Edition No80 | 13-01-2025 - We cannot say when the Russian economy will ‘collapse’, or even if it’s cave in single a dramatic moment. But what’s not under doubt is that pressure on Putin’s economy is building – it was even terms a ‘house of cards’ in a recent article in the Financial Times. All this pressure makes Putin’s war economy less sustainable, his regime more brittle, and the outcome of events far less certain or indeed predictable. And if you’re a tyrant, then things you cannot control, unpredictability in fact, is the last thing you want to see in your realm. ---------- At relatively short notice, we're organising two events in Ukraine in the last week of January. Lviv (part 2) and Kyiv. The event we ran in August 2023 was a huge success, and had a great impact. Now our aim is even more ambitious. Two cities. Two events. Multiple panels consisting of the best experts, and all filmed in high definition for the channel. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras But it costs. Last time the overall cost was £3,500 for Live in Lviv, and we covered 80% of this through ticket sales. This time the costs are higher, and there's less opportunity to sell tickets at the available venues and studios, so I'm creating a campaign to raise £5,000 to make this trip a reality. We also have a much more ambitious programme to film interviews around Kyiv and Lviv for the channel. This project will have an impact, so please help if you can. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras ---------- SILICON CURTAIN FILM FUNDRAISER A project to make a documentary film in Ukraine, to raise awareness of Ukraine's struggle and in supporting a team running aid convoys to Ukraine's front-line towns. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras ---------- NEWS SOURCES: https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/01/09/russias-economic-gamble-the-hidden-costs-of-war-driven-growth-a87548 https://navigatingrussia.substack.com/ https://www.ft.com/content/61adaed4-ac9a-4891-afb6-b3ad648c58ad https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-economy-ukraine-war-recession-outlook-inflation-sanctions-banks-rates-2025-1 https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/01/09/russias-economic-gamble-the-hidden-costs-of-war-driven-growth-a87548 ---------- SUPPORT THE CHANNEL: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain ---------- TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND: Save Ukraine https://www.saveukraineua.org/ Superhumans - Hospital for war traumas https://superhumans.com/en/ UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukraine https://unbroken.org.ua/ Come Back Alive https://savelife.in.ua/en/ Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchen https://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraine UNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyy https://u24.gov.ua/ Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation https://prytulafoundation.org NGO “Herojam Slava” https://heroiamslava.org/ kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and Przemysl https://kharpp.com/ NOR DOG Animal Rescue https://www.nor-dog.org/home/ ----------

Friends and acquaintances who are traditional republicans of the Reagan era try to reassure me there is a gulf of difference between what Trump says, and what he’ll do. I have some doubts. ---------- David DeBatto is host of the ‘No Delusion Zone’ podcast @NoDelusionZone He is a retired U.S. Army Counterintelligence Special Agent, a geopolitical analyst, writer, and podcaster. David is an Iraq war veteran who served as Team Leader of a Tactical Human Intelligence Team (THT) in operations within Iraq and is also a former police officer. David is considered too conservative for the progressive left and too independent minded for the radical right and seeks to challenge political dogma and the naked self-interest of politicians. ---------- LINKS: https://www.youtube.com/@NoDelusionZone https://www.protectingtherepublic.com/podcast https://x.com/ddebatto https://www.kyivpost.com/authors/743 ---------- SUPPORT THE CHANNEL: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain ---------- TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND: Save Ukraine https://www.saveukraineua.org/ Superhumans - Hospital for war traumas https://superhumans.com/en/ UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukraine https://unbroken.org.ua/ Come Back Alive https://savelife.in.ua/en/ Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchen https://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraine UNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyy https://u24.gov.ua/ Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation https://prytulafoundation.org NGO “Herojam Slava” https://heroiamslava.org/ kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and Przemyśl https://kharpp.com/ NOR DOG Animal Rescue https://www.nor-dog.org/home/ ---------- PLATFORMS: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSilicon Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/siliconcurtain/ Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain ---------- Welcome to the Silicon Curtain podcast. Please like and subscribe if you like the content we produce. It will really help to increase the popularity of our content in YouTube’s algorithm. Our material is now being made available on popular podcasting platforms as well, such as Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Edition No79 | 11-01-2025 - This channel has been warning for over a year of the threats to marine ecologies from Russia’s rust-bucket fleet of clapped-out illegal tankers, transporting its blood oil to unscrupulous buyers around the world to fuel Putin’s genocidal war. And now another one of them is threatening disaster, as a shadow fleet vessel carrying 100,000 