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Burisma Slashed Hunter Biden’s Salary When Donald Trump Took Office, New Indictment Shows

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Ukrainian energy company Burisma Holdings appeared to reduce Hunter Biden’s salary after his father’s vice presidency concluded and former President Donald Trump took office, according to a new indictment.

Burisma hired Hunter Biden to sit on the company’s board in spring 2014 and began paying him more than $80,000 per month while then-Vice President Biden ran the Obama administration’s Ukraine policy, bank records show. His salary dropped significantly beginning in March 2017, according to a new indictment leveled against Hunter Biden by a grand jury in California Thursday for numerous tax related charges.

“In or around April 2014, the Defendant joined the board of directors of Burisma Holdings Limited,” the indictment reads. Hunter Biden lacked experience in the energy industry and Ukraine affairs prior to his position with Burisma.

“Burisma agreed to pay the Defendant an annual salary of approximately $1,000,000, to be paid in monthly disbursements. In March 2017, Burisma reduced his compensation to approximately $500,000 a year but he continued to serve on the board of directors until in or around April 2019. As a result, he received a total of approximately $1,002,016 in 2016, $630,556 in 2017, $491,939 in 2018, and $160,207 in 2019,” the indictment adds.

Hunter Biden appeared to not report his 2014 Burisma income on his 1040 tax form, the indictment explains. His money from Burisma in 2014 went to a shell company he formed with another business associate and Burisma board member who is not named in the indictment. (Read more from “Burisma Slashed Hunter Biden’s Salary When Donald Trump Took Office, New Indictment Shows” HERE)

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The Border Crisis Just Broke Another Insane Record

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During remarks at the White House Wednesday afternoon, President Joe Biden rejected offers by Republican lawmakers to fund Ukraine’s defense against Russia, Israel’s war on terrorist group Hamas and U.S. border security through recently passed legislation in the House. Biden demanded only the foreign aid be funded and punted on securing the U.S. border.

His rejection came less than 24 hours after 12,000 illegal immigrants, the vast majority single adult males, crossed the southern border on Tuesday — a new record.

(Read more from “The Border Crisis Just Broke Another Insane Record” HERE)

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Defense Secretary Warns of ‘Very Likely’ U.S. Military Involvement in Europe if Aid to Ukraine Stalls

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Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned Congress on Tuesday during a private briefing that if they do not pass more aid to Ukraine, it would “very likely” lead to U.S. troops fighting a war in Europe.

“If [Vladimir] Putin takes over Ukraine, he’ll get Moldova, Georgia, then maybe the Baltics,” House Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) told The Messenger, after Austin and other senior Biden administration officials briefed House lawmakers on their request for more aid for Ukraine.

“And then the idea that we’ll have to put troops on the ground in Secretary Austin’s word was very likely,” McCaul added. “That’s what we’re trying to avoid.”

The Messenger reported that the warning “did little” to win over Republican skeptics, who oppose more aid to Ukraine without more accountability and transparency on how it will help Ukraine.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) told the outlet, “I don’t think we got the clarity that we’ve been requesting,” and that “It remains to be seen whether members are satisfied with the answers provided.” (Read more from “Defense Secretary Warns of ‘Very Likely’ U.S. Military Involvement in Europe if Aid to Ukraine Stalls” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

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‘Pointless’ for Ukraine to Have Peace Talks With Russia: U.S.

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Ukraine has nothing to gain from negotiations with Russia at this juncture, according to Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s team.

“We see no indication that Russia is willing to entertain substantive, real peace negotiations,” Assistant Secretary James O’Brien, who leads the State Department’s Europe bureau, said Monday. “And it would be pointless to have a discussion on Ukraine’s side. It’s not a dialogue; it’s a monologue of surrender.”

O’Brien offered that assessment as Blinken travels to Brussels for the first meeting of NATO foreign ministers since Ukraine’s top military commander declared that the war has settled into a “stalemate.” That acknowledgment coincided with intensified disputes in Washington about continued American aid to Ukraine, but NATO leaders have maintained a public posture of solid backing for the embattled Ukrainian nation.

