Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Give the craziest people you know everything they want and hope they don’t ask for more? Great plan.

Is it negotiation when the other party actually wants to shoot the hostage?

Come on, man.

“I was told there would be no fact checking.”

No one could have predicted…

I’d hate to be the candidate who lost to this guy.

fuckem (in honor of the late great efgoldman)

GOP baffled that ‘we don’t care if you die’ is not a winning slogan.

This blog will pay for itself.

If marriage is the equivalent of selling yourself into slavery, women with self respect should reject the offer.

We are aware of all internet traditions.

There are some who say that there are too many strawmen arguments on this blog.

Republicans do not pay their debts.

A lot of Dems talk about what the media tells them to talk about. Not helpful.

Peak wingnut was a lie.

Dear media: perhaps we ought to let Donald Trump speak for himself!

… pundit janitors mopping up after the gop

No offense, but this thread hasn’t been about you for quite a while.

It’s not hopeless, and we’re not helpless.

Their freedom requires your slavery.

Donald Trump found guilty as fuck – May 30, 2024!

If you thought you’d already seen people saying the stupidest things possible on the internet, prepare yourselves.

Conservatism: there are people the law protects but does not bind and others who the law binds but does not protect.

When they say they’re pro-life, they don’t mean yours.

You are here: Home / Foreign Affairs / War for Ukraine Day 787: The Butcher’s Bill from Dnipro

War for Ukraine Day 787: The Butcher’s Bill from Dnipro

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(Image by NEIVANMADE)

Just a quick housekeeping note: Rosie is continuing to do better, so thanks again for all the good thoughts and well wishes.

Dnipro:

Odesa:

Here is President Zelenskyy’s address from earlier today. He went to Dnipro to address the Ukraine-NATO Council, which was a scheduled trip. Video below, English transcript after the jump.

This Year Cannot be Just a Year of Further Discussions, We Need Decisions of Our Partners – Address of the President of Ukraine

19 April 2024 – 22:12

Dear Ukrainians!

Today is a difficult day… Missile strikes. Right in the center of the city of Dnipro, the regular buildings. A house, a railway station. In addition, Synelnykove and Kryvyi Rih were also hit today. Strikes in Nikopol… Strikes in the Odesa region – again on the ports, on the export of our products. Today there was shelling and strikes in Donetsk, Mykolaiv and Kharkiv regions… There are many victims. Everyone is being helped. And I thank everyone who supports our people, who eliminates the consequences of Russian evil. My condolences to all those who have lost their loved ones.

When Ukraine appeals to partners for air defense systems that they have – in warehouses, in storage bases, but that are needed here, right here, to protect lives – we are talking about a true alliance. And here in Ukraine, we appreciate the efforts of every leader, every state that is really active, really committed to fulfilling their promises and trying to increase the capabilities of our air shield.

It was Dnipro where I addressed today the participants of the first extraordinary meeting of our Ukraine-NATO Council. It was a meeting at the level of the defence ministers of the Alliance countries. Unfortunately, Russian terrorists had too much time, the years of this war, to destroy Ukrainian life. This year cannot be just a year of further discussions. Everything is quite specific now. Ukraine needs air defence, and the partners can help with it. We need artillery, and this is something the world has. Only sufficient numbers of air defence systems and fighter jets can drive the Russian aviation away. We need decisions. And decisions are possible. Everyone in the world who wants peace has to not be afraid to demonstrate their power to protect life.

I am grateful to everyone who is with Ukraine, with our people and with our defence now. I am  grateful to everyone in Dnipro and in other cities and settlements who direct their forces in order to make sure that our county stays strong. Please, take care of your neighbours when it’s needed. Take care of our Ukraine and spread the truth in the world, by all means. The truth that the world can do it.

Glory to Ukraine!

Here is the video of his address to the Ukraine-NATO Council followed by the English transcript:

It is not fair to resist bombs merely with bravery – the President during the extraordinary meeting of the Ukraine – NATO Council

19 April 2024 – 18:20

Dear friends,

Thank you for a prompt convocation of our Council. Speedy reaction now literally means security.

