“Misreading the room”? Get fucked. You started a needless war with Iran, it went sideways, and now you want to make Ukraine pay the price.
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Michael Weiss
@michaeldweiss
@insidereng, ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror: goo.gl/Jb6uEA. Next book: GRU @vikingbooks. macspaunday@protonmail.com,
Substack: macspaunday.substack.com
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@michaeldweiss reposted
The OFAC license for sales of Russian diesel is effectively funding Russia’s war machine. That’s what these revenues will be used for: missiles and jet powered drones to strike Ukrainian cities.
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With compliments…
Faytuks Network@FaytuksNetwork · 12hHours after Trump's Diesel Deal announcement with Russia, A fuel storage terminal at the Novoshakhtinsk Oil Refinery (NZNP) in Russia's Rostov has been hit by a Ukrainian strike.
Video by @Osinttechnical
Video by @Osinttechnical
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@michaeldweiss reposted
The President should rescind this agreement immediately. To the American companies considering taking Putin’s blood money: Congress is watching. 4
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So this deal is largely Potemkin, but the damage is obvious: the US will give something for nothing to get realignment with Russia and of course — in the long run — to line the pockets of Trump’s friends and family. Let’s assume, based on initial reporting, that Ukraine continues deep strikes with European assistance and even escalates now. Russian refineries burn. Moscow says they can’t satisfy the demands of the deal (which they couldn’t do anyway) because of those deep strikes. Whom do you think Trump will blame when his Potemkin bargain is shown to be just that? The hucksters in Moscow and Miami who sold it to him, or the country he’s sold out? Even in the deal’s inevitable implosion, Russia snags a big strategic victory. I’m guessing they factored that into their design.
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Hill source clarifies: “It’s a temporary license, not a waiver, and it refers to sanctions imposed in the Executive Order.”
Michael Weiss@michaeldweiss · 14hNate has an acute knowledge of sanctions legislation, but this all just raises the question: does it matter, to Trump or to Congress?
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@michaeldweiss reposted
Another way to think about Trump announcement today: If he increased US diesel imports from Canada by 4%, he would gain as much fuel as from this Russia deal. But the Canadians are global super-villains, so who wants to buy from them when you could enrich Putin instead?
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Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s presence in Miami was a “smokescreen” and he has characterized the outcome of this meeting as an act of American “weakness.” The only ones who saw this as constructive are the Russians.
Special Envoy Steve Witkoff@SEPeaceMissions · 15hToday, representatives from the United States, the E3, the European Commission, Ukraine, and NATO met in Miami and held constructive discussions on potential avenues to de-escalate and conclude the war with Russia ahead of winter and advance efforts toward a durable and lasting peace.
The discussions covered a broad range of issues, including near-term measures related to winter preparedness (energy resilience, grains exports), security guarantees, as well as longer-term arrangements for Ukraine’s and Europe’s security to prevent future conflicts, and support Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction and economic prosperity, including EU accession.
The exchange was productive and helped identify areas for further exploration ahead of the United States’ next engagement with Russia. Participants reaffirmed their shared commitment to continuing diplomatic efforts toward a sustainable peace that strengthens security and creates opportunities for lasting stability and prosperity.
Open quoted post →The discussions covered a broad range of issues, including near-term measures related to winter preparedness (energy resilience, grains exports), security guarantees, as well as longer-term arrangements for Ukraine’s and Europe’s security to prevent future conflicts, and support Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction and economic prosperity, including EU accession.
The exchange was productive and helped identify areas for further exploration ahead of the United States’ next engagement with Russia. Participants reaffirmed their shared commitment to continuing diplomatic efforts toward a sustainable peace that strengthens security and creates opportunities for lasting stability and prosperity.
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From "nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine" to "our team is simply being used as a smokescreen."
John Hudson@John_Hudson · 16hZelensky comes out hard against Trump’s diesel deal with Russia: “this is a weak decision”
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At the end of this clip, Mike Tyson leans in to hear a journalist tell Trump Zelensky just called Trump weak.
Sky News@SkyNews · 15hBREAKING: Donald Trump has thanked Vladimir Putin for providing "the American and global marketplace" with '300,000 tons of diesel'.
trib.al/Tb9Bevb
trib.al/Tb9Bevb
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Nate has an acute knowledge of sanctions legislation, but this all just raises the question: does it matter, to Trump or to Congress?
