#putin's fake ceasefire

[tomorrowusa]

Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock replies to Putin’s declaration of a pseudo-ceasefire.

Direkt am, Frau Ministerin!   👍🏼🇩🇪

Putin’s Russian Christmas “ceasefire” is at best a public relations stunt and at worst a ploy to resupply his sordid troops with ammunition and military hardware.

Putin’s so-called Christmas ceasefire, explained

Putin could stop this war at any moment by simply getting out of Ukraine. Remember that this is an unprovoked invasion of a peaceful neighbor in violation of international law. Putin has no fucking business in Ukraine. Ukrainians are fighting for their existence, Russians are fighting for Putin’s ego.

Putin doesn’t care the least about saving lives. That includes Russian lives; over 100,000 Russians have been killed since February 24th. He continues to send poorly trained conscripts and mercenary convicts to Ukraine where they specialize in committing atrocities.

[archtroop]

Moscow:

Two guesses from me.

1. ISIS or a similar faction.

2. Putin himself. Yes, there, I said it.

I don't think it was Ukraine. It would be strategically stupid. It's not even about ability of doing it. Not about morals, but the world stage. It just doesn't add up.

Also I am not convinced in the slightest that it might be Putin's Opposition, because of the so-called elections: no one is surprised by the results, and if they wanted to act on a similar notion in such manner, then Navalny's death would have been the trigger, not fake elections that everyone knows are fake. Plus, it is strategically moronic.

Only two could "benefit" feom such a massacre: Putin himself, if he manages to push that Ukraine did it. Or, Islamic Jihad, because this is their MO, and they have already done similar attacks in Russia before in same fashion, and even the same type of venue.

This was a massacre, and a suicide mission, and I would put my bets on ISIS (also remember Russian involvement in Syria, where they back Assad, not only against the Assad Opposition, but also against ISIS as well. They have all the incentives to act like this, and they could care less about world opinions.)

My deep condolences, this will unfold into the ugliest shit. Friday night at a concert hall. Absolutely despicable.

Edit: I also don't see how this might be an attack in response of Russia vetoing the US ceasefire proposal in the UN. By whom? HAMAS? Iran...? Too much trouble over something that literally did not move the pendulum either side.

[lordnot]

Since the Vote Blue crowd keeps trying to resurrect the Russian Troll accusations to dismiss any criticism of their approach, I suppose someone ought to move beyond just belittling them and start a proper rebuttal. So here goes:

Vladimir Putin almost certainly does not give a shit whether Democrats or Republicans take power in the midterms or 2024: If his government has done any research at all, they would know that both parties are almost completely captured by the Military Industrial Complex. Which means that both parties will continue to be incredibly hawkish, continuing to approve billions of dollars and countless weapons to keep the War in Ukraine going and prevent either party from negotiating a ceasefire. If anything, any credit given to Biden for not formally pushing us into World War III should mean that Putin would prefer him to stay in power.

Similarly, Putin does not give a shit whether the United States holds onto some semblance of democracy or collapses into fascism. Again: if anything, a democratically-elected President and Congress would be less of a threat to him than a fascist dictatorship. People who need to be re-elected are more likely to be concerned about the populace turning on them due to war escalation, rampant inflation, and/or military conscription.

Finally, all the stories about Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, etc. confirming that fake accounts connected to the Russian government contributed to the political discourse in 2016 are not and have never been particularly newsworthy. The Mueller Report was released, and the smoking gun of a backdoor meeting between Trump and Putin to rig the election in return for favorable treatment never materialized. And so what we are left with is a picture of a foreign government sowing division and misinformation seemingly at random, playing both sides when it comes to issues like the Black Lives Matter movement. What, then, is it about? Part of it, most likely, was to test their capabilities. To see how long they could go without being found out, how much of an impact they could have on these discussions, and where the pressure points are in terms of manipulating people to their own ends. Something that they might be considered stupid not to do, given that the CIA is almost certainly doing the same to them.

So, no. That person arguing that maybe we shouldn't just keep blindly voting down party lines after two years of this Lesser Evil Hellscape probably isn't taking marching orders from The Kremlin.

[blackmagicspecialist786-blog]

