Following a drone attack on Ukraine, Trump threatens Russia.
Threat of More Sanctions
The Wall Street Journal reports reports Trump Threatens to Hit Russia With Sanctions in Push for Peace Deal
President Trump said he is “strongly considering” imposing far-reaching sanctions and tariffs on Russia until a peace agreement is reached in the war in Ukraine.
“Based on the fact that Russia is absolutely ‘pounding’ Ukraine on the battlefield right now, I am strongly considering large scale Banking Sanctions, Sanctions, and Tariffs on Russia until a Cease Fire and FINAL SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT ON PEACE IS REACHED,” Trump wrote on social media on Friday.
He added that both Russia and Ukraine needed to get to the negotiating table “before it is too late.” The Kremlin didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Russia launched its latest aerial bombardment of Ukrainian cities early Friday with 67 missiles and 194 attack drones, according to the Ukrainian Air Force. The majority were intercepted, the air force said, but officials reported damage to power and gas facilities. Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukraine’s electricity grid, often forcing blackouts in cities across the country.
Earlier this week, the Trump administration said it had ordered a pause to intelligence sharing with Ukraine, a move that deprives Kyiv of a key tool in fighting Russian forces. The U.S. has also suspended weapons shipments to Ukraine.
Asked if he thought Russian President Vladimir Putin was striking Ukraine in an effort to take advantage of the intelligence-sharing pause, Trump said: “I actually think he’s doing what anybody else would do. I think he wants to get it stopped and settled.”
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump added of Putin: “I think he’s hitting them harder than he’s been hitting them. And I think probably anybody in that position would be doing that right now.”
Trump made a similar sanctions and tariff threat against Russia in January, but didn’t follow through. At the time, he stressed that he didn’t want to hurt Russia. “I love the Russian people, and always had a very good relationship with President Putin,” he wrote.
The efficacy of Trump’s threat of tariffs is questionable. Russia exported about $2.9 billion worth of goods to the U.S. in 2024, according to Census Bureau data, down from $29.6 billion in 2021, before the war started.
I question Russia export data because it is not in easily traced dollars. I would bet that oil alone is double or triple the official numbers.
But it’s weapons to Ukraine, not sanctions, that would better get Putin’s attentions.
However, there is no chance of weapons to Ukraine until Zelensky signs a mineral’s deal with Trump. Once that is done, there will be more pressure on Putin.
Meanwhile, Zelensky should take this as a signal that Trump has not totally abandoned Ukraine.
Related Posts
February 16, 2025: Why is Trump Leading the Ukraine-Russia Peace Talks Without the EU?
Because 1) no one else has a plan, 2) Trump’s plan is likely to work, 3) the EU would screw it up.
February 24, 2025: Ukraine Already Lost the War But the EU Hasn’t Figured That Out
A negotiated settlement, land for peace is what I said in 2022. Terms now include mineral rights.
February 28, 2025: Trump-Zelensky Meeting Implodes, Trump Says “Come Back When You Want Peace”
Put a minerals’ deal with Ukraine temporarily on hold, but Zelensky “has no cards”.
March 4, 2025: Zelensky Seeks Deal One Day After Trump Cancels All Aid to Ukraine
Yesterday, Trump paused all military aid to Ukraine after a disastrous meeting with Zelensky last Friday. Now what?
The “now what” is Trump is pressuring Russia too, albeit mildly. But Zelensky needs to sign a deal before Trump does more for Ukraine.
Absent the meeting implosion in which all sides are to blame, Trump has handled this at least reasonably well, and arguably very well.
In his handling of Ukraine, note that Trump Goads Germany Into a Budget-Breaking Increase in Defense Spending.
The settlement that is unconditional surrender is being negotiated right now. Hard to imagine how those unmotivated, conscripted Russians, fighting with shovels, are winning. Stealing parts from washing machines, running out of missiles many times. All too farcical. They wanted to regime change Russia in order to steal resources, they failed. Feel free to pay for or fight in that loser mission. Nobody is stopping you. Just leave me, my kids & my country out of it.
