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The Russian Foreign Minister has rebuked CBS for falsely suggesting that Moscow is not willing to ‘make any concessions on anything’
In an interview with CBS, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has rebuked the network for suggesting Moscow is not ready to make concessions to end the Ukraine conflict. He stressed that Russia is committed to seeking a “balance of interests” with the US and Ukraine. Lavrov added that Russia is always ready for “serious and respectful” negotiations, unlike Kiev, which he accused of “talking through the media.”
The top diplomat said talks with Washington are “moving in the right direction” because US president Donald Trump had recognized NATO’s mistakes and the violation of Russian rights in Ukraine.
He welcomed Trump’s ceasefire plan but demanded firm guarantees Ukraine would not use it to rebuild its military.
Responding to US accusations that Moscow has space-based weapons, Lavrov rejected the claims as false. He said that Russia has long promoted a UN treaty to ban nuclear weapons in outer space, which the US has refused to support.
Lavrov called Crimea being part of Russia a “done deal” and praised Trump for acknowledging it.
Here is the CBS interview in full:
Question: Good morning, Minister Lavrov. I want to ask you about what happened in Kiev. There was a large Russian attack on that capital city about 1 o’clock in the morning. President Trump has said publicly the Russian strikes are not necessary and very bad timing. “Vladimir, stop”, was his quote. What made it worth killing civilians when Ukraine says it’s ready for a ceasefire?
Sergey Lavrov: We only target military goals or civilian sites used by the military. President Putin expressed this for so many times, and this is not different this time as well. We never consciously target civilian sites, unlike the Zelensky regime.
Question: So was this an intentional attack then, not a mistake?
Sergey Lavrov: If this was a target used by the Ukrainian military, the Ministry of Defense, the commanders in the field have the right to attack them.
Question: So just to be clear, when the President of the United States says, “Vladimir, stop,” is this a rejection of that request, or was the assessment that because of what you say regarding the concerns that this loss of civilian life made it worth it?
Sergey Lavrov: Well, I can assure you that the target attacked was not something absolutely civilian like a TV center in Belgrade in 1999. This was an intentional attack against civilian target.
In our case, we only target those sites which are used by the military. And regarding the ceasefire and regarding the call to stop, President Putin immediately supported President Trump’s proposal a few weeks ago to establish a 30-day ceasefire provided we do not repeat mistakes of the last 10 years when deals were signed, and then Ukraine would violate those deals with the support and with encouragement from Biden administration and from European countries.
This was the fate of the deal of February 2014. Then this was the fate of the Minsk agreements, and this was the fate of the deal reached on the basis of Ukrainian proposals in Istanbul in April 2022.
So President Putin said, “Ceasefire, yes, but we want the guarantees that the ceasefire would not be used again to beef up Ukrainian military, and that the supplies of arms should stop.”
Question: Ukraine accepted on March 11th that idea of a US-brokered ceasefire without preconditions. You’re saying the preconditions are a negotiation to end something else?
Sergey Lavrov: No, it is not a precondition. It’s the lessons learned after at least three times. The deals, similar to the one which we are discussing now, were broken by the Ukrainian regime with the strong support from European capitals and Biden administration.
If you want a ceasefire just to continue supply arms to Ukraine, so what is your purpose? You know what Kaja Kallas and Mark Rutte said about the ceasefire and the settlement? They bluntly stated that they can support only the deal which at the end of the day will make Ukraine stronger, would make Ukraine a victor. So if this is the purpose of the ceasefire, I don’t think this is what President Trump wants. This is what Europeans, together with Zelensky, want to make out of President Trump’s initiative.
Question: Will Russia continue targeting Kiev despite President Trump saying, “Vladimir, stop?”
Sergey Lavrov: You’re not listening to me. We will continue to target the sites used by the military of Ukraine by some mercenaries from foreign countries and by instructors whom the Europeans officially sent to help target Russian civilian sites.
If you take a look at the situation in the Kursk region of Russia, for example, there is no single military target for the last six months which the Ukrainians would fire at.
And there was also a proposal by President Trump immediately supported by President Putin to have a one-month moratorium on the attacks on energy infrastructure. We never violated this commitment of President Putin. And Ukrainians violated what Zelensky seemed to support several hundred times. And I sent to Marco Rubio and to the United Nations the list of those attacks. It’s really very, very telling and eloquent.
Question: Ukraine disputes that, but putting that aside, I want to ask you about what President Trump said on Wednesday. The President of the United States says he thinks the US and Russia have a deal, let’s get it done. Does President Putin agree?
Sergey Lavrov: Well, the President of the United States believes, and I think rightly so, that we are moving in the right direction. The statement by the President mentions a deal, and we are ready to reach a deal, but there are still some specific points, elements of this deal which need to be fine-tuned, and we are busy with this exact process. And the President of the United States did not spell out the elements of the deal, so it is not appropriate for me to do this.
Question: But he did say there was a deal, and that he was sending his envoy, Steve Witkoff, to meet with Vladimir Putin Friday in Russia. Is that meeting still happening, and should we expect a deal this week?
Sergey Lavrov: Well, you don’t trust the word of the President of the United States?
Question: I was asking your President’s word. What will he tell the US envoy?
Sergey Lavrov: We continue our contacts with the American side on the situation in Ukraine. There are several signs that we are moving in the right direction, first of all, because President Trump is probably the only leader on Earth who recognized the need to address the root causes of this situation. When he said that it was a huge mistake to pull Ukraine into NATO, and this was a mistake by the Biden administration, and he wants to rectify this.
And Marco Rubio expressed yesterday, I think, also the assessment that the American team now is getting a better understanding of the Russian position and of the root causes of this situation. One of these root causes, apart from NATO and creation of direct military threats to Russia just on our borders, another one is the rights of the national minorities in Ukraine. Everything Russian, media, education, culture, anything was prohibited by law in Ukraine. And to get out of this crisis, you cannot just forget about human rights.
Whenever we discuss Iran, Venezuela, North Korea, anything, American negotiators put on top human rights. They have claims in this regard to China, to us, to anybody. But whenever Europeans and other Western nations speak about Ukraine, nobody can mumble the words human rights. Just nobody.
On the contrary, what Ursula von der Leyen and other people in Brussels and in Europe say that Ukraine is defending the European values. So one of these values is cancelling the Russian language. Imagine if Israel cancelled Arabic language in Palestine. Just imagine.
Question: You mentioned that the US and Russia need to work on some of these fine points of a deal.
Sergey Lavrov: Yeah, you want the fine points to be spelled out?
Question: Well, of course, I’d love that, but this is not the way. European sources say that the US proposal is really just kind of a list of bullet points. Does Russia have details, the details you need at this point?
Sergey Lavrov: Look, we are really polite people. And unlike some others, we never discuss in public what is being discussed in negotiations. Otherwise, negotiations are not serious.
To ask for somebody’s opinion regarding the substance, go to Zelensky. He is happy to talk to anybody through media, even to President Trump. He presents his claims.
We are serious. We are serious people. And we consider serious proposals. We make serious proposals. And this is a process which is not supposed to be public until the end of it.
Question: OK. So no deal is imminent?
Sergey Lavrov: I didn’t say this. Now I understand, by the way, why you wanted to get brief answers to your questions. You want some slogans to be in the broadcast.
Question: No, the President of the United States said there was a deal with Russia. So I wanted to ask Russia if there is a deal with the United States.
Sergey Lavrov: Well, we made our comments on this statement. The negotiations continue. And until the end of the negotiations, we cannot disclose what it is about.
Question: OK. The National Security Advisor Mike Walz said last month that President Trump is asking for thousands of Ukrainian children who were taken into Russia to be released now as part of what he called “confidence building measures.” What steps has Russia taken to meet Mr. Trump’s request?
Sergey Lavrov: Look, long before the request coming from Washington, we have been addressing the issue of the fate of the kids who during the conflict found themselves outside their homes, outside their families. Most of these kids were attending orphanage. And as soon as and we announce whatever details we have about those kids, and as soon as relevance, I mean, the parents or other relevant relatives make themselves available, they are getting the kids back. This has been the process for the last almost three years between the ombudsmen of Russia and Ukraine.
Question: So there’s no new release of thousands of Ukrainian children at the request of President Trump?
Sergey Lavrov: No, there was nobody. Nobody knows why some experts advised the President about thousands of Ukrainian children.
Every now and then, once in two or three months, we organize exchanges with Ukrainians with the help of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, who do not, you know, make any noise about what they’re doing. They just do something which we are participating in a very constructive manner, bringing kids back to their parents or relatives.
Question: But what “confidence building measures” can Russia offer now, particularly after this strike in Kiev, where the President of the United States is saying, “Vladimir, stop.” How do you convince the United States that Russia is actually serious about peace?
Sergey Lavrov: Well, “confidence building measures” have been plentiful in the last 10 years. I mentioned a deal in February…
Question: That strike was overnight.
Sergey Lavrov: You want a brief answer, right? As I understand from your initial words, or you want an answer which is explaining the situation?
The proposal by President Trump on 30 days moratorium on the strikes against the energy infrastructure was supported by President Putin and observed strictly. This was a confidence building measure against the policy and action taken by the Zelensky regime. As I said several hundred times civilian energy infrastructure was struck.
Another confidence building measure was the proposal of President Trump and his team to resume the deal on Black Sea. And the delegations met in Istanbul, in Riyadh. The delegations exchanged the views how this can be implemented in practical terms. And the proposals made by Russia are being considered by the United States. There are many other examples about confidence building measure.
But if you believe that it’s only Ukraine who is interested in confidence building, I think a short answer would be this is an illusion.
Question: Do you take President Trump at his word when he says if Russia is unable to make a deal on ending the bloodshed in Ukraine, he’ll put secondary tariffs I think you mean sanctions there on oil coming out of Russia. Or do you think that at this point, the relationship between Russia and America has been rebuilt and that won’t happen?
Sergey Lavrov: Well, I cannot comment on what you think President Trump meant when he said something.
Question: What do you think he meant when he said secondary tariffs on oil coming out of Russia?
Sergey Lavrov: Well, we hear many things coming from President Trump. President Trump said that he’s sick and tired of the situation in this settlement, especially yesterday when he commented the statements by Zelensky. And President Trump has his own proposals and has his own style in mentioning those proposals in his public speeches.
We concentrate, as I said, on the real negotiations which President Trump supports and instructed his people to continue to engage in these negotiations. I’m sorry, the answer was a bit longish, but it’s difficult to explain otherwise.
Question: So I asked about the threat of sanctions or secondary tariffs, because you recently said in an interview, if you had to personally pick sides, you would keep the existing sanctions in place on Russia. You said you’ve restructured the economy to be self-sufficient. And there is a growing fear that, quote, cunning Americans will lift sanctions all of a sudden to flood our market with services and technologies. So if that’s the case, why should the United States consider lifting sanctions at all?
Sergey Lavrov: Why do you ask me? You just quoted my statement, and this statement is clear for me and clear to all those who read it. If you have questions to the American side, how they treat the situation, it is not the right address to raise it with me.
Question: So you want to keep sanctions in place. Is that really the Russian position?
Sergey Lavrov: I don’t want to re-explain what I explained, I think, in quite a clear manner. And you quoted, I think, very close to the real content. Yeah, but it was a bit longer than normally you prefer, I know.
Question: Well, back in February. Though one of your colleagues, Kirill Dmitriev, who runs the Sovereign Wealth Fund and has been active in the diplomacy with the United States, said something a bit different. That’s why I’m asking for clarification, because he said there is the expectation that American companies would return to the Russian market in the second half of 2025.
Sergey Lavrov: Well, the president of Russia commented upon this situation. He said that we have nothing against American companies, but those companies who decided to leave their business in Russia might find that their place has been occupied already by Russian or other foreign investors. And in this case, we would not make any decisions which would discriminate those who came to invest in Russia instead of Americans. If American companies would like to come to a place which is not yet occupied, if they want to propose a project, a new project on top of the previous business ties, of course, we will look into this. And if we find balance of our interests, I think it would be only natural to get into business together.
Question: Well, what areas has the US offered to lift sanctions on? Because it wouldn’t be possible for many American companies to enter the Russian market right now under the existing sanctions.
Sergey Lavrov: It is up to them to decide.
Question: So no offer has been made?
Sergey Lavrov: No. How can we offer something? In a situation when…
Well, the United States clearly tells us that they are interested in doing business together. We never reject business proposals provided they are based on the equal opportunities and the treatment of each other and lead to a balance of interest.
Specific proposals which are being mentioned in the media, I cannot comment upon. This is not serious. We are not acting like the people in Kiev who talk to the world through the media, including talking to presidents of great countries.
