Posted on 02/20/2025 9:13:04 PM PST by SeekAndFind
President Donald Trump is trying to work toward peace in Ukraine.
Folks on the left seem content with continual war, with us pouring out support Ukraine with no end in sight, with seemingly no accounting. And that if you objected to it or wanted more of an accounting, it was somehow supporting Russia. You can believe Russia's invasion was wrong but still see that that this can't go on without a resolution.
But now under Trump, we're finally addressing that question and talking about options that Biden and many in Congress just didn't want to ever address.
The Trump team got an objection over the approach from historian and Hoover Institution fellow Niall Ferguson, citing George H.W. Bush's statement about the invasion of Kuwait, "This will not stand. This will not stand, this aggression against Kuwait."
"This will not stand. This will not stand, this aggression against Kuwait."--George H.W. Bush on August 5, 1990. Full quote from Jon Meacham's biography. Future history students will be asked why this stopped being the reaction of a Republican president to the invasion of a sovereign state by a dictator.
pic.twitter.com/PuaztoiVaG— Niall Ferguson (@nfergus) February 20, 2025
Vice President JD Vance had a blistering response.
This is moralistic garbage, which is unfortunately the rhetorical currency of the globalists because they have nothing else to say.
For three years, President Trump and I have made two simple arguments: first, the war wouldn't have started if President Trump was in office;… https://t.co/xH33s6X5yf— JD Vance (@JDVance) February 20, 2025
This is moralistic garbage, which is unfortunately the rhetorical currency of the globalists because they have nothing else to say.
For three years, President Trump and I have made two simple arguments: first, the war wouldn't have started if President Trump was in office; second, that neither Europe, nor the Biden administration, nor the Ukrainians had any pathway to victory. This was true three years ago, it was true two years ago, it was true last year, and it is true today.
And for three years, the concerns of people who were obviously right were ignored. What is Niall's actual plan for Ukraine? Another aid package? Is he aware of the reality on the ground, of the numerical advantage of the Russians, of the depleted stock of the Europeans or their even more depleted industrial base?
Instead, he quotes from a book about George HW Bush from a different historical period and a different conflict. That's another currency of these people: reliance on irrelevant history.
President Trump is dealing with reality, which means dealing with facts.
And here are some facts:
Number one, while our Western European allies' security has benefitted greatly from the generosity of the United States, they pursue domestic policies (on migration and censorship) that offend the sensibilities of most Americans and defense policies that assume continued over-reliance.
Number two, Russians have a massive numerical advantage in manpower and weapons in Ukraine, and that advantage will persist regardless of further Western aid packages. Again, the aid is *currently* flowing.
Number three, the United States retains substantial leverage over both parties to the conflict.
Number four, ending the conflict requires talking to the people involved in starting it and maintaining it.
Number five, the conflict has placed--and continues to place--stress on tools of American statecraft, from military stockpiles to sanctions (and so much else). We believe the continued conflict is bad for Russia, bad for Ukraine, and bad for Europe. But most importantly, it is bad for the United States.
Given the above facts, we must pursue peace, and we must pursue it now. President Trump ran on this, he won on this, and he is right about this. It is lazy, ahistorical nonsense to attack as "appeasement" every acknowledgment that America's interest must account for the realities of the conflict.
That interest--not moralisms or historical illiteracy--will guide President Trump's policy in the weeks to come.
And thank God for that.
Finally, there's impetus for change and a real end to the conflict, one that puts our interests first but also is ultimately better for Europe.
We went into this with Europe thinking back in 2018 that we should pay for their defense unequally with NATO, with them laughing at Trump when he criticized them for still buying oil from Russia. That's part of the reason that led to the invasion, along with the weakness and missteps of Biden. There are solutions, and the fact that the Trump team is seeking them doesn't mean they are appeasing Russia.
People cheered Vance's statement.
David Limbaugh called it "one for the ages."
