Strong arm robbery?
Can someone explain why the US is demanding that Ukraine give us billions of dollars in mineral rights, as part of a peace plan between Russia and Ukraine? What does Ukraine get out of this? Sounds like strong arm robbery to me.
ArishMell · 70-79, M
It's the US, or at least Donald Trump and James Vance, sensing a business opportunity.
Many policitians and analyists have pointed out Trump does want the war there (and the one in Palestine) to end but also sees everything as a transaction that should end in his favour. It's a bit like wading into a lake to save someone from drowning, then sending him the clothes cleaning bill.
In theory Ukraine should benefit from a deal to sell minerals to the USA, but Trump sees it as the US benefiting from both the metals and the money. It is true that the USA has spent huge amounts of money on Ukraine's defence, but so have many other countries and they are not expecting repayments - they look beyond that.
The problem, and this appears to be what triggered that extraordinary shouting-match in the White House, is that Trump and Vance do not want to guarantee the US continue helping Ukraine protect itself from Russia, and started merely insulting Zelensky.
Now that the US President and Vice-President have had time to calm down, I wonder if they will think, or even care, how their behaviour will be seen around the world. Mr. Putin must be really enjoying what happened.
Many policitians and analyists have pointed out Trump does want the war there (and the one in Palestine) to end but also sees everything as a transaction that should end in his favour. It's a bit like wading into a lake to save someone from drowning, then sending him the clothes cleaning bill.
In theory Ukraine should benefit from a deal to sell minerals to the USA, but Trump sees it as the US benefiting from both the metals and the money. It is true that the USA has spent huge amounts of money on Ukraine's defence, but so have many other countries and they are not expecting repayments - they look beyond that.
The problem, and this appears to be what triggered that extraordinary shouting-match in the White House, is that Trump and Vance do not want to guarantee the US continue helping Ukraine protect itself from Russia, and started merely insulting Zelensky.
Now that the US President and Vice-President have had time to calm down, I wonder if they will think, or even care, how their behaviour will be seen around the world. Mr. Putin must be really enjoying what happened.
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@ArishMell Yeah, I've been kicked out of my doctor's surgery that I'd been with since birth because the system wouldn't take a form I kept filling out and returning... they're still saying they have no record of the form being returned.
While I have no reason to suspect any sort of attack, it does highlight that the system isn't fit for purpose... and there's no back up to prevent this from happening.
I'm not thinking of drones or missiles as much as I'm thinking of the plant being used as a trench - which we know Putin has a history of doing because he knows it's harder to shoot his armies out of power plants.
His troops left a right mess behind them after they left Chernobyl... and we know that is now being decommissioned at that. They destroyed machinery in the wider exclusion zone area. I have no proof of it now because I watched the video near the start of the war, but I think one of the areas hit might have been where the people living in the exclusion zone take their food to have radiation levels in it tested (it certainly looked very much like the same room that I've seen in earlier videos).
Yes, they're still growing and eating their own produce within that zone because it's cheaper than getting it bought in from other places locally.
If they're doing that to Chernobyl... what are we going to find when we get Putin's troops out of the other power plant they have - and what will he do to ours next???
While I have no reason to suspect any sort of attack, it does highlight that the system isn't fit for purpose... and there's no back up to prevent this from happening.
I'm not thinking of drones or missiles as much as I'm thinking of the plant being used as a trench - which we know Putin has a history of doing because he knows it's harder to shoot his armies out of power plants.
His troops left a right mess behind them after they left Chernobyl... and we know that is now being decommissioned at that. They destroyed machinery in the wider exclusion zone area. I have no proof of it now because I watched the video near the start of the war, but I think one of the areas hit might have been where the people living in the exclusion zone take their food to have radiation levels in it tested (it certainly looked very much like the same room that I've seen in earlier videos).
Yes, they're still growing and eating their own produce within that zone because it's cheaper than getting it bought in from other places locally.
If they're doing that to Chernobyl... what are we going to find when we get Putin's troops out of the other power plant they have - and what will he do to ours next???
ArishMell · 70-79, M
@HootyTheNightOwl I seem fairly lucky with my health-centre but I know the service is very patchy and I think part of that is down to making the system far more complicated than it need be. So many organisations hide behind complicated web-sites and remote call-centres they think somehow "efficient". They might be efficient for the business, but not for the customer!
Sometimes I wonder how much President Putin really understands what is happening in Ukraine. He is undeniably ruthless and cruel so is unlikely to care, but I wonder if his generals only tell him what is wise to tell him, for their own safety. Similarly with his diplomats who are in contact with the outside world so know what other countries are seeing happening. These people must all know the FSB has a store of Novichok and is happy to use it.
Rcently a senior Russian army officer defected, saying he did so after being ordered to the front-line for having told his superiors their order to tell the troops to regard all Ukrainian civilians as legitimate military targets, breaks international law.
