Romanian officials said on Wednesday that a potential Russian drone landed on its territory during a Russian attack on Ukraine Sunday. 
Angel Tîlvăr, the Defense Minister of Romania – a NATO member – said that debris from a possible Russian killer drone was discovered on its territory close to the Danube River in Tulcea county, which is on the east side of the country bordering Ukraine, POLITICO <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/romania-confirms-russia-drone-debris-fell-on-its-territory-ukraine-war/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. The announcement comes two days after the country “categorically” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nato-member-romania-categorically-denies-ukraines-report-of-russian-drones-detonating-on-the-territory" target="_blank" rel="noopener">denied</a> Ukraine’s claims that a Russian drone had detonated “on the territory” of the country. 
“We covered a very large area, including the area about which there were discussions in the public space and I confirm that pieces were found that could be a drone,” Tîlvăr said in a <a href="https://www.antena3.ro/actualitate/bucati-drona-ruseasca-teritoriul-romaniei-ministrul-apararii-confirmat-685109.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> to Antenna 3 CNN. 
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/09/06/romania-drone-russia-ukraine/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that if the drone is in fact a Russian drone, it would constitute a “serious violation of the sovereignty and territory of Romania, a NATO ally.” Iohannis said that an investigation into the incident is underway. 
The defense minister added that the piece didn’t pose a threat to Romania. It’s not entirely clear when the suspected drone may have landed on Romanian territory, but on Sunday night, Russia <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nato-member-romania-categorically-denies-ukraines-report-of-russian-drones-detonating-on-the-territory" target="_blank" rel="noopener">carried out</a> a “massive” attack against Ukrainian port infrastructure in Izmail, on the Danube River. The drone debris was discovered in Plauru, Romania – a small village across the river from Izmail, according to a Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/09/06/romania-drone-russia-ukraine/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a>. 
Officials from the NATO country did not ever insinuate the drone may have been part of an intentional attack, the Post report adds. Under Article 5 of NATO’s founding treaty, all member states “agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all.” Romania joined NATO in 2004. 
“Since last year, in response to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, NATO has significantly increased its presence in the Black Sea region,” NATO spokesman Dylan White <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/09/06/romania-drone-russia-ukraine/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> regarding the news. “We continue to monitor the situation closely, and we remain in close contact with our Ally Romania.”
On Monday, Ukraine’s foreign ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-says-russian-drones-detonated-romanian-territory-during-danube-strike-2023-09-04/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed</a> “Russian ‘Shakheds’ fell and detonated on the territory of Romania,” a claim that Bucharest initially <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nato-member-romania-categorically-denies-ukraines-report-of-russian-drones-detonating-on-the-territory" target="_blank" rel="noopener">denied</a>. Romania had <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/09/06/romania-drone-russia-ukraine/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> been searching the area for debris for “a few days,” according to Defense Ministry spokesman Constantin Spanu. 
According to the Post, Spanu said that it was still too early to comment on any possibility of invoking Article 4 of NATO’s founding treaty, which allows member states to “bring an issue to the attention of the North Atlantic Council … and discuss it with Allies,” as the NATO <a href="https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/topics_49187.htm#:~:text=Under%20Article%204%20of%20NATO's,has%20been%20invoked%20seven%20times." target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a> states. If invoked, there’s a possibility of “some form of joint decision or action” from NATO. 
Article 4 has only been invoked seven times, including once after Russia invaded Ukraine last year by Bulgaria, Czechia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia to hold meetings to discuss the escalation in the region
Russia invaded Ukraine last February, and the war has dragged on with no end in sight. Last week, Ukrainian generals said they had breached Russia’s first line of defense near Zaporizhzhi, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/sep/02/everything-is-ahead-of-us-ukraine-breaks-russias-first-line-of-defence-in-stronghold" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to The Guardian. However, the prime minister of Hungary — a NATO member — Viktor Orbán, said in an <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/hungarian-pm-viktor-orban-donald-trump-ukraine-victory-over-russia-lie/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> with Tucker Carlson last week that the notion Ukraine could win the war “is not just a misunderstanding. It is a lie. It’s impossible.”
In November of last year, a missile struck Poland, killing two people. Initial reports suggested the missile was fired by Russia, sparking serious concerns about what reaction NATO may have had. It was later <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/poland-nato-say-missile-strike-that-killed-2-wasnt-a-russian-attack" target="_blank" rel="noopener">determined</a> that the missile likely came from Ukrainian air defenses &#8212; not from Russia.
Ukraine has relied on the West for supplies, weapons, and other support throughout the war. The Biden administration has continued to send aid to the country, despite a CNN <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/most-americans-oppose-more-funding-for-ukraine-in-war-with-russia-cnn-poll" target="_blank" rel="noopener">poll</a> released last month showing a majority of Americans oppose additional funding.

