On September 1, the Financial Times broke the ominous news that a plane carrying European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was the target of a jamming operation meant to interfere with its Global Positioning System (GPS). Russia was immediately fingered for the job. According to the report, the plane was forced to circle over Plovdiv, Bulgaria, for over an hour before pilots resorted to the use of paper maps to safely land.
We would link to the story, but the original has since been edited and most of the key claims—repeated countless times and breathlessly by news outlets around the world—were patently untrue. The plane did not repeatedly circle Plovdiv, it landed only nine minutes later than scheduled, and the pilots did not use paper maps to navigate. Demands made by a Bulgarian member of the European Parliament that von der Leyen denounce the reporting as “fake news” have been ignored. The affair has since been largely memory-holed.
We assumed the story was suspect immediately upon reading it, if for no other reason than keeping von der Leyen in her current role has to be one of Moscow’s top strategic priorities. Who else is more qualified to destroy the European Union (EU) from within? Under her bold leadership, the EU has impaled itself on nearly all the foundational attributes that underpin economic and geopolitical power—most notably by accelerating deindustrialization and forging ahead with disastrous energy policy.
“Chrystia Freeland is stepping down from cabinet for personal reasons”, her spokesperson said.
“She wants to spend more time on graft”.
*satire, obviously.
The Real Victims Here
Articles a bit old but probably still relevant.
New York Times- War Shatters Dating Scene for Women in Ukraine
While the pursuit of love might seem secondary to dealing with missile attacks, power outages and food shortages, many Ukrainians say they need romantic relationships to help them cope with the trauma of living in a nation at war.
For women, the problem is particularly acute.
Carney’s Cannon Fodder
Blood and treasure. Yours not his.
Toronto Star- In Kyiv, Carney not ruling out Canadian troops in Ukraine if peace deal reached
The prime minister also outlined details of a $2-billion military aid package for Ukraine.
Sorry, Governor
WATCH THIS CLIP. Trump thanks every leader at the table — by name. Every. Single. One.
The only leader who didn’t get a seat or even a PHONE CALL?
MARK CARNEY
Canada sent nearly $20B to Ukraine. We got ZERO INVITE. ZERO INFLUENCE.
Canada is completely irrelevant onstage pic.twitter.com/zI3gERFmAj
— Marc Nixon (@MarcNixon24) August 18, 2025
Post game analysis on 2Way.
New Governor, Less Than The Old Governor
This is my favourite picture of Mark Carney. It demonstrates power, conviction and his global influence. https://t.co/yJzQfeERsy
— Lisa MacLeod (@MacLeodLisa) August 18, 2025
Thank You For Your Attention To This Matter
Secretary Rubio: "The only way to reach a deal is for each side to get something and each side to give something, and that's been very difficult. If it was easy, this wouldn't have been going on for 3.5 years… That's why Zelensky is coming tomorrow."pic.twitter.com/TMWK3AAqXQ
— Thomas Sowell Quotes (@ThomasSowell) August 17, 2025
Thank You For Your Attention To This Matter
Thank You For Your Attention To This Matter
Joint Base Elmendorf
Trump-Putin Summit
️ Alaska 2025 pic.twitter.com/Dv4q5n6zOZ
— James Blair (@JamesBlair47) August 15, 2025
Down The Primrose Path
The silence from the Kremlin is deafening.
— wretchardthecat (@wretchardthecat) June 2, 2025
What could possibly go wrong: Ukrainian officials did not give the Trump administration advance notice of the attack, both Ukrainian and U.S. officials told Axios
Down The Primrose Path
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s investment envoy and close aide, Kirill Dmitriev, has praised US President Donald Trump for putting together Russia-Ukraine peace talks in Istanbul, the first such direct dialogue between the warring countries since early 2022.
Trump and his team have “made the impossible possible” by bringing Moscow and Kiev to the table. Dmitriev further wrote on X that the Istanbul meeting is happening “against all odds/fierce resistance” and that if “not derailed last-minute, this could be a historic step to peace.”
Dmitriev also specifically named Vice President J.D. Vance, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio – the latter two who are present in Istanbul – as major contributors to the mediation effort. The Kremlin had spent the opening years of the conflict blasting the Biden administration for constantly stoking the war and thwarting dialogue, taking Washington-Moscow relations to new historic lows.
Down The Primrose Path
The people who quarterbacked the NATO side of the Ukraine war are so pleased with themselves, they can’t keep from boasting about things that will make the average American want to pitchfork the lot of them.
When Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the White House nearly a month ago, the New York Times packed its pages with stories denouncing Donald Trump and J.D. Vance for abandoning Ukraine, and the impolitic “dressing down” of a friendly foreign leader. The Times like most Western news outlets for years suggested that anything short of a full-throated expression of support for war was a betrayal of the “democratic world order” that would lead to instant battlefield deaths.
Now that the war appears lost, and newspapers abroad (conspicuously, not here) are full of news about an apparent bombing of Vladimir Putin’s motorcade, and the future of NATO hangs by a thread, the Times has run a 13,000-word “Secret History” that shows the same U.S. officials who denounced Trump and American voters for saying it out loud long ago concluded that they, too, should probably “walk away.”
This is a must read. Buy a subscription if you must. There’s too much here to quote, but I’ll include this bit from nearer the end.