Putin Calls a 36-Hour Cease-Fire, but Ukraine and U.S. Are Skeptical

The Kremlin announced on Thursday the end of a 36-hour cease-fire in Ukraine in celebration of an Eastern Orthodox Christmas, which could be the most expansive cease-fire in the world since Russia invaded the country in February. The Ukrainian leaders have dismissed the idea as a fake ploy to woo the ruthless and untrustworthy adversary. Vladimir V. Putin of Russia. Vladimir V. Putin of Russia has declared a cease-fire beginning at noon on Friday, and lasting until midnight Saturday The Kremlin as well as the Defense Ministry said in separate announcements. "Given that a large number of citizens practicing Orthodoxy resides in the areas of hostilities, we call on the Ukrainian side to announce a cease-fire and give them an opportunity to attend services on Christmas Eve and the day of Christ's birth," the Kremlin declared. The president Volodymyr Zelensky from Ukraine was a bit sarcastic in his evening video message although he didn't explicitly deny the idea. After changing to talking in Ukrainian in Russian and addressing Russians Russian populace directly, Zelensky referred to the people whom he said "sent all of your people to be slaughtered" and "do not strive for peace." "Now they want to use Christmas as a cover" to slow down Ukrainian advancements "and bring equipment, ammunition and mobilized troops closer to our positions," the official declared. "Everyone in the world knows how the Kremlin uses lulls in the war to continue the war with new force," said the official. Russia has repeatedly rejected and according to Ukraine repeatedly violated -- and repeatedly violated -- the limited local cease-fires designed to allow humanitarian evacuations as well as aid delivery in besieged areas such as Mariupol. The Kremlin's announcement is coming as Russian forces, following a series of setbacks, are rushing to construct defenses, transport new soldiers to the front, and rebuild the units that were destroyed. In the wake of the high cost of what was initially advertised as a fast and easy war is revealed to everyday Russians as well, President. Putin has become more attentive to concerns from the public regarding the war. In the meantime his government, in isolation, has been trying to influence opinions in the world. In Washington the in Washington, President Biden stated that it was apparent that the Russian President. Putin was "trying to find some oxygen" by announcing an announcement of ceasefire. "I am reluctant to respond to anything Putin says," Biden said. Biden said. "I found it interesting he was ready to bomb hospitals and nurseries and churches on the 25th and New Year's." It is reported that the United States and Germany, in turn announced on Thursday they will supply Ukraine with armored combat vehicle for the very first time in a while, the same day that France also announced the same but didn't provide any numbers. Ukrainian officials have been begging over the past few months to receive armored cars such as those that are now being promised, including for example, the American Bradley Fighting Vehicle, the French AMX-10 RC and the German Marder, as well as Western tanks and tanks, which the allies of Ukraine have been unable to provide. The Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany, following a telephone conversation with Vice President. Biden, said Germany will also give Ukraine the Patriot missile, which is the most advanced American-made air defense weapon in two weeks following Biden had promised the president to send Ukraine their very first Patriot system. After losing ground in the latter part of summer, Russian forces shifted to bombing civilian targets across Ukraine which destroyed electricity and heating systems, making air defenses crucial to Ukrainians to make it through winter. There hasn't been much movement in the battlefield recently but this is expected to change over the next months, placing a greater demand to armored vehicle. Analysts from the military and political world have described the president. Putin's cease-fire declaration as a PR ploy which he will try to profit from regardless of what Ukraine reacts. If Kyiv is willing to sign cease-fire, as they suggested that it will allow Putin. Putin to present himself as an ally in peace. If Ukraine does not acknowledge it, Russia could try to argue for a higher moral standard in spite of the fact that Russia initiated the war and its troops committed numerous atrocities. They could also use ongoing hostilities to degrade Ukraine in the opinions of Russian and global public opinion. Pavel Luzhin, a Russian military analyst, has said that his Kremlin "needs a break to partially restore its military power" but, knowing Kyiv is not likely to agree to cease-fire, it is trying to appeal to the domestic market. "The Kremlin is going to demonstrate to Russians, who are mostly tired from the war, why the Russian leadership needs to continue fighting," Luzhin stated. Recently, Ukraine has claimed to use artillery with long range to cause massive casualties in attacks against a number of Russian troops that are behind the frontlines. The Russians have confirmed massive losses at one point. Tatiana Stanovaya, a Russian political analyst, told the president. Putin could be trying to prevent another catastrophe during the Christmas season. Within hours, some of. Putin's most hawkish ally seemed to be sabotaging his plans. Certain supporters of war Russian nationalists rejected cease-fire ideas in a flurry, highlighting the deep animosity between them. "We -- Russian soldiers and volunteers -- don't want any compromises," a prominent military blogger, Vladlen Tatarsky, wrote on the Telegram messaging application. "We want to kill every person dressed in the uniform of the enemy's army." The most famous Kremlin agent in occupied Ukraine, Denis Pushilin, wrote on Telegram that "there can be no talk of any truce," and that the cease-fire "doesn't mean that we will not respond to the opponent's provocations." Mr. Pushilin was the leader of the self-proclaimed state breakaway within the Donetsk region, which Russia claims to annex and claimed that the cease-fire was only applicable for Orthodox Christians, not to the leaders of Ukraine (which could be an ode towards Mr. Zelensky's status as Jewish. There are some Ukrainians celebrate Christmas on December. 25 Particularly in the western portion of Ukraine, which has significant Roman Catholic population. However, Orthodox churches, that adhere to the Julian calendar instead of the modern Gregorian calendar, observe the date on the 7th of January. 7 which falls on a Saturday. The announcement by Russia came just moments after the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, the Patriarch Kirill I, a close allies of Putin. Putin, called for an end to the war in order for Orthodox Christians on both sides of the frontline to go to church. President Recep Tayyip Erdoan of Turkey who has established himself as mediator in the war has spoken to Putin on Thursday. Putin on Thursday and also requested an end of the conflict. Ned Price, spokesman for the U.S. State Department, said to reporters that the Kremlin's declaration appeared "cynical." He added, "I think we know better than to take anything we see or hear from Russia at face value." Mykhailo Podolyak, a senior advisor for the late Mr. Zelensky, spurned the cease-fire plan of the Kremlin in a statement that he described as an "propaganda gesture" and a "banal trick." "After 10 months of genocide, after hundreds of destroyed Ukrainian churches, isn't it too late for the Kremlin to think of God?" Ukraine's defense ministry inquired through social media. The foreign ministry added that the Russian president. Putin's idea "cannot and should not be taken seriously." Ukrainian officials have claimed that Russia of disrupting the build-up to Orthodox Christmas by launching a series of attacks against civilians. An Russian strikes on Thursday within the Kherson region claimed the lives of the family of three including a 12-year old boy who was getting ready to spend Christmas at home, authorities said. Reporting was provided by Alina Lobzina Megan Specia, Cassandra Vinograd, Anushka Patil, John Ismay and Safak Timur. Read the full article

[opedguy]

Macron Spares Putin Humiliation

LOS ANGELES (OnlineColumnist.com), June 4, 2022.--Suggesting that the West spare 69-year-old President Vladimir Putin any humiliation for ending the Ukraine War, 44-year-old French President Emmanuel Macron drew ire from Kiev.  “Calls to avoid humiliation for Russia can only humiliate France and ever other country that would call for it,” said Ukraine’s 40-year-old Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, not admitting that the only humiliation possible is with Ukraine who’s lost its entire Black Sea coastline.  Only 79-year-old Joe Biden, 44-year-old Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Kuleba think that Ukraine has won the war against the Russian Federation.  Macron, who’s maintained an open door diplomacy since the Feb. 24 war began, wants a ceasefire, not about who’s right or wrong but about saving the world from WW III.  It’s Ukraine, not Russia, that’s been totally humiliated losing most of its Black Sea coast.

Kuleba of all people should not be warning the world about the disgrace of giving the Russian Federation any way out of the present conflict.  When you look at the widespread destruction, carnage and loss of territory, Macron wants to get the warring factions to the peace table before things get worse.  Ukraine has more to loose by continuing the war, telling its people daily that all it needs is more weapons to vanquish the Russians.  “Because it is Russia that humiliates itself.  We all better focus on how to put Russia in its place.  This will bring peace and save lives,” Kuleba says, acting like he’s got the upper hand in Ukraine.  Kuleba knows that under his commander-in-chief, Ukraine has lost almost all of its Black Sea coast, partitioning the country. Kuleba mirrors the kind of blind hatred that’s gotten Ukraine into the current mess.  Without U.S. cash-and-weapons Ukreaine would be bankrupt.

What Zelensky and Kuleba are doing in Ukraine is pure suicide, essentially dragging the U.S. with it.  When does Kiev think they can take on the Russian military and think they can prevail because they get unlimited amounts of U.S. cash0and-weapons?  Russia is an experiencd, seasoned fighting force, have completed many military campaigns in remote parts of the world.  When the war broke out Feb.  24, Zelensky told Putin to jump in a lake when it came to continuing to receive U.S. arms.  Putin asked Biden for months to come up with a new security arrangement for Ukraine or face “military technical measures” Dec. 24, 2021.  Biden ignored Putin’s requests, claiming to be shocked by the Feb. 24 invasion.  Yet Biden insists that the war was “unprovoked and unjustified.”  Pope Francis said May 3, seeking a diplomatic solution, that NATO probably caused Putin to invade.

