28 Feb, 2025 03:59

Moscow and Washington tight-lipped on results of six-hour talks

US and Russian diplomats have shared few details of their closed-door discussions in Istanbul, but have agreed to hold “follow-up” meetings

Russian and US officials held a lengthy expert-level meeting in Türkiye on Thursday to discuss resolving ongoing diplomatic disputes, according to Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.

The meeting, which follows a series of high-level bilateral contacts, was reportedly aimed at addressing obstacles hindering the operations of the Russian Embassy in Washington and the US Embassy in Moscow, including banking access and staffing levels.

Zakharova emphasized the significance of the meeting, stating that itsought to “explore pathways for resolving numerous irritantsthat persist in bilateral dialogue due to the groundwork laid by the destructive actions of previous US administrations.”

The delegations wrapped up their talks without making any public statements, although Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov saiddetails about the outcome would be provided “one way or another.”The sides did unveil the composition of their delegations, but according to the State Department, the US group was led by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Russia and Central Europe Sonata Coulter, while Russian side was represented by Ambassador Aleksandr Darchiev, the chief of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s North Atlantic Department.

“The United States raised concerns regarding access to banking and contracted services as well as the need to ensure stable and sustainable staffing levels at the US Embassy in Moscow,” the State Department said in a brief statement. “Through constructive discussions, both sidesidentified concrete initial stepsto stabilize bilateral mission operations in these areas.”

Zakharova said the deterioration of relations was not Russia’s choice and that Moscow’s actions have been proportionate responses to Washington’s moves. Both delegations acknowledged the need to stabilize diplomatic operations and improve communication.

The discussions, which lasted over six hours, are expected to be the first in a series ofexpert consultations designedto resolve differences and build confidence between the two countries. Both delegations agreed to hold a follow-up meeting in the near future, with the date, location, and representation yet to be determined.

Under the administration of President Donald Trump, the US and Russia have begungradually restoring contacts that were virtually non-existentfor approximately three years under his predecessor, Joe Biden. A phone call between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 12 was followed by a high-level Russia-US meeting in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.

Putin characterized the discussions as “a first step” toward normalizationof ties, a sentiment later echoed by Trump. While neither head of state attended the talks – the first in three years – they were conducted by high-level officials, including Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Neither Ukrainian nor EU diplomats were invited to the meeting.

The latest talks in Istanbul, according to Zakharova, were thefirst in a planned series of expert consultationsaimed at fostering confidence-building measures. She noted that both sides recognize the necessity of preventing further deterioration in diplomatic relations and working toward a more constructive dialogue.

(Now watch the EU and US leaders and Press condemning the US and Russia team for not giving a report on what was talked about at this meeting; after the first one, the press had two weeks of gossip and lies after.The U.S. and Russia are putting in the EU leaders and Press in a “Time Out”, KEK)

https://www.rt.com/russia/613421-russia-us-istanbul-meeting/

28 Feb, 2025 05:28

Ukrainian plot to assassinate top Crimean cleric foiled – FSB

Two men recruited by Kiev planned an attack on Metropolitan Tikhon in Moscow, the agency has said

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has thwarted a Ukrainian attempt to assassinate a senior figure in theRussian Orthodox Church in Crimea, an agency statement has claimed.

The Ukrainian military intelligence plot allegedly involved threatening an aide of Crimean Metropolitan Tikhon, the head of the Simferopol and Crimean diocese andreported to be a spiritual adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In a statement on Friday, the FSB said it had arrested a Russian and Ukrainian citizen respectively, who confessed to being recruited in mid-2024 and receiving the explosive device in December 2024 through a dead drop.

They allegedly planned to carry out an attack at Metropolitan Tikhon's residential quarters inSretensky Monastery, one of Moscow’s most historically and religiously significant Orthodox sites,, after which they would flee Russia using forged documents provided by Ukrainian intelligence.

The agency also reported that it seized a homemade explosive device and two fake Ukrainian passports from the detainees.

Several Russian outlets also released a video of the Ukrainian suspect, who identified himself as Denis Popovich, saying thathad been working as an aide to Tikhon while secretly gathering intelligence on him.

