#Ukraine has refused President Macron’s Olympic Cease Fire proposal citing concerns that #Russia would use any lull in fighting to move troops and re-arm.
Macron’s proposal would offer a truce during the summer Olympic Games in Paris.
The #unitednations could have a peace keeping force, "blue helmets" on the ground in #gaza#rafah but that would me they would also need one in #ukraine.
Never will we see this obvious solution with #russia and #china on the #un security council.
By mid-week #Russia was 20 miles from #Kharkiv city. If they are within 15 miles they can hit the city with 152 mm #artillery which could cause immense damage and people to flee the city.
“It’s the world’s fault,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says in frustration at the dire situation in the city of Kharkiv, where Russian troops are advancing. “They gave the opportunity for Putin to occupy,” he says, but adds “now the world can help.” Zelenskyy canceled a planned trip to Spain in order to be in the country as the Russian onslaught intensifies, saying “It’s really important for me to be here.” Read more from ABC News.
In #Vovchansk, #Kharkiv region, where active hostilities are taking place, the first executions of civilians by #Russian troops have been reported, police said. A man who tried to flee on foot was killed. Civilians are also being captured.
Evacuations had been taking place, but now the Russian military, trying to gain a foothold in the city, is not allowing locals to evacuate.
Using a loophole in sanctions, #Turkey is disguising Russian oil as its own and exporting it to the #EU, bringing billions in profits to #Russia, Politico writes.
Between February 2023 and February 2024, Turkey increased its purchases from Russia by 105% compared to the previous 12 months. During the same period, Turkish fuel exports to the EU increased by 107%.
Cross-examination of #MichaelCohen resumes, an opportunity for the defense to poke holes in his testimony & perhaps trip up or provoke the state’s key witness. The questioning of Cohen, #Trump’s fmr fixer, is the beginning of the end of Trump’s #criminal trial, which began April 15 & might conclude before Memorial Day weekend at this pace.
Over the years, #MichaelCohen has repeatedly admitted to lying to Congress & elsewhere.
#Blanche asks Cohen to recall the lies he told to Congress about how many times he spoke to #Trump about a possible Trump Tower project in #Russia. Blanche’s goal is to show the jury Cohen is opportunistic even under oath. However, these were lies that Cohen has said he told to protect Trump.
#MichaelCohen admits he asked his lawyers to explore the possibility, although he testified before a House panel that he would never have accepted one. Cohen points out — correctly, as NYT broke the story — that Trump was dangling pardons to people connected to the special counsel's investigation into the #Trump campaign's possible ties to #Russia.
Justice #Merchan announces court will not be in session as usual next Wed, bc jurors won’t be free.
#Blanche, asks #MichaelCohen to clarify that he has met w/several sets of prosecutors & testimony about their conversations can be confusing. “Help the jury understand that,” he says. “There’s 2 separate prosecutors?”
Cohen confirms that he met w/both the #SpecialCounsel’s office in DC, during the #Russia investigation, & Manhattan federal prosecutors, where Blanche used to work.
So that you know, this video posted today by #SyrianGirl account with description "Yemen Houthi forces Score a direct hit in US destroyer" gained nearly 700k views, 2.3k shares and 7k likes... and it's entirely false.
Users quickly identified the original as 2013 video from Norway naval exercise. The "Syrian Girl" account only added some subtitles in Arabic.
The account has been posting such fakes for years, starting from inventing incredible conspiracy theories to discredit the official OPCW investigation into #Assad chemical attacks against civilians in #Syria and then every single fake, mostly produced in #Russia.
Outcome of #Putin visit to #China in terms of economic agreements signed:
✅ Agreement on supplies of Russian topinambour and beef by-products, particularly beef cartilage and stomachs to China
✅ Creation of a new nature reserve "Land of big cats"
✅ Cooperation between TASS and Xinhua news agencies
❌ Construction of Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline was not agreed
To me, these indicate an extremely close and strategic partnership between China and Russia, especially the beef cartilages are going to change the course of the world 😂
@kravietz i wouldn't be so sure beef cartilage is all that'll be going on between #fascist#russia and power-hungry authoritarian #china; it's just that in this situation most things shouldn't and won't be announced :-(
#Russia are succeeding in their assault on #Kharkiv due to: delayed #US aid, poor fortifications and #Russia battlefield tactics and #russia is benefitting from the US preventing #Ukraine from using #US weaponry on Russia territory, Max Boot writes for the Washington Post.
@timkmak #Biden needs to throw out #JakeSullivan's Goldilocks strategy for #Russia (which was foolish from the beginning) and let #Ukraine defend itself the same way we let literally every other country we supply weapons to defend themselves. #Putin is committed to confrontation with us no matter what we do. We need to quit playing into his hands.
The pace of Russian offensive operations in northern #Kharkiv Oblast appears to have slowed over the past 24 hours.
The pattern of RU offensive activity in this area is consistent w/ ISW's assessment that RU forces are prioritizing the creation of a "buffer zone" in the international border area over a deeper penetration of Kharkiv Oblast.
Russian forces continued to make marginal tactical advances in the #Lyptsi direction (north of #Kharkiv City). Geolocated footage published on May 13 shows that Russian forces advanced southward to the intersection of Skhilna Road and Chervonyi Lane in eastern #Lukyantsi (northeast of Lyptsi).
Danish Prime Minister Mette #Frederiksen has called on other European countries to follow #Germany's example and provide #Ukraine with more #Patriot air defense systems. “We need five or six more Patriot systems,”. These systems are in Europe. It is better to have air defense systems in Ukraine than in NATO countries. The fighting in Ukraine was not going in the right direction. “The Ukrainians need more,” she says, also referring to ammunition.
#Trump has his posse again. Today it’s more #Republican elected officials. Today, Trump will be joined by the #House speaker, #MikeJohnson, as well as #NorthDakota’s governor, #DougBurgum, a contender to be Trump's running mate. Also present will be Representatives #ByronDonalds & #CoryMills of Florida, & #VivekRamaswamy, who was one of Trump's primary rivals this year. Both Donalds & Ramaswamy are longshot hopefuls to be Trump's running mate.
#Blanche turns to Aug 2018, when #MichaelCohen decided to cooperate w/the special counsel who was investigating the Trump campaign's possible ties to #Russia.
Cohen is asked about the infamous #SteeleDossier, a compendium of opposition research put together by various people looking to stop Trump in 2016, filled w/salacious allegations. At the time, Cohen was enraged about allegations about him that were in there, which he said were false.
#Blanche questions #MichaelCohen about his testimony to federal prosecutors in 2017 concerning his discussions w/ #Trump about a possible Trump Tower in #Russia.
Blanche gets Cohen to admit that he lied to federal prosecutors about Trump’s Moscow project. But doesn’t make it clear what exactly the lie was, so not sure what Blanche gained in the exchange.