Ukraine’s Counteroffensive Has Bogged Down and It Can Do Little to Counter Russia’s Firepower

/0 Comments/in , /by

It’s a bitter realization: The Ukrainians have thus far fallen far short of the goals they set for their counteroffensive. They don’t have the equipment they need for a rapid breakthrough in the southeast – they lack rocket launchers, howitzers, munitions and, especially, air defense systems and modern fighter jets. It turns out it isn’t going to be easy to push out the Russian invaders.

With Ukrainian soldiers unable to adequately protect themselves, units have become stranded in minefields and are sitting ducks for combat helicopters, warplanes, drones and artillery fire. Ukrainian soldiers on the front are reporting that they can do little to counter Russia’s firepower, particularly the constant air strikes. It’s also now becoming apparent why Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy begged his Western partners to send warplanes.

The much-anticipated counteroffensive has thus descended into a brutal war of attrition. The Ukrainians attack in small infantry units, moving from village to village, from woodline to woodline, suffering terrible casualties in the process. During the past week, the Ukrainians say they reclaimed a total of 38 square kilometers of territory in the southern and eastern part of the country, an area even smaller than Manhattan Island in New York.

Didn’t the West give the impression that a rapid victory against a deeply entrenched Russian opponent was possible after delivering modern weaponry to Ukraine and providing its troops with training? Didn’t U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken even say in early May that the Ukrainians had “everything they need” to retake territory occupied by the Russians? And didn’t the Ukrainian leadership believe in their chances for success when they launched the counteroffensive?

The fact is that the leadership in Kyiv hardly had a choice. The expectations from their own populace and from the West to finally begin the process of reconquering occupied territory were overwhelming. On top of that were concerns that support from the United States might wane following next year’s presidential elections should a Republican like Donald Trump or Florida Governor Ron DeSantis emerge victorious. Neither thinks much of support for Ukraine. (Read more from “Ukraine’s Counteroffensive Has Bogged Down and It Can Do Little to Counter Russia’s Firepower” HERE)

Delete Facebook, Delete Twitter, Follow Restoring Liberty and Joe Miller at gab HERE.

Foreign Policy Elite Call for Bringing Ukraine Into NATO Immediately

/0 Comments/in , /by

By Breitbart. Foreign policy “experts” vocally in favor of Ukraine called on Wednesday for bringing the embattled nation into NATO, which many say would risk a direct NATO-Russia war.

Alexander Vindman, who was at the center of former President Donald Trump’s first impeachment, former Russia ambassador Michael McFaul, former Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-NJ), and other foreign policy “experts” released an op-ed on Politico Magazine ahead of the NATO summit:

In Vilnius, the alliance should launch a roadmap that will lead clearly to Ukraine’s membership in NATO at the earliest achievable date. As with Finland and Sweden, the process can bypass the Membership Action Plan in light of the close and ongoing interactions between NATO and Ukraine. NATO heads of state and government should task the Council in permanent session to develop recommendations on the timing and modalities of an accession process for Ukraine for decision at the next NATO summit in Washington in 2024.

. . .

Dan Caldwell, a vice president at the Center for Renewing America, contended that at least 12 of those who signed onto the letter have received money from Ukrainian oligarchs. (Read more from “Foreign Policy Elite Call for Bringing Ukraine Into NATO Immediately” HERE)

_____________________________________________________

Ukraine and Russia Accuse Each Other Plotting Attack on Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant

By CBS News. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has claimed that Russia is plotting a potentially dangerous attack on Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, which Russian forces have occupied for more than a year. Russia has accused Ukraine, meanwhile, of plotting to attack the same sprawling Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Enerhodar, southern Ukraine, in the next two days.

It was a nerve-racking night for people across Ukraine amid the crossfire of accusations, but especially in the towns and cities near the Zaporizhzhia plant, including the city of Zaporizhzhia just a few miles away, which Russia never managed to capture.

Zelenskyy laid out his claims in detail Tuesday night, saying Russian forces had “placed objects resembling explosives on the roof of several power units” at the power plant.

Russia, meanwhile, accused Ukraine of planning to strike the plant with missiles or drones packed with radioactive waste from other nuclear facilities.

Neither side has provided any evidence to back up its claims. (Read more from “Ukraine and Russia Accuse Each Other Plotting Attack on Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant” HERE)

Delete Facebook, Delete Twitter, Follow Restoring Liberty and Joe Miller at gab HERE.

Jewish Attacks on Christians in Israel Skyrocketing

/0 Comments/in , /by

A local Israeli reporter went undercover as a priest and was spat at several times while walking the streets of Jerusalem, Haaretz, the Israeli daily, reported.

Haaretz underlined that at a time when attacks on Christians in Jerusalem are rapidly increasing, police are reluctant to track down the perpetrators.

