BREAKING: David Limbaugh explains why he thinks Trump is pissed about Epstein

Jul. 16, 2025 The Right Scoop Really Good Read, to get sanity back.

David Limbaugh wrote an article on X explaining why he thinks President Trump is pissed about the tremendous focus on the Epstein files and, quite wisely, why everyone should cool their jets.

I know it’s long but it is absolutely worth a read:

Many think Trump is being dismissive of the Epstein thing — cavalier. I don’t read it that way.I think he’s pissed. He has racked up amazing, unprecedented policy accomplishments and Epstein is sucking the wind out of it — not to just to his detriment, but ultimately to ours.

I think we’re being presented with a false choice:you either favor full disclosure no matter the law and consequences about which we have no knowledge, or you’re a pedi-protector.

Do you all really believe Kash Patel and Dan Bongino, let alone Pam Bondi despite her PR missteps, have something to hide here? Is it conceivable that Patel and Bongino have railed about this issue for some time and now have some nefarious motive in changing their position? Did they find out — unbeknownst to themselves — that they are on the list?

Could there be some plausible explanationas to why they are playing their cards close to the vest for the time being, or is the fact that they’re doing so proof that they are suddenly embroiled in corruption?

That is not plausible to me. I don’t think these people changed their stripes that quickly. And I don’t think my willingness to trust them — makes me an enabler of corruption or perversion.

Back to Trump. If he were implicated the Dems would have crucified him when they had sole possession of the materials — files, list or no list. You know it. I know it.

But now people who have doggedly supported him even through tougher times are turning on him and piling on with the opportunistic Democrats who heretofore haven’t given two shakes about any of this.

None of us knows the full story yet. None of us knows yet why the administration hasn’t done a better job explaining, at least that they’ll be able to tell us more later.

But it seems manyhave so much invested in believing the worst about this— that Epstein was the leader or at the center of a Robert Ludlum-level international conspiracy — that they can’t let it go. It’s as if their worldview will crumble if their worst suspicions aren’t vindicated. And if Trump and his administration happen to be in office when this whole thing fizzles,then they too must have been nefariously drawn into this conspiracythat is too powerful even for the fiercest of otherwise moral mortals.

In the meantime, Trump’s heyday is being rained on and he feels betrayed by a bunch of supporters who in turn feel that he’s betrayed them.

Well,I’m just asking for a little grace on both sides, especially the supporters who should at least give Trump, Bongino, Patel, and even Bondi some trust here before throwing them to the dogs. There has to be more to the story — or possibly way less to the story.

But this idea that previously non-corrupt people have immediately become corruptjust doesn’t pass the smell testfor me and it surprises me that so many supporters have been so quick to jump ship.

https://therightscoop.com/breaking-david-limbaugh-explains-why-he-thinks-trump-is-pissed-about-epstein/

>>23340088

Part 2BREAKING: David Limbaugh explains why he thinks Trump is pissed about Epstein

2/2

And I repeat — no way in hell I’m defending the protection or insulation of pedophiles or corruption. Trump’s policies on the border alone have burnished his credentials as an enemy of trafficking and pedophilia. (I’m not intending to conflate the different issues, but he deserves credit for that).

And as dramatic and juicy as it sounds,I do not believe occam’s razor leads to the conclusionthat the administration is concealing these “files” or lists because to disclose them would implicate all kinds of world leaders and lead to the downfall of civilization. Sorry folks. Just not buying it.

I could very well be wrong about all of this, which goes without saying. But can some of Trump’s latter day critics make the same disclaimer? Will they? Or are they sure they know this is the worst thing that’s ever happened and they now know that the deep state is so deep that it drills all the say down to China and encompasses Trump and his administration?

I’m not being sarcastic and I’ll allow as how the administration hasn’t handled this adroitly — and that’s an understatement. ButI seriously doubt that if they are concealing anythingit is because they are in any way involved in corruption.

If they are holding back serious information, I have to assumethey have a darned good reason for doing so, even if in the end, they are wrong. I also suspect we’ll learn more, sooner rather than later (I hate that Clinton-born phrase).