He claimed he was tasked by Kiev with recruiting a co-conspirator for an assassination, adding that he was told that his family would be killed if he refused to cooperate.

Tikhon has been described as a close spiritual adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin. He has never confirmed this, insisting that it is up to the Russian leader to reveal who provides him with spiritual guidance. The cleric’s 2011 book ‘Everyday Saints and Other Stories’ is a bestseller in Russia, with over 2 million copies sold.

https://www.rt.com/russia/613422-ukrainian-plot-to-assassinate-top-cleric-thwarted/

26 Feb, 2025 03:20

Trump wants Russia rare earths deal

Cooperation would be “great” for Washington and Moscow, the US president believes

US President Donald Trump has indicated that he isopen to the ideaof jointly developing Russia’s mineral deposits, following a proposal by President Vladimir Putin earlier this week.

Moscow is prepared to collaborate with Washington on developing rare-earth mineral deposits, including those in Russia’s Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, as well as the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, Putin said on Monday.

When asked on Tuesday whether he and Putin had discussed the possibility of such a deal, Trump acknowledged his interest.

“I’d like to buy minerals on Russian land, too, if we can… They have very good rare earths, also, and oil and gas. Look, it’s a great thing,” Trump told journalists at the White House.“It’s great for Russia, too, because we could do deals there. They have very valuable land that isn’t utilized. So something like that could take place, yeah.”

Putin noted that Moscow would prioritize its own development of rare-earth minerals due to their strategic importanceacross multiple economic sectors. However, he added that Russia was open to cooperation with international partners, including from the US, should they express interest.

The Trump administration has shown increasing interest in rare earth and other metals as part of the US president’s push to secure returns on American “investments” in the Ukraine conflict. Trump has demanded the equivalent of up to $500 billion in natural resources as compensation for aid already provided to Kiev. After multiple delays, Kiev has reportedly agreed to the deal, with Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky expected to visit Washington on Friday to sign the agreement.

“I hear that he’s coming on Friday. Certainly, it’s okay with me if he’d like to sign it together with me, and I understand that’s a big deal, very big deal… theAmerican taxpayer now is going to get their money back plus,” Trump said.

The rare earths deal Trump is pursuing with Ukraine “doesn’t concern” Moscow, Putin said in an interview with Rossiya 1 TV journalist Pavel Zarubin, noting that the actual value of Ukraine’s mineral deposits remains uncertain.

Before the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022,the country held Europe’s largest titanium and lithium reserves. While these metals are not classified as rare-earth elements,they are crucial for the defense sector, as well as for battery and capacitor production. Ukraine’s rare-earth metal deposits also include beryllium, manganese, gallium, uranium, zirconium, graphite, apatite, fluorite, and nickel.

In 2023, Forbes Ukraine estimated that the country’s mineral resources were worth approximately $14.8 trillion, amounting to 111 billion metric tons, with coal and iron ore making up the majority. However, the publication noted that over 70% of these resources are located in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions, which declared independence from Ukraine in 2014 following the Western-backed Maidan coup in Kiev. These territories came under Russian control after referendums in 2022, when the regions voted to join Russia.

https://www.rt.com/news/613314-trump-russia-rare-earths-deal/

(Interesting pic that RT used)

>>22672713

28 Feb, 2025 10:56

Trump’s rare-earths deal will make Ukraine ‘US colony’ – jailed MP

Vladimir Zelensky will effectively strip the country of its sovereignty by signing the agreement, Aleksandr Dubinsky has claimed

Ukraine will become a US colony if Vladimir Zelensky signs a proposed rare-earths deal with Washington, jailed Ukrainian MP Aleksandr Dubinsky has claimed. The opposition lawmaker, who was detained by Kiev in November 2023 on charges including high treason, warned that the agreement will strip Ukraine of its independence. (It has never been independent since at least 2008)

US President Donald Trump recently suggested that America should “get back” the money it has spent on military and financial aid to Ukraine through a mineral resource deal. Earlier this month, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent presented a draft agreement to Zelensky, but the Ukrainian leader reportedly refused to sign it, citing the absence of firm security guarantees. According to the preliminary document published by European Pravda, the deal would grant the US rights to 50% of Ukraine’s income from natural resource extraction.

