I think they see themselves as “The Rat Pack” in the movie Ocean’s 11. I don’t think there’s a definitive leader. I believe they’re just a bunch of guys, psychopaths, that are attempting to rob the world. Putin is not pulling strings, he’s just one of the guys pulling his weight from the sidelines, and a key figure in getting Trunk elected. Mask has the money and the government contracts but he’s losing it from being loaded all the time. Trunk too is over medicated. These are all truly bad people who are driving our country over a cliff.
Wasn't Hermann Göring a morphine addict? This triumvirate is missing a leg to its proverbial ideal chair. In the age of opioid death in Amerika, surely we can find a pie-eyed opioid addict, functional or otherwise, to round out this rogue's gallery. Sorry to make light, but it is Friday, and I am indulging my own substance abuse, two vodka martinis before dinner. Prost? Proust? Hannah Arendt and Remembrance?
In a more general sense the administration's behavior toward Ukraine reflects the devolution of capitalism, namely that anything that cannot be monetized has no value. The world then becomes an ensemble of zero sum games in which there is a loser for each winner. Moreover the very idea of restraint must be rejected.
In an alternative universe, business, labor and consumers are mutual beneficiaries of enlightened policies which utilize negative feedback control to maintain balance and equity, and nations use peaceful means to resolve differences and benefit their citizens. We once sought to perfect that universe, but no more.
You cannot treat human beings without dignity in front of other humans …all a witness to the repulsive corruption for money. All the world is watching . We must expect a monumental backlash. We did NOT vote for a monster to lead us! This is not acceptable and he must be removed for ALL of our sakes …… if the Republican senators are afraid of their base they had better be MORE afraid now of the democrats coming ………. YouWILL hear us roar We want action NOW …… this won’t stand
As an Australian now living in Poland, the thought begins to form in my mind that perhaps the United States is no longer an ally of the west! Something I have noticed in reading a lot of reporting on this is how American news outlets are both discussing it as if it is something happening in a country other than their own and how they have begun to actually jump on the band wagon of criticising European nations. We are in some unprecedented times, all because Zelensky refused a request years ago that led to the orange idiot being impeached. The result? A petulant child threw all the toys out the crib...
And I hate to even say it, felt very uncomfortable saying it!!!! As an Australia we have shared a wonderful history with the USA, especially since our amazing WWII Prime Minister John Curtain looked away from the UK and towards America in his New Years Day speech on 1 January 1942. Since then, Australia has gone to war with the USA in every action since right up to the present day. But what would happen now? I also want to know what to say to my Ukrainian friends? Those who've lost their homes and their jobs, their family members? What am I supposed to tell them about what is happening?
Yes, you might feel disgust but your money and your government is doing the damage. The ROW is feeling fear, anxiety, threats, despair ... give me disgust anytime. Unlike Canada, Ukraine, Europe, your existence isn't threatened; you are the agents of it.
Dual national here and would like AU and UK to remove themselves from AUKUS deal. However saying that we right now have Chinese warships sailing past our coastline to practice war games. Planes NZ to AU are having to change flight paths. Strange times.
I'd remove yourselves from the AUKUS deal immediately. Until the current government officials are executed and in past history, the US will not be a reliable ally.
Agree. As another dual national - don’t forget there was NO discussion about AUKUS, former idiotic Conservative (for some unknown reason to me, called ‘Liberal’) gov just very unceremoniously dumped the French subs, upset Macron, lost the last election and many of us hoped that with a Labor Gov sanity would return and AUKUS would be dumped. But no. It was pathetically and embarrassingly embraced. Many are increasingly against AUKUS in Oz. Even before Trump ascendency. Bad enough having the Americans run Pine Gap. On the upside many wise voices don’t think it will ever happen.
Yeah this was very disturbing to say the least. Indeed strange times. One narcissistic child upends the status quo and every other power hungry child thinks its O.k to throw their toys out as well.
trump & musk are attacking the people of the United States as well as threatening global stability. Millions of us are living in fear, anxiety & despair. I believe they want humans , perceived as ‘non contributing units’ to expire as quickly as possible. This is the true ‘efficiency’ goal of DOGE.
Tell them that the vast majority of REAL Americans stand with them and are at the same time mortified by the ghouls and jackals the benighted and gullible MAGAts have empowered. We have our hands full dealing with them...
I would love to tell them this, however, too many Poles still remember being handed over to Stalin. History is still being lived in this part of the world.
Tell them the truth, the conservatives in the USA took control of the government when Reagan was elected president in 1980. Since then they have stolen every election they could, and they are now under the control of p and the russians. No, the government of the USA won't support Australia, just like it hasn't really supported the Ukrainians. Those of us who lived through the Cold War are still in a state of a shock, because it's hard to realize that we will have to overthrow the current government to get back to a representative government. I hope the rest of NATO will come to the rescue of Ukrainians. Also, most of us are over 60.
The transition to being controlled by the Russians has taken me by surprise -- or, rather, it did in 2015, when Trump took the nomination and made exactly one change to the R platform: Removing the plank about supporting Ukraine.
Since then it's been pretty clear how all this was going to unfold.
Most other aspects of the turmoil of the last 10 years have been predictable.
I am sure that once the current government is gotten rid of, the old alliances will return. This seems obvious to me. But you have to get rid of a dictator that has gotten to power through democracy. So did hitler. So how do you remove him?
Both our children are dual AUS/US citizens, both are appalled beyond words at the damages bestowed by tRump upon us in the US...our daughter in fact during an upcoming visit to Oz will be initiating paperwork for relocating...i.e., voting with one's feet.
Absolutely the majority of "We the People" support Ukraine as we always have! The Mob at the top don't give a damn about democracy, the truth, or anything but getting their filthy hands on those precious minerals.
Wait and see, Damien. Wait and see how we will eventually tear the present aberration down and re-ally with our historic friends, for whose sake we've spent much blood and treasure. If not for NATO, who could we the people possibly ally with? Putin & Co. are despicable monsters.
Thank you Leigh. I am someone who loves the USA. I played semi-pro sport there for 14 years and America has been incredibly kind to me. So saying any of this pains me greatly. For now, I am not seeing anything that indicates that anyone in the USA is fighting back. I mean we saw this coming so long ago and yet there is no current remedy.
Better hurry. It won't wait. The damage is already incalculable. Hope you aren't waitiing for 2028 elections, which, btw, won't be happening. The US will never be trusted for generations of Europeans, Canadians, Mexicans, Australians ...
