UNITED NATIONS — In a win for Ukraine on the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion, the U.N. General Assembly on Monday adopted two resolutions calling for an end to the war, while rejecting a U.S. draft that never mentioned Moscow’s aggression. Instead, both resolutions make clear Russia was the aggressor.
The United States, reflecting the extraordinary turnaround under President Donald Trump, joined Russia in voting against a Europe-backed Ukrainian resolution. The U.S. then abstained from voting on its own resolution after Europeans succeeded in amending it. It was a setback for the Trump administration in the 193-member world body, whose resolutions are not legally binding but are seen as a barometer of world opinion.
The assembly first approved the Ukrainian resolution, which demands an immediate withdrawal of Russian troops and calls Moscow’s aggression a violation of the U.N. Charter. The vote was 93-18 with 65 abstentions. The result showed some diminished support for Ukraine, because previous assembly votes saw more than 140 nations condemn Russia’s aggression and demand an immediate withdrawal.
The assembly then considered the U.S.-drafted resolution, which acknowledges “the tragic loss of life throughout the Russia-Ukraine conflict” and “implores a swift end to the conflict and further urges a lasting peace between Ukraine and Russia,” but never mentions Moscow’s aggression. In a surprise move, France proposed three amendments, backed by more than European countries, which add that the conflict was the result of a “full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation.” The amendments reaffirm the assembly’s commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity, and call for peace that respects the U.N. Charter. Russia also proposed an amendment calling for “root causes” of the conflict to be addressed. All the amendments were approved and the resolution passed 93-8 with 73 abstentions, with Ukraine voting “yes,” the U.S. abstaining, and Russia voting “no.”
The U.N. Security Council later approved the original U.S.-sponsored resolution. The vote in the 15-member council was 10-0 with five countries abstaining.
https://www.npr.org/2025/02/24/g-s1-50473/un-ukraine-resolution-russia
Comment: I found this NPR explanation of the UN General Assembly votes of yesterday to be the clearest explanation of what happened. Before the Ukrainian resolution was introduced, the US tried to get it withdrawn and replaced by their version. That didn’t work. The US offered their version, but France slammed it with three resolutions bringing it back to the meaning of Ukraine’s resolution. The US had no choice but to abstain from our own resolution. I don’t know which is more embarrassing, voting with Russia and North Korea or abstaining on our own resolution.
Of course General Assembly resolutions have no teeth, but it’s still embarrassing. On the other hand, this was a chance for Trump to further ingratiate himself to Putin. Maybe he means it, but I’m still not convinced that this is all part of Trump’s plan to lull Putin into complacency before he brings the hammer down.
TTG
The US no longer has the leading position it has had for 80 years and make no doubt about it, Trump owns it. I am sure there will be some reconstitution, but nobody knows what that will look like. But that it will impact American lives is a certainty. We live in a very interconnected world and as one wise man recently stated: No country today could make an Iphone on its own. My old 1987 truck, my last one, had components from 27 countries. That has since grown exponentially. What the US has now lost is trust. It is no longer a trustworthy partner and that will have many impacts and not just economically. Look to what happened to the UK after Brexit. And compare that to what happened in Western Europe after WWII. It is like having a 5 year old drive the family car.
Would you trust people cheering rigged exploding beepers killing innocent civilians ? For all the world knows, outright fascist and Apartheid sympathizers like Elon Musk might rig his Teslas with exploding bombs to kill and maim civilians from recalcitrant countries who oppose his ideological aims…
That’s why Tesla sales are cratering around the world. https://x.com/libbage55/status/1894041512800837848
Elon Musk and his PayPal mafia bros might be able to gut federal agencies investigating their financial crimes and force regulatory capture to give their defective/sub par products the advantage. But they’re finished in the global arena. Even with legerdemain, Space X is on the verge of implosion without socialized Government contracts. Crypto meme scams here, 300 million $ theft there and 3 billions $ theft of taxpayers, who cares ?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaGV9WrBIAs
So long as they can blame oligarchs looting, financial collapse and gutting of commons on DEI and illegal immigrants, their cretinous cult of deplorables will eat it up. Apparently, neo-confederate USA is just starting to win.
