White House Says 'Peace To Begin' As Putin Agrees To Halt Attacks On Ukraine's Energy Facilities For 30 Days

 Summary: The call readouts from both sides are out, outlining the some 90-minute 'positive' conversation between Presidents Trump and Putin. The huge 'win' for Trump diplomacy is getting his Russian counterpart's agreement to halt all aerial strikes on Ukraine's badly damaged energy infrastructure. This is a first of the war. It marks a huge victory for the White House, albeit much will be determined on Ukraine's willingness to cooperate. After all, Zelensky has been cut out of this deal-making and is in the meantime being urged on to escalate action from some quarters of Europe, particularly the UK, France, and the Baltic states. "Both leaders agreed this conflict needs to end with a lasting peace," the White House readout says. It pledges that Washington and Moscow will improve the bilateral relationship with an eye towards achieving "enormous economic deals and geopolitical stability when peace has been achieved."

"This conflict should never have started and should have been ended long ago with sincere and good faith peace efforts," the US readout emphasizes, in another swipe at the Biden administration. The Russian readout crucially acknowledges the commitment for a 30-day pause in attacks on energy infrastructure. "During the conversation, Trump proposed a mutual agreement between both sides to refrain from striking energy infrastructure for 30 days. Putin welcomed the initiative and immediately instructed the Russian military to comply," it says.

Further, "Putin also responded constructively to Trump’s proposal regarding maritime security in the Black Sea, and both leaders agreed to initiate negotiations to further refine the details of such an arrangement." But the bulk of the Kremlin readout is very guarded, as expected: 

Reaffirming his commitment to a peaceful resolution of the conflict, President Putin expressed readiness to work closely with American partners on a thorough and comprehensive settlement. He emphasized that any agreement must be sustainable and long-term, addressing the root causes of the crisis while considering Russia’s legitimate security interests.

Regarding President Trump’s initiative for a 30-day ceasefire, the Russian side highlighted key concerns, including effective monitoring of the ceasefire across the entire front line, halting forced mobilization in Ukraine, and stopping the rearmament of its military. Russia also noted serious risks due to Kiev’s history of undermining previous agreements and drew attention to terrorist attacks carried out by Ukrainian militants against civilians in the Kursk region.

It was emphasized that a crucial condition for preventing further escalation and working toward a political-diplomatic resolution is the complete cessation of foreign military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine.

Germany's Scholz has in immediate response said "there must be no decisions" on the war "without Ukraine's backing". This coming evening and overnight will be crucial, as for the past week nighttime cross-border drone strikes on either side have been constant. Highlights of the Trump-Putin call below:

• Limited Cease-Fire Agreement: Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to a 30-day cease-fire targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure during a call with President Trump.
• Trump’s Diplomatic Effort: This marks Trump's first tangible success in securing concessions from Russia, having mainly pressured Ukraine while offering Russia improved relations.
• Cease-Fire Terms: The agreement focuses on halting strikes on energy and infrastructure facilities but falls short of a full cease-fire.
• Planned Middle East Negotiations: The U.S. and Russia will begin technical discussions in the Middle East on expanding the cease-fire to include maritime operations in the Black Sea and a broader peace agreement.
• Russia’s Additional Demands: The Kremlin stated that achieving a broader cease-fire requires Ukraine to halt military rearmament and forced mobilization.
• Prisoner Swap Agreement: Russia and Ukraine will exchange 175 prisoners each on Wednesday.
• Ukraine’s Stance: Kyiv previously agreed to an unconditional cease-fire, but Moscow rejected it, opting for a partial halt to hostilities instead.
• No U.S. Concessions to Russia: Both the White House and Kremlin confirmed the U.S. did not agree to any concessions, despite Ukrainian concerns that Trump might make compromises.
• Zelensky’s Silence: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, currently visiting Finland, has not commented but has warned the U.S. against trusting Putin.

