AMAC Exclusive – By Herald Boas
The surprise visit of Ukrainian President Vlodomyr Zelenskyy to Washington, D.C. to meet with President Joe Biden and address a joint session of Congress was an event full of drama, tension, and ceremony befitting both the circumstances and the individual who performed it.
Like Ronald Reagan before him, Mr. Zelenskyy had a previous and considerable career as an actor. As Mr. Reagan did so many times, the Ukrainian president demonstrated the skill and value of his professional career, and created a short but powerful international moment in political public relations.
Wearing his iconic military-green sweatshirt, speaking excellent if heavily accented English, quoting the words of past statesmen, and citing a canny choice of past events in world and U.S. history, Mr. Zelenskyy brought the otherwise warring legislators of the two major U.S. political parties together in repeated standing ovations.
That is not to say that there was unanimity in support for Mr. Zelenskyy and his presentation. Some members of Congress and several pundits have questioned his record in Kiev and his expectations of financial and weaponry aid from the U.S. Some commentators have said Mr. Zelenskyy’s stated aims to recover all territories seized by Russian President Vladimir Putin and his armed forces are unrealistic, asserting that Ukraine cannot ultimately prevail in a drawn-out war with its much larger neighbor. Other commentators have criticized Mr. Zelenskyy’s government for its apparent suppression of the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine, and alleged continued corruption, which had been rampant before he took office in 2019. Still other critics acknowledge Mr. Zelenskyy’s personal courage and leadership, but say his endless appeals for U.S. aid are an unacceptable blank check.
Mr. Zelenskyy’s supporters have rebutted the criticisms by noting that the Ukrainian armed forces have repulsed the larger Russian army for many months, that Russian Orthodox clerics in Ukraine are often sympathetic to Russia in the conflict and pose a security threat in wartime, and that Zelenskyy has made serious efforts to remove corruption in his country.
The seemingly endless requests for financial aid and weapons, however, appear to be the primary argument against President Zelenskyy and his visit — which featured, in addition to his expressions of gratitude for assistance already given, an aggressive request for more money.
It is on this latter issue which reveals the largest perspective, not only of Mr. Zelenskyy’s dramatic U.S. visit, but of the deeper meaning of his and his nation’s current struggle.
In 1939, Nazi Germany made a deal with Soviet Russia that led to the invasion of Poland — and directly to World War II. Having divided the spoils of that aggression, Germany proceeded to conquer most of the rest of Europe while the Soviet Union invaded neighboring Finland. Prior to 1939, Nazi Germany had overtaken considerable neighboring territory by mere threat while the European democracies stood by. The Rhineland, Austria, and Czechoslovakia each were overtaken without a fight. Finland, however, fought back against the much larger Soviet army, and heroically succeeded for several months. At the same time, the island nation of Great Britain held out against Nazi conquest until Germany’s Axis ally Japan attacked the U.S. at Pearl Harbor, bringing the U.S. into the world war on Great Britain’s side. Germany next made a surprise invasion of its erstwhile Soviet Union ally, suddenly making Russia part of the Allied effort, an alliance which the Russians promptly ended soon after the war’s end.
The continent of Europe has seen armed conflict, invasion, and subjugation for more than a thousand years. World War II was only the latest and one of the most brutal examples — and when the war ended, a historic effort was made, under the leadership of the U.S. and its Marshall Plan, to halt the cycle of hostilities by rebuilding the battered European democracies and enabling the defeated enemy nations of Germany, Italy, and Japan to reconstitute themselves as free capitalist democracies. The Soviet Union, a Marxist dictatorship, chose to oppose this effort, leading to a prolonged Cold War that only ended with the demise of the Soviet Union in 1990-91.
But initial efforts to establish a democratic Russia failed, and by the second decade of the 21st century, Russian leaders began to implement the goal of reassembling the old Soviet Union. The centerpiece of that ambition was the recovery of what had been the Ukrainian communist part of the U.S.S.R., but the Ukrainians, now restored to their historic independent identity, chose to resist.
As Anne Applebaum recently and persuasively wrote, if Mr. Zelenskyy, his populace, and its army had not fought back in February 2022, the Russians would have crushed Ukrainian independence, killed or imprisoned many of them, and massed its army on the eastern European borders with intention of further invasions to subjugate neighboring countries. Not only would Russia have interpreted a quick successful invasion as proof the NATO countries would not oppose them, but the two other global ambitious totalitarian powers, China and Iran, would have also assumed they would not be opposed in their quests in Asia and the Middle East.
