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US, Russian officials to meet next week….  US to hold  peace  talks with Russia without Europe or Kyiv

High-ranking officials from the United States and Russia will meet in Saudi Arabia next week and discuss, among other topics, a future encounter between their respective presidents, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, it was reported on Saturday. According to Bloomberg, the US delegation will be led by Special Envoy to the Middle East Steven Witkoff and National Security Advisor (NSA) Michael Waltz. The main topic of the meeting will be the conflict in Ukraine, with Kiev’s representatives planned to attend as well. On the other hand, the European Union is not projected to have any delegates there. The report came after the allegations Trump and Putin could meet in Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates.

 United States will hold  peace  talks with Russia without Europe or Kyiv

While American officials prepared on Sunday for the start of talks with Russia over ending the war in Ukraine, European leaders were moving to formulate a response to President Trump’s rapid push for a settlement that appeared to leave them and Ukrainian officials with no clear role in the process. The Russian ambassador to Saudi Arabia, where the talks are to take place this week, met Sunday with the kingdom’s foreign minister. Two senior Trump administration officials — Mike Waltz, and the Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff — will fly to Saudi Arabia to join Secretary of State Marco Rubio for the negotiations, Mr. Witkoff said Sunday in an interview with Fox News. The preparations come after a flurry of diplomatic discussions over the past several days that included a conversation between Mr. Rubio and Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov. On Sunday, Mr. Rubio said in an interview from Jerusalem with CBS News that if an opportunity presented itself for a “broader conversation that would involve Ukraine and would involve the end of the war, and would involve our allies all over the world, particularly in Europe,” the United States would explore it. He did not say which Russian officials would be in Riyadh this week, and noted that he had made plans earlier to be in Saudi Arabia anyway during this trip, his first to the Middle East as secretary of state. “Nothing’s been finalized yet,” he said. The meeting with Russia, while preliminary, would signal the start of Mr. Trump’s accelerated timetable for a deal and his seeming determination to conduct negotiations with Russia alone, at least for now. On Monday, the leaders of France, Britain, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain the Netherlands and Denmark, and the top officials of the European Union and NATO, will convene in Paris in an emergency meeting on the war in Ukraine and European security, French officials said Sunday. The aim is to coordinate a response to the Trump administration’s opening of talks with Russia without European participation.

NN: interesting concept. Trust Putin…. really?
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Trump signs order creating Energy Dominance Council

United States President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday establishing a national Energy Dominance Council to boost US fossil fuel production. The plan to create the council was first mentioned last November, saying it would be responsible for coordinating energy policy and regulation across the federal government. In addition, Trump signed a Commonwealth LNG export license, further expanding the US role in global energy markets. The president also took the opportunity to repeal Biden’s ban on 625 million acres of offshore land, opening it up to energy exploration.

Nick Note This is a great example of the dangers of doing things by decree which is basically what executive orders are. Trump is opening up the National Dominance Energy Council to boost us fossil fuel production. The oil market  got excited. Price  dropped as we expected. Giving us further buying opportunities.  But the devil’s always in  the details . They approve a pending  permit for an LNG plant. That will take 3 to 5 years to build.  They opened up a lot of the government lands that Biden took out of the reach of us oil drillers. And in three years wells in those blocks will come into production. Finally Anwar in Alaska is open for oil leases.  Which trump ballyhooed correctly  has as much as if not more oil than Saudi Arabia. Those wells when drilled will produce a lot of oil 5 years from now.  In the meantime the market faces several crisis including the war in Ukraine which again despite all the brocalls with Putin  has not been resolved.  The crisis with Iran looms large on the radar screen. They may have to be sanction or bombed into submission.  They’re not cooperating and he hasn’t convinced them yet he is serious.

So the little boys and girls at the algo trading desks have not yet grasped reality. Sanctions are still on AND no new oil supplies have made it to market yet. So at this point drill bobby drill is still a campaign slogan

And OPEC will continue to hold 3 million barrels a day of oil off the market.

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Chernobyl attack shows Putin does not want peace

European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas stated at the Munich Security Conference 2025 on Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin does not truly seek peace in Ukraine. When asked why she believes the leader will not adhere to the ceasefire deal if such was reached, Kallas pointed to the drone attack on Chernobyl’s Nuclear Station 4 reactor confinement allegedly committed by Moscow forces today. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed that the Chernobyl shield suffered “significant” damage, accusing Russia of being “the only state in the world” capable of attacking nuclear power plants. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov dismissed these claims, stating that such assertions were likely a “provocation and fabrication” by the Kiev government.

