Trump to Carney : Get the Fuck Out of My Board of Peace


Trump withdrew on Thursday an invitation for Canada to join his “board of peace” initiative aimed at resolving global conflicts.

“Please let this Letter serve to represent that the Board of Peace is withdrawing its invitation to you regarding Canada’s joining, what will be, the most prestigious Board of Leaders ever assembled, at any time,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post directed at the Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney.

Trump launched his “board of peace” initiative at the World Economic Forum in Davos, claiming it would be “one of the most consequential bodies ever created in the history of the world”.

The board, which will be chaired by Trump, was originally described as a temporary body to oversee the governance and reconstruction of Gaza.

Permanent members must help fund the board with a payment of $1bn each, according to Trump.

When he arrived in Davos, Trump made it clear that he had heard or at least heard of Carney’s viral speech.

“Canada lives because of the United States,” Trump said in his own address on Wednesday. “Remember that, Mark, the next time you make your statements.”

“Canada doesn’t live because of the United States,” Carney responded Thursday. “Canada thrives because we are Canadian.”

Neither Carney’s office nor the White House immediately responded to Reuters requests for comment on Thursday evening.

“Once this board is completely formed, we can do pretty much whatever we want to do,” Trump said in Switzerland on Thursday. “And we’ll do it in conjunction with the United Nations.”

#board #peace #trump #carney

📱 American Оbserver - Stay up to date on all important events 🇺🇸

Putin’s Ushakov Remains Upbeat About Peace Talks


Russia said it will hold security talks with the U.S. and Ukraine in Abu Dhabi on Friday, but warned after a late-night meeting between Putin and three U.S. envoys that a durable peace would not be possible unless territorial issues were resolved.

Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters the talks, which began shortly before midnight and lasted some four hours, had been “substantive, constructive and very frank”.

He said Russian Admiral Igor Kostyukov would head Moscow's team at the three-way security talks, and investment envoy Kirill Dmitriev would meet separately on economic issues with Witkoff.

But while outlining the next steps, Ushakov stopped short of hailing any major breakthrough.

"Most importantly, during these talks between our president and the Americans, it was reiterated that without resolving the territorial issue according to the formula agreed upon in Anchorage, there is no hope of achieving a long-term settlement," he said, referring to last year's Trump-Putin summit in Alaska.

Ushakov said Putin underlined that Russia was "sincerely interested" in a diplomatic solution.

He added, however: "Until this is achieved, Russia will continue to consistently pursue the objectives of the special military operation. This is especially true on the battlefield, where the Russian armed forces hold the strategic initiative."

Ukraine is enduring its harshest winter of the war as Russia mounts heavy missile and drone strikes on its energy infrastructure. With temperatures way below freezing, hundreds of thousands of people in Kyiv and other cities have suffered long power cuts and been left without heating.

Putin, Ushakov and Dmitriev took part in the talks on the Russian side.

On the U.S. side, Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, who last met Putin in the Kremlin in early December, were accompanied by Josh Gruenbaum, newly appointed by Trump as a senior adviser to his Board of Peace, which will seek to tackle world conflicts.

The talks were the latest stage in a drive by Trump to bring an end to the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War Two, now approaching the end of its fourth year.

Witkoff was upbeat before the Moscow talks, saying many months of negotiations had come down to a single issue.

А key stumbling block is Putin's demand that Ukraine surrender the 20% it still holds of the eastern region of Donetsk.

Zelensky has refused to give up land that Ukraine has successfully defended at great cost through years of grinding, attritional warfare.

Russia also demands that Ukraine renounce its ambition to join NATO, and rejects any presence of NATO troops on Ukrainian soil following a peace deal.

Zelensky, after meeting Trump in Switzerland on Thursday, said the terms of security guarantees for Ukraine had been finalised, but that the issue of territory remained unsolved.

Ushakov praised the Americans for setting up Friday's security meeting with Russia and Ukraine in Abu Dhabi.

