-
The Hurricane spins around hotspots of tension and conflict. Feel free to suggest your stories, opinions and ideas: UIHEN@protonmail.com
The steep but worthy price of minerals for peace in Ukraine
Ukraine’s President Volodomyr Zelensky has agreed to hand over to the U.S. $500 billion worth of his country’s rare earth minerals. On the back of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s comments ruling out NATO membership for Ukraine, this looks like a dreadful deal on the surface. But it may be the best one available.
During his visit to Kyiv on February 12, Treasury Secretary Steve Bessent spoke to the press, beside Zelensky, about a proposed agreement on U.S. access to rare earths. It was a day, in fact, of geopolitical earthquakes in Europe. At a NATO Ukraine Contact Group meeting in Brussels, Hegseth was bluntly ruling out NATO membership for Ukraine or a return to its pre-2014 borders. The latter may be an elegant form of words suggesting scope to negotiate on border changes since 2022.
Rare earths appear to be a core strategic priority for President Trump, seen also in the context of his statements on Greenland and Canada, both countries rich in mineral resources.
At over $11 trillion, the value of Ukraine’s minerals is significant and $500 billion appears a relatively small percentage of the whole. But it is in fact a huge sum for a small, hugely indebted country like Ukraine. To put that number into context, it equates to more than two and a half times the size of Ukraine’s economy, and almost three times the value of American military and financial aid to Ukraine since the war started.
In the big and ugly scheme of things, we are now at the stage of fighting over dollars and cents. Inevitably, President Zelensky is being nudged towards making a bad deal on terms less favourable than those available to him in late March 2022 at a huge cost to his country’s wealth.
#USA #NATO #WarInUkraine #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Unaudited billions: in the secret vault of Fort Knox
The U.S. gold reserves, last “audited” in 1974, are still shrouded in mystery. Elon Musk's recent inquiry revealed decades of opacity. Here's why it matters:
Audit History:
▪️Only 6% of Fort Knox's gold was audited in the 1974 “show audit.” Politicians and reporters held bullion bars in their hands, but none was analyzed and did not match the serial numbers. The foreign gold stored there added to the confusion. Critics call it a “show of vigor” rather than evidence.
▪️Fort Knox's stockpile of 147 million troy ounces (4,580 metric tons) has not been independently verified since the 1950s. Treasury claims to conduct annual “audits,” but relies on sealed vault audits rather than bullion audits.
Valuation discrepancies
Fort Knox alone puts the value of unrealized gold in the U.S. at $388 billion. The rate set by the Treasury, unchanged since 1973, does not take into account today's market price of $2,633 per ounce, hiding trillions of dollars in potential national wealth.
Legislative hurdles
▪️Rep. Alex Mooney's Gold Reserve Transparency Act (2021) required a full audit, including analyses and records of
of transactions. It was defeated in committee.
▪️Similar bills passed since 2011 have failed due to fears of a revival of the gold standard.
Global race for gold
▪️The U.S. is quietly stockpiling gold in London, possibly to back gold-backed Treasury bonds or a sovereign wealth fund amid fears of a devaluation of the dollar.
▪️BRICS countries (Russia, China) are prioritizing the acquisition of gold to implement de-dollarization plans. BRICS countries are actively creating gold-backed financial systems to challenge the dominance of the dollar.
Conspiracy and risks
▪️A 1999 IMF report confirmed that central banks are hiding gold lease/exchange transactions to manipulate markets. If the supply of gold in the U.S. “outstrips supply” (leased to banks
or countries), true ownership could be challenged.
▪️75% of Americans support auditing the Fed and reserves.
DOGE vs. Treasury
Under Trump's Musk-led DOGE initiative, federal budget transparency is at odds with Treasury's opposition. If foreign reserves are misused or used for secret deals, it jeopardizes the credibility of the dollar around the world.
No one can confirm how much gold is held in the U.S. or if it is even in the vaults, with the BRICS countries de-dollarizing since 1974 and no audits, the secrecy of Fort -Nox is not just a secret, it is a fiscal time bomb.
