Latest news with #FoundationfortheDefenseofDemocracies
Miami Herald
15-05-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Donald Trump Ukraine Peace Plan Stonewalled by Putin
Donald Trump's attempts to bring Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table to end the war he started have been exhausted, an opposition Ukrainian MP has told Newsweek. Kira Rudik said President Trump must use sanctions, give more arms to Ukraine and threaten the confiscation of Russian assets to pressure Putin after the Kremlin said he would not attend talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. John Hardie from the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD) told Newsweek that Trump has dangled carrots in front of Putin, "now it's time to add some sticks." Trump said there will be no progress until he speaks directly with Putin after the Russian leader again thumbed his nose at the U.S. administration's plans for ending the war. Trump's comments mark the latest chapter in his efforts to bring together both sides, but they have resulted in Putin snubbing Washington's proposal, backed by Kyiv, for a 30-day ceasefire as a pathway to permanent peace. Without saying he would attend personally, Putin issued a surprise call last week for talks with Ukraine in Turkey to restart 2022 negotiations to end the war. After a push by Trump, Zelensky responded by saying he would be in Turkey to await Putin, throwing down the gauntlet for the Russian leader, whose absence would show that he was the obstacle to the deal the U.S. president wants badly. But with Putin's no-show, Zelensky also said he would not attend, further putting the prospect of an imminent deal between Ukraine and Russia into doubt. On Thursday, Trump downplayed Putin's absence from Istanbul, saying, "Why would he go if I'm not going?" He had previously suggested that he might join the talks on Friday if progress is made. Rudik, leader of the Holos party, told Newsweek that Putin's refusal has shown that Trump needs to use other methods to get the Russian leader to the table. These include confiscating Russian assets and backing sanctions European leaders have already agreed to following a meeting in Kyiv last weekend. The sanctions targeted banking, finance and Moscow's sanctions-busting "shadow fleet" of ships transporting fossil fuels. Hardie, deputy director of the Russia program at FDD, said Putin must face the consequences of dragging out peace talks. Assuming Russia again rejects a ceasefire in Istanbul, the U.S. should join its European allies in imposing tougher sanctions, particularly targeting Russian oil revenue, Hardie told Newsweek. The Trump administration also needed to convince the Kremlin that it would remain unable to gain significant additional territory or negotiating leverage via military means. Dwindling U.S. military aid will be felt in the coming months, likely bolstering Russia's position and making Putin even less willing to compromise. "President Trump would be wise to ask Congress now for a 'Ukraine Leverage Package' that ensures U.S. assistance can continue," Hardie said. The four months since Trump reentered the White House have included spats, promises and threats, but seemingly little progress in achieving a ceasefire or long-term peace plan. Trump's phone call with Putin on February 12 was followed six days later by talks in Saudi Arabia involving Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, to which Ukraine was not invited. Hopes that Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Zelensky could strike a minerals deal were dashed on February 28 following a White House argument. Then, in March, U.S.-led shuttle diplomacy saw U.S. and Ukrainian officials meet in Saudi Arabia. American officials put forward a plan for a 30-day ceasefire, which Kyiv agreed to, but Putin effectively rejected it as he added additional stipulations. Putin also met in Moscow with Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, who held talks with him two more times in April. On March 18, a proposal for a temporary halt on strikes on energy infrastructure was put forward, which both sides agreed to but soon accused each other of violations. Kyiv did not take Putin's unilaterally declared ceasefires over the Easter holiday (30 hours) and the May 9 Victory Day parade (three days) seriously. Last week, European leaders meeting in Kyiv threatened Russia with sanctions if it did not follow a 30-day ceasefire starting May 12. Putin proposed restarting direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on May 15, but rejected the 30-day ceasefire and later Zelensky's challenge to meet personally. U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday: "Nothing's going to happen until Putin and I get together." Ukrainian opposition MP Kira Rudik told Newsweek: "Trump's attempts to try to just talk Putin into getting to the negotiating table have been exhausted. Ukraine is at this table, so President Trump needs to use his resources into delivering what he has promised." John Hardie, deputy director of the Russia