In a significant shift in rhetoric, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has suggested that Donald Trump’s return to the White House could accelerate the end of the conflict in Ukraine. Speaking in a recent interview, Zelensky emphasized the importance of achieving a “just peace” while acknowledging that the incoming U.S. administration’s approach could expedite conflict resolution.
“The war will end faster,” Zelensky stated, referring to the potential impact of Trump’s policies. He elaborated that this aligns with “their approach, their promise to their society,” while emphasizing Ukraine’s commitment to securing terms that honor the sacrifices made during the conflict.
This development comes amid renewed diplomatic activity between major powers. A recent phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has revealed potential openings for negotiation. The conversation, described as “frank” and “detailed,” highlighted both challenges and opportunities in the peace process.
During the call, Putin acknowledged the “unprecedented degradation” in Russian-German relations while reaffirming Russia’s willingness to engage in peace talks. The Kremlin statement emphasized that “Russia has never refused and remains open to the resumption of negotiations,” referring to proposals outlined in a June speech at the Russian Foreign Ministry.
The timing of these developments is particularly noteworthy given Zelensky’s previous encounters with Trump. During their last meeting in New York, Zelensky had described Ukraine as having “been through hell,” highlighting the profound impact of the conflict on his nation.
These converging signals suggest mounting momentum toward potential peace negotiations, possibly even before the presidential transition in January. However, significant challenges remain in bridging the substantial gaps between the parties’ positions and ensuring any agreement meets both sides’ core security interests.
As these diplomatic developments unfold, they represent a potential turning point in a conflict that has reshaped global geopolitics and severely impacted regional stability. The coming weeks may prove crucial in determining whether these initial signals can translate into meaningful progress toward peace negotiations.
They are Out There…We Want To Believe
The hearing, hosted by the House Oversight Committee and led by Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), brought together experts including former Department of Defense official Luis Elizondo, retired Navy Rear Admiral Tim Gallaudet, journalist Michael Shellenberger, and former NASA official Michael Gold. Titled “Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena: Exposing the Truth,” the session tackled government secrecy, NASA’s role in UAP reporting, and the origins of these mysterious objects.
Calls for Transparency
Lawmakers from both parties, including Reps. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) and Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.), expressed frustration over what they called excessive classification of UAP-related materials. Mace criticized the government for withholding information dating back to the 1940s, questioning whether taxpayer dollars were being misallocated.
“If we’re spending money on something that doesn’t exist, why are we spending the money? And if it does exist, why are we hiding it from the public?” Mace asked, citing national security risks if the objects represent advanced foreign technology.
Testimony on Advanced Technologies
Elizondo, a former Pentagon official who helped expose the Department of Defense’s UFO program in 2017, testified that UAP represent advanced technologies that are neither entirely understood nor exclusively controlled by the U.S.
“I believe we are in the midst of a multi-decade secretive arms race, one funded by misallocated taxpayer dollars and hidden from our elected representatives and oversight bodies,” Elizondo said.
He emphasized that UAP demonstrate flight characteristics beyond known capabilities, including “GOFAST,” a craft that gained notoriety in Pentagon-released videos.
NASA’s Role in Data Collection
Gold, a former NASA official, advocated for integrating UAP sightings into existing aviation reporting systems, such as NASA’s Aviation Safety Reporting System. He proposed using artificial intelligence to analyze historical data for anomalies, enabling greater transparency and public trust.
“For relatively little cost and effort, NASA could create an algorithm to search its archives for anomalous phenomena,” Gold said.
Questions on Origins
Lawmakers and witnesses explored whether UAP could be of foreign, domestic, or extraterrestrial origin. While some witnesses, including Elizondo and Gallaudet, leaned toward the possibility of nonhuman intelligence, others, like Shellenberger, urged caution, citing a need for more evidence.
“It might not be biological intelligence at all,” Gold speculated, adding, “The ultimate answer is going to surprise us all.”
Pentagon Criticized for Overclassification
Lawmakers accused the Pentagon of withholding critical information, using national security as a pretext. Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) criticized the overclassification of UAP data, which exempts much of it from Freedom of Information Act requests.
“When you get into over-secrecy, the public trust erodes,” said Shellenberger, citing researcher John Greenewald Jr., who has repeatedly battled the government for UAP records.
