Podcasts about ukraine's nato

Latest news from 20 January 2023, as reported in the Ukrainian media. Easy ways to support us: Subscribe to our Patreon to give monthly support https://www.patreon.com/highlightsfromukraine Send us a one-time 'thank you' tip via PayPal at: highlightsfromukraine@gmail.com Out YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/3oH111z Special thanks to our top Patreon supporters - Helena Pszczolko O'Callaghan, mattg629, krissi, Jared and Dick Warner!

A deal to retake power in Spain, the Dutch front-runner who does not want to be Prime Minister, David Cameron's comeback and an update on Ukraine's NATO membership bid. Also: an inter-faith initiative in Paris, a Living Library in Düsseldorf, intersecting migration journeys in Serbia and a tech summit in Lisbon.

Recent tensions in relations between Ankara and Moscow had stoked hopes among Turkey's Western allies of a rupture in the close relationship. But a summit on Monday between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin may have dashed those hopes, as they committed themselves to deepening their cooperation. Meeting at Russia's Black Sea resort Sochi on Monday, Erdogan failed in his bid to persuade Vladimir Putin to return to the 2022 UN-brokered Ukraine grain export deal as the Russian leader reiterated his stance that key sanctions against Moscow need to be lifted for any resumption of Ukrainian exports.Putin's rebuttal is a blow to Erdogan, given he was a key architect of the deal along with the United Nations Secretary general Antonio Guterres.But Erdogan's close relationship with Putin was seen to have cooled of late after he angered Moscow with his support for Ukraine's NATO membership bid.Bilateral cooperation securedBut the Turkish leader didn't leave the summit empty-handed, with the two leaders committing themselves to wide-ranging cooperation from tourism to energy to foreign aid.The bilateral deals will dash the hopes of Turkey's Western allies of a rupture in the Erdogan-Putin relationship."The Sochi meeting definitely demonstrated that the interaction grew between two sides between Russia and Turkey, and both sides are in certain way indispensable for each other," according to Russia expert Zaur Gasimov at Bonn University in Germany. "They continue to cooperate. They continue to interact. And a number of chapters in that book of cooperation between Moscow and Ankara grew tremendously since the last two or three years, and the Sochi meeting demonstrated that very clearly," Gasimov added.At the Sochi meeting, Putin said a deal between Russia, Turkey, and Qatar to supply a million tonnes of grain to six African countries was close to fruition – on Wednesday, Moscow confirmed Turkey's participation in the accord. Turkey may be key to salvaging Ukraine's Black Sea grain exportsFears of sanction 'loophole'Under the agreement, Turkey would process the grain into flour, with Putin adding that Turkey would also receive grain for its own market.  Experts warn, however, that Russia could use the deal to export stolen Ukrainian grain, breaching international sanctions, putting the spotlight on Ankara's stance of not enforcing Western sanctions against Russia – to which, Turkey says, it is not bound."Turkey is very important [to Russia]," said George Voloshin for ACAMS, a financial crime watchdog."There are many intermediaries in Turkey that help Russian interests, that help Russia procure goods from the West, including basic goods, as well as very sensitive goods."So it's really up to Turkey's government to make sure there's no re-exportation of European, American or UK goods into Russia. And I think there's a lot to do in this respect," added Voloshin.Since the European Union imposed sanctions on Russia, imports to Turkey from European countries have surged with a corresponding increase in exports from Turkey to Russia, fuelling suspicions companies in Europe are using Turkey to circumvent the sanctions. Erdogan hopes a U-turn can salvage Turkey's floundering economyTrade and infrastructure investmentsMeanwhile, Putin and Erdogan committed themselves to increasing bilateral trade from $70billion to $100billion, including turning Turkey into a regional hub for distributing Russian gas.The leader's discussions also included Russian companies starting construction of a second nuclear reactor in Turkey. Boosting trade and infrastructure investments are seen as vital for the ailing Turkish economy.Experts claim the Sochi summit characterized by smiling and relaxed leaders and a commitment to deepen cooperation underlines that despite recent strains between Ankara and Moscow, Erdogan is too important for Putin to lose."Putin cannot face losing Erdogan," says Columnist Ilhan Uzgel for the Kisa Dalga, a Turkish news portal. "So they [Moscow] tolerate anything Turkey is doing inside NATO membership. I mean, that is for sure."They don't care about what Erdogan is doing in his ties with Western countries and Western institutions," continued Uzgel. "They are more interested in what kind of cooperation they can have with Erdogan, and they cooperate in many, many areas."At least for now, some analysts say hopes of a diplomatic rupture between Ankara and Moscow are on hold, with Putin focusing more on areas of cooperation than points of difference.

Click here for the full episode: https://usefulidiots.locals.com/post/4381986/nato-is-the-zombie-that-won-t-die For $5 a month, become a Useful Idiot! Get extended interviews, Thursday Throwdowns, and chat live with Katie and Aaron in the Absurd Arena at http://usefulidiots.locals.com Find us on Substack at http://usefulidiots.substack.com Watch this week's Thursday Throwdown: MSNBC Celebrates Trump Indictment with 24/7 Campaign Promotion https://usefulidiots.locals.com/post/4375164/msnbc-celebrates-trump-indictment-with-24-7-campaign-promotion Join the Absurd Arena live chat with Katie and Aaron every Tuesday at 12pm est at https://usefulidiots.substack.com/chat “The likely outcome of the Vilnius summit,” Anatol Lieven, Director of the Eurasia program at the Quincy Institute, explains, “will be once again to dangle a never ending timetable for Kyiv's admittance into the alliance.” As we progress further and further into the proxy war against Russia, Ukraine's roadmap for joining NATO grows foggier and foggier. In 2008, Ukraine was given an explicit list of steps to complete in order to gain acceptance. Today, they're told something else: “Ukraine can join NATO when allies agree and when certain conditions are met.” This purposefully vague promise seems to be the West's way of pushing off Ukraine indefinitely while still making sure that they fight to the last Ukrainian. As Lieven says: “At the very least I'd say Ukraine is just as far away as it was in 2008. The case for Ukraine's NATO membership is the zombie that won't die.” At Responsible Statecraft, he writes of the danger NATO faces if they ever actually followed through on their promise: “The West will be committed to an endless strategy of arming and financing Ukraine against Russia, while praying that the United States remains fully committed to this and is not drawn away by more important domestic and international threats.” He adds: “For if America ever does pull back, NATO's European members may find that the only thing more stupid than pulling a bear's tail and running away is pulling its tail when you can't run away.” Watch the full interview with Anatol Lieven where he explains how journalists have become part of the elite system they once reported on, the danger of Russophobia, and his scary answer to the question: “Do you have any fear that we're heading towards World War III?” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Our conversation updates on a range of developments associated with the Russia-Ukraine War, including the potential path for Ukraine's NATO membership. We also provide some takeaways from Israeli President Isaac Herzog's Congressional address, and update on the status of the National Defense Bill. Featured is Shane Lieberman, Federal Affairs Manager, UBS US Office of Public Policy. Host: Daniel Cassidy

Our conversation updates on a range of developments associated with the Russia-Ukraine War, including the potential path for Ukraine's NATO membership. We also provide some takeaways from Israeli President Isaac Herzog's Congressional address, and update on the status of the National Defense Bill. Featured is Shane Lieberman, Federal Affairs Manager, UBS US Office of Public Policy. Host: Daniel Cassidy

Joe Biden is ridiculously claiming that Ukraine has defeated Russia. Edward Szall, host of Cross Talk News, is here to talk about Ukraine's NATO membership being rejected.Jab pushing government and Big Pharma are responsible for the mass murder of children worldwide. Dan Hartman joins Stew to talk about the death of his son, Sean, and how the Covid-19 injection causes him to die suddenly.Thousands of parents have taken their children to the hospital for legitimate medical needs only to be accused of child abuse by child trafficking vultures. Lorina Troy, who appeared in the recent Netflix documentary called ‘Take Care of Maya', is here to tell her story about how CPS stole her babies.Protect your family from chemicals in the air and the next false flag attack at http://FiltersSuck.com and use promocode “Stew” for big discounts. Mike Dillon is back to talk about the strange drill NYC performed in October 2021 where the gassed subways with ‘non toxic' gas.Watch this new show NOW at Stewpeters.com! Keep us FREE and ON THE AIR! SUPPORT THE SPONSORS Below!Protect your retirement, Visit our friends at Goldco! Call 855-706-GOLD or visit https://goldco.com/stew Kick-ass Chuck Norris has now released a morning KICK! Try it HERE: https://americareadysupply.com/stew Gun Holsters, BIG SALE! Just go to https://www.vnsh.com/stew and get $50 OFF! Clean up your AIR with these high quality air filtration systems, and protect yourself from shedding: https://thetriadaer.com/ Check out https://nootopia.com/Stew for help increasing your mental & physical strength to battle the deep-state's KRYPTONITE plot against Americans! Magnesium is VITAL for sleep and stress, Get high quality magnesium and support the show with using Promocode STEWPETERS10: https://magbreakthrough.com/stewpeters High Quality CBD, Check out: https://kuribl.com/ Use Promocode STEW20 for 20% off your order or premium CBD! Pandemic Preparedness and Antarctic krill Oil is a lifesaver, FIX your inflammation today at https://StopMyInflammation.com Go Ad-Free, Get Exclusive Content, Become a Premium user: https://www.stewpeters.com/subscribe/ Follow Stew on Gab: https://gab.com/RealStewPeters See all of Stew's content at https://StewPeters.com

At the latest summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, NATO leaders faced the critical issue of whether and when to admit Ukraine into the organization. While some NATO members, for example the Baltic states, vehemently backed Ukraine's NATO bid, the U.S. and a few others decided that Ukraine is not ready. Their final joint communique stopped short of handing Kyiv an invitation or a clear timeframe for accession. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the decision "unprecedented and absurd." What does the internal division tells us about NATO at the moment? How will this decision regarding Ukraine's membership influence the future of the alliance? Host Liu Kun is joined by Shen Dingli, Professor at the Institute of International Studies, Fudan University; Helga Zepp-LaRouche, Founder of The Schiller Institute, a Germany-based political and economic think tank; and Dr. Alexey Muraviev, Associate Professor of National Security and Strategic Studies at Curtin University in Australia.

