Podcasts about Crimea

Welcome back to Top Stories! We are heading back to March 2014 where John and I reported on the Top Story that week, as the crisis in Crimea continued. Enjoy that? Why not subscribe to the Bugle now through our voluntary donation scheme at the bugle podcast dot com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ash Bhardwaj is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster, author, and host of the Centre for Army Leadership's The Human Advantage Podcast. His travels have taken him across the world, including travelling 8500km of Russia's European border (including Donbas and occupied Crimea). He is a Captain in the British Army Reserve. In this episode Ash shows the power of stories in motivating us and allowing us to discover who we are as individuals and collectively, as well as how the stories we tell can matter to all of us. Ash talks about the importance of doing the background work, innovating while reinforcing things that already work, and other insights from his time hosting The Human Advantage.

Today's Headlines: On the second day of the UN General Assembly, Zelensky called on the world to stop buying Russian oil to pressure Putin into ending the war, Venezuela's acting president-puppet Delcy Rodriguez promised elections "soon," and AI executives appealed to the UN Security Council for global cooperation on AI risks. Xi Jinping then visited Washington for a state visit complete with a red carpet, military flyover, and a Melania appearance, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announcing on Fox News that the US is extending the trade war truce while adding "I don't know whether a bigger deal can be done, I don't know whether we will just roll the current deal," which is a remarkable display of strategic clarity from the person managing the US economy. Trump invited Putin to the G-20 summit at his own Florida resort in December — Putin was kicked out of the G8 in 2014 for invading Crimea — and the original architect of Trump's White House ballroom revealed he resigned after Trump insisted building codes don't apply because "I am the code." Trump also wants to rename Ford's Theatre — where Lincoln was assassinated — after himself, as part of a broader building-renaming effort that is going exactly as well as the reflecting pool. In other crazy news, Tommy Tuberville gave a 20-minute Senate floor speech warning that airline pilots might have a "deranged fetish of dressing up like an animal," claiming significant overlap between gender-confused people and the furry community, and advocating for bringing back mental institutions — all from a man currently running for governor of Alabama and likely to win. And finally, DoorDash settled with New York City for $131 million after underpaying 264,000 workers, which explains why DoorDash spent nearly $1.5 million opposing Zohran Mamdani in last year's mayoral race. Resources/Articles mentioned: AP News: Zelenskyy, at UN, urges leaders to keep choking Russia's revenues and impede its war efforts AP News: Venezuela's acting leader, at UN for first address, promises elections at the 'right moment' Axios: "We have a choice": AI leaders sound alarm at UN AP News: Trump welcomes China's Xi to Washington with planeside ceremony and extension of trade truce WSJ: U.S. Invites Putin to G-20 Summit at Trump Resort in Florida WaPo: ‘I am the code': Trump clashed with ballroom architect over safety issues The New Republic: Trump Now Seriously Considering Slapping His Name on Ford's Theater Rolling Stone: GOP Senator Ahead of Midterms: Furry Airline Pilots Are 'Terrifying' NYT: DoorDash Agrees to $131.5 Million Settlement for Shortchanging Workers The Intercept: DoorDash Spent $1.4 Million Trying to Stop Mamdani From Becoming Mayor. Now We Know Why. Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Questions, suggestions, or feedback? Send us a message!Welcome to the Where Shall We Meet podcast. Our guest this week is Carissa Véliz, who is Associate Professor in Philosophy at the Institute for Ethics in AI and Tutorial Fellow in Philosophy at Hertford College, Oxford University. She works on privacy, digital ethics and the ethics of AI, and her new book argues that AI has become the new Oracle of Delphi.That book is Prophecy: Prediction, Power, and the Fight for the Future. It is a history of prediction as much as a book about AI — tracing the line from ancient oracles to credit scores, bail algorithms and tech CEOs, and arguing that a prediction is never a neutral forecast but an instrument of power. As she points out in the conversation, for all the thousands of books on how to forecast, nobody had yet written one on the ethics of it.Carissa is also the author of Privacy Is Power, an Economist book of the year translated into seven languages, and The Ethics of Privacy and Surveillance. She is also the editor of the Oxford Handbook of Digital Ethics. She has advised the UK and Spanish governments, sits on the board of the Proton Foundation alongside Tim Berners-Lee, and is a member of UNESCO's Women4Ethical AI expert group.We talk about:Is AI the new Oracle of Delphi?When a CEO predicts, is it a forecast or an order?Obeying in advanceA prediction can never be a factThe turkey's disappointment at ThanksgivingDoes polling corrupt democracy?Why a self-fulfilling prophecy is the perfect crimeA blow dryer, a sensor, and what's wrong with prediction marketsIs AI doing the creative work while we do the boring jobs?Let's not prophesise!Web: www.whereshallwemeet.xyzTwitter: @whrshallwemeetInstagram: @whrshallwemeet

En agosto alguien lanzó varios drones cargados de explosivos contra el aeropuerto de Leipzig-Halle en el este de Alemania. Ninguno llegó a estallar, pero el objetivo no era accidental. Aunque por su terminal pasan pocos pasajeros, Leipzig es uno de los grandes centros de carga aérea de Europa y un punto clave en el envío de material militar a Ucrania. Semanas después el Gobierno alemán señaló sin rodeos a Rusia, algo llamativo en un país que durante años mantuvo con el Kremlin una relación comercial tan estrecha como imprudente. El ministro del Interior, Alexander Dobrindt, habló abiertamente de una guerra híbrida contra Alemania. Leipzig es sólo el episodio más visible de una campaña mucho más amplia. Emmanuel Macron ha advertido a los partidos franceses de que esta ofensiva puede acabar causando víctimas civiles, y el primer ministro polaco, Donald Tusk, asegura que el Kremlin planea ataques disfrazados de errores para poner a prueba la cláusula de defensa mutua de la OTAN. Entretanto se multiplican las incursiones aéreas en el Báltico, donde los pilotos de alianza interceptan aviones rusos de forma rutinaria, los sabotajes contra vías férreas, redes eléctricas y fábricas de armamento en media Europa. Los recuentos de distintos centros de análisis coinciden en que el ritmo se ha acelerado este año y que los casos reales superan con mucho a los que se hacen públicos. Ya no se trata de hechos aislados sino de una campaña sostenida. La explicación está en Ucrania. El ejército ruso apenas avanza y los drones ucranianos atacan su retaguardia con precisión, hasta el punto de haber obligado a trasladar la flota del mar Negro fuera de Crimea. Los rusos quieren devolver el golpe, pero buena parte de la retaguardia ucraniana está en territorio de la OTAN. Atacarla abiertamente supondría una guerra que Vladimir Putin no puede permitirse, así que lo hace de forma encubierta. Persigue asustar a los europeos para que dejen de ayudar a Ucrania, encarecer esa ayuda y exhibir a la OTAN como una alianza incapaz de proteger a sus miembros. El método es barato. Rusia recluta por Telegram a delincuentes y gente desesperada que trabaja por poco dinero, lo que dificulta señalar a sus servicios secretos. Los ataques están calculados para molestar sin justificar una respuesta militar, y la ambigüedad juega a su favor porque se le atribuye incluso lo que quizá no han hecho. Es la vieja escuela de las medidas activas del KGB. El general Carsten Breuer, jefe del Estado Mayor alemán, cree además que Moscú está sondeando las defensas aliadas con vistas a un conflicto mayor. Curiosamente el miedo no funciona donde más aprieta. Los países más cercanos a Rusia son los más firmes defensores de Ucrania. El problema europeo es otro en estos momentos. No saben cómo responder. Las limitaciones legales, la exigencia de consensos y el temor a medidas impopulares frenan cualquier reacción contundente. La fórmula elegida hasta ahora es responder a cada sabotaje con más ayuda a Ucrania, mientras Alemania emprende su mayor rearme en décadas y se acerca a Polonia. A todo ello se suma la incoherencia de la Casa Blanca, que reserva sus críticas para los aliados y sus elogios para Putin. Sólo una disuasión creíble, que haga caro el intento, evitará que un día uno de esas operaciones encubiertas termine provocando víctimas mortales. En La ContraRéplica: 0:00 Introducción 3:52 Guerra en la sombra 35:29 Sánchez y la ley de nietos 47:54 Cómo normalizar Ceuta · Canal de Telegram: https://t.me/lacontracronica · “Contra el pesimismo”… https://amzn.to/4m1RX2R · “Hispanos. Breve historia de los pueblos de habla hispana”… https://amzn.to/428js1G · “La ContraHistoria del comunismo”… https://amzn.to/39QP2KE · “La ContraHistoria de España. Auge, caída y vuelta a empezar de un país en 28 episodios”… https://amzn.to/3kXcZ6i · “Contra la Revolución Francesa”… https://amzn.to/4aF0LpZ · “Lutero, Calvino y Trento, la Reforma que no fue”… https://amzn.to/3shKOlK Apoya La Contra en: · Patreon... https://www.patreon.com/diazvillanueva · iVoox... https://www.ivoox.com/podcast-contracronica_sq_f1267769_1.html · Paypal... https://www.paypal.me/diazvillanueva Sígueme en: · Web... https://diazvillanueva.com · Twitter... https://twitter.com/diazvillanueva · Facebook... https://www.facebook.com/fernandodiazvillanueva1/ · Instagram... https://www.instagram.com/diazvillanueva · Linkedin… https://www.linkedin.com/in/fernando-d%C3%ADaz-villanueva-7303865/ · Flickr... https://www.flickr.com/photos/147276463@N05/?/ · Pinterest... https://www.pinterest.com/fernandodiazvillanueva Encuentra mis libros en: · Amazon... https://www.amazon.es/Fernando-Diaz-Villanueva/e/B00J2ASBXM #FernandoDiazVillanueva #rusia #otan Escucha el episodio completo en la app de iVoox, o descubre todo el catálogo de iVoox Originals

Good afternoon, I'm _ with today's episode of EZ News. Tai-Ex opening The Tai-Ex opened up 26-points this morning from Friday's close, at 47,207. The market gained solid ground on Friday, as investor were boosted by a rally on Wall Street overnightafter both oil prices fell. Lai talks up his priorities for Taiwan's cultural future President Lai Ching-te has been outlining his four priorities for Taiwan's cultural future. Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 2026 National Cultural Congress in Taipei, Lai said Taiwan's economic achievements should be accompanied by cultural growth, as while an economy makes a country strong, culture makes a country great. According to Lai his administration will be focusing on nurturing younger generations, strengthening local cultural identity, promoting innovation that balances technology with human dignity (人的尊嚴), and helping the world better understand Taiwan. The National Cultural Congress is held every four years. It was held this year under the theme of "Future Tense" and is aimed at shaping Taiwan's cultural vision through 2030. EVA Airways and Starlux win top Skytrax awards And, EVA Airways and Starlux Airlines, secured prestigious five-star airline ratings at the 2026 Skytrax World Airline Awards in London. EVA Airways won three world No. 1 honors, while Starlux was named the world's cleanest airline. EVA Airways says it was honored for having the world's best premium economy class and the best premium economy class amenities while also being recognized as the world's most family friendly airline. The carrier also retained Skytrax's five-star airline rating for the 11th consecutive (連續的) year. While Starlux retained its five-star airline certification for a second consecutive year and also ranked first in the world's cleanest airline category, which evaluates cabin cleanliness. Russia Election Kremlin Dominates Early results from Russia's first wartime parliamentary election, released by the country's election commission, show the main Kremlin party dominating the vote. With some 58% of the precincts counted, United Russia had nearly 58% of the vote for the 225 deputies apportioned by party lists, according to the Central Election Commission. Another 225 lawmakers will be chosen in single-seat races, and United Russia also was poised to win most of those. The tightly controlled balloting was virtually devoid of opposition to President Vladimir Putin's policies and all but certain to cement (加強，鞏固) the Kremlin's dominance. The balloting included residents of four Ukrainian regions that Moscow illegally annexed after the war began, but still doesn't fully control, as well as those in Crimea. US ICE Officers Shoot Man Local authorities say a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and wounded a man in Austin, Texas, where anti-ICE protesters gathered for hours. The Austin police chief said the man was in serious but stable (穩定的) condition at a hospital after being shot Sunday afternoon. An immigration attorney identified him as Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, a 28-year-old Venezuelan man. The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, didn't immediately respond to requests for details. Austin police officers were not involved in the shooting. The city's mayor says he wants local police involved in the investigation to provide what he called “clear, third-party eyes” in the process. Subject: E*Meloni plans to ban burqas and niqabs in Italian schools, and cap foreign Return to Table of contents students in classrooms Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni's plans to limit (限制) the number of foreign students in Italian schools and ban the wearing of burqas in class. AP correspondent Karen Chammas reports That was the I.C.R.T. EZ News, I'm _. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

1800 KREMLINAnalyzing Putinism And Preserving Democratic PowerMichael McFaul, Part Two: McFaul analyzes Vladimir Putin's aggressive, anti-Western ideology, characterizing Putin as a risktaker who expanded conflict through invasions in Georgia, Crimea, and Ukraine. McFaul contends that Western nations made strategic errors by failing to impose sufficient deterrence and expanding NATO earlier. To counter rising global autocracy, he advocates maintaining peace through military strength, upholding human rights, and reinforcing democratic alliances. McFaul emphasizes that democratic nations maintain superior economic, military, and ideational advantages over autocratic regimes, urging domestic political reform, smart immigration policies, and international support to help Ukraine succeed. (2)

When did Putin decide to invade Ukraine? Was it shortly after 2012 when he returned as President? In 2014, after the seizure of Crimea and clashes in the Donbas? Or was it when Russian forces began massing at the Ukraine-Russia-Belarus borders for a full-scale assault? The answer to when, Michael Kimmage says, is important because that would tell us what drove Putin and what might be necessary to bring a diplomatic solution. The Ukraine War has been raging longer than WWI and WWII with no end in sight. And Kimmage argues that the global context and ramifications need analysis. The Ukraine War is the most documented war in history and we might not have all the information to answer “why?” for years, maybe decades. Kimmage recently gave a talk at the University of Michigan's Center for Russian, East European, & Eurasian Studies on the origins of the Ukraine War, and Rusana, the Eurasian Knot's Midwest correspondent, sat down with him for a wide ranging interview.In the interview, Rusana and Michael discussed the Kennan Institute's project on the origins of the Ukraine war. You can watch the available videos here. Also, check out the Kennan's Dispatches for reports from Ukraine.Guest:Michael Kimmage is the Director of Kennan Institute. He's also a professor of history at the Catholic University of America. He publishes widely on international affairs and on U.S. policy toward Russia. His latest book is Collisions: The War in Ukraine and the Origins of the New Global Instability published by Oxford University Press. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

​Rick's Last Campaign Before Joining The Army: https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/ricks-last-campaign-before-joining-the-army----------@ricktheukrainian is from Ukraine, and every Sunday gets together with his community online (the Rick Rollers), to make video content and raise funds for the Defense Forces of Ukraine. Rick is originally from Makiivka in the Donetsk area, and lived under Russian occupation for several years following the 2014 invasion of Crimea and Donbas. His weekly streams are attended by different Ukrainian and pro-Ukrainian guests. He talks about the Russian war against Ukraine and its culture, music and historic places. Rick translates and dubs Zolkin and Karpenko's interviews with Russian POWs into English, making them accessible to a Western audience, and providing extraordinary insights into the Russian mindset.----------LINKS:YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ricktheukrainianBuy Me a Coffee (or become a member): https://www.buymeacoffee.com/ricktheukr/membership----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Car4Ukrainehttps://car4ukraine.com/en-US/campaignsDzyga's Pawhttps://dzygaspaw.com/projectsSuperhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.orgNGO “Herojam Slava”https://heroiamslava.org/----------PLATFORMS:Substack: https://substack.com/@siliconcurtainTwitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSiliconLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm----------

