1 00:00:00,840 --> 00:00:04,800 Speaker 1: Is there anything at all that you can do to 2 00:00:04,880 --> 00:00:08,520 Speaker 1: salvage the opening of the program on a Monday morning 3 00:00:09,280 --> 00:00:12,280 Speaker 1: holiday week and you've already threwed it up. 4 00:00:14,400 --> 00:00:18,080 Speaker 2: Welcome to the Situation without Michael Brown. Here are your 5 00:00:18,120 --> 00:00:20,920 Speaker 2: rules of engagement. You still need to leave a talkback 6 00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:23,560 Speaker 2: by pressing a little red microphone button to prevent the 7 00:00:23,600 --> 00:00:26,599 Speaker 2: morning cackle, and text the word Mike or Michael to 8 00:00:26,720 --> 00:00:29,720 Speaker 2: three three one oh three and leave a text message 9 00:00:29,720 --> 00:00:32,600 Speaker 2: for Dragon Redbeard so he can let the guest speaker 10 00:00:32,640 --> 00:00:35,640 Speaker 2: react to it. Download the free d iHeartRadio app and 11 00:00:35,720 --> 00:00:38,559 Speaker 2: be sure to favorite Mike's two shows, The Situation with 12 00:00:38,640 --> 00:00:40,920 Speaker 2: Michael Brown and The Weekend with Michael Brown. 13 00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:41,800 Speaker 1: Make sure to. 14 00:00:41,720 --> 00:00:44,000 Speaker 2: Give a false sense of welcome to the guest speaker 15 00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:46,400 Speaker 2: so that Mike feels bad about hiding off in the 16 00:00:46,479 --> 00:00:49,519 Speaker 2: undisclosed location. Be sure to go to Michael says go 17 00:00:49,720 --> 00:00:52,760 Speaker 2: here dot com for some swag like coffee cups, as 18 00:00:52,800 --> 00:00:55,600 Speaker 2: Michael does not make enough money to pay Dragon Redbeard 19 00:00:55,600 --> 00:00:59,760 Speaker 2: what he's worth. And now a talkback, then let's welcome 20 00:00:59,800 --> 00:01:01,920 Speaker 2: our guest commentator, Dragon. 21 00:01:03,520 --> 00:01:05,240 Speaker 1: Do you have it okay? Do you have a talkback? 22 00:01:05,319 --> 00:01:10,040 Speaker 1: By chance? That's it? No? No, no, no, you can't 23 00:01:10,120 --> 00:01:12,440 Speaker 1: do that. You can't do that because I know there 24 00:01:12,440 --> 00:01:19,640 Speaker 1: are talkbacks. I know there's some talkbacks. Yeah, all right, 25 00:01:19,680 --> 00:01:22,240 Speaker 1: you know what, screw it, let's just get started. So 26 00:01:22,760 --> 00:01:26,280 Speaker 1: let's go to I've heard an awful lot of discussion 27 00:01:26,440 --> 00:01:29,880 Speaker 1: over the past well, I think you since last week 28 00:01:29,959 --> 00:01:34,360 Speaker 1: when Trump and Secretary of State Marco Ruby on the others, 29 00:01:34,800 --> 00:01:38,479 Speaker 1: released this twenty eight point plan that the White House 30 00:01:38,520 --> 00:01:45,160 Speaker 1: negotiated with the Kremlin without input from the Ukrainians, and 31 00:01:45,200 --> 00:01:54,240 Speaker 1: that apparently we have just absolutely obliterated the Ukrainians on Saturday. 32 00:01:54,520 --> 00:01:58,800 Speaker 1: What set me off about Saturday was on Friday evening, 33 00:01:58,880 --> 00:02:03,200 Speaker 1: the George W. Bush Residential Center, I don't and quite frankly, 34 00:02:03,200 --> 00:02:04,720 Speaker 1: I don't care. I'm not going to look it up. 35 00:02:05,080 --> 00:02:08,440 Speaker 1: But whoever, the director of the George W. Bush Presidential 36 00:02:09,880 --> 00:02:17,680 Speaker 1: Center is posted a tweet to x that basically said 37 00:02:17,720 --> 00:02:20,959 Speaker 1: that the twenty eight point plan, and I'm just paraphrasing here, 38 00:02:21,280 --> 00:02:26,200 Speaker 1: but that the twenty eight point plan is wrong and 39 00:02:26,240 --> 00:02:29,000 Speaker 1: it's horrible for the Ukrainians, and that it should simply 40 00:02:29,040 --> 00:02:32,760 Speaker 1: be a one point plan, and that one point plan 41 00:02:33,040 --> 00:02:39,000 Speaker 1: is Russia get out of Ukraine. And when I read that, 42 00:02:39,200 --> 00:02:44,400 Speaker 1: I when I was pissed off too. I quote tweeted 43 00:02:44,440 --> 00:02:49,440 Speaker 1: it because I know that the President's staff reads my tweets. 44 00:02:49,720 --> 00:02:51,560 Speaker 1: I know this because I've talked to some of them, 45 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:54,040 Speaker 1: and so I wanted somebody. I don't know whether it 46 00:02:54,080 --> 00:02:55,960 Speaker 1: actually got back to Bush or not, but I wanted 47 00:02:56,000 --> 00:03:01,359 Speaker 1: the staffers in Dallas to see that tweet because I thought, how, 48 00:03:01,200 --> 00:03:04,000 Speaker 1: how what a simpleton's comment to make for the for 49 00:03:04,040 --> 00:03:06,959 Speaker 1: the president's staff to make. Now I don't know who 50 00:03:06,960 --> 00:03:09,760 Speaker 1: this new executive director is at the Bush Center, and again, 51 00:03:10,040 --> 00:03:12,240 Speaker 1: like I said, I don't care who it is, but 52 00:03:13,600 --> 00:03:21,400 Speaker 1: that kind of simple, unrealistic response on behalf of a 53 00:03:21,440 --> 00:03:25,320 Speaker 1: former president that was, you know, got us engaged in 54 00:03:25,320 --> 00:03:28,840 Speaker 1: the global War on terror, got us engaged in Afghanistan 55 00:03:28,919 --> 00:03:31,440 Speaker 1: and Iraq, got us engage in a lot of things 56 00:03:31,440 --> 00:03:33,920 Speaker 1: that we look back on and we probably regret a 57 00:03:33,919 --> 00:03:37,080 Speaker 1: lot of those things. For that staffer to then come 58 00:03:37,120 --> 00:03:39,440 Speaker 1: out and say, well, this is really simple. All we 59 00:03:39,480 --> 00:03:42,160 Speaker 1: should do is just say to get to Russia, get 60 00:03:42,160 --> 00:03:45,720 Speaker 1: out of Ukraine. So the question that I posed Saturday 61 00:03:45,760 --> 00:03:47,920 Speaker 1: and that I want to pose again today is what 62 00:03:47,960 --> 00:03:52,560 Speaker 1: does that mean? Isn't that a lot like when you 63 00:03:52,600 --> 00:03:56,600 Speaker 1: know Ukraine first invaded or in Russia first invaded Ukraine 