Why Trump's attempts to make peace in Ukraine will fail
Despite the White House pressure to end the Ukraine war, which has resulted in face-to-face talks, it has only worsened.
Andrey Kortunov, the former director of the Russian International Affairs Council, tells host Steve Clemons that war is a high priority for Moscow, and a low priority for Washington, so Russia is not in a rush to resolve the conflict according to United States President Donald Trump's timeline.
Former National Intelligence Council officer Angela Stent argues that the wider Russian strategy is to undo the Western advances made in Eastern Europe after the fall of the Soviet Union.
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Al Jazeera
an hour ago
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Marines prepare for deployment in Los Angeles as protests spread across US
The secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, promises that forces will continue their immigration crackdown in an effort to 'liberate' Los Angeles, pushing back at criticism that sending the US military into the city was unwarranted and illegal. 'We have more assets now, today, than we did yesterday. We had more yesterday than we did the day before, so we are only building momentum,' Noem said during a news conference in the city. 'This is only going to continue and be increased until we have peace on the streets of Los Angeles.' As Noem was speaking, a US Democratic senator from California, Alex Padilla, was forcefully ejected from the room while trying to make himself heard – a removal that was swiftly condemned by other Democrats. Padilla's office said that once outside the room, the senator was pushed to the ground and handcuffed. He was later released. 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Nearly 2,000 protests against the parade, which is taking place on Trump's 79th birthday, are planned around the country in one of the biggest demonstrations against Trump since he returned to power in January. Mostly peaceful street protests so far this week have taken place in multiple cities besides Los Angeles, including New York, Chicago, Washington, DC and San Antonio, Texas. Texas Governor Greg Abbott said Thursday he has ordered the deployment of more than 5,000 Texas National Guard troops, along with more than 2,000 state police, to help local law enforcement manage protests against Trump and the continuing federal immigration raids. Abbott's announcement did not detail where the troops were sent, but some were seen at a protest Wednesday night in downtown San Antonio near the Alamo. That protest drew hundreds of demonstrators but did not erupt into violence. 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The Los Angeles protests began last Friday in response to a series of immigration raids in the city. Trump, in turn, called in the National Guard on Saturday, then ordered the deployment of Marines on Monday. 'Los Angeles was safe and sound for the last two nights. Our great National Guard, with a little help from the Marines, put the LA Police in a position to effectively do their job,' Trump posted on social media on Thursday. State and city officials say Trump is exaggerating what is happening in the city and that local police have the situation under control. The protests have been largely orderly but occasionally punctuated by violence, mostly contained to a few blocks. Police said demonstrators at one location threw commercial-grade fireworks and rocks at officers on Wednesday night. Another group of nearly 1,000 demonstrators was peacefully marching through downtown when police suddenly opened fire with less lethal munitions in front of City Hall. Trump is carrying out a campaign promise to deport immigrants, employing forceful tactics consistent with the norm-breaking political style that got him elected twice. The administration has circulated images showing National Guard troops protecting immigration agents who were arresting suspected undocumented migrants – a permissible function for the troops under federal law. But the state argues those Guard troops have crossed the line into illegal activity under the 1878 Posse Comitatus Act, which prohibits the military from participating in civilian law enforcement. 'For example, photos posted on social media by ICE depict heavily armed members of the National Guard standing alongside ICE agents during arrests,' California said in its latest court filing. Unless a judge intervenes, the military's role likely will grow to include 'detention, interrogation, and other activities that are practically indistinguishable from urban policing operations', the filing asserts. The Trump administration said in a Wednesday court filing that the judge should not restrict the military's activities in Los Angeles. 'Neither the National Guard nor the Marines are engaged in law enforcement. Rather, they are protecting law enforcement, consistent with longstanding practice and the inherent protective power to provide for the safety of federal property and personnel,' the administration wrote. US Army Major General Scott Sherman, who commands the task force of Marines and Guardsmen, told reporters the Marines will not load their rifles with live ammunition, but they will carry live rounds.
