Michael Weiss

amateur rookie mistake was to offer everything up to the Russians that they want, by the way, in advance of even entering into negotiations. So, you know, foreclosing on the possibility of Ukraine joining NATO, it's an open secret that Ukraine is not going to be in NATO in the short or midterm, right?

Biden says the future of Ukraine is in NATO, but at the Vilnius summit several summers ago, Ukrainians were hopping mad that there was no credible path for accession, right? That's an obvious thing. He says that Ukraine cannot claw back all the territory it controlled in 2014. Well, President Zelensky has essentially said the same thing. And that's also that's not even an open secret.

Biden says the future of Ukraine is in NATO, but at the Vilnius summit several summers ago, Ukrainians were hopping mad that there was no credible path for accession, right? That's an obvious thing. He says that Ukraine cannot claw back all the territory it controlled in 2014. Well, President Zelensky has essentially said the same thing. And that's also that's not even an open secret.

Biden says the future of Ukraine is in NATO, but at the Vilnius summit several summers ago, Ukrainians were hopping mad that there was no credible path for accession, right? That's an obvious thing. He says that Ukraine cannot claw back all the territory it controlled in 2014. Well, President Zelensky has essentially said the same thing. And that's also that's not even an open secret.

That's just accepted reality. But again, you don't articulate these things publicly and affirm them publicly. before you enter into what is going to be a very prolonged and possibly nasty and, you know, arduous set of negotiations with the Russians. So the Russians, I think, were kind of rubbing their hands with glee about this. But now you have this weird stuff happening. J.D. Vance.

That's just accepted reality. But again, you don't articulate these things publicly and affirm them publicly. before you enter into what is going to be a very prolonged and possibly nasty and, you know, arduous set of negotiations with the Russians. So the Russians, I think, were kind of rubbing their hands with glee about this. But now you have this weird stuff happening. J.D. Vance.

That's just accepted reality. But again, you don't articulate these things publicly and affirm them publicly. before you enter into what is going to be a very prolonged and possibly nasty and, you know, arduous set of negotiations with the Russians. So the Russians, I think, were kind of rubbing their hands with glee about this. But now you have this weird stuff happening. J.D. Vance.

And he's probably not even aware of what concessions could be wrung from Russia. There are a couple of things that are happening right now which make all of this incredibly ill-timed. The first is there are Republicans who are putting forth a suite of possible sanctions against Russia that would really hammer Russia.

And he's probably not even aware of what concessions could be wrung from Russia. There are a couple of things that are happening right now which make all of this incredibly ill-timed. The first is there are Republicans who are putting forth a suite of possible sanctions against Russia that would really hammer Russia.

And he's probably not even aware of what concessions could be wrung from Russia. There are a couple of things that are happening right now which make all of this incredibly ill-timed. The first is there are Republicans who are putting forth a suite of possible sanctions against Russia that would really hammer Russia.

the energy economy, I mean, basically destroy Russia's economy even more so than it has been already, right? If Biden administration sanctions were a six out of 10, this would ratchet it up to about an eight or nine out of 10.

the energy economy, I mean, basically destroy Russia's economy even more so than it has been already, right? If Biden administration sanctions were a six out of 10, this would ratchet it up to about an eight or nine out of 10.

the energy economy, I mean, basically destroy Russia's economy even more so than it has been already, right? If Biden administration sanctions were a six out of 10, this would ratchet it up to about an eight or nine out of 10.

This is probably something that the Trump administration will not do, but at least they could use it as a cudgel or as a threat that if you do not meet us to the point at which we need to be met for any kind of negotiations, we have this at our disposal, right? Nobody's talking about that. The second thing is that actually the Russians are performing quite poorly right now on the battlefield.

This is probably something that the Trump administration will not do, but at least they could use it as a cudgel or as a threat that if you do not meet us to the point at which we need to be met for any kind of negotiations, we have this at our disposal, right? Nobody's talking about that. The second thing is that actually the Russians are performing quite poorly right now on the battlefield.

This is probably something that the Trump administration will not do, but at least they could use it as a cudgel or as a threat that if you do not meet us to the point at which we need to be met for any kind of negotiations, we have this at our disposal, right? Nobody's talking about that. The second thing is that actually the Russians are performing quite poorly right now on the battlefield.

They are slowing down in the pace of their advance in Donbass. I'm hearing reports, credible reports from Ukrainian officers in the field that their rate of fires is dramatically reduced along the contact line. So basically, they're not... bombing, they're not hitting the Ukrainians with artillery anymore.

They are slowing down in the pace of their advance in Donbass. I'm hearing reports, credible reports from Ukrainian officers in the field that their rate of fires is dramatically reduced along the contact line. So basically, they're not... bombing, they're not hitting the Ukrainians with artillery anymore.

They are slowing down in the pace of their advance in Donbass. I'm hearing reports, credible reports from Ukrainian officers in the field that their rate of fires is dramatically reduced along the contact line. So basically, they're not... bombing, they're not hitting the Ukrainians with artillery anymore.

Whether or not this is a hiccup that gets adapted and goes away on the Russian side, or whether or not it's indicative of something more systemic and problematic in their war machinery, I don't know. But it seems like now's the time to pause and maybe wait and find out. before we start giving the store away for free. And, you know, keep in mind, Putin doesn't just want a U.S.