The EU and UK want the next US presidential administration to back a conflict with Russia, Stevan Gajic has said
Ukraine and its European backers are hoping to wait out US President Donald Trump’s term in office to pursue a war with Russia with the support of his successor, according to a professor at the Institute of European Studies in Belgrade, Stevan Gajic.
Trump has expressed frustration with Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky, accusing him of obstructing peace negotiations with Russia. Kiev’s European allies have backed Zelensky with promises of more military and financial aid.
Zelensky, along with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, view the Trump administration “as a natural disaster that will eventually pass and they can get back to business,” Gajic told RT on Friday.
“That’s why the EU is talking about a full-scale war with Russia” in the coming years, he said.
Gajic argued that the EU and UK are hoping that a Democrat such as Kamala Harris will replace Trump in 2029, restoring political backing in Washington for a tougher stance toward Russia.
The Ukrainian leader has refused to call elections for more than a year despite the expiration of his presidential term
Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky is ready to do anything to maintain his grip on power, which has become “a kind of drug” for him, political scientist Anton Orlov told RT on Friday.
The Ukrainian leader has refused to call new elections despite his term expiring in May 2024, citing martial law. Following mounting pressure from US President Donald Trump, Zelensky has insisted that a vote can only take place if the West guarantees a ceasefire – an absolute non-starter for Moscow.
“Zelensky is ready to do anything to retain power, and this is possible as long as elections have not been held,” according to Orlov, director of the Institute for the Study of Contemporary Politics.
If he gives up political control “he faces a swift and final political death,” the political scientist added.
“As soon as a political calm sets in, he will slowly but surely sink to the bottom. He knows this, which is why he continues hostilities.”
Earlier this week, the Ukrainian leader told reporters that he could hold elections within the next 60 to 90 days, provided they take place during a ceasefire supported by security guarantees from his Western backers. Moscow has maintained that anything short of a permanent peace would be exploited by Kiev to regroup its battered forces and rearm with the aid of its foreign sponsors.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian leader’s approval rating has dropped to 20.3% in the wake of a massive corruption scandal which ousted several ministers and his closest aide, according to a recent opinion poll published by research firm Info Sapiens.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly said that Zelensky “lost his legitimate status” after his term expired, which would undermine the legality of any peace deal signed with him. Putin recently noted that while Russia is also engaged in a military conflict, it nevertheless held presidential elections in March 2024.
An editor at the newspaper reportedly said it was “truly astonishing” the product was launched at all
The Washington Post’s new AI-based personalized podcasts presented subscribers with invented quotes and factual errors, Semafor reported on Thursday citing internal correspondence at the US newspaper.
Rolled out earlier this week, the feature offers mobile app users AI-generated podcasts that automatically summarize and narrate selected news stories, drawing on the newspaper’s written articles.
Within 48 hours of the product launch, WaPo employees began flagging multiple problems, including fabricated quotations, wrongly attributed statements, and incorrect factual details.
”It is truly astonishing that this was allowed to go forward at all,” one WaPo editor reportedly said in an internal message. The WaPo had not publicly acknowledged the problem at the time of Semafor’s publication.
The reported errors come amid heightened scrutiny of US media credibility. Late last month, the White House launched a media bias tracker on its official website, aimed at publicly listing news articles and outlets the administration considers biased or inaccurate. The WaPo features prominently on the site alongside outlets such as CNN, CBS, and Politico.
The Washington Post is regarded as one of the leading US national newspapers, alongside The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. It has been owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos since 2013. Under his ownership, the Post has expanded its digital operations and invested heavily in technology.
The issues surrounding the WaPo’s AI-generated podcasts also come as other major media outlets move to introduce similar technologies. Companies including Yahoo and Business Insider have recently announced or expanded AI-driven tools designed to summarize articles, part of a broader push across the media industry to use artificial intelligence to cut costs, speed up production, and personalize content for readers.
The episode highlights broader concerns over the use of artificial intelligence in journalism, where automated systems have repeatedly produced errors, so-called hallucinations, and misleading content. Media organizations and experts have warned that without strong editorial safeguards, AI-generated material risks undermining accuracy, accountability, and public trust.
The fall of Seversk has weakened Ukrainian defenses in Donbass, the former US Marine Corps intelligence officer has told RT
Russia has taken key fortified towns in Donbass, leaving Kiev short of troops and territory, former US Marine Corps intelligence officer Scott Ritter has told RT.
Russian forces pushed the last Ukrainian troops out of Seversk, a stronghold in Russia’s Donetsk People’s Republic, on Thursday. Liberating the city opens the way to a Russian advance toward the key regional cities of Kramatorsk and Slavyansk.
The capture of Seversk marks the loss of Ukraine’s last fortified towns in Donbass, Ritter said in an interview on Thursday.