We have a country to save and we need to remember that— which, again, is not to say, “Let’s close our eyes to massive corruption because the end justifies the means.” Rather, it is to say, we have a country to save and the government officials we’re entrusting to do that as our representatives are probably not doing anything wrong here — andyou should strongly consider that.

So many people I greatly respect I’m sure radically disagree with me here but that doesn’t make me disrespect them or judge them — as I fear many of them might judge me for my stance here. But I can live with that. And at least, in humility I will say I don’t know and can’t yet know all that’s involvedand until I have more informationin the fullness of timeI’m going to trust the people I trust— andthey’ve repeatedly earned that trust. Beyond my wildest expectations in fact. Accomplishing things I would never have thought possible, much less in such a short period of time, from the dismantling of the administrative state and department of education to the emasculation of Iran’s nukes and the sealing of a seemingly irreversibly porous border to the re-unleashing of energy, to the taming of inflation to the resurrection of the military, to the DOGE focus on fraud, waste and corruption, to the defunding of Ivy League institutions to Tariff revenues to major steps toward peace around the world. And so much more.

God bless you all — because presumably we want the same things — except those who would exploit this issue, or any others for their own self-aggrandizement==.

https://therightscoop.com/breaking-david-limbaugh-explains-why-he-thinks-trump-is-pissed-about-epstein/

This article proves to me there are a ton or propaganda media and implanted left wing agitators to attack Trump intentionally

John Kennedy

@SenJohnKennedy

If you put hands on an ICE officer, you should be prosecuted, get sent to jail, and get to spend some quality time with Bubba.

0:40

12:19 PM · Jul 16, 2025

·322.2K Views

Kennedy is getting fed up with all this violence and stupidity in the Senate also.

https://x.com/SenJohnKennedy/status/1945518707586879517

Epstein updated: Loomer Makes President Trump an offer he shouldn’t refuse… July 15, 2025 (2 days ago) 1/2

The Epstein files have ripped open a deep and growing divide inside the MAGA movement. But this isn’t just about some scumbag rich guy and his perverse island crimes. This is about justice. It’s about whether or not we’re really going to hold the elite class accountable or let them, yet again, walk away totally unscathed. And even more than that, it’s also about whether President Trump is truly surrounded by the right people for the job ahead.

As a result of the “Epstein divide,” there are now two very distinct camps inside MAGA. One side is demanding total transparency on Epstein and his grotesque network of coconspirators, and they’re not letting go. They want names, timelines, and prosecutions. You can’t blame them, right?

Collin Rugg: (There is something really wrong with Matt Walsh)

NEW: Matt Walsh sends a message to the Trump administration over the Epstein case.

• “We want those people to be dragged in front of us, weeping and begging for mercy…”

• “Millions of Americans are not satisfied with what we’ve been told, and we shouldn’t be…”

• “I want to make this very clear to those on the right, including the President himself, who are telling us to just drop the subject and move on. We can’t drop it. We can’t move on.”

• “Because what we want is justice. We have a deep desire for justice. And we can see how the corrupt and the powerful are never held accountable.”

• “We want these evildoers to be punished. We want the innocent to be defended. We want justice. It’s one of the most basic and most honorable of all human desires.”

• “We want to see that justice is done. We want to know who else was in those awful videos that Pam Bondi told us about.”

• “We want those people to be dragged in front of us, weeping and begging for mercy.”

• “We want them exposed and humiliated and shamed and punished in the harshest and most painful way, because that’s justice.”

• “And we’re not going to drop the subject until we get it.”

And the other side sees the Epstein mess as a distraction from bigger battles we have to fight right now, like exposing ActBlue’s money laundering operation, fixing the 2020 steal, and keeping focus on what matters most in 2024 and beyond.

But both sides mostly agree on one thing:Pam Bondi dropped the ball. She didn’t handle any of this like a pro.

Revolver recently covered an exclusive from Laura Loomer, who revealed, via her high-level sources, that Kash Patel and Dan Bongino were furious over how AG Pam Bondi botched the Epstein document rollout.

