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littlemissmartypants

(34,018 posts)
Sat Apr 18, 2026, 09:23 AM 20 hrs ago

Ukraine Has Written Off the United States

Zelensky has stopped pretending that Trump might be an ally.

By Phillips Payson O’Brien
April 18, 2026, 6 AM ET

For more than a year after Donald Trump returned to the White House, Ukraine held out hope—at least publicly—of winning him over. Trump, who revealed his affection for Russia’s Vladimir Putin again and again, largely halted American military aid to Kyiv. He insulted Ukrainian leaders regularly, personally berating President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office in February 2025. Nevertheless, Ukraine diligently took part in Trump’s peace negotiations, which were tilted to reward Putin’s invasion and turned out to be fruitless. Zelensky agreed to mineral deals that supposedly promised to enrich Americans. He even lavishly praised Trump himself. Despite Ukrainian leaders’ growing doubts, they calculated that speaking sweetly of the American president would do no harm and just might gain his favor.

But now Kyiv appears to have given up on the United States. It is aggressively seeking new diplomatic and military partners—for instance, by sharing its hard-won expertise in drone warfare with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates and forging arms-production agreements with Germany. Ukraine has sent drones to attack oil-export facilities near St. Petersburg, deep inside enemy territory, in defiance of what Zelensky called “signals” from unspecified “partners” to avoid striking Russian energy infrastructure.

Using language that would until recently have been unthinkable, Zelensky has indicated that he no longer views the United States as a reliable ally and, even more astonishingly, that all of Europe needs to start moving on from the transatlantic relationship.

In an effort to keep energy prices from spiking further amid the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, the Trump administration eased sanctions on Russian oil producers and sellers. In an interview last week with Italian radio, Zelensky criticized that decision. “In my view, Russia played the Americans again—played the president of the United States,” he said. (The sanctions waiver expired earlier this week.) Lest anyone outside Italy miss his point, Zelensky amplified an English-language version of his comments on X.

...
Subscribers:
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/04/ukraine-trump-us-oil-russia/686854/
Archive:
https://archive.is/2026.04.18-101333/https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/04/ukraine-trump-us-oil-russia/686854/

41 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Ukraine Has Written Off the United States (Original Post) littlemissmartypants 20 hrs ago OP
Kick dalton99a 20 hrs ago #1
It will take generations for us to wash off the shame of this administration. Scrivener7 20 hrs ago #2
We'll be like the Germans after World War II was over FakeNoose 17 hrs ago #24
I will thankfully be dead! BidenRocks 15 hrs ago #32
Why cant the EVIL ONE be dead. I pray his days will be numbered. Trueblue1968 11 hrs ago #36
when I travel out of the US I have t-shirts and jacket with a big red maple leaves on them. Sad thing for a vet ... marble falls 13 hrs ago #34
One difference will be that the world saw Germany as worth restoring after the war, Scrivener7 6 hrs ago #40
It's sad but what other choice does he have newdeal2 20 hrs ago #3
Panicked Russia floating that they may attack European drone plants Prairie Gates 20 hrs ago #4
There's no money to be made in Ukraine...that's all trmp's interested in. spanone 20 hrs ago #5
Exactly vapor2 17 hrs ago #28
Now that Orban is gone, Ukraine doesn't have to pretend anymore Fiendish Thingy 19 hrs ago #6
And Trump just extended the extended the sactions relief on Russian oil True Dough 19 hrs ago #7
I love that term "Putins Puppet". multigraincracker 19 hrs ago #12
That disgusting orange psychopath will alienate every good ally we've ever had. Diamond_Dog 19 hrs ago #8
Can't blame them. They're trying to survive, trump just wants to grift... Wounded Bear 19 hrs ago #9
As 99 percent of the free world has done. nt yaesu 19 hrs ago #10
Slava Ukraini. The orange creature currently soiling OUR HOUSE is an niyad 19 hrs ago #11
But don't the European nations still have sanctions on Russia? They can still hunt down Russian tankers. ChicagoTeamster 19 hrs ago #13
TSF is the WORST thing that ever happened to Ukraine! bluestarone 19 hrs ago #14
In my opinion, they all should write off the US KentuckyWoman 19 hrs ago #15
Uh...no. Too many good people still here. Why should we suffer more than we already are. electric_blue68 17 hrs ago #26
Trump is Putin's puppy... Joinfortmill 18 hrs ago #16
The Atlantic got one thing wrong, the sanction waiver was extended krawhitham 18 hrs ago #17
Ukraine isn't alone in giving up on the US, most countries are in their company. Bev54 18 hrs ago #18
sadly predictable themaguffin 18 hrs ago #19
Shining beacon of liberty my foot. What a joke our country has become. ck4829 18 hrs ago #20
Good, Europe needs to be stronger militarily and economically and balance out the power in the world JI7 18 hrs ago #21
It's not just that TSF is pro-Putin, TSF's "perfect phone call" that got him impeached was with Zelensky. Never let a Exp 18 hrs ago #22
We can do our bit by making contributions to White Stork. If anyone has reservations, I'm including a link with info: NBachers 18 hrs ago #23
Well, this sucks. orangecrush 17 hrs ago #25
Effing trump for SO Many reasons... electric_blue68 17 hrs ago #27
Simply heartbreaking . nt Javaman 16 hrs ago #29
Ukraine may be better off without "help" from the US and alll the strings that entails. Zelenskyy has been forminng Amaryllis 16 hrs ago #30
And that was the plan all along. To sow distrust in the United States. Initech 16 hrs ago #31
Message auto-removed Name removed 15 hrs ago #33
Join the club. CaptainTruth 11 hrs ago #35
Writing off Trump is one thing. Emrys 11 hrs ago #37
What is they say? blue-wave 10 hrs ago #38
The power structures around the world are shifting. Aussie105 9 hrs ago #39
Trump is a loser that keeps America losing Johonny 6 hrs ago #41

