It feels like history repeating itself; appeasement never stops an aggressor, it just makes them hungrier. So the big question is what happens next?
Russia absolutely benefits from this Trump/Zelensky spectacle. Putin gets to watch Ukraine’s biggest ally publicly humiliate its leader, making Ukraine look weak and isolated. It is absolutely a propaganda win for Russia. Putin must see this as a green light to push further.
Vance is a lap dog, he went from being a loud Trump critic to his most loyal supporter at the blink of an eye. In 2016, he called Trump “America’s Hitler,” and now he’s defending him at every turn as VP. Dictators modus operandi is to surround themselves with yes men, they admire other authoritarian leaders and revel in strongman politics
Trump is wanting to shift US foreign policy in a way that benefits Russia. Why?
Meanwhile the rest of the world will confronted with tariffs, whilst Russia will be brought in back from the cold.
If Europe steps up and takes its own security seriously, without relying on the US, it could be a major shift in global power. The US has long acted as the "leader of the free world," but if democratic nations now start to see the US as purely self-serving, that reputation will crumble fast.
Europe has the means to defend itself now, more so with rapidly growing military investments in countries like Germany, Poland and France. The Russian threat, while still significant, is becoming less about an unstoppable juggernaut and more about a regional power trying to hold onto what it can.
Europe could very well take the reins on its own defence in the near future, especially if teh US continues down the path of self interest and isolation.
Zelensky, needs to give up on ground lost, but to do so Ukraine will need security assurances.
One only has to review the Budapest Memorandum (1994) on Security Assurances to which Russia and USA were signatories, Russia broke the deal with their Crimea invasion and the US now have broken the deal by turning their back on Ukraine. Ukraine was better off hanging onto those nukes, rather handing them back to Russia. That was a con job, as much as the Vance and Trump meeting was a con job.
Zelensky, or for that matter any rational person, would have serious concerns on being violated again by Russia, as history has shown they cannot be trusted.
Signing of a deal, will only give Putin time to learn from all of the failings of the past 3 years, he will rebuild his army and weaponry and he will do all ovr again, but at threat will be more than Ukraine, the Baltic and Scandinavian countries will be at risk.
Dooms Day clock (info via Wikipedia)
The Clock's original setting in 1947 was 7 minutes to midnight. It has since been set backward 8 times and forward 18 times. The farthest time from midnight was 17 minutes in 1991, and the nearest is 89 seconds, set in January 2025.
The Clock was moved to 150 seconds (2 minutes, 30 seconds) in 2017, then forward to 2 minutes to midnight in 2018, and left unchanged in 2019. It was moved forward to 100 seconds (1 minute, 40 seconds) in 2020, 90 seconds (1 minute, 30 seconds) in 2023, and 89 seconds (1 minute, 29 seconds) in 2025.
Any way I have decided not to renovate the house, as I doubt it will left standing in 10 years time.
