Biden and Trump Administrations Commit Combined Billions to mRNA Vaccine Technologies
By Brenda Baletti, Ph.D. | The Defender | January 22, 2025
The Biden and Trump administrations in the last week threw money and political weight behind mRNA vaccine development, sparking backlash from critics concerned about serious safety and efficacy issues tied to the technology.
The Biden administration on Friday awarded Moderna $590 million to fund its work on mRNA vaccines for bird flu and other influenza strains with “pandemic potential,” the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced.
During a press conference on his second day in office, Trump voiced political support for a $500 billion private-sector project called Stargate.
The joint venture is between OpenAI, Oracle, SoftBank and others to fund infrastructure for artificial intelligence (AI). Part of that project involves AI for early cancer detection and the rapid creation of mRNA cancer vaccines.
The Trump administration developed the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines under Operation Warp Speed in 2020. After Trump left office, the Biden administration poured billions into mRNA vaccine development.
Given Trump’s embrace of the MAHA movement and his nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to head up HHS, some predicted his second administration might take a more critical stance toward such vaccines.
“It is deeply concerning, though not entirely surprising, that the incoming Trump administration is continuing to pursue massive funding for mRNA technology, including speculative cancer therapies,” author and natural health expert Sayer Ji told The Defender.
“This direction underscores a troubling bipartisan embrace of experimental biotechnologies, despite the catastrophic fallout from mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, which have been linked to unprecedented adverse events, disabilities and deaths,” he added.
Biden gives last-minute windfall to Moderna
The Biden administration awarded Moderna $590 million through HHS’ Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, or BARDA, which has been working with Moderna since 2023 to develop mRNA vaccines for flu vaccines with pandemic potential, including avian influenza A.
Last year BARDA gave the biotech company $176 million as part of the same initiative.
HHS said the new round of funding will help Moderna accelerate the development of a bird flu vaccine matched to strains currently circulating in cattle and birds. It will also expand the clinical data needed if other flu strains with pandemic potential emerge.
Moderna said in a statement that it plans to launch a Phase 3 study for its investigational pandemic influenza vaccine (mRNA-1018) after “positive” Phase 1/2 results, which will be released to the public at an upcoming meeting.
“It seems to me that this last-minute night and fog action by the Biden administration is designed to shovel as much dough to Moderna as possible to mitigate the risk posed by Robert Kennedy, provided he gets through Senate confirmation,” John Leake at the McCullough Foundation told The Defender. “Putting the brakes on that is a plausible interpretation.”
With the funding, Moderna also will design and test an H7N9 pandemic influenza vaccine in a Phase 3 trial. The company will design up to four more “novel pandemic influenza” vaccines that it will test in preliminary safety and immunogenicity studies.
“mRNA technology will complement existing vaccine technology, allowing us to move faster and better target emerging viruses to protect Americans’ against future pandemics,” said Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) Dawn O’Connell. BARDA is part of ASPR within HHS.
The award is the latest component of the BARDA Influenza and Emerging Infectious Diseases Division’s medical countermeasure portfolio, set to continue to make major investments in “medical countermeasures” for potential pandemics as part of BARDA’s 2022-2026 strategic plan.
BARDA administers the funding through its Rapid Response Partnership Vehicle (RRPV), a technical financial vehicle that allows it to fund private industry through collaborations that are not subject to the same regulations as other federal funding.
On Jan. 16, the day before HHS announced the $590 million for Moderna, the agency announced another $211 million award to BARDA’s RRPV to “support development and long-term manufacturing capability of an RNA-based vaccine platform technology to combat evolving 21st century biothreats.”
RRPV is soliciting proposals for mRNA vaccine developers to develop a broad response capability. It seeks proposals that will first develop mRNA flu vaccines and then, once they are licensed, focus on continual pandemic preparedness exercises. Applications are due by Jan. 31.
Trump throws weight behind mRNA technology
Although the Trump administration did not promise funding for Stargate, the president endorsed the initiative and reversed a Biden administration executive order that Republicans said hindered AI development.
“I’m gonna help a lot through emergency declarations, because we have an emergency, we have to get this stuff built,” Trump said.
During the press conference announcing the initiative, Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison touted the promise of AI and mRNA vaccines. He said AI would be able to detect cancer in its early stages and customize mRNA vaccines to treat them within 48 hours.
Critics pointed to the unprecedented number of adverse effects associated with existing mRNA vaccines, the lack of success in cancer vaccines thus far, and ethical concerns associated with the COVID-19 vaccines, Ji wrote on Substack.