Augustin L,
I seriously doubt Musk will rig his Teslas with bombs. Tesla sales are cratering because he’s a dick. Sales are down 50% in Germany in the last month. That’s not the end of it. People are sabotaging sales rooms (or whatever they are), charging stations and even the cars. That’s how much a dick he is.
Hell, TTG. Not again!!!
That comma that fell undetected to the bottom of the little box here for typing in. I thought I’d got a procedure for avoiding that sort of thing now. But it’s early here in England so for once I failed to follow it. You couldn’t, er, …”
EO,
I fix it for you, but I doubt anyone here will get the vapors over an errant comma now and then.
TTG,
My buddy who has been the biggest Tesla fan boy I knew just sold his Telsa. He would say it is because “Elon is a dick”. I would say it is because his wife hates Elon and he is whipped. But in any case he has just sold his Telsa.
So it seems you are right. Again. Sigh.
Tesla sales are cratering because BYD and other Chinese manufacturers are creating EVs that are at least as good – if not better – at prices that Elon Musk can only dream of.
Why pay a premium when you don’t have to?
Yeah, Right,
I agree that Chinese EVs are going to conquer the market, but Musk’s new reputation is singularly responsible for tanking Tesla sales in Europe in the last month.
To say that I do not agree with that claim is the understatement of the year.
Be honest, when you go out to buy a new car do your ask yourself this: heck, I like this car, I really do, but the CEO is a bit of a shit so I’m not going to buy it.
I certainly don’t, and I’d wager good money that 99.99% of the population of planet Earth do not consider the moral character nor the mental acuity of the owner of that marque when they weigh up the virtues of purchasing *this* car over *that* car.
If that were the case then the Volkswagen would have died a painful death in 1945, which it very clearly did not.
Tesla sales are cratering everywhere but in the USA because its products can not compete in a semi-open market.
Tesla still thrives in the USA market purely because that is not in any way, shape or form an open market.
It really is that simple: Tesla makes shitty EVs that are too expensive. It ownership structure has exactly zero influence on that simple fact.
“Tesla sales are cratering because BYD and other Chinese manufacturers are creating EVs that are at least as good – if not better – at prices that Elon Musk can only dream of.”
Agree.
“It really is that simple: Tesla makes shitty EVs that are too expensive. It ownership structure has exactly zero influence on that simple fact.”
Disagree. Tesla car is not shitty, just overprice.
I agree with TTG that Musk is a big dick. And it is the reason Tesla car sales are tanking in the US. My friends and I won’t be buying Tesla car.
But Tesla sales are tanking around the world because it can’t compete with BYD on price. It is still a status symbol in China, though.
Lars – on “Look what happened to the UK after Brexit” I should perhaps mention that Brexit didn’t occur in any real sense. What little bits of it we got the politicians are now working away at cancelling. Maybe as if, after all the sound and fury of the American Revolutionary War, King George had said, “OK, you’ve had your fun. Now get back into line”. And you did.
So “what happened to the UK after Brexit” was much the same as what happened to the UK before Brexit. We remain in what you in the States would term our Biden era. Decay, maladministration and deceit wherever you look but in our case, unfortunately, no Trump around to charge in and put matters right.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gdx7488g5o
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday that he would consider offering the United States access to rare earth minerals in Russian-occupied Ukraine. His announcement came as President Donald Trump and his administration are pressuring Ukrainian officials to turn over some of their country’s rare mineral reserves in exchange for continued support. Putin added that his country was “ready to work with our partners, including the Americans,” on partnerships that could include rare earth mining and aluminum production.
Putin also suggested that Russia and the US could collaborate on aluminium production in Krasnoyarsk, in Siberia, where one Russian aluminium maker, Rusal, has its largest smelters.
Intersecting that Putin within “our partners” he includes “the Americans”.
Putin offered Trump critical minerals, including ores stolen from occupied Donbas.
