23 Feb, 2025 07:45

White House teases Ukraine deal ‘this week’

The US believes that Russia wants to sign an agreement to end the conflict, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has said

US President Donald Trump is optimistic that a peace agreement to end the Ukraine conflict could be reached within days, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has said.

Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Leavitt stressed that the Trump administration remains committed to swiftly ending the conflict, which is about to enter its fourth year. “The president and his team are very much focused on continuing negotiations with both sides of this war to end the conflict, andthe president is very confident [that] we can get it done this week,” Leavitt said, without providing further details.

According to Leavitt, Trump “believes very strongly that Russia is willing to make a deal, and he’s fighting to make a deal.” She added that National Security Adviser Mike Waltz “is going to be working around the clock all weekend to get a deal and end this conflict in Ukraine.”

When asked whether a potential summit between Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin could take place in Saudi Arabia or another location, Leavitt declined to provide specifics. “I don’t have anything to detail or to read out right now,” she said.

Leavitt also noted that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is continuing talks on a potential deal granting the US access to Ukraine’s critical mineral resources. “It will recoup American tax dollars, and it also will be a great economic partnership between the United States of America and for the Ukrainian people as well, as they rebuild their country following this brutal war.” (I really don’t think Trump/US wants mineral rights, I think Trump wants to keep the EU, NATO and Europe out of Ukraineso they don’t cause more wars with Russia)

The Trump administration has been seeking a 50% stake in Ukraine’s rare earth mineral deposits, reportedly valued at approximately $500 billion, in exchange for continued US military and economic support. However, Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky has rejected the initial offer, citing concerns over the lack of concrete security guarantees from the US.

Leavitt’s comments also come after high-level talks between US and Russian diplomats in Saudi Arabia, aimed at restoring bilateral ties and paving the way for a Trump-Putin summit and the settlement of the Ukraine conflict. The negotiations notably excluded Ukrainian and EU representatives.

Speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Saturday, Trump said he believed that “we are pretty close” to a deal on Ukraine.

Russia has ruled out the freezing of the conflict, insisting it wants a permanent settlement of the crisis. Moscow has said that this could be possible if Ukraine commits to neutrality, demilitarization, denazification and recognizes the territorial realities on the ground.

https://www.rt.com/news/613174-white-house-teases-ukraine-deal/

23 Feb, 2025 14:55

Zelensky says he is ready to resign(full article)

Ukraine’s leader said that he is ready to step down if it means end of the conflict with Russia

Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has expressed his readiness to “exchange” his position for NATO membership and step down if it is necessary to achieve peace in Ukraine.

Speaking at the ‘Ukraine. Year 2025’ forum in Kiev on Saturday, Zelensky claimed he didn’t intend to remain in power for many years.

“If peace for Ukraine, if you really need me to leave my post, then I’m ready. I can exchange this for NATO, if there are such conditions. I am focusing on the security of Ukraine today, not in 20 years, and I do not intend to be in power for decades,” Zelensky asserted.

The Ukrainian leader also touched upon the ongoing row with the US regarding the proposed rare earths deal, in which Washington is seeking reimbursement for the military aid it has provided with earnings from Ukraine’s natural resources.

Zelensky confirmed having received the proposed deal, introduced by Washington after the first draft was shot down by Kiev, involves a sum of $500 billion.

“It became clear that we are talking about a debt, that this is not an investment… If this money goes to the fund, and nothing comes from abroad, then we are paying off the debt,”Zelensky stated. (That was his plan, never to pay anything back and the US would support them forever, but not with the EU)

“We had 100 [billion]. I am not ready to pay off 500 [billion]. And I am not even ready to fix it at the 100 [billion mark],because I will not recognize grants as debts. We should not pay off the debt,” he added.

Paying off such sums would have put some 10 generations of Ukrainians in debt, thus indicating that such a deal was completely unacceptable, Zelensky stressed.(kek Ukrainians already get nothing, the oligarchs steal it all and leave.)

