#hes being BILATERAL with THE OTHER HOST!

[castlefly]

TRANS PRIDE!!! behold lepe my son

[dawning-rose-1]

It's been a while, but ... please pray for me and my marriage.

I've been trying to find a counselor or therapist to help me through

the grief of getting an infertility diagnosis (if you or someone you know is struggling with this, I do recommend The Fruitful Hollow, just as a stepping stone or a place to find advice).

I'll leave it here, because saying/writing it makes it less powerful (the emotion it evokes become less sharp, it allows them to settle a bit). It's called bilateral absence of vas deferens, it amounts to a congenital vasectomy that is inoperable and thus unfixable (save, of course, for an act of God). Now, knowing this and being a (sometimes it feels like I should add an "unfortunately") well catechized Catholic, it leaves us in the very sad situation of not being able to have biological kids.

As I said earlier, I've tried to find a counselor or therapist, but so far they keep trying to convince me that IVF would solve the problem. And while I'm sure that if we were successful (by that I mean, it resulted in a baby) we'd feel certain relief, I do not believe that that's the way to deal with the situation. More and more people that battle with infertility are turning to IVF and even surrogacy as a way to fulfill their desire for children. So I understand why that seems like the obvious solution to our 'problem. The very simple and logical solution.

Sitting with it, and savoring the bitter taste it leaves behind, I can admit to several things (just for the sake of my own sanity):

I shouldn't have planned a whole chunk of my life around having children.

I should have developed interests that weren't so niche to child-rearing or that tended to attract parents (see the overlap of crunchy moms and holistic nutrition/natural living/endocrine disruptors/natural fibers)

I wanted to get married because I wanted to have kids, and in hindsight, that was not my smartest move, nor a good motivation.

Though I always said that children are not a given (in the sense that nobody deserves children, just like we deserve nothing we have been given in this life, it's all a gift by the mercy and grace of God), saying it, believing it, and being confronted with: you've been given this particular cross... it doesn't make it a fun experience.

Seeing other people living the 'life I wanted/planned for' is a constant struggle between don't be jealous, don't become envious, and just be happy/grateful that they can have children.

Related to the prior: I'm at the age where most people are having kids, some friends are going for baby number 2 (at least 5 come to mind immediately, I'm sure there's more). And seeing as most of our friends are Catholic, the babies are unlikely to stop anytime soon. So I don't love that I get a gigantic boulder in the pit of my stomach when someone says I have an announcement or I'm pregnant.

Sometimes it helps that they tell you via text, I've gotten two in person with not a whole lot of forewarning and the amount of crying after the announcements is not too different. Though having to activate my acting skills has been a bit tiring. (On a side note, I hope one day I can simply be happy for the new parents and not have to slink off to my home to cry and feel sorry for myself).

Feeling sorry for myself also comes from feeling excluded (which is, of course, only natural) by my friends and not getting invited to kids' birthday parties or family-friendly events where our friends are hosting or involved; I got such a sad feeling from hearing that my friends have regular play-dates where the kids play and the moms hang out that I had to tell myself to chill. (Again, I get it. But, I don't want to be friendless by the time everyone's at 6 kids.)

Looking at my husband make a questionable hygiene choice makes me somewhat grateful that he cannot father my children (I haven't figured out if that's me trying to make sense of the seemingly senseless)

Same as the last one, I can't help wondering if the reason why we can't have kids is simply God protecting us and them from the realities of parenthood.

There's so much that I haven't figured out, like: what do I do with my life now? I have no real ambitions, or desires save having a family. And I need to pray more for God to soften my heart to his will, because I feel so blind when it comes to my future. I thought I knew what life was going to be like, but here I am, at almost 30, married for almost 4 years, with a dog and no plan. It's an excellent opportunity to trust in God and his mercy, and I'm trying to. But I haven't felt a whole lot of peace in a good long while.

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

Assessing Brazil’s Potential to Act as a Peace Enabler in the Russo-Ukrainian Conflict

The result of the 2022 presidential elections in Brazil was celebrated domestically and overseas by those who were looking forward to Brazil’s return to the international stage after the country’s isolation under the presidency of Jair Bolsonaro. The narrow victory of the Workers’ Party candidate, Luis Inácio Lula da Silva, and his January 2023 inauguration, coincided with a particularly auspicious moment for Brazil’s international engagement: the country was occupying a non-permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council (it left the Council at the end of December 2023) and the country was also due to occupy the presidency of the G-20 (for 2024) and serve as the host of the 30th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP 30), to be held in the Amazonian city of Belém in 2025.

Brazil’s return to the global stage, its participation in groups such as the G-20, the G-77, IBSA (India Brazil, South Africa Dialogue), and BRICS, combined with the characteristic of being one of the few countries in the world with diplomatic relations with all United Nations member states also meant that Brazil could play a role regarding the Russo-Ukrainian conflict. For Brazil, the challenges in playing a more active role regarding the conflict include both domestic and international dimensions. At the domestic level, one of the biggest challenges is achieving economic development and reducing social inequalities in a country that, according to the World Inequality Lab, is one of the most socially unequal countries in the world. Given the magnitude of this challenge, Lula has been criticised for giving too much priority to presidential diplomacy in his first year in government and travelling abroad several times.

Internationally, the competing issues that hold back Brazil in developing a more active role in the Russo-Ukrainian conflict are related to the need to address issues close to home. These include: 1) the rivalry between Venezuela and Guyana on the Brazilian border, as Brazilian mediation credentials could be more useful regarding neighboring countries, and 2) the need to balance the bilateral relationship with Argentina, as right-wing President Jair Milei has explicitly criticised President Lula and expressed an interest in obtaining global partner status with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). In addition, President Lula is working to persuade Nicaragua’s President Daniel Ortega, a historical ally of the Workers’ Party, to ease the repressive measures against the opposition. Meanwhile, the ongoing security challenge in Haiti, where Brazil held the command of the military component of the UN mission (MINUSTAH) for 14 years (2004-2017), also highlights regional demands for Brazil’s engagement.

Additionally, recent international events have also captured the attention of Brazilian authorities, with a potential for domestic repercussions. Brazil’s condemnation of Israel’s military actions in Gaza may become a focal point in domestic political debate, potentially undermining Lula, as Bolsonaro and other right-wing politicians in Brazil remain close allies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Looking ahead to the 2024 and 2025 domestic elections, conservative religious groups, particularly among the fast-growing neo-pentecostal communities, have explicitly endorsed Israeli policies, further complicating the situation.

Brazil may also face conflicting issues related to the Russo-Ukrainian conflict. For instance, as the host of the G-20, Brazil may welcome Russian President Vladimir Putin to the high-level summit in Rio de Janeiro in November 2024. However, since Brazil is a party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, representatives of the Ukrainian-Brazilian community have urged Brazil’s Minister of Justice to arrest Putin if he enters the country. According to the media, Brazilian officials prepared a document which legally sustains the justification for not arresting Putin in his visit for the G-20 summit, based largely on the fact that Russia withdrew its signature from the Rome Statute in 2016.

Continue reading.

[workersolidarity]

🇨🇳🇷🇺 RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN MEETS WITH CHINESE PRESIDENT XI JINPING AT THIRD BELT AND ROAD INITIATIVE FORUM

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Chinese President Xi Jinping Wednesday for the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation held in Beijing.

As the host country, Republic of China President Xi Jinping spoke first, thanking the Russian President and pointing to the implementation of the agreements and celebrating record trade between the two countries, which is approaching $200 Billion this year.

"Mr President, during the ten years since 2013, the two of us have held 42 meetings and established good business-like relations and a strong personal friendship" President Xi said.

