Ukraine War Could Drag On for Years, Former Ambassador Says

Almost 10 months after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s troops invaded Ukraine, a former ambassador to the U.S. is warning that the war could drag on for years.

Ukrainian diplomat Valeriy Chaly, who was Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States from 2015 to 2019, warned that the newly promised Patriot advanced missile system from the U.S. won’t be enough, and that Ukraine needs more weapons to win the war.

Ahead of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s stop in Washington on Wednesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken unveiled a $1.85 billion military package for Kyiv that included a Patriot missile system.

The Ukrainian leader has for months been asking the U.S. for stronger weapons to shoot down Russian missiles, as Putin’s forces have been bombarding Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, causing blackouts across the country. (Read more from “Ukraine War Could Drag On for Years, Former Ambassador Says” HERE)

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Ukraine’s Zelensky in DC; Biden Meet, Congress Address

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is scheduled to speak to Congress and President Joe Biden on Wednesday and claim the $45 billion worth of aid designated for Ukraine in the $1.7 trillion omnibus bill is not enough support.

Congress is weighing whether to pass the massive $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill that designates $45 billion in military and economic aid for Ukraine. The $45 billion is in addition to the $66 billion lawmakers have already approved of taxpayers’ money for Ukraine.

On Tuesday, Zelensky released a video revealing he will tell Biden and Congress $45 billion is still not enough support. . .

Zelensky’s claim that $45 billion is not enough aid – on top of the already approved $66 billion – comes as the omnibus bill is expected to approve a military budget of about $858 billion, $45 billion more than Biden had requested from taxpayers. (Read more from “Ukraine’s Zelensky in DC; Biden Meet, Congress Address” HERE)

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Kim Jong-un Sister Threatens to Launch ICBM Towards USA

Kim Yo-Jong, a top North Korean communist official and sister of dictator Kim Jong-un, published a barely coherent string of insults and threats on Tuesday suggesting that international experts doubting the quality of North Korean weapons may soon prompt an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launch across the Pacific Ocean.

Kim, officially a vice department director at the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party (the ruling communist party), published her statement through the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), one of the few legal media outlets in the country and a government-run propaganda platform.

Kim appeared to be responding to the free world’s tepid response to North Korean media announcing that it had developed a military espionage satellite and publishing low-resolution, black-and-white images as proof.

“I am getting bored and tired of hearing the bark of the south Korean puppets who have the bad habit of finding fault with others,” Kim Yo-jong proclaimed. “Even in the end of the year, they continue to pull us up, not content with finding fault with us from the beginning of the year.” (Read more from “Kim Jong-un Sister Threatens to Launch ICBM Towards USA” HERE)

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Russian Troop Losses Could Hit 100K Before Christmas: Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s army is poised to reach 100,000 troop losses just shy of Christmas and the Ukraine war’s 10-month anniversary, according to calculations based on Ukrainian estimates.

The Defense Ministry of Ukraine and General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine provide daily estimates of how many Russian personnel have been lost since the day before, as well as the total number of Russian losses since the war began.

The Ukrainian Defense Ministry reported that Russia had lost about 98,800 troops as of Monday. With 520 new estimated Russian losses on Monday included, a Newsweek calculation based on the Ukrainian death counts show that Russia has lost an average of 577 soldiers per day over the past week. If this or a similar average is maintained over the next few days, Russia will surpass the 100,000 mark on Thursday. (Read more from “Russian Troop Losses Could Hit 100K Before Christmas: Ukraine” HERE)

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Landslide at Campground Leaves 16 Dead, 17 Missing

A landslide Friday at a tourist campground in Malaysia left 16 people dead and authorities said 17 others were feared buried at the site on an organic farm outside the capital of Kuala Lumpur.

An estimated 94 Malaysians were believed to have been at the campsite in Batang Kali in central Selangor state, around 31 miles north of Kuala Lumpur, when the incident occurred, said district police chief Suffian Abdullah.

He said the death toll has risen to 16, including a five-year-old boy. Seven people have been hospitalized with injuries and rescuers were searching for the estimated 17 missing people, he said. Another 53 people were rescued without harm.

Suffian said the victims had entered the area, a popular recreational site for locals to pitch or rent tents from the farm, on Wednesday. More than 400 personnel, including tracking dogs, were involved in the search and rescue efforts. (Read more from “Landslide at Campground Leaves 16 Dead, 17 Missing” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

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U.S. Weapons Causing ‘Heavy’ Russian Losses Amid Artillery Duels: Commander

Ukrainian and Russian forces have reverted to punishing artillery duels across much of the front line as both sides wait for frozen ground that is expected to open a new window for fresh mechanized offensives.

