Reading Tea Leaves
Squinting To See,
It is obviously hard to read the Trump-tea-leaves, but who isn't trying? I don't know what he meant by the blue suit, but he stood out in it, and negotiated a front row seat, after berating Biden for getting a distant seat at Queen Elizabeth's funeral. He knows what's expected, and what is minimally accepted, too. The blue suit probably signaled something to somebody, but not to us.
The photo-shoot with Zelensky alone, huddled close in a big rotunda in the Vatican, was obviously meant to convey serious communication, with Trump in the dominant role. There is video of that area just before that picture was set up, with Macron having a chair, but Trump telling him no, and Macron's chair being removed. Zelensky met with Macron shortly after meeting with Trump, and they had all met with Starmer before that picture of the 15 minute talk.
Witkoff had just had another long meeting with Putin, about peace negotiations to end the Ukraine war. Moscow needs the whole global security framework changed to reflect Russia's security needs, rather than posing Russia as the enemy that holds NATO together. Part of that is recognition of Crimea as part of Russia, which is a fait accompli, including a vote of the Crimean people with 83% turnout and 97% in favor of rejoining Russia in 2014.
To change NATO's stance on this, to accept it as legal, is to change the NATO reason-for-being, which is "to protect everybody from Russia". After negotiating details, the four oblasts that voted to join Russia would also be covered by this precedent, after negotiating borders, which are different from the line of control at the moment.
The whole Ukraine operation, to install a puppet government in 2014, to attack Russian oblasts, so that Russia could be painted as an aggressor when fighting back for ethnic Russians, and to hopefully break the Russian economy, and political system, was intended to hold Europe together and to strip Russia of natural resources assets, like in the good old 1990s.
European banking/finance is in a particularly over-leveraged and probably insolvent position, especially since Russian and Ukrainian assets will have to be written-down/off when peace is declared. The Eurocrats serve the financial class, of course. They are grasping at straws, particularly without the US military, which is distancing itself from this conflict.
What about the deep-state which joins the US/UK/5-Eyes/etc? They are linked to global finance, and are mostly managing the western military forces and money in Ukraine, but neither the extended-deep-state nor the elected officials are completely in control of forces and finances. At what point are ongoing losses better cut by accepting Trump's deals, or trying again to kill him off? It's now, isn't it? Things are moving fast.
What Trump is doing is trying to make individual deals with each player, while grabbing cash-flow wherever he can see that it exists, to buy off "interests". It's ugly and it is theft, but even the "newspapers of record" are saying that it is worse not to take Trump's ugly deal.
Zelensky will die if he is not whisked away, and Zelensky is not even legitimate to sign a treaty. Any Ukrainian official who signs such a deal needs to fly to Florida promptly thereafter. That is a necessary part of the deal. One would think that Trump talked privately to Zelensky about exactly that, without Macron.
Who might be the next "President" of Ukraine? There are several political figures who are moderately popular, and would face new realities constructively.
What did Witkoff negotiate with Iran after his talk with Putin, who set up the diplomacy with Iran? Nobody could say, but "constructive", "positive", hopeful", etc. The devil is in those details, highly technical; lots of specialists are working the problems, meeting again next week...
Genocide? Trump publicly asks Israel to be nice to the starving people, while semi-privately saying it is ok to starve them, and bomb the food warehouses and hospitals.
Crimea will stay with Russia – Trump
The US president has claimed that even Zelensky understands the peninsula will remain under Moscow’s control in a final settlement https://swentr.site/news/616277-crimea-stay-russia-trump/
Sundance, President Trump hosted Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre in the Oval Office and took questions from reporters on Thursday. The majority of the question from both the U.S. and Norwegian media encompass the current effort to negotiate a ceasefire in Ukraine. One of the ceasefire ‘sticking points’ per se’, is that immediately following the breakout of the conflict the government of President Zelenskyy changed many of their constitutional rules to include the legal elimination of opposition parties in the country, removal of religion or faith-based social influence that runs counter to the Ukrainian Nazi mindset, the cessation of elections in Ukraine, and other “emergency measures” intended to assist the stability of Zelenskyy’s government as they entered a war footing.
The results of the legal changes and constitutional framework, which included non-recognition of any lost territory, is now being leveraged by Zelenskyy in negotiations for a ceasefire. President Zelenskyy is now saying the ceasefire terms proposed, which include accepting regional losses of geography to Russia, are not constitutionally possible and he has no power to agree to them.
