RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

US lawmakers propose major cut to Ukraine aid

The US Senate has reached a provisional deal on a spending bill needed to avert a federal budget crisis, with lawmakers agreeing to slash nearly $20 billion in proposed aid for Ukraine following push-back by some Republicans.

The upper chamber ended debate on the budget legislation on Tuesday night, garnering the support needed to advance to a final vote, officials from both parties said.

“All through the weekend – night and day – Senate Democrats and Republicans worked in good faith to reach an agreement on a continuing resolution that will keep the government funded and avert a shutdown,”Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, said in a statement.

The stop-gap bill will reportedly allocate $6.2 billion for assistance to Ukraine, a significant drop from the nearly $25 billion originally sought by Democrats. While a large number of Republicans appear to have accepted the more modest aid package, some GOP members have vowed to oppose any measure that includes funding for Kiev.

“It’s bad policy to bankrupt our own country to send money to Ukraine,”libertarian-leaning Senator Rand Paul said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). “I will not consent to easy passage of any spending bill that includes funding for Ukraine. Those in charge of this bill need to either take it out or will have to fight me every step of the way.”

In another missive, Paul mocked leaders in both parties, sharing a photo of Schumer and his GOP counterpart Mitch McConnell with the caption: “The look on their faces when they learned Ukrainian government workers would be paid during a shutdown, but not American government workers. Priceless? No, pathetic.”

However, while the Senate appears close to an agreement on the budget measure despite Paul’s opposition, the bill must be reconciled with a separate version advancing through the House. Lawmakers in both chambers have until September 30 to produce final legislation for President Joe Biden to sign, risking a shutdown otherwise.

It remains to be seen whether House Speaker Kevin McCarthy will accept the Senate’s alterations to the spending bill, given that congressional Republicans are seeking deeper budget cuts and have opposed Ukraine aid more vocally. Earlier on Tuesday, the House leader said he would not speak in “hypotheticals” regarding the Senate bill, but suggested his party would look to boost border funding in their own version.

Though senior White House officials previously warned that a federal shutdown would hamper US military aid to Kiev, the Pentagon itself has appeared to contradict those claims.

** NATO will cause a conflict worse than WWII – ex-Russian president

The West is pushing the world closer to a global conflict unseen since World War II, by supplying ever heavier weapons to Ukraine and celebrating Nazism, former Russian president, Dmitry Medvedev, warned in a Telegram post on Tuesday.

Medvedev, who is currently the Deputy Chair of the Russian Security Council, was reacting to the reported arrival of US-made M1 Abrams battle tanks in Ukraine and a scandal that saw the Canadian parliament, alongside Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, give a standing ovation to a former member of the Waffen SS.

The former Russian president decried the scandal, which had already sparked outrage in Poland, Russia and in the Jewish community, labelling it “fraternization… with Nazis.”

“It looks like Russia is being left with little choice other than a direct conflict with NATO,” he reasoned, while highlighting reports that Washington has promised longer-range Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) to Kiev.

Medvedev claimed that NATO has “turned into an openly fascist bloc similar to Hitler’s Axis, only bigger,” adding that Russia is still ready to face-off against it if needed. Such a conflict would lead to devastating consequences for humanity, he warned.

“The result would be much heavier losses for humanity than in 1945,” he warned.

The former president took a hardline position on Russia’s relations with the West amid the ongoing conflict between Moscow and Kiev. In September, he suggested suspending diplomatic relations with the EU after the bloc backed banning Russian nationals from bringing personal cars and smartphones onto its territory, citing potential sanctions violation.

He has previously blasted Kiev’s Western backers as a “pro-Nazi” coalition and repeatedly warned about a potential direct confrontation between Russia and NATO. Moscow also warned on multiple occasions that continued Western arms supplies to Ukraine leads to the ever-deeper involvement of the NATO members into the ongoing conflict and risks spiralling into a full-blown war between Russia and the US-led bloc.

** More than 325,000 contractors join Russian army in 2023 — Medvedev

More than 325,000 contractors have joined the Russian army this year, Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said at a meeting on manning the armed forces.

"We continue to work on supplementing the armed forces with contract servicemen and control combat and morale-bolstering activities," he said.

"From January 1 September 26 this year, more than 325,000 men have been enlisted," Medvedev pointed out.

Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin reported that 1,000-1,500 were coming every day to sign contracts with the Russian Armed Forces. He pointed out that by mid-September 300,000 had signed military enlistment contracts.

