Trump is Fighting Leftist State Governments and Elite Law Firms - Alan Dershowitz on if He Can Win
Megyn Kelly is joined by Alan Dershowitz, author of "The Preventive State," to discuss Trump’s fight with leftist state governments and elite law firms, Dershowitz’s personal experience with backlash in his legal career, why Trump’s initiatives are likely to be upheld, and more.
10:27
https://youtu.be/V968T-g3ISc
29 May, 2025 16:09
Kremlin responds to Ukraine’s criticism of peace proposal
Kiev’s demands for early access to a Russian draft memorandum are “unconstructive,” spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said
Ukraine’s demands that Russia “immediately”delivers its draft roadmap for ceasefire talks are undermining diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said.
Delegations from both countries are expected to meet soon to discuss their respective proposals for a truce.Moscow yesterday proposed a meeting in Istanbul on Monday to discuss the drafts.
In response, Ukrainian officials criticized Moscow for not sharing its document ahead of time, accusing Russia of stalling the talks process.
”Demanding [to see the Russian document] immediately is just unconstructive. They should either confirm they are prepared for talks or say otherwise,” Peskov told reporters on Thursday during a regular briefing.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, Kiev’s lead negotiator, said on Wednesday that he had already sent Ukraine’s draft to Moscow and claimed Russia was delaying its response. Foreign Minister Andrey Sibiga echoed the sentiment, insistingRussia should “immediately submit their proposals for our consideration.”Umerov also repeatedUkraine’s call for “a full and unconditional ceasefire.”
Vladimir Medinsky, head of the Russian delegation, said on Wednesday that he had contacted Umerov to finalize the date and venue for an exchange of memorandums. The next round of talks would also involve “substantive discussion of each point of the package agreement on a future ceasefire,” he added.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov later confirmed that Moscow’s document is ready, ahead of a proposed resumption of talks, sparking the complaints from Kiev.
Peskov said thatKiev had yet to formally confirm participation in the meeting.
Ukrainian officials previously insisted upon a 30-day pause in hostilities as a precondition for negotiations. Russia rejected the proposal,arguing it would give Kiev time to regroup militarily. Ukraine later revised its position after the administration of US President Donald Trump stated that it saw direct Russia-Ukraine talks as the next logical step toward a peace settlement.
While pursuing diplomacy, Ukraine has also urged its Western backers to impose additional sanctions over Russia’s refusal to accept an immediate ceasefire and has also intensified long-range strikes inside Russian territory.
(The history: at the start of the Russian Operation 2022 in Ukraine, on two different occasions Zelensky requested and demanded a 30 day ceasefire, Russia agreed. But in both pauses, the West rearmed Ukraine to the hilt and probably sent Western Advisors in to run the war. Russia was tricked twice and they will never allow a 30 day ceasefire again, until the war is officially ended. Ukraine and leaders are not serious about stopping the war, they just take advantage for more attacks. Now it appears Kiev doesn’t want peace, and will derail the talks as long as they can.)
https://www.rt.com/russia/618308-kremlin-ukraine-memorandum-demand/
30 May, 2025 08:03
Russia has ‘fair concern’ about NATO expansion – Trump envoy
Keith Kellogg insists Ukraine’s bid to join the bloc is off the table
Russia’s long-standing security concerns regarding NATO expansion are reasonable, US presidential envoy Keith Kellogg said Thursday in an interview with ABC News
He was responding to a question about reports that Moscow wants NATO leaders to issue a written commitment halting further enlargement – particularly the inclusion of Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia into the US-led military bloc.
“It’s a fair concern and we’ve said that repeatedly …that to us Ukraine coming into NATO is not on the table,” he said.
“We’re saying: okay, comprehensively we can stop the expansion of NATO coming close to your border,” Kellogg added, noting that such a move would ultimately require a presidential-level decision.(PDJT already made that decision, he said Ukraine will never be allowed into NATO)
Towards the end of the Cold War, senior US officials gave assurances to the Soviet Union that NATO would not expand eastward, in exchange for support for German reunification. Since the 1990s, Moscow has cited the alliance’s expansion to Russia’s borders as evidence of Western duplicity.