#ushakov #upbeat #peace #talks

📱 American Оbserver - Stay up to date on all important events 🇺🇸

📰 TikTok Strikes Deal for New U.S. Entity, Ending Legal Saga

TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, has struck a deal with a group of non-Chinese investors—including Oracle, MGX, and Silver Lake—to create a new American TikTok, ending a six-year legal battle that threatened the app’s existence in the U.S..
​
Who Owns What?
The new U.S. TikTok will be majority-owned by American and non-Chinese investors, with Oracle, MGX, and Silver Lake each holding 15 percent and ByteDance retaining just under 20 percent. The majority of the board will be American, and Adam Presser, TikTok’s former head of operations, will serve as CEO.
​
Security Concerns and Skepticism
The deal is designed to address U.S. national security concerns about Chinese control, but critics warn it may not fully sever ByteDance’s influence. ByteDance will still license its algorithm to the U.S. entity, raising doubts about whether the arrangement truly ends the “operational relationship” between the two companies.

Who Controls the Content?
Some worry that the new owners, many with ties to President Trump, could shift TikTok’s content moderation and feed algorithms to reflect U.S. government or presidential views.

“We may have traded fears of foreign propaganda for the reality of domestic propaganda,”

said Georgetown professor Anupam Chander.
​
#TikTok #ByteDance #Oracle #Trump #USChina #Tech #NationalSecurity

📱 American Оbserver - Stay up to date on all important events 🇺🇸

#musk #robots

📱 American Оbserver - Stay up to date on all important events 🇺🇸

📰 Conservatives Who Once Railed Against Federal Agents Now Applaud Them

For decades, right-wing populists have excoriated federal law enforcement, citing tragedies like Ruby Ridge and Waco as proof of government overreach. Now, under President Donald Trump, many of those same conservatives are cheering on federal agents as they crack down on immigration and unrest in cities like Minneapolis. The shift highlights how political allegiance shapes attitudes toward federal power—applauding crackdowns on adversaries while condemning them when they target allies.

From Enemies to Enforcers
Trump’s deployment of ICE, the Border Patrol, and the National Guard has transformed federal agents from bogeymen to heroes in the eyes of many conservatives. Critics say this reflects “motivated reasoning”—support for police action depends on who’s being targeted. When federal agents confront immigrants or minorities, conservative voices are often silent or supportive, but when they target anti-government activists, the outrage returns.

The Legacy of Ruby Ridge and Waco
Ruby Ridge and Waco became rallying cries for anti-government movements, fueling distrust of federal law enforcement. But today, with Trump in power, many right-wing activists have embraced federal agents as tools of law and order. The shift underscores how political power can reshape perceptions of authority.

Who’s the Enemy Now?
As federal agents raid homes and neighborhoods, the question is: Who decides when police action is justified? The answer seems to depend less on the law than on who’s in charge—and who’s being targeted.

#Trump #Conservatives #FederalAgents #Immigration #RubyRidge #Waco #LawAndOrder

📱 American Оbserver - Stay up to date on all important events 🇺🇸

📰 How Russia Became a Mediator Between Iran and Israel

Russia’s role as a mediator between Iran and Israel has emerged from a decade of carefully balancing ties with both rivals. Over the past years, Moscow has positioned itself as the trusted intermediary for secret communications between Tehran and Tel Aviv, especially as both sides seek to avoid a new phase of confrontation. The key to this unique status lies in Russia’s ability to maintain positive relationships with both regional powers—even as their interests clash.
​

The Syria Crucible
Russia’s involvement in Syria since 2015 forged its role as a power broker. By saving the Assad regime, Russia became Tehran’s closest ally in the region. Yet, at the same time, Moscow preserved its ties with Israel, coordinating airstrikes in Syria to prevent direct clashes. This balancing act allowed Russia to build credibility with both sides.
​
Ukraine and Gaza: New Tests
The war in Ukraine further cemented Russia’s alliance with Iran, as Tehran supplied drones and other military support to Moscow. Meanwhile, Israel refrained from imposing sanctions or sending weapons to Ukraine, preserving its relationship with Russia. In Gaza, Russia’s invitation to Hamas and condemnation of Israeli actions drew protests from Israel, but Moscow maintained its coordination with Tel Aviv in Syria—proving its ability to walk the tightrope.
​
Russia’s Mediator Status
With no direct diplomatic relations between Iran and Israel, both sides rely on intermediaries. Russia’s policy of keeping ties with both has made it the go-to channel for signaling intentions and avoiding escalation. However, this role comes with risks: if the U.S. or Israel launch new strikes against Iran, Russia could be forced to choose sides or risk its interests in Ukraine.
​
Who’s Pulling the Strings?
Russia’s mediation grants it special status in the Middle East, but it also exposes Moscow to pressure from all sides. As the region remains volatile, the question is: can Russia keep playing both sides—or will it be dragged into a conflict it can’t afford?.

