Category Archives: International News

International News, National, Russia-Ukraine War

Putin’s Palm Sunday Sumy Massacre Kills Dozens

Two Russian Iskander-M short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) armed with cluster munitions struck the Ukrainian city of Sumy, as the faithful traditionally walked to Palm Sunday church services, killing at least 34 and wounding 117. At the time of publication, search and rescue operations were still ongoing.

Two children are among the dead, including a newborn, and 15 more children were wounded. At least 68 people are in hospital, with eight in critical condition. It is the single worst attack on Ukrainian civilians since 5 October 2023, when a Russian missile struck people gathered for a funeral in Hroza, killing 56.

Videos of the aftermath from the first missile show Russia used a double-tap attack to maximize casualties. The second missile exploded in the air, 200 meters from the first strike, to maximize the spread of the submunitions.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted an uncensored video of the screams of the wounded piercing the air between the wails of car alarms. Among the burning cars and scattered debris, the torn bodies of civilians lay on the roads and sidewalks.

Posting on Twitter (also known as X), Zelenskyy said, “Russian missiles hit an ordinary city street, ordinary life – residential buildings, educational institutions, cars on the street… [sic] And that’s on the day when people go to church – Palm Sunday, the feast of the Lord’s Entry into Jerusalem.”

The Ukrianian leader added, “Russia wants exactly this kind of terror and is dragging this war out,” while “The United States, Europe, everyone in the world…wants this war and these killings to end.”

The heart of Sumy, including the Congress Center (conference building), a courthouse, a post office, the Sumy Regional Philharmonic Orchestra, the Educational and Scientific Institute of Business, Economics and Management, and the Sports Hall campuses of Sumy State University, was targeted.

Among the dead are Olena Kohut, a college professor and solo organist with the Sumy Regional Philharmonic, and Diana Popova, the Director General of the Museum of History of the City of Kyiv.

Worshippers at a Baptist Church near the attack site had to duck for cover after the shockwave from the first missile broke windows, showering some congregants with broken glass.

Kirill Illiashenko, 13, is being hailed as a hero for helping rescuing passengers trapped in a burning bus he was riding in. The blast blocked the doors, and despite severe shrapnel wounds, Illiashenko kicked out a window, exited the bus, and was able to open the exit.

The head of the Main Defense Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine (GUR), Kyrylo Budanov, identified the Russian military units involved in the Palm Sunday Massacre. Missiles were launched from Liski in the Voronezh region by the 112th Missile Brigade, and Lezhenki in the Kursk region by the 448th Missile Brigade.

The attack happened nine days after the Kryvyi Rih missile strike on a playground killed 19, including nine children, and wounded 75. Russia and Ukraine are technically in a partial ceasefire brokered by the United States that started on 18 March, which Moscow has repeatedly violated.

Mayor of Konotop Calls for Sumy Governor’s Firing

Artem Semenikhin, the mayor of the Sumy region settlement of Konotop, accused Sumy Oblast Governor Volodymyr Artiukh of planning a 13 April awards ceremony for the Ukrainian 117th Brigade in Sumy.

“They want PR for the military,” Semenikhin wrote on Facebook, “They wanted to take pictures at the awards ceremony and thank…And as a result, they poured blood on Sumy, helping the Muscovites commit genocide against Ukrainians.”

During a 14-minute livestream, he claimed an internal criminal investigation was opened. “[A] criminal case has been opened not only for the terrorist genocidal attack by the butchers [Russians – Ed.] against Ukrainians, but also…to find out who thought of holding events with a gathering of military personnel in the city center.”

Ukrainska Pravda reported that “several sources familiar with the situation” confirmed that an award ceremony was scheduled on Sunday morning. The Ministry of Internal Affairs has reportedly contacted the command of the 117th Brigade and Atriukh.

Semenikhin believes that civilians were the primary target, with Moscow using the award ceremony as a pretext to justify the attack.

Attack Causes Shift in Washington’s Tone

Posting on Twitter, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio directly blamed Russia for the attack, signaling a change in position by the Trump administration. “The United States extends our deepest condolences to the victims of today’s horrifying Russian missile attack on Sumy,” Rubio said, “This is a tragic reminder of why President Trump and his Administration are putting so much time and effort into trying to end this war and achieve durable peace.”

Last week, U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink came under fire for not mentioning Russia after the Kryvyi Rih playground attack. In another sign of a shift in tone from Washington, Brink’s response to today’s attack also blamed Russia.

“Today, Palm Sunday, Russia launched ballistic missiles on Sumy…Reports indicate, as in Kryvyi Rih, cluster munitions were used, increasing the devastation and harm to civilians. Our prayers are with the people of Sumy.”

Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) wrote that without “a dramatic change soon,” he would move forward with his bill that would impose massive sanctions and tariffs against Russia. “It is obvious to me that the only hope of ending this war is to continue to cripple Russia’s economy and punish those who prop up Putin,” said Graham. Currently, the bill has 55 co-sponsors, giving it guaranteed approval in the upper house of Congress.

Posting on his personal Twitter account, U.S. special envoy to Ukraine Keith Kellogg wrote, “Today’s Palm Sunday attack by Russian forces on civilian targets in Sumy crosses any line of decency. There are scores of civilians dead and wounded. As a former military leader, I understand targeting, and this is wrong. It is why President Trump is working hard to end this war.”

Last night, while flying on Air Force One, U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters that peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine are going fine, but he’s running out of patience. “I think Ukraine-Russia might be going OK,” said Trump, “And you’re going to be finding out pretty soon…There’s a point at which you have to either put up or shut up. We’ll see what happens. But I think it’s going fine.”

The attack on Sumy came two days after U.S. special envoy to the Middle East and Russia, Steve Witkoff, met with autocrat Vladimir Putin in Moscow for 4.5 hours. Witkoff’s attempts to broker a Phase 2 ceasefire between Israel and Hamas also failed, with the billionaire turned diplomat admitting that Hamas may have “deceived” him.

World Reacts with Horror

World leaders and diplomats condemned today’s attack, almost universally calling for more pressure to be put on Russia.

Kaja Kallas, the chief diplomat of the European Union, said the attack was a “horrific example of Russia intensifying attacks while Ukraine has accepted an unconditional ceasefire.”

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen: “This latest escalation is a grim reminder: Russia was and remains the aggressor, in blatant violation of international law. Strong measures are urgently needed to enforce a ceasefire. Europe will continue to reach out to partners and maintain strong pressure on Russia until the bloodshed ends and a just and lasting peace is achieved, on Ukraine’s terms and conditions.”

European Council President and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni: “I strongly condemn this unacceptable violence, which contradicts any real commitment to peace, promoted by President Trump and supported wholeheartedly by Italy, together with Europe and other international partners.”

NATO Press Office: “Horrific scenes from the center of Sumy where Russian ballistic missiles killed dozens and severely injured many more ordinary civilians. Our thoughts are with the Ukrainian people on what is a sacred day for so many.”

French President Emmanuel Macron: “Everyone knows: This war was initiated by Russia alone. And today, it is clear that Russia alone chooses to continue it — with blatant disregard for human lives, international law, and the diplomatic efforts of President Trump.”

German Caretaker Chancellor Olaf Scholz: “Such Russian attacks reveal the truth about Russia’s alleged readiness for peace. Instead of a readiness for peace, we see that Russia is mercilessly continuing its war of aggression against Ukraine. This war must end, and Russia must finally agree to a comprehensive ceasefire.”

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer: “I’m appalled at Russia’s horrific attacks on civilians in Sumy, and my thoughts are with the victims and their loved ones at this tragic time. President Zelenskyy has shown his commitment to peace. Putin must now agree to a full and immediate ceasefire without conditions.”

Moldovan President Maia Sandu: “Palm Sunday is a day of peace. This morning, as people gathered to pray, Russia bombed Sumy—killing and injuring civilians. Moldova mourns with Ukraine and urges more air defence to save lives. The aggressor must be held accountable. There is no justification for such evil.”