Let’s not forget that ridiculous stunt Pam pulled off with the so-called “Epstein binders.” Glossy covers, flashy boxes, like some bad Netflix promo, filled with publicly available court records that the base (and all of America) had already seen. She hyped it up like bombshell evidence was coming, but what MAGA got instead felt like a cover-up in a nifty little gift bag.

Revolver:

After that stunt fell flat, Bondi said officials were poring over a supposed truckload of previously withheld evidence she said had been handed over by the FBI. In a March TV interview,she claimed the Biden administration “sat on these documents; no one did anything with them.” She then went on to say the following:“Sadly these people don’t believe in transparency, but I think more unfortunately, I think a lot of them don’t believe in honesty.”

https://revolver.news/2025/07/epstein-updated-loomer-makes-president-trump-an-offer-he-shouldnt-refuse/

(this is not one of Darren's best articles)

>>23340151

2/2

Pam was digging herself a hole that she may never get out of… because now, after months of Pam’s hype and speculation, the DOJ has released a memo that’s ignited a political firestorm, claiming there is no Epstein list and there will be no further disclosures. The End. What?

The backlash inside the MAGA movement has been fast and furious.People want answers and are not taking this latest stunt sitting down. It’s gotten so bad that,according to investigative reporter Laura Loomer, the anger is boiling over inside the Trump administration. According to Loomer, Kash Patel and Dan Bongino are absolutely livid with Pam Bondi,and the damage she’s caused is serious enough that some want her gone.(I really wonder who at the WH and agencies are gossiping to Loomer, she’s not exactly sane, and her info may be accurate, which is in question, but she’s not trustworthy to keep a secret?)

The backlash inside the movementhasn’t cooled off one bit. It’s actually intensified. And now, Laura Loomer has an offer for President Trump, and many believe it’s one he shouldn’t refuse. Her proposal is simple: Appoint a special counsel to take the Epstein investigation out of Bondi’s hands and let the chips fall where they may.

The Hill:

Far-right activist Laura Loomer, a staunch ally of President Trump, said Sunday night there should be a special counsel to examine the handling of files related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Loomer, who has bashed Attorney General Pam Bondi for her handling of the Epstein documents, told Politico’s Playbook newsletter that a special counsel should be appointed “so that people can feel like this issue is being investigated, and perhaps take it out of [Bondi’s] hands, because I don’t think that she has been transparent or done a good job handling this issue.” (Why is anyone listening to Loomer’s recommendation on a Special Counsel, she knows nothing about how that works,and I’m sure they have picked a Special Counsel on much bigger matters?)

The Justice Department and FBI issued a joint memo last week that stated Epstein did not have a client list and confirmed he died by suicide — not due to foul play many suspect — in his New York City jail cell in 2019. The findings incensed members of the MAGA movement, who have for years pushed conspiracy theories about Epstein’s death and claims that prominent Democrats would be named on a client list.

Bondi, in particular, has faced intense backlash, given her comments earlier this year pledging transparency around the Epstein files. The attorney general last week defended the Justice Department’s handling of the evidence.

It’s actually a smart move when you think about it. If a special counsel takes over the Epstein mess, it frees up Pam Bondi to focus on what really matters to President Trump, like exposing the 2020 election fraud and the Dems’ money laundering schemes.

After all, Loomer’s not just throwing bombs; she’s offering a solution here. And if President Trump wants to unite his base and show that no one is above the law, then appointing a special counsel may be the best way forward.

https://revolver.news/2025/07/epstein-updated-loomer-makes-president-trump-an-offer-he-shouldnt-refuse/

Terrorist Designation of The Resistance Front

Press Statement

Marco Rubio, Secretary of State

July 17, 2025

Today, the Department of State is adding The Resistance Front (TRF) as a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). 

TRF, a Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) front and proxy, claimed responsibility for the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam attack which killed 26 civilians. This was the deadliest attack on civilians in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks conducted by LeT. TRF has also claimed responsibility for several attacks against Indian security forces, including most recently in 2024.

These actions taken by the Department of State demonstrates the Trump Administration’s commitment to protecting our national security interests, countering terrorism, and enforcing President Trump’s call for justice for the Pahalgam attack.   

