Free Republic

The buckets of cold water Turkey is pouring on Finland and Sweden’s bids to join NATO may be coming from the sea around the shore of Cyprus, the divided Mediterranean island that is a bargaining chip for the Turkish president, Tayyip Erdogan. There is mounting evidence that Turkey could be using its status as a member of NATO to wield its veto power over the anticipated accession to the alliance of the two Nordic countries as a lever to force the international community to confer legitimacy on its de facto Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. London’s Sunday Express recently reported...

The almost 1,000 companies that have opted to pull out of Russia following its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine are not just benefiting from a reputational boost. They are also being rewarded by financial markets, while those who remain behind are being punished.

One hundred days of all-out war has been plenty of time to get acquainted with the Russian troops. Their lackluster combat performance, artillery barrages against cities, treatment of civilians, intercepted messages home, and interviews with dozens of civilians around Ukraine allow one to put together a mosaic portrait of the invaders. It’s not a flattering image. Many of the soldiers are dirt-poor and badly educated, with many growing up without access to modern amenities. Many joined the armed forces because they have no future in their backwater towns. The majority have bad training, low morale and no faith in their...

(Video at the link) The news here is that the Russian superyacht "Amadea" had fled to Fiji to avoid sanctions and Fiji has consented to the seizure and forfeiture of the ship to United States authorities. Amadea becomes the first Russian superyacht to fly a US flag. About the superyacht Amadea: Amadea is a motor yacht with a length of 106.1m. The yacht's builder is Lürssen from Germany who delivered superyacht Amadea in 2017. The superyacht has a beam of 18.0m, a draft of 4.1m and a volume of 4,402 GT. The Amadea features exterior design by Espen Øino International,...

{UPDATE} As has been discussed at length, initial reports were incorrect and this was almost certainly a Ukrainian MIG-29. Photos at the scene of the crash and reports from reliable UAF sources have confirmed this. We apologize for the error and will do our best to ensure information is as accurate as we can before reporting. In those cases we still manage to get something wrong, we will acknowledge and correct it.

Just days after Russia attacked Ukraine on Feb 24, Finnish entrepreneur Sissi Moberg found herself scouring the Internet for courses that could teach her skills to help defend Finland in case of a military attack. "I felt very sad for the Ukrainians. And then I started to worry about Finland and thinking what could I do about this," the 46-year-old mother-of-four told Reuters. Within weeks, Moberg was on a course intended for reservists and learning how to use a gun and move on a battlefield.

Ukraine keeps all Russian prisoners of war in full compliance with the Geneva Convention, and has also set up a camp for them in one of the western regions. Those prisoners of war for whom there are no close expectations regarding the exchange are held there. The censor reports, this information is reported by UNIAN with reference to the minister of Justice Denis Malyuska. "We work in full compliance with the Geneva Convention. We have created a special camp for prisoners of war in the west of Ukraine, where those prisoners of war are held for whom there are no...

Politicians from Western countries are beginning to push Ukraine to conclude peace with Russia on terms favorable to the Russian side. At that, Kiev does not know anything about this, since it is not invited to discussions. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has made the corresponding statement, Ukrainian Pravda reports."Everyone really wants to push us as much as possible to some result that is definitely not desired for us, because we have not been asked yet, but beneficial for certain parties that have their own interests," the head of state said.Zelenskyy noted that fatigue from the war in Ukraine is growing in...

Russia’s president, calling the 2020s a period of “strengthening economic sovereignty” for his country, has said that this decade will see the formation of an independent and efficient financial system in Russia. In an advance greeting to the participants of the upcoming St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Vladimir Putin also blamed “a wave of global inflation” and “a sharp increase in poverty and food shortages” on “long-term mistakes” made by Western countries as well as the imposition of “illegitimate sanctions.” ... “I am convinced that for Russia the 2020s will become a period of strengthening economic sovereignty, which provides for...

This research was conducted in the International Security and Defense Policy Center of the RAND National Defense Research Institute.: As targets of information aggression, the United States and its European allies must protect themselves against the effects of psychological manipulation and influence. The authors describe apparent efforts by Russia and its agents to use information to shape Russia's operating environment, and they identify possible defensive approaches for United States European Command and its partners. Research Questions: 1- What content is produced and disseminated by Russia and its agents? 2- How do Russia and its agents manipulate information? 3- What is...

