Ben+Billy Bob lay out a hot-off-the-press Headline Summary for your use!
I’ve already printed out my copy. Watch the show they co-hosted this week (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003511545399),
Blowback: Exposing Imperial Decline
https://www.youtube.com/@BlowbackExposingImperial-hh8ig
Outline
TOPICAL
UKRAINE POUNDED – We have an answer to the Odessa beach strike. So now Ukraine needs submarines too.
ORBÁN PEACE MISSION – He can either get some dialogue – he won’t – or he can say he tried. Global South is with him.
NATO #75 SUMMIT – Overshadowed by turmoil at home, economic woes, military unpreparedness, and Russian strikes.
BIDEN UNDER SIEGE? – Looks like the Dem establishment really wants him out, debate terrified them perhaps?
FRANCE UNGOVERNABLE – ‘mosaic’ strategy that failed in Hungary worked. Who will lead any coalition now?
VIDEOCLIPS
Another day another hug : https://x.com/DD_Geopolitics/status/1810362668865216897
Visiting horse stables : https://x.com/BearGeopolitics/status/1810396674000564590
Riding the golf cart : https://x.com/MenchOsint/status/1810373118436978690
US booted out of Niger : https://x.com/simpatico771/status/1810251058641334535
Orbán Russia : https://x.com/MyLordBebo/status/1810381844912738732
Paris chaos : https://x.com/SprinterFamily/status/1810400386706190547
BATTLEGROUND EURASIA
COUNTRY 404
– 404: Ukraine needs Western submarines to expand Black Sea activities – ‘Navy’ cmdr Neizpapa ( Ukro Pravda )
– 404: ‘Leaked’ documents suggest 464k-728k Russian soldiers killed or injured by mid-June ( Kyiv ‘Independent’ )
– 404: Russia strikes Kiev, Dnipro, Krivoy Rog, Sloviansk, Kramatorsk, Pokrvosk on Monday ( Kyiv ‘Independent’ )
– 404: Elensky vows ‘retaliation‘ for Russian strikes – in Warsaw – called on allies to give firm response ( Reuters )
– 404: Elensky appeared in Warsaw to sign security agreement just as bombing took place ( Kyiv ‘Independent’ )
– 404: Ukraine wants Poland to protect its skies near the border – to be cleared with NATO first ( Euractiv )
– 404: Russia’s heaviest bombardment of Kiev in 4 months hits children’s hospital – Ukraine claims ( various )
– 404: 14 brigades are under armed, aid arriving too slowly – Elensky commented ( Kyiv ‘Independent )
– 404: Ukraine claims Russia hit decoys, not Patriots – Air force cmdr Mykola Oleshchu ( Reuters )
– 404: In Ukraine, killings of surrendering Russians divide an American-led unit ( NYT )
——————————————————
– RUC: Russia takes out 3 HIMARS systems in Ukraine, up to 10 foreign specialists operating them – MOD ( RT RU )
– RUC: US-made Patriot systems fail to protect themselves – Russian Air Force Gen Andrey Semyonov ( Tass RU )
– RUC: Chinese troops kick off joint anti-terrorism exercise in Belarus – on NATO’s Eastern Border ( Kyiv Post )
– RUC: Russia claims strikes on two Ukrainian Patriot systems – launch and radar – on Black Sea ( Tass RU )
– RUC: Russia rejects Kiev‘s allegations of Russian missile strike on civilian targets – MOD report ( Tass RU )
– RUC: US left INF treaty to build weapons to menace China – Deputy FM Sergei Ryabkov ( Tass RU )
– RUC: Russian specialists are studying captured Storm Shadow cruise missile warhead ( RIA RU )
– RUC: Ukrainian attempt to hijack Russian Tu-22M3 strategic bomber thwarted by FSB ( RT RU )
——————————————————
– RUC: Indian PM Modi arrived in Moscow, for first visit after re-election – 1st time in five years ( video )
– RUC: Indian PM Modi looking forward to meeting with is friend, Vladimir Putin – statement ( Tass RU )
– RUC: India looks forward to deepening strategic partnership with Russia – Modi ( Tass RU )
ORBÁN FLIES NATO SCREAMS