program at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, told Newsweek: "Moscow needs to face consequences for dragging out the peace talks. President Trump has tried dangling carrots in front of Putin. Now it's time to add some sticks." At a press conference in Ankara on Thursday, Zelensky said that the meeting with Putin could be skipped if the two countries agree on a ceasefire during technical talks in Istanbul. He added that if Moscow was unwilling to engage in the ceasefire talks, other countries should sanction Russia, but there is doubt over whether Putin would agree to this. Vuk Vuksanovic, an Associate at the London School of Economics think tank LSE IDEAS, told Newsweek that Moscow will not halt its advance until it secures what it perceives as the bare minimum—seizing all the territories it claimed to have annexed in autumn 2022. It will then seek to use this momentum to push for international recognition of these areas as part of Russia, and to pressure Ukraine into formally renouncing its aspirations to join NATO. "Until these objectives are met, Russia have little reasons to cut a deal," he said. Related Articles Zelensky Says Russia-Ukraine Talks Can Go AheadRussian State TV Launches Patriotic Kids Show Featuring Toddler TrumpTrump Undercuts Ukraine Istanbul Talks Before They Even StartRussia Mocks Zelensky Over Putin No-Show: 'Pathetic Loser' 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Mass anti-corruption protests put strain on close European ally of Russia
Student-led protests pose the gravest threat to Serbian strongman Aleksandar Vucic's 14 years in power, with over 100,000 taking to the streets of Belgrade and cities across Serbia, calling out systemic corruption throughout the government. March 15 saw what many believe to be the largest crowds in Serbia's recent history, with an estimated 300,000 people marching in the center of Belgrade. Serbian President Vucic, who remains close to Russia, has remained defiant, ignoring calls to step down and accusing the protest movement of planning violent attacks and stoking a civil war. Historic Russian Ally Snubs Putin In Growing Shift To European Union "Moscow and Belgrade pledged to combat color revolutions together in 2021. This is dangerous as Russia can provide Serbia with intelligence support," Ivana Stradner, research fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital. "Vucic is hoping that protests in Serbia will stop, but they are growing increasingly," Stradner added. Read On The Fox News App Vucic accused the students of orchestrating a Western-backed "colored revolution" and compared the movement to the 2014 Euromaidan Revolution in Ukraine, when the pro-Russian president of Ukraine was ousted from power for seeking closer ties with Vladimir Putin over Europe. Nongovernmental and civil society organizations accuse the government of using illegal weapons, including long-range acoustic devices (LRAD), a common crowd control device that can cause severe hearing damage, during a commemorative silence for the victims of the Novi Sad railway collapse in November. "The Belgrade Center for Security Policy strongly condemns the unlawful and inhumane deployment of prohibited weapons, such as acoustic devices, against peaceful protesters during a public gathering of hundreds of thousands of citizens paying tribute to victims of the collapsed roof in Novi Sad," the group said in a statement. Serbia's foreign minister, Marko Djuric, denied the allegations in a post on X. "Serbia categorically denies the baseless accusations that any illegal weapons, including so-called 'sound cannons,' were used against demonstrators in Belgrade," Djuric said. President Vucic also denied the claims, calling it "a vile lie" in an address to the nation and promised to investigate the matter. The protests consuming Serbia didn't just happen overnight and have been sustained for months. Zelenskyy Warns Russia Wants To Cause 'Explosion' In The Balkans Tens of thousands of college students have been marching since December, demanding justice and accountability after the deaths of 15 people in the collapse of a railway station in the Serbian town of Novi Sad. The canopy at the railway station collapsed Nov. 1 after renovations led by two Chinese companies. What originally started as spontaneous protests voicing dissatisfaction with the government's failed response to the railway catastrophe transformed into a movement opposing widespread corruption and the erosion of the rule of law under Vucic. "It's also important to recognize that the cause of the protests runs deeper — many people perceive the state as corrupt and are broadly dissatisfied with Vučić's government. They are calling for greater press freedom and accountability," Helena Ivanov, senior fellow at the Henry Jackson Institute, told Fox News Digital. Ivanov said that the government's attempts to mitigate the situation, such as arresting individuals involved in corrupt deals from years ago or the resignation of the prime minister in January, have been seen as too little, too late by