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Russian Black Sea commander Sokolov shown on video call after Ukraine said it killed him

Admiral Viktor Sokolov, the commander of Russia's Black Sea Fleet, was shown on Russian state television on Tuesday attending a defence leaders' meeting remotely, a day after Ukrainian special forces said they had killed him.

In video and photographs released by the defence ministry, Sokolov was shown as one of several fleet commanders on video apparently joining an in-person meeting of Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and other army chiefs, although not speaking. It was not clear when the video was filmed.

Ukraine's special forces said on Monday that Sokolov had been killed along with 33 other officers in a missile attack last week on the headquarters of Russia's Black Sea Fleet in the port of Sevastopol in Crimea, seized from Ukraine in 2014.

In response to the Russian video, the Ukraine special forces said on Telegram: "Since the Russians were urgently forced to publish a response with Sokolov allegedly alive, our units are clarifying the information."

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had declined to comment on the Ukrainian claim, referring reporters to the ministry.

In the video, Shoigu said more than 17,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed in September and that more than 2,700 weapons, including seven American Bradley fighting vehicles, had been destroyed.

Reuters could not independently verify battlefield claims.

"The Ukrainian armed forces are suffering serious losses along the entire front line," Shoigu said, adding that the Ukrainian counteroffensive had so far produced no results.

"The United States and its allies continue to arm the armed forces of Ukraine, and the Kyiv regime throws untrained soldiers to the slaughter in senseless assaults," Shoigu said.

Kyiv's counteroffensive has yet to seize much territory from Russian forces, which control about 17.5% of Ukraine's internationally recognised territory.

According to a Sept. 19 scorecard by the Belfer Center at Harvard's Kennedy School, Russia has gained 35 sq miles (91 sq km) from Ukraine in the past month while Ukrainian forces have taken 16 sq miles (41 sq km) from Russian forces.

** Polish experts confirm missile that hit grain facility was Ukrainian - media

Polish experts have confirmed that the missile that killed two people at a grain facility in southern Poland in November was fired by Ukraine, Rzeczpospolita daily reported, citing sources.

The explosion of the missile in NATO-member Poland fuelled fears that the war in Ukraine could spiral into a wider conflict by triggering the alliance's mutual defence clause, but at the time Warsaw and NATO said that they believed that it was a Ukrainian stray, easing worries about escalation.

Sources with knowledge of the investigation told Rzeczpospolita that Poland had established that the missile that landed in the village of Przewodow was an S 300 5-W-55 air-defence missile fired from Ukrainian territory.

"This rocket has a range of 75 km to 90 km," the newspaper cited a source as saying. "At that time, the Russian positions were in a place from which no Russian missile could reach Przewodow."

Ukraine has denied that one of its missiles had landed in Poland.

Rzeczpospolita reported that the Ukrainian side has not made any material available to Polish investigators.

It quoted Lukasz Lapczynski, spokesman for the Polish prosecutor's office, as saying the prosecutor had received the experts' opinion but was not disclosing its content as it was confidential.

Lapczynski could not immediately be reached for comment and the prosecutor's office did not immediately respond to an emailed request.

RT/Tass/Reuters

Liz Truss is back in the news, but a small state is out of fashion – or at least with the punters. The new British social attitudes survey finds that seven in 10 of us think it’s definitely government’s job to control prices, up from three in 10 in 2006. Only 30% wanted public spending increased in 2009; now that’s 55%.

This has libertarians turning in their Tufton Street graves. But they should relax. Partly that’s because the surge in support for big government shouldn’t be a surprise and may be temporary. The survey was carried out in autumn 2022, when people faced unpayable energy bills without government support. And it followed a pandemic posing health and economic challenges individuals couldn’t hope to address alone.

But it’s also because sensible state support doesn’t actually turn people into dependent zombies. Confident assertions that furlough caused the recent rise in labour market inactivity are garbage: those furloughed were no more likely to exit the labour market than others.

Indeed the state being there for us when we need it is a big part of what binds a country together – as deference has declined, it’s central to modern patriotism. Recent research examining Roosevelt’s 1930s New Deal proves the point. This was a huge expansion of the state, doubling federal spending and providing work at a time of 25% unemployment. Rather than sapping Americans’ energy, the research shows those people who received federal help stepped up when Uncle Sam called in the Second World War: they volunteered to fight in greater numbers, bought more war bonds and won more awards for heroism.

So remember, there’s nothing patriotic about leaving people to sink or swim.