“That is not a vaccine,” Children’s Health Defense CEO Mary Holland said, commenting on the concept. “That’s a gene therapy. What we’ve seen from the COVID mRNA shots is that they’ve been disastrous for the immune system.” Holland noted that the injections themselves have been linked to turbo cancers.
Other experts also cast doubt on the idea. “That’s not going to happen,” oncologist Vinay Prasad wrote on his Substack.
Prasad said hundreds of cancer therapeutic vaccines have been studied and failed. The one that received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration extended survival by only four months.
There is no reason that mRNA vaccines would have greater success, given the compromised immune system of cancer patients, he added.
Additionally, Prasad said, mRNA vaccines, “clearly have unique and idiosyncratic toxicity. Because they were pushed so hard for covid-19, there’s a huge fraction of the public who does not want them. They do have unexplored long-term safety questions. I’m not going to be standing in line to get any. “
Ji told The Defender that Trump’s support for the initiative had been “particularly disheartening” for the MAHA movement.
“Trump ran on a platform of health sovereignty and freedom, yet this Stargate initiative feels like a significant departure from those values,” Ji said. He added:
“Instead of investing in regenerative, self-healing approaches to health and addressing the root causes of diseases like cancer, resources are being funneled into a technology that many view as inherently transgenic and transhumanistic, violating core principles of health and human dignity.”
Leake, a critic of the COVID-19 vaccines and the power concentrated in the bio-pharmaceutical complex, said he was less concerned about Ellison’s statements than others.
He wrote on Substack that he thinks it’s better for Trump to “capture the Billionaire Nerds” than to shun them. He told The Defender the tech billionaires already have so much power over the deep state and the legislature that pragmatically, Trump will have to negotiate with them.
“Trump doesn’t have control over Larry Ellison’s tongue. Larry Ellison is going to say what Larry wants to say,” he said. “That doesn’t mean that in any US government deal that is ultimately consummated with Larry Ellison as a partner that his fantasies about mRNA have to be realized. It’s just Larry Ellison spitballing.”
Elon Musk also doubted the claims touted in the press conference. He wrote on X that the companies “don’t actually have the money” to back their pledged infrastructure investment.
This article was originally published by The Defender — Children’s Health Defense’s News & Views Website under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Please consider subscribing to The Defender or donating to Children’s Health Defense.
Zionist group sending Trump list of pro-Palestine students for deportation: Report
Press TV – January 25, 2025
An American-Zionist group is reportedly compiling the names of foreign students on visas to hand to the new administration of US President Donald Trump for deportation over holding pro-Palestine demonstrations across university campuses.
The World Betar Movement has initiated a campaign to identify the foreign students in the United States who have participated in anti-Israel activities on college campuses, The New York Post said.
The group is preparing a list of names to provide to the Trump administration, aiming to facilitate the deportation of individuals who condemn Israeli genocide and support Palestinian resistance movements in the Gaza Strip.
The group has about 30 names of students from countries such as Jordan, Syria, Egypt, Canada, and the United Kingdom currently enrolled in some of the top US universities, including Columbia, UPenn, Michigan, Syracuse, UCLA, The New School for Social Research, Carnegie Mellon, and George Washington University, it said.
Accusing the pro-Palestine students of anti-Semitism, Ross Glick, director of the US chapter of Betar, said, “We have started lists of Jew-hating foreign nationals on visas who support Hamas.”
Stressing that Betar is utilizing facial recognition software and advanced database technology to compile the list, Glick said the initiative aligns with Trump’s campaign promise to revoke the student visas of individuals engaging in anti-Semitic activities.
The World Betar Movement is reportedly in contact with Trump administration officials to pursue legal action against foreign students and prevent what they view as the exploitation of the American academic system for anti-Israel purposes.
Trump on Friday issued an executive order allowing the deportation of those non-citizens, including foreign students, who have been supporting US-designated “terrorist” organizations of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas and its Lebanese counterpart, Hezbollah, on American soil.
Pro-Palestine students at American and European universities have held widespread rallies and sit-ins across their campuses in support of Gaza since Hamas-led resistance groups launched Operation Al-Aqsa Flood into the Israeli-occupied territories on October 7, 2023, in response to the regime’s decades-long crimes against Palestinians.
