๐ท๐บ Russian FM Sergey Lavrov is set for Istanbul as backchannel diplomacy intensifies. Meanwhile, ๐บ๐ธ Washington rolls out fresh sanctions on Russia. In Brussels, ๐ช๐บ Ursula von der Leyen is reportedly pushing a โPlan Bโ to sideline Hungaryโs Viktor Orban in EU policymaking. Alex Christoforou unpacks all the latest geopolitical moves and power plays shaping the global order. ๐ฏ๐งฉ
#Lavrov #IstanbulTalks #RussiaSanctions #USRussiaRelations #UrsulaVonDerLeyen #PlanB #Orban #Hungary #EUPolitics #Geopolitics #UkraineConflict #AlexChristoforou #BackchannelDiplomacy #NATO #Brussels #RussianDiplomacy #Washington #GlobalAffairs #TurkeyMediation #EastWestTensions
#Lavrov #IstanbulTalks #RussiaSanctions #USRussiaRelations #UrsulaVonDerLeyen #PlanB #Orban #Hungary #EUPolitics #Geopolitics #UkraineConflict #AlexChristoforou #BackchannelDiplomacy #NATO #Brussels #RussianDiplomacy #Washington #GlobalAffairs #TurkeyMediation #EastWestTensions
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NewsTranscript
00:00This is my video update on this Tuesday afternoon, May the 13th, coming to you from Nicosia.
00:29Cyprus.
00:32Let's talk about some news.
00:36And we have the breaking news, which is that Russian President Vladimir Putin will not be traveling to Istanbul to meet with Churchill number two.
00:52He is not going to be going to Istanbul, as expected.
00:57And going to Istanbul, heading up the Russian negotiating team, because that's how these things work.
01:07You appoint a negotiating team, and you appoint a chief negotiator.
01:13Now, if Olenski wants to be the chief negotiator, that's cool.
01:17But for the Russians, the team is going to be headed up by Lavrov.
01:28Lavrov.
01:29The hardliner.
01:31Lavrov has become a Ukraine hardliner.
01:35The GOAT of foreign policy will be heading up the negotiating team in Istanbul.
01:46accompanying Lavrov will also be the presidential aide on foreign policy, Mr. Ushakov, who has been involved in the negotiations with the U.S.
02:08and Russia over Project Ukraine since Trump stepped into office.
02:16Ushakov and Lavrov, they will be leading the Russian team in Istanbul.
02:23And we were getting hints by Trump.
02:31Trump was hinting that he may be going to Istanbul.
02:36He's currently in Saudi Arabia.
02:39He will be in Saudi Arabia, in the Emirates, as well as Qatar.
02:47And Trump was saying yesterday that, you know what, maybe I will just fly on over to Istanbul and help along the talks that could be taking place between Olenski and Putin.
03:08That is what Trump said yesterday.
03:11His exact quote was, I think you may have a good result at the Thursday meeting in Turkey between Russia and Ukraine.
03:21I believe the two leaders are going to be there.
03:25I was thinking about flying over.
03:28I don't know where I'm where I am going to be on Thursday.
03:31I've got so many meetings, but I was thinking about actually flying over there, Trump said.
03:36Now, when a president visits a country, it's just not a simple trip.
03:45Buy a ticket, book a hotel room, and go visit that country.
03:51Nope.
03:52There is all kinds of security and protocols and all kinds of things that go into a U.S. president visiting a country.
04:03And so it was very doubtful that Trump, on such short notice, was going to be able to visit Istanbul.
04:14It was very doubtful, even if Putin wanted to go, that Istanbul would be ready to host a Putin trip to Turkey.
04:25Preparations for the Green Goblin?
04:28Do you really need to make preparations for Olenski?
04:30Not really, not really.
04:33Olenski actually enjoys just kind of showing up to countries uninvited.
04:39He kind of likes that.
04:40Anything to get out of Kiev.
04:43He showed up in Saudi Arabia when the United States was negotiating with Russia about a couple of months ago.
04:53Olenski just invited himself to Saudi Arabia to try and crash those negotiations.
04:59So, if you're Erdogan, you don't really need to prepare much for an Olenski visit before a Putin visit.
05:06And definitely for the Trump visit, yeah, you have to prepare all kinds of things.