In essence, Zelenskyy’s emergency government changed the constitutional power of the President, cemented a new constitutional status during war, and now says those previous changes make it impossible to accept proposed terms. This self-fulfilling creation, intentionally done with forethought for exactly this kind of current scenario, is the baseline for frustration toward the Ukraine position. President Trump notes this Ukraine position is frustrating, while thousands die weekly in the process. https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2025/04/25/meeting-with-norwegian-pm-jonas-store-in-white-house-president-trump-delivers-remarks-on-ukraine-russia-conflict/
On Friday: Zelensky contradicts Trump on deal with Russia The US president has said Kiev and Moscow have agreed to “most” points of his peace proposal and are ready to “finish it off” “Our position is unchanged: only the Ukrainian people have the right to decide which territories are Ukrainian,” Zelensky told reporters in Kiev, arguing that “the constitution of Ukraine says that all the temporarily occupied territories... belong to Ukraine.”
Zelensky went on to claim that his “vision” of a resolution includes more “sanctions, economic and diplomatic pressure” on Moscow – even as Washington’s peace framework reportedly includes a phased removal of the sanctions. https://swentr.site/news/616339-trump-finish-off-ukraine-talks/
Putin is free to negotiate practicalities, but Zelensky will die if he does. Putin reaffirms readiness for unconditional talks with Ukraine – Kremlin The issue was discussed during the Russian president’s latest meeting with US special envoy Steve Witkoff, Dmitry Peskov has said https://swentr.site/russia/616361-putin-talks-ukraine-witkoff/
Sundance, The Awakening – Look Carefully at This Picture I want you to look carefully at this picture; think about it and elevate yourself to understand exactly what this picture represents in the biggest framework of our ongoing discussion. The image origin: “Photographs released by the Ukrainian presidency showed the two leaders huddled in close discussion without aides in the ornate surroundings of St. Peter’s Basilica.”... ..When it comes from CNN, it’s coming from the PR firm of the State Dept., and who controls the State Dept, the CIA... ..The conflict in Ukraine exists because western intelligence services are controlling it. The reality is this “war” is not the Russian government -vs- the governments of various western nations in support of Ukraine. The true conflict is the western intelligence community vs the Russian government.
Vladimir Putin does not hate Americans. The Russian President hates the CIA.
When envoy Steve Witkoff is representing President Trump in his discussions with Vladimir Putin, Witkoff and Trump represent the government. However, the government is not the real control agent and Putin together with Trump/Witkoff know this.
Vladimir Putin and Donald J Trump are mutually aligned entities in a fight against western intelligence services. That’s the core understanding that must be at the forefront of any review or intellectually honest analysis of what is taking place.
The vulnerability within the position of the Western Intel Services, is that they must hide this reality. The IC must retain the illusion that government is in control of geopolitical events, because if that control mask is dropped everything changes. And I do mean EVERYTHING.
Everything that was irreconcilable suddenly starts to make sense when you accept that government is not in control, the government does not have the power. The intelligence services control government and the intel agencies are currently the source of geopolitical power. The politicians are the illusion of representative democracy that must be retained... ..There are corporations and financial systems that intersect with the politicians; and those politicians are controlled by the Intelligence Community. That is the very essential baseline for The Great Awakening!! https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2025/04/26/the-awakening-look-carefully-at-this-picture/
The first 2 minutes contain the Vatican meeting news and video of Trump pulling Macron away and explaining that he was not part of the discussion. Russian Forces Advance in Sumy Region: Chasiv Yar on the Brink of Collapse: MilitarySummary 2025.4.27
Gilbert Doctorow does an interview with better video of the table and 3 chairs at the Vatican being quickly swapped for 2 chairs close together, as Trump explained to Macron his lack of welcome. NewsX World (India): Trump and Zelensky meet during Pope's funeral
Yesterday afternoon's interview with NewsX focused on the fake news coming from Kiev: that Zelensky's 15 minutes chat with Donald Trump in Rome signified a change in relations with the American President, who allegedly now is favoring Ukraine over Russia in any peace settlement.
As they say, Zelensky was putting lipstick on a pig. They fail to mention that a second meeting with Trump after the funeral was refused by the White House: They fail to compare the 15 minutes Zelensky was accorded with the 3 hours that Trump's personal emissary Steve Witkoff spent with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow the day before, on Friday.