So Zelensky and Kuleba can’t fathom the fact they’re prosecuting the war on U.S. taxpayer dollars, not on their own.  Neither admit they could not pay government salaries, or their own salaries, without U.S. cash.  Macron irked Kiev but clearly Zelensky and Kuleba know the façade about the war going well is starting to crack.  More independent press leaks, away from the White House and the Democrat-controlled press, show that Ukraine has badly lost the war, surrendering almost the entire Black Sea coast to Russia. “I think, and I told him [Putin] that he is making a historic and fundamental mistake for his people, for himself and for history,” Macron said, still viewed as a traitor in Kiev.  Zelensky and Kuleba are committed to the fake narrative that more lethal weapons can help turn the war in Ukraine’s favor.  So far they’ve only lost more sovereign territory to the Kremlin.

Ukraine wants no part of mediation efforts until they get the new medium range U.S. rocket systems.  If Kiev started firing into Russian territory, all bets are off, with the conflict potentially escalating.  “No point in holding negotiations with Russian until Kiev gets the new missile systems” said Mykhailo Podolyak.  Biden said more advanced weapons gives Ukraine a better place at the bargaining table, something preposterous.  Unless Ukraine can retake lost territory on the Black Sea, no weapons system will make any difference.  Putin will find more ways to destroying infrastructure, damaging civilian dwellings and reducing Ukraine to ruins.  Zelensky and Kuleba cling to the misguided belief that all they need are more lethal weapons to drive Russia out of Ukraine’s sovereign territory. Zelensky and Kuleba have lost about 20% of Ukraine’s sovereign kabd, when they could have ceded Putin Donestk, Luhansk and Crimea.

.Zelensky and Kuleba are kidding themselves thinking that any new U.S. rocket system will drive Russia off its territory.  Russian has had months to dig in the Black Sea coast, all of Ukraine’s key ports.  “Our armed forces are ready to use [the new weapons] . . .an then I think we can initiate a new round of talks for a strengthened position,” said David Arakhamia, a Ukrainian lawmaker and member of the negotiation team.  Arakhjamia is kidding himself that Ukaine can threaten the Kremlin with U.S.-built rocket systems and get Putin to back down.  Macron tried to reason with Zelensky and Kuleba, letting them know that the time for peace talks is now, not after they get a new rocket system from the Pentagon.  Zelensky and Kuleba should think about losing more land by the day, not to mention the carnage, destruction and dislocation of millions of Ukrainian citizens from their homes.

About the Author

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.

[ukrainenews]

Wrap up for April 13, 2022

Under the cut: Biden pledges $800 million in weaponry to Ukraine, Czech embassy reopens in Kyiv; Finland and Sweden are considering joining NATO; fake news; humanitarian corridors cannot open; “Russian warship go fuck yourself” ship sank; a puppy found in the rubble reunited with his owner (video!). 

The Biden Administration “is authorizing an additional $800 million in weapons, ammunition, and other security assistance to Ukraine.” He goes on to say, “These new capabilities include artillery systems, artillery rounds, and armored personnel carriers. I have also approved the transfer of additional helicopters. In addition, we continue to facilitate the transfer of significant capabilities from our Allies and partners around the world.”

via The White House website

~

The Czech embassy has reopened in Kyiv, via Euro Integration news (article in Ukrainian, translated into English by Google Translate)

~

“Finland will make a decision about whether to apply to join the Nato alliance in the next few weeks, the country’s prime minister, Sanna Marin, said.” via The Guardian 

Additionally, “Sweden is also reviewing its security policy with conclusions expected next month. Swedish prime minister, Magdalena Andersson, said it was important to carry out a thorough analysis of whether the country should also apply to join the alliance.” also via The Guardian

Putin has warned the countries against this before, via The New York Times

~

“Russia will view U.S. and NATO vehicles transporting weapons on Ukrainian territory as legitimate military targets, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told the TASS news agency in an interview on Wednesday.

Any attempts by the West to inflict significant damage on Russia's military or its separatist allies in Ukraine will be "harshly suppressed," he added.” via Reuters

~

“The BBC has warned that a video carrying its branding which claims that a missile attack on a railway station that killed dozens was carried out by Ukraine is fake.

The video, mocked up with a BBC News logo and using a similar graphics style to the broadcaster, gives the false impression that the BBC has confirmed that Ukrainian armed forces were behind the recent attack on the Kramatorsk railway station.” via The Guardian. 

(I’m going to use this story as a friendly reminder to double-check things when you see them, even from me. Just because it looks official doesn’t mean it’s real, and the propaganda machine is going crazy. And don’t feel bad if you fall for something, just learn from your mistakes.)

~

“Ukraine’s deputy prime minister Iryna Vereshchuk said it was not possible to open any humanitarian corridors on Wednesday.

She accused occupying Russian forces of violating a ceasefire and blocking buses evacuating civilians. Reuters reports Vereshchuk added in a statement on the Telegram messaging app that authorities would work to reopen the humanitarian corridors as soon as possible.” via the Guardian and Telegram (Ukrainian)

1567 people did manage to evacuate Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk, and Mariupol regions despite the lack of official corridors, via HromadskeUA on Twitter (Ukrainian)

~

The Russian Warship Moskva, famously the one told “Russian warship go fuck yourself” by the forces on Snake Island, has been severely damaged and may be sinking. via The Guardian

Russian defense ministry says a fire onboard blew up the ammunitions store. The Ukrainian governor of Odesa says the ship was hit by two missiles. via Reuters and CNN

If there’s an update on this with evidence either way, I’ll be sure to mention it.

~

They pulled a puppy from under rubble and reunited with his 77 year old owner, both unharmed, after a bombing in Donetsk! Video via the Guardian YouTube:

~

[ebenpink]

World News Briefs -- May 14, 2019 (Evening Edition) http://bit.ly/2Q2suJ6

AP: Global worries flare over whether US sliding toward Iran war WASHINGTON (AP) — International worries that the Trump administration is sliding toward war with Iran flared into the open Tuesday amid skepticism about its claims that the Islamic Republic poses a growing threat to the U.S. and its allies in the Persian Gulf and beyond . The U.S. military rebutted doubts expressed by a British general about such a threat. President Donald Trump denied a report that the administration has updated plans to send more than 100,000 troops to counter Iran if necessary. But Trump then stirred the controversy further by saying: “Would I do that? Absolutely.” Read more ....