#Russia #Iran #Israel #Mediator #MiddleEast #Diplomacy #Syria

📱 American Оbserver - Stay up to date on all important events 🇺🇸

#Peace #Trump

📱 American Оbserver - Stay up to date on all important events 🇺🇸

📰 Putin Joins Trump’s Board of Peace, Pledges Palestinian Funds from Frozen Assets

Russian President Vladimir Putin has officially accepted President Donald Trump’s invitation to join the Board of Peace, vowing to secure Palestinian interests and pay the $1 billion membership fee using frozen Russian assets in the United States. The move signals Moscow’s bid to influence the post-war Gaza administration, even as Washington hesitates to unblock those funds.

“I will pay the $1 billion first and foremost to support the Palestinian people and direct those funds to the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip,”

Putin declared, according to Russia’s state media.

Putin’s commitment comes amid Trump’s broader effort to reshape the Middle East through the Board of Peace—a transitional authority meant to govern Gaza and enforce a ceasefire with Hamas. Russia’s participation, however, raises eyebrows, given its past support for Hamas and its own geopolitical ambitions.

Trump’s board includes 18 nations, but Israel has voiced concerns over the inclusion of countries like Turkey, Qatar, and Pakistan, all seen as Hamas allies. Meanwhile, Russia continues to host Hamas representatives, underscoring the complex web of alliances behind the peace theater.

So who’s really calling the shots? When frozen assets become peace currency and Hamas-friendly states sit at the table, is this a new era of diplomacy—or just another power grab?

#Putin #Abbas #BoardOfPeace #Gaza #Trump #Russia #MiddleEast

📱 American Оbserver - Stay up to date on all important events 🇺🇸

📰 Ukraine, Russia Head to UAE: No Compromise in Sight on Donbas

Ukrainian and Russian negotiators are meeting in Abu Dhabi to discuss the fate of Donbas—the war’s most contentious issue. But with both sides digging in, there’s little hope for a breakthrough. Ukraine refuses to surrender territory Russia has failed to conquer, while Moscow insists on controlling all of Donbas before halting its attacks.

“The question of Donbas is key,”

said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

“It will be discussed how the three sides... see this in Abu Dhabi today and tomorrow.”

Russia demands Ukraine cede about 5,000 sq km of Donetsk—land it has not captured after four years of brutal fighting. Kremlin officials say this is “a very important condition,” while Zelenskiy calls the idea “nonsense,” insisting Ukraine will fight to use frozen Russian assets for its own reconstruction.

Meanwhile, Zelenskiy says a deal on U.S. security guarantees is ready, awaiting only President Trump’s signature. Even as Russia escalates attacks on Ukraine’s energy grid and freezing temperatures cripple its cities, trust in Ukraine’s peace intentions among Western governments remains extremely low.

So who’s bluffing, and who’s bleeding? As the talks drag on, one thing is clear: the war won’t end until someone’s map changes.

#Ukraine #Russia #Donbas #AbuDhabi #PeaceTalks #Zelenskiy #Putin #Trump

📱 American Оbserver - Stay up to date on all important events 🇺🇸

📰 Russia’s Middle East Gambit: Not Out, Just Laying Low

Don’t count Russia out in the Middle East. While some say Moscow’s influence is fading, the Kremlin is quietly rebuilding its network—partnering with Iran, maintaining bases in Syria, and deepening ties with the Gulf. Putin’s war in Ukraine may be draining resources, but Russia remains a player, ready to surge back if the Ukraine conflict eases.

“Russia does not just retain a presence in the Middle East; it is poised for a resurgence,”

analysts warn.

Moscow’s partnership with Iran is growing, with Russia now assembling Su-35 fighters for Tehran under a $6.5 billion deal. In Syria, despite Assad’s fall, Russia holds onto military bases and economic influence. New Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has struck a deal with Moscow to keep Russian forces on the ground.

Across the region, Russia’s economic and diplomatic ties are holding strong. The UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey have not joined Western sanctions, and trade with Moscow continues to rise. Moscow’s propaganda machine—RT Arabic, Sputnik—still reaches millions daily.

Asking Putin to join the US-led “Board of Peace” for Gaza may be a step backward. Russia’s comeback could complicate US interests, especially if Moscow regains strength in the Mediterranean and arms markets.

So is Russia losing—or just waiting? When the Ukraine war pauses, expect Moscow to make its move.