Finnish President Alexander Stubb: “Russia continues its barbaric war of aggression. Today, again, slaughtering innocent civilians in Sumy. Russia shows that it has no respect for international law or humanitarian law. We must end this war. An unconditional ceasefire must begin at once. To make it commit seriously to negotiations, sanctions against Russia need to be further strengthened.”

Foreign Ministry of Slovenia: “Russia continues this war with blatant disregard for international law.”

Slovak President Peter Pellegrini: “I condemn today’s brutal attack on Ukrainian city of Sumy…While talks of peace continue, innocent lives are still being lost. The international community must exert all diplomatic efforts and pressure to end this slaughter, urging Russia to seek peace at the negotiating table, not through missiles that kill innocent people.”

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk: “The Russian version of a ceasefire. Bloody Palm Sunday, Sumy.”

Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal: “Let’s be clear. Russia’s goal is erasing Ukraine. Yet another brutal attack against innocent civilians proves it. Our aid to Ukraine cannot be delayed at the most crucial moment. No pressure on Russia means no peace.”

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda: “Another vile Russian war crime – this time in the heart of Sumy. This is a slap in the face to everyone who seeks and desires peace. The civilized world must use force to stop these barbarians who are killing civilians and children.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney: “Today, Russia chose once again to prolong its unjustified war of aggression on Ukraine by attacking innocent civilians in Sumy. Our thoughts are with the families of those killed and wounded in this brutal attack. Ukraine has shown its commitment to peace — and Russia must now agree to an immediate ceasefire.

The United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine, Matthias Schmale, condemned the attack “in the strongest possible terms.”

“International humanitarian law strictly prohibits attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure,” said Schmale, “Those rules exist to protect human life and dignity — and they must be respected at all times.”

International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and the Geneva Conventions do permit strikes on military targets in civilian areas, but require all possible measures to be taken to minimize civilian casualties, including the type of weapons used. Attack planners must also be able to prove they conducted a proper risk assessment before ordering a strike in a civilian area. However, IHL provides no exceptions for the use of cluster munitions in a civilian area, which is considered a war crime.

International News, National

Just a Week After Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ Tariffs, Judgement Day Arrived

After insisting for a week that tariffs against the world would never be reversed, the White House blinked on Wednesday afternoon. President Donald Trump announced he was “pausing” most of the tariffs issued last week for 90 days and increased tariffs on China to 145%. The stock market went on to have its best days in history, with the Dow Jones jumping 7.7%, closing at 40,601.64.

What caused Judgement Day to arrive only seven days, almost to the hour, when “Liberation Day” was announced?

U.S. Treasury Yields Surged, Setting off Alarms

Financial and economic experts were watching the $29 trillion in U.S. Treasury bonds with growing dismay. On Tuesday morning, the yield on 10-year bonds had gone vertical. In the span of 36 hours, the rate crossed 4.0% and broke through 4.5%. Holders of U.S. treasuries were dumping their bonds, and it was on a wide scale and accelerating.

Japan was the biggest seller, but other nations were involved. Sitting on the sidelines was China, which holds $760 billion in treasury bonds. If the White House ignored this blinking red warning light, yields would continue to increase, and eventually, new sales of treasury bonds would start to decline. The world was saying it had lost confidence in the U.S. leadership at the most fundamental level.

Wednesday Morning was Seen as Judgement Day

Before the markets opened on Wednesday, financial experts and economists saw 9 April as “judgement day.” They expected the White House to do one of two things: pause or end tariffs due to the accelerating sell-off of U.S. treasuries, or continue to insist that the tariffs enacted on “Liberation Day” would remain in place. One path would signal to the world that the White House was getting the message, while the other path led to potentially irreversible economic damage.

What Caused the Accusations of Market Manipulation

Since 3 April, Trump and his surrogates have repeatedly advised investors to ignore the plunging stock markets and buy into the dip. On 8 April, a tweet stating that the Trump administration would announce a 90-day pause on tariffs sent the stock market soaring. A few hours later, the White House declared the tweet was false, vehemently denying there were any discussions on pausing tariffs, sending the market into another crash.

On Wednesday, approximately four hours before President Trump announced the “pause” on tariffs, he wrote on his personal social media platform, Truth Social, “THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO BUY!!! DJT [Emphasis Trump – Ed.]” At 1:30 PM Eastern Time, he announced the change in policy, and the stock market soared. In the minutes before his announcement, there was a surge in activity among equity traders.

However, during his announcement, Trump referenced the bond markets and said that people were clearly showing signs of being “afraid.”

Just the day before, he called those selling stocks “PANICANS.” That accusation aged like room temperature milk on a summer day.

What Were the Unseen Drivers

For those watching from the 50,000-foot view, there were many indications that the Trump administration would have to do something. The policy wasn’t just causing economic damage. It was creating political damage, too.

Over the weekend, Presidential Counselor and tariff plan architect Peter Navarro hit billionaire Elon Musk after he called for a tariff-free zone with Europe, calling Musk a “car assembler.” On Monday, Musk wrote that Navarro was a “moron” and “dumber than a sack of bricks.” The White House tried to spin the public spat as “boys will be boys.” It was reported that on Tuesday, Musk was a 100% “PANICAN,” privately urging the White House to fire Navarro.

Additionally, multiple high-profile podcasters and influencers started turning on the White House, Navarro, and each other. On the Sunday morning talk show circuit and into Tuesday, several Republican senators and representatives called for the White House to reconsider its tariff policy.

What Happened on Thursday

On Thursday, the Dow lost 2.5%, closing at 39,593.66 (-1,014.79), as investors remained glum about Chinese tariffs and others conducted profit taking. Speaking with CNN, Navarro laughed off today’s decline, calling the suggestion that the market volatility of the last week was caused by Trump’s governing style “pure spin.”

“You had the highest rise in stock market history yesterday,” Nararro said, “Of course, there’s gonna be a little pullback…It’s just normal retracement after a big day. It’s no big deal.”

There were mixed signs from U.S. treasuries in today’s data, after closing at 4.392% on Wednesday, the yield on 10-year bonds climbed to 4.425%. However, there was still strong demand in today’s 30-year bond auction, with $22 billion sold with yields around 4.83%.

Trump was true to himself, telling the press that tariffs could be brought back sooner if countries refuse to negotiate with the U.S., adding that he could extend the current pause beyond 90 days. “We’ll have to see what happens at the time.”

Did Trump Conduct Market Manipulation

In our assessment, the optics are bad, but the truth matters. It is a stretch to conclude this was planned market manipulation. The financial management advisors and economists we talked to universally said the data on Wednesday morning contained the signs that something had to happen.

The White House’s new tariff plan doesn’t help Amazon (AMZN), Walmart (WMT), Boeing (BA), Apple (APPL), Alphabet (GOOG), or Microsoft (MSFT), their investors, or their billionaire founders and leaders. This was a strange way to “help” friends and allies.

Disclosures: The author of this story owns shares of Amazon (AMZN), Microsoft (MSFT), and Apple (APPL). He is also a former employee of Amazon, last working for the company in 2016, and Microsoft, last working as a consultant in 2022. They have not conducted any trades in AMZN, MSFT, or APPL in 2025.

International News, National, Russia-Ukraine War

Elon Musk Baselessly Claims ‘Ukraine Area’ Responsible for Twitter Cyber Attack

[WBHG NEWS] – Twitter, also known as X, experienced a global outage for several hours today. The outage affected the Android and iOS apps and also caused numerous problems with the web client.

Speaking on Fox News, Elon Musk told Larry Kudlow, “We’re not sure what happened…there was a massive cyber attack to try and bring down the X system – ah – with ah – IP addresses originating in the Ukraine area.”

