Washington is offering Moscow sanctions relief, commercial opportunities and a possible return to European energy markets. Yet the Kremlin’s objectives in Ukraine extend far beyond economic interests, raising questions about whether Vladimir Putin has any intention of accepting a settlement that preserves Ukraine as an independent European state.

The Kremlin has announced plans for renewed negotiations between Russia, Ukraine and the United States in Abu Dhabi during the first half of November, reviving a diplomatic process that has repeatedly failed to produce a settlement to Moscow’s war against Ukraine.

Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday, 23 October, that the discussions would concentrate on post-war security arrangements. He also left open the possibility of eventual European participation, although the initial meeting is intended to remain trilateral.

The announcement follows talks in St Petersburg between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff. Yet the emerging American proposals reveal a fundamental problem: Washington appears increasingly prepared to offer Russia substantial economic incentives, while Moscow has provided little indication that its political objectives in Ukraine have changed.

The economic bargain taking shape

According to details reported on 23 October, citing The Economist, the American proposals involve Ukraine abandoning its ambition to join NATO in exchange for investment, security arrangements and the prospect of European Union membership.

Russia would receive sanctions relief, renewed commercial relations with American companies and potentially the restoration of natural gas exports to Europe. A demilitarised zone in Donbas is also reportedly under consideration.

The commercial dimension extends beyond theoretical proposals.

American and Russian representatives have discussed investment in the Nord Stream pipeline system and possible arrangements involving Lukoil’s international assets. The negotiations surrounding Russian energy infrastructure suggest that Washington regards commercial cooperation as a potential instrument for securing Moscow’s agreement.

There is no established evidence that Witkoff, Jared Kushner or members of Trump’s family would personally benefit from these arrangements. Nevertheless, the involvement of investors in strategically important Russian assets raises questions about whether economic agreements might advance independently of a settlement acceptable to Ukraine.

The Trump administration has already demonstrated its willingness to relax economic pressure. On 16 October, the president waived major provisions of the Graham sanctions legislation, which he had signed into law only four weeks earlier.

As EU Today previously examined, the decision suspended measures designed to increase the economic costs of Russia’s continuing aggression. Washington justified the waiver on the grounds that sanctions could interfere with negotiations.

Why Putin’s objectives are not primarily economic

The central weakness in a settlement built around commercial incentives is the assumption that Putin’s territorial and political demands can ultimately be exchanged for economic advantages.

Russia’s objectives have never been confined to Donetsk, Luhansk or access to Western markets.

In his July 2021 essay on the historical unity of Russians and Ukrainians, Putin advanced a conception of the two nations as belonging to a single historical and cultural space. His interpretation, examined by the Centre for Eastern Studies, challenged the legitimacy of Ukraine’s development outside Moscow’s political influence.

These ideas preceded the full-scale invasion of February 2022. They also followed Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and its intervention in eastern Ukraine.

Putin’s demands therefore concern more than military geography. They involve the extent to which Ukraine can exercise independent political authority, determine its international alliances and integrate with Western institutions.

Even a settlement granting Moscow substantial territory could leave this larger objective unresolved.

An independent Ukraine, increasingly integrated into the European economy and protected by Western security commitments, would remain outside Russia’s political control. For a Kremlin leadership that has repeatedly questioned Ukraine’s separate historical identity, such an outcome would represent a limitation on its wider ambitions.

Putin reinforced this position on 22 October when he again described Ukrainian territory in Donbas as historically Russian.

The advantages of negotiations without compromise

This creates an apparent contradiction. Why would Moscow return to negotiations if its broader objectives remain incompatible with the proposed settlement?

One explanation is that participation itself offers Russia strategic advantages.

Negotiations can preserve diplomatic engagement with Washington, complicate attempts to introduce additional sanctions and maintain American pressure on Kyiv to accept territorial concessions.

They also provide opportunities to negotiate economic arrangements before fundamental security questions have been resolved.

