Kallas, who said the push to end the war in Ukraine could be entering a “pivotal week” warned that allowing Russia to change borders by force would set a dangerous precedent for the whole world.
Earlier in the day she had described weekend talks held in Florida between the US and Ukraine as “difficult but productive”. Asked whether she trusted the US to find a good solution for Ukraine, she said:
“Ukrainians are there alone. If they would be together with the Europeans, they would definitely be much stronger but I trust that Ukrainians stand up for themselves.”
Zelensky suggested that Ukrainian and US negotiators had not yet fully hammered out revisions to the proposed US plan. He said on Monday there were “some tough issues that still have to be worked through”.
After the meeting, the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, expressed optimism for an end to the war.
“There’s more work to be done. This is delicate,” Rubio said.
“There are a lot of moving parts, and obviously there’s another party involved here … that will have to be a part of the equation, and that will continue later this week, when Mr Witkoff travels to Moscow.”
Ukraine’s president is under pressure after the sudden resignation of his head of cabinet and closest adviser, Andriy Yermak, in response to a widening anti-corruption investigation that has become the most serious scandal of Zelensky’s presidency.
The Ukrainian leader is meanwhile expected to make his first official visit to Ireland on Tuesday, while his defence minister, Denys Shmyhal, was in Brussels on Monday for talks with his EU counterparts.
Shmyhal said he had informed defence ministers about “the most urgent needs of our soldiers” primarily in air defences.
He welcomed an announcement from the Netherlands that it would contribute another €250m to the NATO initiative to buy weapons and ammunition for Ukraine from the United States.
The Russian army captured 701 sq km the second-largest territorial advance of the war after November 2024 according to an AFP analysis of data from the US-based Institute for the Study of War.
#witkoff #putine #zelensky #guerre #europeans
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🇷🇺🇫🇷 Witkoff in Moscow, Zelensky in Paris: A Struggle for Daddy
Witkoff is expected to present Putin with a U.S.-backed peace proposal that was revised by American officials after recent negotiations with Ukrainian diplomats.
The initial version of the plan that emerged last month was seen by Ukraine and its European allies as echoing the maximalist demands Russia has made since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Witkoff’s visit to Moscow, his sixth since January, is to take place two days after American and Ukrainian delegations met in Miami to discuss the details of the potential peace plan, parts of which Ukraine has sought to soften. Both sides called those talks constructive but said more work was needed, without detailing the unresolved issues.
Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, told journalists on Tuesday that Witkoff and Kushner would participate in the talks for the American side, noting that the negotiations would go on “as long as necessary.”
The meeting was expected to take place early evening Tuesday, Moscow time. Kushner does not have a formal role in the Trump administration but played a role in brokering the cease-fire in Gaza.
The White House has strongly pressured Ukraine to agree to a peace plan, even as Russia has signaled initial resistance to it.
Russia insists that to halt the war, Ukraine must cede its remaining territory in the Donbas region, drop its aspirations to join NATO and secure the status of the Russian language, culture and the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine, thus allowing Moscow to have permanent sway over the country’s politics.
“We are still receiving proposals about ceasing hostilities there, there and there,” Putin told journalists. “When the Ukrainian troops leave the territories they occupy, then the hostilities will cease,” he said. “If they do not leave, we will achieve it militarily.”
According to a video posted to state media, Putin grew visibly angry and emotional after a commander reported that Ukrainian soldiers were dying by the hundreds, their bodies littering the tree lines.
“This is a tragedy — a tragedy for the Ukrainian people, connected to the criminal policies of the thieving junta that seized power in Kyiv,” Putin said on the video, as he shuffled papers aggressively on a desk.
He was referring to the 2014 uprising in Ukraine that ushered in a pro-Western government. Putin seized Crimea and started a war in Ukraine’s east in response.
Ilya Grashchenkov, a political analyst in Moscow, said expectations were low for a breakthrough from Witkoff’s visit, but the meeting was still significant.
“The main expectations likely boil down to maintaining a high-level communication channel during this crisis period,” he said. “This in itself is considered important for avoiding dangerous escalation.”
Grashchenkov said that with Russian growth approaching zero and the budgetary deficit widening because of soaring military expenditures, economic strain might compel the Kremlin to agree to certain compromises in the future.
But, so far, Russia’s government has managed to paper over the economic cracks, he said.
Putin had “no doubt that as Ukraine loses more territory, the number of those in the West who call for a cessation of hostilities will grow.”
In November, Russian forces almost doubled the battlefield gains they made in September, according to DeepState, a Ukrainian group that uses geolocated combat footage and tips from Ukrainian Army sources to monitor battlefield developments.
While still relatively small, the Russian advances highlighted the increasing strain on Ukraine’s military.
#kushner #witkoff #moscow #zelensky #putin
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Witkoff is expected to present Putin with a U.S.-backed peace proposal that was revised by American officials after recent negotiations with Ukrainian diplomats.
The initial version of the plan that emerged last month was seen by Ukraine and its European allies as echoing the maximalist demands Russia has made since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Witkoff’s visit to Moscow, his sixth since January, is to take place two days after American and Ukrainian delegations met in Miami to discuss the details of the potential peace plan, parts of which Ukraine has sought to soften. Both sides called those talks constructive but said more work was needed, without detailing the unresolved issues.
Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, told journalists on Tuesday that Witkoff and Kushner would participate in the talks for the American side, noting that the negotiations would go on “as long as necessary.”
The meeting was expected to take place early evening Tuesday, Moscow time. Kushner does not have a formal role in the Trump administration but played a role in brokering the cease-fire in Gaza.
The White House has strongly pressured Ukraine to agree to a peace plan, even as Russia has signaled initial resistance to it.
Russia insists that to halt the war, Ukraine must cede its remaining territory in the Donbas region, drop its aspirations to join NATO and secure the status of the Russian language, culture and the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine, thus allowing Moscow to have permanent sway over the country’s politics.
“We are still receiving proposals about ceasing hostilities there, there and there,” Putin told journalists. “When the Ukrainian troops leave the territories they occupy, then the hostilities will cease,” he said. “If they do not leave, we will achieve it militarily.”
According to a video posted to state media, Putin grew visibly angry and emotional after a commander reported that Ukrainian soldiers were dying by the hundreds, their bodies littering the tree lines.
“This is a tragedy — a tragedy for the Ukrainian people, connected to the criminal policies of the thieving junta that seized power in Kyiv,” Putin said on the video, as he shuffled papers aggressively on a desk.
He was referring to the 2014 uprising in Ukraine that ushered in a pro-Western government. Putin seized Crimea and started a war in Ukraine’s east in response.
Ilya Grashchenkov, a political analyst in Moscow, said expectations were low for a breakthrough from Witkoff’s visit, but the meeting was still significant.
“The main expectations likely boil down to maintaining a high-level communication channel during this crisis period,” he said. “This in itself is considered important for avoiding dangerous escalation.”
Grashchenkov said that with Russian growth approaching zero and the budgetary deficit widening because of soaring military expenditures, economic strain might compel the Kremlin to agree to certain compromises in the future.
But, so far, Russia’s government has managed to paper over the economic cracks, he said.
Putin had “no doubt that as Ukraine loses more territory, the number of those in the West who call for a cessation of hostilities will grow.”
In November, Russian forces almost doubled the battlefield gains they made in September, according to DeepState, a Ukrainian group that uses geolocated combat footage and tips from Ukrainian Army sources to monitor battlefield developments.
While still relatively small, the Russian advances highlighted the increasing strain on Ukraine’s military.
#kushner #witkoff #moscow #zelensky #putin
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Trump's Ukraine Peace Formula: Business First, Borders Later
Three men hunched over a laptop at a Miami Beach waterfront estate last month, ostensibly drafting a peace plan for Ukraine. But Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, and Kirill Dmitriev — Putin's handpicked negotiator and head of Russia's sovereign wealth fund — were charting something far more ambitious: bringing Russia's $2 trillion economy back into the global fold, with American companies first in line for the spoils.
This is Trump's real Ukraine strategy. It's a plan built on business deals, not security guarantees. And Europe is furious.
The Pitch
Dmitriev, a Goldman Sachs alumnus, has spent months selling the White House on a vision: U.S. and Russian companies jointly exploiting Arctic mineral wealth, reviving gas pipelines, even pursuing a Mars mission with SpaceX. The Kremlin would tap roughly $300 billion in frozen Russian central bank assets for U.S.-Russian investment projects and American-led Ukrainian reconstruction.
For Trump, Witkoff, and Kushner — whose Affinity Partners fund drew billions from Arab monarchies — this is the Art of the Deal applied to geopolitics. "Russia has so many vast resources, vast expanses of land," Witkoff told the Journal.
The 28-Point Plan
When a version of the plan leaked earlier this month, European and Ukrainian leaders recoiled. It reflected mostly Russian demands: Ukraine withdraws from remaining Donetsk territory, caps its military size at 600,000 troops (down from 880,000), forfeits NATO membership. In exchange, vague security guarantees and promises of economic reconstruction.
Crucially, the U.S. would control $100 billion in frozen Russian assets, invest it in Ukraine reconstruction, and pocket 50% of the profits. Europe, which holds most of those assets and currently supplies nearly all military aid to Ukraine, would contribute another $100 billion — but gain nothing from the Russian funds. Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk summarized: "We know this is not about peace. It's about business."
