Letter to Congress from American Veteran in Ukraine

Letter to Congress from American Veteran in Ukraine Jake Broe [I am a United States Air Force veteran who served as a Nuclear and Missile Operations Officer (13N). 437K subscribers 2-24-2024 17:00 Minutes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eg49VcsWvd8

Excerpt: "Jake is sharing an opinion piece from an American Service veteran currently in Ukraine. An American Veteran plea arm Ukraine or Surrender Freedom. This man's name is John Roberts call sign name is Jackie Not everyone has and uses social media. Not everyone wants to be on camera.

So today, I'm going to use my platform and my voice to share his message. This is the piece that he wrote for the Kiev Independent and I'm going to read it in its entirety as an American in Avdiivka.

I am an American Military veteran: call sign name is Jackie. I am writing from Donbas, Ukraine. I'm originally from Orange County California. I served in the US military for 8 years stationed in Colorado, South Korea, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kuwait. I also worked as a contractor at the John F Kennedy special Warfare Center in North Carolina helping prepare our future special operators.

As an American Soldier, I have always been interested in our national security and Global interests. I am currently an assault instructor serving in the third assault Brigade in elite units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

A few days ago, we came to the rescue of Ukrainian forces who had been enduring the Russian attack on the town of Avdiivka. Our Fighters quickly destroyed two Russian brigades and kept a corridor open for Ukrainians from Avdiivka to retreat from the town. Our soldiers are true professionals undisturbed by the massive Russian Firepower being flung at them and fighting hard to gain and maintain the corridor.

One thing I teach my students is to conduct shaping operations. Essentially, to take steps by using alternative means such as artillery air power drones in our case or electronic warfare to prepare the battlefield for success of our infantry to capture their final positions. My students are very excited to employ these techniques. They train on them and use them in the battle frequently.

Ukrainian soldiers are highly motivated to fight efficiently and reduce casualties as they are making their transition from Soviet to Nato doctrinal Warfare. Our Brigade is leading this transition and using shaping operations at every level possible. Even down to the squad, we make plans, we do reconnaissance, we task support assets and we review our actions after battle to learn what we did well and what we need to change. We admit our successes and failures and we improve and grow ourselves as professionals. Because of this in battle, we are confident and unrelenting.

On the ground in Avdiivka, we felt the results of current US politics with full force.

We are accustomed to fighting with less artillery than Russia. We have already developed clever ways of using Precision fire to counter Russian Artillery. Our artillery soldiers use their U.S. provided weapons efficiently and effectively to battle the second largest military in the world. So, that while our assaulters have cover, we pierce like needles to rapidly cut Russian critical arteries. We are used to fighting under strength. We are intelligently adapted and trained to push ourselves to the highest level of combat performance. But, we cannot deliver Miracles.

We have already delivered many miracles in this war and and I sure we will continue to do so. BUT, hoping for miracles is not a reliable way to win a war.

I need to go pray and say goodbye to some more of my students and friends. These soldiers, these men and women, are incredible people. It takes weeks to teach American soldiers what Ukrainians are able to learn in hours. Their standards and self- expectations are high. They usually accomplish complex team-based tasks correctly on their first attempt. Every time they fail in training they get angry with themselves and repeat the task until it is right. I have never had to ask them to stay late or work harder. They hardly sleep. They don't complain and most of them have families. Besides not getting to spend time with their families these soldiers know that this fight is for their future and for their safety.

I am extremely disappointed in a super minor minority decision in Congress to block funding for Ukraine. They have said that we need this or that border security or health care or whatever you want to say. But, it is clear to me that this is solely about Ukraine. We didn't have proper border security or health care in 2010 or 2000 or 1990, 1980, 1970, 1960 or 1950. Our decision and ability as Americans to have funding for something we supposedly want has nothing to do with enabling Ukraine's current defense.

The problem in the US that this super minority in Congress is citing to block funding has endured since the founding of our nation in the 1700s has nothing to do with Ukraine in 2024. I am sure that France in 1776 could have come up with many excuses not to support American colonists fighting for independence from British subjugation. Foreign support in arms enabled Congress to stand today.

Now we are tasked to keep the light of Freedom lit for others. The current Speaker of the House Mike Johnson wants to pour water on that fire.

We are fighting hard against impossible odds. All you need to do is help from a distance and that is a good thing for Americans. You do not want to come here. The Ukrainians are dying and it is not out of our ignorance or accident. They are dedicated to their Liberation from Soviet values and Russian oppression. They are spilling oceans of blood to join the free democracies of the world.

Ukrainians who enjoy an average income of something like $5,000 a year are the largest public donors to the war. Ukrainian soldiers purchased most of their professional equipment with their own income. This economy was already struggling before The Invasion and there are still not enough resources to fight and equip everyone.

