Wednesday 22nd of October 2025

it's a tie, so far....

A senior Pentagon spokesperson has responded with a “your mom” joke when asked about US War Secretary Pete Hegseth’s choice of tie for a recent meeting with Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky.   

Hegseth opted for a white, blue, and red striped tie during Zelensky’s visit to the White House on Friday.

While the colors are also found in US national symbolism, media outlets noted that the arrangement of the stripes on Hegseth’s garment mirrored that of the Russian flag. Other members of the US administration, including President Donald Trump, wore solid-colored ties for the meeting. 

In response to a HuffPost inquiry on whether the war secretary was aware of the reaction from Russia and if he had worn the tie before, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell delivered a sharp retort on Monday, stating, “Your mom bought it for him – and it’s a patriotic American tie, moron.” 

Russian presidential aide Kirill Dmitriev had fueled the controversy by posting a photo comparing the tie worn by Hegseth to the Russian flag. In an effort to dispel the speculation, US Vice President J.D. Vance weighed in on the same social media platform, suggesting, “Or maybe he was wearing the colors of America.” 

Multiple media outlets noted that with Parnell’s remark, the Pentagon had joined a flash mob initiated by President Trump’s press secretary, Caroline Levitt. 

Earlier, Levitt snapped at a HuffPost reporter who had inquired about the upcoming meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest. The reporter asked Levitt who had selected the Hungarian capital as the venue for the talks, to which Levitt answered, “Your mom did.” 

The two leaders announced plans to meet in Budapest after they spoke for over two hours by phone on Thursday. Speaking during a press briefing on Monday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that Moscow would like to “make progress towards a settlement with Ukraine.” 

Hungary has been chosen as the host nation since its prime minister, Viktor Orban, maintains “warm” and “constructive” relations with both the Russian and US presidents, he explained.

https://www.rt.com/news/626762-hegseth-russian-flag-tie/ ===============  

Preparations for the proposed Russia-US summit expected to be held in Budapest, Hungary, have been put “on hold,” American media outlets reported on Tuesday, citing anonymous officials.

There are no plans for US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to meet “in the immediate future,” Reuters has reported, citing a senior White House staffer.

Likewise, White House correspondent Garrett Haake reported that planning for the summit in Budapest is now “on hold,” also citing an unnamed senior official who also explained why the planned meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was scrapped.

“Initial call between Sec. Rubio & FM Lavrov was ‘productive,’ but POTUS believes both sides aren’t ready enough to talk to justify moving forward right now,” Haake wrote on X.

The anonymously sourced reports follows a CNN story, also citing unnamed sources, that claimed preparations for the summit “had been tabled, at least for now.” The CNN reporting prompted a reaction from senior Russian officials, who rejected the assertions made in the piece.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told media on Tuesday that preparations for the “significant event” were still underway, while reports about the postponement of the summit were “infodumps” intended to disrupt. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also mocked the anonymous sources reporting as a Western media “info-circus.”

The Kremlin and the White House confirmed that the talks would take place in the Hungarian capital after Putin and Trump spoke by phone last Thursday. Neither party, however, has officially provided a timeframe for the meeting.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reiterated that “serious preparations are needed” ahead of the summit. “You’ve heard statements from the American side and from our own that this may take time. So, no definite timeframe has been established,” he added.

https://www.rt.com/news/626780-trump-putin-summit-pause/

 

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YOURDEMOCRACY.NET RECORDS HISTORY AS IT SHOULD BE — NOT AS THE WESTERN MEDIA WRONGLY REPORTS IT — SINCE 2005.

 

         Gus Leonisky

         POLITICAL CARTOONIST SINCE 1951.

EU infodump....

Russian officials have rejected media reports suggesting that plans for a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump have been suspended, saying Ukraine’s European backers are attempting to sabotage the talks.

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told reporters on Tuesday that extensive preparations are still underway for the “significant event,”which both leaders agreed to hold in Budapest during a recent phone call.

He said reports that the summit had been postponed were “infodumps” intended to disrupt diplomatic progress.

“EU and NATO countries are seeking to torpedo everything,” Ryabkov stated, describing the European Union as “the most destructive force on the international stage at this point.”

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also mocked what she described as a Western media “info-circus,” claiming that reporting based on anonymous sources amounted to little more than a “CNN leak” that “disproves a Reuters rumor.”

The comments followed a CNN story citing unnamed sources who claimed preparations for the summit “had been tabled, at least for now.” The report said that an in-person meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had been delayed after a phone conversation on Monday, allegedly due to a lack of shift in Russia’s negotiating stance.

Moscow has repeatedly accused European governments supporting Kiev of seeking to prolong the Ukraine conflict rather than encourage peace talks. Officials have argued that this approach helps EU leaders avoid accountability for their failed strategy.

Conversely, the planned Putin-Trump summit host country, Hungary, has opposed the West’s deterioration of relations with Russia and the EU’s military aid to Ukraine.

https://www.rt.com/russia/626753-budapest-summiut-cnn-claims/

 

MAKE A DEAL PRONTO BEFORE THE SHIT HITS THE FAN:

NO NATO IN "UKRAINE" (WHAT'S LEFT OF IT)

THE DONBASS REPUBLICS ARE NOW BACK IN THE RUSSIAN FOLD — AS THEY USED TO BE PRIOR 1922. THE RUSSIANS WON'T ABANDON THESE AGAIN.

THESE WILL ALSO INCLUDE ODESSA, KHERSON AND KHARKIV.....

CRIMEA IS RUSSIAN — AS IT USED TO BE PRIOR 1954

TRANSNISTRIA WILL BE PART OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION.

A MEMORANDUM OF NON-AGGRESSION BETWEEN RUSSIA AND THE USA.

 

EASY.

 

THE WEST KNOWS IT.

 

READ FROM TOP.

 

YOURDEMOCRACY.NET RECORDS HISTORY AS IT SHOULD BE — NOT AS THE WESTERN MEDIA WRONGLY REPORTS IT — SINCE 2005.

 

         Gus Leonisky

         POLITICAL CARTOONIST SINCE 1951.