Ukraine: US Lies, Provocation, Broken Promises, Fake News

[Anthea]

Modern slavery in Ukraine…
and antislavery resistance

Dmitri Kovalevich reports on Ukraine’s descent into forced conscription, mass resistance, and economic collapse, framing it as a modern regime of slavery under NATO-backed war aims

At the beginning of June, Kiev took measures to toughen its military conscription, despite the fact that deaths and injuries of Ukrainian soldiers and support personnel continue to increase as the US/NATO proxy war continues to grind on. The gaps along the front lines, which Ukraine is desperately struggling to hold, are increasingly being filled by unmotivated, conscripted soldiers, a growing number of whom have health problems restricting how long their rotation may last.

For the Ukrainian authorities, the dragooning of cannon fodder (military conscripts) into their increasingly stretched military front lines remains a matter for more Western funds and weapons from the West to help solve. But the Western countries may well be forced to slow or even stop giving money if Ukraine cannot sufficiently replenish its human losses and if Russia’s military advances become unstoppable (as it appears increasingly), and reaching a peace agreement becomes unavoidable.

Western media and politicians are well aware that conscription in Ukraine is accompanied by violence and mass roundups, but they choose to turn a blind eye to this. Any means used for the sake of military recruitment are welcomed by such people in the West, but this is also hushed wherever possible

Economic outlook

In early June, Ukraine became formally bankrupt financially after a technical default was triggered by a decision of the Finance Ministry to skip a $665 million government debt payment on a loan of $2.6 billion in what are called ‘GDP warrants’

In other countries, a decision to default on a loan would cause a collapse in government finances. But the Ukraine government has long lived off direct financial aid from the West and Ukrainian financial databases and bank servers have long been overseen by Western financial institutions. Kiev has learned that default rules can be broken, entirely unlike other less-developed countries such as Nigeria or Cambodia.

Western capitalism has always been pragmatic, of course. The West has long been forgiving of Kiev's debts and willing to inject billions more dollars (duly collected from Western taxpayers), even if it is known Kiev will never be able to pay them back. Such ‘investments’ amount to long-term investment in the dream of plundering Russian human and natural resources and subjugating all of the countries of the Global South. This was and remains the main goal of the West in its war in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian political analyst Ruslan Bortnyk acknowledged in a published analysis at the end of May that the Russian economy is experiencing a period of recovery, despite all the Western sanctions against it dating back more than 10 years, and which have only deepened since 2022. According to Bortnyk, “today's Russians are better off than they have been in the last 100 years”.

Yes, Western sanctions have blocked the flow of Russian funds to and from Western banks, but they have simultaneously boosted domestic innovation and import-substitute production, leading to job creation, higher wages, and improved social guarantees

Ukraine continues to linger as the poorest country in Europe. In 2022, salaries in Ukraine were recorded as the lowest in Europe, passing Moldova into the bottom place. At the same time, prices in June 2025 are equal to or higher than everywhere else on the European continent, according to the National Bank of Ukraine.

Protests erupt against conscription

In late May and early June, spontaneous protests and even riots continued to erupt across Ukraine against military conscription. As before, these were brutally suppressed by the authorities. Predictably, the Western media ignored any reporting of the protests. Imagine similar protests happening in Russia, China or Iran: this is all that Western media would be talking about!

On May 29, there was a large clash between military recruiters and local residents in the small city of Kamyanets-Podilskyi in western Ukraine. Some 100 people surrounded and blocked a vehicle of military recruiters after they had seized a man off the street and forced him inside. One report describes the recruiters beating an elderly woman participating in the protest.

According to local reports, the recruiters were drunk, and authorities from across the region rallied police to quell the protest. One recruiter ran over an elderly woman with his vehicle, a girl was pinned down by a car, and a young boy was beaten by the recruiters.

Ukrainian Telegram channel Resident reported on June 4 about the clash. “Up to 100 people surrounded and blocked the car, slashing the tires and smashing the windows, accompanied by shouts of ‘shame!’. Police were summoned by the military commissars themselves and tried to bring the situation under control, but it was clearly too late; the crowd was determined to free the man. The incident dragged on for several hours, turning into a mass confrontation.”

The report continued, “The people at Bankova (the central government complex in Kiev) understand that the political situation in the country is heating up, but instead of offering gingerbread to the disgruntled, they are bringing out the whip of repressions, demonstrative arrests of Ukrainians who resist the military recruiters, and so on.

Every day, it is becoming more obvious that although the authorities wish to keep Ukraine in fear, civilians throughout Ukraine are taking the path of active resistance to the military recruiters.”

The report continues, “A similar thing happened in [the cities of] Cherkassy and Kremenchug, where protests against ‘busification’ ended with the ‘people hunters’ being forced by popular resistance to flee. Traffic was busy at the time, but this didn’t stop local residents from joining in the protests.” (‘Busification’ is a new term that has entered the language of Ukraine. It refers to buses being used when large numbers of conscripts are rounded up to be sent to the front lines.)

Ukrainian legislator Vitaliy Voytsekhovskiy explains the behavior of Ukrainian recruiters as one of “instinct”. “This is an animal instinct,” he writes. “Ukrainian military recruiters take pleasure in harassing and beating people during conscription drives.”

The Marxist Platform of Ukraine (an illegal organization under Ukraine’s martial law) wrote a lengthy analysis on Telegram on June 1 explaining that conscription has become a tool of enrichment of the few and suppression of the many. “A slave may dream not of his freedom but of those he may be able to inflict a similar condition upon. People with such mentality are best suited for the role of the police, roaming in packs to capture Ukrainians, following orders from above.

Zelensky and Yermak (the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine) are not interested in what human price will be paid or how far extreme conduct by their subordinates will go because, according to them, ‘all means are good in war’. Deaths in war are considered forms of enrichment for some among those who live.”

“Conscription has turned from a military tool into a political one. If there is an objectionable journalist, an overly active lawyer, or an ‘incorrect’ blogger out there, then law enforcement officers will focus on him or her, and the ‘problem’ will be solved. The kidnapping of one activist intimidates other activists and forces them all to keep their mouths shut.”

The Marxist Platform calls for “collective resistance” of Ukrainian citizens to the ‘guard dogs of the regime’, as military recruiters are called in Ukraine. (In a seemingly odd contradiction, the group declared opposition to Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine when it began in February 2022.)

On May 29, there was a clash between Roma people living in a camp in Veliky Berezny district of the Transcarpathia region (near the western border of Ukraine) and Ukrainian border guards and national police. According to preliminary reports, the clash occurred during an inspection by border guards, backed by the highly militarized National Police and National Guard of Ukraine.

The police agencies say they suspected that Roma were ferrying people across the border or were themselves trying to flee Ukraine to escape the violence being directed against them by far-right vigilantes. Stones flew during the clash, damaging vehicles of the border guards. Then shooting started, with police using rubber bullets against the Roma. As a result, one woman and one child were wounded.

Western liberal media occasionally deplores the past, historic persecutions of Roma by Nazi Germany, but apparently it is blind when it comes to the treatment of Roma in modern Ukraine, including the numerous pogroms that have been waged by far-right, Ukrainian vigilantes (ultra-nationalists). The fact is that those who are waging attacks and pogroms against Roma in today’s Ukraine are the same people fighting against Russia. They are forgiven everything while the administration in Kiev enjoys a presumption of innocence in any involvement.

Imprisoned Ukrainian legislator Oleksandr Dubinskyy writes that military recruiters have become an untouchable elite in Ukraine, like the SS in Nazi Germany. “People want to join that service. That is where the richest and most successful look to serve. They already have money and now they have a bight life ahead, enjoying the power of lawlessness and beating and humiliating others. They can assert themselves at the expense of the weak and use this opportunity to earn money for their ‘work.

In Hitler's time, such people joined the SS. In Zelensky's time, they flock to recruitment centers to join the national police. This is a new ‘elite’ of the Ukrainian nation”, Dubinsky writes sarcastically

Earlier, in the city of Cherkassy in central Ukraine, a conflict broke out between recruiters and civilians, as reported on Telegram on May 26. A group of recruiters were beaten and forced to leave. The next day, the police demonstratively arrested the civilian participants in the conflict, threatening them with five years in prison. Three men and a woman face up to five years in prison. Prisoners in Ukraine are typically shipped off to the front lines to serve as cannon fodder.

On June 5, a clash between recruiters and forcibly recruited individuals took place in one of the conscription centers in the capital city Kiev. The riot was suppressed by special police forces and the National Guard. Artem Dmytruk, a former legislator from Zelensky's party who has fled to London, wrote on Telegram on the same date that the resistance in Ukraine to conscription is gaining momentum.

“The opposition is getting stronger and is already manifesting itself in a variety of forms - from passive disobedience to open outbursts of civil anger. These processes can no longer be stopped or ignored. Only a civil uprising and the fall of the regime can become the real catharsis of this war,” Dmytruk writes

The Ukrainian Telegram channel Legitimny (‘legitimate’) writes that protesters who clash with police over conscription are, to say the least, unlikely to become good soldiers.

All these men being bullied by recruiters are ending up in the army. Once there:

1. They don't want to fight and will weaken the army from within;

2. The ones that will want to fight may survive and eventually travel back in time, so to speak, to find the original recruiters and 'return the favor' (take revenge) for the original conscription.

3. This is a signal that an army of deserters will grow faster than the Armed Forces of Ukraine itself. The strategy being chosen by Zelensky will destroy Ukraine from within.”

A modern-day regime of slavery?