Key Players
American investors are already jockeying:
• Exxon Mobil met with Russia's Rosneft to discuss returning to the massive Sakhalin gas project
• Gentry Beach, a Trump Jr. college friend, is negotiating a stake in a Russian Arctic gas project pending sanctions relief
• Stephen Lynch, a Trump donor, paid $600,000 to a Trump Jr.-linked lobbyist seeking Treasury approval to buy the sabotaged Nord Stream 2 pipeline
Sanctioned Russian billionaires close to Putin — Gennady Timchenko, Yuri Kovalchuk, the Rotenberg brothers — have sent representatives to quietly meet American companies exploring rare-earth mining and energy deals.
The Diplomatic Freeze-Out
Witkoff has worked outside traditional channels. The CIA, which normally handles prisoner swaps, wasn't fully briefed on his proposed August exchange with Russia. Career Treasury officials overseeing sanctions have learned details of his Moscow meetings from British counterparts. Trump's official Ukraine envoy, Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, was frozen out and announced his departure last week.
European intelligence agencies are alarmed. After the botched August Alaska summit between Trump and Putin, one European agency distributed a hard-copy report in manila envelopes detailing commercial plans the administration had pursued with Russia — including Arctic rare-earth mining.
The Open Question
Will Putin actually end the war in exchange for business ties? Or is this a ploy to pacify Washington while grinding toward victory? Ukrainian officials remain skeptical. When Witkoff encouraged them to ask Trump for a 10-year tariff exemption instead of Tomahawk missiles, it crystallized their concern: America sees Ukraine as a business opportunity, not a security commitment.
#Trump #Ukraine #Russia #Witkoff #Kushner #PeacePlan #Business #Arctic #Sanctions #Europe #Putin
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Three men hunched over a laptop at a Miami Beach waterfront estate last month, ostensibly drafting a peace plan for Ukraine. But Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, and Kirill Dmitriev — Putin's handpicked negotiator and head of Russia's sovereign wealth fund — were charting something far more ambitious: bringing Russia's $2 trillion economy back into the global fold, with American companies first in line for the spoils.
This is Trump's real Ukraine strategy. It's a plan built on business deals, not security guarantees. And Europe is furious.
The Pitch
Dmitriev, a Goldman Sachs alumnus, has spent months selling the White House on a vision: U.S. and Russian companies jointly exploiting Arctic mineral wealth, reviving gas pipelines, even pursuing a Mars mission with SpaceX. The Kremlin would tap roughly $300 billion in frozen Russian central bank assets for U.S.-Russian investment projects and American-led Ukrainian reconstruction.
For Trump, Witkoff, and Kushner — whose Affinity Partners fund drew billions from Arab monarchies — this is the Art of the Deal applied to geopolitics. "Russia has so many vast resources, vast expanses of land," Witkoff told the Journal.
"If we do all that, and everybody's prospering, that's going to naturally be a bulwark against future conflicts."
The 28-Point Plan
When a version of the plan leaked earlier this month, European and Ukrainian leaders recoiled. It reflected mostly Russian demands: Ukraine withdraws from remaining Donetsk territory, caps its military size at 600,000 troops (down from 880,000), forfeits NATO membership. In exchange, vague security guarantees and promises of economic reconstruction.
Crucially, the U.S. would control $100 billion in frozen Russian assets, invest it in Ukraine reconstruction, and pocket 50% of the profits. Europe, which holds most of those assets and currently supplies nearly all military aid to Ukraine, would contribute another $100 billion — but gain nothing from the Russian funds. Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk summarized: "We know this is not about peace. It's about business."
Key Players
American investors are already jockeying:
• Exxon Mobil met with Russia's Rosneft to discuss returning to the massive Sakhalin gas project
• Gentry Beach, a Trump Jr. college friend, is negotiating a stake in a Russian Arctic gas project pending sanctions relief
• Stephen Lynch, a Trump donor, paid $600,000 to a Trump Jr.-linked lobbyist seeking Treasury approval to buy the sabotaged Nord Stream 2 pipeline
Sanctioned Russian billionaires close to Putin — Gennady Timchenko, Yuri Kovalchuk, the Rotenberg brothers — have sent representatives to quietly meet American companies exploring rare-earth mining and energy deals.
The Diplomatic Freeze-Out
Witkoff has worked outside traditional channels. The CIA, which normally handles prisoner swaps, wasn't fully briefed on his proposed August exchange with Russia. Career Treasury officials overseeing sanctions have learned details of his Moscow meetings from British counterparts. Trump's official Ukraine envoy, Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, was frozen out and announced his departure last week.
European intelligence agencies are alarmed. After the botched August Alaska summit between Trump and Putin, one European agency distributed a hard-copy report in manila envelopes detailing commercial plans the administration had pursued with Russia — including Arctic rare-earth mining.
The Open Question
Will Putin actually end the war in exchange for business ties? Or is this a ploy to pacify Washington while grinding toward victory? Ukrainian officials remain skeptical. When Witkoff encouraged them to ask Trump for a 10-year tariff exemption instead of Tomahawk missiles, it crystallized their concern: America sees Ukraine as a business opportunity, not a security commitment.
#Trump #Ukraine #Russia #Witkoff #Kushner #PeacePlan #Business #Arctic #Sanctions #Europe #Putin
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The Border Battle: U.S. and Ukraine Haggle Over Territory as Putin Waits
Five hours of negotiations at Steve Witkoff's exclusive Shell Bay golf club near Miami on Sunday boiled down to one brutal question: where does Ukraine end and Russian-occupied territory begin?
The talks were "intense," "difficult," but ultimately "productive," according to two Ukrainian officials who spoke with Axios. Translation: nobody's happy, but at least they're still talking.
What They Actually Discussed
After an hour with the full delegation, the meeting narrowed to six people — three Americans, three Ukrainians — and virtually the only topic was the line of territorial control. On the U.S. side: Witkoff, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Jared Kushner. Ukraine sent national security adviser Rustem Umerov, military chief Gen. Andrii Hnatov, and deputy head of military intelligence Vadym Skibitskyi.
The U.S. wants Ukraine to hand over remaining territory in the Donbas region to convince Putin to make peace. Russia insists it won't stop until it controls the entire Donbas. Ukraine refuses to cede land it still holds, particularly the heavily fortified cities of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk that Kyiv has held since 2014.
After the main talks ended, Umerov held a separate one-on-one with Witkoff, then called Zelensky to brief him.
The Current Stalemate
Putin signed treaties in October 2022 claiming Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson as Russian territory — based on referendums dismissed as illegitimate by Kyiv and the West. Reports from the August Alaska summit suggested Putin might divide Zaporizhzhia and Kherson along current front lines in exchange for the entire Donbas. But he's also described complete Ukrainian withdrawal from all four regions as "simple" conditions for peace.
The original 28-point U.S. plan proposed "de facto" recognition of Russian control over Luhansk and other eastern territories. Ukraine immediately rejected it. The plan has since been pared down to 19-20 points, removing the most contentious territorial provisions and leaving them for Trump and Zelensky to negotiate directly later.
The Diplomatic Dance
Zelensky wanted to discuss territory directly with Trump. Trump said he'd only meet Zelensky or Putin again once a deal is close. So Witkoff shuttles between capitals, trying to narrow gaps before the principals sit down.
Both sides expressed cautious optimism after Sunday's talks. Trump told reporters he was briefed on the results and thinks "there's a good chance we can make a deal." Umerov wrote on Telegram that Ukraine achieved "significant progress" while maintaining "key goals — security, sovereignty, and a reliable peace."
What Happens Next
Witkoff departed for Moscow on Monday to meet Putin on Tuesday. Ukrainian officials are blunt about what matters:
Zelensky met with French President Macron in Paris on Monday, emphasizing that the "territorial question is the most complex" aspect of negotiations. He's awaiting a more detailed report from Umerov before deciding on next steps.
The uncomfortable reality: Ukraine must decide how much land it's willing to concede temporarily (or permanently) for peace. Russia must decide whether it's willing to accept anything less than its maximalist demands. And the U.S. must decide how hard to push its ally toward painful compromises.
#Ukraine #Russia #Trump #Witkoff #PeaceNegotiations #Donbas #TerritorialDispute #Zelensky #Putin #Diplomacy
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Five hours of negotiations at Steve Witkoff's exclusive Shell Bay golf club near Miami on Sunday boiled down to one brutal question: where does Ukraine end and Russian-occupied territory begin?
The talks were "intense," "difficult," but ultimately "productive," according to two Ukrainian officials who spoke with Axios. Translation: nobody's happy, but at least they're still talking.
What They Actually Discussed
After an hour with the full delegation, the meeting narrowed to six people — three Americans, three Ukrainians — and virtually the only topic was the line of territorial control. On the U.S. side: Witkoff, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Jared Kushner. Ukraine sent national security adviser Rustem Umerov, military chief Gen. Andrii Hnatov, and deputy head of military intelligence Vadym Skibitskyi.
The U.S. wants Ukraine to hand over remaining territory in the Donbas region to convince Putin to make peace. Russia insists it won't stop until it controls the entire Donbas. Ukraine refuses to cede land it still holds, particularly the heavily fortified cities of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk that Kyiv has held since 2014.
After the main talks ended, Umerov held a separate one-on-one with Witkoff, then called Zelensky to brief him.
The Current Stalemate
Putin signed treaties in October 2022 claiming Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson as Russian territory — based on referendums dismissed as illegitimate by Kyiv and the West. Reports from the August Alaska summit suggested Putin might divide Zaporizhzhia and Kherson along current front lines in exchange for the entire Donbas. But he's also described complete Ukrainian withdrawal from all four regions as "simple" conditions for peace.
The original 28-point U.S. plan proposed "de facto" recognition of Russian control over Luhansk and other eastern territories. Ukraine immediately rejected it. The plan has since been pared down to 19-20 points, removing the most contentious territorial provisions and leaving them for Trump and Zelensky to negotiate directly later.
