It is not just this, but also lifting sanctions on certain Russian banks that are financing Rosatom to continue building a currently stalled nuclear power plant in Hungary.
That is the lifting of sanctions is starting as well.
A really good point Paul. Im actually trying to see whether this was a new step or a continuation of some special relief that had been around for longer. Hope to report soon
Ukraine has fully realized that Trump has betrayed America's pledge to support its defence. Trump is refusing to honour the promise of protection from hostilities made when Ukraine surrendered its nuclear weapons, upon gaining independence. Now he is refusing to supply weapons that were approved and budgeted by the Biden Administration and Congress, which are desperately needed. This action, like most of Trump's questionable orders is taken without the proper consent of Congress, who are too cowered in fealty and fear to exercise its powers of the purse.
I don't believe this is coming as a shock to Ukraine or the world, especially as Trump has begun removing sanctions on Russia, which will help Putin finance his war efforts. Effectively, Trump is openly indicating support for Russia's attempts to conquer Ukraine, and quite possibly more of Europe.
Ukraine has put up one hell of a fight and continues to bravely challenge Putin's aggression. Europe, Canada and the United Kingdom have reaffirmed their commitment to assist Zelensky, which will be helpful, if it can be expedited. But Trump knifing Ukraine in the back to please Putin will definitely result in many more Ukrainian deaths. Betrayal is one Trump's traits, and the world is more aware of that fact now than ever before.
The American people need to come together and physically remove Trump and his entire traitorous regime, before he has completed his agenda of totally betraying the US public. Don't make the mistake of thinking there is a miracle diplomatic solution for the current nightmare of cruelty and corruption, other than massive efforts by united citizens. Your next step has to be general strikes. But you must start preparing for the inevitable battle, if protests and strikes prove insufficient to achieve overturning this authoritarian regime
It appears that some of Biden’s promised air defence and other weapons are in actually in Poland. Now Trump will have them returned. It takes a special kind of cruelty to enforce such an act.
I suppose they couldn’t say “OOPS, the train just left with all that stuff. Hold on, I’ll call and tell them to turn around. Darn, the call wouldn’t go through”?
I read a while back that Ukraine had been preparing for this eventuality by producing their own equivalent to the Patriot. Do we have any idea how far along they are in their development? Does Europe have anything that can even come close to patriots?
And what about Europe? Europe has had 31/2 years!!! Why have hasn’t Europe started taking responsibility for themselves by massively supporting Ukraine?
Every so often I see a statement in the Personals section of a newspaper of record, stating, “Notice is hereby given that the family of so and so is not responsible for any debt owed by him, to any individual, business entity or government agency.”
There are times I want to say to the world that we, the half of America that did NOT vote for Trump, do hereby disavow any responsibility for his words or actions.
Russian citizens are virtual prisoners of the State, which itself has been captured by Putin. In America at least we have had the option of voting against tyranny or freedom under a representative democracy.
Heard many stats recently. ICE is going to be funded more than the U.S. Marine Corps. THe amount spent on new detention facilities for immigrants will be similar to the budget for the entire federal prison system.
On unrelated note, since the 2022 Russian invasion, Europe has spent 3 times as much on Russian energy as it has spent on Ukraine. Guess that's not surprising, but it is frustrating to be feeding Putin's war economy while simultaneously trying to stop his war machine.
Crazy, isn't it? Ice gets USD 75bn. We'll see a rapid build-out of camps across the country, and rapid scale up of manpower -- these masked characters who don't show badges. DOJ is given wide latitude to "De-Naturalize" US citizens. So, first illegal immigrants, then legal, then citizens. All of the "scum" and "enemies of the people" included, and plenty of places to take them.
Sanctions against Russia are a bit of a sham, given the billions a month flowing into their coffers from the west. Trump has now lifted sanctions on several Russian banks. So, yes, it's all looking a bit counterproductive, to say the least.
Donald Trump is a foul excrescence of the corrupt Queens, NY world of crooked real estate developers and rent lords in league with gangsters. He is a sociopathic and narcissistic degenerate, pedophile, and leering lifelong cheat. That this creature could be elected twice president testifies to the collapse of democracy in America, its perversion into a chaotic oligarchy of mafiosi and lunatics and their creations like Vance. No one should expect anything but lies, cruelty, outrageous and extreme corruption and extortion from this regime of criminals. But like in the 1930s, cowards in political office and fools will try to persuade themselves and others that all is well in the face of all the evidence to the contrary.
