BLACKWATER USA | DAILY BRIEF

Posted by BW Actual on Jun 8th 2022

BLACKWATER USA | DAILY BRIEF

Ukraine

  • Ukraine is balancing a difficult choice over whether to withdraw from Severodonetsk, where its forces are outnumbered and outgunned. It's unlikely to win if it continues fighting, but ceding ground - and giving up Luhansk - would demoralize Ukrainian troops and free Russian forces up for fighting elsewhere.
  • To that end, Ukraine asked for more long-range rocket launchers from the U.S. and UK, saying that 60 of them would be a "gamechanger." The U.S. and UK have so far only pledged "four or five" - in part because of Russia's sensitivities about weapons that could be used to strike within its borders - and Russia's threats to retaliate if Ukraine received such weapons.
  • There are unconfirmed reports of a cholera outbreak in Mariupol, which Russia captured three weeks ago after destroying most of the city (including its plumbing infrastructure) and leaving tens of thousands of bodies decaying in the streets. Those conditions are conducive for lots of diseases - not just cholera.
Food Supply
  • Russia is absurdly blaming Ukrainian anti-ship mines and international sanctions on Moscow for hindering grain and wheat exports from Ukraine. The real issue is Russia's blockade of Ukrainian ports, and the UN is trying to broker a deal to allow exports to flow again - but Russia is demanding sanctions relief as part of the deal.
  • Meanwhile the effect of food shortages is having ripple effects globally - and especially in vulnerable parts of Africa: the UN says over 200,000 people face starvation in Somalia, and almost half the population can barely get enough food to survive.
China
  • Western officials say China is secretly building its second foreign military base - and its first in the Indo Pacific: this one will be in Cambodia (the first is in Djibouti), and is slated to break ground this week.
  • The Post writes that both countries are taking extraordinary steps to keep the plan quiet and deny that China will have exclusive use of at least part of the Ream Naval Base.
Afghanistan
  • Germany's Foreign Minister used a visit to Pakistan to criticize the Taliban regime in neighboring Afghanistan, and she didn't mince words: "The situation is dire and the Taliban are leading the country into a downfall." She called on other countries to tell the Taliban they're "heading in the wrong direction" and attach human rights conditions to any aid they give Afghanistan.
Other News
  • The World Bank slashed its global economic growth outlook to 2.9% for 2022, citing war in Ukraine, price inflation, and supply chain issues. That's even lower than the IMF's 3.6% forecast for 2022.