WV lawmaker arrested after threatening to kill entire region’s delegation over caucus beef
A West Virginia state delegate-elect was arrested Thursday after allegedly threatening to kill multiple lawmakers, reportedly after being informed he might be dropped from his GOP caucus position. Del-elect Joseph de Soto, a medical doctor from Gerrardstown – about 100 miles west of Washington, D.C. – allegedly threatened several other delegates, including the Speaker of the House, on Tuesday, reportedly expressing outrage over being told to step down. De Soto was listed in state jail records for Berkeley County as having been booked as a “pretrial felon” for making terroristic threats. Fox News Digital has learned that De Soto was advised of a vote removing him from a position for “undisclosed reasons,” and that “he was upset” after hearing the news. DOZENS OF STATES LOBBY EPA TO DENY CALIFORNIA WAIVER FORCING OUT OF STATE TRUCKS TO COMPLY WITH MANDATE De Soto then threatened to kill several fellow Eastern Panhandle lawmakers as well as House Speaker Roger Hanshaw, R-Clay. “I am focused on four people who are evil … not angry, but at peace what I need to do,” De Soto said, according to the criminal complaint. When an individual tried to stop de Soto from threatening people, his response was “I did say I am going to kill people. I said I am going (sic) what is necessary to put them (sic) from office.” De Soto said he had a vision from the Mormon Angel of Moroni to “destroy” Wayne Clark, R-Charles Town, and Dels. Michael Hite, Joe Funkhouser and Charles Horst, all R-Martinsburg. He also claimed to have been told by God to kill another lawmaker from Weirton. “They play stupid games, they are getting stupid awards,” de Soto wrote in an email to a person who complained to police, according to a law enforcement report obtained by Fox News Digital. “Eastern Panhandle delegates … can all go to Hell. I will send them there as commanded.” In an interview Friday, one such delegate – Clark – said he received a call early in his five-hour commute home from Charleston to Charles Town that his family should relocate immediately due to a threat. TRUMP, GOP CELEBRATE JOE MANCHIN RETIREMENT “I was driving straight into a snowstorm. So, I didn’t get to meet up with my family until almost 7 p.m., and I got the call at 3 p.m.,” Clark said. Clark praised the Charles Town Police Department and the Jefferson and Berkeley County sheriff’s offices for acting quickly to secure his family. He also said he hopes de Soto gets personal help. “He obviously needs some sort of help because of some things that happened in his life prior. I don’t know,” he said. The lawmaker said he understands that running for office means your identity and votes and comments are out in the public, but maintained that one’s family should never be. “Having someone make threats that are now affecting my family, I don’t know if you ever had that call: ‘Hey, Wayne. Get your family in a safe place’. Whoa. Okay. That’s a tough one to deal with.” De Soto had been elected as a Republican in the 91st District, which includes the suburbs of Martinsburg. However, he reportedly filed to change his affiliation to Democratic just before his arrest. That change could set up a partisan or legal fight as to how he is replaced, as West Virginia law provides that if a delegate vacancy exists, the outgoing lawmaker’s party’s county committee “shall appoint a member of the party” to the seat. The West Virginia State House is currently 89-11 Republican. De Soto had reportedly been recently investigated for allegedly falsifying information about his medical career, which led to Republicans’ concerns, according to Huntington’s CBS affiliate. West Virginia Democratic Party chair Del. Mike Pushkin said the party’s thoughts are with the affected delegates and their families. “No one—especially those working in public service—should ever have to fear for their safety or the safety of their loved ones,” Pushkin, of Kanawha, said in a statement. “These allegations are deeply serious and should be treated with the full weight of the law.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP In a statement, WVGOP Chairman Matt Herridge said the party is aware of the allegations and facts of the case, “as well as the steps the House GOP Caucus has taken toward [de Soto’s] expulsion.” “Our elected officials sacrifice a lot to serve their communities, and it is a travesty for anyone to face the additional burden of threats made against themselves and their families. The West Virginia Republican Party supports our House leadership and their expulsion efforts.” “We disavow and condemn the behavior of the former Republican Delegate-elect and continue to thank all those who are willing to serve their communities and state, in spite of the serious challenges it too often poses.” Fox News Digital reached out to the West Virginia State Police for additional comment on de Soto’s arrest. A call to a number listed for de Soto was not returned.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi injured, hospitalized while traveling to Luxembourg