I noticed the date on Nick Schifrin's X post: July 1, 2025: the second anniversary of the death at age 37 of the great Ukrainian writer Vika Amelina, in a Russian missile strike at an eatery in Kramators'k on June 27. She was taken off life support on 7/1. Two twin girls, 14, were also killed in that strike. The reason I remember them is because the parents were looking for white dresses for them, which reminded me of the Wedding of the Dead, practiced in parts of Romania and elsewhere in the world.
Ukrainians, famous and not famous, will continue to be killed, while Western Europe—for now at least—has its collective thumbs up its collective ass, and does little or nothing.
Before the priest comes to the house to take the "bride" to the cemetery, the relatives beg one last time for the deceased to wake up:
"Oh, and get up, little beauty,
Get up and we'll talk,
For now it is your wedding evening."
[. . .]
"Oh, well you rest;
You won't struggle in this world.
Get up, good one, and tell us
How life is in the other world."
—Gail Kligman, "The Wedding of the Dead: Ritual, Poetics, and Popular Culture in Transylvania" (1990), p.300-2.
If U.S. defense industry needs sales to European countries and Europe demands the right to send their purchases to Ukraine, doesn't that neuter Trump's plan to deny arms sales?
I was convinced that selling weapons to EU was very important to the US government/ arms industry. When claiming that in here earlier I got some pushback, based on the relative small share of weapons sales to EU, compared to US government orders. So how important is EU (and friends) weapons trade to the US really?
I think Europe should shy away from F35 purchases for their own security interests. Trump and his possible successors are dangerous.
AI definitely throws a giant monkey wrench into the calculations. It will be hard for Europe to keep pace with China & U.S. If I were Australia, Japan, Ukraine and Europe I would be forming consortiums of sane democracies. Develop weapons systems independent of the U.S. Treat the U.S. and China with similar caution. Hopefully the U.S. will heal eventually.
Incremental sales off of existing research and production facilities must be very profitable. Sales to the US government can’t skip the up front capital investment.
A reasonably close analogy here with China's response to Caligula 47's blustering: cut off rare earths (a vulnerability which trump almost certainly did not understand in advance)..."Yuck foo" and TACO. The Europeans are so terrified that trump will turn away from Article 5 -- sadly (and somewhat oddly), they don't realize that ship sailed 8 years ago. (And good luck to Taiwan...or, as trump says ad nauseum, "We'll see.")
What do you mean by #1? Russian media is ALREADY talking about a new oblast as part of Russia. (per Telegraph Ukraine pod in the last 0-2 weeks) There is no intention to stop at 4 oblasts.
"Where the foot of a Russian soldier steps, that is ours."
It is not just this, but also lifting sanctions on certain Russian banks that are financing Rosatom to continue building a currently stalled nuclear power plant in Hungary.
That is the lifting of sanctions is starting as well.
A really good point Paul. Im actually trying to see whether this was a new step or a continuation of some special relief that had been around for longer. Hope to report soon
And harder to notice is the effect of not maintaining previous efforts:
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/02/us/politics/trump-russia-sanctions.html?unlocked_article_code=1.Tk8.Yg-X.70C-SrVxBQFR&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare
Besides the above, not prosecuting is the same as lifting sanctions, and we know previously the relevant team was redirected to drug trafficking.
Ukraine has fully realized that Trump has betrayed America's pledge to support its defence. Trump is refusing to honour the promise of protection from hostilities made when Ukraine surrendered its nuclear weapons, upon gaining independence. Now he is refusing to supply weapons that were approved and budgeted by the Biden Administration and Congress, which are desperately needed. This action, like most of Trump's questionable orders is taken without the proper consent of Congress, who are too cowered in fealty and fear to exercise its powers of the purse.
I don't believe this is coming as a shock to Ukraine or the world, especially as Trump has begun removing sanctions on Russia, which will help Putin finance his war efforts. Effectively, Trump is openly indicating support for Russia's attempts to conquer Ukraine, and quite possibly more of Europe.