President of Romania at NATO Annual Summit Opening Day

‘Serious Violation’: Debris From Possible Russian Drone Discovered In Romanian Territory

NATO

Russia

Ukraine

Ukraine-Russia War

World

A Republican senator is calling out Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over his country’s contribution to NATO. 
Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK) made the comments on Sunday during an <a href="https://catsroundtable.com/senator-dan-sullivan-canadian-prime-minister-spares-with-us-senator-sullivan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> on “The Cats Roundtable” talk show with host John Catsimatidis. Sullivan said Canada isn’t “even close” to the NATO minimum goal of countries spending 2% of GDP on defense and said the prime minister had been overheard saying Canada won&#8217;t ever reach that mark. 
“There was a Wall Street Journal editorial last week that I fully agreed with, and the title was ‘Canada is a military free-rider in NATO,&#8217;” Sullivan <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/07/30/trudeau-canada-getting-free-ride-on-natos-back-sen-dan-sullivan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “It’s true, I hate to say it, because I’m a fan of the Canadians.&#8221;
“But with regard to the NATO-member agreed-upon requirements — to hit 2% of gross domestic product on defense … Canada is one of the biggest laggards,” he added. “Not even close. A little bit above 1.3%.” 
The Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/canada-military-defense-spending-justin-trudeau-lithuania-nato-summit-bd1771d9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">op-ed</a> Sullivan referenced explained Canada’s failure to commit the minimum to NATO and said, based on Canada’s mere 1.38% of GDP contribution, Trudeau deserved a spot at the “junior table” at the NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, that took place earlier this month. 
Canada is sixth from the bottom — out of 31 countries — on defense spending as a share of GDP, according to the outlet. As for spending on military equipment, including weapons, the country ranks seventh lowest. 
Sullivan attended the NATO Summit, where he says he repeatedly heard from other attendees that Canada was actively trying to “dodge” its 2% commitment. He also claimed that Trudeau had been overheard saying “he’s never going to hit” the goal. 
Trudeau, for his part, recently defended his country’s contribution to NATO and said it would “step up” efforts. 
“We’ve invested massively in NORAD modernization just earlier this year. We’re continuing to step up in our NATO commitments,” he <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/07/30/trudeau-canada-getting-free-ride-on-natos-back-sen-dan-sullivan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Anchorage Daily News last week. “We’re going to continue to step up in this time of increased concerns around security everywhere around the world.”
Nearly a decade ago, in 2014, NATO members agreed to increase spending to a goal of 2% of their GDP on defense by 2024, according to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/nato-allies-agree-spend-at-least-2-their-gdp-defence-diplomats-2023-07-07/#:~:text=The%20goal%20was%20set%20in,%2C%20Hungary%2C%20Latvia%20and%20Slovakia." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reuters</a>. Just 11 countries meet that target now, the outlet notes, including the United States, Britain, Poland, Greece, Estonia, Lithuania, Finland, Romania, Hungary, Latvia, and Slovakia.
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Canada is one of six countries that spends less than 1.4% of its GDP on NATO defense, along with Slovenia, Turkey, Spain, Belgium, and Luxembourg.
At the summit earlier this month, NATO member nations issued a <a href="https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/official_texts_217320.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> that said they “make an enduring commitment to invest at least 2% of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP) annually on defence,” and that, in some cases, spending beyond 2% is necessary to “remedy existing shortfalls” and meet other requirements.
When he was in office, former President Donald Trump repeatedly criticized NATO countries for failing to meet the 2% target and told members to contribute more. During the NATO Summit in 2018, Trump <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/10/politics/donald-trump-nato-summit-2018/index.html#:~:text=%E2%80%9CI%20think%20these%20countries%20have,tomorrow%20and%20have%20no%20problem.%E2%80%9D" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>, “I think these countries have to step it up, not over a 10-year period, but they have to step it up immediately.”
From 2016 to 2020, non-U.S. NATO allies increased defense spending by roughly $50 billion, suggesting Trump&#8217;s efforts may have played a role in the increase, according to the <a href="https://www.heritage.org/defense/commentary/nato-allies-now-spend-50-billion-more-defense-2016" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Heritage Foundation</a>.

