I’m horrified at Steve Witkoff’s remark

Chocolatelovinggran

undines, I have been to Russia, and I did speak fairly freely to our guides.
They did acknowledge that the news they received was via State controlled media , and that this made it difficult to be confident about what they were hearing.
Mr Trump has taken on the ICC now.
Do we, or do we not, not want a court that shines a light on war crimes?
If Mr Trump manages to hand over Ukraine to Mr Putin, then I would suggest, respectfully, that, far from "saving us all", he will be empowering Mr Putin to look for his next conquest. Finland might feel a little apprehensive, for example.

Chocolatelovinggran

undines, I have been to Russia, and I did speak fairly freely to our guides.
They did acknowledge that the news they received was via State controlled media , and that this made it difficult to be confident about what they were hearing.

My late OH also visited Russia as it was assigned his 'territory' when the company were looking to expand their business in the oil & gas industry. What he saw and experienced confirms your own experience.

His visits were during Putin's first rise to power and even then there were divisions between pro-Kremlin factions and a fragmented Opposition. His guide, and prospective business 'agent' were also wary of what they said, and where they said it, and did not quite know what 'news' to believe. He (OH) also travelled into the more remote parts of Russia because of the nature of the company's business, and met quite a few people. The 'agent' (an extrovert) that my OH selected and the company chose initially kept up a lively email correspondence with my OH but this gradually diminished as he became more circumspect. Ultimately, my OH left the company and emailed the agent to inform him. But received only a brief and rather formal response. A few months later OH attempted to contact him once more to ask "how's business". But we never heard from him again.

That squeaky tank. 🤣

Wouldn’t it be lovely if we knew for sure that Trump has seen this P take of him in Tehran.
I have checked its legitimacy.

www.facebook.com/reel/1570553311781368

Another brilliant reel.

www.facebook.com/reel/2405260716878166

I honestly think we are missing the obvious and that is Trump is pro Russian, either because he wants to be like Putin or because he's a Russian asset. Two senior political advisors to Trump who are also big in Maga were reported by the New York Times to have travelled to the Balkans in advance of their elections to work for the pro Russian government there,

"Blair and LaCivita “were paid hundreds of thousands of dollars each through a Washington-based law firm that was retained by Republika Srpska’s government to provide counsel on voting issues,” the Times reported. "

When challenged on it they donated the money they had earned to Trump's Ballroom fund! Trump was perfectly OK with this when they should have been sacked! Musk supports far right, pro Russian parties like the AFD, Kushner has had links with Russian bankers and oligarchs for years. Noe of this is accidental or coincidental. The Trump family and those he has around him have a lot to gain from their links to Russia. As it's been said, follow the money!

Its all in the money 😳 $$$$$

undines

Doesn't anyone have an open mind? How many of you have met Putin? Or lived in Russia? Or talked to a Russian who lives in Russia? Do you think that 'our side' are incapable of lies and propaganda? Do you realise that arguably NATO. have provoked Putin by their incursions? Do you realise that there's more to Ukraine than meets the eye? Do you not think the Ukrainian people should have a choice about their leader? And finally, do you really want a Third World War, to threaten all our lives, especially those of our children and grandchildren? Do you want to keep poking the bear until it grabs you? Whatever Trump's motives, thank goodness he's made some agreement with Putin, he may (albeit inadvertently) be saving us all!

OMG ! We have a Russian agent amongst us !!
I can’t believe what I am reading .
What is your news source ? Pravda ???

undines

Doesn't anyone have an open mind? How many of you have met Putin? Or lived in Russia? Or talked to a Russian who lives in Russia? Do you think that 'our side' are incapable of lies and propaganda? Do you realise that arguably NATO. have provoked Putin by their incursions? Do you realise that there's more to Ukraine than meets the eye? Do you not think the Ukrainian people should have a choice about their leader? And finally, do you really want a Third World War, to threaten all our lives, especially those of our children and grandchildren? Do you want to keep poking the bear until it grabs you? Whatever Trump's motives, thank goodness he's made some agreement with Putin, he may (albeit inadvertently) be saving us all!

OMG !! We have a Russian agent amongst us !!!
Are you for real ???

Cossy

undines

Doesn't anyone have an open mind? How many of you have met Putin? Or lived in Russia? Or talked to a Russian who lives in Russia? Do you think that 'our side' are incapable of lies and propaganda? Do you realise that arguably NATO. have provoked Putin by their incursions? Do you realise that there's more to Ukraine than meets the eye? Do you not think the Ukrainian people should have a choice about their leader? And finally, do you really want a Third World War, to threaten all our lives, especially those of our children and grandchildren? Do you want to keep poking the bear until it grabs you? Whatever Trump's motives, thank goodness he's made some agreement with Putin, he may (albeit inadvertently) be saving us all!

I’m afraid I have to utterly disagree! 😱😱

I agree with you Cossy. Perhaps Undines is Russian.

GrannyGravy13

Has this got something to do with President Putin releasing the 74 year old American Stephen Hubbard?

He has been in prison in Russia for the last four years, for allegedly mining a checkpoint in Ukraine.

