Doug Klain

Trump envoys issue ultimatum to Ukraine to sign peace deal by Thursday Hardline message over US-Russia plan at volatile meeting in Kyiv sparks alarm among European allies

“It is time for the Trump whisperers to start shouting.”

@financialtimes.com reporting that the Trump administration is leaving little room for Ukraine to negotiate. “We are not negotiating details,” Driscoll reportedly said. One official in the meeting called it “nauseating.”

Moment of Zen.

As always, @christopherjm.ft.com has details on the new Witkoff-Russia plan, which sounds the same as the old plan.

"Officials in Kyiv briefed on the plan said it closely aligned with the Kremlin’s maximalist demands and said it would be a non-starter for Ukraine without significant changes."

Putin Will Never Compromise on Ukraine Russia’s president is too committed to his own fantasies to ever accept Ukraine’s independence.

“Washington and its allies must give up the idea that there is some ultimate cost that would force Putin to retreat. That ship has sailed. As such, a new strategy must be identified.”

@cjcmichel.bsky.social argues trying to persuade Putin is pointless, and containment is the only realistic option.

This show won’t go on: America can’t trust Zelenskyy The unfolding corruption scandal compels a reset

Here's something you don't see every day—former Trump admin advisor Steve Cortes takes to @pravda.ua to weigh in on Ukraine's corruption scandal. He also writes that Zelenskyy and Yermak "must reach a reasonable resolution to the war with Russia" or risk losing US support for Ukraine.

The man who shot Al Capone: Jun Fujita’s Chicago – in pictures Disasters, riots, gangsters and construction … early 20th-century Chicago is seen here through the lens of the pioneering Japanese-American photojournalist, poet and artist Jun Fujita

Early 20th century Chicago is seen here through the lens of the pioneering Japanese-American photojournalist, poet and artist Jun Fujita.

Just one example of how our power plants look after a missile strike. 80% of our production capacity just wiped out

Siding with Russia at the UN earlier this year was a terrible choice by the Trump administration that only emboldened Putin to continue his war on Ukraine. The United States shouldn't repeat that mistake.

By giving Hungary a free pass to keep funding Russia's war on Ukraine, President Trump is undermining his own policy of pushing for peace in Ukraine. Hungary isn't trying to wean itself off Russian energy, it *doubled down* on Moscow after Russia invaded Ukraine.

‘You Are All Terrorists’: Four Months in a Salvadoran Prison

This is horrifying. Officials in the U.S. government sent men to be beaten, gassed, drowned, and sexually assaulted. Government spokespeople defend it.

Olena's home was hit by a Shahed and she's asking folks to donate to Ukraine's crowd-funded air defense. On her recommendation I just donated to Come Back Alive's interceptor drone fundraiser and you should too. Find the link for "Dronefall" under her post here 👇

Trump has an opportunity to unblock Ukraine’s EU accession in his meeting with Orbán Getting Hungary to drop its opposition to Ukraine’s European Union accession would be a strategic coup for Ukraine, Europe, and Washington.

If President Trump wants to make progress on ending Russia's war in Ukraine, he should use tomorrow's meeting with Viktor Orban to push for Hungary to drop its veto over Ukraine's EU accession and stop buying Russian energy, writes James Batchik for @atlanticcouncil.bsky.social.

Here's yet another sign that the anti-democratic movement is a global one, with authoritarians reaching out to strengthen each other across national boundaries. It's also a call for democrats across the world to band together.

2 0 2 5 Updates Key Races N.Y.C. Mayor Va. Gov. County Margin Shift from 2024 pres. T Votes Loudoun Spanberger +29 * 12 pts. 164,366 Prince William Spanberger +34 × 16 pts. 161,419 Portsmouth Spanberger +47 * 8.1 pts. 29,956 Washington Earle-Sears +49 * 4.5 pts. 20,927 Louisa Earle-Sears +20 * 6.5 pts. 18,719 Orange Earle-Sears +15 * 9.3 pts. 17,127 Powhatan Earle-Sears +40 * 4.4 pts. 16,957 Pulaski Earle-Sears +38 * 7.1 pts. 12,466 Dinwiddie Earle-Sears +17 ~ 6.3 pts. 11,974 Harrisonburg Spanberger +41 × 15 pts. 11,753 Manassas Spanberger +30 * 16 pts. 11,514 Carroll Earle-Sears +57 ~ 6.1 pts. 11,277 Wise Earle-Sears +59 ~ 4.6 pts. 10,962 Fairfax City Spanberger +45 * 11 pts. 10,232 Fredericksburg Spanberger +43 * 11 pts. 10,191 Salem Earle-Sears +12 6.9 pts. 9,374 King William Earle-Sears +34 * 7.1 pts. 8,999 Russell Earle-Sears +63 * 4.9 pts. 8,860

Every single county in Virginia shifted Blue.

