Ukrainians Don't Consider Trump A Friend And Don't Trust His Negotiators

 

These charts are from The Conversation, using information from a survey done by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology of 1,801 Ukranians in late June of 2026.

Peace Is Possible In Ukraine - But Not The Way Trump Is Trying To Do it

Donald Trump promised during the last campaign that he would have peace in Ukraine on his first day in office. Now, eleven months later, that peace still seems very far away. 

Trump has tried several times to end the Russia-Ukraine war and failed. His latest attempt was a 28 point plan that he demanded Ukraine accept. Sadly, it was so bad that Putin himself couldn't a written a plan more favorable to Russia. The plan was unacceptable to Ukraine (and its European allies) and has been changed. Now it is unacceptable to Russia. 

The crazy thing is that peace is possible in Ukraine, but Trump has been going about it all wrong. He has been favoring Russia and pressuring Ukraine. That's just the opposite of what needs to be done.

Trump seems to think that Ukraine is on a path to defeat while Russia is in a strong position. Neither is true. Ukraine is fighting for its life, and cannot give up or surrender. And Russia is in a weaker position than the media would have us believe.

The truth is that in the last two years Russia has only increased it control of Ukrainian territory by a scant 1% - and it has cost them 200,000 dead and wounded soldiers to do that. And while Russia keeps bombing Ukraine on a daily basis, Ukraine (with long-range drones) is hitting Russia back on a daily basis. And while Ukraine can't surrender, it remains to be seen how long Russia can continue the war with the costs it is incurring.

Instead of pressuring Ukraine, Trump should be putting some real pressure on Russia. After all, it is Russia that invaded Ukraine.

Trump has threatened severe economic sanctions on Russia and to give Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, but backed off both when Putin praised him (played him!). He needs to follow through on both of those things - and more. He needs to make it clear that the U.S. will continue to give Ukraine all the weaponry it needs, and then threaten to accept Ukraine into NATO (and the European Union). 

Russia is hurting. And some real pressure on them would make all the difference. Putin might finally realize they cannot continue a war they cannot win.

Sadly, Trump won't do that. He will be continued to be outsmarted by Putin. And he will continue to fail in his efforts for a "peace" plan. He's just not smart enough to know who America's real friends are - and who its enemies are. 

Trump's "Peace Plan" Gives Russia Everything It Wants - It's A Bad Plan

Donald Trump has come up with a "peace plan" for the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Sadly, it gives Russia everything it wants, while denying Ukraine the ironclad guarantees it needs. I think it's a bad plan, but Trump is threatening to abandon Ukraine if they don't agree.

Here is Trump's plan:

Here is the text of a draft version of the 28-point peace plan for Ukraine backed by the United States, according to a copy seen by Reuters

1. Ukraine's sovereignty to be reconfirmed.

2. There will be a total and complete comprehensive non-aggression agreement between Russia, Ukraine and Europe. All ambiguities of the last 30 years will be considered resolved.

3. There will be the expectation that Russia will not invade its neighbours and NATO will not expand further.

4. A dialogue between Russia and NATO, moderated by the United States, will convene to address all security concerns and create a de-escalatory environment to ensure global security and increase the opportunities for connectivity and future economic opportunity.

5. Ukraine will receive robust security guarantees.

6. The size of the Ukrainian Armed Forces will be capped at 600,000.

7. Ukraine agrees to enshrine in its constitution that it will not join NATO, and NATO agrees to pass in its bylaws not to accept Ukraine at any point in the future.

8. NATO agrees not to station any troops in Ukraine.

9. European fighter jets will be stationed in Poland.

10. The U.S. guarantee:

a. The U.S. to receive compensation for the guarantee;

b. If Ukraine invades Russia, it forfeits the guarantee;

c. If Russia invades Ukraine, in addition to a robust coordinated military response, all global sanctions will be restored and recognition for the new territory and all other benefits from this agreement will be withdrawn;

d. If Ukraine fires a missile at Moscow or St. Petersburg then, the security guarantee will be considered null and void.