He also warned us that the West is mistaken to believe the remaining ex-Soviet ICBMs are no longer functional. They are, by being kept maintained.
Sometimes I wonder how much President Putin really understands what is happening in Ukraine. He is undeniably ruthless and cruel so is unlikely to care, but I wonder if his generals only tell him what is wise to tell him, for their own safety. Similarly with his diplomats who are in contact with the outside world so know what other countries are seeing happening. These people must all know the FSB has a store of Novichok and is happy to use it.
Rcently a senior Russian army officer defected, saying he did so after being ordered to the front-line for having told his superiors their order to tell the troops to regard all Ukrainian civilians as legitimate military targets, breaks international law.
He also warned us that the West is mistaken to believe the remaining ex-Soviet ICBMs are no longer functional. They are, by being kept maintained.
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Virgo79 · 61-69, M
It's good for Ukraine and the US.
The US will be obligated to defend the country of our mineral rights .
The US will be obligated to defend the country of our mineral rights .
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It's simple logic really... Ukraine has had billions in foreign aid (not JUST US aid) in fighting this war. Trump's thinking is that Ukraine will pay him back every penny that the world has spent in aid via the rights to mine these minerals and get richer.
Sounds to me like Zelenskyy woke up and sniffed the kool aid before drinking it and now Trump is pissed because Ukraine can see the cyanide in it.
Sounds to me like Zelenskyy woke up and sniffed the kool aid before drinking it and now Trump is pissed because Ukraine can see the cyanide in it.
bijouxbroussard · F
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RockerDad · M
@MarmeeMarch you first.
@newjaninev2 when they could help Americans that needed funding then worry about people outside of America?
nonsensiclesnail · F
hippyjoe1955 · 61-69, M
So about the 500,000,000,000.00 the US GAVE Ukraine......
HannahSky · F
Russia wants it.
SomeMichGuy · M
It is, and a violation of the treaty which Russia violated by invading Ukraine
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newjaninev2 · 56-60, F
Fukfacewillie · 56-60, M
Iwillwait · M
It's complete extortion in reverse.
Starcrossed · 41-45, F
BigGuy2 · 31-35, M
It should happen AUTOMATICALLY
"What does Ukraine get out of this ..."
🤔 ... you mean above and beyond the $350 BILLION already given to them 🤷🏼♂🤷🏼♂🤷🏼♂
"What does Ukraine get out of this ..."
🤔 ... you mean above and beyond the $350 BILLION already given to them 🤷🏼♂🤷🏼♂🤷🏼♂
newjaninev2 · 56-60, F
@BigGuy2 It's 119 billion, and Ukraine wasn't given that money. Ukraine was given surplus and obsolete weapons (and have used them to shred the russians), with the money being spent in America to manufacture new weapons. Weapons manufactured in American factories by American workers earning American dollars for doing so,
Please stop repeating trump's lies... you'll exhaust yourself!
Incidentally, the aid from Europe was a gift, All European aid to Ukraine has been a gift.
Apparently your shyster pretend-President can't understand that, because he keeps repeating the falsehood of 360 billion and the falsehood about European aid being a loan.
His contempt for the American people is without limits!
Please stop repeating trump's lies... you'll exhaust yourself!
Incidentally, the aid from Europe was a gift, All European aid to Ukraine has been a gift.
Apparently your shyster pretend-President can't understand that, because he keeps repeating the falsehood of 360 billion and the falsehood about European aid being a loan.
His contempt for the American people is without limits!
BigGuy2 · 31-35, M
@newjaninev2 so, in Zelenskyy's own words in the interview, he received $75BILLION ...
So surplus and obsolete weapons have no value do they 😎😎😎 ...
... 🤔 maybe that's what Sleepy was thinking when he left $83 BILLIONs worth of Military hardware in Afghanistan 🤷🏼♂🤷🏼♂🤷🏼♂
So surplus and obsolete weapons have no value do they 😎😎😎 ...
... 🤔 maybe that's what Sleepy was thinking when he left $83 BILLIONs worth of Military hardware in Afghanistan 🤷🏼♂🤷🏼♂🤷🏼♂
newjaninev2 · 56-60, F
@BigGuy2 The Amerian military routinely leaves its equipment behind because it's not economically viable to pack and transport it and then have to scrap it. It's better to replace it with American-made equipment manufactured in American factories by American workers earning American dollars for doing so.
In 1975, for a short time, North Vietnam had the third largest airforce in the world... because the Americans left everything behind.
They're a liability... it costs a fortune to store them, maintain them, and then eventually scrap them.
Surely you must have some idea of how your system works.
In 1975, for a short time, North Vietnam had the third largest airforce in the world... because the Americans left everything behind.
surplus and obsolete weapons have no value
They're a liability... it costs a fortune to store them, maintain them, and then eventually scrap them.
Surely you must have some idea of how your system works.