- The article discusses the indictment of former US President Donald Trump for plotting to overturn the 2020 election result.
- It highlights how the Republicans have closed ranks around Trump and argues that only politics, not the law, will stop him in 2024.
- The article also covers the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia, with Ukraine's counter-offensive not making the desired progress.
- It mentions Russia's desperate measures to recruit soldiers, including forbidding conscripts from leaving and making it harder to hide within the country.
- The article provides insights for investors, including lessons from a year of surprises and discussions on the future of Alphabet and Volkswagen.
### Summary
The pace of Ukraine's counter-offensive has been disappointing, leading to frustrated expectations and increased criticism of President Zelensky. Ukraine is also facing challenges with the delayed arrival of Western equipment and lack of air cover.
### Facts
- The pace of Ukraine's counter-offensive has been slower than expected, leading to frustrated expectations and criticism of President Zelensky.
- Western equipment promised to Ukraine has not arrived in the expected numbers, causing frustration and demotivation.
- Allies' equivocation about the supply of newer weapons and the prospect of Donald Trump's re-election adds to Ukrainian anxieties.
- Ukraine's army lacks resources for frontal attacks and is focusing on degrading the enemy through artillery, drones, and electronic warfare.
- Recent advances have been made in the southern theatre, but Ukraine is still far from its strategic goal of nearing the Azov Sea before late October.
- Rumors of early parliamentary and presidential elections have circulated, with the logic that it would be better for Zelensky to seek re-election while still a national hero.
- Conducting elections during a war would be complex, and the idea of early elections currently lacks popular demand.
- Peace negotiations with Russia are unlikely without a military breakthrough, as there is still a strong desire to regain lost territory.
- The burden of the war falls heavily on Ukraine's young generation, who face conscription and the constant threat of being sent to the front.
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Economists are increasingly lowering the odds of a U.S. recession, while the global trade finance gap reaches a record $2.5 trillion, and China's property developer Country Garden avoids default. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un plans to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss military cooperation, and economists/traders believe the Fed will maintain a cautious approach to interest rate adjustments. The scarcity of homes for sale in the U.S. leads to a surge in prices, and the issue of providing high-speed internet access to all Americans faces challenges due to high costs. The Philippines considers reducing tariffs on rice imports, and Putin announces that Russia will not rejoin the grain deal with Ukraine until its demands are met. Jill Biden tests positive for Covid-19, and a new poll indicates that voters believe President Biden is too old to run for re-election. McConnell's health and leadership ability are questioned, and there is debate about using federal funds to rebuild flood-prone infrastructure in Florida.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un may travel to Russia for a summit with President Vladimir Putin, where Russia seeks to buy ammunition from North Korea in exchange for food, energy shipments, and transfers of sophisticated weapons technologies.
### Summary
Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un are planning to meet in Russia to discuss possible weapons deals, which could help replenish Russia's ammunition stocks amid Ukraine's counteroffensive.
Former U.S. President George W. Bush believes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is tough like a Texan and warns that if Russia's President Vladimir Putin is not stopped in Ukraine, the U.S. will have to be involved in supporting neighboring countries like Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia.
Russia is sticking to its conditions for a return to the Black Sea grain deal, including the reconnection of its state agricultural bank to the international SWIFT bank payments system, while Ukraine refuses to alter its stand and be hostage to "Russian blackmail."
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin would not be arrested in Brazil if he attends the Group of 20 meeting in Rio de Janeiro next year, despite an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court accusing Putin of illegally deporting children from Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his forces in occupied southern Ukraine are determined to retain control of Crimea, as it is key to Russia's regional power projection and allows them to dominate the Black Sea region, project force into the Mediterranean, and supply their units in neighboring oblasts.
Vice President Kamala Harris warns that a potential meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin would be a "huge mistake," citing Russia's aggression in Ukraine and the further isolation it would bring to both countries.
Russia's Central Elections Commission reported that the United Russia party, which supports President Vladimir Putin, was leading in local elections in four Ukrainian regions occupied by Russian forces, despite the elections being dismissed as a sham by Ukraine and its allies.
Russia's regional and municipal elections, including in annexed regions from Ukraine, have bolstered support for President Vladimir Putin, despite accusations of vote rigging and Ukraine's condemnation of Moscow's control over the regions.
President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, expresses his hope for the Russia-Ukraine war to end before the upcoming G20 Summit in Brazil and invites President Putin and Xi Jinping to attend.