11. Ukraine is eligible for EU membership and will get short-term preferred market access to the European market while this issue is being evaluated.

12. Robust Global Redevelopment Package for Ukraine including but not limited to:

a. Creation of Ukraine Development Fund to invest in high-growth industries including technology, data centers, and AI efforts.

b. The United States will partner with Ukraine to jointly restore, grow, modernize, and operate Ukraine's gas infrastructure, which includes its pipelines and storage facilities.

c. A joint effort to redevelop areas impacted by the war to restore, redevelop and modernize cities and residential areas.

d. Infrastructure development.

e. Mineral and natural resource extraction.

f. A special financing package will be developed by The World Bank to provide financing to accelerate these efforts.

13. Russia to be re-integrated into the global economy:

a. Sanction relief will be discussed and agreed upon in phases and on a case-by-case basis.

b. The United States will enter into a long-term Economic Co-operation Agreement to pursue mutual development in the areas of energy, natural resources, infrastructure, artificial intelligence, data centers, rare earth metal projects in the Arctic as well as other mutually beneficial corporate opportunities.

c. Russia to be invited back into the G8.

14. Frozen funds will be used as follows:

$100 billion of the frozen Russian funds will be invested in a US-led effort to reconstruct and invest in Ukraine. The US will receive 50% of the profits from this venture. Europe will match this $100 billion contribution to increase the investment available to rebuild Ukraine. The European funds that are frozen will be released. The balance of the frozen Russian funds will be invested in a separate US-Russia investment vehicle that will pursue joint United States Russia projects in areas to be defined. This fund will aim to strengthen the relationship and increase joint interests to build a strong motivation not to return to conflict.

15. A joint US-Russian Security taskforce will be established to promote and enforce compliance with all of the provisions of this agreement.

16. Russia will legislatively enshrine a non-aggression policy towards Europe and Ukraine.

17. The United States and Russia will agree to extend nuclear non-proliferation control treaties, including the START I Treaty.

18. Ukraine agrees to be a non-nuclear state under the NPT (Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons).

19. The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant will be restarted under supervision of the IAEA, and the produced power shall be equitably in a 50-50 split between Russia and Ukraine.

20. Both countries commit to education programs in schools and throughout their society that promotes the understanding and tolerance of different cultures and eliminates racism and bias:

a. Ukraine will adopt EU rules of religious tolerance and the protection of linguistic minorities.

b. Both countries agree to repeal all discriminatory measures and guarantee the rights of Ukrainian and Russian media and education.

c. All Nazi ideology or activity should be renounced and forbidden.

21. Territories:

a. Crimea, Luhansk and Donetsk to be recognized De-Facto as Russian, including by the United States.

b. Kherson and Zaporizhzhia to be frozen at the contact line, which would mean a De-Facto recognition at the contact line.

c. Russia to give up other agreed upon territories they control outside of the five regions

d. Ukrainian forces will withdraw from the part of Donetsk region that they currently control, and this withdrawal area will be considered a neutral demilitarized buffer zone, internationally recognized as territory belonging to the Russian Federation. Russian forces will not enter this demilitarized zone.

22. Once future territorial arrangements have been agreed, both the Russian Federation and Ukraine undertake not to change these arrangements by force. Any security guarantees will not apply in the event of a breach of this obligation.

23. Russia shall not obstruct Ukraine's use of the Dnieper River for purposes of commercial activities and agreements will be reached for grain shipments to move freely through the Black Sea.

24. A humanitarian committee will be established to resolve open issues:

a. All remaining prisoners and bodies will be exchanged on the principle of 'all for all'.

b. All civilian detainees and hostages will be returned, including children.

c. There will be a family reunification program

d. Provisions will be made to address the suffering of victims from the conflict.

25. Ukraine to hold elections in 100 days.

26. All parties involved in this conflict will receive full amnesty for wartime actions during the war and agree not to pursue claims or further settle grievances.

27. This agreement will be legally binding. Its implementation will be monitored and guaranteed by a Board of Peace, Chaired by President Donald J. Trump. There will be penalties for violation.

