Zelensky went "weasel" in front of TV cameras while negotiating with Trump. It did not end well for Zelensky.
From Zelensky's standpoint, he is running out of road to kick the can down. He is running out of Ukrainian cannon-fodder (to be expanded upon later) to feed the Russian killing machine. He is living hand-to-mouth on war-time consumables.
The US green-lighted the Russian invasion when Biden told the Russians the US would tolerate minor incursions by Russians on Ukrainian soil. The Russians did not need any encouragement. Then the US media and politicians acted all surprised and horrified as it happened.
Zelensky knows that he will likely have a short lifespan after he gives up the reins-of-power and have his Trotsky moment. At this point, he is a one-trick pony. He bet all of his poker chips on the war and he has to keep the war going.
Both he and Trump know that if American combat boots hit Ukrainian soil and one soldier or Marine dies, then it will be almost impossible for the US to gracefully extricate itself from the war on the Asian land-mass. That would be very much in Zelensky's favor. It would suck for all Americans.
Committing US troops is a "sticky decision". Once made it is very complicated to reverse.
So, at the last seconds in the Rare-Earths-for-Munitions deal, Zelensky DEMANDED American combat troops.
I am not sure Zelensky had any other viable options. The "demand" was probably floated early in the negotiations for the deal and instantly shot-down. Zelensky NEEDS those troops, so he thought he could bull-through at the last moment, figuring that Trump would cave to save the deal (and face). Zelensky rolled the dice and didn't get lucky, this time.
Regarding running out of cannon-fodder. I was surprised to learn that the Ukrainian military draft applies to men 25 years of age (and older). The idea of lowering the age to fill the manpower gap has been floated but not acted upon. So Zelensky is unwilling to commit HIS country's 18-through-24 year-olds but he has no qualms about demanding that the United States sacrifice OUR 18-through-24 year-olds to save his skin. Pretty bad optics there,
Nicotiana rustica "Limonka"
Time for the money train to stop running. It’s getting dark little Zel, come home.
ReplyDeleteOut if respect for Joe I won't bring up the more unpleasant truths about the little vermin of kyiv.... the whole affair is one sordid tale of international crime, politics, and money laundering.
ReplyDeleteGrand Master Z needs to re-read The Art of the Deal.
ReplyDeleteGrand Master Z needs to stop listening to people like Victoria Nuland and other Obama mischief makers, whispering that he should hold out for a better deal and embarrass Trump to get one. I think that's what happened: He got chumped.
DeleteInterestingly, Ukraine has increased the draft age , I'm not sure if it's 45 or 60, but it's high.
ReplyDeleteBased on people I know who have been there, the draft and commitment to war varies considerably - near the front lines there is a huge impact and every eligible man has been drafted; further West that is NOT the case.
Ukraine is running short on men, but so is Russia. Neither country is doing combined arms well in a war where that is critical. What I've seen says that Ukraine needs better training and military leadership - with that, and the weapons we've already given them, they can do much better.
Jonathan
Not so. The Russians have entrenched 800 000 in the Kraine right now.
DeleteFunny how Europe has not provided all of the funds and troops for their war.
ReplyDeleteSource for Zelensky demanding US send troops please.
ReplyDeleteWhat happens if Russia breaks the cease fire?
Joe was Zelensky source and his source has dried up. He was going into withdrawal yesterday. So close, but his mouth overloaded his butt.
Deletehttps://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-01-22/trump-news-zelenskiy-says-ukraine-needs-us-troops-to-secure-peace
DeleteThere won't be a cease fire until all the conditions Russia has been iterating and reiterating and reiterating, CLEARLY for years have been met. THEN they will agree to a cease fire, with no need to break it. Russia is prepared and able to take the SMO (not war) to the Polish border if the creatures running Crazianistan don't quit sooner.
DeleteSeems NOBODY knows SHIT about history and the USA INC. manipulating Ukraine into the current shit show to "hurt" Russia (break it up, sub divide it, asset strip it and turn it into a third world shit hole, like we started to go in '91-on). Huh, wonder why they would be so opposed to a Western "partnership"?
DeleteThe link below is a talk provided by Jeffery Sachs, Columbia professor of economics, he does a great job walking through exactly what led to Russias invasion of Ukraine. Spoiler Alert… the USA was in it up their eyeballs.
https://x.com/BGatesIsaPyscho/status/1895751157651251687
Ok so are you going to smoke it, chew it; or make a pesticide out of it? Grumpy Old Macdonald
ReplyDeleteMy tomato seedlings are up and ding well. Long wats to the first frost free day however.
ReplyDeleteFYI The Ukraine people who had young folk of suitable military age did get some of their young ones out. They sent plane loads of them over to US and Canada to play hockey in the junior leagues.
It was a smart move if you could swing it.
Gorsh my spelling is bad today??
DeleteRegarding the long wait to frost-free, if memory serves, you live just east of the Rocky Mountains in Alberta. That is a very challenging place to garden and I tip my hat to your perseverance.
Delete-Joe
The US has made a lot of bad decisions regarding Ukraine. Putting our troops on the ground there would be the worst decision possible. It would almost certainly lead to direct conflict with Russia and inevitable nuclear escalation.
ReplyDeleteThe Ukrainian military draft only applies to men 25 years of age and older due to a demographic nadir in the 1990s & 2000s, after the collapse of the USSR. There was a collapse in the birth rate which started in 1989 and bottomed out in 2002. Much of this was due to abortions as women feared the economic consequences of children.
ReplyDeleteUkraine cannot afford to lose any of their post Soviet generation. Look at the Ukrainian population pyramid published in Wikipedia and compare it to the pyramids of Western countries, specifically the U.S. You will note that the U.S. birth rates are starting to fall off, but nothing like what happened to Ukraine after the collapse of the USSR.
Am I the only one who remembers Ukraine agreed to give up thei nukes left there by the dissolution of the USSR at the insistence of the US, UK, and Russia with the promise of Russia to respect their borders as they existed in 1991? Seems like Obie and Joe forgot their duty. Also seems like the Ukranians did okay for the first year or so against an opponent that had about a five to one advantage in forces and at least a four to one in population advantage. Anyway, shades of 1938, there will be peace in our time.
ReplyDeleteYou remember correctly.
ReplyDeletehttps://x.com/BGatesIsaPyscho/status/1895751157651251687
In case anyone’s wondering how Ukraine became the mess that it is here’s a history lesson.
Ukranians demographics from before the war show a steep decline in the number of 18 to 25 year olds. The late '90's were a very bad economy and not many were born compared to previous generations.
ReplyDeleteThere are a lot of people in Kiev who could serve but the press handles don't operate there. Funny coincidence, that's where the largest concentration of NAZI's are.
The US green-lighted the Russian invasion when Biden told the Russians the US would tolerate minor incursions by Russians on Ukrainian soil.
ReplyDeleteWhere is that from?
I have a clear memory of it happening at the time.
DeleteEverybody was horrified. It was one of the "signs" that Biden didn't have both oars in the water. The event quickly fell into the memory hole.
Somehow October, 2021 sticks in my memory but that is a low-confidence date.
https://www.google.com/search?q=the+US+would+tolerate+minor+incursions+by+Russians+on+Ukrainian+soil.&rlz=1C1GCEU_enCA998CA998&oq=the+US+would+tolerate+minor+incursions+by+Russians+on+Ukrainian+soil.&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIHCAEQIRiPAjIHCAIQIRiPAjIHCAMQIRiPAtIBBzQ2MWowajeoAgCwAgA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
Delete