Today I was on the frontline – right where the Russian army is amassing most of its efforts for assaults. Unlike our soldiers, the occupiers have enough weapons, a sufficient number of shells, and worst of all – they, unfortunately, still have control over our sky. In these conditions our Ukrainian soldiers – real heroes – are doing everything possible to deter Russian assaults. But it is not fair to resist bombs merely with bravery, the valor of our people cannot be the only defense from drones and missiles – our positions on the frontline need real protection from air strikes. And our cities, our villages, the entire territory of Ukraine needs real protection of the skies. This morning, our cities of Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih, and Synelnykove were struck by Russian missile attacks. In Dnipro, an ordinary residential building was destroyed, and people were trapped under the rubble. A railway and a bus stations were damaged… This is just one morning in one city, yet Russian terrorists strike our country daily and nightly in various cities and communities. Such cities as Kharkiv, Odesa, Sumy, Chernihiv, Mykolaiv, Kherson, and Dnipro, among others, do not have a reliable defense against Russian terrorists. When I was preparing for this conversation, they hit the sea port Pivdennyi. Several missiles struck port facilities, not only Ukrainian, but Singapore’s as well.

From the beginning of this year alone – a bit more than just three months – Ukraine has been hit with almost one thousand two hundred Russian rockets, including aeroballistic and also more than one thousand five hundred ‘Shaheds’. Part of this evil we managed to neutralize – shoot down. But only a part, unfortunately, the smaller part of the rockets, not all ‘Shaheds’ which the Iranian regime shared with Russia, and not all of eight thousand five hundred guided bombs. And Russia has resorted to more calculated massive strikes that destroy our energy system.

It is obvious that Ukraine alone does not have sufficient strength to defend itself from Russian terrorist strikes. And the truth is that the absolute majority of the world countries and of our common Euroatlantic community similarly would lack just their own strength to defend life. This is why NATO was created and this is what alliances work in the world for – when all together defend life, evil will not defeat all – one by one. And we see the effect of this principle – we see a determined alliance – there are those among you who showed it to the entire world.

Dear friends!

The world has seen so far the alliance which does not have equals in countering terror. Israel was not left alone and almost one hundred percent of the strikes against it were neutralized. It is a convincing efficiency of the air shield of NATO countries, your air defense, your combat aviation – everything that now worked in the skies of the Middle East and destroyed not only Iranian drones and rockets but also several dangerous myths. Especially the myth that NATO members’ action in defense of the third country from drones and rockets involves NATO in the war, and that shooting down ‘Shaheds’ or rockets can supposedly be treated as direct confrontation with the army that used this weapon. For allied actions in the Middle East there was no need to activate the Fifth article, and the allies were acting together to protect a state that is not a member of the Alliance.

Ukraine did not ask you to send your soldiers to fight against Russian occupiers – Ukrainians are holding the frontline on their own, receiving military assistance. But now the assistance is still very limited, and in particular, we’re still waiting for new support packages from the United States – American support has been in question for too long. Everything that is questioned for the defense of freedom is a precise answer for Putin – he is tempted to act when the West slows down.

Ukraine has asked and asks all of you to support our actions with a sufficient number of weapons and shells – and it is a realistic request. I am grateful to every leader and every country that now, while we are waiting for a vitally important decision from the US Congress, offers their own initiatives to cope with the shortage of weapons – including artillery, drones, and other initiatives. But the results of each initiative can be measured only by real capabilities of our soldiers on the frontline – real shells, real weapons in their hands. Ukraine asks you to do everything so that the initiatives for support are realized fully.

It is obvious that now, while Russia has air advantage and can rely on its drone and rocket terror, our capabilities on the ground, unfortunately, are limited. And you have shown how it may be solved.