Nate Sibley@NateSibley · 16hWas Congress consulted about President Trump's diesel deal with Russia? If not, the waiver may be illegal.
The Ending Importation of Russian Oil Act bans the import of Russian diesel to the United States until the president certifies, and Congress agrees, that the war is over.
Regarding non-U.S. Russian diesel transactions, Treasury can lift restrictions. But under CAATSA it is probably required to notify Congress first as this "significantly alters" U.S. policy towards Russia.
Open quoted post →The Ending Importation of Russian Oil Act bans the import of Russian diesel to the United States until the president certifies, and Congress agrees, that the war is over.
Regarding non-U.S. Russian diesel transactions, Treasury can lift restrictions. But under CAATSA it is probably required to notify Congress first as this "significantly alters" U.S. policy towards Russia.
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You said I was encouraging Europe to repress speech, a claim you cannot make based on the reporting so far because the reason for the PNG has not been disclosed by the Latvian government. You are guessing that’s the reason, which is your right, but I am not willing to speculate because what if it’s something else — wouldn’t I look silly? If you objected to my characterization of Ragozin, you’d have written a different comment. As to that characterization and the matter of “neutral” language, he has claimed recently that Russia doesn’t target civilians. It does and has for years. See this week’s butcher’s bill, or see Borodyanka in 2022, where I stood in front of an apartment block demolished by jet-launched missiles and apartments still standing unfit for entry because Russians had mined them on their way out. He also wrote the following. Hard to see those who are not apologists claim in late 2024 that Russia “will also press ahead with denazification”. Note the absence of inverted commas around “denazification.” intellinews.com/ragozin-what-w…
Keith Gessen@keithgessen · 16hDid I misinterpret Michael's neutral, informative tweet about Ragozin, or did he in fact call him a "Russian apologist of Moscow's war against Ukraine"? Hard to say.
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Some helpful context from Alex. Europe will continue to back Ukrainian deep strikes on energy infrastructure. (French intel key here, even if CIA is told to stand down.)
Alex Wickham@alexwickham · 15hUkraine’s allies see this Trump-Putin deal as appalling but only a very small revenue boost for Russia. Amounts are so small it barely helps the US either. And Russia won’t be able to fulfil the deal if Ukraine continues striking its refineries. Which Europe will back it to do.
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An FBI director with a drinking problem and penchant for posing for selfies with compromised Russians heads to Moscow, did you say?
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Tom Nichols@RadioFreeTom · 18hMore amazing FBI reporting from @S_Fitzpatrick
Patel wants to go to Russia. Even his own people in the FBI and DOJ are wondering why and hoping that he won't.
theatlantic.com/national-secur…
Open quoted post →Patel wants to go to Russia. Even his own people in the FBI and DOJ are wondering why and hoping that he won't.
theatlantic.com/national-secur…
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We need way more diesel than what they're offering and what they're offering they cannot satisfy. That seems to be a consensus view among energy experts. So Russia gets immediate sanctions relief while gas prices remain more or less the same. If I were a cynic I might conclude this is a sneaky attempt at rapprochement with Moscow couched in the language of affordability, with a decisive election less than a month away. All it does in the short term is provide more money for Russia to wage war on Ukraine.
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It was Putin's birthday yesterday, by the way.
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"Russia will 'repay' the diesel with further terror and perfidy. Allowing Russia to sell petroleum products is an investment in a war that must be ended, not prolonged. What is needed is real de-escalation with Russia on a reciprocal basis."
Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський@ZelenskyyUa · 17hPeace never comes through weakness. Today, representatives of the U.S. Congress were in Kyiv – a bipartisan delegation – and I am grateful to them for visiting Ukraine at such a difficult time. They asked: what is needed to end the war? The answer must be strong. There must be sanctions under the Lindsey Graham bill, there must be support for Ukraine in protecting lives, and there must be pressure on Russia for its war. And today, there was a conversation between the leaders of America and Russia. A conversation that leads to something different.