Ukrainians are doing everything and giving everything they have for this. And, they will not stop. They are fighting for their future and they will not give-up on their future. They will not surrender to Russian capture and enslavement. They received a soft Independence in 1991 which they turned into complete self-governance and independence by 2014.

Thanks to U.S. Aid, Ukrainians have not been crushed. Thanks to U.S. Aid, they have taught the second largest military power in the world that might doesn't make right. Where is the Russian cruiser Moskva? Thanks to U.S. Aid, a new free nation is being born in the world.

Ukraine is not giving up. Americans we cannot give up either. I can say from living in California, Colorado, and North Carolina, that I love the United States. I love the peace and prosperity that I enjoy in the U.S. I have been to enough places around the world to know that we are blessed with the lives we live and even the hardships we sometimes endure... (con't)"

DAILY VIDEO COMMENTARY SUMMATION

25 Feb: MOMENTS BEFORE THE DISASTER! The Russian critical offensive near Tabaivka FAILED
Reporting from Ukraine
472K subscribers
2-26-2024 1:15 a.m. EST
5:17 Minutes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgFazJvNmRg

⚠️ Watch RFU in 20 languages: https://www.youtube.com/@RFU/channels

I am Ukrainian. My country has been invaded by Russia. In this video, I will tell you what happened on the seven-hundred-thirty-second day of the war.

Day 732: Feb 25

Today, there are a lot of different updates from the Kupiansk direction.

As we indicated in a previous video, according to the Head of Ukrainian Intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, the anticipated Russian winter-spring offensive effort is underway precisely in this region. The main objective of the Russian forces in the area is the capture of Kupiansk.

Kupiansk is a strategically important town for THREE main reasons.

FIRST, Kupiansk is an important logistical point and railway node that Russians could use for further deployments to the south and east.
SECOND, taking Kupiansk would provide support from the flanks, which is necessary for attacking Kharkiv – without taking Kupiansk, it is virtually impossible to encircle Kharkiv.
THIRD, taking Kupiansk would facilitate achieving one of the most important Russian political goals because one of the declared primary objectives of the so-called special military operation is establishing control over the entire Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

Because of this, Russians have been stalking Kupiansk for a long time, and in that effort, they have tried to take Synkivka for up to twelve months, with a peak intensity in the last two months. But ultimately, Ukrainians created a powerful set of fortifications, traps, and minefields that completely undermined any Russian efforts.

For this reason, Russians regrouped their forces in January and then suddenly attacked south of Kyslivka, successfully penetrating the Ukrainian defense and reaching Tabaivka. The main Russian objective was to encircle Kyslivka.

If we look at the topographic map, we can see that, in reality, the control over Tabaivka is actually of secondary importance, as this settlement is located in the lowlands. The real fortress is formed around Kyslivka and small settlements nearby because they are located on the hills. That is why it is extremely important for Ukrainians to prevent the fall of Kyslivka.

Fortunately for the defenders, the Ukrainian high command decided to deploy reserves to stabilize the front line in this region and disrupt the Russian plans.

Geolocated images of the area show how the Ukrainians carry out all kinds of attacks on Russian infantry, vehicles, and heavy equipment, with a particular emphasis on attacks from FPV drones. Some of the equipment whose destruction is visible in the images include a two-C-nineteen MSTA-S self-propelled system as well as an MT-twelve howitzer.

Incidentally, in one of the videos shown, an attack on a Starlink device is clearly visible, reconfirming its widespread use by the Russian military.

The latest updates indicate that due to the fact that the attempt to encircle Kyslivka completely failed, Russian forces have redirected their efforts further south. According to Ukrainian military analysts, elements of the Russian First Tank Regiment and Fifteenth Motorized Rifle Regiment are struggling to advance towards Kupiansk from the southeast near Tabaivka and Krokhmalne, so the Russian command has redeployed at least three assault units to the area to support efforts to break through Ukrainian lines and redirect advances northwest of Svatove.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently visited the front line in Kupiansk, receiving first-hand information from commanders in the area and offering support to the citizens who have recently suffered from mortar fire that reached residential areas. This visit has been interpreted as a message that Kupiansk is currently of the highest strategic importance.

Overall, the timely decision of the Ukrainian command to deploy reserves, coupled with the successful leveraging of fortifications and traps in the region, have prevented Russians from developing their southern offensive vector and disrupted the plan to complete the encirclement of Kyslivka from the south. Kyslivka is the crucial point of stability of the current front line, the fall of which could have compromised Kupiansk.

According to many analysts, the strategic significance of Kupiansk even outweighs that of Avdiivka, making it a crucial focal point in the current defensive strategy. Ultimately, Ukraine needs to defend Kupiansk to ensure that Kharkhiv never becomes the next target of the Russian forces.

