The MeidasTouch Podcast - Zelenskyy Checkmates Trump as Ambush Uncovered

Episode Date: November 20, 2025

MeidasTouch host Ben Meiselas reports on how Ukraine President Zelenskyy uncovered Trump’s plan to ambush him in Turkey with terms of surrender from Russia and Zelenskyy checkmated Trump with a plan of his own that led to the US Envoy to Ukraine Keith Kellogg either resigning or being forced out. For a limited time, the first 10,000 people who go to https://Dupe.com/MEIDAS will instantly get 500 Dupe Points Visit https://meidasplus.com for more! Remember to subscribe to ALL the MeidasTouch Network Podcasts: MeidasTouch: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/meidastouch-podcast Legal AF: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/legal-af MissTrial: https://meidasnews.com/tag/miss-trial The PoliticsGirl Podcast: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-politicsgirl-podcast The Influence Continuum: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-influence-continuum-with-dr-steven-hassan Mea Culpa with Michael Cohen: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/mea-culpa-with-michael-cohen The Weekend Show: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-weekend-show Burn the Boats: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/burn-the-boats Majority 54: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/majority-54 Political Beatdown: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/political-beatdown On Democracy with FP Wellman: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/on-democracy-with-fpwellman Uncovered: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/maga-uncovered Coalition of the Sane: https://meidasnews.com/tag/coalition-of-the-sane Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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The Trump regime knows exactly what's going on. President Zelensky smoked out the secret negotiations and discussions taking place between the Trump regime, Donald Trump, Steve Whitkoff, and a special envoy for Russia who's been spending time in the United States by the name of Kirill Demetriev, who also runs Russia's sovereign wealth fund. In other words, Demetriov's got the mullah. He's got Russian money and he's having conversations with the Trump regime, so you likely know what that means. And now Donald Trump is parroting the Russian propaganda and Putin's demands that Ukraine essentially surrender and give up all of its land to Putin. Let me just explain to you what was going down as well. There was a critical meeting that took place yesterday in Istanbul, Turkey. It was supposed to be a trilateral meeting between the leader of Turkey, Erdogan,

President Zelensky of Ukraine did show up and Witkoff, the special envoy of the United States, who has no foreign policy experience, but he was Trump's real estate buddy, corrupt dude. Donald Trump sent him, who's been sending him to do those trips to Russia. He was supposed to be in Istanbul. Whitkoff did not show up because right before this trip to Turkey, this meeting between Erdogan Zelensky and Whitkoff was set to take place, Zelinsky found out about these secret discussions and negotiations taking place between the Trump regime and the Russians, particularly with Dmitriev, and that at this meeting in Turkey, the Trump regime was going to hoist upon Ukraine a series of demands to immediately surrender, basically all of the land of Ukraine that Ukraine was never going to do. So Ukraine said, look, we have our plan for peace that we've worked up with our European friends,

with France, Spain, Germany, with others in the region, Canada, Australia also, but mostly with their European allies. And so Zelensky shows up ready to present this plan. So Whitkoff is like, oh, crap, I was going to force this surrender upon you, but you're showing up with the European crew. So Whitkoff and Trump say U.S. is not showing up in Istanbul because the U.S. wanted to force the surrender based on their secret negotiations taking place

with Russia in the United States, with Dmitriev. And so Whitkoff doesn't show. So it ends up just being Zelensky and Erdogan. Let me go over more specifics here. But what happens yesterday as well is that we learn that Keith Kellogg, the special envoy to Ukraine, retired lieutenant general, Keith Kellogg, remember that guy, he's either been forced out, basically fired or told to quit, or on his own, he's resigning. At the end of this year, he's done, he's gone.

And remember, he was the guy who first promised along with Trump that there would be peace in Ukraine in 24 hours. Then you'll recall in January, he was on Fox and he said, well, You know, it may actually take months. Then he was on in, or I think of January, he said, 100 days. Then in February months. Then in March, he said it would take 24 hours, but we didn't say, what, 24 hours? It may be in the future.

Then in May, he talked about the importance of imposing sanctions on Russia. In September, he said that he had told Trump that Ukraine was winning. Then we haven't heard from this guy. And now we know with all of the stuff I'm telling you that's going on, he's either quit or he's been forced to resign or pushed out of the regime. And if you've been watching the Midas Touch Network, back in January, I predicted exactly that. I said, go back to the podcast that I was doing that. I said, Kellogg's a goner, just a matter of when.

Maybe he doesn't know it, but I see this guy and he is done. Just go through the facts. Again, you're not really hearing this reported anywhere else. I think it's important. We're very methodical and accurate on the reporting. hat tip to the Financial Times who first broke this part of the story. So according to the Financial Times, Ukrainian officials say that there was a capitulation-style plan that Whitkoff and Trump worked out with Dmitriev in Putin.