Most Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks involve hackers activating malware unknowingly installed on user computers and devices over a wide area. IP addresses are not a “smoking gun” for the origin of a cyber attack, and IP addresses are easily spoofed. The services likely used to carry out the attack target the “Internet of Things” (IoT) to turn them into zombies. IoT can include anything connected to the web that isn’t a PC, tablet, or smartphone, such as routers, security cameras, thermostats, streaming media boxes, and even home appliances. Given Musk’s experience with software and cyber security, he should know this.

When Musk spoke to Kudlow, the hacker group Dark Storm Team had already claimed responsibility for the attack on its Telegram channel.

Dark Storm was founded in 2023 and primarily targets Israel and NATO Alliance countries, according to the Cyber Intelligence Bureau of Epidemiology Lab. Since its formation, the group has also targeted Egypt, India, Ukraine, Brazil, Kenya, and the United Arab Emirates.

The pro-Palestinian cybercriminals are in a coalition with approximately five other hacker groups, including the Russia-based and Kremlin-backed Killnet and the Russia-based Bluenet Russia. They are self-financed and offer hacking services for hire. Its primary goal is to exploit political and religious differences in support of a Palestinian state and the Palestinian people.

Other members of the Dark Storm Team coalition include Anonymous Sudan, Ghosts of Palestine, and SN_BLACKMETA, which is based in Sudan. To conduct DDoS attacks, Darm Storm has used ZeusAPI, which was sold to Aleksandr Andreevich Panin in 2012. Panin, a Russian citizen and co-founder of SpyEye, was arrested and convicted of cybercrimes in 2016. Despite his arrest, ZeusAPI is still updated and used today.

Channel DDoS V2 and Krypton Networks are also DDoS “as a service” tools that anyone can buy. The home base for Krypton Networks (not to be confused with the gaming company based in the U.K. that uses the same name) is unknown, but they have dedicated Russian and Chinese-language Telegram pages. It is unclear where Channel DDoS V2 is based. According to cyber security experts, possibilities include Argentina, Germany, the Netherlands, and Indonesia.

According to Info Security Magazine, ZeusAPI, Channel DDoS V2, and Krypton Networks services were used for the majority of cyberattacks against the United States in the first half of 2024.

Is There Another Agenda

The attack and the thinly veiled implication that Ukraine was behind it come less than 24 hours before U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators are supposed to meet in Saudi Arabia. The meeting is meant to stabilize relations between Ukraine and its potential former ally, restore the minerals deal, and convince Washington to restart intelligence sharing and military aid.

Musk’s latest accusation follows a weekend of events meant to portray Ukraine and its allies in a negative light.

On Saturday, Vice President JD Vance exaggerated his interaction with pro-Ukrainian protesters in Cincinnati, Ohio, accusing them of chasing him and his 3-year-old daughter. Video of the impromptu discussion appears to show Vance approached the group, and his Secret Service detail did not see them as a threat. Most of the talking was between an older woman and the Vice President. There was no evidence that he was chased.

Responding to a different video recorded near Vance’s home that circulated on Saturday, William Martin, the Press Secretary of Vance, wrote, “Anyone that’s ever been here knows Jimmy [Rushton] is full of shit because the video of these Slava Ukraini scumbags harassing the Vice President’s daughter takes place on a completely different street nearby.”

Early on Sunday morning, after Musk, President Donald Trump, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio had dinner at Mar-a-Lago, Musk appeared to threaten to turn off Starlink service to Ukraine. Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski responded on Twitter, writing, “Starlinks for Ukraine are paid by the Polish Digitization Ministry at the cost of about $50 million per year. The ethics of threatening the victim of aggression apart, if SpaceX proves to be an unreliable provider we will be forced to look for suppliers.”

Musk quickly responded, writing on Twitter, “Be quiet, small man. You pay a tiny fraction of the cost. And there is no substitute for Starlink.”

Secretary Rubio then defended Musk. “Just making things up. No one has made any threats about cutting Ukraine off from Starlink. And say thank you because without Starlink Ukraine would have lost this war long ago and Russia would be on the border of Poland right now.”

As a point of order, the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad already shares a border with Poland.

Appearing to go into damage control mode on Sunday evening, Musk then wrote, “To be extremely clear, no matter how much I disagree with the Ukraine policy, Starlink will never turn off its terminals.”

Early on Monday morning, the Prime Minister of Poland, Donald Tusk, didn’t consider the spat over. “True leadership means respect for partners and allies, Tusk said, “Even for the smaller and weaker ones. Never arrogance. Dear friends, think about it.”

On Monday morning, Musk called Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) a “traitor” for traveling to Ukraine to meet with government officials. Kelly is a decorated war veteran and naval aviator with over 5,000 flight hours and hundreds of carrier landings. He conducted 39 combat sorties during Operation Desert Storm.

Kelly was also a NASA astronaut. He was on STS-108, the pilot for STS-121, and the commander for STS-124 and STS-134.

A member of the Democratic party, he was elected to the Senate in 2020.

Kelly responded to Musk on Twitter. “Traitor?” he wrote, “Elon, if you don’t understand that defending freedom is a basic tenet of what makes America great and keeps us safe, maybe you should leave it to those of us who do.”

Jonathan Chait, a write with The Atlantic, called Musk’s accusation “rather odd,” adding, “unless one considered Ukraine an enemy of the United States. Where Musk is going, Trump is likely to follow.”

Breaking News, International News, Russia-Ukraine War

Chornobyl Still Burning 2 Weeks After Russian Attack

[WBHG News] – Fifteen days after a Russian drone struck the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine, fires continue to burn in the New Safe Confinement (NSC) structure.

“Ukrainian firefighters are still trying to extinguish smoldering fires within the large structure built over the reactor destroyed in the 1986 Chornobyl nuclear accident,” Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said.

On 14 February, a Russian drone struck the NSC, which encases the remains of Reactor 4. The reactor exploded in April 1986 due to design flaws and operator negligence, causing the worst nuclear accident in world history. The drone created a six-meter-wide hole and ignited fires on the roof and within the confinement facility. The NSC, completed in 2016, was built to prevent the future release of radioactive material into the atmosphere and further protect the original shelter built over Reactor 4, which was decaying.

Radiation monitoring carried out by Ukraine and independent measurements done by the IAEA show radiational levels remain at normal levels inside and outside of Chornobyl.

Efforts by more than 400 firefighters, engineers, and technicians to put out the fire and start repairs are hampered by the normal background radiation left from the 1986 accident and repeated Russian attacks near Chornobyl. Onsite IAEA inspectors reported “multiple air raid alarms during the past week, at times forcing the suspension of the activities to extinguish the fires.”

The most serious incident included a Russian drone flying directly over a radioactive spent fuel storage facility at the Chornobyl site, according to the IAEA.

“The firefighters and other responders are working very hard in difficult circumstances to manage the impact and consequences of the drone strike. It was clearly a serious incident in terms of nuclear safety, even though it could have been much worse. As I have stated repeatedly during this devastating war, attacking a nuclear facility must never happen,” Director General Grossi said.

IAEA Confirms Drone was a Shahed-136

Photo of debris from the Shahed-136 drone that struck the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant found inside the NSC building by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) on 14 February 2025.

Experts with the IAEA, who have been given unrestricted access to the ongoing investigation, reviewed the collected drone debris in Kyiv on Thursday. “The team observed drone parts that they assessed are consistent with a Shahed-type unmanned aerial vehicle,” an IAEA spokesperson said.

However, the nuclear watchdog refused to provide “any further assessment” on who launched the Russian-built drone at Chornobyl. While the IAEA has never assessed blame for any attacks on Ukraine’s nuclear power plants, this was the first time the organization positively identified a weapon used in the attack.

Article 56 of International Humanitarian Law forbids all attacks on “nuclear electrical generating stations” without exception.

Ukrainian officials accused Russia of the attack, and the strike occurred during a larger drone attack in the region. Our team reviewed photos of the drone debris and concluded they were consistent with a Shahed-136.

