JP Lindsley | Journalist

One insidious Biden-era lie threatens to derail Trump's dreams of being the peacemaker.

It all goes back to 2014, the year to which Joe Biden pardoned son Hunter.

Read the story here: underfirenews.substack.com/p/one-biden-era-lie-has…

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3 days ago | [YT] | 31

JP Lindsley | Journalist

UKRAINE IS THE KEY TO US DOMINANCE vs CHINA.
China knows this.

"The only path for just peace of free people is for Ukraine to win. Which, as Beijing fears, it still can ... "

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The U.S. is rightly worried about China.

But the country that will shape what China can or can’t do next is Ukraine.
And on this, Trump is careening toward the wrong call.

Two White House factions are locked in a fight:
• One wants to bolster Ukraine;
• The other wants to pull back & “pivot to China.”

Neither side seems to grasp that these two goals fit together: China has been supporting Russia in its forever war in Ukraine to test weapons, drain Western stocks, & stretch U.S. attention.

This worked well under "as long as it takes" Biden, and Beijing wanted the war to drag on:

• Russia would bleed, remaining submissive
• The West would tire
• Ukraine would break

Instead, something else happened: Ukraine created the most innovative battle-tested army in the free world—and that’s a direct threat to China’s plans.

That’s why Ukraine is unexpectedly now the hinge of the entire U.S.–China competition: a strong Ukraine would fortify the free world from Chinese designs.

READ THE FULL ESSAY via my Substack: underfirenews.substack.com/

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2 weeks ago | [YT] | 72

JP Lindsley | Journalist

“Europe speaks the language of progress but thinks in the language of comfort”

** Get this and similar updates in your email every day: underfirenews.substack.com/ **

LVIV—"Europe is playing at war, not preparing for it."

A veteran Ukrainian Azov officer just delivered the most brutal assessment of European defense I’ve read.

Western elites think saying “drone” makes them innovative. Bohdan Krotevych explains why they’re catastrophically wrong.

At a recent Kyiv drone event, people were asking, Can Russia shift Europe’s drone wall?

You can’t shift what doesn’t exist, replied Lieutenant Colonel Krotevych, a Ukrainian veteran and a survivor of Russian captivity.

Europeans are clueless, wrongly assuming enough drones will save them.

“Europe speaks the language of progress but thinks in the language of comfort,” Krotevych writes. Every buzzword—”game-changer,” “AI,” “drone revolution”—creates an "opiate sense of control," replacing actual preparation for war.

The truth: Equipment doesn’t fight on its own. A drone, rifle, tank, fighter jet—these are just tools. But an army is a SYSTEM: C4ISR, logistics, infantry, artillery, intelligence, medicine, communications—all moving together.

Europe pours billions into startups founded by “veterans” of peacekeeping missions—not of modern high-intensity warfare. Money is replacing experience:

⦿ Stark Defence: $100M+ raised, ZERO successful tests
⦿ Watchkeeper: £1B from UK taxpayers, still doesn’t work

“Money creates the illusion of understanding war”: It cannot substitute for those who have seen it up close.

“When technology is born without frontline experience, it becomes a fine concept that dies on first contact with reality,” Krotevych writes—reflecting what we as we saw with the very public failure of the Stark drones, in which Peter Thiel and others had invested mega-millions (Failure is part of the process, but consider the massive cost vs Ukraine's more rapid, economical, and successful iteration).

Among EU/Nato nations, Finland uniquely gets it, Krotevych says:

⦿ 900,000 reservists
⦿ 64 F-35As purchased
⦿ 2,000+ exercises annually
⦿ Ammunition/fuel stocks ready
⦿ Fortifications updated

They don’t build “drone walls” for the news. They build real territorial defense—calculated by the hour.

Here’s the paradox: European governments + Western defense firms turn to Ukrainian generals and advisors—those with high ranks who spend the war in offices, not on the front.

Meanwhile, the officers who actually FIGHT this modern, chaotic, dynamic war go ignored.

“Concepts like a ‘drone wall’ won’t save you if they’re not backed by a system that can see, think, and act," Krotevych says. Any innovation without war experience is just noise. Any wall without protection and countermeasures is just feel-good decoration and headlines.

Victory will go not to those with the best devices but those who turn chaos into order:

“Whoever first stops playing at war—and starts preparing for it—will win.”

See and share via underfirenews.substack.com

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3 weeks ago | [YT] | 88

JP Lindsley | Journalist

Dick Cheney & My Dinner with the President & First Lady
And why this matters for Ukraine.

“After dinner that Texas night, as we left the restaurant and walked to the ex-President’s motorcade, President Bush the Elder leaned on my shoulder for support. Those who had invited me to the dinner were making me into one of them.

… But I fled—and now I use what I witnessed to help Ukrainians understand how to reach America … “

Read the full story via my Substack: underfirenews.substack.com/p/dick-cheney-and-my-di…

1 month ago | [YT] | 37

JP Lindsley | Journalist

Russia doesn’t want Americans to see this map.

