Trump, Zelensky, and the $500 Billion Shakedown

Trump, Zelensky: Fallout He’s Gambling with World War 3

Zelensky—the world’s most successful arms salesman—arrived in his trademark combat fatigues (because apparently the White House is an active combat zone now).

After what must have been a delightful private chat about mineral rights, arms deals, and “where’s all that money gone”, Washington’s Ukrainian guest emerged with a face like a wet Wednesday. The photo op quickly devolved into a shouting match that would make reality TV producers weep with joy, It looked like a rerun of Jerry Springer…

But let’s not lose sight of what we witnessed: the masks finally slipped. Trump demanded Ukraine sign over half a trillion dollars in mineral rights while Zelensky—who claims to want peace—rejected a ceasefire opportunity. Turns out neither side is particularly interested in stopping the bloodshed without getting exactly what they want first. Trump wants peace and access to his pot of Ukrainian gold, while Zelensky chases the other end of a rainbow that disappeared years ago—total victory in a war his country cannot possibly win. One of these men is engaging with reality, however mercenary his motives; the other is pursuing a fantasy that costs thousands of lives each month.

Ukraine ‘gambling with world war three’, Trump tells the world and Zelenskyy

For those who missed yesterday’s extraordinary Oval Office theatre, here’s the full video.

For all the armchair generals and media hawks who’ve spent three years denouncing peace talks as “appeasement”: congratulations! Your moral outrage has been secured, captured on camera, and shared on social media for generations to come to show their indignation. But what you’ve got is exactly what you claimed to oppose—a war without end, fuelled by imperial greed and corporate gluttony.

Each time you shouted down diplomacy, you helped ensure another generation of Ukrainians and Russians would fertilize the blood-soaked soil of Donbas. The lithium beneath their graves was always worth more than their lives. At least now we can be honest about it.

The fact is, history teaches bitter lessons about war’s true costs. Just as “Lend-Lease” during World War II came with strings that bound America’s allies for decades, today’s military aid was never charity—it’s business. Trump’s $500 billion mineral rights demand merely strips away the humanitarian veneer that previous administrations carefully maintained. Whether packaged as “spreading democracy” under Bush, “responsibility to protect” under Obama, or “defending freedom” under Biden, the equation remains unchanged: war creates opportunities for resource extraction that peace does not.

Zelensky rejected a chance to stop a conflict that has claimed a million lives—a conflict Ukraine cannot win without turning it into something far worse. What he’s really pushing for isn’t Ukrainian victory but escalation that would drag in NATO or create a European army. In plain English, he wants World War III or at least a cold war that takes us to the edge, again!

Thankfully, not even the most hawkish administration seems willing to play that particular game of chicken with nuclear powers. The minerals, it seems, aren’t worth that price.

Out on a Limb

Now, all eyes turn to the EU and the UK. And I’ll go out on a limb with this one…President von der Leyen has already stated the EU position with motherly words:

“Your dignity honors the bravery of the Ukrainian people. Be strong, be brave, be fearless. You are never alone, dear President @ZelenskyyUa. We will continue working with you for a just and lasting peace.” She says.

That leaves Starmer —a member of the elite Trilateral Commission since 2018— Will this rejection of ‘Pax America’ help realise the organisation’s long-standing vision of dividing global power into three distinct spheres of influence? With Friedrich Merz, another Trilateral Commission member, now leading Germany and calling for a European defence force independent of America, the pieces seem to be aligning perfectly.

For such a small group, they don’t half get into some positions of power. Madleson, despite his association with Epstein, is another member sitting pretty as UK ambassador in Washington.

The Commission has advocated for decades for this three-bloc world order: American, European, and Asian-Pacific spheres operating under a framework of “shared values” but distinct military and economic systems.

What we’re witnessing may not be chaos, but choreography—a grand restructuring where Ukraine serves merely as the catalyst for ending American hegemony and establishing Europe as an independent power bloc, exactly as the Trilateral playbook prescribed nearly 50 years ago.

I think I prefer the chaos…

Paul Knaggs