How Trump’s Decision to ‘Pause’ Aid Has Already Killed Ukrainian Civilians, Including Women and Children

Trump’s chest-pounding ‘pause’ on shipments of “all military equipment not yet inside Ukraine” will primarily impair Ukraine’s ability to defend civilians from aerial attack from Russian missiles and drones. The inevitable result of Trump’s latest gift to Putin will be felt not on the front lines, but in the rear of the active combat areas across Ukraine.

The biggest gap in Ukraine’s security that only US military equipment can fill is advanced air defense systems, such as the Patriot missile systems, which are deployed to defend Ukraine’s civilians and infrastructure – especially power generation. An example of that sort of Russian terror bombing was seen today as at least 4 civilians died in a Russian strike on a hotel in President Zelenskyy’s hometown.

Thus, those who will pay the price of Trump’s toadying to Putin to get Ukraine to capitulate to a ceasefire that only benefits Putin’s exhausted invasion force, is not Ukraine’s military personnel, but its civilians, including innocent women and children, who will be killed in the Russian terror bombing of purely civilian areas and infrastructure – yet another war crime among the many committed by Putin and Russian forces during this illegal and immoral invasion, of course.

It is hard to fathom just how vile and depraved MAGA have become that they are cheering Trump for this betrayal of a fellow democracy, the deep fractures in the European security alliance he is causing, and for exposing innocent civilians to Putin’s campaign of terror against the people of Ukraine. It is truly bewildering that Trump is demanding Ukraine end a war that it did not begin and never wanted. The world wants this war to end, but the only person who can truly end it is the person who started it – Putin. Trump ought to be bringing maximum pressure on his bosom buddy, not twisting Zelenskyy’s arm.

The second major impact of Trump’s ‘pause’ will be on “the long-range ATACMS missiles — that have allowed Ukraine to strike deep into Russian territory, a strategy that could suffer if those weapons remain paused”. This will affect Ukrainian efforts to target Russian military assets, supplies, facilities and command and control elements inside Russia. Trump is also disrupting Ukraine’s capacity to target inside Russia by shutting off intelligence sharing regarding such targets. All of this, too, is a gift to Putin, taking the domestic and military pressure off the dictator from Ukraine’s own successful missile and drone strikes on military and political targets inside Russia.

And to top of Trump’s gift list to his boss Putin, Pete Hegseth, ordered all cyber attacks on Russia in support of Ukraine’s defense shut down. Seems that Trump wants to give away all possible American leverage prior to any ceasefire negotiations.

Hegseth had already foolishly taken NATO membership and return of seized Ukrainian territory off the table prior to any negotiations, presumably at Trump’s direction; now Trump has taken strikes inside Russia and cyber attacks off the board. What has Trump left negotiators to work with to prise concessions from Putin? Nothing.

And that in a nutshell is Trump’s ‘brilliant’ peace plan: for Russia to have nothing to gain and Ukraine to have everything to lose by even entering into talks with a negotiating counterparty who has proven faithless time and time again.

Ask your Republican representatives why they think it wise or moral for Trump to so expose Ukrainian civilians to death and loss just to pressure Ukraine to the negotiating table with a murderous thug who is only interested in a ceasefire in order to rearm and recruit for yet another renewed attack on Ukraine’s sovereignty and peace? Trump is merely performing the role of ‘peacemaker’ for his gullible and naive cult members: nobody else can possibly believe he intends anything other than pleasing and benefitting his master, Putin.

Do YOU really believe that Putin wants peace? Leave a comment as to why or why not. If yes, have I ever got a memecoin for you to invest in, sucker… I mean, buddy!