For Putin, the political timetable in Washington is relevant. Trump’s presidency is constitutionally limited to January 2029. Moscow can seek to exploit the present administration’s interest in a diplomatic agreement while continuing military operations.

None of this establishes that Putin has definitively rejected compromise. However, the Kremlin’s willingness to attend negotiations is not equivalent to a willingness to abandon its demands.

Russia continues attacking Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure. As EU Today reported on 22 October, Russian forces launched 21 ballistic missiles against Kyiv shortly after Witkoff’s discussions with Putin.

The simultaneous pursuit of diplomatic engagement and military pressure allows Moscow to negotiate while attempting to alter conditions on the battlefield.

Europe cannot be treated as an economic bargaining chip

The proposed return of Russian gas exposes another contradiction in Washington’s approach.

The European Union has already adopted binding legislation to phase out Russian gas imports, with full restrictions taking effect during 2027.

The European Commission reiterated on 19 October that it had no plans to reverse its position. Reopening Nord Stream would also face sanctions, infrastructure and political obstacles, particularly in Germany.

Consequently, Washington cannot independently promise Moscow renewed access to European energy markets.

Nor can it guarantee Ukraine’s accession to the EU. Membership requires agreement among the existing member states, completion of accession negotiations and ratification of the relevant treaty.

A settlement negotiated primarily between Washington and Moscow would therefore depend on European decisions over which neither government has unilateral authority.

This helps explain the significance of Peskov’s remarks about possible European participation. Moscow needs European cooperation to secure meaningful sanctions relief and access to markets, even while seeking to negotiate Europe’s security arrangements principally with Washington.

The unresolved question

Trump’s approach rests on the proposition that economic incentives can make a settlement more attractive to Moscow than continued warfare.

Putin’s position presents a different calculation. The Russian president must weigh the benefits of restored commercial relations against the political implications of recognising Ukraine’s durable independence and Western orientation.

Those objectives may prove incompatible.

A settlement that restores Russian energy revenues without credible guarantees against renewed aggression could reduce Moscow’s economic constraints while leaving the causes of the war unresolved.

The decisive test in Abu Dhabi will therefore not be whether negotiators can agree on investment, pipelines or sanctions relief. It will be whether Russia is prepared to accept a Ukrainian state whose sovereignty, political direction and future European integration remain beyond Moscow’s control.

Until that question is answered, renewed negotiations may offer Washington the prospect of a diplomatic achievement while allowing the Kremlin to pursue objectives it has not publicly abandoned.

Journalist Bernard Goldberg criticizes President Donald Trump's perceived affinity for Vladimir Putin and his stance on the war in Ukraine, arguing that such diplomacy undermines American values and harms both nations.

Journalist Bernard Goldberg criticizes President Donald Trump's perceived affinity for Vladimir Putin and his stance on the war in Ukraine, arguing that such diplomacy undermines American values and harms both nations.

US First Lady Melania Trump has secured an agreement for a localized ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky, Kherson Oblast, to allow humanitarian aid deliveries and civilian evacuations to begin on 29 October, the White House announced on 23 October.

The proposed truce comes after months of worsening conditions in Oleshky, where Russian restrictions have left residents without reliable access to food, drinking water, medicine, and medical care. Ukrainian officials and international monitors have called for a humanitarian corridor as civilians face hunger, landmines, and regular attacks, with residents unable to leave safely.

Ceasefire aims to open evacuation route

According to the White House, Trump and her representative worked directly with Russian and Ukrainian leadership to agree on the ceasefire's terms, timing, and procedures. Civilian representatives from both countries are expected to visit residents to assess their needs, while those wishing to leave will receive transportation to their preferred destination.

The White House said an American media organization would accompany the teams to document the process and help ensure families' wishes are respected.

Trump said she initiated discussions after learning about the crisis during a private conversation at an event in New York during the 81st United Nations General Assembly. She said the agreement also involves technical preparations, including demining.

