Free Republic

There has long been a worry that Russian escalation or miscalculation might see the Ukraine war widen into a broader European one. But what if it’s Kyiv, not Moscow, that starts this process? The flashpoint is Belarus. Minsk’s dictatorial leader, Alexander Lukashenko, is beholden to Vladimir Putin, but not a helpless vassal. On the one hand, he has refused to join Putin’s war directly, saying that he won’t allow Belarusians to become ‘mincemeat.’ On the other, he has been willing to let Russian troops use facilities in his country, and fly drones and missiles through his airspace. There is growing...

Scott Bessent, the US treasury secretary, advised Donald Trump not to host Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office, having called the Ukrainian president a “little f**ker”, a “special-needs child” and “Mr Bean on crack”, according to a new book. The suggestion that a US cabinet official described a world leader in such terms is included in Regime Change, a blockbusting account of the second Trump administration by New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, set to be published worldwide on Tuesday. News of Bessent’s alleged remarks may embarrass the Trump administration, although the meeting that did take place...

Ukraine is seeking an additional $20 billion in military funding from its allies, Defence ​Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said on Wednesday at a joint ‌press conference with his Dutch counterpart. A Ukrainian defence source told Reuters last week that Ukraine would make the request on Thursday at a meeting ​of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, an alliance of ​more than 50 countries also known as the Ramstein ⁠group that provides financial and military aid for Kyiv. Fedorov ​said that of the nearly $40 billion funding already announced, Ukraine saw $24 ​billion in the supply schedule. He added that Ukraine has been...

This video describes the military situation in Ukraine on the 15th of June 2026 0:00 — 🎬 Introduction 0:19 — 🎯 Biggest Russian advances since beginning of 2026 0:35 — 🚀 681 air vehicles: Iskanders, Kh-101, Zircons, NEW Bander cruise missiles 1:47 — 💥 Kyiv strikes: Nova Poshta terminal, Flamingo drone factory destroyed 2:40 — ⚔️ Northern Sumy: Russians advance on Basivka, Tovstodubove 3:41 — 📍 Sumy direction: Forest advances near Pysarivka 4:25 — 🔥 Kharkiv: Kazachi Lopan 10% Russian-controlled, infiltration toward Riznykivka 5:52 — 🏴 Kupiansk: Dozens of flags along Oskil River — major map adjustments 7:10 — 🔥...