And this was going to be forced upon Zelensky in Istanbul. Trump's special envoy, Whitkoff, canceled the meeting with Zelensky in Turkey after realizing that Zelensky did not want to discuss this capitulation plan. Sources then say Zelensky arrived with his own proposal, coordinated with Europe, and insisted on talks in a broader format. Trump and Witkoff said, we got to cancel this meeting because they wanted to force the surrender on Zelensky.

And then an unnamed U.S. official was telling the press, now we'll wait. The ball is in Zelensky's court. They say the ball is. in Zelensky's court, you know what happens, what I showed you at the beginning. Boom, all of a sudden Russia is able to send these missiles, drones, killing dozens of innocent Ukrainians. One of the questions I have is, did the United States not share certain intelligence? They withholds certain things. We know that's a pressure technique that Donald Trump uses, allowing innocent Ukrainians to die.

So I'm just throwing it out there. This unnamed U.S. official. ads that Zelensky could come to Washington to discuss the new U.S. plan if he wishes. So what is this plan? The 28-point plan calls for Russia to gain full de facto control over Donbos in eastern Ukraine, which includes Baltil-Luhansk and Donetsk, and would be recognized by the U.S. and other countries, along with Crimea, as lawfully part of the Russian Federation. A Ukrainian official claim the plan also included limitations on the size of the armed forces of Ukraine, limitations on the arsenal of long-range weapons, limitations on security guarantees, basically telling Ukraine, your army can't grow, you can't have weapons, you are at the whims of Russia at this point.

It was a horrible, horrible deal. It was total surrender. and Zelensky said, no way he was going to do it. Here's what Zelensky said about just peace for Ukraine before the meeting. But behind the scenes, Zelensky and his European allies got the intelligence that the U.S. was working with Putin and Dmitriev to try to sneak attack Zelensky and Istanbul and threaten surrender. So then Zelensky responded with, here's the European Zelensky plan. and then Whitkoff backed off, and then you have Keith Kellogg resigning or quitting.

Do you see what's going on here? Here's what Zelensky says. Play this clip. Thank you for the question. Tomorrow I have a meeting with President Erdogan, first and foremost. We will have a detailed conversation with him about all possible ways and approaches to ensure that Ukraine is able to achieve a just and lasting peace, carefully considering every option to support a fair resolution.

And I think it will be quite a substantive conversation, maybe a long one, or maybe not very long. We'll see, I have a good relationship with the president of Turkey. We will talk and we have some positions and signals from the United States. Well, we'll see tomorrow. Thank you. You ever have that moment where you fall in love with something online, a couch, a jacket, lamp? And then you see the price tag and immediately feel personally attacked? Yeah, that's where dupe.com basically saved me.

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So then we learned that Trump's special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, told Associates he plans to leave the administration in January. Four sources told Reuters, a departure that would mean the loss of a key advocate of Ukraine in the Trump regime. It's probably the only remaining person in the Trump regime that actually supports Ukraine. More on Kellogg in a second. So you recall my reporting yesterday about the importance of the meeting between Zelensky and French President Emmanuel Macron in France, in Paris, where there was a 10-year defense and security pact negotiated between France.

and Zelensky between Macron and Zelensky. And then separately, there was the important meeting that took place between the leaders of Spain and Zelensky. So you had that taking place and go back to my reporting also because you have Sweden going to Canada to sell fighter jets there. And basically, no one wants to buy American military equipment because everyone realizes America is completely compromised at this point by Putin and by Russia. I want to share this with you as well.

So here's the photo back on October 26, 2025, when Kareel Dmitriev arrived. He was meeting with Maga Republican Congress members like Anna Polina Luna, you see right there. And he handed her a book titled Great Words of a Great Man. And it is a book involving Vladimir Putin. Here is Putin's special envoy, Kareel Dmitriev, when he arrived in the U.S. in late October. and he claimed he was here to, you know, speak with MAGA Republican Congress members and the Trump regime. And now we know what they were doing. Specifically, they were plotting the Ukrainian surrender together, which Zelensky found out was happening. Here's what

Kareel Dmitriev said about speaking with the Trump regime. Play this clip. I'm currently in the United States at the invitation of U.S. president. This event was planned a little ago. And here's another clip of Dmitriov right here so you can hear him for yourself. Sadly, it is Ukraine that is undermining the Nessri dialogue and it's doing so at the request of British and European actors who want the conflict to continue. The situation in the British economy, the European economy is very unfavorable and it's important for them to create an image of Russia as an enemy.

So we will continue our dialogue with the United States. Clearly, as stating Russia's position, which is that Russia's national interests must be respected, that sanctions and unfriendly measures will have no impact on the Russian economy. It will only lead to growing prices at the United States gas stations, because the prices are already going up. Okay, now going back to Special Envoy Keith Kellogg, I want to share this time. with you right now. First clip I want to show you. Let's build this timeline together, okay? This is January 12th of 2025. Kellogg says there will be peace in Ukraine in 100 days. Play this clip. What we'll do, we'll set the conditions for the president, and then he'll eventually get

to a position where he'll be talking to President Putin and also a prime minister, President Zelensky as well. And I think they're going to come to a solvable solution in the near term, And what I say by the near term, you know, I would like to set a goal on a personal level and professional level. I would say, let's set it at 100 days and move our way back and figure a way we can do this in the near term to make sure that this solution is solid, it's sustainable, and that this war ends to, and so that we stop the carnage. I think that's going to be very important to do it.

