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Trump’s World Had Become Safer... What About Ours? Trump has claimed the world is “richer, safer and much more peaceful than it was just one year ago” as he hosted a launch event for his “board of peace” initiative at the World Economic Forum in Davos. At a signing ceremony for the new organisation, the US president said it would be “one of the most consequential bodies ever created in the history of the world”. US and Palestinian officials also used the ceremony to lay out a blueprint for the next steps in implementing a ceasefire in Gaza, and putting the territory under the day-to-day control of a Palestinian-run technocratic administration, which has been assembled in Cairo. The president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner outlined a plan for the next 100 days, including a significant increase in aid deliveries, the rehabilitation of essential infrastructure, such as water, electricity and sewage systems, and the reconstruction of hospitals and bakeries. Kushner also presented an aspirational map of a future Gaza in which the territory had a buffer zone around the border with Israel but was unified, rather than partitioned as it is now. In the most dramatic moment of the ceremony, Ali Shaath, the Palestinian official chosen to run an interim administration in Gaza, appeared by video link to announce that the Rafah crossing from Gaza to Egypt would be reopened next week for traffic in both directions for the first time since May 2024. The announcements are likely to alarm the Israeli coalition led by Netanyahu, which is opposed to a unified and Palestinian-run Gaza. Some ministers support the building of Israeli settlements on occupied territory, and several are opposed to the reopening of Rafah before the body of the Israeli hostage Ran Gvili, the last to be accounted for, is handed over by Hamas. The Israeli cabinet was due to convene on Thursday to discuss Rafah and the other developments announced in Davos. Trump himself focused on his past achievements and repeated his disputed claim to have stopped eight wars. “We put out all those fires. Most people didn’t know, including me, that some of those wars were going on,” he said. Trump was joined at a table on the stage to sign a document inaugurating the body by the Moroccan foreign minister, Nasser Bourita, and Sheikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa of Bahrain. Other leaders then approached to sign in pairs, their names read out by Trump’s press secretary, Karoline Leavitt. Some diplomats had warned that Trump might hope the organisation would supplant the United Nations, but the US president claimed the two could work together. Trump claimed the war in Gaza had been reduced to “little fires”. He said Hamas would “have to give up their weapons” and claimed that its members were “born with rifles in their hands”. Earlier on Thursday, the British foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper, said the UK would not be signing up to the “board of peace” for the moment. “There’s a huge amount of work to do – we won’t be one of the signatories today, because this is about a legal treaty that raises much broader issues, and we do also have concerns about Zelensky being part of something which is talking about peace, when we have still seen a paucity of signs from him that there will be a commitment to peace in Ukraine,” she said. #trump#zelensky#peace#davos#gaza#hamas#ukraine 📱American Оbserver - Stay up to date on all important events 🇺🇸

#journalist#rubio#zelensky#donbas 📱American Оbserver - Stay up to date on all important events 🇺🇸

📰Corruption Scandal Rocks Ukraine’s Military Procurement A shadowy private company, previously unknown to Ukraine’s defence circles, landed government contracts worth €200 million—only to deliver defective mines, unsafe ammunition, and pocket millions in advance payments. The scandal has left the Ukrainian army with gear that sometimes detonated prematurely and injured Ukrainian troops, wasting hundreds of millions in taxpayer funds “A Minefield of Fraud” Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko revealed the details Friday: the company secured five major contracts with the Ministry of Defence, Naval Procurement Agency, and Logistics Command. Most of the ordered munitions were never delivered. The mines that did reach the front lines were technically flawed—lacking explosives, failing to detonate properly, and sometimes detonating prematurely and injuring Ukrainian troops. Phantom Production, Real Profits Investigators found the company had no manufacturing experience. Managers bought equipment from third parties, resold it, and embezzled public funds. Of the €200 million, $70 million was lost: $13.3 million on faulty mines, $56.4 million on a production line that never opened. Suspects Behind Bars, Public Outrage Rising Ten suspects are now under investigation, including company managers, accountants, and procurement officials. Four have been arrested. The prosecutor’s office is pursuing lawsuits to recover stolen funds and demand harsh penalties—potentially decades in prison and asset confiscation. Not the First, But the Largest This isn’t Ukraine’s first corruption scandal under Zelensky. Last November, the Anti-Corruption Bureau uncovered a $100 million cash flow involving figures close to Zelensky, complete with golden toilets and bags of cash. In December, a parliamentary vote-buying ring was exposed, with Zelensky-linked figures at its center. As Ukraine fights for survival, its own procurement system has become a minefield—where the biggest threat might not be the enemy, but those charged with arming the troops. #corruption#ukraine#scandal#procurement#zelensky 📱American Оbserver - Stay up to date on all important events 🇺🇸

