U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Dec. 22 said that Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to hold a meeting with him “as soon as possible.”
Trump delivered the remarks to conservative activisits at a rally in Phoenix, Arizona, where he celebrated his victory in the Nov. 5 presidential election.
“President Putin said that he wants to meet with me as soon as possible,” Trump claimed.
“So we have to wait for this. But we need to end that horrible, horrible war.”
Trump emphasized the heavy military losses incurred in the war and repeated his claims that Russia would not have launched the full-scale invasion if he had been president in 2022.
“Millions of soldiers have died,” he said.
“We’ve got to stop it, it’s ridiculous. That war would have never happened if I was president.”
Earlier this week, Putin on Dec. 19 said that he was prepared to meet with Trump at “any time” to discuss ending the war in Ukraine.
Trump will take office on Jan 20, 2025. His return to the White House is expected to mark a significant shift in U.S. policy on Ukraine, with a focus on pressuring Kyiv to make a deal with Moscow.
President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Trump on Dec. 7 in Paris, along with French President Emmanuel Macron, in the leaders’ first in-person meeting since the election. Zelensky reported that he praised Trump during the meeting, telling him he was the only one Putin feared.
Trump has nominated retired general Keith Kellogg as his special Ukrainian peace envoy, tasked with leading negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow. Kellogg is expected to visit Ukraine before Trump’s inauguration.
Kellogg previously co-authored a peace plan that would freeze the front line in Ukraine, take NATO’s accession off the table for an extended period, and partially lift sanctionsimposed on Russia. The plan would also cut off military aid to Ukraine unless Kyiv agreed to enter negotiations.
The Financial Times reported on Dec. 20 that despite these proposals, Trump intends to continue sending U.S. weapons to Ukraine when he becomes president.
Putin’s genocidal re-invasion would have definitely happened had the President-elect been in office at the time. Putin determined he could do this because he believed the US, the EU and its member states, NATO and its member states, the UN, etc would not stop him. And that based on the US’s tepid, at best, response during the original invasion of 2014 and the invasion of Georgia in 2008, that the US wouldn’t stand up for Ukraine at all. Moreover, Putin watched the President-elect’s people negotiate the abject surrender of the US to the Taliban.
A kind reminder of who should be pressured to stop the fighting.
President Zelenskyy made an address today for Ukrainian Diplomats Day. Video below, English transcript after the jump.
We Must Do Everything to Make 2025 the Year of a Just Peace for Ukraine – Speech by the President on Diplomat’s Day
22 December 2024 – 13:45
Greetings!
Dear Minister! Dear ladies and gentlemen, Ukrainian diplomats, all employees of our country’s diplomatic service.
I congratulate you on your professional day and thank you for your work in advancing the interests of Ukraine, each and every one in our state, our people.
We are now in the third year of a full-scale war – preserving Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty, and our nation’s ability to achieve and continue achieving the necessary results.
Over the past year, Ukraine has grown stronger and moved closer to the goal that unites our entire nation – we must defeat the occupier, overcome this evil. We need a just peace, and each and every one of you must work toward this goal. Being an ambassador of Ukraine, being a Ukrainian diplomat, means being someone who can give a clear and specific answer to the question of what exactly you have done to bring peace closer and to protect the interests of Ukraine and Ukrainians. The coming year will be decisive in terms of this very mission. We must do everything to make 2025 the year of a just peace for Ukraine. We all understand that in January – after the change of administration in the United States – many changes will occur in international affairs. Next year, elections will be held in several key countries – primarily in Germany and Poland, as well as others. Also, the internal balance of power and sentiments in regions such as the Middle East, the Gulf, North Africa, the Sahel, and Latin America are constantly changing. It is crucial to advance Ukraine’s interests in relations with China, India, and other Asian countries, to develop a genuine partnership with Japan, and to establish deeper, more meaningful ties with South Korea. There are hundreds of areas of relations in the world in which Ukraine needs real, concrete, tangible results. And this is your job – to be present in all the right offices, in the media, and in communication with all the people Ukraine needs, and to make your position clear, ensuring the desired outcomes for Ukraine. I thank everyone who works exactly this way – those who don’t just put in hours until exhaustion at the end of the day, or for the gratitude of their immediate supervisor, who don’t work from 9 am to 6 pm, but work for results for Ukraine.