Dr. Charles Boustany, retired cardiovascular surgeon and former six-term member of Congress representing South Louisiana from 2005 to 2017, joins Discover Lafayette to recount an extraordinary and deeply personal journey to Ukraine, where he traveled with his longtime friend and former Kentucky Congressman Geoff Davis to witness firsthand the human toll of Russia’s war upon Ukraine. The two former congressmen made the trip at their own expense. They went not as elected officials or representatives of the United States government, but as concerned Americans determined to listen, learn and better understand a conflict that Charles believes has profound implications far beyond Ukraine. Their journey culminated in a terrifying night in Kyiv on May 23, 2026, when Charles found himself sheltering in the basement of his hotel with Ukrainian families as missiles and drones pounded the capital for hours. It was an experience that changed him. A Friendship Forged in Congress Leads to Ukraine Charles and Geoff Davis became close friends while serving together in Congress. Their backgrounds were very different. Charles came to public service after a career as a cardiovascular surgeon. Geoff is a West Point graduate and former Army Ranger who served with the 82nd Airborne Division. Ukraine became particularly personal for Geoff after a West Point classmate, a retired U.S. Army colonel of Ukrainian ancestry, went to Ukraine and volunteered to fight after Russia’s invasion. Although the Ukrainians wanted to commission him as a senior officer because of his experience, he chose to enter the fight as a private. He was killed in combat. Charles had his own longstanding concerns about Russian aggression. While serving in Congress, he watched Russia’s actions in Georgia and the 2014 seizure of Crimea and territory in eastern Ukraine. He had traveled to Georgia as a member of Congress and visited within roughly 30 miles of the front line, seeing the consequences of Russian military action there. Over time, Charles and Geoff became increasingly concerned that Americans were losing sight of what was happening in Ukraine. “We felt like you have to go see what’s going on to really understand what’s going on in the world,” Charles says. “And if you’re a policymaker, it’s really important to do that.” They decided to go themselves. Their objective was first to gather information: to speak not only with government and military officials, but with ordinary Ukrainians living through the war. Their second goal was to return home and share what they had witnessed. The Long Road Into Ukraine Rather than entering through Poland, as many American visitors do, Charles traveled from Louisiana through Atlanta, Amsterdam and Bucharest, Romania. From there, he took a commuter flight toward the Romanian-Ukrainian border, where a humanitarian contact arranged for a van to take the group into Ukraine. The drive to Kyiv took approximately ten and a half hours. That route gave Charles an unexpected view of the country. They traveled through the agricultural heartland of southwestern Ukraine, passing farms and countryside that in some ways reminded Charles of home. The landscape was beautiful and peaceful, until reminders of war suddenly appeared: a bombed truck, a destroyed barn or a damaged home. Even those rural areas bore the scars of the conflict. What struck Charles throughout the trip was how familiar much of Ukraine felt. Gas stations offered snacks much like those in America. Stores and restaurants were open. People went about their lives. He laughed as he recalled that the restrooms they encountered along the journey were among “the cleanest bathrooms I’ve seen anywhere.” “The people are so nice,” he says. That sense of normalcy made the destruction they encountered even more jarring. “These Are People Just Like Us” Charles and Geoff deliberately sought out Ukrainians who could tell them what they had experienced. Some of the stories were almost unbearable. Charles met people who had survived Russian occupation and heard accounts of civilians tortured and killed. He spoke of a woman with a Ph.D. in sociology whose husband serves in the Ukrainian military. During Russia’s initial advance toward Kyiv, she hid with her children for two weeks, surviving on whatever water and food she could find until Ukrainian forces reached them. They visited an Orthodox seminary that had been damaged during the early days of the war. The priest who led the seminary described atrocities so horrific, Charles says, that the experience had nearly shaken his Christian faith. “It brought tears to my eyes to hear these things,” Charles recalls. He also met the mother of a young Ukrainian who had been killed during the early days of the war while serving with the Azov forces defending Mariupol. For Charles, these encounters stripped away the distance created by maps, political arguments and television coverage. “These human stories are powerful,” he says. “These are people just like us.” Air raid sirens are part of everyday life. They happen at night, designed to keep Ukrainians from getting adequate rest. People seek shelter. When the all-clear sounds, they emerge and return to work, school and family life. Charles saw in Ukrainians what he described as a unmistakable look of determination. “It’s the look of a people that have been striving for their independence for years, and they’ve had a taste of it, and they’re not about to let it go.” A student of history, Charles found himself thinking about Londoners enduring the Blitz during World War II and about America’s own struggle for independence against the British Empire. He sees that same resolve in Ukraine. A Surgeon’s View of War Charles’s medical background also shaped what he saw. In Kyiv, he spent considerable time with an American surgeon whose wife is Ukrainian and who has devoted himself to helping both civilians and the Ukrainian military. The surgeon has worked to bring modern trauma techniques and donated hospital equipment into the country and has traveled repeatedly toward the front to assist with casualties. Charles learned about devastating injuries created by modern drone and explosive warfare, including severe head trauma and wounds unlike those traditionally associated with gunfire. He also saw a country rapidly reinventing warfare. Ukraine has developed a sophisticated domestic drone industry. Drones are being used for surveillance and attack, but also for logistics, moving supplies and even evacuating wounded soldiers. Unmanned maritime systems have changed naval warfare as well. “This is 21st century war,” Charles says. “It’s innovative. It’s completely different.” He says American and European military personnel are studying Ukraine closely because the battlefield is teaching lessons that will shape warfare for decades. The Warning: “Tonight, It’s Going to Be a Very Bad Night in Kyiv” Nothing, however, prepared Charles for his final night in the Ukrainian capital. Earlier that day, Charles and Geoff had received an approximately two-hour intelligence briefing about Russian tactics, Ukrainian strategy and how the conflict might unfold. “I wish every member of Congress could get the briefing,” Charles says. As they left, Geoff received a call from a senior Ukrainian special forces officer who wanted to meet with them that evening. They met at a hotel at 9 p.m. Before beginning the discussion, the officer issued a warning. “Gentlemen, before we get started on what I want to talk about, I just want to warn you that tonight it’s going to be a very bad night in Kyiv.” A massive missile and drone attack was expected. They were told to take precautions and find somewhere safe. Back at their small hotel near Kyiv’s central square, Charles and Geoff inspected the basement. Geoff’s military instincts told him it might not be particularly safe. Exposed pipes, electrical lines and other hazards could leave anyone sheltering there trapped if the building took a direct hit. Charles returned to his room. Knowing he was supposed to leave Ukraine the next day, he packed his belongings and placed his passport, wallet and room key together so that he could grab them quickly. Then he got into bed. He couldn’t sleep. At approximately 12:50 a.m., the explosions began. At first Charles remained in his room listening. The blasts grew progressively closer. After about an hour, there was a short lull. Then the attack intensified. “The building was shaking,” Charles recalls. He could hear breaking glass and explosions nearby. He finally went downstairs. The hotel manager grabbed him by the arm and directed him toward the basement. There, Charles encountered a scene he will never forget. An American in a Basement With Ukrainian Families Ukrainian families were sheltering below the hotel. Most spoke no English. One family particularly stayed with Charles: a grandmother, two young parents and their seven-year-old son. The little boy was frightened. His father tried to distract him by showing him soccer videos while his mother comforted him. Charles could not speak to them. But they knew he was American. “They kept looking at me,” he remembers. “I wish I could have communicated with them.” So Charles did the one thing he could. He put his hand over his heart. “I have to hope it gave them some confidence that an American cared enough to be there with them during that hellacious night.” The bombardment continued from approximately 1 a.m. until 7:30 that morning. When daylight finally came, Charles looked outside and saw smoke and fires across Kyiv. A large hotel only a few blocks away had been badly damaged.  He was relieved simply to be alive. What Charles Believes America Should Understand Charles returned from Ukraine convinced that the conflict cannot be viewed simply as a distant European war. His policy views are clear and strongly expressed in our conversation. He believes Ukraine urgently needs greater missile defense capabilities, continued intelligence sharing and the ability to put greater pressure on Russian forces. In his assessment, those elements could improve Ukraine’s position sufficiently to eventually negotiate from a position of strength. He also sees broader consequences for Europe and the United States. Ukraine’s importance as a major agricultural producer means disruptions there reverberate through global food and commodity markets. Charles connects the conflict to pressures experienced by American farmers through energy, fertilizer and equipment costs. “Everything’s interdependent and connected,” he says. “We’re feeling those pressures here.” But his deepest concern is security. Charles believes Americans should remember the lessons learned at tremendous cost during the first half of the 20th century: instability in Europe does not necessarily remain in Europe. “This is not just some remote conflict,” he says. “It’s basically at the center of European security.” Ukraine’s Long Fight to Be Ukraine Now pursuing a Ph.D. in modern European history at LSU, Charles places today’s conflict within Ukraine’s centuries-long struggle for independence. All photos shown below were taken by Charles during his trip to Ukraine. Memorial for foreign soldiers who died fighting in Ukraine. Memorial to civilian victims of war in Kyiv suburb of Bucha. Memorial to fallen soldiers on the Maidan. St. Sophia Cathedral built in 1037. On the day Charles Boustany departed Ukraine, a Memorial Day Service was held to honor the Americans who had died fighting for Ukraine. Ukraine’s history, he explains, stretches back more than a thousand years. Its people and territory have existed at the crossroads of powerful empires, including Poland, the Habsburg Empire, the Ottoman Empire and Russia. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Ukraine emerged as a sovereign country. For Charles, understanding that history is essential to understanding the determination he witnessed on the streets of Kyiv. Ukrainians are not simply defending territory, he argues. They are defending their language, culture, identity and the right to determine their own future. Coming Home to Louisiana When Dr. Boustany was asked how he felt after returning home, his answer brought the conversation back to Louisiana. “I love our country,” he says. “I’m thankful every day for what we have.” Seeing Ukrainians fighting for freedoms Americans often take for granted reinforced his gratitude for ordinary life here: living peacefully, raising families, going to work, attending church, watching LSU, UL-Lafayette or high school football, and simply going about our lives without wondering whether missiles will arrive during the night. “We live in peace and prosperity here because people are willing to fight for that freedom,” Charles says. That realization became even more personal during the long night in Kyiv. “I am so glad I went. I’m glad I survived,” he says. “I was worried that I might not. I spent a few hours thinking I might not survive, and started thinking about how thankful I was for the good life that I had.” There was one person back in Louisiana whom Charles deliberately did not contact while the missiles were falling: his wife, Bridget. He knew she would be terrified if she learned what was happening while he remained trapped in Kyiv without reliable communication. So Charles waited. Once their van was safely on the road out of the capital the next morning, he watched the time until he knew it was about 6:30 a.m. in Louisiana. Only then did he text Bridget, explain what had happened, assure her he was safe and tell her he was on his way out of Ukraine. When he finally returned home, Bridget had a succinct response: “No more trips to Ukraine.” After hearing his story, it is easy to understand why. Yet it is equally easy to understand why Charles Boustany and Geoff Davis felt compelled to go. Their journey was born of friendship, history, service and a conviction that understanding the world sometimes requires getting close enough to see the people behind the headlines.

Hosts Patrick Bishop and Roger Moorhouse examine the latest US-led diplomatic efforts following meetings between Donald Trump's envoys—Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff—and leaders in Moscow and Kyiv. They unpack the lack of concrete diplomatic breakthroughs, Witkoff's controversial comments to Vladimir Putin, and Volodymyr Zelensky's calls for winter air defence support. The hosts also analyse Owen Matthews' bleak assessment of Ukraine's war efforts in The Spectator, contrasting his pessimistic outlook with tactical Ukrainian successes around Lyman, where forces liberated 200 square kilometres. They discuss the "pervasive culture of lying" within the Russian military identified by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), $27 billion in unexpected budget shortfalls reported by Kyiv, and potential mass mobilisation rumours driving young Russian men to flee. Finally, marking the 25th anniversary of 9/11, Patrick and Roger reflect on how global perception of US leadership has transformed since 2001. In the Q&A section, they respond to listener inquiries regarding the rise of far-right political parties in Europe and their stance on Ukraine, the current status of the military campaign in Crimea, escalation risks in cyber warfare, and shifting youth attitudes towards military service and national defence.Join the Conversation: If you have a question about the war in Ukraine or any of the conflicts we cover, email us at podbattleground@gmail.comFollow us on:X - @PodBattlegroundInstagram - podbattlegroundProducer: James HodgsonA Goalhanger Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alessandro Cassieri"La superba umiltà"Giuseppe CassieriIntroduzione di Alberto SinigagliaManni Editoriwww.mannieditori.itDon Giovanni in Sicilia - Il salto - Il tappo - Ebrei, cristiani e musulmani nella Cordova dell'anno MilleNel volume sono raccolti quattro inediti di Giuseppe Cassieri (Rodi Garganico, 1926 – Roma, 2008), scrittore, saggista, commediografo, introdotti da Alberto Sinigaglia.Don Giovanni in Sicilia, la trasposizione televisiva del romanzo di Vitaliano Brancati, il radiodramma degli anni Cinquanta Il salto, la sceneggiatura per la tv Il tappo e la conferenza Ebrei, cristiani e musulmani nella Cordova dell'anno Mille: una coesistenza possibile, del 1993.Come in generale nella sua produzione, in questi testi, che scandiscono diverse epoche del secondo Novecento, Cassieri affronta una società mai statica, con un approccio ironico, satirico, grottesco ma non di rado indulgente. I vizi dell'uomo contemporaneo, abbarbicato alla tradizione o soggiogato dalle mode di stagione, vengono sferzati senza mai ricorrere al moralismo. In una accezione della vita che prevede squarci di poetica serenità, di erotismo, di malcelato ottimismo.Come testimoniato dalle minute manoscritte di chi non ha mai rinunciato alla penna per esprimersi sulla carta, Cassieri ha esercitato una ricerca continua, ossessiva della perfezione stilistica, alternando le forme “alte” e “basse” del linguaggio. La sua prosa, sempre attenta ai mutamenti sociali, comunica leggerezza e carica corrosiva, ciò che definisce la cifra specifica di uno scrittore rimasto estraneo a tutte le correnti letterarie in voga dal dopoguerra.Giuseppe Cassieri nasce a Rodi Garganico il 23 gennaio 1926 e muore a Roma il 30 ottobre 2008. Dopo gli studi al collegio di Fermo e al convitto nazionale di Lucera, si laurea in Filosofia morale all'Università di Firenze nel 1947, con una tesi su Giambattista Vico seguita da Eugenio Garin.Giornalista e scrittore, collabora con testate come Il Mattino, La Nazione, Il Gazzettino, La Gazzetta del Popolo, La Gazzetta del Mezzogiorno, La Stampa, Il Messaggero e L'Espresso, dove firma le rubriche "Kulturmarket" (Il Messaggero, anni Settanta) e "Da evitare" (L'Espresso, anni Ottanta), dedicate alle mistificazioni del mondo editoriale. Per il Terzo programma Rai scrive radiodrammi fin dalla fine degli anni Cinquanta e firma diversi originali televisivi.Esordisce nella narrativa con Aria cupa (1952, Mediterranea), romanzo che affronta anche un processo. Seguono Dove abita il prossimo (1954, Vallecchi), I delfini sulle tombe (1958, Vallecchi), La cocuzza (1960, Bompiani), Il calcinaccio (1962, Bompiani, finalista Premio Strega) e Le trombe (1965, Bompiani, finalista Premio Strega). Nel 1979 pubblica per Garzanti Ingannare l'attesa, finalista al Premio Campiello. Tra gli altri titoli, L'amor glaciale (1975, Garzanti), la pièce teatrale Un asino al patibolo (1977, Rai Eri, Premio Flaiano per il Teatro 1980) e la raccolta saggistica Kulturmarket (1977, Garzanti).La sua opera, tradotta negli Stati Uniti, in Polonia, Germania, Cecoslovacchia e Russia, è attraversata da un'ironia caustica che osserva il ridicolo, la stupidità, la codardia e il falso decoro della società contemporanea attraverso personaggi fragili e introversi. Ha pubblicato con Bompiani, Vallecchi, Feltrinelli, Garzanti, Mondadori, Rizzoli, Longanesi, Marsilio e Manni.Alessandro Cassieri nasce a Roma il 19 luglio 1956, figlio dello scrittore Giuseppe Cassieri. Si laurea in Lettere e Filosofia alla Sapienza di Roma nel 1980 con 110 e lode e diventa giornalista professionista nel gennaio 1984.Muove i primi passi a Radio1 (1981-1983) durante il praticantato, poi lavora al settimanale L'Europeo. Nel 1989 entra nella squadra di Linea diretta di Enzo Biagi (Rai 1); l'anno seguente è al Tg3 diretto da Sandro Curzi e a Tv7 di Sergio Zavoli. Nel luglio 1991 viene assunto al GR2, e a dicembre dello stesso anno è nominato inviato speciale.Tra i suoi servizi più noti, l'intervista esclusiva a un latitante della P2 a San Paolo del Brasile (dicembre 1983), la copertura del G7 di Venezia (1987) e della prima Guerra del Golfo (1991). Corrispondente da Bruxelles dal 2000 e da Mosca dal 2003, segue anche il referendum in Crimea (marzo 2014) e l'invasione dell'Ucraina dal febbraio 2022. Dal 2008 al 2016 lavora al Tg1 diretto da Gianni Riotta, per poi guidare dal novembre 2016 al dicembre 2021 la redazione Rai di Parigi. In oltre trent'anni di carriera come inviato speciale ha lavorato in più di ottanta paesi. Collabora inoltre con la rivista Limes e con l'ISPI (Istituto per gli Studi di Politica Internazionale).Diventa un supporter di questo podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/il-posto-delle-parole--1487855/support.IL POSTO DELLE PAROLEascoltare fa pensarehttps://ilpostodelleparole.it/

