Sunday, November 30, 2025
Pardon Wanted
From the BBC:
“Benjamin Netanyahu seeks
pardon from Israel's president”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu has asked the country's President, Isaac Herzog, for a pardon over
corruption cases he has been battling. The president's office said Herzog would
receive opinions from justice officials before considering the request
"which carries with it significant implications". Netanyahu has been
standing trial for the past five years on charges of bribery, fraud and breach
of trust in connection with three separate cases. He denies wrongdoing. He said
in a video message that he would have preferred to see the process to the end
but national interest "demanded otherwise".
The Israeli opposition says he should admit guilt before seeking a pardon. Early this month, US President Donald Trump urged Herzog to "fully pardon" Netanyahu. At the time, Herzog made it clear that anyone seeking a pardon had to submit a formal request. On Sunday, his office released the request and a letter by Netanyahu himself, in light of "the importance of this extraordinary request and its implications" It offered no indication of when the president might reach a decision.
Netanyahu: What are the corruption charges? In 2020, Benjamin Netanyahu became the first serving Israeli prime minister to stand trial: In the first case, prosecutors alleged that he had received gifts - mainly cigars and bottles of champagne - from powerful businessmen in exchange for favours He is accused in a second case of offering to help improve the circulation of an Israeli newspaper in exchange for positive coverage And in a third, prosecutors have alleged that he promoted regulatory decisions favourable to the controlling shareholder of an Israeli telecoms company in exchange for positive coverage by a news website.
Netanyahu has pleaded not guilty
to all the charges and branded the trial as a "witch hunt" by
political opponents. In Sunday's defiant video message, he claimed that the
cases against him were collapsing, but that the process was tearing Israel
apart from within. "I am certain, as are many others in the nation, that
an immediate end to the trial would greatly help lower the flames and promote
broad reconciliation - something our country desperately needs," the prime
minister added. Netanyahu said he was being required to testify before court
three times a week, describing that as "an impossible demand." A
pardon, he insisted, would help Israel fend off threats and seize opportunities
by fostering "national unity".
His political opponents have
accused Netanyahu of attempting to conflate his interests with those of the
state. Opposition leader Yair Lapid said there could be no pardon without an
admission of guilt, an expression of remorse and Netanyahu's immediate
retirement from political life. Yair Golan, a left-wing politician and former
deputy commander of Israeli forces, said "only the guilty" sought
pardon. According to Israel's Basic Law, the president "has the power to
pardon criminals and reduce or transmute [alter] their sentence". However,
Israel's High Court of Justice has previously ruled that the president can
pardon an individual before they are convicted if it is in the public interest
or if there are extreme personal circumstances. Netanyahu's right-wing Likud
party and his supporters have always supported a pardon for their leader. But
for many in Israel - especially on the left - it would be seen as another move
away from the country's sense of itself as a robust democracy with a strong
legal system. Public concerns over the government's plans for judicial reform
brought hundreds of thousands out on to the streets in protest for many months
before the Hamas-led attacks of 7 October 2023 which triggered the most recent
Gaza war. In a separate case, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest
warrant last year for Netanyahu and former Israeli defence minister Yoav
Gallant over war crimes and crimes against humanity that have allegedly been
committed during the war between Israel and Hamas. Netanyahu has condemned the
move as "antisemitic".
Saturday, November 29, 2025
Friday, November 28, 2025
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Thursday, November 27, 2025
40: Santa Claus: The Movie
40 years ago today (November 27,
1985) the Christmas Film “Santa Claus: The Movie” premiered.
It starred Dudley Moore (as an Elf), John Lithgow (as an
Executive), and David Huddleston (as Santa Claus.)
Anne's Friends
From The Anne Frank House’ Facebook:
What happened to Anne Frank's
friends during the Holocaust?
Just like Anne, their lives were
deeply affected by the horrors of the time. Some managed to survive and build
new futures. Others sadly did not.
This is where their journeys led:
1. Hannelie Goslar: Survived Bergen-Belsen and emigrated to Israel.
2. Anne Frank: Was killed in
Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in February 1945.
3. Dolly Citroen: Lived in France
but often spent summers with family in Amsterdam; fled to Switzerland during
the war and emigrated to Israel after the war.
4. Hannah Toby: Moved to Berlin in
1938 with her mother and stepfather and fled to the USA in 1940.
5. Barbara Ledermann: Survived by
going into hiding and emigrated to the USA.
