Ukrainian soldiers setting up communications

A stark new reality for Ukraine as it fights for its life: Trump’s drive to defray the politically ruinous energy costs of his war in Iran is making it harder and more dangerous for Ukraine to win its own.
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In a 2019 phone call, the president used the prospect of military aid to try to pressure Zelensky into opening an investigation into Joe Biden and his son Hunter. The move led to Trump’s first impeachment.

Ukraine’s latest entanglement in US politics is fueling concerns in Washington and Europe that the president is not just prioritizing his own political needs but is now taking a series of steps to actively help Putin.
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Amid a furious backlash, including among many Republicans, Trump announced a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine covering energy installations—but later signaled that he hadn’t informed the mystified combatants about it beforehand.

Ukraine observed the pseudo-truce, only for Russia to launch devastating air and drone strikes against its energy plants that left 600,000 people in the dark. On Tuesday, Zelensky said his government had not received its usual early warning from the US before a Russian ballistic missile attack hit a major power plant in Kyiv and damaged a residential building.

The showdown with Washington left Ukraine especially embittered because it came against a backdrop of relentless missile attacks on civilians that drew no significant US condemnation.
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A residential building in Kyiv after a Russian strike

Ukrainian generals were shocked by the limits on the Starshield system, which is owned and controlled not by Musk but by the US government.

The restrictions effectively limited the speed of Ukrainian military hardware, including drones, and reduced the military’s capacity to communicate and to operate war planes and helicopters. These curbs amounted to a significant military advantage to Russia’s forces on the battlefield.
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The Starshield episode followed recent moves and rhetoric by Trump that have dismayed allies who believe the only path to ending the war lies in pressuring Putin — who launched an illegal invasion of Ukraine in 2022 in a bid to crush the former Soviet republic’s sovereignty.
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Trump’s US critics argue that the diesel deal is just the latest example of his habit of appeasing Putin, since it will do little to lower prices before the midterm elections. But if followed through in its entirety, the agreement will inject billions of dollars into the Russian economy after years of international sanctions and will likely be used to bolster the Russian war machine.
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As a strategic matter, the diesel deal is especially puzzling because, as CNN reported in March, Russia provided Iran with intelligence about the locations of US ships, aircraft and personnel earlier in the war. It also comes as Russia is accused of sabotage and harassment operations against US NATO allies. The head of MI5, Britain’s domestic intelligence service, this week warned Moscow had become “aggressor number one” and was conducting a campaign of hybrid warfare against the United Kingdom and its allies.
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Tom Keatinge, director of the Center for Finance and Security at the Royal United Services Institute in London, told CNN International on Thursday: “Donald Trump (80) is putting his electoral position ahead of the security, the safety, the lives of Ukrainian people, and this should not be lost on viewers and on policymakers on both sides of the Atlantic.”

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/10/16/polit...a-starlink

CNN. Kewl.

Screw Ukraine. Our former POTUS practically jerked their dear leader off in public, and for what? What did alllll those billions buy?

Fox reporting the problem has already been resolved.

(10-17-2026 07:44 AM)TripleA Wrote:  Fox reporting the problem has already been resolved.

And Gitanole won't care because it doesn't fit the leftist narrative he/she pushes.

I’d like for Russia to end its war on Ukraine, and I’d like for Iran to be free from the control of the ayatollahs and the IRGC.

I believe the world can have both of those things at the same time. But if I have to choose one and let the other one drop, yes I would give priority to Iran every time.

Zelensky will not let this war end... When it does he will be forced to have elections. He will prosecuted for stealing from the country, like his predecessors were.
Or he will have to become a dictator

"A stark new reality for Ukraine as it fights for its life: Trump’s drive to defray the politically ruinous energy costs of his war in Iran is making it harder and more dangerous for Ukraine to win its own.
...." Cnn, I am not surprised...lol

"...of his war". Who was in office when the war started? Who gave permission for Russia to take a "little bit"? Man, no wonder some people are so screwed up, by some people I mean Demonicrats.