Oleshky residents face hunger and isolation

Oleshky, on the Russian-occupied left bank of the Dnipro River, had around 24,000 residents before Russia's full-scale invasion. Recent estimates put the remaining population at roughly 1,700 to 2,000, including about 50 children.

Residents face severe food and medicine shortages, while Russian forces have restricted movement and attacked vehicles attempting to deliver humanitarian supplies. Ukrainian officials have also said Russian troops have seized food parcels delivered by Ukrainian drones and detained or beaten some residents who received them.

The crisis has drawn growing international attention. Pope Leo XIV appealed to Russian leader Vladimir Putin for a truce to allow aid deliveries and safe civilian evacuations, while Ukraine's human rights ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, said on 18 October that negotiations over a ceasefire and evacuation had advanced to the stage of agreeing on final details.

The White House announcement sets 29 October as the start date for the localized ceasefire. Its implementation will determine whether aid can reach residents and civilians can leave safely after months of isolation.

First lady Melania Trump has secured a localized ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine in the front-line city of Oleshky, the White House said in a press release Friday morning. The ceasefire will begin Thursday with both nations agreeing to temporarily stop all military action in the city “to allow for humanitarian aid to enter and…

First lady Melania Trump has secured a localized ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine in the front-line city of Oleshky, the White House said in a press release Friday morning. The ceasefire will begin Thursday with both nations agreeing to temporarily stop all military action in the city “to allow for humanitarian aid to enter and…

U.S. President Donald Trump may be considering further sanctions relief for Russia following his recent diesel deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin, several Ukrainian and U.S. officials familiar with the matter told the Kyiv Independent.

The potential move would fit an approach in which the Trump administration offers

First lady Melania Trump has brokered an upcoming ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine in the war-ravaged city of Oleshky to allow for humanitarian aid and the evacuation of civilians, the White House announced on Friday.

Dans ce sixième numéro de Moreau Décrypte, Xavier Moreau analyse la grande désillusion qui s’empare d’une partie des Ukrainiens. À Kiev, beaucoup observent avec inquiétude l’évolution de la position américaine, marquée par une priorité croissante accordée aux négociations et à un rééquilibrage des relations avec les grandes puissances, tandis que des discussions diplomatiques impliquant Washington, Moscou et d’autres acteurs internationaux

Publié à l’origine par divergencepolitique.fr

Valora que el procedimiento judicial en su contra es impulsado desde el entorno gubernamental y procura asustar a la gente para que no quiera participar en las elecciones del 3 de noviembre.

Un conto bancario negli Emirati e uno in Israele dove confluivano miliardi di dollari, bonifici da centinaia di milioni da una banca dell’Azerbaigian, tutto a disposizione del genero e consigliere di Donald Trump, Jared Kushner. Il libro-inchiesta del giornalista di The Intercept, Matthew Cole, Principi e ladri: il complotto segreto di Jared Kushner e Mohamed bin Zayed per rimodellare il Medio Oriente, di cui Vanity Fair ha pubblicato un estratto, svela gli affari segreti dei vertici dell’amministrazione Usa in Medio Oriente e le trame politiche ed economiche tra gli Stati Uniti e i suoi alleati nell’area.

Il racconto si riferisce al primo mandato di Donald Trump e si basa su file entrati in possesso dell’intelligence olandese che il reporter ha potuto visionare. I servizi segreti dei Paesi Bassi hanno ottenuto gli screenshot dell’IphoneX di Kushner tramite dei file trovati sul server di hacker russi e ai quali gli 007 hanno avuto accesso grazie a un agente dell’intelligence russa che ha deciso di diventare un informatore di Amsterdam. Monitorandone l’attività telefonica, sono poi riusciti a scoprire che il genero di Trump aveva accesso a un conto bancario collegato agli Emirati, ma di cui Kushner era firmatario, che veniva foraggiato con 750 milioni di dollari in arrivo da Baku. Quei soldi sarebbero serviti, secondo un testimone sentito da Cole, per finanziare un signore della guerra, un mercenario e un ex sicario. Non un’iniziativa una tantum, ma una pratica abituale: “Sauditi ed emiratini lo fanno una volta all’anno“, spiega un’altra fonte.

