The Automatic Earth

Salvador Dali They were there 1931

MSNBC says the quiet part out loud. The whole point of this hush money case is to attach the label of convicted felon to Donald Trump. They are happy that this label will be with him as he appeals this verdict. And any legal scholar will tell you Trump will end up winning on… pic.twitter.com/BPIjXjJPm7

— Insurrection Barbie (@DefiyantlyFree) January 5, 2025

Ritter
https://twitter.com/i/status/1875710682903019977
Bernays

Breakfast is a scam👇🏽 pic.twitter.com/LQbpYXEHh0

— Fred’s Farm | Herbs (@FredsFarm247) January 5, 2025

“..Trump’s pick for special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, who predicted last month that the conflict would be “resolved in the next few months” with Trump in office. “Keith Kellogg is a very serious person..”

• Top Ukrainian Journalist Predicts Spring Peace Deal (RT)

Russia and Ukraine could sign a peace deal this spring, Ukrainian journalist Dmitry Gordon has predicted. In an interview published on his YouTube channel last week, Gordon said the “hot phase” of the conflict ended in 2024. “The peace treaty will be signed somewhere around spring 2025, followed immediately by elections [in Ukraine],” Gordon stated. He said his prediction was based on intuition and information from sources close to the government in Kiev. “I’ll reiterate: The hot phase of the war ends this year [2024],” Gordon added. He also cited US President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, who predicted last month that the conflict would be “resolved in the next few months” with Trump in office. “Keith Kellogg is a very serious person. If such a person says that the war will end before the end of the year… people say such things when they have 100% verified information,” Gordon claimed.

Trump has pledged throughout his campaign to end the conflict within 24 hours of returning to the White House. While he has not provided specific details, reported plans include freezing the conflict, delaying Ukraine’s NATO membership by 20 years, and creating a demilitarized zone monitored by European peacekeepers. According to Gordon, Trump’s approach could allow Russia to keep former Ukrainian territories that voted to join it and lift “the most painful” sanctions imposed on Moscow since 2022. At the same time, he claimed the potential deal would likely see NATO troops deployed along the line of contact and granting Ukraine access to frozen Russian assets for reconstruction. Kiev has been reluctant to negotiate with Russia, and earlier this week, Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky called Trump’s promise to end the conflict in one day “unrealistic.”

Zelensky has insisted Ukraine needs firm security guarantees, including NATO membership, as the foundation for long-term peace. Moscow has said it is open to talks but insists that any settlement must begin with Ukraine ceasing military operations and acknowledging the “territorial reality” that it will never regain control of its former regions that chose to join Russia. It has also insisted that all the goals of its military operation, including Ukrainian neutrality, demilitarization, and denazification, must be part of any peace deal. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov earlier stated that Trump’s reported plans to send NATO peacekeepers to Ukraine and postpone Ukraine’s membership in the military bloc instead of providing guarantees that it will never join NATO were “unacceptable” for Moscow.

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Too expensive, no results.

• Russia, US May Strike New Arms Control Deal (Sp.)

Russia and the United States are likely to reach an agreement on a new arms control deal after the expiration of the New START Treaty and avoid the risk of nuclear weapons use during Donald Trump’s presidency, experts told Sputnik. During his election campaign, US President-elect Donald Trump said the US was close to reaching a denuclearization agreement with Russia and China during his first presidential term. Last week, US Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer said that the Trump administration would have “significant leverage” in potential arms control talks with Russia due to the Biden administration’s initiatives to modernize the nuclear arsenal. The official added that the New START treaty, which places limits on the number of deployed strategic nuclear warheads and is due to expire in February 2026, creates a crucial opportunity for negotiations.

The New START Treaty signed in 2010 and extended until February 5, 2026, serves as a cornerstone of strategic stability between the US and Russia and primarily focuses on limiting the number of deployed strategic nuclear warheads and delivery systems. In February 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the suspension of Russia’s participation in the New START Treaty, stating that Russia would not allow the US and NATO to inspect its nuclear facilities as Washington was not abiding by the terms of the treaty and was trying to undermine Russia’s national security. Richard Bensel, a professor of government at Cornell University, expressed confidence that Russia and the US will be able to conclude a new arms control agreement. “I believe that the United States and Russia will agree to a new nuclear arms treaty but the negotiations will be quite complicated and, for that reason, we should not expect an agreement soon after the [New START Treaty] expiration,” Bensel told Sputnik.

At the same time, Bensel stressed that the new treaty will probably not be a high priority for the Trump administration because of the prevailing importance of the domestic agenda in the US. “He will have a year to do this but he may even want more time to put some distance between the treaty he will accept and the preliminary negotiations of the Biden administration,” the expert added.Similarly, Roderick Kiewiet, a professor of political science at the California Institute of Technology, assumed that both Moscow and Washington would be interested in reaching a new treaty after the New START Treaty expiration due to the high cost to both countries of maintaining their existing nuclear arsenals. “Trump has said little to nothing about it, but I believe he will want a new arms control treaty. Putin, too, I would think … New generations of these weapons are on the drawing board, but these would be even more expensive to bring on line. So I think there is a ton of money involved that both sides would prefer not to spend,” Kiewiet said.

Both experts ruled out the possibility of China joining a new arms control treaty, as well as any other country that possesses nuclear weapons. According to the latest Pentagon annual report to Congress, China possesses more than 600 operational nuclear warheads as of mid-2024 and will increase their number to over 1,000 by 2030. Earlier in the month, Russian Strategic Missile Forces Commander Col. Gen. Sergei Karakaev did not rule out the possibility that Russia could increase the number of warheads on deployed carriers in response to similar US actions, saying, however, that Russia intends to maintain the number of its nuclear warheads at the level of the New START Treaty limits. On November 19, Russia updated its nuclear doctrine. According to the updates, aggression against Russia by a non-nuclear state with the involvement of a nuclear state would be considered a joint attack.

One of the reasons for updating the doctrine was the West’s decision to allow Kiev to use US-supplied ATACMS long-range missiles and the UK’s Storm Shadow long-range missiles for strikes deep into Russian territory. Speaking about the possibility of Russia using nuclear weapons, Bensel ruled it out. “Perhaps I am too optimistic but I do not believe that Russia will use nuclear weapons in the Ukraine War,” Bensel said. The expert stressed that it was “almost inconceivable” that the Ukraine conflict could result in the use of nuclear weapons. The same opinion was echoed by Kiewiet, who expressed confidence in the continuation of efforts by Moscow and Washington to overcome existing tensions.

