Just Stop Russian Oil?

Plus: How to unleash Ukraine

Jun 19, 2024

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War Day 844: Russian Oil Refinery Burns, Kharkiv Is Now Safer, and Elon Whines

The only American news show reporting live from Ukraine EVERY WEEKDAY of Russia’s full-scale invasion; with Bob Sirott in Chicago and Joe Lindsley in Lviv

U.S. Tanks Arrive in Ukraine

BOB SIROTT: Joe, I saw a report on NBC with Richard Engel talking about how some tanks from the U.S. have finally arrived in Ukraine and are helping out. But then he was describing these new weapons the Russians have—actually old ones with updated technology—making them even more deadly than ever. I believe some of those weapons were responsible for that terrible strike in a shopping center there. What's the situation as you see it today?

JOE LINDSLEY: Well, Bob, good afternoon from Lviv. Indeed, the Russians, like the Ukrainians, have been working to improve their technology, especially in drone warfare. The bomb you referred to at the shopping center was a Russian glide bomb sent from an airplane over the Russian Federation into Kharkiv. These attacks happened multiple times a day in May, but now they have significantly reduced. This reduction began when the United States gave permission for Ukrainians to hit back on Russian soil. We see a clear reduction in these types of attacks on Kharkiv, and it seems the Russians are being pushed back.

Ukrainian Drones Strike Russian Oil Again

So, when the United States gave permission for Ukrainians to fire back, we see that it is working well. Another success story for Ukraine is that, in the past few hours, Ukrainians used Ukrainian-made drones to hit yet another Russian oil refinery. This one is near the Sea of Azov, about a hundred miles from the front line, on Russian territory. Ukrainians are not permitted to use American tools that far within Russia, but they are free to use their own devices. The fact that Ukrainians can hit these facilities is a big boost for everyone here today.

Elon Musk Missing the Point of Ukrainian Resistance

Elon Musk recently said on the Lex Friedman podcast that one year ago, he predicted the situation in Ukraine would be as it is today: many more people dead and no significant changes in land, with growing geopolitical tension. But he missed that, despite the difficult situation at the frontlines, it could be much worse. Kharkiv could be occupied, or Russians could be knocking on the doors of Dnipro, but none of that is happening.

The Reality of Conscription in Ukraine

It’s important to have the perspective of how much worse things could be. On the same token, a big story the past couple of days was about Ukrainians trying to hide from conscription. Many people are trying to avoid it, but since the new conscription order, more than 1.5 million Ukrainians have signed up at military offices, including 200,000 women.

Aliide Naylor - The Baltics are Vital Democracies that Border a Revanchist Russia Ruled by a Tyrant.

Aliide Naylor is a British journalist, author, and editor who has specialised in Russia and frontline European nations since 2011. Her freelance reportage has been published by a variety of outlets, including Vice, The Times, the Guardian, Tortoise, POLITICO Europe, and many more. Her first book, 'The Shadow in the East: Vladimir Putin and the New Baltic Front', was published by Bloomsbury in January 2020.

Key Points:

The Baltic states retained their local cultures and national spirit even during the Soviet occupation.
The Baltic states have been dealing with hybrid threats and aggression from Russia for a long time.
The Russian-speaking populations in the Baltics have a sense of victimization and disempowerment, which contributes to their aggressive beliefs.
The West needs to listen to the Baltics more and take stronger action to support Ukraine against Russian aggression.
The Baltic states understand the importance of helping Ukraine win against Russia to prevent further aggression in Europe.

Silja #RussiaIsGenocide #RussiaIsEcocide

US Department of the Treasury, OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL, Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions Regulations 31 CFR part 587 GENERAL LICENSE NO. 8J has authorized "Transactions Related to Energy" until November 1, 2024. Edifying, isn't it?

See post on X.

How to Unleash Ukraine with France and Germany

The WH and the UK Parliament are largely hamstrung by electoral partisan politics.

Thus it’s time for Germany & France to lead the way and Facilitate Zelensky to implement a “for us, by us” approach:

1. Erik Prince’s idea of a Lend-Lease program—rejected in 2022 by the Biden administration—between the EU and Ukraine in terms of EU industrial machinery capacity in exchange for Ukrainian organic culture of tech innovation & farming.

2. Use Admiral Farragut approach— “Damn the torpedoes full steam ahead.” Collaterize the P&C damage that RF violent invasion has caused with securitizing the $300 B USD Russian-people owned assets in a Trust held at BoE in The City of London. Stop being afraid of retaliation. Retaliate.

3. Recognize DC & London are limited politically for now// thus enable Ukraine to build a financial bridge to the future (eg, Dr. R. Glenn Hubbard’s 2022 book, the Wall and the Bridge: Fear and Opportunity in Disruptions Wake)— to enable Germany+France to buttress that effort via an Industrial Moat for the present. Otherwise the EU project that began in the ashes of war via a gentlemen’s agreement to share coal mining production costs b/w Germany and France thanks to DeGaulle & Addenheur’s foresight— is beyond salvageable.

4. Why? UK, USA are all up for political election in the next 5 months— so for every positive thing the current President does to support Ukraine’s quest to hold on to Sovereignty & Liberty— various Foreign & Economic Policy “Stakeholders” in DC tie down a coherent WH strategy against neo-Soviet Expansion for plunder: this has happened by both parties.