23 Jan, 2025 12:00

German reporter curses during Trump’s swearing-in speech

The TV channel apologized for the gaffe, saying that it does not reflect the opinion of the broadcaster

A German news channel had to briefly interrupt its broadcast of US President Donald Trump’s inauguration on Mondayafter a freelance interpreter was caught on a hot mic criticizing the American leader’s speech.

The video footage spreading on social media shows Trump delivering his inauguration speech, accompanied with a voice-over in German. The Phoenix channel broadcast abruptly stops afterthe translator called the speech “Scheiss.”

“Tell me, how long did you want to stay with this s**t?”the interpreter asked his colleagues, going off-script and seemingly unaware his microphone was still on.

The TV channel, which is jointly operated by public service broadcasters ARD and ZDF, issued a statement to dpa news agency on Tuesday regarding the faux pas, newspaper Die Welt reported.

“Due to a technical glitch, the communication between the interpreter and the director was audible today.Of course it does not reflect the opinion of the broadcaster,”the statement said, adding that the organization works with experienced freelance interpreters at major international events, as was the case here.

It noted that the interpreters “have to work for hours at a very high level of concentration and translate simultaneously.”

“This usually happens without any errors, despite the great pressure,” it said.

Trump’s swearing-in speech spanned nearly 30 minutes, during which the 47th US president said he is inheriting a nation in “decline” with failing education and public health systems.

During the address, he pledged to sign a series of executive orders on a wide range of policies from immigration to energy policy and gender politics, which he did immediately upon taking office.

https://www.rt.com/news/611494-german-reporter-trump-speech/

23 Jan, 2025 15:21

Kremlin says Trump’s numbers are wrong

The US president claimed that Russia lost almost 60 million lives fighting Nazi Germany during WWII

Donald Trump’s claim that Russia lost almost 60 million people during World War II is inconsistent with historical research, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated during a regular press conference on Thursday.

The US president’s made the remark in a post urging Russia to negotiate a resolution to the Ukraine conflict or face severe economic consequences.

Moscow’s Defense Ministry considers Trump's estimate of 60 million lives lost from all causes related to the war highly exaggerated, with modern research putting the figure at roughly 26.6 million. Also,the Soviet Union included over a dozen modern states, including what is now Russia.

Trump’s post praised the Russian people for their sacrifices in defeating Nazi Germany and emphasized their contribution to helping the United States during the conflict.Peskov said the framing was debatable, considering that the Soviet Union bore the brunt of the fighting and suffered catastrophic losses in the war with the Third Reich. (That’s true, Bannon has spoken about this many times.)

“America indeed helped us, making a significant contribution,” he said. “But there is a nuance: America always makes money. It’s always about business for America.”

Peskov was referring to the economic benefits that the US gained by giving government contracts to manufacturers of the products that were then sent to its European allies as assistance. The WWII-era Lend-Lease program was grounded in US self-interest, he claimed, just like the American military aid sent to Kiev during modern times. He stressed that Moscow has fully paid off its debt from the war.

Moderating his criticisms, Peskov saidRussians are eternally grateful to the US for what it did for the Soviet Union during the Second World War and hope that “Americans and President Trump will share our joy during the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the victory.”

(Theory: Putin and Russia has already said twice that Trump was wrong on the numbers of Russians that died. I think they number of Russian dead is not at all what they are disputing.I think there is a negotiation going on through the media, about money, by Trump and Putin. It seems like Trump makes a mistake, there is a meaning we haven’t found yet. The real number of Russian dead in WWII is 24 million, but many historical books calculate this different.)

https://www.rt.com/russia/611505-trump-soviet-casualties-report/

Country Military deaths Total Civilian and Military death

Soviet Union 8,800,000-10,700,000 24,000,000

23 Jan, 2025 10:51

Zelensky says he could speak with Putin – Bloomberg

The Ukrainian leader signed a decree in 2022 banning any negotiations with the Russian president

Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has said he could engage in direct peace talks with Russian President Vladimir Putinif US President Donald Trump provides Kiev with enough security guarantees, Bloomberg reported on Thursday. (It’s time for Trump to put the pressure on Zelensky, with NO MORE MONEY. It’s rich him saying he’s only willing to stop the war, if he gets his way, and not have his citizens not dying.)

Zelensky signed a decree banning himself from any negotiations with Putin in the fall of 2022 after the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, along with the Kherson and Zaporozhye Regions, officially became part of Russia as a result of referendums. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrey Sibiga said earlier this month that the legislation remains in force.

However, in an interview with Bloomberg on Wednesday in Davos, Zelensky appeared to have changed his stance on the issue. According to the agency, the Ukrainian leader now says he wants to secure a commitment from Trump to support and secure Ukraine before engaging with Putin.

“The only question is what security guarantees and honestly I want to have understanding before the talks. If he can guarantee this strong and irreversible security for Ukraine, we will move along this diplomatic path,” he said.

Last year,Putin said he would only be able to negotiate with Zelensky if he were to hold an election and win it, to restore his legitimacy.

Zelensky remains in power in Ukraine despite his term having officially expired in May last year. The Ukrainian leader canceled the presidential vote, citing martial law that he imposed due to the conflict with Russia.

According to Putin, the move violated the Ukrainian constitution, leaving parliament as the sole legitimate authority in the country.

On Tuesday, US President Trump said he is ready to meet with Putin “anytime” to discuss a diplomatic settlement to the conflict between Moscow and Kiev.“We are talking to Zelensky. We are going to be talking with President Putin very soon and we will see how it all happens,” he said.

Earlier this week, the Russian leader commended Trump’s intention to resume contacts between Moscow and Washington, which had been halted by the Biden administration. However, he stressed that dialogue can only happen on an “equal and mutually respectful basis.”

Putin said Moscow noted the US president’s apparent willingness to restore communication and “do everything to prevent World War Three.”

https://www.rt.com/russia/611499-trump-zelensky-talks-putin/