“The thing about these weapons, which has been true since 1945, is that the thought of actually using them is, well, unthinkable. I am confident the US and Russia will continue to manage tensions,” Kiewiet said. The expert called Russian ballistic missile Oreshnik a plus for the Russian military effort at the moment in Ukraine, but doubted that it would have much direct impact on US-Russian relations. In early December, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that the US did not consider the possibility of supplying nuclear weapons to Ukraine and only focused on providing conventional weapons to Kiev.

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“Is the U.S. a democracy, or is the democracy just a facade behind which a wealth elite maintains its power? Biden has given us the answer. Were you listening?”

• Biden & Make-Believe Democracy (Cook)

Only in the world of political make-believe we inhabit in the West would The Wall Street Journal’s account of Biden’s years-long cognitive decline, and its concealment by his officials, count as a scoop. And only in a world in which the billionaire-owned media alone constructs and polices what counts as reality would the WSJ be able to run this story without also being expected to consider what it signifies about America’s professed democracy. The emperor, we are now told, was naked all along. How did it take more than four years for the fearless, tenacious billionaire-owned media to notice? The WSJ reports that even back in 2021 Biden had what his officials described as “bad days” when his mind worked so poorly he had to be kept away from senior Congresspeople and his own cabinet colleagues. So insulated was he that he rarely met even with key figures directing White House policy, such as the secretaries of State, Defence and the Treasury.

He was able to hold only two or three cabinet meetings a year during his four-year term — a total of nine, compared to 19 by Barack Obama and 25 by Donald Trump. His aides barely strayed from his side because they needed to whisper instructions for him to carry out the simplest of public tasks, such as where to enter and exit a room. Concern only went mainstream when he performed catastrophically in an unscripted TV debate against Donald Trump in June, eventually having to pull out of his re-election bid and let his vice-president, Kamala Harris, take over. Shortly afterwards, it emerged that he had been receiving regular visits to the White House from a leading neurologist and Parkinson’s expert. Many observers — myself included — pointed out Biden’s mental infirmity from the get-go. Matt Orfalea has been compiling video clips of the president’s stunning gaffes and verbal confusions for years.

None of us were geniuses. We didn’t need access to the 50 White House insiders interviewed by the WSJ. It was blindingly obvious. You had to be lying, or hypnotised, to deny what was so visible. And yet every time we pointed out Biden’s clear cognitive impairment, we were accused of promoting conspiracy theories, engaging in elder abuse, or supporting Trump. The emperor, so we were told, was fully clothed. The truth about Biden hasn’t suddenly leaked out from his officials. Senior politicians on both sides of the aisle knew. White House correspondents knew. Editors knew. And they all lied to protect the system of power to which they belong, the system that keeps them gainfully employed, the system that maintains their status. No one was going to rock the boat.

The WSJ hasn’t suddenly found out things it didn’t know before. The reason it is coming clean now – as are White House staffers – is that President Biden is almost out the door. The truth is no longer a serious threat to the Washington power system. There will be more revelations about Biden’s incapacity – maybe contained in a future book by Bob Woodward – after his presidency has become a distant memory. When it is safe for the full story to be told. When the lies are no longer important. But more significant than the media deceptions are the fact that much of the public fell for them, not once but over and over again: day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year. Why? Because far too many of us are in the grip of the West’s propaganda system. We believe that the billionaire-owned media is to be trusted, that it serves the public good, not private wealth.

If a large chunk of the public can be persuaded that a man who is incapable of finding the door through which he’s supposed to leave is “sharp as a tack”, then why would they not also believe that the United States is promoting democracy as it has laid waste to the Middle East over the past two decades to control the region’s oil? Or that Washington is seeking peace for the world and Ukraine by arming it with ever-more offensive weapons against a nuclear-armed Russia so that the U.S. can place ballistic missiles on Moscow’s doorstep? Or that the U.S. wants a ceasefire in Gaza even as it supplies the munitions, intelligence and diplomatic cover for Israel to carry out a genocide there?

The problem is that, subjected to a lifetime of elite propaganda, many are readier to believe that very propaganda than the evidence of their own own eyes. They are truly hypnotised. Even now, many are listening to the “revelations” of Biden’s long decline and, just like the WSJ, not wondering how the U.S. has been functioning for the past four years with a president barely able to read a teleprompter, one whose mind is so vacant he can wander off in the middle of a conversation. Does the U.S. run by itself? Does it need a president? Or is the president nothing more than a figurehead for a permanent bureaucracy that expects to wield power from the shadows, unobserved by voters and unaccountable to them? Is the U.S. a democracy, or is the democracy just a facade behind which a wealth elite maintains its power? Biden has given us the answer. Were you listening?

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“Democrats incessantly claimed that Trump would be a dictator. Instead, Biden became the most authoritarian president of the last 80 years.”

• Trump Administration Must Begin Restoring American Values on Day One (Spivak)

As the Biden-Harris administration slips away, Donald Trump must fulfill his promises to dispose of the woke detritus. His administration will have to bypass antidemocratic booby traps, including recently adopted rules that take time to reverse, last-minute appointments of progressive federal judges, and a hostile, left-leaning Deep State protected by Joe Biden’s revocation of Schedule F termination rights. Democrats incessantly claimed that Trump would be a dictator. Instead, Biden became the most authoritarian president of the last 80 years. Article I, Section 3 of the United States Constitution requires the President to “take care that the Laws be faithfully executed,” and in his oath of office, he swears to do so.

Instead, Biden and his administration issued executive orders and rules he knew to be unconstitutional, unlawful and unpopular, including a radical left agenda of censorship, racism through diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), and fanatic transgenderism. The Trump administration should promptly seek to settle lawsuits centered on the outgoing administration’s hard left policies by conceding the government’s position is wrong. It will be difficult for future administrations to violate the settlements without approval of the other parties. At the least, the administration should dismiss, with prejudice, the cases in which it is the plaintiff.

The Trump administration also should seek legislative solutions that give standing to states and private individuals to secure government compliance, and to act as “private attorneys general” to enforce these laws if a future administration fails to do so. Though it will be tough to obtain the 60 votes required for passage in the Senate, there may be opportunities to peel off a few Democrats, or to use reconciliation, which requires only a majority. Regrettably, eliminating the filibuster to facilitate passage would ultimately backfire.

