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3. Kievan Rus Assimilation and the Unsolved Mystery of the Salme Ships Eleanor Barraclough Embers of the Hands: Hidden Histories of the Viking Age In the east, Rurik and his company founded what became Kievan Rus, shifting their power base south from Novgorod (862) to Kiev. Although people of Norse heritage controlled the area initially, they were a minority who mastered cultural assimilation with Slavic groups. Norse names like Ingvar and Helga became Slavicized as Igor and Olga, demonstrating extensive cultural mixing. The text also covers the mystery of the Salme ships in Estonia, recently discovered. These two ship burials, dated around 750 AD and predating Lindisfarne, contained the remains of dozens of high-status individuals from Sweden who died violently, likely on a diplomatic mission. One leader was buried with the king piece of the popular board game Hnefatafl placed in his mouth—an intentional act of storytelling.
Livestream with Jonathan MS Pearce - The shocking slaying of Charlie Kirk has huge implications. Politicization and attempts to weaponize of this tragic event are inevitable. ----------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----------https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/autumn-harvest-silicon-curtainDonate and Receive - Collectable PatchAUTUMN HARVEST TRUCKS 2025. Part of our 2025 patch collection. Everyone who contributes €100 (~$115) or more will be able to receive it.For our Autumn patch, we present the Galician Lion. The rampant lion represents power and intelligence. It has represented Western Ukrainian people since the 1100s. The Ruthenian lion, also known as the Ukrainian lion or Galician lion, was featured on the historic coat of arms of: The Kingdom of Galicia-Volhynia (Ruthenia)1199-1349, The battle flag of the Lviv land in the Battle of Tannenberg, 1410 The Ruthenian Voivodeship (Administration) 1434-1772 and The Western Ukrainian People's Republic 1918-1919. The Ukrainian national liberation movement, 1948----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa 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. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. 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----------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 Przemyslhttps://kharpp.com/NOR DOG Animal Rescuehttps://www.nor-dog.org/home/-----------
2025-10-26 | Silicon Wafers 041 | DAILY UPDATES | The hammer is falling on Putin's regime, swinging against the oil revenues that support the system and the illegal war. The first cracks are showing in Moscow's façade, as oil is targeted, and the main buyers China and India blink. Putin says that the sanctions are serious but will not affect his regime. He's lying and immediately dispatched a Kremlin minion and apparent ‘deal maker' to the US to advocate for lifting the sanctions. See the problem with the logic – please remove these sanctions that are having no effect on us. It simply makes no sense. What else is happening? Russia's fourth-largest refinery goes dark after a Ukrainian strike. We'll also look at fresh data on desertions, Russia's creeping mobilization by stealth, hybrid hits against Europe, and what frontline commanders say about the next phase of drone warfare. ----------Partner on this video: KYIV OF MINE Watch the trailer now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arJUcE1rxY0'Kyiv of Mine' is a documentary series about Ukraine's beautiful capital, Kyiv. The film production began in 2018, and much has changed since then. It is now 2025, and this story is far from over.https://www.youtube.com/@UCz6UbVKfqutH-N7WXnC5Ykg https://www.kyivofmine.com/#theprojectKyiv of Mine is fast paced, beautifully filmed, humorous, fun, insightful, heartbreaking, moving, hopeful. The very antithesis in fact of a doom-laden and worthy wartime documentary. This is a work that is extraordinarily uplifting. My friend Operator Starsky says the film is “Made with so much love. The film series will make you laugh and cry.” ----------SOURCES: Reuters, “Analysts: ‘Can't be one and done' on sanctions,” Oct 22–24, 2025The Guardian / Reuters markets wrap, oil jump then ease, Oct 23–24, 2025Reuters, “Chinese state majors suspend seaborne Russian oil; India to cut,” Oct 23–24, 2025The Guardian, “Putin: sanctions may cause ‘some losses',” Oct 23, 2025The Moscow Times, “Putin Envoy Visits U.S. After New Sanctions,” Oct 24, 2025; Reuters, Dmitriev appointed special envoy, Feb 23, 2025Kyiv Independent, “Ryazan (4th-largest) refinery suspends operations after attack,” Oct 25, 2025Reuters, “Orenburg gas plant hit — Kazakhstan cuts Karachaganak output,” Oct 20, 2025Reuters graphics, “Inside Ukraine's refinery strike campaign,” Oct 16, 2025ISW / Critical Threats, Russian Offensive Campaign Assessments, Oct 22–24, 2025Mediazona, “20,662 refusal-to-serve cases by end-May,” Jun 26, 2025----------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 events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa 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. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. 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----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------
Veteran war correspondent in Ukraine, Phil Ittner reports from a dark room after Putin's recent attack on Kiev's power system. All indications point to a grim winter of deprivation thanks to Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine. Looks like Trump's Justice Department released a lengthy Orwellian manifesto. Surprised? Apparently ICE can mess you up but you can't fight back.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Your daily news in under three minutes. At Al Jazeera Podcasts, we want to hear from you, our listeners. So, please head to https://www.aljazeera.com/survey and tell us your thoughts about this show and other Al Jazeera podcasts. It only takes a few minutes! Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube
Ben Hodges is a retired United States Army officer, who became commander of United States Army Europe in November 2014, and held that position for three years until retiring from the United States Army in January 2018. Until recently he was the Pershing Chair in Strategic Studies, at the Centre for European Policy Analysis, specialising in NATO, Transatlantic relationship and international security. ----------Partner on this video: KYIV OF MINE Watch the trailer now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arJUcE1rxY0'Kyiv of Mine' is a documentary series about Ukraine's beautiful capital, Kyiv. The film production began in 2018, and much has changed since then. It is now 2025, and this story is far from over.https://www.youtube.com/@UCz6UbVKfqutH-N7WXnC5Ykg https://www.kyivofmine.com/#theprojectKyiv of Mine is fast paced, beautifully filmed, humorous, fun, insightful, heartbreaking, moving, hopeful. The very antithesis in fact of a doom-laden and worthy wartime documentary. This is a work that is extraordinarily uplifting. My friend Operator Starsky says the film is “Made with so much love. The film series will make you laugh and cry.” ----------DESCRIPTION: Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges on US Policy, European Security, and Ukraine's FutureIn this insightful discussion with retired Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, we delve into the complexities of current US and European policies regarding Ukraine. We explore Europe's hesitance to fully commit, the impact of mixed signals from the Trump administration, and the implications of lifting limitations on deep strike munitions. Additionally, Hodges sheds light on internal power struggles within the US administration and the potential consequences of diminished legal oversight within the military. The conversation also touches on the resilience of the Russian public and military, and the existential challenges facing European democracies. The episode concludes with a recommendation to watch 'Kyiv of Mine,' a documentary series highlighting life in Ukraine's capital before and during the war.----------CHAPTERS:00:00 Introduction and Setting the Scene00:22 Current State of US and European Policies02:10 Military Strategies and Decisions04:12 Internal Struggles and Legal Concerns08:53 Russian Public Sentiment and Military Morale11:43 The Broader Implications for Democracy13:42 Conclusion and Final Thoughts----------LINKS:https://twitter.com/general_benhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Hodges https://cepa.org/author/ben-hodges/ https://warsawsecurityforum.org/speaker/hodges-ben-lt-gen/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-hodges-1674b1172/ ----------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----------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/-----------
In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: A potentially major blow to Moscow. China's biggest oil companies have quietly halted purchases of Russian crude after the U.S. sanctioned two of the Kremlin's largest energy giants. It's a move that could hit Putin right where it hurts most. Later in the show—tensions between Washington and Jerusalem. Prime Minister Netanyahu is putting West Bank annexation plans on hold after Vice President JD Vance publicly rebuked the move. Plus—Ukraine gets an economic lifeline. The European Union has agreed to bankroll Kyiv for the next two years and is now weighing whether to tap into Russia's frozen assets to help pay for it. And in today's Back of the Brief—Israel hits Hezbollah hard. Air Force jets carried out strikes on a training camp and missile production site in Lebanon's Bekaa region, as cross-border clashes intensify. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President's Daily Brief by visiting https://PDBPremium.com.Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief.YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief TriTails Premium Beef: Build the kind of tradition your family will remember. Visit https://trybeef.com/pdbRidge Wallet: Upgrade your wallet today! Get 10% Off @Ridge with code PDB at https://www.Ridge.com/PDB #Ridgepod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Day 1,339.Today, as President Zelensky meets the Coalition of the Willing in London, we discuss the shock felt in Brussels after European countries failed to come to a deal on the use of frozen Russian assets. We also hear the latest updates on the Ukrainian resistance, and Francis reports not from the frontline but the front row, as he attends a Ukrainian fashion show.Contributors:Adélie Pojzman-Pontay (Journalist and Producer). @adeliepjzon X.Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X.Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X.With thanks to Illia Riepin and the Estonian Embassy of London.SIGN UP TO THE ‘UKRAINE: THE LATEST' WEEKLY NEWSLETTER:http://telegraph.co.uk/ukrainenewsletter Each week, Dom Nicholls and Francis Dearnley answer your questions, provide recommended reading, and give exclusive analysis and behind-the-scenes insights – plus maps of the frontlines and diagrams of weapons to complement our daily reporting. It's free for everyone, including non-subscribers.CONTENT REFERENCED:Francis's Article on Ukrainian Fashion:https://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/people/ukraine-fashion-show-london-war-francis-dearnley/ EU's €140bn Ukraine loan plan derailed (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/10/24/belgium-derails-european-union-plans-ukraine-loan/LISTEN TO THIS PODCAST IN NEW LANGUAGES:The Telegraph has launched translated versions of Ukraine: The Latest in Ukrainian and Russian, making its reporting accessible to audiences on both sides of the battle lines and across the wider region, including Central Asia and the Caucasus. Just search Україна: Останні Новини (Ukr) and Украина: Последние Новости (Ru) on your on your preferred podcast app to find them. Listen here: https://linktr.ee/ukrainethelatestSubscribe: telegraph.co.uk/ukrainethelatestEmail: ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Timothy Ash, who has been professional economist for more than 30 years, with two thirds of that in the banking industry. Timothy's specialism is emerging European economics, and he writes and blogs extensively on economic challenges for leading publications such as the Kyiv Post, Atlantic Council, the Financial Times, and the United Business Journal. He is also an Associate Fellow in the Russia and Eurasia programme at Chatham House and has advised various governments on Ukraine-Russia policy and specifically on the impact of sanctions.----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN 10 Events in 10 months - 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 10 events in 10 months (at a minimum). 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://twitter.com/tasheconhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/timothy-ash-83a87158/https://www.chathamhouse.org/about-us/our-people/timothy-ashhttps://cepa.org/author/timothy-ash/----------ARTICLES:https://timothyash.substack.com/ https://kyivindependent.com/author/timothy-ash/----------This is super important. There are so many Battalions in Ukraine, fighting to defend our freedoms, but lack basics such as vehicles. These are destroyed on a regular basis, and lack of transport is costs lives, and Ukrainian territory. Autumn Harvest: Silicon Curtain (Goal€22,000)https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/autumn-harvest-silicon-curtain----------DESCRIPTIONIn this episode, professional economist Timothy Ash, with over 30 years of experience, particularly in the banking industry and emerging European economies, dives into the effectiveness and implications of recent oil sanctions on Russia. Ash discusses the potential impact of both UK and US sanctions, the secondary sanctions, and the enforcement challenges. He highlights the economic effects on Russia, including the significance of shadow fleets and market reactions. The discussion extends to the broader geopolitical context, including Russian influence, the significance of drone warfare, and the intricacies of defense funding. He also touches upon the moral considerations and the necessity of a defined objective in sanctions policy. Ash emphasizes the importance of maintaining sanctions to reduce Russia's war capabilities, calling for innovative global cooperation and effective enforcement.----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa 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. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------
