Today, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Berlin to meet with President Trump emissaries Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner ahead of the previously scheduled Monday summit with the Coalition of The Willing, U.K, France and Germany.
The wording used by Zelenskyy tells the dynamic: “We are currently preparing for meetings with the U.S. side and our European friends in the coming days. Berlin will host many events.”
The “U.S side” and “European friends”, a notable distinction in the terminology as Zelenskyy notes his friendship with his European stakeholders.
Today, Sunday, Zelenskyy notes, “I am already in Germany. Today’s agenda includes a meeting with the American negotiating team. We are focusing on how to reliably guarantee Ukraine’s security so that the experience of the Budapest Memorandum and Russia’s invasion are never repeated. We are counting on constructive talks.”
For President Zelenskyy and his EU coalition, everything revolves around the security guarantees. As noted by Politico:
“The summit in Berlin is important: we are meeting with both the Americans and the Europeans,” Zelenskyy told journalists in a WhatsApp group chat on Sunday, according to a transcript of his remarks. “It is important for us. And believe me, we have done a lot to ensure that these parties all meet together.”
Zelenskyy emphasized the need for Ukraine to receive firm guarantees from the United States and European allies that would be similar to those offered to NATO members, according to the transcript of the group chat.
“These security guarantees are an opportunity to prevent another wave of Russian aggression,” the Ukrainian leader said. “And this is already a compromise on our part.”
Zelenskyy emphasized that the security guarantees would need to be legally binding and supported by the U.S. Congress. He said he expected an update from his team following a meeting between Ukrainian and U.S. military officials in Stuttgart. (link)
“We are talking about bilateral security guarantees between Ukraine and the United States — namely, Article 5-like guarantees … as well as security guarantees for us from our European partners and from other countries such as Canada, Japan and others,” Zelenskyy told journalists in a group chat, according to a report by the Financial Times.
This is exactly what we predicted would happen.
♦ On the ‘Security Guarantee‘ issue, this is where a quagmire is presented by European leaders.
From a pragmatic standpoint, a European demilitarized zone, stood up and supported by EU military forces, would appear to be the best solution. However, the “coalition of the willing” say they are willing to put security troops into Ukraine, but only if the USA will defend them if attacked by Russia. In essence, quasi-NATO forces on a non-NATO country, that if attacked would draw the entirety of NATO into the conflict, including the United States.
The U.K, France, Germany and EU Commission want a security structure similar to NATO for Ukraine that legally binds the United States to defend their interests if the ceasefire does not hold. President Trump has rejected this construct as yet another way for Europe to pull the U.S into a conflict zone that is not in our vital national security interests.
The ceasefire proposal structured by Trump, Witkoff and Kushner – seemingly supported by Russia, does not permit Ukraine to join NATO; however, EU membership is entirely up to the EU and people of Ukraine to decide. If Ukraine joins the EU, then EU forces alone should provide the security guarantee, not NATO which includes the U.S. and Canada.
It will be interesting to see how the Europeans organize their “security guarantee” proposal. I strongly doubt Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are willing to enter into any “article-5 like” agreement to put American troops into the mix, despite the demands of Zelenskyy.
ENOUGH ALREADY! If Zelenskyy’s European “friends” are willing to put their military troops into the mix, then the EU friends should be responsible for the security therein. President Trump needs to exit this hot mess, regardless of what congress wants to see happen.
The EU cannot do anything without cover from over-whelming US airpower. The Combat Aviation Brigade of the 101 Airborne Div has more helicopters than the TOTAL UK strength, (including Army, Navy and Airforce). The rest of Europe are in an equally pathetic state, or in an even worse one, especially as progressive politicians have slashed supply inventories and manpower levels, under the guise of efficiency.
Pursuing destructive discriminatory DEI policies, that attack the very culture of the countries they purport to defend, have caused a cratering in recruitment, hence the calls for conscription. So, no US air and ISR shield, or crucially logistic support, means no deployment of any Euro Force. Whole thing’s either a barely disguised bear trap for Trump, or a desperate attempt to squeeze the golden goose one more time.
Coalition of the Suicidal bankrolled by the Uncle Sam side.
It’s all just a big stall while the international criminal organizations laudering money through Ukraine, masked by the billions of dollars in American taxpayer money also being laundered through Ukraine, organize an alternative money cleaning operation. Z is their front man. He does what he is told.
