World marks 3 years of war in Ukraine; US pushes draft UN resolution

[CRAIG NIGRELLI]

THIS MORNING — LEADERS FROM ACROSS EUROPE AND CANADA ARE IN UKRAINE TO MARK THREE YEARS OF THE COUNTRY’S WAR WITH RUSSIA AS THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION PUSHES FOR THE UNITED NATIONS TO BACK **ITS** THIRD-ANNIVERSARY DRAFT RESOLUTION,  RATHER THAN ONE CRAFTED BY KYIV AND BACKED BY EUROPE. 

VARIOUS NEWS OUTLETS ARE REPORTING THE U-S IS PUSHING FOR UKRAINE TO WITHDRAW ITS RESOLUTION — BUT UKRAINE HAS REFUSED. 

TODAY, THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY IS EXPECTED VOTE ON **BOTH** RESOLUTIONS.  BUT THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ALSO WANTS THE U-N’S MORE POWERFUL SECURITY COUNCIL TO VOTE ON ITS PROPOSAL. 

CHINA HOLDS THE SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENCY THIS MONTH AND HAS SCHEDULED A VOTE ON THE U-S RESOLUTION FOR THIS AFTERNOON. 

THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO RESOLUTIONS IS THE U-S’ DOES **NOT** DEMAND THE IMMEDIATE WITHDRAWAL OF RUSSIAN TROOPS OR IDENTIFY RUSSIA AS THE AGGRESSOR IN THE WAR. 

IN A STATEMENT — SECRETARY OF STATE MARCO RUBIO SAID THE U-S, HAS, QUOTE “PROPOSED A SIMPLE, HISTORIC RESOLUTION TO THE UNITED NATIONS” THAT’S “CONSISTENT WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP’S VIEW THAT THE U-N MUST RETURN TO ITS FOUNDING PURPOSE, TO MAINTAIN INTERNATIONAL PEACE AND SECURITY, INCLUDING THROUGH THE PEACEFUL SETTLEMENT OF DISPUTES.” 

MEANWHILE, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY SAID HE WOULD BE WILLING TO RESIGN FROM OFFICE — IF IT MEANT PEACE IN UKRAINE OR NATO MEMBERSHIP. 

NATO MEMBERSHIP FOR UKRAINE WAS ALREADY UNLIKELY ANYTIME SOON — BUT IT LOOKS EVEN MORE OUT OF REACH SINCE DEFENSE SECRETARY PETE HEGSETH SAID THAT WAS NOT REALISTIC FOR A NEGOTIATED SETTLEMENT TO THE WAR. 

THE UNITED STATES HAS BEGUN SEPARATE PEACE TALKS WITH RUSSIA TO PUT AN END TO THE WAR.   

U-S OFFICIALS SAY SO FAR, THE U-S AND MOSCOW HAVE AGREED TO REESTABLISH DIPLOMATIC TIES AND RESTART ECONOMIC COOPERATION. 

ON SATURDAY, RUSSIA’S FOREIGN MINISTRY SAID PREPARATIONS FOR A FACE-TO-FACE MEETING BETWEEN TRUMP AND RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN WERE UNDERWAY. 

LAST WEEK — THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S SPECIAL ENVOY,  KEITH KELLOGG SPENT TWO DAYS IN UKRAINE,  SPEAKING DIRECTLY WITH ZELENSKYY.

TURNING TO THE MIDDLE EAST — WHERE ISRAEL HAS SENT TANKS INTO THE OCCUPIED WEST BANK FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MORE THAN TWO DECADES,  AND SAYS RESIDENTS WHO HAVE BEEN “EVACUATED” WILL **NOT** BE ALLOWED TO RETURN. 

IT’S THE LATEST MOVE IN ISRAEL’S “OPERATION IRON WALL” — A MILITARY CAMPAIGN THAT LAUNCHED LAST MONTH JUST TWO DAYS AFTER THE GAZA CEASEFIRE WITH THE TERROR GROUP, HAMAS  BEGAN. 

