"US President Donald Trump has said he is ready to impose tougher sanctions on Russia, but only if Nato countries meet certain conditions which include stopping buying Russian oil. … Trump has repeatedly threatened tougher measures against Moscow, but has so far failed to take any action when the Kremlin ignored his deadlines and threats of sanctions." (BBC News: 13 September 2025) (my emphasis)
Not only is Trump giving Putin the time to continue
his evil and insane bombardment of Ukraine's civilian population, he now
ALSO requires NATO countries to,
"He
described the purchases of Russian oil [by some NATO members notably Serbia, Hungary, and Turkey] as "shocking" and also suggested
that Nato place 50 to 100% tariffs on China, claiming it would weaken
its "strong control" over Russia."
"President Donald Trump on Friday said he was "sort of" running out of patience with Russian President Vladimir Putin "fast" after the Kremlin said negotiations with Ukraine were "on pause." … "But it does take two to tango," Trump said after host Brian Kilmeade pointed out that Ukrainian President Volodymy Zelenskyy has offered to meet with Putin a number of times. "It's amazing when Putin wants to do it, Zelenskyy didn't. When Zelenskyy wanted to do it, Putin didn’t. Now Zelenskyy wants to and Putin is the question mark." … Though despite actions taken by European allies, Trump has not imposed any new sanctions directly on Russia since he re-entered the White House, and is facing mounting criticism for not taking more immediate action against Putin after eight months in office. … While Washington has put tariffs on U.S. imports from India, there are carve-outs on items like pharmaceuticals and electronics – both of which the U.S. heavily imports from New Delhi. !" (Sky News on MSN: 13 September 2025) (my emphasis)
"Russia and Belarus are set to stage a massive military exercise in mid-September and with the war in Ukraine still raging, the move has raised concern across Europe. Germany has issued military warnings, while France is quietly preparing its hospitals for the possibility of a wider conflict." (RFI on Yahoo News: 11 September 2025) (my emphasis)
"Putin has vowed to continue fighting unless Ukraine cedes more land, while talks have been paused with no immediate results expected, the Kremlin said." (Taipei News: 14 September 2025) (my emphasis)
Taipei News goes on to report that,
"Speaking at a conference in Kyiv, Zelenskiy said the West should not trust Putin.
“Putin’s goal is to occupy all of Ukraine, and no matter what he tells anyone, it is clear that he has set the war machine in motion to such an extent that he simply cannot stop it unless he is forced to fundamentally change his personal goals,” Zelensky said." (ibid Taipei News)
In testing the preparedness of the EU and the UK to confront his war machine, Putin knows that he can simply dismiss Trump's "feeble" and empty threats.
However, Putin's threats "masks" his own fears of the growing pressure against him which continues to build up inside Russia.
True to form, and steeped as he is in the Russian ideology of "maskirovka", military deception; with the Russian economy imploding, and the 'siloviki' and 'Russian Clans' slowly positioning themselves for a post-Putin Russia, Putin's current 'bluster' hides the fear of his own demise.
The danger is that Putin has now embarked upon 'reckless' behaviour, tantamount to precipitating WW3 and dragging the world down with him.
No wonder France is quietly preparing its hospitals for the possibility of a wider conflict.
"Putin is nearing a state of 'total' madness and will, now, do almost anything to stave off his imminent demise as pressure against him continues to build up inside Russia." (blog entry: 5 September 2025)
And on the 9th September, Konstantin Samoilov(left) revealed that inside Russia,
"An earthquake has just hit the Kremlin and two heads rolled. The prosecutor-general is out, only to be made the head of the Supreme Court. And the KGB era; a top-tier general has just got axed. And don't buy ... this is just a routine shuffle ... no..no..no.. This is no housekeeping. That's the opening move in the full political reset.
Who ordered it ... Who benefits ... and what's next. ...
There are clouds above Putin's head, and they're thickening" (Inside Russia: 9 September 2025) (my emphasis)
Inside Russia: 9 September 2025 : (Complete video:YouTube)
Then on the 10th September, Adam Easton(left) informed us that,
"At least three Russian drones were shot down by Polish and other Nato aircraft in Poland's airspace during overnight attacks on Ukraine, the Polish prime minister has said.
