Posted on 03/10/2025 7:50:41 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
WASHINGTON — As U.S. and Ukrainian officials prepare to meet in Saudi Arabia this week, President Donald Trump has privately made clear to aides that a signed minerals deal between Washington and Kyiv won’t be enough to restart aid and intelligence sharing with the war-torn country, according an administration official and another U.S. official.
Trump wants the deal, which would give the United States a stake in Ukraine’s mineral resources, signed. But he also wants to see a change in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s attitude toward peace talks, the officials said, including a willingness to make concessions such as giving up territory to Russia. Trump also wants Zelenskyy to make some movement toward elections in Ukraine and possibly toward stepping down as his country’s leader, the officials said.
Elections in Ukraine have been paused under the country’s constitutional provision for martial law, which has been in effect since Russia invaded in 2022.
“As President Trump demonstrated by reading President Zelenskyy’s message at the joint session, the Ukrainians have made positive movement. With meetings in Saudi this coming week, we look forward to hearing more positive movement that will hopefully ultimately end this brutal war and bloodshed,” White House National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said when asked about Trump’s requirements.
Russia has stepped up attacks on Ukraine in the aftermath of the U.S. pause in equipment and intelligence sharing this week, making Friday one of the deadliest days for civilians this year, according to the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine. Most of the casualties occurred in the Donetsk region, in territory controlled by Ukraine. Casualty numbers have been higher so far in 2025 than in 2024, the monitoring agency said.
(Excerpt) Read more at nbcnews.com ...
How do you deal with someone with “no cards?”
Don’t get angry with them in public - rather, you take whatever actions you intend to take, you don’t answer their calls, don’t talk to them, and leave them out of meetings and discussions which might affect them.
They’ll eventually figure it out.
It’s time for Z to face some hard facts. No more Hopium ruling the day, and keeping the War going on and on. Another approach is needed.
Zelenski has politically attacked Trump at least three times, that I count, trying to diminish Trump’s political capital. (during the phone call impeachment, campaigning for Kamala in Pennsylvania, and his attempt to gain political favor for continued war in his oval office meeting) It is time for Trump to use his political capital to remove the little tyrant.
Excellent post.
What Ukraine needs to figure out is how to remove Zelensky. Its hard to imagine Russia agreeing to any deal that leaves him in power. JMHO
Trump just wants Zelenskyy to face reality.
Agree. What more does the little tyrant have to do to Trump to get him to pull the plug on him? Zelensky has gotten away with a lot of dirty dealing and back stabbing. Just saying.
I thought Trump was supposed to get the US out of Ukraine, not further in cahoots with.
Assuming POTUS wants to see this war end asap, then the US should just walk away.
No money, no arms, no intelligence and no diplomacy.
And we should separately pursue Detente with Russia.
Oh, and notify other members of NATO that if they get in over their heads, they’re on their own.
I suppose the source is NBC, but it’s a bit annoying that far too frequently we are hearing things out of National Security Advisors and Special Envoys that sound like they are trying to manufacture things to induce the President to change his policy — rather than working strictly to implement his policy.
Okay, the NS Advisor is there to advise the President, but if he has anything to say that is not DIRECTLY aligned with Trump’s position, he should be saying it strictly and only in private. He also should be clearing his input through Gabbard. The DNI is over that office.
I said it many times: Trump will welcome Z-man back to the bargaining table, but now he will want everything that was on the table before, PLUS more. That is the art of the deal.
He may back off and accept less but he will establish dominance and get at least incrementally more.
You let your VP attack, get the other guy to say messed up things, then strike.
Then the whole country gets to see what a boob z was and Trump doesn’t have to worry about popular opinion.
Perfection is what he did.
This is “The art of the deal”. We’re at the FO part after Zelenski’s FA.
Zelensky making an effort toward lasting peace is the reason for the deal for the minerals. Without the treaty there is no deal. But I guess NBC goes cart/horse to make a mute point for their agenda which is apparently non-existent.
wy69
The US will not be party to any treaties concerning Ukraine.
I heard intel already restarted.
MSM never fail in failing on purpose.
Three ditzy NBC chicks were needed to write this article.
Russia wants Medvedchuk to somehow take over. Trump’s people prefer Timoshenko.
“Trump also wants Zelenskyy to make some movement toward elections in Ukraine and possibly toward stepping down...”
He’s going through a cold turkey withdrawal. He had a needle in his arm called, ‘The US Treasury’
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