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Biden’s $40 Billion Emergency Spending Request Gives $13 Billion More in Military Aid to Ukraine

President Biden asked Congress on Thursday for $40 billion in emergency spending through the end of this year, including $24 billion more for Ukraine — funding that would sidestep recently enacted budget caps and set up a clash with Republicans over more aid for Kyiv’s war against Russia.

The proposed Ukraine aid includes $13.1 billion for military assistance and replenishing Defense Department stockpiles depleted by the war effort. Also proposed is $200 million to counter the “destabilizing” impact of the Wagner Group, whose thousands of mercenaries have been a key part of Russia’s ground war.

The president requested another $4 billion for enforcement at the southern U.S. border, although administration officials say Mr. Biden’s border plan works. A $12 billion request for disaster relief includes extended pay for firefighters battling wildfires.

The U.S. has spent roughly $100 billion on the war in Eastern Europe, and polls show eroding American support for the growing overseas commitment of taxpayer dollars.

“The administration is requesting supplemental security, economic and humanitarian assistance funding that would support Ukraine as well as countries and vulnerable populations worldwide impacted by Russia’s unprovoked and brutal invasion of Ukraine,” White House Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda D. Young told House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in a letter Thursday. (Read more from “Biden’s $40 Billion Emergency Spending Request Gives $13 Billion More in Military Aid to Ukraine” HERE)

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‘Acceptable Levels of Risk’: Backing Ukraine Won’t Deplete U.S. Arsenal, Milley Says

U.S. weapons stockpiles will not drop below “acceptable levels of risk” despite the constant flow of arms to Ukraine, said Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, pushing back on the idea that America may be putting itself in danger by sending such a massive amount of military aid to Kyiv in its war with Russia.

In an exclusive interview with The Washington Times, Gen. Milley said he and other top Defense Department officials closely monitor the amount of American munitions on hand and won’t allow it to drop below an acceptable threshold, though he would not be more specific. His comments come amid a growing debate in both political and national security circles in Washington about Ukraine, its prospects for a definitive victory against the invading Russian army, and at what point the Biden administration may change course and get more aggressive in pushing Ukraine toward peace negotiations.

There’s no doubt that the 18-month war has been a drain on U.S. munitions stockpiles, at a time when many are warning the country’s defense industrial base overall is increasingly stressed and unable to meet demand. Some national security analysts have sounded the alarm about both current shortfalls in American munitions and the ability to quickly replenish them in the event of an unexpected conflict.

Gen. Milley said the Pentagon is working closely with the defense industry to refill stockages as rapidly as possible. He said that the level of aid to Ukraine does not and will not endanger American national security. (Read more from “‘Acceptable Levels of Risk’: Backing Ukraine Won’t Deplete U.S. Arsenal, Milley Says” HERE)

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Poll: Majority of Americans Oppose Biden-McConnell Spending Binge on Ukraine Proxy War

A new CNN poll found that a majority of Americans oppose Congress sending more U.S. aid to Ukraine amid its ongoing conflict with Russia.

Released on Friday, the survey reveals that 55 percent of Americans “say the US Congress should not authorize additional funding to support Ukraine vs. 45% who say Congress should authorize such funding.” The poll additionally found a slight majority (51 percent) expressed sentiments that the U.S. “has already done enough” to help Ukraine in its effort to repel Russia’s invasion, a noticeable change from February 2022, when 62 percent believed America should have “been doing more.”

“When asked specifically about types of assistance the US could provide to Ukraine, there is broader support for help with intelligence gathering (63%) and military training (53%) than for providing weapons (43%), alongside very slim backing for US military forces to participate in combat operations (17%),” the poll found.

What’s also notable about the survey’s findings is the partisan divide on whether the U.S. should continue to financially support Ukraine. While a significant majority of Republicans believe Congress “should not authorize new funding” (71 percent) and that America has “done enough to assist Ukraine” (59 percent), Democrats believe the opposite, with 62 percent supporting more U.S. aid and 61 percent saying America should “do more.”

Most independent voters side with Republicans on such matters, with 55 percent opposing additional Ukraine funding and 56 percent saying the U.S. has “done enough.” (Read more from “Poll: Majority of Americans Oppose Biden-McConnell Spending Binge on Ukraine Proxy War” HERE)

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In Ukraine, Russia’s Jamming Leaves U.S. Weapons Useless

Ukraine’s Western allies have provided “sophisticated” missiles, but Russia is countering their effectiveness by scrambling their GPS coordinates, rendering them useless.

. . .According to a report by BBC, Bryan Clark, a senior fellow at Hudson Institute, a U.S. think tank, said that Russia has managed to deploy hundreds of small, mobile electronic-warfare units along the front line in an attempt to slow down Ukraine’s counter-offensive.

Clark also told the outlet that Russian technologies can jam missiles’ GPS coordinates, turn off Ukrainian drones and suppress Russian radar signals that Ukraine use to identify targets to attack.

According to the report, Russia has developed a range of jamming technology such as Krasukha-4, which targets airborne and air defense radars; Zhitel, which suppresses satellite signals; and Leyer-3, a cellular and radio communications jammer.

Numerous sophisticated weapons supplied to Ukraine by NATO countries are also susceptible to such jamming, as they rely on GPS signals for navigation, the BBC reported. (Read more from “In Ukraine, Russia’s Jamming Leaves U.S. Weapons Useless” HERE)

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The Ukrainian Prosecutor Joe Biden Had Fired Is Speaking Out (VIDEO)

Former Ukrainian prosecutor Viktor Shokin is speaking out and revealing his side of the story after then Vice President Joe Biden demanded he be fired back in 2016.

