'Why Is The EU Parliament Building Based On The Tower Of Babel?

‘Why is the Strasbourg Parliament based on Tower of Babel?’

Matthew Bell

Is the Strasbourg Parliament building meant to look like the unfinished Tower of Babel mentioned in the Old Testament? If Scripture is a dead book and of no relevance, why is this based on a biblical design – according to Parliament officials themselves? 

The founders of the European Union used a picture of the Tower of Babel by renaissance painter Peter Bruegel on some of its posters over the years with the phrase in French “Many tongues, one voice.” David Hathaway was told by a journalist that members of the European Parliament knew what the Tower of Babel was and what it meant.

The Women on the Beast sculpture is outside the front of the building of the Council of Ministers in Europe. It has also appeared on European bank notes and currency, but at national and European level and pieces of art featuring this image can be found on the Berlin Wall and in the parliaments of Brussels and Strasbourg.

IS there a spiritual side to the vigorous UK European Referendum debate that has been ignored due to it being a proverbial “elephant in the room”?

 Is there a restored Roman empire as allegedly given to the prophet Daniel in the Biblical Old Testament? Surely this is a book for a Pixie in the sky and Aesop’s Fables, right?

If the EU meant to have a secular state, why would it openly used symbols based on an ancient biblical model which according to the scriptural text, are spiritually dark and end up being destroyed.

In a video called The Rape of Europa, David Hathaway explains the story of how Europe took his name and why there is a sculpture outside the Council of Ministers building in Brussels that has its symbol on coins and bank notes

Why is the building in Strasbourg meant to represent an unfinished building? This building is based on the painting of renaissance painter Peter Bruegel showing the Tower of Babel that shows an unfinished building. The Parliament Building looks like it is unfinished and has an uncanny resemblance to Bruegel’s masterpiece. It cost £8B and was finished in December 2000.

‘Many tongues, one voice’

They advertised based on the Peter Breughel painting of the Tower of Babel in 1563. On the slogan on the poster it says in French “many tongues, one voice” The 12 stars on the European flag are meant to signify the ‘Crown of Mary’, ‘Queen of Heaven’ but in Babylonian culture the title ‘Queen of Heaven’ was given the title of the earthly mother of Nimrod, builder of Babylon.

In the Hathaway video whilst he was filming it, he says he asked a Strasbourg-born journalist if she understood the meaning of the tower. She said she did and she also confirmed that the members of the European Parliament also understood that it represented Babel from the Bible, and that the purpose of the European Union was to finish what Nimrud and the people together had failed to do some 3,500 years ago.

‘Do Parliament chiefs believe in Babel?’

European Parliament are actually admitting that the Strasbourg Parliament is based on the Tower of Babel? In this debate, are we in denial there is a spiritual link when it is tacitly admitted?

Secondly there is a sculpture of “The Woman on the Beast” which is the main feature on the outside of the building of the Council of Europe in Brussels. It represents the Greek myth of the “Rape of Europa”, it is from this myth about the woman that the continent of Europe got its name from.

The ‘Woman On the Beast’ is mentioned twice in the Bible, in Revelation chapters 13 and 17 and the vision of the Beast is shown the vision of Daniel in the Old Testament in Daniel chapter 7.

‘Tower of Babel painting in EU Parliament’

The Parliaments of Strasbourg and Brussels also contain paintings of the “Woman on the Beast’. This symbol is openly used by member states of the European Union. This image can be found on Euro currency. There is an image of this symbol as a painting on the Berlin Wall done in 1979, and in 1984 the woman appeared on a British stamp commemorating the second set of European elections and she is on a painting in the airport lounge in Brussels.

The forehead of the name of this sculpture also has a second name “Mystery Babylon”. What was revealed in Revelation was a vision given to the writer of that book, John, but is this prophecy being fulfilled in Europe today? What does the powerful beast with horns represent?

‘Who is the bull with crescent-shaped horns?’

In Greek mythology the woman clung to the Father of the Gods, who had disguised himself as a bull with crescent-shaped horns. The symbol for the Middle-East god Baal as we know him today from archaeology and from scripture. Zeus or Jupiter, as we know him from Greek or Roman culture was – a bull with great, crescent-shaped horns. And the ruling God of ancient Babylon and the Middle East was the Moon God, again depicted as a bull with crescent horns.”