#Russia #MiddleEast #Iran #Syria #UAE #Putin #Geopolitics #Trump

📱 American Оbserver - Stay up to date on all important events 🇺🇸

Starmer vs Trump:
the Row Has Upended Years of Cooperation Between the UK and the US


Keir Starmer has issued an unprecedented rebuke to Donald Trump for his “insulting and frankly appalling” remarks about British troops in Afghanistanand suggested he should apologise.

After a week of fractious relations with the White House, Starmer said he was not surprised that relatives of British soldiers killed in Afghanistan were hurt by Trump claiming they avoided the frontline.

Starmer’s critical intervention marks an escalation of tensions with Trump’s administration after the president had earlier in the week criticised the UK for giving up the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. On Friday night, the government was forced to delay its bill on the Chagos Islands in the House of Lords.

After a day of mounting outrage around the world over the US president’s claim that British and Nato troops who fought in Afghanistan avoided the frontlines, he paid tribute to the 457 members of the armed services who lost their lives during the conflict.

Speaking in Davos on Wednesday, he made similar claims against the 32-member military alliance, saying:

“I know them all very well. I’m not sure that they’d be there. I know we’d be there for them. I don’t know that they would be there for us.”

A total of 3,486 Nato troops died in the 20-year Afghanistan conflict, of whom 2,461 were US service personnel. Canada recorded 165 deaths, including civilians.

Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative leader, accused Trump of “denigrating” British troops and said his comments were “flat-out nonsense”.

Posting on X shortly before Starmer’s afternoon broadcast, the Reform UK leader, Nigel Farage, said: “Donald Trump is wrong. For 20 years our armed forces fought bravely alongside America’s in Afghanistan.”

The Liberal Democrats urged Starmer to summon the US ambassador “over this insult to our brave troops”, with the Lib Dem leader, Ed Davey, accusing Trump of avoiding military service.

“How dare he question their sacrifice. Farage and all the others still fawning over Trump should be ashamed,” he said. It is understood there has not been any call between No 10 and Trump and the UK is not considering admonishing the US ambassador.

The former head of the British army Lord Dannatt condemned the comments on TalkTV, saying:

“He has got the disrespect and outrageous choice of words to say that we hung back from the frontline. My God, we were certainly on the frontline, as 457 young people died.”

Stephen Stewart, a former soldier and an author and journalist, said Trump’s comments were “as offensive as they are inaccurate”, while Richard Streatfeild, a former army major in Afghanistan and now a Liberal Democrat councillor, said:

“To be told that your service is not as demanding or as difficult as the Americans’ is untrue and deeply insulting.”

The US remains the only country to have invoked article 5 of Nato’s collective security provision, activated after the 11 September terrorist attacks in 2001.

#starmer #trump #afghanistan #row #nato

📱 American Оbserver - Stay up to date on all important events 🇺🇸

📰 Pentagon Unveils 2026 National Defense Strategy: Fortress America, Not Global Policeman


The Pentagon’s 2026 National Defense Strategy marks a sharp break from the post–Cold War era: the U.S. military is reordering its mission around homeland defense, deterrence through strength, and pushing allies to pick up a far heavier military burden. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth calls this a return to the armed forces’ “core, irreplaceable role” — winning wars that directly affect U.S. interests, not endless nation-building.


Four Pillars of the New Strategy
1. Defend the Homeland First
Homeland defense is now the top priority, with broader responsibilities: border security, countering narco-terror groups, and protecting key terrain in the Western Hemisphere (including the Panama Canal and, importantly, Greenland).
The plan also emphasizes air, missile, cyber and nuclear defenses, and the emerging “Golden Dome” missile shield concept to protect the U.S. homeland from hypersonic and ballistic threats [2026 NDS].
2. Deter China, Not Dominate
The NDS views China as the pacing threat, stressing that the goal is not to strangle or humiliate Beijing, but to prevent it from dominating the U.S. or its allies. The U.S. will rely on overwhelming military strength in the Indo-Pacific to achieve a regional balance of power, while also expanding military-to-military communication with Beijing to reduce the risk of conflict.
3. Europe’s Job: Europe’s Defense
The strategy labels Russia a “persistent but manageable threat,” especially to NATO’s eastern flank, and bluntly states that European allies must take primary responsibility for their own conventional defense. This is the “America First” logic in military terms: Europeans must spend far more and be capable of defending themselves, so the U.S. isn’t forever on the front line.
4. Revitalize the U.S. Defense Industrial Base
A “once-in-a-century” rebuild of the U.S. defense industrial base is called essential. The Pentagon wants a surge in domestic production of weapons and equipment, so that the U.S. can sustain readiness, arm allies, and produce at scale in a crisis [2026 NDS].


