WEDNESDAY 2, [26], 25
Verses for today:
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
Mark 16:15 KJV
The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.
Zephaniah 3:17 KJV
A friend loveth at all times, And a brother is born for adversity.
Proverbs 17:17 KJV
For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
Hebrews 4:10 KJV
bless them that curse you and pray for them which despitefully use you.
Luke 6:28 KJV
Ron DeSantis News:
BREAKING: AG Pam Bondi has officially scheduled the release of the Epstein client files for 12 PM ET on February 29, 2025. This could be one of the biggest document dumps in history.
Donna Warren
A new Anti-Trump Army:
BREAKING: Senator Mark Kelly Calls For Veterans To Fight Against Trump After The President Purged Globalist Generals Who Were Openly Plotting A Bureaucratic Coup
"What Trump's doing is unprecedented". No. Obama did the same thing.
I bet someone else is soliciting former FBI and CIA agents for a new anti-Trump secret service.
Patrick Bestall
Ukraine Defies Trump As Zelensky Unanimously Backed:
Ukraine’s parliament has defied President Donald Trump's push to hold elections after they unanimously voted to affirm Volodymyr Zelensky's presidency, according to member of parliament Yaroslav Zheleznyak's post on Telegram.
Newsweek reached out to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine for comment via email outside of business hours.
Why It Matters
Ukraine's passing of the resolution sends a message to the U.S. and the world about their support for Zelensky, as it directly follows Trump's false claim that his approval rating was "down to 4 percent."
The vote also comes after Zelensky offered to step down in order to achieve peace and secure Kyiv's NATO membership.
The vote may make peace negotiations with Russia and the U.S. more difficult, as Moscow may not be willing to negotiate with Zelensky.
What To Know
The Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, passed a resolution entitled "Statement of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on Support for Democracy in Ukraine in Conditions of Russian Aggression" on February 25 that affirms Zelensky's presidency and mandates that elections cannot be held during periods of martial law.
The resolution stated that Kyiv would hold elections "after comprehensive, just and sustainable peace is ensured on its territory." It also asserted that "it is Vladimir Putin who is responsible for the fact that it is currently impossible to organize free, transparent and democratic elections in Ukraine."
The parliament also disputed recent statements questioning the legitimacy of Zelensky's presidency by Trump and Putin, and stated that he was "elected in free, transparent, democratic elections," adding, "His mandate is not questioned by the Ukrainian people and the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine."
The Verkhovna Rada did not have enough votes to pass the resolution on the first reading, but during the second, it was supported by 268 members, while 12 abstained from voting and none voted against, according to the Kyiv Independent.
The vote followed Trump's urging for the country to hold elections as part of a three-stage process to achieve peace, which was discussed by Russian and U.S. officials during peace talks in Saudi Arabia last week.
When Zelensky responded and said that Trump was living in a "disinformation space" as Ukraine cannot hold elections during periods of martial law, the U.S. president said that he was a "dictator without elections."
Putin reiterated Trump's statements about Ukraine holding elections and said that Zelensky has "no chance" of reelection.
What People Are Saying
In a series of posts on X, formerly known as Twitter, Tymofiy Mylovanov, the president of the Kyiv School of Economics, wrote: "Ukrainian Parliament Confirms Zelensky's Mandate 268 MPs voted in favor—well above the 226 required—reaffirming Zelensky's legitimacy to lead during the war.
This shuts down Putin's and Trump's attempts to question his authority. It also makes clear that Zelensky has the mandate to negotiate peace without elections, dismantling one of Putin's key arguments."
Branislav Slantchev, a professor of political science at the University of California San Diego, wrote on X: "The Ukrainian parliament voted 258-0 (12 abstentions) to affirm that Zelensky's mandate is not in doubt and that no elections can be held during the war but only after a "just and lasting peace" is concluded. A big middle finger to Putin and Trump, Ukrainian style."