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi suffered an injury and has been admitted to a hospital in Luxembourg, Fox News has confirmed. The 84-year-old California representative was traveling to Luxembourg for Battle of the Bulge remembrances. The extent of the former speaker’s injury is unknown at the time of this reporting. “While traveling with a bipartisan Congressional delegation in Luxembourg to mark the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi sustained an injury during an official engagement and was admitted to the hospital for evaluation,” Ian Krager, her spokesperson, said in a statement. DEMOCRATS PRIVATELY GRIPE ABOUT PELOSI’S ‘DAMAGING’ POST-ELECTION COMMENTS “Speaker Emerita Pelosi is currently receiving excellent treatment from doctors and medical professionals. She continues to work and regrets that she is unable to attend the remainder of the CODEL engagements to honor the courage of our servicemembers during one of the greatest acts of American heroism in our nation’s history,” Krager continued. “Speaker Emerita Pelosi conveys her thanks and praise to our veterans and gratitude to people of Luxembourg and Bastogne for their service in World War II and their role in bringing peace to Europe. “Speaker Emerita Pelosi was personally and officially honored to travel with the distinguished delegation, many of whom had family members who fought in World War II — including her uncle, Johnny,” he added. “She looks forward to returning home to the U.S. soon.” This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Montana Supreme Court blocks ban on transgender surgeries, prompting outcry from GOP lawmaker, supporters
A Montana law banning transgender surgeries for minors will remain temporarily blocked following a state Supreme Court ruling that a Republican lawmaker is calling an “egregious example of hyperpartisanship.” The justices sided with a lower court judge who found that the law — which sought to prohibit the use of puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and surgical treatments for gender dysphoria — likely violates Montana’s constitutional right to privacy. Republican Sen. John Fuller, who sponsored the bill before it was signed into law by Gov. Greg Gianforte in April 2023, told The Associated Press that the decision on Wednesday “is an egregious example of the hyperpartisanship of the Montana Supreme Court.” He criticized the courts for upholding the “ability to sterilize and mutilate children” and denying protection to children “from unscientific and experimental drugs and operations that have grown increasingly evident as a danger to children.” SUPREME COURT TO WEIGH STATE BAN ON TRANSGENDER ‘MEDICAL TREATMENTS’ FOR MINORS The ruling came on the same day the United Kingdom announced that “existing emergency measures banning the sale and supply of puberty-suppressing hormones will be made indefinite, following official advice from medical experts.” “Children’s healthcare must always be evidence-led. The independent expert Commission on Human Medicines found that the current prescribing and care pathway for gender dysphoria and incongruence presents an unacceptable safety risk for children and young people,” Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said in a statement. In Montana’s case, transgender youth argued the law would ban them from continuing to receive gender-affirming medical care, violating their constitutional rights to equal protection, the right to seek health care and the right to dignity. The state Supreme Court upheld the injunction based on the right to privacy, which court rulings have said includes the right to make personal medical decisions free from government interference. Montana is one of at least 26 states that have passed bans on gender-affirming medical care for minors and most face lawsuits. Some bans have been temporarily blocked by courts, while others have been allowed to take effect. Fifteen states have enacted protections for gender-affirming medical care for minors. “Today’s ruling permits our clients to breathe a sigh of relief,” Akilah Deernose, the executive director of the ACLU of Montana, said in a statement. “But the fight for trans rights is far from over. We will continue to push for the right of all Montanans, including those who are transgender, to be themselves and live their lives free of intrusive government interference.” INCOMING REPUBLICAN SENATOR REVEALS HOW HE WILL ‘STRAP ROCKET-BOOSTERS’ TO TRUMP’S AGENDA IN NEW CONGRESS The case against the Montana law now goes to trial before District Court Judge Jason Marks, with the state attorney general’s office telling the AP it looks forward to defending the law. “In upholding the district court’s flawed decision to temporarily block a duly enacted law, the Supreme Court put the wellbeing of children — who have yet to reach puberty — at risk by allowing experimental treatments that could leave them to deal with serious and irreversible consequences for the rest of their lives to continue,” spokesperson Chase Scheuer said to the news agency. In a majority opinion, Justice Beth Baker wrote that the law, titled Senate Bill 99, blocks “lawful medications and procedures administered by competent and licensed health care providers,” according to The Washington Examiner. “SB 99 affords no room for decision-making by a patient in consultation with their doctors and parents,” she reportedly added. “The statute is a complete ban, prohibiting individualized care tailored to the needs of each patient based on the exercise of professional medical judgment and informed consent.” The Associated Press contributed to this report.
