Tag: military aid

Trump is negotiating with BOTH Russia AND Ukraine for Donbass’ minerals.

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Ukraine expected to sign a deal with Trump giving U.S. access to its rare minerals—but almost half are impossible to get to

Ukraine is nearing a deal to grant the U.S. access to its rare minerals in exchange for continued political and, perhaps, military support, though negotiations face challenges since 40% of these resources are in Russian-occupied territory. With Trump pushing for access to these minerals while also engaging in talks with Russia, Ukraine faces uncertainty over its strategic partnerships as it navigates its war effort and economic future.

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That being said, information about what materials Ukraine has and where they are located presents snags for negotiations. Namely, Ukraine can’t promise access to all its materials when a reported 40% of the minerals are under land currently occupied by Russia.

On top of that, the main motivation for Zelensky agreeing to swap minerals is likely to be in return for military aid from America—which Ukrainian officials say has not been explicitly penciled into the draft.

Despite this, yesterday sources in Kyiv confirmed the terms to share materials—including oil and gas—are almost agreed after months of negotiation.

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Don’t Deify Jimmy Carter

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Jimmy Carter, out of office, had the courage to call out the “abominable oppression and persecution” and “strict segregation” of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza in his 2006 book “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.” He dedicated himself to monitoring elections, including his controversial defense of the 2006 election of Hugo Chavez in Venezuela, and championed human rights around the globe. He lambasted the American political process as an “oligarchy” in which “unlimited political bribery” created “a complete subversion of our political system as a payoff to major contributors.”

Don’t Deify Jimmy Carter

The Soviet Union was asked by the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan to intervene to help fight against the Afghan mujahideen that the US was arming: Soviet-Afghan War

Carter, Charter 77, and Solidarność (Solidarity):

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China says US ‘playing with fire’ by giving Taiwan more military aid

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

China says US ‘playing with fire’ by giving Taiwan more military aid

Related:

Why Should We Care About America’s Indo-Pacific Allies?, May 10, 2024:

We’re not obligated to defend Taiwan. What we are obligated to do is governed by the law and the law is the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act.

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But defending Taiwan is not one of those things, but it means that we sell them equipment that they need to defend themselves and the like. And it makes it clear intent that we want a peaceful resolution of the Taiwan PRC issue, a peaceful resolution across the Taiwan Strait. And that we are opposed to a forceful reunification against the Taiwanese people’s will.

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Is the United States going to defend Taiwan? If the answer to that question is yes, they’re going to lose hundreds of thousands of troops in that fight and they ought to know that. And then they can then make the calculus whether it’s worth it or not.

— Admiral Harry B. Harris, Jr., former commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command

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Ukraine: MFA welcomes Kellogg’s nomination for special envoy for Ukraine and Russia

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has welcomed the nomination of Keith Kellogg for the position of Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia and expressed its readiness to cooperate.

MFA welcomes Kellogg’s nomination for special envoy for Ukraine and Russia

Related:

America First, Russia, & Ukraine by Lt. General (Ret.) Keith Kellogg & Fred Fleitz

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Trump, Harris, And The ‘Lesser Of Two Evils’

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

A distressing number of my relatives, friends, and acquaintances have found themselves reduced to making a “choice” between the “lesser of two evils” in most elections. That ugly situation seems to be especially true regarding U.S. presidential elections, and the current contest between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris continues the distressing pattern.

Trump, Harris, And The ‘Lesser Of Two Evils’

Third of the four self-immolations: Cape Cod man who set self on fire outside Boston Israeli consulate died four days later

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Cape Cod man who set self on fire outside Boston Israeli consulate died four days later

“We call ourselves the greatest nation in history, yet we spend more on weapons of war than we do on educating our children, helping the homeless, ensuring that all Americans have equal rights and protecting the environment combined,” Nelson said in the video.

According to Wikipedia, Matthew is the third person to self-immolate in protest of the slaughter of Palestinians. He was also a veteran and a friend of Aaron Bushnell’s. Samuel was the fourth and he survived.

