Ukraine War Update NEWS: Geopolitical News
Table of Contents 📖
"They failed to subjugate us then, they'll fail to subjugate Ukraine and us now."
Hello Team
🎦 00:00-00:49⏩
Jonathan welcomes everyone to the channel for another update on the geopolitical situation surrounding the war in Ukraine. This is the second part of the update for the 25th of February, and Jonathan notes that he will be splitting the news into two videos: one focusing on geopolitics, and another focusing on military aid.
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Germany Officially Adopts Ukrainian Spelling of Kyiv
🎦 00:49-01:33⏩
Jonathan begins by highlighting that, following on from his discussion in a previous video about the renaming of "Chicken Kiev" to "Chicken Kyiv", the German Foreign Ministry has officially adopted the Ukrainian spelling in its official country directory.
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G7 Vows to Crack Down on Sanctions Loopholes
🎦 01:33-02:10⏩
The G7 group of nations have promised to maintain sanctions against Russia and to reduce the use of loopholes that allow Western goods to enter Russia via nations such as Armenia and Kyrgyzstan. They have also vowed to keep Russian assets frozen. This comes on the second anniversary of the beginning of the war.
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Dutch Far-Right Leader Opposes Security Agreement With Ukraine
🎦 02:10-03:29⏩
Geert Wilders, leader of the Dutch far-right PVV party, has spoken out against signing a security agreement with Ukraine. This is despite the fact that the PVV is currently the largest minority party in the Dutch parliament. Jonathan expresses concern over Wilders' pro-Russian stance, noting that his popularity could be linked to Russian support for far-right parties across Europe.
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Jonathan Discusses the Benefits of Coalition Governments
🎦 03:29-08:16⏩
Jonathan digresses to discuss the benefits of coalition governments with a friend, arguing that proportional representation is a fairer voting system than first-past-the-post as it results in a wider range of views being represented in parliament. He uses the Green Party, SNP, and UKIP as examples of parties whose influence in UK politics is not reflective of the number of votes they receive. Jonathan posits that while coalitions can be slow to effect change, they do tend to moderate extreme views, citing the MAGA movement's influence in the US Republican Party as an example of what can happen when a two-party system fails to represent a broad spectrum of beliefs. He concludes that coalitions foster more sensible policy-making and that the two-party first-past-the-post voting system is "the poorest narrowest form of democracy you can get."
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German Foreign Minister: Ukraine was Prepared to Negotiate in March 2022
🎦 08:16-09:16⏩
Returning to the subject of Ukraine, Jonathan reports that German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has said that Ukraine had been willing to make concessions in negotiations with Russia that were taking place in Istanbul in March 2022 but that the talks fell apart following the emergence of evidence of Russian war crimes in Bucha.
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Dmitry Medvedev Threatens All-Out War With the West
🎦 09:16-10:13⏩
Jonathan plays a clip of Dmitry Medvedev, in which he threatens the West with "all-out war", including destabilization and terrorism. Jonathan argues that Russia is increasingly open about its intentions, and urges viewers to pay attention to what Russian politicians and propagandists are saying. He suggests that Medvedev is advocating for clandestine hybrid warfare techniques to be employed against the West.
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Biden Criticises House Speaker for Stalling on Ukraine Aid Bill
🎦 10:13-12:06⏩
Jonathan then plays a clip of Joe Biden, who criticises House Speaker Mike Johnson for delaying a vote on a new bipartisan bill that would release urgent funding for Ukraine, saying that the bill would pass easily if it was put to a vote. He describes Johnson's actions as "unforgivable". Jonathan agrees with Biden's assessment, noting that bipartisan support for Ukraine exists but is being obstructed by Johnson, who is effectively being blackmailed by the MAGA Republicans who are threatening to remove him if he tables the bill.
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Taiwan Concerned Over US Support for Ukraine
🎦 12:06-13:59⏩
Jonathan reports that there is growing concern in Taiwan that US support for Ukraine could come at the cost of Taiwanese security. He argues that robust, bipartisan US support for Ukraine would actually benefit Taiwan, as it would serve as a warning to China. He also expresses concern over Republican Representative Gallagher's attempts to position Taiwan and Ukraine in opposition to one another when it comes to US support.
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Polish Foreign Minister: Failure to Support Ukraine Would Have "Profound Consequences" for US Alliances
🎦 13:59-14:24⏩
Jonathan reports that Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski has warned that a failure by the US to continue supporting Ukraine would damage US credibility and lead to allies losing faith in Washington's ability to provide support, forcing them to look elsewhere for security guarantees. Jonathan notes that Sikorski made some interesting comments at the UN Security Council, which he will share with viewers shortly.