To be fair, Mr. Zelenskyy’s critics have some valid points. U.S. aid, financial and military, is not an endless resource for Ukraine. Already, some of our own supplies of ammunition, missiles, and other weaponry are getting low — and the U.S budget, deeply in the red, cannot provide unlimited billions of dollars in foreign aid with so many critical domestic needs. Calls for an audit of what the U.S. does send to Ukraine are also reasonable, given past histories of such aid to other countries when aid, principally food and money, never reached the people that it was intended to help.
In short, the current conflict in Ukraine cannot go on indefinitely, neither for the much-suffering Ukrainian people, nor the rest of Europe, nor for Russia, also depleted in war materiel and suffering from the impact of a global embargo from much of the western world.
Beyond the drama of Mr. Zelenskyy’s short visit to the American capital, and its public relations success, remain the uncertainties of this unfortunate conflict, the misery and hardship it is causing on all sides, and the ability of its perpetrators to sustain its human and economic costs.
Something has to give.
We can only pray for the Ukrainian people and try to help them with direct humanitarian aid. Before we embrace Zelenskyy we should look to his past. Giving him a warm cuddly hug is like giving Pelosi, Schumer and Biden a hug. As they say, birds of a feather flock together.
By the way I’m of Ukraine heritage.
Zelensky is nothing more than Putin 2.0
Support Ukraine now to degrade and deter Putin’s plans for Moldova and beyond. China will see reluctance to support Ukraine for the duration as the green light for Taiwan. It’s annoying to read and listen to dozens of government, TV and print “experts” that have never visited Ukraine. The corruption reform transformation I saw since Zelensky was elected is unprecedented in the region. Seems former actors make great leaders. #PeaceThroughStrength
This is the poster child for corruption. Of course he’s here asking for more as there’s always “10% for the Big Guy” coming out of every dollar.
Just another despot to dump billions to…
If anyone thinks America is still a democratic republic they should have their head examined
I’m extremely disappointed in AMAC’s support of this tyrant. Yes, he was an actor who dresses in drag for his performances. To compare him to Ronald Regan is absurd! He also is killing his own people. Just ask the Ukrainian people. He was placed in his position by the deep state and is head of the Neo Nazi fascist party in Ukraine that are killing its own people under the disguise that it is Russia doing it all. He takes billions of dollars from the Biden administration and American taxpayers to pay for his bio labs that are being used to kill people. Just look it up because it is out there. If this is AMAC’s stance, then I might have to reconsider my subscription with them!
Does this article represent Amac’s position?
If so, it makes me reconsider the subscription
Today Ukraine is a nazi country, a papet of NATO, and a system to wash the grift money back to corruption in USA and EU. Zelenskyy, the leader, and dictator of Ukraine, has been supported by some American politicians, the CIA, and George Soros. What a combination of the swamp. American money sent to Ukraine is stolen from the needs of the country: border security, high inflation, homelessness, drugs addiction, and many others. The money are used to full the war, the cocaine addiction of Zelenskyy, and bribes to the Ukrainian nazi elite. Monaco is a favorite destination for these stollen funds.
The U.S. response to this conflict (pouring financial and military aid in, in greater proportions than the neighboring nations like Germany) is once again having long-term detrimental effects on our fiscal situation as well as our readiness. You would think that, after the experiences in the former Yugoslavia in the ‘90’s, as well as other international situations, that the DC Intel, policy and strategy turds would have developed other solutions that would achieve similar objectives as simply sending countries cash and ammo. I guess it’s too much to ask those dingleberries to actually do their jobs instead of worrying about being as WOKE as possible.
Yes, something has to give, but Democratic nations should not give an inch to Russian invaders. Whatever happened to “we fight them over there so we don’t have to fight them over here?”
100 billion AMERICAN TAXPAYERS CASH to the coke head puppet installed by Mccain Obama Graham Neuland. Beyond disgraceful
I read every comment here because I wanted to be helped to understand.
(I loved plandemic – but why the 3 instead of the e?)
My conclusion?
Simply put. If the American Left loved this country, and liberty, it would not have fought so hard to make Biden President, and none of this horror would be happening – at least not for four years. And maybe for longer.
Well Son of a B*tch….says the big guy that gets 10% from Ukraine.