Related:

A vigil for Matthew Nelson, who self-immolated outside Boston Israeli consulate (archived)

In February, Aaron Bushnell, a 25-year-old member of the U.S. Air Force, self-immolated in front of the Israeli embassy in Washington, DC. The act was live-streamed on Twitch. Attendees at Wednesdays vigil said [Matthew] Nelson, a U.S. veteran, was close friends with Bushnell, a Whitman native.

‘Jane Doe’ Who Immolated Herself At Israeli Consulate In Atlanta Last Year Is Still Alive

CBS journalist lights himself on fire over in Washington over US media coverage of Gaza war

Tribute to Aaron Bushnell by Iraq Veteran Mike Prysner

If you are a member of the US military want expert, confidential advice on how to get out, call the GI Rights Hotline 24/7 at 1-877-447-4487

Aaron Bushnell’s Extreme Act of Protest & Why the World Would be Better if He was Still With Us (odysee)

Recruitment and far right: “I Love the Third Brigade”

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Recruitment and far right: “I Love the Third Brigade”

The United States is putting pressure on Zelensky to lower the age of conscription again, but for the moment the Ukrainian president is rejecting this possibility. This is what Ukrainian media such as Ukrainska Pravda reported this week, referring to the mobilization of men between 18 and 25 years old, a very small population group in which the country’s future cannot afford to lose. Even before the law on mobilization was approved, which is very unpopular despite not being as harsh as foreign allies demanded, prominent figures and self-proclaimed friends of Ukraine such as US Senator Lindsey Graham have publicly encouraged Ukraine to recruit those over 18 years old despite the demographic risk that this implies for the country they claim to defend. These suggestions seem to have become a demand that is confirmed even by people who belong to the state apparatus. “If this information has come to light, it may confirm that American politicians from both parties are putting pressure on President Zelensky on the question of why there is no mobilisation for those aged 18-25 in Ukraine,” said Serhiy Leshchenko, one of Andriy Yermak’s advisers and a figure who has gone from representing the third sector, civil society in Maidan Ukraine to all kinds of well-paid positions in government or in the few state-owned companies that Kiev has not yet privatised. The past ten years show a double standard between those who have been privileged and those who have been impoverished and marginalised thanks to the European and liberal reforms of the peacetime years. However, Ukraine’s refusal to recruit its most vulnerable population group strictly responds to the future needs of the state, which, if it hopes to rebuild itself, must maintain minimum levels of youth population.

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Zelensky Ukraine victory speech: Listen for the quiet parts

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)
Source

Zelensky Ukraine victory speech: Listen for the quiet parts

Zelensky is going to give his “victory” speech on October 16 to Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, but much of the speech will be secret. The secret part is about giving up territory to Russia.

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The Rada has just passed new legislation that allows NATO officers to command Ukrainian units. So far, the Russians have been mostly quiet, probably because they do not believe NATO will supply field commanders for Ukraine’s military. But if it happens, and that is a big if, the Russians will see it as NATO sending combat troops and react accordingly.

Some speculate that Zelensky will hint at a desire to get some sort of ceasefire and establish a buffer zone patrolled by a kind of coalition of NATO-willing. This is being billed as a Zelensky “concession” to the reality of Russia occupying Ukrainian territory.

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There also are rumors that Ukraine may try to attack Transnistria, the breakaway area of Moldova that includes a few thousand Russian troops – some of them on an agreed peace-keeping mission and others protecting a huge ammunition dump left over from the Soviet period.

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The Russians also have been attacking dry cargo ships in the port of Odessa that are unloading weapons and military supplies from Turkey.  

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Moldova also has an important election on October 20. An attack on Transnistria could backfire and topple the current pro-NATO. pro-EU Moldovan government.

Following in the footsteps of Nikita Khrushchev? FYI, “Khrushchev Lied!”😉

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