A major dam was destroyed early Tuesday morning local time in Russian-occupied territory in southern Ukraine.
Over 15,000 residents downstream of the Kakhovka dam were being evacuated as officials warned that the rising water levels would hit a critical point in just a few hours.
Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-says-russia-blows-up-major-nova-kakhovka-dam-southern-ukraine-2023-06-06/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that the 2-mile-long dam holds the same amount of water as the Great Salt Lake in Utah and was built nearly seven decades ago as part of a hydroelectric power plant on the Dnipro River.
Ukraine accused Russia of blowing up the dam while Russian officials suggested that it was a Ukrainian terrorist attack.
&#8220;Russian terrorists,&#8221; Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed on Twitter. &#8220;The destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant dam only confirms for the whole world that they must be expelled from every corner of Ukrainian land. Not a single meter should be left to them, because they use every meter for terror. It’s only Ukraine&#8217;s victory that will return security. And this victory will come. The terrorists will not be able to stop Ukraine with water, missiles or anything else.&#8221;
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Russian terrorists. The destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant dam only confirms for the whole world that they must be expelled from every corner of Ukrainian land. Not a single meter should be left to them, because they use every meter for terror. It’s only… <a href="https://t.co/ErBog1gRhH">pic.twitter.com/ErBog1gRhH</a>
&mdash; Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) <a href="https://twitter.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1665952784665964545?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The New York Times spoke with experts who <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/06/06/world/russia-ukraine-news" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that the destruction caused by the dam&#8217;s demolition could be &#8220;catastrophic&#8221; for &#8220;communities, irrigation and transportation.&#8221;
The International Atomic Energy Agency said that it was monitoring the nearby Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which gets the water that it needs to stay cool from the reservoir.
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The IAEA said that there was &#8220;no immediate nuclear safety risk at plant.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The IAEA is aware of reports of damage at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ukraine?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ukraine</a>’s Kakhovka dam; IAEA experts at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Zaporizhzhya?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Zaporizhzhya</a> Nuclear Power Plant are closely monitoring the situation; no immediate nuclear safety risk at plant.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ZNPP?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ZNPP</a>
&mdash; IAEA &#8211; International Atomic Energy Agency ⚛️ (@iaeaorg) <a href="https://twitter.com/iaeaorg/status/1665956258317496323?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The New York Times noted that while the six reactors at the nuclear facility are shut down, they still require water to keep the radioactive fuel inside the reactor cores cool.
Ivan Plachkov, a former minister of energy of Ukraine, told the Times: &#8220;It is a very dangerous situation.&#8221;

NOVA KAKHOVKA DAM, UKRAINE — NOVEMBER 11, 2022:  07 Maxar overview satellite imagery of the Nova Kakhovka Dam, Ukraine — including the damaged section.  Please use: Satellite image (c) 2022 Maxar Technologies.

Major Dam In Ukraine Is Destroyed, Unleashing Wide-Scale Flooding; Potential Disaster For Nuke Reactor

Conflicts

Disasters

Russia

Ukraine

Volodymyr Zelensky

World

Representative <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jerry-nadler" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jerry Nadler</a> (D-NY) sure seems carefree about World War III potentially starting over Ukraine.
On Thursday, a reporter caught up with the septuagenarian, who promptly spilled the beans that he would not care whatsoever if Ukraine invaded Russia, let alone if they did so with U.S.-supplied weapons.
&#8220;Are you concerned that they will enter into Russian territory?&#8221; The Epoch Times’ Liam Cosgrove said of Ukraine.
&#8220;I&#8217;m not concerned. I wouldn&#8217;t care if they did,&#8221; Nadler said.
After the reporter explained that Russia could view this as a U.S.-backed invasion of Russia, the congressman was dismissive and even smirked about the intensification of the war.
Nadler also refused to say if he would condemn Ukraine if they used American-made F-16s to attack Russia.
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BREAKING: Rep. Jerry Nadler says he “wouldn’t care” if Ukraine used American F16s to strike Russian territory and “personally wouldn’t mind” if Ukraine invaded Russia. 
via: <a href="https://twitter.com/cosgrove_iv?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@cosgrove_iv</a> <a href="https://t.co/HbVB1vEqDh">pic.twitter.com/HbVB1vEqDh</a>
&mdash; Greg Price (@greg_price11) <a href="https://twitter.com/greg_price11/status/1661819287076495363?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 25, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Last week, it was <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-f16-biden-a281e3cd1474b2e6f453946075824565" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> that Biden backed sending American F-16s to Russia. It is uncertain whether the U.S. will send its own F-16s or whether it will simply allow European countries to export American F-16s to Ukraine. This decision came after months of the Biden administration denying that the U.S. would ever do so. Biden was reportedly pressured into sending the jets by the Pentagon and European allies. He eventually relented.
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In response, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/ukraines-army-will-see-long-term-significance-f-16s-ex-ambassador-1801972#:~:text=%22We%20see%20that%20the%20Western,involves%20enormous%20risks%20for%20themselves." target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>, “We see that the Western countries are still adhering to the escalation scenario.&#8221;
Grushko intimated that the West could suffer even more consequences if that happened.
<p class="paragraph inline-placeholder" data-uri="cms.cnn.com/_components/paragraph/instances/paragraph_D6F4E560-7D38-F29E-28D9-3A1BCBEBF173@published" data-editable="text" data-component-name="paragraph" data-analytics-observe="off">&#8220;It involves enormous risks for themselves,&#8221; Grushko added. &#8220;In any case, this will be taken into account in all our plans, and we have all the necessary means to achieve the set goals.&#8221;
Grushko&#8217;s assessment isn&#8217;t simply Russian propaganda.
The Biden administration has long felt that providing the planes could prolong the war and increase its volatility.
Per <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-f16-biden-a281e3cd1474b2e6f453946075824565" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Associated Press</a>, &#8220;…with this decision, the Biden administration has made a sharp reversal, after refusing to approve any transfer of the aircraft or conduct training for more than a year due to worries that it could escalate tensions with Russia. U.S. officials also have argued against the F-16 by saying that learning to fly and logistically support such an advanced aircraft would be difficult and take months.&#8221;
What does escalation look like? Well, at the very least it means more dead Ukrainians and Russians. The death toll in the war is already in the hundreds-of-thousands. At worst, it means that NATO is dragged into the war — which means that the U.S. would be also.
You wouldn&#8217;t think that is a laughing matter for a member of Congress. Nadler is pretty nonchalant about it all — even absolving himself of any responsibility. It is a pretty serious issue that requires statesmanship, but we&#8217;re not led by serious men at this time. We are being sleepwalked by fools like Nadler into war with nuclear power.
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The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
</div>

