Podcasts about Crimea

Professor Jesse Kaufman returns to The Common Bridge to deliver a sobering assessment of the Ukraine-Russia war three years after the invasion began. What started as a discussion about territorial disputes has revealed itself as something far more fundamental: Russia's existential denial of Ukrainian nationhood.Kaufman shatters common misconceptions about the conflict, explaining that contrary to popular belief, NATO expansion didn't trigger the war. Rather, Ukraine sought NATO protection only after Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. The professor offers rare perspective on both Ukrainian resilience and Russian strategic failures, drawing from his extensive regional expertise and recent visits to Poland where he witnessed the refugee crisis firsthand—notably populated almost exclusively by women and children, as Ukrainian men remained to fight.The conversation takes a particularly revealing turn when examining President Zelensky's precarious position. "Zelensky is a dead man," Kaufman states bluntly, explaining why Ukraine's leader faces permanent FSB targeting regardless of the war's outcome. This existential threat explains why Zelensky famously declared "I'm not playing cards" during his controversial White House meeting—a statement mockingly misinterpreted by many observers.Perhaps most concerning is Kaufman's assessment of Europe's defense capabilities. Despite pledges to increase military spending, European nations have become "thoroughly civilianized," lacking both the will and capability to defend themselves without American support. As Kaufman puts it, "I just don't see Jens from West Berlin trying to stab somebody in a trench in East Ukraine."For anyone seeking to understand why this conflict defies simple diplomatic solutions, this conversation provides profound insights into why, for Ukrainians, this truly is a fight for "existence or annihilation." Subscribe to The Common Bridge for more nuanced, nonpartisan discussions on today's most pressing geopolitical challenges.Support the showEngage the conversation on Substack at The Common Bridge!

Breaking news on multiple legal fronts. Deportation cases pit the White House against a string of judges, including one who says he's got reason to find the administration in contempt.  Plus, is there a ceiling to the amount of weight popular medications for obesity and diabetes can help someone lose? CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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In today's war diary, Nikolai Feldman and Alexey Arestovich discussed the main news on the 1139th day of war:➤ 00:00 Tragedy with dead children in Krivoy Rog: how is Trump reacting to what happened and why doesn't he call things out?➤ 03:10 Trump did not impose tariffs on Russia .. why?.➤ 03:47 Ukraine's red line in US-RF negotiations: the minimum sufficiency of the Ukrainian army is 250 thousand.➤ 06:50 Putin's other demands on Ukraine generally do comply with the Constitution.➤ 07:25 European diplomacy: illusions about red lines and security guarantees.➤ 09:42 The deployment of a foreign contingent of peacekeeping troops in Ukraine is another illusion and imitation of Europe having a position.➤ 17:00 Why don't the US, Russia and China take Europe into account?➤ 19:13 Ukrainians need to be hunters of hunters, capable of striking back at the enemy. To do this, they need to stop lying to themselves.➤ 23:25 Why is it inadequate to strike at Russian territory in response to a strike at Krivoy Rog?➤ 28:25 Moral authority in war. Trump communicates with Putin despite the murders of Ukrainian children, and accepts Putin's ultimatums. How to cope with the moral dilemma of killing civilians and children?➤ 42:35 Low ball - we were attacked, so we can do anything...?➤ 43:25 What can the "Rammstein" contact group on defense of Ukraine be capable of without the United States at a meeting on April 11?➤ 45:12 The state authorities of Ukraine are deliberately lying to their citizens, in particular, about the power and assistance of Europe.Olexiy Arestovych (Kiev): Advisor to the Office of Ukraine President : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oleksiy_ArestovychOfficial channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjWy2g76QZf7QLEwx4cB46gNikolay Feldman - Ukranian journalist, social researcher, blogger.

1/2: A Disaster of Our Own X: How the West Lost Ukraine Hardcover – October 22, 2024 X by  Brandon J. Weichert  (Author) 1855 CRIMEA

How Should Donald Trump Approach Russian President Vladimir Putin's Ukraine Plans? And could the American president's tariffs impact military strategy? In this week's episode, Christina Ruffini and co-host Sir Richard Dearlove, former head of Britain's MI6, are joined by retired four-star United States General Philip Breedlove who served as NATO's Supreme Allied Commander in Europe from 2013-2016, during the time of Russia's annexation of Crimea. Breedlove's career has been influential in shaping U.S. military air strategy domestically and abroad. He discusses the impact President Donald Trump's tariff plans have had on military preparedness and strategy, the fortification of NATO, Ukraine's defense strategy, and how Trump can negotiate a ceasefire agreement with Russia. Plus, with decades of conflict experience under their belts, Dearlove and Gen. Breedlove share stories about working in the field. Episode produced by Situation Room Studios. Original music composed and produced by Leo Sidran.

Benyamin Poghosyan - US-Iran, Gyumri, Armenia MFA Blames Artsakh, Negotiations with AzerbaijanGroong Week in Review - April 6, 2025TopicsUS Iran EscalationAftermath of Gyumri and ParakarMFA blames Artsakh for Regional IsolationBullets and PeaceGuestBenyamin PoghosyanHostsHovik ManucharyanAsbed BedrossianEpisode 426 | Recorded: April 8, 2025Subscribe and follow us everywhere you are: linktr.ee/groong

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - The following statement was taken from Aaron Gunn's Twitter feed - I am firmly opposed to Putin's heinous and illegal actions in Ukraine, and his oppression of the Russian people within Russia. I have held and articulated these views publicly for years. In early 2014, when I was still in my early 20s, I made foolish comments about Putin and Ukraine. I stopped holding those views a long time ago. Canada must support Ukraine in their defence against Russia's illegal invasion, including by building pipelines to tidewater to displace Russian oil and gas and stop the funding of Putin's war machine. A point I have made consistently in documentaries and viral videos since their second illegal invasion in 2022. Conservatives have a proud history of supporting Ukraine. It was under a Conservative government (Brian Mulroney) that on December 2, 1991, Canada became the first Western country to recognize Ukraine's independence from the Soviet Union. Conservatives were the ones who successfully negotiated the Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement. Stephen Harper led the charge to kick Russia out of the G7 following their invasion of Crimea. I'm proud to continue this legacy of support for Ukraine as they continue their fight against Russia's illegal invasion.

Darrell Castle talks about efforts to end the war in Ukraine as well as the apparent military buildup in the Middle East for a coming US attack against Iran and its Nuclear Research Facilities. Transcription / Notes PEACE WITH RUSSIA—WAR WITH IRAN Hello, this is Darrell Castle with today's Castle Report. This is Friday the 4th day of April in the year of our Lord 2025. I will be talking about efforts to end the war in Ukraine as well as a recent New York Times article which attempts to explain the war against Russia. I will also talk a little about the apparent military buildup in the Middle East for a coming US attack against Iran and its Nuclear Research Facilities. Last Sunday, March 30, 2025, the New York Times published an extensive article by investigative reporter Adam Entous entitled “The Partnership: The Secret History of the War in Ukraine.” Mr. Entous claims to have interviewed many sources in various countries while working on the report which he says took over a year to complete. His report provides some answers to the question of how Ukraine was able to effectively keep Russia at bay and on the defensive for over three years. You know my position by now that the Times has become nothing more than a mouthpiece for the Democrat Party so this article which started a year before the presidential election is puzzling. I suppose the idea is that it can't hurt Biden now so why not publish and reveal what many of us have suspected all along. I certainly suspected it but I admit that I didn't suspect the extent of US involvement alleged by the Times article. Mr. Entous would have had to talk to and probably clear his article through some very high-ranking individuals and the Russians were certain to see it right at the time when negotiations with Putin are at a critical stage. The article then, is an admission to Putin of America's vast involvement in and orchestration of the war conducted by the United States directly against nuclear armed Russia. “The United States was woven into the killing of Russian soldiers on sovereign Russian soil.” The article alleges that the United Staes waged and is still waging an undeclared, unauthorized war against Russia. American officers, some deployed inside Ukraine, have been selecting targets for attack and authorizing individual strikes, making those officers in essence combatants. The article presents a picture of the war in which the American military, entered into an informal partnership with the Ukrainian Government and the US planned everything Ukraine did. Everything from large scale troop movements to every long-range strike were planned by American officers who even directed Ukraine's counter-offensives. The Americans decided what Russian troops and civilian targets to attack, transmitted targeting data and launch codes to the Ukrainians for the weapons provided by the taxpayers of the United States. The intelligence gathering system was vast including satellite surveillance as well as people on the ground, and it allowed for everything from big picture battle strategy down to precise targeting information for individual soldiers on the field. The US command center in Wiesbaden, Germany oversaw and reviewed each long-range HIMARS missile strike against Russians and advised Ukrainians of how to position their launchers and how to most effectively time the strikes. One European intelligence officer quoted in the article said that the US was so closely involved that it was effectively part of the “kill-chain.” The American effort was known as Task Force Dragon and was far more detailed and involved than I have time to review in this report. The last thing I will say is that the US provided information that allowed for the sinking of the Moskva, the flagship of the Russian Black Sea fleet and also the missile attack against Kerch bridge which runs from the Russian mainland to Crimea. Well folks, this information and a lot more than I have mentione...

UKRAINE, WISCONSIN, BURNING THE REICHSTAG & THE REALITIES OF GRASSROOTS / WEB ORGANIZING We start GREEP Zoom #218 with our laureate MIMI GERMAN & her fabulous poetry. With TATANKA BRICCA we then celebrate the birthday of the great CESAR CHAVEZ & The United Farmworkers Union. The Green Party's HOWIE HAWKINS & Ukrainian engineer DENYS BONDAR relate the realities of Putin's “hybrid nuclear war” that combines the horrors of atomic weapons and power plants. Denys reminds us of the Budapest Memorandum in which Ukraine thought it had traded the warheads it inherited from the former Soviet Union in exchange for peace & security. Howie tells us of the brave Ukrainians staying behind the maintain the Ukrainian reactors to keep them from causing another Chernobyl-sized disaster despite being tortured by the Russians. We also hear that Putin has destroyed 70% of Ukraine's wind power while Vampirizing the juice from Crimea's solar panels. The question of whether mass rallies can become more than photo ops through the use of QR codes is discussed by organizer GINI LESTER & computer guru LEE FELSENSTEIN. Howie then wonders if organizers at April 5 rallies throughout the country. Ohio's SANDY BOLZENIUS lauds the decentralized nature of these pro-democracy rallies nationwide. Solar homeowner PAUL NEWMAN of Healthcare For Us describes using cell phone hotspots to link into rallies. We hear further MURTZA MURTI about using a MailChimp page to further working groups for democratic progress. A call for a working group comes from Lee Felsenstein. Howie refers us to the book subtitled THE MASS PROTEST DECADE & THE MISSING REVOLUTION. Re-localization is advocated for us by MIKE HERSH. The history of the farmworkers is revisited by Tatanka. Recalling her radio interview with Dolores Huerta is LYNN FEINERMAN. We finish with Tatanka conjuring up Communities of Resistance to carry us through the coming Reichstag Fire & fascist putsch, where we will begin again next week.     