2025-10-24 | Silicon Wafers 040 | DAILY UPDATES | Is the Kremlin finally feeling real bite from Sanctions? Are oil sanctions by US and UK, and pressure on the shadow tankers, helping the first cracks emerge in Putin's war economy?Washington, London and Brussels just fired a coordinated broadside at the Kremlin's cash machine. Russia calls it “unfriendly.” China bristles. India flinches. Europe quietly tightens the noose on the shadow fleet. Meanwhile, small but telling acts of dissent flicker in St. Petersburg, and fresh reporting shows how the Russian “elite” keep looting their own house even as it burns. At last measures are being taken which may hasten Putin's demise. The sanctions blitz finally hits the bullseyeThe big move: the United States sanctioned Rosneft and Lukoil, Russia's two largest oil companies—the beating heart of Putin's war budget and war machine financing. This is the first Ukraine-related Russia sanctions package of Trump's second term—and according to some commentators, it's a sledgehammer. As Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent put it: “Given President Putin's refusal to end this senseless war, Treasury is sanctioning Russia's two largest oil companies that fund the Kremlin's war machine.” (Reuters, Oct 22, 2025)----------Partner on this video: KYIV OF MINE Watch the trailer now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arJUcE1rxY0'Kyiv of Mine' is a documentary series about Ukraine's beautiful capital, Kyiv. The film production began in 2018, and much has changed since then. It is now 2025, and this story is far from over.https://www.youtube.com/@UCz6UbVKfqutH-N7WXnC5Ykg https://www.kyivofmine.com/#theprojectKyiv of Mine is fast paced, beautifully filmed, humorous, fun, insightful, heartbreaking, moving, hopeful. The very antithesis in fact of a doom-laden and worthy wartime documentary. This is a work that is extraordinarily uplifting. My friend Operator Starsky says the film is “Made with so much love. The film series will make you laugh and cry.” ----------SOURCES: US sanctions Rosneft & Lukoil (with quotes and analyst reaction) — Reuters, Oct 22, 2025China state oil majors suspend Russian oil purchases — Reuters, Oct 23, 2025India poised to sharply cut Russian oil imports; Reliance steps back — Reuters, Oct 23, 2025Putin reaction (“unfriendly act”) & EU sanctions — Guardian live, Oct 23, 2025Putin warns; says economy will weather sanctions — Reuters, Oct 23, 2025UK sanctions Rosneft, Lukoil, 44 shadow-fleet ships; quotes from Reeves/Cooper — UK Government press release, Oct 15, 2025EU 19th package: 117 more vessels listed (557 total), reinsurance ban, LNG measures; Kaja Kallas quote — Council of the EU, Oct 23, 2025EU plans maritime declaration on shadow fleet inspections — Reuters, Oct 19, 2025Denmark tightens Skagen checks on “old and worn-out” tankers — Maritime Executive & TradeWinds, Oct 6–8, 2025IMF downgrades Russia 2025 GDP growth to 0.6% — Reuters, Oct 14, 2025Nabiullina flags gasoline spike & inflation expectations — Reuters, Oct 9, 2025G7 could shave $80bn/yr off Russia oil income with enforcement — Reuters Breakingviews, Oct 13, 2025----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa 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. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------
As the BBC's Chief International Correspondent, Lyse Doucet has witnessed and reported on some of the most consequential events of our time. She has reported from Afghanistan since 1988, during the Soviet troop withdrawal, played a leading role in the BBC's coverage of the Arab Spring uprisings reporting from Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and Syria, and has covered major wars as well as efforts to make peace in the Middle East since 1994. In 2022 she covered the Russian invasion of Ukraine live from Kyiv as Putin's tanks crossed the border. Most recently she reported from Tehran in the aftermath of Israel's bombing of Iran. Doucet is renowned for her compassionate, human-centred reporting often in times of war and suffering. In October 2025 she came to the Intelligence Squared stage to share her reflections and insights from four decades on the frontlines. In conversation with fellow broadcaster Lindsey Hilsum, the International Editor for Channel 4 News who has also reported from frontlines of our time, Doucet also discussed the themes and approach of her new book, The Finest Hotel in Kabul, a vivid history of Afghanistan as seen from the iconic Inter-Continental Hotel. Drawing on years of interviews with its staff and guests, the book traces the country's tumultuous history – from the Soviet withdrawal and civil war to the US invasion and the return of the Taliban – through the prism of this landmark hotel and the lives of the staff who kept it running during war and peace. --- If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full ad free conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events ... Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series … Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access. … Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Livestream with Yuri Rashkin and DW Phillips----------Partner on this video: KYIV OF MINE Watch the trailer now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arJUcE1rxY0'Kyiv of Mine' is a documentary series about Ukraine's beautiful capital, Kyiv. The film production began in 2018, and much has changed since then. It is now 2025, and this story is far from over.https://www.youtube.com/@UCz6UbVKfqutH-N7WXnC5Ykg https://www.kyivofmine.com/#theprojectKyiv of Mine is fast paced, beautifully filmed, humorous, fun, insightful, heartbreaking, moving, hopeful. The very antithesis in fact of a doom-laden and worthy wartime documentary. This is a work that is extraordinarily uplifting. My friend Operator Starsky says the film is “Made with so much love. The film series will make you laugh and cry.” ----------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----------https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/autumn-harvest-silicon-curtainDonate and Receive - Collectable PatchAUTUMN HARVEST TRUCKS 2025. Part of our 2025 patch collection. Everyone who contributes €100 (~$115) or more will be able to receive it.For our Autumn patch, we present the Galician Lion. The rampant lion represents power and intelligence. It has represented Western Ukrainian people since the 1100s. The Ruthenian lion, also known as the Ukrainian lion or Galician lion, was featured on the historic coat of arms of: The Kingdom of Galicia-Volhynia (Ruthenia)1199-1349, The battle flag of the Lviv land in the Battle of Tannenberg, 1410 The Ruthenian Voivodeship (Administration) 1434-1772 and The Western Ukrainian People's Republic 1918-1919. The Ukrainian national liberation movement, 1948----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa 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. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. 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----------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 Przemyslhttps://kharpp.com/NOR DOG Animal Rescuehttps://www.nor-dog.org/home/-----------
Gabrielius Landsbergis is a Lithuanian politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania from December 2020 until November 2024. He is also a former Member of the European Parliament (2014–2016), where he served on the Committee on International Trade and the Subcommittee on Security and Defence. As Minister of Foreign Affairs, Landsbergis was a vocal advocate for European integration, NATO solidarity, and democratic values. His tenure was characterized by Lithuania's firm support for Ukraine during the ongoing Russian invasion, as well as efforts to counter Russian influence in the region.----------LINKS:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabrielius_Landsbergishttps://x.com/GLandsbergishttps://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/124759/GABRIELIUS_LANDSBERGIS/history/8https://cepa.org/author/gabrielus-landsbergis/https://www.coe.int/en/web/portal/-/cm-president-landsbergis-collective-effort-needed-to-ensure-sustainable-peace-and-respect-for-human-rightshttps://www.politico.eu/article/lithuania-gabrielius-landsbergis-resign-election-parliament-defeat/----------David DeBatto is host of the ‘No Delusion Zone' podcast @NoDelusionZone is a retired U.S. Army Counterintelligence Special Agent, a geopolitical analyst, writer, and podcaster. David is an Iraq war veteran who served as Team Leader of a Tactical Human Intelligence Team (THT) in operations within Iraq and is also a former police officer. David is considered too conservative for the progressive left and too independent minded for the radical right and seeks to challenge political dogma and the naked self-interest of politicians. ----------LINKS: @NoDelusionZone https://www.protectingtherepublic.com/podcasthttps://x.com/ddebattohttps://www.kyivpost.com/authors/743----------This is super important. There are so many Battalions in Ukraine, fighting to defend our freedoms, but lack basics such as vehicles. These are destroyed on a regular basis, and lack of transport is costs lives, and Ukrainian territory. Once again Silicon Curtain has teamed up with Car4Ukraine and a group of wonderful creators to provide much-needed assistance: https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/autumn-harvest-silicon-curtainAutumn Harvest: Silicon Curtain (Goal€22,000)We'll be supporting troops in Pokrovsk, Kharkiv, and other regions where the trucks are needed the most. 93rd Brigade "Kholodnyi Yar", Black Raven Unmanned Systems Battalionhttps://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/autumn-harvest-silicon-curtain----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa 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. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------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/----------
Silicon Bites Ep261 - Day 1,338 - 2025-10-23 | In this episode we follow the fumes: fires and explosions at refineries in Hungary and Romania, rumors of an apparent accident in Slovakia, and what unites all three refineries – their handling of Russian crude oil. Also, fresh U.S. and U.K. sanctions on Russia's oil giants, pressure on India's bulk buys of Russian crude, and Europe's newest squeeze on the shadow — or “grey” — fleet. Are we finally seeing the public and covert playbook to choke the Kremlin's oil revenues that are sustaining its war machine? ----------SOURCES: AP (Oct 21): “Firefighters… have contained a blaze… No injuries have been reported.” (Hungary)Digi24 summary via Ukranews (Oct 21): “a localized explosion in the industrial sewage system.” (Romania). (Українські Новини)Slovak Spectator (Oct 23): “Oil company Slovnaft denied rumours of a fire at its Bratislava refinery…” (Slovakia).EU Council (Oct 23): “An additional 117 vessels have been made subject to a port access ban…” and “These measures target non-EU tankers that are part of the shadow fleet…” (Consilium)U.S. Treasury/Reuters (Oct 22): Scott Bessent: “Given President Putin's refusal to end this senseless war…” (Reuters)Reuters (Oct 20): Kaja Kallas: the latest package “will not be the last.” (Reuters)----------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----------This is super important. There are so many Battalions in Ukraine, fighting to defend our freedoms, but lack basics such as vehicles. These are destroyed on a regular basis, and lack of transport is costs lives, and Ukrainian territory. Autumn Harvest: Silicon Curtain (Goal€22,000)https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/autumn-harvest-silicon-curtain----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa 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. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. 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----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Car4Ukraine - Providing 4x4 vehicles to Ukrainian warriors https://car4ukraine.com/campaignsSave 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/Volunteer-run, US non-profit and UK charity supporting survival and recovery of Ukrainehttps://www.ukrainianaction.com/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 Przemyslhttps://kharpp.com/NOR DOG Animal Rescuehttps://www.nor-dog.org/home/-----------
