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Russian President Vladimir Putin gave a speech on June 26 seeking to persuade as many Wagner fighters and leaders as possible to join the Russian military and continue fighting against Ukraine and to cause individuals most loyal to Wagner Group financier Yevgeny Prigozhin to self-identify. Putin continued to denounce the organizers of the armed rebellion as traitors. Putin thanked Russian society and the Russian security forces for defending Russia’s sovereignty and expressed gratitude to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko for brokering negotiations with the perpetrators of the rebellion. Putin did not name Prigozhin specifically, but Putin’s speech leaves little room for...

The armed uprising against Russia’s military command was called off just as quickly as it first began, but the fate of Yevgeny Prigozhin—the leader of the Wagner mercenary group who led the mutiny and incurred the enmity of Russian President Vladimir Putin—is now uncertain. On Saturday, Prigozhin reportedly agreed to leave Russia for an “early retirement” in Belarus after withdrawing his troops from marching on Moscow in a deal mediated by the neighboring country’s autocratic leader, Aleksandr Lukashenko, a close ally of Putin’s. “Realizing all the responsibility for the fact that Russian blood will be shed from one side, we...

Ukraine claimed “another unbelievable success” on Tuesday morning, stating it had shot down six ‘hypersonic’ missiles over Ukraine overnight, stating that the damage on the ground in Kyiv this morning was caused by falling missile debris. Six Kinzhal (Dagger/Killjoy) ‘hypersonic’ missiles were shot down over Ukraine overnight, as well as nine cruise missiles, three ballistic missiles, six suicide drones, and three reconnaissance drones, the Ukrainian government claimed Tuesday morning.

It’s been six weeks since I published a report, based on anonymous sourcing, naming President Joe Biden as the official who ordered the mysterious destruction last September of Nord Stream 2, a new US$11 billion pipeline that was scheduled to double the volume of natural gas delivered from Russia to Germany. The story gained traction in Germany and Western Europe, but was subject to a near media blackout in the US. Two weeks ago, after a visit by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to Washington, US and German intelligence agencies attempted to add to the blackout by feeding the New York...

The U.S. on Friday announced a $400 million security aid package for Ukraine, providing more ammunition, equipment and munitions for Kyiv in its fight against Russia. The State Department said the latest package includes munitions for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and howitzer artillery guns, as well as ammunition for the Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles the U.S. first announced for Ukraine in January. The latest round of security aid also includes demolitions munitions, equipment and other material, as well as services for maintenance, training and support of Ukrainian troops, who have been fighting against a Russian invasion for...

Documents recently obtained by Human Events show that Alexander Vindman has been pitching the government of Ukraine to obtain lucrative defense contracts. In August 2022, Vindman, operating as CEO of Trident Support, pitched a deck on a Ukraine Weapons Systems Sustainment Center to address problems with Ukraine's weapons management, namely readiness, repair, and maintenance. (snip) Vindman testified before the House in November 2019 as part of the first impeachment inquiry into then-President Donald Trump. Vindman, who was an officer in the US Army, told the House that he listened to a call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in...

Nishad Singh is third person in founder’s inner circle agreeing to cooperate with federal prosecutors ... The collapse of FTX has set off the largest crypto-related bankruptcy ever ... Singh said that in mid-2022 he learned that Mr. Bankman-Fried’s crypto hedge fund Alameda Research was borrowing FTX customer funds. By September 2022, Alameda was no longer able to repay the billions of dollars that it had taken from FTX, Mr. Singh said. He said that, at the direction of Mr. Bankman-Fried, he falsified FTX’s revenues to make the company more appealing to investors. ... Mr. Singh also pleaded guilty to...

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rode to power on pledges to clean up the Eastern European country, but the Pandora Papers reveal he and his close circle were the beneficiaries of a network of offshore companies, including some that owned expensive London property. Key Findings >Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his partners in comedy production owned a network of offshore companies related to their business based in the British Virgin Islands, Cyprus, and Belize. >Zelensky’s current chief aide, Serhiy Shefir, as well as the head of the country’s Security Service, were part of the offshore network. >Offshore companies were used by...

ransomnote: There are many useful charts and tables at the link shown in the Tweet. The last table at the bottom matches donation amounts with names.https://unusualwhales.com/politics/article/senate_ftx

Axios is positioning this announcement as FTX asking for political donations to be returned. However, the request is realistically from the FTX debtors. (Via Axios) – Bankrupt crypto exchange FTX is sending notices to former donor recipients asking for the donated funds to be returned, the company said in a press release Sunday. Why it matters: Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried and FTX Digital Markets Co-CEO Ryan Salame were two of the largest political donors during the last election cycle. Now the company’s debtors want the money back.

