I Have Instructed to Ensure That the Number of Specialists Needed by the Air Force to Carry Out Combat Missions Is Not Reduced – Address by the President

14 January 2025 – 21:04

I wish you health, fellow Ukrainians!

A brief summary of today.

Morning – military briefing. Report on the front lines, our arms needs and related supplies.

A separate conversation with the Commander of the Air Force. Today, there was a lot of information, outrage and discussion – regarding the transfers. I have instructed to clarify everything for the public and to ensure that the number of specialists needed by the Air Force to carry out combat missions – for our aviation, air defense, and mobile fire groups – is not reduced.

Afternoon – meetings regarding our work with partners. We have planned the next few weeks – with a focus on European directions. The schedule includes new meetings with leaders, and one of our key goals is to increase our partners’ investment in our defense. Today, the German Minister of Defense visited Kyiv: we discussed, among other things, air defense, new systems that our cities need, and financial support. Germany is one of the leaders in helping Ukraine, and in terms of total assistance from all nations, Germany contributes 16%. This is very significant. I expressed my gratitude for this, noting that there is a direct correlation between the level of support and the things we can implement both on the battlefield and in protecting lives in the rear. The Speaker of the Latvian Saeima is also in Ukraine today. We discussed further cooperation. Both Germany and Latvia participated in today’s meeting of NATO countries in the Baltic region, and this is another area where it is clear that Russia is investing its resources specifically in prolonging the war and creating problems for everyone in Europe. This includes Russia’s shadow tanker fleet, as well as spying on European countries and their infrastructure in the Baltics, and threats to critical undersea infrastructure. No less dangerous are the new threats from drones, which Russia can use to destabilize infrastructure facilities on the continent. Such as airports or power plants. We must all coordinate our efforts together for the sake of our defense and greater security for our countries.

And one more thing.

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has just delivered a report. We discussed personnel issues.

Glory to Ukraine!

Russia:

Patrushev was Russia’s top security official until last year & now an aide to Putin. “It is possible that in the coming year Ukraine will cease to exist altogether.” Statements like this are important and revealing about Russian strategic aims in the war & in any diplomacy. www.kp.ru/daily/27651/…

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— Shashank Joshi (@shashj.bsky.social) January 14, 2025 at 8:40 AM

Extraordinary, though not surprising. Patrushev: “I do not rule out that the aggressive anti-Russian policy of Chisinau will lead to Moldova either becoming part of another state or ceasing to exist altogether … we can look at the example of Ukraine” www.kp.ru/daily/27651/…

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— Shashank Joshi (@shashj.bsky.social) January 14, 2025 at 8:41 AM

Patrushev: “There is nothing to talk about with London and Brussels. The EU leadership, for example, has long since lost the right to speak on behalf of many of its members, such as Hungary, Slovakia, Austria, Romania” www.kp.ru/daily/27651/…

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— Shashank Joshi (@shashj.bsky.social) January 14, 2025 at 8:48 AM

It is up to London & Brussels to prove Patrushev wrong. Countries choose to get a seat at the table through their leverage over the subject. For now, the best source of leverage is working with a Trump admin, shaping its diplomacy & building joint options.

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— Shashank Joshi (@shashj.bsky.social) January 14, 2025 at 8:50 AM

The Kyiv Independent has the details:

Moldovan officials have condemned recent remarks by Nikolai Patrushev, an aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who claimed that Moldova “will either become part of another state or cease to exist” due to its “anti-Russian policy,” Moldovan media outlet NewsMaker reported on January 14.

Patrushev made the controversial statement in an interview, further blaming the Moldovan government for the energy crisis and urging Chisinau to “not deceive itself or its people,” but instead “admit its mistakes and start fixing the situation.”

Moldova’s Foreign Ministry called the remarks unnaceptable interference in the internal affairs of the country.

“Moldova is a sovereign state that stands firmly on the path of democracy and European integration, in line with the will of its citizens,” the Foreign Ministry said.

The energy crisis, worsened by Russia’s suspension of gas supplies in December 2024, has been labeled by Chisinau as Kremlin blackmail and a threat to national security.

Moldova began sourcing electricity from European markets, resulting in significant disruptions in the Russian-controlled Transnistria region, including power outages and industrial shutdowns.

Transnistrian authorities previously rejected an offer from Chisinau to help purchase gas via European platforms.

While Moldova has transitioned to European energy supplies, Transnistria remains heavily reliant on Russian gas. Russian troops have been stationed in the region since the early 1990s.

You all may recall that Patrushev is always on top of my short list to take over for Putin. And that he’d be as bad if not worse than Putin.

