“The real question is: Why now? [more aid]”
Posted by: smuks | Apr 21 2024 22:10 utc | 76
Below is a Reuters posting title that makes me see Z as being quite desperate
Posted by: psychohistorian | Apr 22 2024 0:50 utc | 94
I think they are running out of money to run the Ukrainian government. If they quit funding that, the place will fall apart in days.

Posted by: Jmaas | Apr 22 2024 1:20 utc | 103

Posted by: psychohistorian | Apr 22 2024 0:50 utc | 94
The US aid for the Kiev regime is a bookkeeping operation.
Can’t say that I know for sure, but what I think is going on is that they set a price on the equipment they give to Ukraine, and then that dollar amount is counted as aid. As up to now we have been giving not selling to Ukraine, the country would not pick up any debt. And as you imply, no money changes hands.
In WWII it was lend-lease to Britain which produced debt, but gift to Russia.

Posted by: Jmaas | Apr 22 2024 1:28 utc | 105

@ HERMIUS | Apr 22 2024 0:59 utc | 99 with the response, thanks.
You may be correct. There will just more backfill of inventory waiting or not for the next emergency appropriation of Americans money.
@ Jmaas | Apr 22 2024 1:20 utc | 103 about the money to run a corrupt Ukraine government in terminal phase….agreed
Again, I would claim it is too little and too late because the Bear is devouring the military and I expect the latest attack of a high voltage station in Russia will exact increased crippling of Ukraine electrical system.
end stage Ukraine is ugly.

Posted by: psychohistorian | Apr 22 2024 1:29 utc | 107

… but this supposes that Ukraine will still have an army by then, which their current strategy is making less and less likely.
Posted by: Honzo | Apr 22 2024 0:57 utc | 97
………………………….
Possibly goal is severe population reduction. In which case, both sides playing their parts perfectly.

Posted by: Scorpion | Apr 22 2024 1:47 utc | 109

Posted by: Surferket | Apr 22 2024 2:09 utc | 110
A 109 year old ship that was “used in the Moskva investigation” – the world’s oldest active Navy ship.
Poor targeting decision by Ukraine, just a shot in the dark? Or not an attack? Injuries?
Contract to build a brand new one to replace it could be mighty lucrative…

Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Apr 22 2024 2:19 utc | 111

Its ok. Russia don’t need a Black Sea fleet since Odessa will not return.

Posted by: Surferket | Apr 22 2024 2:44 utc | 113

Posted by: vargas | Apr 21 2024 20:30 utc | 58
I asked you where do you get this info about a 750kv station being attacked/bombed/destroyed? It’s not mentioned anywhere in the Russian sources and plenty of them are hyping anything that the ukros do.
Also, the link to simplicius you provide does not mention anything of this kind either. Stop playing your silly games

Posted by: Boo | Apr 22 2024 2:52 utc | 115

Posted by: Jake Blanchard | Apr 22 2024 1:26 utc | 104
Yup, that’s the game the Russians are playing at the moment in Donbass. There was an article in Polish (which was translated in Russian), from a former disgruntled merc who describes exactly this, Russian strategy is mainly about killing soldiers and depleting mil. supplies, territory is a bonus. Nobody wants to fight in this kind of attritional warfare where the other side is FABbing and TOSsing you constantly while you’re waiting for your turn to shoot your rifle (for lack of artillery ammo)

Posted by: Boo | Apr 22 2024 2:59 utc | 117

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Apr 21 2024 20:48 utc | 67
“Early in the morning here and I’ve got no beer.”
Bung: Bartender, give me a double.
Bartender: Bung, it’s 8 in the morning!
Bung: Yeah, I know. My alarm clock didn’t go off.
–The Wizard of Id

Posted by: Paranaense | Apr 22 2024 3:15 utc | 119

@ Babel-17 | Apr 22 2024 3:01 utc | 118 with the psychohistorian and Asimov connection/background…thanks
I am no Hari Seldon but a big fan of Asimov. I chose my moniker with the claim to shorten the time humanity has to spend under the jackboot of global private finance by at least a butterfly’s wing beat…..its intention that counts for me.