Torsten Bell is chief executive of the Resolution Foundation. Read more at resolutionfoundation.org

The Guardian, UK

Few people who write about Elon Musk get the kind of access to the controversial genius as Walter Isaacson did. Simon & Schuster sent me an early copy of Isaacson's new, 600-page biography, Elon Musk. 

It has everything you'd expect from a book on Musk – stories of tragedy, triumph, and turmoil. Isaacson spent two years shadowing Musk, watching him make decisions, and getting a peek – as best as anyone could – into what makes Musk tick.

While the stories are fascinating and guaranteed to spark a mountain of coverage, founders and entrepreneurs will also unearth valuable lessons, especially in the book's first half. One such lesson can be found in Musk's relentless pursuit of a mission. 

"It's what makes him a force of nature," says Musk's former PayPal colleague Reid Hoffman. Mission seekers, says Isaacson, are bold, relentless, and consistent communicators.

Mission Seekers Are Bold

If you have an idea for a business, the overarching mission you're trying to achieve had better be big and bold. Otherwise, you won't have the energy to keep going when times get tough and you'll likely give up when hurdles inevitably arise.

According to Isaacson, "Musk is driven by mission more than any person I've ever seen." As far as Isaacson can tell, Musk pursues three really big missions:

• To make humans a spacefaring multiplanetary species (the first step is to get us to Mars).
• To bring us into the era of sustainable energy.
• To make sure artificial intelligence is safe and aligned with human values.

Mission Seekers Are Relentless

The 20 chapters of Isaacson's book that trace the early years of SpaceX and Tesla are page-turners because of the constant ups, downs, and near-death experiences at both companies.

It's easy to forget that, given the success of SpaceX and Tesla today, there was a time when neither company looked like it would survive. 

Tesla was "hemorrhaging cash," and SpaceX had crashed three rockets in a row. But Isaacson says Musk's relentless pursuit of his vision prevented any outcome except one – success.

For example, after the third failure of the Falcon 1 rocket launch, Musk's team thought it was the end of the road. Another great idea has gone up in smoke. "But he was not ready to give up," writes Isaacson. 

Musk told the team: "There should be absolutely zero question that SpaceX will prevail in reaching orbit. I will never give up, and I mean never."

People in the meeting that day told Isaacson that the team's mood instantly changed – from despair and defeat to "a massive buzz of determination." On the fourth attempt, Falcon 1 made history as the first privately built rocket to launch from the ground and reach orbit.

Musk didn't have time to celebrate because Tesla was close to bankruptcy. 

He was advised to sell one company, Tesla or SpaceX, giving the surviving one a reasonable chance to succeed. "No," said Musk. If Tesla fails, "we'll never get to sustainable energy." If SpaceX failed, "We might never be a multiplanetary species."

And so Musk decided to save both.

Mission seekers cannot bear parting with one of their children.

Mission Seekers Are Consistent Communicators

Isaacson makes a fascinating observation about Musk's sense of mission. When Isaacson first heard Musk talk about getting to Mars as a step toward making humans a multiplanetary species, he thought it was simply a "pep talk" to motivate the team.

After hearing it the 20th time, Isaacson realized that Musk really believed it.

Mission seekers often sound outlandish because they know that all great accomplishments once seemed ridiculous, too. But they relentlessly express their bold mission and, in doing so, motivate others to do more than they ever thought possible.

"This is a land of adventurers," Musk told Isaacson. "Life cannot be merely about solving problems. It has to be about pursuing great dreams. That's what can get us up in the morning."

Inc

President Bola Tinubu has filed an appeal against an order of a US court directing the Chicago State University (CSU) to release his academic records to Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the PDP.

Abubakar had approached the court, seeking to compel the university to grant his request on the grounds that the documents would strengthen his suit challenging Tinubu’s electoral victory. 

On September 19, Jeffrey Gilbert, a US magistrate judge, granted the request and ordered CSU to release Tinubu’s academic records within 48 hours. 

However, on September 21, Tinubu filed a motion seeking to extend the deadline and stay the execution of the magistrate’s order on several grounds.

He had claimed that he was not given a fair hearing since he was not joined as a party in the suit.

The president also challenged the jurisdiction of the magistrate to issue a final order on the reliefs sought by his opposition.

During an emergency hearing on Thursday, Nancy Maldonado, US district judge, agreed to extend the deadline. 

In the fresh appeal filed on Monday, Tinubu claimed that Abubakar did not meet the jurisdictional requirement for the court to grant the reliefs he sought.