House Judiciary Committee Holds Markup On Justice In Policing Act

Jerry Nadler Sure Seems Carefree About World War III Starting

Global Politics

Jerry Nadler

Joe Biden

Putin

Ukraine-Russia War

American officials said that Ukraine was likely behind the May 3 <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/russia-accuses-ukraine-of-sending-drones-to-assassinate-putin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">drone attack</a> on the Kremlin that the Russians called an attempt to assassinate President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/putin-authorized-wall-street-journal-reporter-arrest-spying-charges-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vladimir Putin</a>.
U.S. intelligence officials said that the drone attack was part of a series of covert Ukrainian military or intelligence operations on Russian soil that have made the Biden administration uncomfortable as the U.S. continues to prop up the European country, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/24/us/politics/ukraine-kremlin-drone-attack.html?smtyp=cur&amp;smid=tw-nytimes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Video footage <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kyiv-only-does-what-it-is-told-to-do-russia-says-u-s-behind-alleged-kremlin-drone-attack" target="_blank" rel="noopener">showed</a> two drones crashing near the Kremlin earlier this month, but the attack caused little to no damage, and Putin was not at the Kremlin at the time of the strike. 
After initially wondering if Russia conducted the drone attack as a “false flag” operation, the U.S. intercepted Russian communications indicating the country was surprised by the attack.
“Watching how the Kremlin has responded suggests to me this was an embarrassment and surprise for them, and not a deliberate false flag,” said Dara Massicot, a military analyst at RAND, according to the Times. “The strikes also undermine the perceptions of Moscow’s air space surveillance capabilities and that the Kremlin is secure — these are important perceptions they would like to maintain.”
U.S. intelligence also intercepted Ukrainian officials saying their country was responsible for the attack, but they appeared to have no knowledge of who within the Ukrainian government planned it.
Officials had “low” confidence that the Ukrainian government authorized the drone attack, and some officials said they did not believe President Volodymyr Zelensky was aware of the covert operation. Russia initially blamed Ukraine for the attack and then singled out the U.S., <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kyiv-only-does-what-it-is-told-to-do-russia-says-u-s-behind-alleged-kremlin-drone-attack" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accusing</a> Ukraine’s most powerful ally of giving Kyiv the go-ahead to conduct the operation.
“We are well aware that decisions on such a level of terrorist attacks are made not in Kyiv, but in Washington,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/russia-accuses-us-behind-ukraine-drone-attack-kremlin-putin-rcna82809" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to NBC News. “Kyiv only does what it is told to do.”
The U.S. quickly denied any claims that it was in any way behind an attack on Russia’s capital.
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“Mr. Peskov is lying, obviously. It’s a ludicrous claim. The United States had nothing to do with this. We don’t even know exactly what happened here,” National Security spokesman John Kirby <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNThisMorning/status/1654107932450074624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1654107932450074624%7Ctwgr%5Efe3a1673bf69e6f6f4b50800645bdd7428f3e464%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailywire.com%2Fnews%2Fkyiv-only-does-what-it-is-told-to-do-russia-says-u-s-behind-alleged-kremlin-drone-attack" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> CNN. “I can assure you the United States had no role in it whatsoever.”
If Ukraine was behind the drone attack as U.S. intelligence officials believe, it would mark at least the third attack on Russian soil that the U.S. believes Ukraine is behind. Last year, the daughter of a prominent Russian blogger was killed in a car bombing, and in recent weeks, pro-Ukrainian forces have attacked Russian towns, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/23/world/europe/mrap-armored-vehicles-russia-ukraine.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">appearing</a> to use American-made tactical vehicles in their incursions.
The bold invasions into Russian territory have alarmed the Biden administration, the Times reported. President Biden has handed over armored vehicles, long-range missiles, and billions of dollars to help Ukraine fight the Russians. The president is also preparing to approve the shipment of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine from other allies.
Tim Pearce contributed to this report.

