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Is peace in Ukraine at hand? Maybe—but it’ll be smaller for a smaller Ukraine than Ukraine was when the war began in 2022. Manila is off today, so “The TMI Show with Ted Rall and Manila Chan has Chicago Tribune editorial cartoonist Scott Stantis filling in with Ted.
Russian President Vladimir Putin made some serious offers at Friday’s Alaska summit with Donald Trump. Putin is still demanding that Ukraine hand over the Donbas and Crimea, plus agree not to join NATO ever. In exchange, he’ll freeze the current front lines, where Russia has been advancing. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky looks inclined to agree, but he wants security guarantees from the West to ensure Ukraine doesn’t lose more territory. U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff says Putin has okayed “robust” security measures, including U.S. and European defense guarantees for Ukraine that look like NATO Article V guarantees but do not actually involve NATO. Russia is neither confirming or denying.
With Trump eyeing a trilateral meeting later this week, the stakes are sky-high.
Plus:
- Everyone Hates Israel: U.S. approval of Israel’s Gaza actions drops to 32%, down 10 points since September, with disapproval at 60%. Democrats and independents, at 8% and 25% approval, drove the decline, while Republican support rose to 71%.
- Israeli General’s Bloodlust: Leaked audio from former Israeli military intelligence head Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva, argues 50,000 Palestinian deaths in Gaza are “necessary” for future generations. Haliva praised the 1948 Nakba, saying Israel should kill 50 Palestinians for every Israeli.
- Cartoonist Fired Over Gaza Cartoon: Political cartoonist Bob Whitmore was fired by Creative Loafing’s corporate owners after his cartoon of a starving Gaza child was labeled antisemitic. The cartoon depicted a child crying for food at a Gaza wall with an Israeli flag in the background. Ted and Scott interview Bob Whitmore.