There aren't going to be any elections. And the damage will be so extensive even by 2026 that nothing will ever repair it. It takes much longer to build the apparatus of state than destroy it.
Do Take rump at his word when he said even before taking office that maybe we wouldn’t be needing elections any more.
The twisted brain trust behind Project 2025, Heritage Foundation, the planners and donors like Peter Thiele, Bannon, wacko libertarians, elmo, have espoused a total reset and full stop of all government function, wipe the slate clean, and start over (with what “they” deem is appropriate and just government).
Elections? In any red state I’d expect the voter rolls to be purged, reset, cleared out, and everyone will have to re-register to vote. Birthright citizenship and more will be chopped, hence [voters will be] dropped from voter rolls in red states. Persons who changed their name via marriage (often women) will have a hard time voting or getting passports: cannot prove they are citizens b/c their current ID no longer matches their birth certificate (so get your documents in order NOW, i.e. marriage certificate - watch what Kris Kobach does in Kansas SoS office for a preview). I hope this all doesn’t come to pass.
2022 Vox - “Curtis Yarvin wants American democracy toppled. He has some prominent Republican fans. The New Right blogger has been cited by Blake Masters and J.D. Vance. What exactly is he advocating?” Andrew Prokop Oct 24, 2022
Wired magazine: february 15 2025 “ Top US Election Security Watchdog Forced to Stop Election Security Work
The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has frozen efforts to aid states in securing elections, according to an internal memo viewed by WIRED.”
Wired November 5 2025 “Russia Is Going All Out on Election Day Interference. Along with other foreign influence operations — including from Iran — Kremlin-backed campaigns to stoke division and fear have gone into overdrive.”
We don't know how to get rid of him without elections -- our system isn't built for it, in a case like this where one party is captive and controls both houses. We can't impeach him without deep control of House and Senate. We can't use Article 25 to declare him unfit, unless he has a medical crisis. About the only path would be Dems get heavy control of both houses of Congress, Trump has a medical crisis, Vance ascends, and is impeached. Or possibly, D gets control of Congress, impeaches Vance, refuses to confirm a new VP nominee, then Trump has a medical crisis, leaving Jeffries in charge.
Damien, we are increasingly becoming isolated, as Mexico and Canada are pushing back, and Europe appears united (mostly) to fill the vacuum we are leaving. Germany's immediate future is a concern with the rise of the AfD.
Indeed and this rise in the right around the world. it is amazing how quickly it is happening. One man, a pure malignant narcissist, a nihilist, hates himself and therefore the world must burn in his image. The USA has attempted isolation twice and look where it ended up? being dragged into two WW's.
The people who have taken over the government are the enemies of the American people also. They have waged a 30 year campaign to allow the ultra-hyper- capitalists to gain power and control resources. Trump is their show pony who attracted the worst elements of America; the greedy, racist, xenophobic, and misogynistic. I wish I could tell you that it's an aberration, but it's too soon to tell. The CEOs, and the misinformed are still thrilled.
Things are already starting. Many people are calling the Congress people and complaining. This had always been just a Republican thing but now it is changing. I urge you all to call yours, and do again for every issue, especially Musk and Ukraine. Also, call your state legislators. Ask them to protect your state’s sovereignty from illegal intrusive federal EOs.
AND: The Bulwark posted a report about a very MAGA Georgia Congressman who had the nerve to call a Town Hall meeting. He got lots of flack about Misks cuts, especially about the CDC in Georgia. The farmers in the mid west are losing $$$$ from these cuts too. People are beginning to realize the effects of what they are doing.
You’re right. Europe can—must—no longer think of the US as an ally even, much less something of a protector. That’s all gone we’re headed, unbelievably, to bring an ally of Russia.
Also in that "beautiful, perfect" phone call, Trump asked President Zelenskyy about the "server" with Hillary Clinton's deleted emails on it, which he was convinced was somewhere in Ukraine. He probably still believes it.
You have to see it with your own eyes to believe it. Let us also not forget that we should inject bleach into our blood streams and that we will be cured by shining bright lights into our veins. All very very normal stuff for the person holding the most powerful position on the world stage.
OMG! Damien, I am so ashamed of my country right now. Th think that so many people thought that Donald Trump would be a good president is embarrassing. There is a spending boycott on February 28th. Perhaps other countries would like to join us and boycott American companies (except for small or local businesses).
I run tours based on WWII and the Holocaust. I tell people who ask "how did this happen?" I now tell them, we have a front row seat to exactly how it happened!
But you know why? Because Zelensky is the only one speaking back to him. He is no Sycophant. Nobody speaks back to trump. Zelensky does so he is attacked. nothing to do with politics and everything to do with narcissism. I think Zelensky also brings out the cowardice in trump. 5 deferments for Vietnam...Zelensky fights.
Fellow Australian here. For what it is worth, my reading of it is that the US is now run like a Corporation (Oligarchy), and foreign policy is a short term, zero sum profit motive (damn the long-term strategic consequences), with a layer of narcissism and fascism (and all that entails). What were alliances, partners and friends, are now to be damned unless they pay up. So the values of what we have been accustomed to in the 'West', are no longer shared by the US.
Agreed. Diplomacy conducted on the whims of a malignant narcissist is always going to go well. Praise me and you will have favour. Wound me and you're done for.
He had to wait till his last line to note "the current policy of wartime sadism against a loyal and important ally." And yet even there failed to remember the fat orange guy as the convicted criminal he is. As he has all his life stood for criminality.
We had a meeting last night here in little Ellsworth, Maine. Easily 100 people not counting Zoom. Your idea of a Shadow Cabinet was spotlighted and a petition circulated. ThankYou for that also.
Shadow cabinet concept is definitely gaining traction. I heard from an important figure recently about the little bit of infrastructure for a cabinet I've worked on. Not sure what more I can do now, but at least it's a start so that the serious-minded folks can pick it up and run according to what they decide they need. https://substack.com/@dougshortridge
Never has the United States spent so little and gained so much in a war situation. Trump‘s fear of being ripped off shows he cannot understand… Cannot see… The benefits we have gotten. Who will explain this to him? (I know that’s a rhetorical question with no answer.) 🙄
We absolutely have to do this to have a voice. We need a focus on sanity and a way out. We can't ignore the orange ignoramus but it's easy for him to suck up a lot of bandwidth.