Notice that his wording implies the presence of manpower and political-will: Zelensky admits Ukraine can’t reclaim Crimea by force On Friday, Interfax-Ukraine quoted Zelensky as saying that “it’s true what President Trump says… that Ukraine does not have enough weapons to regain control of the Crimean Peninsula by force.” https://swentr.site/russia/616393-zelensky-ukraine-cant-retake-crimea-militarily/
Living paycheck-to-paycheck: ‘Calmer’ Zelensky requested ‘more weapons’ in Vatican – Trump The US president believes Kiev is closer to reaching a deal with Moscow than before https://swentr.site/news/616410-trump-zelensky-vatican-calmer-weapons/
Alex Krainer, Europe at the precipice Failure of London "peace" talks on Wednesday will ultimately precipitate a financial crash in Europe and Britain, catalyzing an explosion of inflation and an economic depression. As I detailed in last month's report on Ukraine's rare earths hustle, the American role in Ukraine was essential to protect European interests in Ukraine. On 16 January this year, Sir Keir Starmer flew into Kiev and signed a 100-year partnership with Kiev. In consideration of British support, including with GBP 3 billion a year (for as long as necessary), Zelensky signed over the bulk of Ukraine's resources and infrastructure capital to British interests...
Britain's loot in Ukraine would serve as fresh collateral to shore up Britain's collateral-starved financial system. For his part, French President Emmanuel Macron dreamed up a scheme about using Russia's frozen assets as collateral for French banks to fund the reconstruction of Ukraine. But as Boris Johnson explained, without the US security guarantee, "not a penny can flow from this investment." Starmer confirmed that "US backstop is vital."
Well, US backstop is now off the table and both Britain and France, the core of Europe's "coalition of the willing," had to back away from their cunning plan of deploying their own tripwire peace-keeping troops to Ukraine, cementing its defeat against Russia. This makes it all but inevitable that the terms of peace will be dictated by the Kremlin... ..Moscow will return Ukraine back into its orbit and we can expect that the future government in Kiev will realigned with Russia. The role of Western interests will be severely curtailed or they will be kicked out altogether, and whatever deals were signed by Sir Kier and agent Zelensky will be torn up and declared null and void. In the end, not a penny of their "investments" in Ukraine will flow to London or to Paris... ..It was extremely optimistic for the Starmer-Johnson cabal to think that they could pull that swindle past Donald Trump, of all people. As Marco Rubio explained, "President Trump isn't going to take that. He's not going to get gamed. He hopes Zelensky isn't trying to hustle the United States, that's not going to be productive here." Of course, everybody and their dogs by now appreciate that Zelensky gets his detailed instructions from London... ..The United States will be able to recoup some of her investment in Project Ukraine through new deals with Russia, but only on mutually beneficial terms. However, it is obvious that this is a much more attractive alternative for the United States: given Russia's massive resource wealth, the upside will be very considerable, with next to no downside risk. On the other hand, providing a security backstop for the European powers would come with a massive downside and with a very dubious upside potential.... ..Absent a miracle, Ukraine is headed for total defeat and London and Paris for bankruptcy. At some point, the capital markets will recognize this for what it is and British and European bonds markets will collapse, along with their currencies.
Martin Armstrong, Canada to merge with EU against US under Carney https://www.armstrongeconomics.com/international-news/canada/canada-to-merge-with-eu-against-us-under-carney/
Martin Armstrong, Carney’s Globalist Agenda will Destory Canada https://www.armstrongeconomics.com/international-news/canada/carneys-globalist-agenda-will-destory-canada/
After Witkoff negotiated with Putin and Trump talked privately to Zelensky, Trump showboats for Zelensky: Trump threatens Russia with more sanctions The US president has accused Moscow of “shooting missiles” into Ukraine for “no reason” over the past few days US President Donald Trump has accused his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin of launching attacks on Ukrainian “civilian areas” for “no reason” and not wanting to “stop the war,” and threatened Moscow with new sanctions. https://swentr.site/russia/616370-trump-threatens-russia-sanctions/
John Helmer, THE COMEDY OF THE THREE CHAIRS – TRUMP THE PEACEMAKER AT THE VATICAN ISN’T SURE WHAT TO DO NEXT In his display, Trump was signaling a tilt against Putin in words and threats, in person, a tilt towards Zelensky. Trump’s combination is a signal that he is unsure what terms Putin has agreed to – and that the report Trump had received from Steven Witkoff after his Friday meeting at the Kremlin was either unclear or unacceptable.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had warned the Americans not to jump to conclusions in his interview on CBS’s “Face the Nation” on April 24.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Will Russia continue targeting Kyiv despite President Trump saying, ‘Vladimir, STOP!’
