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Drudge Retort: The Other Side of the News
Saturday, August 16, 2025

The Trump administration's decision to pause military aid to Ukraine earlier this year undercut the country's fighting capability and undermined its negotiating position with Russia, according to a newly disclosed assessment from the US European Command.

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Trump says Ukraine needs to make a deal after summit with Putin ends without ceasefire reut.rs/3UwEV1W

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-- Reuters (@reuters.com) Aug 16, 2025 at 9:00 AM

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More from the article...

...The eight-day halt in March "had tangible effect"on the conflict as well as "significant residual effects on the delivery of security assistance," including fuses for some precision-guided weapons and 155mm ammunition, according to the report led by the Pentagon's acting inspector general, Steve Stebbins. ...

Report: media.defense.gov (PDF)

#1 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-08-15 03:13 PM | Reply

" negotiating position "

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

#2 | Posted by LegallyYourDead at 2025-08-15 03:21 PM | Reply

Trump putting on a show that he's not Putin's Beach.

#3 | Posted by censored at 2025-08-15 11:27 PM | Reply

Of course any comments about ending support for Ukraine is encouragement for Putin and JD Vance running his stuoid mouth about American taxpayers tired of supporting Ukraine was like a love letter yo Putin. This administration is all about talking to the MAGAs but are too clueless to consider that Putin hears every word and loves it!

#4 | Posted by danni at 2025-08-16 07:49 PM | Reply

And security guarantees without NAYO membership is a script written by Putin that Trump and Vance happily repeat! Why should Russia have ant say about which nations can join NATO? the wgole purpose of NATO is to defend the smaller countries against a Russian invasion. If Trump had guts he would strongly announce support for NATO and include Ukraine!

#5 | Posted by danni at 2025-08-16 07:55 PM | Reply

@#4 ... Of course any comments about ending support for Ukraine is encouragement for Putin and JD Vance running his stuoid mouth about American taxpayers tired of supporting Ukraine was like a love letter yo Putin. ...

Agreed.

So, I have to ask, why is the President of the United States and his VP seeming to suck up to a dictator?

#6 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-08-16 07:56 PM | Reply

@#5 ... And security guarantees without NAYO membership is a script written by Putin that Trump and Vance happily repeat! ...

imo, you're on a roll this evening.

Yeah, Pres trump ceded to Prees Putin, even before any real negotiations began, that he would not allow Ukraine to join NATO.

That was a major win for Pres Putin.

And, what did Pres Putin give in return for that huge win?

[crickets]

#7 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-08-16 07:59 PM | Reply

Trump is just trying to drag everything out until after the midterms when he's counting on having that Unitary Executive title in his pocket and he doesn't have to worry about 2028.

#8 | Posted by Twinpac at 2025-08-16 08:05 PM | Reply

So, I have to ask, why is the President of the United States and his VP seeming to suck up to a dictator?
#6 | Posted by LampLighter

Put has kompromat (see my earlier post about the "pee tape versus the p-tape") on Trump and Trump is forcing Vance to say these things.

Description

#9 | Posted by rstybeach11 at 2025-08-16 08:14 PM | Reply

*Putin has kompromat...

#10 | Posted by rstybeach11 at 2025-08-16 08:14 PM | Reply

@#9, 10

I agree. Pres Putin seems to have something over Pres trump.

Is it the apparent $$ from Russia to Trump accounts?

Or is it a pee-tape?

imo, time will eventually tell.


BaFin to Deepen Deutsche Bank Money Laundering Investigation (Feb 2019)
www.financemagnates.com

...Deutsche Bank released a statement on Friday saying that BaFin, the German financial regulator, has extended the remit of an independent auditor examining the lender's role in the Danske Bank money laundering scandal.

The case stems from an ongoing investigation into the Danish bank's Estonian division.

After a whistle-blower sounded the alarm about the activity of certain customers, most of whom were from Russia and the former Soviet Union, in late 2018, it became apparent that Danske Bank's Tallinn-based operations were doing business with some less than scrupulous individuals.

It is alleged that the bank laundered around $225 billion from 2007 to 2014. If that is the case, it would potentially be the largest instance of money laundering ever uncovered.

Deutsche Bank falls into the mix as it acted as Danske Bank's main correspondent bank. According to the Financial Times, the German bank was responsible for facilitating $180 billion in suspicious transactions....

[emphasis mine]

Deutsche Bank Offices Are Raided In Money Laundering Probe (Nov 2018)
www.npr.org

...In recent years, Deutsche Bank has been in the news not only for its prominence in the Panama Papers, but also for its ties to President Trump, in a tumultuous relationship that goes back some 20 years.

Trump and the bank once sued each other after he failed to repay a $300 million loan. And the author and reporter Luke Harding has described a "shuffle of money" between the bank's dealings with figures in Russia and its business with Trump. ...

[emphasis mine]


#11 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-08-16 08:26 PM | Reply

#11 | Posted by LampLighter

I'm thinking it's less a "pee tape" and more a "p-tape" (i.e., pedophile tape).

#12 | Posted by rstybeach11 at 2025-08-16 08:38 PM | Reply

Trump and Putin are both power hungry 'control freaks.' I'm thinking that this unholy BFF relationship is a prelude to their ultimate goal . . . to split up the hemispheres and jointly control the world's economy and thus, control the world. Maybe with China as a silent partner.

#13 | Posted by Twinpac at 2025-08-17 06:09 AM | Reply

LAMP

I'm just thinking that bigger things are at stake. My hypothesis is that Putin doesn't want to destroy Trump. They're going to need each other later on. Which I outlined in my #13.

I think they're both lurking until Trump is in a political position to join Russia in carrying out their ultimate goal.

Right now, you've got to admit that Trump is doing everything he can to destroy democracy which Putin has already accomplished in Russia. Trump has some catching up to do but he's working on it.

#14 | Posted by Twinpac at 2025-08-17 07:01 AM | Reply

Just announced: the Secret Service will be monitoring all prayers to insure that the President and Vice President will not be the targets of subversive prayers!

#15 | Posted by danni at 2025-08-17 01:22 PM | Reply

Trump administration's decision to pause military aid to Ukraine earlier this year undercut the country's fighting capability and undermined its negotiating position with Russia,

"Mission Accomplished!"
-Putin

#16 | Posted by ClownShack at 2025-08-17 01:24 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

Stab in the back': Ukraine outraged as Trump embraces Putin's peace plan

newsukraine.rbc.ua

#17 | Posted by reinheitsgebot at 2025-08-17 06:54 PM | Reply

__________
#3 | Posted by censored at 2025-08-15 11:27 PM
Trump putting on a show that he's not Putin's Beach.

He's been keeping keyfabe of "successful businessman" and "strong leader" for a very long time, it's wearing off.

"Krasnov" ("Red") Trump has been trying to Make Russia Great Again since at least 1987.

Business projects of Donald Trump in Russia | Trump - Russia relations


__________

#18 | Posted by CutiePie at 2025-08-17 07:33 PM | Reply

I don't subscribe to Bloomberg. But it takes no deep thought to understand that Trump has never cared about helping Ukraine. Every move Trump makes regarding this issue is to help Putin and Trump. It should be painfully obvious by now that Donald Trump has been a Russian asset for decades.

#19 | Posted by Whatsleft at 2025-08-18 12:21 PM | Reply

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