the protesters and opposition politicians. Serbia, Caught Between Europe And Russia, Could Move One Step Closer To Normalizing Relations With Kosovo Many experts and observers of the Balkans were disappointed in the Biden administration's regional policy, claiming that the administration appeased the Vucic regime and refused to call out his antidemocratic practices. The efforts to sway Vucic and maintain close ties to Belgrade were seen as integral to the Serbia-Kosovo normalization process and their path toward European Union ascension. A former high-ranking diplomat with expert knowledge of the Balkans told Fox News Digital that Vucic wrongly portrays the protesters as inspired and led by the "globalist elite," hoping to gain the attention and support of President Trump. If President Trump wants a quick, cheap win for him and the U.S. in the Balkans, the diplomat said Trump should shift the U.S. regional posture from appeasing Vucic to containing him. Such a posture in Serbia will show that the U.S. is not kidding in the Balkans and wants a peaceful solution to simmering conflicts while utilizing the "peace through strength" article source: Mass anti-corruption protests put strain on close European ally of Russia
Fox News
17-03-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Mass anti-corruption protests put strain on close European ally of Russia
Student-led protests pose the gravest threat to Serbian strongman Aleksandar Vucic's 14 years in power, with over 100,000 taking to the streets of Belgrade and cities across Serbia, calling out systemic corruption throughout the government. March 15 saw what many believe to be the largest crowds in Serbia's recent history, with an estimated 300,000 people marching in the center of Belgrade. Serbian President Vucic, who remains close to Russia, has remained defiant, ignoring calls to step down and accusing the protest movement of planning violent attacks and stoking a civil war. "Moscow and Belgrade pledged to combat color revolutions together in 2021. This is dangerous as Russia can provide Serbia with intelligence support," Ivana Stradner, research fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital. "Vucic is hoping that protests in Serbia will stop, but they are growing increasingly," Stradner added. Vucic accused the students of orchestrating a Western-backed "colored revolution" and compared the movement to the 2014 Euromaidan Revolution in Ukraine, when the pro-Russian president of Ukraine was ousted from power for seeking closer ties with Vladimir Putin over Europe. Nongovernmental and civil society organizations accuse the government of using illegal weapons, including long-range acoustic devices (LRAD), a common crowd control device that can cause severe hearing damage, during a commemorative silence for the victims of the Novi Sad railway collapse in November. "The Belgrade Center for Security Policy strongly condemns the unlawful and inhumane deployment of prohibited weapons, such as acoustic devices, against peaceful protesters during a public gathering of hundreds of thousands of citizens paying tribute to victims of the collapsed roof in Novi Sad," the group said in a statement. Serbia's foreign minister, Marko Djuric, denied the allegations in a post on X. "Serbia categorically denies the baseless accusations that any illegal weapons, including so-called 'sound cannons,' were used against demonstrators in Belgrade," Djuric said. President Vucic also denied the claims, calling it "a vile lie" in an address to the nation and promised to investigate the matter. The protests consuming Serbia didn't just happen overnight and have been sustained for months. Tens of thousands of college students have been marching since December, demanding justice and accountability after the deaths of 15 people in the collapse of a railway station in the Serbian town of Novi Sad. The canopy at the railway station collapsed Nov. 1 after renovations led by two Chinese companies. What originally started as spontaneous protests voicing dissatisfaction with the government's failed response to the railway catastrophe transformed into a movement opposing widespread corruption and the erosion of the rule of law under Vucic. "It's also important to recognize that the cause of the protests runs deeper — many people perceive the state as corrupt and are broadly dissatisfied with Vučić's government. They are calling for greater press freedom and accountability," Helena Ivanov, senior fellow at the Henry Jackson Institute, told Fox News Digital. Ivanov said that the government's attempts to mitigate the situation, such as arresting individuals involved in corrupt deals from years ago or the resignation of the prime minister in January, have been seen as too little, too late by the protesters and opposition politicians. Many experts and observers of the Balkans were disappointed in the Biden administration's regional policy, claiming that the administration appeased the Vucic regime and refused to call out his antidemocratic practices. The efforts to sway Vucic and maintain close ties to Belgrade were seen as integral to the Serbia-Kosovo normalization process and their path toward European Union ascension. A former high-ranking diplomat with expert knowledge of the Balkans told Fox News Digital that Vucic wrongly portrays the protesters as inspired and led by the "globalist elite," hoping to gain the attention and support of President Trump. If President Trump wants a quick, cheap win for him and the U.S. in the Balkans, the diplomat said Trump should shift the U.S. regional posture from appeasing Vucic to containing him. Such a posture in Serbia will show that the U.S. is not kidding in the Balkans and wants a peaceful solution to simmering conflicts while utilizing the "peace through strength" doctrine.