Notes and Essays -- John Brown

Roland Bartetzko  ·  Follow Logistics in Ukraine (2022–present) Oct 31 Why is Ukraine losing? Don’t worry, my friend, nobody is losing. The frontlines in Ukraine have remained remarkably stable for almost a year. It’s true that Russia has gained some territory, but they’ve paid a higher price than ever for it. Russian casualty numbers have reached record highs The only thing that has changed is how we perceive the war in the West. Most of the turbo-pro Ukrainian “experts” and analysts have become tired of the war. The public is also not interested in their BS anymore. During the funeral of one of our good friends who gave his life for Ukraine. The people here will never surrender so I don't see a reason why we should. The war is out of the headlines, the Ukrainian flags have disappeared from our social media profiles, and everybody has calmed down. Short: This war has become a “normal” one, pretty much like all the wars before it. It has its ups and downs and the winners ...

https://www.npr.org/2025/03/07/nx-s1-5321003/pentagon-images-flagged-removal-dei-purge-trump

‘It Was 90-Plus Minutes of Bad Moments’: 9 Opinion Writers on Trump’s Address to Congress March 5, 2025

Credit... Photo Illustration by Damon Winter/The New York Times; from the below cited article "He offered a softer tone on Ukraine, citing a message from Volodymyr Zelensky urging peace and saying he was ready to sign the minerals deal [JB: see] . Now that Trump has forced the Ukrainian president to grovel, now that he has humiliated the war hero in public and put his own swollen ego above America’s longstanding foreign policy principles, he may give Zelensky another chance." From Maureen Dowd, The New York Times ,  March 5, 2025,  5:03 a.m. ET; see also. Credit...

Washington  — Ukrainian officials have indicated to their U.S. counterparts they are willing to sign a key minerals agreement, days after the original plan to sign the deal at the White House   imploded  in an acrimonious Oval Office meeting between President Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Vice President JD Vance.   Treasury Secretary  Scott Bessent  , who has been one of the negotiators who spoke with Zelenskyy about the minerals agreement was asked by CBS News "Face the Nation" moderator Margaret Brennan Sunday whether the economic deal was still on the table.   "Not at present," he responded. Multiple sources said a deal is not finalized . And the parameters of the agreement could change because the president is now holding out for a "bigger, better deal," said a person familiar with the talks, granted anonymity to speak frankly about the details of the back-and-forth.  Administration officials told CBS there was no pla...

The Washington Post   Newsletter 6:31 PM (1 hour ago) to  me   By  Matt Clough Good evening. It's Tuesday, March 4, and we’re looking back at how Donald Trump has  flooded the zone almost daily with executive action  since starting his second term. Here’s what else to know on the 44th day of his presidency. President Donald Trump will deliver an address to Congress tonight. President Donald Trump will address Congress and the nation for the first time since returning to the White House six weeks ago. (Annabelle Gordon for The Post) It’s a pivotal time:  Trump just implemented  steep tariffs  and has continued  cutting the federal workforce . He has moved quickly with  executive orders  and other means to  implement his agenda . What to watch:  There’s  a lot of ground to cover . The speech starts at 9 p.m. Eastern — you can watch it and follow along with our reporters  here . Read this story   Sen. Elis...