May God Bless - and America Protect - Ukraine and President Zelenskyy
We should not let this day pass without acknowledging the character of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy or without thanking him for a graceful and courageous public act.
We live in barbaric times, under the constant threat of tyranny in a way that connects us with much of how most of the world has lived. Amid the flood of anger and vanity, and the drumbeat of lower primate behaviors rewarded with clicks and loyalty emboldened by hatred - we remain on heightened alert for that one sign - however fleeting, however distant - of humanity.
Today, Zelenskyy embodied that precious spirit, in the truest public sense, as he demonstrated composure, conviction, duty in protecting the people of Ukraine and the mission of their fight, and the courageous expression of fact - not fiction - to make his case directly to power and more than just the dreadful suggestion of power collusion.
We live in these ominous times with a deepened sense of commitment to those prized human structures we created - by the grace of God - to safeguard human freedom. Zelenskyy right now stands beside those in the history of our human tribe, who have paid a terrible price to show the world a sacred meaning.
"Zelenskyy came to Washington and was expected to sign a deal that would give the United States access to Ukrainian rare earth and critical minerals. But the heated session — with raised voices and cross talk playing out in front of TV cameras — left the future of the negotiations uncertain."
In the presence of United States President Donald J. Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance lectured Zelenskyy about the projected benefit to his country of Trump "diplomacy," and upbraided him for a lack of obsequious gratitude, as though our American capacity to broker a peace should depend on Zelenskyy kowtowing to Trump.
The aggressor and invader in the ongoing war with Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin cannot be trusted, said Zelenskyy. "He broke the ceasefire," he told America's leaders at the White House. "He killed our people. ... What kind of diplomacy, JD, you are speaking about? What do you mean?"
In the meeting, Trump kept insisting on "an immediate ceasefire," but the Ukranian President wants greater security as part of any deal to end the three-year war.
"Offer some words of appreciation for the United States of America and the president who's trying to save your country," Vance said.
"During the war, everybody has problems, even you," Zelenskyy told the vice president. "But you have nice ocean and don't feel now. But you will feel it in the future. God bless, you will not have war."
"Don't tell us what we're going to feel," said Trump, who throughout boasted of his toughness, displayed anger, chastised Zelenskyy, talked down to him, and repeatedly attacked his predecessor in the White House.
Consistently, the Ukrainian President responded with poise, in a respectful tone, no less sharpened by the suffering of his country at the hands of a ruthless dictator and empire builder, as Zelenskyy insisted on defying a false equivalency between the two warring nations and using facts - not the cozy language of power to protect power - to combat a siege of misinformation.
Trump kept pointing out that "he is in the middle of the mess" and wants to seize on an opportunity to talk to Putin to resolve the killing. But without substantial security guarantees for his long-suffering people, Zelenskyy knows he must be careful - and on high alert - as he resists a tyrant in Putin whom Trump just today referred to as someone with whom Trump has gone through a "hell of a lot."
There are 46,000 dead Ukrainian soldiers over there in a war Putin started, not to mention the innocents, but Trump and Putin have been through a lot together as fellow victims of the Democratic Party.
Remember, that on the campaign trail last year, Trump said he would "encourage Russia to attack any Nato member that fails to pay its bills as part of the Western military alliance." Just this month, he also called the democratically elected Zelenskyy "a dictator," and claimed (falsely) that Ukraine - not Russia - started the war. Moreover, Trump greenlighted unconditional talks with Russia in Saudi Arabia, without the presence of Ukraine.
From Politico:
"Trump gave Putin generous concessions on NATO and Ukrainian territory to Russia before the talks even started. He could have demanded a Russian ceasefire as a precondition to the first talks between the two sides’ top diplomats. He didn’t. In fact, there were apparently no preconditions at all."
"Dealmaking" rendered in the private sector of so-called titans, assumes a cartoonish quality, a feeble vanity, and truly pales, as it did earlier on this very day, alongside something as deeply sensitive as even just a single human life living in a warzone forged by an imperial aggressor, the freedom that Ukranian man or woman stands for, and the degree to which it finds deeper resonance within the human family, and a common will to protect it, only if we recognize the front line of resistance.
Whatever happens tomorrow, a leader showed up today at the White House. Battle-tested. His name is Zelenskyy. Maybe others can learn from such a show of strength and toughness - and justice - hard won, hopefully by close proximity. At this point, one can only pray. Thank you, Mr. President of Ukraine, from an American.
Jefferson believes in Iranian drone mother ships off the coast of New Jersey and favors sinking them regardless of admiralty law in the high seas nor environmental concerns as he/she advocates for free fire zone style anti aircraft shooting down unidentified unmanned aircraft blinking lights in the sky. Geez, just think what’s next if Jefferson sees an autonomous Tesla drive by? Gotta be a moon cricket meth abuser?
Real world: About two weeks ago, two Republican Congressmen introduced a bill to defund NPR. Fake Thomas Jefferson’s alternate timeline: NPR just had its federal funding pulled. Insider NJ thought balloon: If we spent the resources needed to fact check him, the ones who would no longer be viable would be us.
Thomas Jefferson, I have had enough of your bullshit. Pray our paths never cross, because if I ever find out who you are, it will not go well for you. Take that to mean whatever you want.
Many bullies around. Many use money to humilliate others.
May God bless and protect the people of Ukraine! I never thought I'd see the day the the party of Reagan would be the party of Russia, but that's the America we live in.
