The Susan Rice/Blinkers/Vindman cabal needs a proper sitting down with Trump/Vance. I hope the FBI would check into this band and see how much they pilfered the USAid honey pot. A little transparency goes a long way.
I think the FBI has a lot of good guys working there. They just aren't in political positions. The average agent is top of the line. Just from my interaction with a few of them over the years.
The articles I read stated that this meeting was actually pointless and didn't have to involve travel. The premise was to simply sign the mining treaty, have some lunch, and go home. The negotiations had long past (probably the reason why Rubio looks so annoyed during the meeting).
Some of those articles asserted a "conspiracy theory" that Z-man had met before the meeting with various neo-cons (Vindman, Nuland, Rice...) who recommended that Z-man act the way he did. Which may explain why he looked so confused/surprised by the meeting's result.
Third, I thought that Trump's mining deal was a clever way to create a financial interest worth defending in Ukraine without sending soldiers or money. It would be in Ukraine's interest to protect it. It would act as a deterrent to others.
Too true. What I read is that the run up to yesterday's meeting solved remaining "issues" apparently--i.e., meetings with Macron and Starmer and most importantly, Kellogg's meeting with Zelenskyy earlier this week, which apparently initially went poorly. Kellogg left for the train and then Zelenskyy's crew brought Kellogg the docs on the train, signed. No one had a reason to see this as anything but a ceremonial meeting to display prior agreements.
However, Zelenskyy shows himself to have the bully/"short man" syndrome which has been observable from the start. He had the goods on Biden but doesn't have such sway over Trump. Even Lindsey Graham is exasperated with him.
Unlike others, I don't see this ending in a "deal" anytime soon unless the few Ukrainian parliament members calling for Zelenskyy to resign (or be impeached) are successful.
Let Europe pay for this mess, this time with grants instead of loans.
I've taken to using my LinkedIn feed as my bellwether on desperation and propaganda. LinkedIn is always the social media feed of last resort for politics, etc.
Last two days, my feed is filled with "Trump disrespected leader of a sovereign nation". The fear of US extricating itself is real. Ironically, many of the people posting make Trump's point for him: We will fight until the last breath of the last Ukrainian. We will turn to the rest of Europe (go ahead) for weapons/cash. When that runs out, we will fight with our hands.
There is absolutely no strategy to win presented - not even a strategy to exit short of last breath.
It is possible to feel sympathetic to the cause of the average Ukrainian AND to desire no further US involvement. Such duality does not make one a Chamberlain appeaser. It makes one a realist. It means one does not wish to fight a war with Russia - even if it is through a proxy/puppet.
Biden, Rice and Blinken were adamant about not sending US troops to Ukraine (apart from a handful of delusional volunteers), nor did they provide air support for Ukraine's failed counteroffensive in 2023. Zelensky and the Ukrainian military leaders never should have gone ahead with the counteroffensive, knowing that it was bound to fail without air support. Zelensky and the European leadership are delusional to think that they can pressure Trump to put US boots on the ground in Ukraine, or provide back-up in the form of air support for European peacekeepers, given the refusal of the previous administration to do so. Indeed, Zelensky and the Europeans never should have gone along with the Biden administration's Ukraine policy under these circumstances. They are fools.
Listening to your Four Tops insert brought back memories of Butch McGuire's in Chicago (my favorite pub), where the Four Tops music seemed to play all the time, especially "Reach Out I'll Be There" and "I Can't Help Myself". Long time ago. Thanks.
Have been contemplating this 'never used an attorney to negotiate. “If I can’t trust you, why would I do business with you?” was his response'
I think this is partially correct, but the problem is .... people change over the years. You might be negotiating a complex deal where you just kind of agree with the other guy and will sign a contract to get it over with. But what if some un-forseen circumstance happens? A health issue perhaps (just happened to a guy I have a contractual relationship with). So if he is debilitated, you're relationship is now with the contract, not with the person. And contracts are enforceable, pretty much by definition.