He said contrary to the PDP candidate’s claim that the documents sought would support his suit challenging the presidential election, the applicant (Abubakar) cannot use the academic records before the supreme court in Nigeria.

“Here, the second jurisdictional requirement – that the discovery sought is “for use” in election challenge pending in the Nigerian election court is absent because the applicant cannot submit the information sought,” Tinubu argued.

“For the same reasons, the second discretionary factor – the character and nature of the foreign tribunal and that tribunal’s receptivity to US judicial assistance – weighs strongly against applicant’s discovery because the Nigerian courts already stated they will not consider the evidence due to applicant’s failure to plead his claim in the petition.”

“Furthermore, nearly all of the discovery sought is not “for use” in the election challenge because applicant’s assertions of disqualification only apply to the diploma submitted to INEC by the intervenor.

“For the same reasons, the fourth discretionary factor, whether the request is unduly intrusive or burdensome, weighs against allowing discovery because the applicant’s interest in satisfying curiosity does not overcome Intervenor’s interest in his private and confidential academic records.”

ATIKU WANTS TO SOW CONFUSION AND SPREAD CONSPIRACY THEORIES

The president further asserted that the magistrate erred when he made conclusions that Abubakar’s application met the jurisdictional requirements.

He said since the issue being contended by the opposition candidate in Nigeria is the diploma submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), granting him access to “other educational documents” is “nonsensical”.

“There is harm in allowing discovery on issues and documents outside the diploma,” the document reads.

“Obtaining more documents via a subpoena – particularly ones that are not part of the INEC submission by Intervenor – is both improper and nonsensical.

“The unlawful release of documents previously allowed Intervenor’s opponents to sow confusion and spread conspiracy theories.

“Applicant should not be permitted to conduct discovery on the discovery illegally obtained by applicant’s allies and intervenor’s political opponents.

“The magistrate judge clearly erred in granting the application for discovery and concluding that Chicago State University must respond to the document and deposition subpoenas.

“That conclusion should be set aside and the application should be denied because the information sought cannot be used and therefore is not “for use” in the foreign proceedings.”

The Cable

Equinor ASA has chosen a little-known company as the preferred buyer of its stake in one of Nigeria’s largest deep-water oil fields, according to people familiar with the matter.

The Norwegian energy giant is trying to sell its 20.2% interest in the Agbami field – joining other international producers such as Shell Plc, Exxon Mobil Corp. and Eni SpA in looking to offload assets in Africa’s biggest crude producer.

Chappal Energies Mauritius Ltd. has emerged as the favored buyer of Equinor’s interest in the asset, which is operated by Chevron Corp. and produces about 100,000 barrels of oil a day, the people said. Five companies including Prime Oil & Gas Cooperatief UA, which already has a 12.5% share in the Agbami field, submitted binding bids, according to the people. Prime O&G is a joint venture between Vancouver-registered Africa Oil Corp. and Brazil’s Grupo BTG Pactual.

Agbami has accounted for about 7% of Nigeria’s oil output this year and only the Shell-operated Bonga field currently produces more oil in the country.

A sales agreement hasn’t yet been signed and Chappal Energies still needs to raise the funds to finance the deal, according to the people, who didn’t say what purchase price has been negotiated.

Spokespeople for Equinor, Chappal Energies and Prime O&G declined to comment.

Chappal Energies was founded in May 2022, according to Mauritian corporate records. Bill Higgs, the British former chief executive of Kurdistan-focused Genel Energy Plc, and Hezekiah Oyinlola, a Nigerian who spent three decades working for the world’s biggest oil services provider, SLB, joined the company’s board in February. Oyinlola is also chairman of Lagos-based bank Guaranty Trust Holding Co.

Chappal Energies’ managing director, Ufoma Immanuel, previously held the same position at a Lagos-based company named Chappal Petroleum Development Ltd., which was created in 2020 and chaired by the founding chief executive officer of Seplat Energy Plc, Austin Avuru. Chappal Petroleum unsuccessfully bid for Nigerian shallow-water oil blocks that Exxon agreed to sell to Seplat in February 2022.

Avuru, who is not on the board of Chappal Energies, and Immanuel didn’t respond to questions about the relationship between the two firms.

While Equinor is seeking to exit its sole Nigerian asset after more than three decades in the country, the other oil majors are limiting their divestments to onshore and shallow water assets in order to concentrate on deep-water projects.