47 is terribly jealous of Zelenskyy, whom he also hates because he was the source of much grief in his first impeachment. Jealousy, hate and vindictiveness, for such a small waste of food and air as is the current POTUS make for little friendship, especially when Vlad the impaler is dictating all of DJT's thought processes as he has been since 1988.
I guess that Trump's blackmail policy would have extended to our assistance to England, France etc during World War II. Should FDR have shaken down England and France for 10% of their GNP in perpetuity in return for our assistance? Only a thug would think this way, and that's precisely who the American people put in the White House. We have only ourselves to blame for installing a delusional, egotistic , power-hungry moron in the White House - no insult intended.
Let’s not forget that American defense contractors who have politicians in their back pocket financially and in many cases are shareholders profit from this and every “arms deal”. It is beyond embarrassing what is being demanded of Ukraine and ofc now emboldened by the US’s backing Russia is Sabre rattling in Lithuania-
Yes, they do. Simpler to gain by selling product to friendly governments like Ukraine than via some kind of weird bank shot that is somehow related to supporting Trump. I'm putting money into Rheinmetall thinking they will help arm free Europe in what's coming, as long as Deutschland doesn't flip to fascist.
"The American demands amount to extremely severe war reparations upon Ukraine, far more severe than was demanded (for example) of Germany after either world war. But this demand is directed against Ukraine, and Ukraine is not the aggressor." The behavior of this administration is monstrous.
Before we see massive protest marches and other forms of resistance to Trump's delusional decent into dictatorship and monarchy, there is one an immediate reason for some hope. Trump's rapidly declining approval rating.
After his victory Trump's approval rating was at 48%. Just 4 weeks into Trump 2.0 its dropped to 42-44%..And the "King" has barely started destroying himself. We the Governed are coming for King Donald.
Imagine where his standing in public opinion after he slashes Medicare and CHIP programs for 80 million Americans. Or he refuses to release federal FEMA funds to disaster victims. Or Hegseth, at Trump's direction cuts the military budget by 8% and discharges the LGBTQ community from service. Many of the negatively effected citizens voted for Trump. Or inflation rapidly ticks back up to 9% because of Trump's tariff tax on all Americans and expulsion of hard working immigrants. Or unemployment skyrockets. Or every American with parents, grandparents or great grandparents who fought in WWII watch Trump disparage NATO and hug Putin. And Trumps AG and FBI Director make a mockery of Justice in America.
How will the American investor class feel when his cumulating actions drive stock prices down by 20-30%? The risks are very high and the benefits of his agenda are very meager.
I'm hoping Trump's approval rating plummets into the mid 30s by the end of March and keeps falling.
What will the chicken s**t GOP do then? Especially in purple districts. Trump's is the agenda they've supported. They own it. The public will gladly vote them out of office.
Now that he's in office, Trump no longer needs them so his popularity can plummet without an issue. There will still be a significant percentage who will support Trump regardless. But he just needed his faithful, and other poorly-informed voters, mainly "macho" men to get elected (along with some cheating). And now that Trump is President, he will cast aside his "people" for his ambitions, as always intended.
Never in my life have I been more ashamed to be an American! These strong arm tactics are NOT how America has historically behaved on the world stage. This is NOT what the people want! Our lame-stream media is compromised! They are spewing pure propaganda out of fear of being sued, or taken off the air by the current fascist nazi tech-broligarchy. This article saddens me for my country, and angers me at the authoritarian regime running it right now. Thank you for writing it. I will share.
trump, his team, GOP Congress are traitors, malefic, evil. They serve themselves , enrich their pockets, enjoy all the perks of our White House and institutions, and don’t have a care in the world for the American People/American worker. The GOP is as perverse and evil as trump. They have the way to stop trump but choose purposely to help and assist trump and musk to dismantle
and destroy our institutions, and steal from the American taxpayer.they had it all planned. In the process of all their perversity and evilness they had satisfaction in letting the poor and the indefensible children starve, suffer, and die as trump and the richest man in the world took away ,on week one, the aid to underprivileged countries/ communities(only 1% of the totality of American money is spent on that program ,if I’m not mistaken on this number )- they let the babies suffer hunger and die. It’s disgusting, it’s embarrassing, it’s sad what’s happening in the United States of America.
This has to stop. Americans console themselves that they personally didn't vote for this catastrophe. But your money and your government are the agents of this misery. You own it. It's now your history and your responsibility. Stop making puerile and jejeune excuses for your passivity.
OK, that’s another way to look at it. Another point of view. Your point of view is for the blamers of this world. I think you’re blaming the wrong person, however.
Do you realize that my country has had its very existence threatened? Thank you for calling me a blamer. What the hell are you, then? Agent? Cause? Excuser?
In your first comment you make reference to “your money“, “your government“, “you own it”, “your responsibility“, “Your shame is well deserved.”
I thought you were from another country. Then in your next comment you ask if we realize that “my country has had its very existence threatened?” I thought oh my god not yours too!
I, who have always been anti-war and who studied Gandhi’s non violence, am now seriously considering sending money to fund weapons for the Ukrainian army. Someone needs to do it. I don’t know if we can trust our leaders to do the right thing any more. US leaders definitely not but WTF is NATO doing?! Why haven’t they stepped in?!
For upheavals as preposterous as this one, it takes a longer reaction time. No one knows exactly the best way to proceed. The fragmentation of the population, the division of the people is the main cause of a slow reaction as I see it.
Just remember one thing. The maladministration is constantly overestimating how many people are on their side. They do this to make us fear to try anything.
NATO article 5 automatically provides for all members to help defend against attacks against any member. Any other political decisions, like accepting new members or actions outside of NATO member states, requires unanimous agreement by all members. NATO is by its own bylaws, which are disappointing, but somewhat understandable, has afforded any state total veto power over the will of the other members. For example, Turkey held up membership for Sweden for over a year. For NATO to do anything significant to really help Ukraine, like expediting membership, would currently be blocked by the U.S., Germany, Hungary, Slovakia and others. If the U.S. had a President with strong integrity, democratic values and respect on the world stage (clearly NOT the case) the rest of NATO might have taken action. It’s just not in the cards. That’s why Macron is trying so hard to convene a group of “the willing” European countries to take action outside of NATO. He hasn’t invited the U.S., Hungary, etc to join.
It would be a better thing. Commonwealth countries I think would combine too - I would like to think so as my father in law fought in Europe, Middle East and Pacific for whole of WW2. I would like to see his efforts (& youth) not be taken in vain with this US-RU craziness.
