It is too simplistic to offer only pro-Ukraine vs. pro-Russia. Does siding with Ukraine mean supporting fighting to the last Ukrainian? Trump says he is pro-USA and pro-peace. Stopping the war means negotiations; Trump has offered to serve as a mediator. You can't mediate by denouncing one of the parties. Diplomacy is ugly, but necessary. Let's try to be adults. Trump could not give overt security guarantees that Zelenskyy demanded without scaring off Putin. Trump offered an economic deal that was a stealth security guarantee. Zelenskyy didn't seem to get it. Posturing does not offer a chance of peace or stop the killing. Of course Putin is an immoral thug. Everyone knows that. Shouting it yet again leads only to more killing.
I agree with your point. But, as well, in order to get Putin to agree to a compromise and halt the war and the killing, he cannot overtly treat Putin as an enemy. There has to be something in it for Putin. Trump is offering Putin a number of non-costly things.
IMO (and I could be wrong) Putin wants to end this war, BUT he has to appear he didn't lose. Zelensky, I don't know what he want, except to appear to be The Hero, Jack the Giant Killer.
Correct. Trump understands that throwing shit at Putin will get zero results, so he needs to maneuver to bring Kremlin to negotiating table and tame Zelenskyy to agree to work with him and Putin AND make it economically viable. Strangle how Zelenskyy blew it up and now the situation for Ukraine is worse.
I wouldn't take a deal with a "stealth security guarantee" from Trump. He has a habit of breaking written contracts when it suits him. I think Europe will step it up because they are scared of Putin. Whether or not that's a good thing, I'm not sure. This all marks a huge change in the power structure and who knows what the ramifications will be!
I’m not sure this minerals deal is any kind of security for Ukraine stealthy or otherwise. From what I can gather developing these mines would take years and years and investment in electrical infrastructure to power the mining, which is very power hungry. Eventually they’ll be some rare earth that can be extracted from the ground for the benefit of the US. But US also has other options to obtain those in other parts of the world. So I see the minerals thing much more as something Trump can use to burnish his ‘deal master’ reputation and tout to American voters to compensate for the ‘wasted’ US spending on Ukraine which BTW is actually about 50% of the number Trump cites. Do we really think Putin will stop invasion because there’s a US company their doing mining? If I were Zelenskyy I’d be pushing for more too, just maybe not in front of the cameras.
Was it too simplistic to condemn Chamberlain for siding with Hitler over the Czechs at Munich? Was that simply "ugly" but "necessary" diplomacy. Sorry. Trump has now exposed himself as nothing but a hand-puppet of Putin those of us who have been paying attention (I'm looking at you, FBI) have seen him as being since 2015. With luck, the American people will now line of the streets of wherever Trump and Vance dare to drive, just like the people of tiny, wonderful Waitsfield, VT, with large signs saying "Go away, Traitor!" Smerconish's weekly poll question on CNN yesterday was this: "Who was most responsible for what happened in the Oval, Trump, Vance, Zelensky, or All the above?" 92%, about evenly split, voted Trump or Vance. A grand total of 4% voted for Trump. Let's hope Trump's almost insane narcissism and hubris have finally caught up with him--and destroyed him politically. Most Americans do not want a President who's a puppet of Moscow.
Yes, yes. More Democrat talking points. Russia, Russia, Russia. More Trump derangement syndrome.
A Pew poll indicates that Americans are split on funding Ukraine, with Democrats favoring more funding, and Republicans favoring less funding. Given that the US is on the way to bankruptcy, and that to spend more means borrowing more, some prudence is needed here.
As for your identification of preferring peace with treason, it is clear that you do not care how many Ukrainians have to die, how much of Ukraine will be destroyed, as long as the fight keeps going. Is callousness your preferred foreign policy?
Europe is a lost cause. Its individual and central governments have allowed unrestricted Muslim migration, with its resulting violent crime and loss of European justice. The underlying strain of anti-semitism has now become an open sore there. Democrats in America by about ⅔ do not support Israel, while more than the opposite is true for Republicans. Ukraine was attacked, for sure, and Putin is a tyrant. However, Zelenskyy has overstayed his time in office, and even without elections, should have given up power to the head of the Ukrainian Parliament. That he has not shows that, although Ukraine is better than Russia, it is a very low bar to compare itself to. Israel can do what it wants, but siding with Europe over Trump is akin to cutting off one's nose to spite its face. Israel needs the U.S. -- big deal, so does most of the world not run by dictatorships. Israel's identity still and will continue to exist, but as Zelenskyy learned on 2/28/2025, it does no good to antagonize a nation that has supported you.