tonnes of oil breaks down and is adrift in heavy seas off Germany’s northern coast. The Eventin was sailing from Russia to Egypt with 100,000 tonnes of oil when its engine failed and it lost ability to manoeuvre. Three tugs are now attempting to steer it away from the coast and towards a safer area. Though if the vessel breaks up, there is no safe area for 100,000 tonnes of oil to dissipate. As the vessel drifted in coastal waters Friday, the foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, criticised Russia’s use of “dilapidated oil tankers” to avoid sanctions on its oil exports, calling it a threat to European security. Russia has used murky ships for oil exports to circumvent sanctions imposed by Western nations for waging its brutal war against Ukraine. ---------- At relatively short notice, we're organising two events in Ukraine in the last week of January. Lviv (part 2) and Kyiv. The event we ran in August 2023 was a huge success, and had a great impact. Now our aim is even more ambitious. Two cities. Two events. Multiple panels consisting of the best experts, and all filmed in high definition for the channel. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras But it costs. Last time the overall cost was £3,500 for Live in Lviv, and we covered 80% of this through ticket sales. This time the costs are higher, and there's less opportunity to sell tickets at the available venues and studios, so I'm creating a campaign to raise £5,000 to make this trip a reality. We also have a much more ambitious programme to film interviews around Kyiv and Lviv for the channel. This project will have an impact, so please help if you can. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras ---------- SILICON CURTAIN FILM FUNDRAISER A project to make a documentary film in Ukraine, to raise awareness of Ukraine's struggle and in supporting a team running aid convoys to Ukraine's frontline towns. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras ---------- NEWS SOURCES: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jan/11/germany-battles-to-secure-russian-shadow-fleet-oil-tanker-adrift-off-northern-coast https://kyivindependent.com/germany-towing-shadow-fleet-tanker/ https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/01/11/germany-races-to-secure-stricken-russian-shadow-fleet-oil-tanker-2-a87574 https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/01/11/germany-races-to-secure-stricken-russian-shadow-fleet-oil-tanker-2-a87574 https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/01/10/nato-to-send-2-ships-to-guard-baltic-sea-infrastructure-finland-says-a87563 ---------- SUPPORT THE CHANNEL: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain ---------- TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND: Save Ukraine https://www.saveukraineua.org/ Superhumans - Hospital for war traumas https://superhumans.com/en/ UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukraine https://unbroken.org.ua/ Come Back Alive https://savelife.in.ua/en/ Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchen https://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraine UNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyy https://u24.gov.ua/ Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation https://prytulafoundation.org NGO “Herojam Slava” https://heroiamslava.org/ kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and Przemysl https://kharpp.com/ NOR DOG Animal Rescue https://www.nor-dog.org/home/ ----------

Russia Is Losing the War in Ukraine, says a former senior US diplomat. In today’s interview I’m honoured to be joined by Ambassador James Gilmore, who explains the broader consequences of Russia’s actions and what’s at stake if the international community fails to push back against Putin’s aggressive imperialist and expansionist ambitions. As a Trump-era diplomat James Gilmore has had firsthand experience of negotiating with the US’s European partners and our common Russian foe. ---------- James Gilmore was the former US Ambassador to the OSCE during the first administration of President-elect Donald Trump. A member of the Republican Party, Gilmore also chaired the Republican National Committee in 2001 and served as the U.S. Ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe during the first Trump administration. In 1997 James Gilmore was elected as Governor of Virginia with a majority of 56%, where improvements to education quality and teacher numbers formed one of his key manifesto policies. ---------- KYIV POST INTERVIEW: Russia is losing: Former Trump Admin Insider Speaks Out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhS-Gi4mrwk ---------- LINKS: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Gilmore https://caprifoundation.org/james-s-gilmore-iii/ https://ua.usembassy.gov/tag/ambassador-james-s-gilmore-iii/ https://www.nga.org/governor/james-s-gilmore/ ---------- SUPPORT THE CHANNEL: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain ---------- TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND: Save Ukraine https://www.saveukraineua.org/ Superhumans - Hospital for war traumas https://superhumans.com/en/ UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukraine https://unbroken.org.ua/ Come Back Alive https://savelife.in.ua/en/ Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchen https://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraine UNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyy https://u24.gov.ua/ Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation https://prytulafoundation.org NGO “Herojam Slava” https://heroiamslava.org/ kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and Przemyśl https://kharpp.com/ NOR DOG Animal Rescue https://www.nor-dog.org/home/ ---------- PLATFORMS: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSilicon Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/siliconcurtain/ Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain ---------- Welcome to the Silicon Curtain podcast. Please like and subscribe if you like the content we produce. It will really help to increase the popularity of our content in YouTube’s algorithm. Our material is now being made available on popular podcasting platforms as well, such as Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Liubov Velychko is a Ukrainian investigative journalist with over 15 years of experience uncovering corruption, crime, and human rights violations. She Specializes in exposing disinformation campaigns, and has conducted numerous investigations into Russian propaganda, revealing the networks behind its spread and dismantling the information operations orchestrated by Russian intelligence agencies. ---------- At relatively short notice, we're organising two events in Ukraine in the last week of January. Lviv (part 2) and Kyiv. The event we ran in August 2023 was a huge success, and had a great impact. Now our aim is even more ambitious. Two cities. Two events. Multiple panels consisting of the best experts, and all filmed in high definition for the channel. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras But it costs. Last time the overall cost was £3,500 for Live in Lviv, and we covered 80% of this through ticket sales. This time the costs are higher, and there's less opportunity to sell tickets at the available venues and studios, so I'm creating a campaign to raise £5,000 to make this trip a reality. We also have a much more ambitious programme to film interviews around Kyiv and Lviv for the channel. This project will have an impact, so please help if you can. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras ---------- SILICON CURTAIN FILM FUNDRAISER A project to make a documentary film in Ukraine, to raise awareness of Ukraine's struggle and in supporting a team running aid convoys to Ukraine's frontline towns. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras ---------- LINKS: https://www.linkedin.com/in/v-press/ https://www.rusi.org/people/velychko https://x.com/VelychkoLiubov https://www.occrp.org/en/people/lyubov-velychko https://mind.ua/en/author/1158-liubov-velychko ---------- THE MAIN MYTHS: - Myth: Ukraine is irredeemably corrupt and has greater corruption issues than Russia. - Myth: Ukraine is not a democracy because elections have been suspended in wartime. - Myth: Russian language and culture are suppressed in Ukraine. - Myth: Russians don’t oppose the war, because they have ‘bad information’. - Myth: Russians can be divided into ‘good’ and ‘bad’. - Myth: Putin can be negotiated with using economically rational, transactional logic. - Myth: Putin insane, not simply a kleptocratic, chauvinistic psychopath. - Myth: Negotiations and treaties with Russia can give Ukraine peace and security. - Myth: Putin wants peace. - Myth: Russia will be satisfied with just a few territories of Ukraine, in DNR and LNR. - Myth: Zelensky makes decisions for himself and his clique, not the Ukrainian people. - Myth: Oligarchs pull all the strings, and leaders are only their puppets, and of the US. - Myth: Russian security concerns is a real and serious topic for consideration. - Myth: Russia could be accepted into NATO, and other international institutions. - Myth: Trade relationship with India, Global South, etc can help make Ukraine secure. - Myth: Russians can be forgiven this generation for the crimes committed in their name. ---------- SUPPORT THE CHANNEL: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain ---------- TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND: Save Ukraine https://www.saveukraineua.org/ Superhumans - Hospital for war traumas https://superhumans.com/en/ UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukraine https://unbroken.org.ua/ Come Back Alive https://savelife.in.ua/en/ Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchen https://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraine UNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyy https://u24.gov.ua/ Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation https://prytulafoundation.org NGO “Herojam Slava” https://heroiamslava.org/ kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and Przemyśl https://kharpp.com/ NOR DOG Animal Rescue https://www.nor-dog.org/home/ ----------

Edition No78 | 09-01-2025 - Musk and Trump are shaking things up, and the inauguration of Trump 2.0 has not even begun. The four years following Trump’s election in 2016 felt like drinking from a fire hydrant of toxic nonsense. Somehow, though, the madness was largely contained to US domestic issues and pollution of the informational sphere – Trump did not instigate any major wars. It’s quite possible Putin delayed launching a full-scale war in Ukraine because Trump was in office and then COVID kicked in. But now, it seems the gloves of insanity are well and truly off. ---------- At relatively short notice, we're organising two events in Ukraine in the last week of January. Lviv (part 2) and Kyiv. The event we ran in August 2023 was a huge success, and had a great impact. Now our aim is even more ambitious. Two cities. Two events. Multiple panels consisting of the best experts, and all filmed in high definition for the channel. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras But it costs. Last time the overall cost was £3,500 for Live in Lviv, and we covered 80% of this through ticket sales. This time the costs are higher, and there's less opportunity to sell tickets at the available venues and studios, so I'm creating a campaign to raise £5,000 to make this trip a reality. We also have a much more ambitious programme to film interviews around Kyiv and Lviv for the channel. This project will have an impact, so please help if you can. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras ---------- SILICON CURTAIN FILM FUNDRAISER A project to make a documentary film in Ukraine, to raise awareness of Ukraine's struggle and in supporting a team running aid convoys to Ukraine's frontline towns. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras ---------- Reach for the impossible and get something for nothing - Moscow rules. Negotiation rather than hot war. Fear bargaining. People under pressure tend to make mistakes and default to appeasement of a bully - Again, a negotiating tactic designed to get more than you would otherwise. - Also force people to pick sides, alliances, impose exclusivity. Smoke and mirrors. Sleight of hand. - Musk – the same role played by Steele report and Guiliani in Trump 1.0. - Is Musk just saying mad things or being briefed and encourages by Trump circle. - Is he just tolerated, or are they extending his leash, goading him to do this? - Because it suits their purposes. Again, it’s the ‘insanity’ strategy that has worked so well for Putin, forcing western powers to self-deter. And even to snooze. He’s mad and is going to do it. - Accelerate the world to Vladimir Putin conception of geopolitics. - A dog-eat-dog world, or competition between sovereign imperial blocks. - All other countries are resources, assets, pawns, but do not have agency. Buckle up. Trump has had time to prepare for his 2.0 administration, and its going to be a bumpy ride. This is WWIII if we are lucky, which may have a finite beginning and end. If we’re unlucky this is the new global disorder, and it will become a permanent feature of life. ---------- NEWS SOURCES: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robin-horsfall-52243220/ ---------- SUPPORT THE CHANNEL: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain ----------

Glen Grant worked as a defence and reform expert in Ukraine working for the Ukrainian Institute for the Future. He is also a Senior Fellow in the UK Institute for Statecraft on Building Integrity Initiative countering Russian influence. Glen graduated from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, the Junior Staff Course Warminster and the Joint Staff Defence College at the Royal Naval College Greenwich. ---------- LINKS: https://x.com/GlenGrant https://balticsecurity.eu/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/glengrant/ https://jamestown.org/analyst/glen-grant/ ARTICLES & INTERVIEWS: https://www.kyivpost.com/podcasts/31754 https://euromaidanpress.com/2023/03/20/2023-is-a-time-and-chance-for-military-change-in-ukraine-glen-grant/ https://kyivindependent.com/author/glen-grant-15959/ ---------- SUPPORT THE CHANNEL: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain ---------- TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND: Save Ukraine https://www.saveukraineua.org/ Superhumans - Hospital for war traumas https://superhumans.com/en/ UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukraine https://unbroken.org.ua/ Come Back Alive https://savelife.in.ua/en/ Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchen https://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraine UNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyy https://u24.gov.ua/ Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation https://prytulafoundation.org NGO “Herojam Slava” https://heroiamslava.org/ kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and Przemyśl https://kharpp.com/ NOR DOG Animal Rescue https://www.nor-dog.org/home/ ---------- PLATFORMS: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSilicon Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/siliconcurtain/ Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain ---------- Welcome to the Silicon Curtain podcast. Please like and subscribe if you like the content we produce. It will really help to increase the popularity of our content in YouTube’s algorithm. Our material is now being made available on popular podcasting platforms as well, such as Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Trucks under Christmas Tree Since 2022 an extraordinary group of people have been fighting the information war for Ukraine in the global arena. Car for Ukraine has now joined with a group of these special people and their communities to bring Christmas to the frontline in the toughest areas where the fight is happening right now. https://donorbox.org/trucks-under-christmas-tree/fundraiser/silicon-curtain The Goal of the Campaign for Silicon Curtain: € 10,000 to purchase 1 truck to save Ukrainian lives. With this campaign, we will raise funds for 1 truck to help brave warriors from the 237th battalion, 129th brigade who leverage technology and manage to hold russian advance at the very edge of the frontline. Who will receive the vehicle? 237 battalion 129 brigade aerial reconnaissance unit. https://donorbox.org/trucks-under-christmas-tree/fundraiser/silicon-curtain Donate and get: Pins. Everyone who contributes with €100 (~$110) or more will get a limited collection pin - THE INNOVATOR. This pin serves as a sign of Ukrainians' ingenuity in this fight. Custom branding: For €2,500 we will place your custom sticker on one side of a truck. It could be your logo, name, or maybe your country's flag. "Your truck" at the frontline: The average cost of an armored pickup we deploy to the frontline is €10,000. If you contribute with that amount all the custom branding options will be yours. Plus you'll receive a personalized reporting about the truck, where it ends up as well as some surprise gifts from us. About Car for Ukraine (as of November 30, 2024): - 510+ Vehicles Delivered to the Frontline, mainly armored pickups - 1,000,000+ Kilometers Covered Across Europe - €4,000,000 worth of vehicles delivered to the frontline https://donorbox.org/trucks-under-christmas-tree/fundraiser/silicon-curtain