Donald Tusk said Poland had recorded 19 drone incursions, with some flying deep enough to temporarily close four airports, including Warsaw's main hub Chopin." (BBC News: 10 September 2025) (my emphasis)
"Ukrainian Defence Minister Denys Shmyhal (left) told BBC Radio 4's World Tonight: "This is a moment when Nato allies, European civilisations, realise that the world is changed and that Russian aggression on Ukrainian territory is not just between Russia and Ukraine. This is part of global Russian strategy." (ibid Adam Easton)
Immediately subsequent to Putin's 19 drones entering Polish airspace, causing the shutdown of Polish airports, and being shot down by the Polish Air Force, the world began to realize that the invocation of Article 4 of NATO by Poland is just ONE STEP away from invoking Article 5 viz.
"... that an armed attack against one or more of [NATO members] in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all.",
This dangerous escalation towards WW3 by Putin's attack against Poland was a serious wake-up-call for many.
"Several European officials described the incursion as intentional and a sign of Russian escalation. Tusk said it was "the closest we have been to open conflict since World War Two" but that he had "no reason to believe we're on the brink of war". (Reuters: September 10) (my emphasis)
"President Donald Trump has reacted to Poland saying it shot down Russian drones that “posed a direct threat” over its airspace. “What’s with Russia violating Poland’s airspace with drones? Here we go!” Trump remarked via Truth Social late Wednesday morning. (Time: 10 September 2025) (my emphasis)
In contrast;
"The
U.S. Ambassador to NATO, Matthew Whitaker, also weighed in on the
incident. “We stand by our NATO allies in the face of these airspace
violations and will defend every inch of NATO territory,” he vowed."
(ibid Callum Sutherland )
"Ukraine is at risk of shortages of air-defence weapons after a US defence department review of military aid resulted in slower deliveries just as Moscow intensifies air attacks, according to western and Ukrainian officials." (The Irish Times: 9 September 2025) (my emphasis)
Putin's acolytes in the Kremlin are now scurrying to proclaim that this attack against Poland was not intended as such.
Really?
As Konstantin Samoilov remarked about the growing 'clan' struggles at the Kremlin and beyond,
"There are clouds above Putin's head, and they're thickening" (cf. video: Inside Russia)
"Poland has rejected Donald Trump’s speculation that Russian drones breaching Polish airspace might have been "a mistake".
Talking to reporters yesterday, Trump said the incursion could have been unintentional while adding: “I’m not happy about anything to do with the whole situation.”
Poland’s foreign minister shot back at him on X, and wrote: “No, that wasn’t a mistake”. … As European and Nato countries rally to Poland’s defence, the US has vowed that it will help defend Nato territory following the incursion.
The US would defend “every inch of Nato territory”, Washington’s ambassador to Nato Matthew Whitaker said. " (The Independent on MSN: 12 September 2025: GMT: 7:55) (my emphasis)
One can only assume that the US controversy about the full release of the Epstein files dominates the mind of Trump.
Unlike Putin's 'kompromat', Trump simply CANNOT 'bargain' to keep these files from being made public.
One is somewhat reminded of the Steele Dossier, which Trump and his ardent followers vehemently denied during Trump's first presidential election in 2016 contained any truths about Trump's 'sexual proclivities'.
The 'feebleness' of Trump's excuse that,
"Russian drones breaching Polish airspace might have been "a mistake",
underscore Trump reaching out at straws to save himself from drowning under the release of the Epstein files.
And ..... who knows .....
Possibly also Trump's 'fear' of Putin's "kompromat" also being released ....
As the dust begins to settle on the "theatrical production" of Xi Jingping's "lavish parade" of China's so-called "military might" for all the world to see, Narendra Modi (left)was conspicuous by his absence on the podium overlooking this "spectacle" of Xi Jingping.
"India and European Union on Thursday pledged to seal their much-awaited free trade deal by December with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the 27-nation bloc's top leaders Antonio Costa and Ursula von der Leyen pledging to promoting a rules-based global order, amid Washington's disruptive trade policies." (NDTV on MSN: 4 September 2025) (my emphasis)
"In a joint phone call with Costa and von der Leyen, Modi reiterated India's consistent support for peaceful resolution of the Ukraine conflict and early restoration of peace and stability. The leaders underlined the role of the India-EU strategic partnership in jointly addressing global issues, fostering stability, and promoting a rules-based order for mutual prosperity, an Indian readout said." (ibid NDTV)
" Sberbank CEO German Gref (right), one of Russia's most powerful bankers, warned on Thursday that the [Russian] economy was stagnating and that unless the central bank slashed interest rates then the country would fall into recession." (Reuters: 4 September 2025) (my emphasis),
whilst at the same time Putin continues in his "manic" bombardment of Ukraine's cities, threatening that,
"President Vladimir Putin has rejected proposed Western security guarantees for Ukraine, warning that any foreign troops deployed in the neighbouring country would be a “legitimate target” for Russia’s military. ... “We would recognise it as a threat to ourselves – the presence of international forces, or any foreign forces, or NATO forces on Ukrainian soil, near our border,” he told reporters." (Aljazeera: 5 September 2025) (my emphasis)
This "empty" threat of Putin comes against the backdrop of a nationwide fuel crisis in Russia resulting from Ukraine's successful strategy of destroying Putin's oil infrastructure.
