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Or visit we share health dot org and take a look for yourself. The fastest three hours in radio. You're with Brian Kilmeade. Do you feel betrayed by what has been happening? Really, yes.
Really, between us, people will die. Of course, if attacks will continue and if sterling will not work, of course.
So that is President Zelensky interviewing in studio because he was in the UK with the great Pierce Morgan, and he felt betrayed. Why? Because the president cut a 500 ton. I'm not sure it's going to even come off. 500 ton diesel deal with Vladimir Putin.
Which, by the way, I'm pretty sure we can't buy energy from Russia.
So I'm not sure President can even do this. But why would he do it? It makes absolutely no sense. And then over the weekend, what was threatened the week before actually happened: a cutoff of intelligence and a cutoff of Star, Star Shield, which would allow. The would allow the Ukrainians to be able to knock down these these drones that are coming into their country.
So for two days we were blind, got a lot of damage. I understand, according to Jack Keen, it's been restored for now. Ambassador Gordon Sunland joins us. He used to work with President Trump as the United States Ambassador to the European Union. Ambassador, I tell you, it looks like the Ukrainians were rattled when we did that.
Have you got confirmation that it happened? That now. Everything's better. No, I haven't gotten confirmation that it's it's been restored. But to your point a minute ago, Brian, I don't understand why the president did this with Putin without extracting a true ceasefire, at least a temporary one.
Putin, you know, took took the candy. And is now making mileage out of it, but it didn't. It was a speed bump for him. He he's just continuing to pound Zelensky. I understand Trump's frustration with Zelensky because you know, look, Zelensky's fighting for existential issues.
Trump is fighting for control of Congress in the next election. They're hardly equivalent, but they're both important to each person. But why we didn't get anything out of Putin in return for this gesture is a mystery to me. Here is Robert O'Brien, who used to be the national security adviser when you were there, talking about this deal. Cut twenty-six.
The hypocrisy of the Europeans criticizing it is so rich, Larry. The Europeans have bought three hundred billion dollars in Russian oil and gas. The Europeans are buying Russian oil and gas for their consumers, but Americans aren't supposed to buy it for American consumers. I mean, that's crazy. European Union did pare back, but not they are not they're not tapping out.
Well, the difference in what Robert is is is describing and what I'm talking about is the optics of it. The Europeans have always been buying Russian energy, and you know, when I was there, we we tried to kill Nord Stream two; it got killed on its own. But for Trump to introduce this as a incentive to Putin to come to the table without actually extracting some kind of concession in return, again, is mystifying to me.
So let's having having said that, when things go back, we have to get the Patriot missiles to Ukraine. They're out, and you know the Gulf states want them too. Everybody needs Patriots. We're not making them fast enough. I heard some innovative, creative ways to do it, and one I heard South Korea's got extra, and that might be a deal that might be amenable to doing.
Do you know, Gordon? You have a good sense of what the world has and doesn't have. You don't want to leave in the winter. Ukrainians without Patriots.
So, what would you how how would what would you recommend?
Well, the you know we're at the bottom of the barrel on Patriots in terms of Ukraine's access. I think that he that the president should follow through on his licensing offer to Zelensky, and that's going to take you know a year year and a half to gear up. But in the meantime, they can borrow other stockpiles, and as they replace those with the new missiles produced in Ukraine, they can trade. I mean, these missiles are fungible. But I think he needs to send a signal to Putin that we haven't abandoned Ukraine, and closing that licensing deal is a big one.
So, if you give them the licensing deal, it still take them years to actually get everything up because you got to get all the components. I am sure they'll build them quick once they get everything together. But I understand Raytheon not thrilled with that because of the accessibility that the Russians could do some reverse forensics. Then someone told me, well, we could have them built in Poland, a NATO nation where there would be proper security, and then give them over to the Ukrainians.
Well, you can have parts of them built in Poland, parts of them built in Ukraine, and then assembled under supervision. There's all kinds of ways of doing this to address Raytheon's concerns, which are which are legitimate. But the bottom line is: have we abandoned Ukraine or not? And I hope the answer is we have not abandoned them. The signals that are being sent in the last few days are really, really bad for Ukraine.
They do a lot with very little, but when you start throttling their Intel and their Star Shield and so on, I mean, you're leaving them very vulnerable. And I understand the president wants the Europeans to step up and take, you know, a more serious role. But they're not capable of doing that right now. He started this campaign with the Europeans in 2018. It was very successful.
They're spending more money. They're getting more serious. But these things take a long, long time. And unfortunately, many, many administrations prior to the Trump administration didn't lean hard enough on the Europeans to get them to where they need to be today. Can you?
It's. It's a little maddening to think that this is going on for four and a half years. We've talked almost pretty consistently throughout this. And I think the Ukraine, pound for pound, has assembled probably the most ferocious, efficient army in Europe. I mean, better than France, better than the UK.
They're going to be invaluable, whether even if they're not a NATO nation. But they won't accept anything without security guarantees, and I don't blame them. They need a tripwire so Vladimir Putin doesn't just reload. Is there any sense that you have in that closed society where if you write something negative, you go to jail, that Vladimir Putin's grip on the country might be changing?
