We did not sign a treaty. We signed the Budapest memorandum. You don't know what you're talking about.
Unbelievable. Calling out that Putin has reneged on his word over and over again to the point that how can you have diplomacy with that monster....and then they proceed to yell at him to just do what they want and "trust us" because you have no other choice. America has lost its soul.
Who wanted the negotiations in front of the cameras? Who claimed it was a transparent negotiation because they are the most transparent and honest administration in US history? Looked to me like an attempt to ambush Zelenskyy with the President and Vice President there.
Its honestly pathetic how the offical white house account is spreading the same disinformation that sonehow the usa gave 350 billion to Ukraine even though they know that number is fake. It doesnt matter to his braindead cultists who spread disinformation knowing it's fake. What a utter embarrassment you cultists are
You didn't respond to my first questions. Did the Americans become "allies" of North Vietnam and enemies of South Vietnam when they decided to quit that war? Did the Americans become "allies" of the Taliban and enemies of the Afghan government when they decided to quit that war?
I've always been a "love it or leave it" kind of guy, but man....hard not to be embarrassed as an American today. When I first read the transcript, I didn't realize it was actually REAL. I mean, I knew the next 4(+) years would be bad, but not THIS bad.
Why are we trying to take Ukraine's mineral wealth anyway? $200B? Ukrainians have paid that back already with their blood. $200B? Elon Musk could cover that bill by himself and still have another $200 Billion left in his pocket. Could it be Trump is trying to strike this deal to benefit Musk's empire? The main rare earth minerals they want are... Kyiv estimates that about 5% of the world's "critical raw materials" are in Ukraine. This includes some 19m tonnes of proven reserves of graphite, which the Ukrainian Geological Survey state agency says makes the nation "one of the top five leading countries" for the supply of the mineral. Graphite is used to make batteries for electric vehicles. It is also home to a third of all European lithium deposits, the key component in current batteries.
moral authority doesn't win wars or bring peace After years of war, Ukraine is devastated, depopulated, and completely reliant on western cash, arms, and goodwill. Bizarrely, Zelenskyy thinks he holds all the cards. He let Democrats and Euros convince him weapons, manpower, & money aren't important -- that moral authority is all. And that he's somehow more righteous than everyone else, including the taxpayers funding him. In his mind, by insulting the U.S. -- in the White House no less -- that will somehow shame Trump into compliance. It's the Greta Thunberg model of geopolitics. The right way to play this is to be damn near obsequious in his praise and thanksgiving to the American people, who have given him untold billions. Drop the short-man syndrome tirades and grievance. Read the room.
You just simply do not know what you're talking about. The Budapest Memorandum is not a treaty and did not reflect any new international legal obligations for any of the signatory States. Rather, the Memorandum was meticulously drafted to avoid giving any impression of legal obligation. For example, both during the three-year negotiation period and in the drafting of the Memorandum, U.S. State Department officials insisted on using the term “assurances” instead of “guarantees” to describe the security commitments. Although Ukraine initially framed its request as seeking security “guarantees,” the United States wished to avoid this term as it “implied a deeper, even legally-binding commitment.” https://lieber.westpoint.edu/budapest-memorandums-history-role-conflict/
Moral authority doesn't mean you become PUTIN'S b**** and spread disinformation. The USA did not give 350 billion dollars to Ukraine. That's a fact. Spreading disinformation on the offical WH account and claiming you're doing something righteous doesn't make it right. You're a sack of poop
Straight from Murdoch media: Then, suddenly, things exploded. What followed was perhaps one of the most extraordinary scenes ever to play out in the Oval Office, the hallowed heart of the presidency where US leaders have long hosted their foreign counterparts. - 'Disrespectful' - It was Vice President JD Vance who lit the touch paper for the meltdown in relations. Leaning into his growing role as an attack dog for Trump, Vance accused Zelensky of not being "thankful" for US support when the Ukrainian leader questioned his calls for "diplomacy" with Moscow. "I think it's disrespectful of you to come to the Oval Office and litigate this in front of the American media," said Vance, sitting on a sofa near the two leaders. As the temperature rose, Zelensky folded his arms and asked Vance if he had ever been to Ukraine, prompting the vice president to angrily accuse Zelensky of leading "propaganda tours." But then it was Trump's turn to get involved. When Zelensky said that despite being an ocean away from Europe "you will feel it in the future" if you don't help Kyiv, Trump was incensed. "Don't tell us what we are going to feel," Trump said, raising his voice. After that, the floodgates opened. All the tensions that have bubbled since Trump spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 12 boiled over -- and not behind closed doors, but in the full glare of the world's media, including AFP journalists. "You're gambling with the lives of millions of people. You're gambling with World War III, and what you're doing is very disrespectful to this country," Trump said. Red faced and furious, Trump wagged his finger at Zelensky as his voice rose higher. At one point he lightly shoved Zelensky's upper arm with his hand as he made his points. - 'Great television' - For Zelensky it turned into an ambush, as the gruff-voiced Ukrainian kept trying to make his points while Trump berated him. "Please, you think that if you will speak very loudly...," he said to Vance at one point, before Trump leapt in. "He's not speaking loudly," said Trump. When Zelensky asked if he could answer, Trump continued: "No, no, you've done a lot of talking. Your country is not winning." The US president -- long skeptical of US support for Kyiv -- then delved into a litany of grievances about Ukraine. Trump even expressed solidarity with Kremlin chief Putin. "Let me tell you, Putin went through a hell of a lot with me, he went through a phony witch hunt," said Trump, referring to an investigation during his first term into whether his 2016 election campaign colluded with Moscow. As the clash continued for some five minutes, reporters frantically filmed and tapped on their phones, while a Ukrainian diplomat buried her head in her hands. "You're either going to make a deal or we're out," said Trump, making clear that this breach was real. Finally Trump called a halt and journalists were escorted out. An hour or so later, Zelensky abruptly left the White House and a minerals deal signing ceremony was canceled. The collapse of US support for Ukraine against Russia, at least for now, had played out in real time. In Moscow, the Kremlin rubbed its hands, hailing Trump's "restraint" against "scumbag" Zelensky. But for Trump, ever the political showman, some instincts die hard. "This is going to be great television, I will say that," he said as the meeting wrapped up.
First off, like I said, it's a ridiculous comparison and I am not really interested in answering your proposed "yes or no" question regarding two conflicts that are not at all comparable. My post was in response to the comparison, not this proposed question of being "allies". But, since we did leave them $7 Billion worth of military equipment & weapons and then invited them to the White House, that question might be debatable for some.
Since you mention it, Elon Musk should be "damn near obsequious in his praise and thanksgiving to the American people, who have given him untold billions." (Actually, it is told. It is $38 Billion.)
