Tag: Ceasefire

The Iranian Two Step

This is good stuff….as a student of international relations this is perfect example of how not to act.

WE have a ceasefire between the US and Iran (at at least I think we do) and on Friday Iran opened the Straight of Hormuz to shipping traffic….

Iran has reopened the Strait of Hormuz, and world markets were celebrating. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced on X that the waterway is once again open to commercial traffic, reports the Wall Street Journal. He said it will remain open at least through the duration of the 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. Oil prices plunged about 10% on the news, with benchmark Brent down to roughly $90 a barrel, per CNBC. The Dow surged more than 500 points, or 1.1%, and the S&P 500 also rose about 1%.

President Trump hailed the move on Truth Social. “Iran has just announced that the Strait of Iran is fully open and ready for full passage,” he wrote in all-caps. “Thank you!” However, he added that the separate US blockade on ships entering and exiting Iranian ports would remain in effect “until such time as our transaction with Iran is 100% complete.” He said reaching a final deal should “go very quickly” from here on out.

Then our clueless leader had to go on stage and chest thump about taking Iranian uranium in his clumsy way…….then on Saturday a 180….

Iran swiftly reversed course on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, reimposing restrictions on the critical waterway on Saturday after the US said it wouldn’t end its blockade of Iran-linked shipping. Iran’s joint military command said that “control of the Strait of Hormuz has returned to its previous state … under strict management and control of the armed forces,” per the AP. It warned that it would continue to block transit through the strait as long as the US blockade of Iranian ports remained in effect. The announcement came the morning after US President Trump said that even after Iran announced the strait’s reopening on Friday, the American blockade “will remain in full force” until Tehran reaches a deal with the US, including on its nuclear program.

The conflict over the choke point threatened to deepen the energy crisis roiling the global economy after oil prices began to fall again on Friday on hopes that the US and Iran were drawing closer to an agreement. Roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil passes through the strait, and further limits would squeeze already constrained supply, driving prices higher once again. Control over the strait has proven to be one Iran’s main points of leverage and prompted the US to deploy forces and initiate a blockade on Iranian ports as part of an effort to force Iran to accept a Pakistan-brokered ceasefire to end almost seven weeks of war that has raged between Israel, the US, and Iran.

Iran said it fully reopened the Strait of Hormuz to commercial vessels after a 10-day truce was announced between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon. An end to Israel’s war with Hezbollah was a key demand of Iranian negotiators, who previously accused Israel of breaking last week’s ceasefire with strikes on Lebanon. Israel had said that deal didn’t cover Lebanon. But after Trump said the blockade would continue, top Iranian officials said his announcement violated last week’s ceasefire agreement between Iran and the US and warned the strait wouldn’t stay open if the US blockade remained in effect. Data firm Kpler said that movement through the strait remained confined to corridors requiring Iran’s approval. US forces have sent 21 ships back to Iran since the blockade began on Monday, US Central Command said on X.

Only an extremely stupid person does not know when to keep their idiot mouth shut.

The logical question now is what comes next?

Oil prices plunged and the stock market boomed on Friday after Iran and the US said the Strait of Hormuz was largely open to commercial traffic. An Iranian official suggested the move isn’t permanent as peace negotiations continue, though President Trump said on Truth Social that Iran promised to never close the strait again, and declared that the Hormuz “situation is over.” Related coverage:

  • Questions: Plenty of questions were unanswered about how freely ships will be able to move and even whether they may have to pay a toll to Iran, notes the Washington Post. Further complicating things was that the US was leaving its own blockade of Iranian ports in place. It may take awhile for the details to clarify, but “assuming this holds, then I think it’s great news,” Jerry Kalogiratos of the shipping company Capital Clean Energy Carriers tells the New York Times.
  • Uranium: One of the sticking points in talks has centered on Tehran’s stash of enriched uranium. On Friday, President Trump said in a Truth Social post that Iran had agreed to hand over its stockpile, though Tehran hasn’t confirmed. “We’re going to get ‌it together,” Trump told Reuters. “We’re going to go in with Iran, at a nice leisurely pace, and go down and start excavating with big machinery. … We’ll bring it back to the United States.”
  • Oil/gas prices: The cost of a barrel of Brent crude plunged 10% to under $90 a barrel, and that could translate into a quick reduction in gas prices, says GasBuddy analyst Patrick De Haan, per NBC News. “This could accelerate sending fuel prices lower starting this weekend with the national average likely falling below $4/gal to perhaps $3.65-$3.85,” he wrote. The average price was $4.09 Friday morning.
  • The talks: The Times reports that US and Iranian negotiators were finalizing a three-page memo that contained the broad strokes of a peace deal. It could be signed at a second round of talks in the coming days.

