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Why Trump’s Alleged Shift On Ukraine Isn’t One
Two days ago, while I was moving this website, President Donald Trump made some rather ridiculous comment (emphasis added):
Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump – Sep 23, 2025, 18:55 utc
After getting to know and fully understand the Ukraine/Russia Military and Economic situation and, after seeing the Economic trouble it is causing Russia, I think Ukraine, with the support of the European Union, is in a position to fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form. With time, patience, and the financial support of Europe and, in particular, NATO, the original Borders from where this War started, is very much an option. Why not? Russia has been fighting aimlessly for three and a half years a War that should have taken a Real Military Power less than a week to win. This is not distinguishing Russia. In fact, it is very much making them look like “a paper tiger.” When the people living in Moscow, and all of the Great Cities, Towns, and Districts all throughout Russia, find out what is really going on with this War, the fact that it’s almost impossible for them to get Gasoline through the long lines that are being formed, and all of the other things that are taking place in their War Economy, where most of their money is being spent on fighting Ukraine, which has Great Spirit, and only getting better, Ukraine would be able to take back their Country in its original form and, who knows, maybe even go further than that! Putin and Russia are in BIG Economic trouble, and this is the time for Ukraine to act. In any event, I wish both Countries well. We will continue to supply weapons to NATO for NATO to do what they want with them. Good luck to all!
DONALD J. TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Some people claimed that this uttering showed that Trump had changed his mind over Ukraine.
It was far from that. Trump was in fact mocking the delusional assessments General Keith Kellogg and General Dan Caine had given him:
Special Presidential Envoy Keith Kellogg on Monday said he and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff recently advised President Trump that Russia is losing its war on Ukraine — as Moscow has seen more than 1 million casualties while taking less than 1% of Ukrainian territory since November 2022.
…
“If Putin thinks Russia is winning, his definition of winning and my definition of winning are absolutely two different things,” Kellogg said. “If he was winning, he’d be in Kyiv. If he’s winning, he’d be west of the Dnipro River. If he was winning, he’d be on Odessa. If he was winning, he would have changed the government.
“Russia is, in fact, losing this war,” he added.
…
The two military experts gave their assessment in response to Trump’s then-prodding as to whether Putin’s grandstanding of supposed success in Ukraine was true, Kellogg said, giving a rare glimpse into private discussions at the White House.
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“I responded quite forcefully, and I finally said, ‘Mr. President, don’t just listen to me. Your chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Dan Caine, is outside. He’s out in the hall, bring him in and ask him that question. He’s your senior, he’s your principal military adviser,’” Kellogg said.
“And he did, and Dan said the same thing. He went, ‘Nope, not winning.’”
When Trump repeated the implausible propaganda claims Kellogg had made it was pure sarcasm. Trump knows that “seeking a decisive Russian defeat is a virtually impossible goal that presents serious and unwarranted risks“.
He used the sarcasm to wash his hand over further action about Ukraine. It is also relieving him of pressure to continue talks with Russia.
It took two days for the New York Times to acknowledge this (archived):
But scratch the surface, and a deeper desire seemed buried in Mr. Trump’s reversal of position during the U.N. meetings in New York this week. Mr. Trump appears to want to wash his hands of the Ukraine conflict, after having no success bringing President Vladimir V. Putin to the negotiating table, and a dwindling chance of acting as mediator between the two warring parties.
Trump’s statement was not, as the NY Times claims, a “reversal of position”. At the essence he is saying that he will continue to sell weapons to Europe but that is all that he is going to do – at least openly. There will be no new U.S. aid for Ukraine and no U.S. forces riding to its rescue.
Behind the scene the U.S. will of course do its best to stay in control of the conflict. NATO, under full U.S. control, will continue to push the European dimwits towards a ever deeper involvement in the war. U.S. intelligence will continue to help Ukraine to target Russian troops and maybe even targets in Russia (machine translation):
US President Donald Trump has received information about a” planned offensive ” by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which will require intelligence from the United States.
This is reported by the American business newspaper The Wall Street Journal.