As we approach the first anniversary of the Russian military’s invasion of Ukraine, it’s becoming increasingly important for Americans to ask: Who benefits? America’s open checkbook for Ukraine is more likely to produce a long war than a swiftly decisive outcome. Three groups favor a long war in Ukraine: Vladimir Putin, the global industrial defense complex, and China. As long as a state of war persists in Ukraine, even at a low simmer, Putin achieves his goal: Ukraine will not be part of NATO. As President Eisenhower cautioned, an overly powerful military-industrial complex risks putting its own interests and the...

Ukraine has launched a major crackdown on corruption ahead of a summit with the European Union (EU) in Kyiv this week.Under the anti-corruption drive, Ukraine is investigating current and former top officials in the defence and energy ministries as well as the tax office, reported The Washington Post.On Wednesday (1 February), the Ukrainian authorities also raided the house of an influential billionaire, Ihor Kolomoisky. Former interior minister Arsen Avakov’s home was also searched.The raids come as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced his government was “preparing new reforms” that will make the country “more human, transparent and effective”, reported BBC.Let’s take a...

Ukrainian authorities launched criminal cases against six former defense-ministry officials and raided the home of a former political backer of President Volodymyr Zelensky Wednesday, amid a flurry of attempts by Mr. Zelensky to show Western governments that he is serious about an anticorruption drive.

KYIV (Reuters) -Ukrainian state security officials searched the home of billionaire businessman Ihor Kolomoiskiy on Wednesday, in what several media outlets said was an investigation into possible financial crimes. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) did not immediately reply to a request for comment about the reports, and Kolomoiskiy could not be reached for comment. A senior governing party official confirmed Kolomoiskiy's home had been searched - as well as that of a former interior minister - but did not state the reason for the search.

Ukraine scored 33 out of 100 on corruption in 2022, which puts the country near the bottom third out of 180 countries scored, according to the annual Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) published this week by non-profit Transparency International. Out of 180 countries scored, Ukraine was the 116th most corrupt, according to the yearly ranking published on Tuesday. Ukraine’s score of 33 was one point higher than in 2021, but the same as the year before, 2020.

Ukrainian President Zelensky ordered government officials to destroy all information on Hunter Biden’s Metabiota Company on the same day Russia invaded the country. Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Zelensky sent out this document on February 24, 2022.

US President Joe Biden has ruled out sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, despite renewed calls from Ukrainian officials for air support.Asked by a reporter on Monday if the US would be providing the planes, Mr Biden replied simply "no".His comment comes a day after Germany's leader also ruled out sending fighter jets.Ukraine has said it needs the jets to take control of its airspace in its ongoing war with Russia.F-16 Fighting Falcons are widely considered one of the world's most reliable fighter jets and are used by other countries, such as Belgium and Pakistan.They would be a significant upgrade...

During a monologue on his radio show Polny Kontakt (Full Contact), which gradually grew in volume as it went along, Solovyov raged...He said that he had previously warned that Adolf Hitler would be "rehabilitated"..."Berlin, Paris, Madrid, London, Washington should be on fire," he said..."Did we destroy a single base on NATO territory? No. Did we conduct strikes against the vile Polish dogs?...Then why the heck do we have a stockpile of tactical and strategic nuclear weapons? To be afraid to use it?"

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has rejected the prospect of peace talks with Vladimir Putin while dismissing his Russian counterpart Thursday as a “nobody.” Zelensky used an interview with Britain’s Sky News to declare Putin “doesn’t want negotiations because he doesn’t want peace.” The Ukrainian leader said he was “convinced” Ukraine was “just the first step” for Putin, who has his eye on “other countries” as he seeks Eastern European domination.

American aid to Ukraine has eclipsed the annual expenditure of “endless” wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. As the protracted war between Ukraine and Russia continues unabated, congressional lawmakers and President Joe Biden have appropriated $110 billion in military and economic aid to Ukraine. Some pro-Ukraine advocates have contended that the costs of aiding Ukraine’s fight with Russia amounts to “peanuts” in “grand strategy terms.”