The Diplomatic Dance
Zelensky wanted to discuss territory directly with Trump. Trump said he'd only meet Zelensky or Putin again once a deal is close. So Witkoff shuttles between capitals, trying to narrow gaps before the principals sit down.
Both sides expressed cautious optimism after Sunday's talks. Trump told reporters he was briefed on the results and thinks "there's a good chance we can make a deal." Umerov wrote on Telegram that Ukraine achieved "significant progress" while maintaining "key goals — security, sovereignty, and a reliable peace."
What Happens Next
Witkoff departed for Moscow on Monday to meet Putin on Tuesday. Ukrainian officials are blunt about what matters:
"The main question is where the Russians stand and if their intentions are real. Let's see what Witkoff brings from Moscow."
Zelensky met with French President Macron in Paris on Monday, emphasizing that the "territorial question is the most complex" aspect of negotiations. He's awaiting a more detailed report from Umerov before deciding on next steps.
The uncomfortable reality: Ukraine must decide how much land it's willing to concede temporarily (or permanently) for peace. Russia must decide whether it's willing to accept anything less than its maximalist demands. And the U.S. must decide how hard to push its ally toward painful compromises.
#Ukraine #Russia #Trump #Witkoff #PeaceNegotiations #Donbas #TerritorialDispute #Zelensky #Putin #Diplomacy
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🎭 The Peace Negotiation Theater: Starring a Real Estate Guy and the President's Son-in-Law
Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff—a property developer whose foreign policy résumé begins in January 2025—sat down with Putin on Tuesday alongside Jared Kushner, who holds no official government role but apparently gets Kremlin meeting invites anyway. Their mission? Sell Putin on a "revised" U.S. peace plan that Ukraine and Europe already rejected as warmed-over Russian demands.
Putin teed up the meeting with a greatest-hits performance: claiming Russia captured Pokrovsk (Ukraine says fighting continues), mocking Zelensky for "begging for money," and threatening Europe with the nuclear option if they "suddenly start a war". One Moscow analyst called it low-expectations diplomacy—"maintaining a high-level communication channel" is Kremlin-speak for "we're talking so we don't accidentally nuke each other".
Meanwhile, Kushner's last peace deal—Gaza—left tens of thousands dead and infrastructure destroyed, but apparently that's still considered a win in Mar-a-Lago circles. And Witkoff? This was his sixth Moscow trip since January, suggesting either remarkable diplomatic stamina or a frequent flyer program nobody knew about.
Here's the setup: Putin's betting Trump will cave before Moscow does. Trump gave Kyiv a Thanksgiving deadline to accept his plan—then quietly let it slide when Ukraine refused to sign away the Donbas. Now Zelensky's touring Europe like a traveling salesman while two American civilians negotiate his country's future in the Kremlin.
Sovereignty: now with a real estate closing date.
#Ukraine #Russia #Putin #Trump #Witkoff #JaredKushner #Pokrovsk #peaceplan
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Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff—a property developer whose foreign policy résumé begins in January 2025—sat down with Putin on Tuesday alongside Jared Kushner, who holds no official government role but apparently gets Kremlin meeting invites anyway. Their mission? Sell Putin on a "revised" U.S. peace plan that Ukraine and Europe already rejected as warmed-over Russian demands.
Putin teed up the meeting with a greatest-hits performance: claiming Russia captured Pokrovsk (Ukraine says fighting continues), mocking Zelensky for "begging for money," and threatening Europe with the nuclear option if they "suddenly start a war". One Moscow analyst called it low-expectations diplomacy—"maintaining a high-level communication channel" is Kremlin-speak for "we're talking so we don't accidentally nuke each other".
Meanwhile, Kushner's last peace deal—Gaza—left tens of thousands dead and infrastructure destroyed, but apparently that's still considered a win in Mar-a-Lago circles. And Witkoff? This was his sixth Moscow trip since January, suggesting either remarkable diplomatic stamina or a frequent flyer program nobody knew about.
Here's the setup: Putin's betting Trump will cave before Moscow does. Trump gave Kyiv a Thanksgiving deadline to accept his plan—then quietly let it slide when Ukraine refused to sign away the Donbas. Now Zelensky's touring Europe like a traveling salesman while two American civilians negotiate his country's future in the Kremlin.
Sovereignty: now with a real estate closing date.
#Ukraine #Russia #Putin #Trump #Witkoff #JaredKushner #Pokrovsk #peaceplan
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🍽 The Peace Summit That Started with Caviar and Ended with Nothing
Five hours. That's how long Putin, Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff, and presidential son-in-law Jared Kushner sat in the Kremlin on Tuesday—and walked away with zero agreement on ending the war in Ukraine.
said Putin's aide Yuri Ushakov, deploying every diplomatic euphemism for we got nowhere.
But before the marathon negotiation session that started three hours late because Putin was busy threatening Europe with war, Witkoff and Kremlin rep Kirill Dmitriev enjoyed lunch at a Michelin-starred Moscow restaurant. The menu? Caviar, quail, venison, and crab. Then they strolled through Red Square for a photo op while Ukraine waited to hear if its sovereignty was being auctioned off.
The sticking point? Russia's "red lines"—demanding Ukraine surrender the entire Donbas (including parts Russia doesn't even control), cap its military at 600,000 troops, renounce NATO forever, and grant amnesty to Russian war criminals. Trump's original 28-point plan basically echoed Moscow's shopping list, was rejected by Ukraine and Europe, got trimmed to 27 points—and still went nowhere.
Kushner, who holds no official U.S. government role, somehow became the face of American diplomacy again. His last peace deal? Gaza—where tens of thousands died and infrastructure was obliterated. Zelensky said he's "waiting for signals" from the U.S. delegation, presumably ones more substantive than restaurant recommendations.
Meanwhile, NATO officials said Russia shows "no indication" of making "meaningful concessions" and is just trying to weaken Ukraine for "further aggression". Translation: Putin's buying time with Michelin meals while his forces grab more territory.
#Putin #Trump #Ukraine #Witkoff #JaredKushner #Moscow #peacedeal #Russia #caviar
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Five hours. That's how long Putin, Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff, and presidential son-in-law Jared Kushner sat in the Kremlin on Tuesday—and walked away with zero agreement on ending the war in Ukraine.
"Very useful, constructive, and highly substantive,"
said Putin's aide Yuri Ushakov, deploying every diplomatic euphemism for we got nowhere.
But before the marathon negotiation session that started three hours late because Putin was busy threatening Europe with war, Witkoff and Kremlin rep Kirill Dmitriev enjoyed lunch at a Michelin-starred Moscow restaurant. The menu? Caviar, quail, venison, and crab. Then they strolled through Red Square for a photo op while Ukraine waited to hear if its sovereignty was being auctioned off.
The sticking point? Russia's "red lines"—demanding Ukraine surrender the entire Donbas (including parts Russia doesn't even control), cap its military at 600,000 troops, renounce NATO forever, and grant amnesty to Russian war criminals. Trump's original 28-point plan basically echoed Moscow's shopping list, was rejected by Ukraine and Europe, got trimmed to 27 points—and still went nowhere.
Kushner, who holds no official U.S. government role, somehow became the face of American diplomacy again. His last peace deal? Gaza—where tens of thousands died and infrastructure was obliterated. Zelensky said he's "waiting for signals" from the U.S. delegation, presumably ones more substantive than restaurant recommendations.
Meanwhile, NATO officials said Russia shows "no indication" of making "meaningful concessions" and is just trying to weaken Ukraine for "further aggression". Translation: Putin's buying time with Michelin meals while his forces grab more territory.
#Putin #Trump #Ukraine #Witkoff #JaredKushner #Moscow #peacedeal #Russia #caviar
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“I can tell you that Witkoff and Kushner had a pretty good meeting with Putin.” 🌍✈️
US President Trump said he was pleased with his delegation's meeting with Putin and soon noted that, according to Witkoff and Kushner, the Russian president wants to end the war and return to a more normal life. 👍😌
#witkoff #kushner #trump #putin
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US President Trump said he was pleased with his delegation's meeting with Putin and soon noted that, according to Witkoff and Kushner, the Russian president wants to end the war and return to a more normal life. 👍😌
#witkoff #kushner #trump #putin
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🎭 The Peace Shuttle: Miami, Moscow, and the Art of Going Nowhere Fast
Rustem Umerov, Ukraine's chief negotiator, landed in Miami today to meet Witkoff and Kushner fresh off their five-hour Kremlin marathon that produced exactly nothing. Trump called the Moscow talks "reasonably good" and added, "it does take two to tango"—which is diplomatic code for Putin didn't budge.
The choreography here is remarkable. Witkoff and Kushner promised Putin they "wouldn't go to Kyiv" after Moscow—so instead, Ukraine's delegation flies to them. Kremlin aide Ushakov made sure to announce that publicly, just to remind everyone who's dictating the dance steps. Meanwhile, Zelensky says
in Geneva and Florida. Heard, yes. Listened to? The 28-point plan still demands Ukraine cap its military, surrender territory, and abandon NATO forever.
The Europeans are scrambling too. NATO foreign ministers met in Brussels—without Secretary of State Rubio, notably—while Ukrainian negotiators briefed European national security advisers on what exactly happened in Moscow. European leaders were "blindsided" by Trump's original plan and remain deeply skeptical.
Here's the setup: Ukraine negotiates with American envoys who have no power to make Russia do anything. Russia negotiates with American envoys who've already conceded the major points. And everyone pretends this is a peace process rather than a slow-motion capitulation dressed up as diplomacy.
