On Friday morning, President Trump stated that he is considering imposing sanctions on Russia, saying Russia is “absolutely pounding Ukraine on the battlefield.”
Trump said he is considering sanctions until a peace deal is reached between Russia and Ukraine.
“Based on the fact that Russia is absolutely “pounding” Ukraine on the battlefield right now, I am strongly considering large scale Banking Sanctions, Sanctions, and Tariffs on Russia until a Cease Fire and FINAL SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT ON PEACE IS REACHED. To Russia and Ukraine, get to the table right now, before it is too late. Thank you!!!” he <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114121576367163341" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> on Truth Social.
On Thursday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bessent-signals-trump-to-crush-iran-russia-with-energy-sanctions?topStoryPosition=undefined" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stated</a> that the Trump administration was prepared to impose further sanctions on Russia, “A major factor that has enabled the Russian war machine&#8217;s continued financing was the Biden administration&#8217;s egregiously weak sanctions on Russian energy, stemming from worries about upward pressure on U.S. energy prices,” he said at the Economic Club of New York. “This administration has kept the enhanced sanctions in place and will not hesitate to go ‘all in’ should it provide leverage in peace negotiations. &#8230; (Sanctions on Russia) will be used explicitly and aggressively for immediate maximum impact.”
This would not be the first time Trump sanctioned Russia. In April 2018, the Trump administration sanctioned specific Russian officials and oligarchs. “The Treasury Department, after consulting with the State Department, sanctioned seven Russian oligarchs and 12 companies they control, plus 17 top Russian officials, a state-owned weapons-trading company and a subsidiary bank,” CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/06/us-sanctions-russians-including-oligarch-linked-to-former-trump-campaign-chief-paul-manafort.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. In August 2019, President Trump issued an executive order giving the Treasury Department and Commerce Department authority to issue sanctions banning granting Russia loans or other assistance from international financial institutions.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on Telegram to urge a “silence in the sky,” adding, “The first steps to establishing real peace should be to force the sole source of this war, that is, Russia, to stop precisely such attacks against life,” the<a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ukraine-russia-war-trump-zelensky-putin-uk-threat-b2710677.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Independent</a> reported, adding, Ukraine’s air force announced this morning that Russia had fired 67 missiles and 194 drones. They said they shot down 34 of the rockets and 100 drones, with 86 additional unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) having disappeared in the air.”

Donald Trump

Trump Warns Of Sanctions On Russia If No Peace Is Achieved

Russia

Sanctions

Ukraine

Volodymyr Zelensky

On Tuesday, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-senate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Senate</a> Democrats blocked legislation that threatens to impose sanctions on the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/international-criminal-court" target="_blank" rel="noopener">International Criminal Court</a> (ICC) after the organization issued arrest warrants against Israeli leaders last year.
The majority of Democrats and the two independents who caucus with them opposed breaking the filibuster, resulting in a <a href="https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1191/vote_119_1_00022.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">54-45 vote</a> that fell short of the 60-vote threshold needed to begin debate on the bill.
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54-45:Democrats blocked the Senate from advancing a House-passed bill to sanction the International Criminal Court for issuing an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu.60 votes were needed. Fetterman (PA) was the only Democrat to vote Yes. Ossoff (GA) did not vote. <a href="https://t.co/oMGSzvZV40">pic.twitter.com/oMGSzvZV40</a>
&mdash; Craig Caplan (@CraigCaplan) <a href="https://twitter.com/CraigCaplan/status/1884328983501959536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) was the sole Democrat to vote in favor of the bill. &#8220;The ICC’s treatment towards Israel and equivocating to Hamas was unacceptable,&#8221; he <a href="https://x.com/SenFettermanPA/status/1882928967151485018" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on X. &#8220;We should absolutely sanction the ICC.&#8221;
Republicans called out Democrats who opposed the legislation, including Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-WY), who said: &#8220;Republicans are holding the ICC accountable with sanctions. Democrats are blocking us. Why?&#8221;
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Criminals in the world today have a friend — the International Criminal Court. 
They target Israel while letting evil regimes around the world off the hook. 
Right now Republicans are holding the ICC accountable with sanctions. Democrats are blocking us. Why?
&mdash; Sen. John Barrasso (@SenJohnBarrasso) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenJohnBarrasso/status/1884328296848187876?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Democrats voted against protecting American troops from a corrupt kangaroo court. They had 10 months to negotiate this bill, but instead waited until the last minute to demand unworkable changes that would give carve outs to big tech. Make no mistake-Democrats weakened our…
&mdash; Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenTomCotton/status/1884331129613742352?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Senate Democrats are using their new-found respect for the filibuster to effectively endorse the ICC’s illegitimate prosecution of our closest ally in the Middle East. It is outrageous! 
AMERICA STANDS WITH ISRAEL &amp; AGAINST LAWFARE. 
All these Senate Democrats have done is…
&mdash; Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerJohnson/status/1884344446688583879?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) <a href="https://x.com/AndrewDesiderio/status/1884320663542120601" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> criticized the ICC for how &#8220;their anti-Israel bias has taken over and become too much,&#8221; but also claimed the sanctions bill was &#8220;poorly drafted&#8221; and &#8220;deeply flawed.&#8221;
The <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/23/text?s=1&amp;r=1&amp;q=%7B%22search%22%3A%22Illegitimate+Court+Counteraction+Act%22%7D" target="_blank" rel="noopener">legislation</a> would &#8220;impose sanctions with respect to the International Criminal Court engaged in any effort to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute any protected person of the United States and its allies.&#8221;
Penalties listed in the bill would have the president implement restrictions on transactions of property and interests within the U.S., as well as visas, admission, or parole for anyone linked to offending ICC actions.
Reps. Chip Roy (R-TX) and Brian Mast (R-FL) first <a href="https://roy.house.gov/media/press-releases/reps-roy-and-mast-demand-sanctions-icc-officials-going-after-us-israel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unveiled</a> the sanctions bill last May, citing reports indicating the ICC was prepared to issue arrest warrants against Israeli officials in response to the war in the Gaza Strip.
The ICC later <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/icc-blasted-over-arrest-warrants-for-netanyahu-gallant" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issued</a> arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant — as well as Hamas terror group officials — a move that got bipartisan criticism in the U.S.
In the last Congress, the House passed the bill only for it to be <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/8282/text" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ignored</a> by the Democrat-led Senate amid <a href="https://x.com/nicholaswu12/status/1797727903175807367" target="_blank" rel="noopener">opposition</a> by President Joe Biden. The House <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-again-passes-icc-sanctions-legislation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passed</a> the bill again for the new term earlier this month.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/netanyahu-will-be-first-foreign-leader-hosted-at-trump-white-house?topStoryPosition=2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RELATED: Netanyahu Will Be First Foreign Leader Hosted At Trump White House</a>
&#8220;Last year, I committed to putting this bill on the floor when Republicans were in the majority. Today, I’m following through on that promise,&#8221; Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) <a href="https://x.com/LeaderJohnThune/status/1884292120804028914" target="_blank" rel="noopener">declared</a> in a post to X.
Thune also included a forward-looking warning to his post, saying, &#8220;While the ICC is targeting Israeli leaders today, it could easily set its sights on Americans – and American soldiers in particular – tomorrow.&#8221;