Also Russia, as well as the US Senate: (h/t: GhostWarrior)

Danish intelligence revealed that Russia forged letter in attempt to spark US President-elect Donald Trump’s bid to purchase Greenland

The operation is part of broader Russian strategy to create division within NATO & strengthen positions in the Arctic

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— Euromaidan Press (@euromaidanpress.bsky.social) January 13, 2025 at 7:08 PM

From Euromaidan Press:

PET, the Danish intelligence agency, claims that in 2019, Russian operatives forged a letter from Greenland’s then-Foreign Minister Ane Lone Bagger to provoke US President-elect Donald Trump into expressing interest in purchasing Greenland when he served his first presidency term, BILD has reported.

In December 2024, Trump expressed claims over Greenland, stating that the US should take control of the island for national security and global freedom purposes. In response to this statement, Greenland’s Prime Minister Múte Egede said that the island is not for sale, emphasizing that the local people have long fought for their freedom.

The fabricated letter from former Foreign Minister Ane Lone Bagger was allegedly addressed to US Senator Tom Cotton. In it, Greenland’s official reportedly thanked for “financial assistance” and indicated plans to expedite a referendum on Greenland’s independence from Denmark.

Following the letter, Senator Cotton proposed acquiring Greenland, which may have inspired Trump to seriously consider the idea. However, the report says Trump’s public comments about purchasing Greenland were ridiculed by Danish officials, leading him to cancel a planned visit to Denmark in anger.

PET views the falsified letter as part of a broader Russian strategy to create divisions within NATO and strengthen its and China’s positions in the Arctic.

As Trump recently revived the Greenland purchase idea, Denmark has responded cautiously. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has proposed enhanced Arctic cooperation, and the Danish Ministry of Defense has announced plans to strengthen its military presence on the island.

Trump’s claims prompted the Kremlin to justify its military aggression against Ukraine and illegal referendums in occupied territories conducted at gunpoint.

Two points here. First, this is a perfectly executed variation of a Black PSYOP. Just as a quick refresher, a Black PSYOP is when the disinformation, misinformation, and/or agitprop is placed in a source like a print or broadcast (TV or radio) news outlet that is well regarded as a legitimate news source. Some time later those who placed the misinformation, disinformation, and/or agitprop use the validation that comes with the reporting to then legitimize the information op when they come back and weaponize it and then amplify it throughout the Information Environment. In this case they used Senator Cotton and his office.

The second point is how bad at their jobs Senator Cotton and his staff are. Rather than reaching out to the actual Foreign Minister of Greenland to vet and verify the letter, Cotton just took the thing straight to the President-elect. The Russians must be constantly amazed at just how gullible Americans in general and American elected and appointed officials, especially Republican ones, are.

The US:

Ukrainians helping out in the LA fires❤️

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— Sofia (@sofiaukraini.bsky.social) January 13, 2025 at 2:00 AM

Ukrainians in the United States are joining in to help Americans affected by the massive wildfires in Los Angeles.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) January 14, 2025 at 11:35 AM

The Kyiv Independent explains what the Presidential Drawdown Authority is, how it was used, and why the Biden administration failed to use up the funds provided to him by Congress.

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— The Kyiv Independent (@kyivindependent.com) January 14, 2025 at 3:45 PM

From The Kyiv Independent:

U.S. President Joe Biden will be passing around $3.8 billion in the so-called Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) to his successor — Donald Trump.

On the campaign trail, Trump has repeatedly criticized the Biden administration for providing Ukraine with military assistance, including through military shipments using the PDA.

Countering Trump’s rhetoric, the outgoing administration stated its desire to use the available funds to help Kyiv withstand the ongoing Russian offensive in the country’s east.

“We are determined — and it’s fully my intent and the president’s (Joe Biden) intent — to spend every cent that we have available from the $61 billion that was authorized by Congress in the supplemental appropriation,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at the end of 2024.

On Jan. 9, the outgoing president signed into force a military aid package for Ukraine worth $500 million. The aid package was said to be the last one before a new administration takes office on Jan. 20.

The last tranche included missiles for air defense, air-to-ground munitions, armored bridging systems, as well as equipment to support Ukraine’s use of F-16 fighter jets.

The final aid package from the Biden administration was expected to be much larger, with nearly $4.3 billion in available funding open to the president’s signing at the start of 2025.

Despite the ongoing attempts to frame Biden’s military aid shipments as a charity, the PDA doesn’t involve actual funds being spent.

The PDA allows Washington to supply Ukraine with military equipment from existing U.S. military stockpiles, considered to be surplus, which can begin arriving within days of approval.

The sums showing up in White House reports are an estimated value of the equipment provided and shipped to the recipient country.

Concerns over the fact that Biden’s administration won’t be able to provide the promised funding arose months prior.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the crucial foreign aid package, which included around $61 billion for Ukraine, in April 2024.

