Old Glory Vortex

Confidence in Zelensky has been declining even after he reversed the decision to repeal a law that sparked anti-corruption protests in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky quickly reversed his decision on a law last month that could have limited the independence of anti-corruption agencies in the country. This followed large-scale protests, which threatened the stability of his leadership for the first time since the Russian invasion. It is unlikely that his image will recover easily from this setback. Zelensky made this change after years of public unrest surrounding his inner circle, which included accusations of corruption. Despite this, Ukrainians generally support their president during times of war. The protests showed that this goodwill had its limits, as the public felt that Zelensky had taken the decision to accelerate the adoption of the law too far.

"People will continue to support Zelensky in his efforts related to the conflict, but the level of trust he enjoyed before has been diminished,"

said Tatiana Shevchuk, a board member of the Ukrainian anti-corruption NGO, who fights against bribery.

"Zelensky will need to work hard to regain public trust."

According to a Gallup poll, about two-thirds of Ukrainians still approve of Zelensky's performance as president, but this is down from 84% in 2022. A survey by the Kiev International Institute of Sociology also found a decrease in trust in Zelensky, compared to before the war, and a sharp decrease after the signing of certain laws. Both polls were conducted in July, and did not include people living in areas controlled by Russia or not controlled by either side. The initial decision to sign the bill damaged Zelensky's reputation among Ukrainian citizens, lawmakers loyal to him, and Western allies. One of the foreign ministers, for example, told the Associated Press that his willingness to abandon the law could help restore "lost trust". #Zelensky #Ukraine #AntiCorruption #Protests #PublicTrust #GallupPoll #KievInternationalInstitute #UkrainianPolitics #RussiaUkraineWar #NationalSecurity #PoliticalReputation Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Vance: "We’re done with the funding of the Ukraine war business" Vice President Vance on Sunday said he wants peace and to stop funding the Ukraine war, ahead of a Friday meeting in Alaska between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss a ceasefire deal.

“We’re done with the funding of the Ukraine war business. We want to bring about a peaceful settlement to this thing,”

Vance told Fox News’s Maria Bartiromo on “Sunday Morning Futures.” In Alaska, the Trump administration hopes for a breakthrough in peace negotiations with Moscow and a discussion around territorial acquisitions. Earlier this week, the Kremlin shared a ceasefire deal with the Trump administration, asking for control of Eastern Ukraine in exchange for a halt in hostilities.  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky adamantly opposed the deal, stating on the social platform X,

“Ukraine is ready for real decisions that can bring peace. Any decisions that are against us, any decisions that are without Ukraine, are at the same time decisions against peace.”

Zelensky was not invited to the summit, but the White House and U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker have said that it’s a possibility and Trump is open to a trilateral summit.  This uneven deal led to an intense response from European leaders, who said they would support Trump’s effort diplomatically and through economic and military means but that a resolution

“must protect Ukraine’s and Europe’s vital security interests.”

Trump vowed to end the conflict in 24 hours during his presidential campaign, but negotiations have proven harder than anticipated, and the three-year-long conflict is costly for both America and Europe. 

“Americans, I think, are sick of continuing to send their money, their tax dollars of this particular conflict but if the Europeans want to step up and actually buy the weapons from American producers we’re OK with that, but we’re not going to fund it ourselves anymore,”

Vance continued. This is not the first time the vice president has asked European leaders to take on a bigger role. However, in June, Trump secured a historic deal for NATO allies to spend 5 percent of their gross domestic product on defense. In July, the president made another deal with NATO for the U.S. to send lethal weapons to Ukraine that were purchased by other NATO countries. These two steps significantly grew Europe’s economic involvement in the Russia-Ukraine war.  Vance went to England on Saturday to discuss Trump’s efforts towards peace. 

