18 Jun, 2025 12:18

EU to abandon new Russian oil price cap plan – von der Leyen

Brussels had planned to lower the cap on Russian crude from $60 to $45 per barrel in the latest package of sanctions

The EU has stepped back from its proposal to reduce the price cap on Russian seaborne oil sales, according to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, as cited by Agence France-Presse.The move was intended to be a major component of the bloc’s latest package of sanctions against Russia.

Following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, the EU and G7 nations introduced a price cap and embargo on imports of crude oil and refined petroleum products from Russia, aiming to stem the flow of revenue to Moscow. The European Commission had proposed lowering the cap to $45 per barrel from the current $60 rate.

The current limit “had little effect, but in the last days, we have seen that the oil price has risen [and] the cap in place does serve its function,”von der Leyen said on the sidelines of the G7 in Alberta, Canada, as cited by the news agency. “So for the moment, there’s little pressure on lowering the oil price cap.”

Global prices for crude had dropped below the G7 cap, but surged shortly after Israel began its missile attack against Iran last week. Brent crude for August delivery was trading at $76.36 per barrel on Wednesday, while West Texas Intermediate for July delivery reached $74.82 per barrel.

The European Commission unveiled its 18th package of sanctions on Russia last week, targeting energy exports, infrastructure, and financial institutions.

In addition to proposing a lower oil price cap, the measures, framed as a tool to pressure Moscow into ending the Ukraine conflict, include a ban on any future use of the sabotaged Nord Stream pipeline, restrictions on imports of refined products made from Russian crude, and sanctions on 77 vessels which the West considers part of the so-called Russian ‘shadow fleet’ allegedly used to bypass oil trade restrictions.

The sanctions package still requires unanimous approval from all 27 EU member states to take effect.

On Monday, Bloomberg reported, citing sources,that Brussels faced opposition to lowering the Russian oil price cap not only because of the recent price spike, but also due to US resistance. The news agency saidthe final decision rested with US President Donald Trump, who left the G7 gathering early dueto escalating Iran-Israel tensions.

Moscow has dismissed the sanctions as illegitimate and counterproductive. Russian President VladimirPutin has set the lifting of sanctions as a condition for resolving the Ukraine conflict.

(First of all de Leyen doesn’t even belong there, the EU is not a country. But I suppose there was a lot of disagreement when Trump was there.They are so afraid of Trump, it’s kind of funny.)

https://www.rt.com/business/619658-eu-lowring-oil-price-cap-russia/

18 Jun, 2025 14:14

Canadian state media explains absence of G7 Ukraine statement

Washington reportedly rejected a proposed text over concerns it could jeopardize the Ukraine peace process

G7 leaders did not issue a joint statement on the Ukraine conflict following the group’s recent summit in Canada,because the US refused to sign off unless it was “watered down,” Canadian state broadcaster CBC and other media outlets have reported.

The summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, ran from Sunday to Tuesday.US President Donald Trump left the gathering early, and did not meet with Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky, who also attended.

On Tuesday, CBC cited an anonymous official from Canadian Prime MinisterMark Carney’s office admitting that plans for a group statement on Ukraine were dropped.

The Americans reportedly opposed wording referencing Russia, due to concerns that it could jeopardize US-brokered diplomatic efforts to settle the conflict between Moscow and Kiev.

The Canadian PM’s office later rejected the reports, with its spokesperson Emily Williams insistingthat “no proposed joint statement regarding Ukraine was distributed. Canada’s intention was always for the important language to be a part of the G7 Chairs’ Summary Statement, and it was.” (NATO also reworded their statement in fear of President Trump’s position, andhe would get mad at them. KEKThe G7 meeting was a bust because they now have the stupidest leaders that just hate Russia. Thats all they try to fixate on. And Trump denying Zelensky a meeting was the best. The little shit got mad at Trump. Z doesn’t even belong there.)

Carney’s Summary statement said that the “G7 leaders expressed support for President Trump’s efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine”and backed Kiev’s call for “an unconditional ceasefire.”

Russia has repeatedly rejected Ukraine’s sudden demand, calling it a ploy to allow Ukrainian forces regroup and resupply.

According to Carney, the G7 is “resolute in exploring all options to maximize pressure on Russia, including financial sanctions.”

Commenting on the summit on Tuesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov saidthat the event was “rather unremarkable and meaningless.”

https://www.rt.com/news/619646-canada-g7-ukraine-trump/

That picture says it all, Zelensky got ignored!

Donald Trump fired national security adviser Mike Waltz for 'plotting with Israel's leader to bomb Iran'

19:02 EDT 03 May 2025, updated 02:00

President Donald Trump sacked his national security adviser Mike Waltz because he was plotting with Israel's leader to attack Iran, it was claimed last night.

Waltz, 51, was thought to have been fired because he accidentally added a journalist to a Signal chat about plans to attack Yemen's Houthi terrorist group, causing global embarrassment for the Trump administration.

