News Related To The Ukraine / Russian War

[Shiftless2]

From elsewhere

‘Yes, Putin’s a War Criminal’, Trump’s Treasury Secretary Bessent Tells Congress
Good man! And he is the third high-ranking official of Trump’s Administration being critical of Russia, next to JD Vance and Kellogg — see the comment.

• When asked directly if he considered Putin a war criminal, Bessent replied, “Yes.” (min 1:59:00)

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called Russian President Vladimir Putin a “war criminal” as lawmakers pressed him on the Trump Administration’s policy to push Ukraine into dialogue with the Russian leader.

Bessent criticized the Biden administration’s “weak sanctions” on Russia, saying it only targeted lower-level oil companies with a price cap that failed.

He was specifically asked by Congressman Juan Vargas (D-CA), Ranking Member of the House Financial Services Committee Task Force on Monetary Policy, during the Committee hearing, whether he would negotiate with a war criminal.

“I think that’s the nature of diplomacy when one must negotiate with both sides,” Bessent replied. “I believe that negotiation was needed with the Japanese after WWII.”

During his testimony, Bessent also spoke about the Trump administration’s policy on leveraging sanctions and “choking off” the financial lifelines of terrorists, criminals, and hackers from Mexico and Guatemala to China and Iran.

• When asked about Russia, Bessent highlighted the US response to Moscow’s fossil fuel revenue, which supports its war against Ukraine.
• He also went on to criticize the Biden administration’s “weak sanctions” on Russia, noting they only targeted lower-level oil companies and put in place a price cap that failed.

Vance on Peace Negotiations: We Think Russians Are Asking for TOO MUCH

> "I'm not yet that pessimistic on this, I wouldn't say that the Russians are 'uninterested'," Vance said. "What I'd say is right now the Russians are asking for a certain set of concessions in order to end the conflict. We think they're asking for too much." * * COMMENT — he is one of three ...

onlytruthaboutrussia.quora.com

US Special Envoy: Ukraine Ready for 30-day Ceasefire with 18-mile Buffer Zone but Russia RESISTS

> “Ukrainians want to have a comprehensive ceasefire — sea, land, air, infrastructure — for a minimum of 30 days,” Kellogg stated during the interview with Fox News. * * COMMENT — he is one of three high-ranking officials of Trump’s Administration being critical of Russia, next to JD Vance an...

onlytruthaboutrussia.quora.com

He highlighted the Trump administration’s success in lowering oil prices and the impact of reduced Russian revenue on their war efforts.

COMMENT —​

• There is definitely a change of tone in the Administration’s narrative about Russia to more critical assessment. Today I uploaded posts about JD Vance saying Russia wants “too much” and Trump’s envoy Gen Kellogg saying Russia is blocking the peace negotiations.
• Let’s see if this change translates into some action of support for Ukraine…

 

[sear]

"Let’s see if this change translates into some action of support for Ukraine…" #121

unlikely

Trump is eager if not hasty to blame Biden. But a change of party control @1600 Penn Ave doesn't change the fundamental reality.
Russia has nukes.
Ukraine doesn't.

"Let’s see if this change translates into some action of support for Ukraine…" #121

Unlikely Trump would support Ukraine enough to enable / empower Ukraine to expel Russia from Ukraine.
More unlikely still Trump would empower Ukraine to additionally expel Russia from Crimea.

note:
It's not that Trump has finally come to his senses about the difference between right & wrong.
More likely, Trump is annoyed his autocrat buddy & role model Vlad is making Trump look bad by not providing the ridiculous peace deal Trump groundlessly fantasized, and boasted about.

 

[Shiftless2]

Russia has nukes.
Ukraine doesn't.

And Ukraine doesn't based in large parts of their reliance of assurances from the US

 

[sear]

"And Ukraine doesn't based in large parts of their reliance of assurances from the US" S2 #123

U.S. government officials have demonstrated the United States of America simply is not a reliable partner in military alliance, or in trade.

The good news? Uncle Sam is experimenting with various styles of combat camouflage face paint, as disgrace may soon drive him into hiding in the shrubbery.

