14 Mar, 2025 13:0

Rutte confirms Ukraine’s NATO membership out of the question

Russia has long identified Kiev’s aspirations to join the bloc as among the key causes of the conflict

NATO membership for Kiev is off the table in efforts undertaken by the US and Russia to achieve peace in the Ukraine conflict, the bloc’s Secretary General Mark Rutte has confirmed. Speaking on Bloomberg TV on Friday following his meeting with US President Donald Trump, Rutte said any security guarantees for Kiev should be discussed after a peace deal or a ceasefire are in place.

Ukraine has long demanded a seat within NATO as a security guarantee for ending the conflict with Russia. Moscow, however, has cited Kiev’s NATO ambitions as being among the root causes of the conflict in the first place, and has called for Ukraine’s neutrality as a foundation for any settlement.

DETAILS TO FOLLOW

https://www.rt.com/news/614222-rutte-ukraines-nato-membership-out/

(Finally, it should be recorded in NATO Charter permanently)

Picture: Trump said “I’ll handle this Vladimir”, it’s done.

14 Mar, 2025 09:51

Putin met with Trump envoy – Kremlin

Steve Witkoff was given a message to deliver to Washington, spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, in Moscow on Thursday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said. Witkoff arrived in the Russian capital to deliver detailed information on the results of this week’s US-Ukraine talks in Saudi Arabia.

Following their talks in Jeddah on Tuesday, Washington and Kiev published a joint statement in which Ukraine agreed to a proposed 30-day ceasefire with Russia, while the US announced the resumption of military aid and intelligence sharing with Kiev.

On Thursday, media reports suggested that Witkoff had personally traveled to Moscow to deliver the details of the proposal to top Russian government officials, who have yet to issue a formal response.

Speaking to journalists on Friday, Peskov confirmed Witkoff’s visit, stating that the US representative had met with Putin to deliver “additional details” to the Russian leader. Putin also gave the envoy “information and additional signals for President Trump,” Peskov said.

During a press conference on Thursday, Putin stated that Russia “absolutely supports” the idea of resolving the Ukraine conflict through peaceful means and is ready to discuss Trump’s ceasefire proposal.The Russian president suggested that dialogue could include a personal conversation with the US leader.

However, he stressed that all the details of a ceasefire must first be clarified, noting that Moscow is not interested in a short-term solution and instead wants to reach a lasting resolution of the conflict.

Putin cited a system of “control and verification”to monitor any truce as well as Kiev’s potential attempts to use the pause in hostilities to rearm and reinforce its troops on the front line. He also noted the importance of clarifying the status and fate of Ukrainian troops currently encircled in Russia’s Kursk Region, where Kiev launched an incursion last year.

https://www.rt.com/russia/614206-putin-met-trump-envoy/

14 Mar, 2025 08:49

Moscow banned Trump’s Ukraine envoy from peace talks – NBC

Keith Kellogg is reportedly seen as too hawkish on Russia and “too close to Ukraine”

Keith Kellogg, US President Donald Trump’s special envoy to Russia and Ukraine, has been barred from taking part in peace talks at Moscow’s request, NBC News reported on Thursday, citing sources. According to the report, Russian officials view Kellogg as too hawkish and “too close to Ukraine.”

The retired US Army lieutenant general was absent from both last month’s Russia-US talks in Saudi Arabia and this week’s US-Ukraine talks in Jeddah.

The White House also confirmed that Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, will attend the next round of negotiations with Russia instead of Kellogg. Witkoff arrived in Moscow late Thursday.

“Kellogg is a former American general, too close to Ukraine,” an unnamed Russian official reportedly told NBC. “Not our kind of person, not of the caliber we are looking for.”

An official in the Trump administration reportedly confirmed that Moscow did not want Kellogg involved in the peace process.Another source claimed that Kellogg’s exclusion “stung” him.Neither Kellogg’s office nor Moscow has commented on the report.

While Kellogg has supported Trump’s calls to end the Ukraine conflict, his views on achieving peace have not aligned with Moscow’s. He has backed continued US aid to Kiev, which Russia argues only prolongs the conflict, and advocated for freezing the conflict along the current front lines, which Moscow has rejected in favor of a lasting settlement.Kellogg has also pushed for using frozen Russian sovereign assets to rebuild and rearm Ukraine – an idea that Moscow has called theft.

