Stop criticising Trump and sign $500bn mineral deal, US official advises Kyiv

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: The Guardian

Thu 20 Feb 2025 15.40 EST
First published on Thu 20 Feb 2025 13.37 EST


White House officials have told Ukraine to stop badmouthing Donald Trump and to sign a deal handing over half of the country’s mineral wealth to the US, saying a failure to do so would be unacceptable.

The US national security adviser, Mike Waltz, told Fox News that Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, should “tone down” his criticism of the US and take a “hard look” at the deal. It proposes giving Washington $500bn worth of natural resources, including oil and gas.

Waltz said Kyiv was wrong to push back against the US president’s approach to peace talks with Moscow, given everything the US had done for Ukraine. He denied accusations the US had snubbed Ukraine and America’s European allies by excluding them from talks earlier this week with Russia. This was routine “shuttle diplomacy”, he said.

“Some of the rhetoric coming out of Kyiv … and insults to president Trump were unacceptable,” Waltz later told reporters at the White House. “President Trump is obviously very frustrated right now with president Zelenskyy, the fact that he hasn’t come to the table, that he hasn’t been willing to take this opportunity that we have offered.”

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/20/stop-criticising-trump-and-sign-500bn-mineral-deal-us-official-advises-kyiv

[Grokenstein]

1. I'd ask what dim donnie thinks he's going to do if Zelenskyy doesn't bend the knee

but we all know he'll try to do something so stupid and destructive that no rational, sane person could conceive of it.

[brush]

28. He'd just say: "Nice little country you have there. It'll be a shame if something happens to it."

Last edited Fri Feb 21, 2025, 08:05 PM - Edit history (1)

Just like the extortionist, mob boss he thinks he is.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

59. Attempted extortion of Zelensky was what his first impeachment was about.

He got away with it, then he got away releasing an army of True Believers who will kill for him, knowing they will suffer no consequences (in fact, I expect Felon47 to force the government to pay money to the "J6 patriots" for the suffering they've endured).

He now has an extra-legal army of armed terrorists who threaten the lives of anyone -- and their families -- who dares disagrees it Der Fuehrer. A news source will not use their name "for fear of retribution." Even the soldier who was assaulted by F47's goons at Arlington said she wouldn't identify her attackers for that reason.

Now he's extorting not only our nation, but the whole world. There is a tiny window left to get this sociopath out of power. After that we and the world will be remade in the image of a psychopath and his minions.

Think about how much has been sacrificed to grow our nation. How many people have suffered and literally given their lives to achieve social and scientific progress. The Founding Fathers were just men, but they were men committed to an idea, one which wasn't, "What's in it for me?"

God (or whatever's in charge of the universe) help us.

p.s., The most horrifying thing he said was during his pre-inaugural briefings for his first term was, "If we have nuclear weapons, why haven't we used them?" Putin has recently been doing above ground tests (demonstrations of power) and releasing the videos. All he has to do is say, "Donnie, real men use nukes," and there'll be a second red button on the (not) Resolute desk. Let's hope he doesn't get confused when he wants a Coke.

[no_hypocrisy]

2. Sell the mineral rights to Denmark/Greenland.

[Karasu]

3. Really hope Zelenskyy tells him to fuck himself and doesn't yield to this blatant fascist extortion.

[wishstar]

4. How can US be trusted on any "deal" with deadbeat Donnie in charge

There is no honesty, ethics, integrity or competence with this current US Administration

[SurfLiberal]

7. This is not a deal

In a deal, you give something and you get something. In this, Ukraine hands over the minerals and gets nothing in return. That's not a deal, it's not even extortion. It's just robbery.

[Prairie Gates]

13. It's imperialism

The Russians couldn't colonize Ukraine on their own (too weak), so they are now working with another imperial power (the US) to split Ukraine's natural resources. This is not different than the European powers splitting up Africa in the 1800s.

[SurfLiberal]

22. Or this...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Tordesillas

[wolfie001]

45. Another source for Justice Sco-lito to cite

and the other 5 jackasses.

[Diraven]

24. There is an implied threat

The part they're not saying out loud is they want Ukraine to think the US will fully support Russia in the war if they don't agree to it. That's part of why the US is only negotiating with Russia and excluding Ukraine. It doesn't even matter what they talk about - it's just to put the fear into Ukraine that Russia and the US are forming an alliance.

[HarryM]

53. This is a shakedown

It certainly is no deal.

[C0RI0LANUS]

5. Four more years of this sh#t.

[Bayard]

39. I'll have to look for the new Perkins book

The first one was excellent. Does he say anything about Musk?

[C0RI0LANUS]

46. Hi Bayard. I haven't read it, but the sequel came out in 2016, so probably not. But here's what Mr. Perkins

wrote about Elon Musk and AI recently.

Link:

https://johnperkins.org/blog/ai-musk-and-oligarchy


These are the times that try men’s souls. . .

-Thomas Paine, The American Crisis, 1776

[ReRe]

54. Excellent Link, Coriolanus!

I rec this reply.

[C0RI0LANUS]

57. Thanks, ReRe.

[Buddyzbuddy]

6. No deals with the U.S.A while the Felon is in charge.

I wouldn't trust that Felon if he promised to gladly pay tomorrow for a burger today. May all of his balls land in sandtraps the rest of his hopefully short painful life.

[SADAR]

8. Which balls? NT

[Buddyzbuddy]

11. Either works for me.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

9. The guy's really got the art of the deal down, doesn't he? NT

[neohippie]

10. So let's revisit some history here

In 1994, Ukraine agreed to transfer their nuclear weapons to Russia for dismantlement and became a party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, in exchange for economic compensation and assurances from Russia, the United States and United Kingdom to respect the Ukrainian independence and sovereignty in the ...

Later Russia invades Ukraine and claims Crimea as theirs

The US does little other than complain and sanction Russia Putin feels emboldened and threatens the Ukraine's sovereignty when they feel like joining NATO and are encouraged by George Bush and others to do that.

Putin invades Ukraine, the US once again falls short in their promises to defend their sovereignty instead they pile on more sanctions and provide some material support but fears Russian threats of use of nuclear weapons and a larger war with NATO

Now four years into that Russian invasion while Russia holds huge amounts of Ukrainian territory The US now demands that Ukraine give them half or more of their mineral wealth that is of far greater value to the war torn country than the total amount of aid provided or they will stop supporting their defense.

We are looking like the Imperial forces in a dystopian science fiction story as our leaders have fully embraced the dark side

Trump and his US State Department tell the Ukraine that its a smart play to accept his offer for their mineral wealth or threatens to withdraw US support from their efforts to stop the Russian aggression weakening their position in any efforts to make a peace deal with Russia and accept that they are going to have to surrender all the lands that the foreign invader has captured and loose half the of their country's mineral wealth in order to have peace and security

If you were Ukraine you realize that the promises of security from your last deal with Russia and the United States was less than the beads that the Indians were given for Manhattan Island in New York

Why should the Ukraine once again trust the two countries who already gave them false promises of security in the past with this new Devil's bargain. Would you surrender half you land, half your mineral wealth for another promise

The US is now looking like a mobster state like Russia under Putin with Trump in charge. In just three weeks Trump has undone decades of work that helped create US hegemony by threatening our neighbors, our allies, corrupting and dismantling our federal institutions, insulted Europe shown that he has no respect for our courts, the rule of law, trampled on the Constitution, the separation of powers, is using coercion, extortion, bribery and whitewashing, outright erasing and rewriting history

Meanwhile our courts, our Congress, our independent federal agencies that are supposed to be guardrails against these kinds of attacks are not working. Our neighbors are threatened with invasions (Mexico) and we are harassing Panama and Greenland (another country with huge amounts of mineral wealth)

And Trump and Lil Marco Rubio are cozying up to Putin offering them everything that they desire in a peace deal that sells out the Ukraine, and our NATO allies are agast, former top US Generals are saying this looks like the end of our more than 70 year old alliance that has strengthened Europe

This is not America

[Kid Berwyn]

14. Precisely. "I'll get ya peace, but first you gotta..."

“…do sumpin’ for your friends in da Crooked States of America.”

[Prairie Gates]

12. I thought Drill Baby Drill would give us all the oil and gas we'd ever need?

Like the Nazi economy on which his demented autarky theory is based, Trump's idiotic economic policy necessitates moves like this and will eventually lead us to aggressive war. Resources come by trade or plunder/colonialism/imperialism. Trump abandons the former, so he MUST employ the latter. This "deal" is a resource grab with Russia as the proxy invading army, nothing less.

[Ray Bruns]

15. I would agree to it and then balk at it when it was convenient.

You know, the Trumpian way of doing business.

[travelingthrulife]

16. It's breathtaking to see grown adults acting irrationally like this.

[Baitball Blogger]

19. I truly suspect that Trump is being forced to do this because of Putin.

What does Putin hold over Trump?

[LuvLoogie]

29. Epstein's Island

Remember the fire?

[ReRe]

55. No.

Remind us. Jog our minds, Inform us. Thanks!

[LuvLoogie]

60. I'm looking. Saw that there was a fire there

shortly after his arrest. Maybe what I saw hearsay or a report of someone seeing a fiery glow while sailing by. Or the story was scrubbed.

[Baitball Blogger]

17. They are making us sound like gangsters.

Please stay strong Ukraine. Please.

[Irish_Dem]

26. The US is being run by gangsters. The US is now a crime syndicate.

[JohnnyRingo]

18. Don Corleone would call it "protection money".

They demand cash and goods to prevent bad things from happening to them, and it's not a one payment deal.
Waltz is nothing more than a goon.