05:12But anyway, Trump was hinting at going.
05:17He believed yesterday that both Olenski and Putin were going to be in Istanbul.
05:24But that is not the case.
05:29Instead, according to Reuters, what we have is Whitcoff and Kellogg traveling to Turkey.
05:40That is what sources are telling Reuters, if you believe Reuters is reporting.
05:48So, Whitcoff going to Istanbul, meeting with Lavrov.
05:55Possibly Olenski will be there.
05:59That's a positive.
06:01Kellogg going to Istanbul, meeting with Lavrov.
06:07I doubt Lavrov is going to want to even see Kellogg.
06:11So, I don't think that meeting would happen.
06:15But I guess Kellogg will be accompanied by Whitcoff.
06:20But that's not good.
06:21Kellogg meeting with Olenski.
06:23I imagine Kellogg's very excited to meet with Olenski.
06:27Isn't there some sort of conflict of interest with Kellogg and Ukraine?
06:32How come no one talks about this?
06:34No one talks about the family conflict of interest that Kellogg has with Ukraine.
06:41No one mentions that.
06:43Anyway, Kellogg is a big-time supporter and friend of Churchill No. 2.
06:51He is also the person that Trump has based his entire Project Ukraine policy and peace plan after.
07:04Much to his detriment.
07:07So, that is what Reuters is reporting.
07:10Whitcoff and Kellogg, possibly in Istanbul, to take part in these negotiations.
07:19The problem with all of this is that Olenski continues to insist that while he will be in Istanbul,
07:30he will only, only meet with one man.
07:35One man only.
07:37The man that, according to Ukrainian law, he's barred from the meeting that is Putin.
07:45Oh, boy.
07:49Crazy, crazy stuff, man.
07:52The one person that Ukraine has said, has passed a law saying that you cannot talk to,
08:01you cannot negotiate with this one person,
08:04just happens to be the one person that Olenski is demanding to meet.
08:08And only this person.
08:10So, Olenski's office,
08:17Yermak, his entertainment lawyer,
08:20he is now coming out with statements.
08:23Since it was revealed that Putin will not be going to Istanbul, no surprise.
08:29But since this has been announced,
08:32Yermak is saying that if Putin refuses to visit Turkey,
08:36then it will be a signal that Russia is unwilling to end the war,
08:43unwilling to negotiate,
08:46and therefore sanctions, weapons, keep the war going.
08:55That is what Yermak is saying.
08:57And we are also getting some early statements since this announcement from the Kremlin
09:02that maybe Olenski will now back out of going to Istanbul.
09:09The reasoning is that Olenski was going to go to Istanbul
09:14because he was expecting to meet Putin in Istanbul,
09:18and only Putin,
09:20and now that is going to be Lavrov and Ushakov,
09:24and Putin is going to be a no-show.
09:29There's no reason for Olenski to now travel to Istanbul.
09:38Can't make this stuff up, man.
09:40I think Olenski is going to show up.
09:42I'll say 60% chance that Olenski shows up in Istanbul,
09:5040% that Olenski backs out,
09:54using the excuse that Putin is not going to be there,
09:57so why should I go?
09:59But now that we have the announcement of Witkoff and Kellogg,
10:03especially Kellogg,
10:04Kellogg being in Istanbul,
10:06the fact that Olenski can travel and get out of Kiev,
10:10I think he'll take it.
10:13He will go to Istanbul.
10:15Most likely he will meet with Kellogg and Witkoff.
10:19He'll say that Putin didn't show up,
10:21so now I expect the United States
10:24to place bone-crushing sanctions on Russia
10:27and to give me more money and more weapons.
10:31And I expect that Witkoff and Kellogg
10:35will take up a meeting with Lavrov and Ushakov as well.
10:40That's probably going to be what happens on Thursday.
10:46But it could change tomorrow.
10:49It could change.
10:49All of this could change by the time I upload this video.
10:53So we started off on Saturday evening, Sunday morning.
11:02We started off with a Russian offer,
11:07an offer from President Putin
11:09for bilateral talks,
11:15negotiations between Russia and Ukraine
11:17without preconditions.
11:20That was the offer from Putin, perhaps.
