20 Mar, 2025 13:23

Zelensky contradicts Trump on call details

US ownership of nuclear power plants was not under discussion, the Ukrainian leader has claimed

Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky has denied any discussion with US President Donald Trump regarding American ownership of nuclear power plants in his country. Zelensky insisted that a recent conversation involved investment in one particular facility.

In a phone call on Wednesday, the two leaders addressed “Ukraine’s electrical supply and nuclear power plants,” according to the US account of the dialogue.Trump suggested that America “could be very helpful in running those plants” and proposed that US ownership would provide “the best protection for that infrastructure.”

When asked about the call at a press conference,Zelensky insisted that he had not offered the USthe opportunity to acquire the facilities. He stated that the conversation focused specifically on the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant and the possibility of US investment in it.

The plant is operated by Russian nuclear experts and is located in Zaporozhye Region, which officially joined Russia following a referendum in the autumn of 2022.Kiev has refused to recognize the results of the vote. Zelensky asserted on Wednesday that, should the plant be returned to Ukrainian control – a scenario Moscow does not foresee –it could become a profitable asset within 12 to 18 months.

”The president [Trump] asked: ‘What if we have an understanding that America would rebuild it?’ I replied, ‘If you want to upgrade it and invest money, we can discuss that with you.’ But our conversation was limited to this single station,” Zelensky stressed.

The reasonfor the conflicting accounts surrounding the Trump-Zelensky conversation remains unclear.

Previous reports have indicated that Zelensky struggles with communication with Western officials. The German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung said last October that the Ukrainian leaderprefers speaking in English – despite his limited fluency – and declines the use of an interpreter.

https://www.rt.com/russia/614532-zelensky-trump-ukraine-energy/

19 Mar, 2025 19:51

Trump wants US ownership of Ukraine’s energy facilities – White House

The president has told Vladimir Zelensky it would be the best way to protect the country’s power plants

US President Donald Trump proposed an American takeover of Ukraine’s power plants during a phone call with Vladimir Zelensky, suggesting it would be the best way to protect the infrastructure, the White House has said.

The Ukrainian leader later insisted that he only spoke about the Russian-held Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) with Trump – not the whole Ukrainian power generating industry. The US president held a phone conversation with Zelensky on Wednesday, describing it as a “very good” discussion.

Shortly after the call,US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Adviser Mike Waltzissued a statement, saying that “President Trump also discussed Ukraine’s electrical supply and nuclear power plants. He said that the US could be very helpful in running those plants with its electricity and utility expertise.”

“American ownership of those plants would be the best protectionfor that infrastructure and support for Ukrainian energy infrastructure,” it read.

During a video-conference with journalists later in the day, Zelensky contradicted the US statement, stating that he and Trump“talked exclusively about one station, which is under temporary occupation by Russia.”

According to the Ukrainian leader, Trump asked him if Kiev would consider American investment in the Zaporozhye nuclear plant. “I answered ‘yes’ – if there is an opportunity to modernize it, invest money and so on – we are ready to discuss this with you,” he said.

The power plant, which is the largest in Europe, has been under Russian control since March 2022. In the fall of 2022, Zaporozhye Region officially joined Russia together with Kherson Region and the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics.

Throughout the conflict, Moscow and Kiev have repeatedly accused each other of shelling the facility, and the Russian Defense Ministry has said that several attempts by Ukrainian assault units to retake it have been repelled.

The Trump-Zelensky phone call comes a day after the US president held a conversation with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. They discussed the Ukraine crisis, with Trump floating the idea for Moscow and Kiev to halt long-range strikes on energy infrastructure.

“One of the first steps toward fully ending the war could be ending strikes on energy and other civilian infrastructure. I supported this step, and Ukraine confirmed that we are ready to implement it,” Zelensky said in a statement.

https://www.rt.com/news/614513-us-ukrainian-energy-takeover/

20 Mar, 2025 13:53

Musk claims there’s a conspiracy to kill him

Left-wing activists want to end his life and bring down Tesla, the billionaire has warned

Elon Musk has alleged that left-wing activists are conspiring to kill him and damage Tesla in order to halt his efforts to reduce US federal waste and corruption. A series of violent attacks have recently targeted Tesla cars and dealerships, using vandalism and arson.

The billionaire tech mogul currently serves as an adviser to US President Donald Trump, and has overseen significant budget cuts and federal workforce reductions, including those carried out through the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Critics have accused Musk of pushing for extreme austerity, while supporters have argued the moves are necessary to curb government waste.

The backlash against Musk’s actions has escalated in recent weeks, with protests and attacks on Tesla-related property. An assault on a Tesla Collision Center in Las Vegas involved Molotov cocktails and resulted in damage to at least five vehicles.

Speaking to Fox News on Monday,Musk condemned the attacks, calling them “deranged,” and suggested they are not random and that there is a coordinated effort against him and Tesla.

“They basically want to kill me because I’m stopping their fraud, and they want to hurt Tesla because we’re stopping the terrible waste and corruption in the government,” Musk told the outlet. He also questioned the origins of the attacks, asking,“Who’s funding and who’s coordinating it?Because this is crazy. I’ve never seen anything like this.”

Despite the threats, Musk insists that the backlash is proof that his and Trump’s policies are working, and thatthe intensity of the opposition indicates they are disrupting entrenched interests.