Trump’s team is well positioned for this mission. Harmeet K. Dhillon, Trump’s nominee to lead the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, is a tough litigator who believes in the Constitution and individual rights. Linda McMahon, another of the strong, intelligent women around Trump, will be instrumental as secretary of the Department of Education, which mandated and funds much of the woke jihad. Trump fairly describes Brendan Carr, his pick to chair the Federal Communications Commission, as “a warrior for Free Speech.”

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They missed Charlie Manson.

• Biden Awards Hillary Clinton, George Soros Presidential Medal of Freedom (Sp.)

With just over two weeks left to go in his administration, President Biden has been taking a series of last minute measures to try to ‘Trump-proof’ his legacy and put a spoke in his successor’s wheels. But some of his actions seem designed solely to trigger his opponents. Joe Biden has apparently decided to give one final giant middle finger to detractors on his way out the door, awarding the Presidential Medal of Freedom to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, hedge fund shark-turned ‘philanthropist’ George Soros and a slew of celebrities and activists. The White House said the award, given “to individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavors,” is being handed out this year to 19 individuals that “have made America a better place.”

Online, people were less than enthused about Clinton and Soros’ nominations.“Biden is giving the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Hillary Clinton and George Soros…seriously two of the worst people on earth. This could be a Babylon Bee article with how unbelievable it is,” internet personality Natalie Danelishen vented. “Unreal,” Elon Musk replied. “It would be almost like awarding the war president par excellence named Obama with a Nobel Peace Prize…Oh…that really happened!” another person quipped. “This shell of an administration is writing the book on how to inflict maximum damage on the country and the American people. Just remember they HATE 60% of us and they have no shame in showing us how much and giving us the finger,” someone wrote. “Epstein wasn’t available,” another user joked. “The special guest of the event will be Lucifer,” another suggested.

“Awarded for their attempt in destroying America?” one person asked. “Does the medal come with…The Biden Pardon? Asking for a friend,” someone wrote.“At least he’s remained consistent, corrupt all the way until the very end,” another suggested.Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Soros are two of the most reviled figures of contemporary US politics among conservatives, the non-liberal left and anti-war and anti-interventionism advocates of all stripes. Clinton, the former first lady and wife of alleged child sex offender Bill Clinton, served as a senator from New York from 2001-2009, actively supporting the Bush administration’s ‘War on Terror’, including the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. As Barack Obama’s secretary of state from 2009-2013, Mrs. Clinton cheerled the NATO operation to topple Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, which turned the North African country into a failed state with open air slave markets, backed the US-led dirty war against Syria, and supported the funneling of billions of dollars in State Department funding into Ukrainian ‘civil society’ initiatives that ultimately helped trigger the Ukrainian crisis in 2014.

[..] Besides Clinton and Soros, Biden’s Medal of Freedom recipients include Bono, Michael J Fox, Denzel Washington, Bill Nye, Magic Johnson, Jane Goodall, liberal philanthropists and activists Jose Andres, Tim Gill and David Rubenstein, soccer star Lionel Messi, American Film Institute founder George Stevens Jr., and Vogue editor Anna Wintour. Robert F Kennedy Jr’s late father, former attorney general Robert F Kennedy, Ashton Carter, deceased former Obama-era Pentagon chief, late former Michigan governor George Romney and late civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer were also honored.

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“The grim fate of Germany heralds the economic misery that the whole EU is sliding headlong into. The history of Europe’s economic demise is as obvious as it is blatant.”

• Uncle Sam and Banderite Bandits Destroy Europe (SCF)

The upshot is that all major Russian natural gas supply lines to Europe have now been terminated. The only one remaining is Turk Stream which runs under the Black Sea to Turkey. But it mainly supplies Balkan countries that are not in the EU. In the space of two years, Russia has gone from being the major supplier of EU gas imports (over 40 percent) to being a minor source. The big winner of the phenomenal market disruption is the United States, whose exports of liquefied natural gas to the EU have tripled. Another winner is Norway, which is not an EU member. Other sources of gas for Europe are Azerbaijan and Algeria.

However, the unprecedented extra costs to Europe for this enormous rearrangement in its energy trade are encumbering the EU economies, industries and households with crippling burdens. New pipelines have to be built, as well as new terminals to receive the shipped gas. U.S. exports cost 30 to 40 percent more than the Russian product. The slump in the German economy from higher energy costs is directly caused by the cutting off of abundant and affordable Russian gas. And it is going to get even worse. The grim fate of Germany heralds the economic misery that the whole EU is sliding headlong into. The history of Europe’s economic demise is as obvious as it is blatant.

Of course, it is all about the United States using and abusing its Western “allies” for its own interests. For Western imperialists, there is no such thing as allies, only interests. And the Americans are exacting that maxim to the hilt. For decades, the U.S. has vehemently opposed the energy trade between the EU and Russia. Back in the 1980s, President Ronald Reagan’s administration tried its best to block the development of the Brotherhood Pipeline with threats of economic sanctions. The Americans openly said they didn’t want to see Europe and the Soviet Union developing cooperative relations.

At least in earlier times, the European governments appeared to have more independence and backbone. Germany, France, Italy and others rebuffed Washington’s demands to shut down the gas projects. The long-running strategic aim of the U.S. to displace Russia as an energy supplier to Europe has now been realized. It’s a sign of the desperate times and lawlessness that American military operatives attack European infrastructure. The blowing up of the Nord Stream pipelines and the proxy war in Ukraine have secured the strategic aim of the U.S. and its NATO proxy – keeping the Germans (Europeans) down, the Americans in, and the Russians out. So much for the free-market capitalism and rules-based order that American and European elites preach. The practice is brute economic competition and dominance down the barrel of a gun.

Millions of lives have been destroyed in this “great game” of American imperialist chicanery, and the proxy war in Ukraine is risking the escalation to a nuclear Third World War. The Banderite regime – an echo of the Nazi past – has enabled the United States to enslave Europe to Washington’s imperialist desires. Tragically, a coterie of elitist European political leaders are so obsessed with Russophobia and servility to their American overlord that they are crowing with delight at cutting off Russia. Russia will not suffer. Its vast energy resources are finding alternative lucrative global markets. The victims are the European citizens who are being plunged into wretched economic hardship due to the machinations of American capital, its Banderite tools, and Euro fools.

