22 Jan, 2025 15:14

Zelensky criticizes West for not breaking all ties with Russia

Ukraine’s leader has claimed that Western intelligence agencies have maintained contacts with Moscow throughout the conflict

Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky has criticized the West for maintaining extensive and frequent intelligence-level contacts with Moscow throughout the three years of his country's conflict with Russia.

Zelensky made the remarks during the International Media Council at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday, in response to aquestion about preparations by US President Donald Trump’s team for a phone call with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin.

“We know that at the intelligence level, the United States and Russia had contacts throughout the three years of the war. They had many different contacts. And, to be honest, the Europeans had many, too,” Zelensky told the attendees. He stated that he was not consulted on the matter but recalled previous conversations in which Trump’s team mentioned efforts to establish contact with Moscow.

The Ukrainian leader, whose presidential mandate expired in 2024, was not involved in the communications and stressed that he did not support them, acknowledging at the same time that each country has sovereignty in such matters.

Zelensky argued that diplomatic isolation should be used like sanctions and warned that continuous intelligence exchanges could benefit Moscow. “If the leaders don’t talk, but the intelligence services constantly talk, then in principle, this may suit the Russian side,” he said.

Zelensky added that while Trump’s plans to contact Putin do not “surprise” him, he claimed that Ukraine should be prioritized because it is an “ally of the United States.” (Oh please Fuck Off, you are a parasite, and no one likes you. He fails to realize the power PDJT has, he’s not a fool like Joe and you.)

He also stressed that Kiev would not agree to any compromise entailing Western recognition of Russia’s new territories, even if “all the allies of the world united” to demand it. (Good you get no more money)

Any potential dialogue with Russia should only be held from a position of strength, Zelensky insisted, claiming that any attempts to speak on an equal footing with Moscow would constitute defeat for Ukraine.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrey Sibiga confirmed last week in an interview with European Pravda that Kiev's outright ban on negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, introduced two years ago, remains in place.

Moscow, meanwhile, has repeatedly said that it is open to talks on Ukraine, provided that they take into account the new territorial “realities on the ground” and address the root issues of the conflict.

https://www.rt.com/russia/611469-zelensky-west-intelligence-contact-russia/

>>22413400

21 Jan, 2025 21:03

Zelensky claims US doesn’t care about EU

Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky has raised concerns over Washington’s commitment to Europe

Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky has said that the United States does not prioritize Europe and urged European countries to spend more on defense efforts. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Tuesday, he highlighted the need for Western Europe to take a more active role in its own security, especially in light of shifting US foreign policies.

Zelensky raised concerns about Washington’s view of its relationship with Europe, arguing that Europeans see the US as an irreplaceable ally, especially during wartime.

“But does anyone in the United States worry that Europe might one day leave them or stop being their ally? The answer is no. Washington does not believe that Europe can bring them anything truly significant,”he added.

The Ukrainian leader also referenced comments made by US officials at the Asia Security Summit last year, saying that representatives of the then-Biden administration had openly admitted that Europe was placed third in strategic priority, following the Indo-Pacific region and the Middle East.

Zelensky also warned that Europe will lose relevance on the global stage if it fails to assert itself. “Europe cannot afford to be a second or third priority for its allies. If that happens, the world will move forward without Europe. And it will be a world where it will not be comfortable to live,” he said.

Since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, the US Congress has provided roughly $175 billion in military, economic, and humanitarian assistance to Kiev.

Trump has repeatedly promised to end the conflict between Moscow and Kiev within 24 hours of retaking office. During his inauguration day on Monday, he joked that he had “half a day left” to fulfill his promise. His nominee for envoy on the Ukraine conflict, retired Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg, has suggested a peace deal could be brokered within 100 days.

Earlier on Tuesday US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that Ukraine will be a “top priority” for the administration, with work on a ceasefire agreement starting immediately. However, he added that both Ukraine and Russia will have to concede “something” as part of any deal.

During his first term, Trump frequently accused European nations of freeloading off American military might and underspending on defense, with Germany often singled out for criticism. He urged NATO members to meet their existing commitment of allocating 2% of GDP to defense, a benchmark many failed to reach.

Before retaking office in January,Trump reiterated his stance on defense spending, calling on European NATO members to increase their budgets to 5% of GDP. He argued that these nations “can all afford” the higher contributions, highlighting disparities in spending among allies.

