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Category: World
February 18, 2025
William Upton
News
War
World

Zelensky Throws Toys From Pram, Cancels Peace Talks Appearance.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky is canceling his expected appearance at peace talks with Russian officials to be held in Saudi Arabia and moderated by the United States. Zelensky instead announced on Tuesday he would depart Ankara, Turkey, where he was holding meetings with Turkish strongman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and head home to Ukraine.

“For Europe, it is fundamentally important that any talks on ending the war do not happen behind the backs of the key parties involved, who are affected by the consequences of Russia’s aggression,” Zelensky said in a press conference on Tuesday in Ankara. He continued: “Ukraine, and in the broader sense Europe, Turkey, and Great Britain, must be involved in the talks and in working out the necessary security guarantees, together with America, that concern our destiny in our part of the world.”

“For a lasting peace, it is important not to make any mistakes. It is only possible when the talks are just,” Zelensky added.

Between the lines, Zelensky’s 11th-hour decision to skip the Saudi Arabia talks is partly due to his desire to bring other pro-Ukrainian countries into the negotiations. Zelensky appears intent on ensuring that the United Kingdom and Turkey are party to any peace discussions, which appears to be aimed at reducing the United States’ influence on these discussions. Zelensky and U.S. President Donald J. Trump have had a strained relationship, with the latter suspecting Zelensky of being unrealistic regarding his country’s position in its ongoing U.S.-sponsored defense against Russia’s invasion.

The National Pulse has previously reported that President Trump and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin have agreed to a series of meetings as the former continues to push the Russians to end their war with Ukraine.

Image by European Union 2023– Source: EP.

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Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky is canceling his expected appearance at peace talks with Russian officials to be held in Saudi Arabia and moderated by the United States. Zelensky instead announced on Tuesday he would depart Ankara, Turkey, where he was holding meetings with Turkish strongman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and head home to Ukraine. show more
February 15, 2025
William Upton
World

Who Controls Gaza? It’s Complicated…

While President Donald J. Trump is proposing the United States take temporary control of the Gaza Strip to clear it of unexploded ordnance, remove ruble, and redevelop the land—and possibly displace the territory’s Palestinian residents—it isn’t clear who exactly the U.S. would be taking the land from. A nebulous series of treaties—some dating to the Ottoman Empire—conflicting land claims, and a breakdown in civil society and governance has left the Gaza Strip a patchwork of private and public landholdings with no apparent governing authority.

Ostensibly, the Gaza Strip—which hugs the Mediterranian coast between Israel and Egypt—is controlled by the Islamist Hamas terrorist group, which seized control of the territory in 2007. Previously, the Gaza Strip—in accordance with the Oslo Accords—was governed by the Palestinian Authority, which also administers the West Bank territory between Israel and Jordan. The Palestinian Authority still maintains that it is rightfully the governing authority in the territory, though it currently has no effective presence there.

Meanwhile, the United Nations (UN) considers the Gaza Strip to be occupied by Israel—a position the international body has held since 1967. A United States move to extend authority over the Gaza Strip would likely have to include agreements with at least three parties who are all hostile towards each other: Hamas, the Palestinian Authority, and Israel.

BUT WHO OWNS THE LAND ITSELF?

When it comes to the physical land of the Gaza Strip itself, it is estimated about half the territory is owned privately, another one-third of the land is considered public but mostly occupied by individuals for private use, and most of the remainder is reserved for Islamic religious institutions. Even then, a large swath of the privately held land is unregistered—with the actual legal ownership unclear.

Complicating matters further is the current state of the Gaza Strip following Israel’s military incursion aimed at removing Hamas. The United Nations estimates at least 70 percent of the structures in the territory have either been destroyed or cannot be safely occupied. Nearly of a quarter million homes are believed to have been leveled, and it is thought that the over 50 million tons of rubble will take decades to clear.