A separate priority is, without a doubt, the European Union and everything necessary for Ukraine’s full EU membership. At all levels within the EU – from the highest institutions to civil society leaders – Ukraine’s voice must be strong, clear, and persuasive. We need EU membership. Next year, we must do our utmost to achieve this in the course of negotiations and in building relations with our partners in the EU. This is why Poland’s presidency in the EU, and Denmark’s in the second half of the year, must become historic for Ukraine.
I expect further substantial progress in our cooperation with NATO. We all understand that inviting Ukraine to join NATO and its membership in the Alliance are decisions that are purely political. Such decisions always require bold leadership. However, the courage of leaders in such matters as changing a geopolitical perspective on a country or acknowledging past global mistakes in their country is always based on the demands of public opinion. When society takes a step forward, it becomes difficult for a state leader, even an old-school one, to remain in the same position. That is why it is crucial that Ukraine’s efforts regarding NATO do not remain confined to offices. In relations with relevant countries, as well as in all other countries that can help with important decisions, diplomats must work daily to shape public opinion – using methods that are effective, not just convenient. Partners need to understand what Ukraine can offer the Alliance, why this will benefit everyone, and how it will stabilize global relations. Alliance for Ukraine is achievable, but only if we fight for this decision at every necessary level.
Over the years of war, we have established systemic cooperation with many partners regarding weapons for our men and women on the frontline. At the level of the Office, at the level of the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at the level of military command, at the level of embassies, I want to thank everyone who was involved and who is now involved. The same systemic approach must be developed for all aspects of achieving a just peace for Ukraine. This is just as important as the supply of weapons. We must pursue our policy and not allow anyone to decide anything behind Ukraine’s back. Russia must be held accountable for this war. Sanctions against Russia must remain in place for as long as we need to maintain pressure on Russia. Decisions have already been made to use frozen Russian assets for Ukraine’s benefit, but we need to go further – identifying Russian assets that have not yet been frozen and tracking the assets of all Russian war criminals and political accomplices of Putin. Such wealth in Russia is gained through corruption, and in many jurisdictions, these funds can be blocked not only because of this disgraceful war but also due to their criminal origin. We must work harder to ensure that Russian assets serve our defense and recovery – this is justice.
Your task is also to work as much as possible with all partners who are already investing or could become investors in our domestic Ukrainian weapons production and our joint reconstruction projects. You need to engage with all partners – at the level of governments, companies, media, churches, which is also very important, the academic community, as well as in the fields of arts and sports – with everyone who can contribute to our political, information, and cultural efforts. All forms of diplomacy – from conventional diplomacy to soft power, from diplomacy of top officials and parliamentary diplomacy to diplomacy of hearts – everything that can strengthen Ukraine must work for Ukraine. Please look for the right kind of staff for Ukraine’s diplomacy, the kind that can actually deliver on Ukraine’s objectives.
Together with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and our team at the Office, we have approved a number of new appointments for Ukrainian diplomacy, missions, and embassies. These decisions cover our missions across all regions of the world – providing each region with the necessary reinforcement. We are also appointing public and civic leaders, such as Nariman Dzhelyal, Alyona Getmanchuk, Fedir Shandor, and Yuliia Fediv. I ask career diplomats and representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to help these new people in everything and to strengthen our diplomatic system with individuals and through collaboration with individuals who have proven their ability to achieve what is necessary for Ukraine, for all of us, for all Ukrainians.
Congratulations on your day, your holiday. Thank you for the invitation!
Glory to Ukraine!
The cost:
For a moment, Oksana Latanska could not believe her eyes when she looked down at a cold, little body, gray from dust and ashes.
It was Maksym Shaulskyi, her friend’s son, who was only 12 years old when a Russian missile strike on his hometown of Kryvyi Rih took his life on Sept. 21.
Warning: This article contains descriptions of graphic scenes.
For a moment, Oksana Latanska could not believe her eyes when she looked down at a cold, little body, gray from dust and ashes.
It hardly resembled the little boy that she knew so well and whom she saw almost every weekend at the rallies calling for the release of Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) from Russian captivity.