At the same time, the publication notes that, despite the change in rhetoric regarding Russia, the American president still refuses to allow strikes with his country’s weapons deep into the territory of the Russian Federation.
Nothing is new in this policy. The U.S., under Trump, had always planned to drop the responsibility and burden of the war in Ukraine, which it had instigate, onto Europe. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth had announced that plan on February 12 during a military summit in Bruxelles:
Hegseth also told Nato’s European members that they would need to provide the lion’s share of future aid for Kyiv, warning that Washington “will no longer tolerate an imbalanced relationship” with its allies.
“Safeguarding European security must be an imperative for European members of Nato,” Hegseth said. “Europe must provide the overwhelming share of future lethal and non-lethal aid to Ukraine.”
Trump’s “reversal of position” isn’t one. His announcement is a continuation of his policy. In today’s Washington Post a ‘senior White House official’ confirms as much (archived):
President Donald Trump’s furious rhetoric toward Russia is “a negotiating tactic” intended to pressure the Kremlin, a senior White House official said Wednesday, a day after the president stunned global policymakers and delighted Ukrainian leaders by embracing Kyiv’s ambitions for a decisive defeat of Russia.
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Trump was not signaling a major shift in U.S. policy toward Kyiv during a day at the U.N. General Assembly in which he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the official said, ..
Russia seems to have understood Trump’s uttering better than Western journalists did. The former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev commented the events in New York in his usual manner:
And Trump? Once again he slipped into an alternative reality, reciting a fresh set of political incantations about “Russia’s weakness.”
After meeting with the clowns from Kiev and Paris, he posted a flamboyant message: final victory for Kiev, a return to old borders, Russia’s collapsing war economy, gas lines, and the image of a “paper tiger.”
In that reality everything is different: Kiev is winning, Russia is torn to pieces, and Bandera’s Ukraine is thriving on its own resources. In that same fantasy, Trump’s predecessors Obama and Biden still live happily ever after.
But Trump is not like them. No doubt—he’ll be back. He always comes back. In a few days he’ll probably propose that the green pianist sign a capitulation. Or maybe fly to Mars with his pardoned Musk. Or come up with something else “historic” to claim a Nobel Prize.
The key, after all, is to keep drastically changing your position on every major issue. That’s what makes for “successful” governance through social media.
And, as they say—thank you for your attention to this matter!”
[No preview seems dodgy lol, but great site rescue b, very impressive]
(I had to test the <PRE> tag. I failed if there is no text in my comment above this. It might not look any different if there is text there —I don’t know yet 🙂 ).
No, completely disagree with b and (maybe) “everyone” 😀
I don’t care what Trump says, however I care even less about what other people claim Trump is saying, no matter if it is in favor of him or against him. Least of all when they quarrel over it as is prone to happen 🙂
That includes the Russians and even b (I apologize if this is rude!).
Yeah Trump can himself “be” sarcasm (perhaps unavoidably and unintentionally), but has he in any way admitted to the claim that he was “using” sarcasm and that his speech is to be ignored or understood in that manner? No.
No he has not. We would all know if he had.
So the claim that he did needs some extraordinary proof and I am unaware of any such nor can I imagine what it would consist of. This was after all a UN address, a speech to the world. It might not matter to Trump, in which case it also is to be ignored as meaningless either way.
This is just part of why I don’t care. There is nothing in this to care about.
Covfefe has finally been found and Trump is only a public mask because Covfefe is the current and last president of the US of A 😀
It no longer matters. The US no longer matters. The POTUS no longer matters. Sarcasm no longer matters. Not even “we start bombing in ten minutes” would matter now (or if not ten then whatever the number was, I forgot).
The US has reached or is reaching terminal velocity and is hopefully starting to finally, really, break apart right now in these days, weeks, or maybe months. “Israel” might be the last key reason, the final cause, that destroys this geopolitical abomination, this pathetic lie of a “nation”.
I don’t believe the Chinese and Russian “soft landing” has any more in it. I don’t believe the US would survive even if the entire world had capitulated unconditionally yesterday.