MINISTER LAVROV: You’re not listening to me. We will continue to target the sites used by the military of Ukraine, by some mercenaries from foreign countries and by instructors whom the Europeans officially sent to help target Russian civilian sites.”
In the extended 44-minute interview which CBS delayed for release until April 27, Lavrov repeatedly said there has been no Russian agreement yet on the points presented in the US term sheet delivered by Witkoff to Macron, Starmer and Zelensky, and then to Putin. https://johnhelmer.net/the-comedy-of-the-three-chairs-trump-the-peacemaker-at-the-vatican-isnt-sure-what-to-do-next/#more-91483
Trump pressures Zelensky to bust Starmer. What's the end-deal for Zelensky? Trump demands Kiev sign minerals deal ‘immediately’ A formal agreement should have been sealed three weeks ago, the US president has said https://swentr.site/news/616344-trump-ukraine-minerals-immediately/
What extrication arrangements can Trump offer? Ukrainian Army Commander Openly Threatens Zelensky: Will 'Regret' Ceding Territory While the common Ukrainian populace is likely more willing to find compromise for the sake of peace, there are still Azov militants and their associates running the show in many places - and their position remains that no compromise whatsoever should be made and the fight must continue, even as Ukrainian forces are being beaten back. https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/ukrainian-army-commander-openly-threats-zelensky-will-regret-ceding-territory
John Helmer, RUSSIA IS READY FOR A BAD DEAL WITH TRUMP FOR GOOD RUSSIAN REASONS The Russian source who has long been in a position to know explains there are good reasons for Russian strategy to take a pause. “At this point in time, we have no reason to want to fight a US president who says he doesn’t want to fight Russians. We also know he can’t lift the sanctions legally without Congress. But he can use his executive orders to stop enforcement, and that’s a break we can use to our advantage, as well to the benefit of the Chinese and Indians. We understand a bigger war is coming. The military needs two to three years of preparations, improvements, reorganization. Also, Putin needs to prove he has tried peace with the Americans, and they can’t be trusted. Russians have no illusions about the stability of US politics. This is a deal that is as stable as Trump’s mind.” https://johnhelmer.net/russia-is-ready-for-a-bad-deal-with-trump-for-good-russian-reasons/#more-91472
Or not... Moon of Alabama, Russia Rejects Trump's Freeze Of The War In Ukraine The details of the ceasefire negotiations between the U.S., Europe and Ukraine continue to make headlines despite being largely irrelevant for an end of the conflict in Ukraine.
In an interview with Brazilian paper O Globo (in Portuguese) Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov again repeated the Russian demands for peace in Ukraine.
It requires:
an end of Ukraine's ban on negotiations with Russia,
for Ukraine to go back to the status of a neutral and non-aligned country in accordance with the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine in the 1990's,
an end of the policies of legally and physically destroy everything Russian: the language, media, culture, traditions, and Russian orthodoxy
the international recognition of Russia's ownership of Crimea, the DPR, LPR and the Kherson and Zaporizhia regions.
There must also be measures to legally fix those positions, to make them permanent and to have enforcement mechanisms.
Also required is, says Lavrov, (edited machine translation):
.. a schedule for the task of de-and desnazifiction in Ukraine, and the lifting of the sanctions, actions, lawsuits and arrest warrants, and the transfer of assets to Russia which are 'frozen' in the West. Also, we will look for reliable warranties for the security of the Russian Federation.....It is funny how Russia has managed to hand the tar-baby of blocking a ceasefire to the (former) Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenski.
Despite U.S. pressure for a fast deal Russia does not expect any quick resolution of the conflict. It just announced a new unilateral ceasefire from May 8 to May 10, i.e. around the 80th anniversary of its victory in World War II on May 9.
It is another public sign that Russia is willing to adhere to a ceasefire agreement IF the conditions are right...
..The U.S. has been and continues to be the main party of the war with Russia while Ukraine is the mere proxy force that does the bleeding. https://www.moonofalabama.org/2025/04/russia-continues-to-reject-trumps-attempt-to-freeze-the-war-in-ukraine.html#more
Klitschko has long been popular in Ukraine, but "Yats" got the nod in 2014: Kyiv mayor suggests Ukraine may temporarily cede territory to achieve peace Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko indicated in a recent interview with the BBC that Ukraine might be compelled to temporarily retreat from certain territories occupied by Russia to secure a ceasefire, marking the first public acknowledgment by a prominent Ukrainian leader of possible territorial concessions.
His comments come amid mounting international pressure, particularly from the United States, to reach a peace agreement between Moscow and Kyiv.