Posted by: psychohistorian | Apr 22 2024 4:48 utc | 121

The old boat… at the moment Surferket is just posting a bit of normal British tabloid propaganda. I will wait to see if anymore comes of but doubtful. I see the Ukies that cant shoot down SU-25’s freely flying over Chasov Yar shot down a Russian strategic bomber 700k inside Russia. Reported as fact by all western propaganda media. Ukraine says… Ukraine says… even the ghost of Kiev was reported as fact in western media.
Posted by: Peter AU1 | Apr 22 2024 2:53 utc | 116
RT says is was an old landing boat, it was hit, there was small fire. Very old from what they said.
What I noticed is what you said, only Ukraine favoring media were going on about it.
“We report, you decide.”

Posted by: Bemildred | Apr 22 2024 5:44 utc | 123

The Problem of Fat Fingers and Poor Eyesight on a Phone.
Was enjoying reading MoA [Ukraine Thread] this morning. Went away for a few hours. Came back to continue on, but the thread had gone all religious. People were arguing over the authenticity of the Bible; how old the Jews were; and some business about a Red Cow Sacrifice. Wtf! I tracked back to the source post and sure enough it was fucking Giyane.
I was just about to post and give him a serve about keeping his fucking proselytising to himself and hijacking threads into intractable religious arguments when I realised I had accidentally clicked on the GAZA Thread! So I just left the nutters all to themselves in their toxic little swamp. Lol.

Posted by: Jake Blanchard | Apr 22 2024 6:09 utc | 125

📋🇷🇺🇺🇦⚔️ Two Majors #Report #Summary for the Morning of 22 April 2024; pub. 07:01📍
🎯 The RFAF, over the past day, continued to strike targets in the enemy’s rear areas in a “daily mode”. Another air defence system was destroyed in the #Kharkov region, targets were also hit in the #Odessa region, and the port infrastructure of commercial enterprises burned for a long time.
🔹In the #Kherson direction, there are no changes in the nature of hostilities. The AFU are present in #Krynki and at the #Antonovsky Bridge, there are mutual artillery strikes and the use of drones, the RFAF pay special attention to the destruction of enemy boats.
🔹On the #Zaporozhye front, the AFU is already systematically counterattacking in the centre of #Rabotino and northwest of #Verbovoye. The RFAF strike at the attacking enemy formations on the approach, use heavy flamethrower systems, artillery and FABs with UMPC, including to destroy enemy manpower and equipment at #Orekhov. AFU drones control the #Tokmak-#Pologi road and strike our equipment daily.
🔹In the #SouthDonetsk (#Ugledar) direction, the AFU was knocked out of #Novomikhaylovka, it was reported that the western outskirts were being cleaned up. The RFAF are attacking #Krasnogorovka from the south, heavy fighting is underway.
🔹Northwest of #Avdeyevka, our troops are advancing on (in) #Ocheretino and #Novokalinovo, gaining a foothold on the southern (the latter eastern) outskirts of the settlements. The AFU are preparing the defensive lines in #Keramik.
🔹At #ChasovYar, heavy fighting continues. The town is under the blows of our artillery and assault aircraft, the enemy’s air defence forces are exhausted there. Despite the presence of the RFAF in the eastern outskirts of the town, the main task of our troops is to get north and south to the Vodokanal.
🔹At #Belogorovka and #Terny, the fighting continues (in #Seversk and #Liman sectors).
💥In the #Kursk region, the AFU shelling of the #Tyotkino border continues. In the #Belgorod region, #Belgorod, Borisovsky, Volokonovsky, Korochansky, Krasnogvardeysky, Krasnoyaruzhsky, Chernyavsky districts, Valuysky, Shebekinsky, Yakovlevsky and Grayvoronsky urban districts were hit by artillery and Nazi drones.
💥The Enemy launched a missile strike in #Sevastopol yesterday to the area of the berths, the fire was extinguish.
🎬#Kherson direction: The 18th Combined Arms Army destroys the enemy landing force landing on our shore and inflicts fire on the AFU facilities on the enemy’s side.

https://t.me/two_majors/22705

Posted by: Down South | Apr 22 2024 6:11 utc | 127

Posted by: Jmaas | Apr 22 2024 1:28 utc | 105
“In WWII it was lend-lease to Britain which produced debt, but gift to Russia.”
********
A total of $50.1 billion was provided by the US for Lend-Lease in WWII. This is equivalent to about $800 billion in today’s dollars.
Of this, $31.4 billion went to the United Kingdom, $11.3 billion to the Soviet Union (about $180 billion in today’s dollars).
The US may have given the Soviet Union other gifts.