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Moscow and Washington Discuss Peace – Trump Exposes Zelensky

Moscow and Washington Discuss Peace – Trump Exposes Zelensky

Martin Armstrong

The United States will no longer tend to Ukraine as if it were a helpless victim in the war. The media would like you to believe that Russia invaded Ukraine without provocation. The events that led to this war are detailed in “The Plot to Seize Russia.”The official US government stance on the war has pivoted after US and Russian officials met this week in Saudi Arabia.

Donald Trump blasted Vladamir Zelensky on Truth Social for “playing Biden like a fiddle,” stating that is the only thing Zelensky seemed to be good at. He accused the former comedian of ruling Ukraine as a dictator and denying the people the right to an election. Finally, a world leader asks why Zelensky does not know where half of the aid went.

It appears that the “gravy train” is coming to a complete halt as Trump realizes that Zelensky extorted hundreds of billions from the US while simultaneously attempting to push our nation into the next world war. This does not mean that Trump is pro-Russia; he is pro-America, and this entire proxy war is the most dangerous issue facing our nation. “MILLIONS have unnecessarily died” and now we have European leaders eager to send their men and women to die for an unjust cause.

Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stated that Russia has taken a defensive position as he believes the war truly began in 2014 during a Western engineered coup. the U.S. and EU backed the Maidan protests to overthrow the democratically elected government of Viktor Yanukovych because he maintained economic ties with Russia instead of aligning fully with the West. This intervention led to civil unrest, the secession of Crimea to Russia via referendum, and a broader geopolitical confrontation that set the stage for ongoing conflict.

Volodymyr Zelensky’s rise to power in 2019 was part of the broader Western agenda to maintain control over Ukraine following the 2014 coup. Zelensky, initially elected on promises of peace and reform, ultimately became a tool of Western interests, escalating tensions with Russia instead of pursuing genuine diplomacy. Zelensky is a puppet leader of the West whose government is merely a continuation of the post-2014 regime.

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Germany’s Shocking War on Online Speech:

Germany’s Shocking War on Online Speech: Armed Police Raids for Online “Insults,” “Hate Speech,” and “Misinformation”

• Cindy Harper

Germany’s pre-dawn speech raids expose a chilling reality where free expression meets the heavy hand of the state.

A shocking discussion on CBS News’ 60 Minutes has highlighted the stark limits of online speech in Germany, where oppressive scenes once thought to be relegated to history and dystopian fiction, show law enforcement has been conducting pre-dawn raids and confiscating electronics from individuals accused of posting content deemed as “hate speech.”

In typical Orwellian fashion, despite these speech raids, officials insist that free speech still exists.

Dr. Matthäus Fink joined host Sharyn Alfonsi to explain how these laws operate and how those targeted by authorities typically react. According to Fink, most individuals are initially shocked when police confront them over online posts.

“They say — in Germany we say, ‘Das wird man ja wohl noch sagen dürfen,’” Fink remarked, illustrating the disbelief many express when they realize their statements can result in legal action. He noted that many Germans assume they are protected by free speech laws but learn too late that specific kinds of speech are punishable.

 Fink pointed out that publicly insulting someone is also a criminal offense.

“And it’s a crime to insult them online as well?” Alfonsi asked.

Fink affirmed that online insults carry even steeper penalties than face-to-face insults. “The fine could be even higher if you insult someone in the internet,” he elaborated. “Because in internet, it stays there. If we are talking face to face, you insult me, I insult you, OK. Finish. But if you’re in the internet, if I insult you or a politician…”

The segment aired shortly after Vice President JD Vance spoke in Munich, warning about the dangers of European nations suppressing free speech. Vance emphasized that democracy cannot function without the fundamental right to express opinions.

“Democracy rests on the sacred principle that the voice of the people matters. There’s no room for firewalls,” Vance argued. “You either uphold the principle or you don’t.”

In response to the 60 Minutes feature, Vance posted: “Insulting someone is not a crime, and criminalizing speech is going to put real strain on European-US relationships.” He added: “This is Orwellian, and everyone in Europe and the US must reject this lunacy.”