Israel has killed at least 47,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 111,000 other individuals in Gaza since the onset of its genocidal war against Gaza, also leaving thousands more missing and presumed dead under the rubble.
Israel was forced to agree to a ceasefire, which began on January 19, after it failed to achieve its declared objectives in the besieged territory.
Palestinians celebrated the ceasefire as a victory with some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners set to be released from Israeli prisons in exchange for Israeli captives held in Gaza.
US Calls for Urgent Extension of Ceasefire in South Lebanon as ‘Israel’ Disregards Withdrawal Deadline
Al-Manar | January 24, 2025
US National Security Council spokesperson Brian Hughes said in a statement Friday that “a short, temporary ceasefire extension is urgently needed” and the U.S. will work with “regional partners” to secure it.
“President Trump is committed to ensuring Israeli citizens can safely return to their homes in northern Israel, while also supporting President Aoun and the new Lebanese government,” Hughes said.
The Israeli occupation military will not complete its withdrawal from southern Lebanon within the 60-day period set out in the ceasefire deal that ended its war with Hezbollah, the Israeli prime minister’s office said Friday.
It is worth noting that the deadline will end on Sunday, January, 26, 2025, at 4 a.m. Thus, few hours separate the border area from dramatic developments if the Israeli enemy insists on keeping its troops occupying territories in South Lebanon.
The Lebanese statesmen have repeatedly voiced concern over the Israeli occupation plots, calling on the United States, France and the United Nations sponsoring the ceasefire agreement to press ‘Israel’ to withdraw before the deadline.
Hezbollah issued on Thursday a statement which underlines the necessity of the full and comprehensive implementation of the ceasefire agreement as outlined in its terms since the 60-day period for the Israeli enemy to completely withdraw from Lebanese territories is nearing its end.
It is also important to note that, unlike Lebanon, the Zionist entity did not respect the obligations of the ceasefire during the 60-day period, launching air raids which left martyrs and injuries, demolishing buildings, scraping lands and roads, and destroying environmental features in several south Lebanon towns.
The latest reports indicated that the Israeli occupation forces, guarded by Merkava tanks, advanced from Houla town into Wadi Slouki area. Moreover, the occupation forces carried out an incursion into Aitaroun town and cut its main highway which leads to Bint Jbeuil City.
In addition, the Israeli enemy had intensively violated Lebanon’s sovereignty and the stipulations of the ceasefire in South Lebanon.
There’s Nothing to Discuss with Brussels Vassals
By Mikhail Gamandiy-Egorov | New Eastern Outlook | January 25, 2025
As active discussions continue about potential negotiations between Russia and the new administration of the Washington regime, their vassals in the EU increasingly insist on the “necessity” of their participation in these talks. Naturally, there is no such necessity.
A recent interview with Nikolai Patrushev, the Assistant to the President of Russia and former Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation (May 2008–May 2024), provided significant insights. The interview highlighted the theses and positions Patrushev believes should be implemented in potential negotiations between Moscow and the new Trump administration.
Potential Negotiations Without Unnecessary Participants
One of the key points in Patrushev’s interview is that any potential resolution of the Ukraine situation should be discussed exclusively between Russia and the United States, without the involvement of other Western representatives. This is a particularly crucial stance: “If we talk about the specific prospects for future developments considering the Trump factor, we respect his statements. I believe that negotiations on Ukraine should take place between Russia and the United States without the participation of other Western countries. There’s nothing to discuss with London or Brussels,” stated one of the Kremlin’s top representatives.
He further added that the EU leadership no longer has the authority to speak on behalf of many of its members, such as Hungary, Slovakia, and other European countries interested in stability in Europe and adopting a balanced approach toward Russia. The message is clear. However, this is not the only significant point in Patrushev’s remarks.
The Assistant to the President of Russia also suggested that the possibility of Ukraine ceasing to exist as a separate state in 2025 cannot be ruled out. As for Russia’s stance toward the Kyiv regime, it remains unchanged – namely, the objectives of the Special Military Operation must be achieved. These objectives have been repeatedly outlined by President Vladimir Putin.
This, of course, includes territorial matters. The territories once governed from Kyiv have joined Russia following the expression of the people’s will, in accordance with international law, Russian legislation, and the laws of those regions. Patrushev emphasized the importance of global recognition of the incorporation of the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, Crimea, and Sevastopol into Russia. All these territories are integral parts of the Russian Federation under the Constitution.