The Department of Defense defended its approach, emphasizing the balance between public accountability and protecting sensitive information.
Ongoing Bipartisan Interest
The bipartisan UAP caucus vowed to continue pressing for transparency. Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) encapsulated the group’s sentiment: “It is clear there is something out there. The question is: Is it ours, is it someone else’s, or is it otherworldly?”
The hearing underscored growing public and governmental interest in UAP phenomena and the need for further investigation and disclosure.
CCM: As these diplomatic developments unfold, they represent a potential turning point in a conflict that has reshaped global geopolitics and severely impacted regional stability.
The coming weeks may prove crucial in determining whether these initial signals can translate into meaningful progress toward peace negotiations.
ME: Wishful thinking perhaps, because according to the Reuters story titled “Biden allows Ukraine to use US arms to strike inside Russia” by Mike Stone and Humeyra Pamuk on November 17, 2024, a senile, out-of-touch-with-reality Joe Biden just may have started WWIII, to wit:
WASHINGTON, Nov 17 (Reuters) – President Joe Biden’s administration has allowed Ukraine to use U.S.-made weapons to strike deep into Russia, two U.S. officials and a source familiar with the decision said on Sunday, in a significant reversal of Washington’s policy in the Ukraine-Russia conflict.
Ukraine plans to conduct its first long-range attacks in the coming days, the sources said, without revealing details due to operational security concerns.
The move comes two months before President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20 and follows months of pleas by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to allow Ukraine’s military to use U.S. weapons to hit Russian military targets far from its border.
Zelenskiy said in his evening address that the missiles would “speak for themselves.”
The White House and U.S. State Department declined to comment.
There was no immediate response from the Kremlin, which has warned that it would see a move to loosen the limits on Ukraine’s use of U.S. weapons as a major escalation.
Vladimir Dzhabarov, first deputy head of the Russian upper house’s international affairs committee, said Washington’s decision to let Kyiv strike deep into Russia could lead to “World War Three”.
“The West has decided on such a level of escalation that it could end with the Ukrainian statehood in complete ruins by morning,” Andrei Klishas, a senior member of the Federation Council, Russia’s upper chamber of parliament, said on the Telegram messaging app.
Ukraine’s first deep strikes are likely to be carried out using ATACMS rockets, which have a range of up to 190 miles (306 km), according to the sources.
While some U.S. officials have expressed skepticism that allowing long-range strikes will change the war’s overall trajectory, the decision could help Ukraine at a moment when Russian forces are making gains and possibly put Kyiv in a better negotiating position when and if ceasefire talks happen.
It is not clear if Trump will reverse Biden’s decision when he takes office.
Trump has long criticized the scale of U.S. financial and military aid to Ukraine and has vowed to end the war quickly, without explaining how.
A Trump spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
But one of Trump’s closest foreign policy advisers, Richard Grenell, criticized the decision.
“Escalating the wars before he leaves office,” Grenell said, in an X post responding to the news.
Despite Zelenskiy’s pleas, the White House had been reluctant to allow U.S.-supplied weapons to be used to strike targets deep inside Russia for fear this could ratchet up the conflict.
If we tune into “Lefties losing it: Sky News host roasts ‘leftie’ Jill Biden after Trump rant” @2:11
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsadVGIMx2w , what we are confronted with there is a series of scenes where senile American president Joe Biden seems to not know what planet he is on, let alone what day of the week it might be, and it is that same senile fool who is trying to provoke WWIII by giving the fascist dictator of Ukraine, the former TV comedian and twerp (a silly or annoying person) Vladimer Zelensky, long range weapons to attack Russia with, which takes us to this CNBC story titled “Russia says Ukraine attacked it using U.S. long-range missiles, signals it’s ready for nuclear response” by Holly Ellyatt on November 19, 2024, to wit:
Moscow signaled to the West that it’s ready for a nuclear confrontation after Ukraine was given permission to attack Russian territory — and appeared to quickly act on that greenlight — using U.S.-made long-range missiles.
Kyiv appeared to waste little time after reportedly being given the go-ahead by Washington on Sunday to use U.S.-made ATACMS missiles against specific targets.
Ukrainian news outlets reported early Tuesday that the missiles had been used to attack a Russian military facility in the Bryansk border region.
