
The GoP is no longer recognizable to me.
The GOP still exists. There is still a Conservative wing. What you may not recognize is the MAGA wing, which is a counterrevolutionary force. Something the country desperately needs.
So you agree with my point.
Of course not.
Truman invited Stalin to help keep the spirit of cooperation intact after the war. At that time the relationship was degrading and Truman hoped to give it some more life. In reality, the relationship quickly fell apart. Your factoid did not in any way counter what I wrote in my prior post.
We negotiated with the evil Stalin the same way we have tried to negotiate with the slightly less evil Putin.
NO, Vic, I would prefer to have immediate peace. But what I prefer is not likely to happen. It appears as though Putin must be defeated (and that means the situation needs to change enough for him to want to negotiate). Right now, the pressure is not enough to make that happen.
Here is what you said:
"What I want is Ukraine to be restored to a fully sovereign nation as it was before Putin invaded it. That is what I want . The only way to get even close to that is to get Putin to withdraw, and that pretty much means he needs to be defeated."
You applaud that disgusting, unpresidential attack on an ally?
Zelensky is the subordinate/beneficiary in the relationship. He sometimes forgets that.
Yeah, too bad we have a psychopathic buffoon as PotUS.
Too bad we had a brain-dead proxy for the radical left as the cause of all of this.
Is this some kind of lame excuse for Trump's repeated attempts to violate the CotUS and laws?
In name only.
Not even close. The point is that Trump obsequiously clapped when Putin arrived, rolled out the red carpet, and treated him as an honored guest; he treats Putin like royalty and treats Zelenskyy like shit. No matter what, Trump supporters run to try to defend Trump.
Yes, I think that is very clear.
Such bullshit. Zelenskyy has been very cordial and dignified — even when ambushed by Trump and Vance; even after being blamed for 'starting the war' and being called a dictator by Trump; even after Trump provided Putin with great propaganda to shore up his support at home. He has constantly thanked the USA. Try to stop believing Trump's bullshit.
Now you blame Biden (no doubt that is your reference) for Putin invading Ukraine. The Trump defense 'arguments' are beyond pathetic.