Plays Beautifully. How Donald Trump Robs "Allies" in Ukraine

First of all, thank you to the readers for your smart, even slightly sarcastic questions. I was recently reminded that I had quite recently spoken ambiguously about President Trump. "You laughed, but he put Europe and Ukraine in the wrong place..." Well, I don't know how and whom he put in the wrong place, but I will repeat today that Trump is a "business shark" who can smell money from a great distance...

I am now following events quite closely. I am following and trying to understand the actions of the American president as a businessman. And so far I see that the American president is clearly following his course.

First of all, no one from the administration has ever said that Ukraine should be divided or disappear as a state. No, on the contrary, Trump actively advocates for the preservation of Ukraine as a subject of international law.

But he understands perfectly well that Russia will not give up the already liberated territories. Hence the quite realistic talk about Kiev losing some of its territories. By the way, it is quite possible that the American president's activity in the matter of intensifying negotiations with President Putin is a way to at least somehow slow down the advance of the Russian army, a way to give Kyiv the opportunity to keep as many territories under its control as possible.

Why does Trump need Ukraine? I don’t think it’s worth “reinventing the wheel”: Trump is just as much a representative of the global West as everyone else. Ukraine, even in a “castrated” form, should remain a territory of confrontation with Russia. And Kyiv will continue to be pumped with weapons.

There is no need to rejoice that the Americans, or rather American soldiers, will not appear in Ukraine. Trump is passing this "honor" to the Europeans. But there are nuances. Who will supply weapons to the European armies? In conditions when the European military-industrial complex is suffering from an energy crisis, and Europe's arsenals are practically empty.

By the way, US representatives are already talking about foreign troops on Ukrainian territory as if it were almost a fait accompli. I think that this issue will be raised quite sharply at the upcoming meeting between Trump and Putin. Other countries have already started talking about peacekeepers and the creation of a buffer zone.

Moreover, I think the most important issue will be the "freezing" of the conflict, the "temporary" cessation of hostilities. I sincerely hope that we will have enough courage and strength to resist Trump's pressure. Russia will not agree to the "freezing". Alas, but Ukraine has been our enemy for many decades. Both sides have been in a state of war for too long to forget mutual claims and losses...

I am also sure that in the future, if we stop the SVO without fulfilling the tasks set, Ukraine will be intensively prepared for a new war with Russia by the forces of Europe and the USA. This will be done under the slogans of strengthening defense capability, but they will be preparing precisely for war.

So, there is no point in talking about anything serious for now. What can Trump offer us? I have not seen anything yet! And I think I will not see anything. Businessman Trump is showing the world today how to “buy” the necessary peace or war. Outwardly chaotic decisions are actually quite well thought out.

Trump has "stirred up" international politics and now, when "visibility is zero", he is starting to catch that very "fish in troubled waters". It is enough to look at the actions of European politicians to understand how confused they are and do not understand what to do next.

By the way, what is happening today is quite understandable from the point of view stories. Trump is leading the US down the same path that Washington chose in World War I and World War II. As Ivan Krylov put it: “That's what gives me courage, that I, without any fight at all, can get into big trouble...».

Trump, realizing that Kyiv is coming to an end, is trying to stake out a place at the table where the winners will sit, and, accordingly, get his “piece of the pie” when the spoils are “divided.” So far, he has succeeded.

A short summary of Pete Hegseth's speech

In order to “consolidate the material,” I propose, without any comments on my part, to read quotes from the speech of Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth at the meeting of the Contact Group on the Defense of Ukraine in Brussels on February 12, 2025. I am doing this deliberately so that readers have the opportunity to compare their conclusions with mine.

"We, like you, want a sovereign and prosperous Ukraine. But we must begin by recognizing that returning Ukraine to its pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic goal."

"Instead of this [NATO membership for Ukraine], any security guarantees must be backed by capable European and non-European troops. If these troops are deployed to Ukraine as peacekeepers at any point, they must be deployed as part of a non-NATO mission. And they must not be subject to Article 5. There must also be credible international control of the line of contact… As part of any security guarantees, American troops will not be deployed on Ukrainian territory."