6. Sanne Ledermann: Was killed in
Auschwitz on 19 November 1943.
Soldiers' Thanksgiving
Feeding the Men and Women of the
US Military around the US, at Sea and the World this Thanksgiving.
In addition to the 152,626 pounds
of turkey, including whole and roasted, here's what's arrived for the troops'
menus specifically at overseas locations:
124,022 pounds of beef
66,054 pounds of ham
38,081 pounds of shrimp
6,512 cans of sweet potatoes
15,282 cases of pies and cakes
792 cases of eggnog
and other holiday treats
I'm Thankful
What am I thankful for this
Thanksgiving?
I’m thankful that my Parents were
able to give me everything I needed and many of the things I wanted when I was
growing up.
I’m thankful for my strong Work
Ethic from my Parents.
I’m thankful for receiving my
Mom’s Multitasking and Organizational Skills.
I’m thankful for my compassion
for others that was given to me by my Parents.
I’m thankful for my love of
animals that was given to me by my Parents.
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Soldiers' Thanksgiving
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Soldiers Thanksgiving
There are 1,358,500 Soldiers, Sailors and
Airmen/women in the United States Military today.
Around 180,000 American Soldiers,
Sailors and Airmen/women are currently deployed outside the United States.
Hundreds of Thousands of American
Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen/women are currently deployed inside the United
States, but are far from their homes.
Some have their immediate Family
Members with them, but many are stationed alone.
There are also Thousands upon
Thousands of Former Military - now
Government Contractors – working alongside the Soldiers, Sailors and
Airmen/women around the US and the World.
Please take a minute this
Thanksgiving to remember all the Men and Women (overseas and within the United
States) that risk everything to get all of us safe.
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Wednesday, November 26, 2025
78: Toys For Tots
In the past 78 years the Marines
and Toys For Tots have given 627 Million Toys to 281 Million Children that
otherwise wouldn’t have had a Christmas or Chanukah Present.
You can donate a new, unwrapped
toy at countless locations across the US or even go online and pick out a
Virtual Toy to donate.
Tuesday, November 25, 2025
Respected
From the BBC:
“Same-sex marriage must be
respected throughout EU, top court tells Poland”
Poland has been told to recognise
same-sex marriages registered elsewhere in the European Union, in a ruling by
the EU's top court. The European Court of Justice (ECJ) said that EU member
states were obliged to recognise a same-sex marriage between two EU citizens
that had been "lawfully concluded in another member state". The
ruling covers the case of a Polish couple who married in Berlin in 2018. When
they decided to move to Poland, authorities refused to accept their marriage
certificate as Polish law does not recognise same-sex marriage.
The ECJ made clear that Polish
domestic law would not have to be changed to recognise marriages between people
of the same sex. Since the Netherlands recognised same-sex unions in 2001, a
number of other EU countries have followed suit, but others, such as Poland,
Hungary and Slovakia, have not. In September, Slovakia's populist-nationalist
government changed its constitution to allow only heterosexual couples to adopt
children. In its ruling on Tuesday, the ECJ said that while marriage rules fell
within each member state's competence, "countries were required to comply
with EU law in exercising that competence".
As EU citizens, the Polish couple
who married in Germany had the right to freedom of movement and the right to
lead a family life, the court explained. "In particular by virtue of
marriage, they must have the certainty to be able to pursue that family life
upon returning to their member state of origin," it added, so forcing them
to live as an unmarried couple in Poland was contrary to EU law and infringed
their rights Poland's pro-European coalition government has tried to advance
the rights of same-sex couples, but its move could be vetoed by conservative
President Karol Nawrocki. The ECJ's ruling was welcomed by Katarzyna Kotula, a
secretary of state and coalition ally of Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who
said it was an important step on the path to marriage equality. Meanwhile,
centre-left member of the European Parliament Krzysztof Smiszek wrote on social
media that "history is happening".
27 Year Sentence
From the BBC:
“Bolsonaro ordered to start
serving 27-year prison sentence for Brazil coup plot”
Brazil's Supreme Court has
ordered that right-wing former president Jair Bolsonaro begin serving his
prison sentence of 27 years and three months for plotting a coup after he lost
the last election. Justice Alexandre de Moraes on Tuesday ruled that the case
had reached its final judgement and that no further appeals were possible. Bolsonaro,
70, was found guilty of leading a conspiracy aimed at keeping him in power
after he lost the 2022 election to his left-wing rival, Luiz Inácio Lula da
Silva. He will begin serving his sentence in a federal police jail cell in the
capital, Brasilia, where he has been detained since Saturday after being deemed
a flight risk and removed from home detention. At a hearing on Sunday,
Bolsonaro admitted trying to open his ankle monitor with a soldering iron until
he "came to his senses", court documents show. He said he had had no
intention of fleeing and blamed medicine-induced "paranoia" for
damage he caused to the monitor.