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Trump Cracks Down on Iran Oil

  • The Trump administration has announced plans to significantly reduce Iran’s oil exports to just 100,000 barrels per day through a renewed “maximum pressure” campaign.
  • This aggressive move aims to cripple Iran’s economy by severely limiting its oil revenues.
  • However, Iran has a history of successfully circumventing sanctions, raising questions about the effectiveness of this latest effort.

The Trump administration is back on the “maximum pressure” train, and this time, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says they’re gunning to slash Iran’s oil exports to a mere 100,000 barrels per day—down from its current 1.5-1.6 million bpd. That would equate to a 90% drop. The announcement sent oil prices slightly higher today as traders mull the likelihood of potential supply disruptions. It sounds bold, except history suggests that Iran’s oil trade is a lot slipperier than Washington would like. The Islamic Republic has spent years perfecting the art of dodging sanctions—deploying a “dark fleet” of shadowy tankers, engaging in ship-to-ship transfers in the middle of the ocean, and running crude through willing intermediaries, particularly China and India. In short, Iran’s been here and done that. If the U.S. were to succeed in hammering Iran’s exports down to 100,000 bpd, Iran’s economy would take a serious beating. But that’s a big “if.” Even Trump himself seemed hesitant, reportedly reluctant to sign the latest order. Meanwhile, OPEC—led by heavyweights like Saudi Arabia—is keeping a close eye on the situation, and Iran is already calling for action against the U.S. measures. The cartel has been trying to keep the oil market balanced, and a massive drop in Iranian exports would shake things up—particularly as it comes on the heels of a stricter crackdown on Russian crude oil exports as well.

A successful curb of both Iranian and Russian oil flows would have a profound effect on global crude markets.

For now, the market is reacting with slightly higher prices. The real question, however, is whether this crackdown will amount to much more than noise. Iran has proven time and again that it can keep its oil moving, no matter how many sanctions the U.S. throws at it.

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Israeli FM: Preventing Iran’s nuclear bomb is key

Israel Foreign Minister Gideon Saar emphasized on Friday at the Munich Security Conference that preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons remains Israel’s top priority. During his presentation, he warned that an Iranian nuclear capability would endanger not only Israel but also Europe and the broader Middle East. While he acknowledged that diplomacy could be a viable path, he cautioned against returning to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) without significant changes. “If there is a way to achieve it by political means, it is good,” he said but insisted that any new deal must be fundamentally different.

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Kiev: Chernobyl shield took significant damage….. The worlds largest deadliest active Tomb and its just been OPENED

KYIV, Feb 14 (Reuters) – A Russian drone attack caused significant damage to the NEW radiation shelter of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant overnight, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday. Chornobyl was the site of the world’s worst civil nuclear catastrophe when one of its four reactors exploded in 1986. That reactor is now enveloped by a protective shelter, known as a sarcophagus, to contain the lingering radiation. The Russian drone struck the shelter of the destroyed power unit at the plant, causing a fire that has since been extinguished, he said. “As of now, radiation levels have not increased and are being constantly monitored,” Zelenskiy said, adding that:
an initial assessment had found significant damage.
“The only country in the world that attacks such sites, occupies nuclear power plants, and wages war without any regard for the consequences is today’s Russia,” he said.
NN: Call this a shot across the  bow…. Negotiations at nuclear disaster gun point. This place is a tomb hiding a boiling nuclear cauldron. And it has just been torn open by the Russians.

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Vance threatens sanctions, military action over Ukraine deal….. Trump: Maybe Russia will give up a lot, maybe they won’t

United States Vice President JD Vance warned in an interview with the Wall Street Journal that the US could hit Russia with sanctions and “potentially” military action should Russian President Vladimir Putin fail to agree to a peace deal with Ukraine that guarantees the country’s long-term independence. Vance said that the possibility of sending US troops to Ukraine remains “on the table” if Russia doesn’t negotiate in good faith. “There are economic tools of leverage, there are of course military tools of leverage” that the US could utilize against Moscow, Vance stressed.

Speaking about how the negotiations to end the war in Ukraine could turn out, Vance said that he thinks that “there is a deal that is going to come out of this that’s going to shock a lot of people.”

“The president is not going to go in this with blinders on,” he stressed. “He’s going to say, ‘Everything is on the table, let’s make a deal.”

Trump: Maybe Russia will give up a lot, maybe they won’t

United States President Donald Trump said that “as for the negotiations [between Russia and Ukraine] it’s too early to say what’s going to happen.” “Maybe Russia will give up a lot, maybe they won’t and it’s all dependent on what’s going to happen. The negotiation really hasn’t started,” Trump added. He noted that Russia has “gotten themselves into something that I think they wish they didn’t.” Trump also stressed that Russia “said from day one, long before President Putin, that Ukraine cannot be in NATO.” “I actually think that was the thing that caused the start of the war,” he added. “Now, if a better deal can be negotiated, if they’re able to make a deal where they can do that, that’s fine with me, I really don’t care,” he stressed, adding that all he wants is for the “bloodshed to stop.”