Equinor is also exploring the sale of its operations in Azerbaijan, including a stake in the country’s largest oil project, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

Bloomberg

Peoples Democratic Party has demanded an investigation into the fire incident at the supreme court. 

Fire gutted a section of the apex court on Monday. The fire which started in the office of Ibrahim Saulawa, one of the justices, destroyed some files.

Federal Fire Service (FFS) said no casualty was recorded in the incident, noting that firefighters swung into action to contain the outbreak. 

Debo Ologunagba, PDP spokesperson, said in a statement on Monday evening that the party was “alarmed” by the fire incident, describing it as suspicious.

The opposition party demanded an “immediate full-scale” investigation into the fire outbreak to unravel the “circumstances or possible sabotage” in the incident.

“The PDP is worried over the fire outbreak especially given heightened public apprehension of possible arsonist attack with the intent to cripple and frustrate the Supreme Court from effectively discharging its constitutional duties, especially with regard to high-profile electoral cases including the Presidential Election Appeals pending before it,” the statement reads.

The PDP said the outcome of the investigation should be made public unlike those of previous fire incidents in various government ministries, departments and agencies “which were characteristically swept under the carpet”.

The party asked the federal government to beef up security around the supreme court and ensure the safety of sensitive documents and equipment in the complex.

The supreme court is expected to deliver judgement in the appeal filed by the PDP and Atiku Abubakar, its presidential candidate in the 2023 elections against the victory of President Bola Tinubu.

Abubakar and the PDP are challenging the judgement of the election petition tribunal affirming Tinubu as winner of the February 25 election.

The Cable

Director of Press and Information of the Supreme Court, Festus Akande, has said the fire incident that gutted part of the court’s building did not affect the presidential election petition tribunal.

Fire engulfed some sections of the apex court in the Federal Capital Territory on Monday.

The incident was put under control by the police and firefighters.

Speaking with journalists, Akande said only one chamber of the Supreme Court was affected by the fire, which was subsequently doused.

Akande said, “What was destroyed in that chamber were books, stationery, and other computer gadgets. The books are replaceable because we have an e-library.

“We have the soft copy of the books and also the hard copy which can be procured and supplied to the chamber. So it has nothing to do with the Presidential Election Petition, as people are saying outside. Such issues as presidential election matters are not discussed in the chamber, inside the court.”

Meanwhile, the FCT Police said it has launched an investigation into the incident.

Daily Trust

Federal Government has declared Wednesday, September 27, 2023 as public holiday in commemoration of Eil-ul- Maulid celebration.

The celebration signifies the birth of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW).

In a statement which the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Oluwatoyin Akinlade, issued on his behalf, Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, congratulated Muslims for witnessing this year’s occasion.

He also admonished them to imbibe the spirit of love, patience, tolerance and perseverance which are deep spiritual virtues that the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him ) exemplified.

The statement partly read, “The Minister congratulates all Muslim faithful both home and in the diaspora for witnessing this year’s occasion.

“His admonition to Nigerians is to imbibe the spirit of love, patience, tolerance and
perseverance which are deep spiritual virtues that the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) exemplified

“Tunji-Ojo also urged Nigerians, especially our youths, to embrace the virtues of hard work and peaceful disposition toward fellow humans, irrespective of faith, ideology, social class, and ethnicity, and join hands with President Bola Tinubu’s administration in its effort to build a progressive and enviable Nation that all citizens will be proud of.”

Daily Trust

PRESS RELEASE

(1) I was one of the youngest accredited members of the Ondo Provincial

Movement that fought for the creation of Ondo State in 1976. I was also the Publicity Secretary of the Movement and one of the remaining four lucky

survivors, R.F. Fasoranti being one of us. Our Divisional leaders then comprised patriots like R.A. Olusa and I.A. Olukoju from Akoko, M.A.

Ajasin and Pa. Odenusi from Owo, R.F. Fasoranti and Akin Deko from Akure, O. Bademisi and Olorunyolemi from Ondo, Akinfosile and Kwoewumi from Okitipupa, all of blessed memory except Fasoranti.

They along with those of us younger and brilliant ones genuinely fought to get

Ondo State created. I am sure none of these would be happy to see the storm gathering to consume the State they dearly cherished.

(2) On October 17, 1975 in our address to the Irikefe Panel on creation of States, these patriots as one of their reasons for demanding a State of their own said and I quote:

"the prime motive and reason for demanding our own State is that it is only by having it that we can effectively deal with and ultimately solve the socio-economic and political problems of our area, of our people."

