Februrary 13, 2025
Arab Leaders Betrayed the People and America-Israel Won Chaos and Insanity
Dr. Mahboob A. Khawaja, PhD.
Leaders Who could not Lead
Naive egoism and favourite perversion unleash new window of working liberal democracy to make insane cruelty as a value to torture and murder innocent people and occupy foreign lands by force as a Reviria for the American leadership. President Trump is no stranger to being delusional and inconsistent in pronouncements and actions. Ralph Nader (“Underestimating Americans: A Coming Plunge of “Dictator Donald” D.D. Ralph Nader” Global Research: 01/31/2025): https://www.globalresearch.ca/underestimating-americans-coming-plunge-dictator-donald/587912,an American political activist of global fame and integrity describes President Trump as:
Convicted felon Donald Trump has declared war on Americans….He is using illegal executive orders as poisoned spears against just about every program the federal government administers to advance the health, safety, and economic well-being of all Americans…..Trump’s abuses of power can be divided into three categories:Driving to destroy the historic safety net leads to a collective homicide. ...Americans will die or get sick, whether they voted for Trump or not;... Genocide by continuing Biden’s co-belligerency with mass killer Netanyahu and adding support for the expulsion of the remaining survivors in Gaza to their death in the desert. Add these criminal mayhems to the censorship or persecution of anyone who opposes Trump…..Right now, Trump, the failed gambling czar in the White House, and his minions think they are invincible.
There are no intelligent Arab leaders having any moral and intellectual capacity to distinguish between foes and friends except neo-colonial tribal agents living in palaces. Crises are knocking at their door, yet most would prefer a free outlooklacking responsibility and courageous performance. King Abdullah of Jordan was the first to see President Trump and kneeled to coercion agreeing to take two thousand stranded Palestininans to his Kingdom. Trump claims to have Egyptian leader General Sissi willing to consider the besieged masses of Gaza to shelter in Egypt. This is not going to be a reasoned and honest remedy to an already volatile political situation prevalent in Gaza. Hamas claims Israel is not honoring its commitment to the ceasefire terms and would postpone freeing more hostages come saturday. With mediators, it appears to have been avoided. Netanyahu, emboldened by Trump's statement to take over Gaza and turn it into a Reivira stuns the public consciousness keen to see the ceasefire fully implemented in all phases. Leaders of vision and integrity share candid hopes and strength in their thoughts and practices to conform to reality and sustainable future-making. His first foreign visiting leader happens to be PM Netanyahu of Israel – a person wanted by the ICJ-ICC for “crimes against humanity” and “genocide” in wars on Gaza.
President Trump and PM Netanyahu are No Exceptions to Trivility
Edward Curtin (“Palestine Hijacked: How Zionism Forged an Apartheid State from River to Sea by Thomas Suárez-A book review” Global Research: 02/12/25), points out the facts of current affairs: https://www.globalresearch.ca/palestine-hijacked-how-zionism-forged-an-apartheid-state-from-river-to-sea-by-thomas-suarez/5879755:
The Zionist Trump is stating baldly the ultimate goal of the ethnic cleansing of all non-Jews from Palestine, which has been the Zionists’ goal from the beginning and lies behind Biden, who considers himself a Zionist, and Trump’s recent support for Israel’s genocide of the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank…...Treachery of this nature defines the history of all those arrayed against the Palestinians from the start – as today, with Trump being no exception…..
Ralph Nader tells lot more:Trump knows no boundaries, no self-restraint and has often declared that he will do whatever he wants, meaning operating in massive violation of the laws of our land.He is now ruling by dictates that are getting more sweeping and penetrating by the day. He should read a history book. In a letter to the members of the US Congress on “RE: Hamas-Israel-Gaza-Genocide” Nov 28, 2023, he brings histroy to light: https://www.globalresearch.ca/open-letter-members-united-states-congress-hamas-israel-gaza-genocide-ralph-nader/5841682: The Nazis in World War II attempted to conceal the Holocaust fearing legal accountability. Israel’s genocide is unfolding in plain view confidant of impunity, including unconditional callous congressional support and gross misdirection of taxpayer dollars for violence, in lieu of satisfying the critical needs of the American people.
