Just Stop Russian Oil?
Russian Navy's "Look, We're Still Here!" Tour
Want to know what’s happening in Ukraine? Read on for the real intelligence and mood, from the most informed voices.
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS:
Russia and North Korea Forge a "Best Buds" Pact
Ukraine's Drone Party: Three Hits in One Night
Bipartisan Bravery: Let Ukraine Fire Back!
Ukrainian trains in wartime are more reliable than British trains
The Fall, Rise & Fall of One of the Most Dangerous Warlords in Russia and the World
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WGN RADIO DAILY WAR JOURNAL — 10 Minutes Daily: Watch, Listen, or Read
War Day 846: Russia-North Korea Pact, Ukraine's Bold Strikes, and U.S. Shifts Stance
Russia and North Korea's new defense pact sparks global tensions. South Korea rethinks military aid to Ukraine, while Europe ramps up defense spending. Ukraine continues bold drone strikes on Russian oil depots. U.S. political views on supporting Ukraine shift, and a weird incident occurs at a Putin-Kim Jong-Un meeting.
Russia and North Korea Forge a "Best Buds" Pact
BOB SIROTT: Let's go to Ukraine and Joseph Linsley. Joe, hi to you, Russia and North Korea have a new defense agreement. As you know, it's been condemned by South Korea. I don't understand this. South Korea says it will reconsider sending weapons to Ukraine as a result. I'm confused. Explain this.
JOE LINDSLEY: Well, Bob, good afternoon from Lviv. South Korea has for so long lived with an existential threat from North Korea. And you can see perhaps this is part of what Russia's strategy is, is to make more of the world afraid. In 2023, that was the best year ever for the sale of American defense products. Not because it's going to Ukraine. But because countries in Europe were becoming afraid of the Russian threat, the same reason why Finland and Sweden wanted to join NATO because they wanted to protect themselves.
Russian Navy's "Look, We're Still Here!" Tour
JOE LINDSLEY: And so as you see this publicly growing alliance or solidifying of an alliance between Russia and North Korea, you could see why some might react that way in South Korea. And then the same as we look at, I look at some of the perspectives in the United States as we see these scenes of some Russian ships in the Caribbean or in the Atlantic coast off of Miami.
Russian Propaganda: Fear Factor Edition
JOE LINDSLEY: And Russian propaganda is feeding this pretty strongly. You have some perspectives in America saying, ah, see, this is what happens when you support, give weapons to Ukraine. Now we have the Russian Navy on our doorstep. So you can look at it in that perspective. But as we mentioned before, the other perspective is the Russian Navy is safer right now in the Caribbean Sea than it is in the Black Sea because Ukrainians have shown that without a conventional navy, they've been able to use drones to destroy many Russian ships.
Ukraine's "Droning" On About Oil Depots
JOE LINDSLEY: And so those Russian sailors are safer while they're prowling around the coast of Cuba and Florida. And actually it's not that impressive of a flotilla from US military experts with whom I've spoken. So it's more about optics and probably so is the situation in North Korea. There was evidence even back in January that some of the bombs that Russia was sending to Kharkiv region came from North Korea.
Putin's Limited Friends Circle: Now Featuring Kim Jong-Un
JOE LINDSLEY: So that's been going on for a while. This is just a more public display, perhaps purposely to keep the world afraid. Putin in the early 2000s, he was going to the fancy meetings with the G7 types, and now he's got a very limited crew that he can hang out with the likes of Kim Jong-Un.
Ukraine's Drone Party: Three Hits in One Night
JOE LINDSLEY: The Ukrainians are continuing to show their prowess using drones. They hit three more oil depots or refineries deep within Russia, more than 400 kilometers into Russia with Ukrainian drones. Three in one night is pretty extraordinary.
Activists vs. Oil: Taylor Swift's Jet Takes a Hit
JOE LINDSLEY: And I was thinking, I saw the news in the UK that those activists called Just Stop Oil. They throw stuff on paintings, wonderful paintings in nice museums and such to protest oil. And they threw some paint on Stonehenge yesterday, and then they tried to attack Taylor Swift's jet in the UK, and they're focused on just stopping oil.
Russian Oil: The World's Real Evil
JOE LINDSLEY: But the oil that's causing the world, the biggest problems right now is the Russian oil. It's what fuels the Russian economy. And as we talked about before, it's a sensitive thing because it affects people all over the world. But Ukrainians are methodically, just as they've been doing in the Black Sea sinking ships, they're methodically hitting more and more Russian oil depots.
Bipartisan Bravery: Let Ukraine Fire Back!