Justice Moraes on Tuesday
mandated that full-time medical care be given to Bolsonaro, whose medical team
has previously said he is suffering from worsening health. Supreme Court
justices said in September, when Bolsonaro was found guilty of plotting a coup,
that he had known of plans to assassinate Lula and his vice-presidential
running mate, Geraldo Alckmin, and to arrest and execute Moraes, who has been
overseeing Bolsonaro's trial. The conspiracy failed to get the backing of the
army and air force commanders. Lula was sworn in without incident on 1 January
2023.
But a week later, on 8 January,
thousands of Bolsonaro supporters stormed government buildings in Brasília. The
security forces intervened and about 1,500 people were arrested. The justices
found that the rioters had been incited by Bolsonaro, whose plan, they said,
was for the military to step in and return him to power. Bolsonaro was also
barred from running for public office until 2060 - eight years after the end of
his sentence. The former president called the trial a "witch hunt"
designed to prevent him running in the 2026 presidential election. Justice
Moraes also ordered on Tuesday that others found guilty of being Bolsonaro's
co-conspirators must begin their sentences. They include Gen Augusto Heleno,
former minister for institutional security, and Gen Paulo Sérgio Nogueira de
Oliveira, former defence minister.
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Thanksgiving Travel
82 Million Americans are traveling
this Thanksgiving.
70 Million Americans will travel
by Car.
12 Million Americans will fly by
plane.
Hope everyone has a safe and fun Thanksgiving!
Monday, November 24, 2025
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$30 Billion
When you think the United States has spent too much money to help Ukraine defeat Russia over the past 3 ½ years just remember that France gave the United States the 2025 equivalent of $30 Billion Dollars to fight its Revolution for 6 years (1777 to 1783.)
We need to continue to support
Ukraine and not allow Russia to win the War or win the Peace.
Sunday, November 23, 2025
Famine
Today is Holodomor Ukrainian: Голодомор) or Famine Day in Ukraine.
From 1932-1933 Stalin and his
Communists created a Man-Made Famine to murder 5 Million Ukrainian Men, Women
and Children by starving them to death.
They wanted to eliminate
Ukrainian Nationalism and Culture.
The Following Counties Recognize
the Holodomor as a Genocide:
Estonia (in 1993)
Australia (in 1993)
Canada (in 2003)
Hungary (in 2003)
The Vatican (in 2004)
Lithuania (in 2005)
Georgia (in 2005)
Ukraine (in 2006)
Poland (in 2006)
Peru (in 2007)
Paraguay (in 2007)
Ecuador (in 2007)
Colombia (in 2007)
Mexico (in 2008)
Latvia (in 2008)
Portugal (in 2017)
The United States (Federal
Government in 2018)
The United States (State
Governments: Iowa (in 2023), Alabama (in 2018), Arizona (in 2023), Washington
D.C. (in 2017), Virginia (in 2018), Wisconsin (in 2017), Illinois (in 2018),
California (in 2016), Kansas (in 2018),
Connecticut (in 2018), Louisiana (in 2019), Massachusetts (in 2018), Maryland
in (2023), Michigan (in 2017), Minnesota (in 2018), Missouri (in 2018), New
Jersey, New York (in 2018), North Carolina (in 2018), Ohio (in 2018), Oregon
(in 2018), Pennsylvania (in 2017), Rhode
Island (in 2018), Texas (in 2018), Utah (in 2018) and Wyoming (in 2023)
The Czech Republic (in 2022)
Brazil (in 2022)
Ireland (in 2022)
Moldova (in 2022)
Romania (in 2022)
Germany (in 2022)
The European Union (in 2022)
Bulgaria (in 2023)
Belgium (in 2023)
Slovenia (in 2023)
The United Kingdom (in 2023)
Iceland (in 2023)
France (in 2023)
Luxembourg (in 2023)
Croatia (in 2023)
Slovakia (in 2023)
The Netherlands (in 2023)
Italy (in 2023)
Saturday, November 22, 2025
Piece Not Peace
Don’t be fooled!
Russia wants a PIECE of Ukraine - Not PEACE in Ukraine!
