PrairiePundit

  Trending Politics: First Lady Melania Trump surprised White House observers with an announcement on Friday that she has been in close communication with Russian President Vladimir Putin and his staff as part of an effort to reunify children and their parents separated during the war in Ukraine. With stoic poise, Melania spoke from the White House, where she credited the Russian autocrat and his staff for compiling a public database of children, allowing their parents to identify them. Eight children have been returned home since the program launched 24 hours ago, she revealed. “We have agreed to cooperate with each other for the benefit of all people involved in this war,” she said about Putin. Melania told reporters that “much has unfolded” since she first sent a letter to Putin in August pleading with him to join her in an effort to return children to their parents who lost them during Russia’s two-year bombardment of Ukraine. Thousands of the country’s youth have been seized b...

 Newsmax: The U.S. has been helping Ukraine mount long-range strikes on Russian energy facilities for months in a joint effort to weaken the economy and force President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table, the Financial Times reported on Sunday. U.S. intelligence has helped Kyiv strike important Russian energy assets, including oil refineries, far beyond the front line, the newspaper said, citing unnamed Ukrainian and U.S. officials familiar with the campaign. ...  I suspect the intel is from a US satellite exposing the geolocation of the facilities.  Ukraine appears to be using long-range drones for the attacks on the sites.

  DC Daily Journal: ... President Donald Trump is done playing nice with Vladimir Putin. Trump has green-lit U.S. intelligence agencies and the War Department to hand over critical intel to Ukraine. This isn’t just maps and tips—it’s pinpoint data on Russia’s vital energy setups, the lifeblood of Putin’s war machine. And Trump isn’t stopping there; he’s seriously eyeing a weapons package loaded with Tomahawk and Barracuda cruise missiles, plus other gear that can punch deep into enemy lines. This is uncharted territory for America. For the first time, the U.S. is openly backing strikes on the heart of Russia’s oil and gas empire—the refineries, pipelines, and facilities that keep Moscow’s coffers full. Think about it: every barrel of crude Putin sells funds the bombs raining down on Ukrainian soil. By targeting these assets, Ukraine gets a real shot at turning the screws on the aggressor, starving the bear of its cash flow. Trump’s team is leaning hard on NATO buddies too, urging t...

  DC  Daily Journal: ... President Trump took a stand against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan the other week, calling him out for ignoring America’s demands that NATO allies cut off Russian oil purchases and starve Moscow’s war machine in Ukraine. Standing firm in front of reporters, Trump made it clear that Erdogan’s so-called neutrality in the bloodiest European fight since World War II wasn’t cutting it anymore. “I’d like to have him stop buying any oil from Russia while Russia continues his rampage against Ukraine,” Trump stated. “[Moscow has] lost millions of lives already, and for what? You know, for what? Disgraceful.” Trump didn’t hold back, outlining plans to dive into talks on the Ukraine mess and trade ties, all while pushing Ankara to ditch its dependence on Russian energy and stand with the West. ... Putin wants to bring Ukraine back into its role during the Soviet era.  He fears that Ukraine may become a hostile power.   There is no compelli...

 Newsmax: The Institute for the Study of War has reported new evidence that Russian commanders are systematically ordering the execution of Ukrainian civilians, marking a further escalation in Moscow's violations of international law. According to ISW's Saturday assessment, Russian troops from the 122nd Motorized Rifle Regiment stated that their commander instructed them to dress in civilian clothing — an act of perfidy under the Geneva Conventions—and execute all Ukrainian men encountered in the embattled Kupyansk sector under age 45. ISW analysts also confirmed geolocated footage from Tuesday showing Russian troops operating in the Lyman area while disguised in civilian attire, further corroborating a deliberate effort to blur the line between combatants and noncombatants. The Institute for the Study of War has reported new evidence that Russian commanders are systematically ordering the execution of Ukrainian civilians, marking a further escalation in Moscow's violations...

