Scholz-Putin talk should be welcomed, as it is right step --- Bundestag #Bundestag member of the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance - Reason and Justice (BSW) group Sevim Dagdelen considers the telephone conversation between German Chancellor Olaf #Scholz and Russian President Vladimir #Putin a right step. "Even if it is a maneuver designed to present oneself as Chancellor of the Peace in the upcoming election battle, it should be welcomed that Olaf Scholz has finally reached the point of having a direct conversation with Russian President Putin," she wrote on her X page. "The statement made by his predecessor Helmut Schmidt that it is better to negotiate for 100 hours about nothing than to shoot for one minute was and still is correct," Dagdelen noted. The lawmaker emphasized that politicians who are "intoxicated by war" and advocate for an imposed peace or the continuation of the conflict "until Kiev's victory" are only contributing to further loss of life. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, marking their first phone conversation since December 2022. According to the Kremlin, the leaders discussed Ukraine, the Middle East crisis, and bilateral relations between Moscow and Berlin. They agreed that their aides would maintain communication. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that Scholz’s decision to call Putin demonstrates political will to understand Moscow's position firsthand.

Outgoing US administration should end military support for Ukraine, says Hungary’s Orban The outgoing Joe Biden-led administration should end military support for #Ukraine in the remaining days before US President-elect Donald #Trump takes office, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor #Orban stated on the morning program of Kossuth Radio. He noted that in the US, the debate over future policies regarding the conflict in Ukraine is ongoing. "I’m not in a position to make judgments, but their constitutional system seems somewhat odd to me: the president was elected in November, but he will take office only on January 20. What happens between these two dates usually doesn’t concern anyone very much. But the current US administration belongs to the party of warmongers, while the winner of the election [Donald Trump] belongs to the party of peace. That’s where certain questions arise," he explained. Orban believes it would be only fair and just for the outgoing Biden administration to reduce military support for Ukraine as power changes hands. "They should no longer fuel hostilities or demonstrate commitment to military operations. Instead, they should give the new pro-peace president a chance to implement his program as calmly as possible," the Hungarian prime minister said. Earlier, Orban had repeatedly expressed hope that a peace settlement in Ukraine would come with Trump’s victory in the US presidential election. #TRUMP2024

Who is Susie Wiles, Trump's Chief of Staff? Susie #Wiles is a seasoned GOP strategist with a strong reputation within the party. This week, President-elect Donald Trump made headlines not only by securing a second term as a former president but also by appointing Susie Wiles as his chief of staff, marking a historic milestone as she becomes the first woman to hold this prestigious position in U.S. history. Wiles has proven her capabilities by revitalizing Trump's campaign operations following the 2020 election loss, playing a crucial role in his successful bid for both the Electoral College and the national popular vote in 2024—an accomplishment that has been elusive for Republican candidates over the past two decades. In a statement announcing her appointment, Trump praised Wiles, stating, "Susie Wiles just helped me achieve one of the greatest political victories in American history, and was an integral part of both my 2016 and 2020 successful campaigns." He continued, "Susie is tough, smart, and innovative, and she is universally admired and respected. She will continue to work tirelessly to Make America Great Again. It is a well-deserved honor to have Susie as the first-ever female Chief of Staff in United States history. I have no doubt that she will make our country proud." #TRUMP2024

Trump, Putin speak over phone President #Trump has already spoken over the phone with Russian President Vladimir #Putin, The Washington Post said, citing its sources. However, neither Washington not Moscow have officially confirmed this information. According to The Washington Post, Trump and Putin discussed the situation in Ukraine and "the goal of peace on the European continent and Trump expressed an interest in follow-up conversations to discuss ‘the resolution of Ukraine’s war soon,’ several of the people said." However, the newspaper noted, Trump’s calls with world leaders are not backed by the Department of State and US administration interpreters, since Trump and his aides "are distrustful of career government officials following the leaked transcripts of presidential calls during his first term." "They are just calling [Trump] directly," it cited one of the people familiar with the calls. Putin’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that the Russian president is open to dialogue with Trump, however, in his words, nothing concrete could be said about it as of yet. Speaking at Thursday’s plenary session of the Valdai Discussion Club, Putin congratulated Trump on winning the presidential election, adding that he saw nothing wrong with calling Trump. The latter, however, told NBC that he had not yet spoken with the Russian leader but believed such a call was highly likely. #TRUMP2024