NATO unites not only the military strength of its member countries but also the humanitarian spirit of the nations. It is an Alliance that protects people and lives, and hence must in its actions follow the idea that people are equal in their dignity and rights, and that given by God – life is equally valuable everywhere on the Earth. That’s why the difference in determination to protect life and freedom looks so strange – somewhere it is stronger, elsewhere weaker. Somewhere ‘Shaheds’ are shot down and elsewhere the same ‘Shaheds’ can fly along the trajectory of terror. Somewhere ballistic missiles are destroyed while elsewhere, unfortunately, they reach their targets. Somewhere delivery of really modern weapons is sufficient to protect life while elsewhere twentieth-century weapons are the highest yardstick in many respects, in particular regarding aviation.

Putin must be brought down to earth, and our sky must become safe again, and it is real. And it depends fully on your choice. Choice whether life is indeed equally valuable everywhere. Choice whether you have an equal attitude to all partners. Choice whether we indeed are allies.

We are telling this directly – to defend, we need seven more ‘Patriots’ or similar air defense systems, and it’s a minimum number. They can save many lives and really change the situation. You have such systems. Please. Secondly: we are talking for quite a while about a million artillery shells for Ukraine. They must be finally delivered to the frontline. Thirdly, our long-ranged ability. It is absurd when partners are afraid of their strength. The more long-ranged weapons our soldiers have in their hands, the closer peace is. The frontline really needs long-range rockets and artillery now. Fourth: aviation. If we have a fighter jet coalition, a sufficient number of jets is needed to really overcome the Russian air fleet. It’s not about the number of promises, but the real number of jets in the sky. And fifth is speed. This year we can’t wait for decisions to be made. I ask you to consider as soon as possible our request for your determination – each of its elements.

Thank you so much for your attention and support!

And I am grateful to every country and every leader for all the support provided to us.

Слава Україні!

Ukraine vitally needs more air defense systems – to protect our people and our homes, and also to give a breath of fresh air to our military in their battle against the enemy.

I highlighted this in my speech at the extraordinary session of the Ukraine-@NATO
Council, convened at the urgent request of President Volodymyr @ZelenskyyUa.

I stressed once again that 97 percent of russian missiles, drones, and bombs hit civilian targets.

Dozens of Ukrainian civilians have been killed and hundreds injured as a result just in recent weeks.

And this is a real genocide of the Ukrainian people.

To stop this flow of murder, more air defense systems and ammunition for them must be sent to Ukraine now!

Grateful to NATO Secretary General @jensstoltenberg for his strong calls to member countries to strengthen the defense of Ukrainian skies.

Grateful to all our allies who have already responded to this initiative.

The cost:

Holland:

The US:

From The Washington Post:

The Pentagon has a massive infusion of military aid for Ukraine “ready to go,” U.S. officials said, once a long-delayed funding measure, which is expected to pass the House this weekend, clears the Senate next week and President Biden signs it into law.

The Defense Department, which has warned that Ukraine would steadily cede more ground to Russian forces and face staggering casualties without urgent action on Capitol Hill, began assembling the assistance package well before the coming votes in a bid to speed the process, these people said.

One official, who like some others spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the Biden administration’s planning, said that once the $95 billion foreign aid bill is finalized, it would take less than a week for some of the weapons to reach the battlefield, depending on where they are stored. The legislation includes about $60 billion for Ukraine, with most of the remainder slated for Israel and U.S. partners in Asia.

It was not immediately clear how expansive the package will be, though it is almost certain to contain desperately needed ammunition for systems Ukrainian personnel rely on most, including 155mm shells used in NATO howitzers and munitions for medium-range rocket artillery. Since the war began, individual U.S. transfers have ranged in value from hundreds of millions of dollars to more than $2 billion.

As the aid bill languished in Congress for months, officials in Washington and in Kyiv said Ukraine’s front-line units were rationing a rapidly evaporating stockpile of armaments and that soon Moscow would have a 10-to-1 advantage in artillery rounds.

It is also probable the Pentagon will provide Ukraine with a fresh tranche of air defense equipment and ammunition, a vital need to combat Russia’s relentless campaign against the country’s civilian infrastructure. NATO Secretary Jens Stoltenberg said Thursday he was convening with allies to discuss ways to bolster such capabilities, with a focus on the high-end Patriot system.

A Pentagon spokesman, Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder, declined to comment. News of the planned transfer was reported earlier by Politico.