Klitschko stated, “A number of discussions are currently underway about possible solutions. One of the scenarios is the surrender of part of the territory. It’s not fair. But for peace — temporary peace — it could perhaps be the way.” He emphasized, however, that Ukrainians would never accept Russian occupation as a permanent reality. https://rmx.news/article/kyiv-mayor-suggests-ukraine-may-temporarily-cede-territory-to-achieve-peace/
Georgescu for assassination or Presidency: Cancelation of Romania’s presidential election overturned – media An appeals court in Romania has suspended the Constitutional Court’s decision to annul the results of the first round of last year’s presidential election, which was won unexpectedly by independent candidate Calin Georgescu, local media outlets reported on Thursday.
Georgescu, a vocal NATO critic and opponent of arming Ukraine, made the headlines in November 2024 after securing 23% of the vote in the first round of the election. The Constitutional Court later invalidated the results. https://swentr.site/news/616239-romania-georgescu-annulment-overturned/
Iran says ‘extremely cautious’ on success of nuclear talks with U.S. “The negotiations are extremely serious and technical ... there are still differences, both on major issues and on details,” Iran’s foreign minister said.
U.S. President Donald Trump has signaled confidence in clinching a new pact with the Islamic Republic that would block Tehran’s path to a nuclear bomb... ..U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said this week Iran would have to entirely stop enriching uranium under a deal, and import any enriched uranium it needed to fuel its sole functioning atomic energy plant, Bushehr.
Tehran is willing to negotiate some curbs on its nuclear work in return for the lifting of sanctions, according to Iranian officials, but ending its enrichment program or surrendering its enriched uranium stockpile are among “Iran’s red lines that could not be compromised” in the talks.
Moreover, European states have suggested to U.S. negotiators that a comprehensive deal should include limits preventing Iran from acquiring or finalizing the capacity to put a nuclear warhead on a ballistic missile, several European diplomats said. Tehran insists its defense capabilities like its missile program are not negotiable. https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/27/iran-says-extremely-cautious-on-success-of-nuclear-talks-with-us-.html
MK Bhadrakumar judges Trump's global diplomacy to be ice-breaking, and welcomed overall, despite it's coarse demeanor. Trump’s diplomacy gains traction, silences sceptics In all three cases — Ukraine, Iran and China — Trump is also looking for generating business opportunities for the US economy. In fact, Russia and Iran have already voiced at the highest level of leadership their interest and openness to developing mutually beneficial economic partnerships with the US if only their relations are normalised. Indeed, China can’t be far behind, either, once the dust settles down.
The most profound outcome of Trump’s diplomatic odyssey could be its impact on the global situation. While it is too early to speak of a ‘butterfly effect’, eventually, such a phenomenon is to be expected. Arguably, Trump’s intervention must be a welcome thing. There should be no false pride over third party mediation when protagonists are patently unable to settle their longstanding differences and resultant tensions threaten international security.
If Putin can see the reasonableness of Trump’s mediation, can Modi be far behind? In the 21st century, it is unrealistic to try to impose solutions unilaterally. Conversely, if the ‘lone superpower’ and an ancient ‘civilisation power’ can show the humility to take the mediation of a small country like Oman, it only underscores their self-confidence and order of priorities.
The negotiations over Ukraine and Iran nuclear issue testify to the correctness of Modi’s prophecy that ours is not an era of wars. https://www.indianpunchline.com/trumps-diplomacy-gains-traction-silences-sceptics/
Pakistan's Defense Chief Warns Military Incursion By India Is 'Imminent' https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/pakistans-defense-chief-warns-military-incursion-india-imminent
Caitlin Johnstone, Zionism Is The Single Greatest Threat To Free Speech In The Western World Today
A serious televised debate: Israelis Debate 'Whether Newborn Babies in Gaza Are Innocent or Should be Killed' Berkovic argued that there are no innocents in Gaza because "everyone is a terrorist."
Ya'alon said the IDF should not be sent into Gaza "with the purpose to kill everyone" https://www.informationliberation.com/?id=64915
4-year-old Saba and Sana killed shortly after going to bed in Gaza City
Palestinian girls Saba and Sana kissed their parents goodnight and went to bed in Gaza City. In just moments, an Israeli missile cut their lives short at the young age of 4.
“The strike hit the house at 1 am,” a relative who declined to give her name told Anadolu.