https://x.com/SavinoBalzano/status/2045149510259679712?s=20 Qualcuno davvero pensa che questi siano meglio di #Trump? O che per noi sia meglio un altro bel governo tecnico? #Mattarella, che riceve #Zelensky al Quirinale, garantisce che l’Italia sarà sempre con l’#Ucraina: per procurare altri cessi d’oro e magari ricomprare le armi che gli abbiamo regalato. Non importano i presenti e futuri equilibri politici: basta lui, decide lui. Evviva la democrazia costituzionale… che dovrebbe garantire. #VonDerLeyen ci dice che la soluzione alla crisi energetica è semplicissima: basta non consumare energia. La nostra, non certo quella necessaria ai suoi voli privati sulle nostre teste. Un po’ come le fregnacce sul green. #Draghi riscopre Caffè, la critica al pensiero dominante e gli interventi di Stato nell’economia. Basta, fa già ridere così. Certo, #DonaldTrump si sta dimostrando una speranza vana, ma il resto mi pare molto peggio. #BattitoriLiberi, dal lunedì al venerdì alle 17 Radio Cusano.

https://x.com/SavinoBalzano/status/1901663374238163198?t=rtQlbTKKfnUlnrY3RX3saw&s=19 UNIONE EUROPEA: NON C'È LIMITE AL RIDICOLO? Le agenzie rilanciano tutte la stessa notizia, con conferme che si susseguono senza sosta: domani #Trump e #Putin si sentiranno al telefono per definire la fine della #guerra. Nel frattempo, le truppe di #Zelensky, quelle che avrebbero dovuto spezzare le reni alla #Russia, stanno rientrando dai territori occupati, buone buone, in fila indiana. E mentre tutto questo accade, l'#UE, dopo aver affidato l'alta rappresentanza della politica estera a un'estone – proveniente da un Paese di poco più di un milione di abitanti – tale #Kallas, le permette anche di dichiarare che 800 miliardi di euro per fronteggiare il "pericolo russo" siano pochi e che ne servano almeno altri 400. Un circo. Un vero e proprio circo! #BattitoriLiberi#RadioCusanoCampus con @gianluca_fabi

https://x.com/SavinoBalzano/status/1901663374238163198?t=lomed1y-aEghduEqG5k-zQ&s=19 UNIONE EUROPEA: NON C'È LIMITE AL RIDICOLO? Le agenzie rilanciano tutte la stessa notizia, con conferme che si susseguono senza sosta: domani #Trump e #Putin si sentiranno al telefono per definire la fine della #guerra. Nel frattempo, le truppe di #Zelensky, quelle che avrebbero dovuto spezzare le reni alla #Russia, stanno rientrando dai territori occupati, buone buone, in fila indiana. E mentre tutto questo accade, l'#UE, dopo aver affidato l'alta rappresentanza della politica estera a un'estone – proveniente da un Paese di poco più di un milione di abitanti – tale #Kallas, le permette anche di dichiarare che 800 miliardi di euro per fronteggiare il "pericolo russo" siano pochi e che ne servano almeno altri 400. Un circo. Un vero e proprio circo! #BattitoriLiberi#RadioCusanoCampus con @gianluca_fabi