Why hasn't the French army used to quell these riots? Are they still in hiding with white flags in their hands, it's time to tell them that WW Eleven is over, they can come out now.

Direct US security concerns trump any other concern. Iran's nuclear program is a direct threat to the existence of the US. The outcome in Ukraine is of interest to the US---but it is of lesser concern than stopping Iran from having a nuke. While I dont agree with many of the moves Trump has made in Ukraine---direct military threats to US security SHOULD and MUST ALWAYS outrank all other potential uses when prioritizing the allocation of American military resources and defense production. As for Trumps handling of Ukraine, as Ive said before----he is swimming against a substantial tide of American public will. Being against a substantial majority of the American people on ANY issue is not a good place for a populist president to be in a mid-term year (or any other time frankly). To that end, I suspect the substantial negative public and congressional backlash to the deactivation of Starshield is why Starshield was inexplicably turned back on with nobody in the Administration able to explain who turned it off or why.

(10-17-2026 11:30 AM)Attackcoog Wrote:  Direct US security concerns trump any other concern. Iran's nuclear program is a direct threat to the existence of the US.

That's a little hyperbolic, isn't it? Direct threat to US lives for sure, but our existence? We could turn Iran into glass with less than 5% of our nuclear arsenal

(10-17-2026 11:32 AM)bobdizole Wrote:  

(10-17-2026 11:30 AM)Attackcoog Wrote:  Direct US security concerns trump any other concern. Iran's nuclear program is a direct threat to the existence of the US.

That's a little hyperbolic, isn't it? Direct threat to US lives for sure, but our existence? We could turn Iran into glass with less than 5% of our nuclear arsenal

lol---Well I'd say that depends completely on where one happens to be standing when that nuke goes off. Seriously though---I'd add that it wouldnt take all that many nuclear hits to destabilize the US to the point that its existence is actually threatened. Imagine what happens if Iran were to take out the US power grid with a high altitude EMP detonation. A Congressional report indicated that such a scenario could require more than a year to bring the grid back on line. The same report estimated a 90% population death rate due a year long total collapse of the nations critical supply chain. Furthermore, the ability to glass Iran doesnt have much deterrence power if the leaders of Iran actually believe dying for their cause is the ultimate "reward". Obviously, Iran cant hit us yet---but if left alone---they will eventually have the ability to place a nuclear armed missiles on the US mainland----and once they have that ability it will be too late to do anything about it. So, in this instance, I dont think it is hyperbole to say dealing with it sooner rather than later is the only real option when it comes to national security.

Deport yourself

Defence

As much as I say Ukraine has a right to defend itself regardless of who is running the country men who have assets have the right to fight against an invasion.

That being said, it is not our responsibility to ensure Ukraine has a tactical military at its disposal.

NATO better be taking notes because the days of American Taxpayers funding their security is over.

Put up or shut up 101

(10-17-2026 10:30 AM)olliebaba Wrote:  Why hasn't the French army used to quell these riots? Are they still in hiding with white flags in their hands, it's time to tell them that WW Eleven is over, they can come out now.

Meh-KRON attended a Celine Dion concert while his nation burns. Riots? Looting? Arson? C'est la vie!

Trump has impaired the brain of every leftist goofball.

We were giving the Ukraine globohomos hundreds of billions.
Called it day 1

Complete nonsense.

Frick Ukraine

(10-18-2026 10:46 PM)shere khan Wrote:  We were giving the Ukraine globohomos hundreds of billions.
Called it day 1

Complete nonsense.

Frick Ukraine

It’s filtering thru Ukraine anyway. We (the public) have no idea where most of it ends up.

Some is certainly being spent in Ukraine, some is definitely being stolen in Ukraine, yet a lot of the money and weapons will likely end up fueling movements that are against the US.

And then, it will be a rush to borrow money to counter this new threat. We will start sending money and weapons to God knows who that is claiming to be against the new threat. This will all magically spring up as Ukraine winds down.

Rinse, and repeat.