11:23The final, last offer being made to Ukraine,
11:27being made to the Collective West,
11:28being made to the United States of America
11:30and to U.S. President Trump.
11:32The final offer, the final off-ramp.
11:35That was what Putin announced on Saturday late night.
11:40And we've gone from that
11:42to Alensky demanding
11:47that Putin travel to Istanbul and meet.
11:54That's been the trajectory, the movement
11:57of everything that's happened over the past couple of days.
12:01A serious offer at negotiations,
12:05diplomacy, an off-ramp,
12:08perhaps an end to the conflict,
12:12perhaps Ukraine not losing more territories.
12:16As Aristoviฤ said,
12:18better four, better losing four territories
12:21because today it's four, tomorrow it's six,
12:25then it becomes eight.
12:27Putin made the final offer,
12:29and instead, what did we get?
12:30More demands.
12:32Demand for an unconditional,
12:35for Russia to accept a 30-day
12:37unconditional ceasefire.
12:40A demand that Putin travel to Istanbul.
12:46A demand from Alensky saying
12:48he will meet with no one else,
12:50not Lavrov, not Ushakov, no one,
12:53except Putin.
12:54Demands, demands, demands.
12:57That is what we get from the Collective West.
13:00Never-ending demands.
13:08Unreasonable, ridiculous demands.
13:12Demands meant to keep the war going.
13:16Demands meant to continue to suck in the Trump administration,
13:24to bog down the Trump administration,
13:27and demands to eventually force the Trump administration
13:32to move forward with Trump sanctions against Russia,
13:38which would then 100% mean this is Trump's war.
13:43Once Trump issues those sanctions against Russia,
13:46it officially becomes Trump's Ukraine war,
13:51which will result in Trump's Ukraine loss.
13:56If there's any doubt that maybe this is still Biden's war,
14:04perhaps, perhaps Trump can get out of this.
14:07Perhaps it's not completely Trump's war.
14:11Maybe there's a 5% chance that this is not going to be Trump's war.
14:15The minute he imposes these sanctions on Russia, it's over.
14:20It is Trump's war.
14:22You get the sanctions.
14:23Then you get the weapons.
14:25Trump's then going to have to go to Congress.
14:27Once Biden's drawdown package ends,
14:30Trump is then going to have to go to Congress.
14:33He's going to have to ask for more money.
14:35He's going to probably tell the American people,
14:38yeah, we're going to give Olenski more money,
14:41but we're not really giving him weapons.
14:44We're selling him weapons because of the minerals deal
14:48and the rare earths.
14:50And he's going to try to spin this as best he can
14:52to try and keep MAGA on board.
14:58But once he issues those sanctions,
15:01it's game over, man.
15:04Game over.
15:07Bloomberg is reporting Europe awaits Turkey summit
15:10to push U.S. on Russian sanctions.
15:15So what is Bloomberg saying here?
15:18If Putin declines the meeting with Olenski
15:23or Russia doesn't agree on an immediate
15:27and unconditional ceasefire on Thursday,
15:30European leaders will urge President Trump
15:33to follow through with his threat to sanction Moscow.
15:37They added, so far, the Kremlin hasn't said
15:40if Putin will attend.
15:41Well, now we have the news.
15:42We know that Putin will not attend.
15:45Bloomberg goes on to say,
15:46the Trump administration has prepared options
15:49for the president to put more economic pressure on Russia.
15:53Should he choose so?
15:55Bloomberg previously reported.
15:56In a social media post on May 8th,
15:59Trump said the U.S. and its partners
16:01will impose further sanctions
16:03if the ceasefire isn't respected.
16:06On Saturday, the leaders of the U.K., France,
16:09and Germany thought they had secured
16:12an agreement from Trump
16:14along the lines of his social media post
16:17to back a plan for a 30-day ceasefire
16:20starting Monday
16:20with coordinated U.S. and European sanctions
16:24on Russia to follow
16:26if Moscow kept up strikes on Ukraine.
16:29He could have come out with a statement
16:31today.
16:33He could have come out with a statement
16:34and he could have said,
16:36we've got talks happening in Istanbul.
16:42Zelensky said he's going to go.
16:44I don't know.
16:44He said he's going to be there.
16:46Maybe Putin will be there.
16:48Maybe Putin will not be there.
