13 Mar, 202508:15

Ukraine out of ATACMS – AP

Kiev’s stocks of the units’ US-supplied missiles had reportedly been fully exhausted by late January

The Ukrainian military has used up all of the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missiles supplied by the US during the fighting with Russia, the Associated Press has reported, citing an American official. (Could be lies)

Kiev started using ATACMS missiles, which have a range of 300km, for attacks into internationally recognized Russian territory from the autumn of 2024, in particular targeting the border regions of Kursk, Bryansk, Belgorod, and Rostov.

However, Ukraine’s stock of ATACMS had been fully exhausted by late January, the AP reported on Wednesday.Overall, Ukraine received “fewer than 40” of the missiles from Washington, according to a US official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

An unnamed Ukrainian lawmaker, who sits on the country’s defense committee, also confirmed to the AP that Kiev does not have any more ATACMS left.

The previous administration of US President Joe Biden initially forbade Ukraine from striking deep into Russia with American-made weapons, but eventually reversed its stance on the issue.

The UK and France followed suit by also allowing attacks with their Storm Shadow and SCALP missiles.

Moscow had warned the US and its allies against greenlighting long-range Ukrainian strikes, arguing that they would make NATO a direct participant in the conflict due to Kiev’s inability to fire sophisticated weapons on its own.

Russia responded to the first strikes with ATACMS in November last year by launching its new hypersonic Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile systemat the Yuzhmash military industrial facility in the Ukrainian city of Dnepr.

The Russian military says it has been successful in shooting down ATACMS and other longer-range Western-made munitions on most occasions.

The Defense Ministry in Moscow has not reported intercepting American missiles since mid-January.

https://www.rt.com/news/614118-ukraine-us-atacms-missiles/

DOGE Stimulus Check Update: Eligibility Requirements Detailed by CreatorUpdated Mar 13, 2025 at 4:11 PM EDT

The creator behind the proposal to issue $5,000 "DOGE dividend" stimulus checks to American taxpayers has updated the eligibility requirements.James Fishback recently clarified the eligibility requirements, saying anyone who files a federal income tax return and pays federal income tax would qualify.

"If you file a federal income tax return—if you pay federal income tax, which is to say that you worked—you would receive a DOGE dividend check. That individual and their household would benefit from this payment," Fishback told Steve Ram on Ram's podcast.

Why It Matters

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is responsible for improving federal government operations and cutting costs. One recent proposal suggests using the savings to provide lump-sum payments to taxpaying households across the United States, though this plan has not yet been confirmed.

James Fishback, CEO of the Azoria investment firm, has suggested sending $5,000 checks directly to American taxpayers. This initiative, backed by President Donald Trump and DOGE leader Elon Musk, seeks to grant taxpayers a portion of government savings. Proponents argue it could restore trust between citizens and the government, while critics warn it might cause economic issues like inflation and rising national debt.

What To Know, Reveals more details:The idea is not official government policy, though Trump has expressed interest in it.

However, the DOGE payments encountered a potential setback, as recent fiscal reports indicate that Musk's department's anticipated savings have not materialized. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reported a 5 percent increase in the federal deficit for February, driven by a 7 percent rise in spending compared to the same period last year.

The DOGE stimulus initiative proposes directing 20 percent of the department's savings to taxpayers and another 20 percent to reduce the national debt. It estimates DOGE could save $2 trillion in 18 months, allowing $400 billion to be distributed to about 79 million taxpayers, providing $5,000 checks each. The latest CBO data casts doubt on the feasibility of these savings. The federal government borrowed $1.1 trillion in the first five months of Fiscal Year 2025, including $308 billion in February alone.

This borrowing trend raises questions about the effectiveness of DOGE's cost-cutting measures and the likelihood of achieving the projected savings needed to fund the stimulus checks.

What People Are Saying

James Fishback told Steve Ram on Ram's podcast: "Think about it—if you're a working-age man who is not currently working, and you know there's a prospect of a DOGE dividend check with your name on it next summer, so long as you get a job and return to the workforce, that's a powerful motivator."

Alex Beene, a financial literacy instructor for the University of Tennessee at Martin, told Newsweek: "Even with the potential savings of recent cuts,stimulus checks are an incredibly expensive endeavor for a governmentalready deeply in debt and facing no pandemic-level emergency to undertake.

"I would expect legislators will hold out hope of new proposals like tax cuts and less restrictions on some government benefit programs as a way to steer eyes away from stimulus checks being the sole way to help Americans."