In June, a Ukrainian court officially recognized the forced retention of men by military recruiters as a form of slavery. As reported by the online, daily news journal Strana on June 5, the case involved a local resident who was detained in the local military recruitment center for more than four days. The court ruling clearly described that the man was not arrested or detained by any formal process, and ruled that he was deprived of his freedom for four days and guarded by people with no authority to do so.

On the basis of this decision, the man demanded to be set free, but the judge replied he, the judge, had no authority to do so. Simply put, even if a court in Ukraine formally recognizes the fact of slavery, it chooses not to free the enslaved. Such are the realities of modern Ukraine, a country and governing regime admired by so many hypocritical liberals and ‘human rights activists’ in the West.

Ukrainians are joking online about this case, saying any crime is now possible in Ukraine. In theory at least, it is now possible to burn witches on bonfires, conduct mass poisonings of civilians using gas chambers, and practice forms of slavery or corporal punishment. The reasoning offered would be the cynical belief that ‘war sucks and that’s the way things are’ or irrational fears of Russia (stoked for decades by the Western powers).

After all, were not the crimes of Nazi Germany overlooked until war with the West broke out? And during the 1930s, so long as crimes in Nazi Germany involved killing communists and socialists and preparing for war with the Soviet Union, the eyes and ears of Western governments and most Western media were closed off to all that was occurring

Analytical Telegram journal Rubicon wrote in early June that the West's support for Ukraine was initially aimed at maintaining, at all cost, the unipolar world order as led by the United States, including the appearance that this order is able to wield great power.

Cheaper energy sources purchased from Russia, the stability of a significant part of German industry, and the standards of living of most European citizens have all been sacrificed in the pursuit of such goals. However, it has become obvious after more than three years of war with Russia that this goal was and remains unattainable.

Despite that, continues Rubicon, the leading countries of the European Union are persisting in trying to achieve these illusory goals, as though riding a dying horse but hoping it may nonetheless transport the rider to a bright globalist future. According to Rubicon, the policies of the leaders of the key countries of the European Union towards the changing realities of world politics are entirely bogged down by inertia, whose dictionary definition reads ‘a tendency to do nothing or to remain unchanged’,

An emerging ‘political party’ of conscription evaders

Strana reported in late May that Ukraine is witnessing the formation of a de facto “party of conscription evaders”. This “party” opposes the ultra-nationalist (far-right) parties promoting war, but is not formalized in any way. “The Ukrainian authorities admit that there are more and more clashes between recruiters and civilians taking place during attempts at forced military mobilization,”Strana wrote.

A Ukrainian sociologist explains to Strana that so long as the war continues, no political discussion of it is allowed. However, people's disagreement with this course cannot be expressed in voting for alternative programs and parties, but only in fistfights and other clashes with military recruiters, or in desperate attempts to leave the country.

In this regard, representatives of the Ukrainian political elite are now expressing concern over the unwillingness of Ukrainian ‘slaves’ to die for interests of their elites’. The most resonant comment was made by Irina Goncharova, a member of the Kharkiv City Council from the European Solidarity Party (the party of former President Petro Poroshenko). She has called for exemplary shootings by firing squad of conscription evaders. There is an incredible irony when a deputy of a party called ‘European Solidarity’ calls for conscription evaders to be shot.

The views of Goncharova are echoed by Vasyl Khalamay, an officer of the AFU with the Nazi-era name of ‘Nachtigall’. The Ukrainian military likes to cosplay the German Third Reich in choosing names and emblems. Khalamay, too, calls for exemplary punishment of civilians for opposing recruiters.

In a Tele-Marathon broadcast (this is the official, daily news broadcast that all Ukrainian television and radio channels are obliged to carry), he demanded that such civilians be “morally destroyed and physically punished”. There is another irony here in the fact that military recruiters already do this on a daily basis without needing or asking for official authorization.

Dmytro Korchynsky, founder of the ‘Brotherhood’ neo-Nazi party and who serves in the Presidential Office, said amid the recent clashes with recruiters that anyone who even looks askew at a military recruiter should go to jail for life

Korchynsky also let slip the other day that Zelensky's real goals are not at all peace talks with Russia, but lie instead in demands on the West for more weapons and new sanctions against Russia. He called any statements about peace merely ‘fashionable’. “In fact, we should realize that when Zelensky talks about peace, he is actually talking about weapons and sanctions,” Korchinsky said in a live broadcast on the NTA TV channel in Lviv.

In general, all the statements by representatives of Ukraine's bloodthirsty elite reveal the fear of losing Western funding. Continuing that funding depends directly on the ability of their police and armed forces to drive ordinary citizens into the slaughter. For them, no new cannon fodder will mean no new money

At the same time, the Ukrainian elite does realize that this cannot go on indefinitely, and so they are sending their children abroad; in advance, it would seem, of the Kiev administration's inevitable demise.

