Biden has declared the situation at the Ukraine-Russia border a national emergency and sanctioned individuals and organizations allegedly implicated in “harmful foreign activities of the government of the Russian Federation.” For more updates April 17 onward, please see the new post here.
I stand by my previous statements that this isn’t anything to worry about, but as always, it’s best to stay informed.
8:00pm CST, 4/15/2021
- List of individuals and organizations sanctioned by Executive Order
- Statement by South Front, one of the sanctioned websites
- American Ships sent to the Black Sea withdrawn
- Unverified report of at least one civilian killed by Ukrainian drone strike
9:00pm CST, 4/15/2021
- NYT staff cheers Biden’s saber-rattling
- Biden congratulates himself for not imposing even harsher sanctions
- Almost in the same breath, Biden suggests a “dialogue”
5:00am CST 4/16/2021
- US spy plane escorted over the Pacific (Kamchatka) by Russian MiG-31
- “Low to medium risk” of Russian invasion in the upcoming weeks
- Ukraine, Germany, France hold security talks
- Democrats claim to have found links between Russia and Trump campaign
10:00am CST 4/16/2021
- Kremlin says the conflict in Ukraine is “quieter but still dangerous”
- EU talks about Russian restrictions on movement in the Black Sea
12:30pm CST 4/16/2021
- Former US Ambassador to Kiev named five options for “how to stop Moscow and Russian troops”
- Russia to expel 10 U.S. diplomats in response to Washington sanctions
- CNN blames Russia for Donald Trump winning the 2016 U.S. presidential election
- Russian side of the web abuzz with talk of Napoleon and Russia’s newest artillery platforms
4:30pm CST 4/16/2021
8:00pm CST 4/16/2021
- Zelensky delivered an ultimatum to Biden through an American journalist
- Russia expels five Polish diplomats
- Russian journalist: sanctions are a “bitter medicine” that will eliminate Russian economic dependency
- Süddeutsche Zeitung: Open warfare between Russia and Ukraine unfeasible for Putin
During his famous speech on July 3, 1941, following the disastrous opening phase of Hitler’s invasion, Stalin invoked Napoleon. As he put it, “Napoleon’s army was considered invincible, but it was beaten successively by the armies of Russia, England and Germany.” With tensions as high as they are, it is little wonder that Napoleon is being brought up once again.
According to MSN, The Kremlin said on Friday that there were fewer ceasefire violations in eastern Ukraine where Russian-backed separatists have faced off against Ukrainian government forces since 2014.
In the context of the prior events – at least several security talks, Russians defending their air space while continuing to soup up their presence along the border might indicate that they’ve called Biden’s bluff and he’s backing down. If so, that’s comforting news. I would rather not die in a nuclear war because Democrats love supporting neo-Nazi movements overseas.
From Fox News: an American spy plane escorted by Russian fighter over the Pacific. Russia is backed into a corner. They can’t give ground because they simply do not have any ground to give. I’m still highly skeptical this situation is going to boil over into open warfare between the USA and Russia. Woke neonazi liberals screeching on Twitter is not the same as public support. Americans won’t tolerate the deaths of American troops in the name of supporting profits for defense contractors.
According to the New York Times, “After years of wrist slaps under President Donald J. Trump, the new measures are intended to have a noticeable effect on the Russian economy.“
I propose we round up the entire NYT newsroom and deploy them to Crimea as shock troops.
US President Joe Biden declared in a Thursday White House address that he would have taken more severe action against Russia over their alleged interference in the 2020 election and the SolarWinds hack, but instead opted for a more commensurate response.
Biden told reporters that he had relayed his stance to Russian President Vladimir Putin, informing the world leader that the US “could have gone further but I chose not to do so, I chose to be proportionate.” Sputnik News
I think this is mostly grandstanding and won’t amount to anything – here is the upcoming military exercise (Cossack Mace) that I believe to be at least a partial cause of all this.
Cossack Mace Military Exercises:
Military from at least five NATO member states will take part in the Ukrainian-British exercises Cossack Mace 2021.
In total, the drills will involve more than 1,000 military personnel from at least five NATO member states, as well as participants in the Partnership for Peace program.
The operational and strategic background of the drills takes into account the probabilistic nature of the development of the military and political situation around Ukraine. According to the scenario, the multinational brigade’s headquarters and units are involved in repelling a large-scale offensive by the armed forces of the conditional aggressor state.
In particular, defense actions will be worked out, followed by an offensive to restore the borders and territorial integrity of the country that has been attacked by a hostile neighboring state.
Read more on UNIAN: https://www.unian.info/society/cossack-mace-2021-military-from-five-nato-states-to-take-part-in-ukrainian-british-drills-11376019.html.
- U.S. intelligence agencies aren’t particularly confident that Russia offered money to the Taliban for the killing of U.S. troops deployed to Afghanistan, a story that rocked the military and intelligence communities last summer.
