After recent rumblings surfaced of how many nations would embrace the impending BRICS Pay system, the bloc has confirmed 159 participants are set to adopt the new payment system. Indeed, the economic alliance system is poised to hit the ground running when it finally launches. | Now, all eyes are on when that launch will take place. Many have surmised that it would be announced at the highly anticipated 2024 Summit. Moreover, it would be set to go live in what would be a groundbreaking unveiling. If that were to happen, the bloc has already noted there is a long line of entities ready to embrace it. ● Earlier this year, the BRICS bloc announced the creation of a blockchain-based payment platform. It would redefine the collective’s global economic standing. Moreover, it would compete with some of the largest payment systems worldwide. That includes the Western-dominated SWIFT system. ● Now, the BRICS group confirmed that 159 participants will adopt the new payment system. Indeed, Russian officials verified the number in a recent correction, according to a Yahoo report. Although previous statements rumored 160 countries would be involved, the number was clarified in subsequent reports.

Military-technical cooperation between Russia and Mongolia includes the supply of weapons to Ulaanbaatar and the training of military personnel, currently Russia has already trained 340 Mongolian soldiers, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin said on Tuesday.

💬 "The supply of weapons and military equipment, repair, maintenance, modernization," Fomin outlined the areas of cooperation, adding "... we are cooperating on the military-technical line. And in the military as well. We teach. We have already trained about 340 people this year."

One of the training sites for Mongolian military personnel is the presidential cadet school in Kyzyl, the official said. ● Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Mongolia at Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh's invitation on Monday to attend celebrations of the 85th anniversary of the Soviet-Mongol victory over militarist Japan on the Khalkhin Gol River.

■ Asian nation told ICC to ‘get lost’ with Putin warrant – Medvedev (09/04/24)
■ Putin invites Mongolian president to BRICS summit (09/03/24 )

Kiev’s financial adviser arranged face-to-face meetings with bondholders in July 2022 after initial talks failed, according to a report | Ukraine reached its recent agreement with bondholders on a debt restructuring as a result of efforts by Rothschild & Co, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing sources involved in the talks. Kiev appointed Rothschild as an advisor to its Finance Ministry in 2017. ■ Kiev announced last week that it had reached an agreement with a group of foreign investors to restructure its $20 billion debt. Bondholders – including US financial giants BlackRock and Pimco, as well as French asset manager Amundi – granted Ukraine a two-year debt freeze in February 2022 when the conflict with Russia broke out. ■ The bondholders’ committee, which represents the holders of 25% of the bonds, has agreed to accept losses of 37%, or $8.7 billion, on the nominal value of their debt. [...] The restructuring of the massive debt will help Kiev save $11.4 billion over the next three years. This is crucial for both its war effort and its IMF program, Reuters wrote, describing the debt restructuring as one of the fastest and largest in history, eclipsed in scale only by those undertaken by Argentina and Greece.

The European Union has expressed concern regarding NATO member Turkey’s ongoing bid to join the BRICS organization, saying that as an EU membership candidate, Ankara had to “respect” the EU’s “values” and foreign policy preferences, despite its being free to join the alliances of its choosing. | Ankara has been in negotiations to join the EU since 2005. Progress in the talks has essentially been frozen, though, due to political roadblocks created by certain EU members faulting, what they call, the country’s democratic shortcomings. Ankara sees the reasons hindering its EU accession as obstacles unrelated to its suitability for membership. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly warned that his country could part ways with the European Union in reaction to the bloc's long-drawn-out failure to honor its pledge to accept Ankara as a member.

■ Turkey Bids to Join BRICS in Push to Build Alliances Beyond West (Bloomberg)

Foreign Minister Szijjártó sat down for three hours with the CEO of the Russian energy giant. | Less than 24 hours after clashing with the EU’s foreign policy chief at a meeting of EU foreign ministers, Hungary’s top diplomat Péter Szijjártó made a surprise trip to Russia. ■ The foreign minister sat down with the head of state-owned energy giant Gazprom on Friday, the day after a Foreign Affairs Council meeting where Hungary’s position on the war in Ukraine and its simplified immigration program for Russians and Belarusians were challenged by his colleagues. [...] After his three-hour meeting with Gazprom CEO Alexey Miller — who has been sanctioned by the United States and United Kingdom for his role in supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine — Szijjártó wrote that Hungary’s energy security “cannot be guaranteed” without Russian gas.