Then this week, Russia struck the northern city of Chernihiv and the eastern city of Dnipro and surrounding villages, killing dozens of people and badly damaging infrastructure. Both attacks could have been averted, Ukrainian officials said, if Ukraine had the air defense supplies it needs.

After the attacks, Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, and foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, pointed to what they called the double standard in the United States and other Western allies assisting Israel in intercepting Iranian missiles and drones last week while failing to adequately help Ukraine, which is under fire each day.

“American support has been in question for too long,” Zelensky said Friday, addressing the Ukraine-NATO Council. “When it comes to the defense of freedom, everything that is in question gives a clear answer to Putin. It prompts him to act whenever the West slows down.”

More at the link!

Washington, DC:

Also in DC:

Julia Davis in The Daily Beast:

Now, Russia’s former favorites have been edged out by Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene—the new darling of the Kremlin-controlled state television. In the past, Greene was routinely mocked for her uneducated statements and used as a prime example of how stupid all Americans are, which is a popular refrain in Russian media. After laughing at Greene for confusing gazpacho with the Nazi Gestapo and claiming that California wildfires have been caused by “Jewish space lasers,” leading propagandists described her antics as evidence of the “mental debilitation” of Western politicians.

But the mood changed once Greene started to say things that the Russian propaganda apparatus found extremely useful. Her Tweets that labeled NATO as a useless organization and demanded the U.S. withdraw from the alliance it is currently leading were featured on state TV and described as “sensational.” Greene’s rhetoric has been interpreted by state TV host Evgeny Popov to mean that “She believes that Americans should help Putin win. Yes, you heard that right. To help him win in Ukraine.”

Greene’s baseless claims that the U.S. is “supporting Nazis in Ukraine” were likewise lauded by state TV propagandists and showcased on multiple channels. Previous mockery did not deter the state-controlled media from gladly using Greene’s misleading statements to their advantage. The U.S. congresswoman was starting to become a long-distance darling for the Moscow crowd, prominently featured on state television and adored to the point that the Kremlin’s favorite propagandist Vladimir Solovyov proclaimed, “Thank goodness she exists.”

The importance of influential Westerners repeating the Russian talking points is constantly underscored by the head of RT, Margarita Simonyan—who admits that her state-controlled network is running covert operations in the United States and other countries. She described RT’s efforts as the “empire of covert projects that is working with public opinion.”

Greene is now routinely showcased on the most popular programs as a prime example that the cracks in the GOP support for Ukraine are “good signals from Washington.” Solovyov and the guests on his show even touted Marjorie as a possible replacement for Russia’s perennial favorite, Donald Trump, as the next U.S. president—while acknowledging that the congresswoman is “somewhat funny.”

Greene’s latest hijinks have firmly cemented her status as one of Moscow’s most useful tools. Leading propagandists lauded her efforts to threaten Mike Johnson’s speakership for his belated decision to allow a vote on the life-saving U.S. aid to Ukraine. They similarly rejoiced over a flurry of amendments to the Ukraine aid bill Greene filed with the House Rules Committee, including one to require any member who votes in favor of the package “to conscript in the Ukrainian military.”

Greene filed more than 20 amendments to the bill and most of them sound as though they have been handcrafted by Russia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry. Some of them demand that Ukraine close all its bio-laboratories, to prove that “Christian churches in Ukraine are able to operate free from government interference” and bar funding until “restrictions on Hungarians in Transcarpathia” and other minorities are lifted.

In light of Greene’s own prior statements, one might imagine that the plight of Hungarians in Transcarpathia is not something she would organically discover or take any interest in. Perhaps coincidentally, the same narratives are being actively promoted by the Russian media.

During Thursday’s broadcast of The Evening With Vladimir Solovyov, expert on America Dmitry Drobnitsky urged everyone to stop focusing on Mike Johnson and instead pay attention to Greene. He said, “The issue is not with Johnson. Speaker Johnson is not the one who is running Congress. Marjorie Taylor Greene is running Congress! It’s all about those to whom she is willing to give the money. Everyone is afraid of her! She is everywhere, on every Committee, involved in all impeachments… This is a curious phenomenon in the camp of our real enemy. These are the kinds of people they have working in their Congress.”