“A sailor doesn't control the sea, but understanding the waves matters enormously.” — Mikko Ketovuori Our mood, as always, is miserable. Iran, the price of oil, the AfD, the long-term cancers from 9/11 dominate the headlines. But today's guest thinks we've got the mood wrong. The writer Mikko Ketovuori — who wrote the intro to the Finnish edition of my own The Internet Is Not the Answer — has a new book out, Waves of Change, which is a study of the zeitgeist. Social mood drives events, Ketovuori argues, not the other way around. So the news measures nothing but the mood itself. Are our times actually bad? “No,” Ketovuori insists. Things — from the arts to our abundance of food — are actually pretty good. Today's perceived misery is, in fact, just the undertow. Surfing the waves of history — from the Dutch tulip mania of the 17th century to the 19th century philosophers buried in Highgate cemetery to the swinging Sixties — Ketovuori is actually bullish on our current futures. So buy the future. It will cheer everyone up. Five Takeaways •       Social Mood Drives Events. The inversion at socionomics' core: we assume events shape our feelings, but the collectively shared, largely unconscious social mood comes first, framing how we interpret everything — the news is “a sociometer,” reflecting the mood rather than the world (in the bright-mooded 1980s, Ketovuori notes, the news simply read better). The field — sociology plus economics — was founded by Robert Prechter, the 1970s Wall Street guru behind Elliott Wave International, with whom Ketovuori has worked for twenty years; the book distills four decades of that tradition, “not totally my idea,” he says with Finnish honesty. And are our times actually bad? No: “actually, we are doing pretty well. You can have access to all the arts, all the books… We have plenty of food. What else do we need?” The misery is the mood — and if you surround yourself with miserable people and search the Internet for miserable news, you will reliably feel miserable.•       The Beatles and the Dow. Prechter founded the theory on a startling correlation between the Beatles' rise and the Dow Jones average — and Ketovuori ran the replication: Nokia's share price against the pop music Finland listened to around 2006–2009, published in Cambridge's Popular Music journal. Music, he argues, reflects social mood almost predictively. The chicken-and-egg question resolves cleanly in socionomics: the sixties made the Beatles, not the reverse — had Lennon and McCartney been born ten years earlier, “the time decides whether you succeed or not.” Which reframes where the next optimism will come from: unknowable in advance, because “optimism comes first, and then we see the fruits” — only afterward do we anoint the artists, writers, and politicians who captured the essence of the era.•       Marx & Spencer, Staring. The book's set piece — written standing in Highgate Cemetery, a stroll from Andrew's old school: Karl Marx's tourist-thronged tomb faces the largely forgotten grave of Herbert Spencer, the Social Darwinist — “the father of capitalism and the father of socialism are staring at each other,” and Ketovuori imagines their conversation after the tourists leave and night falls. Andrew completes the triangle with Highgate's third resident, Alexander Litvinenko — the Putin-poisoned defector whose polonium killing, Ketovuori marvels via Luke Harding's reporting, cost something like £50 million “just to wipe out one man. So somebody hated him very much.” The cemetery lesson is the book's: some things don't change, they return cyclically — Wagner and mad Ludwig included. Cemeteries, both agree, are creative places.•       The Finnish Corrective. Finland supplies the book's ballast. The history: the Winter War against Stalin (Hitler's ally, by the Ribbentrop pact), independence kept “just by fighting back,” then the deck reshuffled by Barbarossa — and, little remembered, Finland driving the Germans from Lapland after 1944. The present: Finnish far right and far left importing American arguments verbatim — “that's crazy, because we are not Americans” — opinions taken from media rather than lived. And the myth-busting: days before recording, new PISA results showed Finland's fabled education system “has really gone down.” The thirty-year teacher educator's advice to admiring Americans: “look to Estonia.” Even education, he notes from a chapter on lecturing at Columbia Teachers College, moves in cycles of idealization and correction.•       A Sailor Doesn't Control the Sea. The agency question, answered in the episode's pull quote: we steer our own lives, but the social mood — the sea itself — no one controls. The evidence tour: Disney thrives in optimistic times while 1975's dark mood produced Taxi Driver and “the movie about the shark” (past guest territory twice over — Scorsese biographer Mark Binelli visits soon); Prechter's firm, Ketovuori claims, predicted the date of the Crimea war from wave analysis of the Moscow stock exchange; and yesterday's Edmans episode gets its socionomic sequel in his tulip-mania essay. To Andrew's closing paradox — American stock-market exuberance and cultural apocalypticism simultaneously, per this week's Kirsch episode on UFOs — Ketovuori answers “neither” is real, noting the last great UFO panic also preceded a world war. His distinction: technology amplifies mood but doesn't originate it — the Internet books were euphoric before 2008 and dark after, as Andrew's own shelf attests. We, the people, decide how to use it. Andrew's sign-off takes the bullish view: buy the future — it will cheer everyone up. About the Guest Mikko Ketovuori is a University Lecturer in the Department of Teacher Education at the University of Turku, Finland. His research spans socionomics and herd theory, education policy, and the role of the arts in society; he has lectured across Asia, Europe, and North America, and is the author of Socionomics: How Social Mood Shapes Society. He also wrote the introduction to the Finnish edition of Andrew's The Internet Is Not the Answer. Waves of Change: A Study of Social Mood (Iff Books, October 2026) collects thirteen essays on the tides of collective feeling. He lives in Turku, the old capital of Finland. References: •       Waves of Change: A Study of Social Mood by Mikko Ketovuori (Iff Books, October 2026). The publisher's tagline: history doesn't repeat itself — social mood does.•       Socionomics: How Social Mood Shapes Society by Mikko Ketovuori, and Robert Prechter's The Socionomic Theory of Finance — the theoretical foundations.•       The Madness of Markets by Alex Edmans — yesterday's episode, and the rationalist's account of the same manias.•       We Want to Believe by Adam Kirsch — this week's UFO episode; Ketov...

Following the Stand on the Ugra, Ivan continues working on his relations with Crimea, Kazan, the Nogays, and the Great Horde.

Tim Groser was posted to Washington by John Key on the basis that the trade minister turned ambassador would likely be engaging with a US administration led by President Hillary Clinton. Instead, in came Donald Trump.The former National Party MP joins Toby to revisit those years, Trump's approach to trade and the international order, and whether New Zealand is right to keep its head largely below the parapet in response.But wait, there's more: Tim Groser has more stories to share, including a high-octane day in Moscow as Putin invaded Crimea, his time as a staffer for Rob Muldoon and his role in the night of the snap election, and the truly formative years, on the stage in Wellington with Sam Neill and Paul Holmes. At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler, Jin Fellet and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Recorded by Lyudmyla Khersonska and Ilya Kaminsky for Poem-a-Day, a series produced by the Academy of American Poets. Published on September 1, 2026. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.poets.org⁠

Diversos edificios e instalaciones secretas ocultan operaciones de gran impacto geopolítico. En Berlín Este, la Stasi opera como el servicio de inteligencia de la Alemania Oriental; esta policía del régimen comunista ejerce un control exhaustivo sobre los ciudadanos mediante una red masiva de informadores, escuchas telefónicas, micrófonos ocultos y registro de muestras de olor. En Polonia, la Guarida del Lobo constituye un imponente complejo militar fortificado bajo un denso bosque, desde el cual Hitler dirige campañas estratégicas y sobrevive al atentado de la Operación Valquiria. Por su parte, en el polo norte, Camp Century figura como un centro científico bajo el hielo de Groenlandia, aunque oculta un plan militar de Estados Unidos que busca albergar cientos de misiles nucleares apuntando hacia la Unión Soviética. Finalmente, en Crimea, la base subterránea Objeto 825 GTS, situada en la roca del puerto de Balaclava, resguarda submarinos y armamento táctico soviético frente a ...

¿Cómo consiguió una adolescente alemana de una dinastía insignificante, sin dinero y sin saber una palabra de ruso, acabar gobernando el imperio más extenso del planeta? En este episodio de Antena Historia nos alejamos de los mitos de alcoba y la caricatura simplista de la cultura popular para analizar la figura de Catalina II de Rusia desde una perspectiva puramente estratégica, militar y geopolítica. A lo largo de más de 60 minutos de ensayo sonoro y divulgación rigurosa, desgranamos las tripas de la corte paranoica de San Petersburgo y el sangriento golpe de Estado de 1762. Analizamos la gran paradoja de su reinado: una mujer que compraba las bibliotecas de los filósofos de París mientras consolidaba un régimen feudal brutal de siervos y aplastaba a sangre y fuego la horda campesina de Pugachov en los Urales. Una dinámica de choque entre la periferia tradicional y el centro ilustrado que guarda paralelismos asombrosos con crisis militares como la Rebelión Satsuma en Japón. Finalmente, abordamos la conquista del sur. Desvelamos los verdaderos intereses comerciales y aduaneros detrás de la retórica mística de la "cruzada contra el turco" y la anexión de Crimea junto a Potemkin, un motor económico que ya se vio milenios antes en la Guerra de Troya. Una expansión hacia las aguas cálidas que situó a Rusia en el tablero euroasiático y que supuso el nacimiento real de lo que más tarde conoceríamos como el Gran Juego. Un análisis descarnado sobre cómo las fronteras y las tensiones que se dibujaron a finales del siglo XVIII siguen siendo los puntos calientes que abren los telediarios de hoy en día. Un programa dirigido y presentado por Antonio Cruz Medina. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Antena Historia te regala 30 días PREMIUM Disfruta de todo el contenido sin interrupciones y con ventajas exclusivas en iVoox: https://www.ivoox.com/premium?affiliate-code=b4688a50868967db9ca413741a54cea5 Producción y realización: Antonio Cruz ️ Edición: Antena Historia Antena Historia forma parte del sello iVoox Originals Visita nuestra web: https://antenahistoria.com YouTube: Podcast Antena Historia Correo: antenahistoria@gmail.com Facebook: Antena Historia Podcast Twitter: @AntenaHistoria Telegram: https://t.me/foroantenahistoria Apoya el proyecto: Donaciones en PayPal ¿Quieres anunciarte en Antena Historia? Ofrecemos menciones, cuñas personalizadas y programas a medida. Más información en Antena Historia – AdVoices Escucha el episodio completo en la app de iVoox, o descubre todo el catálogo de iVoox Originals