In response to the vote, Elon Musk, Tesla CEO and special government employee for the Trump administration, wrote on X: "Hold an election."
Anatolij Sharij, a Ukrainian blogger opposed to Zelensky, wrote on X: "A total disgrace—on the second attempt, after intimidation, the Ukrainian Parliament expressed support for the "not-a-dictator" Zelensky. The first vote failed. But they put this "important" question up for a vote again the next day!!! Does Europe even see this mess? Hypocritical b*******."
In his post on Telegram about Ukraine's parliament vote, Zheleznyak wrote that the Verkhovna Rada: "Calls on the international community to join forces to achieve a common victory, stop the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, and establish a comprehensive, just, and sustainable peace for Ukraine.
"Only the establishment of a comprehensive, just, and sustainable peace for Ukraine will allow for the restoration of normal life in the state, an integral part of which will be the holding of elections in accordance with the constitution and laws of Ukraine, in compliance with all international standards of a democratic state governed by the rule of law."
What Happens Next
The U.S. and Russia are engaged in ongoing discussions to negotiate a potential peace deal to end the war—without Ukraine's involvement. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on February 22 that Trump is very confident a deal could be finalized as soon as this week.
Read more Ukraine
Patrick Bestall
IMPORTANT!
"BE THERE" (explanation below) from Michael Pierce (the same, who lived in London).
February 25, 2025 [Yesterday]
Dear _________________ ___________________
We don't usually update you to events for OnWatch Canada, however we know the Lord is calling our Ontario family to gather at this crucial time. Please prayerfully adjust and algin your plans as the Lord leads you.
2 days from today [Tuesday], we will gather in Toronto!
The Lord has spoken to Tabitha Lemaire from Montreal to release her voice in worship and prophesy over Ontario and Canada for such a time as this! She is bringing a team of 9 people as they each feel the importance of unity for this gathering.
There is a sound of convergence in the Spirit that is calling the province and nation together in a way we have not known in times past! It is a time of pivot and reset, and it is a time of new ways being released as the generations are trained by the Lord to step into His adventure and walk together! We are hearing the sound of the Lord calling to the His remnant: come up here!
In mid November, the OnWatch Facilitators Team clearly heard the Lord say to gather in Toronto before the new year. After we had set our date to gather, the city of Toronto, led by Mayor Olivia Chow and a few city council members declared December as “Christian Heritage Month”. That weekend shifted the atmosphere, and opened spiritual doors in Canada’s largest city.
Six weeks ago, we were again stirred to come together at the end of February. We now see confirmations of this timing as the province of Ontario will enter into an unexpected election.
Our gathering together was set by the Lord before the provincial collection was called! He is looking for us to come before Him in worship and expectancy, to listen to His voice of instruction and guidance for this new time we’ve entered. We invite you to join us as we follow the Lord.
We will gather for a prayer and worship gathering on Thursday, February 27 at 7pm EST The Generation Church220 Duncan Mill Road Toronto, ON.
On Friday, February 28, at 10am, 2pm, 7pm and on Saturday, March 1 at 10am you are invited to continue with us for 4 more sessions of focused worship, prophetic declaration and intercession at:Glory of Zion (formerly All Nations House of Prayer)770 Gordon Baker Rd.North York ON M2H 3B4
You’re invited to share this invitation with your friends and networks!
PLEASE REGISTER HERE:
ACCOMODATION OPTIONS:
Holiday Inn Express
If you need more Information, please email us: OnWatch@cfyc.org
KEEP WATCHING FOR UPDATES TO TAKE PART IN THE50 DAYS TO YOUR PENTECOST LIVESTREAMS!
May you know Father God's shalom, provision and protection, in Jesus name.Love,Michael & Ann PierceCofounders of Christ For Your City
Michael Pierce
Canadians to the Rescue!
And this from a Prime Minister who "retired". More like Parliament retired.
