I’ve already printed out my copy. Watch the show he co-hosted this week,

Blowback: Exposing Imperial Decline

https://www.youtube.com/@BlowbackExposingImperial-hh8ig

Outline

TOPICAL

BILHOROD 2.0 : Ukraine sacrificing scarce gear and ‘Russian’ volunteers for PR while losing everything on the front

THE VATNIKAN : Everybody’s pissed – especially ukro- and baltic nazis – at the pontiff for calling for negotiations..

ORBÁN-FICO : They’re coming for you, under your pillow! Rise in ‘populist’ anti-EU sentiment across the board.

NATO PAPER TIGER : Bluffs, ammo woes, ‘smart’ deals, and Trump specter all point to great fear.

US INTEL REPORT : Different takeaways but a perilous world ahead on all fronts for US Hegemony.

THE BOEING FILES : Boeing goes down the drain, whistleblower dead, while planning for anti-China fighter drones?

BATTLEGROUND 404

“We don’t see how we can invite people who block, destroy, and kill everything” – Elensky to Turkish Peace Summit.

404 REALITY

– 404: Russian drone spot Ukrainian Patriot AD near front line. Soon, Russian hypersonic missile streaked down ( Forbes )

– 404: ‘The Russians have more of everything’: Ukrainian forces struggle to hold back enemy in Mariinka ( Guardian UK )

– 404: Exhaustion, dwindling reserves and a commander who disappeared: How Ukraine lost Avdiivka to Russia ( AP )

– 404: Ukraine faces unequal ammunition resources amid Russian invasion – UAF officer ( NVo Ukraine )

– 404: Kiev security guard sentenced for warning residents about military summonses ( RT RU )

– 404: Russia’s new guided bomb inflicts heavy casualties on the Ukrainian front lines ( CNN )

– 404: US Troops ‘may have been killed’ in strike on Patriots in Ukraine: Russia ( Newsweek )

– 404: Three US Patriot launchers presumably destroyed near Pokrovsk in DPR ( TASS RU )

– 404: ‘We know what’s coming’ East Ukraine braces for Russian advance ( BBC UK )

– 404: Russia sets sights on new Ukraine target – Novomikhailovka ( Newsweek )

– 404: How Russia‘s deadly FAB-1500s could change shape of war ( Newsweek )

– 404: Villages tumble as Russia exposes Ukraine’s vulnerable defenses ( CNN )

– 404: Putin captures German high-tech tank – Leopard 2A6 MBT ( Bild DE )

404 LEADERSHIP

– 404: Zaluzhny found unfit for further military service before his appointment as ambassador to UK ( Ukro Pravda )

– 404: As ambassador Zaluzhny fated to face London’s fatigue over propping up Kiev – Pristaiko ( TASS RU )

context: ‘Great Britain has mostly exhausted its resources, including military ones’

– 404: Ukraine’s sacked military commander named new ambassador to the UK ( Independent UK )

– 404: Elite Ukrainian Armed Forces discuss overthrowing Elensky – source ( Sputnik RU )

– 404: Elensky names Ukraine‘s Ex-top General – Zaluzhny – Ambassador to UK ( NYT )

– 404: Elensky considers the removal of Foreign Minister Kuleba ( Agenzia Nova IT )

404 MONEY GRIFT

– 404: Ukraine needs $37 billion from partners to cover budget deficit, $10 billion urgently – FM ( NVo Ukraine )

– 404: Ukraine scrambles to fill US funding gap – Japan, Canada talks, tax hikes, spend cuts ( FT UK )

– USC: Fmr UK PM Johnson slams Kiev aid skeptics in US, urging ‘to give Ukraine everything it needs to win’ ( NVo Ukraine )

– USC: Time is running out in Ukraine – Kiev cannot capitalize on ‘Russian military weakness’ without US aid ( Foreign Affairs )

– USC: The $1t race – ECB data – to rebuild Ukraine is slowly getting going – US–EU companies signing up ( Bloomberg )

– USC: US State Department and German Marshall Fund present joint initiative to rebuild Ukrainian cities ( Ukro Pravda )

– USC: German Vice Chancellor – Habeck – confident in US Congress approval of aid to Ukraine ( Ukro Pravda )

– USC: US State Department beefs up US diplomatic presence in Kiev – arms companies ( Foreign Policy )

– USC: Yellen says US Congress inaction on Ukraine aid is “gift” to Putin, Iran ( Reuters )

– USC: Ukraine will lose only if MAGA Republicans cut off US aid – Max Boot ( WaPo )

– USC: US House Republicans consider a loan program for some Ukraine aid ( NBC )

– RUC: Ukraine already bankrupt long ago, former PM Azarov says ( TASS RU )

404 COPIUM, HOPIUM

– 404: Ukraine produces UAVs in sufficient quantities to bleed Russia‘s rear and frontline capabilities ( NVo Ukraine )

– 404: In Berdychi, Ukraine‘s M-1 Abrams tanks made their last stand – and halted the Russian advance ( Forbes )

– 404: Russian advances stopped, says Elensky – ‘we have recovered our situation in the east’ ( Guardian UK )

– 404: Elensky at Headquarters: Ukraine builds 2000 kilometers of fortifications in three lanes ( Ukro Pravda )

– 404: Ukraine war film ‘20 days in Mariupol’ joins Oppenheimer among Oscars 2024 winners ( Politico EU )

– 404: How the Ukrainians are defeating Russia – Black sea drone offense – Tom Sharpe ( Telegraph UK )

– 404: Ukrainian agriculture belongs in the EU, says Kiev’s top trade official – Taras Kachka ( Politico EU )