In a Telegram post on Thursday, Dubinsky described the agreement as an assault on Ukraine’s sovereignty.

“The agreement on the transfer of mineral resources, which according to the Constitution belong to the people of Ukraine, to the US is a robbery,” the lawmaker wrote. He added that if the deal is signed, Ukraine will effectively become a “province, colony, overseas territory”of the US.

“Forget the term sovereign state. Zelensky destroyed it,” he added. Dubinsky argued that since the deal makes Washington a technical owner of half of Ukraine’s mineral wealth, future Ukrainian leaders will not be able to change the terms, as US influence over the country’s political system will ensure only corrupt politicians take power.

“An honest politician can try to cancel this robbery. Therefore, only dishonest ones will govern… there will be no president either…a colony does not have a president,” the lawmaker said. (Very few honest left or even before Zelensky. How it robbery when Ukraine owes the US billions)

Zelensky is currently in the US for a state visit and is expected to meet with Trump later on Friday. According to Bessent, the rare-earths deal has already been finalized and is only awaiting Zelensky’s signature.

“It will no longer be necessary to call Ukraine an independent state after Zelensky’s trip to the US,” Dubinsky wrote.“Zelensky is ready to sign anything, as long as they leave him his life and money… Zelensky does it with only one purpose in mind – to save his ass,” the lawmaker stated.

While Forbes estimated Ukraine’s total mineral wealth at $15 trillion in 2023, nearly half of these resources are located in the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, which joined Russia following referendums in 2022. Russian President Vladimir Putin said earlier this week that the potential US-Ukraine rare-earths deal “doesn’t concern” Moscow, noting that the actual value of Ukraine’s mineral deposits remains uncertain. He indicated, however, that he is open to working together on Russia’s mineral deposits and rare-earths with international partners, including the US.

https://www.rt.com/russia/613425-trump-deal-ukraine-colony/

27 Feb, 2025 14:50

Ukrainian journalists and artists face travel ban

Too many media and cultural personalities have failed to return from abroad, officials have said

Ukrainian authorities will ban journalists and culture personalities from leaving the country starting early next month, according to a statement by the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications. The restrictions come as the country struggles with a mobilization campaign that has failed to replace military losses in the conflict with Russia.

In a statement on Wednesday, officials claimed too many Ukrainian citizens have taken advantage of letters of assistance issued by the ministry, which allowed them to obtain permission from the State Border Service to travel abroad. While the permission is always granted for a limited period of time, many of those who left have failed to return to Ukraine.

The ministry blamed loopholes in national legislation, noting that while it initiated changes as early as 2022, “the issue remains unresolved.”

The Ministry announced that it will suspend the issuance of letters of assistance to the State Border Service of Ukraine starting on March 3. According to officials, the draft legislation proposes a list of “exhaustive requirements” for granting a letter of assistance for traveling abroad to men of draft age working in the cultural or media sphere.

Ministry adviser Dmitry Zolotukhin said that in 2024 alone, more than 500 men who left Ukraine after receiving letters of assistance, never returned to the country. He added that Ukrainian authorities are conducting criminal investigations into each case.

Ukraine announced a general mobilization in February 2022, barring most men from 18 to 60 from leaving the country. Last year, faced with mounting losses on the battlefield, Kiev significantly tightened the mobilization regulations and lowered conscription age from 27 to 25.

https://www.rt.com/russia/613403-ukraine-ban-artists-media-leave-abroad/

I read this article on how many news outlets in and journalists in Ukraine paid by USwhy is Ukraine calling their journalists back:

How the U.S. Government Controls Ukrainian Media2/18/25

USAID funded the vast majority of 'independent' media in Ukraine. What American taxpayers don't realize is that their money went to suppressing the truth.