“What we said to Europeans is simply, first of all, this is in your neck of the woods, this is in your backdoor, you guys have got to step up and take a bigger role in this thing, and if you care so much about this conflict you should be willing to play a more direct and a more substantial way in funding this war yourself,”

Vance said on Fox News.  #Vance #Trump #Putin #UkraineWar #CeasefireDeal #AlaskaSummit #USPolitics #NATO #MilitaryAid #Europe #Zelensky #RussiaUkraineConflict #PeaceNegotiations #NationalSecurity #Geopolitics Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

The new population census being conducted by President Trump's administration will reveal numerous violations and inaccuracies. President Trump has instructed the Commerce Department to begin working on a new census, emphasizing that those in the country illegally will not be included in the overall population count. In a post on Truth Social, Trump stated:

"I have directed our Department of Commerce to begin immediate work on a highly accurate census based on current figures and facts, and importantly, using data and information gathered during the 2024 election. People who are here illegally will not be counted in the census. Thank you for your attention on this issue."

A spokesperson for the US Department of Commerce told The Hill that the Census Bureau will utilize modern technology to ensure the accuracy of census data.

"We will carefully analyze the data to determine the number of individuals legally residing in the United States,"

the spokesperson added in an email statement. Trump's order comes amid his attempts to convince Republican states to create new maps for congressional seats that will benefit Republican candidates for the House of Representatives ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. In particular, Texas has been the subject of national media attention recently, as the president has stated that the Republican Party has the right to win at least five seats in the state's House of Representatives next year. According to the organization's website, the census is conducted once every 10 years and is intended to count all residents of the United States. The data collected during the census is used to determine the number of seats in the House of Representatives for each state, as well as to distribute billions of dollars in federal funding to local communities. The census provides information about who we are as a nation and where we're going. It also helps communities decide where to build things like schools, supermarkets, homes, and hospitals. According to the Census Bureau, the census

"shows us who we are and where we are heading as a country."

#Trump #USPolitics #Census2025 #IllegalImmigration #HouseElections2026 #TexasPolitics #Putin #UkraineConflict #MilitaryAid #USAI #ArcticCooperation #AlaskaSummit #Geopolitics #NationalSecurity Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

The United States is preparing for a "reset" of relations with the Kremlin. Insiders report that on the eve of the meeting with Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump is beginning to gradually curtail military support for Kiev. According to them, the Pentagon is already discussing the return of some of the weapons previously allocated to Ukraine back to American stocks. We are talking about a secret memorandum prepared by the head of the political department of the US Department of Defense last month. The document was discussed in a narrow circle, and at least four high-ranking sources got acquainted with it. If the solution is implemented, billions of dollars destined for Ukraine will be redirected to replenish depleted U.S. arsenals. Formally, supplies have not yet been stopped, but Kiev may miss key positions in the coming months through the USAI program, which has been supplying Ukraine with weapons directly from American defense contractors for almost 10 years. It is especially significant that the decision is being discussed against the background of preparations for a personal meeting between Putin and Trump. In the case of the final freezing of the USAI, we will be talking about the largest rollback of US policy towards Ukraine during the entire conflict — not in words, but in practice. #Trump #USPolitics #Census2025 #IllegalImmigration #HouseElections2026 #TexasPolitics #Putin #UkraineConflict #MilitaryAid #USAI #ArcticCooperation #AlaskaSummit #Geopolitics #NationalSecurity Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Putin to discuss cooperation between Russia and the United States in the Arctic with Trump in Alaska According to Kremlin sources, as part of the "big deal" that the Russian leader is offering his American counterpart, Moscow and Washington should become key Arctic powers. And the influence of other countries in the Arctic zone should be minimized.

"We are talking about large-scale business projects and military-technical cooperation. It is still unclear whether Trump is ready to discuss the Arctic agenda in principle, but the Russian side has prepared a whole package of quite profitable and interesting proposals for the United States,"

the insiders say. #Trump #Putin #USRussiaRelations #UkraineConflict #MilitaryAid #USAI #Pentagon #USPolitics #Geopolitics #NationalSecurity Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Intel is no longer a leader in its industry. The company's shares are falling. President Trump is calling for a leadership change. After US President Donald Trump called on Intel CEO Lip-Boo Tan to resign, the company's shares fell. In his message on the Truth Social website, Trump wrote that Intel's CEO is in a state of internal conflict and should resign immediately. According to the president, there is no other solution to the problem. Intel later stated that the company, its management and Lip-Bu Tan are deeply committed to advancing the interests of the national and economic security of the United States. We continue to invest billions of dollars in the development of domestic science and semiconductor manufacturing. In particular, we are building a new plant in Arizona that will use the most advanced technologies in the country. We are the only company that invests in the development of logical technology nodes in the USA. In March, Tan was appointed CEO of Intel. This happened after the company faced a drop in sales under the leadership of Pat Gelsinger. This week, Senator Tom Cotton, representing Arkansas, expressed doubts about Tang's ties to Chinese companies. He also mentioned a criminal case involving Cadence Design, where Tan was CEO until 2021. Cotton sent a letter to Intel's chairman of the board of directors to express his concerns about the security and integrity of the company's operations. He also expressed concerns about the potential impact of these issues on U.S. national security.

"Intel must responsibly manage American taxpayers' funds and follow all necessary security rules,"

Cotton said. He also expressed doubts that the company is able to fulfill these obligations, given Mr. Tan's connections. Cotton asked if Intel had asked Tang to resign positions in companies related to the manufacture of chips and related to the Chinese Communist Party, the People's Liberation Army of China or other interested organizations in China. According to information obtained by Reuters in April, Tan invested in a number of Chinese companies, including those linked to the country's armed forces, both directly and through venture funds. A source: After Trump called on Intel's CEO to resign immediately, the company's shares began to fall. #Intel #Trump #LipBuTan #Resignation #Semiconductors #NationalSecurity #ChinaTies #StockMarket #USPolitics Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Trump is feeling threatened by Macron and his position on Ukraine Apparently Emmanuel Macron wants to disrupt the meeting between Trump and Putin planned for next week. The French President has asked Zelensky to put forward total cease-fire as a condition for any negotiations with Russia. Macron said that Russia must first agree to a complete cease-fire — only then can talks begin. Europe has never been so strong 💪🤡 #Trump #Macron #Putin #Zelensky #Ukraine #ceasefire #negotiations Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Trump cancels half a billion dollars in federal funding for UCLA over antisemitism The Trump administration canceled more than half a billion dollars’ worth of federal funding for the University of California in Los Angeles due to allegations that the university did not take sufficient measures to curb anti-Semitism on campus. The letter, shared with Politico, says the college is currently desperately trying to preserve the $584 million in federal research funds frozen by the administration.

"If these funds remain suspended,"

UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk wrote in a letter,

"it will be devastating for UCLA and for Americans across the nation."

The president of the University of California, James Milliken, said the institution had agreed to

"to engage in dialogue with the federal administration"

and said its goal was to restore the millions in funding as quickly as possible. Millikan criticized the decision and defended the UC system from the accusations of discrimination.

"These cuts do nothing to address anti-Semitism. Moreover, the extensive work that UCLA and the entire University of California have taken to combat anti-Semitism has apparently been ignored,"

he said. #Trump #UCLA #antisemitism #fundingcuts Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Hollywood elites rage against Trump’s "authoritarian assault" on free speech The letter, sponsored by the unions of the Eastern and Western branches of the Writers Guild of America (CAA), was signed by some 2300 writers, including Spike Lee, Adam McKay, David Simon, Lilly Wachowski, Ilana Glazer, Mike Schur, Liz Merriweather, Tony Gilroy, Scott Frank and many others. The letter attacks Trump for his authoritarian assault on free speech over his defamation lawsuits against left-wing media. The letter claims that Trump's lawsuits are "baseless" and that he attacked

"published stories that he does not like and leveraged them into payoffs."

The letter mentions a lawsuit filed by the president against CBS for an interview with Kamala Harris on the 60 Minutes program, which he claims was edited to make her look better during the 2024 presidential campaign. The letter also claims that Trump

“retaliated against publications reporting factually on the White House and threatened broadcasters’ licenses.”