Send us a textWhy does the Western narrative on Ukraine feel so one-sided? In this episode of the Open Minds Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Ivan Katchanovski, a Ukrainian-Canadian political scientist whose peer-reviewed research sheds a sobering light on Ukraine's internal divisions, the roots of war, and the media's oversimplified story. We talk about Crimea, Donbas, NATO and the infamous Maidan sniper massacre—an event that reshaped Ukraine and global geopolitics. Dr. Katchanovski's insights challenge widely held beliefs and force us to ask: what do we really know about this war?Inside GenevaInside Geneva is a podcast about global politics, humanitarian issues, & international aidListen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the showVisit my NEW Website! https://www.christopherbalkaran.comCheck out my Instagram/Tik Tok for daily posts: Instagram @openmindspodTiktok @openmindspodcast

Unlocking Self-Love and Relationship Intelligence with Iryna Wood Irynawood.com About the Guest(s): Iryna Wood is a dedicated relationship expert and the inventive mind behind the self-improvement app "Gemini Near Me." Hailing from Crimea, Ukraine, with a robust background in counseling and psychology, Iryna has devoted over 12 years to helping clients uncover the power of self-love and relationship intelligence. Her career journey took her from launching a successful company in Monaco to moving to the United States, where she continues to pursue her passion for empowering others. Iryna also co-hosts the podcast "Relationships is a Bitch" alongside AJ Benza and Mike Agovino. Episode Summary: This episode of The Chris Voss Show features an illuminating conversation with Iryna Wood, a relationship expert and app developer, about empowering individuals through self-awareness and emotional intelligence. Chris Voss and Iryna explore the innovative "Gemini Near Me" app, which offers a suite of features designed to promote self-love and relational intelligence. The app includes motivational features like Dream Interpretation, Astrology Guidance, Numerology Compatibility, and a personalized AI counselor named Iryna AI. Iryna emphasizes the app's commitment to aiding singles and couples in their journey toward better relationships through self-discovery. With motivational quotes, intentional meditations, and relationship intelligence classes, the app provides a multi-faceted approach to personal growth and development. Iryna's professional journey—from her Ukrainian roots and innovative endeavors in France to her vibrant life in the US—adds depth and inspiration to the discussion. Together, she and Chris highlight the importance of self-awareness and mindful relationships in achieving personal fulfillment. Key Takeaways: Gemini Near Me's Features: The app integrates diverse tools such as dream interpretation, astrology, and numerology, designed to foster self-discovery and relational intelligence for both singles and couples. Iryna AI: A 24/7 pocket counselor within the app, offering guidance and self-reflective prompts, encouraging users to explore their feelings and gain insights into their personal and relational dynamics. The Power of Self-Love: Iryna underscores the significance of understanding and loving oneself to enhance relationships with others. Iryna's Inspirational Journey: From business ventures in France to co-hosting a podcast in the US, Iryna shares her rich history and how it shaped her passion for relationship coaching. Empowering Women: Iryna's book, "Who Cares About Your Ex?", aims to bolster women's self-esteem and independence, advocating for authenticity and personal growth. Notable Quotes: "Be curious. Be passionate about yourself. Be intrigued about yourself because everybody's unique for a reason." "The app is for your daily self-work… Iryna AI, it's your 24/7 pocket counselor always there for you." "I don't believe in impossible until you're alive." "Since you're interested in yourself, you can see yourself from very different angles, and you can study yourself, your character, your personality, your persona…" "Relationships is a Bitch" - The podcast title reflecting the complex yet rewarding nature of relationships.

In this bonus episode of Escalation, you'll hear our conversation with Evelyn Farkas, who is the Executive Director for The McCain Institute, and served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia in the Obama Administration. Farkas describes the US government's reaction to the invasion of Crimea, and discussions over aid to Ukraine. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today's war diary, Nikolai Sobolev and Alexey Arestovich discussed the main news on the 1119th day of war:➤ 00:00 Nikolay Sobolev: Who is Alexey Arestovich?➤ 02:07 What is the "new world" and what was the "old" one?➤ 05:33 Trump's arrival - a step back in building the security architecture of the modern world?➤ 06:19 Four years of Trump, Musk and Vance - a reaction or a revolution?➤ 07:30 What's wrong with the liberal democratic project? Time for the fall of idols.➤ 10:40 Is Trump's rhetoric ethical? Trump is a technical "good", a figure of transition. He does not bring something new, he destroys the old.➤ 12:56 Conspiracy theories.➤ 15:41 Who is J.D. Vance? His biography is a set of crises. Mature thinking in the category of the common good.➤ 20:55 Can humanity overcome wars? There will be wars as long as politics exists. Politics will exist as long as there is a difference between people. Wars can become less intense thanks to the economy.➤ 24:00 The hot phase of the war may end in 2025. Ukraine is a "sacred wound" for Russia. Russia will never leave Ukraine alone. What to do about it?➤ 27:28 The project for an independent Ukraine has failed.➤ 28:30 The deal on rare earth metals is the best possible guarantee of Ukraine's security. Only the Russian Federation can give Ukraine the other real guarantee of security. Ukraine's proposal to Russia.➤ 32:54 Criticism of the "UPA dugouts".➤ 33:41 What could be the contours of the "Minsk-3" peace agreement? People calling for "fighting to the last Ukrainian" are not in Ukraine themselves.➤ 35:36 The key point of the peace agreement is the number of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. A deal with the Russian Federation is possible if Trump offers bonuses that exceed the Kremlin's fears regarding the numbers of the Ukrainian army.➤ 38:49 Corruption in a country at war: Zelensky organized it. These schemes will be made public later. He does not think in terms of the common good.➤ 40:12 Zelensky's political hypocrisy. Plans to create a special tribunal to investigate decisions made since 2014 as a vaccination for future Ukrainian politicians - there should be no impunity.➤ 42:12 Russian military aggression and its hybrid operations. Fire in the House of Trade Unions in Odessa. Criticism of the glorification of murderers. The state approach to the common good for Ukraine.➤ 46:20 The state is order: the security service must protect language and society.➤ 47:00 Grants and American influence in Ukraine. Political emigration - the danger has not been removed yet. Understanding the cause-and-effect mechanisms of war.➤ 49:00 Narratives promoted by the West since 2004: the victim is always right; you were a colony of Russia; you must contain Russia. Hundreds of millions of dollars were allocated to them.➤ 50:45 When Oleksiy Arestovych becomes the president of Ukraine: rethinking the imperial and Soviet past.➤ 53:45 What percentage of Ukrainians support the war party? Sociology is losing relevance when the global background changes.➤ 55:25 "I don't want to. But you have no choice." I am the next president and the only one who will ensure peace. Accept this as a fact. If not me, Ukraine will not cope.➤ 58:45 We must end democracy. We will all die if we follow democratic mechanisms. We need direct presidential rule and a state of emergency.➤ 59:51 Symphony instead of Empire: my architecture of the future. I am not going to be a monarch. I want to build a Ukrainian Symphony based on Arestovich.➤ 01:01:09 If you are the first representative of Earth with aliens, what will you say?➤ 01:02:15 One-way intergalactic travel. Personal evolution: Ukraine is a canvas on which I want to paint something beyond beautiful.Olexiy Arestovych (Kiev): Advisor to the Office of Ukraine President : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oleksiy_ArestovychOfficial channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjWy2g76QZf7QLEwx4cB46gNikolay Feldman - Ukranian journalist, social researcher, blogger.

Tonight on Veritas, our special guest is George Webb. For decades, the truth about Ukraine has been buried beneath propaganda, political maneuvering, and outright deception. The narrative we've been given is simple - Russia is the aggressor, Ukraine is the victim, and the West is simply defending democracy. But what if that's not the full story? What if this war was provoked, orchestrated, and prolonged by forces that never had Ukraine's best interests in mind? What if everything you've been told about this war is a lie? Tonight, we break it all down. This is not just another discussion about Ukraine. This is a deep, chronological, and no-holds-barred examination of the forces that shaped this conflict - from the creation of the Soviet Union to NATO's relentless march eastward, from the 2014 coup to the war in Donbass, and from Volodymyr Zelensky's meteoric rise to the manufactured hero he's become. We're going to ask the hard questions no one else dares to ask. Why did Khrushchev hand Crimea to Ukraine, and was it ever really Ukrainian? Did the U.S. actively sabotage peace negotiations to keep this war going? And is this war truly about democracy - or is it about world dominance? We'll expose how NATO's expansion was never about security, but about cornering Russia. How the 2014 coup wasn't about freedom, but about installing a puppet regime. How Zelensky wasn't a leader chosen by the people, but an actor groomed by an oligarch and backed by the West. And most importantly - who really benefits from this war? Because it's not the Ukrainian people. It's not the American taxpayer. And it's certainly not the families being torn apart by the bloodshed. No fluff. No spin. Just the cold, hard truth.

In this week's episode Chris Wright is joined by: Labour's Member of the London Assembly for Merton and Wandsworth since 2016, Leonie Cooper, Jean-Monnet Professor of European Integration at the National University of Ireland Maynooth, John O'Brennan, and finally, former longtime editor of the Sunday Mirror, Nigel Nelson.Topics:Rachel Reeves's Spring StatementIs it a choice between tackling growth or inequality? John's strong stance on Putin as a European expert.The Axis of China, Russia, North Korea, and IranIs their method to Trump's diplomatic bulldozing of the international community? Early signs of authoritarianism in the US.The conversation covers Rachel Reeves' recent Spring Statement, the implications of austerity measures, the impact of Brexit on the UK economy, and the evolving dynamics of international relations, particularly concerning the Ukraine conflict and the role of the United States in global security. The conversation delves into the complexities of the Ukraine war, the integration of Russian-speaking minorities in the Baltic states, and the geopolitical implications of NATO and EU expansion. The speakers discuss the current military situation in Ukraine, the challenges of negotiating peace with Russia, and the ongoing occupation of Crimea. They also explore the rise of strongman leaders globally and the state of American democracy, emphasizing the importance of a free press in maintaining democratic values.We hope you enjoy this episode and feel free to get in touch with messages, comments or feedback at tom@soundsapien.com This podcast is published by New Thinking: www.newthinking.com

In this episode, Alex talks about why he is starting to take Trump's rhetoric involving Greenland more seriously. As JD and Usha Vance are set to visit Greenland, Alex worries that Greenland is Trump's Crimea. He worries that Trump will use international security, minority opinion, and strategic necessity as pretexts to try and take the Danish territory. 

