March 13, 2025

Permission to republish original opeds and cartoons granted.

Art Of The Deal: Ukraine, Russia Agree To 30-Day Ceasefire After Trump Said He'd Talk To Putin And Threatened More Sanctions

By Robert Romano

The historic first steps towards peace in Ukraine are apparently being taken with both Ukraine and Russia appear to agree to a 30-day ceasefire, first with Ukraine at a March 11 meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and later Russia after U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff met with Russian officials in Moscow.

But it won’t be easy. Russian President Vladimir Putin said there are still “nuances” but that “The idea [of a ceasefire] itself is correct and we are certainly supporting it, but there are issues that need to be discussed. I think that we need to talk to our American colleagues and partners. Maybe call President Trump and discuss it together. But we support the very idea of ending this conflict through peaceful means.”

As President Donald Trump noted to reporters outside the White House on March 11, “It takes two to tango” and that he would be talking to Russian President Vladimir Putin, “Yeah, I’ll talk to Vladimir Putin… Hopefully, he’ll also agree. I really think that would be 75 percent of the way, the rest is getting it documented… and negotiating land positions, etc.”

The news came after of the breakthrough came after Trump had threatened additional sanctions on Moscow if the ceasefire cannot go into effect saying, “It's up to Russia now… [I]n a financial sense, we could do things very bad for Russia. It would be devastating for Russia. But I don't want to do that because I want to see peace."

The U.S. had also resumed military aid and intelligence support for Ukraine, and Ukraine said it will be concluding the rare earth minerals deal originally proposed by President Trump.

The fighting still continued in Ukraine as Russia was said to be “studying” the proposal while it also rejected French and British proposals to put NATO peacekeepers on the ground as a part of any peace deal, as well as demanding Ukraine cede Russia’s territorial gains since 2014 and pledge to never join NATO.

From Trump’s standpoint, he wanted to see a ceasefire first and talks on the final details can come later.

How quickly both sides could come to the table is a good question. When negotiations began between North Vietnam and South Vietnam in 1968, it took almost an entire year just to agree on the shape of the table and that each side could be represented at the talks. And even getting there was difficult, requiring an end to certain bombings in North Vietnam.

And even as Richard Nixon had campaigned on pursuing a peace plan in 1968, no significant breakthroughs were had until May 1972, when Nixon agreed to a ceasefire, and by Oct. 1972, there was a draft agreement. So, it went from no progress for years to rapid progress at the end.  

That could mean there’s more fighting, even as the U.S. continues communicating with both Russia and Ukraine. But the talks might be happening faster than prior negotitations.

At this point, it could just be a question of whether there are talks with further sanctions on, or without. Trump suggested without Russia accepting the 30-day ceasefire proposal, he’d levy more sanctions against Moscow.

As for the 30-day ceasefire agreed to, Secretary of State Rubio said that both sides needed to accept that the war in Ukraine was effectively a stalemate, saying on March 11, “The offer is to stop the shooting.  The goal here is the only way out – to end this war is to negotiate out of it.  There’s no military solution to this war.  The solution to this war and the way to end it and to achieve the President’s objective of peace is to negotiate.  But before you can negotiate you have to stop shooting at each other, and that’s what the President has wanted to see, and that’s what – that’s the commitment we got today from the Ukrainian side, their willingness to do that.  Obviously, now that will be delivered to the Russians.”

Rubio added, “what we left – leave here with today is a commitment that the Ukrainians are ready to stop fighting.  They’re ready to stop the shooting so that they can get to the table and bring about peace for their country and for the world.”

Assuming, that is, that both sides won’t be bickering over the size and shape of the table. This could still take a while, but with both sides saying they are ready for a ceasefire, the first steps are being taken. The question is, with more than a million dead on both sides in the war, does Russia really want to stop fighting? This is where the rubber meets the road.

Robert Romano is the Vice President of Public Policy at Americans for Limited Government Foundation.

To view online: https://dailytorch.com/2025/03/art-of-the-deal-ukraine-russia-agree-to-30-day-ceasefire-after-trump-said-hed-talk-to-putin-and-threatened-more-sanctions/

John Carney: Trump’s Economic Detox

By John Carney

The Economics of Detoxing the American Economy

The American economy has been living on borrowed time and borrowed money.

For years, Washington pumped out cheap credit, printed trillions, and propped up an economy that looked strong on paper but was rotting underneath. Under Joe Biden, nearly 85 percent of job growth was tied to government spending. One-third of all economic activity was fueled by federal dollars. The national debt ballooned. The regulatory state tightened its grip.

Now, the economy is undergoing what Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent calls a “detox”—a transition away from artificial expansion and toward a more sustainable, private-sector-driven foundation. In a recent note for clients, Jared Woodard of Bank of America’s Research Investment Committee echoes this assessment, describing the moment as a “correction from an economy propped up by public-sector largesse.”