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“The final goal is a ruined Europe, not only unwilling but also incapable of establishing any future strategic ties with Moscow..”

• Countdown to the European Collapse (SCF)

Finally, energy cooperation between Russia and Europe is (almost) completely over. After nearly three years of sanctions and sabotage, the bilateral Moscow-EU energy partnership suffered its greatest historical blow. Kiev fulfilled its promise not to extend its contract with Gazprom, which was allowing the arrival of Russian gas to Europe, then creating an extremely uncomfortable energy insecurity situation for its own “partners” in the European Union. On the morning of the first day of 2025, the Russian Federation stopped supplying gas to European buyers via Ukraine. Even amidst the conflict, the Russian Gazprom and Ukrainian Naftogaz had kept in operation an energy transit agreement signed in 2020, which expired on the last day of 2024. Previously, Kiev had already announced it was unwilling to renew the contract with Gazprom, although some European countries repeatedly asked Ukraine to do so.

Despite the sanctions imposed on Russia since 2022, some European countries continued benefiting from the import of Russian gas, particularly Slovakia and Hungary – nations that refused to participate in the Western-sponsored anti-Russian boycott – as well as Austria, a country historically neutral in Europe’s geopolitical and military disputes. Other nations, even adhering to the sanctions, continued hypocritically receiving Russian gas, such as Italy, Poland, Romania, and Moldova. There were also cases of gas resale, with receiving nations re-exporting the commodity to countries seeking to bypass the sanctions.

With the end of the Ukrainian route, all these states lost any guarantee of a safe energy source – precisely during winter, the time of year when gas consumption in Europe is at its highest. Obviously, there are currently energy reserves that may be enough to cope with the challenges of the current season, but the situation will progressively become more critical over time. European nations will have to find new sources of gas or expand the use of the only two remaining routes for Russian gas (via Turkey and the Black Sea). Recent indicators show a substantial rise in gas prices among Asian exporters. Ankara is also expected to take the opportunity to gain more profits from its pipeline.

There is currently hope among Europeans for a cheap gas supply through the long-awaited Qatari-Turkish pipeline project via Syria. With the fall of Bashar al Assad’s legitimate government, energy giants from Turkey and the Gulf have revived the proposal, although they are waiting for domestic pacification in Syria by the Al-Qaeda junta to begin the construction. Some optimistic analysts in Europe believe this would be the antidote to Europe’s dependency on Russian gas – or Asian and American, as in the current circumstances.

The main problem with this hope is believing in the goodwill of the Western hawks to “pacify Syria.” Without Assad, Damascus became a “failed state,” with territory divided between different factions in constant hostilities. It is unlikely this will change – simply because, despite the tactical operators of the Syrian crisis (Turkey and Qatar) wanting pacification, the strategic mentors (Israel and the USA) are not interested. Tel Aviv prefers a polarized and war-torn Syria, unable to do anything to prevent territorial progress in the Golan and beyond. Washington, which is subservient to Israeli interests through the international Zionist lobby, is interested in the same – along with, of course, fostering Kurdish terrorists to worsen the internal Syrian situation even further.

In other words, Western analysts still do not understand that the decision-makers of the unipolar axis simply do not want to solve Europe’s problems. It is not in the US’ interest that its “partners” in Europe regain cheap energy and a strong industrial base. For Washington, the collapse of Europe is not a tragedy but a strategic goal, whose roots lie in the science of geopolitics itself. According to the fundamentals of Western geopolitics, Russian-European integration would be disastrous for the US-UK Atlantic axis. Therefore, in the face of Russia’s imminent military victory and Moscow’s rehabilitation as a Eurasian geopolitical power, the Americans and the British have adopted a “scorched earth” strategy in Europe.

Sanctions, the terrorist attack on Nord Stream, and the closure of the Ukrainian route to Europe are events that are part of the same strategic context: in all these cases, Anglo-American strategists want to provoke an energy collapse in Europe to enable deindustrialization and the subsequent economic and social crisis. The final goal is a ruined Europe, not only unwilling but also incapable of establishing any future strategic ties with Moscow. With the fall of the Ukrainian gas route, it can be said that the US won an important battle in its economic war against Europe. The total collapse is merely a matter of time.

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“The West is under no illusions privately that it is losing the war in Ukraine and is wondering how it can tell a fairy tale story to its own voters so as to deflect blame with the sole purpose of staying in power..”

• Last Ditch Media Sanctions From The West Against Russia (Jay)

Many analysts will be wondering what Trump will do about Russian sanctions when gets into the Oval office, although there is some optimism that he will try and reverse them. He is cautious not to get into a debate about this subject, which leads me to suspect that this will be one the bombshells he will drop on the Biden administration which left him the small gift of signing off over a billion dollars of military aid to Ukraine. What almost no Americans understand though, which is largely the fault of mainstream media, is that these military spending sprees are really all about feeding a dual-purpose racket which really has nothing to do with the actual war in Ukraine, which everyone now admits Russia is winning.

On one hand, it is of course pumping hundreds of millions of dollars into the 5 main arms manufacturers in the U.S. in a move which could arguably be called illegal state aid; on the other hand the kit which is sent to Ukraine from the U.S. – and the UK – is mainly being sold on a number of black markets, with only about 30 percent or thereabouts actually reaching Ukrainian troops. My own investigation has proved that the Zelensky cabal are selling off the heavy equipment like armoured personal carriers (APCs) and lorry loads of American made assault rifles to dealers in the international arms bizarre of Libya – where Middle Eastern terrorists, or their affiliates in the Sahel buy it at bargain prices. And Trump certainly understands the racket and will want to stop it. Dropping the mother of all bombshells on the Biden legacy by scrapping the sanctions and blocking any more aid would be an effective way to do that.

But it’s the sanctions on Russia media which he should also give priority to, given that, with the state of western media being such a shambles, we had to rely on RT for example, in the UK and U.S., to ask the difficult questions and hold our administrations to account. The recent news at the end of December that the EU is cracking down even further on Russia media and individuals who are active within it – journalists and others – is another parting shot which smacks of desperation. The West is under no illusions privately that it is losing the war in Ukraine and is wondering how it can tell a fairy tale story to its own voters so as to deflect blame with the sole purpose of staying in power. This is really what media sanctions are all about.

