Trump Opts For More War With Russia
The Trump administration has decided to resume the provision of weapons and intelligence to Ukraine. It is thus aiming at escalating the conflict.
The outcome of yesterday's talk between a Ukrainian and a U.S. delegation Saudi Arabia was not completely in favor of the European/Ukrainian idea of a 30 day ceasefire restricted to air and sea attacks. But it opened the desired pathway to prolonging the war.
The U.S. asked the Ukrainians to accept a 30 day long ceasefire offer. This would of course only be implemented if the Russian side agrees to it. Meanwhile the U.S. resumes all war support for Ukraine. The outcome demonstrates weakness on the U.S. side:
According to the latest from Riyadh, Ukraine says it is ready for a 30 day cease fire. If this is what Washington “extracted” from the Ukrainians, it is operationally meaningless. With Russia on the brink of winning in Kursk and elsewhere, the Russians won’t accept any such deal. If it is a ruse to allow the US to resume arms shipments to Ukraine, knowing Russia will reject it, the so-called peace initiative is a dead letter.
'The ball is now in Russia's court' was the media slogan launched by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and obediently repeated by various European underlings.
But why would or should Russia agree to this when the idea seems to be to trap Russia:
This marks a significant shift in the US approach to ending the conflict. Previously, Washington sought to pressure Ukraine into accepting a US- and Russia-brokered deal largely on Moscow’s terms. Now, America is attempting to strong-arm Russia into accepting a ceasefire as the first step toward a broader peace plan — warning that if Moscow refuses, “we’ll unfortunately know what the impediment is to peace here”, as Rubio put it.Whether Russia will agree remains uncertain. Moscow has repeatedly stated that it does not view a ceasefire as viable without a broader framework for negotiations. But the parties are far from agreeing on this broader framework. Russia’s demands are clear: above all, legal recognition by Ukraine and the West of Russia’s annexed territories as part of the Russian Federation.
The u-turn by the Trump administration, from pressure on Ukraine to new bellicosity to Russia, leaves a question:
So what does the Trump Administration think it is doing by retying the Ukraine millstone to its neck? This isn’t Trump’s war. The Oval Office row provided him with the perfect excuse to cut Zelensky loose, even put new elections as the condition for providing much help, and provide only bare bones support (not that the US could do more than that on the weapons front) so as to blunt criticism that the US was abandoning Ukraine, as opposed to getting them to sober up about their true condition.
Yves Smith, quoted above, sees four potential reasons:
- the U.S. really believes that Russia is in a bad shape economically,
- the U.S. really believes that Russia would and wants to profit from a ceasefire,
- the neocons (i.e. Marco Rubio and the Europeans) have played Trump,
or (most likely):
Finally, Trump may, even more than before, be in “All tactics and no strategy is the noise before the defeat” mode. It is becoming more and more apparent that his top priority is dominating any interaction, no matter whether that advances any long term aim. Trump and his allies derived pleasure from beating up on Zelensky during and after the White House row. Even though Zelensky asked for it (at a minimum by not donning a suit), what did the US gain? Zelensky ran around Europe, getting support that bolstered him at home. The US, despite holding the cards, got bupkis in Riyadh aside from some optics.
Since 2014 the Ukrainian side has multiple times agreed to this or that ceasefire after its forces received a strong beating. It also immediately broke each of its promises. The defeat of its incursion into the Kursk region of Russia will have motivated it to accept the U.S. position. But what force could make it stick to a ceasefire if Russia would agree to one?
The current situation on the battle field is very much in Russia's favor. Any pause in fighting would allow the U.S. and its allies to accumulate more arms and ammunition for Ukraine. Russian forces are well supplied and not in need of a break in the fighting. Should the Russian leadership agree to a pause it would open itself to considerable critique from Russian nationalists and hardliners.
Russia, at the same time, wants to keep its friends in China and the Global South on its side. Pressure from them is the only reason I can think of that might push Russia into accepting a temporary ceasefire deal. But there has been no public noise in this direction from China or other BRICS and Global South countries so far.
Russia has yet to receive the official result of the U.S.-Ukrainian talks. It will not react to media noise before having read those.
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Recently three U.S. bloggers, Judge Napolitano, Larry Johnson and Mario Nawfal, had an interview with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (video, transcript). It is as always refreshing to follow Lavrov's reality based reasoning about the conflict over Ukraine.
Posted by b on March 12, 2025 at 16:39 UTC | Permalink
next page »The twists and turns of history. Ukroids will continue dying by the multitude. Such is life.
Posted by: aussie | Mar 12 2025 16:48 utc | 1
Russia will almost certainly decline the ceasefire offer. I'm still surprised trump had to club Zelensky and his war supporters so hard and publicly to get them to try a ceasefire gambit.
Russia has consistently said it's not over until it's goals are achieved. It would've been so easy for Zelensky to pretend to want ceasefire to start negotiations.
Well now it really is in Russias court, that ball. It always was. Nato has a tiger by the tail and they can't let go even if they're tired. Russia if necessary can keep the war on a low boil for a long time.
Posted by: Neofeudalfuture | Mar 12 2025 16:49 utc | 2
@B: Posted the same post twice ?
The headline I saw was "Ukraine and the US agree on a 30 day cease fire. Putin under pressure". This is a distortion of the reality on the ground.
Seems the military industrial complex has won "the political debate" in Washington DC. There seems to be a pattern here because Trump supposedly has said the tariffs on Canada will be increaesd by another 25%. This seems to have been done under pressure from the US steel and/or aluminium producers who like those tariffs because will make canadian aluminium imports from Canada much more expensive. Seethe (possible) pattern here ?
Posted by: WMG | Mar 12 2025 16:52 utc | 3
Neofeudalfuture | Mar 12 2025 16:49 utc | 2
The woke empire grabbing a tiger by the tail conjures up some mental images. I cannot draw cartoon political satire though.
Posted by: aussie | Mar 12 2025 16:55 utc | 5
In a recent interview with American bloggers Mario Nawfal, Larry C. Johnson, and Andrew Napolitano, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov emphasized the importance of considering the Russian people’s wishes in decision-making processes. He underscored that discussions in Saudi Arabia should prioritize establishing strong bilateral relationships before addressing major issues, such as mutual nuclear arms reduction. Lavrov also highlighted the inconsistency of advocating for peace while simultaneously supplying arms to Ukraine.
Full interview here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNJOUy_luDM
Posted by: J Khan | Mar 12 2025 16:56 utc | 6
@b, "Russia, at the same time, wants to keep its friends in China and the Global South on its side. Pressure from them is the only reason I can think of that might push Russia into accepting a temporary ceasefire deal."
I don't think that Russia is that desperate for the approval of any other countries to the point of agreeing to commit a suicide. No, I don't see Russia agreeing to this blatant deception from the West.
It is West's delusion of gradeur.
Posted by: Steve | Mar 12 2025 16:56 utc | 7
Trump is in favor of elections in Ukraine, Putin should follow Trump's lead.
Putin should say 'yes' to the ceasefire, but someone with legitimacy on the Ukrainian side must agree.
Putin will consider a ceasefire after Ukrainian elections are held.
Posted by: Otto Penn | Mar 12 2025 16:58 utc | 8
Well. This is Trump World. Up is down. Left is right. Bluster is Policy.
Russia is being offered Minsk 3. Or the Treaty of Versailles, with Russia winning the war but having to pay reparations for a fight started by NATO.
A nicely wrapped statement, complete with ribbons and bows, will be offered as an answer. Russia is too diplomatic to formally offer a big Eff You.
Posted by: kupkee | Mar 12 2025 17:02 utc | 9
The good news is that's less weapons available to Nutty
Posted by: Mary | Mar 12 2025 17:03 utc | 10
The sequence of events here is quite instructive in terms of turning the ship of state around. It's a huge battle even with the best of intentions. And the narcissist in charge spends far too much time in front of the mirror, surrounds himself with fanatics and crocodiles, and only gets bit and pieces of the process correct.
Sometimes, the only thing that will succeed is a break in continuity ... or what those of us on the left call a revolution. But it isn't in the cards, yet. Americans continue to believe that they are not badly off, just inconvenienced millionaires ... (John Steinbeck was the author of that little gem!)