"Mutual trust in our political relations is steadily growing. Close and effective strategic collaboration is being maintained. Bilateral trade has achieved historic records and is approaching the target of $200 billion we have set."

After the opening ceremony of the forum, President Xi Jinping introduced Russian President Vladimir Putin, who spoke at the Belt & Road Forum.

The Russian President thanked President Xi for his invitation and congratulated the Chinese President on the 74th Anniversary of the establishment of the People's Republic of China.

"Next year will be an anniversary year for both your country and the diplomatic relations between our countries. On October 2, 1949, the next day after the establishment of the PRC, the USSR was the first to recognise the new China" President Putin said to the Chinese President in his speech.

President Putin pointed to the Chinese President's visit in March, saying this was a special sign indicating the close "level and nature" of relations between the People's Republic of China and the Russian Federation.

"One and a half years after my last visit, all of us, our large delegation, are in Beijing again. We can see that the city is developing and prospering, and we are very glad for our Chinese friends," President Putin told the Chinese leader.

"Your idea of promoting wide-ranging cooperation between the countries of the historical Silk Road, which was put forward ten years ago, has gained momentum."

President Putin further told President Xi that although plans are being designed and implemented, the nations involved may be unsure how a project will turn out, however China, under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, is always highly successful in its endeavors, and he thanked the Chinese President for their collaboration, saying all parties gain from the arrangement.

President Putin went on to promote the initiatives of the Belt and Road programme, pointing to the Chinese President's ideas, which Putin described as intended to benefit the whole of mankind and wished the Chinese President success in this noble undertaking.

"Under the difficult present-day conditions, it is particularly relevant to maintain close foreign policy coordination, something we are doing now. Today, we will discuss all of this, including, and primarily, our bilateral relations."

President Putin finished by saying, "You have just mentioned our bar – our objective of reaching $200 billion in trade this year. If we look at the year-on-year figures – we analysed this yesterday evening – the 200-billion target was reached between this day a year ago and today, and this bar will certainly be exceeded by the end of the calendar year. Therefore, we are advancing very confidently on the bilateral plane as well."

The Russian President then thanked his Chinese counterpart before the official Forum began, after which the Russian President spoke at length about cooperation between the two powers.

During his remarks at the Forum, President Putin told the audience that the essence of the Belt and Road Initiative is to "promote creative and constructive interaction" throughout the international community.

"We pointed out on numerous occasions that Russia and China, just as the majority of other countries, share the striving for equal and mutually beneficial cooperation towards universal, sustainable and lasting economic progress and social welfare based on respect for the civilisational diversity and the right of every state to its own development model," President Putin said in his speech.

President Putin went on, "The Belt and Road initiative is based on these fundamental principles and fits in very well with the integration processes that are ongoing in many regions. It also corresponds to the Russian ideas of creating an integration contour that will ensure the freedom of trade, investment and employment and will be complemented with interconnected infrastructure."

President Putin said the Belt and Road programme meshes well with the Russian idea of creating greater Eurasian partnership, expanding cooperation and interaction between like-minded nations and the integration of multilateral organizations like the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), which Russia is successfully developing with its post-Soviet partners.

President Putin further emphasized new agreements between the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China on the development of the EAEU and Belt and Road programme, along with a non-preferential agreement on trade and economic cooperation between the EAEU and China. To this end, a joint commission was established to "align our efforts to implement this agreement."

"In February 2023, we adopted an expanded roadmap, which provides, in part, for the development of relations between the EAEU and China in trade policy and the digitisation of transport corridors," President Putin said.

The Russian leader further noted the importance of the initiatives, saying they were an, "integral part of Russia’s national development strategy, the strengthening of our economic, technological and financial sovereignty, as well as the modernisation and expansion of infrastructure."

The Russian President told audiences he believes the Belt and Road Initiatives were very important to participating countries and pointed to the expansive Russian territories for enhancing the connectivity between the Russian Federation and its partners.

The Russian President mentioned the various infrastructure projects being implemented through the Belt and Road, telling the audience that, taken together, the projects will allow participants to create an "integral transport and logistics network" and to "diversify freight traffic through more effective, reliable and safe" transportation.

"For example, we are building the North-South international corridor in European Russia, which President Xi has mentioned. It will connect Russian ports on the Baltic and Arctic seas to ports in the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean. Seamless rail connectivity, as professionals say, will be ensured throughout this route, from Murmansk in the north of Russia to Bandar Abbas in Iran," President Putin said.

"Another north-south transport artery will run via the Urals region and Siberia. Its main elements are the modernisation of the central part of the Trans-Siberian Railway, including the West-Siberian Railway line running across several regions of Siberia, namely the Omsk, Novosibirsk, Kemerovo and Tomsk regions and the Altai Territory. The other elements are the construction of the Northern Latitudinal Railway, as we call it, towards the ports on the Arctic Ocean and the Yamal Peninsula in the north of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, and a new North Siberian Railway from the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area towards our largest railway network comprising the Trans-Siberian Railway and Baikal-Amur Mainline."

After the initial speeches and meetings, President Xi Jinping of China and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet on the sidelines to further discuss trade, economic cooperation, as well as the global and regional situation. The Russian delegation included a large number of senior officials, including the Vice Premier, representatives of the Foreign Ministry, Economic Development agencies, as well as representatives from the Transportation and Finance departments.

#source1

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@WorkerSolidarityNews

[news365timesindia]

[ad_1] By Anjali Sharma WASHINGTON – India on Saturday has called to increase international collaboration on knowledge sharing, technology transfer, and sustainable development to enhance disaster resilience globally. Principal Secretary to Prime Minister P K Mishra led a high-level Indian Delegation, took part in G-20 Disaster Risk Reduction Working Group Ministerial Meeting from 30 October-1 November, held in Belem, Brazil. The consensus was reached in finalizing the first Ministerial declaration on Disaster Risk Reduction. Dr. Mishra shared the progress made by the Government of India in reducing disaster risks and in up scaling disaster financing in India. He emphasized India’s proactive approach to disaster risk reduction on five priorities of DRRWG, which were enunciated during Indian Presidency of G20 i.e. Early warning systems, Disaster resilient infrastructure, DRR financing, Resilient recovery and Nature based solutions. He shared the Prime Minister’s global initiative of Coalition for Disaster Resilience Infrastructure, which now has 40 countries and 7 International Organizations, as members. The Indian delegation took part in Troika meetings with the Ministers of Brazil and South Africa, and held bilateral meetings with ministers from the host country Brazil and other countries namely Japan, Norway, South Africa, South Korea, Germany, and Heads of invited International Organisations. Dr. Mishra shared experience and steps being taken, including the focus on promoting traditional practices to suit local conditions responding to the call by the United Nations Secretary General on Extreme Heat. The first DRR WG was established on India’s initiative during its Presidency of G20 in 2023. Dr Mishra, praised the  Brazilian Presidency on its continuation of the DRRWG, and scaling it up to Ministerial level and affirmed India’s support to South Africa on DRRWG on their upcoming G20 Presidency next year. India’s participation underscores its growing role in global DRR efforts and its commitment to building a safer and more resilient world. The post India calls for global cooperation to enhance disaster resilience appeared first on Global Governance News- Asia's First Bilingual News portal for Global News and Updates. [ad_2] Source link

[news365times]