C’è poi un altro conto al quale i servizi segreti olandesi sono riusciti a risalire monitorando l’Iphone del genero di Trump. Si tratta di uno aperto nella Banca centrale israeliana, su consiglio diretto del primo ministro Benjamin Netanyahu, e del quale Kushner era il beneficiario. Al suo interno si trovano circa 1 miliardo di dollari. Proprio il premier di Tel Aviv aveva chiesto all’uomo di Trump in Medio Oriente di avvisarlo prima di ogni bonifico.

Kushner, su X, ha respinto ogni accusa sostenendo che queste sono “scandalose e categoricamente false. Sono cose folli e mai accadute“. Cole, continua, “non ha fornito alcuna prova a sostegno. Non è giornalismo, è un miscuglio di fantasia, finzione e propaganda, scritto da qualcuno che è profondamente disturbato o che agisce con intenti sinistri”.

L'articolo Conti correnti negli Emirati e in Israele con miliardi di dollari e bonifici dall’Azerbaigian: il libro che svela gli affari segreti del genero di Trump proviene da Il Fatto Quotidiano.

A primeira-dama dos Estados Unidos, Melania Trump, obteve um cessar-fogo entre a Rússia e a Ucrânia na cidade de Oleshky, sob controle russo, com início previsto para 29 de outubro, informou a Casa Branca nesta sexta-feira (23).

Moradores da cidade, localizada no sul da Ucrânia e ocupada por forças russas desde fevereiro de 2022, relataram um agravamento da crise alimentar.

“Ambas as nações concordaram em interromper temporariamente todas as ações militares em Oleshky para permitir a entrada de ajuda humanitária e preparar a retirada de civis por meio de um corredor seguro estabelecido”, afirmou a Casa Branca em um comunicado.

O fato ocorre em um momento em que o marido de Melania Trump, o presidente Donald Trump, pressiona o presidente ucraniano, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, a chegar a um acordo com o presidente russo, Vladimir Putin, para encerrar a guerra, iniciada com a invasão da Ucrânia pela Rússia em fevereiro de 2022.

Melania Trump tem se empenhado em promover o retorno de crianças ucranianas, levadas pela Rússia durante o conflito, às suas famílias.

“A situação em Oleshky é gravíssima. Trata-se de uma cidade na linha de frente do conflito, à beira de um desastre. A população que permanece em Oleshky é composta, em sua maioria, por idosos que necessitam urgentemente de atendimento médico, medicamentos, alimentos e água potável”, declarou Melania Trump no comunicado.

Segundo a primeira-dama, o cessar-fogo permitirá que equipes não militares de ambos os países visitem os moradores em suas residências e coordenem o transporte daqueles que desejam ser retirados— seja para a Rússia ou para a Ucrânia.

Um veículo de imprensa americano, não identificado, acompanhará as equipes para documentar o processo.

O canal de notícias Newsmax, de orientação conservadora, informou que suas câmeras terão “acesso exclusivo para documentar a operação”.

De acordo com a Casa Branca, Oleshky — situada do outro lado do rio Dnipro, em relação a Kherson — conta hoje com uma população de 1.700 a 2 mil pessoas, sendo a maioria idosos, além de cerca de 50 crianças.

Antes da guerra, a cidade abrigava aproximadamente 24 mil habitantes.

A Casa Branca informou ainda que cerca de 90% da cidade foi inundada após a destruição da barragem de Kakhovka.

O comunicado informou que Melania Trump e seu representante trabalharam diretamente com as lideranças russa e ucraniana para definir os termos do cessar-fogo localizado.

“Os moradores que desejarem ser retirados receberão apoio coordenado e transporte para o destino de sua preferência. Prevejo que alguns queiram ir para a Rússia, e outros, para a Ucrânia”, disse Melania Trump.

