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Marjorie Taylor Greene Introduces Amendment to Ukraine Bill: Members Who Vote ‘In Favor’ Required to Join Ukrainian Military

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) introduced an amendment to a supplemental funding bill for Ukraine that would require members of Congress who vote “in favor” to enlist in the Ukrainian military.

Greene’s amendment comes as House Republicans released the legislative text regarding four bills wrapped into one, according to CBS News.

Under the three bills, $26.4 billion would be sent to Israel, $60.8 billion would go to Ukraine, and $8.1 billion would go to countering the threat of China in the Indo-Pacific and providing foreign aid to Taiwan.

A fourth bill focuses on providing other defense measures to “strengthen” the “national security” of the United States.

“Any Member of Congress who votes in favor of this Act shall be required to conscript in the Ukrainian military,” the amendment to the Ukraine Security Supplemental Appropriations Act 2024 reads.

(Read more from “Marjorie Taylor Greene Introduces Amendment to Ukraine Bill: Members Who Vote ‘In Favor’ Required to Join Ukrainian Military” HERE)

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr

Ukraine Faces Defeat Against Russia in 2024, Warns Former UK Commander

Amidst the prolonged conflict between Ukraine and Russia, General Sir Richard Barrons, former commander of the UK’s Joint Forces Command, has issued a stark warning regarding Ukraine’s precarious position. In an interview with the BBC, Barrons expressed concerns over Ukraine’s ability to withstand the Russian onslaught, stating that there is a “serious risk” of Ukraine succumbing to defeat this year.

The Ukrainian forces, vastly outnumbered and outgunned by their Russian counterparts, are grappling with the daunting prospect of conceding to Russian advances. Barrons highlighted the potential for pessimism to permeate Ukrainian society as the conflict drags on, raising questions about the sustainability of their defense efforts.

Reflecting on the failed Ukrainian counteroffensive of the previous year, Barrons noted the strategic setbacks suffered by Ukraine despite concerted efforts to reclaim occupied territories. There are mounting apprehensions that Russia utilized this period to consolidate its position and prepare for further incursions into Ukrainian territory.

Anticipating a significant Russian offensive in the coming months, Barrons cautioned against the possibility of Russian forces breaching Ukrainian defenses and advancing into key strategic areas. He singled out Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city and a symbolic bastion of Ukrainian identity, as a potential target for Russian encroachment, emphasizing the demoralizing impact such a loss would have on the Ukrainian populace.

Barrons painted a grim picture of the ongoing conflict, describing the relentless pounding of Ukrainian positions by Russian forces wielding superior firepower and weaponry. The disparity in artillery, ammunition, and manpower poses a formidable challenge to Ukrainian resistance, compounded by the introduction of technologically enhanced munitions by the Russians.

One such innovation highlighted by Barrons is the retrofitting of Soviet-era “dumb bombs” with guidance systems, enabling precision strikes on Ukrainian targets while minimizing the risk to Russian aircraft. The deployment of these munitions, coupled with Russia’s overwhelming numerical advantage, has placed significant strain on Ukraine’s defense capabilities.

Recent statements from Ukraine’s top military brass corroborate Barrons’ assessment of the deteriorating situation on the Eastern Front. Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi acknowledged the escalation of hostilities following Vladimir Putin’s consolidation of power and the onset of warmer weather.

Ukraine Recklessly Detonates Drone Against Reactor Dome at Russian-Occupied Nuclear Power Plant

Ukrainian forces detonated a drone against the dome covering a shut-down nuclear reactor at the massive Russian-occupied power plant in southeast Ukraine on Sunday, according to Kremlin and international energy officials.

The International Atomic Energy Agency said the unmanned device exploded against the dome above one of six reactors at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which is the largest in all of Europe.

The damage was reported by the Russian-installed administration, which was placed on site after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The Russian staff claimed there was no serious damage to the reactor, with radiation levels remaining normal.

The Russian-run plant said the Ukrainian strike “attacked the dome” of the building housing Reactor No. 6, which is currently in cold shutdown along with three other reactors. (Read more from “Ukraine Recklessly Detonates Drone Against Reactor Dome at Russian-Occupied Nuclear Power Plant” HERE)

Zelensky Warns USA: Give Ukraine the Money or Russia Wins!

Kyiv will lose the war against Russia if the U.S. fails to approve military aid to battle Moscow’s invasion, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday.

Tens of billions of dollars in military assistance for Kyiv has been blocked for months in Congress. The package faces resistance from House Republicans.

“It is necessary to specifically tell Congress that if Congress does not help Ukraine, Ukraine will lose the war,” Zelensky said during a video meeting of Kyiv-organised fundraising platform United24, per AFP.

Zelensky said it would be “difficult” for Ukraine to “stay” (survive) without the latest aid on top of an estimated $113 billion already sent to Kyiv at the cost of $900 per American household.