Posted by: NH | Mar 12 2025 17:04 utc | 11
Oh. And not to get o/t. But didn't Greenland just vote to say Goodbye Denmark and Forget it to the Excited States of Merica?
Don't want to be a Colony of Europe or an Annexation of the Yankee Trader. I wonder why.
Posted by: kupkee | Mar 12 2025 17:06 utc | 12
Excellent b)
There is no fooling you or Yves Smith.
Everything changed after Hegseth's speech and his memo that was published in Brussels. A group of rabid right wingers unbelievably thought what Hegseth said was Trump was leaving NATO and Europe.
A group of rabid right wingers on here spread that myth.. They clearly never listened to that speech. Or they did, but only listened to the parts they agreed with rather than the message in that speech.
As their ideological beliefs are so hard wired to their confirmation biases. That produces selective hearing.
Trump is just acting like and staying true to that Hegseth memo.
1.Double and triple the size of NATO.
2.Freeze the conflict.
3.Keep supplying Ukraine with arms and intelligence.
4.Embed Americans in Ukraine for the next hundred years via mineral and fossil fuel deals.
5.Continue to increase US presence in the Asia Pacific.
6.Division of western forces to keep US Primacy.
7.Then a blind eye to US imperialism in the Middle East. Support it at every turn.
It was all in Hegseth's memo and wasn't even hidden. It was out in the open. All there in black and white.
Now we have people walking it all back and here is Scott Ritter doing exactly that. The Duran boys and Larry Johnson will be next.
" "I’ve lost faith in the good faith of the Trump negotiating team.A 30-day ceasefire would be a boon to Ukraine.A chance to stabilize the frontlines.To strip all tactical and operational advantages Russia has accrued through the blood and sacrifice of their soldiers.
And once Ukraine recovers, then to sit at a table where a rejuvenated Ukraine rejects Russia’s conditions for peace.
Trump’s team has not negotiated in good faith.And the fact that this proposal is offered after Ukraine carries out a massive strike against Moscow?
Russia will reject this ridiculous proposal.
And hopefully escalate the violence to such a scale that the US will realize that there needs to be a realistic peace proposal agreed to in writing before any ceasefire takes hold.One that includes the withdrawal of all Ukrainian forces from Constitutional Russia.
The Ukrainian troops can leave voluntarily.
Or die.
Trump isn’t serious about peace.And Ukraine will reap the whirlwind as a result."
-Scott Ritter
That's the sound of Scott Ritter taking Trumps baws out of his mouth for the first time since Jan 20th.
It was so obvious what was going on.
You should hold your head up high b. For not immediately jumping into bed with a sociopathic grifter like Trump who is trying to play for time.
You have been very careful from the beginning.
Rabid right wingers on here need to start looking in a mirror.
Posted by: Sun Of Alabama | Mar 12 2025 17:06 utc | 13
The U.S., engaged in a proxy war against Russia, wants hostilities to end but finds it is unable to halt supplying the proxy w/ weapons, because Europe, a fellow belligerent, has threatened to escalate matters cataclysmically if the U.S. does. Europe, holding the U.S. hostage to the war, threatens to blow matters sky high if the U.S. walks away.
Sec Rubio said after the Jeddah talks that “there is no military solution to this conflict.” But what he really means is that the proxy, fortified by the U.S. and Euro-partners, has no way of routing Russia militarily. So what Sec Rubio really means is that the war must end because our proxy is losing.
Presenting Russia ultimately w/ an unacceptable proposal for a temporary ceasefire—-which is tantamount to asking Russia to stop kicking Ukraine’s ass for 30 days—-is both sobering & deflating in equal measures.
It’s tough to accept the U.S.’s role as a mediator in a war which it consistently provoked across *all* presidential administrations stretching back to Bush jr. in 2006, so there always was a *too-good-to-be-true* aspect to DJT’s involvement.
Posted by: steel_porcupine | Mar 12 2025 17:06 utc | 14
idea of a 30 day ceasefire restricted to air and sea attacks
Yves Smith, quoted above, sees four potential reasons:
the U.S. really believes that Russia would and wants to profit from a ceasefire,
Posted by b on March 12, 2025 at 16:39 UTC | Permalink
Sorry B, but with all due respect I wouldn't worry.
As mentioned often, 70%+ of AFU stoping power are drones.
The only thing forcing iskanders on ships with contraband are neptunes and sea drones
Give RF free reign on land offensive and in 30 days, and a lot of artillery that isn't lacking, and they should be hitting Dnipro proper.
And LIHOP is way more deniable than MIHOP.
As I mentioned earlier, ukraine hasn't thought it's cunning plan quite through and risks cutting it's head to solve the low ceiling problem.
Posted by: Newbie | Mar 12 2025 17:07 utc | 16
The UK has set its eyes on the resources of the Ukraine and has signed one or more contracts with Kiev last year. But the UK needs the US military muscle to be able to enforce those contracts. So, it needs the US to remain "engaged" in the Ukraine. Or the US wants to fight Russia to the last ukrainian in order to be able to rob all those resources without any resistance.
Posted by: WMG | Mar 12 2025 17:12 utc | 17
Trump is in favor of elections in Ukraine
Posted by: Otto Penn | Mar 12 2025 16:58 utc | 8
No. US does not ask for elections in Ukr. You could have reached the conclusion yourself since Trump wants Zeli to sign the resources deal. But since Zeli is Trump's actor, basically Trump will sign both signatures. Maybe one with left hand and another with right hand?
Zeli also appeared now and said no elections will take place, martial law will remain active. Another guy from Rada also appeared and said mobilization will continue with the ceasefire. Nothing is hidden, everything is in plain view since 2014.
Posted by: rk | Mar 12 2025 17:13 utc | 18
The Euro-partners are determined to create a provocation which will force the U.S. to provide a *backstop* for their goading & agitations in Ukraine, achieving the desired escalation of the war. So the hoax-y talks in Jeddah were a fig-leaf for *restarting* the military aid and the intel-sharing, not really to arrange a *ceasefire* which DJT’s team knows in advance Russia will reject.
On 20 January, DJT stepped back into a governmental system which has been laser-focused on killing & maiming Russians—-including VVP—-for decades. When the acute phase of this intent—destroying Russia—reached an apogee during the Collective Biden years, it pleased the Euro-partners mightily.
Hooked on the Target, destroying Russia, the Euro-partners can’t give it up. Neither can elements of the U.S. Deep State that have been laser-focused, and still are, on destroying Russia.
Posted by: steel_porcupine | Mar 12 2025 17:15 utc | 19
Putin said (after the revelation of Hollande and Merkel revealing the EU treachery of Minsk agreement, egging on Ukraine to attack its own civilians), the only thing he regretted was not starting SMO earlier. In this context it's hard to believe in accepting such a proposal.
EU/USA are the other side of combatants, apparent to anyone with two brain cells. When the enemy asks for a ceasefire to strengthen himself, why would one agree to it?
Posted by: unimperator | Mar 12 2025 17:16 utc | 20
sad really. I had hoped for better things than this from Trump but I'm not surprised by this either.
here's hoping Russia increases the tempo by a lot this spring
Posted by: Ezzie | Mar 12 2025 17:18 utc | 21
I happened to get some insight as to the current state of the Germany Military in the Munich area from two young guys that went through the Military induction system and first impression was “everything is old” the second impression “a lot of things just do not work” and a direct quote from some mid-level officer who was brutally honest, this commander actually said to the new recruits: “you guys are just going to be cannon-fodder for the Russian military”. Now, I am a nobody and this is just one point of information, but to me this just does not look good. On the other hand this idea is not new; many analysts have stated that the Germany Military is weak and this is from looking top down; while my little view is from bottom up.
In any case, if there is any fighting going to be happening, it sure looks like it will not be coming from the Germany military. It seems that its only function is to transfer tax payers money to the pockets of some well connected people.
So if the military of other European countries are in a similar situation, then there is a lot of bluffing going on and this Russian attrition warfare must be very effective. I am just not sure who is going to keep this war going from the side of Europe? Maybe Trump knows something.
Posted by: meshpal | Mar 12 2025 17:25 utc | 22
"So what does the Trump Administration think it is doing by retying the Ukraine millstone to its neck? This isn’t Trump’s war."
It is now.
