UK, France to Craft Ukraine Peace Plan to Present to USA

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UK Prime Minister Sir Kier Starmer said ahead of a Lancaster House summit on Sunday that Britain and France will work to craft a Ukraine ceasefire deal that would be presented to the United States.

Echoing the language of former U.S. President George W. Bush, the Labour Party leader said that London and Paris will seek to build a “coalition of the willing” to enforce a peace in Ukraine.

The UK and France have already committed to sending troops into the former Eastern bloc nation to act as peacekeepers, but other European nations, notably Italy, Germany, and Poland, have so far shot down the idea.

“We’ve got to find those countries in Europe that are prepared to be a bit more forward-leaning,” Prime Minister Starmer said per The Telegraph.

“I’m not criticising anyone here, but rather than move at the pace of every single member, every single country in Europe, which would in the end be quite a slow pace, I do think we’ve got to probably get to a coalition of the willing now.” (Read more from “UK, France to Craft Ukraine Peace Plan to Present to USA” HERE)

Trump’s Tariffs on China, Canada and Mexico Take Effect

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President Donald Trump’s new tariffs on China, Canada and Mexico took effect at midnight Tuesday morning, increasing the taxes that U.S. importers will pay on certain goods when they enter the country.

Effective Tuesday, U.S. imports from China, the third-largest U.S. trading partner, will be subject to a new 10% tariff on top of the initial 10% tariff he imposed on Chinese goods last month.

Tariffs on imported goods from Canada and Mexico – America’s two largest bilateral trading partners, according to Census Bureau data – are also set to rise, with 25% tariffs levied on all imports from the two countries. The tariffs include a carve-out for a lower 10% tariff on Canadian oil imports.

President Trump was asked on Monday whether there was room left for any room left for Canada or Mexico to make a deal to avoid tariffs and he replied, “No room left for Mexico or for Canada. No, the tariffs, you know, they’re all set. They go into effect tomorrow.”

Shortly after taking office in January, Trump announced he would impose tariffs on the three countries and cited the flows of illegal fentanyl shipments across the Mexican and Canadian borders, as well as precursor chemicals for fentanyl shipped from China. He cited authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). (Read more from “Trump’s Tariffs on China, Canada and Mexico Take Effect” HERE)

Indian Gender Clinics Shut Down After Losing Funds That Biden Passed Off As AIDS Relief

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President Donald Trump’s freeze on foreign aid has led to three transgender clinics shutting down in India as liberal causes around the world lose taxpayer funding.

Mitr Clinic, the country’s first health institution “exclusively for the transgender community,” closed three facilities on Jan. 24 after Trump cut most of its budget, Indian news outlets reported Sunday and Monday. The clinics almost fully relied on American taxpayer funds from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), an entity the left has defended as Trump’s administration moves to dismantle it.

Former President Joe Biden’s State Department celebrated Mitr Clinic’s opening in 2021 along with the premiere of a documentary “Mitr Clinic – Pride and Beyond.” Biden’s USAID used a federal AIDS relief program to help open the clinic in partnership with Johns Hopkins University.

“As the White House report released on November 20 [2021] to memorialize the Transgender Day of Remembrance noted, the U.S. government is taking essential steps to address the root causes of anti-transgender violence, discrimination, and denial of economic opportunity,” a U.S. diplomat said in the State Department’s news release. “These clinics, which provide community-led comprehensive health care services to the transgender community, are a big step toward building a more inclusive society for the LGBTQI+ persons.” (Read more from “Indian Gender Clinics Shut Down After Losing Funds That Biden Passed Off As AIDS Relief” HERE)

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr

Iran Triples Military Budget, Signals End to Negotiations

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Iran’s decision to triple its military budget in the 2025 fiscal plan does not necessarily indicate war preparations, an Iranian National Security Committee member in Parliament revealed on Wednesday.

In a press interview, Ahmad Bakhshayesh Ardestani noted that the significant increase in defense spending means “negotiations are no longer an option.” When asked whether the 200% rise suggested military escalation, he responded, “It cannot be said with certainty, but in any case, this significant increase means that we are not negotiating.”

