I began to “weaken” Russia with my propaganda Bond novel ‘The Royal Janitor’ while the Broccoli family was concerned about making money from their last James Bond movie.
John Presco
US seeks to ‘weaken’ Russia as it pledges more military help for Ukraine – POLITICO
Ukraine ‘Succeeding’ The visit comes with Russian forces shifting to the east and south after failing to take Kyiv or topple Zelenskiy’s government in the early weeks of the conflict launched by President Vladimir Putin. Ukraine has pressured the U.S. and its allies to send more powerful weapons to repel Russia from the eastern Donbas region, where Russian troops are seeking to gain full control o
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Rheinmetall seeks to export heavy weapons to Ukraine, source says
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BERLIN (Reuters) -German defence company Rheinmetall has requested approval to export 100 old Marder infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine, a defence source told Reuters on Monday, in what would be the first heavy weapons shipment from Germany to Ukraine.
The company is seeking an export licence for the vehicles in their current state, aiming to restore them over the coming months before shipping them to Ukraine, the source said, confirming a report in the Welt am Sonntag newspaper.
Rheinmetall’s move is set to force Chancellor Olaf Scholz to take a clear position on whether heavy weapons can be sent directly from Germany to Ukraine because the Marder deal requires approval from the national security council, which is chaired by Scholz.
A Rheinmetall spokesperson declined to comment.
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Scholz is facing growing criticism at home and abroad for his reluctance to deliver heavy weapons such as tanks and howitzers to help Ukraine to repel Russian attacks.
On their first visit to Ukraine since Russia invaded two months ago, the U.S. Secretaries of State and Defence on Sunday pledged additional military aid to Kyiv, including advanced weapons.
Ukrainian pleas for heavy weapons have intensified since Moscow shifted its offensive to the eastern region of Donbas, a territory seen as better suited for tank battles than the areas around Kyiv, where much of the fighting has taken place so far.
Moscow describes its actions in Ukraine, now entering a third month, as a “special military operation”.
(Reporting by Sabine Siebold, additional reporting by Anneli PalmenEditing by Miranda Murray and David Goodman)
Rosamond Press 