Question: So if I understand you correctly, you neither fear sanctions nor want them lifted?
Sergey Lavrov: Look, you quoted my statement and you quoted it right. That’s my position.
Question: Okay. So when President Trump threatens new sanctions, that’s not a concern?
Sergey Lavrov: You’re asking this for the third time. This was a brief answer, by the way.
Question: You are being brief and direct on that part. I was asking on the sanctions for clarity and directness. Broadly speaking, when you look at what’s happening in the battle space in Ukraine right now, analysts say about 18% of Ukrainian territory is under the control of Russian forces. US intelligence says battlefield trends are in Russia’s favour. So if that’s the case, why should the US believe Russia is serious about ending the war if everything is in your favour?
Sergey Lavrov: Well, we judge by the reaction of our American colleagues to what we tell them. And this is being done during negotiations. They are confidential, as any serious negotiation. And they know our position. And as I quoted Marco Rubio, he publicly said that now they better understand the Russian position and the reasons for what is going on. And he said that nobody in Washington lifted a finger to do the same to try to understand Russia during the Biden administration.
And this implies that the dialogue continues, that the dialogue is supported by the United States, and I reiterate that it is supported by the Russian Federation, and this dialogue continues.
Question: So President Trump said he expects to meet soon with Vladimir Putin. What’s an acceptable time and location? Why should they meet?
Sergey Lavrov: Look, the presidents are masters of their own destiny and of their own schedule.
I heard President Trump say that he is planning to be somewhere mid-May, and that after that he would be suggesting some dates. I cannot add anything else.
Question: Right, he said he was asked about meeting with Vladimir Putin specifically in Saudi Arabia, and he said most likely not. That’s in mid-May, but shortly thereafter.
Sergey Lavrov: You said the same thing as I did.
Question: Right.
Sergey Lavrov: So we read the same newspapers and watch the same channels on TV.
Question: Right, but I can’t pick up the phone and call Marco Rubio, the Secretary of State, like you can. What plans are you making for the two to meet?
Sergey Lavrov: Look, I hope your listeners understand very well that it is not ethical for a foreign minister to prejudge, to presume what presidents might or might not discuss.
Question: But you think it would be good for the two leaders to meet soon? Do you expect that Rubio and Witkoff is negotiated?
Sergey Lavrov: We’re always in favor of meeting with people who are ready for a dialogue. President Putin repeated this thousands of times.
When we met in Riyadh, together with President Putin’s Foreign Policy Advisor Yury Ushakov, with Marco Rubio and Mike Waltz, the American colleagues clearly stated that the US policy is based firmly on US national interests. They understand that the Russian policy led by President Putin is also based on Russian national interests, and that it is the responsibility of great powers to make sure that whenever those national interests do not coincide, and this is in most of the cases, this difference should not be allowed to degenerate into confrontation. And that’s what dialogue is for.
But they also added that when the national interests of two countries or more countries coincide, it would be stupid to miss an opportunity to translate this coincidence into some material mutually beneficial projects. This is absolutely our position.
Question: You know that President Trump is coming up on 100 days in office, and he has made clear his patience is wearing thin with the diplomacy here. Do you expect the US and Russia to continue to talk after these potential peace talks fall apart? I mean, is the rebuilding of the relationship so significant now that you think it could withstand the peace talks in Ukraine falling apart?
Sergey Lavrov: First, Russia is always available for a dialogue. So you have to address the question to the American side. Second, you prejudge the current process by saying that eventual collapse of the talks.
We concentrate on doing business, not on thinking, you know, about failures or victories, about anything. Unless you concentrate on the facts, that’s what we do. You cannot be serious about what you are doing.
Question: Well, President Trump and Secretary Rubio said that the window was closing, that time is running out here. That’s not my opinion. That’s what they said.
Sergey Lavrov: No, wait a second. I just quoted Marco Rubio, who yesterday said about better understanding of the Russian position. So maybe you missed that. Question: Well, he also said a decision in days needed to be made and that the US has other things to focus on.
Sergey Lavrov: No. We understand the impatience. Because in American culture, you create expectations, and you ignite tension around those expectations. This does not help to do real politic.
But in our case, as I said, we are always ready for dialogue, ready for negotiations, and we would not, you know, begin by banking on a failure. This would be a characteristic of bad dealmakers, inexperienced dealmakers.
Question: Others in the Russian government have proposed that the US and Russia could work together in the Arctic. Are there specific areas of discussion for cooperating right now?
Sergey Lavrov: You always want me to disclose things which might be discussed by respective officials of Russia and the United States, by those who are responsible for trade, economic cooperation, investments, and so on and so forth.
How do you expect a participant of negotiations, which are still to reach some kind of specific understanding, to disclose details in public? It is not serious.
Yeah, I read President Trump’s book, “The Art to Make a Deal,” and he doesn’t advise to disclose information before it’s time.
Question: Respectfully, President Trump speaks quite a lot about the things he would like to do with Russia and opportunities to work together. I understand you don’t want to. On the specific things President Trump has said in public, one of the things he brought up is that the US could work with Ukraine to operate the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, which is in an area you know, Zaporozhye. Russians control that area right now. Do you agree with President Trump’s public statements that the best security would be for the US and Ukraine to operate that together?
Sergey Lavrov: No, we never received such an offer, and if we do, we would explain that the power station, Zaporozhskaya Nuclear Power Station, is run by the Russian Federation state corporation called Rosatom. It is being under monitoring of the IAEA personnel permanently located on the site, and if not for the Ukrainian regular attempts to attack the station and to create a nuclear disaster for Europe and for Ukraine, as well, the safety requirements are fully implemented. It is in very good hands.
Question: So that’s a no?
Sergey Lavrov: No. I don’t think any change is conceivable.
Question: Okay, because that was in a public statement from the White House to the media.
Sergey Lavrov: We, as I said, we did not receive any proposal which would be specific, so, you know, I understand that journalists have to speculate. We cannot speculate on something which is really not being mentioned during the negotiations.
Question: Zaporozhskaya station is not being negotiated right now?
Sergey Lavrov: Shall I say that for the third time? You wanted me to be brief.
Question: I heard you, but I just want to be abundantly clear because that is also widely reported to be in the US proposal currently on the table.
Sergey Lavrov: Why don’t you ask me about President Trump’s position on Crimea?
Question: You liked what President Trump said about Crimea yesterday when he said that it has been under Russian control.
Sergey Lavrov: It’s not about liking or disliking. It’s about the fact that he said the truth, and when Zelensky said that this is absolutely excluded because Crimea is part of Ukraine according to the constitution, nobody in Europe or in the States, by the way, reminded him that apart from territorial issues, the Ukrainian Constitution guarantees, I quote, “the free development, the use and protection of the Russian and other national minorities’ language in Ukraine,” and they guarantee the development of ethnic, cultural, language, and religious identity of all peoples and national minorities in Ukraine. This is also in the constitution, but as I mentioned already, and you decided not to go deeper into this topic, nobody in the West even mentions human rights when they demand that “Ukraine defeat Russia in the battlefield.“
Question: President Trump said Crimea is not even being discussed right now.
Sergey Lavrov: Yes, because this is a done deal.
Question: You mean Russia occupies and controls and will not negotiate the future of Crimea? Is that what you’re saying?
Sergey Lavrov: Russia do not negotiate its own territory. And President Trump understands this.
Question: One specific thing that you do want in the public space, you said everything else that I’ve asked you about in the US proposal is too sensitive to discuss. Is there any other part of the US proposal that you do like?
Sergey Lavrov: No, no, no. I only commented what was said publicly. And I also said that normal negotiators, I emphasize this once again, normal negotiators do not negotiate by throwing a microphone. They meet and they discuss, they listen to each other, they try to understand, they try to see where a balance of interest can be reached, and this is how our contacts with the American representatives are organized.
Question: Respectfully, you’ve been in the top levels of Russian diplomacy for 30 years…
Sergey Lavrov: For how many?
Question: For at least 30 years. I mean, you’ve been in very key diplomatic roles within the top of the Russian diplomatic system for a very, very long time. I don’t think any part of this is typical or normal, to use the words you used. Steve Witkoff is the envoy. Kirill Dmitriev is Vladimir Putin’s envoy here. Do you think it’s unfortunate that the international system of diplomacy isn’t being used more and that it’s this kind of one-on-one personal envoy structure?
Sergey Lavrov: You did not express your disappointment that the international system of diplomacy was not used for the entire duration of the Biden administration. You did not mention that Europeans are really very nervous that they’re being marginalized. But I can quote a lot of what Europeans stated. I mentioned already Kaja Kallas and Ursula von der Leyen, who said, “Any deal must make sure that Ukraine is stronger and that Ukraine is on top of Russia.”
Look, do you need negotiators who believe in this kind of logic and who don’t want to look for honest balance of interest? The Trump administration is interested in searching for a balance of interest. They sincerely want to understand better the Russian position. And they’re getting this understanding. And we understand better the American position through negotiations and meetings and discussions, which we have with them.
Question: Back in January, Russia signed a deal with Iran to become a strategic partner. Would Russia be willing to sever that relationship at the request of the US if it meant better relations with America?
Sergey Lavrov: There was never any request like this. And we welcome the process which was initiated between the United States and Iran. We are ready to be helpful if parties believe this can be the case. And they know this.
Question: You were the negotiator back in 2015 on behalf of Russia for that landmark international agreement, the JCPOA. And part of how Russia was helpful was destroying Iran’s enriched nuclear material. Is that an offer you would do again?
Sergey Lavrov: We were not involved in destroying Iran’s nuclear material.
Question: Disposing.
Sergey Lavrov: Part of the deal was to move some amount of this material to Russia for keeping.
Question: Okay. So not destroying, but keeping. Would you keep Iran’s enriched nuclear material that they’ve made?
Sergey Lavrov: Look, I said, “We are not putting our nose in the negotiations between the two countries, one of which is not Russia.” And I said very clearly, I believe, but you wanted a brief answer, I will have to be longer, since it is not probably getting through.
We welcome the dialogue between the US and Iran. We would be certainly ready to help if both parties believe this is going to be useful. And they know that we are ready.
Question: Well, back then, there were sanctions and pressure at the UN. It’s a very different dynamic now. I want to ask you quickly about nuclear weapons, because Russia is such a nuclear powerhouse. According to US intelligence, Russia is developing a new satellite meant to carry a nuclear weapon, which would knock out other satellites and devastate the U.S. if it’s used. That’s in publicly published material. Does Russia intend to violate past treaties and actually put a nuclear weapon in space?
Sergey Lavrov: Well, before asking this question, you have to check whether this is true or not, what your military, US intelligence says…
I was listening to President Trump about his views of what is the list of achievements of US intelligence. And I have my own facts on which I rely.
We have been promoting for many years in the United Nations a resolution prohibiting putting any nuclear weapons into outer space. The country which is categorically against it is the United States. At the same time, the United States promotes an approach according to which they want to prohibit putting conventional weapons in outer space. And they cannot answer the question, “Does this mean that nuclear weapons, they would be planning to move to the orbit?”
So my answer is very clear. We have been championing in the United Nations a legal prohibition of placing any nuclear weapons in outer space. And the United States, at least during the Biden administration, this was the case, they were categorically against it.
Question: It was the Trump administration’s intelligence community that published those findings just a few weeks ago. Are you saying the Trump administration’s intelligence community findings are incorrect in regard to Russia developing a new satellite meant to carry a nuclear weapon?
Sergey Lavrov: We denied those allegations. We, once again, cannot help repeating, have been promoting for years in the United Nations a treaty, not a declaration, a treaty prohibiting placing weapons in outer space. And the United States is against it. I cannot comment about the validity of the intelligence reports, as I told you. We never received any facts which would confirm the allegations.
Question: Do you have any interest in arms-control talks with the United States, with the Trump administration?
Sergey Lavrov: It was the United States which broke the process of strengthening strategic stability. And if the United States is willing to get back to this track, we will see what are the conditions under which this might be possible. As long as in the U.S. doctrinal documents, we are described as adversary, when the officials in Washington called some time ago, called us enemy.
So we want to understand what Washington thinks of our relationship and whether Washington is ready for, I would emphasize once again, an equal, mutually respectful dialogue heading to finding a balance of interest. If this is the approach, everything is possible.
Question: Minister, we are coming up on time, but just before I let you go from everything you laid out, I haven’t heard from you that Russia is willing to make any concession on anything to date.
Sergey Lavrov: No, my brief answer is you are wrong.
