Ukraine War Update NEWS: Military Aid & Geopolitical News, TVP Analysis
Table of Contents 📖
Hello Team
🎦 00:00-00:48⏩
Jonathan welcomes viewers to another update, mentioning a separate breaking news video on his other channel about the strike on the Russian landing ship in Feodosia, Crimea. He explains an unusual situation where YouTube restricted the video on his main channel but not his other channel, creating a dilemma about where to host it.
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EU Military Aid for Ukraine
🎦 00:48-01:26⏩
Despite it being Boxing Day, Jonathan notes that EU countries are expected to approve €50 billion in aid for Ukraine, despite a possible veto from Hungary.
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Ukrainian F-16 Pilot Training Update
🎦 01:26-03:11⏩
The first group of six Ukrainian pilots have completed basic training in the UK and begun F-16 fighter training in Denmark. Ten more pilots remain in the UK for basic flight training, as the UK itself doesn’t operate F-16s. This approach suggests Ukraine won’t immediately deploy F-16s, countering recent Russian claims. Jonathan highlights analysis by Thomas Tyner suggesting Ukraine is upgrading its F-16s with longer-range radars from the US Air Force, potentially giving them a significant advantage.
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Iceland Support for Ukraine
🎦 03:11-03:36⏩
Iceland has joined the IT and de-mining coalitions in support of Ukraine and is allocating €340,000 for medical supplies. Jonathan commends Iceland's support, noting their lack of a standing army.
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Ukraine Domestic Defence Production
🎦 03:36-04:45⏩
Zelenskyy aims to boost Ukraine's domestic defence production in 2024, focusing on drones and ammunition, with hundreds of companies involved. Jonathan highlights the significance of drones, referencing the goal of producing a million next year after producing 50,000 in the past month, potentially impacting the front lines significantly.
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Geopolitical News: Serbia
🎦 04:45-05:54⏩
Jonathan shifts to geopolitical news, reporting on pro-EU demonstrations in Serbia following elections marred by accusations of vote-rigging in favour of the incumbent president, Vucic. He emphasises the West's desire for pro-EU leaders to succeed and concerns about Serbia's alignment with Russia alongside Hungary and Slovakia. He criticises Vucic's control over the media and draws parallels with the situation in Poland.
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Geopolitical News: Poland & TVP Analysis
🎦 05:54-11:13⏩
Jonathan addresses criticism regarding his previous comments on TVP, Poland's national broadcaster, acknowledging their good coverage of the Ukraine war. However, he maintains concerns about PIS, the former ruling party's, control over media and similarities to Hungary’s government. He cites a 2020 report by the Center for New American Security highlighting domestic disinformation threats in Poland, including PIS purging 235 journalists from public media in 2016. He refutes accusations of hypocrisy for supporting the new government’s actions against TVP, arguing it's necessary to reverse the previous administration's damage to democratic ideals. He compares this to potential actions against Russian state broadcasters if a liberal government came to power. Jonathan expresses concern about the report's findings of Polish troll farms operating during the 2019 elections, manipulating public opinion on social media, including defending TVP from criticism. He highlights the hypocrisy of condemning such tactics in Russia while ignoring them within the EU. He concludes by acknowledging TVP's positive contributions to covering the war in Ukraine but reiterates concerns about broader democratic backsliding under the previous government.
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Geopolitical News: Germany
🎦 11:13-11:45⏩
Germany will deploy troops to Lithuania, marking its first military base abroad since World War II. Jonathan sees this as a significant shift in German military strategy, moving towards a more central role in European defence.
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Geopolitical News: Belarus & Spain
🎦 11:45-12:57⏩
An elite report reveals a safety incident at a Russian-built nuclear plant in Belarus, raising concerns. Meanwhile, Spain will deploy Leopard tanks, personnel, and helicopters to Slovakia as a deterrent against Russia, mirroring similar deployments by other NATO countries along Europe's eastern border. This build-up is a response to Russia's actions, including establishing the Leningrad Military District near Finland, following the US gaining access to Finnish bases.
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Geopolitical News: South Korea
🎦 12:58-13:46⏩
South Korea is tightening export controls against Russia and Belarus, expanding restrictions to items like excavators, batteries, and vehicles. Jonathan highlights the significance of South Korea's high-tech exports and the importance of preventing Russia from accessing them. He also expresses hope for South Korea to provide ammunition to Ukraine or backfill allied supplies, considering North Korea's support for Russia.
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Ukraine-Poland Border Update
🎦 13:46-14:13⏩
Over 3,000 trucks are queuing at the Ukraine-Poland border, indicating ongoing logistical challenges despite some improvements and new checkpoints opening.
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Update on Feodosia Ship Strike
🎦 14:13-15:18⏩
Following up on the Feodosia ship strike from his previous video, Jonathan cites claims that another ship might have been damaged based on the explosion's size and debris spread. He quotes Natalia Humeniuk suggesting further reconnaissance is needed to confirm.
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UK Defence Secretary Comments
🎦 15:18-16:15⏩
Jonathan highlights comments by UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps, who argues that the recent attack on Russia’s Black Sea Fleet disproves any notion of a stalemate in the war. Shapps highlights the destruction of 20% of the fleet in four months, challenging Russia's dominance and highlighting the UK-Norway-led Maritime Capability Coalition's role in supporting Ukraine.
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Wrap up
🎦 16:16-17:12⏩
Jonathan thanks JR for updating the Deep State Maps, noting that a full mapping update might be delayed due to family commitments. He thanks viewers for their support and signs off.
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"They [those who believe there's a stalemate in the Ukraine war] haven't noticed over the past four months, 20% of Russia's Black Sea fleet, so you know, second greatest army, second greatest armed forces in the world, has been destroyed. Ukraine has no navy, and a fifth of the Russian Black Sea fleet has been destroyed."
