The public extortion of President Zelenskyy...

[kentuck]

Ex-President Donald Trump met with the Ukrainian leader at Trump Tower yesterday.

They met with the press after their meeting.

Trump did not want to talk about Ukraine or the suffering of the Ukrainian people under the assault of the Russian military. Rather, he chose to talk about himself.

He tried to put words into the Ukraine President's mouth, as the leader of that country stood there bewildered by what he was hearing. He wanted Zelenskyy to say that he did nothing wrong when he was impeached for the first time. He did not ask for favors to tell lies about Joe Biden in the 2020 campaign. He told him so, Trump said.

But, it was what was unsaid that was important. Trump was telling the Ukrainian leader, if you want my support, you will need to lie for me. You will need to tell the people just what I told you to say. You will need to clear my name or you will not get my support. That is what was unsaid.

Zelenskyy was between the proverbial rock and a hard place. What happens if Trump wins the next election? What would it mean for his people? What would it mean for his country? What would it mean for him personally? It is understandable that he would attempt to cover all the bases when it comes to protecting his country from the Russian aggression.

It was an attempt at public extortion.

It was disgusting.

[underpants]

1. Several great points. I also took it as Trump cowing to Putin

in public, standing beside the leader of a country being attacked.

[kentuck]

3. Yes, he would say nothing which Putin would not agree with.

He is as he has always been, a Putin puppet.

[underpants]

7. cowing not vowing

cow2
verb
gerund or present participle: cowing
cause (someone) to submit to one's wishes by intimidation.
"the intellectuals had been cowed into silence"

Stupid autocorrect

[live love laugh]

14. I believe Trump facilitated Russia's attack. He's horrible.

[no_hypocrisy]

2. Hate to say it, but Zelensky walked into this situation.

Trump's public humiliation and manipulation were wholly predictable.

[underpants]

8. He has to do everything he can

Trump could be POTUS again and Zelensky knows what everyone knows about Trump being Putin’s dancing monkey but he can’t leave anything on the table.

[no_hypocrisy]

10. That's quite the dilemma.

[wnylib]

21. I wondered why Zelenskyy would meet with Trump

after Zelenskyy's experience with Trump in the past.

But then I realized that Zelenskyy has to consider the possibility that Trump would become president again. He had to meet with Trump to check out what he would be dealing with and how it would affect Ukraine.

Zelenskyy needed to know how Trump would deal with any future peace negotiations. He must have known that Trump would exact a price, as he always does, and needed to know what the price would be.

Now he knows.

[kentuck]

22. Also, his people know...

He likely would have received a lot of criticism in his own country if had not met with Trump, in my opinion.

[spanone]

4. trmp is a mob boss, nothing more.

'We have a very good relationship (with Zelenskyy), and I also have a very good relationship, as you know, with President Putin,' Trump told reporters.

[gab13by13]

9. Worse than a mob boss,

Al Capone didn't have immunity.

[spanone]

12. He doesn't have it now.

[FalloutShelter]

5. OMG it was disgusting and disgraceful.

I thought Zelinsky looked like he was working hard to suppress rage. He looked like he wanted to sock TSF. I know I did.

[pecosbob]

6. That would follow since extortion is an integral component of his negotiating 'style'.

I came up working as a sub-contractor for crooked-ass developers just like him. Living off of other people's money from the next deal to pay for the last one. They never miss a chance to cheat someone that does work for them, like it's an industry standard or something.

[jaxexpat]

13. Dealt with the type. They think they're visionaries. Weird.

[jaxexpat]

11. There is one reliably predictable aspect to Trump.

He will say or do anything to promote his obsessions so long as someone else cleans up the mess.
Zelensky and his country have only one hope, Trump's defeat in November. Nothing has changed in his equation.

[twodogsbarking]

15. If there was any doubt in Z's mind it has left, like Magats rushing from a Trump rally.

[Figarosmom]

16. No kidding

And he had no choice but to stand there and be civil. This country had better do the right thing.

[LuckyCharms]

17. Great post. n/t

[KS Toronado]

18. I understand President Zelinsky was caught between a rock and a hard place

but it would have been great to see Zelinsky attack KFC for being a Putin employee.

[DENVERPOPS]

25. If I were Zelinsky

I would never agree to meet Trump who has, along with Putin, done everything possible, along with his Republican Politicians to try to guarantee they lose to Putin.........vs Biden who has done everything possible for Ukraine to defend themselves against Putin taking them over.......

I sort of read his appearing with Trump as a slap in the face to Biden and all he HAS DONE to help Ukraine......