Any attempt to exert governing authority and rebuild the Gaza Strip will face not just tremendous security obstacles—given the radical Islamist presence in the region—but will also face a Gordian Knot of land claims, governance claims, and other disputes, some of which date back centuries.

Image by Palestinian News & Information Agency (Wafa)/APAimages.

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While President Donald J. Trump is proposing the United States take temporary control of the Gaza Strip to clear it of unexploded ordnance, remove ruble, and redevelop the land—and possibly displace the territory's Palestinian residents—it isn't clear who exactly the U.S. would be taking the land from. A nebulous series of treaties—some dating to the Ottoman Empire—conflicting land claims, and a breakdown in civil society and governance has left the Gaza Strip a patchwork of private and public landholdings with no apparent governing authority. show more
February 14, 2025
Jack Montgomery
Immigration
World

Trump Says Vance Is Right, Europe Is Losing Free Speech and Overrun by Migrant Crime.

President Donald J. Trump has backed Vice President J.D. Vance’s “brilliant speech” at the Munich Security Conference slamming Europe’s eroding free speech rights and mismanagement of mass migration, saying, “I think it’s true; in Europe, they’re losing their wonderful right of freedom of speech. I see it.”

“Europe has to be careful,” the America First leader told journalists in the Oval Office. “[Vance] talked about immigration, and Europe has a big immigration problem. Just take a look at what’s happened with crime,” he added.

In some European countries, migrants and their second and third-generation descendants account for a majority of terrorists and an outsized share of criminals. For instance, data disclosed by Germany‘s Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) revealed that migrants are now implicated in 58.5 percent of all violent crimes.

Vance had said in his speech earlier on Friday, “The threat that I worry the most about vis-à-vis Europe is not Russia, it’s not China, it’s not any other external actor. And what I worry about is the threat from within.”

“Europe faces many challenges, but the crisis this continent faces right now, the crisis I believe we all face together, is one of our own making,” he added.

WATCH:

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President Donald J. Trump has backed Vice President J.D. Vance's "brilliant speech" at the Munich Security Conference slamming Europe's eroding free speech rights and mismanagement of mass migration, saying, "I think it's true; in Europe, they're losing their wonderful right of freedom of speech. I see it." show more
Alice Weidel
February 14, 2025
Jack Montgomery
Politics
World

Vance Meets German Populist Leader in Munich, Snubs Far-Left Chancellor.

Vice President J.D. Vance met with Alice Weidel, leader of the Alternative for Germany (AfD), on Friday in Munich, Germany, according to a source familiar with the vice president’s schedule. Vance, in town for the Munich Security Conference, had earlier criticized the German establishment for attempting to shut out the AfD—the second-most popular party in a country where coalition governments are often necessary—as well as European governments in general, particularly for their mishandling of immigration and hostility to free speech.

Earlier this week, Vance also met with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier—whose post is largely ceremonial—and Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Paris, France. However, reports yesterday indicated the Vice President would not meet Scholz in Germany, with a former U.S. official suggesting, “We don’t need to see him, he won’t be Chancellor long.”

Scholz’s Social Democrats are expected to lose badly in Germany’s upcoming federal elections, polling significantly below the AfD. However, the notionally conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), formerly led by Angela Merkel, is expected to place first, though the CDU is more likely to attempt to form a coalition with the Social Democrats and other leftist parties than with Weidel’s populists.

Elon Musk, who leads President Donald J. Trump’s high-profile Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has been vocally supporting Weidel and the AfD ahead of the German elections, saying they are the only party that can save Germany.

Defending Musk’s right to express his views, Vice President Vance has said, “If American democracy can survive 10 years of Greta Thunberg’s scolding, you guys can survive a few months of Elon Musk.”

Image by Olaf Kosinsky.

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Vice President J.D. Vance met with Alice Weidel, leader of the Alternative for Germany (AfD), on Friday in Munich, Germany, according to a source familiar with the vice president's schedule. Vance, in town for the Munich Security Conference, had earlier criticized the German establishment for attempting to shut out the AfD—the second-most popular party in a country where coalition governments are often necessary—as well as European governments in general, particularly for their mishandling of immigration and hostility to free speech. show more
February 14, 2025
William Upton
World

Anti-Trump Style Lawfare Grips Europe as Top Populist Faces Criminal Charges Over ‘Offensive’ Posters.

