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Zelensky Pushes Back Against Trump as Ukraine Continues Military Strikes

24m 6s

Zelensky Pushes Back Against Trump as Ukraine Continues Military Strikes

This episode features a mix of personal wellness, home security, business tools, and geopolitical analysis. The host promotes Whoop as a vital tool for tracking personal health and recovery, emphasizing its simplicity and lack of distractions. ADT is presented as a trusted, convenient home security solution, especially for families. Squarespace and Xero are recommended for entrepreneurs seeking to build and manage businesses efficiently through digital platforms. The central geopolitical narrative centers on Ukraine’s President Volodmyr Zelensky’s strong opposition to proposed trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi between the U.S., Russia, and Ukraine. Zelensky accuses Russia of using the talks as a propaganda effort to dismantle NATO and reassert Soviet-era territorial claims, while criticizing U.S. officials like Trump and Jared Kushner for promoting a dangerous alternative security framework. He also highlights Ukraine’s military actions—such as strikes on Russian defense facilities—against these proposals and warns of future attacks on civilian infrastructure. Zelensky links these actions to broader strategic goals, including disrupting Russian election interference. The episode concludes by reinforcing Ukraine’s stance: sovereignty and territorial integrity are non-negotiable, and any peace deal must respect these principles, especially as global powers navigate a shifting security landscape.