JOE LINDSLEY: And we're also seeing, I think maybe even a new type of courage in Washington, a bipartisan courage. I saw today the Ukrainian version of Voice of America, a Democrat and a Republican. Democrat, Gregory Meeks of New York said that Ukraine needs to be able to hit targets in Russia. “If you really see that Russia is shelling from a certain area near the border,” he said, “then Ukraine should have the ability to shoot back there and talking.”
JOE LINDSLEY: At the same time. In this interview, Congressman Don Bacon of Nebraska, he was even stronger. And we're starting to see, because typically the Republicans have been kind of a weaker voice in Ukraine, but we're starting to see much stronger rhetoric. And so Don Bacon, congressman from Nebraska called for all restrictions on the use of American weapons to be lifted. He said he wants Congress to pass a law forcing the administration to allow this. He says, “it is just ridiculous. In the current situation, we give Ukrainians ATTACK-EMS, those long range weapon systems, but we say that you can't shoot at supply centers that fuel the Russian advance.”
Patriot Missiles and European Backing
JOE LINDSLEY: And so we're seeing, I think among both Democrats and Republicans, an increased willingness to give Ukraine permission to fire back. We've seen that that's worked really well in the Kharkiv region. And it does seem the Biden administration today, the Financial Times reported that the administration seems to be considering redirecting all new Patriot missile systems not to other countries, but actually to Ukraine.
Europe's Missile Makeover: More Aid to Ukraine
JOE LINDSLEY: And those systems, just one of those systems can protect the city like Odessa from incoming missiles. So maybe there's a bit of a change in the air. After the G7 summit, Georgia Maloney, the Prime Minister, said Italy is going to send its long range Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine. Those are produced in France and in the UK. And Romania today announced that they're sending a Patriot air defense system to Ukraine. So some strong news for Ukraine, while Putin tries to scare people with some ships in the Caribbean and his visit to North Korea.
Putin and Kim Jong-Un: Awkward BFF Moments
BOB SIROTT: Joe, did you see the video of that awkward moment during Putin and Kim Jong-Un's meeting? Part of Russia's delegation was thrown out of the meeting for walking into the conference room before the two leaders, because it's customary to wait to be summoned to join the meeting by Kim Jong-Un once he and his guests have entered. So not only is descent not allowed, you got to watch where you walk, don't you?
JOE LINDSLEY: Yeah. Especially when you have two tyrants gathering. They try to smile for the cameras, but they're not used to being amicable and easy to get along with. So it's good to have some humor there, but you see how people conduct themselves.
Missile Concussions: Keeping Your Mouth Open?
JOE LINDSLEY: And meanwhile, I was thinking here today, the things that you forget to share from the perspective here, but a big thing in Ukraine is this question. When there's a missile that hits near you, if it doesn't destroy you, do you keep your mouth open to minimize the effects of the concussion?
BOB SIROTT: Wow.
JOE LINDSLEY: These are little things you have, and I was think we were talking about this today, but you have to think about it. So you're ready in that moment. You keep your mouth open to protect your ears. So anyway, while they have their shenanigans in North Korea, this is what people deal with here.
BOB SIROTT: Yeah. And we're worried only about the heat here. Joseph Linley, thank you. Talk to you tomorrow.
SILICON CURTAIN — with host JONATHAN FINK in OXFORD
Mark Galeotti - The Fall, Rise & Fall of One of the Most Dangerous Warlords in Russia and the World.
GUEST: Mark Galeotti - historian, author, security expert and academic.
Yevgeny Prigozhin emerged as one of the most dangerous warlords in the world and as one of Vladimir Putin's chief rivals in Russia's tumultuous political climate, exiled after leading Wagner's attempted coup and killed in a mysterious plane crash. But what is the truth about this enigmatic figure, his role in the war with Ukraine, and the chaos unleashed across Russia by his turn against Putin? And, in the aftermath of his death, what is next for Russia in the new stage of late Putinism that Prigozhin's life forged?
Key Points:
Prigozhin’s actions weakened the Putin system and made it more vulnerable in future crises.
Putin's control over the security apparatus is not as solid as before, and people might no longer have faith in his ability to observe deals.
The Putin myth is increasingly threadbare, and there is a sense that he is no longer the same figure with the same mastery of the situation.
Prigozhin’s mutiny and death have had a significant political impact, damaging the system in ways that an outsider like Navalny couldn't.
OLIVER CARROLL, foreign correspondent, The Economist
Number of train journeys on Ukrainian railways @Ukrzaliznytsia over 3 years of war = 100+ Trains cancelled or seriously delayed = 0 (OK, one went a bit slower bc of mine clearing) Number of train tickets bought on UK’s @AvantiWestCoast in last 3 months = 2 Number cancelled = 2
Russia’s Navy is safer in the Caribbean Sea than in the Black Sea. Here’s why …
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