Glory to Ukraine!
Glory to the defenders of Ukraine and all modern civilization!
Sincere condolences to all those affected by the barbaric Russian attacks in recent days. Light and Eternal Memory to the deceased… Recovery and healing to all the wounded.
- Trump’s visit to China: results
- The bill on assistance to Ukraine will be considered in the House of Representatives bypassing the speaker: what does this mean
▶ From the visit of the 47th president to Beijing, many people for some reason expected some “epochal” decisions, resolutions of world problems. Some, who substitute reality with virtual dreams, preemptively called the visit “historic” and “the main event of the year.” In Ukraine, some people had expectations that somehow Trump would agree with Xi to end the war or that Xi might play some role in its termination.
All of this is actually infinitely far from reality.
This visit was no more “historic” than the meetings of Eisenhower, Nixon, Ford, and Carter with Khrushchev and Brezhnev during the Cold War. At that time, “superpower status” was defined by the possession of nuclear arsenals by the USA and the USSR, sufficient for mutual destruction on one hand, and by the fact that the USA and USSR were leaders of completely opposite blocs and systems – the free and communist worlds, respectively. The goal of the USSR was to spread its influence in the world by establishing communist and pro-communist regimes in all its corners. The goal of the USA was to counteract this and economically pressure the USSR to change its policy. This was a confrontation of truly two completely opposite systems. Opposite not only ideologically and politically (liberal democracy on one side and communist dictatorship eager for expansion on the other) but also economically (market economy on one side and Soviet planned economy on the other).
Now the situation is different. “Superpower status” is defined by the size of the economy. Market economy. The USA is the world’s largest economy. China is the second. Other countries do not compare to them. Economically, only the EU as a whole – all 27 countries combined – can be compared to the USA and China. China is governed by a communist dictator and a communist party, differing from their Soviet predecessors in that they do not engage in spreading communism and do not try to establish a communist system in any other countries. But they involve other countries in their sphere of influence through the economy – investments and assistance in exchange for political support. And at the same time, they are increasing armaments, preparing to equal the USA and Russia in the number of nuclear warheads soon – within 10 years.
The rivalry with China is a much more complex and serious challenge for the US than the rivalry with the USSR. This is because the USSR experienced economic stagnation, a lack of economic development, which in the 1970s turned into a decline and gradually collapsed completely in the 1980s. China, on the other hand, has a modern and highly developed economy, possibly the most developed industrial production in the world, and is the largest exporter of various goods worldwide. The USSR could only spread its influence through the establishment of communist regimes, which brought nothing but poverty and repression wherever they appeared. China spreads its influence through economic expansion. The USSR lost the Cold War due to its complete economic insolvency. China faces no such threat.
Just like the meetings between American presidents and Soviet leaders, their meetings with Chinese leaders aim to make the confrontation between “superpowers” manageable, avoiding open military conflict. However, the agenda for meetings with Chinese leaders is entirely different, with American presidents having to discuss different issues. The main part of the agenda involves problems related to the economy in the broadest sense.
The negotiations between Trump and Xi were primarily or mainly about this. The 47th president did not just bring along a delegation of top American company leaders for nothing. He was driven by the “overriding” idea of balancing the US-China trade balance (the US purchases far more goods from China than China purchases from the US, and this trade deficit, occasionally slightly decreasing, has been growing for many years).
Trump needed Chinese airlines to buy many planes from Boeing. He wanted China to increase its purchase of American soybeans. He sought opportunities for American companies to do business in China under conditions favorable to the US. He wanted China not to impose restrictions on US purchases of rare earth minerals.
This was the main agenda for Trump.
From all this, it became clear that they managed to agree that Chinese airlines would buy 200 planes from Boeing. It is quite a strange situation. The US president is negotiating with the dictator of China that supposedly private Chinese companies will buy airplanes produced by not supposedly but absolutely private American companies. Such are the peculiarities of the Chinese market economy, so to speak, a market economy with state influence.
For two days, Donald Trump publicly lavished praise on Xi Jinping, calling him a “great leader,” saying it was a “great honor” for him, Trump, to be Xi’s friend.
Trump traveled to China, not in a strong negotiating position. His clear defeat in the trade war he attempted to start with China in the spring of 2025 led him not only to retreat but to drastically change his stance toward China. He stopped criticizing the PRC and calling China an adversary. The National Security Strategy— the main foreign policy document of the administration, published in December 2025, stated that the US could have even relations with China, as long as China did not hinder US international trade.
The war with Iran, initiated by Trump on February 28, not only did not become his victory but has led to a crisis today— Iran blocking the Strait of Hormuz, rising oil prices, all energy resources and energy, and fueling inflation in the US and other developed countries. Probably, Trump dreamed of coming to Xi as a victor, controlling Iranian oil. But in reality, the 47th president is far from realizing this dream.