– 404: Ukraine begins official negotiations with regulators on launching international flights ( Ukro Pravda )

– 404: Elensky: Ukrainian Oscar winner shows ‘the truth about Russia’s war crimes’ ( Telegraph UK )

– 404: US, Japan weigh ramping up military aid to Ukraine amid ammunition crunch ( NVo Ukraine )

– 404: ‘We paid a terrible price’: Olena Zelenska reacts to Ukraine‘s Oscar triumph ( NVo Ukraine )

– 404: US and Japan discuss defense cooperation which may help Ukraine ( Ukro Pravda )

– 404: Ukraine to launch ‘serious operation’ in Crimea – Budanov ( Telegraph UK )

– USC: Russia is pumping out weapons – but can It keep it up? – figures ‘may be misleading’ ( WSJ )

– USC: Russia suffering missile production headache, according to Kiev ( Newsweek )

– USC: US and Japan mull defense deal that could aid Ukraine ( Taipei Times )

– USC: Russia suffers spike in Anti-Aircraft weapon losses: Kiev ( Newsweek )

– USC: Putin sacks Russian Navy Chief amid crippling losses ( Newsweek )

– USC: Russia is running out of A-50 Spy Planes ( Newsweek )

NUCLEAR BS

– 404: IAEA chief doesn’t consider Ukrainian personnel’s lack of access to ZNPP a threat to nuclear safety ( Ukro Pravda )

– 404: US prepared for “non-nuclear” response if Russia used nuclear weapons against Ukraine ( Ukro Pravda )

– 404: Russia can start ground invasion of NATO without using nuclear weapons – Elensky ( NVo Ukraine )

– 404: Ukraine interested in cooperation with Korea in infrastructure, nuclear projects ( Ukrinform )

– 404: Safety at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant worsening, Ukraine says ( Reuters )

– USC: Exclusive: US prepared ‘rigorously’ for potential Russian nuclear strike in Ukraine, late 2022 ( CNN )

– USC: Biden’s Armageddon moment: When nuclear detonation seemed possible in Ukraine ( NYT )

– USC: US prepared for Russia‘s nuclear strike on Ukraine in late 2022 ( MSN )

– RUC: Kremlin dismisses reports that Russia considered nuclear strike on Ukraine as speculation – Peskov ( TASS RU )

404 BILHOROD 2.0

– 404: Russian partisans use tanks to move on Russian border towns in the Belgorod and Kursk oblasts ( NVo Ukraine )

– 404: Russian fighters loyal to Ukraine launch biggest cross-border attacks of war ( Times UK )

– 404: Putin defectors vow to ‘Liberate Russia‘ as tanks roll in from Ukraine ( Newsweek )

– 404: Rogue Russian soldiers clash with spy service in cross border raid ( Telegraph UK )

– 404: Ukrainian drone crashed into the Belgorod administration building ( TASS RU )

– 404: Ukraine knocks out Russian refinery in major attack ( Reuters )

– RUC: Russia denies Ukraine-based armed groups have entered territory; drones hit Russian fuel refineries ( Guardian UK )

– RUC: What we know about attempts by Ukrainian forces to enter Belgorod, Kursk regions ( TASS RU )

context: 100 people, 6 tanks, 1 Caesar mobile artillery, 20 apcs lost – FSB, MoD

404 NO PEACE

– WEA: Erdoğan offers to host Ukraine–Russia peace summit after meeting Elensky ( Euractiv )

– WEA: Türkiye and US discuss ways to end Russian aggression in Ukraine ( NVo Ukraine )

– WEA: Türkiye ready to host Ukraine–Russia peace summit, says Erdogan ( France 24 )

– WEA: Elensky rejects proposed Peace Summit, negotiation with Russia ( Sputnik RU )

---

THE WESTERN 404 MESS

“Navalny will become a giant figure in Russian history” – Maria Pevchikh, longtime aide

“Circular exchange is a German invention. That would be an option” – Baerbock, about Taurus-Storm Shadow

“A sign to the Commission president that the rule of law can’t be traded for deals with Orbán” – Daniel Freund MEP

THE VATNIKAN

– VAT: Vatican diplomats seek to defuse outrage over Pope Francis’ Ukraine ‘white flag’ comments ( AP )

– VAT: Pope says Ukraine should have ‘courage of the white flag’ of negotiations ( Reuters )

– 404: Ukraine‘s FM responds to Pope‘s calls for “white flag”: “Our flag is yellow and blue” ( Ukro Pravda )

– 404: Elensky hits back at Pope’s push for Ukraine to ‘wave the white flag’ ( Telegraph UK )

– 404: Ukraine criticizes Pope Francis‘ call to negotiate with Russia ( Telegraph UK )

– 404: Elensky sharply rejects Pope‘s appeal for negotiations with Russia ( DPA DE )

– EUK: Evil must be fought and defeated, Latvian President responds to Pope’s outrageous ‘white flag’ statement ( NVo Ukraine )

– EUK: Pope provokes outrage by saying Ukraine should ‘raise white flag’ and end war with Russia ( Guardian UK )

– EUK: Responding to pope, NATO boss says Ukraine needs weapons, not white flags ( Reuters )

– EUK: Pope Francis’ ‘white flag’ comment is met by criticism from Ukraine and its allies ( AP )

– EUK: Pope Francis‘ Ukraine comments spark furious Backlash ( Newsweek )

– ASO: Japanese government responds to Pope‘s statement: Ukraine‘s will must be respected ( Nikkei JP )