Leith,
Zelensky already sold those off with his 100 year deal with the UK.
Sure Fred. That must be why he is supposed to sign them over to Cadet Bone Spurs. On Friday according Trumpy himself:
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/02/26/ukraine-rare-earth-minerals-deal-trump.html
Meanwhile, Don-the-Con is selling residency visas to Russian oligarchs.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cq5zgvdz2z0o
Maybe Putin will buy one when he gets kicked out of Ukraine and buy some real estate in Florida next to you?
leith,
Hooray! Personally going to his own private bank account? No. Sure is gonna suck to be an Indian H1B who can’t get all the relatives here to suck on the taxbenny teat while they replace an American citizen for that ‘essential’ work.
BTW:
Global Health Council v. Trump case, the one the left did the judge shopping in DC for.
“Approximately 96 percent of Democracy International’s approximately $41.7 million in revenues in 2024 came from prime cooperative agreements and contracts from USAID”
Just a tiny democracy promoting NGO in the DC suburbs. Did it make the news out your way? Maybe USAID should have sent that $ to Russia rather than Ukraine? Oh, wait, that’s just what the ‘west’ did when privatizing all those Russian assets with the collapse of the USSR.
Fred –
Don the Con will definitely get a share on his gold card residency visa scheme. His homosexual Secretary of the Treasury, Scott Bessent, will make sure of that.
Speaking of homos, what’s with those transsexual bearded belly dancers GayDonny posted on his Truth Social account?
https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-trolled-over-the-bearded-belly-dancers-in-his-ai-gaza-video/
He’s finally coming out of the closet? Getting ready to cuddle up with Pootie? Sucking Musk’s toes just doesn’t do it for him anymore:
https://bsky.app/profile/marisakabas.bsky.social/post/3liwlwvvq6k2s
Leith,
Feelings hurts much that you revert to childish tantrums. Trump trolls the sacred people of Gaza by pointing out their “leadership ” Built their Qatari bank accounts but nothing else over the decades. Boo hoo for them.
Meanwhile, using his vast McDonald’s experience, he’s breaking the machine that makes the self licking ice cream cones. Boo hoo for the USAID scammers and all the operatives that reached off our tax $
leith, the Green Goblin is a con-man. A Charleton. An actor playing a statesman.
He’ll have no qualms whatsoever in selling off Ukraine’s rare earth deposits to multiple people, precisely because he is convinced that he will be in wealthy exile in Zurich before people turn up to collect only to find a room full of other people holding the same concession on the same goods.
Zelensky is not Churchill. If anything, he most resembles Zero Mostel in The Producers.
Oliver Stone’s documentary on Ukraine lays out clearly why Ukraine was and still is the aggressor. NATO found out that there are now three countries, not two, that do not allow long range weapons on their border or even the mild entertainment of procuring long range weapons.
United States, China and now Russia are in the club. Ukraine is free to join the EU but it will not be joining NATO and it will not have long range weapons on that border. Putin stated this as early as 2007 and he meant it. Get it off his border. Keep pushing and there will be nothing left of Ukraine or anyone else that wants to give it go. Russia is not making a threat either. Either stop or do not. They will defend themselves.
babelthuap,
The longer Russia pursues this war, the more long range weapons will be arrayed against her. Ukrainian drones are already ranging deep into Russia. Ukrainian homegrown missiles are proliferating. JASSM-ER and Precision Strike missiles (PrSM) will soon be in Finland and Ukrainian Neptune missiles will be in Estonia.
World War III, here we come.
The more the West attacks Russia, the higher the probability that Russia will say “Enough” –
here is a taste of your own medicine.
Keith Harbaugh,
Have you ever considered the reverse? The more Russia attacks the West/Ukraine, the higher the probability that the West will say enough.
TTG,
Russia has not attacked the West. They attacked Ukraine.
Ukraine lost. The only thing left to do is shore up a couple of loose ends, mainly Zelensky’s mouth and get him and his wife exiled to France.