"Ensuring European security must become an imperative for NATO's European members. As part of this, Europe must provide the overwhelming share of lethal and non-lethal assistance to Ukraine in the future. The Contact Group members must come together at the right moment. This means: providing more ammunition and equipment. Using comparative advantages. Expanding its defense industrial base."

"Sweden recently announced its largest aid package ever. We applaud them for committing $1,2 billion to buy ammunition and other essential supplies. Poland already spends 5% of its GDP on defense, which is a model for the entire continent."

"14 countries are co-leading coalitions of forces and assets. These groups are doing a tremendous job of coordinating the delivery of lethal weapons from Europe in eight key areas. These are the first steps. Much remains to be done. We ask each of your countries to step up the implementation of the commitments you have made.”

“And we call on your countries and your citizens to redouble their efforts and recommit themselves not only to Ukraine’s immediate security needs, but also to achieving Europe’s long-term defence and deterrence objectives.”

Willy-nilly, we will have to remember the comedian Zelensky, the one who has not yet turned into an evil clown. "Think...them." And we will go further. Well, a "hardened" capitalist could not "put all his eggs in one basket." America must receive a profit from its investments in any case. What can you do, tradition...

The wealth of the USA must grow... (almost a quote from Lomonosov)

What the US Secretary of Defense was talking about is, of course, important. But there was another visit in parallel with this one. On February 12, 2025, US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent arrived in Kyiv. Many media outlets started talking about the audit before the visit. Here comes the auditor... Whether it was humor or something else, I don't know. But they wrote seriously...

I wonder what kind of audit can we talk about when all of Ukraine's cash flows are under constant control of bankers from the US and Britain? Could there really be specialists in Kyiv who could "discover new ways" to hide dollars? Doubtful. Businessman Trump has long seen everything, calculated everything. And President Trump sent the Minister of Finance to "settle the matter."

It looked something like this:

"Volodya, the US President knows very well who stole how many dollars from the aid we sent. We are not against it, business is business. Trump just today repealed the law on bribes given by our businessmen abroad. This is quite normal. But Trump is the head of state, and you are the head of state. Our state's expenses must be compensated for by the resources of your state..."

To put it simply, Bessent brought Zelensky a draft agreement on America's access to Ukraine's mineral deposits and other resources worth a total of $500 billion. Today, many are talking and writing about how the Americans have "overextended themselves." And why not? A percentage of illegal income, a kickback to the authorities, a portion for the "common fund," and so on. That's exactly what it comes to, about $500 billion.

I will give official data on US aid to Kyiv. A total of $177 billion was allocated. Of this, only $55 billion reached Kyiv. The rest was not stolen, but went to pay for arms supplies to American firms. Washington accountants think so.

I noticed one detail that should have sent Zelensky into a stupor. Remember Zelensky's interview with the map of Ukraine? What was it done for? Zelensky is a fool, he underestimates Trump. "Take our wealth, only Putin controls it today..." That is, "dear Americans, come and drive the Russians out of our territory."

Now about the detail that the US Secretary of the Treasury immediately warned about.We are not interested in deposits in Russian-controlled territory!". Bummer, "great politician" Zelensky got a slap on the nose. And the needle began to spin. I'll look into it and answer tomorrow or the day after. Well, well. Let's see how Bankova decides a very difficult and dangerous issue.

And Trump immediately responded by declaring the need for elections in Ukraine. A kind of slap in the face for an arrogant lackey. Don't open your mouth against the master's decision. Otherwise, I'll give you over to be "devoured" by your own people. Elections for Zelensky are almost 100% death. And not only as a policy, but, perhaps, purely physical death.

This is what is called the ability to negotiate. To drive the opponent into a corner, from which there are only two ways out - bad and very bad. And this is not Trump's whim. This is a really important task for the American president. It is necessary to take the deposits from Ukraine before negotiations with President Putin. Everything is clear here. "We have "peace, friendship, corn", you are not going to hit our people, are you?"