It is as if they are trying to patch a (long retired) Space Shuttle while it is breaking up on reentry. Impossible.
The first Trump administration was likely their last chance (an abort to orbit), now ordinary Usians can try take their country/countries back (from “everyone” including themselves; that will be messy), until they do it will only be insanity and death, then there will be more insanity and death, then mostly death, and then eventually it will have been a self-solving problem.
Anyway, my opinion 😀
Posted by: Sunny Runny Burger | Sep 25 2025 15:28 utc | 21
Germany seems to determined to lead the onslaught
Politico:
🇪🇺🏴☠️🇩🇪🇺🇦👉🇷🇺 Brussels has gained a powerful ally in Germany in its controversial initiative to transfer up to €172 billion of frozen Russian assets to Ukraine.
Berlin said it was open to “new, legally sound” options for the plan. Its essence is to transfer billions of euros of Russian assets held in a Belgian depository to Ukraine and replace them with EU—guaranteed bonds.
Now Germany is putting pressure on other countries to enlist their support.
❗️In case someone didn’t understand… The thief Merz proposes to give 170 billion dollars stolen from the Russian people to the thieves in Kiev and pin this debt on the European taxpayer – sucker. Who will tolerate everything
Hmm
❗️🇺🇸 The head of the Pentagon urgently called hundreds of generals and admirals to a meeting without explanation, writes the Washington Post.
This caused confusion and panic, as earlier this year the Trump administration fired many high-ranking officials, the newspaper notes.
One of the interlocutors said that people are worried and do not know what it means.
🇺🇸🏴☠️🇺🇦 Trump was informed about an alleged planned offensive by Ukraine, which would require intelligence support from the US, reports The Wall Street Journal.
Interesting synchronicity?
🇷🇺 🇷🇺 Europe is trying to covertly deploy weapons on the border with the Russian Federation, said the head of the State Duma Committee on Defense, General Andrei Kartapolov.
As the head of the State Duma’s defense committee noted, the movement of aircraft from the UK and France has already been recorded.
“They (the Europeans) don’t have enough spirit yet, of course, for something more serious. But we must understand that under the guise of this chatter, there is a covert deployment and preparation for the redeployment of aviation and air defense assets to the border with Russia and Ukraine. We are closely monitoring the situation and are already recording the movement of a number of aircraft from France and the UK.”
Z seems emboldened and UvdL on a war path by nagging DT to his doom
Video in English
🇺🇦🏴☠️👉🇷🇺 They [Russians] must know where the bomb shelters are; if they do not stop the war – they will need them, — Zelensky
Finland seems to be pulling things together too for a more determined confrontation
🇫🇮🏴☠️🇺🇦 The military component of Ukraine’s security guarantees is being developed and is practically ready, said Finnish President Stubb.
According to him, the main responsibility for security guarantees will lie with Ukraine and the Ukrainian army, which will be supported by Europe.
Posted by: Jo | Sep 25 2025 15:44 utc | 27
The White House: Trump’s comments on Ukraine’s borders are a strategic move to intensify negotiations, not a major change in his policy.
@ukr_leaks_eng
The Polish Armed Forces do not have the right to independently shoot down aerial targets outside their own territory, but the government wants to grant them this capability by amending the law to allow them to shoot down objects over Ukraine and Belarus – Gazeta Wyborcza.
The amendments to the law are expected to be made soon.
@ukr_leaks_eng
Zelensky is ready to step down after the war ends.
The leader of the Kiev regime himself stated this in an interview with Axios.
He also allegedly promised to ask the Ukrainian parliament to organize elections if a ceasefire is achieved.
@ukr_leaks_eng yeah yeah yeah with his “profits”
Details..considering Macron and Belgium previously said theft of the dosh would
Really create international financial crisis..taken three years to try and work this out.
The Brazilian-Chinese plan for Ukraine calls on the UN Secretary-General to gather peace advocates and create conditions for negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.
Brazilian President Lula da Silva stated this from the UN podium.