I am American and I continue to
stand with Ukraine against Putin and Russia’s War there.
Food Shows
Food Reality Shows
Here are the Baking Reality
Shows I have watched/are watching:
The Great American Baking Show (8
Seasons) with Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith.
The Great American Baking Holiday
Show (3 Seasons)
The American Baking Competition
(1 Season)
Halloween Baking Championship (10
Seasons)
Halloween Cookie Challenge (2
Seasons)
Christmas Cookie Challenge (6
Seasons)
Holiday Baking Championship (11
Seasons)
Spring Baking Championship (11
Seasons)
Summer Baking Championship (3
Seasons)
Baking It (2 Seasons)
Best Baker in America (4 Seasons)
Bake Squad (2 Seasons)
Baking Impossible (1 Season)
Cake Wars (5 Seasons)
Cupcake Wars (11 Seasons)
Disney's Magic Bake-Off (1
Season)
Halloween Wars (14 Seasons)
Is It Cake? (3 Seasons)
School of Chocolate (1 Season)
Sugar Rush (2 Seasons)
Ultimate Cake Off (2 Seasons)
Worst Bakers in America (2
Seasons)
Nailed It! (8 Seasons)
Kids Baking Championship (12
Seasons)
The Great Canadian Baking Show (8
Seasons)
The Great Canadian Holiday Baking
Show (2 Seasons)
The Great Irish Bake Off (6
Seasons)
The Great Kiwi Bake Off (6
Seasons)
The Great Australian Bake Off (7
Seasons)
Australia’s Zumbo's Just Desserts
(2 Seasons)
¡Nailed it! México (3 Seasons)
Nailed It! France (1 Season)
Nailed It! Germany (1 Season)
Nailed It! Spain (1 Season)
The Great British Baking Show (15
Seasons)
The Great British Holiday Baking
Show (12 Seasons)
I also like watching Cooking Reality Shows
like:
MasterChef US (15 Seasons)
MasterChef US Junior (10 Seasons)
MasterChef UK (20 Seasons)
MasterChef Australia (16 Seasons)
MasterChef Canada (7 Seasons)
MasterChef Quebec (1 Season)
MasterChef Ireland (5 Seasons)
MasterChef Ukraine (10 Seasons)
Food Network Star (14 Seasons)
Hell’s Kitchen UK (4 Seasons)
Hell’s Kitchen US (23 Seasons)
My Kitchen Rules UK (3 Seasons)
My Kitchen Rules Australia (13
Seasons)
My Kitchen Rules New Zealand (5
Seasons)
My Kitchen Rules US (1 Season)
Iron Chef Canada (2 Seasons)
Iron Chef US (13 Seasons)
Iron Chef UK (1 Season)
Next Level Chef US (3 Seasons)
Next Level Chef UK (1 Season)
Top Chef Canada (10 Seasons)
Top Chef US (21 Seasons)
The Big Family Cooking Showdown
(2 Seasons)
Chopped US (55 Seasons)
Chopped Canada (4 Seasons)
Cutthroat Kitchen (15 Seasons)
Crime Scene Kitchen (3 Seasons)
Food Network Challenge (13
Seasons)
Great British Menu (19 Seasons)
Wall Of Chefs (2 Seasons)
World Food Championships (2
Seasons)
Worst Cooks in America (28
Seasons)
The Great Food Truck Race (18
Seasons)
50: Restoration
50 years ago today (November 22, 1975) Spain resumed being a Monarchy when Juan Carlos I became King of Spain two days after Dictator, Francisco Franco, died.
Spain had been a Monarchy from
1479 until 1873 (394 years) when the First Spanish Republic was created which
lasted one year.
The Monarchy was reestablished in
1874 and lasted until 1931 (57 years) when the Second Spanish Republic was
formed.
The Second Spanish Republic
lasted until 1939 when Franco’s Fascists won the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939)
and created the Spanish State (a Represseive Fascist Dictatorship that lasted
until Franco’s Death in November 1975.)
In 1969, Franco named 31 year old
Juan Carlos his Successor and trained him.
On November 20, 1975 Franco died
and was buried with honors at the Valley of the Fallen.
Crimes During Franco’s
Dictatorship:
During Franco’s White Terror
(1936-1975) the following were considered State Enemies: Loyalists to the
Second Spanish Republic (1931–1939), Liberals, Socialists, Protestants,
Intellectuals, Homosexuals, Freemasons, Romani, Jews and Basque, Catalan,
Andalusian and Galician Nationalists.