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) said:
Amen. Thank goodness we have a President and Vice President who put America first and acknowledged what has always been the reality in Ukraine. We should pursue a peaceful and realistic outcome, not death, debt, and war.
White House reporter Charlie Spiering said Ferguson "laments the loss of Republican neocons like George H.W. Bush."
Ferguson's response was interesting as he assured Vance that he had supported Trump and Vance and that he agreed with Vance on most of what he said, including his speech in Munich about Europe and the five points he mentioned above.
Well, thank God also for free and open debate.
Having visited Ukraine every year but one since 2011, I think I have an informed and realistic view.
I repeatedly criticized the Biden administration for its failure to deter Putin in 2021 and failure to end the war while Ukraine…— Niall Ferguson (@nfergus) February 20, 2025
What Ferguson said he took issue with was he thought they were conceding too much off the bat, based on what he was reading, including taking NATO membership off the table, conceding territory, as well as a peacekeeping force that could include China.
I earnestly hope that the Trump administration can negotiate an end to this war. But if we end up with a peace that dooms Ukraine first to partition and then to some future invasion, it will be a sorry outcome. To repeat, I agreed with most of your criticisms of Europe at Munich. I would add that the Europeans have talked for “strategic autonomy” for too long without making a serious attempt to achieve it.
But you and President Trump campaigned last year with a slogan that dates back even further than George H.W. Bush’s words that I quoted. That phrase was “peace through strength.”
I would note a few things. Ferguson is assessing things based in part on what he is reading. He's not aware of what's going on in the private discussions.
Further, I think Trump has already made his "peace through strength" clear.
Let's review:
A. He dropped bombs on the heads of Russian contractors in Syria when they fired on a U.S. position.
B. He smoked Qasem Soleimani for attacks on Americans, which is not just a message to Iran but to its partner Russia.
C. He has imposed all kinds of sanctions on Russia and booted Russians out of embassies when they got out of line.
Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine because he knew Biden was weak.
Both Putin and China know Trump is a different kettle of fish, and puts our interests first.
Now Vance has just driven that home as well.
I’m starting to think that by the end of Trump’s second administration we’re gonna be able to put together volumes of instances where JD Vance renders a” blistering response”.
That’s kind of his thing, making leftist and liberals look stupid, and he does it with a smile
Well done.
He delivered that “blistering” line “this will not stand about Kuwait on August 2, 1990.
So if Bush41 is such a sage now, we gonna remember what he said the day before on August 1, 1990? That was when he went to Kiev and warned them that Ukrainian nationalism was a crazy path to destruction.
Bravo Vice President Vance. So nice to see the adults back in charge.
Biden broke diplomatic relations with Russia... to further hide the cognitive decline of his entire inner circle.
What a brilliant choice Vance was for Trump!
I like Trump a lot, but it would not bother me if Trump gets his agenda through quickly, rights the national ship, including a balanced budget and then retires just after the Red wave coming at the Midterm elections making JD the incumbent.
JD is a better speaker and debater than Trump. I think he’s a better leader too. I’m on board for something like a Vance/Paul ticket today.
In Kuwait we had the people and hardware to wrap it up in 100 hrs. Ukraine doesn’t have that advantage, and we don’t want boots there.
We’ve also given away the majority of our tube artillery and anti-armor missiles, with no benefit. Time to stop the shooting and restore our supply.
The European and Asian democracies must seriously consider that the U.S. is not a reliable ally.
Regarding VP Vance saying that Russia is overwhelmingly superior to Europe, this isn’t true.
Population: NATO not including the US - 630 million; Russia - 145 million
GDP: NATO not including the US - $25 trillion; Russia - $2 trillion
Military Expenditure: NATO not including the US - $500 billion; Russia - $110 billion
Military Personnel: NATO not including the US - 2.1 million; Russia - 1.3 million
On the home front, the Senate and the House should consider a stand alone aid bill for Ukraine and pass it over Trump’s veto.
Regardless, Europe should man up. Ditto Japan and other East Asian nations. Ditto India.
