Russia is pressing forward on Ukraine’s eastern front. They are also fighting to retake the Kurst area, which if successful, will be the point where tanks pour across the border and go straight into Kyiv.

US policy has been changed to allow Ukraine to use land mines in order to defend their country. They also now allow Ukraine to use long-range missiles to attack targets well within Russia. US has allowed US contractors to go into Ukraine to repair military equipment, including the F-16 fighter jet.

One can say that Russia escalated first, by deploying North Korean soldiers on the battlefield, against Ukraine.

Link: Ukraine fires several US-made longer-range missiles into Russia for the first time

It is pretty scary. Biden made it clear that we would never send American troops to Ukraine. He stated when US and Russian soldiers are fighting on the same battlefield, it is the beginning of World War III. I agree.

But is there a serious path to peace? Russia is risking thousands of Russian lives at this moment, in an aggressive escalation of the war. Their missile attacks are hitting targets within Kyiv. What Russia wants, is a simple message to US and European leaders, that they will ultimately win this war. It is not peace they desire but surrender.

As I see Trump packing his Cabinet with less than savvy conservative loyalists, including Tulsi Gabbard, nominated as Director of National Intelligence. (I am preparing a post on her) because they look good on Fox News.

I worry that Trump will sell Ukraine out and reward Russia for their invasion. President Zelensky stated that he would like the war to end through talks. It may have been a mistake, because it allows Trump to sell out Ukraine, cutting a deal between the US and Russia, that Zelensky will never be a participant.

Putin wants total victory and control of Kyiv. He would like Zelensky dead, so he can install a Ukrainian president that reports to Moscow.

It is a choice of helping Ukraine continue as a free, independent democracy, or a country ruled by a Russian puppet, like in Belarus and Chechnya. A lot rests with Trump.

Stay tuned,

Dave

Link: What to know about Tulsi Gabbard

I thought this link was factually correct and unbiased. It is interesting to note that her father switched from Republican to Democrat, while in 2022, she switched from Democrat to Republican. I will post more on Gabbard. She stated that the Ukraine invasion was a result of NATO expansion, which is really Putin’s explanation of why Russia had to invade Ukraine. He does not acknowledge the sovereignty of Ukraine.