Mientras reclama más apoyo financiero y militar de sus aliados occidentales, Ucrania exhibe los resultados de una estrategia que busca llevar el coste de la guerra al interior de Rusia. Según Pablo de Orellana, profesor titular de Relaciones Internacionales del King's College de Londres, Kiev ha logrado recuperar la iniciativa mediante una combinación de ataques a la logística rusa, resistencia en el Donbás y aislamiento de Crimea. RFI. El presidente Zelenski pidió más dinero, "mucho más dinero", para la guerra de su país contra Rusia. La solicitud fue hecha en Kiev en el marco de la celebración, este lunes, del 35º aniversario de la independencia de Ucrania, en presencia de representantes de la Coalición de Voluntarios, foro que agrupa a países que apoyan a Kiev en medio de la incertidumbre sobre el apoyo de Washington. El primer ministro británico, Andy Burnham, anunció además la autorización para que la empresa de defensa MBDA comparta información clasificada que permita a Ucrania producir localmente el misil de crucero de largo alcance franco-británico Storm Shadow, conocido en Francia como Scalp. ¿Qué piensa de este anuncio? De lo que se trata es de la cesión de los planos de los misiles Storm Shadow, también llamados Scalp en Francia. Esto supone un cambio de política bastante importante desde el punto de vista británico. Francia ya había cedido hace unos meses parte de esta tecnología a los ucranianos, pero aún faltaban los sistemas de guiado y otros aspectos tecnológicos de origen británico. Que ahora se autorice su transferencia a Ucrania es importante porque representa la última fase de la política impulsada por Biden y Starmer de permitir a Ucrania utilizar armamento occidental contra objetivos dentro del territorio ruso, incluso a gran profundidad. Creo que esta decisión también refleja la constatación, por parte de las potencias europeas y especialmente de Gran Bretaña y Francia, de que Estados Unidos no va a suministrar suficientes misiles Tomahawk a Ucrania. Washington tampoco quiso transferir esa tecnología. Finalmente, resulta interesante observar un endurecimiento de la política británica hacia Rusia. Se reconoce cada vez más la idea de que, sin la capacidad de atacar objetivos estratégicos dentro de Rusia, la guerra no tendrá un coste político suficiente para Moscú como para modificar su posición de cara a una eventual conclusión del conflicto. RFI. Este anuncio británico cayó muy mal en Rusia. Moscú acusó al Reino Unido de impedir cualquier avance en el proceso de paz al facilitar esa información y aseguró que su ejército atacará y destruirá las instalaciones que produzcan el misil. Unas amenazas que Londres calificó de escandalosas. ¿Hay razones para temer represalias de Moscú por todo esto? Moscú lleva años obsesionada, sobre todo en el plano propagandístico, con la idea de que toda esta guerra es una fabricación británica. Recuerdo que hace dos años se promovían teorías conspirativas según las cuales Starmer y Gran Bretaña habían provocado el conflicto y buscaban destruir a Rusia. Hoy Peskov ha dicho esencialmente lo mismo: que Gran Bretaña está obsesionada con destruir a Rusia y que está echando más gasolina al fuego. Remitiría a sus lectores a la respuesta, muy breve y muy sencilla, que dio Andy Burnham: ¿quién empezó esta guerra? La empezó Rusia. No es la primera vez que Rusia amenaza a Gran Bretaña de forma agresiva. Hace dos años hubo advertencias aún más graves. Recordemos aquellas declaraciones según las cuales, si países con armamento nuclear apoyaban a Ucrania, Rusia se consideraría libre de utilizar armas nucleares contra ellos. Era una amenaza directa contra Gran Bretaña y Francia. Y, aun así, no ocurrió nada. Dudo mucho que esto conduzca a una escalada más violenta. Sí vemos algunas fricciones diplomáticas entre ambos países. Por ejemplo, el embajador ruso fue llamado a Moscú y aún no se ha designado un reemplazo, lo que constituye una degradación de las relaciones diplomáticas. También hay otro elemento significativo. Estamos celebrando el 35° aniversario de la independencia de Ucrania, un acontecimiento que, según Putin, marcó el comienzo de la destrucción de Rusia y que él interpreta como el resultado de una conspiración occidental destinada a debilitar al país. No debemos olvidar que Putin sigue viendo la independencia de Ucrania bajo esa lógica. RFI. Los rusos siguen atacando y matando civiles ucranianos con misiles de largo alcance. Pero también hemos visto señales de debilidad por parte de Moscú. El ejército ruso no está conquistando nuevos territorios, el gobienro ha tenido que recurrir a tropas norcoreanas y, al parecer, preparan una movilización para reclutar 300.000 hombres. Además, están desplazando sus bases logísticas más hacia el este. Mientras tanto, los ucranianos lanzan cada día cientos de drones, atacan refinerías y centros logísticos, e incluso un centro de investigación aeroespacial en Samara fue alcanzado e incendiado. En las redes se multiplican los videos mostrando largas filas de ciudadanos esperando para comprar gasolina en muchas ciudades, incluida Moscú. ¿Se puede decir que en este conflicto las fuerzas se han equilibrado, incluso que la dinámica actual favorece a Kiev? No creo que estemos todavía en una situación de equilibrio. Rusia mantiene una capacidad muy superior para bombardear objetivos cruciales dentro de Ucrania. El proyecto de fabricar misiles Scalp en territorio ucraniano presenta un problema evidente: los rusos intentarán destruir cualquier fábrica cuya ubicación conozcan. Dicho esto, tampoco sería correcto afirmar que Ucrania está atacando Rusia a la misma escala con la que Rusia ataca Ucrania. Sin embargo, sí observamos tres elementos muy importantes. El primero es que la estrategia militar y política ucraniana, aplicada durante los últimos seis meses, está empezando a dar resultados. Como decía Clausewitz, la guerra es la continuación de la política por otros medios, y Ucrania ha puesto en marcha una estrategia coherente. El aspecto más visible consiste en hacer que la economía y la logística rusas sientan el coste de la guerra. De ahí los ataques con drones contra centros de distribución logística, incluidos los de Wildberries, una plataforma comparable a Amazon y utilizada también por el ejército ruso. El segundo elemento es la fortificación del Donbás. Los ucranianos han conseguido impedir avances significativos de las fuerzas rusas durante meses. Las líneas del frente permanecen prácticamente congeladas. Y el tercer elemento, quizá menos visible para el gran público, es el aislamiento de Crimea. Esa estrategia está funcionando muy bien. Rusia está retirando gran cantidad de material logístico, militar y naval de la península. En la práctica, Crimea se está convirtiendo en una isla sometida a la presión constante de drones y misiles. Se destruyen infraestructuras clave de acceso y la península afronta problemas de abastecimiento. Estos tres componentes de la estrategia ucraniana, llevar el impacto de la guerra al interior de Rusia, resistir en el Donbás y aislar Crimea como centro logístico de la invasión, están dando resultados. Por segunda vez desde el inicio del conflicto, Ucrania tiene la iniciativa. La diferencia con ocasiones anteriores es que esta vez Rusia parece carecer de una estrategia eficaz para contrarrestarla. Muy lentamente, Ucrania está avanzando. Y por eso Rusia está tan desesperada. RFI. Se dice que los rusos están sintiendo en carne propia la guerra, por primera vez, la guerra ha desembarcado en su territorio. Exactamente. Por primera vez se ven columnas de humo y explosiones en Moscú. El régimen de Putin ha hecho todo lo posible por aislar ciudades simbólicas como Moscú, San Petersburgo o Sochi de los efectos de la guerra, como si nada estuviera ocurriendo. Eso ya no es posible. Ahora cada vez más rusos saben que el país está en guerra y que ellos también pagan el precio de las decisiones del régimen. Esto encarece políticamente la guerra para Putin. La población percibe mejor sus costes y sus consecuencias. Existe además una enorme preocupación por el anuncio del Ministerio de Defensa sobre el reclutamiento de 300.000 soldados adicionales. Todo indica que la movilización se centrará en regiones periféricas, evitando Moscú y San Petersburgo para mantener la apariencia de normalidad. La reacción de inquietud que estamos viendo demuestra que Rusia tiene dificultades para reclutar nuevos soldados. Es algo notable en un país con una población muy superior a la de Ucrania. Hay problemas para mantener los efectivos, para sostener el esfuerzo militar y para convencer a la población de que esta es una guerra que merece la pena. Desde el punto de vista de muchos rusos, la guerra está regresando a casa. RFI ¿Es completamente descabellado pensar que Rusia, el Estado ruso tal como se conoce hoy, pueda llegar a derrumbarse? Se lo pregunto porque la situación económica parece cada vez más delicada. Al mismo tiempo, del lado político, resulta difícil para la cúpula rusa admitir públicamente los golpes infligidos por Ucrania. La propaganda los niega, si bien esos golpes siguen acumulándose y para millones de rusos ya son evidentes. ¿No podría esta combinación de deterioro económico y ceguera política desembocar en una crisis mucho más profunda, incluso un desmoronamiento del país? Por ahora, no. Aún no veo el final del régimen de Putin. Si esta situación se prolonga durante varios años más, podría convertirse en una posibilidad, pero actualmente el régimen conserva recursos, fuerza política y, sobre todo, el control de los aparatos del Estado necesarios para mantener la represión, la censura y la propaganda. No debemos olvidar que Rusia vive en una situación de aislamiento informativo considerable. Su ecosistema digital se ha vuelto cada vez más autónomo y separado del resto del mundo. En estas condiciones, resulta difícil que la población tenga, al menos a corto plazo, la capacidad de desafiar seriamente al régimen. En mi opinión, la principal amenaza para Putin no vendría de la calle, sino de una rebelión dentro de las élites económicas. Y creo que eso también preocupa al propio Putin. Hemos visto desaparecer o caer en desgracia a varios oligarcas importantes durante los últimos meses. Y eso es significativo porque se trata de personas tradicionalmente leales al régimen. Son quienes han controlado durante años grandes estructuras financieras, económicas, logísticas y mediáticas. Si Putin empieza a sospechar de sus propios aliados, a encarcelarlos o a reprimirlos, eso puede interpretarse como un signo de fragilidad interna. Pero la situación actual también demuestra que todavía dispone de los medios necesarios para neutralizar a quienes desafían su poder.

Ilya Ponomarev is a Russian-Ukrainian politician who was a member of the Russian State Duma from 2007 to 2016. After the 2022 Russian invasion, Ponomarev joined Ukraine's Territorial Defence Forces, and categorically denounced the invasion. While a member of the Russian State Duma, he was the only deputy not to vote in favour of the Russian gay propaganda law and to vote against Russia's annexation of Crimea in March 2014. He is now in exile in Ukraine and is a spokesman with insurgent Russian forces (National Republican Army) fighting on the side of Ukraine. ----------LINKS:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilya_Ponomarev https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002113qhttps://www.fpri.org/contributor/ilya-ponomarev/BOOKS:Does Putin Have to Die? The Story of How Russia Becomes a Democracy after Losing to Ukraine (Hardcover – 19 Jan. 2023)ARTICLES: https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2024/01/19/ilya-ponomaryov-we-have-to-capture-the-kremlin-there-is-no-other-way-a83772 ----------David DeBatto is host of the ‘No Delusion Zone' podcast @NoDelusionZone is a retired U.S. Army Counterintelligence Special Agent, a geopolitical analyst, writer, and podcaster. David is an Iraq war veteran who served as Team Leader of a Tactical Human Intelligence Team (THT) in operations within Iraq and is also a former police officer. David is considered too conservative for the progressive left and too independent minded for the radical right and seeks to challenge political dogma and the naked self-interest of politicians. ----------LINKS:@NoDelusionZone https://www.protectingtherepublic.com/podcasthttps://x.com/ddebattohttps://www.kyivpost.com/authors/743----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Car4Ukrainehttps://car4ukraine.com/en-US/campaignsDzyga's Pawhttps://dzygaspaw.com/projectsSuperhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.orgNGO “Herojam Slava”https://heroiamslava.org/----------PLATFORMS:Substack: https://substack.com/@siliconcurtainTwitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSiliconLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm----------

Day 1,638.Today, as Russia is accused of yet another incursion into Nato airspace, there are reports of a major Ukrainian drone attack on occupied Crimea. Kyiv is apparently seeking approval – again – from Elon Musk, this time to use Starlink in strikes on Russian missile launchers. Meanwhile, Russia is defenseless in the Mediterranean for the first time in a decade. We speak to the Telegraph journalist who got the scoop. Plus, a bizarre twist in the story of the suspected Nord Stream saboteur - and which American music artist is set to perform in St Petersburg in October? Finally, we catch up with occupied territories expert Dr Jade McGlynn on her recent trip to eastern Ukraine.Contributors:Adelie Pojzman-Pontay (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @Adeliepjz on X.Sophie O'Sullivan (Telegraph journalist). Tom Cotterill (Telegraph defence editor). @TomCotterillX on X.Jade McGlynn (Research fellow, King's College London). @DrJadeMcGlynn on X.Producer: Rachel PorterSenior Producer: Lilian FawcettVideo Producer: Sophie O'SullivanSocial Producer: Anita BlayStudio Director: James EnglandExecutive Editor: Francis DearnleyCreated by David KnowlesNOW IN FULL VIDEO WITH MAPS & BATTLEFIELD FOOTAGE:Every episode is now available on our YouTube channel shortly after the release of the audio version. You will find it here: https://www.youtube.com/@UkraineTheLatest CONTENT REFERENCED:If you're interested in sponsoring Dom's upcoming defence event, email our colleagues at events@telegraph.co.ukUkraine's Logistics Targeting Raises Questions for Russia's Rear Defences (RUSI)https://www.rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/commentary/ukraines-logistics-targeting-raises-questions-russias-rear-defences ‘Highway of death': the Ukrainian drone campaign menacing Russian logistics (The Guardian)https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jun/11/highway-of-death-the-ukrainian-drone-campaign-menacing-russian-logisticsUkraine seeks Elon Musk's help to hit Russian missile launchers (Financial Times)https://www.ft.com/content/ff536e6e-dc56-45e3-b5e0-2dfb28148cb6?syn-25a6b1a6=1Ukraine Planned to Swarm Moscow Airports With AI-Guided Drones (Simon Shuster for The Atlantic)https://www.theatlantic.com/national-security/2026/08/ukraine-moscow-airports-ai-drones/688337/ Coalition of the Willing to hold Independence Day meeting in Kyiv (Kyiv Independent)https://kyivindependent.com/coalition-of-the-willing-to-hold-independence-day-meeting-in-kyiv/Russian publishers reportedly cut print runs after Ukrainian strikes on Wildberries warehouses, where their books are stored (Meduza) https://meduza.io/en/news/2026/08/21/russian-publishers-reportedly-cut-print-runs-after-ukrainian-strikes-on-wildberries-warehouses-where-their-books-are-storedThe cheap submarine-detection kits set to expose Putin's invisible force (Tom Cotterill for The Telegraph)https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/08/21/cheap-submarine-detection-kits-expose-russia-navy-ships-war/ Russian widows hire clairvoyants to contact husbands killed in war (The Telegraph)https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/08/17/russian-widows-hire-clairvoyants-to-contact-husbands-killed/To hear Francis answer the question about Russian missile launchers in our last Q&A, on August 13th: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbf1PD2Xjhs&t=1890sEMAIL US:Contact the team on ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk. We continue to read every message, and seek to respond to as many as possible.HIGHLIGHTS:Russia 'defenceless' in the Mediterranean for first time in warUkraine hits Moscow's supply lines to Crimea Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2006 Ukraine, beams split the sky. Time stopped. Something inhuman came to Earth — and took people from their homes.EPISODE BLOG PAGE (includes sources): https://weirddarkness.com/UkraineUFOsSOURCES and RESOURCES:“The Ukraine Alien Abduction” by Marcus Lowth for UFO Insight: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p82rjjpVIDEO: UFO Spotted Near Explosion In Ukraine: https://weirddarkness.com/ufo-spotted-near-explosion-in-ukraine/(Over time links may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2026, Weird Darkness.Originally aired: July, 2022Weird Darkness digs into Ukraine's decades-long record of UFO sightings and humanoid encounters, from a husband and wife carried aboard a disc-shaped craft outside their own front door, to horned figures stripping orchards near an ancient fortress honeycombed with tunnels, to a truck driver who described being walked across the surface of the moon by three men who had flagged him down for car trouble.It opens with the case reported in the June 20th, 2008 edition of the Ukrainian newspaper Facts, in which 34-year-old Vladimir Voronezhskiy and his 29-year-old wife Olga described being taken aboard a disc-shaped craft outside their home in the early hours of the morning. The evening began when their daughters Vanessa and Angelica came back from a nearby shop describing a "flying star", then drew matching sketches of a round object flashing white, yellow and red. Olga and Vladimir went outside and watched an object hovering over a distant river, and Olga's mobile phone captured only a blurred yellow smear. Around 2 am the bedroom filled with white light, the roof appeared to turn transparent, and the couple ran outside to find a disc hanging roughly 350 feet from the house. Olga rose into the air in a spiraling motion while Vladimir grabbed for her leg and missed, and the two of them found themselves inside a bare room with glass-like walls, surrounded by three-foot entities with gray skin, oversized heads and three fingers on each hand, moving without visible legs in the manner of a caterpillar. Olga was placed in a medical chair and watched the entities open an incision across her abdomen with instruments she had never seen before, feeling no pain, then close it so completely that no scar remained; Vladimir, held back by what felt like an invisible wall, was paralyzed by four metal rods laid on his chest after he struggled, and a voice entered his head promising he would be home soon. A taller figure, roughly five feet tall with its face fully covered, told him only that the procedures "had to be done". The couple were then seated in front of transparent walls where the sun looked like a diffused spot of light and the Earth appeared no bigger than a tennis ball, taken down to a world where the inhabitants lived in open pits below the surface, and told that humans and cattle alike had been brought to Earth from another planet. Vladimir refused repeated attempts to make him copulate with a female entity, even after it took the form of a beautiful human woman, and the conversation turned instead to human emotion and why our species has not yet destroyed itself. UFO researcher Yuriy Stepanov later placed Vladimir under hypnotic regression, which produced detailed sketches of the craft and its occupants along with the claim that a plasma field surrounding the ship rendered it invisible to the eye and undetectable on radar. Medical examination of the family turned up no implants, though Vladimir's gray hair regained its color, Olga's lifelong stomach pain never came back, and she claimed she could sober up a drunk person by resting a hand on his forehead for two minutes. Their neighbors mocked them for all of it.From there the episode backs up to the June 9th, 2006 edition of the same newspaper, which reported that residents across Mariupol spent an evening watching six disc-shaped objects over the city and jammed the phone lines of local papers with calls, while the Ukrainian Air Force and air traffic control at Mariupol Airport both said their radar showed nothing unusual; the next morning a watchman named Nikolay Trinitsyn counted around twenty fast-flying lighted spheres over an industrial district in full daylight, visible to his coworkers for about ten minutes before they were gone. Older encounters follow. In the summer of 1952, according to an account in Interesting Newspaper, a boy named Ivan Sergeevich was left alone at a campfire with an elderly woman after a sudden violent wind scattered the group's horses, and three helmeted figures about six feet tall walked out of a bright domed object rising from the woods, halted twice by handfuls of powder the woman threw into the fire to make it crackle. Around the same season in Belgorod-Dnestrovskiy, Komsomolskaya Pravda documented an insomniac watching five horned figures in his neighbor's yard, followed the next day by an apple tree stripped bare, part of a run of horned-creature sightings and vanishing food near a fortress that local legend says sits atop a network of secret tunnels used by creatures living underground and, in other tellings, by survivors of a UFO crash. Anton Anfalov of the Yaroslavl UFO Group recorded a three-day encounter in Zhdanivka in August of 1953, where Lina Ivanovna Kravets watched a silver globe descend behind the houses and a neighbor found three figures in dark overalls, gloves and helmets cutting fruit-laden branches from apple, plum and cherry trees while carrying wheat, rye and transparent tubes holding a frog, a lizard and a fish; in broken Russian they told her they had flown from up there, that they were searching for a lost scout ship they feared humans had destroyed, that Earth's wars affected natural disasters on their own world, and they offered her a piece of their bread before leaving. The segment ends with the 1971 Odesa catacombs account published in The Secret Doctrine, in which a young woman named Masha followed the sound of a child crying down a side passage, was struck from behind and disappeared for three days, later gave birth to a son with a large head, small mouth and outsized eyes who read academic material as a child, and who vanished in those same catacombs in the late 1990s and was never found.The final stretch runs through four more abduction reports and into the present day. Outside Chernivtsi in the early hours of January 8th, 1976, a glass-factory truck driver identified only as Nikolay N was woken by knocking on his cab window by three men who said their car had broken down, and was led instead to an upright cylinder with a glowing dome, blacked out on board, woke on a table wired with cables and devices, and was told he was at his hosts' base on the moon before being suited up and taken by elevator to the surface, where he could see the Earth's cloud cover; years later a man stopped him on the street and asked how his trip to the moon had been. On the night of April 17th into the 18th of 1982 in Simferopol, Crimea, researchers Vladimir A Borominskiy and Vladimir A Belozyerov of the Simferopol UFO Research Group documented electrician Yuriy Vasilievich Zbroy watching a shape push through his bedroom wall, touching it, feeling himself become magnetized, and then facing three creatures that emerged from a saucer the size of a toy and grew as they approached before telling him telepathically that they intended to take sperm for a hybridization program. In June of 1989 near Kharkiv, the Kirov UFO Group reported Ivan Rybchenko stopping his car for a descending luminous spot, stepping through two doors that opened in its side, being placed in a box lined with soft material, and waking to a tearing pain in his left hand before viewing an alien world dotted with communication towers and a base he was told ran automatically, without crew. In February of 1990, in an account from Gennadiy Ya Leszshenko's book At The Edge of the Unknown or What is Behind the Curtain, relayed by veteran researcher Albert Rosales, 68-year-old Ivan Nikanorovich went outside to quiet his barking dogs in the Donetsk region and was confronted by three figures around ten feet tall whose outer suits peeled away by themselves once aboard, and who flew him past planets before returning him home so ill he could not eat for three days. Sightings have not stopped: a white triangular craft with no wings, windows or markings was filmed over the country in August of 2019 and attributed by some to the rumored American TR-3B, two metallic objects roughly the size of a small van were filmed over Odesa in February of 2022, and on March 1st of that year a disc-shaped object was recorded from an apartment window in an area under shelling, hanging in the distance while the explosions went off below it.