International News, National, Russia-Ukraine War

Wikileaks Reveals Ukraine Didn’t Want to Join NATO

The Kremlin and the Trump White House, along with their proxies, have repeatedly claimed that a key driver of the Russia-Ukraine War was Ukraine’s desire to join the NATO Alliance.

Tucked away among the over 10 million documents released by Julian Assange’s Wikileaks is a confidential cable dated 25 November 2009 between Kyiv-based U.S. State Department Political Counselor Colin Cleary and Washington, D.C. The cable was sent to the Commonwealth of Independent States, NATO—European Union Cooperative, and Secretary of State Hilary Clinton.

There are 13 paragraphs, including one about NATO Alliance membership, one about joining the European Union, and one about continuing military support for Georgia, which came under partial Russian occupation in August 2008.

Cleary’s cable is an outline of Viktor Yanukovych’s potential foreign policy if he won the 2010 presidential election in Ukraine and what Kyiv’s position would be on a number of geopolitical issues. Cleary met with Anatoliy Orel, a Senior Advisor to Yanukovych, in Kyiv, and on 10 February 2010, Yanukovych became Ukraine’s president.

The memo speaks for itself. Orel told Cleary that a Yanukovych administration would adopt a new foreign policy.

  • A reset in relations with Russia, generally deferring to Russia’s red lines
  • Extending the lease at the Port of Sevastopol in Crimea to the Russian Black Sea Fleet
  • Non-bloc status and an end to Ukraine’s NATO membership aspirations
  • Relations with the European Union on “equal terms” but without membership
  • Cooling of relations between Ukraine and Georgia
  • A “pragmatic” relationship with the U.S.

On Russian and Ukrainian Foreign Relations

According to the confidential cable, Orel “condemned” the policies of then-president Viktor Yushchenko, who took a “black-and-white” approach to foreign policy: Russia, bad, and the West, good. He went on to stress that “Ukraine has to take the views of Russia very seriously. Hostile relations with Russia are not in Ukraine’s interest.”

During Yushchenko’s administration, then-Ukrainian Foreign Minister Borys Tarasyuk drew up a list of the “thorniest” issues between Moscow and Kyiv. The most critical issues were “border demarcation [with Russia – Ed.] and the Black Sea Fleet.” No progress was made, and Orel said as the foreign policy head, he would work on “getting the best deal he can for Ukraine. Further, he went on to say that Russia did not want to resolve border issues and was “concerned about the Kerch Strait/Azov Sea being open to NATO ships and thus wants to keep the border unresolved.”

On Joining NATO and Other Alliances

Cleary wrote that Orel “asserted” that “NATO membership ‘makes no sense’ for Ukraine,” adding that “The public is overwhelmingly against it.”

He cited The U.S. War on Terror and Operation Enduring Freedom, which Orel rightly predicted would “end in Vietnam-like failure for the Alliance.” Yanukovych’s team was also concerned that pursuing NATO membership would “needlessly complicate relations with Russia.”

At the time of the meeting with Cleary, Ukrainian troops were already deployed in Afghanistan as part of the International Security Assistance Force. The multinational military mission was active between 2001 and 2014. Ukrainian forces then transitioned to a non-combat role in Operation Resolute Support, which was responsible for training the National Army of Afghanistan. In June 2021, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy withdrew the last 21 Ukrainian soldiers from Afghanistan, ending a 14-year deployment.

Publicly, Yanukovych said he supported cooperation with the NATO Alliance but would not seek membership. Orel and MP Leonid Kozhara, who both worked during the Leonid Kuchma presidency from 1994 to 2005, said that Kuchma “had improved cooperation with NATO in far more practical ways that [sic] Yushchenko ever had.”

Yanukovych was true to his word, maintaining the International Peacekeeping and Security Centre at the Yavoriv Military Base, which opened in 2007 but never advanced NATO membership. The training facility was created under the Ukraine-NATO Partnership for Peace program, which Ukraine joined in February 1994.

In November 2015, Fearless Guardian II, a “combined training between Soldiers from the Joint Multinational Training Group (JMTG-U) – Ukraine, Ukrainian Land Forces, and Ukrainian Special Operations Forces,” started. The California National Guard, 173rd Airborne Brigade, 10th Special Forces Group, and training support personnel from U.S. Army Europe and the Joint Multinational Training Command led the exercise. In total, five battalions were trained.

Orel also told Cleary that under Yanukovych, Kyiv “should” walk away from a Polish-led initiative to join the Eastern Partnership. Warsaw wanted to create a regional agreement with Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and Ukraine to “create a cordon around Russia” that Yushchenko believed was “irritating to Russia.” In July 2009, the two nations established a limited agreement to ease travel between the Polish-Ukrainian border for residents who lived within 30 kilometers of the boundary.

When it came to Georgia, both Orel and Kozhara told Cleary that Ukraine would “cool relations.” At the time, Russia occupied approximately 20% of Georgia after its unprovoked invasion in August 2008. When Russia first occupied the Abkhazia and South Ossetia regions, Yanukovych publicly supported the “recognition of the “independence” of the two republics.

During the November 2009 meeting, Orel and Kozhara assured Cleary that this would not happen because the “recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia would send the wrong signal” and it would be “going too far to appease Russia.”

In fact, after Yanukovych became president in 2010, he did not stop arms sales to Georgia and never recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

European Union Membership

Two days before the meeting between Cleary and Orel, region economic chief Mykola Azarov told U.S. embassy staff that “economic reform in Ukraine should come from within and need not be driven by harmonization with the [European Union] (E.U.).” Orel believed that the E.U. would never allow Ukraine to become a full member because the nation’s agricultural and industrial resources would be the largest in the bloc, and it would “undercut prices in Europe.”

Azarov wanted to set a course that would establish bilateral trade with the E.U. and believed that having to comply with a long list of reforms with no assurance of membership was “demeaning.”

At the time of the meeting with Cleary, the E.U. and Ukraine were operating under a Partnership and Cooperation Agreement and had already started broader negotiations to forge an Association Agreement (AA). The AA was approved in March 2012, putting Ukraine on a path to E.U. accession. Later that same year, E.U. Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Stefan Fule stated that the AA and the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) agreements could be signed in November 2013 if Ukraine complied with additional reforms.

The Fallout

The cable published by Wikileaks aligns with almost all of the events from 2010 to 2014 and reveals that, under Yanukovych, Ukraine had no plans to seek NATO Alliance membership.

It was in 2012 when Russia started its active hybrid war against Ukraine, driving a political and social wedge between the industrial east and the cosmopolitan west. The State Department cable and history support that Moscow’s real issue was Kyiv’s desire to join the E.U. What remains unclear is what changed during the opening months of the Yanukovych administration, which led Kyiv to embrace a path towards a deeper economic relationship.

Russia expanded its coercion in August 2013, starting a trade war by restricting imports and dramatically increasing soft power influence within Ukraine. Three months later, Lithuanian diplomats said Yanukovych changed his mind on E.U. accession because of blackmail over imports and exports, natural gas, and jobs. On 21 November, Yanukovych suspended further efforts to join the E.U. and canceled the signing ceremony for the DCFTA, which was scheduled for the 28th in Vilnius.

Widespread protests erupted across Ukraine, with Yanukovych’s government getting increasingly violent, deploying the Berkut, a cross between riot police and a goon squad. In 2023, around the time of the failed Prigozhin Insurrection in Rostov-on-Don, multiple Russian milbloggers revealed that Russian soldiers were involved in cracking down on the protests, working in cooperation with the Berkut and Yanukovych’s government.

Kyiv passed oppressive anti-protest laws on 16 January 2014. Increasingly violent clashes continued, including the death of several protesters later in the week. Demonstrators occupied multiple government buildings across Ukraine. In an attempt to defuse the situation, the Rada repealed most of the anti-protest laws. Azarov, who was now the prime minister, resigned on 28 January.

