Posted by: rosemerry | Feb 21 2023 9:49 utc | 2
Bonjour Rosemerry, voici un lien (traduction française) :
lien direct france24

Posted by: Fabrice | Feb 21 2023 9:58 utc | 3

Posted by: Biswapriya Purkayast | Feb 21 2023 10:38 utc | 5
My thoughts exactly. A huge nothing burger.

Posted by: Jax | Feb 21 2023 10:40 utc | 5

Putin’s State of the Nation speech is over.
– No announcement of anything military.
– Just the usual standard list of mentioning this or that success and new economic plans.
– Pretty nationalistic over all.
“Russia will stand up to any challenges,we are confident in our strength,the truth is with us -Putin”

Posted by: b | Feb 21 2023 10:54 utc | 7

He did say something in the idea that that long range weapons will force them to push the front line. He suspended START since US won’t allow inspections and wants to “defeat” Russia. He said that he has info that US wants to resume nuke tests and if they do then Russia will resume tests too.

Posted by: rk | Feb 21 2023 10:58 utc | 9

Over.
So, not a word about alliance with China or America or anyone.
START treaty (not sure which one) is put on hold. That’s perhaps the only FP thing.
The rest was about domestic issues.
The “zeitgeist” of a speech feels close to “splendid isolation” if not autarkia.
Foreign concerns and expectations were not even mentioned after the intro, in “what and how should we enhance” sections.
If Putin’s address had any message to other nations – then it was “we don’t care, we are playing solo now” one (so, for foreign watchers this was really a nothingburger, they were explicitly left out).
To me… I can hardly watch politicians speech, to me them all seem “astroturf” meaning less wordplay. This speech was at least somewhat meaningful.
Would Putin instead focus on relationships with EU, USA or even China – that would’ve been a nothingburger for me

Posted by: Arioch | Feb 21 2023 11:01 utc | 11

I only caught the tail-end about suspending participation in New START.

Posted by: Skiffer | Feb 21 2023 11:02 utc | 13

Basically a renewed justification of decoupling from the West, in combination with an outlook on how Russia will proceed to do so. And the usual promises to build competitive industries instead of relying on the sale of raw materials, energy and agricultural goods.

Posted by: Erast Fandorin | Feb 21 2023 11:03 utc | 15

Absolutely not one thing yet in the speech that justifies the hype. What was all the buildup for?
Posted by: Biswapriya Purkayast | Feb 21 2023 10:38 utc | 4
Point is, who made all the hype? Russians do it the Russian way, be it on the battlefield or with annual speeches. Elsewhere further West, they fling about fancy words, accusations, and threats. I doubt Putin went there to tell everyone about the start of the offensive.

Posted by: CM of Berlin | Feb 21 2023 11:05 utc | 17

FWIW, MK Bhadrakumar and Pepe Escobar each posted Tweets close to the start of Putin’s speech that may shine some light in behind-the-scenes chatter (if you believe they have sources for that stuff)
Bhadrakumar:
“Isn’t it high time Russian side discloses what all it knows about the can of Ukrainian worms Biden and family is holding post-2014 regime change when he was the master of ceremonies? Republicans would love to hear. What’s the point in observing propriety? It takes two to tango!”
https://twitter.com/BhadraPunchline/status/1627916427834589184
Escobar:
“ “Why would we threaten him? Who will replace Biden? Kamala Harris? Biden, despite all his dementia, still thinks, and he has some kind of limits. She has no limits at all – whatever Blinken and Sullivan tell her, she will do.”
Military expert Yevgeny Buzhinsky”
https://twitter.com/RealPepeEscobar/status/1627941885091237888

Posted by: Bruised Northerner | Feb 21 2023 11:08 utc | 19

Putin’s speech was a waste of everyone’s time. No substance, just empty rhetoric with even emptier promises on the back of thousands of lives lost in Ukraine and the prospect of thousands more to be slaughtered. And for what? For one man’s ego and the illusion of the glory of Russia.

Posted by: Tom UK | Feb 21 2023 11:14 utc | 21

Good speech. Not too many thought balloons, very typical national report.
Back to the grinder everybody.