He said that “if Ukraine loses the war, other states will be attacked.” (Read more from “Zelensky Warns USA: Give Ukraine the Money or Russia Wins!” HERE)

Antony Blinken Confirms Ukraine Will Join NATO

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has reiterated NATO’s unwavering support for Ukraine’s aspirations to join the defensive alliance.

During a gathering of NATO member states in Brussels to mark the alliance’s 75th anniversary, Blinken emphasized the enduring determination to bolster the country during the Russia-Ukraine War. He declared, “Ukraine will become a member of NATO,” underscoring NATO’s commitment to supporting Ukraine’s defense capabilities and fostering closer ties with the alliance.

Blinken’s statement echoes sentiments expressed by U.S. President Biden and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in previous years, affirming NATO’s stance on Ukraine’s eventual membership. However, Blinken’s remarks also underscore the complexities involved, including the need for Ukraine to meet the criteria for membership, such as not being occupied by a foreign power.

Despite these challenges, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba welcomed Blinken’s comments, revealing ongoing efforts within NATO to advance Ukraine’s membership aspirations. Kuleba expressed gratitude for the encouraging messages and highlighted NATO’s commitment to determining the next steps towards Ukraine’s membership.

While formal NATO membership for Ukraine may still be on the horizon, individual member states are forging closer ties through “NATO-lite” arrangements. These agreements, exemplified by recent treaties with Finland and other nations, offer further funding, support, and military aid to Ukraine, in an attempt to bolstering its defense capabilities.

Senior NATO Officers, Including Polish General, Reportedly Killed in Russian Strike in Ukraine

[T]he Russians successfully bombed a six-story deep command bunker in Chasiv Yar on March 26.

According to the Russians, the bunker was hit by one or more Iskander missiles. The Iskander is a short-range ballistic missile that can operate at hypersonic speed (Mach 5.9). It has different types of warheads including bunker busters that weigh between 1,000 and 1,500 pounds.

RU POV: Russian FAB bombs hit positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Novomykhailivka
byu/LordMinax inUkraineRussiaReport

Inside that command center were very senior NATO officers, some of whom were killed, according to Russian reports. One of them was Brigadier General Adam Marczak of the Polish army. . .

Poland reported his death, which the Polish Army said was due to “unexplained natural causes.”

Various Telegraph channels report that other NATO officers were either killed or wounded in the attack at Chasiv Yar. According to these accounts, some of the wounded were hastily evacuated to Poland. We don’t know the names, the ranks or the nationality of any of those killed or wounded other than Marczak. (Read more from “Senior NATO Officers, Including Polish General, Reportedly Killed in Russian Strike in Ukraine” HERE)

Ukraine Loses Patience: Give Us the Damn Weapons

The West should hurry up and hand over the “damn” missiles Ukraine demands, their foreign secretary says, remarking: “We need air-defence systems on the frontlines”.

An essential role of the Ukrainian state since even before Russia’s re-invasion in 2022 has been cajoling and even begging the West for more military equipment, but these calls have occasionally tripped into a more demanding mien. That time has rolled around again with one of the nation’s top politicians making strident demands to help stop the bombs falling.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, perhaps the final remaining senior member of Volodymyr Zelensky’s government to regularly wear a suit and tie rather than the near-ubiquitous olive green in public, said in quotes distributed by Ukrainian state media: “Give us the damn Patriots.”

The remarks came in an interview with Politico, and Kuleba explained his demand, speaking of new Russian weapons that were harder to intercept. The answer, he said, was to deploy more advanced air-defence weapons on Ukraine’s frontiers to shoot down the aircraft dropping the bombs, rather than the weapons themselves.

He said: “…If we had enough air defence systems, namely Patriots, we would be able to protect not only the lives of our people, but also our economy from destruction… You cannot jam [the new bombs]. It just falls on your head and destroys everything… We need air-defence systems on the frontlines”. (Read more from “Ukraine Loses Patience: Give Us the Damn Weapons” HERE)

Report: Zelensky’s Wife Snubs Biden Invite to State of the Union

The Washington Post reported on Tuesday that Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska declined an invitation from the White House to attend President Joe Biden’s State of the Union (SOTU) address.

The alleged snub was somewhat unusual given the prestige of a choice SOTU seat and Ukraine’s fervent desire to remain in the good graces of the United States, the most pivotal supporter of Kyiv’s struggle against the Russian invasion. The White House reportedly offered to seat Zelenska next to U.S. first lady Jill Biden.

According to the Washington Post, Zelenska turned down the invitation because Yulia Navalnaya, widow of Russian dissident leader Alexei Navalny, was also invited to sit with Mrs. Biden during the speech.

