The end of your piece says it all: it is all about the orange cancer craving attention from anybody who will give it. It is made for TV drama just like the explosive stories in tariffs. There is no real policy direction from the top, just a narcissistic play for attention. And that is what should scare all of us as in the end, there is no strategy, no vision, no plan for helping Ukraine. Just feeding the ego of a dementia addled, incontinent, narcissistic old man.
Agree. Economist is the best of the lot right now. NYTImes and Wapo cannot be redeemed. I think they need to fade away. The world is not going to miss much if they are gone. I think it will be better without those two.
Agreed, the Economist, Financial Times, Guardian and several foreign periodicals present the truth, while the US media is either complicit, compliant, or just too cowardly to act truthfully. The Fourth Estate, my arse!…:)
“Can you all see how the GOP works and why democrats are no match to them?” This is part of the problem of being a wide tent Democratic party. It’s also a problem for the GOP that it is run by old, rich white males who love death in the morning.
These Patriots are needed to slow down hypersonics and missiles I am guessing? They are a bridge solution until Ukraine can secure enough interceptor drones.
I am glad the national security wing of the GOP is doing some good. It is Ukraine that suffers while Washington dithers.
Press the advantage. Allow Ukraine to blow up drone factories. Allow them to intercept missiles and protect their homeland. Ramp up the financial and psychological pressure on Putin’s regime.
Thanks Mr. Narayan! Your insights are invaluable regarding Ukraine. If Ukraine can reserve Patriots for the most dangerous of Russian weapons, hopefully interceptor drones can be used for everything else.
They are slamming it all the way. All the fucking way.
(Reuters) - "The Senate Armed Services Committee has approved $500 million in security assistance for Ukraine as part of its draft language for its Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, which also restricts A-10 aircraft retirements.
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is an annual policy bill that authorizes funding levels and provides authorities for the U.S. military."
They have also banned the proposal to retire the A10 fleet.
Thus is unprecedented. I have never seen this level of coordinated push by the nat sec Bloc. I withdraw my comment that sanctions and PDA may not clear at the same time. I have no idea how far they are now planning to push. They pushing and winning it layer by layer.
“Can you all see how the GOP works and why democrats are no match to them?….They intutively understand the importance of narrative. They work together. And they press together.”
Thanks Shankar, great analysis and 100% spot on! I wish the democrats would finally get the memo. He who controls the narrative; WINS! End of Story!…:)
Have a great weekend all, and hopefully you’re right Shankar, although my cynicism and skepticism still haunt me…:)
I believe Shankar is right. President Drawdown authority use is circulating on Substack. The pro-Putin wing is on the backfoot. Press harder and crush them.
I think there’s closer to $3 billion—or more—available in PDA.
Ukraine, thanks to interest payments from frozen Russian assets and the EU aid fund that was cleared last year, can mobilize twice that amount in no time.
So, whether the PDA clears or not makes no difference in terms of money. Ukraine can pay and take delivery. Then why is the administration talking about the PDA?
It’s the NatSec bloc—sensing they have their foot on the pro-Putin gang’s windpipe—trying to press harder. If the PDA clears, even if it’s just a few hundred million dollars, the narrative shifts. So the PDA is a flex to solidify their strength.
It’s perfectly fine if it doesn’t clear. No big deal whatsoever.
The key is: shipments have resumed. Hegseth, Colby, and the tech bros will lie low for a while and wait for the next opening. It will come in the form of Moscow angling for a ceasefire.
Pentagon is getting $1 trillion, and a $150 billion dollar increase from last budget. Whose numbers are insane. They will shift towards research, drones, and interceptors. They know US bases are overexposed. Some of that will flow to Ukraine. Wish none of that went to Israel.
And ICE is getting a $170 billion boost and we have no idea how it’s being used. Putting this into perspective, we have a $170 billion slush funds at Trump’s disposal to be used at his discretion, while most military’s in the world don’t have a$170 billion annual budget; including Israel. Let that sink in!…:)
Thanks once again for great insights. My relief at this movement is through the roof. Will Hegseth try to do damage now, or will he keep a low profile (something he may be unable to manage to do) ? What of the massive uptick in drones to Russia from China I believe? Any hope of sanctions being in the vaunted Monday news drop from Trump?
I wonder if it will ever be possible to determine how many deaths this regime has and will cause.
Between USAID defunding, lives lost in Ukraine, immigrants being sent to unsafe countries, and soon the loss of medical and food coverage for thousands of Americans.
Do we have a good handle on who the pro and anti EU megadonor entities are? In the "nothing to see here" Signal chat concerning the aerial assault on Yemen some months back, Vance and Hegseth were lamenting the fact that the Red Sea shipping lanes were more important to European concerns. So I would suspect that the likes of Peter Thiel and the rest of deep pocketed "accelerationists" would be in the anti camp.