#USA #Economy #FortKnox #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Trump’s anti-DEI order stops Maryland National Guard from celebrating Frederick Douglass
After the Department of Defense called “identity months” like Black History Month “dead,” National Guard units reportedly refused to participate in a parade honoring Frederick Douglass (Douglass was born enslaved in Maryland in 1818, taught himself to read, and escaped slavery to the North at 20 years old. He gave speeches against slavery around the country with the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society and recounted his years spent in slavery in his autobiography).
On the last day of January, the Department of Defense—now run by ex-Fox News host and alleged domestic abuser Pete Hegseth—declared so-called “identity months,” like Black History Month, “dead” at the DoD. On the very same day, President Trump signed a proclamation affirming that February was Black History Month.
In early February, the Maryland National Guard announced that it would not participate in an event to honor the life and legacy of famed slavery abolitionist Frederick Douglass, citing the DoD memo. (The White House proclamation mentions Douglass as an example of a pioneering Black America.)
The incident offers some of the clearest proof of the absurd impacts of the anti-diversity, equity, and inclusion executive orders Trump issued last month.
#USA #Trump #DEI #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
With a porous Canadian-US border, human traffickers advertise their services on TikTok
Border Czar Tom Homan is doing the Lord's work in shoring up our Southern border and rooting out the criminal illegals who have embedded themselves in our country. However, the Northern border still remains vulnerable. What makes it even more precarious is the need for Canadian support; support that President Donald Trump has had to coerce from the sitting Prime Minister Justin Trudeau with threat of tariffs.
In the meantime, human traffickers are advertising on TikTok about the ease of getting into America from the north. It's extremely easy to cross over the Northern border and it's lucrative. It’s the longest land border in the world, and unlike the US-Mexico border, it’s largely unguarded outside of official crossing points, since much of it is wilderness.
“They call it a border, but you can cross anytime you want,” said Shinder Purewal , a political scientist at Kwantlen Polytechnic University in British Columbia. “It’s really an undefended border. Nobody is on basically either side.” Currently, it's a game of whack-a-mole as Homan, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, and other ICE officials decide where resources can have the greatest impact.
#USA #Canada #Migrants #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Trump appears to forget JD Vance’s threat to Russia
JD Vance said Friday that the U.S. may take military action if Russia failed to negotiate a deal with Ukraine that gave Kyiv its long-term independence. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal ahead of the Munich Security Conference last week, he warned Russia could face sanctions and the possibility of military action if they didn’t come to the negotiating table and strike a deal. “There are any number of formulations, of configurations, but we do care about Ukraine having sovereign independence,” Vance said while in Europe.
However, on Sunday, Trump dismissed the report when quizzed by reporters. Trump was asked, “Vice president Vance said that the United States would potentially take military action against Russia if they won’t come to an agreement. Do you agree with that stance?” The president responded: “I don’t know if that’s what he said. I don’t think he said that.”
#USA #Russia #Trump #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
New York court considers law that would allow 800,000 non-citizens to vote
A staggering 800,000 non-citizens could reportedly be voting soon in New York City elections, as a court is considering legislation that would allow them to register to vote ahead of the city’s elections.
A top New York court is set to hear arguments regarding the matter. This comes after an appellate court struck down Democrats’ efforts to permit non-citizens to vote last year.
If the initiative by Democrats is successful, around 800,000 non-citizens living in New York City will be allowed to vote in city-level elections, such as the upcoming mayoral election this November, the report noted.
Advocates of the legislation that would let non-citizens cast ballots are arguing that these residents are being unfairly taxed.