The White House wanted the symbolism of Zelenska and Navalnaya sitting together while President Biden spoke, but the Ukrainian government was reportedly uncomfortable with the arrangement because Alexei Navalny was somewhat equivocal about Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014.

Navalny, who died at the age of 47 under suspicious circumstances in an Arctic penal colony in February, was an outspoken Russian nationalist early in his political career. He supported Russia’s 2018 invasion of Georgia, for example. (Read more from “Report: Zelensky’s Wife Snubs Biden Invite to State of the Union” HERE)

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr

WWIII WATCH: Putin Warns of Nuclear Consequences if Western Troops Enter Ukraine; Germany Appears to Have Inadvertently Revealed the UK and France have Soldiers in Ukraine

In a startling escalation of tensions, Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a stern warning that any deployment of Western troops in Ukraine could lead to global nuclear conflict. The ominous statement comes amidst rising concerns over the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the potential for broader international involvement.

Putin declared Russia’s willingness to use its “entire arsenal” if the conflict in Ukraine does not go in its favor. The Russian leader accused Western allies of contemplating the deployment of troops to Ukraine and warned of severe consequences if such a move were to occur.

French President Emmanuel Macron recently stated that sending Western soldiers to Ukraine “could not be ruled out.” He emphasized the need to do everything possible to prevent Russia from prevailing in the conflict.

Putin, during his address, accused Western allies of selecting targets for striking Russian territory and discussed the possibility of sending a NATO contingent to Ukraine. He warned that the consequences for potential invaders would be “far more tragic” than in previous instances when foreign troops were sent to Russian territory.

In a somewhat taunting tone, Putin questioned whether Western leaders truly understood the gravity of the situation, suggesting that they were treating the conflict as a simulation. He asserted that these leaders, who he claimed hadn’t faced tough challenges, seemed to have forgotten the harsh realities of war.

The international community now faces a precarious situation, with diplomatic efforts likely to intensify to prevent further escalation and find a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ukraine.

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Germany Appears to Have Inadvertently Revealed the UK and France have Soldiers in Ukraine

By Breitbart. German Chancellor Scholz stands accused of handing Russia a propaganda coup in order to smooth over his own political difficulties as he claims the presence of British and French soldiers aiding Ukrainian forces.

Scholz has been accused of abusing intelligence and being a bad ally by angry NATO politicians after his remarks about the level of involvement he claims there is of the British and French in the deployment of the Storm Shadow / SCALP cruise missiles they have given to Ukraine, and which have been deployed with devastating effect. . .

It is a little-discussed fact that many NATO states have soldiers in Ukraine, but these troops are generally present only to protect the embassies of those nations in Kyiv, and to safeguard diplomatic staff. In some cases they have additional roles: the United States has been open about the fact it has a limited presence of soldiers who track what happens to the enormous amounts of high-tech weapons systems the West gives to Ukraine, for the sake of accountability. Indeed, that presence was re-confirmed only this week by John Kirby.

In the case of the United Kingdom, an apparently off-guard remark by a senior military officer in 2022 revealed there may be more going on behind the scenes, the Lieutenant General saying there had been “discreet operations in a hugely sensitive environment and with a high level of political and military risk”. The British government later strongly denied having any active troops in Ukraine, however, warning against “taking at face value allegations that have the potential to spread disinformation”. (Read more from “Germany Appears to Have Inadvertently Revealed the UK and France have Soldiers in Ukraine” HERE)

Man Arrested in Ukrainian Assassination Plot to Blow Up Tucker Carlson in Moscow (VIDEO)

In a startling revelation, an alleged plot to assassinate prominent American journalist Tucker Carlson has been thwarted, with a man named Vasily Petrov Alekseevich from Podolsk, Russia, at the center of the unfolding drama. Alekseevich was arrested in Moscow on accusations of conspiring with Ukrainian intelligence to carry out the assassination.

Alekseevich claims he was recruited by the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and offered $4,000 to assassinate Tucker Carlson while the journalist was in Moscow for an interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The accused individual detailed in a video that he received training from Ukrainian intelligence in espionage, communications, assembly of explosive devices, and retrieval of explosives from dead drops.

The alleged plot involved placing an explosive device on a vehicle in the underground parking lot of the Four Seasons Hotel in Moscow, where Tucker Carlson was expected to stay. Alekseevich asserted that the scheme was thwarted when he was apprehended during the preparation stage.

The news has ignited a flurry of discussions on social media platforms, with reports crediting the “Russian Counter-Terrorism Unit” for halting the alleged assassination plot. It is reported that the arrested man, Vasiliev Pyotr Alexievich, was set to be paid a mere $4,000 for carrying out the assassination, raising questions about the motivations and backers behind such a plan.

The unfolding details of this alleged plot raise broader concerns about the safety of journalists and the potential involvement of international intelligence agencies in actions against media figures.

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr