Does anyone else think that making Ukraine sign off on a rare-earth mineral agreement as "reimbursement" for the aid it

[lees1975]

received from the United States, and hopefully will continue to receive, is an immoral betrayal of the democratic principles upon which this country was founded?

If we are not willing to help a country struggle toward freedom and democracy that we take for granted, by helping them fight against tyranny without demanding reimbursement or payment for the necessary goods, then we place no value at all in our own freedom.

This is a war crime.

[dchill]

1. The very idea offends me to the core.

But then I'm not a Republican.

[Walleye]

4. I know when he was talking about selling gold cards for citizenship I felt dirty

[Ars Longa]

50. It was a Godfather-esque, Protection Racket-Blackmail shakedown

done right on TV.
Trump even said "That was great TV"..

[dchill]

53. What a treasonous buffoon. What a "strongman."

A pair of them. Mobstas.

[DemMedic]

2. A completely scummy this to do

I really wish the Z man would just FU and go with the European deal.

[Walleye]

3. Ask one of them them and they will say they are "Ronald Reagan Republicans"

Here’s the question, what would Reagan do?

[surfered]

5. NATO countries came to our defense after 9/11, providing planes, ships, and troops.

None of them asked for reimbursement.

[liberalla]

57. A very good reminder! Thank you.

[Emile]

6. It's morally wrong and embarrassing the United States.

[C_U_L8R]

7. I'm ashamed

that our country is represented by such assholes.

[imanamerican63]

8. I don't think it's about the minerals or the money?

I think after Zelenskyy embarrassed Trump and Putin? It’s about Trump having control over Zelenskyy and Ukraine?

[notinkansas]

9. I fear that Ukraine will regret making this deal with the devil.

trump cannot be trusted to keep his promises with regard to the agreement. And his assertion that putin will abide by the agreement is laughable. I feel that this can't end well.

[Gary 50]

20. I think it's a good deal!!!

They should agree to anything until the war is over. Then tell Trump to, what's the phrase again, oh yeah, "Go fuck yourself."

[Linda ladeewolf]

44. Since he's basically being forced to sign under duress, yeah!

Sign now, then give trump a big FU when it’s over! Democrats won’t hold Zelensky responsible.

[allegorical oracle]

45. TSF said that Ukraine wouldn't probably get any money until the rare Earth materials are

taken and sold. Then he started listing all that can be done with that valuable material. Ukraine will be lucky to get *hit.

[notinkansas]

49. Exactly!

[maxrandb]

10. Just heard the local news discussing this

Anchor actually began the segment by saying; "as Ukraine continues its war with Russia"....

Hard to combat that level of psyops.

[maxsolomon]

43. Sinclair station?

Fox affiliate?

[maxrandb]

46. Not Sinclair, but a Fox affiliate

Channel 19 out of Cleveland

[maxsolomon]

47. Quelle suprise.

Up is down.

[SheltieLover]

11. War crime & clearly extortion!

[bif]

12. Just one more example of us becoming a shithole country.

[Frasier Balzov]

13. The USA expressly disclaimed Iraqi oil.

Just to put to rest any suspicion that oil was the reason we overthrew Saddam.

Trump was undoubtedly pissed off about that gesture at the time.

[lapfog_1]

52. oh he said so... many times

"we should have taken the oil"

However, I did a little math on the topic and posted it to DU.

Proven Iraqi oil reserves means X number of mega-tankers and Y number of storage facilities ( if you want to keep it above ground ) and the cost of doing so... even to the number of NEW tankers someone would need to build to move all the oil in like 5 YEARS.

It was a ridiculous and impossible proposition made by a supremely ignorant person.

He has not disappointed me since regarding his level of ignorance.

[Frasier Balzov]

56. Trump and math must have a mutual disdain for one another.

[Emrys]

14. It's not just immoral, it's illegal under international law,

not to mention the worthless Budapest Memorandum, in which the other parties undertook not to apply this sort of pressure to Ukraine.

It sounds like Trump hasn't got as good a deal as he's been boasting about anyway. That may factor into Zelensky's calculations.

[Tbone421]

15. I am also frustrated that no one is explaining exactly how this is going to pay taxpayers back.....

Maga keeps saying the tax payers need paid pack, and this mineral deal addresses that......but how exactly?

They are going to let the corporations go in there and get the rare earth stuff that they need, and it will then be SOLD to us.

Who is being paid back? Sounds like big tech corporations to me.

[Sneederbunk]

16. TSF never forgave Zelensky for call leading to impeachment.

TSF is a man of many grudges.

[ashredux]

17. The minerals won't be going away overnight, and this is easy to undo it in a few years

I’m trying to be optimistic

[IthinkThereforeIAM]

23. Yep... 10 years to set up/build the mines...

... it's all underground at this point. And there won't be any mine building until hostilities are over, whoever possess the relative properties.

[Maeve]

39. I hope he makes it for the minerals in Russian-occupied Ukraine, if at all

[Silent Type]

18. Don't like the bullying in the middle of a war for existence. But couching it as a loan gives trump an excuse

-- for his ingorant supporters -- not to cut off funding.

[Martin68]

19. Extortion of an ally, pure and simple. Trump and his MAGAts are trash.

[Ping Tung]

21. Such "deals" are usually known as extortion and dictated by thugs.

[IthinkThereforeIAM]

24. Yep, it is all for the headlines for the MAGA's...

... just like the lies out of Eloon and his Doggy Baggers.

[TheRickles]

22. Everything is transactional with these guys. No such concepts as ideals or higher purpose.

It's why Chris Hedges calls us a Mafia state:
https://chrishedges.substack.com/p/the-mafia-state?utm_source=substack&publication_id=778851&post_id=157204689&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&utm_campaign=email-share&triggerShare=true&isFreemail=true&r=5hvu6&triedRedirect=true

[lees1975]

55. Yes, everything has a monetary value and that's it.

What an absolutely miserable, godless, morally bankrupt, evil person Trump is. And by extension his supporters.

[Shoonra]

25. The minerals agreement may be revised in a future administration

I expect that a future Democratic president will renegotiate Trump's extortive agreement so that it will become very fair to Ukraine.

[Ohioboy]

26. It makes me sick

[FarPoint]

27. tRumpy never honors a contract...

not a marriage, business services or the US Constitution.... so this is a scam .

[OLDMDDEM]

28. Trump will back out of aiding Ukraine very soon, as soon as the first dollars are in his pocket.

[WarGamer]

29. Russia and England paid off debt from WW2.

[Kingofalldems]

48. Trump talking points.

[WarGamer]

54. Has he ever said that?

I just said it because it's reality.

[Sneederbunk]

30. Just think the Marshall Plan in reverse.

Strange that the Trump Plan comes from a guy known not to pay his debts.

[Moostache]

31. It is a disgrace to all previous generations of Americans and a permanent stain on the nation.

This kind of cheap mafia hood behavior ('that's a nice country you had there, it'd be a shame if something happened to it...') is disgusting and should NEVER be forgotten.

IF we somehow survive this (and I put the chances of that at less than a coin-flip at this point), there MUST be an absolute accounting for guilt and proper punishment for it. Following the Civil War, the leadership of the Confederacy was (erroneously in my opinion) largely allowed to return and be forgiven. They should have all been at minimum stripped of all wealth and property and deported to Africa with nothing but the clothes on their backs or straight up hanged for treason.

IF this current mess is miraculously corrected, when we reform and amend the Constitution to correct and fill the gaping, exposed holes in it that now threaten our vey survival, THEN all responsible - especially the wealthy and currently powerful MUST pay an equally harsh penalty. Deportation at minimum, execution at the other end.

Human nature is greed. I have said before we face so many problems globally because our primate brains refuse to learn the lesson of banana scarcity thinking. When everyone is convinced that the supply of bananas is threatened and may run out, we hoard things - even if it means the available supply is wasted or thrown away unused...we cannot stand the uncertainty and would rather watch others DIE than try to think past it.

IMO, humanity is down to its last 15-20 years before the triple threat of AI, Climate disruptions and naked greed collide and take us out of the equation entirely or reduce the numbers of humans to a fraction of what are alive today. We have given the keys to the metaphorical car to an imbecile who in turn is allowing a bigger but drug addled fool to speed us toward the cliff.

Trump has shamed America forever, but forever may not be as long as we all once believed...

[Figarosmom]

32. Its extortion

[LiberalArkie]

33. It has already been said that it will take over 50 years to clear the mineral rich are of mines and unexploded bombs

That may have been part of Ukraines thinking

[Crowman2009]

34. Frankly, I wouldn't guarantee the safety of these mineral extraction companies in Ukraine.

Zelensky could just say: Oh, our forces are stretched then here. Your on your own as far as security is concerned. BTW, watch out for land mines! Which you'll also have to find on your own.

[bucolic_frolic]

35. Historically, we spread democracy and capitalism to make profits for our companies and banks

Well documented in John Perkins' "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man", and was certainly our policy in insisting on democracy in eastern Europe post-WWII. Western banks, world banks, wanted to privatize the profits. Communists wanted profits for their governments, and let's not neglect their leaders lived an upscale life of limousines and dachas.

Now, today, we are extorting politically, with or without financial investments. Where will the profits go is the relevant question. Government, graft, banks, companies? Does it matter?

[Trueblue Texan]

36. No, and we have no business taking our own freedom and democracy for granted. nt

[BlueTsunami2018]

37. We have always charged for our services.

I think England just paid off their debt to us for WWII like ten years ago.

[FSogol]

38. Trump and his team of crimminals, grifters, and GOP flunkies just can't restrain themselves.

Grifters gotta grift.

[quakerboy]

40. Hamhandedly done, but consistent with the lived values of this country

At least, as i understand our history and the time i have existed here.

[FakeNoose]

41. Maybe Chump's doing this to get us kicked out of NATO?

[berniesandersmittens]

42. An outright shakedown of a sovereign nation

.

[Stargazer99]

51. It is blackmail plain and simple- Mafia style

It shows the values Republicans hold...like Reagun...greed is good (for the powerful-Reagan forgot to mention that fact) and you low income cons fell for it.