Hundreds of Millions of Dollars of Ukrainian Corruption Uncovered

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Ukrainian authorities have conducted a series of anti-corruption raids across the country, uncovering stashes of cash as well as luxury watches and cars.

Among those caught up in the investigations is the acting head of the Kyiv tax authority, who was allegedly part of a scheme to overlook 45 billion Ukrainian hryvnia ($1.2 billion) in unpaid taxes.

On Wednesday, the State Bureau of Investigations (SBI) said that it had found hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, as well as luxury watches and cars, at the tax chief’s residence. CNN is attempting to reach that individual for comment.

The Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) said the raids were part of an effort to combat what they described as “the internal enemy” in the country. (Read more from “Hundreds of Millions of Dollars of Ukrainian Corruption Uncovered” HERE)

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Ukrainian Troops Say Russians Are Becoming Much More Effective, Gaining Ground

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Ukrainian troops on the front lines in the Donbas have told the BBC that Russian forces are “learning every day and changing their strategy” as they continue to gain ground around the heavily contested town of Bakhmut. . .

Sgt Denys Kalchuk from the all-volunteer Dnipro-1 Battalion [described] how Russian infantry, fighter jets and artillery units appeared to be operating with growing co-ordination and effectiveness around Bakhmut: “The planes are the worst. You can’t hear them until it’s too late. It’s the same with the tanks. Artillery is easier – at least you might have a second or two [to dive for cover] after you hear them coming”. . .

“It is very hard for us now. We understand that Russia is learning every day and changing their strategy. And I think we need to learn faster,” said Dmytro Podvorchanskyi, who heads a reconnaissance unit in Dnipro-1.

He and others spoke of the way well-equipped regular Russian forces were now hiding and dispersing their ammunition stores far better and targeting Ukrainian logistics routes more effectively. As a result, they are continuing to gain ground around Bakhmut and threatening another potentially significant town, Vuhledar, further south. . .

“There have been cases of [Ukrainian] units who don’t seem willing to fight, and disagreements [over tactics],” one Ukrainian soldier acknowledged, speaking off the record. Others talked about the trauma of seeing their friends die, of units that had sustained overwhelming numbers of casualties and of the psychological impact of fighting amidst the corpses. (Read more from “Ukrainian Troops Say Russians Are Becoming Much More Effective, Gaining Ground” HERE)

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Canadian Politician Calls on Government to ‘Condemn’ Tucker Carlson (VIDEO)

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A member of Parliament from the New Democratic Party of Canada called on other politicians to unanimously “condemn” Fox News host Tucker Carlson for “incendiary, anti-democratic language,” but was immediately met with a chorus of “nay” when the speaker of the House asked the other members about his motion.

MP Matthew Green (Hamilton Centre) was referring to Carlson’s remarks that the United States should “liberate Canada” on a recent episode of “Tucker Carlson Today.” . . .

In response, Green announced in Canadian Parliament that he had consulted with other members of the government before saying he believed he would garner “unanimous consent” on his motion.

The speaker of the House then rose, asking “all those opposed to honorable member moving the motion, please say ‘nay’.”

After an array of “nay” responses, the speaker of the House immediately replied, “I’m afraid we don’t have unanimous consent.” (Read more from “Canadian Politician Calls on Government to ‘Condemn’ Tucker Carlson (VIDEO)” HERE)

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Kyiv Says Forces Outnumbered, Battling ‘Intensifying’ Russian Attacks

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A Ukrainian deputy defense minister said on January 25 that Russian forces are “intensifying” their attacks near Bakhmut in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine and warned that Moscow had a “superior number of soldiers and weapons” in what has become a hot spot in the 11-month-old invasion.

Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar wrote on Telegram that “the enemy is intensifying pressure in the Bakhmut and Vuhledar sectors” in a broader region that Ukrainians frequently refer to as the Donbas

“The enemy is throwing a significant number of personnel, weapons, and military equipment into the battle, trying to break through our defenses, [and] is suffering significant losses but is not giving up its plans,” Maylar said. “The intensity of the fighting is increasing.”

Russian-backed separatists have controlled large swaths of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions that compose the Donbas since 2014, when Russian troops also invaded Crimea ahead of its annexation. (Read more from “Kyiv Says Forces Outnumbered, Battling ‘Intensifying’ Russian Attacks” HERE)

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North Korea Calls NATO Chief’s Seoul Visit a ‘Prelude’ to War

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North Korean state media on Monday denounced NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg’s visit to South Korea as a “prelude to confrontation and war.” During his visit, Stoltenberg urged South Korea to “step up to the specific issue of military support” for Ukraine.

“The trip of the NATO secretary general to South Korea and Japan is a prelude to confrontation and war as it brings the dark clouds of a ‘new Cold War’ to the Asia-Pacific region,” North Korean political researcher Kim Tong-myong charged in an article published by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), an outlet controlled by the North Korean regime.

Kim claimed NATO has turned Ukraine into a “theater of proxy war” against Russia and claimed Stoltenberg is attempting the same strategy against North Korea by building an Asian version of NATO.

On Saturday, dictator Kim Jong-un’s sister Kim Yo-jong denounced the United States for promising to send 31 advanced main battle tanks to Ukraine. Kim said the offer crossed a “red line” and promised North Korea would “stand in the same trench” as the Russians against the United States.