When you think about it, this has been, and remains, a quite difficult choice with ramifications either way. At the same time, we have the other highly difficult choice - whether to continue negotiating with Hamas, get all of our hostages back (if that’s even possible, with Hamas holding them), and have to allow for a full ceasefire, which might very well leave Hamas still in power OR to resume with the war, destroy the rest of Gaza (I’m kind of in favor of that, but not going to expound here), destroy Hamas, and pray that we’re able to save some, or all, of our hostages. BOTH choices are mutually exclusive. But that doesn’t mean we have to needlessly fret about which decisions we will make. Because nothing is forever. I don’t believe that we need to be overly concerned one way or the other. As long as we know that whatever we choose today, seems best for us, best for our survival, best for our interests at that moment. And to know that me cannot solely depend on anyone, but only that we must always make it our ultimate goal to depend on ourselves.
Cease fire, negotiate, agree to anything (arguing over minutia to appear serious), get the hostages out, and then do whatever the hell you need to do to destroy Hamas.
Yes, nothing is forever… so everyone needs to calm down and realize that. Also, when Israel parters with the U.S. regarding Russia it’s support for a negotiating strategy. The West has more and bigger enemies than Putin right now.
This is why Israel must become far less reliant on the US military industrial complex. Believe me, those companies won't be happy about it, but that's neither her nor there. The crazy Biden days when Israel had to hold back have morphed into crazy Trump days when Israel must choose, as you say, between its identify and its survival. There is a way out. It may take a while but Israel must start manufacturing its own weapons.
Michael. Provocative article. It’s a conundrum. It’s hard to know what to do. In this country I’m tired of getting emails from the ADL saying never again and then seeing the free range haters in this country having at it at Columbia and other institutions.
It’s hard for me to believe that there are not many other evil doers in this world many of who are weak and sucking at the test of globalism. Tge UK AND EU for that matter and Ithaca all their passive bravado are nor going to drag us closer to war with the resurrection of the Frappe du France that I first studied in college at UC Davis in 1972,,
Zelenskyy dumbclucked Trump with the demand that we serve as his own personal NATO as against Putin. Weak EU, weak UK and schizoid Germany. Putin has to be salivating.
My people fled Belarus in 1873 with White Russians and Ukrainians chasing them. . I loathe Outin for sure. I am a hawk and rabid for Usrael. I don’t criticize them for laying low on the Putin threat. I’m more worried about the Zhew haters involved in my ex Democrat party who encourage anti semitism.
Thanks. If you’re ever in Sacramento I enjoy buying you a cup of coffee. Of course it likely would not be a Frappe of any type. LOL.
Ambassador Oren: with profound respect for you, lifelong love and work for Israel, a family history of losing over 50 family members in Auschwitz, I see no dilemma here.
If Israel doesn’t take this moment to stand firm for deep values of humanity, morality and rule of law what is gained? The real politick of this government and the destruction of the Trump one may drive the world into deepening darkness.
Please lIsrael—really be a light unto the nations now that the US is trashing its part in these formerly exceptional democracies. We cannot afford submission to toxicity no matter where it’s coming from. Be the light. Do what’s right.
Obviously Russia is the less moral party vis a vis Ukraine, but what obligations does Israel have to Ukraine given Ukraine has not once (to my belief) supported Israel in many UN votes?
Since 2014 Ukraine has begun massive campaigns to honor Ukrainian Nazi collaborators, naming avenues (Stepan Bandera Avenue in Kiev) after them and issuing commemorative stamps of the Ukrainian SS Division Galizia.
Ukraine has voted against Israel in most UN resolutions and abstained from the rest.
With the collapse of Assad in Syria, the country is ripe for Turkish influence. Russia is the only likely power to offset that and Israel does well to attempt friendly relations with it. Even more so if Trump's strategy is to split Russia off from China and Iran.
