Ukraine Only Received About $75 Billion of $177 Billion In U.S. Aid

Above, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. By President.gov.ua.

Much has been written and said over the aid the U.S. sent to Ukraine during the Biden Administration.

It is estimated that over $200 billion in aid was sent. The problem now is Ukraine claims they only received just over $75 billion. Much of the aid may have been laundered with some going to the Democrats.

The Gateway Pundit reported:

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky admitted in an interview that he hasn’t even seen half of the nearly $200 billion in foreign aid that the United States has sent to Ukraine since war broke out with Russia. 

According to Ukraineoversight.gov,

As of September 30, 2024, the U.S. Ukraine response funding totals nearly $183 billion, with $130.1 billion obligated and $86.7 billion disbursed.

Congress appropriated $174.2 billion through the five Ukraine supplemental appropriation acts enacted FY 2022 through FY 2024, of which $163.6 billion was allocated for OAR and the Ukraine response. Additional funds of $18.2 billion were allocated from annual agency appropriations and $1.1 billion was allocated from other supplemental appropriation acts.

However, Zelensky says, “We received just over 75 [billion dollars].”

He accounts for this in the “70-something billion-worth of” weapons.

“But when they say that Ukraine, during the war, received 200 billion to support the army, etc., this is not true. I don’t know where all this money is,” Zelensky said.

This also comes amid recent reports that money is being laundered by Democrats through Ukraine. The Gateway Pundit recently reported that former Polish Minister Piotr Kulpa said up to half of the U.S. aid to Ukraine was laundered by Ukrainians, and much was given to U.S. Democrats. It is also believed that much of the billions in U.S. taxpayer dollars are going to Zelensky and the pensions of his bureaucrats.

Thankfully, President Trump’s State Department immediately halted funding for military aid to Ukraine for 90 days after Trump took office last month.

To read more, go here.

Coup Attempt In Russia, Putin Evacuated

Reuters Reports St. Petersburg, Russia Hit By Ukranian Drone

Above, a winter scene in St. Petersburg. Photo by Asya Lipovetckaia.

A friend passed along a Reuters report this morning that St. Petersburg, Russia was hit by a Ukrainian drone. This happened a couple of days ago.

Reuters reported:

Jan 18 (Reuters) - Ukraine hit targets in Russia's St Petersburg overnight using a domestic-produced drone that flew 1,250 km (775 miles), a Ukrainian government minister was quoted as saying by Interfax-Ukraine news agency on Thursday.

A Ukrainian military source told Reuters earlier that an oil terminal in Russia's second city, located some 850 km (530 miles) from the nearest section of the Ukrainian border, was targeted as part of a "new stage of work in this region".

I am checking with Asya to confirm the story.

To read more, go here. 

Biden: Appropriate More Money Or Send American Troops To Ukraine

The nutjob in the White House is now threatening to send American troops to Ukraine, essentially prodding the bear into World War III, if Congress doesn't appropriate more money. 

Tucker Carlson posted:

It isn't our damn war to get involved in.  Sending our troops would be insane, to put it mildly.

Biden and Maui, Hawaii

 Speaks volumes.

Russian Citizens ASTOUNDING Gold & Silver Purchases

With the Ukraine war (that they started) hanging like a sword over Russia, I was chatting with Asya the other day and a thought popped into my head. I was wondering if Russian citizens are allowed to buy gold and silver.

Well, it turns out that Vladimir Putin has been encouraging citizens to buy gold and silver. They're buying it in record amounts.

Here's a February video by Rons Basement on the topic:

Maybe the Russians know something we don't?

Gold, Silver See Safe-Haven Price Gains

The "coup" that failed by Russian mercenaries over the weekend has some ramifications geopolitically and monetarily. This includes gold and silver spot prices.

This has resulted in rises in gold and silver.

From Kitco News:

(Kitco News) - Gold and silver prices are higher in early U.S. trading Monday, on safe-haven buying following an aborted insurrection in Russia that has left the nuclear armed nation’s military destabilized and has the rest of the world wondering what happens next. August gold was last up $12.50 at $1,942.10 and July silver was up $0.521 at $22.875.

Geopolitics is back on the front burner of the marketplace following the weekend coup attempt in Russia that has at least temporarily been averted. Still, risk aversion is elevated to start the trading week. It appears Russian President Putin has seen his once-powerful authoritarian grip on his country loosened significantly, which has destabilized the Russian military. The marketplace will continue watching this situation very closely as its geopolitical implications are huge.

It will be interesting to see what the future holds.

To read more, go here. 

The Cost of Investing in Precious Metals

Above, 2023 Silver Britannia coins from the Royal Mint. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Biden Administration is screwing up the economy. Billions are being sent to Ukraine to the extent that we may be left without enough arms for our own defense, thereby goading Russia into World War III. Millions of illegals are flooding across our border with no resistance. Congressional spending has gone into the stratosphere with Biden's approval. 

Small wonder there's runaway inflation. This is forcing people to seek a hedge in precious metals. Day by day, the dollar is losing value.

