The 11/30/21 dispatch.

The 11/26/21 dispatch. The 12/3/21 dispatch.

The 11/30/21 dispatch.

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Happy Tuesday! Hope everyone had a great weekend and that your week is off to a great start!

This weeks’ big news continues to be the fear of large-scale wra in Ukraine. And while I typically cover quite a few topics, there’s a lot to share about the situation with Russia, so today’s newsletter will mostly focus on that.

As this perfectly-worded headline states, this truly is a big test for America right now.

James LaPorta @JimLaPortaThreat of Russian invasion of Ukraine tests Biden administration

Threat of Russian invasion of Ukraine tests Biden administrationSecretary of State Antony Blinken left Monday on a trip to Europe and Washington is looking to consolidate a position among allies.washingtonpost.com

November 30th 2021

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From the story above:

The White House is reviewing options to deter a feared Russian invasion of Ukraine, including providing more military aid to Kyiv and threatening sanctions, to dissuade Russian President Vladimir Putin from escalating the simmering conflict into a full-blown transatlantic crisis.

The deliberations come as President Biden and his aides prepare for a virtual call with Putin next month, a moment that analysts see as an opportunity to signal the costs of an invasion to the Kremlin but also present a path for reducing tension.

…

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Thursday said Russia had massed a “large and unusual concentration of forces in the region,” including tanks, artillery, armored units, drones and electronic warfare systems, as well as combat-ready troops. Ukraine says Russia has about 94,000 troops near the border.

NATO is already warning Russia not to invade.

Military.com @MilitarydotcomNATO Warns Russia to Avoid Costly Mistake in Ukraine

NATO Warns Russia to Avoid Costly Mistake in UkraineNATO is worried about a Russian buildup of heavy equipment and troops near Ukraine’s northern border.military.com

November 30th 2021

3 Retweets13 Likes

From the military.com story:

The United States has shared intelligence with European allies warning of a possible invasion of Ukraine. European diplomats acknowledge the Russian troop movements, but some countries have played down the threat of any imminent invasion ordered by Moscow.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said the NATO ministers will “together send an unmistakable message to the Russian government: NATO’s support for Ukraine is unbroken and its independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty are not up for discussion.”

“Russia would have to pay a high price for any form of aggression,” Maas said. “Honest and sustainable de-escalation steps, which can only go via the route of talks, are all the more important now. I will not tire of stressing that the door to such talks is still open to Russia.”

Making this story a little more alarming was this news from Belarus, a neighbor of Ukraine and country closely allied to Russia (or at least its leaders are).

Tadeusz Giczan @TadeuszGiczanSeems like Belarusian military decided to go full Red Alert today. Apart from threatening Ukraine, Belarus Defence Ministry has just signed a memorandum on military cooperation with China and discussed joint plans with Chinese colleagues for 2022. Details are not disclosed.

November 29th 2021

91 Retweets197 Likes Twitter avatar for @TadeuszGiczan

Tadeusz Giczan @TadeuszGiczanReports are coming that as early as today the entire Belarusian 6th Tank Brigade is due to start moving from Grodno, where it is normally based, to the border with Ukraine.

Belarus and Russia to hold exercise at the border with UkraineAccording to our information, a full tank brigade should depart from Folush.motolko.help

November 29th 2021

122 Retweets240 Likes Twitter avatar for @TadeuszGiczan

Tadeusz Giczan @TadeuszGiczanLukashenko has just promised that if there is a new war in Donbas, "Belarus will not stay aside. And it is clear whose side we will be on." Seems like this map from the head of Ukraine’s military intelligence Kyrylo Budanov is not that alarmist after all.

November 29th 2021

414 Retweets863 Likes

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All right, that was a lot about the situation in Russia, so we’ll move to a few other things before ending with some motivation.

In Iran, there’s been some unrest now over water shortages.

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Here’s more on that topic: Iran water: What's causing the shortages? - BBC News

Moving over to Afghanistan, there were a couple of stories of note there:

@margheritamvs⁩ ","username":"yarotrof","name":"Yaroslav Trofimov","date":"Sun Nov 28 14:47:21 +0000 2021","photos":[],"quoted_tweet":{},"retweet_count":140,"like_count":207,"expanded_url":{"url":"https://www.wsj.com/articles/taliban-... Covert Operatives Seized Kabul, Other Afghan Cities From Within","description":"Success of Kabul’s undercover network, loyal to the Haqqanis, changed balance of power within Taliban after U.S. withdrawal","domain":"wsj.com"},"video_url":null}"> Twitter avatar for @yarotrof

Yaroslav Trofimov @yarotrof“We had agents in every organization and department, even the office I’m occupying today.” Our look at the Taliban’s clandestine network of operatives - many of them clean-shaven and beyond suspicion - who took Kabul from the inside. W @margheritamvs⁩

Taliban Covert Operatives Seized Kabul, Other Afghan Cities From WithinSuccess of Kabul’s undercover network, loyal to the Haqqanis, changed balance of power within Taliban after U.S. withdrawalwsj.com

November 28th 2021

140 Retweets207 Likes

And also this one:

washingtonpost.com/world/2021/11/…\nw @khan_haq & @EzzatMehrdad","username":"sgreports","name":"susannah george","date":"Sat Nov 27 19:43:30 +0000 2021","photos":[],"quoted_tweet":{},"retweet_count":5,"like_count":12,"expanded_url":{"url":"https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/... sends hundreds of fighters to eastern Afghanistan to wage war against Islamic State","description":"The escalating, brutal fight in Nangahar province risks overstretching limited Taliban resources and further alienating many Afghans.","domain":"washingtonpost.com"},"video_url":null}"> Twitter avatar for @sgreports

susannah george @sgreportsCheck out the whole story here:washingtonpost.com/world/2021/11/…w @khan_haq & @EzzatMehrdad

Taliban sends hundreds of fighters to eastern Afghanistan to wage war against Islamic StateThe escalating, brutal fight in Nangahar province risks overstretching limited Taliban resources and further alienating many Afghans.washingtonpost.com

November 27th 2021

5 Retweets12 Likes

Sadly, there was also this: The Taliban executed scores of Afghan security forces members after surrender, HRW report alleges.

And the country remains on the verge of economic collapse. UN envoy: Afghanistan on brink of `humanitarian catastrophe.'

All right, apologies that today’s newsletter was filled with anxiety-producing and sad news.

Let’s end with some motivation:

#Life","username":"IMQuotes_Videos","name":"Inspired Motivation Quotes","date":"Sun Nov 28 15:00:00 +0000 2021","photos":[],"quoted_tweet":{},"retweet_count":186,"like_count":423,"expanded_url":{},"video_url":null}"> Twitter avatar for @IMQuotes_Videos

Inspired Motivation Quotes @IMQuotes_Videos6 Things to always remember:1) Everything takes time.2) Other people are not the answer to your happiness.3) Grow and never stop working on yourself.4) Change is inevitable.5) Your mistakes don’t define you.6) You are a beautiful, powerful being, capable of so much.#Life

November 28th 2021

186 Retweets423 Likes

And also one thing, a blast from the past if you will !

I’m sharing this because you need to see this photo today. And because Top Gun back in the day helped convince me and half of the dudes I served with to sign up.

(I learned, much to my sadness, that real vets don't play vollebyall wearing dog tags though... lol)

#AvGeek #Aviation #USNavy #Tomcatat50 #TOPGUN ","username":"RealAirPower1","name":"Air Power","date":"Tue Nov 30 15:12:51 +0000 2021","photos":[{"img_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/media/FFc2tV... Twitter avatar for @RealAirPower1