Posted by: uncle tungsten | Feb 21 2023 11:18 utc | 23

All those dissing the speech should bear in mind that we aren’t the primary audience, we are just interested bystanders. Remember this is the Presidential Address to the Russian Parliament and by inference, to the voting citizens of Russia.
The opening 20 minutes or so came across to me as also addressing audiences in the ‘Global South’/Zone B/non-aligned nations.

Posted by: West of England Andy | Feb 21 2023 11:20 utc | 25

Putin’s speech was directed to the domestic audience, not to the “West”.
It was *exactly* what was to be expected. Maybe not for Tom UK, that is.

Posted by: Verdant | Feb 21 2023 11:22 utc | 27

I liked the part where he laughed at rich Russians who now have nothing because they put everything in the West and now it’s confiscated. He even said they won’t get any help, they can beg in the West.

Posted by: rk | Feb 21 2023 11:24 utc | 29

I am in free France. No Rumble allowed.
Posted by: rosemerry | Feb 21 2023 9:49 utc
If using Windows computer try GoodbyDPI by ValdikSS, who knows, maybe it would unlock Internet for you, maybe not.

Posted by: Arioch | Feb 21 2023 11:34 utc | 31

I’ll play Captain Obvious. When Putin said Russia is united and confident you could look around the room and see that he was making a true statement. When he talked of childrens letters to soldiers he was talking to children and soldiers and mothers and not referencing Norman Rockwell paintings of a bygone age. He presented as the guy who stands up to the bully and watches the bully run.

Posted by: oldhippie | Feb 21 2023 11:39 utc | 33

old hippie coping

Posted by: Old Fart Legion | Feb 21 2023 11:47 utc | 35

Vladimir Putin just showed how insane the western hostile countrys are, by contrast.
That’s a man with a plan, the body language tells its a good one.
For the west it’s, the fear of the unknown.
Masterfully

Posted by: Mark2 | Feb 21 2023 11:49 utc | 37

I wouldn’t have criticised the speech but for all the buildup and the hints about tremendous announcements. Tax breaks for families with 2 or more children to buy a house isn’t exactly a tremendous announcement. The suspension of START II is something that hasn’t even happened; Slutsky said if the bill is introduced in the Duma it’ll be passed.
Ultimately,a waste of time. And I gatsby dream my strip today because I thought I should wait for some startling announcement that needed immediate cartooning.

Posted by: Biswapriya Purkayast | Feb 21 2023 11:52 utc | 39

Posted by: Paco | Feb 21 2023 11:43 utc | 34
Suspending START plus implicating France and UK in the deal, just like the US tried to implicate China. Plus tit for tat if there are nuclear tests.

Posted by: Paco | Feb 21 2023 11:57 utc | 41

21.02.2023 14:24
On summoning US Ambassador to Moscow L. Tracy to the Russian Foreign Ministry
machine translation

Summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the head of the American diplomatic mission made a demarche on February 21 in connection with the growing involvement of the United States in the fighting on the side of the Kiev regime.
The protest note sent to the Ambassador emphasizes that the pumping of weapons to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as well as the transfer of target designations for striking Russian military and civilian infrastructure facilities, clearly prove the inconsistency and falsity of the American side’s claims that the United States is not a party to the conflict. It is also indicated that the weapons supplied to Kiev, as well as service personnel, including American citizens, are a legitimate target.
In this regard, the Ambassador was told that the current aggressive course of the United States to deepen the confrontation with Russia in all areas is counterproductive. It was emphasized that in order to de-escalate the situation, Washington should take steps involving the withdrawal of US-NATO military and equipment, as well as the cessation of hostile anti-Russian activity.
The Russian side also stressed that the United States should provide explanations about the explosions on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines and not interfere with an objective investigation to identify those responsible.
In addition, a number of bilateral issues were discussed during the meeting.

https://www.mid.ru/ru/foreign_policy/news/1855127/
The UN Security Council takes up the issue of NS sabotage later today.

Posted by: too scents | Feb 21 2023 11:57 utc | 43

Posted by: Arioch | Feb 21 2023 11:04 utc | 16
I caught that, too. Possible justification for the Russian Federation annexing the whole of Ukraine – which, as I’ve said repeatedly, is the only way Russia can achieve at least partially the security requirements outlined in the December, 2021, treaty proposals.

Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Feb 21 2023 12:19 utc | 45

Wow, the trolls are going in heavily today. President Putin’s speech was very powerful, just cope with it. All diplomatic ties with the West seem broken now. The consequences for the world are immense, the twentieth century politics are gone forever.

Posted by: Anthony | Feb 21 2023 12:22 utc | 47

Currently listening to comments on BBC Radio about Putin’s and Biden’s speeches. It is like living in a parallel universe. One “Professor of Politics” actually commented the unconditional surrender was a good thing to try to impose on Russia. The western MSM (based on this broadcast at least) completely rejects the notion that Russia had a causus belli, and that the Ukrainianians might be about to lose this war. Putin bad and mad, Biden good and coherent. Reducing geo-politics to sound bites.
The radio debate is about what the end of the war might look like. Hmmm… let me think. Tough one….
Priming western public opinion to accept less than total victory?? Who knows? I think that the western public may be very disappointed.

Posted by: marcjf | Feb 21 2023 12:26 utc | 49

Nowhere in the west do I see someone speaking about Education as Putin did. The russian “paideia” makes the collective west’s one look like an unfortunate delusion, if not some sort of criminal aberration.

Posted by: Luís Borges | Feb 21 2023 12:30 utc | 51

Whether consciously or unplanned: Putin did not offer Biden a presentation of any kind of Russian aggression and escalation in resounding words.
Everything relies on pragmatic work and calm alone. This focus on challenging the present as a result of changes with a view to a future will come across as a provocation as Moscow increasingly turns its back on the West. “Indeed, the Western elites have become a symbol of total unprincipled lies.”
And this “pragmatic tedious calm” is the accompaniment to Russian warfare. Don’t rush, we’ll keep going, we’ll win. Russia will continue its offensive in Ukraine “carefully and consistently,” Putin said. “It is impossible to defeat our country on the battlefield.”
This shows the Europeans that Europe gains nothing from this war but loses a lot, without addressing their political leadership directly, why should he? The Russian bear has so many things to discover in its huge world that it doesn’t have to look anywhere back. Basically, it was a summary of Putin’s positions over the past 18 months.
Therefore, an emphasis on “irreversible change” was maintained as a central theme. It also concerned the life and work of oligarchs in Western countries, which Putin somewhat mocked, to the delight of the audience. He asked them not to live in the past to fight in European courts for their stolen property shares, but to return to their homeland to invest there to create something of meaning.
Russia will not terminate the New Start agreement, but will suspend it, Putin said in his speech. The reason is that the USA and NATO wanted to inflict a “strategic defeat” on Russia and at the same time complained that Russia would not allow the inspections of nuclear facilities provided for in the New Start Agreement.
Many social areas were addressed in the domestic area. Child benefit, increase and adjustment of minimum wage, help for families of fallen soldiers (In Europe, states also adjust wages to inflation, but most lag behind, a majority seems to co-finance their (sanctions) war against Russia through inflation at the expense of their citizens, with wages rising far less than inflation).
Focus on sustainable education and research from which something new can emerge: Seems like Russia is planning a counter-Bologna: diploma courses (masters in Europe) should not take four years but soon six years(?)
“Russia has a right to be strong.”

Posted by: Konrad | Feb 21 2023 12:41 utc | 53

Wang Yi is visiting Moscow today, likely to present the PRC’s peace plan. According to Ukraine, Wang Yi has already sent it to them and they are studying the proposals.
I think then this plays out as follows: after a period of review Russia will probably say the terms of the plan are acceptable and publicly announce say they’re willing to sign. Ukraine will reject it because there’s no way they’ll make any territorial concessions to Russia.
After that China will say Ukraine is acting irrationally and are not interested in peace. As a result China will then start providing lethal support to Russia. After that god knows where this ends up as the West simply are not interested in a rational peace deal here.

Posted by: sidewinder | Feb 21 2023 13:01 utc | 55

Posted by: rosemerry | Feb 21 2023 9:49 utc | 2
France, like Germany, has NEVER been “free-thinking”. It has always been dirigiste in ensuring Gleichschaltung.