U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY)

Senate Democrats Block International Criminal Court Sanctions Bill

Chuck Schumer

Congress

International Criminal Court

Israel

John Fetterman

John Thune

U.S.

U.S. Senate

On Thursday, the Republican-led <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-house-of-representatives" target="_blank" rel="noopener">House</a> again passed legislation threatening to impose sanctions on the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/international-criminal-court" target="_blank" rel="noopener">International Criminal Court</a> (ICC) after the organization issued arrest warrants against Israeli leaders last year.
Forty-five Democrats <a href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/20257" target="_blank" rel="noopener">joined</a> 198 Republicans in voting for the Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act. The bill once more heads to the Senate; with the GOP in control, the legislation may actually succeed.
The <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/23/text?s=1&amp;r=1&amp;q=%7B%22search%22%3A%22Illegitimate+Court+Counteraction+Act%22%7D" target="_blank" rel="noopener">legislation</a> would &#8220;impose sanctions with respect to the International Criminal Court engaged in any effort to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute any protected person of the United States and its allies.&#8221;
Penalties listed in the bill would have the president implement restrictions on transactions of property and interests within the U.S., as well as visas, admission, or parole for anyone linked to offending ICC actions.
Reps. Chip Roy (R-TX) and Brian Mast (R-FL) first <a href="https://roy.house.gov/media/press-releases/reps-roy-and-mast-demand-sanctions-icc-officials-going-after-us-israel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unveiled</a> the sanctions bill last May, citing reports indicating the ICC was prepared to issue arrest warrants against Israeli officials in response to the war in the Gaza Strip.
The ICC later did <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/icc-blasted-over-arrest-warrants-for-netanyahu-gallant" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issue</a> arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant — as well as Hamas terror group officials — a move that got bipartisan criticism in the U.S.
Roy and Mast, who is now chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, <a href="https://roy.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-roy-chairman-mast-reintroduce-bill-protect-israel-illegitimate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> earlier this week that the House rules package for the nascent 119th Congress set the stage for their legislation to get another vote.
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&#8220;The House will not tolerate rogue actors who circumvent international law to attack Israel and threaten America. We won’t do it,&#8221; House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) <a href="https://x.com/Edgar_A_Barrios/status/1876657254218465309" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> during a press briefing on Capitol Hill this week.
Johnson also noted he expects the Senate, now led by Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), to vote on the bill. The Democrat-led Senate in the last Congress <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/8282/text" target="_blank" rel="noopener">did not vote</a> on the legislation as President Joe Biden <a href="https://x.com/nicholaswu12/status/1797727903175807367" target="_blank" rel="noopener">opposed</a> it.
Roy <a href="https://roy.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-roy-chairman-mast-reintroduce-bill-protect-israel-illegitimate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> he has &#8220;full confidence&#8221; President-elect Donald Trump &#8220;will stand for Israel with the strength and moral clarity that Biden has sorely lacked,&#8221; adding the bill ensures the ICC won&#8217;t get a &#8220;free pass&#8221; to attack U.S. allies.
The House vote on Thursday was the second in this Congress in which a bipartisan group of lawmakers passed a bill. On Tuesday, 48 Democrats and 216 Republicans <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-again-passes-laken-riley-act-159-dems-vote-against-it" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sent</a> the &#8220;Laken Riley Act&#8221; to the Senate.

