Posts

Tucker-Hating Media Darling “Fighting” in Ukraine Admits He’s a Fake, Stolen Valor

/0 Comments/in , , /by

By Business Insider. When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a 48-year-old American veteran and building contractor from Connecticut named James Vasquez was one of thousands of volunteers who went to join the fight.

He quickly became one of the most recognizable faces of the foreign fighters in Ukraine, often going viral with his battlefield updates and dramatic social-media posts purportedly from the front lines.

In his videos and posts, he bragged about capturing Russians and taking out tanks, was regularly interviewed by the news media, and made catchy claims including that he imagined the “punchable” Tucker Carlson when preparing for battle.

He gained more than 400,000 followers on Twitter and even got a shout-out from Rep. Adam Kinzinger, who called for his account to be verified.

[But he recently admitted to the New York Times that] “I had to tell a million lies to get ahead. I didn’t realize it was going to come to this.” Insider was unable to reach Vasquez for comment, as his social-media profiles have been deactivated and calls to two phone numbers for him provided by sources went unanswered.

(Read more from “Tucker-Hating Media Darling “Fighting” in Ukraine Admits He’s a Fake, Stolen Valor” HERE)

____________________________________________________

American Fighting In Ukraine Who Claimed to Be Decorated Sergeant Lied About Extent of Military Service

By Clare Fitzgerald. The Russo-Ukrainian War has saw several former American servicemen volunteer to take up arms and fight in Eastern Europe. One of them was James Vasquez, 48, a decorated veteran who served in Operation Desert Storm, Iraq and Afghanistan – except, he never did. After amassing hundreds of thousands of followers on social media, it came to light that Vasquez isn’t a war hero, but, instead, a culprit of stolen valor.

James Vasquez is a former home improvement contractor from Norwalk, Connecticut. After traveling to Ukraine, he’d garnered a following of individuals who kept up to date with his exploits on the frontlines, which he claimed included capturing 159 Russians and even taking into custody a mercenary with Wagner PMC.

According to Vasquez, he was a decorated retired sergeant with the US Army who’d fought in Kuwait, as well as in Afghanistan and Iraq. During one interview, he even spoke about the differences between the fighting in Ukraine and what he’d previously experienced, saying, “I was in Kuwait during Desert Storm, and I was in Iraq after 9/11 […] This is a whole different animal.” . . .

After months of rumblings on social media, The New York Times interviewed James Vasquez, who admitted to misrepresenting his military service for decades – including lying to his now-ex-wife. Speaking with the publication, he revealed he’d been kicked out of the US Army Reserve, before being deployed. He also shared that he specialized in fuel and electrical repairs, as opposed to combat.

A spokesperson for the Pentagon confirmed this, saying Vasquez was never deployed overseas and revealing that he’d served as a fuel and electrical systems repairer with the New York National Guard between July 1992 and July 1993, after which he served in the Army Reserve from July 1993 to August 2003. (Read more from “American Fighting in Ukraine Who Claimed to Be Decorated Sergeant Lied About Extent of Military Service” HERE)

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

Whopping Ninety-Six Percent Oppose Supporting Ukraine Against Russia in New Poll; Russia and China Begin Joint Air and Sea Drills

/0 Comments/in , /by

By Mediaite. A huge 95.8% of attendees in the Turning Points Action conference straw poll said they oppose the United States supporting Ukraine against Russia, Charlie Kirk announced on the stage in Florida on Sunday.

The Turning Points Action conference saw about 6,000 attendees for Donald Trump’s keynote speech this weekend at the Palm Beach County Convention Center.

As expected at the MAGA event, Trump dominated in the straw poll of attendees conducted over the course of the event, with Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis coming in third, not second, as the choice for nominee. DeSantis was not first place even on the question of who would be the nominee if not Trump – instead the overwhelming selection was businessman and primary candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.

On the question of support for “U.S. involvement in the war in Ukraine,” the result came close to being unanimous.

“We asked the question, ‘Do you support U.S. involvement in the war in Ukraine?’” said Kirk on Sunday. “95.8% of you said no.” (Read more from “Whopping Ninety-Six Percent Oppose Supporting Ukraine Against Russia in New Poll” HERE)

__________________________________________________

Russia and China Begin Joint Air and Sea Drills in Sea of Japan: Report

By Daily Caller. Russia and China are reportedly teaming up and carrying out joint air and sea drills in the Sea of Japan Sunday, according to Reuters.

A Chinese naval fleet reportedly set sail to join Russian Navy vessels as well as Kremlin air assets to carry out exercises in the Sea of Japan as part of a mutual interest in “safeguarding the security of strategic waterways,” Reuters reported, citing a statement issued by China’s defense ministry.

China sent out a total of five warships as well as four ship-borne helicopters to join the Russian military. The codename for the combined operations is North/Interaction-2023:

(Read more from “Russia and China Begin Joint Air and Sea Drills in Sea of Japan: Report” HERE)

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

Biden Authorizes Pentagon to Deploy 3K Reserve Troops to Europe in Response to Ukraine War

/1 Comment/in , /by

President Biden on Thursday authorized US military leaders to deploy as many as 3,000 reservists to Europe in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The order is intended to augment US troops already overseas as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve, the president said in a statement released by the White House after his five day trip to Europe, during which he attended a two-day NATO summit in Lithuania.