Only his golden-blonde curls helped her recognize the body, bringing the worst nightmare into reality.
It was Maksym Shaulskyi, her friend’s son, who was only 12 years old when a Russian missile strike on his hometown of Kryvyi Rih took his life on Sept. 21.
With a population of around 660,000, Kryvyi Rih is the second most populous city in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. Due to its proximity to the embattled Donetsk Oblast, the city has suffered multiple deadly attacks by Russian forces since the start of the full-scale war.
“I saw what was left from our sunshine. It was excruciating,” Latanska told the Kyiv Independent.
The strike also killed Maksym’s 75-year-old grandmother, Valentyna Shaulska, and two more civilians, according to the local authorities.
According to Latanska, the boy’s biggest dream was to see his older brother Mykyta, one of the defenders of now-occupied Mariupol in Donetsk Oblast, who has been in Russian captivity since 2022.
But that dream was shattered by a Russian missile hitting a residential neighborhood of a peaceful city.
“It’s a horrible tragedy,” Latanska says. “Maksym was such a wonderful boy… Our little sunshine.”
Maksym is one of the 578 Ukrainian children killed by the Russian war since Feb. 24, 2022, according to the national database. The U.N. estimates that at least 11,743 civilians have been killed and 24,614 injured since the start of the full-scale invasion. However, the actual number of civilian casualties is likely much higher as it doesn’t account for fatalities in the Russian-occupied territories that are inaccessible to international organizations.
Latanska, who heads the Steel Guard of Kryvyi Rih non-profit that advocates for the release of Ukrainian POWs, says it was the “common grief” that united her and Shaulskyi’s family shortly after Russia’s all-out war began.
Latanska’s son, Ukrainian soldier Vitalii, served in the same National Guard unit with Mykyta Shaulskyi. They both defended Mariupol in the spring of 2022 during the brutal Russian siege of the city, both ending up in Russian captivity at the age of 22.
Former service member herself, Latanska says that Maksym and Mykyta’s mother, Nataliia Shaulska, joined the Armed Forces when one of her sons was already in captivity. The family also has another adult son who lives in Dnipro, according to Latanska.
Their entire family regularly took part in the local weekend rallies, part of a national movement aimed at keeping the release of the prisoners on everyone’s agenda.
Little Maksym rarely skipped them, Latanska says. He and Mykyta were very close, she says, adding that it was the boy’s biggest dream to see and hug his big brother again.
Photos of Maksym holding Mykyta’s portrait and calling for his release during one of the rallies in Kryvyi Rih went viral following his death.
While Latanska’s son Vitalii was released from captivity in June, Mykyta is still a prisoner of Russia. He is now 25.
Latanska says they hope Mykyta will be released soon, but they worry about how he will receive the devastating news that Russia killed his brother and grandmother while he was in captivity.
The mother of Mykyta and Maksym, Nataliia Shaulska, returned to civilian life nearly three weeks before her youngest son was killed. She was outside Kryvyi Rih when the missile struck their neighborhood, almost completely destroying their house.
“Otherwise, the entire family would have been gone,” Latanska says.
She rushed to the site the moment she learned about the tragedy: “When I was looking at his (Maksym’s) body, I thought that the monster who launched the missile might also have children, maybe even of Maksym’s age.”
“I thought about how he landed his plane at a Russian airfield, walked into a bakery, and bought some pastry for his family. He walked home and kissed his wife and his sleeping 12-year-old son. And for me, the only fitting punishment is from God, who will take away his family in the most painful way possible, so he feels it himself.”
“But even that would not be enough because it would not bring our boy back,” she went on.
“No punishment for Russia would be enough.”
Georgia:
1/4
December 22 – #Tbilisi
On the 25th day of the #GeorgiaProtests, President Salome Zourabichvili faced obstacles while addressing the public – “stage detained”, microphones jammed, and signals blocked, disrupting media broadcasts.
#Georgia
She invited Bidzina Ivanishvili – “as he rules everything anyway”, political parties, and election observers to the presidential palace for talks, emphasizing that new elections are the only peaceful solution.