NATO Summit In Vilnius – Justin Trudeao

GOP Senator Calls Trudeau, Canada, A Military ‘Free-Rider’ Over NATO Commitment

GOP Senator Calls Trudeau, Canada, A Military ‘Free-Rider’ Over Feeble NATO Commitment 

Canada

Congress

Justin Trudeau

Politics

President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a> issued an order on Thursday that will allow the Pentagon to call up to 3,000 military reservists for deployment to Europe.
The order <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2023/07/13/ordering-the-selected-reserve-and-certain-members-of-the-individual-ready-reserve-of-the-armed-forces-to-active-duty/">released</a> by the White House says the president determined it is &#8220;necessary to augment&#8221; U.S. forces — which The Washington Post reported as <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/07/13/biden-pentagon-reservists-russia-ukraine/">about 80,000 troops</a> — who are on a mission to deter further Russian aggression just days after the war in Ukraine surpassed the <a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/07/10/1185995394/russia-ukraine-war-news-nato">500-day mark</a>.
Up to 450 of the troops authorized for activation under Biden&#8217;s order can be pulled from the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) — which includes service members who are nearing the end of their enlistment contracts and are no longer required to attend regular drills and training.
&#8220;These authorities will enable the department to better support and sustain its enhanced presence and level of operations,&#8221; <a href="https://www.defense.gov/News/Transcripts/Transcript/Article/3458187/lt-gen-douglas-a-sims-ii-usa-director-for-operations-j-3-the-joint-staff-brigad/">said</a> Lt. Gen. Douglas Sims, the director for operations on the Joint Staff.
He also said the move &#8220;reaffirms the unwavering support and commitment to the defense of NATO&#8217;s eastern flank in wake of Russia&#8217;s illegal and unprovoked war on Ukraine.&#8221;
In addition, U.S. European Command&#8217;s Operation Atlantic Resolve will be designated as a &#8220;contingency operation,&#8221; Simm said, which &#8220;benefits troops and families with increases in authorities, entitlements and access to reserve component forces and personnel.&#8221;
Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder, a Pentagon spokesman, said Biden&#8217;s new order unlocks the ability to call on National Guard or reserve forces to support Operation Atlantic Resolve and have them &#8220;be entitled to the same kind of benefits as their active duty counterparts.&#8221;
The Biden administration <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/kremlin-mocks-britains-utterly-confused-johnson-before-putin-talks-2022-02-02/">previously ordered</a> extra service members to Eastern Europe just before Russia invaded Ukraine in February of last year.
Biden insisted at the outset of the conflict that he would not send troops into Ukraine to fight Russian forces, but the United States has sent <a href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF12040">tens of billions of dollars</a> in aid to help with the defensive effort.
The president&#8217;s order on Thursday comes shortly after a <a href="https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news_217102.htm">NATO summit</a> in Vilnius, where Biden <a href="https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/3456385/biden-speaks-on-ukraines-future-with-nato-in-vilnius/">said</a> the U.S. and its allies are &#8220;doing everything we can&#8221; to support Ukraine. However, Biden <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2023/07/09/politics/joe-biden-ukraine-nato-russia-cnntv/index.html">told CNN</a> that the war in Ukraine needs to end before Ukraine could be brought into the alliance.
The U.S. most recently sent <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/defense/4096495-us-cluster-munitions-arrive-in-ukraine-pentagon-confirms/">cluster bombs</a> to Ukraine, which the Pentagon <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/defense/4096495-us-cluster-munitions-arrive-in-ukraine-pentagon-confirms/">said</a> on Thursday had just arrived in the country. Biden said he chose to give Ukraine these munitions, which are <a href="https://www.clusterconvention.org/states-parties/#:~:text=The%20Convention%20was%20adopted%20in,States%20Parties%20and%2012%20Signatories.">banned by more than 100 countries</a> over concerns about the danger they pose to civilians, because the defenders are running out of ammunition.
&#8220;The main thing is they either have the weapons to stop the Russians now from their — keeping them from stopping the Ukrainian offensive through these areas, or they don’t. And I think they needed them,&#8221; <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-blasted-for-revealing-sensitive-u-s-military-info-during-interview">Biden told CNN</a>.

Joe Biden

Biden Authorizes Pentagon To Send 3,000 Reservists To Europe

Europe

Military

U.S.