GOP Sen. Murkowski says she’s ‘not attached to’ GOP label, but is ‘still a Republican’
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, indicated that she’s not wedded to the Republican label, but noted that she has never abandoned it. Murkowski, who made the remarks at a conference for the No Labels group, claimed that she’s “more of a Ronald Reagan … Republican than I am a Trump Republican. And … some would say, well you’re not really a Republican at all,” she noted. But the senator said “you can call me whatever you want … I’m not attached to a label. I’d rather be that no label.” Murkowski said she’d prefer being known as someone who seeks to “do right by this state and the people that I serve regardless of party.” ANTI-TRUMP GOP ALASKA SENATOR DOESN’T SHOOT DOWN NOTION OF BECOMING INDEPENDENT “In fact, I think I am more comfortable with that identity,” she noted, than with an “identity … as a Republican, as a party person.” But later during her remarks, Murkwoski noted that she’s never ditched her GOP label. “I am still a Republican,” she said, noting, “I’ve never shed my party label.” DESANTIS WELCOMES FLORIDA STATE LAWMAKER TO REPUBLICAN PARTY AS SHE DITCHES DEMOCRATS President-elect Donald Trump urged a crowd in Alaska in 2022 to “dump the horrific RINO senator Lisa Murkowski,” using the acronym that stands for Republican in name only. In late 2002, Frank Murkowski, who had just departed the U.S. Senate to serve as governor, appointed his daughter Lisa Murkwoski to fill the Senate vacancy. She has since won election to the Senate multiple times, including in 2022 when she defeated Trump-backed challenger Kelly Tshibaka. TRUMP ENDORSES MURKOWSKI PRIMARY OPPONENT KELLY TSHIBAKA Earlier this year, Murkowski endorsed former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley during the GOP presidential primary.
Biden stirs outrage in Scranton by commuting ‘kids for cash’ judge’s sentence
President Biden has sparked anger among Pennsylvanians after he commuted the sentence of a corrupt judge who was jailed for more than 17 years after he was caught taking kickbacks for sending juveniles to for-profit detention facilities. In what came to be known as the kids-for-cash scandal, former Judge Michael Conahan shut down a county-run juvenile detention center and shared $2.8 million in illegal payments from the builder and co-owner of two for-profit lockups. Another judge, Mark Ciavarella, was also involved in the illicit scheme, the effects of which are still felt today among victims and families. The scandal is considered Pennsylvania’s largest-ever judicial corruption scheme with the state’s supreme court throwing out some 4,000 juvenile convictions involving more than 2,300 kids after the scheme was uncovered. BIDEN COMMUTES 1,500 JAIL SENTENCES, GRANTS PARDONS FOR 39 OTHERS: ‘LARGEST SINGLE-DAY GRANT OF CLEMENCY’ Conahan, 72, pleaded guilty in 2010 to one count of racketeering conspiracy but was released from prison to home confinement in 2020 because of COVID-19 health concerns with six years left in his sentence. But Biden, the so-called favorite son of Scranton, commuted his sentence Thursday as part of the largest single-day act of clemency in modern history in which he commuted jail sentences for nearly 1,500 people and granted 39 pardons. “My Administration will continue reviewing clemency petitions to advance equal justice under the law, promote public safety, support rehabilitation and reentry, and provide meaningful second chances,” Biden said. The decision has raised questions as to why Biden would choose to commute the sentence of a judge who is detested in the area. Fox News has reached out to the White House for comment but has not received a response. Sandy Fonzo, who once confronted Ciavarella outside federal court after her son was placed in juvenile detention and committed suicide, said that the president’s actions were an “injustice” and “deeply painful.” “I am shocked and I am hurt,” Fonzo said in a statement, per The Citizens Voice. “Conahan‘s actions destroyed families, including mine, and my son’s death is a tragic reminder of the consequences of his abuse of power. This pardon feels like an injustice for all of us who still suffer. Right now I am processing and doing the best I can to cope with the pain that this has brought back.” The scheme began in 2002 when Conahan shut down the state juvenile detention center and used money from the Luzerne County budget to fund a multimillion-dollar lease for the private facilities. WHO ELSE MIGHT BIDEN PARDON AFTER HE SPARED HUNTER FROM SENTENCING? Ciavarella, who