“The girls screamed for their father for help before breathing their last.” https://www.yenisafak.com/en/news/israeli-strike-kills-palestinian-twin-sisters-asleep-in-bed-3701355
Israel kills Palestinian family of 5 in southern Gaza The victims were members of the Abu Taima family: a couple and their three children aged eight, six, and four.
The family had been sheltering in the tent after being forcibly displaced from their home in eastern Khan Younis by ongoing Israeli attacks.
Medical personnel confirmed the deaths and said the remains of the victims were retrieved from the rubble at dawn. https://www.yenisafak.com/en/news/israel-kills-palestinian-family-of-5-in-southern-gaza-3701390
Israel inflicts ‘man-made starvation’ on Gaza as attacks kill 45 https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2025/4/26/live-israel-inflicts-manmade-starvation-on-gaza-as-new-attacks-kill-45
Gaza government warns of imminent mass deaths due to Israel's blockade; urges immediate humanitarian corridor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20250425-gaza-government-warns-of-imminent-mass-deaths-due-to-israels-blockade-urges-immediate-humanitarian-corridor/
![A Palestinian child named Osama El Rakab struggles for his life at Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, located in the southern part of Gaza, due to malnutrition-related body weakness on April 24, 2025 [Doaa Albaz/Anadolu Agency]](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1e1L!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F96fdb2d8-da79-433d-8f3d-e7daf4e85946_1200x800.jpeg "A Palestinian child named Osama El Rakab struggles for his life at Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, located in the southern part of Gaza, due to malnutrition-related body weakness on April 24, 2025 [Doaa Albaz/Anadolu Agency]")
UN Food Agency Says Its Food Stocks in Gaza Have Run out under Israel’s Blockade https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20250425-gaza-government-warns-of-imminent-mass-deaths-due-to-israels-blockade-urges-immediate-humanitarian-corridor/
The Israeli government deliberately misrepresented the nature of a tunnel in Gaza's Philadelphi Corridor to derail a hostage deal with Hamas, according to a former Israeli defense minister in an interview aired by an Israeli public television network. While two soldiers who claim to have seen the tunnel say he's wrong, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have not yet issued a public denial.
The alleged deception happened last August, amid massive protests by Israeli citizens pressing the Israeli government to make a deal to secure the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas. https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/israel-faked-gaza-tunnel-photo-delay-hostage-deal-former-defense-minister
Demand everything; win free stuff: Trump demands free passage via Suez Canal American warships and commercial vessels should not have to pay for traversing crucial waterways, the US president claims https://swentr.site/news/616379-trump-suez-panama-canal/
US Has Launched 750 Airstrikes on Yemen Since March 15 https://news.antiwar.com/2025/04/24/us-has-launched-750-airstrikes-on-yemen-since-march-15/
US Loses Seven MQ-9 Reaper UAVs Over Yemen in Month and a Half https://en.topcor.ru/59203-ssha-za-poltora-mesjaca-poterjali-sem-bpla-mq-9-reaper-v-nebe-nad-jemenom.html
A Houthi-controlled ministry said on Monday that a U.S. airstrike killed at least 68 Africans at a migrant detention center in northern Yemen. https://www.zerohedge.com/military/houthis-claim-us-airstrike-killed-68-africans-migrant-detention-center
George Galloway Interviews Daoud Kuttab: Not A Single Foreign Journalist Has Been Allowed Into Gaza https://rumble.com/v6sk101-george-galloway-interviews-daoud-kuttab-not-a-single-foreign-journalist-has.html?mref=wrdkl&mc=7vj9z
'Jews will kill Jews': Israel's top politicos warn of impending civil war
Netanyahu’s war is not just on Gaza, the occupied West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Iran, Iraq – it is on Israel's own institutions, opposition parties, and the last shreds of internal dissent. Now, the occupation state's most senior political veterans are warning of a full-on Civil War. “Slowly and quietly,” warned another former prime minister, Ehud Barak, “Netanyahu is leading Israel to the point of no return. The point of democratic collapse will come without us being able to predict it in advance – and at a point when we can no longer stop it.”