TRF and other associated aliases have been added to LeT’s designation as a FTO and SDGT pursuant to section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and Executive Order 13224, respectively. The Department of State has also reviewed and maintained the FTO designation of LeT. Amendments to FTO designations go into effect upon publication in the Federal Register.

https://www.state.gov/releases/2025/07/terrorist-designation-of-the-resistance-front/

MIKE BENZ

@MIKEBENZCYBER

HOW, AFTER ALL THESE YEARS, HAS NO CIA NAME TRACE BEEN DONE ON JEFFREY EPSTEIN?

6:06

7:14 AM · JUL 17, 2025

· 342.2K VIEWS

https://x.com/MikeBenzCyber/status/1945804371968569469

MIKE BENZ

@MIKEBENZCYBER

A CIA NAME TRACE CAN BE TURNED AROUND IN 2 WEEKS. IN 2 WEEKS TIME, ATTORNEY GENERAL PAM BONDI SHOULD BE ABLE TO STAND BEFORE THE AMERICAN PUBLIC AND TELL US THE RESULTS OF WHAT'S INSIDE FOR JEFFREY EPSTEIN.

HTTPS://X.COM/MIKEBENZCYBER/STATUS/1945808481455358032

Video attached

>>23340342

This Question About Epstein and the CIA Deserves an Answer, Mike Benz Explains

BY LIFEZETTE NEWS STAFF1/2JULY 17, 2025

Technology and national security analyst Mike Benz is raising new questions about Jeffrey Epstein’s potential ties to U.S. intelligence agencies, focusing on the lack of a CIA name trace in official government reporting.

In a detailed statement, Benz criticized both the Central Intelligence Agency and the Department of Justice for failing to conduct or disclose basic investigatory steps regarding Epstein’s longstanding connections to figures with known intelligence links.

Benz, who has previously testified before Congress and leads the Foundation for Freedom Online, reviewed hundreds of declassified CIA name traces — internal checks the agency routinely conducts when individuals are publicly alleged to have ties to the intelligence community.

He said Epstein’s case stands out due to the agency’s apparent lack of action.

“I’m gonna make a longer video on this tomorrow, but I just spent the past six hours reading through hundreds of declassified CIA name traces where, when there’s a high profile media event, mainstream media publication alleges that a particular individual is connected to the CIA, and the CIA routinely runs a name trace in order to determine whether or not the allegation is true or not,” Benz said.

“So that the Director of Central Intelligence and senior leadership knows that whether the rumors swirling around are true or false, there’s no name trace. We don’t even know if a name trace was done at CIA on Jeffrey Epstein, and it’s inconceivable,” he continued.

Benz pointed to Epstein’s unusual business relationships and real estate ties with the U.S. government as reasons a name trace should have been an obvious step.

Technology and national security analyst Mike Benz is raising new questions about Jeffrey Epstein’s potential ties to U.S. intelligence agencies, focusing on the lack of a CIA name trace in official government reporting.

In a detailed statement, Benz criticized both the Central Intelligence Agency and the Department of Justice for failing to conduct or disclose basic investigatory steps regarding Epstein’s longstanding connections to figures with known intelligence links.

Benz, who has previously testified before Congress and leads the Foundation for Freedom Online, reviewed hundreds of declassified CIA name traces — internal checks the agency routinely conducts when individuals are publicly alleged to have ties to the intelligence community.

==“This is a guy who personally negotiated the transfer of a CIA proprietary airline to the business he had power of attorney over in 1995. This is a guy who personally had the State Department as his landlord after the U.S. government seized a residence in New York City,” Benz said.

https://www.lifezette.com/2025/07/this-question-about-epstein-and-the-cia-deserves-an-answer-mike-benz-explains-watch/?utm_source=revolver

>>23340371

2/2

“This is a guy who was widely alleged to quote belong to intelligence as the reason for his high profile sweetheart plea deal.”

He also referenced the Department of Justice’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) report from November 2020, which addressed questions about Epstein’s ties to intelligence without citing any CIA records or requesting a name trace.

“In the Justice Department OPR report in November 2020, where Alex Acosta is asked about Epstein ties to intelligence… there’s one paragraph description that says, and we believe it would be highly unlikely if Epstein had intelligence ties, because if he did, defense counsel would have told us,” Benz said.