I agree, don't use the attorney to negotiate. Do that yourself. Then present the negotiated deal to an attorney and make it enforceable. Don't assume the guy you shook hands with is going to be around forever.
The problem with Zelensky is he thinks he is always smarter than anyone else in the room. He is used to looking down at people he controls, which definitely was not the case in this meeting. You also need to go in looking prepared (like wearing a suit and tie instead of his Fidel shirt) and you damn well better have gamed out what you are going to say. It is not like Trump and his views are an unknown quantity. At some point, hopefully before Russia can take over Ukraine, a new leader has to emerge. This could be Poroshenko, the former President of Ukraine or General Zaluzhny, now ambassador to the UK. It should be noted that Zelensky has done everything he can to damage these two people without a lot of success ...yet. My thoughts and prayers are with Ukraine because there will be a genocide there if the Russian ever gain full control over this country.
Nobody emerged from that shit show looking very smart on either side.
Whatever moron decided to have that gigantic gaggle of people in the room WITH THE PRESS IN ATTENDANCE before knowing whether you had a signed deal, should be fired.
BTW, let's be careful -- that "deal" was not THE DEAL. Read it. It was an agreement to enter into some to-be-drafted-agreement. It is a promise to try to negotiate a deal on the minerals in the future. It was puffery and bluster and totally unnecessary.
Let's step back a second and look at the cast of characters, shall we:
1. Zelenskyy -- an arrogant prick -- is the only western son of a bitch who has ever fought the Russians to a standstill since WWI. Roll that around in your head. He gets a 2:12 AM call, "Mr President the Russians have crossed the Belarus border and are advancing wtih a gigantic armored column toward Kyiv. What shall we do?"
The bloody dumb-as-a-rock American CIA/MI and Nato gave Ukraine one bloody week before the Russians were in Kyiv and measuring Zelenskyy for a rope neck tie. The Russians thought it would last 3 days. The Americans offered him a plane ride to safety.
What did he say, how did he react? "I don't need a plane ride; I need ammunition."
Give the man his due -- he withstood the initial attack, rallied his country, put steel in the backbone of his army, and hustled a lot of military aid. Then, he held back the initial onslaught of the Russians varsity -- again something nobody else has done in the west for 3 years whilst mastering new complex weapons systems, making some of his own (Neptune missile and drones), and sinking the flagship of the Russian Black Sea navy. Guy has no navy and drives the Russians out of Sevastopol. Stronger than an acre of garlic.
The Ukrainians mauled two very good Russian paratrooper regiments when the Ivans tried to take the airport just north of Kyiv. Those were the best troops the Russians have and the Ukrainians knocked them out of the war.
2. Trump is looking for this huge minerals deal as a coup to recovering the cost of American aid. Totally w him on that, but when that meeting started, he did not have that in hand. This was a fop to Trump's ego. Timing was off.
3. Trump rightly wants no more of Ukraine, no more money, wants to recop the investment, and wants non-US Nato to pony up both their funds and their support. Very complex equation. The other day, he got nothing. So, the Art of the Deal -- not so much.
The case for the US getting out of Nato is very strong.
4. Zelenskyy is willing to sign that deal if he can get an assurance from the US as it relates to future Russian attacks. Seems reasonable given what happened 2014 >>>>> 2022.
5. The US was a signatory to the Budapest Memorandum -- yeah, it wasn't ratified by the Senate, but it was the word of an American President -- and Zelenskyy wants something better than Trump's "Well, if there are big American economic interests, we'll be more likely inclined to protect those interestz. Cough, Cough."
Ukraine has Minsk #1/2 to evaluate how good Putin's word is. Not so good.
Not much to bank on. Would you trust Trump on that? I wouldn't and I'm a big supporter of Trump.