"In my composition, I mixed the sound of an air raid siren in Prague, Czechia; the sound of a metronome as a symbol of time's relentless march and history's cyclical nature; two voices: a child repeating after his mother the names of Ukrainian cities; and an old Ukrainian folk song, Grey Goose, sung dramatically by a solo a cappella female voice (Yulia Volovik). "I chose the air raid siren in Prague because this sound triggers my feelings about the painful facts I have lived with since 2014. How come 1968 and 2014 are connected in my mind? I didn't reflect enough on the Soviet invasion of Prague in 1968. I was just a little child then, but later, I learned about the eight people (the only eight people in the entire USSR) who were brave and noble enough to protest on Red Square. They became my gods. I later met one of them, Natalia Gorbanevskaya, in Paris, and we stayed in touch for a while. I considered her to be much more human than I was, and I wasn't able to make friends with her. I regret that. "In 2014, Russia annexed Crimea. I didn't live in Russia at the time, but I visited it sometimes. It was shameful to see how many of my former compatriots expressed happiness over this annexation (although "annexation" was a prohibited word; they referred to it as a "reunion"). At the same time, Russia started a war in Eastern Ukraine. It wasn't the large-scale war we see today, but it was still real. I felt the parallel between 1968 and 2014, so I interviewed my mother to recall her memories of the moment when the USSR Czechoslovakia, and through this, to try to understand why such interventions and annexations could take place. This interview became the voiceover for my experimental film-performance Chronicles on the Laps. "Later, Russia launched its full-scale invasion, and this war is now in its fourth year. In 2022, I helped Ukrainians who fled the war find homes in another country. This is a devastating, never-ending pain. I can only imagine the anguish of those whose homes were bombed and destroyed, whose loved ones were tortured and killed. "I hope I have explained my choice of the inspirational heritage recording and how it connects to the work I've created." Air raid siren in Prague reimagined by Rūta Jauška. ——————— This sound is part of the Sonic Heritage project, exploring the sounds of the world's most famous sights. Find out more and explore the whole project: https://www.citiesandmemory.com/heritage

MUSIC Thirty Seconds to Mars and Billie Eilish have been targets in a Russian disinformation campaign that promised both acts would be playing in Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014.   This could be seriously awesome:  Lizzo is going to star in a biopic about Sister Rosetta Tharpe . . . also known as the Godmother of Rock and Roll.   Your weekly Jelly Roll news: Jelly Roll and his wife, Bunnie Xo, are still trying to have a baby through IVF.    Evanescence will release a new single called "Afterlife" on Friday that's taken from the new Netflix animated series Devil May Cry, which is out on April 3rd.   Incubus frontman Brandon Boyd says they've finished their ninth album with a single due out in the summer and album in October.    TV Jennifer Aniston and Pedro Pascal are NOT together ... despite tons of speculation that the two are an item.   MOVING ON INTO MOVIE NEWS: George Clooney won't be a romantic interest in any more movies.   Gene Hackman allegedly didn't name his three estranged children in his will, but they could still inherit his $80 million fortune. AND FINALLY "The Office" is 20 years old this week . . . so "Rolling Stone" put together a list of its 25 Best Moments.    Here's the Top 10: 1.  Kevin Spills the Chili:  From "Casual Friday", Season 5. 2.  Jim Kisses Pam:  From "Casino Night", Season 2. 3.  Prison Mike Scares Dunder Mifflin Straight:  From "The Convict", Season 3. 4.  Pam Hugs Michael at the Airport:  From "Goodbye, Michael", Season 7  5.  Michael Explains How He Grilled His Foot:  From "The Injury", Season 2.  6.  Bandit Takes a Dive:  From "Stress Release", Season 5. 7.  Michael Scott Returns:  From "Finale", Season 9. 8.  Michael Kisses Oscar:  From "Gay Witch Hunt", Season 3. 9.  The Dinner Party House Tour:  From "The Dinner Party", Season 4. 10.  The Diversity Day Meeting Falls Apart:  From "Diversity Day", Season 1. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When Ukraine's new president backs out of a deal with the EU, thousands of Ukrainians protest in Kyiv's main square. The West watches as Russia invades parts of Eastern Ukraine & Crimea. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Danny and Derek welcome back to the program Mark Ames, co-host of Radio War Nerd, to talk about where things stand in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. They discuss Trump and Putin's relationship, the state of the Russian economy, the situation on the ground in Ukraine, Zelensky and Trump's infamous meeting, the so-called "minerals deal", Trump potentially recognizing Crimea as Russian territory, and more. Subscribe now for the full episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cap

Donald Trump has fawned over authoritarians and dictators and strives to emulate them. What do dictators do? They expoit weaker countries and expand their territory. Hitler had the Aunschlus where he annexed Austria, Putin has Ukraine, and Trump wants Canada and Greenland. The international community allowed Putin to take Crimea with little repercussions. Could Trump be interested in doing the same thing to Canada? What is the evidence? Do I have Trump Derangement Syndrome? Is he just joking? Is this a negotiation tactic?  There has been a lot of fear mongering going around on social media. Canadians are hearing about leaked maps from the US showing invasion plans of Canada. US audiences are hearing horror stories about Canada's drugs and tariffs hurting Americans. What are the facts? This is a job for The Rational View! Come find me on Youtube and Instagram.  Send me your opinions on Facebook

00:00:00 - The guys joke about the audio quality and encourage listeners to use their imagination with the audio-only format. Mike shares stories from the homestead, including his dog chasing off a fox. Paranormal topics teased: haunted TVs, pyramids, and the bizarre superhero "Nun Man." 00:10:00 - Haunted television deep dive: The hosts discuss horror movies (Poltergeist, The Ring) and historical tech-related ghost stories. Early TV tech led to paranoia and ghost sightings, with theories even suggesting TVs might one day tune into the spirit world. 00:20:00 - Stories from the 1950s about ghostly faces burned into screens. Examples of TVs reacting to dog whistles and phone rings due to early remote tech. Some people blamed TVs for violent crimes or demonic possession. A bizarre UK broadcast interruption from 1977 features a message from the "Ashtar Galactic Command." 00:30:00 - The 2000 Crimea alien broadcast incident is discussed: a green humanoid appeared on TVs during the night, speaking an unknown language. A similar case happened in Portugal. The hosts speculate that TVs may induce altered states allowing alien contact. Mike critiques ghost tours that play up theatrics instead of treating the paranormal seriously. 00:40:00 - The haunted New Zealand parliament tour includes tales of mysterious deaths, ghost cats, and singing ghosts in the bathroom. Mike prefers serious presentations over costumed actors. A story is shared about a lawmaker's skull being stolen and recovered decades later. 00:50:00 - The “Nun Man” story unfolds: a Dominican man lived 22 years as a nun after being mistaken for a girl. He fathered children in two different convents before being exposed. His story inspired books and TV shows and has modern-day relevance to gender discussions. 01:00:00 - More on Nun Man: he never met his child and lives today as a tailor. Headlines follow: AI art loses copyright protection, and a Missing 411 Kickstarter campaign for a new documentary is launched. Mike plans to back the project and encourages listeners to support it. 01:10:00 - David Paulides' new Missing 411: National Parks film aims to investigate missing persons cases using new access laws. Mike discusses the strange refusal of national parks to release missing persons lists. Trey Hudson from The Meadow Project may appear on the show for updates. 01:20:00 - A caller celebrates finishing the entire OBDM back catalog. Mike reminisces about old co-hosts and plays sound drops from musician RT. Discussion shifts to an odd viral incident where a man confronts a Tesla driver, highlighting the increasing tribalism around electric vehicles. 01:30:00 - The hosts revisit Gene Simmons' canceled solo tour due to low ticket sales and overpriced packages. They contrast it with more reasonably priced artists and joke about how out of touch Simmons is despite being worth $400 million. 01:40:00 - A 65-foot penis painted on a Berlin school roof is visible on Google Earth. The school's failed attempts to cover it up only made it more ridiculous. The prank is measured in “Ryan Reynolds” units, naturally. 01:50:00 - A wolf-dog hybrid in India sells for over €5.3 million. The dog's beefy look sparks jokes and speculation about its behavior. The buyer makes money by charging people to take selfies with his dogs. 02:00:00 - Microsoft now locks AI features in Notepad and Paint behind a paywall, requiring a Microsoft 365 subscription. The team vents about creeping subscription models, including how WordPad is now discontinued and users are pushed toward cloud-based apps. 02:10:00 - Microsoft urges Windows 10 users to “just buy a new PC” to use Windows 11, triggering frustration. The hosts share stories of how OS upgrades are often disruptive and how both Apple and Microsoft are alienating users with forced changes and bloated features.   - Affiliates Links - Jackery:  https://shrsl.com/3cxhf Barebones:  https://bit.ly/3G38773  - OBDM Merch - https://obdm.creator-spring.com/ Buy Tea! Mike's wife makes some good tea: Naked Gardener Teas: https://www.thenakedgardener.us/store Bags Art Store: https://www.redbubble.com/people/BagsDraws/   Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research ▀▄▀▄▀ CONTACT LINKS ▀▄▀▄▀ ► Phone: 614-388-9109 ► Skype: ourbigdumbmouth ► Website: http://obdmpod.com ► Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/obdmpod ► Full Videos at Odysee: https://odysee.com/@obdm:0 ► Twitter: https://twitter.com/obdmpod ► Instagram: obdmpod ► Email: ourbigdumbmouth at gmail ► RSS: http://ourbigdumbmouth.libsyn.com/rss ► iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/our-big-dumb-mouth/id261189509?mt=2  

In today's war diary, Nikolai Feldman and Alexey Arestovich discussed the main news on the 1118th day of war:➤ 00:00 Ukrainian Armed Forces in Kursk Oblast: “communication within the framework of strategic policy.”➤ 04:54 Forbes: is the Russian army exhausted?➤ 11:40 Prospects for the Konstantinovsky and Kursk districts.➤ 13:29 Possible negotiations on March 18: is there a chance to return the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant?➤ 15:10 Can Trump recognize Crimea as Russian?➤ 16:11 Reuters: Trump is not pressuring Ukraine about demilitarization.➤ 17:55 Recognizing Crimea as Russian - what can it give Trump?➤ 19:18 Why doesn't Ukraine exchange currently impossible NATO membership for real bonuses?➤ 21:00 The Telegraph: Trump's plan and tactics towards Ukraine correspond to Kellogg's plan, which was written a year ago. What can Trump use to pressure Russia?➤ 24:44 If the US and Russia do not reach an understanding on March 18, what could happen?➤ 26:55 Can the US block the Russian shadow fleet?➤ 27:15 The Washington Post: dismantling the Ukrainian state. Putin's model for maintaining  his power.➤ 31:31 Why can Putin agree to a truce?➤ 33:00 Can't Russia quickly stop the war?➤ 35:25 The US has withdrawn from the group investigating Russian war crimes in Ukraine.➤ 38:25 Whose opinion on normalizing relations with Russia does NATO Secretary General Rutte express and can NATO put pressure on Russia?➤ 44:40 World War III: who can start it?➤ 48:17 Politico: What can the EU replace the purchase of American military equipment with?Olexiy Arestovych (Kiev): Advisor to the Office of Ukraine President : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oleksiy_ArestovychOfficial channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjWy2g76QZf7QLEwx4cB46gNikolay Feldman - Ukranian journalist, social researcher, blogger.