64 00:03:56,640 --> 00:03:59,680 Speaker 1: three or four years ago. And you know, Joe Biden 65 00:03:59,680 --> 00:04:01,600 Speaker 1: went out and he stood in the Rose garden, he 66 00:04:01,640 --> 00:04:04,560 Speaker 1: stood in front of a presidential seal somewhere, and thank goodness, 67 00:04:04,600 --> 00:04:06,360 Speaker 1: it was only one word because they couldn't re probably 68 00:04:06,360 --> 00:04:08,560 Speaker 1: read much more than one word. And the one word 69 00:04:08,720 --> 00:04:12,160 Speaker 1: was don't. And then Kamala Harris thought, oh, I think 70 00:04:12,200 --> 00:04:14,120 Speaker 1: I can handle that, so I'll go out and I'll 71 00:04:14,120 --> 00:04:20,920 Speaker 1: say the same thing, don't. Don't. Really, that's your foreign policy. Don't. 72 00:04:21,680 --> 00:04:25,320 Speaker 1: And we, of course we see exactly how that affected 73 00:04:25,600 --> 00:04:29,640 Speaker 1: Vladimir Putin and the Russians because they kind of looked 74 00:04:29,640 --> 00:04:31,760 Speaker 1: at they kind of looked at Biden, they looked at 75 00:04:31,800 --> 00:04:34,880 Speaker 1: Kamala Harris and said, oh, well, let's think about this 76 00:04:34,920 --> 00:04:36,440 Speaker 1: for a second. Do you think we really should do it? 77 00:04:36,480 --> 00:04:38,320 Speaker 1: Because they told us not to do it. Let's think 78 00:04:38,320 --> 00:04:43,080 Speaker 1: about this. Okay, boom, here we go and and they invaded. Well, 79 00:04:43,560 --> 00:04:48,320 Speaker 1: what Bush's staff said is the equivalent of what Biden 80 00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:52,640 Speaker 1: and Kamala Harris said, and for that matter, Secretary of 81 00:04:52,600 --> 00:04:54,320 Speaker 1: Stint Anthony Blincoln and all the rest of them in 82 00:04:54,360 --> 00:04:57,520 Speaker 1: the Biden administration back when this occurred almost four years 83 00:04:57,560 --> 00:05:00,960 Speaker 1: ago now was just basically don't do it. So my 84 00:05:01,120 --> 00:05:05,039 Speaker 1: response is, if we're gonna start playing simpleton when it 85 00:05:05,080 --> 00:05:08,799 Speaker 1: comes to foreign policy, I'm not gonna let it get by, 86 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:12,400 Speaker 1: because I know that people are on if we had 87 00:05:12,400 --> 00:05:16,640 Speaker 1: a spectrum of positions about the Russia Ukraine War, or 88 00:05:16,680 --> 00:05:20,000 Speaker 1: the Russian invasion of Ukraine, or Russia's defense of its 89 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:22,520 Speaker 1: own territory. You see, there are so many different ways 90 00:05:22,680 --> 00:05:26,240 Speaker 1: to posit what this situation is. And I know that 91 00:05:26,320 --> 00:05:30,799 Speaker 1: within this audience and within the larger, you know, population 92 00:05:30,880 --> 00:05:35,160 Speaker 1: of the United States, people are all over this spectrum 93 00:05:35,880 --> 00:05:39,000 Speaker 1: about what we should or should not be doing. I 94 00:05:39,040 --> 00:05:42,000 Speaker 1: don't like the war, but I'm also very realistic about 95 00:05:42,040 --> 00:05:46,120 Speaker 1: the war. And I'm realistic about the war because one, 96 00:05:46,680 --> 00:05:50,120 Speaker 1: Russia is losing what twenty three and I namely use 97 00:05:50,160 --> 00:05:54,640 Speaker 1: the word troops, but Russia is losing twenty thousand men 98 00:05:56,360 --> 00:06:00,599 Speaker 1: every single month. He's taking he's emptied out of prisons. 99 00:06:01,360 --> 00:06:04,479 Speaker 1: There are virtually no prisoners in Russia anymore, because they've 100 00:06:04,520 --> 00:06:06,280 Speaker 1: all been sent into the meat grinder on the front 101 00:06:06,279 --> 00:06:11,159 Speaker 1: lines of Ukraine. He's reached into Africa, he's reached into 102 00:06:11,240 --> 00:06:14,880 Speaker 1: human he's reached into North Korea. He's reached into everywhere 103 00:06:14,880 --> 00:06:17,040 Speaker 1: to try to find bodies, just to try to keep 104 00:06:17,080 --> 00:06:19,800 Speaker 1: this effort going. And now the sanctions are starting to 105 00:06:19,839 --> 00:06:22,240 Speaker 1: take place, are starting to have an effect. And in 106 00:06:22,240 --> 00:06:25,600 Speaker 1: addition to the sanctions, Putin has decided that now I'm 107 00:06:25,680 --> 00:06:28,200 Speaker 1: running out of money, I need to increase taxes, and 108 00:06:28,240 --> 00:06:32,080 Speaker 1: now needs to increase taxes on the Russian people. So 109 00:06:32,200 --> 00:06:34,599 Speaker 1: Russia is not exactly in the greatest spot at all, 110 00:06:34,960 --> 00:06:38,560 Speaker 1: but neither are the Ukrainians. We're at We're in a 111 00:06:38,640 --> 00:06:43,200 Speaker 1: war of attrition, and right now I couldn't tell you 112 00:06:43,200 --> 00:06:44,880 Speaker 1: if you put a gun to my head, I couldn't 113 00:06:44,920 --> 00:06:47,480 Speaker 1: tell you which side's really winning, if indeed there is 114 00:06:47,680 --> 00:06:52,280 Speaker 1: even a winner or a loser in this situation. But 115 00:06:52,360 --> 00:06:54,440 Speaker 1: for Bush to have come out or his staff to 116 00:06:54,480 --> 00:06:58,839 Speaker 1: have come out and said, well, the Ukrainian peace agreement 117 00:06:58,880 --> 00:07:02,120 Speaker 1: is pretty simple. Russia it out, that's not dealing with 118 00:07:02,200 --> 00:07:07,240 Speaker 1: reality whatsoever. So I talked about that on Saturday. I've 119 00:07:07,240 --> 00:07:10,600 Speaker 1: thought about it a lot more, and I've come to 120 00:07:10,640 --> 00:07:12,760 Speaker 1: this conclusion. The twenty eight point plan that the White 121 00:07:12,760 --> 00:07:15,880 Speaker 1: House negotiated with the Kremlin is not a done deal. 122 00:07:16,960 --> 00:07:20,800 Speaker 1: It's a starting point, but it's not even close to 123 00:07:20,800 --> 00:07:24,080 Speaker 1: being a done deal. It is a blueprint, no more, 124 00:07:24,200 --> 00:07:27,680 Speaker 1: no less. It's just simply a blueprint. Yes, they sat 125 00:07:27,760 --> 00:07:29,880 Speaker 1: down with the Ruskies and