Algiers is now playing an increasingly important role in ensuring EU energy security and is itself moving toward economic sovereignty | In the spring of 2022, at the height of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the EU began thinking about abandoning Russian gas supplies and reducing energy consumption as much as possible. EU countries began looking elsewhere, and one of the places they focused their attention on was Algeria. ● Now, two years later, Algeria is the largest pipeline gas supplier to the EU and continues to occupy the leading position in Africa in natural gas production and exports. But its position in a number of international issues is now posing a threat to supplies to Europe, and the countries of the European Mediterranean have to compromise in their foreign policy in order not to lose such an important source of energy.

Israel has ORDERED the crypto-exchange "Binance" to SEIZE the crypto-currencies of all Palestinians pursuant to Israeli Terrorism Law | Israel did this by declaring the Dubai Exchange Company in the Gaza Strip, which is the only lawful crypto-currency entity allowed to operate in the Gaza Strip, to be a "terrorist organization." ● All Palestinians were required to use the Dubai Exchange Company for all their crypto-currency transactions. Since the Israeli government declared the Dubai Exchange itself to be a "terrorist organization" all the money transferred by or through that company is then considered to be the property of the "terrorist organization" and thus subject to being seized! Palestinians have APPEALED this mass seizure. Those Appeals are ALL being denied.

With growing concern, Zionist economists are warning officials in Tel Aviv that if the Gaza war does not end by 2025, the regime's economic situation will worsen. | According to the US media, the current state of the Israeli regime is the result of the high costs that this regime has incurred during the ongoing war in Gaza. ● Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu tried to allay the fears of Zionist experts by saying that the economic damage is short-term and temporary, but contrary to his claims, the war in Gaza has harmed thousands of small businesses and international trust in Israel's economy. ● Yacov Sheinin, an Israeli economist, said the total cost of the war could amount to $120 billion, or 20% of the country’s gross domestic product, a broad measure of economic activity. The Israeli regime's Finance Ministry this month said the country’s deficit over the last 12 months has risen to over 8% of GDP, far exceeding the 6.6% deficit-to-GDP ratio the ministry projected for 2024. In 2023, Israel’s budget deficit was roughly 4% of its GDP.

As sustainability’s significance in global industry and commercial use has grown exponentially over the last years, so has the need for lithium, the key component for various electric vehicles and machinery. | Lithium is essential for the production of aluminum semi-finished products, electronics, and laser equipment, and is used in the aerospace and nuclear power industries. Many experts believe independent lithium mining is a strategic task. Some of lithium’s modern applications also include advanced medical treatments for bipolar disorder and mania. Today the richest reserves of lithium are found mainly in South America, as well as in the United States, Australia and China.

Tarik Cyril Amar | We are expected to believe that a bunch of rogue Ukrainians blew up Nord Stream without any state support – do they also have a bridge to sell us? [...]

■ What is more interesting, however, is what this all implies and why it is happening now. Regarding the implications, even if, for the sake of argument, you pretend to believe the whole WSJ/German prosecutor story, Germany’s, the EU’s, and NATO’s positions emerge as untenable and discredited. As an anonymous German official noted, “an attack of this scale is a sufficient reason to trigger the collective defense clause of NATO, but our critical infrastructure was blown up by a country” – that is, Ukraine, not Russia – “that we support with massive weapons shipments and billions in cash.” That is, Berlin’s policy has been so perverse as to qualify as treasonous. It has literally fought the wrong country. Thereby, it has failed to defend Germany from a massive attack and instead has bent over backwards to reward the aggressor, Ukraine. In a normal country, the government would have fallen already, and not just faced questions like ‘What about Germany’s intelligence services and military? Where have they been napping? Under a rock on a Baltic beach?’