White House

As the Russian war in Ukraine drags on, three phrases have become a constant political drumbeat: “fight for democracy”; “as long as it takes”; and “until Ukraine wins.” Each phrase is vague, bordering on the incoherent; together, those phrases are leading the West down the primrose path to endless quagmire.
There are clear Western interests in Ukraine: prevention of Russian aggression across borders; degradation of the Russian military, so as to undercut future aggression; deterrence of China from taking similar action in Taiwan; solidification of the European alliance against both Russia and China. The West has achieved virtually all of these goals: the chances that Kyiv falls to Moscow are now essentially zero.
Yet, the West, in maintaining that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy must lead all negotiations, has now boxed itself in. It does on the basis, first, of the “fight for democracy.” This is wrong on both practical and political levels. Practically, as mentioned, Ukrainian democracy is not likely to fall to Russia — and the greatest future threats to Ukrainian democracy will likely be internal corruption. Politically, no one believes that the West will maintain an open-ended war against Russia in order to preserve “democracy” — the West abandoned Afghanistan’s nascent democracy after a 20-year effort to the tender predations of the Taliban.
The West has also said that it will maintain the war “as long as necessary.” This, too, is a lie — and everyone, including Russia, knows it. After Iraq and Afghanistan, does anyone believe that the West will keep up funding to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars?
Finally, the West says that Ukraine must “win.” But by most metrics, the West has already won. The West has little interest in toppling Putin — if, for example, the Wagner Group had taken over Russia, that would not have been a positive step in favor of world peace. And all of its original goals have been largely attained. 
The question is what the West&#8217;s interests are now. The West knows, for example, that this war will not end with all Russian troops leaving historic Ukrainian territory. Ukraine will not wind up in control of Crimea, or all of the Luhansk and Donetsk region; Ukraine’s vaunted counteroffensive has made less progress than originally projected, because aggressive war is more difficult than defensive war. Yet the West continues to maintain that any end to this conflict must be negotiated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who has said that the war will not end until all Ukrainian territory is liberated of Russian presence.
So, what would an end to the war look like? Everyone has known the answer to this question for over a year: Ukraine preserves her sovereignty, and is given Western guarantees of defense, including possible membership in NATO; Russian control of Crimea and parts of Donbas is confirmed. Such a deal, imposed from the outside, would also give Zelenskyy an offramp with his own people: he&#8217;d be able to blame the West for forcing him to give away territory, which would allow him to retain his leadership position. 
But that would be &#8220;our&#8221; definition of winning, which President Joe Biden and other Western leaders have specifically forbidden. So we&#8217;re now in the catch-22 of saying that we&#8217;ll support Zelenskyy&#8217;s untenable &#8220;win everything&#8221; war and that we will also only admit Zelenskyy to NATO once the war has ended — creating an incentive for both Zelenskyy and Putin to continue the war. This is unnecessary. And it&#8217;s happening due to the cowardice of Biden and other Western leaders, who want to look like heroes while simultaneously putting Zelenskyy and the West in an unwinnable, quagmire situation.

Ben Shapiro Transcript 1

Lies, Damned Lies, And Ukraine

Ben Shapiro

Readers Pass

President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a> avoided dining with world leaders again this week after while attending a NATO event in Vilnius, Lithuania.
&#8220;Biden is not attending tonight’s dinner with NATO leaders,&#8221; a U.S. official told reporters, claiming that Biden has &#8220;four full days of official business and is preparing for a big speech tomorrow, in addition to another day at the summit.&#8221;
This is at least the third time in recent months that Biden has refused to dine with world leaders during international events when presented with the opportunity to do so.
&#8220;After fatiguing days on the road, he skipped dinner with world leaders in Indonesia last year and again in Japan in May,&#8221; The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/04/us/politics/biden-president-age-2024.html">reported</a> last month. &#8220;Others who have known him for years said privately that they have noticed small changes. When he sits down, one former official said, he usually places a hand on his desk to hold his weight and rarely springs back up with his old energy.&#8221;
Questions have lingered throughout his entire presidency about his physical and mental for office.
Just this week, Biden claimed that the U.S. was running low on 155mm artillery shells after sending large shipments of the munitions to Ukraine. The administration later had to correct the president.
“The military has specific requirements for the numbers of weapons systems and ammunition we maintain in our reserves in case of contingencies or military conflict,” a White House official <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-forced-to-walk-back-comments-biden-made-about-military">said</a> in a statement. “Everything we send to Ukraine is in excess of that. So, the U.S. is not running out of ammunition ourselves.”
Biden has also repeatedly fallen in public, including most recently on stage at the the U.S. Air Force Academy graduation ceremony in Colorado Springs.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
BREAKING: Biden takes a big fall on stage just now at the U.S. Air Force Academy graduation <a href="https://t.co/GxkMbpyoNo">pic.twitter.com/GxkMbpyoNo</a>
&mdash; Jake Schneider (@jacobkschneider) <a href="https://twitter.com/jacobkschneider/status/1664343681321541636?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 1, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Biden&#8217;s first tumble as president came shortly after he was inaugurated in March 2021 when he fell several times while trying to walk up the stairs to board Air Force One.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Joe Biden just fell 3 times in a row trying to go up the stairs to Air Force One <a href="https://t.co/gTUTckUH32">pic.twitter.com/gTUTckUH32</a>
&mdash; Caleb Hull (@CalebJHull) <a href="https://twitter.com/CalebJHull/status/1372937314477953027?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 19, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Last year Biden fell off his bike during a stay at Rehoboth Beach in Delaware.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
My friend just filmed Joe Biden <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> falling off his bike no joke. Just happened at Rehoboth Beach 😂 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JoeBiden?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JoeBiden</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BidenIsAFailure?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BidenIsAFailure</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RehobothBeach?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RehobothBeach</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Trump?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Trump</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EpicFail?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EpicFail</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Biden?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Biden</a> <a href="https://t.co/cVMycEwuI0">pic.twitter.com/cVMycEwuI0</a>
&mdash; jonboy (@jonboy79788314) <a href="https://twitter.com/jonboy79788314/status/1538165572457971718?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 18, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