@ukr_leaks_eng
Does this mean there is no faith in USA Russian dialogue although Russia serms-?????-content in some ways dialogue is continuing?
A Ukrainian delegation will travel to the United States in a few days to negotiate the legal aspects of the agreement on joint weapons production, announced Ukraine’s Ambassador to the United States, Olga Stefanishyna.
@ukr_leaks_eng
The Ukrainian Armed Forces’ Space Forces will be created by December 31 of this year, reports the Ukrainian newspaper “Yuridychna Gazeta,” citing a government action plan submitted to the Verkhovna Rada.
@ukr_leaks_eng
Zelensky insists that Trump trusts him much more now.
Putin shared information with Trump that was far from the truth. Now Trump trusts me much more, he said at a briefing.
@ukr_leaks_eng
Posted by: Jo | Sep 25 2025 15:58 utc | 34
Gen Kellogg’s remarks & assessments have currency among the European/Brussels elite, the U.S. warmongers and the neo-Nazi regime in Kiev.
He is incentivized to continue repeating, w. faithful Dan Cain by his side, the tired refrain: Russia is losing.
A variation on this, for occasions when Gen Kellogg really wants to spruce things up, is: Ukraine has already won.
These refrains are a variation on Lady vdL’s “Russia’s economy is in tatters, in tatters, I tell you” from April of 2022.
Gen Kellogg has the 4 stars—pause while Col Macgregor rolls his eyes—but in many ways he is every bit as uninsightful as Kaja Kallas.
It matters not at all among the European/Brussels elite, the U.S. warmongers and the neo-Nazi regime in Kiev whether the mantra “Russia is losing” has any relationship to reality.
They, w/ Gen Kellogg as their leading light, can’t be troubled by a small, piddling thing like reality.
What’s interesting is that DJT has hit upon a winning strategy for this quadrant of NATO, the EU and the U.S.’s homegrown neocons. It took him 8 months, but he has finally figured it out.
Just stating that “Ukraine has already won, because Russia has already lost” can be very liberating.
Of course the weapons will still flow, as the EU foots the bill, so there’s plenty of contracts for the MIC to ink and money to be made hand-over-fist.
Saying that “Ukraine has already won, because Russia has already lost” does not change the trajectory of any given FAB-500 dropped on a Ukrainian drone operator’s nest in Lyman.
But it keeps the pressure off DJT.
Everyone already knows that Russia will secure a military defeat on the battlefield, but why would it be necessary for anyone in D.C. or Brussels or Kiev to say this-?
Posted by: steel_porcupine | Sep 25 2025 18:03 utc | 70
The kissingerarians have been spinning this All week as if “free thinking” people are stupid.
There’s no better example of this than Gilbert Doctrow and the right wing nutters who think Trump is capable of 5D chess. Even though the man is a complete idiot and Nothing more than a grifter.
These Kissingerarians, no matter what Trumps says tries to spin it into Trump is just fabulous and a right wing god.
It’s selective hearing pushed by their own ideology and confirmation biases. They’ll bump absolutely anything that is right wing.
In otherwords, ANY new information that is received is immediately morphed into pre conceived held beliefs.
Mainly why they voted for Trump and how they perceived Trump on the campaign trail. No matter what he has done since. Which is normally the cimplete reverse of what he promised.
This does not matter to Kissingerarians.
Nothing matters as new information is immediately turned into pre conceived beliefs. They completely ignore any outliers that interfere with this process.
They are dumb you see, as a bag of spanners.
America is NATO and funds the majority of NATO. So when Trump says NATO can have all the weapons it needs and use them for whatever they want.
That’s exactly the same as the US continuing to fund Ukraine. America is still the main supporter of Ukraine.
This is completely ignored by kissingerarians. Trump supporters as they transfer any new information into their pre held belief system. A master class in selective hearing and discarding anything that does not mirror their own ideology and Confirmation biases.
These right wing fools are drowning in their own GROUPTHINK!
Posted by: Clouds Of Alabama | Sep 25 2025 19:18 utc | 85
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