On the sidelines of a trade and economic discussion with the govt of Kyrgyzstan and the CSTO summit, Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin took questions from media about the Ukraine -vs- Russia conflict.

Now, due to the significance of his remarks, and keeping in mind these responses are in the Russian language, it becomes important for WESTERN READERS to evaluate the translation.  Vladimir Putin speaks in direct terms that are often not understood in western translation, the nuance within the translation is important.

That said, I am going through the remarks; I will share the video and ongoing translation while extrapolating against the known backdrop of communication as shared by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Emissary Steve Witkoff and ultimately, President Donald Trump.

It appears that Russian President Putin is expecting the arrival of a U.S. delegation to Moscow, likely Witkoff, Saturday, Sunday or Monday (early next week).  This aligns with the prior statements of President Trump during remarks aboard Air Force One.

In general, and in the specifically official nuance that Russian President Vladimir Putin is known for, Putin affirmed that Steve Witkoff and Yury Ushakov are key “informal” negotiators. Each emissary from each leader allowed space for plain language discussions.  Witkoff represents the voice of Donald Trump, and Ushakov representing the voice of Vladimir Putin.

Witkoff and Ushakov can meet and discuss the reality of things without concern for the noise of diplomatic stakeholders. Both men are closely trusted advisors of their principals, Trump and Putin.  When the elements of their discussions need to transfer to formal contexts, Witkoff/Trump bring aboard Secretary Rubio while Ushakov/Putin bring in Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.  The official teams transfer the common language objective into diplomatic details.

As to the status of the current conflict from the Russian perspective.  Vladimir Putin was brutally honest and pragmatic in his remarks.

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Delegations from Ukraine and the USA have been holding talks in Geneva on a draft peace plan. No statement has been officially released, but Ukraine and Russia had received the draft 28-point plan aimed at ending the war. President Trump put the general deadline date of Thursday for review.

Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin has said the plan could form the basis of an agreement, but Ukraine and its European money laundering stakeholders have expressed concern. Giving a brief update during discussions, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US and Ukrainian teams had held “probably the best meeting” since Trump returned to office.

Negotiations continued all day with Secretary Rubio noting significant progress has been made and talks will continue into tomorrow. Rubio noted, “we just need more time.” WATCH:

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been using his X Account all day to message with allies and “stakeholders” about the negotiations.  Zelenskyy is the performative face of opposition to the peace agreement and leveraging external pressure to maintain a fight that domestically has lost significant support.

President Trump has expressed frustration with Zelenskyy’s intransigence; however, if the reporting is accurate Zelenskyy has been informed this 26 or 28 point proposal is his last opportunity to negotiate in good faith before President Trump cuts off all assistance to Ukraine.   Secretary Rubio seems very optimistic.

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President Trump confirmed on Fox News (during an interview with Brian Kilmeade) he gave Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a week to review the 28-point peace proposal organized by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.

Ukraine will likely never agree to the proposal, because too many European and American interests are grounded in maintaining conflict between Russia and Ukraine.  However, the shift this time is that if Ukraine/EU/NATO and Congress do not agree to the ceasefire and peace proposal, President Trump has indicated he will withdraw all support.

Axios originally obtained the 28-page proposal, and Politico has confirmed it.

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When Europe goes to war with Russia, they will not require the military to fill out customs declarations as they cross borders within the EU.

Tanks, missiles, artillery and most combat weapons could be exempt from EU customs declarations if the plan by Brussels moves forward.

Additionally, under the proposal most drivers of military equipment may even be permitted to exceed the limits on driving times and rest periods, should the fight against Russia require extended physical effort.

The newly proposed objective is to empower European soldiers to make independent decisions without having to fill out the customary paperwork, requiring prior approval from the European Commission before affixing their bayonets. The EU wants to work out the details before they begin military operations against the Russian Federation.

EUROPE – […] The communication notes that some countries require 45 days of advance notice before allowing military equipment to cross their territory. “Significant barriers to effective military mobility in the EU persist,” the communication notes. “National rules are often divergent, fragmented and non-harmonised.”

[…] “We need to move fast. We need to move faster than what Europe is used to or is expecting to,” Tzitzikostas said, saying the target is to get the basics in place by 2030.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius warned over the weekend that Russia may be capable of launching an attack on a NATO member state as early as 2028-2029.

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President Donald Trump gave U.S. Trade Representative, Ambassador Jamieson Greer, all the tools and leverage needed to bring the Swiss govt to a substantive trade agreement.  The pressure was too much to bear, so Switzerland quickly negotiated a deal.

In the background President Trump’s global trade reset has been seriously damaging for the Swiss industrial economy.  The EU overall, Germany specifically and China, have stopped purchasing precision Swiss industrial machinery.

It’s not the direct tariffs against Swiss precision machinery itself that created the pressure, but rather the tariffs against nations who purchased the Swiss precision machinery.

China was a big purchaser of the Swiss machinery, until Beijing stole enough intellectual property to develop their own precision machining capacity.  Slowly China didn’t need Switzerland.