Channel 13’s Yossi Eli was first spat at just five minutes after setting out in the company of a Franciscan clergyman, who is identified by the paper as Father Alberto. Spitting incidents included one by a child and a soldier, as the reporter spent a day dressed as a priest in Jerusalem to investigate growing hate crimes against Christians in the city. Haaretz also reported that a man mocked them in Hebrew, saying, “Forgive me, father, for I have sinned.”

On June 15, a stained-glass window of the Cenacle, the traditional location of the Last Supper, was shattered by a rock thrown by unknown vandals.

It is one of many incidents of violence on Christian holy sites in Jerusalem that have increased in frequency and have practically become a daily occurrence, said the organizer of a June 16 conference, aimed at investigating these attacks from a religious, historical, legal and current events perspective. (Read more from “Jewish Attacks on Christians in Israel Skyrocketing” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

Delete Facebook, Delete Twitter, Follow Restoring Liberty and Joe Miller at gab HERE.

Russian Troops Advancing in Eastern Ukraine Amid ‘Fierce Fighting’: Kyiv

/0 Comments/in , /by

Russian troops are advancing in four areas of the front line in eastern Ukraine amid “fierce fighting,” Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister said on Sunday.

“Fierce fighting is going on everywhere,” Ganna Maliar wrote on social media, adding: “The situation is quite complicated.”

“The enemy is advancing in Avdiivka, Mariinka, Lyman sectors. The enemy is also moving forward in the Svatove sector,” she said. (Read more from “Russian Troops Advancing in Eastern Ukraine Amid ‘Fierce Fighting’: Kyiv” HERE)

Delete Facebook, Delete Twitter, Follow Restoring Liberty and Joe Miller at gab HERE.

Russian Analyst Says Use of Nuclear Weapons Can Stop World War 3 and Human Extinction

/0 Comments/in , /by

A former adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin has reiterated his belief that using nuclear weapons would prevent World War III from happening.

In an interview with Russian state media RT Saturday, professor Sergey Karaganov, the honorary chairman of Russia’s Council on Foreign and Defense Policy, noted that the decision to use nuclear weapons would be a difficult moral choice for Russia, but he claimed it would save humanity from a potential extinction brought on by a full-blown nuclear war.

“The decision to use nuclear weapons is a terrible moral challenge, a terrible moral decision. Morally it will hurt us, or whoever will use it, but sometimes you have to choose,” Karaganov said, according to Washington, D.C.-based MEMRI.

“The famous Dostoevsky dictum – will you sacrifice the child to save humanity… It’s a philosophically terrible choice, but I decided to become unpopular by choosing to save humanity,” the Russian political scientist said.

Karaganov said he believes the West, which he claims “is losing all strategic thinking,” would “back off” if Russia decides to escalate its threats of using nuclear weapons. (Read more from “Russian Analyst Says Use of Nuclear Weapons Can Stop World War 3 and Human Extinction” HERE)

Delete Facebook, Delete Twitter, Follow Restoring Liberty and Joe Miller at gab HERE.

‘If Russia Collapses, We Will All Perish’: Belarus President Lukashenko Takes Credit for Ending Wagner Group’s Mutiny

/0 Comments/in , /by

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Tuesday said that “if Russia collapses, we will all perish,” after he was asked to explain his position on Moscow.

Lukashenko has largely taken credit for mitigating the Wagner group’s mutiny against the Russian defence ministry. “My position: if Russia collapses, we will remain under the rubble, we will all perish,” he said.

The Belarusian leader, who has proven to be Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest ally for supporting the country in the Ukraine war and by allowing Russian troops to invade it via Belarus, said, “The threat of a new global conflict has never been as close as it is today. They (West) are once again asking to blow up our country, our entire region, to disorient people.”

“Unfortunately, our attempts to settle the situation through peaceful negotiations are now called a ‘diplomatic imitation’. The price of this ‘imitation’ is hundreds of thousands of human lives,” he added.

Explaining the events that unfolded in Russia just three days ago, Alexander Lukashenko said that he was closely monitoring the attempted coup against Putin on Saturday.

(Read more from “‘If Russia Collapses, We Will All Perish’: Belarus President Lukashenko Takes Credit for Ending Wagner Group’s Mutiny” HERE)

Delete Facebook, Delete Twitter, Follow Restoring Liberty and Joe Miller at gab HERE.

Hungarian PM: Ukraine Is No Longer a Sovereign State

/0 Comments/in , /by

According to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Ukraine is no longer a sovereign state. As he stated in an interview with the German Bild, such a conclusion can be made due to Kyiv’s dependence on the support of Western countries.

