Transcription
It's Wednesday, June 24th, 2026. Looks like Lucenko actually listened to Zalinsk's threats. He realized that what Zalinsky said, he meant, and so he turned off the repeaters. Well, at least they're turned off. I don't know if they're dismantled.
Let's look at what was going on here. We'll start with what's going on in Europe. We see this in the Wall Street Journal. Russia is pressuring Bellarus in a bid to open a new front in the Ukraine war. Putin would love to see that happen. I would absolutely love to see that happen. Putin is tightening the screws on Luca Shenko, demanding Bellarus be drawn into the war against Ukraine. According to the Wall Street Journal, Kremlin has stepped up pressure on Minsk in recent months, seeking a more active Bellarussian role in the war. That would work wonderfully for Putin because then he wouldn't have to mobilize his own people. Moscow wants to use Bellarussian territory to launch attack drones and create additional threat from the north, forcing Ukraine to divert t key troops from key sections of the front. Putin's main leverage is Lucenko's financial dependence on Russia. According to the Wall Street Journal, Moscow is making it clear that refusing its demands could come at a high cost for Mint. But there's a higher cost if he actually gets involved and doesn't do what Zalinsky told him you better do.
Oh, by the way, in the meantime, since Zalinsky leveled that threat last week, uh we see this from Lavro. Lavrov promised to defend Barus in the event of attacks from Ukraine. That was yesterday. Jane Keefe says, "We heard it was Syria with Venezuela and Iran. Up next, Bellarus with history as a guide. Lucenko is about to go the way of Assad, Kmeni, and Maduro." So, Lucenko is wiser than that. Retransmitters used to coordinate Russian strikes on Ukraine from Bellar Russian territory have stopped operating. Zalinsky has said systems reportedly played a key role in guiding attacks launched from across the northern border. So Zalinsky said that in Bellarus these retransmitters uh that corrected Russian drone attacks on Ukraine have now been taken out of service. Earlier President Zilinsky issued a harsh ultimatum to Lucenko demanding that these transmitters be switched off. So this was on June 19th. If Lucenko doesn't take down the repeaters that helped attack Ukrainian civilians, Ukraine will do that for him. And now on since June 22nd, the repeaters that were used to adjust the strikes on from Bellarus have stopped working. Quote, "Whether they've been dismantled or not, I honestly don't know yet, but we're working on it. I follow very closely and get daily reports. The fact is the repeaters do not work today." So that's where we are right now on June 24th.
Okay. Another story is going that's not so positive and that is more more than 24 Polish and Ukrainian civil society organizations signed a joint letter calling on dialogue amid the current historical dispute between the two countries between Poland and Ukraine. Quote, "Any divisions between our peoples lay play into Russian hands." That's exactly right. It is. It's playing into Russian hands. It's time to launch a program to send Ukrainians back from Poland to Ukraine. Everyone must return there, says a Polish member of parliament. Kowalsski has long been known for his hardline rhetoric on Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees and is seizing this opportunity. So between 1943 1945, Ukrainian insurgent army UPA killed tens of thousands of Poles in Volina. Uh this is Euromaidon press that I'm reading right now. The buried quarrel just reopened in May of this year. Ukraine's president honored UPA by decree. In June, Poland's president stripped him of his highest medal. Polish public opinion toward Ukraine is souring. Four years ago, Poland met Ukrainian refugees at the border with food, beds, open arms. In March of 2022, 94% of polls backed the taking them in. By early 2026, that support sits at 48%. That's a big downgrade. And there have been incidents where Polish teenagers, for example, were fracturing the skulls of Ukrainian refugee kids on Warsaw bridges. So, uh, something needs to be fixed here politically with this. Sakorski has the right idea. Poland's foreign minister Sorski invoked the 1939 Gleewitz false flag incident. Uh, Putin threatened retaliatory strikes on European states over drones launched on 23 June. What's Gleewitz? So, Gleewitz was a false flag attack on a radio station in then Germany, now Guitiz Poland, staged by Nazi Germany on the night of 31 August 1939. This is basically what started World War II in earnest along with some two dozen similar incidents. The attack was manufactured by Germany as the cause causes belli, the justification for the invasion of Poland. The Gleewitz asalants were not Polish, but were German SS officers wearing Polish uniforms. If I recall my history correctly, they also killed Polish prisoners and and shot them through in, you know, had Polish prisoners that they brought through and shot. I I'm not 100% on that, but I am sure about this. The joint German Soviet military parade in Breast during the invasion of Poland in September of 1939. Yeah, the Soviets and the and the Germans were pretty chummy at that point. Remember that? We don't remember anything before the Great Patriotic War. Nothing to see here.