I have been emphasizing repeatedly in relation to Ukraine, in relation to strategic relations with the United States, I have been emphasizing our readiness to seek balance of interests. If this is not what your station considers readiness for negotiations, then I don’t know how to be even less eloquent in trying to be brief in my answers.
Question: Well, there have been very clear, specific things said by the Trump administration, such as the vice president saying that the current lines of contact in Ukraine would freeze and end up fairly close to where troops are right now. Do you actually consider that a concession?
Sergey Lavrov: I don’t discuss publicly the details of what is being subject of negotiations. I understand that you love rumors because rumors are played around…
Question: The vice president of the United States said it on camera.
Sergey Lavrov: Was it a question? What did you say?
Question: Well, rumor. Rumor. You said it was a rumor. The vice president said it.
Sergey Lavrov: No, I said about us. We are not discussing things which are subject to negotiations.
Question: Okay. Minister Lavrov, thank you for your time.
Peace marchers in Munich with German and American flags and MAGA hats
As President Trump meets with President Volodymyr Zelensky and other world leaders in Rome to try and end the senseless war in Ukraine, the European peace movement is falling in line behind Trump’s bold leadership – while Antifa street militias protest and call the peace movement “Nazis”.
You get to see a lot of crazy stuff as a Gateway Pundit reporter, but this one really takes the cake.
It’s like the world has turned upside down: At today’s peace rally in Munich, Germany, about 2500 mostly long-haired, hippie-style peaceniks marched in support of US President Donald Trump’s peace efforts, while black-clad “Anti”-Fascist street thugs lined the march, showing the peace march the finger and calling them “Nazis”.
The current German peace movement largely grew out of the anti-Covid lockdown protests 2020 onward, and consists mainly of aging hippie types disappointed in the pro-vax mandate, pro-war Green party which is dwindling to insignificance after its government collapsed one day after Donbald Trump’s election.
These are people you might find at a Grateful Dead revival event in Santa Cruz.
Now, they are wearing MAGA hats and waving American flags!
On a normal day, wearing a MAGA hat in Germany is akin to wearing a klan hood in Harlem.
Not anymore, it seems.
“We really like the energy we see coming out of the USA,” one peace marcher in a MAGA hat told The Gateway Pundit. “We’d like to see some of that energy in Europe as well.”
As the march passed by a taxpayer-funded left-wing “culture center”, a small crowd of black-clad “Anti”-fascist street thugs gathered outside to hurl abuse at the peaceniks, calling them “Nazis” and chanting childish nonsense chants like “Alerta, Alerta, Antifascista.”
We hope one day these deluded young people wake up and realize they have become the pro-war, pro-establishment party.
Antifa hoodlums give the finger to the Munich peace march
On the eve of going to Hungary to meet with Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, Donald Trump Jr. took to X and blasted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for disrupting the London peace talks.
Trump Jr. quote-shared investor David Sachs’ post about Zelensky’s refusal to acknowledge the Crimea Peninsula as Russian.
‘For those who haven’t been paying attention: Zelensky doesn’t want peace’
Sharing a screengrab of a NYT headline, Sach wrote:
‘Crimea should be the easiest concession for Zelensky to make because: 1) it’s been part of Russia for the last decade. 2) the vast majority of its population are ethnic Russians who (as western polling shows) want to be part of Russia. 3) Ukraine has no military way to retake it. The disastrous Summer Counteroffensive of 2023 made that abundantly clear. If Zelensky won’t concede this, he won’t concede anything, so a deal with him is impossible. The Secretary of State is right to walk away.’
Trump Jr, called Zelensky an ‘International Welfare Queen’ and ‘highest paid actor’.
This is hardly the first time that the President’s son has criticized or mocked Zelensky.
Back in November 2024, Trump Jr. shared a video trolling Zelensky would ‘lose his allowance’ when Donald Trump took office.
Since then, he has called the Kiev leader an ‘International Welfare Queen’, the ‘highest paid actor’ in the world, saying he should ‘just go win the war without [the US’] endless $$$’.
Donald Trump Jr. (left) was part of a ‘charm offensive’ in Greenland with Charlie Kirk (right)/Jan. 7, 2025
But today (25) Trump Jr. will fly to Budapest to meet Hungarian foreign minister Peter Szijjarto, Hungary’s foreign ministry revealed yesterday (24).
“It was not clear if Trump Jr’s visit was in any way related to a potential business deal. As an executive vice president at The Trump Organization, Donald Jr. works to expand the company’s real estate, retail, commercial, hotel and golf interests, according to the Trump Organization’s website, opens new tab.
The ministry did not reveal the purpose of the visit and officials were not immediately available for comment.
[…] Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a long-time Trump ally, said last week that Hungary expects to sign a business deal with the U.S. in six months that could help offset the likely impact of tariffs imposed by President Trump.”
More insanity from the globalist Western European elites.
According to news reports last week, the Trump Administration suggested it was prepared to recognize Russian control over Crimea. This is part of a broader peace agreement that the US has facilitated between Ukraine and Russia.
If elected, President Trump promised to bring peace to Ukraine, but he did not understand that illegitimate President Volodymyr Zelensky and the globalist Western warmongers would be his main obstacles to peace in the region.
Crimea is a peninsula off Ukraine in the Black Sea. In 2014, Russia took control of the region and its ports during the Obama presidency, over ten years ago now. For much of its history Russia has controlled Crimea. Crimea was passed from the Soviet Union to Ukraine in 1994, not that long ago.
According to RT.com and others, the Europeans have rejected this idea.
They did nothing about Crimea for over ten years but suddenly this is a peace deal game-stopper.
How do they think this will play out if they insist on Russia returning Crimea to Ukraine.
European leaders have rejected a US proposal to recognize Russia’s sovereignty over Crimea as part of a draft peace deal on the Ukraine conflict, the Financial Times reported on Thursday. European officials told the outlet that such a move could cause a rift within NATO and force Kiev’s backers to choose between sticking with Ukraine or siding with Washington.
According to the report, US President Donald Trump’s team has presented Ukraine with a take-it-or-leave-it deal that includes Washington formally recognizing Crimea as Russian territory. US Vice President J.D. Vance has also suggested freezing the conflict along the current lines of control.
A senior European diplomat told the FT that it would be “impossible” to accept the US proposal, while one EU official claimed that “Crimea and future NATO membership aspirations are red lines for us.”
Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky has also refused to even consider conceding Crimea, stating that the country’s constitution prohibits such a move.
Trump has criticized Zelensky’s stance, calling it “very harmful” to peace negotiations and stating that “Crimea was lost years ago.” “He can have Peace or, he can fight for another three years before losing the whole Country,” the US president wrote on social media this week.
This is the moment when humanity will choose between peace and global war. Sadly, it appears that our window of opportunity to choose peace is rapidly closing. Negotiations with Iran have not made much progress, and the Trump administration is warning that it is ready to “walk away” from negotiations to end the war in Ukraine if the Russians and the Ukrainians do not agree to the seven point deal that is now being proposed. We really have reached one of the most critical turning points in human history, but most people living in the western world do not seem to understand the importance of the drama that is playing out right in front of our eyes.
“We’ve issued a very explicit proposal to both the Russians and the Ukrainians, and it’s time for them to either say yes, or for the United States to walk away from this process,” Vance told reporters in India, where he is on a four-day visit.
Vance spoke as envoys from Washington, Kyiv and European nations gathered for talks in the U.K. amid a new U.S. push to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“It’s now time, I think, to take, if not the final step, one of the final steps, which is, at a broad level, the party saying we’re going to stop the killing, we’re going to freeze the territorial lines at some level close to where they are today,” Vance added. “Now, of course, that means the Ukrainians and the Russians are both going to have to give up some of the territory they currently own.”
This ultimatum is very similar to an ultimatum that was issued by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio last week.
It is obvious that the Trump administration is quickly losing patience with the Russians and the Ukrainians, but U.S. officials are willing to take one last shot at a peace agreement.
According to Axios, the following are five things that Russia would get from President Trump’s seven point peace plan…
“De jure” U.S. recognition of Russian control in Crimea.
“De-facto recognition” of the Russia’s occupation of nearly all of Luhansk oblast and the occupied portions of Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.
A promise that Ukraine will not become a member of NATO. The text notes that Ukraine could become part of the European Union.
The lifting of sanctions imposed since 2014.
Enhanced economic cooperation with the U.S., particularly in the energy and industrial sectors.
And the following are four things that Ukraine would get from President Trump’s seven point peace plan…
“A robust security guarantee” involving an ad hoc group of European countries and potentially also like-minded non-European countries. The document is vague in terms of how this peacekeeping operation would function and does not mention any U.S. participation.
The return of the small part of Kharkiv oblast Russia has occupied.
Unimpeded passage of the Dnieper River, which runs along the front line in parts of southern Ukraine.
Compensation and assistance for rebuilding, though the document does not say where the funding will come from.
The plan that the Trump administration is proposing is reasonable.
I would highly encourage both sides to agree to the deal.
Ukraine will not legally recognize Russia’s occupation of Crimea under any circumstances, President Volodymyr Zelensky said during a briefing in Kyiv on April 22.
“There is nothing to talk about. This violates our Constitution. This is our territory, the territory of the people of Ukraine,” Zelensky told reporters.
The statement comes amid reports that the recognition of Crimea as Russian territory is being considered as part of a U.S.-backed proposal to end the war in Ukraine.
What in the world is he thinking?
Ukraine is losing the war.
If the war continues, Ukraine will steadily lose even more territory.
I can definitely understand why President Trump is fed up with this guy. After learning of these comments, this is what President Trump posted on his Truth Social account…
Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is boasting on the front page of The Wall Street Journal that, “Ukraine will not legally recognize the occupation of Crimea. There’s nothing to talk about here.” This statement is very harmful to the Peace Negotiations with Russia in that Crimea was lost years ago under the auspices of President Barack Hussein Obama, and is not even a point of discussion. Nobody is asking Zelenskyy to recognize Crimea as Russian Territory but, if he wants Crimea, why didn’t they fight for it eleven years ago when it was handed over to Russia without a shot being fired? The area also houses, for many years before “the Obama handover,” major Russian submarine bases. It’s inflammatory statements like Zelenskyy’s that makes it so difficult to settle this War. He has nothing to boast about! The situation for Ukraine is dire — He can have Peace or, he can fight for another three years before losing the whole Country. I have nothing to do with Russia, but have much to do with wanting to save, on average, five thousand Russian and Ukrainian soldiers a week, who are dying for no reason whatsoever. The statement made by Zelenskyy today will do nothing but prolong the “killing field,” and nobody wants that! We are very close to a Deal, but the man with “no cards to play” should now, finally, GET IT DONE. I look forward to being able to help Ukraine, and Russia, get out of this Complete and Total MESS, that would have never started if I were President!
The Ukrainians clearly do not want to end the war.
But spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on Tuesday said Russia was not aware of the plan’s terms, responding to a report by The Post about early details of a proposed arrangement.
“The issue of the [Ukrainian] settlement is extremely complex, of course, so it is hardly possible to set some hard deadlines and try to rush the resolution of the conflict into a shortened timeframe,” he told Russian outlet VGTRK. “This would be an exercise in futility.”
If the Trump administration decides to “walk away” from negotiations, any chance at peace with Russia is probably dead.
So what would happen then?
Would we just let the Russians take as much of Ukraine as they want, or would we escalate matters?
Of course if both sides choose to escalate matters, we know what will eventually happen.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law ratifying a strategic partnership treaty with Iran, Russian state news agency RIA reported on Monday.
The agreement is expected to strengthen military and diplomatic ties between Moscow and Tehran.
As part of the agreement, the two countries agreed not to provide military assistance to any third party with which the other is in hot conflict, according to the Kyiv Independent.
This is a very troubling development, because the U.S. could be at war with Iran very soon.
President Trump has repeatedly warned that if Iran does not make a deal there will be military action against Iran’s nuclear facilities.
On Wednesday, Marco Rubio said that the Iranians would be allowed to have “a civilian nuclear program” but they will not be allowed to continue to enrich uranium under any circumstances…
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that US President Donald Trump is determined to prevent Iran from attaining a nuclear weapon, and would prefer to do that by negotiations as opposed to military means. However, he said the US would be willing to see Tehran have a civilian nuclear program as long as they were not enriching uranium.
“We do not want a war,” Rubio told Bari Weiss on her Honestly podcast.
“We do not want to see war. This is not a president that campaigned on starting wars. And as he said very clearly, Iran is not going to have a nuclear weapon, and he reserves every right to prevent that from happening, but he would prefer it not happen. He would prefer that there not be a need to resort to military force, either by us or anybody else. He would prefer that it’d be something that we can negotiate.”
The Iranians should take the deal that is being offered to them.