Joseph Camberato, CEO of National Business Capital, told Newsweek: "I understand where the idea's coming from, but handing out $5,000 checks isn't the best move. Just because we saved a bunch of money doesn't mean we should start giving it away. "It's like that old saying: You can give a man a fish, or you can teach him to fish. If we're smart, we'll invest that money in things that create long-term value, like innovation, infrastructure and businesses, that build wealth across all levels."

What Happens Next:It remains unknown if Fishback's idea will become official government policy or when checks will start landing in Americans' wallets. (Why are they so opposed to American's getting a $5,000 check when the Congress has sent about $200 billion to Ukraine for a useless and wasted war, where oligarchs steal all the money. It's out tax money people should get if they want or need it.)

https://www.newsweek.com/doge-stimulus-check-update-eligibility-requirements-james-fishback-2044145

Dog in Shelter for Over a Year Gets Day Out, Tears at First Thing She Does.

Shelter Dog Falls AsleepMar 13, 2025 By Liz O'Connell Pets Reporter

An "invisible" dog who had been ignored for over a year in a California shelterfinally found peace after being given a break from her noisy environment.

While animal shelters do everything they can to make pets feel welcome, the change and environment often become stressful for dogs.

An article from the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University said that dogs in shelters are overwhelmed by being confined, separated from their families and exposed to more noise. Dogs might start showing signs of stress, which can sometimes affect their physical health.However, a simple break from the environment can cause immediate relief.

Dedicated to giving these animals a breather, shelter caretaker Alex takes dogs out to give them extra attention, love, and a break from excessive barking. One dog she worked with weekly was 3-year-old Midge, who lived at Desert Hot Springs Animal Care and Control in North Palm Springs, California, for over 13 months.

"Alex is the one who took care of her every single week and tried to keep her spirits up as she saw her becoming lonelier and lonelier," Ella Hovsepian told Newsweek.

In last week's Instagram video posted to volunteer Hovsepian's account @pupppstar,Midge sat in Alex's car after being picked up for a day out of the shelter. She immediately felt at ease. As the car drove off and silence surrounded her, Midge fell asleep.

Thankfully, Midge will get restful and quiet sleep for the rest of her life.She was adopted earlier this week by an "incredibly loving family."

However, many other dogs in the shelter are still waiting for forever homes.

Hovsepian and Alex explained thatbecause of the shelter's location, there is not a lot of foot traffic. These animals do not get excess exposure. That means more time within the kennel confines."I'd say 80 percent of the dogs are long-time residents," Alex said. "We have a couple that have already been there for two years."

https://www.newsweek.com/tears-over-what-sel-2043137

(Dog stories always hit my heart)

45 minutes ago Economy

Trump Halted Producer Inflation and Reduced Core Prices Drop in First Month.

Trade tariffs imposed by President Donald J. Trump have not caused a rise in inflation, despite claims in the corporate mediathat foreign import levies would drive up production costs for American manufacturers and prices for consumers. In February, the core producer price index(PPI) for final demand in the U.S. decreased by 0.1 percent, signaling a decline in prices for goods and services, excluding food and energy.

The broader PPI remained unchanged during the same period,showing no inflation overall for the month. Economists had predicted a 0.3 percent increase in the broad PPI and a 0.5 percent rise in core prices. However, these projections were not met, withthe data indicating price stability and a reduction in core prices instead.

Notably, the PPI measures prices that U.S. businesses receive for goods, services, and construction, although it excludes export prices and sales taxes. It offers a different perspective from the consumer price index (CPI), which reflects prices paid by U.S. consumers and includes sales taxes but excludes those paid by businesses and government entities. February’s CPI and core consumer prices both increased by 0.2 percent—showing minimal change in inflation.

While the PPI and core PPI remain up 3.2 and 3.4 percent, respectively, from a year ago—signaling that inflationary pressures continue to linger—this is mostly attributable to a lag effect from the high rate of inflation experienced under former President Joe Biden.

Additionally, goods prices rose by only 0.3 percent in February compared to January’s higher rate, while services prices fell by 0.2 percent.

https://thenationalpulse.com/

(The fear mongering out there is off the charts, considering a lot yelling and screaming, know how the economy works, some of the top Stock Market Guru’s understand what Trump is doing and disagree with the naysayers. Even though they know that Trump can turn it around, they just want him and American’s to fail. Evil, dangerous people.)

2 hours ago Jack Montgomery Health Politics

Trump’s Pick for CDC Director Says Big Pharma ‘Probably Behind’ Nomination Withdrawal.

