Michael Weiss

I mean, there is a great deal of wariness about people like Gabbard. Patel doesn't factor in for them. J.D. Vance, though, is the problem. And you'll notice when Zelensky gave an interview to The New Yorker several weeks ago, it's unfathomable for Zelensky to say anything untoward about any American official. But he said that Vance was, quote, too radical.

And what that means really is he knows that the people who Vance has surrounded himself with would love nothing better than to just forfeit Ukraine to Russia. Yeah, pull the plug. Right. So but but then there's a sense that, well, OK, Trump is going to come in with sort of these highfalutin expectations for some masterful, beautiful peace deal with Putin.

And what that means really is he knows that the people who Vance has surrounded himself with would love nothing better than to just forfeit Ukraine to Russia. Yeah, pull the plug. Right. So but but then there's a sense that, well, OK, Trump is going to come in with sort of these highfalutin expectations for some masterful, beautiful peace deal with Putin.

And what that means really is he knows that the people who Vance has surrounded himself with would love nothing better than to just forfeit Ukraine to Russia. Yeah, pull the plug. Right. So but but then there's a sense that, well, OK, Trump is going to come in with sort of these highfalutin expectations for some masterful, beautiful peace deal with Putin.

And Putin is going to do what he does with everybody, which is rat fuck him. And Trump is going to get angry. And then Trump is going to sort of release the hounds. That's that's how the Ukrainians. That's the hope. And also, this is driven, though, and again... I would love to live in that world.

And Putin is going to do what he does with everybody, which is rat fuck him. And Trump is going to get angry. And then Trump is going to sort of release the hounds. That's that's how the Ukrainians. That's the hope. And also, this is driven, though, and again... I would love to live in that world.

And Putin is going to do what he does with everybody, which is rat fuck him. And Trump is going to get angry. And then Trump is going to sort of release the hounds. That's that's how the Ukrainians. That's the hope. And also, this is driven, though, and again... I would love to live in that world.

I love that optimism. Yes, but it's driven by a great deal of frustration bordering on contempt. for the Biden administration. Biden was great with the optics and solidarity, rallying allies, and security assistance has come, right? I mean, we're now giving Ukraine weapon systems that we said would have precipitated World War III in February of 2022.

I love that optimism. Yes, but it's driven by a great deal of frustration bordering on contempt. for the Biden administration. Biden was great with the optics and solidarity, rallying allies, and security assistance has come, right? I mean, we're now giving Ukraine weapon systems that we said would have precipitated World War III in February of 2022.

I love that optimism. Yes, but it's driven by a great deal of frustration bordering on contempt. for the Biden administration. Biden was great with the optics and solidarity, rallying allies, and security assistance has come, right? I mean, we're now giving Ukraine weapon systems that we said would have precipitated World War III in February of 2022.

But the Ukrainians say, not only did World War III not happen, and now you know it, we should have had those weapons before the full-scale invasions.

But the Ukrainians say, not only did World War III not happen, and now you know it, we should have had those weapons before the full-scale invasions.

But the Ukrainians say, not only did World War III not happen, and now you know it, we should have had those weapons before the full-scale invasions.

abandons them. He has really no intention of stopping the war, and his... Well, the U.S.

abandons them. He has really no intention of stopping the war, and his... Well, the U.S.

abandons them. He has really no intention of stopping the war, and his... Well, the U.S.

The only thing, I mean, let's just be very kind of realistic here. So Ukrainian sentiment has shifted. There's a huge morale problem now, whereas there wasn't before. There's desertion in the ranks, whereas there wasn't before. Incoming recruits for the Ukrainian army are old. They don't want to fight. They cannot fight as well as younger men.

The only thing, I mean, let's just be very kind of realistic here. So Ukrainian sentiment has shifted. There's a huge morale problem now, whereas there wasn't before. There's desertion in the ranks, whereas there wasn't before. Incoming recruits for the Ukrainian army are old. They don't want to fight. They cannot fight as well as younger men.

The only thing, I mean, let's just be very kind of realistic here. So Ukrainian sentiment has shifted. There's a huge morale problem now, whereas there wasn't before. There's desertion in the ranks, whereas there wasn't before. Incoming recruits for the Ukrainian army are old. They don't want to fight. They cannot fight as well as younger men.

A lot of the best, most battle-tested soldiers were killed in places like Bakhmut and so on. Ukrainians will not, and Zelensky cannot afford politically to do a deal with the Russians unless there is... real security guarantees, not like a Budapest memorandum kind of thing where we pledge to consider maybe one day bringing Ukraine into NATO.