But the Iranians have already clearly stated that enriching uranium is a red line for them. There is no way that they are going to stop doing it, and so that means that war is coming.
Once the attacks on Iran’s underground nuclear facilities start, the Iranians will respond with tremendous force, and the Middle East will erupt in flames.
The Iranians have some “surprises” up their sleeves, but so do the Israelis.
If cooler heads do not prevail, we are going to see tremendous death and destruction in the Middle East.
And if we cannot find a way to achieve peace with the Russians, it is just a matter of time before a worst case scenario unfolds.
This is our last best chance at peace, and we must not blow it.
Prodded by the Euro-Globalists like UK’s Keir Starmer and France’s Emmanuel Macron, and cheered by the world’s USAID-media, Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky keeps undercutting the peace process with his grandstanding, making all kinds of demands that he will never get.
Besides torpedoing today’s negotiations, the Kiev leader may have provoked the US Donald J. Trump’s administration one too many times, risking an American withdrawal from negotiations that would guarantee a much faster collapse of his combat capabilities on his losing war.
Trump took to Truth Social to blast Zelensky’s behavior after another rug-pull from him.
“Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is boasting on the front page of The Wall Street Journal that, ‘Ukraine will not legally recognize the occupation of Crimea. There’s nothing to talk about here’.
This statement is very harmful to the Peace Negotiations with Russia in that Crimea was lost years ago under the auspices of President Barack Hussein Obama, and is not even a point of discussion. Nobody is asking Zelenskyy to recognize Crimea as Russian Territory but, if he wants Crimea, why didn’t they fight for it eleven years ago when it was handed over to Russia without a shot being fired? The area also houses, for many years before ‘the Obama handover,’ major Russian submarine bases.
It’s inflammatory statements like Zelenskyy’s that makes it so difficult to settle this War. He has nothing to boast about! The situation for Ukraine is dire — He can have Peace or, he can fight for another three years before losing the whole Country. I have nothing to do with Russia, but have much to do with wanting to save, on average, five thousand Russian and Ukrainian soldiers a week, who are dying for no reason whatsoever.
The statement made by Zelenskyy today will do nothing but prolong the “killing field,” and nobody wants that! We are very close to a Deal, but the man with ‘no cards to play’ should now, finally, GET IT DONE. I look forward to being able to help Ukraine, and Russia, get out of this Complete and Total MESS, that would have never started if I were President!”
WH Spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt.
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt expanded on Trump’s words for the media, called out Zelensky for ‘litigating the negotiations in the press’:
“To make a good deal. Both sides have to walk away a little bit unhappy. And unfortunately, President Zelensky has been trying to litigate this peace negotiation in the press, and that’s unacceptable to the president.
These should be closed door negotiations. The president’s national security team, his advisors, have exuded significant time, energy, and effort to try to bring this war to an end. The American taxpayer has funded billions of dollars in this effort, and enough is enough.
The president’s frustrated. His patience is running very thin. He wants to do what’s right for the world.
He wants to see peace. He wants to see the killing stop. But you need both sides of the war willing to do that.
And unfortunately, President Zelensky seems to be moving in the wrong direction. Does the president think that Europeans are doing enough, and some countries are spending more in defense, reaching the 2% threshold? So what does the president think about European support for Ukraine? Look, the president has always maintained that Europe always needs to do more, whether it’s in the effort to end this war in Russia and Ukraine, whether it is in terms of their spending when it comes to NATO and their own defense spending, as well. He’s made that clear to them in private and also in public.”
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev called Zelensky ‘the typhoid louse of Kiev’ in an ‘narcotic oblivion’.
A voice for Russian maximalism, former Russian President and current Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev trashed the Ukranian leader:
Trump: Kiev's refusal to recognize Crimea as Russian harms negotiations to resolve the conflict. We've been waiting! I hope different European freaks like Starmer and Macron will hear this. And then the typhoid louse of Kiev, who is in narcotic oblivion, will be brought to life.
“Trump: Kiev’s refusal to recognize Crimea as Russian harms negotiations to resolve the conflict. We’ve been waiting! I hope different European freaks like Starmer and Macron will hear this. And then the typhoid louse of Kiev, who is in narcotic oblivion, will be brought to life.”
Former Zelensky top aide, Arestovych: ‘in six months or a year Ukraine will give Russia 6 or 8 regions’.
Former Zelensky top aide, Oleksiy Arestovych, explained why giving up the 4 regions now is the lesser evil.
“Why should we give 4 regions? For one simple reason, because in six months or a year you will give 6. If you are not smart enough, you will give 8. Is that reason enough? It is a very simple situation. Today, to give 4 is to pay for the passage, which actually looked like one toilet flush for three or four years, for all the mistakes. To recognize those mistakes, to recognize, to actually say, ‘yes, we’re giving it all away, we’re cutting it off’.
How do we give it back? De facto. It’s clear that de jure no one will give it back. That’s all, and get a chance to reset the project. This is both a pass for three or four years and an entrance ticket to a new reality. And Ukraine can be another, much better – to change the way of economic management. ‘We will fight to the last patriot, we will not give up the Russian-speaking regions.’ And why were you suppressing them, these Russian-speaking regions?”
MP Gorchenko also opened fire on Zelensky.
Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Goncharenko also harshly criticized the Kiev leader, said ‘the situation is f—ked’.
“’According to all my contacts, there is only one question: why is Zelensky coming out and commenting on something? Couldn’t he just keep quiet for a bit?’ the Ukrainian MP writes.
He considers the US terms of the deal with Russia to be ‘normal’ and called for ‘looking into the eyes of reality’, admitting that without US help the situation will only get worse.
‘Unfortunately, we cannot recapture our territories with the help of the US right now, so why should we recapture them without their help? How? We need peace. Freeze. Stop’.”
Many activist groups that hate the West and want to see it destroyed, such as Marxists or Islamists, know that they have to be in it for the long haul. They fully realise that their desired goals will not happen overnight, and they are willing to work away at their plans for years, decades, and even centuries if need be.
And the militant sexual revolutionaries know that it takes time to see all their radical goals fully realised. Let me speak to that particular aspect for just a few moments. A few days ago I said in a social media post that a number of Australian states have now passed draconian legislation about “conversion therapy”.
In short, they make it illegal for people like you and I to counsel or even pray for anyone who comes to us struggling with their sexual orientations or attractions. Trying to help such people is now considered to be a hate crime by most states. See the shocking details on all this here: https://billmuehlenberg.com/2025/04/16/god-or-the-totalist-state/
One person responded to my post with these words: “Who would have ever thought this would come to be….” Yes, on the one hand, none of us just a half century ago could have imagined that such things would now be commonplace throughout the West. Little did most folks realize that the homosexual agenda, and the trans agenda, would completely turn Western culture upside down.
However, some folks did know something about this. Some folks tried to follow closely where the sexual revolutionaries were trying to take us. I have been one of them. Ever since arriving here some 35 years ago I have been monitoring what the activists have in mind
It was easy to do, since free, weekly homosexual newspapers could be grabbed from libraries, book shops and other venues. One simply had to read what their plans and goals were – and take them seriously. So I have been sounding the alarm for many decades now.
Of course most folks did not want to hear what I had to say. Even those on my own side were dubious. I recall once catching up with a young staffer to a conservative Senator at Parliament House, Canberra. I suggested we go up to their office so we could pray for them.
The family activists then went around the room, saying what they thought was the greatest challenge to marriage and family in Australia. Bear in mind that this was back in the early 1990s. So I said that homosexual marriage is the biggest challenge we face. One longstanding family advocate basically laughed and said that would never happen.
Well, we now fully know who was right and who was wrong back then. As I say, I was religiously studying what the other side was saying, and I knew just what they had in mind to destroy marriage in Australia and around the world. And it was not just their magazines and newspapers that I studied. They also had many books outlining their agenda.
I have often quoted from the 1989 book, After the Ball: How America Will Conquer Its Fear and Hatred of Gays in the 90s by Marshall Kirk and Hunter Madsen (Plume Books). It is a detailed strategy guide for how the radicals can fully remake America and the West into their own image.
It is a call to battle, and it is a call to see the big picture and the long term. They knew that things would not change immediately, but folks would have to patiently and persistently work at it. The last line of the book says this: “Tomorrow, the real gay revolution begins. So go home, get changed, and be at the station at eight.”
That was a call to arms and a call to commitment. They knew that if they kept at it, they would wear the other side down and achieve their goals. And that they have. The problem is, our side seldom has such a sense of the bigger picture and the war that we are in. We have been asleep at the wheel, and we tend to focus on things not much beyond next week.
Such a mindset means we are guaranteed to lose. There is an old Greek proverb which says this: “A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.” A quote attributed to Martin Luther (but not substantiated) is similar: “Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.”
The point is, we need to have a much larger vision of things. Too many believers do not see the bigger picture and the longer term. They have their bags packed and are just waiting to go home. I quite understand that, but the truth is, we have a job to do, and no one knows for sure when the end will come. As Jesus said, ‘Occupy till I come’! But see these two articles for more on this:
So whether it is resisting the inroads of communism, or jihadism, or the radical sexual activists, we must be prepared for the long haul. These battles will just not go away overnight, so we all have a job to do. We cannot think that attending a few prayer meetings, or signing a few petitions, will bring these wars to an end.
The other side is fully committed to its cause and is willing to make huge sacrifices to see their visions become reality. But too often we have little or no vision, and we are just sitting things out. But in a war, there can be no neutrality. No believer can sit on the fence and just hope that things might eventually get better.
On Democracies and Death Cults: Israel and the Future of Civilization by Murray, Douglas (Author)
Since I twice now mentioned Islam as an example of a real life and death struggle that we are in, let me wrap things up with a quote from someone who is fully aware of the struggles that we are fully immersed in. Douglas Murray’s vitally important new book, On Democracies and Death Cults: Israel and the Future of Civilization (Broadside Books, 2025), clearly informs us of the all-out war between Islamism and the West.
The bulk of the book looks at what happened just before, during and after the demonic October 7, 2023 assault by Hamas on Israel, resulting in the deaths of 1200 men, women and children, and 250 hostages taken – some of whom still languish in hideous captivity today.
While I will write more about this crucial volume in the days ahead, let me just share the closing paragraphs of his book with you:
It struck me then as it had many times over the previous year, that everything was the wrong way around. Young people at institutions across the West were judging the actions of their contemporaries in Israel. They were throwing slur after slur at them and reigniting every blood libel of the past in a modern guise. Yet it was their contemporaries in Israel who were the ones they should have looked to not as a scapegoat but as an example. Whatever the years ahead hold for the West, I know that Canada, Britain, Europe, Australia, and America should be so lucky as to produce a generation of people like Israel has.
Finally, I also realised that I had found the answer to a question I had mulled over for almost a quarter of a century. All my adult life I had heard the taunt of the jihadists. “We love death more than you love life.” I had heard it from al-Qaeda, from Hamas, from ISIS. From Europe to Afghanistan several of my friends and colleagues had heard such war cries in their last moments. Anet had always seemed to me not just a necrophiliac utterance but one that appeared almost impossible to counter. How could anyone overcome a movement – a people – who welcomed death, who gloried in death, who worshipped death? Was it not inevitable that against such a force, a feeble and sybaritic West could not possibly win?
That is what I feared for many years. Yet this year I saw an answer to it. Of all the soldiers I saw in war, none took delight in their task. They could feel victorious on occasion, proud to have completed a mission and gotten their unit out alive. But from the south of Gaza to the south of Lebanon and the West Bank, none take a joy or pleasure in that task they have to do. They did it not because they loved death but exactly because they love life. They fought for life. For the survival of their families, their nation, and their people. Even the most secular of them knew that the lifestyle most of us take for granted cannot be taken so. They know you won’t have the ability to party in Tel Aviv, fall in love, grow a family, or live a meaningful life unless they are willing to fight for it.
“Choose life” is one of the most important commandments of the Jewish people. It is also one of the fundamental values of the West. They, and all of us, can win in spite of the enemy loving death. Because there is nothing wrong with loving life so much. It is the basis on which civilization can win. (pp. 265-267)
In sum, the other side, in its various forms, is looking at the long term and the big picture, and are prepared to fight to the death for what they believe in. Christians, at least in the West, tend to be nowhere near as aware of the ongoing battles we are in, and nowhere near as committed to our cause – the cause of Christ, and seeking to be salt and light in a needy world.
To be disciples of Christ in a world that hates him will always be a battle that we will be involved in. There is no opting out, There I no going AWOL. There is no making cheap excuses for our cowardice or our unwillingness to fight the good fight.