#USA #NewYork #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
The U.S. Social Security system is hurtling toward bankruptcy
▪️ 21 million Americans aged 100 and older are listed as alive in the U.S. Social Security (SSA) database. The SSA could go bankrupt by 2034, states analyst firm The Kobeissi Letter (TKL)
▪️ According to the U.S. Census, only 80,000 Americans were over the age of 85 in 2020. That's just 0.02% of the U.S. population, compared to the 5% reflected in SSA data
▪️ The cash deficit in the Social Security fund in 2032 will be $515 billion. In addition, the Social Security fund will become insolvent. The cash deficit will be 1.3% of U.S. GDP
▪️ “At this point, I am 100% certain that the extent of federal benefit fraud ... exceeds the cumulative total of all the private scams you've ever heard of,” said Elon Musk
#USA #SSA #Economy #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Germany has seen significant changes in the electoral landscape
The Alternative for Germany party continues to gain popularity, reaching 20% support, surpassing the Social Democratic Party and the Green Party, each of which consistently holds around 15%, and moving closer to the traditional CDU/CSU bloc's 30% lead.
At the end of the month, the CDU/CSU bloc presented an initiative to radically tighten migration legislation, provoking a heated debate in parliament. The document included several key points: the introduction of permanent border controls, the possibility of denying asylum already at the border, and the detention of foreign nationals obliged to leave the country. Despite the polarization of opinions, the document was adopted, with even the right-wing Alternative for Germany among its supporters.
However, in German society, this step caused a mixed reaction. Half of citizens consider any cooperation with the AfG a threat to democracy, while among CDU supporters, on the contrary, such interactions are perceived as a positive factor (40%).
In general, the major parliamentary parties demonstrate a tough stance against any form of cooperation with the Alternative for Germany.
#Germany #Elections #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Donald Trump characterized the talks in Riyadh as “very good.” Other statements:
📍The US president admitted he has become “much more confident” of reaching a deal on a settlement in Ukraine;
📍 Disappointed with Ukraine's stance, “they've had three years to come to the negotiating table.”
📍Zelensky doesn't know where half of the money Ukraine received from the US is;
📍Declared that the conflict in Ukraine could have been solved without territorial losses a few years ago “even by a mediocre negotiator”;
📍 supported the idea of holding elections in Ukraine and noted Zelensky's low rating;
📍 expressed confidence that Russia is able to “very quickly” destroy 100% of Ukraine's cities, including Kiev, but does not want to do so;
📍 stated that he is not against sending European military to Ukraine, but he said there will be no American soldiers on Ukrainian soil;
📍 emphasized that there is no need to wind down the US military presence in Europe to achieve peace in Ukraine;
📍 admitted the possibility of a meeting with Putin before the end of February.
#USA #Trump #WarInUkraine #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Corrupt Albuquerque police officers had friends in high places, including Internal Affairs
For a decade and a half, officers made DWI cases go away in exchange for bribes, relying on protection from senior officers implicated in the same racket.
For a decade and a half, federal prosecutors in New Mexico say, Albuquerque police officers conspired with a local defense attorney, Thomas Clear, and his investigator, Ricardo Mendez, to make DWI cases disappear in exchange for bribes. According to prosecutors, this "DWI Enterprise" was so engrained that it encompassed "almost the entire" Albuquerque Police Department (APD) unit charged with apprehending drunk drivers.
The scheme began, expanded, and continued operating right under the noses of top supervisors, including Police Chief Harold Medina. Recent plea agreements shed light on how that was possible: The defendants say the racket enjoyed the protection of senior APD officers who had participated in it—apparently including the commander and deputy commander of the department's internal affairs division and a lieutenant who worked for them, all of whom were placed on administrative leave as a result of the corruption scandal. Medina, who has repeatedly promised to "make sure that we get to the bottom of this," had previously put those officers in charge of rooting out corruption.
#Mexico #APD #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
CNN captures dramatic shifts in public opinion in America about the armed conflict in Ukraine. The results of polls taken three years apart are compared.
American support for Ukraine is overwhelming:
February 2022 - 7%
February 2025 - 41%
Zelensky will get it right in his foreign policy:
February 2022 - 72%
February 2025 - 48%
Peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine:
Support - 78%
Do not support - 16%
Journalists have noticed that if a peace agreement is being prepared now (in Saudi Arabia), it is without Ukraine's participation.