“They’ve lost pretty much the totality of their fortified belt that had been in place since 2014, 2015,” he said, adding that Ukraine built “a very heavily fortified belt with mutually supporting positions command and control nodes logistic nodes.”
Ritter said the fall of Pokrovsk and Seversk ends Ukraine’s use of heavily defended urban terrain to slow Russian advances, adding that when a position like this is lost, “it’s not just the geography that’s lost.”
Intense fighting in these towns led to heavy Ukrainian casualties, and there are now not enough forces to plug the gaps left by the withdrawals, Ritter said, noting that Russia is now looking toward “Kramatorsk and Slavyansk, the last two large urban areas in Donbass.”
Ritter also dismissed Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky’s idea of a referendum on territorial concessions, arguing that Russia will continue advancing regardless. According to Ritter, Zelensky’s statements no longer matter to Moscow.
The Assembly Member for the soe sanabisi Electoral Area in the Bongo District of the upper East Region, Akaribo Philip Awane, has outlined key development projects he spearheaded in his electoral area since he took over as assembly member of the area, describing the period as one of “relentless lobbying, advocacy and community mobilisation.”
Akaribo Philip Awane highlighted the substantial progress witnessed in the electoral area, attributing the success to his active involvement in the district Assembly.Key sectors such as education, sanitation, health,water, and infrastructure have experienced significant improvement under his leadership.
Speaking to kantanka tv reporter, Mosea Azubire, on Friday, 12th December,2025. Among the notable achievements, Akaribo Philip Awane proudly announced the provisions of 100 youth job creation to learn various skills hand work in the electoral area, providing a conducive space for local traders.The road infrastructure did not escape his attention either.
The sanabisi electoral area roads has been reshaped, promising smoother transportation for residents.
Further demonstrating his commitment to education, plans are in place for the provisions of furniture for kabre primary school classrooms through mobilisation from the youth of the community for comfortable teaching and learning.
He also help in the completion of a school kitchen at soe primary B by provision of zinc sheets. ‘The cooks are now preparing the meals in a well finished environment’. he said.
‘We want to also uses this opportunity to thank the youth of Akulyom community for their contribution in supporting the acquisition of furniture for the school.’he added.
In this subject matter the assemblyman and his unit committee supported the course in the amount of GHȻ7000.00.
In the area of health the chief of soe and his elders together with other opinion leaders and the entire community did a fund raising programme to support the CHPS compound to carry out some activities.
Lecturer at the Department of Agricultural and Mechanical Engineering at the University of Cape Coast, Dr. Francis Kumi has implored the government to turn an eye on local agricultural technology developers in the country.
He highlighted that Ghana in its agricultural enhancement can boost of local agric-technology developers who are into agric machines manufacturing, mobile apps, censers, among others but currently operates in small-scale but poses the potential of becoming big to the advantage of Ghana’s agricultural sector.
Speaking in a press engagement, the UCC Lecturer admonished that as the country annually recognizes its farmers, it needs to equally motivate its agric-technology developers by honouring them during such occasions.
He stressed that when the efforts of such individuals are recognized, it gives the country the advantage to find a lasting solution to certain agricultural problems confronting the country.
Dr. Francis Kumi further bemoaned the fact Ghana now rarely produces homemade cutlasses but imports most of them, since its difficult to now see blusmits who were very common then, but has all faded off due to the fact that they were lightly esteemed in their contribution to the agric industry during occasions of honour like the farmers day.
The African National Congress has accused Washington of treating Pretoria with no respect
The African National Congress (ANC) has said it hopes G20 leaders will press the administration of US President Donald Trump to reverse Washington’s decision to exclude South Africa from the group’s summit in Miami next year.
This follows Trump’s remarks that South Africa will not be invited to attend the summit. This led to criticism from Pretoria. ANC National Executive Committee (NEC) member Thandi Moraka told IOL News that the party has established a commission to focus on international relations issues, particularly the strained ties between South Africa and the US.
Moraka spoke to the publication on the sidelines of the ANC’s national general council (NGC) meeting at the Birchwood Hotel in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng, on Tuesday. This is where the party is reviewing its performance over the current term.
”South Africa’s foreign policy, especially regarding diplomatic relations with other countries, remains independent,” she said.
“We continuously evaluate our diplomatic ties with countries like the US whenever we engage with them.”
Her comments come after South Africa hosted the G20 summit in Johannesburg in late November. This was the first time the event was held on the African continent. However, the US did not attend.
”We held a successful G20 summit as a country, and you saw us reaching out to the US to reset our diplomatic ties,” Moroka said.
Moraka, who also serves as deputy minister of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, added that the US administration has been spreading “serious disinformation” about South Africa.