Western Europe can now focus on their main problem; illegal aliens. On paper it looked like they could become the wage slaves they needed but unfortunately that didn’t work out at all. The illegal aliens are more lazy than the citizens and will have to be deported.
babelthuap,
Loose ends, eh? Russians are still getting killed and maimed over those loose ends in prodigious numbers. It’s more likely that Putin takes Trump up on one of his gold cards than Zelenskiy moves to France. He wouldn’t even leave when Spetsnaz teams were banking on the Presidential palace doors three years ago.
Most want to root for the pure of heart underdog with some flaws. The formula has served Hollywood and sports very well.
That is what was sold to the world regarding Ukraine. Unfortunately for western media, this is not entertainment. It is war. Ukraine is not Rocky or the Bad News Bears.
This article gets down to the bone of what war really means. Right or wrong, one side is going to dupe the other and take the stuff. The other side walks away in shame or is obliterated.
Nobody would have paid to see Rocky get knocked out. The movie would have sucked but in war we are forced to watch it. Russia got hit hard but Ukraine is the chump.
https://awfulavalanche.wordpress.com/
“The longer Russia pursues this war, the more long range weapons will be arrayed against her.”
Russia has always had NATO long-range weapons pointed at her.
What she doesn’t want and won’t allow is those same weapons being prepositioned right on her border in countries that are too stupid to say “No” to the war-mongers in the west.
“JASSM-ER and Precision Strike missiles (PrSM) will soon be in Finland”
Russia is monumentally unconcerned about missiles in Finland, precisely because they regard the Fins as sane people. Same with the Swedes.
“Ukrainian Neptune missiles will be in Estonia”
Russia regards the Baltic states as irrational actors, mainly because they are demonstrably irrational.
So really lethal missiles in Estonia is going to be a red-line for the Kremlin.
“Ukrainian Neptune missiles” are not lethal missiles, not as far as the Russians are concerned.
Pretty ho-hum, actually.
TTG, I’d just like to make two suggestions for posts:
1. The minerals deal: its consequences
For my opinion on that, see
https://kwharbaugh.blogspot.com/2025/02/the-minerals-deal-is-tarbaby.html
2. The transgender Intelink sex chat scandal
On that, I have collected some references here:
https://kwharbaugh.blogspot.com/2025/02/radicals-within-intelligence-community.html
Just some suggestions 🙂
Keith Harbaugh,
I plan on addressing the mineral deal once the details of the deal are made public. I do think you’re on to something on your blog post. It was Zelenskiy who first proposed some kind of deal to Trump in an effort to keep him engaged. I note that the EU also offered a deal to Ukraine and Putin countered with a mineral deal of his own to Trump.
Keith,
A Kyiv paper printed the text of the deal.
https://kyivindependent.com/exclusive-the-full-text-of-the-final-us-ukraine-mineral-agreement/
If this is all, no sections on enforcement, it’s just performative nonsense IMO. I doubt either side takes it seriously. In itself, the agreement is only a chance for Trump to dance and say “I got something!”
However it does send a message that Trump is out to twist arms whenever the opportunity arises.
Putin needs the fighting to stop, since it is causing all kinds of problems. But he needs to win, or he may very well be deposed of. Now he has found his stooge, so he is eager to get at a minimum a pause in the fighting. Of course, he has not realized that Don and the Bobbleheads are not to be trusted. The are using Mafia tactics, but not very skillfully. And as we know, those tactics in the end did not work for the Mafia either.
The tide in the US is turning and the shock and awe is losing steam. The last time Trump was doing his thing, a lot of his lawyers ended up disbarred. It is likely that will start to happen a again. Anyone can file a complaint with the bar associations and their ethical rules are rather strict. Which is why some have already resigned rather than face violating those rules. Do you want to be the next Guiliani?
Lars,
The walls are closing in. In related “news” Joy(Reid) is out, MSNBC became racist ( according to their other anchors), and in other legal news Trump and CBS have agreed to a mediator in his $20 billion lawsuit against 60 minutes. I wonder why Paramount (cbs’ owner) wasn’t able to get all those lawyers disbarred by filing those ethics complaints which the o so strict bar association would immediately act upon. Maybe because it isn’t 4 years ago, the Biden administration isn’t running DOJ, and the issue isn’t Biden’s “landslide”.
