Ukraine War Live Stream Discussion with John Sweeney
Table of Contents 📖
"When you have, say, Nikki Haley on the books against Trump, you know, why is it that Trump is attracting that that support in a way that Nikki Haley isn't? When to me, when you look at particularly when you look at Ukraine, I can't speak for the other policy points. When you look at Ukraine, she's clearly much more on the money than than than Trump is."
Hello Team
🎦 00:01-00:47⏩
Jonathan welcomes his audience and introduces his guest for the day, John Sweeney. Jonathan apologises for the mix up of channels and that he is late to the stream. John is in hospital and apologises for rescheduling, Jonathan asks what happened to John, "what are you doing in hospital?". John tells him, "They're chopping my leg off". Jonathan's immediate response, "But I thought I'd check in with you" is a fantastic bit of British humour! John explains he is in hospital for a knee injury that occurred on Saturday night.
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John Sweeney's journey to Chernihiv
🎦 00:58-02:14⏩
John tells Jonathan about his trip to Chernihiv on Friday with two friends, James Hewitt (former Major James Hewitt) and John Lawler, who both work for the MAD Foundation. They were delivering humanitarian aid to Olga, a lady who runs the Remina Foundation in Chernihiv. John recounts that he carried the crutches on his journey and now he needs one.
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John Sweeney's knee injury
🎦 02:14-03:33⏩
John's explanation of how he sustained his injury when walking down a hill and falling on black ice. He says he is being looked after by wonderful doctors and that he had an MRI scan on Saturday night. John highlights that he "couldn't walk" and that a kind Ukrainian woman, and then her partner, tried to help him up but were unsuccessful. Two other men, "more my size", came to help and they managed to get him up. Jonathan's friends, James and John, are concerned about his leg and ask, "Why are you showing off now?". John says, "they couldn't see, actually, I cannot walk anymore", and had to call an ambulance with the help of his fixer Sasha.
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The Moscow Apartment Bombings
🎦 04:42-13:21⏩
Jonathan mentions John's book, _Killing the Kremlin_, and asks John what got him interested in Putin. John explains his love of philosophy and his interest in John Stuart Mill's _On Liberty_ . John then recounts his experience in Chechnya in 2000, where he was investigating the Russian military's use of weapons banned by war and killing refugee columns. John then talks about the series of bombings in September 1999 in working class blocks of flats in Moscow, and how Putin, who had just been appointed Prime Minister by Yeltsin, blamed Chechen terrorists. John believes the Moscow apartment bombings were a black operation by the FSB (the successor to the KGB). John goes on to detail the evidence that supports this theory, including the fact that the speaker of the Russian parliament claimed there had been a bomb in Volgodonsk, when this was not true, and that a bomb was found in Ryazan, but this was actually a false flag operation by FSB agents. John mentions the case of Yuri Shakerchikin, a Russian journalist and MP, who died in 2003, under suspicious circumstances, and who was believed to be poisoned by polonium-210, and Anna Politivskaya, who was also poisoned and later shot. John highlights that he wrote an article in the Observer in March 2000, in which he called Putin a war criminal and set out the evidence for the false flag operations. He also notes that he learned from Craig Murray, a former ambassador to Uzbekistan, that MI6 had their own report on these events.
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Western intelligence agencies and the Moscow apartment bombings
🎦 13:21-16:58⏩
John says there is a problem with Western intelligence agencies, as they are too secretive. He believes that these agencies know much more than they are letting on, and that this lack of openness is a strategic disaster because it leads to people in the West buying the Kremlin's narrative. John believes the intelligence agencies are too focused on tactical advantages, and that they need to be more transparent with the voters. John cites the example of how the Biden administration has not communicated clearly enough the reasons why the US and allies should support Ukraine, focusing too much on the moral aspect and not enough on the geopolitical aspect.
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Geopolitical rationale for supporting Ukraine
🎦 16:58-19:35⏩
John believes that a stronger geopolitical argument needs to be made for supporting Ukraine. He argues that the West is at war with Russia, and that this is an influence war. John cites a former advisor to the NATO Secretary General, Chris Connolly, who said, "we're at war with Russia. We've been at war with Russia for a long time". John criticizes Western intelligence agencies, MI6 and CIA, for being too secretive and not doing enough to inform the voters.
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Ukraine's importance in the fight against Russia
🎦 19:35-21:02⏩
John highlights the importance of supporting Ukraine because if Ukraine falls, then the West will be next. John believes that Putin is waiting for a Trump victory, and that this is what the bookies are betting on. He believes the West needs to be open about its information and act on it. John says the best way to defend the UK, the US and Europe is to give Ukraine the tools to win the war.
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The Republican Party and Ukraine aid
🎦 21:02-23:49⏩
John explains that in the US, a 60 billion dollar defence package for Ukraine has been blocked by the Republicans. He believes this is a result of Putin's influence through figures like Tucker Carlson. John goes on to explain that there is also a 50 billion euro aid package from Europe, but this is being blocked by Slovakia's new leader, Zviko, who is pro-Russian, and the outgoing Polish government who are allowing Polish truckers to block the border. John says this is a disaster because it means that tourniquets and ammunition cannot be delivered to Ukraine. He then expresses his frustration, saying that he wants to go to the Polish truckers and say "What the hell are you doing? Your brothers next door are fighting an existential war with Russian fascism. "John says this is a symptom of Putin's disinformation warfare and that it is deeply concerning.
