In an act of astonishing, and possibly illegal, carelessness, the editor in chief of The Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg, was inexplicably invited to join an open-source encrypted conversation of a principals group of senior national security officials on Signal. The meeting included Vice-President J.D. Vance, defense secretary Pete Hegseth, national security advisor Michael Waltz, secretary of … Continue reading “The Signal Scandal, Carelessness, Revelations, and Hypocrisy”
Ted Snider
Mainstream Media Criticizes Ceasefire Negotiations in Ukraine: Don’t Believe Them
The mainstream media continuously points out that while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed readiness to accept the Trump administration’s proposed thirty-day ceasefire without preconditions, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said only that he supports the idea of a ceasefire while attaching preconditions that render it unworkable. Neither claim is true. Zelensky has attached preconditions, … Continue reading “Mainstream Media Criticizes Ceasefire Negotiations in Ukraine: Don’t Believe Them”
The Terrible Cost of Kursk
On March 16, The New York Times reported that “Ukrainian forces have pulled almost entirely out of the Kursk region of Russia.” After seven months, one Ukrainian soldier told the BBC, “Everything is finished in the Kursk region.” Back on August 6, 2024, the Ukrainian armed forces surprised both Russia and Western analysts with a … Continue reading “The Terrible Cost of Kursk”
US Foreign Policy Was Never About Promoting Democracy
U.S. President Donald Trump may, or may not, have been joking when he promised to be dictator for a day or when he called himself “the king” or when he asserted that he is above the law or even when he has teased about seeking a third term. But in his first weeks in the … Continue reading “US Foreign Policy Was Never About Promoting Democracy”
Ceasefire: Ukrainians Died in Vain
On February 24, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine with a small force of around 142,000 troops. Not enough to conquer Ukraine, the invading force was sufficient to persuade Ukraine to the negotiating table. Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed that was the original goal of the military operation: “[t]he troops were there to push the Ukrainian … Continue reading “Ceasefire: Ukrainians Died in Vain”
Ukraine Agrees to a Ceasefire. Could it Really Happen?
Only days ago, the chances that Ukraine would agree to negotiate with Putin or agree to a ceasefire seemed very remote. A few days without U.S. military and intelligence aid changed that. On March 11, the Ukrainian delegation in Saudi Arabia, led by Zelensky’s powerful chief of staff Andriy Yermak, “expressed readiness to accept the … Continue reading “Ukraine Agrees to a Ceasefire. Could it Really Happen?”
Will the US Push Zelensky Out?
The strife and war in Ukraine started with a U.S. supported coup eleven years ago. It might end, ironically, with a U.S. supported coup eleven years later. There is an embryonic chance that, if Vladimir Putin signs an agreement to end the war, it will not be Volodymyr Zelensky’s signature on the line beside it. … Continue reading “Will the US Push Zelensky Out?”
Pausing Aid to Ukraine: The World Should Have Seen It Coming
At the end of June, 2024, the world got its first glimpse at what Donald Trump’s plan to end the war in Ukraine in one day might look like. Retired Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg and former CIA analyst Fred Fleitz submitted a plan to then candidate Trump. In an interview, Kellogg revealed that U.S. leverage … Continue reading “Pausing Aid to Ukraine: The World Should Have Seen It Coming”
Zelensky Told Trump That Putin Cannot Be Trusted. But Who Killed Minsk 2?
On February 28, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky got the meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump that he had been hoping for. It was an opportunity to sign their agreement on minerals and, more importantly, to improve relations and heal their recent fight. Instead, another fight erupted (you can see the whole discussion below). Much has … Continue reading “Zelensky Told Trump That Putin Cannot Be Trusted. But Who Killed Minsk 2?”
Is Trump Right About Zelensky’s 4% Popularity?
U.S. President Donald Trump says that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is “very low in Ukrainian Polls.” So low, in fact, that his approval rating is only 4%. Trump is wrong. But he may not be as wrong as mainstream media commentators have accused him of being. And the number he cited may be closer to … Continue reading “Is Trump Right About Zelensky’s 4% Popularity?”