Russia has invaded Ukraine

https://www.private-eye.co.uk/news

Boris spiked

THE Daily Mail's star signing Boris Johnson continues to earn every penny of his million-pound fee.

"Today President Zelensky was in the White House, to sign what I believe is an excellent deal for both Ukraine and America," he pontificated in his column for Saturday 1 March's paper, penned ahead of the Ukrainian leader actually setting foot in the Oval Office.

"It is barely more than a month since his inauguration, but Trump is changing the global conversation in important ways – and in favour of honesty and progress," Johnson enthused, assuring his readers: "This does not, repeat not, mean that Trump wants to betray Ukraine, or even to decouple from Europe... I am optimistic, first because Putin has all sorts of reasons to try to get out of the mess he has made, and second because the Trump White House – read the agreement – is committed to a sovereign Ukraine."

Classic timing
The column went live on the Mail website at 4.51 on Friday afternoon. Precisely 35 minutes later, Trump and JD Vance launched their furious attack on the Ukrainian president.

At 6.22pm, the Mail's social media honchos released the video plug Johnson is contractually-obliged to record for each of his outpourings – coinciding almost precisely with President Trump's own furious posting that Zelensky could "come back when he is ready for peace".

Both column and video were scrubbed from the internet soon afterwards. And there was no sign of Johnson in his usual slot in Saturday's paper, where the front page declared the confrontation between Trump and Zelensky "A SPECTACLE TO HORRIFY THE WORLD".

Valentine's Day gift
Online readers could at least re-enjoy the former PM's 14 February offering, in which he declared: "To listen to the wailing at the Munich Security Conference you would think that Donald Trump has pulled out of Nato and cravenly capitulated to the Kremlin... the valiant Volodymyr Zelensky has been sold down the Dnieper, that Ukraine is done for and that a new darkness covers the face of Europe" – something Johnson dismissed as "the usual anti-Trump hullabaloo of the liberal media".

[ianch99]

Trump is in full traitor mode:

Trump: Ukraine ‘may not survive’

Donald Trump said Ukraine “may not survive” as the White House put pressure on Volodymyr Zelensky to give up territory seized by Russia.

Ahead of the start of peace talks in Saudi Arabia this week, Mr Trump suggested Ukraine may cease to exist as a sovereign state.

Mr Zelensky has been told he must show he is willing to cede land occupied by Russia if he wants Washington to lift its ban on weapons and intelligence sharing.

The withdrawal of military aid and intelligence is already having an effect on the battlefield, with F-16 fighter jets donated to Ukraine by the US thought to have been left without effective radar.

The Institute of War Studies, an influential think tank in Washington, said on Sunday that it was “notable” that Ukraine has not been able to shoot down missiles from Russia in recent days

[Pierre]

The war only ends with a negotiated settlement and will inevitably involve Russia keeping some….if not all…the territory it has taken. Why that should come as a surprise to anyone is…..surprising! A return to pre-2014 borders was never….ever on the cards. I’ve said that all along.

The only way it could’ve happened would have been for the Russian economy to completely collapse, it hasn’t. Despite sanctions their oil exports have gone increased, massively.

Lots of countries that have no skin in this war, very happy to purchase Russian oil.

A buffer zone will need to be part of the deal, similar to what exists between N/S Korea manned with UN troops.

In fact, the border of all countries to Russia will need to be addressed, a new Iron Curtain.

Senator Kelly was a US Navy combat pilot and flew 39 combat missions during Operation Desert Storm in the Gulf War, then became a NASA astronaut.

[jfman]

Originally Posted by ianch99

Trump is in full traitor mode:

Trump: Ukraine ‘may not survive’

Not sure how he can be a traitor if he’s not Ukrainian.

It’s not in America’s interest to plough money and military resources into a bottomless pit for Ukraine to stand still. That was Biden’s strategy.

The Democrats lost the election and Trump has the mandate to dictate American interests in foreign affairs. Biden, Johnson and others made commitments to Ukraine they knew they did not have the authority to deliver long term. Trump didn’t exactly hide his views in the election campaign, nor were voters oblivious to what a realistic future for Ukraine would be without American support.

Forever, and inevitable, war proponents should consider the strategic value of Poland invading Ukraine and extending the NATO land border with Russia. It’s far more effective than a bankrupt rump state that will hate the West anyway once the propaganda subsides.

America wasn’t ploughing money and military resources into a bottomless pit - most of the money went to US arms manufacturers, to replace and update old/surplus military equipment, and the military aid was costed (inflated) at its replacement value (which the USA was going to do anyway), rather than at its actual depreciated value…

https://cepr.org/voxeu/columns/new-a...ficial-figures

Instead of more than $60 billion in military assistance (US State Department 2025), the real value amounts to about $18.3 billion. This discrepancy stems from inflated valuations of older weapons stockpiles and other contributing factors…

… It should also be noted that the vast majority of the equipment provided to Ukraine is no longer used by the US military and therefore had an effective value of zero to the US, other than as potential military support to allies or as a liability due to stringent requirements for recycling of weapons systems and munitions. The estimate of $12.5 billion is a conservative upper bound, without fully writing off such systems.