Kremlin

U.S. Officials Believe Ukrainians Likely Responsible For Kremlin Drone Attack

Biden Administration

Vladimir Putin

President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden</a> is moving closer to allowing <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ukraine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ukraine</a> to have F-16 fighter jets, an about-face after pushing off similar requests earlier this year.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has asked the United States and Europe for months to supply his besieged military with F-16 fighter jets to counter Russian control of the skies over Ukraine. Biden rejected the request earlier this year, saying that the Ukrainian military did not need the fighter jets at that point. U.S. officials have also considered giving Ukraine fighter jets too escalatory in the war with Russia.
Biden seems to have reconsidered his prior stance, saying over the weekend that he had received assurances from Zelensky that, should Ukraine receive F-16s, the jets would not be used over Russian soil. Zelensky promised that the fighter jets would be used “wherever Russian troops are within Ukraine and the area,” Biden said, according to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/g7-summit-ukraine-biden-idCAT9N37C00O" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reuters</a>.
On Friday, Biden said that Ukrainian pilots could train on how to operate the American fighter jet in the U.S. — Biden’s change of mind came less than a week after the U.K. gave Ukraine a similar offer.
The U.S. has held out on approving F-16s for Ukraine against lobbying from Ukraine as well as European countries that support the idea. The United States is not the only country with F-16s, but because other countries received their jets from the United States, giving Ukraine the planes requires U.S. approval.
Moscow has warned against providing Ukraine F-16s, saying that such escalation would be a “colossal risk.”
“We see that western countries are still adhering to the escalation scenario. It involves colossal risks for themselves. In any case, this will be taken into account in all our plans, and we have all the necessary means to achieve the goals we have set,” <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/may/20/providing-ukraine-with-f-16-jets-a-colossal-risk-for-west-russia-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Alexander Grushko, Russia’s deputy foreign minister.
Following Biden’s decision to allow Ukrainian pilots to train on the F-16 in the United States, Zelensky issued a statement thanking the U.S. president.
&#8220;I welcome the historic decision of the United States and @POTUS to support an international fighter jet coalition. This will greatly enhance our army in the sky,” Zelensky said on Twitter.
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I welcome the historic decision of the United States and <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> to support an international fighter jet coalition. This will greatly enhance our army in the sky. I count on discussing the practical implementation of this decision at the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/G7?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#G7</a> summit in Hiroshima.
&mdash; Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) <a href="https://twitter.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1659590726840197123?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Russia claimed to have captured the Eastern Ukraine city of Bakhmut over the weekend, the site of some of the heaviest combat of the Ukraine-Russia war. Ukrainian Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskiy <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/moscow-claims-control-of-bakhmut-while-kyiv-denies-it-has-lost-city-bfdd8296?mod=article_inline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">appeared</a> to confirm the reports from Russia until Zelensky later <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-65662563" target="_blank" rel="noopener">denied</a> the reports at the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan.
On Monday, Russia said that a group of Ukrainian commandos crossed into Russian territory in its Belgorod region. Ukraine said the force was acting independently and did not enter Russian territory on orders from Kiev, according to <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/ukraine-gains-ground-outside-of-bakhmut-as-russia-consolidates-control-in-city-d41e6885" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Wall Street Journal</a>.