(3) I want to admit that most of those who have got the opportunities of managing the fortunes and affairs of this State, whether at the political or

administrative level, try as they might, have been slowed down by the skewed Federal System of Government we run in the country. To worsen the situation,

the internal problems especially the occasional cold war between some of our

Governors and their deputies have exacerbated the "socio-economic and pulitical

(4) problems of our people", a key factor for the demand for the creation of Ondo State.

(5) My fear, nay our fear, is that the present gathering political storm between the Governor and his Deputy arising from alleged disloyalty, if not checked or properly handled, will lead to very bad blood, developmental set back, disruptive

tendencies within the polity, and, in turn, have their unhealthy backlash on the civil service and the welfare of the common man. We don't want this to happen.

Indeed, the fragile economic and security situations in the country demand that it

is better for the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary in Ondo State to come nearer together and see how they can make the life of the people better.

(6) In this regard, the Legislature that represents the people has a major role to play in the development and stabilization of the State and the polity. The issue on ground needs a careful handling so as not to lead to any major crisis. Therefore,

our Honourable members should remember they have their names to protect in

whatever they do. They should be mindful of the verdict of history. We therefore

call on them for fair play and justice to arrest the gathering storm.

(7) While it is the legitimate right of any Ondo State good citizen to seek for the highest office (the governorship inclusive) in the State, such should be

pursued at the appropriate time with the fear of God and without any injury whatsoever to others. Those aspiring (including their collaborators) to take over

from the Governor should know that power belongs to God. No one can take what does not belong to him and enjoy it. Such members and their collaborators

in and out of Akeredolu's Government should stop destroying or blackmailing one

another to climb up. They should remember that the founders of the State were guided by patriotism, not self-interest or the search for naked power. They should remember that some of those who sacrificed to get the State created never

enjoyed any form of patronage in the State before they died, nor did they have any opportunity to serve it. Such patriots included E.O. Olugboja from

Akoko, I.D. Odenusi from Owo, Akinfosile from Okitipupa, Deji

Adegoroye and Akintoba from Akure, O. Bademosi and

Olorunyolemi from Ondo.

(8) We know that the Governor has not been well. I am aware, too, that well-meaning Ondo people and Nigeria have been praying for his recovery. He is now recuperating. Let's encourage him through what we do, or tell him.

I know Akeredolu to be a good Christian. Let him forgive anyone who might have done anything wrong against him or against his office. Let him remember that except the Almighty God wants it, nobody can take the life of another

person. God holds the key of life. So let him not glorify or flatter any perceived enemy who may be said to be after him. The Lord God is the Almighty; He is the

Omnipotent.

If his Deputy has done wrong, please call him, chastise and thereafter forgive

him, and like Jesus Christ, tell him "go and sin no more". Iron things out with him so that Ondo State can move on. Let us well-meaning Ondo State citizens rise up and quench this gathering storm whose full explosion will not be healthy for the State.

Signed:

Seinde Arogbofa

25/09/2023

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

US running low on cash for Ukraine – White House

The Pentagon will only be able to support Ukraine’s war effort for a “few weeks” should Congress fail to pass a new funding bill, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby has claimed.

Speaking to CNN for an interview published on Monday, Kirby was asked what impact a government shutdown could have on US aid to Kiev, as lawmakers continue heated negotiations over a stop-gap budget bill which could contain up to $25 billion in assistance to Ukraine.

“We’ve got a little bit more funding to go, so I think we’ll be ok for the next few weeks or so. But without the supplemental request that we asked for, it will absolutely have an effect on our ability to support Ukraine well into the fall and into the winter months,” the White House official said. “Not getting that supplemental request if there’s a shutdown – that’s gonna have a significant impact on their ability to succeed on the battlefield.”

Debate over the new spending bill has largely been centered on additional aid to Kiev, according to unnamed lawmakers cited by the New York Times, who said that some Republicans had rejected a proposal for another $25 billion in assistance.

“Despite broad bipartisan support in the Senate for money for Ukraine, officials said, some Republicans were arguing that it would present an added complication in trying to provide [House] Speaker Kevin McCarthy with a way out of the spending logjam,” the outlet reported, noting that GOP opposition could delay the legislation with “little time to spare” ahead of the September 30 shutdown deadline.

However, while officials have warned that Washington’s coffers are running dry – with deputy Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh recently calling a shutdown “the worst thing that could happen” – last week the Defense Department insisted the current budget woes would have no impact on US aid to Ukraine.