FakeNoose

(41,936 posts)
24. We'll be like the Germans after World War II was over
Sat Apr 18, 2026, 11:57 AM
17 hrs ago

"Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea culpa" for the next 40 years! That's going to be us.

marble falls

(72,081 posts)
34. when I travel out of the US I have t-shirts and jacket with a big red maple leaves on them. Sad thing for a vet ...
Sat Apr 18, 2026, 04:20 PM
13 hrs ago

... to have admit.

Scrivener7

(59,784 posts)
40. One difference will be that the world saw Germany as worth restoring after the war,
Sat Apr 18, 2026, 10:42 PM
6 hrs ago

however imperfectly they executed that wish.

No one can trust us, so no one is going to touch us with a ten foot pole after this.

newdeal2

(5,501 posts)
3. It's sad but what other choice does he have
Sat Apr 18, 2026, 09:27 AM
20 hrs ago

He is a realist but also doesn’t want to turn his country over to Putin.

Fiendish Thingy

(23,455 posts)
6. Now that Orban is gone, Ukraine doesn't have to pretend anymore
Sat Apr 18, 2026, 10:00 AM
19 hrs ago

Soon they will get everything they need from the EU, and in return, the EU will benefit from access to Ukraines rare earth metal deposits, wheat, and other resources.

One more tombstone in the Trump graveyard of failures.

True Dough

(26,921 posts)
7. And Trump just extended the extended the sactions relief on Russian oil
Sat Apr 18, 2026, 10:00 AM
19 hrs ago

because he is a Putin puppet.

SLAVA UKRAINI!

Diamond_Dog

(40,765 posts)
8. That disgusting orange psychopath will alienate every good ally we've ever had.
Sat Apr 18, 2026, 10:00 AM
19 hrs ago

His ouster cannot come soon enough. We will have so much to repair in the USA it will take a decade or more. We are already being written off in the eyes of the world and our standard of living keeps sinking …..

Wounded Bear

(64,432 posts)
9. Can't blame them. They're trying to survive, trump just wants to grift...
Sat Apr 18, 2026, 10:04 AM
19 hrs ago

and the opportunity to grift in Ukraine has dried up.

niyad

(133,086 posts)
11. Slava Ukraini. The orange creature currently soiling OUR HOUSE is an
Sat Apr 18, 2026, 10:29 AM
19 hrs ago

existential threat. Ukraine will do what it must to survive.

ChicagoTeamster

(1,069 posts)
13. But don't the European nations still have sanctions on Russia? They can still hunt down Russian tankers.
Sat Apr 18, 2026, 10:31 AM
19 hrs ago

They can still freeze Russian assets and sanction American banks that allow transactions trading Russian commodities.

bluestarone

(22,305 posts)
14. TSF is the WORST thing that ever happened to Ukraine!
Sat Apr 18, 2026, 10:35 AM
19 hrs ago

First thought in my mind when this BASTARD won the election. I feel so let down because our Allies and Ukraine are taking a hit!! God Dam RETHUGS are destroying us.

KentuckyWoman

(7,411 posts)
15. In my opinion, they all should write off the US
Sat Apr 18, 2026, 10:39 AM
19 hrs ago

Even our financial markets. It would be gawd awful for us, but the rest of the world would be better off. Clearly, the crazy train that is the US over the last decade or two is driving right off the cliff. Nobody seems to be interested is stopping it and I don't understand why.