Joe Biden, Volodymyr Zelensky

Biden Moves Toward Greenlighting F-16s For Ukraine

United States

A former U.S. Marine volunteering in Ukraine was killed late last week while evacuating civilians in the war-torn eastern European country, according to reports.
Cooper “Harris” Andrews, 26, of Cleveland, Ohio, was killed by a mortar on or around April 19 on the “Road of Life,” an access road on the outskirts of Bakhmuta in eastern Ukraine, CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/01/europe/ukraine-former-us-marine-killed-intl/index.html">reported</a>.
Willow Andrews, his mother, told the outlet that authorities have yet to recover her son’s body. Cooper worked for an activist group known as the Resistance Committee and joined the Foreign Legion in Ukraine, a group of foreign fighters helping the Ukrainian military, in November last year.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I’m very sad to say this, but one of the <a href="https://twitter.com/PopularFront_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PopularFront_</a> community has been killed fighting in Ukraine. Cooper ‘Harris’ Andrews, 26, was a long time PF supporter and part of our Discord. He was a former US Marine and lifelong leftist organiser. He was killed in Bakhmut. <a href="https://t.co/ZdNIzRlXdw">pic.twitter.com/ZdNIzRlXdw</a>
&mdash; Jake Hanrahan (@Jake_Hanrahan) <a href="https://twitter.com/Jake_Hanrahan/status/1652696668775620608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 30, 2023</a></blockquote>
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State Department officials confirmed to The Daily Wire the death of a U.S. citizen in Ukraine on Monday without naming the individual.
“We are in touch with the family and providing all possible consular assistance,” a U.S. State Dept. spokesperson told The Daily Wire in an email. “Out of respect for the family’s privacy during this difficult time, we have nothing further to add.”
At least nine U.S. citizens volunteering to fight in Ukraine — including a former Navy Seal and Army infantryman — have died since the war began last year, according to <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/International/live-updates/russia-ukraine/?id=97380473">ABC</a>.
Last month, State Department officials told <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/ukraine-war-american-deaths-russia-b2318646.html">The Daily Beast</a> that the federal agency supports legal representatives and families when U.S. citizens die overseas. Such ways include providing information on the disposition of remains and estates and issuing a consular death report.
“The U.S. government takes its role in such a situation very seriously, providing all appropriate assistance through the legal representative, next of kin, or their designee,” the spokesperson told the outlet.
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The Biden administration has reportedly warned Americans against joining foreign fighters in the war between Russia and Ukraine. However, according to <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-united-states-government-8d24b8cfd0a64af7632193df70f3196f">The Associated Press</a>, an unknown number of U.S. citizens have left American soil to support Kyiv, including former military members and others who volunteer with aid groups and human rights organizations.
At the start of the war, officials reported at least 6,000 people contacted the Ukrainian embassy in Washington for information about supporting Ukraine.
Ukrainian officials rejected about half of the volunteers, citing criminal history, a lack of military experience, and other reasons deeming them unfit to serve.
According to The Daily Mail, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Monday that federal officials estimate Russia has suffered more than 100,000 casualties, including over 20,000 killed in action. Nearly half were allegedly Wagner soldiers from a private military group run by an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Kirby&#8217;s casualty update comes after Russian forces launched a large missile airstrike in different areas of Ukraine Sunday evening, sounding off air alerts across the country.

TOPSHOT-UKRAINE-RUSSIA-CONFLICT-WAR

Former U.S. Marine Killed In Ukraine: Report

Marines

U.S. Army

A Ukrainian court placed a leading Orthodox priest under house arrest Saturday, accusing him of justifying Russian aggression days after he allegedly cursed Ukrainian President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/volodymyr-zelensky" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Volodymyr Zelensky</a>.
Metropolitan Pavel, the abbot of Ukraine’s revered Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery, denied that he ever supported Russia’s aggression and charged that Ukraine’s action against him was politically motivated, the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-orthodox-church-d4723c61be8b131ad0a779dc59ae8b00?utm_source=homepage&amp;utm_medium=TopNews&amp;utm_campaign=position_05" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Earlier this week, the priest allegedly threatened that Zelensky would face damnation. The court ruled against Pavel, placed an ankle monitor on him despite his protest, and sentenced him to two months under house arrest.
“I am accepting this,” he said before authorities placed the bracelet on him. “Christ was crucified on the cross, so why shouldn’t I accept this?”
The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery is a part of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), which Zelensky has <a href="https://apnews.com/article/zelenskyy-kyiv-religion-europe-government-and-politics-7eaf9ac19b000a2147f0204877a0004e" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suspected</a> of having links to Russia. Historically, the UOC has ties to the Russian Orthodox Church, which is currently led by Patriarch Kirill, who has stood by Russian President Vladimir Putin and <a href="http://www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/5962628.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">defended</a> his invasion of Ukraine.
The Ukrainian authorities have raided UOC holy sites, claiming to find rubles, Russian passports, and messages from Patriarch Kirill, according to the AP. Monks at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery were ordered to leave by March 29, but are <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/orthodox-russia-ukraine-kyiv-kirill-patriarchate-1791163">refusing</a> to do so. The Ukrainian government claimed the monks violated their lease by making alterations to the site, but the monks deny those accusations and believe they are a pretext for the Ukrainian government to kick them out.
UOC supporters gathered outside the monastery on Saturday to sing hymns and protest Zelensky’s actions against the church.
“Look at me. I’m in priest’s clothes, with a Ukrainian flag and a cross around my neck. Could you say that I’m pro-Russian?” a 21-year-old seminary student said. “The priests are currently singing a Ukrainian hymn, and they’re being called pro-Russian. Can you believe it?”
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The U.N. High Commission for Human Rights said last week that it was concerned that Ukraine’s “state actions against the UOC” could be “discriminatory,” Newsweek <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/orthodox-russia-ukraine-kyiv-kirill-patriarchate-1791163" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. The U.N. urged the country to give a “fair trial” to anyone charged with a crime.