KYIV — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau did not rule out sending Canadian troops to Ukraine as part of a possible ceasefire deal as he joined European leaders Monday in Kyiv to mark the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion.
"We will work with our neighbours on it, but everything is on the table," Trudeau said at a joint media conference with other leaders, when asked about the prospect of Canadian soldiers on the ground.
Pushed later to expand on his comment about troops, Trudeau said the "first priority is to make sure that there is a ceasefire and that we set up the conditions for a lasting peace."
"When we establish the way we're going to keep a lasting peace ... Canada will be involved, but we're not at that position yet," he told reporters.
He added that any deployment of Canadian soldiers "is something to take very, very seriously."
Trudeau said Ottawa will play some role in pushing back on "the forces of chaos that (Russian President) Vladimir Putin is trying to unleash on the world, to undermine all of our democracies."
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said last week that Canada was interested in "more Canadians being involved in protecting Ukraine," as countries like the U.K. say they're ready to deploy troops to uphold a possible peace deal.
The Kyiv meeting comes amid dismay across the continent at Washington holding talks with Russia that exclude Ukraine.
"We will have different perspectives from time to time on the best way forward," Trudeau said Monday. "Those will be worked out in forums like this, or at the G7 forum or elsewhere. But we are united in our values."
Earlier Monday, Trudeau announced that Canada will follow through on its pledge last June to provide $5 billion to Ukraine using revenues from frozen Russian assets - after years of Ottawa promising to forfeit holdings associated with Russia's government and its oligarchs.
A press release from Trudeau's office said the G7 is providing another US$50 billion to Ukraine that will be serviced and repaid by "future flows of extraordinary revenues" that come from immobilized Russian assets.
Trudeau also pledged 25 additional light armoured vehicles and two armoured combat-support vehicles for Ukrainian troops, and a grant to help with energy security as Russia attacks the country's power grid.
He said Canada will provide four F-16 flight simulators after recently delivering landing systems for the fighter jets to Ukraine.
Trudeau said Canada will continue training Ukrainian troops so that Russia will not be allowed to end the world order that upheld sovereignty for many countries for decades.
His office also announced funding for various initiatives, ranging from personal nuclear protective equipment to women's political empowerment.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Canada on Monday for its support to date - particularly with training soldiers and helping supply "Canadian high-level optic technologies" for drones on the battlefield.
"Your people helped us at the very beginning of the war," Zelenskyy said.
Support for Ukraine ending the war on its own terms and with its territory intact has remained strong among Europeans, despite U.S. support for Ukraine wavering in recent weeks.
U.S. President Donald Trump has blamed Ukraine for starting the war, and has claimed Zelenskyy lacks legitimacy.
Trump's defence secretary Pete Hegseth has said any agreement to end the war would not include returning Ukraine to the 2014 borders that existed before Russia's first invasion a decade ago. He also ruled out NATO membership for Ukraine.
Canada and Europe have steadfastly laid all the blame on Russia for an unprovoked attack on another sovereign nation.
The war started in 2014, when Russia invaded Crimea after pro-democracy protests in Ukraine. On Feb. 24, 2022, Moscow launched a full-scale invasion.
"This is not a conflict Ukraine wanted, provoked or asked for in any way," Trudeau said at the summit table.
"This is a war started for one reason and one reason only: Russia's desire to erase Ukrainian history and expand their empire."
Regional leaders pointed to that threat Monday and said the continent needs to form a coherent response.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb said Europeans need to present a strategy to the Americans if they don't want to be left out of the conversation.
"In Europe, we need to get our act together," he said.
"I'm getting a little bit frustrated about this debate on boots on the ground, because that sort of misses the whole point," he said, suggesting Europe can provide air, marine and intelligence support to Ukrainians who are already holding territory.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said his country needs clarity on whether there would be a ceasefire backed by "immediate and strong" retaliation if Russia violated its terms.