16:50But Russia's going to send
16:51some very high-level officials.
16:54Very high.
16:54Very high-level officials,
16:56Trump could have said.
16:57Very, very, very high-level officials.
16:59We've done our job.
17:01This is a statement he could have made.
17:02We've done our job.
17:04We got both of the sides talking.
17:07They're meeting each other.
17:09In Istanbul, we're out.
17:11That could have been the statement.
17:13Perfect.
17:14We're out.
17:16Mission accomplished.
17:17We got both sides to the negotiating table.
17:21Our work is finished here.
17:24That could have been it.
17:26Nope.
17:27He's going to send Wyckoff and Kellogg.
17:30Kellogg.
17:31God.
17:33Oh, my God.
17:35So, Mertz, he issued another ultimatum
17:38to Russia.
17:39The 30-day unconditional ceasefire ultimatum
17:44expired yesterday at 12 o'clock midnight.
17:48It expired.
17:50And Mertz came out with another ultimatum
17:56for Russia to accept a 30-day unconditional ceasefire.
18:01Mertz said that if there is no progress in the ceasefire,
18:05by the end of the week,
18:07sanctions against Russia will be strengthened
18:08and will affect energy and financial markets.
18:12German Chancellor Mertz.
18:14So, on May 12th,
18:19midnight,
18:20the collective West,
18:23they didn't hear anything from Russia.
18:25Russia did not say anything about their ultimatum.
18:28Why are they not saying anything?
18:30I don't understand it.
18:32Why is the winning side not surrendering?
18:36It doesn't make any sense.
18:38Why will the winning side not surrender?
18:42Why?
18:44Why is Russia not surrendering on this May 12th?
18:50The winning side always surrenders.
18:52That's the way it goes.
18:54So, they heard nothing from Russia yesterday
18:57and Mertz decided,
18:59tough guy Mertz,
19:00as he was drinking his drink
19:03with his stir,
19:05his stir,
19:07whatever it's called.
19:09Right?
19:09He likes to stir his drinks,
19:11that Chancellor Mertz.
19:14Yeah, as he was having his cocktail,
19:19he said that
19:19if Russia does not accept by the end of the week,
19:26then energy sanctions
19:27and financial markets
19:29sanctions.
19:34Yeah.
19:37Russia.
19:38Russia's going to get more sanctions
19:39by the end of the week.
19:42Yep, everything's been set up
19:43for a big announcement
19:46on Friday or Monday
19:48that the collective West,
19:53including the United States,
19:54will now impose sanctions on Russia.
19:56that's where all of this
19:59is moving towards.
20:03I guess that was always the plan
20:04for the Europeans
20:06and for Alensky.
20:07They just weren't confident
20:08that they would be able to
20:10bring Trump
20:11on side.
20:13Also, Kellogg.
20:14The Europeans,
20:15Alensky and Kellogg.
20:17They weren't certain
20:18that they would be able
20:19to bring Trump on side.
20:20But it looks like they have.
20:23Still not too late.
20:24It's still not Thursday.
20:26Trump does have until Thursday
20:27to tell Wyckoff and Kellogg,
20:29don't go.
20:31Trip is canceled.
20:32We're out of this mess.
20:33It's still not too late.
20:37The off-ramp has been provided
20:39by Putin.
20:40Anyway, Russia responded
20:42to the latest round
20:44of German-EU threats.
20:46By the way,
20:47Germany also said
20:48their foreign minister
20:50also said
20:51that Germany will also
20:54send Taurus missiles
20:56to Ukraine
20:57if Russia does not
20:58agree to the 30-day
21:01unconditional ceasefire.
21:02And we know that
21:04for the Taurus missiles
21:06to be sent,
21:07now this is important,
21:09for the Taurus missiles
21:10to be sent to Ukraine,
21:13we know this as fact.
21:15I reported on this.
21:16It needs the approval
21:17of the United States.
21:18This was a story
21:19that I talked about
21:20two weeks ago.
21:22The U.S.,
21:23because the Taurus missiles
21:24have U.S. components
21:25and parts,
21:27they cannot be transferred
21:28to Ukraine
21:30unless the U.S.
21:31gives its permission
21:32so Germany is now
21:35saying that
21:36they will be sending
21:38Taurus missiles
21:39to Ukraine
21:41and we know
21:43that the U.S.
