What is Elon Musk doing in Ukraine?

Plus: Biden’s new phase in the war, Ukraine not-so-veiled terrorist threats, America’s economic war on Germany, Covidianism and the left

In my latest column for UnHerd I look at the recent media firestorm surrounding Elon Musk — this time concerning the role of his Starlink satellite system in Ukraine. According to his detractors, Musk thwarted a Ukrainian attempt to use SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet system — which has been providing communications services to Ukraine since the start of the war — to launch a major sneak attack in September 2022 on the Russian fleet based in Crimea. Is this true? But more importantly, how did a private entrepreneur end up playing such a big role in the Ukraine war? Is Musk really as innocent as he claims? Or do his ties to the US military-industrial and national security complex reveal a darker side? Click here to have all your questions answered.

I’ve also written a shorter post on Italy’s latest migrant crisis. In short, there are some actors within the EU which are using the Tunisian route as a “weapon of mass migration” to destabilise Italy and put pressure on the Meloni government. So why does Meloni continue to appeal to the EU for “help”, especially considering that much of the responsibility for the recent surge in migrant arrivals rests on the EU itself?

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And now, for paying subscribers only, here’s a selection — with my comments — of some of most interesting articles and news pieces I’ve come across during the past week. The topics include: Biden’s new phase in the war; Ukraine not-so-veiled terrorist threats; America’s economic war on Germany; Covidianism and the left, and much more.

As usual, let’s start with Ukraine. It’s been a very news-intensive week on the war front — and a confusing one in many respects, with Western leaders sending out mixed and somewhat contradictory signals. On the one hand, Biden and NATO chief Stoltenberg both reaffirmed their commitment to support Ukraine for as long as it takes to defeat Russia (though it’s never clarified what that means exactly).

“We must prepare ourselves for a long war in Ukraine”, Stoltenberg said. He then further explained, demonstrating the mental prowess of a 2-to-3-year-old: “We all want a quick peace. At the same time, we must recognize that if Zelensky and the Ukrainians stop fighting, their country will no longer exist. If President Putin and Russia stop fighting, we will have peace”.

Indeed, the US appears determined to continue escalating tensions with Russia. For the first time, the Biden administration is considering sending ATACMS long-range missiles that Ukraine has been asking for a long time with the capability to strike deep inside Russian territory — a policy which the US has been unofficially but actively supporting for months, but which it is now officially endorsing.

When asked by a journalist whether he was “okay with Ukrainians using [US-supplied longer-range] weapons to attack deep into Russian territory” — something which Russia has previously called a “red line,” which would make Washington a direct party to the conflict — Blinken replied: “In terms of their targeting decisions, it’s their decision”. This is particularly disturbing if we consider that NATO reconnaissance platforms, both manned and unmanned, will be used in such operations, making the US a virtual co-belligerent. As the retired Indian diplomat M.K. Bhadrakumar notes (quoting retired Colonel Douglas MacGregor), we entering “Biden’s phase of the war”: “That is to say, having run out of ground forces, the locus will now shift to long-range strike weapons like the Storm Shadow, Taurus, ATACMS long-range missiles, etc”.