Considering Sources,
In accordance with the agreement between the Presidents of Russia and the United States, both sides have committed to ensuring the implementation of the "Black Sea Initiative," which includes:
Maritime security in the Black Sea, The prohibition of force, and
The prevention of the use of commercial vessels for military purposes, with appropriate inspection measures in place to enforce compliance.
The United States will facilitate:
The restoration of Russian agricultural and fertilizer exports to global markets,
The reduction of maritime shipping insurance costs, The expansion of access to ports and payment systems for such transactions.
Implementation Conditions:
Points 1 and 2 will take effect only after:
Sanctions are lifted from Rosselkhozbank and other financial institutions involved in international food and fertilizer trade (including seafood), their reconnection to SWIFT, and the opening of necessary correspondent accounts;
Restrictions on trade finance transactions are removed;
Sanctions on Russian food and fertilizer producers and exporters (including seafood) are lifted, along with restrictions on insurance companies handling such cargoes;
Port service restrictions and sanctions on Russian-flagged vessels engaged in food and fertilizer trade are removed;
Restrictions on the supply of agricultural equipment and other goods essential for food and fertilizer production (including seafood) to Russia are lifted.
Russia and the US have agreed to develop measures for implementing the presidential agreement to ban strikes on Russian and Ukrainian energy infrastructure for 30 days starting March 18, 2025, with the possibility of extension or withdrawal if either side fails to comply. https://english.pravda.ru/
“The United States and Russia have agreed to ensure safe navigation, eliminate the use of force, and prevent the use of commercial vessels for military purposes in the Black Sea,” the statement reads.
The US has also pledged to “help restore Russia’s access to the world market for agricultural and fertilizer exports, lower maritime insurance costs, and enhance access to ports and payment systems for such transactions,” according to the White House. Both Moscow and Washington remain committed to “working toward achieving a durable and lasting peace” to end the Ukraine conflict, it added. https://swentr.site/news/
The most important prompt for reconsidering the maritime cease-fire agreement lies in the terms set by the Russians for its implementation, namely a long list of the sanctions, financial and otherwise, relating to Russian farming, fishing and fertilizers which the U.S. must lift before the cease-fire comes into effect...
Yet, the steps to end the war in Ukraine that we see the Trump Team pursuing in such haste, will turn off the spigot of weaponry to Kiev and work against the sales projections of the arms manufacturers... We see this in the ongoing discussions in Germany about breaking their contract for purchase of the F-35 multipurpose jets. While Europeans are now allocating hundreds of billions of euros for procurement of defense equipment, the emphasis is on placing orders with European defense suppliers, not Americans...
“They will be looking at them, and we’re thinking about all of them right now. There are about five or six conditions. We’re looking at all of them,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Tuesday.
Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky lashed out at Washington later in the day, accusing the US of discussing the issue of sanctions with the Russian delegation without properly briefing Kiev on the matter.
“We did not agree to this so that it would be in a joint document. We believe that this is a weakening of positions and a weakening of sanctions,” he claimed. https://swentr.
By contrast, the US and Russian discussions took over 12 hours in one day. The two sides emerged, with both sides conveying the impression that they’d made progress, but it was too late in the day for them to provide a joint statement as promised. They’d do it the next day. The White House put out its statement on the US-Russia talks.
No joint statement has been provided. (Ruh Roh... misunderstanding, or Ukraine kicking back?)...
Napolitano: Would an American military support of an Israeli attack on Tehran impair American-Russian relationships?
Freeman: It would affect them very negatively because it would appear to demonstrate that we are prepared to bully and use force as a substitute for diplomacy, and that would discredit the diplomacy….I think this would really bring that to a point of no return.
Recall that the US has been laboring under the delusion that Russia would help the US when it is still supporting Ukraine. Bloomberg ran a bizarre article in early March that depicted Russia as willing to “do everything in its power”...