By then, Moscow was controlling the anti-Maidan with support from Berkut, its own military operatives, and mercenary supporters. Yanukovych was also under the control of the Kremlin, which intended for him to be a puppet who would control Ukraine as a rump state. On 20 February, almost 100 protesters were killed in Kyiv after the Berkut and snipers opened fire. Thirteen police officers also died, and hundreds were wounded.

On the same day, Russian soldiers invaded the Crimean Peninsula, and a contingent of Russians, including FSB Colonel Igor “Strelkov” Girkin, traveled to Donetsk in the Donbas to meet with pro-Russian elements within the region. Girkin would go on to be the first Minister of Defense of the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic and lead the 1st Army Corps.

Prior to his arrest by Russia in the summer of 2023 for violating Moscow’s “don’t say war” laws, Girkin confessed that he was the instigator of the warfare in the Donbas. A claim backed up by the now-deceased leader of the former Private Military Company Wagner Group, Yevgen Prigozhin. Russian milblogger Seymon Pegov also revealed in September 2022 that he was fighting under the leadership of Girkin in Slovyansk and Kramatorsk and condemned Girkin for “abandoning him” during the collapse of the Russian offensive.

On 21 February 2014, Yanukovych signed an agreement forming an interim government and reinstating the 2004 Constitution. Hours later, the Berkut and police withdrew, and protesters took control. The next day, Yanukovych tried to flee to Russia through Kharkiv but was stopped by border guards. Two days later, he fled to Moscow on a Russian military flight out of occupied Crimea.

Ukraine did not seek NATO membership until April 2022, and the atrocities committed by Russian forces in the Kyiv suburbs of Bucha and Irpin were revealed to the world. At the end of the Biden administration in 2024, it was revealed that Washington never intended to permit Ukraine to join the NATO Alliance, along with Germany and Hungary. The White House was worried that even the offer of an invitation to NATO would provoke Russia into potentially attacking the NATO Alliance or using tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine.

Wikileaks exposes that almost 14 years of attempts to appease Moscow by Washington, Kyiv, and Brussels were all in vain. Moscow had already destabilized Belarus and Georgia, with the latter currently falling deeper under the control of the Georgia Dream regime.

You can read the 25 November 2009 State Department cable on Wikileaks.

Editorial, International News, National

The United States is Abandoning Europe and with it, Ukraine

Signals from Russian and U.S. officials after the first round of meetings to discuss a “peace deal” in the Russia-Ukraine War indicate that the Trump administration is setting conditions to lift some or all sanctions and end all aid to Kyiv.

Our team agrees with the assessment by four “Western intelligence officials and two “U.S. Congressional officials” that Russia is negotiating in bad faith and has no interest in ending its war of aggression against Ukraine.

Responding to an inquiry by U.S. news agency NBC News, Brian Hughes, a spokesman for the National Security Council, said, “President Trump’s leadership has created the first opening for talks in years, and he did this after only four weeks in office. The Trump Administration will continue to pursue a deal that advances American interests and brings this conflict to a permanent resolution.”

Fact Check – The Truth Matters

That statement is, at best, a half-truth. In March 2022, there was the Istanbul Communique. In May 2022, then-Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Shoigu (who has since been removed from his position), calling for a ceasefire.

In December 2022, then-Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called for a February 2023 peace summit mediated by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, with the requirement that Russia answer to the International Criminal Court. The Kremlin rejected the offer, once again demanding sovereignty over the illegally annexed Ukrainian oblasts of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson.

In June 2023, a multinational peace delegation from Africa visited Kyiv and Moscow, meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and autocrat Vladimir Putin. During the 17 June visit to Moscow, South African president Cyril Ramaphosa told Putin the war must end. Moscow rejected the African delegation’s peace plan.

In November 2023, President Zelenskyy rejected negotiating with Russia, declaring Moscow was not interested in good-faith discussions. A month later, autocrat Putin rejected talks, saying, “There will only be peace in Ukraine when we achieve our aims…denazification, demilitarization, and its neutral status.”

Over 100 nations, territories, and organizations attended the Ukraine Peace Summit in June 2024. While Russia was not invited, Moscow declared that even if they were, they would not participate.

Russia Isn’t Negotiating in Good Faith

Moments after the first meeting ended, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov openly demonstrated that Moscow has no interest in good-faith negotiations. Speaking with reporters, he said, “The U.S. proposed a moratorium on attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure during negotiations. We explained that it has never endangered civilian energy supply systems.”

On the same day Lavrov made the claim, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported, “Operational-tactical aviation, strike unmanned aerial vehicles, missile forces and artillery of the Russian Armed Forces groups have damaged military airfield and energy infrastructure facilities in Ukraine [emphasis – Ed.], storage and launch sites for unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as concentrations of enemy manpower and equipment in 144 areas.”

Despite the obvious deception, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters that America needs to “take advantage of the incredible opportunity to partner with the Russians geopolitically, on issues of common interest and economically.” Rubio went further, declaring the West would “have to cancel sanctions” if a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine could be established.

After both parties held their respective press conferences, President Donald Trump went on a tirade on his Truth Social social media network and a press conference at Mar-a-Lago. The president falsely claimed that Ukraine has received $350 billion in aid from the U.S. compared to $100 billion from Europe, suggesting Zelenskyy is an illegitimate president with only 4% support and that he is “a completely incompetent president, makes absurd statements, and his leadership has allowed the war to continue.”

Fact Check – The Truth Matters

Donald Trump started his first term as President in January 2017. Eight months later, the U.N. Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner reported that fighting never stopped in Ukraine. “August 2017 bucked the trend of the past three years of the conflict in eastern Ukraine with a decrease in the number of civilian casualties, according to a report by the UN Human Rights Office published today. The ‘harvest ceasefire,’ which began at the end of June, may have contributed to this. However, the ceasefire never fully took hold, with hostilities suddenly flaring and then easing.”

When Zelenskyy was elected president on 19 April 2019, fighting between Ukraine and Russian troops backed by the 1st and 2nd Army Corps of the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republic was happening every day along a 400-kilometer contact line. In 2021, the United Nations Human Rights Commission reported hundreds of casualties from 2018 to 2020. The lowest number of war casualties recorded in Ukraine since 2014 was in 2021, during the first year of the Biden Administration.

Further, on 25 November 2018, the Federal Security Service of Russia (FSB) fired on three Ukrianian Navy vessels transiting the Kerch Strait to the Sea of Azov, capturing three ships and the crews in international waters. The first Trump administration went beyond acknowledging the incident, with the Treasury Department sanctioning the Russians involved in the incident on 19 March 2019.

“Five years after its invasion of Ukraine…Russia continues to undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity while failing to implement its obligations under the Minsk agreements. On November 25, 2018, Russian authorities opened fire on and rammed three Ukrainian ships off the coast of Crimea, seizing the ships and capturing 24 Ukrainian crew members, who remain illegally detained in Russia.”

Even Russian Bankers See No Economic Upside from the Ongoing Talks

On Tuesday, Dmitry Pyanov, First Deputy Chairman of VTB Bank Management, told reporters, “All the statements that Visa, Mastercard, Bershka, Zara, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s – may return to the Russian market – are increasingly a reflection of what is missing from the speakers – those who publicly predict the imminent return of certain companies and brands – rather than reality. Now is the very beginning stage – only bilateral negotiations without the involvement of other parties. Months, if not quarters, will pass before the agreements crystallize.”

Additionally, Western companies have lost billions since February 2022, when Moscow seized their assets, increased taxes, and the courts issued ridiculously large fines. Many corporations will be reluctant to reinvest in the Russian economy immediately. Further, Moscow has hammered the message to the Russian people that trade with the West and the United States is not required, and many internal brands have been established.

Multiple reports indicated that Russia was pushing for the lifting of energy sanctions and was willing to open Arctic regions to oil exploration by U.S. companies. Just like in Trump’s first term, he still believes that oil at $45 a barrel is possible and sustainable.