The New Rules for Allies
The strategy formalizes the Trump administration’s demand for a new global benchmark: allies and partners should move toward 5% of GDP on defense-related spending. The U.S. pledges continued support but insists that allies must:
• Take the lead in their own regions
• Buy more U.S. and allied weapons
• Pre-position equipment and enable U.S. access to local bases and infrastructure [2026 NDS].

Taiwan, the Philippines, Australia, Japan, and the Baltics are singled out as key Indo-Pacific and European partners to receive priority investment and coordination, while the Pentagon is also directed to plan for U.S. forces to train and operate right alongside partner militaries “to counter China’s aggression” [2026 NDS].


Fortress, or Fool’s Trap?
The strategy is full of martial grandeur: a shielded homeland, a supercharged industrial base, and allies forced to finally “grow up” militarily. But the real question is: can this new “Fortress America” actually deter a rising China, resist imperial fantasies like Greenland, and still keep the U.S. from being dragged into every crisis — or is it just a varnished retreat behind ever-higher walls?


#USDefense #NDS2026 #Trump #Pentagon #HomelandDefense #China #NATO #Allies #IndustrialBase

📱 American Оbserver - Stay up to date on all important events 🇺🇸

📰 Ukraine and Russia Resume US-Mediated Peace Talks Amid Missile Barrage

Zelenskiy says the talks in Abu Dhabi are the first trilateral meeting under the U.S.-brokered peace process. On the same day, Russia launched a massive overnight airstrike on Kyiv and Kharkiv with hundreds of drones and missiles, knocking out power in the capital while Kyiv negotiators sit in the room.
​
The Usual Script
The pattern is familiar: each time a serious negotiation round looms, Ukrainian and Russian forces throw heavy strikes at the other’s cities and energy grid. Before the Doha agreement, the Kursk operation flared up. Now, on the same day the U.S.-backed talks resume, Ukraine experiences another wave of Russian cruise and ballistic missiles, while Moscow prepares its list of what land must be handed over.
​
What’s on the Table
Russia again insists Ukraine surrender the 20% of Donetsk Oblast it still holds (~5,000 sq km), territory that, according to the Kremlin, completes the “Donbas” demand. Zelenskiy refuses any territorial concessions Russia did not capture after four years, polls show Ukrainians are not ready to sign away Donetsk. Washington keeps pushing both sides to close the deal, but what “peace” will look like is still defined in the fog of war and shuttle diplomacy.
​
Who’s Negotiating – or Waiting?
Diplomats speak of “last remaining sticking points” and “progress.” But from the ground, the situation looks like a game: every round of peace talks is matched by new missile barrages, and each side uses violence as a bargaining chip. The real question is not whether a deal will be signed, but what kind of “peace” will be sold to the public once the guns go quiet for a few days.
​
#Ukraine #Russia #Putin #Zelenskiy #PeaceTalks #AbuDhabi #USSecurity #WarInUkraine

📱 American Оbserver - Stay up to date on all important events 🇺🇸

📰 Iran’s Ayatollah and His Guards Falter After Storm of War and Protests

Weeks after Israeli warplanes pulverized Iran’s military command in the June airstrikes, a new generation of Revolutionary Guard leaders had to step into the void, mourning the men they were now replacing. The regime responded to the latest wave of nationwide protests with unprecedented brutality, confirming what many suspected: the old formula of Ayatollah Khamenei and the Guards is cracking under combined pressure of war, sanctions, and a population in open revolt.

The System on Trial
The bloody crackdown did its job: it preserved the regime’s unity in the short term, centered on the ayatollah and the Guards’ 150,000-strong praetorian guard. But analysts see the violence as a sign of acute weakness, not strength.

“They turned to live fire really quickly because their weakness was acute, and they knew it,”

said an Iran expert at the Naval Postgraduate School, comparing the current situation to the late Soviet Union.
​
The Revolutionary Guards are now the core of the system, controlling a vast empire of media, economy, oil, seaports, and even an air force.