At the beginning of “this” war, Zelensky and Putin were willing to compromise, but the U.K stepped in and said “NO” to Zelensky.
Don’t forget that “this” war started in 2014 with Obama starting the Maidan Revolution.
Several years ago, the Azov military was NOT supported by the U.S.A. due to the fact they are Nazis.
NATO, WEF, United Nations are now all a part of the New World Order.
I trust Putin more than the current Faux administration!
Russia is already sitting on most of the territory it wants. Is there any chance the Ukrainians can ever retake It, even with our military and economic support? So, the war is devolving into a stalemate. How many billions will we have to devote to maintain the status quo? Both the U.S. and Ukraine need to face reality and try to work out a settlement.
“…the Russians would have crushed Ukrainian independence, killed or imprisoned many of them, and massed its army on the eastern European borders with intention of further invasions to subjugate neighboring countries.”
With what troops? The great Russian boogeyman doesn’t have the ability to conquer all of Ukraine, let alone keep going. Their objective was a buffer against NATO- a NATO that has consistently pushed against Russia’s zone of influence and was threatening to push NATO right to Russia’s border. Putin may or may not want to be Hitler, regardless he has no ability to invade Europe.
We are directly responsible for this war and it’s consequences. we are prolonging a war that will not end in Ukrainian victory only Ukrainian destruction. From Libya, to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria, in the last 30 years we have created nothing but misery and death and destabilized north Africa, the middle and near east and now Eastern Europe. Ukraine is not in our national interest and our continued support will further destabilize and risk a global war. Europe has the resources and absent our support would be more inclined to seek a peaceful solution. Expansion of NATO has only created war and not security. The united States needs to protect it’s true national interests and avoid another world war created in Europe.
Supporting Ukraine in it’s with Russia is the only thing Biden has done right. Of course had the 2020 election not been stolen, a President Trump would never have let Ukraine occur. America is done for anyway; democracy? Its not for everyone.
The history of the Ukraine and their sometimes comrades, the Russians, does not lend itself to support from the Western Nations. We are diverse cultures and we do not have the resources to support the self destructive objectives of either the Ukraine nor Russia. Nor The CCP, nor Taiwan, not the EU and all their self destructive bad choices.
I am a conservative Republican who spent 7 years in military intelligence long ago (Soviet military capabilities and government) and speak a little Russian, have been to Kiev several times on business. I say this to point out i am generally well informed on this subject. Here is what I think:
It is legit to question overseas spending when we struggle at home. But on its own merits, the Ukraine spend is consistent with long term defense policy in Europe, relatively cheap, and without sacrificing our military. And it is the right thing to do. We wasted several trillion dollars losing the peace in the mid-East and Afghanistan. We are winning it on the cheap in Eastern Europe.
Zelensky is criminal and Ukrain is NOT a Democracy. The US is being conned.
Ukraine is a European country. The issue seems to me to be Europe is not Stepping up to the plate. Why do we as Americans have to fund the effort. I believe we should help The Ukrainian people but so should Germany, France, Italy, and all the other members of their union. My $0.02
I think this little man is done! The US of A has had enough already. Let’s start sending ALL this cash and weaponry to us now..period. Because WE are going to need it!!! #AmericaFirst
There’s room for debate about US Ukraine policy in the details. But some of the strongly contrary opinion on the right seems to be just “whatever the Democrats and ‘GOPe’ say, we say the opposite”. There’s no real burden on the US from the money we’ve spent, less than $100-some per capita so far. Sure it could be ‘spent on better things’ but anyone can have that opinion about any of the whole multi-$tril in annual government spending. Risk of escalation is a real thing but I believe it’s sometimes overstated. There’s been some negative impact on us from Russia-produced commodity prices and a much bigger one on the Europeans, which could eventually undermine their support for Ukraine (they are paying less in $’s for weapons than we are but much more when you count the energy price impact). But for the US itself, we’ve substantially weakened Russia, a generally malign player on the world stage, at quite low cost. That’s what you get when your proxy is actually willing to fight and good at it, unlike previous proxies in Afghanistan, Iraq, Vietnam where we spent vastly greater amounts to achieve nothing. Of course the war is highly likely to end in a political compromise that maximalist/moralistic pro-Ukraine people won’t like. But there’s no evidence Putin seriously wants to negotiate now so no point in pressuring Ukraine to give in now. Putin’s convinced the West’s support for Ukraine will buckle. That has to be proved wrong at least over this winter before negotiation becomes realistic.