Ukraine has put up one hell of a fight and continues to bravely challenge Putin's aggression. Europe, Canada and the United Kingdom have reaffirmed their commitment to assist Zelensky, which will be helpful, if it can be expedited. But Trump knifing Ukraine in the back to please Putin will definitely result in many more Ukrainian deaths. Betrayal is one Trump's traits, and the world is more aware of that fact now than ever before.
The American people need to come together and physically remove Trump and his entire traitorous regime, before he has completed his agenda of totally betraying the US public. Don't make the mistake of thinking there is a miracle diplomatic solution for the current nightmare of cruelty and corruption, other than massive efforts by united citizens. Your next step has to be general strikes. But you must start preparing for the inevitable battle, if protests and strikes prove insufficient to achieve overturning this authoritarian regime
It appears that some of Biden’s promised air defence and other weapons are in actually in Poland. Now Trump will have them returned. It takes a special kind of cruelty to enforce such an act.
Anyone who still believes Trump isn’t a full blown traitor is not paying attention. He is in bed with Putin 100%.
I suppose they couldn’t say “OOPS, the train just left with all that stuff. Hold on, I’ll call and tell them to turn around. Darn, the call wouldn’t go through”?
I read a while back that Ukraine had been preparing for this eventuality by producing their own equivalent to the Patriot. Do we have any idea how far along they are in their development? Does Europe have anything that can even come close to patriots?
I hope they can--but am doubtful that they can make anything equivalent. Hope I am wrong
And what about Europe? Europe has had 31/2 years!!! Why have hasn’t Europe started taking responsibility for themselves by massively supporting Ukraine?
there are rumours of ukraine producing a weapon which they can fire from a patriot base
Taurus?
How effective can the IRIS-Ts be?
French SAM/T
A-10s with missiles would work well, too
Every so often I see a statement in the Personals section of a newspaper of record, stating, “Notice is hereby given that the family of so and so is not responsible for any debt owed by him, to any individual, business entity or government agency.”
There are times I want to say to the world that we, the half of America that did NOT vote for Trump, do hereby disavow any responsibility for his words or actions.
Sadly--I know what you mean, but this is official US government policy. We can disavow--but it is the US in action
That's what the anti war Russians say about their government, unfortunately for them other nations may not see it that way.
Russian citizens are virtual prisoners of the State, which itself has been captured by Putin. In America at least we have had the option of voting against tyranny or freedom under a representative democracy.
Yes, but as my Russian friend said - even if there were fair elections, they would still vote for Putin.
Deprogramming would a necessary first step in rehabilitating people who have been brought up on lies and pure propaganda. .
Wait and see. Nothing is guaranteed.
Meanwhile, we join Indivisible and organize a Liberal Democratic takeover of the Kakistocracy.
I hope so. We’ll see.
The only thing surprising about this is that people will be surprised.
In other news, the US Senate voted to fund Trump's American Gulag with twice the money ever given over in Ukraine aid.
Heard many stats recently. ICE is going to be funded more than the U.S. Marine Corps. THe amount spent on new detention facilities for immigrants will be similar to the budget for the entire federal prison system.
On unrelated note, since the 2022 Russian invasion, Europe has spent 3 times as much on Russian energy as it has spent on Ukraine. Guess that's not surprising, but it is frustrating to be feeding Putin's war economy while simultaneously trying to stop his war machine.
Crazy, isn't it? Ice gets USD 75bn. We'll see a rapid build-out of camps across the country, and rapid scale up of manpower -- these masked characters who don't show badges. DOJ is given wide latitude to "De-Naturalize" US citizens. So, first illegal immigrants, then legal, then citizens. All of the "scum" and "enemies of the people" included, and plenty of places to take them.
Sanctions against Russia are a bit of a sham, given the billions a month flowing into their coffers from the west. Trump has now lifted sanctions on several Russian banks. So, yes, it's all looking a bit counterproductive, to say the least.
It is so painful to read what you write i have to stop at least 3 times and come back again. And i’m hungarian, not ukrainian..