6. Trump for his part is not ever ever ever going to commit the US to defend anything that is overseas. He isn't going to war w Nato against Russia. He isn't going to defend Taiwan. He is genuinely and thoroughly pissed -- rightfully so -- at how bad we are treated in every military alliance worldwide with Nato being the worst. It was during Trump 1.0 that S Korea began to reimburse the US for the presence of US troops in S Korea since 1950.
7. JD Vance -- hope he is POTUS after Trump X2 -- did the process no good by firing off a litany of questions in machine gun fashion and then hectoring the guy because he wasn't "grateful."
FFS, read the room and don't berate the guy in front of the cameras. That doesn't get you to the finish line and the finish line is the only important thing.
Love JD Vance, but the rottweiller blew it. I hope it felt good kicking Zelenskyy in the nuts. He gets to go back to Ukraine and be rocketed by the Russians while JD gets to sleep at the Naval Observatory.
Realpolitik -- not using the right fork with shellfish is a faux pas, but not one that you blow up a deal over. So what if the guy is ungrateful?
8. Why is Putin at the table to begin with?
His army is for shit. The Ukrainians are trading 12 sq km last month for 15,000 Russian KIA/WIA. That's the way they teach you to fight a defensive campaign at the Army War College -- trade land for casualties to reduce the enemy's combat power. At that rate -- 12 sf km/mo -- the Ukrainians can continue to fight for the next century.
9. The Russians are not winning. Their army is wrecked. They cannot come close to making up battlefield losses in men or material, their leadership is uninspired, they are devolving to WWI tactics (hint: if you're going to fight on the ground like WWI, go on the defensive), they are buying drones and ammo, they are hiring mercenaries, and they have never achieved air superiority -- which is the greatest surprise to me of every that has transpired.
At the same time, Ukraine is now beginning to strike Russian targets almost a thousand kilometers deep into Russia. This is very effective.
10. The Russian economy is in shambles and the data is staring us in the face -- they say GDP is steady, but 40% of their GDP is now military spending which means "civilian GDP" is down a commensurate amount, ruble is weak, inflation is 20%, interest rates are 23%, foreign currency reserves are dwindling, can't get enough semiconductors to build weapons, oil (Urals crude, their benchmark) is trading at $40/bbl +/- w only the Indians and Chinese being buyers and oil is being transported on 300 +/- old, small, decrepit ghost tankers.
Why did Putin decide to come to the table? There is it.
The smart play is for all the grown ups to stop acting like they're at a school yard jungle gym and make the MAIN THING the main thing. The main thing is not anybody's fragile ego or lack of gratitude. I'll buy everybody a deep tissue massage if need be.
Think how FDR or George Marshall or Winston Churchill would have dealt with Stalin. Think about Casablanca/Tehran (1943), Yalta/Potsdam (1945).
Step back, regroup and make a deal that makes sense for the world.
Everybody involved gets a D- for that shit show and Trump needs to revisit the ghostwriterwho wrote his Art of the Deal book.
Yes, Trump did he right thing walking away from the shit show, but he is responsible for it becoming a shit show.
The point is: FUCK Ukraine. They are not our ally. They are a parasite. How does any of this benefit Americans? Both Zelenski and Putin are dictators, reprehensible people but peace must be made.
I don't think it is so simple to say go pound sand. Putin was wrong to attack them. Zelensky should have told Biden to pound sand regarding NATO, and then signaled to Putin that while he wasn't interested in NATO, he wasn't courting Putin either.
Great observations Mr Carter! Trump isn't a hard book to read but so many on the left never bother to do their "homework"! A fair example of our "elites" in the US and Europe!
Jeffrey, if that tray was a single serving for yourself you are going to need more then one Lone Star to wash it down. 🍻🍻🍻
I did watch the whole episode yesterday and thank you for confirming my thoughts that it was a set up gone wrong for the behind the curtain puppeteers.