Now that Donny has fucked up this attempt at a ceasefire…..where will he go now?

For one he will start seizing ships….

The US military is preparing to board and seize Iran-linked commercial vessels on the high seas in the coming days, officials say, widening a maritime campaign that has so far centered on the Persian Gulf region. The move follows Iran’s assertion that it is again tightly controlling the Strait of Hormuz, coupled with reported attacks on commercial ships there. The Trump administration is using increased naval activity and economic leverage to pressure the Iranian government over its nuclear program and its control of oil exports, the Wall Street Journal reports.

And now he has made one of his ill-conceived sweeping statements…..

President Donald Trump has issued his latest threat to Iran and said that if officials fail to make a deal with the United States “the whole country is going to get blown up.”

The president also made threats Sunday morning to target civil infrastructure after it was reported that Iranian forces were refusing to allow ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz this weekend.

“We’re offering a very fair and reasonable DEAL, and I hope they take it because, if they don’t, the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran. NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!” Trump wrote. The posts appeared to be an effort to bring the regime to the table for 11th-hour talks before the U.S.-Iran ceasefire expires next week.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-iran-negotiations-infrastructure-bridges-b2960588.html

Iran ddoes not need nukes….it has the Straight of Hormuz.

Will someone give this twat a Big Mac and Diet Cola and tell him to go sit in the corner?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

The Shaky Ceasefire

Note:  I get juiced this morning early so I will be down for the count….chemo has that effect…..hopefully I will be at full strength come Saturday…..Have a good day.

It has been announced and it has been on unstable ground since that day…..but just for the FYI here are the points of each side….

US 15 Point Proposals Now

1) US will remove all sanctions on Iran

2) It will cease all threats to reimpose sanctions

3) Iran’s nuclear program will be frozen under a defined framework

4) US will assist Iran in developing a civilian nuclear project

5) There will be limit on enriched uranium to remain under supervision

6) US agrees to address the Iranian missile program at a later date

7) Iran’s nuclear program will be restricted to civilian purposes only

8) Iran will halt the development of existing nuclear facilities & capabilities

9) Iran will discontinue further expansion of enrichment capabilities

10) No production of weapons-grade nuclear material to occur on Iranian soil

11) Iran will hand over all enriched materials to the IAEA on an agreed timeline

12) Iran’s Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow nuclear facilities will be taken out of use

13) International monitoring and verification mechanisms

14) Implementations will be gradual and tied to compliance

15) Both sides to discuss additional regional and security issues

Then there is the counter from Iran….

Iran’s Current 10 Point Proposal

1) Guarantee that Iran will not be attacked again

2) Permanent end to the war, not just a ceasefire

3) End to Israeli strikes in Lebanon

4) Lifting of all sanctions on Iran

5) End to all regional fighting against Iranian allies

6) In return, Iran would open the Strait of Hormuz

7) Iran will determine the rules of safe passage through Hormuz

8) A Hormuz fee of $2 million per ship

9) Iran would split these fees with Oman

10) Iran to use Hormuz fees for reconstruction instead of reparations

Let’s pretend that this ceasefire holds…..who won?

So who’s winning, or has won, the Iran war thus far? Who’s losing?

Iran has agreed to a temporary ceasefire and to negotiate. But it will still run the Hormuz strait. It will collect fees. Higher global oil prices means it will make even more money from oil sales. That can buy a lot of Chinese radars and Russian anti-aircraft systems. The US will not control the Hormuz in any way. Iran will set the rules and control the strait, in cooperation with one or two friendlier Gulf states (Oman, maybe Qatar?)

Iran will replenish and accelerate production and development of its missiles and drone programs.

The Iran war—like the Ukraine war—means military power has changed radically. Surface ships are sitting ducks. Even 5th generation aircraft if they get too close. War is now about hypersonic missiles, autonomous weapons, massed drones in the air, on and under the water, low orbit satellites and surveillance—and of course economic destabilization.

The most important question remains: what will Israel do should US and Iran agree to a deal (or don’t)? Trump and the Iranians can agree to all they want. Israel will not necessarily abide by it (even if it says it will). When the dust settles, Israel will again try to find a way to lure America into its wars of expansion in the middle east.