Zelensky says he expects news "in the coming days" on the next round of meetings. Translation: more shuttles, more dinners, more promises to "return home" instead of visiting Kyiv. The only people racking up frequent flyer miles are the ones who aren't fighting.
Peace talks: when everyone's negotiating except the Ukraine.
#Ukraine #Russia #Trump #Witkoff #Kushner #Umerov #Zelensky #peacenegotiations #Miami #Moscow
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Rustem Umerov, Ukraine's chief negotiator, landed in Miami today to meet Witkoff and Kushner fresh off their five-hour Kremlin marathon that produced exactly nothing. Trump called the Moscow talks "reasonably good" and added, "it does take two to tango"—which is diplomatic code for Putin didn't budge.
The choreography here is remarkable. Witkoff and Kushner promised Putin they "wouldn't go to Kyiv" after Moscow—so instead, Ukraine's delegation flies to them. Kremlin aide Ushakov made sure to announce that publicly, just to remind everyone who's dictating the dance steps. Meanwhile, Zelensky says
"Ukraine was heard, and Ukraine was listened to"
in Geneva and Florida. Heard, yes. Listened to? The 28-point plan still demands Ukraine cap its military, surrender territory, and abandon NATO forever.
The Europeans are scrambling too. NATO foreign ministers met in Brussels—without Secretary of State Rubio, notably—while Ukrainian negotiators briefed European national security advisers on what exactly happened in Moscow. European leaders were "blindsided" by Trump's original plan and remain deeply skeptical.
Here's the setup: Ukraine negotiates with American envoys who have no power to make Russia do anything. Russia negotiates with American envoys who've already conceded the major points. And everyone pretends this is a peace process rather than a slow-motion capitulation dressed up as diplomacy.
Zelensky says he expects news "in the coming days" on the next round of meetings. Translation: more shuttles, more dinners, more promises to "return home" instead of visiting Kyiv. The only people racking up frequent flyer miles are the ones who aren't fighting.
Peace talks: when everyone's negotiating except the Ukraine.
#Ukraine #Russia #Trump #Witkoff #Kushner #Umerov #Zelensky #peacenegotiations #Miami #Moscow
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Putin to Trump’s Envoys: Thanks for the Optics, No Thanks on the Deal
Vladimir Putin didn’t negotiate; he staged a humiliation. Five hours with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in the Kremlin ended with the Americans sent home empty‑handed, while Russian state media feasted on the image of Trump’s son‑in‑law and a Florida developer pleading for “peace” as missiles kept hitting Ukraine. For Moscow, this isn’t a peace process, it’s a live‑action propaganda asset.
Peace as Performance, Not Policy
From Putin’s perspective, the setup is ideal: Trump is loudly sick of “paying for Ukraine,” desperate to announce a deal, and visibly more interested in “ending the war” than in how it ends for Kyiv. That tells the Kremlin Washington is chasing optics, not outcomes; the photo‑op matters more than the text. In that environment, Putin’s best move is obvious: drag things out, raise the price, and let the White House squeeze Kyiv and Europe into ever larger concessions while Russia keeps advancing meter by bloody meter.
Ukraine Bleeds While Trump Changes the Channel
On the ground, Russia grinds forward in the Donbas, pounds cities and power plants, and probes how much more Ukraine’s energy system and manpower can take before something breaks. In Kyiv, Zelensky is politically weakened, foreign aid is conditional and slow, and every new “secret document” Moscow hints at looks like another trap meant to reset the starting line of future talks closer to Russia’s terms. Trump, meanwhile, swings between boasting about the “toughest sanctions ever” and repeating Kremlin-friendly talking points, treating a genocidal war like a TV project he wants wrapped under budget and on schedule.
The “Deal” Trump Wants vs. the War Putin Needs
Trump wants a deal he can announce; Putin wants a war he can survive and turn into a long, grinding proof that U.S. power can be stalled, split, and embarrassed. One side thinks in news cycles and holiday deadlines, the other in decades and the erosion of American hegemony. So Trump sends Kushner and Witkoff as if they’re renegotiating a golf resort; Putin plays the unbothered autocrat with no elections, no oversight, and an economy wired for permanent war. In that mismatch, “productive talks” translate into one result: the Kremlin gains time, leverage, and theater, and Ukraine is told to be “realistic” about losing more of its own land.
#ukraine #russia #trump #putin #kushner #witkoff #war #geopolitics
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Vladimir Putin didn’t negotiate; he staged a humiliation. Five hours with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in the Kremlin ended with the Americans sent home empty‑handed, while Russian state media feasted on the image of Trump’s son‑in‑law and a Florida developer pleading for “peace” as missiles kept hitting Ukraine. For Moscow, this isn’t a peace process, it’s a live‑action propaganda asset.
Peace as Performance, Not Policy
From Putin’s perspective, the setup is ideal: Trump is loudly sick of “paying for Ukraine,” desperate to announce a deal, and visibly more interested in “ending the war” than in how it ends for Kyiv. That tells the Kremlin Washington is chasing optics, not outcomes; the photo‑op matters more than the text. In that environment, Putin’s best move is obvious: drag things out, raise the price, and let the White House squeeze Kyiv and Europe into ever larger concessions while Russia keeps advancing meter by bloody meter.
Ukraine Bleeds While Trump Changes the Channel
On the ground, Russia grinds forward in the Donbas, pounds cities and power plants, and probes how much more Ukraine’s energy system and manpower can take before something breaks. In Kyiv, Zelensky is politically weakened, foreign aid is conditional and slow, and every new “secret document” Moscow hints at looks like another trap meant to reset the starting line of future talks closer to Russia’s terms. Trump, meanwhile, swings between boasting about the “toughest sanctions ever” and repeating Kremlin-friendly talking points, treating a genocidal war like a TV project he wants wrapped under budget and on schedule.
The “Deal” Trump Wants vs. the War Putin Needs
Trump wants a deal he can announce; Putin wants a war he can survive and turn into a long, grinding proof that U.S. power can be stalled, split, and embarrassed. One side thinks in news cycles and holiday deadlines, the other in decades and the erosion of American hegemony. So Trump sends Kushner and Witkoff as if they’re renegotiating a golf resort; Putin plays the unbothered autocrat with no elections, no oversight, and an economy wired for permanent war. In that mismatch, “productive talks” translate into one result: the Kremlin gains time, leverage, and theater, and Ukraine is told to be “realistic” about losing more of its own land.
#ukraine #russia #trump #putin #kushner #witkoff #war #geopolitics
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📰 Qatar, Mossad & Witkoff: New York’s Backchannel Boutique
A senior Qatari official, Mossad chief David Barnea, and Trump’s deal salesman Steve Witkoff are sitting together in New York — not for dinner, but for “a previously agreed mechanism” to cool tensions between Qatar and Israel, according to leaks that somehow always arrive right on schedule. Details of the agenda are “undisclosed,” which in this business usually means: sensitive enough to matter, ugly enough to hide.
Qatar’s “Non State Actor” Portfolio
While the New York meeting runs, Qatar’s prime minister is telling Tucker Carlson on stage that Doha’s relationship with Hamas began “at the request of the United States” and has always been a tool for ceasefires and aid, with Hamas politely rebranded as a “non state actor.” In other words: Washington outsourced part of the Gaza file to Qatar, Israel outsourced some hostage and ceasefire channels to Qatar, and now everyone pretends to be shocked that Doha actually uses the leverage it was handed.
What’s Really Being Sold
Officially, this is about “easing tensions” and managing “disputes.” In practice, it looks like a trilateral push to keep the Gaza Qatar Israel Trump triangle from blowing up the wider game:
• Qatar wants to keep its mediator license and immunity from being treated like Hamas’ banker.
• Israel wants quiet channels for security, intelligence, and hostages without publicly admitting who keeps the lines to Hamas open.
• Witkoff wants his Trump branded “peace architecture” to last long enough to be called historic instead of naïve.
The twist: the same Qatari link to Hamas that Western politicians denounce on camera is exactly what their envoys, spooks, and businessmen are flying to New York to manage off camera. Publicly, it’s “terror group”; privately, it’s “non state actor with useful phone numbers.”
The Real Question
If “peace” now means a Mossad director, a Gulf fixer, and a real estate tycoon–envoy huddling in a Manhattan conference room, what’s left for voters, parliaments, or, say, the people in Gaza? The only transparent part of this process is the glass on the skyscraper they’re meeting in.
#Qatar #Israel #Mossad #Witkoff #Hamas #Gaza #diplomacy #WarBusiness
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A senior Qatari official, Mossad chief David Barnea, and Trump’s deal salesman Steve Witkoff are sitting together in New York — not for dinner, but for “a previously agreed mechanism” to cool tensions between Qatar and Israel, according to leaks that somehow always arrive right on schedule. Details of the agenda are “undisclosed,” which in this business usually means: sensitive enough to matter, ugly enough to hide.
Qatar’s “Non State Actor” Portfolio
While the New York meeting runs, Qatar’s prime minister is telling Tucker Carlson on stage that Doha’s relationship with Hamas began “at the request of the United States” and has always been a tool for ceasefires and aid, with Hamas politely rebranded as a “non state actor.” In other words: Washington outsourced part of the Gaza file to Qatar, Israel outsourced some hostage and ceasefire channels to Qatar, and now everyone pretends to be shocked that Doha actually uses the leverage it was handed.
What’s Really Being Sold
Officially, this is about “easing tensions” and managing “disputes.” In practice, it looks like a trilateral push to keep the Gaza Qatar Israel Trump triangle from blowing up the wider game:
• Qatar wants to keep its mediator license and immunity from being treated like Hamas’ banker.