“This year, they continue to inflict heavy losses on Russia,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Monday. “Ukraine has recaptured 50% of the territory that Russia seized. It has prevailed as a sovereign, independent nation. This is a big win for Ukraine.”

That applause belies the angst about Ukraine’s inability to break through Russian fortifications in eastern Ukraine, where Russian forces managed to seize a so-called land bridge linking the sovereign Russian territory to Crimea, the peninsula that Russian President Vladimir Putin annexed in 2014. Yet Ukraine retains the staunch support of at least some of NATO’s major powers. (Read more from “‘Pointless’ for Ukraine to Have Peace Talks With Russia: U.S.” HERE)

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NATO Reaffirms Commitment to Ukraine’s Membership; Report: Russia Offered to End War If Ukraine Dropped NATO Bid

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In a recent announcement, the Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), Jens Stoltenberg, reiterated the alliance’s unwavering support for Ukraine’s long-term membership, affirming that all NATO members agree on Ukraine eventually joining. However, Stoltenberg emphasized that this accession would occur post-war and only after significant reforms have been implemented.

Stoltenberg highlighted the forthcoming NATO-Ukraine Council meeting, where discussions would center on identifying and prioritizing key reforms necessary for Ukraine to meet the criteria for NATO membership. He cited recent support measures, such as the air defense coalition, substantial funding, and the inauguration of the F-16 training center in Romania for Ukrainian pilots, as demonstrations of NATO’s commitment to Ukraine’s security.

While underscoring NATO’s consensus on Ukraine’s eventual membership, Stoltenberg clarified that full accession would be contingent on Ukraine’s resolution of the ongoing conflict and the implementation of critical reforms. He emphasized the need for “full interoperability” between Ukrainian and NATO forces, based on NATO doctrines and training procedures.

Addressing concerns about admitting a nation currently at war, Stoltenberg stated, “All Allies agree that in the midst of a war full membership is not possible.” Nonetheless, he expressed the alliance’s commitment to exploring ways to bring Ukraine and NATO closer together during this challenging period.

This affirmation echoes previous statements, despite past criticism from within the alliance. Hungary’s Viktor Orban and Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz have expressed reservations, with Orban questioning the readiness of all NATO members to accept Ukraine and Scholz advocating caution until after the conflict, citing unmet criteria and conditions.

Despite these reservations, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asserted in September that Ukraine considers itself “a de facto member of NATO.” The cautious approach extends beyond NATO, with European leaders expressing a similar sentiment regarding Ukraine’s potential European Union membership, emphasizing the need for reforms and the resolution of internal challenges before formal action is taken.

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Russia Offered to End War if Ukraine Dropped NATO Bid: Kyiv Official

By Newsweek. Russia offered to end Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in the spring of 2022 if Ukraine agreed to drop its ambitions to join NATO, according to the head of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s political party, who was present at peace negotiations.

David Arakhamia, leader of the Ukrainian political party Servant of the People, revealed part of the purported deal during an interview with Ukrainian journalist Natalia Moseychuk on Friday. The Kyiv official previously led the Ukrainian delegation that held peace talks with senior Russian officials in the months following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Both sides of the war have laid out conditions for a ceasefire in the conflict in recent months, but many war analysts doubt neither Zelensky nor Russian President Vladimir Putin currently has a serious urge to end the 21-month-long fight.

According to Arakhamia, however, there was a drafted peace agreement between Ukrainian and Russian negotiators early in the war. Arakhamia said that Moscow pledged to end the fighting if Ukraine’s agreed to remain neutral and forego its bid to join NATO. (Read more from “Russia Offered to End War if Ukraine Dropped NATO Bid: Kyiv Official” HERE)

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Zelensky Aide on Corruption in Ukraine: ‘People Are Stealing Like There’s No Tomorrow’

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An advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the government has suffered “reputational damage” on the world stage for its sluggish efforts to battle corruption.

TIME senior correspondent Simon Shuster wrote about his experience following Zelenskyy and his team back to Ukraine after they visited the U.S. in September to appeal for aid, noting in Washington they had faced “insistent calls for Zelensky to fight corruption inside his own government, and the fading enthusiasm for a war with no end in sight.”