– RUC: Kremlin says appeal by Pope Francis for Ukraine talks is quite understandable ( Reuters )

THE ORBÁN-FICO EFFECT

– EUK: European populists join the Kremlin in anti-sanctions fight – falsely claim sanctions hurt Europe more ( Foreign Policy )

– EUK: Austrian Spar supermarket accuses Hungary’s Viktor Orbán over retail tax – complains to EU over increase ( FT UK )

– EUK: Slovakia’s president warns Robert Fico is testing ‘limits of democracy’ – takes inspiration from Hungary ( FT UK )

– EUK: Slovak parliament deputy speaker claims Russia invaded Ukraine to ‘protect its interests’ ( Ukro Pravda )

– EUK: Liberal Hungarian MEP: Orbán, Trump could ‘sabotage’ NATO during US visit ( Euractiv )

– EUK: Slovakia faces increasing isolation as allies exclude it from Ukraine meeting ( Euractiv )

– EUK: MEPs gear up to sue Commission over release of €10 billion for Hungary ( Euronews )

– EUK: Donald Trump won’t give ‘a penny’ to Ukraine if elected, Orbán says ( Politico EU )

– EUK: Orbán takes cue from Putin in repressing dissent – US funding targeted ( FT UK )

– EUK: Brussels vs. Brussels: EU Parliament to sue Commission over Hungary cash ( Politico EU )

– USC: ‘Ukraine cannot win this war’ Hungarian minister says talks with Russia a must ( Washington Times )

– USC: Biden criticizes Trump’s Mar-a-Lago meeting with Orbán – looking for dictatorship ( Guardian UK )

– USC: ‘He’s looking for dictatorship’: Joe Biden rips Viktor Orbán‘s Mar-a-lago visit ( Huffpost )

– USC: Trump lavishes praise on Orbán during fete at Mar-a-Lago ( Bloomberg )

– USC: Orbán meeting offers preview of Trump’s 2nd term strongman idealizations ( CNN )

context: Orbán‘s taking his blueprint on dismantling democracy to Trump

THE US INTEL REPORT

– 404: Ukraine a disaster for Russia, but the deadlock is shifting Moscow‘s favor, US intelligence says ( Business Insider )

– 404: Intelligence Community Report warns lawmakers about US disengagement from Ukraine ( VOA / CIA )

– 404: Ukraine to lose significant ground to Russia without US support, head of CIA warns ( Telegraph UK )

– 404: War in Ukraine is shifting in Russia’s favor, US spies warn ( Bloomberg )

– ISR: US assessment: Hamas likely to pose armed threat to Israel ‘for years to come’ ( TO Israel )

– ISR: US intelligence report states Netanyahu’s viability to lead Israel is in jeopardy ( CNN )

– ISR: Benjamin Netanyahu‘s rule ‘in jeopardy’, says US intelligence report ( FT UK )

– USC: US faces ‘increasingly fragile world order’ amid Russia and China threat ( Guardian UK )

– USC: US intel chiefs warn of threats to “increasingly fragile World Order” ( TIME US )

– RUC: US Intelligence Report – Russia does not want conflict with US and NATO ( Ria, Sputnik RU )

– RUC: Russia doesn’t want direct conflict with US, NATO – US intelligence Report ( TASS RU )

context: Russia is described as ‘a stable and capable adversary’

US WASHES HANDS

– USC: What will more aid to Ukraine accomplish? – limits to what Kiev can do, no viable endgame ( Responsible Statecraft )

– USC: How deep does corruption run in Ukraine? – progress but ‘record continues to haunt’ ( Foreign Policy )

– USC: David Sacks: how US involvement in Ukraine backfired – everything happened in reverse ( UnHerd )

– USC: This Prophetic academic now foresees the West’s defeat – Emmanuel Todd about his book ( NYT )

– USC: NATO should not accept Ukraine – for Ukraine‘s sake – Kiev would be worse off ( Foreign Policy )

– USC: Trump is right on NATO spending – forcing Europeans to contribute more ( Foreign Policy )

– USC: NATO can have Ukraine or the USA – not both – Sen. Mike Lee ( American Conservative )

– USC: Michael Brenner: The West’s Reckoning? – moral and economic suicide ( Scheerpost )

IDEA: PANIC!

– 404: Putin could destroy Baltic cities as he did with Bakhmut and Avdiivka, Ukraine‘s FM says ( Ukro Pravda )

– 404: If Russia is not stopped in Ukraine, there will be a war in Europe, Ukrainian FM ( NVo Ukraine )

– 404: Ukraine issues ominous warning to NATO over Russia threat – Kuleba ( Newsweek )

– EUK: Sweden’s PM: Europe needs to talk China, defense spending to keep US support on Ukraine ( Politico EU )

– EUK: Europe must be ready for US to quit NATO, diplomats warn – in light of threats by Trump ( Telegraph UK )

– EUK: The post-war epoch is gone. We are living in new times: in a pre-war epoch – Czech PM Pavel ( Rté IE )

– EUK: Russia is building an ‘axis of the anti-West’ – Mark Galeotti – spring time for ‘autocracies’ ( Times UK )

– EUK: Shift in Ukraine war raises alarms for the UK – Shapps issues ‘wake up call’ in Kiev ( Newsweek )

– EUK: Bunkers and sirens: municipalities are demanding billions of dollars ( Berliner Morgenpost DE )

– EUK: Top Polish leaders to visit White House, hoping to spur US to help Ukraine more ( AP )

IDEA: CONJURE CASH, AMMO

– EUK: Czech Republic backtracks on finding cash to buy 800k shells for Ukraine – found cash for 300k – PM Fiala ( Politico EU )