• Israel wants quiet channels for security, intelligence, and hostages without publicly admitting who keeps the lines to Hamas open.
• Witkoff wants his Trump branded “peace architecture” to last long enough to be called historic instead of naïve.
The twist: the same Qatari link to Hamas that Western politicians denounce on camera is exactly what their envoys, spooks, and businessmen are flying to New York to manage off camera. Publicly, it’s “terror group”; privately, it’s “non state actor with useful phone numbers.”
The Real Question
If “peace” now means a Mossad director, a Gulf fixer, and a real estate tycoon–envoy huddling in a Manhattan conference room, what’s left for voters, parliaments, or, say, the people in Gaza? The only transparent part of this process is the glass on the skyscraper they’re meeting in.
#Qatar #Israel #Mossad #Witkoff #Hamas #Gaza #diplomacy #WarBusiness
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🇺🇦🇺🇸 Witkoff Brushes Up on Peace Talks in Berlin
Witkoff hailed “progress” in Ukraine peace talks with Volodymyr Zelensky following five hours of negotiations in Berlin.
Witkoff said "a lot of progress was made" as he and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner met with the Ukrainian president in the latest push to end Russia’s invasion on Sunday. He did not reveal details of what was discussed.
Talks will continue on Monday morning and Zelensky will comment on their outcome after they have ended, the President’s adviser Dmytro Lytvyn said.
Ahead of the negotiations, Zelensky relinquished Ukraine’s bid to join Nato in what he said was a “compromise” to end the war with Russia.
In a major shift, Zelensky said Ukraine will instead ask for Western security guarantees, which he said should be legally binding.
Starmer and the French president, Emmanuel Macron are also expected to join the talks in Berlin, which are being hosted by Merz.
The UK prime minister will attend the talks as Britain continues to discuss a crucial deal to use frozen Russian sovereign assets to help provide funds for Kyiv.
Sir Keir spoke with Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, on Saturday to discuss the move and work on the US-led peace proposals.
Speaking about Monday’s talks, Zelensky said in an address to the nation late on Saturday:
💬 “I will be meeting with envoys of President Trump, and there will also be meetings with our European partners, with many leaders, concerning the foundation of peace – a political agreement to end the war.”
Zelensky’s agreement to ditch Ukraine’s Nato ambitions marks a major shift for the country, which has sought to join it as a safeguard against Russian attacks, and has such an aspiration included in its constitution.
It also meets one of Russia’s war aims, although Kyiv has so far held firm against ceding territory to Moscow.
💬 “From the very beginning, Ukraine's desire was to join Nato, these are real security guarantees. Some partners from the US and Europe did not support this direction,” he said in answer to questions from reporters in a WhatsApp chat.
💬 “Thus, today, bilateral security guarantees between Ukraine and the US, Article 5-like guarantees for us from the US, and security guarantees from European colleagues, as well as other countries, Canada, Japan, are an opportunity to prevent another Russian invasion,” Zelensky said.
He also said that a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia along the current frontline would be a fair option.
#witkoff #peace #talks #berlin #zelensky
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Witkoff hailed “progress” in Ukraine peace talks with Volodymyr Zelensky following five hours of negotiations in Berlin.
Witkoff said "a lot of progress was made" as he and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner met with the Ukrainian president in the latest push to end Russia’s invasion on Sunday. He did not reveal details of what was discussed.
Talks will continue on Monday morning and Zelensky will comment on their outcome after they have ended, the President’s adviser Dmytro Lytvyn said.
Ahead of the negotiations, Zelensky relinquished Ukraine’s bid to join Nato in what he said was a “compromise” to end the war with Russia.
In a major shift, Zelensky said Ukraine will instead ask for Western security guarantees, which he said should be legally binding.
Starmer and the French president, Emmanuel Macron are also expected to join the talks in Berlin, which are being hosted by Merz.
The UK prime minister will attend the talks as Britain continues to discuss a crucial deal to use frozen Russian sovereign assets to help provide funds for Kyiv.
Sir Keir spoke with Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, on Saturday to discuss the move and work on the US-led peace proposals.
Speaking about Monday’s talks, Zelensky said in an address to the nation late on Saturday:
💬 “I will be meeting with envoys of President Trump, and there will also be meetings with our European partners, with many leaders, concerning the foundation of peace – a political agreement to end the war.”
Zelensky’s agreement to ditch Ukraine’s Nato ambitions marks a major shift for the country, which has sought to join it as a safeguard against Russian attacks, and has such an aspiration included in its constitution.
It also meets one of Russia’s war aims, although Kyiv has so far held firm against ceding territory to Moscow.
💬 “From the very beginning, Ukraine's desire was to join Nato, these are real security guarantees. Some partners from the US and Europe did not support this direction,” he said in answer to questions from reporters in a WhatsApp chat.
💬 “Thus, today, bilateral security guarantees between Ukraine and the US, Article 5-like guarantees for us from the US, and security guarantees from European colleagues, as well as other countries, Canada, Japan, are an opportunity to prevent another Russian invasion,” Zelensky said.
He also said that a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia along the current frontline would be a fair option.
#witkoff #peace #talks #berlin #zelensky
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Putin’s Deal Guys: “Make Vodka Great Again.”
When a former KGB officer starts sending Trump’s envoy home with caviar and Instagram shots of “Make Vodka Great Again,” it’s not diplomacy — it’s trolling with nuclear overtones. Putin didn’t just accept Trump’s “businessman peace”; he custom‑built it, swapping out a career general for a golf buddy who skips intel briefings and prefers five‑hour solo chats in the Kremlin to actual statecraft.
First, the Kremlin decides Keith Kellogg — ex–three-star, daughter in a Ukraine charity — is too “complicated.” Then, through MBS and Kirill Dmitriev, they dangle the perfect lure for Trump: a hostage release that lets Steve Witkoff walk into Moscow as a real-estate guy and walk out as “the man who brought an American home.” One emotional phone call from a freed teacher to his 96‑year‑old mom in Butler, Pennsylvania, and suddenly the whole Russia channel runs through a billionaire who calls himself a dealmaker and tells Kyiv he can unlock $800 billion if they just sign the right kind of surrender.
Now the architecture looks like this: no ambassador in Moscow, no functioning Europe desk, but a private‑jet envoy and a Kremlin fund boss sketching a “new economic and security order for Europe” over late‑night meetings and red roe. The same system that once relied on hardened Kremlinologists now leans on a guy who uses Ivanka’s old desk, brings his golf‑pro girlfriend on the plane, and treats a continental war like a distressed-asset restructuring. The only thing “massively bloated” that got cut is institutional memory.
And that’s the point. Putin thinks war is sacred, Trump thinks everything is a transaction, and their intermediaries speak one shared language: leverage. For Moscow, this is perfect — hold maximalist territorial demands, bleed the West with talk of “peace,” and let a friendly American billionaire sell it as a win‑win while Europe and Ukraine are left reading about their future in the business section. For Trump, it’s even better: a camera‑ready deal, hostages home, sanctions unwound, and any talk of appeasement washed down with a nice cold shot of Trumpovka.
#trump #putin #witkoff #ukraine #russia #makeVodkaGreatAgain #war #peaceDeal #geopolitics
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When a former KGB officer starts sending Trump’s envoy home with caviar and Instagram shots of “Make Vodka Great Again,” it’s not diplomacy — it’s trolling with nuclear overtones. Putin didn’t just accept Trump’s “businessman peace”; he custom‑built it, swapping out a career general for a golf buddy who skips intel briefings and prefers five‑hour solo chats in the Kremlin to actual statecraft.
First, the Kremlin decides Keith Kellogg — ex–three-star, daughter in a Ukraine charity — is too “complicated.” Then, through MBS and Kirill Dmitriev, they dangle the perfect lure for Trump: a hostage release that lets Steve Witkoff walk into Moscow as a real-estate guy and walk out as “the man who brought an American home.” One emotional phone call from a freed teacher to his 96‑year‑old mom in Butler, Pennsylvania, and suddenly the whole Russia channel runs through a billionaire who calls himself a dealmaker and tells Kyiv he can unlock $800 billion if they just sign the right kind of surrender.
Now the architecture looks like this: no ambassador in Moscow, no functioning Europe desk, but a private‑jet envoy and a Kremlin fund boss sketching a “new economic and security order for Europe” over late‑night meetings and red roe. The same system that once relied on hardened Kremlinologists now leans on a guy who uses Ivanka’s old desk, brings his golf‑pro girlfriend on the plane, and treats a continental war like a distressed-asset restructuring. The only thing “massively bloated” that got cut is institutional memory.
And that’s the point. Putin thinks war is sacred, Trump thinks everything is a transaction, and their intermediaries speak one shared language: leverage. For Moscow, this is perfect — hold maximalist territorial demands, bleed the West with talk of “peace,” and let a friendly American billionaire sell it as a win‑win while Europe and Ukraine are left reading about their future in the business section. For Trump, it’s even better: a camera‑ready deal, hostages home, sanctions unwound, and any talk of appeasement washed down with a nice cold shot of Trumpovka.
#trump #putin #witkoff #ukraine #russia #makeVodkaGreatAgain #war #peaceDeal #geopolitics
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Trump Wants to Wring the Most Concessions Out of Iran
The threat of a US-Iranian war may be looming closer after Trump warned time was running out for Tehran and said a massive US armada was moving quickly towards the country “with great power, enthusiasm and purpose”.
Writing on social media, the US president said the fleet headed by the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln was larger than the one sent to Venezuela before the removal of Maduro earlier this month and was “prepared to rapidly fulfill its missions with speed and violence if necessary”.