Lawmakers want the Pentagon to investigate reports of food shortages, poor sanitation and lack of mental health care for sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, which has been out at sea for nearly 9 months. And the Trump administration says it's gearing up for economic warfare against Iran. What will it mean for ordinary Iranians already suffocating under high inflation? Plus, Ukraine is using drones to challenge Russia's grip on Crimea. Can Ukraine win back territory it lost more than a decade ago?Want more analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter.Today's episode of Up First was edited by Lindsay Totty, Arezou Rezvani, Andrew Sussman and James Hider.It was produced by Ziad Buchh and Milton Guevara.Our director is Christopher Thomas.We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis. Our technical director is Éowyn Fain. And our Executive Producer is Jay Shaylor.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show's perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.(0:00) Introduction(01:57) Poor Conditions on USS Lincoln(05:47) Economic Warfare on Iran(09:45) Ukraine's Drone CampaignSee pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Simon Smith is Chair of the Ukraine Forum Steering Committee at Chatham House. He served as British Ambassador to Ukraine (2012–2015) during the Euromaidan Revolution, Russia's annexation of Crimea, and the outbreak of the Donbas war. Before Kyiv, he was Director for Russia, South Caucasus and Central Asia at the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office (2005–2007), giving him extensive experience in British policy toward Russia and the post-Soviet region. Smith is regarded as one of the UK's most experienced diplomats on Eastern Europe. ----------John Lough is an Associate Fellow in the Russia and Eurasia Programme at Chatham House (since 2009) and Head of Foreign Policy at the New Eurasian Strategies Centre, a London- and Washington-based think tank. He began his career at the Soviet Studies (later Conflict Studies) Research Centre, specialising in Soviet and Russian security policy. John has had a long career spanning government, diplomacy, business and academia. He previously served as the first NATO representative based in Moscow following the end of the Cold War, where he worked on NATO–Russia relations during a formative period. ----------LINKS:https://www.chathamhouse.org/2026/05/how-russia-ukraine-ceasefire-could-imperil-ukrainian-and-european-securityhttps://www.chathamhouse.org/about-us/our-people/orysia-lutsevychhttps://www.chathamhouse.org/about-us/our-people/keir-gileshttps://icds.ee/en/the-russian-way-of-ceasefires-and-the-traps-it-sets-for-europe/----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Car4Ukrainehttps://car4ukraine.com/en-US/campaignsDzyga's Pawhttps://dzygaspaw.com/projectsSuperhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.orgNGO “Herojam Slava”https://heroiamslava.org/----------PLATFORMS:Substack: https://substack.com/@siliconcurtainTwitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSiliconLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm----------DESCRIPTION:Why a Ceasefire Isn't Peace: Russia's War Aims, Negotiation Traps, and Western Complacency | Simon Smith & John LoughThe host interviews Chatham House's Simon Smith and John Lough about why a ceasefire in Ukraine would not equal peace, citing the Korean Armistice as a warning that unresolved issues can harden into decades of confrontation. They argue Putin's objectives—subjugating Ukraine, blocking its integration with Western or European security structures, enforcing demilitarization and political change in Kyiv—have not changed, making any pause potentially a chance for Russia to regroup. The discussion covers Ukraine's strikes inside Russia, economic and recruitment pressures on Moscow, and risks of escalation against Ukrainian infrastructure. They stress Western political complacency, incremental support, and the danger that electorates may find a Russian victory “palatable,” arguing enforcement matters more than signatures in any talks. John Lough outlines likely Russian minimum demands, including full control of Donbas and removing Zelensky.----------

My guest in this episode is Dr. Kolja Spori. Kolja is a former Hugo Boss Executive, Formula 1 Agent,  and Austrian Economist who has visited all 193 countries of the world. He also worked at for the Rothschilds in Geneva, Switzerland.Kolja loves to travel but specifically adventure travels to conflict areas which earned him the nickname, Dr. Dangerzone.In his quest to seek truth and liberty, he met freedom fighters, guerrillas and warlords, such as the FARC leaders "Black Death" and Tanja Nijmeijer in the Colombian mountains, the Russian Nightwolf "Chirurg" in Crimea, Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov in Grozny, and Liberia's putschist Prince Johnson in Monrovia. Kolja narrowly missed the bombing of Donbas rebel leader Alexander Sakharchenko in the Separatist Cafè Donezk, and he won a staredown against US "Defence Secretary" Donald Rumsfeld in an elevator in Batumi.Interview Links:Kolja's Blog: https://luxuryrogue.wordpress.com/Dr. Dangerzone - In Search of Truth in the Most Daring Places on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4x4o6wGSubscribe To Our Weekly Newsletter:The Wealth Dojo: https://subscribe.wealthdojo.ai/Download all the Niches Trilogy Books:The 21 Best Cashflow NichesDigital: ⁠⁠https://www.cashflowninjaprograms.com/the-21-best-cashflow-niches-book⁠⁠Audio: ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/21-best-cashflow-niches⁠The 21 Most Unique Cashflow NichesDigital: ⁠⁠https://www.cashflowninjaprograms.com/the-21-most-unique-cashflow-niches⁠⁠Audio: ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/21-most-unique-niches⁠The 21 Best Cash Growth NichesDigital: ⁠https://www.cashflowninjaprograms.com/the-21-best-cash-growth-niches⁠⁠Audio: ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/21-cash-growth-nichesThe 21 Next Level Cashflow NichesDigital: https://www.cashflowninjaprograms.com/the-21-next-level-cashflow-niches-book-free-downloadAudio: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-21-next-level-nichesListen To Cashflow Ninja Podcasts:Cashflow Ninja⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cashflowninja⁠Cashflow Investing Secrets⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cashflowinvestingsecrets⁠Cashflow Ninja Banking⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cashflow-ninja-banking⁠Connect With Us:Website: http://cashflowninja.comPodcast: http://cashflowinvestingsecrets.comPodcast: http://cashflowninjabanking.comSubstack: https://mclaubscher.substack.com/Amazon Audible: https://a.co/d/1xfM1VxAmazon Audible: https://a.co/d/aGzudX0Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cashflowninja/Twitter: https://twitter.com/mclaubscherInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecashflowninja/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cashflowninjaLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mclaubscher/Gab: https://gab.com/cashflowninjaYoutube: http://www.youtube.com/c/CashflowninjaRumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-329875

Ukraine hits Russian oil refineries as Russa retaliates with ballistic missiles. Also in the programme: Is the US running dangerously low on hi-tech munitions? And the 97-year-old American woman daredevil flying on wings.(Photo: A man looking at a mobile charging point in Crimea on the Black Sea as power outages continue as a result of strikes. Credit: Reuters)

In this presentation, we take a deep dive into the 300-year history of mobile surgery supporting land campaigns — from Dominique Larrey's ambulance volantes through the Letterman system, Arnhem, the Falklands, Mali, and the current Russia-Ukraine war. Drawing on rare surgical memoirs, battle maps, and personal accounts, the discussion extracts the recurring problems that technology has never fully solved: logistics drag, extended timelines, signature management, and the tension between mobility and capability.We then turn to the horizon. In an era of mosaic warfare and large-scale combat operations, medicine cannot remain a drag factor. The talk explores contractile and expandable surgical systems, single-surgeon reach, austere armored resuscitation teams, underground and containerized facilities, emissions control, and how we expand the surgical workforce under resource constraints while still doing the most for the most.Whether you are preparing for LSCO, SOF support, or prolonged field care in denied environments, the hard-won lessons of the past remain the best preparation for the fight ahead.Key TakeawaysMobile surgery is not new — Larrey, Guthrie, Pirogov, and Letterman already solved (and documented) many of the mobility and triage problems we still face.Institutional memory fades fast. Rare single-edition war surgery texts must be digitized and pushed into training pipelines before the lessons are watered down.In mosaic warfare the linear Role 1–4 model is insufficient. Surgical capability must become a mesh: dispersed, diggable, low-signature, and able to expand or contract with the fight.Big fixed facilities and large tented Role 2/3s become high-value targets. Single-surgeon or small polyvalent teams, pre-dug containers, underground sites, and armored austere teams offer greater survivability and shorter wounding-to-surgery times.Blood, sterilizing capacity, anesthetic volume, and outflow remain the greatest logistic constraints. Expectation management and robust triage (including expectant) will be non-negotiable.Capability can be extended by bringing registrars, ODPs/CRNA-equivalents, and well-trained medics further forward earlier — but this requires deliberate peacetime training and wartime derogations.Command and control, decision-making loops, and the ability to cache or hand off casualties must be rehearsed now, not improvised under fire.Chapters00:00 – Introduction & Scope: 300 Years of Mobile Surgery02:00 – Institutional Memory, Rare Texts & the Risk of Forgetting05:25 – Dominique Larrey & the Birth of the Ambulance Volante07:00 – Guthrie, Napoleonic Lessons & Early British Mobility07:40 – Crimea, Pirogov's Forward Teams & Brunel's Prefabs08:15 – The Letterman System & the American Civil War08:50 – World War I: Auto-Chir, Operating Cars & the Limits of Static Warfare11:15 – Spanish Civil War: Civilian Surgeons & Fluid Fronts12:00 – World War II Desert, SAS & the Reality of Extreme Isolation13:40 – Arnhem, Market Garden & Improvised Care Under Fire16:00 – Varsity, Chindits & the Logistics Drag of Jungle Warfare18:00 – Falklands, Gulf War, Mali & Modern Mobility Challenges19:50 – Ukraine: Extended Timelines, Targeting of Medical Assets & Aged Injuries20:50 – Horizon Scan: Mosaic Warfare & Contractile Surgical Systems22:00 – Dispersion, Digging In, Underground Facilities & Signature Management24:00 – Capability Extenders, Team Composition & Decision-Making Under Constraint25:30 – Logistics, Blood, Sterilization & the Middle Ground Between Fixed and Tiny Teams27:00 – Closing Thoughts & QuestionsFollow @prolonged_field_care and visit prolongedfieldcare.org for more austere and prolonged field care education.

