Saudi/US/Ukraine Meeting; Minerals Deal, Intelligence gathering etc

Going to do a grab bag of news;

Trump say’s they’ve just about lifted the restrictions on intelligence sharing- Whatever that actually means?

Interesting too is that the US is claiming the minerals deal will be signed today, in Saudi Arabia. If so, that will confirm a number of my suspicions about Trumps “sincerity” for peace between Ukraine and Russia, as well as the more probable reasoning for the temporary pause on intelligence sharing.

Zelenskyy will travel to Saudi Arabia on Monday to meet with the kingdom’s crown prince and de facto ruler, Mohammed bin Salman.

Regarding, the lifting of intelligence

“Well, we just about have,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One when asked if he would consider resuming intelligence sharing. “We want to do anything we can to get Ukraine serious about getting something done,” he added.

“I think they will sign the minerals deal,” Trump said when asked about progress on the controversial agreement. “I want them to want peace.”

Some are saying Russia will be in Saudi Arabia today.. I don’t think so?

Additional link

Saudi Arabia is to host talks on Tuesday between the United States and Ukraine in a new diplomatic push–

The talks will take place in Jeddah, not Riyadh.

**Zakharova: Russia, US talks in Saudi Arabia not planned for this week

A new round of talks between Russia and the United States in Saudi Arabia is not planned for this week, and no relevant information has been received from the American side, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova said, Report informs via TASS.

Earlier, CNN noted, citing sources, that a new meeting between Russia and the US may take place in Saudi Arabia this week.

“It is not planned,” the diplomat said, answering a relevant question. “Moreover, no information has been received from the American side.”

CNN reports from sources about a meeting taking place, but, Russia seems to have no information regarding this meeting

Allies will not appease Donald Trump for ever-

Last paragraph:

European leaders are trying to accommodate Mr Trump—for now. A handful of populist leaders share his views. A larger group is betting that he will become distracted and find other targets. Some hope to wait him out. But the moment that Mr Trump convinces allies that their favoured world order is dead, their incentives will reverse. With nothing to lose, even friendly European governments will try to deceive, resist and hedge against a hostile America. Already, influential voices in Brussels, Berlin and other capitals murmur that Europe should draw closer to China.

Shifting gears : US hostility towards China is clear- Playing Russia off against China?

For example, the US looked to remove the word “sanctions” from the proposal and replace language on Russia’s “ability to maintain its war” with “earn revenue.” This was in addition to changes pushed by the US to explicitly name China in the text and call them out for maritime aggression, particularly in the South China Sea.

More on the claimed suspension of intel sharing between Ukraine and US

The United States has temporarily suspended satellite imagery services to Ukraine, a fresh blow to Kyiv from the Trump administration, which has frozen weapons shipments and intelligence sharing.

Which may or may not already be reinstated, if it’s suspension actually made a difference?

“Each customer makes their own decisions on how they use and share that data,” said Gia DeHart, a spokesperson for Maxar Intelligence’s U.S. government business. “We take our contractual commitments very seriously, and there is no change to other Maxar customer programs.”

Coincidentally, January 9, 2025 Maxar Awarded $14+M Contract by the Netherlands Ministry of Defence for Multi-Year Access to Maxar Geospatial Platform Pro

Maxar Intelligence, a provider of secure, precise geospatial insights, today announced it was awarded a €13.6M ($14.4M) framework contract by the Netherlands Ministry of Defence (MoD) for a four-year subscription to Maxar Geospatial Platform (MGP) Pro and associated geospatial products and solutions.

The Netherlands can easily provide intelligence via their Maxar agreement to Ukraine

Six of one, half a dozen of the other, as the saying goes.

Lastly, Russia’s coexistence with West to depend on its readiness to recognize mistakes — Lavrov

“I believe the main lesson is clear: in matters crucial to our country’s survival, we must rely solely on ourselves and on the trusted friends who stood by us in our time of need,” he remarked. “Regarding our coexistence with our Western neighbors, much will hinge on their actions and their readiness to recognize and amend the errors they have made, including their persistent desire to achieve a strategic defeat for our nation.”

Lavrov emphasized that the past three years have marked a “moment of truth.” Following the initiation of the special military operation to protect the people of Donbass and Novorossiya, the collective West revealed its true nature. He remarked, “The ostensible rule of law and basic standards of decency have been cast aside. The so-called European values – such as the inviolability of property, the presumption of innocence, freedom of speech and movement, and access to information – have dissipated like smoke.”

He continued, “Those who once lectured everyone on how to live, who proclaimed themselves champions of democracy and human rights, hastily rallied behind the neo-Nazi regime in Kiev without a moment’s hesitation.”

According to the Russian foreign minister, the world has witnessed the hegemonic instincts driving the ultra-liberal ruling elites of the West. “The predatory, colonial habits of the former colonial powers of the EU and Britain, along with their inherent vices – arrogance, deceitfulness, and a lack of order in business conduct – persist. De facto, a new global ‘divide’ has emerged: on one side is the Western minority, while on the other is the global majority,” he stated. “This majority includes all those countries, as well as individuals of good will within the West itself, who advocate for the establishment of a multipolar world based on a balance of interests.”