It will be a lifelong struggle. But when we come to the end, we will then be able to say with the Apostle Paul, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). Or as the lyrics to the old Black gospel tune “I’m a Soldier in the Army of the Lord” put it:
I’m a soldier in the army of the Lord I’m a soldier in the army I’m a soldier in the army of the Lord I’m a soldier in the army
I got my war clothes on in the army of the Lord I got my war clothes on in the army I got my war clothes on in the army of the Lord I got my war clothes on in the army
I’m a soldier in the army of the Lord I’m a soldier in the army I’m a soldier in the army of the Lord I’m a soldier in the army
I believe I’ll die in the army of the Lord I believe I’ll die in the army I believe I’ll die in the army of the Lord I believe I’ll die in the army
I’m a soldier in the army of the Lord I’m a soldier in the army I’m a soldier in the army of the Lord I’m a soldier in the army
I got my breastplate on in the army of the Lord Got my breastplate on in the army I got my breastplate on in the army of the Lord I got my breastplate on in the army
I’m a soldier in the army of the Lord I’m a soldier in the army I’m a soldier in the army of the Lord I’m a soldier in the army
I’m gonna fight until I die in the army of the Lord I’m gonna fight until I die in the army of the Lord I’m gonna fight until I die in the army of the Lord Gonna fight until I die in the army of the Lord
I’m a soldier in the army of the Lord I’m a soldier in the army I’m a soldier in the army of the Lord I’m a soldier in the army
Preident Zelensky comes to Washington and insults, interrupts, and talks over President Trump.
Not one more dime to this ungrateful narcissist.
Volodymyr Zelensky is bragging to the press this week on how he lectured US Treasury Secretary Scott Bissent when he came to Ukraine to sign a rare minerals deal.
Zelensky said he told Bessent to quit tapping his finger and talk to Ukraine substantively.
BREAKING- Stop tapping your finger and talk like an equal" — Zelensky tells US Treasury Secretary
President Zelensky revealed how he shut down Scott Bessent, after he tried to pressure Ukraine into signing a rare-earth metals deal before Zelensky’s White House visit.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, during his visit to Kyiv in February, expected Ukraine to immediately sign the subsoil deal. However, his approach was mistaken, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“I believe the problems lie in Mr. Bessent’s approach. What he brought with him and said, ‘You need to sign this now’… My colleagues know that tapping your finger on the deal and saying, ‘Now it has to be signed’—I could only tell him, ‘Stop tapping your finger and let’s talk substantively. He probably expected a different kind of dialogue, but I don’t consider Ukraine a third-rate country,’” Zelenskyy emphasized.
The president noted that he and Bessent were supposed to engage on equal terms, as citizens of Ukraine and the United States, with mutual respect. However, this approach “in some sense did not sit well with the American minister.”
He added that he would not disclose all the details of the negotiations with Bessent, but he was not afraid if the US Treasury Secretary decided to reveal the full details.
Alex Marlow: ‘Sinister’: Democrats Rebrand Abortions as ‘Averted Births’ …Marlow stated, “A Colorado Democrat said birth is more expensive than abortion and they’re calling [abortions] now, ‘averted births’. So, this is anti-human, … if you’re talking about, basically, the life of a human being as just an economic problem. Remember this, that the left sees everything as a money issue.”
China Moves to Formally End Christian Missionary Activity The autocratic Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is imposing severe restrictions on Christian missionary activity in the country, arguing loyalty to the party usurps all other beliefs and credos.
Trump administration weighs drone strikes on Mexican cartels The Trump administration is considering launching drone strikes on drug cartels in Mexico as part of an ambitious effort to combat criminal gangs trafficking narcotics across the southern border, according to six current and former U.S. military, law enforcement and intelligence officials with knowledge of the matter.
Trump’s Economic War Against The Communist Chinese Empire Just Went Nuclear Well, isn’t this fun? News that President Trump had decided to pause some of the tariffs that he recently unveiled for 90 days sent stock prices soaring. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up more than 2,900 points on Wednesday, and that is very good news. But not that much has actually changed, and the global trade war is still officially on. In fact, President Trump just hiked the tariff rate on Chinese imports to 125 percent…
Patriots Rise in Vienna: Freedom Party Declares War on the Globalist Establishment In a fiery rally that felt more like a political revolution than a campaign launch, Austria’s conservative-nationalist Freedom Party (FPÖ) has kicked off its mission to retake the capital city of Vienna — and send a shockwave through the country’s ruling left-wing elite.
France Thwarts Islamic Terror Attack: Jihadi Vowed to Make ‘Unbelievers Drown in Their Own Blood’ French authorities have once again narrowly prevented a mass-casualty terror attack on national soil. On April 2, 2025, three young men, aged 19 to 24, were arrested and charged in connection with a foiled bombing plot in northern France. At least one of the suspects had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State and constructed a functioning explosive vest. According to the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office (PNAT), the men intended to carry out a coordinated attack using improvised explosive devices.
The reaction from the Left to President Donald Trump’s new tariff regime has been predictable. Like everything he does, this too will kill us all. Somehow.
It’s disturbing to see how many on the right are either in agreement with this knee jerk Leftist invective or express varying degrees of confusion. Some like this article from PJ Media seem to be hedging. The tariffs might work or they might not, they say:
“Being a wartime president is a high wire act. The PR battles matter greatly because your capacity to fight is limited by the electorate’s stomach for the mission. If you can’t sell the war, you’re probably not going to win it.
But all the cool, crafty PR tricks won’t mean a lick if your troops get their [tushies] kicked on the battlefield. War is a reality-based enterprise. You can’t bull[EXPLETIVE] your way to victory.”
I get it. There’s a risk to this strategy. There’s a risk to every strategy, however. And what’s interesting about this editorial is the writer has hit very close to the mark by characterizing Trump as a “wartime” president. Though in the writer’s mind the “war” in question is a figurative trade war and not an actual war. A war war.
It’s not a trade war. It’s not figurative at all. This is war.
And we as a country have a very big problem if we haven’t figured this out by now. The People’s Republic of China has been waging what it calls “hybrid war” against our country for more than a decade.
That’s not the terminology used by China experts at some think tank or policy mavens in some Ivy League panel. China, that big land mass teeming with people just across the Pacific Ocean, calls it “hybrid war.” And they are waging that war specifically against the United States. Against us.
Hybrid war isn’t just an aggressive term the Chinese use to describe their trade policy. According to Col. John Mills, hybrid war is a form of warfare (not bartering) that fuses the military with the civilian. A strategy that is easy for China to implement because they are Communist and the state legally holds controlling shares in all its corporations. Every business entity is also a potential military entity. All of which can be bent towards the will of the Chinese state.
And they are. Not for mere financial gain. For war. Against us.
What does that mean?
It means they are actively working to destroy our culture, our government, our institutions, and our freedoms. And for a while there during the Biden administration, I wouldn’t have been surprised at all if the Stars and Stripes had been taken down in DC to be replaced by the red flag of Maoist China. It would’ve seemed somehow more fitting seeing as at the time, I was a jailed political dissident looking out on that same city from the DC prison.
But this is not the only conflict we are facing. We are also locked in a struggle with the West to save the West.
Kyle Shideler at the American Mind also invokes the concept of war when he talks about this in his article Cold Civil War Gone Global. The clunky phrasing parses together all the aspects of this conflict. It is a kind of civil war and it is also a cold war. And, for good measure, it’s gone global.
Shideler sees the outline of the conflict. America is locked in a kind of civil cold war which he describes as the increasingly volatile tensions between the “ruling class” and the “country class.” And when you see how the American ruling class is continually aided by, and aids, the ruling classes of European nations, our supposed allies, you have no choice but to interpret this collaboration as the awful unity that it is.
If British intelligence can help our CIA and FBI implement the Russiagate hoax, and if our USAID dollars prop up gatekeeper institutions like the BBC or Australian universities, then we are fools if we don’t conclude that the little plastic flags on the desks of those at MI5 and the CIA belie the fact that they are actually all on a single team that has nothing to do with their respective nation states. Or us, the citizens of those states.
If that sounds like an accusation of disloyalty or treason to you, that’s because it is. It means those unelected bureaucrats running the government show in DC have more common in with their counterparts in London or Brussels than they do with you and me here in the middle of suburban America.
They are part of a class of self-styled supra-national elites made delusional by their egos and thirst for money and power. They imagine themselves overlords of increasingly larger swaths of the planet.
They include among their ranks not just faceless power-mad in government but also members of the WEF, those in multinational corporations, financial institutions, “non-government” organizations, and other institutions like those of faith, education, and medicine.
The outlines of this transnational cabal have been blatant since the Covid days when countries around the world uniformly instituted lock downs of their citizenry, turning a trip to the grocery store into a government-controlled privilege as they tightened the screws of draconian vaccine mandates.
It was not just America where this happened. It was China. It was Europe. It was Asia. In other words, every place on the planet where this group of wealthy and powerful held what is in business called a “controlling interest.”
And yet, in my tiny town in the boonies of Texas people went shopping without masks, chuckling at the overreaction of the city folk. Those people in DC, in London, in Beijing, and in Brussels — they weren’t us. They thought they could tell us what to do. But we opted for more common sense measures.
Yet since the Covid fiasco, this conglomeration of petty tyrants has become much less careful about keeping their organization and collaboration under wraps.
Presumably, they’ve acknowledged that the cat has already been let out of the bag with Covid. So now they openly coordinate with each other doing things like sabotaging peace talks between Russia and Ukraine and coordinating a unified response to American tariffs.
We know who they are by their shared methods and goals. It’s no accident that all throughout the West nations are mimicking tactics in lawfare to suppress populist movements. In France, Marine Le Pen has been banned from politics.
Matteo Salvini of Italy escaped being prosecuted for the crime of upholding immigration law, Jair Bolsanaro of Brazil now cannot run until 2030. They actually jailed Calin Georgescu of Romania. And while our current president remains a fitting example of using judges to gatekeep politicians, a little-known J6er, Couy Griffin was actually barred from politics for life by a New Mexico state court which invoked a the Civil War era law against “insurrectionists.”
This transnational Deep State cabal have other shared prerogatives. Like mass immigration and Utopian fantasies about a borderless society, controlling people by censorship or limiting our food supply, weaponizing big data for use against the citizens, training weapons of warfare like drones and intelligence inward towards the very people such weapons were built to protect, and plying the population with massive amounts of pharmaceuticals as well as lethal illegal drugs like fentanyl.
They foment fear. They want us all afraid and yet perpetually tuned out on porn, drugs, or gambling. It’s bread and circuses for the 21st century. You’ll own nothing, eat bugs, spend your entire life never moving more than 15 minutes away, and you’ll be completely disenfranchised, faithless, and hopeless.
This is their shared Utopian vision. But who are “they”? When talking about bureaucrats, we call them “Deep State.” When talking about businesses they’re refereed to as “Globalists.” But they aren’t two different things. We’ve seen how they coordinate. They even take hits for each other when tactics demand it.
If you find their vision and ideals abhorrent you likely already think of all of them under the umbrella term “enemy.”
We are slowly coming to see the total shape of it. Author GK Chesterton plays with the concept that sometimes things can be hidden in plain sight because they are too big.
In one of his murder mysteries, the characters discovered that a victim’s head hadn’t been dashed in by a weapon but by something considerably larger, the Earth itself. The victim fell. We are in a similar situation. We see the trees but not the totality of the forest they comprise.
I argue that we have one more step in discerning the total nature of the enemy. Along with these Deep State and Globalist elements, we must acknowledge that the PRC is also involved on a very intricate level.
I’m not merely talking about the PRC’s normal routine of taking over countries through coercive business loans. The Cabal and the PRC both desire the fall of the West. They both desire the destruction of our culture and our freedoms.
Not to mention the fact that the ideas of Globalism itself is little more than Communism implemented through crony capitalism. The Chinese government, being Communist, is therefore thoroughly ideologically aligned. The Deep State, the Globalists, and the PRC are a single unitive entity. Not separate. But one.
Whether the Deep State/Globalist Cabal and the PRC are acting together as part of a coordinated alliance or it’s incidental that they only appear to be working together is irrelevant.
This isn’t a court hearing and we aren’t in the business of waiting for evidence of culpability. The fact of the matter is that there is profound synergy between the two. In ideology, tactics, and desired outcomes.
The whys, hows, and whats all match. Tactically speaking, that’s all the information we need to answer the question: Who is our enemy?
But we can’t coordinate effectively if we limit ourselves to overly long terms that are themselves practically narrative descriptions. If we talk about our struggle engaging the Deep State/Globalist PRC Cabal in the Hybrid Cold Civil War Gone Global we’ll spend more time talking than a blue-haired weirdo explaining their pronouns in detail.