Why, don’t get in the mud with a pig. The pig likes it. Jezsayin
War is horrific and the mass killing must end. A generation is being wiped out . So for all the fury on display, I hope a deal is made. It made me sick to watch Zelenskyy put his signature on a ballistic missile , when visiting a factory in Pennsylvania, last summer. I wondered whose child would be killed by it and if he thought the same thing. This conflict needs to end and I hope Gods blessings and more importantly his grace reigns and brings this to an end. And we can stop calling each other 🐷.
How so ignorant you are, “Thomas Jefferson “ Max (and NPR, for that matter) tolerate your angry rhetoric because of our first amendment, which those who served and serve today in our military ( I am a Veteran) gave to us, even to you.
Thomas Jefferson, it takes a pig to know a pig. It is said that opposites attract. One can’t help notice on this platform the many times you call anyone who disagrees with your hate-speech, a communist. We all know that Russian communism from the beginning co-opted nascent democracy in Russia. While the communists were initially a Menshevik party (minority) they began early, among their own big lies, to call themselves bolshevicks ( of the majority) From the beginning they were totalitarian, just as Putin is a de facto DICTATOR, Elections mean nothing in Russia when the outcome is predetermined. And now, “Thomas Jefferson” you carry the dirty water of Putin himself, whose high ranking Official referred to Zelensky with the same insulting word you use to describe the HERO Zelensky. Calling you a pig, “Thomas Jefferson, would be a huge insult to ANY pig.
Max Pizarro once again shows his socialist propaganda arrogance and uses the failed media propaganda sources as NPR and Politico as his sources of information. Poor Max. I guess he doesn't know that Politico and NPR just had their federal taxpayer supported funding pulled because they are propaganda outlets for the Leftist Democrat Adminstration, and will no longer be viable since they have no real subscribers or viewers.
God Bless you, Max, for speaking the plain truth about what happened at the Oval Office yesterday. One of Trump’s biggest lies in front of the American people was the amount of aid Ukraine has received from the United States. It is not the 350 million dollar figure Trump mentioned. Jonathan Karl has reported that Trump held a meeting with Vance, Rubio and several others immediately before meeting with Zelensky in Oval Office yesterday. He was not happy with the Rare Earth deal ( which Trump repeatedly miss pronounced as raw Earth) which addressed more than a few concerns Zelensky had with earlier concepts of what Trump wanted from this deal. In the first 39 minutes and 50 seconds, the meeting with Zelensky at the Oval Office was actually cordial, with Trump actually nodding in agreement with several of Zelensky’s characterization of Putin as the aggressor, etc. Wether one supports Trump’s actions yesterday or not, ALL should see the full 49 minute and 40 second video of this meeting to draw their own conclusions.It was not until the 39 year-old Vice President began to run interference into the conversation that the situation very quickly deteriorated. It is befuddling and frankly, shameful, that a sitting President would carry the dirty water of a dictator Putin into this conversation. Let us ALL be clear: Russia is the aggressor in its war against Ukraine, not Zelensky. It appears, that Trump has embraced the Republican Party international Isolationism of the 1920’s. He has SHATTERED the NATO Alliance by cozying up to Putin and throwing Ukraine to Putin on a silver platter. I remember when the brilliant John Bolten was the darling of most Conservatives. Those Conservatives who still would put Country ahead of Party would do well to read, see, or hear Mr, Bolton’s comments this morning about President Trump. I am Liberal, but I would gladly accept Mitt Romney or Republican Congressman Mike Lawlor (see what he said about yesterday’s debacle)as President, because these two men have conviction and character, a trait Trump sorely lacks.
Zelenskyy is an insolent pig. It was right to throw him out of the White House. The guy has been shaking down the U.S. under the Biden Administration since the Ukraine War started. He thought he could use the same intimidation tactics on the master of the Art of the Deal, who knows how to handle intimidation. Zelenskyy lost. All one had to do is look at the videos and photos of the Ukrainian ambassador holding her head in her hands while all of Zelenskyy's misplaced tactics were going on. She was totally embarrassed and shocked by Zelenskyy. Let's not forget Zelenskyy isn't even the President of the Ukraine anymore. His term expired, but he decided NOT to hold another election because he says there's a war going on. He has made himself the de facto dictator of the Ukraine. Many world leaders held elections during wars. Franklin D. Roosevelt ("FDR") comes to mind immediately during WWII. There are those in Ukraine that are more competent and less arrogant than Zelenskyy that could have made the deal to create a ceasefire and end the mass slaughter. As the one commenter above said Zelenskyy is battle tested, implying Trump is not. I ask, who was the one that was physically shot in the ear by an assassin in Butler, PA back in July 2024????? If that's not battle tested, I don't know what is. But, I digress. The commenter was never in the military and is probably an anti-gun, anti-2nd Amendment insolent pig.
Ok, ok, so we already know that Mike Flynn, Rick Perry, and Manafort Doe (s) 1-999 et al were all actively scheming to shake down Ukraine and that all of that effort didn’t work out exactly as they had hoped under the former regime that saw president Yerashenko hurriedly flee the country to seek asylum in Russia? But that was no reason for the sitting US American President, five time serial bankruptcy artist, Mediterranean resort land developer mogul hopeful to turn Lance Corporal Vance (or whatever his true and correct legal last name is) loose on the 3 year battle tested Ukrainian leader in a tawdry effort to exact some kind of back alley payoff before the unblinking eyes of the camera of the world press that was beamed at the speed of light across the known universe for historical posterity , when if Vance and Trump were truly the savvy entrepreneurs that claim it ever had hoped to have the world believe they coulda set the whole thing up as pay per view instead? But nooooii? They took the WWA route and tag teamed Zelensky right in front of the referees of world public opinion and are now disqualified from any legitimate future world class events because they hung themselves on the ropes like rookie pencil neck geeks that they are!