Former President Donald Trump disqualified Nimrata ‘Nikki’ Haley as a potential running mate for the 2024 election during a campaign rally in Concord, New Hampshire on Friday night. Trump stated that Haley, who he previously appointed as UN Ambassador during his administration, was “not of the timber” for vice presidency. His comments came a few hours after Haley publicly stated that being Trump’s running mate was “off the table.”
Trump said of Haley, “Nikki is somebody that puts America last. She is not presidential timber.” He further explained his statement by clarifying his sentiment, “when you say certain things, it sort of takes them out of play, right? I canโt say, โSheโs not of the timber to be a viceโฆโ and then say, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, I’m proud to announce that Iโve pickedโฆโ Do you understand?”
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Before his Friday campaign rally, Trump had not completely discounted the possibility of Haley as his 2024 running mate, despite resistance from close allies and supporters, such as Donald Trump Jr., Roger Stone, and former Fox News anchor, Tucker Carlson, who claimed Haley “would be reason to oppose the ticket.” Earlier this month, former White House chief strategist, Steve Bannon, anticipated a “big fight” to determine the direction of the Trump campaign and the potential selection of Haley as Trump’s running mate.
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โWHAT HAPPENED: Elon Musk publicly claimed that Stephen K. Bannon is returning to prison โfor a long time.โ
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๐คWHO WAS INVOLVED: Elon Musk and Stephen K. Bannon.
๐WHEN & WHERE: July 1, 2025, on Muskโs official X (Twitter) account.
๐ฌKEY QUOTE: โBannon is going back to prison. This time for a long time.โ โ Elon Musk
๐ฏIMPACT: The tweet reignited tensions between America First allies and Musk, with supporters accusing him of cheerleading political persecution.
IN FULL
Elon Musk took to his X account Monday morning with a terse statement: โBannon is going back to prison. This time for a long time.โ The post, viewed over 90,000 times within an hour, marks one of Muskโs most politically loaded comments to date, immediately following a very public humiliation by President Donald J. Trump on Monday night.
The statement was unprompted and offered no legal citations or context, leading many to speculate whether Musk had inside knowledge or was merely amplifying baseless rumors. Bannon, a longtime Trump advisor and WarRoom host, previously served months at FCI Danbury following the unconstitutional, partisan committee investigation into January 6, 2021.
Supporters of Bannon and the broader MAGA movement quickly fired back at Musk online, accusing him of weaponizing his platform to mock political prisoners.
Expect the only crime he's ever committed was offending the Deep Stateโฆand I guess you're now offending too.
While Musk has often aligned himself with anti-establishment rhetoric, his post signals a growing rift between him and prominent America First figures. The timing also raises questions, given Muskโs recent interactions with federal agencies over Tesla and SpaceX operations.
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โWHAT HAPPENED: President Trump slammed Elon Musk over electric vehicle subsidies in a Truth Social post.
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๐คWHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald J. Trump and Elon Musk.
๐WHEN & WHERE: July 2025, on Trump’s Truth Social account.
๐ฌKEY QUOTE: โWithout subsidies, Elon would probably have to close up shop and head back home to South Africa.โ โ Donald Trump
๐ฏIMPACT: The post revives Trumpโs criticism of EV mandates and questions Muskโs business sustainability without federal support.
IN FULL
President Donald J. Trump posted a fiery message on Truth Social targeting tech mogul Elon Musk and the Biden government’s electric vehicle mandates. Trump emphasized that opposition to the EV push has been a longstanding component of his political platform, describing the federal mandate as โridiculous.โ
โElectric cars are fine,โ Trump said, โbut not everyone should be forced to own one.โ He accused Musk of benefiting from what may be the largest subsidies ever awarded to a private individual and suggested the SpaceX and Tesla CEOโs ventures would collapse without government handouts.
The former president even said Musk might have to โclose up shop and head back home to South Africaโ in the absence of subsidies, calling into question the viability of Muskโs business empire without taxpayer backing.
Trump sarcastically proposed, โPerhaps we should have DOGE take a good, hard look at this?โโa reference that likely alludes to either the Department of Government Efficiency, set up under Musk, which delivered almost no savings in comparison to Musk’s original promise of $2 trillion.
In reality, DOGE likely saved around two days of taxpayer spending a year, with some estimates claiming the department and its actions have actually cost the taxpayer due to severances involved with termination packages.
Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Trump even went so far as to say “we’ll have to look at” deporting the South African billionaire, adding, “DOGE is the monster that might have to go back and eat Elon. Wouldn’t that be terrible?”
๐ฅ๐ฅ Reporter: Are you going to deport Elon Musk?
Trump: We'll have to take a look. We might have to put DOGE on Elon. You know what DOGE is, the monster that might have to go back and eat Elon, wouldn't that be terrible. He gets a lot of subsidies. pic.twitter.com/CwIHLykUab
The backhander from Trump came less than a day after Musk appeared to endorse a critic of Trump ally and potential next UK Prime Minister, Nigel Farage.
Musk, who once called for Farage to be deposed as head of the Reform UK party, backed a new movement by British Member of Parliament Rupert Lowe, another anti-Farage figure who tried to have the Brexit champion removed as party leader. Musk and Lowe’s efforts inevitably failed.
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โWHAT HAPPENED: Nearly half of likely voters support President Trump’s call for a special prosecutor to investigate the 2020 election, according to a new Rasmussen poll.
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๐คWHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald Trump, Rasmussen Reports, and 1,134 likely U.S. voters surveyed nationwide.
๐WHEN & WHERE: June 22โ24, 2025; United States (nationwide survey).
๐ฌKEY QUOTE: โThe 2020 election was a total fraud! The evidence is massive and overwhelming!โ โ Donald Trump
๐ฏIMPACT: Public opinion remains deeply divided, with support for a special prosecutor tracking along party, gender, age, and income lines.
IN FULL
President Donald J. Trumpโs demand for a special prosecutor to probe the 2020 election fraud claims is receiving strong public backing. Rasmussen Reports found that 48 percent of likely U.S. voters favor such an investigation, including 32 percent who โstrongly supportโ the idea. Meanwhile, 47 percent remain opposedโ36 percent โstrongly.โ
The former president posted to Truth Social on June 20, declaring, โThe 2020 election was a total fraud! The evidence is massive and overwhelming!โ Forty-three percent of voters agreed with Trumpโs statement, while 51 percent disagreed. Among the supporters of Trumpโs fraud claim, support for appointing a special prosecutor jumped to 86 percent.
As always, the partisan divide is stark. Two-thirds of Republicans agree the 2020 contest was fraudulent, while 67 percent of Democrats reject that characterization. Among unaffiliated voters, 34 percent agree and 61 percent disagree. Support for appointing a special prosecutor includes 71 percent of Republicans, 35 percent of Democrats, and 38 percent of independents.
The survey, conducted June 22โ24 with 1,134 likely voters, carries a 3-point margin of error and a 95 percent confidence level. The poll also found that 48 percent believe cheating likely influenced the outcome of the 2020 election, with 32 percent saying it is โvery likely.โ Forty-four percent say cheating was unlikely, including 33 percent who say it was โnot at all likely.โ
Demographic breakdowns showed notable trends: men are more supportive of an investigation than women; younger voters lean in favor of a special prosecutor, while those over 50 strongly disagree with Trumpโs fraud accusation. Hispanics show the strongest support among minorities, and mid-income earners ($50Kโ$100K) are most skeptical of the election results.
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โWHAT HAPPENED: New York Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani has proposed socialist grocery stores, claiming they can be funded by redirecting city subsidies from private grocery stores.
๐คWHO WAS INVOLVED: Zohran Mamdani, New York Cityโs Economic Development Corporation, and private grocery stores participating in the FRESH program.
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๐WHEN & WHERE: New York City, during Mamdaniโs mayoral campaign.
๐ฌKEY QUOTE: โWe will redirect city funds from corporate supermarkets to city-owned grocery stores whose mission is lower prices, not price-gouging.โ โ Zohran Mamdani
๐ฏIMPACT: Mamdani’s proposal is based on a misunderstanding of city subsidies, which would lead to mass fiscal mismanagement if implemented.
IN FULL
Zohran Mamdani, the New York Democratic mayoral nominee, has defended his proposal for socialist grocery stores by stating that they could be funded by cutting city subsidies to private grocery stores. However, his claim is based on a misinterpretation of the cityโs current grocery subsidy program, as first revealed by reporter Tim Carney.
Mamdani has repeatedly cited a figure of $140 million, claiming it represents the amount the city spends on subsidizing private grocery stores under the Food Retail Expansion to Support Health (FRESH) program. He has proposed redirecting half of this amount to fund his socialist grocery store initiative, which he estimates would cost $60 million.
