Trump is in talks with Russia to end the war

[Oldcarpy2]

Yep, Russia needs to feel some pain from the "SMO, aka financial pain, a lease on the territories for X number of years.

Ukraine gets financially rewarded for territories lost. 

Im not sure after hostilities, they will be able to use the port together, but hopefully so 

it's got to hurt for them to keep all the territories

Russia keeps Crimea?

Putin replaced by a new leader in a free and fair election overseen by UN observers?

Just a thought..... ?

[xuenchen]

Zelenskyy wants full victory!!
Sure.
Full blown NATO offensive is the only way!
Ukraine can't do it alone! (can they? ) 
   "Press. Press. Pull."

Zelensky Publicly Rejected Trump’s Peace Plan, Preferring Push For Maximalist Total Victory Scenario

 
Even as talks progress and President Donald Trump says there is hope for a deal, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky made clear he rejects President Donald Trump’s proposal to recognise Russia’s occupation of Crimea as a price of peace, saying the Ukrainian constitution calls for nothing less than absolute victory.
 
This week, President Donald Trump said in interview with Time Magazine that one of the ultimate outcomes of the war will be that “Crimea will stay with Russia”, and later that a deal was close, with Ukraine and Russia needing now to meet in person in negotiations for the first time to “finish it off”.
 
Yet the rhetoric coming from Kyiv in recent days is far from complimentary about President Trump’s proposals. An American blueprint for peace in Ukraine was put before combatants this week and quickly rejected as politically impossible by Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, who cited the national constitution as making anything but total victory impossible.
 
 

"But But But"

[xuenchen]

Russia keeps Crimea?

Putin replaced by a new leader in a free and fair election overseen by UN observers?

Just a thought..... ?

butwhatabout . . . . 

Crimea Votes Overwhelmingly to Join Russia

[Oldcarpy2]

butwhatabout . . . . 

Crimea Votes Overwhelmingly to Join Russia
[Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95-QItX3I5A]

Of course it did, oh those free and fair Referenda. Much like Putin's election victories.

Pass the sick bag....

[Oldcarpy2]

So, Trump in talks with Zelensky at Popes funeral.

Trump wearing a blue suit with a blue tie, when the dress code was dark suit with black tie. Consigned to third row. Macron refused to shake his hand.

Zelensky got a standing ovation.

Before anyone drones on about Zelensky's dress, he has said he will wear a suit when his country is free.

What is Trump's excuse?

Wonder what they were discussing?

[quintessentone]

So, Trump in talks with Zelensky at Popes funeral.

Trump wearing a blue suit with a blue tie, when the dress code was dark suit with black tie. Consigned to third row. Macron refused to shake his hand.

Zelensky got a standing ovation.

Before anyone drones on about Zelensky's dress, he has said he will wear a suit when his country is free.

What is Trump's excuse?

Wonder what they were discussing?

I hope it's a way out of this war where Putin's Russia can sustain itself with what land Ukraine is willing to give up for peace and that the U.S. guarantees security measures. Perhaps they also discussed that minerals deal again, but I hope this time that Ukraine will benefit greatly because it needs to rebuild. I feel that Crimea is a lost cause even though the Ukrainians are saying today in the news that they will never give it up - for lasting peace and a brighter future - maybe they will change their minds.

[sahgwa]

In my imagination there was a territorial line drawn down the middle of Crimea, with joint use of Sevastapol under a treaty.

[putnam6]

[sahgwa]

Removing as it's not really germane to the War.  And the power outage has it's own thread.

[xuenchen]

Ukraine just signed the Minerals Deal! 
Finally.
Now let's see what Russia does when U.S. interests are attacked. 

US and Ukraine sign critical minerals and reconstruction deal

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Wednesday announced that the United States and Ukraine have signed the long-anticipated minerals deal through the creation of a reconstruction investment fund.
 
The two countries have been trying to work out the deal since February, which would give the U.S. access to mineral riches in Ukraine in exchange for funding the country during its war with Russia. 
 
Bessent said the economic partnership positions the two countries to work collaboratively to ensure mutual assets, talents, and capabilities can speed up Ukraine’s economic recovery.
 
“Thanks to President Trump’s tireless efforts to secure a lasting peace, I am glad to announce the signing of today’s historic economic partnership agreement between the United States and Ukraine establishing the United States-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund,” Bessent said in a statement.