AfD-Supporting Lawyer Fined €3,000 For Criticizing German Govt, Has Gun License Revoked, Faces Disbarment

Thomas Brooke

The debate over free speech in Germany has taken a new turn following the case of Markus Roscher, a 61-year-old lawyer from Braunschweig, who was fined €3,000 for criticizing the government’s heating law.

Roscher described Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock as “malicious failures” in a post on X back in 2021. He was subsequently issued a penalty notice under the controversial Paragraph 188 of the German Criminal Code, which criminalized defamation against individuals engaged in public political life.

Roscher, who has been active on X for over 14 years and is well accustomed to the legal boundaries surrounding political debate, insists that his post was within the bounds of political criticism.

“I actually know myself to be quite well within the red lines,” he told Bild. 

“You have to formulate things pointedly to be heard. The lines of freedom of opinion have slipped with the red-green government (ed. the coalition of Social Democrats and Greens).” 

He further described his hefty fine as a “scandal for freedom of expression.”

Paragraph 188, introduced in April 2021, criminalizes insults against politicians if they significantly hinder their public work. It was initially passed under a coalition government of the CDU and SPD but has been increasingly enforced under the current administration. The law has led to numerous prosecutions against individuals who have criticized government officials online.

In Roscher’s case, the penalty order claimed that his statements portrayed politicians as “corrupt, stupid, and arrogant,” constituting “abusive criticism” that allegedly impeded their political activity. 

Following the charge, authorities also moved to revoke his gun license, citing “unreliability.”

Furthermore, his case was forwarded to the Kassel and Braunschweig Bar Associations, raising concerns that he could face professional sanctions. 

“If I now claim the same or something similar and get another conviction exceeding 90 daily rates, I can lose my license,” Roscher warned.

“Then you get a job ban as a 61-year-old lawyer!”

Roscher believes that his support for the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) has played a pivotal role in his prosecution. He asserts that the penalty order was politically motivated, arguing that he stood little chance in a legal battle, which led him to pay the fine without challenging it in the courts.

The scrutiny of political affiliations within Germany’s public sector was also highlighted by a leaked memo last month revealing that federal police officers who join or actively support the AfD could face disciplinary action, including dismissal. The memo cited a decree by Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, explicitly stating that officers suspected of affiliation with the party could see their employment terminated.

The controversy has drawn international attention from U.S. billionaire Elon Musk and most recently from U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who labeled Germany’s online speech laws this week as “Orwellian.” Responding to a CBS “60 Minutes” interview with German prosecutors, Vance argued that Germany was effectively “criminalizing speech” and urged Europeans to “reject this lunacy.”

Roscher’s case is part of a broader pattern of speech-related prosecutions in Germany. 

Other recent incidents include a Lower Saxony man, Daniel Kindl, who was fined €1,800 for allegedly insulting Green Party MP Janosch Dahmen in an online post. Kindl’s remark, which dismissed Dahmen’s concerns about an alleged attack on Robert Habeck, was deemed criminal by prosecutors.

Several other individuals have faced legal consequences for online speech. A pensioner was fined €800 for a satirical comment about Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, joking that she had hit her head too many times on a trampoline. Another was arrested for retweeting a meme that called Economy Minister Robert Habeck an “idiot,” classified as a “politically motivated right-wing crime.” A Bavarian woman was fined €6,000 for calling Baerbock a “hollow brat” but was later acquitted after a lengthy legal process. Additionally, a civil engineer was sentenced to 30 days in jail after failing to appeal a fine for calling SPD politician Manuela Schwesig a “storyteller.”

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CAIR’s Multi-Tiered Influence Machine: A Civil Rights Group or a Political Powerhouse?

CAIR Action: The Political Engine of Influence

Amy Mek

CAIR, under the guise of civil rights advocacy, has strategically built a political machine using tax-exempt status, lobbying arms, and its newly established Unity and Justice Fund Super PAC to infiltrate and influence U.S. elections while shielding its financial operations from scrutiny.

Inside the highly controversial East Plano Islamic Center in Plano, Texas, Nihad Awad, the leader of the Hamas-linked Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), delivered a speech that exposed their sweeping, multi-tiered strategy to embed Islamic influence into American politics. His remarks, given in a setting that blurred the lines between religious activism and political engineering, revealed CAIR’s carefully orchestrated expansion into direct electoral influence.