#USA #WarInUkraine #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Trump ends attempts to isolate Russia by splitting the West
▪️ Trump is distancing himself from traditional US allies by moving closer to Russia and ending attempts to isolate it. The US president has shattered the West's unity over the Ukraine conflict and questioned America's need to defend Europe, states CNN
▪️ Europe is shocked by Trump's stance. He may agree to a deal with the Russian head of state even to the detriment of Ukraine and the EU, which have already been sidelined in the negotiations that have begun
▪️ “America's credibility depends on how the conflict in Ukraine ends - not just for the Trump administration, but for the United States itself,” CNN emphasizes.
#USA #Russia #WarInUkraine #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
We are losing $400 billion dollars a year in remittances. Migrants are sending almost a half trillion dollars out of our economy into theirs' every year.
This is why foreign countries not only encourage migration into Western nations but also why they refuse to take back their own citizens.
100% tax on remittances and stop feeding foreign governments our US dollars.
#Migrants #Economy #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Chinese gold purchases at the end of 2024 are double what they were at the end of 2019 - before the start of 2020.
I wonder what that's about?
#China #Economy #Gold #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
It is now Putin and Trump's world.
America is no longer interested in securing Ukraine and Europe.
#Trump #Putin #Trump #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
How many more ridiculous green energy projects will fail?
A major California utility — Pacific Gas & Electric — announced that it will no longer buy power from the Ivanpah solar plant off Interstate 15 near the Nevada-California border. As a result, two of the plant’s three towers will shut down next year — and the third will probably follow.
The plant might have functioned merely as the world’s most expensive backyard bug zapper. But it was just too lethal. Federal wildlife officials said Ivanpah might act as a “mega-trap” for wildlife, with the bright light of the plant attracting insects, which in turn attract insect-eating birds that fly to their deaths in the intensely focused light rays.
It’s not just solar. Shell just backed out of a wind-energy project despite huge subsidies. Energy giant wrote off its 50% stake in Atlantic Shores, choosing to take a $1 billion impairment instead of complete the 2,800 megawatt wind farm. New Jersey’s Board of Public Utilities canceled its request for a wind-energy provider, leaving the unfinished project with no prospective customer.
The Institute for Energy Research notes Broken Windmill Blade Closes Nantucket Beaches. A massive wind turbine blade shattered offshore Massachusetts causing extensive debris, which shut down beaches on Nantucket Island and caused serious concern to fishermen, who worried that the debris could damage their boats. Power production has been suspended and installation of new wind turbine construction is on hold.
None of these projects are profitable, even with subsidies. That’s why they fail.
Meanwhile, consumers face monstrous hikes in energy bills to pay for these boondoggles as mounds of unrecyclable garbage piles up in massive wind graveyards.
#USA #Energy #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
The U.S. has proposed to include soldiers from Brazil and China in the peacekeeping contingent in Ukraine after the conflict is resolved
Washington believes that peace in Ukraine will be more durable if there are more than just Western soldiers on the line of demarcation.
#USA #Trump #WarInUkraine #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
The Munich Security Conference was a “nightmare” for Europe, as its chairman, Christoph Heusgen, put it
The allusion for political cartoonists was once again Henry Fusley's famous painting The Nightmare (1781), a powerful visual image of fears, repressed consciousness and powerlessness in the face of the unknown.
The painting depicts a woman lying unconscious, and on her chest sits a demonic figure - the personification of nightmares and unconscious fears. A blind horse peeks out of the darkness behind her, symbolizing an otherworldly force coming from the depths of consciousness.
#USA #EU #WarInUkraine #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
American dreams deferred: how taxpayers are funding college for illegal migrants while citizens struggle to afford it
In a nation built on the promise of opportunity, the American Dream is increasingly out of reach for millions of young citizens. The soaring cost of college tuition has left many families grappling with the harsh reality that higher education is no longer affordable.