MIDDLE EAST

U.S. and Iran do not want war, Iraqi PM says. Trump denies U.S. plan to send 120,000 troops to counter Iran threat. Trump says US not ramping up for military conflict with Iran. U.S. believes Iran proxies may be behind tanker attacks, official says. US issues new warning to Gulf sailors after UAE says ships were sabotaged. Saudi Arabia says oil stations attacked by armed drones. Saudi shuts major oil pipeline after Huthi drone attacks. US military probes oil tanker 'sabotage attacks' off UAE coast. Military officer says no rise in Iran threat in Iraq, Syria. Yemen rebels hand security of Hodeida ports to 'coastguard': UN. Erdogan accuses Syria regime of undermining Turkey-Russia deal. U.S. embassy in Israel: Americans should 'remain vigilant' for terror attacks. Trump’s election has boosted Israeli settlement construction.

ASIA

Vietnam leader Nguyen Phu Trong reappears in state media after illness. China-Russia relations are unrivalled, Beijing warns before US’ Mike Pompeo meets Vladimir Putin. Sri Lanka orders nationwide curfew amid anti-Muslim riots. Muslim killed in Sri Lanka riots despite curfew. Four Pakistani police officers killed in bomb attack. UN mission urges financial isolation of Myanmar's military. North Korea describes US impounding of vessel as 'robbery'. North Korea's Red Cross visits China as drought hits crops. Fresh IMF deal a 'political blow' to Pakistan PM Imran Khan. 7.5 magnitude quake rattles residents on Papua New Guinea island.

AFRICA

Macron wants to meet Libya's Haftar to push ceasefire: French foreign minister. Gunmen kill four at Catholic parade in Burkina Faso: church. Mali calls for more EU help amid attacks in Africa’s Sahel. Sudan transition to last three years: military council. Sudanese protesters, army officer killed in overnight clashes. Sudan crisis: Clashes in Khartoum leave several dead. South Sudan refugees flood into DR Congo. Angola drought: Millions at risk of starvation. S.Africa unemployment rises as Ramaphosa vows action. Somalia postpones exams after papers leaked on social media.

EUROPE

Putin says he senses Trump genuinely wants to repair U.S.- Russia ties. Pompeo tells Russia: Don't meddle in next U.S. presidential election. Russia tells Pompeo: Enough mistrust, let's reboot our ties. Brexit talks to continue as cabinet sets summer deadline to quit EU. Pentagon warns EU against blocking U.S. companies from defense pact. Poland cancels visit from Israeli officials over Holocaust dispute. Row as France remembers troops slain in hostage raid. Facebook shuts down string of right-wing 'fake news' accounts accused of spreading anti-migration and anti-Semitic messages in Italy ahead of EU elections. Floods hit Bosnia, triggering alarm in Balkans.

AMERICAS

Donald Trump Jr. agrees to Senate committee interview: source. US Attorney General Barr names Connecticut prosecutor to investigate Russia probe's origins: report. Democrats and Trump fight in court over his financial records. US targets $300B of Chinese goods for new tariff hikes. Montana Gov. Bullock enters U.S. presidential race. Venezuela top court accuses more lawmakers of treason as congress building blocked. US police launch bid to evict pro-Maduro activists from Venezuela embassy. Guatemala ex-dictator's daughter barred from presidential race. Canadian officials visit former diplomat Michael Kovrig in custody in China.

TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR

Saudi Arabia says 'terrorist attack' on oil tankers raises new security concerns. Iraqi army hunts ISIS remnants spreading fear in former ‘caliphate’. German intelligence agency warns of 'Islamic State' attacks. Collapse of USS Cole bombing case marks another failure for Guantanamo’s military courts.

ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS

Stocks bounce back as trade rhetoric cools. Exclusive: Trump expected to sign order paving way for U.S. telecoms ban on Huawei. China accuses US of threatening World Trade Organisation’s future as trade war heats up. WhatsApp attacked by advanced spyware via missed calls. Alibaba founder Jack Ma says staff should have sex six times in six days to reach 'marriage KPI'. from War News Updates http://bit.ly/2WHfcnO via IFTTT

[pencingthetrump]

Day Hundred And Seventy-One

Today, Donald Trump has tweeted. Mike Pence hasn’t. Pence is missing, again. Trump tweeted what he talked with Vladimir Putin. President Putin isn’t lying. Fake media can’t get it right these days. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! Trump told he was a “civilian” for years. He listened Republicans pushing repeal and replace of Obamacare when he was a “civilian”. That’s his favourite band right there. Now they finally have their chance! Syrian ceasefire seems to be holding. Many lives can be saved. Trump came out of meeting. Good...

[tomorrowusa]

From Ret. General Mark Hertling.

Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine is a violation of two international treaties. And that doesn’t include the United Nations Charter.

Putin’s talk of “negotiations” is a sham.

This is an invasion by an imperialist aggressor of a peaceful neighbor. The only thing to negotiate is a ceasefire so that Putin can withdraw his drunks, convicts, and war criminals without being fired upon. The talks to establish the ceasefire could take as little as three hours and a Russian withdrawal could be done in less than a week.

In the US, only tankies, Fox News commentators & their fans, the Putin caucus in Congress, and some US oligarchs will fall for Putin’s negotiations ploy.

Putin is not remotely interested in genuine negotiations. His goal is to slow down the delivery of weapons to Ukraine in order to give him a military advantage. 

In the 306 days of the invasion, not once has Putin has ordered a general ceasefire. His retreats are the closest thing to that. 

Because we can’t rely on Putin to observe international law, the only way to protect Ukraine and other countries bordering Russia is to defeat Putin so that he won’t be tempted to conduct similar invasions in the future.

EDIT: Another problem for Putin is that it’s doubtful anybody in Ukraine in their right mind would want to negotiate with him. Would you negotiate with a mafia chieftain who is actively committing genocide against you?

This is a Ukrainian song which essentially says: Vlad Putin is a sick dude with a toad up his ass.

[savetopnow]

2018-03-19 03 NEWS now

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Turkish Forces Take Syrian City Afrin From Kurdish Militia

All President Xi's Men: China's New Government Braces for Trump

North Korea to Meet for Talks With U.S., South Korean Delegations in Helsinki

[libertariantaoist]

The warlords of Kiev are going on the offensive, violating the terms of the  Minsk peace accords, and attacking separatist rebels in the eastern part of  the country in a desperate bid to provoke open conflict with Russia. What motivates  them is fear of President Donald Trump, who has often expressed a desire to  “get along with Russia”  and who has openly said Ukraine is not a vital US national security interest.  What motivates their new aggression is the possibility that the US subsidies  that have kept their vicious war on their own people going – 10,000  killed so far – will dry up.