What is the cost of in investing in precious metals? This question is the topic of a new article in The Epoch Times.

They start it off with:

Gold and silver and other precious metals like platinum and palladium provide valuable security in times of financial turmoil. Despite price fluctuations, physical precious metals pose no credit risk and retain an intrinsically high economic value even when the stock market crashes.

What are the costs of precious metals investing, and what associated expenses are involved in a precious metals portfolio?

To read more, go here.

Putin Nuking Russian Economy

 

Putin Mobilizes More Troops For Ukraine War, Threatens Nuclear Retaliation

With Ukraine recently kicking Russia's butt in a counteroffensive, Russian President Vladimir Putin is getting desperate.

He is ordering more troops and appears to be threatening nuclear retaliation against the West.

NBC News reported:

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the partial mobilization of his country’s military Wednesday, calling up reservists in a significant escalation of his war in Ukraine after battlefield setbacks left the Kremlin facing growing pressure to act.

In a rare national address, the Russian leader also backed plans for Russia to annex occupied areas of southern and eastern Ukraine, appearing to threaten nuclear retaliation if Kyiv continues its efforts to reclaim that land.

It came just a day after after four Russian-controlled areas announced they would stage votes this week on breaking away from Ukraine and joining Russia, in a plan Kyiv and its Western allies dismissed as a desperate “sham” aimed at deterring a successful counteroffensive by Ukrainian troops.  

Vowing that Russia would use all the means at its disposal to protect what it considers its territory, Putin accused the West of nuclear blackmail and warned: “This is not a bluff.” 

To read more, go here. 

High Gas Prices: Part of the Liberal World Order

Biden says we'll have to pay high gas prices for "as long as it takes."

Then his advisor Brian Deese said on CNN, "This is about the Liberal World Order and we have to stand firm."

This is causing a firestorm, to put it mildly.

Newsweek, not exactly a bastion of conservative thought, posted:

President Joe Biden's adviser Brian Deese is facing a backlash online after answering a question on the fairness of high gas prices by highlighting the importance of the "liberal world order," and a video clip of the moment has since gone viral.

Deese was speaking to CNN's Victor Blackwell on Thursday and reflected on comments Joe Biden made during his speech at the NATO summit in Madrid on the same day.

Biden was asked by a reporter: "How long is it fair to expect American drivers and drivers around the world to pay that premium for this war?"

The president replied: "As long as it takes," insisting that Russia could not be allowed to win the conflict against Ukraine and then potentially menace other nations.

Deese and Biden have been ridiculed on Twitter over the clip.

"The Biden administration cares more about the liberal world order than American families," Former White House Director of Strategic Communications Mercedes Schlapp tweeted.

"The 'Liberal World Order' we need to wake up and realize what we really are up against. Biden is nothing more than a puppet for the radical left," Fox News contributor Sara A. Carter tweeted.

"Is Brian Dese a Republican plant? Because this is the easiest midterm ad content I've ever seen," Republican communicator Matt Whitlock tweeted.

To read the full article, go here.

George Takei Steps Into It...As James Woods Points Out

 Oh, my! (As George Takei loves to say.)

Finland, Sweden Moving Towards Joining NATO

The Russian war on Ukraine has made a couple of European countries rethink their position on joining NATO.

According to Japan Today:

The Kremlin warned about taking retaliatory “military-technical” steps after Finland’s leaders came out in favor of applying to join NATO, and Sweden could do the same within days, in a historic realignment triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Meanwhile, the first war-crimes trial of a Russian soldier since the start of the conflict was set to open Friday in Kyiv. A 21-year-old captured member of a tank unit is accused of shooting to death a civilian during the opening week of the war.

On the ground, Russian forces pounded areas in central, northern and eastern Ukraine, including the last pocket of resistance in Mariupol, as part their offensive to take the industrial Donbas region, while Ukraine recaptured some towns and villages in the northeast.

Two and a half months after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine sent a shiver of fear through Moscow’s neighbors, Finland’s president and prime minister announced Thursday that the Nordic country should apply right away for membership in NATO, the military defense pact founded in part to counter the Soviet Union.

“You (Russia) caused this. Look in the mirror,” Finnish President Sauli Niinisto said this week.  

That would represent a major change in Europe's security landscape: Sweden has avoided military alliances for more than 200 years, while Finland adopted neutrality after its defeat by the Soviets in World War II.

To read more, go here. 

Tulsi Gabbard: Biden Leading Us To Nuclear Armageddon

Former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard posted the following on Twitter about the Russia-Ukraine war.

Let's hope she's not right that this could lead to World War III and nuclear Armageddon. 

She posted:

We're already in a hot war with Russia, and it's going to get a lot hotter because the Biden Admin's stated goal is the complete destruction of Russia's economy & military. Russia has made it clear that if faced with this prospect they’ll have no choice but to use tactical nukes. Once the nuclear Pandora’s Box is open, it'll be impossible to close. The path the Biden Admin has us on will lead to WWIII & nuclear Armageddon. Our country, families & world will suffer beyond comprehension. Obviously this isn't what the American people want.

