Russia To Spend 39% Of Budget On Military
It’s now winter in Europe, and temperatures in Ukraine have dropped below zero which means that those without heat are suffering, and any counter offensive actions will be hindered by the weather conditions. The difference between last year and now is that the war in the Middle East was not on, and Slovakia was supporting Ukraine.
Ukraine is focusing on EU and NATO membership as they know that is the only way Ukraine can ever be safe from invaders, but realistically it will take years and only after the war has ended, and if Ukraine win. They must win, but that should be the focus rather than summits on reconstruction. The news that Russia will spend 39% of the budget next year on the military means that Russia has no intention of leaving Ukraine or to make peace, and reports claim that the war will continue at least until after the elections in November 2024, where it is expected Putin will win (this is communism) if he is still alive that is.
I find all these speeches of supporting Ukraine for as long as it takes to be for show, because the war may last years when these politicians may have passed. You can understand why some Ukrainian men don’t want to fight and choose a life away from Ukraine, but that doesn’t make it right.
Day 642 (27 Nov)
Ukraine will open an office in the European Parliament, as this will help them to be prepared for Ascension talks, and will allow Ukraine to observe how the EU Parliament works, and how they need to adapt their own governance to work alongside the EU.
Reports claimed that Turkey has been exporting military use goods to Russia in 2023, which has circumvented the sanctions which have circumvented the sanctions that area allegedly in in place.
Russia has put Andy Stone, a Meta spokesperson on the wanted list, but does not state what the criminal charge is
Day 643 (28 Nov)
Ukraine and the foreign ministers of Baltic states, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania will not take part in a OSCE meeting , due to the fact that Lavrov from Russia will be attending. In a joint statement, the Baltic states said this would only permit him to engage in propaganda. The meeting is being held in Skopje, North Macedonia from 30 Nov-1 Dec.
Finland is to close all of its borders with Russia due to migrants, trying to enter the country from Russia. The last one, Raja-Jooseppi will close on 30 November and will run for at least two weeks from to 13th December. 30 November was the same day the Winter War began in 1939, when Russia invaded Finland. Perhaps it’s a message to the Russians not to even think of invading again?
Kuleba visits the EU and NATO headquarters to discuss Ukrainian membership to both entities.
The council of the European Union is funding, the training of the arm forces in Ukraine, and has pledged €194 million. The total value of the program is €255 million, and training would be provided through the EPF (European Peace Facility).
Italy has begun negotiations and talks on a bilateral security agreement under the G7 joint declaration of support for Ukraine.
In the Baltic Sea, ten countries in the region have agreed to increase their presence to safeguard infrastructure beneath the water. These are usually pipelines for gas that in the past have been sabotaged.
Day 644 (29 Nov)
Ukraine agrees to a new reform plan with NATO that is a pathway to ascension. In particular, how Ukraine has been dealing with corruption has been a major issue. The stemmed from the adapted annual program, which is where Ukraine prepares for NATO membership.
North Korea’s special economic zone (Rason) appears to be a gateway between Moscow and Pyongyang where it is suspected arms are being transported to Russia. This has come from satellite data where extra activity has bene taking place.
The US has been stating that the Ukraine war is profitable for businesses as the government spends $27 billion to arm Ukraine. Contracts have been given to companies in Texas, and Arizona that are traditionally red GOP states, therefore, even if Republicans oppose sending aid to Ukraine or restricting it, companies in their constituencies are benefitting financially.
Arms for Ukraine equals jobs for Americans (Biden).
Putting signs the 2024 budget where 39% of spending is allocated to the military and defence. Plans for 20,25 and 2026 have already been prepared from this week and presume that Putin has planned to continue his desire to resurrect the USSR.
The international community continues to isolate. Russia, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, elected its executive council, and Russia was not included. Eastern Europe will be represented by Ukraine Lithuania and Poland.
Microsoft has agreed to provide free cloud services to the Ukrainian government, for another year, which includes equipment grants and technical support. To date, Microsoft has furnished Ukraine with $540 million worth of services.