Of course,we know in that case, defense counsel arranged private meetings with Alex Acosta, and Alex Acosta’s inbound emails all got deleted — 11 months worth, beginning with the start of the investigation,” he added.

Benz questioned the DOJ’s reasoning and why it did not directly consult the CIA.

“Why wouldn’t you task the CIA to do a name trace on Epstein and get all CIA files on Epstein so that you can determine whether Epstein has at least U.S. intelligence ties?” he said.

“Why would you take 21 months to prepare this 248-page report… and you don’t even query the CIA to do a name trace?”

He emphasized that many name traces he reviewed were initiated by DOJ components or inspector generals, often based on far less serious allegations.

“25–30% of these name traces I’ve been reading start with the Justice Department or an inspector general asking for the name trace. Sometimes they’re unilaterally done out of morbid curiosity,” Benz said.

The statement concluded with a call for further review, including action by Attorney General Pam Bondi.

“There’s another reason that Pam Bondi has to get the meta files around the DOJ OPR, go straight to the CIA Office of General Counsel, see what was actually queried,” Benz stated.

As scrutiny continues surrounding Epstein’s connections and past plea deals, Benz argued that a transparent accounting of all CIA records — starting with a formal name trace — is long overdue.

WATCH:

Benz followed up on his initial post and showed that a name trace can take two weeks…

https://www.lifezette.com/2025/07/this-question-about-epstein-and-the-cia-deserves-an-answer-mike-benz-explains-watch/?utm_source=revolver

17 Jul, 2025 21:23

US vice president opposes paying for Ukraine – spokesperson

J.D. Vance has fully backed President Trump’s plan to fund weapons for Kiev with European money

US Vice President J.D. Vance has endorsed President Donald Trump’s plan to shift the financial burden of supplying weapons to Kiev onto European allies, sparing American taxpayers, his spokesperson has said.

Ukraine received over $66 billion in US military assistance during the Joe Biden administration after the conflict with Russia escalated in 2022.Trump, critical of providing aid without reciprocal benefits, has proposed a new plan to supply US-made weapons to Kiev through European NATO members. He framed it as both a commercial opportunity for the US defense industry and a way to increase pressure on Russia.

Vance’s spokesperson told Fox News Digital on Thursday thevice president “completely supports the plan to save American taxpayers from indefinitely funding the conflict” and “remains committed to the president’s goal of ending the bloodshed in Eastern Europe.”

The spokesperson said that, unlike Biden, who “stupidly” sent billions in US tax dollars to Kiev, Trump “put America first and smartly struck a deal,” placing the financial burden on European allies.

Trump unveiled his plan on Monday during a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, who named Germany as the primary donor, with several other countries also offering funds.However, some EU members, including France, Italy, and the Czech Republic, reportedly opted out.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas welcomed Trump’s pledge but urged Washington to “share the burden” of financing the deliveries.(FU, we don’t want anything to do with your war with Russia)

Russia has repeatedly condemned Western arms supplies to Ukraine, arguing they prolong the bloodshed. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova suggested thatEuropean nations are funding the “death” of Ukraine by paying for weapons sent to Kiev. Moscow maintains that foreign military aid is being used to escalate the hostilities rather than seek a diplomatic resolution.

Moscow and Kiev have so far held two rounds of peace talks in Türkiye, reviving a process that Kiev abandoned in 2022 to pursue military victory with Western assistance. Trump has threatened up to 100% secondary US tariffs on Russia’s trading partners unless progress toward a peace agreement is made within 50 days. Moscow says it is ready to continue negotiations and is awaiting Kiev’s response.

https://www.rt.com/news/621629-trump-vance-us-ukraine-nato/

17 Jul, 2025 18:40

EU country moves to sanction Ukrainian military officials

Hungary’s foreign minister has made the announcement after Ukrainian draft officers allegedly killed a Hungarian citizen in a raid

Hungary has filed a motion with the EU to sanction three Ukrainian officials Budapest deems responsible for forced mobilization, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has announced. Budapest took the step following an incident in which Ukrainian draft officers are alleged to have fatally beaten a Hungarian citizen.