Intent to Destroy: Confronting Russia’s Campaign to Erase Ukraine and Its People - Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security

I'm looking forward to this important conference at
@giwps.bsky.social on Russia's campaign to erase Ukraine and its people. The Kremlin still isn't interested in peace in part because this war isn't just about land or politics—it's genocidal in nature. giwps.georgetown.edu/events/inten...

Yale lab reports mass killings in Sudan, calls for student activism The Humanitarian Research Lab was told this week that over 10,000 people in Sudan were killed within three days.

“Individuals on the ground sent a message that reached us Monday morning that 1,200 were dead,” Nathaniel Raymond, the lab’s executive director, said. “By that evening, they said 10,000. By Tuesday, we couldn’t reach them anymore. We assume our ground contacts are dead.”

You Can't Refuse To Be Scanned by ICE's Facial Recognition App, DHS Document Says Photos captured by Mobile Fortify will be stored for 15 years, regardless of immigration or citizenship status, the document says.

New from 404 Media: you can't refuse to be scanned by ICE's new facial recognition app, according to internal DHS document I obtained. Photos captured by the app are stored for 15 years, including U.S. citizens. We've seen officers scanning faces w/ phones on streets

www.404media.co/you-cant-ref...

The Blue Angels flying over DC today!

It was great to moderate this #UkraineActionSummit panel on why U.S. security assistance to Ukraine is essential (and why it should resume). Thanks to Laura Cooper and @atlanticcouncil.bsky.social’s Amb. John Herbst for joining me!

Credit where it’s due, these sanctions are most welcome and sorely needed. Sanctioning Russian oil just as Ukraine is pounding its production is good policy to help end the war. Better policy is to keep escalating sanctions to make sure Moscow stays under pressure to make peace.

Big day in the Senate as these bills passed through the Foreign Relations Committee:

-Sanctions on China for supporting Russia's war on Ukraine

-Strengthening the REPO Act to transfer frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine

-Designation of Russia as a State Sponsor of Terrorism

Time to pass them!

Trump’s “failure to apply more pressure on Russia is all the more frustrating because Ukraine is making good progress in applying pressure on its own,” writes @maxboot.bsky.social.

Photo of the day.

Here’s something that hasn’t changed: a record 73% of Republicans voters want to see sanctions on Russia and arms to Ukraine. By refusing to act, Trump is flouting his own voters.

What’s next? For Ukraine, its deep-strike campaign is paying dividends by decimating Russian energy production capabilities. Does US support for that campaign continue?

In Congress, pressure is boiling over for sanctions—does the GOP finally move ahead without Trump’s blessing?

Ukraine had a full-court press in DC this week expecting big announcements today—a US-Ukraine drone deal, energy support, maybe even Tomahawks. Putin appears to have successfully dashed those hopes by offering Trump yet more talks. We’ve been here before.

It’s amazing how Trump is convinced that China and others screwed us for years, but think Russia is a good partner.

YouTube video by The White House President Trump Participates in a Bilateral Lunch with the President of Ukraine

Here we go. Trump and Zelenskyy speaking now with press. www.youtube.com/watch?v=pz8n...

Perhaps more important than whether or not the US gives Ukraine Tomahawks is whether it sanctions Russia—if Putin just convinced Trump to oppose congressional sanctions legislation, that's a massive win for Moscow that will prolong the war.

a man is holding a microphone in front of a crowd and says " well it 's groundhog day ... again " ALT: a man is holding a microphone in front of a crowd and says " well it 's groundhog day ... again "

Istanbul, Alaska, now Trump is preparing to meet Putin in Budapest. If he doesn't want a repeat of the last 9 months, it'll require the White House following through on arming Ukraine and sanctioning Russia.