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This episode is brought to you by Whoop. Between recording podcasts, breaking news, traveling, and spending time with my family, my schedule can get pretty crazy. One thing I've learned is that you can't just keep pushing yourself without paying attention to your health. That's why I love Whoop. I wear my Whoop 5.0 every day, and it helps me understand how I'm sleeping, how my body is recovering, and how much strain I'm putting on myself. There's no screen, no constant notifications, and that may just be my favorite thing about it. Just personalized insights that help me make smarter decisions. And with everything we have coming up, I want to make sure I have the energy to show up for my family and keep doing what I love. Whoop helps me listen to my body instead of just guessing what it needs. This has changed my life for the better in so many ways. And with three membership options, Whoop One, Peak, and Life, there's something for different health goals. Head to join.whoop.com. To join Whoop and get one month free. That's join.whoop.com. The Midas Touch Podcast is sponsored by ADT. Hey, this is Brett from the Midas Touch Podcast. I actually use ADT in my own home, and it gives me so much peace of mind, especially with a one-year-old and my pup in the house. There's already enough to think about every day, so home security is one thing I really don't want to have to worry about. One of my favorite parts is the ADT Plus app. I can arm or disarm the system and check live camera feeds right from my phone no matter where I am. And there have definitely been nights where I've gotten into bed, realized I forgot to set the alarm, and instead of getting back up, I just arm it right from the app. It's super convenient. ADT offers customizable systems that can be professionally installed, and they have the most company-operated monitoring centers in the industry, helping protect your home 24-7. Their technology can also help first responders locate you faster in an emergency. For me, it really comes down to trust. I use ADT. I trust ADT. And having that protection gives me one less thing to worry about so I can focus on my family and actually enjoy those little moments at home. Visit ADT.com today or call 1-800-ADT-ASAP. When every second counts, count on ADT. A beautifully designed Squarespace website is the difference between thinking about photography school and selling your portraits online. It's the difference between giving away those cookies you just made for free and running your cookie empire. A beautifully designed Squarespace website is the difference between having a movie-reviewing hobby and a movie-reviewing career. Squarespace. Because no matter what you're into, a website makes it real. Use offer code DIFFERENCE for 50% off select plans. Terms and conditions apply. This is Jill Schlesinger from Jill on Money. Managing your small business finances shouldn't feel overwhelming. Xero brings your accounting, payroll, payments, and analytics into one simple platform with automated, automated features that clear away the daily busywork. You get a quick, detailed look at what's coming in and what's going out. Over 5 million customers worldwide rely on Xero, and 91% of customers across the U.S., U.K., and Australia agree it's easy to use based on a 2024 survey. Get the clarity and confidence you need to make smart decisions for your business. Learn more at Xero.com. Ukraine's President Zelensky. Zelensky is striking back hard at Donald Trump after the catastrophic midterm elections that Donald Trump suffered. There are talks that are supposed to take place in Abu Dhabi between the United States, Russia, and Ukraine, where the United States wants a discussion about all of the European security architecture to basically put the very existence of NATO as a negotiating card, something that Putin always wanted. But Zelensky. Zelensky is striking back right before this purported trilateral meeting in Abu Dhabi is supposed to take place. It's supposed to take place November 10th and 11th, and Donald Trump's like, we think there's going to be a deal and things are going to be amazing. And Ukraine's President Zelensky says, no, this is all pretext. It's all a front for more Putin propaganda. The exact type of Putin propaganda that took place this past week in the White House where Putin sent Kirill Dmitriev, the head of the Russia Sovereign Wealth Fund, who stood there next to Melania as Melania praised him and Russia as being these great humanitarians during this catastrophic war in Ukraine. So let me show you what's going on. I mean, you have Ukraine striking hard in Russia in the past 24 hours. Ukraine's military conducted military strikes on the Proton optoelectronics plants located in the Russian city of Orel in Western Ukraine. Russia significant fire can be seen raging in the territory of the facility following the strikes. According to available information, I'll show you here on the B-roll. This Proton plant was involved in production of a number of optoelectronic and semiconductor components that are used in Russia's military systems, particularly its cruise missiles and its Iskander ballistic missiles. I'll show you what it looked like over here as this JSC Proton Electronics plant in Orel. Here was the moment of the strike. Let's play it. Then Ukraine's President Zelensky was on with Jake Tapper on CNN. And he said, we don't see any signals that Russia's actually looking to. Do a settlement in Abu Dhabi. We think it's all BS. This talk from Jared Kushner and Putin about a European security architecture is very dangerous rhetoric, Zelensky says, because what it's trying to do is replace the post-World War II security architecture involving NATO, when the U.S. used to be the leader of the free world and a superpower and allied with Europe, in exchange for a new security architecture that's basically led, by Russia, where there is no such thing as Eastern Europe. And Russia basically has all of its Soviet territories again. And then there's Russia, all of Eastern Europe, which is part of Russia, and then Europe. Watch what Zelensky says during this interview here. Play this clip. President Trump said a big agreement, quote, involving more than Ukraine and even all of Europe, unquote, is coming. What do you know about this framework for an agreement? Wanted to discuss that the idea, European, Russian security infrastructure between us, for me, it's not simple. And it can be dangerous between us. Do you believe Jared Kushner when he says that any agreement has to respect every country's territorial integrity? Yeah, there are a lot of different propositions and a lot of different talks. Some of them are useful and very important. We support ceasefire. We support then these collations. We didn't see yet any kind of demonstration