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Trump, Zelensky clash represents seismic shift in world politics

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11 minute read

From LifeSiteNews

By Frank Wright

A meeting which began over a mineral deal and peace in Ukraine has developed into a historic shift in world politics. 

“You don’t hold the cards,” President Donald Trump told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House on February 28. 

When Zelensky retorted that he was “not playing,” Trump rebuked him. “Yes. Yes you are. You are gambling with the lives of millions of people.”

 

 

In an exchange which reframed the Ukraine war as a reckless gambit towards nuclear Armageddon, both Trump and Vice President JD Vance signaled an epochal shift away from the global consensus of the last forty years – and towards the interests of peace and of the American people.  

“You’re gambling with World War III,” Trump continued, explaining to Zelensky that “…what you’re doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country that’s backed you far more than a lot of people say they should have.” 

 

Friday’s White House meeting between the unelected leader of Ukraine is one of several recent visits and follows that of the U.K.’s Keir Starmer and France’s Emmanuel Macron. 

Zelensky had nominally arrived to finalize a deal for U.S. rights over Ukrainian minerals, brokered by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The deal was seen as a means of the U.S. recovering some of the claimed 350 billion dollars Trump has said that America has supplied to Ukraine in financial and military aid since February 2022.   

Instead, Zelensky left immediately after being “kicked out” of the White House, the deal unsigned, and with his planned lunch reportedly “given to the interns” by Trump. Fox News reported White House insiders saying Zelensky was “begging to stay,” as a planned joint press conference was canceled.  

Zelensky was congratulated on his “dignity” following the meeting, by the unelected European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen.   

 

Immediate UK summit, ‘boots on the ground?’

Having refused to apologize, Zelensky flew to London for a pre-planned March 1 “summit” of pro-war leaders attended by NATO chief Mark Rutte, EU Chief Commissioner Ursula von der Leyen, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the leaders of France, Italy and Poland.  

The summit followed a “bizarre” flurry of identical social media posts sent by pro-war European leaders in support of Zelensky.  

Statements were made following the meeting which suggested U.K. and EU support for Ukraine could continue in the absence of U.S. involvement – with the U.K. prime minister announcing afterwards that he is “ready to put boots on the ground” in Ukraine.  

Starmer went on to announce a further $2.2 billion in “loans” to Ukraine to purchase missiles. 

EU plan falls apart

The London Summit claimed to be making progress towards an EU-led ceasefire but concluded with no agreements in place. 

Following the claim by France’s Macron that a truce in Ukraine had been proposed, the U.K. Armed Forces minister told Times Radio Monday morning that “No agreement has been made on what a truce looks like.”

Zelensky told U.K. reporters he was now “ready to sign” the minerals deal agreed with Donald Trump.  

A further meeting has been scheduled. Following the remarks of the U.K’s Starmer, the leaders of France and Poland announced that neither nation would be sending troops to Ukraine – despite the assurances given by Starmer that a EU and U.K. “coalition of the willing” would do so.  

The U.K.’s Ambassador to the U.S., Peter Mandelson, appeared to undermine Starmer’s position, calling for all leaders to give “unequivocal backing” of Trump’s initiative. 

As the U.K.’s Daily Telegraph reported that Donald Trump’s meeting with Russian President Putin is being “fast tracked,” news also emerged that Trump is “discussing cutting all military aid to Ukraine,” with the Russians and Hungarians saying “Zelensky does not want peace.”

So severe is the crisis for Zelensky that a former staunch supporter of the proxy war, Senator Lindsey Graham, called for his resignation.  

 

NATO without the US

The U.S. government is pursuing negotiations with the Russians independently of the European and British leadership, whose own summit quietly concluded that any future settlement in Ukraine ultimately relies on the U.S. to guarantee it.  

News now emerges that the U.S. is seeking to reopen the NordStream pipelines in direct talks with the Russians.  

Missiles fired from Ukraine into Russia rely on U.S.-led satellite intelligence and guidance. There is no realistic chance of unilateral military action in Ukraine by Europe’s depleted and scaled back militaries – a position underlined by EU statements calling for comprehensive rebuilding both of European defence and the industry required to restore it to realistic levels. 

The picture emerging is one of a stark reality. There is no NATO absent U.S. commitment, and neither the U.K. nor the EU can act independently of the U.S. to confront a major power.  

This too was foreshadowed on February 28, when Donald Trump asked Keir Starmer, “Could you take on Russia by yourselves?”  

It is a serious question with an obvious answer, and it was followed by laughter. 

Reality has bitten hard this weekend, showing how the U.S. leadership has not merely changed the color of the neckties worn in government, but is pursuing an historic break with decades of U.S. grand strategy. 

British commentator Matt Goodwin said that the meeting signified a far wider geopolitical realignment, suggesting the U.K. and European leadership at the London summit had failed to recognize this historic shift.  

U.K. and European leaders may continue to generate dramatic headlines with bold talk and unrealistic initiatives, but this too is beginning to resemble an attempt to win a media war whilst the battle in reality is lost to them. 

The Trump White House sees the war in Ukraine is seen as a needless waste of human life and money which “should never have happened.” Hungarian President Viktor Orbán also spoke out strongly in favor of peace, adding Ukraine was now in a “dire situation.”

U.S. negotiators now “talk normally” with those of the Russians, after a Biden administration which refused to speak to them at all for several years. 