2025-10-23 | Silicon Wafers 039 | Elon Musk's SEWER of Destruction and Despair. I didn't ask to see this, and do not follow these people, so why is X showing it to me? Between the choir of conformity, and the cacophony of division.1) The propagandists' orchestration of manufactured narratives across multiple voices, channels and tones of voice to create the illusion of plurality.2) Democratic media, fragmenting under an assault of disingenuous voices, grifters and hypers, lack of context and balance, normalization, stoking of hate and distrust. In the overwhelming torrent of information, truth, and the insight and purpose that comes from truth, appears as a feeble and flickering flame, ill-equipped to survive the barrage of irrelevant and extraneous detail, the oxygen poor medium of social media, amidst a tidal wave of falsity and ignorance. As the quantity of information and misinformation grows exponentially, we are becoming less, not more, adept at finding the signal within the noise. And two essential elements are becoming lost – strategy and empathy. An exponential glut of information is leading to fatigue and nihilism. We are producing a mass of dead wood in this information factory, that is ideal mulch for the parasitic fungus of propaganda to feed off. ----------Partner on this video: KYIV OF MINE Watch the trailer now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arJUcE1rxY0'Kyiv of Mine' is a documentary series about Ukraine's beautiful capital, Kyiv. The film production began in 2018, and much has changed since then. It is now 2025, and this story is far from over.https://www.youtube.com/@UCz6UbVKfqutH-N7WXnC5Ykg https://www.kyivofmine.com/#theprojectKyiv of Mine is fast paced, beautifully filmed, humorous, fun, insightful, heartbreaking, moving, hopeful. The very antithesis in fact of a doom-laden and worthy wartime documentary. This is a work that is extraordinarily uplifting. My friend Operator Starsky says the film is “Made with so much love. The film series will make you laugh and cry.” ----------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 events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa 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. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. 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----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------
Silicon Bites Ep260 - Day 1,337 - 2025-10-22 | Like the worst of James Bond's villains, like any genocidal tyrant, Putin is obsessed with ‘wonder weapons' – instruments of terror and destruction on a massive scale. This episode explores rumours and boasts of Vladimir Putin's new “wonder weapons”.Putin Hints at a New Wunderwaffe. We begin with the headlines. On October 10, 2025, the Kyiv Post published an analysis:“We're finalizing it, and I think we'll have the opportunity to announce soon the new weapons we once announced,” Putin said. (Leo Chiu, Kyiv Post, Oct 10, 2025)In context, the article notes that this was a cryptic update after his visit to Tajikistan — referencing weapons “we once announced” without providing detail. (Kyiv Post)----------SOURCES: reuters.comhttps://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/kremlin-warns-west-over-dramatic-escalation-moment-ukraine-war-2025-10-12/nypost.comhttps://nypost.com/2025/06/26/world-news/russia-to-mass-produce-hypersonic-ballistic-missile-putin/Le Monde.frhttps://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2024/11/22/russia-fires-medium-range-ballistic-missile-at-ukraine-in-warning-to-west_6733702_4.html----------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----------This is super important. There are so many Battalions in Ukraine, fighting to defend our freedoms, but lack basics such as vehicles. These are destroyed on a regular basis, and lack of transport is costs lives, and Ukrainian territory. Autumn Harvest: Silicon Curtain (Goal€22,000)https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/autumn-harvest-silicon-curtain----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa 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. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. 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----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Car4Ukraine - Providing 4x4 vehicles to Ukrainian warriors https://car4ukraine.com/campaignsSave 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/Volunteer-run, US non-profit and UK charity supporting survival and recovery of Ukrainehttps://www.ukrainianaction.com/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 Przemyslhttps://kharpp.com/NOR DOG Animal Rescuehttps://www.nor-dog.org/home/-----------
2025-10-22 | Silicon Wafers 038 | What is Ukraine's spymaster Kyrylo Budanov saying about deep strikes on Russia's energy system; how those strikes are reshaping the battlefield and the very conduct of 21st century warfare. Unmanned capabilities are redefining the concept of attrition and vulnerability in modern warfare, and in this confrontation, Russia's size is not necessarily an advantage. Russia has suffered greater losses to its oil supported war machine and economy from Ukraine's strikes than from Western sanctions. Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate, stated that "We have inflicted much greater direct damage on Russia than any economic levers of influence that have been introduced so far."Western hesitancy, inconsistency of policy, ongoing dependencies on Russian resources and refusal to close loopholes mean that the Russian treasury has earned billions of dollars in each year of their full-scale war, despite our awareness of the threat Russia poses to Ukraine, to Europe and to the international order that we created after the end of WW2. ----------Partner on this video: KYIV OF MINE Watch the trailer now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arJUcE1rxY0'Kyiv of Mine' is a documentary series about Ukraine's beautiful capital, Kyiv. The film production began in 2018, and much has changed since then. It is now 2025, and this story is far from over.https://www.youtube.com/@UCz6UbVKfqutH-N7WXnC5Ykg https://www.kyivofmine.com/#theprojectKyiv of Mine is fast paced, beautifully filmed, humorous, fun, insightful, heartbreaking, moving, hopeful. The very antithesis in fact of a doom-laden and worthy wartime documentary. This is a work that is extraordinarily uplifting. My friend Operator Starsky says the film is “Made with so much love. The film series will make you laugh and cry.” ----------SOURCES: New Voice of Ukraine — “Drone strikes damaged Russian oil industry more than Western sanctions—Budanov,” Oct. 16, 2025. https://english.nv.ua/nation/drone-strikes-more-effective-than-sanctions-budanov-50553210.htmlUkrinform — “Ukrainian strikes on oil refineries cause Russia more damage than sanctions—Budanov,” Oct. 16, 2025. https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/4048141-ukrainian-strikes-on-oil-refineries-cause-russia-more-damage-than-sanctions-budanov.htmlTSN — “Budanov: A deal without Ukraine is impossible,” Oct. 16, 2025. https://tsn.ua/en/politika/budanov-responds-whether-putin-can-strike-a-peace-deal-with-the-us-without-ukraine-2935895.html----------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 events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa 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. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. 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----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------
SHOW 10-20-25 1965 GAZA POWS CBS EYE ON THE WORLD WITH JOHN BATCHELOR THE SHOW BEGINS IN THE DOUBTS ABOUT THE GAZA CEASEFIRE... FIRST HOUR 9-915 Regional Powers React to Tenuous Gaza Ceasefire and Hostage Deal. Bill Roggio and Husain Haqqani discuss how the Gaza agreement is viewed regionally as a tenuous ceasefire and hostage deal, not a path to peace. Saudi Arabia was displeased, seeking a long-term Palestinian state solution. Egypt supported the quiet to prevent domestic instability and refugee influx. Conversely, Qatar and Turkey championed the ceasefire because they are invested in Hamas and want its political and military structure to survive. 915-930 Regional Powers React to Tenuous Gaza Ceasefire and Hostage Deal. Bill Roggio and Husain Haqqani discuss how the Gaza agreement is viewed regionally as a tenuous ceasefire and hostage deal, not a path to peace. Saudi Arabia was displeased, seeking a long-term Palestinian state solution. Egypt supported the quiet to prevent domestic instability and refugee influx. Conversely, Qatar and Turkey championed the ceasefire because they are invested in Hamas and want its political and military structure to survive. 930-945 China's Military Purge Signals Deep Crisis of Confidence in Xi Jinping. Charles Burton and Gordon Chang discuss how China expelled eight senior generals, signaling a severe internal crisis and lack of confidence in Xi Jinping's leadership, potentially orchestrated by his adversaries. This turmoil suggests foreign governments should interact carefully with Xi. Economically, figures show industrial production outpacing consumption, and proposals for mandated municipal consumption goals reflect a state struggling to maintain prosperity, leading to pervasive gloom among the people. 945-1000 China's Military Purge Signals Deep Crisis of Confidence in Xi Jinping. Charles Burton and Gordon Chang discuss how China expelled eight senior generals, signaling a severe internal crisis and lack of confidence in Xi Jinping's leadership, potentially orchestrated by his adversaries. This turmoil suggests foreign governments should interact carefully with Xi. Economically, figures show industrial production outpacing consumption, and proposals for mandated municipal consumption goals reflect a state struggling to maintain prosperity, leading to pervasive gloom among the people. SECOND HOUR 10-1015 US-Ukraine Summit Yields No Tomahawk Commitment; Focus on Attrition. John Hardie and Bill Roggio discuss how reports suggest President Trump pressed Zelensky to agree to a ceasefire based on Russian territorial demands, though no commitment was made on providing Tomahawk missiles. Tomahawks would provide Ukraine with a highly useful long-range strike capability but would not be a "wonder weapon." With Russia holding a material advantage, Ukraine's best strategy is exhausting Russia's offensive potential by inflicting disproportionate attrition, independent of Trump's softening support. 1015-1030 US-Ukraine Summit Yields No Tomahawk Commitment; Focus on Attrition. John Hardie and Bill Roggio discuss how reports suggest President Trump pressed Zelensky to agree to a ceasefire based on Russian territorial demands, though no commitment was made on providing Tomahawk missiles. Tomahawks would provide Ukraine with a highly useful long-range strike capability but would not be a "wonder weapon." With Russia holding a material advantage, Ukraine's best strategy is exhausting Russia's offensive potential by inflicting disproportionate attrition, independent of Trump's softening support. 1030-1045 Gaza Ceasefire Interrupted by Violence; Hamas Reasserts Dominance. David Daoud and Bill Roggio discuss how the Gaza ceasefire was violated when Hamas killed Israeli soldiers, prompting Israeli retaliation to reinforce red lines without restarting the conflict entirely. Hamas is deliberately slowing the return of dead hostages to stabilize the ceasefire internationally. In Gaza, Hamas immediately began cracking down on rivals to reassert its dominance and prevent others from filling the power vacuum left by IDF withdrawals, signaling it remains the top power. 