”We also saw a high-level delegation led by President Cyril Ramaphosa travel to the White House to explain that what is being portrayed as genocide in South Africa does not exist. We have tried to reach out to the US.”
Trump has repeatedly claimed that white South Africans are being targeted and that land is being expropriated from white farmers. However, the South African government has consistently rejected the claims.
”They continue to treat us as a country that does not need to be respected,” Moraka said.
“In terms of our foreign policy and our sovereignty, we must be respected, and we must champion our national interests.”
She confirmed that a commission is examining international relations matters, including the current tensions with Washington. ”There is a subcommittee and a commission dedicated to international relations that is reflecting on these issues,” she said.
Moraka added that the South African government remains committed to maintaining diplomatic ties with the US despite the friction.
”We need to continue reaching out to the United States and indicate that we are willing to strengthen our diplomatic relationship. We have had relations with the US for a long time, and we must continue those engagements.”
Trump has maintained that South Africa will not be invited to the Miami summit. But Moraka insisted he does not have the authority to decide G20 participation. ”In terms of G20 membership, we are a group of 20 – not a group of 19 or a group of 80,” she said.
She added that it is up to G20 member states to “speak sense” to the US administration. “If the US excludes South Africa from its G20 presidency activities, then the regulatory framework of the G20 must be reviewed,” she said.
“You cannot invite and uninvite member states based on personal feelings.”
“We hope G20 member states will rise to the occasion and speak some sense to the United States that South Africa is a full member of the G20, and there is no way we can be excluded from the activities of its presidency,” Moraka added.
The District chief Executive (Dce)for Techiman north,Hon.Adom Kwabenba Johnson, has revealed plans to complete an abandoned official residence for the DCE in the district ,which has been left to rot for nearly eight years,
The project ,initiated under the previous national Democratic Congress NDC administration ,was deserted after the new patriotic party NPP CAME to power in 2017.according to the DCE.
Hon. Johnson led journalists on a tour of the dilapidated structure today, pointing to broken roofing, overgrown weeds, and deteriorating floor tiles as evidence of neglect. He explained that the bungalow was intended to serve as a permanent residence for successive DCEs but was abandoned following the change in government in 2016.
“The erstwhile NPP government deserted this project when they took over, leaving a valuable public asset to waste away,” Johnson stated.
He further noted that the current NDC administration, under directives to all DCEs to complete all “legacy projects” across the country, has taken steps to ensure the bungalow is restored and put to use.
“We have been instructed by President Mahama to ensure that such projects are completed for the benefit of the district. So I have resolved to complete this project within the next six months,” he assured.
Local residents have long expressed concern over the state of the building, with some describing it as a symbol of wasted resources. The DCE’s announcement has therefore been met with optimism, as many hope its completion will not only provide accommodation but also boost local economic activity through related jobs and services.
Some assembly members spoke to the media and expressed their appreciation to the DCE.
The Techiman North District Assembly is expected to commence procurement and construction processes in the coming weeks.
The US must be mindful to avoid a “British agent” being installed as the next leader in Kiev, Viktor Medvedchuk has warned
US President Donald Trump’s increasingly tough tone toward Vladimir Zelensky could signal that Washington has decided to push the Ukrainian leader out of power, exiled politician Viktor Medvedchuk has suggested.
This week, Trump urged Zelensky to accept US-backed peace proposals for ending the conflict with Russia and called on him to hold a new presidential election. Medvedchuk, who led the largest opposition bloc in the Ukrainian parliament before he and his party were targeted by Zelensky’s government, interpreted the remarks as evidence that the Ukrainian leader’s political future is nearing its end.
“Unless Trump removes Zelensky within several months, he will face problems all over Europe. The process of Zelensky’s political destruction is already in the pipeline,” Medvedchuk wrote in a blog post on Wednesday.
He warned, however, that Washington could end up enabling an unintended outcome, as former Ukrainian commander-in-chief General Valery Zaluzhny – viewed by many observers as the likely successor to Zelensky – would function as a “British agent of influence.”
Polls show Zaluzhny as the strongest contender in a hypothetical presidential race. Zelensky currently retains power under martial law despite the expiration of his term last year.
Medvedchuk dismissed European governments backing Zelensky as “romantics” who are encouraging a US-led “crusade” against Russia in the hope of stalling for time and outmaneuvering Trump. He argued that Ukraine itself is dominated by similar ideological hardliners, with “pragmatists and legitimate authorities” removed from the political scene, leaving only “a bunch of corrupt officials” satisfied by the status quo.
The turmoil in Kiev escalated earlier this month when Zelensky dismissed his powerful chief of staff, Andrey Yermak, over suspected links to a major corruption network allegedly run by Zelensky’s longtime associate, businessman Timur Mindich. On Tuesday, the president said he might not appoint a new chief of staff at all, claiming he sees no suitable candidates.