(Why are any countries in Europe listening to this roach, he’s trying to make divisions. He's really complaining that Trump is not letting him around and he's insulted, because it's obvious. Europe should tell him to STFU. It would be the worst mistake to invite him into the EU.)

https://www.rt.com/russia/611428-zelensky-says-us-doesnt-care/

21 Jan, 2025 12:25

Russia drafting new law to seize Western assets – media

The legislation is expected to target nations that unlawfully confiscate Moscow’s funds and properties, Izvestia newspaper reports

Russian authorities are drafting a new bill allowing for the seizure of assets belonging to Western states that have illegally confiscated Moscow’s property and funds, newspaper Izvestia reported on Tuesday, citing documents prepared by the government legislation commission.

The draft bill outlines the legal procedure and emphasizes that targeted foreign assets will be transferred into Russian state ownership after a ruling by a court of arbitration. The list of properties and funds subject to seizure will be compiled by the country’s commission on foreign investments.

In May, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree laying the groundwork for confiscating assets of US companies and individuals to compensate for any Russian assets expropriated by Washington.

If adopted, the broader legislationwill target “unfriendly” Western statesand related individuals, allowing Moscow to seize assets as reimbursement for financial damages incurred by Russia from the illegal confiscation of its funds and properties, the draft legislation reads. The commission will reportedly review the draft bill as soon as next week.

Vedomosti newspaper has cited two sources as saying that the bill was drafted by the country’s Ministry of Justice andwas included in the commission’s agenda on January 20. Izvestia noted that the document has been approved by the relevant authorities, including the Bank of Russia, the Finance Ministry, the Economy Ministry and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Washington and its allies have frozen around $300 billion of sovereign Russian assets held in the Brussels-based Euroclear, since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. Kiev has been persistently urging its Western backers to expropriate Russia’s sovereign assets and use them to cover Ukraine’s military and reconstruction expenses.

The US administration headed by Joe Biden supported the proposal but European nations have rejected the idea due to mounting concerns over the illegitimacy of such a move, arguing that it could land a hard blow on the Western financial system and the reputation of the euro.

Western allies were also planning to impose a windfall tax on profits generated by the frozen Russian assets, and to spend the proceeds either directly to buy weapons for Ukraine or to offer them as collateral for a loan, which would then be used to bolster the country’s military.

The Kremlin has repeatedly denounced the asset freeze as “theft” and argued that tapping into these funds would be illegal and set a dangerous precedent. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has warned that Moscow will take legal action against those involved in the asset seizure.

https://www.rt.com/russia/611389-russia-drafting-seize-western-assets/

(I wish Trump had seen the articles in RT on Jan. 20, how Russia, Putin and the Diplomats were extending a welcome hand to Trump, before Trump said those things about Putin.)

22 Jan, 2025 16:47

Trump admits love for Russian people and offers Putin ‘a deal’

The US president has urged Moscow to end the Ukraine conflict “the easy way,” threatening more sanctions if it doesn’t

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday issued a thinly-veiled ultimatum to Russia, urging it to bring the Ukraine conflict to an end and strike a “deal,” or face new sanctions and high import tariffs.

Trump issued the warning in a post on his Truth Social online platform,proclaiming his “love” for the Russian people and insisting he was “not looking to hurt Russia.”

“We must never forget that Russia helped us win the Second World War, losing almost 60,000,000 lives in the process,” he wrote, exaggerating the estimated Soviet Union losses more than twofold.

“All of that being said, I’m going to do Russia, whose Economy is failing, and President Putin, a very big FAVOR. Settle now, and STOP this ridiculous War! IT’S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE,” Trump asserted.

Should no “deal” on the matter materialize “soon” enough, Trump would “have no other choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries.” The US president also reiterated that the Russia-Ukraine conflict “never would have started” if he had been in office.

“We can do it the easy way, or the hard way - and the easy way is always better,” Trump warned Moscow.

Earlier in the day, Trump reiterated his readiness to engage in talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, insisting he’d had a “very strong understanding with” the Russian leader before. Asked when exactly the talk could happen, Trump said “anytime they want – I will meet.”

“We are talking to [Ukraine’s Vladimir] Zelensky. We are going to be talking with President Putin very soon and we will see how it all happens,” Trump said.