My personal opinion is that Zelensky never wanted a deal on the rare earth mineral rights. Both he and the oligarchs behind him want to sell those minerals to the highest bidder and put those billions in a Swiss bank. Then when they've bled Ukraine completely dry they'll flee the country and live the high life. There's a reason Ukraine was considered the most corrupt country in Europe prior to the war. Just my humble opinion.
Zelensky traveled a long way to say "no." And he did this after leading Rubio and Vance to believe the deal was done. Then went into a public setting and tried to embarrass Trump and Vance. If Zelensky really is a true patriot and believes in Ukraine, what did he accomplish? What did he gain for the poor guys in the meat grinder? What did he expect to gain for Ukraine by acting out in a press conference? If he can't control himself, I question his leadership (with other people's money). If it was all an act to embarrass Trump and deprive the administration of a lead role in a cease fire then we see Zelensky as a pawn who sacrificed a golden opportunity, and have to ask for what?
The Susan Rice/Blinkers/Vindman cabal needs a proper sitting down with Trump/Vance. I hope the FBI would check into this band and see how much they pilfered the USAid honey pot. A little transparency goes a long way.
They need to be investigated for this current episode with Zelensky.
Their strategy to get Zelensky to outmaneuver Trump, the Master of the Deal, shows how desperate Obama and his thugs are.
Obama and Biden both have blood on their hands. This cannot be repeated enough.
Kash has to get the FBI's house in order first! No small undertaking!
I think the FBI has a lot of good guys working there. They just aren't in political positions. The average agent is top of the line. Just from my interaction with a few of them over the years.
The articles I read stated that this meeting was actually pointless and didn't have to involve travel. The premise was to simply sign the mining treaty, have some lunch, and go home. The negotiations had long past (probably the reason why Rubio looks so annoyed during the meeting).
Some of those articles asserted a "conspiracy theory" that Z-man had met before the meeting with various neo-cons (Vindman, Nuland, Rice...) who recommended that Z-man act the way he did. Which may explain why he looked so confused/surprised by the meeting's result.
Third, I thought that Trump's mining deal was a clever way to create a financial interest worth defending in Ukraine without sending soldiers or money. It would be in Ukraine's interest to protect it. It would act as a deterrent to others.
Too true. What I read is that the run up to yesterday's meeting solved remaining "issues" apparently--i.e., meetings with Macron and Starmer and most importantly, Kellogg's meeting with Zelenskyy earlier this week, which apparently initially went poorly. Kellogg left for the train and then Zelenskyy's crew brought Kellogg the docs on the train, signed. No one had a reason to see this as anything but a ceremonial meeting to display prior agreements.
However, Zelenskyy shows himself to have the bully/"short man" syndrome which has been observable from the start. He had the goods on Biden but doesn't have such sway over Trump. Even Lindsey Graham is exasperated with him.
Unlike others, I don't see this ending in a "deal" anytime soon unless the few Ukrainian parliament members calling for Zelenskyy to resign (or be impeached) are successful.
Let Europe pay for this mess, this time with grants instead of loans.
Zelensky yelled at Scott Bessent recently in Kiev. Trump knew exactly what Zelensky would do, knowing that he was that rude to Trump’s emissary.
BTW, Scott Bessent has been extremely impressive in every interview I’ve seen. The same for Howard Lutnick.
Zelenskyy has showed himself to be deceptive (again) in these negotiations. No way to negotiate with a faithless person.
Totally agree on Bessent. Haven't seen as much of Lutnick...that said, the quality of Trump's second term appointees with superb.
Z is a thug and a creep and corrupt. Pity the poor Ukrainians with this guy as their president. They need to find a way to force elections.
I agree totally.
Here’s a great interview with Lutnick from a few days ago. https://www.foxnews.com/video/6369368350112
Good interview with Lutnick. Will never forget Lutnick handled 9/11, with terrific loyalty to his folks and those that lost their families.
Great interview and great ideas on how to use the Postal Service to handle the census.
I've taken to using my LinkedIn feed as my bellwether on desperation and propaganda. LinkedIn is always the social media feed of last resort for politics, etc.