[1andrew1]

Originally Posted by jfman

Not sure how he can be a traitor if he’s not Ukrainian.

Ukraine was a friend of the USA's. Trump has betrayed Ukraine which makes Trump a traitor. Trump has betrayed Ukraine by taking Russia's line and holding back on aid and intelligence for the country.

[jfman]

Originally Posted by Hugh

America wasn’t ploughing money and military resources into a bottomless pit - most of the money went to US arms manufacturers, to replace and update old/surplus military equipment, and the military aid was costed (inflated) at its replacement value (which the USA was going to do anyway), rather than at its actual depreciated value…

https://cepr.org/voxeu/columns/new-a...ficial-figures

And every dollar of spend or minute spent by weapons manufacturers is time and effort that could be spent re-arming America, America’s long term allies in NATO, in Israel, or preparing for potential conflict elsewhere in the world.

Ukraine may well have been a useful scrapyard for depreciated equipment, and of course to feed the propaganda the USA will have overstated its financial commitment. However as the dynamic changes on the ground its ever increasingly valuable equipment for ever decreasing gains.

---------- Post added at 20:35 ---------- Previous post was at 20:33 ----------

Originally Posted by 1andrew1

Ukraine was a friend of the USA's. Trump has betrayed Ukraine which makes Trump a traitor. Trump has betrayed Ukraine by taking Russia's line and holding back on aid and intelligence for the country.

I think this is a pretty naive outlook, Andrew, and it ignores that America have cut and run from every short term ally of the 21st century.

[Pierre]

Originally Posted by Hugh

America wasn’t ploughing money and military resources into a bottomless pit - most of the money went to US arms manufacturers, to replace and update old/surplus military equipment, and the military aid was costed (inflated) at its replacement value (which the USA was going to do anyway), rather than at its actual depreciated value…

https://cepr.org/voxeu/columns/new-a...ficial-figures

Are they, along with a host of other nations, funding the Ukrainian war effort, or not?

---------- Post added at 21:31 ---------- Previous post was at 21:25 ----------

Originally Posted by 1andrew1

Trump has betrayed Ukraine by taking Russia's line and holding back on aid and intelligence for the country.

That is a totally false take.

Trump is taking Trump’s line. He, as part of his election promises, vowed to end the war in Ukraine.

Pressuring Ukraine into talking, is his line not Russia’s

Originally Posted by Pierre

That is a totally false take.

Trump is taking Trump’s line. He, as part of his election promises, vowed to end the war in Ukraine.

Pressuring Ukraine into talking, is his line not Russia’s

As if Trump’s admiration for Putin, and Russia, began during the 2024 election campaign.

If you believe that, something something bridge something something

[jfman]

Originally Posted by Chris

As if Trump’s admiration for Putin, and Russia, began during the 2024 election campaign.

If you believe that, something something bridge something something

Recognising objective reality on the ground (Ukraine are only in the war because of America) requires no admiration for either Putin or Russia.

The US want to end it’s proxy war. If Ukraine wants to continue then it’s entirely reasonable to expect the US to withhold support.

Some of us warned about the chance - indeed likelihood - that America would dispose of Ukraine when it ceased to be convenient. Ukraine haven’t been betrayed by Trump, they’ve been betrayed by those that gave false promises.

Time will tell how Ukrainians will feel about their role in the conflict, the mass displacement of young women and conscription of young men. As Europe pivots to the right the chances of deportations home will increase later in the decade. Once opposition media, political parties and trade unions are reinstated it’ll be interesting to follow Ukrainian discourse and whether in retrospect, with the benefit of hindsight, with all the available facts available, there will be a view that a ceasefire early in the conflict might have been economically, socially and militarily beneficial in the long run.

[Pierre]

Originally Posted by Chris

As if Trump’s admiration for Putin, and Russia, began during the 2024 election campaign.

If you believe that, something something bridge something something

Did Trump vow to end the war quickly , if not immediately?

Russia hasn’t

So, how is Trump employing all his leverage to get Ukraine into talks for ending the war, taking Russia’s line? It’s his line, to fulfil his promise and his ego. I would have thought by now you would have realised that it’s about him, it’s always about him. If you can’t see that you’re selectively something somenthing, cherrypicking something for narrative something ……….

https://bsky.app/profile/denisedwhee.../3lk2wjkodis2r

On Kremlin TV, Putin intimate Solov'yov says Russia so encouraged by Trump taking their side no longer see need for ceasefire.

"No, there won’t be any ceasefire. Our idea of peace is everything happening as we see fit”

Then plays a clip of Vance slamming Ukraine.

Vance is "our man" he says

There is a point that with the US already giving Russia pretty much everything they want, then what's the point of them agreeing to a ceasefire? America is withdrawing support so why not press for more?