Rep. Chip Roy

House Again Passes ICC Sanctions Legislation

Chip Roy

U.S. House of Representatives

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/european-union">European Union</a>, responding to the recent Iranian attack on Israel in which it fired roughly 350 drones and missiles, decided on Monday to tighten sanctions on Iran, barring the exportation of  EU-made components used for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and ballistic missiles.
“After Tehran&#8217;s attack on 13 April against Israel, which saw over 300 projectiles headed from different fronts towards the Jewish nation, the EU began working on an expanded raft of sanctions to cover the production of missiles and enlarge the catalogue of prohibited drone-related components,” EuroNews <a href="https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2024/04/22/eu-countries-agree-to-slap-new-sanctions-on-iran-to-curtail-drone-and-missile-production#:~:text=The%20European%20Union%20has%20reached,or%20drones%2C%20and%20ballistic%20missiles." target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>, noting of Iran that the “country has over the years developed an intricate network of operators to obtain sensitive dual-use items, which can be used for both military and civilian purposes, and evade long-standing international sanctions.”
The EU sanctions reportedly will increase restrictions to the &#8220;whole region of the Middle East and the Red Sea,&#8221; according to High Representative Josep Borrell.
On the other hand, no move was made by the EU to name the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, although that idea has been discussed since the Iranian regime cracked down on protesters last year. “There are doubts within the EU members whether this step can be legally taken (which first requires a national decision in this regard, that is, for a court in one of the EU countries to declare it a terrorist organization) and, most importantly, whether it would be a convenient thing to do, as it would further close the already narrow channels of communication with Tehran,” El Pais <a href="https://english.elpais.com/international/2024-04-22/the-eu-is-preparing-to-expand-its-sanctions-on-iran-as-a-political-warning-after-the-attack-on-israel.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a>.
In mid-February, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/eu-warns-israel-against-catastrophic-rafah-offensive-2024-02-19/#:~:text=BRUSSELS%2C%20Feb%2019%20(Reuters),the%20southern%20edge%20of%20Gaza.">every EU country except Hungary</a> warned Israel not to attack Rafah, Hamas’ last stronghold in Gaza. In recent years, Hungary’s relations with Israel have been very warm; in May 2020, Hungarian Foreign Minister Petar Scheirto made it clear Israel could depend on Hungary for support, <a href="https://www.maariv.co.il/news/politics/Article-766829" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saying</a> Hungary would “continue to oppose anti-Israeli statements in front of the European Union, the United Nations and in international forums.” He called accusations against Israel for war crimes “absurd” while noting that both countries had been under attack in the international arena &#8220;as a result of political voting.”

EU flag

EU Tightens Sanctions On Iran After Iranian Attack On Israel

European Union

Iran

The White House will unveil a &#8220;major sanctions package&#8221; against Russia on Friday in response to the death of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-condemns-putin-for-death-of-navalny-putin-is-responsible" target="_blank" rel="noopener">opposition leader Alexei Navalny</a>, according to President Joe Biden&#8217;s national security team.
John Kirby, a spokesman for the National Security Council, told reporters about the plan on Tuesday, noting that Russia&#8217;s war in Ukraine is also a factor in the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-pledges-more-sanctions-against-russia-over-war-in-ukraine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">new round of penalties</a>.
&#8220;We will be announcing a major sanctions package on Friday of this week to hold Russia accountable for what happened to Mr. Navalny and quite frankly for all its actions over the course of this vicious and brutal war that has now raged on for two years,&#8221; Kirby said.
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Kirby: New sanctions on Russia, after death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny <a href="https://t.co/cWd1dsXp2V">pic.twitter.com/cWd1dsXp2V</a>
&mdash; The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) <a href="https://twitter.com/TPostMillennial/status/1759981215367451108?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Russian authorities said last week that Navalny <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/russian-opposition-leader-alexei-navalny-dies-in-remote-arctic-prison-authorities-say" target="_blank" rel="noopener">died at the age of 47</a> in an Arctic penal colony after he started to feel ill and lost consciousness. Biden <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2024/02/16/remarks-by-president-biden-on-the-reported-death-of-aleksey-navalny/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">delivered</a> remarks on Friday in which he said Russian President Vladimir Putin was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-condemns-putin-for-death-of-navalny-putin-is-responsible" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;responsible&#8221;</a> for the death of Navalny, who supporters insist was imprisoned on <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-navalny-death-global-reactions-putin-19e7fd6318763627f6917a92678cd190" target="_blank" rel="noopener">trumped-up charges</a>. Navalny&#8217;s family is now engaged in a clash with Russia to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/02/20/navalny-mother-body-putin-plea/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">secure the release</a> of his body.
Navalny&#8217;s death happened after the Democrat-led Senate passed a roughly <a href="https://twitter.com/AndrewDesiderio/status/1755287316799561872" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$95 billion</a> foreign aid package that would dedicate another $60 million to Ukraine as it fights Russia. The GOP-controlled House has not taken up the bill, but the White House is pushing lawmakers to get it passed.
&#8220;One of the most powerful things that we can do right now to stand up to [Russian leader] Vladimir Putin of course is to again pass the bipartisan national security supplemental bill and support Ukraine as they continue to fight bravely in defense of their country,&#8221; Kirby said.
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House Speaker <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/mike-johnson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike Johnson</a> (R-LA) has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/speaker-johnson-rips-senate-foreign-aid-package-for-lacking-real-border-security-provisions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">criticized</a> the foreign aid package for a dearth of border security policy changes. Biden told reporters on Monday that he would be <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-open-to-meeting-with-speaker-johnson-on-foreign-aid" target="_blank" rel="noopener">open to meeting</a> with Johnson to discuss the matter, after which the speaker&#8217;s team said they looked forward to the White House communicating when the president will be available.
Biden also <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1759614523856539754" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rejected</a> a reporter&#8217;s question asking if he would go as far as to say Navalny&#8217;s &#8220;blood is on the hands&#8221; of Republicans in the House, countering with, &#8220;I wouldn&#8217;t use that term, but they&#8217;re making a big mistake not responding.&#8221;