Ethnic cleansing of Palestinains and taking Gaza by force and forcible displacement of 2.5 million people by Trump make media headlines across the globe. It should be a wake-up call to critical thinking and action but most Arab scholars and imams are well paid and well fed and their conscience is deaf silent to support an Islamic humanitarian cause of utmost urgency. Affluent oil exporting Arab monarchs of Arabia fear neither God nor people and have no public institutions of accountability to realize the facts of life. There are no Arab leaders having moral and political integrity to represent the masses and no Arab armies to defend Islam. Simply put, they are puppets and hired agents of Western imperialism.The Saudi, the UAE and others stooges kept silent profile while massacres of innocent embolden Israel to put finishing end to Gaza. The Divine Revelation warned the Israelities- in the Ten Commandments (Torah): Thou shalt not kill' (Exod. 20:13; also Deut. 5:17). Jewish law views the shedding of innocent blood very seriously, and lists murder as one of three sins (along with idolatry and sexual immorality), that fall under the category of yehareg ve'al ya'avor - meaning "One should let himself be killed rather than violate it.
The world needs America for a balancing act but is there a future for democracy in America? History is living and offers lessons for change and reformation of thoughts and practices to those who are open to listening and learning and becoming effective leaders. It does not look much encouraging when you watch President Trump and Netanyahu speaking at the White House. Dr. Binoy Kampmark (“A Thief’s Mentality: Trump, Real Estate and Dreams of Ethnic Cleansing.” Global Research: 02/11/2025), shares his critical insight: https://www.globalresearch.ca/trump-real-estate-dreams-ethnic-cleansing/5879642:
President Donald J. Trump likes teasing out the unmentionable, and the Israel-Palestinian situation was hardly going to be any different.With a touch of horror and the grotesque, he offered a solution to the issue of what would happen to Gaza at the conclusion of hostilities.In a White House press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he declared that the United States “take over and own the Gaza Strip”, in the process promising to “create an economic development that will supply an unlimited number of jobs and housing for people of the area.”The strip, one of the most densely populated stretches of territory on the planet, would be reconstructed, redeveloped and turned, effectively, into a beach resort, “the Riviera of the Middle East…..
Was the “Ceasefire” a Pause for the Continuing War on Palestine?
Cynicism about politicians is always endemic and part of the seamless democratic cultures constantly progressive and often rebuked by social and political entertainment as an after dinner joke.There is always much evil and much good in every society but evil cannot diagnose political tyranny, falsehood and resentment, the cure to evil is honesty, equal justice, freedom of expression, moral values and righteousness to lead and serve the people.
If President Trump had a vision for change, global peace and “make America Great again”, he should know his strengths and weaknesses and be cautious not to foresee the world through the eyes of Netanyahu but come out of the forged perplexities with clarity of his own mind to co-exist with the larger global community. If he believes in making America great again, it would be through peace and not intransigence against Panama, displacenment of Palestinains or occupying Canada or Greenland. He would have to rebuild his own credibility as a leader who can lead despite perpetuated ignorance and rejection of learning from history. Professor Michel Chossudovsky (“Israelﾒs ﾓFake Ceasefire.ﾔ A ﾓPause.ﾔ Genocide, Exodus of Palestinians From Their Homeland”, clarfies that “In the case of Gaza, the objective is “a pause” in what constitutes a carefully planned genocide of which the “End Game” is the Exodus of Palestinians from their Homeland. US-NATO are indelibly behind the genocide project. https://www.globalresearch.ca/israels-fake-cease-fire-a-pause-in-a-criminal-endeavour-a-carefully-planned-genocide-against-the-people-of-palestine/5877453?
It is irrational and repulsive to imagine global brotherhood, peace and happiness to be defined and projected by profligacy, horrors of war, forcible displacement of indigenous people in Gaza and miseries of innumerable multitiudes as the US leadership tends to portray. The Divine message (The Quran: synopsis Chapter 124:26-50), warning to intelligent people is self-explanatory as the life is a trial of human behavior and earth is a trust to human beings to protect its sanctity for all living beings:
In all ages wicked people tried to plot against God’s Way, but they never Succeeded, and were covered with shame, in ways unexpected. The righeous see good in God’s Words and their goal is the Good. Great teachers were sent to all nations to warn against Evil and guide to the Right. The penalty for evil comes in many unexpected Ways; for Evil is against Nature. And all Nature proclaims God’s Glory. And humbly serves Him, the Lord Supreme.