Posted by: General Factotum | Apr 22 2024 6:24 utc | 129

Good ***speculation*** on your part jake.. thanks.. that could very well be true..
Posted by: james | Apr 22 2024 6:19 utc | 128
Nah. Not speculation. Deduction. There’s a big difference. Deduction is a process of rational, reasoned thinking based on known facts, connecting known dots, if you will. The outcome may not be 100% proven, but it is far from the fantasy imaginings of mere speculation or conjecture.
1. We know there were Soviet Bunkers.
2. We know there were Soviet mines.
3. We know the Russians had them mapped til 1991.
5. We know the Ukies continued digging those mines for 35 years beyond the map knowledge.
6. We know the Ukies expected and prepared defences against a Russian ground war across the Donbass since 2014.
7. We know all such objects (deep tunnels) are of enormous military advantage.
8. We can deduce that to outsmart the old Russian maps, the Ukies would have enlarged and interconnected all possible tunnels for better entry, storage, and escape. That’s why many locations are called “strongholds”.
9. We know that RF has been attacking and stepping back, attacking and stepping back, for 2 years, then every now and then storms weakened positions and moves permanently forwards.
10. We know Ukraine is addicted to the PR of “pushing the Russians back, reclaiming so-and-so”. But that is just their pissy counter offensives. But they never report how RF knocks them down time and time again. In the end, they completely withdraw. Oh, quelle surprise!!
So no guesswork involved. And one doesn’t have to be a commander to know this. 🙂

Posted by: Jake Blanchard | Apr 22 2024 7:00 utc | 131

Larry Johnson via Dima (Military Summary) posts France has openly moved 2000 troops into Odessa.
Does this mark the opening bells of WW3?

Posted by: Dingleberry | Apr 22 2024 7:16 utc | 133

On the subject of the US continually funding Ukraine for its proxy part in bringing down Russia, I take great pleasure in reminding people every few months of the Lindsay Graham “cat out of the bag” statement he made 2 years ago … (slightly paraphrased … IIRC)
“Against the background of the Vietnam War costing us about $1 trillion dollars in today’s money; and Afghanistan costing us $2.4 trillion; we have set aside up to $6 Trillion Dollars in the 10 year forwards estimates to defeat? bring down? Russia. And if you ask me, it’s worth every cent of that”.
Now kiddies, that’s $600 billion per year — that’s just how revved up they are on this mission … and why money against Russia ain’t gunna stop anytime soon. All that’s gunna change, even if the Kiev budget lessens over time; even if it loses 4 – 6 oblasts; even if Ukraine ends up a pile of shit; is that the Outlaw Empire will continue to invest its MIC Trillions in other geopolitical ways to thwart Russia. There’s lots more arms-reach proxies out there they can/will use.
I believe all those saying that the US is “pivotting to China” are only partly right … but not to the exclusion of Russia and Europe as the perennial competitors. Hmmm, I wonder what figure Lindsay Graham has tucked away in his portfolio for bringing down China … and India!
So onwards it goes, till it doesn’t. Sometime, I’m gunna take a break from this incarnation, be reborn somewhere, and when I grow up to adulthood in 20-30 years, I don’t expect to see much will have changed.

Posted by: Jake Blanchard | Apr 22 2024 7:33 utc | 135

Avdeevskoe direction
Northern flank of Ocheretino.
🔴The night was extremely productive for our army. At the moment, the entire territory of the Railway Station is behind us. The southwestern part of the village is being cleaned up.
🔴The main forces are now moving towards the city center, namely towards Postal Avenue.
🔴There is information that the enemy has begun withdrawing the garrison from the village.
We are currently working on 50 percent of the settlement behind us

https://twitter.com/distant_earth83/status/1782315440485593253

Posted by: unimperator | Apr 22 2024 7:50 utc | 137

Posted by: TJandTheBear | Apr 22 2024 7:51 utc | 138
The ostensible ‘stability’ everyone in the west think Ukraine is representing, is a consequence of a full blown military dictatorship, censorship, and forced mobilization.
On the other side, we see more partisanship, another Nato weapons train was derailed in Odessa.

