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Because the two-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine approaches, it looks like everybody has been sucked right into a bizarro world.
► Two years in the past, in February 2022, Tucker Carlson was a Fox Information host, nonetheless adjoining to mainstream US politics.
► US assist for Ukraine appeared ironclad and unflappable as Russia invaded.
► Russian President Vladimir Putin was about to be remoted worldwide as a pariah.
► Elon Musk would quickly decide to serving to Ukraine together with his Starlink satellite tv for pc web system.
► Former President Donald Trump was nonetheless plotting his approach out of the political wilderness, his presence not often felt by a lot of the nation.
Some developments this week:
► Putin acquired a platform, due to a softball interview by Carlson, who was banished from Fox Information final yr and has turned to Twitter, the platform Musk purchased and renamed X, to spew right-wing conspiracy theories.
► American support for Ukraine is in actual query as US politicians, led by Republicans within the Home of Representatives, query the funding. Word: When Trump helped kill a bipartisan border policy bill this week, it additionally put Ukraine support hunted for months by President Joe Biden in jeopardy.
► Trump’s emergence from the wilderness is full. He has all however erased any query he would be the Republican presidential nominee for the third time and is plotting his return to the White Home.
The Pentagon, by the way in which, is now paying Musk’s SpaceX for Ukraine to make use of Starlink.
Russia skilled says that is what Putin hoped to get from Carlson interview
A propaganda broadcast on X
Carlson was walked on by Putin in the course of the interview in Moscow. CNN’s Oliver Darcy known as it a “propaganda victory” for Putin.
From Darcy:
As a substitute of urgent Putin on the various matters at hand, together with credible accusations Russia has dedicated warfare crimes and the imprisonment of opposition chief Alexei Navalny, Carlson allowed the autocrat a free lane to control the general public and inform his model of historical past, regardless of how misleading it might have been.
At instances, between the airing of grievances, Putin appeared to highschool Carlson on historic occasions because the host seemed on in bewilderment. Or to place it extra plainly, Carlson offered Putin a platform to unfold his propaganda to a worldwide viewers with little to no scrutiny of his claims.
In a single notable change, Carlson did push again on the concept that Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Avenue Journal reporter detained in Russia since final March, is a US spy. Based on CNN’s reporting, Russia rejected a suggestion to change numerous Russian nationals detained overseas for each Gershkovich and one other American, Paul Whelan, who has been detained in Russia since 2018.
Putin informed Carlson that maybe Gershkovich might be exchanged for Vadim Krasikov, a former colonel in Russia’s home spying service who was convicted for murdering a former Chechen fighter in Berlin in broad daylight in 2019.
CNN’s Nathan Hodge, Katharina Krebs and Helen Regan have more details. In addition they fact-check Carlson on his assertion that US media organizations haven’t tried to interview Putin. From their report:
The truth is, journalists have repeatedly been requesting interviews with Putin, however the Russian president had declined to grant entry. And Putin not solely has declined to take part in interviews with the free press, however over the previous two years he has waged a warfare in opposition to the media, locking up journalists, fining Big Tech companies for internet hosting “pretend” details about the Ukraine invasion, and pushing through censorship laws that clamp down on information organizations.
Amanpour pushes again on Tucker Carlson’s declare about Putin interview
Putin, regardless of the free platform from Carlson, nonetheless faces isolation within the West. The CNN reporters word the Worldwide Felony Courtroom has issued an arrest warrant for Putin concerning an alleged scheme to take Ukrainian youngsters to Russia. And there was a brand new name Thursday for Putin to face a warfare crimes inquiry for Russia’s assault on the Ukrainian metropolis of Mariupol, which killed hundreds.
The reporters additionally used the phrase “revanchist,” which I needed to search for and which completely describes Putin’s warped view of historical past and his obsession with occupying Ukraine.
From Merriam-Webster: (re·vanch·ist) of or referring to a coverage designed to get better misplaced territory or standing.
Meantime, there are main developments in Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelensky this week changed his prime army commander, Gen. Valerii Zaluzhnyi.
From CNN’s report: The president’s transfer follows tensions between Zelensky and his vastly fashionable army chief after the failure of Ukraine’s much-vaunted counteroffensive, and with Ukraine going through a renewed Russian onslaught, manpower and ammunition shortages, and US support stalled in Congress.
However among the many many, concrete decisions People face in November, assuming the presidential election is between Trump and Biden, is how the US president will method Putin.
Biden has his constructed his presidency across the thought of a worldwide battle between democracies and autocracies. Trump continuously expresses admiration for autocrats and his frustration with democratic alliances like NATO.
The Pentagon has essentially exhausted the cash Congress allotted for Ukraine over the previous two years.
It’s unclear when extra is perhaps on the way in which, significantly after the proposal to tie US border coverage to Ukraine funding met its finish this week.
Within the Senate, there may be assist for Ukraine support. A bipartisan group of senators on Thursday cleared a 60-vote threshold to maneuver towards a $95 billion support invoice for Ukraine and Israel. One Republican, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, plans to make use of arcane procedural ways to stall a final vote for days.
Sen. Mitch McConnell, the Republican minority chief, pushed again in opposition to criticism from right-wing lawmakers that the cash is charity for Ukraine. Many of the funds could be spent on manufacturing of army {hardware} within the US, he stated.
“That is about rebuilding the arsenal of democracy and demonstrating to our allies and adversaries alike that we’re severe about exercising American power,” he stated on the Senate ground on Friday.
The Home is a extra formidable roadblock to further Ukraine funding. Republican Speaker Mike Johnson has not dominated out the thought of approving a Ukraine invoice, both as a stand-alone proposition or along side support to Israel. However he has actually not endorsed it both.
Johnson, together with different Republicans, has demanded extra transparency and accountability for the way the cash is spent. And to get extra support handed into legislation, he would seemingly want Democratic votes – which can anger hard-line Republicans who’ve the facility to oust him.