Since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022, Budapest has consistently criticized EU efforts to arm Kiev. Relations between Hungary and Ukraine have been further strained in recent weeks amid mutual espionage recriminations. Moreover, Budapest has repeatedly accused Kiev of trampling on the rights of the Hungarian ethnic minority in the country’s Western Transcarpathia region.

In a post on X on Wednesday, Szijjarto wrote that“today we initiated that the EU place on its sanctions list those responsible for the death of a Hungarian man during forced conscription.”

In a separate post, the minister stated that a “brutal manhunt is unfolding on Ukraine’s streets, with systemic beatings and torture targeting those unwilling to join the military.”

The following day,Szijjarto claimed that “for 10 years, the Hungarian community in Ukraine has faced systematic attacks” by the government in Kiev, and accused the EU of turning a blind eye to alleged cases of discrimination.

Last Thursday, the Hungarian Foreign Ministry summoned the Ukrainian ambassador over the incident.

According to Hungarian media, 45-year-old Jozsef Sebestyen died on July 6 as a result of injuries sustained when he was beaten with iron bars by draft officers.

The Ukrainian Ground Forces claimed Sebestyen had been “legally mobilized,” but deserted and admitted himself to a hospital, where he died from a “pulmonary embolism” with no signs of violence.

Ukraine’s mobilization drive has increasingly been marred by widespread violence and abuse at the hands of recruitment officials, as attested by multiple social media videos.

Earlier this month, the Council of Europe’s commissioner for human rights, Michael O’Flaherty, expressed concern over “allegations of torture and death during military recruitment” in Ukraine.

Russian officials have claimed that Kiev is dead set on waging war against Moscow “until the last Ukrainian,” using its own citizens as cannon fodder.

https://www.rt.com/news/621627-hungary-pushes-for-sanctions-ukraine-draft-abuse/

16 Jul, 2025 19:59

Draft officers brutalizing recruits in Ukraine (VIDEOS)

Enlistment officials have been beating draftees and violently packing them into buses, new videos circulating online suggest

Multiple new disturbing videos purporting to show extremely violent actions by Ukrainian draft officers surfaced online this week.

The increasingly chaotic mobilization drive, overseen by the so-called Territorial Centers of Recruitment and Social Support (TCR), has been marred by widespread violence and abuse, withrecruitment officials seen chasing recruits in the streets, brawling with them and onlookers alike, and even threatening civilians with military-grade weaponry.

One of the videos, reportedly shot in the southwestern city of Nikolayev, purports to show draft officers trying to pack a potential recruit into an unmarked vehicle.

The officers are seen violently beating their victim and repeatedly smashing him with the car’s door.

Another video, reportedly taken in the Black Sea port city of Odessa, shows a group of officers trying to pack a draftee into their bus. The man appears to be heavily beaten, with his clothes torn and stained with dirt.

A fresh video from the city of Dnepr (also known as Dnepropetrovsk) shows a mass brawl between a group of teenagers and several men believed to be draft officers. The plainclothes TCR officials were confronted by onlookers as they attempted to pack a man into their unmarked vehicle, with the altercation promptly devolving into a fisticuffs.The civilians ultimately managed to overpower the officers and free the detainee.

Ukrainian mobilization, launched early in the conflict with Russia,has grown increasingly chaotic and violent over the years. The effort has received the moniker ‘busification’, which describes the process of violently packing recruits into the unmarked minibuses commonly used by TCR officials. Kiev has long denied widespread violence and abuse related to the draft process, routinely dismissing it as “Russian propaganda.”

This April, however, the country’s military admitted that its recruitment process has been marred by certain shortcomings. “Busification is a shameful phenomenon, and we’re doing our best to avoid it,” deputy head of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, Lt. Gen. Ivan Gavrilyuk said.

https://www.rt.com/russia/621590-draft-officers-assault-recruits/

Trumps plans to cut off arms to Ukraine is workingBecause the EU and European countries were always counting on the US to provide them, and they still do. This is how Trump ends the war.