28. Upon all sides agreeing to this memorandum, a ceasefire will be immediately effective upon both parties withdrawing to the agreed upon points for the implementation of the agreement to begin. 

Americans Are Pessimistic About A Fair Peace Deal Being Done In Russia-Ukraine War

 

The charts above are from the Gallup Poll -- done between August 1st and 15th of a nationwide sample of 2,132 adults, with a 3 point margin of error.

Are We Any Closer To Peace In Ukraine?

Donald Trump is making a lot of noise recently about negotiating a peace between Ukraine and Russia. He held a "summit" with Putin in Alaska. Then he met with Zelensky and European leaders in the White House. Was anything accomplished?

Very little, if anything at all. Instead of a serious negotiator, Trump came off looking more like a ping-pong ball being knocked back and forth by opposing factions (agreeing with each in their turn).

Trump was heard telling Macron of France that he believes Putin really wants peace. Obviously, Trump is delusional. Putin is the one who refuses to sit down and negotiate. He thinks he's winning.

Trump now says the next step is for Zelensky and Putin to meet. That won't happen, because they have nothing they can agree on. Zelensky is trying to protect his country's independence and democracy. Putin wants to re-establish the old Soviet Union, and that requires he conquer Ukraine.

Nothing will happen until Putin believes he might actually lose in Ukraine. Unfortunately, that won't happen unless Trump puts some serious military and economic pressure on him - something he is still unwilling to do.

The last couple of weeks has been just political theater with no substance at all. The media has loved it and made a big deal out of it, but it hasn't moved the peace process any further along.

We need more than vacuous headlines and proclamations. But with Trump taking the lead there is little chance of that. He views Putin as his friend - not the enemy of the free world. Until that changes, no progress will be made toward peace.

It's Time For Trump To Choose: Ukraine Or Russia - History Will Judge His Choice

Donald Trump has been living in a dream world - a world in which he is neutral and can facilitate a peaceful end to the war in Ukraine (resulting in a Nobel Peace Prize for himself). His abject failure at the Alaska summit has ended that dream - whether he realizes it or not.

Trump now says it is up to Zelensky to end the war (by agreeing to Putin's demand for Ukrainian territory). He's wrong! Zelensky made that choice long ago. He will fight to keep both Ukraine's territory and its democracy.

The choice that needs to be made is Donald Trump's. There is no middle ground in this war. One either supports the Ukrainian democracy or the Russian aggression.The democratic leaders of Europe have made their choice. They side with Ukraine and oppose Russian aggression. Trump must now make his choice, because trying to remain neutral is just allowing Putin to continue to manipulate him and make him look foolish.

Putin has made it very clear that he is not interested in a ceasefire or a peace plan (unless it gives him much or all of Ukraine). The war will continue in spite of Trump's pathetic attempts at being a "peacemaker". And either Russia or Ukraine will ultimately win the war.

If Trump chooses to back Ukraine, and go all in to support them, Ukraine will win the war. And Trump might finally get the credit he so fervently wants.

If Trump chooses Russia (or refuses to choose), there is a good chance Russia finally wins and is able to absorb all or most of Ukraine. If that happens, Trump will be very harshly judged by history. He will be forever remembered as the person who was too cowardly or stupid to stop Russian aggression and defend western democracy.

History can either record Trump as a hero or a villain. It's now up to him. Does he have the courage or intelligence to make the right choice? 

The Best Outcome Of The Alaska Summit Might Be Failure

As I write this post, Presidents Trump and Putin are preparing to meet in Alaska. Some media pundits seem to believe that the meeting will result in progress toward a lasting peace in Ukraine. I don't think that is possible. Here are my reasons.

* Both men are prolific liars. Even if some kind of agreement was reached, neither could be trusted to follow through on it, since both have a history of breaking promises they made.

* Trump seems to think Putin wants peace. He doesn't. What he wants is to re-establish the old Soviet Union, and that would require his taking all of Ukraine. And Putin seems to think he is winning and time is on his side.