Posted by: Flying Dutchman | Mar 12 2025 17:25 utc | 23
It's all noise and thunder before the current US administration finally realizes that peace in Ukraine on America's terms is simply not possible. Trump seems to be operating under the impression that rendering aid in terms of weapons transfers and intelligence is going to build leverage against Russia that the US can use in future (hypothetical) negotiations. If the US was facing down a much weaker opponent, that might be an effective strategy.
But, the US is not facing down a weaker power: its facing down a peer-level country that has several advantages over the United States and its Ukrainian proxy, first and foremost being that Russia is winning the war on the ground. That's the Russian's strongest leverage, its why they don't have to settle for peanuts from the Americans.
The biggest roadblock to any peace settlement in Ukraine is that the US does not want to take the L. These 'talks' that have taken place since Trump's inauguration are all about trying to find a way to frame any potential negotiated peace in such a way that doesn't make the US look weak on the world stage. That's it, that's all there is to it. The US knows it has lost the proxy war in Ukraine, and now the Americans are trying to find a way out without losing face.
Posted by: Monos | Mar 12 2025 17:31 utc | 24
Posted by: WMG | Mar 12 2025 17:12 utc | 17
>>>>>
Only one 'legally binding' 100-years long agreement. The US of A gets nothing just a 'memorandum of understanding' (MOU).
Posted by: pepe | Mar 12 2025 17:31 utc | 25
14 - I don't think Europe has forced Trump's hand. It does not have the strength to go on by itself. Trump could call their bluff but he didn't.
Posted by: Waldorf | Mar 12 2025 17:34 utc | 26
Trump's behaviour has been full on erratic since he took office, tariffs on, tariffs off, tariffs on ... cozying up to Russia, getting angry at Russia ...
The underlying problem is that the US simply does not have the power to impose its will upon other as it previously did, but the US oligarchy (of which Trump is a courtier) cannot accept that reality. So Trump barks and barks, but his bite is missing. The Russians will of course reject any such cease fire given the history of Western and Ukrainian dodgy dealings and that it most certainly has the advantage on the battlefield with only a month or so until the Spring campaign season starts. They have also survived and prospered through the "sanctions from hell" and the outright theft of FX reserves, and the West just does not have much ammo in this area left. And of course China and India will in no way walk away from Russia.
So when Trump doesn't get what he (and the oligarchy) wants he will throw a tantrum, add some extra meaningless sanctions and start to get fully dragged into the Ukraine War. Given the financial dire straits of the US, and the need to re-orient toward China, this will be a major strategic defeat for the US. While Russia will finish off the Ukrainians, with or without Western and US support; the only question is how long before the Ukrainian collapse. And China will keep destroying one Western industrial sector after another.
Posted by: Roger Boyd | Mar 12 2025 17:35 utc | 27
"Rabid right wingers on here need to start looking in a mirror."
Posted by: Sun Of Alabama | Mar 12 2025 17:06 utc | 13
Get a life ,loser; your non stop , pretentious bullshit only clearly illustrates the paucity of your 'intellect'.
Posted by: Monos | Mar 12 2025 17:31 utc | 24
I think is not a world stage, it's only the 'golden billion' stage.
Row already know that USA and West are weak.
Posted by: Mario | Mar 12 2025 17:36 utc | 29
So Europe was again smarter than the US. There are 800 billion reasons why Trump changed his plan.
In the mean time there is an important new element that will need to be taken into account in any future negotiations and it is the rearmaments of Europe and especially Germany. If Europe declares that within 5 years they will be ready for a war with Russia, then they expect Russia to sit there and wait. Russia will not make the same mistake as they did with WW-II.
Posted by: hubert | Mar 12 2025 17:37 utc | 30
US talked to Vietnam in Paris for years w/o any ceasefire.
US want to rearm and reconstitute Kiev
Posted by: paddy | Mar 12 2025 17:38 utc | 31
The maga fools really thought Trump would be any different.
Only the tie colour changes, American imperialism and war mongering never changes.
Posted by: RickyGuapo | Mar 12 2025 17:38 utc | 32
'scomplicated. Not the war stuff but the PR stuff. Had a go at sorting it out. Hope I haven't compressed it too much.
The “peace deal” Kiev has just agreed to isn’t a “peace deal” like the Russians have proposed. DW:-
“Ukraine has backed a US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire with Russia, while Washington agreed to resume intelligence sharing and military aid for Kyiv.”
https://www.dw.com/en/us-ukraine-come-to-agreements-after-talks-in-saudi-arabia/live-71883060
I thought at once of Appomattox. It was at Appomattox that all the arguments about who was in the right – arguments still raging in odd corners here and there – and the entire dispute about what should have been done and what was done or why the bloodbath that was the American Civil War occurred in the first place, gave way to bleak military reality. Wiki:-
“Union infantry and cavalry forces under General Philip Sheridan pursued and cut off the Confederates’ retreat at the central Virginia village of Appomattox Court House. Lee launched a last-ditch attack to break through the Union forces to his front, assuming the Union force consisted entirely of lightly armed cavalry. When he realized that the cavalry was now backed up by two corps of federal infantry, he had no choice but to surrender with his further avenue of retreat and escape now cut off.”
But in the fantasy land we in the West now inhabit there was no need for Lee to have surrendered. What he should have done instead was propose a provisional ceasefire. That would have given him time to regroup, resupply, and put himself in a better position for the next battle.
Would Grant have accepted that “peace deal”? Should he have?
……………………………..
The chances of the Russians accepting this peace deal look to be similarly low. They are in a commanding position, have momentum, and have large forces in reserve in addition to those already committed.
They have no reason for fear any additional forces the Europeans might put in the field. The Americans, even if they chose to dispense with Biden’s “no boots on the ground” decision, could not get their forces in place to make any useful contribution. American conventional military strength is in any case inadequate for a full scale conventional war with Russia, particularly in this theatre, and if that were attempted it would inevitably lead to nuclear war. Trump is no more likely to risk nuclear war than was Obama or Biden.
Militarily, the position is as hopeless as was Lee’s at Appomattox. More so – the disparity of forces is greater.
The other weapons we in the West have are economic. The Europeans have about shot their bolt on sanctions. There aren’t many more they can impose and if they attempted a full trade blockage they’d wreck their own economy rather than the Russian.
The Americans have already imposed the “sanctions from hell” and there’s not a deal of room to make those sanctions bite harder. It would be possible to attempt further restrictions on Russian trade with other countries but enforcing such secondary sanctions would not be easy. If it could be done it would damage the Russian economy but not to the extent that it would alter the course of the war: the belief that the Russians have to cannibalise washing machines for chips has long since been exploded. The Russians have been working for more than a decade to ensure that supply chains for military production are in house.
We hold no useful cards. Accepting a provisional ceasefire makes less sense for the Russians than it would have done for Grant at Appomattox.
………………………………….
It gets complicated after that. Watching the Europeans as they come to terms with the fact that there’s a new American administration is like lifting a stone and finding a heap of worms wriggling around. Not so easy, making out what they’re up to. Easier if we look at the European objectives before looking at how they, in conjunction with their allies in the American political scene, are wriggling around trying to get to them.
The imperatives of the European politicians are threefold.
– They need to avoid losing face after the forthcoming defeat of the Kiev forces. Trump can avoid losing face because it wasn’t his war in the first place. The European politicians can’t.
– They need to keep their electorates behind the war even after it’s lost. Briefly, war fever in the European electorates is all the European politicians have that might keep them in power.
– After the Ukrainian defeat they need to transition to Cold War II. They need to retain the American Security Guarantee as they do so.
Those three imperatives in mind, back to this bogus “peace deal” briefly outlined in that DW link given above.
In PR terms that bogus “peace deal” does make sense for the Europeans, and for the American war party . Brief attempt here at simplification. It’s something of a mouthful, having to say “The Europeans and the American war party” all the time. Simpler to call it Fantasy Land. Looking at the recent German elections, the recent UK opinion polls, and the contortions of the American war party, “Fantasy Land” is charitable.
If the Russians refuse this bogus “peace deal”, as they are likely to, Fantasy Land will say “The Russians have refused to make peace!” That puts the Russians where we want them. In the wrong. That this ignores military reality is irrelevant. In the fantasy that was Western politics overall before Trump happened along, military reality is not relevant and it’s only traitors and Putin trolls who think it is. Such as Keene or Breedlove or Hodges must be our guides to the military strategy of Fantasy Land.