There are a hundred details in this “Secret History” that serve as stark warnings to anyone who thinks protection from Armageddon is secure in the hands of career military and intelligence officials. Not only did we allow ourselves to be “blackmailed” into escalating a conflict with a nuclear power, the management of the “partnership” broke down because of a Heathers-style spat between the key brass twits, Ukrainian general Valery Zaluhniy and Mark Milley.
When Milley second-guessed Zaluhniy, the latter would respond with teen-like silence, or by ghosting Milley’s next call. Underscoring: the country to which we were giving hundreds of billions in aid didn’t feel a need to pick up the phone.
I think this livestream is open audience.
Down The Primrose Path
European leaders have gotten the message from Washington about doing more for their own defense and for Ukraine, too. They are talking tough when it comes to supporting Ukraine and about protecting their own borders, and they are standing up to a demanding and even hostile Trump administration.
But there is an inevitable gap between talk and action, and unity is fracturing already, especially when it comes to spending and borrowing money in a period of low growth and high debt. […]
Kaja Kallas, the former prime minister of Estonia who is now the chief foreign and security official for the European Union, has been a forceful advocate for supporting Ukraine as a first line of European defense against an aggressive, militarized Russia.
But it has been a rocky start for Ms. Kallas. Her effort to get the E.U. to provide up to 40 billion euros (more than $43 billion) to Ukraine through a small, fixed percentage levy on each country’s national income has gone nowhere.
Her backup proposal, for an added €5 billion as a first step toward providing Ukraine two million artillery shells this year, was also rejected by Italy, Slovakia and even France, an E.U. official said, speaking anonymously in accordance with diplomatic practice. The countries insisted that contributions to Ukraine remain voluntary, bilateral and not required by Brussels.
Given this information, it’s pointless asking Europe to contribute naval assets to keeping their Red Sea lanes open. Maybe we should face the facts: the Global World is a luxury we can’t afford because the global citizens won’t pay to manage entropy on a planetary scale.
Perhaps the New World will look like an updated version the Old World we used to live in. A world of relatively culturally homogenous countries surrounded by tariffs with defended frontiers. It’s what we can afford.
All Work And No Play
Makes Volodymyr a dull boy.
Armstrong Economics- Ukraine Invests in Western Border – $1.5B Ski Resort
Travel and Tour World- Ukraine’s Bold £1.2 Billion Ski Resort Set to Redefine Luxury Tourism Near the Polish Border
This sprawling project will feature 25 hotels with 5,500 rooms, covering 2,965 acres. It will include 41 ski slopes spanning 46.6 miles, 846 acres of snow-covered terrain, over 10 miles of ski lifts, two modern gondola lifts, and 11 chairlifts.
Goro Resort- The largest recreation project in the Lviv Carpathians
Temporary Cease Fire vs Permanent Peace
36 minute video
The Duran- PUTIN; U.S. must address root causes
Francisco- A lot of people have very strong opinions and feelings about what’s going on here. Which is quite understandable. Having said that, I would ask that you discuss the topic like adults in the comments section. If I have to come back here and babysit the thread there will be a heavy and somewhat indiscriminate hand on the delete button, so fair warning.
Take any position you like, disagree with any position you wish to disagree with but lets keep our emotions on a tight leash.
Down The Primrose Path
The US Push for Peace & Europe Panics (1 hr) – Even in terms of creating a peacekeeping force, or coming up with some sort of cease fire agreement, it’s really the British and the French working with the Ukrainians. It’s not “the Europeans” or “Europe”, because there is no “Europe”.
Down The Primrose Path
JUST IN: Ukraine’s President Zelenskiy: I am ready to work under Trump’s strong leadership to bring peace.
— unusual_whales (@unusual_whales) March 4, 2025
Regarding the agreement on minerals and security, Ukraine is ready to sign it in any time and in any convenient format. We see this agreement as a step toward greater security and solid security guarantees, and I truly hope it will work effectively.
Down The Primrose Path
Click for full size.
New: President Donald Trump has ordered a halt to all U.S. military aid to Ukraine, intensifying pressure on Volodymyr Zelenskiy just days after a heated confrontation in the Oval Office cast doubt on the support of Ukraine’s most significant ally.
Haven’t They Suffered Enough?
Ukrainian Roulette
ZeroHedge- Peace For Our Dime
Indeed, if in 1938 British PM Chamberlain claimed, “Peace for our time”, in 2025 PM Starmer is admitting, “Peace for our dime.” Bloomberg has estimated Europe might have to spend €300bn extra annually in defence spending ahead, but Jakub Janda from the Centre for Security Policy in Prague states: “It is possible to have strong European military to defend Europe. Even without the US. It costs at least 7-10% of GDP annually in initial years and then at least 5% of GDP. When the hell are we starting?” Is Europe serious about doing this? We will hear more on that this week, with a Bundesbank proposal on debt brake reform today, and another European summit on Thursday. Just recall there is a huge price tag for European inaction as well.
Mark Steyn- All We Are Saying Is: Give War a Chance!
~Thought for the day: Is the Trump/Zelenskyyyy “spat” just about Ukraine? Or will Saint Volodymyr the Suitless take the entire Atlantic alliance down with him?
Associated Press- Ukraine’s Zelenskyy says end of war with Russia is ‘very, very far away’
Donald Trump- This is the worst statement that could have been made by Zelenskyy, and America will not put up with it for much longer!
Babylon Bee- Trump Institutes Military Draft For Everyone With Ukraine Flag In Their Facebook Profile