“I express serious concern over the U.S. escalating the war situation by providing Ukraine with military hardware for ground offensive,” Kim said in a statement published by KCNA. (Read more from “North Korea Calls NATO Chief’s Seoul Visit a ‘Prelude’ to War” HERE)

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Biden Says U.S. Won’t Send F-16 Fighter Jets to Ukraine

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President Biden on Monday said the U.S. will not supply Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets to assist in their ongoing fight with Russia, which is heading into its second year.

“No,” Mr. Biden said when a reporter asked him if the U.S. would send the fighter jets to Ukraine.

Mr. Biden also said he was unsure if he would visit Europe for the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Ukrainian officials last week renewed their calls for the U.S. and Germany to provide them with F-16 fighter jets, which have been on the country’s wish list since the war began last year.

The Biden administration has rebuffed such calls, saying that artillery, armor, and ground-based defense systems and tanks are more urgent needs because Ukraine must protect civilian infrastructure and repel Russian forces. (Read more from “Biden Says U.S. Won’t Send F-16 Fighter Jets to Ukraine” HERE)

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‘New Level of Confrontation’: Russia Reacts to U.S., Germany Tank Deliveries to Ukraine

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Russia responded Thursday for the first time regarding the decision by President Biden to send Abrams M1 tanks to Ukraine, accusing it of “direct involvement in the conflict.”

During his Wednesday announcement, Biden said the shipment of tanks that he classified as the “most capable tanks in the world” were not “an offensive threat to Russia.”

However, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov clapped back at this and said, “There are constant statements from European capitals and Washington that the sending of various weapons systems to Ukraine, including tanks, in no way signifies the involvement of these countries or the alliance in hostilities in Ukraine.”

“We categorically disagree with this, and in Moscow, everything that the alliance and the capitals I mentioned are doing is seen as direct involvement in the conflict. We see that this is growing,” he told reporters, according to Reuters Thursday.

Russian officials have repeatedly accused the U.S. and NATO allies of being directly involved in the conflict despite the lack of Western troops in the war. (Read more from “‘New Level of Confrontation’: Russia Reacts to U.S., Germany Tank Deliveries to Ukraine” HERE)

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After Ukraine Scores U.S. Tanks, Kyiv Plans Push for Modern Fighter Jets

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Ukraine intends to press the United States for fourth-generation fighter jets after President Joe Biden agreed to send dozens of top U.S. battle tanks to aid Kyiv’s war against Russia.

The White House announced on Wednesday that it will send 31 M1 Abrams battle tanks to Ukraine, a major reversal after officials said the tanks were too complicated and high-maintenance for the inexperienced Ukraine military to effectively use. Biden said the tanks symbolized “unflagging commitment” to Ukraine’s cause.

“These tanks are further evidence of our enduring, unflagging commitment to Ukraine and our confidence in the skill of the Ukrainian forces,” Biden said. “As I told President Zelensky when he was here — and today is his birthday, by the way — in December: We’re with you for as long as it takes, Mr. President.”

The tanks will be paid for through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, a fund approved by Congress to aid Ukraine. Using the fund will delay Ukraine’s reception of the tanks by months, according to POLITICO.

The Pentagon will procure the tanks as well as support vehicles and supplies to give to the Ukrainians to maintain the battle machines. While the aid is being prepared and shipped, the U.S. will train the Ukrainian military on how to use and maintain the tanks. (Read more from “After Ukraine Scores U.S. Tanks, Kyiv Plans Push for Modern Fighter Jets” HERE)

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Country Could Deny Rapper Entry Over Antisemitism, Official Says

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A senior Australian government minister said Wednesday that rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, could be refused a visa due to antisemitic comments if he attempts to visit Australia.

Education Minister Jason Clare was responding to media reports that the U.S. celebrity intends to visit the family of new Australian partner Bianca Censori in Melbourne next week.

Clare said he did not know if Ye had applied for a visa but that Australia has previously refused them to people with antisemitic views. (Read more from “Country Could Deny Rapper Entry Over Antisemitism, Official Says” HERE)

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Pressure Grows on Germany to Authorize Tank Shipment to Break Ukraine War Stalemate

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Germany found itself under intense and growing pressure Sunday as the government of Chancellor Olaf Scholz weighed whether to authorize the shipment of its coveted Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.

U.S., Ukrainian and European officials urged Berlin to act after a summit Friday at the American military base in Ramstein, Germany, failed to nail down an agreement.

Ukraine says it needs some 300 Western tanks to bolster its forces against dug-in Russian troops in the eastern and southern parts of the country in the 11-month-old war. Both sides are preparing for further offensives when the weather allows.

An intelligence assessment of the fighting over the weekend from the British Defense Ministry described an increasingly deadlocked struggle in Ukraine’s Donbas region, with new Russian overall commander Sergei Shoigu reorganizing forces and apparently settling in for a long, grinding war of attrition.

Germany has balked at supplying Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine or authorizing other European countries such as Poland to transfer their own Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, in part because of divisions within Mr. Scholz’s coalition government and in part for fear that the move would prove too provocative to the Kremlin. (Read more from “Pressure Grows on Germany to Authorize Tank Shipment to Break Ukraine War Stalemate” HERE)

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