The main news is how Jack Teixeira managed to copy and remove classified information out of a military base, and what consequences have arisen from it. Can countries trust the US after hearing how they have assessed certain situations?
Teixeira knew what he did was wrong, and he also knows the consequences despite some far right supporters applauding him. He broke the law, and that is that and it doesn’t matter what his intentions were or what his political views are. What it has done is weaken confidence in the US and has also made Ukraine vulnerable after data indicated their weaknesses.
Day 415 ( 14 April)
Jack Teixeira appeared in a Boston court charged with 18 U.S. Code § 793 (b) and (d) and 18 U.S. Code § 1924 unauthorised retention and transmission of national defence information and unauthorised removal and retention of classified documents or material
He was Cyber Transport Systems journeyman, basically a low level IT official who set up IT systems and networks for secure channels. The FBI traced him when he used his work computer to seek whether his identity had been discovered by searching for ‘leaks’.
No plea was entered but he will appear in court again on Wednesday 19 April 2023, and is entitled to have a public defender. The FBI have said that he had been transmitting unauthorised documents since December 2022, and it was only noticed by the Pentagon when a member of the group where he posted information posted it on other social media channels in April 2023. Some of the other users had reported his activities to the authorities.
The Constitutional court has opened proceedings to determine whether the 2010 agreement between Ukraine and Russia and the use of the Black Sea permits the presence of vessels being used as military bases.
The US has refused to issue visas for the Russian delegation who are due to attend a Security Council meeting. This includes the Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
In Bucharest, a trilateral agreement was made with Ukraine, Moldova and Romania to jointly counter Russian disinformation. The propaganda serves ti undermine the countries and to make them unstable, where Moldova is in particular vulnerable as they are not members of the EU or NATO, and have a breakaway region that is occupied by pro-Kremlin supporters. The three countries also discussed the security issues surrounding the Black Sea.
China is reported to have imported $7.4 million worth of copper from a Russian occupied region in Ukraine. Other reports claim that China has supplied weapons to Russia under the guise of civilian goods.
Day 416 (15 April)
The Russian ambassador in the US claimed that the US had threatened Russia concerning the arrest of WSJ journalist Gershkovich, with retaliatory measures if he was not released.
The Brazilian president , Lula has visited China on a state visit, and has said that the US should ‘stop encouraging the war’ in Ukraine, and should start talking about peace. It’s quite clear that this is the Russian way of thinking, that the US is at war and they are not, and they also are not the ones to talk peace—that is for Ukraine to do. Each country must choose a side at some point and it’s clear that Brazil favours Russia.
Neutral Switzerland continues to provide aid to Ukraine, and has even permitted sanctions on the export of luxury goods, and weapons. $1.7 billion has been pledged by 2028 to assist the restoration of Ukraine.
A Mariupol student was forced to make a public apology for displaying a Ukrainian flag in occupied Crimea. The Russians are not going to leave the occupied areas willingly.
More countries are pledging financial support for Ukraine. The G7 have pledged $5 billion, with the UK, France and Germany to provide their own packages, and Denmark will provide €1 billion through the creation of a fund.
Costa Rica has joined the coalition of the Core Group on the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine. There are now 34 countries working together to establish the tribunal.
Finland has begun erecting border fences with Russia. Their previous borders were marked by forests and wires to stop livestock, and this move comes from fears of Russian retaliation.
The Norwegian Fencing Federation has said it will not send competitors to events where Russian and Belarusian competitors will be allowed to participate.