At least 400,000 Men, Women and
Children spent time in Prisons (there were 12,042 Children in Franco’s Prisons
in 1942 alone.)
300,000 Children were removed
from their “State Enemy” Families and raised by Franco Officials. They are
called the Lost Children.
There were 300 Spanish
Concentration Camps from 1936-1947 that held 431,251 Men, Women and Children in
them.
An estimated 200,000 Men, Women
and Children were murdered by Franco’s Dictatorship from 1936-1975. The exact
number is unknown (and most likely much higher) because the vast majority were
shot and buried in unmarked graves through Spain.
Spain has official laws that
prevent the country from dealing with the crimes (including murder) committed
during Franco’s Dictatorship:
In 1975 the Pact of Forgetting
was the Political Agreement for all Spanish Political Parties to avoid
confronting Franco’s Repression.
The 1977 Amnesty Law (still in
force today) guaranteed impurity to those who committed crimes during Franco’s
Dictatorship. It also made the Pact of Forgetting official.
The 2007 Historical Memory Law
recognizes the victims on both sides of the Spanish Civil War, gives rights to
the Victims and the Descendants of Victims of the Civil War and the subsequent
Dictatorship of General Francisco Franco, and formally condemns repressions of
the Franco Regime.
It doesn’t negate the 1977
Amnesty Law so no one can be punished for their crimes.
The Association for the Recovery
of Historical Memory formed in 2000 is a Spanish Organization that collects the
oral and written testimonies about the White Terror of Francisco Franco and
excavates and identifies their bodies that were often dumped in mass graves.
Franco wasn’t removed from the
Valley of the Fallen until 2019 which was 44 years after his death (for
reference Joseph Stalin was removed from Lenin’s Mausoleum by the Soviets in
1961 which was 8 years after he died.)
The last Statue of Francisco
Franco in Spain was only removed in Melilla in February 2021.
Kingdom of Spain (since 1975):
Juan
Carlos I reigned from November 22, 1975 until June 19, 2014.
During that time Spain moved to
becoming a Democracy (from 1975-1982.)
Juan Carlos I abdicated in June
2014 due to his age and various Public Scandals. He moved out of Spain in August 2020.
His Son, Felipe, became King Felipe
VI and has ruled Spain since (11 years and counting.)
Felipe VI ‘s Daughter, Leonor,
Princess of Asturias, has been Heir to the Spanish Monarchy since her 18th
Birthday in 2023.
When she becomes Queen she will
be the first Spanish Queen since her fourth Great-Grandmother Isabella II, who
reigned from 1833 to 1868.
Friday, November 21, 2025
Video Speech
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's Address to the Ukrainian People regarding Trump's 28 Peace Proposal that favors only Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin
has already come out and said Russia will support the 28 Points (again because
it only favors Russia.)
Trump has given Zelenskyy until
this Thanksgiving (November 27th) to accept the 28 Point Proposal or lose
America's backing in defending against Russia's Mass Murder inside Ukraine.
As an American I believe and
fully support Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian People against Putin,
Russia and her Allies.
The link has the video:
80: Nuremberg Trails
80 years ago yesterday (November 20, 1945) the Nuremberg Trials started.
The Nuremberg Trials were International
Criminal Trials held by the Allies(the British, French, Soviets and Americans)
against Leaders of the defeated Nazi Germany for plotting and carrying out
invasions of several Countries across Europe and committing Atrocities (such as
the Holocaust) against their Citizens in the Second World War.
Between Novemberr20, 1945 and October 1, 1946, the
International Military Tribunal (IMT) tried 22 of the most important surviving
leaders of Nazi Germany in the Political, Military, and Economic Spheres, as
well as six German Organizations.
The purpose of the trial was not only to try
the Defendants but also to assemble irrefutable evidence of Nazi War Crimes,
offer a history lesson to the defeated Germans, and delegitimize the
traditional German Elite.
The Defendants, who were largely
unrepentant, included former Cabinet Ministers: Franz von Papen (who had
brought Hitler to power), Joachim von Ribbentrop (Foreign Minister), Konstantin
von Neurath (Foreign Minister), Wilhelm Frick (Interior Minister), and Alfred
Rosenberg, Minister for the Occupied Eastern Territories.