From the US I seem to be unable to get them to process my credit card payments properly. Any attempt at donation seems to hang, which is a shame because they clearly have some good causes there where money goes straight to the front.
Hey Geeta, I find myself in the same boat and posted that I would like to start something for sending my US dollars to Ukraine to show that a lot, probablly the majority of US citizens support them. Another reader here, Ken Cissna mentioned there already is such an organization. It is called 'Come Back Alive' I went to their site and for the first time in my life I sent money to a foreign organization for the very specific cause of supporting an army at war. And it felt fucking good! Try it, you'll like it, Cheers.
Good for you, Geeta. As Prof. Snyder has pointed out numerous times throughout the years, in order for Germany to become a civilized nation, it had to be crushed militarily in WWII, as Russia must now be defeated soundly to stop its imperial ambitions and to stop the mass murder, torture, and imprisonment of Ukraine's civilian and military population. Germany was responsible for the mass murders of millions of civilians--mostly Jews and Slavic peoples, on the eastern front--not even to speak of the approximately 3.1 million murdered Soviet prisoners of war (See Timothy Snyder, "Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin."* See also Mark Mazower, "Hitler's Empire: How the Nazis Ruled Europe").** At least since the partitioning of Poland, when the Kingdom of Prussia (later a part of Germany after Bismarck's wars of unification in the 1860s), acquired the western and northern parts of the old Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Germans had held extremely prejudiced views about Poles specifically and Slavic peoples in general. The Nazis' original goal was to murder 30 million Slavic peoples by starving them to death. None of what I've written so far takes into account all of the civilians murdered by the Nazis in mass reprisal killings in Czechoslovakia (mostly on the Czech side), France, and other parts of southeastern and western Europe. On the subject of Belarus', Prof. Mazower writes that one German officer recorded that the ratio of Belarus'ians to Germans murdered was 73 to 1.
*"The Germans shot, on a conservative estimate, half a million Soviet prisoners of war. By way of starvation or mistreatment during transit, they killed about 2.6 million more. All in all, perhaps 3.1 million Soviet prisoners of war were killed" (Timothy Snyder. "Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin," p.184).
** "By February 1942, only 1.1 million Soviet POWs remained alive (of the 3.9 million originally captured), and of these only 400,000 were able to work. The overall mortality rate for Soviet POWs in German hands during the Second World War was 57.5 per cent; as many British and American soldiers died in German captivity during the whole war as died in these camps in one day. It was hardly surprising that German generals themselves believed that ‘the Führer wishes for the decimation of the Slavic masses’" (Mark Mazower. "Hitler's Empire: How the Nazis Ruled Europe," p. 163).
I hope there is no way that Ukraine can be forced to agree to this disgusting, amoral proposal.
It was encouraging yesterday to notice that, at the beginning of the meeting between President Zelenskyy and General Kellogg, someone among the press called out to Zelenskyy, "How are you?" and he replied, "Fighting. Always fighting."
This report is also encouraging - though I suppose General Kellogg is now expecting to be sacked :
13.37 GMT
'Extensive and positive talks' with Zelenskyy, US Ukraine envoy Kellogg says.
US special envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg has praised his talks with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “extensive and positive” in a social media post at the end of his visit to Kyiv.
“A long and intense day with the senior leadership of Ukraine. Extensive and positive discussions with @ZelenskyyUa, the embattled and courageous leader of a nation at war and his talented national security team,” he said.
Morally grotesque, indeed. The hallmark of the people making up this administration.
Absolutely. But we can’t wait until MAGA finds out they’re just Musk’s fodder, people need to act now.
I think they see themselves as “The Rat Pack” in the movie Ocean’s 11. I don’t think there’s a definitive leader. I believe they’re just a bunch of guys, psychopaths, that are attempting to rob the world. Putin is not pulling strings, he’s just one of the guys pulling his weight from the sidelines, and a key figure in getting Trunk elected. Mask has the money and the government contracts but he’s losing it from being loaded all the time. Trunk too is over medicated. These are all truly bad people who are driving our country over a cliff.
An adderall addict, a ketamine addict and an alcoholic walk into a bar …..
EWWWW too true ...... yikes
Wasn't Hermann Göring a morphine addict? This triumvirate is missing a leg to its proverbial ideal chair. In the age of opioid death in Amerika, surely we can find a pie-eyed opioid addict, functional or otherwise, to round out this rogue's gallery. Sorry to make light, but it is Friday, and I am indulging my own substance abuse, two vodka martinis before dinner. Prost? Proust? Hannah Arendt and Remembrance?
There truly is evil in this world - these miscreants embody it...
Yes that was my first thought on Nov 5, 2024. Much greater evil than I could ever guess at or imagine.
But they had already told us who they are...
In a more general sense the administration's behavior toward Ukraine reflects the devolution of capitalism, namely that anything that cannot be monetized has no value. The world then becomes an ensemble of zero sum games in which there is a loser for each winner. Moreover the very idea of restraint must be rejected.
In an alternative universe, business, labor and consumers are mutual beneficiaries of enlightened policies which utilize negative feedback control to maintain balance and equity, and nations use peaceful means to resolve differences and benefit their citizens. We once sought to perfect that universe, but no more.
Excellent point. All is monetized.
Well said.
Without insulting anyone I did think US was becoming the global pimp of Ukraine after the talks with Russia.
To me it seemed like Trump was just joining up with Putin to continue to rape Ukraine. But yes, both scenarios would seem in character with Trump.
Yes, they are just quibbling over the price. 🤬
You cannot treat human beings without dignity in front of other humans …all a witness to the repulsive corruption for money. All the world is watching . We must expect a monumental backlash. We did NOT vote for a monster to lead us! This is not acceptable and he must be removed for ALL of our sakes …… if the Republican senators are afraid of their base they had better be MORE afraid now of the democrats coming ………. YouWILL hear us roar We want action NOW …… this won’t stand
As an Australian now living in Poland, the thought begins to form in my mind that perhaps the United States is no longer an ally of the west! Something I have noticed in reading a lot of reporting on this is how American news outlets are both discussing it as if it is something happening in a country other than their own and how they have begun to actually jump on the band wagon of criticising European nations. We are in some unprecedented times, all because Zelensky refused a request years ago that led to the orange idiot being impeached. The result? A petulant child threw all the toys out the crib...
