The devil strikes a deal

Trump plays the devil's hand, but Ukraine will refuse to fold

WOULD THE WORLD HAVE DEMANDED PAYMENT from Britain while it fought Hitler?

Would Roosevelt have sat back, arms crossed, and asked Churchill to sign a loan agreement before sending weapons to fight the Nazis?

The idea is absurd, but here we are, watching history repeat itself in the worst possible way. And it is happening as we are being forced to deal with one of the worst human beings in history.

Now, a man who worships power and money wants to dictate our survival. A man who looks at a nation fighting for its own existence and sees nothing except a business deal. A man who speaks not of justice, not of courage, but of “reparations” as if Ukraine owes something for its own destruction.

Mr. Trump, we are the invaded. What you are offering are not peace terms. These are surrender terms. And Ukraine will not surrender.

The so-called "deal" isn't even about Ukraine.

Trump doesn't care about Ukraine. He doesn’t care about justice. He only cares about getting a photo of president Zelenskyy signing something, so he can lie about what it says and parade it as a political victory to his MAGA fanatics or anything related in his social media channels.

We are not in a position to surrender. We are not in a position to “resign the fight.” We have fought for three years. We have buried hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians. We have watched our families scatter across the world, knowing many will never return.

Entire regions of our homeland are now wastelands, soaked in landmines, uninhabitable for decades. Our power grids, our schools, our hospitals, all in ruins. And yet, we fight. Because every missile and every drone intercepted, sometimes at the cost of our homes, our cities, and our people, means that Russian advance is stopped.

A wall between Putin and the rest of the world.

Can you even find Ukraine on a map, Mr. Trump?

Do you understand what it means that Russia has failed to move beyond our borders? The world looks at us and sees tragedy. We look at ourselves and see purpose. We know the truth:

Our curse of being Russia’s neighbor is the world’s blessing.

And we have paid for it. In blood. In despair. In the destruction of everything, Our families, our society, ourselves.

Still, Trump talks about money.

He demands Ukraine “pay back” support, as if our fight against an empire of terror is some kind of business transaction. He speaks of selling out Ukraine’s future in exchange for help, as if he has any right to decide our fate. He calls this “negotiation.”

Zelenskyy calls it what it is: survival.

Our president understands he can’t choose who he negotiates with. He does not need to prove himself to anyone. The world has already seen his courage. His people already know his strength. He is not reckless, not emotional, not naive. He knows what is at stake.

• We will not be shackled by debt while fighting for our freedom. Aid must come now, unconditionally.

• The strength of our army is non-negotiable. No one will strip Ukraine of its best guarantee of security.

• Zelenskyy has not signed anything. He is listening, calculating, searching for an advantage even in the worst possible situation.

Unlike Trump, Zelenskyy is a true leader. A man who understands that Ukraine is not begging for survival: it is protecting the world.

We are not asking for gifts. We are not asking for favors. We are stopping Russia. We are defending democracy. We are ensuring that Moscow does not go further.

Trump is showing himself to be another devil Ukraine must face. But this country already lives with the devil.

We hear the devil in every missile that strikes our cities. We see the devil in every school and hospital Russia levels to the ground. The devil already walks among us, wearing a Russian uniform and speaking the language of war.

So no, Mr. Trump. We do not owe you.

He wants Ukraine to break. He wants us to be weak, dependent, defeated. But Ukraine does not kneel. Not to Trump. Not to Putin. Not to anyone.

Because we know that if we kneel, the world falls with us.

Trump also knows that, but he doesn’t care about the world. He only cares about his business interests.

Ukraine will not kneel.

Not today. Not ever. The world is watching.

The question is: will the world stand with us?

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