This explains the efforts made by the Europeans – Starmer, Macron et al – to get Zelensky to agree to a deal before the Oval Office debacle. Also explains the meeting between Democrats and Zelensky before that Oval Office scene. Also explains why General Keene, a passionate neocon, was telephoning Yermak just after that scene encouraging him to apologise to President Trump and to accept the offered deal. Also explains Senator Graham’s statements. Fantasy Land needed Zelensky to say yes.
All these groups that wish to see the war continue – the Europeans and Trump’s American opponents – were working, before and after the Oval Office scene, to get Zelensky to accept American proposals for “peace” however impracticable those proposals were. The more impracticable the better, one might say – offering a bogus “peace deal” the Russians have to reject not only puts the Russians in the wrong in PR terms, it justifies continuing the war right into the Cold War II that all know is coming after the Ukrainian defeat.
This puts Trump in a difficult position because it is his own peace proposal the Russians will reject. Trump will now be under pressure to continue with the Biden policy: Biden supported the Ukrainians enough to keep them fighting though he was unable to support them enough to enable them to win.
Trump will now be in the same position as Biden was. Forced to continue the supply of arms and ISR support, which is what the Europeans and the American Democrats and neocons wish. A true peace is the last thing Fantasy Land wants. It spells disaster for them. And it’s only the proxies doing most of the dying anyway.
The likely Russian rejection of this bogus “peace deal” will have the further effect of retaining American security support for Europe even as the Europeans head into Cold War II. We in Europe don’t intend to let go of Uncle Sam’s hand if we can possibly keep hold of it!
I’m wondering whether Trump’s European and American opponents have in fact got Trump cornered, in that he will now be forced to continue with Biden’s failed policy in Ukraine.
If so, we in the West are in the position we’ve been in since 2022. Fantasy Land is going to win the PR war in the West hands down. We always do. It’s what we’re good at. While the Russians ignore the worms wriggling around – it’s not a pretty sight but it means little – and get on with achieving their objectives. As with Grant at Appomattox, what’s to stop them?
Posted by: English Outsider | Mar 12 2025 17:39 utc | 33
Europe’s version of the neocon Deep State is the Meta State. Both ‘states’ are in charge of Project Ukraine. The Euro side is determined to create a provocation which will force the U.S. to provide a *backstop* for their goading & agitations in Ukraine, achieving the desired escalation of the war. So the hoax-y talks in Jeddah were a fig-leaf for *restarting* the military aid and the intel-sharing, not really to arrange a *ceasefire* which DJT’s team knows in advance Russia will reject.
DJT needed to mollify elements of his own Deep State and the Meta State in Europe, and flooding Ukraine w/ weaponry is a sure way to do so.
Ordinary MAGA voters who endorsed DJT’s intent to end the war will additionally adore his seizing ahold of leadership w/ both hands in getting Ukraine to agree to a ceasefire—so the MAGA normies who don’t necessarily speculate over Project Ukraine to the depth that we do will see DJT’s obvious public surface actions—getting Ukraine to agree to a ceasefire—and these actions will please them.
The Jeddah talks did not really move the needle for DJT as far as the war trajectory is concerned—and those talks certainly did not give DJT any cards. Russia still has all the cards.
But DJT scored a performative ‘W’ in wrangling a ceasefire pledge from the Ukrainians, even though Russia will not accede. Which won’t matter to the MAGA normies.
To recap, too—-DJT scored a ‘W’ in holding the neocons of the Meta State in Europe and the Deep State in the U.S. @ bay by turning the war spigot back on.
Posted by: steel_porcupine | Mar 12 2025 17:43 utc | 34
thanks b...
i can't see russia accepting any of these shenanigans..
Posted by: james | Mar 12 2025 17:43 utc | 35
Posted by: meshpal | Mar 12 2025 17:25 utc | 22
I think the Euro-oligarchs have decided "there's gold in them thar hills" and will join the war rackets that the USA has gotten away with for decades. More war, more money and the suckers (and EU citizens are even more deluded than US citizens) will follow the media Orwellian lies to the last Ukrainian. It's pure cynicism on a level unseen in recent history. At best, they realize that they can outspend (i.e., outborrow) Russia and keep the war going for some time. The Ukrainians are clearly good fighters so they can hold out probably for another year or so if they are well-supplied as they will be. Russia is in a no-win situation until it can take the territories it claims, at minimum and do a better job on interdicting arms shipments.
Posted by: Chris Cosmos | Mar 12 2025 17:44 utc | 36
No. US does not ask for elections in Ukr.
@Posted by: rk | Mar 12 2025 17:13 utc | 18
??
You should double-check that.
Posted by: Otto Penn | Mar 12 2025 17:44 utc | 37
Only the tie colour changes, American imperialism and war mongering never changes.
Posted by: RickyGuapo | Mar 12 2025 17:38 utc | 32
I think Trump and his people are open to ending imperialism but you probably don't realize that certain forces within the US oligarchy/security state have as much or more power than the POTUS no matter who he is. Trump has to deal with the serious struggle inside Washington--these guys who oppose Trump are serious people who kill and/or frame with impunity and who also dominate and run the mainstream media.
Posted by: Chris Cosmos | Mar 12 2025 17:47 utc | 38
@ Otto Penn | Mar 12 2025 16:58 utc | 8 quote -
"a ceasefire after Ukrainian elections are held."
that would be an excellent response and counter offer from russia, if they were to consider any of this bs... thanks otto..
Posted by: james | Mar 12 2025 17:49 utc | 39
No end to UA/US cringe in sight, can't they shut up just for an hour or so?
We can put devastating financial pressure on Russia, but I don't want to do it because I want to see peace — Trump
We are fighting for our independence. Therefore, we will not recognize any occupied territories as Russia's. This is a fact. - Zelensky
I think it makes sense for Russia… Lot of down side for Russia too… We don’t want to be WASTING TIME — Trump
Posted by: 5thcolumn | Mar 12 2025 17:54 utc | 40
So long as Russia holds a base in Syria it remains a thorn in Israel's side. Would the Syria fiasco have been possible if Russia were not distracted by the SMO? The two theatres of conflict must be linked.
Posted by: Patroklos | Mar 12 2025 17:58 utc | 41
@ Patroklos | Mar 12 2025 17:58 utc | 41
previously i had entertained the idea that some sort of behind the scene deal had been worked out on this topic, but now, i am not so sure..
Posted by: james | Mar 12 2025 18:01 utc | 42
“I'm still surprised trump had to club Zelensky and his war supporters so hard and publicly to get them to try a ceasefire gambit.”
*Might* be part of the show. “Look at how hard we all worked to make a reasonable offer to Russia! They still turned it down! Russia doesn’t want peace!”
I don’t know whom they’ll fool. But this pathetic “offer” undermines the hypothesis that a “new admin” — who had plenty of time to prepare their ideas in the years before taking office — ever intended to change anything. But Trumptard cultists might claim I’m afflicted by TDS. By now, perhaps I’m coming down with a case.
Posted by: I forgot | Mar 12 2025 18:05 utc | 43
Pressure points on the Trump regime are (1. the WarDefense Industry (privately owned by zillionaire shareholders) (2. entities such as Blackrock, Monsanto and additional corporate giants with their massive investments in Ukie real-estate...whether precious minerals or some of the best farmland on earth (3. hidebound military infrastructure along with State Department wrigglers) and (4. Nervous nellies governing most European lands, who feel that their status with the voters is in rapid slippage and need more "Sturm und Drang" to keep the populace bewildered in all the media chaos.
Posted by: aristodemos | Mar 12 2025 18:09 utc | 44
#43
> I don’t know whom they’ll fool.
go to reddit, r/europe, and you'll see hundreds of them, some even cheering the success of ukraine in kursk in the last few days.
Posted by: MirkoVatrogasac | Mar 12 2025 18:09 utc | 45
Yesterday days Paris EU meeting
Note today Trump has said there are many more possibilities of financial pain for Russia.
In rare meeting without U.S. ally, Western army chiefs meet to show Ukraine unity
By Elizabeth Pineau and John Irish
March 11, 20254:57 PM GMTUpdated 10 hours ago
French President Emmanuel Macron, French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu and Chief of Staff of the French Armed Forces (CEMA) Thierry Burkhard attend a meeting with the chiefs of staff of the European Union and NATO armies on the conflict in Ukraine at the Musee de la Marine as part of the Paris Defence and Strategy Forum in Paris, France, March 11, 2025. REUTERS
Summary
Closed-door meeting in Paris excludes the U.S.