Send us a textOn this episode, we sit down with Vladyslav Tsarenko, CEO at All4band Design, an artwork and design studio for rock and metal bands, and guitarist with multiple musical projects, originally from Ukraine now living in Prague, Czech Republic. We talk about how music was his shared language and cultural currency that helped him navigate numerous moves from Kharkiv, Ukraine to Yevpatoria in Crimea and then another move to Prague, Czech Republic. Not only his interest in music, but his ability to play guitar served as his entry point to making new connections and forming tight relationships. During our conversation , we discuss Linkin Park, Metallica, Bullet for My Valentine, Architects, Snow Patrol, and Vlad's instrumental project, Sad Saint.  Check out All4Band Design: Website, Instagram, and Facebook Vlad's Instrumental Project, Sad Saint on YouTube Vlad's post-rock project, Diary of My Misanthropy on YouTubeFollow your hosts David, Raza, and Carolina every other week as they embark on an epic adventure to find the songs that are stuck to us like audible tattoos that tell the story of who we are and where we've been, to help us figure out where we're going. It's a life story told through 6 songs.WHO WE AREDAVID: Creator & Host @ALifeinSixSongsFacilitator & Educator | Music-Based Healing | Musician | Curiosity with Loving KindnessCAROLINA: Co-Host @ALifeinSixSongsStoryteller | Professional FacilitatorRAZA: Co-Host @ALifeinSixSongsLawyer | Producer | Solo Project: Solamente | @razaismynameRESOURCES & LINKSLiked songs from this life story? Check out A Life in Six Songs playlist on Apple Music and SpotifyFollow A Life in Six Songs on Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTubeAre you a veteran who is struggling? Call the Veterans Crisis Line: Dial 988, then press 1.Support our work!Subscribe to our YouTube channel Don't keep us all to yourself! Share our podcast with your people!Reach out to us at alifeinsixsongspodcast@gmail.comSupport the showCopyright Disclaimer: Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, commentary, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit or educational use tips the balance in favor of fair use. The original work played in this video has been significantly transformed for the purpose of commentary, criticism, and education.

As Israel launches the deadliest attack on Gaza since the ceasefire began, Nada AlTaher and Hannah McCarthy join Andrew Mueller to discuss the effects of the strikes. Plus: the US considers recognising Crimea as Russian, the Pope pens a letter and we explore E-Estonia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

APAC stocks were mostly higher after the advances on Wall Street with light catalysts otherwise light.Israel's military said it conducted extensive strikes and targets belonging to Hamas in Gaza.European equity futures indicate a positive cash market open with Euro Stoxx 50 futures up 0.4% after the cash market closed with gains of 0.8% on Monday.DXY is steady above the 103.50 mark, EUR/USD is back on a 1.09 handle, JPY lags again, Cable is eyeing 1.30. US President Trump's administration is reportedly considering recognising Ukraine's Crimea region as Russian territory, according to Semafor citing sources.Looking ahead, highlights include German/EZ ZEW, Canadian Inflation, US Industrial Production, Imports/Exports, Japanese Exports/Imports, German Bundestag third reading on fiscal reform (vote), US President Trump-Russian President Putin Call, Speakers including ECB's Escriva & NVIDIA CEO Huang.Read the full report covering Equities, Forex, Fixed Income, Commodites and more on Newsquawk

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. ----------SILICON CURTAIN FILM FUNDRAISERA project to make a documentary film in Ukraine, to raise awareness of Ukraine's struggle and in supporting a team running aid convoys to Ukraine's front-line towns.https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur first live events this year in Lviv and Kyiv were a huge success. Now we need to maintain this momentum, and change the tide towards a Ukrainian victory. The Silicon Curtain Roadshow is an ambitious campaign to run a minimum of 12 events in 2025, and potentially many more. We may add more venues to the program, depending on the success of the fundraising campaign. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasWe need to scale up our support for Ukraine, and these events are designed to have a major impact. Your support in making it happen is greatly appreciated. All events will be recorded professionally and published for free on the Silicon Curtain channel. Where possible, we will also live-stream events.https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------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 ----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Save Ukrainehttps://www.saveukraineua.org/Superhumans - 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/kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and Przemyślhttps://kharpp.com/NOR DOG Animal Rescuehttps://www.nor-dog.org/home/----------PLATFORMS:Twitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSiliconInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/siliconcurtain/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqmLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------Welcome to the Silicon Curtain podcast. Please like and subscribe if you like the content we produce. It will really help to increase the popularity of our content in YouTube's algorithm. Our material is now being made available on popular podcasting platforms as well, such as Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Host Paul Pacelli opened another week on "Connecticut Today" pointing out the hypocrisy of majority Democrats in Hartford when it comes to lowering state electric bills (00:38). Greenwich GOP State Sen. Ryan Fazio joined us to discuss last week's committee votes regarding bills to try and lower electricity rates for Connecticut consumers (15:26). We also welcomed Greta Lynn Uhling, author of, "DECOLONIZING UKRAINE: The Indigenous People of Crimea and Pathways to Freedom" (23:15) Image Credit: iStock / Getty Images Plus

In today's war diary, Nikolai Feldman and Alexey Arestovich discussed the main news on the 1111th day of war:➤ 00:00 Kursk operation: a catastrophic problem for the Ukrainian army under the same scenario with encirclement.➤ 02:39 The "cauldron" .. Again..: what conclusions should be drawn right now?➤ 06:11 What will happen after the retreat of the Ukrainian Armed Forces from the Kursk region?➤ 11:59 Why is the Supreme Commander-in-Chief not accelerating peace negotiations, given the situation in the Kursk region? What is the logic?➤ 14:10 Public polling data from Russia and Ukraine: about trust in US President Trump, and  Zelensky's conduct of negotiations.➤ 16:51 Did Zelensky meet with Democrats for bipartisan support prior to meeting with Trump in the Oval Office?➤ 21:30 How to recognize a Ukrainian patriot?➤ 24:55 Has Europe woken up?! On military aid to Ukraine and the Ukrainian military-industrial complex in garages.➤ 29:23 French President Macron: address to the nation, entering a new era, threat from Russia, nuclear umbrella over Europe. Will the French economy switch to a war-mode of production? — Reality is the main traitor for Europeans.➤ 33:33 For Ukrainians: reality must be dehumanized, cause-and-effect relationships must be cut.➤ 37:00 When will Ukraine meet reality?➤ 39:40 It is impossible to save those who do not want to be saved.➤ 46:05 Can Ukraine count on Europe?➤ 48:35 Patriot missile stockpiles in Ukraine may run out in a few weeks. How can negotiations in Riyadh proceed given this fact?➤ 51:00 Why should Russia agree not to use ballistic missiles on Ukrainian territory?➤ 57:10 I never thought I'd be watching tens of millions of people go crazy on live TV.➤ 57:57 Tymoshenko called on the Rada to stop the war. Fighting until 2030 is Europe's true attitude toward Ukraine.➤ 01:01:30 Russians act like they've already won. BUT there's a nuance...Olexiy Arestovych (Kiev): Advisor to the Office of Ukraine President : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oleksiy_ArestovychOfficial channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjWy2g76QZf7QLEwx4cB46gNikolay Feldman - Ukranian journalist, social researcher, blogger.

Darrell talks about several things that taken together, in his opinion, represent an attempt by President Trump to reset the global order. Transcription / Notes RESETTING THE GLOBAL ORDER Hello, this is Darrell Castle with today's Castle Report. This is Friday the 14th day of March in the year of our Lord 2025. I will be talking about several things that taken together, in my opinion, represent an attempt by President Trump to reset the global order. Some of those things include a proposal for a ceasefire in Ukraine, along with the US and Europe's special relationship and the attitude of the US toward Russia. US national security advisor Mike Waltz and Secretary of State Marco Rubio went to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia for talks with Ukrainian officials about a proposal for ending the Ukraine/Russia war. It's a very difficult thing to end a war unless you are able to raise your flag over the enemy capitol. Getting two warring sides to just stop fighting and stand in place is very difficult because one side or the other always has the advantage or momentum and wants to keep it. This particular peace conference was apparently brokered by the Saudis who had several representatives in attendance. One important party missing from the meeting was Russia which will obviously have to be onboard if the ceasefire has any chance of working. Ukraine agreed to the discussions and quickly agreed to the deal when Zelensky's visit to the oval office didn't go so well and Trump cut off aid and Intelligence information to Ukraine. Without that intelligence including targeting information, Ukraine could not prosecute the war so Zelensky swallowed his pride and accepted the deal. Now, it has to go to Russia for approval and that might be difficult because Russia seems to think it has the advantage. Several Russian missile attacks against Ukraine have occurred since the deal was made but that is probably just trying to appear dominant before Putin talks to Trump or whoever it turns out to be. This ceasefire proposal is set to last for 30 days as a way to start negotiations to end the war. Again, it's difficult because both sides think they have won or at least should win and winners expect to dictate terms not to negotiate. Trump's attitude has been to let Zelensky know that the US billions were going to stop flowing and it is in his best interest to make the best deal possible. That deal will not include NATO membership or a US guarantee of security for Ukraine, hopefully. Why couldn't Europe just admit Ukraine to NATO on its own? No, it can't because admitting new members has to be unanimous. Rubio was quoted as saying that Ukraine has to be ready to do difficult things and Russia would also have to make difficult decisions. When asked what difficult decisions he said that both sides would have to conclude that the conflict could not be resolved by military means. Rubio said that the President wants the war to end and Ukraine has accepted that premise and we hope the Russians will accept it as well. My interpretation of that diplomat speak is that Ukraine will have to permanently concede the eastern Russian speaking provinces along with Crimea to Russia. Who will maintain this proposed ceasefire line, I'm not sure but I hope it's not the USA just as it does in Korea. No, that would be very unacceptable and I hope that Trump would not go along. Yesterday, in advance of any US—Russia meeting Putin rejected the ceasefire as proposed without “substantial changes.” He said he wanted the root cause of the conflict eliminated but he did not say what he thinks the root cause is. He wants guarantees that the Ukrainians will not mobilize, train soldiers or receive weapons during the ceasefire. These proposals seem reasonable assuming that Putin would also agree to abide by them although his announcement did not say that he would. He made the announcement just as the American envoy, Steve Witkoff was arriving in Moscow so perhaps Mr.