Rather, according to OksanaRomaniuk, director of the Institute of Mass Information, a press freedom group, nine out of 10 media outlets== in Ukraine “survive thanks to grants” from the West.

The primary funder of these outlets is anNGO called Internews.In 2024, they provided“comprehensive support” for 536 media outlets in Ukraine, per their annual report, and trained over 5,000 journalists.

Some Ukrainian publications rely on Internewsfor 80 percent of their funding.And where does Internews get its money? Until last week, when the spigot was turned off,it came primarily from USAID, to the tune of $473 million since 2008.

As of 2023, it claims tohave “trained” over 9,000 journalists, aided 4,291 media outlets, and reached 778 million peoplearound the world with its broadcasts. Its ties to USAID go beyond grants: Its CEOJeanne Bourgault spent six years at USAID and is married to a USAID adviser, Ray S. Jennings.

(Many are now struggling financially since USAID put a halt to its funding.)

https://www.thefp.com/p/us-government-controls-ukrainian-media

28 Feb, 2025 14:17

Polish MP claims life threatened over criticism of Ukrainian Nazi collaborator

Slawomir Mentzen, who is running for president, had previously called for an end to the cult of Stepan Bandera

Polish MP Slawomir Mentzen has accused Ukrainian journalist Vakhtang Kipiani of publicly threatening his life for criticizing Ukraine’s obsession with World War II Nazi collaborator Stepan Bandera.

Earlier this week, Mentzen, who is a candidate in the upcoming Polish presidential elections in May representing the right-wing Confederation Party, had traveled to the Ukrainian city of Lviv where he recorded a video in front of a monument to Bandera.

In the clip, he likened Bandera to a “terrorist,”recalling that the Nazi collaborator had been sentenced to death by a Polish court for being responsible for the murder of some 100,000 Poles. The video also suggested that havingmonuments honoring Bander was akin to building monuments commemorating Adolf Hitler.

“Ukraine must abandon the cult of Bandera as soon as possible,” Mentzen urged.

In response to the video, Kipiani issued a post on Facebook ridiculing Mentzen for criticizing Bandera and suggesting that the Polish MP was “dreaming of the glory of Pieracki,” referring to the minister of internal affairs of interwar Poland, Bronislaw Pieracki, was murdered in 1934 by members of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN), of which Bandera was a part of.

“We can do it again,” Kipiani wrote.

Mentzen fired back at the Ukrainian journalist, accusing him of threatening to kill a Polish MP. “Ukrainians once again show their attitude towards Poland,” Mentzen wrote on Facebook, suggesting thatKiev only wants money from Poland while it continues to honor the murderers of Poles.(that’s what surprised me about Poland giving money to Ukraine, but they hate Russia more)

The lawmaker’s Confederation Party also condemned Kipiani’s death threat, adding in a statement on social media that it had found out that theUkrainian journalist’s website, which “glorifies the UPA and is a mouthpiece for nationalist Ukrainian propaganda,”had been co-funded by the Polish government.

Both Mentzen and his party have now called on the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs to address the situation to prevent further attacks by Ukrainians on Poland and its citizens.

Bandera, a member of the OUN militant wing, was one of the leaders of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) during World War II. The groupallied with the invading Nazi Germans and carried out massacres of Poles, Jews, Russians, and Ukrainianswhom they accused of collaborating with the Soviets. Despite the group being accused of committing genocide, former Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenkodeclared Bandera and the UPA national heroes in 2010.

The Polish government has taken particular issue with the celebration of Bandera in Ukraine, as the UPA is believed to havemurdered between 40,000 and 120,000 ethnic Polesin the regions of Volhynia and Eastern Galicia.

https://www.rt.com/russia/613447-ukrainian-journalist-threatens-polish-mp/

Europe is a mess, the conflicts are in every country, that’s why the US needs to cut them off.

>>22671385, >>22671395, >>22671662 Bondi to FBI: “You will deliver to me a comprehensive report of your findings and proposed personnel action within 14 days,” PN

Quick Question:How and why did, Bondi believe that there were only 200 pages in the whole Epstein file? That’s just incredibly stupid

And her being AG of FL there were many investigations on Epstein there, where are those documents?