Netanyahu and his extremist ministers want perpetuated animosities to continue under a false pretext of blaming Hamas and people of Gaza for violations of the ceasefire agreement. Despite sketchy illusion of political cohesiveness in his Government, Israeli is a highly paralyzed society fatigued with war and socio-economic crises and according to media, 500,000 Israeli citizens have left Israel since the October 2023 war. The warmongers do not seem to think as normal human beings or to respect the rights and dignity of Palestinian people for a two state solution.Those bombing and causing the catastrophic events to destroy the planet Earth and mankind and all of its treasures and enrichments are not normal human beings. In chaos and delusion, there is always inconsistency and turbulent aspirations to deal with the unknown for security and sustainable future-making. But if the Palestinians and Israelis realize their common goal of peace, security and co-existence, surely respect for equal rights and freedom and tranquility of foresight could be hallmarks and characteristics of God-given natural wisdom for a just peace and conflict management to both parties. There is no time for surprises but opportunities for reasoned dialogue to manitain ceasefire and move forward to peacemaking and reject all vices of intransigence for war and killing of innocent people in Gaza. Viewing objectively the Israel-Palestinian public horizons, masses do not rejoice cruelty, evil, war and bombardments but feel tranquility in friendly neighbourly relations, freedom, human dignity, peace and co-existence.
Dr. Mahboob A. Khawaja specializes in international affairs-global security, peace and conflict resolution and has spent several academic years across the Russian-Ukrainian and Central Asian regions knowing the people, diverse cultures of thinking and political governance and a keen interest in Islamic-Western comparative cultures and civilizations, and author of several publications including: One Humanity and the Remaking of Global Peace, Security and Conflict Resolution, 2019; and Why Wars on Gaza and Ukraine? We, the People Search for Peace and Conflict Resolution, 2025.
Al Mayadeen – February 13, 2025
Gaza captives Hamas' leverage to push 'Israel' back to talks
A senior Palestinian official tells Al Mayadeen that Hamas views the failure to resume negotiations regarding phase two of the agreement as clear evidence of a shift in "Israel’s" position.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is evading engagement in phase two of the Gaza ceasefire-prisoner exchange deal, relying on US support and President Donald Trump's plan to displace Gaza's population, a senior Palestinian official told Al Mayadeen on Thursday.
The official pointed out that the Israeli delegation that arrived in the Qatari capital Doha did not bring any new proposals regarding the negotiations but merely handed over a list of captives still held by the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas.
The Palestinian group views the failure to resume negotiations regarding phase two of the agreement—originally scheduled to begin a week ago—as clear evidence of a shift in "Israel’s" position, which now hinges on disregarding this stage entirely, the official told Al Mayadeen.
However, the senior Palestinian official explained that the captives still held by Hamas are a powerful card, which it maintains in Gaza, thus forcing the Israeli occupation to resume the second phase of negotiations.
Elsewhere, the official emphasized that the United States is exerting no pressure on "Israel" to resume the negotiations.
The current fragile ceasefire agreement is at risk of being jeopardized in recent days, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned on Tuesday that the bombardment of Gaza would resume if captives were not released by Saturday.
His statement matched that of US President Donald Trump, who warned a day earlier that "all hell" would break out if Hamas did not release "all" Israeli captives by Saturday.
Positive atmosphere in Gaza talks, based on our conditions: Hamas
This comes after the spokesperson for the Martyr Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Abu Obeida, announced that the captive exchange set for February 15 has been postponed until further notice, due to the ongoing Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement.
The violations include Palestinians being shot at, tanks trespassing the permitted distance, and preventing the entry of heavy equipment, medical supplies, and caravans.
Hamas had been set to release captives on Saturday in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, but the group now demands that "Israel" fulfill its obligations and compensate for its violations before the process can continue.
Earlier on Thursday, Palestinian sources said Egyptian-Qatari efforts succeeded in overcoming the obstacles that were "hindering the completion of the implementation of the ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement," adding that mediators' communications guaranteed the commitment of the parties involved in the ceasefire.
"The indicators are positive regarding the Israeli occupation's commitment to the ceasefire," Hamas spokesperson Abdullatif al-Qanou' told Al Mayadeen, adding that the Palestinian group is "ready to resume the prisoner exchange next Saturday if the occupation adheres to the agreement."
He emphasized that a Hamas envoy met with Egyptian officials to resolve the obstacles the occupation is placing to collapse the ceasefire agreement, underscoring that the group isn't responsible for the collapse of the agreement and is fully committed to the ceasefire's terms and forcing the Israeli side to adhere by it.
