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Bakhmut a key battleground for war in Ukraine

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Kyiv has pledged to defend Bakhmut, which Russia sees as a stepping stone to attack other cities

Ukrainian forces are still in control of a key supply route into the shattered, embattled city of Bakhmut, according to a military spokesperson, while a Russian mercenary commander publicly criticised Moscow and demanded more ammunition to finish the fight.

Russian forces have been trying for 10 months to punch their way into the shattered remains of what was once a city of 70,000.

Fighting has been block by block and house by house, with both sides describing it as a ‘meat grinder.’

Kyiv has pledged to defend Bakhmut, which Russia sees as a stepping stone to attack other cities.

A spokesperson for Ukraine’s forces in the east told a news website that the 17-kilometre stretch he dubbed “the road of life” leading from the town of Chasiv Yar into Bakhmut was still under Kyiv’s control.

On the other side of the frontline, Yevgeny Prigozhin said his fighters with the Wagner mercenary group had advanced some 100 to 150 metres further into the city.

But he said that effort cost him 94 troops.

Prigozhin and his private militia have led the Russian attack on the city and often claim unverifiable successes in videos such as this.

In an audio recording published on the Telegram message app, Prigozhin said his losses would have been five times fewer if his fighters had more ammunition.

In a separate video interview with a Russian military blogger, Prigozhin said his soldiers had only enough ammo for a few days, and said that if he wasn’t resupplied he’d be forced to withdraw.

Ukraine, too, has been long crying for more weaponry to sustain its fight.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said a planned spring counter-offensive would not hinge on the arrival of new western warplanes.

He’s been asking for advanced F-16 fighters from the U.S. and NATO allies but said the planned attack could not wait.

A plume of black smoke rose from a Russian fuel depot in the Crimean port city of Sevastopol, which the city’s Moscow-installed governor blamed on a Ukrainian drone strike.

Meanwhile, civilian casualties continue to mount. On Sunday, the Ukrainian city of Uman held a funeral for two children killed by a Russian missile.

At least 25 civilians were killed in a wave of Russian airstrikes last week.

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Is President Biden securing a ‘made in America’ supply chain for critical minerals?

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Rare earths elements are responsible for some of the most important materials involved in electric vehicle production, battery making, renewable energy systems and technology manufacturing.

 
Last year, President Joe Biden said he wanted to make rare earths an important domestic policy initiative and he signed an executive order to review gaps in the domestic supply chains for rare earths, medical devices, chips, and other key resources.

The Department of Energy announced a $30 million initiative to tap into researching and securing the U.S. domestic supply chain for rare earths and other important minerals in battery-making production.

But at the same time, President Biden also blocked the mining of rare earth minerals on more than 225,000 acres of federal land for more than 20 years.

Is it possible for the U.S. to change course and again have a seat at the table in producing rare earths elements?

To discuss further, Luisa Moreno the President of the Defense Metals Corp. joined us.
#rareearthelements #rareminerals #China #UnitedStates #Veronicadudo #luisamoreno

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Is the West too reliant on Chinese rare earth exports?

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Rare earths elements are needed to make iPhones, advanced batteries, military night-vision goggles and MRI machines. According to the U.S. Genealogical Survey, China was responsible for 80% of rare earths imports in 2019.

 
Critical earth minerals are a necessity for humans around the world.

They are essential to our modern-day lifestyles and critical in the creation of things such as iPhones, electric vehicles, and advanced precision weapons.

While the United States is dependent on other countries for many minerals, there is no country that America is more dependent on than China. And all these minerals come at a price.

Rare earths elements are needed to make everything from the technology we use every day like smart refrigerators and advanced batteries to night-vision goggles used by the military to MRI machines which are crucial to the medical field.

Many in the government, business, and science sectors have long raised concerns about how to ensure the West’s continued supply of these critical earth minerals.

The United States was once a dominant player in the rare earths supply chain, but for decades, that global market has been dominated by China.

According to the U.S. Genealogical Survey, China was responsible for 80% of rare earths imports in 2019.

Last year, the Biden administration even touted a new plan for the United States to rival China and end their decades-long dominance of rare earth metals market.

So, how reliant is the West on Chinese rare earth exports?

Luisa Moreno the President of the Defense Metals Corp joined us to discuss. #rareearthelements #china #unitedstates #greenagenda #veronicadudo #luisamoreno #trade

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Moscow says sending F-16 jets to Ukraine is a “colossal risk”

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As Ukraine braces a summer of violence, Kyiv is pleading for more air support from NATO

 
U.S. President Joe Biden recently granted his backing for Kyiv’s pilots to be trained on F-16 fighter jets.

These jets can be used in a variety of combat scenarios, including air-to-air or gound-attacks.

In fact, the U.S. Air Force has described these jets as a “relatively low-cost, high-performance weapon system.

Thousands of F-16s have been sent around the world. However, Kyiv has been requesting for this support for months.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky believes there is “substantial progress” in convincing western allies to equip Kyiv with fighter jets.

Zelensky said the jets are a “key component” of gaining an advantage over Russian forces.

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