* Putin is smarter than Trump. This was illustrated in Helsinki, when he manipulated Trump - making him look like a fool before the entire world.

* Trump thinks he and Putin are friends, and he can use that friendship to convince Putin to go along with him. They are not friends. They are a vicious dictator (Putin) and a person who admires and wants to be a dictator (Trump). That is not friendship.

* Putin is heading into the meeting with definite goals in mind. Trump heads into them with only a hope to do something.

Because of the above, if an agreement is reached it would most likely benefit Russia - not the United States or Ukraine.The best outcome we can hope for is that the meeting is a failure. 

Peace can be accomplished in Ukraine only by Russia's military defeat. Trump must finally recognize that for the good of Ukraine, Europe, and the United States.

---------------------------

UPDATE - It looks like my best case scenario played out. Putin agreed to nothing, and Trump got nothing but manipulated. I guess we can be thankful Trump didn't get conned into giving away Alaska and half of Ukraine.

Trump May Try To Appease Putin When They Meet In Alaska

When Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin met in Helsinki during Trump's first term, Putin played Trump like a violin. It was embarrassing. The hope is that Trump has learned something since then.

During his campaign, Trump told his supporters that he would end the war in Ukraine on his first day in office. He seemed to think that Putin was his friend, and would happily stop the war when asked. That hasn't happened. Despite all of Trump's efforts, Putin has refused to stop the war - and has actually increased his drone and missile attacks on Ukrainian citizens.

Recently, Trump has shown some disappointment with Putin's intransigence. He has threatened new sanctions on Russia. But he has not followed through on that. and now he seems to be back to believing Putin.

He has said that he believes Putin wants peace. And he has said that peace will require some trading of land. That means he wants to get peace at the expense of giving some eastern Ukrainian provinces to Russia.

This is foolish. Putin doesn't want peace. He wants Ukraine to again be a part of Russia. In fact, he wants to re-establish the old Soviet Union.

The whole thing is reminiscent of the Munich Agreement - when Chamberlain thought he had appeased Hitler by giving him some territory. All it did was convince Hitler he could do what he wanted and resulted in World War II.

Now Trump has agreed to meet Putin in Alaska to discuss a ceasefire.

Putin says he would agree to a ceasefire if given part of Ukraine. That would be a mistake. That ceasefire would just give Putin time to resupply and build up his troops to then finish what he started. Agreeing to Putin's demands would not bring peace - it would just whet Putin's appetite for more war and more invasions (of Ukraine and other countries).

You can't appease a land-hungry dictator by giving in to them. The only way to stop them is by building an impenetrable wall between them and what they want. Peace doesn't come through weakness - it comes through strength. 

I hope I'm wrong, but I think there's a very good chance that Trump will give Putin what he wants - in the mistaken belief it will bring peace. And then pressure Zelensky into accepting it by cutting off American aid and weapons.

History has taught that would be a serious mistake. But while Trump tries to rewrite history, he does not learn from it. He is likely to repeat it, and that will make the world a much more dangerous place as Putin (and probably China) realize they can get what they want. 

Donald Trump Is NOT "Giving" Any Weapons To Ukraine

The media is full of news about Donald Trump, being frustrated with Putin, being ready to provide more weapons to Ukraine. That is not exactly true. While Trump may be frustrated with Putin (who has been playing him like a fiddle), he's not giving anything to Ukraine.

Instead, Trump will SELL weapons to some European nations. Those nations will then give the weapons to Ukraine.

Trump is a transactional narcissist. The concept of giving anything to anyone is foreign to him. He never does anything without there being something in it for him - not even to save a democracy from an invader.

Remember, this is a man who has been banned from organizing any charities, because the past charities he had benefitted himself more than anyone else. He has never had an altruistic bone in his body.

Even earlier in his term when weapons were provided to Ukraine, they weren't free. Ukraine had to sign over 50% of the mineral rights of that country. Everything received from Trump has a price tag. He will sell anything, but gives nothing.

Thank goodness the nations of Western Europe understand the importance of saving the Ukrainian democracy, and are willing to buy the necessary weapons and donate them. 