presided over juvenile court, pushed a zero-tolerance policy that guaranteed large numbers of kids would be sent to PA Child Care and its sister facility, Western PA Child Care. Ciavarella ordered children as young as 8 to detention, many of them first-time offenders deemed delinquent for petty theft, jaywalking, truancy, smoking on school grounds and other minor infractions. The judge often ordered youths he had found delinquent to be immediately shackled, handcuffed and taken away without giving them a chance to put up a defense or even say goodbye to their families. In 2022, both Conahan and Ciavarella were ordered to pay more than $200 million to nearly 300 people they victimized, although it’s unlikely the now-adult victims will see even a fraction of the damages award. During the case, one victim described how he shook uncontrollably during a routine traffic stop — a consequence of the traumatizing impact of his childhood detention — and had to show his mental health records in court to “explain why my behavior was so erratic.” Several of the childhood victims who were part of the lawsuit when it began in 2009 have since died from overdoses or suicide, prosecutors said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The scheme, per The Citizens Voice, involved former Pennsylvania attorney Robert Powell paying Ciavarella and Conahan $770,000, who in turn funneled juvenile defendants to two private, for-profit detention centers Powell partly owned. Powell served an 18-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to felony counts of failing to report a felony and being an accessory to a conspiracy. Real estate developer Robert K. Mericle paid the judges $2.1 million and was later charged with failing to disclose to investigators and a grand jury that he knew the judges were defrauding the government. Mericle served one year in federal prison, per The Citizens Voice. Ciavarella is serving a 28-year prison sentence on honest services mail fraud charges, per the publication. Fox News’ Matt Finn and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
White House says to ‘expect more’ climate funding before President Biden leaves office
The Biden administration is seeking to rapidly disperse climate funds to cement the president’s green energy agenda before President-elect Donald Trump assumes the Oval Office in January. In a memo released by the White House, Jeff Zients, White House Chief of Staff, said that the administration is going to “sprint to the finish line and get as much done as possible for the American people” in the remaining weeks of President Joe Biden’s term. The top Biden official said that they plan to “obligate as much funding as possible before the end of the term,” including dishing out unspent funds from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to support climate-related projects. The White House also said that Americans can “expect more action” on funding from the IRA – the Democrats’ climate legislation. BIDEN ADMIN REPORT COULD SLOW TRUMP’S EFFORTS TO UNLEASH DOMESTIC NATURAL GAS, EXPERTS SAY Trump has suggested that he would “undo” the IRA when he becomes president, legislation he has described as the “greatest scam in history.” Though some House Republicans, who secured a majority in the chamber in the next Congress, have also signaled support for reworking the climate bill, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told CNBC that “you’ve got to use a scalpel and not a sledgehammer” on the legislation. It’s unlikely, however, that the IRA would be completely overturned, given that nearly all the funds have already been awarded. TRUMP TO INSTALL ‘ENERGY CZAR’ TO DISMANTLE BIDEN CLIMATE RULES: REPORT White House spokesperson Andrew Bates warned against Republicans and the incoming administration attempting to undo Biden’s agenda. “Repealing President Biden’s signature laws would be an historic redistribution of wealth from working Americans to Big Pharma and China,” Bates said in a memo first obtained by NBC News, adding that despite potential pushback, projects under the IRA “have been locked-in.” Bates also suggested that Republican districts are benefiting from the IRA. “That includes the creation of over 330,000 clean energy jobs — disproportionately in House districts represented by Republicans,” Bates wrote. “Because of the Inflation Reduction Act, we’ve already saved more than 3.4 million Americans $8.4 million on clean energy upgrades to their homes, and more than 300,000 Americans have saved over $2 billion upfront on [electric vehicle] purchases.”