NATO’s insistence on admitting Ukraine to the bloc is a key factor which led to the current conflict with Russia. In 2021, Moscow offered a diplomatic proposal to ease tensions,but the US and other bloc members insisted its open-door policy was non-negotiable, describing Ukraine’s path to membership as “irreversible.” (NATO now under Rutte is hiding his plans from Trump, it’s been his long term strategy to make NATO a fighting force around the world, not just defending the European Continent. Probably one of the reasons Trump is withdrawing US troops from NATO in Europe.)
Moscow hopes to hold a new round of negotiations with Kiev on Monday in Istanbul, where both parties would exchange draft memorandums on the next steps in the peace process, including a conditional cease-fire. Ukrainian officials have expressed frustration at not receiving the Russian draft in advance and said they might boycott the meeting.
“I always caution [Kiev’s chief negotiator Rustem Umerov]: don’t say things like that,” Kellogg said. “Part of life is showing up, and you need to show you’re serious.”
Russia and Ukraine reached a preliminary peace agreement in Istanbul in 2022, but Kiev later withdrew from talks, aiming for a military breakthrough with support from Western nations. Moscow sees the renewed talks launched earlier this month as a chance to revisit the proposal, which involves Ukraine adopting a stance of neutrality and limiting its military.
The interviewer pressed Kellogg on whether those terms were “pretty extreme,” suggesting they were proof that Russia does not seek peace.Kellogg responded that ending the conflict was in Moscow’s interest.
(Sounds like Kellogg got called out by Rubio by spewing lies on Fox about Russia last week, he interfered with the peace talks and he was too lenient to Kiev and more harsh on Russia.)
https://www.rt.com/news/618343-kellogg-nato-expansion-ukraine/
30 May, 2025 09:04
Ukraine trying to trick Trump – Moscow
Promoting lies about Russia is becoming more difficult due to Kiev’s clear choice in favor of war, Russia’s UN envoy has said
Ukraine is trying to trick US President Donald Trump, who wants to achieve peace in the ongoing conflict, into returning Washington to an anti-Russian stance, Vassily Nebenzia, Moscow’s envoy to the UN, has said.
During his speech at a UN Security Council briefing on Ukraine on Thursday, Ambassador Nebenzia reminded of the intensification of Ukrainian drone incursions into Russia over the past week. A total of 1,465 drones had been shot down by air defenses, but nonetheless led to civilian casualties and deaths, including among children, he said.
Kiev and its NATO backers “are trying to make us believe that Russia is deliberately shelling residential areas of Ukrainian cities” during its retaliatory strikes, the envoy stressed.
Moscow’s attacks “target exclusively objects related to Ukraine’s military-industrial complex, and we are successfully destroying them or rendering them inoperable,” Nebenzia said, reiterating the stance consistency voiced by the Russian Defense Ministry throughout the conflict.
“The plans concocted by [Vladimir] Zelensky and his posse are way too plain and clear. Their task is to trick and mislead American President Donald Trump, who is taking decisive steps toward peace; they are ready to go to any lengths only to return the US – which has already wasted hundreds of billions of dollars helping Ukraine – to an anti-Russian and Russophobic course,” he insisted.
However, the envoy stressed that “promoting Ukrainian and Western lies about Russia is becoming increasingly difficult, since the actual steps of the Kiev regime, its deliberate choice in favor of war and the further suffering of its citizens speak volumes.”
Moscow is eager to continue “serious direct negotiations” with Kiev in order to find a solutionto the Ukraine conflict that would address its root causes, he said.
He reminded that Russia has invited the Ukrainian delegation to Istanbul on Monday to discuss the memorandums on approaches to negotiating peace prepared by the sides.