Eric and Eliot welcome Lt. Col. (ret.) Alexander Vindman, former director for Europe on the National Security Council during the first Trump term and author of The Folly of Realism: How the West Deceived Itself about Russia and Betrayed Ukraine (New York: Public Affairs Press, 2025). They discuss the U.S. government's prioritization of US-Russia relations over Ukraine policy across multiple Administrations and the tendency towards a transactional relationship with Ukraine as well as the degree of agency and responsibility of Ukrainian officials for this chronic state of affairs. They touch on the Obama Administration's underwhelming response to the seizure of Crimea and destabilization of Ukraine in 2014 as well as Trump's vulgar transactionalism and personal grudge against Zelensky as a motivation for the Oval Office meltdown two weeks ago. Eric and Eliot also discuss their respective articles in the Dispatch and the Atlantic on Russia's habit of violating agreements it has reached and Ukraine's success in fighting a war of attrition against Russia despite the media's misreporting of the state of the war. They also discuss the generational damage to American alliances and national security intellectual capital that the second Trump term is creating, Trump hostage envoy Adam Boehler's direct negotiation with Hamas terrorists, Trump's mistaken reference to Viktor Orban as the leader of Turkey, and Elon Musk and Marco Rubio's trashing of Poland's Foreign Minister on Twitter. The Folly of Realism: How the West Deceived Itself About Russia and Betrayed Ukraine: https://a.co/d/dTa2qN8 Eric & Frank Miller's latest on Russian treaty violations: https://thedispatch.com/article/russia-history-broken-treaties-agreements/ Eliot & Phillips O'Brien's latest on the rate of attrition in Ukraine: https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2025/03/russia-ukraine-war-status/681963/ Eliot on the Trump administration's reputational damage to the U.S.: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/03/buzz-saw-pine-forest/681984/ Shield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.

Ron interviews an expert on Ukraine and discusses the war with Russia and it's possible resolve..... Guest: Greta Lynn Uehling "Decolonizing Ukraine: The Indigenous People of Crimea and Ukraine""

This week we talk about Euromaidan, minerals deals, and propaganda.We also discuss European security, NATO, and the western-led world order.Recommended Book: Storm Front by Jim ButcherTranscriptIn February of 2014, pro-Russian protests racked parts of southeastern Ukraine and Russian soldiers, their uniforms and weapons stripped of flags and other identifying markers, occupied another part of Ukraine called Crimea.This was seemingly in response to Ukraine's overthrow of its pro-Russian president, Viktor Yanukovych, who was toppled as part of the Euromaidan protests, which were themselves a response to Yanukovych deciding to aim for closer ties with Russia, rather than signing an association agreement with the EU, which would have committed Ukraine to several EU-oriented reforms, related to corruption, among other things, while also giving Ukrainians many new rights, including visa-free movement and access to the European Investment Bank, beginning a few years later, in 2017.This sudden pivot away from the EU and toward Russia didn't go down well with the Ukrainian public, which had repeatedly shown it wanted to lean toward the west, and the Euromaidan protests were focused on weeding out government corruption; the existing government was accused of being all sorts of corrupt, and had also been accused of human rights abuses and allowing Russian oligarchs undo influence at the highest rungs of power; Yanukovych was in Russia's pocket, basically, and his overthrow made Russia worry that they would lose control of their neighbor.So Russia moved in to take part of Ukraine, basically uncontested, both internally and externally—a lot of other governments made upset noises about this, but Russia gave itself cover by removing their flags from their personnel, and that gave them the ability to paint everything that happened as a natural uprising from within Ukraine, the people wanting freedom from their Ukrainian oppressors, and Russia was just supporting this cry to overthrow oppressive tyrants, because they're very nice and love freedom.For the next eight years, the Ukrainian government fought separatist forces, funded and reinforced by the Russian government, in the southeastern portion of their country, while Russia expanded their infrastructure in Crimea, which again, they stole from Ukraine early on, and where they previously leased vital naval facilities from Ukraine; and those facilities are assumed to be a big part of why all this went down the way it did, as without said naval facilities, they wouldn't have a naval presence in the Black Sea.Then, in February of 2022, after a multi-month buildup of troops and military hardware along their shared border, which they provided all sorts of excuses for, and which many commentators and governments around the world excused as just a bunch of saber-rattling, nothing to worry about, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, initially aiming for a blitzkrieg-like assault that was meant to take Ukraine's capital city, Kyiv, and decapitate the country's government within just days, at which point they could replace the government with someone who's working for them, another puppet they controlled.As of the day I'm recording this, in early March of 2025, the war is still ongoing, though. And in the years since it began, it's estimated that more than a million people have been killed or injured, while entire cities across Ukraine have been leveled and tens of thousands of Ukrainian refugees have fled Russia's forces as they've raped and pillaged and murdered their way across the Ukrainian countryside, those refugees leaving for destinations around the world, but creating a refugee crisis in nearby European nations like Poland and Germany, in particular.There's been a lot of back and forth in this conflict, Russia initially thought to have a massive upper hand, probably winning within days, as intended, but then Ukraine held fast, Russia redeployed its troops and armor, Ukraine got some remarkable counter-attacks in, and then Russia started to reset its economy to allow for a more drawn-out conflict.As of early 2025, Russia is once against considered to have the upper-hand, and though Ukraine has been holding the line even in the most under-assault regions in the eastern portion of its territory, and has in recent weeks managed to take some Russian-held territory back, Russia's comparably larger number of troops, its recent resupply of soldiers from North Korea, its larger economy and number of supply chains, and its relationships with entities like China and Iran, in addition to North Korea, all of which have been supplying it with things it needs to keep the war effort going, at length, have all conspired to put Ukraine on the back foot.Additionally, Ukraine is struggling, after this many years of total war, to refill empty boots and make do with whatever their allies can and will offer them, in terms of money, weapons, but also the basics, like food and fuel. They've been able to shore-up some limited aspects of their economy, and have innovated like crazy when it comes to things like drones and other fundamentals of asymmetric, defensive warfare, but right now at least, the larger forces swirling around in the geopolitical realm are making life difficult for Ukraine, and for those who are still supporting them.And that's what I'd like to talk about today; the continuing conflict in Ukraine, but especially what's happening on the sidelines, beyond the battle itself—and how those sideline happenings might lead to some fundamental changes in how Europe is organized, and the makeup of the modern world order.—At this point I've done probably half a dozen or more episodes on this conflict; it's long-lasting, it's big, it's important locally, but also globally, and it's been informing both geopolitical and economic outcomes since day one.Today I'd like to talk about some recent happenings, most of them from the past few months, that could prove impactful on the eventual outcome of this conflict, and might even determine when that end of fighting arrives.And at the center of these happenings is recently reelected US President Trump, who has always had a, let's call it unusual, public appreciation for Russian President Putin, and the strongman image he and other global authoritarians wield, while at the same time not being a big fan of Ukrainian President Zelensky—perhaps in part because Trump called Zelensky back in 2019 to try to get him to come up with evidence supporting a debunked conspiracy theory about his opponent, Joe Biden's administration, related to alleged impropriety in US-Ukrainian relations.Zelensky could find no such evidence, and when he told Trump there was nothing to be found, Trump blocked payments on $400 million worth of military aid for Ukraine, holding it hostage until Zelensky came up with what he wanted. This became a big scandal only after the fact, and before it could be made public or became known by congress via a whistleblower complaint, Trump released the money. This led to a formal impeachment inquiry into Trump later that year, which led to his impeachment for abusing his power and obstructing Congress—but he was then acquitted by the Republican-led Senate.This, it's thought, may have colored Trump's behavior toward Zelensky when the two men sat down, alongside several other US officials, including US Vice President JD Vance, to discuss a potential mineral deal between the US and Ukraine, which was based on an earlier deal that the Ukrainian government dismissed.The original deal basically required that Ukraine exploit its mineral wealth and put half of the money it makes from those minerals into a fund that would be used to pay the US back for the military assistance it's provided so far, to the tune of $500 billion; which is quite a lot more than the $175 billion or so the US has spent on this conflict since Russia invaded, only $128 billion of which has directly aided the Ukrainian government, as opposed to funding US activities associated with the war, or supporting other affected countries thereabouts.So originally the US asked for more than double what's been provided so far, in return, paid for by Ukraine's mineral wealth, which includes a lot of the types of rare earth minerals that are vital for common modern technologies, like computers, batteries, and solar panels.That didn't fly, mostly because it didn't contain a security guarantee for Ukraine—the US saying it would protect them if necessary, basically, in exchange for this huge sum of money—so the new deal asked for $500 billion be placed in a fund, and that fund would be jointly controlled by the US and Ukraine, the funds used to rebuild the country after the war.50% of all revenues from Ukrainian natural resources newly exploited after the war, so not from existing mines and ports and such, would be put into this fund. Like the first time around, this deal didn't include a security agreement from the US, but the general idea was that this fund would incentivize new investment in the area, and because Ukraine has a lot of unexploited mineral wealth, this could give the US a new source for these sorts of valuable raw materials that are currently mostly controlled by China, but which the US government is attempting to claim more of, now that it's realized it's way behind on locking down sources of these really important things.At the meeting where this second deal was meant to be signed, though, Zelensky flying to the US to sit down with Trump to make it happen, the President and Vice President more or less verbally attacked Zelensky, criticizing him for not being more overtly grateful, and telling him he was wrong when he said that Russia started the war by invading Ukraine.It was all pretty bizarre, and even folks in Trump's own party seemed pretty puzzled by the whole thing, some of them calling it embarrassing, as Trump and Vance were basically parroting Putin's propaganda that no one actually believes because they ignore easily verifiable facts.In any event, this led to a lot of fallout between the US and Ukrainian governments, with Trump suggesting he would lean more heavily on Ukraine to get them to accept peace on Russia's terms, because the Ukrainians couldn't see reason and accept his version of reality, essentially.Trump has also suggested that he's been talking a lot with Putin, and that he believes Putin wants peace, and it's time to end the war. Putin, for his part, has not seemed inclined to give up anything in order to achieve peace, and Russian attacks on Ukraine have increased in scale since Trump came into office, and even more so after talks about a supposed peace agreement began.All of which has had implications on the ground.In Ukraine, Ukrainian soldiers have had to operate with fewer resources, as Trump cut off additional funding and supply shipments, post-meeting. He recently ordered that the US not share intelligence with them, too, and they cut off the sharing of satellite imagery, which Ukraine has used to great effect to strike Russian targets from a distance.This has also had implications across Europe, though, as while Ukraine is being invaded now, there are concerns that if Putin gets away with taking part or all of Ukraine, he'll go for other previous Soviet assets, next, maybe starting with the Baltic nations—Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania—and then tearing off chunks of Poland, Finland, or other neighbors that were previously part of the Soviet Union, like eastern Germany.The European Union, despite a fair bit of warning about Trump's stance on the issue, and the possibility that he would return to office, has been seemingly dumbstruck by Trump's sudden pivot away from supporting Ukraine, and away from NATO more broadly, toward a stance that favors Russia, instead. European governments have been scrambling to come up with an aid package that will replace some of what the US would have given, and have started sharing more intelligence, as well, including satellite imagery.It won't be easy, though, as the US versions of these things, from monetary resources to eyes in the sky vastly outshine what even the combination of British, French, and German assets can offer—at least at this stage. And the US has traditionally handled the lion's share of spending and building in these areas, shouldering the majority of NATO spending, because, well, it could, and that was a major premise of the post-WWII, western-led world order. The US said it would protect global capitalist democracies with its military might and nukes, if necessary, and European nations have been generally happy with this setup as it has generally allowed European governments to spend less money on their militaries and more on other stuff.That state of affairs seems to have ended, or at the very least become too unreliable to bet on, though, so EU nations are attempting to fill in the gaps left by the suddenly less-reliable-seeming US government, not just for Ukraine, but for themselves, as well.Poland's president recently announced that he wants to develop nuclear weapons and wants every adult male to undergo military training, so the country can field an army 500,000-strong.The French president has said he wants to extend his country's nuclear umbrella—guaranteed deterrence, basically, using nuclear weapons—to the whole of the EU. France has far fewer nukes than the US and Russia, but this captures a sense of the moment in the Union, where a bunch of currently underfunded militaries are realizing they might not be able to rely on the US in a pinch. And while they collectively have a lot more people and resources than Russia, Russia is fully mobilized and has shown itself to be willing to attack sovereign nations, whenever it pleases, caring a lot less for the human lives it spends, in the process, than is typical in western-style democracies.Even short of full-scale, out of nowhere invasions, Russia could pose a threat to European governments via asymmetrical routes. It's been seemingly approving all sorts of espionage operations meant to increase immigration arrivals in European nations where immigration is already a hot-button issue, nudging politics to the far-right, and it's allegedly been attacking infrastructure, in terms of hacking and just blowing stuff up, in order to sow discord and fear.As I mentioned earlier, too, part of Germany was previously held by the Soviet Union, and that same part of the country has recently voted heavily in favor of the country's furthest-right party, which wants stronger ties with Russia. So while conventional military issues are at the forefront of discussion, right now, Russia's long history of asymmetric warfare is also getting a fair bit of attention, as it could conceivably use these groups as a casus belli to attack, carving off pieces of its European neighbors and slowly incorporating them into its sphere of influence, similar to what it did in Ukraine, beginning in 2014; if eastern Germany supports Russia, it could fund and in other ways support uprising efforts in these regions, creating chaos and potentially even breaking off separatist states that would pull those regions into Russia's orbit.It's a tumultuous moment in this part of the world, then, in part because of the conflict that's still ongoing—a much larger and more powerful nation having invaded its smaller, less-powerful neighbor. But it's also tumultuous because of the implications of that conflict, especially if Russia comes out on top. If they win, there would seem to be a far greater chance of their deciding to keep the ball rolling, replicating a model that worked (without significant long-term consequences) across more neighboring nations.And if they can do that before Europe reinforces itself—assuming that's what the EU does, as it can be difficult to get a bunch of people with a bunch of at times competing interests to agree on anything, and even more so when said agreement involves both money and potentially sending civilians into harm's way—if Russia can get there before a new, restructured and reinforced Europe emerges, we could see another, similar conflict soon, and this one could be even more successful than the last, if Russia tweaks its formula to make it more effective, and European governments succumb to war weariness, exhausted by the war in Ukraine, in the meantime.Show Noteshttps://www.cfr.org/article/how-much-us-aid-going-ukrainehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trump%E2%80%93Ukraine_scandalhttps://www.csis.org/analysis/breaking-down-us-ukraine-minerals-dealhttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/08/world/europe/ukraine-russia-north-korea-kursk.htmlhttps://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/03/08/zelensky-trump-fallout-ukraine/https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/04/world/europe/ukraine-us-trump-military-support.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/06/us/politics/ukraine-zelensky-trump-russia.htmlhttps://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-dobropillya-us-intelligence-3d0bad105a93933e9cdaca5cf31fcf74https://mwi.westpoint.edu/no-substitute-for-victory-how-to-negotiate-from-a-position-of-strength-to-end-the-russo-ukraine-war/https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/eu-leaders-cautiously-welcome-macrons-nuclear-umbrella-offer-2025-03-06/https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/07/world/europe/bulgarians-guilty-spying-russia-uk.htmlhttps://www.politico.com/news/2025/03/08/europe-scrambles-to-aid-ukraine-after-us-intelligence-cutoff-00219678https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9wpy9x890wohttps://www.cbsnews.com/news/keith-kellogg-ukraine-intelligence-sharing-pause/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce8yz5dk82wohttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/07/world/us-ukraine-satellite-imagery.htmlhttps://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c05m907r39qohttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/07/us/politics/trump-russia-sanctions-tariffs.htmlhttps://www.csis.org/analysis/ukraines-future-vision-and-current-capabilities-waging-ai-enabled-autonomous-warfarehttps://www.politico.eu/article/donald-tusk-plan-train-poland-men-military-service-russiahttps://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2025/03/08/poland-says-it-plans-to-give-every-adult-male-military-traininghttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/22/world/europe/ukraine-trump-minerals.htmlhttps://apnews.com/article/ten-days-that-upended-us-support-for-ukraine-8930c01a15910a7ad8a7f7c7fac9ba3ahttps://www.wsj.com/world/white-house-and-ukraine-close-in-on-deal-for-mineral-rights-e924c672https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/ukraine-us-still-ironing-parts-191805611.htmlhttps://www.reuters.com/business/us-could-cut-ukraines-access-starlink-internet-services-over-minerals-say-2025-02-22/https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/25/world/europe/ukraine-minerals-deal.htmlhttps://www.cnn.com/2025/02/26/europe/ukraine-us-mineral-resources-deal-explained-intl-latam/index.htmlhttps://www.spglobal.com/commodity-insights/en/news-research/latest-news/electric-power/122624-eu-moving-to-develop-infrastructure-for-nuclear-energy-expansion-officialshttps://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-03-07/european-stocks-see-most-inflows-in-decade-amid-defense-splurgehttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/10/business/ai-summit-paris.htmlhttps://apnews.com/article/germany-ukraine-debt-brake-economy-military-spending-74be8e96d8515ddddd53a99a69957651https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/03/03/world/europe/ukraine-russia-war-drones-deaths.html?unlocked_article_code=1.2U4.b15Z.1EA4tDb_37Bqhttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/10/world/europe/ukraine-russia-eastern-front-line.htmlhttps://www.iiss.org/online-analysis/military-balance/2025/02/combat-losses-and-manpower-challenges-underscore-the-importance-of-mass-in-ukraine/https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-march-7-2025https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euromaidanhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union%E2%80%93Ukraine_Association_Agreementhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russo-Ukrainian_Warhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_Russian_invasion_of_Ukraine_(1_January_2025_%E2%80%93_present) 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