1045-1100 Gaza Ceasefire Interrupted by Violence; Hamas Reasserts Dominance. David Daoud and Bill Roggio discuss how the Gaza ceasefire was violated when Hamas killed Israeli soldiers, prompting Israeli retaliation to reinforce red lines without restarting the conflict entirely. Hamas is deliberately slowing the return of dead hostages to stabilize the ceasefire internationally. In Gaza, Hamas immediately began cracking down on rivals to reassert its dominance and prevent others from filling the power vacuum left by IDF withdrawals, signaling it remains the top power. THIRD HOUR 1100-1115 Houthis Maintain Threat Despite Gaza Ceasefire; New Military Chief Named. Bridget Toomey and Bill Roggio discuss how the Houthis have paused attacks in line with the Gaza ceasefire but remain capable and intent on striking Israel or the Red Sea if fighting resumes. They announced the death of strategic planner and Chief of Staff Muhammad al-Ghamari, who was killed by Israel. His replacement, Yusef al-Madani, is believed to have close ties and training with Iran. The Houthi core mission, driven by perpetual animosity toward America and Israel, remains unchanged. 1115-1130 Tomahawk Missile Threat Puts Pressure on Putin's Air Defenses. Rebecca Grant and Gordon Chang discuss how Russia is highly anxious about the possible deployment of US Tomahawk land-attack missiles to Ukraine. Tomahawks, with a 1,600-mile range, can fly low and strike over 60 Russian air bases and critical energy targets. Experts say the weapon presents an "almost unsolvable air defense problem" for Russia because Putin lacks sufficient air defense systems, like the S-400, to protect such a wide area. 1130-1145 US Pressure on Venezuela/Colombia Narco-States Splits Latin American Left. Ernesto Araújo and Alejandro Peña Esclusa discuss how the US military is ramping up pressure on narco-terrorism gangs operating out of Venezuela and Colombia, causing nervousness in the Maduro regime. Trump openly attacked Maduro's key ally, Colombian President Petro, calling him an accomplice and threatening to cut aid and raise tariffs. The Venezuelan opposition is heartened, believing Maduro's fall will expose deep drug-related corruption linking members of the São Paulo Forum across the continent. 1145-1200 US Pressure on Venezuela/Colombia Narco-States Splits Latin American Left. Ernesto Araújo and Alejandro Peña Esclusa discuss how the US military is ramping up pressure on narco-terrorism gangs operating out of Venezuela and Colombia, causing nervousness in the Maduro regime. Trump openly attacked Maduro's key ally, Colombian President Petro, calling him an accomplice and threatening to cut aid and raise tariffs. The Venezuelan opposition is heartened, believing Maduro's fall will expose deep drug-related corruption linking members of the São Paulo Forum across the continent. FOURTH HOUR 12-1215 China Dominates Ukraine's Drone Supply Chain Despite Export Controls. Jack Burnham discusses how Ukraine's survival relies on its ability to produce up to 200,000 FPV drones monthly. However, 97% of Ukrainian drone producers source primary components, including rare earths for engines and chips, from China. Despite China imposing export controls on finished drones, smaller components are circumvented and supplied to both Ukraine and Russia. Finding alternative, self-reliant supply chains, potentially through US allies like Taiwan, is crucial for Kyiv. 1215-1230 China's Economic Woes and Rare Earth Export Controls Raise Global Alarms. Elaine Dezenski discusses how the US Treasury Secretary remarked that China's worrying economic fundamentals—including high debt and youth unemployment—are leading Beijing to use tactics like rare earth export controls to undermine the global economy. China acts as a "non-market player" using subsidies and forced labor, which corrodes the free market. Experts suggest the US must acknowledge these non-market practices and push for transparency and adherence to new, strict global trade rules. 1230-1245 Iran Trash-Talks Trump; Nuclear Ambitions Become More Overt. Jonathan Sayeh and Bill Roggio discuss how Iran's Supreme Leader publicly rejected Trump's appeals for negotiations, a move primarily aimed at boosting domestic morale following regional setbacks. However, a top nuclear scientist overtly claimed Iran has the capacity to build a nuclear bomb, suggesting weaponization ambitions are becoming less covert. Tehran views its regional position as a lose-lose scenario but uses the Gaza ceasefire as a critical breathing room opportunity to rearm its weakened proxies. 1245-100 AM Hamas Cracks Down on Rival Clans in Gaza Post-Ceasefire. Ahmad Sharawi and Bill Roggio discuss how following the Gaza ceasefire, Hamas cracked down on rival clans and militias, like the Dughmush clan, to reassert its dominance. Hamas labeled the Dughmush clan, known for smuggling and past criminal activity, as Israeli collaborators. Anti-Hamas groups, including former PA security forces, are vastly outnumbered and less capable than Hamas, which remains the strongest faction in Gaza and uses these executions to deter future competition.
China Dominates Ukraine's Drone Supply Chain Despite Export Controls. Jack Burnham discusses how Ukraine's survival relies on its ability to produce up to 200,000 FPV drones monthly. However, 97% of Ukrainian drone producers source primary components, including rare earths for engines and chips, from China. Despite China imposing export controls on finished drones, smaller components are circumvented and supplied to both Ukraine and Russia. Finding alternative, self-reliant supply chains, potentially through US allies like Taiwan, is crucial for Kyiv. 1917 ODESSA CIRCUS
European leaders are meeting in England this week to push for a "just and lasting peace" in Ukraine. With President Trump's unpredictable position on the Ukraine war, it's up to Europe to hold the line against a deal that could undermine Kyiv and weaken Europe. Former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg led the alliance from 2014 to 2024, grappling with Russia's aggression and Donald Trump's threats to pull out of NATO altogether. He's published a new memoir, called “On My Watch,” about his successes, and his mistakes. Also on today's show: Basel Adra & Yuval Abraham, Co-directors, “No Other Land”; former US Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
As the BBC's Chief International Correspondent, Lyse Doucet has witnessed and reported on some of the most consequential events of our time. She has reported from Afghanistan since 1988, during the Soviet troop withdrawal, played a leading role in the BBC's coverage of the Arab Spring uprisings reporting from Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and Syria, and has covered major wars as well as efforts to make peace in the Middle East since 1994. In 2022 she covered the Russian invasion of Ukraine live from Kyiv as Putin's tanks crossed the border. Most recently she reported from Tehran in the aftermath of Israel's bombing of Iran. Doucet is renowned for her compassionate, human-centred reporting often in times of war and suffering. In October 2025 she came to the Intelligence Squared stage to share her reflections and insights from four decades on the frontlines. In conversation with fellow broadcaster Lindsey Hilsum, the International Editor for Channel 4 News who has also reported from frontlines of our time, Doucet also discussed the themes and approach of her new book, The Finest Hotel in Kabul, a vivid history of Afghanistan as seen from the iconic Inter-Continental Hotel. Drawing on years of interviews with its staff and guests, the book traces the country's tumultuous history – from the Soviet withdrawal and civil war to the US invasion and the return of the Taliban – through the prism of this landmark hotel and the lives of the staff who kept it running during war and peace. --- This is the first instalment of a two-part episode. If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full ad free conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events ... Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series … Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access. … Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Despite suggestions of an agreement on the supply of long-range Tomahawk missiles, President Zelensky went back to Kyiv empty handed after his meeting with Donald Trump on Friday.So what happened? Victoria and Vitaly speak with Christopher Miller, the Ukraine correspondent for the Financial Times, which has been reporting details of swearing from Donald Trump in the room, and the ‘tossing' of battlefield maps.Vitaly also speaks with acclaimed historian Serhii Plokhy about the nuclear threat and lessons from the Cold War that he writes about in his new book The Nuclear Age: An Epic Race for Arms, Power, and Survival. Today's episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko. The producers were Clare Williamson and Julia Webster. The technical producer was Jonny Hall. The series producer is Chris Flynn. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480You can join the Ukrainecast discussion on Newscast's Discord server here: tinyurl.com/ukrainecastdiscord
2025-10-20 | Silicon Wafers 034 | DAILY UPDATES | Trump's meeting with Zelenskyy did not go well. We are starting to find out exactly how not well, as insiders start to report the details of the threats, coercion and cursing from Trump's side, and implacable, yet polite resistance from Zelenskyy. “The meeting between the US and Ukrainian presidents descended many times into a “shouting match”, with Trump “cursing all the time”, people familiar with the matter said.”This is according to a Financial Times article published yesterday. We continue our dive into the fallout from the meeting between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, which was begun on the main Silicon Curtain channel, in an episode titled ‘A tool of Putin'. What does all this mean for Ukraine and European defense?----------Partner on this video: KYIV OF MINE Watch the trailer now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arJUcE1rxY0'Kyiv of Mine' is a documentary series about Ukraine's beautiful capital, Kyiv. The film production began in 2018, and much has changed since then. It is now 2025, and this story is far from over.https://www.youtube.com/@UCz6UbVKfqutH-N7WXnC5Ykg https://www.kyivofmine.com/#theprojectKyiv of Mine is fast paced, beautifully filmed, humorous, fun, insightful, heartbreaking, moving, hopeful. The very antithesis in fact of a doom-laden and worthy wartime documentary. This is a work that is extraordinarily uplifting. My friend Operator Starsky says the film is “Made with so much love. The film series will make you laugh and cry.” ----------SOURCES: Financial Timeshttps://www.ft.com/content/7960c6aa-dbfa-4a55-91e8-ae44601842ecThe Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/oct/17/trump-putin-phone-call-sinks-kyiv-ukraine-hopes-for-us-tomahawk-missilesAP Newshttps://apnews.com/article/ce697e5eda6ce9793b4343499d105a8c----------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 events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa 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. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. 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----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------
2025-10-21 | Silicon Wafers 037 | Trump Stop Europe's €140bn Lifeline to Ukraine?Europe thinks it's found a legal-financial hack to turn Russia's frozen billions into a €140 billion, interest-free “reparations loan” for Ukraine. And just as leaders line up to back it, reports say the Trump White House is balking — raising “market stability” fears and casting doubt on G7 unity. What's the plan, what's the pushback, and can Washington block Brussels? And of course, the big question, I why Trump would do this, when the plan would have a significant impact on Ukraine's resilience, potentially turning the tide of the war. The plan, plain and simple. Here's the elevator pitch. The EU doesn't confiscate Russia's immobilized central-bank assets. Instead, it uses the cash stuck at Euroclear in Belgium (as Russian securities matured) to buy zero-coupon Commission bonds, and on that basis extend a €140 billion, 0% loan to Ukraine — repayable only when Russia pays reparations. It's ingenious and gets around many of the concerns that timid lawyer types had about simply handing the money over to Ukraine. A senior EU official framed the core legal line this way: “What we are proposing is not confiscation.” (The Guardian, Oct 20, 2025). Belgium still wants rock-solid guarantees that it won't stand alone if lawsuits hit Euroclear. (The Guardian)----------Partner on this video: KYIV OF MINE Watch the trailer now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arJUcE1rxY0'Kyiv of Mine' is a documentary series about Ukraine's beautiful capital, Kyiv. The film production began in 2018, and much has changed since then. It is now 2025, and this story is far from over.https://www.youtube.com/@UCz6UbVKfqutH-N7WXnC5Ykg https://www.kyivofmine.com/#theprojectKyiv of Mine is fast paced, beautifully filmed, humorous, fun, insightful, heartbreaking, moving, hopeful. The very antithesis in fact of a doom-laden and worthy wartime documentary. This is a work that is extraordinarily uplifting. My friend Operator Starsky says the film is “Made with so much love. The film series will make you laugh and cry.” ----------SOURCES: The Guardian - https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/oct/20/european-leaders-near-deal-to-use-frozen-russian-assets-for-ukraineReuters - https://www.reuters.com/business/ukraine-could-use-reparations-loan-buy-weapons-outside-europe-document-shows-2025-10-17/Reuters - https://www.reuters.com/world/merz-advocate-use-frozen-russian-assets-eu-summit-2025-10-16/Reuters - https://www.reuters.com/world/us-supportive-new-imf-programme-eu-loan-ukraine-dombrovskis-says-2025-10-17/Reuters explainer: “How will the West use Russia's frozen assets?”** (Oct 6, 2025)Reuters: EU will seek to exclude Ukraine loan guarantees from deficit calculations (Oct 10, 2025)----------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 events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa 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. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------