Dr. Dave Weldon, pulled from a planned Senate hearing on his nominationto head the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at the eleventh hour on Thursday,believes Big Pharma was “probably” responsible for sinking his prospects. He cites Senator Susan Collins (R-ME)—who has been resistant to several of President Donald J. Trump’s nominees—and SenatorBill Cassidy(R-LA) as the Republicans most likely to have stabbed President Trump in the back by siding with the Democrats against him.

In an official statement on the withdrawal, Weldon wrote, “The concern of many people is that big Pharmawas behind this which is probably true.” He explained:

“They are hands-down, the most powerful lobby organizationin Washington DC giving millions of dollars to politicians on both sides of the aisle. They also purchased millions of dollars of advertising in newspapers, magazines, and on television. For any news or organizationto take on big Pharma could be suicide.”

“I have learned the hard way don’t mess with Pharma,” he added, revealing he had been “told that Big Pharma had desperately tried to get rid of Bobby Kennedy but were unable due to the strong support of President Trump…So, if they had to live with Bobby for 4 years they were definitely not going to have both him and me and put serious pressure on Collins and Cassidy.”

A qualified medical doctor as well as a former Congressman,Weldon believes his “big sin” washaving had “the temerity to take on the CDC and big Pharma on two critical childhood vaccine safety issues” decades ago—although he denies any ideological opposition to vaccines as such, having administered many to his patients.

The pharmaceutical and medical establishment insist there is no link between vaccines and conditions such as autism. However, aluminum, used as an adjuvant in most vaccines to strengthen their potency, is a known neurotoxin—and no real safety studies have ever been conducted to rule out any cumulative negative effects.

Weldon saidHealth and Human Services (HHS)Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was “very upset” at his nomination being scuttled, believing he was“the perfect person”to lead the CDC. However, Weldon bore no ill will towards the administration, noting, “The president is a busy man doing good work for our nation and the last thing he needs is a controversy about CDC.”

https://thenationalpulse.com/2025/03/13/trumps-pick-for-cdc-director-says-big-pharma-probably-behind-nomination-withdrawal/

I heard there was a process if a cabinet position wasn't filled, the President can put a temporary administrator for 17 to 27 months, until they fill the position, Bobby should suggest this. Maybe by that time, the RINOs will be out of office.

Call to digon OZ

Oz’s ties to insurers may loom over his CMS confirmation hearing

Nominee previously expressed preference for Medicare privatization

By Nina Heller Posted March 13, 2025 at 3:29pm (=In this case I agree with the dems in some instances. I agree if he thinks Medicare Advantage by Insurance Companies is a good thing, he’s full of shit and either doesn’t know about the con==, the absolute harm these companies, and the grift of money they give out for support. Don’t hire Oz and why is Trump think he’s competent? Insurance Broker of 28 years comment)

President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will likely face questions during his confirmation hearing Friday about his past support of expanding the Medicare Advantage program as well as his financial ties to the industry he will be tasked with overseeing.

If confirmed, Mehmet Oz, known best for his time as a TV personality and host of the daytime talk show “The Dr. Oz Show,” would be in charge of the federal agency responsible for providing health insurance through Medicaid, Medicare, the Children’s Health Insurance Program and other programs.

Lawmakers have expressed concern over Oz’s qualifications to lead CMS, an agency responsible for providing 160 million Americans’ health insurance. But doubts about his background and potential conflicts of interest will likely take center stage, though Oz’s nomination is far less controversial than that of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director nominee Dave Weldon, whose nomination was pulled just an hour before he was to appear before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Thursday.

Still, Oz would take on the agency during a delicate time: Democrats worry an upcoming budget reconciliation bill would effectively gut Medicaid in an effort to pay for Trump’s legislative priorities.

“Dr. Oz will be administering the Medicare and Medicare Advantage systems and I am very worried that he is on a path to drive it in the wrong direction, encouraging more fraud and abuse through Medicare Advantage, in a way that ultimately could bankrupt the system,” said Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., a member of the Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over Oz’s nomination.

On Thursday, they added a new concern to the mix, circulating a memo alleging that he avoided more than $400,000 in self-employment taxes paid into the trust fund that finances Medicare over a three-year period ending in 2023.

By contrast, Oz has so far been well received by Republican members of the committee. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said he hopes Oz’s hearing will be a continuation of a prior meeting Oz had with him in his office.

