Josh Keating

So the last tranche of Ukraine aid was allocated by Congress last April.

That was $61 billion. And basically, they're trying to rush whatever they can out the door before Inauguration Day. So they're trying to get all these contracts in place, get as much aid moving to Ukraine now as they can. The incoming Trump administration does seem to be sort of irritated by this.

That was $61 billion. And basically, they're trying to rush whatever they can out the door before Inauguration Day. So they're trying to get all these contracts in place, get as much aid moving to Ukraine now as they can. The incoming Trump administration does seem to be sort of irritated by this.

That was $61 billion. And basically, they're trying to rush whatever they can out the door before Inauguration Day. So they're trying to get all these contracts in place, get as much aid moving to Ukraine now as they can. The incoming Trump administration does seem to be sort of irritated by this.

We saw Richard Grenell, who was the former Trump administration ambassador to Germany, a real kind of like sharp elbowed, you know, you know. Troll, basically, a guy who talks a lot of smack on social media and did so even when he was a diplomat. He's accused the Biden administration on Twitter of escalating the war before he leaves office.

We saw Richard Grenell, who was the former Trump administration ambassador to Germany, a real kind of like sharp elbowed, you know, you know. Troll, basically, a guy who talks a lot of smack on social media and did so even when he was a diplomat. He's accused the Biden administration on Twitter of escalating the war before he leaves office.

We saw Richard Grenell, who was the former Trump administration ambassador to Germany, a real kind of like sharp elbowed, you know, you know. Troll, basically, a guy who talks a lot of smack on social media and did so even when he was a diplomat. He's accused the Biden administration on Twitter of escalating the war before he leaves office.

There's been some coverage that's mentioned him as potentially a candidate for the Trump administration's envoy to Ukraine. So he could be somebody who's like very closely involved in this.

There's been some coverage that's mentioned him as potentially a candidate for the Trump administration's envoy to Ukraine. So he could be somebody who's like very closely involved in this.

There's been some coverage that's mentioned him as potentially a candidate for the Trump administration's envoy to Ukraine. So he could be somebody who's like very closely involved in this.

And whenever you're in a negotiation, you want to be in the best position possible when you start from that negotiation. You don't have to have written the art of the deal to know that you want to move into talks from a position of strength. And I think that there's clearly a desire that if... Ukraine and Russia are pressured into a position where they're talking about territorial concessions.

And whenever you're in a negotiation, you want to be in the best position possible when you start from that negotiation. You don't have to have written the art of the deal to know that you want to move into talks from a position of strength. And I think that there's clearly a desire that if... Ukraine and Russia are pressured into a position where they're talking about territorial concessions.

And whenever you're in a negotiation, you want to be in the best position possible when you start from that negotiation. You don't have to have written the art of the deal to know that you want to move into talks from a position of strength. And I think that there's clearly a desire that if... Ukraine and Russia are pressured into a position where they're talking about territorial concessions.

You want Ukraine to be controlling as much territory as they can before those talks start.

You want Ukraine to be controlling as much territory as they can before those talks start.

You want Ukraine to be controlling as much territory as they can before those talks start.

Yeah, I mean, we're in this awkward period right now where there are basically two U.S. presidents. Foreign actors, international actors, have to deal with both of those realities. They have to press their advantage as much as they can with the team that's there now and also position themselves for the one that's coming in.

Yeah, I mean, we're in this awkward period right now where there are basically two U.S. presidents. Foreign actors, international actors, have to deal with both of those realities. They have to press their advantage as much as they can with the team that's there now and also position themselves for the one that's coming in.

Yeah, I mean, we're in this awkward period right now where there are basically two U.S. presidents. Foreign actors, international actors, have to deal with both of those realities. They have to press their advantage as much as they can with the team that's there now and also position themselves for the one that's coming in.

And we have seen this before, especially when one administration is handing off a war to to the next one. One example you could look at is the transition from Harry Truman to Dwight Eisenhower when the Korean War was going on.