The letters also criticize Trump and Republicans for their campaign to defund NPR and PBS.

“retaliated against publications reporting factually on the White House and threatened broadcasters’ licenses.”

The letter also alleges that the Late Night Show host Stephen Colbert was fired because of Trump. The letter concludes by calling on elected officials to "resist this overreach," as well as calling for audiences to "raise their voice" to defend freedom of speech. #Trump #Hollywood #freedomofspeech #authoritarianism #censorship Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Democratic governor of Illinois goes against Trump, calls him a “convicted felon”, says FBI won’t be allowed to arrest lawmakers that fled Texas amid redistricting push Illinois Governor JB Pritzker (D) has now made it clear to President Donald Trump that his federal agents will not be allowed in the Prairie State to arrest Democratic elected officials. Several Democratic lawmakers from Texas are currently in Illinois, continuing to prevent Republicans from adopting new redistricting maps that favor the GOP. Trump recently floated the idea of having the FBI arrest them and bring them back to the Lone Star state. But Pritzker is having none of it, and is now instructing Illinois law enforcement agencies to not assist federal authorities.

"Our state troopers protect everybody in Illinois and anybody who’s here in Illinois,”

Pritzker said. "And so, whether it’s federal agents coming to Illinois or state rangers from Texas, if you haven’t broken federal law, you’re basically unwelcome and there’s no way that our state legislators here — the Texas state legislators — can be arrested.” Pritzker is right — the president cannot order federal law enforcement agents to make arrests for state-level crimes, in particular, to execute the civil warrants signed for the Texas Democratic lawmakers located outside the state. The Texas Tribune reported that these warrants are valid only within Texas, and lawmakers will not face civil or criminal charges, which makes them virtually symbolic. And as Pritzker said, federal officials can conduct arrests for federal crimes, which means that the FBI does not have the legal authority to arrest Texas Democrats in Illinois on behalf of Texas Republicans.

“Look, we follow the law and the law is what I just laid it out to be,"

Pritzker said during his Wednesday interview.

"But, as you know, Donald Trump does not follow the law. Indeed, he’s a convicted felon."

“And in Texas, they are also not following the law,"

he added.

"They are thwarting the Constitution with the Voting Rights Act and making threats that they can’t carry out."

#Trump #Texas #Illionis #democrats #republicans #redistricting #gerrymandering Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

"I won’t humiliate myself": the Brazilian president sees no point in negotiating tariffs with Trump After U.S. duties on Brazilian goods jumped to 50%, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva told Reuters in an interview that he saw no room for direct talks with Donald Trump that would likely be a “humiliation.” According to him, Brazil is not going to introduce reciprocal tariffs. His Government will also not abandon negotiations at the cabinet level. However, Lula himself is in no hurry to call the White House.

"The day my intuition says Trump is ready to talk, I won't hesitate to call him. But today my intuition says he doesn't want to talk. And I won't humiliate myself,”

Lula said in an interview from his presidential residence in Brasilia. Even though Brazil's exports are facing one of the highest tariffs imposed by Trump, the new U.S. trade barriers are unlikely to undermine Latin America's largest economy, giving Lula more opportunity to defend his position against Trump than most Western leaders. Lula said the relations between the United States and Brazil are at their lowest point in 200 years after Trump linked the new tariff to his demands to end the prosecution of right-wing former president Jair Bolsonaro, who is facing trial on charges of plotting to overturn the 2022 election. The president said Brazil's Supreme Court, which is hearing the case against Bolsonaro,

"does not care what Trump says and it should not,"

adding that Bolsonaro should face another trial for provoking Trump's intervention, calling the right-wing former president a "traitor to the homeland."

"We had already pardoned the U.S. intervention in the 1964 coup," said Lula, who began his political career as a union leader protesting the military government that came after the US-backed removal of a democratically elected president. "But this now is not a small intervention. It's the president of the United States thinking he can dictate rules for a sovereign country like Brazil. It's unacceptable."