and signals from Russian side that they are ready to do something. This is, I think this is, that's why it's dangerous. When they want not to speak about how to end this war, I mean, Russian, they want to begin from new security infrastructure in Europe. It's dangerous. By the way, it's more dangerous for EU, not for us. We are not a part of EU, we are on the way, but we are not the part of EU. We are not a member of EU. And also, we are not a member of NATO. And that's why, sorry that I'm in this try to speak. I'm not speaking on behalf of these guys, but it's dangerous for all of us. We all live in Europe. We don't want to have Yalta, Yalta two. Yes, we are not ready for such format. We don't want to be. Divided by Russia. And of course, sovereignty and territorial integrity is a key question for any independent country, if you want to be a free, democratic country, you need that minimum. Your neighbors will respect your sovereignty and territorial integrity. You also had Ukraine's President Zelensky also say, you know, Donald Trump needs to stop saying that, like, we're supposed to feel bad for all of the Russian troops who are dying in this war, who are invading Ukraine. Zelensky says, I don't feel bad for them. They're here to kill our people. They're murderers. So when they come into Ukraine with their guns and try to kill us and we kill them, Ukraine's President Zelensky says, sorry, I don't feel bad for them at all. Here, play this clip. And he attacks. He also frequently brings up, President Trump, how many Russians are dying in the war, too, which is true. But as you know, Russia attacked. Ukraine. Do you think he is going to be more or less committed to Ukraine if in the coming days and months, do you think, President Trump? First of all, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Maybe maybe it will not be positive for for for somebody to hear it. But I'm not crying when I see that the soldiers of Russia, which are on our territory and killing our people, that they are dying. So, I mean, this is their choice, the choice of one person, that they are not free. the soldiers. This is the choice of one person, but they have their hands. This is a choice of Putin to push them on other land. And you saw so big part of our country was occupied and everything destroyed and burned there. Everything. So no, no apartments. No, I mean, there's no schools, no churches. Everything was destroyed. This is the face of these soldiers. We need air defense missiles because we want to survive. We want to live until until President Trump will push Putin to negotiations. He can do it. He is the president of the United States. And he always said that he has very good, great, strong relations with Putin. So it's good. We are ready to meet in any country, not in Moscow, in the United States or somewhere in Europe or Middle East. Maybe Middle East is different. But in any way, we are ready for this. And meanwhile, when Donald Trump landed in Florida yesterday, he said that he feels very good that there's going to be a settlement coming up, that there's going to be this meeting in Abu Dhabi on November 10th and 11th. Things are looking really good. And he says, I think there's going to be an entire European settlement. And again, this idea of a European settlement, this is what Putin wants, by the way, meaning that Europe will sacrifice its existing security architecture. Erode the European Union, erode NATO and replace it with a new security architecture in kind of Putin's image. Watch what Trump says over here. Play this clip. In the latest conversations you're having with Russia, does anything feel different this time? Is there anything you're doing? Russia and Ukraine for the first time, I think, want to settle. We have meetings. I've had phone calls today. I'm having some tomorrow. They're having a meeting on Monday and Tuesday, as you know. I think they want to settle. I think it's going to be a very big settlement. I think it's going to involve all of Europe. It's going to be a very big settlement. Now, we've seen Jared Kushner, Donald Trump's son-in-law, who purports to represent the United States in these international discussions, despite the fact that no American wants him to have this role. He's not appointed. He's not confirmed. He should not be doing this. He's acting ultra vires, as we would say, improperly. And he should be certainly subpoenaed first, or one of the first people to be subpoenaed in the new Democratic Congress, House and Senate. Jared Kushner posted the other day that we are working intensively with all parties to find practical solutions that can bring this war to an end. And specifically, we're talking about security guarantees for Ukraine and a broader European security architecture. Well, Europe's not asking for a broader security architecture. The main issue is, will there be security guarantees for Ukraine? It's actually a very simple resolution that Europe and Ukraine endorse right now. Russia's been able to advance along Ukrainian territory. It controls certain areas that it occupies right now. Ukraine's basically said, you can have that territory. You can have that. We will freeze the borders right now of the war. You can keep what you have, but let's stop right here. We could have a full ceasefire. That ends the war. And then the U.S. and Europe come in with security guarantees. That's Ukraine's position. Russia's position is, we don't want a ceasefire. We want a new security architecture in the region. Because Russia's position is that the reason they say we had to invade Ukraine is that the NATO security architecture was encroaching on Russian territory. So we had to invade. We had no choice but to do it, is what Russia says. So we need a new security architecture. We don't believe there's even a thing called security. We don't believe there's even a thing called Eastern Europe. We think Poland, we think all of these former Soviet countries still belong to Russia and the Soviet Union. That's Russia's position. So they say, we don't want a ceasefire. And when you see what Putin's said yesterday, I mean, look at what his statements are. Ahead of these upcoming talks in Abu Dhabi, Putin invited his Russian negotiators who are going to Abu Dhabi for the meeting of the Russian Security Council. And the delegation set to travel to Abu Dhabi consists of historian Vladimir Badinsky, head of the GRU, Admiral Igor Kostykov, presidential aide Yuri Yushakov, who's basically Witkov's, like, love interest. I'm exaggerating, but Witkov loves Yuri Yushakov, as well as deputy foreign ministers Mikhail Guzulon and Sergey Rybakov. And Ukraine knows that when Russia sends its historian, what that means is Putin basically traces his history. He traces his version of history of the Soviet Union and why Ukraine and, frankly, Poland and all of Eastern