The Duran Podcast - Zelensky gets US endorsement. Ugledar encircled

Episode Date: September 27, 2024

Zelensky gets US endorsement. Ugledar encircled

All right, Alexander, we are here in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia, and we are going to talk about Zelensky's trip to the United States. He met with Biden. He met with Harris. By the time this video goes up, he's going to be meeting with Trump as well. It's a 9.45 morning meeting with Trump. You'll get into why Trump has agreed to meet with him because yesterday, he said he's not going to meet with him. And Zelensky, in classic Zelensky fashion, the first thing he did when he arrived to the United States is that he insulted Trump and he insulted Jady Vance.

But we know what Zelensky wanted when he was traveling to the United States. He was pushing his victory plan. He wants money, weapons, long-range missile strikes, and entry into NATO. But he will probably leave the United States with money and with an endorsement from. from all three politicians. Current president, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and Trump. Anyway, let's get into Zelensky's trip to the United States. Yeah, this has been an astonishing trip altogether.

And he went there bringing with him a victory plan. The victory plan has been looked at by U.S. officials. We're getting reports about it from the wall. Street Journal that they're not impressed by it. It's just a wish list. We've discussed in previous programs that the real reason Zelensky went to the US was to get the backing of the Americans for himself so that he could remain in post until for the next couple of months face off the opposition in Kiev. If you reduce the purpose of the trip to that one narrow issue, then I think that it's been successful purely from Zelensky's point of view. If you're talking about

Ukraine, about the war, I don't think this is going to make any difference at all. So what does Zelensky achieved? So firstly, he's met Biden. He's also met Harris and he's going to meet Trump. Now let's talk about Biden first. He had this meeting with Biden. It was massively talked up in the weeks leading up to it, not least by Zelensky. himself, but when the meeting actually took place, the media in the United States and in Britain barely covered the meeting at all. However, there has been a readout from the White House, and by the way, it also readout from the meeting that Zelensky afterwards had with Kamala Harris. And those two readouts say two things. Firstly, well, they say three things.

Firstly, that they support Zelensky. So he's got that. He got the endorsement from Biden and Harris. But, you know, they continue to endorse him. It also says that they discussed Zelensky's plans for victory. They said absolutely nothing about long-range missile strikes or anything like that. Instead, the readout of the meeting with Biden spoke. of yet another meeting that's going to take place in October with Western leaders,

other Western leaders being present, and they're going to discuss more plans and the execution of more plans, so you can see the, you know, how they're kicking the can down the road on every conceivable thing. But last but not least, he's come away with a lot of money. Around eight billion dollars, apparently, this is money that had already been allocated by Congress. That what it seems. Not what it seems. But of course, it is being rushed through now. So in case the other side, i.e. Donald Trump wins the election, he won't be able to stop it

because the Ukrainians are going to get it all front-loaded. And last but not least, the readout of the meeting with Biden speaks about Biden himself being determined to help Ukraine win. Actually uses the word win. Now bear in mind that the official policy of the United States has not been about Ukraine winning. It's about putting Ukraine in a position, a stronger position, so that he can negotiate a better deal with the Russians.

We shouldn't take that seriously. But anyway, this readout actually talks about Biden being keen to help Ukraine win. But of course he's only going to be president for a few months. So he's making commitments which cannot, by any definition, be long term. But it is an endorsement, a further endorsement of Zelensky himself. Because, of course, he is talking about a victory. Now, the readout of Zelensky's meeting with Kamala Harris

does not include the words about her, wanting to help Zelensky win, the Ukraine win. So we have a New York Times article. Let me read it to you, Alexander, that was put out the other day with the title, U.S. intelligence stresses risks in allowing long-range strikes by Ukraine. So we've been saying for a while now that the Pentagon is opposed to long-range missile strikes. I think they've made it very clear that they think this is a bad idea. Our guess, my guess, I think your guess as well, is that the State Department, they're the ones pushing for the long-range

missile strikes. And now you have the intel agencies. I look at this as about as public a statement as you can get from the Intel agencies via the New York Times telling Biden, not a good idea. Am I reading that correctly from the New York Times? I think that's absolutely correct. I mean, these kind of articles, when they appear in the New York Times, or indeed in the US media in general, but especially the New York Times, they are clearly official leaks from the intel agencies. They've clearly received, I'm going to make a guess here.

I think there's been direct contacts between the Russians and the Americans about this. And I think the Russians have made very clear warnings to the US, to the intel agencies that they're still speaking to and to the Pentagon, that they will respond if this happens. It burns. Exactly. To Burns. Lloyd Austin.

And there's even a claim somewhere that Lloyd Austin actually had a direct meeting, a one-to-one meeting with Biden in which you made it absolutely clear that this is a terrible idea and that the Pentagon strongly opposes it. So my own personal view is that this idea is dead. I think that when both the intelligence... agencies and the Pentagon oppose it, it's not going to happen. Yeah, it's not going to happen. Why did Trump change his mind?