Trump held a news conference with the head of NATO to announce the weapons deal. He wants to get the credit for Ukraine getting new weapons. But He does NOT deserve any credit! He's just a shady salesman - not a savior!

Trump's "Peace" Plan Is A Very Bad Deal For Ukraine

 

This is from Axios.com.

A Majority Don't Trust Russia To Keep Its Word On Ukraine

The chart above is from the Gallup Poll -- done between March 3rd and 11th of a nationwide sample of 2,219 adults, with a 2 point margin of error. 

Donald Trump says he trust Putin to keep his word. But the American people don't trust him. They also think Trump is likely to broker a peace that is too favorable to Russia and unfavorable to the Ukraine.

Trump Said Zelensky Had No Cards - He's WRONG

During his Oval Office temper tantrum, Donald Trump told Ukraine's President that he was in a bad position and had no cards. Trump was trying to extort Ukraine's minerals, and thought bullying would get the job done. He was wrong!

The same claim could have been made to another country back in 1776 - that the fledgling United States held no cards. But it did hold some very valuable cards. They had four aces:

Ace of Hearts - they loved their country and were willing to die fort.

Ace of Spades - they were fighting for their freedom from a foreign power.

Ace of Clubs - they believed they could win because of the bravery of their soldiers and leaders.

Ace of Diamonds - they had the help of another country (France).

And they played those four aces in a winning hand!

Ukraine holds those same four aces. They love their country. They're fighting for freedom and democracy. Their citizens, soldiers, and leaders are incredibly brave. And they have the help of other countries (even if the United States abandons them).

Don't underestimate Ukraine. They have already surprised the world with their resistance to the Russian invasion. Like the United States did against a world power hundreds of years age, they could win!

I think they will.

U.S. Public Disagrees With Trump On Russia And Ukraine

 

The charts above reflect the results of the Economist / YouGov Poll -- done between February 23rd and 25th of a nationwide sample of 1,444 registered voters, with a 3.4 point margin of error.

Exposing Trump's Outrageous Lie About Aid To Ukraine

The truth about Ukraine aid from Steven Rattner: 

As he often does, the president has been wildly misrepresenting the facts around Ukrainian war aid. He claims that the United States has provided around $350 billion in aid; the actual figure is $120 billion. He has said that Europe has provided about $100 billion; the correct figure is $138 billion. (It is true that some portion of the European aid is in the form of loans.)

As a share of gross domestic product, the U.S. is roughly in the middle of the pack, well below small countries like Estonia and Denmark that are geographically close to Ukraine but roughly in line with larger countries like France and the U.K.

Against that backdrop, it is not clear why Trump believes that the U.S. is entitled to his requested $500 billion of compensation from Ukraine’s critical minerals industry, large resources of titanium, lithium, uranium and others.

It’s also important to note that the European Union and its members have promised an additional $121 billion in assistance while the U.S. has only pledged an additional $5 billion.

Moreover, an estimated 70% of what we provide to Ukraine is spent in the U.S. on things like equipment and ammunition or on U.S. forces.

U.S. Public Disagrees With Trump On Russia And Ukraine

The chart above reflects the results of the Economist / YouGov Poll -- done between February 16th and 18th of a nationwide sample of 1,603 adults (including 1,451 registered voters). The margin of error is 3.3 points for adults and 3.2 points for registered voters.
 

Warning To Ukraine - Donald Trump Can't Be Trusted!

When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, the United States and other Western democracies acted quickly to aid Ukraine. President Biden and other democratic leaders understood it was the right thing to do.

Innocent civilians were being slaughtered. Democracy in Ukraine was endangered. And in fact, the survival of all democracies was at stake. If Putin was successful in taking Ukraine, he would then act against other Eastern European democracies (and maybe all of Europe). He could not be allowed to succeed.

But Donald Trump is now president, and he has never cared about people's lives, the survival of democracy, or doing the right thing. He only cares about one thing - how he can benefit from a deal or situation.