“By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America . . . I hereby determine that it is necessary to augment the active Armed Forces of the United States for the effective conduct of Operation Atlantic Resolve in and around the United States European Command’s area of responsibility,” the 80-year-old president said.

Biden’s order specifies that no more than 3,000 total members can be activated at any one time, of whom no more than 450 may be members of the Individual Ready Reserve, which consists of trained soldiers who have previously served in the Active Army or Selected Reserve.

Operation Atlantic Resolve is an initiative that was launched in the wake of Russia’s 2014 invasion of the Crimean Peninsula, designed to enhance the deterrence posture along the eastern flank of the US’s NATO allies. (Read more from “Biden Authorizes Pentagon to Deploy 3K Reserve Troops to Europe in Response to Ukraine War” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

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

Fired Russian General Accuses Defense Minister of Treason

/0 Comments/in , , /by

A senior Russian general in command of forces in occupied southern Ukraine says he was suddenly dismissed from his post after accusing Moscow’s Defense Ministry leadership of betraying his troops by not providing sufficient support.

Gen. Ivan Popov was the commander of the 58th Combined Arms Army, which has been engaged in heavy fighting in the Zaporizhzhia region. He is one of the most senior officers to have taken part in the bloody Russian campaign in Ukraine.

Popov said he had raised questions about “the lack of counter-battery combat, the absence of artillery reconnaissance stations and the mass deaths and injuries of our brothers from enemy artillery,” in a voice note published on Telegram late Wednesday. . .

UA POV: Major General Ivan ‘Spartak’ Popov
by u/1LongRecovery in UkraineRussiaReport

“I also raised a number of other problems and expressed it all at the highest level frankly and extremely harshly,” Popov said in the audio message. “I had no right to lie, therefore, I outlined all the problematic issues that exist today in the army in terms of combat work and support.”

Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu “signed the order and got rid of me,” the general also said in the recording, as he accused the top Kremlin official of treason. (Read more from “Fired Russian General Accuses Defense Minister of Treason” HERE)

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

Talk About Weird: Corrupt Zelensky Slams Corrupt Biden for Not Wanting a Nuclear War With Russia

/3 Comments/in , , /by

Editor’s note: Zelensky’s desire for NATO security guarantees in the middle of his war with Russia has only one outcome: direct conflict between the U.S. and Russia along with an astronomically high chance of nuclear war. But the corrupt president of Ukraine seems giddy over the prospect of a nuclear exchange. Is that what his controllers want? Check out a discussion of a few of his controllers here:

Zelensky Goes Off on Biden Over NATO Membership

By Steven Nelson. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky tore into NATO leaders including President Biden on Tuesday for not extending membership to his war-torn country — introducing fresh diplomatic drama into the annual gathering of the military alliance’s leaders.

Zelensky slammed the reticence as “weakness” and “absurd” just moments after Biden referred to the development of new language regarding his country’s potential NATO ascension.

“Now, on the way to Vilnius, we received signals that certain wording is being discussed without Ukraine. And I would like to emphasize that this wordxfing is about the invitation to become NATO member, not about Ukraine’s membership,” Zelensky tweeted.

“It’s unprecedented and absurd when a time frame is not set neither for the invitation nor for Ukraine’s membership. While at the same time vague wording about ‘conditions’ is added even for inviting Ukraine.” (Read more from “Zelensky Goes Off on Biden Over NATO Membership” HERE)

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

‘Strategic Failure for Ukraine’: State Department Spokesman Makes Apparent ‘Gaffe’ Twice in a Row (VIDEO)

/0 Comments/in , /by

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller called the Ukraine war a “strategic failure” for the nation twice before he was immediately corrected.

Miller was holding a briefing Monday when he made the slip-ups.

“We believe the war has been a strategic failure for Ukraine,” Miller said.

“Don’t you mean ‘a strategic failure for Russia?’” a reporter pressed.

“I’m sorry — excuse me — a strategic failure for Ukraine! Thank you for the correction! (Read more from “‘Strategic Failure for Ukraine’: State Department Spokesman Makes Apparent ‘Gaffe’ Twice in a Row (VIDEO)” HERE)

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

It’s Nuts to Send Cluster Bombs to Ukraine; Biden’s Decision on Ukraine Cluster Munitions Sparks Some Democratic Blowback

/0 Comments/in , , /by

By The Daily Beast. The United States has decided to send cluster munitions to Ukraine. President Biden told CNN’s Fareed Zakaria that it was a “very difficult decision” and one that he discussed “with our allies” and “with our friends up on the Hill.”

I wonder if the allies he says he discussed it with included the U.K., France, Germany, or Canada. These close U.S. allies are all on the list of 123 nations—making up a large majority of the nations of the world—that have signed the UN convention forbidding the use of cluster munitions. Most of the planet considers the use of such weapons, which can spread explosive material over an area “up to the size of several football fields,” to be a war crime in itself, regardless of the intended target.