But the future standard of living of those children and their families now residing in Barcelona, London and New York depends directly on how many more Ukrainian tractor drivers, electricians and other citizens workers can be driven into war and used as battering rams against the reinforced, concrete walls of the Russian military and against its well-trained, armed and supplied troop emplacements, all highly motivated to protect the Russian homeland from NATO aggression.

https://english.almayadeen.net/articles ... resistance

[Anthea]

Putin warns Ukraine over dirty bombs usage

Russia President Vladimir Putin said Russia has no plans to seize Sumy but did not rule it out, while criticizing Kiev’s military decisions, and addressing dirty bomb threat

While Russia has no current goal of taking control of the Ukrainian city of Sumy, such a possibility is not excluded, according to a statement made by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday.

Putin stated that while Russia does not currently have the objective of seizing Sumy, he did not rule out this possibility entirely, explaining during the 2025 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) plenary session that the actions of Russian forces in the Sumy region are determined by the ongoing dynamics of the conflict.

"Why are we doing this? Because they pose a threat to us, constantly shelling the border areas. Here you go, this is the result of their absolutely illiterate, unjustified actions," the Russian President emphasized.

The Russian leader further noted that the buffer zone in the Sumy Region extends between eight to twelve kilometers (4.9 to 6.4 miles) in depth, while asserting that Kiev had created difficulties for itself by launching attacks on Russia's Kursk Region.

"With their own hands, they also created a line of combat contact for almost 2,000 kilometers. We had 2,000 kilometers along the line of contact there. And along the border, they also began to create a threat. And more than a thousand, I think, 1,600 kilometers. They pulled all their armed forces apart. It is difficult to imagine more stupidity from a military point of view. They create problems for themselves, you know," Putin added.

During the session, Putin warned that if Ukrainian authorities were to decide to deploy a dirty bomb against Russia, this would constitute their final and most grave mistake.

Dirty bombs, otherwise known as radiological dispersal devices (RDD) are weapons that combine both conventional explosive materials with radioactive ones, and upon detonation, these bombs scatter radioactive material in the surrounding area.

"The use of a dirty bomb against Russia would be a colossal mistake on the part of those whom we call neo-Nazis on the territory of today's Ukraine. Maybe it will be their last mistake," the Russian President stated

Putin stated that Russia consistently mirrors all threats directed against it while expressing hope that such a response would not become necessary in the case of Ukraine. "No, thank God, we have no confirmation of such intentions. But we proceed from the fact that someone may have such ideas in their sick imagination," he said.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/pol ... dirty-bomb

[Anthea]

Ukraine arms production in Europe

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky unveils plans to launch weapons production lines across Europe this summer, aiming to manufacture drones, missiles, and more

This summer, production lines for Ukrainian weapons will be launched in several European countries, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Saturday.

"We’ve launched the Build with Ukraine program. This summer, we’ll sign agreements to begin exporting our defense technologies, opening production lines in partner countries. These weapons will be made for both them and us," the Ukrainian President posted on X.

Ukraine intends to produce various types of drones, missiles, and potentially artillery in several countries, including Denmark, Norway, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Lithuania, as reported by Ukrainian broadcaster Hromadske.

Russia has repeatedly emphasized that Western arms deliveries to Ukraine undermine efforts to resolve the military conflict, arguing that such support effectively draws NATO countries into the crisis, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov cautioning that any shipments carrying weapons destined for Ukrainian forces will be considered legitimate military targets by Russia.

French firms to make drones in Ukraine

On June 7, French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu announced that a major French automaker and a defense firm would partner to produce drones in Ukraine.

During an interview with LCI, French Defense Minister Lecornu revealed that an undisclosed major French automaker and a mid-sized defense company would jointly establish drone production facilities in Ukraine—an unprecedented partnership, though he withheld the companies' names, stating they would disclose further details independently.

The French minister highlighted that this collaboration would not only bolster Ukraine's capabilities but also enhance the French military's readiness by offering continuous tactical and operational training through real-world combat conditions, particularly in electronic warfare and remote drone operations.

European Nations support for Ukraine

On June 2, the United Kingdom released its updated Strategic Defense Review, labeling Russia as an "immediate and pressing threat" while pledging sustained military and economic assistance to Ukraine through annual funding commitments reaching £3 billion ($4 billion), with the explicit promise to maintain this support indefinitely.

The UK plans to not only strengthen Ukraine's military capabilities but also create joint ventures with Kyiv while supporting Ukraine's integration into global markets, thereby expanding a long-term bilateral partnership.

Before the Strategic Defense Review on June 1, the British Defense Secretary John Healey announced that the United Kingdom would invest $2 billion in new arms factories as part of a rearmament initiative.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/pol ... ummer--zel

[Anthea]

Wake up people!