Fact Check – The Truth Matters

The idea that we’re entering a new era of “drill, baby, drill” is false. Due to global overproduction, the world is facing an oil glut. In 2017, as part of his promise that his tax reform package would result in more revenue, not less, President Trump directed the Department of Interior to take bids for oil drilling leases in the North Slope region of Alaska. The last day for new leases was 6 January 2025, and not a single oil producer submitted a bid.

According to data published by the Energy Information Administration through November 2024, the U.S. is the largest oil-producing nation on the planet. In 2023, the most recent year data is available. The U.S. produced 22% of the world’s crude oil while consuming 20%. In the fall of 2018, the last time oil prices crashed because of market conditions versus the COVID-19 pandemic, hundreds of U.S. oil producers went bankrupt because, at $50 a barrel, fracking operations are unprofitable.

If U.S. producers are uninterested in signing leases in Alaska’s North Slope under the Trump and Biden administrations, it seems even more unlikely that they’ll rush back to Russia’s oil fields.

Sound and Fury with no Tangible Results

The only concrete outcome, beyond millions of social media views and clicks, was Lavrov’s claim that Russia and the U.S. agreed to “ensure the appointment of ambassadors of Russia to the United States and the United States to Russia as soon as possible.” The U.S. Ambassador to Russia is still Lynne Tracy, while autocrat Putin relieved the Russian Ambassador to the U.S., Anatoly Antonov, in October 2024 without naming a successor.

As the world reacted to the fallout from Riyadh, Bloomberg reported that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman wanted Zelenskyy to attend yesterday’s negotiations. However, the American and Russian delegations rejected the idea. An unnamed source in the Saudi government claimed that bin Salman would brief Zelenskyy on the discussions.

U.S. news agency Fox News reporter Jacqui Heinrich shared Ukraine’s assessment that Putin’s medium-term plan is to undermine Zelenskyy’s credibility inside and outside of Ukraine and force premature elections to install a puppet government. “Multiple foreign diplomatic sources provided this readout from the Ukrainian side: ‘Putin assesses the probability of electing a puppet president as quite high and is also convinced that any candidate other than the current President of Ukraine will be more flexible and ready for negotiations and concessions. In turn, D. Trump is ready to accept any election result, including the possibility of [the] election of a pro-Russian puppet…Trump and…Putin consider the chances of the current President of Ukraine being re-elected as low.’”

All of yesterday’s theatrics were probably moot, as the Kremlin declared again that it opposes “any peacekeeping force” from NATO Alliance countries in Ukraine. This has been, or way, a key condition in Trump’s “peace plan.”

The Rift Between the U.S. and Europe Becoming Irreparable

Then, it got worse. On Wednesday morning, Trump launched a series of attacks on his personal social media platform, Truth Social. He repeated the false claim that the U.S. has spent “$350 billion dollars to go into a war that couldn’t be won” and that the U.S. has “spent $200 billion dollars more than Europe.” He made a half-truth statement, claiming that “Zelenskyy admits that half of that money we sent him is ‘missing.’” He then called the Ukrianian a leader, a “dictator” while praising his own efforts to “end…the war with Russia.”

Fact Check – The Truth Matters

Speaking with U.S. news agency Newsmax on 6 February, Trump’s special envoy to Russia and Ukraine, Lieutenant General (retired) Keith Kellogg, said that the story that $174 billion in U.S. aid has been sent to Ukraine is “a myth.” Kellogg accurately stated that only $65.9 billion in military aid had been sent to Ukraine, of which $51.2 billion was spent by the U.S. defense industry to replenish America’s stockpiles. “We have a pretty good idea where the money is going,” Kellogg added, accurately stating that there are inspector generals on the ground in Ukraine “to track that money.”

A 15 November 2023 report by then Congressional Foreign Affairs Committee Co-chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX), Co-chairman Mike Rogers (R-AL), and Co-chairman Mike Turner (R-OH) wrote that oversight of aid to Ukraine was a priority of Republican leadership and no malfeasance had been found.

“To date, the Inspectors General of DoD [Department of Defense], State, and USAID have not identified any significant diversion, theft, or misuse of U.S. assistance to Ukraine. There are 96 ongoing or planned audits and reports by the IGs [Inspector Generals] of more than 20 different agencies, as well as the Government Accountability Office (GAO), to monitor, audit, and evaluate activities related to the Ukraine response. Thirty-nine have been completed.”

The report also concluded that Europe was providing more in military and humanitarian aid while “purchasing U.S. systems to replace them, providing an opportunity for the U.S. defense industry and American workers.”

Since that report was published, Congress approved another $61 billion of aid to Ukraine in April 2024. Between $3 and $5 billion of USAID funds have been frozen, and $3.8 billion in Presidential Drawdown Authority went unused. Congress has not approved any additional funds for Ukraine since the FY2024 budget was passed last year.

Additionally, while the Trump administration has focused on only European aid, as of December 2024, only 42.7% of all delivered aid, both military and humanitarian, has come from the United States.

Both claims that Zelenskyy is a dictator with 4% support are untrue. The Ukrainian Constitution, ratified in 1996, forbids holding elections during martial law. Additionally, if martial law was lifted, the constitution bars continued military mobilization.

The new demand by Vice President J.D. Vance that for continued support, Ukraine must hold elections goes against the nation’s constitution and plays into Russia’s hands. If Ukraine holds elections but not in the occupied territories, it becomes a defacto admission of Russian control of occupied Ukraine. If elections are held in the occupied territories, they won’t be free and fair. The most recent polls from Ukraine show that Zelenskyy has between 52% and 57% support, which aligns with wartime U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1944.

Assessment

Almost three years ago, we warned that Ukraine’s allies must provide support not for “as long as it takes” but as fast as possible to restore the 1991 borders. Our warning was stark and now appears prophetic. Russia can be defeated in Kyiv today or Berlin in five years. As long as sanctions against Russia are not lifted, we maintain that the Ukrainian Armed Forces are well equipped through the rest of 2025.

As far back as 2011, Autocrat Putin has made it clear that his maximalist goal is the restoration of the Russian Imperial Empire’s borders. The Kremlin needs Ukraine’s population, defense production, and resources to institute the second phase of its plan: the invasions of Moldova, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. Given the current political climate in Europe, it is unclear whether the NATO Alliance will respond to an Article V request from the three Baltic nations.

And after all of the positioning and statements from Russian and U.S. leaders, the most coherent assessment came from Zelenskyy, 3,275 kilometers away in Ankara.

“It seems clear to me that neither side will win this war with weapons on the battlefield. Russia wanted that but couldn’t achieve it, and no one believed in Ukraine, but it has proved itself and defended its independence. It hasn’t been easy, and we have paid a high price in the lives of our people and our soldiers. This means that a transition to diplomacy must happen, but it must lead to a just peace.”

There is always the possibility that on Thursday, President Trump will wake up in the morning, be furious with Putin, and vow to provide nuclear weapons to Ukraine, to change his mind 48 hours later. The one constant with the American leader is his complete unpredictability.

International News, National

M23 Rebels Capture Second Regional Capital in the Democratic Republic of Congo

[WBHG NEWS] – After violating their self-declared 4 February ceasefire, Rwandan-backed M23 rebels secured the city of Bukavu, advancing over 90 kilometers in two weeks from occupied Goma.

“Rwanda-backed rebels have occupied a second major city in mineral-rich eastern Congo,” Congo’s government said Sunday. Militants occupied the governor’s office and pledged to sweep away the “old regime.”

The Congolese Army was in collapse and offered almost no resistance as the much smaller M23 rebel force and Rwandan army swept to the south coast of Lake Kivu and secured more of the mineral-rich region. On Saturday, Congolese soldiers retreated with thousands of panicked civilians as the geopolitical and humanitarian crisis worsened. Up to 15,000 refugees crossed into Burundi, Africa’s poorest country, amid the violence.