[ad_1] By Anjali Sharma WASHINGTON – India on Saturday has called to increase international collaboration on knowledge sharing, technology transfer, and sustainable development to enhance disaster resilience globally. Principal Secretary to Prime Minister P K Mishra led a high-level Indian Delegation, took part in G-20 Disaster Risk Reduction Working Group Ministerial Meeting from 30 October-1 November, held in Belem, Brazil. The consensus was reached in finalizing the first Ministerial declaration on Disaster Risk Reduction. Dr. Mishra shared the progress made by the Government of India in reducing disaster risks and in up scaling disaster financing in India. He emphasized India’s proactive approach to disaster risk reduction on five priorities of DRRWG, which were enunciated during Indian Presidency of G20 i.e. Early warning systems, Disaster resilient infrastructure, DRR financing, Resilient recovery and Nature based solutions. He shared the Prime Minister’s global initiative of Coalition for Disaster Resilience Infrastructure, which now has 40 countries and 7 International Organizations, as members. The Indian delegation took part in Troika meetings with the Ministers of Brazil and South Africa, and held bilateral meetings with ministers from the host country Brazil and other countries namely Japan, Norway, South Africa, South Korea, Germany, and Heads of invited International Organisations. Dr. Mishra shared experience and steps being taken, including the focus on promoting traditional practices to suit local conditions responding to the call by the United Nations Secretary General on Extreme Heat. The first DRR WG was established on India’s initiative during its Presidency of G20 in 2023. Dr Mishra, praised the  Brazilian Presidency on its continuation of the DRRWG, and scaling it up to Ministerial level and affirmed India’s support to South Africa on DRRWG on their upcoming G20 Presidency next year. India’s participation underscores its growing role in global DRR efforts and its commitment to building a safer and more resilient world. The post India calls for global cooperation to enhance disaster resilience appeared first on Global Governance News- Asia's First Bilingual News portal for Global News and Updates. [ad_2] Source link

[beardedmrbean]

Turkey closed its main border crossings into northwest Syria on Tuesday after Turkish troops came under fire from Syrians angered by violence against their compatriots in Turkey, a Syrian opposition source and residents said.

In Turkey, police detained 474 people involved in attacks targeting the Syrian community across the country overnight, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said, in spreading unrest that began late on Sunday.

Properties and vehicles owned by Syrians were vandalised and set on fire in the central city of Kayseri, stoked by social media reports that a Syrian man had sexually abused a female child relative. Yerlikaya said the incident was being investigated.

The violence spread to the provinces of Hatay, Gaziantep, Konya, Bursa and an Istanbul district, Turkey's MIT intelligence agency said in a statement. There were social media reports of some injuries among Syrians.

Subsequently, hundreds of angry Syrians took to the streets in several towns in the rebel-held northwest Syria, an area where Turkey maintains thousands of troops and has carved out a sphere of influence that has stopped Syrian President Bashar al-Assad from regaining control.

Late on Monday, Turkey responded to the unrest by closing until further notice the Bab al Hawa border crossing, a main trade and passenger conduit for more than 3 million inhabitants, along with Bab al Salam and other smaller crossings, a border official told Reuters.

The Syrian border city of Afrin was the scene of the most violent clashes, with at least four people killed in an exchange of fire between armed protesters and Turkish troops.

Elsewhere, there were skirmishes and armed clashes, with civilians hurling stones at Turkish convoys in several towns, and tearing down the Turkish flag on some offices.

Several Turkish officials described the unrest in Syria as "provocations", with the Foreign Ministry saying: "It is wrong to use the sad events that took place in Kayseri ... as the basis for some provocations beyond our borders."

In a speech on Tuesday, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan blamed the "chaos plan" on groups associated with terrorist organisations, and vowed to reveal the "dirty hands" behind the recent incidents.

"We know who is playing in these games staged with the remnants of the terrorist organisation. Neither us, nor our Syrian brothers, will fall into this sly trap .we will not give in to racist vandalism," Erdogan said following the cabinet meeting.

Erdogan said more than 670,000 people have returned to areas in northern Syria, where Turkey has been operating to create safe zones over the past decade.

He added, the refugee issue will be solved humanely and morally in line with the economic realities of Turkey, which is hosting more than 3 million Syrian war refugees.

Erdogan said last Friday a meeting with Assad was possible to help restore bilateral relations. Turkey severed ties with Syria after the 2011 Syrian civil war and supported rebels looking to oust Assad.

[currentmediasstuff]

India vs Pakistan Cricket Series in Australia? Cricket Australia Hopes So

The long-standing cricket rivalry between India and Pakistan has been limited to ICC tournaments since their last bilateral series in 2012–13. However, Cricket Australia (CA) is keen on changing that by hosting a bilateral series between the two cricketing giants in Australia.

Cricket Australia’s Proposal

Nick Hockley, Chief Executive of Cricket Australia, has expressed a strong interest in facilitating an India vs Pakistan bilateral series down under. During a media interaction with The Indian Express, Hockley stated, “If we can play a role in helping and facilitating the India vs Pakistan bilateral series, we would be more than happy to do so.”

Historical Context and Recent Matches

The most recent encounter between India and Pakistan occurred during the 2024 T20 World Cup group stage in New York, where India emerged victorious by six runs. India, led by Rohit Sharma, went on to win the trophy, while Pakistan, under Babar Azam, were knocked out in the group stage.

This followed another thrilling match at the 2022 T20 World Cup at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), where a crowd of 90,293 witnessed a last-ball victory by India. This exciting encounter has fueled interest from both the Melbourne Cricket Club and the Victorian government in hosting future bilateral matches at the MCG.

Scheduling and Future Plans

While formal discussions have not yet taken place due to scheduling constraints, Hockley has reiterated CA’s willingness to host the series. “Given the schedules, we haven’t had formal discussions in that regard, but we have said it on the record that we will be happy to host the India vs Pakistan bilateral series,” Hockley said.

The Future of ODI Cricket

Hockley also touched on the future of One Day International (ODI) cricket. Despite Australia being the defending champions, he emphasized the need for bilateral ODI series to have meaningful contests to maintain their relevance. “The ODI World Cup which India hosted last year was fantastic. I think the ten-team format, where every game counts is excellent,” he noted.

Hockley suggested that bilateral ODI series should have consequences similar to the World Test Championships to ensure each match carries weight. “Each series must have consequences, like the Test matches, which help you to progress in the World Test Championships (WTC) finals. We need something similar for the white ball format, be it the rankings or other factors that relate to qualifications for the World Cups,” he added.

Looking Ahead

From Cricket Australia’s perspective, the importance of maintaining all three formats of the game is clear. Hockley emphasized that each bilateral series should contribute to World Cup qualifications, ensuring every match holds significance.

The prospect of an India vs Pakistan bilateral series in Australia is an exciting one, potentially rekindling one of cricket’s greatest rivalries on neutral ground. Cricket Australia’s interest signals a possible new chapter for international cricket fans eagerly awaiting such iconic matches outside ICC events.

[qnewsau]

Wheelchair Motocross champ's message to his queer community

New Post has been published on https://qnews.com.au/wheelchair-motocross-champ-has-poignant-message-for-his-queer-community/

Wheelchair Motocross champ's message to his queer community

When he’s not pulling backflips in the skate bowl in his Wheelchair Motocross (WCMX) wheelchair, you’ll find occupational therapist Tim Lachlan teaching others advanced mobility skills so they can overcome access barriers in daily life.

Using his WCMX wheelchair, the 27-year-old can hop up or down curbs to enter a shop, go up and down stairs, and traverse rough terrain and steep slopes, places you wouldn’t expect a wheelchair could go.

“I started the initiative to get people involved in WCMX after I finished high school, as I wanted to share my skills with people so they don’t have to rely on wheelchair access and can go where they desire and do what they want,” Tim said.

Since beginning wheelchair skateboarding, Tim has progressed through to bigger ramps and tricks, and in 2016 became the first Australian to land a wheelchair backflip.

“The feeling of surfing concrete waves is so freeing. When skating, I’m not focusing on my chronic pain; I’m focusing on the feeling of carving the bowl,” he said.