“The ball is in Ukraine’s court: either talks followed by peace or imminent defeat on the battlefield with different conditions for ending the conflict,” the envoy insisted. (Apparently Kiev has still not confirmed if they will participate in the talks on Monday, even though it was proposed by Lavrov 3-4 days ago)
(IMO all of these delays are pushed by Zelensky because once the peace agreement is done, he has no roll and probably will be pushed out by lawmakers that want peace. The complaints and interruptions are planned by Macron, Starmer and others on behalf of Zelensky; none of them want to stop the war.)
https://www.rt.com/news/618342-ukraine-trump-un-nebenzia/
30 May, 2025 09:17
Pentagon employee arrested for trying to leak secrets over Trump grievances
Nathan Laatsch allegedly tried to pass classified data to a foreign government, citing disagreement with the US president’s policies
An IT specialist at the US Defense Intelligence Agency has been arrested for allegedly attempting to provide classified information to a foreign government, citing his opposition to President Donald Trump’s policies, according to the Department of Justice.
Nathan Vilas Laatsch, 28, of Alexandria, Virginia, was charged on Thursday with trying to share classified informationwith someone he believed represented a foreign government. He was detained following an FBI sting operation.
Laatsch, who has worked as an IT specialist in the DIA’s Insider Threat Division since 2019, allegedly expressed intent to share classified materials due to ideological differences with the Trump administration.
“The recent actions of the current administration are extremely disturbing to me,” he said in an email reportedly intercepted by the FBI. “I do not agree or align with the values of this administration and intend to act to support the values that the United States at one time stood for.”
The DOJ said the FBI had initiated an investigation in Marchafter receiving a tip about Laatsch’s intentions. Undercover agents, posing as representatives of a foreign government, communicated with Laatsch, who began transcribing classified information onto a notepad at his desk over a three-day period. He then allegedly concealed the notes in his socks and lunchbox to remove them from the facility.
On May 1, Laatsch reportedly left a thumb drive containing documents marked ‘Secret’ and ‘Top Secret’ at a prearranged drop-off locationin a public park in northern Virginia. He laterexpressed interest in obtaining citizenship from the foreign country, stating he did not expect “things here to improve in the long term,” the prosecutors said.
Laatsch was arrested at a subsequent drop-off location on Thursday. He is scheduled to appear in court in Alexandria.
The identity of the foreign government involved has not been disclosed, but the DOJ described it as a US ally.
“This case underscores the persistent risk of insider threats,” FBI Director Kash Patel wrote on X on Friday. “The FBI remains steadfast in protecting our national security and thanks our law enforcement partners for their critical support.”
The arrest of Laatsch adds to a series of high-profile cases involving US intelligence personnel leaking classified information.
In August last year, Pentagon employee Gokhan Gun was arrested while trying to travel to Mexico with ‘Top Secret’ documents. Gun, 50, was charged with unauthorized retention of classified materials.
In 2023, Air National Guardsman Jack Teixeira, 21, was sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to leaking hundreds of classified Pentagon documents on Discord. The files included intelligence on the Ukraine conflict and other sensitive matters.
https://www.rt.com/news/618346-pentagon-employee-data-leak/
(Why don’t this people just resign from government service, instead of doing the crime of treason to the U.S.?)
29 May, 2025 10:40
CIA running out of international informants and spies – WaPo
The agency is reportedly struggling to recruit assets and agents, intelligence sources have told the newspaper
The CIA is grappling with difficulties in recruiting foreign informants and “needs more spies,” The Washington Post reported on Wednesday,citing current and former intelligence officials.
Chief among the problems thesources listed is the global proliferation of public surveillance systemsand advances infacial recognition, which make it harder for operatives to avoid detection.
CIA Deputy Director Michael Ellis acknowledged the issue in a recent public interview, saying that although “some of the tools and techniques from the 1960s or ‘70s might still work today, a lot of them need to be updated and refreshed.”
