"Surrender," says Italy's Meloni to Russia

Plus: Russia's Economy Implodes

Jun 17, 2024

Want to know what’s happening in Ukraine? Read on for the real intelligence and mood, from the most informed voices.

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS:

Does the US have a hidden asset transfer strategy to help Ukraine?
Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni declared that if Russia doesn't agree to the peace summit proposals, it will be made to surrender.
Why did the US work to disarm Ukraine?
Russia’s economy is imploding recently. Why?

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WGN RADIO DAILY WAR JOURNAL — 10 Minutes Daily: Watch, Listen, or Read

War Day 843: War Day 843: Italy's Meloni to Putin: Surrender

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

Global Unity for Ukraine's Integrity

BOB SIROTT: Nearly 80 countries on Sunday called for the territorial integrity of Ukraine to be the basis for any peace agreement to end Russia's two-year war. Although some key developing nations at a Swiss conference did not join in, many attendees expressed hope that Russia might join a roadmap to peace sometime in the future.

Joseph Lindsley is in Ukraine. And Joe, I don't believe there is much hope for Russia participating in something like that in the near future. Is there?

Russia's Unrealistic Demands

JOE LINDSLEY: I don't think so, Bob, and hello from Lviv. While this conference was happening in Switzerland, which was organized by President Zelensky just the day after the G7 concluded in nearby Italy, Russian officials said they’d be open to some kind of negotiation, but not with President Zelensky. That makes it a bit difficult if you can't even talk to the country's president.

Something else that I think was more than a nuance that was missed last week: the Kremlin has lately been saying they’re open to negotiations based on a major precondition that Ukraine remove its soldiers from occupied territories, including cities that Russia has never come close to occupying. For example, Russia claims to have annexed the region of Zaporizhzhia, but they occupy only a rural part of that region, not the capital city itself.

The city of Zaporizhzhia, that ancient Cossack city, has never even been close to being occupied by Russia. Yet, part of their demands is that Ukraine give up a city that has not been under serious threat. If you look at the details of what Russia has proposed, it’s clear they’re not serious about negotiations.

Italy's PM to Russia: Surrender

Meanwhile, some highlights from the peace summit were pretty extraordinary. It would have been hard to imagine in 2022 that Ukraine could have been the leader of this and pulled all these senior world officials together. Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who had just finished hosting the G7, said Putin’s ceasefire offer is propaganda. She then delivered powerful words: "If Russia doesn't agree to the proposals of this peace summit, we will make it surrender." Those words have given a lot of encouragement to Ukrainians.

A Firm Stand Against Russia

In the proposal developed by these countries, three starting points were outlined: giving Ukraine control over the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, a total prisoner swap, and the return of occupied territories. Bringing these world leaders together helped them find their courage with each other rather than being isolated in their own capitals.

For example, Poland's President Duda called Russia the "prison of nations," pointing out that Russia is home to more than 200 ethnic groups, most of which have been subsumed into Russia through colonial methods. There is a growing idea that the Russian Federation could be broken up, allowing these republics within Russia to find liberation and stop contributing to Moscow's war machine. This summit has certainly helped increase the momentum for Ukraine.

Kneeling in Lviv

Walking around Lviv’s Renaissance and Baroque medieval center on a beautiful Saturday morning, you see lots of families, but few men of conscription age. You see women, soldiers, young men who've lost arms and legs, and older people. Cafes spill into the cobbled streets, free of vehicle traffic. Suddenly, the sound of Taps playing indicated a military funeral at the nearby Greek Catholic Church of St. Peter and Paul.

As the motorcade for the funeral passed by, every single person in the square, young and old, fell to their knees. The respect, heaviness, fear, and honor were palpable. Knowing there will be many more moments like this is heavy.

Respect and Resilience

Despite the difficulties, there is some good news. Kharkiv, after new permission from Washington to hit back, is actually pretty calm these days.

SILICON CURTAIN — with host JONATHAN FINK in OXFORD

‪@INSIDERUSSIA‬ - US Secondary Sanctions Hit Russian Economy Hard

Monthly conversation with Konstantin Samoilov of the ‪@INSIDERUSSIA‬ channel. US expands Russia secondary sanctions, prohibits supply of IT services, extends export controls, and designates over 300 targets.

Key Points:

The Russian economy is facing significant challenges, including a decline in the active labor force, frozen assets, lost revenues, isolation from financial markets, and the departure of Western companies and investors.
The Russian military-industrial complex has grown significantly, but the rest of the civil economy has suffered. The military economy does not contribute to long-term wealth creation.
The Russian government is resorting to repression and coercion as it struggles to have a real impact on the economy.
The future of Russia looks bleak, with devastating consequences for its people. The country is borrowing from its future and the damage will be felt for decades to come.
It is hoped that peaceful-minded individuals will eventually take power in Russia and that the West will cooperate with them. The current regime is not seen as a solution.

SHAUN PINNER, British volunteer warrior in Ukraine, imprisoned and sentenced to death by the Russians, freed by the help of the Saudis, and now back in Ukraine:

Russia wants the complete surrender of Ukraine, Ukrainian lands, lands that Putin hasn’t even controlled yet or lost while subjugating the people that come with it, why? because he can’t control them militarily and he knows it. That’s not a peace deal
Putin is away with the fairies. He just looks bonkers and out of touch! More desperation!

See post on X.

Does the US Have a Hidden Asset Transfer Strategy to Help Ukraine?

The asset transfer of the Patriot Missile defense system from the Kingdom of Denmark to Ukraine, and the Fighter Jets from NATO’s new joiner Finland to Ukraine are piecemeal examples of what I mean as an “Asset Swap” or “Lend Lease” program— vital to scale out in a structured longterm way that is backed by the collateral of the $300 Billion “Russian people for peace with Ukraine seed capital” investment, i.e., the West’s frozen Russian assets. Especially in event that the direct monetary financial investment is abruptly cut off due to electoral politics. An asset backed “Barter System” vs a monetary credit system may actually be better for the average Ukraini taxpayer at the end of the day.

The F16s are marked on the Accounting Books as a Positive NPV in USD—> the more Russia Federation Military impairs them physically, the more the Russia Central Bank will owe. It’s a “loss lead” strategy similar to what Mr. Warren Buffet says about why Wal-Mart often sells Coke at cost or even below….. get the customer loaded up on high-fructose corn syrup oke, which causes diabetes— to then sell them Eye Exam insurance to treat the cataracts causes by the diabetes. Maybe the US is pursuing a similar strategy.

Why Did the US Disarm Ukraine?

Washington has a history of de-arming Ukraine every time they push for more freedom. Why has the USA punished Ukraine, which never invades anyone, but not Moscow, which routinely starts wars? Here’s a 90-second story of the USA’s bipartisan weakening of Ukraine since 1991 …

jplindsley