Well, I think his grip on the country would be changing if we didn't keep hamstringing the Ukrainians, because he's putting his young men through a meat grinder that is not going unnoticed by the Russian public. And the minute he gets an opportunity for a few wins, a few victories against Ukraines, then all of a sudden that tide turns, you know, with the wind at his back again, and that's not something we want to we want to do. I understand what the president's long term goal is. As I wrote in my op-ed on Fox Digital a couple of days ago, what he's trying to do is not antagonize the Russians to the point of where we have to be. Involve twenty four seven over there, containing them because the Europeans can't do it, and then we're too thin on assets vis-a-vis Iran and vis-a-vis China.
I understand that, but if you're going to move Putin onto a course of normalizing relationships, including economic, you got to get some, you know, you got to get some concessions from him in terms of what he does in Ukraine. Yeah, I got to weaken them. I just I just read this big story about their basically their whole economy is military. The whole economy. And it's unsustainable what they're doing right now.
They tend they need another hundreds of thousands more workers to assemble whatever the weaponry that they're assembling, and then they need tens of thousands to go fight the war. They're running out of people. They go to Africa and duping people to fight. But but let me ask you the the perception around the country, around the world at Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump's in unique position. He'll take slings and arrows to give him a face saving off off ramp.
In order to end the war, do you think that Vladimir Putin realizes that that they'll never have a better opportunity to do what every Russian needs to do, and that save face? If and not, they don't want to consider this a loss, but it's been an absolute disaster for them. But does Vladimir Putin realize it's only a finite amount of time that Trump's going to be there?
Well, I think the one thing Vladimir Putin does not realize is that. He doesn't get the constant barrage of compliments and criticism day in and day out, and have an opportunity to sort of triage that and figure out where he really stands with his legislative body, with the public, and with the strong people in the in the military, because it's an absolute, you know, dictatorship. Trump has that advantage, and so what Putin is going to face is one day it's going to topple. There'll be no warning. People will be tired of him, and he'll be gone.
And so, yes, I agree with you.
Now is the time to make a deal while Donald Trump is in the White House. And once Donald Trump is gone, everything will change. First of all, I think Democrat or Republican. New president will support Ukraine unconditionally.
However, actually, not if JD Vance is president. I don't think he's in on Ukraine. He's the only. He's the only one. He's the only one.
If Marco is president, no question. If any of the, I'm sorry. You're right, Marco. Absolutely. Yeah, Marco.
Absolutely. But and you know, Ted Cruz is running for president. I think Ron DeSantis is running for president. Who knows who else is going to run? Everybody, ambassador, they'll all be in key.
They'll all be in key of campaigning. Yeah, but but you know, the thing is, this this is a no brainer. It's just it's one of these things I just can't agree with the president. He's got a he he has more respect for Vladimir Putin than he should, and Vladimir Putin has not made him look good. Look what happened after Alaska, nothing.
Look what happened after that phone call. Nothing. He said we're going to have a energy truce. He bombed the energy grid of the Ukrainians the next day. That makes the president look bad.
I don't know why he would tolerate that. He doesn't tolerate it from me. And what's frustrating is I know what he's trying to do, and what he's trying to do in the long run is the right thing. He's trying to get Russia back on a normalcy track with the United States. But you don't all of a sudden hand the guy.
All of these benefits without extracting concessions at the same time, and that's what he's done. I agree. I just want to see how it relates to Iran because the Russians are definitely helping the Iranians without actually with hard materials as well as satellite imagery that help blow up our bases. Big story in the Wall Street Journal: How the Chinese are providing the Houthi rebels with sophisticated weaponry. I mean, this has got it.
We got it behind. I know it happens behind closed doors. You're you're a diplomat. But I like to see some legitimate pressure. We know exactly what you're up to, and this is what you're jeopardizing.
Well, he could be asking Putin quietly to stay out of Iran and saying, "Look, I'll do this diesel deal with you. Stay out of Iran." Don't give us problems there. Tell your friends in Beijing to stay out of Iran as well, and at least give us that win. That's better for everyone in terms of energy prices. But I'm not seeing any of that.
Unless again, it's happening so quietly that not even you know people that I'm talking to are aware of it. And that's just your opinion, Ambassador. I watched those riots in France, and as much as I think immigration has something to do with it, a lot to do with it, I actually think it's the social welfare system. The social welfare state in the UK—they can't afford to pay for what they, what the politicians have promised. There is not enough money in the system.
There is not enough innovation. There is not enough growth. Free healthcare, free daycare, pensions at sixty years old, thirty-five hour a week work week—the math does not add up, and it looks like the bill is due.
Well, listen. You know, we all make fun of the French when we go there on vacation, and we see them sitting in the bistros at three in the afternoon on Wednesday. You know, smoking cigarettes, and and and they're always on vacation, and that has been largely fueled by our defense spending. Because if they were on their own, forget about three percent, five percent, six percent of GDP. The Europeans would have to spend fifteen percent of GDP to make up for the United States, and they would not be able to live the life they're living today.
And that's one of the things that annoys Trump, and he's completely correct about that. Ambassador Gordon Sunland, thanks so much. Appreciate it. Thanks, Brian. You got it.
We'll be back in a moment. You're with Brian Kilmeade. Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile with a message for everyone paying big wireless way too much. Please, for the love of everything good in this world, stop. With Mint, you can get premium wireless for just fifteen dollars a month.
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