Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said European countries could not guarantee Ukraine’s security without the US in an apparent response to Trump administration officials saying Europe should take the lead on the conflict.
“There are voices which say that Europe could offer security guarantees without the Americans, and I always say no,” Zelensky said in an interview with The Guardian published on Tuesday. “Security guarantees without America are not real security guarantees.”
US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz said in a recent interview that the Europeans “have to own this conflict going forward.” During the transition period, President Trump reportedly suggested that European troops should be deployed to Ukraine to enforce a potential future cease-fire.
Zelensky previously said that 200,000 Western troops should be deployed as peacekeepers, a deployment he said must include US soldiers. Russia has strongly rejected the idea of any peacekeeping force that’s outside of a UN mandate and said any foreign force would be considered a legitimate target.
Zelensky’s recent demands for security guarantees, which have included NATO membership or the supply of nuclear weapons, are all non-starters for talks with Moscow, and it’s unclear what the Trump administration will do to get him to make concessions.
The Ukrainian leader is due to meet with Vice President JD Vance at the Munich Security Conference later this week. Vance had been a staunch opponent of the proxy war during his time in the Senate.
One idea from the Trump administration that Zelensky is onboard with is a deal to give the US access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals in exchange for continued US support. Trump has announced that he will soon send Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to Ukraine to work out a deal.
Most of those rare earth minerals are in the Don Basin, which is now Russian. So it will be interesting to see how this deal is anything but imaginary.
Zelensky's probably telling Trump, "Help us regain all our territory and then you can have all our natural resources." Ending the war anytime soon is not in his interest.
The following counties have the largest estimated known reserves of REE (in order): China, Vietnam, Brazil, Russia, India, Australia. We have made the first five into either enemies or (India) lukewarm allies.
India and Australia combined have approximately 25% of China's estimated REE reserve but only about 15% of China, Vietnam, Brazil, and Russia combined.
The "new oil" is not where the "old oil" was.
That Vietnam would be the No. 2 on this list was not known when Dwight Eisenhower was our president. Makes me wonder what the unknown is today.
Everything in Zelensky's world is imaginary. His version of a settlement would be:
– be president for ever with $1B annual salary (excluding bonus)
– full and immediate NATO and EU membership
– all lands returned to Ukraine. Maybe return ALL of Russia to Ukraine because it was all theirs. Wasn't it? Maybe rename all of Europe the Sovereign Republic of Ukrajina?
– have US/EU rebuild everything including new miltary bases, defense systems, 1M strong foreign military to go where the Green Goblin directs them to go
– get all nukes back
Am I missing something?
I think you described him to a t, the man is totally delusional and probably smocking crack or snorting cocaine too. But as a pupet, he was extremely effective in drumming up support in the West for American imperialism directed at Russia all under the false pretense of saving peace and democracy in Ukraine… and still would be useful today had Kamala Harris won the election. He's been pure gold to his handlers who installed him in Mariyinsky Palace and deserves an Oscar for his performance… and a firing squad.
He already got one, from Sean Penn.
My question is why must tens of thousands be butchered, maimed and crippled for access to rare earth minerals to make products nobody wants to buy? Teslas and E scooters spontaneously combust, phones can be overheated and turned into grenades, no thanks!
The irony is that a lot of rare earth elements were used in all the technology that allowed you to post such a stupid comment.
Made by slave labor!
Joey Biden and his Globalists had the typical hatred for Slavic people. Between Ukraine and Russia over 1.5 million Slavic people dead in this civil war.
These evil disgusting people gloated over this carnage!
The US/UK Empire doesn't give a $hit for Slavic lives.
Another example were the Yugoslav wars and the Empire's Foreign Appropriation Act of 1991 that set the stage for that and NATO's first tactical deployment since inception. Especially sweet, was the 78 day bombing of Serbia.
Once the U.S.S.R. folded, dismantling Yugoslavia and using pre-existing ethnic tensions was the next priority. No way a socialist government, based in Yugoslavia's/Serbia's capital city, Beograd, would be allowed to stand.
The fact that Serbia, outwardly, is still seeking EU membership is somewhat baffling, but I imagine that Vucic will still be 'seeking' as long as the $ are still flowing.
This is a not-so-veiled call for Ukraine's NATO membership. The problem: will NATO survive the Trump presidency?
Better question to ask is what is the actual purpose and current business model of NATO?
Keeping the MIC happy and rich, that seems to have been NATO's business model. Certainly not security, the Soviet Union never planned an invasion of Europe, neither does Russia.
Not A True Organization.
US doesn't allow Europe to take a lead on Anything let alone Ukraine…!
If you have NATO membership and bases on your soil, your country is incapable of leading anything militarily or having a foreign policy that is not dictated by the Empire.
This business arrangement ensures that the MIC is kept viable and running smoothly.
Going strong since 1945!
Zelensky is going under the bus… slowly but surely…!
European security guarantees, or no security guarantees. The Dictator needs to decide.
Re "Zelensky’s recent demands for…nuclear weapons":
Yep – there it is: "Zelensky Demands ‘Give Us Back Nuclear Arms’" (Libertarian Institute).
A variation of Zelensky's early demand that the US 'cover' the Ukraine skies with US fighters facing off against Russian planes – a plan even the demented Biden nixed because "that's World War Three."
As Zelensky's new demand shows – again – a small state president – ready to risk nuclear war – is exactly why the west and Russia took those weapons out post-Soviet Ukraine's hands in the first place.
He is an incapable fool dancing around as the Empire's bitch-puppet. This will end soon.
“Dancing around” reminded me of this:
https://x.com/kurtmetzger/status/1856733682242892197/mediaViewer?currentTweet=1856733682242892197¤tTweetUser=kurtmetzger
If Zelensky resigns, flees the country, or is executed, the Trump administration will replace him with a like-minded Nazi/ideologue.
Ukraine will continue to target Russian civilians and infrastructure. The Kremlin could break their preferences or international law and decide to target Ukrainian civilians. Would that materially change Zelensky's tactics?
If the civilian angle becomes a moral and legal issue, they could focus on Ukraine's federal and local government employees by destroying government buildings.
The ties between Russia and Ukraine are deep. Before Ukronazis embarked on their artificial nation-building project, most Ukrainians (including Zelensky!) spoke Russian as their native tongue. Their culture had strong Russian influence. They belonged to the Russian Orthodox Church. Simply stated, Russians do not look at Ukrainians as subhuman scum… and you need to look at your enemy as subhuman to bomb cities and civilians.
That said, it's an absolute mystery to me why Russia has not bombed Ukrainian command, control, communication, and transportation facilities.