New York Times: “McCarthy Declines to Host House Forum for Zelensky Amid G.O.P. Rifts.” The speaker preferred a private chat with the Ukrainian president over a meeting with rank-and-file (Republican) lawmakers, who are sure to rebuff the beleaguered leader who hasn’t mellowed down from begging for continuous aid from the U.S. I don’t see partisanship sides here though. Washington per se has to quit tossing taxpayer money to a losing war, handed to a historically corrupt government.
Since the war began in Feb 2022, the U.S. Congress has directed more than $75 billion to Ukraine, out of the $113 billion previously approved. Yet President Biden (again!) asked for an additional $24 billion. Fact: Military aid to Ukraine averaged $86 million per day or $2.7 billion per month. Yet who’s winning? Washington has to sit with Moscow and end this war.
Mr Zelensky has to head home, gather his team, and devise talking points to a negotiated ceasefire. And start gathering an accounting of how the huge-ass $billion aid that he received was spent or wherever they’d be.
Let’s review: Volodymyr Zelensky and his partners in comedy production owned a network of offshore companies related to their business based in the British Virgin Islands, Cyprus, and Belize. Volo’s current chief aide, Serhiy Shefir, as well as the head of the country’s Security Service, were part of the offshore network.
Meanwhile, Z’s predecessor Petro Poroshenko controlled at least six offshore shell companies handling tens of millions of dollars in transactions, including luxury furniture for his home and expensive art. The companies banked at Austria’s Raiffeisen Bank International, which listed Poroshenko’s longtime employee as their owner. Another 11 offshore companies banking at Raiffeisen also had ties to Poroshenko’s business empire. 🇺🇦😏🇺🇦
IN other news: “Zelensky Tells U.N. Security Council It’s Useless While Russia Has a Veto.” And adds: “The Ukrainian president joined many world leaders in calling for changes at the Security Council, where five permanent members wield veto power — a high barrier to taking action.” Changes? And push-button a world war? When this tempest worsens, where’d we find Zelensky and “other leaders,” you reckon? Safe in the bunker of their offshore properties? And get waylaid? Innocent people.
The permanent members of the United Nations Security Council per U.N. Charter of 1945: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Veto power is the ability of these five superpowers to reject any substantive decision of the Security Council. 🇺🇦🤨🇺🇦
