Posted on 02/24/2024 5:59:01 AM PST by SpeedyInTexas
Le Pen won’t form the next government.
Thank God.
Awaiting Sunday’s results so I can celebrate.
“Marine Le Pen promises French far right will rein in aid to Ukraine”
https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/05/europe/france-le-pen-ukraine-mbappe-intl-cmd/index.html
Let us not forget this ‘episode’:
“A Russian bank gave Marine Le Pen’s party a loan. Then weird things began happening.”
“PARIS — When French politician Marine Le Pen needed cash for her far-right party, an obscure Russian bank agreed to help.
Four years later, the bank has gone bust. The owner is facing a warrant for his arrest. Former Russian military officers are demanding money. And the party’s treasurer is sending off some $165,000 every few months to a woman in Moscow, unsure of where the payments ultimately will go.
The money failed to deliver Le Pen the French presidency in last year’s election, denying the Kremlin a powerful ally in the heart of Europe. Instead, the 9.4 million-euro loan, then worth $12.2 million, dragged her party into the shadowy underworld of Russian cross-border finance, putting it in league with people accused of having ties to Russian organized crime, money laundering and military operations.”
“Marine Le Pen promises French far right will rein in aid to Ukraine”
In the article, she puts forward two limitations - no French trainers deployed into Ukraine, and no striking Russian Territory with French weapons (like SCALP cruise missiles). It sounds like (by ommission) that she would still support continued Military aid, and continue French leadership of the Artillery Coalition.
She won’t get the chance to decide anything.
“She (Le Pen) won’t get the chance to decide anything.”
That is comforting.
Do they have another round of voting?
Second/Final round of voting is Sunday.
No way NR can get a majority. I say that with 100% confidence. 3rd tier candidates have dropped out meaning a 1 to 1 matchup in most districts.
Polls are predicting NR gets low 200s. Need something like 289 for majority.
Good chance that NR is the largest party. In which case, Macron may offer NR the first chance to form a government. But other parties won’t join a coalition with them. After NR fails to form a government the other parties will get their chance.
Good, but won’t matter much.
“Iran reformist Masoud Pezeshkian extends lead in presidential election count
Celebration in streets of Tehran as hardliner Saeed Jalili falls further behind in second round, with mixed picture of turnout”
New UK Labor Party Government expresses support for Ukraine.
Kyiv Independent reports:
“Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba held a call with his new British counterpart, David Lammy, on July 5, congratulating him on “taking charge of U.K. diplomacy.”
“I am grateful to my counterpart for reaffirming the U.K.’s ironclad support for Ukraine in all areas,” he said in a post on X. “We discussed next steps in our bilateral relations and also paid specific attention to the upcoming NATO Summit in Washington. [The] foreign secretary accepted my invitation to visit Ukraine.”
Lammy became the new U.K. foreign secretary on July 5 after the Labour Party’s landslide victory in the country’s general election.
In a visit to Kyiv in May, the then-shadow foreign secretary vowed to maintain support for Ukraine and said Russian dictator Vladimir Putin represented a “new fascism in Europe.”
Speaking of the then-upcoming election, he added: “The message... I bring is that there may be a change of government in the UK this year but there’ll be no change in our policy to stand with the people of Ukraine.””
More proof that the Russians play the game on all fronts, and no matter how much faith you put in politicians, in the end, they are all self serving scum.
I may be in the minority here, but I think Trump will be harder on Putin and more supportive of Ukraine then many here have suggested.
Trump sent arms not blankets to Ukraine
Trump told NATO members they needed to step up defense spending
Trump told Europe being dependent of Russia and nord stream 2 was a bad idea
Trump has no love for China and China is aiding Russia
Trump likes to talk big, so what if ending in “24 hours “ means telling Putin the gloves are off on Ukraine and out aid if he doesn’t withdraw. Atacms smashing into Russian air bases and refineries would be significant
As to some who say he “hates “ Ukraine, it was Z who allowed the transcript of “the call” to be made public blowing up shifty sniffs narrative
We will see
I firmly believe that one of the first executive actions that President Trump will issue is removal of all restrictions on use of U.S. weapons & ammo.
Personally, I would initially restrict the ATACMs on ruzzian soil to military targets...air bases, ammo dumps, staging areas, SAM/AAA sites.
If ruzzia doesn't get the message, then allow dual use infrastructure to be hit...bridges, railway station tracks, electric substations & generating plants.
President Trump is not going to surrender.
The difference between a hardliner and a moderate:
The hardliner will pull you fingernails off with hot pincers and pour salt on the wounds. The moderate will pull you fingernails off, but not heat the pincers or put salt on the wounds, and will connect your privates to a battery instead.
President Trump is not going to surrender.
—
The US isolationist crowd will go on wild screaming rants ...