That's why he asked Zelensky to sign over 50% of Ukraine's natural resources. Zelensky refused, because the "deal" wasn't accompanied by security guarantees for his country. Now pundits are saying Ukraine will soon sign the deal (believing Trump will abandon them if they don't).

Ukraine should beware. Donald Trump cannot be trusted. He has a history of turning on friends and business associates after getting what he wants from them. And he has a history of violating agreements he has made when he decides he wants an even better deal.

Take for example the NAFTA agreement with Canada and Mexico. When elected to first time, he decided NAFTA wasn't a good enough deal, so he renovated it with the leaders of Canada and Mexico. Then bragged about the better deal he had achieved with this countries. 

But now, he has decided that the deal he negotiated is not good enough. He has threatened heavy tariffs against Canada and Mexico (who have done nothing but abide by the agreement Trump made with them).

That's just what he does. He cannot be trusted.

Personally, I think Trump's demand for Ukraines natural resources is nothing less than extortion. It's unethical and criminal.

But if Ukraine feels they must agree to Trump's demands, they must be sure to get some ironclad guarantees for their security, get it in writing with Trump's signature, and make sure the whole world knows what Trump has agreed to with them. Even that is no guarantee that Trump won't turn on them in the future.

In initiating "peace" talks with Russia, Trump has already excluded Ukraine, promised Russia will get to keep the 20% of Ukraine it currently holds, and promised to stop the economic sanctions against Russia. That is surrendering - not negotiating. And there is no guarantee Trump wouldn't allow Russia to take even more in the future.

Ukraine was already in a bad situation. Having to deal with a man that can't be trusted just makes it worse.

Trump's Opening Gambit In Ukraine War Is SURRENDER!

Donald Trump considers himself a great negotiator. He's NOT!

He thinks he can settle the Ukrainian War (actually the Russian invasion of Ukraine). But his first step in the "negotiation" has been a blunder. His sycophants met with Putin's sycophants in Saudi Arabia, and both sides are bragging about what occurred.

But where was the delegation from Ukraine? They weren't there because Trump didn't invite them. Trump doesn't think it's important for Ukraine to have a say in the war raging in their country. He thinks he can sweet talk Putin into accepting his terms. He might be right, because Trump's "terms" are very advantageous to Russia.

To achieve peace, Trump is ready to give Russia about 20% of Ukraine (the eastern provinces they currently control after the invasion). And he would remove the sanctions imposed on Russia. Russia would love that. It would give them the time and money to rebuild their military

Trump mistakenly thinks Putin would be content with his proposal and there would be a lasting peace in the region. He's wrong!

Many people believed the same when Russia invaded and took the Crimea away fro Ukraine. But Putin wasn't satisfied. He then invaded Ukraine. And it wasn't just to get the eastern regions - Putin wanted all of Ukraine - sending his troops and tanks straight for Kiev. He was only stopped because he underestimated the skill and bravery of Ukraine's military. Now he is trying to use bombs and rockets to make Ukraine submit and surrender.

European leaders are not as stupid as Trump. They know Putin's real goal - one he has openly admitted. He wants to bring all of the countries that once were in the old Soviet Union back under his control. Ukraine is just the first step of his dream.

They know that once Putin has rebuilt his military, he will again attack Ukraine. And once defeating it, he will move on to other countries (Latvia, Estonia, Poland, etc.). And when he does, the NATO nations (with or without the U.S.) will have to respond - starting a new World War. The European nations must defend Ukraine to prevent this. Trump egotistical idiocy will not protect them.

Being a bully himself, Trump doesn't understand how to beat one. You don't stop a bully by giving in to his demands. That just results in bigger demands. The only way to stop a bully (like Putin) is to stand up against them with force (if necessary). 

Trump thinks he's winning, but he's actually surrendering. He's just not smart enough to know it.

U.S. Should NOT Restrict Ukraine's Use Of Provided Weapons

Russia continues to attack Ukraine with every kind of weapon it has, and has recently increased its attacks on Ukraine's civilians. But Ukraine is unable to do the same to Russia. That's because the U.S. (and NATO) has restricted the use of weapons they provide to Ukraine (especially long-range weapons the provided like missiles and F-16's).