Shutting down any narrative that could possibly hold you to account and expose the tawdry reality of the mess the West has made in Ukraine based on the military industrial complex gaining too much power and eating up elites in its path. The Biden administration will be remembered for this. A new dawn in just how much power these arms manufacturers have and what lengths they can go to, to get the big contracts. This will all come out in the Trump administration with documentaries about Biden and his son’s laptop and how Ukraine was a holiday camp for them to go to with empty suitcases and return with a few million dollars. Like a cash machine which keeps churning out cash due to a computer glitch. The lure of Ukraine and corrupt western elites is nothing new. But during Trump’s first term citizens of the West are going to see the dark side to the events which led up to Russia’s invasion. And it stinks.

Part of that racket, going back even to 2013 or 2014 was to try and shut down Russian media. In reality, it was simply RT which elites noticed was gaining popularity in many European countries from people who had lost all faith in their own media which had fallen into the grubby hands of the powerful elites and their dirty games long ago. It used to be the case that in Brussels, the hold that the powerful institutions had on journalists was so strong in such an abusive relationship that what we saw each day on TV and in the newspapers was pure EU propaganda on a scale that even the Soviet Union could not muster. There used to be however the contrast between Brussels and member states where the media were more robust and anti-establishment. But no more.

Now the political journalists along with the defence correspondent in the UK for example are practically government propaganda agents who probably think they were journalists once. Their work is to keep the lies about Ukraine, as one example, flowing so that the public are distracted and can’t focus on what is under their nose. Sometimes the plain truth is so close to the person looking for it, that it can’t be seen. Distance is required. When RT operated in the UK, there was this certain environment which questioned more and provided an alternative viewpoint which was needed in any functioning democracy. Trump’s priority should be to finish the sanctions and adopt a more grown-up approach to resolving Ukraine as the Russians want a longer-term solution rather than quick fix buggerydoo. Ending the sanctions on Russian media would be a good message to western elites that have fed from the trough for so long with the lies which have been created that their time is up. Trump’s back.

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“Our democracy cannot afford such external influences,” Habeck said.”

• ‘Don’t Feed The Troll’ – Scholz On Musk (RT)

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has responded to criticism from SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who recently signaled his support for Germany’s right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. In an interview with Stern magazine published on Saturday, Scholz advised keeping calm when dealing with such remarks and urged against succumbing to provocations. “There are many people on social media who want to attract attention with strong slogans,” Scholz said. “The rule is: Don’t feed the troll.” Musk referred to Scholz as an “incompetent fool” in December in a post on X, his social media platform. The billionaire criticized Berlin’s migration policy after it emerged that the man who had mowed through a crowded Christmas market in Germany, killing five and injuring dozens, was an Arab immigrant with a residence permit.

Musk also praised the AfD and expressed support for its anti-immigration stance and said it’s the only party capable of “saving Germany.” He later elaborated in an op-ed for Welt am Sonntag that the right-wing party’s immigration policies are aimed at preserving the nation’s culture and security rather than promoting xenophobia. Musk’s backing of the AfD is “far more concerning” than personal insults, the chancellor told the German magazine, noting that the party advocates closer ties with Russia and a weakening of transatlantic relationships. German officials, including Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck, have condemned Musk’s comments, and warned the billionaire against interfering in German politics. “Our democracy cannot afford such external influences,” Habeck said.

Musk and fellow entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy have been picked by US President-elect Donald Trump to lead his proposed ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ initiative (DOGE). Some members of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s inner circle have said that Musk could not maintain active support for AfD and Nigel Farage’s right-wing Reform UK party while remaining a member of the new US administration, The Sunday Times reported on Thursday. Such actions would effectively amount to declaring war on the main US allies in Europe, the newspaper’s sources said. The tech entrepreneur earlier also shared a post agreeing with the statement that Reform is “the only way to save” Britain.

Germany gears up for early parliamentary elections on February 23, following the collapse of Scholz’s coalition government due to disagreements on Ukraine aid, economic reforms, and climate policy, leading to a vote of no confidence and parliamentary dissolution in December. Scholz has since been leading a minority government. The AfD has seen a rise in popularity, with recent polls indicating support of around 17%. However, Germany’s major political parties, including Scholz’s Social Democrats (SPD), have ruled out any coalition with the group.

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Farage is coming. He doesn’t even have to campaign.

• UK Responds To Musk’s Criticism Over Child Rape Scandal (RT)

The UK will not refuse Elon Musk’s assistance in tackling systemic failures in addressing child sexual exploitation, Health Secretary Wes Streeting has said. Britain has been rocked by the exposure of, and failure to properly investigate, a grooming scandal in which hundreds of groups of Asian men, mostly Pakistanis, raped and tortured thousands of underage British girls – in towns across the north of England. Musk, who is known for his stance against illegal immigration, has been particularly vocal about the scandal, calling it a case of “state-sponsored evil.” He went on to claim that Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who led the Crown Prosecutorial Service from 2008 to 2013, “was complicit in the RAPE OF BRITAIN,” and must not only resign, but also face charges for failing to deliver justice.

In an interview with ITV News on Friday, Streeting suggested that “some of the criticisms Elon Musk has made… are misjudged and certainly misinformed.” However, he said the UK’s Labor government is “willing to work with Elon Musk who I think has got a big role to play with his social media platform, to help us tackle this issue.” Streeting added that “political correctness was able to get in the way of going after the perpetrators of these serious crimes,” vowing that the government will do its utmost to prevent further incidents.

The grooming gang scandal, a euphemism for widespread child sexual exploitation, primarily came to light through cases in Rotherham, Rochdale, and Telford. Investigations revealed systemic abuse spanning decades, with reports estimating that over 1,400 children were exploited in Rotherham alone from 1997 to 2013. In one of the most egregious cases, the police arrested a father who attempted to rescue his daughter from a house where she was being raped. As the revelations were pouring in, some British media outlets blasted law enforcement for their “cowardice” and for attempting to downplay the scandal in order to not be accused of racism and prevent the rise of the far-right in the UK.

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Been going on for decades. Worse than Epstein. What role did Charles play?