However, Russian forces opened many more mutually supporting axes of advance in the Luhansk region. The scale of this joint offensive operation is massive...

*** Select the 3 horizontal dots to view the Complete Transcript [Below video/ top right corner]

ARTICLE - Two subjects:
(1) Import Ban
(2) Frozen Russian Asset

Wider Europe Briefing
February 26, 2024 12:51 GMT
By Rikard Jozwiak
rferl.org
https://www.rferl.org/a/wider-europe-russia-aluminum-eu-ban-estonia-russian-assets-jozwiak/32835598.html

1- Aluminum Import Ban

BRIEF #1: Will The EU Target Russian Aluminum Next?

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
Last week, the EU passed its latest sanctions package on Russia to coincide with the second anniversary of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

As I discussed in a previous briefing, the measures introduced were weak, consisting largely of additional asset freezes and visa bans.

The rather feeble package also prompted internal criticism within Brussels, especially from more hawkish EU member states, with the argument that the European Union must be more ambitious in sanctioning the Kremlin in the future.

Speaking to several EU diplomats, who wish to remain anonymous because they don’t have the authority to speak on the record, the European Commission has promised to start work on a new sanctions package with immediate effect. And this time it will try to include sectoral sanctions that would have a much greater impact on the Russian economy.

One of those sectors is aluminum. Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland have pushed for both import and export bans on the metal for a while now.

Officials from the four nations noted in a discussion paper, seen by RFE/RL, that “Europe’s imports of aluminum not only fund Russia’s war economy but also benefit Kremlin-backed oligarchs and state companies.

It is estimated that the European Union still imports the metal from Russia to the tune of 2.3 billion euros ($2.5 billion) per year. The bloc also exports various aluminum products to Russia, worth some 190 million euros.

The only sanction the bloc has enacted in this field has been a very specific and targeted import ban on aluminum wire, foil, tubes, and pipes produced in Russia.

That still leaves 85 percent of the aluminum business — including the lucrative construction and automotive industries — untouched so far.

DEEP BACKGROUND:
This could change as the aluminum industry in Europe is now calling for more sanctions on Russia.

Representatives of Europe’s aluminum industry in Brussels have argued that on moral grounds “business as usual” with Russia cannot continue.

But there are also compelling economic reasons.

Before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, imports of Russian aluminum represented well over 30 percent of the EU’s total. Now, Russian aluminum represents only around 8 percent of the bloc’s imports due to the industry decoupling from Moscow voluntarily. By relying on it less, there is less to lose by sanctioning.

Aluminum is also quite different from other raw materials, such as the much rarer uranium used in the nuclear industry. It is easy to obtain, produced all over the world, and easy to transport.

Given that the EU is now producing even more aluminum and importing it from new partners in Iceland, Mozambique, and Norway, supply is far outstripping demand.

DRILLING DOWN
There are still a number of issues that need to be overcome. While the dependency on Russian aluminum in general has reduced across the EU, a few EU member states — most notably Greece — still rely on Moscow for most of its imports of the metal. And as always with sanctions, all 27 EU member states need to sign off on them.

Officials from the European Commission have also said there are three areas that Brussels, out of principle, won’t target with sanctions: food, drugs and medical equipment, and critical raw materials. Aluminum is classified as a critical raw material by the EU, even if there might be an abundance of it on the market right now.

The European Commission is aware of another obstacle. If sweeping sanctions on aluminum were to be introduced, some member states could ask for exemptions. Greece would be an obvious candidate. This is what happened when the EU introduced sanctions on Russian steel imports in 2023. A few EU member states won derogations, allowing them to ignore the measures until 2028, distorting the bloc’s internal single market and giving those countries a competitive advantage.

In the steel industry, there are certificates of origin, which establish the country where the alloy comes from and where it was manufactured. What concerns the EU is that there is no such thing in the aluminum industry, which makes it easier for Moscow to circumvent sanctions. A system similar to the one for steel could be created for aluminum, but it would probably require a sustained global effort to be effective, and this could prove time-consuming.

Future sanctions in this field will also depend on EU-U.S. cooperation and coordination. The United States doesn’t have any sanctions on Russian aluminum, but it has slapped a 200 percent tariff on the metal. Washington and the EU could also impose sanctions on RUSAL, the Russian state-owned aluminum giant.

The United States has previously targeted the company. In 2018, the White House imposed sanctions on the company’s then boss, oligarch Oleg Deripaska, and all his businesses due to “Russia’s malign activity.” (While the measures were lifted one year later, it does show that sanctions targeting aluminum haven’t always been off the table.) With Deripaska on the EU’s blacklist since April 2022 due to his economic support of Russia’s war in Ukraine, some EU officials believe that there is room to go even further.