Posted by: unimperator | Apr 22 2024 7:55 utc | 139

This is a common tactic which makes it *APPEAR* RF is not “taking villages” or is weak against the AFU.
Posted by: Jake Blanchard | Apr 22 2024 1:26 utc | 104
That is the good part of the strategy. The funny part is how much they protect the nazis in Kiev, Lvov or Odessa, basically everywhere outside Donbass. There is no war there, no energy problems, parties everywhere. 3 missiles and 5 drones twice a year doesn’t count as war. In time, they’ll say they’ve removed 500k-1m “nato” soldiers, which is true but they will get hit even more after zombies are dead, all that money from the +100bn per year will be freed for missiles and drones. And it started from a high number for Taiwan with 8bn. I think Trumpy started with only 1bn in weapons in the first package ever.
The long delayed attacks on power generation only limit energy exports but now EU announced it’ll ban Russian LNG imports in the next package of sanctions, they could not care less, their industry is moving to China, where it’ll be much cheaper and they’ll make higher profit than before smo, or to their masters in US.

Posted by: rk | Apr 22 2024 8:10 utc | 141

The political telegram channels Resident and Legitimny have become a problem for the Office of the President, and the topic of limiting the social network in Ukraine is already being discussed by all Bankova speakers. As our source reported, the authorities will launch an information campaign with threats to limit the work of telegrams in Ukraine so that Durov will negotiate.
The head of the Main Intelligence Directorate, Budanov, called for the adoption of a law on the registration of telegram channel owners.
He again stated that Telegram is a “huge problem” for Ukraine and there are two ways to solve it.
“Or, as they say, put it all in order – put things in order, at least legally force everyone to register, so that it is clear who is behind what media resource, and Telegram has definitely acquired media status. There is no question of influence or pressure – that’s not the question . If you want to prove your position – and someone may not like it and this is normal in a democratic society – why are you afraid to say who you are? – said Budanov.
It allows temporary blocking of anonymous publics, but preferably calls it “forcing them to register.”

https://t.me/rezident_ua/22540

Posted by: Down South | Apr 22 2024 8:40 utc | 143

Posted by: Justpassinby | Apr 22 2024 8:44 utc | 144
The de-industrialization in Germany also tends to spread to EU peripheries. The service sector, real estate, tourism, etc. follow with a lag. Europe is nothing but a big center of tourism and service based economy now.
Regarding ‘propping up defense industry’. It’s a project led by the Euro Commission. There are far too many examples how majority of all EC led projects have failed. They even never admit they fail, they simply forget about them, and tens or hundreds of billions euros just vanished.
Semiconductor, the green transition / ‘fit for 55’, funding renewable and other infrastructure in Africa come to mind. Ukraine is the latest project, by far, and now this supposed defense industry project. All this is bankrupting EU member states who have to find the dough out of their own social, health and other budgets. Ukraine will probably be the real sinker.