• Musk Calls For King Charles To Dissolve Parliament Over Grooming Gangs (HT)

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has continued his social media criticism of UK PM Keir Starmer for the government’s handling of a ‘child grooming’ scandal in the country Elon Musk has continued his criticism of the Government, calling on the King to step in and dissolve Parliament. The world’s richest man, who purchased the social media site Twitter and renamed it X in 2022, has shared and reacted to tweets critical of the Government and the Prime Minister after Labour rejected a call for an inquiry into child grooming. In his latest attacks on Sir Keir Starmer, Mr Musk shared a post asking whether Charles “should dissolve parliament and order a General Election… for the sake and security” of Britain. Mr Musk retweeted the X thread with a one-word comment: “Yes.”

The 53-year-old Starlink boss continued to wade into the debate overnight, hours after he posted that safeguarding minister Jess Phillips “deserves to be in prison” after she denied requests for the Home Office to lead a public inquiry into child sexual exploitation in Oldham on Thursday. He also suggested the Prime Minister had failed to bring “rape gangs” to justice when he was director of public prosecutions. Mr Musk reposted an article in The Daily Telegraph by shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick in which he says the “grooming gangs” should be renamed “torture rape gangs”. He wrote that Mr Musk’s comments had shamed “the establishment by taking more interest in bringing these rape gangs to justice in one evening than most of the British establishment has for decades”.

Mr Musk continued his criticism in a post alongside footage of The Times’ chief investigative reporter Andrew Norfolk as he detailed the scope of the case and police mishandling, calling it “State-sponsored evil.” Mr Norfolk exposed the Rotherham child sexual exploitation ring in the UK press in 2011. In another comment on the same post, Mr Musk branded the scandal and the child rapists involved as “utterly shameful”. The Tesla owner also called a post asking why people were angrier at his comments than they were about “mass rape” of children as the “perfect question”. Meanwhile, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said a full national inquiry into organised grooming gangs is “long overdue”. Ms Phillips said she recognised the “strength of feeling” for a Home Office-led inquiry into Oldham, but she told the local council the Government will not “intervene”.

“I believe it is for Oldham Council alone to decide to commission an inquiry into child sexual exploitation locally, rather than for the Government to intervene,” she said. In response, Mr Musk, a key member of US President-elect Donald Trump’s inner circle, said: “She deserves to be in prison.” He also appeared to place blame at the Prime Minister’s door. Mr Musk said: “In the UK, serious crimes such as rape require the Crown Prosecution Service’s approval for the police to charge suspects. Who was the head of the CPS when rape gangs were allowed to exploit young girls without facing justice? Keir Starmer, 2008-2013.” In a series of posts on his social media site, Mr Musk described the Prime Minister as “two-tier Keir”, claiming there was “no justice for severe, violent crimes but prison for social media posts”.

Mr Musk also expressed his support for activist Tommy Robinson – real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon – who was jailed for 18 months for contempt of court in October. Senior Tories also sought to put pressure on the Government over grooming gangs. Mrs Badenoch said: “The time is long overdue for a full national inquiry into the rape gangs scandal. Trials have taken place all over the country in recent years but no one in authority has joined the dots. 2025 must be the year that the victims start to get justice.” Shadow home secretary Chris Philp and shadow safeguarding minister Alicia Kearns pressed for a statutory inquiry in Oldham. They said that only a public inquiry “can adequately encompass the national nature of these crimes and issues” and consider whether reports were ignored by the police, CPS and local council “or even covered up”.

In 2022, the then-Conservative government also refused a request for a public inquiry into events in Oldham. An Oldham Council spokesman said: “Survivors sit at the heart of our work to end child sexual exploitation. Whatever happens in terms of future inquiries, we have promised them that their wishes will be paramount, and we will not renege on that pledge.” Responding to Mrs Badenoch’s post, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said: “Talk is cheap. The Conservatives had 14 years in government to launch an inquiry. The establishment has failed the victims of grooming gangs on every level.” Mr Musk, who is rumoured to be considering a major donation to Mr Farage’s party, responded: “Exactly. Time for Reform.” The Independent Inquiry into Child Sex Abuse, which published its final report in 2022, described the sexual abuse of children as an “epidemic that leaves tens of thousands of victims in its poisonous wake”.

Led by Professor Alexis Jay, the inquiry looked into abuse by organised groups following multiple convictions of sexual offences against children across the UK between 2010-2014, including in Rotherham, Cornwall, Derbyshire, Rochdale and Bristol. In November last year, Professor Jay said she felt “frustrated” that none of the probe’s 20 recommendations had been implemented more than two years after its conclusion. A Labour spokesman said the Government is “working at pace to implement the recommendations” in Professor Jay’s report. The spokesman added: “We have supported both the national overarching inquiry into child abuse which reported in 2022, and local independent inquiries and reviews including in Telford, Rotherham and Greater Manchester.”

“This Government is working urgently to strengthen the law so that these crimes are properly reported and investigated. In Oldham the crimes committed by grooming gangs were horrific. Young girls were abused in the most cruel and sadistic way.” “Victims and the community need to know that all steps are taken to deliver justice and protect children properly in the future. We will welcome and support an independent investigation commissioned by Oldham Council which puts victims’ voices at its heart, following the examples of Telford and Rotherham.” “We also continue to support wider work commissioned by mayor Andy Burnham into child protection issues across Greater Manchester, following the review into historic safeguarding issues in Oldham which was published in 2022.”

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“..had Elon Musk really paid attention to what’s going on in this country, he might have recognized that there have already been inquiries..”

• Elon Musk Makes 23 Posts Urging King Charles To Overthrow UK Government (HT)

Elon Musk has become a political lightning rod in the United Kingdom after he advocated for King Charles III to shutdown Parliament and call for a new election. The Tesla boss endorsed a social media post criticizing the government’s handling of criminal gang investigations in Manchester. “In the UK, serious crimes such as rape require the Crown Prosecution Service’s approval for the police to charge suspects. Who was the head of the CPS when rape gangs were allowed to exploit young girls without facing justice? Keir Starmer, 2008 -2013,” Musk posted on X (formerly Twitter) on New Year’s Day. “Who is the boss of Jess Phillips right now? Keir Stamer. The real reason she’s refusing to investigate the rape gangs is that it would obviously lead to the blaming of Keir Stamer [head of the CPS at the time],” he wrote in a follow-up post.