Opposition leader and former PM Yair Lapid is now warning of political assassinations inside Israel. Last week, he warned ominously:
“I now want to issue a warning based on unequivocal intelligence information: We are on the way to another disaster. This time it will come from within. The levels of incitement and madness are unprecedented. There will be political murder here. Jews will kill Jews,”
Meanwhile, around 100,000 Israeli reservists are refusing to show up for duty. The broader public mood reflects deep unease – according to Maariv, 60 percent of Israelis now believe civil war is a real danger. https://thecradle.co/articles/jews-will-kill-jews-israels-top-politicos-warn-of-impending-civil-war
F-35s can carry those massive bunker buster bombs: Israel receives 3 more F-35 fighter jets, boosting fleet to 45 https://www.yenisafak.com/en/news/israel-receives-3-more-f-35-fighter-jets-boosting-fleet-to-45-3701403
US War Games Simulate ‘Full-Scale Battle’ With China in Philippines A total of 17,000 troops from 20 countries participated in the drills, dubbed Balikatan 2025, including 9,000 American soldiers and 5,000 Filipino servicemen. US Marine Corps Forces Pacific commander Lt. Gen. James Glynn said this year’s drills “will showcase a full battle test, the purposeful integration of real world security situations relevant to the region with live, virtual and constructive training opportunities that will give the Philippines and the US a collective opportunity to demonstrate capabilities across all domains, across all services and all forces.”
A statement from the Philippine military likewise said that the exercises would simulate a “full-scale battle scenario.”
Many nations sent observers to the Philippines for the drills. For the first time, Japanese soldiers were full participants in the war games. https://libertarianinstitute.org/news/us-war-games-simulate-full-scale-battle-with-china-in-philippines/
China Seizes Disputed Reef In South China Sea, Next To Key Philippines Military Base https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/china-seizes-disputed-reef-south-china-sea-next-key-philippines-military-base
Caitlin Johnstone discounts Chinese ambition more than I do: It's Always About The System The main reason more people don’t just go all in with opposing the US empire and rejecting all its propaganda about enemy states is because they can’t handle working through the heavy cognitive dissonance which comes with recognizing that everything you’ve been taught is a lie. Most people recognize to some extent that the US and its allies do bad things, but those who take it all the way into a clear understanding that this power structure is responsible for most of our world’s ills are a small minority in the west. Even the relatively awake ones will try to cling on to this or that imperial propaganda narrative about nations like China, North Korea, Iran and/or Russia.
Meryl Nass MD presents, Read Between the Lies: A Pattern Recognition Guide Once you recognize this pattern of deception, two questions should immediately arise whenever major stories dominate headlines...The pattern of coordinated deception becomes unmistakable. BROWNSTONE INSTITUTE AND JOSHUA STYLMAN This isn’t a movement in the traditional sense—it can’t be, since traditional movement structures are vulnerable to infiltration, subversion, and capture. Instead, it’s more like a spontaneous emergence of pattern recognition. A distributed awakening without central leadership or formal organization. Those who see through the patterns recognize the mass formation for what it is, while its subjects project their own programming onto others, dismissing pattern recognition as “conspiracy theories,” “anti-science,” or other reflexive labels designed to prevent genuine examination.
The hardest truth isn’t recognizing the programming—it’s confronting what it means for human consciousness and society itself. We’re watching real-time evidence that most human minds can be captured and redirected through sophisticated psychological operations. Their thoughts aren’t their own, yet they’d die defending what they’ve been programmed to believe.
This isn’t just media criticism anymore—it’s an existential question about human consciousness and free will. What does it mean when a species’ capacity for independent thought can be so thoroughly hijacked? When natural empathy and moral instincts become weapons of control?
Thanks Eleni, Virginia Giuffre: Another Casualty of the State; Used, abused, and discarded Virginia Giuffre died yesterday. They say she committed suicide. They say that about a lot of whistleblowers and inconvenient witnesses. Giuffre was perhaps the most high profile victim of Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking ring. Prince Andrew was among those she was trafficked to. She was a brave person who is hopefully at peace... ..In a haunting December 10, 2019 tweet, Virginia had emphatically declared, “I am making it publicly known that in no way, shape, or form am I suicidal. I have made this known to my therapist and GP- if something happens to me for the sake of my family do not let this go away and help me to protect them. Too many people want to see me quieted.” Feisty Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene took to Twitter on April 25, 2025, declaring, “Jeffrey Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre has died by ‘suicide.’
Celia Farber on the "German Assange": Reiner Fuellmich Sentenced To 3 Years and 9 Months Minus 13 Months For Time Served Facing An Addition 2 Years and 8 Months in Prison
Dr. Joseph Sansone, I Am Going To War! Will You Join Me? 50 Different State Versions of the 'Sansone mRNA Bioweapons Prohibition Act'. Get a State Legislator to Introduce This In Your State!
"Truth is a Lion": Meryl Nass MD, According to Politico, RFK is being given a wide berth to work on health, encroaching on other agencies, as his supporters are critical for a midterm win. It’s a high-profile approach that the White House has encouraged, pointing to polling showing he’s among the most popular Cabinet officials and betting that his MAHA agenda will resonate with a wide cross-section of voters who emerged from the Covid-19 pandemic distrustful of government health experts and receptive to Kennedy’s emphasis on chronic disease.
“Everyone sees a need to deliver for those MAHA voters, because it’s a new coalition,” said a White House official, who noted that Kennedy’s supporters skew younger and more female than the traditional Republican base. “You could actually close the gender gap and maintain the margins Trump got with young people.”
Not convincing, otherwise; these injections kill some children: RFK Jr. Wants CDC to Stop Recommending COVID Shots for Kids, Inside Sources Say According to the two people who spoke to Politico on condition of anonymity, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has advocated internally to have the CDC stop recommending COVID-19 vaccines for children, arguing there is little scientific evidence that the shot provides a benefit to babies and young children. https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/rfk-jr-wants-cdc-stop-recommending-covid-shots-kids/
I'll take "Brain injury from aluminum adjuvant in required vaccines" for $100, Alex: Public Health Watch: Can the Cause of Autism Be Found? https://aapsonline.org/public-health-watch-can-the-cause-of-autism-be-found/
These don't help: Eight Petrochemical Food Dyes Banned: Most Frequently Used Red 40, Yellow 5 and 6, will be Gone
Conditions treated were not specified: Emergency Room Visits Surge 20% Among mRNA Vaccinated Teens, Study Finds
Higher rates of emergency room and doctor visits were observed among 105,726 Pfizer mRNA vaccinated 12–18-year-olds compared to unvaccinated controls — lasting for at least 6 months after injection.
Detailed analysis of very unusual patterns: Did Someone Call The COMEX Bluff? The data continues to show that there is a lot of movement going on behind the scenes in the gold market. The price of gold has reflected this, hitting new all-time highs multiple times in April before seeing some profit taking. This is not your ordinary gold market. The market is under pressure and there are a lot of people fighting over limited supply of physical gold. The tariff exclusion did not seem to slow the demand of physical.
It may take several more months for all this to play out, but one thing is for sure… the fireworks are not slowing. The Comex data is sending up loud signals. Physical gold is in demand. https://www.zerohedge.com/precious-metals/did-someone-call-comex-bluff
Facilitating the reversion to an international Gold-Standard? “Biggest Ever, Believe Me”: Trump Declares Discovery of World’s Largest Gold Mine a Multi-Billion Dollar Shock to Global Economy In an unprecedented geological find, China has unveiled a colossal gold deposit that could reshape the global economy, ignite geopolitical tensions, and challenge existing environmental norms. https://www.sustainability-times.com/environmental-protection/biggest-ever-believe-me-trump-declares-discovery-of-worlds-largest-gold-mine-a-multi-billion-dollar-shock-to-global-economy/
Grid-current-inducing space weather shuts down trains, non-cash transactions, and refrigerators: "Rare Atmospheric Phenomenon" Sparks Largest Blackout On Record In Spain, Portugal Portugal's grid operator, REN (Rede Eléctrica Nacional), claimed that the massive power outage affecting Portugal and Spain was sparked by a "rare atmospheric phenomenon," specifically "extreme temperature variations" in the Spanish electricity grid.
British media outlet LBC News provided more color on REN's claim:
Due to these variations in the interior or Spain, there were "anomalous oscillations in the very high voltage lines (400 KV), which is a phenomenon known as 'induced atmospheric vibration'". https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/spain-hit-massive-really-massive-power-blackout
"More than a feeling":The Reality Glitch: People Are Waking Up in the Wrong Timeline
From Physicist, Anastassia Makarieva's Biotic Pump blog: Bringing back the Rains to Southern Africa — guest post by Bruce Danckwerts Mr. Bruce Danckwerts from Zambia reports on his efforts to provide local farmers with relevant ecological and climatological information, and to catalyze the recovery of a rain-competent tree cover
Trying to Grow Trees (pictured with Mexican-avocado seedling that keeps regrowing from roots after hard winter freezes)
Thank you for pointing me to the video, "The Reality Glitch: People Are Waking Up in the Wrong Timeline" (15:24) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQhLnKrHqE8
How does one "stick", if one can choose one's preferred timeline, as Yehuda Berg suggests be possible? Would doing so consign some other "me" into a timeline at least "I" consider inferior?
It was requested those attending Pope Frankie's funeral wear black suits.
President trump complied by wearing a blue-shade-of-black suit...