Putin isn’t negotiating peace, he’s laughing at America

"Putin lied about Crimea when Obama was president, lied about Syria during Trump's first term, lied to Biden about having no plans to invade Ukraine — and he is lying now. It's hard to find a single instance where Putin wasn't lying — manipulating, embarrassing or demeaning Western leaders he holds in contempt. 

None of it is subtle. After Trump's reelection in 2024, Russian state television aired decades-old nude photos of Melania Trump during primetime. This was easy to dismiss as pointless trolling, but anyone who has been to Russia will recognize it as psychological warfare — a KGB specialty. 

In a recent display of open mockery, Putin was caught on camera giggling when reminded he was late for a scheduled call with Trump. Surrounded by Russian business elites, he smirked as his entourage burst out laughing — making clear the delay was no accident but a calculated power play straight out of reflexive control, the Soviet-era doctrine of manipulating opponents into acting against their own interests…"

https://thehill.com/opinion/international/5235342-putin-isnt-negotiating-peace-hes-laughing-at-america/ 

Should Congress Stop Funding the War in Ukraine? (John Donvan; Open to Debate podcast)

Since the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the United States has provided more than $75 billion in aid to Ukraine, which has been directed toward military operations, economic support, and humanitarian assistance. As the war has gone on, members of Congress have questioned whether we have done enough to help the country and if continuing funding is sustainable. Those who want to continue funding Ukraine say the U.S. has a moral obligation to support the country in its time of need, it sustains alliances while serving strategic interests, and it demonstrates the United States’s support of democratic values and sovereignty. Those arguing it’s time to end the funding say that it diverts necessary resources that could go toward domestic and foreign priorities. They also question whether the funds are being used efficiently, whether the war is winnable, and whether providing military aid is genuinely contributing to a path toward peace.

With this crucial background, we debate the question: Should Congress Stop Funding the War in Ukraine?

This debate was recorded live for an invite-only audience at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York City.
Interview: 

https://opentodebate.org/debate/should-congress-stop-funding-the-war-in-ukraine/

Pontiff criticised for saying Ukraine should ‘raise white flag’ and end war with Russia

Some politicians and commentators in Europe reacted with anger after the pontiff appeared to stay silent on Russia's crimes as aggressor in the invasion, which has killed tens of thousands, and placed the onus on Ukraine to make peace...

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/10/pope-francis-criticised-for-saying-ukraine-should-raise-white-flag-and-end-war-with-russia

In odd video, Trump falsely suggests he received a Nobel prize

As Trump's term ends, he's still trying to pretend that he either won or deserved a Nobel Peace Prize. It's a pitiful coda to his presidency.

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/odd-video-trump-falsely-suggests-he-received-nobel-prize-n1252476

Donald Trump Shares Image of Wrong Nobel Prize in Video Promoting Peace Prize Credentials

"That's not even a Nobel Peace Prize. The medal depicted is awarded for physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, and literature."

https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-wrong-nobel-peace-prize-video-1557735

Trump claims BLM protests are violent, but majority are peaceful

Hours after a 14-year-old boy was fatally shot, dozens of young people held a mile-long "love march" through the city's South Side Englewood neighborhood last Saturday, holding images of people lost to gun violence and calling for investments in grocery stores, schools and health services in their neighborhoods. "I've lost 34 friends to gun violence and police brutality, and it pushes me to keep going and show love," said resident Juanita Tennyson, 23, who has hosted three of these marches and a series of food drives since George Floyd's killing on Memorial Day. "People think protests are bad and violent, and they're not. They can be beautiful and peaceful and calm."...
https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/news/nation/2020/10/24/trump-claims-blm-protests-violent-but-majority-peaceful/3640564001/

Saudi king tells Trump he won't normalise Israeli ties without Palestinian statehood

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman has told Donald Trump that the kingdom is eager to achieve a fair and permanent solution to the Palestinian issue, which he said was the main starting point of the kingdom’s proposed Arab Peace Initiative, the state news agency reported. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/07/saudi-king-tells-trump-he-wont-normalise-israeli-ties-without-palestinian-statehood

Nearly all Black Lives Matter protests are peaceful despite Trump narrative, report finds

In stark contrast to rightwing claims, 93% of demonstrations have involved no serious harm to people or property
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/05/nearly-all-black-lives-matter-protests-are-peaceful-despite-trump-narrative-report-finds

An open letter to the Norwegian Nobel Committee in support of Donald Trump - The Washington Post - Perspective

In which I put a heavy move on the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of my president.....

https://apple.news/ACYA8cj07RwSChdDZ6o3HXA

Addison Frei - Future Speak

Lyrics:
Climbing up the mountain,
Sailing cross the sea,
Look beyond tomorrow,
Tell me what you see.