 Understanding War: Russian military-patriotic and civic engagement programs continue to facilitate the deportation of Ukrainian children and teenagers to Russia. A group of teenagers from occupied Chaplynka, Kherson Oblast, took part in the Zarnitsa 2.0 military-patriotic competition at the Avangard military sports camp in Russia’s Volgograd Oblast on September 16.[1] Zarnitsa 2.0 is a revival of a Soviet-era war game aimed at training youth in basic military skills, which Russia has used in occupied Ukraine for the Russification and militarization of Ukrainian children.[2] Russia also uses Zarnitsa 2.0 to deport Ukrainian children to Russia and expose them to further militarization and military-patriotic education, including at the Avangard military sports camp.[3] Teenagers from occupied Chaplynka will attend Zarnitsa 2.0 until September 22 and will participate in combat simulations, tactical medicine and sapper exercises, and practice operating drones.[4] Russian veterans of th...

 DC Daily Journal: ... Polish leaders firmly rejected suggestions by President Donald Trump and NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Alexus Grynkewich, that the incursion of up to 21 Russian drones into Polish airspace on September 10 could have been unintentional. Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated on X, “We would also wish that the drone attack on Poland was a mistake. But it wasn’t. And we know it,” signaling Poland’s confidence in evidence pointing to deliberate Russian aggression. Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski, speaking in Kyiv, emphasized the scale of the incident, noting that 19 drones breached Polish airspace amid a Russian assault of 400 drones and 40 missiles on Ukraine, asserting, “It was not a mistake.” ... The incursion, the largest violation of NATO airspace since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, saw Polish and NATO forces, including Dutch F-35s and Italian AWACS planes, intercept and down at least three of the 21 drones, with 17 wre...

 Newsmax: Russia fired its biggest-ever aerial barrage at Ukraine early Sunday, killing at least two people and setting the seat of the Ukrainian government in Kyiv ablaze, authorities said. An AFP reporter saw the roof of Ukraine's cabinet of ministers in flames and smoke billowing over the capital. Drone strikes also damaged several high-rise buildings in Kyiv, according to emergency services. Russia has shown no sign of halting its three-and-a-half-year invasion of Ukraine, pushing hardline demands for ending the war despite efforts by the United States to broker a peace deal. The barrage came after several European countries, led by France and Britain, pledged Thursday to deploy "reassurance" forces to Ukraine to patrol a peace deal between the warring sides -- a demand Moscow has deemed unacceptable. The attack on Ukraine's cabinet of ministers, a sprawling government complex at the heart of Kyiv, was the first such strike of the war. An AFP reporter saw helicopt...

 DC Daily Journal: ... House Republicans have kicked off an investigation into claims that U.S. academics and foreign actors are teaming up to tweak Wikipedia entries, aiming to shape public views on hot-button issues like Israel and Ukraine. The probe, spearheaded by the House Oversight Committee, casts a spotlight on the integrity of a platform millions turn to for answers. Wikipedia, the crowd-sourced encyclopedia, is the 11th most-visited site in the U.S., often the first stop for those diving into controversial topics or figures. Its open-editing system, where anyone can revise content and volunteer editors hash out disputes, has long fueled concerns about bias. Even co-founder Larry Sanger has pointed to slanted coverage of current events. ... Wikipedia is a site I rarely visit.  I obviously support Israel.  It is probably the most important country in the Middle East, even though it is relatively small.  It is also probably one of the smartest countries in the...

  Federalist Wire: ... In a striking moment of diplomatic alignment, Russian President Vladimir Putin endorsed President Donald Trump’s claim that the war in Ukraine would never have ignited had Trump been in office instead of Joe Biden. The agreement came during a press conference following a summit at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday evening. “I can confirm that,” Putin declared, addressing reporters as the summit concluded. His statement bolstered Trump’s repeated assertions, made both during his campaign and after retaking the presidency, that his leadership could have averted the Ukrainian conflict. Critics have challenged Trump’s perspective, questioning his claims that Ukraine provoked the war and that Biden’s administration missed critical opportunities to prevent it. Yet Putin’s remarks lent a powerful voice to Trump’s narrative. “I’d like to add one more thing,” Putin said, reflecting on past diplomatic efforts. “I’d like to remind you that ...