The capture of Bukavu essentially seals both major border crossings into Rwanda and enables the Rwandan Army and M23 rebels to use Lake Kivu for supplies and logistics.

On Tuesday, the U.N. reported that humanitarian aid warehouses were looted in the South Kivu province as social order broke down. The U.N. Human Rights Office (OHCHR) confirmed that M23 rebels executed three children in Bukavu.

“Our Office has confirmed cases of summary execution of children by M23 after they entered the city of Bukavu last week. We are also aware that children were in possession of weapons. We call on Rwanda and M23 to ensure that human rights and international humanitarian law are respected,” said OHCHR spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani.

There were additional credible reports of more extrajudicial executions, arbitrary arrests, and threats made to journalists, human rights workers, judges, lawyers, and other civil service employees. French news agency AFP confirmed that two people were “lynched” by a mob who accused them of looting.

So far, Diplomatic Efforts have Failed

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for the territorial integrity of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to be preserved. “The fighting that is raging in South Kivu – as a result of the continuation of the M23 offensive – threatens to push the entire region over the precipice,” Guterres warned the African Union during an emergency summit.

African Union Peace and Security Commissioner Bankole Adeoye said regional leaders are increasingly worried that the ongoing conflict in the eastern part of the DRC will escalate into “an open regional war” over resources. During the summit, Rwanda was accused of providing supplies and logistics provided by China to the M23 rebels. Kigali has repeatedly denied the accusations.

Stéphane Dujarric, the spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General Guterres, said that MONUSCO was protecting 1,400 civilians and NGO workers at the peacekeeping base in Goma. Fighting between M-23 and their Rwandan army backers and the Congolese Army has left 80 schools and 27 healthcare centers severely damaged.

South African and Malawian peacekeepers from the Southern African Development Community Mission in DRC (SAMIDRC) and the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Cong (MONUSCO) remain trapped at Goma Airport and the nearby town of Saké. South Africa’s Minister of Defense, Angie Motshekga, said the top priority was evacuating 14 dead South African soldiers and the wounded. She insisted that the SAMIDRC mission would continue despite the violence and growing tension between Congolese, Rwandan, and South African leaders.

On Monday, Uganda’s military commander, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, threatened to launch an offensive on the DRC city of Bunia, claiming, without evidence, that ethnic Bahima were being killed.

A Country of Contradictions and Bloodshed

Decades of war, instability, and corruption have killed an estimated 6 million people in the DRC since 1996. M23, or March 23, was formed in 2012 and is composed primarily of ethnic Congolese Tutsis backed by the Rwanda government. Both claim that M23 is a required force to prevent ethnic Hutus from carrying out another genocide like the one in Rwanda in 1994. The international community has repeatedly rejected these claims.

The DRC is the 10th largest country on the planet and the 5th wealthiest in terms of natural resources. Despite abundant water, high-quality copper ore, and vast amounts of rare earth elements, the Congolese are the ninth poorest in Africa in terms of GDP per capita and ranked 181st in the world.

IPC Acute Food Insecurity Map for the Democratic Republic of Congo, September 2024

Over 3.4 million people are “facing critical levels of food insecurity,” according to the latest report by the IPC. Another 22.4 million people, 19% of the population, are facing “crisis levels” of food insecurity. The September 2024 report was released prior to the dramatic increase in fighting and the suspension of humanitarian aid by the U.S.

Today, 80% of all coltan ore comes from the DRC, and 80% of the mining operations are controlled or financed by China. Coltan is refined into cobalt, which is used in a wide range of applications, including dyes, semiconductors, and rechargeable batteries.

Coltan also produces tantalum, which is used to manufacture capacitors found in almost all smartphones, computers, and electronics. In April 2024, M23 took over one of the most productive coltan mines and has been illegally exporting raw ore to Rwanda ever since.

According to a 7 January report by the U.N., M23 is earning at least $800,000 a month through the illegal mining operation just at the Rubaya Mine. Satellite images, documents, and public import/export records show how coltan ore is removed from the facility to Rwanda and then mixed with lower-quality domestically sourced ore. In 2023, the most recent year records are available, Rwanda recorded a staggering 50% increase in coltan ore exports compared to 2022. The total tonnage exceeded domestic production.

China’s interest in the DRC appears to go beyond extracting mineral wealth. While Beijing has never been formally accused of arming the M23 rebels, pictures and videos show the group is well-equipped with Chinese kit and weapons.

The Congolese Army is considered weak, poorly trained, and corrupt. Since M23 expanded its offensive in late, the army has suffered repeated humiliating defeats, with thousands of soldiers deserting. Last month in Goma, over 400 Romanian mercenaries, allegedly providing “training” and operating artillery, crossed the border into Rwanda and surrendered, abandoning their infantry mobility vehicles and weapons.

The other powers with influence on the continent, the United States, Russia, and France, have limited economic and military exposure in the DRC and Rwanda.

Türkiye was the first country to sell military equipment to the DRC three months after an international ban was lifted in late 2022. In 2024, Turkish armored vehicle manufacturer Katmerciler completed a multi-million dollar contract for 185 mine-resistant infantry mobility vehicles. Türkiye has also sold arms to Rwanda but on a much smaller scale.

In late 2024, Russia deployed a very small group of troops with the Rosgvardiya Afrika Corps, formerly known as Private Military Company Wagner Group, to the DRC. The Russian soldiers are not in the eastern part of the country, and their role remains unclear.

USAID Employees Flee as Russia Moves In

Last week, several employees with USAID and the State Department filed a lawsuit against the Trump Administration, claiming that they and their families were abandoned in the DRC capital of Kinshasa. On 28 January, rioters attacked the U.S. embassy and nine others, lighting fires, breaching fences, and looting the buildings. Widespread unrest spread across the city, with protesters targeting groups and countries they viewed responsible for the fighting on the Rwandan border.

On the same day, the U.S. closed its embassy “to the public until further notice” due to
”an increase in violence.” Embassy officials advised citizens to “shelter-in-place and then safely depart while commercial options are available.”

The lawsuit revealed the security situation in Kinshasa, over 1,500 kilometers west of the fighting, is far worse than initially reported. Court records show that one USAID employee and their family had to be extracted from their home by the U.S. Marine contingent assigned to the embassy after protesters breached the outer wall and set their home on fire.

Some U.S. government employees said the State Department abandoned them when they received notices on 4 February that they were being placed on leave despite being trapped.

Others opted to evacuate in January. Then-acting USAID administrator Jason Gray initially balked at issuing a “waiver request” to provide funds to evacuate USAID employees and their families. By the time one was issued on 29 January, many had already fled.

In public court records, one USAID worker declared, “USAID staff and their families participated in the evacuation from Kinshasa and boarded small boats alongside friends and colleagues from other foreign affairs agencies to cross the Congo River to Brazzaville. Each individual was able to take only what would fit in their lap…Staff remained at a hotel in Brazzaville for about two days before flying…to Dulles International Airport.”

According to the U.S. Embassy in the Democratic Republic of Congo, through 23 January 2025, USAID had provided $3 billion in humanitarian aid and $6 billion in total assistance over the last ten years.

Just days after the November U.S. federal elections, Russian state media agency Sputnik reported that the Russian humanitarian cooperation agency Rossotrudnuchestvo, Moscow’s equivalent to USAID, was working on starting operations in the DRC.

International News

Israeli Defense Forces Defy Ceasefire Deadline in Lebanon

[WBHG NEWS] – Israel announced it would defy the ceasefire deadline it agreed to with Lebanese Hezbollah and Lebanon, which was already extended to 18 February last month.

Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani, the IDF spokesperson, said that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) would remain “so we can continue to defend our residents and to make sure there’s no immediate threat.”

“We will leave small amounts of troops deployed temporarily in five strategic points along the border,” Shoshani added.

Israeli decided to ignore the withdrawal deadline last week with the backing of the United States. Last Thursday, Nabih Berri, the speaker of Lebanon’s parliament, said that after the U.S. notified him of Israeli’s plan, he rejected it. “I refused to talk about any deadline to extend the withdrawal period.”

