Ben Rhodes

And that appears to be gone. You cannot overstate what a dramatic shift this is in the US position. It's absolutely absurd to think that you're negotiating the end of a war with only one of the parties of the war. The Ukrainians have lost tens of thousands of people, many more injured, many more displaced over the last three years.

And they were the ones invaded, and they don't get to be at the talks. And the Europeans are the ones that have been supplying the weapons with us in larger numbers, if you add up the total number of weapons.

And they were the ones invaded, and they don't get to be at the talks. And the Europeans are the ones that have been supplying the weapons with us in larger numbers, if you add up the total number of weapons.

And they were the ones invaded, and they don't get to be at the talks. And the Europeans are the ones that have been supplying the weapons with us in larger numbers, if you add up the total number of weapons.

So we're just essentially saying our allies, our friends and the people that were invaded are not allowed to participate in the peace talks that we're having with Russia that when you listen to the talks seem to also be about like oil and natural resources and Rubio's talking about China. It's absolutely an insane.

So we're just essentially saying our allies, our friends and the people that were invaded are not allowed to participate in the peace talks that we're having with Russia that when you listen to the talks seem to also be about like oil and natural resources and Rubio's talking about China. It's absolutely an insane.

So we're just essentially saying our allies, our friends and the people that were invaded are not allowed to participate in the peace talks that we're having with Russia that when you listen to the talks seem to also be about like oil and natural resources and Rubio's talking about China. It's absolutely an insane.

I mean, I would have expected some kind of talks, obviously, given what Trump said. But I actually would have assumed that the Ukrainians might be invited to the talks, you know. Right. So to cut them out.

I mean, I would have expected some kind of talks, obviously, given what Trump said. But I actually would have assumed that the Ukrainians might be invited to the talks, you know. Right. So to cut them out.

I mean, I would have expected some kind of talks, obviously, given what Trump said. But I actually would have assumed that the Ukrainians might be invited to the talks, you know. Right. So to cut them out.

For optics alone, to cut them out entirely is so extreme and so punitive to the Ukrainians who did nothing wrong here. They're the ones invaded that it's hard to even get your mind around that. That's the first thing.

For optics alone, to cut them out entirely is so extreme and so punitive to the Ukrainians who did nothing wrong here. They're the ones invaded that it's hard to even get your mind around that. That's the first thing.

For optics alone, to cut them out entirely is so extreme and so punitive to the Ukrainians who did nothing wrong here. They're the ones invaded that it's hard to even get your mind around that. That's the first thing.

I really don't want to go full 2017, Tommy, but the reality is that if you were sitting in the basement of the Kremlin like a year ago and you're like, what is the absolute best case scenario?

I really don't want to go full 2017, Tommy, but the reality is that if you were sitting in the basement of the Kremlin like a year ago and you're like, what is the absolute best case scenario?

I really don't want to go full 2017, Tommy, but the reality is that if you were sitting in the basement of the Kremlin like a year ago and you're like, what is the absolute best case scenario?

It would be a president of the United States echoing Russian misinformation that it's somehow Ukraine's fault that the war started, that they missed all these opportunities to avoid the war when they were just repeatedly invaded. And what sovereign country is going to say, we're going to preemptively give up a bunch of territory to stop you from invading us? It makes no sense.

It would be a president of the United States echoing Russian misinformation that it's somehow Ukraine's fault that the war started, that they missed all these opportunities to avoid the war when they were just repeatedly invaded. And what sovereign country is going to say, we're going to preemptively give up a bunch of territory to stop you from invading us? It makes no sense.

It would be a president of the United States echoing Russian misinformation that it's somehow Ukraine's fault that the war started, that they missed all these opportunities to avoid the war when they were just repeatedly invaded. And what sovereign country is going to say, we're going to preemptively give up a bunch of territory to stop you from invading us? It makes no sense.

So this is to a T what the Russians would want. If you look at the Hegseth comments, the key elements of the negotiation, the key things that Ukraine would have to concede are territory that Russia currently holds and no NATO membership. Some people may say, well, inevitably the negotiation is going to end up there. Well, you don't publicly concede those things at the beginning of the negotiation.