Posted by: Paul Greenwood | Feb 21 2023 13:05 utc | 57

Posted by: deepEye | Feb 21 2023 13:01 utc | 56
Again, this represents the idea that Russia needs to annex “Ukraine” – the “border lands” – back into the Russian Federation, and thereby forestall any plans of Poland – and by extension the West – to threaten Russia.
Which means no giving any land, including Galicia, to Poland, and putting a new Military District on Poland’s borders with strategic weapons. This is the only way to counter NATO and its Aegis Ashore installations in Poland and Romania. The proof is that Belarus is being transformed into an arm of the Russian military with the same intentions – counter NATO in Poland.
As for Transnistria, it doesn’t matter what NATO tries in Moldova. When Russia reaches the western Ukraine border, it will take over Transnistria and settle with Moldova one way or the other. The same will happen to Poland if Poland engages in any further military hostilities towards Russia in Ukraine.

Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Feb 21 2023 13:22 utc | 59

For one man’s ego and the illusion of the glory of Russia.
Posted by: Tom UK | Feb 21 2023 11:14 utc | 21
One man’s ego? That’s what you think? Too much BBC…

Posted by: RB | Feb 21 2023 13:25 utc | 61

Good gibbering ghost of Kiev, I just saw this:
Two “wonderful” news from Spain.
After two years of battles among deputies, the Congress finally approved a law on transgender people.
Teenagers aged 16 will now be able to change the gender in their identity documents without parental consent. They can do this even if they are not on hormone therapy and without a medical diagnosis of “gender dysphoria” (which will soon be removed from the classification of diseases altogether). Minors between the ages of 14 and 16 can also change their gender if their parents consent. However, if the parents refuse, a legal defender can be appointed to resolve the conflict for the minor and push for the “transitioning”.
Single gays and “fertile transgender people” now have access to assisted reproduction. It was previously only available to married women or women who have a heterosexual partner.
The words “mother”, “woman” or “man” will be abolished from all regulations and, in accordance with the norms of inclusive language, replaced with phrases such as “pregnant parent”.
Amendments have also been made to the law “On the Protection of Animal Rights”. Now bestiality is not considered a crime and is not punishable by law, unless the animal has received “a serious injury requiring veterinary treatment.” Previously, article 337.1 of the Criminal Code provided for punishment in the form of imprisonment for a term of three months to one year for bestiality. Now it has been removed from the Spain’s Criminal Code, along with the concept of “sexual exploitation of animals.”
Welcome to the “civilized world”
@thecoppermountain
t.me/thecoppermountain/2829

Posted by: Biswapriya Purkayast | Feb 21 2023 13:38 utc | 63

@BM 62:
Yes, Slutsky said as much, but I don’t know if it’ll be done tomorrow.

Posted by: Biswapriya Purkayast | Feb 21 2023 13:40 utc | 65

Question from journalist Ekaterina Lushnikova and the answer:
“Hello,
According to the US government, about 30,000 fighters have died in the ranks of the Wagner PMC since the beginning of the JMD.
How could you comment on this information, is it true?
If not, how many dead and wounded in the ranks of the PMC “Wagner” really?
How many were shot or beaten with a sledgehammer for treason and desertion?”
Prigozhin:
“Catherine, thanks for the question. Indeed, since the beginning of the SMO, a large number of deaths. There are more than 30 thousand of them. I think about 100-110 thousand, but your wording is wrong. They did not die in the ranks of the PMC “Wagner”, but died, falling into the battle formations of the PMC “Wagner”. And all these are servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other structures who are trying to fight the Wagner PMC. Therefore, the total number of dead Ukrainian soldiers is about 110 thousand, destroyed by the hands of Wagner PMC. Hope you like my answer.
We do not shoot prisoners of war and do not beat them with a sledgehammer. However, dear Ekaterina, if you, as part of a friendly company from the US government, come to us, then perhaps we will think about how to use the sledgehammer. Thank you”

Posted by: rk | Feb 21 2023 13:50 utc | 67

It’s about time.
‘They started the war’: Russia’s Putin blames West and Ukraine for provoking conflict