Joinfortmill

(21,352 posts)
16. Trump is Putin's puppy...
Sat Apr 18, 2026, 10:53 AM
18 hrs ago

Wish Putin would dump the goods on Donald. Maybe he will once Donald is out of office or maybe he'll do it just for shits and giggles.

krawhitham

(5,075 posts)
17. The Atlantic got one thing wrong, the sanction waiver was extended
Sat Apr 18, 2026, 10:55 AM
18 hrs ago
US extends waiver on Russian oil sanctions to ease Iran war shortages despite Bessent denial

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Treasury Department on Friday extended its pause on sanctions on Russian oil shipments to ease shortages from the Iran war, days after Secretary Scott Bessent ruled out such a move.

The so-called general license means U.S. sanctions will not apply for 30 days on deliveries of Russian oil that has been loaded on tankers as of Friday. It extended a similar 30-day license issued in March for Russian oil that had been loaded by March 11.

The extension underscores how the fallout from the Iran war has boosted Moscow’s ability to profit from its energy exports, which had been restrained since the invasion of Ukraine.


https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/18/us-extends-waiver-on-russian-oil-sanctions-to-ease-iran-war-shortages-despite-bessent-denial-00879923

JI7

(93,740 posts)
21. Good, Europe needs to be stronger militarily and economically and balance out the power in the world
Sat Apr 18, 2026, 11:36 AM
18 hrs ago

It shouldn't just be the US and China .

We can still have allies but need to consider if something like Trump comes along . All the attempt at ass kissing of Trump and trying to work with him is not something they should ever do.

Exp

(986 posts)
22. It's not just that TSF is pro-Putin, TSF's "perfect phone call" that got him impeached was with Zelensky. Never let a
Sat Apr 18, 2026, 11:41 AM
18 hrs ago

good grudge go to waste.

electric_blue68

(26,980 posts)
27. Effing trump for SO Many reasons...
Sat Apr 18, 2026, 12:28 PM
17 hrs ago

Including this one, favoring Putin over President Zelensky/Ukraine.

SLAVA UKRAINI!

Amaryllis

(11,340 posts)
30. Ukraine may be better off without "help" from the US and alll the strings that entails. Zelenskyy has been forminng
Sat Apr 18, 2026, 12:54 PM
16 hrs ago

alliances all over; just this past week with Italy, Germany, Norway. Ukraine is now viewed as having a great deal to offer in military expertise.

Initech

(108,943 posts)
31. And that was the plan all along. To sow distrust in the United States.
Sat Apr 18, 2026, 12:58 PM
16 hrs ago

Fuck Putin, fuck Trump, and fuck Netanyahu.

Response to littlemissmartypants (Original post)

Emrys

(9,168 posts)
37. Writing off Trump is one thing.
Sat Apr 18, 2026, 06:11 PM
11 hrs ago

Hopefully this will once and for all put the kibosh on the idea that Ukraine has to gift Putin with territory he's failed to "win" through war. The only enthusiastic proponents of that scheme were Trump and his cronies and a few half-assed nominal Ukraine supporters or blatant fellow travellers of Russia. Putin would no doubt have been glad of the gift, but there's no reason to imagine it would have led to a sustained end to hostilities, quite the reverse.

But as for writing off the United States, I think that's throwing out the baby with the bathwater. Despite the spiteful rhetoric and actions from Trump, and especially Vance, along with others among Trump's cabal, we know that American public opinion has consistently favoured supporting Ukraine by substantial margins. The next Congress is likely to be far less slavishly loyal to Trump, and ways could be found to offer concrete support and fewer favours to Putin, and maybe start undoing some of the harm Trump's tried to do in the last couple of years.

Meanwhile, it will be no bad thing if the rest of NATO and Ukraine's allies work to be far less dependent on the US's agenda and firepower.

blue-wave

(5,359 posts)
38. What is they say?
Sat Apr 18, 2026, 07:14 PM
10 hrs ago

The definition of insanity is trying the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Zelenskyy did his due diligence. There is no point moving forward in an attempt to win over the king with no clothes.

It is sad and tragic for both countries but Ukraine will fair much better from breaking ties with the U.S. We are losing a battle tested ally with a populace that has the perseverance and intelligence to defeat a nemesis with greater numbers in people, equipment and treasure. Ukraine will win and survive and thrive. The United States will have to scramble and on bended knee ask for a second chance with the great ally we once had, Ukraine.

It's all about the money Trump thinks he'll make by being Putin's friend. What he doesn't understand is that Putin screws over everyone in his circle. Yes, he'll even do it to Trump and hand-over-his-heart Witkoff and Kushner. There in no honor amongst thieves.

Aussie105

(8,029 posts)
39. The power structures around the world are shifting.
Sat Apr 18, 2026, 08:23 PM
9 hrs ago

Away from the US.

So too are trade arrangements.

Despite decades of the US saying 'You need us, global stability depends on us!', it is all shifting away.

Thank you Mr Trump!

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