Tag: ukraine

Congressman Visits Ukraine Frontlines, Filmed Firing Heavy Weapon

Apparently trying to out-hawk the late John McCain, Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick has described that he recently traveled to Ukraine and spent several days at the front lines.

The 51-year old Republican rep from Pennsylvania spent a total of a week inside the war-ravaged country, visiting soldiers while making declarations that Ukraine and the US will defeat the Russian military.

Fitzpatrick even did a provocative photo op wherein he signed an artillery shell “to Putin”. And even more alarming is that he filmed himself firing a large gun, which may have been an anti-aircraft weapon.

It’s unclear whether he was manning the gun near an actual combat zone, or if he was really engaging a target. Likely it was at some kind of training or firing range.

Still, it’s clear the Congressman was trying to be as provocative against the Russians as possible, at a moment a Republican president is trying to forge peace between Moscow and Kiev.

Crucially, Fitzpatrick traveled around with Ukraine’s National Guard Artillery and Third Assault Brigade – the latter which is made up of Azov Special Operations soldiers and is commanded by Andriy Biletsky, who has long been accused of having neo-Nazi links and ideology.

He wrote on X after the trip, “It was my profound honor to deliver a very ‘personal’ message to Vladimir Putin today, from the front lines of the war near the Russian border, on behalf of our PA-1 community.  The only permissible details to share are that ‘the message was delivered on target.’“

This does suggest he may have been firing on or near an actual war zone – though the security risks would be enough to probably prevent him from getting very close to any real fighting.

Fitzpatrick has been receiving significant backlash over the stunt, especially as it could harm the cause of Trump’s efforts to negotiate peace settlement. In addressing ‘messages’ directly to Putin, it seems a deliberate effort at sabotaging peace.

Gen. Mike Flynn (ret.) ripped the Congressman, saying on X: “How stupid can you be?”

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Secret Terror Blueprints for US to ‘Help Ukraine Resist’

Explosive leaked documents reviewed by The Grayzone show how a shady transatlantic collective of academics and military-intelligence operatives conceived schemes which would lead to the U.S. “helping Ukraine resist” and to prolonging the proxy war “by virtually any means short of American and NATO forces deploying to Ukraine or attacking Russia.”

The operatives assembled their war plans immediately in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and delivered them directly to the highest-ranking relevant U.S. National Security Council official in the Biden administration.

Proposed operations ranged from covert military options to jihadist-style psychological operations against Russian civilians, with the authors insisting, “we need to take a page from ISIS’ playbook.” 

ISIS was not the only militant outfit upheld as a model for Ukraine’s military. The intelligence cabal also proposed modernizing improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, like those staged by Iraqi insurgents against occupying U.S. troops, for a potential stay-behind guerrilla army in Russia, which would attack rail lines, power plants and other civilian targets.

Many of the cabal’s recommendations were subsequently enacted by the Biden administration, dangerously escalating the conflict and repeatedly crossing Russia’s clearly-stated red lines.

Included among the proposals were providing extensive training to “Ukrainian expatriates” in using Javelin and Stinger missiles, enabling “cyberattacks on Russia by ‘patriotic hackers’ with deniability,” and flooding Kiev with “unmanned combat air vehicles.”

It was also foreseen that “replacement fighter aircraft” would be provided by “many sources,” and that “non-Ukrainian volunteer pilots and ground crews” would be recruited to fight air battles in the manner of the Flying Tigers, a World War II-era force composed of American Air Force pilots, which was formed in April 1941 to help the Chinese oppose Japan’s invasion before Washington’s formal entry into the conflict.

The document was written and cosigned by a quartet of academic armchair warriors with colorful pasts. They included historian Andrew Orr, the director of the Kansas State Institute for Military History.

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Over 1,300 Easter truce violations by Ukraine – MOD

The Russian military has been targeted more than 1,300 times by Ukrainian forces in the less than 24 hours since the declaration of an Easter truce by both sides, the Defense Ministry in Moscow has said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said earlier that the pause in hostilities would be in effect from 6:00pm Moscow time on Saturday, and last until midnight on Monday. He instructed the country’s military to stay on high alert and be ready “to respond to any violations or provocations.” Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky answered a few hours later that Kiev’s forces “will act in a reciprocal way.”

The Defense Ministry said in a statement on Sunday that “despite the announcement of the Easter truce,” Ukrainian forces attempted to assault the positions of the Russian military in the areas of the settlements of Sukhaya Balka and Bogatyr in Russia’s Donetsk People’s Republic overnight. The attacks were repelled, it added.

Kiev’s troops also used 48 plane-type UAVs against the Russian military, including one in Crimea, the statement read. 

