Ukraine War Update NEWS: Military Aid & Geopolitical News

"NATO allowed 18 Russian diplomats to work inside NATO HQ in Brussels... In 2021, NATO realised that eight of them were spies... but kept the other 10... [Now] the rest turned out to be spies as well. Who knew? All 18 were indeed spies."

Hello Team

🎦 00:00-00:12⏩

Jonathan welcomes viewers to the second part of the April 6th, 2024 Ukraine War News Update, focusing on military aid and geopolitical news.

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Latvia Proposes Uniform NATO GDP Contribution for Ukraine Aid

🎦 00:12-01:40⏩

Latvian Foreign Minister Karinš suggests a NATO-wide standard percentage of GDP contribution for Ukraine aid, ensuring a fairer burden share. He proposes 0.25% (Latvia's own commitment) compared to Germany's 0.2%, highlighting the disparity with contributions from France, Italy, and Spain (0.05-0.15%). Jonathan finds the approach interesting, arguing for consistent NATO-wide expectations in supporting Ukraine.

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Lithuania Sends M577 Armored Vehicles to Ukraine

🎦 01:40-02:00⏩

Lithuania continues its military support for Ukraine, with their Ministry of Defence confirming a new shipment of M577 armored vehicles.

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Norway to Procure Additional NASAMS and Patriot Systems

🎦 02:00-03:46⏩

Norway announces plans to purchase four more NASAMS air defence systems, supplementing their existing order, and one long-range system with anti-ballistic missile capabilities. Colby Badwar believes "Patriot is the likely choice" given the Raytheon-Kongsberg partnership. Jonathan analyses the potential for Norway to localise Patriot missile servicing and production (mirroring Germany's model with Raytheon, MBDA, and Comlog), potentially speeding up future equipment supplies to Ukraine. He acknowledges the time needed to establish such production lines.

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French Caesar Howitzer's Success in Ukraine Boosts International Sales

🎦 03:46-06:07⏩

Jonathan discusses the "training effect," where Western equipment provided to Ukraine acts as a strategic advertisement. The French-made Caesar howitzer exemplifies this, gaining international attention for its effectiveness. He highlights that supplying such weapons serves both as strategic aid and marketing for future sales. Increased demand for the Caesar, particularly in the Middle East and Europe, is noted. This success is attributed to its accuracy, crucial for Ukraine to conserve ammunition and avoid detection. The Ukrainian feedback loop also drives improvements, ensuring "the Caesar for tomorrow won't be the Caesar of yesterday."

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Germany's €500 Million Military Aid Package Details Revealed

🎦 06:07-06:50⏩

Germany's €500 million aid package from March is detailed, comprising 100 MRAPs (specific brand undisclosed), two electronic warfare systems, four M3 amphibious bridging vehicles, and five mobile "smart factories" (extra-large 3D printers) for on-site production of military vehicle spare parts. Jonathan emphasizes the significant logistical advantage of this in-country manufacturing capability.

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Ukraine Localises Croatian Mine Clearance Vehicle Production

🎦 06:50-07:41⏩

Ukraine has successfully localised 15% of the Croatian MV-4 mine clearance vehicle production, aiming for 25-30% by year-end. This is crucial for addressing the vast 174,000 square kilometers (larger than Greece) contaminated by mines and unexploded ordnance. Jonathan highlights the effort to enhance in-country production capabilities for various equipment types, not just military hardware.

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Footage Shows Ukrainian Hexacopter Drone With Mounted Machine Gun

🎦 07:41-08:15⏩

Russian drone footage reveals a Ukrainian hexacopter drone equipped with a firing machine gun, a new development in the conflict, according to Jonathan.

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South Korea Pledges $2.3 Billion in Financial Aid to Ukraine

🎦 08:15-08:33⏩

South Korea will provide $2.3 billion in financial aid to Ukraine during 2024, including $12 million specifically for rehabilitating wounded soldiers through the NATO Trust Fund.

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Russia Requests More Ballistic Missiles From North Korea and Iran

🎦 08:33-09:00⏩

Citing Ukrainian media outlet "New Voice of Ukraine," Jonathan reports that Russia has formally requested additional ballistic missiles from North Korea and Iran for use in Ukraine.

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Divisions Within US House Republicans Threaten Aid Packages

🎦 09:00-09:28⏩

Jonathan expresses frustration over internal divisions among US House Republicans, with Reuters reporting potential delays to crucial aid packages for Ukraine, Israel, and other US allies. Speaker Mike Johnson faces threats of removal, further complicating the situation.

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Russia Arms Black Sea Fleet Warships with FPV Drones

🎦 09:28-10:22⏩

In response to losses from Ukrainian unmanned surface vehicles (USVs), Russia is deploying both aerial drones and ship-launched FPV drones equipped with fragmentation warheads to protect its Black Sea fleet. Jonathan finds this long overdue, questioning the delay in countering USV threats like the Magura V5.

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UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly Urges US to Release Ukraine Aid

🎦 10:22-17:19⏩

British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly is meeting with Speaker Mike Johnson to advocate for the stalled Ukraine aid package. Jonathan acknowledges Cleverly's efforts despite political differences (Brexit, Conservative Party). Cleverly argues that supporting Ukraine is in America's security interests, echoing earlier discussions and countering claims linking aid delays to border issues. Jonathan asserts those claims are baseless and the border situation, while important, is unrelated to Ukraine aid. He criticises Republican recalcitrance towards supporting Ukraine, citing Marjorie Taylor Greene's threats against further aid. Jonathan stresses the need to approve the aid package promptly.

