The event opens today in a heated atmosphere Munich Security Conference, with the spotlight on relations between EU and US, defense spending and the start of the peace negotiations in Ukraine. On the sidelines of the meeting, which will see many side meetings, a bilateral meeting is planned between Volodymyr Zelensky and the American vice president JD Vance.
Trump: What He Said About Peace Talks in Ukraine
While in, Donald Trump announced yesterday evening a meeting between American, Ukrainian and Russian officials, who are expected to meet again next week in Saudi Arabia. But Kiev denies, recalling that since 2022, the year of the invasion, Russia has not participated in the Conference. The US president offers a seat at the negotiating table for China, leaving instead, for now, the closed doors to Europe. As for Vladimir Putin, irritation even for the words spoken – according to Bloomberg – from Trump: “I believe Putin when it comes to peace in Ukraine, I would love to have him back at the G7, Russia should sit at the table.”
Ukraine, therefore, does not plan to hold talks with Russia on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. Zelensky's communications adviser said this. The adviser, Dmytro Lytvyn, added that the Ukrainian president believes that the United States, Europe and Ukraine need a common position before starting talks with Moscow. Trump said earlier that U.S. and Russian officials would meet in Munich, and that Ukraine had also been invited. “There are no plans to have talks with the Russians in Munich,” Lytvyn said.
“The EU is very difficult with us, it taxes our companies at levels never seen before. They take advantage of many things”. The US president then announces the reciprocal duties: “They will come soon. The EU has been brutal on trade against us: it has sued Apple and Google”. Trump meets Indian leader Modi shortly after having announced the imposition of duties on cars and more, and states: “If they tax us, we tax them, in the same way”. The Minister of Economy, Giancarlo Giorgetti, announcing measures against the high cost of bills, does not hide his fears for the possible consequences of US duties. Then Trump specifies: “We will work to strengthen trade routes: they will go from India to Israel and Italy, until they reach the United States”, he said in a press conference with Modi. India will buy oil and gas from the United States. China, meanwhile, warns of the 25 percent duties on steel already decided by Trump: “They will have a negative impact on the global steel industry”.
Apple and Google bring back TikTok?
And right up Apple e Google Here comes the news: both restore the Chinese TikTok in their app stores after receiving a letter of reassurance from U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, the agency reports Bloomberg. Apple and Google removed TikTok last month to comply with Joe Biden's law, which called for the sale of the popular app's American operations or its ban. Donald Trump, upon taking office, had instructed the Justice Department to take no action for 75 days, during which the administration would work on a deal.
acherlyte on February 14th, 2025 at 20:31 UTC »
POTUS is compromised
Linny911 on February 14th, 2025 at 20:24 UTC »
Unfortunately he seems too focused on distancing Russia from China but as the circumstances are it's more likely EU is going to be more distant from the US as CCP is going to best fake smiles as if their support wasn't critical to Russia daring to act as it has.
May have been possible before the Ukraine invasion, but it sets a really bad precedent/image and the risk/reward just isn't there anymore.
alpacinohairline on February 14th, 2025 at 19:58 UTC »
The problem with Trump’s Russia push wasn’t just that it was ideologically misguided, but that it would have been a dangerous capitulation to authoritarianism. The G7, after all, represents the world’s leading democracies, a coalition built on shared values like the rule of law and respect for sovereignty. By advocating for Russia’s return, Trump was effectively undermining the very fabric of the group. Not only would it have sent a message that aggression and disregard for international law could be overlooked, but it also risked emboldening Russia’s authoritarian tendencies, particularly at a time when it was actively destabilizing neighboring countries and undermining democratic institutions. Trump’s willingness to disregard these concerns in favor of personal diplomacy was an alarming reflection of how his foreign policy was often driven by short-term gains rather than long-term stability or ethical considerations