Ben Rhodes

You know, even any bits of the territory that they're currently occupying or trying to annex or returning children that they've kidnapped or paying any reparation like that's all gone. And all we're talking about is what does Ukraine need to give to Russia in terms of territory? And what do they need to give to the U.S. in terms of these bizarre mineral rights? Right.

You know, even any bits of the territory that they're currently occupying or trying to annex or returning children that they've kidnapped or paying any reparation like that's all gone. And all we're talking about is what does Ukraine need to give to Russia in terms of territory? And what do they need to give to the U.S. in terms of these bizarre mineral rights? Right.

You know, even any bits of the territory that they're currently occupying or trying to annex or returning children that they've kidnapped or paying any reparation like that's all gone. And all we're talking about is what does Ukraine need to give to Russia in terms of territory? And what do they need to give to the U.S. in terms of these bizarre mineral rights? Right.

And this was manifest, by the way, in that U.N. General Assembly vote where. the U.S. voted with Russia and North Korea and Belarus, even Cuban Iran abstained against Europe. And it's to be clear, the first time since 1945 that the U.S. has voted with Russia and against Europe on any U.N. resolution. That's that's where we're at right on this mineral deal.

And this was manifest, by the way, in that U.N. General Assembly vote where. the U.S. voted with Russia and North Korea and Belarus, even Cuban Iran abstained against Europe. And it's to be clear, the first time since 1945 that the U.S. has voted with Russia and against Europe on any U.N. resolution. That's that's where we're at right on this mineral deal.

And this was manifest, by the way, in that U.N. General Assembly vote where. the U.S. voted with Russia and North Korea and Belarus, even Cuban Iran abstained against Europe. And it's to be clear, the first time since 1945 that the U.S. has voted with Russia and against Europe on any U.N. resolution. That's that's where we're at right on this mineral deal.

It's truly baffling that we're spending this much time thinking and talking about something that is clearly manufactured bullshit. You know, Trump needs to feel like he extracted something from the Ukrainians because of the support we've given them. Not only is that ghoulish, we talked about that last week. It's not real. This idea that if the U.S.

It's truly baffling that we're spending this much time thinking and talking about something that is clearly manufactured bullshit. You know, Trump needs to feel like he extracted something from the Ukrainians because of the support we've given them. Not only is that ghoulish, we talked about that last week. It's not real. This idea that if the U.S.

It's truly baffling that we're spending this much time thinking and talking about something that is clearly manufactured bullshit. You know, Trump needs to feel like he extracted something from the Ukrainians because of the support we've given them. Not only is that ghoulish, we talked about that last week. It's not real. This idea that if the U.S.

has some mineral rights in Ukraine, that's tantamount to a security guarantee. So Russia won't invade. That makes no sense. It just is a way for Trump to claim that he won something at the negotiating table from the Ukrainians. Let's be clear, if Ukraine is swallowed up by Russia, that doesn't matter.

has some mineral rights in Ukraine, that's tantamount to a security guarantee. So Russia won't invade. That makes no sense. It just is a way for Trump to claim that he won something at the negotiating table from the Ukrainians. Let's be clear, if Ukraine is swallowed up by Russia, that doesn't matter.

has some mineral rights in Ukraine, that's tantamount to a security guarantee. So Russia won't invade. That makes no sense. It just is a way for Trump to claim that he won something at the negotiating table from the Ukrainians. Let's be clear, if Ukraine is swallowed up by Russia, that doesn't matter.

If Ukraine is a kind of de facto squeezed borderline failed state because Russia's kind of strangling them, it's not like it's gonna be some minerals bonanza. It's not even clear, Trump hasn't even specified why we need these minerals. It's just pure showmanship. And the fact that Putin wants in on this, he wants in on it because he would like nothing more than the U.S.

If Ukraine is a kind of de facto squeezed borderline failed state because Russia's kind of strangling them, it's not like it's gonna be some minerals bonanza. It's not even clear, Trump hasn't even specified why we need these minerals. It's just pure showmanship. And the fact that Putin wants in on this, he wants in on it because he would like nothing more than the U.S.

If Ukraine is a kind of de facto squeezed borderline failed state because Russia's kind of strangling them, it's not like it's gonna be some minerals bonanza. It's not even clear, Trump hasn't even specified why we need these minerals. It's just pure showmanship. And the fact that Putin wants in on this, he wants in on it because he would like nothing more than the U.S.

to say, oh, sure, we will extract natural resources and minerals from the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine. Because if the U.S. starts doing business in, like, Luhansk and Donetsk and Mariupol, that is not only recognizing the Russian occupation and annexation of those regions, that's kind of fully legitimizing, normalizing it. And, you know, suddenly we're doing business in those places.

to say, oh, sure, we will extract natural resources and minerals from the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine. Because if the U.S. starts doing business in, like, Luhansk and Donetsk and Mariupol, that is not only recognizing the Russian occupation and annexation of those regions, that's kind of fully legitimizing, normalizing it. And, you know, suddenly we're doing business in those places.

to say, oh, sure, we will extract natural resources and minerals from the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine. Because if the U.S. starts doing business in, like, Luhansk and Donetsk and Mariupol, that is not only recognizing the Russian occupation and annexation of those regions, that's kind of fully legitimizing, normalizing it. And, you know, suddenly we're doing business in those places.

So... I think Macron was trying his best and was worth the effort to just try to like moderate the U.S.

So... I think Macron was trying his best and was worth the effort to just try to like moderate the U.S.