The bill was first introduced in October 2023, yet was delayed for months due to political infighting in the lower chamber of the U.S. Congress.

Following Trump’s election victory, the Biden administration rushed military aid shipments to Ukraine. Soon, the U.S. aid packages to Kyiv shrank.

The Pentagon has reached the limit of weapons it can send to Ukraine monthly without affecting its own combat capability and started facing logistical problems in delivering weapons, the Wall Street Journal reported in late November, citing unnamed U.S. officials.

Pentagon spokesperson Major General Pat Ryder said in an interview with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) published on Jan. 10 that Washington has to balance its own readiness needs, as well as look at what the U.S. do to support Ukraine.

Asked again, a few days later, why the U.S. was unable to provide all the PDA authorization to Ukraine, Ryder dodged the question, adding that “the authority will get passed to the next administration and it will be their call on whether they will choose to expend — or employ that authority to expend those funds.”

“It could be a simple political calculation to avoid leaving the Trump administration with a completely zero balance (in aid to Ukraine),” Vladyslav Faraponov, the head of the Kyiv-based Institute of American Studies, told the Kyiv Independent.

Meanwhile, Daria Kaleniuk, co-founder of the Kyiv-based NGO Anti Corruption Action Center (ANTAC), said that Biden failed to fulfill his promise. She also blamed Ukraine’s Defense Ministry for not being ready for such a scenario and not persuading the Pentagon to move forward with the promised aid.

Kaleniuk told the Kyiv Independent that the ANTAC and other experts had warned the Defense Ministry that Washington would run out of time to spend all the money and that it lacked the necessary military hardware requested by Ukraine, primarily air defense systems and missiles.

Kaleniuk suggested that the remaining U.S. funds could have been redirected to other arms assistance programs in case of better cooperation. Kyiv could also expand the list of weapons priorities to include lower-priority equipment that might still be available in stockpiles, she added.

“By the time we realized, it was too late,” Kaleniuk said.

The Kyiv Independent sent a request for comments to Ukraine’s Defense Ministry but has not received a response at the time of publication.

The remaining PDA funds are now at Trump’s disposal.

“It’s really up to the incoming administration to decide what they use — what they decide to do with the remaining authority that’s left,” Pentagon’s deputy spokesperson Sabrina Singh said on Jan. 8.

When asked if the Biden administration is concerned about remaining funds and if there is a danger of a lag, she answered that Ukraine has “strong” bipartisan support within Congress.

You’ll recall that I explained this was going to happen back in late November/early December.

Georgia:

Day 48. The horrors persist but so do we. #terrorinGeorgia #GeorgiaProtests

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— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) January 14, 2025 at 4:31 PM

“Solidarity with Zugdidi and Batumi; solidarity with free media” — the repressive laws banning fireworks and covering faces were deliberately violated in protest in Tbilisi, Rustaveli.

#GeorgiaProtests
#TerrorinGeorgia

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— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) January 14, 2025 at 2:16 PM

Day 48. The horrors persist but so do we. #terrorinGeorgia #GeorgiaProtests

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— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) January 14, 2025 at 4:31 PM

1/ “In Tyrannos – Sandro Akhmeteli (1886-1937),” – a banner was hung on Rustaveli Theater.

Sandro Akhmeteli was a Georgian innovative theater director. During Joseph Stalin’s Great Purge, he was arrested on trumped-up charges of espionage and executed.

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— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) January 14, 2025 at 2:06 PM

2/ “We returned the inscription on the facade of Rustaveli Theater, the title of the play that led to Akhmeteli’s execution in 1937 and the ban of this banner […]

— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) January 14, 2025 at 2:06 PM

3/ […] But of course, Akhmeteli’s memory prevailed, and his theatrical tradition triumphed,” stated the demonstrators, representatives of the Georgian theatrical community”.

— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) January 14, 2025 at 2:06 PM

JUST IN: For Georgia party leader and ex-GD PM Giorgi Gakharia attacked by regims MP and GD regional secretary Dimitri Samkharadze as well as Ajara Supreme Council members in Sheraton Batumi. Gakharia hospitalized. #terrorinGeorgia
According to journalist Gela Mtivlishvili.

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— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) January 14, 2025 at 6:15 PM

Giorgi Gakharia, leader of the “For Georgia” party, was attacked at the Sheraton Hotel in Batumi.

GD members were involved in the attack, allegedly including Dimitri Samkharadze.

Gakharia has been hospitalized.

#terrorinGeorgia

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— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) January 14, 2025 at 6:53 PM

After attacking Giorgi Gakharia, GD members also attacked Transparency International representative, media researcher Zviad Kuridze at the Sheraton Hotel.