LITHUANIA-NATO-DEFENCE-DIPLOMACY

Joe Biden Avoids Dining With World Leaders Again

Executive

Global Politics

President Joe Biden said in an interview broadcast on Sunday that he believes that Ukraine is not ready to become a member of NATO and that the country first needs to focus on ending the war with Russia.
The remarks were made during a discussion with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria as Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky continues to push for becoming a member state.
&#8220;I don&#8217;t think it&#8217;s ready for membership in NATO,&#8221; Biden said, adding that Russian President Vladimir Putin believed he could &#8220;break NATO&#8221; with his invasion of Ukraine.
&#8220;I don&#8217;t think there is unanimity in NATO about whether or not to bring Ukraine into the NATO family, now, at this moment, in the middle of a war,&#8221; Biden continued, noting that joining NATO would force all other member countries to defend all of Ukraine while it&#8217;s already in a war.
&#8220;If the war is going on, then we&#8217;re all in war,&#8221; Biden said. &#8220;You know, we&#8217;re at war with Russia, if that were the case. So I think we have to lay out a path, for the rational path for Russia, for, excuse me, for Ukraine to be able to qualify to get into NATO.&#8221;
Biden said he told Zelensky that while the process was being worked out, which he said would take a long time, the U.S. would give Ukraine the weapons it needs to defend itself.
&#8220;And so I think we can work it out,&#8221; he said. &#8220;And but I think it&#8217;s premature to say to call for a vote, you know, in now, because I, there&#8217;s other qualifications that need to be met and including democratization and some of those issues.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
EXCLUSIVE: Biden says Ukraine is not yet ready for NATO membership, saying the war with Russia must end before the alliance can consider adding Kyiv to its ranks. <a href="https://t.co/iNx84Zc7r4">https://t.co/iNx84Zc7r4</a> <a href="https://t.co/z0Ejf6SZlU">pic.twitter.com/z0Ejf6SZlU</a>
&mdash; CNN (@CNN) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNN/status/1678046770243198978?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 9, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Biden&#8217;s remarks come as Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) tweeted last week that he was &#8220;working with Republicans and Democrats in the Senate to pass a resolution urging the admission of Ukraine into NATO.&#8221;
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&#8220;The best way to prevent future wars and promote peace is to create security guarantees that make aggressor nations think twice before starting wars,&#8221; Graham said. &#8220;Ukrainian NATO membership is vital to the future security of Europe and the world. I believe there is an overwhelming majority of Senators supporting this proposition.&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lindsey-graham-blasted-by-republicans-over-plan-trying-to-start-world-war-3">Lindsey Graham Blasted By Republicans Over Plan ‘Trying To Start World War 3’</a>