Her blaming Kash by the tone of the letter, seems like she is pointing a finger at him. Did the docs get delivered to Kash? If not then it sounds like she’s absolving herself for her missing a major sign, that they weren’t all the documents.

PS when will we get HRC’s and Huma’s documents. Since is HRC hasn’t been heard from in a while, release those docs.

Prophecy: Bondi will be a worst liar and tyrant than Barr!

>>22671552 The super rich are preparing for the end of the world PN

The super rich are preparing for the end of the world

(New headline:Those who mocked us for 15-20 years need to Apologize)

Published Wed,Jan 25 20171/2look at the date

The Dow has hit 20,000 for the first time ever, but rather than celebrating, some of the richest of the rich arebuilding bunkersto prepare for a potential apocalypse.

These “preppers” are making other investments too.They’re buying houses in New Zealand, which has become a popular spot in case of calamity. Billionaire Peter Thiel just secured property and citizenship there.

Andthey’re getting elective surgery. Steve Huffman, the 33-year-old co-founder and CEO of the online community Reddit, got Lasik so that he’d be able to be more independent in case of emergency.

You just need so many things to actually ride out the apocalypse.Antonio García Martínez: former Facebook product manager

“If the world ends — and not even if the world ends, but if we have trouble —getting contacts or glasses is going to be a huge pain in the ass,” the San Francisco resident tells Evan Osnos as part ofThe New Yorker’s chronicle of the elite’s end-of-the-world preparations. “Without them, I’m f—ed.”

In addition to the eye surgery,Huffman has accumulated guns, ammunition and motorcyclesso that he won’t get caught in traffic jams during an evacuation.

Robert Vicino standing out front the entrance ofTerra Vivos, the luxury underground shelter community he owns and runs.

The notion of “doomsday prepping” was popularized in the mainstream by the National Geographic channel’s show by the same name. The show’s website offers a quiz titled “How prepped are you?” so you can test your own likelihood of surviving an apocalypse.

Former Facebook product manager Antonio GarcíaMartínez bought wooded land in the Pacific Northwest that he has stocked with generators, solar panels and ammo, The New Yorker reports.

“You just need so many things to actually ride out the apocalypse,” García Martínez says. “I think people who are particularly attuned to the levers by which society actually worksunderstand that we are skating on really thin cultural ice right now.”

In particular, the political climate has made many coastal elites anxious about the future.

“I think, to some degree, we all collectively take it on faith that our country works, that our currency is valuable, the peaceful transfer of power — that all of these things that we hold dear work because we believe they work,” says Huffman. “While I do believe they’re quite resilient, and we’ve been through a lot, certainly we’re going to go through a lot more.”

Doomsday prepping crosses political lines. When Barack Obama was elected to his second term, conservative preppers hunkered down, collecting canned goods and gold coins and buying products hawked by Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity, The New Yorker reports.

As today’s preppers tend to have more resources, theyare investing in tech-based currencies like Bitcoin as well as in precious metals, since they’re looking to secure assets in systemsnot tied to the stability of government structures.

If there is a civil war or a giant earthquake that cleaves off part of California, we want to be ready.Tim Chang: managing director at venture-capital firm Mayfield Fund

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/01/25/the-super-rich-are-preparing-for-the-end-of-the-world.html

>>22673145

2/2Jan. 25, 2017Did a bot collect this?

More than half of Silicon Valley billionaires have outfitted themselves for a crisis, whether with a bunker, second home or vacation spot, estimates Reid Hoffman, the co-founder of LinkedIn.

And prepping isn’t a solitary pursuit. Tim Chang, the managing director at venture-capital firm Mayfield Fund,tells Osnos that survivalism has become a popular hobby, like bowling leagues for the 21st century. “There’s a bunch of us in the Valley. We meet up and have these financial-hacking dinners and talk about back-up plans people are doing,” he says.