Another vital point is that Russia harbors no illusions about any U.S. administration. As Patrushev aptly noted regarding the United States: priorities may shift, but redrawing the world map to serve their interests and interfering in the affairs of other nations across continents is an American tradition. This includes exacerbating conflicts with China, often artificially, as part of their strategic agenda. Patrushev reminded that our country maintains relations of uniquely privileged strategic cooperation with China. For us, China has been and remains our most important partner. Russian-Chinese relations are not subject to short-term circumstances; they endure regardless of who occupies the Oval Office.
A Multipolar World Ready to Emerge
Key conclusions can be drawn from Patrushev’s main theses. Firstly, the participation of open vassals in potential Russian-American negotiations is entirely unnecessary. Even during the Cold War negotiations between the USSR and the Washington regime, European vassals were never involved in the most critical talks.
If the goal of such a “format” is to give the collective West the appearance of greater influence, then Russia should insist on including its key allies and partners, such as China and countries of the Global South, in the negotiations. It is evident that such a format would be unacceptable to the West, as it would highlight their status as a global minority. Thus, the participation of vassals from London and Brussels in direct talks between Moscow and Washington is out of the question.
Secondly, discussing the Ukrainian issue with the Washington administration can only occur under the condition that all of Russia’s previously stated demands are met. After all, no one forced the West or the vassal Bandera Kyiv regime to violate the Minsk agreements. Likewise, no one compelled the West or NATO, particularly the London regime, to sabotage the Istanbul negotiations following the start of the Special Military Operation. Much has changed since then. Clearly, the new territorial realities will have to be accepted by Russia’s adversaries. While Crimea, Sevastopol, and the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporozhjie, and Kherson regions are indisputably parts of Russia, the status of other regions, such as Kharkov, remains unresolved. In the future, this could also include Dnepropetrovsk and other historically Russian territories.
Finally, and thirdly, it is clear that we are not destined to be friends. The fact that Washington may, at some point, display pure business pragmatism – realizing there is no further sense in financing what is already a formalized defeat for the entire NATO-Western bloc – could be a positive factor. However, we harbour no illusions, nor will we ever again. Russia knows its true allies and strategic partners among the countries of the global majority. These relationships will continue to grow and strengthen. Our country is fully prepared for further battles with the bloc of Western regimes in various parts of the world, including Africa and Latin America.
Russia will achieve all its objectives, one way or another. This is clearer today than ever before.
Mikhail Gamandiy-Egorov, entrepreneur, political observer, and expert on Africa and the Middle East
US suspends aid to Ukraine – Politico
RT | January 24, 2025
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has frozen nearly all new aid grants to Ukraine for 90 days, Politico reported on Friday. The move comes after President Donald Trump ordered a full review of all foreign assistance.
Rubio instructed diplomatic and consular posts to issue “stop-work orders” on nearly all “existing foreign assistance awards,” Politico said, citing an internal document.
According to Politico, the order “shocked” State Department officials and appears to apply to funding for military assistance to Ukraine.
The magazine cited three current and two former officials familiar with the matter as saying Rubio’s guidance means that “no further actions will be taken to disperse aid funding to programs already approved by the US government.”
The BBC, which also reviewed the State Department memo, reported that it appears to “affect everything from development assistance to military aid.”
Although the Pentagon previously told Voice of America that the aid freeze would not affect “security assistance to Ukraine,” Rubio’s memo reportedly only granted exceptions for military aid to Israel and Egypt, without mentioning any other country.
Journalist Ken Klippenstein posted what he said was a copy of Rubio’s guidance, which “pauses all new obligations of funding, pending a review, for foreign assistance programs” funded through the State Department and the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
Trump, who took office on Monday, has ordered a 90-day suspension of all “foreign development assistance for assessment of programmatic efficiencies and consistency with United States foreign policy.”
A USAID official told Reuters that among the programs that were frozen are assistance to schools and healthcare, including emergency maternal care and the vaccination of children.
Since February 2022, USAID has provided $2.6 billion in humanitarian aid, $5 billion in development assistance, and more than $30 billion in “direct budget support,” according to its website.
The US has provided nearly $66 billion in military aid to Ukraine since February 2022, according to the Pentagon.
Trump has repeatedly criticized his predecessor, Joe Biden, for approving unconditional aid to Ukraine and has vowed to implement cost-cutting measures. He also promised to quickly negotiate a peace deal between Moscow and Kiev.