Por que Donetsk é ponto de discórdia para encerrar guerra na Ucrânia?

 

La città è stata occupata nel primo giorno dell’invasione russa, il 24 febbraio 2022. Da allora la situazione a Olenshky, città sulla prima linea del fronte di guerra e sulla sponda sinistra del Dnipro, nel Kherson, è precipitata. E oggi è una città dove sono rimasti solo duemila cittadini, quasi tutti anziani, rispetto ai 23mila dall’inizio del conflitto. Isolati, senza acqua ed elettricità, in emergenza sanitaria. Un fazzoletto di terra ridotto allo stremo. Ad ottenere un cessate il fuoco a partire dal 29 ottobre fra Russia e Ucraina localizzato nella città è stata la first lady Melania Trump, ha annunciato la Casa Bianca. “I due paesi si sono detti d’accordo a fermare temporaneamente le azioni militari a Olenshky per consentire agli aiuti umanitari di entrare e preparare l’evacuazione dei civili tramite passaggi stabiliti”, si legge in una nota. L’annuncio della mediazione della first lady americana arriva dopo che Papa Leone XVI ha avuto colloqui telefonici sia con Vladimir Putin, il 16 ottobre, che con Volodymyr Zelensky, tre giorni dopo il 19 ottobre, per chiedere la tregua umanitaria.

“La situazione a Oleshky è drammatica. Oleshky è una città situata sulla linea del fronte, sull’orlo del disastro. La popolazione che vi è rimasta è composta principalmente da anziani che necessitano urgentemente di assistenza medica, medicinali, cibo e acqua potabile”, ha detto la First Lady Melania Trump. “Gli abitanti di Oleshky dispongono di elettricità limitata, vivono circondati da strade minate e subiscono costanti attacchi militari. È apparso del tutto evidente che, senza il mio intervento, sarebbe stato impossibile far arrivare aiuti umanitari in città ed evacuare gli anziani”, ha aggiunto. Melania Trump ha lavorato direttamente con i vertici russi e ucraini per definire i termini di un cessate il fuoco circoscritto, coordinando le parti sugli obiettivi dell’accordo, sulle procedure tecniche, sulle tempistiche, sulle modalità operative e sulle condizioni pattuite. “Ho inoltre coinvolto un’organizzazione media americana imparziale, che accompagnerà le équipe russe e ucraine sul campo e documenterà l’intero processo per garantire che le volontà di ciascuna famiglia vengano rispettate fedelmente”, ha osservato Melania Trump.

Nel ricostruire l’intervento della first lady, la Casa Bianca spiega che Melania Trump “ha avviato le discussioni con entrambe le nazioni e parti allineate sugli obiettivi, procedure tecniche, tempistica, processi e termini”. E viene puntualizzato che la moglie di Donald Trump ha agito “nell’ambito del suo ruolo formale di Intermediario esclusivo”. La stessa first lady spiega come, secondo l’accordo da lei negoziato, avverrà l’intervento umanitario, con “leader civili di entrambi i Paesi che lavoreranno insieme per andare a trovare i residenti di Oleshky nelle loro case e determinare il livello di assistenza necessario. I residenti che vorranno andare vie riceveranno supporto coordinato e il trasferimento nella destinazione che vorranno. Prevedo che alcuni vorranno andare in Russia – aggiunge – alcuni in Ucraina“. Inoltre, ‘ho anche ottenuto che un media americano imparziale accompagni i team russi e ucraini sul terreno, svolgendo un ruolo significativo per assicurare che i desideri di ogni famiglia vengano rispettati’. Infine la Casa Bianca rivela che “le urgenti circostanze di Oleshky sono state presentate all’attenzione della first lady durante colloqui privati” a margine di un evento da lei presieduto in occasione sessione dell’Assemblea Generale dell’Onu. “Io e il mio rappresentante abbiamo fatto immediatamente leva sui canali di comunicazione stabiliti con Russia e Ucraina attraverso le sei precedenti riunificazioni di 34 bambini – conclude Melania Trump – entrambe le nazioni hanno immediatamente assegnato team per coordinare il complesso meccanismo coinvolto, compreso lo sminamento. Tutte le parti hanno lavorato senza sosta fino a questo momento”.