Other officials pointed to past setbacks, according to the WaPo, including the agency’s aggressive recruitment of Chinese officials in the early 2000s. Beijing’s security forces later dismantled that network, reportedly imprisoning and executing up to two dozen CIA assets.
The COVID-19 pandemic also hindered operations, the report said, by disrupting face-to-face meetings with informants due to lockdowns and travel restrictions.US President Donald Trump’s current plan to close 10 embassies and 17 consulates as part of budget cuts threatens to further reduce the CIA’s footprint globally.
In an effort to attract defectors, theCIA has produced what the reports described as “Hollywood-quality” videostargeting Russian and Chinese audiences, which have been distributed via social media. While officials told the Post that some Russians have responded, they declined to provide specifics.
The ads sparked incredulity in both countries and parodiesthat reversed the agency’s message by highlighting American problems.
Domestically, the CIA’s recruitment of new agents has declined by double-digit percentages since 2019, a former official told the Post. The newspaper noted that a recent directive from the White House that led to the circulation of an unclassified list of new hires — including first names and initials — could impact morale and security.
In 2021,the agency was ridiculed for a recruitment video featuring a “cisgender Millennial who has been diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder.” Ellis said the current leadership is focused on building “the ultimate meritocracy at the CIA.”
KEK here’s the video
Dominic Lee 李梓敬
@dominictsz
Chinese netizens are having fun with the CIA's recruitment ad for Chinese spies!
They've turned it around and made it even more convincing than the original!
2:02 AM · May 5, 2025
·343
Views
https://x.com/dominictsz/status/1919271339602706787
https://www.rt.com/news/618306-cia-recruitment-problems-wapo/
(So WaPo is runnning an ad for the CIA, pathetic!)
29 May, 2025 04:12
Lavrov briefs Rubio on Ukraine negotiations
The Russian foreign minister and the US secretary of state spoke by phone on Wednesday
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov discussed Ukraine peace negotiations in a phone call with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday.
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, Lavrov briefed Rubio on “concrete proposals for the next round of direct talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul.”
“Both sides affirmed their intent to maintain constructive and respectful dialogue,” the ministry said in a statement on its website.
US State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said that Rubio “welcomed Russia and Ukraine’s exchange of ‘1,000-for-1,000’ prisoners over the weekend.”
“The secretary reiterated President Trump’s calls for constructive, good-faith dialogue with Ukraine as the only path to ending this war,”Bruce added.
The conversation took place as US President Donald Trump intensified his rhetoric toward Russia, accusing his counterpart Vladimir Putin of “playing with fire.”
He stopped short, however, of imposing new sanctions – something he suggested could still happen if peace talks stall. “We’re going to find out whether or not [Putin is] tapping us along, and if he is, we’ll respond a little differently,”Trump said on Wednesday.
Russia and Ukraine held their first direct negotiations in three years on May 16 in Istanbul, agreeing to carry out a major prisoner swap and to each draft a memorandum outlining their terms for a potential ceasefire. The exchange was conducted in several phases and concluded last week.
While Kiev has said it shared its memorandum with both Moscow and Washington,the Kremlin stated on Wednesday that it is “finalizing” its version of the document.
Lavrov proposed holding the next round of talks in Istanbul on June 2. Russia’s lead negotiator, Vladimir Medinsky, has rejected Ukraine’s claims that Moscow is stalling the process.
Kiev has backed Trump’s proposal for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire. However, Russia has stated that for a full ceasefire to be achieved,Ukraine must halt mobilization, stop receiving foreign weapons, and withdraw its forces from Russian territory.
Moscow also insists that Kiev must abandon its plans to join NATO and formally recognize Crimea and four other regions as part of Russia. The Kremlin has described NATO’s expansion as one of the “root causes” of the conflict – an issue it says must be addressed in the ongoing talks.
(Good at least Rubio knows that Ukraine are the ones delaying and lying to Trump. And since this is in the news no one can hide it from Trump)
https://www.rt.com/news/618293-lavrov-rubio-phone-call/