Not to mention the fact that Aquinas said a sign of lower intelligence is the inability to see wholes and instead to break things down into increasingly smaller and detailed parts in order to comprehend something. I argue that there are too many parts to the phrase Hybrid Cold Civil War Gone Global against the Deep State/Globalist PRC Cabal.
So let’s refine the concept a bit. It’s a war. And we know it’s a global war. That makes it a world war. But it’s not a world war like the clash of nations in world wars one and two. There are elements that make it like a civil war and like a cold war too — a fact I pointed out in my article on Cold Terror.
In a nod to fiction, I think the best way to refine this conflict into something appropriately unique is to compare it to the zombie novel, World War Z. In that novel the world was engaged in a global asymmetrical battle against a plague of zombies. Whereas the enemy in World War Z were hordes of the undead, we are locked in a struggle against Tesla terrorists (and other actors) whose minds have been overthrown by the woke mind virus. To me, that’s close enough.
We swap out the letter, though. Instead of Z for zombies, we use G for Globalists. Not because we’re fighting solely against multinational corporations but because we’re fighting against a deceptive neo-Communist delusional elite, and that’s what Globalism is: a vehicle for implementing Communism.
World War G.
This is the battle of our time. Against an enemy that imprisons their political opponents, weakens Western culture and national sovereignty, and seeks to deprive us of our material possessions as well as our most precious possession of all: our freedoms.
The funny thing is, if you think back to what President Trump has been doing since he got into office — fighting the drug trade and human trafficking, bringing jobs back to America, negotiating the end of forever wars, shrinking government, disemboweling USAID and other government departments of questionable worth or dubious loyalty — he’s been fighting World War G all along.
It’s wrong that our president for the most part appears to fighting this battle alone. At the very least, his own party should be willing to lend more enthusiastic support. So many people just shake their heads at the tariffs. They worry about the political cost should the tariffs not pan out. But that’s extremely shortsighted when we consider the disturbing fact why they were necessary in first place.
What’s at stake isn’t just some polling for the next election. What’s at stake is the very lifeblood of America and, by extension, the West itself. It’s not that the tariffs might not work. It’s that they must work. We’re talking about a war here. It’s a war of everything against everything else. A war where every dime you spend, every word you write, every choice you make either works for our freedom or helps those actively trying to destroy it. We won’t win by pretending that it’s not happening.
Like all world wars, this is going to call for an extraordinary effort on the part of everyone in the country. But at the very least, we need to be fighting it. So let’s gear up and get out there, warriors. We’ve got a war to fight. World War G.
Matt da Silva once worked at the highest levels of government trust as a Japanese and Mandarin Navy linguist. In addition to working at the tip of the intel spear, he also has the distinction of having served 18 months in federal prison for his involvement in Jan 6. Now he’s pardoned and using his intel analysis and writing skills in defense of the 21st century civil rights movement known as America First. You can find more of his writings at his substack (which is free). You may also want to give him a follow on X and TruthSocial. Please subscribe!
Russia wants to see more people who comprehend it and want to live in peace, the president has said
Some people in the West do not understand Russia, yet that fact does not hamper the country’s development, President Vladimir Putin has said.
The Russian president made those remarks on Wednesday during a meeting of the supervisory board of the Movement of the First, a Russian organization for children and youth.
”There are people in the so-called West who do not understand Russia. But this does not prevent us from living and developing. This should only motivate us to increase the number of people who understand us and want to live with us in peace and friendship,” Putin stated.
Such a goal could be achieved through extensive work with the youth in particular, the president emphasized. “Success awaits us in this area if we work actively and effectively with young people, with children, with teenagers, those who create the foundation of the country’s future and value this country,” he said.
Founded in 2022 with Putin’s direct backing, the Movement of the First has grown into a major nationwide organization. According to the president, it now brings together more than 11 million members.
The main goal of the group is helping the country’s young people become successful in their lives, Putin said. Helping a person find an “optimal” path in life is the key to success, he stressed.
“Almost every person wants success, even if they think that, in general, they do not need anything and everything is fine. No, in their souls, everyone strives for success. To achieve this success, you need to find your path in life and find a trade to which you are ready to dedicate your life. This is one of the reasons why the Movement of the First was created,” the president explained.
If there is going to be peace in the Middle East, why has the Pentagon sent 25 percent of our entire fleet of B-2 stealth bombers to the region? And if there is going to be peace in Europe, why is the European Union telling all of their citizens to store up food and water for a war with Russia? We keep being told that everything is going to be okay, but meanwhile western officials continue to make moves that indicate that more war is coming.
According to Newsweek, the United States has “significantly increased its military presence” in the Middle East during the past couple of weeks…
The U.S. has significantly increased its military presence in both the Gulf and Indian Ocean, deploying B-2 stealth bombers, cargo planes, and aerial refueling tankers, alongside key assets like the USS Carl Vinson and USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carriers.
I am particularly concerned about the deployment of highly advanced B-2 stealth bombers to the region.
It is being reported that “at least five” B-2 stealth bombers have been deployed to the island of Diego Garcia…
The US military has sent at least five B-2 Spirit stealth bombers to highly strategic island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.
These heavy bombers can obliterate targets with their huge 25 tonne bomb payload per jet.
This means the US’s deadly fleet of five could carry an astounding 125 tonnes of bombs.
For those that do not know, Afghanistan was relentlessly bombed by U.S. air assets based in Diego Garcia during the invasion of that nation in 2001, and Iraq was relentlessly bombed by U.S. air assets based in Diego Garcia during the invasion of that nation in 2003.
Currently, the U.S. only possesses 20 B-2 stealth bombers, and so that means that 25 percent of them are now in Diego Garcia.
It is being speculated that these B-2 bombers could be involved in the ongoing campaign to bomb the Houthis in Yemen, but it is important to note that these B-2 bombers would also be ideal for carrying out the sort of “bunker buster” strikes that would be necessary to take out Iran’s nuclear program…
The bombers present a unique mix of capabilities, particularly their ability to penetrate past dense enemy air defenses to carry out ‘bunker buster’ strikes employing 30,000-pound class GBU-57/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bombs. MOP, which only the B-2 is currently certified to employ operationally, itself offers a unique conventional option for striking deeply buried and fortified targets, of which there are many in Iran.
We do know that President Trump recently delivered a letter to the Iranians that gives them a choice with a very clear deadline.
Either the Iranians must make an agreement to end their nuclear program within two months or they will be attacked…
Recently, President Trump revealed that he had sent a letter to Tehran, demanding a new nuclear agreement within two months or face significant military consequences. With negotiations stalled and the deadline looming, the diplomatic window for de-escalation is quickly closing, leaving military action as an increasingly likely outcome.
The Iranians have already told us that they have no plans to negotiate.
So it appears that it is just a matter of time before the second option is implemented.
“Iran has to give up its program in a way that the entire world can see,” Mike Waltz, Trump’s National Security Advisor, said during a separate interview on CBS News‘ “Face the Nation” this weekend. “It is time for Iran to walk away completely from its desire to have a nuclear weapon, and they will not and cannot be allowed to have a nuclear weapons program. That is its weaponization and its strategic missiles program.”
If B-2 stealth bombers start hitting Iran’s nuclear facilities, we will officially be at war with Iran.
I hope that everyone understands the implications of that.
European Union bureaucrats are pushing for every household in the 27-nation bloc to prepare the kit for war and natural disasters.
It is expected that will be part of a union’s broader “preparedness strategy” amid the threat from Russia.
Key items they will ask the bloc’s 450 million citizens to gather includes water, energy bars and a flashlight.
Why does every home in the EU need to prepare for war with Russia if there is going to be peace?
Do EU bureaucrats know something that the rest of us do not?
Sadly, it appears that even the very limited agreements that Russia and Ukraine just agreed to are not going to hold. The Ukrainians just launched more strikes against Russian energy infrastructure, and the Russians just keep sending waves of drone attacks at Ukrainian cities…
Overnight, Russia said it had taken down nine drones, including two over the Black Sea. It also said Ukraine tried to attack a gas storage facility in Russian-occupied Crimea and energy infrastructure in Russia’s Kursk and Bryansk regions. Ukraine said it conducted no such strikes.
Ukraine’s military reported 117 Russian drone attacks overnight. Local officials said the city of Kryvyi Rih had been hit by the biggest drone attack it has faced yet.
Hopefully both sides will come to their senses, because this is our one shot at peace.
If negotiations ultimately fail, it is inevitable that both sides will escalate matters, and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte is warning that an attack on Poland or any other NATO member “will be met with the full force of this fierce alliance”…
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte issued a stern warning to Vladimir Putin, stating that any attack on Poland or another NATO member would be met with a “devastating” response.
“If anyone were to miscalculate and think they can get away with an attack on Poland or on any other ally, they will be met with the full force of this fierce alliance. Our reaction will be devastating” he declared in Warsaw. “This has to be very clear to Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin and anyone else who wants to attack us.”
Four US soldiers have reportedly been found dead in Lithuania after going missing during a training mission. A major search operation was launched after the tracked vehicle they were travelling in disappeared at around 4.45pm yesterday.
The Embassy in Vilnius has yet to confirm the deaths after releasing a statement to confirm only that four soldiers were missing. But speaking to reporters while visiting Warsaw, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said: “Whilst I was speaking the news came out about four American soldiers who were killed in an incident in Lithuania,” as he confirmed he had no further details. The search, involving Lithuanian and US assets, has identified a “possible location” of where they are believed to have disappeared.
This is a very alarming incident.
Hopefully we will learn more details shortly.
There is one last thing that I wanted to mention today. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy just told European journalists that Russian President Vladimir Putin “will die soon”…
Volodymyr Zelensky has predicted that Russian President Vladimir Putin ‘will die soon’ in a candid assessment as he discussed the war on Ukraine. Speaking during a round table with journalists including the BBC’s Jeremy Bowen, the Ukrainian leader said: “He will die soon, and that’s a fact, and it will come to an end.”
What an irresponsible thing to say.
Yes, Putin has been experiencing health problems for a long time.
But if Putin does die soon, the Russians will remember what Zelenskyy just said. At that point it would be exceedingly difficult to convince the Russians that nothing nefarious was going on, and getting both sides to agree to any sort of a peace deal would almost certainly become impossible.
We are at such a delicate moment.
The decisions that global leaders make over the next several months could dramatically alter the course of human history, and right now I am not particularly optimistic about where things are heading.
About the Author: Michael Snyder’s new book entitled “Why” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com. He has also written eight other books that are available on Amazon.com including “Chaos”, “End Times”, “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”. When you purchase any of Michael’s books you help to support the work that he is doing. You can also get his articles by email as soon as he publishes them by subscribing to his Substack newsletter. Michael has published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and he always freely and happily allows others to republish those articles on their own websites. These are such troubled times, and people need hope. John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” If you have not already done so, we strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.
As the Trump-brokered Peace Process between Russia and Ukraine sees progress but faces the inevitable difficulties, Europeans continues to try to escalate the situation with the convoluted plans by UK’s Keir Starmer and France’s Emmanuel Macron.
Their talk of ‘boots in the ground’ will never prosper, because Moscow has repeatedly said that it will never agree to any proposal for NATO countries to send ‘peacekeepers’ to Ukraine.
Today, European madness sent out two contrasting signals at the same time: strategic ambiguity or simple lack of common purpose?
Globalist-European leaders mourn the dead in Kiev: no troops will be sent.
The reason is lack of member support, logistical impossibilities and, of course the opposition by Donald J. Trump and Vladimir Putin.
Diplomats now admit the growing acceptance of the fact that ‘sending such a force is not the likeliest outcome’.
“They are taking a step back from ground troops and trying to re-dimension what they were doing to something that could be more sensible,” said one European diplomat.
Said another: “When Ukraine was in a better position, the idea of sending troops appealed. But now, with the situation on the ground and the U.S administration as it is, it’s not very sexy.”
Zelensky and Macron: deep partnership.
For one, a Kiev high-level official has come out and stated that ‘European troops must be ready to fight’ if they are sent as peacekeepers in any future peace deal between Ukraine and Russia.
Basically, this confirms that the Volodymyr Zelensky regime Ukraine views European military support ‘not as a deterrence mechanism, but as an escalation tool’.
“’We don’t need a mere presence to showcase that Europe is present’, Igor Zhovkva, a top Ukrainian negotiator, said ahead of an international summit in Paris.
‘It’s not the amount which matters… it’s also their readiness to fight, their readiness to defend, their readiness to be equipped, and their readiness to understand that Ukraine is an inevitable part of European security’, he said.”
