Whatever you think of Trump, at least he is authentic.

At least Trump isn't trying to be someone he isn't, unlike fake people like Starmer who take pieces of other people's personalities and ideas, such as coalition of the willing , which was a word used by BLiar in Iraq. People eventually see through it and they will never be truly liked or supported. Nothing beats someone who is unapologetically themselves no matter what their personality type is. The more you can achieve the authenticity to be yourself, the more people will be engaged with you. I have more respect for an authentic bad guy than a fake good guy. This is what is happening with Trump and Farage, whether you like them or not, the fakery of the neo-liberals, neo cons, globalists, warhawks is being exposed.

Authentic = Trump = Winner

Inauthentic = Kamala Harris = Failure

Hitler and Stalin were authentic but don't look too good now do they.

Yep. Both of those at least knew what they were saying.

Agree Horden.

Fwends

Really

Your point is….

Fair point, and when you consider the Allied effort to stop Hitler then your point becomes even scarier.

Irony is ……that the Russians stopped Hitler.

It's almost though some people have become irritated by the news of peace talks..what queer folk they are

You are so right…were they gonna fight on till no one was left standing….?

More irritated by those daft enough to think the Russians are really going to engage is genuine PEACE talks.

Well you have to chance it or the result is a war of attrition that will inevitably engulf Ukraine ..Game over, lot of dead bodies.
The mere presence of thousands of US workers extracting minerals will block Putin’s ambitions in their tracks..they’ll be the trip wire.
Stalemate is also Realpolitik.
Be honest, Putin is a hard case and was never realistically gonna be deterred by General Jumbo Starmer and a reluctant crew of European closet social workers looking shifty and hoping it all goes away.
As Churchill said…’Jaw Jaw is better than War, War’…every time.

Unless Russia conducts false flag operations and/or election rigging to get their puppet in office. But that never happens does it?

All ifs and buts, as has been said many times the alternative to even a fragile peace is the worse option. All we are saying is give peace a chance.
Without US support how do you see this continuing if peace is not an option?

Do these “thousands of US workers extracting minerals” actually exist?

Or will it be thousands of Ukrainians with a scattering of USA fat cats in charge of them.

Probably, but the US will still want to protect their interests and therefore the workers regardless of nationality.

the only losers over there are the US workers in the arms industry who will be on short time now.

Conspiracy theory was Kennedy was assassinated because he was going to pull the troops out or reduce the numbers in Vietnam which was going to part of his agenda for the next presidential election meaning a big loss for the arms industry.

You obviously haven’t a clue Snowy, do you actually think thousands of US workers would descend or be allowed to be in Ukraine to work in the mines ?
US supervisors as in the countries in the globe where they have interests.

They'll be mostly Ukrainian workers but US by proxy if you will. If the Russians interfere with US owned mineral extraction facilities I'd imagine there'd be swift intervention by the US government. I'd also imagine that safe mineral extraction activities on behalf of the US will be part of the deal that Trump and Putin are working on.

Wether we like it or not the US has pulled the plug, so fight on until Europe or others agree to actively assist the Ukrainians - so probably a year of talking to decide who's in charge, how many from each country, 2 years to train and arm them adequately. Hang on Vlodymyr we'll be there to help in 2028. Only if there's no ceasefire there won't be a Ukraine to help by then.

If Trump trusts Putin so much - how come he's refusing to place any so called peacekeepers in Ukraine? Or offer any security guarantees?

The majority of the the Ukrainian minerals are in the occupied Russian areas.

He'll offer security to US businesses working there for sure. He won't offer it to European nations who are not a direct threat to the US.
He said 8 years ago that the rest of NATO and the west had to start pulling their weight in terms of defence spending, he also warned what would happen if they didn't. Is it really a surprise given that he's got control of both Houses that he's doing what he said he did all those years ago?
The war in Ukraine is more a failing of European governments than of the US.

Trump can only offer security if he puts boots on the ground, would Putin allow that, he has already said no.

He won't need boots on the ground if he comes to an agreement with Putin though.

That's right, because Putin is trustworthy!

Then what happens when Trump is no longer President?

It would depend on their agreement wouldn't it, and Putin only breaks deals when it suits him the same as every other head of state really?

Putin is NOWHERE NEAR like any other head of state. There is no such thing as a Putin promise.