The FRESH program, however, does not involve direct city spending of $140 million. Instead, it provides tax breaks and regulatory relief to grocery stores that invest in underserved areas, known as โfood deserts.โ Over the last six years, the program has cost the city approximately $20 million in waived tax revenue, rather than expenditure, averaging just $3.3 million per year. Furthermore, the $140 million figure cited by Mamdani refers to private investments made by grocery stores participating in the program, not government spending.
In a video, Mamdani argued, โWe will redirect city funds from corporate supermarkets to city-owned grocery stores whose mission is lower prices, not price-gouging.โ However, his misunderstanding of the FRESH programโs structure raises humiliating questions about the plan. Carney explains, โSo, this program would take 42 years to cost the city the $140 million that Mamdani says โthe city is set to spendโ on it.โ
This misrepresentation underscores a broader concern with Mamdaniโs proposal: it appears to rely on a socialist framework that assumes private investment can be treated as public funds. Critics argue that such an approach would lead to fiscal mismanagement and actually undermine the cityโs efforts to address food accessibility through public-private partnerships. This scenario would not just see government grocery stores with empty shelves, like North Korea, but also skew the market against private companies no longer incentivized to supply groceries to certain areas, leaving entire communities in new food deserts.
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โWHAT HAPPENED: The Social Democratic Party (SPD) in Germany has launched an effort to ban the Alternative for Germany (AfD) partyโthe second-most popular party in the countryโciting alleged extremism.
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๐คWHO WAS INVOLVED: SPD leader Lars Klingbeil, the Federal Constitutional Court, and the AfD.
๐WHEN & WHERE: The SPDโs resolution was adopted during their three-day party congress in Berlin, Germany.
๐ฌKEY QUOTE: โThe moment at which domestic intelligence says this is a confirmed right-wing extremist party, there is no more room for tactics.โ โ Lars Klingbeil
๐ฏIMPACT: A ban would dissolve the AfD, confiscate its assets, and prohibit its re-establishment.
IN FULL
Germanyโs leftist Social Democratic Party (SPD), which led the federal government until May, has officially launched an effort to ban the populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. SPD delegates voted unanimously on June 29 to establish a โfederal working groupโ to collect and present evidence of the anti-mass migration party’s alleged extremism, which they claim is already โoverwhelming.โ
The SPD accused the AfD, which placed second in this year’s federal elections, of undermining Germanyโs constitution and eroding democracy, citing the partyโs advocacy for โremigrationโ as a violation of human dignity. SPD leader Lars Klingbeil stated, โBased on historical experience, we have a constitution that provides the necessary instruments.โ He added, โThe moment at which domestic intelligence says this is a confirmed right-wing extremist party, there is no more room for tactics.โ
In Germany, the European Union’s most populous country and top economy, only the Federal Constitutional Court can ban a political party, requiring a two-thirds majority of its Justices. If successful, a ban would dissolve the party, confiscate its assets, and outlaw its symbols and logos. Efforts to re-establish a banned party under a similar name would also be prohibited.
The legal push comes amid growing support for the AfD, particularly in eastern Germany, where recent elections have shown the party gaining significant traction. A recent survey placed the AfD at 32 percent, ahead of the SPD by nine points. Critics argue that the SPD is attempting to ban its political rival rather than compete with it democratically.
The move follows the designation of the AfD as an extremist group by Germanyโs intelligence agency, the Bundesamt fรผr Verfassungschutz (BfV), which enabled increased surveillance of the party. Critics, including X CEO Elon Musk, have condemned the proposed ban, labeling it โan extreme attack on democracy.โ Newly elected Chancellor Friedrich Merz, of the notionally conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), formerly led by Angela Merkel, conceded, โTen million AfD votersโyou canโt ban them. You have to engage with them factually and on substance.โ
The BfV decided to pause the classification after the AfD launched a lawsuit to appeal the move. Germany also came under pressure from the Trump administration, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio stating, “Thatโs not democracyโitโs tyranny in disguise. What is truly extremist is not the popular AfDโwhich took second in the recent electionโbut rather the establishmentโs deadly open border immigration policies that the AfD opposes.”
โWHAT HAPPENED: A German woman faces a โฌ1,800 (~$2,120) fine for reacting with ‘thumbs up’ emojis to a social media post about a 15-year-old killing a rapist migrant. Prosecutors claim her emojis endorsed vigilantism.