Metropolitan Pavel/Volodymyr Zelensky

Ukraine Places Priest Under House Arrest For Allegedly Justifying Russian Aggression Days After He Cursed Zelensky

Religion

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky&#8217;s attempt to have a telecast appearance at the upcoming Oscars was reportedly rejected for the second year in a row by the awards show.
Variety <a href="https://variety.com/2023/film/news/volodymyr-zelensky-ukraine-oscars-appearance-russia-1235547499/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that powerful individuals in Hollywood pled with the Academy to include Zelensky in the 95th Academy Awards this Sunday on ABC, but the effort was denied.
The report said that the Academy Awards rejected Zelensky last year, but for woke reasons, specifically over &#8220;concerns that Hollywood was only showering Ukraine with attention because those affected by the conflict are white&#8221; while &#8220;ignor[ing] wars around the globe that impact people of color.&#8221;
While Zelensky made a remote appearance at the Berlin Film Festival last month, he was rejected from the most recent Toronto Film Festival because the organization “does not comment on discussions with dignitaries, government officials or international embassies.”
Public support in the U.S. for Ukraine&#8217;s fight against Russia has waned in recent months amid a seemingly never-ending stream of U.S.-taxpayer money being sent to Ukraine and critics who say the Biden administration has had a weak and incompetent response to the invasion. Some have argued that the administration&#8217;s delayed response in supporting Ukraine has actually prolonged the war and increased costs on U.S. taxpayers.
“It’s one thing if it’s a minor incursion and we end up having to fight about what to do and not do,” Biden told reporters a month before Russia invaded. “But if they actually do what they’re capable of doing with the forces amassed on the border, it is going to be a disaster for Russia if they further invade Ukraine.”
Biden&#8217;s remarks were <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/white-house-has-to-issue-statement-cleaning-up-bidens-disastrous-remarks-on-russia-ukraine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">widely viewed</a> as giving a &#8220;green light&#8221; for President Vladimir Putin to invade Ukraine.
Zelenksy urged the U.S. and western powers to enact sanctions against Russia before the invasion and to send military hardware before the fighting started in an effort to prevent the invasion from ever occurring.
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After the invasion happened, Zelensky <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/zelensky-appears-to-take-shot-at-biden-the-worlds-most-powerful-forces-are-watching-from-afar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">took a shot</a> at the U.S. for only responding to the invasion by enacting sanctions.
“This morning we are defending our state alone. Like yesterday, the world’s most powerful forces are watching from afar,” he <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/world/ukraine-president-throws-shade-biden-us-afar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “Did yesterday’s sanctions convince Russia? We hear in our sky and see on our earth that this was not enough.”
Zelensky’s comments come as Biden <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-on-russia-invading-ukraine-nobody-expected-the-sanctions-to-prevent-anything-from-happening" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that “no one expected the sanctions to prevent anything from happening.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Press Conference In Kyiv

Oscars Deny Zelensky’s Request To Appear On Broadcast For Second Year In A Row: Report

Oscars Deny Zelensky's Request To Appear On Broadcast For Second Year In A Row: Report :+1: 1

Celebrities

Oscars

U.S.

Attorney General <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/merrick-garland" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Merrick Garland</a> attended a conference in Ukraine on Friday at the invitation of Ukrainian President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/volodymyr-zelensky" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Volodymyr Zelensky</a>, saying that the result of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ukraine-russia-war" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ukraine-Russia war</a> would have a &#8220;direct&#8221; impact on democracy in America. 
Garland, the latest high-profile Biden administration official to visit Ukraine, <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/speech/attorney-general-merrick-b-garland-delivers-remarks-lviv-ukraine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spoke</a> at the “United For Justice Conference” in Lviv, where he discussed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and a U.S. investigation into possible Russian war crimes. 
“Just over twelve months ago, invading Russian forces began committing atrocities at the largest scale in any armed conflict since the Second World War,” Garland, who did not announce his plan to attend the conference beforehand, said. “We are here today in Ukraine to speak clearly, and with one voice: the perpetrators of those crimes will not get away with them.”
Garland said the results of Ukraine’s war with Russia would have a “direct” influence on democracy in the U.S. “The United States recognizes that what happens here in Ukraine will have a direct impact on the strength of our own democracy,” he claimed. 
According to the Justice Department, Garland also held several meetings with local officials while at the conference. Garland’s trip to Ukraine follows previous visits from Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, President Joe Biden, and a number of senators. 
Friday’s visit was Garland’s second to the country — he had previously visited in July 2022 to <a href="https://www.axios.com/2022/06/21/merrick-garland-ukraine-war-crimes-visit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announce investigations</a> into alleged war crimes. 
During Yellen’s trip last week, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/treasury-boss-janet-yellen-makes-surprise-visit-to-ukraine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">she met with</a> Zelensky to discuss sanctions against Russia from the United States and its allies, reforms meant to address rampant corruption in Ukraine, and a $9.9 billion assistance package intended to assist the operations of the nation’s government, according to the Treasury Department.
“We have pledged to do our part to support the Ukrainian people, not only with words, but with actions. We will continue to work with our international coalition to provide military, economic, and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. And we will continue to impose severe costs on the Kremlin for its illegal war. As President Biden has said, we will stand by Ukraine for as long as it takes,” Yellen said. 
During the war, the U.S. <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/us-leads-rest-of-the-world-196-billion-ukraine-war-russia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has been</a> the country most financially supportive of Ukraine, having pledged nearly $200 billion to the country in economic, humanitarian, and military aid. Some Republicans have sought to reduce the amount of spending going toward Ukraine with others <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/we-cannot-save-ukraine-by-dooming-the-u-s-economy-rand-paul-blocks-immediate-vote-on-billion-dollar-ukraine-package?%3Futm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=dwtwitter">calling</a> for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/republican-lawmakers-demand-more-accountability-over-ukrainian-aid-after-cbs-report">increased oversight</a> of where the weapons are going.