Trump said: “Hopefully Iran will quickly ‘Come to the Table’ and negotiate a fair and equitable deal – NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS – one that is good for all parties. Time is running out, it is truly of the essence!
It is the starkest indication yet from Trump that he intends to mount some kind of military strike imminently if Iran refuses to negotiate a deal on the future of its nuclear programme.
European diplomats had been expecting a crisis to develop over the weekend and detected signs of Israeli nervousness about the scale of possible Iranian reprisals.
In recent days it has become clear that Trump is interested in curbing not just the remains of Iran’s already shattered nuclear programme but also its ability to fire long-range missiles, always seen as the centrepiece of Iranian military projection.
In recent weeks Trump has also suggested the Iranian supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, must leave the world stage, a demand Iran will reject.
Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said he was not prepared to negotiate under threats but he was willing to talk without preconditions, terms he had relayed via numerous intermediaries to Witkoff.
All three Arab states will be feverishly exploring ways to reopen talks without Iran having to accept a preconditioned result.
They were critical in persuading Trump to hold back from mounting an attack three weeks ago, but Trump now has greater flexibility of military options and seems more focused on a nuclear deal rather than punishing Iran for the bloody suppression of street protests.
There is deep suspicion in Tehran about talking to the US since the two sides were in the middle of talks last June when Israel was given clearance by the US to mount an attack on Iran designed to decapitate its leadership and destroy its civil nuclear sites.
Iran has always held out against abandoning its domestic capacity to enrich uranium but has been willing to set rigid limits on its stockpile.
Since the last round of negotiations ended with an Israeli and US attack killing 1,000 people and severely damaging its key nuclear sites, Iran has been weakened further by a plunging currency and rampant inflation.
With the nuclear sites already damaged, the key targets are likely to be Iran’s leadership. June’s attack revealed Israel had near total dominance of the skies above Iran.
Almost all the Gulf states, fearful of Iranian reprisals, have said they are not willing to allow the US to use their airspace or bases to mount an attack on Iran.
Iranian officials said: “We will target the same base and the same point from which air operations against us are launched, and we will not attack countries because we do not consider them to be enemy countries.
We will increase our level of defence readiness against the US military buildup to the highest level. If the Americans want negotiations without pre-determined outcomes, Iran will accept it.”
#trump #iran #nuclear #weapon #araghchi #witkoff
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The threat of a US-Iranian war may be looming closer after Trump warned time was running out for Tehran and said a massive US armada was moving quickly towards the country “with great power, enthusiasm and purpose”.
Writing on social media, the US president said the fleet headed by the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln was larger than the one sent to Venezuela before the removal of Maduro earlier this month and was “prepared to rapidly fulfill its missions with speed and violence if necessary”.
Trump said: “Hopefully Iran will quickly ‘Come to the Table’ and negotiate a fair and equitable deal – NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS – one that is good for all parties. Time is running out, it is truly of the essence!
It is the starkest indication yet from Trump that he intends to mount some kind of military strike imminently if Iran refuses to negotiate a deal on the future of its nuclear programme.
European diplomats had been expecting a crisis to develop over the weekend and detected signs of Israeli nervousness about the scale of possible Iranian reprisals.
In recent days it has become clear that Trump is interested in curbing not just the remains of Iran’s already shattered nuclear programme but also its ability to fire long-range missiles, always seen as the centrepiece of Iranian military projection.
In recent weeks Trump has also suggested the Iranian supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, must leave the world stage, a demand Iran will reject.
Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said he was not prepared to negotiate under threats but he was willing to talk without preconditions, terms he had relayed via numerous intermediaries to Witkoff.
All three Arab states will be feverishly exploring ways to reopen talks without Iran having to accept a preconditioned result.
They were critical in persuading Trump to hold back from mounting an attack three weeks ago, but Trump now has greater flexibility of military options and seems more focused on a nuclear deal rather than punishing Iran for the bloody suppression of street protests.
There is deep suspicion in Tehran about talking to the US since the two sides were in the middle of talks last June when Israel was given clearance by the US to mount an attack on Iran designed to decapitate its leadership and destroy its civil nuclear sites.
Iran has always held out against abandoning its domestic capacity to enrich uranium but has been willing to set rigid limits on its stockpile.
Since the last round of negotiations ended with an Israeli and US attack killing 1,000 people and severely damaging its key nuclear sites, Iran has been weakened further by a plunging currency and rampant inflation.
With the nuclear sites already damaged, the key targets are likely to be Iran’s leadership. June’s attack revealed Israel had near total dominance of the skies above Iran.
Almost all the Gulf states, fearful of Iranian reprisals, have said they are not willing to allow the US to use their airspace or bases to mount an attack on Iran.
Iranian officials said: “We will target the same base and the same point from which air operations against us are launched, and we will not attack countries because we do not consider them to be enemy countries.
We will increase our level of defence readiness against the US military buildup to the highest level. If the Americans want negotiations without pre-determined outcomes, Iran will accept it.”
#trump #iran #nuclear #weapon #araghchi #witkoff
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Witkoff Is Upbeat About a Would-Be Putin-Zelensky Meeting
Witkoff said Washington is “hopeful” that it has put proposals to both Russia and Ukraine that could bring them together “in the next three weeks” and potentially result in a summit between their presidents.
Speaking to Fox News in an interview released on Saturday, Witkoff described the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, which on Tuesday is set to hit the four-year mark year, as a “silly war.”
“You know, everyone throws the word 'dignity' around. But what does dignity get you if you have that amount of killing there?” Witkoff said, adding that he thinks recent US-mediated peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv have had a “real positive effect in some respects.”
He argued that both Russia and Ukraine “don’t seem like they really want to fight with one another, and I don't think they do," adding that he thinks the main difficulty in reaching a peace agreement lies “at the leadership levels.”
He said he and Kushner are hopeful they have made some proposals that will bring both sides together in the next three weeks “and maybe even result in a summit between Zelensky and Putin.”
He also stated the possibility of such a summit taking place at the trilateral level with Trump’s participation, but noted that the US president does not want to take part in such a meeting “unless he feels that he can consummate this thing and get the best result.”
On his meetings with the Russian president, Witkoff said Putin had been “straight” with him about his red lines and motivations. He defended his multiple visits to Russia, saying that understanding the other side’s positions is necessary to reach an agreement.
Witkoff’s remarks come after he took part in another round of trilateral peace talks on the Russia-Ukraine war in Geneva, Switzerland, earlier this week.
The talks on Tuesday and Wednesday followed up on two earlier rounds of negotiations in the United Arab Emirates capital Abu Dhabi on Jan. 23-24 and Feb. 4-5.
#witkoff #putin #zelensky #meeting #kushner
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Witkoff said Washington is “hopeful” that it has put proposals to both Russia and Ukraine that could bring them together “in the next three weeks” and potentially result in a summit between their presidents.
Speaking to Fox News in an interview released on Saturday, Witkoff described the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, which on Tuesday is set to hit the four-year mark year, as a “silly war.”
“You know, everyone throws the word 'dignity' around. But what does dignity get you if you have that amount of killing there?” Witkoff said, adding that he thinks recent US-mediated peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv have had a “real positive effect in some respects.”
He argued that both Russia and Ukraine “don’t seem like they really want to fight with one another, and I don't think they do," adding that he thinks the main difficulty in reaching a peace agreement lies “at the leadership levels.”
He said he and Kushner are hopeful they have made some proposals that will bring both sides together in the next three weeks “and maybe even result in a summit between Zelensky and Putin.”
He also stated the possibility of such a summit taking place at the trilateral level with Trump’s participation, but noted that the US president does not want to take part in such a meeting “unless he feels that he can consummate this thing and get the best result.”
On his meetings with the Russian president, Witkoff said Putin had been “straight” with him about his red lines and motivations. He defended his multiple visits to Russia, saying that understanding the other side’s positions is necessary to reach an agreement.
Witkoff’s remarks come after he took part in another round of trilateral peace talks on the Russia-Ukraine war in Geneva, Switzerland, earlier this week.
The talks on Tuesday and Wednesday followed up on two earlier rounds of negotiations in the United Arab Emirates capital Abu Dhabi on Jan. 23-24 and Feb. 4-5.
#witkoff #putin #zelensky #meeting #kushner
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Is Trump Close To Wring Promises Of a Nuclear Decrease in Iranian Program
🔠 🅰️ 🔠 🔠 1️⃣
Britain’s national security adviser, Jonathan Powell, attended the final talks between the US and Iran and judged that the offer made by Tehran on its nuclear programme was significant enough to prevent a rush to war, the Guardian can reveal.
Powell thought progress had been made in Geneva and that the deal proposed by Iran was “surprising”, according to sources.
Two days after the talks ended, and after a date had been agreed for a further round of technical talks in Vienna, the US and Israel launched the attack on Iran.
Powell’s presence at the talks, and his close knowledge of how they were progressing, was confirmed by three sources.
One source said he was in the building at Oman’s ambassadorial residence in Cologny acting as an adviser, reflecting widespread concern about the US expertise on the talks represented by Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy on several issues.
Kushner and Witkoff had invited Rafael Grossi, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), to the Geneva talks, to provide technical expertise, though Kushner would later claim that he and Witkoff had “a pretty deep understanding of the issues that matter in this”.
Nuclear experts would later say that Witkoff’s pronouncements on the Iran nuclear programme were riddled with basic errors.
