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: Denmark was thrown into turmoil after more than 500 possible drone sightings were reported in just 24 hours, forcing airports to close and fueling fears across Europe of coordinated Russian hybrid attacks, the Daily Mail reported . Police said they have yet to verify the 500 reports but urged citizens to remain alert and provide detailed descriptions. The wave of sightings followed back-to-back disruptions at Copenhagen, Aalborg, and Billund airports this week, grounding flights and leaving thousands stranded. Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen described the incidents as "the work of a professional actor" and labeled them a "hybrid attack." He said the incursions targeted not only airports but also Skrydstrup air base, home to Denmark's fleet of F-16 and F-35 fighters, and a military site in Holstebro. "There can be no doubt that everything points to this being the work of a professional actor when we are talking about such a systematic ...

 Trending Politics: ABC daytime viewers were undoubtedly shocked on Thursday when “The View” co-host Joy Behar stated that she agrees with President Donald Trump that former FBI Director James Comey may have broken the law. Since Sunday, Trump has made plain that he wishes for the U.S. Justice Department to prosecute the Obama-era director on charges related to the baseless Russiagate allegations. On Wednesday, officials close to the administration announced that authorities were preparing charges that may be announced by the end of this week. Comey’s wrongdoing resurfaced during a 2020 congressional hearing where he allegedly perjured himself while discussing the FBI’s investigation of Lindsey Halligan, a White House aide and Trump’s former personal attorney. Behar agreed that Trump has a point but couched her defense with caution, adding that she also distrusts Comey for opening an investigation into Hillary Clinton’s missing emails 11 days before the 2016 election. “You know wha...

 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: ... President Donald Trump intensified his call for NATO and European nations to halt all energy purchases from Russia, highlighting their failure to fully commit to countering Moscow’s aggression in Ukraine, as he considers his first sanctions since taking office this year. Speaking to reporters on September 14, Trump criticized Europe’s ongoing reliance on Russian oil and gas, particularly by NATO members like Hungary and Slovakia, and demanded stronger sanctions to match U.S. efforts. His stance, reiterated in a Truth Social post on September 13, points to a strategic move to pressure allies into aligning with America’s goal of crippling Russia’s war funding, while exposing the Democratic Party’s ineffective approach to global security and their tolerance of Europe’s half-measures. Trump told reporters, “They’re not doing the job. NATO has to get together. Europe has to get together. Europe… they’re my friends, but they’re buying oil from Russia, so we can’t b...

 Molley Hemingway: Within hours of her 2016 presidential campaign loss, a devastated Hillary Clinton attributed her defeat not to the American voters who rejected her, but to Russia, echoing a campaign theme she had been developing for months. “Hillary declined to take responsibility for her own loss” and “kept pointing her finger” at Russia, according to Shattered, a 2017 book about her campaign—“Her team coalesced around the idea that Russian hacking was the major unreported story of the campaign.” The corporate media were also devastated, as they had spent the entire campaign mocking the idea that Trump and his anti-establishment positions on foreign policy, trade, and wokeness could appeal to voters. To the extent possible, they would help promote Clinton’s blame game. In early January 2017, the Clinton campaign’s “Steele dossier”—a secretly funded collection of made-up stories and gossip alleging that Russia had dirt on Trump and that Trump was colluding with Russia against 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...

  Federalist Wire: ... Polish forces, supported by NATO allies, shot down multiple Russian drones that entered Polish airspace during a large-scale Russian attack on Ukraine. According to Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, 19 drones violated Poland’s airspace, with at least three or four confirmed downed by Polish F-16s, Dutch F-35s, and other NATO aircraft from Italy and Germany. The incident, described as an “act of aggression” by Polish military officials, marked the first time NATO forces directly engaged Russian assets in allied airspace since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began in 2022. One drone struck a residential building in Wyryki, eastern Poland, causing property damage but no injuries. Poland invoked NATO’s Article 4, calling for consultations with allies to address the security threat, a step taken only seven times since NATO’s founding in 1949. The Russian Defense Ministry denied targeting Poland, stating its drones attacked military facilities in western Ukraine and ...

 Wall Street Journal: NATO Planes Shoot Down Russian Drones Deep Inside Poland Polish prime minister says line has been crossed; ‘Closest we have been to open conflict since World War II’  NATO-member warplanes shot down several Russian drones over Poland, the first time the alliance has engaged Russian drones over a member’s territory after what officials contend was a test of its defenses by Moscow. The incident, which Polish authorities said involved 19 incursions into its airspace, led authorities to close major Polish airports for the first time since the Ukraine war began. ... Putin is getting close to a war he cannot win.  His war in Ukraine has already been much more difficult than Russia ever imagined.  Russia is already over two years into the war in Ukraine, which it thought would be over in a matter of days, if not weeks.  Its casualties have also been significant.  

 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...

 Just the News: The same intelligence community watchdog who aggressively pursued a dubious complaint that triggered the Ukraine impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump repeatedly ignored a whistleblower’s evidence of the intelligence community's abuse of authority in the Russiagate scandal for years, according to newly declassified memos, obtained by Just the News. In fact, the Intelligence Community Inspector General’s office even told the Russiagate whistleblower it believed there may be merit to his claims but couldn’t figure out how to alert federal prosecutors to his evidence of possible criminality, the memos show. “At that 2022 meeting, the IC IG staff stated to me –for the first time - that the IC IG lacked a mechanism or authority to convey potentially relevant whistleblower information, regarding potential criminal activity, to the Department of Justice (DOJ) Special Counsel,” reads a memo summarizing the whistleblower’s years-long quest to bring the alleged w...

 NY Post: President Trump urged European leaders Thursday to stop buying Russian oil once and for all — and step up economic pressure on China “for funding Russia’s war efforts,” a White House official told The Post. Trump made the demand after a meeting in Paris of the “Coalition of the Willing,” a group of more than 30 European nations committed to supporting Ukraine and hammering out security guarantees that will help end Moscow’s 42-month-old invasion. “[French] President [Emmanuel] Macron and European leaders called President Trump into their ‘Coalition of the Willing’ meeting,” the official said. “President Trump emphasized that Europe must stop purchasing Russian oil that is funding the war — as Russia received $1.3 billion in fuel sales from the EU in one year. “The President also emphasized that European leaders must place economic pressure on China for funding Russia’s war efforts.” Trump, 79, called out Beijing and Moscow late Tuesday for “conspir[ing] against The Unite...

  Johnny Midnight  @its_The_Dr · 11h 20 CIA and FBI insiders just CONFIRMED that Barack Obama and a former CIA Director orchestrated the entire Russia Hoax — and then hid it in a CIA vault for nearly a DECADE! It was one of the biggest political frauds in US history, and those responsible for it should be held accountable.  Johnny Midnight  @its_The_Dr · 11h 20 CIA and FBI insiders just CONFIRMED that Barack Obama and a former CIA Director orchestrated the entire Russia Hoax — and then hid it in a CIA vault for nearly a DECADE! From Braxton