(counterpunch.org)

Will this actually hold a peace in the region?

I think not for Israel does not want a peace for the region.

What say you?

Just FYI….Iran is claiming victory…..

US forces secured a “historic and overwhelming victory” over Iran, defense chief Pete Hegseth declared Wednesday, adding that “Iran proved utterly incapable of defending itself.” Iran, of course, begs to differ, with its national security council boasting that it delivered “an undeniable, historic, and crushing defeat” to its foes, per the Wall Street Journal. A Washington Post piece finds that behind the bluster, neither side is a “clear winner,” but the newspaper is among a number of outlets exploring why Tehran is maintaining victory. The short version: The regime survived, albeit after losing key figures; Iran tightened its grip on the Strait of Hormuz; and it still possesses a stockpile of highly enriched uranium, per Politico.

“What Iran did, systematically and deliberately, was hurt the US economy” by shutting down the strait and sending oil prices soaring, Alex Vatanka of the Middle East Institute tells the Journal. “They made sure the war was felt in the US,” he says, adding, “I don’t think Trump’s going to try that again.” And even after the ceasefire, Iran continues to maintain control over which ships are allowed to navigate the strait. “The implication: Iran is intent on using its newfound control over the flow of oil from the Persian Gulf as leverage over Trump as the Islamic Republic seeks to rebuild its power after the biggest threat to its survival in decades,” writes David S. Cloud of the Journal.

The Post, meanwhile, notes that crowds filled the streets of Tehran after the ceasefire announcement, triumphantly waving their nation’s flag, far from the “unconditional surrender” President Trump had previously demanded. Not that Iran emerged unscathed: In additon to the relentless bombing attacks from the US and Israel, it is now more isolated than ever in the region because of its attacks on neighboring nations. Still, as one Asian diplomat tells Politico of Hegseth’s threat to resume strikes if necessary, “Declaring victory by saying he will attack Iran some more seems like losing.”

What say you?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Just In The Nick Of Time

For about 5 weeks our little mash-up with Iran has been raging…..Donny has been ranting and his minions have been dutiful.

And as if a movie plot at the very stroke of midnight a ceasefire deal has been announced.

Iran says it has accepted a proposal for a two-week ceasefire, but the war will only be considered over if and when a final agreement is reached that aligns with every element of its 10-point plan. President Trump said Tuesday that he had suspended attacks on Iran for two weeks after receiving a “workable” proposal for Iran. According to Iranian state media, the plan calls for coordinated, controlled passage through the Strait of Hormuz under Iranian military oversight, a halt to military operations against Iran and its allied groups, and the withdrawal of US combat forces from all bases in the region, Reuters reports.

  • “It is emphasized that this does not signify the termination of the war,” Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said in a statement, per the AP. “Our hands remain upon the trigger, and should the slightest error be committed by the enemy, it shall be met with full force.”
  • Tehran is also demanding the lifting of all US sanctions—both primary and secondary—the release of frozen Iranian funds, and payment of “full compensation” to Iran. In a statement on X, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said, “For a period of two weeks, safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be possible via coordination with Iran’s Armed Forces and with due consideration of technical limitations.” Araghchi, who said he was making the announcement on behalf of the Supreme National Security Council, said Iran would halt military attacks as long as the country was not attacked, NBC News reports.

The deal has done what it was suppose to do….drop oil pricess….

Oil prices plunged and US stock futures jumped on Tuesday after President Trump held off on his threat of devastating attacks on Iran. Futures for US crude oil sank 18% to around $92.60, while Brent crude oil futures fell about 6% to $103.40, the AP reports. Both prices remain well above where they were at the start of the war. Futures for the S&P 500 rose 2.4% and Dow futures jumped 2.1%, more than 900 points, reports CNBC. Stock markets in Japan and South Korea also soared, while bitcoin rose more than 5%, the Wall Street Journal reports.

