To think that Trump is not going to honor any agreement about Ukraine

I think you got the main point of it.
US wants to bring Europe down, win over China and keep Russia under control.
An European all in war has always rendered a lot of profit to US, will bring down Europe's economy, mortgaging it to the US again. One player out and the others more under control. He is waging on any crack within the EU and the other Europe countries, including UK recent Brexit saga.
Europe can perfectly live with Russia. They are neighbours and have been allies. We cannot deal with Putin, but yes very much with Russia. A moderate president in Russia would overturn this in Trump's face. A united Europe is a big adversary. A Europe aligned with China would be rather undesirable to Trump. And I think China would do what is convenient for China, whether Russia likes it or not.
Lots of cards in this game.
They are all posing and threatening. This much budget on arms, this much tariff, this much sanction...
At present, it is looking good for Putin, but really, we cannot afford for Putin to come out of this winning or he will keep taking from any country he fancies.
A US siding with Putin is our worst nightmare, but this man has stopped aid to Ukraine and is going to visit Putin today.
And it is not Zelensky's fault (Trump had already vlearly sided himself with hos man by then). This is not the consequence of a few truths spoken out of turn in front of some cameras
This is all in geopolitics pole flip: money, resources, trade, land and weapons.

Panterusblackish · 28/02/2025 18:33

MichaelandKirk · 27/02/2025 22:38
Wonder how Margaret Thatcher would have dealt with Trump?

Swiftly and with style

What, like she did when Reagan ordered the invasion of Grenada, without asking? She huffed and puffed and sulked.

One more thing from me. There is a saying in English that explains what's happening now "if you can't beat them, join them"

The EU is the largest trade organisation and Trump and Putin want to destroy it so they can focus on the Asia powerhouse.

Earth has finite resources and the competition for those resources are changing global politics.

I don't think he will either.
Zelensky should have offered to rename frontline cities in 'honor' of Trump. Trumps ego is so massive Putin attacking 'Trumpville' might actually turn Trump against Putin.

Trump has shown us what he wants to do. Believe him.

The problem is how Europe responds when countries like France and the UK are already not agreeing in the basics. France wants an European force independent from the US, and the UK wants the US involved in a peace treaty with Ukraine.

The problem worsens when far right parties are getting more and more support in Europe and the UK with Farage. It's going to be extremely difficult to agree to a common defence force/policy in Europe with so many countries and interests to agree on.

And while Europe fights squabbles about their small country interests, people like Trump or Putin in control of their countries and with the nuclear arsenal behind them, laugh their head off.

There's already a concerted effort in the MAGA movement to either rewrite the 22nd amendment or to simply ignore it to get Trump a third term. This is being driven by the likes of Bannon. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-third-term-constitution-forbids-rcna193329

One way or another... he won't live forever. The question is how much damage he enables in the meantime. I expect if his supporters can they will wangle it to keep going in his name, the way various Communist leaders were nominally president/ General Secretary and wheeled out fir state occasions until they died.

This is in The Guardian today.

You are definitely not exaggerating

It's actually Vance's doing. He's as bad as or worse than trump.

Of course trump can't be trusted in any way. More than that, his motives have to be feared. He wants the utter destruction of Ukraine and it kills me the number of people who don't see that.

Trump is a narcissistic megalomaniac who feels a kindred spirit to those similar to him. Even in his first term, he buddied up to Putin because he feels a connection there. Same with North Korea.

Trump wants to annihilate Ukraine because his pride is dented. A good way to do that is to staff Ujraine's mineral facilities with Russian employees, to carry out the invasion another way. He thinks he's so clever...
You think I'm extrapolating? Sadly just wait and see.

It's awful but Trump and the USA have literally switched sides.

Well quite. It's not the only problem we have now the US may be rotting

We're significant enough when the States needs a figleaf to invade other countries.

Thank god for President de Gaulle. He insisted that France have its own independent nuclear deterrent , outside the NATO command structure. This is probably the only obstacle to Putin's ambitions. Otherwise he could just roll into the Baltic countries - knowing Trump wouldn't lift a finger. Of course Britain has Trident , the US system it will never use without permission.....

You are obviously unaware about how insignificant we are to the USA

Yesterday was a total set up, bordering on a lynching. Vance has always been anti-Ukraine but he showed himself up for the bully he really is. Those redneck roots are too far below the surface after all.

Tomorrow is now going to be even more critical.

The Russian are delighted. Former Russian President Dimitry Medvedev says on Twitter:

"The insolent pig finally got a proper slap down in the Oval Office. And @realDonaldTrump is right: The Kiev regime is "gambling with WWIII."

Well said. Aged within a few hours as well!

@hamstersarse

How would I know?
Mainly because he’s got a deal?

I know that with all your emotion you want Trump to fail, but the truth is that all the other leaders have failed to bring about peace. They barely even tried.

Saying that he didn’t need to bring Z down a peg or 2 tells me you definitely don’t understand the dynamic that was needed to do a deal

This aged well.

This was meant to be a reply to @Potsofpetals , but for some reason I failed to quote your post.

Yes, there is our problem.
Trump is looking for a business deal with Putin too.
Is all just macho talk, but really looking to get a real ceasefire and strengthen Nato? Or as it sounds, Trump will fully align US with Putin, against Europe.
Too much is on this to go around guessing. I think Europe needs to be independant enough to repel Putin on our own, if the day comes.

Ukrained signed a peace deal with Putin, after the taking of Crimea, including return of prisoners and no further attacks. With Macron and Merkel as witnesses or mediators.
Putin has violated it 25 times, including failing to return prisoners of war.

That is what I got out of the chaos.

Well that was a bit embarrassing, Trump can't control a press conference on his home ground.

I guess we send someone from Spain or Italy to smooth it all down and keep Tusk in reserve for emergency purposes.

Trump clearly doesn't care about Nato.
Europe needs to build its own defence union though we would happily include Canada.

His word is not worth the breath he spends on it.

Vile man. Bully.

What a ridiculous show. Tell us your thankful more says Vance.

Give us your minerals.

Give Putin your land.

No security agreement.

A stupid journalist asking why he doesn't wear a suit! Wtf have I just watched

Why not? NATO is now functionally dead.