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Trump urges Putin not to escalate war during phone call, reports say

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Donald Trump held a phone conversation with Russian president Vladimir Putin on Thursday advising him not to escalate the war in Ukraine according to the Washington Post, citing well-placed sources.

The president-elect warned Putin of the America’s “sizeable military presence in Europe” as he urged restraint in the conflict, which is entering its third year.

The outlet added that Trump had expressed interest in a follow up conversation between the pair to resolve Ukraine’s war “soon.”

Trump has previously boasted on the campaign trail that he would end the war in Ukraine in “24 hours” — although has not provided concrete details how he would achieve this.

Putin congratulated Trump on his election victory in comments made last Thursday, going so far to praise Trump’s courage during an assassination attempt on his life at a rally in Pennsylvania in July.

“He manifested himself in the very correct way, bravely as a man,” Putin said.

The Russian leader added he welcomed Trump’s claim he could end the war, but that he was not aware of what Trump’s concrete proposals were.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov emphasised that Moscow still views the US as an “unfriendly” country and that ties between Russia and the US were at their lowest point in history.

Trump is known to be friendly towards Putin. When he was elected in 2016, Moscow had hopes that Trump would scrap sanctions against the country.

Since then, Putin has repeatedly noted Trump’s first term saw the introduction of the heaviest sanctions against Russia at that time.

In a statement given to the Post, Trump’s spokesperson Steven Cheung said of the call between Putin and Trump: “President Trump won a historic election decisively and leaders from around the world know America will return to prominence on the world stage.”

Cheung added that world leaders had begun to try and develop relationships with Trump as he represents “global peace and stability.”

Kyiv disputes claim

The Washington Post claimed that Ukraine’s foreign ministry knew about the call and didn’t object to the conversation taking place, a claim Kyiv’s foreign ministry told Reuters was false.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy already spoke with Trump during a phone call on Wednesday.

Zelenskyy called Trump to congratulate him on his election victory. Although it isn’t known what the pair discussed, SpaceX owner Elon Musk reportedly took part in the call with Zelenskyy thanking him for providing Ukraine with access to the Starlink satellite internet platform.

Trump’s election could signal a shift in US foreign policy towards Ukraine. The president-elect is wary of US involvement in foreign conflicts and has previously suggested the money would be better spent domestically.

Current US President Joe Biden is set to meet Trump at the Oval Office on Wednesday to discuss the transition of power, and brief the new president on the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.

National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told CBS, “President Biden will have the opportunity over the next 70 days to make the case to the Congress and to the incoming administration that the United States should not walk away from Ukraine, that walking away from Ukraine means more instability in Europe.”

Politics

2027: I’ll support anyone willing to leave office after four years – Kenneth Okonkwo

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Former Labour Party presidential campaign spokesman, Kenneth Okonkwo, has said he would support either a southerner or a northerner willing to vacate office after a single four-year term.

Okonkwo stated this on the Sunday edition of Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, a socio-political programme aired on Channels Television, amid discussions about a coalition ahead of the 2027 election.

The Nollywood star-turned-politician based his decision on equity and fairness between the northern and southern regions of the country, in line with the unwritten rule of rotational presidency.

“Everybody should come together. It is something that can be discussed. Who is going to do four years will influence who I am going to support because I still believe in equity and justice,” he said.

Okonkwo, who resigned from the Labour Party in February, said he was open to joining a coalition aiming to unseat President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the next election.

Ekwutosblog reports that talks of a coalition have been gaining momentum, further fuelled by the recent defection of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, from APC to the Social Democratic Party, SDP.

 

The lawyer described the APC government as incompetent, insisting that the opposition must form a strong alliance to wrest power from the incumbent administration in the next election.

“My game plan is simple. If the opposition is serious about taking power from this incompetent government, they must unite and act as one because that was exactly what the APC did in 2013, which helped them win in 2015.

“I believe in coalition. When I was leaving, I said I was open to discussions with every group to consolidate the opposition so that we can remove this government,” he said.

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Anambra South needs increased funding for infrastructure, quality education, healthcare – Amamgbo

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A Labour Party aspirant for the Anambra South Senatorial by-election for the replacement of late Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, Donald Amamgbo has identified some of the needs of the zone, saying if given the opportunity to represent the zone, he will champion it.

Amamgbo, a respected legal practitioner and a player in the oil and gas sector, in a press release said his interest to represent his people in the Senate was to ensure development in the zone.

He said he will champion calls for increased funding for infrastructure development, maintenance and improved access to quality education and healthcare if elected into the red chambers.

He said, “My aspiration is anchored on my desire to provide quality representation and attracting meaningful projects that would better the lot of my people.

“My legislative agenda is all about listening to the concerns of constituents and representing their interest in the National Assembly, while collaborating with stakeholders to drive development and growth in Anambra South to ensure transparency, accountability and promoting the principles of democracy in Nigeria.

“My senatorial bid is built on a promise to deliver effective representation and champion the interests of Anambra South senatorial district. My vision is centred on key legislative priorities for economic empowerment, infrastructure development, education, healthcare, security and peace in Anambra South as well as the entire state.

“My approach to leadership is anchored in practical solutions and a people-first mentality. I will prioritize development, accountability, and compassion, offering a fresh perspective on service delivery. With my extensive experience in law, business, and humanitarian work, I am a force for positive change,” he stressed.

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BREAKING NEWS: Senators and former ministers of Buhari are preparing to move from APC to SDP.

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Strong signs that some of the former president Muhammadu Buhari’s ministers will turn to the Social Democratic Party altogether.

A senator in the ninth house of assembly, who talked with PUNCH newspaper on Saturday and asked for his name to be renamed, said at least 10 former members of Buhari are planning to return to SDP.

“What they are waiting for is the complete rule of the party in their states,” the sources said.

Our representatives have gathered that the top obedient to President Buhari’s next year include the former chairman of the All Progressives Congress National, Abdullahi Adamu; Former Federal Lawyer and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami and former Senate Chairman, Ahmed Lawan.

El-Rufa’i has started taking action
One of Buhari’s loyalist and former governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, on Monday transferred to SDP party, where he expressed the disagreement between him and the APC party as the first reason for making this decision.

 

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