Papa Leone nei giorni scorsi aveva sollecitato una tregua nella città, martoriata dai combattimenti. In una telefonata con Zelensky, il Pontefice aveva richiamato “la grave situazione”, così come aveva già fatto giovedì scorso, all’indomani del suo intervento per un tumore al polmone, con Vladimir Putin al quale aveva chiesto una tregua umanitaria che consentisse di dare sollievo e una via di fuga sicura ai residenti rimasti intrappolati, esortando le parti in causa a trovare insieme una soluzione. Qualcosa sembrava in effetti muoversi: il commissario per i diritti umani del parlamento ucraino, Dmytro Lubinets, aveva riferito che Kiev e Mosca stavano raggiungendo un accordo sui dettagli finali per l’evacuazione dei civili verso il territorio sotto controllo ucraino da Oleshky e altre località occupate, per un totale di circa seimila persone.

L'articolo “Melania Trump ha ottenuto la tregua a Olenshky”: l’annuncio della Casa Bianca dopo l’appello del Papa proviene da Il Fatto Quotidiano.

Quando perfino il tecno-oligarca della Silicon Valley più reazionaria, l’inventore del capitalismo della sorveglianza, comincia a tirarsi indietro, significa che il Titanic repubblicano ha già imbarcato troppa acqua.

Peter Thiel, che nel 2016 ruppe il fronte compatto delle Big Tech per incoronare Donald Trump (“l’ariete per scardinare il sistema” disse), l’uomo che con quindici milioni di dollari ha fabbricato a tavolino e spedito alla Casa Bianca JD Vance come vicepresidente, il fondatore di Palantir che ha trasformato la sorveglianza di massa e il controllo militare in un gigantesco affare quotato a Wall Street, ecco, lui ha scaricato l’insulsa guerra contro l’Iran prendendo le distanze dal fallimento militare americano.

Lo ha fatto a porte chiuse, davanti a una platea di fedelissimi a Nashville: “Guardo con scetticismo a questa guerra, credo che non avremmo dovuto farla. Sono stati commessi troppi errori. Forse non abbiamo la forza militare sul campo, o forse stiamo per perdere la battaglia dell’influenza geopolitica”.

Una clamorosa sconfessione di Trump, svelata dagli audio (la conferenza era a porte chiuse) ottenuti da Politico, che arriva a meno di due settimane dal voto di metà mandato, con la Casa Bianca nel panico per il crollo dei consensi, l’inflazione alle stelle per il rialzo del petrolio e il rischio fondato di perdere il controllo del Congresso. Parole, queste di Thiel, che rivelano quanto profonda sia la frattura interna al mondo Maga. Da una parte ci sono i falchi neoconservatori e l’ossessione bellicista dell’ex giornalista e ora Ministro della Guerra, il “crociato” Pete Hegseth, trascinato da Benjamin Netanyahu in una dissennata avventura militare contro Teheran; dall’altra c’è la base isolazionista dell’America First, quella che prometteva di chiudere per sempre le infinite guerre all’estero e che vede nello stesso JD Vance il proprio portabandiera. A Washington si sapeva che Vance era scettico sui raid contro l’Iran prima ancora che partissero i missili. Ora la spaccatura è conclamata.

Il paradosso, semmai, è l’ipocrisia di fondo. Thiel critica la guerra, ma con la guerra è diventato plurimiliardario. La sua creatura, Palantir, è ormai l’ossatura informatica del Pentagono. Il sistema Maven Smart System, imposto a tutte le forze armate dal vicesegretario Steve Feinberg, scandaglia dati, guida i droni e seleziona i bersagli strategici e umani con l’algoritmo. E’ lo stesso apparato responsabile della carneficina della scuola elementare femminile di Minab in Iran, nell’attacco del 28 febbraio 2026 in cui morirono 168 bambine.

