‘I feel angry and betrayed’: Ukrainians react to Donald Trump’s call to Putin
www.theguardian.com
While some Kyiv residents express relief over possible end to war, others predict further Russian attacks in future
  • meowmeowbeanz@sh.itjust.works
    16·
    6 days ago

    Ukraine’s simmering frustration crystallizes into a blunt truth: alliances are transactional, and principles evaporate when the ledger shifts. Trump’s “negotiation via artillery” remark isn’t just reckless—it’s a neon sign flashing expendable over nations clinging to Cold War-era promises. The Kremlin’s coy smirk says it all: geopolitical chess just got a nihilist player.

    NATO’s 2% GDP pledge, once a badge of solidarity, now dangles like a Damoclean sword. Kyiv’s defiance—fighting with Western scraps while patrons debate cost-sharing—mirrors a broader dissonance: security as a subscription service, cancelable if payments lapse. The “betrayal” isn’t Trump’s theatrics; it’s the realization that democratic commitments are just vibes.

    Meanwhile, the Global South watches, scribbling notes on the futility of picking sides. When the dust settles, the lesson won’t be about Putin or Trump—it’ll be about the illusion of institutional trust. Adapt or perish, but never expect loyalty from a system that commodifies survival.