The war in Ukraine appears to have entered a new phase, as Kyiv has launched increasingly ambitious long-range strikes deep inside Russia, put mounting pressure on Crimea and sought to bring the war closer to ordinary Russians and Vladimir Putin. But now the Kremlin is hitting back hard. In a missile attack on Kyiv this week, at least 17 people were killed. Now there's reports of a Ukrainian plane in Leipzig, Germany, being targeted by an explosive-laden drone. It's not clear who was behind the attack but reporting suggests it could be Russia. So are we witnessing a dangerous new phase of escalation? On this episode of the Fourcast Indicators, Matt Frei and Mark Urban are joined by economist Timothy Ash from Chatham House's Russia and Eurasia programme.

This episode explores how Ukraine is using unmanned systems to disrupt Russian logistics on the Crimean Peninsula, and how this campaign is impacting the Russia-Ukraine war.  Guest Biographies Dmitry Gorenburg is an expert on security issues in the former Soviet Union, the Russian military, Russian foreign policy, and ethnic politics and identity. Samuel Bendett's research focuses on Russian defense and technology developments; uncrewed, robotic and autonomous military systems; artificial intelligence; and Russian military capabilities. Further Reading CNA's Russia Studies Program

Emmanuelle Chaze, Ukraine Correspondent for RFI & France 24, reports on Ukrainian strikes on a Russian Black Sea resort and Crimea.

Day 1,620. Today, we report on another weekend of intense military activity: from renewed strikes on Wildberries warehouses – so severe that the company's owner and CEO Tatyana Kim was compelled to issue a public statement – to assassination attempts and a bombing at a Moscow restaurant. Plus, drone strikes on Russian positions in Crimea and a brutal attack on Kyiv that reveals the city's vulnerability to ballistic missile strikes. Dom and Francis also examine the latest casualty figures claimed by President Zelensky, the evolving US position on Ukraine, and what the new adaptation of The Odyssey might be trying to say about how modern warfare is having a corrosive effect on contemporary society.Contributors: Francis Dearnley (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @FrancisDearnley on X.Dominic Nicholls (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @DomNicholls on X.Senior Producer: Lilian FawcettVideo Producer: Sophie O'SullivanSocial Producer: Tom SteedStudio Director: Meghan SearleExecutive Editor: Francis DearnleyCreated by David KnowlesNOW IN FULL VIDEO WITH MAPS & BATTLEFIELD FOOTAGE:Every episode is now available on our YouTube channel shortly after the release of the audio version. You will find it here: https://www.youtube.com/@UkraineTheLatest CONTENT REFERENCED:If you're interested in sponsoring Dom's upcoming defence event, email our colleagues at events@telegraph.co.ukJames Kilner on the true significance of the Wildberries attacks:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_UYWPnaFRM&t=835s Ukraine only able to intercept one of 27 Russian missiles aimed at Kyiv (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/08/01/ukraine-only-able-intercept-one-27-russian-missiles-kyiv/ Trump backtracks on promise to give Ukraine Patriot blueprints (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2026/07/31/trump-backtracks-promise-ukraine-patriot-blueprints/ 'Nature of the threats has changed' — Kyiv removes protective structures from city monuments (Kyiv Independent)https://kyivindependent.com/kyiv-to-remove-protective-coverings-over-monuments/?mc_cid=f58d6cc26e&mc_eid=08d0680a95 Zelensky Updates NSDC Roster Amid Government Reshuffle (Kyiv Post):https://www.kyivpost.com/post/81516 Tulsi Gabbard and her guru (The Washington Post):https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2026/06/21/tulsi-gabbard-her-guru-mysterious-messages-that-helped-shape-her-political-career/ EMAIL US:Contact the team on ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk. We continue to read every message, and seek to respond to as many as possible.Thumbnail image credit: X/@bayraktar_1loveHIGHLIGHTS:Wildberries strikes light up the sky 1000km inside Russia Zelensky ‘reveals' wartime death tolls Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Subscribe now for the full episode! Derek once again speaks with Mark Ames, co-host of Radio War Nerd, this time to talk about the state of the war in Ukraine and the current upheaval in Zelenskyy's government.  They discuss Ukraine's strikes on Russian oil refineries and infrastructure, the PR campaign behind the "turning the tide" narrative, the situation in the Donbas and the fall of Kostyantynivka, the firing of Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov and army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, corruption and factional fighting within Ukraine's drone industry, the Ukrainian strike on an Iranian ship in the Caspian Sea, and the attempts to isolate and pressure Crimea. Be sure to order your copy of Danny's new book, Imperialist Realism: Politics and Culture at the End of the American Century. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant General Tom Jones shares firsthand insights from a career spanning the height of the Cold War through modern NATO nuclear operations. Drawing on decades of operational experience, he discusses the realities of nuclear deterrence, the challenges of maintaining credible readiness, and the extraordinary demands placed on aircrews tasked with executing nuclear missions under the most extreme conditions.Lt. Gen. Jones explores the evolution of NATO's nuclear posture, the complexity of nuclear weapon delivery, and the importance of survivability, command and control, and alliance cohesion. He also reflects on how changing political dynamics, public opinion in Europe, and renewed great-power competition have reshaped the deterrence landscape. From Cold War certainties to today's escalating risks, he offers a candid assessment of the future of nuclear deterrence and the joint force capabilities required to sustain it.Lt. Gen. Noel T. “Tom” Jones (USAF Ret.) retired in 2015 as Vice Commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa, where he helped lead more than 24,000 personnel across Europe and Africa during major events including the Benghazi attack, Russia's annexation of Crimea, and the Ebola crisis. He also led the command's response to sequestration-driven force reductions while maintaining mission readiness.A 1980 graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, Tom served more than 35 years on active duty, commanding at the squadron, group, and wing levels, including combat leadership during Operation Iraqi Freedom. His assignments included leading the Air Force's largest fighter wing at Luke AFB, serving as Deputy Director of the Central Security Service supporting NSA operations, helping stand up U.S. Cyber Command, directing plans for the U.S. military drawdown in Iraq, and overseeing Air Force modernization requirements at the Pentagon.Since retiring, Tom has advised defense industry organizations through Tom Jones Consulting, served as a Highly Qualified Expert-Senior Mentor for the U.S. Air Force, and remains active in public service in Louisiana.Follow us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@nuclecast3665?si=h1kCO6NqUtL87w6qFollow on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/nuclecastpodcastSubscribe RSS Feed: https://rss.com/podcasts/nuclecast-podcast/Rate: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nuclecast/id1644921278Email comments and topic/guest suggestions to Kimberly@anwadeter.org

Las fronteras que vemos en cualquier mapa parecen que siempre han estado ahí que son naturales, pero no es así. Existen fronteras naturales, por supuesto, suelen coincidir con ríos lo suficientemente anchos o cordilleras suficientemente altas. Ese es el caso de los Pirineos, donde la frontera natural y la política coinciden. Pero incluso ahí caben excepciones como los valles de Arán y Valcarlos. España, de cualquier modo, es mal ejemplo para entender la frontera moderna porque las suyas son antiguas y casi todas se fueron haciendo poco a poco y desde abajo. Durante la mayor parte de la historia las fronteras no eran líneas, sino zonas de transición muy porosas y con contornos difíciles de definir. La idea de que un país acaba en una línea bien definida empezó con la Paz de Westfalia de 1648 y culminó en el siglo XIX con los tratados de límites. A partir de aquí la mayor parte de las fronteras del mundo no surgieron de la geografía sino de una mesa de negociación. Un mapa político es por lo general una construcción que nos habla de intereses concretos de personas concretas. El acuerdo Sykes-Picot de 1916 repartió el moribundo Imperio otomano entre Francia y el Reino Unido mediante una serie de líneas recta trazada sobre un desierto que apenas conocían. Los británicos hicieron además tres promesas contradictorias sobre el mismo suelo. De aquel reparto nacieron Irak, Siria, el Líbano y Jordania, Estados artificiales en los que metieron a la fuerza a sunitas, chiíes, kurdos, cristianos y alauíes bajo las mismas bandera. Los kurdos, hoy 40 millones de personas, se quedaron sin Estado y están repartidos entre cuatro países. La Conferencia de Berlín de 1884 estableció las reglas para que los europeos se repartiesen África sin contar con los africanos, naturalmente. El principio de ocupación efectiva disparó la carrera por plantar banderas. El 30% de las fronteras africanas son líneas rectas perfectas que parten pueblos como los somalíes, los bakongo o los yoruba, o encierran a tribus muy distintas y que se llevan mal desde siempre. La descolonización del siglo pasado heredó íntegras aquellas fronteras y también los problemas derivados de ellas. En 1947 los británicos encargaron a Cyril Radcliffe, un jurista que nunca había pisado la India, dividir el Raj, un subcontinente de 400 millones de habitantes en solo cinco semanas. Su línea separó regiones enteras y provocó entre 12 y 18 millones de desplazados, amén de cientos de miles de muertos. De aquello saldría la guerra de Bangladés en 1971 y la disputa de Cachemira, que desde entonces enfrenta a indios y pakistaníes. El colapso de la Unión Soviética en 1991 convirtió en fronteras internacionales unas líneas administrativas trazadas básicamente por Stalin para dividir y controlar a las minorías. Valles como el de Ferganá en el centro de Asia fueron troceados, el Alto Karabaj, poblado por armenios, se metió en en Azerbaiyán, Crimea y el Donbás pasaron a Ucrania. De ahí nacieron los conflictos congelados que hoy siguen activos desde Transnistria hasta la guerra de Ucrania. La historia se repite una y otra vez. Trazar una frontera es un acto de poder cuyas consecuencias duran generaciones. El mapa no es el territorio, y no necesariamente es la gente que lo habita. En El ContraSello: 0:00 Introducción 3:44 Fronteras malditas 1:14:06 El trabajo infantil en las leyes de Indias Bibliografía: “Divide y vencerás” de Henri L. Wesseling - https://amzn.to/4vWsgpa “Atlas de las fronteras” de Bruno Tetrais - https://amzn.to/4fuHxZt “La frontera: un viaje alrededor de Rusia” de Erika Fatland - https://amzn.to/44TUhCS “Myths of geography” de Paul Richardson - https://amzn.to/4wpNqx0 · Canal de Telegram: https://t.me/lacontracronica · “Contra el pesimismo”… https://amzn.to/4m1RX2R · “Hispanos. Breve historia de los pueblos de habla hispana”… https://amzn.to/428js1G · “La ContraHistoria del comunismo”… https://amzn.to/39QP2KE · “La ContraHistoria de España. Auge, caída y vuelta a empezar de un país en 28 episodios”… https://amzn.to/3kXcZ6i · “Contra la Revolución Francesa”… https://amzn.to/4aF0LpZ · “Lutero, Calvino y Trento, la Reforma que no fue”… https://amzn.to/3shKOlK Apoya La Contra en: · Patreon... https://www.patreon.com/diazvillanueva · iVoox... https://www.ivoox.com/podcast-contracronica_sq_f1267769_1.html · Paypal... https://www.paypal.me/diazvillanueva Sígueme en: · Web... https://diazvillanueva.com · Twitter... https://twitter.com/diazvillanueva · Facebook... https://www.facebook.com/fernandodiazvillanueva1/ · Instagram... https://www.instagram.com/diazvillanueva · Linkedin… https://www.linkedin.com/in/fernando-d%C3%ADaz-villanueva-7303865/ · Flickr... https://www.flickr.com/photos/147276463@N05/?/ · Pinterest... https://www.pinterest.com/fernandodiazvillanueva Encuentra mis libros en: · Amazon... https://www.amazon.es/Fernando-Diaz-Villanueva/e/B00J2ASBXM #FernandoDiazVillanueva #fronteras Escucha el episodio completo en la app de iVoox, o descubre todo el catálogo de iVoox Originals

Ukrainian deep-strike drones are acting as mechanical Bobbit worms—buried deep in the operational rear, snapping Russia's supply chains in half. In Episode 2.47, we wade through the ashes of burning logistics hubs, examine the return of Soviet-style digital price-fixing, and dissect the escalating panic inside the Kremlin elite. From 154 destroyed energy nodes in occupied Crimea to the Ryazan Wildberries double-tap, the "careful war" is bleeding out. Meanwhile, State Duma Speaker Volodin orders the public "not to vibrate" while the FSB hunts imaginary New Zealand spies in Siberia. We cap it all off with the downfall of Andrea Pirlo and our formal endorsement of Count Binface for the Clacton by-election.Become our patron:https://www.patreon.com/theeasternborderMerch store + another option for memberships:https://theeasternborder-shop.fourthwall.com/Follow what's going on here in the very border of Eastern Europe:https://bsky.app/profile/theeasternborder.lvDownload all episodes for free on our website; pictures accompanying certain episodes can be found there as well!http://theeasternborder.lv/Car4Ukraine Eastern Border Summer Campaign!https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/summer-sunshine-trucks-2026-eastern-borderYouTube - as this one has visuals:https://youtu.be/_ChUkgwosqQSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/theeasternborder. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Day 1,614.As Ukraine strikes a target more than 1,300 kilometres from Kyiv, Francis and Alex Nichol assess the significance of President Zelensky's visit to Washington for Lindsey Graham's funeral and to meet with President Trump. It comes a day after Ukraine struck a tanker from Iran in the Caspian Sea, something the US president was asked about on Air Force One. Meanwhile, attention is focused on Congress as lawmakers prepare to decide the fate of the bipartisan sanctions bill, which would impose sweeping tariffs on countries continuing to buy Russian energy. Later, we take a deep dive into the Black Sea grain corridor, exploring why it's returned to the centre of the war after recent attacks on merchant shipping, and what it means for global food security.Contributors:Francis Dearnley (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @FrancisDearnley on X.Alex Nichol (Telegraph Journalist).With thanks to Andrey Sizov, head of SovEcon grain consultancy (@sizov_andre on X).Producer: Tom SteedSenior Producer: Lilian FawcettVideo Producer: Sophie O'SullivanSocial Producer: Anita BlayStudio Director: Meghan SearleExecutive Editor: Francis DearnleyCreated by David KnowlesNOW IN FULL VIDEO WITH MAPS & BATTLEFIELD FOOTAGE:Every episode is now available on our YouTube channel shortly after the release of the audio version. You will find it here: https://www.youtube.com/@UkraineTheLatest CONTENT REFERENCED:Democrats ‘undermining US support for Ukraine' (The Telegraph)https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/07/27/democrat-opponents-sanctioning-russia-act-undermine-ukraine/ Life of a Ukrainian draft dodger (Antonia Langford for The Telegraph)https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/07/28/ukraine-hunt-for-draft-dodgers-becomes-battle-on-the-street/ EU hesitates to target Irish plant accused of supplying Russia's war industry (Financial Times)https://www.ft.com/content/ef7ff634-b738-4975-91b5-2edffc51da68?syn-25a6b1a6=1 The Sizov Reporthttp://sizov.reportWagner's Remnants Are Running an Opioid Empire in the Center of Africa (Wall Street Journal)https://www.wsj.com/world/africa/russia-wagner-africa-opioid-trade-d015c4bc EMAIL US:Contact the team on ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk. We continue to read every message, and seek to respond to as many as possible.HIGHLIGHTS:Crimea 'without power' after deadly raidsZelensky meets Trump in Washington ahead of Lindsey Graham funeral Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today on the show, after Ukraine said it struck more than 100 Russian vessels over nine days in the sea near Russian-held Crimea, Fareed speaks with Russian journalist Mikhail Zygar about how this new phase of the conflict could finally be provoking a reckoning in Russia. Next, Fareed talks to Mark Mazzetti, a New York Times reporter who helped break an astonishing report that Israel worked to groom the former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as an intelligence asset.  Then, have we reached the end of reading? Fareed asks Atlantic writer Rose Horowitch, whose cover story suggests we're getting dangerously close to that point. Finally, as Christopher Nolan's highly anticipated film “The Odyssey” hit theaters this week, many are asking how it holds up against Homer's classic. Fareed sits down with writer and classicist Daniel Mendelsohn.  GUESTS: Mikhail Zygar (@zygaro); Mark Mazzetti; Rose Horowitch (@rosehorowitch); Daniel Mendelsohn (@DAMendelsohnNYC) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For more than four years, Russia has wagered that it can outlast Ukraine. The Kremlin has more troops, more resources, and a greater tolerance for casualties, betting that Kyiv—and its Western allies—will eventually lose the will to keep fighting. But that assumption is being tested. Ukraine is carrying out increasingly sophisticated strikes deep inside Russian territory, forcing Moscow to defend military bases, energy infrastructure, and even symbolic strongholds like Crimea. At the same time, NATO support has strengthened, Europe is expanding its defense cooperation with Kyiv, and President Donald Trump has struck a noticeably warmer tone toward Ukraine than he did just months ago. On the latest episode of the GZERO World podcast, Ian Bremmer sits down with former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba to discuss whether the momentum in the war is truly beginning to shift. They examine Ukraine's strategy of bringing the war home to Russia, why Kyiv believes pressure inside Russia is essential to changing the course of the conflict, and what Putin's remaining options look like if the costs continue to rise. Kuleba also weighs in on Trump's changing approach to Ukraine, NATO's long-term commitment, Ukraine's path toward the European Union, and why he believes Europe's future security is inseparable from Ukraine's future. Subscribe to the GZERO World with Ian Bremmer Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your preferred podcast platform, to receive new episodes as soon as they're published. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Michael Bernstam explores Houthi threats to the Bab-el-Mandeb strait, which could drive oil prices over $100 per barrel by choking global shipping. Simultaneously, Ukrainian drone strikes have crippled Russian refining capacity and shipping in the Black Sea, leading to energy rationing, electricity shortages, and potential food crises in Crimea. (2)