“You can see Russia as a threat,” Maine Representative Jared Golden
America/Israel/UK/NATO Are The Threat/Terrorists.
USAID – About Propaganda – Coups – Color Revolutions – Regime Change – BioWeapons
Russia Gate Hoax (Clinton Foundation) – Plandemic Medical Tyranny (Gates & Fauci BioWeapons) – January 6th PSYOP (Matrix Agent’s Everywhere) – Never Ending Wars (Warmonger$$$ Everywhere)
By Way of Deception – Thou Shalt Do War” – Victor Ostrovsky,
Ex-Mossad Agent, Translated the Motto
Israel Is An Aircraft Carrier/Beach Head in the Middle East
For NATO – Robert F. Kennedy Jr
Hamas was Created by Israeli and US Intelligence Services to Counteract Yasser Arafat – Ron Paul
The BRIC Nations Will Eventually Tire Of The US/UK/Israel-NATO Belligerence.
“That Many Nations Would Disappear From the Face of the
Earth – That Russia Would Be the Instrument of Chastisement
From Heaven For the Whole World.” Sister Lucia of Fatima 1957
it’s time, actually long past time, to face reality. Russia is winning this war and there is nothing, short of all out nuclear war, that can prevent a Russian victory. prolonging the war only insures more death and destruction for no plausible reason.
In the USA, we have an old expression: “give me liberty or give me death”. The plausible reasons are simply liberty and dignity. Maybe these aren’t important concepts to E. Europeans. And apparently not to a lot of Americans anymore.
if you were the one at risk i would gladly concede you the right to insist on liberty or death. but of course you’re not at risk. you are sitting comfortably at home, sipping on your beverage of choice and insisting that other people die to suit your preferences. how about this: stop being an armchair warrior and go to ukraine and fight yourself. talk is cheap, jon. the ukrainian army would love to have you.
The Ukrainians lost their liberty in 2014 with the American organized coup.
Why is it not an option to say that we (US, Nato, Europeans) will go in full throttle, with air and land and marine assets to retake all of the stolen land. And go in and “shock and awe” them like we did in Afghanistan and Iraq? And then we’ll talk cease fire with Russia? Announce that we don’t want any more, or any less, than the borders before Russia illegally invaded. Just like we did with Kuwait back in the day. Why does it have to be Nuclear?
I feel sorry for the Ukrainians men forced into uniform and combat against their will. Ukraine is not a Democracy.
Impressive that these reluctant warriors managed to decimate Russia’s much larger army. And sure, Russia is a thriving Democracy.
Democracy is a narrative. Apparently, USAID was used as a front to interfere in other countries politics. Not to mention that Democrats tried to prevent Trump and RFK Jr. from being on the ballot. “It’s only democracy if people vote the right way.”
The same trusted news surces informing you about Russian losses and Russia’s state of democracy also perfectly explain how those losses happened, it wasn’t so much because of how good these reluctant warriors are but because Russians have been fighting this war with shovels and washing machines’ microchips led by a man who has died 29 times and has faced popular revolts 35 times.
Ukraine came 92nd in the most recent Economist democracy index which is a “hybrid regime”. This lower score was largely down to corruption. Zelensky was elected on an anti-corruption ticket and has being doing relatively well in this regard including sacking key military people who have been caught syphoning funds during the war. In contrast Russia came 150th with absolutely no spark of democracy evident. In addition Zelensky is more popular in Ukraine than most Western politicians are in theirs. So they were heading in the correct direction – one of the key reasons that Putin did not want them to exist in this emerging state.
Also remember it is Russia that has had to enact conscription leading to many fleeing the country. They have enough demographic problems as it is.
A key Kremlin talking point is that Ukraine’s democracy is not legitimate. However for a country still emerging from the shadow of the USSR it is doing way better than Russia. If you have any counter factual information then really keen to hear it.
Do you think that Ukraine has no draft? Keep dreaming.