Zelensky’s presidential term expired in May 2024; critics have accused the Ukrainian leader of seeking to prolong the hostility in order to cling on power. Moscow has repeatedly signaled it does not regard him as a legitimate representative of the country and that he lacks the power to sign any comprehensive peace deal. This week, Trump pointed to Zelensky’s shaky legal position as well, branding him a “dictator without elections” and claiming that he currently has an extremely low approval rating in his country.

https://www.rt.com/russia/613186-zelensky-resign-ukraine-nato/

(Zelensky thought Trump wouldn’t fight back, Z wanted to destroy the progress that was made in SA.What’s more bizarre is Zelensky thinks he can leave and live in high society with all the American money he stole. Let’s see how that works out!)

23 Feb, 2025 15:38

Zelensky warns Ukraine won’t pay debt to US

The Ukrainian leader has dismissed President Trump’s demand for $350 billion, insisting that Kiev received $100 billion as a grant

Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has said his country will not repay the assistance it has received from the US since the start of the conflict with Russia. He also suggested that US President Donald Trump’s estimate that Kiev owes $350 billion is grossly exaggerated.

In recent weeks, the US president has ramped up his demands that Kiev reimburse Washington for all the aid provided since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022. Trump has argued that if the country is short on cash, it should sign over the rights to its natural resources as a form of compensation.Zelensky however, has refused, apparently deeming the terms too unfavorable.

Speaking at the ‘Ukraine. Year – 2025’ forum in Kiev on Sunday, Zelensky stated that “Ukraine received $100 billion [in aid] from the US, not $350, not $500, not $700,” ==stressing that he was “not ready to recognize even $100 billion” as debt.

He claimed thathe had reached an agreement with former US President Joe Biden that the money was being provided as a grant, and that no repayment had been expected.

(Too bad it will soon be revealed Bidan was not legally the President, so anything promised by Bidan Admin is null and void)

https://www.rt.com/russia/613188-zelensky-warns-ukraine-wont-pay-debt/

>>22640219

Zelensky should literally stop talking, it’s only getting worse for him and Ukraine. Can the US seize the farmland Blackrock bought from Z?

23 Feb, 2025 14:57

Ukrainian city honors Nazi collaborator who applauded Holocaust

Authorities in Rivne celebrated the 120th birthday of Ulas Samchuk who called for the elimination of “Jewish chimpanzees” and Poles during WWII

The Ukrainian city of Rivne has celebrated the 120th birthday of Nazi collaborator and prominent anti-Semitic propagandist Ulas Samchuk, who welcomed the mass killings of Jews during World War II.

Russia has consistently claimed that the current Ukrainian leadership has been embracing neo-Nazi ideology and whitewashing known WWII-era collaborators. When the conflict between Moscow and Kiev escalated into open hostilities in February 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin named the “denazification” of Ukraine as one of the objectives of his special operation.

On Thursday, regional officials in Rivne held a ceremony to commemorate Samchuk,who was born in the area, presenting a book: ‘Ulas Samchuk - Warrior of the Word.’ According to local media, it includes personal letters he wrote and is part of a wider project to include his works in the school curriculum across Ukraine.

The publications described him as a writer, a member of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists, and the editor of the ‘Volyn’ newspaper during World War II.

In 2019, the Israeli embassy in Ukraine asked the country’s parliament to remove Samchuk from its ‘List of Heroes,’ describing him as among those who “oversaw massacres of Jews or supported the Nazi regime.”

In an article last September, the Russian Foreign Ministry characterized Samchuk as a “Nazi writer and member of the Nazi organizations,” who “published articles calling for killing Jews.”

This description echoes the assessments of the head of Ukraine’s Jewish Committee as well as some Ukrainian historians, who have pointed out that in his newspaper, Samchuk routinely wrote about “Jewish chimpanzees” and the need to cleanse the country of Jews and Poles.

Samchuk reportedly welcomed the news of Nazi German troops rounding up Kiev’s Jews and subsequently massacring them at the infamous Babi Yar ravine as a “great day” when the “German authorities [met] the fervent wishes of Ukrainians.”