#terrorinGeorgia

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— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) January 14, 2025 at 7:00 PM

🔴 Georgia’s Young Lawyers Association: “Imprisonment as preventive measure should only be used in extreme cases, like a threat of absconding or obstructing the investigation. No such threat exists from Mzia Amaglobeli.”

Court will discuss on matter on January 14, at 11 AM.

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— Batumelebi&Netgazeti (@netgazeti.org) January 13, 2025 at 7:32 PM

#Batumi City Court is reviewing preventive measures for Mzia Amaglobeli, CEO of Batumelebi and Netgazeti, charged with “attacking a police officer” under Article 353¹, facing 4 to 7 years in prison. The prosecutor seeks pre-trial detention.
#RepressionInGeorgia
#GeorgiaProtests
#Georgia
#media

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— Batumelebi&Netgazeti (@netgazeti.org) January 14, 2025 at 2:37 AM

The founder of independent media outlet @netgazeti.org was sentenced to preventive detention today, holding Maria Ressa’s “How to Stand Up to a Dictator” in court. Ressa reacted: “After 47 days of protests… this would have been unimaginable”.

#GeorgiaProtests
#TerrorinGeorgia

📷Formula TV

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— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) January 14, 2025 at 11:46 AM

“This will be Georgia without critical media.
Freedom for Mzia Amaglobeli and all political prisoner.
We are on strike!”

Independent and critical media outlets hold a symbolic three-hour strike.
#Georgia #GeorgiaProtests

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— Batumelebi&Netgazeti (@netgazeti.org) January 14, 2025 at 8:25 AM

Just imagine that happening in the US. You can’t, because it never would.

One of the major pharmacy chains PSP joins tomorrow’s first attempt at a major strike only for a symbolic 5 minutes since their service is essential, but they put up “we want new elections” and “release the prisoners” at their entrances. #GeorgiaProtests

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— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) January 14, 2025 at 4:11 PM

Nothing like this would ever happen in the Land of the Self Enslaved and the Home of Those Afraid of Pronouns.

The regime has really doubled down on lengths of detentions. They’d have people jailed for two days, now it’s mostly more than ten days each, and one case of the maximum 15-day detention for “disobedience to the police” offenses. 1/

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) January 14, 2025 at 3:11 PM

This serves the purpose to dissuade people from protesting, including but not limited to disobedience to dictatorial laws such as anti-mask laws. 2/

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) January 14, 2025 at 3:11 PM

Added to this is the “legality” of preventive detention of those who’ve ever committed any administrative offense before – a policeman can just grab you on the grounds of his personal assumptions that you’ll commit an offense. #terrorinGeorgia #GeorgiaProtests 3/3.

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) January 14, 2025 at 3:11 PM

Back to Ukraine:

Russia attacked Ukraine with 80 drones last night (58 shot down, 21 location lost). On occasion Ukraine launches more overnight. Russian attacks are decreasing in effect, and Ukrainian ones increasing. We can also expect even larger attacks by Ukraine as newly developed weapons come into service.

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— Euan MacDonald (@euanmacdonald.bsky.social) January 14, 2025 at 4:06 AM

According to Ukrainian journalist Yuriy Butusov, President Zelensky has reportedly halted sending people to new brigades, redirecting recruits instead to experienced combat units. If true, this is an excellent decision by him. A good reminder why public discussion was necessary

— Tatarigami (@tatarigami.bsky.social) January 13, 2025 at 4:33 PM

A fire show from the “Vampire” rocket system of the DPSU brigade “Steel Border.”

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) January 14, 2025 at 8:29 AM

Marinka, Donetsk Oblast:

The footage shows the city of Marinka in Donetsk Oblast – or rather, what remains of it.

Russia had been unsuccessfully trying to “liberate” the city, located just a few kilometers from Donetsk, since 2014. Now, all that is left of the city is scorched earth.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) January 14, 2025 at 1:34 PM

Kharkiv Oblast:

The National Guard of Ukraine’s “Khartia” brigade burned an enemy T-80 in the Kharkiv region.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) January 14, 2025 at 10:39 AM

Kharkiv:

Several explosions reported in Kharkiv! These minutes, the city is under russian aerial attack!

— Iryna Voichuk (@irynavoichuk.bsky.social) January 14, 2025 at 9:55 AM

Sumy Oblast:

Huge Russian “Shahed” found in Sumy region.

The drone was spotted by locals near one of the settlements in Sumy region, probably after another Russian attack, and the police were called. Explosives experts inspected the UAV, neutralized the warhead, and took it to a training ground to blow it up.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) January 14, 2025 at 7:13 AM

That’s enough for tonight.

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