The Biden administration is considering whether to send long-range missiles to Ukraine, but a final decision has not yet been made, and it is unlikely to happen before the U.N. General Assembly; if approved, the missiles would provide Ukraine with the ability to strike deep into Russian territory.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has requested weapons and support from North Korea amid the invasion of Ukraine, but experts doubt it will significantly impact the war, according to Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Russian President Vladimir Putin indicated that he is preparing for a prolonged war in Ukraine, stating that Kyiv could potentially use any ceasefire to rearm and that the US will continue to view Russia as an enemy regardless of the outcome of the 2024 US election.
Kim Jong-un has pledged to support Russia's decisions and join the fight against imperialism during his meeting with Vladimir Putin, while the US has suggested that Russia is seeking North Korean military hardware to aid in the invasion of Ukraine.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's visit to Russia has raised concerns that he may provide military support to President Putin's war in Ukraine.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a summit in an attempt to align their interests, with Kim seeking military reconnaissance satellites and possible ammunition and rockets to bolster Russian forces in Ukraine, violating international sanctions.
Ukraine has shelled Russia's Belgorod region, launched airstrikes on occupied Crimea, and destroyed Russian air defense systems in Crimea, resulting in casualties and damage; meanwhile, Russian President Putin has accepted an invitation to visit North Korea and is expecting a visit from Belarusian President Lukashenko.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko discussed the possibility of Belarus joining Russia's efforts to revive an old alliance with North Korea after Putin's recent summit with Kim Jong Un, but there are concerns that this could violate U.N. sanctions against Pyongyang.
Summary: The recent meeting between Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un suggests that North Korea is interested in establishing a presence in space and expanding its military ambitions, which has raised concerns among the US and other Western countries about potential arms deals and violations of UN sanctions.
The European Commission's ban on grain shipments from Ukraine into five bordering EU nations has expired, leading Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia to impose their own import restrictions, citing protection of their farmers' interests. Meanwhile, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited Vladivostok, Russia, prompting concerns about potential arms deals between Pyongyang and Moscow.
Former President Donald Trump welcomes Russian President Vladimir Putin's support for his plan to end the war in Ukraine, causing concern among Ukrainian leaders who fear it would involve giving Ukrainian land to Russia.
Ukraine's defense intelligence agency head, Lieutenant-General Kyrylo Budanov, asserts that despite the slow progress, Ukraine's counter-offensive against Russia is ongoing, and Russia's defensive line in southern Ukraine has been breached in some places, potentially cutting off land connections to Crimea before winter; however, he acknowledges the risk of Ukraine running down its own resources and the uncertainties regarding the continuation of Western support.
Ukraine's special services are likely responsible for drone strikes on Wagner-backed forces in Sudan, raising concerns about the escalation of Russia-Ukraine conflict beyond the frontlines; Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell defends Ukraine's request for more aid ahead of Ukrainian President Zelensky's visit to the US Capitol; President Zelensky warns the UN General Assembly that Russia's invasion of Ukraine is not only about Ukraine but also about weaponizing food and energy and turning other countries' power plants into "dirty bombs"; Zelensky calls for global unity to defeat Russia's aggression and accuses Russia of kidnapping Ukrainian children and weaponizing the food supply; Russian President Putin is seeking support from North Korea and Iran while Ukraine continues to gain support from numerous countries.
As support for Ukraine from its international allies declines, there are concerns that Russia may exploit weaknesses and fractures in Ukraine's partnerships, particularly as elections in allied countries approach, and tensions between Ukraine and Poland heighten over agricultural exports.
Russia is seeking to rejoin the UN Human Rights Council, but the move is met with opposition from Western countries due to continuous evidence of Russian war crimes in Ukraine.
President Vladimir Putin claims that Russia's mission is to build a "new world" and blames Western hegemony for their military intervention in Ukraine.
Russia is seeking election to the United Nations' top human rights body, the U.N. Human Rights Council, in a vote next week, potentially deflecting attention from the country's invasion of Ukraine and causing concern among human rights groups.
The Kremlin insists that Russia's presidential and parliamentary elections should proceed as scheduled, despite the "special military operation" in Ukraine, according to presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
Russia is seeking to return to the UN Human Rights Council after being expelled in 2022, just days after a missile attack in Ukraine killed over 50 people.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to delay further mobilizations in the war with Ukraine until after Russia's presidential election in March, potentially weakening Russia's offensives against Ukraine, according to British intelligence assessments.