His remarks come amid heightened tensions following recent threats from US President Donald Trump, who suggested that Israel could launch a strike on Iran if it does not abandon its nuclear program.

Iran’s military leadership has also issued warnings today. The commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Aerospace Force (IRGC-AF), Amir Ali Hajizadeh, hinted at the possible execution of a military operation called “True Promise 3,” saying, “If Iran’s nuclear facilities are attacked, the region will be engulfed in uncontrollable flames.”

The budget proposal for 2025 includes plans to export 1.75 million barrels of oil per day, with 420,000 barrels—approximately 24%—allocated directly to the armed forces. According to Iran International, this portion is valued at around €11 billion, up from €4 billion in the 2024 budget. (Read more from “Iran Triples Military Budget, Signals End to Negotiations” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

Ukraine Could Be Offered Automatic NATO Membership if Russia Welches on Peace Deal: Report

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Ukraine’s future membership of the NATO alliance may play the role of both carrot and stick to encourage more civilized behavior from Russia in future, a report claims.

Unfortunately for Ukraine itself, which makes a great deal of wanting to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) to guarantee itself against future Russian aggression, it now seems all but impossible as war peace talks begin. While Russia is obviously against the idea, the United States is also reluctant under President Trump, just as it was under President Biden.

Even European states, who are generally the most enthusiastic backers of Kyiv and who say they support membership one day have proven very reluctant to agree to it immediately. Several European states have argued that Ukraine isn’t ready to be a member of organisations like NATO or the European Union and that, in any case, it would be foolhardy to induct a new member that is already at war and partially occupied by a foreign power.

But that NATO question has a place in negotiations nevertheless, says broadcaster NBC, which cites unnamed U.S. talks “officials” who state it can be used as a security guarantee for Ukraine by limiting Russia’s appetite for further adventurism. As reported, under the alleged plan Ukraine would not be given NATO membership now, but a mechanism would be created that would instantly award that status on Kyiv if Russia violated the future Donald Trump-negotiated Ukraine peace deal. (Read more from “Ukraine Could Be Offered Automatic NATO Membership if Russia Welches on Peace Deal: Report” HERE)

Starmer Rebuffs Trump, Reassures Zelensky It’s ‘Perfectly Reasonable’ to Cancel Elections in Wartime

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British Prime Minister immediately offered Volodymyr Zelensky affirmation over his democratic status after President Trump blasted Ukraine for cancelling its elections and enforcing martial law on its citizens.

Sir Keir Starmer spoke to Ukrainian President Zelensky overnight, with his Downing Street office revealing the Prime Minister had told the Ukrainian he is not a dictator and that it had been “perfectly reasonable” to suspend democracy because of the Russian invasion.

The comments follow Donald Trump airing his views on the state of Ukrainian democracy, saying if Ukraine’s leadership wants a seat at the table, the Ukrainian people should be consulted on who they will send to sit at the table. Later remarks were more strident — perhaps in response to Zelensky’s angry answer to the initial comments, and accusing Trump of repeating Russian “disinformation — and called Zelensky a dictator.

President Trump had said: “A Dictator without Elections, Zelenskyy better move fast or he is not going to have a Country left… I love Ukraine, but Zelenskyy has done a terrible job, his Country is shattered, and MILLIONS have unnecessarily died”.

These remarks likely come as part of a strategy of pre-positioning by the United States ahead of the coming U.S.-Russia peace talks, and the United Kingdom government was fast to counter-signal against them. Downing Street said of Starmer’s call with Zelensky: “The prime minister spoke to President Zelenskyy this evening and stressed the need for everyone to work together. The prime minister expressed his support for President Zelenskyy as Ukraine’s democratically elected leader”. (Read more from “Starmer Rebuffs Trump, Reassures Zelensky It’s ‘Perfectly Reasonable’ to Cancel Elections in Wartime” HERE)

Zelensky Cancels Saudi Arabia Trip After Exclusion From U.S.-Russia Talks

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday said he postponed a visit to Saudi Arabia to express his disapproval of the United States and Russia beginning bilateral negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.