16 Jul, 2025 13:04

Italy won’t buy US arms for Ukraine – media

The funds that Rome could allocate are “practically non-existent,” according to La Stampa’s sources

Italy’s budget doesn’t allow it to participate in US President Donald Trump’s plan to supply American arms to Ukraine, the Italian newspaper La Stampa reports, citing anonymous sources.

On Monday, Trump authorized new weapons deliveries to Ukraine, given that European NATO members provide funding, calling it a “very big deal.”

La Stampa said in an article on Wednesday that the strategy of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who has already agreed to purchase several Patriot surface-to-air missile systems for Ukraine, “will not be pursued by Italy.”

According to the paper’s sources, Rome will be opting out of the scheme “not only because our weapon systems already handed over to Kiev have other technological configurations,but above all because – unlike Germany – the budget that Italy can allocate to such an operation is practically non-existent.”

The only arms purchase from the US currently planned by Italy is the delivery of a batch of F35 fighter jets scheduled for the 2030s, the sources added.

Politico reported on Tuesday, citingtwo French officials, that Paris would not be purchasing US weapons for Kievas France is looking to invest in its own defense industry to meet European security needs.

The same day, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala told Publico outletthat Prague is also currently “not considering”joining the initiative. The country “is focusing on other… ways to help Ukraine,” he explained.

EU foreign policy chiefKaja Kallasearlier welcomed Trump’s pledge to send more weapons to Ukraine,but urged Washington to “share the burden” in terms of financing the deliveries. Washington, meanwhile, has threatened to impose secondary US tariffs of up to 100% on Russia’s trading partners unless progress toward a peace agreement between Moscow and Kiev is made within 50 days.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday thatit is hard to predict how effective the weapons financing scheme would turn out due to Western Europe’s “emotional state bordering on inadequacy” over the Ukraine conflict. European NATO members appear to be ready “to spend countless amounts of money on purchasing weapons in order to further provoke the continuation of the war,” he said.

https://www.rt.com/news/621567-italy-ukraine-trump-weapons/

16 Jul, 2025 14:09

Zelensky urges Trump to revisit Ukrainian missile proposal

Kiev’s original request to host nuclear-capable, long-range Tomahawks was rejected under the Biden administration

Vladimir Zelensky has called on US President Donald Trump to reconsider Ukraine’s proposal to host long-range American missiles.

The appeal comes in the wake of Trump’s pledge this week to provide advanced weapons systems to Kiev, with the caveat that the costs will be covered by other nations.

In an interview with Newsmax on Tuesday, Zelensky appealed for even more military aid, referencing part of his “victory plan,” which he had previously presented to both President Joe Biden and Trump in the lead-up to the 2024 US presidential election.

”I remember that we had a powerful deterrence package before President Trump became president. I wanted America to sell us such a package. But it was not done,”Zelensky said. (Ingratitude as usual)

Previous media reports have suggested that Trump may deliver additional long-range weaponry to Ukraine as part of his new initiatives. Some outlets claimed he had encouraged Zelensky to target Moscow and St. Petersburg, though the White House has refuted them. Publicly, the US president has advised against attacks on the Russian capital.

Zelensky first presented his “victory plan” to the US in September 2024. According toleaked classified details of the proposal’s “deterrence package,” Kiev asked the US to station nuclear-capable Tomahawk cruise missiles in Ukraine. The Biden administration reportedly rejected the request outright.

Ukrainian lobbying efforts during the 2024 US election cycle drew scrutiny, particularly following Zelensky’s visit to an arms manufacturing facility in the swing state of Pennsylvania. He was accompanied by prominent Democrats during the trip, including Governor Josh Shapiro and Senator Bob Casey, prompting Republican officials to take aim, accusing him of implicitly supporting the rival party.

Zelensky’s subsequent interactions with Trump were also marked by tensions. The planned signing of a minerals deal during his February visit to the White House – an offer of broad US access to Ukrainian natural resources that originally was part of the “victory plan” – erupted into a public dispute in the Oval Office. The agreement was ultimately signed in late April.

Moscow has accused Zelensky of prolonging hostilities with Russia despite mounting Ukrainian casualties in a bid to preserve his power through martial law despite his presidential term officially ending last year.

https://www.rt.com/russia/621571-zelensky-trump-missiles-ukraine/