– 404: Elensky says Hungary‘s Orbán cannot be a mediator in Ukraine war – not coordinated with Kiev ( Reuters )
– 404: Elensky says Orbán didn’t tell him he was flying to Moscow – Hungary too weak to mediate ( Telex HU )
– 404: Ukraine is ready to take Hungary‘s place in the EU if it is excluded – FM Dymitro Kuleba ( Pravda RU )
——————————————————
– EUK: Orbán, Le Pen, Salvini form new – third largest – ‘far-right’ group ‘Patriots for Europe’ – ID dissolved ( Euractiv )
– EUK: The point of NATO is peace, not endless war – Viktor Orbán wrote an Op-Ed ( Newsweek 💬 )
– EUK: Viktor Orbán flies on surprise Peace Mission – Kiev > Moscow > Beijing > Washington ( various )
┝ People who freaked out over ‘appeasement’: Tusk, Michel, Ursula, Pressman, Borrell, Sikorski
┝ People who supported him, would have flown with him if not for health: Robert Fico
┝ Hungary canceled Baerbock meeting in Budapest to explain the ‘inappropriateness’ of trip ( Tagesschau DE )
┝ Hungary will fight pro-war propaganda – new law requires media transparency – Gulyás announced ( RT RU )
┝ Russia lauded him for his determination for peace – Dmitri Peskov ( Tass RU )
┝ trip ‘angered EU allies’ | ‘blindsided Western allies’ ( WaPo / Bloomberg )
┝ trip triggered ‘tidal wave’ of condemnations | ‘stirred EU outcry’ ( Politico EU / Reuters )
┝ He said main victims of the NATO Ukraine strategy are Europe’s economy and population ( Bild DE )
┝ He attacked the EU‘s ‘war policy’ – said it simply ‘copies the US‘ in interview ( Bild DE )
┝ He said ‘it’s hard to even imagine that Russia can be defeated’ in interview ( Bild DE )
┕ He supports China’s peace plan for Ukraine ( Tass RU )
——————————————————
– USC: Biden‘s health and Trump threat loom over NATO summit – EU leaders concerned by ‘unpredictable ally‘ ( Guardian UK )
– USC: China‘s support for Russia‘s war puts Beijing on NATO‘s threat list – ‘Ukraine today – East Asia of tomorrow ( WSJ )
– USC: The NATO alliance should not invite Ukraine to become a member – Open letter by experts ( Guardian UK 💬 )
– USC: The goal of Russia and China is the defeat of the US and NATO in Ukraine – Stoltenberg told CBS ( Sila RU )
– USC: Russia is trying to put a price tag on NATO’s involvement in Ukraine – Carnegie Russia director ( FT UK 💬 )
– USC: NATO will need 35-50 extra brigades – 5k-7k each – under new defense plans – military source ( Reuters ☆ )
– USC: Orbán is a security risk for NATO – should not be allowed at DC Summit – Anne Applebaum ( Bild DE )
– USC: South Korea‘s Yoon to discuss Pyongyang‘s ‘distinct threat’ to Europe at NATO summit ( Reuters ☆ )
– USC: Armenian Foreign Minister travels to Washington for NATO summit – CSTO member ( Reuters )
– USC: NATO is losing patience with one of its members – Canada needs to pay more ( Politico US )
– USC: World leaders descend on Washington for NATO summit – but brace for Trump ( WSJ )
– USC: NATO allies plan to pledge €40bn for Ukraine amid domestic turmoil at home ( FT UK )
——————————————————
– LAT: Argentina decides to apply for NATO membership, buy F-16s – DM Luis Alfonso Petri ( RT RU )
——————————————————
– ASO: Japan and Philippines to sign defense pact against China – Tokyo to train country it once conquered ( Politico US )
– ASO: ‘Ultimately, the US will abandon the Philippines as a broken tool‘ – Scott Ritter ( Global Times CN 💬 )
——————————————————
– RUC: NATO is threatening global peace and stability – Chinese FM spokesman Lin Jian ( RT RU )
ELECTIONS
– USC: Biden tells Democrats he is ‘running this race to the end’ – letter asks to stop talk about nominees ( WSJ )
┝ His strategy to make the race about Trump is suddenly in doubt – efforts to doubt ability backfire ( NYT )