This is an attempt to give Trump some plus points before the congrsssional and senate election where hopefully the electorate will show some gumption and vote enough Democrats in to get control back from the Republicans grasp .

Fallingstar

Bloody hell!!
Excuse the French.
Never thought I would see this day.
I think we can all now establish who Trump’s latest bro romance is with. Seems the US no longer sees Russia as the enemy but rather an ally which leaves the Ukraine and Europe as the enemy. Because he can’t jump in bed with both and it looks like his decision has been made.
So now Europe lies exposed to Putin’s expansionist ideas. Correction, Europe lies exposed to this ‘humanitarian’s expansionist ideas.
🤬🤬🤬

Absolutely so, Fallingstar!!!!

I hope Trump is slammed at the mid terms!

Marydoll

My daughter is both dyslexic and dyspraxic, Monica.
However, she manages to work in a responsible job in the Civil Service.
She was almost an adult, before she got a diagnosis. My hat goes off to you, Monica.

Me too!

undines

Doesn't anyone have an open mind? How many of you have met Putin? Or lived in Russia? Or talked to a Russian who lives in Russia? Do you think that 'our side' are incapable of lies and propaganda? Do you realise that arguably NATO. have provoked Putin by their incursions? Do you realise that there's more to Ukraine than meets the eye? Do you not think the Ukrainian people should have a choice about their leader? And finally, do you really want a Third World War, to threaten all our lives, especially those of our children and grandchildren? Do you want to keep poking the bear until it grabs you? Whatever Trump's motives, thank goodness he's made some agreement with Putin, he may (albeit inadvertently) be saving us all!

I’m afraid I have to utterly disagree! 😱😱

Fallingstar

Bloody hell!!
Excuse the French.
Never thought I would see this day.
I think we can all now establish who Trump’s latest bro romance is with. Seems the US no longer sees Russia as the enemy but rather an ally which leaves the Ukraine and Europe as the enemy. Because he can’t jump in bed with both and it looks like his decision has been made.
So now Europe lies exposed to Putin’s expansionist ideas. Correction, Europe lies exposed to this ‘humanitarian’s expansionist ideas.
🤬🤬🤬

The us government might see Putin as an ally but the general public don’t. The come down on Zelenskys side.
There are still a lot of us citizens who hate Putin.

My daughter is both dyslexic and dyspraxic, Monica.
However, she manages to work in a responsible job in the Civil Service.
She was almost an adult, before she got a diagnosis. My hat goes off to you, Monica.

Margs

WOW! MOnica - your predictive text has gone a bit crazy.........

Not predictive text but my dyspraxia, diagnosed many decades before neural diversity became fashionable, Essentially it means I am cackhanded and uncoordinated and I sometimes think that my fingers have wills of their own. I know what I want to type but they insist on typing their version.

It is always worse when I am under any kind of pressure or stress, which I obviously am at the moment. I usually try to proof read and correct, but clearly forget in this case

WOW! MOnica - your predictive text has gone a bit crazy.........

Margs

Ha!

Trump, Putin and Netanyahu - a very unholy Trinity of, er, 'humanitarians'........

Yes indeed, ha, ha!

Voting not biting

singingnutty

I am following several very reputable USA commentators who are reporting events and what Trump and his associates are saying. It is difficult to believe the things that are happening and even if the mid-terms put more Democrats potentially in power the commentators say that Trump will not accept the results. Worse is probably to come!

Yes I fear that if the midterms are not good for Trump he will behave like he did at the election when he was ousted, basically he will say the biting was rigged and he won’t accept the results. And who knows what his bully boy MAGA supporters will do.😡

I fear that your fears are well founded, singingnutty.

I am following several very reputable USA commentators who are reporting events and what Trump and his associates are saying. It is difficult to believe the things that are happening and even if the mid-terms put more Democrats potentially in power the commentators say that Trump will not accept the results. Worse is probably to come!

Fallingstar

Of course some leaders were apologists for Hitler.

And others made excuses for Franco!

Nobody should be surprised at whatever self-serving nonsense Chump might come out with, nor his assorted incompetent greasy-pole hangers-on.

His 'diesel deal' was announced as a sop to the mid-term elections, trying to persuade any gullible voters left over there to limit the damage that the Republicans should hopefully be about to suffer (Nov 3rd). But several TV shows have pointed out that Russia doen't have enough to sell, nor the means to transport it!

And for those wondering why Chump is so forgiving towards the war criminal Putin, well, he admires an Emperor who can do just what he wants (it's what he thought he was getting as PoTUS), plus there have been many rumours since 2016 that the Kremlin has some interesting film of Chump in hotel rooms in his 1987 visit trying to expand his hotel interests. Soon afterwards Chump placed ads in US papers criticising NATO and American defence spending.

Or undines Trump may, by rewarding Putin for his aggression, put the whole of Europe under threat. If he takes Ukraine it strengthens his economy and gives him a much bigger army to threaten the rest of Europe with. Putin has his eyes on a much bigger prize than Ukraine, he wants the USSR back.