Ever since US and European Union-backed shock troops overthrew  the democratically elected government of President Viktor Yanukovych, the coup  leaders in Kiev have waged a relentless war against their rebellious subjects  in the east. As “President” Petro Poroshenko put it:

“We will have jobs, they won’t! We  will have pensions, they won’t! We  will have benefits for retirees and children, they won’t! Our kids will go to schools and daycares, their  kids will sit in the basements! They  can’t do anything about it… And only  this is how we will win this war! "

To the great shame of American policymakers, the United States has backed this  monster to the hilt, sending billions  in “foreign aid” to what is no doubt the most  corrupt country in Europe and even sending US soldiers to “train”  Poroshenko’s killers. Yet even Washington’s propagandists at “Radio Free  Europe” have reported  that the Ukrainian army is responsible for the current upsurge in fighting:

“Since mid-December Ukraine’s armed forces  have edged farther into parts of the gray zone in or near the war-worn cities  of Avdiivka, Debaltseve, Dokuchaievsk, Horlivka, and Mariupol, shrinking the  space between them and the separatist fighters.”

These actions are a clear violation of the “Minsk  II” accord, signed by “President” Poroshenko and representatives of the  EU nations and Russia on February 15, 2015, which provide for a ceasefire and  a “gray zone” separating the two sides. The Ukrainian military has violated  both of these provisions, and the coup leaders in Kiev have stubbornly resisted  all efforts to implement the political reforms stipulated in the agreement:  local autonomy for the eastern provinces, the resumption of government services,  new elections, and the ending of the economic blockade that stopped the delivery  of everything but coal. And now even coal deliveries coming from the east to  fuel-starved western provinces are being  blocked by ultra-nationalist paramilitary groups, which have joined the  fighting and announced that they are there to stop “smuggling” by separatists.  Oh, but don’t worry, Uncle Sam will  step in to save the day.

Ukrainian incursions  into Crimea, which resulted in the death of a Russian soldier and a Russian  FSB officer, have now been supplemented by the assassination  of rebel commanders: comically, Western “reporting”  attributes these killings – about half a dozen so far – to the Russians,  although the evidence they present consists solely of assertions by the Kiev  authorities and their supporters. And this is in spite of the fact that the  so-called “People’s Militia” – a clandestine pro-Ukrainian outfit operating  in the breakaway Luhansk Republic – has taken  responsibility for at least two of these terrorist attacks.

“Fake news” is especially rife when it comes  to reporting on Ukraine.

While deputy NATO chief Rose Gottemoeller has announced  the “unanimous” support of the alliance for this latest escalation of Ukraine’s  war against its own people, President Trump may not concur.  “We don’t really exactly know” what is happening in Ukraine, Trump told Fox  News in an interview, but he vowed to find out. He added that he’d be “surprised”  if Russia escalated the conflict shortly after he talked with Putin by phone,  as Sen. John McCain, a longtime supporter of the Kiev regime, avers.  What seems more likely is that Ukraine launched its renewed military campaign  after news of the Trump-Putin call hit the headlines.

During the presidential campaign, Trump’s comments  on Ukraine reflected his general inclination to stay out of the conflict. Asked about the issue by the New York Times,  he said:

“And one of the things that I hated seeing is Ukraine….  Why is it always the United States that gets right in the middle of things,  with something that – you know, it affects us, but not nearly as much as it  affects other countries.”

Trump snubbed a meeting with Poroshenko, even as  then Prime Minister Arsenyiv Yatsensuk denounced him for committing “a breach  of moral and civilized principles.” And the efforts by the Ukrainian government  to ambush candidate Trump during the campaign, which led to the resignation  of Paul Manafort as Trump’s campaign manager, are well-known.

Trump’s defiance of the anti-Russian hysteria  that has gripped the political class and the media makes a continuation of Washington’s  unconditional support to Kiev unlikely. However, there are factions within the  Trump administration that are sure to resist any settlement of the Ukrainian  conflict, not to mention a rapprochement with Russia. That UN Ambassador Nikki  Haley’s first act was to repeat the  same baloney about “Russian aggression” – when it is clearly the Ukrainians  who are upping the ante – is not a good sign.

My guess is that President Trump will be so  preoccupied with the war at home – battling powerful forces in both parties  out to undermine his administration – that he’ll have little time to focus on  Ukraine. And his efforts to establish a détente with Russia are being harried  on all sides: a bipartisan coalition in Congress is readying  legislation to prevent him from lifting the sanctions on Russia, and in  the media the campaign to paint him as “Putin’s puppet,” as media darling Hillary  Clinton often put it, has been unrelenting. So the prospects of stopping the  war in Ukraine as part of a comprehensive agreement with Vladimir Putin are  fading, even as Ukrainian military provocations reach a deadly climax.

The Ukraine issue is linked to number of local hotspots that can only be resolved  peacefully if détente with Russia is achieved – and there are so many actors,  both foreign and domestic, determined to quash this outcome that Trump will  have a major problem overcoming them. The War Party’s favorite foreign proxies  – not only the coup leaders in Kiev but also Syria’s Islamist “rebels” – are  counting on their allies in the capitals of Europe and in Washington, D.C.,  to prevail. Whether Trump can stand against this tide and carry out his “America  first” foreign policy despite this powerful resistance remains to be seen.

[morganbelarus]

News Daily: Trump-Putin meeting and BBC stars’ salaries – BBC News

Hello. Here's your morning briefing:

Image copyright Reuters

Trump and Putin met a second time

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin had a second, previously undisclosed, meeting at the recent G20 summit in Germany, with only the two leaders and Mr Putin's interpreter present. It happened during a private meal attended by heads of state, it's been revealed. The White House has not said what the US and Russian presidents discussed, with Mr Trump dismissing suggestions they had a "secret dinner" as "fake news".

The two leaders' relationship is under intense scrutiny. US intelligence believes that Russia helped Mr Trump in last year's presidential election. Russia denies this and Mr Trump has rejected any claims of collusion.

BBC to reveal stars' salaries

Some of the BBC's biggest stars are expected to have their salaries revealed later, as the corporation's annual report includes, for the first time, the details of everyone earning more than 150,000 a year. It's thought presenters such as Graham Norton, Gary Lineker, Claudia Winkleman, Chris Evans, Fiona Bruce and Andrew Marr could be on the list. The report is published at 11:00 BST.

Get news from the BBC in your inbox, each weekday morning

Woman's shooting in US: Australian PM demands answers

Australia's prime minister has called on US authorities to explain how a woman, originally from Sydney, was shot to death by a policeman after calling to report a possible crime. Justine Damond, 40, died in the city of Minneapolis, reportedly while dressed in her pyjamas. "It is a shocking killing," said Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, "and yes, we are demanding answers on behalf of her family."

Eating cod 'OK now'

North Sea cod has been considered under threat for more than a decade, but fish-and-chip shop customers can now enjoy it with a "clear conscience", a conservation group has announced. The fishing industry has agreed to help regenerate the population, employing new nets and closing spawning areas. The Marine Stewardship Council said cod was now sustainable and could be sold with its "blue tick" label.

Analysis: Why did (almost) everyone call the election wrong (again)?