Hungary has also blocked the procedural step needed to advance Ukraine and Muldova's EU membership bids. Uh Budapest was the only one of 27 EU states to oppose a joint letter to the EU institutions. A moving a move requiring unonymity. So Hungary is getting in the way here. Hungary has reportedly blocked this key procedure. Uh, it requires unanimous approval. I'm not sure what Maguar's motivation is. I know he's not Orban, but I'm not sure what exactly is the problem holding things up. If you know, put that in the comments below. Ukraine just signed a public procurement law that took two years to pass. It binds a quarter of the economy, the share that runs through the state tenders to EU rules. It unlocks 3.4 4 billion in World Bank budget support and it lands as Ukraine's EU assession enters its first cluster. So they're trying to uh get merge into the EU. The delay wasn't drift. The bill arrived not uh the bill arrived not comply with the EU directive it was meant to implement. Uh watchdog watchd dogs joined that rework and forced more than 40 changes and before it passed and now it's compliant with the EU.
Okay. Other interesting things, Fox News cites officials from Latafia's intelligence service saying, quote, "We see signs that Russia is preparing military provocations against Baltic states or Poland. We're not talking about a conventional war as Russia is currently incapable of waging one. Rather, these would be hybrid attacks using missiles, drones, or other means designed to send a message, stop supporting Ukraine or you will have problems of your own." According to Fox News sources, Russian officials and security chiefs tell Putin what he wants to hear, creating a dangerous feedback loop. I've talked about that many times. I'm not sure if Putin is actually getting the information that he needs to actually make the proper decisions. Um, but I wouldn't bet on it.
Okay, let's look at what's going on in Ukraine. Couple of days ago at the G7, Zalinsky and Trump were getting together and things look somewhat more positive on the other side of that. I'll give you some evidence and then I'll give you the counter evidence and let you decide what's going on. Putin is growing increasingly frustrated with Trump as Washington continues to support Ukraine instead of pushing Keefe toward a quick peace deal on Russia's terms. And there were even language at the UN and other places about how Russia must come to the table or Russia must do this. Trump told Zalinsky at a G7 dinner that he was impressed by Ukraine's military results. This is according to Euromaidon Press. Sinsky says it's also the first time that Trump and Rubio responded positively to Patriot missile licenses. So it seemed like something was moving the right direction. Now the counterpoint to that is Kaliba the former foreign minister from Ukraine saying Trump desperately needs a big foreign policy victory. Now what do you say before that? ex- Ukrainian minister Khaliba. Uh Trump's uh Trump's G7 softening on Ukraine is not real a real shift. Right words at the right table, nothing more. Before the summit, he spoke to Putin and called him wonderful. Every change in tone is situational. This is performance for the camera. So Khaliba is less optimistic that something has actually shifted. And so I'm trying to show you that to show you what's actually going on here. Uh again, Kaliba, Trump desperately needs this foreign policy win. There are only two places left on Earth where he can get one. Cuba and Ukraine. That's why American efforts on Ukraine will intensify. Not from conviction, but from necessity. Trump needs a win that he can sell. Okay, that's possible. One test tells you everything. Kushner is heading to Moscow again. If before Moscow he stops in Kev, something is genuinely changing inside the American system. That's an interesting test. If he flies straight past, same pattern, same priority, same war. Watch the itinerary, not the rhetoric. So, I'm leaving you both sides so that you can see that. I I'd love to believe that something has really shifted that shifted in rhetoric, but I don't know how much it'll stick.
Okay. Sinsky increasingly looks like the man holding the West's future in his hand, says Financial Times columnist Edward Loose. He argues that Ukraine is playing an increasingly important role in shaping debates about the future of the EU, of NATO, of European security. And with Europe's largest and most battle tested army, Keefe now carries significant weight in those discussions. Zalinsky has spent the last four years defending the very values that the West often claims to stand for. That's right. He's at the center of this.
Let's look at Russia. Lavrov rejected a frontline freeze as the basis for Ukrainian peace talks, insisting on conditions Moscow considers reasonable. Well, what does reasonable mean for Lavrov? He says Russia will not agree to a ceasefire along these front lines. They're not going to be duped. Again, listen to this. says, "When we sit down at the negotiating table, provided the other side comes with sensible ideas and proposals and reasonable people, we will not take anyone at their word. Nor does the West take Russia at their word because they break their treaties and obligations fairly regularly." He says this, "We are told, let's have a ceasefire along the contact line and then hold negotiations." This is Lov. No, we have already done that. No, you actually really haven't. Not in any meaningful way. So, of course, we're ready for negotiations, but we won't let anyone pull a fast one on us anymore, says Lov. Okay. So, again, this is this isn't going anywhere. But if negotiations are a chance to let Russia catch its breath, this would be a historic mistake. Keeping up the pressure, they have rarely looked as vulnerable as they do today. Any pause gives them time to regroup, rebuild, and recover. So that that's right.