■ And things don’t look much better for the EU and NATO as a whole. Many who refuse to be fed moronic propaganda anymore will conclude that these organizations are, in essence, conspiracies, systematically acting against the interests of the countries and populations they pretend to protect. Regarding the US, what’s even left to say? It was, of course, involved in the attack, as President Biden had openly threatened in advance. Putting about a silly tale now blaming it all on Kiev and Kiev alone just makes it look stupid and callous.

■ This brings us to the question of why all of this is happening now. Callous is the key term here. The best explanation of the timing of these new revelations is that they are part of dropping the Ukrainian proxy. What better way to introduce a policy of abandoning Kiev than by making it the sole scapegoat for an attack on the West? This operation may take a while, but it has clearly started. No, it is not a coincidence that Berlin has just announced that it will greatly reduce its military support for Ukraine. As others before, Kiev is about to learn about American and Western gratitude, the very hard way.

The US deep state needs the EU to be completely dependent on its energy resources, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said | The EU's recommendation to Ukraine to ban the transit of Russian oil meets the interests of the United States, which needs Brussels to be completely dependent on US energy resources, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told TASS.

💬 "I would like to add that Washington is behind Brussels," Zakharova said, commenting on Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto's words that the transit ban was coordinated from Brussels. "The US deep state needs the EU to be completely dependent on its energy resources. This guarantees Washington economic bonuses and political control over the European Union. This is why the EU countries' long-term contracts with Russia were so hated by the United States. This is why the Nord Streams were blown up," she added.

Earlier, Ukraine halted the transit of Lukoil oil through its territory to Hungary and Slovakia after Kiev blacklisted the company.

Measures target tankers said to be involved in the secret fund-raising operation for proxy militant groups | Israel opened a new front against Tehran on Tuesday with the country’s first-ever shipping sanctions by ordering the seizure of 18 tankers allegedly involved in selling Iranian oil to finance militant operations. ● The measures are aimed at vessels involved in ‘dark’ ship-to-ship oil transfers with a US-sanctioned tanker off the coast of Syria, according to Israeli officials. ● The operation, said to have been overseen by senior Hezbollah official Muhammad Qasir, involved the export of Iranian crude for refining in Syria. ● The refined oils from Syria were then loaded onto the Iranian-flagged 46,267-dwt Jasmine (built 1996) before the oil was transferred for final delivery to smaller tankers over several months from December 2022. ● The STS operations were necessary after the US sanctioned Jasmine in 2019 as part of its own crackdown on the network, said officials. ● The measures come amid a background of high tensions in the region, with Israel braced for possible attack from Iran and its regional militias following the killings of senior Hezbollah and Hamas officials in Beirut and Tehran within the last week. ● Eight of the tankers targeted by Israel were blacklisted after October 2023 but never publicly announced by its sanctions body, the National Bureau for Counter Terror Financing.

■ Israel signals readiness for pre-emptive strikes against Iran, Hezbollah (MEMO)

Kiyoshi Ishigane, chief fund manager at Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management, said: 'I didn't expect stocks to fall this much. 'This is probably because there are concerns that the US economy will collapse in a big way, which is the most unpleasant pattern for Japanese stocks.' | José Torres, a senior economist at Interactive Brokers, said: 'The short-lived satisfaction of Fed Chief Powell communicating decent odds of a September rate cut has turned sour as investors are now panicking that the central bank isn´t trimming soon enough.' ● Shares across the world tumbled Friday - as investors panicked over signs of weakness in the US economy. The S&P 500 was sinking by 2.5 percent in midday trading, on pace for its worst day since 2022. The Dow Jones was down 954 points, or 2.4 percent. At one point in the morning, the tech-heavy Nasdaq was down 3.2 percent, meaning it has lost more than 10 percent from a record high on July 11. ● The tailspins were sparked by a dire jobs report on Friday morning. Unemployment in July rose to the highest level since October 2021 - suggesting the US economy is sputtering and raising fears of a recession. Even before that report, stock markets in Europe, China and Japan in particular had plunged.

