Posted on 02/28/2025 10:44:38 AM PST by Morgana
U.S. Vice President JD Vance put down President Volodymyr Zelensky after he dismissed the effectiveness of American diplomacy, forcefully telling the Ukrainian he was acting without respect.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived at the White House on Friday for talks with President Donald Trump and, it is thought, to sign the much-discussed minerals deal. As is customary, Trump and his senior colleagues sat down with Zelensky in the oval office with press cameras present for a brief discussion before the real talks would begin in private, but a beligerent attitude from Zelensky derailed proceedings before they even began.
Responding to talk about the importance of diplomacy, President Zelensky appeared to dismiss the utility of American influence altogether, saying under President Obama, the Trump first term, and Biden the U.S. had achieved nothing through talk. This caustic statement, finishing with a rhetoric “what kind of diplomacy, JD, are you speaking about? What do you mean?” led to Vice President Vance to retort, with evident distaste: “I’m talking about the kind of diplomacy that’s going end the destruction of your country.
Zelensky attempted to interrupt, arms crossed in clearly defensive body language, but Vance continued:
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
Is there a recording of the entire meeting in the oval office anywhere? I cannot find it which I think is unusual
The Biden High School debate team isn’t running our foreign policy anymore.
Trump kicked his ass out of the White House. Andrew Jackson would have brained him with his caine.
LOL - Zelensky is the embodiment of disrespect
Way to go.
Talk about biting the hand that feeds you.
Zelensky knows Europe can’t do jack squat to save his ass, it’s either the US or nothing.
Not a big JD fan.
But that may be changing.
He understood the moment.
Well played, JD.
Does Zelensky have democrats advising him ? LOL
But did he sign a minerals deal. I mean it’s cool be tough but really there is a bigger end game at stake than telling off the little general.
Source: US Dept of State web site
Excerpt: To date, we have provided Ukraine $65.9 billion in military assistance since Russia’s initial invasion of Ukraine in 2014. We have now used the emergency Presidential Drawdown Authority on 55 occasions since August 2021 to provide Ukraine military assistance totaling approximately $27.688 billion from DoD stockpiles.
Long list of weaponry at web site
Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA)
Pursuant to a delegation by the President, we have used the emergency Presidential Drawdown Authority on 55 occasions since August 2021 to provide Ukraine military assistance totaling approximately $31.7 billion from DoD stockpiles.
On September 26, 2024, the Department notified Congress of the intent to direct the drawdown of up to approximately $5.55 billion in defense articles and services from DoD stocks for military assistance to Ukraine under Presidential Drawdown Authority. This drawdown, if directed, will utilize the remaining authority of the Presidential Drawdown Authority under section 506(a)(1) of the Foreign Assistance for fiscal year 2024 provided by the Ukraine Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024 (Div. B, P.L. 118-50) (USSAA), which will expires on September 30, 2024. As a result of this planned drawdown, the United States will be able to continue to provide defense articles and services to Ukraine from DoD stocks under Presidential Drawdown Authority on a continual basis and remains available for Ukraine regardless of the end of the fiscal year.
On August 14, 2023, the Department announced the first of several packages utilizing previously authorized PDA Authority. During DoD’s regular oversight of their execution of previous Presidential Drawdown Authority for Ukraine, they discovered that they had been incorrectly overvaluing the weapons and equipment in previous PDAs that had been authorized or Ukraine. DoD then undertook a review using the appropriate accounting method, which restored $6.2 billion that can be used under Congressionally authorized drawdown authority to provide arms and equipment to meet Ukraine’s urgent security requirements. As PDA is an authority, not a funding source, once notified to Congress there is no ‘expiration date’ for the provision of defense articles and services up to the value that was notified. Any additional space within the previously notified PDAs, identified as a result of DOD’s recalculation of the value of previous PDAs therefore remains available for Ukraine regardless of the end of the fiscal year.
Security Assistance
To date, Congress has appropriated $4.65 billion in Foreign Military Financing (FMF) across two supplemental packages for Ukraine and “countries impacted by the situation in Ukraine.” Of this total, $4 billion has been notified to Congress. The first Ukraine supplemental also provided $4 billion in FMF loan authority and $4 billion in loan guarantees to NATO Allies.
In FY 2023, DoD provided $12.1 billion in security assistance to Ukraine under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) in eight separate tranches.
In FY 2023, the Department notified Congress of our intent to make an additional $1.1 billion in long-term investments with FMF to bolster the security of Ukraine and 13 regional partners and allies in Europe who are at risk from potential future Russian aggression. These funds will help our allies and partners in the region to backfill military capabilities they have donated to Ukraine, enable new donations to Ukraine, and support longer-term military requirements in both the broader region and in Ukraine itself. On September 6, 2023, the Secretary announced an additional $100 million in Foreign Military Financing to support Ukraine’s longer-term military requirements.