All Trump could say about his negotiations with Xi on Iran was about Xi’s promise not to supply weapons to Iran (according to Trump), about Xi being against Iran having nuclear weapons, and about Xi supporting free shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. How to achieve this, apparently, Xi did not tell Trump. And possibly, Xi might have advised his guest to agree to Iran’s proposal— unblocking the Strait of Hormuz, and then engaging in negotiations (potentially very lengthy) on Iran’s nuclear program.
Xi Jinping has his agenda— Taiwan. And the Chinese communiqué on the talks stated that Xi Jinping told Trump that “the US must approach the Taiwan issue with utmost caution.”
American journalists covering Trump’s visit to China are saying and writing that the PRC is asking the US to change the wording of its Taiwan policy from “the US does not support Taiwan declaring independence” to “the US opposes Taiwan declaring independence.” Also, according to journalists citing sources in the American delegation, China asked the US to be more cautious about selling American weapons to Taiwan. Trump dodged journalists’ questions about Taiwan, pretending not to hear. Secretary of State Rubio said that the US policy toward Taiwan has not changed. Whether the policy has changed or not can be judged by whether the US continues to sell weapons to Taiwan or if the delay in approving the next sale, which is currently occurring, will last indefinitely.
Sources in the American delegation told CNN that before the trip to China, White House staff were warned of significant potential cybersecurity risks associated with staying in China.
Delegation members and Secret Service agents safeguarding the president were given ‘disposable’ phones and devices with new numbers; however, they were warned that even these phones could potentially be hacked while in China.
Most American officials left their personal phones and tablets either at home or — turned off and in special protective cases — aboard the government planes on which they arrived and will return home.
Trump’s visit to China will conclude on Friday.
But there’s no doubt that this visit is one of those aimed at maintaining “managed confrontation” and nothing more. No global issues will be resolved during this visit. For China, the USA remains geopolitical adversary number one, yet also the number one export market. China has been interested in weakening the USA and creating divisions between the USA and other liberal democracies and naturally remains interested in this.
And China, no matter what Trump says about his friendship with Xi and no matter how much he flatters him, remains geopolitical adversary number one for the USA in reality. This defines and will continue to define relations between the two countries.
▶ In the House of Representatives, 218 signatures have been gathered for the consideration of a bill to aid Ukraine. This bill was introduced many months ago by Democratic Congressman Gregory Meeks from New York. Speaker Johnson, who determines which bills to include and consider on the agenda, and which not to include or consider, naturally did not want to consider this bill, as Trump did not want its consideration.
Then Congressman Meeks began collecting signatures for a petition for the forced consideration of the bill. According to House rules, such a petition obliges the speaker to include the bill on the agenda within two weeks if 218 signatures (50% +1 of the constitutional number of members in the House – 435) are gathered. Every single Democrat signed the petition. Three signatures were missing to reach 218. Two were given by Republicans Fitzpatrick from Pennsylvania and Bacon from Nebraska. The third signature was added on Wednesday by independent Congressman Keeney from California, who left the Republican Party in March.
The bill provides for $1.3 billion in military aid to Ukraine and a long-term loan for the purchase of American weapons of $8 billion, as well as American aid for the reconstruction of Ukraine.
The bill will be considered within the next two weeks. If all the Democrats, two Republicans, and one former Republican who signed the petition vote for it, it will be passed by a majority of one vote.
The vote on this Republican bill will be the most telling indicator of whether any of them, besides the two who signed the petition, are willing to openly oppose Trump on an issue fundamental to him. I think if anyone is ready, there will be very few (and even that’s an optimistic assessment).
However, if this bill is passed in the House of Representatives, it stands no chance of being considered in the Senate unless Trump wanted it to be considered (which is unimaginable). The Senate’s agenda is determined by Republican Majority Leader Senator Thune. He does not include anything in the Senate agenda that Trump disapproves of. And if he did, at least a dozen, if not more, Republican senators would be found who would vote for such a bill alongside the Democrats.
In response to a possibly reasonable question, I will say that the Senate’s regulations do not allow a bill to be placed on the agenda by collecting signatures from the majority of senators.
It is also important to note that this bill clearly shows one of the important directions Congress will work towards in the next 120th session if the Democrats win the elections on November 3.
There are 982 days left until the end of the story called “Fear: Trump in the White House” © (the title of Bob Woodward’s book published in 2018).
Thank you to everyone who read this. Take care of yourself and your loved ones. Take care of each other, help one another. Wishing everyone health.
Ultimately what happens in the world depends on us. Whether we fight evil, do Good, remain mere observers, passively wait, and believe that someone somewhere will decide for us, or if we fight evil and do everything possible for Good to triumph.
We must not allow evil to prevail. The victory of evil would mean the end of the world we live in. We cannot allow this. Especially now.
Ukrainian Friends, I embrace and love you all. Take care of each other, I urge you strongly.
Ukraine is and will always be.
And evil will be defeated and punished. And that is certain.