The Holmview local, who has spina bifida and Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, said he realised the therapeutic potential of Wheelchair Motocross and adaptive skating after sustaining a mild traumatic brain injury in 2018, which impacted his balance and motor coordination.

“I improved my balance and bilateral coordination by doing exercises such as standing on a skateboard on the carpet with my crutches and working up to standing on a board and propelling with crutches, something I couldn’t do pre-injury,” he said.

Tim, who recently established the Australian branch of WCMX and Adaptive Skate, is passionate about helping others and regularly hosts free WCMX mobility skills workshops at Pizzey Skatepark on the Gold Coast.

“Workshops are semi-structured and provide an opportunity for mobility aid users to increase their skills in a supportive and fun environment,” he said.

“We adapt each workshop to the needs of our attendees and the skills they would like to learn. I hope to see more people with disabilities in skateparks having fun on their wheels in the future.”

Tim also offers occupational therapy (OT) at the skate park and uses adaptive skating as a tool to teach his clients life changing mobility skills.

“Being a disabled OT is incredibly rewarding, I can connect with my clients and understand their needs on a much more personal level,” Tim said.

“In the professional world, I am helping change my fellow OT’s perception of disabilities and what we can achieve.”

Tim, who identifies as queer and neurodivergent, was supported by Carers Queensland to access the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and said he now receives the supports he needs to achieve his life goals.

“Growing up with invisible disabilities was tough; it took me 10-plus years to get a concrete diagnosis. Finally, having my disabilities recognised and receiving the support I’ve needed for so long is incredible,” Tim said.

Tim is also part of Carers Queensland’s Beyond the Sidelines reference group and is one of nine people with disability helping the organisation to increase participation and representation of people with disability in sport and recreation on and off the field.

The young Wheelchair Motocross athlete also has some firm views on the lack of accessibility in South East Queensland ahead of the 2032 Paralympics.

“The folks in charge of infrastructure for Brisbane 2032 need a week where they all use manual wheelchairs to navigate the city, accommodation, public transport and tourist attractions so they can gain first-hand experience of the access barriers people will face if we don’t improve access,” Tim said.

“Accessibility won’t just benefit wheelchair users, it will benefit parents with prams, older folks with mobility aids and make bumping in and out for 2032 run much smoother.

“In short, almost everyone can use a ramp, but not everyone can use stairs.”

Tim said he would love to see all the sporting facilities, pathways and public transport sites that will be used during 2032 revamped to be accessible, and not just accessible to wheelchair users, but to all people with disabilities.

“Make sure all the tactile indicators are installed correctly and that all crossing buttons make an audible tone,” he said.

“I would also love to see advertisement campaigns displaying disabled athletes as strong and capable, instead of objects of inspiration.

“I want society to know that people with disability can do anything they put their mind to. We deserve to have any many sporting opportunities as other people in the community.”

As for the rainbow community of which he’s a proud part of, Tim has a poignant message.

“My message to the queer community is always assume competency,” he said.

“So often people with disabilities are excluded from the queer community because there is this false assumption that we aren’t sexual beings or that we can’t be sexual.

“How we mobilise or communicate may be different, but we just want to be loved and understood.

“Give us a chance and let us show you our wonderful, queer, wheelie world!”

Carers Queensland can support you to find out more about the NDIS, to apply for funding and to help you get started with the NDIS. If you have a disability but are not eligible for the NDIS, Carers Queensland can help you identify and link to options for support in your community.

You can also contact Carers Queensland on 1300 999 636, or cq.enquiries@ndis.gov.au

For the latest LGBTIQA+ Sister Girl and Brother Boy news, entertainment, community stories in Australia, visit qnews.com.au. Check out our latest magazines or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

[nicklloydnow]

“Mr Macron identifies a triple shock of interconnected threats which create a particularly dangerous moment in the continent’s history. The first is geopolitical: Europe’s struggle to stand up to Vladimir Putin’s Russia, even as America’s future commitment to Europe has gone wobbly. Having once worried out loud about not “humiliating” Moscow, Mr Macron has turned into one of Europe’s most outspoken hawks. Listing the record of Russian belligerence, from its threat to use nuclear weapons to its relentless use of hybrid warfare and disinformation, regional troublemaking, and aggression in space and at sea, the president has no doubt about what is at stake. “If Russia wins in Ukraine there will be no security in Europe,” he says. “Who can pretend that Russia will stop there?” What security would there be, he asks, for neighbouring countries: Moldova, Romania, Poland, Lithuania and others?

(…)

Mr Macron also stands by his refusal to rule out putting boots on the ground in Ukraine. His comments prompted disbelief and anger in Germany, and a blistering riposte from Olaf Scholz, the chancellor. Yet the French president argues that, faced with an expansionist Russia, Europe’s ability to deter further aggression rests on not defining red lines. He calls this “the basic condition” of its security and credibility. These were not empty words, he insists. “If the Russians were to break through the front lines, if there were a Ukrainian request, which is not the case today,” he says, “we would legitimately have to ask ourselves this question.” France, he notes, sent its troops to help African countries in the Sahel when their leaders asked.

(…)

In his telling, America simply will not always have Europe’s back. The continent has no choice: “We have to get ready to protect ourselves.” He wants to make a start at a summit in July at Britain’s Blenheim Palace. This gathering of the European Political Community, a Macron brainchild, brings together eu and non-eu members. The president wants attendees to identify the security risks facing Europe, the military capabilities it needs, and how to make more kit on European soil. Mr Macron will put on the table a full discussion of how France’s nuclear deterrent (which, unlike Britain’s, is wholly home-built and not “assigned” to nato) could contribute further to European security. He wants to finalise this discussion “in the coming months”. Mr Macron also wants to reinforce bilateral defence co-operation with the hosts, post-Brexit Britain, building on the Lancaster House treaties.

(…)

The second risk to Europe comes from the twin economic shock of accelerating technology and China. Mr Macron, a former investment banker, worries that Europe is about to fall behind in crucial high-tech sectors, from clean tech to quantum computing, if it does not grasp the scale and urgency of what needs to be done now. Part of his solution would involve a large injection of public money, in good old dirigiste fashion. Part of it would also be about deregulation, to encourage risk and disruptive innovation.

(…)

Underpinning this analysis is the observation that nobody else plays by the rules any more. The old order has been broken. Nothing has yet replaced it. America, in Mr Macron’s account, thought it would discipline Chinese behaviour with international trade rules. Instead America has ended up massively subsidising its own industry, just like the Chinese. Europe, he insists, is not being protectionist but realist when it seeks to do the same. Moreover, if Europeans are to build the industrial scale needed to stay competitive, he warns, they have to accept that specialisation cannot mean a “fair” share of subsidies for all countries or industries.

The final threat to Europe is democratic: a resurgent nationalism, turbo-charged by disinformation and echo-chamber news. The best way to understand the risk today, Mr Macron suggests, is to re-read Marc Bloch, a French historian executed by the Gestapo. In “Strange Defeat”, Bloch argued that the elites facilitated the fall of France to the Nazis in 1940 through short-sightedness and complacency. “What kills me, in France as in Europe, is the spirit of defeat,” declares the president. “The spirit of defeat means two things: you get used to it and you stop fighting.” This is the danger: elites are starting to assume that opinion polls make an outcome inevitable, and then to resign themselves to it. “Politics isn’t about reading polls,” he says; “it’s a fight, it’s about ideas, it’s about convictions.”

“Russia said on Monday that it would hold military exercises with troops based near Ukraine to practice for the possible use of battlefield nuclear weapons, a provocative warning aimed at discouraging the West from deepening its support for Ukraine.