Europe belongs to Russia. And when Putin speaks at these meetings, too, he's not going to be at this trilateral in Abu Dhabi, but he sends the historian. They spend hours, like three hours, five hours, just giving their own version of the history. They don't negotiate. They just do history lessons. That's what Putin does also when he's on the phone. And Zelensky's like, we're not doing history lessons. If you want to do the ceasefire, here's the deal. But Putin tells his version of history. And that's why he says that he's sending a historian over there. I think that's an important thing. Also, I should note that Jared Kushner, two nights ago also, he was posting about how, you know, there was these conversations in Brussels. And again, we're talking with Europe about the security architecture. And that's what's really important to us. And it should be noted, again, that, like, Europe responded right away. Like, stop talking about our security architecture. I mean, this is Poland's Foreign Minister Sikorski explaining that Trump's ongoing operations to help Putin inflict incredible suffering on Ukraine. And that right now Europe holds the cards and U.S. doesn't hold the cards is what Poland's Foreign Minister Sikorski says. It should be noted, too, that Poland has really armed up. Poland has built up one of the biggest militaries. One of the biggest militaries in the world right now. Let me show you what Sikorski had to say. Play this clip. As regards Ukraine, I suspect President Trump thought that if he will not have another supplemental package, then Ukraine will find itself in difficulty much faster. And then the war might be ended because Ukraine will be forced into concessions. And I think they will find eventually that while having European support, Ukraine is not falling. And that, therefore, the war cannot be ended without Ukrainian agreement and without European agreement, too. Because, to use a Trumpian term, U.S. cards are not as strong as they were. Now, before the midterm elections. Ukraine President Zelensky also dropped some foreshadowing of what would happen in the elections. Remember when Zelensky did that interview with Laura Loomer, that MAGA extremist, that Trump cultist extremist, in my opinion, that's what she is, who's always around Donald Trump. And then there was like that week where she was like acting like all of a sudden she supported Ukraine when before she didn't at all. And then she interviewed Zelensky. And I was like, why are you interviewing with Laura Loomer? I mean, I understand that I guess she has Trump's ear, so that's why you were saying it. But here's, I think, one of the main reasons why he did it. He basically looked her in the face and said, you know, if we start striking these data centers in Russia, it may end up helping the Democrats, I want to warn you, because all of those Russian bot farms will be destroyed. A week or two later, as we reported on the Midas Touch Network, what did Zelensky do? He struck those Russian data centers like the Yandex data centers. The Russian bot activity went down substantially. The ability of the Russian bots to influence the election in Brazil deteriorated. You had Bolsonaro, who's part of the Trump, Putin, Bukele, Javier Millet, AFD, Reform Party, you know, Le Pen, that whole authoritarian network. Bolsonaro lost, Lula won. And then what happened in these recent elections, too, in the U.S.? A massive blue tsunami and the bot activity decreased significantly. Watch what Zelensky told Loomer here. Play this clip. If I knew or if I really could be involved to elections, maybe Democrats could have a little bit better results. Well, we don't want that. We don't want that. We don't want Democrats winning. I understand. I think that. I'm just joking. Now, clearly, Zelensky and his team, they see what was going on in the Oval Office as well. They saw that Melania brought in Kirill Dmitriev, the number two over in Russia, or he's one of the top people and runs the Russian sovereign wealth fund. And who was who else was there as well in the Oval Office? You had, you know, someone who was Yanukovych. You had someone who was Yana Lantratova, who was someone who's on U.S. and E.U. sanctions because of her involvement with forced transfer of Ukrainian kids from Russian-occupied Kherson in 2022. She was invited and was and Melania said that she's a great humanitarian. and she's a great woman, she's an incredible person, and then she posted a video of being in the White House with Kirill Dmitriev. Watch what she posted here, play this clip. Our shared objective was to deliver critical humanitarian aid to Alashki residents and establish a safe evacuation route for civilians. I commend both sides for your good faith efforts to define and implement all components of this sophisticated ceasefire. Now when Donald Trump was on the tarmac, Trump said that he believed that he was very close to this deal, again with Russia and Ukraine, that a settlement was about to happen, which we know is not true. But here's what Trump said: In the late conversations you're having with Russia, does anything feel different this time? Russia and Ukraine for the first time I think want to settle. We have meetings, I've had phone calls today, I'm having some tomorrow. They're having a meeting on Monday and Tuesdays, you know, but they, I think they want to settle. Is there anything you're going to try? Now, Ukraine President Zelensky is also saying that we in Ukraine now have the intelligence that another strike is being prepared targeting our energy sector bridges across the Dnipro and civilian infrastructure. The Air Force and Armed Forces of Ukraine overall are preparing to protect us. We need interceptor missiles for our Patriots. Every agreement matters and every day counts when it comes to deliveries. We're asking our partners very strongly, please don't put off deliveries. Please stay safe given the threat of missile attacks. Glory to Ukraine is what they're saying over there. And so that's what you have going on. We'll keep you posted every step of the way right now. Hit subscribe. Let's get to 7 million subscribers. We appreciate you. We're grateful for you. Thanks for watching. WTF America is officially out now. My brothers and I wrote it, but this book is also about you. The millions who refused to back down when it mattered most. Scan the QR code, click the link in the description, or find it anywhere books are sold and order your copy today. Imagine hearing a child ask for water and knowing there's none to give or putting a hand on a hot forehead without any medicine to make it better. Right now, in conflict zones like Sudan, Gaza, and Afghanistan, children are suffering with a lack of access to food, clean water, or basic medical care. You can help. 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Podcast Summary