that's what they came up with, 126 00:07:30,280 --> 00:07:33,200 Speaker 1: and now they've given it to Zelenski, and Zelensky has 127 00:07:33,200 --> 00:07:36,240 Speaker 1: come out in a nationwide speech and he's talked about 128 00:07:36,280 --> 00:07:38,080 Speaker 1: how you know this is going to cause us to 129 00:07:38,080 --> 00:07:40,560 Speaker 1: give up our sovereignty blah blah blah blah. Yet he's 130 00:07:40,560 --> 00:07:42,560 Speaker 1: probably going to meet I think he's meeting with Trump 131 00:07:42,560 --> 00:07:47,960 Speaker 1: this week. Now. In any case, we have to recognize 132 00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:50,040 Speaker 1: that Trump is and I don't mean it's in a 133 00:07:50,080 --> 00:07:53,560 Speaker 1: bad way, but he is an unpredictable player. He could 134 00:07:53,560 --> 00:07:56,920 Speaker 1: back at it any moment, He could change the terms, 135 00:07:56,960 --> 00:07:59,560 Speaker 1: he could do any number of things. But he's trying 136 00:07:59,600 --> 00:08:05,280 Speaker 1: to get people to start talking now. The plan was 137 00:08:05,360 --> 00:08:09,360 Speaker 1: first circulated, leaked onto a telegram channel. Telegram is like 138 00:08:09,480 --> 00:08:15,000 Speaker 1: WhatsApp or any other messaging service, but equally it isn't 139 00:08:15,040 --> 00:08:19,320 Speaker 1: a capitulation. And those who have described this plan as 140 00:08:19,360 --> 00:08:23,680 Speaker 1: a capitulation as such, they don't really want a deal. 141 00:08:24,200 --> 00:08:26,400 Speaker 1: Ukraine will be able to improve on it, but admittedly 142 00:08:26,520 --> 00:08:30,320 Speaker 1: not by much. I don't think remember when Trump told Zelinsky, 143 00:08:30,400 --> 00:08:34,480 Speaker 1: you don't have the cards. Unfortunately, now, after the recent 144 00:08:34,520 --> 00:08:39,400 Speaker 1: corruption scandal in Ukraine, I think Zelensky's hand is weaker 145 00:08:39,440 --> 00:08:43,200 Speaker 1: than ever. And now, over the past three years, American 146 00:08:43,200 --> 00:08:47,319 Speaker 1: officials have repeatedly said that Ukraine has no chance of 147 00:08:47,360 --> 00:08:52,199 Speaker 1: winning the war, and then when we withdrew support earlier 148 00:08:52,280 --> 00:08:55,480 Speaker 1: this year, it was clear that they had a point. 149 00:08:56,040 --> 00:09:00,320 Speaker 1: Europe was in no position to plug the gap. What 150 00:09:00,480 --> 00:09:04,679 Speaker 1: this is exposing is when you think about Trump's idea 151 00:09:04,880 --> 00:09:09,440 Speaker 1: about stealing from Reagan, but that's fine, peace through strength, 152 00:09:10,720 --> 00:09:14,160 Speaker 1: He's really showing that the Europeans don't have the capacity 153 00:09:14,600 --> 00:09:20,600 Speaker 1: to enforce anything by peace through strength. Europeans indeed might 154 00:09:20,600 --> 00:09:24,240 Speaker 1: be self righteous defenders of the fast collapsing multilateral world 155 00:09:24,360 --> 00:09:27,120 Speaker 1: order that's going on right now, But history, I think 156 00:09:27,160 --> 00:09:31,280 Speaker 1: would show that when push came to shove, the Europeans 157 00:09:31,360 --> 00:09:33,280 Speaker 1: weren't ready to put their money where their mouth is. 158 00:09:34,360 --> 00:09:38,079 Speaker 1: On average, the total support for Ukraine was around about 159 00:09:38,080 --> 00:09:40,319 Speaker 1: four billion euros per month during the first half of 160 00:09:40,360 --> 00:09:43,200 Speaker 1: the year. In July and August, it collapsed to under 161 00:09:43,240 --> 00:09:47,200 Speaker 1: one billion euros per month. According to the Kiel Institute, 162 00:09:47,440 --> 00:09:51,160 Speaker 1: not one major European country has been willing to cut 163 00:09:51,240 --> 00:09:56,720 Speaker 1: spending or raise taxes to fund Ukraine meaningfully. Meanwhile American 164 00:09:56,720 --> 00:10:00,880 Speaker 1: taxpayers continue to do so. Now again, you don't know 165 00:10:00,920 --> 00:10:03,400 Speaker 1: where I'm going with this. You may think you know, 166 00:10:03,520 --> 00:10:07,200 Speaker 1: but you don't. But already I can hear people on 167 00:10:07,280 --> 00:10:10,280 Speaker 1: both sides of this issue screaming at me. Oh but Michael, 168 00:10:10,280 --> 00:10:13,000 Speaker 1: We've got to do everything. We've got to do everything. Okay, 169 00:10:13,080 --> 00:10:16,040 Speaker 1: my question, you be why. I mean, I understand that 170 00:10:16,120 --> 00:10:19,280 Speaker 1: this was an active aggression, This was an act against 171 00:10:19,400 --> 00:10:24,479 Speaker 1: Ukrainian sovereignty. I understand the geopolitical position and the geographical 172 00:10:24,520 --> 00:10:27,160 Speaker 1: position the Ukraine is in, and how that is indeed 173 00:10:27,240 --> 00:10:32,800 Speaker 1: important to America's national security. I also understand what's going 174 00:10:32,840 --> 00:10:35,600 Speaker 1: on with Russia, and that Russia isn't a war of attrition, 175 00:10:35,920 --> 00:10:38,040 Speaker 1: just as the Ukrainians are in a war of attrition. 176 00:10:38,520 --> 00:10:41,840 Speaker 1: And this is directly and indirectly a threat to NATO 177 00:10:42,600 --> 00:10:45,400 Speaker 1: and therefore is a direct threat to the United States 178 00:10:45,600 --> 00:10:48,600 Speaker 1: our security. And it's frankly, if you want to take 179 00:10:48,600 --> 00:10:52,760 Speaker 1: it to a gigantic macro level, this whole active aggression 180 00:10:52,760 --> 00:10:56,440 Speaker 1: by Russia is a threat to world peace. But the 181 00:10:56,480 --> 00:11:01,160 Speaker 1: European strategy, if you look beyond the photo ops and 182 00:11:01,240 --> 00:11:04,560 Speaker 1: the meetings they had. Was just to keep the Russians 183 00:11:04,559 --> 00:11:09,000 Speaker 1: fighting until they got tired. But what happened. Trump gets 184 00:11:09,040 --> 00:11:13,480 Speaker 1: elected and America, I guess, got tired first, and then 185 00:11:13,600 --> 00:11:17,880 Speaker 1: we found out earfully has no plan. B. Europe is 186 00:11:17,920 --> 00:11:20,960 Speaker 1: now out of money and Europe is out of ideas. 