Cutting Through the Chaos with Wallace Garneau – If we are honest with ourselves, Ukraine does not have any chance of taking the Donbas and Crimea back without direct military involvement from either NATO or from member states of NATO, and Crimea represents the only year-round ports Russia has. As such, access to Crimea is a hill Putin is willing to die on. This gives us three choices...

The Trump Administration seems to be taking steps to end the Ukrainian proxy war against Russia, in a significant shift of US foreign policy. This has led to renewed fervor by Democrats to keep the war going and talk of Europeans taking on greater weapons and other military support for Kiev. Clearing the FOG speaks with international human rights lawyer and author, Dan Kovalik, who has traveled to Ukraine and Russia many times since February 2022, about the genesis of the conflict, how it is viewed by Ukrainians in the Donbass Region and Crimea, the new approach by the US and the impact it will have on Ukraine, NATO and the European Union. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

Today we have on a super special guest, The Doodler! This is another on our technical series about art making and this time we're talking about lighting. Tantz suggested we interview The Doodler for this because she's Tantz's go-to person for lighting issues in scenes. It was great to chat with The Doodler about her lighting techniques and the different challenges presented by different scenes. The Doodler was much better at explaining the concepts than I could have been so it was a pleasure to have her on the cast! You might know the Doodler for her long running comic The Second Crimean war, about an alternate history of the Russian takeover of the Crimean region after the breakup of the Soviet Union in the 90s- this comic was created in 2010, before the modern takeover of Crimea in 2014. It's a popular and well drawn comic with top level artwork. It's mostly black and white with some limited use of colour. It's over 800 pages so it's a sizable chunk of comic to get into and I highly recommend it! Lighting is the most fundamental thing there is to visual art because it allows all things to be seen: a radiating body sheds light rays in straight lines around itself and these are absorbed or reflected off the objects they hit, in turn we see those objects because of the photons that are reflected into our eyes… It's MUCH more complex than that though. As comic artists we usually do things backwards: we draw line art, which would mean the default is that EVERYTHING is fully lit and visible, then we work out where the light comes from and what's in shadow. The simplest way to handle lighting in a comic is just to draw stuff as if there ware spotlights illuminating it all from the viewer perspective, like a stage play or TV sitcom- no shadows, full lighting. A more advanced, realistic approach suggested by The Doodler is to treat the image like a 3D space and work out where the light comes from (the sun, a flashlight, an overhead light etc), then ray trace from that point to work out what's in shadow and what's lit up. Listen to the interview to get a much better discussion on it than what I can write here! Gunwallace wasn't able to give us a theme this week so we're replaying his theme to The Second Crimean war - Heavy, grey winter skies, pregnant with snow and sadness. Cold snaps the brittle air, crystal daggers hang in the forest, a whistling breeze sings of desolation and loneliness. A thaw will be long in coming to this blighted world of war and suffering… Synth violins and cellos set the scene beautifully, touches of quiet bass and piano round out the landscape of the Second Crimean war. (Originally part of Quackcast 494) Topics and shownotes Links Our guest The Doodler! - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/The%20doodler/ Featured comic: Black Tiger - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/news/2025/mar/04/featured-comic-black-tiger/ Featured music: The Second Crimean war - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/The_Second_Crimean_War/ - by The doodler, rated T. Special thanks to: Gunwallace - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/Gunwallace/ Tantz Aerine - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/Tantz_Aerine/ Ozoneocean - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/ozoneocean Kawaiidaigakusei - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/kawaiidaigakusei Banes - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/Banes/ VIDEO exclusive! Become a subscriber on the $5 level and up to see our weekly Patreon video and get our advertising perks! - https://www.patreon.com/DrunkDuck Even at $1 you get your name with a link on the front page and a mention in the weekend newsposts! Join us on Discord - https://discordapp.com/invite/7NpJ8GS