"perhaps the United States is no longer an ally of the west!" No perhaps about it -- at least at the top levels of our current government.
And I hate to even say it, felt very uncomfortable saying it!!!! As an Australia we have shared a wonderful history with the USA, especially since our amazing WWII Prime Minister John Curtain looked away from the UK and towards America in his New Years Day speech on 1 January 1942. Since then, Australia has gone to war with the USA in every action since right up to the present day. But what would happen now? I also want to know what to say to my Ukrainian friends? Those who've lost their homes and their jobs, their family members? What am I supposed to tell them about what is happening?
The truth. We are disgusted with what Agent Orange is doing to our beloved country!
Yes, you might feel disgust but your money and your government is doing the damage. The ROW is feeling fear, anxiety, threats, despair ... give me disgust anytime. Unlike Canada, Ukraine, Europe, your existence isn't threatened; you are the agents of it.
Dual national here and would like AU and UK to remove themselves from AUKUS deal. However saying that we right now have Chinese warships sailing past our coastline to practice war games. Planes NZ to AU are having to change flight paths. Strange times.
I'd remove yourselves from the AUKUS deal immediately. Until the current government officials are executed and in past history, the US will not be a reliable ally.
Agree. As another dual national - don’t forget there was NO discussion about AUKUS, former idiotic Conservative (for some unknown reason to me, called ‘Liberal’) gov just very unceremoniously dumped the French subs, upset Macron, lost the last election and many of us hoped that with a Labor Gov sanity would return and AUKUS would be dumped. But no. It was pathetically and embarrassingly embraced. Many are increasingly against AUKUS in Oz. Even before Trump ascendency. Bad enough having the Americans run Pine Gap. On the upside many wise voices don’t think it will ever happen.
Yeah this was very disturbing to say the least. Indeed strange times. One narcissistic child upends the status quo and every other power hungry child thinks its O.k to throw their toys out as well.
Our existence most certainly is threatened.
trump & musk are attacking the people of the United States as well as threatening global stability. Millions of us are living in fear, anxiety & despair. I believe they want humans , perceived as ‘non contributing units’ to expire as quickly as possible. This is the true ‘efficiency’ goal of DOGE.
Greed....we have petulant children running the the USA and until they are put int he naughty corner, we are all in danger.
Tell them that the vast majority of REAL Americans stand with them and are at the same time mortified by the ghouls and jackals the benighted and gullible MAGAts have empowered. We have our hands full dealing with them...
That isn't helpful to Ukraine, or to Canada, is it?
Not immediately. The U.S. is currently fighting to save our democracy and Constitution. Gotta do that before anything else.
Yes you do. And I look forward to watching that happen. I am just not seeing it at the moment.
Seems like the US is destroying democracy rather than saving it and the Constitution, or have I missed something?
I would love to tell them this, however, too many Poles still remember being handed over to Stalin. History is still being lived in this part of the world.
Tell them the truth, the conservatives in the USA took control of the government when Reagan was elected president in 1980. Since then they have stolen every election they could, and they are now under the control of p and the russians. No, the government of the USA won't support Australia, just like it hasn't really supported the Ukrainians. Those of us who lived through the Cold War are still in a state of a shock, because it's hard to realize that we will have to overthrow the current government to get back to a representative government. I hope the rest of NATO will come to the rescue of Ukrainians. Also, most of us are over 60.
I can't see the US supporting Australia when it's abandoned Canada, can you?
The transition to being controlled by the Russians has taken me by surprise -- or, rather, it did in 2015, when Trump took the nomination and made exactly one change to the R platform: Removing the plank about supporting Ukraine.
Since then it's been pretty clear how all this was going to unfold.
Most other aspects of the turmoil of the last 10 years have been predictable.
Yes I agree...totally predicable...yet everyone is so shocked.
I am sure that once the current government is gotten rid of, the old alliances will return. This seems obvious to me. But you have to get rid of a dictator that has gotten to power through democracy. So did hitler. So how do you remove him?
Both our children are dual AUS/US citizens, both are appalled beyond words at the damages bestowed by tRump upon us in the US...our daughter in fact during an upcoming visit to Oz will be initiating paperwork for relocating...i.e., voting with one's feet.
I don't blame her at all!!!!!! I have other American friends thinking of doing something similar.
People yes for the most part this administration NO
Absolutely the majority of "We the People" support Ukraine as we always have! The Mob at the top don't give a damn about democracy, the truth, or anything but getting their filthy hands on those precious minerals.
Agreed!
It depends what you consider "ally" to mean.
A Sugar Daddy?
An Insurance policy?
A Deep Pocket?
A Limitless Resource?
One who shares the same values would be a good starting point.
INdeed
I think we all know what ally means. not any of those cynical jabs.
Wait and see, Damien. Wait and see how we will eventually tear the present aberration down and re-ally with our historic friends, for whose sake we've spent much blood and treasure. If not for NATO, who could we the people possibly ally with? Putin & Co. are despicable monsters.
Thank you Leigh. I am someone who loves the USA. I played semi-pro sport there for 14 years and America has been incredibly kind to me. So saying any of this pains me greatly. For now, I am not seeing anything that indicates that anyone in the USA is fighting back. I mean we saw this coming so long ago and yet there is no current remedy.
Better hurry. It won't wait. The damage is already incalculable. Hope you aren't waitiing for 2028 elections, which, btw, won't be happening. The US will never be trusted for generations of Europeans, Canadians, Mexicans, Australians ...
I'm counting on elections. The first rule in dealing with totalitarianism is Do Not Obey in Advance. We may need a revolution to get back on course.
There aren't going to be any elections. And the damage will be so extensive even by 2026 that nothing will ever repair it. It takes much longer to build the apparatus of state than destroy it.
Jessica, as to “I’m counting on elections”.
Do Take rump at his word when he said even before taking office that maybe we wouldn’t be needing elections any more.
The twisted brain trust behind Project 2025, Heritage Foundation, the planners and donors like Peter Thiele, Bannon, wacko libertarians, elmo, have espoused a total reset and full stop of all government function, wipe the slate clean, and start over (with what “they” deem is appropriate and just government).
Elections? In any red state I’d expect the voter rolls to be purged, reset, cleared out, and everyone will have to re-register to vote. Birthright citizenship and more will be chopped, hence [voters will be] dropped from voter rolls in red states. Persons who changed their name via marriage (often women) will have a hard time voting or getting passports: cannot prove they are citizens b/c their current ID no longer matches their birth certificate (so get your documents in order NOW, i.e. marriage certificate - watch what Kris Kobach does in Kansas SoS office for a preview). I hope this all doesn’t come to pass.
