Ukraine War Update NEWS: Military Aid, Geopolitical News, & Congress Aid Analysis
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"A vote against supplemental funding for Ukraine will hurt Ukraine and help Russia. It will hurt democracy and help dictators. And we think that that is not the right lesson of history."
Hello Team!
Jonathan notes this is the second part of the Ukraine War news update for December 5th, 2023. He may need to split the geopolitics part into a separate video as he is including a large section on military aid and what's going on in the US Congress. Jonathan acknowledges viewers have asked for shorter videos but there is just so much newsworthy content to cover at the moment.
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Military Aid and Indigenous Production
- German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall has won a €140 million ammunition order for Ukraine and upped their annual artillery shell production forecast to 700,000 for next year.
- According to Ukrainian General Zaluzhnyi, Ukraine needs 17 million artillery rounds and $350 billion worth of equipment and personnel to fully liberate the country.
- Ukraine is producing 1-2 million projectiles for the D-30 howitzer in a partner country.
- Indigenous production in Ukraine is ramping up:
- 6 Bogdan self-propelled howitzers per month with plans to increase
- Developing a new modification of the Neptune missile with 400km range and 350kg warhead
- Using over 70 models of drones and 20 types of drone ammunition
- Preparing an order for 750 armoured combat vehicles
- Allocated $175 billion for missile/weapons/ammunition production and $83.2 billion for purchasing weapons and military equipment
- Finland is planning a shell production boost to arm Ukraine.
- Border blockades by Polish and Slovakian protesters mean it now takes 2 weeks to deliver military cargo from the EU to Ukraine.
US Congress and Ukraine Aid
Jonathan spends significant time discussing the political situation in the US Congress regarding aid to Ukraine:
- Former UK PM David Cameron is in the US to convince American politicians of the need to increase military and financial aid to Ukraine.
- The White House has sent a letter to Congress urging them to approve new funding for Ukraine, warning they will run out of resources to purchase additional weapons and equipment by the end of the year without action.
- Republican Congressman Mike Johnson is demanding border policy changes before agreeing to send money to Ukraine, drawing a false equivalence between US border security and the war in Ukraine. Jonathan strongly disagrees with this "political blackmail".
- The Senate's immigration talks have collapsed, threatening to sink aid to Israel and Ukraine. Republicans have vowed to block Biden's aid package unless Democrats agree to tighten US asylum and parole laws.
- National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan states that voting against aid for Ukraine is voting for an outcome that makes it easier for Putin to prevail, even if that is not the direct motive.
- Journalist Anne Applebaum says the Republican party will be directly responsible if Ukraine runs out of ammunition.
Wrap up
Jonathan notes that the US has used 97% of the financial assistance allocated to Ukraine and aid will run out before the end of 2023 without additional Congressional funding. He mentions historian Timothy Snyder's perspective that this should not be called a "stalemate" as the West has the economic power to help Ukraine prevail in a long war, even without the US. However, the current political situation means tough decisions need to be made. Jonathan emphasizes how essential it is to understand what is going on in the US Congress with regard to aid to Ukraine.
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