Fred

Johnson

Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets. So love the people who treat you right, forget about the ones who don’t. And believe that everything happens for a reason. If you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said it would be easy, just that it would be worth it….. I will stay grateful

Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a brief Easter ceasefire in his war with Ukraine, a declaration met with skepticism in Kyiv as the war enters a crucial phase and US-led negotiations stall.

Putin said “all hostilities” would halt between 6 p.m. Moscow time on Saturday (11 a.m. ET) and midnight on Monday (5 p.m. Sunday ET).

“We assume that the Ukrainian side will follow our example,” he said, adding that the truce would help Russia determine how sincere Kyiv is about wanting to reach a ceasefire.

However, just hours after the announcement, Ukrainian officials accused Russian forces of continuing to fight. “According to the report of the commander-in-chief, Russian assault operations continue in some parts of the frontline and Russian artillery continues to fire,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an address on Saturday night.

Kyiv has responded to the truce declaration with skepticism, with Zelensky pointing out that Putin still has not agreed to a US-led proposal for 30 days of ceasefire.

“If Russia is now suddenly ready to actually join the format of complete and unconditional silence, Ukraine will act in a mirror image, as it will on the Russian side. Silence in response to silence, strikes in defense of strikes,” Zelensky said, calling for the Easter truce to be extended to 30 days.

This will show Russia’s true intentions, because 30 hours is enough for headlines, but not for real confidence-building measures. Thirty days can give peace a chance,” he said.

The timing of the announcement also sparked some questions – coming one day after the Trump administration indicated it was running out of patience with Russia and Ukraine, and just hours after Russia’s Defense Ministry announced its forces had pushed Ukrainian troops from one of their last remaining footholds in Russia’s Kursk region, where the Ukrainians staged a surprise incursion last year.

“Unfortunately, we have had a long history of (Putin’s) statements not matching his actions… Russia can agree at any time to the proposal for a full and unconditional 30-day ceasefire, which has been on the table since March,” Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said.

Stay tuned……………

The State Department said Thursday that the life-saving wheat aboard a carrier ship sailing toward southern Yemen will not go to waste, as it responded to CNN’s reporting that the Trump administration’s recent cuts to humanitarian funding could result in the wheat rotting or being pillaged once it arrived at the port of Aden.

“We’re actively considering options for the wheat and have no intention to allow the food to go to waste,” a State Department spokesperson said in a statement provided to CNN. “The redirection of humanitarian cargo is not uncommon and has happened with U.S. commodities bound for Yemen before.”

The spokesperson also confirmed that the ship carrying wheat departed Oregon in early April and is scheduled to arrive in southern Yemen in mid-May, as CNN previously reported.

It is not clear whether the carrier might shift paths mid-journey and head to a new final destination, or if the wheat on the ship may be unloaded in southern Yemen before being sent to a different country in need.

The State Department also did not address what funding would be used to ensure that the wheat would ultimately go to people in need, given that the US Agency for International Development’s contracts with the United Nations’ World Food Programme, including for Yemen, remain canceled. Sources had previously told CNN that as a result, the WFP would not have the authority or funding to do anything with the wheat once it arrived in Yemen next month.

While it is not common practice, ships carrying humanitarian aid can sometimes get redirected to a different destination, including, for example, in the case of a natural disaster or if circumstances at the carrier’s original destination make the offloading of the aid too challenging, a source familiar said. Redirecting such a ship would incur additional costs, according to another source, who noted it is unclear where that money would come from.

The WFP estimates that around half – 17 million people – of Yemen’s population is food insecure. The Yemeni people have been devastated by a yearslong civil war that started with Houthi rebels storming the country’s capital of Sanaa and dismantling the country’s internationally recognized government in 2014, until date.

The drastic cuts to USAID and its funding over the past few months have wreaked havoc on the global humanitarian aid ecosystem, with scores of companies and organizations getting their contracts canceled or receiving delayed or partial payments.

Even the futures of groups that still have active USAID contracts remain deeply uncertain. While top Trump administration officials had initially said lifesaving humanitarian programs would not be on the chopping block, the decision earlier this month to terminate USAID funding for emergency food assistance stunned humanitarian workers.

Last week, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said the administration’s decision to terminate Yemen awards was in part “based on concern that the funding was benefitting terrorist groups,” including the Houthis.

“These concerns with UN funding have been documented and discussed for years, which is why USAID paused all food assistance in northern Yemen through WFP, specifically to mitigate any interference by the Houthis”

Send help to the people of Yemen anyway you can.

Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a naval ceasefire in the Black Sea in separate deals with the US, after two days of peace talks in Saudi Arabia.

Washington said all parties would continue working toward a "durable and lasting peace" in statements announcing the agreements, which would reopen an important trade route.

They have also committed to "develop measures" to implement a previously agreed ban on attacking each other's energy infrastructure, the White House said.

But Russia said the naval ceasefire would only come into force after a number of sanctions against its food and fertiliser trade were lifted

BBC LIVE

US officials have been separately meeting negotiators from Moscow and Kyiv in Riyadh with the aim of brokering a truce between the two sides. The Russian and Ukrainian delegations have not met directly.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the deal to halt strikes in the Black Sea was a step in the right direction.
"It is too early to say that it will work, but these were the right meetings, the right decisions, the right steps," he told a press conference in Kyiv.

"No-one can accuse Ukraine of not moving towards sustainable peace after this," he added, after US President Donald Trump had previously accused him of blocking a peace deal.

But shortly after Washington's announcement, the Kremlin said the Black Sea ceasefire would not take effect until sanctions were lifted from Russian banks, producers and exporters involved in the international food and fertiliser trades.