Yes. Zelensky is an actor put into place by Israel-hating Obama people. Bio labs on Russia's borders, America’s now diminishing deep state c-eye-aye dirty tricks, moving NATO closer to Moscow, breaking Madian treaty, etc. Z was used to strutting into the WH reminding Biden and Son, Burisma officers, how much blackmail he had on them and flying back with billions. Instead he got a kick in the pants for refusing The Godfather who offered help for mineral rights. Incredible move to recoup America’s losses due to Ukraine swindling. Putin is the good guy in Obama’s war. Trump is brilliant. Zelensky merely looks like an acting president holding a borrowed Oscar.
Your point is well made. On the other hand, I have heard/read that Israel foolishly outsourced much of its weapons production to the United States. Obviously, Israel must reverse course on this policy. Trump is a volatile nut-job; he could turn against Israel at any time if he feels Netanyahu isn't licking his arse hard enough.
Throughout history Jews have sought close alliance with a monarch/autocrat who promised protection. Always, that promise changed when the monarch was removed from power, or just changed his mind. Trump will not be in power long, and can change his mind at any moment for any reason. The partisan ill will Israel and Republican Jews are purposely generating with Democrats is going to come back to bite us hard. This enthusiastic smashing of bipartisan relations with the US is not in Israel's best interests.
Unfortunate, but correct! Let's hope US institutions and wholehearted public support for Israel is/remains strong, and Israel does insource it's weapons production so it's security can't be jeopardized by shifting political winds. Trump's track record, although thankfully the most favorable to Israel, is highly transactional, and in the future "America First" and the Musk "train" could, G-d forbid, take an errand turn to fund tax cuts!
It is too simplistic to offer only pro-Ukraine vs. pro-Russia. Does siding with Ukraine mean supporting fighting to the last Ukrainian? Trump says he is pro-USA and pro-peace. Stopping the war means negotiations; Trump has offered to serve as a mediator. You can't mediate by denouncing one of the parties. Diplomacy is ugly, but necessary. Let's try to be adults. Trump could not give overt security guarantees that Zelenskyy demanded without scaring off Putin. Trump offered an economic deal that was a stealth security guarantee. Zelenskyy didn't seem to get it. Posturing does not offer a chance of peace or stop the killing. Of course Putin is an immoral thug. Everyone knows that. Shouting it yet again leads only to more killing.
Why is Trump afraid of Putin? Russia is much weaker than the US. Not good.
1. Russia has Nukes. That means you play The Game (diplomacy) differently.
I agree with your point. But, as well, in order to get Putin to agree to a compromise and halt the war and the killing, he cannot overtly treat Putin as an enemy. There has to be something in it for Putin. Trump is offering Putin a number of non-costly things.
Well Said.
IMO (and I could be wrong) Putin wants to end this war, BUT he has to appear he didn't lose. Zelensky, I don't know what he want, except to appear to be The Hero, Jack the Giant Killer.
So when Iran gets a nuke. Trump will cozy up to the Ayatollah?
I Would Not Count On That. n fact I don't believe THAT would not be allowed to happen.
Correct. Trump understands that throwing shit at Putin will get zero results, so he needs to maneuver to bring Kremlin to negotiating table and tame Zelenskyy to agree to work with him and Putin AND make it economically viable. Strangle how Zelenskyy blew it up and now the situation for Ukraine is worse.
I wouldn't take a deal with a "stealth security guarantee" from Trump. He has a habit of breaking written contracts when it suits him. I think Europe will step it up because they are scared of Putin. Whether or not that's a good thing, I'm not sure. This all marks a huge change in the power structure and who knows what the ramifications will be!
Agreed. Negotiations can be ugly, so in the process a little bit of honey is needed as the medicine both parties must choke down is strong.
I’m not sure this minerals deal is any kind of security for Ukraine stealthy or otherwise. From what I can gather developing these mines would take years and years and investment in electrical infrastructure to power the mining, which is very power hungry. Eventually they’ll be some rare earth that can be extracted from the ground for the benefit of the US. But US also has other options to obtain those in other parts of the world. So I see the minerals thing much more as something Trump can use to burnish his ‘deal master’ reputation and tout to American voters to compensate for the ‘wasted’ US spending on Ukraine which BTW is actually about 50% of the number Trump cites. Do we really think Putin will stop invasion because there’s a US company their doing mining? If I were Zelenskyy I’d be pushing for more too, just maybe not in front of the cameras.