In an interview with RT Russian on Wednesday, political analyst Malek Dudakov suggested that Kellogg could be permanently removed from negotiations following last month’s tense meeting between Trump and Vladimir Zelensky, which devolved into a shouting match after the Ukrainian leader pushed back against Trump’s demand for peace talks with Russia. This prompted Trump to accuse him of “gambling with World War III” before cutting the meeting short. The fallout reportedly delayed a key US-Ukraine rare-earth minerals deal and led to a temporary suspension of US military aid and intelligence-sharing with Kiev.

“Basically, Kellogg was responsible for communication with the Ukrainian side, he instructed the Ukrainians, and we see that all this led to a grand failure. And now he will no longer participate in any new negotiations,”Dudakov told RT.

(https://www.rt.com/russia/614194-kellogg-moscow-ban-ukraine-talks/

I can see the simmering anger subconsciously with American Military leaders, it would be difficult to overcome the bias. Although Kellogg supports Trump 100%. I noticed every aid of Trump with a couple of days early on, were repeating, “I can’t speak for Trump”, he can speak for himself”, so they all got a talking to when they blurted their opinions. Kash early on had to say that too.

14 Mar, 2025 02:55

Trump ‘would like to meet with’ Putin

The Russian president has also expressed openness to discuss a US-proposed Ukraine ceasefire with his American counterpart

US President Donald Trump has expressed his readiness to meet with his Russian counterpart, after Vladimir Putin said Moscow is open to a US-proposed ceasefire in Ukraine, while raising a number of questions about implementing it.

The Russian president voiced support for a potential 30-day ceasefire in the Ukraine conflict on Thursday,but warned of loopholes and strategic disadvantages, outlining Moscow’s concerns over how a truce could be enforced.

“[Putin] put out a very promising statement, but it wasn’t complete. And, yeah, I’d love to meet with him or talk to him,” Trump told journalists during a press conference alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte later in the day.

Trump said the US has already discussed many details of a potential “final agreement” with Kiev and is now waiting to see “whether or not Russia is there.”

“We’ve been discussing land with Ukraine… pieces of land that would be kept and lost and all of the other elements of a final agreement.You know, we’ve been discussing concepts of land because you don’t want to waste time with a ceasefire if it’s not going to mean anything,”Trump said. “They discussed NATO and being in NATO, and everybody knows what the answer to that is. They’ve known that answer for 40 years, in all fairness.”

Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, visited the Russian capital on Thursday to discuss the results of US-Ukraine talks in Saudi Arabia earlier this week and to relay Moscow’s position back to Washington. Witkoff was also expected to meet with the Russian president behind closed doors in the evening, but officials have yet to confirm whether the meeting took place or to provide details of his other interactions during the brief visit.

Earlier in the day, Putin stated that Russian troops were advancing along nearly 2,000 kilometers of the front line and warned that halting military actions would disrupt their momentum and give Ukrainian forces time to regroup.

“These 30 days – how will they be used? To continue forced mobilization in Ukraine? To receive more arms supplies? To train newly mobilized units?” Putin asked. Enforcing a ceasefire over such a vast battlefield would be difficult, he added, and violations could easily lead to a blame game between both sides.

Putin went on to say that the Ukrainian troops who invaded Russia’s Kursk Region in August 2024 are now cut off. “Are we supposed to let them out after they committed mass war crimes against civilians?” he said.

The Russian leadersuggested that further direct discussions with his US counterpartwould be necessaryto find a viable solution, but officials have yet to confirm any specific timeline for the talks.

https://www.rt.com/news/614191-trump-like-meet-putin/

The interesting thing is almost every military leaders and numerous President Putin aids rejected the offer on the onset of, he overruled them. Putin is very strategic and knows Trump, so rejecting the offer was not possible. Putin is also surrounded with war hawks that wanted to glass Ukraine on day one.

14 Mar, 2025 10:11

US demands changes to minerals deal with Ukraine – media

The current proposal could see alterations during an ongoing “pause,” sources have told RBC-Ukraine

Senior US officials refused to sign a minerals deal with Ukraine during talks in Saudi Arabia earlier this week, Ukrainian news outlets have claimed, citing insider sources.

The administration of President Donald Trump views the proposed agreement as a means to recover US funds spent on the Ukraine conflict. The current draft seeks to create a joint investment fund for long-term exploitation of Ukrainian hydrocarbons, rare-earth minerals, and other critical resources. The bilateral negotiations in Jeddah on Tuesday marked the third attempt to finalize the deal.

According to sources cited by RBK Ukraine and Suspilne on Thursday,American officials decided to pause the signing of the agreement to allow for potential amendments to the current draft.