The gang discusses Ukraine's anger at being sidelined by the NATO onboarding process. Also, Chuck Schumer wants to regulate PRIME energy drinks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The team at Washington Post Opinions is using this space to bring you occasional conversations reacting to the biggest stories we're talking about. As we continue to share discussions, we'd love to know what you think and what you're craving to hear. In the run-up to this year's annual NATO summit in Vilinius, Lithuania, all eyes were on what prospects the alliance would give Ukraine on becoming a member. No one expected that Ukraine would be given full membership while the war was still going on. But some kind of clear signal was expected. It did not come. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, upon learning of the final language of the NATO leaders' communiqué, tweeted angrily that it's “unprecedented and absurd” not to set a time frame for Ukraine's NATO membership. Members of the U.S. delegation were “furious” with Zelensky's outburst, and in a private meeting reportedly urged him to cool down and embrace what the security aid he was being promised.Assignment editor Damir Marusic and columnists Max Boot and Josh Rogin discuss all this drama, and what implications it has for the future of the war in Ukraine.

The IRS whistleblower just got indicted for Hunter's crimes, Ukraine's NATO play has been rejected, the military is running out of ammo (maybe they should borrow from the IRS!) and everyone is lying about the cocaine in the White House. Check out our featured sponsor - Dr. Kirk Elliott - and turn your fiat dollar into silver while it's still worth the paper it's printed on, at www.defiantsilver.life Welcome back to the Patriot Party Podcast!  We are now live streaming from 6:00 to 8:15pm EST Monday - Friday, 2pm Saturday for Freedom Gardens and 2pm Sunday for Truspiracy.  Tune in on Rumble, Pilled.net, DLive, RedPills.tv, Odysee, Telegram or CloutHub every day.  If you miss the livestream, no worries, we will always put the podcast out. Check out our new website and merchandise at www.patriotpartypod.com and save 20% off your first order with promo code DEFIANT. We miss our brother Justin Andersch from Cannabis and Combat every day; every show we do is dedicated to his memory.  Justin was most passionate about saving the children, so we have set up a GiveSendGo in his memory, with all proceeds going to a child sex trafficking prevention organization he worked with, Shepard's Watch.  Please honor Justin's memory by donating at www.givesendgo.com/blueberryduckfarts Help us get Bees!  The next goal on our homestead is to incorporate bees as pollinators and eventually for honey.  Donate towards our goal at www.givesendgo.com/freedombees or pray for us! If you'd like to support the podcast, check out our sponsors!  We've found some amazing Patriot sponsors that will help you prepare for what's to come and provide you with value for your money. Fluoride dumbs you down, and does anyone really like the dentist?  Avoid both with fluoride free, nano colloidal silver toothpaste at www.freshmouth.life    Heal your body and change your life with Cardio Miracle! Get yours at www.defiantmiracle.com The fiat dollar loses value every day as inflation skyrockets and the stock market plummets.  Protect your money with gold and silver so you'll still have some when this is all over!  Go to www.defiantsilver.life or call 720-605-3900 and to reach Dr. Kirk Elliott's team; tell them the Patriot Party Podcast sent you! Food shortages are coming, and no one wants to go hungry.  Make sure your family is fed with long term storable food at MyPatriotSupply and get free shipping with every order over $100.  www.defiantprep.life Grow your own food!  Save 10% on all the seeds you need to survive with promo code DEFIANT at www.survival-essentials.com Use the promo code DEFIANT at mypillow.com and mystore.com to save up to 66% on some of the best products around, and support a great Patriot at the same time! Or you can call 1-800-377-9724 to place your order directly.   https://www.mypillow.com/defiant   Covid may never go away; if you need IVM or HCQ, check out Dr. Stella Immanuel's website at www.drstellamd.com and save 5% off her book, vitamins, and tele-health with the promo code DEFIANT. Sign up for Dr. Sherwood's free ebook at www.Sherwood.TV/patriotparty  Check out his campaign website at www.Sherwood2022.com  Check out our new sponsor: COL1972, a women's clothing line, made in the USA, that uses their proceeds to fight for life.  Visit their website and use the promo code PATRIOTPARTY or click this link to check out their website: https://www.col1972.com/?aff=528  If you've got extra $$ burning a hole in your pocket and want to share, you can show us some extra love by becoming a paid subscriber to our Substack: https://patriotpartypod.substack.com Like what you hear?  Like, share and subscribe, and rate us!  Don't appreciate us?  Keep listening, we may grow on you. Fair warning:  we are labeled explicit for good reason.  We use all the words in the English language that everyone understands, but you probably don't want your children to repeat. All music was purchased from the Deep State devils, copy write to the same Pedos we all know and hate.  We all know how corrupt it all is, and this why we fight.  So keep it up Patriots, we are with you; WWG1WGA!  You can find evidence to back up our discussion on Telegram at: https://t.me.qvlynnqplan  Join our Telegram chat channel https://t.me/patriotpartypodchat  Listen to the audio podcast: https://thepatriotparty.podbean.com/  Watch the livestream and join the chat on Pilled!  https://share-link.pilled.net/profile/169214 Subscribe to our Rumble Channel- ThePatriotPartyPodcast! https://rumble.com/c/c-994185 Watch us on CloutHub: https://clouthub.com/c/6spkRe4m We've joined the Redpill Project!  You can soon find all our content there, plus the episodes we co-host on the Daily Dose and a lot more! https://www.redpillpodcasts.com/micandvlynn Follow us on Twitter and now on Truth Social! @vlynnQ

Facts & Spins for July 13, 2023 Top Stories: Russia blocks Syrian aid at the UN, FBI Director Wray is grilled before a House Committee, Ukraine's NATO bid falls short, while China warns against NATO expansion in Asia, Iran inks key Africa agreements, Iowa's GOP passes a 6-week abortion ban, the US Justice Dept. changes course in the Trump E. Jean Carroll case, Canada probes Nike and Dynasty Gold over alleged Uyghur labor, Bank of America is fined over junk fees, and Elon Musk launches a new AI company. Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/pod

On today's show Ed and I take a look at 2 topics. The first one is: North Korea fires a Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile towards Japan (again) and the second is: NATO Membership Denied [for now] for UKRAINE - Is this a Win for the Kremlin? Don't forget to subscribe. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unspokentruthofficial/message

FBI Director Christopher Wray on July 12 refuted the allegation that the agency is biased against conservatives. He testified before the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee during a hearing on “Oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation” on Capitol Hill. During the hearing, the lawmakers accused the agency of enforcing a “double standard” of justice and protecting the Biden family. President Joe Biden met with Group of Seven leaders at the NATO summit to offer security assistance for Ukraine in its fight against Russia. The announcement came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed frustration about not receiving a timeline for Ukraine's accession to the military alliance. According to a report from several U.S. senators, some of America's largest tax preparation companies have been sharing the personal financial data of millions of taxpayers with Meta, Google, and other Big Tech firms. The report says these actions are potential violations of taxpayer privacy laws. ⭕️ Watch in-depth videos based on Truth & Tradition at Epoch TV

The "Oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation" hearing begins in the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, where FBI Director Christopher Wray is expected to testify before Congress and face tough questions from those who distrust the integrity of the bureau. The FBI has recently faced allegations of operating with political bias after the agency searched former President Trump's Mar-a-Lago home for classified documents. Director Wray will appear before the House Judiciary for the first time since the GOP took control of the House and is expected to confront the alleged politicization of federal agencies and his lack of transparency regarding whistleblower allegations. Former FBI Assistant Director Chris Swecker joins the Rundown to explain what the FBI needs to do to prove such biases don't exist and his belief that there must be greater separation between the FBI and the Justice Department. At the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania this week, President Biden and other NATO members came to an agreement to allow Sweden to join the alliance, yet members concurred that adding Ukraine remains out of reach while the war with Russia persists. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy criticized the NATO members for this decision, panning the decision to delay Ukraine's NATO membership without being given a concrete timeline, yet the members did agree Ukraine will join the alliance when the right conditions are met. On the Rundown, former Texas Senator and U.S. Ambassador to NATO during the Trump administration, Kay Bailey Hutchison, joins the podcast to explain what impact we could see on the world stage from the expansion of NATO and how the member nations walked a delicate line between supporting Ukraine and avoiding open war with Russia. Plus, commentary by Jimmy Failla, host of "Fox Across America with Jimmy Failla." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The "Oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation" hearing begins in the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, where FBI Director Christopher Wray is expected to testify before Congress and face tough questions from those who distrust the integrity of the bureau. The FBI has recently faced allegations of operating with political bias after the agency searched former President Trump's Mar-a-Lago home for classified documents. Director Wray will appear before the House Judiciary for the first time since the GOP took control of the House and is expected to confront the alleged politicization of federal agencies and his lack of transparency regarding whistleblower allegations. Former FBI Assistant Director Chris Swecker joins the Rundown to explain what the FBI needs to do to prove such biases don't exist and his belief that there must be greater separation between the FBI and the Justice Department. At the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania this week, President Biden and other NATO members came to an agreement to allow Sweden to join the alliance, yet members concurred that adding Ukraine remains out of reach while the war with Russia persists. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy criticized the NATO members for this decision, panning the decision to delay Ukraine's NATO membership without being given a concrete timeline, yet the members did agree Ukraine will join the alliance when the right conditions are met. On the Rundown, former Texas Senator and U.S. Ambassador to NATO during the Trump administration, Kay Bailey Hutchison, joins the podcast to explain what impact we could see on the world stage from the expansion of NATO and how the member nations walked a delicate line between supporting Ukraine and avoiding open war with Russia. Plus, commentary by Jimmy Failla, host of "Fox Across America with Jimmy Failla." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jim has issues with the bank of Canada interest rate hike and a few other things in his opening rant. The big stories of the day discussed on the Rundown with Reshmi Nair and Mark Mendelson Christian Leuprecht - leading national security authority with the Royal Military College AND Author of the book “Intelligence as Democratic Statecraft” Zelensky says ‘uncertainty' over Ukraine's NATO membership.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is not being shy about his dissatisfaction over his country currently being denied NATO membership. Fox News reporter Jonathan Savage joined FWMN to break it down. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The three-hundred-nineteenth episode of the DSR Daily Brief Stories Cited in the Episode: Turkey agrees to back Sweden's NATO membership bid NATO head sees 'strong message' on Ukraine's membership bid at summit North Korean leader's sister repeats 'critical' warnings over U.S. spy planes Libya jails 38 over deaths in Mediterranean Sea smuggling case Trump wants classified documents trial delayed until after 2024 election Russian drones attack Kyiv and Odesa hours before NATO summit More than 17,000 pancakes served in 8 hours to break world record Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Facts & Spins for July 12, 2023 Top Stories: The US Senate probes the PGA-LIV Golf merger, Trump requests the classified documents trial be postponed, Zelenskyy reissues calls for Ukraine's NATO accession, Libya jails 38 for human trafficking, the Hunter Biden “whistleblower” is charged with acting as a Chinese agent, China and the Solomon Islands announce a strategic partnership, Meta's Threads hits 100M users, Foxconn withdraws from its Vedanta chip deal, Olympic champion Caster Semenya wins her testosterone appeal, and transparent mice are found to potentially improve cancer drug tests. Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/pod