Nick Note: That was the shortest honeymoon  in history. Trump had his bromance with Putin and it was a Love Fest…. Good cop!  Now we hear from the bad cop Vance  trump’s bulldog kick ass Real man man with balls. Something new in that job.  Especially after he replaced the Sanfagcisco Fag Hag Mssss WOK dope congenital idiot  Harris. Vance let  Putin  know that military options are on the table. The message here is the Ukraine war has got to end. The oil market celebrated what they thought was peace in the Ukraine. Brent Oil dropped to $73.90 a barrel. Pretty much a strait drop from the recent $77.00 high. And of course we took profits in our Play it Again Sam trade.  And harvested the Low hanging Fruit. Just in time. Because the market got a shot in the ass and woke up to the fact their is no peace and no lifting of the  sanctions on Russian Oil. Brent crude reversed on a dime and is now trading around $74.90 . This reality check is opening up our Triple Decker Trade. Trumps call was only the  first step in arranging of the terms of Ukraine’s surrender.  And the dividing up the spoils of war Ukraine’s assets which are formable. 10% of the world’s minerals are located Ukraine.  It’s an  incredible country the breadbasket of Europe.  When we talk about the minerals  they have some of the highest grade uranium deposits in the world.  It has vast amounts of coal , oil and natural gas along the Baltic Coast.  It has almost every known mineral in the world including one of worlds  largest known deposit of  vital lithium.  It’s all up for grabs and peace is going to be tough to negotiate because everybody wants a piece of the pie

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Trump signs order on reciprocal tariffs

United States President Donald Trump signed an executive order establishing reciprocal tariffs on Thursday, pledging to impose levies on foreign goods equal to the tariffs other countries charge on American products. “No more, no less. In other words, they charge us on tax or tariff and we charge them the exact same tax or tariff. Very simple,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office upon signing the order. The president asserted that other nations impose significantly higher tariffs on the United States than Washington does on them. “Those days are over,” Trump emphasized. Since assuming office, the 47th president has introduced a series of trade measures, including a 25% tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico, which has since been postponed until the first week of March. Additionally, a 10% tariff on Chinese imports on top of existing duties, alongside a 25% levy on steel and aluminum imports.

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Zelensky says won’t accept any deal made without Kiev

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ensured on Thursday that his country is not ready to accept any peace agreements made between Russia and the United States without Kiev.Speaking to reporters, Zelensky said the European Union should be included in Ukraine peace talks. “Today it’s important that everything does not go according to Putin’s plan, in which he wants to do everything to make his negotiations bilateral [with the US],” Zelensky stated. He further noted that he did not discuss Ukraine’s NATO membership in yesterday’s call with US President Donald Trump, emphasizing that he knows Washington does not want Kiev to join the alliance.

NN Feel sorry for him. He has not figured out just yet how screwed he is. I guess he needs some more  time to process.
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Oil Drops On A Maybe Ukraine Peace Deal

Crude oil prices moved lower on Thursday on the prospect of a peace deal for Ukraine, following a statement by President Donald Trump who said the presidents of both Russia and Ukraine had separately expressed a willingness to reach a peace deal. At the time of writing, Brent crude was trading at $74.55 a barrel, with West Texas Intermediate at $70.79 a barrel, after booking another daily drop Wednesday after the Energy Information Administration reported a weekly inventory build of 4.1 million barrels for the week to February 7. Meanwhile, President Trump said, after talking with Russia’s Vladimir Putin for over an hour that “He wants it to end. He doesn’t want to end it and then go back to fighting six months later.” The U.S. president added “I think we’re on the way to getting peace. I think President Putin wants peace, President Zelenskiy wants peace and I want peace. I just want to see people stop getting killed,” as quoted by Reuters. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Wednesday that Ukraine should not be hoping for a return to its pre-2014 borders, which was “unrealistic” and added that NATO membership is also out of the question. “We want, like you, a sovereign and prosperous Ukraine. But we must start by recognizing that returning to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic objective,” Hegseth said, adding “Chasing this illusionary goal will only prolong the war and cause more suffering.”

A peace deal could lead to the lifting of U.S. sanctions on Russia’s energy industry, which would potentially boost the international supply of Russian crude, dampening prices.

However, global supplies have tightened, with energy market analyst John Kemp reporting that OECD inventories have fallen to the lowest since 2022. This has put a floor on oil prices, Kemp wrote in a recent report. The prospect of a peace deal for Ukraine could move that floor lower.

nn: making sausages….. filling a plastic tube full of shit