Posts

US a ‘Co-Belligerent’ in Ukraine War, Legal Expert Says

/0 Comments/in , /by

Conversations over the past week with current and former US officials about whether, to their knowledge, there is any real debate inside President Joe Biden’s administration over the approach it is taking in Ukraine has produced only slight variations of the same answer: “Not really.”

As of now, what the Biden policy amounts to is a replay along the lines of president Franklin D Roosevelt’s policy toward the war in Europe from 1939 to December 1941, during which the US was a co-belligerent all but in name.

In their public statements, Biden and his Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin seem intent on obfuscating the true extent of American involvement. A story in the defense-industry-sponsored Politico quoted unnamed US officials as saying “military options in Ukraine aren’t on the table – echoing Biden’s repeated position of not wanting to spark World War III.” . . .

But US involvement goes deeper than arms sales and intelligence sharing. A Pentagon official who requested anonymity told me it is “likely we have a limited footprint on the ground in Ukraine, but under Title 50, not Title 10,” meaning US intelligence operatives and paramilitaries – but not regular military.

Bruce Fein, a constitutional expert and former associate attorney general in the Ronald Reagan administration, told me this week that in his view, “the United States and several NATO members have become co-belligerents with Ukraine against Russia by systematic and massive assistance to its military forces to defeat Russia.” (Read more from “Us a ‘Co-Belligerent’ in Ukraine War, Legal Expert Says” HERE)

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

Ukraine Used Cluster Munitions — Which Many Countries Have Banned — To Force Russian Troops Out of a Village, Report Says

/0 Comments/in , /by

Ukraine fired cluster munition rockets, which have been banned in more than 100 countries under an international treaty, to drive Russian troops out of a village last month, The New York Times reported.

Ukrainian forces retook the villager of Husarivka, a rural hamlet located 60 miles south of the city of Kharkiv, on March 26, shortly after it was seized by invading Russian forces.

The Times said its reporters identified a 220-millimeter Uragan artillery rocket that had been fired at Russian troops by Ukrainian forces on either March 6 or March 7.

The Uragan is a cluster munition. Cluster bombs were banned by more than 100 countries as part of the 2010 Convention on Cluster Munitions. However, Russia, Ukraine, and the US were among the countries that didn’t sign the agreement.

Cluster bombs are a type of rocket that break apart into smaller bombs after it has been fired to cover as wide an impact area as possible. Arms campaigners and rights groups say that because of its indiscriminate design, the rockets place civilians in danger. (Read more from “Ukraine Used Cluster Munitions — Which Many Countries Have Banned — To Force Russian Troops Out of a Village, Report Says” HERE)

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

Booby-Trapped Bridge Blows up as Russian Convoy Drives Over It: Ukrainian Forces

/0 Comments/in , /by

Ukrainian special forces claim to have blown up a bridge in Ukraine as Russian troops drove military vehicles over it on Thursday.

The Ukrainian military said the Russian vehicles were traveling to Izyum in eastern Ukraine, where Russian troops have been staging for assaults in the Donbas region. Photos shared by the Ukrainian special forces show that explosives had apparently been placed under the bridge in anticipation of a Russian column heading toward it.

“A group of SSO of Ukraine blew up a bridge with enemy technology heading to Izyum,” Ukrainian Special Operations Forces said in a Facebook post.

“Putting the explosive in a designated place, operators of the SSO of Ukraine waited for the enemy, who without any doubt drove to the death meeting.”

(Read more from “Booby-Trapped Bridge Blows up as Russian Convoy Drives Over It: Ukrainian Forces” HERE)

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

Zelensky Warns the World to Prepare for Putin to Unleash a Nuclear Attack

/0 Comments/in , /by

President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that the world should “prepare” for Russian leader Vladimir Putin to use nuclear weapons in his invasion of Ukraine – and urged air-raid shelters and anti-radiation medicine to be readied for the potential calamity.

In an interview with CNN that aired Sunday, Zelensky was asked whether Putin would deploy chemical or nuclear tactical weapons to further his military goals in Ukraine.

“Not only me – all of the world, all of the countries have to be worried because it can be not real information, but it can be truth,” Zelensky told host Jake Tapper in an interview from his presidential office in Kyiv. . .

​In an interview with Ukrainian media Saturday night, Zelensky warned of the real possibility of a nuclear attack. ​

“We shouldn’t wait for the moment when Russia decides to use nuclear weapons​.​ … We must prepare for that​,” the Ukrainian leader said. ​(Read more from “Zelensky Warns the World to Prepare for Putin to Unleash a Nuclear Attack” HERE)

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

Zelensky Calls on Biden to Visit Ukraine: ‘Come Here to See’

/0 Comments/in , /by

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky called on President Biden to visit Ukraine to “come here to see” the devastation caused by Russian forces.

In an interview with CNN’s “State of the Union” that aired Sunday, Zelensky was asked if there were any plans for Biden to visit the country.

“I think he will. I mean, it’s his decision, of course,” Zelensky told anchor Jake Tapper on Friday. “And about the safety situation, it depends. I mean that. But I think he’s the leader of the United States, and that’s why he should come here to see.”

Biden previously told reporters during a visit to Poland last month that he wanted to visit the war-torn country but claimed others were preventing him.

