Posted by BW Actual on Aug 13th 2025
BLACKWATER USA | DAILY BRIEF
Ukraine
- Pres. Zelensky complained on Sunday that Russia's increasingly offensive positioning suggests it's "not preparing for a cease-fire or an end to the war." In fact, both Ukraine and Russia seem to be intensifying their offensive operations this week in a likely effort to improve their respective negotiating positions ahead of Friday's meeting between Presidents Trump and Putin.
- Russian troops just broke through Ukrainian front lines near Pokrovsk, Donetsk, and seem to be preparing to capture the city with the same noose-tightening strategy they used to take other Ukrainian cities. For its part, Ukraine is escalating its strikes on Russian oil refineries to increase economic pressure on Putin to agree to end the war.
- Pres. Trump will hold a virtual meeting with Pres. Zelensky and European leaders today. Zelensky and the European leaders requested the call, and hope to use it to make their case ahead of Trump's meeting with Pres. Putin on Friday. In particular, Zelensky will probably reiterate that Ukraine will refuse to cede Donbas to Russia.
Gaza
- The AP reported that Israel is in talks with South Sudan about resettling displaced Gazans in Africa's newest country. That could explain why Israel's Deputy Foreign Minister, Sharren Haskel, is in Juba meeting with Pres. Kiir and other senior South Sudanese officials this week.
- The idea of resettling Gazans in South Sudan is still just an unconfirmed rumor rather than an official proposal, but Israel's critics are already voicing concerns about sending hungry and war-weary Gazans to a fragile country grappling with its own food and war crises.
Human Rights
- The U.S. State Department released its annual reports on global human rights yesterday, after an unusual delay.
- Rights groups complained that this year's reports softened criticism of human rights abuses in several countries led by Trump allies - like El Salvador, Hungary, and Israel - and expanded complaints against several countries whose leaders Trump has political beef with - like South Africa and Brazil. The State Department's annual human rights reports are not usually so influenced by White House politics.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- AI startup Perplexity floated an unsolicited offer to buy Google's Chrome browser for $34.5 billion. The WSJ called that a "longshot" - indeed, it's almost double Perplexity's own estimated valuation of $18 billion - but Perplexity says it has already sourced full funding for the acquisition.
- Google doesn't want to sell Chrome, so the deal is unlikely to move forward unless a U.S. court forces a sale. Analysts consider that a long shot, too.