And...........All these other nation's leaders, some our enemies, going to Mar-a-lago to discuss things with Trump??????? WTF

[KS Toronado]

26. If the DOJ ever got proof KFC

was discussing "Foreign affairs" with foreign leaders while not elected, his ass would be in
deeper shit than it already is.

[rainin]

19. I don't agree he had to meet with trump. Even if trump wins, Zelenski won't benefit

from showing respect now. It's a no win situation for Ukraine if trump wins. Acting respectful is just smiling while he's getting stabbed in the back. The only good thing that came from the meeting is for the world to see and be horrified, if that's a good thing. Maybe it was.

[SharonAnn]

29. Exactly. Trump would sell him out reagrdless of what Zelensky does.

[SWBTATTReg]

20. Zelinsky is a leader among men, vs. the shivering hulk of a very diminished man, who is on his way to being

soundly defeated in Nov. 2024.

I don't why Z met w/ tRUMP, but I think he overcame his disgust to meet w/ this broken-down loser, if anything, to show that he wasn't afraid of tRUMP.

tRUMP just proved that he isn't a leader, and it's all about him. Disgusting and another one of the many reasons that tRUMP is unqualified to be a leader of the US.

[Clouds Passing]

23. Dump once again shows the world who he is, a master criminal.

He can only think in terms of “ what crimes can I commit today?”

Zelensky had to meet with him, if nothing more than just to show the public who Dump is. It is disgusting that Zelensky had to meet with Dump.

[SunSeeker]

24. The first time Trump extorted Zelensky ("need you to do us a favor though") was bad enough...

Last edited Sat Sep 28, 2024, 08:25 PM - Edit history (1)

It should've resulted in Trump's removal from office after impeachment and ban from running, but Republicans refused to vote for impeachment in the Senate, so here we are, with Trump extorting Zelensky AGAIN to interfere with the election AGAIN.

[ShazzieB]

27. Oh yes, it was horrble.

Last edited Sat Sep 28, 2024, 06:47 PM - Edit history (1)

Yesterday, I cringed inwardly while watching the video. I posted about it afterwards, in another thread about the meeting:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100219509281#post50

Since then I've been seeing a lot of comments validating my impressions

As I said in another post in the same thread, Zelensky is Trump's superior in 1000 different ways, none of which Trump is capable of comprehending.

[Frank D. Lincoln]

31. I read your post in this thread and the one in the thread you linked to.

I agree with your sentiments.

[ShazzieB]

32. Thanks for letting me know!

[LiberalLovinLug]

28. I totally understand why he met with Trump. But I really hope he is saving some choice words for Nov. 6th

After Kamala wins and he doesn't have to deal with the orange menace ever again.

[Demobrat]

30. I thought at one point he was looking at Kamala

like a drowning man looks at a life raft. He must be thinking WTF these Republicans are monsters. On one side, Joe and Kamala. On the other side, that. The best and worst of America, across the table, on the same day.

[DallasNE]

33. What We Know

1. Zelenskyy was the one who first sought the meeting.

2. Trump sat on the request without a response for "days".

After Zelenskyy met with both Biden and Harris and photos were released Trump put in a panic call with Zelenskyy saying he was available to meet Friday morning at Trump Tower in NYC at 9:30 and Zelenskyy accepted.

That is pretty much all we know. The rest is speculation. But, here goes with the speculation.

Zelenskyy needs a Harris win in the worst way, hence the very public display with Biden and Harris. He also put out a request to meet Trump because the compare and contrast would be stark - and it was. That can only help Harris in the public eye. Further, Trump broke protocol by standing on the wrong side of Zelenskyy when the two spoke. (Remember when Trump cut off the Queen and she simply took the proper position, showing Trump up).

The big stink Trump made about the 1st impeachment and the phone call between the 2 leaders is a bonus..All phone calls between the President and World Leaders are recorded and so was this one. And here it gets murky because this one got lost or destroyed by the Trump operation and is missing. That is why Trump can't close the deal on what was said between the two leaders. Zelenskyy should give Trump what he wants - a copy of his call with Trump. It would serve him right for pressuring Zelenskyy to lie for him.

[usonian]

34. Stump just proved in the most visible way that he is an agent of Putin.

Some people take time either for the message to sink in, or to get past the Wall of Gobbledygook.

The wall is intentional, for that very reason.

[tornado34jh]

35. Let's be honest, Trump is still mad that Zelenskyy didn't give him dirt against Biden

But I would think Zelenskyy would probably know how rigged elections and corruption works. Ukraine was among the most corrupt countries in Eastern Europe. Don't get me wrong, it still has a lot of corruption, but at least they are trying to fix it.