TTG – no one seems to be paying any attention to what the Russians are saying. Since it’s the Russians who will decide on the future of Ukraine, and beyond that on the future of Europe, that seems dumb to me.
Lavrov:-
26 February 2025 14:41
“Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s statement and answers to media questions following visit to Qatar, Doha, February 26, 2025”
https://mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/2000130/
Brushes aside the nonsense coming out of Europe somewhat impatiently. Tells Merz to pipe down or else. (“When Germans actively entertain such ideas, it inevitably evokes historical parallels. However, it is the Germans themselves who should be most prompted to reflect on these memories.”) Happy to be talking to the Americans again. That’s about it.
On the question of rare earths extraction, “This issue was not raised or discussed during the meeting in Riyadh.” One assumes therefore that mineral rights in both remnant Ukraine and in the new Russian Oblasts were not discussed. Difficult to discuss anyway. No one knows what area remnant Ukraine will cover (“whatever is left of Ukraine” is the term used for that) nor how it will be run.
So as usual there’s meaningless chatter coming out of the Western politicians and press about this or that imaginary settlement, mostly ignored by the Russians as they plod on with attrition. I thought Lavrov was being disingenuous here:-
“President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly refuted these deceitful claims, emphasising that it is the Ukrainian leadership – egged on by Europe – that has rejected negotiations.” But the Russians will only enter into negotiations on the terms of Ukrainian capitulation. The Russians ought to say that and stop pretending they’re open to any other type of negotiation.
As for the crucial point, stopping the slaughter, unless there’s a sudden collapse of the Kiev forces or of the Kiev administration, the second unlikely since the secret police still seem to have a grip on the country, that’s not going to happen any time soon.
As far as one can see the Americans and the Russians have got nowhere near discussing ending the fighting. Oh no. They’re going to discuss its causes. (“We maintain that the most effective contribution from those genuinely seeking to resolve the conflict lies in acknowledging its root causes.”) I can just see the look on Trump’s face when Putin lets rip with another of his history lessons. “What we have to understand, Donald, is how it all started. Let me tell you about what the Scythians got up to …”.
In fact far from talking to each other about stopping the slaughter they’re still at the stage of discussing the setting up of expert groups that will then prepare the ground for substantive talks. Those talks in any case being more about setting up the framework for the future American/Russian relationship than about the war. Only when the framework’s agreed will the two parties get down to discussing any peace settlement.
If they go much slower the war will be finished by the time the Americans and the Russians get round to talking about it. I sometimes wonder if that’s the intention.
EO,
Judging by what’s coming out of the Kremlin, they want no part of a ceasefire or an end to the fighting unless it results in a complete Ukrainian capitulation. That’s not going to happen. Ukraine will not capitulate. And Europe, at least, will not abandon Ukraine. US-Russian peace talks may be no more than Kabuki theater without Ukrainian and European input. But I do agree that the talks have a lot more to do with future US-Russian relations. Europe and Ukraine can do little to influence that.
“Judging by what’s coming out of the Kremlin, they want no part of a ceasefire or an end to the fighting unless it results in a complete Ukrainian capitulation.”
That is a statement that says nothing more – or less – than this: you aren’t listening to what is coming out of the Kremlin.
You can’t be, otherwise you wouldn’t be coming to that conclusion.
This 2004 column seems relevant even today,
especially as a counter to those for whom it is always the 1930s and a new Hitler is on the horizon and must be countered:
“The Fallacy of ’39”
By Justin Raimondo
https://original.antiwar.com/justin/2004/12/27/the-fallacy-of-39/
Keith Harbaugh,
I agree the Hitler analogy has been overused for years and Putin is not another Hitler. He’s his own man, but he’s not the end of Russian history. Modern Russian history has been on a continuity since at least the 1917 October Revolution. Back then the creation of the new Soviet man was the goal. Putin is now calling for a return to the ancient Russian man. Both are strongly aspirational and unifying. Both are more mythical than real. Both ideas are used to further the reach of the Kremlin, no matter who sits in power. Both, like all modern societies, have had to deal with avaricious man. Between the new Soviet man and ancient Russian man periods the avaricious man reached his ascendency. He’s always been there and always will remain.
