This week, I look at what US-Russia talks mean for Ukraine and Europe, explain why land matters in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and answer your questions on Trump’s bromance with Putin, Gaza peace odds, and Bolsonaro’s indictment. Plus, your weekly rec from my dog Moose.
It was clear to me that Biden should have placed a substantial number of US troops in Ukraine before the start of the war and dared Putin to kill a single US soldier. Everyone knows that the US can pivot to a war footing in a heartbeat if the old communist country harms their troops. Since then the endless hand-wringing, as Ukraine defends all peace-loving countries, was a sad display of indecision. Now what was a predictable start is in the hands of Putin’s not so secret ally who wishes to help all dictators so he can become one of them. Ukraine and Europe plus Canada and all others who wish to be on the right side of history have to stay in the fight and show Putin that 20th century weapons are no longer a match for drones. If American help is no longer, Ukraine should target every military target and Putin’s hideouts wherever they may be. Let the Russians learn they are at war and if Putin tries strategic nukes, Europe should give the same to Ukraine. Burying heads in sand didn’t work with Hitler surely we learned that lesson.
Biden, instead, kept making statements every few days, repeatedly assuring that America would not defend Ukraine and that not a single American soldier would set foot there. If that wasn’t an open invitation to aggression, then what was it?? Where was even a hint of strategic ambiguity—the very approach that has successfully guaranteed Taiwan’s existence for 76y?
It’s a matter of Europe holding out until the United States comes to its senses. Not Trump - but the United States. They will be perilous years for people with freedom - and responsibility. But to be, allegorically, “Yalta”, the scene will require Xi Xingping.
It will be at that point that the foreign policy “weather” will prove most chilling. For only then, will we see the full damage: first Ukraine and then the dream of a free, pluralist, democratic Chinese country, sold out for several pieces of eight by a real estate developer from New York.
For Taiwan contains the virus that Beijing needs to catch, for the good of all Chinese people on this earth. Don’t we see this playing out before us? The stakes are high. China contains a fifth of humanity.
When I learned of the US-Russia (only) talks on Ukraine, an image popped into my mind. I envisioned Zelensky singing the song from "Hamilton", "The Room Where it Happens".
"No one really knows how the game is played/ The art of the trade/ How the sausage gets made/ We just assume that it happens."
It was clear to me that Biden should have placed a substantial number of US troops in Ukraine before the start of the war and dared Putin to kill a single US soldier. Everyone knows that the US can pivot to a war footing in a heartbeat if the old communist country harms their troops. Since then the endless hand-wringing, as Ukraine defends all peace-loving countries, was a sad display of indecision. Now what was a predictable start is in the hands of Putin’s not so secret ally who wishes to help all dictators so he can become one of them. Ukraine and Europe plus Canada and all others who wish to be on the right side of history have to stay in the fight and show Putin that 20th century weapons are no longer a match for drones. If American help is no longer, Ukraine should target every military target and Putin’s hideouts wherever they may be. Let the Russians learn they are at war and if Putin tries strategic nukes, Europe should give the same to Ukraine. Burying heads in sand didn’t work with Hitler surely we learned that lesson.
Biden, instead, kept making statements every few days, repeatedly assuring that America would not defend Ukraine and that not a single American soldier would set foot there. If that wasn’t an open invitation to aggression, then what was it?? Where was even a hint of strategic ambiguity—the very approach that has successfully guaranteed Taiwan’s existence for 76y?
Donald J. Trump betrays everything our country represents!
Donald J. Trump betrays all the soldiers who died defending our nation from the fascism he embraces and embodies!
We need to elect strong leaders who can get rid of Trump once and for all!
Not Yalta….Munich.
No! Another Munich!
It’s a matter of Europe holding out until the United States comes to its senses. Not Trump - but the United States. They will be perilous years for people with freedom - and responsibility. But to be, allegorically, “Yalta”, the scene will require Xi Xingping.
It will be at that point that the foreign policy “weather” will prove most chilling. For only then, will we see the full damage: first Ukraine and then the dream of a free, pluralist, democratic Chinese country, sold out for several pieces of eight by a real estate developer from New York.
For Taiwan contains the virus that Beijing needs to catch, for the good of all Chinese people on this earth. Don’t we see this playing out before us? The stakes are high. China contains a fifth of humanity.
This is not a new Yalta, it appears to be more like a new Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.
the news bomb over the past 24 hours of Trump being a KGB operative as far back as 40 years ago are fascinating (https://bylinetimes.com/2025/02/21/donald-trump-was-recruited-by-the-kgb-under-codename-krasnov-claims-former-soviet-spy-chief/). although it dovetails with last week’s news, I deeply mistrust the provenance, timing, and motives for such a news drop.
p.s. as a mid-gen-X-er i’ve been non-capitalising for a very long time ;-)
Isn't Trump just a non-entity here? —bluffing (as always —about everything), and playing the role of being a significant actor?
When I learned of the US-Russia (only) talks on Ukraine, an image popped into my mind. I envisioned Zelensky singing the song from "Hamilton", "The Room Where it Happens".
"No one really knows how the game is played/ The art of the trade/ How the sausage gets made/ We just assume that it happens."