For years, CAIR has operated under the guise of a civil rights organization, maintaining 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status while actively shaping political discourse. However, Awad’s speech in Texas outlined how CAIR has systematically built a network of legal, lobbying, and electoral organizations to amass power while shielding its finances from scrutiny.

“The real money is in the Super PAC… These are the organizations that make or break political campaigns,” Awad told the audience.

From mosque-driven fundraising campaigns to Super PACs capable of accepting unlimited donations, CAIR’s political machine is not just about advocating for American Muslims—it is about seizing influence over U.S. elections.

For decades, CAIR has portrayed itself as a civil rights organization, advocating on behalf of American Muslims. But behind this public image lies a highly sophisticated, well-funded, and carefully structured operation designed to wield influence across multiple fronts—legal, political, and electoral.

Through a complex system of tax-exempt entities, lobbying arms, and a newly established Super PAC, CAIR has built an ecosystem that minimizes scrutiny while maximizing its reach. What may seem like an organic grassroots movement is, in reality, a highly coordinated, multi-tiered network designed for long-term political control.

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Israel Suspends All Public Transport After Three Buses Explode In Quick Succession

Israel Suspends All Public Transport After Three Buses Explode In Quick Succession

TYLER DURDEN

On Thursday night Israel's Transportation Authority halted all public transport including the operation of all buses, trains, and light rails, following an attempted terror attack in the Tel Aviv suburbs of Bat Yam and Holon.

Three empty buses exploded had exploded in quick succession in parking lots in these areas, and police believe the detonations were actually intended to happen in the morning, when the buses are usually packed.

No injuries have been reported, but police said at least two other unexploded devices were discovered on nearby parked buses. A search for suspects and evidence as to who is behind the attacks is underway.

Tel Aviv District police chief Haim Sargarof was cited in local media as saying the bomb plot "looks like something [that originated] in the West Bank."

Further details presented in Israeli media said:

According to a Channel 12 news report, the devices were slated to explode on Friday, when the buses were in use, but were somehow set off early. The network also reported that one of the undetonated devices was found due to an alert of a passenger who notified the driver of a suspicious bag.

In a statement, the Bat Yam Municipality said that “miraculously, the buses arrived at the parking lots a moment before the explosion,” and were already empty of their passengers.

Had the plot not been thwarted (by the apparent early explosions), this means potentially up to five buses could have been detonated with people on them, which would could have been one of the worst terror attacks in Tel Aviv history.

Israel's Defense Ministry has in the wake of the bomb plot said it is ramping up operations in the West Bank, to crack down on Palestinian militants.

"In light of the severe terror attack attempts [in the Tel Aviv area] by Palestinian terror organizations against the civilian population in Israel, I instructed the IDF to increase the intensity of the counterterrorism activity in the Tulkram refugee camp, and all the refugee camps in Judea and Samaria," Defense Minister Israel Katz said.

Some Palestinian sources are accusing Israel of being behind a 'false flag' operation in order to justify a greater security presence and crackdown in the West Bank.

Since the Oct.7 terror attacks by Hamas, there's been internecine street fighting in some West Bank towns and camps, with hundreds of Palestinians killed, and dozens of Israelis dead and injured as a result.

Kremlin responds to reports of plans for Western troops in Ukraine

Kremlin responds to reports of plans for Western troops in Ukraine

RT

Moscow is concerned by reports that NATO member states are considering deploying troops to Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said, reiterating that such a scenario would be unacceptable to Russia.

On Wednesday, The Telegraph and Bloomberg cited anonymous Western officials as saying that the UK and France were preparing to present US President Donald Trump with plans for the establishment of a “reassurance force” for Ukraine, should Kiev and Moscow agree a peace deal.

In an interview with Fox News the same day, US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz confirmed that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron would visit Washington next week.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Peskov said Moscow is “certainly following all these reports most closely.” Claims about the potential arrival of service members from NATO states in Ukraine “are causing concern,” he added, citing the ramifications this would have for Russia’s national security.

“This is a very important topic to us,” Peskov said. He noted that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had stressed on Tuesday that the “presence of armed forces from NATO countries [in Ukraine]… is completely unacceptable to us.” The remark followed high-level Russia-US talks in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where the two nations agreed to work toward normalizing bilateral relations.