The "Oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation" hearing begins in the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, where FBI Director Christopher Wray is expected to testify before Congress and face tough questions from those who distrust the integrity of the bureau. The FBI has recently faced allegations of operating with political bias after the agency searched former President Trump's Mar-a-Lago home for classified documents. Director Wray will appear before the House Judiciary for the first time since the GOP took control of the House and is expected to confront the alleged politicization of federal agencies and his lack of transparency regarding whistleblower allegations. Former FBI Assistant Director Chris Swecker joins the Rundown to explain what the FBI needs to do to prove such biases don't exist and his belief that there must be greater separation between the FBI and the Justice Department. At the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania this week, President Biden and other NATO members came to an agreement to allow Sweden to join the alliance, yet members concurred that adding Ukraine remains out of reach while the war with Russia persists. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy criticized the NATO members for this decision, panning the decision to delay Ukraine's NATO membership without being given a concrete timeline, yet the members did agree Ukraine will join the alliance when the right conditions are met. On the Rundown, former Texas Senator and U.S. Ambassador to NATO during the Trump administration, Kay Bailey Hutchison, joins the podcast to explain what impact we could see on the world stage from the expansion of NATO and how the member nations walked a delicate line between supporting Ukraine and avoiding open war with Russia. Plus, commentary by Jimmy Failla, host of "Fox Across America with Jimmy Failla." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stories Cited in the Episode: Turkey agrees to back Sweden's NATO membership bid NATO head sees 'strong message' on Ukraine's membership bid at summit North Korean leader's sister repeats 'critical' warnings over U.S. spy planes Libya jails 38 over deaths in Mediterranean Sea smuggling case Trump wants classified documents trial delayed until after 2024 election Russian drones attack Kyiv and Odesa hours before NATO summit More than 17,000 pancakes served in 8 hours to break world record Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Parents in America already have to fret about their children's schools, doctors, and TV programs. Now, a new story shows they have to worry about their summer camps as well. Charlie reacts, then covers the NATO summit, where Biden and Buds made it clear who is first in their hearts: The country of Ukraine and it's slick ex-actor president.Support the show: http://www.charliekirk.com/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stories Cited in the Episode: Turkey agrees to back Sweden's NATO membership bid NATO head sees 'strong message' on Ukraine's membership bid at summit North Korean leader's sister repeats 'critical' warnings over U.S. spy planes Libya jails 38 over deaths in Mediterranean Sea smuggling case Trump wants classified documents trial delayed until after 2024 election Russian drones attack Kyiv and Odesa hours before NATO summit More than 17,000 pancakes served in 8 hours to break world record Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

NATO has kicked off a high stakes summit in Europe and Ukraine is still pushing for membership. Fighters in Sudan have been accused of carrying out executions and other war crimes. A grand jury is being selected today that will decide whether former President Donald Trump should face charges for trying to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia. The White House has announced new measures to fight overdoses from "tranq dope". Plus, it's getting even harder to get homeowner insurance in California.To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy

Guest Hosts: Leah Murray and Derek Brown The Utah Supreme Court hears a case looking at whether or not the legislature can redraw political maps to dilute or enhance the opposing party's voting power. And, NATO meetings kick off in Lithuania reminding leaders of crucial decisions made 15 years ago in regards to Ukraine's membership status. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brace yourselves for an explosive Monday on Cancel This Show! We're diving headfirst into the hot topics of the day. Join us as we dissect the stunning statement from President Biden, revealing that the United States is running low on ammunition. In addition, we'll discuss President Biden's stance on Ukraine's readiness for NATO membership. But that's not all! We'll also tackle Trump's controversial proposal to reinstate the travel ban. Tab's Take this week focuses on the intriguing phenomenon of solar storms. As always, we want to hear from you, let's dive into a lively conversation that goes beyond the headlines! Tune in to Cancel This for a mind-blowing Manic Monday episode!#AmmoShortage #NationalSecurity #UkraineAndNATO #BorderSecurity#SolarStorms #CancelThisShow #Biden #Podcast #Politics #CancelCulture #Missouri #DailyShow #Education #Economy #USA #JoeRogan

Pamela Falk, CBS News UN correspondent, joins The Show. The discussion revolves around Ukraine's desire to join NATO, with President Biden expressing reservations about its readiness. Falk highlights the ongoing tensions between Russia and Ukraine, including secret meetings and implications for Putin's position. The conversation also touches upon Sweden's NATO membership bid and the controversial US decision to provide cluster bombs to Ukraine. The NATO Summit is expected to address these complex issues, assessing the potential risks and benefits of Ukraine's accession.

Tune in to The Chris and Amy Show on KMOX as they bring you two engaging interviews. First, Pamela Falk, CBS News UN correspondent, discusses Ukraine's desire to join NATO, President Biden's reservations, and the ongoing tensions with Russia. The conversation also explores Sweden's NATO bid and the controversial US decision regarding cluster bombs in Ukraine. Then, join the hosts as they interview Jen Siess-Gansner, host of St. Louis City Soccer Report, discussing St. Louis City SC's impressive first season, their pressing style of play, the impact of injuries, and the upcoming STL City Caravan. Don't miss this hour packed with insightful discussions.

On COI #444, Kyle Anzalone breaks down the latest news from Ukraine.

Facts & Spins for July 08, 2023 Top Stories: Yellen urges China to adopt market reforms, Samsung predicts a 96% drop in Q2 profits, Zelenskyy calls for commitments on Ukraine's NATO membership, The FDA approves a new Alzheimer's drug, Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon drops, Twitter threatens to sue Threads, Long COVID-like symptoms are linked to vaccines, Biden launches a new push to limit health care costs, Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene is removed from the US House Freedom Caucus, and a Harvard professor believes he's found fragments of alien technology. Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/   Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/pod

The Hamilton Today Podcast with Scott Thompson: It's time for the Canada Day long weekend! Let's find out what the City of Hamilton has in store for us. As reported in the Hamilton Spectator, less than five hours before he was charged with killing his mother, Daryl Buckle stood before a judge and explained the reason he spat on police officers with no provocation was because “a voice in [his] head told me that if I didn't do it, [his] mother would be murdered.” While Ukraine's counteroffensive advances, there is a push from some NATO members to speed up the process of getting Ukraine into their ranks. However, Anita Anand has stopped short of joining that call to action. We get an update on the events that took place at University of Waterloo this week, which saw a stabbing take place in a philosophy class focused on gender. In an attempt to foster better relationships with Italy, Mayor Andrea Horwath along with the city's community partners will be visiting Racalmuto, Abruzzo, Palermo, and Rome from 3-14 July. The Federal Liberals wanting to wait until they have "full buy-in" from the other parties before they proceed with the next steps related to addressing foreign interference. Today, the Governor General Mary Simon announced thew new appointment to the Order of Canada, and among them is Hamilton's own Tom Wilson! Guests: Ryan McHugh, Manager of Tourism and Events with the City of Hamilton Jeff Manishen, Criminal Lawyer, Ross & McBride; Former Crown Attorney Aurel Braun, Professor of International Relations and a Senior Member of the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto Constable Andre Johnson, Public Information Officer with the Waterloo Regional Police Service Larry DiIanni. Former Mayor, Lobbyist, City of Hamilton Peter Graefe, Professor of Political Science with McMaster University Tom Wilson, Mohawk author, visual artist, and musician (LeE HARVeY osMOND, Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, Junkhouse), focus of the documentary film Beautiful Scars Host – Scott Thompson Content Producer – William P. Erskine Technical/Podcast Producer - Matt Taylor Podcast Co-Producer - Ben Straughan News Anchor – Dave Woodard & Jen McQueen Want to keep up with what happened in Hamilton Today? Subscribe to the podcast! https://megaphone.link/CORU8835115919

On this week's episode of The Eastern Front, Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia wrap up some of the most important events from the eastern flank and look ahead at the next few weeks as the Ukrainian counteroffensive begins to pick up steam. Dalibor fills his co-hosts in on his experience at this year's GLOBSEC Forum, including what it reveals about the Western consensus around a clear path towards Ukraine's NATO membership. The co-hosts also discuss Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's speech at the second Summit of the European Political Community, as well as what Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's re-election might mean for Black Sea policy and Turkey's dependence on Russia (hint: more of the same). Show notes: Sign up for The Eastern Front's bi-weekly newsletter here and follow us on Twitter here; "Spinal Tap - All Stonehenge scenes."

From July 11-12, Lithuania is scheduled to host the 2023 NATO summit in Vilnius. According to Lithuanian Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mantas Adomėnas, the summit's success will be predicated on three principal dimensions: (1) Ukraine's NATO prospects, (2) defense of the eastern flank, and (3) defense spending. On this week's episode of The Eastern Front, Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia explore these principals with Adomėnas and discuss what a NATO arrangement might look like for Ukraine. Does the EU see the war as an excuse for Ukraine's expedited integration into NATO? Will the EU forget about its commitments to defense spending and the military after the war is over? How can the West prepare for the "new reality" of an increasingly unpredictable world? And as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's signals that Ukraine is preparing for its counteroffensive, could a demonstrable show of success before July impact the summit? Show notes: Sign up for The Eastern Front's biweekly newsletter here. Follow us on Twitter here.

