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After meeting with Zelenskyy, Trump questions Putin’s willingness to stop Ukraine war

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Washington, DC [US], April 27 (ANI): US President Donald Trump has questioned his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin’s willingness to stop the war and criticised recent missile strikes in Ukraine, CNN reported.

Trump said after his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Vatican on the sidelines of Pope Francis’ funeral, on Saturday.

It was the first meeting between the two leaders since their meeting in the White House, when Zelenskyy faced criticism from Trump and Vice President JD Vance over what they saw as a lack of gratitude for American support.

In a post shared on his social media platform, Truth Social, as he was heading back to the US from Rome, Trump hinted at imposing sanctions against Moscow after Russia’s latest missile attack on Ukraine and questioned whether Putin wants to stop the war.

Donald Trump even criticised former US President Barack Obama and suggested that he “made it possible for Russia to steal Crimea from Ukraine without even a shot being fired.”

In a post shared on Truth Social on Saturday, Trump shared, “No matter what deal I make with respect to Russia/Ukraine, no matter how good it is, even if it’s the greatest deal ever made, The Failing New York Times will speak BADLY of it. Liddle’ Peter Baker, the very biased and untalented writer for The Times, followed his Editor’s demands and wrote that Ukraine should get back territory, including, I suppose, Crimea, and other ridiculous requests, in order to stop the killing that is worse than anything since World War II. Why doesn’t this lightweight reporter say that it was Obama who made it possible for Russia to steal Crimea from Ukraine without even a shot being fired. It was also Liddle’ Peter who wrote an absolutely fawning, yet terribly written Biography, on Obama. It was a JOKE! Did Baker ever criticize the Obama Crimea Giveaway? NO, not once, only TRUMP, and I’ve had nothing to do with this stupid war, other than early on, when I gave Ukraine Javelins, and Obama gave them sheets.”

“This is Sleepy Joe Biden’s War, not mine. It was a loser from day one, and should have never happened, and wouldn’t have happened if I were President at the time. I’m just trying to clean up the mess that was left to me by Obama and Biden, and what a mess it is. With all of that being said, there was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days. It makes me think that maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war, he’s just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through “Banking” or “Secondary Sanctions?” Too many people are dying,” he added.

Trump and Zelenskyy spoke ahead of the funeral of Pope Francis. Describing his meeting with Trump as “good,” Zelenskyy said that talks focused on “full and unconditional ceasefire.” He expressed hope to see results on everything they discussed.

In a post on X, Zelenskyy said, “Good meeting. We discussed a lot one-on-one. Hoping for results on everything we covered. Protecting lives of our people. Full and unconditional ceasefire. Reliable and lasting peace that will prevent another war from breaking out. Very symbolic meeting that has potential to become historic, if we achieve joint results. Thank you POTUS.”

Trump and Zelenskyy had a “very productive” meeting in Rome, a White House official said – their first meeting since a tense meeting in the White House in February this year, Al Jazeera stated.

On Saturday, White House communications director Steven Cheung said, “President Trump and President Zelenskyy met privately today and had a very productive discussion. More details about the meeting will follow,” Al Jazeera reported.

In a post on X, Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha stated, “No words are needed to describe the importance of this historic meeting. Two leaders working for peace in St. Peter’s Basilica.”

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Former Nigerian VP Sambo dumps PDP for APC

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Former Nigerian Vice President Namadi Sambo

Former Nigerian Vice President Namadi Sambo officially dumped the People’s Democratic Party for the ruling All Progressives Party, on Wednesday.

Ekwutosblog reports that the former VP under ex-president Goodluck Jonathan’s administration between 2010 and 2015 joined the Kaduna State Chapter of the APC on Friday.

An APC stalwart, Imran Muhammad, confirmed Sambo’s defection in his X account.

Details soon…

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Senate Questions Nomination Of Non-Indigene As Rivers Electoral Commission Chair

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Odey, a native of Cross River State, came under scrutiny from the panel, chaired by Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, over his non-indigene status.

The Senate Adhoc Committee on the Emergency Rule in Rivers State has commenced the screening of nominees for the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), with a major point of contention emerging over the nomination of Michael Odey as the chairman of the electoral body.

Odey, a native of Cross River State, came under scrutiny from the panel, chaired by Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, over his non-indigene status, particularly as he hails from the same state as the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Ibok Ekwe Ibas.

While defending his eligibility, Odey said his nomination does not contravene any provisions of the RSIEC enabling law.

“With utmost respect, I have gone through the RSIEC’s enabling law, and there is nothing that precludes the appointment of anybody outside the state as chairman of the electoral management body,” he said.

However, Senator Bamidele expressed reservations, noting that even if the law is silent on the matter, the implications of appointing someone from outside the state must be carefully considered.

He said, “We are also in possession of the law, so make it available to the committee because in my opinion, the Independent National Electoral Commission is about the Federal Republic of Nigeria. When we say State Independent Electoral Commission, it is about that state.”

The Senate Leader added that the nomination raises fundamental concerns about public perception and legal precedent.

“This is not a matter we are just going to gloss over. It has to be something we can defend. Even if the law does not prohibit such an appointment, we must ensure it is not repugnant to public conscience,” the lawmaker said.

He said the committee would re-examine the eligibility criteria under the RSIEC law to determine if such an appointment could serve as a viable precedent for the future.

Other nominees screened for membership of the commission included Lezaasi Lenee Torbira, Arthur Nwafor, Godfrey Mbudiogha, Joyce Akaniwor, Olive A. Bruce, and Chidi Halliday.

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Benue govt declares public holiday ahead of Tinubu’s visit

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The Benue State Government has declared Wednesday, June 18, 2025, a public holiday to mark the official visit of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the state.

Ekwutosblog reports that Tinubu had announced that he would cut short his schedule to visit Benue State over the recent attacks on the state.

In a statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Serumun Deborah Aber, the President is expected in the state on a one-day condolence visit to commiserate with the government and people of Benue over the recent spate of violent attacks that have led to numerous deaths.

 

The government stated that the holiday is intended to give citizens the opportunity to receive the president warmly but clarified that the directive excludes workers in essential services, including medical personnel, security agencies, and banking institutions.

“Residents across the state are encouraged to come out in large numbers to welcome the President and his delegation during what has been described as a significant and symbolic visit,” the statement added.

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