Attorney General Garland And Ukrainian Counterpart Kostin Hold Signing Ceremony

Merrick Garland Says Result Of Russia-Ukraine War Will Have ‘Direct’ Impact On American Democracy

Executive

Janet Yellen

Merrick Garland

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/treasury-department" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Treasury</a> Secretary <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/janet-yellen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Janet Yellen</a> made an unannounced visit to <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/ukraine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ukraine</a> on Monday to support the nation’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ukraine-russia-war" target="_blank" rel="noopener">war</a> effort against Russia and tout the extensive financial assistance packages provided by the United States.
The senior official’s mission comes one week after President Joe Biden <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-makes-secret-trip-to-ukraine-appears-with-zelensky" target="_blank" rel="noopener">walked</a> the streets of Kyiv with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in another surprise visit. Treasury Department spokeswoman Lily Adams <a href="https://twitter.com/adamslily/status/1630238156145713152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that Yellen visited the country to “discuss critical economic assistance and our efforts to hold Russia accountable for their illegal and brutal war.”
Yellen met with Zelensky to discuss sanctions against Russia from the United States and its allies, reforms meant to address rampant corruption in Ukraine, and a $9.9 billion assistance package intended to assist the operations of the nation’s government, according to the Treasury Department.
“Over the past year, Ukraine has been writing the next chapter of its history with its heroic fight for freedom. Today, I am witnessing firsthand the devastating toll of Putin’s brutal war,” Yellen remarked during a wreath-laying ceremony in Kyiv. “We have pledged to do our part to support the Ukrainian people, not only with words, but with actions. We will continue to work with our international coalition to provide military, economic, and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. And we will continue to impose severe costs on the Kremlin for its illegal war. As President Biden has said, we will stand by Ukraine for as long as it takes.”
The Biden administration has so far sent Ukraine more than $24.2 billion in military assistance over the past year, according to a <a href="https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3261263/more-than-3-billion-in-additional-security-assistance-for-ukraine/#:~:text=In%20total%2C%20the%20United%20States,beginning%20of%20the%20Biden%20Administration." target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the Defense Department. The federal government has also provided $9.9 billion in humanitarian aid and $15.1 billion in budgetary aid, according to an <a href="https://www.cfr.org/article/how-much-aid-has-us-sent-ukraine-here-are-six-charts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">analysis</a> from the Council on Foreign Relations, a sum that far surpasses the assistance offered by European Union institutions and member states.
The United States allocated more than $113 billion in combined humanitarian and military assistance for Ukraine last year, according to another <a href="https://www.crfb.org/blogs/congress-approved-113-billion-aid-ukraine-2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">analysis</a> from the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.
Yellen contended in an <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/27/opinion/janet-yellen-ukraine-russia.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">opinion piece</a> for the New York Times corresponding with her visit that assistance from the United States is “crucial” to the Ukrainian war effort.
“We’re proud to be Ukraine’s largest bilateral donor, and just as proud to be joined by an international coalition of supporters, including the European Union and other members of the Group of 7,” she wrote. “Our assistance has received broad bipartisan backing, and we’ve made sure to deploy these funds with accountability and transparency.”
Some lawmakers have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/its-worth-a-shot-rand-paul-approves-of-ohio-gov-posing-as-zelensky-to-get-federal-assistance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">questioned</a> the White House’s emphasis on the Ukraine conflict amid a host of domestic challenges, including record inflation and a national debt that recently surpassed $31.5 trillion. Biden was recently criticized for his own clandestine journey to the eastern European nation, which came ahead of his <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-defends-decision-to-not-visit-east-palestine-and-to-not-speak-with-mayor-after-toxic-train-accident" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announcement</a> that he would not visit East Palestine, Ohio, where residents are struggling in the wake of a train derailment and subsequent chemical fallout.
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Private companies in the United States, including asset management company BlackRock and investment bank JPMorgan Chase, have meanwhile sought to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jpmorgan-will-help-rebuild-ukraine-with-fund-as-large-as-30-billion" target="_blank" rel="noopener">coordinate</a> reconstruction funds for Ukraine. “We are proud of our long-standing support of Ukraine and committed to doing our part to lift up the country and its people,” JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon said earlier this month, adding that the company’s “full resources” are available to the nation.

