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Treasury Secretary Says U.S. Can ‘Certainly’ Afford to Provide Military Support for Israel and Ukraine

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Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen signaled on Monday that she has no doubt the U.S. could fund Israel and Ukraine in their ongoing military conflicts despite America’s rising gross national debt.

In an interview with Britain’s Sky News, Yellen told the outlet that the U.S. could “absolutely” afford to provide military aid to Israel in its war against the militant terrorist organization Hamas while funding more support to Ukraine in its ongoing struggle with Russia.

“America can certainly afford to stand with Israel and to support Israel’s military needs, and we also can and must support Ukraine in its struggle against Russia,” Yellen said in an interview with Sky News.

Last month, America’s gross national debt surpassed $33 trillion, which didn’t draw heavy concern for Yellen, who said at the time that the net interest as a share of gross domestic product (GDP) remains under control by the federal government.

In her interview with Sky News, she emphasized the U.S. economy is doing “extremely well.” (Read more from “Treasury Secretary Says U.S. Can ‘Certainly’ Afford to Provide Military Support for Israel and Ukraine” HERE)

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U.S. Public Support Declines for Arming Ukraine

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Support is falling among Americans of both major political parties for supplying Ukraine with weapons, a warning sign for Kyiv, which relies heavily on U.S. arms to fight against a Russian invasion, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll.

The two-day poll, which closed on Wednesday, showed only 41% of respondents agreed with a statement that Washington “should provide weapons to Ukraine,” compared to 35% who disagreed and the rest unsure.

Support for U.S. weapon shipments is down from May, when a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed 46% of Americans backed sending arms, while 29% were opposed and the rest unsure.

The poll was taken as U.S. congressional leaders debate Democratic President Joe Biden’s request for $24 billion in additional funding for Ukraine, of which about $17 billion would be defense aid.

Washington has provided $44 billion to supply Kyiv with dozens of tanks, thousands of rockets and millions of rounds of ammunition that Ukraine has used to defend itself since Russia invaded in February 2022. Ukrainian forces have retaken a series of villages and settlements in the counteroffensive that began in June, but its soldiers have been hampered by vast Russian minefields and trenches. (Read more from “U.S. Public Support Declines for Arming Ukraine” HERE)

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Zelensky’s Wife Spent a Staggering $1.1 Million on NYC Shopping Spree Raising New Questions of Ukraine Corruption

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Olena Zelenska, the wife of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, recently embarked on a shopping spree in New York City that has left many questioning the source of funds and the ethics behind such extravagance. Reportedly, she spent a staggering $1.1 million during her shopping spree while visiting the United States alongside her husband, ostensibly to secure continued support from Washington.

During this visit, President Zelensky was engaged in crucial diplomatic efforts, including his first in-person address to the UN General Assembly, meetings with lawmakers on Capitol Hill, and a visit to the White House. His mission was clear: to bolster support for Ukraine on the global stage. However, while President Zelensky was tirelessly advocating for his nation, his wife, Olena Zelenska, was conspicuously spotted on Fifth Avenue in NYC, indulging in opulent shopping.

New York’s Fifth Avenue, often regarded as the world’s most famous shopping street, is home to an array of prestigious and high-end stores, including Armani, Gucci, Bergdorf Goodman, Harry Winston, and Cartier. It is a haven for luxury shoppers, drawing modern-day celebrities who frequently adorn themselves with exquisite CARTIER pieces. Notably, famous personalities such as Angelina Jolie, Kylie Jenner, and Lupita Nyong’o have been seen wearing Cartier jewelry, and Olena Zelenska, it appears, shares their enthusiasm for the brand.

What raises eyebrows is the astonishing sum reportedly spent by Olena Zelenska during her visit to the renowned Cartier Mansion on Fifth Avenue. According to an ex-employee of the Cartier store who had the opportunity to interact with Olena, she seemed uninterested in a tour offered by the staff. This initial indifference soon escalated when Olena snapped at the employee, dismissing their assistance with a terse, “Who said I need your opinion?” Following this encounter, she engaged in a discussion with the boutique’s manager, and the ex-employee, unbeknownst to her at the time, faced the consequence of losing her job.

