I have worked with / for the Government since 2018 - I obviously know much more than I can say, but one thing I can say about the exit negotiations is that what we started in 2018 is now accomplished.
In this deal brokered by Qatar, Turkey and Brazil, with Qatar leaning on the USG was the best of the available scenarios on the table.
This deal originated in August. For the USG and Trump, this was his best, least costly way to walk out of his corner, cornering himself with the naval assets he deployed and the entire Narco nonsensical BS. I'm glad that they threw Maria Corina Machado under the bus; she has, as Trump said, no viable chance to govern. Maria Corina Machado must have been delusional, calling for armed intervention, thinking that would put her in power.
The USG has basically implemented a Qatari-engineered plan by providing military logistics capabilities, but the notion that this is a USG stroke of genius is absolutely false and misleading.
The USG agreed to this deal because it serves its oil interests. They have no interest whatsoever in democracy or in transitioning to a democratically elected government.
This deal with Maduro out of the equation and keeps the rest of the regime intact, allowing for US oil giants (Chevron, Conoco-Phillips, Exxon etc), in theory, to land wheels next week and be operational in no time.
The opposition has always been irrelevant to the USG, mostly because they don't control the armed forces, law enforcement, harbours, airports, borders, or the judiciary apparatus. This doesn't destabilise the country or the region; this was a predictable nothing burger.
Let's stand by and see how things unfold over the next weeks and months.
I wish Delcy, Jorge Rodriguez, and the rest of the remaining team all the best of luck making some incremental changes now.
As having been part of this since 2018 they can now put a portrait of me on the wall. Lol.
🔴 Ukrainian drone forces strike Russian vessels.
On the night of June 5, the 1st Separate Center of Unmanned Systems damaged five cargo ships and tankers in Mariupol, Berdyansk, and coastal waters that were illegally transporting stolen grain, fuel, and military supplies.
@JohanForssell VERY good - late but better late than never - you are a capable official, push this through in Light speed! Punitive measures agains Russias Terror is the only way forward.
🇸🇪⚡ Swedish proposal could ruin Russian summer
Migration Minister Johan Forssell (M) is now coming out with a Swedish initiative that could hit Russian tourists hard in the EU.
Last year, 477,878 Schengen visas were issued to Russian citizens.
Forssell: “It is completely unreasonable that Russian citizens are enjoying luxury holidays while Ukrainians are dying.”
Sweden wants EU countries to be able to deny visas based on nationality — something that is currently not allowed.
The proposal has the support of all Nordic countries, the Baltics, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and Poland.
Why Sweden is pushing this:
– stop Russian luxury tourism
– reduce security threats and espionage
– close loopholes used by the Kremlin
– make a political mark during ongoing wars
Forssell: “We must put an end to Russian weekend trips around the Mediterranean.”
What is happening now:
The proposal is at the EU migration ministers’ meeting in Luxembourg.
If it goes through, Russian travel to the EU could be severely restricted — perhaps as early as this summer, depending on processing times.
In short:
Sweden wants to close the door to Russian tourism.
The question is whether the EU dares to take the step.
I've met Trump before, and I like the guy. But in the Middle East, we need Trump to speak fluent Arabic and Persian not English. The Islamic regime in Iran should be confronted, not endlessly negotiated with. The Persian people and their great civilization deserve freedom, prosperity, and a future beyond the rule of the mullahs. Persia gave the world poets, scholars, and empires. It deserves better than isolation, repression, and fear.
Today is the Day of Remembrance for the Children Killed by Russia. Officially, it has a different name. But in the language of truth, this is exactly what it is. This day is about the most painful episodes of the war, about the greatest injustice and the evil Russia inflicts when the most vulnerable and the most innocent are killed. Children.
Currently, that figure is at least 707 Ukrainian children. And there are also thousands of children whom Russia has wounded, abducted, and thousands of children whose fate remains unknown. These are important and horrifying figures, but behind them lies something greater than statistics about Russian crimes alone. These were children's dreams, plans, and hopes that were simply erased. This is the pain of every mother and every father who does not know how to go on living with that. Living with such pain.