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
President Trump can stop Iran's march to nuclear weapons: 're-establish credible military threat', report says
EXCLUSIVE: President Donald Trump's second term in office presents a historic chance to reverse the Biden administration's failed Iran policies and prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons, a new report from the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD) argues. The report, titled "Detecting and Halting an Iranian Weaponization Effort," argues that the president should immediately muster the full weight of the U.S. national security establishment to confront this urgent threat. "The president made the right call in re-imposing maximum pressure. Now, he needs to ensure Iran can't dash to nuclear weapons, drawing on the short timeline and technical know-how it possesses," Andrea Stricker, author of the FDD report, told Fox News Digital. A Weakened Iran Has Iraq Looking To Curb Tehran-backed Extremists In Country "A nuclear-armed Iran would fundamentally upend security in the region and hinder the ability of the United States, Israel, and their partners to counter Tehran's aggression out of fear of nuclear escalation," she said. Stricker believes President Trump absolutely cannot tolerate a nuclear-armed Iran and must use all instruments of American power to stop this. Read On The Fox News App The FDD report recommends that the administration and allies should re-establish the threat of credible military force to deter Iran from breaking the nuclear threshold and, along with Israel, be prepared to target Iranian nuclear sites. "The United States or Israel should demonstrate their ability to eliminate any detected Iranian weaponization facilities and activities." U.S. intelligence learned recently that a secret team of Iranian scientists are working on a short-cut to the country's path to develop a nuclear weapon. The revelations come as Iran's position in the region has significantly weakened as Tehran became embroiled in conflict with Israel after Oct. 7. Trump Calls For 'Nuclear Peace Agreement' With Iran Rather Than Blowing Country 'To Smithereens' Then-President Joe Biden allowed Tehran's nuclear program to progress largely unimpeded, the report said, and Iran now likely has the capability and know-how to produce nuclear weapons. Although Iran may lack confidence in the functionality of certain components, it may be able to detonate a crude nuclear device within six months from starting. "An advancing Iranian weaponization capability, matched with Tehran's enrichment of uranium to near-weapons-grade, limits the window of time in which the United States and its allies could intervene to stop an Iranian dash to nuclear weapons, known as a breakout," the report notes. In a sign of the administration's toughening position on Iran, Trump signed a memorandum reimposing the "maximum pressure" policy, a hallmark of his first term administration's crippling sanctions on Tehran. It is "in the national interest to impose maximum pressure on the Iranian regime to end its nuclear threat, curtail its ballistic missile program, and stop its support for terrorist groups," the president's executive order read. Iran 'Terrified' Of Trump Presidency As Iranian Currency Falls To An All-time Low Trump withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, also known as the Iran nuclear deal, during his first term in 2018 and reapplied harsh economic sanctions. The Biden administration had initially looked at re-engaging with Iran on the nuclear issue upon taking office, but on-again-off-again talks went nowhere, complicated by Iran's domestic politics and Iran's role in supporting its terror groups in the region. Stricker says the clerical regime has an additional incentive to seek nuclear weapons to secure its hold on power with a more confrontational administration in Washington. It could also sprint for the bomb to bolster its offensive and defensive capabilities to deter further Israeli strikes against the regime itself, she warned. In addition to the military threat, the report recommends the U.S. and Israel should cooperate on intelligence-related operations to detect and disrupt Iranian weaponization. It also suggests that the U.S. and Israel should work toward identifying key Iranian officials and nuclear scientists and to cultivate them as human intelligence sources. It additionally encourages the U.S. and other nations to urgently mobilize the International Atomic Energy Agency to strengthen inspections of weaponization activities in Iran. A November 2024 report from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence said that Iran has enough fissile material to produce over a dozen nuclear weapons if it continues to enrich article source: President Trump can stop Iran's march to nuclear weapons: 're-establish credible military threat', report says