It's going to be important for our national security. It's a part of our vital national interest. And it's also good for Europe as well, and the globe as well as to as well. The next one is February 1st. He says that it's going to happen in months, play this clip. But you've been around the block, General. I mean, do you think this is months? What do you think this is?

You know, I would like to say it's months, but it's not years. I'm talking about, you know, I'd like to think that we could have something in the short term, what I mean by the short term. I've said this before on one of your programs or one of the Fox programs. I'd like to see a countdown from 100 days back and figure out where we're at, either ceasefire for permanent peace. And I think it's all in the art of the doable. But this is not going to be sort of like we saw in Afghanistan, which is four years. It's not a cottage industry. It's got to be something short term for both nations,

but not only just for both nations. It's good for the United States. It's good for the world as well. If we can stop this fight, stop the killing, which has been horrific, and stop the destruction of the Ukrainian cities. The next clip I'm going to show you is from March on March 7th of 2025. Kellogg says that, yes, Trump didn't mean 24 hours, that there'll be peace in 24 hours in Ukraine, but Trump just didn't say which 24 hours it was going to be. Maybe it's years from now 24 hours, but eventually 24 hours from some period of time, there will be peace. Just think about that.

Like, what a ridiculous thing to say. Here, play this clip. But remember what President Trump said. He actually talked about the potential of getting territory back from the Russians. He said that. That's a public comment from him. So, it's a hard. Pardon?

But he didn't say. It's almost like, you know, remember the president said he was going to end the war in 24 hours? We didn't say what day. And then Kellogg May 13th of this year talks about imposing sanctions on Russia and how there's going to be these serious sanctions, which, you know, they all talk a tough game, but Russia's not been impacted at all by anything that Trump's done. Here play this clip. I just talked to Lindsay, Senator Graham, Lindsay.

Graham just yesterday. And, you know, the United States has got the Russian Sanctions Act of 2025 really set to go. And he's got well over 70 centers that have signed up for it. And they could be significant sanctions. And we're talking primarily about their central bank or sanctions on what we call the dark fleet or the shadow fleet, which carries the majority of their illicit oil overseas. You know, and 70% of that comes out of the Baltics. And you can kind of start going after the shadow fleet and attack the economics of it. And we've alerted President Putin did that. Look, this is very serious. These sanctions are very serious. They're harder than we've ever seen before. The Europeans are the same way. And you've got people like Chancellor Merch,

the new Chancellor of Germany, who's very, very hard on the new sanctions which is coming out, which is good. And then the last time we really heard from him, Keith Kellogg, was September 14th, where he speaks at a military conference, and he said that he told Donald Trump that Ukraine was winning. And that's really the last time we heard from Keith Kellogg. Here, play this clip. It's a great question because I was actually asked this question by the president, President Trump, in the Oval Office probably six weeks ago, same question, and I responded quite forcefully. And I finally said, Mr. President, don't just listen to me. Your chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Dan Cain, is outside. He's out in the outer door. Bring him in. Ask him

that question. He's your principal, military advisor. And he did. And Dan said the same thing. They winning. Nope. I'm not winning. So Putin could say he's winning all he wants. I know what he wants to do. I know he's trying to do it.

But right now, he wants to take all of Dinesk and Curson and Zaporizu as well. But it's a slog for him. And it's the Russia. By the way, so how the Russians fight. I think it's an important thing to know how Keith Kellogg has destroyed his reputation. Keith Kellogg, as Alex Pletzis says, Kellogg is a serious person. He's a retired Green Beret who commanded special operations command in Europe

in the 82nd Airboard Division. He's a Silver Star recipient for actions in Vietnam with five bronze stars, including V for Valor. He also fought in Panama and the Gulf War. Like, he's a serious dude who's now just harnished everything for the Trump regime. So he's gone. Zelensky out maneuvered Trump in Turkey, but now we still see Russia killing the innocent Ukrainians.

A lot there to unpack, but who else is covering it the way we're covering on the Midas Touch Network? I mean, this is a serious, important stuff that needs to get more attention. But I hope we laid it out here in a way that you understand. Thanks for watching. Hit subscribe. Let's get to 6 million subscribers, Slava, Ukraine. Hey, Midas Mighty, it's Ben Brett and Jordy, and we just wanted to thank you for being the backbone of this movement. This year tested us more than ever, but together we prove that pro-democracy voices don't just compete, we win.

We took on the entire Maga Machine, won a Webby for podcasts of the year. The Midas Touch Podcasts. And you were with us every step of the way. And trust us, what we're working on next is bigger, bolder, and built for 2026. Let's keep this momentum going. Spread the word. We are just getting started. Shout out to the Midas Mighty!