According to The Telegraph and Bloomberg, the Anglo-French plan would involve around 30,000 troops being stationed in key Ukrainian cities and ports, as well as at nuclear power plants. The scheme purportedly envisages equipping the contingent with surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft as well as patrol vessels to monitor a potential peace agreement between Kiev and Moscow, with the US providing air cover in case of escalation.

In an article for The Telegraph on Sunday, Starmer proclaimed that the “UK is ready to play a leading role in accelerating work on security guarantees for Ukraine,” including by “putting our own troops on the ground if necessary.”

Russia’s ambassador to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, warned earlier this month that Western troops operating in Ukraine without Moscow’s consent would be seen as legitimate targets.

A number of EU leaders, most notably French President Emmanuel Macron, have been floating the idea of sending military personnel to Ukraine since at least last February. Deliberations over such a move have reportedly intensified in recent months. Since Trump assumed office in January, his administration has signaled its willingness to scale down American involvement in Ukraine.

What 'Palestinians' Did While Handing Over Murdered Bibas Babies Sparks Outrage, Calls to Resume War

What 'Palestinians' Did While Handing Over Murdered Bibas Babies Sparks Outrage, Calls to Resume War

Bonchie

While Americans slept, Palestinians gathered in the streets to celebrate the murder of the Bibas babies as well as their mother and an elderly man. The four individuals were taken hostage on October 7th, 2023 during the brutal attack led by Hamas that ended some 1,200 lives and placed hundreds more into captivity. 

Videos of the scene in Gaza painted a grim picture, with members of Hamas and the Palestinian Authority (the supposed "moderates") parading around coffins with the Bibas babies' pictures on them. In response, a massive crowd cheered and danced as music was blasted. For stagecraft, the terrorists put up a giant billboard with a picture of the entire Bibas family encased in blood. They then had the Red Cross, which was more than willing to play along with the propaganda, "sign" for the bodies in a depraved ceremony.

It was one of the most demonic things I've ever seen.

"This is Gaza. Cheering for dead Jewish babies. This is Gaza. The rest is propaganda."

One of the West's greatest failures is its refusal to acknowledge the existence of pure evil. We have raised generations to believe that monsters exist only in fairy tales, that there is no true right or wrong, and that all cultures are equal.

And then comes this accursed day, a day of horror and shame, when an elderly man, a mother, and her two children: Oded Lipschitz, Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas—who were slaughtered by Hamas terrorists, paraded like trophies before a cheering, flag-waving crowd in Gaza. Pure evil.

If you noticed in the first paragraph that I put the qualifier "led by Hamas" when talking about October 7th instead of just "Hamas," that's because Hamas did not take the Bibas family. Rather, they were taken and held by Palestinian "civilians" who participated in the attack and filmed their escapades. This isn't just a problem with terrorist groups. This is a cultural problem that goes well beyond those walking around in green headbands.

Expectedly, the gross actions on Thursday surrounding the Bibas family have led to outraged calls to resume the war in Gaza. That timeline will be up to Israel, but it's hard to imagine any of this going unanswered once the remaining hostages are released or confirmed dead. Living next door to people who kidnap children, hold their murdered bodies for ransom, and then parade them around as trophies is not sustainable. There will be war again. It's just a matter of when.

Unimaginable Evil: Thousands of Gazans line the streets to CHEER and CELEBRATE as the bodies of 4 murdered Israelis are paraded through the streets.

Palestinians Line the Streets to Cheer as the Bodies of Dead Babies Are Paraded Through Streets

Margaret Flavin

On Thursday morning, Hamas terrorists released the bodies of four Israeli hostages, including two murdered babies.

The body of Kfir Bibas, the youngest hostage taken at just nine months old, was paraded through the streets to celebratory music along with the bodies of his brother, Ariel, only four when he was kidnapped, and their mother, Shiri, 33.

The body of Oded Lifshitz, 84, was also released.

The New York Post reports, “The four coffins containing the victims were displayed on stage in front of a disturbing mural depicting a bloody Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — with fangs — standing over pictures of the Bibas family and Lifshiftz, alongside a propagandist inscription.”

Thousands of cheering Gazans lined the streets with celebratory music to cheer as the coffins were transferred to the Red Cross who will return the murdered hostages to Israel for burial.