The car that was supposed to set up the stage for the President at Rustaveli was apprehended, and the driver’s phone confiscated so that he couldn’t inform his team quickly. The petty regime thinks President Zourabichvili can’t reach the public at 21:00 PM without the stage.
A surreal photo. Some Tituskho (regime thug) was casually taken down President Zourabichvili’s stage – the stage that we had to set up after the regime prevented the original one from being delivered and set up. #GeorgiaProtests #terrorinGeorgia
Please look at the crowds welcoming the only legitimate President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili at the protest on day 25! ✊🏻🇬🇪🇪🇺 Not supporting her continued legitimacy and not pressuring the regime for new, free and fair elections is betraying Georgia. #GeorgiaProtests
As per tradition in Kakheti, a feast is held after a funeral to honor the deceased, with a rice dish being an essential part of the table. At today’s protest, Kakhetians brought this dish to Rustaveli to symbolize the ‘funeral feast’ for the ‘deceased’ GD.
Day 25. People sing the national anthem of Georgia. Endless crowds for the legitimate President whose microphone was suppressed by the petty regime. #terrorinGeorgia #GeorgiaProtests
📷 Maia Duishvili
The Veterans and ‘Giorgi Antsukhelidze March’ Procession
Citizens gathered at Heroes’ Square by the memorial to honor war veterans. The march continued to the Parliament building, paying tribute to national heroes.
If ethnic Armenians and Azerbaijanis are marching with each other, shit’s about to get real!
Back to Ukraine.
⚡️More than 1,000 applications submitted to join Ukrainian Legion in Poland, ambassador says.
Over a thousand applications have been submitted to the Ukrainian Legion in Poland, Ukrainian Ambassador to Poland Vasyl Bodnar told Suspilne on Dec. 22.
Over 1,000 applications have been submitted to the Ukrainian Legion in Poland, Ukrainian Ambassador to Poland Vasyl Bodnar said in an interview with Suspilne on Dec. 22.
The first contracts with the Ukrainian Armed Forces were signed in November, and the next recruitment phase is set for early January.
Bodnar highlighted Poland’s robust support for basic military training, followed by specialized training based on the soldier’s role. After training, recruits are assigned to relevant military units in Ukraine, where they operate under direct command.
“Poland is a country that is quite seriously helping Ukraine, because it understands that this is a strategic interest for it, for all of Europe, and it is a country that sympathizes with Ukraine with all these terrible events that we are currently experiencing during the almost three years of ongoing war,” Bodnar said.
The legion was unveiled in July as a volunteer military unit made up of Ukrainian men living in Poland and trained by the Polish Armed Forces.
The first volunteer recruitment center was opened in October at the Ukrainian consulate in the eastern Polish city of Lublin. The unit is part of an effort to replenish the ranks of Ukraine’s military as the all-out war with Russia continues into its third year.
Another day, another russian war crime.
ru forces continue to execute Ukrainian prisoners of war on camera with pride. We are approaching 150 documented cases. This behavior is systematic and widespread.
But where is the Western press when russia is committing literal terrorism?
Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets reacted to a video allegedly showing Russian troops executing Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) on Dec. 22, vowing to report “another crime” to the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to seek justice.
“The video shows how Russian soldiers shot five captured Ukrainian defenders,” Lubinets said in a Telegram post, referring to drone footage released by the 110th Mechanized Brigade earlier on Dec. 22 that appears to have captured Russian troops shooting surrendered Ukrainian soldiers from behind.
One of the press officers of the 110th, Ivan Sekach, told the Ukrainian media outlet NV that Russian troops had shot four encircled Ukrainian soldiers dead. Another two, he said, were already killed by shelling earlier. He said that the incident took place on the Velyka Novosilka axis in the eastern Donetsk Oblast, where Russian troops have recently intensified their push.
Throughout the full-scale war in Ukraine, the visual evidence of Russian troops executing Ukrainian soldiers mounts, showing a stark violation of the Geneva Conventions. It is however difficult to prove such apparent war crimes to the international court, as retrieving such bodies is often impossible.
The 110th brigade suffered a similar incident in February when its troops were withdrawing from the small industrial city of Avdiivka in Donetsk Oblast. Two soldiers who barely escaped encirclement told the Kyiv Independent how six of their comrades, who were unable to flee on foot due to their injuries, were shot dead by Russian troops, citing videos that surfaced on the internet.
