Posted on 03/02/2025 4:24:05 AM PST by MtnClimber
This column was lightly edited and reprinted with permission from Victor Davis Hanson’s X account.
1) Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy does not grasp—or deliberately ignores—the bitter truth: Those with whom he feels most affinity (Western globalists, the American Left, the Europeans) have little power in 2025 to help him. And those with whom he obviously does not like or seeks to embarrass (cf. his Scranton, Pa., campaign-like visit in September 2024) alone have the power to save him. For his own sake, I hope he is not being “briefed” by the Obama-Clinton-Biden gang to confront President Donald Trump, given their interests are not really Ukraine’s as they feign.
2) Zelenskyy acts as if his agendas and ours are identical. So, he keeps insisting that he is fighting for us despite our two-ocean distance that he mocks. We do have many shared interests with Ukraine, but not all by any means: Trump wants to “reset” with Russia and triangulate it against China. He seeks to avoid a 1962 DEFCON 2-like crisis over a proxy showdown in proximity to a nuclear rival. And he sincerely wants to end the deadlocked Stalingrad slaughterhouse for everyone’s sake.
3) The Europeans (and Canada) are now talking loudly of a new muscular antithesis, independent of the United States. Promises, promises—given that would require Europeans to prune back their social welfare state, frack, use nuclear, stop the green obsessions, and spend 3% to 5% of their GDP on defense. The U.S. does not just pay 16% of NATO’s budget but also puts up with asymmetrical tariffs that result in a European Union trade surplus of $160 billion, plays the world cop patrolling sea-lanes and deterring terrorists and rogues states that otherwise might interrupt Europe’s commercial networks abroad, as well as de facto including Europe under a nuclear umbrella of 6,500 nukes.
SNIP
VDH ping
Excellent summation. The only point I might add is that Putin wishes to form an economic arrangement with the US as well. A strategic economic partnership would make war and territorial aggression against Russian interests. That is a much sure path than the quartering of troops in the Ukraine.
I think this is going to be seen as similar to the Suez Crisis in 1956. At that time, France and the UK were still mostly considered to be Great Powers (they were on the winning side of WWII, right?) So, when a pipsqueak named Nasser from a nowhere place like Egypt tried to talk tough, it was obvious that France and the UK would dominate the situation, right? Well, when Eisenhower declined to participate, the world found out that France and the UK were paper tigers. Weak. Egypt beat them both.
Today, there is the sense that Europe, as a whole, can prop up Ukraine. But they can’t. Without Trump, Ukraine has nothing. The whole continent of Europe has fallen into darkness and weakness and everybody knows it. Weak and decadent.
“I hope he is not being “briefed” by the Obama-Clinton-Biden gang to confront President Donald Trump,”
We already know he was. ZY doesn’t have a brain in his head; he’s a follower, and he follows the wrong people
He’s the bomb!
bttt
“Hope for a rearmed Europe? Pray for a Democrat House and a third Alexander Vindman-like engineered Trump impeachment?”
I have always been convinced that Zelinsky helped the impeachment of Trump at the insistence of Victoria Nuland, Samantha Powers, Anthony Blinken, and the rest of the Obama ‘tools’, who engineered his rise to power in Ukraine. When Trump asked Zelinsky to help him, This little Nazi saw his chance and set the whole thing up with Democrat help, Rino help, and Vindman’s testimony.
Think of all the truth logic and reasoning released if Victor Davis Hanson had a newscast.
Europe still views the US as their ‘Colony’, to be exploited for their benefit.
Europe still views us as their ‘colony’. Always have. The Globalists have always relied on that premise.
“, I hope he is not being “briefed” by the Obama-Clinton-Biden gang”
VDH knows that’s exactly what is happening.
It’s very satisfying to see that under Trump that point of view is not working out for them.
VDH also alleged that the optics were bad as it looked like two big guys were picking on a dwarf.
Oh, BShtte! Pull yer head out, VDH. Optics are something only commie trash care about. Zy went into this after already having refused to sign the minerals agreement. This is one reason DJT said that Zy lacks any cards in the game.
The little Ukrainian thug walked in thinking he was still in charge and only had to deal with children and mental defectives. Pi$$ on him and his cabal of US supporters.
There’s no way Trump was surprised by what happened in that meeting. The Trump team knew there was a good chance Z would do exactly what he did. After all, Z has been pretty consistent: ‘I am the most important person in the world. I’ve got my finger in the dike, and without me, the whole world collapses. Gimme, gimme, gimme.’
He’s already balked twice at this deal, so Trump and company knew there was a good chance he’d renege again, especially after all of Trump’s enemies, the Democrats, got done telling Z to keep his finger in the dike, no matter what.
Trump decided to let Americans see what we’ve been funding, and what their leader thinks of us. Good for President Trump.
Excellent point.
bttt
p
Not in that article. Cite your source.
” Putin wishes to form an economic arrangement with the US as well. “
Not until he settles for peace with Ukraine and ditches Iran and North Korea.
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