Since its 2008 incursion into Georgia (if not before), there has been a remarkable evolution in Russia's approach to propaganda. This new approach was on full display during the country's 2014 annexation of the Crimean peninsula. It continues to be demonstrated in support of ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Syria and in pursuit of nefarious and long-term goals in Russia's “near abroad” and against NATO allies.In some ways, the current Russian approach to propaganda builds on Soviet Cold War–era techniques, with an emphasis on obfuscation and on getting targets to act in the interests of the propagandist without realizing that...

Vladimir Putin was today hit by the death of Russia’s 11th general in his bloody war with Ukraine. Major-General Roman Kutuzov was the chief of staff of the 29th Combined Arms Army, according to reports. His vehicle was ambushed by Ukrainians and he died in a fight in Donbas, say sources. His death is the 11th general, but the first such high ranking army officer in more than a month. In addition, at least 49 colonels have been killed in the war with Ukraine. The latest was Lt-Col Zaur Dimayev, deputy commander of the 4th battalion of the Akhmat Kadyrov...

As the war in Ukraine passed a landmark 100th day this week, front-line fighters and volunteers say they are grappling with a dark and discouraging reality. Despite pledges of tanks, artillery and — this week — U.S. rocket systems capable of hitting enemy Russian targets as far as 500 kilometres away, the Ukrainian front lines continue to be populated by at times dangerously ill-equipped fighters. They are lacking bullets and extra magazines for their rifles, one Canadian fighter said. They charge into battle in running shoes and mismatched uniforms, according to an American turning Ukrainians into combat medics. Fighters with...

Russia could be just two weeks away from achieving one of its stated aims in the conflict in Ukraine, with its troops close to taking over the entire Luhansk region in the east. The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) said Russia is now achieving tactical success in the industrial Donbas, comprised of Luhansk and Donetsk, which would give Moscow a high-profile victory. “Russian forces have generated and maintained momentum and currently appear to hold the initiative over Ukrainian opposition,” the MoD tweeted on Friday in its latest intelligence briefing.

Footage has been posted on social networks showing the soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine “fighting” with Russian servicemen. However, the cameras get into the video, the voice of the director is heard and the soldiers react to the commands of the film crew. (Click link for short Video)

Once we have eliminated all the impossible scenarios, the least improbable outcome of the war in Ukraine is a Russian victory. Any conceivable Russian victory now will entail such a loss of blood and treasure that it will have to be judged Pyrrhic at best. But it will be a victory nonetheless — and we in the West had better come to grips with that hard truth. Let’s begin by eliminating the impossible. The first unrealistic endgame is the reduction of Ukraine to a vassal state of the Russian empire. The second impossible scenario is the total defeat of the...

French President Emmanuel Macron said it is vital that Russia is not humiliated so that when the fighting stops in Ukraine a diplomatic solution can be found, adding that he believed Paris would play a mediating role to end the conflict. Macron has sought to maintain a dialogue with Russian President Vladimir Putin since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in February. His stance has been repeatedly criticised by some eastern and Baltic partners in Europe, as they see it as undermining efforts to pressure Putin to the negotiating table. "We must not humiliate Russia so that the day when the fighting...

Ukraine will not comply with the restrictions allegedly imposed on it by the Americans on the use of long-range multiple launch rocket systems. This is confirmed by the latest statements of Ukrainian politicians, including from among the Zelensky team. In the wake of the deputy of the Verkhovna Rada Yegor Chernev, who said that Ukraine does not intend to comply with any restrictions on the use of American MLRS, the "mouthpiece" of the Kyiv regime, Alexei Arestovich, who holds the post of adviser to the head of the office of the President of Ukraine, spoke in the same vein. True,...

Day 93. Today, we discuss the latest news from the battlefront, focussing on the Donbas, and whether there are some positives Ukraine can take from the situation. Plus, an interview with Alex Ostrovskyy, Head of Whisky at The Whisky Corner.

George Soros is a sick man, he has been manipulating governments for more than 30 years, all in an effort to create a world molded after his image. Ukraine is his Frankenstein’s Monster, the little corrupt state that was supposed to jump start his new world vision, this is not conspiracy theory, it is documented fact. Most Americans are clueless to how important Ukraine is to Soros’ plan to create a new world based on his warped view of humanity. George Soros is not to be laughed at or dismissed, in many ways he is a danger to Western civilization,...