In a statement to media outlets on Friday, Pentagon spokesperson Chris Sherwood said the military had designated American assistance to Kiev as “essential,” deeming it “an excepted activity under a government lapse in appropriations.”

Though the same spokesman had suggested otherwise just days prior, Sherwood reversed course and stated that US military operations related to the Ukraine conflict would not be affected by a government shutdown, including the training of troops and the provision of arms.

Washington has approved billions of dollars in direct military aid to Kiev since fighting with Russia escalated in February 2022, including dozens of shipments of heavy weapons, vehicles and munitions. The latest deliveries have featured the first round of US Abrams main battle tanks, 31 of which were authorized for Ukraine early this year, with Kirby voicing hopes they would have a “significant impact on the battlefield.”

Moscow has repeatedly condemned foreign arms shipments to Ukraine, arguing they will do little to deter its aims and only prolong the conflict. Commenting on the Abrams shipments earlier this year, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that Western countries were drastically overestimating the effect the tanks would have, adding that the American weapons would “burn like all the rest of them.”

** Ukraine to either surrender on Moscow’s terms or cease to exist — top Russian lawmaker

Ukraine is fated either to capitulate on Moscow’s terms or cease to exist as a state, Vyacheslav Volodin, speaker of the Russian State Duma (lower house of parliament), said.

"When speaking about the conflict in Ukraine, [US President Joe] Biden, [NATO Secretary General Jens] Stoltenberg and other Western officials have started calling it 'a war of attrition.' They have put huge amounts of money into militarizing the Kiev regime. Where has it gotten them? The simple facts are these: the West is experiencing weapons and ammunition shortages, people in Europe and the US have lost trust in politicians, and the Kiev regime’s counteroffensive has failed," Volodin stated.

According to him, the outcome of the "war of attrition" also includes economic problems in Europe and the US, a lack of manpower for the Ukrainian armed forces, and ultimately bankruptcy and demographic disaster for Ukraine. "These seven facts speak for themselves: Ukraine will cease to exist as a state unless the Kiev regime capitulates on Russia’s terms," Volodin stressed.

"More than 10.5 million people have fled Ukraine. Another 11.2 million residents of Crimea, Sevastopol, the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics and the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions decided to join Russia. Ukraine has lost 53.7% of its population since 2014," the State Duma speaker highlighted.

Volodin noted that, in June, then-British Defense Minister Ben Wallace stated that Western countries had run out of stockpiles of those weapons that they could send to Kiev from their own national arsenals. Biden, in turn, admitted in July that the decision to provide Ukraine with cluster munitions had been driven by the fact that stocks of conventional ammunition were exhausted. "The approval ratings of EU and US leaders have hit historical lows. The share of people who disapprove of their leaders’ performance stands at 57% for Biden, at 69% for [French President Emmanuel] Macron, and at 72% for [German Chancellor Olaf] Scholz. The majority of people in the United States and European countries oppose weapons supplies to Ukraine," the Duma speaker added.

In addition, the senior lawmaker emphasized that the NATO-backed Ukrainian military had suffered huge troop and equipment losses, while "the lack of achievements has disappointed [Kiev’s] Western sponsors.

"The economies of the Eurozone countries are going through a recession. The costs of Ukraine’s militarization have forced Germany to cut benefit payments to poor families. France has reduced the number of beneficiaries; people in need no longer receive food packages and reimbursements for drug costs. International agencies have downgraded the United States’ long-term investment rating as they expect the financial situation in the country to worsen in the next three years," Volodin said.

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Ukraine says Russia Black Sea Fleet commander killed; no comment by Moscow

Ukraine's special forces said on Monday they had killed Moscow's top admiral in Crimea along with 33 other officers in last week's missile attack on the headquarters of Russia's Black Sea Fleet in the port of Sevastopol.

The Russian Defence Ministry did not immediately respond when asked by Reuters to confirm or deny that Admiral Viktor Sokolov, the commander of the Black Sea Fleet and one of Russia's most senior navy officers, had been killed.

Moscow-installed authorities in Sevastopol, however, were taking extra measures to address Ukraine's increased attacks on Crimea, a critical region providing a platform from which Russia has launched many of its air attacks on Ukraine in the 19-month-long war.

If confirmed, Sokolov's killing would be one of Kyiv's most significant strikes on Crimea, which Russia seized and annexed from Ukraine in 2014.