The 110th Separate Mechanized Brigade confirmed in a Feb. 19 statement that five soldiers were killed, and the fate of the last one was uncertain.
Yurii Belousov, the head of the department focused on war-related crimes, said in October that Kyiv is aware of 93 POWs who were executed by Russian soldiers across the full-scale war. The number has since passed to include over 100 such cases.
One more sign that the line between drones and missiles is basically gone. 🇺🇦 seamlessly translating its drone warfare expertise into miniature low-cost missiles or one-way drones. Take your pick for terminology.
In short, there is significant potential here, especially if Ukraine manages to scale production.
If the capability profiles are accurate, Ukraine is developing the type of missiles that the US Navy currently seeks to add to its arsenal: small, affordable, yet lethal mini cruise missiles.
Despite progress, Ukraine continues to face challenges in developing and scaling the production of “heavier” missile systems, particularly land-attack cruise missiles and short-range ballistic missiles with larger payloads.
Ukraine will remain reliant on Western partners for these missiles.
This is despicable: the russian invaders are making their human safaris in Kherson even more evil. First, the drone drops small iron hedgehogs to puncture car tires. When people step out for repairing, the russians then bomb them with the drone. Pure monstrosity against civilians.
Via Ivan Antypenko
🍄Tonight Ukrainian drones blew up an ammunition depot in Novocherkassk, Rostov region of Russia. The video shows the moment of the explosion with a beautiful mushroom cloud.
There are no new Patron tweets or videos today. Here is some adjacent material:
At one of the points in Kramatorsk in eastern Ukraine, where the Hachiko team feeds displaced pets, an old dog Polkan and an unnamed pigeon live in the doghouse at the same time. 🐕🐦⬛
I like Latanska’s thinking when it comes to the russian/russia
2.
KatKapCC
Filming executions is so…I don’t even know what to call it. Disturbed, depraved, horrific, etc, all feel too understated. Especially since it feels like they do this for their own amusement. Even the dumbest Russians must realize by now that nothing will cause the Ukrainians to capitulate even one iota, and they’ve also certainly learned that apparently nothing will cause other nations (coughUSAcough) to ramp up their aid and realize this is indeed a world war, at least in Putin’s mind. So the only other reason is because they are sick enough to want to watch it again and again.
3.
ColoradoGuy
@KatKapCC: People who serve The Oligarchs feel they are immune to conscience, simple human decency, or justice. And that’s exactly what the oligarchs want them to think.
4.
WTFGhost
5.
Gin & Tonic
Quick reminder that Ukraine is an independent country, and has agency here. Putin and Trump can talk all they want, but without Ukraine involved it’s just bullshit.
6.
YY_Sima Qian
Elbridge Colby has just been nominated to be Undersecretary of Defense for Policy. He has been among those advocating for abandoning Ukraine so that the US can single mindedly focus on Cold War w/ the PRC. Then again, his writing in the last couple of years suggests that he is fully prepared to abandon Taiwan in the event of war, if Taiwan does not abandon its social democracy by hiking defense spending to > 5% of GDP & militarize its society.
7.
Roberto el oso
@YY_Sima Qian: I see that he’s the grandson of William Colby (CIA chief of station in Saigon during the war, among other things).
I am profoundly honored by and grateful to President @realdonaldtrump for nominating me to serve as his Under Secretary of Defense for Policy. If confirmed by the Senate, it would be an exceptional privilege to work with @petehegseth and his team to implement President Trump’s vitally necessary agenda. As the President has rightly made so clear, it is vital to focus our defense policy on restoring peace through strength and always putting America first.
I know “peace through strength” is a phrase that’s supposed to date from the Romans but it’s always had an Orwellian feel for me. And America First of course evokes the history of those sympathetic to fascism in the US. What could do wrong with isolationists and Christianists like Hegseth and Colby running foreign affairs?
9.
Viva BrisVegas
Trump hopes to do for Ukraine what he did for the Kurds and the Afghans.
What’s surpising is that he screwed them over yet apparently didn’t make any money out of it.
