Law, Power, and Justice

Nobody’s going to break us, we’re strong.  We are Ukrainians. 

UKRAINE: THE LATEST

Guests: Don Nicholls, Louis Ashworth and Roland Oliphant.  Host David Knowles

Fighting in the Donbas.  Oliphant

• Ukrainian fighters are outnumbered.
• This is a battle of encirclement.  The Russians are making progress.  Fighting for Sieverodonetsk.  If Ukrainians stay and wind up in an encirclement like Mariupol.
• Also, heavy artillery battle in Lyman.  Russians are moving towards Bakhmut.
• These battles are important for Russians.  They will claim they have liberated the Luhansk. 
• It’s important for moral terms for the Ukrainians.  They are trading space for time right now.  They are trying for attrition of the Russians.
• There are parts of the Donbas where Ukrainians are outnumbered 7 to 1.
• There are several areas where Ukrainians are trying to keep the Russians from breaking through. 
• The Russians have taken about half of Lyman and are doing house-to-house searches.  Intense fighting.

Outside of Ukraine

• World Economic Forum, Kissinger has made statements about ceding territory by Ukraine. 
• Zelensky has said that Kissinger had to flee from Germany before the second world war.  This is appeasement and Kissinger probably wouldn’t have been advocating ceding territory to Nazi Germany.
• The German Chancellor says that Russia can’t dictate the peace.

Economics

• Russia may fail to make payments on its foreign debt for the first time in a century.  This may happen within a couple of months.

Food Supply

• Food products not being able to leave Ukraine.  Has had an effect on India.
• Food had been destroyed, been rendered inaccessible and also not able to get out of the ports.
• The Russians have offered to open food corridors to get the food out, but only if there is relief on sanctions.
• The blockade is not the result of a direct threat, but the presence of the Russian ships in the Black Sea area.
• The ruble has taken a dive but then recovered.