(What do you see?)

I see a world where black lives matter.
Stories told without the stain of guns.
Peace, love, serenity, compassion, understanding.

When you feel weak just let the future speak.
When the world’s stuck on repeat
We fight to let the future speak.

Can you hear imagination’s triumphant sound?

Will we learn to value thought before it’s too late,
Or let the pulpit guide us into thinking we are great.
Great? Wait, they’re preying on hate, ordained by so-called fate,
So we retaliate against the t.v. station that’s feeding the nation
On the sensation of savior adulation spitting on education.
Preaching the promise of eternal life,
But love from above turned a blind eye to strife.
But we’ve got fighters integrating institutions,
Believing in inclusion, rejecting the illusion of a foreign intrusion,
Shining light amidst confusion, and giving this nation
A new blood transfusion.
We’re resolute, anchored by firm roots,
Facing attack we can’t compute ‘cause
We speak a different language in a world that’s filled with fear,
Calibrate to communicate, ‘cause future speak is here.
When you feel weak just let the future speak.
When the world’s stuck on repeat
We fight to let the future speak.

https://youtu.be/VDaBRG2muLQ

Israel’s political crisis adds to the farce of Trump’s Mideast project - The Washington Post: Analysis

An ill-fated peace plan looks even more doomed....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2019/05/31/israels-political-crisis-adds-farce-trumps-mideast-project/

Trump to Palestinians in Gaza: 'End the violence and work towards peace' - The Hill

President Trump sounded off on the most recent violence between Israeli and the Palestinians, putting the onus on Palestinians to "END the violence and work towards peace" in a Sunday night tweet.....
https://thehill.com/policy/international/middle-east-north-africa/442228-trump-to-palestinians-in-gaza-end-the-violence

German Jews for Palestinian rights receive a peace prize-- and are dismissed as 'the wrong kind of Jews' - Mondoweiss

Last week, the German organization Jewish Voice for a Just peace in the Middle East received a peace prize from the city of Göttingen. The mayor promptly revoked the prize because the group supports BDS...
https://mondoweiss.net/2019/03/palestinian-receive-dismissed/

Ilhan Omar: We must apply our universal values to all nations. Only then will we achieve peace - The Washington Post: Opinion

This vision also applies to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict...
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/ilhan-omar-we-must-apply-our-universal-values-to-all-nations-only-then-will-we-achieve-peace/2019/03/17/0e2d66fc-4757-11e9-aaf8-4512a6fe3439_story.html

Unveiling of Trump's much-anticipated Israeli-Palestinian peace plan to be delayed by months

National security adviser John Bolton toured tunnels beneath the Western Wall in Jerusalem’s Old City, drawing criticism from Palestinian leadership.....
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/unveiling-trump-s-much-anticipated-israeli-palestinian-peace-plan-be-n955246

US policy towards Israel in 2018 | Pod Save the World

Tommy and Ben Rhodes talk with former US Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro about his time in Israel, why the Middle East Peace process failed, Trump's approach to Israel, the BDS movement, whether support for Israel is getting politicized, Netanyahu's legal jeopardy, and Jared Kushner managing our relationship with Saudi Arabia.
Interview:
https://youtu.be/KBFjrA1_LwA

Ireland, worried about peace process, considers recognition of a Palestinian state - The Washington Post

"Who knows what the U.S. will propose?" Simon Coveney said of the promised Trump administration Middle East peace plan.....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2018/09/28/ireland-worried-about-peace-process-considers-recognition-palestinian-state/

U.S. Will No Longer Fund Peace-Building Programs For Palestinians - NPR

The U.S. has cut hundreds of millions of dollars for Palestinians, to pressure Palestinian leaders to work with the U.S. on peace efforts. ....
https://www.npr.org/2018/09/15/648222130/u-s-will-no-longer-fund-peace-building-programs-for-palestinians

Trump's North Korea push just got dangerous again after secretive deals with Kim Jong Un - Business Insider

President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un are still on polite terms, but the US and Pyongyang have recently floated the idea of resuming hostilities. Trump reportedly made a verbal promise to Kim that he'd end the Korean war, but hasn't come through. North Korea said it could resume missile testing if the US doesn't move on a peace process...
https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-north-korea-policy-dangerous-after-verbal-deal-with-kim-jong-un-2018-8

Palestinians: White House Mideast peace plan "dead upon arrival" - CBS News

Furious over Trump admin's perceived pro-Israel bias, Palestinian leadership vows it is "not going to engage" ....
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/palestinian-says-donald-trump-white-house-middle-east-peace-plan-dead-on-arrival/