187 00:11:21,679 --> 00:11:24,240 Speaker 1: But Trump police has a plan which is more than 188 00:11:24,240 --> 00:11:27,280 Speaker 1: the Europeans have come up with. And I think Trump 189 00:11:27,320 --> 00:11:30,560 Speaker 1: is playing the long game. His tough talk against Putin 190 00:11:31,000 --> 00:11:34,920 Speaker 1: was merely tactical. Was this strategic. It was just simply tactical. 191 00:11:35,280 --> 00:11:39,200 Speaker 1: It was intended to mask a long term strategy to 192 00:11:39,280 --> 00:11:43,040 Speaker 1: try to force an end of the war. In his 193 00:11:43,360 --> 00:11:48,840 Speaker 1: long con analysis, Phillips O'Brien notes that even Trump's secondary 194 00:11:48,840 --> 00:11:52,920 Speaker 1: oil sanctions were a part of his original gambit. These 195 00:11:52,960 --> 00:11:57,160 Speaker 1: were supposed to take effect November twenty one, last week, 196 00:11:57,800 --> 00:12:01,880 Speaker 1: and yet nothing happened Indian China while they're continuing to 197 00:12:01,880 --> 00:12:05,520 Speaker 1: buy Russian oil with impunity. The sanctions were never serious. 198 00:12:06,440 --> 00:12:10,440 Speaker 1: Trump has a singular priority, singular He has one objective 199 00:12:10,640 --> 00:12:13,800 Speaker 1: to end the war, whatever it takes. Now you may 200 00:12:13,960 --> 00:12:17,679 Speaker 1: disagreed or agree or disagree with that. I'm just again 201 00:12:17,760 --> 00:12:20,880 Speaker 1: pointing out the reality. I'm not trying to take a 202 00:12:20,920 --> 00:12:24,520 Speaker 1: side here, I'm just pointing out the reality. Trump's singular 203 00:12:24,559 --> 00:12:28,080 Speaker 1: priority is to simply end the war. But I think 204 00:12:28,080 --> 00:12:32,560 Speaker 1: he has two major advantage advantages in his favor in 205 00:12:32,600 --> 00:12:35,400 Speaker 1: his attempt to end the war. One is Ukraine and 206 00:12:35,480 --> 00:12:40,240 Speaker 1: Europe's military dependence on US American taxpayers, and the other 207 00:12:40,480 --> 00:12:44,360 Speaker 1: is our the United States unique status as the only 208 00:12:44,440 --> 00:12:48,760 Speaker 1: influential Western power that has direct diplomatic channels with Moscow. 209 00:12:49,600 --> 00:12:53,440 Speaker 1: So the Europeans really did commit a huge strategic blunder 210 00:12:53,720 --> 00:12:57,360 Speaker 1: when they simultaneously ended their conversations with Vladimir Putin and 211 00:12:57,400 --> 00:13:01,960 Speaker 1: so Trump's twenty eight point plan Negotia by Steve Witkoff 212 00:13:02,040 --> 00:13:07,360 Speaker 1: with his counterpart in Russia Kuril Dmitri Dmitriev and Middle 213 00:13:07,480 --> 00:13:09,280 Speaker 1: It does have the feel of a kind of a 214 00:13:09,360 --> 00:13:12,719 Speaker 1: work in progress, if you will. The leaked version was 215 00:13:12,760 --> 00:13:16,079 Speaker 1: written in Russian, did you know that? And when translated 216 00:13:16,120 --> 00:13:20,040 Speaker 1: into English it really is clumsy sounding. It's detailed, but 217 00:13:20,040 --> 00:13:22,160 Speaker 1: it by no means what I would consider to be 218 00:13:22,200 --> 00:13:25,439 Speaker 1: a formally agreed to text. It sounds to me like 219 00:13:25,600 --> 00:13:28,280 Speaker 1: if somebody that was taking notes kept notes of what 220 00:13:28,360 --> 00:13:31,200 Speaker 1: the two sides were talking about and made some bullet 221 00:13:31,200 --> 00:13:33,520 Speaker 1: points and put it into bullet points, and that's what 222 00:13:33,679 --> 00:13:37,240 Speaker 1: gets leaked to telegram. There are, though, I think, some 223 00:13:37,400 --> 00:13:41,599 Speaker 1: non negotiable elements that in that list of notes or 224 00:13:41,640 --> 00:13:46,120 Speaker 1: bullet points. One is the territorial agreement, which would give 225 00:13:46,200 --> 00:13:49,240 Speaker 1: Russia a part of Ukraine that it does not yet occupy. 226 00:13:50,320 --> 00:13:54,679 Speaker 1: Russia already holds most almost ninety percent, give or take 227 00:13:54,720 --> 00:13:58,680 Speaker 1: almost ninety percent of the entire Dombass region, all of 228 00:13:58,760 --> 00:14:02,720 Speaker 1: Luhaansk and Rufa three quarters of the Duneks. So Trump's 229 00:14:02,720 --> 00:14:07,760 Speaker 1: Peacepan peace plan would hand Russia the remaining territory of Dunetsk, 230 00:14:08,120 --> 00:14:11,280 Speaker 1: along with two hundred thousand Ukrainians who are still resident 231 00:14:11,360 --> 00:14:15,280 Speaker 1: in that Ukrainian controlled parts of that particular oblast, and 232 00:14:15,360 --> 00:14:19,960 Speaker 1: oblast is like a state a province. Under the plan, 233 00:14:20,360 --> 00:14:24,520 Speaker 1: the territory would be demilitarized and become part of what 234 00:14:24,560 --> 00:14:27,040 Speaker 1: I guess would be just like a DMZ or a 235 00:14:27,080 --> 00:14:31,720 Speaker 1: buffer zone. I think Trump's team accepted this because they 236 00:14:31,800 --> 00:14:36,480 Speaker 1: concluded correctly in my view, that without it there would 237 00:14:36,480 --> 00:14:39,880 Speaker 1: be no deal whatsoever. Putin is not going to give 238 00:14:40,000 --> 00:14:43,359 Speaker 1: up that which he has occupied, and so the negotiating 239 00:14:43,760 --> 00:14:46,640 Speaker 1: the negotiable part is that part that they're fighting over 240 00:14:46,680 --> 00:14:49,360 Speaker 1: with which he does not have complete controller or have 241 00:14:49,480 --> 00:14:53,120 Speaker 1: an occupation. So Putin would have had continued to fight 242 00:14:53,400 --> 00:14:57,440 Speaker 1: and eventually captured more territory. Russia has been making advances, 243 00:14:57,560 --> 00:14:59,640 Speaker 1: albeit like you know, maybe one hundred yards a week 244 00:14:59,720 --> 00:15:03,680 Speaker 1: or something. At best. It did manage to occupy the 245 00:15:03,760 --> 00:15:06,920 Speaker 1: vital front line town of puck Rofs. It could take 246 00:15:06,960 --> 00:15:08,880 Speaker 1: another year for Russia to capture the remainder of the 247 00:15:08,960 --> 00:15:13,760 Speaker 1: Dumask before it went for the big prize. Zapyrzi, I 248 00:15:13,760 --> 00:15:17,800 Speaker 1: can ever can pronounce this Zaparizia. That's the city. I 249 00:15:17,880 --> 00:15:21,240 Speaker 1: think it's about seven hundred and fifty thousand citizens and 250 00:15:21,320 --> 00:15:23,280 Speaker 1: the capital of the region that bears the same name. 251 00:15:24,240 --> 00:15:29,080 Speaker 1: At that point, Ukraine's future independence I don't think it 252 00:15:29,240 --> 00:15:33,000 Speaker 1: any longer be assured. So this is it's kind of 253 00:15:33,080 --> 00:15:36,720 Speaker 1: like you've been operating on a long term plan going 254 00:15:36,720 --> 00:15:38,680 Speaker 1: all the way back from the very beginning when the 255 00:15:39,080 --> 00:15:43,080 Speaker 1: invasion first happened. Although the Biden administration really didn't do anything. 