Hamas released a statement saying the discussions were held in a positive mindset and were focused on the importance of applying all the terms of the ceasefire, especially the terms connected to providing shelter, caravans, heavy machinery, and medical supplies.
s://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/gaza-captives-hamas--leverage-to-push--israel--back-to-talks
Al Mayadeen – February 13, 2025
145 Democrats demand Trump retract Gaza 'takeover' comments: Axios
Democratic lawmakers expressed alarm at how a US president would "advocate for the forcible removal and permanent displacement of two million people."
More than two-thirds of House Democrats have signed a letter to President Trump demanding he rescind his "dangerous" statements suggesting that the US "take over" the Gaza Strip, Axios reported.
Trump's remarks have sparked condemnation from members of both parties, with even some Republicans claiming that they are unrealistic and contradict Trump's alleged non-interventionist foreign policy.
At a joint news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week, Trump stated that the United States "will take over," "own,"ﾠand transform the Gaza Strip into the "Riviera of the Middle East."
To make matters worse, he revealed this week that Palestinians would not have the right to return to Gaza, stating of the territory, "I would own this."
In the letter obtained by Axios, lawmakers expressed alarm at how a US president would "advocate for the forcible removal and permanent displacement of two million people."
It was signed by 145 of the 215 House Democrats, led by Representatives Sean Casten (D-Ill.) and Brad Sherman (D-Calif.).
They stated that such a move would "not only be morally indefensible," but would also hurt the US' worldwide reputation, endanger US troops, and potentially lead to more terrorism.
They also believe Trump's remarks "risk jeopardizing the opportunity for the United States to work with our Arab partners" on Gaza reconstruction and a peaceful resolution in occupied Palestine.
Earlier on Thursday, over 350 rabbis, along with other signatories, such as Jewish creatives and activists, signed an ad inﾠThe New York Times condemning Donald Trump's proposal to effectively "ethnically cleanse" Palestinians from Gaza.
Trump’s Gaza gambit is just a continuation of America’s dark legacy
The world’s biggest military and economic power has long been carrying on an interventionist and expansionist agenda. Trump is just the latest leader to toe the same line.
Nadim Siraj
Former US attorney general Ramsey Clark once made a timeless observation about America’s role in world politics: “The greatest crime since World War II has been US foreign policy.”
The truthful statement resonates like never before with the world struggling to come to terms with Donald Trump’s outrageous plot to take over Gaza.
The unpredictable US President surpassed himself when he recently unleashed an atrocious plan that shattered all limits of diplomacy and decency. He proposed the US would take control of war-ravaged Gaza, steer the 2.1 million Palestinians out, and develop it into a ﾓRiviera of the Middle Eastﾔ.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt made feeble firefighting efforts by assuring that it is a temporary plan and there would be no boots on the ground.
But their president brushed the politeness aside, re-asserting that the US ﾓwill have Gazaﾔ for sure. “We're going to take it, we're going to hold it, we're going to cherish it,” he told reporters in the Oval Office.
‘Shocking’, ‘stunning’, ‘unexpected’, ‘unprecedented’ – these are some of the adjectives being used in debates to describe Trump’s impractical plan.
But if one takes a couple of steps back and looks at the larger picture, the Gaza scheme doesn’t really seem surprising.
Hardly surprising
In fact, a close look at the long and disturbing history of US foreign policy shows the contrary – that Trump’s Gaza gambit is actually a continuation of America’s long-term interventionist and expansionist agenda.
Gaza is only an incremental plot in America’s perpetual imperialist mission to meddle, intervene, invade, wage wars, and seize territory in violation of diplomatic decorum.
Recall that during Trump’s presidential campaign build-up and his subsequent election win, Gaza wasn’t a one-off target. He had been shouting out that he wanted the US to absorb or buy Canada and Greenland, and seize the Panama Canal.
Even the tranquil waters around the US aren’t safe from Trump’s geopolitical overreach. The White House recently made Google Maps rename the Gulf of Mexico as ‘Gulf of America’ for domestic users.
A long, dark history
History shows that Trump is only the latest commander-in-chief of a seasoned US imperialist empire that has lumbered from one territorial intervention to another since the start of the 19th century.
According to data from the watchdog World Population Review, the US military invaded as many as 68 countries between 1812 and 2024.