These weapons, often referred to as “tactical,” are designed for battlefield use and have smaller warheads than the “strategic” nuclear weapons meant to target cities. Russia’s Defense Ministry said that President Vladimir V. Putin had ordered an exercise for missile, aviation and naval personnel to “increase the readiness of nonstrategic nuclear forces to carry out combat missions.”

The announcement of the exercise was Russia’s most explicit warning in its more than two-year invasion of Ukraine that it could use tactical nuclear weapons there. The Kremlin said it came in response to comments by two European leaders that raised the prospect of more direct Western intervention in the war.

(…)

Western officials have long worried that Russia could deploy tactical nuclear weapons, especially if it faced serious setbacks on the battlefield. But Mr. Putin denied as recently as March that he had ever considered it, even as he regularly reminds the world of Russia’s vast nuclear arsenal as a way of keeping in check the West’s military support for Ukraine.

On Monday, however, Russian officials claimed that warnings about the possibility of more direct Western involvement in the war had changed the situation. The Defense Ministry said the exercise would be held “to unconditionally ensure the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Russian state in response to provocative statements and threats of individual Western officials against the Russian Federation.”

Dmitri S. Peskov, the Kremlin’s spokesman, said the Western “threats” in question included a recent interview with President Emmanuel Macron of France published by The Economist, in which the French leader repeated his refusal to rule out sending ground troops to Ukraine.

Mr. Peskov also alluded to a comment made last week by David Cameron, Britain’s top diplomat, in which he said that Ukraine was free to use British weapons to strike inside Russia — a departure from Western governments’ typical policy of discouraging such strikes in order to avoid being drawn deeper into the war.

“This is a completely new round of escalation of tensions — it is unprecedented,” Mr. Peskov told reporters on Monday. “And, of course, it requires special attention and special measures.””

“The United States has made a number of strategic miscalculations since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, but the single greatest may be the message that the Biden administration just sent about nuclear weapons. The U.S. showed that it would protect a nuclear-armed friend, Israel, from an as-yet-nonnuclear enemy (Iran); at the same time, Washington has refused to consider using its forces to defend a nonnuclear friend (Ukraine) against a nuclear-armed Russia.

Other governments will deduce that states with nuclear weapons can barbarically attack America’s friends and bully U.S. leaders into abandoning them. The British government has underscored that sentiment by basically admitting that, precisely because of fears of escalation with Russia, Ukraine won’t get the same help that Israel did. Even if the U.S. and its allies were more coy about their calculations, their conduct will encourage a wave of nuclear proliferation in the coming years.

(…)

Instead, the Biden administration is allowing Russia to use the threat of nuclear weapons as cover for its effort to conquer a sovereign neighbor by force. Ukraine is not just any nonnuclear state; it is a state that gave up its nuclear weapons because the U.S. and Russia firmly promised in 1994 to respect its territorial integrity.

In their passivity, the U.S. and its allies are acquiescing in the destruction of the post–World War II nuclear order—which in many ways was a great success. Since the Second World War, the two major nuclear powers never used their nuclear weapons to win wars—even when, as with the U.S. in Vietnam or the Soviet Union in Afghanistan, they were losing in conventional warfare. And although a small number of other states, including China, India, Pakistan, Israel, and North Korea, have built nuclear arsenals, many more governments with the capacity to develop nuclear weapons have so far declined to do so.

The global order is becoming less stable in other ways. The Biden administration’s weak response to Russia is bad enough; a second Trump administration could follow a still more destructive policy of telling even close, longtime allies that they can’t count on American support. When Donald Trump said publicly earlier this year that he would encourage Russians to do “whatever the hell they want” with European NATO member states that don’t spend enough on defense, he was signaling to leaders in Europe and around the world that the North Atlantic Alliance is in jeopardy.

Other countries will take note—and begin to arm themselves for a more dangerous world. South Korea, for one, is quietly discussing the prospect of developing nuclear weapons. It’s also talking about constructing a new generation of nuclear-powered submarines, even though it has an agreement with the U.S. not to do so. Many governments will make similar calculations.

We have reached a dangerous moment. In its desperate attempts to de-escalate tensions with Russia, the Biden administration is reinforcing the message around the world that nuclear weapons provide security and freedom of action. When countries are presented with a clear choice between being shielded from attack and being left to their fate, no one should be surprised at which option they’ll take.”

“Free nations prefer peace to war, but that preference is complicated by the continued existence of nations led by criminals, ideologues and irredentists. In a fallen world, war eventually comes, wanted or not.

And it’s coming. Iran and its proxies, having started one war in Israel, don’t appear reluctant to consider another with the U.S. A Russian victory in Ukraine, even a partial one, would make eventual confrontation with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization almost inevitable. China menaces Taiwan. And the possibility that Kim Jong Un isn’t plotting an attack on South Korea—or on the U.S.—is a bet only a fool would take.

(…)

Last month I visited Mr. Helprin’s home here, some 10 miles north of Charlottesville. On the wall of his vast and spacious library I spy a framed August 1941 photograph of Winston Churchill on the deck of the H.M.S. Prince of Wales, the ship on which the prime minister met FDR to enlist the U.S. in the struggle against fascism. I came to Earlysville—I say this at the risk of melodrama—to ask Mr. Helprin the sort of question that Churchill had contemplated in the years before that photograph was taken: Are we ready to fight?

The answer today is plainly no. But neither were the British in 1935. What does America need to do to get ready?

(…)

As we sit down, Mr. Helprin doesn’t wait for me to ask a question. “It might not be a gracious thing to do, but let me begin with an ‘I told you so,’ ” he says. Briefly he catalogues several unheeded warnings he has published over the decades. One of those appeared in these pages under the headline “What to Do About Terrorism, Really,” on May 10, 1995.

The essay urged the Clinton administration to remember, the recent Oklahoma City bombing notwithstanding, that terrorism has always come mainly from abroad and would surely remain that way. Mr. Helprin envisaged a cataclysm brought about by “a few former Soviet tactical warheads in a business jet piloted by a young mullah with a grudge against Sears Roebuck.” He was slightly off—the cataclysm, when it came six years later, involved four passenger jets rather than a private plane and warheads, and the target was New York and Washington, not Chicago. But he saw something others didn’t.

Any discussion of U.S. leadership abroad has to start, as ours does, with America’s humiliating 2021 retreat from Afghanistan, a colossal exhibition of weakness and confusion and almost certainly a catalyst of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Hamas’s attack on Israel.

Our faltering in Europe and the Middle East is the reason, Mr. Helprin says, we need to adopt a “bastion strategy.” Meaning what? ��No, we’re not going to give up on a forward defense in Europe and Asia. But as an emergency measure, as a reserve, in case the forward defenses fail—and they are under tremendous pressure now both because of our isolationism and our disintegration and the world situation externally—if those should fail, we have a bastion.”

The bastion is the Western Hemisphere. “Of course I’m talking about the Monroe Doctrine. Essentially, Russia, China and other nations may not interfere in this half of the globe, but we may interfere in theirs.”

Yet Russia, China and Iran are making enormous inroads in South America, “and we can’t allow them to do that. If South America goes, we’re done for. People think we’re protected by the oceans, and we are to an extent. But even so, in the [American] Revolution, when the tiny wooden ships would take a month to cross the Atlantic, it was a closely run thing. The British were still able to transport huge armies and supplies to the United States with that kind of transport.”

Another strategic priority is the protection of Europe. “A lot of people think we should concentrate more heavily on China because China is more powerful than Russia and more of a developing threat. That’s true,” he says. “China is the bigger, more immediate threat. But Europe is more valuable.”