In nearby Lviv, a Hanukkah menorah installed in memory of local Jews murdered by the Nazis was vandalized in early January, as nationalists celebrated the birthday of prominent World War II Nazi collaborator Stepan Bandera.

A month before, Kiev authorities had renamed a street after another Nazi collaborator who had aided the Germans in massacring the Jews of Zhitomir Region, Taras Borovets.

Holocaust scholar Marta Gavryshko denounced the decision as a “symptom of a troubling phenomenon” of Ukraine making the “regional cult of nationalistic heroes who collaborated with Nazis in the Holocaust” national policy.

According to Russian estimates, approximately 1.5 million Jews perished during the Nazi occupation of Ukraine.

https://www.rt.com/russia/613181-ukraine-city-celebrates-holocaust-propagandist/

There are many reports that Neo Nazis are rising up in Germany quickly, no wonder Germany supports Ukraine.

23 Feb, 2025 13:26

Britain’s working class will never fight Starmer’s war for Ukraine

The UK prime minister is mulling sending troops to Ukraine – but his ignored and alienated citizens won’t follow

Following the Munich Security Conference last week, European Union leaders appeared shell-shocked by US Vice President J.D. Vance’s scathing attack on Europe.

He criticized the continent for multiple reasons, including the lack of free speech, arrests of European citizens for inflammatory social media posts, insufficient commitment to security, and destabilization due to both legal and illegal migration.Although Vance seemed to address Western European politicians and officials, it is likely he was speaking over their heads, directly to the public. His words resonated with widespread discontent about politics and politicians across the region, aligning with the prevailing sense of unfairness felt by many ordinary citizens.

Western European leaders, including British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, appeared agitated and uncomfortable with Washington’s tone.Perhaps the hard truths Vance presented have forced them to reconsider their consistently underfunded armed forces. Vance’s warnings made it clear that they cannot indefinitely rely on the US for military power and financial aid, particularly regarding the Russia-Ukraine war. Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky also heard that signal and immediately called for a ‘European Armed Force’. Western European leaders arranged an emergency meeting in Paris hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and,astonishingly, Starmer indicated British soldiers could be sent to the Ukraine to enforce any peace deal.

The British public and Parliament were caught off guard by what many see as a reckless proposal from their PM. He announced the possibility of “British boots on the ground” just hours after the Munich meeting ended.This decision, or threat, appears to be a unilateral move by Starmer.It is unlikely to gain widespread support across the country and is already sparking outrage, particularly in the “Red Wall” – Britain’s former industrial heartlands. A poll in The Times just last week showed thatonly 11% of young people in the UK would consider fighting for their country, showing what we all know: that theUK is deeply divided over class, race, and region.

This is a problem for Starmer and the British liberals who have yet again found their war drums that were put away following the disastrous follies in Iraq and Afghanistan.What was once the Labour heartlands, the de-industrialized parts of the country, have also been the typical recruiting fields for the British Soldier – the white working class. These communities have been badly let down by all politicians have become deeply resentful and detached from what is happening within the politics, media and chattering classes of London.

It is no coincidence that those beating the war drums in London are the same individuals who supported the Iraq invasion and opposed the outcome of the EU referendum that led to Brexit. There has been a distinct division throughout the country since Brexit andI suspect Starmer’s reckless offering up of our military to “peacekeep” for the EU is a signal that he wants a closer relationship with the bloc. Unfortunately for Starmer, his brand of Labour – middle-class metropolitan liberals – will never offer up their own children for military service and will look north towards the very people they have spent the nine years since the Brexit referendum accusing of being racists, bigots, and xenophobes.

Starmer and Macron are deeply unpopular in their own countries. Perhaps they think they can paint over the damage done in their countries by successive neo-liberal governments by pulling the patriotic chord through the threat of war. But Starmer must realise that this will never be his Falklands War moment – when an unpopular Margaret Thatcher and her Tory government turned around their unpopularity by going to war with Argentina in 1982. Working-class populations outside the big metropolitan cities, in places like Blyth, Sunderland, Mansfield and Stoke-on-Trent, have traditionally been patriotic and supported the British military, but they will not follow Starmer and the failed EU leaders into a battle they see as ‘not theirs’.