US National Security Council (NSC) spokesman John Kirby

White House Teases ‘Major Sanctions Package’ Against Russia In Response To Navalny’s Death

White House Teases 'Major Sanctions Package' Against Russia In Response To Navalny's Death

Alexei Navalny

Global Politics

Joe Biden

Politics

Ukraine-Russia War

White House

A former FBI counterintelligence official who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/top-fbi-agent-involved-in-trump-russia-probe-arrested-for-allegedly-conspiring-with-russian-oligarch" target="_blank" rel="noopener">played a role</a> in the Trump-Russia collusion probe was sentenced to four years in prison on Thursday for accepting payments from a billionaire Russian oligarch who is under U.S. sanctions. 
Charles McGonigal was sentenced after <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/former-fbi-official-pleads-guilty-in-russian-oligarch-sanctions-case" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pleading guilty</a> to felonies in two different cases, one of which involved his work for Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, The Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/us-news/law/sentencing-punctuates-downfall-of-former-fbi-counterintelligence-chief-52eb4fdd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. McGonigal, who worked on some of America’s most important national security cases over a two-decade period with the bureau, was arrested in January and charged with accepting payments from Deripaska in exchange for digging up dirt on one of the sanctioned oligarch’s Russian rivals. 
Just before he retired from the FBI, McGonigal was involved in the investigation into former President Donald Trump’s alleged ties to Russia, allegations a special counsel <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/in-other-words-it-was-made-up-jim-jordan-rips-trump-russia-conspiracy-after-latest-durham-filing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> suggested were never “technically plausible.” The former FBI official played a role in the bureau’s probe of former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page when in 2017, McGonigal texted a colleague, saying, &#8220;Our Team is currently talking to [Carter Page] re Russia,&#8221; The Washington Free Beacon <a href="https://freebeacon.com/latest-news/plot-twist-ex-fbi-agent-involved-in-trump-russia-probe-indicted-over-ties-to-russian-oligarch/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. 
The report added that McGonigal was among the first FBI officials briefed on allegations that George Papadopoulos discussed Hillary Clinton’s emails with a foreign diplomat, a conversation that led the FBI to open its investigation of the Trump campaign. The investigation plagued the former president throughout his first term but ultimately found no evidence of collusion.
After his guilty plea in August, federal prosecutors sought a five-year sentence for the disgraced former FBI agent, arguing that he exploited his important post to develop relationships that would benefit him when he left the bureau and got into security consulting. McGonigal’s lawyers admitted that his misconduct potentially put U.S. national security at risk, but they defended him by pointing to his 22-year career in the FBI in which he “made profoundly important contributions to our government.”
From 2016 to 2018, McGonigal oversaw the FBI’s counterintelligence division in New York and supervised investigations into Russian oligarchs, which included Deripaska, according to <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/12/14/ex-fbi-counterintelligence-official-gets-over-4-years-in-prison-for-aiding-russian-oligarch-00131911" target="_blank" rel="noopener">POLITICO</a>. The U.S. placed Deripaska under sanctions in 2018 in response to Russia’s invasion and occupation of Crimea, and during McGonigal’s trial, prosecutors said the former FBI official attempted to help Deripaska get off the U.S.-imposed sanctions list. The U.S. District Court for Washington, D.C., also found there was evidence that the Russian billionaire businessman acted as an agent of Russian President Vladimir Putin. 
A few months before McGonigal retired from the FBI he met one of Deripaska’s agents, which is when he began to develop a relationship with Deripaska even though he knew the oligarch was associated with a Russian intelligence agency, according to prosecutors, the WSJ reported. Prosecutors said that after his retirement, McGonigal met with Deripaska in London and Vienna as he began helping the oligarch seek ways to get off U.S. sanctions.
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McGonigal is charged in a separate case with hiding $225,000 a former Albanian intelligence official allegedly paid him while he was still working for the FBI. McGonigal is scheduled to be sentenced in that case on February 16, just ten days before he is set to report to prison for his sentence in the Russian oligarch case.

Former FBI Agent Charles McGonigal

Ex-FBI Official Who Was Part Of Trump-Russia Probe Sentenced To Prison After Working For Sanctioned Russian Oligarch

