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ADAPTIVE INDOMITABLE UKRAINE: Zelensky Not Falling Into Trump Trap, Annoying Him. Europe Stands [1]
['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']
Date: 2025-02-23
Zelensky is definitely and demonstrably not like any so-called American Republican “Leader” or even most heads of state Trump has dealt with. Zelensky is quickly becoming sui generis. The seemingly always under-estimated “moderately successful comedian” is in a class of his own and to the rest of the world holding a master class in how to stand up to the Trumpian carnival like circus, threats, bluster and pressure under which so many in American have quailed. The daily Trumpian insults and blunderbuss spray of lies, regurgitation of Russian propaganda talking points, insinuations of his illegitimacy as President of Ukraine have all not moved Zelensky to sign the odious Mafioso ransom demands(with accompanying threats of knee-capping) from Trump. Twice Trump has sent his underlings to get Zelensky to sign. Twice Zelensky has refused. Afraid of their vituperative boss in the White House, both envoys decided not to hold the scheduled press conferences for fear of saying something that will piss off their boss. Zelensky took no offense and hardly broke a sweat.
Trump’s weird show of first making like he’s throwing Putin under the bus then pivoting to throwing Zelensky under the bus is to my mind more a show of desperation on Trump’s part. That’s what you get for claiming that you will end the war on DAY 1. He claims “Zelensky has no cards to play”. Yeah, so why is Trump constantly sending envoys to meet with the “illegitimate” president of Ukraine? He’s obviously got something that he, Trump wants … very badly. To wit: He’s got your buddy Putin by the cojones and is not letting up. He’s got bazillion tons of rare earth, minerals and oil which you’d like American companies to get their hands on(with a back door “gratuity” paid to you since the U.S. now conveniently does not prosecute foreign bribery). Trump can see Zelensky moving Europe to coalesce around the idea of a unified European Defense organization not called NATO/OTAN… which will undermine a great source of American global power. Most EU heads of State are expected in Ukraine tomorrow to join not only in observing the 3rd anniversary of the Russian invasion that Trump and his pal Putin deny, but also to work out the details of up to $20 billion in aid and joint ventures aimed at bolstering Ukraine’s position in any future negotiations.
Zelensky knows he cannot afford to nor will it be profitable to engage in daily tit-for-tat volleys of accusations and insults with Trump. That’s a fool’s errand as Trump has no bottom. Zelensky rather calmly parries and rebuts Trump with the facts. A few of Zelensky’s block and parry counters against Trump:
* Only a real “dictator” takes umbrage at being called that: I am no dictator. In fact I will, in a heart beat, give up the Ukrainian presidency in exchange for Ukraine’s accession to NATO or iron clad security guarantees. It’s about Ukraine not me.
"I wasn't offended [by the comment], but a dictator would be," "If you need me to leave this chair, I am ready to do that. And I also can exchange it for Nato membership for Ukraine," www.bbc.com/...
*America has not sent Ukraine $500 billion in aid. To date we have received $100 of which some are still in the delivery pipe line and roughly $2 billion remains unspent by the Pentagon. These numbers are public records available to the whole world including Ukraine and the United States itself.
The president emphasized that he is not ready to recognize even this $100 billion as debt. Because he agreed with former US President Joe Biden and the US Congress that the funds provided by the country were grants, not borrowed money.(emphasis mine)
“$100 billion in aid from the United States. Not 500, not 350, not 250, not 700 — Ukraine received 100 [billion dollars]. And we are very grateful for that. And the bill for this war today is $320 billion: $120 – Ukraine, $100 – Europe. [...] And $100 [billion] – the United States. This is what the economy of this war looks like,” said Volodymyr Zelensky. babel.ua/...
Zelensky emphasized that Ukraine is still receiving support from the previous US administration under Joe Biden(ouch!!).
"This is what the economy of this tragedy looks like… And from Donald Trump, I want mutual understanding and I want him to hear what security guarantees Ukraine needs," the president stated. He stressed that even these $100 billion, he does not consider as debt, as he had agreed with former US President Biden and the US Congress that the funds provided by the country were grants, not loans. global.espreso.tv/...
Even Trump’s own Pentagon debunks the figure of $350billion in aid(ouch!!!).
Pentagon, independent analysts dispute Trump's claim of $350 billion spent on Ukraine global.espreso.tv/...
Ukraine will be happy to negotiate with America on the mineral rights but we are not willing to sign an agreement not supported by the amount of aid we have received and which will give away the birthright of at least 10 generations of Ukrainians.
The president stressed that he wants a dialogue with Trump and will not sign something that “will be paid for by 10 generations of Ukrainians”. Volodymyr Zelensky said that the main point of the agreement should be clear security guarantees for Ukraine. The US believes that this agreement is a security guarantee, but it should say so, said President Zelensky. He said that the agreement between Ukraine and the US should be "pleasant" for both parties. Otherwise, if the agreement is "unpleasant" for one of the parties, then this is not a partnership. babel.ua/...
Zelensky and I am quite sure Putin knows that Ukraine has in real terms won this war. The picture today is a far cry from where Ukraine stood immediately after Russia launched its invasion 3 years ago. Kyiv itself was under threat of capture and much of the country was swarming with Russian jack boots. It is worth remembering that during the original Russian-backed rebellion in 2014, the fake Donetsk People’s Republic army under Igor Strelkov actually had reached as far north and captured the city of Sloviansk(now part of the Ukrainian “Fortress belt” in Donetsk) before they were chased out. And Ukraine actually now occupies a part of Russia’s Kursk Oblast. Ukraine, even as it exists today, without the stolen lands, stands on the cusp of becoming a booming modern European nation with an intact access to the sea. American and other foreign investments in Ukraine’s rich mineral resources and vast agricultural lands will ensure even greater economic success.
And with a projected 800,000 personnel under arms with a burgeoning cutting edge defense technology industry, and in all likelihood an independently developed post war nuclear capability, Ukraine will become a very tough nut for any adversary to crack in the future. In this alone, Europe knows they need Ukraine and must stand with Ukraine against Russia and any manipulative legerdemain by Trump. And they will. Welcome to the party, Mr. Friedrich Mertz, Germany’s new Chancellor-elect.
What is left for Zelensky and Ukraine to do now is to hold the Russians at bay, and carefully navigate the dangerous shoals of Trumpism. They have a lot of cards to play.
ADAPTIVE INDOMITABLE UKRAINE .. will carefully manage the end of the war in order to gain for Ukrainians their Forever Freedom from Russia. That is the ultimate prize.
SLAVA UKRAINI !!
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