Jack Smith admits the Trump prosecutions were election interference all along There's no longer a 2024 election to aim at. The Biden-Harris administration, which just lost an election to Trump, is preparing to wind down the various legal cases that it had pending against him. The official reason is that a president can’t be prosecuted. But if that were the case, why was Trump beleaguered with an ‘independent prosecutor’ when he was in office to begin with? Democrats had spent years promising to bring President Trump to ‘justice’ while he was a sitting president. The prosecutions and investigations of Trump were election interference all along. Since there are no more elections to interfere with, there’s no longer any point in pursuing them. That’s not to say other ‘investigations’ won’t emerge, but they’ll be targeted to interfering with the actions and policies of the Trump administration rather than trying to sell the public on the notion that he’s a ‘felon’ who has committed crimes. The investigations of Trump were election interference from the very beginning. Russiagate was generated by the Clinton campaign in partnership with the Obama administration to justify spying on the campaign, smearing Trump and going after his associates. Russiagate lingered on to target Trump associates. But the Jack Smith election interference campaign is really no good for any of that. Litigating the 2016 or 2020 elections is futile because there’s no longer a 2024 election to aim at. Actual democracy beat ‘fortifying democracy’. Election interference in order to investigation election interference has ceased to be a viable strategy. #TRUMP2024

Hypocrite Macron congratulates Trump on US election victory France's #Macron has congratulated Donald #Trump on his victory in the US presidential election. "Congratulations, President Donald Trump. Ready to work together as we did for four years," Macron wrote on his X page. The French leader said he was ready to cooperate "with respect and ambition. For more peace and prosperity." #TRUMP2024

Zelensky Pooping in his Pants... 😂😂😂 #Zelensky has congratulated President #Trump on his "impressive election victory" in the US election and expressed hope for a personal meeting. "Congratulations to Donald Trump on his impressive election victory! I recall our great meeting with President Trump back in September, when we discussed in detail the Ukraine-US strategic partnership," Zelensky wrote on his social media page X. He said Kiev was counting on continued "strong bipartisan support". Zelensky added that he would like to personally congratulate Trump on his victory and discuss ways of strengthening cooperation. Zelensky said he expected that Trump's approach would bring the conflict over Ukraine closer to an end and hoped to "put it into action together." #TRUMP2024

Elon Musk - "If Trump doesn't win, this is the last election." #TRUMP2024

[REPORT] Iran’s so-called ‘supreme leader’ seriously ill... Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's second son is a possible successor. The 85-year-old supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is gravely ill, adding to the uncertainty of an Iranian response to Israel’s weekend attack on their military installations, a report published Saturday in The New York Times said. According to the report, the most powerful political authority in the Islamic Republic is seriously ill, and there is internal turmoil over the possibility that his second son, Mojtaba, 55, might succeed him. The younger Khamenei served in the Iran–Iraq War from 1987 to 1988, and reportedly took control of the militia that was used to suppress the protests surrounding the result of the 2009 elections, which demonstrators said was rigged. His prospects for the position rose following the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash earlier this year and replacement by President Masoud Pezeshkian. Khamenei’s father has held the life position for the last 35 years since his appointment in 1989, following the death of the first supreme leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini with whom he was closely allied, making him the longest-serving head of state in the Middle East.

Poll: Trump edges Harris in swing state early voting A new Harvard CAPS/Harris #poll shows President #Trump with a narrow lead over VP #Harris among early voters in battleground states. According to the survey, 48% of early voters in critical swing states are backing Trump, while 47% are choosing Harris. Around 5% picked a third choice or said they hadn't voted yet, Newsmax reported. Poll co-director Mark Penn said Trump's "swing state strategy is paying off," noting that the GOP candidate holds a 2-point lead overall in these regions, with 48% support to Harris' 46%. Despite the edge in battlegrounds, the poll found Harris performing well nationally among early voters, leading Trump by 8 points — 51% to 43%. According to the survey, 45% of voters plan to vote early, while 50% say they will wait until Election Day. Recent polling shows the two candidate neck-and-neck in all seven swing states. Nationally, an aggregate of polling compiled by The Hill/Decision Desk HQ shows Harris with a slim lead over Trump, at 50% to 47%. Both candidates are focusing heavily on the battleground states, which will likely decide the outcome of the Nov. 5 vote. The Harvard/Harris poll, conducted Oct. 11-13, surveyed 3,145 registered voters — including 2,596 likely voters and 898 battleground state voters. The margin of error for the total sample was ± 1.8 percentage points.