Ukraine War Update NEWS: Military Aid & Geopolitics News
Table of Contents 📖
"Hungarian Prime Minister Orban's arrived in Moscow, presumably to report back to his master Putin about what he found out in Ukraine."
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Hello Team
🎦 00:00-00:19⏩
Jonathan welcomes everyone to another video on the 5th July 2024 for a Ukraine War Update, part 2. This video covers Military Aid and Geopolitics news. It's a relatively quiet news day, overshadowed by the UK elections.
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Germany Delivers 3rd Patriot System, Corrects Yesterday's Claims
🎦 00:19-02:43⏩
Jonathan reports that Ukraine has received the third Patriot air defence system promised by Germany, as confirmed by the German ambassador to Ukraine. He clarifies that contrary to claims by journalist Julian Röpke, Germany did not deliver a large package of new equipment. Röpke's claims were based on an outdated list. Jonathan clarifies that Germany has delivered a substantial amount of military equipment over the past three weeks, including three HIMARS, 10 Leopard 1A5 tanks, 20 Marder IFVs, armoured recovery vehicles, Iris-T air defence systems, mine-clearing vehicles, trucks, bridge-laying vehicles, ammunition, sniper rifles, and 1.8 million rounds of small arms ammunition.
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Ukraine: Novator-2 Armoured Vehicles
🎦 02:43-03:20⏩
The Ukrainian National Guard has taken delivery of the Novator-2, an indigenously produced armoured vehicle. After nearly a year of testing, serial production has begun. The Novator-2 features a rotating turret with a 12.7mm heavy machine gun and can carry up to nine personnel. Each National Guard combat brigade will be equipped with these vehicles.
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Drone Update: Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine Production
🎦 03:20-05:19⏩
Latvia will send a further batch of over 2,500 combat drones worth €4 million to Ukraine. The first 300 will be delivered in the coming days. Lithuania's Defence Ministry has announced a €36 million purchase of drones from Latvian company Edge Autonomy, Estonian manufacturer Threod Systems and UAB Deftools. Most will be delivered to Lithuania this autumn, with the rest in early 2025. Jonathan highlights Ukraine's reported production of 3,000 FPV drones per day, citing footage shared by Australian intelligence, though he cannot personally verify this information. Jonathan notes the significance of this drone production, emphasizing that drones are being used extensively across the frontline. He references a video by a Ukrainian drone pilot, "Darwin", who reportedly uses 40 drones daily.
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Ukrainian Navy: Ada-class Corvette Update
🎦 05:19-06:11⏩
Jonathan discusses footage of the Ukrainian Navy's new flagship, the Ada-class corvette Hetman Ivan Mazepa (F1211). It's currently undergoing trials off the coast of Turkey. This is the first modern surface combatant for the Ukrainian Navy, with two being built in Turkey. Due to the Montreux Convention, neither Russia nor Ukraine can deploy warships that aren't home-ported in the Black Sea. Jonathan believes this ship is too large to enter the Black Sea via the Danube River, suggesting it's intended for use after the war.
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Ukraine: Impact of F-16 Deliveries and NATO Membership
🎦 06:11-07:27⏩
Jonathan reports that the upcoming delivery of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine could challenge Russia's air dominance over the Black Sea, according to Ukrainian Navy Commander, Olexiy Neizhpapa, in a recent Reuters interview. Neizhpapa believes that properly armed F-16s can deter Russian aircraft and help secure a safe corridor for civilian ships in the northwestern Black Sea. While F-16s may arrive in Ukraine by the end of July, Jonathan doubts they'll be deployed near the Black Sea initially, anticipating a more westward deployment within Ukraine. Outgoing NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg expresses hope for Ukraine to become a full NATO member within 10 years. Jonathan notes this as a positive sign, highlighting past reluctance from Biden and opposition from Trump and his administration towards Ukrainian and Georgian NATO membership. Stoltenberg's stance appears to challenge both American political positions.
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Geopolitics: Orban's Visit to Moscow Sparks Controversy
🎦 07:27-11:45⏩
Jonathan criticizes Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's visit to Moscow, following his recent trip to Ukraine. Orban's actions have drawn criticism, with many perceiving it as reporting back to Putin after his Ukraine visit. Jonathan highlights criticism from various EU officials and politicians:
- Anton Gerashchenko: Called the meeting "special" and suggested it has been criticized within the EU.