In effect, we are forcing Ukraine to fight with one hand tied behind their back. That's ridiculous, and it must change. War is a messy and horrible business. But if it must be fought, it should be fought on equal terms.

So far, Ukraine has attacked Russia, but only with their home-made drones. That's not good enough. They, like Russia, should be able to attack with any weapon they have (or can get).

I know that Russia has threatened to declare war on NATO if we allow Ukraine to use the weapons provided to attack Russia. That's just bluster. 

It's become obvious that Russia cannot defeat Ukraine, and is having a lot of trouble just hanging on to the eastern provinces it has taken. Declaring war on NATO would be a serious mistake - and Putin knows it. NATO has the weaponry and strength to quickly push Russia out of all of Ukraine - and easily defend all NATO nations.

The same is true for nuclear weapons. Putin knows he cannot use them without causing Russia to suffer massive destruction!

The U.S. and NATO should provide Ukraine with all the weapons they request, and then let them use those weapons without any restrictions.  Not allowing them to fight on an equal basis with Russia just makes no sense!

Trump Wants To Give Putin A Win In His War Against Ukraine

Fearing a race against Joe Biden, Donald Trump asked Ukraine to start an investigation of Mr. Biden. Ukraine refused to illegally interfere in the U.S. election. Now Trump wants to punish Ukraine by giving his buddy Putin a win in the Ukraine war.

The following is part of an op-ed by David French in The New York Times:

He (Trump) refused to say — in the face of repeated questions — that he wanted Ukraine to win its war with Russia. Trump emphasized ending the war over winning the war, a position that can seem reasonable, right until you realize that attempting to force peace at this stage of the conflict would almost certainly cement a Russian triumph. Russia would hold an immense amount of Ukrainian territory and Putin would rightly believe he bested both Ukraine and the United States. He would have rolled the “iron dice” of war and he would have won.

There is no scenario in which a Russian triumph is in America’s best interest. A Russian victory would not only expand Russia’s sphere of influence, it would represent a human rights catastrophe (Russia has engaged in war crimes against Ukraine’s civilian population since the beginning of the war) and threaten the extinction of Ukrainian national identity. It would reset the global balance of power.

In addition, a Russian victory would make World War III more, not less, likely. It would teach Vladimir Putin that aggression pays, that the West’s will is weak and that military conquest is preferable to diplomatic engagement. China would learn a similar lesson as it peers across the strait at Taiwan.

If Vladimir Putin is stopped now — while Ukraine and the West are imposing immense costs in Russian men and matériel — it will send the opposite message, making it far more likely that the invasion of Ukraine is Putin’s last war, not merely his latest.

But that’s not how Trump thinks about Ukraine. He exhibits deep bitterness toward the country, and it was that bitterness that helped expose how dangerous he was well before the Big Lie and Jan. 6. . . .

Trump’s reluctance to say the plain truth — that a Ukrainian victory is in America’s national interest — demonstrates that he is still a prisoner to his own grievances, and there is no one left who can stop him from doing his worst.

Why Do Georgia Voters Support This Ridiculous Woman?

American voters have the right to send any person they want to serve in the House of Representatives. But I have to wonder why the voters in the 14th District of Georgia elected Marjorie Taylor Greene.

Her mission seems to be to cause trouble in the House. She was one of the people who kicked Speaker McCarthy (a fellow Republican) out of office, and she is threatening to do the same to Speaker Johnson (also a fellow Republican).

Why? Because he is going to bring a bill to provide more aid to Ukraine up for a vote. She opposes aid to Ukraine, and has ridiculously accused the Ukrainian government of being Nazis who are fighting against christianity. She supports authoritarian Putin's invasion of Ukraine's democracy. 

To delay the aid to Ukraine bill, she has introduced three amendments to the bill. Here are those amendments:

WHY DOES SHE HATE DEMOCRACY? Do the voters of Georgia's 14th District also hate democracy and support the Russian dictator?