  • Late Tuesday, Trump said he was holding off on his threatened attacks on Iranian bridges, power plants and other civilian targets, subject to Tehran agreeing to a two-week ceasefire and reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said it had accepted a two-week ceasefire and its foreign minister said passage through the strait would be allowed for the next two weeks under Iranian military management.
  • Oil prices have spiked because the war has snarled the production and transportation of crude in the Persian Gulf. Much of that oil exits the gulf through the Strait of Hormuz to reach customers around the world, but Iran has blocked it to enemies. A regional official, speaking on condition of anonymity, tells the AP that the two-week ceasefire plan includes allowing both Iran and Oman to charge fees on ships transiting through the strait. The official said Iran would use the money it raised for reconstruction. It wasn’t immediately clear what Oman would use its money for. The strait is in the territorial waters of both Oman and Iran. The world had previously considered the passage a toll-free international waterway.
  • About a fifth of the world’s oil transits the strait in peacetime. Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, wrote in a statement that: “For a period of two weeks, safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be possible via coordination with Iran’s Armed Forces and with due consideration of technical limitations.” Before the war, there were no “technical limitations,” the AP notes.

There is two weeks for a deal to end this stupidity once and for all.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

 

Donny Makes His Desire Known

The Iran conflict has been going on for about 4 weeks and we have heard all sorts of crap and now more stuff to ponder.

Donny has made his offer for this war to end…..

US officials said late Tuesday that Iran had been sent a 15-point plan to end the war, and Pakistani officials confirmed on Wednesday that Iran got it. The plan was submitted to Iran by intermediaries from the government of Pakistan, which has offered to host renewed negotiations between Washington and Tehran, a source tells the AP. More:

  • What the US seeks: The Wall Street Journal reports the proposal would reportedly require Tehran to dismantle its three main nuclear facilities, halt all uranium enrichment at home, freeze ballistic-missile development, ease support for regional proxies, and fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
  • What Iran would get: In exchange, Washington would lift nuclear-related sanctions and help oversee a civilian nuclear program.
  • Nothing new: The Journal reports the plan largely mirrors a prewar offer made by President Trump before the war began on Feb. 28. The Guardian’s sources paint it as even older, saying it’s based on a plan that was shared with Iran in late May 2025.
  • Tough prospects: In the AP’s view, any talks between the US and Iran would face monumental challenges. Many of Washington’s objectives, particularly over Iran’s ballistic missile and nuclear programs, remain difficult to achieve, and it is not clear who in Iran’s government has the authority or would be willing to negotiate.
  • Tough prospects II: Bloomberg sees a similarly uphill battle, reporting Tehran is “signaling little willingness to compromise.” Bloomberg flags a Wednesday comment from Iran’s armed forces to that end: “The level of your internal conflicts has reached the point where you are negotiating with yourselves,” the statement said, per state-run IRIB News.

Now Iran has given a response….

The Trump administration’s 15-point proposal for ending the war in Iran did not get a warm reception. The AP reports that Iran has rejected the plan, citing Iranian state television’s English-language broadcaster, which quoted an anonymous official. The Guardian reports the official characterized the asks as “excessive” and said “Iran will end the war when it decides to do so and when its own conditions are met.”

The Wall Street Journal offers a similar report, saying Iran’s information council—part of the government’s communications arm—dismissed the plan as a wish list of goals that hadn’t come to pass through the use of force. “Trump’s statements are false and should not be taken seriously,” it said.

But Reuters describes the door as not being fully shut; it quotes a senior Iranian official as saying the view on the proposal was “not positive” but that it is still being reviewed. Reuters separately reports that Pakistan, which delivered the proposal, is still waiting for a reply.

The Guardian adds that the senior political security official quoted on Press TV shared five conditions that Tehran seeks:

  • A stop to “aggression and assassinations.”
  • An end to the war on Iran and “all resistance groups” in the region.
  • “Concrete” guarantees of no future military action against Iran.
  • Reparations and war-damage payments.
  • Recognition of Iranian sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.

Now the wait to see what late night BS Donny will send out over Truth Social (a name that sends shudders through my body).

Is this a place to start negotiations or just Donny whipping off some crap for the media?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

How To Mend A Broken War

Donny has been trying to get our attention away from his failed war that Israel conned him into fighting….but so far he has done a terrible job of doing so.

There have been many articles written about how the US could end this war and few are very pleasant…..but then I read an op-ed by Kristof…..

Nicholas Kristof sees the Iran war as a major miscalculation by President Trump, and he warns in a New York Times opinion piece that things could get far worse if Trump doubles down instead of finding a way out. What to do? “His least-bad option, I believe, is to do roughly what he did when he bungled policy toward China and Yemen last year,” writes Kristof. “In each case he boldly declared victory and then frantically negotiated. The United States ended up the loser, particularly vis-à-vis China, but at least the storms calmed.”

