| Ukraine Belatedly Admits “Heavy Casualty Rate” in Appeal for More Weapons From WestPosted: 10 Jun 2022 07:11 AM PDTUkraine’s government has thus far kept its military death toll a tightly guarded secret, now four months into the conflict, even as heavy international scrutiny has focused on Russian losses amid prior widespread speculation and assertions that Russia was “losing”.However, there’s been a noticeable shift in Western media and among the national security pundit class over the past weeks as Russian forces begin to solidify hold over nearly all the Donbas, and as the final Luhansk holdout city of Severodonetsk’s fall looks imminent.With this backdrop, Mykhaylo Podolyak – a senior advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky – admitted Thursday that Ukraine is losing between 100 and 200 troops per day amid the Russian onslaught. The figure is significantly revised upward compared to President Zelensky only last week offering a loss estimate of between 60 and 100 troops each day.After seeking to hide or downplay information which could give the appearance of sever Ukrainian losses and battlefield setbacks, it seems taking daily average casualties public is geared toward getting more arms from the West.“The Russian forces have thrown pretty much everything non-nuclear at the front and that includes heavy artillery, multiple rocket launch systems and aviation,” Podolyak told BBC, and further:He repeated Ukraine’s appeal for more weapons from the West, saying that the “complete lack of parity” between the Russian and Ukrainian armies was the reason for Ukraine’s heavy casualty rate.“Our demands for artillery are not just some kind of whim… but an objective need when it comes to the situation on the battlefield,” he said. He specified that Ukraine’s military needs 150 to 300 rocket launch systems to match Russia, which is far and above what the West has supplied thus far.At the same time, Podolyak said that his government’s position is that peace talks with Russian representatives are not possible until the Kremlin gives back territory it’s seized since the Feb.24 invasion began.Separately, but right on message, Ukraine’s deputy head of military intelligence has said Ukraine is “losing against Russia on the frontlines and is now almost solely reliant on weapons from the west to keep Russia at bay,” as cited in The Guardian.“This is an artillery war now,” said deputy head of military intelligence Vadym Skibitsky. He said in terms of ongoing frontline fighting which he dubbed “where the future would be decided,” the reality is “we are losing in terms of artillery.”.@MoonofA on why they’re putting on this ridiculous “We have no idea what’s happening in our own proxy war” charade:https://t.co/Xrv6YHNc7H pic.twitter.com/wdnOmbTkpF— Caitlin Johnstone ? (@caitoz) June 9, 2022“Everything now depends on what [the west] gives us,” he told The Guardian. “Ukraine has one artillery piece to 10 to 15 Russian artillery pieces. Our western partners have given us about 10% of what they have.” In appealing for Kiev’s Western backers to send more, particularly the United States, even after billions spent on military aid, he stressed that the military is fast running out of munitions:“We have almost used up all of our [artillery] ammunition and are now using 155-calibre Nato standard shells,” he said of the ammunition that is fired from artillery pieces.“Europe is also delivering lower-calibre shells but as Europe runs out, the amount is getting smaller.”“If they succeed in the Donbas, they could use these territories to launch another attack on Odesa, [the city of] Zaporizhzhia [and] Dnipro,” said Skibitsky of still Ukrainian controlled cities but which remain in striking distance of Russian-occupied areas.. “Their aim is the whole of Ukraine and more.”He said further that Russia’s weapons supplies can far outlast what Ukraine currently has – up to at least a year before Russia would have to manufacture more or else mobilize the population to ramp up production, according to his description of the situation to The Guardian. But given these admissions, and that the reality now slowly dawning on the West that Russia’s military won’t be able to be dislodged from the east, but with Kiev still resistant to the idea of a negotiated settlement, what’s the endgame here?Republished from ZeroHedge.com with permissionThe post Ukraine Belatedly Admits “Heavy Casualty Rate” in Appeal for More Weapons From West appeared first on We Are Change. |
More Members of White House Press Team Departing as Biden Approval Rating Hits Record LowPosted: 10 Jun 2022 06:13 AM PDTPresident Biden’s job approval rating has reached a new low, according to RealClearPolitics tracking, slipping below 40% for the second time since he entered office.This is the largest gap to President Trump’s job approval rating at this point in their terms… Interestingly, as MorningConsult.com reports, Biden’s diminishing standing should be alarming to Democrats working to hold control of Congress in the midterm elections this fall.While Biden’s decline has not yet dragged down approval for most Democratic incumbents on the Senate side of the aisle, studies have shown an increasing association between a party’s House performance and their president’s job approval rating.Perhaps that is why, as The Epoch Times’ Katabella Roberts reports, a number of key staff members of the White House press office have left their roles in the past week amid reports of tensions behind the scenes.Mike Gwin, who has been the White House rapid response director since January 2021, will depart to become the deputy assistant secretary for public affairs at the Treasury Department, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre announced on Tuesday.“On a sad note, our dear friend and colleague, Michael Gwin, will be leaving us for Treasury, where he will serve as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs,” Jean-Pierre said during a press briefing while praising Gwin for “responding to the most challenging and difficult issues imaginable” during his time in the press office.“Yet, amidst these often emotionally-wrenching stories, Gwin’s poise and moral clarity are unfailing, and his willingness and ability to step up has made him an indispensable member of the team,” she continued.White House press assistant Michael Kikukawa is also leaving to serve in public affairs at the U.S. Treasury, Jean-Pierre confirmed.“And joining Gwin at the Treasury Department will be our very own Michael Kikukawa, where he will serve as a spokesperson,” she said.