"Are we speaking of peacekeeping or peace enforcement?" he asked, arguing it's "premature" to get into specifics.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine has an estimate of how many troops it needs to maintain the peace, but added Kyiv won't let the Russians know that number until there is a viable plan to maintain peace.
"Of course, I know the number (of) what we need. And of course we will share it — firstly not in the open conversation, not to prepare Russians for this," he said.
Some leaders appeared openly hostile to Trump's comments and overtures to Moscow.
"Russia may have gained an open ear in the White House, but they have not gained an inch of legitimacy. No wrong has turned right, no war crime has been forgotten," said German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
"Does anybody honestly think that some thoughtless conversations or some reckless statements can crush our resolve?"
Many European leaders called for Ukrainian membership in the NATO military alliance, which Canada also supports.
Trudeau repeated his calls for Kyiv to have a direct role in negotiations on ending the war.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, joining the summit online, said he wants the G7 to be bolder, to go after banks that allow Moscow to evade sanctions and to strengthen restrictions on the sale of Russian oil to allied countries.
Starmer is set to meet with Trump in Washington later this week.
Russia's foreign ministry said Saturday that preparations for a face-to-face meeting between Trump and Putin were underway, and U.S. officials have acknowledged they agreed with Moscow to re-establish diplomatic ties and restart economic co-operation.
Audible air defense sirens rang out in the background during some of the leaders' statements reiterating their support for Ukraine.
Monday's visit was Trudeau's fourth to Ukraine since 2022 and almost certainly his last as prime minister, as his successor will be chosen next month.
Canada has been among the most vocal supporters of Ukraine on the world stage, with Trudeau championing accountability for Russia in global forums.
Ottawa is a major donor to Ukraine. The Kiel Institute for the World Economy ranks Canada as fifth in overall allocations in its Ukraine Support Tracker, which spans military, financial and humanitarian contributions.
Yet Canada takes the 20th spot for military allocations weighted by population, and analysts have criticized Ottawa for delays in providing equipment sought by Ukraine.
Trudeau struck a note of urgency in his opening remarks Monday.
"We can't wait. The moment to stop this war of aggression, the moment to defend democracy, the moment to stand for our shared values — is now," he said. "So let us seize it."
— With files from Dylan Robertson in Ottawa and The Associated Press
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 24, 2025.
Bill Graveland,
The Canadian Press
BREAKING:
Trump cuts NATO funds!
The US is cutting off funding for NATO.
All subsidies to the general fund and payments will be stopped as of February 28.
All financial transactions not related to the defense capability of the US Army will also be cancelled.
Could Nato soon be over – and what might replace it?
Powerful leaders have begun to publicly question the organization’s future
The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) binds 32 countries across the Western world in a powerful collective security agreement.
Formed during the Cold War in 1949, it has been seen as an opposing force to Moscow since its inception – and in many ways continues to be so.
But as Russia’s war in Ukraine approaches a possible end, powerful members have begun publicly doubting their commitment to the organisation.
Freidrich Merz, the man set to be Germany’s next chancellor, was quick to question the future of Nato following his election victory. The previously avowed Atlanticist has taken a firm stance against Trump’s rhetoric on Europe, and has signalled a desire for stronger ties on the continent.
Speaking in a debate on Sunday, Mr Merz said Nato may not even be talked about “in its current form” at the organisation’s summit in July, adding that he wondered “whether we will have to establish an independent European defence capability much more quickly."
"I would never have thought that I would have to say something like this in a TV show but, after Donald Trump's remarks last week... it is clear that this government does not care much about the fate of Europe," he said.
"My absolute priority will be to strengthen Europe as quickly as possible so that, step by step, we can really achieve independence from the USA.”
A post-US Nato?
It was a strong message to send to President Trump on the eve of his party’s victory. But the US leader, in his own way, has also begun to question Nato’s future.
Shortly after beginning his second term – once removed – the US president said he wanted to see all Nato allied nations reach a target of five per cent GDP on defence spending. He has also criticised European nations for spending less on military aid for Ukraine than the US during Russia’s invasion of the country.