SCHEDULE JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW, 7-15-261904 PERSIAMichael Bernstam discusses China's "colonial" economic relationship with Russia, demanding natural gas at heavily subsidized domestic rates. Capitalizing on Russian weakness, Beijing insists Russia fund its own pipelines while China signals a shift toward supporting Ukrainian territorial integrity, effectively throwing Putin "under the bus" to pressure the West. (1)Michael Bernstam explores Houthi threats to the Bab-el-Mandeb strait, which could drive oil prices over $100 per barrel by choking global shipping. Simultaneously, Ukrainian drone strikes have crippled Russian refining capacity and shipping in the Black Sea, leading to energy rationing, electricity shortages, and potential food crises in Crimea. (2)Bob Zimmerman provides updates on SpaceX's Starship test flight and the FAA's rapid approval process. He details the deployment of version three Starlink satellites, rumors of a massive new Louisiana spaceport, and criticizes a Texaspolitician's "irrational" investigation into Elon Musk's government grants for rural internet access. (3)Bob Zimmerman explains why AI is currently inadequate for counting lunar craters, failing to meet human accuracy standards. He also highlights the discovery of a potential black hole in Omega Centauri, discusses the desolate nature of Mars's Jezero Crater, and notes the mysterious, unexplained "spokes" appearing in Saturn's rings. (4)Steve Yates analyzes the Taiwan People's Party's (TPP) historic visit to mainland China. Originally a pro-identity youth movement, the TPP is now seeking political power through a coalition with the pro-China KMT. This shift complicates Taiwan's political landscape, as the younger demographic overwhelmingly identifies as Taiwanese, not Chinese. (5)Cleo Paskal exposes Chinese cognitive warfare in the Solomon Islands, where identical pro-Beijing propaganda appeared in separate newspapers. She details China's aggressive pressure on Palau, utilizing economic threats, triad activity, and cyberattacks to force the nation to de-recognize Taiwan before an upcoming regional forum in late August. (6)Charles Burton discusses the strained Canada-US relations regarding the Gordie Howe Bridge. Disagreements over ownership and revenue sharing led Donald Trump to claim a "victory" by coercing Canadian concessions. This dispute has fueled hostility in Canada, leading to a boycott of US travel and alcohol imports in Ontario. (7)Charles Burton criticizes the lack of transparency regarding Chinese infiltration in the Canadian government. He argues that Prime Minister Carney's administration prioritizes business interests over national sovereignty, ignoring warnings about espionage and transnational repression while pursuing empty promises of doubled trade from Beijing to counter US tariffs. (8)Evan Ellis reports on the collapse of Cuba's electric grid, marking the third major blackout in nine days. While the island devolves into ruin, the Trump administration weighs military action against potential negotiations with the Castrofamily, as China and Russia provide only minimal, symbolic economic and political support. (9)Evan Ellis details the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela following twin earthquakes. While US Southern Commandprovides tactical aid, the corrupt and inefficient Rodriguez government is unable to respond to massive destruction, including thousands of deaths and ruined infrastructure. The situation highlights the inadequacy of the current Venezuelan regime. (10)Evan Ellis examines political instability in Bolivia involving Evo Morales and the upcoming inauguration of Keiko Fujimori in Peru. He also notes unresolved tensions over the Falkland Islands as Argentina faces Britain in the World Cup, emphasizing Javier Milei's strategic shift toward collaboration with the United States. (11)Evan Ellis analyzes judicial cruelty in Brazil, where Flavio Bolsonaro is barred from visiting his ill father. In El Salvador, President Bukele is seeking an unconstitutional third term. Despite his high approval ratings and security successes, the move raises alarms about the global trend of abandoning democratic constraints. (12)Thaddeus McCotter reflects on the death of Senator Lindsey Graham and the rising global pattern of political violence, including the murder of a UK MP. He also addresses credible Iranian threats to assassinate the US President, suggesting that decapitation strikes against heads of state have become routine. (13)Thaddeus McCotter connects global energy prices to military strategy, noting how Ukrainian drone strikes on Russianrefineries impact domestic affordability. He warns that the Republican party must clarify objectives in Iran and Ukraineto address MAGA base concerns regarding "forever wars" before the upcoming midterm elections. (14)Judy Dempsey discusses the US naval blockade of Iran and European concerns over energy security. She argues that European leaders find Trump's policies unpredictable and emphasizes that the future must be built on transparency, democracy, and accountability to counter the rise of authoritarian models like communist China. (15)Judy Dempsey highlights increasing threats against European politicians, particularly in Germany from the far-right AfD. Despite the current prominence of "strong men," she maintains that authoritarian systems are unsustainable because the human spirit fundamentally requires freedom, which dictatorships cannot provide or permit in the long term. (16)Headers and affiliations omitted, tail numbers (1)–(16). Corrections applied: Thaddeus McCotter (source had Thaddius), Cleo Paskal (source had Pascal), Omega Centauri (source had Centuri), and Jezero Crater (source had Jazero).

Ukraine's military has intensified its attacks near Russian-annexed Crimea, following up strikes on Russia's land corridor to the peninsula by targeting maritime supply routes as well, as it tries to heap pressure on the Kremlin to end the war.Also in the programme: The United States says it's carried out another wave of strikes against Iran, aimed at degrading its ability to attack shipping in the Strait of Hormuz; Turkey marks 10th anniversary of July 15 failed coup; and the actor Andy Serkis on why he's giving Animal Farm a makeover!(Photo: A cyclist uses a flashlight in a dark street during a temporary power outage, after local authorities limited electricity supplies to households to avoid overloading the strained network, amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict in the Black Sea resort city of Yevpatoriya, Crimea, July 5, 2026. Credit: REUTERS/Alexey Pavlishak)

Day 1,601.As Ukraine expands its campaign in the Black Sea, tightening Kyiv's stranglehold on occupied Crimea, Dom reports on the fifth consecutive day of combined missile and drone attacks on the southern Odesa region, as civilians continue to bear the brunt of the bombardment. Then Francis turned to the latest political developments shaping the war, including fresh manoeuvring in Hungary. And later, they are joined by Adelie to answer your questions on the Kerch bridge, the impact of fuel shortages for the Russian harvest, and European preparedness for the kind of aerial bombardments Ukraine suffers daily.Contributors:Francis Dearnley (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @FrancisDearnley on X.Dominic Nicholls (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @DomNicholls on X.Adelie Pojzman-Pontay (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @Adeliepjz on X.Producer: Phil AtkinsSenior Producer: Lilian FawcettVideo Producer: Sophie O'SullivanSocial Producer: Tom SteedStudio Director: Meghan SearleExecutive Editor: Francis DearnleyCreated by David KnowlesNOW IN FULL VIDEO WITH MAPS & BATTLEFIELD FOOTAGE:Every episode is now available on our YouTube channel shortly after the release of the audio version. You will find it here: https://www.youtube.com/@UkraineTheLatest CONTENT REFERENCED:Unmanned Systems Forces Online Killboard: https://sbs-group.army/en/ ‘THE PINK FLAME OF THE TUZLY LAGOONS' (Birding in Ukraine):https://www.birdinginukraine.com/blog/the-pink-flame-of-the-tuzly-lagoonsExclusive: Lockheed Martin supports granting Ukraine Patriot missile licenses, official says (Kyiv Independent):https://kyivindependent.com/lockheed-martin-supports-granting-ukraine-patriot-missile-licenses/ EMAIL US:Contact the team on ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk. We continue to read every message, and seek to respond to as many as possible.HIGHLIGHTS:Drone 'downs' Russian Mi-28 helicopter'Moscow will fall through Crimea': Ukraine's new campaign Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we talk about Russia, Ukraine, and the Warsaw Pact.We also discuss Patriot interceptors, Hungary, and Article 5.Recommended Book: The Alternative by Nick RomeoTranscriptThe North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO, was founded in the wake of WWII, in 1949, in order to affirm unity between non-Soviet European nations, Atlantic nations like Greenland and Iceland, and the US and Canada, over in North America.The main purpose of this unity was to establish a sort of firewall around the western perimeter of the Soviet Union, which at the time was the only global superpower other than the US, because much of the world, but especially Europe, was struggling to recover from the destruction wrought during the second world war, and the Soviets had made pretty clear that they intended to take over everything: they'd already gobbled up most of their neighbors, creating an increasingly expansive buffer zone of Soviet states around their central, Russian territory, and most of the conflicts still playing out, or threatening to play out, globally at this point were either overt or slightly concealed proxy fights between the capitalist democratic forces of the West and the authoritarian, Stalinist forces of the Eastern Soviet bloc.NATO was thus a wall of nations that said, hey, if you attack any of us, that will mean you're attacking all of us. And that ‘all of us' included the United States, which was the only individual force capable of standing up to the Soviets at this point, due to its massive conventional military force, and the threat posed by its huge, and still growing, nuclear weapons arsenal.The Soviet counter to NATO was called the Warsaw Pact, which formed in 1955, and these rival alliances carved up Europe during the latter half of the 20th century, until the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.As military alliances go, NATO has been fairly successful—Article 5, the portion of the agreement that triggers if a NATO member is attacked, calling the other members to come to their aid, was only activated once, following the terrorist attacks on the US on September 11, 2001; that led to NATO involvement in the US's attacks on Afghanistan in subsequent years, though NATO forces also periodically got involved in other regional conflicts, like the Kosovo War in 1999, and the Libyan Civil War in 2011, in both cases working with the UN to protect civilians from the actions of violent leaders or assailants. But beyond that, no one, including the Soviets, messed with NATO.NATO has since accepted sixteen new member states, and that expansion is one of the supposed rationales for Russian President Putin's invasion of Ukraine. During Putin's first presidency, Russia and NATO had been on pretty solid, even cooperative terms, which had some questioning the point of the treaty, since it was originally formed to counter Russian aggression. In Putin's second presidency, though, things took an antagonistic turn, and when Russia illegally invaded and annexed a part of Ukraine, called Crimea, back in 2014, NATO ceased all cooperation with Russia.When Russian forces launched a full invasion of Ukraine in 2022, NATO suddenly seemed more important than ever, as a reinvigorated Russia, with the stated purpose of, in Putin's words, reclaiming portions of Europe that were previously part of the extended Soviet Union, parts of the Warsaw Pact, that posed a serious threat to just about everyone, especially European nations that border Russia and Russian allies, like Belarus.What I'd like to talk about today is the 2026 meeting of NATO leaders, and the general state of affairs on the ground in Ukraine, as of mid-2026.—Leaders of NATO member nations typically meet for a summit each year, though the schedule varies a bit, depending on the needs of the moment, and whether there are any NATO-relevant crises that might nudge things forward or cause them to be delayed.The 2026 NATO summit was held in Turkey's capitol city, Ankara, on July 7 and 8. It was the second such summit hosted by Turkey, and the 36th NATO summit, overall.This meeting was notable for several reasons, many of them directly related to Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine, but also the US's continued ambivalence, at times bordering on active antagonism, toward the treaty, under the Trump administration.Over the course of the past 4 years, Russia has continued to make threats toward the rest of Europe, implying or suggesting that it might have to act militarily against its NATO-member neighbors. During the same period, the US has criticized European NATO member states for not carrying their own weight, most of these nations not spending enough of their GDP on their military and defense infrastructure, in accordance with their treaty obligations, and most more or less relying on the US's military (and nuclear) umbrella to threaten would-be attackers.This has long been the NATO state of affairs, but under the Trump administration, the US made it a point of contention. And though it's been a relatively slow process—it's not easy for a government to pivot toward that scale of remilitarization—these nations have agreed to a 5% of GDP target for defense and defense-related spending by 2035, and in the last year alone, European and Canadian defense spending has increase by 20%; not all of which is immediately convertible into useful, front-line assets and soldiers, but it does represent a significant change to the status quo, which could eventually, in less than a decade, result in a European front-line that's more European and less NATO, for the first time since that immediate post-WWII period.This meeting also featured a reaffirmation of Article 5, which has always been there and in effect, but some analysis has questioned whether NATO allies, including the US, would actually step up if Russia were to attack the Baltics, for instance. This is a seemingly small move that serves to underline that stance of, if you attack one of us, you've attacked all of us, at a moment in which Russia seems to be toying with the idea of picking off pieces of the alliance, to see if they can get away with it, like they did with Crimea back in 2014.There were also announcements related to a fresh $50 billion in defense industry deals, NATO members investing heavily in US-made arms and new assets from elsewhere across the bloc, and a lot of that money is going to drone-war infrastructure and militarized AI models that they hope will prepare NATO for current and next-generation conflicts. Another $217 billion in additional financing commitments from banks across the bloc have also been announced.Ukraine scored some pretty big wins at this year's NATO summit, getting a license from the US to build Patriot interceptors, the lack of which have resulted in big gaps in the country's defense system, and about $80 billion in military equipment, assistance, and training for Ukrainian forces was committed by the bloc. There was also a verbal commitment that NATO and its allies “stand united in our unwavering support for Ukraine in defending its freedom, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.” Which isn't nothing, at a moment in which the US is led by Trump, a person who has frequently sided with Putin in Ukraine-related matters.Ukraine has also signed some bilateral drone deals with NATO member states, reaffirming that Ukraine has become one of the most in-demand experts on this subject, at a moment in which it's becoming clearer and clearer that low-cost, high-impact drones and similar technologies are likely to dominate battlefields for the foreseeable future.There were also some tensions, mostly sparked by Trump, over his administration's desire to buy Greenland, which is not a notion that's supported by anyone else in the bloc, and the lack of NATO support for the US's war in Iran.Overall, though, there was a decent sense of unity and progress, and Ukraine, again, not a NATO member state, but a nation that hopes to eventually join NATO, received a warm welcome and a bunch of support, which hasn't always been the case at recent summits.Part of that warmth is likely the consequence of Ukraine's recent victories on and off the battlefield.Russian continues to pummel Ukrainian cities and kill Ukrainian soldiers and civilians en masse, but Ukraine has managed to keep them from gobbling up territory on scale, and in some recents months, has actually taken territory back. They've also gotten very good at successfully attacking Russian infrastructure, especially energy infrastructure, like oil refineries, cargo tankers, and energy storage facilities, across the entire expanse of Russia; something few experts would have predicted that Ukraine would be capable of doing at the beginning of this conflict. This has dramatically weakened Russia's economy, at least in the short-term.Ukraine now has a thriving defense industry, predicated on the rapid iteration of inexpensive but disproportionately sophisticated arms, especially drones and other aerial weapons, but also autonomous speed boats and other such asymmetric systems. Russia has been frantically upgrading its systems, too, but now that Ukraine has figured out methods for bypassing or overwhelming Russian defenses, it's been able to strike, quickly and repeatedly, high-value targets that have brought the war home to normal Russians who live far from the front lines, even in Moscow. That combined with strategies and weapons that have turned the frontlines into a meat-grinder for Russian soldiers has weighed heavily on Russian morale, at least for those with boots on the ground.As a consequence of those energy infrastructure attacks, the Russian government has been forced to ration some types of energy product—a huge embarrassment for a country that has at times been called a gas station run by a mafia, their energy products are fundamental to who they are, and their economy—and Russians in Crimea, which was taken from Ukraine more than a decade ago, have been fleeing, as this peninsula is close to Ukraine, is part of Ukraine, just occupied by Russia right now, and has several vulnerable arteries through which people and supplies are shipped from Russia, and those arteries have been frequently attacked and are difficult to protect.Ukraine is still persistently on the back foot, then, and still facing an enemy that has essentially every advantage, from money to manpower to foreign support to the size of its arsenal.Against all odds, though, Ukraine continues to not just hold its ground, but to build up its military capabilities, innovate on existing models, and perform high-leverage attacks against its in every way superior invader; which is, in turn, netting it more support from outside allies that have, at times, wavered—and that's especially true of the US under the Trump administration, but until recently the EU's support has also been hamstrung by the recently usurped Hungarian leader, and Putin ally, Viktor Orbán. Following Orbán's ouster, the EU was able to move forward with paused support commitments, though, and while Trump is still holding back on much of the same from the US, there's a chance that more success by Ukraine will continue to tip the balance away from total freeze-out, to more, and more substantial, if perhaps still grudging, support.Show Noteshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NATOhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Ankara_NATO_summithttps://understandingwar.org/research/russia-ukraine/russian-occupation-update-july-9-2026/https://acleddata.com/monitor/ukraine-conflict-monitorhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russo-Ukrainian_war_(2022%E2%80%93present)https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/08/world/europe/a-license-to-make-patriot-defense-systems-may-be-a-big-boost-for-ukraine.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/06/world/europe/ukraine-russia-patriot-air-defense.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/07/04/world/europe/ukraine-russia-crimea-war-strikes.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/09/world/europe/ukraine-patriots-trump-russia.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/08/world/europe/russia-nato-europe-ukraine.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/07/world/europe/nato-trump-rutte-ankara-turkey.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/03/world/europe/putin-ukraine-donbas-battlefield-visit.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/03/world/europe/russia-gas-shortages.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/02/world/europe/russia-ukraine-military-battlefield.htmlhttps://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-oil-trump-zelenskyy-putin-6cb5602f1cf309533ed0cf5c734e19d8https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c70yd1g67z5ohttps://www.france24.com/en/russia-bans-oil-exports-as-ukraine-strikes-cause-fuel-shortageshttps://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/ukraine-creates-long-range-military-071810180.htmlhttps://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/10/ukraine-russia-crimea-fuel-oil.htmlhttps://www.dw.com/ru/reuters-rf-perekryla-azovodonskoj-kanal-posle-atak-bpla/a-77913327https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/10/politics/senators-agreement-trump-administration-russia-sanctionshttps://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jul/10/ukraine-war-briefing-kyiv-reaches-political-agreement-with-us-on-patriot-interceptor-production-licenceshttps://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/09/nato-trump-rutte-ukraine-russia-us-iran.htmlhttps://www.atlanticcouncil.org/dispatches/eleven-takeaways-from-the-nato-summit-in-ankara/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/8/five-key-takeaways-from-the-nato-summit-in-ankarahttps://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/8/nato-pledges-70-billion-euros-for-ukraine-as-trump-praises-peace-progress This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit letsknowthings.substack.com/subscribe