“Michael, better known here to all of you, to all of us as ‘Kiku,’ has served not just as a press assistant but as the strong engine and reliable engine at the press shop. His relentless work ethic and dedication to the mission of this team have been second to none.”Last week it was announced that assistant press secretary Vedant Patel is also leaving the White House to become principal deputy spokesperson at the State Department.The following day, Jean-Pierre confirmed that press office chief of staff Amanda Finney would move to the Energy Department to become deputy director of public affairs.In May, MSNBC announced that it officially hired former White House press secretary Jen Psaki after she departed the Biden administration on May 13.Psaki is set to host her own show which is scheduled to debut sometime during the first quarter of 2023 and will “bring together her unique perspective from behind the podium and her deep experience in the highest levels of government and presidential politics,” the network said Tuesday in a statement while touting her “extensive experience in government and on the campaign trail.”The departures come amid reports of tensions in the White house between staffers who are allegedly scrambling to improve Biden’s image ahead of the midterm elections.The Washington Post reported that Biden had complained for weeks to his aids that “his administration was not doing enough to publicly explain” sky-high inflation levels.A string of other news outlets reported similar frictions in office, including Politico, which stated that at least 21 black staff members have exited the White House since late last year or are planning to leave soon.The reports come after more than a dozen top aides have in the past 12 months left the office of Vice President Kamala Harris, who has been noticeably absent from the spotlight since taking up her role and has faced criticism for her handling of certain situations, such as the U.S.–Mexico border crisis.White House officials have pushed back on the narrative of friction behind the scenes, stating that routine job shuffling is normal.“The president is incredibly proud to have built what continues to be the most diverse White House staff in history, and he is committed to continuing historic representation for Black staff and all communities,” Jean-Pierre said in a statement to Politico. “This is a normal time for turnover across the board in any administration and Black staff have been promoted at a higher rate than staff who are not diverse.”Republished from ZeroHedge.com with permissionThe post More Members of White House Press Team Departing as Biden Approval Rating Hits Record Low appeared first on We Are Change. |
| Don’t Be Fooled! This Is Divide & Conquer!Posted: 09 Jun 2022 12:32 PM PDTToday’s video explains what the people in power are really trying to accomplish as things fall apart in Biden’s America.The post Don’t Be Fooled! This Is Divide & Conquer! appeared first on We Are Change. |
Interestingly, as MorningConsult.com reports, Biden’s diminishing standing should be alarming to Democrats working to hold control of Congress in the midterm elections this fall.While Biden’s decline has not yet dragged down approval for most Democratic incumbents on the Senate side of the aisle, studies have shown an increasing association between a party’s House performance and their president’s job approval rating.Perhaps that is why, as The Epoch Times’ Katabella Roberts reports, a number of key staff members of the White House press office have left their roles in the past week amid reports of tensions behind the scenes.Mike Gwin, who has been the White House rapid response director since January 2021, will depart to become the deputy assistant secretary for public affairs at the Treasury Department, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre announced on Tuesday.“On a sad note, our dear friend and colleague, Michael Gwin, will be leaving us for Treasury, where he will serve as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs,” Jean-Pierre said during a press briefing while praising Gwin for “responding to the most challenging and difficult issues imaginable” during his time in the press office.“Yet, amidst these often emotionally-wrenching stories, Gwin’s poise and moral clarity are unfailing, and his willingness and ability to step up has made him an indispensable member of the team,” she continued.White House press assistant Michael Kikukawa is also leaving to serve in public affairs at the U.S. Treasury, Jean-Pierre confirmed.“And joining Gwin at the Treasury Department will be our very own Michael Kikukawa, where he will serve as a spokesperson,” she said.“Michael, better known here to all of you, to all of us as ‘Kiku,’ has served not just as a press assistant but as the strong engine and reliable engine at the press shop. His relentless work ethic and dedication to the mission of this team have been second to none.”Last week it was announced that assistant press secretary Vedant Patel is also leaving the White House to become principal deputy spokesperson at the State Department.The following day, Jean-Pierre confirmed that press office chief of staff Amanda Finney would move to the Energy Department to become deputy director of public affairs.In May, MSNBC announced that it officially hired former White House press secretary Jen Psaki after she departed the Biden administration on May 13.Psaki is set to host her own show which is scheduled to debut sometime during the first quarter of 2023 and will “bring together her unique perspective from behind the podium and her deep experience in the highest levels of government and presidential politics,” the network said Tuesday in a statement while touting her “extensive experience in government and on the campaign trail.”The departures come amid reports of tensions in the White house between staffers who are allegedly scrambling to improve Biden’s image ahead of the midterm elections.The Washington Post reported that Biden had complained for weeks to his aids that “his administration was not doing enough to publicly explain” sky-high inflation levels.A string of other news outlets reported similar frictions in office, including Politico, which stated that at least 21 black staff members have exited the White House since late last year or are planning to leave soon.The reports come after more than a dozen top aides have in the past 12 months left the office of Vice President Kamala Harris, who has been noticeably absent from the spotlight since taking up her role and has faced criticism for her handling of certain situations, such as the U.S.–Mexico border crisis.White House officials have pushed back on the narrative of friction behind the scenes, stating that routine job shuffling is normal.“The president is incredibly proud to have built what continues to be the most diverse White House staff in history, and he is committed to continuing historic representation for Black staff and all communities,” Jean-Pierre said in a statement to Politico. “This is a normal time for turnover across the board in any administration and Black staff have been promoted at a higher rate than staff who are not diverse.”Republished from ZeroHedge.com with permissionThe post More Members of White House Press Team Departing as Biden Approval Rating Hits Record Low appeared first on We Are Change.