Fox News
19-02-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
President Trump can stop Iran's march to nuclear weapons: 're-establish credible military threat', report says
President Donald Trump's second term in office presents a historic chance to reverse the Biden administration's failed Iran policies and prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons, a new report from the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD) argues. The report, titled "Detecting and Halting an Iranian Weaponization Effort," argues that the president should immediately muster the full weight of the U.S. national security establishment to confront this urgent threat. "The president made the right call in re-imposing maximum pressure. Now, he needs to ensure Iran can't dash to nuclear weapons, drawing on the short timeline and technical know-how it possesses," Andrea Stricker, author of the FDD report, told Fox News Digital. "A nuclear-armed Iran would fundamentally upend security in the region and hinder the ability of the United States, Israel, and their partners to counter Tehran's aggression out of fear of nuclear escalation," she said. Srickler believes President Trump absolutely cannot tolerate a nuclear-armed Iran and must use all instruments of American power to stop this. The FDD report recommends that the administration and allies should re-establish the threat of credible military force to deter Iran from breaking the nuclear threshold and, along with Israel, be prepared to target Iranian nuclear sites. "The United States or Israel should demonstrate their ability to eliminate any detected Iranian weaponization facilities and activities." U.S. intelligence learned recently that a secret team of Iranian scientists are working on a short-cut to the country's path to develop a nuclear weapon. The revelations come as Iran's position in the region has significantly weakened as Tehran became embroiled in conflict with Israel after Oct. 7. Then-President Joe Biden allowed Tehran's nuclear program to progress largely unimpeded, the report said, and Iran now likely has the capability and know-how to produce nuclear weapons. Although Iran may lack confidence in the functionality of certain components, it may be able to detonate a crude nuclear device within six months from starting. "An advancing Iranian weaponization capability, matched with Tehran's enrichment of uranium to near-weapons-grade, limits the window of time in which the United States and its allies could intervene to stop an Iranian dash to nuclear weapons, known as a breakout," the report notes. In a sign of the administration's toughening position on Iran, Trump signed a memorandum reimposing the "maximum pressure" policy, a hallmark of his first term administration's crippling sanctions on Tehran. It is "in the national interest to impose maximum pressure on the Iranian regime to end its nuclear threat, curtail its ballistic missile program, and stop its support for terrorist groups," the president's executive order read. Trump withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, also known as the Iran nuclear deal, during his first term in 2018 and reapplied harsh economic sanctions. The Biden administration had initially looked at re-engaging with Iran on the nuclear issue upon taking office, but on-again-off-again talks went nowhere, complicated by Iran's domestic politics and Iran's role in supporting its terror groups in the region. Stricker says the clerical regime has an additional incentive to seek nuclear weapons to secure its hold on power with a more confrontational administration in Washington. It could also sprint for the bomb to bolster its offensive and defensive capabilities to deter further Israeli strikes against the regime itself, she warned. In addition to the military threat, the report recommends the U.S. and Israel should cooperate on intelligence-related operations to detect and disrupt Iranian weaponization. It also suggests that the U.S. and Israel should work toward identifying key Iranian officials and nuclear scientists and to cultivate them as human intelligence sources. It additionally encourages the U.S. and other nations to urgently mobilize the International Atomic Energy Agency to strengthen inspections of weaponization activities in Iran. A November 2024 report from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence said that Iran has enough fissile material to produce over a dozen nuclear weapons if it continues to enrich uranium.
