European Clown Car Circus

Another news filled week. The European Chihuahuas came to seek the favor of their master. One snaps at the hand that feeds him, and all four leave with their tail between their legs. EU style democracy doesn't look so good. Calin Georgescu, the populist frontrunner in Romania's annulled 2024 presidential election, was arrested while en route to register his candidacy for the upcoming May election. Perhaps Trump will finally stop all shipments of weapons and money to Ukraine. Sadly that isn't the case with Israel which is now occupying parts of Lebanon and Syria as they continue their expansion in the West Bank. US hypocrisy is on display, J. D. Vance criticizes the EU for their suppression of speech as the DOJ and FBI target pro-Palestine speech. The economy is probably in a recession which looks to deepen. Those stories and more below the fold.

So one after another European visits DC to speak with Trump. First Poland's Duda who was kept waiting for over an hour for an 11 minute conversation. Next up was Macron followed by Starmer both were told the US was exiting project Ukraine.
Starmer US trip fails, humiliated by Trump

(~15 min)

However the real fireworks were Friday with 'elensky's visit. Here's an excerpt if you missed it.

(8 min)

Alex Christoforou did a great job recounting the event in his walk and talk yesterday.
Zelensky MELTDOWN. Trump, Vance; Ukraine has NO CARDS. EU backs Elensky. Kallas fires USA (45 min)

Also Jimmy hosted the Duran and they all discuss the event.
Trump SPANKS Zelensky In White House Meeting! w/ The Duran (15 min)
Zelensky KICKED OUT Of White House! w/ The Duran (7 min)
When Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky traveled to the White House, ostensibly in order to sign a deal with Trump over Ukrainian rare earth metals, few knew what to expect. Yet almost no one would have predicted the fireworks that would ensue as Zelensky sparred with Trump and Vice President JD Vance over the future of the Ukraine War and what the consequences for an abandonment of the effort might mean for the United States
Jimmy and The Duran hosts Alexander Mercouris and Alex Christoforou discuss the dramatically different reception Zelensky has received from Trump compared with the gushing fawning Joe Biden and Democrats showered on him.

As far as I can tell, no treaty of war for resources was signed. The whole concept is a farce anyway. First of all what rare earth minerals exist in Ukraine are mostly within the Russia areas, and secondly there aren't many even there.
Renowned Critical Minerals Expert Jack Lifton Says There Are No Rare Earth Deposits in the Ukraine
(9 min) Jack Lifton, Co-Chair of the Critical Minerals Institute (CMI), discussed the improbability and inefficacy of developing rare earth resources in Ukraine, emphasizing the lack of viable rare earth deposits and the implausibility of making a profitable business case. Lifton stated, "Ukraine does not have any rare earth theme deposits that I'm aware of...It's just a waste to do that," highlighting the non-existence of economically recoverable rare earth elements within Ukrainian sovereign territory. He compared this to places like Inner Mongolia, where rare earths are a byproduct of substantial iron ore mining, contributing significantly to China's status as a major producer of both steel and rare earth elements.
Lifton also elaborated on the geopolitical aspects of the proposed U.S. involvement in Ukrainian mining operations, suggesting that the true intent might be to embed American economic presence as a deterrent to foreign interference, particularly from Russia. He critically noted, "What I think Trump wants to do is make the entire world into a commercial operation benefiting the United States." Lifton dismissed the practicality of investing in Ukrainian rare earth mining as a diversion from more promising opportunities in regions like Canada and Australia, which not only have significant rare earth deposits but also established markets. He underscored the abundance of critical mineral resources in North America, particularly in Canada, advocating for enhanced U.S.-Canada cooperation in developing these assets rather than focusing on geopolitically complicated and economically unviable projects like those proposed in Ukraine.

Ukraine's $500 billion rare earths scam: they don't exist, and we should know better (13 min)
Reports that Ukraine will pledge its vast reserves of rare earth metals and other strategic minerals in exchange for hundreds of billions of dollars worth of loan forgiveness and additional aid have supply chain managers perplexed.
No honest assessment of Ukraine's mineral assets comes anywhere close to the numbers that top government officials claim. The US Geological Survey, and even publications from Ukraine's ministries report only trace amounts of rare earth metals anywhere in the country.
Even were we only to consider non-rare earths, other problems become apparent. Many of those reserves are in Russian hands, and much of the rest can not be commercially mined at current market prices.
The situation in Ukraine is alarmingly similar to Afghanistan, where Pentagon assessments of Afghan mineral reserves dramatically overstated their actual size and market value, while giving war planners additional time and resources to prosecute what was ultimately a losing war effort.