 

[Shiftless2]

U.S. government officials have demonstrated the United States of America simply is not a reliable partner in military alliance, or in trade.

If nothing else Donnie has proven that America's word is only good until the next election (if that long)

 

[sear]

ref #125

"And Ukraine doesn't based in large parts of their reliance of assurances from the US" #123

There are numerous repercussions.

But one stunning, potentially humanity-threatening example:

Western betrayal of Ukraine not only certifies Western spinelessness. Allowing Russia to gnaw Crimea-sized chunks off of Ukraine provides incentive for nuclear proliferation. It is exactly the opposite of what we should be striving for.

Trump's rude oval office rebuke to Ukraine's Zelenskyy was half-right.
It may indeed be World War Three at stake here. But Trump / NATO / EU may be as much or more to blame than Zelenskyy.
After all, Zelenskyy has done about all he could. It's the anti-Russian forces that have forced Ukraine to a stalemate.

"You should buy stock in a business that's so good that even an idiot can run it, because sooner or later one will." Warren Buffett, CEO Berkshire Hathaway

Thanks for the Warrening Mr. Buffett.
Sadly, your pessimistic aphorism scales up to nation level with chilling utility.

 

[sear]

"I'm not yet that pessimistic on this, I wouldn't say that the Russians are 'uninterested'," Vance said. "What I'd say is right now the Russians are asking for a certain set of concessions in order to end the conflict. We think they're asking for too much." #121

Vance says Russia is 'asking for too much' in negotiations to end the war with Ukraine​

During an interview on NBC News' "Meet the Press," Trump said “maybe it’s not possible" to reach a deal to resolve the years long conflict.

May 7, 2025, 12:13 PM GMT-5 / Updated May 7, 2025, 1:26 PM GMT-5
By Rebecca Shabad
WASHINGTON — Vice President JD Vance said Wednesday that the Trump administration believes Russia is "asking for too much" during talks to bring its war in Ukraine to an end.
“Right now, the Russians are asking for a certain set of requirements, a certain set of concessions, in order to end the conflict. We think they’re asking for too much,” Vance said at a Munich Leaders Meeting on international security policy in Washington, D.C.

Vance says Russia is 'asking for too much' in negotiations to end the war with Ukraine

During an interview on NBC News' "Meet the Press," Trump said “maybe it’s not possible" to reach a deal to resolve the yearslong conflict.

www.nbcnews.com

This has been evident for years JD.
The puzzle is not that you publicly acknowledge it.
The puzzle is that the Trump administration was so dismally out of touch about it before, accusing Ukraine, the victim for Russia's military invasion.

What Trump does next on Ukraine is key - and he could go either way​

Frank Gardner / BBC Security Correspondent / Reporting from Kyiv
Volodymyr Zelensky has given a cautious and diplomatic response to Vladimir Putin's late-night offer of direct talks in Istanbul next Thursday.
The Ukrainian leader might have been expected to slam his opposite number in Moscow for not committing to a 30-day ceasefire, as demanded by Kyiv and its Western allies on Saturday.
Instead, writing on X, Zelensky called it "a positive sign that the Russians have finally begun to consider ending the war".
Zelensky added that Ukraine expected Russia to confirm it would abide by the proposed 30-day ceasefire, starting on Monday.
It's hard to tell if Zelensky really sees Putin's offer of direct talks as a "positive sign". This is as much about optics as anything else.
Neither Putin nor Zelensky want to be seen by US President Donald Trump as the obstacle to peace.
Trump's reaction was markedly upbeat. Writing on his Truth Social platform earlier, he hinted once again that this war was close to ending. He wrote: "A potentially great day for Russia and Ukraine!"
Putin said he wants to address what he calls "the root causes of the conflict".

Ukraine: What Trump does next is key - and he could go either way

Neither Putin nor Zelensky want to be seen by Trump as the obstacle to peace, writes Frank Gardner.

www.bbc.com

Those that perceive a justification for optimism here are likely to be fooling themselves.
Putin was wrong from the start, and now has far too much Russian blood on his hands to back down without something (measured in square kilometers) to show for it.

The solution here is a decisive military rout of Russia's invaders / occupiers in Ukraine and Crimea. Apparently that's not going to happen. And so the carnage continues.