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday used a highly anticipated speech to deny responsibility for the war in Ukraine and lash out at his adversaries. His comments come despite repeated rejections of Putin’s narrative surrounding the war by Western nations and Ukraine. . . .here

Posted by: Don Bacon | Feb 21 2023 14:09 utc | 69

Much troll vomit today, seems they sleep in it…..careful where you step…..
Cheers M

Posted by: sean the leprechaun | Feb 21 2023 14:10 utc | 71

Fairly predictable mealy-mouthed waffle from Stoltenberg, responding to President Putin’s announcement about START.
From Interfax:

Moscow. February 21. INTERFAX.EN-NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that he regrets the decision of the Russian Federation to suspend participation in the Strategic Offensive Arms Treaty (START Treaty) and calls on Moscow to reconsider this step.
“I regret Russia’s decision to suspend its participation in the Strategic Offensive Arms Treaty… I urge Russia to reconsider this decision and return to compliance with the existing agreement, ” he said at a press conference in Brussels on Tuesday.
According to him, with this decision on the START Treaty, “the entire architecture of arms control has been eliminated.”
Stoltenberg stressed that ” a situation in which there are more weapons and less arms control makes the world a more dangerous place.”
He described Russia’s actions as “a departure from the rules-based world order that we have been building for decades.”
For his part, the head of European diplomacy Josep Borrel noted that ” Russia’s announcement to suspend participation in the START Treaty is another example of how Russia is destroying the security system built at the end of the cold war.”
Earlier on Tuesday, during a message to the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Moscow unilaterally suspends participation in the START Treaty.

https://www.interfax.ru/world/887198 (translated via Firefox Translate add-on)

Posted by: West of England Andy | Feb 21 2023 14:17 utc | 73

Interesting quote from RT: “The goal of those in power in the US and other Western nations is to “end us once and for all,” the Russian leader stated during a keynote speech on Tuesday. They are using Ukraine as a “battering ram” against Russia and don’t care how many people will die as a result, he said.
“They intend to turn a local conflict into a phase of global confrontation. That is how we understand things and will react accordingly. Because the issue here is the existence of our state,” Putin said.”
This is sort of the equivalent of “fu*k around and find out”

Posted by: ctiger | Feb 21 2023 14:18 utc | 75

My takeaway is that Putin’s speech was more about confirming his ideological foundation of capitalism and “free marketeering” as opposed to communist ideology and the planned economy of the Soviets. There was also a plea to conservatism, the upholding of the immaculate deception, and the monogamous patrilineal “family” as the ideal that’s being attacked by the gender bending ‘west’. Engels and Stalin must be rolling in their graves…

Posted by: zeke2u | Feb 21 2023 14:23 utc | 77

From Russell Bentley:

“I have multiple friends in “The Orchestra”. And it is not only Wagner who are getting shorted of vital supplies by the fucking “Big Shots” who NEVER go near the war. Khodakovsky has also written about requesting artillery support for VOSTOK operations and being told that the RF Army needs to “conserve ammo”. Fuck that shit. As I have said for months now, about the Dniper bridges, about the ukrop rail lines, about the ammo “shortages” and the general and giant fuck-ups of the whole SMO, this many “mistakes” cannot be explained by mere stupidity and cowardice, though I am sure that is a great part of it. To withhold ammo from units who are fighting and winning is not stupid, it is treachery.”

Draw your own conclusions. Anyone except worshippers of Martyanov must come to the conclusion that some people in power do not want this war to be won.

Posted by: Biswapriya Purkayast | Feb 21 2023 14:25 utc | 79

Posted by: Biswapriya Purkayast | Feb 21 2023 14:25 utc | 79
Have no trouble believing that shortages may be occurring, bur the list of why, if true, needs to be expanded:
-Russia actually fears NATO incursion and has set supply aside for that
-vanilla corruption.. E.g supplies that were claimed to have been produced are not there
-Maskirovka, etc.
-Russia has reached the ‘just in time’ stage for certain items, and still needs to arm the new formations
-etc.
All that said, and politics aside, I’d be feeding Prigozhin anything he asked for at the moment…

Posted by: dask | Feb 21 2023 14:33 utc | 81

Oh, BTW, Interfax has the full text of the Presidential Address here: https://www.interfax.ru/russia/887155
It’s in Russian but my browser Translate add-on coped with it OK. Well worth a read…

Posted by: West of England Andy | Feb 21 2023 14:43 utc | 83

Speaking of Martyanov, a few days ago the mass of stinking rancid blubber was mocking the alleged falling silent of Sladkov, Kots, and other media people risking their lives on the Donbass frontline. Yet this bag of sewer gas is now entirely silent himself apart from “open threads” and plugging his book in writing.
What a hypocritical piece of ordure.

