Replies to post #462051 on Tornado Alley (PROG)

[fuagf]

Much of what Putin says would be mischief making for sure. It makes sense any leader would appreciate another who was more predictable than not, but looking at Trump foreign policies toward NATO, Ukraine and Putin himself i reckon Putin saying he would prefer Biden wouldn't be straight up. This bit does sound candid

"The Russian president also dismissed worries over Biden’s age and mental acuity, saying he had not noticed any issues with his American counterpart during a meeting in 2021.
P - “Even then [three years ago], people were saying that he was incompetent, but I did not see anything of this sort,” he said. “Yes, he kept looking at his papers, but to be honest I kept doing the same. So there was nothing peculiar.”"

and fair, just because it would be true.

As far as Putin's thoughts of Carlton i wouldn't think he would respect him much at all.

Thanks for the two articles.

[fuagf]

Years to learn Russian testimony to FBI was a lie, agree it's a shame. And meanwhile
Republicans jump all over it. Shame on them. And on Putin who likely knew it was on ..

FBI informant charged with lying about Bidens’ role in Ukraine business

Alexander Smirnov falsely said executives linked to energy firm Burisma paid Joe and Hunter Biden $5m each in 2015 and 2016, prosecutors say

Guardian staff and agency Fri 16 Feb 2024 10.31 AEDT
First published on Fri 16 Feb 2024 09.40 AEDT

An FBI informant has been charged with lying to his handler about ties between Joe Biden, his son Hunter and a Ukrainian energy company.

[...]

The new development sharply undermines the thrust of congressional Republicans’ corruption accusations that the US president was making money from his son Hunter’s business dealings in Ukraine.

Smirnov, 43, was charged with making a false statement and creating a false and fictitious record. No attorney was immediately listed for him in court records. He was expected to make a first court appearance in Las Vegas, where he was arrested on Wednesday after arriving from overseas, prosecutors said.

The charges were filed by the justice department special counsel David Weiss, who has separately charged Hunter with firearm and tax violations.

Hunter’s legal team did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

The informant’s claims have been central to the Republican effort in Congress to investigate the president and his family, and helped spark what is now a House impeachment inquiry into Biden.

Prosecutors say Smirnov had contact with Burisma executives, but it was routine and actually took place in 2017, after Barack Obama, the US president, and Biden, his vice-president, had left office – when Biden would have had no ability to influence US policy.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/feb/15/fbi-informant-biden-ukraine-charged-burisma