Commanders to discuss Ukraine support and post-ceasefire ideas
Unease over U.S. moves draws Australia, Japan as well as Europe
PARIS/QUEBEC, March 11 (Reuters) - More than 30 army chiefs among Washington's closest allies met in Paris on Tuesday without their U.S. counterparts, seeking to take on more responsibility over the Ukraine war given President Donald Trump's unpredictability and rapprochement with Moscow.
The closed-door gathering of 34 army chiefs, including NATO alliance and EU members as well as Japan and Australia, was a rare - and possibly unprecedented - convening without the U.S
The talks aimed in part to assess options and capabilities to guarantee Ukraine's security in the event of a ceasefire, including potential European peacekeepers, and to maintain Kyiv's long-term military strength.
"The political message is we can do it together and without the United States, but it's clear there are things we can't do and the problem with Russia is we need to have deterrence," said a European diplomat involved in the talks, adding that the meeting was largely pre-planning.
A military official said the U.S. was not invited, in an intended signal that Europe and other partners could take their responsibilities given Trump has distanced himself from allies.
Officials said the presence of countries like Japan and Australia, both of whom have also faced uncertainty from the new U.S. administration, showed a deeper malaise among Washington's traditional allies.
NO DEMILITARISATION OF UKRAINE
Trump has been exerting huge pressure on Ukraine to agree to peace. He has endorsed, even before talks, many of Russia's demands, such as denying Ukraine NATO membership.
Ahead of the talks, French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu stressed how important a strong Ukrainian army was to security guarantees.
Demilitarisation is one of the few Russian demands that Trump has not pressed Ukraine on, a senior European official said, adding that Europe wanted to keep it that way.
"The priority is to think about what the Ukrainian army should be like in the future, based on the principle that the first security guarantee remains the Ukrainian army," Lecornu told a security conference in Paris.
"We will refuse any form of demilitarisation of Ukraine," Lecornu said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly said he wants Ukraine to be demilitarised but Kyiv says that would expose it to further attacks.
Posted by: Jo | Mar 12 2025 18:10 utc | 46
The US, Ukraine and allies are declaring victory while their opponent is still on the field. There is truly nothing to talk about.
Posted by: a stone | Mar 12 2025 18:11 utc | 47
Yes, Russia is an impediment to the US plans for Russia. Because it will not accept to snatch a defeat from the jaws of victory, as planned by Trump and assorted US BS-rs. They said a few nice words: Russia was provoked … this was a proxy war by US against Russia …, words which blame the previous US regime and cost nothing. I was expecting US to declare the compensation and war reparations that it will pay to Russia after such “admissions”. Instead, Russia is to blame for not accepting a cease-fire in advance. Such a transparent US flim-flam: the Trumpshit is the good cop to the Biden-Cadaver’s bad cop, both attacking Russia. As someone said so well here: it is just the West negotiating with itself. The Russians keep doing their job. The job is to crush Ukraine completely and split it between neighbouring countries.
John Helmer was right, almost everyone else was wrong: Trumpshit is trying to turn the loss into the win.
Posted by: Kiza | Mar 12 2025 18:12 utc | 48
Russia could agree to a ceasefire, with the reasonable condition that the deconfliction mechanism being put in the hands of a third party that both sides are able to trust, citing the provable failure of past initiatives. That alone would torpedo the whole process, because there is no such third party or mechanism, which makes it another way of stating that a ceasefire in itself is non-viable without addressing the underlying root causes for the conflict. Anyone with half a brain and a modicum of honesty understands and admits that the open-ended suggestion of a cease-fire is a blank paper with nothing on it.
Posted by: Skiffer | Mar 12 2025 18:13 utc | 49
Gosh, Lavrov is so cool.
Putin/Lavrov is a great geopolitical duo within history, up there with Hitler/Ribbentrop and Stalin/Molotov.
...
We have to ask the question, is this an existential conflict with Russia, or is it just a quagmire like Vietnam, Korea, Iraq?
I think it is the former and that is why I remain skeptical as to DJT's ability to navigate the morass here with the option of simply abandoning the Ukraine project.
I suspect that the future viability of western finance and the empire goes right through Kiev and Russia'a submission.
Perhaps DJT thought that he was the one history chose to wiggle us out of this mess. I happen to think he is becoming a tragic figure before our eyes.
What do you think? We know it existential for Russia? But is this also existential for the whole liberal world order?
Hyperbolic? Dramatic? I have been called a drama-queen in the past. But intuitives are usually by nature more primed for hesitancy, thinking, and delayed judgement.
Posted by: NemesisCalling | Mar 12 2025 18:16 utc | 50
Two things appear quite predictable.
First, Trump will fail to either stop the war or offer anything of substance to motivate Russia to negotiate.
Second, Russia will fail to capitalize on the many PR and narrative blunders and inconsistencies of Trump and NATO in order to promote its own views to the West, no matter their legitimacy and connection to history and facts. For whatever that is worth to the greater picture, they have been given a narrow window of opportunity to formulate their views coherently to an attentive Western audience.
The fact Lavrov and Zacharova chose to waste an hour and a half with hacks like Judge Nap. and Larry Johnson indicates they are not just clueless as to how to promote their agenda, but that they have no means or strategic vision on how to effectively counter all the false narratives that turned a regional war on their border into a conflict that every NATO political structure has been able to fund against them for over a decade, with enough popular support to survive.
I can only see this going further for another decade at this rate, despite this war's nonsensical nature, despite the damage inflicted on both sides, despite the growing number of people objecting to it, and despite all the talk of Russia 'winning'.
Posted by: Rubiconned | Mar 12 2025 18:16 utc | 51
meshpal@1475 March 12
Nervousness amongst the Germans, mainly due to growing populist sentiments; is not alone. Just this morning I read an account that the Dutch parliament has no intent to involve the Netherlands in any stoopid incursion into Ukraine. Expect the same from Austria, Hungary and Slovakia...along with the Romanian regime tap-dancing on a tightrope due to popular disenchantment with the corrupted court system.
Meanwhile, something like 80% of the Polish populace being very negative to Warsaw sending troops into their eastern neighbor. Basically, that leaves Starmer and Macaroni obeying the dictates of their Rottenchild string-pullers.
Evidently, we are looking at a deflated balloon along with a loud, stinky fart effusing the church pews.
Rather a thin soup of support for any EU stupidity.
Posted by: aristodemos | Mar 12 2025 18:17 utc | 52
Ray McGovern & John Helmer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gr84HAmx_tY
"Is Trump getting Putin all wrong?"
'The US is now supporting a Ukrainian PR operation designed to make the Russian side look bad...Peace is bad for business.'
Posted by: John Gilberts | Mar 12 2025 18:18 utc | 53
Dominance in any transaction and relationship is all Trump seeks for every issue and policy. Anyone paying attention should know this is Trump's only goal. Zelensky and the EU can learn to use Trump's needy personality to their advantage by bowing down to him to receive more war materiel. Putin and Xi are at a disadvantage because they want equitable relations and outcomes. Anathema to authoritarians like Trump.
Posted by: Keme | Mar 12 2025 18:19 utc | 54
Make my timing at 1725 responding to meshpal. Bad memory.
Posted by: aristodemos | Mar 12 2025 18:19 utc | 55
B: Trump Opts For More War With Russia
Where are the trumptards NOW?
Posted by: Naive | Mar 12 2025 18:22 utc | 56
Simplicius thinks the ceasefire is absurd. He wrote a very rhetorical and convincing text! We all agree!
The question is the one I asked in the previous topic and no one was able to answer: how to say no? How to say no without creating an impediment to peace? As?
You can't just say: Ah! I'm winning! You can't say that, because Well, the opponent is calling for a ceasefire precisely because he's losing! That's Trump's success: "I put Zelensky in his place" SIC.
Check this out: "Putin will agree to a truce, but will set his own conditions for a cease fire" — Bloomberg.
So, I ask: what would those conditions be? Quais? If it were you, what would you demand?
