Free Republic

Volodymyr Zelenskyy dropped a barrage of truth bombs on his European allies about their collective failure to stand up to Russian President Vladimir Putin and be respected by his US counterpart, Donald Trump. Invoking the spectacle of Bill Murray's classic comedy, Groundhog Day, at a speech in Davos, the Ukrainian president said the UK and Europe are stuck in a doom loop, repeating rhetoric about what needs to be done - without taking the action required to make things change. This, he said, meant they were left scrambling to respond to world events instead of standing united as a great...

The move by the five GOP senators to curtail Trump’s powers as commander in chief represents one of the biggest schisms between the Senate Republican Conference and the White House during the president’s first year of his second term. The votes enraged Trump, who lashed out at Sen. Susan Collins (Maine), one of the five Republicans, in a “profanity-laced” phone call after she supported the measure, reading her the riot act, according to one source. The Senate will vote this week on a motion to proceed to the war powers resolution and spend a chunk of the week debating it....

…Amid seismic changes in the Middle East, where new alliances are forming and old powers waning, Iraqi leaders face a daunting task: navigating relations with US-blacklisted pro-Iranian factions. The US has held significant sway over Iraqi politics since leading the 2003 invasion that ousted long-time ruler Saddam Hussein. But another spectre also haunts Iraq’s halls of power: Washington’s arch-foe, Iran. Iraq has long been caught between the two, with successive governments negotiating a delicate balance… A US State Department spokesperson, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: “Iraqi leaders know well what is and is not compatible with a strong US-Iraq...

Summary At least 648 protesters have been killed in an ongoing crackdown against anti-government demonstrations in Iran, a human rights group says Norway-based group Iran Human Rights warns the death toll could be far higher, but a nationwide communications blackout is making it difficult to verify information Earlier, Donald Trump said the US was considering "very strong options" to intervene in the country, after previously warning he would act if protesters were killed Following Trump's comments, Iran's supreme leader accuses the US of "deceit" and relying on "treacherous mercenaries", while praising state-organised pro-government rallies Trump must now decide whether to...

Sir Keir Starmer could send British troops to Greenland as part of a NATO mission to help guard the Arctic for Donald Trump, it has emerged. The Prime Minister is said to share the US President's view that action must be taken to deter Russia's threat in the polar region. Mr Trump has recently ramped up warnings he could seize Greenland for security reasons, and has not ruled out using American military force to do so. But, in a phone call with the US President on Wednesday evening, Sir Keir told Mr Trump the future of the island should only...

Iran has warned it will retaliate if attacked by the US, as protesters defied a deadly government crackdown on Saturday night. Videos verified by the BBC and eyewitness accounts appeared to show the government ramping up its response to the protests, which have spread to more than 100 cities and towns across every province in Iran. Medics at two hospitals have told the BBC that more than 100 bodies had been brought in over a two day period. The nationwide death toll is feared to be far higher. The US has threatened to strike Iran over the killing of protesters....

Summary U.S. hopes to ramp up pressure on Maduro government Covert operations expected to be first step, sources say U.S. options include overthrowing Maduro Human rights groups condemn U.S. strikes as illegal extrajudicial killings WASHINGTON, Nov 22 (Reuters) - The United States is poised to launch a new phase of Venezuela-related operations in the coming days, four U.S. officials told Reuters, as the Trump administration escalates pressure on President Nicolas Maduro's government. Reuters was not able to establish the exact timing or scope of the new operations, nor whether U.S. President Donald Trump had made a final decision to act....