2025-10-21 | Silicon Wafers 036 | DAILY UPDATES | Is Russia's Hybrid War on Europe a precursor to a full incursion on European territory, or even the invasion of a European country? This is Silicon Wafers. Today: why Russia is probing and testing Europe, how hybrid attacks work, and what happens if the Kremlin pushes further escalating to a full invasion — and how we can deter it.Why the probing is intensifying - Moscow is stress-testing Europe's seams, pulling at the threads to see if the fabric of our institutions and resilience will unravel. But it is conducting this below the threshold of open war — because hybrid pressure is cheap, deniable, and strategically useful. Sub-threshold does not trigger a direct armed response but can also achieve Russia's strategic objectives without direct confrontation. It's a war sandbox, for testing and learning. Think of it as a toolkit of rolling lab experiments in limited aggression: sabotage, arson, cyber, GPS jamming, “grey fleet” shenanigans at sea, drones in NATO airspace, and influence operations that launder Kremlin narratives through local proxies, compliant channels and criminal networks.----------Partner on this video: KYIV OF MINE Watch the trailer now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arJUcE1rxY0'Kyiv of Mine' is a documentary series about Ukraine's beautiful capital, Kyiv. The film production began in 2018, and much has changed since then. It is now 2025, and this story is far from over.https://www.youtube.com/@UCz6UbVKfqutH-N7WXnC5Ykg https://www.kyivofmine.com/#theprojectKyiv of Mine is fast paced, beautifully filmed, humorous, fun, insightful, heartbreaking, moving, hopeful. The very antithesis in fact of a doom-laden and worthy wartime documentary. This is a work that is extraordinarily uplifting. My friend Operator Starsky says the film is “Made with so much love. The film series will make you laugh and cry.” ----------SOURCES: IISS — The Scale of Russian Sabotage Operations Against Europe's Critical Infrastructure* (research paper, Aug. 2025). Council of the EU — Statement condemning Russia's persistent hybrid campaigns (July 18, 2025); EU hybrid-threats sanctions framework (Oct. 8, 2024; prolonged Oct. 3, 2025)Reuters — Poland/Romania foil exploding-parcel plot (Oct. 21, 2025); Spanish minister's jet GPS interference near Kaliningrad (Sept. 24, 2025); German CHOD: 5–8 year window (Apr. 18, 2024); Hybrid threat to Europe's energy (Oct. 13, 2025)AP News — Arrests tied to parcel-bomb plot in Poland and Romania (Oct. 21, 2025)The Guardian — Sikorski on drone incursion: “tactically stupid and counterproductive” (Oct. 15, 2025)The Insider — Inside Russia's Latvian Sabotage Squad (July 10, 2024)Meduza - ‘There has to be a cost' — Russian sabotage spiked in Europe last year (Mar. 21, 2025)RFE/RL — Admiral Rob Bauer warning (NATO readiness) (Jan. 19, 2024); IISS sabotage overview (Aug. 20, 2025)UK Government — Condemnation of “malicious cyber activity by the Russian Intelligence Services” (May 3, 2024); UK/US advisory on Star Blizzard spear-phishing (Dec. 7, 2023)ACLED — Suspected Russia-linked hybrid incidents across Europe (2022–Apr. 2025)Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service — International Security and Estonia 2025 (threat horizon)----------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 Bites Ep259 - Day 1,336 - 2025-10-21 | Why the Budapest summit won't happen and why “peace” is still the last thing that Vladimir Putin has on his mind. It's Day 1,336 of Russia's criminal war against Ukraine.Why the Budapest summit won't happen (and what that really tells us). After last week's Trump–Putin call, the White House floated a rapid “peace” summit in Budapest. Since then: no date, no itinerary, no pre-meet. Russia's line hasn't budged; Europe is hardening around a different baseline; and the logistics around Putin entering European airspace are politically toxic. News just in, Poland warns that Putin risks being diverted to The Hague if he attempts to overfly European countries that are prepared to enforce the ICC warrants against Putin. What changed in 72 hours? The Kremlin says the “timing is unclear,” and Dmitry Peskov stressed you can't “postpone something that hasn't been set in stone,” adding the whole thing would need “serious preparation.” (That's Kremlin-speak for: we're not committing – in fact we're chickening out. This thing isn't going to happen.) (The Moscow Times)----------SOURCES: Reuters — Europeans say battle lines must be start point for talks (Oct 21, 2025)https://www.reuters.com/world/european-leaders-issue-statement-backing-trumps-ukraine-ceasefire-position-2025-10-21/Reuters — Russia says its terms unchanged since August; next summit unclear (digest)https://www.reuters.com/world/china/chinas-new-home-prices-fall-fastest-pace-11-months-2025-10-20/The Moscow Times — Kremlin: Budapest needs “serious preparation”; State Dept “durable resolution” phrasing (Oct 20)https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/10/20/trump-putin-to-hold-talks-in-budapest-kremlin-says-a90799Reuters — Poland warns on airspace/ICC arrest risk (Oct 21)https://www.reuters.com/world/poland-warns-putins-plane-hungary-summit-2025-10-21/Reuters — EU's Kallas on shadow fleet crackdown (Oct 20)https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/eu-needs-more-measures-help-ukraines-energy-security-kallas-says-2025-10-20/Reuters — Kremlin on “why Budapest” (Oct 20)https://www.reuters.com/world/why-budapest-kremlin-says-orban-has-good-ties-with-both-trump-putin-2025-10-20/----------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----------This is super important. There are so many Battalions in Ukraine, fighting to defend our freedoms, but lack basics such as vehicles. These are destroyed on a regular basis, and lack of transport is costs lives, and Ukrainian territory. Autumn Harvest: Silicon Curtain (Goal€22,000)https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/autumn-harvest-silicon-curtain----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa 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. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. 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----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------
US May Permit Europe to Supply Tomahawk Cruise Missiles to Kyiv. Rebecca Grant of the Lexington Institute comments on the talk that the United States may permit Europe to supply Tomahawk cruise missiles to Kyiv. Grant discusses the Tomahawk's capabilities, noting that while Ukraine uses its own drones, they have shorter range and smaller warhead size compared to weapons already present, such as ATACMS and the British Storm Shadow. Grant states that the Tomahawk is the "missile of choice." If the strategic intent is to pressure Russia through attacks on its energy infrastructure—as Ukraine has been doing—Grant believes that the Tomahawk is the best tactical fit for achieving that objective.
1. Khmelnytsky and the Russian Imperial Project The discussion begins with the 1888 statue of Bohdan Khmelnytsky in Kyiv, symbolizing the 200-year quest to dominate Ukraine. Khmelnytsky, a 17th-century Orthodox nobleman, led a rebellion against the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth to protect the Orthodox Church and create a proto-Ukrainian state. Unable to win against Poland, he swore allegiance to the Tsar of Moscow, leading Russians to celebrate him as the unifier of Ukraine and Russia. Khmelnytsky intended a military alliance, but the Tsars viewed it as Ukraine fully joining Russia, gradually dismantling Cossack freedoms. By 1783, coinciding with the US Peace of Paris, Catherine the Great formalized Russia's imperial project, expanding to the Black Sea and integrating Crimea. Russia treated Ukraine as a colonial project, calling it "New Russia" and inviting diverse European settlers, seeking to force these people to become Russian, which Ukrainians resisted, forming the core of ongoing conflict. 1859 ODESSA
4. Khrushchev, Putin's Perceptions, and the Soviet Golden Age in Ukraine The Soviet period saw Ukraine rise to crucial importance; leaders like Khrushchev and Brezhnev spent large parts of their careers in the Ukrainian Communist Party apparatus. In 1954, Khrushchev transferred Crimea from the Russian Federation to Ukraine for practical reasons, as Kyiv was better positioned to manage it than Moscow. During the 1960s, Ukraine became a critical industrial manufacturing center, producing coal, military ballistic missiles, and space-related equipment, reinforcing its centrality to the Soviet state. Vladimir Putin, born in 1953, formed his understanding of Ukraine during this relatively calm period. For his generation, it was implicit and taken for granted that Ukraine was merely an extension of Russia—a source of industry, grain, and the beloved vacation spot of Crimea, the "Soviet Florida." Russians became emotionally attached to Ukraine as "ours," making the idea of Ukrainian independence not even a question for debate in the Russian mindset. 1855 CRIMEA
2. The Colossal Misjudgment: Underestimating Ukraine and Putin's Imperial Ambitions. Serhii Plokhy (Professor of Ukrainian History at Harvard University) covers the lead-up to the 2022 full-scale invasion, noting Russia's military buildup in 2021 while President Biden publicly stated that no US troops or weapons would be sent to Ukraine, which constituted a "colossal misjudgment of Putin." Despite the lack of meaningful preparatory military aid for Ukraine, US intelligence performed exceptionally well, accurately predicting the timing of the war and releasing this intelligence in real time, hoping to "shame" Putin. The expectation that Kyiv would fall within days reflected a profound misjudgment: underestimating the resolve of the Ukrainian state and people, and overestimating the Russian military's capacity. To justify his actions, Putin built an argument to the Russian people based on a "misreading of history," reviving 19th-century Russian imperial ideas that claimed Russians, Ukrainians, and Belarusians constituted a single whole. This false belief led to the expectation that Ukrainians would welcome Russian troops with flowers, rather than weapons. Putin's consistent goal since 2014 was to stop Ukraine's Western trajectory and integrate it into the Russian-controlled Eurasian Union. When President Zelensky refused Putin's demands regarding the implementation of the Minsk agreements in Paris in December 2019, many observers mark this moment as the countdown to the 2022 invasion.
3. US Intelligence Successes vs. Policy Failures Leading to the 2022 Invasion. Serhii Plokhy (Professor of Ukrainian History at Harvard University) details the period leading to the February 2022 invasion, where Russia positioned troops along the border, while the Biden administration publicly ruled out sending US troops or weapons to Ukraine. This policy is identified as a "colossal misjudgment" of Putin. Although US intelligence successfully reported Kremlin war plans almost in real time, hoping to deter Putin, little was done to militarily strengthen Ukraine. The prevailing Western assessment—that Kyiv would fall quickly and Ukraine would be overrun within a week—was based on a massive miscalculation that underestimated the Ukrainian military and people's resolve. Vladimir Putin framed the war using historical claims, stating that Russians and Ukrainians are "one people." This belief, rooted in 19th-century Russian imperial ideas, led to the flawed expectation that 150,000 to 200,000 troops would be sufficient and that Ukrainians would welcome them. Putin's central aim, consistent since the 2014 war, remains stopping Ukraine's Western drift and forcing it into the Russian-controlled Eurasian Union. The countdown to the current war began after President Zelensky, who was an unlikely war leader elected in 2019, refused to implement the Minsk agreements according to Putin's destabilizing agenda during their meeting in Paris in December 2019.
