Why? Why is the question that anyone who watched Volodymyr Zelenskyy walk into the Oval Office and sabotage an agreed-upon deal should be asking? Zelenskyy's actions made no sense; the meeting at the White House was meant to be largely ceremonial. The details of the rare earth minerals deal had been agreed upon before his plane left Ukraine. He knew what was expected: show up, shake hands, sign the agreement, and let the media have their photo-op. He would have had plenty of opportunity to express his concerns after the deal, which he had already agreed to, was signed. The mineral agreement would be the first step to ending the war in Ukraine. An economic partnership between the two countries would give Ukraine leverage in ceasefire negotiations with Russia. It was a done deal right up until the moment that Zelenskyy sat down in front of the media in the Oval Office.

What's even more baffling is that he proposed the rare earth mineral deal in the first place.

So what changed? He got on that plane, intending to sign the agreement and work with the United States to end the war with Russia. Just a few hours later, he left the White House with nothing. His future relationship with the Trump Administration and support from the United States are in question. Without support from the United States, Ukraine's future is also in question. Why would he allow this to happen?

Driving a wedge between himself and the United States while still at war with Russia seems to be suicidal. But that's exactly what he did. Just minutes before the signing of the deal, Zelenskyy tried to renegotiate the terms in front of the media.

The entire post:

It was no secret that Zelenskyy wanted more out of the negotiations for this deal. He wanted a security agreement from the United States, but the Trump Administration was not going to accept any deal that would include an American military presence in Ukraine. After accepting the reality that Ukraine had no path into NATO, the lack of a security agreement left Zelenskyy feeling vulnerable. The Trump Administration argued that an extensive economic partnership between the two countries would essentially be a security agreement that Putin and Russia would not dare challenge. Zelenskyy agreed right up until he decided to scuttle the deal at the last minute.

Democrats have been quick to point fingers at Trump and JD Vance in the wake of Zelenskyy's Oval Office Snafu.

We'll spare you the entire bloviating 8-post rambling thread, but Murphy tries to imply that Trump and Vance intended to 'Ambush' Zelenskyy and scuttle the deal. He fails to mention that the Trump Administration had no motivation to 'Set up' Zelenskyy. In fact, they wanted to take this first step quietly. Zelenskyy was initially going to sign this deal in Ukraine. He wanted the pomp and circumstance of the D.C. signing. This was his show.

So, if Zelenskyy agreed to this deal and Trump wanted it, how did it all go so wrong? Who gains from this deal failing so spectacularly?

Murphy and the Democrats?

It doesn't take a big stretch to believe that Democrats would intentionally try to sabotage an agreement like this for political gain.

Mollie doesn't just make accusations; she brings the receipts.

It's a lot to take in, so let's break it down.

First, Susan Rice.

Yesterday, Susan Rice said of the Trump-Zelensky meeting, "There is no question this was a set up." She revealed full knowledge of the mineral agreement, complained that it didn't include "concrete" security agrees (meaning, apparently, commitment of US troops on the ground if conditions merit), and then mischaracterized Trump's behavior, counting on most Americans to not have watched what transpired over the entire hour in the Oval Office. You can look at this and dismiss it as typical Democrat talking points, but you could also view it as almost a confession, one that includes details about the current "Get Trump" effort. Yes, Trump won the popular vote against unbelievable odds, but if you think Team Obama is being any less involved in quiet insurrections than they were during the first Trump administration (Russia collusion, Ukraine impeachment, etc.), you're clueless. I'll remind you that Susan Rice was in the small Jan. 5, 2017 meeting in the WH with other key Russia collusion hoax perpetrators.

  It's not surprising that Rice would exaggerate Trump's behavior or characterize the meeting as a setup. After all, she is an anti-Trump, Obama loyalist. It's her detailed knowledge of the agreement that's shady. Why would Rice, who does not currently have a role in the government, have first-hand knowledge of the administration's foreign policy negotiations?

Wait, it gets worse.

Zelensky repeatedly declined opportunities to sign the deal in Kyiv and Munich, and requested the meeting at the White House. It later came out that Rice and Tony Blinken, Victoria Nuland, and Alexander Vindman may have been personally advising Zelensky to do this meeting in the way he did -- that they recommended him to be hostile and to try to goad Trump into blowing up. Even though he didn't, and even though Zelensky's actions horrified many normal Americans, the Obama team went on the airwaves to falsely characterize what happened.I think their goal was to have a wonderful performance by Zelensky, an angry Trump appearing to scuttle the deal, and the support of the neocon portion of the GOP to start applying pressure on Trump to have US Troop commitments as part of the "security guarantee." It was a set-up, in Susan Rice's interesting choice of words.

Logan Act, anyone?

Rice, Blinken, Nuland, Vindman, all advising Zelenskyy? It's like having Hydra advising a politician before a meeting with The Avengers. Was Zelenskyy naive enough to believe he was receiving sound counsel, or was he willing to participate in what turned into the worst acting performance of his career?

Either way, the 'Act' backfired in spectacular fashion.

Instead, Zelensky had one of the worst stage performances of his acting career, and Trump was statesmanlike (against all odds) throughout. Zelensky followed Team Obama's advice to be hostile to a tee, but it didn't land how they thought it would. Surprisingly, one of the most important aspects of it not working out might have been Lindsay Graham's reaction. Had he and other neocons thought Zelensky was being reasonable, Trump would be having to fight (even moreso) the neocon portion of the GOP in addition to Team Obama's dirty tricks. Even the "conservative" neocon pundits on TV last night were admitting Zelensky had royally messed up.

Zelenskyy aligned himself with a rouge's gallery of the anti-Trump left, and it may have cost him the support of the United States. Because of his ill-advised action, his country could be in real danger of losing this war.

As you can see from the hostility of the bureaucracy to any Republican oversight, no matter how reasonable or minor it may be, the entrenched bureaucracy and permanent DC apparatus is quite active. That goes quadruple for the deep state in the Intelligence Community. I'd expect more and more shenanigans and to be prepared so that you don't fall for the next information operation. The post-WWII architecture in Europe and the US needs this war to continue or be settled on "US troops on the ground" type guarantees, even though that's not what Americans want.Things will heat up here, and it's a very dangerous time.

 Zelenskyy allowed himself to be used like a puppet of the left. Rice and company pulled the strings, and he danced like a marionette. When Zelensky chose to bite the hand that fed him, Europe became a little less stable, and there is no end in sight to Ukraine's war with Russia.

Dangerous times indeed.