Ellen Dibble 🌻🇺🇸

U.S. military officials estimate that the Trump administration’s war with Iran has cost more than $47 billion through mid-October, a rise of more than $3 billion over the past several weeks, according to a document reviewed by The Post. wapo.st/4idRYlG

Yuri Ushakov is an old-school diplomat. He spent a decade as Russia's ambassador in Washington and has been Putin's foreign policy aide since 2012. He chooses his words with care. Western media quote him as saying "we need to talk with Europe" and read it as Moscow reaching out to Europe. However, there is a catch. There is no "we" in the original. Here is what he actually said. He was asked why Washington can't simply dictate peace terms to Kyiv. Ushakov answered that after Anchorage it looked like Washington could. It didn't work, because Europe backs Kyiv. So it is necessary to talk "not only with Kyiv, but also with Europe." Any Russian speaker understands who this impersonal "it is necessary" is addressed to. Moscow is not talking to Kyiv right now. Washington is. And Washington's "talking" to Kyiv means pressure. Ushakov's message to Washington: you pressure Kyiv, now pressure Europe too, or you won't get Kyiv to accept the terms. He put it in an impersonal form so Washington doesn't feel it is taking orders from Moscow. That is how professional diplomats speak. So Russia's position stays exactly where it was. Moscow still wants Washington to force its terms on Kyiv, and now on Europe as well.

Puts on Tin Foil hat. 🤔 Sounds as if federal employees who are part of the group trying to destroy the country were involved to hide nefarious going ons just before election day. But that would never happen. 🙄 Takes off Tin Foil hat and goes to lunch. 🫡

.@MarkJCarney: “The EU has delivered greater stability across the continent... Canada [seeks] to become the European Union’s first associate member.” #EUCanadaSummit

“I’m happy at the democratic level to see Arabs voting, but it’s sad they refuse to be part of modern Israel!” Former IDF spokesperson Jonathan Conricus responds to Israel's election and talks of a coalition government. 📺 youtu.be/5dy5DKBovqs @piersmorgan | @jconricus