Posted by: unimperator | Apr 22 2024 9:01 utc | 145

The background to the US decision to supply weapons to Kiev
.
So what happened? Has the USA changed course again? The answer is “no”, but to understand this you have to look at the context.
The specifics of the US aid package
The approved aid package contains some special features. Firstly, the US government has now been ordered to sign a loan agreement with Ukraine, which means that the US will want the money back at some point, probably with interest.
You, dear reader, will object that this would be window dressing because Kiev is already bankrupt and will never be able to pay back the money. That’s true, but there’s a trick that we’ll get to in a moment.
The second peculiarity of the aid decided is that the lion’s share of it does not go to Ukraine, but directly to the US defense industry. And the money is not intended to be used to produce weapons for Ukraine, but rather to replenish the arsenals of the US Army, which have been greatly emptied by previous aid to Ukraine. The new “Ukraine aid” is at least partly payment for previous arms deliveries from the USA to Kiev.
Who should pay for this, who has so much money?
Since the US stopped issuing new aid packages to Kiev at the end of 2023, the US government, together with its loyal European media, has put pressure on the EU and its member states to step in and shoulder the financial burden of supporting Ukraine. And the US government was successful, because in February the EU released the first fresh 50 billion for Kiev and some EU states, such as Germany, are also supplying Kiev with weapons and financial support.
In contrast to the EU, the USA no longer provides Kiev with its own money, but now provides its aid in the form of loans. And they will ensure that Kiev can pay these loans. The most obvious way is to have the EU guarantee the loans. The USA already used this method after the Maidan coup, when it gave Kiev loan guarantees but no money. The money came from the EU, but the just over ten billion euros that flowed from Brussels to Kiev between 2014 and 2021 were peanuts compared to the sums we are talking about today.
It will therefore be difficult to convince the EU and its member states to guarantee the $61 billion (and future packages) without European voters punishing their pro-American governments.
But there is another solution: US laws supporting Ukraine now also allow the confiscation of Russian assets in the US and their transfer to Kiev. The USA is now putting massive pressure on Brussels to take this step. And official US representatives are very actively demanding this from Brussels, including through the G7.
This would mean that the EU confiscates Russian funds with which it can guarantee new Ukrainian bonds, i.e. national debt – which has already been demanded in the USA. In plain language, the US is counting on the EU to guarantee US loans by confiscating Russian funds – so Russia should pay for the US weapons used by Russian soldiers in Ukraine and in the Ukrainian attacks on Russian ones Cities killing Russian civilians.
To put it even more clearly: Russia is supposed to pay for the economic stimulus program for the US defense industry, which costs billions.
The win-win-win situation for the USA
This principle of making the EU pay for US policy against Russia is not new. The Russia sanctions are nothing different, because the USA, which has hardly had any trade with Russia, practically does not suffer from the consequences of the Russia sanctions, while the EU states pay the bill and suffer massively.
Thanks to the sanctions, the EU is foregoing cheap oil and gas from Russian pipelines, while the USA is making a killing by supplying the EU with expensive liquid gas. And the resulting massive increase in energy costs in Europe has, as is well known, led to many European industries looking for new production locations because they can no longer compete on the global market under these conditions.
And as luck would have it, the US government passed its anti-inflation law, which supports the establishment of European industries in the US with almost 370 billion dollars.
In doing so, the USA has killed not two, but three birds with one stone: Firstly, it has weakened its economic competitor. Secondly, they ensure that European industries move to the USA and create jobs there. And thirdly, through this weakening they have turned their vassals in Europe into one even greater dependence on the USA – a real win-win-win situation for the USA.
Dollar vs. Euro
There is even a fourth point, because if the EU were to actually give in to pressure from the USA and actually confiscate Russian assets, then that would be a very serious blow to the euro as a currency and Europe as a financial center. Perhaps in the medium term it would even be the death knell for the euro.
The reason is that international investors would then no longer have confidence in the euro because there would be no legal certainty for investments in the EU, because it is undisputed that such a step violates international law. In the EU, people are looking for legal constructs that can give the action a legal appearance, but that would just be an easy-to-understand trick.
As a result, one might hope in the USA, international investors will move from the EU to the USA.
We must not forget that the power of the USA is based primarily on the role of the dollar as the world reserve currency. However, the euro has become real competition for the dollar, which has not been acknowledged with joy in the USA, because more and more international transactions are no longer carried out in dollars, but in euros, which in the long term will affect the position of the dollar threatened as a world reserve currency.
Therefore, a weakening of the euro and trust in Europe as a financial center is definitely in the interest of the USA because it would strengthen the dollar as a currency and the USA as a financial center.
.
.
https://www.anti-spiegel.ru/2024/die-hintergruende-der-us-entscheidung-wieder-waffen-an-kiew-zu-liefern/

Posted by: ossi | Apr 22 2024 9:16 utc | 147

Posted by: ossi | Apr 22 2024 9:16 utc | 147
thanks for this excellent post

Posted by: vargas | Apr 22 2024 9:29 utc | 149

THE feature… yes, as opposed to ‘a feature’… true..
@ Peter AU1 | Apr 21 2024 17:09 utc | 13
i hope that does speed up others dropping the us$ that can’t happen soon enough..
Posted by: james | Apr 21 2024 17:36 utc | 23
.
.
Well, watch the price of gold and you’ll see that some people think this way.
And quote:
We must not forget that the power of the USA is based primarily on the role of the dollar as the world reserve currency. However, the euro has become real competition for the dollar, which has not been acknowledged with joy in the USA, because more and more international transactions are no longer carried out in dollars, but in euros, which in the long term will affect the position of the dollar threatened as a world reserve currency.
Therefore, a weakening of the euro and trust in Europe as a financial center is definitely in the interest of the USA because it would strengthen the dollar as a currency and the USA as a financial center.