But last night the Washington Post reported the realreason for Trump's ire was that Waltz huddled with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahuduring the latter's White House visit in Februaryand 'appeared to share the Israeli leader's conviction that the time was ripe to strike Iran,' according to a source.

Trump was angered that Waltz 'engaged in intense coordination with Netanyahu about military options against Iranahead of an Oval Office meeting between the Israeli leader and Trump.'

The source said: 'Waltz wanted to take US policy in a direction Trump wasn't comfortable with because the US hadn't attempted a diplomatic solution.

It got back to Trump and the president wasn't happy with it. You can't do that. You work for the president of your country, not the president of another country.'

Waltz, a former Green Beret, was sacked from his position as head of the National Security Council (NSC) on Friday and will now become ambassador to the United Nations, a 'massive downgrade move to save face', according to one Trump insider.

A spokesman for Waltz did not respond to a request for comment nor did the White House.

White House Communications Director Steven Cheung said: 'The President sets the agenda and it's up to his administration to implement those policiesand everyone was rowing in the same direction which is why he had the most successful first 100 days in history.'

Waltz has been temporarily replaced as head of the NSC by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a Trump loyalist.

A Trump insider said Waltz's 'days were numbered' after he accidentally included the editor of The Atlantic in a Signal chat coordinating military bombings in Yemen, a scandal that became known as 'Signalgate.'

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14676145/Donald-Trump-fired-national-security-adviser-Mike-Waltz-plotting-bomb-Iran.html

This makes me wonder what Waltz is stirring up at the UN. Someone should keep an eye on him.

Grace Chong, MBI

BANNON: As @RepMTG says, pray for our troops. Think today’s a good day to do that.

Pray for @realDonaldTrump that he gets good guidance and he thinks this through with his heart and God touches him today. The pressure around President Trump is absolutely relentless.

11:46 AM · Jun 17, 2025

·29.3K Views

0:24

https://x.com/gc22gc/status/1935001077377831187

LATEST: Iran Contacted White House For Negotiations, Sent Two Planes To Oman, Jack Posobiec Reports

(It seems like the back and forth with Khamenei and Trump is for cosplay publicly.)

14:05

https://rumble.com/embed/v6ss2v7/?pub=4

>>23199126 this is important to listen to there, they can be a peaceful negotiation with Iran.

Fox is pushing Israel, even though Bibi usurped Trump intentionally

REP. STUTZMAN: “Trump Has A Big Task In Front Of Him But I Trust He’s The Guy To Do It.”

(Lindsey Graham the warmonger needs to go, and quickly. He wants Ukraine and the Iran mess to continue)

6:04

https://rumble.com/embed/v6ss1zt/?pub=4

Sam Faddis: “We Can’t Be In The Position Of Having A Foreign Country Telling Us What Has To Be Done”

13:20

https://rumble.com/embed/v6ss1pb/?pub=4

>>23199227 Israel is not a good influence, Sachs has said Israel has driven us to every useless and earth shattering wars, where we are the ones that are blamed. Bibi knows this and does it all the time. He’s not trying to save Israel, he just wants another forever war with what he considers their enemies.

>>23199245 that’s what Bibi wants.

President Trump Speaks to Media as New Flagpoles are Raised

June 18, 2025 | Sundance |

President Trump participated in a flagpole raising celebration earlier today at the White House. During the installation, President Trump delivered remarks to the media and took questions from the assembled press pool. WATCH:

41:07

https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2025/06/18/president-trump-speaks-to-media-as-new-flagpoles-are-raised/

https://youtu.be/V7HaGc8z2VQ

“This Looks Like A Way For Netanyahu To Save His Prime Ministership” Steve Bannon On Push For U.S. Kinetic Action In Iran

12:36

https://rumble.com/embed/v6sqxxr/?pub=4

“Take Out The Regime And It Opens Up To Civil War” Jack Posobiec Gives Iran Update Ahead Of NSC Meeting Results

We don’t want regime change in Iran, Israel does, Bibi knows if they can’t be at constant war, he’s out of power. When Trump says we will protect Israel, he’s only talking about the people, not the corrupt leadership. There’s a reason Bibi unleashed hell a day before the U.S. and Iran negotiations in Oman. Apparently it was too successful for Bibi.

14:45

https://rumble.com/embed/v6squ77/?pub=4

>>23199356 Lindsey Graham should move and live in Israel for the rest of his life. He can fight with the soldiers, since he loves war so much

>>23199356 I hate Lindsey, he worked in court not in war! He’s a fag that loves the brutality of war but he just wants to watch

>>23199401 what is your problem, do you love Bannon? Weirdo

>>23199385 they can’t record him on the Golf course. Think strategically

Solomon: “My Impression Is That America Will Continue To Stay On The Sidelines.”

"Speak softly and carry a big stick"is a proverb popularized by Theodore Roosevelt, meaning to negotiate peacefully while also being prepared to use strength if necessary. It emphasizes the importance of diplomacy backed by military power.

