Ukraine War Upd. EXTRA: Global Hegemony, Hiding Equipment, & WSJ Journalist
Table of Contents 📖
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"This is super important. So if China are going around the world saying, oh yeah, we'll build this for you. Yeah, we'll help you do this. We can do this at a really good rate. It's not just a business decision. It's a geopolitical decision, right? And it has huge geopolitical ramifications."
Hello Team!
Jonathan starts by correcting a mistake from his earlier news video where he used an old video of a missile strike in Kharkiv. He apologises and says it's difficult to fact check every video but he will always admit mistakes and correct them.
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Death of Ukrainian kickboxing champion
Jonathan reflects on the sad news that Vitaly Merinov, a four-time world kickboxing champion, was killed fighting for Ukraine. While it's especially tragic given his talent, Jonathan argues that anyone dying in this conflict is equally sad, regardless of their skills or profession. What matters is that they are sacrificing themselves for a cause greater than themselves.
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Arrest of Wall Street Journal reporter
Jonathan discusses the arrest of Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter, by Russia's FSB on espionage charges. The timing seems like a calculated provocation by Russia, coming after Gershkovich published an article detailing the decline of Russia's economy. The Wall Street Journal editorial board condemned the arrest and called for diplomatic and political escalation in response. Jonathan notes Russia may feel emboldened to take such provocative actions because the West is wary of escalating the conflict.
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Hiding Ukrainian military equipment
As Ukraine receives tanks and other equipment from Western allies, the challenge is how to hide and protect it from Russian attacks before launching an offensive. Factors include:
- Poor quality of Russian satellite imagery
- Greatest threat is from Russian recon drones
- Storing equipment 50+ km from front lines initially
- Moving equipment to front only 1-3 days before offensive
- Launching attacks when weather limits drone operations
- Constantly moving equipment to avoid detection
- Storing high-value items in sheds or industrial areas
- Waiting for trees to grow foliage for better concealment
- Dispersing movement of equipment and troops
- Challenges of fueling large number of vehicles
Geopolitical influence of China
Commentor Activista raises the issue of China gaining global influence by financing infrastructure projects in developing countries through its Belt and Road Initiative. This gives China leverage over these nations, making it difficult for them to oppose China on other issues. Jonathan expands on this, noting how China and Russia seek to challenge the US-led liberal democratic world order and establish a multipolar world where they have more power. He argues this trend of China "getting their fingers in lots of pies" around the world is concerning and warrants further investigation and discussion.
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Wrap up
Jonathan expresses appreciation for the thought-provoking and high-quality comments on his videos, which elevate the discussion. He thanks viewers for their support and gives a special shoutout to channel member Mark Raven for upgrading his membership, as well as acknowledging other "deep geopolitical thinkers" among his supporters.
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