"After the strike on the headquarters of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, 34 officers died, including the commander of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. Another 105 occupiers were wounded. The headquarters building cannot be restored," Ukraine's special forces said on the Telegram messaging app.

It was not immediately clear how Ukraine's Special Forces counted the dead and wounded in the attack.

Reuters could not independently verify the report. Each side has at times exaggerated enemy losses in the war and says little about its own losses.

In a statement after the attack, the Russian defence ministry said one serviceman was missing, revising an earlier statement that the man had been killed. Air defences had downed five missiles, the ministry said.

Ukraine has stepped up its attacks in the Black Sea and on the Crimean Peninsula and started using missiles in addition to assault drones. Kyiv has said that destroying the Russian Black Sea fleet would significantly speed up the end of the war.

Earlier this month, Russia's defence ministry said that Ukraine attacked a Black Sea naval shipyard with 10 cruise missiles.

In a possible indication of how serious the recent Ukrainian attacks on Sevastopol have been, the Russian-installed governor of the city held a meeting on Monday to work out better defence and attack warning systems for the city.

"We understand that we have moved into a new situation that requires a systemic response," Russian agencies cited the governor, Mikhail Razvozhayev, as saying.

"Earlier, we and our military faced attacks from unmanned vehicles ... Now everything has changed and we must be prepared for this kind of threat."

** Russian air strikes on Ukraine kill four, damage grain and port facilities

Russian air strikes and shelling killed six people in Ukraine and caused "significant damage" to infrastructure at the Black Sea port of Odesa and to grain storage facilities, Ukrainian officials said on Monday.

The air attacks were part of a campaign that has made it harder for major grain producer Ukraine to export its products since Moscow quit a deal in mid-July that had enabled Black Sea shipments and helped combat a global food crisis.

The strikes have intensified as Kyiv presses on with a counteroffensive in the south and east that has made slow gains but could be boosted by the delivery of U.S.-made Abrams tanks, announced on Monday by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

"Another massive attack on Odesa!", Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said on X. "The attack resulted in the destruction of grain storage facilities and significant damage to the seaport."

Oleh Kiper, the Odesa region governor, said the facilities that were hit had contained almost 1,000 tons of grain and that the bodies of two men were found under the rubble of a warehouse where grain was stored.

Ukraine's military said 19 Iranian-made Shahed drones and 11 cruise missiles were shot down overnight, most of them directed at Odesa region. The grain storage facilities that were destroyed were hit by two supersonic missiles.

The energy ministry said damage to power grids cut off power to more than 1,000 consumers in the Odesa region, a reminder of air strikes that at times left millions of Ukrainians without heating and light in the freezing cold last winter.

ATTACKS ON KHERSON

A man aged 73 and a woman of 70 were killed in a separate air strike on the town of Beryslav in the southern Kherson region, officials said.

The administrative head in the city of Kherson - the region's main centre - later said that two city residents had died and two were injured in Russian shelling.

Russian forces abandoned Kherson city and the west bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson region late last year, but regularly shell different areas from positions on the east bank.

The Ukrainian Defence Ministry said the latest air attack was "a pathetic attempt" to retaliate for a strike on the headquarters of Russia's Black Sea navy on Friday.

Ukraine has been heavily reliant on Western weapons to defend itself against Russia and then to hit back in the counteroffensive that began in early June.

Announcing the latest arms delivery, Zelenskiy said Abrams tanks had already arrived in Ukraine and were being prepared for action.

"I am grateful to our allies for fulfilling the agreements! We are looking for new contracts and expanding our supply geography," said Zelenskiy, who visited the U.S. last week.

Ukraine's counterattack has included stepping up its attacks which Moscow says have hit targets in Russia and Crimea, the peninsula seized and annexed by Moscow in 2014.

The Russian Defence Ministry said on Monday its air defences had shot down drones over the northwestern part of the Black Sea, over Crimea, and over the Russian regions of Kursk and Belgorod. It mentioned no deaths.

Kyiv did not comment on the Russian reports, and Moscow offered no comment on the air strikes in Ukraine.

Kyiv says the air strikes against port and grain facilities are intended to prevent it exporting grain to the world, and global traders follow them closely for fear of further disruption to world markets.

Ukraine is increasingly shipping grain along the Danube River, by road and by train, and has established a "humanitarian corridor" hugging the Black Sea coast to ship grain for African and Asian markets. The first two vessels carrying grain to use the corridor left the Black Sea port of Chornomorsk last week.

RT/Tass/Reuters