Ian Katz, Editor, BBC Newsnight

One source of comfort to pollsters and journalists mulling over why they didn't see last month's result coming is the fact that most politicians didn't either. A source told me the Labour Party's internal predictions, minutes before the exit poll was released, were for a Tory majority of around 60 seats.

Read the full article

What the papers say

Prime Minister Theresa May is being urged by backbench Conservative MPs to sack disloyal ministers, the Guardian reports. Meanwhile, the BBC's revelation later of the names of on-air performers earning more than 150,000 a year has caused "panic", the Daily Mail claims, with the Daily Telegraph saying the details will show a "gender gap" on pay.

Daily digest

Grenfell fire Burning cladding "would have released 14 times more heat than government safety test allows"

Surcharges to go Businesses to be banned from charging credit and debit card users extra

Wealth gap 'narrows' Inequality has declined since financial crisis, says IFS

Zion's dream Boy with double hand transplant gets to play baseball

If you watch one thing today

'I can't die. I'm thinking of suicide'

If you listen to one thing today

Gorbachev's Perestroika

If you read one thing today

Crisis-hit Venezuelans leave for Brazil

Today's lookahead

12:00 Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn face off in the last Prime Minister's Questions before Parliament's summer recess.

18:30 Kensington and Chelsea Council holds a full meeting for the first time since the Grenfell Tower fire.

On this day

1997 The IRA announces its second ceasefire in three years, following a request from Sinn Fein to do so.

From elsewhere

Why 65-year-olds aren't old (Economist)

Hidden story of 2,000 African-Caribbean PoWs in a medieval castle (Guardian)

The water thank that became a music venue (New Yorker)

Bill Bailey walks 100 miles along Britain's oldest road (Daily Telegraph)

More From this publisher : HERE

=> *********************************************** See More Here: News Daily: Trump-Putin meeting and BBC stars’ salaries – BBC News ************************************ =>

News Daily: Trump-Putin meeting and BBC stars’ salaries – BBC News was originally posted by 16 MP Just news

[euromaidanpress]

[box]

In late July, Belarusian law enforcers arrested in 33 Russian mercenaries from the Wagner group on their territory. The goal of their stay in Belarus was unclear. Ukraine wanted Belarus to hand over 28 of them since they fought against Ukraine in the Ukrainian region of the Donbas. All of them, except one Belarusian citizen, were handed over to Russia.

Several reputable Ukrainian media outlets, citing their sources in various law enforcement agencies, said that it was a Ukrainian special operation to bring the suspected criminals to Kyiv and it failed due to the information being leaked to Russia either by President Zelenskyy, his office’s chief Yermak or other briefed officials.

The officials and Ukrainian secret services deny that the operation was even planned while Parliament – the Verkhovna Rada – is going to consider setting up a temporary investigative commission to establish the truth.

[/box]

On 29 July reports came from Belarus that the country’s secret service KGB arrested 33 Russian mercenaries from the Wagner private military company who had allegedly come to destabilize the situation during the 9 August presidential elections. Law enforcers were allegedly searching the country for 170 other mercenaries said to belong to the group of 200 fighters.

Read more: Russian Wagner mercenaries arrested in Belarus: ‘little green men’ scenario, fighters in transit, or other?

Ukraine asked Belarus to extradite 28 of the 33 detainees for their suspected participation in the fighting in the Donbas against the Ukrainian army.

However, not only had Belarus ignored the Ukrainian request, it hadn’t even officially brought any charges against the detainees. Moreover, two weeks later, 32 of the 33 detainees returned to Russia. And the 33rd mercenary remained in Belarus because he was a Belarusian citizen.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized the decision of official Belarus and stated that “the consequences of this decision will be tragic.”

PMC Wagner: a unit of the Russian Defense Ministry in disguise

A statue to a Russian mercenary, likely from the “Wagner” PMC, in Ukraine (left) and Syria (right). Photo collage: Euromaidan Press

Most of the mercenaries previously were members of the Russian organization known as the private military company (PMC) Wagner that is not officially registered in Russia.

[box]However, this organization linked to Putin’s crony Yevgeny Prigozhin enjoys full materiel support of the Russian Ministry of Defense by receiving firearms, ammunition, and heavy military equipment from the agency.[/box]

And the PMC Wagner not only acts as guns-for-hire to secure valuable assets or VIPs abroad; its mercenaries often participate in the Russian-run conflicts across the world as an auxiliary force for the Russian military.

Therefore, it is believed to be a unit of the Russian Defense Ministry in disguise.

The “Wagnerians” fought against Ukraine in the Donbas at the turn of 2015. Later the mercenaries of the group were sent to Syria to support President Bashar al-Assad. Finally, Russia deployed “Wagner” mercenaries in several African countries and Venezuela.

Read also: New footage shows Russian PMC Wagner involved in crucial 2015 Debaltseve battle in Ukraine

“Ukrainian provocation,” Russian media says

A week after the detainment of the 33 Russian mercenaries in Belarus, the Russian newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda stated that the arrest “turned out to be a provocation of the Ukrainian special services” referring to an anonymous source in the Russian secret services.

The source told the Russian media that the recruitment started as many phone calls to former “Wagner militants” with an offer to work “securing oil facilities in Syria.” One of the “veterans of hostilities in Donbas” Artem Milyaev (call sign “Shaman”), as per the newspaper, volunteered to help find a group of 180 people for the job. Later the destination was changed to Venezuela. Four units of the mercenaries were set to head to Minsk in July and August, in order to fly from there along the route Istanbul-Havana-Caracas.

Komsomolskaya Pravda says, “it turned out that all air tickets were purchased in Ukraine” and before departure from, on July 25, “Shaman” was told about the flight cancellation and received instructions to destroy the old tickets. Days later, Belarusian KGBists arrested the Russians.

Ukrainian media blames Zelenskyy’s office of disrupting a large-scale operation

Later on 18 August, two Ukrainian online newspapers backed what initially was the Russian narrative on the Ukrainian involvement in luring out the mercenaries from Russia to trap them in Ukraine. What is more, the Ukrainian journalists stated that it was the Presidential Office that disrupted a year-long large-scale special operation.

[box]Ukrayinska Pravda, citing its unnamed sources, wrote that Ukrainian special services were actually running the operation to capture a group of Wagner mercenaries, yet as law enforcers informed the Presidential Office of their plans, the operation failed.[/box]

Yuriy Butusov, the editor-in-chief of the website Censor.Net, urged the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) to open an investigation against President Zelenskyy and his close circle under high treason charges. He also called on the Verkhovna Rada to create an investigative commission for probing into the involvement of Zelenskyy and his close associates into an alleged leak of information that disrupted a top-secret operation conducted jointly by the SBU and the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense (MD’s MID) to detain the Russian suspects.