21:44has to give the approval
21:45for those Taurus missiles
21:46to be sent.
21:47I imagine the guidance,
21:51the satellites,
21:52all of that stuff,
21:53surveillance,
21:54all of those things,
21:54targeting,
21:55is also needed
21:57from the United States
21:58for the Taurus missiles.
22:03Germany is going to keep
22:04everything secret as well.
22:05They're not going to
22:06announce their weapons
22:08shipments anymore.
22:08I think I mentioned that
22:09in a video a couple of days ago.
22:11They're saying that again.
22:12They're coming out
22:13with more statements
22:13saying that
22:14that the Mertz
22:16administration,
22:17Chancellor Mertz,
22:18will not be announcing
22:18the weapons
22:19that he's sending
22:20to Ukraine.
22:23Anyway,
22:23back to Russia's
22:25reply to the various
22:28threats and ultimatums.
22:30The Kremlin said
22:32that the language
22:33of ultimatums
22:34is unacceptable
22:35for Russia.
22:37And the Kremlin also said
22:38you cannot speak
22:39to Russia
22:41in such a language.
22:45All right.
22:46That is the update
22:48on this circus.
22:50The circus that has become
22:52Istanbul.
22:53What should we talk
22:59about next?
23:03Isn't there a saying
23:04in Turkey?
23:05Isn't there a Turkish
23:05saying?
23:07Something about
23:07allowing the
23:09court jester,
23:12allowing a clown
23:13into your court
23:15turns it into a circus?
23:18Some saying like that.
23:19Put that in the comments
23:20down below.
23:21I always forget this saying.
23:22I always forget
23:23how it goes.
23:25But that's what we have
23:25going on in Istanbul
23:27with these talks.
23:31It's become a circus
23:32because they allowed
23:33the clown,
23:34the court jester,
23:35Elensky,
23:36to intervene.
23:39So it's turned
23:40into a complete circus.
23:44Anyway,
23:44I forgot how that phrase goes.
23:46I'm sure
23:47we will have it
23:49in the comments section.
23:51So let's talk
23:52about Hungary
23:53and the EU
23:55preparing various
23:58plans
23:58for
24:00Hungary's
24:03possible veto
24:04come July
24:06of
24:07a 17th
24:08sanctions package.
24:11And
24:11this means
24:13the
24:14continued
24:14freezing
24:16of the
24:16200 billion
24:17plus euros
24:19in Russian
24:19frozen
24:20frozen
24:20assets.
24:21The European
24:21Union is afraid
24:22that Hungary
24:23is not going
24:25to vote for
24:2717th sanctions
24:28package and for
24:29continuing to
24:30freeze those
24:32Russian assets.
24:33And so they're
24:34preparing
24:34a plan B
24:36and a plan C
24:37in anticipation
24:40of
24:41Orban's
24:43no vote.
24:45The Financial
24:45Times is
24:46reporting EU
24:47ready's capital
24:48controls and
24:49tariffs to
24:50safeguard
24:50Russia sanctions.
24:53Alternative
24:53legal options
24:54explored
24:55to circumvent
24:56Hungarian
24:57veto.
24:58The European
24:59Commission has
25:00told national
25:01capitals that a
25:02large portion
25:03of the
25:03sanctions,
25:04including 200
25:05billion euros
25:05in frozen
25:07Russian state
25:08assets could
25:09be moved
25:10onto a
25:10different legal
25:11basis to
25:12circumvent
25:13Budapest's
25:14veto.
25:15Five officials
25:15briefed on the
25:16ongoing discussions
25:17told the
25:18Financial Times.
25:20They don't
25:21really get into
25:22the details of
25:23Ursula's
25:24We've Got
25:25Tools plan
25:26to
25:27bypass
25:30Hungary's
25:32vote,
25:32but they're
25:34saying that
25:35they're talking
25:35about capital
25:36controls and
25:37tariffs,
25:40changing up
25:42the
25:43laws,
25:46the legal
25:47requirements.
25:49I don't know
25:50what they're going
25:50to do.
25:51I don't know
25:51what they have
25:52in mind.
