Liudmyla Shestakova has lost a lot to this war — her son, and his wife, who died together on the front lines. But she’s a realist, like many in this mining region in central Ukraine. And ever since President Trump suggested it, she has thought that her country should sign a proposed deal that would give America some profits from mining in Ukraine.

Ms. Shestakova, 65, who works with an environmental group called Flora in the city of Kropyvnytskyi, had hoped a deal between the U.S. and Ukraine on critical minerals could bring much-needed investment to the region.

But on Friday night, Ms. Shestakova, like many people in Ukraine, was shocked and blindsided at how the deal fell apart and how she felt that President Trump treated Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, almost like a serf who didn’t bow and kiss the ring quite enough.

“With a trustworthy partner, this could have been a beneficial deal for everyone,” said Ms. Shestakova, who once ran Flora and now sits on its supervisory board. “But with a partner like Trump, it could actually be dangerous.”

MBFC
Archive

  • breakfastmtnOP
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    18011 hours ago

    Bitchin’ bonus quote:

    “It will be hard, but we will survive,” said Iryna Tsilyk, 42, a poet and film director in the capital, Kyiv, whose husband serves in the army. “Today, I was not ashamed of my president and my country. I am not sure that the Americans can say the same.”

    • SatansMaggotyCumFart
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      6710 hours ago

      Thirty percent of Americans thought Trump was a strong, smart and tough negotiator doing exactly what they voted him in for.

      How do you treat cancer like that?

      • @[email protected]
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        85 hours ago

        I like to believe people are correct in that these polls might often still be gathered by phone, skewing results heavily in favor of “Elderly fascists who have Fox News on blast, still answer the phone, and answer surveys.”

      • TheLowestStone
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        4110 hours ago

        The most effective treatment for cancer is surgery.

        • @[email protected]
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          118 hours ago

          Unfortunately a majority of Americans still believe that the cancer can be reasoned with.

        • borari
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          2210 hours ago

          Radiation, kill off everything cancerous and everything even remotely near the cancer.

          • gl4d10
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            15 hours ago

            hmm, i think that the issue is that we all live on the same body, non-americans included, and i don’t personally think that nukes are the best-case scenario for this world event, like i get that the cold war is over, but even if the u.s. can’t fire them off quick enough cause they fired all the employees, mby there could be other options before that comes to it, but i definitely probably am deluded, burying my head in the sand, and am just looking for the cheapest thrill before the big bang myself, this sounds like a super totally extra escalation my guy, i think they usually do do a bit of hand to hand surgery first before sitting back and enjoying the treatments usually

    • @assembly
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      4810 hours ago

      I am absolutely disgusted at Trump. I thought his past actions had set the bar low enough to not surprise me anymore but damn, they hit rock bottom and started digging.

        • gl4d10
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          45 hours ago

          gods, i miss sarah palin, simpler times, i think about jeb bush and sunday funday, i’m gonna splurge on some avocados so they’re ready for the big event and i just hope that i have enough advance notice to turn on “Rock You Like a Hurricane”

    • @PugJesus
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      3310 hours ago

      I am ashamed of my president and my country. But I am proud of Ukraine. May they stay strong.

    • @blattrules
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      3310 hours ago

      She’s right, I’m ashamed.

  • Em Adespoton
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    7610 hours ago

    The deal was designed to break down. It was all planned. Why else would Vance behave that way to a foreign dignitary?

    Trump made a rash promise and this is how he saved face.

    • @Jumpingspiderman
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      3210 hours ago

      I’d call Vance a duplicitous lying pig. But that’s too much of an insult to pigs.

    • @Bieren
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      239 hours ago

      Vance was there so Trump can show that he is really the president and not just Musks VP.