The Czech Republic’s globalist governing majority has voted to strip populist political leader Tomio Okamura—founder of the Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) party and a member of the Chamber of Deputies—of legal immunity. Consequently, this will expose the Japanese-born Czech politician to prosecution over allegedly offensive campaign posters, with Okamura potentially facing a total of three years in prison.

Reminiscent of the lawfare campaign waged by former President Joe Biden and the Democratic Party against President Donald J. Trump in the United States, it appears the Czech government is seeking dubious legal means to blunt the country’s populist political insurgency. Currently, Okamura’s SPD and the ANO party—both right-wing and populist in ideology—comprise the bulk of the opposition in the parliament—and are just roughly 10 seats shy of holding a majority in the lower legislative chamber.

A series of campaign posts used by the SPD during last year’s Czech elections are at the center of the legal complaint against Okamura. One poster—apparently AI-generated—features a dark-skinned man holding a bloody knife with the caption: “Shortcomings in healthcare won’t be solved by ‘imported surgeons.’” According to the Czech police, the poster violated the law as it incites hatred against migrants and has a “racist and xenophobic undertone.”

Another poster included in the complaint features several Roma—commonly known by the exonym “Gypsy”—huddled smoking cigarettes instead of being at school. The Czech police claim this poster “has a racist undertone aimed at the Roma ethnic group.”

In an interview with the Czech newspaper Deník N, police spokesman Jan Daněk suggested that the parliamentary vote to strip Okamura of immunity likely opens the door to criminal prosecution. “The initiation of criminal prosecution is the most probable outcome,” Daněk said.

Meanwhile, Okamura remains defiant, responding to the immunity vote by stating: “The governing coalition will not silence me. I am facing a political trial.”

Image by Aktron.

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The Czech Republic's globalist governing majority has voted to strip populist political leader Tomio Okamura—founder of the Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) party and a member of the Chamber of Deputies—of legal immunity. Consequently, this will expose the Japanese-born Czech politician to prosecution over allegedly offensive campaign posters, with Okamura potentially facing a total of three years in prison. show more
February 14, 2025
Jack Montgomery
Immigration
World

Vance Tells Germans to Respect AfD and Its Voters.

U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance has called for Germany’s establishment parties to reconsider their policy of shutting out the populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Vance said, “I think, unfortunately, the will of voters has been ignored by a lot of our European friends.”

“It’s really about censorship and about migration, about this fear that President Trump and I have, that European leaders are kind of terrified of their own people,” the Vice President explained to the press ahead of his address to the conference.

Vance struck a similar tone when turning to the question of supposed Russian influence over the European political discourse, saying, “If your democratic society can be taken down by $200,000 of social media ads, then you should think seriously about how strong your grip on or how strong your understanding of the will of the people actually is.”

The AfD is currently the second-most popular party in Germany, projected to place ahead of the governing Social Democrats and their current and former coalition partners in the Green and Free Democratic parties. It will likely place behind the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), a notionally right-wing party that occasionally indulges in anti-mass migration rhetoric but was formerly led by Angela Merkel, who opened Germany to millions of Middle Eastern migrants.

Elon Musk, the tech mogul leading the Department for Government Efficiency (DOGE) for the Trump administration, has previously endorsed the AfD, calling it the only party that can save Germany.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance has called for Germany's establishment parties to reconsider their policy of shutting out the populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Vance said, “I think, unfortunately, the will of voters has been ignored by a lot of our European friends.” show more
February 13, 2025
William Upton
War
World

Secretary of State Rubio Expects Deal With Ukraine to Repay Aid With Rare Earth Minerals.