The Lebanese Army confirmed that overnight, IDF forces withdrew from over a dozen towns, including Aabbasiyyeh, Majidieh, Kafr Kila, Marjaayoun, Odaisseh, Markaba, Houla, Mays al-Jabal, Blida, Mahbib, Maroun al-Ras, Yaron, Bint Jbeil, Kfar Shouba, and several small villages near the U.N. Blue Line border.

Starting on 8 October 2023, the day after a brigade-sized force of the Hamas-aligned Al Quds Brigade invaded Israel, Hezbollah started artillery, drone, rocket, and anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) strikes on northern Israel, with the blessing of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and the political blessing of the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei.

Israel significantly increased military pressure in southern Lebanon after the 27 July 2024 Hezbollah rocket attack on Majdal Shams in the disputed Golan Heights, which killed 12 ethnic Druze children and wounded 42 who were playing on a soccer pitch.

On 17 September, Israel executed a targeted attack on Hezbollah’s command and control structure using pagers and two-way radios packed with explosives. Over 4,000 militants were wounded in less than 48 hours, and up to a dozen non-combatants were killed, including a child. The attacks decapitated Hezbollah’s command, control, and communication capabilities, setting conditions for a 1 October land invasion. Seven weeks later, the U.S. and France brokered the three-way ceasefire.

The original ceasefire was between Israel, Hezbollah, and the Lebanese government and went into effect on 27 November. Hezbollah agreed to fully withdraw to the north of the Litani River within 60 days and end attacks on northern Israel. Lebanon agreed to deploy 10,000 members of the Lebanese Army south of the Litani River to the U.N. Blue Line, which established the border between Israel and Lebanon in 2000. Israel agreed that it would stop attacks on Hezbollah and fully withdraw its forces from Lebanon by 26 January.

Although the ceasefire held, there were hundreds of violations by Israel and Hezbollah, with dozens of Lebanese civilians killed. In mid-January, Israel accused the Lebanese government of not deploying troops fast enough and having elements within the government aiding Hezbollah. Through last-minute diplomatic efforts, an agreement was reached by all parties to extend the ceasefire to the 18th.

The IDF has continued to conduct periodic airstrikes and military raids on Hezbollah militants and their ammunition depots. The Israeli Air Force has also carried out airstrikes on the Syria-Lebanon border, possibly in support of Syrian forces fighting Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants in the country’s west.

Since the September pager attacks, Hezbollah has suffered a series of political and military blows. Joseph Aoun became Lebanon’s first president in two years and is an outspoken critic of the terrorist organization. The December collapse of the Bashir al-Assad regime in Syria severed critical Hezbollah supply lines between Iran and Lebanon that were used to move militants, advisors, weapons, and money.

Despite Israel’s refusal to withdraw, there are no indications that major fighting is going to restart. The U.S., U.N., and France signaled their view on Israel’s actions is ambivalent and have not made any demands for Israel to complete its withdrawal immediately.

Breaking News, International News, National

Delta Airlines Flight 4819 Crashes in Toronto, Canada During Landing

[WBHG NEWS] – Delta Airlines Flight DL4819 crashed during a landing attempt in Toronto, Canada.

The fuselage remained intact, with the wings, stabilizer, and rudder torn off, and the plane turned over on its back. Canadian officials reported that everyone was expected to survive.

The American Airlines Bombardier CRJ900 departed Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport at 11:34 AM after a 64-minute delay, and was supposed to land in Toronto at 2:11 PM.

This is the third commercial airline crash involving a U.S. airline in less than a month. On January 29, American Airlines Flight 5342 collided with a U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopter conducting an annual pilot check flight. All three crewmembers on the Blackhawk and the 64 crewmembers and passengers on the Bombardier CRJ700 flying from Wichita, Kansas, to Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., were killed. A Cessna 208 Caravan operated by Bering Air crashed near Nome, Alaska, on February 6, killing all nine passengers and the pilot.

This is breaking news.

Breaking News, International News, National

Hundreds of Nuclear Experts Fired with no Regard to National Security

[WBHG NEWS] – On Friday, Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) fired approximately 400 employees from the National Nuclear Security Agency (NNSA), which is part of the Department of Energy (DOE).

The layoffs included almost 30% of the staff at the Pantex Nuclear Weapons Facility in Texas, security and maintenance experts, and foreign-based monitors meant to prevent nuclear proliferation. Included in the terminations were Ukrainian monitors meant to ensure the war-torn country doesn’t restart a nuclear weapons program in compliance with the 1994 Budapest Memorandum.

Also fired was most of the team responsible for producing and protecting replacement plutonium cores for the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile. This action was taken despite a mandate by the first Trump administration to expand the production of cores, also known as pits, by 2030, which is part of an ongoing U.S. nuclear weapons modernization program.

Less than 24 hours later, the damage to national security had become clear, and the DOE was scrambling to rehire more than 300 employees.

It is a misconception that the DOE focuses on conservation, green energy, car electrification, and LED light bulbs. Since its creation, the main function of the DOE has been to regulate, protect, produce, and maintain the U.S. nuclear energy and weapons programs. Conservation and alternative energy research and development programs were expanded in the 1970s. The charter was further expanded by the George W. Bush Energy Policy Act of 2005 and the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007.

According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), the Department of Defense (DOD) and the DOE were mandated to increase pit production from 30 per year to 80 by the end of the decade. In 2018, the NNSA submitted a plan to produce 30 pits at Los Alamos, New Mexico, and 50 more at the Savannah River Lab in South Carolina. Congress received an update in 2020, which concluded that the $350 billion project was at least two years behind schedule. Congressional reports in 2021, 2023, and 2024 show that little progress has been made to speed up production.

During the Cold War, the U.S. was capable of producing up to 1,000 pits per year, ending large-scale production in 1989. The almost complete stop occurred during an era of detente with the Soviet Union and ongoing nuclear disarmament. The same GAO report about expanding modern production noted that only a limited number of pits have been produced since 1989, and the last war reserve pits were built in 2012.

The U.S. uses Plutonium-239 to make nuclear cores, which have a half-life of 24,110 years. Despite the millennia-long decay rate, it is estimated that after 30 to 35 years, there is enough decay to impact explosive yield. It is not suggested that the U.S. nuclear arsenal would not work, just that the explosive power could be different from what is expected. In 2023, the NNSA asked Congress for $1 billion to conduct additional research on the decay rate to determine exactly when the pits need to be replaced.

Nations that started their nuclear weapons program prior to 1980 have similar challenges. The United Kingdom, France, Russia, and India also have aging nuclear arsenals, with Pakistan not far behind. While China tested its first nuclear bomb in 1964, it recently started expanding its arsenal, with a goal of having 1,000 nuclear warheads by 2030. That would make China a near-peer of Russia and the United States with the most modern warheads on the planet.

In 2021, the U.S. allocated $64 billion to maintain its existing nuclear stockpile, equivalent to the entire published military budget of the Russian Federation. While the NNSA’s annual report to Congress on pit production is publicly available, Moscow keeps its production data classified. Most experts believe that Russian nuclear readiness is in worse condition than the U.S., France, and the U.K.

Over the weekend, government officials said they were having a hard time tracking down the terminated employees, lacking active e-mail addresses and phone numbers in their records. Some of the fired workers didn’t find out they were released until they tried to show up to work or access secured online systems.

The DOE can trace its roots to the Atomic Energy Commission, which was formed in 1946 after the success of the Manhattan Project and the end of World War II. In 1977, the Carter Administration combined several government commissions and agencies, as well as the U.S. nuclear research labs, into the DOE. The agency also received the added charter of formulating policies for energy security and conservation, partially in response to the 1973 Arab Oil Embargo. Despite the expanding role of U.S. energy policy, the core function of the DOE remains nuclear-focused.