Kremlin snuff box, 07/05/24
https://t.me/s/kremlin_secrets
Putin announced the terms of peace with Ukraine. What did Orban tell him?
Vladimir Putin, after returning from Astana, held a meeting in Moscow with Viktor Orban. The Prime Minister of Hungary has been President of the Council of the EU since July 1, and a few days ago he visited Kyiv, where he met with Vladimir Zelensky.
Following the meeting in Moscow, Putin made a number of statements. In particular, he recalled the desire to liberate 4 new regions of the Russian Federation, which are now partially controlled by Ukraine. The President recalled them in the context of future peace negotiations.
“Orban wants to show himself as the leader of the European Union. At the same time, he is one of those who claims to be a negotiator between Kiev and Moscow,” a source in the Foreign Ministry familiar with the situation explained to us.
The interlocutor in the Kremlin emphasized that Vladimir Putin did not just remember the liberation of four regions. “Orban has made it clear that Zelensky is not ready to negotiate now,” the source said, confirming our inside story [ https://t.me/kremlin_secrets/4330 ].
However, sources note that Orban’s position in the European Union is quite shaky. “We hope to build a long-term dialogue with Orban, but it depends on many factors, including pressure from the West,” the interlocutor explained, emphasizing that our country does not have high hopes for Hungary in terms of future peace negotiations with Kiev.
https://x.com/NOELreports/status/1809470804356153841
The fire at the Lukoil oil depot in the Krasnodar region, which started after a night drone attack, is still not under control. Today's FIRMS data shows ongoing fires.
https://x.com/NOELreports/status/1809522462071099763
Kremlin snuff box, 07/06/24
https://t.me/s/kremlin_secrets
Patrushev is preparing to fight for the Arctic
Presidential Advisor Nikolai Patrushev has retired from public politics, but is busy with extremely serious issues. In particular, he is analyzing the situation and preparing the country for a possible clash with the United States in the Arctic, our sources from his circle say [ https://t.me/kremlin_secrets/4191 ].
“The media don’t often write about the Arctic, and this is an extremely important region for us, first of all, from a military point of view,” says the interlocutor. According to him, Patrushev planned to fly to Astana with the President for the SCO summit, but at the last moment plans changed.
Sources emphasize that Patrushev also retained great influence on the special services, although he does not supervise them to the same extent as he previously did. “Many contacts have been preserved. Department heads consult with Nikolai Platonovich, this is a normal work process,” said another source close to Patrushev.
There are rumors among the elites that the active appearance of the head of the Sledkom Bastrykin on the news agenda is Patrushev’s idea [ https://t.me/kremlin_secrets/4310], but this information is not confirmed.
—
Meanwhile, most US congress critters couldn’t find the Arctic on a map with labels.
Tidbits:
Kremlin snuff box, 07/06/24
https://t.me/s/kremlin_secrets
FSB liquidated Iranian agent in Makhachkala
FSB officers, while trying to arrest him, killed an Iranian citizen who probably worked for the intelligence services of that country. This information was confirmed to us by two sources - among the authorities of Dagestan and in the FSB itself.
The interlocutors clarify that intelligence information was received about the appearance of several suspicious men in the city, who could be united with each other. In particular, one of them was under surveillance. While trying to arrest him on the outskirts of the city, he opened fire, killing two security service officers.
The Iranian himself was injured and died as a result. On instructions from Moscow, it was instructed not to disclose information publicly. A dialogue is currently underway at the interstate level. Official Moscow does not want to spoil relations with such an important ally as Tehran. At the same time, the FSB is outraged that the union republic is engaged in espionage on the territory of our country.
—
Kremlin snuff box, 07/06/24
https://t.me/s/kremlin_secrets
Medvedev was diagnosed with cancer
Dmitry Medvedev received confirmation that he has a serious illness. Doctors discovered prostate cancer and over the past month they have been conducting all possible diagnostics.
The interlocutors clarify that Medvedev is depressed. Rumor has it that for several weeks now he has been ignoring Natalya Poklonskaya, with whom Medvedev had a very close relationship.
We won’t predict whether Dmitry Anatolyevich will be able to be cured, but we wish him a speedy recovery.
ATESH agents conducted a successful operation on the Trans-Siberian railroad near Yekaterinburg. As a result, the railroad track carrying North Korean munitions was blown up.
"And we would like to remind you once again that the railroad will explode even more often as long as ammunition is transported along it." - ATESH wrote.
https://x.com/Gerashchenko_en/status/1809212838310990148
Sort of agree with you on secondary targets, power stations I think are fair game, but if restrictions are released your first set of targets will probably take up most of it all of their resources
https://x.com/Maks_NAFO_FELLA/status/1809566810544484405
I wonder if there is an "EW" ability to locate Zala drones.
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