Following the talks, a joint statement declared that the US and Ukraine “agreed to conclude as soon as possible a comprehensive agreement for developing Ukraine’s critical mineral resources.” Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky has said Kiev is prepared to sign the deal “in any time and in any convenient format.”

The arrangement was initially proposed by Zelensky in his ‘victory plan’ presented last year ahead of the US presidential election. Kiev aimed to incentivize continued US support against Russia by offering privileged access to its natural resources.

Proponents argue that Ukraine possesses trillions of dollars’ worth of minerals, while skeptics contend that the figure is significantly inflated, relying on outdated estimates of deposits and neglecting the costs of extraction, as well as Russia’s control over many Ukraine-claimed sites.

The first unsuccessful attempt to finalize the minerals agreement occurred in mid-February when US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent visited Kiev. Trump accused Zelensky of “breaking the deal” with him and treating his emissary “rudely.”

A revised version of the proposal was slated for signing during Zelensky’s visit to Washington on February 28. However, it was cut short after Zelensky publicly questioned Trump’s diplomatic approach to Russia and the Ukraine conflict.

After this week’s talks, the US resumed arms supplies and intelligence sharing with Kiev in return for the Zelensky government agreeing to a proposed 30-day ceasefire with Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin has backed the truce idea, contingent upon Ukraine not using the proposed suspension of hostilities to reorganize and regroup its forces.

https://www.rt.com/russia/614203-ukraine-minerals-deal-pause/

14 Mar, 2025 12:09

Alleged instigator of 2014 Odessa massacre killed – media

Demyan Ganul was a notorious figure with longstanding links to ultra-nationalist groups

Notorious Ukrainian neo-Nazi Demyan Ganul, who was accused of playing a key role in the 2014 mass killings of anti-Maidan activists in Odessa,was reportedly shot dead on Friday morning.

Ukrainian media identified Ganul as the victim of a suspected assassination in Odessa based on tattoos visible in leaked crime scene images.Police did not name Ganul when announcing a manhunt for the killer, although Interior Minister Igor Klimenko did not dispute the identification and has vowed to personally oversee the investigation.

Graphic footage circulating online depicts theassailant executing an injured man in broad daylight, seemingly unperturbed by the presence of witnesses and CCTV cameras.

Ganul rose to prominence on the back of the Western-backedcoup in Kiev in 2014, leading the enforcer unit of the Right Sector ultranationalist movement in Odessa. He is alleged to have played a pivotal role in the May 2, 2014 massacre of anti-Maidan activists, who were chased by pro-coup militants into a building that was subsequently set ablaze.

On Thursday, the European Court of Human Rights ordered the Ukrainian government to compensate victims of the 2014 tragedy for its failure to prevent the violence, organize a proper rescue effort, or conduct an adequate investigation.

In recent years,Ganul engaged in vandalism targeting Soviet-era memorials and Russian-linked sites. He also reportedlyled a team employed by city draft officialsto assault individuals resisting conscription.

Last July, Ganul showcased his attack on a fitness trainer who had insulted Ukrainian military personnel, posting a photo of himself with the bloodied victim. Local reports indicated that the trainer was also sexually assaulted before being handed over to military authorities.

Russia had sought Ganul's arrest, placing him on an international wanted list last May.

https://www.rt.com/russia/614211-odessa-murder-demyan-ganul/

14 Mar, 2025 13:58

Trump confirms call with Putin on Ukraine

Trump confirms call with Putin on Ukraine

US President Donald Trump has confirmed that he spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putinon Thursday about ending the Ukraine conflict. Trump described the conversation as “very good and productive” on his Truth Social platform on Friday.

DETAILS TO FOLLOW

https://www.rt.com/news/614227-trump-confirms-call-putin/

14 Mar, 2025 04:41

Moscow targeted in new Ukrainian drone raid – mayor

Kiev’s latest attack comes after a US envoy’s visit to discuss ceasefire talks proposed by Washington

Moscow has repelled another Ukrainian drone attack, just days after the Russian capital was targeted in a major multi-wave raid involving over 90 UAVs that killed three civilians, according to Mayor Sergey Sobyanin.

The attack on Friday morning comes just hours after US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, departed from Moscow. Witkoff reportedly met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday night to discuss the results of US-Ukraine talks in Saudi Arabia and relay Moscow’s position back to Washington.

“The Russian air defense forces have repelled the attack of four drones flying toward Moscow,”Sobyanin wrote on Telegram shortly after 7am local time, adding that emergency services were working at the crash sites.