Posted by: ossi | Apr 22 2024 9:37 utc | 151

Excuse my ignorance but why, if so little of $61B is actually going to Ukraine, is the little Green Manboy so chuffed at getting his latest handout? He seemed to indicate “it will help Ukraine win the war”. Lol. Or was that just a hollow statement for his dumb people. Nothing makes sense about the funding of this fkn war.
Posted by: Jake Blanchard | Apr 22 2024 9:27 utc | 148
.
.
.
Why is HE happy about this law?
Now it is a probaganta to another psychology of the mass, in this case primarily the mass of the mob in Europe.
In Germany, for example, there is currently a discussion in parliament about abolishing pensions at 63… there will be turmoil but the money is gone.
Germany’s government could collapse.
If the USA now gives money again and we do NOT explain to the masses what that really means, then the effect will be “Look USA is at it again” Now we have to do it!

Posted by: ossi | Apr 22 2024 9:43 utc | 153

Very good post. How surprising that US is forcing Eurovassals to guaranteeing Ukraine’s loans, confiscating Russian assets and eat the hit of lost influence and confidence in the as an investable market.
It will take a generation for Europe to rejuvenate itself, replace the most idiotic leaders in history with sound ones, and gain independence. The problem is Europe doesn’t even have a generation due to multitude of depopulation policies. Thus is the fait of suckers.
Posted by: unimperator | Apr 22 2024 9:40 utc | 152
.
.
ONE GENERATION??
NO, that’s not enough, remember the generation of tomorrow is going to the school system today!
What do YOU learn, Russia our friend, the world needs peace?
Far far off the mark, history, for example the liberation of Hitler, was no longer the Russians but the Americans, although Russia’s role has been kept small in history lessons for the last 50 years.
The generation plus graduates of elite schools, mostly in America or England, determine the future and this generation is, I say, contaminated in the head

Posted by: ossi | Apr 22 2024 9:50 utc | 155

Dima:
-RUAF controls entire southern Ocheretyne
-Novokalynove under heavy bombardment
-47th bde deployed from Berdych to Ocheretyne, which weakens Berdychi
-RUAF established complete control of field south of Pervomaiske
-AFU admitted loss of Novomikhalovka
-Kanal, east part of Chasov Yar under heavy bombardment now and for last 2-3 weeks, fortifications and shelters, purpose to surround and force AFU here to surrender
-AFU 67th and 25th Bde to be disbanded. 25th abandoned position earlier NE of Chasov yar on the Kanal side leading to losing positions

Posted by: unimperator | Apr 22 2024 10:06 utc | 157

Willy’s latest: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBOXezVd-ak (map discussed last few minutes)
Overall, very minimal changes (also mentioned at beginning of video). Little more expansion towards Ocho, along rail line. And a field or two elsewhere.
Berdichi is still not 100% captured. Nor Seminovko. Novomyk still lacks a few houses to the northwest, not under RFA control.
(Sorry…those who trusted Weeb and Southfront, you were liking them because they bias the reporting to tell you what you like to hear, versus best estimates…they get “in front” of advances, for clicks.)

Posted by: Anonymous | Apr 22 2024 10:17 utc | 159

I think we are the witness how fragile the whole structure of the (western) civilization is. As Freud stated: “The civilization and culture are enforced concepts”. As Fromm said “There are two kinds of freedom ‘freedom from’ and ‘freedom for’.” The West is so limited to the first one.
However the Machiavellistic plan explained by ossie (how to rob Russia and EU in one hit) is really amazing.

Posted by: vargas | Apr 22 2024 10:22 utc | 161

“Well, watch the price of gold and you’ll see that some people think this way.
And quote:
We must not forget that the power of the USA is based primarily on the role of the dollar as the world reserve currency. However, the euro has become real competition for the dollar, which has not been acknowledged with joy in the USA, because more and more international transactions are no longer carried out in dollars, but in euros, which in the long term will affect the position of the dollar threatened as a world reserve currency.
Therefore, a weakening of the euro and trust in Europe as a financial center is definitely in the interest of the USA because it would strengthen the dollar as a currency and the USA as a financial center.”
Posted by: ossi | Apr 22 2024 9:37 utc | 151
Good post.
I have thought very hard why the US sanctions so many countries basically sanctioning the dollar which is counter intuitive.
Then I have the idea that as the US dollar slowly lose reserve currency status the dollars will end up scurrying to US shores which will magnify inflation.
The US by sanctioning , effectively the dollar, dollars won’t be washing up on its shares