Biden – or at least his signature on paper – has authorized an immediate resignation that puts the finance masters in charge of the United States | On July 22, just one day after the Biden regime announced that "the big guy" is dropping out of the 2024 presidential race, President Joseph R. Biden Jr. signed an executive action reneging his executive authority and handing it over to the United States Treasury, meaning Janet Yellen and her globalist crew. ● Entitled "Memorandum on the Delegation of Certain Functions and Authorities Under the Rebuilding Economic Prosperity and Opportunity for Ukrainians Act," the executive action claims "the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 301 of title 3" as its bedrock. ● A memo issued by Biden explains that he is "delegating to the Secretary of the Treasury the function and authorities vested in the President by sections 104(a)(1) and 104(a)(2)(A) of the Rebuilding Economic Prosperity and Opportunity for Ukrainians Act (Division F of Public Law 118-50) (the 'Act')."

According to Alexander Pankin, this never-ending sanctions campaign carried out by the US and the EU is aimed at making Russia "weak," to the point of "collapse" | The countries of the collective West have imposed about 20,000 sanctions against Russia's economy, Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Pankin told a round table in the Federation Council’s upper house of parliament.

💬 "About 20,000 various restrictive sanctions have already been imposed on Russia. Actually, they cannot be called sanctions, because sanctions are a legitimate measure introduced by the [UN] Security Council, while these are unilateral restrictive measures," the diplomat said.

According to Pankin, this never-ending sanctions campaign carried out by the US and the EU is aimed at making Russia "weak," to the point of "collapse".

A solution must be found by September, or else Hungary will begin to experience oil shortage, says senior official | Hungary on Friday accused Ukraine of blackmailing it by preventing Russian oil from transiting through its territory. In a press conference in Budapest, Gergely Gulyas, head of the Office of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, said Ukraine is blackmailing Hungary and Slovakia that "advocate peace and a cease-fire." ● Earlier on Monday, Hungary and Slovakia jointly initiated a European Union consultation procedure against Ukraine in response to Kyiv's decision to halt Russian oil company Lukoil’s crude oil transits. Gulyas said this posed a serious danger to the energy security of Hungary and Slovakia.

The head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways (RAI) Seyed Miad Salehi announced that Russia's coal was exported to India through Iran's railway for the first time. | The head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways (RAI) wrote on his social media account on Saturday that 7 freight wagons containing 9,500 tons of Russia's coal were exported to India through Iran's railway track in the last 40 days for the first time in the history of the railway. He also expressed hope that according to the president-elect Masoud Pezeshkian's recent note and according to his emphasis on cooperation with neighbors, China, and Russia, the country's transit would increase continuously. ● Russia has for the first time sent two trains laden with coal to India via the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), which connects Russia to India via Iran, according to a statement by Russia’s national railway company. A multimodal route that includes a railway, roadway network, and seaports, the INSTC spans 7,200km (4,500 miles) from St. Petersburg to the port of Mumbai in India.

■ US warns India against deepening Russia ties (RT.com) []

Following bilateral talks, Moscow and New Delhi have outlined plans to further boost economic ties and expedite projects that could reshape the Eurasian geopolitical landscape | Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two-day visit to Moscow for the 22nd annual bilateral summit between India and Russia has resulted in a joint statement covering areas such as energy and defense cooperation, trade, space, and connectivity. ● Moscow and New Delhi signed nine separate agreements, including on promoting cross-border investments, on trade and investments in the Russian Far East through 2029, and cooperation on climate change and low-carbon development. ● Russia was chosen as the country for Modi’s first bilateral visit after securing a third consecutive term in office. It was also his first trip to the country since the outbreak of hostilities in Ukraine in 2022.

■ The Results of Narendra Modi’s Trip To Russia (Leonid Savin)
■ New Agenda of Russia-India Relations (Alexey Kupriyanov)

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Russia aiming to finalize a crucial uranium supply agreement for a nuclear power plant in Tamil Nadu. | This visit marks a significant step to strengthen ties between the two countries after five years. Alongside the uranium deal, India and Russia are expected to sign a military agreement allowing mutual use of facilities for training and operations. The move comes amidst rising global demand for nuclear energy, driving uranium prices up sharply. India, facing depleting domestic reserves, increasingly relies on imports from countries like Russia, Kazakhstan, and Canada. The agreements could reshape India’s energy security and military cooperation in strategic maritime regions, underscoring the geopolitical stakes at play. According to senior sources familiar with the situation, Russia and India are expected to reach an agreement on a long-term uranium supply for a nuclear power station set to begin operations in the southern state of Tamil Nadu.