“The Ukrainian units fired 444 times from cannons and mortars at the positions of our troops, [and] carried out 900 strikes with quadcopter drones,” the ministry said.

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Russia announces Easter ceasefire

Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced a temporary Easter pause in hostilities with Ukraine, which is slated to begin at 18:00 Moscow time on Saturday and last until midnight on April 21.

The announcement came during his meeting with Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov in Moscow. Putin expressed hope that Kiev would demonstrate goodwill and adhere to the ceasefire.

”At the same time, our troops must be prepared to respond to any violations or provocations by the adversary, to any aggressive actions,” he said.

Putin stated that Ukraine’s reaction to the ceasefire would be a clear indicator of whether Kiev is sincerely willing to engage in negotiations to end the conflict.

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Ukraine’s Extension Of Martial Law Exposes Zelensky’s Fear Of Losing Re-Election

The US might pressure him to assemble a government of national unity on pain of once again suspending military and intelligence aid if he refuses to dilute his power in lieu of holding elections…

Ukraine extended martial law until 6 August following Zelensky’s request earlier this week, which will prevent elections from being held over the summer like The Economist claimed late last month was a scenario that he was considering in an attempt to give himself an edge over his rivals. This move therefore exposes his fear of losing re-election. It’s not just that he’s very unpopular, but he likely also fears that the US wants to replace him after his infamous fight in the White House.

To that end, the Trump Administration might not turn a blind eye to whatever electoral fraud he could be planning to commit in order to hold onto power, instead refusing to recognize the outcome unless one of his rivals wins.

As for who could realistically replace him, Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service claimed last May that the US had reportedly entered into talks with Petro Poroshenko, Vitaly Klitschko, Andrey Yermak, Valery Zaluzhny, and Dmytro Razumkov.

The New York Times (NYT) just ran a feature article on Poroshenko, who took the opportunity to propose a government of national unity (GNU) almost 18 months after this idea was first floated by Politico in December 2023, but even the article’s author felt obligated to inform readers that he’s unlikely to return to power. 

Citing unnamed political analysts, they assessed that “Mr. Poroshenko may be angling for an electoral alliance with General Zaluzhny…[who] has remained mostly silent about politics” till now.

Nevertheless, Poroshenko’s NYT feature article succeeded in raising wider awareness of the GNU scenario, which the Trump Administration might seek to advance over the summer. 

Zelensky continues to irritate Trump, most recently by alleging that Russia has “enormous influence” over the White House and accusing his envoy Steve Witkoff of overstepping his authority in talks with Putin. 

This comes as Ukraine continues dragging its heels on agreeing to the latest proposed mineral deal with the US.

From the US’ perspective, since the increasingly troublesome Zelensky can’t be democratically replaced through summertime elections, the next best course of action could be to pressure him into forming a GNU that would be filled with figures like Poroshenko who’d be easier for the US to work with. 

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US Open to Giving Crimea to Russia in Peace Deal

The United States is prepared to recognize Russian control over Crimea. This is part of a broader peace agreement the US has facilitating between Ukraine and Russia.

If elected, President Trump promised to bring peace to Ukraine, but he did not understand that illegitimate President Volodymyr Zelensky and the globalist West would be his main obstacles to peace in the region.

Crimea is a peninsula in the Black Sea. In 2014, Russia took control of the region and its ports.

As far as its history goes – Crimea came under Russian control following the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca  in1774.  Catherine the Great from Russia annexed the peninsula for Russia in 1783.

Anglo-French forces later in 1856 and took control of Sevastopol, Crimea, a major port on the Black Sea.ssia then took control of Crimea during the Russian Civil War in 1918 to 1920 when the Bolsheviks took control of the country.

The peninsula later became the Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic in 1921.

In 1954 the peninsula was transferred from the Russians to Ukraine.

In 1991 Crimea was once again made an autonomous republic within the Soviet Union. Then, as the Soviet Union collapsed in December 1991, Crimea was passed to the newly independent Ukraine.

Russia, under Vladimir Putin took control of Crimea in 2014.

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While Russia Is At war, China Is Stealing Its Military Market

The situation at the front in Ukraine does not show any major change on the ground. There are no breakthroughs, no large surrenders of territory. However, there is one constant – the Russian army is constantly advancing.

This progress is not great, but it is constant and with the passage of time this progress becomes obvious. The pressure on the Ukrainian army is getting stronger and stronger. Logically, the question arises, how long will the Ukrainian army be able to hold the front lines?

To achieve this, the Russians underwent a complete transformation of their military industry. Over the past decade, the arms industry faced significant challenges, with many traditional companies going bankrupt and many repair plants closing.

From missiles to artillery, during the last 3 years, the Russian government invested billions to modernize the outdated Soviet-era infrastructure.