256 00:15:43,560 --> 00:15:46,720 Speaker 1: Trump comes in. Trump was thinking about it before before 257 00:15:46,720 --> 00:15:49,920 Speaker 1: he took office, you know, the transition team was, and 258 00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:53,240 Speaker 1: so now they've come up with Steve Whitkoff and his 259 00:15:53,280 --> 00:15:58,400 Speaker 1: Russian counterpart have come up with these bullet points, and 260 00:15:58,800 --> 00:16:02,680 Speaker 1: it's more than we've ever had before. But you know 261 00:16:02,720 --> 00:16:07,600 Speaker 1: what I think it does in a nutshell, I think 262 00:16:07,640 --> 00:16:14,680 Speaker 1: it simply calls Europe's bluff because the bureaucrats that run 263 00:16:14,720 --> 00:16:17,680 Speaker 1: the EU, and for that matter, the bureaucrats in NATO, 264 00:16:18,480 --> 00:16:27,520 Speaker 1: have no other alternative. Yet. I'm going to remind you 265 00:16:27,560 --> 00:16:31,040 Speaker 1: that if you're sending me text messages the numbers three 266 00:16:31,160 --> 00:16:34,120 Speaker 1: three one zero three, it is not whatever that other 267 00:16:34,240 --> 00:16:37,680 Speaker 1: number is. It is three three one zero three. So 268 00:16:37,720 --> 00:16:40,760 Speaker 1: if you want me to read something that you are sending, 269 00:16:41,240 --> 00:16:43,120 Speaker 1: I don't read it if you send it the other number. 270 00:16:43,640 --> 00:16:48,360 Speaker 1: So we're talking about this twenty eight point plan or 271 00:16:48,400 --> 00:16:50,520 Speaker 1: twenty six or twenty nine, depending on how you read 272 00:16:50,520 --> 00:16:55,000 Speaker 1: the points that got leaked last week, to which George 273 00:16:55,040 --> 00:16:59,080 Speaker 1: Bush's response was, or at least his staff's response was, Hey, 274 00:16:59,080 --> 00:17:01,800 Speaker 1: should just simply be at one point, Russia get out 275 00:17:01,800 --> 00:17:05,919 Speaker 1: of Ukraine. And I thought, one, that's stupid, naive and 276 00:17:05,960 --> 00:17:08,600 Speaker 1: it doesn't deal with reality, and it just pissed me 277 00:17:08,680 --> 00:17:12,320 Speaker 1: off because Trump's trying to be serious about trying to 278 00:17:12,880 --> 00:17:16,120 Speaker 1: get this war to an end. That is his singular 279 00:17:16,200 --> 00:17:20,400 Speaker 1: objective is to end the war. And when you go 280 00:17:20,480 --> 00:17:22,560 Speaker 1: through all of it, there are certain things that you 281 00:17:22,840 --> 00:17:26,280 Speaker 1: recognize that I think some things are probably non negotiable, 282 00:17:26,320 --> 00:17:29,720 Speaker 1: some things are negotiable. Actually, I think everything in the 283 00:17:29,720 --> 00:17:33,879 Speaker 1: world is negotiable, depending on all the other things that 284 00:17:33,960 --> 00:17:37,000 Speaker 1: you have in a package that you're negotiating. And of 285 00:17:37,000 --> 00:17:38,840 Speaker 1: course the Lensky has already come out and you know, 286 00:17:39,160 --> 00:17:41,840 Speaker 1: and to cried this, and of course the Europeans have too. 287 00:17:42,400 --> 00:17:44,919 Speaker 1: Now what I find fascinating about the Europeans decrying this 288 00:17:45,040 --> 00:17:48,120 Speaker 1: attempt to at least get the conversation going, is that 289 00:17:49,359 --> 00:17:54,840 Speaker 1: I think it exposes just how bad Europe is in 290 00:17:54,960 --> 00:17:59,600 Speaker 1: terms of its economy, its military strength, and it's it's 291 00:17:59,720 --> 00:18:03,480 Speaker 1: ability to stand on its own and not be able 292 00:18:03,560 --> 00:18:07,840 Speaker 1: to survive without our support. They have become. I mean, 293 00:18:07,840 --> 00:18:11,800 Speaker 1: it's like we're the crack dealer and they're the crackheads, 294 00:18:12,240 --> 00:18:15,560 Speaker 1: and they need us because they're too busy running around 295 00:18:15,720 --> 00:18:18,640 Speaker 1: with all the mass migration, letting all these people come 296 00:18:18,680 --> 00:18:22,199 Speaker 1: in get onto their social welfare system, and they're at 297 00:18:22,240 --> 00:18:25,480 Speaker 1: the same time detegrating their own military, doing all the 298 00:18:25,520 --> 00:18:28,000 Speaker 1: Green New Deal crap. They're doing all of these things 299 00:18:28,160 --> 00:18:31,480 Speaker 1: to destroy them, expecting that we will come and save them. 300 00:18:31,600 --> 00:18:34,840 Speaker 1: It's just like we did in World War Two. Well, 301 00:18:34,920 --> 00:18:38,760 Speaker 1: sucks to be you, Europe, because that was then and 302 00:18:38,800 --> 00:18:42,680 Speaker 1: this is now now. I would point out that I've 303 00:18:43,160 --> 00:18:47,200 Speaker 1: in one of the points for these de militarized zones, 304 00:18:47,840 --> 00:18:51,000 Speaker 1: that part of the security guarantees for those security for 305 00:18:51,080 --> 00:18:56,200 Speaker 1: those de militarized zones. That guess what Trump's doing. Trump's 306 00:18:56,240 --> 00:19:01,119 Speaker 1: looking to Europe. You keep saying, although you're contribution to 307 00:19:01,200 --> 00:19:05,639 Speaker 1: the fight in Ukraine went from tens of billions of 308 00:19:05,640 --> 00:19:08,920 