UKRAINE-RUSSIA-WAR-DIPLOMACY-US-FINANCE

Treasury Boss Janet Yellen Makes Surprise Visit To Ukraine

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen Makes Surprise Visit To Ukraine

Politics

Treasury Department

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.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
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>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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

NATO

One year ago today, Ukraine’s early morning quiet was shattered by Russian shelling and bombing after months of diplomacy attempts failed.
Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a sinister “special military operation” to “demilitarize” Ukraine but supposedly not occupy the former Soviet state.
Almost immediately, the powers of the West sprang to action. 
The Biden administration pledged its unflinching support for Ukraine and flooded the country with emergency aid. Thousands of deaths and tens of billions of dollars in U.S. aid later, Ukraine has staved off a Russian takeover, but Russia still controls several parts of the country.
Not long ago, the U.S. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/senate-report-reveals-biden-failures-that-led-to-botched-afghanistan-withdrawal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">extricated</a> itself in disastrous fashion from a two-decade conflict in the Middle East, but President Biden appears prepared to commit Americans indefinitely to another war.
&#8220;Freedom is priceless. It’s worth fighting for, for as long as it takes. And that&#8217;s how long we&#8217;re going to be with you, Mr. President. As long as it takes,&#8221; Biden <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbSmAGN6V7k" target="_blank" rel="noopener">promised</a> Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky this week after a surprise visit to Kyiv.
“President Putin’s craven lust for land and power will fail,” Biden said. He called out the Russian leader by name 10 times over the course of his remarks.
In 2022, Congress approved more than $113 billion in aid to Ukraine. Not all of the funds have been spent yet, but they come in the form of military, economic, and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and its allies.
Initially, Congress approved $65.8 billion in three <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/7691">emergency</a> <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/7691">aid</a> <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/6833" target="_blank" rel="noopener">packages</a> last year, then <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/2617" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$47.3 billion more</a> in the 2023 omnibus appropriations package.
About $67 billion is for defense, while the other $46 billion is for items like economic aid, refugee resettlement, and general Ukrainian government aid. The direct military aid to Ukraine consists mostly of military weapons, equipment, training, and supplies.
More than 75% of the aid will be spent by the end of 2026, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated.
On top of all this, Biden <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-64656301" target="_blank" rel="noopener">promised</a> another half a billion dollars in military aid to Ukraine this week in Kyiv. With a new Republican majority controlling the House though, Biden may struggle to get Congress to approve any more aid.
Other countries have also sent aid to Ukraine, but the U.S. far outpaced them. Britain, the second most generous nation, has sent Ukraine only $8.8 billion so far, <a href="https://www.ifw-kiel.de/topics/war-against-ukraine/ukraine-support-tracker/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, a German think tank.
War is always expensive. For perspective though, the U.S. <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2023/02/19/oversight-ukraine-russia-military-aid/11271555002/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spent</a> $146 billion over 20 years for military and humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, where it was much more expensive to send soldiers.
The U.S. aid to Ukraine will almost definitely be abused, warns John Sopko, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), which provides oversight for U.S. spending in Afghanistan.
&#8220;When you spend so much money so quickly, with so little oversight, you&#8217;re going to have fraud, waste and abuse,&#8221; Sopko <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2023/02/19/oversight-ukraine-russia-military-aid/11271555002/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;Massive amounts.&#8221;
Indeed, critics worry about sending massive amounts of American taxpayer dollars to a Ukrainian regime that has been plagued by corruption allegations. Before his country pivoted to war, President Zelensky’s government had been busy targeting his political rival, Ukraine&#8217;s former president, with treason charges that some said were trumped up. Last month, Zelensky fired nearly a dozen top officials in an attempt to contain a slew of corruption scandals that threatened to dampen his currently rosy reputation. He also exercises a level of control over Ukraine’s media that critics say smacks of authoritarianism.
Now though, the 45-year-old former comedy actor has successfully recast his image as a heroic underdog defending democracy from the West’s familiar bogeyman, Russia. The massive amount of U.S. support he’s managed to solicit has not been insignificant in bolstering his public image.
He’s rarely seen now without his signature army green sweatsuit, a look evoking a busy, hands-on wartime leader. The sweatsuit stayed on even at a special joint meeting of Congress in December, where Zelensky <a href="https://www.npr.org/live-updates/zelenskyy-washington-biden-congress-2022-12-20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">urged</a> Congress to keep the cash coming. 
His impatience for more emergency aid has sometimes irked even his strongest supporters. Even Biden got fed up with Zelensky at one point. The president <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/zelensky-ukraine-president-corruption-allegations-a874bff0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> rebuked Zelensky during a phone call in June when he asked for even more aid. Some also suspect Zelensky is attempting to drag the U.S. into the war by <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/russian-missile-poland-nato-ukraine-przewodow-b2225824.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claiming</a> that Russia fired missiles into North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) territory.
Meanwhile, the death toll has climbed.
More than 100,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed, although the exact number is uncertain, General Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in November. At least 8,000 civilians have been killed and nearly 13,300 injured since Russia invaded, <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/en/ohchr_homepage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the United Nations human rights office, which cautioned that the true number is likely significantly higher. The war has also displaced more than eight million Ukrainians who fled their country, causing a refugee crisis across the continent, <a href="https://www.unhcr.org/news/press/2023/2/63f78c0a4/unhcr-year-russian-invasion-insecurity-clouds-return-intentions-displaced.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the U.N. Refugee Agency.
As many as 60,000 Russians have been killed so far among about 200,000 Russian casualties, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/russias-death-toll-from-ukraine-war-is-as-high-as-60-000-u-k-says-14305ba5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to a U.K. estimate, far from the “walk in the park” the Russian military was <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/article/russia-ukraine-nato-europe.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">promised</a> when Putin first mulled the offensive. In recent weeks, Russia has been <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-64596363" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gaining ground</a> again, however.
The U.S. does not have boots on the ground in Ukraine, but <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-united-states-government-8d24b8cfd0a64af7632193df70f3196f" target="_blank" rel="noopener">at least six</a> known Americans have died after volunteering to fight in the conflict.
As the conflict drags on, Americans’ enthusiasm for bankrolling the war has flagged despite copious virtue-signaling from Democrats. Less than half of Americans now support sending Ukraine weapons, according to a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-biden-politics-poland-33095abf76875b60ebab3ddf4eede188" target="_blank" rel="noopener">poll</a> from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Back in May, 60% of Americans said they supported sending Ukraine weapons. 
Americans are also noticing that the U.S. has several crises at home that could use a billion dollars or two, including the southern border, spiking fentanyl overdoses, and rising homelessness.
Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) argued that while he understands Zelensky’s motivation, the U.S. must make decisions in the best interest of Americans.
“He’s trying to look out for the interests of his people who are being invaded, so that’s all fine,” Hawley said. “We’ve got to make our own judgment about what’s good for our people and our interests.”
Zelensky has <a href="https://apnews.com/article/putin-zelenskyy-washington-4d5fc23be5518e689fbbcac334769d59" target="_blank" rel="noopener">insisted</a> that sending Ukraine aid does just that. 
“Your money is not charity,” he told Congress, but “an investment in global security and democracy that we handle in the most responsible way.” 
As the war enters its second year, the multi-billion dollar question is whether he’s right.