ISRAEL’S DEFENSE MINISTER SAID HE ORDERED THE MILITARY TO “PREPARE FOR A PROLONGED PRESENCE” IN PALESTINIAN REFUGEE CAMPS IN THE WEST BANK FOR THE “COMING YEAR,” AND TO “PREVENT THE RETURN OF RESIDENTS AND THE RESURGENCE OF TERRORISM.” 

PALESTINIAN AUTHORITIES CALLED THE MOVE A “DANGEROUS ESCALATION.” 

THE NEW MILITARY MOVEMENT COMES AS THE CEASEFIRE BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HAMAS GETS MORE TENUOUS BY THE DAY. 

OVER THE WEEKEND, ISRAEL WAS SET TO RELEASE MORE THAN 600 PALESTINIAN PRISONERS IN EXCHANGE FOR SIX ISRAELIS TAKEN HOSTAGE WHEN HAMAS ATTACKED ISRAEL ON OCTOBER 7-TH, 20-23 — BUT IT DID NOT FOLLOW THROUGH. 

ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU SAID THEIR RELEASE WOULD BE DELAYED “UNTIL THE RELEASE OF THE NEXT HOSTAGES HAS BEEN ASSURED, AND WITHOUT THE HUMILIATING CEREMONIES.” 

A SENIOR HAMAS LEADER HAS SAID THE MILITANT GROUP WILL NOT TAKE PART IN ANY NEGOTIATIONS TO EXTEND THE CEASEFIRE, UNTIL ALL THE PRISONERS WHO WERE SUPPOSED TO BE RELEASED SATURDAY,  HAVE BEEN RETURNED.

GERMANY’S PRESUMPTIVE NEW CHANCELLOR SEEMS TO BE MAKING PLANS TO MEET WITH ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU. 

THE TIMES OF ISRAEL IS REPORTING THIS MORNING NETANYAHU’S OFFICE SAID HE HAD A QUOTE ‘WARM CONVERSATION” FRIEDRICH MERZ AFTER HIS PARTY CAME OUT ON TOP OF GERMANY’S ELECTIONS OVER THE WEEKEND. 

THE NEWS OUTLET SAID, ACCORDING TO NETANYAHU’S OFFICE, MERZ WOULD INVITE NETANYAHU TO GERMANY —  WHICH WOULD GO AGAINST THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT’S ARREST WARRANT AGAINST NETANYAHU. 

IN THE HOURS AFTER APPARENTLY WINNING THE ELECTION, MERZ ALSO SAID EUROPE MUST SEEK TO “ACHIEVE INDEPENDENCE” FROM THE UNITED STATES.  THE KEY ISSUES OF THE ELECTION WERE THE STAGNATION OF EUROPE’S BIGGEST ECONOMY AND PRESSURE TO CURB MIGRATION IN GERMANY.  

MERZ IS A CONSERVATIVE BUSINESSMAN WHO HAS NEVER HELD A GOVERNMENT ROLE BEFORE. 

NOW HE’S SET TO LEAD EUROPE’S BIGGEST ECONOMY AND MOST POPULOUS STATE, AFTER HIS CENTER-RIGHT CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATIC UNION AND ITS SISTER PARTY WON ABOUT 29 PERCENT OF THE VOTE, ACCORDING TO PRELIMINARY OFFICIAL RESULTS. 

THE ELECTION SAW A SURGE IN FAR-RIGHT SUPPORT — WITH THE ALTERNATIVE FOR GERMANY – COMING IN SECOND WITH ABOUT 21 PERCENT OF THE VOTE.  

THAT PARTY HAS BEEN SUSPECTED OF EXTREMISM IN THE PAST. 

PRESIDENT TRUMP WEIGHED IN ON TRUTH SOCIAL, SAYING IT LOOKS LIKE THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY IN GERMANY HAS WON THE VERY BIG AND ANTICIPATED ELECTION. 