Posted by: Elber | Mar 12 2025 18:22 utc | 57
steel_porcupine | Mar 12 2025 17:43 utc | 34
"DJT scored a ‘W’ in holding the neocons of the Meta State in Europe and the Deep State in the U.S. @ bay by turning the war spigot back on."
And what would they have done about it if he hadn't?
Whatever you think the answer is, that hasn't changed. Trump's war-monger enemies will continue to see him as a Russia-appeaser and will plot to destroy him. So he did himself no good politically, and is only giving a wake-up call to anyone in Russia or among anti-war Westerners who was deluded enough to think he really was seeking peace.
Posted by: Flying Dutchman | Mar 12 2025 18:22 utc | 59
Posted by: English Outsider | Mar 12 2025 17:39 utc | 33
"I’m wondering whether Trump’s European and American opponents have in fact got Trump cornered, in that he will now be forced to continue with Biden’s failed policy in Ukraine."
<<
Europe is holding DJT hostage to the war and is threatening to blow matters sky high if the U.S. walks away.
The culmination of Project Ukraine—-a victory for the West—-has been a devoted intention since @ least the Bush jr. term. Of course, the West cannot achieve a military victory any longer, whether they step out from behind their proxy or not.
Now that they’ve got the hot war for which they’ve prepped, of course hostilities cannot end without the demolition of Russia. In some ways *this* is the nuclear option---just without the nukes. But Russia has actually strengthened.
Ooops.
The West is not going to lose a war which it provoked Russia into starting.
Posted by: steel_porcupine | Mar 12 2025 18:24 utc | 60
@50
Kiev NATO US blunder is existential to everyone targeted by either side’s strategic weapons.
Russia will not go down like NATO’s practice exercise in Yugoslavia.
NATO loses in Kiev or mutual assured destruction.
Hope the nuts lose w/o MAD.
Posted by: paddy | Mar 12 2025 18:25 utc | 61
OK. The 30-day ceasefire is to do one thing (if Russia agrees that is). Kiev will expect the US to move in to start the extraction work for the minerals deal. This will be done very quickly.
Once in place, the US has a stake in the conflict.
Thats the plan!
Posted by: HERMIUS | Mar 12 2025 18:25 utc | 62
I think USA EU and UKR laughed their asses off when putting together the plan to lure Russia in fake peace talks in order to put them in a damned if i do damned if i don't do situation like the one is unfolding before our eyes. It is too evident the events since Trump was sworn in are masterfully scripted and played really well (Zelensky is an actor, after all, and Trump is a salesman, but I was surprised by how good actors were EU bosses). Now not only the world has been informed ad nauseam that Russia started a war of aggression, narrative will stress now that they refused peace and are warmongers and criminals of the worst kind. Had Russia outright refused any talks they could have avoided to be again cornered in an unwinnable position. But they do blunder after blunder since Maidan, when they were unable to avoid the coup in UKR.
Posted by: Louis | Mar 12 2025 18:27 utc | 63
ChrisCosmos@1747 March 12
Seems like you are overlooking one minor detail. Whatever the arms and money emanating from the Collective Wa$te; the Ukes simply do not have the manpower in general and well-trained, highly disciplined and motivated troops at a level where they can seriously quell the Russian advance.
Following the Kursk fiasco, the general morale factor in the UAF forces is devolving into kaput.
Posted by: aristodemos | Mar 12 2025 18:27 utc | 64
Elber | Mar 12 2025 18:22 utc | 57
"Check this out: "Putin will agree to a truce, but will set his own conditions for a cease fire" — Bloomberg.
So, I ask: what would those conditions be? Quais? If it were you, what would you demand?"
None. No ceasefire. I recognize that if Russia wants to attain its necessary war goals, it has no alternative to forcibly imposing these on the ground. The Ukraine must unconditionally surrender or suffer the complete collapse and destruction of the Ukrainian state.
The Ukraine must completely cease to exist as a country, otherwise it will always remain this rabid dog ready to attack again the next chance it gets.
Posted by: Flying Dutchman | Mar 12 2025 18:29 utc | 65
If Europe declares that within 5 years they will be ready for a war with Russia, then they expect Russia to sit there and wait. Russia will not make the same mistake as they did with WW-II.
Posted by: hubert | Mar 12 2025 17:37 utc | 30
Europe can declare whatever it wants.
That money is going to be split among 27 militaries, assuming a fair chunk does not go into BS projects only nominally connected to defense in first place, which will likely direct a lot of it into items only tangentially related to war with Russia (like more warships and what not).
Then they may rebuild AFVs fleets to pre 2022 levels with new expensive models, maybe increase ammunition stocks by a whopping extra week of actual consumption and get the most overpriced drones on the market that will lastthem three days of combat.
More than that? Colour me shocked...
Posted by: Satepestage | Mar 12 2025 18:31 utc | 66
I'm sure some have already watched the video of "Lavrov's Chat with Judge Napolitano, Larry Johnson and Mario Naufal". I linked to itin my preamble, but it hadn't been released when I started editing the transcript. That was 2.5 hours ago.
Whether Trump enjoys respect abroad is something I'll leave aside for now.
At home, where Trump is the biggest construction site, he is at least still highly respected by the people.
A relative who was traveling in the US for work just reported...when he was in the hotel at the time Trump gave his speech to Congress, which he also watched live on TV, he was genuinely shocked by how often loud clapping echoed through the hotel from neighboring rooms.
This showed him how Trump is perceived by the people, even on construction sites (he regulates wind turbines in wind farms), and he was met with almost 100% applause the next day.
But when he brought up the topic of Ukraine with colleagues, it was met with downright aggression, and Sylenski was called a criminal who started a war AGAINST the US's advice but took advantage of the willingness to help...hear, hear...
I asked twice in conversations with acquaintances...what does that tell us in Europe?
That the average American is being screwed just as much as we are in the Western European bubble.
By the way, my friend who lives in Canada emigrated from Germany years ago...
When asked about the Canadians... he said: They're going crazy like a flock of chickens, panicking because the fox is out of its hole... Inflation due to CO2 tax, premium gasoline at 1.47 Canadian dollars per liter (US at about 57 cents). And discontent everywhere you look... plus politicians with IQs below 40. He cited as an example: It was loudly stated that they should join forces with France to be protected against the USA under their nuclear weapons umbrella.
Just one example of the madness
Posted by: berthold | Mar 12 2025 18:33 utc | 68
1) Trump is a neo-con.
2) Hope unfortunately springs eternal.
Get used to both, if you haven't already and go forth.
Posted by: elmagnostic | Mar 12 2025 18:33 utc | 69
Turn the tables on them, Agree to a ceasefire for 24 hours during an election so they can get to the polls.
Posted by: Eighthman | Mar 12 2025 18:34 utc | 70
Now I see why the release by Russia was delayed; they published their own English transcript along with the English language video. What a waste of effort--sigh....
>> Flying Dutchman | Mar 12 2025 17:25 utc | 23
>> It is now.
“Obama sent sheets whereas I sent weapons.”
It’s been “Trump’s war” all along. In my judgment, he doesn’t get to simultaneously brag about arming a McCain-Nuland army and about wanting peace or doing anything to reign in empire. It frustrates me that many people — including smart educated people who show some signs of independent thinking and in other areas outclass a dummy like me — can’t see that the former invalidates the latter.
Posted by: I forgot | Mar 12 2025 18:39 utc | 72
This probably seemed like a really neat idea when they were brain-storming in The White House. The trouble is, in the light of day and the presence of grown-ups, it's just more really stupid thinking posing as foreign policy.
Ukraine giving up something it actually no longer possesses is to be matched by Russia allowing a pause while NATO re-arms and introduces 'peace-keepers'to Ukraine. Hello? Ground control to Major Trump? Maybe try listening to Russia's conditions for the border security for New Russia? Think about these deeply. The options there are far reaching...
Posted by: Gerry Bell | Mar 12 2025 18:40 utc | 73
" Ford (Motor Company)had been working with suppliers to stockpile aluminum materials ahead of the Wednesday deadline. Even though the company gets most of its aluminum sheet from rolling mills in the U.S., those suppliers rely on smelters in Canada to provide much of the aluminum they roll."
Canadian Aluminum (ingots) keeps American factories working. Trump has got to learn to get more sleep.
Maybe he could even brush up a bit on Chicken Little. "The sky is falling, the sky is falling."