The lesson here for the Western European political leaders is that ignoring sections of the population,allowing deep divisions and inequalities to fester, and then banging the war drums and expecting the working class to go and fight a war for you is not going to work. They can see right through this, and Vance’s words spoke to them more directly than a despised European elite class ever could.

https://www.rt.com/news/613114-britain-working-class-starmer-war-ukraine/

23 Feb, 2025 11:08

UK and France plan to send 30,000 ‘peacekeepers’ to Ukraine – WSJ

Moscow has warned that the West could occupy the country after deploying troops

Britain and France are drafting a plan to deploy up to 30,000 “peacekeepers” in Ukraine, depending on whether Moscow and Kiev reach a ceasefire, The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday, citing unnamed European officials.

However, that plan depends on persuading US President Donald Trump to commit to a limited American military role, the report said. While Washington has ruled out sending its forces to Ukraine, the UK and France hope the US agrees to supply a limited contingent with critical support, particularly when it comes to air defense, logistics, and intelligence.

European officials interviewed by the paper insist that “without Trump’s backing, the European plan to send peacekeepers faces a difficult path.”

The envisioned “reassurance force” would be primarily composed of British and French troops, and would focus on safeguarding vital infrastructure, cities, and ports, rather than being positioned along the front lines with Russia. Another facet of the roadmap would be the active use of drones and satellites to monitor Russia’s compliance with a potential ceasefire, WSJ reports.

Previous media reports said that while the UK and France have long been proponents of deploying troops to Ukraine, several other EU members have been reluctant to seriously entertain the idea.

Moreover, Kiev is also skeptical. Mikhail Podoliak, an adviser to Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky, said on Friday that the deployment of foreign peacekeeping forces “does not seem very realistic for now.” He suggested that Kiev’s Western backers increase their defense spending instead.

Zelensky previously indicated that Ukraine could require up to 200,000 European soldiers to guarantee any peace deal with Russia, with Western media reports arguing that amassing such a force would be a serious challenge for the West.

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has firmly rejected the deployment of NATO troops in Ukraine as unacceptable, and Moscow has statedthat any foreign military presence will be considered a legitimate target.

In November, Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) said that the West might attempt to “essentially occupy Ukraine” under the guise of deploying peacekeepers. The SVR claimed that the plans could involve deploying up to 100,000 troops in Ukraine and partitioning the country into four large occupation zones.

(Any country joining France and UK are in for a very rude awakening, and worse. Plus the last article said citizens of both countries will not volunteer for this war.The WSJ owned by Murdochs wants war constantly, for their news and profits of war.This is likely a hoax.)

(https://www.rt.com/news/613179-uk-france-peacekeepers-ukraine/

23 Feb, 2025 04:56

AP sues White House staff over access restrictions

The news agency has been barred from attending certain events following the ‘Gulf of America’ dispute

The Associated Press, one of the world’s oldest news agencies, has filed a lawsuit against three senior White House officials, accusing them of violating press freedoms by barring its reporters from covering President Donald Trump’s activities. (Really, the MSM barred all independent press from ever entering the WH. Plus the Pentagon removed many MSM from having permanent desks at the Pentagon)

The White House imposed restrictions on AP after it refused to use the term ‘Gulf of America’ instead of ‘Gulf of Mexico.’

The complaint was submitted on Friday to the US District Court in Washington, DC. The news agency, whose journalists have been part of the presidential press pool for over a century, said that it was blocked from press events at the White House and Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence, as well as from traveling on Air Force One.

“The press and all people in the United States have the right to choose their own words and not be retaliated against by the government,” AP said in its lawsuit,which names White House Chief of Staff Susan Wiles, Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich, and press secretary Karoline Leavitt as defendants.