Last two days, my feed is filled with "Trump disrespected leader of a sovereign nation". The fear of US extricating itself is real. Ironically, many of the people posting make Trump's point for him: We will fight until the last breath of the last Ukrainian. We will turn to the rest of Europe (go ahead) for weapons/cash. When that runs out, we will fight with our hands.
There is absolutely no strategy to win presented - not even a strategy to exit short of last breath.
It is possible to feel sympathetic to the cause of the average Ukrainian AND to desire no further US involvement. Such duality does not make one a Chamberlain appeaser. It makes one a realist. It means one does not wish to fight a war with Russia - even if it is through a proxy/puppet.
Mine too!!!!
Double Dare True if I get it in French!!
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/philippesilberzahn_il-faut-%C3%AAtre-r%C3%A9aliste-cette-petite-musique-activity-7301859088991219712-jB-7?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_ios&rcm=ACoAAAE4idQBFG2XigLj8aJ9v_N4LRsqo-JnNZk
Biden, Rice and Blinken were adamant about not sending US troops to Ukraine (apart from a handful of delusional volunteers), nor did they provide air support for Ukraine's failed counteroffensive in 2023. Zelensky and the Ukrainian military leaders never should have gone ahead with the counteroffensive, knowing that it was bound to fail without air support. Zelensky and the European leadership are delusional to think that they can pressure Trump to put US boots on the ground in Ukraine, or provide back-up in the form of air support for European peacekeepers, given the refusal of the previous administration to do so. Indeed, Zelensky and the Europeans never should have gone along with the Biden administration's Ukraine policy under these circumstances. They are fools.
Listening to your Four Tops insert brought back memories of Butch McGuire's in Chicago (my favorite pub), where the Four Tops music seemed to play all the time, especially "Reach Out I'll Be There" and "I Can't Help Myself". Long time ago. Thanks.
“Standing in the Shadows of Love” and “Bernadette”. How many times did you cross the street to go to the Lodge??
Have been contemplating this 'never used an attorney to negotiate. “If I can’t trust you, why would I do business with you?” was his response'
I think this is partially correct, but the problem is .... people change over the years. You might be negotiating a complex deal where you just kind of agree with the other guy and will sign a contract to get it over with. But what if some un-forseen circumstance happens? A health issue perhaps (just happened to a guy I have a contractual relationship with). So if he is debilitated, you're relationship is now with the contract, not with the person. And contracts are enforceable, pretty much by definition.
I agree, don't use the attorney to negotiate. Do that yourself. Then present the negotiated deal to an attorney and make it enforceable. Don't assume the guy you shook hands with is going to be around forever.
that's exactly what he did!
The problem with Zelensky is he thinks he is always smarter than anyone else in the room. He is used to looking down at people he controls, which definitely was not the case in this meeting. You also need to go in looking prepared (like wearing a suit and tie instead of his Fidel shirt) and you damn well better have gamed out what you are going to say. It is not like Trump and his views are an unknown quantity. At some point, hopefully before Russia can take over Ukraine, a new leader has to emerge. This could be Poroshenko, the former President of Ukraine or General Zaluzhny, now ambassador to the UK. It should be noted that Zelensky has done everything he can to damage these two people without a lot of success ...yet. My thoughts and prayers are with Ukraine because there will be a genocide there if the Russian ever gain full control over this country.
Nobody emerged from that shit show looking very smart on either side.
Whatever moron decided to have that gigantic gaggle of people in the room WITH THE PRESS IN ATTENDANCE before knowing whether you had a signed deal, should be fired.
BTW, let's be careful -- that "deal" was not THE DEAL. Read it. It was an agreement to enter into some to-be-drafted-agreement. It is a promise to try to negotiate a deal on the minerals in the future. It was puffery and bluster and totally unnecessary.