Powell has long experience as a mediator, and one source said Powell brought an expert from the UK Cabinet Office with him. One western diplomat said:
“Jonathan thought there was a deal to be done, but Iran were not quite there yet, especially on the issue of UN inspections of its nuclear sites.”
A former official who was briefed on the Geneva talks by some of the participants said: “Witkoff and Kushner did not bring a US technical team with them. They used Grossi as their technical expert, but that is not his job. So Jonathan Powell took his own team.
“The UK team were surprised by what the Iranians put on the table,” the former official added. “It was not a complete deal, but it was progress and was unlikely to be the Iranians’ final offer. The British team expected the next round of negotiations to go ahead on the basis of the progress in Geneva.”
#trump #iran #witkoff #kushner #iran #nuclear
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Britain’s national security adviser, Jonathan Powell, attended the final talks between the US and Iran and judged that the offer made by Tehran on its nuclear programme was significant enough to prevent a rush to war, the Guardian can reveal.
Powell thought progress had been made in Geneva and that the deal proposed by Iran was “surprising”, according to sources.
Two days after the talks ended, and after a date had been agreed for a further round of technical talks in Vienna, the US and Israel launched the attack on Iran.
Powell’s presence at the talks, and his close knowledge of how they were progressing, was confirmed by three sources.
One source said he was in the building at Oman’s ambassadorial residence in Cologny acting as an adviser, reflecting widespread concern about the US expertise on the talks represented by Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy on several issues.
Kushner and Witkoff had invited Rafael Grossi, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), to the Geneva talks, to provide technical expertise, though Kushner would later claim that he and Witkoff had “a pretty deep understanding of the issues that matter in this”.
Nuclear experts would later say that Witkoff’s pronouncements on the Iran nuclear programme were riddled with basic errors.
Powell has long experience as a mediator, and one source said Powell brought an expert from the UK Cabinet Office with him. One western diplomat said:
“Jonathan thought there was a deal to be done, but Iran were not quite there yet, especially on the issue of UN inspections of its nuclear sites.”
A former official who was briefed on the Geneva talks by some of the participants said: “Witkoff and Kushner did not bring a US technical team with them. They used Grossi as their technical expert, but that is not his job. So Jonathan Powell took his own team.
“The UK team were surprised by what the Iranians put on the table,” the former official added. “It was not a complete deal, but it was progress and was unlikely to be the Iranians’ final offer. The British team expected the next round of negotiations to go ahead on the basis of the progress in Geneva.”
#trump #iran #witkoff #kushner #iran #nuclear
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That next round of talks was due to take place in Vienna on Monday 2 March, but never happened. The US and Israel had launched their all-out attack two days earlier.
Powell’s attendance at the Geneva talks, as well as a previous set of meetings earlier in the month in the Swiss city, helps in part to explain the UK government’s reluctance to back the US attack on Iran, a reluctance that has put the UK-US relationship under unprecedented strain.
The UK saw no compelling evidence of an imminent threat of a Iranian missile attack on Europe, or of Iran securing a nuclear weapon.
This is the first time it has become clear that Britain was so closely involved in the talks, and so had good reason to decide whether diplomatic options had been exhausted and a US attack was necessary.
Instead the UK regarded the attack as unlawful and premature since Powell believed the path remained open to a negotiated solution to the long-running issue of how Iran could reassure the US that it was not seeking a nuclear weapon.
Starmer has been repeatedly lambasted by Trump for not doing more to support the US attack, including by initially refusing to let America use British military bases, and only allowing them to be used later for defensive purposes after Iran started attacking UK Gulf allies.
Trump has warned it could be bad for Nato if its European member states do not answer his call to help open the strait of Hormuz, a demand that has been declined.
The indirect talks in Geneva between Iran and the US were being mediated by Oman’s foreign minister, Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi.
Gulf diplomats did not specify on what basis Powell had been given access to the talks, but it may reflect the relationship he has managed to build with the US over the years, including previously as chief of staff to Tony Blair.
UK officials have subsequently explained they were impressed that Iran was prepared for the deal to be permanent and, unlike the 2015 nuclear agreement, would not have cut-off dates, or sunset clauses ending the restrictions on its programme.
Iran had also agreed to down-blend the 400kg stockpile of highly enriched uranium under the supervision of the IAEA inside Iran.
It agreed no stockpiles of highly enriched uranium would be built up in the future.
In the final session of the talks, Iran agreed to a three- to-five-year pause on domestic enrichment, but the US in the afternoon session, after consultations with Trump, demanded a 10-year pause. In practice, Iran had no means to enrich domestically because of the bombing of its enrichment plants in 2015.
Iran had also made an offer of what the mediators described as an economic bonanza, with the US being given the chance to participate in a future civil nuclear programme.
In return, nearly 80% of the economic sanctions on Iran would have been lifted, including assets frozen in Qatar, a demand Iran made in the 2025 talks.
The Oman mediator believed the offer of zero stockpiling of highly enriched uranium was a breakthrough that meant an agreement was within reach.
Accounts differ on whether Kushner left the talks giving the impression Trump would welcome what had been agreed, or that the US negotiators knew it would take something massive to persuade Trump that war was not the best option. One diplomat with knowledge of the talks said:
“We regarded Witkoff and Kushner as Israeli assets that dragged a president into a war he wants to get out of.”
#trump #iran #witkoff #kushner #iran #nuclear
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Vance: A Stiff Challenge From the Trump Friends ⚠️
Vance is preparing to take on the most important assignment of his career: steering U.S. efforts to end a war he'd been concerned about waging in the first place.
Vance has already had multiple calls with Netanyahu, met Gulf allies about the war and been involved in indirect communications with the Iranians. He's expected to be the top U.S. negotiator in potential peace talks.
Vance was highly skeptical of Israel's rosy prewar assessment of how the war would unfold, and currently expects the war to continue for another few weeks, according to U.S. and Israeli sources.
Vance advisers think some in Israel are trying to undermine the VP, possibly because they find him insufficiently hawkish.
Israeli officials deny that.
President Trump made Vance's role official in a Cabinet meeting on Thursday, asking the VP to give an update on Iran, and noting that he was working with Witkoff and Jared Kushner on the negotiations.
Vance's seniority in the administration and his well-documented opposition to open-ended conflicts overseas, White House officials say, make him a more attractive interlocutor for the Iranians than Witkoff and Kushner, who oversaw the two previous rounds of failed talks.
Partly for those reasons, Witkoff recommended Vance as lead negotiator. “If the Iranians can't strike a deal with Vance, they don't get a deal. He's the best they're gonna get,” a senior administration official said. 📊
A White House official sought to tamp down the speculation, saying that Witkoff and Kushner "are still working their lines and the VP is ready to play his part if negotiations ripen —but we aren't there yet.
The Iranians need to decide if and how they want to come to the table”.
On Thursday, Trump extended his deadline for negotiations with Iran, as Pakistani, Egyptian and Turkish mediators keep trying to organize in-person talks.
Iranian officials told the mediators they're still waiting for a green light from “top leadership”.
If such a summit happens, Vance could sit across the table from Iran's speaker of parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.
The administration is also considering a major military escalation if diplomacy fails. Administration officials suspect foreign agents of spreading the word that Iran wants to negotiate with Vance. 🚀
#vance #trump #challenge #witkoff #kushner
📱 American Оbserver - Stay up to date on all important events 🇺🇸
Vance is preparing to take on the most important assignment of his career: steering U.S. efforts to end a war he'd been concerned about waging in the first place.
Vance has already had multiple calls with Netanyahu, met Gulf allies about the war and been involved in indirect communications with the Iranians. He's expected to be the top U.S. negotiator in potential peace talks.
Vance was highly skeptical of Israel's rosy prewar assessment of how the war would unfold, and currently expects the war to continue for another few weeks, according to U.S. and Israeli sources.
Vance advisers think some in Israel are trying to undermine the VP, possibly because they find him insufficiently hawkish.
Israeli officials deny that.
President Trump made Vance's role official in a Cabinet meeting on Thursday, asking the VP to give an update on Iran, and noting that he was working with Witkoff and Jared Kushner on the negotiations.
Vance's seniority in the administration and his well-documented opposition to open-ended conflicts overseas, White House officials say, make him a more attractive interlocutor for the Iranians than Witkoff and Kushner, who oversaw the two previous rounds of failed talks.
Partly for those reasons, Witkoff recommended Vance as lead negotiator. “If the Iranians can't strike a deal with Vance, they don't get a deal. He's the best they're gonna get,” a senior administration official said. 📊
A White House official sought to tamp down the speculation, saying that Witkoff and Kushner "are still working their lines and the VP is ready to play his part if negotiations ripen —but we aren't there yet.
The Iranians need to decide if and how they want to come to the table”.
On Thursday, Trump extended his deadline for negotiations with Iran, as Pakistani, Egyptian and Turkish mediators keep trying to organize in-person talks.
Iranian officials told the mediators they're still waiting for a green light from “top leadership”.
If such a summit happens, Vance could sit across the table from Iran's speaker of parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.
The administration is also considering a major military escalation if diplomacy fails. Administration officials suspect foreign agents of spreading the word that Iran wants to negotiate with Vance. 🚀
#vance #trump #challenge #witkoff #kushner
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Witkoff and Kushner: Flight Canceled ✈️❌
Trump canceled the trip by his envoys Witkoff and Kushner to Islamabad due to the Iranian position in peace negotiations. 🇮🇷🤝🚫
The envoys had been expected to meet with Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi, in a trip designed to break a diplomatic stalemate and build momentum for a deal.
