Welcome to The View from the Front podcast. My name is Stan and this is the June 6 edition.
You can listen to the podcast by clicking the link above. There is also an AI-generated transcript that you can find above. Or, you can find the podcast on your favorite channel by searching by name Stan R. Mitchell and The View from the Front.
Timestamps:
0:33. Feedback on last episode, more on the China threat, and a celebration of D-Day.
9:49. Biden authorizes Ukraine to hit part of Russia with US weapons.
13:09. Temporary pier in Gaza faces setback with rough storm (and other conditions).
16:56. US Secretary of Defense meets with Chinese Defense Minister.
19:15. Putin’s purge ramps up as fith general is arrested.
21:41. Hal Brands: Putin’s shadow war against Europe is intensifying.
24:22. Russia co-opts far-right politicians in Europe with cash, officials say
27:09. Some U.S. weapons stymied by Russian jamming in Ukraine
31:02. Ukraine frustrated with US over F-16 pilot training.
33:42. Are US M1 tanks performing poorly inside Ukraine?
36:38. Ukrainians have purchased $25 billion in govt bonds since start of full-scale war.
40:11. United States learns from China’s military operations around Taiwan.
42:13. China convicts pro-democracy Hong Kong dissidents.
46:20. Honoring a Medal of Honor recipient, as well as motivation and encouragement, just for you.
1:02:55. An important message re: PTSD.
If you just happened to stumble by, let me say a quick word about what we’re doing here.
For those who don’t know, my name is Stan R. Mitchell, and I’m a prior Marine and journalist.
Every week, I primarily do three things with my podcast:
Cover emerging hotspots and foreign policy news that you absolutely should know. (Why I focus on foreign policy...)
Work to unite our country and remind us of how lucky we are to live in America. (My thoughts on the division in this country...)
And finally, I always share plenty of motivation and encouragement at the end of each episode.
Take a listen to the podcast. I really hope you get something out of it.
By the way, you can sign up to support the show at the link below. (Or use the two options below that.)
You can also now sign up at Patreon or send a tip through Venmo (@authorstanrmitchell).
Selected source notes for podcast and transcript above.
U.S. news:
U.S. news:
Biden gives Ukraine permission to carry out limited strikes inside Rusia
President Joe Biden has given permission to Ukraine to strike inside Russian territory with American munitions, though he has restricted their use so Kyiv can only hit targets over the border close to Kharkiv after Russia made significant advances around the city in the northeastern part of the country close to the Russian border, two US officials told CNN on Thursday.
“The president recently directed his team to ensure that Ukraine is able to use US supplied-weapons for counterfire purposes in Kharkiv so Ukraine can hit back at Russian forces hitting them or preparing to hit them,” one of the officials said.
The loosening of the restrictions marks a break from long-standing policy and comes amid growing international pressure from close US allies. But it is limited to the area around Kharkiv, and Ukraine has not requested permission beyond that, the official said, adding that they do not anticipate the US widening the area allowed.
Temporary pier in Gaza faces setback with rough storm
Austin Emphasizes Open Lines of Communication Between U.S., China Militaries
Russia news:
Putin's purge ramps up as another general arrested over bribes
Hal Brands: Putin’s shadow war against Europe is intensifying
Russian nationals have been arrested in Germany on charges of planning to attack military facilities. English prosecutors claim that Russian agents set fire to a warehouse containing aid for Ukraine. Sweden is investigating alleged Russian-sponsored acts of sabotage. The Czech government accuses Moscow of sabotaging its railways.
Estonia, meanwhile, has reportedly uncovered a host of Russian plots on its soil. Russian ships are suspected of targeting communications cables and wind farms in the North Sea. Now, Moscow may be involved in suspicious fires — including one that engulfed a shopping center — in Poland. The roster of allegations goes on and on.
Russia naturally denies any culpability, but where there is this much smoke — literal or figurative — there is probably some fire. As Prime Minister Kaja Kallas of Estonia has said, Russia seems to be waging a “shadow war” against Europe.
Russia co-opts far-right politicians in Europe with cash, officials say
The Czech probe rapidly expanded into Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, and France, European security and intelligence officials said, as investigators concluded that Voice of Europe represented far more than its official veneer as a pro-Russian website interviewing favored European politicians about ending aid to Ukraine.
The organization was being used to funnel hundreds of thousands of euros — up to 1 million a month — to dozens of far-right politicians in more than five countries to plant Kremlin propaganda in Western media that would sow division in Europe and bolster the position of pro-Russian candidates in this week’s European Parliament elections, according to interviews with a dozen European intelligence officials from five countries. Most of the officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing and sensitive investigation.
Officials described the Russian operation as among the most ambitious undertaken by the Kremlin in Europe in its efforts to undermine support for Ukraine and create divisions in the transatlantic alliance.
Ukraine news:
Some U.S. Weapons Stymied by Russian Jamming in Ukraine
Ukraine frustrated with US over F-16 pilot training
Ukrainian officials are pressing the U.S. and other countries to ramp up their F-16 pilot training, saying the current pipeline isn’t producing enough aviators to fly the jets that will be soon donated to Kyiv.
