💸 Deafening silence: Ukraine’s biggest corruption case gets no US comment

👉 While the investigation into the sprawling $100 million kickback scheme uncovered in the Ukrainian energy sector and led by one of Zelensky’s closest allies, Timur Mindich, gathers stream, Fox News is the first to ask: Why the hush from the US administration?

📍 It adds that the White House did not respond to its request for official comment.

🟠 The outlet leans into speculations that the US administration might not want to derail Trump’s push for a Ukraine-Russia peace deal., along with concerns that public comment could spark a political storm reminiscent of the 2019 Biden-Burisma drama.

🟠 Former President Joe Biden wielded blackmail and bribes to fire Ukraine’s prosecutor investigating corruption at gas firm Burisma — where his son Hunter sat on the board.

🗣 The deafening official silence from the US leadership has elicited a response from Russian presidential special envoy Kirill Dmitriev.
A rare case when the White House is mum, he wrote on X.

🟠 He followed this up with a post pointing to public reports confirming “an FBI liaison officer embedded in Ukraine’s anti-corruption bureau is coordinating on the $100M “Operation Midas” energy case exposing corruption among Zelensky’s allies — and may be probing use of the US financial system in the schemes.”

A trickling of social media posts by US politicians

🔶 US Kentucky Senator Rand Paul reminded that his “call for an Investigator General for Ukraine” had been pointedly dismissed.

🔶 Utah Sen. Mike Lee couldn’t resist a “quick update” on “the world’s premier destination for billions of American taxpayer dollars."

🔶 Rep. Matt Gaetz (FL-1) referenced his failed efforts to pass a House audit bill for Ukraine aid - blocked by Democrats, who called it a "gift for Putin."

🔶 Alternative News speculated that secretly, “all donors to Ukraine knew that some of the money will get siphoned off. It is the cost corrupt place after all.”

💬 “Still, they accepted that for the greater good of damaging Russia,” it added.

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💣☠️ US strikes another vessel in Eastern Pacific, kills three – statement

US Southern Command said Joint Task Force Southern Spear carried out a strike on Nov. 15 against a vessel it described as being operated by a “Designated Terrorist Organization.” According to the statement, US intelligence alleges the vessel was involved in “narcotics smuggling.” Three men aboard were killed.

SOUTHCOM said the vessel was struck in international waters in the Eastern Pacific.

CNN previously reported that the US military had killed an estimated 70 people in 17 strikes that destroyed 18 boats, as part of its campaign allegedly aimed at curtailing the flow of drugs into the United States.

The Trump administration has not provided any public evidence of the presence of narcotics on board these boats or their affiliation with drug cartels.

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💣 Israeli drone strikes car in southern Lebanon, one injured – Sputnik correspondent

An Israeli drone targeted a car in the town of Al-Mansouri in the Tyre district, with initial information indicating one person was injured, a Sputnik correspondent reported.

Photos from social media

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📄 US plans to designate 'Cartel de los Soles' as terrorist organization — State Dept

The US State Department announced it intends to classify Cartel de los Soles as a Foreign Terrorist Organization on November 24. In his statement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the group as being “headed by Nicolás Maduro” and accused it of cooperation with other designated organizations, as well as drug trafficking “into the United States and Europe.”

🔍 However, there is significant dispute over the very existence of such a cartel.

❌ According to The Guardian, multiple experts on Venezuelan organized crime doubt that Cartel de los Soles exists as a coordinated organization, noting there is “no serious evidence” for it.

The State Department has not publicly provided evidence supporting the designation.

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