Ukraine does not have that kind of money.

Knowing tRump reneges on deals, Ukraine cannot comply.

then consider whether to pay U.S. Other countries might give FREE military aid.

Everyday, a different "demand". Does he even know what he's doing or asking for? I don't think so - he's just mouthing off while Pres. Musk and his boys run the country.

How and when did he double cross Vlad? I have not heard anything about this.

We know that Putin helped Trump get installed in the WH last time and this time.
Trump has regular contact with Putin.

Putin certainly expects something in return.

Putin is desperate about Ukraine, he is losing a huge number of troops and families are not happy.
The Russian economy is tanking, the war costs and damage to oil refineries from Ukraine drones are
causing many problems. Putin could lose his power as oligarchs lose income.

Certainly Putin and everyone else assumed Trump would hand over Ukraine to Putin.

Putin and the Russian media has alway been complimentary towards Trump but this fall the tone changed.
Negative comments about Trump. Then Russian TV showing porn pictures of Melania, humiliating her and Trump.
Something was obviously wrong.

Then Trump starts talking to Zelensky. Next we see Trump naming his price to help Ukraine win the war.
$500B. I do not think Putin has a spare $500B unless he takes it from his private stash.

Trump double crossing Putin? This is certainly something Trump would do.
Putin has humiliated Trump in the past. We have seen some of the pictures telling us this.
Trump is getting even and humiliating Putin.

Trump also wants to be the most powerful man in the world and the richest.
Putin can pound sand now as far as Trump is concerned?

Appreciate you taking the time to write that. I'm sure others will find it interesting as well.

If accurate, we'll see how Putin reacts. I'm sure trump will have something to offer to him to avoid kompromat leaks etc.

This is one reason Trump can double cross Putin now.

There is absolutely nothing Trump can do that will alienate his cult.
And the GOP congress does not seem to care one iota what Trump is doing.
Media is the cult propaganda arm.

What power does Putin have over Trump now? Not much?

Perhaps Trump is not double crossing Putin, but negotiating.
Trump wants $500B from Zelensky, and wants cash from Putin as well.
So he will soak both sides to make some great money for himself.

Putin will see it as a double cross I think.

if trump can effectively consolidate himself as a Putin style dictator. (Which he is well on his way to doing if he ends up completely ignoring the Courts).

The courts didn't want to do it when Trump was just an ex-president.

Who will take on a sitting US POTUS?

Putin trained Donnie to be just like him.
But Donnie outdid Putin, and now Putin is owned by Trump.
???

We shall see.

If this was a movie I would not believe it.

"You're on your own."

He is evil, even for a hardened criminal.

big company that doesn't have a board of directors. He thinks running a company is like being an owner who sits behind a desk and makes this deal or that and to fire the people in that department he doesn't like. He's still following a The Apprentice script. And ignore the half a dozen bankruptcies, it's just business. And the employees (us) have to be loyal and beholden to him or they're gone.

Which is what he thinks of this Ukraine "deal." He's going to sell them help for their resource. He thinks he's the best deal maker in the history of deal making.

invaded them under Dubya.

He and E-dolf can't help to keep their dirty little fingers out of everything.

diversify his economy from oil. Trump recently found this out and is now using it to play his cards as THE badass dictator.
He wants to release himself from the binds of Putin.
His followers love his dominion approach.
This train is speeding up.

he had proposed a project to. He asked them to consider enlisting volunteers who could park at church, and walk down the block to a seniors community and participate in programs like reading to small groups, etc. One woman on the committee commented, "I don't get it. What do we get out of it?" The pastor told her, "We get nothing out of it, that's what makes it so Christian."

Everything is transactional to Trump. Aid, religion, Christianity, voters, parenting, marriage, relationships, everything. I'm surprised he doesn't expect a surprise every time he gives his toilet a big dump. (It's probably how he got toilet trained.)

aid until after he, personally, receives payment for the sale of these rare earth minerals and then, he still won't deliver aid.

is when he benefits and the other party does not receive what they have paid for.

Wellwellwell

This is an interesting turn of events.

Oh yeah, it's Extortion

And keep your word every bit like Trump keeps his . . .