Despite significant doubts (some of which remain) the US and Ukraine have signed an “economic partnership” deal giving the US access to the country’s critical minerals and natural resources.
The new deal does not include a previous US demand for retroactive compensation for more than $100bn in military support for Ukraine; and there will be no bar to Ukraine joining the EU. It does not include explicit security guarantees, and Ukraine will be beholden to it regardless of whether a peace deal is secured with Russia. But Scott Bessent, the US Treasury secretary, said the US was “committed to helping facilitate the end of this cruel and senseless war”. He added the deal “signals clearly to Russia that the Trump Administration is committed to a peace process centred on a free, sovereign, and prosperous Ukraine over the long term”.
Whether this turns out to be another piece of Trump’s political theatre as he struggles to fulfil any of his early promises remains to be seen.
The invasion declared at 9pm 23 February 2022 has a ruthless and brutal Mars Pluto conjunction which will not draw exact for another two years but whether that means it drags on is not clear.
The Ukraine relationship charts with Russia 1917 and 1991 looks rattled this year especially in June, towards the year end into 2026 and further into 2026- so hardly settled.
The Ukraine 24 August 1991 2.31 pm Kiev country chart was due a stroke of luck with tr Uranus square the Jupiter in April, though the struggle will continue with tr Pluto conjunct the Saturn till the year end. Tr Uranus square the Venus and then Sun in June/July will bring a few jolts and jangles which may suggest a definitive turn in their fortunes.
Zelensky’s Term chart 20 May 2019 10 am Kiev looks undermined and unsettled this year from June onwards into 2026. His personal chart 25 January 1978 2pm Krivoj Rog, hints at an undermining, disappointing year with his Solar Arc Neptune conjunct his Sun Venus this year; as well as a panicky-failure SA Mars square Neptune; and a completely road-blocked SA Saturn conjunct his Pluto now as well – high tensions erupt in June and beyond with deep frustrations stretching into 2026.
If Putin’s 1952 birth date is sound then his relationship chart with Trump is showing a present calamity with rising tensions through this month into June and beyond.
Many questions remain, though some in Kyiv believe Trump could approve weapons deliveries, if only to protect energy assets that America now has a vested interest in safeguarding.
The us announced today that they are stepping away from mediating. The war can continue indefinitely from now on.
“Many questions remain, though some in Kyiv believe Trump could approve weapons deliveries, if only to protect energy assets that America now has a vested interest in safeguarding.”
I really don’t think Trump, who is confusing Harvard with Harlem these days, is making any long term strategic decisions at the White House. The interesting question is who is, now that Mike Waltz was ousted from his NSA role. Pentagon is out because of key advisors to Hegseth leaving (and I think Hegseth will be the next to go), and Rubio is a rubber stamp. Right now, I think that there is an uneasy truce between Stephen Miller and finance team, with Miller calling many of the foreign policy decisions.
What’s obvious is that this remarkably unprofessional foreign affairs team – what ever I thought about the Bush 43 Adminstration, likes of Condoleeza Rice and Colin Powell were competent and knowledgeable people, and even Mike Pompeo seems a certified genius compared to some of these people – will come under a lot of pressure sooner than later. It seems that the Senate, and even 5-6 independent minding House Republicans are becoming more outspoken as Trump’s approval ratings fall. They may be able to force Trump Admin to nominate a more “traditional” NSA and eventually Secretary of Defense candidate.
Interesting and precarious times we live in, but I feel the internal issues in the US might play on Ukraine’s advance, in that the US has nothing to lose with installing stricter sanctions to Russia.
“If Putin’s 1952 birth date is sound then his relationship chart with Trump is showing a present calamity with rising tensions through this month into June and beyond.”
Finnish President Alexander Stubb (April 1st 1967) has been very good at sowing the seeds of mistrust on Putin to Trump’s mind. I think it’s because he has gone through it himself. The Government he briefly headed granted Rosatom’s daughter company a permit to build a nuclear plant to Central Finland. After semi retiring from the politics, he posted selfies with his “good friend” Sergey Lavrov at an event.
It’s also worth noticing that Putin, even more Trump, is living in a dictatorial bubble where people tell him what they think he wants to hear. A good example is reclaiming Kursk, which Gerasinov announced earlier this week and got announced by Putin toi, while local Telegram channels tell fighting is on going.
I think that the timing of Trump/Putin relationships cooling fits well with tariffs indirectly hitting Russian economy. Chinese industrial production “contracting” will hit the one big source of income Russia has in demand for oil and gas shrinking. While there is a bilateral deal, it’s the extra demand that’s bringing money to Kremlin. It will be increasingly difficult for Russia to maintain their war economy without making concessions to China, which will not be met positively by the US.
There will never be free military aid to Ukraine under Trump. What Trump has authorized is the resumption of commercial sales. Ukraine now has a war chest of 20-30 billion$ to spend on American military equipment thanks to the EU. This has not gone unnoticed in the American military industry that supports Trump. These corporate supporters have called on him to let them make money off the war in Ukraine. Such commercial tranactions did occur under Biden but were overshadowed by his massive assistance. Now they are the only game in town. Thankfully, Ukraine does not need freebies any more and can produce much of its own equipment, particularly drones, the new battlefield game-changers. The underlying fact is that Europe now provides more assistance than the US and the new German chancellor will add to that. Also, Trump’s tariffs have slowed world economic growth to the point that the value of a barrel of oil has sharply declined. Oil is the main source of revenue for Putin. The Saturn-Neptune conjunction may mean that Russian economic decline is accelerating and that Putin can no longer afford a drawn-out conflict.
If you look at Donald Trump’s chart, he is not the kind of a person who you can enter into agreements or contracts with. He has a Sagittarian moon opposed by Uranus, which means he can easily change his mind or heart easily. He is the kind of a person who is unreliable and unstable. And I think most of us have seen him doing that already. I find it strange that Zelensky can trust him. He has been on Russia’s side and then Ukraine, it’s like someone who is frustrated, he doesn’t know which side to be on. One of the things that catches my attention in his chart is Venus/Saturn conjunction, his marriage to Melania appears to be transactional, it is not the kind of marriage that is based on love, maybe it’s one of the reasons it has survived for such a long time. But currently it appears to be on strain, very stressful. Melania is not looking happy at all currently. She is just putting a smile for the public, not for herself.
“I find it strange that Zelensky can trust him. He has been on Russia’s side and then Ukraine, it’s like someone who is frustrated, he doesn’t know which side to be on.”
I’d say he Zelensky doesn’t trust Trump at all. But he knows Trump often parrots who ever he spoke to the last. There are Republicans especially in the US Senate he does who still have significant sway on him. Rupert and especially Lachlan Murdoch, too. And Finnish President Alexander Stubb has been dubbed a “Trump Whisperer” after Trump has repeated his message at least twice.
Two facts perhaps worth adding: the agreement acknowledges for the first time that Russia is the aggressor, by invading UKraine and 24 hours before the signing, Trump ordered a $50 million military aid package for Ukraine. It is suggested elsewhere, that pressure was exerted on Trump by the UK & France; but we may never get confirmation of this.