I don’t think it’s wise to bully Russia, even if President Trump does not follow through with the sanctions. It seems like our present government and previous ones are/have been doing everything possible to ensure the success of BRICS. President Putin is one of the most sensible and rational leaders of any of the World’s governments. Can’t we just be reasonable? A little kindness, such as giving Russia back its $300 Billion in US treasury securities would be a step in the right direction.
Russia kept just a few dozen of billions of bucks stateside. Most of its foreign reserves abroad were in € in Brussels.
a few dozen billion here, a few dozen billion there, after a while it starts to really add up… then they start hitting you with late fees and phoney charges and pretty soon you gotta get a 2nd mortgage to get a latte at Amazon or whatever..
Trump will certainly return whatever the USA holds in the next few weeks.
Watch the Manchurian Candidate again.
So now we know full well how those Trump-Putin negotiations went last month.
Putin told Trump to get the f off.
Putin doesn’t care about Trump anymore then he cares about Biden. He is winning war, so no chance he is going to negotiate with Trump until he gives him total surrender.
Trump of course will not admit failure so he invented this mineral deal to move attention away form peace talks debacle and also to put all blame on Zelensky, typical Trump move.
Right now he is slowly realizing that world is a little more complicated then presented in MAGA/QAnon bubble, little annoyed he is.
Again everybody, including Mish was celebrating here how USA is going out of Ukraine, such a silliness.
Trump is a big baby and he likes to play all toys, and Ukraine is absolutely a beauuuuutiful one , he can brag and boast and play alpha men all he can there. How could he just drop it, such a waste.
Also recession is coming and external affair is absolutely necessary to move attention away form USA problems.
That’s wishful thinking. Putin is one of the more competent world leaders and is aware of what’s going on. He is aware that Trump is not Biden. It’s not a matter of “caring”, it’s a matter of evaluating. The Biden regime was a rudderless America driven by special interests in the bureaucracy; the Trump 2.0 board of directors (which is what it really is), is a different animal altogether. Putin is only just winning, but still winning, and obviously trying to step up and grab as much territory as possible as momentum builds for a forced conclusion. Putin can see full well what Trump is doing, and vice versa. Zelensky is an irritant, but has no real power and is being forced to the table, because if he doesn’t he will probably be deposed one way or another, and that removal will be less risky to him if it’s by the US rather than by his own side or by the Russians. Trump has now committed to this, and he will push harder and faster to get a deal, and he has a sense of urgency about it because he can see other threats on the horizon. It’s far better to have Russia contained or even compliant, when dealing with Iran or China. So Putin does have some leverage, but also if he pushes it too far he can force Trump to retaliate hard, economically, which is America’s real power (the US military isn’t really that good, just large and wealthy). I think Trump will get a mineral deal of some sort, and claim it as a victory, he will pay for it through humilating NATO and European powers like France. The next stage might be US bases in Poland, Russian bases in the Donbas, Crimea, and Belarus, and East Prussia, with some non-aligned countries forming a Ukraine peacekeeping force. Perhaps some randoms like Brazil and Indonesia – both of which want to be thrown an economic bone by the US. Russia contained, Trump can then turn on Iran with Russian acquiesence, and set the stage for the next confrontation, which is most likely to be with China, albeit economically for now.
Trump barely remembers what he said the day before.
But you have big plans for him, lol.
Putin is clearly “competent” at killing his political opponents and at bombing children hospitals in Ukraine. But I take your point that Putin is more aware of what’s going on than Trump (not that that is very difficult).
The US military, for all of its incompetence, would have taken the Ukraine in a couple of weeks. The Russian military, under Putin’s leadership, is the definition of incompetence.
you must be psychic to know so much from so little information.
Just read a bit psychology books about narcissists and all we will be so clear to you.
Trump is there not for you or anybody else. He is there for himself only.
