DEVIOUS despot Vladimir Putin covertly offered the United States a £9trillion economic cooperation deal behind Ukraine’s back, according to Volodymyr Zelensky.
The Ukrainian leader hinted that the proposal may be a ploy by the Kremlin to gain leverage in ongoing peace talks.
Ukrainian intelligence uncovered the fishy proposal – dubbed the “Dmitriev package” after Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev – and Zelensky warned that it might compromise Ukraine’s national interests.
Bilateral economic agreements with the US will serve as part of the wider negotiating process, but Zelensky is wary of the financial scale of Russia’s proposal.
“Probably some things in US-Russia relations do not concern us,” he said.
“But if they somehow affect our national interests, the Ukrainian people, our territories – then we would like to see this, so that there are no problems later, and this definitely should not happen contrary to the interests of Ukrainians.”
Experts have, however, been sceptical of Zelensky’s claims, as the proposal is several times Russia‘s entire GDP.
Zelensky also revealed that Donald Trump has given the two warring nations until June to achieve peace, though the US are reportedly hoping to reach a solution as early as March.
“They will do everything to end the war and want a clear schedule,” he added.
“If the June deadline is not met, the Trump administration will likely put pressure on both sides to meet it.”
Negotiators have been working tirelessly to find a solution to end the war, which will enter its fifth year later this month.
The upcoming round of trilateral talks is due to take place next week – likely in Miami – and will focus heavily on exclusive demands both sides are clinging to.
Mad Vlad’s ambition to annex the entire eastern Donetsk region has been the major sticking point in recent talks, with Zelensky and co. warning that ceding massive swathes of land would embolden Moscow.
“Difficult issues remained difficult,” Zelensky said.
“Ukraine once again confirmed its positions on the Donbas issue. ‘We stand where we stand’ is the fairest and most reliable model for a ceasefire today, in our opinion.”
He added that Kyiv will not tolerate Russia and the US making deals about Ukraine behind its back.
Ukraine are also pushing for security guarantees and reportedly agreed to a Trump-backed contingency plan in the event of Russia breaking any future peace pact.
The multi-tiered response would involve coordinated US-Europe military action against the Kremlin in the event of another invasion.
Putin recently flouted a ceasefire agreement with Ukraine by mercilessly bombing the country’s power grid as it plunged into a brutal cold snap.
Trump revealed that Putin had accepted his personal request to pause the Kremlin’s campaign of terror against Ukrainian cities, which is pushing the war-battered country towards a humanitarian crisis.
But a wave of coordinated strikes unleashed fresh winter terror over western and central Ukraine, leaving millions facing emergency blackouts in freezing temperatures.
Multiple explosions were reported over Friday night and Saturday morning, with air raid sirens wailing for hours.
“Every day, Russia could choose real diplomacy, but it chooses new strikes,” said Zelensky.
“It is crucial that everyone who supports the trilateral negotiations respond to this.
“Moscow must be deprived of the ability to use the cold as leverage against Ukraine.”
The tiny island that may be Putin’s next target
by Harvey Geh
AS Vladimir Putin’s barbaric war in Ukraine drags into its fifth year, the Russian tyrant is dropping hints that nearby nations are in his crosshairs.
With mounting fears of Russian aggression looming over Europe, Nato’s fate could hinge on one “last bastion” which is being rapidly armed to the teeth.
If war between Nato and Moscow breaks out, no naval chokepoint will prove as critical as the Baltic Sea.
And nestled right in the heart of the tight and shallow waterway sits Gotland – Sweden’s biggest island which has been nicknamed “Nato’s anchor”.
Despite boasting gorgeous Medieval architecture and picturesque coasts, the popular tourist destination is now being quickly fortified.
State-of-the-art missile systems, new barracks, and surveillance hubs are all piling onto the isle as fears of a Russian attack on Europe mount everyday.
But this isn’t just a knee-jerk reaction to Putin’s aggression – Gotland’s position is strategically vital.
The island’s military build-up has two main focuses for Stockholm, experts told us.
The first is to deter Putin from invading the territory to use as a launchpad for attacking Europe while cutting off naval supply lines.
The second is to monitor the Russian despot’s sabotage activities in the Baltic Sea as part of his grey-zone warfare campaign.
Dubbed an “unsinkable aircraft carrier”, Gotland plays a key role in projecting power across the region, Nato Defense College fellow Oscar Jonsson said.
Located off Stockholm’s south coast and about 300km away from Russia’s militarised exclave Kaliningrad, Gotland exerts huge influence over sea lanes.
Read more here.