The Two Hundred Seventy-Third Episode of the DSR Daily Brief Stories Cited in the Episode: Foreigners evacuated as factions battle in Sudan's Khartoum Wall Street starts to fear a debt limit crisis ‘What?!' Orbán throws cold water on Ukraine's NATO hopes Europe's disunity over China deepens Exclusive: Czech Republic looks to supply Vietnam more aircraft, radars At U.S. behest, Ukraine held off anniversary attacks on Russia Journalists who have worked in Moscow call for release of Evan Gershkovich Littlest intruder: Toddler crawls through White House fence Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Two Hundred Seventy-Third Episode of the DSR Daily Brief Stories Cited in the Episode: Foreigners evacuated as factions battle in Sudan's Khartoum Wall Street starts to fear a debt limit crisis ‘What?!' Orbán throws cold water on Ukraine's NATO hopes Europe's disunity over China deepens Exclusive: Czech Republic looks to supply Vietnam more aircraft, radars At U.S. behest, Ukraine held off anniversary attacks on Russia Journalists who have worked in Moscow call for release of Evan Gershkovich Littlest intruder: Toddler crawls through White House fence Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Two Hundred Seventy-Third Episode of the DSR Daily Brief Stories Cited in the Episode: Foreigners evacuated as factions battle in Sudan's Khartoum Wall Street starts to fear a debt limit crisis ‘What?!' Orbán throws cold water on Ukraine's NATO hopes Europe's disunity over China deepens Exclusive: Czech Republic looks to supply Vietnam more aircraft, radars At U.S. behest, Ukraine held off anniversary attacks on Russia Journalists who have worked in Moscow call for release of Evan Gershkovich Littlest intruder: Toddler crawls through White House fence Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What can we expect in the coming weeks as reports claim Putin is preparing a massive offensive? Colonel Douglas Macgregor is back to deliver his expert breakdown of the evolving conflict in Ukraine. Might we see a false flag event disrupting the grain infrastructure of Ukraine? How dire is the loss of life facing the two nations? Will Washington cave to mounting pressure to supply tanks; what about Germany? Why did Kissinger change his tune on Ukraine's NATO membership? When will the offensive begin and what will it entail? Is there a possibility of electronic warfare; are satellites potential targets? How has the Biden Administration escalated the conflict, and will they continue fueling the flames of war? Why does Russia hold an advantage in terms of ammunition? Could Russia sabotage the tank deliveries? How has Zelensky nullified his own generals? Macgregor and Savage dive into all the details as Europe faces a historic mobilization, not seen since World War II. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ian Kelly, a former US Ambassador to OSCE and Georgia, and currently an Ambassador in Residence at Northwestern University (Illinois) talks about unexpected Russian war against Ukraine, why the West didn't help Kyiv in 2014, Ukraine's NATO aspirations, a disputed Nagorny Karabakh region between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and perspectives of Ukraine's support after US midterm elections. / Support this podcast by donating to PayPal.me/MrKovalenko / Sound from Zapsplat.com --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/ukraine-decoded/support

Welcome to The Nonlinear Library, where we use Text-to-Speech software to convert the best writing from the Rationalist and EA communities into audio. This is: A Few Terrifying Facts About The Russo-Ukrainian War, published by DonyChristie on September 30, 2022 on LessWrong. Epistemic status: trying to summarize the news and predict, post is under revision, too lazy to citation everything I wanted to collect a few observations I've made, as best I understand them. This PBS article does a good job of explaining much of it. Vladimir Putin has announced the annexation of four Ukrainian territories. This makes them Russian territory from Russia's perspective. “People living in Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson are becoming our citizens forever” - Putin The West does not acknowledge this annexation, describing it as illegal. Ukraine does not acknowledge this annexation and says it plans to take the territories back. "By attempting to annex Ukraine's Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, (Russian President Vladimir) Putin tries to grab territories he doesn't even physically control on the ground. Nothing changes for Ukraine: we continue liberating our land and our people, restoring our territorial integrity," Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on social media. Russian military doctrine allows the usage of nuclear weapons to defend Russian territory. Putin has a track record of escalating apparently (this needs more data) and Russia seems to be planning for escalation until the war is won. "All of our sources in the elite — who all spoke on the condition of anonymity — said the military conflict will only escalate in the coming months." Putin has clearly stated that they will defend this territory, including with tactical nukes if need be. He said they would use "any means available" to defend it He has mentioned usage of nukes some number of times (a nice-to-have: a list of all the times he has said this) Medyedev has stated the West would not retaliate if nuclear weapons are used. "Under Russia's amended constitution, no Kremlin leader can cede territories once they are annexed." - someone on Twitter Putin has stated he is not bluffing. The U.S. Secretary of State says it is "loose talk". Putin has called for a ceasefire. Ukraine and U.S. does not want to do this. The U.S. has said there will be "catastrophic consequences" if nuclear weapons are used. They are keeping the consequences vague for strategic flexibility. Concerning escalatory developments that aren't directly related to nuclear brinksmanship: The Nordstream natural gas pipes were blown up. We don't know who did it. (This section needs work) Russia could have done it Burning the bridges strategy? U.S. could have done it U.S. airships were nearby days before. Ukraine Some other country or group, hypothetically Russia has conscripted 300,000 men. There is some amount of resistance. Tens of thousands of people are leaving. There are some protests. Ukraine has "accelerated" its application to join NATO. Consensus from all 30 NATO countries is required, though. France and Germany have expressed reluctance in the past. "Experts warned that Ukraine's NATO membership at the moment seems elusive at best. The process could take at least several months, and even years." Sweden and Finland have been approved by 28 out of 30 countries. Turkey and Hungary will likely hold out for a while. Any country in NATO that is attacked by Russia triggers the whole NATO alliance to attack Russia. Biden has affirmed this, naturally. Conclusion: Ukraine will keep attacking the annexed territories in order to take them back until Russia uses a tactical nuke out of desperation, and the U.S. will respond with "catastrophic consequences". This is obviously uncertain! But the chain of logic forms a coherent enough inside view for me to put a lot of probability on that, and I may start taking bets. I would be curious to see different inside views about what will happ...

Link to original articleWelcome to The Nonlinear Library, where we use Text-to-Speech software to convert the best writing from the Rationalist and EA communities into audio. This is: A Few Terrifying Facts About The Russo-Ukrainian War, published by DonyChristie on September 30, 2022 on LessWrong. Epistemic status: trying to summarize the news and predict, post is under revision, too lazy to citation everything I wanted to collect a few observations I've made, as best I understand them. This PBS article does a good job of explaining much of it. Vladimir Putin has announced the annexation of four Ukrainian territories. This makes them Russian territory from Russia's perspective. “People living in Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson are becoming our citizens forever” - Putin The West does not acknowledge this annexation, describing it as illegal. Ukraine does not acknowledge this annexation and says it plans to take the territories back. "By attempting to annex Ukraine's Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, (Russian President Vladimir) Putin tries to grab territories he doesn't even physically control on the ground. Nothing changes for Ukraine: we continue liberating our land and our people, restoring our territorial integrity," Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on social media. Russian military doctrine allows the usage of nuclear weapons to defend Russian territory. Putin has a track record of escalating apparently (this needs more data) and Russia seems to be planning for escalation until the war is won. "All of our sources in the elite — who all spoke on the condition of anonymity — said the military conflict will only escalate in the coming months." Putin has clearly stated that they will defend this territory, including with tactical nukes if need be. He said they would use "any means available" to defend it He has mentioned usage of nukes some number of times (a nice-to-have: a list of all the times he has said this) Medyedev has stated the West would not retaliate if nuclear weapons are used. "Under Russia's amended constitution, no Kremlin leader can cede territories once they are annexed." - someone on Twitter Putin has stated he is not bluffing. The U.S. Secretary of State says it is "loose talk". Putin has called for a ceasefire. Ukraine and U.S. does not want to do this. The U.S. has said there will be "catastrophic consequences" if nuclear weapons are used. They are keeping the consequences vague for strategic flexibility. Concerning escalatory developments that aren't directly related to nuclear brinksmanship: The Nordstream natural gas pipes were blown up. We don't know who did it. (This section needs work) Russia could have done it Burning the bridges strategy? U.S. could have done it U.S. airships were nearby days before. Ukraine Some other country or group, hypothetically Russia has conscripted 300,000 men. There is some amount of resistance. Tens of thousands of people are leaving. There are some protests. Ukraine has "accelerated" its application to join NATO. Consensus from all 30 NATO countries is required, though. France and Germany have expressed reluctance in the past. "Experts warned that Ukraine's NATO membership at the moment seems elusive at best. The process could take at least several months, and even years." Sweden and Finland have been approved by 28 out of 30 countries. Turkey and Hungary will likely hold out for a while. Any country in NATO that is attacked by Russia triggers the whole NATO alliance to attack Russia. Biden has affirmed this, naturally. Conclusion: Ukraine will keep attacking the annexed territories in order to take them back until Russia uses a tactical nuke out of desperation, and the U.S. will respond with "catastrophic consequences". This is obviously uncertain! But the chain of logic forms a coherent enough inside view for me to put a lot of probability on that, and I may start taking bets. I would be curious to see different inside views about what will happ...