Monday on the News Hour, Ukraine turns to European leaders for military support after President Trump urges Kyiv to cede territory to Russia. Trump spars with the president of Colombia over U.S. strikes on alleged drug trafficking boats in the Caribbean. Plus, how Republican efforts to redraw congressional districts and further dismantle the Voting Rights Act may disenfranchise Black voters. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
On this episode of the Shoulda Bet More podcast, Will Hill talks about NFL week seven and is joined by Kiev O'neil to further the chaotic day in the NFL. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Silicon Bites #258 - Early reports of Trump's meeting with Zelenskyy were negative. But now we are getting more details, and some off-the-record comments from insiders, and it's so much worse. Reports are coming in of the negative meeting the White House Friday. It seems that the approach on Trump's side has devolved to threats and lies once more – the repetition of Kremlin talking points, myths, maximalist demands and Putin's own negotiating positions. Zelenskyy has the patience of a saint to endure this and remain composed – listen to absurdities heaped upon insults, humiliations from people that have no understanding of context, history, diplomacy or morality for that matter. Here is a sharp dive into the fallout from the recent meeting between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, how the U.S. appears to be increasingly aligning, once again, with Russian narratives, and what that means for Ukraine and European defence.----------SOURCES: Financial Timeshttps://www.ft.com/content/7960c6aa-dbfa-4a55-91e8-ae44601842ecThe Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/oct/17/trump-putin-phone-call-sinks-kyiv-ukraine-hopes-for-us-tomahawk-missilesAP Newshttps://apnews.com/article/ce697e5eda6ce9793b4343499d105a8c----------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----------https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/autumn-harvest-silicon-curtainDonate and Receive - Collectable PatchAUTUMN HARVEST TRUCKS 2025. Part of our 2025 patch collection. Everyone who contributes €100 (~$115) or more will be able to receive it.For our Autumn patch, we present the Galician Lion. The rampant lion represents power and intelligence. It has represented Western Ukrainian people since the 1100s. The Ruthenian lion, also known as the Ukrainian lion or Galician lion, was featured on the historic coat of arms of: The Kingdom of Galicia-Volhynia (Ruthenia)1199-1349, The battle flag of the Lviv land in the Battle of Tannenberg, 1410 The Ruthenian Voivodeship (Administration) 1434-1772 and The Western Ukrainian People's Republic 1918-1919. The Ukrainian national liberation movement, 1948----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa 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. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. 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----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------
The episode where Boydston brings us a smorgasbord story about time travel! This is a fascinating story and we really WANT to believe. Meet Sergei Ponomarenko. Place: Kiev, Ukraine. Time: ???? Okay, okay, so it's 2006, and Sergei shows up claiming he's from 1958. His story gets crazier as he also supposedly saw 2050?! We're going to discuss the two views: did he really time travel?! Or is this an elaborate hoax spanning decades?! I bet you can tell where we each are going to fall, but it is a fun story to discuss.Come say hi on our socials!Facebook- The Tipsy GhostInstagram- @thetipsyghostpodcastTikTok @thetipsyghost_podEmail us your stories at thetipsyghost@gmail.comShow your support when you subscribe, leave a great review & give us a 5 star rating—it really helps!
2025-10-18 | Silicon Wafers 032 | Trump's dangerous reversal in U.S. support for Ukraine, - predictable, yet somehow these reversions to weakness and appeasement of Russia surprise most commentators and the media every time. Why did we think this time would be any different? We explore that other narrative the media seems to fall for, that there is a peace process to salvage, that a viable peace with Russia is possible, and even if a ceasefire is agreed, that it will lead to a sustainable process, and not just a lull that allows Putin to rearm and invade all over again. The U‑turn on Ukraine comes after Trump's call with Putin, at the request of the tyrant. Clearly a move to forestall the supply of Tomahawks to Russia, and maybe this was never on the cards by Trump in any case – either a bluff to compel Putin to make concessions, or else another political puppet show designed to distract the media, Washington hawks, and allies.This time worked better than all the rest – it had so many analysts convinced that tomahawks were a done deal, that Trump's frame of reference had changed and that he now understood things he did not understand before. It was convincing and compelled many to proclaim that tomahawks were as good as a done deal, even pro-Ukraine sceptics of Trump's intentions. ----------Partner on this video: KYIV OF MINE Watch the trailer now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arJUcE1rxY0'Kyiv of Mine' is a documentary series about Ukraine's beautiful capital, Kyiv. The film production began in 2018, and much has changed since then. It is now 2025, and this story is far from over.https://www.youtube.com/@UCz6UbVKfqutH-N7WXnC5Ykg https://www.kyivofmine.com/#theprojectKyiv of Mine is fast paced, beautifully filmed, humorous, fun, insightful, heartbreaking, moving, hopeful. The very antithesis in fact of a doom-laden and worthy wartime documentary. This is a work that is extraordinarily uplifting. My friend Operator Starsky says the film is “Made with so much love. The film series will make you laugh and cry.” ----------Autumn Harvest: Silicon Curtain (Goal €22,000)This is super important. We'll be supporting troops in Pokrovsk, Kharkiv, and other regions where the trucks are needed the most. There are so many Battalions in Ukraine, fighting to defend our freedoms, but lack basics such as vehicles. These are destroyed on a regular basis, and lack of transport is costs lives, and Ukrainian territory. Once again Silicon Curtain has teamed up with Car4Ukraine and a group of wonderful creators to provide much-needed assistance: https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/autumn-harvest-silicon-curtain----------SOURCES: Ukraine: The Latest by The Telegraph team ---https://open.spotify.com/show/6cnkk1J0I1UqtxTYVUL4Fe?si=fb9c151d2f21405a In Moscow's Shadows, hosted by Mark Galeotti ---https://open.spotify.com/show/1NKCazxYstY6o8vhpGQSjF?si=4215e2d786a44d64 Russian Roulette hosted by Max Bergmann and Dr. Maria Snegovaya ---https://podcasts.apple.com/tw/podcast/russian-roulette/id1112258664?l=en-GB Hosted by Michael Naki ---https://www.youtube.com/@MackNack Faygin Live channel ---https://www.youtube.com/@FeyginLive Hromadske channel ---https://www.youtube.com/@hromadske_ua Hosted by Vitaly Portnikov ---https://www.youtube.com/@portnikov Hosted by Vladimir Milov ---https://www.youtube.com/@Vladimir_Milov Sternenko channel ---https://www.youtube.com/@STERNENKO The Power Vertical with Brian Whitmore https://www.powervertical.org/ ----------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 Bites #257 - Breaking news episode – there's been a blast at a Russian chemical factory, thought to be a key facility for chemicals manufacture for munitions. On October 18, a deadly blast at a Russian chemical / munitions factory in the Russian republic of Bashkortostan, the city of Sterlitamak. What happened? Why does it matter? And what does it tell us about Russia's war‑machine, its vulnerabilities and how Ukraine is exploiting them?According to The Moscow Times (via AFP) the regional head said:“Three people were killed in an explosion, five were wounded, two of them in serious condition, at a chemical plant in Russia's republic of Bashkortostan … The Avangard factory, located in the city of Sterlitamak, produces weapons and ammunition for Russia's war in Ukraine.” (The Moscow Times, Oct 18, 2025) ----------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----------https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/autumn-harvest-silicon-curtainDonate and Receive - Collectable PatchAUTUMN HARVEST TRUCKS 2025. Part of our 2025 patch collection. Everyone who contributes €100 (~$115) or more will be able to receive it.For our Autumn patch, we present the Galician Lion. The rampant lion represents power and intelligence. It has represented Western Ukrainian people since the 1100s. The Ruthenian lion, also known as the Ukrainian lion or Galician lion, was featured on the historic coat of arms of: The Kingdom of Galicia-Volhynia (Ruthenia)1199-1349, The battle flag of the Lviv land in the Battle of Tannenberg, 1410 The Ruthenian Voivodeship (Administration) 1434-1772 and The Western Ukrainian People's Republic 1918-1919. The Ukrainian national liberation movement, 1948----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa 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. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. 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----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Car4Ukraine - Providing 4x4 vehicles to Ukrainian warriors https://car4ukraine.com/campaignsSave 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/Volunteer-run, US non-profit and UK charity supporting survival and recovery of Ukrainehttps://www.ukrainianaction.com/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 Przemyslhttps://kharpp.com/NOR DOG Animal Rescuehttps://www.nor-dog.org/home/-----------
Day 1,332.Today, as President Zelensky meets Donald Trump at the White House, we unpack Vladimir Putin's emergency – if predictable – intervention: an unscheduled call with the US President that may have derailed Kyiv's hopes of securing Tomahawk missiles. Then, in a special cultural dispatch, we dive into the world of Ukrainian classical music.Contributors:Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X.With thanks to Hobart Earle, Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Odesa Philharmonic Orchestra.MORE TICKETS JUST RELEASED FOR 'UKRAINE: THE LATEST' LIVE, IN-PERSON:Join us for an in-person discussion and Q&A at the distinguished Honourable Artillery Company in London on 22nd October starting at 7pm.Our panel includes General Sir Richard Barrons, former head of UK Joint Forces Command and latterly one of the authors of Britain's Strategic Defence Review, and Orysia Lutsevych, head of the Ukraine Forum at the Chatham House think tank. Tickets are open to everybody and can be purchased at: https://www.squadup.com/events/ukraineliveSIGN UP TO THE ‘UKRAINE: THE LATEST' WEEKLY NEWSLETTER:http://telegraph.co.uk/ukrainenewsletter Each week, Dom Nicholls and Francis Dearnley answer your questions, provide recommended reading, and give exclusive analysis and behind-the-scenes insights – plus maps of the frontlines and diagrams of weapons to complement our daily reporting. It's free for everyone, including non-subscribers.CONTENT REFERENCED:Francis's Odesa Documentary featuring Hobart Earle:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28HqbQLYGMM ‘Animals in war' winners, suggested by listeners:https://x.com/FrancisDearnley/status/1978856072648499329 Trump to meet Putin in Hungary (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2025/10/16/trump-holds-phone-call-putin-tomahawks/ Trump meeting Putin in Budapest is blow to Europe (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/10/16/trump-meeting-putin-budapest-blow-europe-hungary-orban/ North Korean troops helping to direct Russian strikes into Ukraine (Kyiv Independent):https://kyivindependent.com/russia-now-using-north-korean-troops-to-attack-inside-of-ukraine-general-staff/?mc_cid=ccbf455194&mc_eid=08d0680a95 How Vladimir Putin's history rant in Alaska nudged Donald Trump closer to Ukraine (Financial Times):https://www.ft.com/content/7af3b49e-c4da-405b-8199-3e12957b78c2 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Host Cliff May is joined by retired Ukrainian Admiral Ihor Voronchenko, the former inspector general of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and former commander of the Naval Forces of Ukraine; along with retired U.S. Marine Colonel Andy Bain, executive director and co-founder of the Ukrainian Freedom Fund; and FDD's retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery to assess the state of Russia's war on Ukraine — what Kyiv needs from the West and where the fight goes next.
In this episode of The Power Vertical Podcast, host Brian Whitmore speaks with former Ukrainian Defense Minister Andriy Zagorodniuk, chairman of the Center for Defense Strategies in Kyiv. They discuss Zagorodniuk's concept of “strategic neutralization,” Ukraine's emerging theory of victory focused on systematically denying Russia's ability to achieve its military objectives rather than seeking total defeat. The conversation explores how this strategy plays out across the Black Sea, ground, air, cyber, and information domains. Whitmore and Zagorodniuk also examine how recent diplomatic developments and shifting battlefield conditions could shape Ukraine's long war strategy.