(Read more from “Zelensky’s Wife Spent a Staggering $1.1 Million on NYC Shopping Spree Raising New Questions of Ukraine Corruption” HERE)

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UK Has Run Out of Vital Weapons to Give Ukraine

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The hits just keep coming: a senior British military source has told The Telegraph that the UK has depleted available military equipment to give to Ukraine. Unlike the US or Poland at this point, it’s not a question of funding or political will, but the British military has simply run out of vital arms and ammo to give, apparently.

“We’ve given away just about as much as we can afford,” the official told the paper, explaining that all along the UK had encouraged other allies to keep arming Kiev.

“We will continue to source equipment to provide for Ukraine, but what they need now is things like air defense assets and artillery ammunition, and we’ve run dry on all that,” the official added.

The shortage was revealed after controversial remarks given by recent Defence Secretary Ben Wallace:

The comments come after Ben Wallace revealed that he asked Rishi Sunak to spend £2.3 billion more on support for Ukraine before he resigned as defence secretary last month.

Mr Wallace warned that the UK had been overtaken by Germany as the biggest European military donor to Ukraine as he called for the 50 per cent increase on funding that the UK has committed so far.

(Read more from “UK Has Run Out of Vital Weapons to Give Ukraine” HERE)

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Ukraine Brands China’s Biggest Oil and Gas Companies ‘Sponsors of War’

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Ukraine’s National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) announced on Tuesday that it had decided to add China’s three largest oil and gas companies to its list of “international sponsors of war” for their lucrative business interests in Russia, potentially driving a wedge between Kyiv and Beijing.

China is one of Russia’s closest international allies and has dramatically increased its imports of Russian fossil fuels since the government of strongman Vladimir Putin announced a “special operation” to invade Ukraine in February 2022. Russia overtook Saudi Arabia and China’s top source of oil in June 2022 and has rerouted ships into the Arctic to more efficiently meet China’s demand for its products — at a time in which Europe imposed sanctions on Moscow in response to the invasion.

The Chinese Communist Party also enjoys close ties to the government of Ukraine, however. Ukraine is a member of China’s Belt and Road Initative (BRI), a debt-trap scheme in which Beijing offers predatory loans to poor countries that serve to erode their sovereignty and increase Chinese influence. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has encouraged Chinese businesses to help rebuild a post-war Ukraine and invited dictator Xi Jinping to maintain communication lines open. Xi and Zelensky last spoke in April, in a phone call Zelensky described as “long and meaningful.”

The Chinese government has repeatedly described itself as a neutral party in the war despite refusing to support sanctions on Russia. It published an alleged “peace plan” to end the Russian invasion in which Beijing advised both Russia and Ukraine to “calm down as soon as possible.” (Read more from “Ukraine Brands China’s Biggest Oil and Gas Companies ‘Sponsors of War’” HERE)

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Report: Biden Administration ‘Scrambling’ to Assure Allies That Ukraine Aid Will Continue

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The Biden administration is “scrambling” to try to assure U.S. allies that American aid to Ukraine will continue despite growing Republican opposition to it, according to a report.

Four sources told Axios that President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken plan to call several of their counterparts in Europe and will hold a conference call with leaders of the G7 countries and several other European allies.

A European diplomat told the outlet that the Biden administration told allies it is working on an agreement with Congress to allow continued military aid to Ukraine.

The outreach began Sunday after Congress passed a short-term funding measure that was stripped of any funding for Ukraine. Biden had signed the measure into law, calling it “good news” since it kept the government funded, and said he fully expected McCarthy to “keep his commitment to the people of Ukraine and secure passage of the support needed to help Ukraine at this critical moment.” Biden also said that he had “just made” a deal with McCarthy about continuing Ukraine funding. (Read more from “Report: Biden Administration ‘Scrambling’ to Assure Allies That Ukraine Aid Will Continue” HERE)

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Biden Admin Secretly Worried About Corruption in Ukraine: Report

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President Joe Biden’s administration is reportedly secretly worried about corruption in Ukraine despite putting on brave face for the public over the situation.