Canada should immediately agree to raise Military spending to 5% and put soldiers on the border (per the U.S. request). Turn Ontario vehicle plants into producing arms.
And since the Trump USA doesn't need anything from Canada (nor anyone else) then an immediate National Emergency Policy of building more gas and oil pipelines to both coasts is a priority. Feeding LNG to compete with the U.S. South.
Posted by: kupkee | Mar 12 2025 18:41 utc | 74
“It is becoming more and more apparent that his top priority is dominating any interaction no matter whether this advances any long term aim.”
Becoming more apparent? Have these people only just heard of Donald Trump? Have they never observed Donald Trump in his decades in the NY/NJ business community?
Posted by: Holger Niebisch | Mar 12 2025 18:42 utc | 75
Posted by: Flying Dutchman | Mar 12 2025 18:22 utc | 59
"DJT scored a ‘W’ in holding the neocons of the Meta State in Europe and the Deep State in the U.S. @ bay by turning the war spigot back on."
And what would they have done about it if he hadn't?
<<
If DJT had not turned the spigot of weaponry back on, the Meta State neocons would have created a provocation in Ukraine which would have *forced* the UK and France to send a too-diminutive number of flailing ill-prepped troops, who would have promptly *gotten into trouble* which would have set up a clattering howl across Europe, reverberating through the Deep State, for the U.S. to put boots on the ground.
Remember: the neocons in both the Meta State (EU) and the Deep State U.S.) are focused intently on expanding the war.
<<
By turning the spigot of weaponry back on, DJT has bought a measure of time, temporarily silencing the rabble-rousing from the neocons on both continents.
Of course the rabble-rousing will start up again @ some point...
Because the fact is simply this: the neocons are not going to let Russia win a war they provoked Russia into starting.
<<
An aside: DJT has to kowtow to neocon members Congress, who are tasked w/ passing a Continuing Resolution to fund the government through September. Turning the spigot of weapons back on in Ukraine *helped* DJT in this regard.
I'm not endorsing the maneuver, but I see the political pragmatics.
Posted by: steel_porcupine | Mar 12 2025 18:43 utc | 76
At the rate we're going America will be completely isolated from every country on planet earth in 30 days. Judge Nap asked Lavrov about accepting any ceasefire deals and he said "why would we?".
Graciously offering on social media a deal that Russia has said over and over again they would never, EVER, agree to is bad faith poison in the well that kindles memories of Gorbachev.
Posted by: chunga | Mar 12 2025 18:44 utc | 77
Interesting that head of foreign Intel Service Naryshkin spoke with head of CIA Ratcliffe? Gonna be a plan B, or agree to disagree when Russia says no?
Associated Press reporting Europe discusses proposals to create a military force capable of quickly responding to a new possible attack by Russia-heavy weapons and ammunition ition supplies will be made quickly available.Also if ceasfire is violated immediate strikes on Russian targets may follow.
--------
Rutte says there are other ways to provide guarantees for Ukraine security other than sending European forces.
Z says could be a complete ceasefire.
Dutch parliament will not be joining in European rearmament plan due
to financial difficulties.
Keith Kellogg Negotiator is sidelined.
Posted by: Jo | Mar 12 2025 18:45 utc | 78
Sounds like a classic zigzagging technique to confuse the enemy, however since neither the Russian nor US "ships of state" are actual ships, the medium to long term destination and purpose of this "technique," seems very predictable and easy to anticipate using basic rational pessimism. To wit, Trump or his military "advisors" desire to prolong the war for sometime to come, preferably while rearming and regrouping during the duration of the ceasefire.
Posted by: Ludovic | Mar 12 2025 18:45 utc | 79
Now I see why the release by Russia was delayed; they published their own English transcript along with the English language video. What a waste of effort--sigh....
Posted by: karlof1 | Mar 12 2025 18:37 utc | 71
LOL, I went there looking for the fuhrer ursula part but you hadn't posted it yet.
Some posts/threads ago, I asked you what you thought of that moniker, not typical of lavrov to dis chiefs of state like that.
Whatever retard RF faces they know they have to deal with them. Not typical to "insult" I would say.
Any thoughts? I wouldn't expect such treatment (deserving as it might be) before a "a state of war exists between us" part.
Posted by: Newbie | Mar 12 2025 18:45 utc | 80
Trump is not a peace president so far in the reality they are showing us
I don't expect him to change the direction of empire but his lie will come back to bite him.....is more money coming?
The shit show continues until it doesn't and until then we have deadly kabuki for the masses.
Posted by: psychohistorian | Mar 12 2025 18:46 utc | 81
Posted by: aristodemos | Mar 12 2025 18:27 utc | 64
As long as there are spare men--remember there are still young people available and the Ukrainians are, like (and even more than) the Israelis, fanatics--if you haven't been around fanatics you don't know how far that takes them--it's a cult in Ukraine.
It's been several years that people who support Russia in this war have been claiming that the Ukies are running out of men and materiel and it simply wasn't true so I'm skeptical of claims Ukraine is finished. My guess is that, unless Russia decides to take dramatic steps militarily (are they even capable of doing that?) the war will go until at least the fall of this year.
Posted by: Chris Cosmos | Mar 12 2025 18:48 utc | 82
More than that? Colour me shocked...
Posted by: Satepestage | Mar 12 2025 18:31 utc | 66
26 armies under one roof.
Not long ago, Germany already had a "special fund" of 100 billion!
Millions of this (approximately 120 million) were spent on new radio equipment, for example, some of which were specially manufactured... The result was discovered after delivery: they didn't fit in the vehicles in use, and there was no room left for the gunner in tanks.
Mrs. Von der Leyhen, then Minister of Defense, had an investigation carried out into whether and how pregnant women could be used as tank crews and had about three-quarters of the tanks at the time converted.
Building and equipping 26 armies with the existing options in Brussels AND in the individual states... is simply an unattainable task in Europe.
For that to happen, there would first have to be a common European state like the USA, a command post, a commander. One weapons manufacturer, one standard!
AND, of course, someone would have to come when it was time to go to war.
Not to mention the third-world technological standard in weapons development.
Take TNT, for example!
How many TNT manufacturers for grenades and civilian use are there in the EU? (As of 2019)
Correct: 2, one in Poland with a capacity of around 45 tons per year
One in the Czech Republic with less than 20 tons.
By the way... there are no TNT manufacturers in the US. They source from South Korea...
Russia, for comparison, produced around 390 tons per year before the SMO.
Incidentally, the TNT figures all come from Moon contributions 2024
Posted by: Ost Rentner | Mar 12 2025 18:49 utc | 83
# Mr. Valdimir Vladimirovich Putin (VVP) does not need to do anything or react to this fringe cease plan.
# He just needs to sit back and relax but let the US of A titanic under Captain JDT to continue its natural cause.
Posted by: pepe | Mar 12 2025 18:53 utc | 84
Posted by: pepe | Mar 12 2025 18:53 utc | 84
>>>>
Correction: DJT not JDT.
Posted by: pepe | Mar 12 2025 18:54 utc | 85
I am aware that China is not really on the Russian side, just profiting from this war. But let us turn things around for a moment.
NATO and Ukrainian troops are now advancing towards Moscow. China just negotiated with Russia and came up with a ceasefire plan. The Chinese declare: “The ball is in the US court now to reach peace”. Upon receiving the Chinese offer the Trumpshit almost chokes to death from laughing - I am on the way to victory and $70 trillion worth of Russian goodies and they want a ceasefire !? Which planet do these Russian and Chinese idiots live on? They are totally stupid to think that I am so stupid to accept their sweet talk. We march on!
Posted by: Kiza | Mar 12 2025 18:58 utc | 86
We humans have learned to accept even the most basic lie as correct:
https://youtu.be/Zh3Yz3PiXZw?feature=shared
And we do so, hoping that someone will arrive, an everlasting savior, who will lift us from the misery in which we live and elevate us, with his knowledge, to reality.
But that wonderful person is unlikely to exist. Focusing on a miracle will not change this reality.
Human beings have only one solution to avoid perpetuating the habitual cycle of pain and hope: start being honest. Recognize, with clear perspective, that our attempts to dominate others are doomed to failure as a species.