I “think” Trump is doing the smart thing and I “think” it will work. Both sides, IMHO, would love a reasonable exit from the conflict that saves face. Note that a day after Zelensky got wonderful promises from a bunch of very stern-faced European leaders … he came back to Trump. If virtue signaling could defeat Putin … then Europe is your preferred ally. If you need a serious threat that can be a diplomat or a junkyard dog … that is the US. Trump is trying to make it painful for both to continue to make peace that much more attainable. We shall see … but I believe that Putin is still chuckling about Europe’s “boots on the ground and planes in the air” statement.
Trump has no negotiation power against Putin. The US proxy war came up a cropper and the US looks weak.
Russia won. Ukraine lost. That is the bottom line.
Zelensky had a deal with Putin in place prior to war but he decided to go with the US because the US has been such a stand up ally since the US empire began.
Russia now has new real estate in W. Ukraine, including Crimea and the US will have to accept that Ukraine never joins NATO. There will be no EZ or EU for Ukraine either.
As the Donald told Zelensky he had no cards to play and by proxy neither does Trump. This tariff negotiation tactic is a threat that won’t play with Putin.
If Trump were smart, he’d take Kenny Rogers advice from the song The Gambler and know when to fold’em.
So I guess you didn’t watch the Biden presidency and see the incompetence of his puppet masters (he was mentally gone but key people played the role of president). I also guess it matters not to you that 1 president in the 21st century did NOT see a Russian invasion and actually did not see any new wars among major players and actually wound down several conflicts. When your politics outshines your logic … you might want to reconsider.
So I guess you can’t refute that the Donald should fold’em?
Try staying on topic and stop with the straw man.
Biden is no longer president. The topic is the subject of Mish’s article, not Biden or Trump’s prior administration that left Biden with a recession and the worst management of a pandemic of any advanced country in the world regarding Covid.
You win, all that peace under Trump was horrible … all the wars under Biden were great … and if Biden creates peace in Ukraine … it will also be horrible. I should have seen that.
Forcing Ukraine to surrender so that Trump can build a hotel in Moscow is not a valid peace.
Valid schmalid. Ukraine can surrender now or after they’ve lost more men and more territory.
But that is THEIR choice. Not Trump’s. Congress sets foreign policy in the USA. Sadly, the Republican side appears to have abdicated that responsibility to Trump.
And to forestall any likely argument from you, I ran the question of who controls foreign policy through Perplexity. Now you can go complain to it.
I believe “War & Peace” was slightly shorter than your comment.
Brevity is key to being read in a society where a tweet is considered an article.
In this case, a comprehensive answer was more appropriate.
However, if this is too much reading for you, you can run it through an AI and ask for a summary. Or let me provide it for you:
It’s in the BOLDED section at the bottom of the post.
“But that is THEIR choice. Not Trump’s. Congress sets foreign policy in the USA.”
The President sets foreign policy. The State Department falls under the executive branch. Trump’s choice is Trump’s choice and Zelenski has little choice but to go along with it, as he holds a losing hand without aid from the U.S.
Read the damn text before posting your usual BS. YOU ARE WRONG.
Zelensky reeks of being an eastern european kamikaze bent on destroying his own nation for a relatively small pile of gold.
I do believe the power is getting to him … unwise people have erased his questionable past and turned him into the globe’s greatest hero. I could see that being intoxicating.
its already a casino, where you gamble with your life daily. Whats wrong with adding a hotel?
Forcing the end of a war Ukraine cannot win in the first place. How was a provoked war valid?
i’m not sure you understand that “rules” and “war” are mutually exclusive terms.
I’ll take a W.
Keep up with the non sequitur. It looks good on you straw man.
Take that W. Anyone who thinks Trump did nothing for the peace he saw and Biden did nothing for the international sh–storm he created is obviously a legend in his own mind anyway.
Straw man, You’ve graduated to Scarecrow.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nauLgZISozs
according to a suit filed by the Missouri AG, every order Biden signed, save one, was done with an autopen. A device to mechanically produce a signature.