Was it too simplistic to condemn Chamberlain for siding with Hitler over the Czechs at Munich? Was that simply "ugly" but "necessary" diplomacy. Sorry. Trump has now exposed himself as nothing but a hand-puppet of Putin those of us who have been paying attention (I'm looking at you, FBI) have seen him as being since 2015. With luck, the American people will now line of the streets of wherever Trump and Vance dare to drive, just like the people of tiny, wonderful Waitsfield, VT, with large signs saying "Go away, Traitor!" Smerconish's weekly poll question on CNN yesterday was this: "Who was most responsible for what happened in the Oval, Trump, Vance, Zelensky, or All the above?" 92%, about evenly split, voted Trump or Vance. A grand total of 4% voted for Trump. Let's hope Trump's almost insane narcissism and hubris have finally caught up with him--and destroyed him politically. Most Americans do not want a President who's a puppet of Moscow.
Yes, yes. More Democrat talking points. Russia, Russia, Russia. More Trump derangement syndrome.
A Pew poll indicates that Americans are split on funding Ukraine, with Democrats favoring more funding, and Republicans favoring less funding. Given that the US is on the way to bankruptcy, and that to spend more means borrowing more, some prudence is needed here.
As for your identification of preferring peace with treason, it is clear that you do not care how many Ukrainians have to die, how much of Ukraine will be destroyed, as long as the fight keeps going. Is callousness your preferred foreign policy?
Only the Ukrainians can and should answer that question.
Exactly
Europe is a lost cause. Its individual and central governments have allowed unrestricted Muslim migration, with its resulting violent crime and loss of European justice. The underlying strain of anti-semitism has now become an open sore there. Democrats in America by about ⅔ do not support Israel, while more than the opposite is true for Republicans. Ukraine was attacked, for sure, and Putin is a tyrant. However, Zelenskyy has overstayed his time in office, and even without elections, should have given up power to the head of the Ukrainian Parliament. That he has not shows that, although Ukraine is better than Russia, it is a very low bar to compare itself to. Israel can do what it wants, but siding with Europe over Trump is akin to cutting off one's nose to spite its face. Israel needs the U.S. -- big deal, so does most of the world not run by dictatorships. Israel's identity still and will continue to exist, but as Zelenskyy learned on 2/28/2025, it does no good to antagonize a nation that has supported you.
Agreed
A profoundly thoughtful piece. A profound dilemma. There is, unfortunately, no “right”.
You are correct on all fronts. Israel had no choice. None.
What a mess. Ukraine has not felt free to back Israel either …if I remember correctly.
When you think about it, this has been, and remains, a quite difficult choice with ramifications either way. At the same time, we have the other highly difficult choice - whether to continue negotiating with Hamas, get all of our hostages back (if that’s even possible, with Hamas holding them), and have to allow for a full ceasefire, which might very well leave Hamas still in power OR to resume with the war, destroy the rest of Gaza (I’m kind of in favor of that, but not going to expound here), destroy Hamas, and pray that we’re able to save some, or all, of our hostages. BOTH choices are mutually exclusive. But that doesn’t mean we have to needlessly fret about which decisions we will make. Because nothing is forever. I don’t believe that we need to be overly concerned one way or the other. As long as we know that whatever we choose today, seems best for us, best for our survival, best for our interests at that moment. And to know that me cannot solely depend on anyone, but only that we must always make it our ultimate goal to depend on ourselves.
Cease fire, negotiate, agree to anything (arguing over minutia to appear serious), get the hostages out, and then do whatever the hell you need to do to destroy Hamas.
Yes, nothing is forever… so everyone needs to calm down and realize that. Also, when Israel parters with the U.S. regarding Russia it’s support for a negotiating strategy. The West has more and bigger enemies than Putin right now.
This is why Israel must become far less reliant on the US military industrial complex. Believe me, those companies won't be happy about it, but that's neither her nor there. The crazy Biden days when Israel had to hold back have morphed into crazy Trump days when Israel must choose, as you say, between its identify and its survival. There is a way out. It may take a while but Israel must start manufacturing its own weapons.
Michael. Provocative article. It’s a conundrum. It’s hard to know what to do. In this country I’m tired of getting emails from the ADL saying never again and then seeing the free range haters in this country having at it at Columbia and other institutions.