Oh, and don’t kid yourself. The US will NOT take down the international criminal organizations. Won’t even try. The best we can get out of it is “you leave us alone and we’ll leave you alone.” 47 knows this. You do what you do. We’ll do what we do. We just won’t be sending camoflage money to Ukraine any more.
They want guarantees so when they execute their false flag attack against EU forces, the US is forced to engage.
among the dinner cutlery will be very small spoons
please change your handle I have been posting on CTH as bill for more than 6 years…bill
If you follow the laundered money you will see who the real criminals are in this conspiracy and it isn’t Zeninsky, he’s just a pawn being played by politicians who are run by multinational globalist billionaire corporations looking for ways to make more money for themselves and if they have to have several million people killed to make a trillion or more in profits, well that’s a small price to pay for the globalists.
My negotiation:
1) present Zelenskiy a list of all the stolen property we can find, Villas, fancy cars, jewelry, , clothes, everything.
Tell him he will return in one week the pallets of $100 bills stolen by himself and his team or he will be cut off and handed over to the Russians.
2) Tell him he will call for elections in30 days in Ukraine and step aside. He will be allowed to run wherever he thinks is safe and keep, lets say, 5% of the stolen goods. He will get no further support from the US. The “willing” can protect him if they wish.
3) Promise him that if he does not go along with this and make a deal with the Russians in the next 30 days, the US will see to it that he is hung by his ankles somewhere public on a meat hook, and as many of his supporters (including CIA, etc and US Senators) as US Military Intelligence can round up.
Tell him he can play chopsticks on his proposal with his penis, while he still has one.
Do you think he would go along?
Too bad you’re not part of the negotiating team. The current dog and pony show will not end as long at the USA continues to play a part.
Excellent!
Mussolini necktie party……?
I would not give him 30 days but 7 days. Whatever needed to be said surely has already been said many many times. GETTEMOUTTAHERE NOW.
Mentally deranged NATO Chief Mark Rutte wants
a Thermonuclear World War III with Russia.
World War III would destroy humanity & civilization.
–
Russians are good people.
Americans are good people.
Time to Live in Peace.
A Zelenskyy and EU Big Bash.
I was beginning to have withdrawal symptoms without one.
Oh, look it is a Z squirrel!
That shiny object you are supposed to watch!
They are stealing your money in broad daylight!
Those dipsticks in the first photo tell you everything you need to know, especially the guy on the left front.
And so it continue
A Constitutional question.
As Commander in Chief of the military is the President of the United States able to declare war, but the Congress defund it, thereby stopping the war taking place?
If so, can the inverse take place? The Congress funds a war as they have done recently, but the President can decide as Commander in Chief of the military, to override the Congress with regard to sending in troops. For some reason there are those in Congress that think they have the power to order troops into battle.
This needs to be addressed because the Ukrainian debacle has really muddied the waters.
The POTUS can refuse to order military engagement & force CONgress to declare war.
CONgress has not declared war since 1946. Make them own it.
We might be missing the clue that’s in plain sight. When the Ukrainian cokehead puppet actor starts yapping about “US Congressional Involvement”, what he’s really talking about is those US politicians he owns from the millions in cash kickbacks that flowed from US taxpayer funds flushed through that corrupt dump.
own it and see it through all the way, but NOT with our troops. Tell them to find other suckers.
The President of the United States can not declare war. Only congress can do that.
How many times has the WH said they are ”walking away”?
In April, Rubio said it was a matter of days.
If there is backsliding and indulging the EU, then it’s your war.
The EU and their pet think they can win over Trump through talking.
When will Trump tell them it’s over and shut up, stop talking?
stop talking and walk away. pull out of the un nato and bring the troops and materiel home.
CONgress has made that impossible for the POTUS to do.
In his 2nd to last act of subversion of the will of the American people, as majority leader, ChiCom Mitch passed legislation making NATO membership a treaty requiring a 2/3 vote to exit.
In his final act, he anointed himself Chairman of the Senate Rules Committee. The blue slip & filibuster rules will stay no matter how much heat Ldr Thune gets.
Zelensky and his EU buddies have done nothing but waste an enormous amount of our time and money, walk away and don’t look back!