Why?

Because Donald Trump says America will protect “our CHERISHED Christians” everywhere—and this map shows how Russia is trying to destroy Europe’s biggest Christian nation.

The epicenter: a place called the Virgin Mary’s Shield …

Right now, America is mobilizing to defend Nigerian Christians. Trump just designated Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” and threatened military action to protect “our CHERISHED Christians.”

And he said the USA will protect Christians everywhere.

Sadly, because the media doesn’t understand religion and because the Biden admin didn’t talk about how religious Ukraine is, Americans have no idea that the biggest opponent of Christians today is Russia.

Russia has exploited this gap—pretending to be an “Orthodox nation, but as research and surveys show, few people actually go to church in Russia.

Bolshevik communism was evil, and it uprooted religion in Russia and even in parts of eastern Ukraine where the Soviets held sway.

But in western Ukraine, the people kept their faith alive despite Soviet restrictions. They went to Mass in the forest or in basements. Most of these Ukrainians were Greek Catholics, eastern orthodox in style but in union with the Pope, and today they are the most church-going part of Ukraine.

Whenever and wherever Russia occupies Ukrainian territory, one of Moscow’s first steps is to destroy churches and persecute the Christian resistance—especially Greek Catholics, Roman Catholics, and Evangelicals.

But Russia’s persecution of Christians is also on a far larger scale: You see, most Ukrainians are Christians, and unlike most other Europeans they actually go to church. These Ukrainian Christians were civilians who had to become soldiers only because Russia invaded their homeland.

Russia’s made a big deal of the efforts to restrict the Moscow Orthodox church in Ukraine. Well, first: hardly anyone goes to these churches. Second, they are the equivalent of radical Islamists mosques: They are terror and spy cells, guiding missile attacks, etc.

In fact, many millions more Ukrainians attend the Ukrainian Orthodox Church than the Moscow Orthodox “church,” which was created by Tucker Carlson/Nick Fuentes-hero Joseph Stalin and which is controlled by Putin.

And there’s some deeply symbolic here: In the middle of this, at the front line, the great battle right now is fought at a place literally called the Protective Veil of the Virgin Mary, aka Pokrovsk.

Russians have been destroying this city, but Ukrainians are holding the line. Cherished Ukraine is a shield for the Christian West at a place called the Protective Veil of the Virgin Mary.

O say do you see, President Trump?

By the way, in the 1917 Fatima, Portugal, apparition, recognized by the Vatican, the Virgin Mary told three peasant shepherd kids to give the Pope a secret—that Russia must be converted or the world would be engulfed in war.

We plainly see Russia’s not been converted.

underfirenews.substack.com

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1 month ago | [YT] | 105

JP Lindsley | Journalist

If you wish to persuade me, you must think my thoughts, feel my feelings, and speak my words.” —Cicero

Here are simple messages for Ukraine that (a) tell the truth and (b) that will resonate with President Trump, Maga, and the American people.

What do you think? And what would you add?

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1 month ago | [YT] | 85

JP Lindsley | Journalist

Ukrainian fighter pilot Vadym Voroshylov says Sweden's Gripen is "the only fighter jet in the world I'd sell my soul for."

Stockholm and Kyiv have struck a deal on this workhorse Swedish fighter.

Here's why the Gripen is so vital to Ukraine:

Sweden and Ukraine have agreed in theory on Gripens—with a plan that could scale to 100–150 jets, with manufacturer Saab even open to final-assembly work in Ukraine if the deal lands. 

While American fighter jets are seen as the gold standard, ace pilot Vadym prefers Gripen. Why? 

Gripens are less delicate than F-16s/F-35s. Russia shreds Ukraine's runways with bombs and drones. Gripen’s air intakes sit higher on the fuselage—so it’s less likely to swallow debris. Its engine is also tucked away, making the jet harder to spot on radar. 

Gripen was built to fight without big airbases: launch from short road strips, refuel right there—even with the engine on—then move to the next site. A small ground team can turn it around fast and get it back in the air. ...

Continue reading via my dail Substack email newsletter: underfirenews.substack.com/p/ukraines-top-pilot-on…

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1 month ago | [YT] | 72

JP Lindsley | Journalist

JD Vance called his 2019 conversion to Catholicism "joining the resistance."


For years he rejected Catholicism. He falsely "knew" Catholics worshipped Mary, etc.

Even as he began to be drawn to Catholicism, he was hesitant: What would others think?

What if what he "knows" today about Ukraine is also wrong? Might he join that resistance too—if others join in the process?

Analyzing his thinking, based on a 2020 essay he wrote, "How I Joined the Resistance," is a useful exercise...

... and maybe Pope Leo can bring Vance to Lviv, Ukraine, to see the Resistance of one of Europe's most Catholic cities.

So let's take a look, for the sake of freedom --> Please see the full analysis at my Substack: underfirenews.substack.com/p/vance-used-to-oppose-…

... and I welcome your comments below on this most urgent topic!