Posted by: Biswapriya Purkayast | Feb 21 2023 14:47 utc | 85

@Comabdante 84:
The Russian army is hardly fighting at all, almost all the fighting is being done by Wagner and the LDNR, so you’re statement is ipso facto invalid.

Posted by: Biswapriya Purkayast | Feb 21 2023 14:48 utc | 87

Posted by: Tom UK | Feb 21 2023 11:14 utc | 21
Is that all you can say lol. Youre spent Tom. Youve nothing anymore. Youve lost AND YOU KNOW IT. Go and seek advice from your #NAFO dipsticks on twitter.

Posted by: HERMIUS | Feb 21 2023 14:59 utc | 89

@Comandante 88:
If Russia is running so short of munitions that it can’t provide the troops who are actually doing the fighting on the ground, then either
1. The whole conflict was not planned and prepared for since 2014, as the Martyanovist cult would have us believe, or
2. It was a colossal mistake to not destroy the Ukranazi coup regime at the latest in March once negotiations had been broken off, contrary to what the Martyanovist cult would have us believe, or
3. It is a colossal mistake now to drag on the war until all munitions are finished, because going by your thesis that is inevitable.
There is no other explanation, except
4. That the munitions exist but are being deliberately withheld for whatever reason.

Posted by: Biswapriya Purkayast | Feb 21 2023 15:03 utc | 91

I really expected someone to connect the dots by now…
PMC Wagner is short on ammo. They shake the tree at the MoD. You think they’d stop there? Nope. USA snoops on cell phone calls all over the world. PMC Wagner calls Chiba asking to buy ammo. USA catches the call declares Wagner a terrorist Org. Attempting to stop the buy. China likely is doing the deal. USA warns Chiba about lethal Aid… it all makes sense.

Posted by: Darren | Feb 21 2023 15:11 utc | 93

@92
So what is the snivelling obese hypocrite writing apart from pushing his book and “open threads”?
Oh, right, just posting excerpts from Johnson and Berletic.

Posted by: Biswapriya Purkayast | Feb 21 2023 15:13 utc | 95

Ammo supply trains may be withheld just for secrecy purposes. They can be pretty revealing when spotted.

Posted by: Catilina | Feb 21 2023 15:19 utc | 97

without words
Posted by: Vragtes | Feb 21 2023 10:02 utc | 248

I may have missed it, of course (easily done) but one thing is unclear to my pedestrian brain. The Outlaw Empire wants to weaken Germany by depriving it of Russian oil. So it blows up Nord Stream 2 pipelines with, thanks to Mr Hersh’s analysis, Norway’s active involvement.
The latter stands to benefit hugely as it has significant oil assets and a pipeline to Poland. Germany, Poland and Norway are notionally on the same side i.e. anti-Russia. So why can’t Germany just get Norwegian oil via Poland? Why does Germany need to involuntarily de-industrialise by importing expensive US LNG or marked-up Russian oil via India? Wouldn’t the Outlaw Empire have been prudent to blow up Norwegian oil pipelines too? Or is that coming?

Posted by: rk | Feb 21 2023 10:40 utc | 251

So why can’t Germany just get Norwegian oil via Poland?
Posted by: Vragtes | Feb 21 2023 10:02 utc | 248
That is a tiny pipe. And Norway’s output isn’t scalable by that amount. There is no alternative to the pipe gas from Russia to Germany and others in Europe. They simply have to use much less and pay 4x-10x the price before for what they get. There are problems with oil too, different oils aren’t identical, factories have to be modified, each change will cost many billions.

Posted by: ghiwen | Feb 21 2023 15:21 utc | 99