Also prosecuted were leaders of
the German Economy, such as Gustav Krupp of the Krupp AG Conglomerate, former
Reichsbank President Hjalmar Schacht, and Economic Planners Albert Speer and
Walther Funk, along with Speer's subordinate and head of the Forced Labor Program,
Fritz Sauckel.
The Miltary Leaders were Hermann
Göring—the most infamous surviving Nazi and the main target of the Trial —Wilhelm
Keitel, Alfred Jodl, Erich Raeder, and Karl Dönitz.
Also on trial were Propagandists
Julius Streicher and Hans Fritzsche; Rudolf Hess, Hitler's Deputy who had flown
to Britain in 1941; Hans Frank, Governor-General of the General Governorate of
Poland; Hitler Youth Leader Baldur von Schirach; Arthur Seyss-Inquart, Reich
Commissioner for the Netherlands; and Ernst Kaltenbrunner, Leader of Himmler's
Reich Security Main Office.
The Defendants tried to blame
their Crimes on Hitler, who was mentioned 12,000 times during the Trial.
After 216 Court Sessions, on
October 1, 1946, the Verdict on 22 of the original 24 Defendants was handed
down.
(Robert Ley committed Suicide
while in Prison, and Gustav Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach’s mental and physical
condition prevented his being tried.)
Three of the Defendants were
acquitted: Hjalmar Schacht, Franz von Papen, and Hans Fritzsche.
Four were sentenced to terms of Imprisonment
ranging from 10 to 20 years: Karl Dönitz, Baldur von Schirach, Albert Speer,
and Konstantin von Neurath.
Three were sentenced to Life Imprisonment:
Rudolf Hess, Walther Funk, and Erich Raeder.
Twelve of the defendants were sentenced to Death
by Hanging. Ten of them—Hans Frank, Wilhelm Frick, Julius Streicher, Alfred
Rosenberg, Ernst Kaltenbrunner, Joachim von Ribbentrop, Fritz Sauckel, Alfred
Jodl, Wilhelm Keitel, and Arthur Seyss-Inquart—were hanged on October 16, 1946.
Martin Bormann was tried and
condemned to Death in Absentia.
Former Luftwaffe (Air Force) Commander-in-Chief
Hermann Göring, one of the highest-ranking of all Nazi Officials, committed Suicide
by swallowing a cyanide capsule before he could be executed.
Subsequently, the United States
held 12 additional Trials in Nuremberg (from 1946-1949) of High-Level Officials
of the German Government, Military, and SS as well as Medical Professionals and
leading Industrialists.
The Nazis' Highest Authority, the
Person most to blame for the Holocaust, was missing at the trials. Adolf Hitler
had killed himself in the final days of the War, as had several of his closest Aides.
Many more Criminals were never
tried.
Kyiv's Response
Key Statements from the President of Ukraine:
• “There comes a moment in the life of every
nation when everyone must speak honestly.”
• “This is one of the hardest moments in our
history: either 28 difficult points, or the hardest winter and more risks.”
• “Yes, we are made of steel — but even the
strongest metal can eventually break.”
• “I’m addressing everyone: stop the bickering
and pull yourselves together.”
• “I know I’m not alone — Ukrainians are with
me. We didn’t betray Ukraine on February 24, and we won’t betray it now.”
^ This is extremely sad to see
and hear.
Either Ukraine folds to the US’
28 Point Plan or they lose the US’ support.
This 28 Point Plan favors only
Russia. ^
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28 Points
From ABC News:
“Trump administration's
28-point Ukraine-Russia peace plan presented to Zelenskyy”
The Trump administration's
28-point draft proposal to finally end Russia's invasion into Ukraine would
require Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's government to make
significant concessions -- but also includes NATO-style security guarantees for
Ukraine, according to a senior U.S. official. The plan, which is still a draft
and could change, was presented in Kyiv earlier Thursday. (See the full draft
below) The plan was drafted by Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff with input from
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the White House press secretary and a senior
U.S. administration official confirmed Thursday.
The plan would force Kyiv to give
up additional territory in the east, cap the size of its military and agree it
will never join NATO, among a number of other items that will be painful for
the war-torn country to swallow. Even
though the Trump administration plan calls for significant concessions from
Ukraine, one of the security guarantees that will be provided to Ukraine is
modeled on the principles of Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty. Under the
proposed plan, the U.S. and European allies would view an attack on Ukraine as
an attack on the "transatlantic community," according to a senior
U.S. administration official. Axios first reported details of the draft
plan.