The only document bearing his own signature, was his agreement not to seek the presidency for a 2nd term.
Who was wielding the autopen for those pardons?
His wife, who reminds me of Woodrow Wilson’s wife. I don’t think Woodrow Wilson was capable of very much in the last year or two of his presidency either.
His brown tongue is how Trump negotiates with Putin.
You are good with the jokes.
It wasn’t a joke.
Not quite… Russia’s economy has taken a battering. Russian interest rates have risen to 21%. It’s a kind of victory, but not a decisive one. If they continued they might be able to grind out a full conquest, but really it’s a long haul, and destructive to all sides. The global economy is dictating what happens next. Putin would rather have a closed chapter with being a points winner in this brawl, rather than leave it dragging on after his death with the risk of his legacy being causing a Russian defeat. Both men have egos to tame. Russia, as is it’s historical norm, can resist assault for much longer than most other countries, and this little war is not big enough to end Russia, but it’s still doing damage. Victory for Russia would be the total conquest of Ukraine, but that seems far off reality. Grabbing some land, and not losing is close enough to winning for Putin to fold. Trump has already committed to ending this, so America’s economic might will be directed towards achieving that goal, and Putin can tolerate that outcome.
US interest rates should have been 22% also. This expansion of money supply has devalued the dollar against tangible necessities. Otherwise called inflation. For most necessary items the dollar lost 40% of its purchasing power in the last 4 years. Perhaps the Russian central bank studied the Volker Doctrine.
in which case, interest rates should be negative to balance that loss of purchasing power, not higher.
No doubt BidenFlation had a big impact. When you look at the rise in the indices, Biden looks brilliant. When you factor in inflation … not so much. I hope Trump can get the economy roaring without the accompanying inflation … Not sure how best to do that … I hope he’s got the right people around him for that.
“Russia’s economy has taken a battering.”
No, it hasn’t. Russia’s GDP growth rate per Trading Economics is over 4% annually after ’22 or the year the sanctions started. This is higher than the US and W. Europe.
https://tradingeconomics.com/russia/full-year-gdp-growth
As for the 21% interest rate, the Russian central bank (RCB) has raised rates due to inflation and the Ukrainian- Russian War. Once the war ends and sanctions end as a condition of peace, rates will most likely return to their historic rates after a disinflationary period.
Putin is not interested in conquering W.Ukraine. Putin has remarked on several occasions that he invaded E. Ukraine due to ethnic Russians dying due to the genocide committed by the Azov Battalion, i.e., Ukrainian Nazi Party, and other affiliated Ukrainian National Guard and militia forces.
Approximately 750,000 ethnic Russians have also immigrated or returned back to Russia due to the genocide committed by White racists from W. Ukraine.
The global economy will not dictate what happens next. Russia won. Ukraine lost. By proxy the US, NATO, and W. Europe also lost.
Putin does not care one iota what the West thinks about his legacy.
US economic might is waning as is its empire. Trump and the US will have no say what happens in Ukraine regarding peacekeeping troops, regarding boundaries, borders, DMZ, etc.
Trump armed Ukraine before he lost the ’20 election. To his credit, he wants to end the war. The US will have to accept whatever Putin dictates the terms will be. When a country loses a war, they don’t dictate terms against a regional hegemon.
I can imagine Zelensky being forced to retire in Montenegro or somewhere, to just generally f off, because he is a tool (in both senses) and no longer serves a purpose.
I’ve always thought a small island would be his proper final home.
Napoleon was banished to the remote island of St. Helena in the South Atlantic. Zillow says its still available.
Who is going to believe this? Is this a one man show? Because sure looks like it.
It’s a three ring circus: the White House, Congress and the Pentagon.
CNN, Associated Press, New York TImes, thats the 3 ring circus. They drive the Klown Kars to work every day.
Wait, I thought he was Putin’s puppet? Can any leftist chime in and help explain this.
Sure. Trump just said the opposite about Putin and Russia of what he said (30 minutes?) before. I don’t think even Putin takes him seriously.