“They will not let me, understandably, I guess, cross the border and take a look at what’s going on in Ukraine,” Biden said at a briefing on humanitarian operations in Rzeszow, southeastern Poland, without clarifying who was holding him back. (Read more from “Zelensky Calls on Biden to Visit Ukraine: ‘Come Here to See'” HERE)

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

Biden Plays Role in Report on Ukraine War Propaganda

/0 Comments/in , /by

Joe Biden has appeared prominently in an international organization’s new report on the “propaganda” being used in connection with the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

He’s been dinged for trying to blame his own domestic inflation problem – it’s worse now for American consumers than it has been for more than 40 years – on Russian President Vladimir Putin, who made the decisions to send his army into Ukraine and kill innocent civilians.

The report comes from the Middle East Media Research Institute, which, under the title “The Latest Propaganda War,” talks about how the Ukrainians have been aided in their “messaging,” which encompasses legacy media, social media and more, “by a powerful and indisputable reality, that they were attacked and are defending themselves.”

“The Ukrainians have been very effective in doing the hard work of propaganda, churning out content, capturing the news cycle, carrying out ‘strategic communications, psychological operations,'” the report explained. “In a war, the best content is victory, but if that is not always available, anything will do: compelling anecdotal stories, the other side’s abuses and war crimes, dramatic statements, content that inspires, content that demonizes. All of it has a role to play.” . . .

But it noted a third player in the propaganda fracas: “A Biden administration that is deeply unpopular and fighting for its domestic political life has tried to shift blame for the American inflation building over the past year onto Putin,” the report said. (Read more from “Biden Plays Role in Report on Ukraine War Propaganda” HERE)

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

Biden Considering Sending Top Officials to Ukraine (VIDEO)

/0 Comments/in , /by

President Joe Biden and his aides are deliberating whether he should send a senior administration official or delegation to Ukraine as a show of support amid the Russian invasion.

“We’re making that decision now,” Biden told reporters at Joint Base Andrews Thursday before boarding Air Force One for North Carolina.

A reporter followed up, asking whether Biden himself was “ready to go.” “Yeah,” Biden replied.

(Read more from “Biden Considering Sending Top Officials to Ukraine (VIDEO)” HERE)

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr

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

Biden Sending Helicopters to Ukraine in $800M Military Aid Package

/0 Comments/in , /by

President Joe Biden announced Wednesday that the United States will send Ukraine another tranche of military aid worth $800 million that includes helicopters, artillery systems and rounds, and armored personnel carriers.

The president spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for nearly one hour Wednesday afternoon, just one day after telling reporters in Iowa that he had seen sufficient “evidence” to declare Russian action in Ukraine a “genocide.”

“As Russia prepares to intensify its attack in the Donbas region, the United States will continue to provide Ukraine with the capabilities to defend itself,” Biden said in a statement. “This new package of assistance will contain many of the highly effective weapons systems we have already provided and new capabilities tailored to the wider assault we expect Russia to launch in eastern Ukraine.”

The president added that the “steady supply of weapons the United States and its Allies and partners have provided to Ukraine has been critical in sustaining its fight against the Russian invasion” but claimed that the West “cannot rest” in its support of Zelensky and the “brave Ukrainian people.” (Read more from “Biden Sending Helicopters to Ukraine in $800M Military Aid Package” HERE)

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

Zelensky Touts Capture of Putin Friend Viktor Medvedchuk

/0 Comments/in , /by

A key ally to Russian President Vladimir Putin appears to have been captured by Ukrainian forces.

Ukrainian oligarch Viktor Medvedchuk, dressed in military camouflage, is seen sitting in a chair in handcuffs in a photo shared on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s Telegram account on Tuesday. . .

Putin is godfather to one of Medvedchuk’s two daughters, and the two men have vacationed together in the past. Officials believe Putin was eyeing Medvedchuk to helm a pro-Russian puppet state in Ukraine if Moscow was able to overthrow the government, Newsweek reported.

Medvedchuk was known for his strong pro-Russia political beliefs and was the co-chairman of the eurosceptic Opposition Platform — For Life party until losing that position last month. Zelensky has since suspended the party, citing its links to the Kremlin.

Last year, Medvedchuk was put on house arrest for allegations of treason and looting Ukrainian resources in Crimea. Medvedchuk was believed to have fled house arrest four days after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began in late February, according to the New York Post. His capture marks a significant moral victory for Zelensky. (Read more from “Zelensky Touts Capture of Putin Friend Viktor Medvedchuk” HERE)

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

Putin Vows Russia’s ‘Noble’ Operation in Ukraine Will End in Victory

/0 Comments/in , /by

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday pledged victory in Ukraine, brushing off his military’s embarrassing battlefield missteps and casting the invasion as a “noble” fight.

Speaking to space industry workers at the Vostochny Spaceport in Russia‘s Far East region, Mr. Putin said that peace talks between Russia and Ukraine have hit a dead end, suggesting that a negotiated cease-fire is not on the horizon and that he is prepared to continue the military campaign for the foreseeable future. The Russian leader also slammed U.S. and allied sanctions imposed since the invasion began Feb. 24 and said his country’s economy will survive the financial onslaught it is facing.

Tuesday’s public comments are Mr. Putin‘s first since his troops withdrew from northern Ukraine last week, effectively ending their ill-fated attempt to capture the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv and topple the government of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Despite clear failures so far, Mr. Putin virtually guaranteed that the Russian mission will succeed.

“I don’t have any doubt at all,” he said, according to Reuters. “Its goals are absolutely clear and noble. There is no doubt that the goals will be achieved.” (Read more from “Putin Vows Russia’s ‘Noble’ Operation in Ukraine Will End in Victory” HERE)

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