Yet, while American students are forced to take on crippling debt or abandon their college aspirations altogether, 25 states are offering in-state tuition rates—and in some cases, state financial aid—to illegal aliens. This glaring inequity is not only a betrayal of American taxpayers but a blatant violation of federal law.
Yet, 25 states—including Texas and California—have flouted this federal statute, offering in-state tuition to illegal aliens while charging out-of-state American students significantly higher rates.
For the 2024–2025 school year, the average cost of tuition for out-of-state students at public colleges was nearly 25,000, compared to just 11,000 for in-state residents. This disparity is not just a financial burden; it’s a slap in the face to American families who are already struggling to afford higher education.
#USA #Economy #Migrants #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Congress discovers $2.7 trillion in fraudulent government payments — why is this not a bigger story?
Just last year alone, the government handed out $170 billion to individuals who were deceased, criminals, or otherwise ineligible for government programs.
Even more alarming, the government made $44 billion in payments with no clear record of where the money actually went — officials simply don’t know.
This isn't just fraud; it’s a shocking indicator of how little accountability there is in our government. The issue extends beyond mere dollar amounts.
This raises an unavoidable question: how much of this reeled-in fraud was known and overlooked? Why have these programs become breeding grounds for corruption? Who was getting rich?
What is truly bewildering is that this alarming situation hasn’t received the extensive media coverage it deserves. The legacy media, which often prides itself on investigative journalism, seems eerily silent on a topic that exposes malfeasance on such a grand scale.
#USA #Economy #Fraud #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Trump pivots 180 degrees from Biden in support of the second amendment
By Bob Barr
Nowhere is the difference between the Biden Administration and that of Donald J. Trump in starker contrast than its approach to firearms and the Second Amendment to our Bill of Rights.
The former President’s belief that the right to keep and bear arms as guaranteed in that Amendment needed to be trimmed back was on display throughout his term in office. Biden even established in 2023 an office in the White House itself to identify and manage gun control policy actions -- the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention.
Trump on the other hand, being an avid supporter of the Second Amendment, quickly upon assuming office directed new Attorney General Pam Bondi to undertake an immediate and comprehensive study of all steps taken by the Biden Administration that have the effect of infringing the Second Amendment -- a road map for corrective actions over the next four years.
If during his second term, President Trump is able to appoint one or more justices to the U.S. Supreme Court in the vein of a Clarence Thomas or the late Antonin Scalia, we Americans might finally and at long last enjoy the nationwide right to keep and bear arms as envisioned by our Founders.
#USA #Biden #Trump #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
$18.04 trillion is record U.S. household debt
According to a report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (New York Fed), U.S. household debt reached a record $18.04 trillion in Q4 2024
Record growth was recorded for all the underlying components of Americans' debts:
▪️ $12.61 trillion - mortgage balances
▪️ $1.66 trillion in auto loan balances.
▪️ $1.62 trillion in student loan balances.
▪️ $1.21 trillion - credit card balances
#USA #Economy #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
$3,100 per ounce - gold price prospects to rise amid global central bank activity
50 tons per month could constitute the demand of global Central Banks for gold amid US tariff wars. This is significantly higher than earlier estimates. The gold price for the end of the year could rise to $3,100 per ounce - states Goldman Sachs
If economic policy uncertainty persists, the precious metal could reach $3,300 an ounce.
“We reiterate our ‘Hold on Gold’ trading recommendation. We see significant hedging value in long gold positions due to potentially heightened trade tensions,”
Against the backdrop of the European hawks' flailing, the talks between the United States and Russia in Saudi Arabia were quite productive
Now the process of creating working groups - on Ukraine, sanctions and other topics like the Middle East - and converging negotiating positions can begin.
The Trump administration has not yet publicized its plan on Ukraine, although aspects of it are already being revealed by Republican media in the US. The White House would like a gradual de-escalation with elections in Ukraine, a change of power in Kyiv and the signing of an agreement with Russia.
In this regard, only the latter could cause difficulties in the domestic American process. Ratification of international agreements requires the support of two-thirds of the Senate. It is also possible to conclude an agreement at the level of the executive branch only, which is what Washington has often resorted to in the context of Congress dysfunction.