Well, that is a very good question. I mean, at one level. He was insulted, I mean, Zelensky insulted him in Vance, especially Vance, pretty, you know, I mean, and Trump does not take kindly to insults. He doesn't take kindly at all, but then what happened, clearly, is that there was a major effort carried out by all sorts of people to try to get this visit cobbled together again. So the Ukrainians play their role.

There's an article today in the FD, which says that there's enormous recriminations, a lot of dismay in Kiev about the way in which the whole relationship with the Republicans has been so badly handled. Zelensky was persuaded by someone to write a cringing letter to Trump asking for the meeting to be reinstated. Trump, of course, then went ahead and published the letter. But I think that people must have also spoken to Trump as well. And they must have told Trump, look, we need to keep this guy in power, at least for the time being, we don't want him collapsing. We don't want the whole Ukraine thing collapsing in the next few months. You don't really want that either

because it's going to create a whole mess for you to deal with when you become president. So if you become president. So Trump was basically, I think, talked into it by people like Lindsey Graham and people like that. So he's agreed to the meeting and it's going to happen in Trump Tower. We'll see what comes of it, but I doubt there's going to be any change. What could really come out of it? Other than Trump saying he supports Zelensky, but also supports, he also supports some sort of a resolution to the conflict and he's the one that's going to deliver it.

when he is elected. That's pretty much what Trump is going to say. Absolutely. Exactly. But again, for Zelensky himself, it serves his immediate purpose because he can then show to people in Kiev, look, I've come back with $8 billion. I've got meetings.

Three endorsements. Three endorsements. I've got it from Biden, who says that he's going to help me win, from Harris, who's also getting back me, and from Trump, who's prepared to meet me. So you see, I'm the person you need to stick with. Don't mess around with Zillusioni who's got problems

because they say he's involved with North Street 2 or Poroshenko, who's already been thrown out before. Stick with me. I'm the one the Americans back. I'm the man who they trust. So don't rock the boat now in Kiev. And I think that's what Zelensky went to the United States for. And I think that's what he's got.

Yeah. I think the Nord Stream thing actually is going to be used by the Biden White House and by Zelensky to keep Zillusione at bay. Absolutely. I think they're going to use it because just I think two days ago, I was reading an article saying that Germany has started issuing arrest warrants for the five, six guys that they claim blew up the North Street pipeline. And then, of course, they always talk about Zillusione whenever these articles come out there. And I think this keeps Zillusion. It brushes him back. from him trying to take over.

That's exactly right. And there's also an article also appeared somewhere, which says that Zelensky himself, though he went along with the idea initially, then changed his mind, and that Zillusion he went ahead without telling him, which of course conveniently takes the heat of Zelensky. So, you know, it's clear that, as I said,

they're propping up Zelensky for the moment, and that's what he wanted, and that's what he's got. And Germany's helping. And Germany's helping. Germany, of course. Of course, Germany's helping. Okay, so while Zelensky is in the United States, the front line is in a terrible shape for Ukraine. Uglidar, I think, is what many people are talking about. Of course, Zelenskyy's pushing Kursk for his own PR reasons.

They tried another incursion into Russia, another PR stunt. And from what I understand, the Ukraine military got hammered by the Russians. But the big story on the front line, As Olensky is in the U.S., pushing his victory plan, which many leaders, according to the Wall Street Journal, found unimpressive. But Uyghudar is collapsing. And, you know, if this was happening last year, this would be a huge deal. But because there's so many cities and towns and villages that are collapsing at the same time, it's as if Ugo-Dar is just not as a big deal. important as it would have been a year ago if this very scenario was going on. And I want to ask you about, I think it's the 72nd that is trapped. Yes. Do you believe the story? It's just a story,

rumor, let's say it's a rumor, that Zelensky gave the order. Do not leave Ugladar. Don't retreat, don't abandon Ugladar while I'm in the United States. I do believe it because it's coming from the Ukrainian military themselves, not from the general staff, not from Searski, but one of the military units that is in the area, they actually published this on their website that they'd been told to stand and fight

to the deaths in Uglada, but to make sure that Ugladar did not fall whilst the visit, which means, of course, Zelensky's visit to the United States was underway. So you can imagine how a lot of the soldiers must feel about that, Did they know this?

Well, presumably they do. I'm sure they do. There's an article, by the way, in the Times of London, which doesn't talk about Uglodar, talks about fighting in another part of the front lines, but it has interviews with Ukrainian soldiers. They're very bitter. They have scathing things to say about course. They say it's made no difference to them. They're completely uninterested and unimpressed in Zelensky, in his victory plan,

in his visit to the United States. And I think that reflects the general feeling in the Ukrainian army. About Ogletar, by the way, you're absolutely right. This is the lynch bin town, the fortified position that held together the whole of the southern Dombas for Ukraine. Now it's about to fall. The latest report say the Russians control around 40% of it.