“This targeted attack on the AP’s editorial independence and ability to gather and report the news strikes at the very core of the First Amendment. This court should remedy it immediately,” the lawsuit said.

On January 20, President Donald Trump issued an executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico the ‘Gulf of America.’ AP refused to revise its style guide, stating that it would continue to use the internationally recognized name.

“As a global news agency that disseminates news around the world,the AP must ensure that place names and geography are easily recognizable to all audiences,” the agency said in a statement last month.

The White House responded by telling AP’s presidential correspondent Zeke Miller that the news organization would be barred from certain press areas unless it complied with Trump’s order.

Budowich later announced on X that AP would be indefinitely barred from the Oval Office and Air Force One. In an email to AP, Wiles argued thatthe outlet had “misused” its influence to promote a “divisive and partisan agenda.”

“We’re going to ensure that truth and accuracy are present at the White House every single day,” Leavitt has said.

Trump has often accused media organizations of bias and spreading “fake news” about him and his policies. “We’re going to keep them out until such time as they agree that it’s the Gulf of America,” he told reporters earlier this week.

Several media organizations, including CNN, Fox News, The New York Times, and The Washington Post, have signed a letter in support of AP, urging the White House to lift the restrictions.

(The truth is, no outlet including independent outlets care if AP is there or notIsn’t it the President’s right to keep disruptive forces from the WH? I think the AP thinks they can win this, let’s see.)

https://www.rt.com/news/613170-ap-sues-white-house-staff/

23 Feb, 202509:59

‘Loathsome heirs of fascism will face inevitable retribution’: Medvedev’s resolute call for Russia’s future

The former president has marked Defender of the Fatherland Day by honoring heroes and denouncing neo-Nazism in Ukraine

February 23 isn’t just another day – it symbolizes our collective memory, glory, and pride, and stands as a testament to our unwavering belief in ultimate victory. This year, its meaning deepensas we honor it during the Year of the Defender of the Fatherland.

We will never forget the heroes of past generations. Their legacy guides us, inspiring us to live by their example. The stirring words of the great commander Alexander Suvorov – ”We will forever serve Russia with faith and truth, shaming our enemies” – beat in every heart.

Our nation has learned the hard art of winning through trials that tested us beyond measure. As new challenges arise, our duty is clear: to confront every threat head-on, channeling all our strength in defense of our homeland.

Tomorrow marks three years since our special military operation began– a bold step taken after crossing a point of no return against what we now call the “collective West.” It was our only way to safeguard our country and its citizens, pushing our adversaries back from our borders.

History has proven this tough decision was not only necessary, but the only path forward. The Russian people have united to stand against a ruthless enemy fueled by foreign weapons and money. Although the battle against neo-Nazism and its allies is not yet over, its end is near. The enemy will be defeated, and truth will prevail.

Eighty years ago, our nation triumphed over fascism. Today, its loathsome heirs will face inevitable retribution – not in a modern-day Nuremberg, but on the battlefield, where justice is swift, uncompromising, and true.Our foes, gripped by fear and panic, know this all too well. In their desperate rage, they are capable of anything. We cannot allow a global catastrophe. We must crush any revival of Nazism at its roots, preserve our historical legacy, and leave a worthy inheritance for future generations.

Above all, our mission is to protect our boundless homeland and do everything possible to secure its prosperity – for our children, our grandchildren, and the brilliant future of Russia!

https://www.rt.com/russia/613176-dmitry-medvedev-february-23/

Hegseth Fires Military’s Top JAG Lawyers in Pursuit of ‘Warrior Ethos, Targets Military’s Top Lawyers NYTs of course 1/2

Feb. 22, 2025Updated 7:09 p.m. ET

The defense secretary has repeatedly derided the military lawyers for war crime prosecutions and battlefield rules of engagement.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s decision to fire the top lawyers for the Army, Navy and Air Force represents an opening salvo in his push to remake the military into a force that is more aggressive on the battlefield and potentially less hindered by the laws of armed conflict.