* * *

Update(1333ET): According to the emerging call readouts, Putin and Trump held "detailed and frank talks on Ukraine". Both are characterizing that the call went 'very well'. But much in the readouts. The White House called for the need for peace and a ceasefire in the Ukraine war. Putin agreed to start talks to "work something out". But perhaps the most substantial agreement included a Putin pledge not to hit Ukraine's energy infrastructure for a period of 30-days, in an apparent nod to the US-backed interim ceasefire proposal:

• WHITE HOUSE: THE LEADERS AGREED THAT THE MOVEMENT TO PEACE WILL BEGIN WITH AN ENERGY AND INFRASTRUCTURE CEASEFIRE
• KREMLIN: PUTIN SUPPORTS IDEA NOT TO HIT ENERGY FACILITIES
• PUTIN BACKS IDEA NOT TO HIT ENERGY FACILITIES FOR 30 DAYS
• PUTIN SAYS READY TO CONTINUE SEARCHING FOR WAYS TO PEACE: IFX
• KREMLIN: PUTIN, TRUMP AGREED TO STAY IN CONTACT - TASS
• KREMLIN: PUTIN AND TRUMP DISCUSSED UKRAINE, ECONOMIC TIES
• WHITE HOUSE: THE LEADERS AGREED THAT THE MOVEMENT TO PEACE WILL BEGIN WITH AN ENERGY AND INFRASTRUCTURE CEASEFIRE
• KREMLIN: PUTIN ORDERS TO PAUSE STRIKES ON ENERGY FACILITIES
• *WHITE HOUSE: PEACE TO BEGIN W/ ENERGY, INFRASTRUCTURE CEASEFIRE
• WHITE HOUSE: WILL NEGOTIATE FULL CEASEFIRE AND PERMANENT PEACE
• RUSSIA, UKRAINE TO SWAP 175 POWS EACH ON WEDNESDAY: KREMLIN

But so far the plan to refrain from energy attacks is an 'idea' - suggesting that if Ukraine keeps up its own cross-border attacks on Russia, it will all be moot.

Will this really take shape?

* * *

Update(1235ET): The highly anticipated Trump-Putin call has ended, and given the length (akin to the first one), there was no doubt a lot covered, which included the prioritization of working on "normalization" of US-Russia ties, as earlier previewed by the White House:

PHONE CALL LASTED ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF: MSNBC

It was widely reported earlier Tuesday that the US could be ready to extend to Moscow the recognition of sovereignty over the Crimean peninsula, which should be the easiest to grant. The White House has also been floating possible territorial concessions - something which Zelensky and hawkish supporters in the EU have rejected. 

* * *

Just ahead of the high-stakes phone call between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, Bloomberg is reporting that the Russian leader will stipulate that all weapons deliveries to Ukraine, including US and European aid, be suspended. At this very moment the European Union has been busy ramping up efforts to deliver fresh military aid packages.

This comes as no surprise, given that from the start Moscow has condemned the build-up of NATO military infrastructure in Ukraine. It will be the first call between the two since Washington advanced the 30-day ceasefire plan with an aim of achieving a lasting peace. Putin is also expected to request that Ukraine's military cannot resupply or conduct training - especially by Western military programs - during the interim truce.

"Many elements of a Final Agreement have been agreed to, but much remains," Trump wrote Monday on Truth Social. He stressed that the war "must end NOW." Reports say the call is expected between 9am and 11am Washington time, and will include focus on "further normalization" - the Russian side indicated.

Via AP

Trump's prior mention of "dividing up certain assets" was cause for much speculation on Monday, with much of the commentary focused on the likely question of control over Ukraine's nuclear power plants.

According to the latest from Bloomberg:

• Vladimir Putin is demanding a suspension of all weapons deliveries to Ukraine during any ceasefire, according to people with knowledge of the matter.
• Ahead of his call with Trump today, Putin has made this a prerequisite for Russia signing up to a truce, said a senior European official and three people in Moscow familiar with Russia’s position.
• While Russia wants to halt all arms deliveries, its minimum aim is that US military aid should stop, two of the people said.
• The senior European official said Europe was extremely reluctant to agree to the demand. It would risk a situation where Russia was able to rearm during a truce but Ukraine was prevented from doing so, they said.
• It is the latest example of maximalist demands made by Putin which will be very difficult for Ukraine and Europe to accept.
• The UK and EU are both working on efforts to deliver fresh military aid packages to Ukraine as soon as possible.
• The suspension of arms supplies sought by Putin would be lifted after a final peace accord so long as Ukraine agreed to limits on its army, one person in Moscow said.

And: As of 8:00am S&P futures are down 0.3%, losing ground after Bloomberg reported Russian President Vladimir Putin is demanding a suspension of all weapons deliveries to Ukraine...