┝ He accidentally said he was the ‘first black woman’ to serve in the White House ( Guardian UK )
┝ He warned Democrats that talk of replacing him helps Doland Trump ( Guardian UK )
┝ He told Americans that ‘only the Almighty can tell me to quit’ – in interview ( ABC )
┝ He wrote ‘I dare you to challenge me‘ – in letter to Democratic ‘elites’ ( Times UK )
┝ ‘Walk this way’ – he received instructions on how to reach a podium ( Times UK )
┝ Parkinson’s doctor made 10 White House visits – logs show ( Washington Times )
┕ He is not being treated for Parkinson’s – Karine Jean-Pierre said ( AP )
——————————————————
– EUK: 2nd French election ends in hung parliament, no obvious coalition, and riots on the streets ( Euronews )
┝ Nouveau Front Populaire 182, Ensemble 168, Rassemblement Nationale 143 ( seats )
┝ NATO feared a french withdrawal if Le Pen won – diplomatic sources ( Euractiv )
┝ Germany’s Scholz was ‘relieved’ the ‘far-right’ did not win in France ( Reuters )
┝ Russian ‘disinformation machine’ ‘likely’ tried to target French voters ( Euractiv )
┝ ‘Enthusiasm in Paris, Moscow disappointment, Kiev relief’ – Donald Tusk tweeted
┕ Macron refused PM Garbriel Attal’s resignation – for reasons of ‘stability’ ( AP )
—————————————————— UNSORTED ——————————————————
– AFR: Sahel military governments establish confederation – Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso signed documents ( RT RU )
– AFR: The German Military will abandon it’s air force base in Niger – negotiations failed to grant legal immunity to German soldiers ( DPA DE )
– AFR: ECOWAS warns of ‘disintegration’ as ‘juntas’ split from West African bloc ( Guardian UK )
– EUK: New UK Defence Secretary pledges to step up support for Ukraine on visit to Odessa – within 48 hours ( Defense UK )
– EUK: Berlin bans ‘Hamas’ red triangle symbol used to mark targets ( Telegraph UK )
– EUK: Latvian military began writing the word ‘Russia’ with a lowercase letter ( LSV LV )
– EUK: British finances in worst state since WW2 – Treasury Secretary Reeves paves way for tax rises ( Times UK )
– EUK: German Defense Minister deplores ‘meager military spending’ – budget increase less than a firth needed ( FT UK )
– RUC: China outspends the US in race for energy’s ‘holy grail’ – commercial fusion energy gets new investment ( WSJ ☆ )
– RUC: China’s new interception radar ‘can track 10 hypersonic missiles at Mach 20’ ( SCMP CN )
– EUK: New UK government expected to drop challenge to ICC over Netanyahu ( Guardian UK ☆ )
– USC: US says Iran’s presidential election was ‘not free or fair’ and won’t ‘lead to fundamental change in Iran’s direction’ ( AP )
– EUK: Nord Stream attack is said to have been planned ten years ago ( Welt DE )
– USC: US introduces vending machines to sell bullets – as easy as an ATM ( Telegraph UK )
– USC: Boeing to plead guilty to criminal fraud charge in 737 Max case ( WSJ )
– WEA: Iranian reformist wins presidency, seeks engagement with the West – Masoud Pezeshkian ( WaPo )
– WEA: Syrians in Türkiye fear for future after Erdogan confirms talks with Assad ( Reuters )
– ISR: Israeli troops return to Gaza City months after leaving – additional destruction and new displacement ( WSJ )
– ISR: Israel launches new Gaza City operation as negotiators meet ( WaPo )
– ISR: Israel’s victims in Gaza may have been as high as 186,000 – up to 8% of population ( Lancet UK )
APPENDIX : Legend
💬 = Opinion piece
☆ = Exclusive
USC = United States + Canada
RUC = Russia + China
EUK = Europe + United Kingdom | 404 = Ukraine
WEA = West Asia, formerly Middle East | ISR = Israel | PAL = Palestine
ASO = Australia + Oceania
AFR = Africa
LAT = Latin America