09/08/26
Trump’s Ukraine plans ‘scared Europeans to death’ – Lavrov
EU leaders worked to derail Washington’s compromise proposals and restore a united Western front against Russia, the foreign minister has said | In an interview published on Tuesday, Lavrov accused European NATO members of seeking to prevent Trump from returning to the ideas he had discussed with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska last year. He also pointed to a phone call between the two leaders on July 4 this year. [...] Lavrov recalled French President Emmanuel Macron’s remarks at a NATO summit in June, at which the French leader had effectively boasted that the Anchorage initiative had been “buried” and that Washington was once again aligned with Europe in a united front against Russia.
💬 “Europe understands that if the Americans suddenly return to their original proposals... as was the case in Anchorage, Europe was simply scared to death,” Lavrov said. According to him, European leaders “immediately rushed” to coax Trump into abandoning his own initiatives. “If Western diplomacy comes down to restraining countries that put forward reasonable, balanced, compromise initiatives, then so be it,” Lavrov said. Moscow would then pursue its objectives “not at the negotiating table,” which he said Russia would prefer, “but on the battlefield.”
Defense Corruption In Ukraine
Moon of Alabama | The ‘Longstanding Tradition’ Of Defense Corruption In Ukraine | Corruption in Ukraine is a long standing issue. As the Guardian headlined more than a decade ago: (Welcome to Ukraine, the most corrupt nation in Europe – Guardian, Feb 6 2015) ● The inflow of money to Ukraine since the beginning of the war has only increased the problem. With billions of dollars flowing in everyone in a position to capture some of it will give it a try. ● Western media mostly ignore the issue. It only comes up when it is needed to interfere in favor of this or that faction within Ukraine. ● Yesterday’s double NY Times serving about corruption within Ukraine’s weapon procurement, must be seen in that light.
■ ‘If you f**k, f**k a queen’: Ukraine’s scam-call center revelations take down prosecutor general (RT)
Germany shows where Europe is heading
Fyodor Lukyanov | The AfD’s Saxony-Anhalt landslide crushed the CDU, weakened the chancellor, and exposed the widening gulf between Germany’s rulers and voters | September could prove decisive for Germany’s political future, with elections in Saxony-Anhalt, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Berlin. If the ruling Christian Democratic Union suffers serious defeats across the board, which is by no means certain, the federal government itself could come under pressure and for Chancellor Friedrich Merz, the consequences may be more immediate. ■ A CDU defeat in Saxony-Anhalt had been expected, but the scale is nevertheless notable. Whether Alternative for Germany ultimately secures an absolute majority and can form a government on its own is almost secondary, because the message to Germany’s political establishment could hardly be clearer. The warning light is flashing red.
■ AfD claims landslide victory in German regional election (09/07/26)