A lot of commentators here seem to have forgotten the US and NATO doctrine of Containment. The question they should ask themselves is if Russia takes Ukraine, where will it stop?
I feel that what Russia is doing to Ukraine is very, very wrong but, it’s very wrong for the Biden Administration to ‘look the other way’ regarding our Southern Border and (freely) give Ukraine billions of dollars that could be used in our own backyard. Good work Joe…..:-(
I think we’ve been a bit two-faced on this issue. When Russia invaded Ukraine early in 2022, we were all about supporting the “little guy” against Monster Russia. I said it myself–“Send them what they need to defeat Putin.”
A few months later, many Americans were growing tired of sending money and munitions to Ukraine in this dragged-out conflict. Of course, we wanted to see Ukraine and Zelenskyy victorious and Putin humiliated, but how much longer can we continue to support the effort knowing the dismal state of our own economy? I was impressed by Ukrainian resolve not to fold in the face of this bully from the east.
The problem was we did not demand any sort of accountability for all the support we Americans sent to Zelenskyy. With his country’s checkered past, could we trust the money going to good use? I still maintain that helping Ukraine defeat Russia is a wise decision. After all, Zelenskyy didn’t collect the funds and then high-tail it to some secret destination; no, he stayed and fought alongside his countrymen. Who wants a bigger, more powerful Russia?
Biden could bring a quicker end to the war if he managed our resources in a smarter fashion. But we’re talking about biden, here… By essentially closing access to sources of inexpensive energy, he is helping prop up Putin’s efforts from the sale of Russian energy to the EU. High profits fuel Putin’s efforts in the war. That’s why he has lasted all these months. If biden were smart, he would have competed in the energy sector (i.e., weaponized our plentiful resources) by undercutting Putin’s price. Drying up sales of Russian energy would cause a winding down of their involvement. They’re teetering on the edge of insolvency as it is. But biden’s profligate spending habits and the open border consume hundreds of billions in funds that are better used elsewhere.
Not knowing where $45 billion is going is worrisome. We should demand in a pact of some sort that our continued support is contingent upon their promise not to squander the money (although I don’t think their desperation allows them to do that), approval from our military for specific appropriations, and incorporating certain principles into this pact that are fair to their people and to us. Maybe we’re not sending the right kind of support. We might as well include Ukraine in NATO, since we’re already participating in the war and that would obligate other nations to contribute. Everyone benefits if Russia loses.
I tend to believe Putin and, more importantly, the Russian people, that the take over of parts of Ukraine was necessary to protect oppressed ethnic Russians in those areas. Russia now is fighting to hold them. It is my belief, if Ukraine stops attacking, the conflict will end.
Since Zelensky is buddy buddy with China….let him go to China for help. We can’t afford to keep giving him support. Biden isn’t even paying our own National Guard but sending money to this jerk.
I totally agree with Paul E. The entire free world should be helping the Ukraine to win against Putin. My nephew who was born in Russia said that the Ukraine people, including the Russians that live there don’t want to be part of Russia, and that Putin needs to be stopped. Who else would send out a van full of thugs to assassinate his election opponent? The Chinese also need to be stopped. They have sent police who are operating illegally to force Chinese who emigrated here to return to China which would be a death sentence or slavery until they die in one of their factories. Biden playing footy with them and the Iranians sickens me.
I think it would be a mistake to abandon Ukraine. We need to put more pressure on Germany and France to provide more assistance. Their continued reliance on Russian energy is funding the war. They were warned over and over, and clearly their green energy plan has failed. Too bad the US is not paying attention to the energy failure. Poland and other former Soviet Satellite countries have provide more than their fair share. Yes, China is watching, and given that China failed to comply with it’s agreements with Hong Kong, Taiwan will fall before the end of Biden’s term, because the US and Asian allies will do little to stop them.
I’m sorry, but why isn’t the primary conversation the fact that our President, and most likely many others, are compromised by the Hunter Biden connection? This is so simple a caveman can see what is going on, and yet everybody argues the pros and cons of a war with no legitimate purpose for the US! The only purpose for our country is we needed a new source for our war machine and all the industry behind it. After a prosperous 20-year free for all war the machine was faced with a problem! A very big problem, a 50-billion-a-year problem! What can we do to maintain that kind of spending? The answer was clear, create a new war, and worse, our President had no choice but to support them or be exposed by Ukraine for the traitor he and those like him are.