25:54I guess
25:54the 200
25:55billion is
25:56categorized
25:57in a way
26:01that means
26:02every member
26:04state in the
26:05European Union
26:05has to
26:07vote in
26:09order to
26:09continue to
26:10freeze those
26:11assets.
26:12I guess
26:13they're part
26:13of the
26:14sanctions
26:15package,
26:16those assets,
26:16and so it
26:17needs all
26:19the countries
26:19to continue
26:21to vote
26:21to freeze
26:22those assets,
26:23so they're
26:23going to
26:24probably take
26:25those 200
26:26billion and
26:26recategorize
26:29them in a
26:30way that would
26:30not require
26:31every member
26:33state to
26:34vote.
26:36This is
26:36theft, man.
26:38The whole
26:38thing to me
26:39smells like
26:40a robbery.
26:41That's what it
26:42smells like.
26:43An outright
26:44freaking robbery
26:45of 200
26:47billion plus
26:48in Russian
26:49money.
26:50When they have
26:52to start
26:52scheming in
26:53these types
26:53of ways,
26:54these political
26:56elites in
26:57Brussels,
26:57this is
27:00theft, man.
27:01It smells
27:02to me
27:02like theft.
27:06A very
27:07sophisticated,
27:08high-level
27:08theft, or
27:09maybe not so
27:10sophisticated,
27:10and maybe not
27:11so high-level,
27:12but theft
27:13nonetheless.
27:13So, the
27:16New York
27:17Times, they
27:18put out an
27:18article the
27:19other day
27:20saying that,
27:22explaining,
27:23actually,
27:24explaining why
27:26Trump pulled
27:29out of the
27:30conflict that
27:32he had going
27:32on with
27:33Yemen.
27:34The New York
27:35Times' article
27:36has the title
27:37Why Trump
27:37Suddenly
27:38Declared
27:38Victory
27:39Over the
27:40Houthi
27:40Militia.
27:41The militant
27:42group in
27:42Yemen was
27:43still firing
27:44at ships
27:45and shooting
27:46down drones
27:46while U.S.
27:47forces were
27:48burning through
27:49munitions.
27:50Basically, this
27:51article from
27:52the New York
27:52Times is
27:54saying that
27:55the United
27:56States did
27:57not win.
27:58The Houthis
27:58did not
27:59capitulate.
28:01Yemen did
28:01not capitulate
28:02to the United
28:03States.
28:04That was
28:04Trump's spin.
28:05Basically, what
28:06Trump did is
28:07that he avoided
28:08an embarrassing
28:08defeat.
28:10He understood
28:10that the
28:12United States
28:12was not
28:12going to
28:13defeat
28:13Yemen.
28:14He understood
28:15that if the
28:16United States
28:17was to
28:18try and
28:18defeat
28:19Yemen,
28:19that according
28:20to the
28:20New York
28:20Times,
28:21Hegseth
28:22was trying
28:23to get
28:23the Middle
28:25East
28:26countries,
28:26Saudi Arabia
28:27and other
28:28countries in
28:29the region
28:29to take
28:30part in
28:31some sort
28:31of a
28:32ground
28:32war or
28:32ground
28:33invasion
28:33of Yemen.
28:36They said,
28:37hell no,
28:37we're not
28:38going to get
28:39involved in
28:39any of this
28:40stuff.
28:41And that's
28:42when Trump
28:42realized,
28:43man, we're
28:44losing F-18s,
28:46we're losing
28:47drones, we
28:49can't defeat
28:50Yemen like
28:50this, we
28:52don't have
28:52the buy-in
28:55from the
28:57region to
28:58actually
28:59escalate this
29:01to a full-on
29:02war with
29:02an invading
29:03army or
29:04something like
29:04that.
29:05And Trump
29:06pulled out,
29:07man.
29:07and he
29:08spun it
29:09in the
29:10form of
29:11Yemen
29:11capitulating.
29:14It was
29:14all spin,
29:15which I
29:16think we
29:17talked about
29:18and that's
29:19what we
29:19said when
29:20Trump made
29:21this announcement
29:22that this
29:22sounds like
29:23spin.
29:25Sure enough,
29:25according to the
29:26New York Times,
29:27if you believe
29:27the New York
29:27Times, that
29:28is what
29:29happened.
29:30So, let's
29:31move on to
29:32some clown
29:33world territory.