That is just one of the big sticking points. Nobody but Trump believes that a few US contractors are going to make any difference to Putin.

You’ll find out little man ……but you were never one for holding your hand up.

I suspect this started because sleepy joe was President and Putin thought the chance was too good to miss…..

It's been going on with Putin for a very long time.

I don't believe for one moment Putin would ever break a deal with Trump not a chance. See these two are strong leaders who have ultimate respect for each other. And we have Starmer enough said really.

Stong leaders?

Putin was cowering in his bunker while Zelensky was on the front line visiting his troops in Bakhmut.
Trump is a bully and naive enough for Putin to exploit.

I take it you are privy to inside information provided directly by Zelensky. It's good having your opinion just a shame you state it as fact. Regarding nieve take a look in the mirror what do you see.

Please tell us what the alternative to negotiating a peace deal then instead of just telling us that'll never happen, or what Putin will do, etc etc
Continuing the war will lead to the total demise of Ukraine, is that a better solution because it's more principled?

If this no deal logic of battling on was applied to WW1 we’d still be fighting.
Now oddly enough, General Foch and the Americans didn’t want peace either and to carry on all the way to Berlin….France would have been one mega War Cemetery.

The thing is Snowy that if there's no peace negotiated soon, without US support Ukraine will be taken by the Russians. Europe for all the bluster are currently years away from having the coordinated military power to stop them.
Negotiate or die are the choices.

And who made you the expert on such matters. You aren't qualified to say that with any certainty at all. We are cracking on with a coalition, end of. Good news.

I do however take your point about the peace talks. The problem is there are some major things that need to be backed down on. I can see Ukraine dropping NATO ambitions (if there continues to be a NATO and if it would ever have let them in anyway) and I can see them agreeing to leave territory currently held (not Kursk) as new borders. But there are Russian demands which have to be backed down upon for this to work and they've shown no signs of doing so and I don't think they will feel under any pressure considering their new orange pal.

It was no secret, well... until afterwards. Would have been silly to announce it before.

I doubt the European threat will bother the Russians…..most European forces are either just not up to it…equipment and attitude wise.
Only Poland pays the full whack and the rest including ours are offering to start paying in three years time…seriously…?
If you’re going to get into a gun fight…don’t turn up with a knife.

It was no secret, well... until afterwards. Would have been silly to announce it before.[/quote]

It looks to me you only believe the stuff you want to believe without ever taking a broader view. I prefer to look at the full picture before I make up my mind.

Oh I dunno. Even our cast off gear in the hands of the Ukrainians caused havoc with the Russians. I mean a grands worth of drone kaputting millions worth of tank. Pretty good value.

We've let it slide and I would have gone further had I been PM but at least it's a step in the right direction.

"It looks to me you only believe the stuff you want to believe without ever taking a broader view. I prefer to look at the full picture before I make up my mind. "

Look it up then. Don't just believe me.

Why get so oddly excited about the power of certain weapons….how about putting them down and talking.

Realpolitik Snowy eh? Peace through strength? This is what you advocate.

I'm no expert, just giving an opinion. And by the way, you shouldn't really ask the question "who made you the expert" then lecture us on your opinion as though you are the expert! As for qualifications, what qualification is needed for anyone to have an opinion?
It's clear to me that without the US and given the state of the European response and current capability to operate as an effective defensive alternative to the US, Ukraine are now not defending territory anymore. They are weakened to the point of this war now becoming an existential threat to their country.
NATO is changed hugely and new European defense alliances will be formed permanently to either replace or supplement it. Trump warned this was coming and was necessary last time he was in office.
Negotiations starting next week between US and Ukraine, hopefully it's the start of the end.
Just my opinion!

All conflicts end.
Applying schoolboy military theories is not the answer…it’s the military theory of the playground.
Getting excited at the prospect of European intervention has one problem…the reluctance of liberal European wet governments..a loose collection of the so called willing…you don’t go from wet to chest beating hard men overnight.
C’mon …face facts, you don’t put 35 years of defence cuts right overnight then be so naive as to admit you ain’t gonna spend any extra money for three years.
It’s tub thumping as they gee each other up,,,then return home to reality….it’s window dressing.
And Starmer leading the column on this Crusade is the final straw.