Florida Democratic Rep. Jared Moskowitz offered his own amendment that would appoint Greene “as Vladimir Putin’s Special Envoy to the United States Congress.” The Russians seem to agree.

That woman just ain’t right!

Donetsk:

In the Donetsk region, I held a meeting on the regional security situation and the protection of people.

General Sodol, the head of the regional military administration Filashkin, and the heads of the SSU and National Police departments provided me with detailed briefings.

I also went to see the construction of fortifications. Every effort must be made in this regard.

I am grateful to everyone who defends our country and people. I thank everyone who works for Ukraine on a daily basis.

🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦

Russian occupied Donestk:

Russell Bentley, aka Texas, came to Donetsk in 2014 to join Russian proxies, married a local woman and was a favorite American of the Russian propaganda networks. He disappeared last week in Donetsk, kidnapped by soldiers of Russia’s 5th Tank Brigade according to his wife, and is now reported dead. https://t.me/readovkanews/78525

Chasiv Yar:

It’s remarkable that Russian Su-25 jets can operate so frequently and seemingly uncontested over western Bakhmut, Ivanivske, Khromove and the open fields between those and Chasiv Yar, especially when Chasiv Yar’s elevation is higher and these jets would be in clear sight of Ukrainian air defenses — if they had any stingers etc there to use. They are flying within 1.5-2 miles of Chasiv Yar’s eastern district. The camera in the video posted by @RALee85 below is filming from about the 📍 spot and the ⭕️ is the area where the jets are flying. The other videos in the thread are roughly the same area.

Novomykhailivka:

Serebryanksky Forest, Kreminna:

Stavropol, Russia:

Big news: Ukraine took down Tu-22M3 bomber, the one Russia uses to attack Ukrainian cities with Kh-22 missiles.

And get this: Ukraine shot down two of those missiles today!

Just think about it: if Ukraine had all those air defenses right now, how many more lives could’ve been saved.

Bryansk, Russia:

Mordovia, Russia:

That’s enough for tonight.

Your daily Patron!

Open thread!

Reader Interactions

18Comments

  2. 2.

    zhena gogolia

    MTG, the renowned expert on Transcarpathia.

    I’m glad Rosie is doing well.

    Has anyone seen Alison Rose?

  4. 4.

    Gin & Tonic

    Glad your dog is doing better.

    Hunting for my tiny violin for Russ Bentley. FAFO indeed. Oh, well (as they say.)

  5. 5.

    Jay

    Denys Prokopenko
    @D_Redis
    14h
    Nonsense. That’s the first word that comes to mind in the context of the current ban on the transfer of Western weapons to Azov.

    Few people in Ukraine know about it, and almost no one speaks about it publicly. It’s time to pay attention to this Kafkaesque situation and make it public.

    Since 2017, a number of US Consolidated Appropriation Bills have contained the following amendment: “None of the funds made available by this Act may be used to provide weapons, training, or other assistance to the Azov Battalion”.

    In 2015, Congressman John Conyers Jr, a Democrat from Michigan, proposed this amendment to the Department of Defense Appropriations Bill for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2016. The congressman made the proposal, noting that Foreign Affairs magazine, as well as “other leading media outlets”, had characterized the Azov battalion as “openly neo-Nazi” and “fascist”.

    According to media reports, the Department of Defense subsequently called for the proposed amendment to be withdrawn, arguing that aid to Azov should already be prohibited by the Leahy Act, which states that “no assistance shall be provided to … any unit of the security forces of a foreign country if the Secretary of State has credible information that such unit has committed a gross violation of human rights.” At the time, the ban on providing arms to Azov was not included in the final bill.

    However, in 2017, this amendment was already included in the text of the Appropriations Bill. It is also present in this year’s Defense Appropriation Bill.