"A creeping barrage of Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil infrastructure has knocked out a major share of the country’s crude refining capacity in recent weeks, triggering domestic shortages and leaving the Kremlin’s most important strategic industry teetering on the brink." (Politico: 2 September 2025) (my emphasis)
However, it is not only fuel shortages that now bedevil the Russian people,
The Russian economy continues to implode, adversely affecting the Russian people and causing an instability which, in the words of German Gref, "... the country would fall into recession".
Yet, unlike Canute, " ... who set his throne by the sea shore and commanded the incoming tide to halt and not to wet his feet and robes .... to let men know how empty and worthless is the power of kings" (Wikipdia);
in his demented mind Putin really believes that he can stop the tide of Russian's economic downfall, and his losing war in Ukraine, which is about to come crashing down on his head.
And one of Putin's attempts at halting Russia's economic downfall is, in the words of Konstantin Samoilov(left),
"At midnight, September 1st 2025, Russia didn't sleep, it changed. A stack of new laws, rules, orders, regulations, fines, and technical amendments became the country's new operating system. Russian state no longer needs to prove you're dangerous. You must constantly prove you're harmless" (Inside Russia: 2 September 2025: YouTube)
And as Putin's world crumbles about him and he, rather feebly, tries to put on a brave face by standing alongside Xi Jinping during the "theatrical production" of China's military parade, his threat that, "any foreign troops deployed in the neighbouring country [i.e. Ukraine] would be a “legitimate target” for Russia’s military, rings even more hollow.
"European leaders have rallied around Ukraine following Russia's strike on Kyiv's main government building.
"Solidarity with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people," writes French President Emmanuel Macron as he condemns Russia's drone and missile attacks on Ukraine overnight. Macron accuses Russia of "locking itself ever deeper into the logic of war and terror." (BBC News: 7 September 2025) (my emphasis)
Amongst other international leaders of State condemning Putin, Latvia's President Edgars Rinkēvičs (left) stated that,
"The message is clear - Kremlin wants war, not peace," Rinkēvičs says, adding that the response "must be more weapons to Ukraine, more pressure on Russia." (ibid BBC News)
"In China this week, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin was on a victory lap: returning to the embrace of India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, establishing a “no limits” partnership with China’s leader Xi Jinping, and signing a long-awaited Moscow-Beijing gas pipeline deal.
Back home, however, Russia’s wartime economy is flashing warning signs." ....
While Putin insists the country is undergoing a “soft landing”, German Gref, chief executive of Sberbank, the country’s biggest state lender, has said the country is in “technical stagnation”. (Financial Times: 7 September 2025) (my emphasis)
In his accelerating frantic and demented state of mind, as the Russian economy hovers on the verge of total collapse, Putin's indiscriminate bombardment of civilian targets in Ukraine indicates just how panicked he must be as the long knives of members of his 'siloviki' are been sharpened.
Already there are growing rumblings amongst his staunchest supporters in Russia that he has sold-out Russia to China.
Putin is nearing a state of 'total' madness and will, now, do almost anything to stave off his imminent demise as pressure against him continues to build up in Russia.
As the dust begins to settle on the fallout of the Putin-Trump 'love fest' in Alaska, the UK and the EU countries have been re-affirming their support for Ukraine and, in particular, re-affirming their intention of UK and EU boots on the ground in Ukraine should a 'ceasefire' in Putin's war with Ukraine ever be declared.
However, from Putin's mouthpiece, Sergei Lavrov (left), his dyed-in-the-wool Soviet foreign minister, comes the message that,
"Any serious discussion of security [for Ukraine] without the Russian federation is utopian, it's a road to nowhere" (cf: video below: Sky News: 28 August 2025) (my emphasis)
Zelensky responded to Lavrov's remarkby explaining that (cf: video above),
"They [Putin and his Kremlin cohorts] are for Ukraine's security, for our sovereignty, for our territorial integrity.