There were no immediate reports of casualties.Moscow’s Vnukovo International Airport has suspended operations in response to the drone raid.

Reports on Telegram claim that the roofs of two apartment blocks have been damaged by the debris of the drones in the capital. One of the affected buildings is said to be located just 2km from the Radisson Collection Hotel, Moscow, which was called the Hotel Ukraina before 2010 and occupies one of the iconic Seven Sisters skyscrapers, which were built during the era of Joseph Stalin.

Moscow Region Governor Andrey Vorobyev also confirmed that “this morning, our air defenses have repelled another UAV attack.” In a post on Telegram, he said that a total of three drones were intercepted over the region.

Two were shot down over Balashikha, a city of 500,000 located 21km east of Moscow. The debris of one of the UAVs fell on a construction site. Another drone was taken out in Leninsky Urban District south of the capital, he wrote. There were no injuries as a result of the raid, according to the governor.

CCTV footage purporting to show the explosion of a UAV in the Leninsky Urban District has been shared by Telegram channels.

On Tuesday morning, Kiev launched a major multi-wave assault on several Russian regions, with Russian air defenses neutralizing a total of 337 drones, including 91 over Moscow Region. The attack killed three civilians and injured a number of others.

Just hours later, representatives from the US and Ukraine held talks in Saudi Arabia, where they issued a joint statement offering Moscow a 30-day ceasefire.

Putin expressed support for a potential ceasefire, but raised concerns regarding how it could be implemented. Speaking on Thursday, Putin warned of potential loopholes and strategic disadvantages.

https://www.rt.com/russia/614193-moscow-ukrainian-drone-raid/

14 Mar, 2025 13:36

Vance assesses Poland’s nuke request

Warsaw has proposed hosting US nuclear weapons on its soil

US Vice President J.D. Vance has said he would be “shocked” if President Donald Trump supported the idea of American nuclear weapons being based in Poland.

In an interview with Fox News on Thursday, Vance was asked about Warsaw’s proposal to host US strategic missiles on its territory as a “deterrent against future Russian aggression.”

“I haven’t talked to the president about that particular issue, but I would be shocked if he was supportive of nuclear weapons extending further east into Europe,” Vance said.

Polish President Andrzej Duda has called on Washington to move some of its nuclear arsenalstored in Western Europe or the US to Poland,claiming on Thursday that he had discussed the idea with Keith Kellogg, the US special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, according to the Financial Times.

The Polish president reportedly made a similar request to the Joe Biden administration in 2022, but it was never approved.

Vance argued that while “people like Joe Biden”are “sleepily walking us into the nuclear conflict,”allowing Russians and Ukrainians to “bleed out,”Trump has engaged in “tough diplomacy,”enlisting his entire administration to settle the Ukraine conflict.

Polish officials are reportedly calling for militarization to address the alleged threat posed by Moscow. Prime Minister Donald Tusk claimed earlier this month that Russia could launch a “full-scale operation” against a “larger” target than Ukraine within three to four years – which Moscow has repeatedly dismissed. Tusk argued that Poland must serve as a “bastion” to protect NATO’s eastern flank and should expand its military capabilities and double the size of its army to 500,000.

Russia has consistently denied allegations that it poses a military threat to European NATO nations. President Vladimir Putin has dismissed such claims as “nonsense,” accusing EU leaders of using them to instill fear among their populations and justify increased military spending.

Calls for higher defense budgets within the EU, however, align with Trump’s push for European NATO members to take greater responsibility for their own security. At the same time, the US president has criticized the idea of an arms race and suggested that nuclear powers should get rid of their atomic arsenals.

https://www.rt.com/news/614212-vance-poland-nukes-trump/

(Poland is the most hawkish and paranoid about Russia, they are always suggesting more bombs and arms, but the EU has to pay for it. Their calls, fall flat.)

14 Mar, 2025 12:33

HomeWorld News

EU aiming to revive military industry – Politico

Brussels has been pursuing a path of militarization, citing the existential threat from Russia

The European Union has laid out plans to revitalize its military industry, citing an alleged “existential threat” from Russia and concerns over the future of NATO, according to a White Paper obtained by Politico. Moscow has repeatedly denied having any intention of attacking Western states, dismissing such claims as “nonsense” meant to justify increased military spending.

The initiative comes in light of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s proposal to mobilize up to €800 billion for defense. The so-called ReArm Europe plan includes financial incentives for EU member states to expand their military budgets, as well as a proposed €150 billion in loans for joint defense projects.