Ukraine says it has 30 pilots who are eligible to start training in the U.S. immediately. Yet the Biden administration has told Kyiv it lacks the school seats in its Arizona-based program to accept more than 12 pilot trainees at a time, according to three people with direct knowledge of the request. Two other facilities in Denmark and Romania have a similar issue with available training spots.
…
Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands and Belgium plan to ship more than 60 U.S.-made F-16 jets to Kyiv this summer. Ukrainians argue that the ability to fly more F-16s will help Kyiv push back Russian forces from the frontlines in places such as Kharkiv, where Moscow has advanced in recent weeks. Yet the U.S. has said it does not expect the jets to be a game-changer on the battlefield.
China news:
Never, ever give up segment links:
I call it the "Never, ever give up segment” because we must never ever give up as a country (though we face great division, a massive debt burden, and probably future problems that none of us could even predict. But we must never give up as a country.
And I believe we must stay united.
And also as individuals, we must never, ever give up. We’ve got family and friends counting on us, so in this section, I’m going to share some motivation to help encourage you.
I’d like to begin by honoring a Medal of Honor recipient.
If you don’t know, the Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration you can possibly earn in the military, and it’s awarded to service members who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor.
The medal is typically awarded by the President of the United States, upon the recommendation of the Armed Services.
I share these Medal of Honor stories to remind us of the sacrifices that have been made through the nearly 250 years of American history.
Through so many major wars, more than 1 million Americans have sacrificed their lives and died, getting us to this place and time.
In wars such as the American Revolution, the War of 1812, the Civil War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, Desert Shield and Desert Storm, then after Sept 11th, there was Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
And these were only the major wars that I’ve listed, and I know I overlooked so many smaller conflicts. In all, more than 41 million Americans have served over the course of the nation's history. And as I said earlier, more than 1 million have died, and tens of millions have been wounded or had their lives shattered.
So, I think it’s always important we remember these facts, particularly when we have people regularly saying we face a potential civil war. Or that we should split up our country because of whatever the latest culture war is. Or any other number of silly reasons.
I think our grandparents and great-grandparents and those who came before them would be dumbfounded to think we could rip apart this great nation over such trifling issues.
Now, let’s share some motivation to make sure that we never, ever give up in our own personal lives.
Of course, if you’re a regular listener, you know I also speak about never giving up when I discuss PTSD at the end of the show.
But for now, let’s just talk about some motivation.
And we’ve got some great ones this week.
Motivation and inspiration:
I always like to share a few from the Bible, because this book has become such a source of strength and wisdom and calm for me during the past year.
And I hope by sharing a few, it might encourage you to get into the Bible yourself. Because I think it’ll really help you.
And honestly, if you were like me, and you had spent years and years reading self-help books, meditating, Buddhism, whatever, and it’s still not working? Then why not try something else? We know that the definition of insanity is dong the same thing over and over, expecting a different result.
If you’ve never cracked open the Bible, I invite you to try it. In fact, I almost double-dog dare you to try it. Because if it’s all fake, if it’s all not real, then it should have no effect.
It’s just another lame self-help book. But if you’re courageous enough to open it, I think it will rock your world, the same way it’s rocked mine.
Bottom line, what do you have left to lose? You’ve tried everything else, so why not try this.
And I think if you do, you’ll see that the Bible is the handbook for your life. I think you’ll find it speaking to you, because it’s not just ancient words, it’s the wisdom of God.
And if you need hope and purpose, if you’re really drowning and feeling lost, then you need more than the self-help quotes I shared above. You need God and one of the best ways to find Him is in the Bible. You don’t just have to go to some church you’re nervous to visit. You can start learning about Him from the safety of your home, by simply reading the Bible — either in print or on your phone through a Bible app.
And, I always like to end each week’s notes with this one:
And with that, thanks for joining us this week on The View from the Front.
If you can, consider at some point becoming a paid subscriber.
That’s it for this edition.
Dealing with PTSD? Emotionally or mentally at rock bottom? Here’s the link that I mention in each podcast: Be like Ozzie; go near your master. (The power of prayer. Part 1.)
Love my moderate, optimistic view of politics and want to know more about how I see things?
Go here:
As a reminder, please be kind and try your best to love your fellow Americans.
So many men and women have sacrificed, fought, and died to keep this country together the past 240-plus years. Please work daily to unite our country again. The vast majority of Americans are decent, loving, great people.
Also, please try to be a better person each and every day. Try to be kinder on social media and how you interact with others with whom you disagree.
Please join me again in our next episode, and please stay safe until then.
Love and peace,
Stan R. Mitchell
P.S. Don’t forget that I've also written twelve fast, exciting books.
Finally, I also write a faith blog about God and the Bible. (As a child, I was wounded badly by the church and left it to study other religions, before returning to the faith of my roots.)
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