Key Points:

  1. The host promotes Whoop as a health-tracking device that provides non-intrusive, personalized insights into sleep, recovery, and stress without constant notifications.
  2. ADT is highlighted as a reliable home security solution that offers remote control, live camera feeds, and 24/7 monitoring, giving peace of mind for families with young children.
  3. A well-designed Squarespace website is presented as essential for turning hobbies into professional ventures, such as launching a photography or cookie business.
  4. Xero is recommended for small business owners due to its integrated accounting, payroll, and analytics platform, which simplifies financial management and is widely trusted.
  5. Ukraine’s President Zelensky strongly rejects claims of a peace deal in Abu Dhabi, calling the proposed security architecture a dangerous front for Russian propaganda.
  6. Zelensky criticizes Donald Trump and Jared Kushner for promoting a new European security framework that undermines NATO and erodes sovereignty, especially in Eastern Europe.
  7. Ukraine has launched military strikes on key Russian defense facilities, targeting optoelectronics plants, and warns of further attacks on energy and civilian infrastructure.
  8. The host links Zelensky’s actions—such as attacking Russian bot farms—to strategic interference in elections, showing how Ukraine’s military actions may influence political outcomes.

Summary:

This episode features a mix of personal wellness, home security, business tools, and geopolitical analysis. The host promotes Whoop as a vital tool for tracking personal health and recovery, emphasizing its simplicity and lack of distractions. ADT is presented as a trusted, convenient home security solution, especially for families.

Squarespace and Xero are recommended for entrepreneurs seeking to build and manage businesses efficiently through digital platforms. , Russia, and Ukraine. S.

officials like Trump and Jared Kushner for promoting a dangerous alternative security framework. He also highlights Ukraine’s military actions—such as strikes on Russian defense facilities—against these proposals and warns of future attacks on civilian infrastructure. Zelensky links these actions to broader strategic goals, including disrupting Russian election interference.

The episode concludes by reinforcing Ukraine’s stance: sovereignty and territorial integrity are non-negotiable, and any peace deal must respect these principles, especially as global powers navigate a shifting security landscape.

FAQs

Whoop helps users monitor sleep, recovery, and daily strain without constant notifications. It provides personalized insights to make smarter decisions about fitness and daily life.

Whoop offers three plans—One, Peak, and Life—designed to support different health goals and levels of tracking and features.

ADT provides peace of mind with 24/7 monitoring, remote access via app, and customizable systems, especially valuable for families with young children or pets.

The ADT Plus app allows users to arm or disarm the system and view live camera feeds from anywhere, making it convenient to manage security even when away from home.

A beautifully designed Squarespace website turns hobbies or small ideas into real, professional ventures—like selling products or building a personal brand online.

Xero consolidates accounting, payroll, payments, and analytics into one simple platform with automated features, offering clarity and ease of use for financial management.

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