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Putin's success in disinformation
🎦 23:49-27:59⏩
Jonathan describes the current state of the Ukraine War and says it is not looking good, citing the counter-offensive and the lack of aid. John says he thinks these are all connected and that Putin is a very effective politician and that he is a cunning intelligence officer. John explains that Putin is an engine of chaos and that he is effectively weaponising fear.
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Putin's far-right agenda
🎦 27:59-29:58⏩
John believes that Putin is a far-right actor and that he is deliberately stoking fear and division to get people to vote in populists, citing the examples of Brexit and Trump. John says Putin is a master of weaponising the anxieties of working-class people. John does, however, offer a small piece of good news in that Scottish nationalism, whilst not Russian agents, is something that has been influenced by Putin, with RT Russia Today having an office in Edinburgh, and Alex Salmon, a former leader of the SNP, being a host on RT Russia Today.
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The Sahel region of Africa
🎦 29:58-32:54⏩
John expresses his concern about the Sahel region of Africa and says that there have been many coups there in the last 4 or 5 years, most of which have been sponsored by Russia. John is worried that Putin will repeat his tactics from Syria, where he sided with Assad and provoked a mass movement of refugees who then fled to Europe, causing fear and anxiety. John says he understands the anxiety felt by people in Europe about this, but that it is important to remember that these people are often fleeing countries that are run by corrupt leaders who are also embedding Russian mercenaries. John says this is what is happening in the Sahel region and that he is worried about a wave of African migration.
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The problems with tax avoidance
🎦 32:54-35:45⏩
John says that rich people and companies are increasingly good at not paying tax, citing the example of Amazon paying no tax in 2021. This, he says, irritates him. John goes on to highlight the problems of tax avoidance and how it is leading to a widening gap between the rich and the poor. John says that politicians are not addressing this issue, and that it is causing a lot of anxiety among working-class people. John notes that the number of migrants and refugees is increasing, which puts pressure on the NHS, schools and housing, which then benefits the rich who are not paying tax.
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Putin's weaponisation of anxiety
🎦 35:45-36:27⏩
John argues that Putin is weaponising the anxieties and fears of working class people by stoking them. He says that these fears are often far greater than the problem, and that they are being used by the Kremlin to manipulate people. He points out that perception becomes reality, and that if people are afraid enough, then they will act on those fears, regardless of whether they are real or not.
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The "Axis of Bad"
🎦 36:27-43:15⏩
John talks about the flow of Syrian refugees to Europe and how this has contributed to anxieties. John then argues that if he was a Syrian, he would also be fleeing the country and not want to fight in Al-Assad's army. He then says that the West needs to understand that Russia is actively trying to destabilise democracies. John believes that there is a new "Axis of Bad" emerging, which includes North Korea, China, Russia, Iran and their proxies. John says that Putin loves an anniversary, and that he believes the timing of the Hamas attack on Israel, which coincided with Putin's birthday, was not a coincidence. John highlights that Putin is using the enemies of the people to undermine democracies, and that the world needs to understand the scale of this threat.
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The consequences of underestimating Putin
🎦 43:15-47:15⏩
John says that Putin is the most effective politician in the world right now, and that he has had more effect on places around the world than any other individual. John explains that Putin is able to use the traditional balances of power, such as the rule of law and mainstream media, to his advantage. He is able to alarm and frighten people, and then weaponise this fear to get them to do what he wants. John believes that Putin has outfoxed Biden, and that this is why the US is struggling to provide enough support to Ukraine.
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The negative impact of Brexit on the UK
🎦 47:15-48:57⏩
John says that Brexit has been a massive success for Putin because it has weakened the UK. He says that the city of London has lost a lot of money and that businesses are finding it difficult to export to Europe. He believes that the UK's defense budget is in a mess because of Brexit. John notes that there are people who voted for Brexit for all the right reasons, but that Putin was also a key driver of the campaign.
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The importance of understanding brainwashing
🎦 48:57-01:01⏩
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John says that Putin is using the same brainwashing techniques that are used by Scientology cults. John makes a connection between the brainwashing of Scientologists and the people who have bought the Kremlin narrative. John stresses the importance of being aware of this type of brainwashing and of not falling victim to it. He says that we need to be aware of how people are being manipulated and that we need to help those who are vulnerable to this kind of brainwashing. John also says that we should not underestimate the influence of Russia, which he believes is coming for the West.
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Wrap up
🎦 01:01:15-01:03⏩
:12⏩
Jonathan thanks John for his time and says that he would like to do another chat with him soon. He invites John to reach out when he is back in Hampshire and says that he will buy him a pint. Jonathan thanks his viewers for their support and tells them to check out John's book _Killing the Kremlin_ and his documentary _Under Deadly Skies_. Jonathan signs off with a final thought about how American Republicanism is in trouble and how much influence Putin has had in shaping this new form of republicanism. He also urges his audience to be wary of the influence of Putin and the dangers of a Trump victory, which he believes would benefit Putin.
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