Così mentre il Ceo di Palantir, Alex Karp, si vanta in pubblico di essere al servizio dell’Occidente per “uccidere i nemici” e il cofondatore Joe Lonsdale sognava di investire a Teheran dopo un regime change che non è mai avvenuto, oggi Thiel si riscopre prudente. Improvvisa sete di pacifismo? Figurarsi, per mero calcolo geopolitico: la consapevolezza che l’avventura mediorientale sta dissanguando gli Stati Uniti, isolandoli sul piano internazionale ed esponendo i vertici della Casa Bianca all’incubo dei mandati d’arresto della Corte Penale Internazionale, che Thiel definisce la vera “spada di Damocle” sul collo di Trump nel dopo elezioni di midterm.

Ma sarà davvero una sonora sconfitta dei repubblicani, il voto del 3 novembre? Sondaggi affidabili o meno (quanti sbagli nel passato nel sottovalutare la base repubblicana), se “l’anima nera della Silicon Valley” volta le spalle alla guerra, a Mar-a-Lago tira decisamente una brutta aria. Era ora.

L'articolo Peter Thiel contro la guerra in Iran: così il mondo Maga si spacca prima del voto di Midterm proviene da Il Fatto Quotidiano.

Jared Kushner, son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, for years allegedly had access to at least two secret foreign bank accounts in Israel and the United Arab Emirates whose deposits totaled roughly $2 billion according to an excerpt, published on Thursday by Vanity Fair, from an explosive upcoming book . The excerpt of the book […]

The post Book says Kushner had access to secret, Arab-funded bank accounts appeared first on Asia Times.

Hours after President Donald Trump ripped his national anthem golf swing antics, LeBron James appeared to double down by working on his golf hip turns during Thursday's night's anthem before the Philadelphia 76ers faced the Cleveland Cavaliers.

In what was a clear shot back at Trump, LeBron, who wouldn't dare disrespect the Chinese anthem, was seen standing normally during the national anthem before sending a signal back to Trump that sure looked like hip turns that golfers would use during warmups.

The Philadelphia Inquirer called hip turns "stretching." The golf world knows better.

TRUMP BLASTS LEBRON JAMES AS A 'TOTAL DISGRACE' OVER HIS NATIONAL ANTHEM ANTICS DURING 76ERS DEBUT

Earlier Thursday, Trump unleashed on the Chinese sympathizer.

"While listening to our National Anthem, LeBron James disrespects our Country! I said right from the beginning that he’s no good, a TOTAL DISGRACE," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "LeBron James should apologize to all of those Great American Warriors and Heroes who died for the American Flag, and all that our Country stands for!"

This is the video that had Trump, a noted golfer fanatic himself, fuming mad.

During a campaign stop Thursday night, Trump continued to hammer away. "What about LeBron James? Did you see that deal?" Trump asked voters in Iowa. "He's practicing his golf swing. I said, what the hell is that? I don't understand it."

PRESIDENTS CUP HERO JACOB BRIDGEMAN JOINS PRESIDENT TRUMP ON STAGE IN SOUTH CAROLINA, LEADS CLEMSON CHANT

"Slow news day at the office," LeBron said after the game when asked about Trump's Truth Social post that clearly got his attention.

Among the stakes in next month’s election is the long-running question of whether tax cuts can shape how people vote.

© Dave Sanders for The New York Times

President Trump will rally on Friday in a Republican state where Democrats have their eye on several House races.

© Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Supporters of Proposition 39, the statewide ballot initiative that would implement additional Voter ID requirements for California elections, pitch the measure as a "common-sense reform to increase trust and participation in our elections." Its sponsor, Assembly member Carl DeMaio (R–San Diego), touts widespread support for such measures by Democratic, Republican, and independent voters.