Donald Trump is a foul excrescence of the corrupt Queens, NY world of crooked real estate developers and rent lords in league with gangsters. He is a sociopathic and narcissistic degenerate, pedophile, and leering lifelong cheat. That this creature could be elected twice president testifies to the collapse of democracy in America, its perversion into a chaotic oligarchy of mafiosi and lunatics and their creations like Vance. No one should expect anything but lies, cruelty, outrageous and extreme corruption and extortion from this regime of criminals. But like in the 1930s, cowards in political office and fools will try to persuade themselves and others that all is well in the face of all the evidence to the contrary.
I noticed the date on Nick Schifrin's X post: July 1, 2025: the second anniversary of the death at age 37 of the great Ukrainian writer Vika Amelina, in a Russian missile strike at an eatery in Kramators'k on June 27. She was taken off life support on 7/1. Two twin girls, 14, were also killed in that strike. The reason I remember them is because the parents were looking for white dresses for them, which reminded me of the Wedding of the Dead, practiced in parts of Romania and elsewhere in the world.
Ukrainians, famous and not famous, will continue to be killed, while Western Europe—for now at least—has its collective thumbs up its collective ass, and does little or nothing.
Before the priest comes to the house to take the "bride" to the cemetery, the relatives beg one last time for the deceased to wake up:
"Oh, and get up, little beauty,
Get up and we'll talk,
For now it is your wedding evening."
[. . .]
"Oh, well you rest;
You won't struggle in this world.
Get up, good one, and tell us
How life is in the other world."
—Gail Kligman, "The Wedding of the Dead: Ritual, Poetics, and Popular Culture in Transylvania" (1990), p.300-2.
'Tis the time's plague, when madmen lead the blind. (King Lear, Shakespeare)
If U.S. defense industry needs sales to European countries and Europe demands the right to send their purchases to Ukraine, doesn't that neuter Trump's plan to deny arms sales?
I was convinced that selling weapons to EU was very important to the US government/ arms industry. When claiming that in here earlier I got some pushback, based on the relative small share of weapons sales to EU, compared to US government orders. So how important is EU (and friends) weapons trade to the US really?
I would guess that F35 orders could be a point of leverage, particularly for countries which are on the fence.
I think Europe should shy away from F35 purchases for their own security interests. Trump and his possible successors are dangerous.
AI definitely throws a giant monkey wrench into the calculations. It will be hard for Europe to keep pace with China & U.S. If I were Australia, Japan, Ukraine and Europe I would be forming consortiums of sane democracies. Develop weapons systems independent of the U.S. Treat the U.S. and China with similar caution. Hopefully the U.S. will heal eventually.
I agree. But, I wouldn’t be averse to Europe using it as leverage to help Ukraine win the war.
Incremental sales off of existing research and production facilities must be very profitable. Sales to the US government can’t skip the up front capital investment.
Trump is doing exactly what Vladimir Putin tells him too.
A reasonably close analogy here with China's response to Caligula 47's blustering: cut off rare earths (a vulnerability which trump almost certainly did not understand in advance)..."Yuck foo" and TACO. The Europeans are so terrified that trump will turn away from Article 5 -- sadly (and somewhat oddly), they don't realize that ship sailed 8 years ago. (And good luck to Taiwan...or, as trump says ad nauseum, "We'll see.")
These are my 3 scenarios FWIW:
1. Ukraine is pounded into submission, and lets Putin have his oblasts (first check).
2. US sells air defense to Ukraine
3. European states see no option but to get involved in shooting down missiles in Ukraine air space
What do you mean by #1? Russian media is ALREADY talking about a new oblast as part of Russia. (per Telegraph Ukraine pod in the last 0-2 weeks) There is no intention to stop at 4 oblasts.
"Where the foot of a Russian soldier steps, that is ours."
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/putin-says-the-whole-ukraine-is-ours-theory-may-take-city-sumy-2025-06-20/
I just mean that Ukraine pulls out of not only the current frontline, but the whole oblasts that Russia claims to have annexed.
As #1 is unthinkable and there’s zero chance of #2, we’re left with door #3—however unlikely that may Bev
Did it come from Trump or Elbridge Colby? I saw him mentioned as the one justifying the review.
I’m late reading this today but I have one comment re.:
“If Putin could write a wish list of the weapons he would want Trump to keep from Ukraine—this would be it.”
Maybe he did.