– EUK: Bond investors lining up to fund the war against Putin – fund mgrs. want EU issue debt to upgrade defense ( Bloomberg )

– EUK: Wasteful Britain needs to buy new arsenal for war with Russia – doubts over NATO, threats, rearmament ( Telegraph UK )

– EUK: Ukraine could deploy F-16s as soon as July but only a few – six from Denmark, because delivery is complex ( NYT )

– EUK: The EU and UK need a new security deal fit for a more dangerous world – freeloaders need British help ( FT UK )

– EUK: EU countries are running out of weapons, says Borrell – recommends ‘common loan’ to replenish ( Politico EU )

– EUK: Johnson’s secret flight to meet autocrat Maduro in Venezuela – discuss Ukraine weapons in Feb ( Times UK )

– EUK: Polish President to propose NATO Spends 3% of GDP on Defense – in talks w. Biden ( Reuters, Bloomberg )

– EUK: Brussels aims to fast track up to €3bn for Ukraine from frozen Russian assets – ready in June ( FT UK )

– EUK: Raise defense spending ‘now’, Tugendhat – state security minister – tells Sunak ( Telegraph UK )

– EUK: West is conducting all-out militarization in attempts to defeat Putin – Vucic ( TASS )

– EUK: Lithuania could start mass-producing combat drones in late 2024 ( Ukro Pravda )

– EUK: UK to supply more than 10,000 drones to Ukraine – Press release ( Gov UK )

IDEA: BE BALTIC MIDGET

– EUK: Lithuanian FM advises supporters of “peace” with Russia watch Ukrainian documentary about Mariupol ( Ukro Pravda )

– EUK: A man has been arrested in Latvia for connecting residents to Russian TV channels banned in the country ( Pravda RU )

– EUK: Latvia seeks a bigger role in Europe‘s standoff with Russia – PM Evika Silina in Poland ( WPR )

– EUK: Latvian police to ‘screen’ Russian voters outside Moscow‘s embassy ( ‘Moscow’ Times NL )

– EUK: 80 years ago: Estonia commemorates the March 1944 bombings ( Global Estonian + X )

– EUK: China interference in Lithuania polls ‘can’t be ruled out’, says security chief ( Reuters )

– EUK: Lithuania’s uneasy spot on Europe’s frontlines of Russia–Ukraine War ( Bloomberg )

– EUK: Lithuania strips ballerina’s citizenship over pro-Putin remarks ( ‘Moscow’ Times NL )

– EUK: Russia‘s espionage against Latvia could go up even more ( Baltic News Network )

– EUK: Russia prepares for long-term standoff in Baltic, Lithuania Says ( Bloomberg )

– EUK: Lithuania enacts ban on cars with Russian license plates ( TASS RU )

– EUK: Latvia approves Eastern border defense plan ( Militarnyi UA )

– RUC: Russia imposed sanctions against 347 citizens of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia ( TASS RU )

– RUC: Russia imposes entry ban on prime ministers of Latvia, Estonia ( TASS RU )

IDEA: THE HOPE STRATEGY

– EUK: Meet the Russian women taking on Putin – ‘Power vacuum’, Navalnaya, Tsikhanovskaya ( Politico EU )

– EUK: The Guardian view on Russia’s democratic opposition: a resilient spirit that needs help ( Guardian UK )

– EUK: New EU sanctions detail Putin‘s ‘torture’ of Navalny ( EUobserver )

– USC: US unveils biggest sanctions package on Russia since war began – still set to grow 1.5% in 2024 ( Bloomberg )

– USC: Oscars’ in memoriam: Academy honors Aleksei Navalny and Andrea Bocelli performs ( NYT )

– USC: Navalny will be back, but only after Putin’s rule is over – he loved Terminator 2 ( CNN )

– USC: Russia responsible for Navalny‘s death, UN rights expert says ( Reuters )

– USC: Navalny’s heirs seek a political future in Russia ( NYT )

IDEA: RELEASE THE BULL!

– EUK: UK officially proposes Germany exchange Taurus for Storm Shadow missiles to provide them to Ukraine ( Ukro Pravda )

– EUK: Bundestag official says Scholz should not “stand in way” of Taurus / Storm Shadow swap – Greens ( Ukro Pravda )

– EUK: London ‘ready to consider all options’ to speed up delivery of German Taurus missiles to Ukraine ( NVo Ukraine )

– EUK: UK Foreign Secretary Cameron calls on Germany to supply Ukraine with Taurus missiles ( NVo Ukraine )

– EUK: Baerbock urges German coalition to ‘intensively consider’ Taurus deliveries to Ukraine ( Politico EU )

– EUK: Scholz’s refusal to send missiles to Ukraine ‘pleases only Putin’ – Strack-Zimmerman ( Times UK )

– EUK: Macron and Scholz, never close, spar over policy toward Ukraine and Russia ( NYT )

– EUK: UK to Germany: Sending Taurus missiles won’t escalate Ukraine war ( Politico EU )

IDEA: SEND TROOPS!