2022 Vox - “Curtis Yarvin wants American democracy toppled. He has some prominent Republican fans. The New Right blogger has been cited by Blake Masters and J.D. Vance. What exactly is he advocating?” Andrew Prokop Oct 24, 2022
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/23373795/curtis-yarvin-neoreaction-redpill-moldbug
Wired magazine: february 15 2025 “ Top US Election Security Watchdog Forced to Stop Election Security Work
The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has frozen efforts to aid states in securing elections, according to an internal memo viewed by WIRED.”
https://www.wired.com/story/cisa-election-security-freeze-memo/
Wired November 5 2025 “Russia Is Going All Out on Election Day Interference. Along with other foreign influence operations — including from Iran — Kremlin-backed campaigns to stoke division and fear have gone into overdrive.”
https://www.wired.com/story/russia-election-disinformation-2024-election-day/
It seems quaint to assume US elections this year (Virginia Governor’s race), 2026, or 2028 will be safe under the current regime.
You say "current regime," R M: remember, it's led by convicted criminal.
Oh I 100% expect all of those predictions to come true
May???
We don't know how to get rid of him without elections -- our system isn't built for it, in a case like this where one party is captive and controls both houses. We can't impeach him without deep control of House and Senate. We can't use Article 25 to declare him unfit, unless he has a medical crisis. About the only path would be Dems get heavy control of both houses of Congress, Trump has a medical crisis, Vance ascends, and is impeached. Or possibly, D gets control of Congress, impeaches Vance, refuses to confirm a new VP nominee, then Trump has a medical crisis, leaving Jeffries in charge.
We can only hope
FFS, get off your asses.
Damien, we are increasingly becoming isolated, as Mexico and Canada are pushing back, and Europe appears united (mostly) to fill the vacuum we are leaving. Germany's immediate future is a concern with the rise of the AfD.
Indeed and this rise in the right around the world. it is amazing how quickly it is happening. One man, a pure malignant narcissist, a nihilist, hates himself and therefore the world must burn in his image. The USA has attempted isolation twice and look where it ended up? being dragged into two WW's.
The people who have taken over the government are the enemies of the American people also. They have waged a 30 year campaign to allow the ultra-hyper- capitalists to gain power and control resources. Trump is their show pony who attracted the worst elements of America; the greedy, racist, xenophobic, and misogynistic. I wish I could tell you that it's an aberration, but it's too soon to tell. The CEOs, and the misinformed are still thrilled.
So the question is......what is going to be done about it?
Things are already starting. Many people are calling the Congress people and complaining. This had always been just a Republican thing but now it is changing. I urge you all to call yours, and do again for every issue, especially Musk and Ukraine. Also, call your state legislators. Ask them to protect your state’s sovereignty from illegal intrusive federal EOs.
AND: The Bulwark posted a report about a very MAGA Georgia Congressman who had the nerve to call a Town Hall meeting. He got lots of flack about Misks cuts, especially about the CDC in Georgia. The farmers in the mid west are losing $$$$ from these cuts too. People are beginning to realize the effects of what they are doing.
You’re right. Europe can—must—no longer think of the US as an ally even, much less something of a protector. That’s all gone we’re headed, unbelievably, to bring an ally of Russia.
You are not wrong😔
No, you're just now noticing this? t is a tool of p and his supporters have forgotten WWII and why NATO was formed.
Ignorance is the real enemy.
There is now no "perhaps" about it. That all changed with Trump/Musk/Vance et al.
" Zelensky refused a request years ago"
What was the request?
Was it to forget NATQ membership and just be content to remain a neutral bufferzone?
To investigate Biden. It led to his first impeachment
Also in that "beautiful, perfect" phone call, Trump asked President Zelenskyy about the "server" with Hillary Clinton's deleted emails on it, which he was convinced was somewhere in Ukraine. He probably still believes it.
You have to see it with your own eyes to believe it. Let us also not forget that we should inject bleach into our blood streams and that we will be cured by shining bright lights into our veins. All very very normal stuff for the person holding the most powerful position on the world stage.
OMG! Damien, I am so ashamed of my country right now. Th think that so many people thought that Donald Trump would be a good president is embarrassing. There is a spending boycott on February 28th. Perhaps other countries would like to join us and boycott American companies (except for small or local businesses).
That so many people thought that Donald Trump would be a good president AGAIN is humiliating.
I run tours based on WWII and the Holocaust. I tell people who ask "how did this happen?" I now tell them, we have a front row seat to exactly how it happened!
Latest diplomatic move. Trump tells Fox News he is "sick of Zelenskyy."
What's the Ukrainian for "the feeling is mutual"?
But he obviously has a very bad head cold. Good. I hope it's nothing trivial.
But you know why? Because Zelensky is the only one speaking back to him. He is no Sycophant. Nobody speaks back to trump. Zelensky does so he is attacked. nothing to do with politics and everything to do with narcissism. I think Zelensky also brings out the cowardice in trump. 5 deferments for Vietnam...Zelensky fights.
A "person holding the most powerful position on the world stage"?
Or just another convicted criminal, life-long fraud, adjudicated rapist?
What's the difference, at the moment?
Definitely all that.
Who said "inject bleach into our blood stream". Please find that quote for me.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52407177
Fellow Australian here. For what it is worth, my reading of it is that the US is now run like a Corporation (Oligarchy), and foreign policy is a short term, zero sum profit motive (damn the long-term strategic consequences), with a layer of narcissism and fascism (and all that entails). What were alliances, partners and friends, are now to be damned unless they pay up. So the values of what we have been accustomed to in the 'West', are no longer shared by the US.
Agreed. Diplomacy conducted on the whims of a malignant narcissist is always going to go well. Praise me and you will have favour. Wound me and you're done for.
A mood of isolationism is common on the right. They just don’t care about the rest of the world.
Precisely
Trump is a mob boss. Musk is a parasite. They only think of extracting value for themselves from everything and everyone. Evil incarnate.
And they are both sociopaths.
And backed by a civilian "army" of white nationalists and theocratic faux christians.
Excellent post. Timothy Snyder at his incisive best.
Not really at his best, James.