The same could happen here, he writes. After declaring that his war aims have been achieved, Trump should press Israel to stand down and quietly seek a negotiated pause in Iran’s nuclear work in exchange for some sanctions relief. “I don’t know if a deal is possible, and it would require immense finesse,” writes Kristof. “But Iran does need revenue and investment, and a reduction in sanctions would be very appealing.” Let everyone declare victory, he advises, because “intensifying and lengthening this war would leave everyone a loser.”

Read the full piece.

To me this idea has Donny written all over it.  He could declare himself the winner and start doing his ‘stable genius’ crap and negotiate.

Then what would Iran do?

After the violation by Israel and the US would they be willing to saddle up with the US?

Then there is Israel…..could Donny con them into stop their blood lust long enough to find a solution.

Like I said the idea sounds good but there are so many moving parts that Donny may have a hard time keeping up.

Any thoughts of this possibility?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego erego scribo”

Did Ukraine Poke Donny In The Eye?

After weeks of back and forth and Donny putting in his two cents worth (mostly in favor of the Russian point of view) Zelensky has crapped on Donny’s attempt to a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia….

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made clear on Monday that Ukraine will not give up any territory to Russia, firmly rejecting a central demand from Moscow that has been echoed in President Trump’s latest peace proposal. Zelensky made the statement after meeting with leaders of Britain, France, and Germany in London, the Washington Post reports. The development could signal the end of Trump’s proposal, which has been criticized as basically reflecting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s wish list.

“Under our laws, under international law—and under moral law—we have no right to give anything away,” Zelensky said. “That is what we are fighting for.” Trump’s plan reportedly includes provisions that would bar Ukraine from joining NATO and grant Russia control over portions of Ukraine it does not occupy now. Ukraine and its European allies have argued the plan is too favorable to Russia and lacks sufficient security guarantees for Ukraine. Zelensky said Ukraine is receptive to a deal, telling reporters that “explicitly anti-Ukrainian provisions” have been removed from Trump’s plan.

Trump was critical of Zelensky over the weekend for not having already agreed to his plan, and European leaders backed up Ukraine’s president on Monday. “We stand with Ukraine,” UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said, per the Hill. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron also went to London. The group has been united in saying Russia should not benefit from new international boundaries imposed by force, per the Post. Putin makes the illegal case that Russia has annexed four regions of Ukraine, as well as Crimea, which it took over a decade ago. Russian forces have occupied nearly that much land during the war on Ukraine.

May I see a show of hands…..how many of you thought Donny could pull this off?

Personally I thought he was peeing in his chili…..

Oh well shall he try again?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Oops! They Are At It Again

Remember a few m0onths back when Thailand and Cambodia are at each other’s throat and supposedly Donny intervened and a ceasefire was established between the two….and one of the prime ministers even nominated Donny for the Peace Prize because he helped end the conflict….hold the phone!

Thailand launched airstrikes along the disputed border with Cambodia on Monday as both sides accused the other of breaking a ceasefire that halted fighting earlier this year, the AP reports. Longstanding border disputes erupted into five days of combat in July that killed dozens of soldiers and civilians. US President Trump pushed the Southeast Asian neighbors to sign a truce agreement in October, but tensions have continued to simmer. The Thai ministry of defense said that more than 35,000 people have left areas near the border for shelters and more are believed to have fled to stay with relatives elsewhere, while Cambodia’s Information Minister Neth Pheaktra said that residents of several villages near the border have been evacuated.

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said in a televised speech that military operations would be carried out as necessary to defend the country and protect public safety. “Thailand has never wished for violence. I’d like to reiterate that Thailand has never initiated a fight or an invasion, but will never tolerate a violation of its sovereignty,” he said. The ceasefire was strained in early November after Thai troops were injured by land mines, leading Thailand to announce that it would indefinitely suspend implementation of the agreement. Both sides continue to trade accusations over responsibility, even as they are supposed to be cooperating in getting rid of the mines.

Well it looks like smooth talking Donny can smooth over this old grudge and the PR ceasefire he brokered has gone by the way of a cow turd….the sh*t has hit the road….again.

Seems nothing Donny harps on has much of a shelf life.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Ukraine Back In The News

AS this year draws to a conclusion and all the work being done with the conflict….is there any hope of some sort of deal before Christmas….a Christmas miracle if you will.

Some say we are closing in on a deal….but how many times have we heard that particular piece of manure?

Ukrainian officials made significant changes to a US-drafted peace deal during negotiations with their US counterparts in Geneva on Sunday, The Guardian has reported.

