Tag Archives: Politics

Putin’s Minister Sends Blunt Message To Trump Over US-Russia Relations

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Vladimir Putin’s minister has called for Donald Trump’s administration to make the first move to improve relations between their countries.

It comes as the US president looks to end the bloody Ukraine war which started in February 2022, when the Russian president invaded in a land grab.

Trump and Putin are yet to directly discuss how to resolve the conflict, though both have signalled that they are willing.

That is a significant development considering the US-Russia relationship completely fractured over the Ukraine war.

Even so, deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov wrote on the Foreign Ministry website that the US “must take the first step” to fix the relationship.

According to Reuters news agency, he said the Kremlin has tried to be a partner with the west, but “no one was listening or, in theory, wanted to listen.”

He added: “And that is because the underlying aim was to weaken the geopolitical rival to the maximum.”

He said Moscow has regained “its lawful place in world geopolitics by frustrating the plans of Joe Biden’s administration”, alleging the last White House wanted to push a “strategic defeat” on Russia in a “hybrid war” via its support for Ukraine.

Ryabkov continued: “Against the background of this failed policy and with the change of administration, it is the United States that must take the first step in normalising relations on the basis of mutual respect and equal rights.”

Despite this warning, he said Russia is “open to dialogue and ready to reach agreement through hard bargaining while taking account of realities on the ground … So it is up to D Trump and his team to make a decision.”

Putin has heaped praise on Trump since his return to office, describing him as “a clever and pragmatic man”.

The US president has expressed his sympathy over Russia’s frustration the idea that Ukraine could one day join Nato, and once described Putin’s invasion as “savvy” and “genius”.

But Trump has also adopted a harsher tone in recent weeks, saying he thinks Putin is “destroying Russia by not making a deal” and threatened to put more sanctions on the country if it did not stop the “ridiculous war”.

Although Trump officially returned to the office on January 21, only preliminary contact has been established between the US and Russia so far, according to Russia’s ambassador to Britain Andrei Kelin.

Asked if Trump was seen as a friend of Russia by ITV News, the ambassador said: “No.”

“That is clearly no, because what we have heard about peace through force, about [the] necessity to impose more sanctions on Russia,” he said, adding: “We are hearing different things and a lot of speculation all around so it is too early to say what will be the outcome of that.”

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Putin’s Army Has Just Had Two of The ‘Most Costly’ Months Of War, UK Says

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Vladimir Putin’s army has just endured two of its “most costly” months of war, according to the UK.

The ministry of defence (MoD) announced in its latest update on social media that January 2025 was “likely the second most costly month” for Russia after its forces sustained a staggering 48,240 casualties.

The Mod put the average daily casualty rate at around 1,556.

But the worst period of loss for the Russian army was December 2025, when casualties hit 48,670, according to reports from the Ukraine’s General Staff shared by the MoD.

The intelligence officers believe average daily loss rate was therefore a little higher in December, reaching 1,570 per day.

The MoD said that is “the highest average daily casualty rate of the conflict thus far” – although it does not look like that number will drastically drop any time soon.

Putin’s troops has already sustained a staggering 50,000 casualties just in the first six weeks of 2025.

The MoD also claimed Russia has endured more than 837,000 casualties since invading Ukraine in February 2022, almost three years ago.

The MoD said: “Russia’s casualty rate will likely continue to average above 1,000 a day in February 2025, reflecting the high tempo of Russian operations and offensives.”

These are all estimates as Russia does not regularly reveal its casualty rate.

Ukraine normally keeps its losses to itself too, but its president Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently announced his army had lost more than 45,100 throughout the war, with another 390,000 injured since the war began.

The shocking number is still much lower than the estimates for their Russian opponents.

Putin had already been accused of using “meat-grinder tactics” by UK prime minister Keir Starmer last autumn, but he now seems to be forcing his troops to push forward into Ukraine, even if there’s an even greater rate of loss, after Donald Trump’s election.

The US president has made it clear he wants to end the Ukraine war but is much more sympathetic to Putin than other western allies.

This has sparked fears Trump may force Ukraine to cede any occupied land to Russia in a potential peace deal – and at the moment, Moscow controls around a fifth of its beleaguered neighbour.

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Elon Musk Has A ‘Special’ New Job Title

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White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the tech billionaire’s official title to CNN’s Kaitlan Collins on Monday.

“A special government employee is anyone who works, or is expected to work, for the government for 130 days or less in a 365-day period.”

“Special government employees are subject to most rules, although sometimes in a less restrictive way.”