Speaker 1: euros down to less than a billion dollars than euros 309 00:19:09,000 --> 00:19:12,920 Speaker 1: this past year. Is that if you want security guarantees, 310 00:19:13,600 --> 00:19:16,880 Speaker 1: and you claim that you do, and they do, don't 311 00:19:16,880 --> 00:19:19,119 Speaker 1: get me wrong. I do believe that there have to 312 00:19:19,160 --> 00:19:23,840 Speaker 1: be security guarantees to keep Russia from saying, okay, we'll 313 00:19:23,880 --> 00:19:27,000 Speaker 1: agree to this now, and then two years, three years, 314 00:19:27,000 --> 00:19:29,840 Speaker 1: five years, ten years down the road, we will just 315 00:19:29,880 --> 00:19:33,440 Speaker 1: go invade again. Once we get another Biden elected as president, 316 00:19:33,640 --> 00:19:36,960 Speaker 1: We'll just invade and go ahead and move into Kiev. Well, 317 00:19:37,000 --> 00:19:41,200 Speaker 1: I think the security guarantees would prohibit that. Whose best 318 00:19:41,240 --> 00:19:44,560 Speaker 1: interest is it that there'll be security guarantees to keep 319 00:19:44,560 --> 00:19:49,880 Speaker 1: the de militarized zones truly demilitarized. Well, some people might 320 00:19:49,920 --> 00:19:53,120 Speaker 1: say US troops. Well, I'm against US troops doing that. 321 00:19:53,640 --> 00:19:56,400 Speaker 1: How about we do something like we have with the DMZ. 322 00:19:56,640 --> 00:19:59,119 Speaker 1: I know we've got DMZ, we have American troops that 323 00:19:59,280 --> 00:20:02,560 Speaker 1: DMZ and se South Korea, and we have for decades now. 324 00:20:03,080 --> 00:20:07,800 Speaker 1: But we could create a similar DMZ that would put oh, 325 00:20:08,240 --> 00:20:12,120 Speaker 1: EU troops in there. Yes, Europe, you want to do something, 326 00:20:12,359 --> 00:20:14,200 Speaker 1: you want to show your commitment. You want to make 327 00:20:14,240 --> 00:20:19,600 Speaker 1: sure that that Russia doesn't invade Poland again doesn't invade Moldova. 328 00:20:19,960 --> 00:20:25,760 Speaker 1: Then put some troops on the ground. Trump's team I 329 00:20:25,800 --> 00:20:31,440 Speaker 1: think accepted this these bullet points because I think they 330 00:20:31,440 --> 00:20:35,560 Speaker 1: concluded correctly my view that without it there would be 331 00:20:35,600 --> 00:20:39,760 Speaker 1: no deal whatsoever. Putin would have and would continue to fight. 332 00:20:40,320 --> 00:20:44,760 Speaker 1: He would eventually capture more territory. Russia has been making advances, although, 333 00:20:44,760 --> 00:20:47,240 Speaker 1: as I said in the last segment, very little, maybe 334 00:20:47,280 --> 00:20:50,399 Speaker 1: one hundred yards here or there. It did manage to 335 00:20:50,400 --> 00:20:56,720 Speaker 1: occupy some of the front line towns Vaporiziesia. They're still 336 00:20:56,720 --> 00:21:01,320 Speaker 1: going after seven hundred thousand or more citizens there, the 337 00:21:01,359 --> 00:21:04,479 Speaker 1: capital of the region that bears the same name, and 338 00:21:04,520 --> 00:21:08,320 Speaker 1: if they were able to do that, Ukraine's the entirety 339 00:21:08,320 --> 00:21:12,360 Speaker 1: of Ukraine's future and their independence would no longer be assured. 340 00:21:13,880 --> 00:21:15,880 Speaker 1: So I don't think the peace deal is as one 341 00:21:15,960 --> 00:21:19,000 Speaker 1: sided as everybody keeps claiming it is over the weekend. 342 00:21:19,359 --> 00:21:22,840 Speaker 1: It does recognize the sovereignty of Ukraine. It does give 343 00:21:22,880 --> 00:21:27,239 Speaker 1: it a right to join the EU. Not NATO, but 344 00:21:27,280 --> 00:21:32,400 Speaker 1: the EU. That's probably a distinction that I need to emphasize, 345 00:21:33,040 --> 00:21:38,760 Speaker 1: because there's nothing about the EU. If the European Union 346 00:21:39,240 --> 00:21:43,120 Speaker 1: wanted to invite Ukraine to become part of that conglomerate, 347 00:21:43,440 --> 00:21:47,480 Speaker 1: they could do so. But it does prohibit Ukraine from 348 00:21:47,520 --> 00:21:51,760 Speaker 1: becoming a member of NATO. It caps its military, the 349 00:21:51,880 --> 00:21:55,760 Speaker 1: Ukrainian militariat six hundred thousand troops versus their current nine 350 00:21:55,840 --> 00:21:58,520 Speaker 1: hundred thousand, so are reduction of about thirty percent. Is 351 00:21:58,520 --> 00:22:02,320 Speaker 1: that reasonable? I don't know. Seems reasonable, particularly if you 352 00:22:02,400 --> 00:22:06,399 Speaker 1: have troops in there, because it does not it does 353 00:22:06,560 --> 00:22:13,160 Speaker 1: not restrict NATO countries from becoming part of that security guarantee. 354 00:22:13,280 --> 00:22:18,200 Speaker 1: Now NATO can't provide certain long range missiles, certain weapons, 355 00:22:18,840 --> 00:22:23,520 Speaker 1: but you know that seems reasonable to me too, as 356 00:22:23,600 --> 00:22:29,679 Speaker 1: long as there are the security guarantees. But you know, 357 00:22:29,800 --> 00:22:35,760 Speaker 1: you know the real about butts, right. This number fourteen 358 00:22:35,920 --> 00:22:39,400 Speaker 1: in the twenty eight points suggests the investing of one 359 00:22:39,480 --> 00:22:45,400 Speaker 1: hundred billion dollars of Russia's frozen assets in the reconstruction 360 00:22:45,480 --> 00:22:50,320 Speaker 1: of Ukraine, with the United States United States taking fifty 361 00:22:50,359 --> 00:22:53,320 Speaker 1: percent of the profits from that. Now, I think that's 362 00:22:53,359 --> 00:22:57,560 Speaker 1: classic Trump playing commercial games which are beyond the imagination 363 00:22:57,680 --> 00:23:01,359 Speaker 1: of the stupid European diplomats. And in addition to that, 364 00:23:01,440 --> 00:23:05,200 Speaker 1: europe would be obliged to pay about one hundred billion 365 00:23:05,240 --> 00:23:08,720 Speaker 1: dollars of assistance from their own pockets, and there would 366 00:23:08,800 --> 00:23:12,160 Speaker 1: be created a US Russian Investment Fund to finance joint 367 00:23:12,200 --> 00:23:15,560 Speaker 1: American Russian projects, with the profits being shared from those. 