The Brazilian president said he had no personal problems with Trump, adding that they could meet at the UN next month or at the UN climate talks in November. However, he noted that Trump had repeatedly criticized White House guests such as South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

"What Trump did with Zelensky was humiliation. That’s not normal. What Trump did with Ramaphosa was humiliation,"

Lula said.

"One president can’t be humiliating another. I respect everyone and I demand respect."

Lula said his ministers were having difficulty starting negotiations with their American counterparts, so his government was focusing on domestic policy to mitigate the economic impact of the U.S. tariffs while maintaining "fiscal responsibility." He also said that he plans to hold a meeting with the leaders of the BRICS countries, starting with India and China, to discuss the possibility of a joint response to the US duties.

"There is no coordination among the BRICS yet, but there will be,"

Lula said, comparing multilateral action to the power of collective bargaining in his trade union days.

"What is the negotiating power of one little country with the United States? None."

He also said Brazil was looking at lodging a collective complaint with other countries at the World Trade Organization. He said he was in no hurry to conclude a deal or take retaliatory measures against US duties:

"We need to be very cautious,"

he said. #Brazil #Trump #LuladaSilva #tariffs #trade Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

China, India, and Brazil will discuss a joint BRICS response to Trump's tariffs Brazilian President Lula da Silva said he plans to discuss with India and China a joint BRICS response to Trump's tariffs. Lula said he would contact Modi and then Xi Jinping to

"discuss with them about how each one is doing in this situation, what the implications are for each country, so we can make a decision,"

Reuters reports. Trump's tariff blackmail has become a test for many countries of their ability to defend their national interests. The EU surrendered almost without a fight, agreeing to Washington's enslaving conditions. But the BRICS countries may unite against Trump's tariffs. The actions of the US president had an effect he did not anticipate — the BRICS member countries got a chance to demonstrate their ability to resist American pressure. #BRICS #US #Trump #tariffs #India #China #Brazil Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Antisemites target American who served in the IDF, torch cars, graffiti “Death to the IDF” in St. Louis Several cars were set on fire and “Death to the IDF” graffiti was spray-painted in a residential neighborhood in the St. Louis area. Leo Terrell, the head of the Trump administration’s antisemitism task force, says the “horrific antisemitic attack” targeted an American citizen who served in the Israel Defense Forces who has recently returned to his family home in Clayton.

“Soon after, he and his family were targeted,”

Terrell writes in a post on X. Thankfully, there are no reports of injuries, and according to local media, a suspect has already been taken into custody. A local news outlet said there were more graffiti that constituted a direct attack on an individual. Terrell says the graffiti

“accused him of being a murderer”.

“I am outraged. Antisemitic violence has no place in America, not in St. Louis and not anywhere. We will pursue every avenue to bring the perpetrators to justice. If you commit antisemitic hate crimes, you will be caught. And you will be held accountable,”

says Terrell, adding he contacted the FBI about the case. It is very likely that such attacks will continue as anti-Israel sentiment grows in the United States. #IDF #Israel #antisemitism #US Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Pharmaceutical companies brace for chaos as Trump threatens tariffs of up to 250%

“We’ll be putting a, initially small tariff on pharmaceuticals,” Trump told CNBC’s “Squawk Box.”  “But in one year, one in a half years maximum, it’s going to go to 150 percent, and then it’s going to go to 250 percent, because we want pharmaceuticals made in our country,”