Good news on the "missile front", but how long will it take to actually produce them in quantity? Are the remaining stocks sufficient for Ukraine's defence? Seven hundred shahed drones and missiles just clobbered Kviv yesterday. You have to expect Russia to continue their terror campaign against civilian targets. It is up to Europe to try and fill that gap in air defense until...and "if"... the U.S. has adequate stocks and actually sends them. Call me a cynic.
No. That is not the issue. The US has been, for a very long time, moving missiles from one region to another.
The rate of consumption in Ukraine is extremely high and nothing is enough. For instance, Russia's Iskander missile production, just one missile type, is more than patriot production.
Including the United States, everyone is in deep trouble because of this production mismatch with Russia.
So, we are not looking at factory to Ukraine.
What we are looking at is two things.
1. Production ramp from the current level, that gives a bit more peace for military planners in the United States. The US needs to keep ramping up production.
Russia’s continued ability to produce missiles and other types of flying explosives in great quantities is a separate problem that must be addressed by e.g. blowing up missile factories, trucks or trains transporting them, depots, and launch systems etc; those are excellent ways to reduce Ukraine’s torment precisely because the cost for Russia to replace what is destroyed is greater than the cost of destroying it.
What you should be asking is, "Where TAF is tRump in all this?" Yes, Hegseth, yes Colby, yes Pentagon insiders, but...where is the goddam so-called president in this intra-GOPer fight? Is he that much checked out? Other "priorities"? Doesn't give two fucks? What?
The end of your piece says it all: it is all about the orange cancer craving attention from anybody who will give it. It is made for TV drama just like the explosive stories in tariffs. There is no real policy direction from the top, just a narcissistic play for attention. And that is what should scare all of us as in the end, there is no strategy, no vision, no plan for helping Ukraine. Just feeding the ego of a dementia addled, incontinent, narcissistic old man.
Well said!…:)
Now if we can get the NYT and WaPo to state it that way. The Economist is getting closer than anybody, but nobody in the US pays much attention to it.
Agree. Economist is the best of the lot right now. NYTImes and Wapo cannot be redeemed. I think they need to fade away. The world is not going to miss much if they are gone. I think it will be better without those two.
Agreed, the Economist, Financial Times, Guardian and several foreign periodicals present the truth, while the US media is either complicit, compliant, or just too cowardly to act truthfully. The Fourth Estate, my arse!…:)
I meant to acknowledge your comment, Paul!
Yes! It’s a damn shame we can’t get people interested in the World’s “Frontline Battle for Freedom” from Tyranny!
What a damn shame, Robert!
Interesting. The last time I looked at The Economist, it’s coverage of Trump was about as “normalizing” as possible. Felt disgusted.
“Can you all see how the GOP works and why democrats are no match to them?” This is part of the problem of being a wide tent Democratic party. It’s also a problem for the GOP that it is run by old, rich white males who love death in the morning.
These Patriots are needed to slow down hypersonics and missiles I am guessing? They are a bridge solution until Ukraine can secure enough interceptor drones.
I am glad the national security wing of the GOP is doing some good. It is Ukraine that suffers while Washington dithers.
Press the advantage. Allow Ukraine to blow up drone factories. Allow them to intercept missiles and protect their homeland. Ramp up the financial and psychological pressure on Putin’s regime.
I have been thinking about a detailed story on the importance of patriots. Let me see if I can squeeze it into my schedule next week.
Thanks Mr. Narayan! Your insights are invaluable regarding Ukraine. If Ukraine can reserve Patriots for the most dangerous of Russian weapons, hopefully interceptor drones can be used for everything else.
They are slamming it all the way. All the fucking way.
(Reuters) - "The Senate Armed Services Committee has approved $500 million in security assistance for Ukraine as part of its draft language for its Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, which also restricts A-10 aircraft retirements.
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is an annual policy bill that authorizes funding levels and provides authorities for the U.S. military."
They have also banned the proposal to retire the A10 fleet.
Thus is unprecedented. I have never seen this level of coordinated push by the nat sec Bloc. I withdraw my comment that sanctions and PDA may not clear at the same time. I have no idea how far they are now planning to push. They pushing and winning it layer by layer.
“Can you all see how the GOP works and why democrats are no match to them?….They intutively understand the importance of narrative. They work together. And they press together.”
Thanks Shankar, great analysis and 100% spot on! I wish the democrats would finally get the memo. He who controls the narrative; WINS! End of Story!…:)
Have a great weekend all, and hopefully you’re right Shankar, although my cynicism and skepticism still haunt me…:)
I believe Shankar is right. President Drawdown authority use is circulating on Substack. The pro-Putin wing is on the backfoot. Press harder and crush them.