Because the aggressor is Russia.
When Russia raises the issues of security guarantees, I honestly don't know who they think threatens them. They attack us. They are on our soil.
I don't quite understand what guarantees the aggressor needs." (ibid Sky News) (my emphasis)
To deflect the eyes of the world from Trump caving in to Putin's demands and threats regarding the use of ANY UK or EU peacekeepers setting foot on Ukraine's soil, Putin simply brandishes in Trump's face his voluminous dossier on the 'kompromat' material he has amassed against Trump since his pre-2016 visits to Moscow.
And we now have Trump "threatening" the UK and EU with,
"U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday threatened to "impose substantial additional Tariffs" and stop selling tech and chips to countries with digital rules he deems discriminatory to American companies. … The European Commission is in charge of implementing the regulation on very large platforms, with national regulators taking responsibility for their respective countries.
Concessions from the EU on the DSA, which the White House was reportedly pushing for, did not materialize in the EU-U.S. trade deal." ( Eliza Gkritsi and Jacob Wendler (right): Politico: 26 August 225) (my emphasis)
Shielding behind the rather flimsy excuse about America-style "freedom of speech", this "threat" of yet more 'tariffs' by Trump against the UK and the EU, who are simply protecting their citizens from the "flood of disinformation, misinformation", and the collecting of consumer data" carried out by Putin's internet 'troll' factories, and the likes of Google, Apple, Meta, and X, to name but a few, also signifies the panic of Putin as Ukraine's "Flamingo missile" begins to roll off the assembly lines in Ukraine.
Trump, withholding US missiles from Ukraine which can attack Russian military infrastructure deep within Putin's Russia, no longer serves as a gift to Putin from Trump.
"As Russia continues to unleash a major wave of airstrikes across Ukraine, Kyiv revealed a domestically made long-range cruise missile that could prove a game-changer in the war.
The FP-5 “Flamingo” missile is capable of travelling 3,000km and delivering a payload of 1,150kg, according to its maker, the Ukrainian defence start-up Fire Point.
The firm said it is producing roughly one Flamingo per day, and hoped to build capacity to make seven per day by October [2025]. That would equate to more than 200 missiles each month, or some 2,500 a year. … Speaking at a press conference the following day, Zelenskyy said that Ukraine could hit targets deep inside Russia without the need for coordination with Washington. … [Gustav] Gressel (right) — the military expert — said that although the Taurus is more difficult to detect on radar and more manoeuvrable than the Flamingo, the latter “has a far greater range and warhead, so it has a far greater effect on the target”. (Euro News: 26 August 2025) (my emphasis)
Underscoring Putin's panic, as Anthony Blair(left) reports,
"Baby-faced Russian children as young as 8 have been taught how to throw hand grenades and carry rifles at a bizarre summer camp designed to train up the next generation of Vladimir Putin’s military.
The twisted exercises, supervised by soldiers who have fought in Russia’s war in Ukraine, saw young children given real rifles or convincing replicas at a camp in the Rostov region, close to the Ukrainian border.
“We threw hand grenades and fired dummy shots,” 8-year-old participant Ivan Glushchenko said excitedly, when asked what his favorite part had been during the camp, which is open to both boys and girls." (The New York Post on MSN: 28 August 2025) (my emphasis)
"Hitler Youth (Hitlerjugend) was established as an organization in Nazi Germany that physically trained youth and indoctrinated them with Nazi ideology to the point of fanaticism. " (Wikipedia)
In his panic, Putin is treading along the same path as Hitler.
EMERGENCY! UPDATE: 30 August 2025: GMT 09:06
As the UK, EU, the US, and the world, politically quibble over 'ceasefires' in Putin's war with Ukraine, Daniel McLaughlin reports that,
“Putin is mocking any kind of peace efforts. The only thing he understands is pressure,” said EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas (right) in Copenhagen, a day after a Russian air strike on Kyiv EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas killed at least 25 civilians, injured dozens more and damaged the offices of the European Union delegation and the British Council cultural organisation." (The Irish Times: 29 August 2025) (my emphasis)
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas seems to be the only EU politician taking heed of Zelensky when he says,
"We've been hearing from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, he says "Russia is once again showing that it doesn't give a damn about words".