Houthis Threaten to Block US Ships in Retaliation for Terrorist Designation
Sputnik – 25.01.2025
Yemeni movement Ansar Allah, known as the Houthis, is considering a ban on US ships passing through the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the resumption of full-scale military operations in Yemen as retaliatory measures for the US’s designation of the movement as a foreign terrorist organization, a source in the movement told Sputnik.
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed an order launching the process of designating the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization. On Thursday, the Houthis said that this decision was directed against the entire people of Yemen and was revenge for Yemen’s “noble” position in supporting the Palestinians.
“The movement is considering taking measures against America, including imposing a ban on the passage of US ships through the Bab al-Mandab Strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea,” the source said.
The Houthis would also bar the passage of ships from any country that follows the US example of listing the movement as a terrorist organization, the source added.
One of the possible measures that the movement could take is “countering any military escalation that the US may take in response to the ban on the passage of its ships, as well as ending the truce in Yemen and resuming hostilities on all fronts,” the source said.
Harvard blocks Gaza patient session as university adopts controversial anti-Semitism definition
MEMO | January 24, 2025
Harvard Medical School has cancelled a planned lecture and panel discussion featuring patients from Gaza, following complaints that the session would present only one side of the conflict, amid growing concerns about academic freedom after the university’s adoption of a highly controversial definition of anti-Semitism which conflates criticism of Israel and the political ideology of Zionism with anti-Jewish racism.
According to the Harvard Crimson, the medical school’s Dean, George Q Daley, cancelled the 21 January events just hours before they were scheduled, citing objections that students would hear from Gazans receiving care in Boston without also hearing from Israeli perspectives. The session was to include a lecture on wartime healthcare by Tufts Professor Barry S. Levy, followed by discussions with Gaza patients and their families.
HMS and HSDM Student Council President Anna RP Mulhern said she was “deeply disheartened” by the cancellation. “Respect for all patients and their stories is a fundamental tenet of the medical profession. This principle was not upheld yesterday,” she stated.
The cancellation came shortly after Harvard agreed to adopt the highly controversial International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism as part of settling a discrimination lawsuit brought by Jewish students who claimed harassment during pro-Palestine protests. IHRA is favoured by Israel and advocates of the apartheid state as it grants special privileges to the political ideology of Zionism and apartheid state. No other political ideology or state is granted protection from criticism in the same way.
HMS Professor David S Jones, who helped develop the course curriculum, reported receiving 50 emails from students questioning the cancellation. He noted that Arabic-speaking medical students who had served as interpreters for Gazan patients in Boston had requested the session.
Critics argue the decision reflects a broader assault on academic freedom and free speech rights. Journalist Glenn Greenwald, discussing Harvard’s adoption of the IHRA definition, warned it represents “an outright systemic assault on the Free Speech rights of American citizens on the academic freedom that is supposed to prevail in our institutions of higher learning.”
Greenwald highlighted how the IHRA definition prohibits various forms of criticism of Israel that would be perfectly acceptable if directed at other nations. He noted that under these new rules, Harvard students remain free to describe any country, including the US, as fundamentally racist – except Israel. “You can say that the United States and its existence is a racist endeavour, that you’re allowed to say… nobody tries to censor that,” Greenwald explained.
Pick any country in the entire world at Harvard and you are totally free to call the existence of that country a racist endeavour except one country where you fall into the crime of hate speech and that is the state of Israel.
The combination of event cancellations and adoption of the IHRA definition has raised concerns about the chilling effect on academic discourse. Critics argue that medical education, which relies on hearing directly from patients about their experiences, could be particularly impacted if geopolitical considerations begin to override educational ones.
“This is nothing more than an outright systemic assault on the Free Speech rights of American citizens on the academic freedom that is supposed to prevail in our institutions of Higher Learning,” Greenwald concluded, arguing that such restrictions serve “not to protect our own country, our own culture, our own government, the security of our own people but to protect this foreign country.”
Alex Soros talks the tragedy of Trump, takes shots at Orbán, Musk
By Liz Heflin | Remix News | January 24, 2025
A Financial Times interview with Alex Soros, now the head of George Soros’ Open Society Foundations, revealed some interesting takes.
FT editor Roula Khalaf was all praise for the younger Soros, stating, as quoted by a review of the article in Mandiner, “History matters to him” and lauding the $32 billion given by his family to “promote democracy and human rights in Central and Eastern Europe.”
Khalaf also lamented that Soros senior has been “demonized by the right as the head of a global conspiracy, a characterization that is laced with anti-Semitic overtones.”
