Zelensky in DC

Trump was caught on a hot mic telling European leaders today after his meeting with Zelensky that Putin might agree to a peace deal with Ukraine just to help him out and do him a personal favor so he can look good: "I think he wants to make a deal for me. Do you understand? As crazy as it sounds."

  

It IS crazy. Batshit.

Present at the meeting today at WH: UK PM Keir Starmer, Italian PM Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, French President Emmanuel Macron, NATO Sec-Gen Mark Rutte, EU President Ursula von der Leyen.

And, Zelensky.

When Trump met face-to-face with Zelensky before the cameras, he was very low energy and accommodating, trying to save face after his disaster in Alaska with Putin by claiming that he just wants peace and the war to end and he will do everything possible to help Ukraine. No specifics were announced, no deals or agreements, just more of the same nonsensical whining about how unfair it is that he doesn’t get any credit from the world or the press for his skills as a negotiator.

But, he's already added this war to his imaginary deals ending wars. Today, it jumped from six to seven.

Rep. Marge Greene’s boyfriend Brian Glenn, who went after Zelensky at the last meeting because he wasn’t wearing a suit, complimented Zelensky for wearing a suit jacket this time (but no tie). Zelensky replied: “And you’re still wearing the same suit as last time. I changed, you didn’t.”

[...]

Foreign affairs journalist Olga Nesterova: “Both Trump and Zelensky were on their best behavior. If you listen carefully, Trump delivered all Russian standpoints. Fox confirms WH message that ‘Trump will make a case for land swap, but it’s up to Ukrainian people to accept it. Plus no NATO.’ So Ukraine will be blamed (if there is no deal). NOTHING IS NEW.”

After the meeting with Zelensky when Trump met with the rest of the European leaders, he seemed much less enthused about this meeting, which he clearly didn’t want. He led off by commenting that Putin should be included in the next meeting.

… German Chancellor Merz suggested that there should be a precondition to Putin’s involvement : "I can't imagine that the next meeting would take place without a ceasefire. So let's work on that and let's try to put pressure on Russia because the credibility of these efforts we are undertaking today depends on at least a ceasefire from the beginning of the serious negotiations."

Trump then said he disagreed and a ceasefire was not necessary before the next meeting with Putin.

Perhaps because he knows there won't be one.

French President Macron: “When we speak about security guarantees, we speak about the whole security of the European continent and this is why we are all united here with Ukraine on this matter. You can be sure that Europeans are very lucid about the fact that they have their fair share in the security guarantees for Ukraine, but their own security is clearly at stake in this situation.”

Will there be a future where Europe trusts the US again?  Not in my lifetime, I'm sure.

UPDATE 01:31 pm:

Alternative facts.

Everything he does is a fundraising scheme.

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked about Trump’s comment: Q - “If the point is to get everybody on the same page, why wouldn't Trump just take the call from Putin when the other leaders were in the room? Leavitt: Only a reporter from the New York Times would ask a question like that.”

Every time she gets confronted with a question she can’t answer, that is her exact response with only the name of the media company being changed.

  Meidas Touch

Exactly what Trump does.

Trump then said Ukraine started the war: "It's not a war that should've been started. You don't do that. You don't take on a nation that's 10 times your size."

Ukrainian journalist Kateryna Zubkova reacted to Trump’s comment: “We are basically getting blamed for existing next to Russia. This is getting ridiculous.”