North Korea Slams U.S. Missile Sale to South Korea, Warns of Rising Regional Tensions 
KMT Chair Cheng Li-wun Defends Taiwan-China Engagement During U.S. Visit 
U.S.-Iran Peace Framework Nears as Strait of Hormuz Reopening Takes Center Stage 
IMF Advances Ukraine Loan Program, Clears $690M Disbursement 
US Plans NATO Force Reduction in Europe Amid Defense Burden Dispute 
DOJ Sues Virginia Over Law Enforcement Mask Ban 
Trump Names James McDonald as New SDNY U.S. Attorney 
Kremlin Says New EU Sanctions Won’t Hurt Russian Banks 
France Hosts Israeli-Palestinian Peace Conference to Revive Two-State Solution 
Carney and Macron Strengthen Canada-France Defense Ties Amid US Trade Uncertainty 
South Korea Ballot Shortage Sparks Protests, Election Fraud Claims, and Calls for Rerun 
South Korea Ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol Sentenced to 30 Years Over Martial Law Plot 
France Hosts Israeli-Palestinian Civil Society Appeal to Revive Two-State Solution Ahead of G7 Summit 
US Appeals Court Keeps Trump’s 10% Global Tariff in Effect During Ongoing Legal Battle 
Taiwan Launches Intelligence Tip Website Targeting Chinese Informants 
Trump Administration Plans Deportation of Iranian Migrants to Central African Republic Under New Third-Country Deal 
Much has been said about the relationship of now-former President Donald Trump to the Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, a new book has claimed that Trump may have been groomed by the KGB for years.
The claims were made by investigative reporter Craig Unger in his new book titled, “American Kompromat: How the KGB cultivated Donald Trump And Related Tales of Sex, Greed, Power, and Treachery.” Unger also claimed that it was through convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein that gave Trump a connection to Putin. Unger’s book is said to be based on interviews with high-level intelligence sources, most notably former KGB major Yuri Shvets who shared what would be the first account by anyone within the circle of Soviet Intelligence regarding Trump’s connection with the Russian leader.
Most importantly, the book addresses the one question that remained unanswered throughout Trump’s presidency which was what his connection was to Putin and why did Trump seemingly go out of his way to appease the Russian leader. From having no response towards the reports of Russian bounties on American soldiers in Afghanistan to withdrawing soldiers from Syria and decreased the US’ presence in Germany.
Another notable instance was Trump’s reaction to Putin’s denial of the accusation that Russia had interfered in the 2016 election. This became a widely-investigated allegation with the appointing of Robert Mueller as special counsel. Shvets revealed that this goes back to the 1980s when the KGB began to view Trump as a possible asset that may be useful to the organization in Moscow.
“When people start talking about Trump’s ties to the KGB or Russian intelligence, some are looking for this super-sophisticated masterplan, which was designed decades ago and finally climaxed with Trump’s election as president of the United States,” said Shvets.
As Trump faces an impending Senate trial, Ohio Senator Rob Portman recently announced that he would be stepping down from his seat in the 2022 elections, warned against the Biden administration not seeking GOP support in COVID-19 relief. When pressed on whether Trump would run for president again in 2024, Portman said that he does not see the former president seeking to run again.