Alex Krainer explains why there was no mineral contract...because it has already been given to the UK. (60 min)

In this episode, Andy interviews Alex Krainer, diving into the complex geopolitical landscape surrounding the controversial Ukraine minerals deal. Krainer unravels the bizarre and intricate saga involving key figures such as Volodymyr Zelensky, Donald Trump, and Marco Rubio, and how the deal has surprisingly taken center stage in global geopolitics. They explore the implications of this deal on the UK's relationship with Ukraine, secret agreements with Britain, and the complex power dynamics involving the United States, Russia, and the European Union. Krainer also sheds light on broader geopolitical strategies, the shifting alliances in Europe, and the potential future of global order amidst changing political tides. This episode provides a deep and insightful look into the realpolitik shaping our world.
01:14 Trump's Involvement and Zelensky's Dilemma
05:58 The British Preemptive Move
07:03 The Secret Appendix and Its Implications
09:51 The Proxy War Dynamics
17:00 The European and British Stakes
22:59 Trump's Strategic Calculations
25:27 The British Appeal to Trump
33:45 Unprecedented Diplomatic Incident
34:03 Questioning the Ukraine Deal
34:55 The Illusion of Ignoring Russia
37:25 Diplomatic Humiliations in Europe
39:08 The Real Axis of Power in Europe
44:58 The Role of Russia and China
57:00 Future of Global Order
01:01:19 Economic Implications and Final Thoughts

Zelensky is a media creation after all, but he now believes he is the character he plays on the world stage.

(3 min)

Trump's clumsy, forbidden truth about Ukraine (11 min)
The Grayzone's Max Blumenthal and Aaron Mate on Trump's explosive claim that Ukraine "started" the war, and how he landed on a forbidden truth.

“A grandiose failure” – take it from the best Ukrainian news site. That’s how Strana.ua has summed up the visit of Vladimir Zelensky, past-best-by-date leader in embattled Kiev, to Washington. And no one who watched the no-holds-barred shouting match between Zelensky, on one side, and US President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance, on the other, can disagree. Indeed, no one is even trying to disagree: Independent of political bias, there is unanimity in Western mainstream media that this was a historic catastrophe for Zelensky and his version of Ukraine. “A disaster” and “bitter chaos” (The Economist); a “meltdown” that “could not have gone worse” (Financial Times); a “historic escalation” (Spiegel); a “disaster for Ukraine” and a “spectacular confrontation” (Le Monde); an “upbraiding” and “debacle” for Zelensky (New York Times) and so on and so forth… You get the gist.

Pepe explains how difficult it will be to bring peace in Ukraine.
Pepe Escobar : The Resistance Gathers (24 min)
His article this week provides more detail.
Baltic/Black Sea power games and red lines intersect in a “strange war”

As it stands, Washington and Moscow remain divided by an abyss.
Mr. Disco Inferno simply cannot make serious concessions – or de facto recognize the strategic defeat of the Empire of Chaos. Because that would seal the Definitive End of Unilateral Hegemony.
Putin for his part simply will not give away the hard-won victories on the battlefield. Russian public opinion expects nothing less. After all Russia holds all the cards leading to a possible negotiation.
The EU/NATO will never admit their own, self-inflicted strategic defeat; hence those Baltic/Black Sea dreams, which carry the extra self-inflicted fantasy of disrupting China’s New Silk Roads as much as “isolating” Russia.

Peace seems to always be a struggle.

Pepe was also on Glenn Diesen's show discussing BRICS+
Pepe Escobar: BRICS versus the Unipolar World Order (51 min)

As Jimmy said in a clip above 'elensky was spanked in DC, but not to worry he's getting an ass kissing in Europe.

(2 min)

All the EU leaders are backing Zelensky (watch Alex walk and talk as he reads all their X posts in support of Ukraine).
Here's a couple of examples...