We want peace & prosperity. But we have to fight for it. It’s not too late. With upcoming elections, the power is in our hands to stop this insanity by supporting those, D or R, who are committed to ending this war with Russia & use our treasure for the American people.

Score One For Ukraine...Maybe

Above, the missile cruiser Moskva before its sinking.

If what the Ukrainians are saying is true, the sinking of the Russian missile cruiser Moskva in the Black Sea by a missile is a major win for Ukraine. It symbolizes that Putin's invasion/war against Ukraine is coming at a high price.

According to MarketWatch:

KYIV, Ukraine — The flagship of Russia’s Black Sea fleet, a guided-missile cruiser that became a potent target of Ukrainian defiance in the opening days of the war, sank Thursday after it was heavily damaged in the latest setback for Moscow’s invasion.

Ukrainian officials said their forces hit the vessel with missiles, while Russia acknowledged a fire aboard the Moskva but no attack. U.S. and other Western officials could not confirm what caused the blaze.

The loss of the warship named for the Russian capital is a devastating symbolic defeat for Moscow as its troops regroup for a renewed offensive in eastern Ukraine after retreating from much of the north, including the capital, Kyiv.

In his nightly video address to the nation, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy alluded to the sinking as he told Ukrainians they should be proud of having survived 50 days under attack when the Russians “gave us a maximum of five.”

To read more, go here. 

Bring Back The Air Raid Sirens In The U.S.

Above, an air raid siren in the San Fernando Valley in 2017. Photo by Armand Vaquer

My viewing of The Atomic Cafe movie today and an opinion piece got me thinking about air raid sirens.

It isn't known to me if the authors of an opinion piece in the April 1 New York Times was quackery or an April Fool's joke, but it is something to think about.

Russian President Vladimir Putin made (what the authors say) an "implicit threat" of using nuclear weapons over Ukraine when his invasion started. 

Steven Simon and Jonathan Stevenson began with:

The Biden administration has done an admirable job checking Russian disinformation efforts by disclosing U.S. intelligence assessments of Moscow’s intentions and marshaling unified political support for Ukrainian sovereignty and indirect military support for its defense.

But the administration has spoken out when it might have kept silent about Russia’s implicit threat to use nuclear weapons. In President Vladimir Putin’s speech announcing the invasion, he stated that anyone who “tries to stand in our way” will face consequences “such as you have never seen in your entire history.” He ordered his defense minister to put Russia’s nuclear forces on alert. It may have been implicit, but the threat was clear.

Air raid sirens were installed in U.S. cities during World War II and were used during the Cold War. Monthly tests of them (at least in Los Angeles) were made on the last Friday of the month at 10:00 in the morning. The tests ended in 1985. 

Some sirens have been deactivated and some are still in use (for tornadoes, etc.). They vary by state.

In view of Putin's nuclear threat, perhaps it's time to restore and reactivate the sirens in areas where they were deactivated, just in case? 

Don't forget, DUCK AND COVER!

Ukraine Train Station Attacked By Russians

 

Ukraine Genocide: No Other Word For It

 

Used RV Prices Suggest Buyer Optimism

Above, The Beast at Ventura Beach RV Resort. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

With sky-high gasoline and diesel prices at the pump, one would thing that would put a damper on RV sales, new and used ones.

Apparently, that is not the case as prices for used RVs suggest.

According to RV Travel:

War in Europe. Pump prices at all-time highs. Crowded campgrounds with reservations hard to come by. One might think these factors would tend to frighten potential RV buyers. But the latest report on used RV prices at auction seems to indicate buyers aren’t letting themselves be frightened. 

Spring drives buyers to dealers

According to BlackBook.com, a vehicle sales number crunching firm, February used auction sales were a mixed bag. “Spring has arrived in many parts of the country, and eager customers are beginning to flock to dealers’ showrooms,” writes Eric Lawrence, the Principal Automotive Analyst for Specialty Vehicles. “Motorhome values bounced back this month after three months of declines, but towables gave back some of the gains they notched last month.”

 To read the full article, go here.

Transgender Women Turned Away At Ukraine’s Borders, Have To Fight

The Russia-Ukraine war is causing interesting situations outside of the fight itself.

Many Ukrainians are fleeing the country as refugees to other countries, but some are being stopped at the border and told to go back and fight. Herein lies the problem. 

From The Gateway Pundit:

Meanwhile in the Ukraine…

Ukraine is blocking transgender women (biological males) from fleeing to neighboring countries as refugees.

Last month Ukraine ordered all men ages 18 to 60 to stay behind and fight Russian troops as women and children seek refuge in Poland, Moldova and Romania.

Trans ‘women’ in Ukraine are being turned away by border guards because their passports still identify them as “males.”

According to Ukraine’s martial law, all males must stay and fight.

And, some are being physically checked.

From The Guardian:

“Ukrainian border guards undress you and touch you everywhere,” Judis says. “You can see on their faces they’re wondering ‘what are you?’ like you’re some kind of animal or something.”

By the way, Russia is transphobic.

To read more, go here. 

NOTE: I take no position on transgender issues. To each their own.