Zelenskyy dismissed Vasyl Burba, head of MD’s MID. And Butusov states that the reason for the dismissal was that Mr. Burba demanded a polygraph test for the head of the Office of President Andriy Yermak and the First Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Ruslan Demchenko.

“Thus, with this dismissal, the President of Ukraine hid high-ranking officials from going through a check and [from being suspects in] a criminal case,” Yuriy Butusov believes.

Ukrayinska Pravda added that the group of suspects included those who could have been involved in the downing of the Malaysia Airlines Boeing MH17, the Ukrainian aircraft IL-76 near Luhansk airport, and the AN-26 near Luhansk city. The group of 33 included 28 militants that were meant to be detained with 9 Ukrainian citizens among them.

The operation

Ukrayinska Pravda provided more details on the planning and the course of the failed special operation, citing their undisclosed sources.

The plan was to bring the group from Moscow to Minsk Airport on 24 July and, without a stay in Belarus, fly them to Istanbul on 25 July. The further intention was to land the plane in one of the Ukrainian airports due to a sudden fake disease of a passenger who would have been an SBU agent. Under the guise of paramedics, a group of special forces would have entered the plane to detain the Wagnerians.

On July 24, SBU Deputy Chief Ruslan Baranetsky and MD’s MID Chief Vasyl Burba informed the President’s Office on the final stage of the operation. The listeners at the briefing were President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Head of the Office Andriy Yermak, First Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, Chairman of the Intelligence Committee Ruslan Demchenko, Deputy Chairman of the Defense Committee Roman Mashovets, Secretary of the President Maria Levchenko.

[box]Having heard the report, Yermak asked to postpone the special operation, mentioning some ongoing talks with a Russian presidential aide and speculating that the operation could disrupt both exchange of prisoners being prepared at the time and the beginning of another ceasefire in the war-torn Donbas. President Zelenskyy supported Yermak and ordered the operation to be postponed to 30 July.[/box]

Ukrayinska Pravda says that Ukrainian intelligence operatives suspect that information was leaked to Russia after the briefing resulting in the detention of mercenaries in Minsk and their subsequent transfer to Russia.

On 25 July, 33 Wagner mercenaries who booked the flight did not show up to depart. They settled in one of the Minsk recreational compounds with an order to wait for a new departure date, scheduled for 30 July. However, on the eve of the flight, on July 29, the special services of Belarus detained the whole group.

On 3 August, Zelenskyy convened another meeting where Intelligence Chief Burba said that the operation failed because of betrayal. Burba demanded to start checking everyone who knew about the operation. In particular, he wanted himself, Yermak, Demchenko, and Mashtsov to be checked on a polygraph.

Zelenskyy didn’t order any checks and didn’t initiate an investigation into the failure. Moreover, later he fired Burba to appoint a new head of the intelligence agency, and SBU deputy head Baranetskyi is on “indefinite leave.”

Official denial

Head of the Presidential Office Yermak, special services, and President Zelenskyy deny that such an operation was in progress and failed.

Yermak commented by saying,

[quote]”This looks like a well-thought-out and planned disinformation campaign. And, surprisingly, some Ukrainian citizens are publicly disseminating this version of events.It can be assumed that some internal forces also decided to use this disinformation campaign against Ukraine for their own purposes before the [upcoming local] elections. And maybe someone really wants to disrupt the ceasefire in the Donbas, which has been going on since 27 July, and during this time we have not lost a single Ukrainian soldier in the fighting [there were at least 7 fatalities officially reported as “non-combat” ones, – Ed].”[/quote]

Meanwhile, the SBU called information on its participation in the operation “a Russian fake” and called “not to spread rumors in favor of an unfriendly state.” The newly-appointed head of the Main Intelligence Directorate Kirill Budanov made a similar statement. And Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service stated that the report on the Ukrainian failed attempt to lure the Wagner mercenaries to Ukraine is a “special information operation” of “Russian origin.”

President Zelenskyy told Radio Svoboda that he didn’t hear about any special operation being compromised and said,

“It’s delusional. I read about it. It is unfortunate that some media outlets reprinted Komsomolskaya Pravda (I believe the Russian one) and made a sensation in Ukraine.”

In response to a clarifying question whether the operation was planned, Zelensky asked,

“Why do you ask such a provocative question? Why are you telling the President of Ukraine now that the operation was planned?”

Evidence and more details

On 18 July Ukrainian journalist Yanina Sokolova published an apparently leaked video on her Youtube channel that allegedly shows “job interviews” with three of the mercenaries conducted by a Ukrainian operative, in which the “Wagnerians” tell about their involvement in military actions against Ukraine in the Donbas. The video is made in the style of other phone calls posted earlier by the SBU, containing the names of interlocutors, hard captions for the conversations, additional photos, and text comments on the matters mentioned in the calls.

Ticket for Artem Milyaev (call sign “Shaman”). Source: mind.ua

[box]The final part of the video shows photographs of IDs and other documents of the mercenaries accompanied by the on-screen text comment “Photographs of other detained members of the PMC Wagner,” which may mean that the video could have been prepared for the case of the success of the operation.[/box]

More details and documents emerged in an interview with an unnamed “direct participant of the special operation who was one of its coordinators” by investigative journalist Liubov Velychko published on the website mind.ua.

The article contains four more videos of the fake “job interviews” of Wagner mercenaries.

The journalist also shared on her Google Drive the electronic tickets of the Minsk-Istanbul flight of 23 mercenaries and multiple photographs of documents of 22 of them. She stated that the materials she shared came from the Main Intelligence Directorate.

In the interview, the anonymous MD’s MID operative suggested that the special operation started last summer according to the dates of the files handed over to his agency from the SBU. In total, the operation involved some ten operatives at the lowest level. With top brass in the Intelligence Directorate and the SBU and the management of the President’s Office the number of those who could have known about the operation before its active stage was about 20.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

[box]The interviewed operative said that among the suspected mercenaries there were two people who could have been involved in downing the Malaysian flight MH17 as their communication means [allegedly mobile phones, – Ed.] were in the immediate vicinity of the BUK launcher that hit the passenger jet.[/box]

“There is no direct evidence that these people pushed the levers, pressed the buttons [of the BUK]. But they were very close to the BUK, which means that a right dialogue with them could have led to them telling something interesting,” the operative says.

Out of 28 people of interest, 15 had skills of using the MANPAD Igla.

“All downed [Ukrainian] military aircraft (IL-76, An-26, and all others) or any downing of an airplane or helicopter carrying our [Ukrainian] military personnel, was their (those mercenaries’, – Ed) doing.”

[box]

The video shows the celebration of shooting down a Ukrainian fighter jet in the Donbas back in 2014, and it features among others the Russian mercenary Denis Kharitonov, who was among those “Wagnerians” whom the SBU was going to detain.