I had a ringside seat to the rise of Putin and United Russia. From the beginning his rise was facilitated by the same tactics and techniques that facilitated the rise of all those old bastards that often stood on Lenin’s mausoleum. New game same as the old game.
The important point to note – though nobody in the western MSM has – is that the USA immediately turned the tables and humiliated France in the Security Council.
Think about it:
1) Ukraine and the EU countries put forward their own UNGA resolution that blamed Russia.
2) The USA insisted that this resolution be withdrawn from consideration (which it was) and then put forward its own UNGA resolution that assigned no blame on anyone.
3) France then immediately proposed amendments to that American resolution that – essentially – turned it into a blame-game resolution akin to (1)
4) That amended resolution was then put to a vote, and since the USA didn’t agree to those amendments it abstained.
So far, so good. Or bad, if you were in the US State Department.
So the US delegation went to the UN Security Council and…..
5) Submitted their original, un-amended resolution to a council vote
6) Rejected any and all attempts by France to have the text of that resolution altered
7) Leading to the USA getting its way and France (and the UK) having to abstain
In that exchange of diplomatic nastiness the USA actually got the better of France, because while France got its way in the meaningless gab-fest of the General Assembly it was the USA that got its way in the far more important venue of the Security Council.
All very provocative of France, and for what purpose?
Pissing off the Trump Administration for the purpose of pissing them off?
Currying favor with the Zelensky regime?
When did either of those become a sensible bit of statecraft?
The military reality remains as it was in Biden’s time. As it has been since February 2022. The Ukrainian army is nowhere near strong enough to cope with the Russians by themselves. The Americans don’t have the manpower or the equipment to do so either.
I believe that when it comes to the ability to wage a land war in Europe most Americans don’t understand that their armed forces are a paper tiger. The American forces that could be assembled and deployed in Europe are quite inadequate for the job of taking on the Russians. They could perhaps make a fight of it but if they did so they’d lose. Saying that isn’t “pro-Russian” or “anti-American”. I happen to be pro-American but whether one is pro-American or not the facts are undeniable.
I don’t believe the Americans could even make a fight of it. Such meagre forces as they could deploy would have to be based in Europe. Europe’s fantasy-land at present but even the Europeans would wake up when supply depots and air bases in Europe itself started to get attacked. Not forgetting, as Colonel Lang said, Americans and Russians can’t fight each other head to head in any case. Too much risk of nuclear.
So the American people, and it seems most of the American political classes, are suffering from an even more severe case of the disease we suffer from in Europe. Folie de grandeur. They believe they are a predominant military power though in comparison to their opponent they have little military power in reality. No amount of neocon exceptionalism or MAGA chest-beating can get over that. To alter that reality they’d have to go back to Willow Run days and those times are long past for the United States.
Similarly with the economic war. That was lost early on. So Trump is merely recognising the military and economic reality that the fantasy-ridden Biden administration could never accept. His job is to attempt to wind up this disastrous Ukrainian venture, to undo the damage of the Biden years, and to lead his nation out of fantasy-land.
He’s a bit of a rogue, my judgement, is Donald Trump. Not averse to dissimulation and misdirection. He’ll need all of that, if he’s to bring his country back to reality without getting hit by the backlash in the midterms.
,
The new regime rarely wins midterms. This one however Trump easily wins and not because of DOGE or ending the Ukraine conflict. It’s support for Israel.
He is the only one boldly wearing the Israeli Jersey with little to no regard for Gaza other than turning it into a Carnival Cruise line destination. If anyone disagrees they will get primaried and crushed. It’s show time for the desert people. Do or do not. No try. No two state solution. No restoring Palestine.