Agreed, but until this plays out completely, I’ll continue to hold my breath!…:)
I think there’s closer to $3 billion—or more—available in PDA.
Ukraine, thanks to interest payments from frozen Russian assets and the EU aid fund that was cleared last year, can mobilize twice that amount in no time.
So, whether the PDA clears or not makes no difference in terms of money. Ukraine can pay and take delivery. Then why is the administration talking about the PDA?
It’s the NatSec bloc—sensing they have their foot on the pro-Putin gang’s windpipe—trying to press harder. If the PDA clears, even if it’s just a few hundred million dollars, the narrative shifts. So the PDA is a flex to solidify their strength.
It’s perfectly fine if it doesn’t clear. No big deal whatsoever.
The key is: shipments have resumed. Hegseth, Colby, and the tech bros will lie low for a while and wait for the next opening. It will come in the form of Moscow angling for a ceasefire.
Pentagon is getting $1 trillion, and a $150 billion dollar increase from last budget. Whose numbers are insane. They will shift towards research, drones, and interceptors. They know US bases are overexposed. Some of that will flow to Ukraine. Wish none of that went to Israel.
And ICE is getting a $170 billion boost and we have no idea how it’s being used. Putting this into perspective, we have a $170 billion slush funds at Trump’s disposal to be used at his discretion, while most military’s in the world don’t have a$170 billion annual budget; including Israel. Let that sink in!…:)
Yes it is disgusting, and a marker of an empire at its last stages.
Thanks once again for great insights. My relief at this movement is through the roof. Will Hegseth try to do damage now, or will he keep a low profile (something he may be unable to manage to do) ? What of the massive uptick in drones to Russia from China I believe? Any hope of sanctions being in the vaunted Monday news drop from Trump?
He will lie low. I doubt if Trump will do both. PDA and Sanctions. Highly unlikely.
Not that I don't want it to happen. But odds of a two pronged squeeze is very low.
Slava Ukraine and down with Team Trump/Putin/GOP
Great reporting, Shankar!
Question! Who are the Republican Megadonors who are pro -European Union?
I understand the motives of the TechnoFascist Megadonors, break the antitrust laws and takeover the large (450 million), wealthy European marketplace!
Another excellent report.
I wonder if it will ever be possible to determine how many deaths this regime has and will cause.
Between USAID defunding, lives lost in Ukraine, immigrants being sent to unsafe countries, and soon the loss of medical and food coverage for thousands of Americans.
The number will surley be unfathomable.
Do we have a good handle on who the pro and anti EU megadonor entities are? In the "nothing to see here" Signal chat concerning the aerial assault on Yemen some months back, Vance and Hegseth were lamenting the fact that the Red Sea shipping lanes were more important to European concerns. So I would suspect that the likes of Peter Thiel and the rest of deep pocketed "accelerationists" would be in the anti camp.
Good news on the "missile front", but how long will it take to actually produce them in quantity? Are the remaining stocks sufficient for Ukraine's defence? Seven hundred shahed drones and missiles just clobbered Kviv yesterday. You have to expect Russia to continue their terror campaign against civilian targets. It is up to Europe to try and fill that gap in air defense until...and "if"... the U.S. has adequate stocks and actually sends them. Call me a cynic.
No. That is not the issue. The US has been, for a very long time, moving missiles from one region to another.
The rate of consumption in Ukraine is extremely high and nothing is enough. For instance, Russia's Iskander missile production, just one missile type, is more than patriot production.
Including the United States, everyone is in deep trouble because of this production mismatch with Russia.
So, we are not looking at factory to Ukraine.
What we are looking at is two things.
1. Production ramp from the current level, that gives a bit more peace for military planners in the United States. The US needs to keep ramping up production.
2. It shuts down the 'we are running low' crowd.
Russia’s continued ability to produce missiles and other types of flying explosives in great quantities is a separate problem that must be addressed by e.g. blowing up missile factories, trucks or trains transporting them, depots, and launch systems etc; those are excellent ways to reduce Ukraine’s torment precisely because the cost for Russia to replace what is destroyed is greater than the cost of destroying it.
Lots of good stuff in here!
What you should be asking is, "Where TAF is tRump in all this?" Yes, Hegseth, yes Colby, yes Pentagon insiders, but...where is the goddam so-called president in this intra-GOPer fight? Is he that much checked out? Other "priorities"? Doesn't give two fucks? What?
Great point at the end there. Trump is good with having divided factions vying for his graces. It feeds his malformed ego.
Now he’s clsming that NATO
He is working for Putin not for trump.