In 2026, Ukrainians have been going from strength to strength. In things like this, the largest refinery of gasoline for the Moscow region, will reportedly be offline until the end of the year due to Ukrainian drone strikes. That was just a few days ago, four or five days ago. The Russian oil refinery resilience is being stretched dangerously thin, one energy sector analyst said. So this main oil refinery, it's going to be off until next year. The refiner is expected to remain out of service for at least 6 months at and at best may not return to operation to until 2027. The plant supplies about 40% of Moscow's gasoline market, up to 70% of the capital region's demand for fuel and aviation kerosene. Analysts estimate that reconstruction costs could reach a billion US dollars. But meanwhile, Pescov is just saying Kev situation is getting worse by the day. It's bad for Kev. I mean, it's terrible for them. They're they're they're just losing ground. They're never going to be able to recover, keeping up the standard line. Ukraine's position on the battlefield is steadily deteriorating, Pescov says, and the situation will soon become irreversible. I I don't see it that way. It's also unclear who these statements are meant for. Even the Russian electorate is starting to suspect that something isn't quite going according to plan. And it's got to be horrible to have to say it's going according to plan when clearly it's not day after day after day. I've seen a number of little articles about this. Here it is in the Kev Post, too. Russian occupation authorities are burying anthrax infected livestock without proper sanitary measures in Herzan, risking contamination of people, animals, soil, and water. Ukrainian intelligence warns Moscow could later use the burial sites as a false flag operation to accuse Ukraine of developing biological weapons. I don't know if that'll happen. I don't know the degree to which this is happening, but I just keep seeing this kind of article again and again.
Let's look to the US. Mike Pompeo and other conservatives are saying things like the only acceptable end to this war is Russia's defeat. Remember Pompeo was the secretary of state state in the first Trump administration and the CIA director at one point. It's in our deep strategic interest to give Ukraine the support that they need to win this war. He says, meanwhile, Tucker Party Tucker Tucker Party Tucker I was just getting excited because I was getting ahead of myself here. Tucker Carlson says he'll no longer support the Republican party. He's leaving the Republican party. That's probably a net good. He's not in line with what conservatives in the Republican party have believed for many, many years.
Okay, here's Tucker Carlson talking with Alex Jones. Uh Alex Jones is a um big figure in the altight um some would say propagandist. I would say that's probably a fair description. He seems to uh enjoy lots of conspiracy theories and he and Tucker are more and more increasingly on the same page. >> I'd like Well, will you support JD Vance? I think he's great compared to Rubio. >> Listen to what he said. I think JD Vance is great compared to Rubio. Rubio is about the only friend that that Ukraine really has in the administration. >> Obviously, he's great compared to Rubio. Um obviously, look, I'll support the best person. I I always have liked JD Vance enormously. I think he's really smart. He's in an impossible situation. I think he's doing his best. I strongly disapprove of obviously, as I've said 100 times of this war and of what's >> Oh, I love how Trump and others have been blaming Vance when he's volunteering to go stop it when internally it's confirmed he tried to stop it just like you did. I love how the guy that was right, he's the bad guy now and the war is his fault. >> Okay, so that's the alt-right's view of things.
Here's Ben Shapiro. This is more mainstream conservative kind of view of what's going on with Tucker. >> In any case, Tucker Carlson said that he no longer supports the Republican party. He can't because it's just too immoral. A moral Republican party would have sided withah, with Iran, and with the Russians. He just can't be part of it anymore. Well, don't let the door hit you on the way out, Tucker. I would not support the Republican party. There's no chance I would support the Republican party. Not going to support the Democratic party. I don't know what I'm going to do, but at this point, you know, how could you support how could I or any American voter support a political party that's not loyal to the United States that puts the interest of a foreign country above those of its own citizens? Like I that's that's, you know, it's not possible to vote for people like that. And I'm not going to. And I think I voted Republican my entire life. >> I worked at Fox News. I CNN, MSNBC. I I've been a a consistent defender for 35 years of the Republican party. I mean, very consistent defender. But there's no defending this because it's immoral and it's exactly the opposite of what a political party in a democracy is charged with doing, which is representing its own voters, its own citizens, its own nation. And they're not doing that. So, no, I'm out. And if I'm out, then I think a lot of other people are out. >> Yeah. Okay. America first doesn't mean America only. Prioritizing your citizens is one thing. Ignoring the rest of the world and for example Ukraine when they're being attacked by their authoritarian neighbor does that's not that's not the way we roll. That's not the way historically we've rolled. Then again, >> so I mean first of all, Tucker says he's been a Republican for 35 years. That's weird because he was a registered Democrat from 2006 to 2020. He said he did that so he could vote for the Democrats in primaries and and manipulate the system. Except that Washington DC, which is where he was living, has a closed primary system. So, >> okay. So, that seems weird. Anyway, Tucker is no longer going to be a Republican, and that's probably a net good. My shout out today is to all of those of you who, like me, are conservatives. This is not a anything about anybody who's on the liberal side of the spectrum, but if you support Ukraine and you're conservative, good on you. There's too few of us out here. If that's you, say that's me in the comments below. Thank you for being here and watching. Trump must pressure Putin. I'll keep saying it. That's what needs to happen for anything to happen diplomatically. And I'll leave you with this. The memes are still going. I see meme after meme after meme from the oil refinery still playing out. Now, thank you, my friends, for your time. Put your comments below. I try to read as many as I can. Thank you for the likes, the shares, and the subscribes. And thank you for being the kind of person who cares about Ukraine.