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๐คWHO WAS INVOLVED: A 64-year-old woman from Lohfelden, Hesse, and the Kassel public prosecutorโs office.
๐ฌKEY QUOTE: โYou were aware that in this way you publicly approved of an intentional killing by way of unauthorized vigilantism.โ โ Kassel prosecutor’s penalty order
๐ฏIMPACT: The case underscores Germanyโs increasingly draconian policing of online speech, raising concerns about freedom of expression.
IN FULL
A German woman faces prosecution and a fine equivalent to around $2,120 for reacting with emojis to a social media post. The case highlights how even the most minimal forms of digital expression are now being scrutinized under Germanyโs draconian anti-speech regime.
The 64-year-old from Lohfelden, Hesse, found herself under investigation after responding with three thumbs-up emojis beneath a post on X (formerly Twitter). The original post reported on a 15-year-old Swedish girl who had killed the migrant man who raped her, and included the comment, โDoes he now have 77 virgins?โ
According to the Kassel public prosecutorโs office, the womanโs emoji reaction amounted to endorsing the killing and expressing satisfaction that it had targeted a migrant. Months after her October 26 interaction, she received a formal penalty notice, ordering her to pay 60 daily rates of $35 each.
The penalty order, parts of which the woman has shared publicly, alleges: โYou agreed with this post as a user (โฆ) by clicking โthumbs upโ three times. You were aware that in this way you publicly approved of an intentional killing by way of unauthorized vigilantism, and you were particularly pleased that this vigilantism was perpetrated against a migrant.โ Authorities also complain the โ77 virginsโ remark was intended to ridicule the dead rapist. This interpretation of her emoji use, entirely shaped by the prosecutorโs reading of intent, reflects a growing trend of criminalizing expressions of opinion online in Germany and Europe more generally.
The woman retains the right to appeal, and if she does, the case will proceed to a full trial. Germanyโs crackdown on digital speech has seen several such incidents in recent years. Authorities have increasingly targeted individuals for online posts deemed offensive, including under Section 188 of the Criminal Code, which prohibits insults against politicians. One notable case involved a police search of a retireeโs home after he shared a meme labeling then-Economy Minister Robert Habeck a โSchwachkopf,โ or “moron.”
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โWHAT HAPPENED: A poll from Electoral Calculus projects that Britain’s Reform Party, led by Nigel Farage, could come within one seat of an outright parliamentary majority if a General Election were held today.
๐คWHO WAS INVOLVED: Nigel Farage, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, and the Reform Party, alongside the Starmer’s Labour Party and the formerly governing Conservative (Tory) Party.
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๐WHEN & WHERE: Poll conducted between May 30 and June 26, 2023, across the United Kingdom.
๐ฌKEY QUOTE: “I try to make it water off a duck’s back as far as possible. Because otherwise I think you lose any ability to focus and you just spend your whole time worrying about it.” โ Keir Starmer
๐ฏIMPACT: Reform’s surge could lead to a minority government or coalition, displacing Labour and the Conservatives from the premiership for the first time since 1922.
IN FULL
A poll of polls conducted by Electoral Calculus suggests that the populist Reform Party, led by Brexit champion and Donald Trump ally Nigel Farage, would win 325 seats in a General Election, just one seat shy of an outright parliamentary majority. The survey, which included 5,400 participants between May 30 and June 26, places Reform at 29.4 percent of the vote, ahead of the governing Labour Party’s 22.9 percent and the formerly governing Conservatives’ 18.2 percent.
The results indicate the possibility of a minority or coalition government, with potential alliances between Reform and the Conservatives, or Northern Ireland’s pro-Brexit and socially conservative Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). This could see Farage entering Number 10 as Prime Minister. The poll highlights significant challenges for Labour and the Conservatives, who have held the premiership ever since David Lloyd George left office in 1922.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Labour’s leader, acknowledged the situation but downplayed the impact of polling. Speaking to the press, he stated, “I try to make it water off a duck’s back as far as possible. Because otherwise I think you lose any ability to focus and you just spend your whole time worrying about it.”
Reform is gaining traction among Gen Z voters, particularly young men, driven by Farage’s strong presence on social media. Starmer’s visibility on platforms like China-linked TikTok, with a large youth audience, remains low, with Labour dedicating a significant portion of its overall social media content to attacking Farage and Reform.