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List of EU Politicians Potentially Bribed by Russia Circulates

🎦 17:19-19:57⏩

Jonathan addresses concerns about Russian influence in the upcoming June EU Parliament elections. He received a list from "Mrs. Finkenbein" of far-right EU politicians potentially bribed by Russia, acknowledging its unverified nature but finding it plausible. Jonathan worries about pro-Russian candidates gaining seats and shifting the parliament's stance. However, he's hopeful that exposing such scandals might trigger a backlash against pro-Russian sentiment. He cites polls suggesting a decline in support for far-right parties since the invasion and emphasizes the importance of media coverage to inform the electorate about Russia's "nefarious influence." Jonathan calls for greater transparency from the EU and media to counter this threat.

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EU Aims to Establish Special Tribunal for Russian War Crimes by Year-End

🎦 19:57-20:26⏩

The EU's top justice official announced plans to establish a special tribunal by the end of 2024 to hold Russia accountable for war crimes committed in Ukraine. Jonathan expresses hope for this tribunal, seeing it as another layer of pressure on Russia.

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Wirecard Scandal Reveals Extensive Russian Espionage in Austria

🎦 20:26-28:30⏩

Shifting focus to Austria, Jonathan delves into the Wirecard scandal. Fugitive COO Jan Marsalek, allegedly a "powerful Russian intelligence asset," used his position to facilitate espionage, break-ins, and even assassination plots by elite Russian hit squads. Marsalek reportedly obtained a NATO cryptography machine and smuggled sensitive Austrian officials' phones to Moscow. Jonathan laments Austria's compromised intelligence apparatus, explaining why countries like the UK and US are hesitant to share intelligence. He praises investigative journalism (specifically the Financial Times) for uncovering this scandal, advocating support for such outlets, especially as local journalism declines. He emphasizes the importance of holding power to account and the dangers of unchecked nefarious activities. Jonathan acknowledges concerns about mainstream media bias but argues its vital role in exposing wrongdoing, citing The Guardian's coverage of Ukraine and environmental activist murders as examples.

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NATO Allowed 18 Russian Spies to Operate Within Its Brussels HQ

🎦 28:30-29:45⏩

Jonathan expresses disbelief over NATO's revelation that all 18 Russian diplomats allowed to work at their Brussels HQ were spies. Despite identifying eight in 2021, they retained the remaining ten, who also turned out to be spies. He criticizes those who still believe Russian narratives about Ukraine, emphasizing the need to recognize and address Russia's consistent deception and infiltration. He highlights the Wirecard and NATO spy cases as significant but underreported news stories.

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Two Russians Charged with Sanctions Busting Resided in Trump Towers, Florida

🎦 29:45-29:54⏩

Jonathan notes the "coincidence" of two Russians charged with sanctions busting and money laundering residing in Trump Towers, Florida.

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Ukraine Urges US Republicans to Emulate Reagan in Supporting Ukraine

🎦 29:54-32:00⏩

Jonathan discusses Yermak's (Zelenskyy's chief of staff) suggestion that Ukraine should urge US Republicans to "be more like Reagan" when advocating for aid. Reagan, still highly regarded by Republicans, took a strong stance against Russia. Yermak believes appealing to this sentiment might be more effective than criticizing their current inaction. Jonathan, while not a Reagan fan, acknowledges the potential of this messaging strategy to sway hesitant Republicans by highlighting the dissonance between their admiration for Reagan and their opposition to aiding Ukraine.

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NATO Wants to Support Ukraine Long-Term but Avoids Membership Talks

🎦 32:00-32:56⏩

Jonathan reports that the USA and Germany remain opposed to starting NATO membership negotiations with Ukraine while the war with Russia is ongoing. However, they are looking for alternative ways to demonstrate long-term support and commitment to Ukraine's security. Jonathan questions what form this support might take and how NATO can effectively assist Ukraine without granting membership during an active conflict.

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US Treasury Secretary Yellen Warns China Against Supporting Russia's War

🎦 32:56-34:23⏩

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, during a meeting with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Guangzhou, warned of "significant consequences" if Chinese companies continue to support Russia's war efforts. Jonathan approves of this strong messaging, noting existing concerns about China's level of support for Russia and the potential for this to escalate. He anticipates further sanctions if China doesn't comply. He acknowledges Russia's reliance on expanded trade with China, imports from third countries, dual-use goods, and military supplies from Iran and North Korea, highlighting the need to curb these activities.

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India to Receive Russian Warships Despite Sanctions

🎦 34:23-35:06⏩

Despite sanctions, India will receive two Russian-made warships in the coming months, highlighting the complexities of halting existing arms deals. Jonathan acknowledges the predicament faced by India, having invested heavily in these warships before sanctions were imposed.

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Leaked Message Suggests Kazakhstan is Russia's Next Target After Ukraine

🎦 35:06-36:17⏩

A leaked voice message from Russian Duma deputy and Lieutenant General Andrei Gurulev reveals Russia's intention to target Kazakhstan after Ukraine, with apparent authorization already granted. This revelation has sparked outrage and concern in Kazakhstan, pushing them further away from Russia's sphere of influence. However, Jonathan doubts Russia's ability to carry out such an attack given their current military struggles in Ukraine.

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Wrap up

🎦 36:17-36:21⏩

Jonathan concludes the video, urging viewers to like, subscribe, and share.

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