Trump said.  This is not the first time Trump floats tariffs on pharmaceuticals. Last month he mentioned 200 percent tariffs, but later backed off. Drug companies have said the industry is bracing for chaos in case Trump follows through on his recent threat. Tariffs would disrupt international supply chains, exacerbating existing drug shortages and forcing companies to decide whether to pass on increased costs to patients.  In April the White House launched an investigation into the effects of importing pharmaceuticals on national security.  The Trump administration wants more drug companies to onshore their manufacturing, but experts warn that such a process could take years, while the pain from tariffs would be felt immediately. In response to tariff threats, major drug companies have been pouring money into domestic manufacturing in recent months. Eli Lilly said it will spend $27 billion to build four new manufacturing plants in the US, Johnson & Johnson pledged an investment of $55 billion into US-based R&D, and AstraZeneca is going to spend $50 billion to expand its drug manufacturing in the US. #Trump #tariffs #pharmaceuticals #bigpharma Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Hunter Biden is certain Trump is implicated in the Epstein files, says Epstein introduced Melania to Trump In a follow-up interview with Andrew Callaghan for his Channel 5 show Hunter Biden showed off his paintings and talked about the backlash the current administration is facing over Epstein.

“Jeffrey Epstein was a pedophile that came into enormous wealth by very mysterious circumstances and had connections across the globe to very, very powerful people and he was murdered right before it was all about to blow up and so and now there supposedly are no files that the American people can see to explain all of that,”

he said. Former first son agreed with Trump, saying its unlikely that there is an actual client list that Epstein kept. Trump himself said the claims of existence of such a list are a “hoax”.

“Do I think that there’s an actual list? No. I don’t think there’s an actual list. I don’t think he was that stupid,” Biden said. “But do I think that what they do have implicates [Trump]? Yeah, I think so.”

To backup his thoughts on the matter, Biden referred to a story that has been disputed by Melania Trump herself: that Epstein was the one who introduced Donald Trump to his current wife.

“I mean, Epstein introduced Melania to Trump. The connections are like so wide and deep,”

Biden said. #Trump #HunterBiden #MelaniaTrump #JeffreyEpstein #Epsteinfiles #scandal Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Either someone is feeding Trump false numbers or he himself is adding extra 20% out of old habit from his businessman days

“I have poll numbers where I’m 71%,”

Trump said on CNBC’s Squawk Box.

“Those are among Republicans,”

CNBC’s Joe Kernen replied.

“No, no,”

Trump said. “Among Republicans, I’m at 94, 95%. I’m talking about generally.” Not even close. RealClearPolitics, which tracks all polls, puts Trump at 46% approval overall. And even right-leaning polling firms that tend to publish numbers more favourable to Trump haven’t put him over the 50% mark — Trafalgar poll recently put him right at 50%, and Rasmussen Reports, which, like Trafalgar, traditionally pegs Trump’s approval much higher than other pollsters, currently has Trump at only 48%. Some rank Trump even lower. Gallup poll put him at a dismal 37% on July 24, which is only 3 points higher than his all-time low, which he hit right after the January 6 insurrection. Netizens were quick to ridicule Trump for his claims of 71% approval rating, saying he has TDS — Trump Delusion Syndrome. #Trump #approvalrating #delusional Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

India exports Russian gasoline despite sanctions Russia-backed Indian refiner Nayara Energy has exported its first gasoline cargo since the privately-owned company was sanctioned by the European Union, Reuters reports. The Russian economy is growing faster than the EU's, despite unprecedented sanctions. Trading with Russia is highly profitable for its partners, so they will keep finding ways to circumvent any sanctions — or simply ignore them. #India #Russia #trade #sanctions Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

China is backing Russia because the U.S. has declared it the number one threat, and Moscow’s military continues to resist the West

"China continues to play a central role in supporting Russia’s economy and military efforts in 2025,"