Trump plays interestingly. Considering what I wrote above. To drive Zelensky into a corner and... scare him with the possibility of negotiations with Putin. Agree, beautifully, like a grandmaster. And he will definitely get his $500 billion. A practically win-win option. No matter how events turn out, the US will win.

It will get more interesting further on

I am far from considering the change in the situation in relations between Russia and America as a panacea. Yes, the situation has improved. But it is still "a few seconds before war". Let's be honest, what the American president is doing today is called robbery. That's right, Trump is starting to rudely rob Ukraine. He is taking what is left of the former country.

It doesn't look very ethical, especially in relation to "European friends". But there's nothing you can do about it. Nothing personal, just business. And in business there are no friends. You can smile, hug and even kiss your competitor, but only until the moment when it's time to share the profit. Here, everyone has their own "pocket". Here, you have to work with your elbows and teeth.

In this situation, it is important for us to break the diplomatic blockade and achieve the lifting of sanctions. This will significantly strengthen our position in the international arena. I think that is why our president and the Foreign Ministry are acting so cautiously, especially against the backdrop of Trump's "madness". A horse that is quick at the start rarely comes first to the finish line.

Comments

[north 2]

In my opinion, if up to 1000 Ukrainian soldiers are dying in Ukraine every day, then it will be very difficult to lure soldiers from EU countries to lay down their bones there. And who will command them, if it will be NATO troops? What, Ukrainian generals? Well then the Poles will choke on pride. English generals? Well then the French will revolt from bile. Or maybe the generals of the Baltics? So they will be told - they sent a whole company from the Baltics to Ukraine, but are they going to command an entire contingent?

[Uncle lee]

What the American president is doing today is called robbery. That's right, Trump is starting to rudely rob Ukraine.

Zelya will grind her teeth down to the gums from anger, and that's it - the process has begun...

[Ezekiel 25-17]

There is a game called "musical chairs": the point is who will take the last chair. All of Europe and Zelensky are now in a state of tossing and turning: there may not be enough chairs. It is known that two have already firmly saddled them, these are Russia and the USA. It is also known who will definitely not get a place: this is Ukraine. As for the rest, and what about the rest: hope dies last...

[parusnik]

So the article was written based on the texts of "sarcastic" commentators. And as for the lifting of sanctions and international recognition of the annexed territories, there is no hope at all.

[AAK]

"...in this situation, it is important for us to break through the diplomatic blockade and achieve the lifting of sanctions. This will significantly strengthen our position in the international arena. I think that is why our president and the Foreign Ministry are acting so cautiously, especially against the backdrop of Trump's "madness". A horse that is quick at the start rarely comes first to the finish line... (c)"
In my opinion, the last paragraph is the quintessence of the entire article, but as always there are a few "...But...":
- let's assume that the USA is sort of "for", but the whole of Europe is exclusively "against", so where is the "breakthrough of the diplomatic blockade" here?;
- the lifting of sanctions, although at first very, very partial, will only happen if an exclusively American (well, maybe American-European and a little Ukrainian) point of view on the outcome of the negotiations and provisions of the peace treaty type is accepted, but then the internal situation in Russia threatens to give birth to such a child, in comparison with which the "Wagner march" will seem like a pioneer competition of formation and song. If our people do not lie down "under the mattresses", then the sanctions will only increase...;
- for now, the positions of Russian diplomacy "on the international stage" are at the level of approximately the basement floor - the "collective West-East" and some of the "neutrals" are openly hostile to us, for China and India, due to the current circumstances, we are just a storehouse with cheap resources and nothing more, and for both of them, the size of the trade balance with our opponents is several times greater than with us, therefore their final choice in the near and medium term is quite understandable...;
- in my opinion, there are no such "madnesses" on Trump's part, only the "status quo" and the position of the main tiger in a herd of jackals...;
- well, the concept of a "fast horse at the start" can be interpreted in a variety of ways...

[parusnik]

If our people don’t lie down “under the mattresses”, then the sanctions will only increase...;

They will lie down, they will lie down, without if... They didn’t lie down before.