Shuster reported that similarly grim sentiment appears among the public as well, as those with the money available “sometimes bribe their way out of service” and that such cases “became so widespread by the end of the summer that on Aug. 11 Zelensky fired the heads of the draft offices in every region of the country.”

“The decision was intended to signal his commitment to fighting graft. But the move backfired, according to the senior military officer, as recruitment nearly ground to a halt without leadership,” Shuster wrote. “The fired officials also proved difficult to replace, in part because the reputation of the draft offices had been tainted.” (Read more from “Zelensky Aide on Corruption in Ukraine: ‘People Are Stealing Like There’s No Tomorrow’” HERE)

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Sec of State Blinken Dressed Son as Zelensky for Halloween (VIDEO)

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U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken dressed his four-year-old son as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for a White House Halloween party on Monday night.

“Biden gave the young ‘Zelensky,’ who wore a dark green sweatshirt, a box of M&Ms bearing the presidential seal — after asking Congress earlier this month to give another $61.4 billion for the real deal, on top of $113 billion already appropriated to help Kyiv resist Russia’s 20-month-old invasion,” noted the New York Post.

Blinken’s daughter also wore a Ukrainian flag outfit.

Antony Blinken’s grandfather, Moritz Blinken, was born in Ukraine, which was then part of the Russian empire in 1900. He immigrated to the United States with his family at the age of four. (Read more from “Sec of State Blinken Dressed Son as Zelensky for Halloween (VIDEO)” HERE)

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FBI Headquarters Stonewalled Investigative Activity on Hunter Biden, Former Prosecutor Testifies

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The FBI used administrative maneuvers to stonewall investigative activity surrounding Ukraine and Hunter Biden’s ties to Ukrainian energy firm Burisma Holdings, former U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania Scott Brady testified to the House Judiciary Committee.

FBI headquarters allegedly micromanaged the investigative process to slow-walk Brady’s attempt at vetting information related to corruption in Ukraine and Hunter Biden’s business relationship with Burisma, resulting in significant delays to vetting activity assigned to Brady by then-Attorney General Bill Barr, according to a transcript of his testimony reviewed by the Daily Caller.

“I think there was reluctance on the part of the FBI to really do any tasking related to our assignment from DAG Rosen and looking into allegations of Ukrainian corruption broadly and then specifically anything that intersected with Hunter Biden and his role in Burisma. It was very challenging,” Brady stated. (Read more from “FBI Headquarters Stonewalled Investigative Activity on Hunter Biden, Former Prosecutor Testifies” HERE)

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Elon Musk Had Some Chilling Thoughts About the Potential of WWIII

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Afew days ago, Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, and David Sacks joined together for a phone conference to discuss the Israel-Hamas and Russia-Ukraine conflicts.

Musk, as usual, had some profound insight.

“In theory, it should be easy to avoid World War III because no one wants it,” said Sacks.

“I think we are sleepwalking our way into World War III with one foolish decision after another,” Musk responded. “I mean, what is the track record here? It’s not good.”

(Read more from “Elon Musk Had Some Chilling Thoughts About the Potential of WWIII” HERE)

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‘It Is Shameful’: Attorney Tells Tucker He’s ‘Shocked’ U.S. Leaders Are Silent on Treatment of Christians in Ukraine (VIDEO)

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Daily Caller co-founder Tucker Carlson and attorney Bob Amsterdam criticized U.S. leaders during Thursday’s “Tucker on Twitter” for backing Ukraine as the country reportedly arrests church clergy deemed a threat to the government.

The Ukrainian government has reportedly cracked down on Ukrainian Orthodox Church clergy still aligned with the Russian Orthodox Church. Authorities allege that the church clergy has shared intelligence with Moscow to aid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, undermining national security.

Carlson said neoconservatives have allowed for the attack of Christians across the globe for decades, along with President Joe Biden, who has continued supporting a country that carries out the arrest of clergy.

“The Ukrainian government has now banned an entire Christian denomination, and virtually no one in the United States has said anything about it,” Carlson said in his monologue.

(Read more from “‘It Is Shameful’: Attorney Tells Tucker He’s ‘Shocked’ U.S. Leaders Are Silent on Treatment of Christians in Ukraine (VIDEO)” HERE)

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr

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