There are also reports saying that the US is mulling recognizing Crimea as part of Russia, and that it may urge the Untied Nations to do the same. This could be an 'easy' one for the US, which is likely to entice Putin.

Trump had continued in his Monday social media post, "I look very much forward to the call with President Putin. Many elements of a Final Agreement have been agreed to, but much remains."

And Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday that the two leaders will discuss "a large number of issues from the normalization of our relations and the Ukrainian issue." He said, "The leaders will speak for as long as they deem necessary" - after their first phone call had lasted 90-minutes.

EU leaders are said to be "trembling"... "That is why there is a mood of alarm in Europe’s capitals," Bild wrote Tuesday. This also as Trump has floated the possibility of dropping anti-Russia sanctions for the sake of peace.

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/putin-demands-halt-western-military-aid-ukraine-ahead-trump-call

Dr. Leana Wen Admits Some COVID 'Conspiracy Theories' Were Actually True

 Via American Greatness,

Dr. Leana Wen, a former CNN medical analyst who famously stated that “the unvaccinated should not be allowed to leave their homes,” is now admitting that Covid dissenters should have been allowed to ask questions.

Wen, in a recent video, addresses the fact that many people had questions, particularly about the Covid vaccine, but were afraid to ask those questions because they might be told that their concerns were simply conspiracy theories.

In that video, Wen admits that concerns that were raised about the vaccine’s impact on women’s menstrual cycles are supported by studies that “have shown that there may be some changes to the menstrual period in the short term.”

Wen also conceded that questions about natural immunity from infection were summarily dismissed during the first two years of the pandemic because medical officials didn’t want people to be exposed through what she termed “chicken pox parties” where people could be infected all at once.

According to Wen, medical experts now admit that a person who has been infected with Covid does enjoy short term immunity benefits, saying, “It’s also true that … you do get some degree of pretty good immunity after having infection.”

Wen says Covid dissenters should have been able to ask questions and that she would have answered them.

The turnaround is a sharp contrast to Wen’s harsh earlier stances taken during her regular appearances on CNN as a medical analyst, her opinion pieces for the Washington Post and her time as a guest contributor for NPR, PBS, BBC, and MSNBC.

A comment posted by Harry Fisher on X, formerly Twitter, describes Wen’s admissions as a larger pattern of “slow-walking” the truth after first censoring and punishing those with legitimate questions, delaying investigation until after policies are instituted and quietly admitting the truth only when accountability is unlikely.

If nothing else, Dr. Wen’s about-face is more evidence that public health decisions and Covid policies affecting millions of people were driven by politics rather than scientific inquiry.

The public is right to hesitate before trusting experts who put narrative control ahead of their institutional credibility.

https://www.zerohedge.com/covid-19/dr-leana-wen-admits-some-covid-conspiracy-theories-were-actually-true

How Tariffs Will Lower The Cost Of Living

 by Spencer Morrison via American Greatness,

Critics of President Trump’s trade policy - tariffs, tariffs, and more tariffs - cry that tariffs will cause inflation and make Americans poor. This is false.

Although there will be a brief period where the market adjusts to the new normal, tariffs will not cause inflation. In fact, tariffs will lower the cost of living in the long run.

Perhaps the more interesting question to ask is: inflation of what? Consumer goods? Why are these critics not concerned about the inflation of assets like houses or investments that are caused by economic globalism and the trade deficit?  Why are the Democrats and Neocons so preoccupied with keeping the cost of disposable products low, when people cannot afford their rent or mortgages?

 

Fiddling with the grasshoppers

 

Contrary to popular belief, tariffs did not raise the cost of goods during President Trump’s first term, and they are not likely to do so the second time around. 

There are a few reasons for this.

First, a tariff is a tax imposed on imports. For example, a 25% tariff on steel would increase the price of steel coming from Canada or South Korea. However, that same tariff would not apply to steel that was made in America. In this way, tariffs are a completely avoidable tax. If you do not want to pay tariffs, buy American. Simple.

Not only do tariffs create an incentive for consumers to buy American, but they also create an incentive for foreign producers to lower their costs. If countries like China or Mexico want access to America’s market—which they certainly will—then they will have to find a way to reduce their costs to balance out the tariff. Ultimately, lower production costs will benefit everyone.