    It is noteworthy that the Leahy Law, which requires that incidents of human rights violations be reviewed on the basis of specific facts, was not applied to Azov, and the decision to adopt the amendment was primarily based on the characterization of Azov by Western media, which apparently formed their attitude towards the unit under the influence of Moscow propaganda. All of the main accusations against Azov have been repeatedly refuted on the basis of facts on the Internet and in the media. In particular, on azovcontrafake.com/

    Does it make sense to point out once again that the very wording “Azov battalion” used in the law actually refers to a non-existent unit? At the end of 2014, Azov ceased to be a battalion and became a separate special forces detachment. Since February 2023, our unit has been the 12th Special Forces Brigade Azov of the National Guard of Ukraine. Not a battalion, not a regiment. It is a brigade.

    It is this amendment, which wanders from one Appropriation Bill to another from year to year, that is the reason why in 2022, during the defense of Mariupol, Azov did not have the modern Western weapons.

    At that time, we were holding back the enemy’s superior forces in the besieged Mariupol, using the extremely limited resources we had, and we showed extremely high efficiency. How many lives could have been saved and what would have been the results of the city’s defense if, in addition to high motivation, cohesion and professionalism, Azov had modern armored vehicles and artillery systems at its disposal?

    Even after 2022, when it seemed that the world had finally learned the truth about Azov, we still cannot send our soldiers to most of the leading Western military exercises and do not receive the necessary weapons that our allies provide to Ukraine. This problem is partly solved by volunteers and conscious Ukrainians who do their best to help the unit: for example, the volunteer project “Tylovyky” raised 77 million UAH for 17 FV432 Bulldog armored personnel carriers for the Azov Brigade. But the war demands more.

    Now the entire Ukraine is experiencing what Azov has been dealing with since 2014. Unfortunately, Azov has become not only the first unit in the Ukrainian army to implement Western military standards, but also one of the first and main targets of Moscow’s propaganda. Since the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian war in 2014, Moscow has accused Azov of “neo-Nazism” and sought to destroy it. In 2022, the Russians wanted to “denazify” the whole of Ukraine, labeling the entire nation as “Nazis.” 10 years ago, no one helped Azov resist the influence of the Kremlin’s multibillion-dollar propaganda machine. Today, the whole country is in the same situation. And just as Azov has been experiencing for 10 years, Ukraine may now face a lack of Western assistance.

    I emphasize that the very existence of such amendments and prohibitions not only prevents Azov from performing its combat missions more effectively, but is a blow to the defense capability of our country, tarnishes Ukraine’s image on the international level and is humiliating for the entire Ukrainian army.

    There is no evidence or confirmation of the accusations that Russian propaganda has been spreading about Azov for 10 years. If there were, delegations of Azov fighters would not have been received in the United States, in European countries, and in Israel. Azov members would not have held meetings with representatives of the U.S. Congress and human rights organizations. They would not have spoken at the UN, the Council of Europe, or at the best Western universities. They would not have given interviews to the world’s leading media and would not have participated in panel discussions at major military conferences. This is the absurdity of the situation: Azov is being welcomed at the highest level throughout the Western world, but still not given weapons.

    Azov is used to overcoming difficulties on its own. We were the first unit in Ukraine to adopt NATO standards, and we did it on our own initiative. Without Western weapons, we have become one of the most capable units in the country in 10 years. Our fighters are returning to the ranks after Russian captivity, fighting the enemy and fulfilling all the tasks set by the command.

    No obstacles will stop us on our way.
    However, justice demands answers. How many more refutations of the Kremlin’s lies do we have to provide before politicians in the West finally open their eyes to the truth? How long will a structural unit of the Security and Defense Forces of Ukraine, subordinated to the military leadership of the state, be stigmatized by such humiliating amendments?

    And most importantly, how many more Ukrainian soldiers, fighters of our brigade, who are defending not only the freedom and independence of Ukraine, but also the entire free Western world from the real, unimagined Nazis of today, must die and be wounded because of the lack of necessary modern Western weapons, so that Azov is finally removed from the Appropriations Bill and all “black lists”?
    Apr 19, 2024 · 10:15 AM UTC

    https://nitter.poast.org/D_Redis/status/1781265246365098139#m

  7. 7.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Jay: As I’ve written many times, Russia and Putin won the information portion of his political warfare campaign well before he invaded Ukraine the first time. And every decision that the Obama, Trump, and Biden administrations have made have been made within Russia’s informational framing of the conflict with Ukraine in specific and Russia’s regional and geo-strategic intentions in specific.