 

With Trump set to address Congress Tuesday night, an era-defining announcement may be on the cards.  

Those cards are clearly held by the United States and no other nation in its sphere of influence. How will those cards be played? An earlier post by Trump on his Truth Social strongly suggests the U.S. will seek to establish and normalize trade with Russia regardless of the liberal-globalist regimes in Europe – all of whose leadership have invested their political fortunes in the war in Ukraine. 

“We should spend less time worrying about Putin, and more time worrying about migrant rape gangs, drug lords, murderers, and people from mental institutions entering our Country – So that we don’t end up like Europe!” wrote Trump.

This is a direct hit on the British and European governments whose pursuit of the global consensus has led their nations into chaos. Trump is reshaping the world around the recognition of this reality, and of the ruin it has caused. With Trump, Speaker Mike Johnson and Elon Musk already suggesting an audit of all funding to Ukraine, the card of the severe corruption funded by this war may be played soon.   

This moment comes alongside U.S. warnings that the enemy is not outside but within Europe, as its governments suppress free speech and refuse to respect the results of elections. A further scandal looms over how Ukrainian aid was spent, and where the weapons themselves went – with Tucker Carlson and even CBS news reporting that between one and “half” of all military equipment supplied has vanished on to the black market in Ukraine. How far were these pro-war, pro-Zelensky leaders invested in a nation described in the 2021 Pandora Papers as one of the most corrupt in the world? 

There are now two visions of the future of the West, and only one has a winning hand. Tomorrow night, perhaps we shall see another Trump card thrown down.  

You can watch all 46 minutes of the February 28 meeting between Trump, Vance and Zelensky here. 

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Marco Rubio says US could soon ‘move on’ from Ukraine conflict: ‘This is not our war’

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From LifeSiteNews

By Conservative Treehouse

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is calling the EU/UK bluff here because he knows without the U.S. the EU/UK will not commit to fight Russia.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke to reporters in Paris on April 18 about the prolonged peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. However, a frustrated Rubio warned that the U.S. could “move on” from its involvement in negotiations to end the war if no progress is made “within a matter of days and weeks.” That’s the mainstream media narrative.

The non-pretending summary is that Ukraine, France, Great Britain, the EU, NATO, et al are all trying to retain their interests in the conflict. Russia has simple terms, but the war machinery controlled by the intel apparatus (CIA and EU) and the financial stakeholders in the EU region are unhappy. A frustrated Secretary Rubio says, make up your mind, if no deal – we’re done.

Having followed this very closely, here’s what “we’re done” likely means.

President Trump ends the U.S. side of the proxy war. President Trump pulls back all support for Ukraine, stops sending money, weapons, and, to the extent he can, intelligence to Ukraine. This opens the door for Russia to go full combat as the ground thaws, without concern for U.S. to engage.

The EU will have to step up with funding, intelligence, and war material to continue supporting Ukraine. Rubio is calling the EU/UK bluff here because he knows without the U.S. the EU/UK will not commit to fight Russia.

Remember that if no one does anything, Russia has already gained the ground they want and will just continue grinding western Ukraine to ever-expanding rubble. Factually, doing nothing is a big win for Russia, especially if Trump withdraws.

Reprinted with permission from Conservative Treehouse.

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Trump considers $5K bonus for moms to increase birthrate

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MXM logo MxM News 

Quick Hit:

President Trump voiced support Tuesday for a $5,000 cash bonus for new mothers, as his administration weighs policies to counter the country’s declining birthrate. The idea is part of a broader push to promote family growth and revive the American family structure.

Key Details:

  • Trump said a reported “baby bonus” plan “sounds like a good idea to me” during an Oval Office interview.
  • Proposals under consideration include a $5,000 birth bonus, prioritizing Fulbright scholarships for parents, and fertility education programs.
  • U.S. birthrates hit a 44-year low in 2023, with fewer than 3.6 million babies born.

Diving Deeper:

President Donald Trump signaled his support Tuesday for offering financial incentives to new mothers, including a potential $5,000 cash bonus for each child born, as part of an effort to reverse America’s falling birthrate. “Sounds like a good idea to me,” Trump told The New York Post in response to reports his administration is exploring such measures.

The discussions highlight growing concern among Trump administration officials and allies about the long-term implications of declining fertility and family formation in the United States. According to the report, administration aides have been consulting with pro-family advocates and policy experts to brainstorm solutions aimed at encouraging larger families.

Among the proposals: a $5,000 direct payment to new mothers, allocating 30% of all Fulbright scholarships to married applicants or those with children, and launching federally supported fertility education programs for women. One such program would educate women on their ovulation cycles to help them better understand their reproductive health and increase their chances of conceiving.

The concern stems from sharp demographic shifts. The number of babies born in the U.S. fell to just under 3.6 million in 2023—down 76,000 from 2022 and the lowest figure since 1979. The average American family now has fewer than two children, a dramatic drop from the once-common “2.5 children” norm.

Though the birthrate briefly rose from 2021 to 2022, that bump appears to have been temporary. Additionally, the age of motherhood is trending older, with fewer teens and young women having children, while more women in their 30s and 40s are giving birth.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt underscored the administration’s commitment to families, saying, “The President wants America to be a country where all children can safely grow up and achieve the American dream.” Leavitt, herself a mother, added, “I am proud to work for a president who is taking significant action to leave a better country for the next generation.”

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