“He’s quite qualified for the job, and I’m going to support his confirmation,” he said….

https://rollcall.com/2025/03/13/ozs-ties-to-insurers-may-loom-over-his-cms-confirmation-hearing/

Congressman Raúl M. Grijalva dies at the age of 77, his office confirms

By: KGUN 9 News StaffPosted 46 minutes ago

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Congressman Raúl M. Grijalva has passed away at the age of 77 after a long battle with cancer, his office said in a press release.

Grijalva served as the United States representative for Arizona's 7th congressional district since 2023 and Arizona's 3rd congressional district from 2003 to 2023. He was a Democrat.

"The Office of the 7th District of Arizona is saddened to announce the passing of Congressman Raúl M. Grijalva. Rep. Grijalva fought a long and brave battle," his office said in a statement. "He passed away this morning due to complications of his cancer treatments."

According to his website, Grijalva began his public service career as a Tucson community organizer.

"From 1974 to 1986, Raúl served on the Tucson Unified School District Governing Board, including six years as Chairman," his website bio says. "In 1988, he was elected to the Pima County Board of Supervisors, where he served for the next 15 years, chairing the Board for two of those years. Raúl resigned his seat on the Board of Supervisors in 2002 to seek office in Arizona’s newly created Seventh Congressional District."

He served as Chair of the House Natural Resources Committee during Trump administration's final two years, and Biden administration's first two.

He most recently served as Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Committee and was a standing member of the Education and Labor Committee.

He also was a long-standing member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

KGUN 9 will have more updates and information regarding the life of the longtime congressman.

https://www.kgun9.com/news/local-news/congressman-raul-m-grijalva-dies-at-the-age-of-77-his-office-confirms

Greenland PM blasts Trump talk of U.S. annexation: ‘Enough is enough’

Published Thu, Mar 13 20251:32 PM EDTUpdated 2 Hours Ago

Key Points(KEK he's driving them nuts)

President Donald Trump said that he thought that the potential annexation of Greenland by the United States would happen.

Trump defended that idea, saying the U.S. needs Greenland “for international security.”

The president’s comments came during a meeting in the White House with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

The outgoing prime minister of Greenland blasted talk Thursday by President Donald Trump that the potential annexation of the massive Arctic island by the United States would happen.

• “The U.S. president has once again aired the thought of annexing us,” Prime Minister Mute Egede wrote in a Facebook post.

• “Don’t keep treating us with disrespect. Enough is enough,” Egede wrote.

• The prime minister wrote that he plans to convene a meeting of the chairmen of all Greenland’s political parties “as soon as possible” to address Trump’s comments.

• “Because this time we need to tighten our rejection of Trump,” Egede wrote.

The Facebook post came hours after Trump yet again discussed the idea of the U.S. taking over Greenland, which is currently a territory of Denmark.

A reporter asked Trump, “What is your vision for the potential annexation of Greenland.”

“I think it’ll happen,” Trump replied during a meeting in the White House with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. Trump said the U.S. needs the island “for international security.”

• The president then turned to Rutte and said “we’ll be talking to you” about the issue.

• “It’s really an appropriate question,” the president added.

• Rutte quickly said, “When it comes to Greneland, yes or no joining the U.S., I would leave that outside, for me,

Denmark, like the United States was a founding member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a major international alliance created in 1949 on the heels of World War II. Denmark has controlled Greenland, the world’s largest island, since the 14th century.However, Greenland has been self-governing since 1979.

On Tuesday, the center-right, pro-business Demokraaitit party won a surprise parliamentary election victory in Greenland, garnering 30% of the vote.

The party supports a gradual independence from Denmark.

On Wednesday, Democraatit’s leader, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, criticized Trump’s call in recent weeks for Greenland to become a U.S. territory.

• “We don’t want to be Americans. No, we don’t want to be Danes. We want

to be Greenlanders, and we want our own independence in the future,” Nielsen told Sky News.

• “And we want to build our own country by ourselves.”

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/13/trump-on-us-annexation-of-greenland-i-think-itll-happen.html

Citizen Free Press

@CitizenFreePres

WHY BUTTIGIEG WILL NEVER BE PRESIDENT, EXHIBIT A.

0:17

The Right Answer 1:52 PM · Mar 13, 2025

· 26.6K Views

https://x.com/CitizenFreePres/status/1900243617446236537

Just replay the videos of buttboy walking to PA toxic train wreck and how he spent two minutes there, and he talked to no one, over and over, it will never happen

Buttigieg gives the clearest sign yet about his next steps

Adam Wren Thu, March 13, 2025

Pete Buttigieg is expected to announce Thursdayhe will not run for Michigan’s open Senate seat, according to a person briefed on his decision, clearing a path for a potential presidential campaign instead.

