The comments came ahead of a #summit in #London on Sunday, where #Starmer met w/ President Volodymyr #Zelensky of #Ukraine & other European leaders to discuss the #war. The gathering took on greater urgency after Zelensky’s meeting w/ #Trump & #JDVance on Friday raised fears the US would try to strong-arm Ukraine’s president into making a #peace deal on whatever terms the Americans [#Putin] dictated.

#geopolitics #Russia #US #allies #NATO #Europe #ForeignPolicy #RevengePolitics #PutinsPuppet

#Starmer said that he, Pres #Zelensky & Pres #Macron of #France had agreed they “would work on a plan for stopping the fighting & then discuss that plan w/the US.” Any #peace agreement “is going to need a US backstop,” Starmer added, saying British & #US teams were discussing the idea.

Sunday’s #summit was first set up to inform European leaders about Starmer’s meeting w/ #Trump. But it gained new importance after Friday, making supporting #Ukraine & beefing up their defenses more critical.

#Britain on Saturday announced a nearly $3B loan to #Ukraine aimed at bolstering the #war-torn country’s #military capability. It will be paid back using profits generated on sanctioned Russian sovereign assets, & the first tranche of funding is expected to be disbursed to Ukraine next week, Britain’s Treasury said.

#Europe’s leaders pledged to assemble a European “coalition of the willing” to develop a plan for ending Ukraine’s war w/ #Russia, which they hope could win the backing of #Trump.

On Sunday in, #Europe wrapped Pres #Zelensky in a warm embrace. He won expressions of support from the 18 assembled leaders, including Pres #Macron of #France, Chancellor Olaf #Scholz of #Germany & PM #GiorgiaMeloni of #Italy. After meeting them, he was scheduled to visit #KingCharles III at his country estate, Sandringham, NE of London.

Yet behind the carefully choreographed show of solidarity, there was a recognition that keeping the #UnitedStates on board remains critical.

#geopolitics

The #summit meeting has thrust #Starmer into an unaccustomed place for a British prime minister: at the heart of #Europe during a crisis. >8 years after the country voted to leave the #EU, the rapidly changing #security landscape is driving #Britain closer to the continent.

Catherine Ashton, a Briton who served as the EU’s high representative for #ForeignAffairs & security policy, said Starmer’s successful meeting w/ #Trump had reinforced his credentials as a leader for Europe.

#geopolitics

“It is unsurprising that allies in #Europe are gathering in London this weekend & equally unsurprising that the #UK is being taken much more seriously in Brussels & capitals,” Ashton said.

And yet there are limits to #Starmer’s #diplomacy. He was unable to extract any #security guarantees from #Trump for #Ukraine, despite an exaggerated show of deference to the president. That included Starmer hand-delivering an invitation for a state visit from #KingCharles….

#geopolitics #Russia #US #NATO

Sergey #Lavrov, #Russia’s foreign minister, said that #France Pres #Macron & PM #Starmer of #Britain were “impertinent” in proposing thousands of #peacekeeping troops for #Ukraine. “No one is asking us,” Lavrov said in an interview with Krasnaya Zvezda, the Russian state news agency #Tass reported on Sunday. Lavrov praised #Trump for “behaving correctly,” according to the report.

#geopolitics #Zelensky #Putin #US #Europe #allies #NATO #ForeignPolicy #RevengePolitics

#Starmer of #Britain held a phone call w/ the leaders of #Estonia, #Latvia & #Lithuania – 3 countries that were not invited to attend Sunday’s #summit – in which he welcomed their support for #Ukraine, Starmer’s office said in a statement. “The Prime Minister updated them on his discussions with the leaders of Ukraine, #France & the #UnitedStates in recent days,” the statement said.

#geopolitics #Zelensky #Putin #Russia #Trump #US #Europe #allies #NATO #ForeignPolicy #RevengePolitics

In addition to #Britain PM #Starmer & Presidents #Zelensky of #Ukraine & #Macron of #France, in attendance at the summit were, Chancellor Olaf #Scholz of #Germany & Prime Minister Justin #Trudeau of #Canada, Ursula #vonderLeyen, the president of the European Commission, #MarkRutte, the secretary general of #NATO, & #Turkey’s foreign minister, Hakan #Fidan.