Now there’s altruism for you.
10.
YY_Sima Qian
@Roberto el oso: Yes, he is another one of the mid-wit fail-sons of old US natsec elite, got through an Ivy education as a legacy.
11.
Villago Delenda Est
“So we have to wait for this. But we need to end that horrible, horrible war.”
Fuck off, Russian puppet. Vlad can stop this war with a word. He has neglected to do so for nearly three years.
12.
West of the Rockies
It is so… words fail… utterly alien and incomprehensible to me that Trump almost certainly doesn’t give a flying shit about the suffering in Ukraine. His only concern is, “How can it benefit me?”
He gives not a whatever about anyone except himself. Seeing him smiling is the most ghastly thing I have looked at since the election.
Thank you Adam for all your reports & may Christmas bring some relief to the wonderful people of Ukraine, who simply want to live their lives in peace.
14.
Parfigliano
@Gin & Tonic: Involves Trump so of course it’s bullshit.
Vova: We demand all the territory we annexed, including land we do not control. Plus Kherson, which we used to control, and some additional lands to be named later. Then this terrible war will end, and you will be praised for ending it.
Trump: Sounds good to me. Why are the Ukrainians being so unreasonable? Why don’t they understand the art of the deal?
22.
Jay
Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦
@bayraktar_1love
12h
Special Operations Forces of Ukraine on how Russia is trying to hide the participation and losses of North Koreans:
«Russia is trying to hide the presence of North Korean soldiers by issuing them with fake documents.
According to the decrypted data, the real names of the destroyed North Koreans are Ban Guk Jin, Lee Dae Hyuk and Cho Cheol Ho. According to Russian documents, they are Kim Kang Solat Albertavich, Dongnk Dzhan Suropovich and Belek Aganak Kap-oolovich.
SOF continue to destroy the enemy, including three more soldiers from the DPRK in Kursk and seized their documents.
These military tickets do not have all the stamps, photos, the patronymics are given in the Russian manner, and the place of birth is signed as the Republic of Tuva – the homeland of the war criminal Shoigu.
But the most interesting thing is the signatures of the owners. They are made in Korean, which indicates the real origin of these soldiers.
This case once again confirms that Russia is resorting to any methods to hide its losses on the battlefield and to conceal the foreign presence.
The SOF continues to track and destroy mercenary units, disrupting the enemy’s plans.»
I think it beats the turret toss record for altitude.
24.
Origuy
@Aziz, light!: The Ukrainians should insist that Trump negotiate on behalf of the Russians. Ukraine will get back all of its territory, plus Kursk and Bashkortostan.
25.
karen marie
I propose a pool to raise funds for Ukraine. Pick the date for Putin’s state dinner at the White House or a meeting at Camp David.
If it’s Camp David, the secondary bet is that Trump invites Zelenskyy to join them so they can chat.
Third bet, whether the Republican Congress invites Putin to adress them while he’s here.
26.
Jay
Chris Cappy, of the Spare Parts Army, Just Your Average Infantryman, has a bunch of video’s on You Tube and subscriber videos on Ukraine.
His Patreon’s and United 24 arranged for him to travel to Ukraine and embed with some front line units in Donetsk.
@russell: Except now the GOP wants Ukraine to hold an election despite it being against the Ukrainian Constitution. In other words, they want rid Zelensky. He’s too charismatic, too respected, too popular…etc.
Medium Cool – Twas (Almost) the Night Before Christmas
Parfigliano
I like Latanska’s thinking when it comes to the russian/russia
KatKapCC
Filming executions is so…I don’t even know what to call it. Disturbed, depraved, horrific, etc, all feel too understated. Especially since it feels like they do this for their own amusement. Even the dumbest Russians must realize by now that nothing will cause the Ukrainians to capitulate even one iota, and they’ve also certainly learned that apparently nothing will cause other nations (coughUSAcough) to ramp up their aid and realize this is indeed a world war, at least in Putin’s mind. So the only other reason is because they are sick enough to want to watch it again and again.
ColoradoGuy
@KatKapCC: People who serve The Oligarchs feel they are immune to conscience, simple human decency, or justice. And that’s exactly what the oligarchs want them to think.