On Monday, Putin commended Trump’s proclaimed intention to resume contact between Russia and the US, which was halted under the Biden administration. The potential dialogue, however, can only happen on an “equal and mutually respectful basis,” the president warned during a meeting of the Russian National Security Council.

(Does anyone else think this talk back and forth through media, is a ploy to get the EU to think that Trump is being rough on Putin? I do.)

https://www.rt.com/news/611472-trump-admits-love-for-russian/

>>22413518

22 Jan, 2025 13:19

Russia-US relations have a ‘small window of opportunity’ – Moscow

The Biden administration was “completely hopeless,” the deputy foreign minister has said

Relations between Russia and the US could improve under President Donald Trump, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov has suggested. Both Moscow and Washington have recently signaled a willingness to engage in talks over the Ukraine conflict.

Putin congratulated Trump on taking office on Monday, and reiterated his readiness for dialogue with the new US administration. Trump's team has reportedly long been preparing for a call to with Putin to initiate a process aimed at resolving the Ukraine conflict.

”We cannot say anything at the moment about the new administration’s capacity to negotiate, but still,compared to the complete hopelessness of the former US president [Joe Biden], there is a window of opportunity today, albeit a small one,” the diplomat saidon Wednesday, speaking at the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of the USA and Canada.

On Tuesday, Trump said his team would be “talking with President Putin very soon” about settling the Ukraine conflict. During his campaign, the new US president repeatedly pledged to swiftly end the hostilities once in power.

Shortly after assuming office, Trump appointed retired Lt. General Keith Kellogg as his special envoy tasked with ending the conflict within 100 days, according to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ).

However, Trump said he does not rule out further sanctions against Russia if it refuses to engage in negotiations.

Russian officials have expressed cautious optimismregarding Trump's plans to end the Ukraine conflict, however.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has praised Trump's perspective, noting that the US president “correctly identified the root cause of the conflict.” Trump said earlier this month that NATO’s plans to open its doors to Ukraine led to the crisis.

US foreign policy remains “completely unpredictable,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova argued on Wednesday, while commenting on the new US administration.

In November, Zakharova said that Trump's promise to end international conflicts should be backed up by concrete actions once he returns to the White House.

https://www.rt.com/russia/611460-russia-us-relations-have-small/

22 Jan, 2025 14:00

EU and UK ‘prepared’ for Trump – Politico

Brussels and London reportedly have “an arsenal of weapons” with which to respond to the new US president’s policies on trade and Ukraine

The European Union and the United Kingdom are well prepared for a possible trade war with the United States, Politico has reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.

On his first day back in the White House, President Donald Trump signed anexecutive order outlining an ‘America First’ trade policy, directing federal agencies to review existing trade agreements with partner countries.

Last month, Trump urged the EU to purchase more American oil and gas or face a barrage of tariffs. According to Politico, the European Commission has confirmed that it was taking the offer seriously and would follow up on it.

“While it’s clear Europe doesn’t want to be at odds with the United States, it has also done much more work to prepare for conflicts this time than it had ahead of Trump’s first term,” the publication wrote on Wednesday.

In 2018 Brussels was caught off guard by sudden US tariffs on steel and aluminum. In response, the EU imposed retaliatory tariffs on a range of US goods worth €2.8 billion ($2.9 billion), including iconic American products such as motorcycles and bourbon whiskey.

The EU and the UK have been “war-gaming scenarios” for months and have prepared an “arsenal of weapons for a trade war,”wrote Politico. According to the publication’s sources, officials hope Trump can be persuaded not to hit European exports with punitive tariffs but have readied a wide array of potential responses, including retaliatory tariffs.

European leaders are also concerned about the implications of Trump’s stance on NATO and support for Ukraine.

Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky on Tuesday urged Europe to bolster its own defense capabilities, questioning whether the US will maintain its commitment to European security under Trump’s leadership.

European leaders, including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, have been swiftly preparing strategies to demonstrate their readiness to shoulder responsibilities and engage in future negotiations with Trump, wrote Politico.

The outlet concluded by saying that“Trump is impulsive and it’s impossible to know what he may decide to do next.”