                                     REVOLUTION!                           Phase One - Trump/Zelensky                The Black Spy Podcast, Season 19, Episode 0004   The Trump/Zelensky debacle in the Oval Office, showed as clearly, as did the Vietnam or Afghanistan end of US engagement optics did, that the United states has ended its adventure in the Ukraine. However, in addition to just this sign that an incoming President wanted to divest himself of a losing, frankly unwinnable war, President Trump is showing a true revolutionary zeal to change the whole US military, industrial and congressional complex. Now transactional business and not secret intelligence driven covert and overt warfare is no longer the preferred model to retain US world-wide hegemony. At least not with a military pier equivalent nation. Russia's "Special Military Operation" in Ukraine, initiated in February 2022, has been framed by the Kremlin as a response to various historical and geopolitical factors. One narrative emphasizes the presence of far-right elements in Ukraine, drawing connections to nationalist groups active during World War II. However, although most western experts reject the portrayal of Ukraine as a neo-Nazi state, noting that while far-right groups exist, they do not hold significant influence in the government or military, they nevertheless have little to say about such far right units killing 14,000 Russian heritaged Ukrainian civilian citizens since 2016. In the early stages of the Cold War, Western intelligence agencies, including the CIA and MI6, reportedly collaborated with former Ukrainian nationalist fighters to undermine Soviet authority. These covert operations aimed to exploit anti-Soviet sentiments. This lasted 10 years and saw the reported death of up to a 100,000 Soviet Citizens. In the end though, it has been stated by the west, that this had limited long-term impact. The 2014 Maidan uprising, which led to the ousting of Ukraine's pro-Russian president, is viewed by Russia as a Western-backed coup that shifted Ukraine towards Euro-Atlantic integration. This assertion is backed up by Sigint in which, Victoria Nuland, the officer in charge of Eastern Europe in the US State Department discussing which Ukrainian's leaders should or shouldn't rule the country with the American Ambassador to the Ukraine The recording ends with Nuland saying she'll have president Biden slap the person they chose to lead Ukraine on the back when they take power! NATO's eastward expansion since 1991 has been perceived by Russia as a direct threat to its security interests. Despite assurances in the 1990s about limiting NATO's growth, to not one inch outside of the then East Germany, the alliance has incorporated several Eastern European countries, heightening tensions, as it attempted to incorporate the Ukraine. The Minsk agreements, brokered by Germany and France, aimed to cease hostilities in Eastern Ukraine. Critics argue that, rather than fostering peace, these accords allowed Ukraine to strengthen its military capabilities, which was confirmed by both the German Chancellor Merkel and French President Holland after they left office. This act intensifying conflicts in regions with significant Russian-speaking populations, such as Donbas and Crimea. In summary, President Trump appeared to validate everything that Russia has hitherto stated is its reason for military actions in Ukraine. The Oval Office statements of President Trump and administration seemed to agree with the justification previously articulated by the Kremlin through a complex interplay of historical grievances, security concerns over NATO's expansion, and perceptions of Western interference in Ukraine's political trajectory meaning their is now little dispute between the US' causes for war and Russia's. As Trump continually states, there would have been no war if he were president! As always, please don't be afraid to contact us and put any questions you might have to any of the Black Spy Podcast team concerning this or any other of our fascinating subjects. And, if you want to continue learning whilst being entertained, please don't forget to subscribe to the Black Spy Podcast for free, so you'll never miss another episode. To contact Firgas Esack of the DAPS Agency go to Linked In To contact Dr. Rachel Taylor please use her Substack account. To contact Carlton King by utilising any of the following: To donate - Patreon.com/TheBlackSpyPodcast Email: carltonking2003@gmail.com Facebook: The Black Spy Podcast Facebook: Carlton King Author Twitter@Carlton_King Instagram@carltonkingauthor To read Carlton's Autobiography: “Black Ops – The incredible true story of a (Black) British secret agent” he incredible true story of a (Black) British secret agent”

¿Dónde están las raíces del mundo de hoy? En muchas partes, por supuesto, pero sin duda también en la guerra de Crimea: el primer conflicto moderno de la historia, quizás, y el origen de muchas de las tensiones que sacuden al mundo aún hoy.

*Qatar calls for safeguards for all Israeli nuclear facilities Qatar reiterated its call for intensified international efforts Saturday to subject all of Israel's nuclear facilities to the safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Qatar's Ambassador Jasim Yacoub Al Hammadi highlighted “the need for the international community and its institutions to uphold their commitments under resolutions of the UN Security Council, which called on Israel to subject all of its nuclear facilities to IAEA safeguards.” He also highlighted “the urgency for the international community and its institutions to take decisive action to compel Israel to implement international resolutions, recognise the Palestinian people's right to self-determination and the establishment of their independent state. *Russia says France has repeatedly lied Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has accused France of lying and violating international agreements, including the implementation of the Minsk agreements for a settlement in Ukraine and violated security guarantees given to Viktor Yanukovych, a former Ukrainian president. He stressed: "France, like other countries, didn't fulfill its guarantees. It was a real lie," adding that when French President Emmanuel Macron accused Russia of posing a threat to Europe, he did not mention France's mistakes. The Minsk Agreements were meant to resolve the Crimea crisis in 2014, as well as Eastern Ukraine. *Arab League denounces attack on security forces in Syria The Arab League condemned acts of violence and attacks on government security forces to fuel internal tensions and threaten civil peace in Syria. It expressed "condemnation of violence, attacks on government security forces, and reckless killings, threaten civil peace, and exacerbate the challenges Syria is facing at this critical stage."​​​​​​​ The Arab League emphasised that "such circumstances require a focus on policies and measures that strengthen and safeguard stability and civil peace to thwart any plans aimed at destabilising Syria and undermining its chances for recovery." *North Korea unveils nuclear-powered submarine for the first time North Korea has unveiled for the first time a nuclear-powered submarine under construction, a weapons system that can pose a major security threat to South Korea and the US. The naval vessel appears to be a 6,000-ton-class or 7,000-ton-class one which can carry about 10 missiles, South Korean submarine expert said, adding the use of the term “the strategic guided missiles” meant it would carry nuclear-capable weapons. *Un warns South Sudan's peace process at risk amid growing violence A recent surge in violence and escalating political tensions in South Sudan are putting a fragile peace process in jeopardy, a UN human rights commission warned. "We are witnessing an alarming regression that could erase years of hard-won progress," Yasmin Sooka, chairperson of the UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan, said. She urged leaders to "urgently refocus on the peace process, uphold the human rights of South Sudanese citizens, and ensure a smooth transition to democracy."

In today's war diary, Nikolai Feldman and Alexey Arestovich discussed the main news on the 1104th day of war:➤ 00:00 The worst-case scenario is coming true for Ukraine: President Zelensky disrupted the signing of an agreement on rare earth minerals. Support for Ukraine from Britain and the EU: hugs, missiles from the Shahedeen on credit terms, to be supplied until 2030.➤ 06:15 Preparations for the EU leaders' summit on March 6 for the main sponsors of war in Ukraine.➤ 09:30 Will Ukraine be able to fight for another year without US help?➤ 11:05 EU leaders are solving their problems with the US at the expense of Ukraine.➤ 12:55 Who set a trap for whom in the US Oval Office?➤ 13:47 Hidden meanings from Zelensky's interview about US security guarantees.➤ 19:26 The US will soon publish investigation results about the tuse of American aid in Ukraine.➤ 20:45 Trump demands a public apology from Zelensky to conclude an agreement on foreign investment in Ukraine.➤ 23:18 The birth of a new world in agony and Ukrainians' bet on the old world.➤ 27:50 EU is considering the possibility of protecting Ukrainian skies, and Britain will send troops... after the peace accords are signed.➤ 30:12 Possible further developments for Ukraine: escalation, pacification or pause?➤ 36:12 Trump will not abandon the tactics of a double ultimatum. Sanctions may be imposed on the team of the Ukrainian president.➤ 37:40 What could happen after the introduction of American sanctions against the Ukrainian leadership?➤ 39:30 Why do Ukrainians sincerely believe that Trump sold out to Putin?➤ 42:05 Ukrainian opposition is forced to support Zelensky to its own detriment. The unpleasant story of half of the deceived Ukrainians is in rationalization of support for Zelensky.➤ 47:40 Is it problematic to give personal guarantees to the president of Ukraine as the only obstacle to peace?➤ 50:22 Public opinion against Trump in Ukraine will worsen. What will the Americans come up with?➤ 51:45 How will the US budget be affected by the cessation of arms and intelligence supplies to Ukraine?➤ 53:50 Consequences of political measures against Zelensky..➤ 58:35 Did Zelensky's demarche created a new rerason for existence of US Democrats?➤ 59:53 Elon Musk supports the opinion of one of the senators about the US withdrawal from the UN and NATO.Olexiy Arestovych (Kiev): Advisor to the Office of Ukraine President : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oleksiy_ArestovychOfficial channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjWy2g76QZf7QLEwx4cB46gNikolay Feldman - Ukranian journalist, social researcher, blogger.