  8. 8.

    B1naryS3rf

    Here’s hoping the aid package really will get passed this weekend. I hear Morgan Freeman in my head saying “hope is a dangerous thing” and then picture Mike Johnson in Lucy drag ready to pull away the football as we charge to kick it again.

  13. 13.

    bjacques

    @zhena gogolia: until Marjorie Perjury got her latest marching orders, she thought Transcarpathia was where trans people shopped when they needed something to really bring the room together.

    It’s gonna be a long 24 hours.

    By the way, does anyone know if it’s legal (or advisable) for Americans to contribute to the Slovakian artillery shell fundraiser?

    https://www.municiapreukrajinu.sk

    Or better to just stick to United24?

  15. 15.

    Another Scott

    @bjacques:

    Be aware of the issues if you’re a federal employee – GovExec.com:

    […]

    In almost all cases it’s better to provide a donation with an organization that has some U.S. affiliation or branch. In rare cases individuals have actually been prosecuted for funneling money to “charities” overseas that were later found to be illegitimate. If you work in the government and hold a federal clearance, the guidance gets even trickier: Foreign Influence and Foreign Preference are two of the 13 adjudicative guidelines used to make clearance eligibility determinations. Question 20A.5 of the SF-86 application for national security positions specifically asks about “financial support for any foreign national.” Question 20B.1 goes on to ask about “providing advice or support to a foreign government.”

    Any donation made directly to Ukraine’s military effort would easily fall into a reportable category. Whether it would cost you your clearance or a government job is one thing, but it would certainly be a conversation starter during your next security clearance interview or upgrade. The urge to support the country of Ukraine is strong, and the Ukrainian government has been savvy in its response and in providing methods of engagement – from the creation of the International Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine to the National Bank of Ukraine’s Armed Forces donation page.

    But it’s worth noting that any donation made to an overseas government or agent would need to be reported. And then you become responsible for ensuring that your donation is going where it should. A blank check (or dogecoin, or cryptocurrency) investment made toward a foreign government or entity isn’t without risk.

    Don’t Fight the Urge to Help

    The desire to support Ukraine – or any international conflict or tragedy – is spot on. But if you work in the government or hold a security clearance, the safest path to providing support is through a U.S.-based charity. And while it may be tempting to hop on that crowdfunding effort to sponsor a tank or a granny with an AK-47, your best bet is to make sure donations are non-governmental in nature and geared toward relief and aid efforts.

    HTH!

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  16. 16.

    YY_Sima Qian

    It seems the Israeli retaliation to the Iranian retaliation was very calibrated. IDF targeted an air defense site that is tasked to defend Iran’s nuclear weapons development facilities near Isfahan, showing Iran that Israel at directly attach its nuclear program it is chooses, but did not target the nuclear facilities themselves, which would have been highly escalatory. There is some confusion where Israel used cruise missiles launched from aircraft, or drones launched w/in Iranian territory. Israel also targeted Iranian proxies in Syria & Iraq. Apparently the US warned Iran of the Israeli plan to strike w/in Iranian territory a couple of days ago. I am not the Iranian regime has even officially acknowledged that the attacks came from Israel.

    All signs pointing to both Iran & Israel not wanting to escalate further. I think the Biden Administration deserves a lot of credit for managing this crisis, helped by pretty unanimous messaging from across the West, across the region & virtually all of the great powers, warning against escalation into regional war. I suspect it also helps that Bibi, while cynical, parochial, illiberal & corrupt in the extreme, is fairly risk averse when it comes to waging war against credible opponents. Historically, he has always tried to maneuver the US into fighting Iran, instead. Other members of the War Cabinet are a lot more hawkish & have far greater tolerance for risk (IMHO to the point of recklessness).

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