“We were not invited to this Russian-American meeting in Saudi Arabia. It was a surprise for us. I don’t want any coincidences, so I’m not going to Saudi Arabia,” Zelensky said after a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara.

By “coincidences,” Zelensky evidently meant that he did not want his planned visit to Saudi Arabia to be mistaken as an endorsement of the meetings held between U.S. and Russian diplomats in Riyadh this week.

“The Russian-American meeting in Saudi Arabia came as a surprise to us, just as it did to many others. Yes, we saw the media coverage, but I don’t know who will stay, who will leave, or where anyone is going. To be honest, I don’t really care. What matters to me is that our partners take time to think about us,” he said.

“Any country has a bilateral track with other countries. Please, you can discuss anything, but you can’t make a decision on how to end the war in Ukraine without Ukraine,” he insisted. (Read more from “Zelensky Cancels Saudi Arabia Trip After Exclusion From U.S.-Russia Talks” HERE)

Hamas Reveals The Last Living Hostages To Be Released In Ceasefire Phase One

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Hamas released the names of the final six living hostages set to be released from Gaza on Saturday under the first phase of the ceasefire agreement.

The list includes Israeli citizens Omer Shem Tov, 22, Omer Wenkert, 23, Eliya Cohen, 27, and Tal Shoham, 30, all of whom were captured by terrorists on October 7 and have been in captivity for 505 days. Hisham Al-Sayed, 36, and Avraham (Avera) Mengisto, 39, who have both been hostages in Gaza for about a decade, will also be released.

Shem Tov was kidnapped from the Nova Festival along with his siblings Itay and Maya Regev, who were released as part of the November 2023 hostage deal. His family was able to track his location through his phone as he was being forcibly driven to Gaza. According to his mother, Shem Tov has been observing the Jewish Sabbath in captivity.

“I never stopped believing that the moment would come and you would return to us, and it will happen so soon,” Maya wrote on her Instagram upon news her brother was being released. (Read more from “Hamas Reveals The Last Living Hostages To Be Released In Ceasefire Phase One” HERE)

Zelensky Fumes Over Trump’s Push for Russia Talks Before Ukraine

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has sparked controversy with his recent comments, claiming it would be “more dangerous” for President Donald Trump to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin before addressing Ukraine’s concerns. This remark raises eyebrows and reflects growing tension as Zelensky navigates his relationship with both U.S. political parties while trying to secure continued support in the war against Russia.

Zelensky, likely frustrated by the end of his close relationship with former President Joe Biden, is now lecturing Trump—who brought hostages home from Gaza, ended a war, and was the first president to avoid new conflicts—on how to handle peace negotiations.

The Ukrainian President expressed frustration to reporters upon learning he would be excluded from the peace talks with Russia, calling it “dangerous” and stating he was unhappy with the decision.

“I think that more dangerous if first meeting will be with Putin and then with Ukraine. There are things I shared with the President Trump that, first of all, we have to see common view,” he said. “I said also that at the table, we need Europe also. It’s very important for us. We are in Europe, and we see our future only in EU, like a member.” (Read more from “Zelensky Fumes Over Trump’s Push for Russia Talks Before Ukraine” HERE)

Trump Talks With Ukraine President Zelenksyy Following Putin Call

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President Trump spoke by phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Wednesday, the White House said, after talking earlier to Russian President Vladimir Putin about ending their long-running war.

In a Truth Social post, Mr. Trump said the conversation with Mr. Zelenskyy went “very well.”

“He, like President Putin, wants to make PEACE,” Mr. Trump wrote. “We discussed a variety of topics having to do with the War, but mostly, the meeting that is being set up on Friday in Munich, where Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will lead the Delegation.”

He said he is “hopeful” that the Friday meeting will be “positive.”

“It is time to stop this ridiculous war, where there has been massive, and totally unnecessary, DEATH and DESTRUCTION,” he wrote. “God bless the people of Russia and Ukraine!” (Read more from “Trump Talks With Ukraine President Zelenksyy Following Putin Call” HERE)