Disappointed In You Orange Man
Zelensky Has No legitimacy To Make Deals
One of the travesties of the current state of affairs in the Ukraine conflict which few are talking about is the fact that the rare minerals/fossil fuels deal (discussed here) requires the Ukrainian people to bear the cost of the war. Yet, this proxy war using Ukrainians to fight Russians was instigated by the West for the benefit of the West and has decimated Ukraine’s male population. So, I see no reason why ordinary Ukrainians should pay: they have paid enough in blood. Trump claims that it is only fair that the US gets its money back for all the military aid it has provided. No Donald, it is not fair at all. This has been the West’s war and you should take responsibility for the mistakes made and expenditure incurred by your predecessor rather than trying to shift all the blame onto Zelensky.
Zelensky and his cronies should be punished but not the Ukrainian people, most of whom have been duped into fighting a war that they could not possibly win. The Europeans should also shoulder their share of the burden because they went along with the Democratic Party’s policy since Maidan when they could have chosen to resist.
JD Vance opined that Ukraine would cease to exist without US assistance but he should also be admitting that Ukraine would never be in this mess if the US hadn’t pushed it in the direction of war for its own benefit.
Karlof from the MoA (22nd Feb 2025, post 43) sums the situation up nicely:
Yes, what we're seeing is a massive narrative campaign by Team Trump to absolve the Outlaw US Empire of its guilt in waging an aggressive war against Russia using Ukraine as both ammo and weapons.
The Russians will be aware of all this: Putin is not stupid.
I think this whole affair calls into question Donald J’s democratic impulses. He has described Zelensky as a dictator and has criticised him for failing to call elections. Therefore, according to Trump, Zelensky does not represent the people. So why on earth is he and his team trying to make a deal with this illegitimate ruler who is obviously under duress and will do anything to survive. It makes good business sense, of course, but it is an affront to democracy. What we are seeing here are not negotiations but bully boy tactics. Donald has rightly criticised democracy in his own country but in order to be consistent he must demonstrate the same attitude towards the democracies of other countries. If he does not do this, he could face accusations of that same American exceptionalism which afflicted his predecessors - though it has been obvious for some time that Trump is no different from Biden in this respect.
The above points also apply to Zelensky as a negotiator yet Trump has said he wishes him to negotiate with Putin. But Putin’s legal mind tells him that Zelensky is an illegitimate President. Putin may talk to Zelensky but I can’t see him negotiating with him because any agreement could be called out as invalid sometime in the future. Any deal made between Trump and Zelensky on minerals could also be called out in similar fashion by any legitimate governance that emerges in what’s left of Ukraine.
Furthermore, we have no idea at this stage how much of Ukraine will be left when the Russians have finished - so Trump has no right to bargain over territories that may not be Ukrainian for very long.
I am not going to fall into the trap of whitewashing dodgy Trump dealings just because they are embarrassing the once great Z - so I had to publish this.
It is obvious that the Trump Administration, in its recent criticisms of Zelensky, is courting the Western public here, converting the once great Z from hero to zero so that his fall from grace will become acceptable or even popular. The Trump Team is actually regurgitating the words and thoughts of many of us who have been critical of the West’s approach to the conflict since February 24th 2022 or even before.
Best wishes
Rob
I should say that since this article was published Trump has said that he is aware that the agreement should be signed by RADA - but the illegitimate Zelensky will also sign.
Unfortunately a majority of Ukrainians continue to support zelensky (if their polls can be believed) and a substantial number want the war to continue. I read their press regularly, and the levels of self delusion are difficult for me to comprehend (yes, I know “the first casualty of war is truth”)
It is a natural human reaction to feel pity for people in such horrendous circumstances, however many eagerly enlisted when they thought they could win quickly and now it’s a slaughter. They, like all of us , have to bear the consequences of poor judgment and wilful blindness. Life judges harshly, very harshly in their case. History is littered with such cases. Having been willing slaves, they will get a slaves wages.
When has the US ever acted any differently? They don't go into a country unless there is gold or other resources to be had. Their thieving of gold has occurred in Venezuela, Libya, Aleppo, and Iraq. Oil and minerals will be taken wherever they can, too.
The US trumpeted loudly under Biden, that the cost of the arms they were supplying Ukraine had to be paid back. Although I have not seen the documentation, I imagine there would be a signed agreement, or agreements, to that effect. So, in fact Trump is following up on a done deal.
The Independent published a map of the regions where Ukraine's 'critical minerals' - £12 Trillion worth - are located. Their source was Forbes Ukraine. The highest concentrations are in 3 areas already in the Russian Federation: Luhansk, Donetsk and (I think) Zaporezhyia. There are lower concentrations of minerals in regions just to the north of there, and in three other regions: northern and western regions, and in the region south of Zaporezhyia. If Trump is going to have US corporations access the best deposits, he will have to strike a deal with Putin, not anybody representing Ukraine. This is probably why Zelensky was sidelined, because the US usually tends to negotiate such deals with whoever is their puppet at the time, regardless of legitimacy.
The US- Russia 'peace' talks have always been about commerce as far as Trump is concerned, wanting the best financial deal for the US. American corporations are also going to re-invest in Russia.
It is abysmal what has happened to the Ukrainian people. Russia has already replaced thousands of apartments that were destroyed, especially in Mariupol, but this doesn't bring back the hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians killed in this futile war.
I fervently hope that Zelensky, and the Right-wing shits around him, plus anyone else who stripped Ukraine of its wealth, have their ill-gotten gains taken from them. That should be the first action if the US believes loans need to be repaid.