Politico obtained a confidential U.S. strategy document in which U.S. officials discuss objectives that they have for helping Ukraine “root out malfeasance and otherwise reform an array of Ukrainian sectors,” the report said.

The document warns that corruption in the country could cause nations to pull their support from the country as it battles the Russian military.

The report said that the administration wants to “press Ukraine to cut graft, not least because U.S. dollars are at stake.”

The administration is reportedly concerned about being too loud about pressuring Ukraine to tackle its corruption issues because they are worried Republicans will use the issue to cut back funding to Ukraine which could then spark other countries to do the same. (Read more from “Biden Admin Secretly Worried About Corruption in Ukraine: Report” HERE)

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr

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The Missile That Killed 2 Poles Last Year Was Ukrainian, Confirms Polish Investigation

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Despite a lack of cooperation from Ukraine, Polish investigators have established beyond a doubt that the missile that fell on Polish territory on Nov. 15, 2022, killing two farm workers, was Ukrainian and not from Russia.

The prosecutors remain tight-lipped, according to daily Rzeczpospolita, saying they cannot reveal the details of the investigation. They only revealed that they have asked Ukraine for assistance with more information and that the investigation in Poland itself was now complete.

The details the newspaper obtained indicate that the missile was a Russian-made, S-300-type object used by Ukrainian air defenses.

On Nov. 15, last year, during a Russian missile assault on western Ukraine, the Ukrainian side used air defense missiles to intercept the attacks. One of these missiles, which are meant to self-destruct if they do not hit their targets, failed to do so and ended up flying into Poland.

The investigators are certain that the missile was not fired by Russia or Belarus, as Russian positions were farther away from the impact location than the range of the S-300 rockets. (Read more from “The Missile That Killed 2 Poles Last Year Was Ukrainian, Confirms Polish Investigation” HERE)

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House Dems ‘Expect’ Ukraine Aid Vote After Shutdown Averted

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Leaders of the House Democrats said they “expect” House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) to queue up a Ukraine aid vote following the passage of a short-term spending bill that averted a government shutdown.

The joint statement, released by the office of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) on Saturday, was quickly referred to as a “side deal” with Democrats by some Republicans who opposed the 45-day continuing resolution.

“When the House returns, we expect Speaker McCarthy to advance a bill to the House Floor for an up-or-down vote that supports Ukraine, consistent with his commitment to making sure that Vladimir Putin, Russia and authoritarianism are defeated,” the joint statement said. “We must stand with the Ukrainian people until victory is won.”

The statement was issued by Jeffries, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA), Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (D-CA), and Vice Chair Ted Lieu (D-CA). (Read more from “House Dems ‘Expect’ Ukraine Aid Vote After Shutdown Averted” HERE)

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Democrats Fake Trump-Zelensky Phone Call, Again, in First Impeachment Hearing

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Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) repeated a fake version of the infamous 2019 Trump-Zelensky phone call in the first impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden at the House Oversight and Accountability Committee Thursday.

Raskin, the ranking minority member of the committee, claimed in his opening statement that the entire inquiry was a recapitulation of claims of corruption made by Republicans in 2019, of which he said there was no evidence.

In the process, Raskin claimed that Trump associates traveled to Ukraine to dig up dirt on Joe Biden, which he said “culminated in the infamous phone call that then-President [Donald] Trump made to Ukrainian President [Volodymyr] Zelensky, in which Trump threatened to withhold hundreds of billions of dollars in economic, strategic, and military security assistance to Ukraine unless Zelensky embraced their ridiculous fabrication and falsely advertised to the world that Ukraine was investigating Joe Biden.”

Raskin’s version of events repeats a fake version of the phone call, which Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) performed when he conducted his 2019 impeachment inquiry into Trump, and which formed the basis for Democrats’ subsequent arguments for impeaching and removing Trump.

But the transcript of the call, declassified and released by Trump, did not include any threats to withhold aid at all. Nor did it include any “quid pro quo” in which the president made aid conditional on any investigation of Biden. (Read more from “Democrats Fake Trump-Zelensky Phone Call, Again, in First Impeachment Hearing” HERE)

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