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Ukraine, Russia - and buddy Trump?

(6 Posts)
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Wyllow3 Mon 07-Apr-25 13:12:43

This CNN news item caught my eyes as its an insight into Trumps "strategy"

summary
1. Russian envoy - travel sanctions lifted. Russia has no new sanctions in the big tariff plans. Business plans?
2. And perhaps most significant - Trump tries to seize more assets from Ukraine in a new round of blaming Zelensky.

I'll give the full text for 2.

"The president also laid into Zelensky, accusing him of sabotaging the latest draft of a long-delayed agreement that would give the US access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals.

This is a “deal” that no Ukrainian president could ever agree to.
Its new iteration would give the US veto power over a new board that would decide how the assets are exploited
It also states that Ukraine would not benefit from any revenues until US recoups all its assistance to the war effort — a figure that Trump — vastly inflating the truth – says is north of $350 billion

These draconian conditions show an attempt to plunder Ukraine’s resources and to force the war’s violated victim to pay a form of reparations to a third party — the United States.

Trump insists that all he wants is to end the killing in Ukraine — a laudable goal. But in yet another sign of his priorities, officials told CNN Thursday that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth isn’t expected to show up to next week’s meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Brussels. The US handed control of the monthly meetings to the UK recently, and this could be the first time in three years that a senior Pentagon official isn’t present.

All of this is unfolding as Trump’s attempt to end the war — which he once insisted he could do in 24 hours — is foundering

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Wyllow3 Mon 07-Apr-25 13:13:03

edition.cnn.com/2025/04/04/europe/trump-dmitriev-russia-intl-latam/index.html?iid=cnn_buildContentRecirc_end_recirc

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Wyllow3 Mon 07-Apr-25 13:45:08

I also suspect that the tariff issue means we inevitably take our eyes off the ball as regards the future of Ukraine and what Trump is doing there.

There are real problems to deal with as visas issued to Ukrainians in the UK begin to run out as most were issued for 3 years.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd0n8d5ynxko

"Ukrainians in the UK are losing out on job opportunities and homes because of uncertainty over how long they will be allowed to stay in the country.
They were initially given the right to live and work in the UK for three years and can apply for an 18-month extension 28 days before their original visa expires. The government said this provided "certainty and security".

But some Ukrainians have told the BBC that employers are reluctant to hire them or landlords will not rent to them because their visa is due to expire.

One survey of 1,133 Ukrainians in Britain, external suggested 41% had lost a new job opportunity because of visa uncertainty, while 26% said their tenancy was not renewed.

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Whitewavemark2 Mon 07-Apr-25 13:58:10

Thanks for that. I’ll read it asap, only just having a short break from the garden.😊

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Wyllow3 Mon 07-Apr-25 15:24:42

Relevant update, Russia is suffering from the tariff effect even tho they haven't been hit directly. Most of their exports are energy related, help fund the war with Ukraine, and they are close to recession

"“The fall in the energy markets will be very painful for Russia,” wrote today’s Nezavisimaya Gazeta newspaper.

“In spring 2025 the Russian economy was already somewhere between decline and recession.

Now a global trade crisis and a fall in demand in China could make the situation even worse for our economy.”"

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PoliticsNerd Mon 07-Apr-25 16:14:07

Thanks for the link and update Willow. Or rather, thanks for putting it up but I wish it hadn't happened.

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