President Biden Delivers Remarks At Flex LTD In West Columbia, South Carolina

Biden Says Ukraine Not Ready For NATO: They Need ‘Democratization’ First

Biden Says Ukraine Not Ready For NATO Membership

Germany’s budget committee approved the purchase of key parts of Israel’s “Iron Dome” on Wednesday.
The Bundestag’s budget committee <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/germany-okays-4-3-billion-purchase-of-israels-arrow-3-anti-missile-system/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released</a> an advance payment of €560 million ($611 million) to buy Israel’s Arrow 3 air defense system — the <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/germany-releases-funds-israels-arrow-3-missiles-planned-4-bln-euro-deal-2023-06-14/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">uppermost</a> layer of the Jewish State’s Iron Dome. The committee also approved €950 million ($1 billion) to purchase six German-made IRIS-T SLM systems — the Iron Dome’s middle layer.
“With the purchase of the German IRIS-T SLM and the acquisition of the Israeli Arrow, we are pushing ahead with two major projects from the Bundeswehr’s special assets that will help build up a protective umbrella in Germany,” Karsten Klein, a member of the committee, told <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/germany-to-buy-iron-dome-air-defense-system-from-israel/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">POLITICO</a>.
Arrow 3 is designed to intercept missiles outside the Earth’s atmosphere, according to manufacturer <a href="https://www.iai.co.il/sites/default/files/2020-05/Arrow%20Brochure_0.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Israel Aerospace Industries</a>. The Arrow 3 system can intercept missiles fired from nearly 1,500 miles away. 
The system was first implemented in Israel in 2017 and has prevented attacks from Iran and Syria, according to <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/germany-okays-4-3-billion-purchase-of-israels-arrow-3-anti-missile-system/">The Times of Israel</a>. Experts have said the system could also be <a href="https://spacenews.com/israeli-experts-arrow-3-could-be-adapted-anti-satellite%E2%80%82role/">used</a> as an anti-satellite weapon. 
The total price tag of Arrow 3 is <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/germany-releases-funds-israels-arrow-3-missiles-planned-4-bln-euro-deal-2023-06-14/">projected</a> to reach €4 billion ($4.3 billion), and the defense system is expected to be in operation by late 2025. Berlin aims to finalize the deal with Israel by the end of 2023. If the agreement fails, Germany will lose most or all of its advance payment.
The money will come from a €100 billion <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-business-europe-olaf-scholz-nato-1f1a27b1b0e4aab79bdb4e5a7de07eb4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fund</a> to bolster the country’s defenses, announced by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz last year — a “turning point” in defense spending. The fund would bring Germany’s defense spending to 2% of its GDP, a number former President Donald Trump constantly <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-nato-summit/trump-calls-germany-captive-of-russia-demands-higher-defense-spending-idUSKBN1K032D" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pressured</a> the country to reach.
The move to buy the Israeli system is part of larger efforts by Germany and NATO to increase air and missile defenses on the continent amid Russia’s use of missiles in Ukraine. It is part of Germany’s new national security strategy that Scholz <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-politics-germany-government-olaf-scholz-44dca48439255f9bc0722c6cd7d157bf">announced</a> Wednesday.
Scholz emphasized the importance of the defense investment, <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/germany-okays-4-3-billion-purchase-of-israels-arrow-3-anti-missile-system/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stating</a> it was  “a big project that doesn’t just relate to Germany itself.”
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The defense system is part of NATO’s <a href="https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news_211687.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">European Sky Shield Initiative</a> (ESSI), a collection of 17 European countries dedicated to “the multinational acquisition and integration of a broad range of air defence capabilities by European countries.” When in place, the Iron Dome-like defense system could also protect many of Germany’s neighbors.

Israel and Germany comes together

Germany To Get Its Own ‘Iron Dome’ From Israel

Germany To Get Its Own 'Iron Dome' From Israel

Germany

Iron Dome

Israel

Missiles

A group of world elites, including individuals connected to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/pfizer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pfizer</a>, the U.S. intelligence community, and the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/world-economic-forum" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Economic Forum</a>, are in Portugal this weekend for a meeting to discuss a variety of topics, including <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/artificial-intelligence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">artificial intelligence</a>, Ukraine, and China. 
The high-profile attendees of the annual Bilderberg meeting, which include Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla and World Economic Forum President Børge Brende <a href="https://bilderbergmeetings.org/press/press-release/participants" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to a participant list, will discuss a variety of topics including artificial intelligence, banking, China, energy transition, Europe, industrial policy, NATO, Russia, transnational threats, Ukraine, and the United States&#8217; role in the world. 
The meeting, which is <a href="https://bilderbergmeetings.org/press/press-release/press-release" target="_blank" rel="noopener">taking place</a> from May 18-21 in Lisbon, will feature about 130 participants in fields like finance, government, and tech from 23 different countries. Due to the nature of the meetings, little is known about the specifics of what the leaders will discuss. 
“The Bilderberg Meeting is a forum for informal discussions about major issues. The meetings are held under the Chatham House Rule, which states that participants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s) nor any other participant may be revealed,” the meeting’s website says. 
According to event organizers, the Bilderberg meetings were begun in 1954 to create dialogue between European and North American elites. 
“Thanks to the private nature of the Meeting, the participants take part as individuals rather than in any official capacity, and hence are not bound by the conventions of their office or by pre-agreed positions. As such, they can take time to listen, reflect and gather insights. There is no detailed agenda, no resolutions are proposed, no votes are taken and no policy statements are issued,” the Bilderberg website says. 
Several American political and military figures are listed as attendees, including two-time failed Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/stacey-abrams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stacey Abrams</a>, U.S. general and current Supreme Allied Commander Europe Christopher Cavoli, statesman Henry Kissinger, former Obama administration National Security Council director Tarun Chhabra, and former Trump administration National Security Council member Matthew Pottinger. 
Individuals linked to the Biden administration were also listed as participants, including former National Economic Council director Brian Deese, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Director Jen Easterly, Commerce Department China advisor Elizabeth Economy, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, and National Security Council member Tom Wright.
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Leaders from Canada, France, Denmark, the Netherlands, Finland, and the European Commission were all scheduled to attend as well.
Media and cultural figures were also scheduled to be in attendance, including liberal Atlantic journalist Annie Applebaum, historian and Stanford fellow Niall Ferguson, Museum of Modern Art chair Marie-Josée Kravis, Bloomberg News editor-in-chief John Micklethwait, and The Economist editor-in-chief Zanny Minton Beddoes. 
Republican donors and businessmen Ken Griffin and Peter Thiel were also listed as participating, in addition to Microsoft CEO Satya ​​Nadella, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, Goldman Sachs COO John Waldron, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.