Soon after America’s independence in 1776, the octopus of US imperialism has been spreading its tentacles across continents – fighting official and proxy wars, running overt and covert meddling operations, and grabbing territory.
The history of US aggression and foreign policy has been comprehensively documented in a 2014 book aptly titled, ‘America Invades: How We've Invaded or Been Militarily Involved with Almost Every Country on Earth’.
According to the book, out of the 194 UN-recognised nations, the US has invaded at least 84 of them and has been militarily engaged with 191 – that leaves out just three countries: Andorra, Bhutan, and Liechtenstein.
Let alone what transpired in the 19th century, even recent history – post-World War II – is scarred by brutal US wars and interventions that have left a trail of human rights violations, boots on the ground, and territorial takeovers.
Here’s an interesting walkthrough of a few infamous US foreign policy misadventures since the end of World War II in 1945.
In 1953, the US deployed the CIA in Iran to orchestrate a coup against the democratically elected government of PM Mohammad Mossadegh. In 1960, the US sent the CIA to assassinate Congolese leader Patrice Lumumba for tilting towards the USSR. The CIA itself has proudly showcased its misdeeds in the Congo on its official website.
Then came America’s 20-year-long devastating engagement with the former Soviet Union in the infamous Vietnam War, stretching from 1955 to 1975.
The US expanded the Vietnam War through a ruthless military incursion into Cambodia in 1970. Three years on, America intervened in Chile to prop up the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet in 1973.
Then we witnessed US military domination in full bloom in the 1991 Gulf War in Iraq, the US-led West’s 2001 invasion of Afghanistan, the return of the Gulf War in Iraq in 2003, the toppling of the Haitian government in 2004, the bombing of Libya in 2011, and intervention in Syria in 2014.
The whole point of recounting this messy timeline of US foreign policy belligerence is to understand one simple fact of modern-day geopolitics – presidents change in the White House, but the expansionist foreign policy has remained the same.
Interventionism, then and now
Back then, we had Vietnam, Hiroshima-Nagasaki bombings, Gulf Wars, and Afghanistan.
Today, we have Gaza, Canada, Greenland, and Panama on the cards. Of course, the coming interventions may not involve a bloodbath. However, the hegemonic octopus will continue to hunt for new targets.
It's important to note that Trump’s high-pitched Gaza takeover threat won’t be easy for the world to ignore. That’s because America is – by a long, long way – the world’s most influential bully when it comes to overseas military bases.
Until recently, the US Pentagon reportedly had at least 750 military bases in various parts of the world, covering around 80 countries.
The US invests more in its military than the next dozen countries put together. Most of the US bases are in Japan, Germany, and South Korea.
This perpetual state of an enormous overseas US military presence underlines the clout of modern-day American imperialism. It also explains why Trump’s White House, despite not seeking to unleash conventional wars, has the audacity to claim rights over Gaza and other new targets.
Former US diplomat, the late Henry Kissinger, once wrote – “A new international order is inconceivable without a significant American contribution.”
Unfortunately, for more than 200 years up until now, that ‘significant American contribution’ has largely been hegemonic, unwelcome, and unpleasant.
Trump and his Gaza plot are only one instance in a long trail of Kissinger’s so-called significant American contributions. Sadly, there could be many more to come – during Trump and well beyond him.
Fyodor Lukyanov: Trump’s call with Putin marks a shift in global power
US-Russian relations will now return to their ‘factory settings’, but the key here is the end of Western overreach
The long-anticipated phone call between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump has finally taken place, sending shock waves through the geopolitical landscape. But before anyone gets carried away with triumph or despair, it’s worth recognizing what has actually happened: Russian-US relations have simply returned to their natural state – one of strategic rivalry, conflicting interests, and fundamental differences in worldview.
For decades, the US pursued a fantasy – one where it could reshape Russia in its own image, first through incentives and later through coercion. Washington believed it could mold Moscow into a compliant partner within the ‘liberal international order’, an illusion that only collapsed when reality hit: Russia was never going to be remade. Meanwhile, Moscow spent years trying to find common ground, adjusting its own policies in hopes of reaching a workable coexistence. That experiment, too, ended a decade ago.