US President Biden Visits Kyiv

The Ukraine War A Year Later

Biden

Biden Admin

Readers Pass

spending

A lot of people seem to take trips on Air Force One.
A mystery member of President Joe Biden’s entourage was seen falling down the plane’s stairs after it landed at Poland’s Warsaw Chopin Airport Monday. Video circulated on social media appeared to show the figure land on the tarmac, where he or she was quickly tended to by others disembarking.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Who fell out of Air Force One in Poland? <a href="https://t.co/hg9EdAY9R3">pic.twitter.com/hg9EdAY9R3</a>
&mdash; @amuse (@amuse) <a href="https://twitter.com/amuse/status/1628028011575406592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The fall was reminiscent of Biden’s infamous triple tumble on the same stairs in March of 2021. The difference was that the then-78-year-old Biden fell three times in succession as he tried to scramble up the steps.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
President Biden trips three times while attempting to board Air Force One. <a href="https://t.co/ftrAz05TRU">pic.twitter.com/ftrAz05TRU</a>
&mdash; Addy Adds (@OneAddyAdds) <a href="https://twitter.com/OneAddyAdds/status/1372942010529808386?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 19, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The incident came during <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-makes-secret-trip-to-ukraine-appears-with-zelensky" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Biden’s highly secretive trip to Ukraine</a>, where he pledged more U.S. aid to President Volodymyr Zelensky. CNN reported that Air Force One left Joint Base Andrews at 4:15 a.m. ET on Sunday, and reporters who accompanied the president were not allowed to carry phones or tablets. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan was among the few top aides who accompanied Biden.
After landing in Poland, the group took a train into Ukraine and then transferred to a motorcade for the final leg of the journey.
While in Kyiv, Biden and Zelensky were seen walking together around St. Michael’s Cathedral as air raid sirens sounded, even though CNN reported it was the first time the sirens had been heard in weeks. Biden pledged a new aid package that will include more javelin missiles and Howitzers and announced a new round of sanctions on Moscow.
The war began February 24, 2022, when Russia launched its invasion. In November, Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley estimated that 100,000 soldiers had been killed on each side and as many as 40,000 civilians had also died. Millions of Ukrainians have fled the country.

Air Force One fall

WATCH: Mystery Member Of Biden Entourage Tumbles Down Air Force One Stairs, Recalling Biden’s Famous Trip

WATCH: Mystery Member Of Biden Entourage Tumbles Down Air Force One Stairs, Recalling Biden's Famous Trip

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