He had to wait till his last line to note "the current policy of wartime sadism against a loyal and important ally." And yet even there failed to remember the fat orange guy as the convicted criminal he is. As he has all his life stood for criminality.
ThankYou.
We had a meeting last night here in little Ellsworth, Maine. Easily 100 people not counting Zoom. Your idea of a Shadow Cabinet was spotlighted and a petition circulated. ThankYou for that also.
Shadow cabinet concept is definitely gaining traction. I heard from an important figure recently about the little bit of infrastructure for a cabinet I've worked on. Not sure what more I can do now, but at least it's a start so that the serious-minded folks can pick it up and run according to what they decide they need. https://substack.com/@dougshortridge
Never has the United States spent so little and gained so much in a war situation. Trump‘s fear of being ripped off shows he cannot understand… Cannot see… The benefits we have gotten. Who will explain this to him? (I know that’s a rhetorical question with no answer.) 🙄
Prof Snyder, is anyone in Washington rallying around your urgent Shadow Cabinet proposal?
Your “obeying in advance” expression is everywhere, but I don’t see action to stand up the Shadow Cabinet.
I’m calling/writing to everyone I can reach in Congress.
Is anyone forming this vital entity?
The Shadow Cabinet was mentioned during yesterday’s national Indivisible Zoom meeting. 👍
There are definitely high-level folks looking at the shadow cabinet formation.
It would take some leadership among the Dems.
Can someone plz explain what a Shadow Cabinet is in concrete terms.
Professor Snyder describes it here https://open.substack.com/pub/snyder/p/shadow-cabinet?r=fa5ey&utm_medium=ios
Yep. Read that.
A simple Google search will provide all the information you require.
We absolutely have to do this to have a voice. We need a focus on sanity and a way out. We can't ignore the orange ignoramus but it's easy for him to suck up a lot of bandwidth.
47 is terribly jealous of Zelenskyy, whom he also hates because he was the source of much grief in his first impeachment. Jealousy, hate and vindictiveness, for such a small waste of food and air as is the current POTUS make for little friendship, especially when Vlad the impaler is dictating all of DJT's thought processes as he has been since 1988.
I guess that Trump's blackmail policy would have extended to our assistance to England, France etc during World War II. Should FDR have shaken down England and France for 10% of their GNP in perpetuity in return for our assistance? Only a thug would think this way, and that's precisely who the American people put in the White House. We have only ourselves to blame for installing a delusional, egotistic , power-hungry moron in the White House - no insult intended.
Let’s not forget that American defense contractors who have politicians in their back pocket financially and in many cases are shareholders profit from this and every “arms deal”. It is beyond embarrassing what is being demanded of Ukraine and ofc now emboldened by the US’s backing Russia is Sabre rattling in Lithuania-
Worth watching - this is about sovereignty not land - and Trump doesn’t understand this at his peril: https://x.com/nicholadrummond/status/1892888174843539935?s=46&t=4xhJDUvmnDB7JfJEerqgyA
The defence contractors gain from helping Ukraine.
Yes, they do. Simpler to gain by selling product to friendly governments like Ukraine than via some kind of weird bank shot that is somehow related to supporting Trump. I'm putting money into Rheinmetall thinking they will help arm free Europe in what's coming, as long as Deutschland doesn't flip to fascist.
That was my point to say there is money owed back when the war has enriched the American war machine is insane.
"The American demands amount to extremely severe war reparations upon Ukraine, far more severe than was demanded (for example) of Germany after either world war. But this demand is directed against Ukraine, and Ukraine is not the aggressor." The behavior of this administration is monstrous.
“contrary to any logic of ending the war” - yes, this is obviously pure animus, greed, delusion — nothing but the brandishing of tyranny.
Before we see massive protest marches and other forms of resistance to Trump's delusional decent into dictatorship and monarchy, there is one an immediate reason for some hope. Trump's rapidly declining approval rating.
After his victory Trump's approval rating was at 48%. Just 4 weeks into Trump 2.0 its dropped to 42-44%..And the "King" has barely started destroying himself. We the Governed are coming for King Donald.
Imagine where his standing in public opinion after he slashes Medicare and CHIP programs for 80 million Americans. Or he refuses to release federal FEMA funds to disaster victims. Or Hegseth, at Trump's direction cuts the military budget by 8% and discharges the LGBTQ community from service. Many of the negatively effected citizens voted for Trump. Or inflation rapidly ticks back up to 9% because of Trump's tariff tax on all Americans and expulsion of hard working immigrants. Or unemployment skyrockets. Or every American with parents, grandparents or great grandparents who fought in WWII watch Trump disparage NATO and hug Putin. And Trumps AG and FBI Director make a mockery of Justice in America.
How will the American investor class feel when his cumulating actions drive stock prices down by 20-30%? The risks are very high and the benefits of his agenda are very meager.
I'm hoping Trump's approval rating plummets into the mid 30s by the end of March and keeps falling.
What will the chicken s**t GOP do then? Especially in purple districts. Trump's is the agenda they've supported. They own it. The public will gladly vote them out of office.
Now that he's in office, Trump no longer needs them so his popularity can plummet without an issue. There will still be a significant percentage who will support Trump regardless. But he just needed his faithful, and other poorly-informed voters, mainly "macho" men to get elected (along with some cheating). And now that Trump is President, he will cast aside his "people" for his ambitions, as always intended.
There won't be any more elections.
Thanks so much God. Only you know the future.
They’ll be more elections but they might be rigged.
Never in my life have I been more ashamed to be an American! These strong arm tactics are NOT how America has historically behaved on the world stage. This is NOT what the people want! Our lame-stream media is compromised! They are spewing pure propaganda out of fear of being sued, or taken off the air by the current fascist nazi tech-broligarchy. This article saddens me for my country, and angers me at the authoritarian regime running it right now. Thank you for writing it. I will share.
You mustn’t be ashamed to be an American. Instead be ashamed of the leadership for being traitors.
trump, his team, GOP Congress are traitors, malefic, evil. They serve themselves , enrich their pockets, enjoy all the perks of our White House and institutions, and don’t have a care in the world for the American People/American worker. The GOP is as perverse and evil as trump. They have the way to stop trump but choose purposely to help and assist trump and musk to dismantle
and destroy our institutions, and steal from the American taxpayer.they had it all planned. In the process of all their perversity and evilness they had satisfaction in letting the poor and the indefensible children starve, suffer, and die as trump and the richest man in the world took away ,on week one, the aid to underprivileged countries/ communities(only 1% of the totality of American money is spent on that program ,if I’m not mistaken on this number )- they let the babies suffer hunger and die. It’s disgusting, it’s embarrassing, it’s sad what’s happening in the United States of America.