I think I agree, but I have to ask why Europe is more valuable. “Our economic relationships to the European nations, which are the greatest other than those with Canada and Mexico. Not just trade, but the interplay of science and culture. We are, in so many ways, joined to Europe as we are to nowhere else. Also physically, in terms of a position in Earth’s geography: If the North Atlantic is controlled by hostile powers, if it falls under Russian dominance, then we’re pretty much”—again—“done for.”

(…)

Perhaps the core of the problem is American policymakers’ fear of risk and attendant accountability. If a U.S. administration tried to mount the sort of defense posture Mr. Helprin counsels, something might go wrong, someone would have to pay a political price, and no one at the moment seems inclined to pay any sort of price for anything. As soon as I use the phrase “fear of risk” he points out that “in 1940 Churchill sent all the tanks in Britain to North Africa to fight the Germans. That denuded Britain of tanks, and at the time it was still possible that Sea Lion”—Hitler’s plan to invade the U.K.—“could have happened. The British would have had no tanks to use in defense. It was a risk. Churchill took it. War is about risk.”

Our technological superiority, Mr. Helprin thinks, has fooled us into believing that war is about neat, danger-free solutions. “We have been acclimated to situations in which we control everything,” he says. “We completely control the air. We completely control logistics. We have bases to which we can retreat, and on those bases we have McDonald’s.” Mr. Helprin stops himself: “This isn’t to say that individual units and soldiers haven’t fought like hell and suffered. But in terms of the larger picture of war, we haven’t fought for survival in a long time.”

(…)

But back to the 2020s. Why is the number of men willing to fight and die for the United States decreasing? Mr. Helprin mentions an education system that trains young people to distrust their country and a military bureaucracy enthralled by woke ideology.

So what can we do about that in the short term? Without pausing Mr. Helprin says: “We can depoliticize the military completely.”

That won’t be easy, I say. “It might not be so hard,” he replies. “You don’t have to do anything. You just have to stop doing stupid things. The military is a million education programs meant to indoctrinate and train. Exclude, from all that indoctrination and training, anything having to do with ‘diversity, equity and inclusion’ ”—he signals quotation marks—“anything having to do with racism, anything about how bad America is, the ‘gender’ crap, all that. Just stop doing it.”

He has a point. An executive order from the commander in chief would likely accomplish for the U.S. military what Gov. Ron DeSantis did by signing legislation banning DEI in Florida public universities. If the military were to scrap every last shred of DEI training tomorrow, nobody but activist busybodies would regret it, and the benefits would reverberate for a decade.

What about the long term? Very little about today’s cultural landscape suggests that America’s political class and citizenry understand the threats or are prepared to counter them with force. What’s going to get us ready? “A strong leader on a white horse isn’t going to do it,” Mr. Helprin says. “The only way that can happen, I think, unfortunately, is distress and defeat. A depression, a big loss in a war, invasion, Gotterdammerung.””

[crimechannels]

By • Olalekan Fagbade JUST IN; President Tinubu to attend G20 Compact with Africa summit in Berlin, Germany President Bola Tinubu will on Saturday, depart Abuja for Berlin, Germany, to attend the G20 Compact with Africa (CwA) Conference on November 20, 2023, hosted by German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz. This was disclosed in a statement on Friday by Chief Ajuri Ngelale, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity. During the conference, Tinubu will join other Heads of State and Governments of CwA member countries, bilateral partners, as well as Heads of International Organizations to deliberate on the immediate enhancement of economic and business cooperation to outline concrete measures to boost investments in critical areas such as energy, trade, infrastructure and new technologies, among others. Given his globally recognized drive for foreign direct investment in Nigeria, the Nigerian leader will sustain the momentum and advance the mission further as he leads Nigeria’s delegation to participate in the investment summit. This visit also affirms Tinubu’s commitment to diplomatic reciprocity as the invitation to Germany is being honoured following the visit of the Chancellor to Abuja and Lagos, Nigeria, in October 2023. DAILY POST reports that the President will be accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar; the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, Mr. Wale Edun; the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite; and the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu.

[hardynwa]

NDLEA to host heads of antinarcotic bodies in Abuja

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, says delegates from 54 African countries and 15 observer nations will converge in Abuja next week for the 31st meeting of Heads of National Drug Law Enforcement Agencies, Africa, (HONLAF) to discuss new trends and partnerships to curb the global drug scourge. A statement by the NDLEA Director of Media & Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, announced this on Tuesday at a joint press briefing by the Secretary to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Shadrach Haruna and the Country Representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, UNODC, Oliver Stolpe. According to the statement, the agenda will feature discussions and collaborations on alternative development to cannabis cultivation, assets forfeiture, cryptocurrency and money laundering by drug cartels, among others. Haruna represented the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Agency, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) of the NDLEA at the briefing. He said the 31st meeting was to enable heads of drug law enforcement agencies in Africa, discuss and develop strategies to combat drug trafficking and abuse in the region. “The HONLAF meeting is an annual event. The last one was held in Nairobi, Kenya, where Nigeria was unanimously elected as the host of the 31st edition, which will take place from Tuesday, September 26 to Friday, September 29, 2023, in Abuja. “This annual HONLAF meeting features a line-up of activities that include technical meetings, paper presentations, deliberations on reports and trends, workshops, and bilateral talks among member nations. It is a platform for brokering collaborations in the areas of shared intelligence, joint training, and joint operations against international drug cartels in the African region. “This year, Nigeria has the honour of being the chair and host of the meeting. So, it means delegates from 53 other African countries will converge on the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, on Monday, and for the rest of the week, they will be guests of NDLEA and the Federal Government of Nigeria. “Aside from delegates from African countries, there will be representatives from observer bodies and other non-African countries who will be attending to watch the proceedings”, he said. President Bola Tinubu is expected to deliver the keynote address and also declare the conference open as the special guest of honour while the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, and some invited ministers as well as heads of relevant parastatals and agencies will be at the opening ceremony. In his remarks, Stolpe said the HONLAF meeting will also focus on “regional and national cooperation to reduce illicit production and cultivation of illicit drugs and manufacturing of other drugs like methamphetamine. Read the full article

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

A Balancing Act for Brazil’s Foreign Policy

What seems like a contradictory agenda for 2024 reflects the country’s deeper priorities, writes a Brazilian expert.

“Hope dances on a tightrope with an umbrella,” a famous Brazilian song says to enlighten us about the fragility of human existence during trying times. The lyrics convey a cautionary tale of what 2024 may represent for President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and his ambitious foreign policy: “At every step of the line, you can get hurt.” If controversies marked Brazil’s foreign policy in 2023, this year promises to be a stage for new tensions and ambiguities —a tightrope of sorts for its government. After an intense first year of government, Lula is now preparing for a series of initiatives expected to draw global attention, including hosting the G-20 summit in Rio de Janeiro in November.

This year, Brazil will be caught between celebrating the bicentennial of relations with the United States—and 50 years of relations with China. It will try to preserve its capacity to mediate in the territorial dispute between Guyana and Venezuela while managing the uncertainties facing Mercosur, such as challenges in expanding intra-regional trade, high tariffs, and protectionism, as well as difficulties in finalizing external trade agreements, such as the Mercosur-European Union negotiation. It will attempt to harmonize interests to expand its geopolitical and economic influence diversifying business opportunities and reducing dependence on rules and regulations set by Western countries in the face of the controversial BRICS+ Summit in Russia. Last but not least, it will try to convince everyone that the decision to join OPEC+ does not contradict the country’s commitment to being a green power and the host of COP30 next year. Tension, contradictions? Nothing new. Controversy was almost inherent in Brazil’s diplomatic performance last year:Lula visited over 20 countries, participated in numerous bilateral meetings, and led multilateral mobilizations to back up his claim that “Brazil is back.” He offered to play a mediating role between Russia and Ukraine after the former’s invasion and was criticized for hesitating to assign responsibility to Moscow for the war. Lula also participated in a BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, where the bloc proposed including Iran and other countries, and while attending COP28 in the United Arab Emirates, he confirmed Brazil’s entry into OPEC+, a group that includes the oil cartel nations and ten observer countries. On another front, Brazil proposed de-dollarizing trade with China, and in the region, Lula made a controversial outreach to Nicolas Maduro’s government in Venezuela during its pro tempore presidency of Mercosur. 

