Jun 15 Buonasera Mag
Mo's Op-Ed, Severodonetsk, russification and deportation, weapons, Economic Forum Russia, Rosneft, silos, biolab conspiracies, extremism in the US
Op-Ed UKRAINE NEEDS OUR HELP
It is distressingly apparent that the weapons that have been promised by many nations are not being delivered to Ukraine so it can defend itself, preserve its nation, end the genocide at the hands of the Russian forces and Putin’s regime.
This is a simple fact. Many news outlets reported yesterday that Ukraine has received only 10% of the deliveries of military armaments and supplies as promised. We often hear that Scholz stands with Ukraine and has pledged armaments, but then fails to deliver or comes up with some sort of excuse but Germany is not the only nation.
We’re at a critical moment of Ukraine’s defence and instead of increasing our vigilance and aid, we’re stepping back. Multiple sources confirm that many Western analysts and policy officials are beginning to revert back to the failed and dangerous policy of ‘business first’ when it comes to Russia. What were an American, a French and two Italians doing at the Russian Economic Forum in St Petersburg today? They were there for business and and to make speeches. I guess it’s a lot easier to give into the measley hand outs from the Russian elite and businessmen, than to stand up for Ukraine and our democratic present and future.
If our leaders aren’t doing their jobs, protecting our democratic integrity, institutions and national security interests, then we must press them to do so. Tired of the war? Upset you’re paying double and triple for energy, gas and laundry detergent? I’m sure the dead in Bucha and Irpin and Mariupol and Severodonetsk can really sympathise with you.
We are giving so little, when so much has been lost, so much will be lost and, so much is at stake. Focus on Ukraine, on what is right, and on what is needed for victory in Ukraine.
Monique Camarra, co-host of Kremlin File and EuroFile
Catching up…
EA Worldview’s Ukraine Up-date- hop over to Scott’s amazing hourly Ukraine up-date page. I’ll fill in with some bits and bobs.
Stories we’re following…
Thousands of civilians, including women, children and elderly people, are trapped in the embattled Ukrainian city of Sievierodonetsk with a diminishing supply of food, clean water, sanitation and electricity. There are clear parallels with the recent situation in the port city of Mariupol.
President Zelensky has said defending the Donbas is "vital", as the outcome of the battle for the eastern region will indicate the course of the war.
Resistance to the occupation of Mariupol continues, despite the city falling into Russian hands last month. Writing on Telegram, Petro Andryushchenko, an adviser to Mariupol's Ukrainian mayor, said the city "did not accept the occupation".
Ukraine's army says its fighters have successfully defended attempts by Russian troops to storm their positions in the eastern cities of Severodonetsk and Toshivka.
Ukrainian First Deputy Interior Minister Yenin says: "It is thanks to the information we are receiving from our operational sources that we have managed to prevent a terrorist act against the leadership of our country."
Kremlin-controlled Gazprom will further reduce gas deliveries to Germany via NordStream1, bringing cut to 60%, while separately, Gazprom will cut gas deliveries to Italy by 15%.
Zakahrova said Moscow’s strategic partnership with Beijing had withstood attempts by the west to sow discord, adding that the EU was plotting a “suicidal” course by trying to diversify away from Russian energy.
At the Economic Forum in St Petersburg, a map was presented displaying a 3-5 year proposal on how to divide Ukraine in terms of administration of the occupied territory in a transition period- Via Alexander Kots
A new meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group involving representatives from 50 countries will be held today in Brussels to discuss the next steps needed to help Ukraine.
US General Mark Milley, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, says the Himars rocket system, together with ammunition and trained crews, will be transferred to Ukraine by the end of this month. DO IT!
The spike in global food prices is a direct consequence of the war, not of sanctions against Russia as Moscow claims, the Nato chief Stoltenberg says and adds that the alliance will continue to supply Ukraine with heavy weapons. DO IT.!
President Biden announces that temporary silos will be build on the Poland-Ukraine border to facilitate grain exports.
Germany is considering the nationalization of Russian Rosneft's Refinery in Schwedt. (UBN) It is owned by Rosneft and fully supplied from Russia via a pipeline.
At the Russian Economic Forum in St Petersburg “the head of the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia along with French and Italian counterparts will speak at a session on Thursday called "Western Investors in Russia: New Reality."
Why? Send weapons instead.
Biolabs…biolabs…biolabs
The Russian MFA has brought up the conspiracy theory of the ‘secret’ biolabs chemical programme once again. Big on graphics, footloose with facts and reality.
Ksenia Kirillova, Forced Russification and Deportation: What Russia is doing in the occupied territories
As the Russian army advances deeper into Ukrainian territory, the occupying authorities impose their own rules on the occupied regions. Often this means forced Russification of the local population, repression, and deportation of Ukrainians to the Russian interior.
Tom Nichols, What Does Russia Want?
The first thing to understand about this question is that there is no such entity as “Russia” that “wants” anything. “Russia” at the start of this war meant “Putin.” The invasion of Ukraine was his idea, a malevolent and stupid scheme that was kept from all but his closest advisers. Now that the war is a mess, Putin has to deal with the Russian public, Russia’s governing elites, and the Russian military.
James Rodgers, How Putin ends
The Kremlin strongman is now an isolated, out-of-touch world pariah and increasingly unpopular at home. Could he be toppled?
Theo Zenou, A 1955 book on right-wing extremists predicted the Jan. 6 attack
The year was 1954, and the Cold War was in full swing. Sen. Joseph McCarthy (R-Wis.) was seeing Soviet spies in every corner of the government. And a young sociologist at Columbia University, Daniel Bell, convened a seminar to come to grips with the menace of McCarthyism.
We’re signing off. Thanks for reading…
Mo & Scott