The view was echoed on Wednesday by Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, who argued that US foreign policy remains “completely unpredictable.”

https://www.rt.com/news/611465-eu-uk-prepared-trump-tariffs/

22 Jan, 2025 21:58

Lex Fridman says he’s interviewing Putin

Soviet-born podcaster plans a trip to Russia to promote peace amid the Ukraine conflict

Soviet-born computer scientist and podcaster Lex Fridman has announced plans to travel to Russia to interview President Vladimir Putin as part of his personal mission to promote peace. Earlier this month, Fridman interviewed Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky in Kiev.

“I will be traveling to Russia to interview Vladimir Putin. I’m aware of the risks, I accept the risks, and the goal, the mission is to just push for peace, “ Fridman said on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast on Wednesday.

When speaking about his interview with Zelensky in early January, Fridman described him as a “man that lifted a whole nation,” but also “struggled to make peace.”

He also highlighted pivotal moments during the conflict that he believed presented opportunities for peace, including the spring and fall of 2022. “The third time to make peace is now. The Trump administration, there’s a momentum. They want to make peace. He’s a great dealmaker,” Fridman added.

Fridman suggested that understanding the roots of the conflict and Russia’s perspective is critical for meaningful negotiations. “You got to get into the whole US-backed coup in 2014, and then you have to think about NATO and the agreement that was made the fall of when the wall came down in Berlin, the agreement that NATO would not push forth and move closer to Russia, which they violated over and over and over again,” he argued, adding that NATO countries were “consistently talking sh*t to Putin.”

The 2014 Euromaidan protests in Kiev culminated in a Western-backed coup that toppled Ukraine’s democratically elected president, Viktor Yanukovich, and precipitated the current conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Moscow has repeatedly characterized the hostilities as a Western proxy war against Russia, in which Ukrainians are being used as “cannon fodder.” Russian officials contend that Washington pushed the tensions to boiling point while ignoring Russian security concerns stemming from NATO’s expansion in Europe and increasing cooperation with Ukraine.

Moscow insists that addressing these issues would be an essential step towards a lasting resolution to the crisis.

Fridman criticized the prevailing Western narrative on the Russian leader, stating, “you can’t just say Putin is evil, bad guy, authoritarian… This idealistic sense and energy at the table won’t bring peace.”

The interview with Fridman would mark the second sit-down between a US media personality and the Russian president since the start of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. Tucker Carlson became the first to interview Putin earlier this year, mostly centering on relations between Moscow and Kiev.

https://www.rt.com/news/611481-lex-fridman-says-hes-interviewing/

>>22413743

21 Jan, 2025 15:24

Lex Fridman disappointed Zelensky only had ‘crude words’ for Putin

The Ukrainian leader failed to use their interview to signal a willingness to pursue peace talks, the podcaster has said

Soviet-born computer scientist and podcasterLex Fridman has rebuked Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky for verbally attacking Russian President Vladimir Putinon his show in early January. During their three-hour-long conversation,Zelensky, among other things, called Putin “sick” and admitted that he “despises” all Russians. (Zelensky is part Russian, and he grew up there and has many relatives there, like almost every Ukrainian does)

In a video address on Monday, Fridman stressed thathe gave the Ukrainian leader “every single chance to signal willingness to negotiate” a peaceful settlement to the conflict between Moscow and Kiev. “I do not think he took it and instead chose to speak very crude words towards Vladimir Putin,’ he said.

The podcaster noted thatwhen a “world leader [is] speaking about another world leader during a historic opportunity for peace, crude words of disrespect, while powerful, may harm negotiations.”

“Peacemaking in this situation requires compromise in order to avoid further death and suffering, and I believe it requires treating the other leader with the seriousness you expect him to treat you with,” he explained.

“You need to take him as a serious person, who loves his country and his people,” Fridman added.

The podcaster claimed that the goal of the podcast was toprovide Zelensky with an opportunity to “extend the olive branch… while also putting my ego aside and letting the [the Ukrainian leader] shine.”

Following the interview, former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, who currently serves as deputy chairman of the country’s Security Council, said that the Ukrainian leader has “broken the rules of standard political correctness between warring countries.”

As a result of his statements, “a personal vendetta” against Zelensky by the Russian people “should now not end after his removal from office,” Medvedev stressed.

https://www.rt.com/news/611408-fridman-zelensky-ukraine-putin/