Germany and the EU economy then began to contract as the Trump tariffs bit hard against their exports to the USA.

Simultaneously, Chinese EV production started replacing more expensive European EV production, and the tooling purchases within the auto industry began contracting within Switzerland.

As things unfolded, the forecast for the future of the Swiss economy started to become very clear; their precision industrial exports were going to continue contracting.  Something needed to change, and fast.

Ambassador Jamieson Greer announces a major free trade agreement with Switzerland {SEE HERE} and the White House provides a fact sheet {SEE HERE}. A joint statement is then released:

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Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has had enough.  The European Union is consistently targeting him for his position against the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and western elements of the intelligence apparatus have been trying to undermine Orban’s government for years.

Against the most recent revelations of direct corruption connected to the government of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Orban says, “enough.”

Prime Minister Orban – “The golden illusion of Ukraine is falling apart. A wartime mafia network with countless ties to President [Zelensky has been exposed. The energy minister has already resigned, and the main suspect has fled the country.

This is the chaos into which the Brusselian elite want to pour European taxpayers’ money, where whatever isn’t shot off on the front lines ends up in the pockets of the war mafia. Madness.

Thank you, but we want no part of this. We will not send the Hungarian people’s money to Ukraine. It can be put to far better use at home: this week alone we doubled foster parents’ allowances and approved the 14th month’s pension.

Anyhow, after all this, we certainly won’t give in to the Ukrainian president’s financial demands and blackmail. It’s high time Brussels finally understood where their money is really going.” [SOURCE]

PM Orban and President Donald Trump are allies and personal friends. No doubt they both spoke about this.

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Secretary of State Marco Rubio holds a press conference with the traveling State Dept press pool following the G7 foreign ministers meeting.

Secretary Rubio was questioned about Russia’s attacks on Ukraine and the EU position against the USA on the narco terrorist strikes toward Central America.  Secretary Rubio sets the record straight.  WATCH:

On Sudan: “The horrifying reports of the massacre of hundreds of Sudanese civilians after the Darfur city of El Fasher was captured by the rebel Rapid Support Forces (RSF) last week were the latest chapter in a brutal conflict that has killed more than 150,000 people over the past two and a half years.” (read more)

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Acting Director of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, Kari Lake, has notified congress that she is ending the taxpayer-funded EU/Globalist operation known as Szabad Europa. This is the Hungarian Language Service at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, funded by the U.S. State Dept and USAID, which has been attacking and trying to destabilize Hungary’s government led by Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

Acting Director Kari Lake sends a Congressional Notification to House and Senate Appropriations Committees, House Foreign Affairs, and Senate Foreign Relations:

[SOURCE]

“It is the position of the Trump Administration that the original justification for adding Szabad Europa to RFE/RL’s programming lineup in 2019 is not aligned with U.S. national interests. This programming has undermined President Trump’s foreign policy by opposing the duly elected Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orban. As you know, Prime Minister Orban was (and is) the leader of Hungary, which is both a strong U.S. ally and a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).”

Mrs Lake goes on to note the U.S taxpayer-funded operations targeting NATO and EU allies will stop.  This is a positive step toward removing the ability of the USG shadow operators to control EU election outcomes.  Brussels will have to pay for their own EU influence operations.

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Hungarian Prime Minister Vikor Orban is one of the few pragmatic EU leaders who understands the dynamics of globalism, nationalism and the conflict therein.  Within the EU collective, Orban is one of the national leaders that are not liked by Brussels.

Additionally, Orban holds a contrary view toward Russia than is held by the majority inside the EU bureaucracy.  Orban has called for a negotiated settlement to end the Ukraine-Russia conflict and restoration of EU relations with the Russian Federation.  Eventually, his anti-globalist worldview is what led former USAID Director Samantha Power to arrive in Hungary and begin the CIA groundwork for Orban’s removal.

Today Prime Minister Viktor Orban and President Trump gave remarks during a White House visit and answered media questions. WATCH:

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Senate Republicans are not going to sit on their hands and watch President Trump and Secretary Pete Hegseth think they control the United States military.

Recent troop movements away from Senate approved military bases in Romania, combined with the Trump administration not pushing advanced weapons into the battlefield of Ukraine, have Senate Republicans planning to take immediate action to control military operations.

Somewhere in the evolution of Presidential authority, the Senate now affirms they alone have the authority to control the organization, priorities, spending intentions and troop deployments from their chambers in Washington DC.

War must be had according to the upper branch of the legislature. The Senate is not going to accept any effort to work around their foreign policy objectives, regardless of these insufferable ‘peace’ initiatives of the White House.

WASHINGTON DC – […] Armed Services Chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) said he’s seen an “unsettling trend” of Pentagon moves that he argues undermine Trump’s stated commitments to NATO and other international efforts — and he singled out Colby’s office in particular. It’s a distinction the Mississippi Republican often makes when criticizing administration policies — President Donald Trump has the right idea, but officials lower down in the administration or Pentagon are going about it the wrong way.

For example, he cited a decision last week to remove a rotational Army brigade from Romania, which Wicker criticized at the time.

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