General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Facebook Post
American Ships withdrawn from the Black Sea
- Washington’s decision to cancel its scheduled deployment comes hours after a squadron of warships from the Russian Black Sea Fleet took to the waters to conduct artillery fire exercises.
On the surface, this appears to be backing down or dare I say de-escalation even. However, this move could also mean the opposite. If war broke out it would be important to clean up any easy targets lying around. That suggests war is not only possible, it would be a war started by NATO. However unlikely, it is still possible.
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) (IEEPA), the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) (NEA), section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 (8 U.S.C. 1182(f)), and section 301 of title 3, United States Code,
I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, find that specified harmful foreign activities of the Government of the Russian Federation — in particular, efforts to undermine the conduct of free and fair democratic elections and democratic institutions in the United States and its allies and partners; to engage in and facilitate malicious cyber-enabled activities against the United States and its allies and partners; to foster and use transnational corruption to influence foreign governments; to pursue extraterritorial activities targeting dissidents or journalists; to undermine security in countries and regions important to United States national security; and to violate well-established principles of international law, including respect for the territorial integrity of states — constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States. I hereby declare a national emergency to deal with that threat.
Accordingly, I hereby order:
Section 1. All property and interests in property that are in the United States, that hereafter come within the United States, or that are or hereafter come within the possession or control of any United States person of the following persons are blocked and may not be transferred, paid, exported, withdrawn, or otherwise dealt in:
(a) any person determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, and, with respect to subsection (a)(ii) of this section, in consultation with the Attorney General, or by the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury, and, with respect to subsection (a)(ii) of this section, in consultation with the Attorney General:
(i) to operate or have operated in the technology sector or the defense and related materiel sector of the Russian Federation economy, or any other sector of the Russian Federation economy as may be determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State;
(ii) to be responsible for or complicit in, or to have directly or indirectly engaged or attempted to engage in, any of the following for or on behalf of, or for the benefit of, directly or indirectly, the Government of the Russian Federation:
(A) malicious cyber-enabled activities;
(B) interference in a United States or other foreign government election;
(C) actions or policies that undermine democratic processes or institutions in the United States or abroad;
(D) transnational corruption;
(E) assassination, murder, or other unlawful killing of, or infliction of other bodily harm against, a United States person or a citizen or national of a United States ally or partner;
(F) activities that undermine the peace, security, political stability, or territorial integrity of the United States, its allies, or its partners; or
(G) deceptive or structured transactions or dealings to circumvent any United States sanctions, including through the use of digital currencies or assets or the use of physical assets;
(iii) to be or have been a leader, official, senior executive officer, or member of the board of directors of:
(A) the Government of the Russian Federation;
(B) an entity that has, or whose members have, engaged in any activity described in subsection (a)(ii) of this section; or
(C) an entity whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order;
(iv) to be a political subdivision, agency, or instrumentality of the Government of the Russian Federation;
(v) to be a spouse or adult child of any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to subsection (a)(ii) or (iii) of this section;
(vi) to have materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of:
(A) any activity described in subsection (a)(ii) of this section; or
(B) any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order; or
(vii) to be owned or controlled by, or to have acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, the Government of the Russian Federation or any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order.
(b) any person determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, to have materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, a government whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to chapter V of title 31 of the Code of Federal Regulations or another Executive Order, and to be:
(i) a citizen or national of the Russian Federation;
(ii) an entity organized under the laws of the Russian Federation or any jurisdiction within the Russian Federation (including foreign branches); or
(iii) a person ordinarily resident in the Russian Federation.
(c) any person determined by the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury, to be responsible for or complicit in, or to have directly or indirectly engaged in or attempted to engage in, cutting or disrupting gas or energy supplies to Europe, the Caucasus, or Asia, and to be:
(i) an individual who is a citizen or national of the Russian Federation; or
(ii) an entity organized under the laws of the Russian Federation or any jurisdiction within the Russian Federation (including foreign branches).
(d) The prohibitions in subsections (a), (b), and (c) of this section apply except to the extent provided by statutes, or in regulations, orders, directives, or licenses that may be issued pursuant to this order, and notwithstanding any contract entered into or any license or permit granted before the date of this order.
Sec. 2. The prohibitions in section 1 of this order include:
(a) the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order; and
(b) the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person.
Sec. 3. (a) The unrestricted immigrant and nonimmigrant entry into the United States of noncitizens determined to meet one or more of the criteria in section 1 of this order would be detrimental to the interests of the United States, and the entry of such persons into the United States, as immigrants or nonimmigrants, is hereby suspended, except when the Secretary of State or the Secretary of Homeland Security, as appropriate, determines that the person’s entry would not be contrary to the interests of the United States, including when the Secretary of State or the Secretary of Homeland Security, as appropriate, so determines, based on a recommendation of the Attorney General, that the person’s entry would further important United States law enforcement objectives.
(b) The Secretary of State shall implement this authority as it applies to visas pursuant to such procedures as the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security, may establish.