Mr. Hegseth, in the Pentagon and during his meetings with troops last week in Europe, has spoken repeatedly about theneed to restore a “warrior ethos” to a military that he insists has become soft, social-justice obsessed and more bureaucratic over the past two decades.

His decision to replace the military’s judge advocate generals — typically three-star military officers — offers a sense of how he defines the ethos that he has vowed to instill.

The dismissals came as part of a broader push by Mr. Hegseth and President Trump, who late Fridayalso fired Gen. Charles Q. Brown, the country’s top military officer, as well as the first woman to lead the Navy and the vice chief of staff of the Air Force.

By comparison, the three fired judge advocate generals, also known as “JAGs,” are far less prominent. Inside the Pentagon and on battlefields around the world, military lawyers aren’t decision makers. Their job is to provide independent legal advice to senior military officers so that they do not run afoul of U.S. law or the laws of armed conflict.

Senior Pentagon officials said that Mr. Hegseth has had no contact with any of the three fired uniform military lawyers since taking office.None of the three — Lt. Gen. Joseph B. Berger III, Vice Adm. Christopher C. French and Rear Adm. Lia M. Reynolds— were even named in the Pentagon statement announcing their dismissal from decades of military service.

A senior miliary official with knowledge of the firings added that themilitary lawyers had “zero heads up”that they were being removed from office and that the top brass in the Army, Navy and Air Force were also caught unaware.

The unexplained dismissals prompted widespread concern. “In some ways that’s even more chilling than firing the four stars,” Rosa Brooks, a professor at Georgetown Law, wrote on X. “It’s what you do when you’re planning to break the law: you get rid of any lawyers who might try to slow you down.”

The firings do not seem to be related to a single dispute but rather appear tied to Mr. Hegseth’s view of why the U.S. military struggled to achieve any significant victories in Iraq and Afghanistan, where he served in combat, and how he wants the military to operate under his leadership.

In his book, “The War on Warriors,” which was published last year,Mr. Hegseth castigates military lawyers for imposing overly restrictive rules of engagement on frontline troops, which he argues repeatedly allowed the enemy to score battlefield victories.

Mr. Hegseth derisively refers to the lawyers in the book as “jagoffs.” The term led Senator Jack Reed, Democrat of Rhode Island and a West Point graduate, to ask Mr. Hegseth at a confirmation hearing whether he could effectively lead the military after disparaging it.

Mr. Hegseth’s account of this period in his book and his Senate testimony conflict with how battlefield rules of engagement were set during the wars.Senior officers in Iraq and Afghanistan, such as Gen. David H. Petraeus, came to believethat civilian deaths= were turning the local population against U.S. forces and feeding the enemy’s ranks. So these officers emphasized protecting civilian life even if it meant that U.S. troops might have to incur greater risk.==

Ultimately, the rules belonged to battlefield leaders and not their military lawyers. The axiom — “lawyers advise, and commanders decide” — is a core piece of every military lawyer’s education, current and former JAG officers said.

https://archive.is/pMLDe

>>22640657

2/2

Mr. Hegseth’s views on the laws of war could also put him in conflict with some of the senior military generals who currently serve under him.

In his book, he expresses repeated frustration with the international laws put in place after World War II to govern armed conflict.“What do you do if your enemy does not honor the Geneva Conventions?” he writes. “We never got an answer. Only more war. More casualties. And no victory.”

To many senior commanders, the “warrior ethos” isn’t just about killing the enemy or winning wars. It also includes concepts such as discipline, honor and respect for the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

“Combat can spin out of control and lethality and fighting can turn quickly into murder when passions run wild,” said retired Lt. Gen. David Barno, who commanded U.S. forces in Afghanistan.

The laws of combat are designed to protect civilians as well as troops from moral injury. Soldiers will have to think about the enemy and civilians they killed “for the rest of their lives,” General Barno said, “and knowing they did it in authorized way bounded by the laws of our country and armed conflict is incredibly important.”

In Mr. Hegseth’s Senate confirmation testimony, lawmakers sought to pin him down on what he meant when he referred to the “warrior ethos” and whether he believed U.S. forces should follow the Geneva Conventions and the Uniformed Code of Military Justice even when America’s enemies ignore them.