At the time of his firing, Shokin was investigating corruption at Ukrainian gas company Burisma — the same company that was paying Hunter Biden $80,000 per month to sit on the board.

During closed door testimony in front of the House Oversight Committee earlier this week, Hunter Biden’s former business partner — Devon Archer — said he believed Burisma would have gone under if not for the Biden “brand” — including Joe Biden — being attached to the company.

“My only thought is that I think Burisma would have gone out of business if it didn’t have the brand attached to it,” Archer said. (Read more from “The Ukrainian Prosecutor Joe Biden Had Fired Is Speaking Out (VIDEO)” HERE)

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Hunter Biden Warned Devon Archer About Potential FARA Violations Right Before Taking Burisma Board Seat, Emails Show

Hunter Biden warned business associate Devon Archer about potential violations under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) right before Ukrainian energy firm Burisma put the two men on its board, according to emails from Hunter Biden’s laptop archive.

Hunter Biden emailed Archer in April 2014 about the value the two would provide Burisma and how they could protect themselves from FARA and other potential legal issues, the archive shows.

“To that end they need to know in no uncertain terms that we will not and cannot intervene directly with domestic policy makers, and that we need to abide by FARA and any other US laws in the strictest sense across the board,” Hunter warned Archer, according to the laptop archive.

“The contract should begin now- not after the upcoming visit of my guy,” he continued. “That should include a retainer in the range of 25k p/m w/ additional fees where appropriate for more in depth work to go to BSF for our protection. Complete separate from our respective deals re board participation.” (Read more from “Hunter Biden Warned Devon Archer About Potential FARA Violations Right Before Taking Burisma Board Seat, Emails Show” HERE)

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Zelensky Says War ‘Returning’ To Russia After Moscow Drone Attack

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said war is “returning” to Russian soil after a drone attack in Moscow.

In his daily address on Sunday, as reported by The Kyiv Independent, Zelensky said “Ukraine is becoming stronger” — more than 500 days after Russia began its invasion of his country.

“The war is gradually returning to Russia’s territory, to its symbolic centers and military bases,” Zelensky said. “This is an inevitable, natural, and absolutely fair process.”

The message followed what Russian officials said was a Ukrainian drone attack on Sunday in Moscow, which is about 300 miles away from Ukraine’s border with Russia.

Russia’s Ministry of Defense s aid it brought down three drones, destroying one in the air and jamming two others that then crashed. (Read more from “Zelensky Says War ‘Returning’ To Russia After Moscow Drone Attack” HERE)

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Ukrainian Drone Attacks on Moscow Force Airport to Shut Down

Russian authorities say three Ukrainian drones attacked Moscow in the early hours on Sunday, injuring one person and prompting a temporary closure for traffic of one of four airports around the Russian capital.

It was the fourth such attempt at a strike on the capital region this month and the third this week, fueling concerns about Moscow´s vulnerability to attacks as Russia’s war in Ukraine drags into its 18th month.

The Russian Defense Ministry referred to the incident as an “attempted terrorist attack by the Kyiv regime” and said three drones targeted the city. One was shot down in the surrounding Moscow region by air defense systems and two others were jammed. Those two crashed into the Moscow City business district in the capital. (Read more from “Ukrainian Drone Attacks on Moscow Force Airport to Shut Down” HERE)

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Russia Largely Thwarts Ukrainian Drone Attacks in Moscow and Crimea

Russian authorities said they successfully prevented Ukrainian drone attacks against Moscow and occupied Crimea early on Monday.

The Russian foreign ministry said it was able to stop two drones that were deployed to strike the capital using electronic warfare. While they crashed, no one was injured and there was only damage to two non-residential buildings. Russia accused Ukraine of being behind the attack, and a defense intelligence official told CNN that Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, an arm of the Ministry of Defense, carried out the plot.

“All the drones have been neutralized today, and measures are being taken,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said afterward. “As for the development of the defense system, ensuring its more intensive work, this is a question for the Ministry of Defense.”

The ministry, after more than a year of targeting Ukrainian civilian infrastructure, accused Ukraine of resorting to “terrorist methods” by “intimidation of the civilian population.

“These attacks had no military meaning,” the statement said. “We strongly condemn this yet another crime of the Kyiv regime. We call on international organizations to give it a proper assessment. Behind the brazen actions of Ukrainian neo-Nazis is the West’s focus on further aggravating the situation.” (Read more from “Russia Largely Thwarts Ukrainian Drone Attacks in Moscow and Crimea” HERE)

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Zelensky Demands West: Give Me Even More Stuff

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for a “full protective shield” of air defense systems to be provided to his country following a campaign of what he described as “Russian missile terror”.

Amid missile shelling attacks in the Donetsk region and the Black Sea port city of Odesa, President Zelensky has called on Western allies to provide Ukraine with more anti-aircraft systems to protect the entirety of the country.

“Ukraine needs a full-fledged sky shield – this is the only way to defeat Russian missile terror. We have already shown that we can shoot down even the Russian missiles that the terrorists boasted about,” the Ukrainian president wrote on Twitter.

“Thanks to the help of our partners and the air defense systems provided to Ukraine, our defenders of the sky have saved thousands of lives. But we need more air defense systems for our entire territory, for all our cities and communities. The world must not get used to Russian terror – terror must be defeated. And it is possible!”

The comments followed another round of attacks on the city of Odesa on Sunday morning, following strikes that appeared to target grain storage facilities earlier in the week.

(Read more from “Zelensky Demands West: Give Me Even More Stuff” HERE)

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