Phoebe Robinson Emcees Reading Partners’ Dream Dinner Party Honoring Stacey Abrams & Questlove, With Special Guest, Savannah Guthrie; Co-hosted By Dawn Davis And Tara Westover

Pfizer CEO, Stacey Abrams, WEF Prez, And Other Elites Participate In Secretive Meeting In Portugal To Discuss AI, Ukraine

Artificial Intelligence

China

Pfizer

Stacey Abrams

World Economic Forum

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/pentagon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pentagon</a> is investigating how alleged secret U.S. and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nato" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NATO</a> plans for building up Ukraine’s military ahead of a planned offensive against <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/russia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Russia</a> leaked online.
Versions of documents dating back to March 1 on assessments of Ukraine’s military strength and what Ukraine is expected to need before the offensive have surfaced on Twitter and Telegram, a messaging app with wide reach in Russia. The documents do not include battle plans or a date for when the push against Russia is expected to begin, but they contain a wealth of other information that had not been made public, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/06/us/politics/ukraine-war-plan-russia.html">The New York Times</a>.
“We are aware of the reports of social media posts and the department is reviewing the matter,” said Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh.
Since the war between Russia and Ukraine broke out last year, intelligence sharing between the United States and Ukraine has increased substantially. The documents that have appeared online, if authentic, represent a serious intelligence breach that could harm that intelligence sharing relationship.
Some of the documents appear altered to show the number of Ukrainian casualties much higher and Russian casualties much lower, according to the Times. The documents also include some information that has never been made public before, such as the Ukrainian military’s burn rate of HIMARS munitions, supplied to Ukraine by the U.S. military.
The documents have been widely viewed and shared by Russian military bloggers and analysts.
Mykhailo Podolyak, the adviser to the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, on Telegram blamed Russia for the leak while at the same time asserted that the documents floating around online are fake.
The documents have “nothing to do with Ukraine’s real plans” and are based on “a large amount of fictitious information,” Podolyak wrote, according to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/07/politics/ukraine-documents/index.html">CNN</a>.
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“Russia is looking for any way to seize the information initiative, to try to influence the scenario plans for Ukraine’s counteroffensive,” he said. “To raise doubts, compromise previous ideas and frighten with their ‘awareness.’ But these are just standard elements of the Russian intelligence’s operational game and nothing more. It has nothing to do with Ukraine’s real plans.”
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov did not comment on the authenticity of the documents that have appeared online, but told CNN: “We don’t have the slightest doubt about direct or indirect involvement of the United States and NATO in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.”
“This level of involvement is rising, is rising gradually,” he said. “We keep our eye on this process. Well, of course, it makes the whole story more complicated, but it cannot influence the final outcome of the special operation.”
The purported document leak comes as Russia’s tensions with the U.S. and Europe have been ramping up. Last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/russia-to-house-nuclear-weapons-in-neighboring-belarus-putin-says">said</a> that Russia would be moving tactical nuclear weapons to storage facilities in neighboring Belarus, partly in response to the U.K.’s decision to send armor-piercing rounds containing depleted uranium to Ukraine.

Ukrainian soldiers

Pentagon Probing Release Of Alleged Secret U.S./NATO Plans To Arm Ukraine

Pentagon Probing Release Of Secret U.S./NATO Plans To Arm Ukraine: Report

Conflicts

United States

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/finland" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Finland</a> is expected to officially join <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nato" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NATO</a> in the coming days as tensions between Europe and Russia remain high over the war in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ukraine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ukraine</a>. 
Finland&#8217;s entrance into the intergovernmental military organization comes after Turkey became the final NATO member to approve the Nordic country’s application for membership, which <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/finland-moves-to-join-nato-despite-russian-warnings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was first filed</a> in May 2022. 
“Finland will formally join our Alliance in the coming days. Their membership will make Finland safer and NATO stronger. I look forward to also welcoming Sweden as a full member of the NATO family as soon as possible,” <a href="https://twitter.com/MarinSanna" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Jens Stoltenberg, NATO’s secretary general. 
The move, which was opposed by Russia, comes as Sweden is also attempting to join the alliance, which has vigorously opposed Russia during its war with Ukraine. 
“NATO membership will strengthen Finland’s security and improve stability and security in the Baltic Sea region and Northern Europe,” Finland’s government <a href="https://twitter.com/FinGovernment/status/1641549957864857601" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> after Turkey approved their membership. 
Turkey had <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/mar/31/finland-to-formally-join-nato-within-days-nato-announces" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voiced</a> objections to Finland’s support for certain Kurdish groups which it opposes. Those concerns were apparently rectified before Turkey voted to accept Finland. 
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has been supportive of allowing both Finland and Sweden into the organization. “Both countries have taken significant, concrete actions to fulfill their commitments, including those related to the security concerns on the part of our ally, Turkey,” he <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-finland-government-united-states-sweden-d15bd339dd4c5a01dd8dcba23ba1efe0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in December. “As their membership process continues, the United States is fully committed to Finland and Sweden’s accession.”
Finnish President Sauli Niinisto and Prime Minister <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/sanna-marin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sanna Marin</a> first announced their intent to join NATO nearly a year ago at a joint news conference in Helsinki. The long-neutral nation shares an 830-mile-long border with Russia, which has spooked neighboring nations with its attack on Ukraine.
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NATO was founded in 1949 to counter the threat from the Soviet Union. Russian President Vladimir Putin has complained that it is encroaching on his country and blamed Ukraine’s desire to join as one of the reasons for the ongoing invasion. The last country to join was North Macedonia in 2020. 
According to NATO stipulations, an attack on one is an attack on all, meaning that all member countries are obligated to get involved when one is attacked. 
Stoltenberg <a href="https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news_213124.htm?selectedLocale=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recently said</a> that he believes that NATO members need to increase military production of weapons and ammunition to sustain “support for Ukraine.”