Russia then confirmed the attack, with the Ministry of Defense stating that Ukrainian forces had “struck a facility in [the] Bryansk region” using six ballistic, American-made ATACMS missiles.
Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, responded to the attack, accusing the West of wanting to escalate the conflict.
end quotes
NOTE: Lavrov is wrong, it is not “the West” that wants to escalate the conflict!
Who wants to escalate the conflict is the senile fool Biden, who may or may not have a clue as to what he has done here, which takes us back for more, to wit:
“The fact that ATACMS were used repeatedly tonight in the Bryansk region is, of course, a signal that they [in the West] want escalation.”
“And without the Americans, it is impossible to use these high-tech missiles,” Lavrov said at a news conference at the G20 summit, according to comments reported by Tass and translated by Google.
The Kremlin has repeatedly warned the West against allowing Ukraine to use its long-range weapons to attack Russia directly.
Moscow upped the ante Tuesday as Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree approving its updated nuclear doctrine, shifting the parameters on when Russia can use nuclear weapons.
The updated document now states that any aggression against Russia by a non-nuclear state, if it’s supported by a nuclear power, will be considered as a joint attack.
The doctrine also stated that Russia may use nuclear weapons in the event of a critical threat to its sovereignty and territorial integrity (and that of its ally, Belarus) and that the launch of ballistic missiles against Russia would be seen among the conditions that could warrant a response using nuclear weapons.
The Kremlin’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov was asked on Tuesday whether Russia would consider the use of American non-nuclear missiles by the Ukrainian military as an attack by a non-nuclear state with the support of a nuclear state.
“You will be able to read the paragraphs yourself, but in general it also states that the Russian Federation reserves the right to use nuclear weapons in the event of aggression with the use of conventional weapons against it or the Republic of Belarus, which creates a critical threat to sovereignty or territorial integrity,” Peskov told reporters.
“Aggression against the Russian Federation by any non-nuclear state with the participation or support of a nuclear state is considered a joint attack.”
Is Russia bluffing?
Heightened tensions between Russia and Ukraine, and its allies in the West, come as Russian forces are seen to be making considerable gains in eastern Ukraine, looking to seize as much territory as possible before President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January.
It’s widely expected that Trump will push Moscow and Kyiv into peace talks that will be favorable to Russia, forcing Ukraine to concede occupied land to its neighbor as a price for peace.
Trump has already signaled that U.S. military aid for Ukraine will end when he returns to office and some Republican officials are reportedly unhappy at the Biden administration for giving Ukraine permission to use ATACMS.
“The Ukrainians need to convince the incoming U.S. administration that they are still worth backing — in President Trump’s transactional view, a ‘good investment’.”
“And they will want to convince him to link his and U.S. credibility to a ‘winning’ outcome, not a major compromise that sees the U.S. ‘lose’.”
“However, the signs are not positive on this front, with criticism overnight from amongst the Trump campaign of what they may see as a Biden attempt to tie Trump’s hands,” he said.
Throughout the war, Russia has warned it is prepared to use its nuclear weapons if under attack, but analysts say Moscow would be hesitant to go head-to-head against the combined might of Western military alliance NATO, and the nuclear powers within the bloc.
Global markets are taking the threat seriously, at least, with stocks declining and investors fleeing to safe haven assets on Tuesday, although some close followers of Russia’s leadership believe threats issued by the Kremlin are just another instance of saber-rattling.
Going back to this “Lefties losing it: Sky News host roasts ‘leftie’ Jill Biden after Trump rant” @2:11 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsadVGIMx2w , where we are confronted with a series of scenes where senile American president Joe Biden seems to not know what planet he is on, whether he is afoot or horseback, or what day of the week it might be, with that in mind, consider the senile old gaffer in the midst of a real military crisis, or God forbid, a case where he needed to execute the nuclear codes, and what a catastrophe for us that would be:
Scene: White House situation room
General: Mr. President, the Russians have just launched a hypersonic medium-range ballistic missile attack on a Ukrainian military facility.
Biden: Who?
General: The Russians, Mr. President.
Biden: What is it they did?
General: They have just launched a hypersonic medium-range ballistic missile attack on a Ukrainian military facility.
Biden: Who are the Russians?