Secret files foreshadowed Ukraine war
Declassified notes from the final years of the Soviet Union reveal that Helmut Kohl, then the German chancellor, was convinced the Kremlin would never allow Ukraine to become independent and that he had doubts about the wisdom of Nato's eastwards expansion.
President Putin has claimed that Moscow was lied to by western officials about Nato's plans to allow former Soviet and Warsaw Pact countries to join the western military alliance. While some western officials, including Sir John Major, the then British prime minister, gave the Soviet Union verbal assurances that there were no plans for Nato to expand eastwards, nothing was ever put down in writing.
An aide to Kohl recorded that in February 1990, nearly two years before the fall of the Soviet Union,
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Telegraph
25 minutes ago
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White House tries to water down Russia sanctions
Donald Trump is pressuring a US senator to weaken a Bill that would impose sweeping sanctions on Russia. White House officials hoping to mend relations with Moscow have been quietly contacting senator Lindsey Graham's office urging him to water down his Bill, which aims to cripple Vladimir Putin with huge sanctions. The Bill, backed by nearly the entire Senate, would impose 500 per cent tariffs on countries that continue to buy Russian oil and gas, which bankrolls Putin's war effort. Officials have been demanding the Bill include waivers that would allow Mr Trump to choose who or what was sanctioned, congressional aides told the Wall Street Journal. Other attempts to weaken the legislation include softening the language, replacing 'shall' with 'may' to avoid making the reprimands mandatory. Removing the mandatory nature of the sanctions would render the Bill effectively toothless and do little to hamper Putin's war machine, aides fear. 'We're moving ahead and the White House is included in our conversations,' Richard Blumenthal, senator and lead Democratic co-sponsor of the Bill, told the paper. Russia's war effort is funded by fossil-fuel exports. Moscow has adapted to existing sanctions with relative ease, turning to North Korea and China for support. Fearing the impact on pump prices, Joe Biden, former president, was unwilling to crack down on Russian energy exports. Mr Trump, has threatened to impose sanctions on Ukraine, as well as Russia, if the two sides fail to reach a peace agreement. 'Any sanction package must provide complete flexibility for the president to continue to pursue his desired foreign policy,' a White House official said. They added that the constitution 'vests the president with the authority to conduct diplomacy with foreign nations'. Speaking in the Oval Office alongside Friedrich Merz, German chancellor, on Thursday, the US president said that the Bill should not move forward without his express approval. 'They'll be guided by me. That's how it's supposed to be,' he told reporters. 'They're waiting for me to decide on what to do.' Last week, Mr Graham and Mr Blumenthal visited Ukraine where they applauded the country's drone attack that destroyed 40 aircraft deep inside Russian territory. However, they were ridiculed and accused of 'stirring up' the conflict by key allies of Mr Trump, including Steve Bannon. 'By trying to engage Putin – by being friendly and enticing – it's become painfully clear [Putin's] not interested in ending this war,' Mr Graham said earlier this week. '[Putin] needs to see and hear that message as well from us, from the American people,' said Mr Blumenthal. Both said that failing to act now could pull the US deeper into the conflict later. If Putin isn't stopped in Ukraine, Mr Blumenthal said, Nato treaty obligations could compel US troops into battle. Earlier this week, Russian negotiators tabled a long memorandum, resembling a complete capitulation for Ukraine, in a second round of direct talks with Kyiv in Istanbul. They demanded Ukraine must withdraw its troops from four eastern regions that Russia only partially occupies and that international recognition of Russian sovereignty over them and Crimea must be granted.