368 00:23:16,600 --> 00:23:20,439 Speaker 1: Now that's kind of a curveball because you're actually taking 369 00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:26,119 Speaker 1: sovereign money being held frozen by European countries and saying 370 00:23:26,119 --> 00:23:28,199 Speaker 1: to Russia it's like, likes to be you, but we're 371 00:23:28,240 --> 00:23:29,720 Speaker 1: gonna take your money and we're going to spend that 372 00:23:29,760 --> 00:23:33,959 Speaker 1: in rebuilding the territory that you've destroyed. I think it's 373 00:23:34,000 --> 00:23:36,720 Speaker 1: a good I think it's a good trade off. But 374 00:23:36,800 --> 00:23:39,080 Speaker 1: it's the first time that kind of thing's been done. 375 00:23:40,200 --> 00:23:44,240 Speaker 1: I think Most importantly, it forces Europe to unfreeze two 376 00:23:44,359 --> 00:23:48,640 Speaker 1: hundred billion dollars in Russian assets currently held in European accounts, 377 00:23:48,680 --> 00:23:53,000 Speaker 1: mostly held in Belgium. That's a pretty bitter pill. Europe 378 00:23:53,000 --> 00:23:55,439 Speaker 1: had hoped it could use the Russian money as collateral 379 00:23:55,760 --> 00:24:00,000 Speaker 1: for Ukrainian loans. Trump has no authority to force Europe 380 00:24:00,080 --> 00:24:03,879 Speaker 1: to release the funds and members of that you have 381 00:24:03,920 --> 00:24:08,600 Speaker 1: already said no. But Trump could make life difficult if 382 00:24:08,600 --> 00:24:12,800 Speaker 1: it refuses to do so. Europe's only semi coherent strategy 383 00:24:12,840 --> 00:24:18,280 Speaker 1: regarding Ukraine has been to withhold those assets, those Russian assets, 384 00:24:18,880 --> 00:24:22,760 Speaker 1: as leverage for future reparations. Well, that's a plan built 385 00:24:22,760 --> 00:24:24,920 Speaker 1: on the fiction that Ukraine is going to win the war. 386 00:24:25,480 --> 00:24:27,399 Speaker 1: I don't know whether that's true or not. But if 387 00:24:27,480 --> 00:24:30,480 Speaker 1: Russia and Ukraine end up agreeing to a deal, then 388 00:24:30,520 --> 00:24:34,240 Speaker 1: that scheme would be rendered unworkable, since it would be 389 00:24:34,240 --> 00:24:37,280 Speaker 1: a tool with which the Europeans could sabotage the deal. 390 00:24:37,480 --> 00:24:41,000 Speaker 1: And I just simply don't trust the Europeans. There's another 391 00:24:41,040 --> 00:24:43,920 Speaker 1: redline in this piece deal too, and that's the gradual 392 00:24:43,960 --> 00:24:47,159 Speaker 1: lifting of sanctions. You know, if you readmit Russia to 393 00:24:47,200 --> 00:24:50,720 Speaker 1: the Group of Seven, the Advanced industrial nations of the world, 394 00:24:51,000 --> 00:24:52,920 Speaker 1: making it the G eight instead of the G seven. 395 00:24:53,000 --> 00:24:57,120 Speaker 1: Once again, that may not be acceptable to the Europeans. 396 00:24:58,080 --> 00:25:00,960 Speaker 1: Russia was expelled in two thousand and fourt after the 397 00:25:01,080 --> 00:25:07,080 Speaker 1: annexed crime CRIMEA, so a revived E eight would effectively 398 00:25:07,119 --> 00:25:11,240 Speaker 1: be ruled by Trump and putin. So no surprise then 399 00:25:11,400 --> 00:25:14,479 Speaker 1: that we're out, that we are where we are, and 400 00:25:14,560 --> 00:25:20,560 Speaker 1: I think that it is that we have called Europe's bluff. Now, 401 00:25:20,760 --> 00:25:24,520 Speaker 1: Ukraine made some positive noise about the deal. I'll tell 402 00:25:24,520 --> 00:25:31,520 Speaker 1: you what those are. Next to jan you. We're talking 403 00:25:31,520 --> 00:25:35,119 Speaker 1: about this twenty eight point deal to bring the Ukraine 404 00:25:35,160 --> 00:25:38,159 Speaker 1: Russian war to an end. And I think people have 405 00:25:38,240 --> 00:25:41,280 Speaker 1: been The histronics around this thing have been really kind 406 00:25:41,280 --> 00:25:46,040 Speaker 1: of lopsided because no matter which side of this issue 407 00:25:46,080 --> 00:25:49,119 Speaker 1: you fall down on, I shouldn't put it that way. 408 00:25:49,480 --> 00:25:51,960 Speaker 1: I think many people, regardless of which side of the 409 00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:56,360 Speaker 1: issue they fall down on, make one fatal error, and 410 00:25:56,400 --> 00:26:01,960 Speaker 1: that is recognizing the military reality on the girl because 411 00:26:02,440 --> 00:26:06,439 Speaker 1: you can't, as George Bush's staffers want to say, just 412 00:26:06,720 --> 00:26:11,440 Speaker 1: tell Russia to pull out? How that work? When Joe 413 00:26:11,440 --> 00:26:17,440 Speaker 1: Biden said, don't what we should just told? Sadden was saying, 414 00:26:17,880 --> 00:26:23,560 Speaker 1: don't leave. I mean, it was just so naive of 415 00:26:23,600 --> 00:26:26,440 Speaker 1: Bush's staff to say that. It really pissed me off, 416 00:26:27,160 --> 00:26:30,280 Speaker 1: because we need to bring this to an end. It 417 00:26:30,440 --> 00:26:34,399 Speaker 1: is a humanitarian crisis, it is a political crisis, and 418 00:26:34,480 --> 00:26:37,560 Speaker 1: quite frankly, it's a crisis for our national security and 419 00:26:37,600 --> 00:26:42,040 Speaker 1: security of Europe. And I think the domestic attitudes in Europe, 420 00:26:42,080 --> 00:26:44,600 Speaker 1: I mean in Ukraine are shifting just as much as 421 00:26:44,640 --> 00:26:49,879 Speaker 1: I think attitudes are in this country. A woman by 422 00:26:49,920 --> 00:26:55,320 Speaker 1: the name of Ms mendal Iluyah something Mendale. She's Selensky's 423 00:26:55,359 --> 00:26:58,880 Speaker 1: former press secretary. She's a really staunch defender of Ukraine. 