Officially, the 28-point peace
plan notes that "Ukraine will receive reliable security guarantees." The senior official confirmed that one of
those security guarantees is a NATO-style security guarantee, which means the
U.S. and its allies could respond with military force if Russia attacks Ukraine
in the future. That could be seen as a
huge, unprecedented win for Ukraine and Zelenskyy, who has, for years, sought
long-term, collective defense protection from NATO allies. The plan was
presented to Zelenskky on Thursday, the U.S. official said. "This
plan was drawn up immediately following discussions with one of the most senior
members of President Zelensky's administration, Rustem Umerov, who agreed to
the majority of the plan, after making several modifications, and presented it
to President Zelensky," the senior U.S. administration official said to
ABC News.
White House press secretary
Karoline Leavitt said in a statement provided to ABC News that the plan
reflects the complex situation and that both Russia and Ukraine will gain more
than they will give. "As the Trump Administration has clearly said, any
deal must provide full security guarantees and deterrence for Ukraine, Europe,
and Russia to ensure the end of the war, in addition to financial opportunities
for Ukraine to rebuild, and for Russia to rejoin the global economy, to benefit
the people in both countries," Leavitt said in the statement. "This
plan was crafted to reflect the realities of the situation...to find the best
win-win scenario, where both parties gain more than they must give." In
his evening address on Thursday, Zelenskyy said he had a "very serious
conversation" with U.S. officials who laid out what he called a
"vision" for ending the war. In
his remarks, Zelenskyy reiterated that Ukraine needs a real peace that won't be
broken. "I outlined what is fundamentally important for us. And we agreed
that the teams will work on these proposals – so that it is real,"
Zelenkskyy said in his address. "We will not make harsh statements and are
committed to clear, honest work – Ukraine, the United States and our friends
and partners in Europe and the world."
The full plan, according to a
draft obtained by ABC News:
1. Ukraine's sovereignty will be
confirmed.
2. A comprehensive non-aggression
agreement will be concluded between Russia, Ukraine and Europe. All ambiguities
of the last 30 years will be considered settled.
3. It is expected that Russia
will not invade neighboring countries and NATO will not expand further.
4. A dialogue will be held
between Russia and NATO, mediated by the United States, to resolve all security
issues and create conditions for de-escalation in order to ensure global
security and increase opportunities for cooperation and future economic development.
5. Ukraine will receive reliable
security guarantees.
6. The size of the Ukrainian
Armed Forces will be limited to 600,000 personnel.
7. Ukraine agrees to enshrine in
its constitution that it will not join NATO, and NATO agrees to include in its
statutes a provision that Ukraine will not be admitted in the future.
8. NATO agrees not to station
troops in Ukraine.
9. European fighter jets will be
stationed in Poland.
10. The U.S. guarantee:
-- The U.S. will receive
compensation for the guarantee;
- If Ukraine invades Russia, it
will lose the guarantee;
-- If Russia invades Ukraine, in
addition to a decisive coordinated military response, all global sanctions will
be reinstated, recognition of the new territory and all other benefits of this
deal will be revoked;
-- If Ukraine launches a missile
at Moscow or St. Petersburg without cause, the security guarantee will be
deemed invalid.
11. Ukraine is eligible for EU
membership and will receive short-term preferential access to the European
market while this issue is being considered.
12. A powerful global package of
measures to rebuild Ukraine, including but not limited to:
-- The creation of a Ukraine
Development Fund to invest in fast-growing industries, including technology,
data centers, and artificial intelligence.
-- The United States will
cooperate with Ukraine to jointly rebuild, develop, modernize, and operate
Ukraine's gas infrastructure, including pipelines and storage facilities.
-- Joint efforts to rehabilitate
war-affected areas for the restoration, reconstruction and modernization of
cities and residential areas.
-- Infrastructure development.
-- Extraction of minerals and
natural resources.
-- The World Bank will develop a
special financing package to accelerate these efforts.
13. Russia will be reintegrated
into the global economy:
-- The lifting of sanctions will
be discussed and agreed upon in stages and on a case-by-case basis.
-- The United States will enter
into a long-term economic cooperation agreement for mutual development in the
areas of energy, natural resources, infrastructure, artificial intelligence,
data centers, rare earth metal extraction projects in the Arctic, and other
mutually beneficial corporate opportunities.
-- Russia will be invited to
rejoin the G8.