He adds that Ukraine is now "counting on real action. It is clear that Moscow has used the time allocated for the preparation of the meeting at the leadership level to prepare new massive strikes." (BBC News: 30 August 2025) (my emphasis)
The many 'armchair' generals and internet political pundits opining about what weaponry or economic strategy is needed by Ukraine to defeat Putin simply will not stop Putin from manically killing Ukraine's civilians day after day with his frantic missile and drone onslaught against them.
Like the appeasement of Hitler when he invaded, and subsequently annexed, a large swathe of Czechoslovakia in 1938, and then set off WW2; the world is blindly treading the same path as in 1938 by allowing Putin to lead the world by the nose into WW3.
Already a doppelganger of the WW2 Japan-Italy-German axis is being set in motion with the triumvirate of Putin, Xi Jinping, and Kim Jong Un, who will be joining hands at the big military parade next Wednesday to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two in Beijing.
"Kim Jong Un will join Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin at a major military parade in Beijing next week, North Korean and Chinese state media have announced" (Sky News: 28 August 2025) (my emphasis)
How, now, is the rest of the world going to react????
"Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are among the twenty world leaders attending a regional security summit in China. … This year's gathering is the largest since the organisation was founded. … The meeting comes days before the massive military parade that will mark 80 years since the end of World War II. (BBC News: 31 August 2025) (my emphasis)
The stage is being set for a confrontation between the UK, EU, Australia, Canada, and those nations friendly towards the west, and the dictators of Russia, China, India, North Korea, Pakistan, Belarus, and Iran.
Expect Putin to be given at this 'regional security summit' the 'quiet political nod' by his 'bosom buddies', Russia, China, India, North Korea, Pakistan, Belarus, and Iran, for his continuous and 'manic' bombing of Ukraine's civilians.
"And all thanks to Trump, the 'myopic' and 'failed' so-called 'deal maker (Michael Hiltzik: Los Angeles Times on Yahoo Finance: 18 May, 2022) sitting in the White House and being blackmailed by Putin, fondling his 'voluminous KGB folder of the 'kompromat' he collected about Trump during his former visits to Moscow. (cf "The Steele Dossier") (blog entry: 8 August 2025)
And now, nearly nine years since Trump first entered the White House in 2016, we had,
"... former FBI director Robert Mueller, who led a special counsel investigation until March 2019. Mueller concluded that Russian interference was "sweeping and systematic" and "violated U.S. criminal law", and he indicted twenty-six Russian citizens and three Russian organizations" (Wikipedia),
we now have, in the fallout of the Trump-Putin meeting in Alaska, Professor Michael Clarke(right) saying that,
"... a number of retired intelligence officers believe Putin has compromising material on Trump "far beyond hookers in Moscow hotel rooms".
"About something longer-lasting and deeper and more financial - I don't know if that's true or not."
Others say Trump was "very impressed" by Putin's nuclear weapon threats and "frightened" by his cunning.
"It gave Trump a clear sense that if you push me too hard, I will use nuclear weapons and Trump has never been ever to get over that," says Clarke." (Sky News: 21 August 2025) (my emphasis)
"Donald Trump has made a veiled threat to Vladimir Putin, after the Kremlin threw his peace initiative into disarray with a new set of hardline demands. The US President has spearheaded diplomatic efforts to bring the war in Ukraine to an end, risking much political capital along the way." (Daily Express on MSN: 22 August 2025) (my emphasis)
"The US President castigated his predecessor Joe Biden for holding back Ukraine and preventing its forces from taking the war directly to Russia, hinting things could be about to change." … His post coincided with news that Ukraine has completed successful tests to its huge new missile the Flamingo and plans to ramp up production of the deadly weapon." (ibidJohn Varga)
This ''... hinting things could be about to change" by Trump seems to be yet another "empty diplomatic phrase" that he is so fond of bandying about, as was his 'sanctions threats' against Putin's Russia, and his 'secondary sanctions threats against India and China, none of which have ever materialized.
