A high-level diplomatic meeting between USA and Russia has not happened in more than three years. The first goal was to figure out how to talk to each other again, what processes to use and what the consultation mechanism would be for when peace negotiations would begin. That ‘deconfliction’ goal seems to have been achieved.
Additionally, in a very positive sign, both the USA team and the Russian team agreed to return to normal embassy operations, in diplomatic speak “missions,” in both Moscow and Washington DC, that includes staffing support to reestablish contacts and communications. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Adviser Michael Waltz and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff spoke to reporters after their meeting with the Russian delegation in Saudi Arabia.
Pay close attention to the specific words Marco Rubio uses at 14:40 of the video, in the bigger of the big pictures, that is the goal of President Trump and President Putin. WATCH:
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – […] The U.S. team was led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and National Security Adviser Michael Waltz. The Russian negotiating delegation included Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov and Kirill Dmitriev, the head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund.
State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said the U.S. team agreed to establish “a consultation mechanism to address irritants to our bilateral relationship with the objective of taking steps necessary to normalize the operation of our respective diplomatic missions.” Rubio told the Associated Press the two sides agreed to restore embassy staffing as part of this normalization.
The two sides also agreed to appoint “high-level teams to begin working on a path to ending the conflict in Ukraine as soon as possible in a way that is enduring, sustainable and acceptable to all sides,” Bruce said, plus to “lay the groundwork for future cooperation on matters of mutual geopolitical interest and historic economic and investment opportunities which will emerge from a successful end to the conflict in Ukraine.”
“The parties to today’s meetings pledge to remain engaged to make sure the process moves forward in a timely and productive manner,” Bruce added. (read more)
On Monday, the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), which operates the pipeline from the Caspian coast in northwest Kazakhstan to the Novorossiysk port on Russia’s Black Sea coast and carries most of Kazakh crude exports, said that one of its pumping stations was attacked by drones.
https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Russia-Claims-Drone-Attack-at-Caspian-Oil-Pipeline-Hurts-US-Firms.html
Crossfire Hurricane 2: Build Back Terror
https://thefederalist.com/2025/02/17/the-atlantic-admits-the-deep-state-is-a-regime-change/
FTA ““DOGE and its boss, Elon Musk, have … focused their activity on the eradication of the federal civil service, along with its culture and values, and its replacement with something different. In other words: regime change.” This is an open admission that the federal bureaucracy runs our government and that Applebaum considers the constitutional branches of president, Congress, and federal judiciary to be impediments to its rule. It’s directly in line with the views of Woodrow Wilson, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, and other early Progressives, who hated the Constitution’s checks and balances within a separation of powers and designed their administrative state to erase the constitutional portion of our government. Creating this unaccountable fourth branch of government was indeed a regime change, as many constitutional scholars have documented. It was a secret regime change, though, because Progressives such as Wilson and the Roosevelts kept claiming to support the Constitution.”
Another reference to Sundance’s Fourth Branch of government! It appears the Fourth Branch has now become part of the lexicon of conservative writers, pundits and podcasters!!! Godspeed Sundance!!!
It was not a “secret” to anyone who was paying attention. That’s the problem with our society; complacency.
More discussion on the pipeline attack topic here:
https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2025/02/18/watch-closely-zelenskyy-cancels-pre-planned-trip-to-saudi-arabia/
o.0
Russia does not want to face China alone. It is natural for us to maintain good relations.
UK does not want to face US alone.
https://rumble.com/v6ki4pd-did-usaid-conduct-election-interference-with-all-your-campaigns.html
It’s tradition for Monarchists, Marxists, and Maoists to target Americans first.
https://thenakedhedgie.com/2017/08/23/russian-intervention-in-u-s-civil-war-1861-18651/
You have it backwards.
Russia is not facing China alone. Russia and China are together, facing the USA who is alone. It is up to us to reach out to them and foster better relations.
China is for China alone. They care not a whit for anyone outside of China.
They are corrupt, murderous, incapable of innovation so they steal instead.
We’ve engaged with them quite enough for one lifetime and all they did was rip us off.
Russia has never been given a fair opportunity to engage with America. There is definite potential for some good economic relations to be had between us.
The USA is not alone, really.
Every other country on earth needs access to our markets if they want to have any semblance of an
economy.
We are perfectly capable of providing for all of our own
needs. We hold the leverage and common sense.
Rubio was a great choice as Secretary of State. He is clear and precise in the language he uses. Diplomacy is always the better choice; not war. The warmongers who are profiting off the Ukraine/Russia dispute need to be exposed. I trust that Musk, Trump, and DOGE will do an investigation of the billions that were given to the Ukraine war efforts and ensure that ALL monies are accounted for.
If Zelensky does not hold an election within the next three months, then all aid to him needs to be halted. He can cry to the EU and NATO for military support.
Wether or not he does us irrelevant to the issue of “aid”. It needs to stop regardless. At this point it is no more than the robbery of citizens.
Trump is really empowering Vance and Rubio and getting good face time. His leadership shows in delgation, but also strong connections back to Trump’s driving the docterine. I think his delgation is to try to make a lasting legacy in his docterine that will last past just his term (Reagan was a one time anomoly, then back to the Deep Sate with Bush). Trump 45 would have been the same blip. Is he grooming a successor generation? I think he is. Again 4D chess.
The Apprentice: Empire Edition.
Merit determined thru the results of competition. The American Way.🇺🇸
You are correct Trump is empowering Vance and Rubio and they are getting good face time. Yet, given Trump’s style, the real accomplishments and negotiating is being done by those who are not getting the face time. I suspect Rubio is fulfilling an important role; but, is likely the face of the team of individuals accomplishing more than Rubio.
IMO, Rubio is as mediocre as they come. He’s doing well at following orders. But don’t let him on his own.
FEB 18 2025
Senator Roger Wicker :
“Putin is a war criminal who should be in jail for the rest of his life, if not executed.”
FEB 11 2025
He has a bad case of Putin Derangement Syndrome..
They should have warned him about not taking his psych meds.
Hmmmm …. Is he protesting too much?
So is Biden.
It is so nice to see the Secretary of State actually carrying out the President’s policies rather than trying to thwart them like that clown Tillerson did during the previous Trump administration.
Tillerson!! And then Pompeo! 🥴. So much better this time around.
So far… 😉
FEBRUARY 18 2025
Kaja Kallas
https://x.com/kajakallas/status/1891960005227647432
Ya don’t say…
Who in the hell is us?
Dream on, honey!
Rubio is actually impressing me so far.
Well, we’ll see.