‘Iss desh mein Salman Khan se lekar…’: Telangana CM Revanth Reddy reacts to Allu Arjun’s arrest in stampede case
Following ‘Pushpa 2: The Rule’ star Allu Arjun’s arrest in Hyderabad Sandhya theatre stampede case, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy asked why actors Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt were arrested previously.
Trump’s pledge against ‘forever wars’ could be tested with Syria in hands of jihadist factions
President-elect Donald Trump is gearing up for his second White House term just weeks after the abrupt toppling of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria— a pivotal moment that could test Trump’s long-held promises to end U.S. involvement in so-called “forever wars” in the Middle East or putting more American boots on the ground in these countries. With roughly six weeks to go before he takes office, Trump does not appear to be backing down on his promises of pursuing a foreign policy agenda directed toward prioritizing issues at home and avoiding entanglements overseas. However, Trump’s promises about ending U.S. military commitments abroad could be tested in Syria, where conditions in the country are now vastly different from Trump’s first term — creating a government seen as ripe for exploitation by other foreign powers, including governments or terrorist groups. US OIL AND GAS PRODUCERS PRESSURE HOUSE TO PASS PIVOTAL PERMITTING BILL AND GET AMERICA ‘BACK ON TRACK’ “This is not our fight. Let it play out. Do not get involved,” Trump said on Truth Social over the weekend, as rebel-backed fighters advanced into Damascus, forcing Assad to flee to Moscow for safe haven. Trump, for his part, has acknowledged the foreign policy situation he stands to inherit in 2025 could be more complex than he saw in his first term, especially in the Middle East. It “certainly seems like the world is going a little crazy right now,” Trump told leaders earlier this week in Paris, where he attended a grand reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral. Here is a rundown of what Trump did in Syria in 2019 and how his actions could be insufficient today. In Syria, the speed at which rebel forces successfully wrested back control of major cities and forced Assad to flee to Moscow for safe haven took many by surprise, including analysts and diplomats with years of experience in the region. It is currently an “open question” who is currently in charge in Syria, White House National Security communications advisor John Kirby told reporters earlier this week. However, the rebel-led group that ousted Assad is currently designated as a terrorist organization in the U.S., raising fresh uncertainty over whether Trump might see their rise to power as a threat to U.S. national security and whether he might move to position U.S. troops in response. PATEL ‘READY TO SERVE’ AS FBI DIRECTOR, SEEKS ‘SMOOTH TRANSITION’ AFTER WRAY RESIGNATION NEWS The conditions are also ripe for exploration by other governments and adversaries, which could seize on the many power vacuums created by the collapse of Assad’s regime. In the days following Assad’s flight to Moscow, senior Biden administration officials stressed that the U.S. will act only in a supporting capacity, telling reporters, “We are not coming up with a blueprint from Washington for the future of Syria.” “This is written by Syrians. The fall of Assad was delivered by Syrians,” the administration official said. Still, this person added, “I think it’s very clear that the United States can provide a helping hand, and we are very much prepared to do so.” It’s unclear whether Trump will see the situation the same. In October 2019, Trump announced the decision to withdraw U.S. troops from northeastern Syria, news that came under sharp criticism by some diplomats and foreign policy analysts, who cited fears that the decision risked destabilizing one of the only remaining stable parts of Syria and injecting further volatility and uncertainty into the war-torn nation. However, at the time, that part of the country was stable. U.S. troops were stationed there alongside British and French troops, who worked alongside the Syrian Defense Force to protect against a resurgence of Islamic State activity. However, the situation is different now, something that Trump’s team does not appear to be disputing, for its part. Additionally, while seeking the presidency in 2024, Trump continued his “America first” posture that many believe helped him win the election in 2016 — vowing to crack down on border security, job creation, and U.S. oil and gas production, among other things — incoming Trump administration officials have stressed the degree to which they’ve worked alongside the Biden administration to ensure a smooth handover when it comes to geopolitical issues. Unlike his first White House transition, Trump’s preparations for a second presidential term have been remarkably detailed, efficient and policy oriented. That includes announcing nominations for most Cabinet positions and diplomats, and releasing policy blueprints for how the administration plans to govern over the next four years. “For our adversaries out there that think this is a time of opportunity that they can play one administration off the other, they’re wrong, and we… we are hand in glove,” Trump’s pick for national security adviser, Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., told Fox News in an interview following Trump’s election in November. “We are one team with the United States in this transition.”