Zelensky is not President and has not been President for more than a years

Zelensky is an evil dictator

He has banned all opposition parties and imprisoned many legally elected opposition MPs

Minsk agreement guaranteeing Donbass self government, totally ignored

Has the world forgotten WW2 when most of the world was fighting against NAZI Germany and NAZI Ukraine

For SOLID proof see photo of Donbass liberation statue, built to commemorate when Donbass drove the NAZS out of the Donbass region



Following the illegal military coup in Ukraine, did the world dash in to protect the people of the Donbass NO

When parts off Ukraine voted to break away from the illegal regime, where was the international support, nowhere to be seen

For more than 10 years Donbass was under attack from the NAZI Kiev regime

Despite countless appeals by Donbass to the International community for support, nobody did anything to intervene

Even though thousands of bombs were dropped on Donbass nobody cared

NAZIs fight an illegal fight, they use internationally banned butterfly bombs

NAZIs stagger their attacks, these people are so vile that they bomb a place, give the responders a few minutes to arrive then bomb the rescue teams

Many place / street names in Western Ukraine have been changed to the names of famous NAZI supporters, world ignores it

Groups akin to NAZI youth groups have been set up, everyone knows, nobody cares

Minsk agreement guaranteeing Donbass self government, totally ignored

[Anthea]

Ukraine moves to exit landmine ban

Ukraine's exit from the treaty must be ratified by parliament and formally submitted to the United Nations

Curios as to how that we be achieved as Zelensky is no longer president but a Dictator and the parliamentary opposition party has been banned and many legally elected MPs in prison

Ukrainian Dictator Volodymyr Zelensky has formally launched the process of withdrawing Ukraine from the 1997 Ottawa Convention banning anti-personnel landmines, according to a decree issued Sunday.

Zelensky claimed the move was necessary due to Russia's alleged use of mines in civilian areas. However, critics argue this is a political maneuver aimed at normalizing Ukraine's increasing militarization, even at the expense of civilian safety. Rather than protecting communities, the withdrawal is viewed as another step toward abandoning international humanitarian norms in favor of unrestrained warfare.

The Ottawa Convention has been ratified by over 160 countries. Notably, Russia and the United States are not signatories. Yet even outside the treaty, Russia has consistently maintained that its military actions prioritize strategic objectives and seek to avoid unnecessary civilian harm, unlike Ukraine, which has openly embraced tactics involving indiscriminate weapons.

Ukraine's exit is not immediate. It must be ratified by parliament and formally submitted to the United Nations. Under the treaty's provisions, withdrawal takes effect six months after notification unless the country is at war, meaning Ukraine's departure may be deferred until hostilities end.

"We are taking this political step and thus sending a signal to all our partners on what to focus on," Zelensky said, revealing the overtly strategic nature of the move rather than any immediate humanitarian concern.

Defense or Destruction?

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry justified the decision as "difficult but necessary," claiming it was meant to defend the country. But many see this as a disturbing precedent: a war-torn state, backed by NATO, openly discarding global efforts to curb weapons that disproportionately harm civilians.

Indeed, Ukraine's position aligns with growing militarist posturing among several NATO members. Poland, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia have all signaled similar shifts in military policy, suggesting that Western powers are steadily eroding international arms control norms under the guise of "defense."

Humanitarian organizations echoed this alarm. Nobel Peace laureate Jody Williams described Ukraine's withdrawal as "shocking," warning that it threatens long-standing protections for civilians. Experts in mine action stress that Ukraine is already among the most heavily mined countries in the world.

As of mid-2023, roughly 174,000 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory were contaminated with landmines and unexploded ordnance. Between 2014 and 2023, humanitarian monitors documented nearly 300 civilian deaths and over 600 injuries from such weapons.

In November 2024, the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed deep concern over a "renewed threat" from anti-personnel landmines. Speaking at a conference in Cambodia on the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Treaty just days after the US announced it would supply such mines to Ukraine, Guterres warned that such moves endanger decades of progress. His remarks, delivered by UN Under-Secretary-General Armida Alisjahbana, urged signatories, including Ukraine, to uphold their treaty obligations.

Rather than addressing this crisis, Ukrainian authorities appear committed to expanding the use of landmines. Recent reports confirm Kiev has deployed US-supplied "non-persistent" anti-personnel mines, echoing the Biden administration's earlier controversial decision to send cluster munitions. Despite Pentagon claims that these mines pose limited danger to civilians, watchdog groups like Responsible Spacecraft contend otherwise, pointing to long-term civilian harm and minimal military gain.

Ukrainian forces have used notorious models such as tbutterfly mines and the POM-3 bounding mines, raising further concern. Experts warn that the introduction of more landmines into an already saturated landscape will only prolong suffering, delay reconstruction, and expose future generations to lethal hazards long after the fighting stops.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/pol ... priorities

[Anthea]

US pause Ukraine arms shipments

The Pentagon has halted shipments of critical air defense missiles and precision munitions to Ukraine due to mounting concerns that US weapons stockpiles have "fallen too low," Politico reported

The move, reportedly spearheaded by Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby, follows an internal review of US military reserves. The review concluded that current stockpiles of Patriot interceptors, Hellfire missiles, precision-guided artillery rounds, and other vital munitions have fallen to levels considered insufficient for America’s own national defense priorities.