2025-10-17 | Silicon Wafers 031 | DAILY UPDATES | Today: Why Russia's War Machine Is Cracking, and it fails to fundamentally reform. Is the Russian military failing? What systemic, strategic, technical, and economic fractures are eating it from within? And what does that mean for Ukraine and Russia's imperial dreams? Here are the angles we'll explore: 1. Strategic misalignment & flawed doctrine2. Structural weaknesses in the military‑industrial complex3. Logistics, supply chains, and chokepoints4. Technology, drones, and innovation shortfalls5. Economic strain, manpower, and corruption6. Recent battlefield case study + outlook----------Partner on this video: KYIV OF MINE Watch the trailer now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arJUcE1rxY0'Kyiv of Mine' is a documentary series about Ukraine's beautiful capital, Kyiv. The film production began in 2018, and much has changed since then. It is now 2025, and this story is far from over.https://www.youtube.com/@UCz6UbVKfqutH-N7WXnC5Ykg https://www.kyivofmine.com/#theprojectKyiv of Mine is fast paced, beautifully filmed, humorous, fun, insightful, heartbreaking, moving, hopeful. The very antithesis in fact of a doom-laden and worthy wartime documentary. This is a work that is extraordinarily uplifting. My friend Operator Starsky says the film is “Made with so much love. The film series will make you laugh and cry.” ----------SOURCES: Russia's War Machine Runs Out of Resources — Reddit discussion, citing military spending dataComparing the Size and Capabilities of the Russian and Ukrainian Militaries — Council on Foreign RelationsRussia's Struggle to Modernize Its Military Industry — Chatham House Russia Analytical Report, Oct. 6–14, 2025 — RussiaMatters Disassembling the Russian War Machine: Logistics, Procurement, Constraints — KSE Institute Russia Has the Resources for a Long War in Ukraine — Carnegie Endowment Economic impact of the Russo‑Ukrainian war — Wikipedia & referencesRussian arms industry overview — WikipediaBattle of Avdiivka (2023–2024) — Wikipedia & open sources Forecasting Russian Equipment Losses Using Time Series and Deep Learning Models (ArXiv)“Russia's coal miners buckle under sanctions…” — Financial Times (2025) “Russian high military recruitment bonuses…” — Business Insider (2025)“New report says Russia is better able to withstand heavy battlefield losses…” — AP News“Ukraine war briefing: Crimea oil depot burns…” — The Guardian“The key to success is in the sky” — The Guardian on Russia's air assault“Power restored to 800,000 in Kyiv…” — AP News“Russian tycoon body count … mysterious deaths” — NY Post“Russia is unleashing a new surge of exploding drone attacks on Ukraine's rail network” — Business Insider“The ‘Deathonomics' Powering Russia's War Machine” — Wall Street JournalThe Economic Costs of the Russia‑Ukraine War: A Synthetic Control Study of (Lost) Entrepreneurship — Audretsch et al. (arXiv)----------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----------
Livestream with Yuri Rashkin----------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----------https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/autumn-harvest-silicon-curtainDonate and Receive - Collectable PatchAUTUMN HARVEST TRUCKS 2025. Part of our 2025 patch collection. Everyone who contributes €100 (~$115) or more will be able to receive it.For our Autumn patch, we present the Galician Lion. The rampant lion represents power and intelligence. It has represented Western Ukrainian people since the 1100s. The Ruthenian lion, also known as the Ukrainian lion or Galician lion, was featured on the historic coat of arms of: The Kingdom of Galicia-Volhynia (Ruthenia)1199-1349, The battle flag of the Lviv land in the Battle of Tannenberg, 1410 The Ruthenian Voivodeship (Administration) 1434-1772 and The Western Ukrainian People's Republic 1918-1919. The Ukrainian national liberation movement, 1948----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa 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. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. 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----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Car4Ukraine - Providing 4x4 vehicles to Ukrainian warriors https://car4ukraine.com/campaignsSave 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/Volunteer-run, US non-profit and UK charity supporting survival and recovery of Ukrainehttps://www.ukrainianaction.com/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 Przemyslhttps://kharpp.com/NOR DOG Animal Rescuehttps://www.nor-dog.org/home/-----------
Edition No256 ||| Day 1,342 ||| 17-10-2025 - This is your Silicon Bites Daily Geopolitics Brief, with a rundown of news stories on 17th October 2025. We cover Ukraine, Russia, China and the global struggle against autocracy. Welcome to Groundhog Day. We seem to be stuck in a loop, of threat, reversal, appeasement and then the whole cycle repeats. It creates the illusion that positions have changed, that there is momentum, and then momentum lost. But if you step back, we can see that this is political theatre, and everything remains the same. Nothing changes. Russia has diluted none of its ludicrous maximalist objectives. Ukraine fights on, because that is the only option open to them, fight or disappear. Europe delays full support for Ukraine, waiting on the US to normalise its foreign policy, and the whole absurd dance goes round in circles over, and over. We lead with Trump's phone call with Putin — more proof we're trapped in a vicious cycle of manipulation, delay and regression. Then how Zelenskyy's Washington visit has been undercut before it gets going. And on the battlefield, Russia's botched push near Pokrovsk once again reveals the fragility of its strategy, one might even say the delusion of its invasion.----------This is super important. There are so many Battalions in Ukraine, fighting to defend our freedoms, but lack basics such as vehicles. These are destroyed on a regular basis, and lack of transport is costs lives, and Ukrainian territory. Once again Silicon Curtain has teamed up with Car4Ukraine and a group of wonderful creators to provide much-needed assistance: https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/autumn-harvest-silicon-curtainAutumn Harvest: Silicon Curtain (Goal€22,000)We'll be supporting troops in Pokrovsk, Kharkiv, and other regions where the trucks are needed the most. 93rd Brigade "Kholodnyi Yar", Black Raven Unmanned Systems Battalionhttps://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/autumn-harvest-silicon-curtain----------SOURCES: “Russia Strikes Ukraine's Gas Sites as Zelenskyy Flies to US” — The Guardian, Oct 16, 2025 “Trump says he will meet Putin again after ‘productive' talks” — Reuters, Oct 16, 2025 “Trump to speak with Putin Thursday” — Politico Oct 16, 2025 “Trump, Putin to meet in Budapest for new Ukraine peace push” — Kyiv Independent“‘Putin got scared' — Trump needs to be wary” — Kyiv Independent“Putin lectured Trump on Kyivan Rus during Alaska summit” — Kyiv IndependentFrontline report on Pokrovsk ammonia cloud failure — Euromaidan Press“Huge casualties blunt Russia's armored assault at Pokrovsk” — DailyKos “Putin's Pokrovsk push is making Russia run out of Russians” — Euromaidan Press “Massing attack under Pokrovsk meets defense” — NV (The New Voice of Ukraine)“Ukraine's defenders struggle to stem Russia's air assault” — The Guardian, Oct 17, 2025“Ukraine war briefing: Moscow voices ‘extreme concern' at Trump threat to send Tomahawk missiles” — The Guardian, Oct 13, 2025----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa 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. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------
We have a GREAT show for you today! Brian Edwards @VegasBEdwards from @MajorWagerUno and @VegasInsider is back to break down some pigskin! First, Kiev talks about college football ATS and O/U records for week 7. Next, Brian comes on and the guys get right into the SEC vs the big 10! Is the officiating fair in the SEC? Then, Brian and Kiev talk some buy low/sell high teams for the near future. Maybe there is some hidden value to bad had. After that, the guys get into their Six Pack of Free Plays! Next, the guys discuss random big games for the weekend and give out a few more plays. Next, we get into our beer bet bangers. We have some long shots for you at + money. Then, Kiev goes over some sharp money movement and recaps our plays! Should you have any questions for the podcast, or games that you want us to cap during our shows, please message us at Info@TheOddsBreakers.com. Have a wonderful week! Use Promo Code Football25 TO GET $100 OFF EVERY FOOTBALL OR YEARLY PACKAGE or 50% OFF THE FIRST MONTH OF ANY MONTHLY PACKAGE for the rest of the 2025 season! Click here: https://theoddsbreakers.com/premium-plays/ Offer expires December 31st 2025 Follow our FREE PICKS telegram channel: https://t.me/TheOddsBreakersFreePicks Follow Kiev O'Neil's NEW personal FREE PICKS telegram Channel: https://t.me/KievONeil If you want to subscribe to support us and get some very frequent winners please Click Here to become a member of The OddsBreakers and gain access to premium plays BEFORE the line moves! Or, you can visit theoddsbreakers.com and click shop and pick one of our great handicappers including Kiev O'Neil @OBKiev at only $84 per month on a 1 year subscription! You could also support us at Patreon.com for only $10 a month to help us out and thank us for some free plays as well as get some extra benefits like free merch and plays! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Welcome to our monthly conversation with Konstantin, who is one of the most respected voices on YouTube about what is happening Inside Russia. Konstantin Samoilov is a well-known YouTuber whose channel ‘Inside Russia' comments insightfully on Russia's decent into authoritarianism over the last few years. But now, like many others, he's outside Russia, with no idea of when he can return there. ----------Partner on this video: KYIV OF MINE Watch the trailer now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arJUcE1rxY0'Kyiv of Mine' is a documentary series about Ukraine's beautiful capital, Kyiv. The film production began in 2018, and much has changed since then. It is now 2025, and this story is far from over.https://www.youtube.com/@UCz6UbVKfqutH-N7WXnC5Ykg https://www.kyivofmine.com/#theprojectKyiv of Mine is fast paced, beautifully filmed, humorous, fun, insightful, heartbreaking, moving, hopeful. The very antithesis in fact of a doom-laden and worthy wartime documentary. This is a work that is extraordinarily uplifting. My friend Operator Starsky says the film is “Made with so much love. The film series will make you laugh and cry.” ----------DESCRIPTION:Deep Dive into Russia's Economic and Social Chaos: Insights with KonstantinJoin Jonathan and Konstantin as they discuss the latest movements within Russia's economy, energy market, and the increasing social instability. They delve into the impact of the UK's sanction on Russian oil, the compounding pressure of international sanctions, and the future of the Putin regime. The conversation highlights the economic missteps, the impact on local businesses, and the struggles faced by the Russian population. Additionally, they explore the troubling rise in domestic violence brought by returning soldiers and the broader implications for Russian society. This in-depth discussion provides a comprehensive understanding of the ongoing crises within Russia and the potential paths forward.----------CHAPTERS:01:51 Impact of UK Sanctions on Russian Oil02:24 Compounding Sanctions and Economic Strain03:55 Russian Gas and LNG Challenges07:31 Economic Policy and Future Outlook13:09 Systemic Failures in Major Industries17:53 Taxi Industry and Migrant Workers23:00 Public Transportation Crisis25:02 Rising Violence in Russia26:46 Media and Government Response30:49 Desertion and Military Issues35:25 Internal Repression and Political Chaos41:04 Potential Collapse of Putin's Regime47:56 Conclusion and Final Thoughts----------LINKS: @INSIDERUSSIA https://www.patreon.com/insiderussiaINSIDE RUSSIA is a source of current news on Russia - Konstantin carefully selects 9 news stories that are important and really matter, with commentaries and analyses by Konstantin delivered daily to channel patrons at Patreon.comGet your access to daily news updates at patreon.com/INSIDERUSSIA----------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----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------