The murdered babies’ father, Yarden Bibas, was released in early February, unsure of the fate of his young family.

Thousands of Gazans line the streets to CHEER and CELEBRATE as the bodies of 4 murdered Israelis are paraded through the streets. Among the dead Israelis on parade were the Bibas family; mother Shiri and her two sons Kfir and Ariel

Hamas blasts celebratory music as thousands of Gazans line the streets to celebrate as coffins with the bodies of 4 murdered Israelis are paraded. Among those inside the coffins are Kfir Bibas who was 8 months old when he was kidnapped

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US Abruptly Cancels Media Conference After Zelensky Met With Trump's Ukraine Envoy

US Abruptly Cancels Media Conference After Zelensky Met With Trump's Ukraine Envoy

TYLER DURDEN

Retired US Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine and Russia, is in Kiev where on Thursday he had an (apparently) brief meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

A scheduled post-meeting news conference has been unexpectedly canceled, though no reason was immediately forthcoming, according to a Ukrainian official, presidential spokesman Serhii Nikiforov. The US side made no comment upon the presser's cancelation.

The Associated Press observes, "When the meeting began, photographers and video journalists were allowed into a room where the two men shook hands before sitting across from each other at a table at the presidential office in Kyiv."

What's the latest in the growing feud that let up to this?

President Trump on Wednesday night continued bashing Ukraine's Zelensky, this time describing that his officials treated Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent "rudely" during his visit to Kiev last week.

Trump further said that Zelensky chose to sleep instead of meeting with the high-ranking American official to discuss the White House proposed mineral rights deal. "Zelensky was sleeping and unavailable to meet him," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.

Trump's comments:

The Treasury Secretary had "traveled many hours on the train, which is a dangerous trip," Trump added, characterizing the whole visit as futile given the Ukrainians "told him 'no'" on the deal for America to acquire 50% of the country's rare earth minerals.

Trump's anti-Zelensky rhetoric, which included him calling him a "dictator" yesterday, has grown to the point that many pundits see that the Ukrainian president's exit is nigh. Trump is pressuring Kiev for new elections, which would require parliament to change the constitution.

Vice President J.D. Vance also warned Wednesday that Zelensky will only bring harm on himself should be continue 'badmouthing' President Trump. This was in reference to Zelensky asserting that Trump is living in a Russian "disinformation space". 

"The idea that Zelensky is going to change the president’s mind by badmouthing him in public media, everyone who knows the president will tell you that is an atrocious way to deal with this administration," Vance said. 

"We obviously love the Ukrainian people," but "we obviously think that this war needs to come to a rapid close," he added. 

And Vance followed with a reminder: "That is the policy of the president of the United States. It is not based on Russian disinformation."

Elon Musk has defended the Trump admin's fierce critique of Zelensky. For example, Musk had tweeted out the following list by prominent pro-Trump account @DC_Draino: 

Want to know why Trump called Zelensky a Dictator? Here are the FACTS:

• He’s in year 6 of his 5 year term
• Declared martial law Feb 2022 and has banned elections since then
• Banned 11 political parties
• Passed law in 2022 to censor journalists and combined all news into one gov’t station
• Journalists investigating his corruption get conscripted and thrown on the front lines to die

The list ended with the observation that "Even Saddam Hussein held elections!" We should add to this list the ongoing persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church by the Zelensky government, merely because it maintains spiritual communion with the Moscow Patriarchate.

At this point, many pundits believe it's only a matter of time before there's a change in Ukraine's government. European leaders are of course rallying around Zelensky, but the pressure and power of Washington is a different matter, and in essence Trump is warning that if the Zelensky doesn't achieve peace, there will be drastic changes in Kiev.

This Was A Good First Step, But Negotiations With Russia Better Succeed Because The Alternative Is World War III

This Was A Good First Step, But Negotiations With Russia Better Succeed Because The Alternative Is World War III

Michael

The meeting in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday that is being endlessly derided by the mainstream media was actually an extremely positive development.  I love the fact that the Trump administration is trying to find a peaceful way out of this mess.  Despite what the mainstream media is telling us, this is precisely what should be happening.  And we better hope that negotiations with Russia eventually succeed, because this is our last best hope for peace.  If the negotiations fail, the alternative is World War III.

