Sunday, March 2, 2025
Israel halts humanitarian aid to Gaza
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/404721
Israel's political echelon decided this morning (Sunday) to halt the transfer of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip after the first phase of the ceasefire concluded overnight.
The decision to halt the transfer of humanitarian aid comes in the wake of the Prime Minister's Office's announcement last night that Israel is prepared to extend the ceasefire in accordance with the outline proposed by US President Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff.
"With the conclusion of the first stage of the hostages deal and in light of Hamas's refusal to accept the Witkoff framework for the continuation of the talks, to which Israel has agreed, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided that, as of this morning, the entry of all goods and supplies to the Gaza Strip will be halted," the Prime Minister's Office stated,
"Israel will not allow a ceasefire without the release of our hostages. If Hamas persists in its refusal, there will be additional consequences."
Why Europe Can't Defend Itself Without Donald Trump
https://www.newsweek.com/europe-defense-spending-military-nato-donald-trump-2037104
There were no U.S. forces taking part in NATO's biggest exercises this year. This may have always been the plan, but European nations going it alone on Ukraine's doorstep took on a fresh significance as U.S. President Donald Trump and his administration rewrote Washington's relationship with the continent.
Decades of sidelining defense spending after the end of the Cold War has allowed European countries to maintain prized social welfare systems, but has also left them with yawning capability gaps on defense and a deep reliance on the U.S. that has become increasingly unpalatable to the White House. There is no shying away from this from European officials, nor a desire to—there is a universal acceptance, privately and publicly, that the continent has been lamentably lax.
Despite alarm bells ringing for years, and even more loudly since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the continent's leaders have still struggled to summon the political clout to significantly boost military spending. For most Western European members, the threat is geographically too far away—it is hard to make a convincing case to budget more for militaries when that could mean cuts to sectors such as health care, or further tax increases in what are already some of the world's most heavily taxed countries.
Trump’s style of petty domination was in full display with Zelenskyy
The last time Donald Trump did this, it was in secret, and he got impeached over it. In 2019, Donald Trump, on a phone call with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, demanded that the Ukrainian president produce – or fabricate – evidence of wrongdoing by Hunter Biden, the son of Trump’s eventual opponent in the 2020 election, in exchange for continued US military aide.
His name was in a child abuse diary - now his family listen to 'vile' testimony
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce34v17dw53o
But most difficult for Mauricette and Roland was the much-awaited testimony of Marie-France L., Le Scouarnec's ex-wife.
It has been alleged that she was at the centre of the omerta that reigned in the Le Scouarnec family, as she was repeatedly made aware of her husband's obsession with children but did nothing to stop it.
Many lawyers and plaintiffs now believe she could have spared hundreds of children from being abused. Le Scouarnec's brother - who was also heard this week - openly wondered whether she had been too enamoured by the lifestyle provided by her husband's salary to speak out.
Snatching minerals from other countries is not a smart strategy
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/03/01/trump-minerals-ukraine/
It was in the 19th century that the United States started grabbing territory to exploit natural resources. The Guano Islands Act of 1856 enabled the seizure of unclaimed islands rich in the sought-after fertilizer. Ultimately, the United States annexed nearly 100 of these islands in the Pacific and the Caribbean, according to historian Daniel Immerwahr (and some of them were reconfigured to host airfields and military bases in the post-guano years).
President Donald Trump apparently likes the strategy. His gambit to take control of Ukraine’s deposits of lithium, graphite, cobalt, rare metals and so forth — after calling for buying Greenland and taking over Canada, in part to nab their vast troves of critical minerals — suggests that he is fashioning a 19th-century strategy to work in the 21st.
Trump, Vance attack on Zelenskyy angers many. But Russians and (some) Republicans love it.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/28/trump-vance-zelenskyy-reactions-00206834
At the State Department, which is already reeling from the specter of Trump administration plans to shrink the U.S. diplomatic footprint, staff expressed shock that Trump would treat another country’s leader so dismissively.
“This guy isn’t just trying to save his country — he’s the finger in the dike for the rest of Europe,” one State Department official said of Zelenskyy. “First, we extort him, then we intentionally try to embarrass him.”
The fracas appeared to delight Moscow.
Dmitry Medvedev, a former Russian president who often acts as a Kremlin attack dog, wrote on social media of Zelenskyy: “The insolent pig finally got a proper slap down in the Oval Office.” Maria Zakharova, the Russian foreign ministry spokesperson said on a live streamed broadcast: “Zelenskyy is biting the hand that fed him.”
Murkowski slams Trump administration over Russia-Ukraine war stance: ‘Sick to my stomach’
Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) condemned the Trump administration over the recent fallout with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky during Friday’s Oval Office meeting broadcasted by the American press.
Her stance, notable from a Republican, echoes that of many foreign leaders who labeled the meeting a stark sever in American values, including the country’s tradition of fighting for democracy across the globe.
Oct. 7 Adds to Long History of Spies Missing the Big Picture
Well before Hamas launched its Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, Israel’s military had plenty of evidence that something was brewing.
Israel had been in possession of a secret Hamas plan for a mass invasion for more than a year. Soldiers on the border of Gaza had observed Hamas practicing raids on Israeli military bases and civilian communities for weeks. And the country’s security chiefs had been warning that months of contentious internal debate and protests over political issues had left Israel vulnerable.
Putin Wins the Trump-Zelensky Oval Office Spectacle
Toward the end of his on-camera, Oval Office brawl with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday, President Trump quipped that it was “great television.” He’s right about that. But the point of the meeting was supposed to be progress toward an honorable peace for Ukraine, and in the event the winner was Russia’s Vladimir Putin.
But then the meeting, in front of the world, descended into recriminations. The nose dive began with an odd interjection from Vice President JD Vance, who appeared to be defending Mr. Trump’s diplomacy, which Mr. Zelensky hadn’t challenged. Mr. Zelensky rehearsed the many peace agreements Mr. Putin has shredded and essentially asked Mr. Vance what would be different this time.
Western allies rally around Zelensky after Trump spat deepens rift with Europe
https://edition.cnn.com/2025/02/28/europe/western-allies-zelensky-trump-hnk-intl/index.html
A notable exception to the wave of European solidarity was Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a far-right populist and Trump ally, who took to X to stand with the US president.
“Strong men make peace, weak men make war,” Orban wrote. “Today President (Trump) stood bravely for peace. Even if it was difficult for many to digest. Thank you, Mr. President!”
The tense exchange with Trump boosted Zelensky’s backing among many at home, with Ukraine’s lawmakers rallying behind Kyiv’s leader.