Posted by: canuck | Apr 22 2024 10:32 utc | 163

Posted by: canuck | Apr 22 2024 10:32 utc | 162
Most likely the US can only partially replace the loss of USD trade in non-western markets, through the raping of the eurovassal economy. And there is only so much they can strip out of Europe. Europeans are reducing budgets, making them poor, unable to keep propping up the US current account balance buying overpriced products.
It does slow down the impacts in the US partially, but with the spiraling debt and budget deficits, any such effect will be short lived on the way to financial oblivion.
Fiat money is based on debt, a lot of debt is bound to be wiped out in the west. This means, a lot of Fiat money will simply disappear, wiped out. Bad news for the general western population. Gold, instead, will not get wiped out, it will remain as true global sound money, shifing shape and form riding the wave on top of global power structure shifts.

Posted by: unimperator | Apr 22 2024 10:43 utc | 165

Posted by: ossi | Apr 22 2024 10:24 utc | 161
ossi can you make a comparission about the current level of indoctrination in Germany with the one in GDR?

Posted by: vargas | Apr 22 2024 11:07 utc | 167

We shall see what we shall see, but currently the pace of Russian advances is accelerating, which is strong supporting evidence for the thesis that the Ukrainian military is approaching a tipping point that can easily lead to massive retreats, surrenders or even the complete collapse of the front line.
The smart move for the Ukrainians would be to make a strategic withdrawal west of the Dnieper, but politically this is impossible for them, and they aren’t really making the decisions anyway. The Brandon Regime seems to think that the strategy of defending every village and hamlet will push the collapse of Ukraine to the other side of the elections, but I think this is actually having the opposite effect.
Honzo | Apr 22 2024 0:57 utc | 97
Hmm. I’d be inclined to agree, but there’s an alternative view:
AFU is finally getting serious about constructing new defensive lines, maybe near Pokrowsk, Slavyansk etc. (which it should have done long ago). To win enough time for that, it has to hold the Russians at the current front line – while knowing full well there’s no point in wasting troops to defend every single village.

Posted by: smuks | Apr 22 2024 11:13 utc | 169

“Fiat money is based on debt, a lot of debt is bound to be wiped out in the west. This means, a lot of Fiat money will simply disappear, wiped out. Bad news for the general western population. Gold, instead, will not get wiped out, it will remain as true global sound money, shifting shape and form riding the wave on top of global power structure shifts.”
Posted by: unimperator | Apr 22 2024 10:43 utc | 164
I have a few gold properties in Northern Ontario-one I’ve had for 15 years- did about $300k in exploration work on it with decent results but it has been hard to raise money for further exploration.
Last couple of weeks I have had numerous offers-not great but good offers-I think gold will do much better wo I will hold on a bit longer..

Posted by: canuck | Apr 22 2024 11:23 utc | 171

Posted by: wagelaborer | Apr 21 2024 19:26 utc | 44
Sad thought.

Posted by: Greg Galloway | Apr 22 2024 11:32 utc | 173

This mornings comical ZH headline “Ukraine Gets Their Billions Despite CIA Director Reportedly Warning Zelenksy To Stop Stealing So Much Money”

Posted by: SwissArmyMan | Apr 22 2024 11:45 utc | 175

Any confirmation that French troops are in Odessa?

Posted by: jpc | Apr 22 2024 12:53 utc | 177

Posted by: vargas | Apr 22 2024 7:16 utc | 132
A random commenter on Simps blog is not a credible source.
In other news, Elvis spotted at a shopping mall in Kyiv.

Posted by: Ghost of Zanon | Apr 22 2024 12:55 utc | 179

jpc @ 177

Any confirmation that French troops are in Odessa?

Unless a bulwark is being built, at the moment and for a fair bit they’d be pointless in Odessa. I think it’s some bullcrap from the Macron govt. to pretend to the French people that thier troops won’t be in harm’s way. I also think the current blather about sending troops is a way to cover up the slew of bodies coming back, the French troops have always been there, illegally and unannounced to the French people. The Russians started killing them by the score hence the “retroactive” sending of French troops. All they have to do is move forward the date of death and no more illegality.

Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Apr 22 2024 13:07 utc | 181

@ jpc | Apr 22 2024 12:53 utc | 177
Short answer is no.