White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly confirmed the decision, stating it was made “to put America’s interests first” following a Department of Defense reassessment of global military aid commitments. “The strength of the United States Armed Forces remains unquestioned — just ask Iran,” she said in a statement.

The shipments originally authorized under the Biden administration were part of two aid streams: emergency drawdowns from existing stockpiles and contracts signed through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative. According to Politico, this freeze affects both channels and comes into effect just as Ukraine faces its heaviest wave of Russian aerial attacks in over a year.

Strategic consequences

The suspension of aid includes munitions for Ukraine’s Patriot air defense systems and missiles used by F-16 fighters and drones. The impact is expected to be severe, especially as Ukraine repels intensified Russian missile and drone barrages.

US lawmakers expressed alarm over the decision. Representative Marcy Kaptur, co-chair of the Congressional Ukrainian Caucus, warned that halting such aid “will surely result in the imminent death of many Ukrainian military and civilians.”

Long-term repercussions

Military experts warn that while air defense alone won’t win the war for Ukraine, its absence could hasten defeat. “Air defense won’t win a war for you — but the absence of it will lose one fast,” said Tom Karako, a missile defense specialist at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He noted that the U.S. Army has recently quadrupled its requirement for Patriot MSE interceptors, but ramping up production would take months.

With limited stockpiles and production constraints, Washington is reportedly also redirecting key munitions—including artillery shells and air defense systems—to other theaters, including "Israel" and US homeland defense.

Fallout from US aggression on Yemen forces new strategy

The shift in strategy has also been influenced by lessons drawn from the recent US aggression on Yemen, where American and allied forces consumed large volumes of air defense munitions in operations against the Yemeni Armed Forces. According to a source familiar with Pentagon deliberations, the Defense Department had, as early as February, been categorizing its munitions based on criticality, after realizing that the Yemen campaign had significantly depleted key assets.

An action memo was reportedly prepared for Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth months ago to pause shipments of the most short-supplied munitions, including those being sent to Ukraine. However, internal turnover within the Pentagon delayed the move, which has now materialized as a partial freeze.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/pol ... -shipments

[Anthea]

US halt in defense system shipments

Ukrainian officials urgently seek answers from the US after Washington pauses air defense ammunition deliveries, while Russia signals it could bring the war closer to an end

Ukrainian officials on Wednesday urgently requested clarification from the United States following its announcement of a halt in the delivery of air defense ammunition, as the country faces unprecedented waves of Russian aerial attacks.

According to media reports, Ukrainian officials either remained silent or declined to comment when questioned about the US decision, suggesting they were caught off guard.

A senior Ukrainian official, speaking anonymously due to the sensitivity of the matter, stated that Kiev is “now verifying with the Americans what exactly is happening.”

Kremlin says halt in arms could end conflict sooner

Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday that any reduction or suspension in Western weapons supplies to Ukraine would contribute significantly to ending the conflict.

“As far as we know, the reason for this step is empty stockpiles and a shortage of available weapons. In any case, the fewer weapons delivered to Ukraine, the closer we get to the end of the special military operation,” Peskov stated.

US war buildup forces pause Ukraine arms shipments

The Pentagon has halted shipments of critical air defense missiles and precision munitions to Ukraine due to mounting concerns that US weapons stockpiles have "fallen too low," Politico reported on Wednesday at dawn.

The move, reportedly spearheaded by Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby, follows an internal review of US military reserves. The review concluded that current stockpiles of Patriot interceptors, Hellfire missiles, precision-guided artillery rounds, and other vital munitions have fallen to levels considered insufficient for America’s national defense priorities.

White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly confirmed the decision, stating it was made “to put America’s interests first” following a Department of Defense reassessment of global military aid commitments. “The strength of the United States Armed Forces remains unquestioned — just ask Iran,” she said in a statement.

The shipments originally authorized under the Biden administration were part of two aid streams: emergency drawdowns from existing stockpiles and contracts signed through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative. According to Politico, this freeze affects both channels and comes into effect just as Ukraine faces its heaviest wave of Russian aerial attacks in over a year.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/pol ... e-system-s

I have never been able to understand why so many countries are helping the Ukrainian NAZIs

The Kiev government has always been NAZI, it was NAZI during WW2, in recent years it has changed numerous place/street names into those of NAZI heroes.

