Elon Musk there is. The owner of Tesla, X (formerly Twitter) and Space So much so that he was present at the telephone conversation between the tycoon and the Ukrainian president <a href="https://www.world-today-news.com/several-hundred-hasidim-got-stuck-between-belarus-and-ukraine-they-want-to-get-to-the-tzadiks-grave/" title="Several hundred Hasidim got stuck between Belarus and Ukraine. They want to get to the tzadik's grave”>Volodymyr Zelenskyduring which he would do his utmost to reassure the latter that the Starlink satellites would always be available to Ukraine. As good a way as any to say that America will not abandon Kiev. At least, not entirely. Musk, who also participated in the phone call between Trump and Turkish President Erdoğan, then posted a comment on Green light for the strongest. To the invader.
UKRAINE SOLD OUT
Donald Trump intends to present his plan soon – probably at the beginning of February. The draft will remain secret until then, but from what filters through it would in fact lead to a ceasefire on the current lines and then start a negotiation which would effectively recognize the conquered territory from the Russian invaders except for limited concessions – Vovchansk, perhaps a part of the Zaporizhzhia region, perhaps a part of Donentsk – in exchange for the return of the territory that the Ukrainians took in the Russian Kursk region. A band of about ten kilometers on each side from the line of fire would be demilitarized and manned by peacekeeping troops. The plan also stipulates that Ukraine will not join NATO for 20 years and will have to limit its offensive weapons. It would be a real Caporetto for Kiev and Moscow will try to raise the stakes even further. But it can be discussed because the Kremlin hopes in exchange for an end to the sanctions and the rehabilitation of Putin. It is no coincidence that yesterday the Kremlin spokesman, Dimtri Peskov, said that “a phone call between Putin and Trump is theoretically possible”. Let’s say probable.
ELON AND TRUMP DIVIDED ON CLIMATE (FOR NOW)
Trump and Elon Musk have only one point of disagreement, the climate issue. Elon is firmly in favor of a global climate agreement, alternative energy (including nuclear) and, obviously, electric mobility, his business. Trump is a convinced climate denier, but he has already made progress on the electric car; and Musk could influence Trump on renewable energy not so much for their environmental benefits (which Trump cares about zero) but as a tool to counter China industrially. Will he be able to convince Trump not to leave the Paris Agreement, with the excuse that this will allow America “to do a lot of business”? This is what everyone in America and around the world is wondering on the eve of COP 29 which opens on Monday in Baku.
IRANIAN PLOT FOILED
The Justice Department announced federal indictments for three people involved in a foiled Iranian plot to assassinate Donald Trump. The Iranians allegedly asked one of the indicted, Iranian-American Fareh Shakeri, an agent of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, to organize the plan to avenge the death of Qassem Soleimani, the head of the Quds Force. Shakeri is at large in Iran. The other two accused individuals, Carlisle Rivera and Jonathon Loadholt, American citizens, were arrested in New York. Remaining in the Middle East, Trump received a phone call from Abu Mazen, and the two confirmed their commitment to ending the war in Gaza as soon as possible.
“SUSPENDED” CAPITOL HILL
Meanwhile, yesterday evening the news broke that Tanya Chutkan, the judge supervising the case against Donald Trump for the assault on the Capitol, accepted the request of special prosecutor Jack Smith to suspend the ongoing procedures and canceled all pending deadlines in the pre-trial phase. A step linked to the consolidated practice of the Department of Justice according to which a sitting president cannot be prosecuted.