..Before the US resumed its attacks on the Houthis, Marco Rubio called Lavrov and depicted Russia as having “consented”. Lavrov cleared his throat and disputed that characterization, making it clear Lavrov told Rubio the US should negotiate and not use force (I imagine Russia Foreign Ministry also had to make lots of calls to the strong Palestine supporters among its allies to reassure them that no way, no how did Russia support shelling Yemen).
Rumor has it that Trump demanded Iran Do Something in two months. Iran is clearly not going to Do Anything. Many many geopolitical commentators believe that the US is serious about wanting to commence a war against Iran in the near future.
But perhaps not. One way this war might not happen soon, which could mean “not at all”, is the Russia negotiations dragging out, which is certain. Russia will not be rushed and will need the US to demonstrate it can leash and collar Ukraine on key issues. It can’t do that ex a regime change, and it can’t displace the Banderites (they’d find that harder than the Russians would) even if it gets rid of Zelensky.
So a good guess for the rush to get a resolution in Ukraine is the barmy US assumption is that if that deal is done, Russia will be so happy with its better status with the US that it won’t back Iran... But if the Trumpies believe that, it will stay their hand until a deal over Ukraine is done and dusted before they take on Iran. https://www.nakedcapitalism.
Numerous C-17 flights into Diego Garcia. Ten KC-135 tankers to Diego Garcia. An Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine in the Indian Ocean.
Beyond that, Waltz demanded Iran scrap its "weaponization" program, which will be a challenge because Iran does not have one, and US intelligence assessments have repeatedly said Iran hasn’t decided to try to make such a weapon. https://www.zerohedge.com/
“The IC continues to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon and Supreme Leader Khamenei has not authorized the nuclear weapons program he suspended in 2003,” Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard told a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing. https://news.antiwar.com/
The Russian foreign minister spoke to Channel 1 following 12 hours of negotiations between Moscow and Washington in Saudi Arabia https://www.rt.com/russia/
Moreover, the White House nominated an ex-navy staunch advocate for rebuilding the US merchant marine to lead the US Maritime Administration MARAD, suggesting more impetus towards US shipbuilding despite industry complaints about the USTR’s proposed port fees on Chinese-built and operated ships, and quotas for carrying US exports on US-flagged, crewed, and built vessels...
"From 2009 to 2017, I served first as deputy national security adviser for international economic affairs and then as US trade representative. During that time, I consistently warned my Chinese counterparts that the benign international environment that had enabled China’s success would disappear unless Beijing modified its predatory economic policies. Instead, China largely maintained its course of action. If anything, it doubled down on its approach… Without any semblance of reciprocity, the relationship deteriorated… Washington may have forged the open, liberal rules-based order, but China has defined its next phase: protectionism, subsidization, restrictions on FDI, and industrial policy... China’s nationalist state capitalism now dominates the international economic order. Washington is already living in Beijing’s world… The US had to become more like China." https://www.zerohedge.com/
Why are Vance and others implying that 'freedom of navigation' in the Red Sea is for the good of Europe and that it should pay for it? That framing does not fit.
The reason for the Houthi blockade of the Red Sea is the Zionist genocide in Gaza. Israel is the country most hurt by the stop of sea traffic to its harbors. The closure of the Red Sea has increased ocean transport cost for a container from $2,000 to $8,000 for everyone, including the U.S., because the transport around Africa takes longer and has led to a shortage of container ships. https://www.moonofalabama.
If you are not familiar with Signal, you create a group chat by naming a group and then adding members from your list of contacts...
..This was not a leak. This was a gift to Goldberg. While the contents of the chat are not officially classified, the information being discussed was operationally sensitive. The chat exposed most of the Trump team as shallow and dismissive of the military and diplomatic implications of the decision to start bombing Yemen.
If Waltz and company wanted to discuss the pros and cons of bombing Yemen, he should have convened a Secure Video Conference, aka SVTC (pronounced, CIVITS).