Putin isn’t as stupid as you, though…
Why are you constantly so rude and aggressive on here. Do you teach your kids this behaviour?
This is the new very fake and temporary and insecure “toughness” this bunch displays constantly. It serves all sorts of internal psychological needs, and that is why it was so easy to sell them on it. Ruff tuff keyboard warriors.Hopefully they are spending enough on symbolic tuff guy trucks to keep the economy going.
Trump is desperately fishing for that Nobel Peace Prize and Putin doesn’t want to play along.
cmon they gave Obama a peace prize and he was a war monger. The Nobel Peace Prize is rarely awarded to people that bring peace, its an Ironic honor developed by a man with a guilty conscience who developed a method to kill more people, more quickly.
Dynamite..
Biden wanted an agreement with Iran in a matter of days four years ago. He betrayed Saudi Arabia, imposing an arms embargo over the old time ally while Houthis attacked their cities and refineries. The ayatollahs laughed and invaded Israel.
Now Trump makes the same mistake. Goodbye european and canadian allies while Putin plans his next move.
The russian zar isn’t smarter. Yesterday the new german chancellor didn’t rule out to get atomic weapons. An angry German is certainly dangerous.
An angry german (actually Austrian) was dangerous 90 years ago … now Europe is a paper tiger.
Europe is actually a museum now.
cheap paper, too.
But an angry German with a broken economy is just an angry German… how are they going to summon up nuclear weapons without US consent, and after ditching nuclear power – think through the loblogic of your speculative fantasies.
They are developing a “Green Bomb”, its recyclable, and it doesn’t have a carbon footprint or produce any ozone.
So far they have spent a billion dollars and have produced a firecracker that only works when the sun is shining and comes in a package with a 500 Euro deposit required on purchase.
They call it the Angela’s Wet Fart, in honor of the great stateswoman Angela Merkel.
So, the first country that deployed the V1, V2 rockets and the jet fighter in WW II, and scientists that helped American scientists develop the first atomic bomb and put the first men on the moon and is the largest economy in Europe, can’t develop a nuclear weapon with a war head and a missle to launch it?
Germany and Japan can build a nuclear weapon in less than a month.
Trump has burned a bridge with the Left, moderate and conservative parties in Germany except Musk Rat and Darth Vance’s reactionary Right AfD.
What do you think are the odds EU actually moves this war “hot” given they’re broke and in need of a “reset”? As the Western welfare states exhaust themselves, isn’t that usually the preferred way out?
-0-
Macron can talk a good game, but Poland is on the front line, and so is Romania Hungary and Finland, and the Baltics… perhaps Macron ought to consult with them before writing cheques he can’t cash?
never underestimate the stupidity of a european politician. – attributed to an European Banker.
If Trump is as good a negotiator as he claims and as patriotic as he claims, he would seize on this opportunity to negotiate peace, ensuring Ukraine’s sovereignty and security going forward while making sure that a post-Ukraine war Russia is less belligerent and moving forward with reforms so that it can be a better neighbor and trading partner with the democratic “West.” That would start with Putin resigning and a free and democratic election of a new leader. This is what a strong U.S. President would do.
You need two to tango to have peace. If the parties aren’t willing then even the best negotiator can’t force them.
Yes, and the Eurocrats seem to be the most aggressive belligerents in this. The EU and adjacent states are becoming more like the former soviet ogres that NATO was formed to fight, what’s the incentive for the US to support the declining levels of freedom and democracy in Europe, whether it’s in the socialist UK, the corrupt EU, or corrupt semi-democracies like The Ukraine?
Like the sentiment but attempting regime change isn’t a great idea. However by letting Putin come out of this looking good we are letting down the people of Russia. I’ve done business there and love the country but it is tragic how they are subservient to their corrupt leadership.
If he’s patriotic, why would he care about the “sovereignty” of some made-up farway country like The Ukraine?! What’s in it for the USA? minerals, perhaps, but antagonising Russia when Russia is more useful as an ally against Iran and China, surely that’s more in US interests, and thus “patriotic”.