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Fox News Fact-Checks Trump Live on Air
🎦 14:24-17:05⏩
Jonathan expresses his approval for Fox News host Neil Cavuto's decision to cut away from a speech being made by Donald Trump in order to fact-check his claims about the US economy. He praises Cavuto for challenging Trump's lies, saying, "The former president is entitled to his opinion. He's not entitled to his own set of facts." Jonathan notes that this is the third time in a week that he has been impressed by Fox News' coverage - an event he describes as "unheard of".
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Jonathan Predicts Trump Will Lose 2024 Election
🎦 17:05-20:25⏩
Jonathan notes that Trump won the South Carolina Republican Primary against Nikki Haley with 60% of the vote, but argues that this is not enough to secure the presidency in 2024. He points out that Biden won the same primary in 2020 with 96.9% of the vote and that Haley's voters have indicated they would not vote for Trump in the general election. This, alongside other factors such as the abortion debate and the current strength of the US economy, leads Jonathan to conclude that barring any unforeseen circumstances, Trump is unlikely to win in 2024. He further argues that Trump is deeply unpopular with a significant proportion of the electorate, that he is facing financial ruin as a result of various legal challenges, and that the Republican Party is failing to fundraise. These factors, contrasted with Biden's success in uniting the Democratic Party and attracting significant campaign donations, lead Jonathan to conclude that Biden is in a strong position going into the 2024 election. Jonathan argues that this bodes well for Ukraine, as a second Trump presidency would likely see US support for the country withdrawn. However, he expresses concern that a divided Congress could still present an obstacle to the release of aid, should the Republicans retain control of either the House or the Senate.
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Radosław Sikorski Dismantles Russian Propaganda at UN Security Council
🎦 20:25-25:40⏩
Jonathan plays a clip from the UN Security Council meeting, in which Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski systematically debunks a series of claims made by the Russian ambassador. Among the Russian assertions that Sikorski refutes are:
- That Kyiv is a client state of the West.
- That the Ukrainian government is a "criminal Nazi regime".
- That Ukraine is a hotbed of corruption.
- That the US is guilty of neocolonialism.
- That fear of Russia is irrational.
- That NATO expansion to the East is a threat to Russian security interests.
- That Poland attacked Russia during World War II.
- That Russia has historically only ever acted defensively.
- That the 2014 Maidan Revolution was an illegal coup.
- That the West believes Russia can never be defeated.
Jonathan is clearly impressed with Sikorski's performance, describing it as "a masterclass" in dismantling Russian propaganda. He notes that Michael Clark, a commentator he admires, also approved of Sikorski's approach, describing it as "Calm, respectful, and so much more effective than spiteful anger."
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World Leaders Show Support for Ukraine on Anniversary of the Invasion
🎦 25:40-30:32⏩
Jonathan talks about the outpouring of support for Ukraine from around the world on the second anniversary of the Russian invasion. He shows footage of a number of world leaders visiting Ukraine to show their support, including:
- Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni
- Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo
- Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
- President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen
- Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson
He then shows footage of rallies and marches that took place in numerous cities across the globe, including:
- Vilnius
- London
- Brussels
- Prague
- Amsterdam
- Bucharest
- Belgrade
- Dublin
- Rome
- Washington D.C.
Jonathan notes that the marches in Belgrade and Washington were particularly significant, as they demonstrate that there is public support for Ukraine even in countries where the governments have close ties to Moscow.
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Russia Holds Pro-War Rally in Moscow
🎦 30:32-31:08⏩
Contrasting with the positive displays of support for Ukraine, footage is shown of a pro-war rally that took place in Moscow, featuring a stage that has been likened to a "temple of war".
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Slovakian Prime Minister Spreads Pro-Kremlin Propaganda
🎦 31:08-33:05⏩
Jonathan ends on a more concerning note by discussing comments made by recently-elected Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico, who has been accused of spreading pro-Kremlin talking points. In a video address, Fico repeated several well-worn Russian propaganda lines, such as blaming the West for the war, and claiming that it was started by Ukrainian neo-Nazis in 2014. He also stated that Ukraine joining NATO would lead to World War III. While he did acknowledge that the Russian invasion was a violation of international law, Jonathan expresses concern that Fico's comments will resonate with people who are unsure about who to support in the conflict.
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Wrap Up
🎦 33:05-33:28⏩
Jonathan thanks viewers for watching and says that he hopes to be joined by Greg for the next video in the series, which will focus on military aid to Ukraine.
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