His decision was framed by several allies and people in his inner circle as putting him in the strongest possible position to seek the presidency, and based on a belief it would be exceedingly difficult to run successive campaigns in 2026 and 2028.

The former Transportation secretary acknowledged recently he had been “looking” at a Senate campaign, including meeting with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to discuss the possibility.

Democrats are scrambling to hold onto the seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Gary Peters in a crucial swing state. Republicans see it as a top pickup opportunity after coming close to flipping the state’s other Senate seat last cycle.

Buttigieg, who ran for president in 2020, moved back to Traverse City, Michigan, with his young family, after four years of working in former President Joe Biden's Cabinet. The workload of Cabinet-related travel — and the prospect of starting a campaign soon after — weighed in his calculus, people close to him said.

Before opting out of a Senate run, Buttigieg also ruled out a run for Michigan governor. Polling indicated that had he run, he would’ve started in a dominant position in a primary.

“The hardest decision in politics is to pass on a race you have a very good chance to win,” said David Axelrod, the longtime Democratic operative who helped lead Barack Obama’s presidential campaigns, and a mentor to Buttigieg who spoke with him Wednesday. “Pete was an A-list recruit and would have been a formidable candidate for the Senate had he chosen to run. But had he won in '26, it would almost certainly have taken him out of the conversation for '28. This certainly keeps that option open. Beyond that, I have a sense that he wanted to spend more time with his family, and with people in communities like his, where the conversations and concerns are so different than the ones you hear in the echo chamber of Washington.”…

https://www.yahoo.com/news/buttigieg-gives-clearest-signal-yet-100000959.html

13 Mar, 2025 21:04

Ukraine should be behind Balkans in EU queue – Hungary

Budapest has slammed the bloc’s double standards on membership

Ukraine should not join the EU before the Western Balkan countries as it would contradict the merit-based nature of the bloc’s integration process, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has stated.Some nations in the Western Balkans have been waiting for their accession process to begin for 20 years.

Speaking at the Budapest Balkans Forum on Thursday, Szijjarto saidthe EU is in a “much worse situation than before” due to economic and security challenges. He criticized the long wait for Western Balkan nations and accused some EU states of hypocrisy by publicly backing enlargement while blocking it behind closed doors.

“When the real question needs to be discussed, when it’s no longer just communication, propaganda, and empty rhetoric, then they oppose enlargement,” Szijjarto told the audience, according to local media.

To become a member state, each country needs to fulfil the same conditions and complete the same steps.Currently, there are nine candidate countries, including the Western Balkans, Ukraine, Moldova, Türkiye, and Georgia, according to the European Council.

Five Western Balkan nations – Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia – hold official EU candidate status.

The Ukraine conflict has prompted the EU to rethink its enlargement strategy, restarting accession talks with North Macedonia and Albania and granting Bosnia candidate status. EU officials, including Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, have warned that delays could make the Balkan states more susceptible to Russian and Chinese influence.

Ukraine applied for EU membership in February 2022, shortly after the escalation of the conflict with Russia. In June 2022, it was granted candidate status. However,Ukraine faces significant hurdles before joining the bloc, as full membership requires the unanimous approval of all EU nations. In addition, the EU has demanded that Ukraine implement a comprehensive set of governance reforms, fight rampant corruption, and harmonize its legislation with EU law.

EU officials have never set a definitive timeline for Ukraine’s accession, although former European Council President Charles Michel suggested that Ukraine could join by 2030, provided it meets all the conditions.

Hungary has repeatedly warned that Kiev’s swift membership could harm the bloc’s economic development.Admitting Ukraine into the EU would be an “unthinkable” act, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said in February.

(They’d be crazy to let those psychos in the EU, there’s already enough crazy countries in there. Plus if the EU is worried about corruption, they should look inside the org is a Mafia of Freaks.)

https://www.rt.com/news/614178-eu-ukraine-balkans-membership/

OK this will make the EU Heads explode

13 Mar, 2025 21:16

US & Russia in talks about Nord Stream deal – media

The negotiations on an American purchase of the Russian-owned energy infrastructure have reportedly been ongoing for months

Washington and Moscow are in talks on a major dealthat would allow for the resumption of Russian energy exports, German outlet Correctiv reported on Thursday, citing its own investigation. A potential agreement could involve American companies purchasing some parts of the Nord Stream pipeline infrastructure, as well as stakes in three German refineries currently owned by a subsidiary of the Russian energy giant Rosneft, the report said.