Crime

A former top <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/fbi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FBI</a> official who was involved in Russia-focused investigations pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate U.S. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/sanctions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sanctions</a> on a wealthy Russian oligarch.
Charles McGonigal, a 55-year-old retired special agent who led the New York FBI Counterintelligence Division, entered a guilty plea in New York on Tuesday for one count of conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and to commit money laundering. He had previously pleaded not guilty in the case.
During his court appearance, McGonigal told the judge he was &#8220;deeply remorseful&#8221; for his behavior and took &#8220;full responsibility&#8221; for his decisions, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/15/politics/charles-mcgonigal-fbi/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to media <a href="https://apnews.com/article/mcgonigal-russian-oligarch-plea-fbi-c853b2963d8cf98471001c3d9e3f24c9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports</a>. He also insisted that his actions &#8220;never intended to hurt the United States, the FBI and my family and friends.&#8221;
The charge relates to McGonigal agreeing in 2021 to provide services to Oleg Deripaska, a sanctioned Russian oligarch whom he investigated as a member of the bureau, by doing research on a rival Russian oligarch in exchange for secret payments, <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/former-special-agent-charge-new-york-fbi-counterintelligence-division-pleads-guilty" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to the Department of Justice</a>.
&#8220;After his tenure as a high-level FBI official who supervised and participated in investigations of Russian oligarchs, Charles McGonigal has now admitted that he agreed to evade U.S. sanctions by providing services to one of those oligarchs, Oleg Deripaska,&#8221; said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams. &#8220;This Office will continue to hold to account those who violate U.S. sanctions for their own financial benefit.&#8221;
In 2018, the Treasury Department unveiled sanctions against Deripaska and some of the companies associated with him — along with others — in response to &#8220;<a href="https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm0338" target="_blank" rel="noopener">malign activity</a>&#8221; around the globe by Russia. The Department of Justice <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/russian-oligarch-oleg-vladimirovich-deripaska-and-associates-indicted-sanctions-evasion-and" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> in September of last year the unsealing of an indictment charging Deripaska and others with violating U.S. sanctions in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
McGonigal was reportedly <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/former-fbi-official-charles-mcgonigal-arrested-ties-russian/story?id=96609658" target="_blank" rel="noopener">arrested</a> in January at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York upon returning from a trip abroad. He initially pleaded not guilty in the New York case. McGonigal separately <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2023/01/25/charles-mcgonigal-russia-albania-payments/11118823002/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pleaded not guilty</a> in Washington, D.C., where he was accused of concealing $225,000 in cash from someone who had served as an Albanian intelligence operative who <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2023/01/25/charles-mcgonigal-russia-albania-payments/11118823002/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">became an FBI informant</a>.
His attorney, Seth DuCharme, said in a recent status call in the D.C. matter that there was a “decent chance the case is going to be resolved” without having to go to trial, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/04/politics/fbi-charles-mcgonigal/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to CNN</a>. The report noted that the judge in that case set a hearing for September 13.
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With the New York guilty plea, McGonigal faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled to take place on December 14.

Former FBI Official Pleads Guilty In Russian Oligarch Sanctions Case

Former FBI Agent Pleads Guilty In Russia Sanctions Case

World

Russia stands to make significantly more off energy exports this year, despite a torrent of international backlash over its invasion of Ukraine.
Russia is expected to make $320 billion this year in energy exports to Europe and elsewhere amid a sharp increase in fuel prices, according to <a href="https://financialpost.com/pmn/business-pmn/russia-sidesteps-sanctions-to-flood-a-willing-world-with-energy">Bloomberg Economics</a>. That level of revenue is more than a third over what the petrostate earned in energy exports last year.
Western nations have placed heavy sanctions on the Russian economy since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in late February. Though sanctions have drastically slowed Russia’s economy, Western nations have been unable to replace the significant quantities of Russian energy they have come to rely on in recent decades. The United States even placed an exemption for the energy sector in its latest round of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-sanctions-putins-daughters-over-reported-war-crimes-in-ukraine">sanctions</a> on Russia’s largest financial institution, Sberbank.
“There is no doubt that the financial and other sanctions have weakened the Russian economy and its ability to source certain materials needed to pursue its war in Ukraine. But the sanctions fall short of crippling the economy, as long as they do not interrupt the flow of revenue from exports, which finances the budget and also ensures continued availability of foreign exchange to pay for needed (and unsanctioned) imports,” wrote Patrick Honohan, a fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, in a <a href="https://www.piie.com/blogs/realtime-economic-issues-watch/russias-ruble-actions-are-monetary-theater-absurd">blog post</a> last week.
The European Union has acted just as reticent to put sanctions on Russian energy as the United States. EU officials approved sanctions on Russian coal last week, however, the sanctions will not kick in until mid-August reportedly due to lobbying from Germany. Coal also represents just a fraction of the energy that Europe imports from Russia. As <a href="https://fortune.com/2022/04/09/european-coal-ban-russia/">Fortune</a> reports:
<blockquote>In 2021, Russia accounted for roughly 70% of the E.U.’s thermal coal imports—that’s the kind of coal used to generate electricity—and despite attempts to diversify away from fossil fuels, around 16% of the E.U.’s total electricity production is expected to come from thermal coal in 2022, CRU Group data shows. 
Those are high numbers, but they don’t tell the whole story. 
While the E.U. pays roughly $850 million per day for Russian oil and gas, its daily coal bill is only around $20 million, according to <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2022-04-07/europe-set-to-ban-russian-coal-but-struggles-on-oil-and-gas#:~:text=The%20EU%20pays%20Russia%20%2420,day%20for%20oil%20and%20gas.">recent reports</a>.</blockquote>
European energy companies, in a nod to public pressure from Europeans, have stopped selling strictly Russian fuel. In a bid to secure goodwill from the public and to appear to be cracking down on Russian energy, European companies have begun blending Russian fuel with fuel sourced elsewhere and selling the blend instead, according to <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2022-04-08/ukraine-war-this-backdoor-keeps-russian-oil-flowing-into-europe">Bloomberg</a>. The outlet reported:
<blockquote>When is a cargo of Russian diesel not a cargo of Russian diesel? The answer is when Shell Plc, the largest European oil company, turns it into what traders refer to as a Latvian blend.
The point is to market a barrel in which only 49.99% comes from Russia; in Shell’s eyes, as long as the other 50.01 percent is sourced elsewhere, the oil cargo isn’t technically of Russian origin.
The maneuver underpins a burgeoning and opaque market for blended Russian diesel and other refined petroleum products, one of the many that oil companies and commodity traders are using to keep Russian energy flowing into Europe while at the same time satisfying public opinion that demands an end to subsidizing Vladimir Putin’s war machine.</blockquote>