This sideshow is taking WAY too long. I’m about ready to start a war myself – not with Ukraine but with Trump. We are all (I think) sick and tired of this game. It’s beginning to look like he doesn’t have the courage to tell everyone to shut up and go home.
I saw footage yesterday of Obama leaving by the front door of 10 Downing Street after having met with Starmer and Sunak.
On his way back, in the tweet I could see only part of because I have not signed up, to his “multi million pound mansion” somewhere in Britain.
Which was news to me, because I have seen no reports of the Lightbringer’s purchase. Though I do know yesterday was not his first conflab with elements of Euro warmongers, those previous ones published in the Daily Mail.
On the Eve of this Zelensky meeting?
Questioned by a waiting press, Obama gave nothing away…except an arrogant smirk, his trademark.
I think it’s pretty fair to say he’s heavily involved in writing the COTW script. Anything which comes out of today’s meeting I will view with this in mind.
Maybe we should be asking if Obama isn’t violating the Logan Act?
It has been asked of others from his repugnant administration…. the “war hero” Kerry for example, interfering throughout President Trump’s first term.
And has been answered with averted gazes, deaf ears, and silence.
Unless he reported to the President the substance of his meetings…..he did 🙂
There seems to be no interest applying the laws of the land to those who willfully ignored or broke them.
In part I suspect because applying it to one leaves the door open to others guilty of whatever law was broken.
In other words, laws are for little people “, not their political “betters”.
Thanks for noticing this Betsy. Obama is a frequent visitor to 10 Downing Street.
Unreported here at home by anyone….neither his employees” (the MSM) nor shockingly any conservative media.
I’ve been waiting…and waiting and waiting…to see it anywhere, fan.
My husband saw he purchased a home over there and he and Michelle moved, from Facebook. Asked me if it was true and I said I hadn’t heard of it. Sounds like treason to me but he’ll never be held accountable for destroying our country, being part of Russia gate or trying to bring Trump and the US down once again.
I believe we have to accept that he won’t be. If justice came for him as an ex president, how long do you think if Dems ever regain the WH, injustice would come for President Trump?
My guess is a nanosecond after the oath is taken.
We will just have to be content knowing that Almighty God will at some distant time deal with him.
Good catch Betsy.
https://uknip.co.uk/news/uk/breaking/barack-obama-spotted-leaving-uk-mega-mansion-amid-indictment-rumours/
I know nothing of the reputation of UKNIP
I had no idea he’d bought a place although I too saw the exit photo from 10, but with no explanation. I didn’t sign up for x either.
DC was getting too hot for him and he wore out his welcome in the Vineyard after the chef went belly up. Moving where the Mooslims are.
I’d bet so, too, sis.
https://patriotcommandcenter.org/forum/head-of-uk-s-worker-party-warns-trump-barak-obama-is-running-a-sh
Found this also.
Not certain but it looks as if he is coming out of Downing Street in this photo, Jeanine. Of course with his absurdly large entourage, designed no doubt to bolster his own oversized ego. Notice he’s the only one wearing sunglasses in cloudy Britain.
This is my face…and my cat’s…
I love that picture.
😂😂
One of my fav photos:) Merry Christmas, Betsy! Keep an eye on 10 for us!
A Merry Christmas to you as well, girl…🎄 Will do!! 🤗
How much money will Jared be pocketing to protect big crime and screw the American people? No one in Trump world is taking down this syndicate, the only people who are left alive are people who take their deal. I do believe it’s possible to take down the syndicate, just not probable.
A fraction of what Hunter got from Burima and the 10% that went to the “Big Guy”??
Drip, drip drip…..that’s Ukraine blood and our money. It’s not just congress, it’s also Trump’s big donors.
The crypto scandle at the beginning of the war doesn`t get a mention anymore. US aid to Ukraine converted to crypto and sent back to our betters for their voting for the aid. Anyone remember a guy named Sam Brinkman or something…?
I agree – ENOUGH ALREADY!
Zelensky wants an “article-5 like” security guarantee that would be nothing less than NATO membership by another name. And he wants some “legally binding” measure of the US Congress to enforce it. And it would be US troops acting as a trip-wire to force our involvement if the war were to start up again. And he and his overlords (Starmer/Macron/Merz) know that Europe will never have the troops to guarantee Ukrainian security along with the US, much less all on their own, because they have absolutely no intention of honoring the 5% minimum commitments they made to improve their militaries. Their intention in that regard is to wait out Trump until he leaves office and then renege on them. It will be the US alone holding the bag and paying for everything.