(c) The Secretary of Homeland Security shall implement this order as it applies to the entry of noncitizens pursuant to such procedures as the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of State, may establish.
(d) Such persons shall be treated by this section in the same manner as persons covered by section 1 of Proclamation 8693 of July 24, 2011 (Suspension of Entry of Aliens Subject to United Nations Security Council Travel Bans and International Emergency Economic Powers Act Sanctions).
Sec. 4. (a) Any transaction that evades or avoids, has the purpose of evading or avoiding, causes a violation of, or attempts to violate any of the prohibitions set forth in this order is prohibited.
(b) Any conspiracy formed to violate any of the prohibitions set forth in this order is prohibited.
Sec. 5. I hereby determine that the making of donations of the types of articles specified in section 203(b)(2) of IEEPA (50 U.S.C. 1702(b)(2)) by, to, or for the benefit of any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order would seriously impair my ability to deal with the national emergency declared in this order, and I hereby prohibit such donations as provided by section 1 of this order.
Sec. 6. For the purposes of this order:
(a) the term “entity” means a partnership, association, trust, joint venture, corporation, group, subgroup, or other organization;
(b) the term “Government of the Russian Federation” means the Government of the Russian Federation, any political subdivision, agency, or instrumentality thereof, including the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, and any person owned, controlled, or directed by, or acting for or on behalf of, the Government of the Russian Federation;
(c) the term “noncitizen” means any person who is not a citizen or noncitizen national of the United States;
(d) the term “person” means an individual or entity; and
(e) the term “United States person” means any United States citizen, lawful permanent resident, entity organized under the laws of the United States or any jurisdiction within the United States (including foreign branches), or any person in the United States.
Sec. 7. For those persons whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order who might have a constitutional presence in the United States, I find that because of the ability to transfer funds or other assets instantaneously, prior notice to such persons of measures to be taken pursuant to this order would render those measures ineffectual. I therefore determine that for these measures to be effective in addressing the national emergency declared in this order, there need be no prior notice of a listing or determination made pursuant to section 1 of this order.
Sec. 8. The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, is hereby authorized to take such actions, including the promulgation of rules and regulations, and to employ all powers granted to the President by IEEPA, as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this order. The Secretary of the Treasury may, consistent with applicable law, redelegate any of these functions within the Department of the Treasury. All departments and agencies of the United States shall take all appropriate measures within their authority to carry out the provisions of this order.
Sec. 9. Nothing in this order shall prohibit transactions for the conduct of the official business of the Federal Government or the United Nations (including its specialized agencies, programs, funds, and related organizations) by employees, grantees, and contractors thereof.
Sec. 10. The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, is hereby authorized to submit recurring and final reports to the Congress on the national emergency declared in this order, consistent with section 401(c) of the NEA (50 U.S.C. 1641(c)) and section 204(c) of IEEPA (50 U.S.C. 1703(c)).
Sec. 11. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/04/15/executive-order-on-blocking-property-with-respect-to-specified-harmful-foreign-activities-of-the-government-of-the-russian-federation/
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) (IEEPA), the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) (NEA), section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 (8 U.S.C. 1182(f)), and section 301 of title 3, United States Code, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, find that specified harmful foreign activities of the Government of the Russian Federation — in particular, efforts to undermine the conduct of free and fair democratic elections and democratic institutions in the United States and its allies and partners; to engage in and facilitate malicious cyber-enabled activities against the United States and its allies and partners; to foster and use transnational corruption to influence foreign governments; to pursue extraterritorial activities targeting dissidents or journalists; to undermine security in countries and regions important to United States national security; and to violate well-established principles of international law, including respect for the territorial integrity of states — constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States. I hereby declare a national emergency to deal with that threat. Accordingly, I hereby order: Section 1. All property and interests in property that are in the United States, that hereafter come within the United States, or that are or hereafter come within the possession or control of any United States person of the following persons are blocked and may not be transferred, paid, exported, withdrawn, or otherwise dealt in: (a) any person determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, and, with respect to subsection (a)(ii) of this section, in consultation with the Attorney General, or by the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury, and, with respect to subsection (a)(ii) of this section, in consultation with the Attorney General: (i) to operate or have operated in the technology sector or the defense and related materiel sector of the Russian Federation economy, or any other sector of the Russian Federation economy as may be determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State; (ii) to be responsible for or complicit in, or to have directly or indirectly engaged or attempted to engage in, any of the following for or on behalf of, or for the benefit of, directly or indirectly, the Government of the Russian Federation: (A) malicious cyber-enabled activities; (B) interference in a United States or other foreign government election; (C) actions or policies that undermine democratic processes or institutions in the United States or abroad; (D) transnational corruption; (E) assassination, murder, or other unlawful killing of, or infliction of other bodily harm against, a United States person or a citizen or national of a United States ally or partner; (F) activities that undermine the peace, security, political stability, or territorial integrity of the United Sta