Corruption in Ukraine?

You will be shocked!!!

Watch till the end!!!

Please share. pic.twitter.com/bTIsQwJY6Z

— Diana Panchenko 🇺🇦 (@Panchenko_X) July 1, 2024

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit takes place in Astana from July 3-4 under the slogan "Strengthening Multilateral Dialogue - the Pursuit of Sustainable Peace and Development." | The SCO consists of India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Belarus and Uzbekistan. Afghanistan and Mongolia are observer states; Azerbaijan, Armenia, Bahrain, Egypt, Cambodia, Qatar, Kuwait, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Sri Lanka are dialogue partners. ● Following the summit in Kazakhstan, the chairmanship will be transferred to China for the term of 2024-2025.

■ Maintaining Security One of SCO's Main Tasks - Putin (Sputnik)

The British foreign minister has global sanctions ambitions | The West must show Moscow that it stands “completely” behind Ukraine by sanctioning everything Russian, Britain’s foreign secretary David Cameron has said.

💬 “We will show [Russian President Vladimir] Putin that we are completely behind Ukraine: we will chase the money and the oil, we will stop the gas, we will stop the ships, we will do everything we can to stop the Russian war machine and show Putin the folly of his actions,” Cameron told the Italian outlet. ● The UK is “hunting” companies that do business with Russia “all over the world,” he said. “We will sanction companies in China, in Türkiye, in Kyrgyzstan, even in Israel, that we believe are supplying dual-use material” to Russia, he added.

Cameron spoke at a press conference in London as British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s government announced new sanctions against Russia. His remarks were published on Friday, by the Italian daily Corriere della Sera.

■ Why Do Brits Hate Russians? (Israel Shamir)

BRICS countries are abandoning the greenback because it is being used as a political tool, Vyacheslav Volodin has said | Washington has completely undermined trust in the US dollar as a global reserve currency by using it as a political tool to impose “illegal” sanctions on Russia, State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin has said. ● The US government announced a new batch of sanctions against Russia on Wednesday, targeting the energy, metals, and mining industries, as well as the Moscow Stock Exchange and major lenders Sber and VTB. The measures, which cover 300 additional individuals and entities, are aimed at impacting trade between Russia and its partners in China, Türkiye, and Kyrgyzstan, as well as other nations in Central Asia, the Middle East, and the Caribbean.

■ The Collapse of the Petrodollar: Exposing the End of U.S. Dollar Dominance and the Rise of BRICS Power (MEDIA)
■ The Petrodollar Ended On June 9th; Sauds No Longer Ally w. U.S. (Eric Zuesse/Paul Hoffman)
■ Do the new US sanctions mark Russia’s final divorce from the dollar? (Henry Johnston)
■ U.S. Empire Is Now Falling Apart (Eric Zuesse)

Mohamad Hasan Sweidan | Facing internal resignations and significant military setbacks, Israel is at a crucial tipping point: it must choose between stopping its war on Gaza and cutting its losses, or escalating conflict in Gaza and Lebanon and risking further strategic defeat. | On the evening of 9 June, Israeli war cabinet ministers Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot announced their resignation from the emergency government. This is not a step two war ministers in a government heading for victory would take. On the contrary. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, they say, is “preventing us from advancing toward true victory.” ■ By resigning, Gantz and Eisenkot aim at two main objectives. First, they want to alleviate the pressure on Netanyahu to accept a deal to stop the war, a strategy likely coordinated with Washington.  ■ Second, being among the most informed Israeli officials on the state of the war, they chose to jump ship, anticipating that Netanyahu’s continued insistence on prolonging the war would only lead to further disaster. In military terms, this means they have assessed that Israel’s Gaza operations have “peaked.”