– 404: World must bring down Putin‘s ‘sick fantasy’, says Elensky; NATO soldiers ‘already present’ in Ukraine ( Sky UK )

– 404: Ukraine‘s FM leaves for Vilnius to hold talks with Baltic states and France ( Ukro Pravda )

– EUK: France wants to boost aid for Ukraine and contribute to strategic uncertainty for Russia ( FM Séjourné > Ukro Pravda )

– EUK: Poland‘s foreign minister – Sikorski – says the presence of NATO troops in Ukraine is ‘not unthinkable’ ( ABC )

– EUK: France finds Baltic allies in its spat with Germany over Ukraine troop deployment ( Politico EU )

– EUK: NATO support in Ukraine not against international rules, says Czech president Pavel ( Euractiv )

– EUK: Macron ready to send troops to Ukraine if Russia approaches Kiev or Odessa ( Kyiv Post )

– EUK: Macron: West may need to save Ukraine if Russia makes breakthrough ( Telegraph UK )

– EUK: Emmanuel Macron rebrands himself as anti-Russia hawk to German fury ( Times UK )

– EUK: Macron set for postponed Ukraine trip ‘in coming weeks’: presidency ( AFP FR )

– EUK: Macron delays Kiev visit amid tensions over Ukraine comments ( Politico EU )

– EUK: Germany ‘riddled with Russian spies’, warns Ukraine‘s Danilov ( Times UK )

– EUK: Macron postpones Ukraine visit for third time in a month ( Rfi FR )

– USC: With NATO ‘stuck’ retired US colonel says it’s time to send EU troops to Ukraine – Alexander Crowther ( RFE / CIA )

– RUC: Russian diplomat calls on NATO to stop denying presence of its military in Ukraine – Zakharova ( TASS )

– RUC: Paris’ belligerence on Ukraine masks geopolitical failure in francophone Africa ( Izvestia RU )

IDEA: PROJECT CONFIDENCE

– EUK: Former UK PM Johnson backs Ukraine’s NATO bid, citing clear need for security ( NVo Ukraine )

– EUK: An expanding NATO uses its diversity as strength. Member troops know Russia is watching ( AP )

– EUK: NATO’s biggest drills since the Cold War send a signal to Russia and aim for a real-life feel ( AP )

– EUK: Sweden joining NATO shows Putin’s war strategy has failed, says Stoltenberg ( Guardian UK )

– EUK: Sweden Enters NATO, a blow to Moscow and a boost to the Baltic Nations ( NYT )

– EUK: NATO moving missiles closer to Russia‘s borders – to Lithuania ( Newsweek )

– EUK: Sweden makes it ‘home’ as flag hoisted at NATO headquarters ( Euractiv )

– EUK: Sweden joins ‘Nato lake’ on Moscow‘s doorstep ( FT UK )

IDEA: DON’T

– EUK: NATO chief confirms there are no plans to send alliance troops to Ukraine – Macron should consult allies ( Guardian UK )

– EUK: Slovak defense minister: Instead of NATO troops, send draft-age Ukrainian men back home to fight ( Politico EU )

– EUK: NATO does not currently see military threat from Russia – Secretary General Stoltenberg ( TASS RU )

– EUK: France‘s defense minister says sending combat troops to Ukraine ‘not on table’ ( Le Monde FR )

– EUK: UK foreign secretary opposes sending troops to Ukraine, even for exercises ( Ukro Pravda )

– EUK: Macron must be bluffing – or trying to start a new world war – Hamish DBG ( Telegraph UK )

– EUK: Czech instructors could become legitimate targets in Ukraine, experts agree ( Lidovky CZ )

– EUK: Italian defense minister opposes sending troops to Ukraine ( Ukro Pravda )

– EUK: War fever – Russia will not attack NATO – John Foreman ( Spectator UK )

– EUK: Macron‘s half-pivot on the Ukraine war lacks credibility ( NZZ DE )

– EUK: Galbraith: How Russia benefited from sanctions – unintended gift ( Mysl Polska )

context: cut off Europe from resources it needs, and Russia from goods it does not need.

– USC: Biden says no need for more US troops ahead of Poland’s request ( Bloomberg )

---

STATE OF THE WEST

WHAT’S UP WITH BOEING?

– USC: Boeing whistleblower John Barnett found dead in US – in his truck with ‘self-inflicted’ wound ( BBC )

context: retired 2017, died days after testifying about company, was going again on Saturday

– USC: Passenger on Boeing flight that suddenly dropped says pilot told him he lost control after instrument failure ( CNN )

– USC: Boeing whistleblower urged Alaska to ground 737 Max before blowout ( Business Insider 1w )

– USC: NZ to seize black boxes from LATAM Boeing 787 as passengers recount incident ( Reuters )

– USC: At least 50 hurt as LATAM’s Boeing 787 to Auckland ‘just dropped’ mid-flight ( Reuters )

– USC: Justice Department opens probe, interviews crew in Alaska Airlines blowout ( WSJ )

– USC: Boeing failed 33 out of 89 audits during FAA examination: report ( Fox business )

– USC: Boeing is in big trouble – LATAM 787 dreamliner plunges mid-flight ( CNN )

– USC: FAA audit of Boeing‘s 737 Max production found dozens of issues ( NYT )

THE ELECTIONS – DISINFO PANIC

– USC: A fascist, totalitarian future awaits us – my testimony to Congress – Jordan Peterson on Canada ( Telegraph UK )

– USC: National Interest Editor Jacob Heilbrunn on MSNBC: Donald Trump threatens democracy ( National Interest )

– USC: The West is still oblivious to Russia’s Information War – still loath to act because ‘free speech’ ( Foreign Policy )

– USC: Joe Biden promises taxes on billionaires and better border security in bid to woo voters ( Telegraph UK )

– USC: Psychiatrist sees signs Biden was medicated for State of the Union performance ( Washington Times )

– USC: Canada considers hows arrest for people at risk of committing hate crimes ( Telegraph UK )

– USC: The lie detectives: Trump, US politics and the disinformation damage done ( Guardian UK )

