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From: Ubiquitous <weberm@polaris.net>
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Subject: Spin Cycle: Russia, Russia, Russia -- Plus A Little Chaos At The Pentagon
Date: Mon, 24 Feb 2025 04:30:48 -0500
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Summary: https://www.dailywire.com/news/spin-cycle-russia-russia-russia-plus-a-little-chaos-at-the-pentagon
Keywords: https://www.dailywire.com/news/spin-cycle-russia-russia-russia-plus-a-little-chaos-at-the-pentagon
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For those who don’t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and 
their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week’s worth of network 
and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of 
what you may have missed.

The focus of the spin on Sunday centered on the ongoing war between Russia 
and Ukraine – along with attempts by President Donald Trump and his 
administration to bring about an end to hostilities. Citing Trump’s recent 
harsh comments directed at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Democrats 
and media alike have used the opportunity to claim that Trump, if not working 
with Russia, is certainly more sympathetic to dictator Vladimir Putin than to 
Zelensky.

On CNN’s “State of the Union,” anchor Jake Tapper pressed Special Envoy to 
the Middle East Steve Witkoff on what concessions might be expected from both 
sides — and Witfokk made it clear that thus far, there were a lot of 
possibilities still on the table.

“Well, I think, in any peace deal, each side is going to make concessions, 
whether it’s territorial concessions, whether it’s economic concessions. I 
think there’s a whole array of things that happen in a deal. And you will see 
concessions from both sides,” he said.

	.@JakeTapper: “What concessions will Russia have to 
	make?”@SteveWitkoff: “Well, I think, in any peace deal, each side 
	is going to make concessions, whether it's territorial concessions, 
	whether it's economic concessions. I think there's a whole array of 
	things that happen in a… pic.twitter.com/10YeAEisa2

	— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) February 23, 2025

Witkoff also responded to claims that Trump might opt not to assist NATO 
allies in the event that Russia attacked elsewhere — and he rejected them 
outright.

“I just don’t understand the rationale behind that. We’ve done more than 
most… I just think it’s unfair, actually,” he said.

	Special Envoy @SteveWitkoff responds to the frontrunner to be 
	Germany’s next chancellor suggesting Trump won’t defend NATO 
	allies if attacked: “I just don't understand the rationale behind 
	that. We've done more than most… I just think it's unfair, 
	actually.” pic.twitter.com/Oh7WA8iaZx

	— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) February 23, 2025

“Essentially, this is President Trump surrendering to the Russians,” Senator 
Jack Reed (D-RI) claimed during an appearance on ABC News’ “This Week.” This 
is not a statesman or a diplomat. This is just someone who admires Putin.”

	“Essentially, this is the President Trump surrendering to the 
	Russians … This is not a statesman or a diplomat. This is just 
	someone who admires Putin.”

	Democratic Sen. Jack Reed decries Pres. Trump's recent verbal 
	attacks on Ukrainian Pres. Zelenskyy. https://t.co/RMqaMBfrbg 
	pic.twitter.com/68VGIihI6Y

	— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) February 23, 2025

Reed made no concessions for the possibility that Zelensky could be asking 
for what both Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said 
was impossible — admission into NATO for Ukraine — nor did he mention the 
fact that Zelensky’s negotiation tactics had been criticized both by former 
President Joe Biden and by current Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Rubio brought up that very issue during an interview last week with 
independent journalist Catherine Herridge, noting that Biden had reportedly 
sworn at Zelensky on the phone after the Ukrainian leader publicly badmouthed 
what the United States was not doing to help — even after billions had been 
sent in aid.

The Secretary of State also cited a more recent meeting that included 
himself, Zelensky, and Vance — and after saying in the meeting that he was 
ready to work out a deal involving mineral rights, Zelensky turned around and 
made a very different, more antagonistic public statement.

Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) pushed back on the prevailing narrative 
during an appearance on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” – and on warnings from a 
number of Democrats — saying that he did not “believe for a second” that 
Russia would move to invade NATO allies.

Democrats have been pushing that particular narrative — because if Russia did 
invade a NATO ally, the United States is treaty-bound to take military action 
— in order to keep driving support for funding Ukraine.

	Sen. Mullin: ‘I don’t believe for a second’ Russia will invade NATO 
	allies https://t.co/K4zTcykncK

	— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) February 23, 2025

Meanwhile, the president started even more tongues wagging with his decision 
to start the staffing shake-ups at the Pentagon by firing the Chairman of the 
Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Senator Reed complained that the move was “completely unjustified” despite 
the fact that such roles are filled at the pleasure of the president: “It’s 
the beginning of a very, very serious degradation of the military and 
politicization of the military.”

Reed did not mention the fact that former President Barack Obama had fired 
General Stanley McChrystal under similar circumstances.

	“It’s the beginning of a very, very serious degradation of the 
	military and politicization of the military.”

	Sen. Jack Reed, top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, 
	says Pres. Trump's purge of senior Pentagon leaders “was completely 
	unjustified.” https://t.co/iYl0H05HZJ pic.twitter.com/vGo2la5Ytk

	— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) February 23, 2025

Martha Raddatz also brought in retired General George Casey, who also 
criticized the move as “extremely destabilizing.”

“When you remove so many senior leaders, especially without justifying and 
giving due cause, it creates huge uncertainty in the ranks,” he argued.

	Pres. Trump firing top military officers is “extremely 
	destabilizing,” Ret. Gen. George Casey tells @MarthaRaddatz.

	“When you remove so many senior leaders, especially without 
	justifying and giving due case, it creates huge uncertainty in 
	the ranks.” https://t.co/SORGuQ9at8 pic.twitter.com/hbeOqVwJOn

	— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) February 23, 2025

Casey also balked at the idea that senior leaders were being removed in order 
to root out the DEI problems within the military, arguing that it was 
possible to change the policy without removing the leaders who had been 
instrumental in implementing it.

“Now we’re going to put military leaders in jeopardy and punish them for 
following lawful orders from another administration? I mean, give me a 
break.”

	Ret. Gen. George Casey on whether DEI is the reason several top 
	military leaders were fired under Trump: “Now we’re going to put 
	leaders in jeopardy and punish them for following lawful orders 
	from another administration? I mean, give me a break.” 
	https://t.co/UBEegnFPzA pic.twitter.com/F6yVRGpXLK

	— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) February 23, 2025

“I honestly don’t think it was necessary because if they want to change the 
direction, they can change the policies and not the people.”

	Ret. Gen. George Casey says Pres. Trump’s motives for firing top 
	Pentagon officials "should be better explained.”

	“I honestly don’t think it was necessary because if they want to 
	change the direction, they can change the policies and not the 
	people.” https://t.co/xMQQA0OfJz pic.twitter.com/WTrOVVtuPI

	— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) February 23, 2025

--
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