The White Paper, one of the authors of which is the EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, outlines measures to “rebuild European defense” by increasing military spending, prioritizing the procurement of defense items within the EU, and streamlining financing for arms production. Kallas, a vocal critic of Moscow, has long advocated for a more aggressive military posture toward Russia.

=The document justifies its proposals by citing what it describes as the “existential threat”posed by Russia and Moscow’s “expansionist policies==.” It states that the EU must prepare for a long-term confrontation and that investing more in defense is necessary to ensure security.

The White Paper additionally highlights growing concerns over the US’ role in European security.It warns that Washington’s shifting policies under President Donald Trumpcould weaken NATO’s capabilities,meaning that the EU would have to take greater responsibility for its own defense. The document refers to NATO as “the cornerstone of collective security” and argues that Europe must do more to ensure the military bloc remains intact.

Another key aspect of the proposal is increasing assistance to Ukraine. The White Paper calls for additional military aid, including the supply of 1.5 million artillery shells, expanded training programs for Ukrainian forces, and continued integration of Ukraine into EU military initiatives.

Moscow has repeatedly denied any intention of attacking NATO or EU member states. Russian President Vladimir Putin has dismissed such claims as “nonsense” meant to scare the European population and increase military budgets.

Russian officials have also vehemently condemned the EU’s recent militarization efforts and vilification of Moscow, arguing that it is a path that only leads to more confrontation and undermines peace efforts in the Ukraine conflict.

(Seriously if Europe just invited Russia into NATO, the country could protect the entire continent, but then they would not have an enemy to yell and scream about. Plus Russia could turn back illegals on the sea with their fleets. Plus Russia would get there more quickly than the U.S. Europe never really wants peace. Brussels and EU do white papers and lose interest over 3 years it takes to implement anything.)

https://www.rt.com/news/614215-eu-militarization-white-paper/

Any EU anons here, does the EU ever implement any of their bizarro plans?Except attacking citizenry?

14 Mar, 2025 07:34

Trump allows waiver for Biden-era Russia sanctions to expire – media

The exemption was part of the rollout of stringent measures targeting the Russian oil trade

The US Treasury allowed a 60-day waiver for energy-related financial transactions with sanctioned Russian banks to expireon Wednesday, according to multiple news outlets citing officials.

Originally issued by the administration of President Joe Biden on January 10, General License No. 8Lprovided 12 major Russian financial institutions, including the country’s central bank, limited access to US payment infrastructure.

The grace period was meant to give time to clear remaining transactions as the outgoing government imposed stricter sanctions on Russian oil trade. The escalation of sanctions was reportedly coordinated with Donald Trump’s transition team before he became president, aiming to strengthen his position in negotiations with Moscow.

Upon taking office, Trump initiated talks aimed at normalizing relations with Russia. However, he has also warned of imposing additional sanctions if Moscow is unwilling to compromise regarding the Ukraine conflict.

The Trump administration “remains focused on ending the fighting and fostering negotiations to resolve the war,” an emailed statement from a Treasury spokesperson, quoted by Reuters on Friday, asserted. “We continue to implement our sanctions, which remain one of the levers to facilitate these goals.”

This week, Trump proposed a 30-day ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia after pressuring Kiev to reassess its previous stance that no truce could occur without Western security guarantees. Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed support for such an initiative, contingent on Ukraine refraining from using the pause to rearm and regroup before resuming hostilities.

https://www.rt.com/business/614198-us-sanctions-waiver-expires/

BREAKING: Hamas agrees to release Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander

Hamas is expected to release Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander, the last living American hostage, and the bodies of four other hostages. The 'Fox & Friends' co-hosts react.

2:49

https://youtu.be/OEVUYOqJ0EI

'BETRAYAL': Schumer faces wrath of AOC after Dems' heated meeting

Fox News' Aishah Hasnie reports the latest on the spending bill showdown. AOC wanted Trump’s powers limited for them to sign the bill; that’s how stupid AOC is. She’s losing her loudmouth position to Crockett.The Dem party is disintegrating into High School CliquesKEK

(If Dems would work with Reps, they’d have a say in negotiations.Resistance is futile, they should know that by now)

https://youtu.be/FSKWDbnsF3Y

6:57

>>22758763

Gillibrand is trying to wake up Dems, their Brand has been demolished and fighting for this nothing burger is not worth more negative news and how the Dems can’t lead.Who knew she would be a partially sane person?