The measures demanded by Russia include reconnecting the banks concerned to the SwiftPay payment system, lifting restrictions on servicing ships under the Russian flag involved in the food trade, and on the supply of agricultural machinery and other goods needed for the production of food.

It was unclear from the White House's statement when the agreement is meant to come into force.

When asked about lifting the sanctions, Trump told reporters: "We're thinking about all of them right now. We're looking at them."

Washington's statement on the US-Russia talks does say the US will "help restore Russia's access to the world market for agricultural and fertiliser exports".

Speaking in Kyiv, Zelensky described this as a "weakening of positions".

He also said Ukraine would push for further sanctions on Russia and more military support from the US if Moscow reneged on its commitments.

Later, in his nightly address to Ukrainians, Zelensky accused the Kremlin of lying when it said the Black Sea ceasefire depended on sanctions being lifted.
Ukraine's Defence Minister Rustem Umerov said "third countries" could oversee parts of the deal.

But he warned that the movement of Russian warships beyond the "eastern part of the Black Sea" would be treated as a violation of the agreement and a "threat to the national security of Ukraine".
"In this case Ukraine will have full right to exercise right to self-defence," he added.

STAY TUNED..............

FRIEND LIKE NO ANOTHER!

FRIEND...

I'm sitting here with tears streaming down my face, trying to find the words to express how much you meant to me. It's hard to believe you're really gone.

I remember the laughter, the adventures, and the late-night conversations we shared. You were more than just a friend to me; you were a brother, a confidant, and a kindred spirit.

Your passing has left a gaping hole in my life, and I'm struggling to come to terms with the fact that I'll never get to see your smile, hear your laughter, or share another memory with you.

But even in death, your memory lives on in my heart. I'll carry the lessons you taught me, the laughter we shared, and the memories we created together for the rest of my life.

Rest in peace, dear friend. You may be gone, but you'll never be forgotten.

With love and tears,
[FROM] colleague, friend and brother: Fred Johnson.]

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do, so throw off the bowlines, sail away from safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore, Dream, Discover

•JUST MAKE SURE ALL YOU DO IS WORTH IT•

По словам нынешних и бывших официальных лиц США, Россия рассматривает возможность переговоров с администрацией Трампа о восстановлении значительного дипломатического присутствия в США как возможности для восстановления своей шпионской сети на Западе.

США и Россия договорились начать переговоры о восстановлении регулярной работы своих посольств и консульств после телефонного разговора между президентом Дональдом Трампом и президентом России Владимиром Путиным и последующей встречи на высоком уровне в Эр-Рияде в начале этого месяца.

В четверг делегации США и России встретились в Турции, чтобы обсудить более подробные детали, такие как уровень укомплектования штатов, визы, дипломатический банкинг и другие операционные вопросы. Государственный департамент США заявил, что две страны провели «конструктивные» переговоры и согласились продолжить свои обсуждения на другой встрече «в ближайшем будущем».

Хотя госсекретарь Марко Рубио подчеркнул важность восстановления регулярных дипломатических услуг и коммуникаций, нынешние и бывшие официальные лица США и Запада говорят, что переговоры также представляют собой значительную уступку Москве, которая стремится восстановить работу разведывательных агентов под дипломатическим прикрытием в своих посольствах и консульствах в Вашингтоне, Нью-Йорке и Хьюстоне.

If he has known how effective the Hyggear Bunion Correctors were, he wouldn’t have waited so long to try them. If you’re struggling with bunion discomfort or foot pain, don’t put it off like he did. These bunion correctors are the ideal solution for anyone seeking to enhance their foot health and overall comfort. They’re easy to use, lightweight, and budget-friendly—perfect for everyday wear. Believe me, your feet will thank you. Order now and take the first step toward lasting relief. STAY CONSTANCE WITH YOUR HEALTH. HEALTH IS WEALTH......................

His 30-Day Journey with Hyggear Bunion Correctors.

Day 1:
I experienced a gentle yet soothing stretch in my toes, as if they were finally receiving the alignment they desperately needed. The usual discomfort I felt at night began to noticeably ease.
Day 3:
The slight initial soreness began to diminish as my feet adjusted to the bunion correctors. I noticed a newfound sense of balance and stability when standing, a small but encouraging improvement.
Day 7:
I found myself standing taller and feeling more aligned. With my bunions gently corrected, my posture naturally improved, and the persistent morning foot pain had significantly reduced. Even the familiar tightness in my calves started to ease, adding to my overall comfort.
Day 10:
By the end of the day, I noticed a remarkable change—my feet felt less fatigued. The constant ache I had accepted as normal was now barely noticeable, even after spending hours on my feet.
Day 15:
I found myself walking longer distances without needing frequent breaks to stretch my feet. Even after a full day of activity, my feet felt fantastic. As I began wearing the correctors for extended periods each day, they started to feel like a natural part of my routine.
Day 20:
I went for a longer walk than usual and realized I hadn’t thought about my feet the entire time. The discomfort that used to set in after just a short distance was completely gone. To my surprise, my overall balance also felt noticeably improved.
Day 25:
By this point, the bunion correctors had seamlessly become part of my daily routine. I used them during my evening relaxation time and occasionally while doing gentle stretches. The pain that used to disrupt my sleep was now a thing of the past.
Day 30:
By the end of the month, the discomfort in my feet was virtually gone. I was amazed that something so simple could bring such significant relief. I’ve even returned to practicing yoga, and balancing poses feel effortless! My feet feel stronger, and I walk with newfound confidence in every step.