“It runs the gamut from a lot of people stocking up on Bitcoin and crypto-currency,to figuring out how to get second passports if they need it, tohaving vacation homes in other countriesthat could be escape havens.”

“I kind of have this terror scenario: ‘Oh, my God, if there is a civil war or a giant earthquake that cleaves off part of California, we want to be ready,’ ” Chang says.

After all, the same imagination that powers Silicon Valley can also terrify it.

“When you do [think big], it’s pretty common that you take things ad infinitum,and that leads you to utopias and dystopias,” says Roy Bahat, the head of a San Francisco-based venture-capital firm Bloomberg Beta.

And the Valley’s preppers have the resources to help soothe their troubled minds.

“The tech preppers do not necessarily think a collapse is likely,” says Yishan Wong, an early Facebook employee and the CEO of Reddit from 2012 to 2014, to The New Yorker. “They considerit a remote event, but one with a very severe downside, so, given how much money they have, spending a fraction of their net worth to hedge against this … is a logical thing to do.”

Wong also underwent “eye surgery for survival purposes,” reports Osnos.

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/01/25/the-super-rich-are-preparing-for-the-end-of-the-world.html

>>22671919 India’s first transgender clinic, Mitr Clinic in Hyderabad, shuts down due to USAID fund freeze PN

I just thought about a great side effect with DOGE, NGOs enemy US corps. will not get money to rig our elections. Now we have to kick out all illegals because they vote in many states

Mel Gibson BLASTS Gavin Newsom: 'GROSS MISMANAGEMENT'

Fox News contributor Joe Concha weighs in after actor Mel Gibson criticized California Gov. Gavin Newsom for his handling of the wildfires and discusses Joy Behar's claim that Elon Musk is 'pro-apartheid

5:30

https://youtu.be/d8G77HPByfg

>>22673238

Mel Gibson Ignites Newsom Recall Rally: Slams Governor and Bass for Fire Fiascolonger video

7:58

The recall firestorm in California just got hotter—literally and figuratively—as Hollywood icon Mel Gibson took the stage at a Gavin Newsom recall event on February 26, 2025, in Altadena, delivering a blistering takedown of the governor and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. With the ashes of the devastating LA wildfires still settling—fires that torched over 47,900 acres, claimed 29 lives, and razed more than 16,250 homes—Gibson didn’t hold back. “Governor Newsom and Karen Bass let us all down,” he roared to a fired-up crowd, accusing the duo of “gross mismanagement” and failing to act despite knowing the risks of the January infernos were looming. His Malibu mansion among the casualties, Gibson’s personal stake in the crisis fueled his fury, making this a raw, emotional rallying cry.

But it was his attack on Bass that hit hardest:“The most pathetic, sorry injuries I’ve seen were with Karen Bass, who, in order to shift the blame and culpability from herself, wiped it on the fire chief and threw her under the bus for speaking the truth about how the department had been defunded and was without resources.” He’s pointing to the public rift between Bass and LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley, who’d criticized budget cuts of $17.6 million for 2024-25—a move Bass deflected while dodging accountability during the crisis.Gibson, joined by recall organizer Randy Economy and Bishop J.C. Mendez, framed this as a betrayal of firefighters and residents alike, urging the crowd: “And you’re going to do it, guys,” to push the recall over the finish line. The Saving California group needs 1.2 to 1.3 million signatures by mid-2025 to force a vote—and with Gibson’s star power, they’re betting on a surge.

The wildfires, sparked on January 7, have left Californians reeling, and the blame game is in full swing. Newsom’s faced heat for slashing $101 million from firefighting funds and allegedly botching forest management, while Bass was in Ghana as the blazes began, despite prior wind warnings. Social media’s ablaze too—posts on X call Gibson a “legend” for joining the fight, while critics like Newsom’s team dismiss it as a “MAGA grift.” With celebs like Justine Bateman and Sara Foster also backing the recall, this isn’t just a policy spat—it’s a cultural clash over leadership, trust, and who gets to rebuild California’s charred future.Buckle up: this recall’s got Hollywood drama and real-world stakes.

https://youtu.be/trCAeWX3qjM