Let's step back a second and look at the cast of characters, shall we:
1. Zelenskyy -- an arrogant prick -- is the only western son of a bitch who has ever fought the Russians to a standstill since WWI. Roll that around in your head. He gets a 2:12 AM call, "Mr President the Russians have crossed the Belarus border and are advancing wtih a gigantic armored column toward Kyiv. What shall we do?"
The bloody dumb-as-a-rock American CIA/MI and Nato gave Ukraine one bloody week before the Russians were in Kyiv and measuring Zelenskyy for a rope neck tie. The Russians thought it would last 3 days. The Americans offered him a plane ride to safety.
What did he say, how did he react? "I don't need a plane ride; I need ammunition."
Give the man his due -- he withstood the initial attack, rallied his country, put steel in the backbone of his army, and hustled a lot of military aid. Then, he held back the initial onslaught of the Russians varsity -- again something nobody else has done in the west for 3 years whilst mastering new complex weapons systems, making some of his own (Neptune missile and drones), and sinking the flagship of the Russian Black Sea navy. Guy has no navy and drives the Russians out of Sevastopol. Stronger than an acre of garlic.
The Ukrainians mauled two very good Russian paratrooper regiments when the Ivans tried to take the airport just north of Kyiv. Those were the best troops the Russians have and the Ukrainians knocked them out of the war.
2. Trump is looking for this huge minerals deal as a coup to recovering the cost of American aid. Totally w him on that, but when that meeting started, he did not have that in hand. This was a fop to Trump's ego. Timing was off.
3. Trump rightly wants no more of Ukraine, no more money, wants to recop the investment, and wants non-US Nato to pony up both their funds and their support. Very complex equation. The other day, he got nothing. So, the Art of the Deal -- not so much.
The case for the US getting out of Nato is very strong.
Read it here: https://themusingsofthebigredcar.com/nato-does-not-need-the-united-states/
4. Zelenskyy is willing to sign that deal if he can get an assurance from the US as it relates to future Russian attacks. Seems reasonable given what happened 2014 >>>>> 2022.
5. The US was a signatory to the Budapest Memorandum -- yeah, it wasn't ratified by the Senate, but it was the word of an American President -- and Zelenskyy wants something better than Trump's "Well, if there are big American economic interests, we'll be more likely inclined to protect those interestz. Cough, Cough."
Ukraine has Minsk #1/2 to evaluate how good Putin's word is. Not so good.
Not much to bank on. Would you trust Trump on that? I wouldn't and I'm a big supporter of Trump.
6. Trump for his part is not ever ever ever going to commit the US to defend anything that is overseas. He isn't going to war w Nato against Russia. He isn't going to defend Taiwan. He is genuinely and thoroughly pissed -- rightfully so -- at how bad we are treated in every military alliance worldwide with Nato being the worst. It was during Trump 1.0 that S Korea began to reimburse the US for the presence of US troops in S Korea since 1950.
7. JD Vance -- hope he is POTUS after Trump X2 -- did the process no good by firing off a litany of questions in machine gun fashion and then hectoring the guy because he wasn't "grateful."
FFS, read the room and don't berate the guy in front of the cameras. That doesn't get you to the finish line and the finish line is the only important thing.
Love JD Vance, but the rottweiller blew it. I hope it felt good kicking Zelenskyy in the nuts. He gets to go back to Ukraine and be rocketed by the Russians while JD gets to sleep at the Naval Observatory.
Realpolitik -- not using the right fork with shellfish is a faux pas, but not one that you blow up a deal over. So what if the guy is ungrateful?
8. Why is Putin at the table to begin with?
His army is for shit. The Ukrainians are trading 12 sq km last month for 15,000 Russian KIA/WIA. That's the way they teach you to fight a defensive campaign at the Army War College -- trade land for casualties to reduce the enemy's combat power. At that rate -- 12 sf km/mo -- the Ukrainians can continue to fight for the next century.
