These business deals are not new—they are part of a longer existing quid pro quo. Why do you think Trump has starved Ukraine of air defense?
Why do you think the US government is putting immense pressure on Ukraine to give up more land and territory (even as the Ukrainians are pushing the Russians back)? Why do you think the Trump administration is leaking right and left that it wants to lift sanctions on Russia as soon as it can (gift link to an Atlantic article on this that I also encourage you to read).
Look, to get paid the serious money, the Trump administration needs to get Putin the win Putin wants and the win they want. That is the real Win-Win that Jared Kushner (see above in the NY Times piece) talked about when he did his infamous interview. Indeed, to make it obvious to the even thickest denier,
Kushner stated openly that it was Ukrainian obstinance in not surrendering more land and people to Putin that was holding up the deal.
“President Putin's laid out his line of what he wants to achieve. If Ukraine wanted to withdraw to that line, then obviously we have the rest of the deal set up and put together.”
I do not know how or why people are surprised by this. The Trump administration has made the US an accessory to Russian war crimes to enrich cronies and itself. All these stories are doing is confirming this. The dishonesty comes from those who have pretended for 20 months that Trump might actually help Ukraine in any meaningful way.
The real money comes rolling in when Ukraine is shafted. That is what is driving US policy.