9:45

https://rumble.com/embed/v6sqbmb/?pub=4

18 Jun, 2025 17:11

No evidence of nuclear threat from Iran – ex-UK ambassador

West Jerusalem claims Tehran was on the brink of obtaining nuclear weapons to justify the latest attacks

There’s no evidence that Iran poses a nuclear threat to Israel, former UK Ambassador to Iran Richard Dalton has said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that Iran was on the verge of developing nuclear weapons shortly after Israel launched air strikes on Iranian territory last week.

Speaking to Sky News last week,Dalton said, “There is no evidence in the public domain” that Iran was on the brink of nuclear weaponization.

He noted that US intelligence shows “no change in the basic assessment” that Tehran has decided “to develop nuclear weapons in accordance with their own defense doctrine, which is to eschew weapons of mass destruction.”

“So, we are entitled to disbelieve Netanyahu’s claims that there was some recent change in Iranian policy and behavior until evidence is put in the public domain,” Dalton said.

Israel began bombing Iran last Friday, claiming that the country was nearing the completion of a nuclear bomb. Iran denied the accusations and responded to the Israeli military operation with waves of drone and missile strikes on the Jewish state.

According to a Washington-based Iranian human rights group, the Israeli assault has so far killed 585 people, including 239 civilians, and wounded more than 1,300. Israel’s Government Press Office reported on Wednesday that Iran’s retaliatory missile attacks claimed the lives of 24 people, with 804 injured. It added that around 3,800 people have been evacuated from various areas due to ongoing tensions.

In 2015, Tehran signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, an international accord with the US and European powers that limited uranium enrichment in exchange for sanctions relief. In 2018, then-US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the deal, reimposing all sanctions and prompting Iran to gradually move away from its own commitments. Since then, the Iranian authorities have granted foreign inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency only limited access to its nuclear facilities.

The Islamic Republic currently enriches uranium to 60% purity, far above the 3.67% cap set under the now-defunct agreement.

Russia has condemned Israel’s airstrikes and called for deescalation,warning that strikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure could trigger a “nuclear catastrophe.” In a statement on Tuesday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Israel’s attacks on peaceful atomic sites violate international law and threaten global stability. (All middle eastern all agree with this statement.)

https://www.rt.com/news/619674-no-evidence-iran-nuclear-weapons/

White House challenges House Democrats' report Trump pardons cost $1.3B in unrealized restitution

President Trump's pardons allowed $1.3 billion in restitution to go unpaid, according to a report by Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee.

The report released Tuesday reviewed court records for the crimes that were pardoned, which include those in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol, The Hill news outlet reported.

“Not only has President Trump issued an unprecedented number of pardons in his second term, he has used his clemency powers to take an estimated $1.3 billion away from victims and survivors of crime, allowing perpetrators to keep profiting from their crimes,” the report states.

People convicted of crimes are often ordered to pay fines as part of their sentencing, which are channeled into funds to offer compensation to victims in addition to covering costs that taxpayers bear.

“At the time President Trump pardoned the January 6th insurrectionists, only 15% of the $3 million in restitution ordered to victims had been paid, with the remaining $2.6 million due suddenly liquidated by the President’s pardons,” according to the report.

White House spokesman Harrison Fields responded to the report by saying;"President Trump is righting the wrongs of political prosecutions and providing justice after careful consideration of thoroughly vetted cases presented to him."

He also said Democrats "were conveniently silent" when President Biden "pardoned his tax-cheating son, and they have no standing to cry foul now," according to CBS News.

“Of course it’s not just violent, cop-beating extremists in President Trump’s private mob-and-militia who have been pardoned. With a far greater financial effect, President Trump’s pardon spree has also swept in big-time corporate fraudsters, millionaire tax evaders, and other white-collar criminals. Thanks to President Trump’s pardons, these convicted criminals now get to keep $1.3 billion in ill-gotten gains they stole from their victims and American taxpayers,” the Democrats' report reads.

Trump has the power to offer conditional pardons, which would still require those who receive them to pay all outstanding restitution.

https://justthenews.com/government/congress/trump-pardons-let-13-billion-restitution-go-unpaid-house-democrats

Iran offered to visit White House for talks amid ongoing conflict: Trump

June 18, 2025

President Donald Trump on Wednesday claimed that Iranian officials had offered to come to the White House to negotiate amid ongoing missile exchanges with Israel.

Speaking to reporters on the prospect of negotiating, Trump said "I said it's very late to be talking. There's a big difference between now and a week ago."

"They even suggested they come to the White House. That's courageous, but you know, it's not like easy for them to do," he added. KEK

Trump's claim comes in the wake of an Israeli preemptive strike on Iran's nuclear facilities and senior military leaders with the aim of dismantling the country's nuclear weapons program.

Fighting has been ongoing since last week and the Iranians have refused to capitulate. Trump himself has hinted that the U.S. may involve itself in the fighting and even suggested he could assassinate Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/iran-offered-visit-white-house-talks-amid-ongoing-conflict-trump

“President Trump Is Adamant Iran Won’t Have Nuclear Weapons.” Bannon Gives Foreign Policy Assessment

15:00

https://rumble.com/embed/v6sqap7/?pub=4