President Donald J. Trump’s Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, says he expects a deal to be struck with Ukraine to repay American military and economic aid with rare earth minerals mined in the Eastern European country. The acquisition and securing of rare and valuable minerals—critical in the production of semiconductors and other advanced technology—is a top priority of the Trump administration. Additionally, President Trump’s recent overtures to purchase the Arctic island of Greenland partly stem from the U.S. interest in attaining a secure supply of the vital resource.

“Some of that money will go back to pay back the U.S. taxpayer for the billions of dollars that’s been spent there,” Sec. Rubio said in a radio interview on Thursday. The deal, being negotiated at the Munich Security Conference in Germany, could see Ukraine supply the U.S. with hundreds of billions of dollars worth of graphite, uranium, titanium, and lithium in exchange for future American military aid.

“I told [Ukraine] that I want the equivalent [of] like $500 billion worth of rare earth,” President Trump said in an interview aired on Fox News on Monday. Sec. Rubio is joined in Mnuchin by Trump’s Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. The two cabinet officials have led ongoing talks with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, the latter indicating he hopes to finalize an agreement in Munich this week.

Ukraine currently has access to at least 22 of the 50 rare earth minerals considered critical to the American economy and military by the U.S. government. A deal with Ukraine would allow the U.S. to reduce the import of these critical resources from China, currently the world’s largest supplier of rare earth minerals.

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President Donald J. Trump's Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, says he expects a deal to be struck with Ukraine to repay American military and economic aid with rare earth minerals mined in the Eastern European country. The acquisition and securing of rare and valuable minerals—critical in the production of semiconductors and other advanced technology—is a top priority of the Trump administration. Additionally, President Trump's recent overtures to purchase the Arctic island of Greenland partly stem from the U.S. interest in attaining a secure supply of the vital resource. show more
February 13, 2025
William Upton
Economy
World

BREAKING: President Trump Will Impose Reciprocal Tariffs on Countries Taxing U.S. Exports.

President Donald J. Trump is issuing an order to impose reciprocal tariffs on foreign nations that have already instituted their own tariffs on American exports. The proposed tariffs aim to end unfair trade practices that tilt international markets against American companies and products, an issue that President Trump has repeatedly emphasized for decades and argues has undermined both the national interest and the United States economy.

“On trade, I have decided for purposes of fairness that I will charge a reciprocal tariff—meaning whatever countries charge the United States of America, we will charge them. No more, no less,” Trump said during a Thursday press conference at the White House. He continued: “In other words, they charge us a tax or tariff and we charge them the exact same tax or tariff. In almost all cases, they’re charging us vastly more than we change them. But those days are over.”


Notably, Trump says he intends to impose tariffs on countries that have enacted a Value Added Tax (VAT). The European Union’s member states, which use a stringent VAT system, would be the most prominently impacted countries.

Once enacted, the tariffs will target a wide range of goods—though automobiles, manufacturing, and raw industrial materials are among the most prominent products targeted. Already, President Trump has instituted a new 10 percent tariff on goods from China and initiated—but paused—tariffs of 25 percent on goods imported from Mexico and Canada; the latter tariffs are intended to push Canada and Mexico to crack down on drug trafficking across their borders with the U.S.

Critics of President Trump’s tariff plans claim their imposition will increase prices for American consumers. However, The National Pulse has previously detailed that this claim is—for the most part—untrue. Tariffs are paid by the importing company on the cost of the product or good at the point of production. This means a 25 percent tariff—for instance—is on the price at the point of production and not on the sale price consumers see.

Additionally, reciprocal tariffs are intended to level the playing field in international trade by matching import taxes foreign nations have already imposed on U.S. exports.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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President Donald J. Trump is issuing an order to impose reciprocal tariffs on foreign nations that have already instituted their own tariffs on American exports. The proposed tariffs aim to end unfair trade practices that tilt international markets against American companies and products, an issue that President Trump has repeatedly emphasized for decades and argues has undermined both the national interest and the United States economy. show more
February 13, 2025
Jack Montgomery
Immigration
World

One-Fifth of Migrants Turned Away After German Border Crackdown Are Ukrainian.