John's program today is a repeat of the first discussion he had with Lynne Olson, the prolific author of books on the run up to World War II. This show highlights the dangers inherent in the long struggle between Ukraine and Russia, beginning with the invasion of Crimea by Russia. Given the ongoing attempts to settle a peace after 3 years of brutal warfare, it is instructive to see a bit of the context which parallels the appeasement of Hitler by Britain and France in 1938.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A tense altercation between President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ensued in the Oval Office today. The bottom line: The United States of America will not be extorted by a country whose leaders are more interested in what they can get out of the American people than peace. The point of the meeting? To sign a U.S.-Ukraine mineral deal. Trump is “very tired of subsidizing and paying for far-distant problems when we're running a $37 trillion national debt,” and this deal would not only offset those costs but also, by inviting “American business into Ukraine, to help rebuild it and to profit … [Russian President Vladimir] Putin will be less eager to attack you if he understands there's a thriving American concession there,” argues Victor Davis Hanson on today's edition of “Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words.” “Donald Trump is incurring a lot of criticism lately on the Ukrainian war. He's trying to negotiate an end to the war. Remember, there's probably somewhere around 1.5 million dead, wounded, missing, and captured on both sides, together. That is the largest casualty rate figure total in Europe since the Battle of Stalingrad in 1942 and 1943. In his “Art of the Deal” style he came in and he said some things the last week that got people very angry. I'll just give you two examples. He said that Zelenskyy was a dictator and that he ‘should have stopped the war and never started it.' “That got people anguished because we know that Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine on February 24th of 2022. So, why did Donald Trump say that? Of course, he doesn't believe that Zelenskyy started the war because he has campaigned himself on the following narrative: ‘Under George Bush, in 2008, Russia invaded Ossetia and Georgia. “‘In 2014, under the Obama administration, they invaded the Donbas and Crimea. On February 24th of 2022, under Joe Biden, they tried to take Kyiv. However, of the last four administrations, there was one in which they did not leave their borders to invade another nation—my administration. Why? Because unlike the prior three presidents, I was able to establish deterrence.'” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SPONSOR: 1) Get 15% off with code JULIAN at oneskin.co (***TIMESTAMPS in description below) ~ John Kiriakou is a former CIA spy who was the agency's chief of counterterrorism in the Middle East prior to being prosecuted by the DOJ. PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/JulianDorey FOLLOW JULIAN DOREY: INSTAGRAM (Podcast): https://www.instagram.com/juliandoreypodcast/ INSTAGRAM (Personal): https://www.instagram.com/julianddorey/ X: https://twitter.com/julianddorey GUEST LINKS: All of John's uncensored content is available exclusively here: https://rebrand.ly/juliandorey YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@realjohnkiriakou X: https://x.com/JohnKiriakou IG: https://www.instagram.com/realjohnkiriakou/ John's European Tour: https://tigerslanestudios.com/an-evening-with-the-ex-cia/ OTHER LINKS Joby Warrick's Book: https://www.amazon.com/Triple-Agent-al-Qaeda-Mole-Infiltrated/dp/0385534183 ****TIMESTAMPS**** 0:00 - Epstein Files, Black Book & Who He Worked For 11:00 - Does the US do Epstein stuff too? 18:56 - AIPAC Controversy, Jordanian King's Thoughts on Israel Gaza 25:07 - Hunting Bin Laden, the Death of Jennifer Matthews (Khost) 30:52 - “Walk-in” Spies, Bin Laden 34:47 - How they caught Bin Laden & John Kerry dropping ball 40:57 - Why John Hates “Zero Dark Thirty,” Navy SEALs Claiming Bin Laden Kill 45:12 - Joby Warrick's Book, Jordan King's Rise to Power & Stance on Oct. 7 53:10 - Palestinians & failed 2-State deal during Clinton era 58:52 - Israeli Border Problems 1:02:22 - CIA relationship w/ Mossad (Stories) 1:06:39 - Future of Gaza War 1:12:07 - CIA Joke 1:14:25 - Ukraine vs Russia War, Crimea & Donbas History 1:23:17 - Zelensky a Dictator Question, Rare Earth Metals (Ukraine), Most Corrupt Country 1:36:47 - Why Kiriakou Likes Trump Now, Failed Audits, Bernie Sanders Screwed Twice 1:46:22 - John Fetterman is the Worst, Senators in the 80's Compared to Today, 1:52:42 - Kiriakou on UFO Files, UFO Story, DARPA Work (First Internet) 1:59:40 - USA & Russia Ukraine Build-up 2:06:18 - Actively Overthrowing Iranian Government Theory, Saudi Arabia Possible Nukes, 2:13:22 - MBS Arresting hie entire family story, MBS psychopathic rise 2:24:04 - John hanging w/ Saudi King's Favorite Son story 2:28:04 - John's Perspective on China, China's Soft Power 2:35:46 - Trump Declaring Cartel's Terrorist Groups (F3ntanyl Trade) 2:42:07 - John's endeavors CREDITS: - Host & Producer: Julian D. Dorey - In-Studio Producer & Editor: Alessi Allaman - https://www.youtube.com/@alessiallaman Julian Dorey Podcast Episode 279 - John Kiriakou Music by Artlist.io Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ayer se cumplió el tercer aniversario de la invasión rusa a Ucrania. Este año, a diferencia de los dos anteriores, se atisba un acuerdo de paz cercano. Estados Unidos ha iniciado conversaciones con Rusia para poner fin a la guerra, pero, al menos por ahora, sin la participación ni el consentimiento del Gobierno ucraniano. La primera ronda de negociaciones dio comienzo la semana pasada en Arabia Saudí y, por lo que sabemos, Donald Trump busca un acuerdo que ajuste a los términos que desde el principio quiso Vladimir Putin. Y he aquí lo preocupante. No es ya el enfrentamiento abierto con Volodímir Zelenski, que ha derivado incluso en insultos personales, es que Trump parece haberse alineado con buena parte de la narrativa que ha ido elaborando el Kremlin en torno a la invasión, y en todo lo relacionado con el futuro orden de seguridad en Europa. Es más, en la Casa Blanca parecen estar haciendo causa común con Putin en sus ataques a los Gobiernos europeos al tiempo que promueve e impulsa la agenda de los de partidos de derecha identitaria que proliferan por Europa desde hace años. Para ello se está sirviendo de su vicepresidente JD Vance, que hace unos días pronunció un polémico discurso en la Conferencia de Seguridad de Múnich. Al empeño también contribuye Elon Musk, que lleva meses apoyando de forma explícita a partidos como Alternativa por Alemania o Reform UK en el Reino Unido. Quizá sea demasiado pronto para sacar conclusiones porque todo está sucediendo de forma muy rápida y un tanto caótica, pero son muchos los analistas que señalan que esto es el comienzo de una nueva política exterior estadounidense que rompe por completo con los lineamientos que esta misma política ha seguido desde el final de segunda guerra mundial. Los primeros en padecer este reajuste de alianzas exteriores serán Ucrania y su sufrido pueblo, pero las consecuencias irían mucho más allá de la guerra actual. Veremos como se redibujan los mapas políticos, como Rusia adquiere un papel mucho mayor en los asuntos de Europa y se esperan repercusiones en todo el mundo conforme Trump y Vance reordenen sus relaciones con las grandes potencias. El hecho es que los países europeos están muy mal preparados para esta nueva realidad geopolítica. Llevan décadas de retraso en lo relativo a gasto en defensa, carecen de una posición común clara y, a pesar de que han pasado casi cuatro meses desde la victoria electoral de Trump, no tienen ningún plan para contrarrestar sus acciones de forma efectiva. Todo lo más que han alcanzado a hacer hasta la fecha es convocar una serie de reuniones precipitadas en las que se ha hablado mucho de respuestas colectivas y de garantías de seguridad para Ucrania, pero de las que no ha salido acción concreta alguna. El mundo ha cambiado delante de sus narices. Son tres años los que han transcurrido desde que comenzó la guerra en Ucrania, pero habría que mirar mucho más atrás para encontrarse con los orígenes de este nuevo mundo. El año pasado se cumplió una década de la anexión de Crimea y este verano hará diez años que Trump anunció su intención de presentarse a las elecciones. Todos los elementos ya estaban ahí, pero en Europa se negaron a darles la importancia que tenían. Al Gobierno Trump le quedan cuatro años por delante y quiere que este de Ucrania sea su primer logro en política exterior, la primera piedra de un programa de transformación que nadie sabe muy bien hacia donde se dirige. En La ContraRéplica: 0:00 Introducción 3:45 Tres años de guerra en Ucrania 28:20 La política exterior de Trump 39:52 El problema de la 'okupación' en España 46:17 Petro y el ICETEX · Canal de Telegram: https://t.me/lacontracronica · “Contra la Revolución Francesa”… https://amzn.to/4aF0LpZ · “Hispanos. Breve historia de los pueblos de habla hispana”… https://amzn.to/428js1G · “La ContraHistoria de España. Auge, caída y vuelta a empezar de un país en 28 episodios”… https://amzn.to/3kXcZ6i · “Lutero, Calvino y Trento, la Reforma que no fue”… https://amzn.to/3shKOlK · “La ContraHistoria del comunismo”… https://amzn.to/39QP2KE 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 #ucrania #rusia Escucha el episodio completo en la app de iVoox, o descubre todo el catálogo de iVoox Originals

Russia's land grab playbook aimed at erasing local identity and russifying “liberated” territories. Three years into the full scale invasion of Ukraine, we ask what life is like in areas under Russian control. We look at “ripe for russification” Crimea, which was annexed 11 years ago, Moscow's subsequent efforts to assert itself in the separatist East, and the Kremlin's challenges in subjugating parts of the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions. As time passes, the uncertainty over the future of what Ukraine calls “temporarily occupied territories” grows bigger.

In this explosive interview, Max Blumenthal joins Judge Napolitano to dissect the shifting dynamics of U.S. foreign policy under Trump, the provocations leading to the Ukraine-Russia conflict, and the potential collapse of Zelenskyy's government. Blumenthal also delves into Netanyahu's strategies in Gaza and the hidden forces driving American interventionism.AI - Summary:In a revealing conversation on Judging Freedom, Max Blumenthal discusses the dramatic shift in U.S. foreign policy under Donald Trump, particularly regarding Ukraine. Blumenthal argues that Trump's recent acknowledgment of the war in Ukraine as one of the most provoked conflicts in modern history marks a significant departure from previous administrations. He traces the roots of the conflict back to the 2014 Maidan coup, which he claims was heavily backed by the U.S., leading to Russia's annexation of Crimea and the ongoing war in Donbas.Blumenthal criticizes the narrative of Ukraine as a victim of Russian aggression, asserting that the U.S. and NATO's actions, including the buildup of military alliances on Russia's border, were deliberate provocations. He highlights how the American public is beginning to see through years of propaganda, recognizing the war as a result of U.S. intervention rather than unprovoked Russian aggression.The discussion also touches on the potential collapse of Zelenskyy's government if U.S. aid is cut off, with Blumenthal predicting internal strife and possible overthrow by nationalist factions. He critiques the Biden administration's sanctions on Russia, arguing they have harmed the U.S. economy more than Russia's, and calls for a reevaluation of America's foreign policy priorities.Shifting to the Middle East, Blumenthal examines Netanyahu's strategies in Gaza, suggesting that Israel's leadership is more interested in maintaining a state of conflict than achieving peace. He reveals disturbing details about the Hannibal Directive, which allegedly led to the deaths of many Israeli civilians during the October 7th attacks, and discusses the political turmoil within Israel as Netanyahu faces corruption allegations.Throughout the interview, Blumenthal emphasizes the need for a fundamental change in U.S. foreign policy, away from interventionism and towards a focus on domestic interests. He calls out the influence of lobby groups and the military-industrial complex, urging the Trump administration to prioritize America's needs over global entanglements.

1/8: Intent to Destroy: Russia's Two-Hundred-Year Quest to Dominate Ukraine Hardcover – November 19, 2024 by  Eugene Finkel  (Author) https://www.amazon.com/Intent-Destroy-Russias-Two-Hundred-Year-Dominate/dp/1541604679 Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 shocked the world. And yet, to Ukrainians, this attack was painfully familiar, the latest episode in a centuries-long Russian campaign to divide and oppress Ukraine.    In Intent to Destroy, political scientist Eugene Finkel uncovers these deep roots of the Russo-Ukrainian War. Ukraine is a key borderland between Russia and the West, and, following the rise of Russian nationalism in the nineteenth century, dominating Ukraine became the cornerstone of Russian policy. Russia has long used genocidal tactics—killings, deportations, starvation, and cultural destruction—to successfully crush Ukrainian efforts to chart an independent path. As Finkel shows, today's violence is simply a more extreme version of the Kremlin's long-standing policy. But unlike in the past, the people of Ukraine—motivated by the rise of democracy in their nation—have overcome their deep internal divisions. For the first time, they have united in favor of independence from Russia. Whatever the outcome of the present war, Ukraine's staunch resistance has permanently altered its relationship to Russia and the West. Intent to Destroy offers the vital context we need to truly understand Europe's bloodiest conflict since World War II. undated Crimea

Though outmanned, Gen. Manstein will brilliantly use what he has to out maneuver the Soviet forces on the eastern half of Crimea. It will take time, but soon the defenders are bottled up, their reinforcements cut off by the Luftwaffe. And on May 8, 1941, the final blows start against Gen. Kozlov's forces. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices