Not sure Zelenskyy should commit to paying $100bn to the US for security garauntees until he's shopped around and seen if protection is being offered at a more affordable price by other players in the space such as the Cosa Nostra, the Crips or the Triads.
Father don, you have to pay for protection. Nope
So essentially it's just another business deal (or, more accurately, protection racket) to Trump. "Nice country you have there. It would be a shame if someone demolished it." And didn't Ukraine give up its nuclear weapons in exchange for security guarantees?
Nyet
Trump will take that $100 billion and stiff Ukraine.
At least this alternative organizations are more law abiding than this administration.
I think he should also consider Birmingham City's hooligan wing, the Zulu Warriors.
Maybe the Peaky Blinders instead?
The US is the last country I would Trust
While he was in DC he should have met with MS-13 and asked for a counter offer on protection.
Especially in light of how we don't keep promises.
Maybe paying the Cosa Nostra to piano string Putin could be more efficient in the short term?
Or CJNG
How about NATO?!
He can Art of the Deal with those payments. Sure thing! We can make a deal 😏
I hear COBRA has some very attractive deals.
Zelensky doesn't like to work with Trump and Putin's favorite customers. Honor the Budapest Memorandum. Rescue the children. Bomb Putin's Pipelines until they run out of oil
Well who’s to say after you pay trumpistan that they will honor their commitments? The country is dodgy as fuck and a criminal organization.
I have half an opinion that Europe girds their loins for war, this little chat with Trump was to get their final confirmation that Trump is all in for Putin, and always has been. European troops in Ukraine by year's end. Which is not as alarming as US troops in Washington.
or the Proud Boys
what are we mob bosses now?
Why should he pay us for security. They literally gave up their nukes in exchange for security. Look how that’s working out for them…
The U.S. is not trustworthy.
Don't know who else Ukraine can turn to? Ask Poland how that 1930s security agreement with the UK and France went.
something something “peace in our time” something.
Tren de Aragua?
I somehow think that REAL criminals are actually much more honest.
Ukraine was already given security guarantees by the US when they agreed to give up their nuclear stockpile. Trump refused to honor this and has contributed to the losses of life from not doing so. Now Trump wants to grift Ukraine into giving more money for what they were already guaranteed.
I don't understand why this fact is not universally reported.
I don't know why he's not being called out in real time to his face. These are known facts.
Because the security guarantees offered by the US and UK in the Budapest Memorandum you're referring to were extremely limited. bsky.app/profile/expl...
I appreciate you sharing. I had not had a chance to review the agreement. I see the guarantees were limited, but it certainly gives Russia no excuses for their atrocities of the past 11 years. Thanks again.
Oh, absolutely. Russia is CLEARLY in violation of the letter and spirit of the Budapest Agreement, plus the UN charter and like, basic human decency. Problem is, the security guarantees in Budapest were too weak for Ukraine to expect real help.
I understand. But also, there's no language that precludes us from giving them real help. Sure, we've given something like $100 Billion already, and that's substantial. Remember, though, our engagement in Iraq & Afghanistan ran into multiple trillions. It wouldn't take a lot to win this.
I think that there was an implicit expectation that the age of confrontation was over, that Russia would become a "normal" country, basically a variation of the "change through trade" mantra? At the time, it wasn't a totally bonkers expectation, I think. Now that didn't work out as planned
Great info. Thanks!
Does this security guarantee have a big sticker on it with "Best value!" like a Free to Play game currency?
I’d go with the Sicilian Cosa Nostra.
Ukraine need not pay anything, they gave up their nuclear weapons, the third largest nuclear power in the world, for FREE defense.
You can’t go using facts on this thread!
Sorry, do either of you think I'm unaware of the Budapest Memorandum? For the record, the security garauntees in the event Ukraine's sovereignty is threatened or violated were utterly toothless:
It may have been an error to execute the Memorandum.
That's why you won't see Iran, NK, or any other country they're tryna coax out of the nuke club give them up. You can't trust that a new American gov't won't ghost them.
Key Points of the Budapest Memorandum: Security Assurances: In return, the U.S., along with the UK and Russia, provided security assurances to Ukraine. This included commitments to respect Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Key Points of the Budapest Memorandum: Nuclear Disarmament: Ukraine agreed to give up its nuclear arsenal, which was the third largest in the world at the time, following the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
Zelenskyy should not pay the US anything!!!! The US cannot be trusted and the money will go to Trump
MS 13 has a special this week. 😂
The Piranha Brothers are the best option. They know all the tricks, dramatic irony, metaphor, bathos, puns, parody, litotes and... satire.
And they would do it for a couple of bob a week.
‘The President has had to postpone this press conference as he is currently having a coffee table removed from his head.’
When Ukraine dismantled the world's largest nuclear arsenal it was on those same guarantees. They were not honoured. The USA would extract more even after being contracted. I would suggest a capo mandamento in Sicily. Get an idea of cost & resources? They seem very capable. No suit needed either.
> When Ukraine dismantled the world's largest nuclear arsenal it was on those same guarantees. The guarantees in Budapest were incredibly weak and mandates only "seeking action within the UN Security Council." bsky.app/profile/expl...
As with all negotiations, the devil is in the details, the jokes are in the small print. Today I feel we are seeing the long term impact of Budapest. It is almost another Versailles, in that both made more war inevitable in light of human nature. Is it possible to fix? Yes, but the cost may be high
Trump is pimping the US for his own gain!
I'd tend to trust the word of those "alternatives" more than I'd trust Trump.
So is that where the world is at. Imagine if wveryone told America they must pay each country before support would be sent after 911.
They certainly will have to next time.
bsky.app/profile/did:...
The Triads definitely. Can you imagine what Trump’s reaction would be if Zelenskyy got a cheaper and more reliable deal from China?
Less severe than if he got one from the Swiss Mob or the Brazilian Primeiro Comando da Capital.
I bow to your better knowledge. So Zelenskyy should arrange protection from whoever would send Trump‘s blood pressure sky high. You never know, it might even save democracy!
Please! Not so much a mob as international financiers, traders, bankers, er… We’ll stick with ‘mob’.
Ol' donnie & chlamydia ain't the only goon with roscoes, nyah see?
Please he’s talking with taco!
Or NATO.
Trump has always been in the protection racket, one way or another. Don Con.
Any "agreement" the Traitor of the U.S. makes isn't worth what's in his diaper. He cannot ever be trusted.
Has Zelenskyy even reached out to any of the major Juggalo gangs?
Our cartel guys are looking...out of shape.
Given his wardrobe, he can probably claim Goth affiliation, and the Juggalos will give him a steep discount (or even free).
"We've got Ukraine's back, but only if you can tell us your favourite Tech N9ne track and explain how magnets work."
Mine is Caribou Lou, fwiw though I also really like Beast and Worldwide Choppers.
TBF this is already a deal with the Insane Clown Posse
P.S I did a thread on the Budapest Memorandum to avoid having this discussion with each of you personally. bsky.app/profile/expl...
Daggum, I read that in John Kennedy's voice.
Awwww, but you're a lovely chap to talk to, would have enjoyed it :D
Great Mihlenko himself would bless Zelensky over Pootin any day all day
$10,000 a week for an Afghan warlord militia, according to something I recently read.
I REALLY shouldn't read that and think 'what a bargain seeing they bring their own equipment'
Courtesy of the former Soviet Union and the UK/USA!
Honestly quite reasonable. Might buy 3.
We’re supposed to GIVE aid to Ukraine per the Budapest Memorandum, not bill them for it!
Exactly, but leave it to Trump to look for a grifting angle he can take advantage of to put more money in his own pocket.
Well said! 😂
i hear MS-13 is shopping for a new patron...
Major mafia feeling
Have they tried asking for someone with a very specific set of skills?
Russia should be paying for that. They are THE. ONLY. REASON. why any such security is required.
Shouldn’t he know by now that our promises are empty? It doesn’t matter how much he pays us - we have proven over and over again that we are not a reliable ally.
I'm sure China could provide moue effective military security quicker and cheaper. .....and Putin wouldn't fuck with the Chinese leadership either.
Crips could take Russia
Or, you know, MS-13?
Tren de Aragua? Big market out there these days. 😁
$100B? What were mineral interests for?
Mineral dominance establishes weaponry and technology. T is trying to compete with China by grabbing those. He is just as much an entitled bully as Putin.
They would probably be more loyal partners, too.
Ukraine got rid of its nukes under the promise of protection from Russian attack. We see how well that went. America has a long history of ignoring its promises.
Really? What paragraph of the Budapest Memorandum committed the US to defend Ukraine in the event of an attack?
Paragraphs 1-4. web.archive.org/web/20170312...
None of them say anything like that. Paragraph 4 comes closest, but commits the US (and UK) only to: "seek immediate United Nations Security Council action to provide assistance to Ukraine"
And have they done that?
Retired Navy Chief here. I would think “assistance” would also include defend. I believe the loophole is that Ukraine was never voted into NATO. That may be why Obama did not pursue NATO when Putin took Crimea, I don’t know. Perhaps NATO was tired of helping U.S. in wars.
Very respectfully, you would be incorrect on that assumption. I negotiated treaties for a living. The "loophole" here is the absence of a positive obligation to do anything but seek UNSC action. NATO membership would of course provide Article 5 protection beyond the Memorandum.
I heard that MS-13 is pretty scary. I wonder if they’re available?
I hear Tren De Aragua is looking for work...
How sad is it that all three aforementioned groups are plausibly more trustworthy than the president of the United States?
(...I did not ask for this gift of prophecy...) bsky.app/profile/stev...
Zelensky already has an agreement with the US. Ukraine gave up their nuclear weapons with the promise of protection.
real snow crash vibe here
As the super-hot biracial dude who is also the world's greatest swordsman, motorcyclist, and hacker, I agree.
you mean the super-hot biracial dude whose interactions with employers result in him living in a rented storage unit and delivering pizzas for a living?
Yes, but he drives a cool car (into a pool).
WINNING. Briefly.
The remake of Magnum sounds like shit.
Sounds like an egotistical maniac asshole to me. Nothing super hot about that.
Any of these groups offer more integrity than the United States. Zelensky can't trust anything Trump says. He shouldn't deal with him at all. Canada and the EU are the real world powers now. America, with Trump, abdicated its place as a world leader.
He knows he’s getting no security guarantees from krasnov47
He can get a better deal.
Pay Russia instead, cut out the middle man.
Yep, go to people you can trust before resorting to the US...
Needs to undertake a open tender process. May get better deal from China 😁
But our Capo de Tootyer Horno has more guns than the Mafia, and he was trained by a mobsters' lawyer.
A Trump guarantee should be considered by Zelenskyy in light of deferments, bankruptcies, marriages and BTW American Indian treaties.
Ooh, uninformed commentary CAN come from anywhere. Wow, Dmitry, you know that when you assume things, you make an ass out of u. Not me. I know what’s going on here and this comment is off. By a mile. Let me put it in metric terms; it’s off by, at least, 1.6 kilometers.
Actually The Budapest Memorandum did not offer guarantees of protection. I read it
Correct
He should make a Trump-style commitment: Agree to whatever gets you through the moment and never follow through.
Cannot trust anything trump says.
What? That's extortion? "Nice country you have there. Be a shame if something bad happened."
So what is a “security guarantee” called in the mafia? …
The US has guaranteed to protect Ukraine 3 times & failed 3 times. #1 They gave up all nuclear weapons after WW2, Guaranteed protection from the US & Russia. #2 When they were forced to give up Crimea. #3 Whe Dt FORCED Zelensky to sign a mineral deal, in US favor. The US has not kept its word once.
I hear MS13 has a coupon offer, they're calling it seguridad agosto, 10% off security guarantees, " no tattoo required" until the 31st. Get it while it's caliente.
People's Republic of China? Air and Naval bases by the Black Sea, drone co-development and Ukraine to grant the PRC mining rights in Siberia? Worth a conversation at the very least
The US already promised Ukraine security guarantees if they gave up their nuclear weapons. They did so, and the agreement has not been honored. Why would they trust the US to uphold any future agreement when we already stabbed them in the back on the last one?
The security guarantees under Budapest were extremely limited. bsky.app/profile/expl...
I learned something new today. Thank you, kind Bluesky friend.
Any security guarantees from the US while Trump is in office are worthless anyway. He won't even commit to honoring existing Article 5 guarantees. He might take $100 billion from Ukraine and still tell Putin "do whatever the hell you want to them."
THUG LIFE. say hello to the OG gangsta felon in chief. Unite church with state for Christians
Is it a deal if a liar promises something in return for a payoff but the liar always lies?
Great opportunity for the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers who seem anxious to prove their manhood.
Especially since he hardly got his moneys worth from the security guarantees given to Ukraine when they gave up their nuclear weapons.
I think that's a generous reading of Budapest. bsky.app/profile/expl...
Money is no guarantee with Trump❗️
bsky.app/profile/did:...
Ndrangheta is more reliable than the US, probably.
Before mortgaging Ukraine's future to Washington, Zelensky should see if protection rackets with Proven Trusted track record - such as Aryan Brotherhood - are running a promotion
bsky.app/profile/did:...
They would probably be more dependable!
What if Putin offers $200bn? Only slightly joking....
"Nice little democracy you got here. Would be such a shame if, say just purely hypothetical like, some mad dictator tried to conquer it & claimed it shouldn't exist as a country. Wouldn't it? What you need, buddy is some protection. Just so happens we can give you that; for a very reasonable price"
Deploy the I’ll-tempered sea-bass.
For that kind of money you buy the Russian Army, they will defend Ukraine and will march towards Moscow for free. If you pay them, no problem.
Any are more reliable than the felon.
Prince of Saudi Arabia perhaps
Hell, maybe the Jets are available?
😂😂👏🏻👏🏻
Australia’s paying billions in protection money and it’s worthless under Trunp. Waste of money. Chinas way more reliable and happy to buy everything rather than invade.
Why is Ukraine paying anything? They voluntarily gave up nuclear weapons in 1994 negotiated by US on the promise US would defend Ukraine if Russia attacked. Does an agreement with US mean nothing? (Tbh Just ask any First Nations out there)
The US did not promise that in 1994. bsky.app/profile/expl...
It just covers attacks with Nuclear weapons?
All it required of the UK and the US was to "Seek UN Security Council Assistance."
Lawks! They missed a trick there then!
Er.....Yes.
Totally agree As I understand this, the $100 billion of mostly bombs is being purchased by the EU and given to Ukraine. The US apparently wants a huge share in Ukraine's drone business along with American boots on the ground
You're very consistent with the way you misspell guarantees.
