Topics:
Welcome back to Political Misfits on Radio Sputnik, where we bring you news, politics and culture - without the red and blue treatment. I am John Kiriakou here with Michelle Witte.
Mark Sleboda is an international affairs and security analyst.
Let’s start with Israel. Yesterday, the UN Security Council adopted a U.S.-backed cease-fire plan for the Gaza Strip. It’s not always made explicit what the plan entails, but I assume it is the plan that Joe Biden laid out about ten days ago. The US ambassador to the UN told members of the Security Council that Israel has agreed to the deal, and the message to the public from the White House is “it’s up to Hamas; ball’s in your court, Hamas; show us you want peace, Hamas.” The NYT, in writing up this situation, tells us in paragraph two that despite Linda Thomas-Greenfield’s statement, Israel has not taken a public position on the ceasefire, and then in paragraph five tells us Israel’s UN ambassador in fact did not say her country was on board, but did says Israel’s in the war had not changed and that it would use military operations to free hostages. But of course, Antony Blinken said yesterday that Benjamin Netanyahu, at least, is behind the deal. And meanwhile, though everyone is looking at Hamas like they’re the holdout, Hamas has been generally on board with this from the start. What is actually happening here? Are US officials openly lying, or trying to manifest reality by making it up, or is Israel playing games?
Why did Russia abstain from this vote?
Do you think this ceasefire goes anywhere?
OK. Let’s talk about Russia and Ukraine. The Washington Post tells me, with extreme blandness, that “U.S. lifts weapons ban on Ukrainian military unit.” “The Biden administration will allow a Ukrainian military unit with a checkered past to use U.S. weaponry.” The ban had been imposed “years ago amid concerns in Washington about the group’s origins.” Who could they be talking about? It’s the Azov Battalion, of course. The Post tells me the group is “known for its tenacious but ultimately unsuccessful defense of the Azovstal steel mill in Mariupol.” Huh. I feel like the group is also known for some other things. The Post says in the past “some of its founders espoused racist, xenophobic and ultranationalist views, and U.N. human rights officials accused the group of humanitarian violations.” Now, however, following a thorough review, everything is fine, and the group says it shed those Nazi associations “long ago.” I guess “long ago” is now something like 23 months, because in 2014, 2018 and 2020 you find articles describing the group as “neo-Nazis,” and then in 2022 a few articles quoting the group’s leaders as saying, no, no, we’re not neo Nazis, yes, there have been extremists among us, but we’re just conservative, while hanging out in bunkers spray painted with “white power.” I mean, maybe Azov has shed its very recent neo-Nazi roots. What do you think is going on here?
To be fair, the Azov Battalion probably isn’t the worst group the US arms - which makes me wonder why the US went to the trouble of imposing this ban to begin with. The ban was imposed in 2014 - is there something to learn from the timing of its imposition to it being lifted today?
Let’s talk about other weapons. Ukraine is going to be getting F16s from a number of countries later this year, and Kiev is saying it hopes to park some of them outside Ukraine’s borders to protect them from Russian attacks. Is it going to matter to Russia if Ukrainian pilots are flying F16s from, say, Poland or the Czech Republic, firing on Russian targets, and flying back to base outside Ukraine’s borders?
How much more is the war going to be brought to Russian territory by the end of the year, do you think? Is Russia’s offensive effort on the ground going to be interrupted by having to defend itself from increasing Ukrainian air power?
I want to brighten your day with a fun headline from the Post: “In Putin’s wartime Russia, military corruption is suddenly taboo.” John’s response to that was “jealous”? I wish in wartime America military corruption were taboo. The story is about Russia’s crackdown on corruption in its defense department. This can be paired with a story out of Ukraine about two high profile departures from its reconstruction agency - one resigning yesterday and the other being fired last month. The fellow who resigned said he was tired of the poor management of funds in this mostly US-funded agency that’s supposed to be rebuilding Ukraine. How significant are these personnel shifts?
And in the meantime we have Russian ships scheduled to arrive in Cuba tomorrow for what sound like pretty large scale exercises in the Caribbean. I’m most interested in the US response, since we frequently conduct exercises far from our waters. The official US response has been pretty reasonable and measured. Are we being denied hypocrisy for once?
Finally, there were rumors yesterday that French President Emanuel Macron might resign if his coalition loses control of the French legislature after elections in July. Macron has responded to say absolutely not. I’ve heard the possibility of a divided or cohabitating government described thus: that if the president’s party loses its legislative coalition, the president traditionally continues to exercise power over foreign affairs while the prime minister takes more power over domestic policy. I honestly don’t see Macron hating that, but of course, I’m really only observing French geopolitics and not in the weeds of domestic affairs. What do you think is coming for France, and for Macron?
U.S. lifts weapons ban on Ukrainian military unit
https://www.rferl.org/a/azov-ukraine-s-most-prominent-ultranationalist-group-sets-its-sights-on-u-s-europe/29600564.html
US ‘flirting with neo-Nazis’ – Kremlin — RT Russia & Former Soviet Union
US changes rules on Ukrainian neo-Nazis using its weapons — RT World News
Olena Semeniaka - Wikipedia
Azov Brigade - Wikipedia
5 key takeaways after far right surges in European Parliament elections
U.N. Security Council adopts resolution on permanent Gaza cease-fire - The Washington Post
Ukraine Reconstruction Official Resigns, Highlighting Tensions - The New York Times
In Putin’s wartime Russia, military corruption is suddenly taboo - The Washington Post
“Jealous”?
Israel vows to press on in Gaza after UN Security Council approves ceasefire proposal | CNN
Hamas leader says ‘we have the Israelis right where we want them’ in leaked messages, WSJ reports | CNN
Russian Nuclear Sub, Frigate with Long Range Land Attack Missiles Operating Off East Coast - USNI News
Russian warships reach Cuban waters ahead of military exercises in the Caribbean | AP News
Share this post