It’s often been said that Donald Trump loves dictators, so when he used that term yesterday to describe President Zelenskyy of Ukraine, you could be forgiven for thinking he was paying him a compliment.
But of course he was not. He was outraged that Zelenskyy had called him out for operating in a “disinformation bubble,” so he fired back with the worst insult he could muster.
This rhetorical exchange of insults is the kind of thing that characterizes Trump’s presidency; he will sink to any level in his quest to carry out his agenda, which —when it comes to foreign policy — is imperialism, pure and simple.
In fact, it’s becoming clear Trump is willing to let Putin absorb the parts of Ukraine Russia occupies as part of his “solution” to end that war. In turn, he expects to have a free hand to pursue his own expansionist agenda with his designs on Canada, Greenland and Panama, for starters.
In Trump’s worldview, both the U.S. and Russia should be free to use their size and strength to expand their empires — international laws, institutions and norms be damned.
The one thing now standing in his way in Europe is the fighting spirit of the Ukrainian people, which has inspired those of us the world over who value freedom over oppression. Now the struggle against Putin’s imperial design — and Trump’s —hangs in the balance.
HEADLINES:
Who Is Running the United States, Musk or Trump? (Atlantic)
Journalist describes Trump's movements as a 'regime change' towards authoritarianism (NPR)
Echoing Kremlin, Trump calls Zelensky a dictator, angering Ukrainians (WP)
Trump and Zelenskyy trade barbs as US-Ukraine relations sour over the war with Russia (AP)
Kyiv’s White House wooing implodes as Zelenskyy tells the truth about Trump (Guardian)
Trump warns Zelenskyy to quickly negotiate war’s end with Russia or risk not having a nation to lead (AP)
U.S. and Russia Pursue Partnership in a Head-Spinning Shift in Relations (NYT)
It’s Time for Europe to Do the Unthinkable (Foreign Policy)
How the world might retaliate against Elon Musk (Axios)
Trump claims expanded power over independent agencies (NPR)
Trump order challenges independence of FCC, FTC and financial regulators (WP)
DOGE’s Reign of Ineptitude (Atlantic)
Trump Vowed to Clean Up Washington, Then His Team Hired a Man Who Pushed a Scam the IRS Called the “Worst of the Worst” (ProPublica)
State Dept. orders cancellation of news subscriptions around the world (WP)
Kennedy Library closes abruptly (Politico)
Trump administration orders Pentagon to plan for sweeping budget cuts (WP)
Reciprocal tariffs really mean chaos for global trade (Economist)
Hamas offers all captives for permanent truce as Israel attacks go on (Al Jazeera)
Mind-bending stats? Barry Bonds post-MLB career raises more questions about Hall-of-Fame case (Fansided)
The hottest AI models, what they do, and how to use them (TechCrunch)
Family Cuts Nursing Home Visit Short So Grandmother Can Get Back To Excruciating Loneliness (The Onion)
LESLIE’s LINKS:
Elon Musk’s Business Empire Scores Benefits Under Trump Shake-Up (NYT)
Trump’s attack on Zelensky stirs fear of major U.S. shift on Russia (WP)
DOGE Claimed It Saved $8 Billion in One Contract. It Was Actually $8 Million. (NYT)
GOP senators split on Trump’s attacks on Zelensky, reversals on Ukraine (WP)
No comments:
Post a Comment