UNITED24 Media Telegram Highlights
A joint aid package for Ukraine and Israel is facing significant challenges in the US Senate, with a high likelihood that Republicans may not approve it, according to Politico.
The report notes that even Republican members who generally support aiding Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, and strengthening the US southern border expressed skepticism about the White House's request after initial discussions within the party. For instance, Senator Mike Rounds referred to the $106 billion joint package as "dead" and believes it has little chance of passing.
While Democrats hold a majority in the Senate, they would need the support of nine or more Republican votes to pass the resolution through the chamber. The Senate Appropriations Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing on the request in a week, and Majority Leader Chuck Schumer aims to act swiftly. However, November 17 is the deadline for reaching an agreement on government funding, and the House of Representatives is currently without a speaker, which further complicates the decision-making process.
Some Republicans are suggesting that the vote on aid for Ukraine and Israel should be separated. Senator Marco Rubio, for example, believes that splitting the components would be a more tactically sound approach, particularly because the Israeli component enjoys overwhelming support.
On the other hand, Senator Roger Wicker, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, expressed his full support for combining the two components, emphasizing that he wants the entire package to pass. Senator Lindsey Graham echoed this sentiment, stating that these are four national security issues that should be addressed as a whole.
❗️Germany is set to include Patriot, Iris-T6, and Gepard air defense systems in its €1.4 billion winter aid package for Ukraine, as stated by Scholz.
He further highlighted that the combined civil and military aid provided by Germany since the war's outset has reached 24 billion euros, making Germany the second-largest supporter of Ukraine after the USA. The chancellor pointed out that it's noteworthy that nearly 2,000 German companies are actively operating in Ukraine.
The shortage of ammunition is currently felt not only in Ukraine, but also in the whole world: its level is huge, because the warehouses are empty, — Financial Times citing the Prime Minister of Ukraine.
Russia delivered an additional batch of modernized S-300 missiles to the Bryansk region for attacks on Ukrainian border cities, — Center of the People's Resistance
The NATO Peacekeeping Operations Center was opened in Kazakhstan, the US ambassador cut the ribbon
During the night, Russia carried out an attack in the vicinity of the Khmelnytsky Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), as reported by the Ministry of Energy.
The shelling by Russian forces caused damage to the administrative and residential buildings, as well as laboratory facilities, due to explosions.
The American International Development Finance Corporation is set to finance five projects in Ukraine, totaling $380 million. The Ukrainian Ministry of Economy has revealed that these projects are intended to bolster various sectors, including food security, small businesses, healthcare systems, and international trade.
Here's a breakdown of the projects:
▫️DFC has allocated $250 million to support Ukrainian poultry farmers and grain producers.
▫️Separate two agreements totaling $60 million have been reached with Ukrainian banks to support small and medium-sized businesses. This will enable micro-enterprises and small businesses to access financing from banks with more lenient requirements.
▫️A $50 million project involves providing guarantees for the Global Trade Financing Program of the International Finance Corporation, expanding Ukrainian banks' access and support for critical import and export activities by Ukrainian companies.
▫️DFC is offering $25 million in political risk insurance for the Superhumans Center, a charitable initiative involved in the rehabilitation and prosthetics of Ukrainians affected by the war.
⚡️ A ground-based kamikaze robot has been created in Ukraine
Ratel S is a ground robot from Ukrainian developers. Soldiers use it as a mobile warhead carrying anti-tank mines or a combat module.
According to the head of the Ministry of Digital Transformation, Fedorov, thanks to the technology, an operator from a safe place can blow up an enemy tank or dugout.
The maximum speed of the vehicle is 24 kilometers, and the range of use is 6 kilometers.
The International Energy Agency predicts that Russia's share in the world gas trade will significantly decrease by 2030. This forecast comes as natural gas markets have been marked by concerns about price spikes following Russia's reduction of gas supplies to Europe.
The report indicates that the rise in new liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects and capacity growth will contribute more than 250 billion cubic meters of LNG annually by 2030, representing approximately 45% of the current global LNG supply. While this may alleviate market anxieties, it also raises the potential for oversupply, particularly as global gas demand growth has slowed considerably.
As a consequence, Russia is expected to have limited opportunities to expand its customer base. Its share in international gas trade, which was at 30% in 2021, is projected to be halved by 2030. This shift may result in a significant reduction in Russia's net profit from gas sales, decreasing from $100 billion in 2021 to less than $40 billion in 2030.
Analysts anticipate that gas consumption will peak in 2030 and remain at that level for a considerable period before gradually declining by approximately 100 billion cubic meters by 2050.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine have established the "Siberia" battalion, composed entirely of Russian citizens from ethnic minorities who are determined to combat the Russian invasion of Ukraine, according to Bloomberg.
Members of the "Siberia" battalion underwent a rigorous screening process to assess their loyalty to Ukraine, after which they signed military contracts. It's important to note that all the fighters are volunteers; none of them were recruited from among prisoners of war, as confirmed by a representative of the Ukrainian army.
Rogozin reportedly made a shocking suggestion to drop a Soyuz rocket laden with a significant amount of explosives on the capital, as per secret phone conversations within Putin's inner circle, as reported by Bild.
According to the publication, a group of Russian officials allegedly devised a plan to retrofit the Soyuz civilian launch vehicle in a manner that would prevent it from reaching orbit after launch, causing it to fall within one of Ukraine's extensive regions, with Kyiv being a probable target.
Bild further notes that this plan was presented to Putin on January 16, although his reaction to it remains undisclosed. [this is more reliable than other rumours, perhaps, since it doesn't start from the SVR channel]