Russia intensifies assaults on Ukraine ahead of Trump’s inauguration
Mounting evidence suggests that Russia ramped up its assaults on Ukraine leading up to the United States election on November 5, in a possible effort to strengthen isolationists supporting Donald Trump. It also appears to be doubling down on that strategy ahead of Trump’s inauguration on January 20. “November was the fifth straight month that Russian Forces have suffered an increase in monthly total losses,” said Britain’s Ministry of Defence, as Ukraine estimated that 45,680 Russian soldiers were killed and wounded during the month. The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces has estimated Russian losses for September at 38,130 and for October at 41,980. Those climbing casualty figures are due to the fact that Russian ground assaults have steadily mounted despite the pain. The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, estimated that Russian daily gains on Ukrainian turf averaged 22sq km (8.5 square miles) in October and 27sq km (10.4 square miles) in November. Advertisement “Russian forces have thus suffered an estimated 125,800 casualties during a period of intensified offensive operations in September, October, and November 2024 in exchange for 2,356 square kilometres of gains,” said the ISW. These losses were well beyond what US officials believed Russia could sustain. They put its recruitment capacity at 25,000-30,000 a month. (Al Jazeera) Ukraine has recorded a similar crescendo in airborne attacks. “From September to November 2024, the enemy used over 6,000 UAVs and missiles in air strikes on Ukraine,” said Victoria Vdovychenko, a programme director at the Centre for Defence Strategies, a Ukrainian think tank, and a fellow at Cambridge University’s Centre for Geopolitics. “This is three times the number used from June to August 2024 and four times the number used from September to November 2023,” she told Al Jazeera. Before and after the election, Vdovychenko believes Russia also upped its information campaigns to manipulate US public opinion. North Korean troops entered active combat in the Russian region of Kursk on the day of the election, showing that Russia had access to fresh manpower. When US President Joe Biden reacted to Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris’s defeat by authorising US weapons to strike deep inside Russia, Russian President Vladimir Putin fired the Oreshnik ballistic missile into Ukraine in apparent retaliation. But Russian chief of staff Valery Gerasimov recently told his US counterpart the launch “had been planned long before the Biden administration agreed to allow Ukraine to use American ATACMS to strike deeper into Russia”, reported The New York Times, quoting US officials. Putin was nonetheless able to create the impression that it was the US that was provoking Russia and prolonging the war. Advertisement These messages all played into the hands of the Trump campaign, his supporters admit. “President Trump seeks peace and an end to ‘never-ending wars’ that benefit entrenched elites,” said Demetries Andrew Grimes, a former US naval officer, aviator and diplomat who supports Trump. “The American people made it clear by electing Trump that they desire peace and an end to US funding for the war in Ukraine, reflecting growing concerns about prolonged involvement,” he told Al Jazeera. “The topic of negotiations skyrocketed everywhere since the election, especially in the foreign media,” said Vdovychenko. “Yet Russia doesn’t show any sign that it’s ready to go into talks because they don’t suggest they are ready to give up on anything.” Russia intensifies attacks Russia now appears to be intensifying its attacks, doubling down on the tactics that helped Trump win. Ukraine estimated Russian casualties at at least 11,000 for the first week of December, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy tallied drones, missiles and glide bombs at more than 900 for that week. Putin outlined his terms for talks in June. “Ukrainian troops must be completely withdrawn from the Donetsk and Luhansk people’s republics and Kherson and [Zaporizhia] regions,” Putin told foreign ministry officials, naming the four regions his armies partly occupied by force. “As soon as Kiyv declares that it is ready to make this decision … and also officially notifies that it abandons its plans to join NATO, our side will follow an order to cease fire and start negotiations,” Putin said. Advertisement Zelenskyy has since outlined a “victory plan” that includes providing additional weapons to Ukraine