 

[sear]

In an ever-evolving conflict, soldiers have had to rapidly adapt to new threats posed by changing technology. And the latest threat comes from fibre optic drones. A spool of tens of kilometres of cable is fitted to the bottom of a drone and the physical fibre optic cord is attached to the controller held by the pilot.
"The video and control signal is transmitted to and from the drone through the cable, not through radio frequencies. This means it can't be jammed by electronic interceptors," says a soldier with the call sign Moderator, a drone engineer with the 68th Jaeger Brigade.

Fibre optic drones: The terrifying new weapon changing the war in Ukraine

The BBC reports from Donetsk where swarms of fibre optic drones give Russia the edge as Ukraine defends towns behind the front line.

www.bbc.com

 

[Shiftless2]

To sum things up .....

 

[Shiftless2]

There you have it - the difference between Trump and Biden in one short statement

 

[sear]

There you have it - the difference between Trump and Biden in one short statement" S2 #130

Not another "short" statement, is Trump talking about the mushroom again ?

"... they're doing an amazing job." D J

A tick bite can transmit a spirochete induced disease such as Lyme. Such pathogenic disease can induce mild cognitive impairment.
Trump suffers a similar sounding malady, mild cognitive impalement.

A quirk of Trump's rare condition:
the patient perceives no ill affect,
while the rest of the nation suffers. There's no known cure. Treatment includes paying $7.oo for a dozen eggs. pathogenologizer sear MD

HANG MIKE PENCE !!

 

[sear]

Opinion

At last, Putin is getting a taste of his own medicine​

Hamish de Bretton-Gordon / Sun, June 1, 2025 at 11:08 AM EDT
Sunday, June 1, may go down as one of the most significant days of this war. It may be a sign that the pendulum is at last swinging in Ukraine’s favour. The Russian Air Force has apparently just suffered a terrible blow, with up to 40 fighter jets, including long range nuclear bombers, destroyed thousands of miles from Ukraine.

The timing of these attacks is significant: discontent is mounting in Russia amongst the rank and file. As Putin drives their economy and way of life into the deck, rumblings of rebellion will be even harder to stifle.

The level, range and intensity of these attacks shows that after three years of repelling Russian attacks, Ukraine is now returning the compliment. As the UK Strategic Defence Review is unveiled, let us hope it reveals that we are now learning from the Ukrainian experience and developing capabilities for tomorrow’s battlefield and capabilities which will deter tyrants like Putin, rather than just kit that looks good on the parade ground.

At last, Putin is getting a taste of his own medicine

Sunday, June 1, may go down as one of the most significant days of this war. It may be a sign that the pendulum is at last swinging in Ukraine’s favour. The Russian Air Force has apparently just suffered a terrible blow, with up to 40 fighter jets, including long range nuclear bombers, destroyed...

news.yahoo.com

I don't know the rest of the story.
But it was obvious that during the Biden administration Ukraine was forced into stalemate by timid, feeble Western support, and preposterous artificial restrictions.
Again, details not disclosed in this publication. But it appears President Trump may have loosened or removed Ukraine's / Zelenskyy's fetters.

It's long, long overdue.

 

[sear]

Putin is getting a taste of his own medicine #132​

Trump was not informed about Ukraine attack which destroyed huge fleet of Russian planes, reports claims​

Isabel Keane / Sun, June 1, 2025 at 5:42 PM EDT
Trump was not informed about Ukraine attack which destroyed huge fleet of Russian planes, reports claims
Donald Trump was not given a heads-up about Ukraine’s unprecedented drone strikes that took out a huge fleet of Russian planes on Sunday, according to reports.
Ukraine’s “large-scale” drone attack launched deep into Russian territory wiped out 40 military bombers and targeted five bases, Ukrainian security sources told CBS News.
The attack took over a year and a half to plan and was personally supervised by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the sources added.

Trump was not informed about Ukraine attack which destroyed huge fleet of Russian planes, reports claims

White House was not given advance notice about Ukraine’s ‘large-scale’ drone attack, which wiped out a fleet of about 40 Russian military bombers

news.yahoo.com

"Politics ain't beanbag", & neither is War with Russia. Go get 'em Volo ! If you can circumvent Moscow's air defenses (& perhaps also if not) given much thought to burning down the Kremlin?