 DC Daily Journal: Secretary of State Marco Rubio absolutely demolished host Margaret Brennan’s baseless claims that European leaders are rushing to the White House to shield Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy from being “bullied” by President Donald Trump. This kind of nonsense is straight out of the fake news playbook, designed to undermine Trump’s bold efforts to broker real peace in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Brennan tried to push the narrative that Europeans are showing up en masse out of “concern” that Zelenskyy might get strong-armed into a raw deal. But Rubio wasn’t having any of it, pointing out that America has been lockstep with its allies in hammering out a sensible path to end the war. ... Rubio called out the “bullying” smear as nothing more than a “stupid media narrative,” making it clear that it was the Trump administration that extended the invitations to these leaders. This isn’t about babysitting Zelenskyy—it’s about collaborative diplomacy under strong Am...

 Federalist Wire: ... In a striking moment of diplomatic alignment, Russian President Vladimir Putin endorsed President Donald Trump’s claim that the war in Ukraine would never have ignited had Trump been in office instead of Joe Biden. The agreement came during a press conference following a summit at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday evening. “I can confirm that,” Putin declared, addressing reporters as the summit concluded. His statement bolstered Trump’s repeated assertions, made both during his campaign and after retaking the presidency, that his leadership could have averted the Ukrainian conflict. Critics have challenged Trump’s perspective, questioning his claims that Ukraine provoked the war and that Biden’s administration missed critical opportunities to prevent it. Yet Putin’s remarks lent a powerful voice to Trump’s narrative. “I’d like to add one more thing,” Putin said, reflecting on past diplomatic efforts. “I’d like to remind you that i...

 Blaze: Failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton (D) admitted that rival President Donald Trump would deserve high praise and acknowledgement if he succeeds in ending the war between Russia and Ukraine. During a "Raging Moderates" podcast interview released on Friday, Clinton told host Jessica Tarlov that she would consider nominating Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize herself if he ends the war without requiring Ukraine to give up territory. Trump is scheduled to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday around 3:00 p.m. Eastern at Alaska's Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. He has referred to the upcoming summit as a "feel-out meeting" to determine whether Putin is willing to reach a ceasefire agreement and initiate peace talks. Trump seemed optimistic about the discussion with Putin, estimating that it has a 25% chance of failure. Clinton told Tarlov, "Honestly, if he could bring about the end to this terrible war, if he could end it without pu...

  Federalist Wire: ... In a recent appearance on Fox News, Vice President JD Vance revealed that the United States is actively pursuing arrangements to bring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky into direct discussions with President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, aiming to resolve the ongoing conflict. This initiative marks a potential milestone, as it would be the initial gathering of these figures since the war began over three and a half years ago. The push follows expressions of worry from Zelensky and various European figures about advancing negotiations without direct input from Kyiv. “One of the most important logjams is that Vladimir Putin said that he would never sit down with Zelensky,” Vance explained during his interview on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures.” “We’re at a point now where we’re trying to figure out, frankly, scheduling and things like that around when these three leaders could sit down and discuss an end to this conflict,” he continued. Th...

 DC Daily Journal: ... On Monday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov attempted to de-escalate tensions sparked by former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s provocative statements, which prompted President Donald Trump to reposition two U.S. nuclear submarines closer to Russia. Peskov, speaking to reporters via TASS, emphasized Russia’s cautious stance on nuclear issues, stating, “We approach any statements related to nuclear issues with great caution. Russia takes the issue of nuclear non-proliferation very seriously, and we believe that everyone should be extremely careful when it comes to nuclear rhetoric.” He reiterated President Vladimir Putin’s responsible position, aiming to downplay the U.S. submarine deployment as part of routine operations, noting, “US submarines are already on combat duty. This is an ongoing process.” The escalation began when Medvedev, now deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, taunted Trump on X about potential U.S. sanctions over Russia’s invas...

