[pierrem15]

Zelensky said he didn't get most of the money because it was spent here, not given to Ukraine. It's not as though we transferred billions to Kiev and then said, "Buy what you need." The money was used for weapons here, for which the Ukraine funds were charged for new or upgraded equipment when they received used or "past its expiration" arms. The Pentagon IG, I think, already raised questions about that, although our own forces benefitted from new equipment.

The Euros should be footing most of the bill, not the US. I see a lot of Trump's rhetoric aimed at forcing them to pick up the tab and do more for their own defense, which is really the first time a US President is doing that. Very good.

I even understand Trump schmoozing Putin with no explicit security guarantees for Ukraine as a good thing to get negotiations started, and I never thought Ukraine would get all of its 1991 territory back.

But trying to force an immediate ceasefire when Russia can just restart hostilities when it has rearmed means Ukraine gets nothing. It would have been smarter to make that call while explaining how a big US & Euro arms package would be in the wings to let Putin know any resumption of hostilities would be very painful. But I don't see that.

[Beowulf9]

Yeah, I get his direction but it was not handled well and he did call Vance a bitch. He already was there with the intention of trying to get more out of us. Let Europe come to the fore.