– USC: Disinformation is tearing America apart – threatens foundations of Democracy ( TIME )

– USC: FT-Michigan Ross poll: Why do US voters not trust Biden on the economy? ( FT UK )

– USC: US ‘prepper’ culture diversifies amid fear of disaster and political unrest ( Reuters )

– USC: Elon Musk sometimes seems Trumpy. But is he for Trump? – it is unclear ( WSJ )

– USC: Why it’s hard to explain Joe Biden’s unpopularity – because it’s NYT ( NYT )

– USC: Spate of mock news sites with Russian ties pop up in US ( NYT )

– EUK: Farmers in yellow hats are turning the heat up on Macron. Is the far right leading them? ( Politico EU )

– EUK: ‘They want to destroy our Europe’: von der Leyen condemns rise of populism ( Guardian UK )

– EUK: A youthquake is propelling a far-right surge across Europe – beginning in Portugal ( WaPo )

– EUK: Brussels’ spy problem is the tip of the iceberg, says Belgian justice minister ( Politico EU )

– EUK: Sunak: I’ll squeeze benefits to fund more tax cuts for workers ( Times UK interview )

– EUK: UK government to Pro-Palestinian protesters: You’ve gone too far ( WSJ )

– EUK: Scholz enlists CEOs, workers in bid to check far-right surge ( Bloomberg )

– EUK: Portugal’s far right party looks to capitalize on protest vote ( Bloomberg )

– EUK: Portuguese center-right party claims narrow election win ( Euronews )

– EUK: Mainstream Europarties should spurn radical populists ( Politico EU )

– EUK: Macron pushes far-right to show its colors on Russia ( FT UK )

– EUK: Portugal votes in a tight race with a hard-right surge ( NYT )

THE ECONOMY – MELTING

– EUK: Britain should make a bold offer to Elon Musk after his German disaster – capitalize on Berlin crisis ( Telegraph UK )

– EUK: Eurogroup says new fiscal rules will require public spending cuts – investor needs ‘paramount’ ( Euractiv )

– EUK: Greece approves ending state monopoly on university education, despite student protests ( Euronews )

– EUK: European farmers say they’re being screwed by Big Food. Is a price floor the answer? ( Politico EU )

– EUK: ‘We are a car country’: German conservatives commit to reverse combustion engine ban ( Euractiv )

– EUK: Germany‘s Bundeswehr falls short on funding to cover basic expenses – $5.5b ( Al Mayadeen LE )

– EUK: Chip Titan ASML suffers new strain of ‘Dutch Disease’ – threatens to go to France ( Bloomberg )

– EUK: Germany’s backbone of 3m Family-Owned Firms is up for sale – at breaking point ( Bloomberg )

– EUK: Euroviews. Farmers have nothing to fear from green and animal welfare reforms ( Euronews )

– EUK: New €6 billion hole discovered – Pistorius warns! Now NATO quota is shaking ( Bild DE )

– EUK: German Defense Minister warns of a €6 billion shortfall for the Bundestag ( Bild > UNN )

– EUK: BP – after Shell – to scale back German refining operations on high costs ( Bloomberg )

– EUK: EU to extend Ukrainian agriculture free trade, adding safeguards for farmers ( Rfi FR )

– EUK: France, worried about Olympics strikes, will pay government workers more ( WaPo )

– EUK: Sunak announces new gas power stations to ease UK blackout risk ( Telegraph UK )

– EUK: It’s official: The UK is second-most miserable nation in the world ( Telegraph UK )

– EUK: Europe faces ‘competitiveness crisis’ as US widens productivity gap ( FT UK )

– EUK: Talks between Polish farmers and government reach dead end ( Euronews )

– EUK: Brussels creates food crisis simulation amid farmers’ protests ( Sputnik RU )

– EUK: The European fishing industry wants to join farmers’ protests ( Euractiv )

– USC: Two Canals, two big problems – One global shipping mess – draught in Panama and Hourhits in Red Sea ( WSJ )

– USC: Senate Clears $460 Billion Bill to Avert Partial Shutdown, Sending It to Biden – Ukraine not mentioned ( NYT )

– USC: Amid explosive demand, America is running out of power – grid on the ‘brink’, utilities can’ keep up ( WaPo )

– USC: US threatens Austrian Bank ( RBI ) with sanctions for doing business in Russia ( EUobserver )

– USC: West scrambles for ‘insurance policy’ as China raids Earth’s raw materials ( Telegraph UK )

– USC: Tire falls off United Airlines flight after takeoff from San Francisco – Boeing 777 ( ABC )

– USC: Exclusive: Crypto gets blamed for a Real-Life Currency Crisis ( WSJ )

– USC: Surge pricing is coming to more menus near You ( WSJ )

– USC: Own a Home? You Might Be Upper Class ( Newsweek )

MILITARY INDUSTRIAL

– EUK: European arms imports nearly double while Russian exports plunge – primarily US orders to EU ( Euronews )

– EUK: Exclusive: Russia producing three times more artillery shells than US and Europe for Ukraine ( CNN )

– EUK: British flagship HMS Queen Elizabeth catches fire in latest Royal Navy embarrassment ( LBC UK )

– EUK: Russia drops to third in arms trade as exports plunge – primarily US and France ( Newsweek )

– EUK: UK‘s £3b flagship aircraft carrier caught fire, yet another embarrassment ( Business Insider )

– EUK: The Chinese–Russian war machine could soon overwhelm the West ( Telegraph UK )

– USC: Aircraft catches – electrical – fire aboard USS Reagan prior to Japan PM visit; no injuries ( Stars and Stripes )