14. Frozen funds will be used as
follows:
-- $100 billion in frozen Russian
assets will be invested in US-led efforts to rebuild and invest in Ukraine;
-- The US will receive 50% of the
profits from this venture. Europe will add $100 billion to increase the amount
of investment available for Ukraine's reconstruction. Frozen European funds
will be unfrozen. The remainder of the frozen Russian funds will be invested in
a separate US-Russian investment vehicle that will implement joint projects in
specific areas. This fund will be aimed at strengthening relations and
increasing common interests to create a strong incentive not to return to
conflict.
15. A joint American-Russian
working group on security issues will be established to promote and ensure
compliance with all provisions of this agreement.
16. Russia will enshrine in law
its policy of non-aggression towards Europe and Ukraine.
17. The United States and Russia
will agree to extend the validity of treaties on the non-proliferation and
control of nuclear weapons, including the START I Treaty.
18. Ukraine agrees to be a
non-nuclear state in accordance with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of
Nuclear Weapons.
19. The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear
Power Plant will be launched under the supervision of the IAEA, and the
electricity produced will be distributed equally between Russia and Ukraine --
50:50.
20. Both countries undertake to
implement educational programs in schools and society aimed at promoting
understanding and tolerance of different cultures and eliminating racism and
prejudice:
-- Ukraine will adopt EU rules on
religious tolerance and the protection of linguistic minorities.
-- Both countries will agree to
abolish all discriminatory measures and guarantee the rights of Ukrainian and
Russian media and education.
-- All Nazi ideology and
activities must be rejected and prohibited.
21. Territories:
-- Crimea, Luhansk and Donetsk
will be recognized as de facto Russian, including by the United States.
-- Kherson and Zaporizhzhia will
be frozen along the line of contact, which will mean de facto recognition along
the line of contact.
-- Russia will relinquish other
agreed territories it controls outside the five regions.
-- Ukrainian forces will withdraw
from the part of Donetsk Oblast that they currently control, and this
withdrawal zone will be considered a neutral demilitarized buffer zone,
internationally recognized as territory belonging to the Russian Federation. Russian
forces will not enter this demilitarized zone.
22. After agreeing on future
territorial arrangements, both the Russian Federation and Ukraine undertake not
to change these arrangements by force. Any security guarantees will not apply
in the event of a breach of this commitment.
23. Russia will not prevent
Ukraine from using the Dnieper River for commercial activities, and agreements
will be reached on the free transport of grain across the Black Sea.
24. A humanitarian committee will
be established to resolve outstanding issues:
-- All remaining prisoners and
bodies will be exchanged on an 'all for all' basis.
-- All civilian detainees and
hostages will be returned, including children.
-- A family reunification program
will be implemented.
-- Measures will be taken to
alleviate the suffering of the victims of the conflict.
25. Ukraine will hold elections
in 100 days.
26. All parties involved in this
conflict will receive full amnesty for their actions during the war and agree
not to make any claims or consider any complaints in the future.
27. This agreement will be
legally binding. Its implementation will be monitored and guaranteed by the
Peace Council, headed by President Donald J. Trump. Sanctions will be imposed
for violations.
28. Once all parties agree to
this memorandum, the ceasefire will take effect immediately after both sides
retreat to agreed points to begin implementation of the agreement.
^ This sounds like the US is trying
to appease Russia and NOT end Russia’s War in Ukraine.
Why would we only cap Ukraine’s
Military? Why isn’t the Russian Military capped?
Why do we reintegrate Russia into
the Global Economy even though they haven’t done anything to deserve it?
Why do we give Russia Ukrainian
Territory when Russia illegally invaded and occupied those places?
What are we going to do about
bringing justice for Russian War Crimes in Ukraine?
Why can’t Ukraine join NATO as a
Safety Guarantee?
Why can’t Ukraine restart its
Nuclear Weapons Program? Russia broke the 1994 Agreement and so Ukraine should
be allowed to restart their program if they so chose.
Why does Ukraine need to hold Elections within
100 days?
What about Russia holding free
and Democratic Elections – where Putin is not allowed on the Ballot – within 100
days?
Why is the US going to simply act
as though Russia hasn’t committed Mass Murder for the past 3 ½ years?
Why is Ukraine being punished so
harshly by these points when it is the victim of Russia’s War?
I say Ukraine and the United
States should not follow this proposed deal.
Russia has gone against every
single International Agreement regarding Ukraine since 1994 and there is
nothing that suggests they won't do the same here.
If Ukraine stops fighting with
Russia losing, then it is the end of Ukraine.
If Russia stops fighting with
Ukraine then it is the end of the War. ^
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