“But to be freedom’s protector, to be a force for good, we must, above all, be strong.” Ronald Reagan
Russia is more useful as an ally. A Putin led Russia will never be an ally. Putin is ideologically opposed to everything that it means for a nation to be free and democratic.
Never say never…
I wonder if any of you have run the numbers on Ukraine and Russia’s sustainability when it comes to manpower. If the war goes on for another year if you compare Ukraine’s losses to its cohort of available fighting age men you see that is approaching that of the armies on the Western Front in WW I. Russia is in a better position but still not enough to escape a true demographic collapse. Ukraine is basically already there. Now one might ask that faced with this possibility the waring parties would make peace but as in WW I passion overcomes logic in war. Russia faced with the shortfall could if they offered the right conditions get a couple of hundred thousand Chinese troops if necessary. Ukraine could do the same with European troops although I doubt the Europeans would go for it could possibly happen if the passions run high enough.
WW I started in an obscure Balkan country and consumed Western Civilization. I look at this and it’s deja vu, another obscure country and another civilization-consuming useless war.
Yes, and a consumer of Lives (lost)!
that’s implied, civilization is the sum of our lives.
Russia could fall back on friendly autocratic states in Asia to bolster manpower, and give them some battle experience. They don’t have to worry about opinion polls, unlike autocrats in Europe, or the cannon fodder electorate in America. I’ve seen plenty of young Russians and Ukrainians outside those places, trying to stay out. I can’t see many young Europeans getting involved, especially not the islamic and african immigrants – who would see that as an opportunity to get rapey in Europe with all the indigenous men deplete – hey wait.. maybe that’s the plan? Replacement?
“Meanwhile, Zelensky should take this as a signal that Trump has not totally abandoned Ukraine.” He’s a clever one, our president. Does any former American Ally now trust the former US hegemony? At any rate, the US military and its deliverable nuclear weapons (Trump’s holding cards … which Ukraine earlier gave away for durable security promises) will support the petrol-dollar for a bit longer … All countries: now hear this: Nuclear Weapons Arm-Up … good for world stability and peace in our time.
Does anyone trust anyone these days? It’s not as if Eurocrats like Macron or morons like Starmer are honest or competent.
Ukraine never owned nuclear weapons. Just like Germany and Poland don’t own nuclear weapons even though they are stationed there.
Thought we already tried the “strong sanctions” with Biden
Does this mean that the US will stop importing uranium and oil from Russia this time?
Do any American politicians live in reality??
Russia has had sanctions and sanction threats since the beginning of this war.
They have ploughed ahead because their national security and future is at stake. They don’t care, you already fired that bullet.
How about offering them what they have wanted and asked for since LONG before the Ukraine war even began.
The West had their chance in December 2021. The war in the Ukraine will end when the Kremlin ends it on its terms.
Russian leaders as far back as Gorbachev had security concerns about NATO being expanded to Russia’s borders but they were rebuffed time and again starting with Bush41 in 1990. Ukraine is in the unfortunate position of being squeezed by two superpowers.
Stick manoeuvre is blunt and not effective now.
Time for Carrot Manoeuvre.
One thing all should have learned by now is to ignore EVERYTHING Trump SAYS, and only pay attention to what he DOES.
The funniest remark was “both Russia and Ukraine needed to get to the negotiating table “before it is too late.””
Too late for what? Russia is going to win under all circumstances. Whether we help Ukraine, put more idiotic sanctions on or not
Just walk away is the best solution. It is the Biden Puppets CIA/MI6 war. Do not make it yours
Just pull out
“just pull out”.
Wise words.
unless you are at a railroad crossing with a 3 mile long train in your path.
Trump has put absolute maximum pressure on Ukraine and none on Russia so I fail to see how you draw the conclusion that Trump has done well. You claim that he doesn’t need to as he knows Putins red lines. What are those red lines? Come on explain Mish. What we are heading towards is the US getting minerals and Putin getting a puppet in Kyiv. I get that suits Trump and the US fine but explain the moral in that to the Ukrainian families who have lost sons.