What human beings do is the consequence of how they think and feel: we live in external conflict because we do not live among ourselves and, as a consequence of our fear of others, neither do we live within each other. We are alienated. We want solutions for what we are incapable of solving.
The global and collective crisis is inevitable: we will spend the next 50 years fighting to establish minimally monetary areas of power for people: less money, fewer basic freedoms, fewer opportunities to learn: more collective thought structures that gradually erase human individuality in order to establish a hive.
Posted by: mapa | Mar 12 2025 18:59 utc | 87
Canuck I wish you and Miss-information Yves Not-her-real-name Smith a very happy life on another planet in a distant solar system. You can keep each other warm with Miss-information and the sublime fire of rudeness.
Posted by: Formerly Miss Lacy | Mar 12 2025 18:59 utc | 88
Damn. I really wanted to believe that Trump would take a fair stand to Russia and try for an honest peace - and be it just for the fun of seeing the hysterically yapping European war mongers left standing in the rain and holding the bag.
Kinda like when I was a little girl and wanted to believe in Santa. I should have known it was my father, of course, older brother told me so, but the idea of a real Santa was just so nice. So I just kept on pretending.
I think the current European war hysteria and their plans to throw around money like there's no tomorrow might have a lot to do with Trump's action. Guess he thought if they'll spend a fortune on weapons they should buy US produce. It's a racket, after all.
English Outsider | Mar 12 2025 17:39 utc | 33
"The likely Russian rejection of this bogus “peace deal” will have the further effect of retaining American security support for Europe even as the Europeans head into Cold War II. We in Europe don’t intend to let go of Uncle Sam’s hand if we can possibly keep hold of it!
I’m wondering whether Trump’s European and American opponents have in fact got Trump cornered, in that he will now be forced to continue with Biden’s failed policy in Ukraine."
..
I don't think that Trump could be cornered that way. He's erratic enough to change his mind at a whim and not giving a fig for his yesterday's babble. He'd just make up some tidbit for a reason. Would be easy enough to find something in Nazi Ukraine.
But he's also impressionable. It might have been Rubio's work to get that ceasefire idea rolling - a talk with Tulsi Gabbard might change his mind yet again. Of course he'll think it was his idea all along.
But here I might be in hopeful Santa land again...
Posted by: Kate | Mar 12 2025 19:03 utc | 89
The Bill Kristol-led group “Republicans for Ukraine” has released a TV ad to help drum up GOP support for Washington’s proxy war against Russia, and it’s surprisingly honest about what this war is really about: from 2021
https://thealtworld.com/caitlin_johnston/bill-kristols-refreshingly-honest-ukraine-war-ad
Posted by: Paul from Norway | Mar 12 2025 19:05 utc | 90
Trump is president only due to the bankers backing and he'll stay president as long as he does their bidding.
Last election..The dems seemed to disappear. Very little voter fraud and c'mon the best they could muster was kamala??. Now what you have is only "congress theater"... Where are the blm riots??
Talk about crypto, tariffs etc. what you have is the backdoor to the "great reset 2.0" We'll just keep the populace guessing.
The war will continue, and ramp up to include other countries. Maybe put another "bioweapon" or 2 to keep the peeps living in fear.
There is no money to be made during peace time.. It's reset time....Welcome to the show.
Posted by: heavymetal101 | Mar 12 2025 19:06 utc | 91
Yermak explaines what it would take for Ukraine to make peace in august 2024:
https://x.com/MyLordBebo/status/1821637735763062948
Posted by: Paul from Norway | Mar 12 2025 19:08 utc | 92
steel_porcupine | Mar 12 2025 18:43 utc | 76
"If DJT had not turned the spigot of weaponry back on, the Meta State neocons would have created a provocation in Ukraine which would have *forced* the UK and France to send a too-diminutive number of flailing ill-prepped troops, who would have promptly *gotten into trouble* which would have set up a clattering howl across Europe, reverberating through the Deep State, for the U.S. to put boots on the ground."
The Euro-cowards wouldn't overtly send a bugle boy without US guarantees.
And if they did, and Trump really was the table-overturning revolutionary he came in pretending to be, he'd not only stick with his initial promise that they're on their own, he'd say their destruction is what they deserve.
Posted by: Flying Dutchman | Mar 12 2025 19:08 utc | 93
Washington posing as a mediator between Moscow and Kyiv is either just a PR smokescreen or it's a prelude to resumption of war on Russia and Europe.
The war over Ukraine was never only about de-Russifying the composite country created in 1993 and hitching its resources. It was always intended to separate Russia from Europe and give the US the same kind of play it had in Russia before the arrival of Putin and effectively break up the Russian Federation.
Only the first of those objectives has been attained. The issue to focus on is how far US geopolitics now prioritises gaining peaceful access to Russian resources on a par with that accorded China by strategic accords rather than proxy war.
Otherwise the game's not changed and Trump is just burden shifting to help rescue Federal finances.
We won't necessarily find out the answer straight away for reasons some tick above. And it's also possible given what we know about Trump and his heteroclite Administration, that Donald doesn't even realise he can't play all ends against each other here as he likes to do and is therefore in no position to determine strategic US interests.
But we can say objectively that the consequences of renewed proxy war will be much less advantageous to US geo economic and geo political interests than a mutually satisfactory accord with Russia, whatever the consequences for the Kyiv regime. And if that's obvious to us, how could Trump pass on that once he's tuned in?
Posted by: Tim Putnam | Mar 12 2025 19:09 utc | 94
Oops
Putin in uniform for the first time in Kursk!
Putin has never before worn a uniform (field duty), especially on camera.
This report goes on:
The Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces held a meeting today at one of the command posts of the Kursk Group of Forces: "Russia will treat Ukrainian soldiers captured in the Kursk region as terrorists."
For the first time in a long time, we see the Supreme Commander in uniform. It seems to be a signal for the "negotiation process."
But Putin has also never done anything in public that didn't have a symbolic meaning for his counterpart and convey something between the lines!Oops
Putin in uniform for the first time in Kursk!
Putin has never before worn a uniform (field duty), especially on camera.
This report goes on:
The Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces held a meeting today at one of the command posts of the Kursk Group of Forces: "Russia will treat Ukrainian soldiers captured in the Kursk region as terrorists."
For the first time in a long time, we see the Supreme Commander in uniform. It seems to be a signal for the "negotiation process."
But Putin has also never done anything in public that didn't have a symbolic meaning for his counterpart and convey something between the lines!
.
https://t.me/dva_majors/66596?single
Posted by: berthold | Mar 12 2025 19:10 utc | 95
Russia was already wary of the not-agreement-capable US. Now even moreso.
Russia wants to talk. Incoherent rambling and competing meta-narratives and bluffs and vaudeville are not serious talk. My version, presented a few times here is whack them in the head with a 4x4 to get their attention. When that fails whack them in face with a 6x6. And when it seems hopeless to continue, pound them level to the ground with a 12x12.
Posted by: oldhippie | Mar 12 2025 19:11 utc | 96
To add som spice and recent history: from 2023
HOW THE CHANCE WAS LOST FOR A PEACE SETTLEMENT OF THE UKRAINE WAR AND THE WEST WANTED TO CONTINUE THE WAR INSTEAD A detailed reconstruction of events in March 2022
Hajo Funke and General (ret.) Harald Kujat
https://braveneweurope.com/michael-von-der-schulenburg-hajo-funke-harald-kujat-peace-for-ukraine
Posted by: Paul from Norway | Mar 12 2025 19:11 utc | 97
28. mar 2022: Zelinsky:
Talks set to start in Turkey as Ukraine president seeks peace ‘without delay’ and Biden denies seeking regime change in Russia
Posted by: Paul from Norway | Mar 12 2025 19:13 utc | 98
Posted by: berthold | Mar 12 2025 19:10 utc | 95
this is serious, damned
Posted by: Macpott | Mar 12 2025 19:16 utc | 99
1 February 2022 20:56
Text of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia Mr. Sergey Lavrov`s written message on Indivisibility of Security addressed to the Heads of Foreign / External Affairs Ministers / Secretaries of the US, Canada and several European countries
https://mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/1796679/
And as a Bonus:
Von der Leyen received the "World Peace and Freedom Award" against the backdrop of the arming of Ukraine, lockdowns and censorship in the EU
Posted by: Paul from Norway | Mar 12 2025 19:16 utc | 100
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