The 72nd Brigade that you mentioned, one of the best military units in the Ukrainian army is trapped there. They're suffering terrible losses. There's no escape. There's no route to escape. The Russians control all of the roads. It is an absolute disaster.

And it's just one disaster amongst many others. There's huge problems further north. Place Kukurakovar gradually being surrounded as well. The entire Ukrainian army in southwestern Dombas is gradually being obliterated. The Russians have reached. They're about two kilometres now, apparently, from the outer suburb of Bakrosk, which is called Mirnograd. They're well inside Toretsk. Some report yesterday suggested that Toresk might have already fallen.

I don't believe that, by the way. But, I mean, it's the fact that people are talking in this way tells you how bad the situation is. And this is partly why we're not hearing so much about Uglidar, because, as you've, rightly said, it's a catastrophe everywhere. But I also think that the word has gone out in America and in Britain and in the Western media and wherever. Don't talk about Uglada because we don't want to rock the boat in Kiev at this time. Don't talk about a catastrophe. Don't talk about the Ukrainian army gradually disintegrating because we don't want stories spreading that will damage the stability in Kiev, which we need to preserve

for the next five to six to ten months. Yeah, don't talk about it as we give Zelenskyy $375 million and $8 billion in funds that have been budgeted to Ukraine. Exactly. Front load all of that. The American people probably would not like the fact that all this money is going to Zelensky as Project Ukraine completely crumbles. Correct.

It's not an election winner. It's not an election winner. But bear in mind, the money is the most important thing of all. Because as we've discussed, in many programs, you give $8 billion supposedly to Ukraine. But of course, that money doesn't just go to Ukraine. It gets filtered through and goes to all sorts of other people. As you once discussed, it closes positions. It does all kinds of other things.

So you've got to keep that money moving until finally, the moment comes when you can stop doing so. Yeah. So let me ask you a final question on Brazil. And is it the Brazil China plan? Yeah, yeah. It's the Brazil plan. Okay, it is the Brazil plan. But they're attaching China to it as well. Okay, what's going on with Rula?

And why would Russia agree to this given the momentum that they have? Well, they wouldn't agree to it. Now, the thing is that people, the reason people call it the Brazil China plan is, because back in May, and we're talking about months ago, Brazil and China published a joint statement setting out various common ideas that they each had. One was that Ukraine and Russia need to start negotiations, that there needs to be a de-escalation by all sides, which was a hint that the West should stop sending arms to Ukraine, and that these negotiations should eventually leave.

to a ceasefire and then a peace conference bringing together all the various parties, including the stakeholders, including, by the way, China, okay? And that that would be the mechanism whereby peace in Ukraine would be found. Now that was not a plan, that was just principles. Now, Lula has his own plan, and that plan appears to involve an immediate ceasefire. and he called together a meeting of global South countries at the UN where he's diplomatic representatives apparently presented it. So he's going beyond what the Chinese have agreed to.

And I think this is an important point because there's a lot of confusion about this. The Russians are not keen on this at all. They do not want to ceasefire at this particular time Because from their point of view, they're winning the wall. Why would they want to give a ceasefire, which would give the Ukrainians a respite? Because they don't believe that negotiations with a ceasefire in place would go anywhere. They want to return, in other words, to what the Brazilians and the Chinese agreed in May, first negotiations, and then if the negotiations start reaching a good point,

then maybe you can consider a ceasefire. Lula has a different idea. Lunar is doing this because he wants to establish himself as a major diplomatic player on the global scene. The Russians are not pleased. And from their point of view, this is difficult and embarrassing, given that Brazil is a BRICS country and that the Russians are trying to put together a BRIC summit for October. But they have a really useful ally in wrecking. Lula's proposal or idea, who is none other than Zelensky himself.

Useful ally, a useful idiot. A useful idiot. Because Zelensky has spoken scathingly about Lula's plan. He doesn't want to ceasefire. He doesn't want an end of the fighting. Of course, he doesn't want an end of the fighting, because if there is an end of the fighting, then his own position in Kiev might start to come under challenge. So he has spoken in the rule.

rudest possible way about Lula and his peace plan. And as we see from his trip to the United States, for the moment at least, he is not going anywhere. He's going to remain in power in Kiev. So, oddly enough, as a result of all of this, another party that probably at this moment in time would be quite happy to have Zelensky still remain in office in Kiev as president is Russia. Because whilst Zelensky is there, diplomatic proposals, like the ones that the Brazilians are coming up with, which the Russians don't really like, are going to go nowhere because Zelensky is going to oppose them. Who's the worst diplomat, Zelensky, Blinkin or Biden? Blinkin is. Blinkin is.

Blinkin is, yeah. Yeah, I agree with that one. Yeah, but Zelensky is, he's putting on a good show. Yes, yes. All right, we will leave the video there. the durand.locals.com. We are on Rumble Odyssey, but shoot, telegram, rock fit and Twitter X and go to the Duran shop. Pick up some merch like the Australia

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