It’s hard for me to believe that there are not many other evil doers in this world many of who are weak and sucking at the test of globalism. Tge UK AND EU for that matter and Ithaca all their passive bravado are nor going to drag us closer to war with the resurrection of the Frappe du France that I first studied in college at UC Davis in 1972,,
Zelenskyy dumbclucked Trump with the demand that we serve as his own personal NATO as against Putin. Weak EU, weak UK and schizoid Germany. Putin has to be salivating.
My people fled Belarus in 1873 with White Russians and Ukrainians chasing them. . I loathe Outin for sure. I am a hawk and rabid for Usrael. I don’t criticize them for laying low on the Putin threat. I’m more worried about the Zhew haters involved in my ex Democrat party who encourage anti semitism.
Thanks. If you’re ever in Sacramento I enjoy buying you a cup of coffee. Of course it likely would not be a Frappe of any type. LOL.
BEST
Steve Block
You are so right.
A difficult but necessary decision.
On the other side; Trump and his people should be removed as soon as possible.
👎
Ambassador Oren: with profound respect for you, lifelong love and work for Israel, a family history of losing over 50 family members in Auschwitz, I see no dilemma here.
If Israel doesn’t take this moment to stand firm for deep values of humanity, morality and rule of law what is gained? The real politick of this government and the destruction of the Trump one may drive the world into deepening darkness.
Please lIsrael—really be a light unto the nations now that the US is trashing its part in these formerly exceptional democracies. We cannot afford submission to toxicity no matter where it’s coming from. Be the light. Do what’s right.
Well stated, thank you for your post.
Obviously Russia is the less moral party vis a vis Ukraine, but what obligations does Israel have to Ukraine given Ukraine has not once (to my belief) supported Israel in many UN votes?
Have you ever considered Both Russia & Ukraine are equally corrupt?
No
Very Good. A lot of people don't.
Since 2014 Ukraine has begun massive campaigns to honor Ukrainian Nazi collaborators, naming avenues (Stepan Bandera Avenue in Kiev) after them and issuing commemorative stamps of the Ukrainian SS Division Galizia.
Ukraine has voted against Israel in most UN resolutions and abstained from the rest.
With the collapse of Assad in Syria, the country is ripe for Turkish influence. Russia is the only likely power to offset that and Israel does well to attempt friendly relations with it. Even more so if Trump's strategy is to split Russia off from China and Iran.
https://foreignpolicy.com/2015/04/27/dear-ukraine-please-dont-shoot-yourself-in-the-foot-nationalists-russia-bandera-rada/
Yes. Zelensky is an actor put into place by Israel-hating Obama people. Bio labs on Russia's borders, America’s now diminishing deep state c-eye-aye dirty tricks, moving NATO closer to Moscow, breaking Madian treaty, etc. Z was used to strutting into the WH reminding Biden and Son, Burisma officers, how much blackmail he had on them and flying back with billions. Instead he got a kick in the pants for refusing The Godfather who offered help for mineral rights. Incredible move to recoup America’s losses due to Ukraine swindling. Putin is the good guy in Obama’s war. Trump is brilliant. Zelensky merely looks like an acting president holding a borrowed Oscar.
Your point is well made. On the other hand, I have heard/read that Israel foolishly outsourced much of its weapons production to the United States. Obviously, Israel must reverse course on this policy. Trump is a volatile nut-job; he could turn against Israel at any time if he feels Netanyahu isn't licking his arse hard enough.
Throughout history Jews have sought close alliance with a monarch/autocrat who promised protection. Always, that promise changed when the monarch was removed from power, or just changed his mind. Trump will not be in power long, and can change his mind at any moment for any reason. The partisan ill will Israel and Republican Jews are purposely generating with Democrats is going to come back to bite us hard. This enthusiastic smashing of bipartisan relations with the US is not in Israel's best interests.
Unfortunate, but correct! Let's hope US institutions and wholehearted public support for Israel is/remains strong, and Israel does insource it's weapons production so it's security can't be jeopardized by shifting political winds. Trump's track record, although thankfully the most favorable to Israel, is highly transactional, and in the future "America First" and the Musk "train" could, G-d forbid, take an errand turn to fund tax cuts!
Giving Putin every single thing that he wants is not diplomacy and is most certainly not a brilliant strategy. Art of the deal. Yeah right.