and offering it unconditional NATO membership immediately, guaranteeing its security. In an interview with Sky News on November 30 he appeared to compromise, and seek NATO membership for free areas of Ukraine only. “Zelenskyy was saying [there are ways of bringing this conflict to an immediate end] if there were immediate NATO membership for the free areas of Ukraine and deal with the occupied territories later,” said Keir Giles, a Eurasia expert at Chatham House, a London-based think tank. “But, he says, ‘There’s nobody who’s actually suggested that to us’. He knows it’s a nonstarter because NATO doesn’t do things immediately or even swiftly, even without opposition from the US and Germany. So what Zelenskyy was doing, was showing up the lack of political will in NATO and the coalition of backers to actually arrive at a workable solution to the conflict.” Most Ukrainians prefer to keep fighting, according to a poll released this week. The New Europe Center, a Kyiv-based think tank, following its annual December survey of public opinion, said “64.1 percent of Ukrainians believe that negotiations with Russia are not worthwhile unless Ukraine receives real security guarantees from the West”. “The argument is that Russia will start the war again after a short pause,” it said. Could Trump abandon Ukraine? Some observers believe that Trump has already cost Ukraine the battlefield initiative it had following a 2023 counteroffensive. Advertisement Last autumn, he put pressure on Republican members of Congress to deny $60.4bn in military aid, and succeeded in delaying it by six months. “If you look at the pattern of slow, incremental, steady Russian advances, it seems to begin after Ukrainians were compromised in their ability to defend themselves by the hold in aid eventually feeding through
France’s Macron names centrist ally Francois Bayrou as new prime minister
Veteran politician tasked with hauling nation from crisis after the previous government was toppled. French President Emmanuel Macron has named centrist leader Francois Bayrou as his new prime minister after the previous government was deposed last week. Bayrou’s appointment, confirmed by the Elysee presidential palace on Friday, came after former Prime Minister Michel Barnier was forced by far-right and left-wing lawmakers to step down after just three months in office in a historic no-confidence vote last week. Bayrou is a well-known figure in French politics whose political experience is seen as key in efforts to restore stability to the country. The 73-year-old leader of the Democratic Movement (Mouvement Democrate, or MoDem) group, which has been allied to the president’s centrist Renaissance party since he swept to power in 2017. The country was plunged into a political crisis when Macron called snap elections earlier this year after his party polled badly in European elections, with Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (RN) party emerging as the clear victor. But his bid to buttress his minority government, which had struggled to pass legislation, backfired spectacularly when the poll delivered an inconclusive result, leaving parliament divided among three warring blocs with no absolute majority. Advertisement Bayrou, who served as education minister from 1993 to 1997, now faces the immediate challenge of putting together a cabinet that can survive a no-confidence vote and thrash out a 2025 budget in a bid to limit economic turmoil. The new prime minister, the country’s fourth this year, was recently cleared in a case alleging embezzlement of European Parliament funds. His appointment has raised hackles on the left of the political spectrum, which is wary of continuing the president’s policies, and on the right, where he is disliked by influential former President Nicolas Sarkozy. Jordan Bardella, the president of the RN, said the party would not be calling for an immediate no-confidence motion against Bayrou. France’s festering political malaise has raised doubts about whether Macron will complete his second presidential term, which ends in 2027. The president has pledged to stay on “until the end” of his five-year term, until May 2027. In a critical moment, Le Pen will be judged in an embezzlement trial next year. If convicted, she could lose the opportunity to stand in the 2027 election. The public appears to be eager for a period of stability in French politics, with just over two-thirds of respondents in an Elabe poll published Wednesday saying they want politicians to reach a deal, not to overthrow a new government. Adblock test (Why?)