His answers were often evasive.“An America First national security policy is not going to hand its prerogatives over to international bodies that make decisionsabout how our men and women make decisions on the battlefield,” Mr. Hegseth replied.

During the president’s first term, Mr. Hegseth appealed to Mr. Trump to issue pardons for U.S. troops accused or convicted of war crimes or murder for their actions in Iraq and Afghanistan. In October 2019, Mr. Trump called Mr. Hegseth to tell him that he was pardoning two soldiers and a Navy SEAL whose causes Mr. Hegseth had championed for months on his Fox television show.

The president ended their conversation with a compliment that Mr. Hegseth wrote that he would “never forget and might put on his tombstone.”

The president called him a warrior, using an expletive for emphasis.

One of the pardoned soldiers was First Lt. Clint Lorance, who was turned in by his own troops after he ordered them to fire on unarmed Afghans over 100 yards away from his platoon, killing them. The soldier then radioed a false report claiming the bodies had been removed and couldn’t be searched for weapons.

The Army convicted Lieutenant Lorance of second-degree murder and other charges and sentenced him to 19 years in prison. To Mr. Hegseth, the pardon Lieutenant Lorance received represented justice. U.S. troops engaged in battle need to be “the most ruthless, the most uncompromising, the most overwhelming lethal” force on the battlefield, Mr. Hegseth wrote last year.

“Our troops will make mistakes,” he continued, “and when they do, they should get the overwhelming benefit of the doubt.”

=Senior Army lawyers strongly disagreed with the decision to pardon Lieutenant Lorance,according to Pentagon officials. Among those most upset by the presidential pardon were the troops who served under him and made the difficult decision to accuse him of war crimes and testify at trial.

“I thought of the Army as this altruistic thing,” Lucas Gray who served under Lieutenant Lorance in Afghanistan told The Washington Post. “I thought it was perfect and honorable. It pains me to tell you how stupid and naive I was.”

“The Lorance stuff just broke my faith,” he said, adding: “And once you lose your values and your faith, the Army is just another job you hate.”

(This article written by NYTs, does not provide details or the long story and it really makes Hegseth look like a war monger, as we know all skewed articles can have influence)

https://archive.is/pMLDe

Germany’s Merz claims victory for his conservatives as exit polls put far right on strong showing

BERLIN (AP) — Center-right opposition leader Friedrich Merz claimed victory in Germany’s national election on Sunday after exit polls showed his bloc in the lead. Merz said he was aware of the dimension of the task he faces and said that “it will not be easy.” Merz said he aims to put together a governing coalition as quickly as possible.

German opposition leader Friedrich Merz’s conservatives were on course for a lackluster victory in the country’s national election Sunday, while Alternative for Germany nearly doubled its support, the strongest showing for a far-right party since World War II, exit polls showed.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s center-left Social Democrats were headed for a stinging defeat and a likely third-place finish with their worst postwar result in a national parliamentary election, the exit polls for ARD and ZDF public television indicated.

It wasn’t immediately clear how easy it will be for Merz to put together a coalition government.

The election took place seven months earlier than originally planned after Scholz’s unpopular coalition collapsed in November, three years into a term that was increasingly marred by infighting. There was widespread discontent and not much enthusiasm for any of the candidates.

The exit polls put support for his Union bloc at 28.5-29% andAlternative for Germany, or AfD, at 19.5-20% — roughly double its result from 2021.

They put support for Scholz’s Social Democrats at 16-16.5%, far lower than in the last election. The environmentalist Greens, their remaining partners in the outgoing government, were on 13.5%.

Out of three smaller parties, one — the hard-left Left Party — appeared certain to win seats in parliament with 8.5-9% of the vote. Two other parties, the pro-business Free Democrats and the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance, were around the threshold of the 5% support needed to win seats.

Whether Merz will need one or two partners to form a coalition will depend on how many parties get into parliament.

