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@paulg @Kasparov63 It's basic primitive game theory. Russia will pay more for US goods if Europe keeps it's sanctions, and the US can get a discount on Russian goods. Also, Russia is good at sending bribes. It's how they do business.

@paulg @Kasparov63 It's not mystifying at all. By siding with Putin, Trump can pressurize Zelensky into a ceasefire deal. And then declare to America that "I ended the war that Biden could not end". Classic Trump.

@paulg @Kasparov63 The ways America benefits if the war ends (i.e. "siding with Russia"): 1. Reduces the risk of WW3 2. Don't have to send more military aid to Ukraine ($175B so far) 3. We feel better knowing more young men aren't going to die needlessly (~200,000 so far)

@jakozloski @paulg @Kasparov63 So if Mexico invades Texas, the US should just give it Texas so that it doesn't need to spend money on a war and nobody dies "needlessly"?

@jakozloski @paulg @Kasparov63 Because Texas belongs to the US, just as eastern Ukraine belongs to Ukraine. It's not the US's place to say that Ukraine should abandon their people. If the US wants to side with Russia then finr. But it sets in motion the decoupling of their allies and biggest trading partner.

@97benjE @jakozloski @paulg @Kasparov63 Every country in the frontline near a bully should work together to get nukes asap.

@F_inRich @jakozloski @paulg @Kasparov63 That's literally just NATO. Countries grouping together to share military resources. Even without America, France and the UK have enough nukes to deter Russia, and some US nukes are still deployed in Turkey, Belgium, Germany, Italy and Netherlands

@jakozloski @paulg @Kasparov63 You will be sending much more in years to come, after Putin and other dictators realize they can actually get what they want with force.

@samiralibabic @paulg @Kasparov63 That is the question. It seems quite unlikely to me that Putin decides to invade another country anytime soon. This one went pretty badly for him and the Russian economy and military are not in a good spot these days.

@jakozloski You’re talking about this as if it were a financial investment. And not a massive European nation attempting to protect its sovereignty from a dictator. Ignoring that, the precedent of forcing Ukraine to essentially surrender to Russia will have chilling global consequences.

@jwilcox79 It is a geopolitically strategic financial investment. In a massive European nation attempting to protect its sovereignty from a dictator. I think everyone recognizes this as a negotiation due to a stalemate, not a surrender. What are the chilling global consequences that you

@jwilcox79 He generally keeps his word. He warned repeatedly before the invasion that Western involvement in Ukraine was Russia’s red line. He’s never suggested intentions to invade Poland or Finland. He knows attacking NATO members would be disastrous.

@paulg @Kasparov63 Isn't US grand strategy to peel off Russia from China? IDK how that can work. For one-Russia and China know that. Duh. Russia considers US their top enemy no matter what. IDK what can US possibly gain. I see what it's losing-the European allies. Looks no upside, only downside.

@paulg @Kasparov63 Reactionaries like Trump address trying to repeal the 20th century in every way. This includes foreign policy where he wants a return to a Great Power system in which regional actors have no limits on influence (ie invading Taiwan or Mexico) versus the current largely unipolar

@paulg @Kasparov63 Why continue to support a war that can’t be won? Ukraine doesn’t have the manpower to drive the Russians out and US troops will never be on the table. Zelenskyy needs to cut the beat deal he can and quit sending the youth of his country to the meat grinder. We have given

@paulg @Kasparov63 trump is actually siding with neither of them. it may look like he is siding with putin but that is somehow because neutrality has been painted as pro-putin. how many bombs, guns and tanks has the trump admin supplied to russia?

@paulg @Kasparov63 Simple question - should Zelenskyy handover 20% of Ukraine to Russia, give minerals to the USA and in return get ceasefire deal? Just look back to 2014 and ahead. All he’s looking for is guaranteed protection for future.

@paulg @Kasparov63 Russia is no longer a threat but in its current and potential proximity to China. Normalisation with them creates leverage to prevent this proximity. Study Nixon’s rapprochement with China for exact same reasons vis a vis Soviet’s in the 60s

@paulg @HistoryBoomer @Kasparov63 If you believe trump only cares about the transactional then why is he siding with a backwater country like Russia rather than far more prosperous western alllies who the US trades with?

@paulg @Kasparov63 Zelenskyy wants the US to guarantee security before a peace deal. That means the US needs to risk getting themselves involved in WW3 in order for Ukraine to agree to peace. That’s a huge risk that the US doesn’t want to take.

@paulg @Kasparov63 Pretty sure he just admires Putin. He wants his own oligarchy and he’s doing it.

@paulg @Kasparov63 They’re making a last-ditch effort to break Russia from its long-standing strategic ties with China. But at the end of the day, it’s all about the U.S.-China rivalry—Ukraine and Russia are just side issues for Washington. And it’s not going to work.

@paulg @Kasparov63 The only legitimate point would be that we don’t want to weaken Russia so much that they can’t counterbalance China, but based on what they say I don’t think that’s it.

@paulg @Kasparov63 Simple. Trump just wants to feel important and decisive. Thus, he needs to end the war as soon as possible to showcase how powerful he is. The only way to win the war is to corner one side until it gives up. Ofc he will go for the weaker side possible

@paulg @Kasparov63 America has a 2T deficit and going bankrupt. We can't afford to keep the war going for Ukraine to win without causing ww3. The best solution is finding a path to peace.

@paulg @Kasparov63 Doubting, scrutinizing or withdrawing aid to Ukraine over Russia’s invasion is not siding with Russia. Neither Russia nor Ukraine is an American ally and neither Russia nor Ukraine is an American enemy. Neither Russia nor Ukraine has attacked the United States of America. These

Zelensky is a wartime leader watching his people suffer and die under Russian attacks every day. To be lectured and lied to by Trump and Vance, as they defend the war criminal dictator committing these atrocities, is unimaginable agony. An everlasting shame for America.

There has never been anything like this. Trump and Vance look like children talking about accommodating Putin. Zelensky holds his ground and defends his nation… and the free world.