“The King must step in. We can’t have Keir heading the country, while he was the one heading the Crown Prosecution Service [CPS] while all this was happening,” he added in the thread. Responding to his comments, Health Secretary Wes Streeting said they were “misjudged and certainly misinformed.” Labour Minister Andrew Gwynne echoed the sentiment during an interview with LBC radio, “Elon Musk is an American citizen and perhaps ought to focus on issues on the other side of the Atlantic.” “The grooming issue is a very serious issue. We’ve already had inquiries into Telford, into Rotherham, we’ve had a local inquiry commissioned by Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, into the situation here in Greater Manchester, which includes Oldham,” Gwynne explained.

“There comes a point where we don’t need more inquiries, and had Elon Musk really paid attention to what’s going on in this country, he might have recognized that there have already been inquiries. What we need is justice for the victims, and we need to make sure that the criminal justice system follows up and makes sure that these atrocious things are never able to happen again.”

The debate intensified when Musk suggested that Minister Jess Phillips “deserves to be in prison” for her stance on launching a new public inquiry into grooming in Oldham. Phillips had argued that a local council-led inquiry, similar to those in Rotherham and Telford, would be more effective, per BBC report. Adding fuel to the fire, Musk shared an article by Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick from The Daily Telegraph discussing the investigations. Jenrick commented that Musk’s remarks had “shamed the establishment by taking more interest in bringing these rape gangs to justice in one evening than most of the British establishment has for decades.”

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The people will rise to defend their kids.

• US MIC Wants Ukrainian Bloodbath to Continue Even With 18-Year-Olds (Sp.)

Washington is pressuring Zelensky to lower the draft age from 25 to 18. Meanwhile, Western media is reporting that Ukrainian recruits have begun deserting forces training in European NATO countries hundreds at a time. Retired Russian Army colonel and renowned military observer Viktor Litovkin explains how these events are connected. “The war in Ukraine is profitable to the United States economically, politically and so on. That’s why they’re interested in this war continuing,” Litovkin told Sputnik, commenting the Biden administration’s steady pressure on Kiev to reduce the draft age to 18. Besides the cash the US military-industrial complex can expect from new contracts from its Eastern European NATO allies from the “recycling” their Warsaw Pact-era Soviet equipment, and the replenishment of Pentagon warehouses after sending old stocks off to Kiev, hawks in Washington are able to pursue their long-term obsession with “weakening Russia,” Litovkin explained.

The gruesome “business” in Ukraine is so profitable that Litovkin doesn’t expect it to stop once Donald Trump is in charge. After all, he recalled, it was Trump who first sent lethal weapons to the country in 2019. “I’m more than certain that Trump will not rush to stop this ‘business’. He will likely simply dump part of it onto Europe, while continuing the rest because it’s profitable for the US. Trump has always been on the side of the US military-industrial complex,” Litovkin said. As for plans to draft 18-year-olds, how else “how can this conflict continue, if a million Ukrainian servicemen have already been knocked out, killed, wounded, maimed and so on,” with other draft-age men fleeing to Europe, Russia, etc., the observer asked.

“There are about 30,000 mercenaries fighting in Ukraine. All the complex military equipment is controlled by mercenaries, US, Polish and German specialists, from HIMARS to Patriots and others…But someone has to man the front lines, someone has to man the trenches” if the reserve of 25-year-olds and up – the current draft age, is exhausted, the retired soldier said. Unfortunately, Litovkin doesn’t expect Ukraine’s population to rise up and overthrow the government sending its sons to their deaths. “Power in Ukraine is in the hands of the Banderites, who keep the people who are left in fear…Maybe individuals and groups can declare a protest, but they will be immediately thrown in jail and the men sent to the front,” he said.

Ukrainian and US business media reported this week that Ukraine’s brand new, elite NATO-trained 155th Mechanized Brigade “disintegrated” before reaching the frontlines, with over 1,700 of its 5,800 members said to have fled during training in France and Poland, before deployment in the ongoing bloody battles in the Donbass. The mass desertion signals a critical lack of “fighting spirit,” Litovkin believes. “Victory in every war is determined by the fighting spirit of those masses who shed blood on the battlefield,” Litovkin explained, suggesting the incident shows that “coercion,” not fighting spirit, are the main remaining motivator in the Ukrainian Army, hence the regular mass desertions, mass surrenders, etc.

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They knew what would happen. And then provoked it.

• US Supplied ‘A Lot of Weapons’ To Ukraine Ahead of Conflict – Blinken (RT)

Washington supplied “a lot of weapons” to Ukraine in the months before the hostilities between Moscow and Kiev began in February 2022, outgoing US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has admitted. The top diplomat made the remarks while speaking on the New York Times’ ‘The Interview’ podcast, aired on Saturday. The US saw the conflict between Russia and Ukraine “coming” and wanted to get Kiev “prepared” for it, according to Blinken. “Starting in September and then again in December, we quietly got a lot of weapons to Ukraine to make sure that they had in hand what they needed to defend themselves – things like Stingers, Javelins that they could use,” he said.

The weaponry has proven “instrumental” in “preventing Russia from taking Kiev,” as well as “rolling over the country, erasing it from the map,” Blinken asserted. The intentions ascribed to Moscow by the top US diplomat, however, sharply contrast with the goals of the military operation repeatedly articulated by Russia’s leadership. The original aims included demilitarization and denazification of the country, as well as Kiev accepting a neutral status and abandoning its aspirations to join NATO. Over time, the list was somewhat expanded in the wake of the incorporation of the four formerly Ukrainian regions of Kherson and Zaporozhye, as well as the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, into Russia.

Moscow has repeatedly said any potential negotiations with Kiev would require it to accept the “realities on the ground,” as well as to withdraw troops from the new Russian territories. Blinken’s remarks received a poor reception in Moscow. Senior Russian diplomat Rodion Miroshnik suggested the revelations somewhat undermined the usual narrative about the supposedly “unprovoked Russian aggression.” “Pumping [Ukraine] with weapons for an attack on Donbass and Russia, isn’t that a pretext for the special military operation?” Miroshnik said in a Telegram post.

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Tell him to talk to Musk.

• Starmer May Ask Trump to Continue Military Support to Ukraine (Sp.)