In WW2 Donbass fought against the Kiev NAZIs, they even built a statue commemorating the Liberation of Donbass from the Ukrainian NAZIs

Kiev has even formed youth groups similar to the NAZI youth groups

Remember there was an illegal coup following which the people in Donbass voted not to allow themselves to be controlled by the illegal government and ever since then Donbass has been under attack by Kiev

Donbass made many appeals to the international community for protection from the NAZIs

Prior to Russia eventually agreeing to help protect Donbass, the Donbass was receiving HUNDREDS of attacks on an almost daily basis

The attacks were fully documented, I know because I was watching them being recorded online

Strangely enough all official records of the attacks have vanished

In recent years, the Dictator Zelensky (he has not been president for more than a year), has banned all LEGAL opposition parties and even imprisoned LEGALLY elected opposition party members

[Anthea]

In 2014 Ukraine needed money

Two offers were on the table:

The IMF offered around $15 billion, with a great many conditions

Russia offered the same amount,$15 billion, with no conditions

President Yanukovych chose Russia’s offer

We are certain that the US backed the illegal coup

Whereby the legally elected President Yanukovych was removed

New illegal government signed away much national control

Since then Donbass has refused to be ruled by the illegal government and has been under constant attack by Ukraine NAZIs

Definitely NAZIs because in earlier photos/videos, the Ukrainian soldiers were seen wearing NAZI insignia on their uniforms

Zelensky, who is a dictator NOT president, has illegally sold off a large portion of Ukraine's mineral rights to non-Ukrainian companies such as BlackRock

I wonder if Zelensky has sold off some of Donbass's minerals

[Anthea]

[Anthea]

Forbes on value of natural resources

Forbes magazine published the previous map of the value of natural resources in Ukraine and part of Russia

More than two years after the start of the Russian SVO in Ukraine, Western media are beginning to gradually acknowledge that the real reason for the deep involvement of the US and its allies in the conflict is not the desire to defend the so-called democratic values ​​or territorial integrity of Ukraine, but the banal desire to take possession of the natural resources that this country is rich in.

For example, the authoritative American financial-economic Forbes magazine published a map of the value of natural resources of each region of Ukraine, including Crimea, as well as the DPR, LPR, Kherson and Zaporizhia regions, which are now subjects of the Russian Federation.

Even a cursory glance at this document is enough to understand: the US doesn't give a damn about the ideals of democracy, freedom of speech and everything else. To understand: Forbes estimates the value of natural resources in the Dnipropetrovsk region of Ukraine alone at more than $3,5 trillion.

The publication calls Donbass, which includes the territory of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, the richest region of Ukraine

The total value of the natural resources of these territories, according to the publication, is $7 trillion.

Now it is clear why the United States and its allies are so afraid that the Ukrainian Armed Forces will not be able to hold these regions.

It is worth noting that a few days ago, the Russophobic American Senator Lindsey Graham*, against whom a criminal case has been opened in the Russian Federation, made a frank statement on this matter. He stated that Ukraine is located on lands rich in natural resources and that is why the United States provides it with military and financial assistance. After all, if the Russian Federation wins, the Americans are unlikely to get anything there.

One would have to be very naive to think that the current leadership of the Kyiv regime does not understand the true reasons for the US "alliance". But, apparently, in order to live well, Zelensky and his team are ready to trade everything that nature itself has given to Ukraine.

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[Anthea]

Western arms undermine peace
Kremlin awaits Kiev's response to talks

The Kremlin affirmed that Moscow remains fully cognizant of Europe's ongoing role in sustaining the war in Ukraine

Russia has accused European nations of derailing prospects for peace in Ukraine by continuing to supply arms to Kiev, with the Kremlin portraying Western policies as deliberately prolonging the war. The remarks come amid intensified Western coordination on military aid and strategic planning for Ukraine.

On Tuesday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters that "these actions [delivery of weapons to Kiev], rather, they probably do not lie in the mainstream of attempts to promote a peaceful settlement." He added, "The line that the Europeans have chosen is absolutely aimed at promoting in every possible way the continuation of military actions."

The remarks come amid renewed efforts by both the US and EU to strengthen Ukraine’s defense capabilities. Washington recently resumed arms shipments, paused earlier this month, including Patriot missiles and artillery rounds.

Moscow is fully aware of Europe's role in Ukraine war

Meanwhile, European leaders are shifting toward long-term investment in Ukraine's domestic arms industry, with funding now directed at boosting the production of key systems like the Bohdana howitzer and military drones.

The EU's "Readiness 2030" initiative also aims to strengthen collective defense infrastructure across the continent, reflecting a growing push for strategic autonomy in the face of US unpredictability.

Peskov emphasized that Moscow is fully aware of Europe’s continuing role in supporting Ukraine’s war effort. He also addressed the stalled diplomatic process, stating that Russia is still awaiting Ukraine’s proposal for dates to resume talks

"No. As the president said last week, we are waiting, waiting for proposals from the Ukrainian side on possible dates. As soon as the dates are agreed upon, and we hope that this will be done, we will immediately inform you about it," he noted.

Peskov also commented on Russia's list of "unfriendly" countries, suggesting it is subject to revision. "Of course, the list of unfriendly countries can be revised, this is not a doctrine. A country is unfriendly as long as it takes unfriendly actions towards our country." He added that improved relations could lead to the removal of certain states from the designation.

