End of War Still Far from Sight, but (both) Kyiv and Washington DC Facing Serious Uncertainty
DC 11.44am
General Mark Alexander Milley knows that the war is very expensive. Speaker Kevin Owen McCarthy, facing a right-wing rebellion in his ranks and mounting GOP resistance to aiding Ukraine, has declined to convene a forum for President Volodymyr Zelensky to address members of the House on Thursday during a visit to Capitol Hill, because U.S. government already sent US$51-53 billion for Ukraine but homeless at home (U.S. soil) rocketed. It’s been less than five years since the last shutdown, but Congress has seen significant turnover since then, leaving a large pool of members and aides with little to no experience on how to handle a funding standoff.
Kevin Owen McCarthy on House Republicans voting down their own defense bill for the second time: “This is a whole new concept of individuals that just want to burn the whole place down. That doesn't work.”
General Milley arguably the most strategic - busy person within NATO members (alongside Secretary Lloyd Austin III), in the wake of (Day - 575, still counting) Russia - Ukraine war. UK Defense Minister Robert “Ben” Lobban Wallace already resigned. Poland and Ukraine spat each other, and for the context, Poland is the biggest helper for Ukraine in term “percent of GDP” for donating-supporting to Ukraine. Last November 2022, some missile fells in Przewodow Poland nearly make NATO start to invade Moscow.
Incredible shift of tack here from Poland. It is no longer sending weapons to Ukraine. I remember the lectures about how the only useful weapon was a weapon in Ukrainian hands, that they were fighting on behalf, that the Germans (was say no to send Leopard) were cowards who didn't "get it", etc.
Poland is currently not transferring weapons to Ukraine, because it is actively arming itself. "Ukraine is defending itself against Russia's brutal attack, and I understand this situation, but we will defend our country," Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said.
As Zelensky reiterated yesterday at the UN Security Council, Zelensky’s “Peace Formula” = “Russia surrenders.” Perfectly understandable from Kyiv’s perspective; not at all appealing in the so-called Global South (especially Indonesia’s Joko Widodo and Brasil’s Lula), which just wants the war to end and is doubtful Ukraine can win militarily.
General Milley has two sides: the busiest person who make sure western ally can beat Russia, and he’s (also, at least) 3 times, giving a statement that “West / Ukraine must start to negotiate with Kremlin”: October 2022, March 2023, May 2023.
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-prada- Adi Mulia Pradana is a Helper. Former adviser (President Indonesia) Jokowi for mapping 2-times election. I used to get paid to catch all these blunders—now I do it for free. Trying to work out what's going on, what happens next. Arch enemies of the tobacco industry, (still) survive after getting doxed. Now figure out, or, prevent catastrophic situations in the Indonesian administration from outside the government. After his mom was nearly killed by a syndicate, now I do it (catch all these blunders, especially blunders by an asshole syndicates) for free. Writer actually facing 12 years attack-simultaneously (physically terror, cyberattack terror) by his (ex) friend in IR UGM / HI UGM (all of them actually indebted to me, at least get a very cheap book). 2 times, my mom nearly got assassinated by my friend with “komplotan” / weird syndicate. Once assassin, forever is assassin, that I was facing in years. I push myself to be (keep) dovish, pacifist, and you can read my pacifist tone in every note I write. A framing that myself propagated for years.
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