AI-generated image by Grok: Macron and Zelensky dreaming of an EU peacekeeping force that’ll never happen.
France’s Macron, never to lose a chance to grandstand, said today (26) that an eventual European force deployed to Ukraine could ‘respond’ to an equally hypothetical Russian attack.
“’If there was again a generalized aggression against Ukrainian soil, these armies would be under attack and then it’s our usual framework of engagement’, Macron said. ‘Our soldiers, when they are engaged and deployed, are there to react and respond to the decisions of the commander in chief and, if they are in a conflict situation, to respond to it’.
He said the proposed European forces wouldn’t be stationed in the frontlines in Ukraine, ‘nor be engaged on the first day opposite Russian forces’. They would ‘be forces that dissuade the Russians from attacking again. And by holding important towns, strategic bases, mark the clear support from several European governments and allies’, he said.
‘So we are not on the frontlines, we don’t go to fight, but we are there to guarantee a lasting peace. It’s a pacifist approach’, he said. ‘The only ones who would, at that moment, trigger a conflict, a bellicose situation, would be the Russians if they decided again to launch an aggression’.”
The European Union is ready to order all of its citizens to prepare survival kits with 72-hours worth of supplies in the face of a looming World War 3 threat as NATO warned Russia it faces a “devastating” revenge strike if they attack any part of the EU
With each passing day, the drumbeats of war grow louder and louder as a military conflict between the European Union and Russia now seems unavoidable. NTEB has told you from the beginning of the war in Ukraine, that Putin is not trying to win the war, his goal is to keep it percolating at a nice, little simmer until he can draw everyone else into it. Last week, it was just the nation of France issuing the World War 3 ‘Survival Guide’, and today it’s all 27 member states who will get them. That’s progress, and that’s the memo.
“The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.” Psalm 9:17 (KJB)
The headlines are also blaring a possible coming conflict between the United States and Iran, warning signs include but not limited to military buildup, Iranian proxies, sanctions, military muscle flexing, and imposed deadlines. The Trump administration seems intent on two things at the moment. One, they want to impose a ‘peace deal’ on Ukraine negotiated with the Russian without Ukraine input, and two, a military conflict in the Middle East. In the meantime, Putin sits fat and happy watching the rest of the world readjusting itself to suit his agenda.
EU to order ALL citizens to ready WW3 survival kits as NATO warns Putin faces ‘devastating’ revenge if he attacks Europe
FROM THE SUN US: European Union bureaucrats are pushing for every household in the 27-nation bloc to prepare the kit for war and natural disasters. It is expected that will be part of a union’s broader “preparedness strategy” amid the threat from Russia. Key items they will ask the bloc’s 450 million citizens to gather includes water, energy bars and a flashlight.
And meanwhile, NATO boss Rutte issued one of his strongest rebukes to Putin yet as he vowed a “fierce” response to any attack on Europe. Speaking in Warsaw, Poland, the ex-Dutch Prime Minister warned of any settlement to end the war in Ukraine that would be “favourable” to Putin.
He said: “Eastern Europe fear such an outcome would allow Russian President Vladimir Putin to rebuild his country’s forces and threaten other countries in the region in the coming year.”
“If anyone were to miscalculate and think they can get away with an attack on Poland or on any other ally, they will be met with the full force of this fierce alliance. Our reaction will be devastating.”
“This has to be very clear to Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin and anyone else who wants to attack us.”
Rutte’s comments come as Europe has been put on notice by the White House – with new US President Donald Trump determined to find a quick end to the war in Ukraine and putting Europe on notice. Trump is calling on Britain and the EU to up their military spending so they no longer have to “rely” on the US for protection.
Elsewhere, in a chilling show of force, the Kremlin fired the cruise missiles from its Ufa attack sub in the Sea of Japan. Russian state media boasted claims that the missiles hit a land target over 620 miles away in the Khabarovsk region, as well as a naval target. And after the agreement yesterday of a ceasefire in the Black Sea, both Russia and Ukraine accused the other of breaching the deal.
President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Moscow of “manipulations and threats” and warning: “We don’t believe them. The world really doesn’t believe Russia.” Zelensky added: “Unfortunately, even now, even today, on the very day of negotiations, we see how the Russians have already begun to manipulate.” READ MORE
Trump and Zelensky – Photo courtesy of 6 Action News, screenshot from Youtube
President Trump vowed to end the war in Ukraine, and true to his word, he has offered President Zelensky two smart, mutually beneficial deals: defense in exchange for access to minerals and defense in exchange for energy cooperation.
Both proposals would have strengthened Ukraine’s position while advancing U.S. strategic interests—yet Zelensky rejected them. It appears he prefers unconditional aid, giving nothing in return.
Meanwhile, Europe seems determined not only to prolong the war indefinitely but also to risk provoking Russia into a broader conflict that could spiral into World War III.
The first major deal President Trump offered to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was a strategic defense-for-minerals agreement that served the interests of both nations.
Under this deal, Ukraine would grant the U.S. access to critical mineral resources—such as rare earth elements—in exchange for increased American defense support.
This arrangement provided Ukraine with much-needed funding and a de facto security guarantee, as the presence of American personnel on the ground to safeguard mineral operations would serve as a deterrent to Russian aggression.
Crucially, the deal accomplished all of this without requiring Ukraine to join NATO, making it more acceptable to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who had long opposed NATO expansion.
The presence of Americans on key sites would have raised the stakes for any Russian attack, potentially deterring an invasion due to the risk of direct conflict with U.S. forces.
However, European leaders harshly criticized President Trump for proposing the defense-for-minerals deal, demanding instead that the United States continue its open-ended military support for Europe and financial aid to Ukraine.
Many in Europe labeled Trump a bully and an extremist for attempting to reshape the terms of engagement.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also rejected the offer, preferring unconditional financial aid over a mutually beneficial agreement.
Ironically, while condemning Trump’s proposal—which could have de-escalated tensions and provided a peaceful resolution—European nations have moved in the opposite direction.
They are rearming, expanding their militaries, approving a massive EU-wide military spending loan program, and even considering deploying troops directly to Ukraine, a move that could risk triggering World War III.
All the while, they continue to criticize the United States for stepping back from the war and exploring a diplomatic solution.
The new deal President Trump reportedly offered to Zelensky is centered around energy—specifically involving American investment and control in Ukraine’s energy sector.
Under this proposal, U.S. companies would help develop and secure Ukraine’s vast natural gas reserves and energy infrastructure, reducing both Ukraine’s and Europe’s dependence on Russian energy.
In return, Ukraine would receive financial assistance and a form of strategic protection through the presence of American energy experts and security personnel on the ground.
Similar to the earlier defense-for-minerals deal, this energy deal aims to create mutual benefits: economic support and increased security for Ukraine, and energy leverage and business opportunities for the U.S., all while avoiding direct NATO entanglement.
This would also place American personnel at key energy sites, again acting as a deterrent to Russian attacks.
The media often portrays President Trump as retreating from global diplomacy, but that characterization misses the mark.
His approach to Ukraine represents not a withdrawal, but a strategic shift—from open-ended military commitments to negotiated, mutually beneficial solutions.
Far from abandoning Ukraine, Trump has proposed deals centered on minerals and energy cooperation, which would provide Ukraine with economic and security support while advancing U.S. strategic interests.
These offers reflect a more nuanced foreign policy—one that prioritizes diplomacy, economic leverage, and national self-interest over endless foreign entanglements.
Critics call it isolationism, but many Americans see it as a practical alternative to pouring billions into a prolonged war with no clear endgame.
While the Biden administration continued to funnel weapons and aid into the conflict—with little progress toward peace—Trump’s strategy seeks to de-escalate tensions, avoid American casualties, and prevent a direct confrontation with nuclear-armed Russia.
His approach may be unpopular with the foreign policy establishment, which favors a U.S. that provides free money, generous aid, military protection, and accepts trade deficits with allies and partners.
But Trump’s strategy aligns with a growing public desire for smarter, more restrained engagement. What he offers is not retreat, but a recalibrated diplomacy—focused on peace through strength, mutual benefit, and strategic deal-making.
Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff on “Fox News Sunday” with host Shannon Bream on 3/23/25
US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff was on “Fox News Sunday” with host Shannon Bream and discussed ceasefire talks between Russia and Ukraine.
“Are you convinced he wants peace?” Bream asked of Putin.
“I feel that he wants peace. The President had two very productive calls this week, or last week I should say, one with President Zelensky, one with President Putin. I was in on, I sat and listened to both of them,” Witkoff said.
“Lots of progress got made last week. The parties agreed to an energy infrastructure moratorium on attacks,” Witkoff said.
“Where do you get to that assessment about him not being a bad guy?” Bream asked of Putin.
“You know Shannon, I met with President Putin twice at the direction of the President because everything I do is at his direction and they were, they were productive meetings,” Witkoff said.
“President Putin told me at the first meeting that he had no conversation with the prior administration, in particular President Biden for three and a half years,” Witkoff continued.
“We discussed real ways to end this conflict. That led to a second conversation,” Witkoff said.
Witkoff explained that President Trump’s strategy is peace through strength.
“This is at President Trump’s direction. His philosophy of peace through strength brings people to the table to clear up misconceptions and to get peace deals done,” Witkoff explained.
Bream also asked about how Putin is perceived regarding tyranny.
“Do you feel like there is a misconception though about the characterization of him as a tyrant,” Bream asked of Putin.
“There are grievances on both sides, but our job and at the direction, again I stress of the President, our job is to narrow the issues, bring the parties together, and stop the killing,” Witkoff said.
Watch:
WATCH: @SteveWitkoff says Putin "wants peace", as U.S. officials strategize ahead of the next round of Russia-Ukraine ceasefire talks. pic.twitter.com/hsKB3FDSJg
The idea that Moscow would attack NATO is “preposterous,” Steve Witkoff has said
Russia has no desire to invade other European countries, US special envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff has said, dismissing such fears as “preposterous.”
He made the remarks in an interview with American journalist Tucker Carlson on Friday.
Asked to comment on the UK’s declaration that it is ready to send troops to Ukraine to help guarantee a potential peace deal between Moscow and Kiev, Witkoff suggested that British policymakers want to be “like Winston Churchill,” who warned that “the Russians are going to march across Europe.”
Asked by Carlson if he thinks Russia wants to do this, Witkoff replied: “100% not.”
“I think that’s preposterous, by the way. We have something called NATO that we did not have in World War II,” he added.
Moscow also does not want to “absorb Ukraine,” according to Witkoff. “That would be like occupying Gaza. Why do the Israelis really want to occupy Gaza for the rest of their lives? They don’t. They want stability there. They don’t want to deal with that.”
Witkoff argued that Russia has already achieved its goals in the conflict. “They’ve reclaimed these five regions. They have Crimea, and they’ve gotten what they want. So why do they need more?”
Crimea voted overwhelmingly in favor of joining Russia in a referendum in 2014, following a Western-backed coup in Kiev, with the regions of Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson, and Zaporozhye following suit in autumn 2022.
Witkoff’s interview came out after he held face-to-face talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this month as part of diplomacy aimed at mediating an end to the Ukraine conflict. Following the talks, he suggested that a complete ceasefire could be reached within “a couple of weeks,” adding that the US could ease the sanctions on Moscow once an agreement is reached.
Amid the Ukraine conflict, a number of European leaders have claimed that Russia harbors plans to attack NATO countries within several years. Putin has dismissed the claims as “nonsense,” arguing that Russia has no interest whatsoever in doing so.
Right after Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky ramped up his demands for territorial integrity in the peace negotiations with Russia – something he will not get – now we see further proof that Kiev is determined to sabotage the peace process and stop it dead in its tracks.
Last night, Ukrainian forces attacked and blew up a Sudzha gas metering station in Kursk region, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
Like many other PR operations by the Ukrainians, its serves no discernible military purpose – and furthermore it was done in open defiance of the cease-fire on energy and infrastructure brokered by US President Donald J. Trump.
UKRAINIAN STRIKE HITS RUSSIA’S ONLY GAS TRANSIT ROUTE TO EUROPE
The Sudzha gas metering station in Russia’s Kursk region — the sole pipeline sending Russian gas to the EU through Ukraine — was attacked.
The Ukrainian strike in Russia’s Kursk region hit Moscow’s only gas pipeline sending Russian gas to the EU through Ukraine.
Russian Foreign Office’s spokeswoman Maria Zakharova writes that an UAV hit an energy infrastructure facility ‘leading to the depressurization of one oil tank and its ignition over an area of 1,700 square meters’.
“As is known, this facility ensures the transshipment of oil from railway tanks to the pipeline system of the international oil transportation company Caspian Pipeline Consortium.