[/box]

Replying to the question why the SBU has been denying the very existence of this special operation, he said,

“It is difficult to answer, but the instruction to destroy materials has been received. And it will be done soon. And it looks just like a banal betrayal.

Commenting on why Zelenskyy was silent about the situation (the interview probably took place before 20 August when Zelenskyy came up with his denial, – Ed), the intelligence operative said,

“If you want to hear my personal opinion, he probably did not understand the seriousness of all these matters in time.”

MP says presidential faction tries to block the investigation

Meanwhile, legislator Geo Leros from the pro-President faction Servant of the People wrote a Facebook post in which he states that his colleagues in the faction are trying to disrupt the voting on establishing a temporary investigative commission (TSK) by the Parliament for probing into the failed special operation.

“The bill [on establishing the commission] was already registered last week, but I was told that the leadership of the Servant of the People faction refuses to nominate their candidates for the commission and, following the instructions of the President’s Office, it is going to abstain from voting for the creation of the TSK, which once again confirms the Office’s involvement in botching the special operation. because if they had nothing to hide, they would have proved without hesitation that this is a ‘boondoggle’,” wrote Leros.

Read also:

Belarus hands over 32 of 33 Russian Wagner mercenaries to Russia

Russian Wagner mercenaries arrested in Belarus: ‘little green men’ scenario, fighters in transit, or other?

PMC Wagner is a unit of Russian military intelligence, mercs’ IDs show – SBU chief

New footage shows Russian PMC Wagner involved in crucial 2015 Debaltseve battle in Ukraine

From Donbas to Syria: investigation reveals Ukrainians fighting in Russian PMC Wagner

Identical statues to Russia’s “Wagner” mercenaries erected in Syria, occupied Donbas

Wagner mercenaries: what we know about Putin’s private army in Donbas

Kremlin rapidly losing control of ‘private military company’ story

Putin’s cook Prigozhin linked to attacks on Putin critics, bloggers

Russian mercenaries fighting in Ukraine and Syria decorated with state awards, cyber sleuths reveal

Russian private military companies proliferate ‘to make money on war’

Moscow dispatches even more ‘private military companies’ to Syria and Africa

Russia’s “ghost” armies and the “heroes of the Russian spring” in Ukraine

Putin’s Cook and other indictments

Ukraine names over 150 mercenaries from “Putin’s private army” fighting in Ukraine and Syria

Russia recruited over 5,000 mercenaries to fight in its wars abroad, SBU says

Putin comes up with another way to hide Russian combat losses

Wagner in Belarus: Ukrainian journalists cry treason as high officials suspected of blowing MID special op In late July, Belarusian law enforcers arrested in 33 Russian mercenaries from the Wagner group on their territory.

[ebenpink]

World News Briefs -- January 30, 2019 http://bit.ly/2GbHTnB

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer (2ndR) speaks across from China's Vice Premier Lie He (L) during the opening of US-China Trade Talks in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building at the White House in Washington, U.S., January 30, 2019. REUTERS/Leah Millis

Reuters: U.S., China launch high-level trade talks amid deep differences WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and China opened a pivotal round of high-level talks on Wednesday aimed at digging out from their months-long trade war amid deep differences over Chinese practices on intellectual property and technology transfer. Cabinet-level officials, led by Chinese Vice Premier Liu He and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, gathered in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building next to the White House, with about a month to reach a deal before a March 2 U.S. deadline to increase tariffs on Chinese goods. Read more ....

MIDDLE EAST

Syrian Kurds say US seeking deal to prevent a Turkish attack after withdrawal. Trump reassured Kurdish leader about support despite Syrian drawdown: report. Yemen ceasefire looks dire but is holding, says UN envoy. Saudi-led coalition says downs Huthi drone over kingdom. US aid to Palestinian security services to end Friday. Iran's Rouhani tells critics: blame 'oath-breaker' US. Turkey frees US consulate staff convicted of terror charge.

ASIA

Taliban say they are not looking to rule Afghanistan alone. Taliban say they are not looking to rule Afghanistan alone. 2 dead, 4 injured in grenade attack on Philippine mosque. North Korea condemns denuclearization approach. Revealed: Russia secretly offered North Korea a nuclear power plant last year as talks between Kim Jong-un and Trump over the country's nuclear capabilities remained deadlocked. A show of support? White House map of China that omitted Taiwan catches the eye of island’s internet. Australia swipes at Beijing over South China Sea tensions, detention of pro-democracy writer. Japan’s Nikkei: Ghosn says arrest due to plot within Nissan.

AFRICA

C. Africa Republic peace talks stumble over militia amnesty. Kenya on high alert after al-Shabab attack. Zimbabwean police files implicate army in widespread abuses. DR Congo seeks UN help against Rwanda rebels on border. Cameroon should keep borders open for Nigerian refugees: agency. Djibouti: scores feared dead after two migrant boats overturn. 6 refugees died every day in 2018 trying to cross Mediterranean, U.N. report says. Sudan protests: Authorities order release of all detainees. Ivorian MP Alain Lobognan jailed for 'fake news' tweet. Egypt arrests activists after commemoration of uprising.

EUROPE

British Parliament sends May to renegotiate Brexit deal with EU. EU rejects fresh Brexit negotiations. EU's Jean-Claude Juncker rebuffs UK's plan to change Brexit deal. Ireland says UK demand for Brexit deal change is 'wishful thinking'. France backs Cyprus’ search for gas amid Turkey opposition. Ukraine: President Petro Poroshenko to seek re-election. Russian MP arrested on senate floor over double murder. Hungary to shun Italian-led eurosceptic alliance, stick with allies: official.

AMERICAS

Trump speaks with Venezuelan opposition leader. U.N. says 41 killed in Venezuela protests, as new demonstrations planned. Trump had MORE one-on-one talks with Putin – meeting the Russian president for 15 minutes inside historic opera house in Buenos Aires joined only by Melania and Putin's translator. Trump: Border security committee ‘wasting their time’ if not discussing a wall. Study: One-third of 2020 eligible U.S. voters will be non-white. Families dig to find loved ones in Brazil mine collapse. Polar vortex brings deadly cold snap to US states.

TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR

Al-Qaida’s advance in northern Syria threatens fragile truce. German police arrest 3 Iraqi refugees suspected of planning terror attack. 9/11 hearings at Guantánamo delayed after judge flown out for eye surgery. Australia admits misstep over Islamic State suspect.

ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS

US-China trade war talks begin, as VP Liu He faces off with US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer. Amnesty International claims TripAdvisor, Airbnb profiting off Israeli war crimes. It’s China! No, it’s Japan! In months-long battling, China regains its title as home to world’s second-largest stock market. from War News Updates http://bit.ly/2sWJgyv via IFTTT