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer may travel to Washington within weeks after US President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20 to urge him to provide military assistance to Ukraine, the media reported, citing sources. Downing Street hopes Starmer will fly to Washington in late January or early February and try to convince Trump to continue backing Kiev even despite Trump’s promise to strike a peace deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the media said. According to the publication, on the Chinese issue, the prime minister will support the United States on national security issues, but does not approve of tariffs as a way to improve global trade. Russia believes that arms supplies to Ukraine hinder the settlement, directly involving NATO countries in the conflict. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov noted that any cargo containing weapons for Ukraine would be a legitimate target for Russia.

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“..I’m not doing this for me, I’m doing it for them. Let’s see what happens..”

• Trump Hires Hawkish Mideast Envoy Because GOP’s Neocon Wing Wanted It (Sp.)

The President-elect’s second term cabinet picks have been a mixed bag, with America First doves like Tulsi Gabbard (his pick for director of national intelligence) overshadowed by neocon hawks like Marco Rubio (secretary of state), Mike Waltz (national security advisor) and Elise Stefanik (UN ambassador). Donald Trump has tapped another neoconservative for his cabinet, selecting Morgan Ortagus, his previous administration’s ex-State Department spokeswoman, to serve as deputy envoy of his Middle East peace team. The president-elect made the announcement in an oddly resentful manner on his social media platform Friday. “Early on Morgan fought me for three years, but hopefully has learned her lesson. These things usually don’t work out, but she has strong Republican support, and I’m not doing this for me, I’m doing it for them. Let’s see what happens,” Trump wrote.

“She will hopefully be an asset to Steve [billionaire Steven Witkoff, Trump’s pick for special Middle East envoy, ed.], a great leader and talent, as we seek to bring calm and prosperity to a very troubled region. I expect great results, and soon!” Trump added. Ortagus, who served as State Department spokeswoman under Mike Pompeo in the second half of Trump’s first administration, is also a former Treasury Department intelligence analyst, public affairs officer for USAID – the US government’s soft power foreign aid tool, a former banker, Fox News contributor, and officer in the US Navy Reserve. Before throwing her hat into the ring with Trump, Ortagus worked for Jeb Bush’s 2016 presidential campaign.

Her foreign policy positions are cross-the-board hawkish. Ortagus has cheered an escalation of tensions with China at every turn, praised the 2020 murder of Iranian Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani, accused Russia of destabilizing the Middle East, and said the problem with the conflict in Ukraine isn’t NATO’s fueling of a proxy war, but the Biden administration not being “serious about defeating Russia.” Ortagus reportedly has close relationships with Trump’s secretary of state pick Marco Rubio, forever war hawk Senator Lindsey Graham, and Trump special missions envoy Richard Grenell. During Trump’s first term, she also worked closely with Jared Kushner, architect of the ‘Deal of the Century’ Palestinian-Israeli peace deal which Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said belongs in the “garbage can of history.”

Graham praised Ortagus’s new appointment, saying she was “literally the best pick he could have made,” and that “nobody has closer ties to Israel and understands the mischief of Iran.” Ortagus said she was “honored” over her appointment and that “to be given the opportunity to once again represent my country and the Trump administration in a crucial diplomatic role is dream come true [sic].” The Witkoff-Ortagus team is expected to be tasked with ending the Gaza war and reducing Mideast tensions more broadly as Israel escalates its war against Yemen’s Houthis, and mulls aggression targeting Iran’s nuclear sites.

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‘One China’.

• Taiwan Reunification ‘Closer Than Ever’ – Chinese Ambassador (RT)

China is making significant strides toward achieving its long-held goal of reunification with its self-governed region of Taiwan, according to Zhang Hanhui, Beijing’s ambassador to Russia. It follows a recent statement made by Chinese President Xi Jinping, who described reunification as inevitable. In an opinion piece for RIA Novosti published on Friday, Zhang denounced Washington’s involvement in the affairs of the island, which Beijing insists is its sovereign territory. “Reunification is a historical trend and the right path, albeit one that involves hardships. ‘Taiwan independence’ is… a path doomed to failure. The Chinese nation has always adhered to the common belief that territory cannot be divided… the nation cannot be fragmented,” Zhang wrote. “China is closer than ever in its history to achieving the goal of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation,” he added.

Beijing is “full of confidence and possesses the strength to achieve… the complete reunification of the country,” the ambassador said. Self-rule was established in Taiwan by nationalist forces after their defeat in the Chinese Civil War in 1949. Only a handful of nations currently recognize the island’s sovereignty, with most of the world, including Russia, complying with Beijing’s request that it be seen as part of the People’s Republic. While the US officially adheres to the One-China policy, recognizing Taiwan as part of China, it simultaneously engages in military cooperation with the government in Taipei, provoking indignation from Beijing. Last month, US President Joe Biden authorized $571 million in arms and supplies for the self-governing island.

Taiwan rejects Beijing’s claims and insists upon its sovereignty. Under President Tsai Ing-wen, the island has consistently opposed China’s “One Country, Two Systems” framework. Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs frequently condemns Beijing’s actions as provocative and detrimental to regional peace. China held large-scale military drills around the island in October. The government in Taipei has claimed that Beijing will never “renounce the use of force” against it. Despite this, Zhang reiterated Beijing’s preference for peaceful reunification, a sentiment previously expressed by Chinese President Xi Jinping. Zhang accused the United States of using Taipei as a tool to contain China, blaming Washington for escalating tensions in the Taiwan Strait. He also acknowledged Russia’s consistent support for Beijing’s ‘One China’ policy, calling it a testament to the close strategic partnership between the two countries.

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3

Omg. 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/LUlGb2ioWk

— Juanita Broaddrick (@atensnut) January 4, 2025

Humming

Helping a thirsty hummingbird drink water..🐦🥺🙏❤️ pic.twitter.com/OttfFLHOGG

— 𝕐o̴g̴ (@Yoda4ever) January 3, 2025

Pura raza
https://twitter.com/i/status/1875570384591810899

Je t’aime

A penguin whose best friends is this elderly woman. pic.twitter.com/GiXXPI825o

— Nature is Amazing ☘️ (@AMAZlNGNATURE) January 5, 2025

Irwin

Steve Irwin's son, Robert Irwin, was the first person to breed and hatch a turtle species his Dad discovered, and this is where he takes them out for their first swim.pic.twitter.com/0FrkTMGJP2

— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) January 5, 2025

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