After years of grifting with the skill of a Times Square card shark, height-challenged Zelensky is now about 51 cards short of a deck. Reuters ran the story yesterday headlined, “
Exclusive: US could cut Ukraine's access to Starlink internet services over minerals, say sources.” After spurning President Trump’s proposal to pay back US military support via a lien on Ukraine’s mineral rights, “sources” said US negotiators “hinted” that Ukraine’s Starlink access
could get cut off if Zelensky doesn’t play ball.
CLIP: Secretary Rubio tells Catherine Herridge Zelensky is a sneaky weasel, or words to that effect (2:51).
In an interview yesterday with independent investigative journalist Catherine Herridge, Secretary of State Marco Rubio explained how the minerals deal was actually in Ukraine’s best interests. A U.S. financial stake in Ukraine would essentially give Zelensky the security guarantees he’s been demanding, since the U.S. would have a vested interest in protecting those rights. Rubio said that Zelensky had immediately agreed to the deal but told the U.S. team that he couldn’t sign right now because he first needed to get his legislature’s approval.
Zelensku told Rubio and his team that he would get right back to them.
But then the diminutive Ukrainian weasel went on social media bragging about how he’d “stood up to the Americans” and refused to sign their colonialist oppression. In short, Zelensky said screw you, we aren’t paying you a red kopeck.
That was the last straw. The Americans have had it. They are sick of his nonsense. So fine. You don’t want to make a deal? You want to go around lying about America’s good intentions? Then no more gifts like Starlink service. Ukraine’s free Netflix binge is over.
If Starlink goes dark in Ukraine, it’s military will also be in the dark. The Russians are jamming normal electronic communications. Starlink is all Kiev has. But Starlink is, after all, just another free gift. Biden forced Starlink —against Elon Musk’s desire that his satellite internet service never be used for war— to give free Starlink to Ukraine’s army.
The suggestion of cutting off Ukraine’s internet worked. Just like that threat works with teenagers. Hours later, the New York Times ran a story headlined, “Ukraine Promises Swift Deal for Minerals as Trump Cuts Kyiv Out of Peace Talks.” It wasn’t even our idea. The Times added, “The idea of trading natural resources for U.S. assistance was first put forward by Ukraine, but Mr. Zelensky balked.”
“Several aides to Mr. Zelensky,” the Times noted, “believe that a new version of the agreement under discussion on Thursday addresses his concerns, and have now advised Mr. Zelensky to sign it.”
“This agreement can add value to our relations — what matters most is getting the details right to ensure it truly works,” Mr. Zelensky said in a social media post yesterday, taking a markedly different tone.
President Trump has suggested the deal could help repay up to $500 billion to the United States. “Biden just gave them money — there was no loan, there was no security, there was no anything,” Trump said. “So we’re going to either sign a deal, or there’s going to be a lot of problems for them. So we’re going to sign a deal, to get security.”
The truth is the Ukrainians haggle better than Turkish rug merchants, but Trump can dicker with the best of them. Biden didn’t; the Europeans can’t; so Zelensky ran roughshod for nearly four years. Kiev’s gravy train is finally reaching its ultimate destination.
Please prepare to disembark.
Pentagon purge begins; media swallows Trump's Maine bait; Kiev's haggling backfires from orbit; Pelosi building goes up for sale; judge nixes TRO and okays USAID layoffs; much MAHA progress; more.
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