The discussions have supposedly been ongoing “for months” and are said to include conditions for the resumption of Russian oil and gas exports to the EU.

The Nord Stream undersea gas pipelines, consisting of two sets of two, were key conduits for Russian gas exports to Europe before 2022. The first was capable of delivering up to 55 billion cubic meters of gas a year. The second pipeline, dubbed Nord Stream 2 had a similar capacity but was never put into service, as Germany refused to certify it shortly before the start of the Russian operation against Ukraine in February 2022. Three of the four Nord Stream pipelines were rendered inoperable in September 2022 in an act of sabotage. No perpetrators have been officially named, although parts of the Western media repeatedly pointed to Ukraine.

Operator Nord Stream 2 AG is allegedly involved in negotiations with potential investors, possibly from the US, Correctiv claimed. The company reportedly told a court in Switzerland in early 2025 that it was “in intensive contact with the financial investors.” A January report by Reuters said that a Swiss court had delayed bankruptcy proceedings for Nord Stream AG until May 9.

According to Correctiv, the decision was linked to the talks.

A November piece by the Wall Street Journal also stated that aUS businessman and investor, Stephen P. Lynch, was interested in purchasing the Nord Stream 2 infrastructure. Earlier in March, the German tabloid Bild also claimed that the US and Russia were in “secret talks” about making Nord Stream 2 operational.

According to Correctiv, discussions about an American purchase of a majority stake in the large Schwedt oil refinery in the German eastern state of Brandenburg are ongoing as well and they also involve the German chancellor’s office and the federal economic ministry.

Certain preliminary agreements could be reached as soon as the coming weeks, Correctiv reported. The outlet claimed that the dealcould bepart of abroader deal between Moscow and Washington about a ceasefire in the Ukraine conflict.

Neither Moscow nor Washington have officially commented on the report.

Russian President VladimirPutin hintedat a potential deal with the US on Thursday.“If the US and Russia reach an agreement on energy cooperation, a gas pipeline could be provided for Europe, which would benefit Europe as well since it would get cheap Russian gas,” he said.

https://www.rt.com/news/614179-us-russia-talks-nord-stream/

(Is Trump paying back Russia, because they all know the Bidan Admin with other countries, blew the Nord Stream 2 up? Good.)

13 Mar, 2025 13:08

LIVE UPDATES

Putin supports Ukraine conflict ceasefire as US envoy visits Moscow 1/3

Steve Witkoff has arrived in the Russian capital to discuss the results of US-Ukraine talks in Saudi Arabia

Moscow is in favor of a ceasefire in the Ukraine conflict, but questions will need to be ironed out in future talks with the US, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said. US President Donald Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, arrived for high-end talks in Moscow on Thursday. According to Putin’s top foreign policy aide, the US diplomat will meet with the president later this evening.

Witkoff’s arrival in the Russian capital comes after representatives from the US and Ukraine held talks on Tuesday in Saudi Arabia, where they issued a joint statement proposing a 30-day ceasefire with Moscow.

13 March 2025

• 21:43 GMT: President Vladimir Putin held a phone call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, during which they discussed bilateral relations, OPEC+ cooperation, and a series of recent “international contacts” regarding the Ukraine conflict that took place in the Kingdom, according to the Kremlin. “The President of Russia highly appreciated Saudi Arabia’s mediation efforts and expressed gratitude, in particular, for creating favorable conditions for talks between representatives of Russia and the United States in Riyadh on February 18,” according to a readout of the call published early Friday morning. In response,Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman “noted the importance of resolving the Ukrainian crisis and expressed his readiness to continue contributing in every possible way to the normalization of Russian-American relations,” the statement added.

• 21:15 GMT: Trump could still ramp up sanctions on Moscow to pressure it into accepting the US ceasefire deal, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC News in an interview on Thursday. When asked if there were further financial measures that Washington could take, Bessent said the Trump administration would not hesitate to nearly double sanctions pressure on Russia, compared to the restrictions imposed under former US President Joe Biden. ”If we just take a kind of a scale zero to 10… the Biden administration sanctions on Russia were probably a three, on the way out of the door they took them to a 6,” he replied. ”We wouldn't hesitate to take them up to 10,” Bessent said.