[Dimy4]

In my opinion, everything has already been discussed and decided in behind-the-scenes negotiations, all that remains is to formalize it with loud statements on air and signatures in front of a video camera. Well, and at home we need to convince the people that we have won and the goals have been achieved. Such is the pessimism. Not without reason.

[deathtiny]

Well, for some it’s “pessimism” (they say they didn’t raise the flag over the European Parliament, they didn’t glass London with thermonuclear glass)... for others it’s “optimism” (they stopped the slaughter that brings grief to families and a decline in the standard of living of both sides for decades to come).
but in essence - "realism": neither side can (no matter what the self-proclaimed "rostrums" of the Internet proclaim from their armored cars) achieve 100% victory and impose all their wishes on their opponents. to sit in a dead end of continuous mutual destruction, "but out of principle" - is not very smart...
so, I'm counting on the pragmatism and realism of the leadership of both Russia and the US... (I can only hope for the EU "ideological idealists", unless the Trump team is forced through, they are insane, like the Ukrainian Nazis)...

[turembo]

In this situation, it is important for us to break the diplomatic blockade and achieve the lifting of sanctions. This will significantly strengthen our position in the international arena. I think that is why our president and the Foreign Ministry are acting so cautiously, especially against the backdrop of Trump's "madness". A horse that is quick at the start rarely comes first to the finish line.

But it seems to me that lifting the sanctions will not help us in any way, because sanctions can always be re-imposed. Here, for example, if you have a beautiful wife, she will look beautiful even in the most shabby down jacket, and if she looks like a horse, then even if you dress her in the most expensive fur coats, she will still look like a horse. And unfortunately, our economy is not a beauty, far from it, and no matter how you dress it, it does not become more beautiful, it is too dependent on everything. The international arena will also not be particularly accessible to us even if the sanctions are lifted, the only exception is profitable contracts for the EU, such as gas, although they will still create the appearance so that we again feel that we are our own "bourgeois", and then as soon as we relax a little, we will immediately get a hit on the neck with the famous French bun, and we will hear a characteristic crunch, unless we prepare for the blow during this time, but I deeply doubt it ...

[Vladimir-TTT]

Quote from turembo

But it seems to me that lifting sanctions will not help us in any way, because sanctions can always be reimposed.

In this case, thoughtful work on the mistakes would help - at least from 2013-14. Earlier would be good too, but oh well.
Big words about import substitution - but in fact the budget is being cut up to support these words and the further destruction of our own industry.
And, of course, since 22 - how sanctions really affected, what turned out to be simply bad, and what was really bad.
But in order to work on mistakes, they, the mistakes, must first be acknowledged. And not just "oh, we were deceived again" - but with specific names and surnames, without regard to ranks and height in the pyramid of power.
But this will never happen - because it never happened. Only in Stalin's time did they pay a higher price for such serious mistakes - but Stalin is the only one like him in history...

[Alexey Lantukh]

But in order to work on mistakes, they, the mistakes, must first be acknowledged.

Well, we (Russia) got our faces slapped. It is unlikely that we will continue to "buy everything abroad". So, we will have to develop our own industry, including the military-industrial complex. We will not live more comfortably (for the majority of the people) any longer.

[Dutchman Michel]

No one from the administration has ever said anything to the effect that Ukraine should be divided or disappear altogether as a state.

But keep it in mind

[tralflot1832]