It’s easy to conduct the debate about sending these weapons in glittering generalities—”Ukraine has a right to defend itself,” “we should give them whatever they need,” and so on. The grim reality is that Ukrainian children will be blowing themselves up with U.S.-made explosives for decades to come. . .

Biden spokesperson February 28, 2022: “The use of cluster munitions is a war crime.”A year and a half later, National Security Adviser to US President Biden Jake Sullivan, at a briefing at the White House, announced his intention to transfer cluster munitions to Ukraine.
by u/theRealNihilist911 in N_N_N

Some commentators are treating the fact that Russia used them as a “gotcha” response to anyone who doesn’t want the U.S. to send them to the Ukrainian side. But that makes no sense. Saddam Hussein used chemical weapons against Iraqi Kurds. Does that mean it would have been perfectly fine if the United States had used chemical weapons in its invasion of Iraq?

. . .When you read about “Russia” invading “Ukraine,” it’s easy to imagine that the only victims of cluster munitions supplied to Ukraine will be Russians. While I don’t think we should be cavalier about the deaths of Russian civilians—or for that matter Russian conscripts—it’s also important to remember that a great many of even the intended victims of these munitions will be Russian-allied separatists in eastern Ukraine. And when it comes to cluster munitions, which victims are intended is almost beside the point. (Read more from “It’s Nuts to Send Cluster Bombs to Ukraine” HERE)

__________________________________________

Biden’s Decision on Ukraine Cluster Munitions Sparks Some Democratic Blowback

By NBC News. Nearly two dozen congressional Democrats on Friday expressed frustration with the Biden administration over its decision to send cluster munitions to Ukraine in a U.S. military aid package.

The lawmakers echoed warnings from human rights groups that the surface-to-surface warheads, which disperse small munitions or bombs over wide areas, can explode after battle and sometimes injure or kill innocent people.

“Cluster munitions are illegal under international law,” Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., said in a statement announcing that she plans to introduce an amendment with Rep. Sara Jacobs, D-Calif., to the annual defense policy bill that would ban the sale of cluster munitions.

“We can support the people of Ukraine in their freedom struggle, while also opposing violations of international law,” Omar said, noting that the munitions are banned in more than 100 countries.

Jacobs announced her opposition to the munitions transfer in a statement Thursday, saying she was “disappointed and alarmed” by the forthcoming move. (Read more from “Biden’s Decision on Ukraine Cluster Munitions Sparks Some Democratic Blowback” HERE)

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

Ukrainian Heroes Slaughtered Tens of Thousands of Polish Women and Children, but Joint Hatred for Russia Preserves a Tenuous Relationship

/0 Comments/in , /by

In a rural village with fewer than 500 residents, strangers stand out. Even Anna Osinska, a 93-year-old villager with failing eyesight, noticed when people she did not recognize — refugees from the war in Ukraine — started appearing on the narrow street outside her kitchen window. . .

“Thank God I don’t feel any need for vengeance,” Ms. Osinska said, recalling how, in 1943, she fled her childhood home in former Polish lands in western Ukraine after Ukrainian nationalists attacked her family’s village, slaughtering most of its 160 inhabitants.

The murders in Niemilia, the village where she was born but no longer exists, were part of horrific events that Ukraine calls the Volhynia Tragedy, but that Poland remembers as the Volhynia Genocide. In those ethnic pogroms by Ukrainian nationalists, more than 60,000 Poles, many of them women and children, were murdered. . .

Ms. Osinska, who was resettled as a teenager after World War II in southwestern Poland, along with tens of thousands of other Polish refugees from Ukraine, grew up in a community traumatized by the massacres of 1943 and seething with hatred toward Ukrainians.

She still resents “that they show no remorse” and has not forgotten the frenzied cries of “kill the Polacks, kill the Polacks” that echoed around her home village when she was 13. (Read more from “Ukrainian Heroes Slaughtered Tens of Thousands of Polish Women and Children, but Joint Hatred for Russia Preserves a Tenuous Relationship” HERE)

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

Biden Says Ukraine Not Ready for NATO (VIDEO)

/0 Comments/in , /by

President Joe Biden said in an interview broadcast on Sunday that he believes that Ukraine is not ready to become a member of NATO and that the country first needs to focus on ending the war with Russia.

The remarks were made during a discussion with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria as Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky continues to push for becoming a member state.

“I don’t think it’s ready for membership in NATO,” Biden said, adding that Russian President Vladimir Putin believed he could “break NATO” with his invasion of Ukraine.

“I don’t think there is unanimity in NATO about whether or not to bring Ukraine into the NATO family, now, at this moment, in the middle of a war,” Biden continued, noting that joining NATO would force all other member countries to defend all of Ukraine while it’s already in a war.

“If the war is going on, then we’re all in war,” Biden said. “You know, we’re at war with Russia, if that were the case. So I think we have to lay out a path, for the rational path for Russia, for, excuse me, for Ukraine to be able to qualify to get into NATO.”

(Read more from “Biden Says Ukraine Not Ready for NATO” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

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

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.