– USC: Canada‘s $406-million missile system for Ukraine hung up in US red tape – NASAMS ( Edmonton Journal )

– USC: Pentagon needs Congress to hand over $10B to replace weapons sent to Ukraine ( Politico US )

– USC: To aid Ukraine, US weighs tapping Army Reserves – $200m critical weapons ( Bloomberg )

– USC: The US Navy’s new Ford-class carrier is not worth the money ( National Interest  )

– USC: US dominates foreign weapons market as Russian exports plummet ( WSJ )

– USC: US cuts key submarine order for 2025 amid shipbuilding jam ( Nikkei JP )

SIDENOTE: GENDER

– EUK: António Guterres: Ending the patriarchy requires money – and it’s time to cough up ( Independent UK )

– EUK: Irish voters reject bid to rewrite constitution’s view of women and family ( Politico EU )

– EUK: If far right surges in EU election, women’s rights could be imperiled ( Politico EU )

– EUK: Is gender parity the key to economic prosperity? The IMF says ‘yes’ ( Euronews )

– EUK: Fighting gender inequality crucial to tackle climate crisis, says UN ( Euronews )

– RUC: Putin lauds Russian women for motherhood, beauty ( Reuters )

PERIPHERY: LATIN AMERICA

– LAT: US reportedly airlifts embassy staff out of Haiti as gangs besiege political area ( Guardian UK )

– LAT: Milei‘s austerity is devastating Argentina – pushing more into poverty ( Foreign Policy US )

– LAT: Haiti‘s Prime Minister Ariel Henry resigns as law and order collapses ( BBC UK )

– LAT: 90 days of Milei’s Argentina: even soup kitchens are on the brink ( Times UK )

– LAT: The gangster named ‘Barbecue’ who controls Haiti’s violent slums ( FT UK )

– LAT: US military evacuates staff, adds security at embassy in Haiti ( Politico EU )

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BATTLEGROUND WEST ASIA

THE ENABLERS

– USC: Jake Sullivan navigates a World of Chaos – from Afghanistan to Kiev now toughest test in Gaza ( WSJ )

– USC: If Israel invades Rafah, Biden will consider conditioning military aid to Israel ( Politico US )

– USC: Biden: Netanyahu ‘hurting Israel’ by not preventing more civilian deaths in Gaza ( AP )

– USC: Iran is making a mockery of the US – with the use of Yemen‘s Houthis ( Spectator UK )

– USC: Providing bombs and food, Biden puts himself in the middle of the war in Gaza ( NYT )

– USC: CIA director says cease-fire is needed to help starving children in Gaza ( Politico US )

– USC: Biden warns Netanyahu not to attack Rafah as Ramadan Begins ( Bloomberg )

– USC: US says Gaza humanitarian aid pier could take 60 days to be built ( FT UK )

– USC: Biden rebukes Netanyahu over civilian deaths but reaffirms support ( NYT )

– USC: Tension between Israel and US is rising with Gaza death toll ( Bloomberg )

– USC: Biden warns Netanyahu a Rafah assault would cross ‘Red Line’ ( WSJ )

– USC: Biden has huge leverage on Israel. He hasn’t really used it yet. ( WaPo )

– USC: Biden urges Netanyahu to help hungry Gazans ( Times UK )

– EUK: ‘Who is going to distribute it?’: the key flaw in US’s plan to build aid port in Gaza ( Guardian UK )

– EUK: Israeli president sparks protests in visit to Amsterdam’s new Holocaust museum ( Politico EU )

– EUK: Israel‘s Herzog to open Holocaust museum in Amsterdam amid protest ( Reuters )

– EUK: Lord Cameron urged to stop ‘sniping’ at Israel – by tory MPs ( Telegraph UK )

– EUK: Cameron urges Israeli minister to increase aid to Gaza ( Independent UK )

– WEA: As Israel’s ties to Arab countries fray, a strained lifeline remains – the UAE ( NYT )

– WEA: UAE behind US plan to build pier on Gaza coast: Report ( i24 Israel > Cradle )

THE GENOCIDAL COLONY

– ISR: Netanyahu considers promotion for general who executed mass Hannibal Directive ( Israel Ch12 > Cradle )

– ISR: Israeli human rights groups accuse country of failing to abide by ICJ’s Gaza aid ruling ( Guardian UK )

– ISR: ‘We will move abroad if drafted to military’, Israel’s Chief Rabbi warns – Yitzhak Josef ( PressTV )

– ISR: Israeli police accused of blocking Palestinians’ Ramadan prayers at holy site ( Times UK )

– ISR: ‘Do not spare any soul’ Israeli rabbi calls for genocide in Gaza – Eliyahu Mali ( PressTV )

– ISR: Israeli forces facing shortage of ammunition in Gaza war: Report ( Al Mayadeen LE )

– ISR: Gallant says sea corridor plan for Gaza aid will help bring Hamas down ( TO Israel )

– ISR: Israel strikes one of the biggest apartment blocks in Rafah ( video, Telegraph UK )

– ISR: At Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa Mosque, Ramadan brings uncertainty and fear ( WaPo )

– ISR: Netanyahu says at least 13,000 ‘terrorists’ among Palestinians killed ( Reuters )

– ISR: Jews must be Feared rather than Loved – Shmuley Boteach Op-Ed ( TO Israel )

– ISR: Israeli strikes kill at least 67 Palestinians on first day of Ramadan ( Euronews )

– ISR: Ramadan starts for Muslims in Middle East in the midst of war ( Euronews )

– ISR: Bid to pause Israel–Hamas war falters before Ramadan starts ( WSJ )

