1).
„Having framed his hostile takeover as simply standing up for Americans’ interests, Ukraine’s refusal may be used by Trump to justify either its exclusion from peace talks or else an eventual reduction of US assistance.
2).
As one bewildered US diplomat at last week’s Munich Security Conference admitted:
»I’m not sure if @realDonaldTrump actually thinks he can get his hands on these assets, or just wants an excuse to leave the Ukrainians hanging. Actually, I’m worried he means both«.
@realDonaldTrump 3).
European leaders, despite their apparent capacity to be surprised afresh each time things don’t happen the way they think they should, ought not to have been taken unawares.
@realDonaldTrump 4).
The only question is how they can operate in this environment, and whether they can move beyond summits and declaratory statements. They haven’t yet. But they should realise that this is exactly the zero-sum world Vladimir Pootin is very used to navigating.”
18 Feb. 2025
@realDonaldTrump 5).
Excerpts from an article by Prof. @MarkGaleotti
1).
„[...] @realDonaldTrump [...] said that he believes he can make a trade deal with Xi — with whom he said he has a “great relationship” — as he did in his first term in office.
2).
Egging him on will be [...] @elonmusk, the boss of @Tesla who has emerged as a more powerful figure in the Trump @WhiteHouse than anyone expected.
@elonmusk @Tesla @WhiteHouse 3).
Despite the hostile rhetoric towards China often used by Trump’s team, @elonmusk is a regular visitor to China, where he met the premier Li Qiang last April, after meeting Xi in the US the previous Nov.
@hahussain @simonmontefiore 1).
„Egypt developing plan to rebuild Gaza as counter to @realDonaldTrump's call to depopulate area
@hahussain @simonmontefiore @realDonaldTrump 2).
Scheme envisions establishing »secure areas« where Palestinians can live, and an administration not aligned with either Hamas or PA to oversee territory during reconstruction” [1].
@hahussain @simonmontefiore @realDonaldTrump 3).
„A $20 billion contribution from Arab and Gulf states toward the fund, cited by two sources as being a likely figure, may be a good incentive for Trump to accept the plan, Emirati academic Abdulkhaleq Abdullah said.
@andreagail_k @RonFilipkowski 1).
@realDonaldTrump's vision of „executive leadership was shaped close to home, by experiences with Democratic clubhouse politicians as a young developer in New York. One figure stands out [for him]: an unnamed party boss
@andreagail_k @RonFilipkowski @realDonaldTrump 2).
– his friends assume he is referring to the legendary Brooklyn fixer Meade Esposito (1907–1993) [1] [2] [3] [4] – whom he remembered keeping a baseball bat under his desk to enforce his power.
@andreagail_k @RonFilipkowski @realDonaldTrump 3).
To the adviser who recounted it, the story revealed what Mr. @realDonaldTrump expected being president would be like – ruling by fiat, exacting tribute and cutting back room deals [5].”
1).
„ @michaelgwaltz on Fri., Feb. 21, 2025, told his audience of conservatives outside Washington that the US had »an obligation« to the American taxpayer »to recoup the hundreds of billions of dollars that have been invested in this war«, drawing applause from the crowd.
2).
He added Europe was »often« paid back for its contributions to Ukraine, so the US should be too.
– »Here’s the bottom line, President @ZelenskyyUa is going to sign that deal, and you will see that in the very short term« – @michaelgwaltz said.
@ZelenskyyUa @michaelgwaltz 3).
– »And that is good for Ukraine. What better could you have for Ukraine than to be in an economic partnership with the United States? [...] What better could you have for Ukraine to stop the killing?«
@ChristopherJM 1).
„[...] @POTUS [...] never made much secret of his inexplicable desire to suck up to Poptin. One difference from @realDonaldTrump's first four years in office, though,
@ChristopherJM @POTUS @realDonaldTrump 2).
is that he has now adopted not only a pro-Putin take on Russia’s conflict with Ukraine but an approach to foreign policy over all which echoes Putin’s throwback view of the world,
@ChristopherJM @POTUS @realDonaldTrump 3).
as a playground for predatory great powers to exert nearly unlimited control over the smaller nations that fall within their sphere of influence.”