For years, federal deficits ran at 6–7 percent of GDP, favoring industries that depended on government contracts and subsidies rather than genuine market demand. The private sector—especially capital-intensive industries—was increasingly constrained by fiscal policy and regulatory expansion. The consequences were predictable: businesses optimized for short-term survival, misallocated capital, and relied on government stimulus rather than organic growth.

That model is now being unwound. The administration’s plan, as outlined by Bessent, is not about sudden austerity but about allowing private investment to take a larger role in economic growth while shifting public spending toward strategic priorities.

The Reshuffling of Capital and Market Expectations

Markets are already responding. Woodard notes that industries closely tied to government subsidies—such as healthcare administration and renewable energy—are showing signs of contraction, while infrastructure, industrial manufacturing, and defense-related industries are attracting renewed investment.

The defense sector, in particular, has seen a 23 percent increase in stock value this year, reflecting shifting federal budget priorities. This isn’t an example of private-sector expansion—it’s a recognition that national security-related expenditures are expected to rise even as other areas of federal spending contract. The same trend is playing out in other countries, as governments shift resources away from consumption-driven stimulus toward defense, infrastructure, and industrial self-sufficiency.

A Global Shift Toward Economic Rebalancing

Woodard places Trump’s economic transition in a broader global context. The United States is not alone in reconsidering the role of government in economic activity. Around the world, countries are moving away from deficit-driven stimulus and attempting to restore private-sector leadership in economic growth while focusing public investment on national priorities.

Japan has begun unlocking nearly ¥206 trillion (33 percent of GDP) in corporate cash reserves through corporate reforms, aiming to stimulate private investment rather than relying on government intervention.

Germany is expanding defense and infrastructure spending while cutting domestic subsidies, pivoting toward fiscal discipline after years of reliance on public-sector-driven growth.

Argentina has enacted aggressive fiscal cuts, which have already stabilized its currency and reduced inflation by 25 percentage points, a stark reversal from its previous dependence on deficit spending.

The RIC Report makes clear that the post-pandemic economic model of heavy government stimulus and expansive social spending is no longer seen as sustainable. Europe’s long-running strategy of relying on U.S. trade deficits and defense spending to fund its welfare state is coming to an end.

What makes Trump’s approach distinct is that he is not simply cutting spending—he is reallocating it toward economic security and industrial competitiveness. While some sectors are seeing a decline in federal support, others—such as defense and strategic infrastructure—are receiving increased investment, reflecting a shift in priorities rather than across-the-board reductions.

Rebalancing Trade and Domestic Production

Another critical aspect of this transition is the administration’s restructuring of trade policy. For decades, the U.S. absorbed the excess production of foreign economies that suppressed domestic consumption in favor of exports. China, Germany, and Japan all pursued economic models that relied on large trade surpluses, using America as a consumer market to sustain their industries.

Bessent has been clear that this model no longer works. “The international trading system consists of a web of relationships—military, economic, political. One cannot take a single aspect in isolation,” he said in a speech in New York last week.

Trump’s tariffs on China, Mexico, and Canada are not just about protectionism but about forcing a realignment in global trade relationships. Woodard argues in his RIC Report that these policies are already leading to shifts in supply chains, with businesses adjusting sourcing strategies to reduce reliance on tariff-affected imports.

The report highlights that the success of these policies will depend on how quickly domestic production can scale up. Early indicators suggest that investment is beginning to shift toward U.S. manufacturing, though the pace of expansion remains an open question.

Housing, Interest Rates, and Inflation

Beyond trade, the administration is also focused on restoring homeownership affordability. Under Biden, rising mortgage rates and soaring home prices pushed ownership further out of reach for millions of Americans.

The challenge now is to stabilize interest rates while ensuring that affordability improves through market-driven adjustments rather than artificial interventions. One of the potential benefits of reducing deficit-driven spending is lower inflationary pressures, which could help ease borrowing costs over time.

The Market’s Adjustment: A Recalibration, Not a Crisis

The RIC Report concludes that recent market volatility should be seen as a recalibration, not a crisis. Markets are adjusting to a world where government spending is no longer the primary economic driver.

Industries that depended on federal support are contracting, while others are expanding based on real demand. Trade realignment will take time, and its success will hinge on how efficiently domestic production can ramp up. Investors are watching closely to see whether the administration maintains its policy direction or makes unexpected adjustments.

In short, the U.S. economy is shifting. The transition away from government-driven growth was always going to be disruptive, but it is necessary for long-term stability.

The fundamentals are moving toward a structure that fosters sustainable investment, stronger market discipline, and an economy built on real production rather than financial manipulation and government intervention. It’s a vision of an economy that works for all Americans and not just those laboring in the narrow corners favored by politicians.

To view online: https://www.breitbart.com/economy/2025/03/12/breitbart-business-digest-trumps-economic-detox/

Urge Congress To Suspend Impoundment Control Act Through Dec. 2026 and Authorize DOGE Cuts!

To view online: https://www.votervoice.net/AFLG/campaigns/121532/respond