Trump Administration Slams Russia and Warns Israel

By Julio Severo

In her first appearance as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations on Thursday, Nikki Haley blamed Russia for the recent surge of violence in eastern Ukraine and warned sanctions against Russia will not be lifted until Moscow returns Crimea to Kiev.

Nikki Haley

Her remarks came amid speculation that U.S. President Donald Trump is changing his intentions towards Russia. Throughout his campaign, Trump had praised Russian President Vladimir Putin and expressed a wish for improved relations between the two countries.

On Thursday Putin accused Ukraine of starting the latest escalation to get from the Trump administration the same support it got from the Obama administration.

Ukraine is concerned that Trump could revoke the sanctions Obama had imposed on Russia. Allegedly, the sanctions were over Crimea, but Dr. Scott Lively has exposed that Obama’s real reason was the Russian law banning homosexual propaganda to children.

The Russian annexation of Crimea was a direct answer to the neocon coup in Ukraine funded by the left-wing billionaire George Soros.

“The Ukrainian leadership needs money, and the best way to get the EU, the U.S. and international organizations to pay is by posing as a victim of aggression,” Putin said.

Yet, Russia was not the only nation warned by the Trump administration. On Thursday, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was reiterating his support for the settlements, the Trump administration was condemning them. According to the Jerusalem Post,

“The White House warned Israel on Thursday — in a surprising statement — to cease settlement announcements that are ‘unilateral’ and ‘undermining’ of President Donald Trump’s effort to forge Middle East peace.”

The Jerusalem Post explained that the Thursday statement is a change from recent actions by Trump, saying,

“Under Trump’s leadership, reference to a two-state solution was removed from the Republican Party platform over the summer, and the president’s envoy to Israel has publicly supported the settlement enterprise.”

Now, for the first time, the Trump administration declared that its intention is an Israeli State and Palestinian State in the land of Israel. The White House said,

“The United States remains committed to advancing a comprehensive final-status agreement between Israel and the Palestinians that results in two states living side-by-side in peace and security.”

The only explanation for such dramatic changes in Trump’s actions and words is pressure from neocons. Even though Trump has spoken against neocons throughout his campaign, his change in foreign affairs is a sign that he is under pressure to follow the same neocon agenda of Obama and Bush.

His domestic policies are rallying fabulous support among conservatives within the United States, especially on pro-life issues, even though Trump said that he will keep in place Obama’s homosexualist laws.

Perhaps his foreign policy may prevail against neocons and be different from Obama and Bush, if he listens to his charismatic advisers.

Trump praying with evangelicals, including charismatics

While his administration was criticizing Russia and Israel, Trump was attending the National Prayer Breakfast, with televangelist Paula White at his right hand.

Trump and White have been friends for 15 years.

Trump helping charismatic televangelist Paula White to take her seat at his side

Highly acclaimed evangelist Rick Warren spoke at the National Prayer Breakfast. 

Trump posted a picture of himself and his inner circle praying and he wrote alongside the image: “Moment of prayer last night after my nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch.”

Trump received an estimated 80 per cent of the evangelical vote. He was heavily supported by televangelists, and he pledged them to defund Planned Parenthood, the largest network of abortion clinics in the world.

Trump supporter Rev. Jerry Falwell Jr, president of the Virginia-based Liberty University, a non-profit Christian institute, told the Washington Post: “I think Trump is more one of us. He’s not an elitist. He doesn’t look down his nose at evangelicals and Christians and conservatives. I’m very shocked by how accessible he is to so many. He answers his cellphone any time of the day or night.”

The only hope now is that evangelicals who are close to Trump use their opportunities to encourage him to follow his own speech on neocons and avoid the same pitfalls in the foreign policy that Obama and Bush fell into.

The Trump administration should not warn Israel for occupying the land God gave to Jews, not to Palestinians. This is an Israeli, not an American, business.

And he should not keep the unnecessary meddling that Obama made in the relationship Russia has with Crimea. This is a Russian, not an American, business.

If evangelicals cannot help Trump, neocons will keep him in the disastrous orbit of Obama’s and Bush’s foreign policy.

With information from FoxNews, Jerusalem Post, Reuters, DailyMail and CBN.

Portuguese version of this article: Governo Trump critica severamente a Rússia e dá aviso para Israel

Source: Last Days Watchman

Recommended Reading:

Trump and Obama: What Has Changed Between Them on Homosexuality and Saudi Arabia?

Trump and Prophecies, and a New Model of National and World Leader

What Is Neoconservatism (Neocon)?