■ Hezbollah Shells Israeli Military Sites, Settlements (Videos) (South Front)
■ Fierce Hezbollah strikes hammer Israeli army HQs, key defense factory (The Cradle)
■ North 'under massive attack': Hezbollah unleashes rocket barrage on northern Israel (The Jerusalem Post)

The Collapse of the Petrodollar: Exposing the End of U.S. Dollar Dominance and the Rise of BRICS Power | The Dawn of a New Economic Era. The end of the petrodollar, a system that has anchored global oil transactions to the U.S. dollar since the 1970s, signals a monumental shift in the global economic landscape. This change, rippling through international finance and geopolitics, could redefine the very foundations of global trade and economic power. As the petrodollar crumbles, the world stands on the brink of a new economic era, one marked by volatility, transformation, and unprecedented shifts in power dynamics. ● To grasp the magnitude of this shift, it’s crucial to understand the origins and significance of the petrodollar. The petrodollar system was born out of the 1973 oil crisis when the U.S. struck a pivotal deal with Saudi Arabia. In exchange for military and economic support, Saudi Arabia agreed to price its oil exclusively in U.S. dollars. This arrangement ensured a steady global demand for the dollar, cementing its status as the world’s primary reserve currency.

■ Developments to Dethrone Petrodollar Already Underway (Sputnik News)

The new measures target companies in countries such as China in a bid to “discourage” trade with Moscow | The US Departments of State and Treasury on Wednesday sanctioned 300 additional individuals and entities in Russia and elsewhere, which it accuses of having links to Moscow’s “war economy.” ● According to the Treasury Department, the latest measures target individuals and companies suspected of enabling Moscow to evade the Western embargo. [...] Wednesday’s measures target more than $100 million in trade between Russia and its foreign partners. Companies and individuals in China, Kyrgyzstan, and Türkiye made the sanctions list, with the US going after targets in east and central Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and the Caribbean, the Treasury Department claims. [...] The two departments have issued a new interpretation of existing executive orders that prohibit US citizens from providing anyone in Russia with “IT consultancy and design services,” as well as “IT support services and cloud-based services for enterprise management software and design and manufacturing software.”

■ West has declared ‘war without rules’ on Russia – Medvedev (RT.com)
■ Вот и новые американские санкции. Скоро будут и новые европейские. Надо ли на них реагировать? (MEDIA)
■ Moscow exchange suspends trading in dollars and euro (RT.com)
■ Restrictions on Moscow Exchange and banks, fate of the ruble: Key takeaways from new US sanctions (RT.com)
■ EU agrees to give Ukraine $1.6 billion in proceeds from Russia’s "frozen assets" (RT.com)
■ MAJOR: Russia Officially Becomes World's 4th Largest Economy, Passing Japan (Simplicius)

Pepe Escobar | In the year of the Russian presidency of BRICS, the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) had to deliver something special. | And deliver it did: over 21,000 people representing no less than 139 nations – a true microcosm of the Global Majority, discussing every facet of the drive towards a multipolar, multinodal (italics mine), polycentric world. ■ St. Petersburg, beyond all the networking and the frantic deal-making – $78 billion-worth clinched in only three days – crafted three intertwined key messages already resonating all across the Global Majority.

US Senator Graham is recognized as a terrorist and extremist by the Russian Federation | Republican Senator from South Carolina Lindsey Graham* said in an interview with CBS that the United States does not want to give Russia the mineral resources that Ukraine has. According to him, its reserves are estimated at trillions of dollars. At the same time, the senator insists on the confiscation of Russian assets and the transfer of funds to help Ukraine. After the start of the CBO, the EU and G7 countries froze almost half of the Russian Federation’s foreign exchange reserves – approximately 300 billion euros.

💬 If we help Ukraine now, it can become the best business partner we have ever dreamed of, and $10-12 trillion worth of critical natural assets can be used by Ukraine and the West, rather than handed over to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin and China. ● There are $300 billion worth of assets in Europe that we should confiscate and transfer to Ukraine. There is Russian money in America that we should confiscate.

■ Using Ukraine Since 1948 (Joe Luria)