BRIEF #2: Will Estonia Lead The Way In Confiscating Frozen Russian Assets?

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
Recently, the European Union took the first step in actually using some of the money from Russian assets frozen in the bloc to financially support Ukraine.

As a first, cautious step, the EU is using the proceeds of blocked funds from the Russian central bank and the Russian National Wealth Fund. A decision to transfer some of these earnings to Ukraine has been agreed in Brussels, although the second step — actually sending the money to Ukraine — hasn’t been cleared yet by the bloc’s member states.

There are misgivings, though, especially in larger countries: What impact could this have on the euro as a global currency? And what about private property rights, which are considered fundamental in the EU?

Estonia has gone further, just passing a draft law in its first reading in parliament that would allow the proceeds from frozen assets belonging to Russian citizens to be sent to Ukraine as compensation for war damages. A second reading is due in March or April, and the law is expected to be adopted in the second half of the year.

Estonia has frozen Russian assets worth some 36 million euros ($39 million), through its own measures and the implementation of EU sanctions.

While it is still a relatively small amount, Brussels and some other EU member states are watching Estonia’s experience with interest.

The Baltic country could set a precedent and go even further by not only confiscating earnings from assets but also the assets themselves.

Or as the country’s Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna, a supporter of the proposed law, put it before participating in the EU’s Foreign Affairs Council on February 19: “If the law is passed, there won’t be any excuses anymore that we cannot do it legally. Then it becomes a matter of political will.”

DEEP BACKGROUND:
What does the Estonian proposal look like? If enacted, the measure is an option, not an obligation, and it would be Estonia’s Foreign Ministry that decides to use funds, registered assets, or any other type of asset of a person or entity under international sanctions. (While the target here is clear, it is not just Russian individuals or firms but funds belonging to people and companies from any sanctioned country.)

The people or entities that would be targeted under the measure are those with a connection to the policymaking of the state that has committed (or just assisted in) an unlawful act.

In the case of Ukraine, that means people “undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence” of the country. As for entities, assets can be confiscated if the companies are more than 50 percent state owned.

DRILLING DOWN:
For this to fly, there have to be sufficient safeguards — because it is a mechanism of “last resort.” According to the draft law, it should be applied when a state — in this case, Russia — fails to compensate for the damage caused to another state — in this case, Ukraine. This, of course, hasn’t happened yet and doesn’t look likely to happen any time soon. But it means Moscow would be given a chance to pay damages to Ukraine before the measure could kick in.
There are also legal safeguards. In each case, there would probably be a preliminary review in an Estonian court before anything was decided and then follow-up inspections on the procedure and how the money was disbursed. And the people or entities targeted would have the opportunity to contest the decision in Estonia.

Perhaps the most crucial part of all this is the “right to claim” for those whose assets have been confiscated. This gives the individual the right to get their money back in the future from the state that is judged to have caused their damage in the first place (in this case, Russia). To do that, according to the draft law, “the persons are not required to actively act in the name of ending the military aggression” but to refrain from “showing their support of the military aggression.” Then, according to the proposed law, they should try to persuade the offending state — in this case, Russia — of its “obligation to compensate for damage.”

Before any transfer of money takes place, Estonia would also need to conclude a treaty with the aggrieved state or with some kind of international compensation body. Such a deal would have to include the purpose of using the compensation, for example, repairing damaged schools or hospitals.
But how well does this sit with international law? In a resolution passed in November 2022, the United Nations General Assembly acknowledged Russia’s obligation to compensate for the unlawfully caused damage in Ukraine. This resolution is nonbinding, however, and it leaves lots of room for countries to interpret it differently.

In the explanatory note to the draft law, the Estonian government makes its case by stating: “At this point, it should be taken into consideration that any country is a legal construct and acts and bears liability through its people. Stripping the persons who have contributed to the aggression in the aggressor state, the activity of which also endangers the security of Estonia and all of Europe, of their assets, which are located outside of their home country, is justified in the current situation, in which there is a war in the heart of Europe for the first time in more than 80 years.”

LOOKING AHEAD:
1- The Hungarian parliament is set on February 26 to approve Sweden’s NATO accession, which would complete the Nordic country’s ratification process in all 31 countries of the military alliance. Sweden might even officially join NATO as member number 32 later this week in a flag-raising ceremony in Brussels.

2- The death of Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny will dominate the European Parliament plenary in Strasbourg this week. On February 28, his widow, Yulia Navalnaya, will address the chamber, which later that day is set to debate how the EU should respond to the Kremlin.

The following day, February 29, lawmakers are expected to pass a nonbinding resolution on how the bloc should support other political prisoners and civil society activists in Russia.

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