Posted by: boneless | Apr 22 2024 13:15 utc | 183

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Apr 22 2024 13:34 utc | 184
yes. and thats also why the illegal kiev regime, probably on behest of the eu and their values, immediatly went to switch the state religion of orthodoxy into catholicism. change national holidays, switch dates for christmas and easter, declare orthodoxy illegal if its not the newly formed orthodox church (cant remember the name of that one).
the eu immediatley went to make it so that the ukrainian people lose morals and values. and i mean real values, not those imaginary catholic bastard values that the eu pretends to have.
divide and conquer.

Posted by: Justpassinby | Apr 22 2024 14:10 utc | 185

ANY MORE NEWS ON THIS LINK? Update: Reports of US troops from the 101st Airborne Division and French troops are now openly operating in Odessa. They crossed over from Romania.
Russian forces are aware of the situation and they will most likely eliminate the threat!! We are in uncharted waters. US Congress effectively declared war on Saturday!! 🔥🔥🔥

Posted by: Geraint ap Iorwerth | Apr 22 2024 14:23 utc | 187

Europe could be preparing for a world war.
“The European Union, against the backdrop of a deteriorating situation for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, is preparing for a world war, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said after a meeting of the foreign and defense ministers of the EU countries in Luxembourg, his speech was broadcast by the TV channel M1.
“Brussels is reacting by preparing for a world war to the deteriorating situation at the front for Ukraine,” the minister said.”
https://ria.ru/20240422/evrosoyuz-1941554035.html

Posted by: Republicofscotland | Apr 22 2024 14:34 utc | 189

james @ 101
Good analysis.
Remember the goal has always been deNazification. That is going to be thorough and comprehensive. Russia is in no mood to be nice about that. When the conflict reaches western Ukraine the Banderites are going to head for the exits or get dead. Old men who mumble stupidities will get away with it if and only if they are very private about that. Everyone else will be out of luck.
Ukraine already has a much reduced population. That will be aggravated. It will be nothing but old people and old people who support Russia. And Russia will need to support them. Simply providing care for the old folks means Russia gets to repopulate 404. At which point Ukraine becomes a term of art for historians. Think Bessarabia or Courland or Frisia. Except for specialists and dying revanchists in the West it won’t matter at all.

Posted by: oldhippie | Apr 22 2024 14:39 utc | 191

unimperator | Apr 21 2024 22:31 utc | 79

the road is wide open to the north, leading to envelopement of New York – Toretsk agglemeration from the east (from the rear).

New York ! That always make me laugh ! I cuddle the hope that there is a place called Shithole too ! In Galicia, obviously.
Not only, but also, rear ! Hnurh, hnurh…

Posted by: Sarlat La Canède | Apr 22 2024 14:48 utc | 193

Posted by: Republicofscotland | Apr 22 2024 14:34 utc | 189
Don’t you think they know that? It’s the whole point and part of the hybrid war, the USA’s hybrid war which may be different than their allies’ idea of a hybrid war. The USA is working towards an economic scorched earth against not just Russia and China but against Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East, friends and foes alike. When the smoke clears in 20ys they plan to be where they were in 1945, the only unscathed surplus capital country left (or at least in better condition than everyone else) and everyone will be forced to come running to them on their terms, and the terms will be that you isolate Russia and China and anyone else we tell you to. New cold war, new iron curtain.
Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Apr 22 2024 14:21 utc | 186
Do you think that Putin understands that?

Posted by: vargas | Apr 22 2024 15:03 utc | 195

vargas @ 195

Do you think that Putin understands that?

Yes, my little lad. Everyone fighting for multilateralism understands that, that’s why they are going slow. The hybrid war space is as filled with mines and drones as the actual battle ground in Ukraine.

Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Apr 22 2024 15:16 utc | 197

Geraint ap Iorwerth @ 187

ANY MORE NEWS ON THIS LINK? Update: Reports of US troops from the 101st Airborne Division and French troops are now openly operating in Odessa. They crossed over from Romania.

You referenced it and w/o a link, you tell us?
Odessa isn’t under imminent threat, not even close, so seems pointless unless it’s part of a bigger plan to garrison that part of the Black Sea or to move north to head off a Russian advance across the Dnieper which seems a long way off. But, if true it would be a sign the AFU front is about to collapse. Garrisoning Odessa, a historic Russian city, in other words conquering it for western Europe, would make Russia very mad.

Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Apr 22 2024 15:33 utc | 199