The dissolution of the Cold War system in the late 1980s was a historical anomaly, a fluke that many mistook for a permanent transformation. The Western narrative of ‘victory’ was premature – history does not end, it evolves. Over time, the illusion of a unipolar world became harder to sustain, and the global balance of power began shifting. Those who benefited from the old order clung to it desperately, while those who felt shortchanged pushed back harder. Ukraine became the unfortunate fault line in this struggle, the battleground of irreconcilable visions.
What is happening now is not the beginning of a new era but the inevitable correction of an old one. The US, even under Trump’s presidency, has recognized that great power rivalry is once again the defining feature of international politics. But unlike previous decades, when ideological battles masked geopolitical interests, the new competition is more pragmatic, stripped of the pretense of universal values. The liberal world order is no longer a guiding principle – it is a relic of the past.
This shift does not guarantee peace, nor does it eliminate the risks of confrontation. But it does bring a certain rationality back into the equation. The West’s ideological zeal, which often led it to take reckless, counterproductive actions, is giving way to a more sober assessment of power and interests. The focus is no longer on forcing one side to submit, but on negotiating tangible advantages.
Russia, meanwhile, is positioned as a key player in shaping this new world order. The strategic fantasies of the 1990s have been replaced with a hard-nosed realism that acknowledges the limits of Western power. The reset to ‘factory settings’ does not mean stability – it means a return to the fundamentals of global politics, where strength, influence, and calculated diplomacy dictate the course of history.
ByﾠFyodor Lukyanov,ﾠthe editor-in-chief of Russia in Global Affairs, chairman of the Presidium of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy, and research director of the Valdai International Discussion Club.
s://www.rt.com/news/612651-trumps-call-with-putin/
‘It is impossible to bring us to our knees’: Russia reacts to Putin-Trump phone call
Russian politicians, journalists, and experts reacted to the news about the first contact between the presidents of Russia and the US
The phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump which took place yesterday and lasted for an hour and a half, has become this week’s – and perhaps this month’s – top story. During their conversation, the two leaders discussed the exchange of prisoners on both sides, the resolution of the Ukraine conflict, and the possibility of a face-to-face meeting. Here’s what Russian politicians and experts are saying about the conversation between the two leaders.
Third President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev:
The presidents of Russia and the US have talked at last. This is very important in and of itself. The previous US administration cut off all high-level contacts in an attempt to punish and humiliate Russia. As a result, the world was balancing on the brink of the Apocalypse. How did we get there? It just so happened at some point that the US appointed itself the country-in-chief on our planet with the exclusive right to wage a hybrid war against our people, to mete out justice and grant pardons. It was a grave mistake, which nearly wiped humanity off the face of the earth. Nobody attempted something like that before senile Biden’s team. It’s true that we would hold shouting matches with America and sometimes practiced brinkmanship, but nobody slapped personal sanctions on Khrushchev during the Cuban Missile Crisis or on Brezhnev during the conflict in Afghanistan or severed contacts between the heads of state. On the contrary, the leaders kept lines of communication open, which helped resolve crises.
In our small, controversial but highly interdependent world there can be no chief country or planetary ruler. This is a lesson that must be learned by the arrogant American elites and the so-called deep state (US bureaucracy). They need to understand that contacts and consultations are much more valuable than chest-thumping and the desire to see the strategic defeat of a country like Russia. That would be a very dangerous thing anyway because it is impossible to bring us to our knees. The quicker our adversaries realize this, the better.
If they don’t, we’ll get back to where we were. The Doomsday Clock will keep on ticking towards midnight, and then we will surely “behold a pale horse, and the horseman’s name will be Death...”
Vice Speaker of the Federation Council Konstantin Kosachev:
My first impression is that, judging by its length, the conversation was meaningful and engaging, and laid the groundwork for further interactions which will be meaningful and important in their own way.
I believe we’re still far from any breakthroughs – too many issues have piled up, and Trump’s predecessors in the US, along with some politicians who remain in power in NATO countries, have deliberately and maliciously obstructed any progress.
Now all eyes are on how quickly a personal meeting can be arranged, which the presidents agreed upon, and how effectively it can be prepared. Let’s not forget that the negotiations are set to begin “immediately.”
In this situation, there is no room for error on both sides. I believe the two leaders will instruct their negotiating teams appropriately.
The mistakes will rest squarely on the shoulders of Ukrainian and European politicians who provoked the current conflict. They are the ones who will answer to their voters.