Continue reading.

[clickvibes]

Shettima To Attend G77+ China Leaders' Summit In Cuba

VP SHETTIMA TO REPRESENT PRESIDENT TINUBU AT G77+CHINA LEADERS’ SUMMIT IN HAVANA, CUBA The Vice President, Sen. @KashimSM will depart Abuja today to represent President Bola Tinubu at the G77+China Leaders’ Summit in Havana, Cuba from 15th to 17th September, 2023. He will be joining other world leaders, including the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Gutteres at the Summit to deliberate on development issues facing members mostly from the global south. The Summit will equally explore proactive ways of addressing challenges facing the development of the member-states leveraging science, technology and innovation to enhance socio-economic growth. Also, Vice President @KashimSM will on the sidelines of the Summit hold bilateral meetings with other world leaders to promote Nigeria’s trade and investment relations in line with the economic development diplomacy of the Tinubu administration. The Havana Summit is being hosted by the President of the Republic of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel in his capacity as Chairman of the G77 and China, under the theme: “Current Development Challenges: The Role of Science, Technology and Innovation.” Nigeria is a founding member of the G77 group which was established in 1964 by seventy-seven developing countries. The group - a coalition of 134 developing countries with 80% of world population, aims to promote its members' collective economic interests and create an enhanced joint negotiating capacity in the United Nations. The Vice President is accompanied on the trip by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Abubakar Kyari; Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, and the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Adamu Lamuwa, amongst others. Olusola Abiola Director Information Office of the Vice President 12th September, 2023 Read the full article

[cyberbenb]

Ukraine war latest: Russia, US conclude Ukraine peace talks in Saudi Arabia, Kremlin advisor calls them 'not bad'

Key developments on Feb. 18:

Russia, US conclude Ukraine peace talks in Saudi Arabia, Kremlin advisor says they were ‘not bad’

Zelensky postpones Saudi Arabia visit amid Russia-US talks

Over 10,000 applications to join military submitted by young recruits following introduction of ‘special contracts,’ Defense Ministry says

Explosions reported on Russian shadow fleet oil tanker in Italy

Russia’s Lavrov denies 3-point peace plan, warns against Western peacekeepers in Ukraine

‘Europe is ready and willing to step up’ — Rutte on security guarantees for Ukraine

EU must take Russia sanctions into ‘its own hands,’ commissioner says

France to host second summit on Ukraine, European security, Reuters reports

A member of Russia’s delegation that met with U.S. officials in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 18 to discuss ending the war in Ukraine has said the talks were “not bad,” but it was “hard to say” if the two sides' interests were converging.

Speaking to the pro-Kremlin Channel One Russia, Yuri Ushakov, an advisor to Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, said it was a “very serious discussion of all the issues we wanted to touch upon."

“We have agreed to take account of each other’s interests and develop bilateral relations, since both Moscow and Washington are interested in this,” he added.

A Russian delegation led by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met a U.S. delegation led by State Secretary Marco Rubio, the first official face-to-face contact between the two sides since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Speaking after the talks, U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said the meeting was “an important step forward,” but added: “One phone call followed by one meeting is not sufficient to establish enduring peace."

Ushakov also said a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Putin were discussed, but it was unlikely to take place next week as had been previously speculated.

Yet, U.S negotiator Mike Waltz stressed that Trump is determined to move very quickly on talks over a potential peace deal in Ukraine, adding that “an endless war in Europe is not acceptable to Trump."

Separate teams of negotiators from the United States and Russia will start communicating on Ukraine “in due course,” according to Ushakov.

The participants of the meeting in Riyadh also decided to restore embassy staffing for further diplomatic missions.

“We’re going to need to have vibrant diplomatic missions that are able to function normally in order to be able to continue these conduits,” Rubio said.

Answering a question about Europe’s absence in Saudi Arabia, Rubio siad that “no one is being sidelined here."

He added that “some very positive things for the United States, for Europe, for Ukraine, for the world” could emerge, but “the conflict” must end first.

“In order for a conflict to end, everyone in that conflict has to be okay with it, it has to be acceptable to them,” Rubio said.

“Today is the first step of a long and difficult journey, but an important one,” he added.

Russia and the U.S. also held separate talks on economic cooperation, including on global energy prices, Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev told Reuters.

Dmitriev added that the recent meeting between Russia and the U.S. has “rejected” the logic of talks under the Joe Biden administration.

“There’s a new logic where we need to talk and understand what we agree upon and if there are differences we need to understand what they are,” he said.

Though the U.S. and Russia met without Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky will also head to Saudi Arabia this week.

NBC reported that the intention is for the U.S. to host a bilateral meeting with Russia, followed by a bilateral meeting with Ukraine, and culminating with talks together.

Zelensky postpones Saudi Arabia visit amid Russia-US talks

President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Feb. 18 that he had postponed his visit to Saudi Arabia amid talks between Russia and the United States.

“We were not invited to this Russian-American meeting in Saudi Arabia. It was a surprise for us. I don’t want any coincidences, so I’m not going to Saudi Arabia,” Zelensky said during a briefing following a meeting with Turkish President Recep Erdogan.

Zelensky reiterated that no decisions about Ukraine’s future can be made without Kyiv’s involvement. He also said he expects U.S. officials to visit Ukraine, confirming that Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, will arrive in Kyiv on Feb. 19.

“Any country has a bilateral track with other countries. Please, you can discuss anything, but you can’t make a decision on how to end the war in Ukraine without Ukraine,” Zelensky said.

The president also announced that he had spoken with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and rescheduled his visit to Riyadh for Mar. 10.

In a Feb. 17 interview with German media network ARD, Zelensky warned against a hastily negotiated peace deal and reaffirmed that Ukraine would not accept an agreement brokered without its participation.

North Korea gaining military experience in Ukraine, improving its missiles’ accuracy, Budanov says

“Only three countries — Ukraine, Russia, and North Korea — are gaining direct experience in full-scale 21st-century warfare,” Kyrylo Budanov said.

The Kyiv IndependentKateryna Hodunova

Over 10,000 applications to join military submitted by young recruits following introduction of ‘special contracts,’ Defense Ministry says

Ukraine’s military has received over 10,000 applications from volunteer recruits aged 18 to 24 following the introduction of lucrative “special contracts,” Defense Ministry Spokesperson Dmytro Lazutkin said on Ukrainian TV on Feb. 17.

The contracts, aimed at recruiting additional military personnel who are not subject to mobilization, provide a number of benefits, including a Hr 1 million ($24,000) annual salary, 0% interest mortgage rates, and free higher education.

Ukraine’s Defense Ministry also said those who complete one year of service would be allowed to travel abroad. Currently, with a few exemptions, all men aged 18-60 are prohibited from travelling overseas while martial law is in place.

U.S. lawmakers and NATO allies have continuously urged Ukraine to lower its draft age from 25 to 18 to address manpower shortages. Currently, Ukrainian men aged 25 to 60 are subject to conscription.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s National Security Advisor Michael Waltz said in January that Ukraine “could generate hundreds of thousands of new soldiers” if it lowered its conscription age to 18.

Kyiv has long opposed U.S. pressure to lower the draft age, with President Volodymyr Zelensky arguing it would harm Ukraine’s future prospects.