No. Trump and team should reject everything Zelensky and his Coalition of the Unwilling want from us in their plan. Walking away entirely would be better than giving in to any of this.
The “enemy” always gets a vote.
Time to cut our losses. The situation has become hopeless.
And hopefully somebody will learn a lesson from this debacle.
Russia asserts that Ukraine forced the “special military operation”. What if Ukraine puts missile or atomic or biowarfare installations within Ukraine or at the new border? Or initiates action against remaining russian people in Ukraine, or funds/supports antirussian activities inside russia, ect? And russia responds.
Would the US defend this? Hard to “do business” with russia and its resources in such a security guarantee.
The various warfare installations are peppered throughout the Ukraine above and below ground.
The SMO will be over when all of these installations are contained and no longer a threat of any sort.
That’s part of what’s taking so long.
I’ve written extensively on the Ukraine issue.
Here’s a link:
https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2025/12/08/following-three-days-of-talks-with-u-s-team-zelenskyy-heads-to-london-for-
meeting-with-coalition-of-the-willing/comment-page-1/#comment-12265466
Russia will be in charge of security, not Ellensky and his warpig girlfriends.
Everything will be alright.
0.o
The US should not be manipulated now into a future war which we would not join then, but for a “security guarantee”.
What part of the EU is not part of the negotiations don’t they understand? Let this go long enough, and Russia will guarantee the freedoms of all the people of Ukraine and the EU will be their own front lines.
Just so we collectively understand, there is a difference between Europe (as it exists…barely) and the EU which is for the purposes of this discussion the hubristic three member “Coalition of the Willing”… i.e more than willing to engineer a potential apocalypse using the blood and treasure from the countries they sit as despots of.
A simple, explanatory visual…
Class dismissed 😎
why are we wasting time and effort with this? z, the eu and others want to drag us into a war. do not negotiate with the willing, no we are not opting in for so-called security guarantees. this is pointless to entertain any of it, as it would give it some credibility, of which it has none. bring them home.
There must be zero chance of pulling the US into a Ukraine war. Because that will happen.
Let Europe pay for and fight in their own undeclared wars. The US will not save them from world war again.
Waste no more time on this bright, shiny object, President Trump.
Unleash DOGE on the Federal budget. Cut spending everywhere. Get our own house in order.
Yes much work needs to be done in our own country. We can’t waste time trying to manage other countries.
” President Trump needs to exit this hot mess, regardless of what congress wants to see happen.”
Regardless of what Congress might do in reaction ?
As joyful as it might seem to be, Congress is not going to be wished away, nor rendered powerless, and President Trump needs Congress a lot more than he needs Vladimir Putin.
Yet congress can also not act unilaterally- without enough numbers to override a presidential veto. Possible, not probable, at least I pray.
What the treacherous Congress will do is craft a bill with things POTUS needs and wants. They will have all of this Ukraine support also in that bill making it hard for POTUS to refuse.
This is how they use the carrot and stick to get the President to go against the wants of the People at their behest.
Then they leave the POTUS to explain away what happened.
Lindsay Graham does this all the time and brags about it.
Trump is touted to be a genius. Let’s see some indication of that in this situation.
My unsolicited, uneducated advice to President Trump would be to take the following actions: The USA should unilaterally dissolve the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The USA should enter a bilateral security treaty and a bilateral trade agreement with the Russian Federation. The USA should then offer all former NATO members to enter a bilateral security treaty with the USA on terms established by the USA. Result: True “Pax Americana” [see recent smart a** statement by German politician Frederic Merz].
“We are talking about bilateral security guarantees between Ukraine and the United States — namely, Article 5-like guarantees … as well as security guarantees for us from our European partners and from other countries such as Canada, Japan and others,” Zelenskyy told journalists in a group chat, according to a report by the Financial Times.”
That’s all well and good, but……………I need to know just one thing: Who, specifically, is going to be paying for all these Guarantees? And I’m not just talking about tomorrow. Who’s on the hook for these costs decades from today, when all those involved in these negotiations have passed from the public’s eye?