Link to original articleWelcome to The Nonlinear Library, where we use Text-to-Speech software to convert the best writing from the Rationalist and EA communities into audio. This is: A Few Terrifying Facts About The Russo-Ukrainian War, published by DonyChristie on September 30, 2022 on LessWrong. Epistemic status: trying to summarize the news and predict, post is under revision, too lazy to citation everything I wanted to collect a few observations I've made, as best I understand them. This PBS article does a good job of explaining much of it. Vladimir Putin has announced the annexation of four Ukrainian territories. This makes them Russian territory from Russia's perspective. “People living in Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson are becoming our citizens forever” - Putin The West does not acknowledge this annexation, describing it as illegal. Ukraine does not acknowledge this annexation and says it plans to take the territories back. "By attempting to annex Ukraine's Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, (Russian President Vladimir) Putin tries to grab territories he doesn't even physically control on the ground. Nothing changes for Ukraine: we continue liberating our land and our people, restoring our territorial integrity," Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on social media. Russian military doctrine allows the usage of nuclear weapons to defend Russian territory. Putin has a track record of escalating apparently (this needs more data) and Russia seems to be planning for escalation until the war is won. "All of our sources in the elite — who all spoke on the condition of anonymity — said the military conflict will only escalate in the coming months." Putin has clearly stated that they will defend this territory, including with tactical nukes if need be. He said they would use "any means available" to defend it He has mentioned usage of nukes some number of times (a nice-to-have: a list of all the times he has said this) Medyedev has stated the West would not retaliate if nuclear weapons are used. "Under Russia's amended constitution, no Kremlin leader can cede territories once they are annexed." - someone on Twitter Putin has stated he is not bluffing. The U.S. Secretary of State says it is "loose talk". Putin has called for a ceasefire. Ukraine and U.S. does not want to do this. The U.S. has said there will be "catastrophic consequences" if nuclear weapons are used. They are keeping the consequences vague for strategic flexibility. Concerning escalatory developments that aren't directly related to nuclear brinksmanship: The Nordstream natural gas pipes were blown up. We don't know who did it. (This section needs work) Russia could have done it Burning the bridges strategy? U.S. could have done it U.S. airships were nearby days before. Ukraine Some other country or group, hypothetically Russia has conscripted 300,000 men. There is some amount of resistance. Tens of thousands of people are leaving. There are some protests. Ukraine has "accelerated" its application to join NATO. Consensus from all 30 NATO countries is required, though. France and Germany have expressed reluctance in the past. "Experts warned that Ukraine's NATO membership at the moment seems elusive at best. The process could take at least several months, and even years." Sweden and Finland have been approved by 28 out of 30 countries. Turkey and Hungary will likely hold out for a while. Any country in NATO that is attacked by Russia triggers the whole NATO alliance to attack Russia. Biden has affirmed this, naturally. Conclusion: Ukraine will keep attacking the annexed territories in order to take them back until Russia uses a tactical nuke out of desperation, and the U.S. will respond with "catastrophic consequences". This is obviously uncertain! But the chain of logic forms a coherent enough inside view for me to put a lot of probability on that, and I may start taking bets. I would be curious to see different inside views about what will happ...

Hurricane Ian is expected to make landfall in South Carolina today, as Florida residents take stock of the destruction left in its wake. Russia has illegally annexed four occupied areas of Ukraine and Ukraine's President says he's starting the process to join NATO. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson is preparing for her first session on the bench of the Supreme Court amid growing public distrust of the institution. A key inflation benchmark has increased, and investors are nervously waiting to see how the Federal Reserve will react. Plus, the Biden administration takes a big step to address burnout among healthcare workers.To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy

On 12 March 2014 a historic 10-minute video was uploaded to youtube that acquired over a million hits since then, and that presented and truthfully explained a compendium of video-clips which had been uploaded to the Web during the 2014 overthrow and replacement of Ukraine's democratically elected President, Viktor Yanukovych, who had been called to the White House right after his 2010 electoral win and was asked by Obama to help to push his country toward joining NATO (though all of the opinion polls that had been taken of the Ukrainian public showed that the vast majority of Ukrainians viewed NATO to be their enemy, no friend of Ukraine). Yanukovych said no, and the Obama Administration (with the help of Google corporation) began by no later than 2011 to organize their coup to take down and replace Yanukovych so as to get Ukraine into NATO in order for America to become able to place its missiles only a five-minute striking-distance away from Moscow, for a retaliation-prohibiting blitz nuclear first-strike attack. During 2003-2009, only around 20% of Ukrainians wanted NATO membership, while around 55% opposed it. In 2010, Gallup found that whereas 17% of Ukrainians considered NATO to mean “protection of your country,” 40% said it's “a threat to your country.” Ukrainians predominantly saw NATO as an enemy, not a friend. But after Obama's February 2014 Ukrainian coup, “Ukraine's NATO membership would get 53.4% of the votes, one third of Ukrainians (33.6%) would oppose it.” The 2014 coup in Ukraine was about two things: getting Ukraine into NATO, and seizing Russia's biggest naval base, which ever since 1783 has been in Crimea, which (Crimea) the Soviet dictator had transferred to Ukraine in 1954 while still continuing Crimea as the Soviet Union's biggest naval base. Obama, already by no later than June 2013, was planning to grab that naval base and turn it into yet another U.S. naval base. http://globalreportage.org/2022/03/07/evidence-that-ukraine-has-been-run-by-neo-nazis-since-february-2014/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/global-reportage/support

Despite assuring Americans last night that no troops would be sent to fight in Ukraine, President Biden assured the country that it would stand by its NATO allies. Many argue that this is a good argument against Ukraine's NATO membership in the first place - as then the US would be obligated to fight. What other moves might the US/EU make? No-fly zone? More weapons? Total oil embargo?

On COI #226, Kyle Anzalone breaks down Biden's proposal to Putin to deescalate the tensions over Ukraine. The proposal was in the U.S. letter delivered to Russia. The US requested the letter remain private but it was leaked to the Spanish press. Biden seems to be willing to offer discussion on the U.S. missiles placed in Eastern Europe. While Biden remains unwilling to negotiate on Ukraine's NATO membership, a deal resembling the INF treaty could significantly reduce U.S.-Russia tensions. Kyle discusses a recent accusation by the White House that Senator Josh Hawley is spreading Russian talking points by saying the US should rescind Ukraine's path to NATO membership. Hawley's statement is reflective of Biden's Ukraine policy. Biden is firmly committed against deploying American forces to Ukraine - something that would be required if Ukraine was a NATO member state.  Kyle talks about the US sanctions campaigns against Myanmar and Cuba. The US announced another round of sanctions against Myanmar to mark the one year anniversary of the military coup. While the US says the sanctions are to punish the coup leaders, the country is now on the brink of an economic collapse. Kyle gives a brief breakdown of the Cuban embargo as the economic war enters its 60th year.  Kyle explains the importance of Amnesty International naming Israel an apartheid state. Israel's oppression of Palestinians has been long documented. However, recent reports from Human Rights Watch - and this report from AI - help to crack the pro-Israel U.S. mainstream narrative. Odysee Rumble  Donate LBRY Credits bTTEiLoteVdMbLS7YqDVSZyjEY1eMgW7CP Donate Bitcoin 36PP4kT28jjUZcL44dXDonFwrVVDHntsrk Donate Bitcoin Cash Qp6gznu4xm97cj7j9vqepqxcfuctq2exvvqu7aamz6 Patreon Subscribe Star YouTube Facebook  Twitter  MeWe Apple Podcast  Amazon Music Google Podcasts Spotify iHeart Radio Support Our Sponsor Visit Paloma Verde and use code PEACE for 25% off our CBD  

On COI #226, Kyle Anzalone breaks down Biden's proposal to Putin to deescalate the tensions over Ukraine. The proposal was in the U.S. letter delivered to Russia. The US requested the letter remain private but it was leaked to the Spanish press. Biden seems to be willing to offer discussion on the U.S. missiles placed in Eastern Europe. While Biden remains unwilling to negotiate on Ukraine's NATO membership, a deal resembling the INF treaty could significantly reduce U.S.-Russia tensions. Kyle discusses a recent accusation by the White House that Senator Josh Hawley is spreading Russian talking points by saying the US should rescind Ukraine's path to NATO membership. Hawley's statement is reflective of Biden's Ukraine policy. Biden is firmly committed against deploying American forces to Ukraine - something that would be required if Ukraine was a NATO member state.  Kyle talks about the US sanctions campaigns against Myanmar and Cuba. The US announced another round of sanctions against Myanmar to mark the one year anniversary of the military coup. While the US says the sanctions are to punish the coup leaders, the country is now on the brink of an economic collapse. Kyle gives a brief breakdown of the Cuban embargo as the economic war enters its 60th year.  Kyle explains the importance of Amnesty International naming Israel an apartheid state. Israel's oppression of Palestinians has been long documented. However, recent reports from Human Rights Watch - and this report from AI - help to crack the pro-Israel U.S. mainstream narrative.

Latest news from the 4 January 2022, as reported in the Ukrainian media.