Donald Trump is not the Donald Trump of 2019. He has not been sitting idle for 4 years - the first thing he did in 4 years out of power was to subjugate the Republican Party. And he sat in an ambush, watching the Biden administration's magnificent work to put Europe on its knees. The Democrats were 146% sure that Trump would not come to the White House. But then Pennsylvania happened!!! And an OOPS occurred, from which the Democrats never recovered. By the way, Trump thanked Pennsylvania without spending a penny - by introducing duties on steel, the headquarters of US steelmakers just happens to be in this state. Ukraine is not the main thing for Trump, it's to tease Europe - you resisted here, and I will skim the cream. The main thing for Trump is to put Canada and Denmark on their knees, in the north of the United States there is the entire periodic table. By the way, when Trump came to Paris for the opening of the temple, he made a statement that few people in Europe noticed. The essence of the statement is that something is wrong with you here, you do not want to unite in any way into transnational companies under the patronage of US banks. All the money to overcome the consequences of covid under Biden flowed into US banks, and these are huge sums. Guys, in Europe, you are already on two knees and do not need to be indignant that I will exchange the remains of your statehood (industry) for beads (dollars). We will see - Trump's team has 11 billionaires who made themselves and it was not for nothing that they came to Trump, for his pretty eyes. Something like that.

[steelmaker]

"So far I haven't seen anything! And I don't think I ever will."
"Social networks are discussing a video recording in which our column with red flags in the Kursk region is being destroyed by the enemy. The sky over Pokrovsk is for the Ukrainian Armed Forces
There is also alarming news coming from Donbass."https://dzen.ru/a/Z7LCik6u0FuNB4x7
"In this situation, it is important for us to break the diplomatic blockade."
Lavrov went to negotiate in Saudi Arabia. It was under Lavrov that Domassky Island, Georgia, was given to the Chinese, now there is chaos in Abkhazia. It was under Lavrov that Banderaism flourished in Ukraine, it was in Donbass that they killed for eight years, and Lavrov only repeated: "There is no alternative to Minsk." It was under Lavrov that we have no flag, no anthem, and we "scoop up" shame. During his entire reign, Lavrov never did anything to protect the interests of the country and the people. And they send such a guy to negotiate. In the best case, Russia will remain with its own, but I think there will be a cunning deal with surrender or concessions to Ukraine. No one will give us Kharkov and Odessa without a fight, much less Kursk. With such rulers, the last would not be lost!

[kor1vet1974]

In this situation, it is important for us to break the diplomatic blockade and achieve the lifting of sanctions.

Few people want to understand that the UN Assembly adopted a resolution recognizing Russia as an aggressor, and not vice versa. It is from this position that the West will talk to Russia and therefore they will not lift sanctions, do not recognize the annexed territories as Russian. Even when the SVO began, I wrote that this was the wrong step, that the breakaway territories should have united into one state and fought, with the support of Russia, with an application in their pocket, to join the Russian Federation, that it should have been a civil war between the regions. Because it leaves room for maneuver. Then many thought that in three days all of Ukraine and everywhere would be met with flowers. However, in the end, the Donetsk region was not completely liberated and battles are underway to liberate part of the Kursk region. They have trump cards in the form of sixes in their hands. The leadership of Russia, why is taking this step, understands perfectly well that further delay of the SVO is no longer possible.

[Maks1995]

Ah, another populist "explanatory note".
just so as not to mention the interests of the oligarchs

[sdivt]

What kind of audit can we talk about when all of Ukraine's cash flows are under constant control of bankers from the US and Britain? Could there really be specialists in Kyiv who could "discover new ways" to hide dollars?

I believe that the target here is not Kyiv, but the US Democratic Party.
Trump's team is looking for irrefutable evidence of corruption by its rivals. And they will find it, of course.
And Kyiv is just a bargaining chip in their games.

American soldiers will not appear in Ukraine. Trump is passing this "honor" to the Europeans

How to know, how to know ...
Trump has quite specifically outlined his priorities - rare earth deposits in Ukraine
And there are not one or two of these deposits. And - attention! - each deposit will be guarded by a limited contingent of the US Armed Forces
And these are nothing more than veiled US military bases. The same Matryoshka doll, only in a different sarafan...

[Vik ganz]

sdivt (Vyacheslav), listen to the geological exploration specialists. They laugh at these "deposits" of rare earth metals. And they say, what kind of deposits appeared on 404? And they cited "Goering's Album" as an example.

[nordscout]

To put it briefly and to the point: I want to sleep and I feel sorry for my Motherland....