Musk is “not a volunteer but also not a full-time federal employee,” CNN explained his position on Monday.

The richest person in the world spent more than $290 million backing President Donald Trump and Republicans in the 2024 elections. He is now running the non-official Department of Government Efficiency, which is looking to significantly slash public spending.

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Marjorie Taylor Greene’s ‘Disturbing’ Post About Reporter’s Foreign Accent Is Slammed

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Conspiracy theory-peddling Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (Republican, Georgia) drew criticism this weekend for a social media post about the foreign accent of a journalist ― who asked a question during a White House press briefing ― and her subsequent suggestion to “throw out all the foreign press.”

“How about that accent from that reporter? I think we need to throw out all the foreign press! American media first!”

Dridi shared Greene’s post on social media and noted: “Marjorie Taylor Greene thinks I should be thrown out of the press room because of my accent.”

While some commenters lapped up Greene’s comment, critics expressed solidarity with Dridi and accused the Georgia congresswoman of using divisive language.

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Yvette Cooper Hits Out At ‘Really Damaging’ Tariffs As Trump Slaps Them On Canada And Mexico

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Yvette Cooper has described import tariffs as “really damaging” for the world economy as Donald Trump slapped them on Mexico and Canada.

The home secretary said the UK government was focused on “removing barriers to trade” rather than putting up new ones.

Trump said most goods entering the US from Mexico and Canada will have a 25% tariff added to them, except for Canadian oil, which will see a 10% tariff.

He said it was because the two countries were not doing enough to stop drugs entering the US, or tackle illegal immigration.

Trump also said he was imposing a new 10% tariff on goods from China on top of existing duties.

The US president has also threatened to impose tariffs on EU exports to America – raising fears that he could do the same for British goods being sold to the US.

Asked about the move on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme this morning, Cooper said: “Tariff increases right across the world can have a really damaging impact on global growth and trade so I don’t think that’s what anybody wants to see.

“The focus for Johnny Reynolds, our business and trade secretary, is on building trade links and better trading relations and removing barriers to trade with the US and also with other European countries and with countries right across the world.

“We want to reduce the barriers to trade, make it easier for businesses.”

Tariffs are charges placed on imported goods as they enter the country, paid by the company or individual bringing the good in.

Economists are almost unanimous that tariffs are passed on to the consumer as higher prices.

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Yvette Cooper Rules Out The UK Signing Up To Giving Young People Free Movement To The EU

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Yvette Cooper has ruled out agreeing a deal with Brussels to allow young people to move freely between the UK and the European Union.

In comments which will be a huge blow to millions of young Brits, the home secretary said it was “not the right starting point for us at all”.

A so-called “youth mobility scheme” is believed to be one of the EU’s main demands in negotiations over a new trade deal with the UK.

Cooper’s comments came as Keir Starmer prepares to travel to Brussels on Monday as part of the Labour government’s attempts to “reset” relations with the bloc.

On Sky News this morning, the home secretary told presenter Trevor Phillips that not returning to free movement, the EU’s customs union or the single market were the government’s “red lines” in the talks.

Phillips then said: “Let’s test that out. How are you getting on with negotiating a youth mobility scheme with the EU?”

Cooper replied: “We’ve been clear that we need net migration to come down. Under the Conservatives, net migration quadrupled in the space of four years. That’s the wrong thing for the UK.

“So we’re clear that net migration needs to come down, so that’s why this is not an approach that we are looking for.”

Phillips then said: “So no youth mobility scheme?”

The home secretary said: “That’s not the right starting point for us at all because what we need to do is to bring net migration down.”

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Yvette Cooper, moments ago, ruling out any chance or possibility of a Youth Mobility Scheme with the EU.

\"This is not an approach we are looking for\" pic.twitter.com/smr92c3yOA

— MrBounceBack.com (@Bounce_BackLoan) February 2, 2025

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Yvette Cooper, moments ago, ruling out any chance or possibility of a Youth Mobility Scheme with the EU.

“This is not an approach we are looking for” pic.twitter.com/smr92c3yOA

— MrBounceBack.com (@Bounce_BackLoan) February 2, 2025

Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesperson Calum Miller said: “The government’s refusal to negotiate a youth mobility scheme with the EU is short-sighted and a bitter blow to young people across the UK.

“A youth mobility deal would be good for our economy, especially our tourism and hospitality sectors, while giving young British people the opportunity to work and study abroad.

“This would be a win-win, Labour ministers need to stop repeating the failed approach of the Conservatives and listen to young people instead.”

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