Since the beginning of December, news outlets around the world have been covering a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine. In this episode, get the full back story on the civil war that has been raging in Ukraine since 2014, learn what role our government has played in the conflict, and hear Victoria Nuland - one of the highest ranking officials in the Biden administration's State Department - testify to the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee about the Biden administration's plans if Russia decides to use its military to invade Ukraine. Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Contribute monthly or a lump sum via PayPal Support Congressional Dish via Patreon (donations per episode) Send Zelle payments to: Donation@congressionaldish.com Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or Donation@congressionaldish.com Use your bank's online bill pay function to mail contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North, Number 4576, Crestview, FL 32536. Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Background Sources Recommended Congressional Dish Episodes CD231: Lights Out: What Happened in Texas? CD229: Target Belarus CD206: Impeachment: The Evidence CD186: National Endowment for Democracy CD167: Combating Russia (NDAA 2018) LIVE CD156: Sanctions – Russia, North Korea & Iran CD068: Ukraine Aid Bill CD067: What Do We Want In Ukraine? CD024: Let's Gut the STOCK Act Articles, Documents, and Websites Conflicted Congress. Insider. TurkStream. “Project: The Turkstream Pipeline.” Western Balkans Investment Framework. “Ionian-Adriatic Pipeline (IAP) Project Financing.” Amber Infrastructure Group. “About Us: Our People.” Three Seas. “Three Seas Story.” Three Seas. “Priority Projects.” State Property Fund of Ukraine. “Large Privatization.” State Property Fund of Ukraine. “How to buy.” State Property Fund of Ukraine. “Ukrainian Government Assets for Sale.” Stephanie. December 14, 2021. “Kiev mayor Klitschko warns of Russian invasion.” News in 24. Kenny Stancil. December 13, 2021. “Groups Move to Uncover Why Biden Held Huge Drilling Sale That DOJ Said Was Not Required.” Common Dreams. The Kremlin. December 7, 2021. “Meeting with US President Joseph Biden.” Maxine Joselow and Alexandra Ellerbeck. December 6, 2021. “Biden is approving more oil and gas drilling permits on public lands than Trump, analysis finds.” The Washington Post. Medea Benjamin and Nicolas J. S. Davies. November 23, 2021. “The US-Russia Confrontation Over Ukraine.” Consortium News. International Monetary Fund (IMF). November 22, 2021. “IMF Executive Board Completes First Review Under Stand-By Arrangement for Ukraine, Approves Extension of the Arrangement, Press Release No. 21/342.” Nathan Rott. November 17, 2021. “The Biden administration sold oil and gas leases days after the climate summit.” NPR. Anatol Lieven. November 15, 2021. “Ukraine: The Most Dangerous Problem in the World.” The Nation. John Vandiver and Alison Bath. November 12, 2021. “US Actions in Ukraine Backfiring as Risk of Russian Invasion Grows, Analysts Say.” Military.com Andrew E. Kramer. November 3, 2021. “Weapons Tracing Study Implicates Russia in Ukraine Conflict.” The New York Times. Anton Troianovski and Julian E. Barnes. November 2, 2021. “U.S.-Russia Engagement Deepens as C.I.A. Head Travels to Moscow.” The New York Times. Anton Troianovski and David E. Sanger. October 31, 2021. “Rivals on World Stage, Russia and U.S. Quietly Seek Areas of Accord.” The New York Times. David E. Sanger. October 25, 2021. “Ignoring Sanctions, Russia Renews Broad Cybersurveillance Operation.” The New York Times. Artin DerSimonian. October 19, 2021. “Ice breaking? Russia waives ban on Victoria Nuland.” Responsible Statecraft. Andrew E. Kramer. October 18, 2021. “Russia Breaks Diplomatic Ties With NATO.” The New York Times. Mark Episkopos. October 16, 2021. “Victoria Nuland's Mission to Moscow.” The National Interest. Reuters. September 10, 2021. “Russia and Belarus launch 'hot phase' of huge war games.” Antony Blinken. August 20, 2021. “Imposition of Sanctions in Connection with Nord Stream 2.” U.S. Department of State.](https://www.state.gov/imposition-of-sanctions-in-connection-with-nord-stream-2/) Paul Belkin and Hibbah Kaileh. July 1, 2021. “In Focus: The European Deterrence Initiative: A Budgetary Overview, IF10946.” Congressional Research Service. Henrik B. L. Larsen. June 8, 2021. “Why NATO Should Not Offer Ukraine and Georgia Membership Action Plans. War on the Rocks. NATO. April 26, 2021. “Boosting NATO's presence in the east and southeast.” David E. Sanger and Andrew E. Kramer. April 15, 2021. “U.S. Imposes Stiff Sanctions on Russia, Blaming It for Major Hacking Operation.” The New York Times. The White House. April 15, 2021. “FACT SHEET: Imposing Costs for Harmful Foreign Activities by the Russian Government.” The White House. April 15, 2021. “Executive Order on Blocking Property with Respect to Specified Harmful Foreign Activities of the Government of the Russian Federation.” Reutuers. April 13, 2021. “NATO, not Russia, will decide if Ukraine joins, Stoltenberg says.” Vladimir Isachenkov. April 9, 2021. “Kremlin says it fears full-scale fighting in Ukraine's east.” AP News. Civil.ge. January 20, 2021. “Secretary-designate Blinken Says NATO Door Shall Remain Open to Georgia.” Hans M. Kristensen and Matt Korda. January 12, 2021. “Nuclear Notebook: United States nuclear weapons, 2021.” The Bulletin. Andrew Feinberg. January 9, 2021. “Two years after his infamous phone call with Trump, Zelensky comes to Washington.” The Independent. David E. Sanger, Nicole Perlroth and Julian E. Barnes. January 2, 2021. “As Understanding of Russian Hacking Grows, So Does Alarm.” The New York Times. David E. Sanger, Nicole Perlroth and Eric Schmitt. December 14, 2020. “Scope of Russian Hacking Becomes Clear: Multiple U.S. Agencies Were Hit”. The New York Times. Mark Episkopos. November 11, 2020. “Ukraine's Power Play on Minsk.” The National Interest. Government Accountability Office. October 21, 2020. “Crude Oil Markets: Effects of the Repeal of the Crude Oil Export Ban, GAO-21-118.” Anthony B. Cavender, Thomas A. Campbell, Dan LeFort, Paul S. Marston. December 23, 2015. “U.S. Repeals Longstanding Ban on Export of Crude Oil.” Pillsbury Law. Robert Parry. July 15, 2015. “The Ukraine Mess That Nuland Made.” Truthout. Robert Parry. March 19, 2015. “Ukraine's Poison Pill for Peace Talks.” Consortium News. “Full text of the Minsk agreement” February 12, 2015. Financial Times. NATO. May 8, 2014. “Article 23.” Bucharest Summit Declaration Seumas Milne. April 30, 2014. “It's not Russia that's pushed Ukraine to the brink of war.” The Guardian. David Morrison. Updated May 9, 2014. “How William Hague Deceived the House of Commons on Ukraine.” HuffPost. US Energy Information Administration. March 15, 2014. “16% of Natural Gas Consumed in Europe Flows Through Ukraine.” Energy Central. Robert Parry. February 27, 2014. “Cheering a ‘Democratic' Coup in Ukraine.” Common Dreams. “Ukraine crisis: Transcript of leaked Nuland-Pyatt call.” February 7, 2014. BBC News. Adam Taylor. December 16, 2013. “John McCain Went To Ukraine And Stood On Stage With A Man Accused Of Being An Anti-Semitic Neo-Nazi.” Insider. Brian Whelan. December 16, 2013. “Far-right group at heart of Ukraine protests meet US senator.” Channel 4 News. Guardian staff and agencies. December 15, 2013. “John McCain tells Ukraine protesters: 'We are here to support your just cause.'” The Guardian. International Monetary Fund (IMF). October 31, 2013. “Statement by IMF Mission to Ukraine, Press Release No. 13/419.” Carl Gershman. September 26, 2013. “Former Soviet States Stand Up to Russia. Will the U.S.?” The Washington Post. Amanda Winkler. November 14, 2011. “'60 Minutes' Exposes Congressional Insider Trading.” The Christian Post. Images USAID and Ukraine Privatization Fund Bills S.1605 - National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 Sponsor: Sen. Scott, Rick [R-FL] Audio Sources President Biden White House Departure December 8, 2021 President Biden briefly stopped and spoke with reporters as he departed the White House for an event in Kansas City, Missouri. He began by addressing the Omicron variant, saying that the Pfizer vaccine is showing encouraging results against the COVID-19 variant. When asked about Russian President Putin and Ukraine, President Biden said if Putin were to invade Ukraine, there “will be severe consequences.” He went on to say that putting U.S. troops on the ground in Ukraine is currently “not in the cards.” close Report Video Issue Clips Biden: We hope by Friday, we're going to be able to say and announce to you that we're having meetings at a higher level, not just with us, but with at least four of our major NATO allies and Russia to discuss the future of Russia's concerns relative to NATO writ large. And whether or not we can work out any accommodations as it relates to bringing down the temperature along the eastern front. Biden: We have a moral obligation and a legal obligation to our NATO allies if they were to attack under Article Five, it's a sacred obligation. That obligation does not extend to NATO, I mean to Ukraine, but it would depend upon what the rest of the NATO countries were willing to do as well. But the idea of the United States is going to unilaterally use force to confront Russia invading Ukraine is not in the cards right now. Biden: Meeting with Putin. I was very straightforward. There were no minced words. It was polite, but I made it very clear, if in fact, he invades Ukraine, there will be severe consequences, severe consequences. Economic consequences, like none he's ever seen or ever had been seen in terms of ease and flows. He knows his immediate response was he understood that and I indicated I knew he would respond. But beyond that, if in fact, we would probably also be required to reinforce our presence in NATO countries to reassure particularly those on the Eastern Front. In addition to that, I made it clear that we would provide the defensive capability to the Ukrainians as well. Hearing on U.S. Policy Toward Russia Senate Committee on Foreign Relations December 7, 2021 Victoria Nuland, the undersecretary of state for political affairs, testified at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on U.S. policy toward Russia. She addressed President Biden's earlier call with Russian President Vladimir Putin and said that Russia would suffer severe consequences if it attacked Ukraine. Other topics included the use of sanctions if Russia invades Ukraine, the cooperation of NATO and U.S. allies, Russia's use of energy during conflict, and the Nord Stream 2 Pipeline 00:20 Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ): As we meet here today Russia is engaged in one of the most significant troop buildups that we have seen along Ukraine's border. To nyone paying attention, this looks like more than posturing, more than attention seeking. The Kremlin's actions clearly pose a real threat of war. 00:40 Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ): I want to be crystal clear to those listening to this hearing in Moscow, Kiev and other capitals around the world. A Russian invasion will trigger devastating economic sanctions the likes of which we have never seen before. 00:59 Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ): I proposed a suite of options last month in an amendment to the NDA. The Russian banking sector would be wiped out, sovereign debt would be blocked, Russia would be removed from the Swift payment system, sectoral sanctions would cripple the Russian economy. Putin himself as well as his inner circle would lose access to bank accounts in the West. Russia would effectively be cut off and isolated from the international economic system. Let me be clear, these are not run of the mill sanctions. What is being discussed is at the maximum end of the spectrum, or as I have called it the mother of all sanctions, and I hope that we can come together in a bipartisan way to find a legislative path forward soon, so that we can achieve that. 1:51 Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ): If Putin invades Ukraine the implications will be devastating for the Russian economy but also for the Russian people. 2:24 Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ): But is the Kremlin really ready to face a bloody, persistent and drawn out insurgency? How many body bags is Putin willing to accept? 6:03 Sen James Risch (R-ID): This is a clearly clearly bipartisan matter. 7:40 Victoria Nuland: First, let me review what we are seeing. Over the past six weeks, Russia has stepped up planning for potential further military action in Ukraine, positioning close to 100,000 troops around Ukraine's eastern and northern borders and from the south via the Crimean peninsula. Russian plans and positioning of assets also include the means to destabilize Ukraine from within, and an aggressive information operation and an attempt to undermine Ukrainian stability and social cohesion and to pin the blame for any potential escalation on Kiev, and on NATO nations including the United States. Russia's military and intelligence services are continuing to develop the capability to act decisively in Ukraine when ordered to do so, potentially in early 2022. The intended force, if fully mobilized, would be twice the size of what we saw last spring, including approximately 100 battalion tactical groups, or nearly all of Russia's ready ground forces based west of the Urals. We don't know whether President Putin has made a decision to attack Ukraine or to overthrow its government. But we do know he's building the capacity to do so. 10:42 Victoria Nuland: Since 2014 The United States has provided Ukraine with $2.4 billion in security assistance including $450 million this year alone 12:00 Victoria Nuland: Diplomacy remains the best route to settle the conflict in Donbas and address any other problems or grievances. The Minsk agreements offer the best basis for negotiations and the US is prepared to support a revived effort if the parties welcome that. 15:16 Victoria Nuland: You might have seen a press conference today that commission Chairwoman van der Laan gave in Brussels in which she made absolutely clear that the EU would also join in very consequential economic measures of the kind that they have not employed before. 23:26 Victoria Nuland: It's also important, I think, for President Putin to understand as the President conveyed to him today, that this will be different than it was in 2014. If he goes in you will recall then that our sanctions escalated somewhat gradually as he didn't stop moving. This time the intent is to make clear that the initial sanctions in response to any further aggressive moves in Ukraine will be extremely significant and isolating for Russia and for Russian business and for the Russian people. 24:51 Victoria Nuland: As you know, energy is the cash cow that enables these kinds of military deployments. So Putin needs the energy to flow as as much as the consumers need it. But more broadly, we have been counseling Europe for almost a decade now to reduce its dependence on Russian energy, including our opposition to Nord Stream 2 and our opposition to Nord Stream 1 and our opposition to to TurkStream and TurkStream 2 and to have come to find alternative sources of hydrocarbons but also to continue their efforts to go green and end their dependencies. 30:55 Sen. Todd Young (R-IN): President Putin and Foreign Minister Lavrov have repeatedly indicated that they seek to deny any potential path to NATO membership for Ukraine and other Eastern European countries. Does the administration view this demand is a valid issue for negotiation? Victoria Nuland: No we do not and President Biden made that point crystal clear to President Putin today that the issue of who joins NATO is an issue for NATO to decide it's an issue for applicant countries to decide that no other outside power will or may have a veto or a vote in those decisions. 32:22 Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH): Senator Portman and I offered an amendment to this year's NDAA in that vein to increase military assistance and raise the amount of assistance that could go to lethal weapons. 33:21 Victoria Nuland: But we will not be shy about coming to you as we as we need support and the bipartisan spirit here is really gratifying. 34:08 Victoria Nuland: At the NATO ministerial last week, there was a commitment among allies that we needed more advice and more options from our NATO military authorities with regard to the consequences of any move by Russia deeper into Ukraine and what that would mean for the eastern edge of the alliance and what it would mean about our need to be more forward deployed in the east. 34:44 Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH): Belarus now that it is seems to be totally within Russia's control also presents another front for the potential for Russia to invade Ukraine. Can you speak to whether we view what's happening in Belarus in that way? I know that Ukrainians view it that way because we heard that when we were in Halifax for the international security forum and met with some Ukrainian officials. Victoria Nuland: Well, as as you know, Senator, the situation in Belarus is just tragic and really concerning in many, many ways, which is why the administration along with the European Union in a multilateral way increased sanctions just last week, including blocking the sale to us or to Europe of one of the great sources of Lukashenko has money potash, etc, and sanction some dozens more Belarusians responsible for the violence and intimidation there and particularly now for the weaponization of migrants pushing you know, accepting them from third countries and then pushing them against the EU's border in a very cynical and dangerous way. But I think you're talking about the potential as Lukashenko becomes more and more dependent on the Kremlin and gives up more and more of Belarus is sovereignty, something that he told his people he would never do that Russia could actually use Belarusian territory to march on Ukraine and or mask, its forces as Belarusian forces. All of those -- Those are both things that that we are watching, and it was particularly concerning to see President Lukashenko would make a change in his own posture with regard to Crimea. He had long declined to recognize Russia Russia's claim on Crimea, but he changed tack a week ago which is concerning. 