According to ABC News, the talks between U.S. and Russian officials lasted for approximately five hours…

High-level delegations from the U.S. and Russia held talks in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday over the fate of Ukraine, the negotiations taking place without Kyiv’s participation.

The State Department said the talks were aimed to discuss ending the three-year-long war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor in 2022 and followed sustained cross-border aggression from Moscow since 2014.

Tuesday’s meeting in Riyadh concluded after around five hours, according to the press pool covering the meeting, with the State Department saying the discussions represented “an important step forward” toward “enduring peace.”

These talks were not designed to produce a peace agreement.

Rather, they were intended to put us on a path toward negotiating a peace agreement.

Thankfully, it appears that goal was achieved.  U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that four key principles were agreed upon during the meeting…

Rubio said that the U.S. and Russians agreed on four principles during their meeting as they start the initial steps toward a deal.

First, he said the U.S. and Moscow will work to reestablish their respective diplomatic missions in each other’s countries so they can move forward with more communication.

Second, Rubio said the U.S. will appoint a high-level team to help negotiate, and third, they will begin to discuss geopolitical and economic cooperation that could help resolve the conflict.

Fourth, he said that the five people who were involved in the first meeting will remain engaged, so they know it is moving along ‘in a productive way.’

All of that is great.

We are now in a far better position than we were under the Biden administration.

But the truth is that the two sides are still miles apart on what an end to the war in Ukraine will look like.

After the meeting, U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce explained that the ultimate goal will be to come up with an agreement that will be “acceptable to all sides”…

Bruce said Rubio and Lavrov had agreed to appoint “high-level teams to begin working on a path to ending the conflict in Ukraine as soon as possible in a way that is enduring, sustainable, and acceptable to all sides.” Rubio said the respective embassies in Washington and Moscow would need to be re-staffed, as “we’re going to need to have vibrant diplomatic missions that are able to function normally in order to be able to continue these conduits.”

A deal that will be “acceptable to all sides” certainly sounds good, but from my perspective it will be nearly impossible to achieve.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy doesn’t seem to understand that he is losing the war.  He has been steadily losing territory and any rational leader in his position would be quite eager to go to the negotiating table.  But instead, he is greatly upset that the U.S. would dare to talk to the Russians, and he is pledging to never “accept Russia’s ultimatums”…

‘I wonder why they believe Ukraine would accept all these ultimatums now if we refused them at the most difficult moment,’ the Ukrainian President said, referring to Kyiv’s refusal to bow to Moscow’s demands during crisis talks at the start of the war.

‘As President of Ukraine, I have never given any guarantees to anyone or confirmed anything. Moreover, I have never intended to accept Russia’s ultimatums. And I am not going to,’ Zelensky said.

Zelenskyy will not move from his position that Ukraine must be allowed to join NATO, and he wants 200,000 western troops in his country once this is all over

But keeping western troops and western missiles out of Ukraine is one of the key issues for the Russians, and Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova just reaffirmed the fact that the Russians will never allow Ukraine to join NATO…

After the meeting, the Russians issued their own set of demands as the negotiations move forward.

Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that NATO membership for Ukraine is unacceptable to Moscow.

She added: ‘It is worth noting that a refusal to accept Kyiv into NATO is not enough. The alliance must disavow the Bucharest promises of 2008.’

How in the world will those two positions be bridged?

I honestly have no idea.

Even more sticky is the matter of captured territory.

The Ukrainians are freaking out because the Russians may be allowed “to keep some of the 20% of Ukraine it has occupied”…

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other European leaders expressed alarm and dismay at being shut out of the talks Riyadh. One of Kyiv’s main concerns is that Russia will be given the go-ahead to keep some of the 20% of Ukraine it has occupied.

Anyone that thinks that the Russians are going to hand back all or most of the territory that they have captured is being extremely delusional.

The Russians are winning the war, and they have been steadily capturing more territory in recent months.

Why would they give that territory back?

On Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov completely ruled out returning any territory to Ukraine…

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday ruled out territorial concessions to Ukraine, setting out a tough opening stance on the eve of talks on Tuesday with U.S. President Donald Trump’s team in Saudi Arabia.

Zelenskyy seems to have lost all touch with reality.

The losers don’t dictate the terms of peace.  That is simply not how it works.