Harry Kazianis - National Security Expert Joins Houston's Morning News

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Seven, twenty three is hard time here in Houston's morning News.
I think it's more than just ain't no good guy,
Ain't no bad guy. I think there are some bad
guys behind all this and that maybe led Zelensky astray
here and what he should be doing. Harry Casianus joined
this national security expert. I've seen a lot of analysis
on this one. I can't wait to get yours, Harry.

(00:24):
What do you think went wrong with this whole rare
Earth deal that was supposed to take place last Friday?

Speaker 2 (00:30):
You know, Jimmy, I think it's really simple.

Speaker 3 (00:31):
I think Volhemer Zelenski always wanted quote unquote security guarantees.
You know, you keep seeing him refer that over and
over and over. He wouldn't let it go in the
Oval Office. I mean, just jumping back a second. He
wanted to join NATO. Ukraine's been very clear about that
for the last twenty years. In the United States has said, oh, yes,
someday you'll join. But obviously we always knew that was

(00:51):
never going to happen, so he sort of slow locked it.

Speaker 2 (00:53):
But he walks to the Oval Office.

Speaker 3 (00:55):
I think Democrats sort of egged him on to push
Donald Trump to go in that direction. And if you
watched the clip, Trump wasn't necessarily ruling out security guarantees,
but he sort of said the mineral deal was that
first step, that first small piece towards security guarantees. But
Zelensky wouldn't let it go, and he just kept bringing
it up over and over. And I think that's sort
of the underlying reason why this, you know, historic blowout

(01:17):
in the Oval Office ended up happening. Zolynsky just he
just was you he was not going to get what
he wanted, and he just blew the whole meeting up.

Speaker 1 (01:25):
So so do you think he was really attempting to
negotiate in front of the cameras, that that was his
attempt to try to read neegotiate with Trump, And if so,
what in the world made him think that would work.

Speaker 2 (01:34):
I think he did. I just don't. I think a
lot of it is actually very simple.

Speaker 3 (01:38):
I don't think his team prepped him for for for
the realities of what an Oval Office meaning was.

Speaker 2 (01:44):
I mean, he's done these before, so it kind of
doesn't make sense.

Speaker 3 (01:46):
I mean, one would realize that this is just a formality,
it's a photo op, it's it's not something where you're
supposed to have some sort of public debate with your
ally who's given you hundreds.

Speaker 2 (01:55):
Of billions of dollars.

Speaker 3 (01:56):
I mean, I think also too, I think the war
has worn Zelenski down quite a bit. I mean, if
you look at pictures of him now, three four or
five years ago, he looks like a different man. I mean,
imagine the pressures he's under. Irregardless of some of the
bad mistakes he's made over the years, I do feel
bad from him because of that. But I think he greatly,
greatly miscalculated. All he had to do is shut his mouth, smile,

(02:18):
and he would have gotten a mineral deal that could
have brought the United States in closer to this conflict
and given him more aid.

Speaker 2 (02:24):
But he just didn't do that.

Speaker 1 (02:26):
Okay, So is it something he can rescue? It feels
like Trump has left the door open. I mean, banowk.
He's going to have to He's gonna have to do
the apology tour. He's gonna have to be contrivede if
he wants to get this deal done now, isn't he?

Speaker 2 (02:40):
Well? I think you have to do a lot.

Speaker 3 (02:41):
I mean, right now, the reporting is that the administration's
paused new military aid to Ukraine. I think it's going
to take a lot forsus Zolensky to get that back.
I think he would have to agree to a ceased fire,
which is something that the Ukrainians don't want to do
at this point. I just think he would have to
literally come back to Washington on his hands and knees,
literally beg for Donald Trump's forgiveness in front of the cameras.

(03:03):
And he has Ukrainid domestic politics to still worry about
even though there is no election. So Zelensky has essentially
put himself in his own trap, and he doesn't have
a key out.

Speaker 1 (03:12):
Okay, Terry, thank you appreciate it. Harry CASIANUS national security
expert at seven twenty six