29:35We will
29:35make our
29:36way to
29:36clown world
29:37territory.
29:38Trump is
29:39in Saudi
29:40Arabia.
29:40He is
29:41meeting with
29:42MBS.
29:43This is
29:43going to
29:43be, from
29:45what I
29:45understand,
29:47a trip that
29:48will involve
29:49a whole lot
29:49of deals,
29:52money and
29:53investments
29:54in the
29:56United States
29:57after Saudi
29:59Arabia.
30:00As I
30:00said earlier,
30:01he will
30:01be going
30:02to Qatar,
30:04to the
30:05UAE.
30:08And
30:08there's
30:09video,
30:10actually.
30:10He's
30:10traveling with
30:11Musk as
30:11well.
30:12I think I
30:13saw some
30:13videos on
30:14X, where
30:16Musk was
30:17shaking hands
30:18with MBS.
30:21But it
30:22does look
30:22like Trump
30:23brought a
30:23pretty strong
30:25delegation
30:26with him
30:27as he
30:28meets with
30:29MBS and
30:31the Saudis.
30:33This is his
30:33first official
30:35trip as
30:37President of
30:38the United
30:39States.
30:40The first
30:42official state
30:43visit as
30:44President of
30:44the United
30:45States.
30:46And it's
30:46to Saudi
30:48Arabia, to
30:48the Middle
30:49East.
30:50It's not
30:50to Europe.
30:52He's not
30:53going to
30:53Israel on
30:54this trip.
30:54That may
30:55signal
30:56something.
30:56Maybe not,
30:57but maybe
30:57it does
30:58signal
30:58something.
30:59There are
31:00many reports
31:01talking about
31:02a row
31:03between
31:04Trump and
31:06Netanyahu.
31:08But the
31:09clown world
31:10in all of
31:10this, let's
31:11move on to
31:12some clown
31:12world territory,
31:13is that we
31:15are getting
31:15reports that
31:16while in
31:16Saudi Arabia,
31:17Trump will
31:19be meeting
31:20with
31:20Bizarro
31:22Al-Jolani.
31:24He will
31:25be meeting
31:25with Al-Jolani.
31:28My God.
31:30Oh, boy.
31:31Yep.
31:32Trump will
31:33meet Al-Jolani.
31:35And according
31:36to some
31:39media outlets,
31:42Al-Jolani is
31:43offering
31:44Trump a
31:47Trump Tower
31:48in Damascus.
31:51A Trump
31:52Tower in
31:53Damascus.
31:53He wants
31:54sanctions
31:54lifted.
31:56He wants
31:56U.S.
31:58aid, U.S.
31:59money.
31:59I imagine
32:00U.S.
32:02weapons.
32:03I imagine
32:03Al-Jolani is
32:05going to ask
32:05for many
32:05things.
32:07A man who,
32:08just a few
32:09months ago,
32:10had a
32:11$10 million
32:11bounty on
32:12his head.
32:13He was like
32:14the number
32:15one terrorist
32:16in the world.
32:17Like the
32:17number one.
32:18He was a
32:18top-tier
32:19terrorist.
32:21Al-Jolani.
32:23Al-Sharah.
32:23Now he changed
32:24his name as
32:24well.
32:25Put on a
32:26suit, changed
32:26his name, and
32:27now he's
32:28meeting with
32:28the President
32:29of the
32:29United States.
32:31And he is
32:32going to ask
32:33for money and
32:34weapons and
32:35sanctions relief.
32:37And in
32:37return, he
32:39will build a
32:40Trump Tower
32:40in Damascus.
32:42It's what every
32:43world leader does
32:44when they're
32:45going to meet
32:45Trump, right?
32:46When they want
32:47something from
32:47the Trump
32:48administration,
32:49they're all
32:49saying, I'll
32:50build you a
32:50Trump Tower.
32:51Everyone, I'll
32:52build you a
32:52Trump Tower.
32:53I'll build you
32:54a Trump Tower.
32:58We're going to
32:58have a lot of
32:59Trump Towers at
33:00the end of
33:01these four
33:01years.
33:03Anyway, that's
33:04one clown
33:05world.
33:07Oh, boy.