They’re not security guarantees. They are annuities for life for certain Ukrainians Europeans and Americans
All in an effort to drag us into WWIII with a false flag attack!
EU goal is to continue antagonizing Russia while standing behind US and call it security guarantees.
“These security guarantees are an opportunity to prevent another wave of aggression,” the Ukrainian leader said, “and this is already a compromise on our part.”
Zman has repeatedly mentioned the security guarantees lately but has not mentioned Odessa and Donbas. He mentions here about compromise on Ukraine’s part.
I think zman has accepted that Donbas and Odessa will be Russian and he is just holding onto the only thread he has to be relevant.
“I think zman has accepted that Donbas and Odessa will be Russian and he is just holding onto the only thread he has to be relevant.”
At this point zman is desperately clinging to the only thing he sees as salvageable towards his personal long term security, and that is any and all forms of cash flow that flows in his personal direction. The gig is up, and he knows it. He’s getting ready to grab the cash and head for the exits.
that can’t happen too soon for me. I want him GONE –
Kick this clown to the curb! C’mon man!
Any nazi euro force attempting to enter or occupy ukraine will be slaughtered by the Russian superpower
Good
Make no mistake, security is secondary; it’s always been, will always be, about $ $ is how the CIA exists.
Ukraine announces it will NOT join NATO, the war is over. Allow the people to vote on what territory (rubble) is to be relinquished.
Really? That won’t happen.
The loser of the battle does not get to have much say in the terms of surrender.
This scenario was predicted by CTH back when and it made me depressed as once I read it, it made EVERYTHING the globalists do make perfect sense.
Sigh. The goal is to rope America into war with Russia via an attack on NATO troops in Ukraine by “Russia”, but most likely a false flag.
Now it is 100% obvious that is the plan.
We will see what Trump is made of. I don’t know if Trump has the power to pull out of NATO or if congress can cut him off at the pass somehow.
This plan by the globalists MUST be defeated! God help us!
See ChiCom Mitch’s last act of defiance in 2023.
Kaine/Rubio’s bipartisan bill to prohibit any President of the United States from withdrawing from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) without Senate approval or an Act of Congress. The legislation was included in the Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which passed by a bipartisan vote of 87-13.
That bill was likely unconstitutional, but Mitch didn’t care and knew that if/when Trump might try to withdraw from NATO it would immediately be challenged in court and enjoined. The SC might eventually rule in favor of Trump, but it would probably take his entire 2nd term (or beyond) to get to that ruling and he would be stymied either way.
I wonder what Rubio thinks about it now?
“I don’t know if Trump has the power to pull out of NATO or if congress can cut him off at the pass somehow.”
Congress still maintains their sole ability to declare war on another nation. If they really wanted to muck things up, they could do just that.
It might be that the only thing stopping them is trying to find a way to still blame the whole mess on Trump.
Taking full responsibility for their actions has never been a congressional strong point.
CONgress will not declare war on Russia under the current circumstances if ever. They’ll wait for a WH request for AUMF.
The only thing that CONgress recoils from faster than PDJT is accountability. If they declare it, they own it.
This is not going to end well.
What do the Ukrainian people want? They can’t be happy with little Z.
He can stick it where the sun doesn’t shine. Oh well, I guess he wants to give away Ukraine to destruction and kill all the peasants on the frontlines. Russia can have Ukraine, please hurry up and finish it!
The discord here has gotten so simple minded. The pessimism, the doubting the thinking things are just so simple is so unbecoming.
The Europeans are pretty transparent in what they’re doing Trump knows this. Witkoff knows what the Russians will agree to. Trump won’t give what would equal us troops.
Ffs it’s transparent that what Trump through Witkoff and kushner is doing. “What can we say without commitment to get Ukraine to the table with Russia”
That’s it. You think Trump is committing to security guarantees without Russia approving and signing a peace deal first? Stop the nonsense
I agree with you, but…. What good is signing a peace deal if it allows for a security agreement that allows an attack on our security forces to pull us into war with Russia if we are attacked.
Obviously, the negotiation team is fully aware. However, that we are even considering American security troops is reason enough for concern.
Russia’s goals are clear: that they want the Russian Heritage regions and the port and no NATO. They are not going to “invade” the Ukraine.