Government data shows nearly one-fifth of those being rejected at Germany’s newly strengthened borders are Ukrainians. Despite their status as refugees fleeing Russia’s invasion, Ukrainians—who are supposed to enjoy protection and temporary residence across the European Union—comprise 19.1 percent of those denied entry since August 2023, trailing only Syrians at 19.8 percent.

Since October 2023, Germany has reinstated checks at its borders with Poland, Czechia, and Switzerland, adding to existing controls at the Austrian border. By last September, the remaining borders were similarly locked down—undermining the borderless Schengen Area that covers most of the EU, and the Free Movement migration regime which forms a core “pillar” of the bloc.

Around 45,000 people were turned away in 2024 alone, compared to 35,618 the previous year, even as illegal arrivals reportedly dropped. Reports suggest that the reason Ukrainians are so prevalent among those turned away appears to be related to “asylum shopping”—that is, the Ukrainians in question have already been granted asylum in another EU country, but they are seeking to relocate to Germany to exploit its more generous welfare system. The German interior ministry confirmed to Euractiv on Tuesday that such unauthorized moves are a key reason for the rejections.

The Christian Democrats, formerly led by Angela Merkel and expected to win Germany’s upcoming federal elections, have pledged to slash government handouts, arguing they discourage people from working and attract opportunistic migrants.

The figures on the German border situation emerge as U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance arrives in the country for the Munich Security Conference, where immigration is likely to be discussed alongside terrorism, the Ukraine war, and other national security issues.

Image by Markus Spiske.

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Government data shows nearly one-fifth of those being rejected at Germany’s newly strengthened borders are Ukrainians. Despite their status as refugees fleeing Russia’s invasion, Ukrainians—who are supposed to enjoy protection and temporary residence across the European Union—comprise 19.1 percent of those denied entry since August 2023, trailing only Syrians at 19.8 percent. show more
February 12, 2025
William Upton
War
World

Mexico Authorizes Entry of U.S. Special Forces.

Mexico is making further overtures to avert President Donald J. Trump’s imposition of tariffs on exports to America. In  their latest move, at President Claudia Sheibaum’s urging, the Mexican Senate approved on Tuesday the entry of a U.S. Special Forces group into the country, ostensibly to train Mexico’s marines as part of the “Strengthening the Capacity of the Special Operations Forces of the Navy” program.

The training arrangement—which was approved by a unanimous vote—will see a contingent of U.S. military personnel serving as advisors and trainers for Mexico’s marine forces, with a special focus on combating the country’s drug cartels. A similar agreement was approved during the six-year term of Mexican President López Obrador, which saw 11 U.S. military personnel enter Mexico to oversee marine training.

Upon final approval by Mexico’s Ministry of the Interior and the Board of Directors of the Permanent Commission of the Congress of the Union, the U.S. military personnel will oversee training exercises from February 17 to March 28, 2025.

“With the authorization of that legislative body, a delegation made up of 10 members of the Seventh Special Forces Group of the United States of America would enter the national territory, which will carry the weapons, ammunition, material, and special equipment necessary for joint combined training,” President Sheinbaum said. The training will primarily focus on amphibious assaults, aquatic combat, and conventional and unconventional combat tactics.

The move comes as President Trump has increased pressure on both Mexico and Canada to crack down on illegal drug trafficking into the United States. Earlier this month, Trump announced and then paused the imposition of 25 percent tariffs on exports from America’s northern and southern neighbors after both countries indicated they would undertake new measures to curb the flow of illicit drugs.

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Mexico is making further overtures to avert President Donald J. Trump's imposition of tariffs on exports to America. In  their latest move, at President Claudia Sheibaum's urging, the Mexican Senate approved on Tuesday the entry of a U.S. Special Forces group into the country, ostensibly to train Mexico's marines as part of the "Strengthening the Capacity of the Special Operations Forces of the Navy" program.

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