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1 month ago | [YT] | 24

JP Lindsley | Journalist

Spooked by Russian drones, Europe is learning Ukraine's secret:

The side that spends less—and adapts faster—wins.

The math of war has flipped: $30–60k attack drones can drain million-dollar defenses and shut airports, ports, and pipelines.

Here’s the new playbook ...

** First, I invited you to my daily Substack: underfirenews.substack.com **

"The Polish government believes Russia deliberately sent drones into its airspace last month to test NATO’s resolve," American war reporter David Kirichenko writes at United24 Media.

Swiftly—but a little late—Europeans are realizing they need to learn from Ukraine.

The cost asymmetry is staggering:

Russian Shahed killer drone: $35,000-60,000

And to stop it:
Patriot missile: $2-5 million
F-35 using Sidewinder missiles: Even more.

Poland's FM Sikorski says: "It is uneconomical and impractical to be defending our space with F-35s."

Ukraine discovered this already. When artillery ran short in late 2023, they pivoted to mass-producing FPV drones.

The result? By 2025, drones account for 80% of Russia's battlefield losses: a "drone wall" that one commander says is "taller than the Great Wall of China."

And now, only after getting attacked itself by 19 Russian drones in September, Poland has turned to Ukrainian experts to learn how to take down the Shaheds.

Gone are the days of Nato proudly boasting of its air superiority. Nato's now nervous [I await comments! 🤣 ]. But Ukraine's here to help.

The Ukrainian innovation cycle of increasing lethality while decreasing costs is accelerating at breakneck speed:

2022: New tech lasted 7 months
2023: 5-6 months
2024: 3-4 months
2025: 4-6 weeks

Ukraine's Operation Spiderweb shows the asymmetry at work:

Cheap drones hidden in wooden pallets in trucks struck Russian bombers deep with the Federation, causing billions in damage and making it harder for Russia to bomb Ukrainian cities.

At sea, it's a similar situation: Ukrainian naval drones worth $300,000 shot down Russian Su-30 fighters worth $50 million each. A country with no navy has sunk one-third of Russia's Black Sea Fleet and bottled up the rest in a faraway port.

Ukrainian garage-tech start-ups are racing to create cheaper, more effective, even reusable interceptors.

Crucially, Ukrainian engineers are developing tech to outpace what Russia currently makes, knowing that the Russians are also innovating.

But mass production, not iteration, is Russia's forte. They're pumping out hundreds of drones daily:

Decoys: $2,000-10,000
Attack drones: $30,000-60,000

In response Ukraine has learned to be nimble. A Ukrainian commander put it nicely:

"It's not because we're so smart—it's because we're poor. We make 'poor man's solutions' from wood, Chinese parts, whatever works."

Against the Russian War Machine—simple tools + motivation + innovation might just get the job done.

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1 month ago | [YT] | 63

JP Lindsley | Journalist

A Ukrainian father built toy tanks for children's parks. Then Russia invaded.
Now his combat robots are hunting real Russian tanks on the battlefield.

This is the wild story of how one inventor went from amusement rides to building Ukraine's robot army.

As Defender Media reports, the transformation of Tank Bureau perfectly captures Ukraine's wartime innovation spirit.

In 2017, Dmytro Mamonov was building mini T-34 replicas for kids to ride in Kyiv parks. Everything changed when cluster munitions hit Mamonov's neighborhood in Sloviansk, Donbas region.

He went west to Zhytomyr with his family and started working in a garage to make not toys but an electric stretcher to evacuate wounded soldiers from the battlefield.

Mamonov gave away his designs to anyone who could scale production fast.
Why? He wanted his inventions to save lives NOW, not waiting for resources.

Soon, assault brigades were using his logistics drones. Students at Kyiv Polytechnic made his designs reality.

Enter Nazar Pryimak—a volunteer who'd already delivered 4,000+ pickup trucks to the front. He saw Mamonov's potential and became CEO, transforming Tank Bureau from a garage operation into a real defense company.

Result? $200,000 investment from former Ukrainian PM Groysman's fund.

Tank Bureau's flagship creation: NUMO—a modular combat unmanned ground vehicle that just met NATO requirements.

⦿ 50-80km range on swappable batteries
⦿ Carries machine guns, etc.
⦿ Soldiers learn to operate it in 5-10 minutes
⦿ 300+ already delivered

Current Tank Bureau capacity is about 150 products/month, but at an increasing rate.

Their 2025 target: 750 UGVs total with 4 new models.
From toy tanks, to an evac stretcher drone, to lethal devices to stop the invaders ...

From building toy tanks that delighted children in peacetime parks to creating robots that help soldiers bring peace back to those parks, Tank Bureau's story shows how resistance to the Russian war machine transforms everything.

Full story: lnkd.in/dPPRWrtT

See and share thread here: lnkd.in/dgd89Khd

1 month ago | [YT] | 118