– ISR: Netanyahu vows to defy Biden’s ‘red line’ on Rafah ( Politico EU )

– ISR: Netanyahu denies Palestinians are starving ( Politico EU )

– ISR: At the edge of Gaza, Israelis try to stop aid trucks ( CNN )

– ISR: Starvation stalks children of northern Gaza ( FT UK )

THE UN

– UN: UNRWA report says Israel coerced some agency employees to falsely admit Hamas links ( Reuters )

– UN: Malaysia calls for UN Security Council’s veto power to be abolished ( Straits Times )

– UN: UNRWA staffers tortured by Israeli troops to falsely admit ‘Hamas links’ ( Cradle )

– UN: Malaysia wants UN Security Council’s veto power abolished ( Malaysiakini MA )

– UN: Canada and Sweden resume UNRWA aid funding ( WaPo )

THE REGION

– WEA: Erdogan accuses Islamic World of failing to pay ‘Brotherly Duty’ to Palestinian People ( Sputnik RU )

– WEA: US proxies fear ‘Afghanistan-style’ withdrawal from Syria – SDF ( Middle East Eye, Cradle )

– WEA: Türkiye‘s Erdogan says March election will be his final, state media reports ( Reuters )

– WEA: Hamas rejects Israel’s sham investigation into ‘flour massacre’ in Gaza ( PressTV IR )

– WEA: Hamas vows ‘no compromise’ on its demand for full Israeli withdrawal ( PressTV IR )

– WEA: Armenia mulling EU membership application, foreign minister says ( Politico EU )

– WEA: Erdoğan says upcoming Turkish local election will be his last ( Politico EU )

– WEA: Russia, Iran and China to hold warship drills in Gulf of Oman ( Reuters )

– WEA: Hezbollah: Israel cannot even think of invading Lebanon ( IRNA )

PERIPHERY: AFRICA

– AFR: Senior US general warns about Russia’s growing influence in Africa – Africom head Micheal Langley ( CNN )

– AFR: Eni has another barnstorming oil discovery in West Africa ‘hotspot’ – Ivory Coast ( Upstream NOR )

– AFR: US accuses Zimbabwe of harassing and deporting officials, as relations deteriorate further ( AP )

– AFR: African Development Bank chief criticizes opaque loans tied to Africa’s natural resources ( AP )

– AFR: Zimbabwe forcibly removed USAID officials on assessment mission, US says ( Reuters )

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STATE OF THE EAST

BEING RUSSIA

– USC: The US should stand firm in the Arctic, as Russia lays claim to own the North Pole ( Telegraph UK )

– RUC: Russian State Duma wants to introduce “de-westernisation” after presidential election – document ( Ukro Pravda )

– RUC: Federation Council signs law banning foreign agents from distributing advertising in Russia ( Ria Novosti RU )

– RUC: Bill submitted to Russian legislature would void transfer of Crimea to Ukraine in 1954 ( TASS RU )

– RUC: Russia’s rail boosted by demand to move goods to Europe after Red Sea attacks ( FT UK )

– RUC: Putin approves denunciation of fisheries agreement with UK ( TASS RU )

– RUC: Moscow responds to Chinese initiative on nukes – nuclear five should be bound ( RT )

context: Britain, France, US, China, Russia

BEING CHINA

– EUK: Taiwan’s perilous path in a distracted world – ‘subtle threats’ accumulate ( FT UK )

– EUK: China is isolated and insular – from personal travel to capital flows ( Economist )

– EUK: Inside Taiwan‘s China crisis that could start World War Three ( Times UK )

– USC: Chinese Exceptionalism just won’t die – the idea of special Chinese model ‘hollow’ ( Foreign Policy )

– USC: ‘Head in the sand’ – Why China‘s static 2024 Congress should worry everyone ( Time US )

– USC: Fears raised over ‘Chinese spy cranes’ in US ports – sabotage concerns! ( Telegraph )

– USC: US ‘will do whatever it takes’ to curb China tech, Raimondo says ( Bloomberg )

– USC: US lawmakers urge Blinken to issue ‘do not travel’ notice for Xinjiang ( Nikkei )

– USC: TikTok crackdown shifts into overdrive, with sale or shutdown on table ( WSJ )

– USC: China’s exports are surging. Get ready for the Global Backlash ( NYT )

– RUC: China‘s space strategy dwarfs US ambitions ( National Interest )

– RUC: China is teaching the likes of Apple and Tesla a very painful business lesson ( Business Insider )

– RUC: China’s housing minister says real estate developers must go bankrupt if necessary ( CNBC )

– RUC: Beijing says property developers in deep trouble must go bankrupt ( Business Insider )

– RUC: Three is best: How China’s family planning propaganda has changed ( NYT )

– RUC: China has never canceled this many shipments of US wheat ( Bloomberg )

– RUC: How Russia‘s wartime economy is benefiting China too ( Newsweek )

– RUC: Chinese buying set the stage for gold’s latest record run ( Bloomberg )

– RUC: China‘s two sessions 2024: new mandate, party control push central bank ( SCMP )

context: promote growth and development, avoid sanctions

THE PACIFIC

– ASO: 38% of Australians agree with Paul Keating’s view on country’s position in Asia ( Guardian UK )

– ASO: Japanese candy tests positive for radioactive material before import ( Korea Herald )

– USC: US passes deal to fund Pacific Island pacts after delays – Palau, Marshall Isl., Micronesia ( FT UK )

context: $7.1b Compacts of Free Association ( Cofa ) exclusive military access in exchange for economic support.