Times
an hour ago
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Our Week: Donald Trump and Elon Musk*
Monday Elon Musk Hey man. Do you miss me? Donald Trump How's the black eye? Musk Let's not talk about the black eye. Musk She's fine. Trump You're a special man. So special. It's not over. You will always be with us. Helping all the way. Musk Maybe you guys could stop telling everyone I was on drugs? Trump Were you not on drugs? Musk Irrelevant. Trump You'll always have a place here. We haven't even cleared out your office. Musk I had an office? Trump Didn't you? Where did you keep the chainsaw? Musk I just bought a new one each time … They were a really important symbol of cutting waste. Trump Also, your car is still parked outside. Trump The f*** was I thinking? Musk Keep it. Can't really shift them any more. Trump I'm impressed with us. We're being grown-ups about this. Musk You're fat. Tuesday Trump Elon! What's this? You've just called my big, beautiful bill 'a disgusting abomination!' Such a nasty word! … I mean, I assume it is. I've had somebody look it up. Long! Musk It's pork! A gigantic budget deficit!!! Crushingly unsustainable debt!!!!! Trump Maybe you should come and get your stupid car … Or I'll have it towed. I mean, it's never going to drive away by itself. Musk Asshole. Don't rub it in. Wednesday Musk How was Vladimir Putin? Trump He's just a friend. Jealous? Musk Shut up. You're jealous. That guy. I should beat him up. Tell him I know MMA. Trump You got a black eye from a five-year-old … Don't sulk. You're still my favourite billionaire. Musk What's he got that I haven't? Trump Nukes and a country. Maybe you should buy a country? Musk I thought I already had. Thursday Musk Watching your press conference with the German, Merz! D-Day! They lost! So funny! This is great! … WTF? Now you're saying you'd have won the election without me? And Susie Wiles is nodding? Such ingratitude! Trump Friends can disagree. I'm sure you won't overreact. Musk I'm starting a new party. You'll be dead soon. And should be impeached. Also, you're a sex pest who loved Jeffrey Epstein. Trump Oh yeah? Well I'm going to tell people you're CRAZY. And threaten to cancel your government contracts! Save billions! Musk I'm going to sabotage the US space programme. You'll never get to Mars now. Trump Don't care. Don't even know where it is. Sounds French. Musk You really want me as an enemy? I have X! Trump What, is he going to punch me as well? • Timeline of Trump and Elon Musk's 'bromance' — to their break-up Friday Musk We should talk. This has gone too far. Tesla is plunging. Trump Thought it was usually your spaceships that were plunging. Loser. Musk Call me. Trump No. You've lost your mind. You're sick. Look what you've done. Now Russia's Medvedev is offering to broker a peace deal between us. Musk The little guy? I'll fight him. Trump Not little enough. Also, Steve Bannon says we should deport you to South Africa. Musk Don't threaten me. You don't know what I might do. For example, I still have Stephen Miller's wife … Although if you are going to threaten me, please do it on X. Great engagement! Trump Also on Truth Social! Ten whole retweets! Trump Not funny. None of your jokes are.
ITV News
3 hours ago
- ITV News
Reform UK to send first ‘Doge' team to look at council spending in Kent
Reform UK is set to send in its first Elon Musk-style Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) unit to look at 'wasteful spending' in councils. A team of software engineers, data analysts and forensic auditors will 'visit and analyse' local authorities, starting with Kent County Council on Monday, the party said. It follows the US Doge, which was launched during Donald Trump's presidency to cut federal spending. Billionaire Musk was involved but has since left his position spearheading the unit. Reform says its UK version will be led by a yet-unnamed man described as one of the country's 'leading tech entrepreneurs with a specialism in data analytics who has also been a turnaround CEO'. The party said that the unit will use artificial intelligence, advanced data analysis tools and forensic auditing techniques to 'identify wasteful spending and recommend actionable solutions'. A letter sent to Kent County Council, which Reform now controls after the May local elections, read: 'The scope of the review includes but is not limited to: Contractual arrangements with suppliers and consultants, all capital expenditure, use of framework agreements and direct awards, any off-book or contingent liabilities, use of reserves and financial resilience, any audit flags raised by internal or external auditors in the last three years. 'We request that all relevant council officers provide the Doge team with full and prompt access to: Council-held documents, reports and records (electronic and paper), relevant finance, procurement, audit and contract data, meeting minutes and correspondence concerning major procurements, any internal investigations or whistleblowing reports relevant to financial matters, any additional documents that might be of assistance.' It added: 'Should you resist this request, we are ready to pass a council motion to compel the same and will consider any obstruction of our councillors' duties to be gross misconduct. We trust this will not be required.' It is signed by council leader Linden Kemkaran, party chairman Zia Yusuf and party leader Nigel Farage. Mr Yusuf said: "For too long British people have been British taxpayers have watched their money vanish into a black hole. "Their taxes keep going up, their bin collections keep getting less frequent, potholes remain unfixed, their local services keep getting cut. Reform won a historic victory on a mandate to change this. "As promised, we have created a UK Doge to identify and cut wasteful spending of taxpayer money. Our team will use cutting-edge technology and deliver real value for voters." A Kent County Council spokesman declined to comment. The Liberal Democrats, who are the second-biggest party in Kent, say that when so much of the budget is mandatory, Reform have very little room to make savings. Liberal Democrat Cllr Richard Streatfield, Kent County Council, said: "Cuts are not part of the equation. "We have a growing population of over 65s who are using demand-led services and only 0.6% of our budget is on discretionary services. "We are using 99.4% of the county council's taxpayer's money for services that we are legally obliged to provide." Sarah Barwick, Branch Secretary of Unison said: "There's fears of job cuts. KCC's really reduced its number of staff in the number of years I've been employed. "We're right at almost the lowest point of staff that you can get without serious problems that could compromise the services." During a local election campaign launch in March, Mr Farage told supporters: "Frankly folks, what we need in this country to pay for the cuts that people deserve and need, we need a British form of Doge, as Elon Musk has got in America. Let's have a British Doge."
