Ukraine is in dire need of a PR repositioning as Donald Trump prepares to pull the plug on US support. The country has to unload its image as a victim of Russian aggression, desperately in need of American intelligence and weaponry.

Paul Jones, former US ambassador to Poland and Malaysia, believes Ukraine needs to show itself as a “strategic asset that can ultimately reduce the need for large-scale US troop deployments in Europe and significantly improve our warfighting capability.”

That should be music to the ears of Trump, who wants to cut the American military footprint in Europe.

Writing on the website of Center for European Policy Analysis, Jones notes the Ukraine “fields the largest and most combat-hardened land force in Europe.”

It has developed and deployed homegrown drones and missile systems that are responsible for 75 percent of Russian casualties. The Ukrainian drone output towers over the US. It produced 2M drones last year vs. 100K in the US.

American start-ups such as CX2 have struck deals with Ukrainian defense contractors. The California company supplies software and sensors on Ukrainian drones. “No U.S. company is keeping up with Ukraine,” CX2 co-founder Nathan Mintz, told the Wall Street Journal. “You know their stuff works. They’ve got the ultimate high-stakes laboratory meant to battle-proof all this stuff.”

War has supercharged Ukraine’s defense industrial base,”forcing it to scale and innovate at a pace unmatched by many NATO allies, wrote Jones.

If Ukraine falls to Russia, NATO would face the urgent need to bolster its entire eastern flank, which would block any prospect of a reduction of US forces in Europe. Russia also would gain control of Ukraine’s technologies and defense base.

Ukraine has to make the pitch to Trump and Congress that it is vital of American interests, and offers the only way for the US to downsize its military presence on the Continent.

It must deliver that pitch before it is too late.

Hot air from Hizzoner…While media reports credit hard-nosed lobbying by New York governor Kathy Hochul for getting the federal government to lift the stop order on the offshore Empire Wind energy project, NYC embattled mayor Eric Adams wants a piece of the action.

His office issued a two-page release on May 19 that highlights a meeting that Adams had with Trump. “I met with president Trump and members of his administration earlier this month in the White House to discuss NYC’s top priorities, including critical infrastructure projects,” according to the release. “Today, I am proud to see the direct results of our meeting, delivering a decision on a key topic we specifically discussed.”

But Equinor, the Norway-based company that is building Empire Wind, gives Hochul the edge. In its release, Anders Opedal, CEO of Equinor ASA, first thanked Trump for restoring the project’s permit.

He went on: “I am grateful to Governor Hochul for her constructive collaboration with the Trump Administration, without which we would not have been able to advance this project and secure energy for 500 000 homes in New York, said Opedal.

He added: “We are very appreciative of New York City Mayor Adams, congressional leaders including Senator Schumer, Senator Gillibrand, Representative Garbarino, and Representative Goldman, as well as labour groups and other advocates that have maintained their steadfast support for the project.”

Eric was just one of the bunch. It's clear Hochul played a bigger role than Adams in getting Empire Wind back on track.

If you give Trump a cookie…..Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders and Ron Wyden have sent a letter to Paramount Global controlling stockholder Shari Redstone expressing concern that she may settle a lawsuit with Trump to pave the way for her company’s merger with Skydance.

Redstone would be wise to read the children’s book, “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie,” for guidance. That story shows how giving a mouse a cookie leads to cascading requests (milk, straw, napkin, mirror, nail scissors, broom etc). Settling with Trump has a similar story line

Disney’s ABC, which settled a defamation suit with Trump last year, now has the president upset over its reporting on the Qatar jet deal.

“Why doesn’t Chairman Bob Iger do something about ABC Fake News, especially since I just won $16,000,000 based on the Fake and Defamatory reporting of Liddle George Slopadopolus.

He was given warnings, but just couldn’t be restrained by ‘management.’ Now I see they are at it again, and I again give these SleazeBags fair warning!” Trump wrote.

The media must hide the cookie jar.