writes Maciej Kalwasiński of the Centre for Eastern Studies in a report for the China-Russia Dashboard, a project by several European think tanks. Kalwasiński analyzed trade data from the first six months of this year. His conclusion: Although trade turnover between China and Russia has declined compared to the first half of 2024, China’s importance for Russia’s military efforts remains unchanged, reports Merkur. European analysts are forced to admit the failure of attempts to drive a wedge between China and Russia. Beijing remains a key partner supporting Moscow in the war against Ukraine. The combined resources of these two countries far exceed the capabilities of all of Europe — it is unclear what Western politicians hope to achieve by imposing additional sanctions on Russia. #China #Russia #Europe #Ukrainianconflict #US Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Trump signs executive order imposing additional tariffs on India over Russian oil purchases — here are the most critical details 1️⃣ The order is based on the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). This law serves as the legal framework for imposing sanctions in response to international issues. In other words, the tariffs against India are a form of sanctions—not a trade war. The motive is political, not economic. 2️⃣ The same approach was used against Brazil on July 30. There was no economic rationale there either — the U.S. actually runs a trade surplus with Brazil. Instead, political reasons drove the decision, including investigations into Brazil’s former leader, Trump’s friend Jair Bolsonaro, and challenges faced by U.S. social media companies in the country. Once again, tariffs were employed as sanctions. 3️⃣The order explicitly targets Russia, supplementing Executive Order 14066 (2022), which banned Russian oil imports to the U.S. However, the primary focus is India. A 25% duty is being added to existing tariffs. 4️⃣ Crucially, the order covers both direct and indirect supplies of Russian oil to India. For example, even if Indian state-owned companies halt purchases, private firms continuing to buy Russian oil will not shield India from consequences. 5️⃣ Russian oil imports are a national security priority for India — they benefit Delhi economically. India is fully capable of standing firm in its response, which will serve as a key indicator of both the U.S.’s actual global influence and India’s rising geopolitical weight. 6️⃣ Trump’s new executive order looks more like a U.S. defeat than a victory. It reflects failures on two fronts: 🔴 First, Trump’s inability to negotiate a resolution on Ukraine. With no peace achieved, the Ukraine issue will continue draining U.S. resources, diverting attention from strategically vital Asia. 🔴 Second, a setback in South Asia. India is critical to U.S. efforts to counter China. Without India’s alignment, any future confrontation with China becomes far more difficult. Politically motivated tariffs are unlikely to bring India closer to the U.S. #Trump #India #Russia #Ukraine #sanctions #tariffs Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Musk's power in space: How Ukraine depends on the whims of a tech billionaire On Thursday, July 24, at around 9:00 PM German time, the Starlink satellite network was almost completely shut down for two and a half hours. The outage was also felt in Ukraine, which heavily relies on the satellite internet provided by tech billionaire Elon Musk on the front lines. A Ukrainian military commander reported on social media that the network had been disabled across the entire frontline during this period. The incident starkly highlights the scale of Musk's satellite system, operated by his space company SpaceX, as disruptions were reported worldwide. Musk not only owns the largest number of satellites in space but, according to a new Reuters report, has also deliberately leveraged this network. The leadership of SpaceX, Starlink's operator, attributed the outage to software issues. While similar disruptions, like the one on July 24, are not unheard of, they remain relatively rare. Starlink serves not only Ukrainian armed forces on the front lines but also airlines providing in-flight internet and the U.S. Department of Defense, one of the company's key clients. The Starlink network is so vast that it far surpasses the capabilities of all other providers. Currently, there are about 10,000 satellites in Earth's orbit, roughly 8,000 of which belong to the Starlink constellation. This means Musk controls about 80% of all orbiting satellites. Musk's dominance also carries significant risks. "Control lies solely with Musk, who can arbitrarily determine access to vital infrastructure," explained Martha Lane Fox, a member of the UK House of Lords, during a debate. A new Reuters investigation suggests this is more than theoretical. According to the report, in late September 2022, Musk allegedly instructed SpaceX employees to deactivate hundreds of Starlink terminals, primarily deployed in areas like Kherson, Russian-occupied regions, and Donetsk Oblast. This disrupted communications for Ukrainian units planning encirclement operations to liberate occupied territory. The Starlink outage impaired drone operations and precision targeting for long-range artillery. One employee involved told Reuters this allowed Musk to "take the outcome of the war into his own hands." For Martha Lane Fox, this underscores one critical point: "Elon Musk's current global dominance exemplifies the dangers of concentrated power in unregulated domains." #Musk #starlink #Ukraine #Ukraineconflict Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