Former presidential candidate, journalist Ksenia Sobchak:
Trump, of course, is a totally unpredictable figure and a showman, but there are two key points:
1. He is the president of the US.
2. He has already taken several concrete steps toward Moscow and ending Russia’s Special Military Operation
When, under what US administration, did you last hear Putin talking about the US like that? And vice-versa?
I’m 100% sure that things won’t go entirely smoothly, that’s obvious. And there will certainly be no “territorial exchanges”; Putin will never back down, especially not in public. Refusing to submit to ultimatums is part of his image and character. We’ve seen this countless times.
Moreover, he knows what would happen to the people in the new regions, who already adapted to the change in leadership and citizenship, if the AFU were to return there.
But dialogue has begun, and I am very happy about that. May it all end as soon as possible.
Chairman of the Board of the Foundation for Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club Andrey Bystritsky:
It’s crucial to not jump to conclusions. The gap between the current conversation and a meaningful agreement is large and complex. In this regard, nothing is more dangerous than naivety and superficial thinking, especially given the significant risks and challenges involved.
Academic Supervisor of the Institute of World Military Economy and Strategy at HSE University, Dmitry Trenin:
There is hope that the dialogue initiated by both sides might help Russia achieve the goals of the military operation. However, the ultimate outcome will also depend on the situation on the battlefield. A diplomatic resolution will only satisfy Moscow if it can be perceived as [Russia’s] victory and address what the Russian leadership considers the root causes of the conflict. Let’s not deceive ourselves – the policies of Western nations have already disappointed us many times in the past.
Europe still remains within the sphere of US interests, even though Trump’s team has started shifting its focus toward China, which is quite painful for Europeans. What we see today in US-Russia relations indicates that Trump is eager to resolve a conflict that distracts him from far more pressing matters; an end of the conflict would allow him to concentrate on the Asia-Pacific region – and specifically, on China.
Expert at the Valdai International Discussion Club Andrey Kortunov:
In 2018, a summit took place in Helsinki between the presidents, but it ultimately fell short of expectations: Rather than improving, US-Russia relations continued to deteriorate. The initial contact between the two leaders is necessary, but in itself, it is not enough for a productive dialogue. It seems that Moscow and Washington will send a signal to various bureaucratic structures – diplomats, military officials, intelligence agencies, and possibly even track two experts – to start addressing specific issues that could eventually shape the agenda for a top-level meeting, which will likely require several months of preparation.
The parties will need to seriously work on finding common ground, and while the Ukraine issue is the key point of concern, it is not the only one. This could also include discussions on the Iranian nuclear deal, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the situation in Northeast Asia – an area that the Pentagon has identified as a priority for the new administration.
Daily Sabah – February 13, 2025
Türkiye, Pakistan to strengthen efforts for $5 billion trade target
Pesident Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Thursday he agreed with Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif to intensify efforts to reach a bilateral trade volume of $5 billion (TL 180.53 billion), as he also announced that it reached the highest level of $1.4 billion last year.
"We agree with the prime minister to increase our efforts to reach the target of $5 billion in trade volume," Erdoğan said at a joint news conference with Sharif in Islamabad.
Erdoğan arrived in the Pakistani capital on an official visit on Wednesdayﾠafter visiting Malaysia and Indonesia.
Addressing the long-standing historical relations between the two countries and having the seventh meeting of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council of Türkiye, both Erdoğan and Sharif also delivered speeches at the Pakistan-Türkiye Business Forum later in the day.
The bilateral trade volume between Türkiye and Pakistan reached its highest level in 2024, Erdoğan said in his address at the forum. He said the trade volume rose nearly 30% year-over-year in 2024 to reach $1.4 billion.
"However, we are still far behind our trade volume target of $5 billion. Undoubtedly, we all have a role in realizing our potential," he added.
"In this context, I believe that expanding the scope of our preferential trade agreement and evolving it toward a free trade agreement will lead to a stable and balanced increase in trade volume," the president further said.
"In fact, the joint declaration confirming this intention was signed by our trade ministers today. In addition, it is important for us to develop combined freight transportation, provide diversity in our transportation opportunities, and make progress, especially in road and railway," said Erdoğan.
He also invited Pakistani companies to Türkiye, citing comprehensive investment incentives. "Our Presidential Investment Office will guide you throughout the process," he said.
The president also highlighted Pakistan's potential, its dynamic population of nearly 250 million, noting it was one of the leading countries that are candidates to become one of the major economies of the future.