The paper noted that the Soroses were huge supporters of Kamala Harris, spending more than $85 million on the 2024 elections. On this front, Alex surprisingly told the paper the U.S. should regulate campaign funding as they do in Europe: “I would be happy if money didn’t play a role in politics, let’s do it, let’s do it tomorrow!”
Alex Soros also spoke about what he believes to be Trump’s fixation on his father. His current treasury secretary nominee, Scott Bessent, and his former treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin, both previously worked for Soros’ fund manager, and Alex says Trump hires these people “because he always wanted to get into this club” or “maybe destroy it.”
Touching on OSF making massive cuts back in 2017, shrinking staff from 1,700 to 500, Alex said this was to eliminate excessive bureaucracy. Regarding rumors that OSF is turning away from Europe, he said this is not true at all and that the foundation is actually expanding in Ukraine.
He then predicted that Trump’s administration “will be very bad and tragic for a lot of people,” lamenting what he says is the new reality under the new president.
“I remember walking down the street in Rome and seeing the American embassy with the rainbow flag on it, and thinking how proud I am of my country,” he said, calling those now in charge “tyrants” and stating, “I hope Marx was right that tragedy comes first, and then farce. But I fear it will be the other way around.”
Although a jab was taken at Orbán in the article, noting Trump’s admiration for his campaign against the Soros network of NGOs, it was Musk who took a real hit. Referencing a meeting that was supposed to take place between Musk and Soros in November, Alex blamed the X CEO for missing it, saying, “I think he’s much more interested in trolling than meeting.”
Putin: Ukraine Crisis Could Have Been Avoided if 2020 US Election Wasn’t Stolen
Sputnik – 24.01.2025
MOSCOW – Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that he is ready to talk calmly with US President Donald Trump on all areas that are of interest to both countries.
“We should meet, based on today’s realities, to talk calmly about all those areas that are of interest to both the US and Russia. We are ready, but, I repeat, this depends first of all on the decisions and choices of the current US administration,” Putin said during his visit to Moscow State University.
Russia can have many points of contact with the US administration, including economic issues, Putin said, adding that Russia and the United States have a lot to talk about on economy and energy issues.
“What is typical for the Russian and American economies? We are not only one of the largest producers of energy resources, but we are also the largest consumers of them. This means that for both our economy and the US economy, too high prices are bad, because it is necessary to produce domestically. Using energy resources, it is necessary to produce other goods within the country. And too low prices are also very bad, because it undermines the investment opportunities of energy companies,” he said.
Putin remarked that he has always had businesslike and pragmatic relations with Trump, noting that Moscow welcomes Trump’s statements about a willingness to work together and remains open to it.
“Even if we hear about the possibility of imposing additional sanctions on Russia, I doubt that he will make decisions that will harm the US economy itself,” Putin said.
Trump is “not only an intelligent person, he is a pragmatic person,” Putin added.
The previous administration of US President Joe Biden refused to contact with Russia, and it is not Moscow’s fault, Putin noted. Furthermore, Russia has never refused to use the US dollar in foreign trade transactions.
“We did not abandon the dollar. It was the former US administration that made it impossible for us to use it as a currency for settlements. I think that decision has caused significant harm to the United States,” Putin said.
Ukraine Crisis
Russia is ready for talks on the Ukraine conflict, but there are issues that need attention, the Russian president added. The problem is that Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky has banned himself from holding peace talks with Russia.
“It is well-known that the current leader of the regime in Kiev, when he was still fairly legitimate, signed a decree banning negotiations. How can negotiations be resumed now if they are forbidden?” Putin said.
Putin added that it was difficult to talk seriously about any dialogue with Kiev while this ban was still in place.
“However, as long as this ban isn’t lifted, it is hard to say that these negotiations can be properly started and, the most importantly, concluded. Of course, it is possible to make some preliminary outlines, yet it is quite difficult to consider any serious negotiations under the conditions of the ban on the Ukrainian side,” Putin said.
Putin added that the authorities in Kiev receive hundreds of billions from their sponsors, and he believes the same sponsors of the Kiev regime should force Zelensky to lift the ban on talks.
The Russian president also added he agreed with Trump that if he had been reelected US president in 2020 the crisis in Ukraine could have been avoided.
“I cannot but agree with him on that if he were president, if the victory had not been stolen from him in 2020, then the crisis that broke out in Ukraine in 2022 would have possibly never happened,” Putin suggested.