At this stage, critics will argue that even if you buy American, you will still end up paying more. Why? American goods cost more to begin with, and without foreign competition, American businesses will price-gouge.

This may not be true in the short term and is certainly false in the long term. To begin with, America’s manufacturing industry is among the most productive in the world. Given that productivity is what ultimately drives prices, America’s manufactured goods should also be among the cheapest in the world—and it is.

The problem is that prices are skewed by economic externalities, foreign currency manipulation, and predatory trade practices. This results in efficient and cost-effective American factories being closed, while inefficient foreign factories—in places like Italy and Germany, for example—remain open for business. Protecting American markets from abuse will help our domestic free market function more efficiently. This will lower costs as the market adjusts to the new normal.

Further, tariffs will reshore American factories and thereby increase domestic output. Manufacturing is an interesting industry because prices are subject to increasing returns. That is, the more that we manufacture, the lower the price of each unit of production becomes. This is because capital costs are fixed, and the more we make, the more these costs are disbursed. As such, we have good reason to believe that prices of American products will actually decrease if we impose tariffs. This will help offset the expected short-term increases.

Finally, the only way to decrease prices in the long run is to increase productivity—to invent and implement new technology. The best catalyst for this is higher input costs, particularly labor costs. We can expect that companies that reshore their factories from places where labor is plentiful and cheap will be looking to invest in capital and technology that improves productivity. In the long run, this will drive invention and innovation and lower the cost of goods—not just for Americans, but for everyone.

The world prospers when America prospers. Tariffs are an effective tool to rebalance America’s economy away from financial interests—moving money—and into productive investments. Tariffs will realign the economy towards building the future, rather than buying it.

Compared to what?

The media laments that tariffs will increase the price of consumer goods. However, they appear blissfully unaware that the current trade paradigm—massive, chronic trade deficits driven by unfair and asymmetrical trade with the rest of the world—also causes inflation of a different kind.

America imports far more than it exports. This results in a trade deficit, which we need to pay for. How do we do this? By selling assets and debts. As a result, the trade deficit directly contributes to the increase in prices—inflation—of American assets and debts. For example, in 2024, foreigners bought an estimated $42 billion of residential real estate, $8 billion of agricultural land, and $12 billion of commercial real estate. This drives up real estate prices, locking our own young people out of the real estate market and denying them their share of the American Dream.

In addition to real estate, foreigners buy American businesses. As of June 2023, foreign investors own 17% of all American equities. Ownership of our businesses has dire consequences, such as giving foreign governments direct access to our technologies. This perpetuates the massive theft of American intellectual property, which costs hundreds of billions annually, and jeopardizes our national security.

We also trade debt. This is sort of like buying groceries on our credit cards, except is occurring at the national level. For example, foreigners own some $8.67 trillion of U.S. Treasury securities, accounting for 24 percent of the public debt. Further, America’s corporate and household debt has ballooned since 1973 to the highest levels since World War 2.

Debt is especially dangerous because we have to repay the principle and we pay interest. This inflates the cost of buying foreign products in a way that most economists fail to appreciate. Consider that America became a debtor nation in 2006—for the first time since the Great Depression. As a result, we are now paying over $150 billion in interest every year to foreign entities for the privilege of buying the products we should be building.

The elites oppose tariffs because consumer goods—things people want—may rise in price. In comparison, the absence of tariffs inflates the price of housing—something people need. From this, we can see that the elites do not actually care about inflation. Instead, they are using trade policy to inflate the price of assets that they already own, such as real estate and stocks, at the expense of the livelihoods of ordinary Americans.

Tariffs may increase the inflation of consumer goods, but this will be offset by the deflation of assets and debts. 

Not only that but reshoring the factories will drive down prices in the long run by creating fertile ground for invention and innovation. The logical conclusion is inescapable: America needs tariffs to reshore our factories and revive the American Dream.

https://www.zerohedge.com/personal-finance/how-tariffs-will-lower-cost-living

Incyte cut to Neutral ratings at Blair, Guggenheim

 

Today Downgrade William Blair Outperform → Mkt Perform

Today Downgrade Guggenheim Buy → Neutral

https://finviz.com/quote.ashx?t=INCY&p=d

Cervomed Inc. Faces Financial Hurdles Due to Regulatory Restrictions on Public Float

 Cervomed Inc. (CRVO) has disclosed a new risk, in the Regulation category.