33:08Politico is
33:10saying that
33:11states that
33:12von der
33:12Leyen faces a
33:14critical test
33:15as EU court
33:16decides on
33:17secret
33:17Pfizer-Gate
33:18texts.
33:20Wednesday, that's
33:21tomorrow, Wednesday's
33:22general court
33:23ruling will
33:23assess whether
33:24the European
33:25Commission is
33:25in breach of
33:26transparency rules.
33:28That's a long
33:29article from
33:29Politico, but
33:31it's actually
33:32pretty, pretty
33:33good reporting
33:34from Politico.
33:38I was shocked,
33:39but they go
33:40into some
33:41pretty, pretty
33:41good detail
33:42on Ursula
33:45and the deals
33:46that she made
33:46with Big
33:48Pharma
33:48during the
33:50COUF,
33:51the whole
33:52COUF
33:53thing,
33:54the whole
33:55COUF thing,
33:56and yeah,
33:58there was a
33:58lot of money
33:59that was
34:01swishing and
34:03swirling.
34:04And not
34:05much transparency
34:06and we have
34:07these text
34:08messages,
34:09which Ursula
34:11seems to have
34:12lost or doesn't
34:12want to turn
34:13over.
34:14She says
34:15she's not
34:15she's not
34:17obligated,
34:18not required
34:20to show these
34:21messages,
34:21which was her
34:23texting,
34:24what's that
34:24dude's name?
34:25I believe
34:25Berla is his
34:26name, the
34:27CEO of
34:27Pfizer.
34:28And we're
34:30going to get
34:31a decision
34:31tomorrow.
34:33If these
34:34texts should
34:34be handed
34:35over, if
34:36they can
34:36find them,
34:37and if they
34:38should be
34:38handed over,
34:39and then we'll
34:39get a clear
34:40view as to
34:41what exactly
34:43was the deal
34:44that was made
34:44between Ursula
34:45and Big
34:47Pharma.
34:47And there's all
34:48kinds of
34:48conflict of
34:49interest that
34:50Politico talks
34:51about with
34:52Ursula, Big
34:54Pharma, the
34:55commission, and
34:56when you dig
34:57even deeper
34:58into this
34:58story, there's
34:58all kinds
34:59of family
35:01connections
35:03between Ursula
35:06and Big
35:07Pharma.
35:08It's a very
35:09tangled web.
35:11And we will
35:12see what the
35:13court rules
35:14tomorrow.
35:16I'm not
35:17hoping for
35:17much, but
35:18we'll see.
35:19We will find
35:20out.
35:20It's an EU
35:20court, so I
35:21don't expect
35:22the EU
35:22court to
35:23rule against
35:24Ursula.
35:26we will
35:27find out.
35:28Another
35:28article that
35:29Politico
35:30published was
35:31that Wanderley
35:32and Metzola
35:33and Costa,
35:34they took a
35:35charter flight
35:36from Brussels
35:36to Luxembourg.
35:37European
35:38Commission
35:38defends the
35:40use of a
35:41private jet
35:41to attend
35:42Schumann Day
35:43celebrations
35:44with Luxembourg
35:45Prime Minister
35:46Luke Frieden.
35:48Yeah, this
35:49was a two-hour
35:50drive.
35:50It's a two-hour
35:51drive, Politico
35:52says, but
35:53Ursula,
35:54Metzola,
35:55the head
35:56of the
35:56parliament
35:56and the
35:57head of
35:57the council
35:58Costa.
35:59They said
36:00that they
36:00were very
36:00pressed for
36:01time and
36:01they just
36:02decided, you
36:02know what,
36:03let's just
36:03take a
36:04private jet.
36:05It's faster
36:05to Luxembourg.
36:08They love
36:09them private
36:10jets.
36:11They really
36:12love them
36:12private jets.
36:13So anyway,
36:14that's the
36:15video,
36:16theduran.locals.com.
36:18We are on
36:18Rumble,
36:19Odyssey,
36:19Bitchute,
36:20Telegram,
36:21Rockfin,
36:21and X.
36:22Go to the
36:22Duran shop,
36:23pick up some
36:23merch,
36:23like what I
36:25am wearing
36:25in this
36:26video update.
36:27The link
36:28is in the
36:29description box
36:30down below.
36:34Take care.