Pete Hegseth’s remarks to the press, responding to the Goldberg article, makes a solid case that he is not qualified to serve as Secretary of Defense. Instead of admitting that this was a fuckup on the part of Waltz, he decided to attack Goldberg. Moreover, he pretends that the US was hitting hardened, military targets. That is a lie... While I agree with Hegseth that Goldberg is a partisan hack, Goldberg did not insinuate himself into the chat or steal the material. Waltz, or one of his staff, did that...
..The portion of the chat that Goldberg published shows that JD Vance is not a Zionist crazy. He at least had reservations about the plan to bomb Yemen. The same cannot be said for the others — Pete Hegseth in particular. The following snippets from Goldberg’s article makes it clear that the decision to bomb was not based on some actual provocation or attack by Yemen. Nope, it was a malevolent symbolic gesture:
The account labeled “JD Vance” responded at 8:16: “Team, I am out for the day doing an economic event in Michigan. But I think we are making a mistake.” (Vance was indeed in Michigan that day.) The Vance account goes on to state, “3 percent of US trade runs through the suez. 40 percent of European trade does. There is a real risk that the public doesn’t understand this or why it’s necessary. The strongest reason to do this is, as POTUS said, to send a message.”
The Vance account then goes on to make a noteworthy statement, considering that the vice president has not deviated publicly from Trump’s position on virtually any issue. “I am not sure the president is aware how inconsistent this is with his message on Europe right now. There’s a further risk that we see a moderate to severe spike in oil prices. I am willing to support the consensus of the team and keep these concerns to myself. But there is a strong argument for delaying this a month, doing the messaging work on why this matters, seeing where the economy is, etc.”
The account identified as “JD Vance” addressed a message at 8:45 to @Pete Hegseth: “if you think we should do it let’s go. I just hate bailing Europe out again.” ... Hegseth’s counter to Vance’s concern that the American public won’t understand why were bombing the shit out of another faraway country is this:
“Nobody [in America] knows who the Houthis are, so [we can just say] Biden failed and Iran funded them.”
Well, guess what, boys and girls? Trump failed, just like Biden. The bombings over the last nine days have not deterred the Houthis from renewing their attacks on ships and Israel. And it has put US naval vessels in harm’s way without a good reason. Hegseth gives the game away… this is about blaming Iran. https://sonar21.com/it-wasnt-
“Excellent,” Vice President JD Vance responded.
“Great job all,” said Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
“Kudos to all — most particularly those in theater and CENTCOM! Really Great. God bless,” said White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.
“Great work and effects!” replied intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard.
Waltz and Trump’s middle east envoy Steve Witkoff are seen posting numerous celebratory emojis.
Imagine how fucked up you have to be inside to react this way to the bombing of an apartment building full of civilians. How far gone you have to be as a human being. These are the kinds of freaks who rule our world...
The US’s airstrikes on Yemen have reportedly killed dozens of civilians, with the US twice bombing a cancer hospital. https://truthout.org/
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said most aid access requests are denied, preventing fuel deliveries and supply retrieval. https://trt.global/world/
Fate of 9 paramedics remains unclear after Israeli forces targeted them during rescue operation in Rafah https://www.aa.com.tr/en/
The Trump administration's new "Joint Task Force October 7" appears to be yet another weapon in the White House's war on Palestine activism. https://mondoweiss.net/2025/
Ballal was detained from his home in the village of Susya in the occupied West Bank, after settlers attacked it yesterday. The settlers not only beat him, but they vandalised his property, shattered his car windows and slashed his tyres. https://www.
Hossam Shabat and Mohammad Mansour were the latest Palestinian journalists to be assassinated in Gaza. Responsibility for their killings rests in part on their Western colleagues who have failed to accurately cover Israel's genocidal assault. https://mondoweiss.net/2025/
The New York Times reports:
“The student, Yunseo Chung, is a legal permanent resident and junior who has participated in pro-Palestinian demonstrations at the school. The Trump administration is arguing that her presence in the United States hinders the administration’s foreign policy agenda of halting the spread of antisemitism.” https://www.caitlinjohnst.
On the other side, counter-protestors against peaceful Tesla protestors protected under the US Constitution are also getting violent. https://electrek.co/2025/03/