Ukraine War Update NEWS: Military Aid
Table of Contents 📖
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"This is a visit by a difficult partner with whom we are discussing a whole range of dossiers"
Hello Team!
Jonathan's son won his football cup match 4-0. This is the third part of the Ukraine War News Update for 18th November 2023.
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US Aid to Ukraine Delayed
- New US aid for Ukraine risks slipping to mid-December or later, casting doubt on the ability to maintain the vital flow of weapons
- The House and Senate have passed their versions of the defense policy bill (NDAA) but need to agree on the final amount in conference
- Conservatives are frustrated at the delay in going to conference on the NDAA
- A short-term spending measure has been passed to fund the government until mid-December
- Bipartisan negotiations are ongoing to decide top-line spending levels for fiscal 2024
Hungary Blocks New Russia Sanctions
Hungary has completely blocked the discussion of a new package of sanctions against Russia according to journalist Radius Svoboda. Hungary continues to be a spanner in the works for anything positive for Ukraine from the EU.
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Turkey's Stance Causing Tension
- Turkey is playing both sides - still trading with Russia while also supporting Ukraine militarily
- Turkey's actions in helping Russia obtain sanctioned components for its arms industry may make Turkey itself a candidate for sanctions
- German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is expected to deny Turkey's request to purchase Eurofighter Typhoon jets due to multiple points of contention:
- Turkey's acquisition of Russian air defenses
- Military actions against Kurdish forces in Syria
- Delays in ratifying Sweden's NATO membership
- Erdogan labeling Israel as a terrorist state
- Tensions have escalated but Germany is reluctant to sell the jets despite the economic benefits
French Company Alstom to Leave Russia
French engineering giant Alstom is set to sell its 20% stake in Russian rail car manufacturer Transmash holding (TMH) by the end of 2023. This follows other major Western companies like Shell and ExxonMobil pulling out of Russia, leaving their oil and gas industry constrained.
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Russian Disinformation in Europe
- Since Feb 2022, Russia has launched over 13,000 fake news publications about Ukraine in 6 European countries (Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy)
- These contained more than 2,500 different fake narratives
- Poland had the highest percentage at 24.7%, followed by Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Germany and Italy
- Platforms like YouTube and Twitter are being used to spread this disinformation
Controversy over Elon Musk's Twitter Stance
- Elon Musk has come under fire for appearing to validate extreme anti-Semitic views on Twitter
- A report claims anti-Semitic content praising Hitler is being placed alongside ads from major companies
- Musk has threatened to sue the group behind the report but many see double standards in his content moderation
- He stated anyone advocating genocide will be suspended but Russian disinformation seems to get a pass
- Major advertisers are pulling out of Twitter as a result of the controversy
Germany-Ukraine Security Talks
Ukraine and Germany will begin talks on bilateral security guarantees. A Ukrainian official stated "Germany is our reliable partner and one of the leaders in financial, military and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine."
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Refugee Influx to Finland from Russia
- 163 refugees arrived in Finland through the Russian border in one day, compared to only 335 total since the start of the year
- There are claims Russia is motivating illegal immigrants from the Middle East, Persia and Africa to pass through Finland to cause social division
- Finland has now suspended work at southern border checkpoints with Russia in response to this huge spike in refugee arrivals which points to Russian involvement
Wrap up
Jonathan invites viewers to share their thoughts on the Elon Musk Twitter controversy and how it pertains to Ukraine, noting the double standards in Musk's stance on calling out genocidal rhetoric. He signs off asking viewers to like, subscribe and share the video.
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