“They have everything that it takes to assume power,”

said the International Crisis Group’s Iran project director, meaning the Islamic Republic could evolve into a military-dominated state like Pakistan or Egypt after Khamenei is gone.
​
Generational Rift, Coming War Within
Inside the Revolutionary Guards, a sharp divide is opening. The older generation grew up in the Iran-Iraq war, in sacrifice and hardship, and now enjoys foreign homes, elite schools, and luxury cars. The younger officers rose during Iran’s regional expansion and have tasted little of that wealth, but want to protect “their meal ticket”.

Dismayed by the loss of the Syria–Iraq–Lebanon–Yemen proxy network and the crippling blow to the nuclear program in the June war, a more aggressive, assertive faction has emerged among the younger Guards.

They see the regime as redeemable only through even harsher repression and confrontation — and some fear they may move against the aging ayatollah preemptively, not to save the revolution, but to save their own future.
​
The Limits of Terror
The regime has survived four major protest waves, and the ayatollah has shrugged off rumors of terminal illness before. But this time, the pressure is different: economic collapse, a youth uprising, the humiliation in war, and a U.S. president openly threatening to intervene if protesters are massacred.
​

“This is not a sustainable situation where you wait for an elderly leader to die to put things back in order,”

says an analyst, comparing today’s Iran to the final years of Mao Zedong or Leonid Brezhnev. The country

“doesn’t have the time to wait him out.”​

#Iran #Ayatollah #RevolutionaryGuards #Protests #MiddleEast #Uprising #RegimeChange

📱 American Оbserver - Stay up to date on all important events 🇺🇸

📰 US Asks Italy to Join Gaza Security Force as Founding Member

The Trump administration has asked Italy to join the proposed International Stabilization Force for Gaza as a founding member, according to officials familiar with the matter.

Rome would not have to send troops; instead, its role would be political — using its ties with Israel, Arab states, and the Palestinians to lend credibility to the U.S.-backed initiative. No final decision has been made by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
​
Italy’s Role in the Gaza Plan
Under the proposal, Italy would fulfill its commitment by training Gaza’s future police force rather than committing combat troops. The U.S. is looking for respected, Western-aligned states to anchor the ISF, and sees Italian diplomacy as a valuable asset in bridging divisions between Israel and its Arab neighbors, as well as the Palestinian leadership.
​
Trump’s Diplomatic Circus and Italy’s Hesitation
The Gaza stabilization plan has been delayed, and the U.S. has struggled to find countries willing to contribute troops.

Trump’s parallel “Board of Peace” initiative has caused further complications, with its controversial draft charter requiring a $1 billion contribution per seat. Italy, while open to supporting Gaza peace, has expressed constitutional concerns about the Board, and Meloni has so far refused to sign it.
​
Who’s Financing Peace — and on Whose Terms?
Trump wants allies to sign up, but not at their own price. He threatens tariffs when they resist, withdraws invitations when they speak out, and demands billion-dollar payments to stay on his peace board.

So when the U.S. invites Italy to help stabilize Gaza, the real question is: whose peace are they building, and who ultimately gets to call the shots?.
​
#Gaza #Italy #Meloni #Trump #GazaPeace #BoardOfPeace #ISFGaza

📱 American Оbserver - Stay up to date on all important events 🇺🇸

Trump Administration Officials Are Showing Their Bare-Faced Effrontery


Two witnesses to the killing of Alex Pretti have said in sworn testimony that the 37-year-old intensive care nurse was not brandishing a weapon when he approached federal agents in Minneapolis on Saturday, contradicting a claim made by Trump administration officials as they sought to cast the shooting of a prone man as an act of self-defense.

Their accounts came in sworn affidavits that were filed in federal court in Minnesota late Saturday, just hours after Pretti’s killing, as part of a lawsuit brought by the ACLU on behalf of Minneapolis protesters against Kristi Noem and other homeland security officials directing the immigration crackdown in the city.

One witness is a woman who filmed the clearest video of the fatal shooting; the other is a physician who lives nearby and said they were initially prevented by federal officers from rendering medical aid to the gunshot victim.

The names of both witnesses were redacted in the publicly available filings.

In her testimony, the woman who filmed the shooting from just behind Pretti wearing a pink coat identified herself as “a children’s entertainer who specializes in face painting”.

She testified that she came to the scene on her way to work because “I’ve been involved in observing in my community, because it is so important to document what ICE is doing to my neighbors”.