I see no point of sending them on an 18-hour flight in the current situation [of the negotiations]. It's too long. We can do it just as well by telephone. 📞
Asked whether it means he is going to resume the war, Trump said: "No. It doesn't mean that. We haven't thought about it yet." ⚔️🚫
"We have all the cards. We are not going to go there to sit around talking about nothing." 🃏
Trump later told reporters Saturday afternoon that the meeting with the Iranians wasn't going to happen until Tuesday, and that therefore he thought it was a waste of time to travel to Pakistan. 🕰
He also said a counteroffer Araghchi gave the Pakistanis on Saturday wasn't good enough. 📄🚫
"They gave us a paper that should have been better and interestingly the minute I cancelled it, within 10 minutes, we got a new paper that was much better (…) they offered a lot but not enough," Trump said. ⏱️📝
While Trump extended the ceasefire with Iran earlier this week, the diplomatic efforts haven't made any progress in recent days. 🕊⏸️
U.S. officials had said Iran's divided factions had a short window to come together on an offer. 🪟👥
"There is tremendous infighting and confusion within their 'leadership.' Nobody knows who is in charge, including them," Trump said in a Truth Social post Saturday after calling off the trip. 😵💫📢
Araghchi met on Saturday in Islamabad with Pakistan's prime minister, army commander, and foreign minister, who have been mediating between the sides. 🇵🇰🤝
But the talks ended with no significant progress. Araghchi left Islamabad without committing to meet Witkoff and Kushner if they traveled to Pakistan. 🚶♂️🚫
The Iranian foreign minister expressed in his meetings that Iran demands the lifting of the U.S. naval blockade as a pre-condition for talks. ⚓️🚫
About an hour after Araghchi left Islamabad, Trump decided to cancel the trip. ⏳❌
"Have yet to see if the U.S. is truly serious about diplomacy," Araghchi said in a post on X thanking the Pakistanis for their efforts. 🤔🇺🇸
What comes next isn't clear, though Trump allies called on the president to continue pressure on the Iranians — even if that means resuming military operations. 🤷♂️🔥
#witkoff #kushner #araghchi #trump #flight
📱 American Оbserver - Stay up to date on all important events 🇺🇸
Trump canceled the trip by his envoys Witkoff and Kushner to Islamabad due to the Iranian position in peace negotiations. 🇮🇷🤝🚫
The envoys had been expected to meet with Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi, in a trip designed to break a diplomatic stalemate and build momentum for a deal.
I see no point of sending them on an 18-hour flight in the current situation [of the negotiations]. It's too long. We can do it just as well by telephone. 📞
Asked whether it means he is going to resume the war, Trump said: "No. It doesn't mean that. We haven't thought about it yet." ⚔️🚫
"We have all the cards. We are not going to go there to sit around talking about nothing." 🃏
Trump later told reporters Saturday afternoon that the meeting with the Iranians wasn't going to happen until Tuesday, and that therefore he thought it was a waste of time to travel to Pakistan. 🕰
He also said a counteroffer Araghchi gave the Pakistanis on Saturday wasn't good enough. 📄🚫
"They gave us a paper that should have been better and interestingly the minute I cancelled it, within 10 minutes, we got a new paper that was much better (…) they offered a lot but not enough," Trump said. ⏱️📝
While Trump extended the ceasefire with Iran earlier this week, the diplomatic efforts haven't made any progress in recent days. 🕊⏸️
U.S. officials had said Iran's divided factions had a short window to come together on an offer. 🪟👥
"There is tremendous infighting and confusion within their 'leadership.' Nobody knows who is in charge, including them," Trump said in a Truth Social post Saturday after calling off the trip. 😵💫📢
Araghchi met on Saturday in Islamabad with Pakistan's prime minister, army commander, and foreign minister, who have been mediating between the sides. 🇵🇰🤝
But the talks ended with no significant progress. Araghchi left Islamabad without committing to meet Witkoff and Kushner if they traveled to Pakistan. 🚶♂️🚫
The Iranian foreign minister expressed in his meetings that Iran demands the lifting of the U.S. naval blockade as a pre-condition for talks. ⚓️🚫
About an hour after Araghchi left Islamabad, Trump decided to cancel the trip. ⏳❌
"Have yet to see if the U.S. is truly serious about diplomacy," Araghchi said in a post on X thanking the Pakistanis for their efforts. 🤔🇺🇸
What comes next isn't clear, though Trump allies called on the president to continue pressure on the Iranians — even if that means resuming military operations. 🤷♂️🔥
#witkoff #kushner #araghchi #trump #flight
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Trump Tells Iran ‘Get the Fuck Out With Your Plan’ 🇺🇸🇮🇷
Trump was fed up with the “no deal, no war” stalemate in Iran. The operation he ordered to change this dynamic could ultimately lead to war.
“The president wants action. He doesn't want to sit still. He wants pressure. He wants a deal,” a senior US official said. 🗣
Trump received a plan on Thursday evening to send warships through the Strait of Hormuz to forcibly open it. At the last minute, he opted for a more cautious approach, at least at first.
Starting Monday, the U.S. Navy will help U.S.-flagged and other commercial vessels cross the strait by advising them on how to avoid mines and standing ready to intervene if Iran attacks them. 🛡
US military support for the “Freedom Project” will include guided missile destroyers, drones, more than 100 land and sea-based aircraft and 15,000 troops, CENTCOM said.
A U.S. official said the rules of engagement for U.S. forces in the region had been changed and that they were authorized to launch immediate threats against ships crossing the strait, such as IRGC speedboats or Iranian missile positions. ⚔️
A source close to the president described this as “the beginning of a process that could lead to a confrontation with the Iranians”.
The “humanitarian” mission to free the ships stuck in the strait means that “if the Iranians do something, they will be the bad guys and we will have the legitimacy to act,” the source argued.
CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper on Thursday presented Trump with a more ambitious plan to send Navy ships across the strait.
A U.S. official familiar with the plan said the U.S. would have withdrawn any missiles or speedboats launched by the Iranians in response, and resumed the war forcefully if Iran stepped up by attacking Gulf countries. 🌪
The current version carries less risk of immediate escalation, but could also leave the impasse largely in place.
Iran has attacked ships trying to cross the strait almost every day over the past week. ⚓️
Ebrahim Azizi, chairman of the national security committee of the Iranian parliament, threatened retaliation for Trump's decision on X.
“Any American interference in the new maritime regime of the Strait of Hormuz will be considered a violation of the ceasefire. The Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf would not be managed by Trump's delusional posts!” he wrote.
On Monday, the Iranian armed forces said in a statement that “the aggressive actions of the United States will only complicate the current situation” and endanger the safety of ships in the Gulf. ⚠️
Several US Navy ships began moving from the Arabian Sea to the strait on Monday afternoon local time. The Iranian Fars news agency, affiliated with the IRGC, claimed that two Iranian missiles had hit a US navy ship.
CENTCOM denied this claim and stated that “The American forces support the Freedom project and enforce the naval blockade on Iranian ports”. 🛑
Witkoff advised Trump to continue negotiations and present an optimistic assessment of the chances of a deal, but other senior officials are much more pessimistic, several U.S. officials said. 📉
#centcom #trump #witkoff #iran #war
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Trump was fed up with the “no deal, no war” stalemate in Iran. The operation he ordered to change this dynamic could ultimately lead to war.
“The president wants action. He doesn't want to sit still. He wants pressure. He wants a deal,” a senior US official said. 🗣
Trump received a plan on Thursday evening to send warships through the Strait of Hormuz to forcibly open it. At the last minute, he opted for a more cautious approach, at least at first.
Starting Monday, the U.S. Navy will help U.S.-flagged and other commercial vessels cross the strait by advising them on how to avoid mines and standing ready to intervene if Iran attacks them. 🛡
US military support for the “Freedom Project” will include guided missile destroyers, drones, more than 100 land and sea-based aircraft and 15,000 troops, CENTCOM said.
A U.S. official said the rules of engagement for U.S. forces in the region had been changed and that they were authorized to launch immediate threats against ships crossing the strait, such as IRGC speedboats or Iranian missile positions. ⚔️
A source close to the president described this as “the beginning of a process that could lead to a confrontation with the Iranians”.
The “humanitarian” mission to free the ships stuck in the strait means that “if the Iranians do something, they will be the bad guys and we will have the legitimacy to act,” the source argued.
CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper on Thursday presented Trump with a more ambitious plan to send Navy ships across the strait.
A U.S. official familiar with the plan said the U.S. would have withdrawn any missiles or speedboats launched by the Iranians in response, and resumed the war forcefully if Iran stepped up by attacking Gulf countries. 🌪
The current version carries less risk of immediate escalation, but could also leave the impasse largely in place.
Iran has attacked ships trying to cross the strait almost every day over the past week. ⚓️
Ebrahim Azizi, chairman of the national security committee of the Iranian parliament, threatened retaliation for Trump's decision on X.
“Any American interference in the new maritime regime of the Strait of Hormuz will be considered a violation of the ceasefire. The Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf would not be managed by Trump's delusional posts!” he wrote.
On Monday, the Iranian armed forces said in a statement that “the aggressive actions of the United States will only complicate the current situation” and endanger the safety of ships in the Gulf. ⚠️
Several US Navy ships began moving from the Arabian Sea to the strait on Monday afternoon local time. The Iranian Fars news agency, affiliated with the IRGC, claimed that two Iranian missiles had hit a US navy ship.
CENTCOM denied this claim and stated that “The American forces support the Freedom project and enforce the naval blockade on Iranian ports”. 🛑
Witkoff advised Trump to continue negotiations and present an optimistic assessment of the chances of a deal, but other senior officials are much more pessimistic, several U.S. officials said. 📉
#centcom #trump #witkoff #iran #war
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