Yet the latest polls show the measure tanking, with a Public Policy Institute of California survey last month showing it losing 55 percent to 43 percent—dismal numbers this late in the election season. The official ballot arguments provide some insight into the reasons. While supporters stick with their "nonpartisan" shtick, opponents tie the measure to President Donald Trump's election denialism.

"Stop Trump from rigging our elections. Don't believe the lies. Prop. 39 MAKES VOTING HARDER, MORE EXPENSIVE, AND LESS SAFE for Californians," per the "no" argument. It refers to the measure's funding from "MAGA rightwing billionaires." That point was reinforced by a recent CalMatters report showing large donations from "deep-pocketed Republican donors." The publication says it's a "signal that conservatives view Prop. 39 as a test of support for future battleground states in the broader push by…Trump to tighten voter restrictions."

That's a fair assessment. In a Democratic state where the president's approval ratings are 24 percent in one poll, it's hard to imagine that most voters will spend much time thinking about the ins and outs of election policy and analyze the measure based on its specifics. They'll no doubt see it for what it largely is: a Republican Party effort to aid and abet Trump's unfounded election conspiracies. That said, its requirements aren't overly obtrusive, only unnecessary.

Currently, Californians must show a state identification or provide the last four digits of their Social Security Number when registering. No identification is needed to vote in person, but election officials use signature verification for vote-by-mail envelopes. Around 90 percent of Californians vote that way, so the main issue involves the requirement that voters add the last four digits from their government IDs on the outside of the envelope—thus adding an additional checkpoint (and sadly an additional opportunity for identity theft).

There's no need to worry about compliance costs for election agencies, as it's their job to administer elections. The measure likely will marginally reduce voter participation (by increasing disqualified ballots, even from legal voters if they forgot the ID they used when they registered), while marginally increasing security. It would force many Californians to re-register, which is a hassle. It would no doubt burden our excruciatingly slow ballot counting.

I don't have any theoretical problem with requiring an identification before voting, but California's elections are remarkably secure. There's no evidence of widespread fraud. Basically no one risks prison time by pretending to be someone else on a ballot. It's not about fixing a problem.

Since his defeat in 2020, Trump has traded in election conspiracy theories. The new GOP game is to trot out evidence-free election-fraud claims whenever they lose. We shouldn't play along. Despite the nonpartisan rhetoric, Proposition 39 is the state GOP's way of leaning into Trump's priorities and, as that CalMatters article noted, build momentum for less-defensible nationwide restrictions—apparently the only way Republicans think they can build a lasting majority. The measure won't do much damage in California as it's fairly modest, but it energizes the party's worst instincts.

Consider what DeMaio wrote in 2024 about his seven-point plan to overhaul the state GOP: "Do you remember a time when Republicans controlled a majority of statewide offices in California and were competitive in the state Legislature and congressional delegations?" He rightly blames the party itself, then offers his first item on a platform to revive it: "Make election integrity CAGOP's top ballot priority." I, too, would prefer more competitive California elections, but my first point would be for the GOP to make a better case for fixing California's messes.

Others see the measure as a means to gin up Republican turnout for a November election that's going to be a referendum on Trump by giving them some high-excitement issue to rally around. But some savvy political observers think that it might backfire. We'll see, but it reminds me that the California GOP has too long relied on cute strategies rather than good candidates.

What about supporters' main claim that Voter ID is necessary because it will restore voters' flagging trust in election integrity? Well, Republicans are the ones who don't trust our elections—and that's precisely because Trump spent the last six years poisoning the well. Do you really believe the people who think MAGA Republican Spencer Pratt could have only lost a Los Angeles mayoral primary (where only 15.9 percent of voters are Republicans) because of fraud will have their faith restored if Proposition 39 becomes law? Doubtful.

Republicans can restore their fortunes by acting normal again. The rest of us needn't enable them by backing a measure based on an election-integrity fantasy.

This column was first published in The Orange County Register.

The post California Republicans Pushing New Voter ID Law Are Motivated by Trump's 'Stolen Election' Fantasies appeared first on Reason Magazine.

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