Just my opinion.
Why don’t you mention the millions he has earned himself?
It’s about time for the USA to RECEIVE some foreign aid. We have GIVEN so much, for years. that we find ourselves $32,000,000,000,000 in debt. How many other countries owe this much? Doesn’t that make us the poorest country in the world? And the Treasury money printers are running 24/7. How much longer can we survive at this rate? And the DC dummies are unconcerned about our dilemma.
Where in Blue Blazes is the U.N.? How do we commit ourselves to finance an open-ended war without control over how it is fought without a clearly stated objective or a coordinated procedure for achieving an objective? How do we achieve a military ending without actively fighting Russia?
Defending U.S. borders from invasion should be the priority.
And he leaves with $40 Billion more than he came with!
When my eyes first scanned the article- It showed Zelenskyy in prison! Here is the real kicker- as we await the outcome of this war- WAIT to Z begins demanding that the USA pay for reconstruction of Ukraine. We can’t pay OUR National Guard troops in a timely fashion, BUT we have billions to send to Ukraine. As long as the BIG MAN gets his cut, this will not stop!
DIMMs are praising Zelensky as “Churchillian.” How ridiculous can they be? Besides, Churchill was half-American (mother a US citizen). When whoever “wins” the war, who do you suppose will be expected to pay the billions (trillions?) to rebuild everything in Ukraine? And will the $$$ actually get there to do the job or be funneled into someone’s Swiss bank account or rebated back to Biden?
So disappointed in this article.
Biden has to come clean to the American people that this is a proxy war.
IF XY country gave me 5 bill8on dollars, i would be on my way over to thank them as soon as i could. Kyle l.
And he couldn’t even be respectful enough to put on a suit when he begs for his millions.
This guy’s a sham. To see them slobbering over him like he was a rock star was disgusting.
Hmm. Appreciate the quick summary, but you gave very short shrift to the corruption and money laundering going on with Ukraine. Additionally, USA is basically fighting a proxy war with Russia using Ukrainians as cannon fodder. USA needs to get out of this situation and turn its attention to domestic problems which are about to become overwhelming. All those members of Congress can be moved and swayed by Zelenskyy’s acting chops all they want, but they represent us, not Ukraine, certainly not NATO, and certainly not the world. US, the people of USA.
A very disappointing article by Amac who seems to have been taken in like a schoolgirl over Zelenski whose ONLY comparison to Reagan is that they were both former actors. Zelenski has taken over the media in Ukraine, suspended civil liberties, and closed Russian-speaking churches. He is a little tyrant who loves the limelight. Ukraine has long been known as the most corrupt country in Europe. There is no telling where all the US money has gone as there is zero accounting in place, but one may be sure that it has been laundered into the pockets of some bad actors. Ukraine failed to adhere to the Minsk agreement with Russia of 2015 in which Ukraine vowed to never join NATO and to give the Russian speaking provinces of Eastern Ukraine that were once part of Russia, an opportunity to vote on whether to rejoin Russia or stay with Ukraine. The vote never happened and with Zelenski’s stated desire to join NATO, he precipitated Putin’s response. Russia’s security depends on Ukraine remaining neutral, a buffer between Russia and Europe. Russia has been invaded more than once through the plains of Ukraine. There are 14 wars raging in the world at this moment, but the media has us focused on Ukraine and that is where all the money goes. One wonders why..
hes a grifter just like the people in gov and congress dont forget these are the people who paid hunter biden 86000$ a month
Turn off the fricken news and start reading and researching….you may then find the region of Ukraine is technically part of Russia, that Russia is not the USSR, and that George Sorors Victoria Neuland, NoName McCaine, Lady G from SC, and the failed presidential candidate from MN Amy K, worked with the Killarney State Dept and Opem Societies to overthrow an elected leader in 2014….the region of the Ukraine is a human trafficking, biomass, money laundering failed state. Hunter, Kerry’s kid, and Rodney’s relations are deep into that nazieqsque regime…stop being programmed and start thinking.
Give Ukraine the means and weapons to defend itself and strike back at Russia deep in Russian territory. Open US energy spigots and focus on crippling Russian energy income. Put China on notice too. Push the the communists to change their regimes into a peaceful and productive cultures that respect their neighbors’ sovereignty..
Dog and pony show! Congress looked like a bunch of clapping seals! Sad!