They did not start this war. Once the deal is signed, it is less likely that the Ukraine needs protection from the Russians than the chance of the Europeans of provoking a conflict – so why do WE need to back the security guarantee? Let the Europeans do it.
My point is there won’t be a guarantee that’d allow a trip wire. Article 5 like would likely mean if I were to guess the immediate transfer of legit nato kit. Reaper drones, tomahawks, etc. Trump has said there’s no chance of us troops and I believe him
Russia isn’t stupid. They’re not signing onto an agreement that doesn’t prohibit said US/EU (re:NATO) guarantees.
Ffs, people voice personal opinions. You support free speech, yes?
People can voice whatever they want I’m just saying there’s a hell of a lot of deliberate blindness going on.
Ru isn’t agreeing to us troops, there’s no proposal for us troops Trump has ruled it out.
And there won’t be any guarantees without Russian agreement
So again this is a non issue this is to get Russia and Ukraine to meet
I haven’t noticed any “discord” on this site. A lot of opinions which mostly seem to agree. Please tell us where the discord is.
Maybe discord is the wrong terminology. I mean the general conversation it does tend to sound exactly the same that’s the problem. There’s no thoughtful pushback. Just a chorus of people who seem completely ignorant to the deeper strategy in all of this
ÈU-UK with UKR Puppet Man are lining USA up for when they False-Flag activate WWIII.
Handwriting is on the wall.
“President Trump needs to exit this hot mess, regardless of what congress wants to see happen.”
Amen!
Be willing to SELL weapons to the Euros, who can either use them or give them to their Uke “friends”.
Oh — and as a non negotiable condition of support — DEMAND that the Euros stop buying energy from Russia 🙂
You would think that the people dying would have a say in this, but no elections,, no vote. This is a coalition of the grifting pure and simple.
Everything revolves around guarantees that the little piano playing weasel keeps getting his corruption payola.
Enough, already!!
We need to quit worrying about Putin and what he will do. Putin did not start this war. The people who controlled Biden’s auto pen, Obama and his lackeys and the leaders of the EU started this war.
This war was started by the west because Putin was not going along with their green new deal agenda.
He was not buying into the WEF policies.
The Obama gang and EU buddies figured they could defeat Russia, send Putin into exile, let their cohorts in BlackRock blunder the natural resources and the western powers would all be happy.
Now that Putin has shown that ain’t going to happen, give him what he wants for the misery and death of his people and get the hell out of Ukraine.
At this point, it is so disappointing the continued lies that even if it is achieved, it will not be a victory. Terrorists have started attacking in several nations and we’re stroking the desires of Ukraine and the willing murders.
Let their European friends handle their money laundering then. The US can’t get out of NATO fast enough.
Zelenskyy..EU..NATO..US are negotiating with the wrong people. They are negotiating with each other rather than Russia. And Russia is winning the Military Operation.
Want to guarantee that “Russia’s invasion” is never repeated? Ditch the biolabs, the money laundering, child trafficking, and the Nazis; let the Ukrainians who voted to belong to Russia be Russian, have a fair election to see if the Ukrainians still want you (your masters) in charge, and maybe you’ll have a deal.
Oh, and provide an accounting for the BILLIONS Americans provided to you.
Why would Zelensky want the war to end? Look at him. The center of the universe. All the big powers bow to his will.
Get out Trump. You’re not the savior to the world.
The True Europe
“A Europe We Can Believe In”
The Paris Statement is from 2017.
It is a conservative affirmation of Western Civilization, of Hellenic-Roman-Christian Civilization, in 36 short paragraphs.
It is available in 24 languages for distribution.
https://thetrueeurope.eu/
They are at an impasse. The Christmas deadline should be firm and final. Walk away and pull everything out. They can go F themselves.
Lil Z needs to take his begging bowl and be gone.
ENOUGH ALREADY! President Trump needs to exit this hot mess, regardless of what congress wants to see happen.
Exactly. I have been saying since the beginning that the US should not be involved. No money, no weapons and no blankets. Ukraine’s issues started long ago, the level of corruption, rigged election to insert Zelenskyy, previous fighting, etc. You can do business in Ukraine as long as you grease the right palms, and the price has only gone up. There is no real interest for the US and as much business the EU has done with Russia the whole mess makes no sense.