 

[Shiftless2]

WWII was Poland's fault because they forced Hitler to invade

550K views · 26K reactions | Jon Stewart on Putin Saying Poland Was at Fault for WWII Invasion | A brief history lesson on Poland and WWII, courtesy of Jon Stewart | By The Daily Show | Facebook

A brief history lesson on Poland and WWII, courtesy of Jon Stewart

www.facebook.com

 

[sear]

Opinion

Trump has Putin trapped, and the Kremlin knows it​

Rebekah Koffler / Fri, June 27, 2025 at 2:25 PM EDT·
... in January, Moscow and Tehran signed a 20-year comprehensive strategic partnership treaty, which includes military-technical cooperation. ...
[Putin / Russia] Failing to deliver tangible support to Iran could result in Russia losing an ostensibly valuable ally, friendship with whom Moscow likes to brandish as a bogeyman whenever it wants to threaten the West. But if Putin were to decide to help Tehran re-arm, perhaps providing new air defence systems to replace the ones destroyed over the past few months, it would likely anger Donald Trump, who may decide to beef up supplies of lethal aid to Ukraine in its fight against Russia.

Trump has Putin trapped, and the Kremlin knows it

It has now been almost a week since US forces struck Iranian nuclear facilities and Russia is still sitting on the sidelines. Beyond the strongly worded condemnations of the US attacks and promises of unspecified help to the Iranian people, Vladimir Putin has not announced deliveries of any...

news.yahoo.com

According to President Trump's critics Trump's leadership style is blunt, crude, unconventional. BUT !
Vlad Putin is no friend to the West.
Has Trump skillfully outmaneuvered Putin here? Or has Trump merely blundered along, and this apparent temporary advantage mainly if not purely circumstantial?

Another example?
By Trump presenting the U.S. as a less reliable backbone for NATO, other NATO member nations appear to be developing some spine of their own. Isn't that in the best interests of the U.S. (and NATO)?

Is Trump as bad as the Democrats, & the press say he is?

 

[sear]

"Is Trump as bad as the Democrats, & the press say he is?" s #135

Another perspective:


One point about the Wales summit now comes to mind.
The summit took place at a luxury golf resort near the city of Newport. Eleven years on, journalists and experts in The Hague joked that it wouldn’t be a bad idea to hold the summit at a golf club again – to please the current US president, who is known to be an avid golfer. In fact, there were some golf-related elements at The Hague: golf buggies were used to take guests to the gated area where the summit was held.
But joking aside…
The task of "buttering Trump up" was a central one for the summit hosts.
They didn’t even try to hide it.
An overnight stay at the royal palace. Personal attention and care from the Dutch royal family. A programme tailored to the US president’s every whim. Flattery so excessive it took one’s breath away, bordering on self-humiliation in the view of some Western media outlets. All of this was served up in The Hague.
Trump made sure everyone noticed. Without seeking permission, he published a personal and highly complementary letter he had received from NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte – to which Rutte responded with still more lavish praise for the American leader, even jokingly calling him "Daddy".
While some Western journalists were left stunned by this, there was no doubt in political circles about the appropriateness of the Secretary General’s actions.
"If you want to know the mood among the leaders, it's pretty much what you read in Mark Rutte’s message," one summit attendee told European Pravda off the record.
And all these efforts paid off.
Trump enjoyed the summit – a fact that was especially evident at the final press conference.

NATO summit in Ukraine’s favour: how Zelenskyy won Trump over and made Orbán back down

Ukraine’s success was secured even before the summit began. The NATO Secretary General got the green light to give Ukraine hope for membership.

www.eurointegration.com.ua

This European Pravda report may be interpreted as public snickering at the U.S. president's expense.
And yet where's the administration reaction?
Is the Trump administration so over-run by sub-cognitive boors they're unable to recognize their own embarrassment?
Or they know, but don't care? "No publicity is bad publicity"?

Has Trump so entirely surrounded himself with "yes men", such gross indignity goes undetected, or kept secret from Trump?