Dropping his predecessor Joe Biden’s approach, Mr Trump was quick to begin working with Russian officials to find a ‘peace deal’ and end the fighting on Ukrainian soil. European countries, his administration says, must commit troops to any peacekeeping effort but they will not be joined by US soldiers.
New US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth explained to reporters earlier in the month that this is because the work would be considered a non-Nato mission, not covered under Article 5, which guarantees collective security for allied nations.
For some leaders, the comments point in a clear direction: Europe will soon be on its own in Nato. Effectively, it may well be already.
Calls for an ‘army of Europe’
Speaking on Friday, Mr Merz told the German broadcaster: “We must prepare for the possibility that Donald Trump will no longer uphold NATO’s mutual defense commitment unconditionally,”
“That is why, in my view, it is crucial that Europeans make the greatest possible efforts to ensure that we are at least capable of defending the European continent on our own.”
The likely German chancellor has long been a proponent of a ‘European army,’ a concept quickly gathering more support.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky called for its creation in a statement to the Munich Security Conference earlier in February, arguing that “America might say no to Europe on issues that threaten it” because “the old days are over”.
Other leaders continue to call for unification in the face of Russian aggression. UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer has said he is ready to put British troops on the ground in Ukraine “if necessary,” later backing President Trump’s calls for Nato members to boost defence spending.
However, he added that this must come with continued support from the US, saying that a "security guarantee is essential for a lasting peace, because only the US can deter Putin from attacking again."
What is Nato?
Founded in 1949, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization was formed by 12 nations to counter the threat to European security posed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
Nato’s ranks have grown since the Washington Treaty was signed 75 years ago, most recently to 32 countries after Sweden joined last year, worried by an increasingly aggressive Russia.
Nato’s collective security guarantee – Article 5 of the treaty – underpins its credibility. It's a political commitment by all member countries to come to the aid of any member whose sovereignty or territory might be under attack. Ukraine would meet those criteria, but it is only a partner, not a member.
Nato’s doors are open to any European country that wants to join and can meet the requirements and obligations. Importantly, Nato takes its decisions by consensus, so every member has a veto.
The United States spends much more on defence than any other ally and far outweighs its partners in terms of military muscle. This means it is often considered the most powerful member.
Nato’s day-to-day work is led by its secretary-general — former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.
The organisation’s top civilian official chairs almost weekly meetings of ambassadors in the North Atlantic Council at its Brussels headquarters. He chairs other “NACs” at ministerial level and summits of heads of state and government.
Nato’s military headquarters is based nearby in Mons, Belgium. It is always run by a top US officer. The current supreme allied commander Europe is Army General Christopher Cavoli.
Current members include:
Albania (2009)
Belgium (1949)
Bulgaria (2004)
Canada (1949)
Croatia (2009)
Czechia (1999)
Denmark (1949)
Estonia (2004)
Finland (2023)
France (1949)
Germany (1955)
Greece (1952)
Hungary (1999)
Iceland (1949)
Italy (1949)
Latvia (2004)
Lithuania (2004)
Luxembourg (1949)
Montenegro (2017)
Netherlands (1949)
North Macedonia (2020)
Norway (1949)
Poland (1999)
Portugal (1949)
Romania (2004)
Slovakia (2004)
Slovenia (2004)
Spain (1982)
Sweden (2024)
Turkey (1952)
United Kingdom (1949)
United States (1949)
The INDEPENDENT
RUMOURS Circulating out there...:
I may not agree with everything from the content producers I share.
Apply critical thinking and use discernment to
come to your own conclusions regarding the content !
You need to MAKE-UP Your own MIND!
What we think that we now know...
In the interest of lessening my Workload.
It is my INTENTION to only Publish these RUMOURS Once-a-Week on Mondays...
Thank you for your understanding and patience!
THE END
Comments