“I fail to see how you draw the conclusion that Trump has done well”
What were the odds of a deal under Biden and what are they now?
Hint. Biden did nothing in 4 years,
What is your measure of success?
Agree totally about Biden. However Trump seems to be headlong into giving Russia a lot of its demands. Success to me is a sustainable peace. If aggression is rewarded and the US is seen as unreliable you run a big risk of countries thinking they need to develop nuclear capabilities. I don’t buy the idea that this is 1939 and Russia will continue its march. However it will move to control Moldova, play with Estonia and cause Europe to go back to narrow national self interests. I don’t agree with prolonging the war with more weapons but I do think that the US could do a lot more on sanctions, use of seized funds, block on semiconductors etc. At the moment Trump is enabling the Russian press to largely claim victory thus giving Putin absolutely no incentive to go to the negotiating table. The upcoming session in KSA could well turn out to be just a PR coup for Putin. Watch the Russian press reviews on YouTube. They show what a comfortable position Russia is in now.
One third of Ukrainians are Russian so the two countries shouldn’t be fighting to begin with. They have essentially been the same people for a thousand years.
True. Although if you are Ukrainian why wouldn’t you aspire to have democracy in your country, a longer life expectancy, lower corruption, politicians who don’t fall out of windows etc. They can see how Poland or the baltics improved after freeing themselves from CCCP. Plus, Russia hasn’t exactly got a good track record of looking after ukraine. Highly recommend James Norton in the film about Stalins famine. There are lots of Ukrainians living here in Europe…you should try talking to them.
How do you think I know? We have a lot of Ukrainians living around here.
I bet putin is shaking in his boots as he knows trump’s threats are worthless.
This time, Trump’s tweet was able to effect a short-lived 1.5% plunge in the Moscow stock market index. That’s probably an indication of how much it is worth. It seems no one here takes sanctions threats seriously any longer.
Never fear, the dear leader will reverse or contradict himself within 24 hours. And then flip flop again. He has no idea what he’s doing, whether it’s about tariffs or Ukraine or anything else.
“But it’s weapons to Ukraine, not sanctions, that would better get Putin’s attentions.”
This approach failed miserably for three years, and over a million are dead. It also failed miserably in Vietnam.
It worked on (the original) Star Trek, or at least they implied it was the only acceptable alternative. Star Trek is a television show. ☮
There are no more weapons and they cannot be replaced fast enough. Russia produces more weapons in three months than all of NATO in three years. And for a fraction of the price.
The US is #1 inn trannies, though.
I’m sure we could destroy the entire Russian Fashion industry with our army of trannies in a bare 6 or 7 years, depending on how many vacations they take and how many Tranny Story hours we can book at the Moscow Library system.
I suppose it’s a good thing that no one has imposed any strong sanctions heretofore.
Just wimpy sanctions and weak sanctions.
Duh.
Sanctions are rapidly molding as a useful weapon from what I’m seeing.
Yes, the sanctions rarely affect Russia directly anymore.
However, they do affect all the other countries of the world that the United States continues to abuse and threaten.
Don’t say you weren’t warned after reading this.
On Wednesday — and I can’t believe I’m saying this with a straight face — Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, made a big show of landing at the border of Mexico — which is a pretty remarkable thing all by itself. Why would people in charge of our national defense be meeting there?
https://www.mind-war.com/p/martial-law-on-420
A big show.
What a mishmash of a website! Hard to believe anything they write. Looks like it was written by a 3rd grader with all kinds of garish colors and fonts of different sizes and colors.
I bet it was written by “Casual Observer”
“Casual Observer” is that Joe BIden’s new codename?
you have to wear your “secret glasses” to decode it, Each color tells a different story, Old school spy stuff. most of the website is actually printed in lemon juice.
I wasn’t warned…