Ukraine is not worth a single drop of American treasure. It has been a dead man walking since independence. Probably best to prepare and keep our powder dry for the big one and delay it as long as possible.
The moral inequivalence to Kuwait is the enemy and consequence of trying to stop him (Russia).
It is dishonest to claim an agreement like the one coming is not simply apeasment. Not one shred less than what was done with Hitler. I doubt the outcome will be any different.
Even if the war ends it will only be suspended. Biden let the cat out of the bag but it would have come out one day anyway.
As long as Putin lives he will have Ukraine one day and a few other countries.
There can be no peace with either China or Russia or Hamas or Iran or Muslim extremists.
The skirmish containment of the Cold War was only a delaying action.
Global nuclear war will come one day and so long as that weapon remains and the gun is cocked and loaded a tragic mistake or madness is not preventable. One day someone will pull a trigger.
Despots have never been eradicated, never will. They will always only be put down until the next one arises. Evil is resident on earth, always will be and we will struggle against it until He comes.
I hear a helicopter high in this night’s frigid air as I am sitting by the fire listening to Eva Cassidy with the cats. Happy to not live further north. He can only be out for some emergency. So glad I no longer have to go out on lonely stark nights such as this but I was satisfied when I did. If only for the effort to try to do something right. God, how black is the night and bright the stars up there!
And I’m relishing the thought of 8 years of Vance after 4 of Trump 2.0. He’s really looking great.
I remember the GHW Bush administration lying to the American people about “Iraqi soldiers taking Kuwait babies out of incubators and killing them” to emotionally blackmail the public into supporting military action there.
There may have been other good reasons to do it but that tactic of BSing Americans never sat well with me.
First of all, the facts I state regarding Europe versus Russia are not determined by elections. Vance is factually wrong saying that Russia is overwhelmingly superior to Europe. Vance should be more careful. Everybody knows Trump says whatever pops into his mind. Vance is in a position to inherit both Trump’s support and traditional Republican support.
As to the election, we don’t elect dictators in this country. We elect a President in a system of government that has checks and balances. So far there have been few defections from our ranks. But, there is the potential for the solidarity we have enjoyed to unravel on the matter of aid to Ukraine and certain other matters.
Turning to Trump, he deserves a lot of credit for his big win in 2024, and for the Republican Party’s big win of that year. He ran a disciplined campaign and ran ahead of our Senate candidates in multiple swing states. Crucially, Trump won the states of Mi., Wi., Az. and Nv., where our Senate candidates in those states came up short. In comparison, in 2020, Trump generally ran behind our downticket candidates.
Combine Trump’s amazing victory in 2016 with his solid victory in 2024, and we’re talking about a really great politician. Trump doesn’t get half the credit he deserves. Trump is himself amazing. He is a multi-talented person with some very obvious personality flaws.
You make the point that NATO is stronger than Russia and suddenly jump to the conclusion that US aid should continue. That ugly war has gone on for three years. Both sides have paid a high price. Too many Western politicians have become rich over it. If the President can find a way to end it then end it.
Take Turkey out of that mix and what do you have left?
JD is no dummy. IF he got through the liberal Yale and Harvard with great grades and graduated without being scrapped and failed because he was conservative, then yeah, he is no dummy. I am liking this guy more I hear him speak. He just needs real world experience on this level of government. Trump will give him that experience. He can suck up Trump’s knowledge and level of thinking and be able to apply that himself after he runs in 28. He could rule two terms. God would really be blessing us in a mighty way if that happened. We must take advantage of this and make every effort to spread His Word to this lost and dying word. Just read my tag line. I think it makes it clear. If you don’t know Him, today can be your day of salvation. Just Believe!
The last time the President’s party gained seats in the midterms was 2002. The conditions are right for that to happen again in 2026.
Seems like it. The Democrats believe that there's nothing wrong with their party. It's just that their messaging was terrible. So they're blaming it all on Biden/Harris.
So they're doubling down on the woke stuff.
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