- Kaja Kallas (Estonian PM): Emphasizes that Orban doesn't represent the EU or its position and accuses him of exploiting the EU presidency to cause confusion.
- Olaf Scholz (German Chancellor): Clarifies that Orban is visiting Putin in his capacity as Hungarian PM and not as an EU representative. He reiterates the EU's condemnation of Russia's aggression and support for Ukraine.
- Peter Fiala (Czech PM): States that Orban doesn't represent EU interests in Moscow and lacks a mandate to negotiate on their behalf. He calls out Putin as the aggressor and affirms support for Ukraine.
- Donald Tusk (President of the European People's Party): Questions whose interests Orban serves by going to Moscow, highlighting the potential for manipulation.
- Michael Roth (German politician): Calls Orban's actions a "scandal," accusing him of abusing his EU Council presidency and undermining EU foreign policy principles. He demands the Hungarian government respect its role or resign as chair. Jonathan reads Orban's statement: "You cannot make peace from a comfortable armchair in Brussels...even if the rotating EU presidency has no mandate to negotiate on behalf of the EU. We cannot sit back and wait for the war to miraculously end. We will serve as an important tool in making the first step towards peace." Jonathan points out that Donald Tusk mocked this statement. Belgian MEP Guy Verhofstadt criticizes Orban's actions, stating that he does not speak for Europe. Jonathan notes the strong rhetoric and condemnation from the EU towards Orban's attempt to appease Putin.
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UK Election: Zelensky Congratulates Starmer, Analysis of Results and Impact on Ukraine
🎦 11:45-23:14⏩
Jonathan discusses Zelensky's congratulations to Keir Starmer on his victory in the UK elections, becoming the new Prime Minister. Starmer has consistently pledged to maintain strong support for Ukraine, allaying concerns among Ukrainian officials about the election outcome. He provides an analysis of the election results:
- Labour Landslide but Shallow Victory: Labour secured a significant win but with lower voter turnout than in 2017 under Corbyn. Jonathan emphasizes that this victory stems more from a divided Conservative vote than increased support for Labour.
- Reform UK's Impact: Despite gaining 4.1 million votes, Reform UK only secured four seats, highlighting the flaws of the first-past-the-post electoral system. Their presence split the Conservative vote, paving the way for Labour and the Liberal Democrats to gain ground.
- Liberal Democrat Success: The Liberal Democrats ran a strategic campaign, focusing on target seats and benefiting from tactical voting against the Conservatives. This resulted in 71 seats despite receiving fewer votes than Reform UK.
Jonathan stresses the need for proportional representation in the UK, as illustrated by the disparity between votes received and seats won by Reform UK and the Liberal Democrats. He contends that the Conservatives' loss is primarily due to Reform UK splitting the right-wing vote. He argues that Labour has historically faced similar challenges due to a divided left. He highlights some key takeaways from the election:
- Labour's Efficiency: Labour strategically distributed their votes for maximum impact, capitalizing on the Conservative Party's downfall.
- SNP Backpedalling: The Scottish National Party (SNP) suffered a setback, prompting a shift in their stance on Scottish independence, which had lost popularity. Jonathan suggests that local and national issues overshadowed the independence debate, leading some SNP voters to switch back to Labour.
- George Galloway's Defeat: Jonathan criticizes George Galloway, a pro-Russia and pro-Palestine politician, who lost his bid as an independent candidate. He criticizes Galloway's stance on Ukraine, labeling it as "totally anti-EU, anti-NATO, pro-Russia."
Jonathan then engages with a commenter, “America First Patriot 127,” who expressed a view that the UK had traded socialists for more socialism. Jonathan takes issue with the commenter's categorization of Labour as "radical left socialists" and defends Starmer's Labour Party as centrist. He emphasizes that Starmer purged the party's left-wing elements, leading to a more centrist Labour Party compared to Corbyn's leadership. Jonathan supports his argument by highlighting media reports characterizing Starmer's Labour as centrist and even Blairism 2.0. He criticizes the commenter's limited understanding of UK politics and attributes their perspective to a "Trumpist" worldview where anything left of center is labeled as Marxist.
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Wrap Up
🎦 30:02-30:02⏩
Jonathan thanks his viewers for watching, asks them to like, subscribe, share the video and says goodbye.
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