Vladimir Putin

Russia Expected To Make Billions More Off Energy Exports As Sanctions Fall Short

Energy

Gasoline

The United States levied a host of new sanctions, including on Russia President Vladimir Putin’s daughters, on Wednesday following reports of war crimes the Russian army allegedly committed in the Ukrainian town of Bucha.
The Biden administration placed sanctions on Katerina Tikhonova and Maria Vorontsova, who are widely believed to be Putin’s daughters though the Russian president has not publicly acknowledged them as such. Putin rarely discusses his children except in vague references to his two daughters, according to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/04/07/putin-daughters-sanction-ukraine-russia/">The Washington Post</a>.
The sanctions also hit the wife and adult child of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Maria Lavrova and Ekaterina Lavrova, respectively.
A senior administration official <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/press-briefings/2022/04/06/background-press-call-by-senior-administration-officials-on-new-economic-costs-on-russia/">told</a> reporters in a background phone conference Wednesday that U.S. officials are targeting the family members of top Russian officials because those officials are believed to be using their families to protect assets from other sanctions.
“We have reason to believe that Putin and many of his cronies and the oligarchs hide their wealth, hide their assets with family members, that place their assets and their wealth in the U.S. financial system but also many other parts of the world. And that’s why the coordination — the coordinated effort to freeze their assets and seize their physical luxury goods — their cars, their yachts, their homes, et cetera — that’s why it’s so important that we act together,” the administration official said.
The sanctions also covered Russia’s largest financial institution, Sberbank, and Russia’s largest private bank, Alfa Bank, and various other “critical major Russian state-owned enterprises,” according to an administration <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/04/06/fact-sheet-united-states-g7-and-eu-impose-severe-and-immediate-costs-on-russia/">fact sheet</a>. The sanctions on Sberbank include carve-outs for the Russian energy sector, the administration official confirmed.
The additional sanctions are part of international backlash Putin and Russia are facing after evidence of Russian war crimes was found in areas around Kyiv as the Russian military pulled back. Dozens of residents living in Bucha, Ukraine, when the Russian military took over are believed to have been executed by Russian soldiers.
Videos of Bucha have shown bodies of the slain left in the wake of the Russian military’s withdrawal. The dead have been shown partly stripped with their hands bound, and many witnesses to the Russian occupation have recounted incidents of Russian soldiers summarily executing unarmed Ukrainians.
In the aftermath of the discoveries, U.S. President Joe Biden <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/he-is-a-war-criminal-biden-says-putin-should-face-trial-after-bucha-killings">called</a> for Putin to be tried for war crimes.
“One comment to make before I start the day,” Biden said Monday. “You may remember I got criticized for calling Putin a war criminal. Well, the truth of the matter, you saw what happened in Bucha. This warrants — he is a war criminal. But we have to gather the information. We have to continue to provide Ukraine with the weapons they need to continue to fight, and we have to gather all the details so this can be an actual, have a war crime trial.”
“This guy is brutal, and what’s happening in Bucha is outrageous and everyone’s seen it,” Biden added.

U.S. Sanctions Putin’s Daughters Over Reported War Crimes In Ukraine

Children

WASHINGTON — Republican Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul questioned Thursday whether sanctions the United States has placed on Russia and China have had any serious effect, warning that sanctions are mostly useful as threats.
Paul spoke Thursday afternoon at the Marriott Marquis in Washington, D.C. at Up From Chaos, an event on conserving American security hosted by The American Conservative and American Moment.
The Kentucky senator emphasized the usefulness of &#8220;the threat&#8221; of sanctions.
&#8220;We have lots of sanctions on Russia,&#8221; Paul told attendees. &#8220;I think sanctions can have leverage as a threat. But once they&#8217;re placed on, particularly if they are placed on without any sort of explanation of how they are going to come off&#8230;I think the sanctions have no effect and are probably deleterious.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
&quot;I don’t think the sanctions we’ve put on Russia have done anything. I don’t think the sanctions we’ve put on China have done anything. Can you tell me one behavior Russia has changed because of a sanction?”
Senator <a href="https://twitter.com/RandPaul?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RandPaul</a> on sanctions at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UpFromChaos?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UpFromChaos</a> this afternoon <a href="https://t.co/8r4IL1bv14">pic.twitter.com/8r4IL1bv14</a>
&mdash; American Moment (@AmMomentOrg) <a href="https://twitter.com/AmMomentOrg/status/1509589799157522432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 31, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;I don&#8217;t think any of the sanctions we have put on Russia, and we have hundreds, have done anything,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;I don&#8217;t think any of the sanctions we have put on China have done anything. In fact, when representatives from the state department come before my committee, I usually ask them &#8230; can you tell me one behavior that Russia has changed because of sanctions? They say &#8216;Well, um, no.'&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;ve never had a clear answer from one person in the state department on one behavior that has changed,&#8221; added Paul.
His comments come as President Joe Biden&#8217;s administration has blacklisted 10 individuals and 17 entities who are reportedly seeking to evade the international sanctions on Russia.
“These designations will further impede Russia’s access to western technology and the international financial system,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/international/3078728-us-blacklists-russian-entities-for-evasion-of-international-sanctions/">said in a statement</a>. “We will continue to target [Russian] President [Vladimir] Putin’s war machine with sanctions from every angle, until this senseless war of choice is over.”
Fellow speakers at the &#8220;Up from Chaos&#8221; event included &#8220;Hillbilly Elegy&#8221; author and Ohio GOP senatorial candidate J.D. Vance, Republican Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massive, and Washington state congressional candidate Joe Kent.
Paul criticized the &#8220;intemperate&#8221; and &#8220;bellicose&#8221; remarks of Republican South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lindsey-graham-doubles-down-on-calls-for-putins-assassination">has suggested</a> that Russian President Vladimir Putin should be assassinated.
The Kentucky Republican emphasized &#8220;important precepts&#8221; of &#8220;constitutional foreign policy,&#8221; saying that &#8220;war should be a last resort, not a first result, that the decision to go to war should be difficult, and that war should never be exercised or begun in our country from the sole decision of one person.&#8221;
&#8220;I think if we stick by those, there&#8217;s a lot of good things that come from that,&#8221; he said.
Paul also mentioned a &#8220;growing movement&#8221; of lawmakers within Congress that he is part of &#8220;that truly does believe in the constitutional role of congress in war.&#8221;
&#8220;I think we are having some successes in making them think twice about intervention,&#8221; the senator added.