โWHAT HAPPENED:ย President Donald J. Trump will join Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) on Tuesday to tour a new illegal immigrant detention center at the Miami-Dade Collier Training Facility, dubbed โAlligator Alcatraz.โ
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๐คWHO WAS INVOLVED: Governor Ron DeSantis, President Donald J. Trump, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
๐WHEN & WHERE: The facility is located in the Everglades and is expected to be operational this week. President Trump is scheduled to attend the opening.
๐ฌKEY QUOTE: โThe security is amazing โฆ natural and otherwise.โ โ Ron DeSantis
๐ฏIMPACT: The facility aims to streamline the deportation process and support the federal governmentโs immigration enforcement efforts.
IN FULL
President Donald J. Trump will travel to Florida on Tuesday to join Governor Ron DeSantis (R) for the opening of a new illegal immigration detention center at the Miami-Dade Collier Training Facility, also known as โAlligator Alcatraz.โ The facility, approved by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), is located in the middle of the Everglades and intended for use in detaining illegal immigrants. DeSantis emphasized its logistical simplicity and natural security features, including alligators and pythons.
โPeople say there are training flights that go in there, but itโs a massive runway. And, you know โฆ thereโs not a lot of buildings out there, but thereโs a lot of concrete. And so these guys set up this whole thing within a matter of days,โ DeSantis said. He added that the facility is โnot defunctโ and highlighted its natural barriers, which make it difficult for detainees to escape: “The security is amazing โฆ natural and otherwise.”
DeSantis explained that the facility will help expedite the deportation process. โYou literally drive them to 2,000 feet, put them on a plane, and then theyโre gone. Itโs very logistically simple,โ he said. The existing runway allows the federal government to fly detainees out of the country directly from the site.
The White House announced on Monday that President Trump will join DeSantis for the opening of the facility. According to the Florida governor,ย he spoke with President Trump over the weekend, stating that the America First leader is โvery excited about doing it.โ DeSantis has noted that Florida is assisting the federal government in fulfilling the votersโ mandate on immigration enforcement, saying, โWe literally are doing what the voters who elected all of us have been demanding for many, many years.โ
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โWHAT HAPPENED: A 13-year-old boy, Oscar Omar Hernandez, was allegedly murdered by his illegal immigrant soccer coach, Mario Edgardo Garcia-Aquino, before his body was dumped in a ditch.
๐คWHO WAS INVOLVED: Oscar Omar Hernandez, 13, and Mario Edgardo Garcia-Aquino, 43, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador.
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๐WHEN & WHERE: Hernandez was last seen alive on March 28, 2025, in Sun Valley, California. His body was discovered on April 2 in Ventura County.
๐ฌKEY QUOTE: โHis soccer coach made soccer jerseys. He had taken other soccer teammates to help him, and thatโs why my brother went.โ โ Alejandra Hernandez, sister of the victim.
๐ฏIMPACT: Garcia-Aquino faces charges of murder with special circumstances and additional charges related to the alleged sexual abuse of minors.
IN FULL
Oscar Omar Hernandez, a 13-year-old boy from Sun Valley, California, was allegedly murdered by his soccer coach, Mario Edgardo Garcia-Aquino, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador. Hernandezโs body was discovered on April 2, 2025, in Ventura County, days after his family reported him missing. The Ventura County Medical Examinerโs Office confirmed the cause of death late last week to be acute alcohol poisoning.
Garcia-Aquino, 43, had been under investigation for two other alleged sexual assaults and was charged with murder in April. Prosecutors allege the murder occurred during the commission or attempted commission of lewd acts with a child, making him eligible for the death penalty. Hernandez’s family stated that the boy had been dropped off at a railway station to assist Garcia-Aquino with making soccer jerseys in Lancaster.
According to Hernandezโs sister, Alejandra, the coach had taken other teammates to help him with similar tasks in the past. โHis soccer coach made soccer jerseys. He had taken other soccer teammates to help him, and thatโs why my brother went,โ Alejandra Hernandez said. On the night of the disappearance, Garcia-Aquino answered a call from the family, claiming that Hernandez was unable to speak because his hands were full of paint. The coach later told the family he had dropped the boy off, but Hernandez never returned home.
Garcia-Aquino also faces charges stemming from an alleged sexual assault of a 16-year-old boy in Palmdale in February 2022. In that case, he reportedly befriended a family and allowed their son to stay at his residence, where the alleged assault occurred. Additionally, Los Angeles Police Department investigations have linked him to another child sexual abuse case from 2022.