This has to stop. Americans console themselves that they personally didn't vote for this catastrophe. But your money and your government are the agents of this misery. You own it. It's now your history and your responsibility. Stop making puerile and jejeune excuses for your passivity.
Calm down.
Patronizing much?
Your shame is well deserved.
OK, that’s another way to look at it. Another point of view. Your point of view is for the blamers of this world. I think you’re blaming the wrong person, however.
Do you realize that my country has had its very existence threatened? Thank you for calling me a blamer. What the hell are you, then? Agent? Cause? Excuser?
In your first comment you make reference to “your money“, “your government“, “you own it”, “your responsibility“, “Your shame is well deserved.”
I thought you were from another country. Then in your next comment you ask if we realize that “my country has had its very existence threatened?” I thought oh my god not yours too!
I, who have always been anti-war and who studied Gandhi’s non violence, am now seriously considering sending money to fund weapons for the Ukrainian army. Someone needs to do it. I don’t know if we can trust our leaders to do the right thing any more. US leaders definitely not but WTF is NATO doing?! Why haven’t they stepped in?!
For upheavals as preposterous as this one, it takes a longer reaction time. No one knows exactly the best way to proceed. The fragmentation of the population, the division of the people is the main cause of a slow reaction as I see it.
Just remember one thing. The maladministration is constantly overestimating how many people are on their side. They do this to make us fear to try anything.
I understand this ambivalence well, and feel good about my decision to overcome it. I look forward to my monthly donation toward UA defense.
NATO article 5 automatically provides for all members to help defend against attacks against any member. Any other political decisions, like accepting new members or actions outside of NATO member states, requires unanimous agreement by all members. NATO is by its own bylaws, which are disappointing, but somewhat understandable, has afforded any state total veto power over the will of the other members. For example, Turkey held up membership for Sweden for over a year. For NATO to do anything significant to really help Ukraine, like expediting membership, would currently be blocked by the U.S., Germany, Hungary, Slovakia and others. If the U.S. had a President with strong integrity, democratic values and respect on the world stage (clearly NOT the case) the rest of NATO might have taken action. It’s just not in the cards. That’s why Macron is trying so hard to convene a group of “the willing” European countries to take action outside of NATO. He hasn’t invited the U.S., Hungary, etc to join.
The US runs NATO. Europe is going to have to act independently of NATO.
It would be a better thing. Commonwealth countries I think would combine too - I would like to think so as my father in law fought in Europe, Middle East and Pacific for whole of WW2. I would like to see his efforts (& youth) not be taken in vain with this US-RU craziness.
Consider Come Back Alive. It’s a legit org thst helps the soldiers with equipment, weapons, etc.
From the US I seem to be unable to get them to process my credit card payments properly. Any attempt at donation seems to hang, which is a shame because they clearly have some good causes there where money goes straight to the front.
Hey Geeta, I find myself in the same boat and posted that I would like to start something for sending my US dollars to Ukraine to show that a lot, probablly the majority of US citizens support them. Another reader here, Ken Cissna mentioned there already is such an organization. It is called 'Come Back Alive' I went to their site and for the first time in my life I sent money to a foreign organization for the very specific cause of supporting an army at war. And it felt fucking good! Try it, you'll like it, Cheers.
How did you get your payment to go through? I have tried several times over many months and they get turned back.
I should think, because the other member states of NATO are still hoping to keep the USA in the alliance.
Good for you, Geeta. As Prof. Snyder has pointed out numerous times throughout the years, in order for Germany to become a civilized nation, it had to be crushed militarily in WWII, as Russia must now be defeated soundly to stop its imperial ambitions and to stop the mass murder, torture, and imprisonment of Ukraine's civilian and military population. Germany was responsible for the mass murders of millions of civilians--mostly Jews and Slavic peoples, on the eastern front--not even to speak of the approximately 3.1 million murdered Soviet prisoners of war (See Timothy Snyder, "Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin."* See also Mark Mazower, "Hitler's Empire: How the Nazis Ruled Europe").** At least since the partitioning of Poland, when the Kingdom of Prussia (later a part of Germany after Bismarck's wars of unification in the 1860s), acquired the western and northern parts of the old Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Germans had held extremely prejudiced views about Poles specifically and Slavic peoples in general. The Nazis' original goal was to murder 30 million Slavic peoples by starving them to death. None of what I've written so far takes into account all of the civilians murdered by the Nazis in mass reprisal killings in Czechoslovakia (mostly on the Czech side), France, and other parts of southeastern and western Europe. On the subject of Belarus', Prof. Mazower writes that one German officer recorded that the ratio of Belarus'ians to Germans murdered was 73 to 1.
*"The Germans shot, on a conservative estimate, half a million Soviet prisoners of war. By way of starvation or mistreatment during transit, they killed about 2.6 million more. All in all, perhaps 3.1 million Soviet prisoners of war were killed" (Timothy Snyder. "Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin," p.184).
** "By February 1942, only 1.1 million Soviet POWs remained alive (of the 3.9 million originally captured), and of these only 400,000 were able to work. The overall mortality rate for Soviet POWs in German hands during the Second World War was 57.5 per cent; as many British and American soldiers died in German captivity during the whole war as died in these camps in one day. It was hardly surprising that German generals themselves believed that ‘the Führer wishes for the decimation of the Slavic masses’" (Mark Mazower. "Hitler's Empire: How the Nazis Ruled Europe," p. 163).
I hope there is no way that Ukraine can be forced to agree to this disgusting, amoral proposal.
It was encouraging yesterday to notice that, at the beginning of the meeting between President Zelenskyy and General Kellogg, someone among the press called out to Zelenskyy, "How are you?" and he replied, "Fighting. Always fighting."
This report is also encouraging - though I suppose General Kellogg is now expecting to be sacked :
13.37 GMT
'Extensive and positive talks' with Zelenskyy, US Ukraine envoy Kellogg says.
US special envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg has praised his talks with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “extensive and positive” in a social media post at the end of his visit to Kyiv.
“A long and intense day with the senior leadership of Ukraine. Extensive and positive discussions with @ZelenskyyUa, the embattled and courageous leader of a nation at war and his talented national security team,” he said.