Well yes. I don’t walk around with my eyes closed. On foreign policy much of what Trump says is pure gibberish and some of what he or his team put out is plain sick: –
https://x.com/mtracey/status/1894532702772097087?
https://x.com/Back_2TheMiddle/status/1894615915255210430?
But in foreign policy Washington, like Berlin and Westminster, has been a freak show for years. I just happen to think that this particular freak show looks as if it might be less disastrous than the one before.
That’s foreign policy, which is of course the bit I take a particular interest in. Being a foreigner. On domestic policy I still rate him as I did when he first stood for the Presidency. The last chance saloon for the United States.
EO,
How dare Trump put out a video like that, which highlights the success of United Nations Relief and Works Agency it making GAZA that paradise it was right before the Paragliders journey to victory.
Don’t think: Where did the money go? Year after Year after Year.
I especially liked the golden balloon. So unlike that balloon the fine people of the UK flew over London. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2clpq1jbKQ
Which definitely was not ‘plain sick’ or sending a message that was ‘gibberish’.
I hope the Embassy passes out lots of the new Golden Don balloons when he goes to visit the King. Great diplomacy, that. The kids will enjoy them.
Fred –
That Baby Trump balloon also flew over Paris Buenos Aires and Dublin. Plus Orlando, Grand Rapids, LA, San Diego, Ventura, Chicago, New York, Spokane, Lexington KY, Tuscaloosa, Tulsa, the National Mall, Orlando and very near Mar-a-Lago.
Glad y’all are happy with the Gaza-Lago video. Is it the bearded belly dancers that tickle MAGA’s fancy?
Fred – Trump’s much more popular in England than you’d think from that balloon video. There was a marked correlation at that time between approving of Trump and voting for Brexit.
No mystery about that. Both signalled rejection of a dysfunctional European status quo. We’re seeing that same rejection getting up steam in Romania and Georgia today in spite of surprisingly forceful attempts to knock it back.
I doubt the projected State Visit will be as big a deal as the previous one. The new King, so far, is merely another titular Head of State amongst plenty of others and I doubt getting received by him has the same cachet. None of the glamour that surrounded the Queen.
It was a false glamour of course. Mostly legacy glamour from an age long past. But it was there. It isn’t any more.
Leith,
Congratulations on your inflated victories here and abroad. Gaza I care nothing for, video or otherwise. Sadly the left would rather cover up where the money went than demand accountability from the thieves.
If Ukraine and the US makes this deal about natural resources, the US will be very involved in Ukraine and the US has to have reasonable assurances that Russia will not attack them. This agreement, if enacted and that is a big if, then the US will have a big skin in the game. I am sure Putin and his pals are not happy by that, but it will save Russia from having to further waste resources that are dwindling. Trump needs this deal and soon, since his support is seriously tanking and once his spineless enablers in Congress figures out that their future is tied to him, he will be a very lame duck.
Lars,
Zelensky is going to Rope-a-Dope Trump by singing a deal for mining rights in the part of Ukraine occupied by Russia, thereby forcing America to come to his defense. With suitcases full of money and the American Army too.
Wait while I make some popcorn. This is great theatre. I love the 100 year UK deal getting betrayed this way. Wonderful plot twist.
“If Ukraine and the US makes this deal about natural resources”
Have you actually read the proposed deal, Lars?
I haven’t, and I suspect nobody here has either.
If I were a betting man I’d lay money on all of this being an ambit claim that Trump intends to use in his negotiations with the Russians i.e. I’ve now got skin in the game, so take me seriously.
He doesn’t really have skin in the game, and so this ambit claim will fall flat.
The Russians will simply claim – correctly – that they don’t recognize Zelensky as the legitimate President of Ukraine and therefore – by extension – do not recognize the legitimacy of his signature on any piece of paper that Trump puts before them.
Lavrov: Ho-hum, what, are you expecting me to wipe my ass on it? I will if you insist, but it will simply demean us both.
English Outsider,
Please don’t forget the ports. Kill the Schleuse, you kill the port.