Screen Shot 2022-03-31 at 2.27.40 PM

Rand Paul Warns Sanctions On Russia, China Haven’t Done Anything

Communist China

Rand Paul

President Joe Biden claimed on Thursday that &#8220;sanctions never deter&#8221; when pressed by a reporter on why his sanctions failed to stop Russian President Vladimir Putin from invading Ukraine.
Biden also claimed that he never said that sanctions would deter Putin, even though his administration, including his own vice president, have <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-says-no-one-sanctions-prevent-happening-prior-white-house-claims">stated</a> in the past that &#8220;the purpose of the sanctions has always been and continues to be deterrence.&#8221;
&#8220;Sir, deterrence didn&#8217;t work,&#8221; a reporter said. &#8220;What makes you think Vladimir Putin will alter course based on the action you&#8217;ve taken today?&#8221;
&#8220;Let&#8217;s get something straight. Do you remember, if you covered me from the very beginning, I did not say that, in fact, the sanctions would deter him,&#8221; Biden claimed. &#8220;Sanctions never deter. You keep talking about that. Sanctions never deter. The maintenance of sanctions, the maintenance of sanctions, the increasing the pain, and the demonstration why I asked for this NATO meeting today is to be sure that after a month, we will sustain what we&#8217;re doing, not just next month, the following month, but for the remainder of this entire year. That&#8217;s what will stop him.&#8221;
&#8220;You believe the actions today will have an impact on making Russia change course in Ukraine?&#8221; the reporter pressed.
&#8220;That&#8217;s not what I said. You’re playing a game with me,&#8221; Biden claimed. &#8220;I know. The answer is no. I think what happens is we have to demonstrate — the purpose, the single most important thing is for us to stay unified, and the world continue to focus on what a brute this guy is. And all the innocent people&#8217;s lives that are being lost and ruined, and what&#8217;s going on. That&#8217;s the important thing. But look, if you&#8217;re Putin, and you think that the Europe is going to crack in a month, or six weeks, or two months. Why not, they can take anything for another month. But we have to demonstrate. The reason I asked for the meeting, we have to stay fully, totally, thoroughly united.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
WATCH: Joe Biden SNAPS at reporter&#39;s question about effectiveness of sanctions and deterrence on Putin 
CBS&#39;s <a href="https://twitter.com/EenaRuffini?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EenaRuffini</a>: “Sir deterrence didn’t work”
Biden: “Let’s get something straight. I did not say sanctions would deter him. Sanctions never deter&#8230;“ <a href="https://t.co/RRh6sf4uSt">pic.twitter.com/RRh6sf4uSt</a>
&mdash; TV News Now (@TVNewsNow) <a href="https://twitter.com/TVNewsNow/status/1507075932867149838?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
TRANSCRIPT:
<blockquote>JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT: Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. You have one final question, right. Hey, wait, hold on a second, please. I was supposed to be an hour ago at the European Union meeting, and to speak &#8230; now I&#8217;m thanking you. Someone I haven&#8217;t called on before. You. Who are you?
REPORTER: Sir, deterrence didn&#8217;t work. What makes you think Vladimir Putin will alter course based on the action you&#8217;ve taken today? 
BIDEN: Let&#8217;s get something straight. Do you remember, if you covered me from the very beginning, I did not say that, in fact, the sanctions would deter him. Sanctions never deter. You keep talking about that. Sanctions never deter. The maintenance of sanctions, the maintenance of sanctions, the increasing the pain, and the demonstration why I asked for this NATO meeting today is to be sure that after a month, we will sustain what we&#8217;re doing, not just next month, the following month, but for the remainder of this entire year. That&#8217;s what will stop him.
REPORTER: You believe the actions today will have an impact on making Russia change course in Ukraine?
BIDEN: That&#8217;s not what I said. You, you&#8217;re, you&#8217;re playing a game with me. I know. The answer is no. I think what happens is we have to demonstrate — the purpose, the single most important thing is for us to stay unified, and the world continue to focus on what a brute this guy is. And all the innocent people&#8217;s lives that are being lost and ruined, and what&#8217;s going on. That&#8217;s the important thing. But look, if you&#8217;re Putin, and you think that Europe is going to crack in a month, or six weeks, or two months. Why not, they can take anything for another month. But we have to demonstrate. The reason I asked for the meeting, we have to stay fully, totally, thoroughly united.</blockquote>