“One thing is clear: the Union has won the election,” Carsten Linnemann, the general secretary of Merz’s Christian Democratic Union party. “The new chancellor will be called Friedrich Merz.”

“We have become the second-strongest force,” said AfD’s candidate for chancellor, Alice Weidel.

The Social Democrats’ general secretary, Matthias Miersch, conceded that voters inflicted “a historic defeat” on his party and that Merz had a mandate to form the government. He suggested that the defeat was no surprise after three years of the unpopular government — “this election wasn’t lost in the last eight weeks.”

She said that her party is “open for coalition negotations” with Merz’s party, and that “otherwise no change of policy is possible in Germany.” But Merz has repeatedly and categorically ruled out working with AfD, as have other mainstream parties.

German exit polls are supplemented with pre-election polling to represent people voting by absentee ballot.

The election was dominated by worries about the years-long stagnation of Europe’s biggest economy, pressure to curb migration. It took place against a background of growing uncertainty over the future of Ukraine and Europe’s alliance with the United States.

Germany is the most populous country in the 27-nation European Union and a leading member of NATO. It has been Ukraine’s second-biggest weapons supplier, after the U.S. It will be central to shaping the continent’s response to the challenges of the coming years, including the Trump administration’s confrontational foreign and trade policy.

More than 59 million people in the nation of 84 million were eligible to elect the 630 members of the lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, who will take their seats under the glass dome of Berlin’s landmark Reichstag building.

https://apnews.com/article/germany-election-merz-scholz-far-right-afd-ebf16ed38e0beaff7fed9a6d29b32a24

Mayor of California city proposes ordinance to ban transgender women from women's bathrooms

Noah Goldberg

Fri, February 21, 2025 at 4:15 PM EST

The mayor of a California city has proposed an ordinance that would ban transgender women from using bathrooms that comport with their gender identity, marking the latest effort to restrict transgender rights.

Mayor Greg Meister of Porterville — a city of about 60,000 at the base of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in Tulare County— put forward the proposal at a City Council meeting Wednesday, saying his goal is to protect biological girls and women.

The Protect Women's Safe Spaces ordinance would ban transgender women from accessing restrooms and locker rooms that comport with their gender identity. The ordinance also seeks to remove transgender women and girls from women's sports, Meister said at the council meeting.

"Gender dysphoria does not overrule women's rights," Meister said in an interview with The Times. "Women have fought for equality, and it's not fair that a biological man can jeopardize their rights."

The local ordinance is part of a growing effort at various levels of government — from local school boards to the federal government under President Trump— to ban access for transgender women to women's facilities.

"This is part of a coordinated attack on transgender people," said Amanda Goad, director of the LGBTQ, Gender and Reproductive Justice Project at the ACLU of Southern California. "This is part of a broader project to exert more state control over people's bodies and lives."

Meister agreed that his ordinance was part of a national trend and not based on local issues.

He said that no one, including women's rights groups, approached him about the ordinance, which he came up with on his own. He also said there had been no instances in Porterville of transgender women using their preferred restrooms. He said he did not know if any transgender people live in Porterville and that he had no trans friends.

Despite the fact that the issue has not come up in Porterville, Meister said he wanted to confront it before it became an issue.

The City Council voted unanimously Wednesday, 5 to 0, to send Meister's motion to the city attorney and city manager for review. The language could still change and the city will follow California law, Meister said.

"They’re going to look at the language, look at what’s plausible and legal from their standpoint and then to bring it back to council to make a decision on. I'm sure it’ll get chopped up," he said.

Goad said there could be many legal issues with the ban, including constitutional matters under the equal protection clause as well as possible violations of California law.

"It’s very likely it would be challenged if it were actually enacted," Goad said.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/mayor-california-city-proposes-ordinance-211506226.html

>>22640131

He’s not long for this world imo

>>22640131

The whole problem can be solved if Trump invites Russia into NATO, that should happen

>>22640149

notable

>>22640862

Don’t know read the article

>>22640854

If he doesn’t watch out it will ratchet up to a Trillion