https://x.com/Evans_Wroten/status/1882250147901628507

https://x.com/Project_Veritas/status/1892567459820970303

https://www.eenews.net/articles/epa-green-bank-recipients-lose-access-to-citibank-accounts/

A great deal of Trump’s aspersions are directed at Zelensky in order to smite, discipline, and motivate the Eurocracy to get off their own sweet assess and stand up for their own Europe!

I get his anger and angst here. But does anyone in or reading the the propaganda Media get it? Doubtful.

I would hate to end up believing that Trump is dumping on Zalenskyy in reaction to the failed effort to find dirt on Hunter Biden and thus Joe Biden, but such revenge would be partly understandable after what the Biden “regime” put him through.

I also had not heard that Ukraine was all that flush with mineral wealth, but rather that they were generally agricultural in the mid and west areas, but more industrial in the east. If they do have substantial rare earth or other minerals we desire for our high tech world, it does make sense that the US (and some European?) support could and should be reimbursed via that mechanism. But those returns still need to remain proportional to the levels of support received, not become excessive.

I basically agree with you. But Trump drives me crazy sometimes with his mercurial nature and huge mouth. It also gives his opponents lots of opportunity to hate him further – which, personally, causes social angst in my life with certain acquaintances and loved ones.

And if he really does end up utterly selling out Ukraine I will be very upset.

physicsguy:

I’m glad to hear you say that. It validates my similar impression that this Trump is different, more mature, more relaxed, even funnier than the Trump who ran in 2016 and 2020.

Trump has been through the fire and it has burnt off a lot of the nonessentials. He has become a hero.

Martial law gives the government extraordinary powers.

Here’s a few of them (from Wikipedia):

On 26 February, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko declared a curfew from 5 pm to 8 am every day to expose Russian subversives.[31] The curfew was lifted on 28 February after a two-day search for Russian commando forces.[32]

On 20 March, President Zelenskyy signed a decree that merged all national television channels into one platform due to martial law.[33][34] That same day, he signed a decree suspending the activities of eleven opposition political parties, citing claimed ties to the Russian government, throughout the duration of martial law; the parties included the pro-Russian Opposition Platform — For Life, the second-largest party in the Verkhovna Rada, and other, smaller ones.[35][36][37] On 22 May the Ukrainian parliament extended martial law for another 90 days and automatically renews from that point on.

If Russian influence is so pervasive in the 80% of Ukraine Russia doesn’t control, there isn’t much hope for Ukraine.

The best estimates of Ukraine’s current population is 31.1 million in the 80% that Ukraine controls.
About half of the original population (6 million) of the 20% Russia controls left because of the war, which leaves around 3 million people. Some/many/most of those remaining likely were sympathetic to Russia. We don’t know how many remained that are/were loyal to Ukraine and they would have no way to participate in an election.

Approximately 12 million Ukrainians left the country at the beginning of the war and could vote by mail.

Ukraine government completely controls the media; opposition parties are banned; at any time authorities could impose curfews to root out any outside influences.

The bottom line is most Ukrainians could participate in an election or a referendum. The ones that remained in occupied areas would have no realistic way to participate. The vast majority of Ukrainians would be able to participate.

It’s mainly one commenter here who hates Trump, and he has made many comments on this thread (and today’s Ukraine thread) so far.

I have criticisms and reservations about Trump, as I have always had. I think that’s true of most of the other commenters. I call each move of his as I see it. Most of his actions so far have been positive. I’m willing to reserve final judgment on his policy for Ukraine till I see what the deal really is. But his recent statements are very concerning, although they may merely be his opening moves to get Putin onboard.

Many of those approval ratings of Trump’s are higher than when he won the 2016 election as well as when he won the 2024 election. You’re not making much of a point.

For example, immediately prior to the 2016 election, the Gallup poll’s result for Trump’s approval rating was 34%. He won that election, you may recall.