Today we mark the one-year anniversary of Phase 3.
On May 9, 2022, we said goodbye to Jim and hello to American diplomats, who on that day went back to work in Kyiv1.
Months later, Jim also returned to Kyiv after selling his stuff in Connecticut and getting a divorce. He was written up by The New York Times and has since disappeared2.
The USA’s Tiger Team tells us Phase 3 will likely continue well into 2024. This is because Uncle Joe and European leaders have not given us the long-range weapons necessary to finish the job earlier (as outlined in writing by Ukraine’s top brass in September 2022)3.
Quite a few people have written to ask how the pot plantation is coming along. It’s not much to write home about (though I suppose I am writing home about it), but things are starting to shape up nicely. We planted some things too early, for sure, but others are booming along.
The state of the garden and fruit orchard will be a central theme of a new series of future posts gathered up and presented in some fashion.
Day 1, Phase 3
Jim, who has been stumbling around the contact line for two months, has announced the end of his tour of duty in Ukraine. Bye, Jim. Thanks for the entertainment. Same goes for Wali, who provided us with wonderful photos of HIMSELF camoflauged in Donbas. We will miss you both.
Stolen Valor: The U.S. Volunteers in Ukraine Who Lie, Waste and Bicker. People who would not be allowed anywhere near the battlefield in a U.S.-led war are active on the Ukrainian front, with ready access to American weapons (The New York Times, March 28, 2023)
2023 Military Prospects. The Ukrainian View (September 22, 2022)