One after another such fawning comments make it obvious Europe prefers Ukraine to the US.

Of all the clowns in town this week the funniest to me was the EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas. She came to meet with Rubio. After she arrived she was informed Marco had a scheduling problem and wasn't available. After the White House Zelensky melt down she is calling for a new leader of the free world.
Kallas, the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs and security policy and former Estonian prime minister, took to X to express her support for Zelensky, writing, “We stand by Ukraine.”
“We will step up our support to Ukraine so that they can continue to fight back the agressor [sic],” Kallas wrote. “Today, it became clear that the free world needs a new leader. It’s up to us, Europeans, to take this challenge.”

To which Medvedev replied, 'Putin Should Be The ‘Leader of The Free World’
Russian President Vladimir Putin should be the ‘leader of the free world’, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has said. His remarks came in response to the EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, who suggested that the bloc must assume the mantle from the US following Washington’s policy shift on Ukraine. On Friday, Kallas, along with several other EU leaders, reiterated their support for Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky, who engaged in a heated exchange with US President Donald Trump in the White House on Friday. Trump accused Zelensky of not being grateful for American assistance and not being willing to negotiate an end to the Ukraine conflict, while the Ukrainian leader urged Washington to continue its military support for Kiev while warning that failure to do so would backfire on the US.
Kallas took a swipe at Trump, writing: “Ukraine is Europe! We stand by Ukraine. We will step up our support to Ukraine so that they can continue to fight back the aggressor [sic]. Today, it became clear that the free world needs a new leader. It’s up to us, Europeans, to take this challenge.” In an interview with RIA Novosti on Saturday, Medvedev, who now serves as deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, agreed that the title of ‘leader of the free world’ should be transferred from the US to another party, but not the EU. The world “needs one, and he exists. His name is Vladimir Putin,” he said. Medvedev also argued that while EU leaders might try to show some defiance in the face of US pressure, they will ultimately cave in.
“They will make some noise, post identical messages on social media, and return to their pen. Europe is a feeble, quarrelsome old woman who is utterly dependent on US protection.”

EU member states are “incapable of sustaining Ukraine’s military needs, let alone facilitating post-conflict reconstruction, estimated at tens of billions of dollars,” Joseph Siracusa, global futures professor, Curtin University, Perth, Australia, told Sputnik. After the Trump-Zelensky blowout, losing US muscle will be “fatal” for Ukraine, triggering a scramble for power in Kiev and the need to adjust to the reality of being “excluded from NATO though permitted to enter the EU,” he added. Furthermore, “NATO is finished,” the analyst speculated, since the EU’s main military wing is “paralyzed without its transatlantic partner.”

Free Speech?

Germany’s Strict Censorship Regime Is HILARIOUS! w/ Mischa Paullin (2 min)

(110 sec)
At yesterday's Oval Office meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio answered a question about free speech in the U.K.

Perhaps we should deal with our own free speech issues.
Phil Giraldi : The FBI and the Freedom of Speech

(25 min) Phil explains a new task force composed of both the FBI and DoJ are working to target pro-Palestinian speech

In fact Max Blumenthal was harassed as he returned from a trip to El Salvador.
MAX Blumenthal : Restrained at Dulles International for Speech!

U.S. Representative Thomas Massie : Do We Still Have a Constitution?
He and Judge Nap discuss the question (23 min)

It's the Economy, Stupid
If you watched Alex Krainer clip above, you can see how he follows the money to understand what is going on in the world.

GOP Budget Cuts Won’t Stop Economic Collapse! w/ Ed Dowd & Paul Stone (27 min)

Donald Trump and Elon Musk are dramatically reshaping the federal government while the GOP-led Congress has passed a budget resolution to dramatically cut spending while also cutting taxes. What will the impact of these significant moves be on the economy, and will they help forestall an economic collapse driven by the rampant borrowing and money printing of the last few decades?

Treasury Secretary Signals Stock Market Collapse! w/ Ed Dowd & Paul Stone (12 min)

Ed claims we need a recession to get our economy back on track.

There was more news this week, but it will need to wait for the comment section. I hope you will add stories that caught your attention below. Have a great Sunday!