On September 8, 2022, the Department notified Congress of our intent to make a further $2.2 billion available in long-term investments under Foreign Military Financing (FMF) to bolster the security of Ukraine and 17 of its regional neighbors; including both many of our NATO allies as well as other regional security partners who are most potentially at risk for future Russian aggression. These funds will help our allies and partners who have provided security assistance to Ukraine backfill their capabilities.
On April 24, 2022, the Department notified Congress of its intention to obligate more than $713 million in Foreign Military Financing funding for Ukraine and 15 other Allied and partner nations in Central and Eastern Europe and the Balkans. Assistance in this Notification will help NATO Allies backfill capabilities they have donated to Ukraine from their own stockpiles to retain and strengthen NATO deterrence.
In FY 2022, DoD provided $6.3 billion in security assistance to Ukraine under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) in seven separate tranches. All the FY2022 USAI funds appropriated by Congress have now been committed. In FY 2021, Ukraine received $275 million under DoD’s Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI). This included $75 million in lethal assistance.
In FY 2021, the Department provided Ukraine $115 million in Foreign Military Financing (FMF) and $3 million in International Military Education and Training (IMET) funding. Prior to Russia’s renewed invasion, FMF supported Ukraine’s acquisition of a wide array of capabilities including counter-mortar radars, secure radios, vehicles, electronic equipment, small arms and light weapons, and medical supplies, among others. The Global Security Contingency Fund, a joint program of the U.S. Departments of State and Defense, has provided more than $42 million in training, advisory services, and equipment to assist the Government of Ukraine to further develop the tactical, operational, and institutional capacities of its Special Operations Forces, National Guard, conventional forces, non-commissioned officer corps, and combat medical care since 2014.
Excess Defense Articles (EDA) On February 20, 2022, the United States utilized the Excess Defense Articles program to transfer Mi-17 helicopters to Ukraine.
Since 2018, the United States has provided Ukraine with four refitted U.S. Coast Guard Island-Class cutters. The refit was funded with Ukrainian national funds and FMF. Additional vessels are pending transfer.
Third Party Transfers (TPT)
In advance of Russia’s invasion and after the outbreak of war in February 2022, the United States approved Third Party Transfers from 14 NATO Allies and close partners to provide U.S.-origin equipment from their inventories for use by Ukrainian forces. Deliveries to date include almost 12,000 anti-armor systems of all types; more than 1,550 anti-air missiles; radars; night vision devices; machine guns; rifles and ammunition; and body armor. The contributions from our partners and Allies are vital and appreciated.
Foreign Military Sales
The United States has $595.9 million in active government-to-government sales cases with Ukraine under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) system. FMS sales notified to Congress are listed on the DSCA website, and significant prior sales include the: 2022 sale of non-standard artillery ammunition; 2018 sale of 210 Javelin anti-armor missiles, which first provided Ukraine with a critical anti-armor capability; the 2019 sale of 150 additional Javelins; and the 2020 Mark VI patrol boats sale. The Javelin sales were funded by a mixture of State Department FMF funds and Ukrainian national funds.
Direct Commercial Sales
From 2015 through 2023, the United States also authorized the permanent export of over $1.6 billion in defense articles and services to Ukraine via Direct Commercial Sales (DCS). The top categories of DCS exports to Ukraine during that period were Fire Control, Laser, Imaging, and Guidance Equipment, ($339.1 million); Personal Protective Equipment ($247.3 million); and Ammunition and Ordnance ($232 million).
Conventional Weapons Destruction
On September 30, 2022 the Department awarded $47.6 million to Tetra Tech to launch a large-scale train and equip project to strengthen the Government of Ukraine’s demining and explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) capacity. This project forms part of the $91.5 million in assistance that the Department will provide over FY2023 to help the Government of Ukraine address the urgent humanitarian challenges posed by explosive remnants of war created by Russia’s brutal war of aggression. On September 6, 2023, the Department announced an additional $90.5 million in humanitarian demining assistance.
snip
Boy, if Ukraine had elections, I think Zelensky would have a tough re-election campaign. Maybe that’s why Ukraine doesn’t have elections.
Thank you President Trump, for not putting up with it.
Linda is NOT going to be happy about THIS! ROFL
Zelenskyy wants war he needs the money.
I think the worst thing Z said was that we are protected by the big ocean but we will feel the war in the future.
Trump was not going to listen to that sort of threat against the United States.
Don’t doubt it. Anything they can do to undermine Trump and make him look bad. I am sure the Oompa Loompa was well coached what to say.
i am not sure that is correct. He acted like he has some cards..especially when he was making some kind of reference to USA finding out even though across the ocean.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.