Conflict in Ukraine Not Tied to Oil Prices, But to Western Actions – Kremlin
Sputnik – 24.01.2025
MOSCOW – The conflict in Ukraine is taking place because of a threat to Russia’s national security, as well as the West’s complete refusal to listen to its concerns, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday.
“This conflict is taking place because of a threat to the national security of the Russian Federation, because of the threat to Russians who live in certain territories, because of the unwillingness and complete refusal of Americans and Europeans to listen to Russia’s concerns,” Peskov told reporters.
The conflict in Ukraine does not depend on oil prices, Peskov added.
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he would ask Saudi Arabia and other OPEC nations to lower the oil price and it would end the conflict in Ukraine “immediately.”
Trump stated that “right now the price is high enough that that war will continue.”
“You’ve got to bring down the oil price. You’ve got to end that war, they should have done it long go,” the US president said.
Moscow reacts to proposed US timeline for ending Ukraine conflict
RT | January 24, 2025
The Ukraine conflict cannot be resolved within 100 days unless the US adopts a more realistic approach, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov has said. Both Moscow and Washington have recently signaled a willingness to engage in talks on the issue.
Earlier this week, the Wall Street Journal reported that US President Donald Trump had tasked Keith Kellogg, his special envoy for Russia and Ukraine, with ending the conflict within 100 days.
Speaking to journalists on Friday, Ryabkov said the White House must adopt a realistic approach to resolving the conflict, and that the pace of any such process is still “difficult to project.”
“I would first like to understand what basis the US side intends to use to move toward a settlement,” Ryabkov said, as cited by TASS. “If they are based on the signals we have heard in recent days, then it won’t work, neither in 100 days nor even longer.”
Trump, who began his second term as president earlier this week, repeatedly vowed during his campaign that he would end the fighting within 24 hours if returned to office. Several weeks prior to his inauguration, Trump adjusted the timeline, saying he expected to negotiate peace within six months.
Speaking to reporters in the White House on Thursday, the US leader said he was ready to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin as quickly as possible to negotiate an end to the Ukraine conflict.
During a teleconference address to the annual World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday, Trump announced plans to ask Saudi Arabia and OPEC to bring down global oil prices, suggesting that this would help end the conflict by stripping Russia of revenues.
In an interview with Fox News aired one day previously, Trump threatened to impose more sanctions on Russia “if they don’t make a settlement fast.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that Putin is ready to speak with his US counterpart, adding that Moscow is “waiting for signals.”
Moscow has stated throughout the three-year conflict that it is ready for peace talks, accusing Ukraine of refusing to resume negotiations. Russian officials have also repeatedly criticized the West for providing military aid to Kiev, arguing that this merely prolongs the fighting. Moscow has warned that deeper Western engagement in the conflict increases the risks of a direct clash between Russia and NATO.
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Israel’s recurring use of terror on civilians
By Bob Finch | January 26, 2009
Insanely disproportionate use of violence against unarmed civilians… continue
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- Real Cost of Iran War Likely Double the $25 Billion Figure the Pentagon Gave to Congress
- Israel conducts farthest-ever strike in long history of attacks on Gaza humanitarian aid flotillas
- In Gaza, Israel commits 10+ ceasefire violations a day – Daily Update
- US ships 6,500 tons of munitions, equipment to Israel in 24 hours
- A New Library in Gaza Rises From the Ashes of Destruction
- No Tricks Zone
- Wind Energy Is Toxic, Hazardous To Human Health, Scientific Review Shows
- Oversupply Of Volatile Solar Energy Leads To Record NEGATIVE Prices!
- New Study: Extreme Heat Records, Heatwaves, Extreme Cold Records Declining Across US Since 1899
- It’s The Cold, Stupid! Cold 20 Times More Lethal Than Heat, Multiple Studies Show
- European Institute For Climate And Energy: “Climate Debate is Seldom About Science”
- New Study: The Climate May Be 5 Times More Sensitive To Solar Forcing Than Commonly Assumed
- EV Industry Reached $70 Billion In Losses In 2024 Due To Delusional Green Ideologies
- Reality Check: Maldives Have Actually Grown In Size Or Remained Stable Over Recent Decades
- Abrupt Climate Change Also Occurred NATURALLY In The Past …25 Times During Last Ice Age
- Cave Discovery Reveals Today’s Desert Climates Were Recently Far Warmer, Wetter, Teeming With Life
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