Summary
Germany’s defense minister, Boris Pistorius, criticized the U.S. for making concessions to Russia before peace talks, particularly ruling out NATO membership for Ukraine and accepting territorial losses.
His concerns were echoed by France’s defense minister, Sébastien Lecornu.
Trump’s recent call with Putin sparked European opposition, with key nations reaffirming their support for Ukraine’s sovereignty.
The Kremlin welcomed Trump’s stance, while Ukraine maintained its NATO aspirations.
While the US could easily veto them joining NATO, there’s nothing making Ukraine accept any deal struck between Russia and the US, who, last I checked, was not an active participant in this war. I don’t know why Ukrainians would just throw in the towel after losing so much. I don’t know if Europe can sustain things at the level of support Ukraine has been getting with US aid, but all the talk I hear makes it sound like the EU will do what it can.
Especially if Trump expects mineral rights or whatever he is going on about. I don’t know why Ukraine would give up such tremendous value to a party that just volunteers them to surrender. Losing more territory to Russia is a possibility if they can’t maintain troop/supply levels, but it hardly seems worth it for them to give up at this moment. It’s been my understanding keeping the pressure on Russia constantly and not letting them recover has been crucial to Ukraine’s success.
It just feels like Trump trying to put himself at the center of attention when he really has nothing to do with this anymore if he’s choosing to stop US aid to Ukraine.
It’s not just about aid from the US, but also maintaining sanctions (and expanding compliance checks) w.r.t. russia.
Good point. I tend to forget about sanctions because they’re not something really visible. I’d say dropping those would be very bad optics for both the government and whichever businesses start selling to Russia again, but that seems to be a very low concern given what we’re doing to our own country at the moment. It just would look like blatantly stabbing Ukraine in the back though. The US seems to be hell bent on making enemies out of everyone and I hate it so much.
I’ve lived in the US before (I am Ukrainian, living in Kyiv) and the impression I get is Americans are taking their current position for granted.
I have met so few actually interested in our own politics, let alone what is going on half a world away. It is very disappointing.
I’m not one to promote fighting, but Russia coming into Ukraine and being 100% in the wrong was a chance for us to do right and actually support the right side of a conflict and really strengthen relations with our allies and deal a blow to a long-time antagonist. It seemed like a thing we could do with no way of coming out of it badly. I wasn’t keen on sending things like cluster munitions that have bad downstream effects, but otherwise it seemed we were sending you things we had but no longer needed, but you all were in crucial need of. The media framed it in dollar figures of aid being sent, which I feel did a disservice with people’s lack of understanding here. It was money that had been spent decades ago, but people felt like it was coming out of their pockets now instead of it being bad economic policy in the present.
Now though, we seem to be taking shots at our allies and preparing to buddy up to our longtime rival so the president can finally get his Moscow apartments built and twist resources out of a beaten up ally for what his fans we feel that you guys “owe” for us helping you out and ignoring you to make peace with your invader. I don’t think we could have made a better new friend than a restored Ukraine, and it would have put us in a good light with the rest of Europe, as if Ukraine compromises in this whole affair, I think that extends more danger to most of Europe, especially other former Soviet states.
If we end up screwing you guys over, I think this will go down as a huge blunder in history, and I don’t think it will take long for the US to feel repercussions, as I don’t see us getting much useful from an unofficial alliance with Russia, and it will ruin our trust with every nation, especially throughout Europe, unless they keep going hard to the right as well, in which case, I don’t look forward to those alliances either. This all seems negative for us now here, and I feel terrible that your country is being treated like this by our government. I felt our nations were really on a great path until the election.
I and everyone I associate with still want you all to succeed. I think what is going on between you and Russia is going to have a huge influence on the whole world in the near future, and I’d rather you get back what was taken from you and end this war successfully than for my country to reap any benefit from the aid we lent you. It should have all been to do the right thing for our friends. If it wasn’t, we deserve the treatment we get from the rest of the world. It will be bad for us, but there has to be a price for stranding an ally.
Thanks for the kind words! We have to collectively makes the most out of a bad situation.
Hegseth said Trump was “the best negotiator on the planet”.
If that’s the case, why are they starting from the position that they’ll yield Ukraine’s territory and will not allow them in NATO? That’s kindergarten levels of negotiating here.
It makes more sense when you realize he’s negotiating not on behalf of the best interests of Ukraine or the USA but on behalf of Putin.
How them Taurus missiles doing?
That’s what I’m saying man. I’m sick of Russia and their interference. I hope someone fights back against Russia/Putin cause it’s clear that our President won’t.
You remember how many times President Carter had to look behind his back while nailing plywood on a construction site? 0
At least logically that’s what I would assume. Now imagine if Carter had put himself in between a tyrant and an innocent nation full of war hardened heroes on the Ukrainian side and evil crazy war hardened criminals on the ruzzian side. 4 years of Bliss.
Unpopular opinion: any peace treaty with Russia is going to require Ukraine giving up land. Russia is already occupying it and the Ukraine can’t retake it, especially if US aid goes away. There needs to be a material change in the war to get Russia to agree to fuck off, it’s not going to be the US getting involved, and I doubt the EU is willing either.
Remember the west giving hitler czechoslovakia before ww2? No? Then go fucking read about it.
Allowing russia to win and then go back to their shithole to breed more cannon fodder is a recipe for another war in a couple of years.
It’s going to take someone to stop them though, which there doesn’t appear to be anyone willing at the moment.
the Ukraine
I am personally surprised that the US did that without even consulting Ukraine. That’s fucking sick.
The next four years would be difficult. I am so sick of people behaving like bullies.