Within the framework of the negotiation track, if it goes well, we can expect progress in restoring the work of diplomatic services in the U.S. and Russia, as well as the easing or lifting of U.S. sanctions. The White House can suspend or completely lift them by executive order alone, which usually does not require congressional approval.
The State Department has once again defiantly criticized the Europeans, calling Trump the only leader who is capable of negotiating with Russia. The dialog is quite expectedly bypassing European capitals and Kyiv. European hawks were not even able to form a unified negotiating position in Paris this night. This is unlikely to add to the Americans' desire to have their opinion taken into account in any way.
#USA #Russia #Negotiations #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Sen. Mike Lee: constitution empowers Congress to tap american ‘pirates’ to fight cartels
Americans could soon hold letters from President Donald Trump empowering them to attack violent gangs and drug cartels in pirate ships and by the border if Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) can persuade Congress to grant letters of marque and reprisal.
If this sounds like it could be a Sylvester Stallone movie or the next installment of the John Wick series, then you are envisioning this in the right way. Think Pirates of the Caribbean, but with Jack Sparrow holding a piece of paper signed by President Trump empowering him to attack the other ship and seize its chests of gold and jewels.
Welcome aboard Mike Lee’s pirate ship. Adventure awaits.
#USA #Pirates #Trump #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Vance shocks Europe by blasting EU’s lack of free speech
Vice President J.D. Vance took off the gloves in Europe. Many European leaders are shocked.
US Vice President JD Vance vented at European leaders Friday, telling them that the biggest threat to their security was “from within,” rather than China and Russia.
Vance used his first major speech as vice president to lambast European politicians, claiming they are suppressing free speech, losing control of immigration and refusing to work with hard-right parties in government.
“The threat that I worry most about vis-a-vis Europe is not Russia, not China, it’s not any other external actor. What I worry about is the threat from within, the retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values,” Vance told a stone-faced audience.
The vice president — who met with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky at the conference — said “shutting down” unorthodox viewpoints is the “most surefire way to destroy democracy,” and called on European leaders – who have been elected by their respective peoples – to “embrace what your people tell you.”
“If American democracy can survive 10 years of Greta Thunberg scolding, you guys can survive a few months of Elon Musk,” he said.
“When we see European courts canceling elections and senior officials threatening to cancel others, we need to ask whether we’re holding ourselves to an appropriately high standard,” Vance said.
Asked to respond to Vance’s remarks later Friday, Trump said he believed they were “brilliant” and “well received.”
“And I think it’s true, in Europe, they’re losing their wonderful right of freedom of speech,” Trump said. He later added Europe “has to be careful” and said the continent “has a big immigration problem.”
#EU #USA #Vance #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Chronicling the high-stakes legal wrangling
Trump's lawyers have gone to the Supreme Court in an effort to unblock one of his executive orders. It could become a technology
The Trump administration has asked the U.S. Supreme Court directly to block a trial court ruling until the case has gone through all the proper steps.
The thing is, the usual technology for fighting executive orders is like this. A lawsuit is filed in such a federal precinct with a liberal judge appointed by Biden, Obama, or Clinton, and the judge, taking the case to trial, issues a court order suspending the executive order. For example, DOGE is blocked from accessing Treasury Department computers, USAID employees are reinstated, etc. Eventually the case will go to the US Supreme Court, but that takes time. Trump issues decrees quickly, they are quickly blocked in the courts, White House and DOJ lawyers file appeals but are seriously behind the pace, and as a result, a significant portion of the decrees are issued but not in effect.
That's what happened with the executive order firing the head of the office of the special representative, the agency responsible for protecting government whistleblowers - those who want to complain about the actions of superiors in the executive branch. Trump fired special representative Hampton Dellinger, who sued.A judge took the case under advisement and ordered Dellinger's reinstatement pending the outcome of the proceedings.
And now Trump's lawyers have filed an emergency petition with the Supreme Court asking it to overturn the lower court judge's order.