39:08 Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI): If there's one thing that Vladimir Putin aught to understand is how unified we are. I mean, there are many things that divide us politically in this country. But when it comes to pushing back on Russian aggression, supporting countries like Ukraine that are trying to develop their freedom, free themselves from their legacy of corruption from their former involvement with the Soviet Union, we are very strongly united. 39:56 Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI): What we impose on them and how and how harmful it would be to Russia, you know, unfortunately to Russian people. 40:36 Victoria Nuland: What we're talking about would amount to essentially isolating Russia completely from the global financial system with all of the fallout that that would entail for Russian business, for the Russian people, for their ability to, to work and travel and trade. 41:41 Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI): I can't think of a more powerful way to punish Russian aggression than by rolling back what progress has been made, and if at all possible, prevent the Nord Stream 2 from ever being completed. Is that something that is being discussed with allies is that something's being contemplated? Victoria Nuland: Absolutely. And as if, as you recall from the July U.S.-German statement that was very much in that statement that if that any moves, Russian aggression against Ukraine would have a direct impact on the pipeline, and that is our expectation and the conversation that we're having. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI): So again, direct impact is one thing, but I'm literally talking about rolling back the pipeline. Loosely define that but I mean, taking action that will prevent it from ever becoming operational. Victoria Nuland: I think if President Putin moves on Ukraine, our expectation is that the pipeline will be suspended. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI): Well, I certainly hope that the Senate Foreign Relations Committee would take up legislation to go beyond just suspending it but from ending it permanently. 44:28 Victoria Nuland: I think we can, and I know this is close to your heart as well, need to do better in our Global Engagement Center and in the way we speak to audiences around the world and particularly on these kinds of subjects. 55:04 Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT): But something different has happened in that country since what has been referred to as the Revolution of Dignity. I got the chance to be there on the Maidan during the midst of that revolution with you and Senator McCain. 58:56 Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT): The Three Seas Initiative is a really important initiative linking essentially the ring of countries that are either former republics or satellite states of the Soviet Union together. They're begging for US participation in their projects necessary to make them more energy independent of Russia. Isn't this an opportunity for the United States to step up and take some of these customers away from Russia's gas station? Victoria Nuland: Absolutely, as we have been doing with our support for more LNG terminals around Europe for many years, as we are doing now in our support for, you know, green alternatives, not just in the United States, but in Europe as well. And many, many US companies are involved with that. But that particular belt of three C's countries is absolutely crucial, as you've said. 1:11:19 Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH): I visited to Maidan in 2014. The tires were still smoldering and the Revolution of Dignity changed everything. You know, Ukraine decided to turn to us and to the West, and to freedom and democracy. And it was a momentous decision. They chose to stand with us. And now it's our turn to stand with them. And we've done that over the years. I mean, if you look at what happened with regard to the Ukraine security assistance initiative, which I co authored. Over the past six years, the United States has transferred defense articles, conducted training with Ukrainian military. We have been very engaged. 1:12:05 Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH): This week we have the NDAA likely to be voted on and likely it will include an increase in that lethal defensive funding. 1:12:14 Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH): What defensive weapons has Ukraine ask for and what is the State Department willing to provide them under an expedited process? 1:18:44 Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA): My concern is this: if the United States and the West's response to a military invasion is sanctions, but no military response, obviously, we're providing military aid to Ukraine. And we've been generous in that way. But if we are not willing to help a Ukrainian military, that's 50,000 people matched up against Russia, I would think that China would conclude, boy, the West sure, I'm going to come to the aid of Taiwan, if we were to do something on Taiwan. Because China would conclude, we're much more militarily powerful than Russia is. And the status questions about Taiwan and sovereignty are a little bit murkier than those about Ukraine. And there's no NATO in the Indo Pacific, we have allies in the Indo Pacific but we don't have a NATO with a charter, with a self defense article. I think China would determine, if the West responds to a military invasion went as far as sanctions but no further, that the United States and other nations would be extremely unlikely to use military force to counter a military invasion of Taiwan. And I think Taiwan would likely conclude the same thing. So I'm very concerned about that. And I wonder, is that a fair concern that I have about how the Chinese and the Taiwanese would view the West's unwillingness to provide more significant military support to stop an invasion by Russia? Is my concern a fair one? Or is my concern overwrought? Victoria Nuland: Senator, in this setting, I would simply say that this is a moment of testing. And I believe that both autocrats around the world and our friends around the world will watch extremely carefully what we do, and it will have implications for generations. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA): And those and those implications could go far beyond Ukraine. Victoria Nuland: They could go well beyond Europe. Yes. 1:22:00 Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL): Then I would imagine that he's already been publicly messaging what his asks are. The first is that we would pull back NATO forces from anywhere near their western border. The second is to completely rule out the admission probably not just of Ukraine, but Georgia as a member of NATO. And the third is to stop arming Ukraine. Of those three conditions that he's publicly messaged already, would the United States agreed to any of those three? Victoria Nuland: All of those would be unacceptable. 1:41:11 Victoria Nuland: And in fact you could argue that in the Donbas he did take control of some 40% of Ukraine's coal reserves which were a major energy input 1:42:04 Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ): I hope the one thing that anyone in the world who is watching this hearing today takes away is that even on some of the most contentious issues of the day, on this one, there is overwhelming, broad, bipartisan support for Ukraine there is overwhelming bipartisan support for its territorial integrity, there is overwhelming bipartisan support for swift and robust action. And after conversations with some of the members of the committee, I look to galvanize that in some tangible way legislatively as we wait for the days ahead as to what may or may not happen. Ukrainian President Zelensky Meeting with Secretary Austin at the Pentagon August 31, 2021 Secretary Lloyd Austin: As you know sir, President Biden has approved a new $60 million security assistance package including Javelin anti-armor systems and more to enable Ukraine to better defend itself against Russian aggression. Secretary Lloyd Austin: Now this department is committed to strengthening our Strategic Defense Partnership. The US Ukraine strategic defense framework that Minister Tehran and I will sign today enhances our cooperation and advances our shared priorities, such as ensuring that our bilateral security cooperation continues to help Ukraine countering Russian aggression and implementing defense and defense industry reforms in support of Ukraine's NATO membership aspirations, and deepening our cooperation in such areas as Black Sea security, cyber defense and intel sharing. Russian President Putin Annual Call-In Program June 30, 2021 Russian President Vladimir Putin held his annual call-in question and answer session with citizens from around the country. During this 70-minute portion, he answered questions on relations with Ukraine, the European Union, and the United States, reiterating that whatever sanctions are imposed against Russia, his country's economy will prevail. Clips Putin: I have already said that it is impossible and it makes no sense to try to restore the Soviet Union by a number of reasons and looking at the demographic processes in a number of former Soviet republic, so it's unreasonable effort to do because we can face a lot of social problems that will be possible to resolve and some issues like the ethnic groups, in various regions, but what should we do about Russia itself without the geopolitical realities and about our internal development? Putin: Why is Ukraine not on the list of countries who are Russia's adversaries? Another question: are you going to meet with Zelensky? Well, why Ukriane is not on the list of adversaries? That's because I do not think that the Ukrainian people are our adversaries. I said it many times and I will say it again. The Ukrainians and Russians, that's one people, one nation. Putin: What I'm worried about is a fundamental thing. They are trying to open up military bases near or inside Ukraine. Making the territory of Ukraine, the territory that's close on the border with Russia a military platform for other countries is a threat to the security of Russia. And this is what worries us. This is what we have to think about. Discussion: Foreign Affairs Issue Launch with Former Vice President Joe Biden Council on Foreign Affairs January 23, 2018 Clips 00:06:15 Joe Biden: They cannot compete against a unified West. I think that is Putin's judgment. And so everything he can do to dismantle the post-World War II liberal world order, including NATO and the EU, I think, is viewed as in their immediate self-interest. 00:24:15 Haass: In the piece, the two of you say that there's no truth that the United States—unlike what Putin seems to believe or say, that the U.S. is seeking regime change in Russia. So the question I have is, should we be? And if not, if we shouldn't be seeking regime change, what should we be seeking in the way of political change inside Russia? What's an appropriate agenda for the United States vis-à-vis Russia, internally? 00:24:30 Biden: I'll give you one concrete example. I was—not I, but it just happened to be that was the assignment I got. I got all the good ones. And so I got Ukraine. And I remember going over, convincing our team, our leaders to—convincing that we should be providing for loan guarantees. And I went over, I guess, the 12th, 13th time to Kiev. And I was supposed to announce that there was another billion-dollar loan guarantee. And I had gotten a commitment from Poroshenko and from Yatsenyuk that they would take action against the state prosecutor. And they didn't. So they said they had—they were walking out to a press conference. I said, nah, I'm not going to—or, we're not going to give you the billion dollars. They said, you have no authority. You're not the president. The president said—I said, call him. (Laughter.) I said, I'm telling you, you're not getting the billion dollars. I said, you're not getting the billion. I'm going to be leaving here in, I think it was about six hours. I looked at them and said: I'm leaving in six hours. If the prosecutor is not fired, you're not getting the money. Well, son of a bitch. (Laughter.) He got fired. And they put in place someone who was solid at the time. Confirmation Hearing: Defense Secretary Confirmation Hearing Senate Armed Services Committee January 12, 2017 00:20:15 Sen. McCain: For seven decades, the United States has played a unique role in the world. We've not only put America first, but we've done so by maintaining and advancing a world order that has expanded security, prosperity, and freedom. This has required our alliances, our trade, our diplomacy, our values, but most of all, our military for when would-be aggressors aspire to threaten world order. It's the global striking power of America's armed forces that must deter or thwart their ambitions. Too many Americans, too many Americans seem to have forgotten this in recent years. Too many have forgotten that our world order is not self-sustaining. Too many have forgotten that while the threats we face may not have purely military solutions, they all have military dimensions. In short, too many have forgotten that hard power matters—having it, threatening it, leveraging it for diplomacy, and, at times, using it. Fairly or not, there is a perception around the world that America is weak and distracted, and that has only emboldened our adversaries to challenge the current world order. Daily Briefing: Nuland Tape Press Conference February 6, 2014. Jen Psaki, State Department Spokesperson 0:19 Reporter: Can you say whether you—if this call is a recording of an authentic conversation between Assistant Secretary Nuland and Ambassador Pyatt? Jen Psaki: Well, I'm not going to confirm or outline details. I understand there are a lot of reports out there, and there's a recording out there, but I'm not going to confirm a private diplomatic conversation. Reporter: So you are not saying that you believe this is a—you think this is not authentic? You think this is a— Psaki: It's not an accusation I'm making. I'm just not going to confirm the specifics of it. Reporter: Well, you can't even say whether there was a—that this call—you believe that this call, you believe that this recording is a recording of a real telephone call? Psaki: I didn't say it was inauthentic. I think we can leave it at that. Reporter: Okay, so, you're allowing the fact that it is authentic. Psaki: Yes. Reporter: “Yes,” okay. Psaki: Do you have a question about it? Phone Conversation: Nuland-Pyatt Leaked Phone Conversation February 4, 2014 Nuland: Good. So I don't think Klitsch [Vitali Klitschko] should go into the government. I don't think it's necessary, I don't think it's a good idea. Pyatt: Yeah, I mean I guess, in terms of him not going into the government, just sort of letting him stay out and do his political homework and stuff. I'm just thinking in terms of, sort of, the process moving ahead, we want to keep the moderate Democrats together. The problem is going to be Tyahnybok and his guys and I'm sure that's part of what Yanukovych is calculating on all this. Nuland: I think Yatz [Arseniy Yatsenyuk] is the guy with the economic experience, the governing experience. He's the guy. What he needs is Klitsch [Vitali Klitschko] And Tyahnybok On the outside, he needs to be talking to them four times a week. You know, I just think Klitsch [Vitali Klitschko] Going in he's going to be at that level working for Yatsenyuk it's just not gonna work. Pyatt: We want to get someone out here with and international personality to come out here and help to midwife this thing. And then the other issue is some kind of outreach to Yanukovych. We'll probably regroup on that tomorrow as we see how things fall into place. Nuland: So on that piece, Jeff, I wrote the note, Sullivan's come back to me saying “you need Biden,” and I said probably tomorrow for an attaboy and get the deeds to stick, Biden's willing. Pyatt Great. Press Conference: Senator John McCain on Ukraine at the Atlantic Council C-SPAN December 19, 2013. 00:16:45 McCain: If Ukraine's political crisis persists or deepens, which is a real possibility, we must support creative Ukrainian efforts to resolve it. Senator Murphy and I heard a few such ideas last weekend—from holding early elections, as the opposition is now demanding, to the institution of a technocratic government with a mandate to make the difficult reforms required for Ukraine's long-term economic health and sustainable development. Decisions such as these are for Ukrainians to make—no one else—and if they request our assistance, we should provide it where possible. Finally, we must encourage the European Union and the IMF to keep their doors open to Ukraine. Ultimately, the support of both institutions is indispensable for Ukraine's future. And eventually, a Ukrainian President, either this one or a future one, will be prepared to accept the fundamental choice facing the country, which is this: While there are real short-term costs to the political and economic reforms required for IMF assistance and EU integration, and while President Putin will likely add to these costs by retaliating against Ukraine's economy, the long-term benefits for Ukraine in taking these tough steps are far greater and almost limitless. This decision cannot be borne by one person alone in Ukraine. Nor should it be. It must be shared—both the risks and the rewards—by all Ukrainians, especially the opposition and business elite. It must also be shared by the EU, the IMF and the United States. All of us in the West should be prepared to help Ukraine, financially and otherwise, to overcome the short-term pain that reforms will require and Russia may inflict. Discussion: Beyond NAFTA and GATT C-SPAN April 20, 1994 Arthur Dunkel, Director General of the UN 26:00:00 Dunkel: If I look back at the last 25 years, what did we have? We had two worlds: The so-called Market Economy world and the centrally planned world; the centrally planned world disappeared. One of the main challenges of the Uruguay round has been to create a world wide system. I think we have to think of that. Secondly, why a world wide system? Because, basically, I consider that if governments cooperate in trade policy field, you reduce the risks of tension – political tension and even worse than that.” Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio)