• 21:05 GMT: Moscow wants Trump’s special envoy on the Ukraine conflict, Keith Kellogg excluded from the ceasefire talks, NBC News wrote on Thursday, citing anonymous US and Russian officials. Kellogg was absent from both the high-level US-Russian negotiations in Riyadh, and later US-Ukrainian talks in Jeddah. ”Kellogg is a former American general, too close to Ukraine. Not our kind of person, not of the caliber we are looking for,” a Russian official reportedly told NBC news, speaking anonymously. A US official confirmed that the Kremlin did not want the former general involved. The Trump administration sent US special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff as part of Washington’s delegation to this week’s ceasefire talks in Moscow.

• 20:35 GMT: The Trump administration has allowed a general license permitting European countries to buy Russian oil and gas to lapse, as leverage in ongoing talks, Fox News White House correspondent Edward Lawrence has said, citing an anonymous official. The exception expired on Wednesday, according to the copy made publicly available by the US Treasury. The license allowed European states to buy oil and gas from Russia and pay through Russian financial institutions without facing US sanctions. Washington is using the intentional lapse to put pressure on Moscow in the ceasefire negotiations, Lawrence wrote, citing the anonymous source.

• 19:54 GMT: US President Donald Trump has brushed aside suggestions that Russia could attack American allies in Europe. He made the statement at a press conference alongside NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, when asked about some countries’ fears of being attacked in the event of peace in the Ukraine conflict. ”Nope, I don't see that happening,” he replied. ”I think when this gets done, it's done. They’re going to all want to go home and rest,” he said.

• 18:50 GMT: Strengthening the Armed Forces of Ukraine as part of security guarantees for Kiev is dangerous, as its army is under the influence of “extremist elements,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Thursday. “Europe cannot be guaranteed against manifestations of extremism and aggression as long as these extremist nationalist elements are in power,” he said.If these forces are in control of “a strong Ukrainian army, then what kind of stability and predictability will there be in Europe?” the spokesperson said.

https://www.rt.com/news/614136-witkoff-moscow-ukraine-talks/

>>22754746

LIVE UPDATES 2/3

• 18:47 GMT: Kiev will not agree to a frozen conflict, Vladimir Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andrey Yermak, said in a statement on Thursday. ”We will never agree to a frozen conflict,” he stressed, adding that the position aligns with the US. Washington also doesn’t want a repeat of the failed 2014-2015 Minsk Agreements, Yermak claimed. The Minsk agreements signed in 2015 were supposed to stop the fighting between Kiev and the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics. Germany and France were guarantors of the failed accords but later admitted that they only signed them to buy Kiev time to build up its military.

• 18:02 GMT: Washington has been discussing land concessions with Ukraine in the ceasefire talks, Trump has said. “We’ve been discussing land with Ukraine, pieces of land that would be kept and lost,” he said, adding that the ownership of “a very big power plant” was part of the negotiations. The proposed ceasefire is just the first phase of the negotiations, Trump stated.

• 17:46 GMT: Putin’s comment about Russia’s readiness to discuss a ceasefire was promising but “it wasn’t complete,” US President Donald Trump said on Thursday during a bilateral press conference with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. Witkoff and other US representatives are in Russia to discuss the proposed truce, among other things, he said. “They’re in very serious discussions,” Trump stressed. The Ukraine conflict is a big financial burden for the US and others, he said. “We want it to stop. It’s also a tremendous cost to the United States and to other countries,” Trump said.

• 16:32 GMT: Russia supports the idea of ending the hostilities in the Ukraine conflict, but needs any potential ceasefire to facilitate a long-term peace, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said. Speaking during a bilateral meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko Putin noted “We agree with the proposals to cease hostilities. But… this cessation must be such that it would lead to long-term peace and eliminate the initial causes of this crisis.” Moscow has a number of questions about the US ceasefire proposal that will need to be raised in upcoming talks, Putin explained. “I think that we need to discuss this with our American colleagues and partners,” he said. “Maybe we could discuss this with President Trump over the telephone,” the Russian leader added. Notwithstanding, Russia supports the idea of diplomatically ending the conflict, he said.

13 March 2025

• 16:06 GMT: Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Moscow is in favor of a ceasefire, but has numerous questions about its practical implementation. The Ukrainian troops in Russia’s Kursk Region are cut off, and it would be unclear what is to be done with them in the event of a truce, he said. ”Are we supposed to let them out, after they committed mass war crimes against civilians? The Ukrainian leadership could tell them to lay down their arms, and just surrender,” the Russian president said. It is also unclear how the ceasefire would be monitored and enforced, he added.