[Ivan Ivanovich Ivanov]

Otherwise, I will give you over to be "devoured" by your own people. For Zelensky, elections are almost 100% death. And not only as a policy, but, perhaps, purely physical death.

It won't work. It won't be possible to hold elections under the outskirts' constitution - it will have to be changed first. And the Nazis with weapons won't let anyone hurt them - they need a war.

[BAI]

And why not? A percentage of illegal income, a kickback to the authorities, a share in the "common fund" and so on. That's how it comes out to about $500 billion.

I will cite official data on US aid to Kyiv. A total of $177 billion was allocated. Of this, only $55 billion reached Kyiv.

They allocated 177, I received 55, and now I owe 500. Good business

[Oleg Plenkin]

Trump's task, as well as those "Republican" subjects who stand behind him, is to keep Russia within the "framework" of the resource oligarchic periphery, and the huge "squirrel cage" that has already earned the West, over the last 30 years, about 14 trillion dollars, and the constantly growing wild "Papuasia", with a dying Russian population, degrading infrastructure, and, subsequently, in ANY form, as a "fulcrum" of the mattress, which is twitching in the mainstream of the elite policy in the USA. It makes no difference, "elephants" or "donkeys". Because their showdowns are not for us. We are prey for them. In any case.
The task of the Russian "peripheral" financial and trade oligarchy is to "develop" into a "regional" oligarchy and form ITS OWN colonial Oikumene in the regions bordering it, and in the regions critically needed for energy resource profiteering. Since ANY super-rich resource oligarchies develop extensively. That is, through the seizure and redistribution of large, market-valuable property all over the world. This is how all imperialist bourgeois states developed. The USA, Great Britain, France, Germany... Even the Netherlands had external colonies. In the framework of legal relations of domination of large private commercial property and the state, there is no other scenario for Russia, in my opinion. And the fate of the poor and the destitute, in such oligarchies, is to twist, until they die, the "squirrel cages" of other businesses, and kill their own kind for the interests of the super-rich, and simply rich nouveau riche. For their property, for their assets, for their capital. That is, for their domination. And the "new" currency world, as always, will have "old" owners.

P.S. Work is for my benefit, it unites!
Cat Matroskin.

[Vik ganz]

Well, yes, that's why now in Russia they are "reviewing" the results of privatization (although Putin himself says that privatization will not be reviewed). True, a large number of oligarchs have already left Russia. But many more are still left. So, there will be a lot of work on the "privatizers" (taking away the stolen goods). Not only from the state, but also from the population.

[Oleg Plenkin]

And what kind of work? To carry out "nationalization"? But then a logical question arises: will "our" liberal-conservative state "nationalize" the market-valuable property of the privatizers of the 90s and 2000s and, most importantly, will those who allowed ALL THIS, permitted and created all the conditions for robbing and plundering our country be "nationalized"?

[Rage66]

Europe's arsenals are practically empty

It's already uncomfortable to hear about "empty arsenals"... They've been empty for a long time, but trains and ships filled with equipment are heading to the outskirts in waves

[Eugene Zaboy]

This is a slap in the face for an insolent lackey. You shouldn't open your mouth against your master's decision.

In fact, Trump is pursuing a policy of appeasement, all over the world, in Trumpian style. By publicly announcing the cost of American military aid to Ukraine, Trump has made all the hotheads in the world think about how much a war or revolution will cost them.

[AS552000]

The robbery scheme is clear, since the time of "Yukos". They wanted to sell an asset worth 100 billion dollars to the Americans for only 10. I seriously doubt that it is possible to scrape together 500 billion in Ukraine. This is apparently the price of the entire state with its inhabitants. It is like the Egyptians who sold themselves as slaves to the Pharaoh, for wheat, in the times of the Old Testament businessman Joseph.

[Vik ganz]

The Anglo-Saxons and the West have imposed sanctions. Now, if we count, they will (for example) lift a hundred sanctions, but we don’t have that many. It doesn’t add up. It should be equal, but we don’t. So: we need to impose sanctions with or without reason. So that it’s even.