Just so people won't be surprised that aren't following the war, Ukraine Martial Law President Zelensky is planning an attack on May the 9th to soil Russia's World War Two Victory parade on 9 May. President Trump could only suspend U.S. Intelligence and support to Ukraine to defrappe the likely attack.
President Trump apparently doesn't understand that Ukraine's war leader who has plans to bring women, young and old people (over 60) into battle readiness is simply playing him for time. He utilizes the 'how do you keep a Turkey in suspense comedic tactic' to stall for time to let Europe and N.A.T.O. members have time to resupply Ukraine with weapons.
Sweden for example is sending a pair of flying radar platforms and other jet fighters to let Ukraine coordinate better against Russia offensively and defensively. Zelensky already has U.S. supplied HIMARS and ATACMS that have ranges of a couple hundred miles more or less, Patriot missiles etc. Zelensky hopes to continue the war as long as possible and to bring the world to war if necessary to keep from needing to concede any land already lost to the Russian reconquista.
Zelensky has developed Neptune cruise missiles (a pagan name choice) that is launched from an advanced location might be able to close the 600 miles from Ukraine to Moscow. The Ukraine air force has F-16s that could launch Taurus KEPD 350 cruise missiles supplied by Germany or Sweden if they surreptitiously supplied Zelensky with several. Britain has said they would supply Ukraine with Storm Shadow missiles. Several weapons systems exist for F-16 that can travel more than 300 miles. So a jet flying low protected by Swedish radar might get close enough to launch a few ground hugging cruise missiles.
The question is how Russia would respond? They could nuke Kiev and Stockholm yet that probably isn't in the cards to play yet. Zelensky hopes to provoke Russia into retaliating in a way that will invoke a N.A.T.O. treaty response including that of the United States. That is why I wrote this post; so a few people would be aware of the lunacy of the European Ukraine war situation and to be squared away in case civilization ends after a global nuclear conflict May 9th-12th.
So long as President Trump support Ukraine militarily in any way Mr. Zelensky and European N.A.T.O. members will continue to press forward. The obvious realistic way to end the war is for the U.S. to quit supplying anything military to Ukraine, to stop negotiating with Ukraine, and let the war play out. President Trump could let it be known that he would resume a negotiating role if Ukraine agrees to several stipulations that Russia would be happy to accept, and then a cease fire could be implemented. It only takes one bad judgment or mistake to cascade World War Three into blossoming. One of the bold new N.A.T.O. members leaping to sustain and elevate the conflict militarily- like Sweden, or even old members like England liking the power of driving the Russians back farther east and using the U.S. in a Master-Blaster way to further British interests, could misunderestimate its position and Russian response and spark the fire of nuclear holocaust. Russian might tend toward overestimating the U.S. and N.A.T.O. response to a decision it makes to retailiate against some N.A.T.O. member for sending missiles to punish a weapons and intelligence supplier because if N.A.T.O. gets involved that does mean nuclear war. N.A.T.O. seems badly structured for preventing nuclear war. It was better at fighting some NAZI-style invasion without facing an adversary loaded with nuclear weapons. It is not surprising that the Cold War 1.0 ended peacefully since there was no rational alternative. Modern N.A.T.O. swells forgot the lessons of history that allowed the survival of global civilization.
President Trump did get a minor official under Zelensky to sign off on a Ukrainian minerals deal. Yet that could be fools gold since the U.S. probably would be required to defend the mines as Russia is on the verge of capturing them-especially around the City of Pokrovsk. So Zelensky played Trump into supporting him militarily in exchange for a mess of pottage in effect, since the mines were to be lost anyway. The contract says that the United Stated could get some money after ten years and if the Ukraine Congress approves it, maybe.
The Brits are spinning the deal as a move for peace. In other words it puts the U.S. in a position of being on the front line of a war to defend financial interests. It was maladroit timing. If that works out positively I will be quite surprised. Ukraine announced victory in the battle for Pokrovsk several hours ago. That must be because the U.S. decided to get involved there. In fact the Russians are closing in around Pokrovsk forming a giant, methodical effective encirclement starting with advancing closer and cutting off supply roads etc.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-minerals-deal-ukraine-russia-b2742685.html
The minerals deal should never have occurred because it is one of those escalations of a conflict through the greed of a third party. Perhaps President Trump becomes myopic when money is concerned. Of course it would be good if Ukraine could repay the hundreds of billions it got from U.S. to support its war with Russia. The war though is more than about money or even land; it is about Europe's will to have power and hegemony over Eurasia and it could well reach the point of the final war of civilization. There is no clever deal that will solve the problem.