[4catsmom]

20. Zelensky should take out a few of our traitors

I won't shed a tear

[PortTack]

21. Stay strong President zelensky...I'm sure he knows tsf will not live up to any agreement

[MLWR]

23. EXTORTION IS NOT NEGOTIATION

[Linda ladeewolf]

25. NO!

[IronLionZion]

27. Mobsters demanding protection money

[Owens]

30. So it's okay if Donnie calls world leaders names?

Do I have that right?

[struggle4progress]

31. Waltz to speak at CPAC

... National security adviser Mike Waltz is set to speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Friday, amid backlash over President Trump’s approach to ending the Russia-Ukraine war.

Waltz will speak a day after Vice President Vance, who stunned the U.S.’s European allies at the Munich Security Conference last week with a speech that took aim at what he framed as the continent’s quashing of free speech, while only briefly mentioning Ukraine ...

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5156007-trump-cpac-waltz-donalds-lake-kelly/

[artemisia1]

32. "I'll make him an offer he can't refuse...". /nt

[struggle4progress]

33. Fox News Confronts Trump Adviser

Published Feb 20, 2025 at 7:00 PM EST
Updated Feb 21, 2025 at 9:12 AM EST

... "After the president's post on Truth Social yesterday, I need to know—who does he think is more responsible for the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Putin or Zelensky?" Doocy asked.

Waltz didn't directly answer Doocy's question but said Trump's goal is to "bring this war to an end, period. And there has been ongoing fighting on both sides. It is World War I-style trench warfare. His frustration with President Zelensky that you've heard is multifold."

He continued: "There needs to be a deep appreciation for what the American people, what the American taxpayer, what President Trump did in his first term and what we've done since. So some of the rhetoric coming out of Kyiv, frankly, and insults to President Trump were unacceptable" ...

https://www.newsweek.com/fox-news-donald-trump-ukriane-war-zelensky-putin-2034106

[niyad]

34. FUCK YOU, YOU TRAITOROUS BASTARD. quit wasting oxygen, mikey.

[Justice matters.]

35. Extortion from the lying mob boss who promised to

end the war in 24 hours...

Europe must opt out of NATO and call their new alliance The European Treaty Organization (ETO), and offer Canada a special invitation to join.

[58Sunliner]

36. FU Waltz. It's extortion.

[Progressive dog]

37. Hang in there Ukraine

The American people are with you even if that stupid orange hot air balloon isn't.
The vast majority of American voters think the U.S. should not trust Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to a new poll, as the Trump administration attempts to broker a peace deal to end the deadly years-long conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

The Quinnipiac University Poll released Wednesday found 81 percent of respondents said Putin should not be trusted, including 73 percent of Republicans surveyed and 93 percent of Democrats.

Just 9 percent of the voters surveyed said Putin, a former KGB officer who has been in power in Russia for decades, should be trusted.

About four-in-ten Americans (39%) say supporting Ukraine in the war against Russia helps U.S. national security. This is higher than the share who say it hurts U.S. national security (31%) or has no impact (27%).
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/02/14/americans-views-of-the-war-in-ukraine-continue-to-differ-by-party/

[July]

38. What an "opportunity."

Give away your nation’s wealth, and praise Trump as a peacemaker, is that all they’re asking? That’s some fancy bullshit right there.

[Bayard]

40. I keep saying,

Its so embarrassing to have this asshole representing our country.

I hope Zelenskyy tells him to go to hell, and Europe fills the gap. I'm quite sure if Ukraine falls, Zelenskyy will be shot as a traitor to Mother Russia.

[ReRe]

56. God. I hope you are wrong! n/t

[Lucky Luciano]

41. Fuck trump. Go KFC! Take this shithead out already!

[GoodRaisin]

42. Trump has repeatedly said he only wants to stop the killing. But apparently

now, not enough to stop any more death before he extorts Ukraine for half their mineral rights? So, when he says he wants the killing to stop he’s full of shit. Why doesn’t the media call him out for this? Obviously he doesn’t give a damn about the killing. He just wants their fucking minerals.

[OhioTim]

43. I Thought The Europeans Said

they would fill any void left when US support stopped. They have the most to lose. Not NATO, just individual countries supplying troops and weapons. Bet the Russians would think twice about firing on British or Polish troops.

[Sneederbunk]

44. Sending German troops into Ukraine would really rankle the Russians.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

47. Awwww

Donny gets so upset when he's criticized. Grow the fuck up.

[kevinore]

48. Remember Canada!

Zelenskyy should follow suit with Canada. We are not the only country that would happily buy mineral resources from Ukraine.

[ancianita]

49. Mike Walz has no right to expect any sovereign leader -- whom Walz's boss officially abandoned to an aggressor --

-- to listen to anything that "advisor" or his boss says. Fuck Walz and the weak sellout felon he rode in on.

[mdbl]

50. Our government is now full of fascists assholes

[LymphocyteLover]

51. it's insane deal, fuck Waltz and fuck trump

[OverBurn]

52. So embarrassed by my own country.

[BidenRocks]

58. Worse than extortion.

Such a blatant and obvious Shakedown!
They come across like thug gangsters.
Do not use the power of America to fulfill your illusions of grandeur.