#geopolitics #Putin #Russia #Trump #UnitedStates #allies #Europe #ForeignPolicy

Kremlin’s spox, #DmitryPeskov praised the #Trump admin for changing its #ForeignPolicy in ways that “couldn’t have been imagined,” on the #war in #Ukraine.

“The new administration is fast changing all foreign policy configurations,” Peskov said, speaking to #Russia state television in comments recorded last Wednesday & released on Sunday [even before Friday’s debacle]. He added: “This coincides with our vision in many ways.”

#geopolitics #US #MafiaState #Europe #ForeignPolicy #PutinsPuppet

Meanwhile in the #US…

#Republican #House Speaker #MikeJohnson defended #Trump’s & #JDVance’s conduct during the Oval Office meeting on Friday, saying that President Volodymyr #Zelensky of #Ukraine “acted so inappropriately” & should have “shown more gratitude.”

“For him to act as he did was rather shocking to everyone,” Johnson said of Zelensky, speaking to CNN. “Instead of showing gratitude, he interrupted & berated his hosts at a very perilous time for his country.”

#sycophant #geopolitics

#MikeJohnson also, however, described the #war in #Ukraine as “unjust” & called President Vladimir V. Putin of #Russia an “aggressor,” a departure from the friendly language that #Trump has used to describe #Putin. “I think Vladimir Putin is a an old-school communist,” Johnson said. “He’s not to be trusted, & he is dangerous.” He also said that #China, Russia, #Iran & #NorthKorea amount to “new Axis powers” & they “are not on America’s side.”

#geoplitics #USpol #ForeignPolicy

In another interview, on NBC’s Meet the Press, #Republican #House Speaker #MikeJohnson suggested that President Volodymyr #Zelensky of #Ukraine should step down if he doesn’t sign #Trump’s deal [#extortion] on rare #minerals & agree to end the #war. “Something has to change. Either he needs to come to his senses & come back to the table in gratitude, or someone else needs to lead the country to do that,” Johnson said.

#geopolitics #MafiaState #Putin #Russia #US #ForeignPolicy #RevengePolitics

Senator #ChrisMurphy, #Democrat of CT and one of the most outspoken critics of the #Trump admin, told CNN on Sunday, that “it is absolutely shameful what is happening right now,” speaking about #Trump’s efforts to *end* the #war in #Ukraine.

“The White House has become an arm of the #Kremlin,” Murphy said. “The #WhiteHouse has been pretending as if Ukraine started this war. That’s essentially saying that #Poland invaded #Germany at the beginning of WWII. There are still #facts in this world.”
👏

Sen #ChrisMurphy said he believed President #Zelensky of #Ukraine appropriately asked #Trump & #JDVance how they could reassure him that #Putin of #Russia would abide by the terms of a #ceasefire agreement. “It is a sad day in America when we are getting closer & closer to Russia, a brutal #dictatorship, & further & further away from #democratic #allies,” Murphy said.

#geopolitics #US #MafiaState #Europe #ForeignPolicy #authoritarianism #RevengePolitics

Sen #ChrisMurphy also criticized Secretary of #State #MarcoRubio, his former #Senate colleague from Florida, for not opposing #Trump’s efforts to align #America with #Russia. “That’s been a great disappointment to many of his former colleagues in the Senate,” Murphy said of #Rubio.

#geopolitics #Ukraine #Russia #UnitedStates #MafiaState #allies #NATO #Europe #ForeignPolicy

Sen Chris #VanHollen, #Democrat of MD, told FoxNews on Sunday that he regretted voting to confirm his fmr colleague #MarcoRubio to be Sec of #State. Van Hollen said #Rubio used to acknowledge that #Russia was the aggressor in the #war against #Ukraine & would never have accused #Zelensky of being a #dictator as #Trump has. But since joining the admin, Rubio has adopted Trump’s talking points.

#geopolitics #UnitedStates #MafiaState #allies #NATO #Europe #ForeignPolicy

But since joining the admin, #MarcoRubio has adopted #Trump’s [#Russia’s] talking points. “As a member of the Senate, Secretary #Rubio was somebody who stood up for American values, American principles,” #VanHollen said. “Now he’s simply taking his directions at the State Dept from #ElonMusk & essentially parroting the president’s position.”