The original 28-point plan leaked to the media was substantially altered during the talks, led by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the US side and Andriy Yermak, a senior aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, on the Ukrainian side, and was reduced to 19 points.

“As of now, after Geneva, there are fewer points, no longer 28, and many correct elements have been incorporated into this framework,” Zelensky said on Monday.

It’s unclear exactly what changes were made to the plan, but the main objections from Ukrainian officials and their European backers were the provisions requiring Ukraine to cede territory it controls in the Donbas to Russia and the guarantees that Ukraine won’t ever join NATO.

According to a report from the Financial Times, the US and Ukrainian officials left the most sensitive details, including territorial lines and Ukraine’s relationship with NATO, to be decided by Zelensky and President Trump, who are expected to meet soon.

(antiwar.com)

Ukraine will head to DC to meet with what-his-name soon…..according to reports….

It looks like a deal to end the Russia-Ukraine war is genuinely close—at least on Ukraine’s end. CBS News and the BBC report that Ukraine has agreed in principle to a US-brokered peace deal after lengthy talks. The development comes after the US and Ukraine “significantly changed” the original 28-point plan, which was widely seen as favorable to Russia, per the Washington Post. The question now is whether Moscow will accept the new terms. No details were released on the latest version of the peace plan, particularly on the thorniest issue of all: territorial concessions.

However, “many of the controversial provisions were either softened or at least reshaped,” Oleksandr Bevz, part of the Ukrainian team, tells the Post. A US official tells CBS that “there are some minor details to be sorted out, but they have agreed to a peace deal,” referring to Ukraine. Meanwhile, US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is reportedly in Abu Dhabi to meet with Russian officials about the deal.

Of course his majesty has to weigh in…..

President Trump announced Tuesday that his administration has made significant progress toward a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine, with only “a few remaining points of disagreement” to be resolved. Trump said he has dispatched special envoy Steve Witkoff to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, while Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll will meet separately with Ukrainian officials, CNN reports. Trump indicated he may meet with both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, but only when a deal is nearly finalized.

  • “I will be briefed on all progress made, along with Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles,” Trump said in a Truth Social post. “I look forward to hopefully meeting with President Zelenskyy and President Putin soon, but ONLY when the deal to end this War is FINAL or, in its final stages.”

Trump highlighted the progress on a US-drafted 28-point peace plan, which he said has been “fine-tuned, with additional input from both sides.” “I think we’re getting very close to a deal. We’ll find out,” Trump said during the White House turkey pardon on Tuesday, per the AP. “I thought that would have been an easier one, but I think we’re making progress,” he said. One key sticking point appears to be Ukraine’s potential NATO membership, a demand the initial proposal asked Ukraine to abandon.

Former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told CNN that Ukraine may need to signal it won’t seek NATO membership for now but warned that peace should not come “through surrender.” He said Ukraine will join the European Union instead, “which probably makes more sense at this point.” Ukrainian officials have called the NATO demand unacceptable, though Panetta believes a workable compromise is possible.

  • Zelensky, for his part, said his country’s negotiating team is making progress but that Russia’s war against Ukraine continues. “Every day, Russia kills our people on the front lines and attacks our cities and energy infrastructure,” he said in a post on X after at least seven people were killed in strikes on Kyiv.
  • European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and French President Emmanuel Macron echoed concerns about Russia’s intentions, with Macron accusing Moscow of “pretending it wanted peace” while continuing attacks.
  • Russia, meanwhile, signaled that it might resist changes to the plan, with foreign minister Sergey Lavrov saying it would be a “fundamentally different situation” if the changes “erased” the agreements made during Trump’s summit with Putin in Alaska, New York Times reports.

I hope that they are truly finding a path to end this conflict….but we have heard too many times that a deal was close…..so please forgive me if I await a signed deal before I give anyone an ‘ata boy’….

I Read, I Write, You KNow

“lego ergo scribo”

This Ukraine Thing…..

Russia/Ukraine conflict has been going on for years and just last year we were promised if Donald the Orange was elected he would end it on Day One….

Now we had a deal brewing to end it and Donny was all a tither about his plan….then over the weekend things went from thumbs up to in the crapper….or so the story goes.