Anti-Musk protests have continued across the US, with demonstrators criticizing Tesla’s ties to the administration. Some activists have taken extreme measures, including targeting Tesla customers. A recent online campaign, reportedly linked to the “DogeQuest” group, has created an interactive doxing map, exposing the addresses of Tesla owners and calling on activists to spray paint their vehicles.

US Attorney General Pam Bondi has condemned the escalating violence, calling attacks on Tesla and its affiliates “nothing short of domestic terrorism.” She has vowed to prosecute those responsible and warned that further attacks could lead to federal charges.

https://www.rt.com/news/614536-elon-musk-murder-conspiracy/

(It’s not a conspiracy, they say it out loud.The good news, the more they catch the freaks, the more they can find out who is funding and sending them.)

20 Mar, 2025 15:33

Militarize Ukraine ‘to the teeth’ – Finnish president

Alexander Stubb has also called for stronger sanctions against Russia and the seizure of its frozen assets

Finnish President Alexander Stubb has called on Kiev’s Western backers to pump Ukraine with military resources and financial aid, claiming that this will deter Russia. His words come as EU lawmakers have been negotiating potential assistance to the country amid concerns that Washington could stop the flow of arms.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has been pitching a plan to boost the bloc’s contributions to Ukraine to €40 billion ($43.7 billion) this year;last yearthis figuretotaled €20 billion ($20.9 billion).

La Stampa, however, recently cited proposedEU legislation as specifying that only €5 billion would be provided to Kiev. Kallas told the Italian newspaper that her initial suggestion was opposed by Italy, France, Spain, and Portugal.

Stubb told Politico on Wednesday that “Deterrence – which is based on militarizing Ukraine to its teeth,” would be the best way to end the Ukraine conflict.

The Finnish president lamented the fact that the proposal pushed by Kallas had failed to gather enough support, expressing hope that that heads of state and government would be able to salvage the package.

“It’s very important now to send a message from Europe that the military, political and economic support continues,” he said, emphasizing that sanctions against Russia should be bolstered, while its frozen assets should be seized to ramp up pressure.

Hungary has refused to sign a joint EU summit statement on Ukraine, according to TASS; the outlet emphasized that both lethal and non-lethal aid had been rejected by Budapest.

The Finnish president also supported the idea of Ukraine’s potential membership in the EU and in NATO. Finland, which only joined the US-led military bloc in 2023, has been a strong backer of Kiev since the escalation of the conflict in February 2022.

Moscow has consistently condemned NATO expansion towards its borders, describing the bloc as a threat to Russia’s national security. President Vladimir Putin and other officials have repeatedly stressed that efforts to include Ukraine in the military bloc had been one of the root causes of the escalation of the conflict in 2022.

Stubb’s comments come amid negotiations for a 30-day ceasefire aimed at halting long-range strikes on energy infrastructure by both sides advocated by US President Donald Trump. Another round of talks between Russian and US delegations is scheduled for March 24 in the Saudi city of Jeddah.

https://www.rt.com/news/614534-militarize-ukraine-teeth-finland-stubb/

(These people are insane and delusional! Russia and Finland had a very friendly relationship before Joe pulled them into NATO. Stubb just wanted his name in the paper, because he's never been quoted.)

20 Mar, 2025 12:26

Germany has dealt ‘death blow to the euro’ – AfD leader

Eurozone stability is under threat due to Berlin’s military spending boost and debt brake overhaul, Alice Weidel warns

Berlin’s move tooverhaul its national debt rules in order to boost military spendinghas jeopardized the economic stability of the euro area, according to Alice Weidel, the co-leader of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. Her comments came shortly after the federal legislature approved the measure.

On Tuesday, the Bundestag backed an initiative allowing the federal government tounlock a record level of state borrowing for defense and infrastructure. The fiscal package was approved by 513 legislators, while 207 voted against it.

“This is a death blow for the euro, which in the coming years – and it is already beginning to do so – will devalue significantly,” Weidel told journalists after the “historic” vote, emphasizing that German lawmakers had approved “gigantic debt.”

The reform, whichamends the nation’s constitutionally enshrined fiscal rules, will hit the country’s future generations the hardest, according to AfD’s co-leader, who also warned that “what is being done here is the final destruction of Germany’s financial stability.”

“We will lose our AAA rating, our top credit rating,” Weidel warned.

The world’s major credit agencies currently rank Germany’s long-term sovereign debt AAA, entailing the lowest expectation of risk.

The reform package approved by the lower chamber implies the removal of federal fiscal restrictions in order to increase the special fund for the Bundeswehr, Germany’s armed forces.

If adopted, the amendmentswill allow spending exceeding 1% of the country’s gross domestic product(GDP) to be effectively exempt from the nation’s “debt brake” that was added to the constitution in 2009. The current rules normally limit federal budget deficits to no more than 0.35% of GDP.

In addition, the proposed reform stipulates the creation of a debt-financed and brake-exempted fund of €500 billion ($548 billion) earmarked for infrastructure and climate investments,with one-fifth of that funding to be committed to fighting climate change.

The reform package also needs to be approved by the Bundesrat, a body representing the country’s states, on Friday to become enshrined in Germany’s constitution.

https://www.rt.com/business/614523-afd-weidel-germany-euro-death/

(Even though climate change spending has demolished Germany’s gas, electric and nuclear power, with rising costs of home and business heating and lighting soaring, and every other country is cutting back on the scam, German leaders, lead their country further into destruction.)