I would like to remind you that literally a few hours before this, a telephone conversation between the presidents of Russia and the United States ended, during which, as both sides confirmed, Donald Trump put forward, and Vladimir Putin accepted, a proposal for the parties to mutually refrain from strikes on energy infrastructure facilities for 30 days.
The Russian President immediately gave the Russian military the corresponding order to stop these strikes.”
Zakharova reminds us that Zelensky publicly stated to accept the initiative only to then give the opposite order.
“Zelensky and the Kiev regime have once again violated the understandings reached, thereby confirming their absolute inability to reach an agreement.”
[…] In reality, the terrorist regime on Bankovaya, which has lost all touch with reality, has demonstrated a complete lack of political will for peace and the settlement of the conflict by diplomatic methods. They prove and confirm this year after year.”
❗️A criminal case has been opened in connection with the destruction of the Sudzha gas distribution station in the Kursk region by Ukrainian military forces, Russia’s Investigative Committee reported.
If peace is on the way, why are they feverishly preparing for World War III? It appears to me that NATO countries are convinced that something really big is coming. Is there something that they know that they aren’t telling the rest of us? As I discussed yesterday, things in the Middle East are really heating up, and the conflict in Ukraine has reached a very dangerous stage. If negotiations with Russia fail, both sides are likely to significantly escalate matters in a desperate attempt to win the war, and the Russians could come to the conclusion that a final showdown with NATO has begun. We do not want the Russians to view the conflict in Ukraine in those terms, because they are already extremely paranoid and it wouldn’t take much to push them over the edge. Unfortunately, NATO countries continue to do things that will raise tensions instead of easing them. The following are 7 actions that NATO countries are taking which indicate that something really big is coming…
#1 France is getting ready to distribute a 20 page survival manual that instructs citizens what to do if a full-blown war erupts…
France is the latest country set to issue an invasion survival how-to guide for its citizens.
The 20-page booklet will give advice to French civilians on how to defend the republic in the face of an invasion by signing up to reserve units or local defence efforts.
It will also have tips on how to create a survival kit with essentials including six litres of water, canned food, batteries, and basic medical supplies.
#2 The French government is also telling their citizens to leave Iran “immediately”…
French authorities on Thursday requested its citizens to immediately leave the territory of Iran.
The French Foreign Ministry has issued a warning to its citizens amid the release of one of its nationals who had been imprisoned in Iran for over 880 days.
#3 It is being reported that military planners in the UK have ordered special forces units to get ready to be sent to Ukraine…
Special Forces units were told to prepare for mobilisation to Ukraine by military planners tasked with readying forces by the Cabinet Office, according to two military sources with knowledge of the directive.
The command centre for UK military planning, the Permanent Joint Headquarters (PJHQ), was sent directives last week to begin the process for the deployment of personnel and resources.
The orders, which also applied to Special Forces reservists, put personnel on standby in order to ensure military equipment is in working order before receiving a notice to mobilise to Ukraine.
#4 Turkey has announced that it would also be willing to deploy troops to Ukraine “if needed”…
Turkey would be ready to deploy troops to Ukraine as part of a broader peacekeeping mission if needed, a Turkish defence ministry source said on Thursday.
“The issue of contributing to a mission … will be evaluated with all relevant parties if deemed necessary for the establishment of regional stability and peace,” the source said.
The Russians have already stated that they will never accept NATO troops on Ukrainian soil under any circumstances.
So why are these nations preparing to send troops anyway?
Warsaw is preparing to face down any invasion by Vladimir Putin by conscripting every adult male for military training.
But the Eastern European nation also wants nukes and President Andrzej Duda has now said the US could send some of its arsenal to his country.
#6 The Baltic states are jointly constructing a massive defense line that includes six hundred bunkers, tank ditches, dragon’s teeth and rocket systems…
The Baltics are building a joint defence line on their border with Russia that will have some six-hundred bunkers across each border.
It will also include tank ditches, forests, dragon’s teeth, hedgehogs, and rocket systems.
Poland and the Baltics have also withdrawn an international treaty banning anti-personnel landmines as they prepare to stop an advancing Russian army in its tracks.
#7 In a letter that was delivered to the Iranians, Donald Trump has given Iran only two months to reach a peace agreement…
President Donald Trump has given Iran a two-month deadline to reach a new nuclear agreement, according to a report by Axios.
A letter sent earlier this month to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned of consequences if Tehran continued its nuclear program while also offering renewed talks. The message, described as uncompromising, made clear that prolonged negotiations were not an option.
According to Axios, it “isn’t clear whether the two-month clock begins from the time the letter was delivered or from when negotiations start”.
Since the Iranians have already said that there will be no negotiations, I would assume that the clock started when the letter was delivered.
So the good news is that the bombing of Iran will probably not happen next month.
But if Trump is serious, there is a very good chance that it could happen before the midpoint of this year.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainians just conducted an absolutely massive drone strike on a Russian strategic bomber airfield that is located hundreds of miles from the front lines…
Ukrainian forces backed by Western munitions and technology struck a major Russian strategic bomber airfield on Thursday with drones, 435 miles from the Ukrainian front lines.
The strike ignited a massive explosion and sent a huge blast of fire into the air at Engels-2 airbase in Russia.
Videos posted by Reuters showed a huge blast spreading out from the airfield and wrecking nearby cottages.
Russia reportedly called this the largest drone attack ever.
The Ukrainians keep trying to provoke the Russians into doing something really dramatic.
One of these days, the Ukrainians might just succeed.
The Russians are fed up with the government in Kyiv. If negotiations with Trump fail, I expect the Russians to bring down the hammer.
We really are right on the verge of an apocalyptic conflict with Russia, and we really are right on the verge of an apocalyptic conflict in the Middle East.
The final exit ramps for both of these conflicts are rapidly approaching, and so let us hope that global leaders make very wise decisions in the months ahead.
They keep telling us that we have entered a time of peace, but more conflict just continues to erupt all over the globe. Israel has just resumed ground operations against Hamas, President Trump is threatening to keep bombing the Houthis until they are “completely annihilated”, we are being told that “something’s going to happen” with Iran very soon, and the very limited agreement between the Russians and the Ukrainians to avoid striking energy infrastructure did not even last 24 hours. Compared to last week, do we have more war or less war? Clearly, we have more war. So you will have to excuse me if I am skeptical of those that are crying out that a time of “peace and safety” is now upon us.
The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was supposed to lead to a permanent resolution of the conflict.
But instead, the ceasefire is now dead and the war is back on…
The Israeli military said on Wednesday its forces have resumed ground operations in the central and southern Gaza Strip, as a second day of airstrikes killed at least 20 Palestinians, according to local health workers.
The renewed ground operations come a day after more than 400 Palestinians were killed in airstrikes in one of the deadliest episodes since the beginning of the conflict, shattering a ceasefire that has largely held since January.
The Israeli military said its operations have extended Israel’s control over the Netzarim Corridor, which bisects Gaza, and were a “focused” manoeuvre aimed at creating a partial buffer zone between the north and the south of the enclave.
Israel wants the remainder of the hostages to be released.
After all this time, Hamas is still refusing to do that.
One Israeli official is warning that if Hamas continues to hold on to the hostages, military operations will escalate “to the point of total war”…
“We’re in a new phase of the conflict,” the official said. “From here we either move forward with developments towards the release of additional hostages – which is a major goal – or there’ll be consistent escalations to the point of total war,” the official said.
Meanwhile, the U.S. is now at war with the Houthis in Yemen.
During the last administration, Joe Biden would lightly strike the Houthis once in a while, but now President Trump is pledging that “the Houthi barbarians” will be “completely annihilated”…
Reports are coming in that while Iran has lessened its intensity on Military Equipment and General Support to the Houthis, they are still sending large levels of Supplies. Iran must stop the sending of these Supplies IMMEDIATELY. Let the Houthis fight it out themselves. Either way they lose, but this way they lose quickly. Tremendous damage has been inflicted upon the Houthi barbarians, and watch how it will get progressively worse — It’s not even a fair fight, and never will be. They will be completely annihilated!
“We’re doing the entire world a favor by getting rid of these guys and their ability to strike global shipping. That’s the mission here, and it will continue until that’s carried out,” he said. “That never happened before. The Biden administration didn’t do that. All the Biden administration would do is they would respond to an attack. These guys would launch one rocket. We’d hit the rocket launcher. That’s it.”
What kind of a military campaign will be required to completely eliminate the Houthis?
I would encourage everyone out there to seriously consider the answer to that question.
The last time I checked, the U.S. Constitution requires congressional approval before we declare war on someone.
Of course we are rapidly getting close to a major war with Iran as well.
As Iran nears the finish line to obtain nuclear weapons, US President Trump is warning that the world is down to its “final moments” to intervene. While expressing his preference for a peace deal over military action, Trump maintained that significant developments are imminent.
“U.S. President Donald Trump hinted [earlier this month] that the United States could take military action against the Iranian nuclear program ‘very soon’ if the Islamic Republic does not strike a deal with the United States,” The Jewish News Syndicate (JNS) reported. “Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said that there would be ‘interesting days ahead’ with respect to Iran.”
President Trump went on to tell reporters: “We’re down to final strokes with Iran. We’re down to the final moments. We’re at the final moments. Can’t let them have a nuclear weapon. We have a situation with Iran that something’s going to happen very soon—very, very soon. Hopefully, we could have a peace deal. I’m not speaking out of strength or weakness. I’m just saying, I’d rather see a peace deal than the other, but the other will solve the problem.”
Iran has already said that there will be no deal.
So it is just a matter of time before the bombing of Iran begins, and then we will officially be at war with the Iranians.
But at least we are close to a peace deal with the Russians, right?
Actually, no we are not.
Less than 24 hours after President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to end attacks on energy infrastructure for 30 days, the Ukrainians launched a drone attack against a Russian oil transfer facility…
Less than 24 hours later, Russia has accused Ukraine of already breaking the Trump agreement. Russia’s defense ministry on Wednesday saidUkraine attack an oil transfer facility in Russia’s Krasnodar Region that services an international pipeline operation partially owned by American investors.
The ministry described that the overnight attack saw three kimikaze drones target the site near the village of Kavkazskaya. The site transfers crude to a pipeline operated by the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), an international firm which has among its partners US giants Chevron and Mobil, Russia’s RT notes.
The drone impact reportedly set fire to an oil reservoir, which has reportedly taken emergency crews a long time to extinguish. Local reports say crews are still battling the blaze.
Russian forces have bombed a key piece of Ukraine energy infrastructure just hours after Vladimir Putin told Donald Trump he would halt attacks on the grid.
Slovyansk, a city in the Donetsk region, was targeted according to local reports, leaving part of the city without electricity.
There had been hope that an agreement not to attack energy infrastructure could be a step toward a broader deal.
But the truth is that the two sides are light years apart from agreeing to any sort of a permanent deal.
Russia’s privately owned Kommersant business newspaper reports that President Putin is pushing his US counterpart to grant recognition of Russia’s annexation of the four territories in exchange for a pledge not to seize more land.
Kommersant says that Putin is fundamentally arguing that “there’s no taking back what Russia has gained” – and that the eastern territories are now permanently part of the Russian Federation.
On the other side, “President Z” is demanding that the Russians return all Ukrainian territory that has been captured in exchange for a deal…
In a press conference with President Stubb of Finland in Helsinki today, the Ukrainian president said: ‘We’re fighting for our sovereignty and our independence — we’ll win this war.’
Zelensky drew clear red lines for peace, insisting that his nation would not accept territorial losses as part of a peace deal, and that the return of ‘thousands’ of prisoners held in Russia was ‘unconditional’.
The Russians aren’t going to give the territory that they have captured back.
Anyone that thinks that is going to happen is just being delusional.
The Russians are winning the war and they are constantly gobbling up even more territory.
Any peace agreement must reflect the reality on the ground.
Since the Ukrainians and our European allies are not willing to accept that, I am convinced that there will be no permanent agreement.
But if these negotiations fail, this conflict will almost certainly go to an entirely new level.
During an interview with Laura Ingraham, President Trump admitted that U.S. forces could potentially end up being involved if a deal with Russia cannot be reached…
Trump suggested that his push for a broader cease-fire is rooted in keeping US forces out of a potentially larger conflict.
“Look, we’re doing this – there are no Americans involved. There could be if you end up in World War III over this, which is so ridiculous,” the president explained.
“But, you know, strange things happen,” he warned.
I certainly hope that “strange things” do not happen.
Most Americans would like to see peace in the Middle East and most Americans would like to see peace with Russia.
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