• 15:24 GMT: It is unclear how amenable the US is to Russian demands about demilitarizing and denazifying Ukraine, Yevgeny Primakov, the head of the Russian agency for international cooperation, Rossotrudnichestvo, has said. ”Under any circumstances, Ukraine must not pose a threat to Russia,” he said. ”This means we must prevent any risks of revanchism, which logically entails that Ukraine should not maintain offensive military capabilities or embrace an aggressive Nazi ideology aimed against Russia,” Primakov stressed. This would entail dismantling several social and political institutions active in Ukraine, as well as reforming its education system, he added. It is unclear how willing the US is to consider these issues, Primakov said.

• 15:20 GMT: Russian President Vladimir Putin is not expected to hold a telephone conversation with Trump on Thursday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has told reporters.

• 15:09 GMT: Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet with Witkoff behind closed doors this evening, presidential aide Yury Ushakov has told Izvestia.

• 14:47 GMT: Russian political analyst Sergey Markov has warned that any ceasefire in Ukraine will be exploited by the West to rearm Kiev's “political regime,” ramp up its conscription drive, as well as strengthen its repressive and anti-Russian nature. Russian philosopher Alexander Dugin has said Trump is not ready to “unilaterally” withdraw from the Ukraine conflict, and “risks getting increasingly bogged down,” despite the US president’s apparent eagerness to wind down hostilities.

https://www.rt.com/news/614136-witkoff-moscow-ukraine-talks/

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• 14:25 GMT: Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky may have had success in manipulating the previous US administration of President Joe Biden, but he has apparently not managed the same with President Donald Trump, according to the vice speaker of Russia’s Federation Council, Konstantin Kosachev. “The outcome of the US-Ukraine talks in Jeddah reveals a clear truth: Zelensky’s attempts to make ‘the tail wag the dog’ may have worked with Biden, but not with Trump,” Kosachev said, stressing that the ceasefire deal terms have so far been set by the US alone.

Given Russian troops’ advances on the battlefield, “dealings with Russia will be different,” Kosachev said. “Any agreements – and we recognize the need for compromises – will come on our terms, not America’s,” he stated, adding that “real agreements are still being forged on the front lines.”

• 14:16 GMT:Washington is unlikely to “trick” Moscow with a ceasefire proposal, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko told Russia 1 TV journalist Olga Skabeeva on Thursday. “It will not be a trick… because we know what we need and they know what we want,” he said, adding that in the event of a ceasefire, there will no “movement” in the Ukraine conflict. Despite this, the Ukrainian “economy will still work, the military-industrial complex will work, they'll produce weapons,” and receive “weapons from abroad,” Lukashenko said. Nevertheless, “Ukrainians will most likely not agree to this,” the Belarusian leader said, adding that Kiev expects Russia to refuse.

• 14:09 GMT: The US has no real plan for the Ukraine conflict, Belarusian leader Lukashenko told the media in Moscow on Thursday, on the sidelines of his talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Instead, the US may have general outlines about “stopping the war” and is “testing the waters” with its ceasefire offer, he added.

• 13:37 GMT: Moscow and Washington both agree that Ukraine becoming a NATO member is “not under discussion,” Russian presidential aide Ushakov has said.

• 13:16 GMT: Moscow wants a long-term peace in the Ukraine conflict, and is against a temporary ceasefire, presidential aide Ushakov told Rossiya 1 TV on Thursday. The official said he made this position known in a recent telephone conversation with US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz. ”I stated our position that this is nothing more than a temporary respite for the Ukrainian military,” he said,”I stated our position that this is nothing more than a temporary respite for the Ukrainian military,” he said.

• 13 March 2025

13:15 GMT: The motorcade presumed to be Witkoff’s has left Moscow’s Vnukovo airport.

• 13:09 GMT:Russian President Vladimir Putin will talk with Trump’s delegation about the proposed ceasefire across Thursday and Friday, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has told reporters.

• 13:09 GMT: Washington has identified a mediator for the US-Russia talks, and it is not Witkoff, presidential aide Ushakov told Zvezda TV on Thursday.

• 13:09 GMT:Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has an “optimistic” outlook on the upcoming US-Russia talks, the top diplomat said in a brief comment to the media on Thursday.

• 13:07 GMT: The US diplomat’s visit will involve discussions on the Ukraine conflict as well as bilaterial ties between Moscow and Washington, according to Russian presidential foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov.

https://www.rt.com/news/614136-witkoff-moscow-ukraine-talks/