Notes and Essays -- John Brown

President says for first time that his country could cede land temporarily in exchange for protection of a ‘Nato umbrella’ Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday night that he was willing to cede territory to Russia to end the war for the first time. The Ukrainian president said his country could give up land temporarily in exchange for a “Nato umbrella” over the territory Ukraine still holds. He added that after a ceasefire was agreed, Kyiv could “diplomatically” negotiate the return of the territory in the east that is currently under Russian control. “If we want to stop the hot stage of the war, we should take under [the] Nato umbrella the territory of Ukraine that we have under our control,” Zelensky said in an interview with Sky News. “That’s what we need to do fast, and then Ukraine can get back the other part of its territory diplomatically,” he added. The comments represent a considerable shift in his position. Kyiv has previously said it would continue to fight Russia until Uk...

“America First” means diminished American global leadership. By the  Editorial Board The Washington Post , 7  November 30, 2024 at 7:00 a.m. EST   NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks with President Donald Trump in 2019. (Francisco Seco/AP) "Many leaders in Europe and NATO had already been discussing ways to achieve 'strategic autonomy' — that is, ending their reliance on the United States for security. The majority of NATO’s 32 members have significantly increased their defense spending since 2022, so now only a few nations are failing to meet the target of 2 percent of gross domestic product. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine also brought the threat of a revanchist Russia to NATO’s doorst ep. But mostly, the talk of European 'security autonomy' has remained just talk. Mr. Trump’s re-ascendance should focus minds and bring a new sense of urgency to building European self-sufficiency and bolstering Ukraine. ... Mr. Trump has voiced skepticism abo...

Charles Kushner, pictured in 2022, is the father of Jared Kushner, Donald Trump's son-in-law. (John Minchillo/AP) By Azi Paybarah The Washington Post , November 30, 2024 at 4:02 p.m. EST President-elect Donald Trump said on Saturday he would nominate Charles Kushner, the New Jersey real estate developer and his son-in-law’s father whom he pardoned in 2020, to be the ambassador to France. Kushner pleaded guilty in 2004 to making false statements to the Federal Election Commission, and he subsequently pleaded guilty to witness tampering and tax evasion stemming from $6 million in political contributions and gifts mischaracterized as business expenses. The ambassador post requires Senate confirmation, but senators usually defer to presidents on such nominees .  “He is a tremendous business leader, philanthropist, & dealmaker, who will be a strong advocate representing our Country & its interests,” Trump wrote in a post on TruthSocial. Trump added, “Together, we will strengthe...

If Putin allowed to reduce Ukraine to vassal state ‘he will not stop there’, Richard Moore says in plea to Trump + 9 View gallery + 9 View gallery Moore has been married to his wife Maggie since 1985. He frequently shares pictures of them together on social media (right); images  from Dan Sabbagh  in Paris Fri 29 Nov 2024 09.30 EST,  The Guardian Abandoning  Ukraine  would jeopardise British, European and American security and lead to “infinitely higher” costs in the long term, the head of MI6 has warned in a speech that amounted to a plea to Donald Trump to continue supporting Kyiv. Richard Moore, giving a rare speech, said he believed Vladimir Putin “would not stop” at Ukraine if he was allowed to subjugate it in any peace talks involving the incoming US Republican administration. “If Putin is allowed to succeed in reducing Ukraine to a vassal state, he will not stop there. Our security – British, French, European and transatlantic – will be jeopardised,” Moor...

By Hanna Ziady, CNN , Published 1:31 PM EST, Sat November 30, 2024  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President-elect Donald Trump meet at Trump Tower in New York City on September 27.   Shannon Stapleton/Reuters/File CNN Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he wants to work “directly” with US President-elect Donald Trump and is open to his ideas, highlighting Kyiv’s eagerness to keep its most important ally onside as Russia intensifies its attacks.  “Of course we will work with Trump. I want to work with him directly,” Zelensky said in an interview with Sky News released Friday, adding that he did not want people around Trump to “destroy” their communication. “I want to share with him ideas and I want to hear from him his ideas,” he added.  The United States is the single largest provider of military assistance to Ukraine and Kyiv is keenly aware that it needs to stay on Trump’s good side to secure future support. According to the  US Departm...