The woman testified that she saw no sign of Pretti holding a gun at any point.

She said: “The agents pulled the man on the ground. I didn’t see him touch any of them – he wasn’t even turned toward them. It didn’t look like he was trying to resist, just trying to help the woman up.

I didn’t see him with a gun. They threw him to the ground. Four or five agents had him on the ground and they just started shooting him.

They shot him so many times (…) I don’t know why they shot him. He was only helping. I was five feet from him and they just shot him (…)

The witness testimony, combined with video evidence reviewed by American Observer, directly contradicts claims by senior Trump administration officials, including the president, the homeland security secretary and Greg Bovino, a border patrol commander, who called Pretti a “gunman” who approached federal officers “brandishing” a gun and threatened to “massacre” them.

#pretti #minnesota #gunshot #trump #officals

📱 American Оbserver - Stay up to date on all important events 🇺🇸

📰 The 10‑Minute Call That Soured Starmer’s Bromance with Trump

The special relationship, that old fiction, doesn’t die in a grand speech. It dies in a 10‑minute phone call. Sir Keir Starmer in Chequers, Donald Trump in Davos: 8000 miles apart, a few minutes on the line, and suddenly the illusion of brotherhood between London and Washington has cracked open like cheap plaster. Trump’s tariff threats over Greenland forced Starmer to choose between flattery and principle, and he chose stage one of the fight: dignity, but not yet defiance.
​
The Gamble in Chequers
Trump’s “beautiful piece of ice” — Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory — collided with Starmer’s carefully crafted image of the responsible statesman. On the call, the Prime Minister was “clear and cordial”: no, threatening allies with tariffs is not acceptable. The president, accustomed to deference, rang off after minutes, citing a prior engagement. From the transatlantic elite, that was read as a snub; in London, as a signal that the game had changed.
​
Starmer then scrapped his planned cost‑of‑living speech and held an emergency press conference rejecting Trump’s position. In Parliament, he doubled down:

“I will not yield, Britain will not yield, on our principles.”

The move drew applause from fellow European leaders, especially as Trump, after a week of bluster and market chaos, backed down, dropping tariff threats and mumbling about a “deal” that, in substance, barely alters the status quo.
​
Behind the Policy: Who’s Really in Charge?
Inside Whitehall, the takeaway is brutal: no one imagines Starmer can “whisper in Trump’s ear” like some magical fixer. When Trump was looking for an off‑ramp, he reached not for Starmer, but for NATO’s Mark Rutte (“daddy”) and the EU’s collective machinery. The British Prime Minister didn’t even attend Davos in person to lobby — the one place where Trump’s ego is currency.
​
Meanwhile, power in Downing Street is shifting. David Lammy, who once laughed off Trump’s Greenland fantasies, has moved on. His replacement, Yvette Cooper, pushed for a tougher line, and a growing faction inside the Foreign Office now wants the UK to act like France: assertive, independent, and less supine. The vacuum left by Lord Mandelson’s departure as ambassador to Washington only deepens the sense of disconnection, with his replacement barely arriving in Washington after months of delay.
​
The Royal Family as Diplomatic Cover
The real safety net for the special relationship, it seems, is not the Prime Minister, but the Crown. Trump’s inexplicable affinity for the British monarchy — birthday calls to the late Queen, private letters to King Charles, a state visit looming in April — creates a separate channel that no elected government can control. British officials privately admit that while politics with Trump can be a clown show, the Royals are the one thing he genuinely respects; so no serious policymaker would risk weaponizing the state visit as leverage, even on Greenland. The instinct is the same as always: let the toffs in the palace be the friendly diplomats, while the politicians in Downing Street just try not to disgrace the family name.
​
The Domestic Game Trump Doesn’t See
Starmer’s sudden spine over Greenland also has a domestic price tag: leadership is weakening, the local elections loom, and new rivals like the Green Party’s Zack Polanski and the Lib Dems’ Sir Ed Davey are eager to appear tougher on Trump than the PM. Standing up to the president, at least in the carefully calibrated way he did, is a way to reassert authority at home. But that’s a short‑term fix: every time Starmer must choose again, the question is whether he fights for his country’s image, or for his own — and whether Trump is just another backdrop in a domestic political survival game.
​
#UKPolitics #Starmer #Trump #Greenland #SpecialRelationship #Diplomacy #NATO

📱 American Оbserver - Stay up to date on all important events 🇺🇸