Ukraine War Upd. EXTRA: US Defence Procurement, RU Propaganda, & Bellingcat
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"We should kill them out of love for our children because this will ensure our survival."
Hello Team!
Jonathan provides an update on the situation in Bakhmut:
- Ukrainian troops are facing serious challenges in central Bakhmut and could lose the remaining urban territory
- However, Ukraine is making advances and taking back territory quickly to the north and south of the city
- Russia is transferring reinforcements to Bakhmut's outskirts to counter Ukrainian successes
US Military Spending and Ukraine Aid
Jonathan explains how US military spending on Ukraine is benefiting the US:
- The US is upgrading its own military capabilities and capacity while giving Ukraine equipment it was planning to replace anyway
- It is difficult to accurately depreciate the value of military equipment being given to Ukraine, so the stated dollar amounts of aid are misleading
- The US Army has used Ukraine supplemental funds to bolster several initiatives and modernize its equipment
- Sending equipment to Ukraine has allowed the US to increase production of certain systems, leading to lower unit costs
- The money being spent "on Ukraine" is largely being spent on the US military, putting it in a better position to take on future challenges like China and Taiwan
Russian Propaganda Interview
A Russian propagandist is interviewed on Russian TV and makes several shocking statements:
- He claims Russia is at war with the "Ukrainian national idea" and that the bearers of this idea are the majority in Ukraine who should be killed
- He later backtracks and says only 10% need to be killed and the rest will "become Russians again"
- He tells Ukrainians to surrender because Russia will come for them, though he admits he may not survive to see it
- The interviewer challenges him, saying his words convey no certainty that Russia will win
Jonathan ties this to historian Timothy Snyder's analysis of Putin's mindset:
- Putin has an unhealthy obsession with controlling Ukraine, but he does not actually care about the Ukrainian people or culture
- A democratic Ukraine is an existential threat to Putin's autocratic rule and the Russian political system
- Snyder argues that Putin's idea of "rescuing" Russian-speaking Ukrainians was always about conquering and subjugating them
Corrupt Russian General
Retired Russian Air Force General Lobushko, who was paid to set up Russia's National Air Defense System, was arrested for embezzling the money. As a result, the system is full of holes and doesn't work properly.
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Bellingcat and Twitter
Bellingcat is an open-source investigative journalism outlet that has exposed Russian intelligence operations, most famously identifying the Salisbury poisoning suspects. However, Twitter has recently classified Bellingcat as an account similar to one posting pornography, meaning users have to change an obscure setting to view their content. This follows previous reports that Twitter's algorithm was coded to downrank Ukraine news and accounts that post frequently about Ukraine. Jonathan questions why Twitter under Elon Musk would disadvantage Bellingcat and Ukraine news in this way, suggesting it may be purposefully favouring Russia.
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Wrap up
Jonathan thanks listeners for their time and encourages them to like, subscribe and share the video. He will be back with more content soon.
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