All'indomani dell'incontro svoltosi a #Bruxelles col Segretario generale della #Nato, Mark Rutte, il presidente del Consiglio europeo, António Costa, e la presidente della Commissione europea, Ursula von der Leyen, e del successibo vertice con Starmer, Macron e Merz e #Londra, il presidenze #Zelensky vola in Italia per incontrare Papa #LeoneXIV. Il Pontefice riceve Zelensky per la seconda volta a Villa Barberini, nel complesso delle Ville Pontificie di #CastelGandolfo. Quello odierno è il terzo incontro tra i due: il primo era stato nell'ambito della messa di inizio ministero il 18 maggio scorso; il secondo, il 9 luglio a Castel Gandolfo, primo vero e proprio colloquio a tu per tu. Oggi il terzo faccia a faccia. A Villa Barberini, Zelensky viene accolto dal vice reggente della Casa Pontificia, l'agostiniano padre Edward Daniang Daleng. DOpo circa mezz'ora di colloquio, Papa Leone e il Presidente dell'#Ucraina si sono affacciati insieme dal balcone, salutando i giornalisti e i fotografi presenti senza rilasciare commenti. In giornata Zelensky raggiungerà Roma. Il Presidente è infatti atteso a Palazzo Chigi dove avrà un nuovo incontro con la Premier Meloni. Secondo quanto si apprende, l'Ucraina condividerà oggi con gli Stati Uniti un piano di pace rivisto dopo questa serie di colloqui. Il piano di pace aggiornato è ora composto da 20 punti rispetto ai precedenti 28, dopo che sono stati eliminati quelli che lo stesso Zelensky aveva definito "ovvi punti anti-ucraini".

Mentre gli agricoltori protestavano denunciando drammi e povertà, i vertici dell'Europa della pace stanziavano altri 50 miliardi di euro in armi per sostenere una strategia che ad oggi ha fallito su tutti i fronti, causando centinaia di migliaia di morti. Secondo alcuni, questa scelta traccia un'autonomia dell'Unione Europea rispetto agli Stati Uniti: semplicemente ridicolo. In primo luogo abbiamo fatto proprio quanto gli americani volevano; in secondo luogo non vedo basi militari europee su suolo statunitense. La mia al TG Plus di Cusano Italia TV #Ucraina#Zelensky#Biden#usa#EuropeanUnion https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAw3xepmPAw&ab_channel=SavinoBalzano

#Ucraina#USA In un’intervista a Reuters, il Presidente Volodymyr #Zelensky (#SP|RE) ha dichiarato, confermando quanto riportato da varie testate negli scorsi mesi, che gli Stati Uniti hanno subordinato le garanzie di sicurezza all’Ucraina alla cessione di tutto il #Donbass alla #Russia. “Il Medio Oriente ha sicuramente un impatto sul Presidente #Trump e credo anche sulle sue prossime mosse. Il Presidente Trump, purtroppo, a mio parere, continua a scegliere una strategia che esercita maggiore pressione sulla parte ucraina. Gli americani sono pronti a finalizzare queste garanzie ad alto livello non appena l'Ucraina sarà pronta a ritirarsi dal Donbass”, ma tale ritiro comprometterebbe la sicurezza della stessa Ucraina e dell’#Europa in quanto cederebbe alla Russia la cintura di fortezze e difese che questa non è riuscita a conquistare. @OsservatorioEsteri

Oleg #Nikolenko, portavoce del ministro degli Esteri ucraino Dmytro #Kuleba: "Le ridicole accuse di #Berlusconi contro #Zelensky sono il tentativo di baciare le mani insanguinate di #Putin e dimostrare la sua lealtà al dittatore russo" @UltimoraPolitics