It is clear that Russia will win this war, but at what cost?

If the Russians celebrate a victory, it will be humiliating for the European Union. However, the Russians also will soon face their own reality.

After victory, a large part of Russian and military-industrial structure will be dismantled as the Russian state cannot sustain such a vast apparatus, including new equipment.

During Soviet times, many countries were clients, like the communist countries, the Arab world and others, but now there are several competitors, including the Chinese, Turks, Iranians and Indians, all offering low prices. The global market has shifted significantly, and Russians will fight hard to regain what they had.

They can no longer maintain this massive military industrial base due to several factors. To understand this, we need to observe the past two decades of the Russian arms industry. Despite their high Soviet stockpiles, these companies went bankrupt even with almost 1/3 of the global arms market. The answer lies in government treatment; they are required to offer up to 50% discount for domestic orders in exchange for future export opportunities. Who would invest under such conditions?

With new players, exporting will become challenging. Consequently, the Russian government will emerge with immense fiscal responsibilities, managing an economy transitioning out of a semi-war state. This will lead to thousands being laid off, normalizing labor shortages but also confronting post-war traumas.

Realistically, new Russian territories will demand investment for reconstruction. Who will invest if not the Russian state? Yes, the cost is substantial.

Thus, I highlight the reduction of industry, many pensions, reconstruction of territories, and maintaining a larger army. Challenging times are ahead as the military industry heavily pushes the Russian economy.

If Russia and Western countries (especially Germany) negotiate an end to sanctions and asset release, it could alleviate a significant part of the problem. The Russian economy has adapted to the eastern world.

When the Soviet Union collapsed, there was a whole sphere of Russian influence and a captive market for military equipment. That is gone, and the sphere of Russian influence is infinitely smaller and under threat, especially since there are now several Eastern suppliers positioned to compete on price with the Russians.

After the onset of the war in Ukraine, Russia suspended exports of ground equipment, leaving a huge vacuum for… the Chinese!

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US demanding $100bn compensation from Ukraine

The US continues to insist that Ukraine should pay it tens of billions of dollars as part of a resource deal in compensation for American assistance in the conflict with Russia, but has scaled back its initial assessment of the final amount, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, citing sources.

Washington and Kiev have for weeks been discussing a resource deal – a concept first floated by Vladimir Zelensky last year – which would grant the US access to Ukraine’s deposits of rare earths.

Following a round of talks in Washington last week, officials from the administration of US President Donald Trump cut their estimate of American assistance to Kiev from more than $300 billion to about $100 billion, Bloomberg sources said. Ukraine itself assesses total aid US during the conflict with Russia at just over $90 billion.

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France helped Zelensky write apology letter to Trump

French diplomats reportedly helped Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky write a conciliatory letter to US President Donald Trump in a bid to help the two leaders mend ties, Politico reported on Wednesday, citing an anonymous official.

Relations between Trump and Zelensky soured following the Ukrainian leader’s visit to Washington in late February. During a meeting at the White House, which included US Vice President J.D. Vance, Zelensky pushed back against Trump’s attempts to get Russia and Ukraine to the negotiating table.

In response, Trump and Vance accused Zelensky of being ungrateful for US support and “gambling with World War III” by refusing to engage in peace talks with Moscow. The meeting was cut short and Zelensky was told to leave and come back only when he is ready for peace. Trump also temporarily halted all US military assistance to Ukraine after the heated exchange, but later resumed support after Kiev agreed to a 30-day ceasefire proposal.

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UK proposes ‘no-fly zone’ over Ukraine

The idea of ​​a “no-fly zone” over part of Ukraine has been revived in British military and political circles, sparking heated debate about the implications of such a move. According to sources close to the UK Ministry of Defence, the proposal would ban air traffic in airspace east of a line that would link Belarus to the Black Sea, including areas east of Kyiv and Odessa. However, the details of how this would be implemented remain unclear, raising questions about its feasibility and political risks.

According to the authors of the idea, the “no-fly zone” should create a “deterrent effect” by limiting the actions of Russian aviation without directly involving NATO in military operations. However, experts point out obvious difficulties: to ensure such a ban, not only airspace patrols would be required, but also active measures, including intercepting Russian aircraft, suppressing air defense systems, and neutralizing missile launches. Such actions, covering territories from Belgorod to Crimea, would effectively mean a direct military clash with Russia, which excludes the possibility of rapid de-escalation.

The proposal, made against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, is seen as an attempt by London to strengthen its role in supporting Kyiv without becoming overtly involved in the fighting. Analysts say the British initiative is aimed at Western allies rather than Moscow, and is aimed at maintaining political influence at a time when NATO is seeking to avoid direct confrontation with Russia.

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