The introduction of “special contracts” appears to be an attempt by Kyiv to bridge the gap with a compromise solution — entice young people to sign up voluntarily, boosting the armed forces' manpower, while avoiding expanding forced mobilization. A one-year contract option would likely appeal to those interested in contributing to the war effort for a limited period.

The Ukrainian military faces a critical manpower shortage, struggling to replenish infantry gaps left by heavy losses in battle-hardened brigades.

We asked young Ukrainians what would make them sign up for the armed forces

Ukraine faces a delicate balancing act — mobilizing enough people to fend off the immediate threat posed by Russia’s full-scale invasion, and preserving enough of the country’s youth to weather longer-term demographic concerns. On top of this, U.S. lawmakers and NATO allies are reportedly urging Uk…

The Kyiv IndependentAntonina Andriichuk

Explosions reported on Russian shadow fleet oil tanker in Italy

Two explosions took place on the oil tanker Seajewel, moored in the Italian city of Savona on Feb. 18, with the vessel allegedly transporting Russian oil to Europe, Italian publication IVG reported.

The cause of the blasts remains unknown, but initial evidence suggests possible sabotage, including damage below the waterline and a fish kill near the tanker.

The Seajewel, part of Moscow’s “shadow fleet” used to evade sanctions, had previously loaded oil in Russia three times in 2024, according to Ukrainian Pravda (UP).

The crew reported hearing two loud bangs, and the tanker’s hull showed concave damage, indicating the possible placement of explosive devices.

UP revealed that the tanker had recently unloaded in the Romanian port of Constanta after arriving from Turkey and was reportedly heading to Novorossiysk, Russia, for reloading.

The Savona Coast Guard is investigating the incident with divers, though no further details have been released.

Russia’s “shadow fleet” consists of aging tankers used to circumvent sanctions, including those imposed by the EU, U.K., and U.S. Ukraine recently sanctioned captains of these vessels, targeting Russian and Iranian nationals involved in illicit oil exports.

A growing portion of Russia’s oil tanker fleet is being forced to reflag as sanctions intensify, disrupting Moscow’s oil export logistics and forcing tankers to re-register in less reputable jurisdictions, Bloomberg reported on Jan. 23.

Russia’s Lavrov denies 3-point peace plan, warns against Western peacekeepers in Ukraine

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Feb. 18 that Moscow had not seen a three-point peace plan and warned that Russia would not accept the deployment of Western troops in Ukraine.

The alleged plan, which reportedly includes a ceasefire, elections in Ukraine, and a final peace agreement, was revealed by Fox News Senior White House Correspondent Jacqui Heinrich on X.

“I have not seen this information, I have not seen these reports,” Lavrov said at a press conference following U.S.-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia.

Lavrov also warned that Russia would not accept the deployment of NATO military personnel in Ukraine after any potential peace deal. He claimed that even if Western troops operated under EU or national flags, rather than NATO’s, it would still be a “direct threat” to Russia.

“The absorption of Ukraine by the North Atlantic Alliance is a direct threat to the interests of the Russian Federation, a direct threat to our sovereignty,” he claimed.

Kyiv said that strong security guarantees are essential for any peace agreement. The deployment of peacekeepers in Ukraine has been considered as one possible option.

Lavrov further escalated rhetoric against President Volodymyr Zelensky, suggesting that he and his team should be “calmed down” following a Ukrainian drone strike on a pumping station in Russia’s Kuban region.

“This should only strengthen everyone in the opinion that this can’t go on, that this man and his entire team should be calmed down, given a slap on the wrist,” he said.

As US and Russia start talks, what peace terms could Ukraine accept?

As diplomatic efforts between the U.S. and Russia have kicked off to end Moscow’s war in Ukraine – without Kyiv at the table – it is becoming increasingly clear that Ukraine will most likely be pressured by Washington to make concessions to Russia. U.S. President Donald Trump and his team

The Kyiv IndependentOleg Sukhov

‘Europe is ready and willing to step up’ — Rutte on security guarantees for Ukraine

Europe is ready and willing to take a leadership role in providing Ukraine with security guarantees, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte wrote on Feb. 17 on X.

Rutte’s remarks came after French President Emmanuel Macron hosted a Paris summit of European powers. The summit was held before the beginning of the U.S.-Russia talks on ending the war in Ukraine.

“Ready and willing. That’s my take from today’s meeting in Paris,” Rutte wrote.

“Europe is ready and willing to step up. To lead in providing security guarantees for Ukraine. Ready and willing to invest a lot more in our security. The details will need to be decided, but the commitment is clear,” Rutte added.

During the Paris meeting, the participants discussed the defense capabilities that Europe could provide to Ukraine to ensure reliable security guarantees, including a plan for Ukraine’s “automatic membership in NATO” in the event of Russia’s clear ceasefire violation, according to The Guardian.

European leaders are concerned about the potential imposition of neutrality on Ukraine and joint U.S.-Russian powers' sharing of agreed-upon spheres of influence following the negotiations.

Kurt Volker’s guide to US-Russia Ukraine peace talks in Saudi Arabia

After years of political isolation sparked by the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, U.S. and Russian officials will meet in Saudi Arabia this week to discuss how to bring an end to the war. Neither Ukraine nor Europe has been invited to the main discussion, setting off alarm bells in

The Kyiv IndependentChris York

EU must take Russia sanctions into ‘its own hands,’ commissioner says

The European Union must take greater control of its sanctions policy against Russia as U.S. priorities shift, EU Economy and Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said on Feb. 18.

“With the current Trump administration, the EU will need to take issues related to the bloc’s security more into its own hands. That also concerns sanctions policy,” Dombrovskis said during a meeting with journalists in Brussels.

The commissioner added that work on preparing the 16th package of sanctions against Russia is ongoing.

His remarks come as U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio hinted that the EU would eventually need to be involved in discussions over sanctions relief as part of ongoing talks with Russia.

“The European Union is going to have to be at the table at some point because they have sanctions as well,” Rubio said after U.S.-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia.

The Group of Seven (G7) nations agreed to link any future tightening of sanctions against Russia to the progress of upcoming peace negotiations on Feb. 15.

The EU approved its 15th sanctions package against Moscow on Dec. 16. The package targeted 54 individuals and 30 organizations from Russia, China, and North Korea, as well as shipping companies facilitating Russia’s crude oil sales.

A ceasefire in Ukraine could end martial law — what would lifting restrictions mean?

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The Kyiv IndependentAndrea Januta

France to host second summit on Ukraine, European security, Reuters reports

France plans to host another high-level meeting on Feb. 19 to discuss Ukraine and European security, expanding participation to countries left out of the initial summit, Reuters reported on Feb. 18, citing diplomatic sources.

French President Emmanuel Macron convened the first Paris summit on Feb. 17, bringing together leaders from Europe’s largest nations and Britain, as well as NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and top EU officials.

The talks focused on Ukraine’s security, its potential NATO membership, and Europe’s broader defense strategy.

According to Reuters, Paris has now invited additional European countries and Canada to join the upcoming meeting, either in person or via video link.

The expanded guest list includes Norway, Canada, the Baltic states, the Czech Republic, Greece, Finland, Romania, Sweden, and Belgium.

The move follows recent U.S.-Russia negotiations in Saudi Arabia, marking the first direct talks between Washington and Moscow since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The Russian delegation, led by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other officials.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky postponed his planned visit to Saudi Arabia, reiterating that no decisions about Ukraine’s future should be made without Kyiv’s involvement.

The role of European nations in the negotiations with Russia remains unclear. Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, previously said that Europe would not be directly involved in the talks but assured that its interests would be considered.

Note from the author:

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