As in the summer, both sides are facing intense ammunition pressures as artillery teams seek and destroy their rivals. Ukraine is in a unique bind; struggling to refill its stocks of Soviet-made 152mm caliber shells, while also trying to integrate a smorgasbord of NATO-donated artillery systems that largely fire 155mm munitions.

Weapons including the U.S.-made M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System and its British and German counterparts; the American M777; the French Caesar; the Polish AHS Krab; and the German PzH 2000 are all now in regular use along the front.

Western systems and shells, one commander fighting on the southern front told Newsweek, have been instrumental in helping the Ukrainians inflict serious casualties on the invaders and erode their ability to defend occupied positions. (Read more from “U.S. Weapons Causing ‘Heavy’ Russian Losses Amid Artillery Duels: Commander” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

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The US Is Preparing for the Possibility of War With China — In Space

The U.S. launched a Space Force unit in South Korea Tuesday, the latest development in preparations for the possibility of a future war spilling into space, where China is seen as the largest threat.

U.S. leaders and defense officials have shifted their focus to space in recent years, exemplified by the creation of the Space Force three years ago as of Dec. 20 under former President Donald Trump, and highlighted China as the major challenge. China, Russia and other major rivals have demonstrated technological advancements enabling them to take down satellites and conduct war in the space domain, according to media reports, upping pressure on the Pentagon to enhance its own defense capabilities in space.

The latest Pentagon report on China’s rising military power concluded Beijing likely intends space defense architecture to deter and counter any foreign intervention in regional conflict, alluding to expectations the U.S. may intervene if China moves militarily against Taiwan.

The Space Force’s inauguration and championing under the Biden administration is the “single most important thing” to consider in how the U.S. is preparing to deter, and possibly fight with, China, Tom DiNanno, an adjunct fellow for national security at the Hudson Institute, told the DCNF.

Space Forces Korea, the force’s first foreign command, is tasked with detecting and tracking incoming missiles and serve as a deterrent to Pyongyang and Beijing against aggression toward the U.S. and its regional allies, according to CNN. (Read more from “The US Is Preparing for the Possibility of War With China — In Space” HERE)

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China Sends Record Wave of Bombers Into Taiwan Defense Zone

China sent a record 18 nuclear-capable bombers into Taiwan’s air defense zone, Taipei said Tuesday, just days after Beijing banned more Taiwanese imports in the latest sign of deteriorating ties.

Democratic Taiwan lives under the constant threat of invasion by China, which sees the self-ruled island as part of its territory to be seized one day.

Beijing has ramped up military, diplomatic and economic pressure since the 2016 election of Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, who rejects its stance that the island is part of China.

In a daily update on Tuesday morning, Taiwan’s defense ministry said 21 aircraft entered the island’s southwest air defense identification zone (ADIZ) over the last 24 hours, including 18 nuclear-capable H-6 bombers.

That represents by far the largest daily sortie by H-6 bombers since Taipei first began releasing daily incursion data in September 2020, according to a database maintained by AFP.

The wave came after China slapped fresh import bans on Taiwanese food, beverages, alcohol, and fishery products last week, prompting Premier Su Tseng-chang to accuse Beijing of violating international trade rules and “discriminating” against the island. (Read more from “China Sends Record Wave of Bombers Into Taiwan Defense Zone” HERE)

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Police Raid The Headquarters Of French President Emmanuel Macron’s Political Party: Report

French law enforcement officials raided the offices of Emmanuel Macron’s political party Tuesday as part of two investigations into alleged campaign finance violations related to the country’s last two presidential elections.

Financial prosecutors at the Parquet National Financier said that the police searched the headquarters of the Renaissance party and the offices of consulting firm McKinsey & Co., which stemmed from a previous investigation into alleged tax-fraud and money-laundering by McKinsey.

“The prosecutors are investigating whether presidential campaigns properly accounted for any role consulting firms played in their activities,” The Wall Street Journal reported. “Another investigation is exploring whether campaigns concealed any improper favors.” (Read more from “Police Raid the Headquarters of French President Emmanuel Macron’s Political Party: Report” HERE)

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Russian Commander Suggests Nukes as ‘Only’ Option To Win War

A Russian commander suggested that using nuclear weapons may be the only way Russia can be victorious in its war against Ukraine.

The remarks come more than nine months after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the Ukraine invasion in February, hoping for a quick win against his Eastern European neighbor.

However, Ukraine’s spirited defense efforts, bolstered by Western humanitarian and military aid, have blunted Moscow’s military gains. Putin’s troops continue to struggle to achieve substantial goals. . .

Alexander Khodakovsky, the commander of Russia’s Donetsk militia, pointed to nuclear weapons as one way Russia could win the war during an appearance on state TV. Video of his appearance was translated and posted to Twitter by BBC reporter Francis Scarr. (Read more from “Russian Commander Suggests Nukes as ‘Only’ Option To Win War” HERE)

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