Our Ukrainian children. Some were only a few days old. Some had just started first grade. Others should have been celebrating their graduation. This is who a sick state is waging war against. This is who the so-called second army of the world is fighting – an army incapable of winning on the battlefield and seeking to assert itself by targeting children.
Eternal memory to every child who was killed. It is our enduring duty to remember, to protect our children, and to do everything possible to ensure that the evil Russia has brought is punished.
In Europe we hate Russia - you - Putin -Lavrov - Igor Sechin and the entire terror cult - you are all evil and deserve death.
I was very please your daughter Darya Dugina was killed instead of you - so you can go to the grave knowing your evil making killed her. Glory to Ukraine sanctions and death to Russia and Russians
Russian strike on an ambulance in Kherson today.
Russia is systematically tearing Kherson apart, committing one war crime after another. The city is in a desperate, critical situation‼️‼️
#Mali / #Russia 🇲🇱🇷🇺: Al-Qaeda (#JNIM) struck Russian Africa Corps and Malian Army members, aircrafts and helicopters in Mopti Airport in #Sévaré.
Militants notably used several Drones —apparently armed with air-dropped HE / HE-Frag Explosive Devices.
As Ive said before - if given a choice would a rational person choose Mogadishu or Hargeisa to live in? Events continue to prove that Somaliland is the real functioning state vs Somalia's chaos. US Govt will come to its senses eventually.
https://t.co/Ybrx4wA9TC
CRISIS IN MOGADISHU: Smoke rises over the northern coastline. 🚨🇸🇴
While the central front sees a fragile pause in fighting against former PM Hassan Ali Khaire, the artillery has not gone silent. In the Abdiasis district, heavy shells are pounding the Marinayo residence of former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed.
The weapon of choice? Elite army units, reportedly drawn from the president’s own subclan, unleashing an relentless assault along the coast.
The hidden motive? Opposition leaders sound the alarm on what they claim is a desperate cover-up operation. They allege authorities are pushing through the gunfire for one specific reason: to drag away the charred, skeletal remains of Turkish-donated armored vehicles destroyed in the clashes.
The goal? Erase the evidence of a battlefield defeat before the public can witness the scale of the blow.
As the coastline shakes, the political landscape of #Somalia fractures further. Is this a military operation, or an attempt to salvage political pride?
👇 Developing story. Drop your thoughts below. What does this escalation mean for Mogadishu’s stability?
🚨 BREAKING: "Hassan Sheikh declared war on us, and the war will continue."
Opposition MP Dahir Amin Jesow drops a bombshell, announcing they have abandoned street protests.
The new objective? Storming the presidential palace to forcibly remove the President.
👇 Your thoughts?
Respectfully, enough is enough. For over three decades, massive international support, billions in aid, and repeated diplomatic efforts have failed to bring lasting stability to Somalia.
Mogadishu remains trapped in cycles of clan conflict, constitutional crises, and political violence.
Meanwhile, the Republic of Somaliland has successfully built a genuine democracy, maintained peace, and achieved real development all through its own efforts and without external recognition. It’s time to abandon the outdated ‘one Somalia’ project that exists only on paper. The international community should recognize Somaliland and engage with the stable, democratic partner it has proven to be.
🚨 BREAKING: Mortars & heavy artillery are reportedly pounding the Mogadishu residence of ex-PM Hassan Ali Khaire.
The explosions have left the entire city awake in absolute panic tonight.
Are you on the ground? What are you hearing in your area? Drop updates below 👇#Somalia
Thanks for covering my report about Candace Owen’s very shady interactions with Russian state media, @benshapiro.
I appreciate it.
I think we can all see what’s going on… now it’s time for the DOJ to investigate. @DAGToddBlanche
⚡️ Budapest has reached an agreement with Kyiv on the rights of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine.
This opens the way for Ukraine’s EU accession. Hungary will no longer block it.
NEW: MI5 and Five Eyes partner agencies have just issued what they say is an unprecedented joint warning about attempts by Chinese spies to use LinkedIn to recruit Western assets