2025-10-16 | Silicon Wafers 030 | The Cracks Are Showing in the Russian economy. Loyalist economists on state TV now warn the economy is sliding into a hole the Kremlin can't paper over. Alarm bells inside Russia's own information space are ringing. We'll dig into the numbers—tax hikes, corporate losses, shuttered factories, and cash-starved regions—and why it matters for Putin's war machine.What Russia's own economists are saying. Let's start with what normally never breaks through the propaganda glaze. In recent weeks, pro-Kremlin economists on state channels have begun sounding like doomsayers. One TV guest fumed that the rules “keep changing,” and that the new tax rises will ripple through to ordinary people far beyond “two percent on the price tag” referencing the VAT hike. He warned the real hit at the till could be 10–20%, depending on the supply chain. Another economist was even blunter: “Real living standards will fall.” Why? Fuel and logistics feed into every product price, wages trail inflation, and now comes a heavier tax squeeze. ----------Partner on this video: KYIV OF MINE Watch the trailer now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arJUcE1rxY0'Kyiv of Mine' is a documentary series about Ukraine's beautiful capital, Kyiv. The film production began in 2018, and much has changed since then. It is now 2025, and this story is far from over.https://www.youtube.com/@UCz6UbVKfqutH-N7WXnC5Ykg https://www.kyivofmine.com/#theprojectKyiv of Mine is fast paced, beautifully filmed, humorous, fun, insightful, heartbreaking, moving, hopeful. The very antithesis in fact of a doom-laden and worthy wartime documentary. This is a work that is extraordinarily uplifting. My friend Operator Starsky says the film is “Made with so much love. The film series will make you laugh and cry.” ----------Autumn Harvest: Silicon Curtain (Goal €22,000)This is super important. We'll be supporting troops in Pokrovsk, Kharkiv, and other regions where the trucks are needed the most. There are so many Battalions in Ukraine, fighting to defend our freedoms, but lack basics such as vehicles. These are destroyed on a regular basis, and lack of transport is costs lives, and Ukrainian territory. Once again Silicon Curtain has teamed up with Car4Ukraine and a group of wonderful creators to provide much-needed assistance: https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/autumn-harvest-silicon-curtain----------SOURCES: Ukraine: The Latest by The Telegraph team ---https://open.spotify.com/show/6cnkk1J0I1UqtxTYVUL4Fe?si=fb9c151d2f21405a In Moscow's Shadows, hosted by Mark Galeotti ---https://open.spotify.com/show/1NKCazxYstY6o8vhpGQSjF?si=4215e2d786a44d64 Russian Roulette hosted by Max Bergmann and Dr. Maria Snegovaya ---https://podcasts.apple.com/tw/podcast/russian-roulette/id1112258664?l=en-GB Hosted by Michael Naki ---https://www.youtube.com/@MackNack Faygin Live channel ---https://www.youtube.com/@FeyginLive Hromadske channel ---https://www.youtube.com/@hromadske_ua Hosted by Vitaly Portnikov ---https://www.youtube.com/@portnikov Hosted by Vladimir Milov ---https://www.youtube.com/@Vladimir_Milov Sternenko channel ---https://www.youtube.com/@STERNENKO The Power Vertical with Brian Whitmore https://www.powervertical.org/ ----------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----------
Edition No255 ||| Day 1,341 ||| 16-10-2025 - This is your Silicon Bites Daily Geopolitics Brief, with a rundown of news stories on 16th October 2025. We cover Ukraine, Russia, China and the global struggle against autocracy. Tonight's rundown of the authoritarian front: Russia pounds Ukraine's grid again; Kyiv's drones torch refineries and substations deep inside Russia; London hammers the “shadow fleet” with a new, harsh packet of sanctions; Washington and Brussels tighten the screws; India and Japan feel U.S. pressure on Russian energy; and inside Russia, repression expands while Moscow hunts more foreign manpower for the trenches. London takes a hard swing at Russia: sanctions on Rosneft, Lukoil, and the “shadow fleet”.The UK just unveiled one of its most sweeping packages yet: new sanctions listings hitting Rosneft, Lukoil, cornerstones of Russia's war revenues, and dozens of tankers used to skirt the price cap. Reuters: Britain targeted “its two largest oil firms… as well as 44 tankers in the ‘shadow fleet'.” (Oct 15) (Reuters)----------This is super important. There are so many Battalions in Ukraine, fighting to defend our freedoms, but lack basics such as vehicles. These are destroyed on a regular basis, and lack of transport is costs lives, and Ukrainian territory. Once again Silicon Curtain has teamed up with Car4Ukraine and a group of wonderful creators to provide much-needed assistance: https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/autumn-harvest-silicon-curtainAutumn Harvest: Silicon Curtain (Goal€22,000)We'll be supporting troops in Pokrovsk, Kharkiv, and other regions where the trucks are needed the most. 93rd Brigade "Kholodnyi Yar", Black Raven Unmanned Systems Battalionhttps://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/autumn-harvest-silicon-curtain----------SOURCES: Reuters — “Russia's seaborne fuel exports sank 17% in September after drone attacks” (Oct. 13, 2025)Reuters — “Storms, drone attacks and record oil exports pile pressure on Novorossiisk” (Oct. 15, 2025)Reuters — “Russian finance ministry proposes raising VAT to 22% to help finance war” (Sep. 24, 2025)The Moscow Times — “More Taxes for More War: Unpacking Russia's 2026 Budget” (Oct. 7, 2025)Reuters — “Russia set to raise corporate profit tax” (May 23, 2024)Reuters — “Gazprom swings to net loss … 2024 (RAS)” (Mar. 17, 2025)TASS — “Share of loss-making entities in Russia was 31.6% in Q1 2025” (June 4, 2025)Financial Times — “Russia's coal miners buckle under sanctions, weak prices and war” (Oct. 13, 2025)Reuters — “Russia's Mechel halts some coal operations as industry faces crisis” (Aug. 28, 2025)Reuters — “Rostselmash: demand collapses as key rate hits 30%” (May 16, 2025). ([Reuters][13])Interfax — “Sales of Russian agricultural machinery fall 32.1% in H1 2025” (Aug. 4, 2025)Liga/Pravda summaries of *Vedomosti* interview — “Rostselmash to cut output ~30% in 2025” (Oct. 6, 2025)Jamestown Foundation — “Kremlin's war economy driving recession in regions” (Sep. 26, 2025)The Moscow Times — “Belgorod to end housing payments for some displaced residents” (Jun. 27, 2025)Meduza — “Belgorod won't repair homes of residents who left Russia until after the war” (Jun. 30, 2025)SIPRI — Preparing for a Fourth Year of War: Military Spending in Russia's Budget for 2025 (Mar. 11, 2025)----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa 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. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------
David DeBatto is host of the ‘No Delusion Zone' podcast is a retired U.S. Army Counterintelligence Special Agent, a geopolitical analyst, writer, and podcaster. David is an Iraq war veteran who served as Team Leader of a Tactical Human Intelligence Team (THT) in operations within Iraq and is also a former police officer. David is considered too conservative for the progressive left and too independent minded for the radical right and seeks to challenge political dogma and the naked self-interest of politicians. ----------LINKS:https://www.protectingtherepublic.com/podcasthttps://x.com/ddebattohttps://www.kyivpost.com/authors/743----------This is super important. There are so many Battalions in Ukraine, fighting to defend our freedoms, but lack basics such as vehicles. These are destroyed on a regular basis, and lack of transport is costs lives, and Ukrainian territory. Once again Silicon Curtain has teamed up with Car4Ukraine and a group of wonderful creators to provide much-needed assistance: https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/autumn-harvest-silicon-curtainAutumn Harvest: Silicon Curtain (Goal€22,000)We'll be supporting troops in Pokrovsk, Kharkiv, and other regions where the trucks are needed the most. 93rd Brigade "Kholodnyi Yar", Black Raven Unmanned Systems Battalionhttps://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/autumn-harvest-silicon-curtain----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa 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. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------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/----------
In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: Freed Israeli hostages are speaking publicly for the first time about their time in Hamas captivity. Their accounts of torture, starvation, and isolation reveal the brutal conditions they endured for more than two years underground. Russia bombs a Ukrainian hospital, and President Trump fires back, warning he'll “speak” with Vladimir Putin about supplying Tomahawk missiles to Kyiv. Venezuela's strongman lashes out over the Nobel Peace Prize—Nicolás Maduro calls winner María Corina Machado a “demonic witch” and shuts down his country's embassy in Norway. And in today's Back of the Brief—Madagascar's most powerful military unit has toppled the government, forcing President Andry Rajoelina from power. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President's Daily Brief by visiting https://PDBPremium.com. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief. YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybriefStash Financial: Don't Let your money sit around. Go to https://get.stash.com/PDB to see how you can receive $25 towards your first stock purchase.Birch Gold: Text PDB to 989898 and get your free info kit on gold Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Day 1,328.Today, as we learn the Donald Trump administration has been sharing intelligence enabling Kyiv to strike at Russian energy facilities, we reflect on the likelihood that Tomahawk missiles are incoming, and the fallout from the US President not receiving the Nobel Peace Prize. Then we hear live from the country of Georgia, where protests continue and tensions remain high, before Francis ends with an appeal on a neglected subject: animals in war.Contributors:Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X.Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X.Marika Mikia-shvili (Foreign affairs, Droa Party - Georgia). @Mikiashvili_M on X.MORE TICKETS JUST RELEASED FOR 'UKRAINE: THE LATEST' LIVE, IN-PERSON:Join us for an in-person discussion and Q&A at the distinguished Honourable Artillery Company in London on 22nd October starting at 7pm.Our panel includes General Sir Richard Barrons, former head of UK Joint Forces Command and latterly one of the authors of Britain's Strategic Defence Review, and Orysia Lutsevych, head of the Ukraine Forum at the Chatham House think tank. Tickets are open to everybody and can be purchased at: https://www.squadup.com/events/ukrainelive SIGN UP TO THE ‘UKRAINE: THE LATEST' WEEKLY NEWSLETTER:http://telegraph.co.uk/ukrainenewsletter Each week, Dom Nicholls and Francis Dearnley answer your questions, provide recommended reading, and give exclusive analysis and behind-the-scenes insights – plus maps of the frontlines and diagrams of weapons to complement our daily reporting. It's free for everyone, including non-subscribers.CONTENT REFERENCED:Learn more about the Dickin Medal - the animals' Victoria Cross:https://www.pdsa.org.uk/what-we-do/animal-awards-programme/pdsa-dickin-medal Trump gave specific intelligence to Ukraine for strikes on Russian energy (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/10/12/trump-shares-intelligence-ukraine-strike-russian-energy/ Putin: Trump's too good for the Nobel Peace Prize (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/10/10/donald-trump-loses-out-on-nobel-peace-prize-2025/ Melania Trump: I convinced Putin to send Ukrainian children home (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/politics/2025/10/10/melania-trump-putin-children-families/ Senate Passes Bipartisan $925 Billion Defense Policy Bill (New York Times):https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/09/us/senate-passes-bipartisan-925-billion-defense-policy-bill.html Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.