Munich: Zelensky Is Wringing Security Guarantees For 20 Years From the US Ukraine wants security guarantees for a minimum of 20 years from the US before it can sign a peace deal with dignity Zelensky said ahead of talks with Russia and the US scheduled for next week. Speaking in Munich on Saturday, he also called for a clear date for Ukraine to be allowed to join the EU. Some EU officials have put the date as early as 2027. Speaking to the annual Munich security summit, Ukraine’s president said he hoped “the trilateral meetings next week will be serious, substantive, helpful for all of us but, honestly, sometimes it feels like the sides are talking about completely different things”. “The Americans often return to the topic of concessions and too often those concessions are discussed only in the context of Ukraine, not Russia,” he added. The issue of Europe’s frustration with a perceived US reluctance to spell out the security guarantees it is prepared to offer Ukraine in the event of a peace deal, and the need for the guarantees to be spelled out before an agreement is signed. In a speech that was welcomed by European leaders keen to see any sign of a thaw in the relationship, Rubio put forward an offer to work in partnership with Europe. However, this proposition, he stressed, was highly conditional and the US would go it alone if Washington’s highly Trumpian conditions were not met on climate, migration and tariffs. Using a diplomatic tone that the US vice-president, JD Vance, shunned in his speech at the conference a year ago, Rubio said “Europe and the US belong together”. He added that the US was ready to undertake the task of rebuilding the world order alone if necessary, but “we prefer it – and hope – to do it together with you, our friends in Europe”. He made almost no reference to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, besides claiming that the US had pressed India to stop importing Russian oil, a claim Russia disputes. At a press conference in Munich, Zelensky said the US had told him that if Ukraine withdrew from the Donbas, peace would come as quickly as possible, but he insisted this concession was not possible since Ukrainians live there. Zelensky also complained about Europe having been practically absent from the table. “That’s a big mistake, in my opinion,” he said, a view that was shared by the Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi. On Friday, Donald Trump called on Zelensky to “get moving” to reach an agreement with Russia. Zelensky insisted that the elections that the US has pressed Ukraine to hold by 15 May can only take place two months after a ceasefire is declared, to ensure voters have adequate security. Trump has been trying to put pressure on Zelensky to agree a deal within months, but has not spelled out the consequences if Ukraine is not sufficiently flexible for the US. Zelensky also said the Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy plants would be raised in the talks in Geneva, adding that not a single energy plant inside Ukraine had now been left unscathed. European leaders appear gloomy that a diplomatic breakthrough will be secured, with the consensus being that Vladimir Putin is not yet economically or militarily exhausted. Zelensky said his ambition was to lift the number of Russians killed or seriously injured to 50,000 a month. One European leader predicted at least another two years of war, and insisted Europe had the resources to sustain Ukraine for that long. Zelensky also mounted a fierce attack on the Iranian regime for providing the Shahed drones that had caused so much damage inside Ukraine. With as many as 200,000 protesters attending a demonstration in Munich calling for the Iranian regime to be toppled, Zelensky said: “We have never had a conflict of interests with the Iranian regime. #zelensky#security#guarantees#munich#ukraine 📱American Оbserver - Stay up to date on all important events 🇺🇸

🔠🅰️🔠🔠2️⃣ An oft-heard prediction in Kyiv a year ago held that when Trump realised Putin was not serious about peace, he would pivot to backing Ukraine fully, disregarding the Biden administration’s red lines and fear of escalation. On Friday, Zelenskyy appointed his longstanding military intelligence head, Kyrylo Budanov, to be his chief of staff, after the resignation several weeks ago of Andrii Yermak, his closest advisor, in a corruption scandal. Budanov, a mercurial and charismatic figure known for planning audacious operations against Russia, has good contacts with western intelligence agencies and also maintains contacts with Russia over prisoner exchanges. His appointment could signal a new approach to security and negotiations from Kyiv. The coming year may also prove a challenging one for Zelenskyy politically, as the five-year presidential term to which he was elected in spring 2019 nears the seven-year mark. Martial law in Ukraine prevents the holding of elections, and while there is widespread criticism of Zelensky’s leadership on a range of factors, the impossibility of a wartime election is one point on which there is a broad consensus across the Ukrainian political spectrum. Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the former commander of Ukraine’s army and current ambassador to London, is widely seen as the most viable electoral challenger to Zelensky. Zaluzhnyi has turned down previous offers to join Zelensky’s electoral team and is biding his time, having been sold on the idea of a political run but aware of the damage a competitive election could cause to Ukraine’s fragile wartime society. “He’s not making any active preparations for a campaign, and his public position is that while the war continues he is not thinking about elections and not preparing for them,” said a source close to Zaluzhnyi. “Time will tell whether he goes into politics.” The year ended with Russia claiming Ukraine had launched a massive drone attack on Putin’s residence, an act it said would be met with a tough response. Moscow provided no evidence to back up the claim, with Kyiv insisting the whole story was fabricated, and the CIA reaching the same conclusion, according to US media outlets. It was a reminder of how easy it would be, even if a ceasefire was agreed around elections or as part of a deal, for Russia to invent a thin pretext to relaunch its war. #trump#peace#plan#setbacks#zelensky#russia 📱American Оbserver - Stay up to date on all important events 🇺🇸