American and Ukrainian officials met in Geneva on Sunday to discuss a new draft of the US proposal to end the war on Ukraine, while President Trump criticized Ukraine and his administration pushed back against charges that it’s really Russia’s plan. At the talks, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters that progress had been made, the Washington Post reports. “We’ve had probably the most productive and meaningful meeting so far in this entire process,” he said, adding that changes have been made to the plan. Despite the president’s earlier complaint, Rubio said Trump is now pleased with the way the talks are going, per the BBC. Developments include:

  • Trump’s post: As the talks began, Trump reissued a criticism of Ukraine’s leaders, per the New York Times, posting in all caps that “Ukraine’s ‘leadership’ has expressed zero gratitude for our efforts.” He also criticized Joe Biden and European nations, but not Russian President Vladimir Putin. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky answered a few hours later, posting, “We are grateful for everything that America and President Trump are doing for security, and we keep working as constructively as possible.”
  • Russia’s role: Ukraine was not involved in drafting the plan presented by the US, but there are accusations that Russia was. A group of senators who were in Canada for a security conference on Saturday said Rubio had told them on the phone that the drafting of the plan was not led by the US, per the AP. “It is essentially the wish list of the Russians,” Independent Sen. Angus King said. Republican Sen. Mike Rounds, who also was on the call, said: “It is not our recommendation. It is not our peace plan.”
  • Administration answers: “The peace proposal was authored by the US. It is offered as a strong framework for ongoing negotiations,” Rubio posted later on X. A State Department spokesman called the senators’ account “blatantly false,” and White House officials said the plan “was authored by the United States, with input from both the Russians and Ukrainians.”
  • Democratic opposition: Sen. Mark Warner ripped the Trump plan on ABC News’ This Week, saying that it looks like a list of “Russian talking points,” per the Post. “It would make Neville Chamberlain’s giving in to Hitler—the outset of World War II—look strong in comparison,” he added, per the Hill. The US plan reportedly would require Ukraine to reduce its military, surrender territory, and bar NATO troops from the country.
  • Zelensky’s appeal: The president wrote a lengthy social media post that said Russia started the war and refuses to stop it, warning other nations could face its aggression next. In addition to thanking Trump and the American people, Zelensky expressed gratitude to the European and G20 nations that have provided assistance, per the BBC. He then added: “It is important not to forget the main goal—to stop Russia’s war and prevent it from ever igniting again. And to achieve that, peace must be dignified.”

So Day One slipping away yet again…..

But not to worry the meetings will go on….and on…..and on….

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

 

What’s The Secret?

The news has broken that the US and Russia are in secret meeting hammering out a ceasefire deal for Ukraine….

The Trump administration has been secretly collaborating with Russia on a new peace plan to end the war in Ukraine, according to officials from both countries who spoke to Axios. The proposed plan, which consists of 28 points, is said to be inspired by the Gaza peace deal brokered by President Trump. It covers four main areas: peace in Ukraine, security guarantees, broader European security, and the future of US relations with both Russia and Ukraine, according to Axios’ sources. They say Ukraine has not been involved in the negotiations.

The details on how the plan addresses issues such as who controls what territory in eastern Ukraine remain unclear, especially as Russian forces continue to make slow gains in the region. The drafting process is being led by Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, who has spent considerable time in discussions with Russian counterpart Kirill Dmitriev. Dmitriev, who oversees Russia’s sovereign wealth fund and is heavily involved in Ukraine diplomacy, told Axios he spent three days meeting with Witkoff and other Trump team members in Miami in late October.

We expressed optimism about the plan, saying “the Russian position is really being heard” in this round of negotiations. Dmitriev said the US effort is unrelated to a separate, UK-led push for a Gaza-style plan, which Dmitriev dismisses as disregarding Russia’s positions. Witkoff was expected to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Turkey, but that meeting has been postponed. However, Witkoff did discuss the plan with Zelensky’s national security adviser, Rustem Umerov, in Miami. A Ukrainian official acknowledged awareness of US efforts, saying, “We know the Americans are working on something.”

The White House has begun briefing European officials about the plan and believes there is a realistic chance of garnering support from both Ukraine and its European allies, Axios reports. Sources tell Reuters that the US is pressuring Zelensky to accept the main points of the plan, including giving up territory and reducing the size of the country’s military.

Where is Ukraine in all these meetings?

Say there is a deal will Ukraine honor it?

This is a lame attempt to make Uncle Don look like a statesman…..that ship sailed long ago.

Why is Europe not more involved?

At what point is this a fart in the wind?

Thoughts?

I Read, I Write, You KNow

“lego ergo scribo”