#geopolitics #Ukraine #UnitedStates #MafiaState #allies #NATO #Europe #ForeignPolicy #RevengePolitics #authoritarianism

#VanHollen called Friday’s display in the Oval Office “a despicable display of bullying” by #Trump & #JDVance against #Zelensky. He also characterized the Trump admin’s rare #minerals deal as an “#extortion” of #Ukraine.

#geopolitics #Russia #UnitedStates #MafiaState #RevengePolitics #authoritarianism #ForeignPolicy #allies #NATO #Europe

Secretary of #State #MarcoRubio has reiterated the #Trump admin’s attitude toward #Zelensky, saying that #Ukraine’s president had disrupted efforts toward a peace process w/ #Russia by challenging #JDVance in the Oval Office on Friday. Zelensky “found every opportunity to try to ‘Ukraine-splain’ on every issue,” Rubio said. [a. Ridiculous terminology. b. Someone had to]

#geopolitics #UnitedStates #MafiaState #RevengePolitics #authoritarianism #ForeignPolicy #allies #NATO #Europe

Back to London…

#Starmer opened the #summit of #Europe’s leaders in London w/ #Macron & #Zelensky seated beside him. “We’re gathered here today because this is a once in a generation moment for the #security of Europe, & we all need to step up,” Starmer told the assembled leaders. “Getting a good outcome for #Ukraine is not just a matter of right & wrong, it’s vital for the security of every nation here & many others too.”

#GlobalSecurity #geopolitics #Putin #Russia #expansionism

An encouraging sign:

Sen #JamesLankford, #Republican of #Oklahoma, also spoke w/NBC’s Kristen Welker, saying that #Putin was “a murderous KGB thug” & a “dictator” & that he understood why President #Zelensky of #Ukraine wanted assurances that #Russia would actually abide by any #ceasefire agreement that he signed.

“Zelensky is rightfully concerned that Putin has violated every single agreement he’s ever signed & that he can’t be trusted. He’s looking for some kind of #security guarantees.”

less encouraging:

#Trump’s #NationalSecurity adviser, #MikeWaltz, stopped short of calling for Pres #Zelensky’s resignation but said #Ukraine’s leader must be more cooperative. “We need a leader that can deal with us, eventually deal with the Russians & end this war,” Waltz said on CNN. “And if it becomes apparent that President Zelensky’s either personal motivations or political motivations are divergent from ending the fighting in this country, then I think we have a real issue on our hands.”

The survival of Ukraine as a democracy depends on not ceding territory.

It's Putin who is desperate for this temporary respite, not Zelenskyy.

Russia is going bankrupt. It's been cut off from SWIFT.
https://www.reuters.com/markets/europe/russian-government-advisers-warn-corporate-bankruptcies-wave-2025-01-27/

https://warontherocks.com/2024/09/russia-is-on-a-slow-path-to-bankruptcy-but-how-slow/

https://m.economictimes.com/news/international/us/this-european-economist-says-russia-could-go-bankrupt-and-run-out-of-liquid-reserves-by-fall-of-2025-heres-why/articleshow/117270284.cms

https://thehill.com/opinion/international/4931629-a-russian-economic-meltdown-is-coming-next-year/

https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/2021199/russian-economy-meltdown-housing-developers-mortgages

https://kyivindependent.com/nearly-30-russian-airlines-may-go-bankrupt-in-2025-media-reports/

The $130 billion Putin set aside for his Ukraine war are likely nearing exhaustion as sanctions hit his shadow fleet partners.

1/2

2/2

Frankly, it's astonishing that Putin hasn't fallen out of a window yet.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/02/03/is-russias-war-machine-finally-facing-bankruptcy-putin/

https://www.politico.eu/article/russia-shadow-fleet-finnish-bay-snow-eagle-s-december-oil-baltic-sea-europe-waves-europe-kremlin/

https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Russia-Pushes-for-Sanctions-Relief-as-Shadow-Fleet-Comes-Under-Fire.html

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/04/us-and-european-shipowners-sold-230-ageing-tankers-to-russian-shadow-fleet

https://www.businessinsider.com/western-sanctions-hit-russia-shadow-fleet-oil-exports-2025-1

As Trump begins the sale of US citizenship for $1 million a pop, do not be surprised if Assad, Putin, & Yanukovych are offered exile to the USA.