Orban said that he knows the desire of the leadership of Ukraine to liberate all territories occupied by Russia. However, in his opinion, first of all, it is necessary to take into account the goals of Washington, because Ukraine is no longer a sovereign state.

“But what really matters is what the Americans want to do. Ukraine is no longer a sovereign state. They have no money. They have no weapons. They can only fight because we support them in the West. So if the Americans decide they want peace, there will be peace,” said Orbán.

According to the Hungarian Prime Minister, Kyiv absolutely does not understand the current situation. Orban claims that although Ukraine is confident of its victory, it will not be able to win it.

“I think that the way the Ukrainians are fighting on the front lines, and we support them financially, with information, with tools, and they can win the war against Russia, is a misunderstanding of the situation. This is impossible… I am talking about the end of the war, and the problem is that that the Ukrainians will run out of soldiers earlier than the Russians, and this will be the decisive factor in the end,” the official added. (Read more from “Hungarian PM: Ukraine Is No Longer a Sovereign State” HERE)

Delete Facebook, Delete Twitter, Follow Restoring Liberty and Joe Miller at gab HERE.

Russian Coup Leader Was Warned He Would Be ‘Crushed Like a Bug’ if Troops Reached Moscow

/0 Comments/in , /by

Wagner Group commander Yevgeny Prigozhin was warned his troops would be “crushed like a bug” if they reached Moscow during their coup attempt, it was revealed Tuesday.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said he told the mercenary leader that his men would be utterly destroyed, while describing how he negotiated a deal for Wagner to halt the mutinous march in exchange for immunity, CNN reported.

Lukashenko detailed his frenzied back-and-forth phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prigozhin on Saturday to try to halt the coup attempt, during which the Wagner chief mainly swore.

He said Prigozhin had been adamant about advancing to Moscow as a show of protest for the alleged wrongdoings against Wagner, but the mercenary leader quickly changed his tune once the negotiator informed him that he would face devastating results.

“For a long time, I was trying to convince him. And in the end, I said, ‘You know, you can do whatever you want. But don’t be offended by me. Our brigade is ready for transfer to Moscow,’ ” Lukashenko, a longtime Putin ally, told state media. (Read more from “Russian Coup Leader Was Warned He Would Be ‘Crushed Like a Bug’ if Troops Reached Moscow” HERE)

Delete Facebook, Delete Twitter, Follow Restoring Liberty and Joe Miller at gab HERE.

New Study Confirms Biblical Accounts of the Kingdom in the West Bank

/0 Comments/in , /by

According to a study by researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the Kingdom of Judah expanded earlier than was previously believed by archeologists, confirming biblical accounts.

The article, by Institute of Archeology professor Yosef Garfinkel, appeared recently in the peer-reviewed institute publication Jerusalem Journal of Archeology.

In the study, Garfinkel examines five sites in particular — Khirbet Qeiyafa, Beth Shemesh, Tell en-Naṣbeh, Khirbet ed-Dawwara and Lachish.

Garfinkel’s findings support the claim that the kingdom began expanding into the Shephelah region southwest of Jerusalem, a transitional area of rolling hills between the coastal plain to the west and the Judean Mountains to the east, as early as the 10th century BCE.

That contradicts previous beliefs that the expansion occurred in the late 9th or 8th century BCE, 200 to 300 years after the reign of King David. (Read more from “New Study Confirms Biblical Accounts of the Kingdom in the West Bank” HERE)

Delete Facebook, Delete Twitter, Follow Restoring Liberty and Joe Miller at gab HERE.

Mexican Politician Convicted for ‘Misgendering’ Lawmaker in Social Media Posts, Awaits Appeal

/0 Comments/in , /by

A former Mexican congressman convicted of “gender-based political violence” over social media posts referring to a trans-identifying congressional representative as a “man who self-ascribes as a woman” is calling on the international community to intervene concerning “systematic violations of fundamental rights.”

Rodrigo Iván Cortés, the current head of the political advocacy group Frente Nacional por la Familia (National Front for the Family), addressed the Organization of American States last Wednesday as he awaits an appeal of his conviction.

“[In Mexico] the freedom of expression of citizens is canceled and their free participation in the democratic conformation of laws is prevented,” Cortés said, according to ADF International, the advocacy group supporting him.

“Unfortunately, I suffer this in my own flesh in the cases that are being carried out against me and the organization that I preside over, the National Front for the Family, for objecting to initiatives that ostensibly violate human rights.”

The charges against Cortés stem from a series of social media posts in 2022, where he allegedly “misgendered” congressional Salma Luévano, a Mexican congressional representative. (Read more from “Mexican Politician Convicted for ‘Misgendering’ Lawmaker in Social Media Posts, Awaits Appeal” HERE)

Delete Facebook, Delete Twitter, Follow Restoring Liberty and Joe Miller at gab HERE.