As Russian President Vladimir Putin continues his push into Ukraine, his economy is being hit with defeat after defeat. Between economic sanctions, Russian oil facing a US boycott and a decrease by two-thirds by the EU, and an ever-increasing number of major multi-national corporations suspending operations, the Kremlin is eventually going to face a point financially where they will have to either back down or massively increase the intensity of their attack. Putin’s past actions have already shown which decision he will make.
In an almost laughable example of the pot calling the kettle black, Vladimir Putin chastised the rest of the world saying that the sanctions looked to him like a “declaration of war” on Russia. Essentially, he is looking for any justification to be able to prosecute this invasion and escalate it if he needs to. The Russian propaganda machine is in full force, accusing Ukraine of everything they can think of including having biolabs containing weaponizable chemicals and pathogens. US Senator Marco Rubio tweeted, “We are now entering the most dangerous phase of the #UkraineRussianWar. #Russia can’t financially or logistically sustain another 9 days like the last 9 days. And #Putin can’t survive being humiliated or being seen as backing down.”
There are three demands that the Kremlin has put forth for ending the war. 1) Ukraine must change its constitution to guarantee it won’t join any blocs (NATO, EU, etc.). 2) Ukraine must recognize Crimea as part of Russia. 3) Ukraine must recognize the eastern separatist regions as independent.
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett flew to Moscow to meet with Vladimir Putin. While there he expressed concerns about Jewish communities in Ukraine and the signing of the Iran nuclear deal. If Bennett thinks that somehow he will be able to mediate between Russia and Ukraine, he is mistaken. He is caught too much in the middle. On one side is Russia, which now essentially shares a border with Israel through Syria. On the other is the US, whose House after a six month delay just approved a necessary $1 billion for Israel’s Iron Dome mobile air defense. The appropriations bill now needs to be approved by the Senate.
Numerous countries are benefitting from the conflict in eastern Europe. With the US boycotting Russian oil, an American delegation met with President Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela to talk about importing oil. Sadly, America cannot negotiate from a position of strength due to the actions taken by the present administration. Even the leaders of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have declined to arrange calls with the US president to discuss oil.
Iran is enjoying someone else being viewed as the world’s biggest villain. The US is on the verge of a second nuclear agreement with the Islamic Republic, this one worse than the first. At the same time, the IAEA is reporting that the country is near all that it needs for a bomb. Former Vice President Mike Pence said that a future GOP administration will rip up any new deal.
There is a very unexpected twist surrounding the previous story of the Iran agreement. It has to do with the nation of Russia and the prophet Ezekiel, and is a major focus of my Middle East Update, “The Hook in the Jaw of Russia.”
Even while the negotiations are going on, the Washington Examiner reported that the Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was plotting to assassinate former National Security Adviser John Bolton and others.
Tuesday saw Iran achieve a successful rocket launch placing its Noor 2 satellite into orbit around the earth. The country also took time to celebrate their new suicide drone. The Me’raj-504 UAV can carry 2.5 kg of explosives with a range of 100 km.
North Korea’s rocket scientists have been busy testing rockets for their own reconnaissance satellite. In another part of the country, satellite photos show that the first construction since 2018 has begun again at one of the country’s nuclear test sites.
China continues to flex its muscles in the South China Sea. The Chinese consul in Lebanon, Haj Abu Wassim, said last week, “Taiwan is part of China and will be back soon.”
On Sunday, Israel revealed that last year it intercepted two Iranian UAVsen route to the Gaza Strip with a payload of weapons. This was significant for two reasons. First, it demonstrated how Iran is seeking to open an axis of arms supplies to Gaza using drones. Second, this was the first ever interception of an operational UAV by an F-35 fighter jet.
Sunday night saw Israel attacking Iranian targets in the suburbs of Damascus. Israel developed intel on an underground facility for precision missiles. They learned where it was located and the activities that were involved there. The facility itself was manned by Iranian-backed militias and was overseen by two IRGC terrorists. Israel launched its attack destroying the facility and killing the two IRGC men. Interestingly, the attack was launched from Lebanese airspace near Beirut. This was probably part of the understanding between Prime Minister Bennett and Vladimir Putin, who had been demanding that Israel stop prosecuting attacks from Syrian airspace. Another curiosity was that Russia claimed that there were eight rockets fired, seven of which were shot down with the one remaining missile striking a civilian building. If that is true, then how was the underground facility destroyed and the IRGC terrorists killed?
Finally, we are watching a fascinating change in the Middle East. Yesterday, President Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey welcomed Israel’s President Isaac Herzog to his presidential palace as a friend, saying he saw the visit as a turning point in Turkey/Israel relations. Saudi Arabia also no longer considers Israel to be an enemy. Egypt’s president is deepening ties because he wants more gas from Israel. And yesterday the Israel Defense Forces Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant General Aviv Kohavi landed in Bahrain in order to deepen his relationship with his counterpart in the kingdom.
It will be very interesting to watch as Israel’s friendships continue to grow in the Middle East.