9. The Russians are not winning. Their army is wrecked. They cannot come close to making up battlefield losses in men or material, their leadership is uninspired, they are devolving to WWI tactics (hint: if you're going to fight on the ground like WWI, go on the defensive), they are buying drones and ammo, they are hiring mercenaries, and they have never achieved air superiority -- which is the greatest surprise to me of every that has transpired.
At the same time, Ukraine is now beginning to strike Russian targets almost a thousand kilometers deep into Russia. This is very effective.
10. The Russian economy is in shambles and the data is staring us in the face -- they say GDP is steady, but 40% of their GDP is now military spending which means "civilian GDP" is down a commensurate amount, ruble is weak, inflation is 20%, interest rates are 23%, foreign currency reserves are dwindling, can't get enough semiconductors to build weapons, oil (Urals crude, their benchmark) is trading at $40/bbl +/- w only the Indians and Chinese being buyers and oil is being transported on 300 +/- old, small, decrepit ghost tankers.
Why did Putin decide to come to the table? There is it.
The smart play is for all the grown ups to stop acting like they're at a school yard jungle gym and make the MAIN THING the main thing. The main thing is not anybody's fragile ego or lack of gratitude. I'll buy everybody a deep tissue massage if need be.
Think how FDR or George Marshall or Winston Churchill would have dealt with Stalin. Think about Casablanca/Tehran (1943), Yalta/Potsdam (1945).
Step back, regroup and make a deal that makes sense for the world.
Everybody involved gets a D- for that shit show and Trump needs to revisit the ghostwriterwho wrote his Art of the Deal book.
Yes, Trump did he right thing walking away from the shit show, but he is responsible for it becoming a shit show.
Cheers.
JLM
www.themusingsofthebigredcar.com
The point is: FUCK Ukraine. They are not our ally. They are a parasite. How does any of this benefit Americans? Both Zelenski and Putin are dictators, reprehensible people but peace must be made.
I don't think it is so simple to say go pound sand. Putin was wrong to attack them. Zelensky should have told Biden to pound sand regarding NATO, and then signaled to Putin that while he wasn't interested in NATO, he wasn't courting Putin either.
Sorry, game over. Trump had to do what he did.
Losing game, Zel with no cards and no leftist regime in charge to sell America out.
Let's let Europe fund it all and see how it all feels.
Have fun in TX!
Great observations Mr Carter! Trump isn't a hard book to read but so many on the left never bother to do their "homework"! A fair example of our "elites" in the US and Europe!
I hope that's brisket under all that bread.
Brisket, burnt ends, pork ribs, turkey, pulled pork, beef ribs...
You just can't get food like that around here (St Louis area). They try, and it's fairly good, but just not the same.
Jeffrey, if that tray was a single serving for yourself you are going to need more then one Lone Star to wash it down. 🍻🍻🍻
I did watch the whole episode yesterday and thank you for confirming my thoughts that it was a set up gone wrong for the behind the curtain puppeteers.
for 6! I had iced tea....
My personal opinion is that Zelensky never wanted a deal on the rare earth mineral rights. Both he and the oligarchs behind him want to sell those minerals to the highest bidder and put those billions in a Swiss bank. Then when they've bled Ukraine completely dry they'll flee the country and live the high life. There's a reason Ukraine was considered the most corrupt country in Europe prior to the war. Just my humble opinion.
Zelensky traveled a long way to say "no." And he did this after leading Rubio and Vance to believe the deal was done. Then went into a public setting and tried to embarrass Trump and Vance. If Zelensky really is a true patriot and believes in Ukraine, what did he accomplish? What did he gain for the poor guys in the meat grinder? What did he expect to gain for Ukraine by acting out in a press conference? If he can't control himself, I question his leadership (with other people's money). If it was all an act to embarrass Trump and deprive the administration of a lead role in a cease fire then we see Zelensky as a pawn who sacrificed a golden opportunity, and have to ask for what?
Great piece! I had not appreciated the back story about the Obama henchmen - that link was very interesting.