Headline: The Great Divergence and Geopolitical Climate Shocks Guest: Professor Peter Frankopan Book Title:The Earth Transformed: An Untold History The "Great Divergence" explains why Europe accelerated in science and technology over Asia despite the latter's long history of learning. Frankopan suggests that geography played a crucial role; for example, England's coal fields were located near its capital and waterways, whereas China's were far from its population centers, making exploitation expensive. Additionally, while China's efficient bureaucracy stifled new ideas, European competition and the exploitation of colonial resources provided a "kickstart" for industrialization. Climate shocks also played a role; the Bengal famine in the 1770s shattered state revenues and destroyed families. A specific instance of climate impacting geopolitics occurred after the 1783 Laki eruption. As the Ottoman Empire struggled with internal disorder and crop failure in Egypt, Catherine the Great seized the opportunity to annex Crimea. This highlights how ecological pressures can distract major powers, allowing rivals to redraw global maps. (6)1900 JULIAETTA IDAHO

In this episode of The PDB Situation Report: The ceasefire between the United States and Iran has officially collapsed, with both sides once again exchanging military strikes across the Middle East. Former White House National Security Council official Richard Goldberg joins the show to break down what triggered the renewed fighting, what comes next, and whether the region is now headed toward a broader conflict. Ukraine's campaign against Russia's energy infrastructure appears to be delivering real results, as fuel shortages spread across parts of Russia and occupied Crimea. Open Source Intelligence Analyst Ryan McBeth joins us to explain how Kyiv's strategy is straining Moscow's war effort and what it could mean for the conflict going forward. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President's Daily Brief by visiting https://PDBPremium.com. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief.  YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief Acre Gold: Turn your pocket change into physical 24-karat gold and enter to win a limited-edition Hot Wheels gold bar at https://GetAcreGold.com/PDB QUO: Make this the season where no opportunity slips away. Try QUO for free PLUS get 20% off your first 6 months when you go to https://Quo.com/PDB HomeServe: Protect your home systems from expensive repairs with https://HomeServe.com/dailybriefand get 50% off your first year of coverage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Day 1,595.Ukraine strikes yet more Russian shadow fleet tankers in the Black Sea, bringing their total to more than 30 in just four days. Adelie reports on how Kyiv's latest strikes on oil facilities has President Putin feeling the mounting frustration of ordinary Russians. Then we hear from our correspondents in Ankara who reflect on “a Nato summit of two halves,” where Donald Trump's bombastic remarks about Greenland and Spain gave way to discord and, apparently, love in the Turkish capital. Finally, Latvia's foreign minister looks ahead to the next meeting of Nato countries.Contributors:Adelie Pojzman-Pontay (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @Adeliepjz on X.Sophie O'Sullivan (Telegraph journalist).Sophia Yan (Senior Foreign Correspondent). @Sophia_yan on X.Joe Barnes (Diplomatic Editor). @Barnes_Joe on X.Roland Oliphant (Chief Foreign Analyst). @RolandOliphant on X.Producer: Phil AtkinsSenior Producer: Lilian FawcettVideo Producer: Sophie O'SullivanSocial Producer: Tom SteedStudio Director: Meghan SearleExecutive Editor: Francis DearnleyCreated by David KnowlesNOW IN FULL VIDEO WITH MAPS & BATTLEFIELD FOOTAGE:Every episode is now available on our YouTube channel shortly after the release of the audio version. You will find it here: https://www.youtube.com/@UkraineTheLatest CONTENT REFERENCED:North Korea Supplies Up to 40% of Russia's Artillery Shells, Ukrainian Intel Says (Kyiv Post)https://www.kyivpost.com/post/79862The Nato member powering Europe's rearmament (Sophia Yan for The Telegraph)https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/07/09/how-turkey-became-new-pillar-european-defence/Ukraine has ‘two months before Putin escalates war' (Joe Barnes and Sophia Yan for The Telegraph)https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/07/09/ukraine-has-two-months-end-war-or-face-massive-escalation/Listen to our sister podcast Iran: The Latest for updates on the conflict in the Middle Easthttps://linktr.ee/IranTheLatestEMAIL US:Contact the team on ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk. We continue to read every message, and seek to respond to as many as possible.HIGHLIGHTS:Ukraine strikes over 30 Russian tankers in four daysTrump gushes about “tremendous unity” at Nato summit Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gaius and Germanicus examine the escalating tensions between Poland and Russia. They analyze reports regarding Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk's warnings of critical months ahead and potential Russian provocations. Germanicuscontends that NATO is the primary provocateur, asserting that European leaders have become complacent and dependent on the Ukraine war to suppress domestic crises, such as the migration issue. They discuss the historical enmity between the two nations, noting Poland's potential interest in territory in Western Ukraine. While Gaius highlights reports of Russian vulnerability, such as fuel rationing and states of emergency in Crimea, Germanicus remains skeptical of Western media narratives. He views the "hysteria" in Western headlines as an indication of the West's inability to accept an impending defeat. Germanicus argues that Putin is a cautious leader who will likely wait for a culminating phase rather than falling for tit-for-tat provocations. The discussion concludes with the observation that both sides are preparing for a potential expansion of the war, perhaps involving Belarus, as the conflict enters a chaotic and unpredictable final stage. (2)1919 VERSAILLES

In this episode of The PDB Situation Report: Ukraine is tightening the noose around Crimea while Russian civilians grapple with growing fuel shortages at home. Retired Lt. General Ben Hodges joins us to explain what this new phase of the war could mean—and whether mounting pressure inside Russia is beginning to change the strategic picture. The U.S. and Iran have wrapped another round of indirect talks, but the biggest disputes remain unresolved. Behnam Ben Taleblu of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies joins us to break down where negotiations stand, what's still dividing both sides, and what comes next. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President's Daily Brief by visiting https://PDBPremium.com. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief. YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief Fox One: Sign up at https://fox.com to watch The PDB show and more on-demand with FOX One. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SCHEDULE OF THE JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW, 7-1--2026.1804 GREENWICHRick Fisher discusses China's Tiangong space station, which is set to double in size by 2030 and host international partners. He highlights dual-use military concerns and potential plans for a lunar toll booth at the L2 Lagrange point to control access to the moon. (1)Jim Fanell explains China's "salami slicing" tactics in the maritime domain, using law enforcement vessels to claim sovereign jurisdiction over waters east of Taiwan. He recommends the U.S. counter these moves by sending an aircraft carrier strike group through the Taiwan Strait to assert international law. (2)Steve Yates analyzes China's Ethnic Unity Law, which codifies ethnonationalism and criminalizes the denial of Chinese identity even for those outside the PRC. The law targets Taiwanese identity and may lead to the extradition of critics, reflecting the CCP's focus on total ideological control. (3)Gordon Chang and Steve Yates discuss the alarm in Beijing after a small aircraft crashed into the CITIC Tower, highlighting vulnerabilities in China's air defenses near the leadership compound. The incident shattered the narrative of an impervious security state, raising fears that drones could easily strike the capital. (4)Bob Zimmerman discusses Rocket Lab's acquisition of Iridium for $8 billion, signaling a trend toward vertical integration. He also covers Blue Origin's investigation into a launchpad explosion and SpaceX's Star Mind data constellation, emphasizing the importance of corporate transparency and risk-taking in the space industry. (5)Bob Zimmerman reports that NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman is streamlining the Artemis program by focusing on a lunar base and leveraging private sector contracts for landers and infrastructure. Meanwhile, the Boeing Starlinerprogram is likely dead following poor performance and the Inspector General's recommendation to halt further funding. (6)Bob Zimmerman examines new spaceports in Sweden, Oman, and Australia, noting geographical and financial challenges. He criticizes India's ISRO for a lack of transparency regarding delays in the Gaganyaan manned mission and undisclosed rocket failures, warning that such secrecy breeds public distrust. (7)Bob Zimmerman reports research showing weightlessness harms reproduction in mice, suggesting humans will need artificial gravity for long-term missions. On Mars, Curiosity discovered unique polygon ridges, possibly indicating ancient water. Additionally, New Horizons confirmed the solar wind slows at the solar system's edge. (8)Professor Evan Ellis discusses the two massive earthquakes that struck Venezuela, causing widespread destruction due to corrupt building practices and neglected infrastructure. The U.S. military has deployed 900 personnel for relief as the illegitimate Rodriguez government struggles to provide an effective humanitarian response to the mounting tragedy. (9)Professor Evan Ellis analyzes the challenges facing President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella, who must reverse fiscal mismanagement while navigating a divided Congress. His administration plans a hardline stance against illegal armed groups like the ELN and FARC to restore state authority and encourage foreign investment in the mining and oil sectors. (10)Professor Evan Ellis reports that Keiko Fujimori is the declared victor in Peru's election, promising a pro-security, pro-U.S. agenda despite continued economic ties with China. Meanwhile, Bolivia remains unstable as President Rodrigo Paznavigates an economic crisis, currency devaluation, and ongoing pressure from former leader Evo Morales. (11)Professor Evan Ellis discusses the U.S. decision not to renew the USMCA, maintaining leverage over Mexico regarding security and immigration. In Argentina, a cabinet resignation due to corruption investigations highlights vulnerabilities for President Milei's administration despite his successful macroeconomic turnarounds and libertarian policies that have improved the country's financial standing. (12)Simon Constable reports on the breaking of a severe European heat wave and shifting commodity prices, with Brentcrude seeing a significant drop. In the UK, Andy Burnham is positioned as a potential new Prime Minister, though there are calls for a general election. (13)Michael Bernstam reports that Ukrainian drone strikes have taken 28% of Russian oil refineries out of commission, causing widespread fuel shortages and forcing Russia to import gasoline. Vladimir Putin admitted the situation is "difficult" as Crimea faces crises in fuel, food, and water due to severed supply routes. (14)Anne Stevenson-Yang describes the collapse of China's real estate market, where half-empty apartment towers in ghost cities now offer cheap rent to young workers. Municipalities are burdened with massive debt from failed development projects, and building maintenance is deteriorating as developers walk away. (15)Justin Leopold Cohen discusses the trilateral framework between Israel, Lebanon, and the U.S. that aims to disarm Hezbollah, though the group has rejected the terms. Despite reduced Iranian power, Hezbollah remains a heavily armed proxy, maintaining extensive tunnel networks and continuing clashes with the IDF along the border. (16)Each file is now a single paragraph, John — headlines and guest lines fully folded in, numbering intact at the tail. Let me know if anything needs another pass.