  Federalist Wire: ... On Friday, August 1, 2025, President Donald Trump announced he ordered two nuclear submarines repositioned closer to Russia in response to “highly provocative statements” by Dmitry Medvedev, former Russian president and current deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council. In a Truth Social post, Trump stated, “I have ordered two Nuclear Submarines to be positioned in the appropriate regions, just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that. Words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences, I hope this will not be one of those instances.” The move underscores Trump’s decisive leadership in addressing Russian rhetoric, reinforcing America’s strength and readiness to protect national interests amid escalating tensions over Ukraine. Medvedev’s Taunts Prompt Trump’s Response Medvedev’s provocative X post taunted Trump’s recent ultimatum for Russia to end its war in Ukraine by August 8 or face secondary sanction...

 Reuters: Major Ukrainian drone attacks on Russia sowed chaos at major airports serving Moscow on Monday, with thousands of passengers waiting in lines or sleeping on the floor after flights were cancelled or delayed, Russian media reported. Videos published by Russian media showed people sleeping on the floor of Sheremetyevo, Russia's busiest airport by passenger numbers, amid long queues. Russia's defence ministry said it had downed 117 drones overnight, including 30 over the Moscow region, after downing 172 drones, including 30 over the Moscow region, the previous day. ... Several thousand people were stranded in the far east of Russia due to the cancellation of flights in European Russia, while extra trains were put on to bring passengers back to Moscow from the northern Russian city of St Petersburg, Russian media said. ... Russia's war with Ukraine is looking like a mistake.  Its inability to contain the drone attacks makes it look vulnerable to future attacks.

 Federalist Wire: ... Trump has repeatedly signaled a tougher stance on Moscow, particularly in response to attacks that have harmed Ukrainian civilians. He has floated the idea of imposing steep penalties on nations purchasing Russian goods like oil and minerals. Additionally, Trump has raised the possibility of supplying Ukraine with a new Patriot air-defense system, either directly or through allies such as Germany or France, to bolster defenses against Russian rocket assaults. The timing of Trump’s planned statement is critical, as a bipartisan Senate bill, co-sponsored by Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), gains traction. The legislation, which reportedly has the support of over 80 senators, would mandate a 500% tariff on countries buying Russian oil. To accommodate Trump’s concerns, the bill allows the president to issue two 180-day waivers, though a second waiver would require congressional approval—a provision the White House has resisted, accordi...

 Trending Politics: President Donald Trump admitted on Monday that he may have misjudged Russia’s President Vladimir Putin as a “brilliant” dealmaker who sought fair terms for an end to war with Ukraine. His mind changed, however, only after First Lady Melania Trump intervened. Shortly after announcing new sales of U.S. arms to NATO allies , some bound for Ukraine, Trump revealed that Melania was the better judge of character after listening to him retell his last call with Putin. She pointed to Putin’s reneging on promises he made to her husband over the phone, something that Trump said became obvious to him after weeks of negotiations. “I go home. I tell the first lady, ‘You know, I spoke to Vladimir today. We had a wonderful conversation.’ She said, ‘Oh, really? another city was just hit,'” he told reporters in the Oval Office. “There’s times I’d get home. I’d say, ‘First lady, I had the most wonderful talk with Vladimir. I think we’re finished.’ And then I’ll turn on the televi...

  Federalist Wire: In a high-stakes meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Monday, July 14, President Donald Trump announced a sweeping strategy to bolster Ukraine’s defense against Russia while issuing a stark ultimatum to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The plan hinges on European NATO allies funding billions in American-made military equipment, including coveted Patriot missiles, for Ukraine, paired with a threat of crippling 100-percent secondary tariffs on nations trading with Russia if peace isn’t made within 50 days. President Trump laid out an aggressive timeline, giving Putin until early September to halt Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Failure to comply would trigger what he called “secondary tariffs” targeting countries that purchase Russian exports, such as oil and coal. Unlike traditional sanctions, which have yielded uneven results, these tariffs aim to isolate Moscow economically by penalizing its trade partners, including major buyers like China and India...