Cervomed Inc. faces a significant financial risk due to certain regulatory limitations, as its current public float of approximately $37.3 million falls below the $75 million threshold required by General Instruction I.B.6 to Form S-3. This shortfall subjects the company to the ‘baby shelf rules,’ restricting its ability to conduct primary offerings under a Form S-3 registration statement to only one-third of its public float within any 12-month period. Consequently, Cervomed Inc. may encounter challenges in securing future financings until its public float surpasses the stipulated $75 million mark. This limitation could hinder the company’s financial flexibility and growth prospects, posing a notable challenge for its strategic objectives.

Overall, Wall Street has a Strong Buy consensus rating on CRVO stock based on 6 Buys.

https://www.tipranks.com/news/company-announcements/cervomed-inc-faces-financial-hurdles-due-to-regulatory-restrictions-on-public-float

Regencell Up Over 260% YTD — Retail Traders Riding Wave Or Watching From Sidelines?

 Regencell Bioscience Holdings Ltd. shares have been on a tear recently, more than tripling in value even before the first quarter of 2025 has ended. Retail traders, however, are not overly bullish about this stock.

Hong Kong-based Regencell focuses on the research, development, and commercialization of traditional Chinese medicine, targeting neurocognitive disorders and degeneration, particularly attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

According to several media reports, the recent rally has been driven mainly by buying from insiders, who own 81% of the company.

The stock’s surge also comes amid a broader rally in Chinese stocks, driven by hopes of economic stimulus from Xi Jinping’s government.

Koyfin data shows that only three institutional investors have a combined stake of a little over $156,000 in the company.

A Stocktwits poll gauging retail sentiment on Regencell showed that 52% of nearly 1,000 respondents opted to stay away from the stock as it was "too risky for me," while 31% suggested they were buying it now.

Another 12% said they were selling and taking profits, while 5% claimed to have "caught the move early."

RGC Stocktwits poll results© Stocktwits

Over the past three months, Regencell's following on Stocktwits has grown by 48% while message volume has soared by 30,000%.

One bullish user claimed they bought Regencell stock when it was less than half its last close.

However, a skeptic argued that RGC actually moved up "on no news. I'm shorting and waiting for the rug pull."

Regencell has not generated revenue or a profit ever since it went public on the Nasdaq in July 2021.

It has a low float of about 802,000 shares, making it a highly volatile stock.

One Stocktwits user expressed strong skepticism, saying, "This reeks of a scam so bad. Hong Kong biotech with 12 full-time employees. Chinese medicine ancient herbs for ADHD. This will collapse."

According to Koyfin, no analysts currently cover the stock on Wall Street. The stock ended Monday 46% higher and jumped another 42% in after-hours trading.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/topstocks/regencell-bioscience-stock-is-up-over-260-this-year-are-retail-traders-riding-the-wave-or-watching-from-the-sidelines/ar-AA1B8Mn2

Appili Aditxt Transaction Update

 Appili wishes to provide an update on its proposed going-private transaction pursuant to which Aditxt Inc. (NASDAQ: ADTX) (“Aditxt”), through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Adivir, Inc. (“Adivir”) will acquire all of the issued and outstanding Class A common shares of the Company by way of a court-approved plan of arrangement under the Business Corporations Act (Ontario) (the “Transaction”).

As previously announced, shareholders of the Company overwhelmingly voted in favour of a special resolution approving the Transaction. The Company has also secured all necessary court approvals to affect the Transaction.

Among other customary closing conditions, the Transaction remains subject to Aditxt securing sufficient financing to complete the Transaction. In this regard, on February 28, 2025, Appili granted a waiver to Aditxt to extend the outside for the Transaction to March 31, 2025 in exchange for a payment by Aditxt of US$250,000 (the “Waiver Payment”). The parties have also agreed that, if a termination fee becomes payable to the Company by Aditxt or Adivir at any time, the Waiver Payment would be credited towards any such termination payment.

Subject to satisfaction or waiver of the remaining closing conditions, Appili expects the Transaction to close in the first quarter of calendar 2025.

For further details regarding the Transaction, please see Appili’s press release dated April 2, 2024 and Appili’s management information circular (the “Circular”) dated October 4, 2024, a copy of which is available under Appili’s profile on SEDAR+ (sedarplus.ca).

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/appili-therapeutics-announces-submission-u-112200166.html