EU Leaders Convene For Special Meeting As Russia Invades Ukraine

Major Northern European Country To Join NATO As Tensions With Russia Rise

Antony Blinken

Finland

Sanna Marin

Sweden

Turkey

Historic image from July 1980: A look from West Berlin over the Berlin wall to Brandenburg Gate and East Berlin. Sign with “Caution: You are leaving West Berlin” in the foreground. Scanned Slide.

A Brief History Of The Iron Curtain

Berlin

Communism

History

Karl Marx

World War II

As the U.S. continues to send billions to prop up <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ukraine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ukraine</a>’s defense against <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/russia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Russian</a> invaders, President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/volodymyr-zelensky" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Volodymyr Zelensky</a> is challenging the growing number of Americans who question that support.
On the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion, the Ukrainian leader responded to a question about American voters becoming <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2023/02/20/biden-anniversary-ukraine-war-poland/11263005002/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">less supportive</a> of aiding Ukraine. Zelensky first thanked Congress, President Joe Biden, the American media, and the American people for supporting his country in its fight against Russia. But then the Ukrainian leader changed his tone and warned the U.S. that if his country loses its support, America will no longer be the leader of the world. 
“And that percentage of Americans as you mentioned is increasing, I can tell them only one thing,” Zelensky charged. “If they don’t change their opinion, if they don’t understand us, if they don’t support Ukraine, they will lose NATO … and they will lose their leadership position in the world.”
“Are American children any different than ours?” he asked. “Don’t Americans enjoy the same things as we do? I don’t think we’re that different.”
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Zelensky is asked about opinion polls showing Americans think they&#39;re giving too much to Ukraine: “If they don’t change their opinion, if they don’t support Ukraine, they will lose NATO and they will lose their leadership position in the world.” <a href="https://t.co/bNbB3kAbNx">pic.twitter.com/bNbB3kAbNx</a>
&mdash; Greg Price (@greg_price11) <a href="https://twitter.com/greg_price11/status/1629178762943164416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Zelensky’s comments to the American public come days after Biden took a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-makes-secret-trip-to-ukraine-appears-with-zelensky" target="_blank" rel="noopener">surprise trip</a> to Kyiv to meet with Zelensky and pledge another $500 million to the war-torn country. Biden promised “unwavering support” to Ukraine during his visit and vowed to back Zelesnky for “as long as it takes.” 
“One year later, Kyiv stands and Ukraine stands, democracy stands,” Biden <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/5067361c-9dcc-43dd-8a0a-aed959cfb943" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “The Americans stand with you and the world stands with you.”
Since Russia’s invasion on February 24, 2022, the U.S. has pledged nearly $200 billion in assistance to Ukraine, including weapons, ammunition, long-range missiles, and tanks.
On the day of Biden’s visit, Zelensky <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/zelensky-warns-of-world-war-iii-if-china-allies-with-russia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warned</a> that World War III is inevitable if China allies with Russia. The comments came two days after U.S. intelligence officials revealed that they believe China is considering sending lethal aid to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s forces.
“For us, it is important that China does not support the Russian Federation in this war,” the Ukrainian president told German daily paper Die Welt, according to Reuters. “In fact, I would like it to be on our side. At the moment, however, I don’t think it’s possible.”
“But I do see an opportunity for China to make a pragmatic assessment of what is happening here,” Zelensky added. “Because if China allies itself with Russia, there will be a world war, and I do think that China is aware of that.”

Voldymyr Zelenskiy Says Victory Assured With Support

Zelensky Challenges American Voters: If U.S. Doesn’t Support Ukraine, It ‘Will Lose Leadership Position In The World’

Foreign Policy

Volodymyr Zelensky

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