Recently, there was a European decision to lift sanctions on Russian oligarchs. Since then, Russian strikes and the torment of people have only increased. This past week alone, there was a brutal Russian missile strike on a residential building in Pryluky, aerial bombs were dropped on Kramatorsk – on ordinary city buses – and there have been constant attacks on Kyiv’s energy infrastructure and on the life-sustaining infrastructure in Dnipro, Kharkiv, Odesa, and our other cities. Dozens of people have been killed and hundreds wounded.
The Russians are compensating for their inability to achieve their objectives on the battlefield with this kind of terror. This year, Russia is weaker on the battlefield than at any other point in the war. That is why Putin is relying on terror. That is why he is relying on attempts to strike backroom deals to secure some form of pressure relief for Russia, in order to buy more time and more opportunities for war.
Any easing of sanctions against Russia without a clear and lasting de-escalation agreement with Russia is an obvious weakness. It plays into Russia’s hands – allowing it to kill more, wage war for longer, have even less respect for America, and inflict even greater losses and damage on the world.
Ukraine is ready to take symmetrical de-escalatory steps, and the American team knows our position. Our strikes on Russian oil refineries and other oil facilities are a response to Russia’s years-long campaign of terror against Ukraine’s energy sector. Ukraine will not set Russian oil refineries on fire if Russia does not destroy our energy infrastructure. This is the kind of agreement we are proposing to America, and we believe the United States has enough power to achieve such a compromise.
Gifts to Putin will not bring peace or any benefit to the civilized world. Russia will “repay” the diesel with further terror and perfidy. Allowing Russia to sell petroleum products is an investment in a war that must be ended, not prolonged. What is needed is real de-escalation with Russia on a reciprocal basis.
We count on America’s fair support for our defense of life, for our defense of people in Ukraine – and on the United States having a correspondingly strong conversation with Russia. A strong one, not a weak one.
Open quoted post →Recently, there was a European decision to lift sanctions on Russian oligarchs. Since then, Russian strikes and the torment of people have only increased. This past week alone, there was a brutal Russian missile strike on a residential building in Pryluky, aerial bombs were dropped on Kramatorsk – on ordinary city buses – and there have been constant attacks on Kyiv’s energy infrastructure and on the life-sustaining infrastructure in Dnipro, Kharkiv, Odesa, and our other cities. Dozens of people have been killed and hundreds wounded.
The Russians are compensating for their inability to achieve their objectives on the battlefield with this kind of terror. This year, Russia is weaker on the battlefield than at any other point in the war. That is why Putin is relying on terror. That is why he is relying on attempts to strike backroom deals to secure some form of pressure relief for Russia, in order to buy more time and more opportunities for war.
Any easing of sanctions against Russia without a clear and lasting de-escalation agreement with Russia is an obvious weakness. It plays into Russia’s hands – allowing it to kill more, wage war for longer, have even less respect for America, and inflict even greater losses and damage on the world.
Ukraine is ready to take symmetrical de-escalatory steps, and the American team knows our position. Our strikes on Russian oil refineries and other oil facilities are a response to Russia’s years-long campaign of terror against Ukraine’s energy sector. Ukraine will not set Russian oil refineries on fire if Russia does not destroy our energy infrastructure. This is the kind of agreement we are proposing to America, and we believe the United States has enough power to achieve such a compromise.
Gifts to Putin will not bring peace or any benefit to the civilized world. Russia will “repay” the diesel with further terror and perfidy. Allowing Russia to sell petroleum products is an investment in a war that must be ended, not prolonged. What is needed is real de-escalation with Russia on a reciprocal basis.
We count on America’s fair support for our defense of life, for our defense of people in Ukraine – and on the United States having a correspondingly strong conversation with Russia. A strong one, not a weak one.
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It's the thought that counts.
Aaron Reichlin-Melnick@ReichlinMelnick · 17hAccording to the BBC, the U.S. uses roughly 3.6 million barrels of diesel fuel per day, which works out to 491,000 metric tons. So... 300,000 tons of diesel is about 14-15 hours worth of U.S. supply.
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Mikhail Zvinchuk of Rybar is heading back to Russia after Montenegro lets him go. He arrived via Germany.
The Insider@the_ins_ru · 21hЧерногория вышлет основателя «Рыбаря» Михаила Звинчука. Он въехал на Балканы из Германии
theins.ru/news/298112
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