Ben Rhodes

Again, I think if there's any utility in this, you know, because you might say Zelensky should have just shut his mouth and taken it and then tried to sign his rare steel. And no, but actually, I think it's something useful and just surfacing this, you know, and just clarifying this is where we are. We've learned that Trump has flipped 180 degrees to the Russian side.

Again, I think if there's any utility in this, you know, because you might say Zelensky should have just shut his mouth and taken it and then tried to sign his rare steel. And no, but actually, I think it's something useful and just surfacing this, you know, and just clarifying this is where we are. We've learned that Trump has flipped 180 degrees to the Russian side.

We've learned that his approach to peace is to bully Ukraine and ask nothing of Russia. We've learned that the Republican Party in the United States has completed the process of not having any spine and capitulating to Trump's foreign policy. And so what does it mean going forward?

We've learned that his approach to peace is to bully Ukraine and ask nothing of Russia. We've learned that the Republican Party in the United States has completed the process of not having any spine and capitulating to Trump's foreign policy. And so what does it mean going forward?

If I'm Europe and Ukraine, I'm saying we need to develop a shared position for this war that is separate from the United States of America. And actually sees that this is the United States and Russia sitting on one side of the negotiating table and Europe and Ukraine sitting on the other. And as dark and as extreme as that sounds, I think that's where we are.

If I'm Europe and Ukraine, I'm saying we need to develop a shared position for this war that is separate from the United States of America. And actually sees that this is the United States and Russia sitting on one side of the negotiating table and Europe and Ukraine sitting on the other. And as dark and as extreme as that sounds, I think that's where we are.

Because Ukrainians, by the way, don't have to stop fighting. There were reports early in the invasion when Russia thought they were going to roll over Kyiv, that they were going to have a guerrilla warfare type approach. So the Ukrainians don't have to agree to Trump's terms that he strikes with Moscow. I think the Ukrainians need to figure out with the Europeans, what are their positions?

Because Ukrainians, by the way, don't have to stop fighting. There were reports early in the invasion when Russia thought they were going to roll over Kyiv, that they were going to have a guerrilla warfare type approach. So the Ukrainians don't have to agree to Trump's terms that he strikes with Moscow. I think the Ukrainians need to figure out with the Europeans, what are their positions?

What are they insisting on? They're going to have to give a bunch of stuff, including territory. But what can they insist on in terms of a credible ceasefire line, essentially? And then what is a peace force that has British and French troops? There was an interesting comment from Turkey that they might get involved with troops on the ground.

What are they insisting on? They're going to have to give a bunch of stuff, including territory. But what can they insist on in terms of a credible ceasefire line, essentially? And then what is a peace force that has British and French troops? There was an interesting comment from Turkey that they might get involved with troops on the ground.

What is a credible European force that can provide some security guarantee and some presence there? And then how do you build a European defense and foreign policy that is totally separate from the United States? Because the United States has switched sides. And I wish that wasn't the case, but I think that's where we are.

What is a credible European force that can provide some security guarantee and some presence there? And then how do you build a European defense and foreign policy that is totally separate from the United States? Because the United States has switched sides. And I wish that wasn't the case, but I think that's where we are.

And I don't know that just signing some dumb rare earth thing is going to make Trump be nicer to them. It's not. So figure out your own interests and act accordingly. It's what all of us are going to have to do in these Trump years.

And I don't know that just signing some dumb rare earth thing is going to make Trump be nicer to them. It's not. So figure out your own interests and act accordingly. It's what all of us are going to have to do in these Trump years.

Yeah, I think that, like, by any measure, like, tactically, you don't get into a fight with J.D. Vance in the Oval Office. You don't allow yourself to be humiliated by the President of the United States to that extent. Yeah. But I'm not saying this to give him credit because I don't think it was a strategy. I think the utility in it is we know what we're dealing with now. Right.

Yeah, I think that, like, by any measure, like, tactically, you don't get into a fight with J.D. Vance in the Oval Office. You don't allow yourself to be humiliated by the President of the United States to that extent. Yeah. But I'm not saying this to give him credit because I don't think it was a strategy. I think the utility in it is we know what we're dealing with now. Right.

Like we have the Hegseth like laying down of terms without consulting Ukraine and Europe in which they surrender all their territory and can't be NATO. We have the J.D. Vann speech in Munich endorsing the European far right. We've got Trump calling Zelensky dictator. And now we have this.

Like we have the Hegseth like laying down of terms without consulting Ukraine and Europe in which they surrender all their territory and can't be NATO. We have the J.D. Vann speech in Munich endorsing the European far right. We've got Trump calling Zelensky dictator. And now we have this.

And so there can be a new illusions that somehow some committee to save America is going to or Marco Rubio or whoever or Lindsey Graham's going to the Oval Office and convince Trump to suddenly get tough on the Russians. Like so I'm not saying that Zelenci was like playing some chess and, you know, outed this.

And so there can be a new illusions that somehow some committee to save America is going to or Marco Rubio or whoever or Lindsey Graham's going to the Oval Office and convince Trump to suddenly get tough on the Russians. Like so I'm not saying that Zelenci was like playing some chess and, you know, outed this.