424 00:26:58,680 --> 00:27:02,639 Speaker 1: She is a she is Ukrainian through and through. She 425 00:27:02,760 --> 00:27:06,159 Speaker 1: tweeted this out over the weekend, quote, my country is 426 00:27:06,200 --> 00:27:11,480 Speaker 1: bleeding out. Many who reflexively oppose every peace proposal believe 427 00:27:11,520 --> 00:27:14,680 Speaker 1: that they are defending Ukraine. But with all due respect, 428 00:27:15,080 --> 00:27:18,280 Speaker 1: that is the clearest proof they have no idea what 429 00:27:18,440 --> 00:27:21,000 Speaker 1: is actually happening on the front lines and inside the 430 00:27:21,000 --> 00:27:25,880 Speaker 1: country right now. I think she's absolutely right. She's right 431 00:27:25,920 --> 00:27:30,040 Speaker 1: in her observation that the loudest supporters of Ukraine in Europe, 432 00:27:30,119 --> 00:27:32,240 Speaker 1: and I think to some degree in this country, are 433 00:27:32,240 --> 00:27:35,600 Speaker 1: those that have no basic understanding whatsoever of the military 434 00:27:35,680 --> 00:27:39,439 Speaker 1: reality of what's going on on the ground. So are 435 00:27:39,440 --> 00:27:42,240 Speaker 1: the Europeans going to encourage the Lisky to keep on fighting. 436 00:27:42,560 --> 00:27:45,720 Speaker 1: I'm sure they will, but I don't think they will succeed, 437 00:27:46,480 --> 00:27:52,040 Speaker 1: and then ultimately they'll back down too. If Ukraine were 438 00:27:52,080 --> 00:27:55,840 Speaker 1: to reject this deal outright, I think Trump would probably 439 00:27:55,840 --> 00:28:01,320 Speaker 1: formally disconnect his remaining military aid and is Intel supports Ukraine, 440 00:28:01,600 --> 00:28:04,880 Speaker 1: and the country has to have that because that's its 441 00:28:04,920 --> 00:28:08,280 Speaker 1: early warning system for all the incoming attacks, as well 442 00:28:08,280 --> 00:28:13,720 Speaker 1: as guiding its own strikes on Russian infrastructure. And Trump 443 00:28:13,720 --> 00:28:19,640 Speaker 1: could go even further and renounce US responsibility for europe security. Oh, Michaely, 444 00:28:19,680 --> 00:28:24,040 Speaker 1: never do that, really, huh, Because he imposed the tariffs 445 00:28:24,080 --> 00:28:26,440 Speaker 1: on Europe and everybody said, oh, no, you can't do that, 446 00:28:26,600 --> 00:28:29,639 Speaker 1: And while Europe do, they rolled over, rolled over like 447 00:28:29,640 --> 00:28:31,520 Speaker 1: a dead cat. Okay, all right, well you give up. 448 00:28:32,600 --> 00:28:34,919 Speaker 1: I think that's the same game that he's playing here. 449 00:28:35,560 --> 00:28:37,960 Speaker 1: I think it's exactly the same game that he's playing. 450 00:28:39,040 --> 00:28:42,320 Speaker 1: And people like George W. Bush are completely missing the point. 451 00:28:42,600 --> 00:28:44,680 Speaker 1: And I think just because they're so infected with Trump 452 00:28:44,760 --> 00:28:48,720 Speaker 1: derangement syndrome, and I think they're refusing to recognize that. 453 00:28:48,800 --> 00:28:53,440 Speaker 1: I think most Americans, while we support Ukraine, don't want 454 00:28:53,480 --> 00:28:58,280 Speaker 1: troops on the ground. Who is most responsible for their 455 00:28:58,400 --> 00:29:03,520 Speaker 1: own defense when it comes to Europe, it is Europe. 456 00:29:04,000 --> 00:29:08,400 Speaker 1: But Europe has squandered its defense industry, Europe has squandered 457 00:29:08,440 --> 00:29:12,840 Speaker 1: its own culture. Europe has absolutely screwed the pooch. And 458 00:29:13,000 --> 00:29:16,239 Speaker 1: I think that Trump recognizes that, and they're like, Okay, well, 459 00:29:16,240 --> 00:29:19,440 Speaker 1: if you're so adamant that you need Ukraine as a buffer, 460 00:29:19,480 --> 00:29:22,160 Speaker 1: which I do believe they do need Ukraine as a 461 00:29:22,160 --> 00:29:27,680 Speaker 1: buffer from further Russian aggression, then here's my deal. Take it, 462 00:29:27,800 --> 00:29:29,560 Speaker 1: talk about it, figure out what you want to do. 463 00:29:31,760 --> 00:29:36,120 Speaker 1: Sometimes you've got a fish or cut nat and I 464 00:29:36,120 --> 00:29:39,760 Speaker 1: think that's exactly what's happening here. You know, I would 465 00:29:39,760 --> 00:29:45,560 Speaker 1: ask you serious question. If the answer is to tell 466 00:29:45,680 --> 00:29:49,680 Speaker 1: Russia to just pull out, to get out of Ukraine, 467 00:29:50,360 --> 00:29:53,640 Speaker 1: how would you enforce that? How would you make that happen? 468 00:29:54,320 --> 00:29:57,040 Speaker 1: For everybody who screams and yells at me and they 469 00:29:57,040 --> 00:29:59,480 Speaker 1: don't understand that, I have got a much more nuanced 470 00:29:59,760 --> 00:30:03,080 Speaker 1: pen about the Russian Ukraine War than most people because 471 00:30:03,120 --> 00:30:06,000 Speaker 1: I recognize one the reality on the ground to the 472 00:30:06,080 --> 00:30:10,240 Speaker 1: geopolitical reality of we've got Russia, and I understand what's 473 00:30:10,240 --> 00:30:13,600 Speaker 1: going on inside Russia too, I understand what's going on 474 00:30:13,640 --> 00:30:17,040 Speaker 1: in Ukraine. This is a no win situation for everyone, 475 00:30:17,880 --> 00:30:20,320 Speaker 1: and the only way that I see that you could 476 00:30:20,400 --> 00:30:24,800 Speaker 1: actually bring it to an end would be for American 477 00:30:24,840 --> 00:30:29,080 Speaker 1: troops on the ground. I don't want that, and I 478 00:30:29,080 --> 00:30:32,320 Speaker 1: don't think you want that, because that puts US in 479 00:30:32,400 --> 00:30:38,840 Speaker 1: a direct kinetic war with the Russians, and then that 480 00:30:38,880 --> 00:30:42,080 Speaker 1: will spill over into Poland, that will spill over into Moldova, 481 00:30:42,200 --> 00:30:45,720 Speaker 1: that will spill over into Germany, and it'll be Czechoslovakia 482 00:30:45,800 --> 00:30:49,640 Speaker 1: nineteen forty four all over again, and then we're facing 483 00:30:49,680 --> 00:30:53,480 Speaker 1: another World War. So I think Trump understands the long game, 484 00:30:53,840 --> 00:30:57,320 Speaker 1: and I think he understands where Europe is. He understands 485 00:30:57,360 --> 00:31:00,320 Speaker 1: the status of all the people involved in these negotiations, 486 00:31:00,400 --> 00:31:02,240 Speaker 1: and what's he trying to do. He's trying to figure 487 00:31:02,280 --> 00:31:04,800 Speaker 1: out a way to make sure that we least talk 488 00:31:05,440 --> 00:31:08,440 Speaker 1: and the era step up and do their part.