Zechariah 12:3 On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves.
Important Takeaways:
- The invasion of Ukraine makes it obvious: The IDF will fight its own battles, alone
- If President Joe Biden’s speech on Wednesday evening wasn’t clear enough: Ukraine is on its own against the Russian bear. And if there’s anything Israel can learn from that, is that it also will find itself fighting alone should it ever find itself in a war against Iran.
- Yes, Biden said that he will impose strong sanctions on Russia and will provide Ukraine with humanitarian aid, yes the United States will deploy additional troops to neighboring NATO countries, but no, US troops will not fight against Russian troops for Ukraine.
- Biden sounded angry and frustrated during his speech where he said that Russia’s invasion “is a dangerous moment for all of Europe, for the freedom around the world. Putin has committed an assault on the very principles that uphold global peace.”
- But, with all due respect, Biden waved the Western white flag and lost American deterrence against Russia -as well as Iran and China- countries that only respect leaders who show true power and strength.
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Matthew 24:6 “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet.”
Important Takeaways:
- Putin is after more than land — he wants the religious soul of Ukraine
- The physical landscape of Ukraine isn’t the only battle space Russian invaders hope to dominate. For the past decade, the two countries have fought another battle — not over territory but the religious orientation of Ukraine. And if Russia occupies the country, religious freedom will be one of the many casualties.
- Putin’s efforts to restore Russian prestige have included elevating the Russian Orthodox Church to the center of Russian identity while also undermining the independence of the Moscow Patriarch. Putin’s Ukraine scheme included leveraging the potential religious soft power of the Moscow-aligned Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate.
- The Orthodox Church of Ukraine becoming free was a declaration of independence from foreign influence and achieved greater religious freedom
- The president of the European People’s Party, Donald Tusk, cited sources saying Putin’s “demands are also connected with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and its independence from Moscow.
- Whatever the outcome, the future is uncertain. The Prussian strategist Carl von Clausewitz said, “War is the continuation of politics by other means.” War was probably the only outcome Putin wanted. The implications for Ukrainian religious freedom and other human rights, however, hang in the balance.
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Matthew 24:6 “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet.”
Important Takeaways:
- Ukraine declares state of emergency, summons citizens home from Russia
- The country started drafting reservists aged 18-60 following a decree by President Volodymyr Zelensky.
- The maximum service period is one year.
- Shelling intensified at the line of contact in eastern Ukraine, where Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized the independence of two Moscow-backed rebel regions this week and has ordered the deployment of Russian troops as “peacekeepers.”
- Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry requested President Volodymyr Zelensky to break off diplomatic ties with Russia in response to the recognition of the independence of separatist-held regions.
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Matthew 24:6 “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet.”
Important Takeaways:
- Russia warns of a ‘finely tuned and painful response’ to Biden’s sanctions as Ukraine is hit with a massive cyberattack, declares nationwide state of emergency and Putin boasts of ‘advanced’ hypersonic weapons
- Ukraine has declared a state of emergency – government websites and bank websites have been hit by cyber attack
- Comes as Joe Biden hit Russian banks and several top figures in Putin’s inner circle as well as sanctioning Russia’s sovereign debt to stop country raise money from the West
- Secretary of State Antony Blinken cancelled his meeting with Sergei Lavrov as diplomacy failed to end crisis
- Western allies say full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine including attack on Kiev is ‘highly likely’ – with U.S. sources spotting blood supplies being moved to the frontlines
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Important Takeaways:
- Russia now has right to build military bases in eastern Ukraine – treaties
- Putin on Monday officially recognized the two breakaway regions – the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic and the Lugansk People’s Republic – as independent statelets, defying Western warnings that such a step would be illegal and kill peace negotiations. read more
- Under the two identical friendship treaties, submitted by Putin for ratification by parliament, Russia has the right to build bases in the separatist regions and they, on paper, can do the same in Russia.
- The 31-point treaties also say Russia and the breakaway statelets will work to integrate their economies. Both of them are former industrial areas in need of massive support to rebuild after eight years of war with Ukrainian government forces.
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Important Takeaways:
- If Russia mounts cyberattacks against the United States, the targets could include banks, power plants, water treatment facilities, and communications. Cyber experts say Russia has the capability to disable or destroy U.S. satellites. Those attacks could also impact GPS for navigation, farming, automation, and oil exploration.
- “Our food supply, things that have to do with our power supply, utilities,” cybersecurity expert Ian Marlow said. “Utilities have been brought down and then you don’t have service.”
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Matthew 24:6 “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet.”
Important Takeaways:
- Russia ‘has moved 10,000 troops into contested areas in 12 hours’, Ukraine military sources claim after Sajid Javid declared ‘the invasion has begun’ – as Kremlin warns it recognizes some Ukrainian-held areas as ‘independent regions’
- 6,000 went to Donetsk, 5,000 to Luhansk and 1,500 to Horlivka, source with links to Ukraine intelligence said
- Came as Kremlin said Putin’s order to recognize Donetsk and Luhansk as independent extends to areas currently held by Ukrainian forces, raising fears of a land-grab and direct conflict
- German Chancellor Olaf Scholz led world leaders in responding, announcing that the multi-billion dollar Nord Stream 2 gas pipe from Russia will not be approved
- Boris Johnson followed, sanctioning five Russian banks – Rossiya, IS Bank, General Bank, Promsvyazbank and the Black Sea Bank
- The EU will to announce measures this afternoon, with the White House also pledging tougher action after a limited response against businesses in the Donbass region last night.
- General Sir Richard Sherriff, Britain’s former top Nato commander, warned that Europe is now facing its most-perilous moment since the end of the Cold War.
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Matthew 24:6 “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet.”
Important Takeaways:
- Ukraine crisis: Putin sends Russian tanks, hardware into Donetsk – report
- The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on the crisis Tuesday morning.
- Columns of military vehicles including tanks were seen in the early hours of Tuesday on the outskirts of Donetsk, the capital of one of two breakaway east Ukraine regions after Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized them as independent states.
- No insignia were visible, but the appearance of the tanks came hours after Putin signed friendship treaties with the two separatist regions [Lugansk & Donetsk] and ordered Russian troops to deploy on what Moscow called a peacekeeping operation.
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Matthew 24:6 “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet.”
Important Takeaways:
- Russia’s upper house approves Vladimir Putin’s request to use military force abroad.
- In a letter to the Russian upper house of parliament, President Putin formally asked lawmakers to approve the use of Russian military force outside the country.
- The move formalizes a Russian military deployment to separatist regions in eastern Ukraine, a day after Putin recognized their independence.
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Matthew 24:6 “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet.”
Important Takeaways:
- China concerned about ‘worsening’ Ukraine situation, warns nationals there
- China’s embassy in Ukraine warned its nationals there not to venture into unstable areas, but stopped short of telling them to leave, as many other nations have advised their own citizens.
- China is closely following the evolving situation in Ukraine, Wang told the briefing, which drew more reporters than usual.
- This month, the United States said it would commit more diplomatic and security resources to the Indo-Pacific, and vowed to work with partners both in and outside the region to maintain peace and stability in the strait dividing Taiwan from China
- Wang told Blinken the United States should not include Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, in America’s Indo-Pacific strategy,
- On Monday, China said it had placed Lockheed Martin Corp and Raytheon Technologies Corp under sanctions over arms sales to Taiwan, in at least the third time it has announced punishments for the U.S. firms.
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