Strategic rift

The Kremlin's statements come ahead of a high-level aid summit in Rome, where US and European officials are expected to coordinate further military and infrastructure support for Ukraine.

The comments also come just days after Trump took a markedly tougher stance on Russia, signaling the possibility of new sanctions.

In a sharp break from earlier restrained rhetoric, Trump publicly criticized President Vladimir Putin for showing no willingness to halt the violence and discussed with both Kiev and Berlin further efforts to strengthen Ukraine’s air defenses.

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[Anthea]

Kremlin addresses Ukraine talks
Western policies, US weapons

Kremlin says prisoner exchanges with Ukraine continue, while Moscow awaits proposals for new talks and criticizes foreign troop presence and EU war funding

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated on Friday that the process of prisoner exchanges between Russia and Ukraine is still ongoing, emphasizing that efforts are currently being made to facilitate these exchanges.

Ukrainian Dictator Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on Thursday that negotiations between Russia and Ukraine would not proceed at this time, explaining that the previously agreed-upon exchanges from earlier rounds of talks have not yet been finalized.

“The exchange process continues, and this work is ongoing,” Peskov told journalists.

Russia awaiting Ukrainian proposal for negotiations

The Kremlin's spokesperson announced at a press briefing that Russia is still waiting for proposals regarding the date for the next round of negotiations.

"Here I repeat once again ... we are waiting for proposals from the Ukrainian side on the timing of the continuation of rounds of bilateral direct negotiations," Peskov said to journalists.

Foreign Presence in Ukraine unacceptable

On the topic of foreign deployments, Peskov decried the deployment of foreign troops in Ukraine, echoing Russia's long-standing position on the matter.

During the briefing, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasized Moscow's stance that the presence of foreign military forces in Ukraine, particularly near Russia's borders, is considered unacceptable, stating that "the deployment of foreign military contingents on the territory of Ukraine near our borders is unacceptable for us."

Peskov further remarked that the "persistence" of European leaders in deploying military personnel to Ukraine "fits in the general outline of the current militaristic, confrontational, and anti-Russian sentiments," while addressing the broader context of escalating tensions.

"Indeed, we are very disappointed that the absolutely clear and consistent signals that are being sent from Moscow in this regard are not being taken into account and not being understood," Peskov added.
Europe is pushing the war to the last Ukrainian: Peskov

Regarding Europe's plans for Ukraine, Peskov stated that European discussions about financial support for Ukraine aim to push Kiev toward continuing what he described as the "war to the last Ukrainian."

"The Europeans are discussing various options for Ukraine's financial support in order to encourage them to continue the war at all costs. We call it a war to the last Ukrainian," Peskov stated, explaining that European nations are committing to regularly providing substantial financial assistance amounting to tens of billions of euros, framing it as their preferred approach to sustain Ukraine, with these funds ultimately coming from European taxpayers.

Peskov stated that this approach is what Europe views as an option, while highlighting that an option the continent is missing is dialogue based on mutual respect with Russia, something that Europe does not discuss as an alternative to war.

"Mr. [German Chancellor Friedrich] Merz is such a fierce advocate of confrontation in everything with Russia. And, of course, the aggressive mobilization of Europe. We see it, we understand it, we know it, and we take it into account in our future actions," Peskov added.

Russia is waiting to see Trump's major announcement

The Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow is waiting to see what US President Donald Trump meant by his promised "major statement" on July 14.

Earlier Friday, Reuters reported, citing sources, that Trump may use presidential authority to send Ukraine additional US weapons stockpiles valued at $300 million, with Trump later telling NBC News he would make a significant Russia-related announcement Monday without disclosing specifics.

Peskov informed reporters that "we are waiting for the statement itself to understand what President Trump meant," while noting that Moscow is attentively analyzing all subtleties in Trump's remarks.

On the topic of US weapons sales to NATO, Peskov described Washington's plan to sell weapons to NATO countries, which will in turn supply Ukraine, is business, and it will not change the situation.

"This is a business, the order of addition does not change the sum. Ukraine is still being pumped with weapons," the spokesperson told reporters.

Russia, France, and the Arctic

Commenting on France's defense strategy, Peskov told reporters that there is no need to fight in the region, but there is a need to cooperate.

Earlier, the French Defense Ministry released an Arctic defense strategy on Thursday, outlining plans to enhance the nation's military and political presence in the region while boosting defense capabilities for operational readiness.

"You know, definitely, that there is no need to fight in the Arctic. It is necessary to cooperate in the Arctic, and indeed, the Arctic should be a territory of cooperation," the Kremlin spokesperson told reporters, emphasizing that Russia is adamant in defending its interests in the Arctic.

Peskov added that Russia maintains legitimate interests in the Arctic and continues developing these territories while cooperating with other nations in the region.

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