HE CALLED IT A GREAT DAY FOR GERMANY AND THE UNITED STATES.

“WHAT DID YOU DO LAST WEEK?” — THAT’S WHAT DEPARTMENT OF GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY CHAIR ELON MUSK IS ASKING FEDERAL WORKERS. 

IN AN EMAIL SENT OUT BY THE OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT ON SATURDAY — MUSK TASKED FEDERAL EMPLOYEES WITH DETAILING, **FIVE** ACCOMPLISHMENTS FROM THEIR PREVIOUS WORK-WEEK.  HE SAID ON HIS SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM X — FAILURE TO REPLY WOULD BE TAKEN AS A RESIGNATION. 

THAT SEEMS TO BE AT ODDS WITH PREVIOUS GUIDANCE FROM THE OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT   — WHICH SAID RESPONSES TO SUCH MASS EMAILS WERE “VOLUNTARY.” 

LEADERS AT THE PENTAGON, F-B-I, STATE DEPARTMENT, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY AND DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ALL INSTRUCTED THEIR STAFF NOT TO REPLY TO THE EMAIL,  SOME SAID MANAGERS WOULD HANDLE IT,  WHILE OTHERS TOLD WORKERS, TO WAIT UNTIL TODAY.

SAYING FAIRNESS, JUSTICE, LAW AND ORDER WILL BE BROUGHT TO AMERICA, AND QUICKLY,  PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS NAMED CONSERVATIVE COMMENTATOR DAN BONGINO TO SERVE AS DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE FBI. 

BONGINO WILL WORK ALONGSIDE, NEWLY CONFIRMED FBI DIRECTOR KASH PATEL. 

THE POSITION DOES NOT NEED SENATE CONFIRMATION. 

BONGINO, WHO HOSTS HIS OWN PODCAST, IS A FORMER SECRET SERVICE AGENT AND NEW YORK POLICE OFFICER AND FORMER FOX NEWS HOST.  

BONGINO HAS CALLED FOR MASS FIRINGS AT THE FBI. 

THE FBI DEPUTY DIRECTOR OFTEN RUNS BUREAU OPERATIONS AND OVERSEES SPECIAL AGENTS THAT LEAD THE 55 FIELD OFFICES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. 

A MEMO, OBTAINED BY NBC NEWS INDICATES, THE FBI AGENTS ASSOCIATION WAS HOPING FOR A DEPUTY DIRECTOR WHO WAS PART OF THE BUREAU, AS HAS BEEN A LONGSTANDING TRADITION — ONE WITH QUOTE “OPERATIONAL EXPERTISE AND EXPERIENCE, AS WELL AS TRUSTED OUR SPECIAL AGENTS POPULATION” END QUOTE.  

BONGINO, IS A TRUMP LOYALIST, WHO WAS HIGHLY CRITICAL OF THE 2022 RAID ON PRESIDENT TRUMP’S MARA-A-LAGO RESORT WHICH RESULTED IN THE CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS CASE. 

HE CALLED IT AN ABOMINATION AND SAID MANAGEMENT AT THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, AS WELL AS THE FBI SHOULD BE IMMEDIATELY TERMINATED.

FINALLY THIS MORNING — BASEBALL GREAT ALEX RODRIGUEZ IS NOW IN THE BROADCAST BOOTH BUT HIS ATHLETIC ABILITIES ARE STILL SHARP — EVEN ON A BASKETBALL COURT.  

A-ROD SHOWED OFF HIS SKILL ON THE HARDWOOD SATURDAY,  SINKING A SHOT FROM HALF COURT  — WINNING 10,000 DOLLARS FOR  A BUCKNELL UNIVERSITY STUDENT. 

THE 14-TIME ALL-STAR — WHO WAS AT THE SCHOOL TO TALK ABOUT HIS COMPANY, JUMP PLATFORMS — TOOK THE SHOT DURING HALFTIME OF BUCKNELL’S BASKETBALL GAME AGAINST ARMY… WHICH THE BISON WON 84 TO 53.