WTFGhost
Gin & Tonic
Quick reminder that Ukraine is an independent country, and has agency here. Putin and Trump can talk all they want, but without Ukraine involved it’s just bullshit.
YY_Sima Qian
Elbridge Colby has just been nominated to be Undersecretary of Defense for Policy. He has been among those advocating for abandoning Ukraine so that the US can single mindedly focus on Cold War w/ the PRC. Then again, his writing in the last couple of years suggests that he is fully prepared to abandon Taiwan in the event of war, if Taiwan does not abandon its social democracy by hiking defense spending to > 5% of GDP & militarize its society.
Roberto el oso
@YY_Sima Qian: I see that he’s the grandson of William Colby (CIA chief of station in Saigon during the war, among other things).
tobie
@YY_Sima Qian: This is the tweet Colby put out (accessed via nitter):
I know “peace through strength” is a phrase that’s supposed to date from the Romans but it’s always had an Orwellian feel for me. And America First of course evokes the history of those sympathetic to fascism in the US. What could do wrong with isolationists and Christianists like Hegseth and Colby running foreign affairs?
Viva BrisVegas
Trump hopes to do for Ukraine what he did for the Kurds and the Afghans.
What’s surpising is that he screwed them over yet apparently didn’t make any money out of it.
Now there’s altruism for you.
YY_Sima Qian
@Roberto el oso: Yes, he is another one of the mid-wit fail-sons of old US natsec elite, got through an Ivy education as a legacy.
Villago Delenda Est
“So we have to wait for this. But we need to end that horrible, horrible war.”
Fuck off, Russian puppet. Vlad can stop this war with a word. He has neglected to do so for nearly three years.
West of the Rockies
It is so… words fail… utterly alien and incomprehensible to me that Trump almost certainly doesn’t give a flying shit about the suffering in Ukraine. His only concern is, “How can it benefit me?”
TS
@West of the Rockies:
He gives not a whatever about anyone except himself. Seeing him smiling is the most ghastly thing I have looked at since the election.
Thank you Adam for all your reports & may Christmas bring some relief to the wonderful people of Ukraine, who simply want to live their lives in peace.
Parfigliano
@Gin & Tonic: Involves Trump so of course it’s bullshit.
Villago Delenda Est
@TS: Can I get an amen?
AlaskaReader
Thanks Adam
russell
Zelenskyy understands how to play this game.
Jay
Jay
Thank you, Adam.
TS
@Villago Delenda Est:
You may have 3
Amen Amen Amen
Aziz, light!
Vova: We demand all the territory we annexed, including land we do not control. Plus Kherson, which we used to control, and some additional lands to be named later. Then this terrible war will end, and you will be praised for ending it.
Trump: Sounds good to me. Why are the Ukrainians being so unreasonable? Why don’t they understand the art of the deal?
Jay
https://xcancel.com/bayraktar_1love/status/1870890209615003780#m
Jay
https://bsky.app/profile/miskanuutinen.bsky.social
I think it beats the turret toss record for altitude.
Origuy
@Aziz, light!: The Ukrainians should insist that Trump negotiate on behalf of the Russians. Ukraine will get back all of its territory, plus Kursk and Bashkortostan.
karen marie
I propose a pool to raise funds for Ukraine. Pick the date for Putin’s state dinner at the White House or a meeting at Camp David.
If it’s Camp David, the secondary bet is that Trump invites Zelenskyy to join them so they can chat.
Third bet, whether the Republican Congress invites Putin to adress them while he’s here.
Jay
Chris Cappy, of the Spare Parts Army, Just Your Average Infantryman, has a bunch of video’s on You Tube and subscriber videos on Ukraine.
His Patreon’s and United 24 arranged for him to travel to Ukraine and embed with some front line units in Donetsk.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ld9IhIUDgYA
Sister Inspired Revolver of Freedom
@russell: Except now the GOP wants Ukraine to hold an election despite it being against the Ukrainian Constitution. In other words, they want rid Zelensky. He’s too charismatic, too respected, too popular…etc.
Jay
@Sister Inspired Revolver of Freedom:
The morons want a lot of impossible things that aren’t going to happen.
That’s what makes them morons.