Scott and Daniel Larison discuss the Nord Stream 2 pipeline and what it means for America's stance toward Eastern Europe. The main issue with the German pipeline, Larison explains, is that it will allow Western Europe to buy Russian natural gas without having to deal with Ukrainian transit fees. Ukraine has portrayed the pipeline—and the fact that the U.S. is allowing it to happen—as a betrayal by the West, and has lobbied for sanctions on Germany. Larison is relieved that the U.S. government is backing down from its opposition to the pipeline, because he sees it as a sign that it won't risk jeopardizing its relationships with countries like Germany and France in the future for the sake of the much more significant issue of Ukraine's NATO membership, which Germany and France oppose. Discussed on the show: "What Nord Stream 2 Means for NATO Expansion" (Antiwar.com) "Ukraine Is Part of the West" (Foreign Affairs) "Ukraine crisis: Transcript of leaked Nuland-Pyatt call" (BBC News) Daniel Larison is a contributing editor at Antiwar.com, contributor at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft and former senior editor at The American Conservative magazine. Follow him on Twitter @DanielLarison or on his blog, Eunomia. This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: The War State and Why The Vietnam War?, by Mike Swanson; Tom Woods' Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; EasyShip; Thc Hemp Spot; Green Mill Supercritical; Bug-A-Salt; Lorenzotti Coffee and Listen and Think Audio. Shop Libertarian Institute merch or donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal or Bitcoin: 1DZBZNJrxUhQhEzgDh7k8JXHXRjYu5tZiG. https://youtu.be/59Bwq8rRdqg

Rorshok's weekly ten-minute update of stuff happening in Georgia. Used to be TBLPOD. Updates on the Ninotsminda boarding school case, Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines incoming, more COVID-19 updates, Tbilisi Pride news, Tamar Zhvania resigns, a memorandum for Georgia and Ukraine's NATO membership, Georgia now chairs the BSEC, 7 years since Georgia's AA deal with the EU, a new bread factory in Tbilisi, examining the Gelati Monastery complex, a new article on the Georgian-Ossetian village of Velebi, travel and summer plans, and more! Thanks for tuning in! We want to know why you are listening, how you found us, and your life story! Thoughts? Recommendations? Important stuff we missed we might have missed, or topics you want us to cover? Things we got wrong, in your humble opinion? Email us at podcast@rorshok.com. Like what you hear? Subscribe, share, and tell your buds. You can find the JAMnews article “Life in a secluded Georgian-Ossetian village of Velebi” here.