Ukraine conflict – NATO special summit

Biden Snaps At Reporter Who Notes His Sanctions Failed To Deter Putin: ‘You’re Playing A Game With Me’

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki bizarrely suggested on Tuesday that Russia might have intended to sanction President Joe Biden&#8217;s deceased father rather than the president himself.
Psaki fielded a question on the issue — following a new round of sanctions from Russia against a number of American political officials — during the press briefing from CBS News White House correspondent Weijia Jiang.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
CBS News&#39; <a href="https://twitter.com/weijia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@weijia</a> asks White House Pres. Secretary Jen Psaki about new Russian sanctions on <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>:
&quot;President Biden is a junior, so they may have sanctioned his dad. May he rest in peace.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/iAN5o3ce8x">pic.twitter.com/iAN5o3ce8x</a>
&mdash; CBS News (@CBSNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/CBSNews/status/1503789360042418177?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Sanctions were imposed today by Russia, against yourself, President Biden, other top U.S. officials,&#8221; Jiang began. &#8220;Do you have a response to that? How will it impact any of you, if at all?&#8221;
&#8220;I would first note that President Biden is a junior, so they may have sanctioned his dad, may he rest in peace,&#8221; Psaki joked. &#8220;The second piece I would say is that, it won&#8217;t surprise any of you that none of us are planning tourist trips to Russia, none of us have bank accounts that we won&#8217;t be able to access, so we will forge ahead.&#8221;
Financial Times Moscow Bureau Chief Max Seddon tweeted a list of the American officials who were subject to Russia&#8217;s latest sanctions — imposed in retaliation for crippling sanctions against the financial and energy sectors designed to punish Russian President Vladimir Putin for his ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Russia has sanctioned Joe Biden and a range of other top US officials.
The main impact of this is they can now make corny jokes on cable news about how they won&#39;t be able to access their Russian bank accounts or go on vacation in Siberia, I guess <a href="https://t.co/ZQWA0Mhg4R">pic.twitter.com/ZQWA0Mhg4R</a>
&mdash; max seddon (@maxseddon) <a href="https://twitter.com/maxseddon/status/1503744554444505093?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The full list of sanctioned American officials includes:
<ul>
<li>President Joseph Robinette Biden</li>
<li>Secretary of State Antony John Blinken</li>
<li>Defense Secretary Lloyd James Austin III</li>
<li>Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Mark Alexander Milley</li>
<li>National Security Adviser Jacob Jeremiah Sullivan</li>
<li>Central Intelligence Agency Directer William Joseph Burns</li>
<li>White House Press Secretary Jennifer Rene Psaki</li>
<li>International Economics Adviser Daleep Singh</li>
<li>International Development Administrator Samantha Jane Power</li>
<li>Robert Hunter Biden</li>
<li>Former Secretary of State Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton</li>
<li>Deputy Treasury Secretary Adewale “Wally” Adeyemo</li>
<li>United States Export-Import Bank Chair Reta Jo Lewis</li>
</ul>
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/i-want-to-thank-the-russian-academy-hillary-clinton-responds-to-news-shes-been-sanctioned-by-russia">responded</a> to the sanctions with a joke, tweeting, &#8220;I want to thank the Russian Academy for this Lifetime Achievement Award.&#8221;
Russia also imposed sanctions on a number of Canadian political officials — up to and including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau — within hours of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky&#8217;s address before Canada&#8217;s parliament.
As The Daily Wire <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/please-close-the-sky-zelensky-asks-justin-trudeau-to-imagine-someone-taking-down-your-canadian-flags-in-montreal/">reported</a>:
<blockquote>“Justin, can you imagine you and your children hearing all these severe explosions, the bombing of the airport, the bombing of the Ottawa airport?” Zelensky <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/ukraine-zelenskyy-addresses-canada-parliament-no-fly-zone">said</a>, speaking directly to Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. “Cruise missiles are falling down and your children are asking you ‘What happened?’”
“Dear Justin … can you imagine every day you receive memorandums about the number of casualties including women and children? You heard about the bombings. Currently, we have 97 children that died during this war,” Zelensky <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/international/598282-zelensky-urges-canadian-parliament-to-support-no-fly-zone-over-ukraine">said</a>. “Imagine someone taking down your Canadian flags in Montreal and other Canadian cities. I know that you all support Ukraine. We’ve been friends with you, Justin, but also I would like you to understand and I would like you to feel this, what we feel every day. We want to live and we want to be victorious.”</blockquote>
Zelensky is expected to address the United States Congress on Wednesday. &#8220;Invoking Winston Churchill and Hamlet last week, he asked the British House of Commons whether Ukraine is &#8216;to be or not to be,’” The Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-zelenskyy-business-nato-congress-348b29a5b19e87cb277a8b353b93f7ed">reported</a>. &#8220;On Tuesday, he appealed to &#8216;Dear Justin&#8217; as he addressed the Canadian Parliament and Prime Minister Trudeau.&#8221;

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki Holds Daily Press Briefing

Jen Psaki Floats Bizarre Joke Theory That Russia Meant To Sanction President Biden’s Deceased Father

Jen Psaki