"Russia launched a rare drone and missile attack on western Ukraine overnight, officials said Thursday, striking targets including an American-owned electronics plant and injecting further uncertainty into the U.S.-led efforts to end the 3-year-old war. … “The Russians knew exactly where they lobbed the missiles. We believe this was a deliberate attack against American property and investments in Ukraine,” Zelenskyy wrote, adding: “Telling attack, right as the world awaits a clear answer from Russia on negotiations to end the war.” … The White House didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on whether Trump is considering changes to the types of weapons the U.S. will provide to Kyiv." (AP: 22 August 2025) (my emphasis)
"Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent visit to the closed city of Sarov, home to the Russian Federal Nuclear Center (VNIIEF), raised alarms as it signaled a possible escalation in nuclear preparations. … The visit followed a controversial post by U.S. President Donald Trump, who stated that Ukraine would have "no chance of winning" unless allowed to strike inside Russia, a comment that sparked tensions" (OneIndia: 23 August 2025) (my emphasis)
"Ukraine is set to mass produce a new deadly missile after concluding successful tests, potentially turning the tables on Vladimir Putin. The Russian leader has shown little compunction in bombing Ukrainian cities and towns to smithereens using a lethal mix of drones and missiles." (John Varga: Daily Express on MSN: 22 August 2025)(my emphasis),
and that Putin has scared Trump that he WILL use nuclear weapons.
We should prepare ourselves for yet another 'walking back' of Trump's assertion that he is "considering changes to the types of weapons the U.S. will provide to Kyiv."
Furthermore, Putin's grandstanding as a 'nuclear power' is a signal to Zelensky as much as it is to Trump.
This 'nuclear bravado' of Putin and his Kremlin cohorts is a last gasp as :-
the UK and the coalition of the willing in the EU are fast preparing for 'their' boots on the ground in Ukraine to monitor a ceasefire in Putin's war with Ukraine,
and a new and deadly Ukraine missile, the "Flamingo", now points at Putin's military-industrial complex and the infrastructure of Russia.
That Trump will buckle under Putin's 'nuclear' threat is something of a forgone conclusion.
It is especially the 'nuclear arsenals' of the UK and France that Putin simply cannot ignore.
The UK and the countries of the willing in the EU, especially France, Germany, and Poland, should now call Putin's bluff, and they should simply ignore a trembling Trump in the White House.
Putin's WW3 threat is a nervous bluff to stave off his own imminent demise.
"The Pentagon has been quietly blocking Ukraine from using U.S.-made long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) to strike targets inside Russia, limiting Kyiv's ability to employ these weapons in its defense against Moscow's invasion, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday, citing U.S. officials." (Reuters: 23 August 2025) (my emphasis)
What is disconcerting is that,
"The U.S. has quietly implementeda review process giving Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth (right)authority to bar Ukrainian long-range strikes inside Russia with American missiles, effectively blocking strikes for months, the Wall Street Journal reported on Aug. 23." (Volodymyr Ivanyshyn:Kyiv Independent on Yahoo News: 23 August 2025) (my emphasis)
Let us remind ourselves that,
"In 2015 or 2016 Hegseth had been promoted to the rank of major, and was assigned to the Army Individual Ready Reserve". (Wikipedia) (cf: Links in Wikipedia) More significantly,
Hegseth co-hosted Fox News Channel's All-American New Year(Wikipedia) (cf: Links in Wikipedia)
In November 2024, President-elect Donald Trump announced that he planned to nominate Hegseth to serve as the next Secretary of Defense.(Wikipedia) (cf: Links in Wikipedia)
He appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee on January 14, 2025.[23] During the hearing, Hegseth denied allegations of sexual assault, marital infidelity, and public drunkenness.(Wikipedia) (cf: Links in Wikipedia)
As Sky News also reported in January of this year (2025),
"Donald Trump's choice for US defence secretary has been accused of lacking the competence for the job, during a much-disrupted Senate confirmation hearing.
Senators are determining whether Pete Hegseth, a former combat veteran and TV news show host, is fit to lead the US military as Mr Trump's choice for defence secretary." (Sky News:14 January 2025) (my emphasis)
We now have an incompetent Hegseth having the authority to bar Ukraine from using US long-range missiles to strike at Putin's military industrial complex inside Russia, which is building the missiles and bombs Putin is continuously raining onto Ukraine's civilians.
And then we have Trump's puppet, vice-president JD Vance, exclaiming that,
"I think the Russians have made significant concessions to President Trumpfor
the first time in 3 1/2 years of this conflict. They've actually been
willing to be flexible on some of their core demands. They've talked
about what would be necessary to end the war," he said. "Of course, they haven't been completely there yet, or the war would be over. But we're engaging in this diplomatic process in good faith." (Hannah Demissie (right): ABC News on Yahoo News: 24 August 2025) (my emphasis)
Hegseth and JD Vance simply prove, as I wrote earlier, that,
"We should prepare ourselves for yet another 'walking back' of Trump's assertion that he is "considering changes to the types of weapons the U.S. will provide to Kyiv."
As Caitlin McFall (rught) also reports,
Taipei News goes on to report that,
