President Trump is stringing President Zelenskyy right into a ridiculously vulnerable place.
Zelenskyy, a native Russian-speaker, already has too much danger to contend with trying to uproot and replace corrupt officials while fighting Russian military incursions. Unqualified support from the United States would surely help. Indifference would make life difficult. What he’s getting is a sadistic form of sabotage that’s actively harmful.
I draw a comparison to the torture and execution of Jamall Khashoggi in the Saudi Arabian embassy because there were similar elements of reliance on and betrayal by the Trump administration that can only be described as sadistically manipulative and inhuman. Jamall Khashoggi’s fate may not be a direct result of actions taken by members of the Trump team. However a very strong case has been made that the Saudis knew they could plot and execute their plans against a U S resident and journalist with neither anything being done to stop them beforehand nor any meaningful repercussions afterwards. There certainly wasn’t anything done to intervene on behalf of Khashoggi’s life or well-being despite strong indications the Saudis were taking steps at the very least to kidnap him and return him to Saudi Arabia for severe punishment.
One can only look at this as Trump allowing a brutal example to be made of someone who stood in opposition to his goals when he held the power and responsibility to stop it.
Zelenskyy holds that role today. He is the moral compass of his nation. An artist putting his soul on the line. An actor thrown into the most dangerous real-life plot, with the most dangerous real-life characters, on the biggest stage. Trump scripted him the fall guy. Zelenskyy was elected to fight corruption and Russian aggression. Tragically though, the strong guy who claims to have his back: the United States, stands him up like a chump and won’t foot the tab he promised. Then his friend asks him if he’s even tried to make friends with Russia… Oh, and the United States also would like him to make a priority of lending his credibility to the corrupt officials he just ran against and defeated to lead Ukraine, because that will help the guy who is making it impossible to defend Ukraine get re-elected and stay in power.
Or, Zelenskyy can go it alone and Vladimir Putin might assassinate him.
The truly sadistic part is that NONE of the courses of action Trump holds out can undo the damage he has done to President Zelenskyy by toying with him in front of his adversaries and his country. Zelenskyy had to beg to get his aid, and lost territory in the process. He had to beg to meet Trump so the world could see they were allies. And Trump praised Putin to his face.
This whistleblower was vital for Ukraine. Trump, supposedly an ally, was slowly pushing them back under the dark waters of Russian authority and corruption. And calling himself a crusader while he did.
Ukraine needed some air, an indication to the world that betrayal was going to kill the good in them for another generation.
I sure as hell hope Zelenskyy has the courage to get through this dark and treacherous time.
I think Ukraine believes in him. I think they’ve seen the limitless ways of corruption enough to know how strong he’s fighting against it, from two of the most powerful men on the planet.
Illiberal brutishness is being held to the light of day in surprising ways right now. Greta Thunberg has sidestepped almost half a century of torpor to fight climate change. The Whistleblower has snapped whatever spell has been over America. Netanyahu has failed, Boris went total Cheshire Cat, support-wise…
I want nothing more than for this new hopeful President of Ukraine to withstand this horrendous attempt by Donald Trump to sacrifice him on the altar of feverish fantasies. He deserves to be the one to prevail and help make a better future for Ukraine.