Despite Gacia-Aquino being an illegal immigrant, a number of corporate media outlets have attempted to portray him simply as a “youth soccer coach.” This mirrors similar attempts to obfuscate criminal allegations against fellow Salvadoran illegal immigrant Kilmar Abrego Garciaโan alleged MS-13 gang member, domestic abuser, and human traffickerโwho was described at the time of arrest earlier this year as simply a “Maryland man” or a “Maryland father.”
Garcia-Aquino pleaded not guilty to the murder charges, including the special circumstances allegation, on June 18. He is scheduled to appear in court again in August.
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โWHAT HAPPENED: Russia and Ukraine’s war has reached its 1,222nd day as both sides continue a protracted war of attrition with over a million casualties and a stalled peace process.
๐คWHO WAS INVOLVED: Ukraine, Russia, President Volodymyr Zelensky, President Vladimir Putin, President Donald J. Trump.
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๐ฏIMPACT: The slow-moving frontlines and stalling of the peace process indicate far more casualties are likely on both sides in the coming weeks and months.
IN FULL
Russia’s war with Ukraine appears to be picking up pace in recent weeks, with Russia hammering parts of Ukraine with missiles and drones and appearing to be mounting a new offensive in the Sumy region. Reports indicate that as many as 50,000 Russian troops are active in the Sumy region, which neighbors Russia’s Kursk region, vastly outnumbering Ukrainian defenders.
The advance in Sumy comes after Ukraine’s failed counter-invasion into Kursk. This saw an initial breakthrough for Ukraine last year. Still, Russia eventually pushed the Ukrainians back after a surprise attack, partly through a gas pipeline, in March, which culminated in Ukraine eventually withdrawing from the region.
General Oleksandr Syrskiy, the head of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, has admitted that Russia is advancing across the frontlines and that the frontline itself has grown to over 750 miles. The vast length of the front, according to Syrskiy, makes it difficult for Ukraine to defend itself, as Russia is constantly looking for weaknesses in the line and exploiting them.
Another possible factor for the Russian advances in Sumy is that Ukrainian authorities did not create any major defensive fortifications in the area, particularly anti-drone defences, after the Kursk offensive was launched. As a result, many soldiers now have to dig fortifications themselves, often under heavy Russian fire from artillery, FPV drones, and other weapons.
“Itโs like they prepared for tank columns, not a battlefield where dozens of drones strike daily,” one soldier told the Wall Street Journal. “Every single day a position isnโt ready is a day someone might not come back,” he added.”
CORRUPTION.
It is unknown why the fortifications are incomplete, but Ukraine has struggled with a massive amount of corruption throughout the conflict, including officials taking bribes to grant men medical certificates to avoid conscription and skimming millions of dollars meant for arming soldiers. Previously, Russia was also able to make inroads in the Kharkov (Kharkiv) region after defenses were not constructed.
Ukraine’s Western-provided weapons have also failed to tip the scale of the battle, with a recent report noting that nearly all of the M1A1 Abrams tanks provided by the United States are either destroyed or disabled.
Despite this, Ukraine continues to demand more Western weapons systems, including more Patriot and German-made Taurus missile systems. However, Germany declined to send Taurusย systems earlier this month.
PEACE PROCESS.
President Donald J. Trump has repeatedly attempted to settle the war between Russia and Ukraine, but both sides have stubbornly refused to compromise. President Volodymyr Zelensky continues to insist that not only should Russia leave the eastern regions occupied in 2022, but it should leave Crimea, annexed to Russia in 2014, as well. This is despite admitting that it is unlikely Ukraine can take back Crimea through military means.
President Trump warned both countries earlier this month that he was willing to sanction them both if a peace deal could not be achieved or was obstructed by either side. According to Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), President Trump is willing to support additional sanctions against Russia. Graham spoke on June 29, stating that he had spoken with the President about the issue and received his approval.
“So what does this bill do? If you’re buying products from Russia and you’re not helping Ukraine, then there’s a 500 percent tariff on your products coming into the United States. India and China buy 70 percent of Putin’s oil. They keep his war machine going,” Graham said.
After 1,222 days of war, the Russia-Ukraine conflict continues at a slow pace, where the only sure thing remains the large number of soldiers killed on each side. Some estimate that the war has seen over a million casualties overall.
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