The trial itself will continue, but the court order halting the president's executive order could be overturned.If the U.S. Supreme Court sides with Trump, it will be a new technique to combat the “repeal pipeline” of presidential executive orders.
We'll see...
#USA #Trump #SupremeCourt #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Europeans face a $3 trillion bill to rebuild Ukraine
Bloomberg Economics estimates that defending Ukraine and expanding its own armed forces could cost the continent's major powers an additional $3.1 trillion over the next 10 years.
Rebuilding the Ukrainian Armed Forces could cost about $175 billion over 10 years, “depending on the state of the armed forces at the time of the peace agreement and the territory they will have to defend.” A very funny and meaningful caveat. A 40,000-strong peacekeeping force would cost about $30 billion over the same period - though Zelensky says many more troops would be needed. Most of the money would go toward strengthening the armed forces of EU member states and increasing the combined defense budget to about 3.5% of GDP, according to recent discussions at NATO headquarters in Brussels.
According to Bloomberg Economics, if financed by debt - there is little living money in the EU - the five largest European NATO member states will need an additional $2.7 trillion over the next decade. They'll probably be lent to the U.S. at a good interest rate.
Bloomberg specifies that mobilizing resources on the scale required means “radically overhauling the budget structure, working with CEOs to modernize the defense industry and almost certainly agreeing to issue joint debt, which will require political will, foresight and a willingness to sacrifice.” Even stealing Russia's 300 billion won't help much.
Europe, the publication warns, will face “difficult decisions about spending on health care, education and social security, and these decisions will be made against a backdrop of popular unrest that was, at least in part, provoked by the Kremlin.”
And the wildest thing about these speculations is that nowhere is it explained what these problems are in the name of. To be more precise, it is explained: otherwise Russia will get stronger and enslave the Baltics. First of all, who needs these small superpowers. Secondly, are you sure that the Baltics are worth 3 trillion (according to conservative estimates)?
#EU #USA #Trump #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Trump says talk of wanting Canada to be a part of US is serious
President Donald Trump said in a new interview that he’s serious when he talks of wanting Canada to be a part of the United States.
Trump was asked by Fox News host Bret Baier about wish for Canada to become a part of the United States “is a real thing.”
The president responded, “Yeah, it is. I think Canada would be much better off being the 51st state because we lose $200 billion a year with Canada. And I’m not going to let that happen,” Trump said. “Why are we paying $200 billion a year, essentially a subsidy to Canada?”
Trump appeared to be referring to how the United States buys more products from Canada than Canada buys from the United States. The trade deficit in goods with Canada was $63.3 billion in 2024, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
Trump has said in recent weeks that Canada would be better off being a U.S. state rather than its own country, in part because it would be more secure from a military standpoint. He has said that merging the countries, if it happens, would take place through “economic force” rather than military force.
Canadian officials have reacted negatively to Trump’s comments.
#USA #Canada #Trump #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
“The mad king of Kyiv: Why Zelensky can’t afford to end the war ”
Looks like it's started....
This is still an opinion column from a not-so-named and institutionalized author. But already in the “most read” section of The Hill.
Two quotes: “It is no coincidence that as Ukraine’s battlefield prospects worsen, as soldiers defect, as forced conscription spirals into something resembling kidnapping, Zelensky has once again extended martial law. No elections. No peace talks. No escape. Because if the war ends, so does his presidency. And this, more than anything, explains why the war must go on.”
And another: “A rational leader would see the writing on the wall, confront the inevitable, and make the painful but necessary choice to negotiate — to salvage what remains rather than reduce the nation to nothing but ashes. But Zelensky has chosen a different path, one so often walked by men drunk on power and blind to consequence. And for that, Ukraine will bleed — until there is no blood left to spill.”
In the past, this would have been called the “Russian narrative.” Now it may become the new narrative already inside the US. Unless it is declared “the narrative of the unelected Elon Musk”.
#USA #Russia #WarInUkraine #FindTruth
@uinhurricane