Moon of Alabama Brecht quote
June 15, 2024

Putin's Full Speech: BRICS, NATO Expansion and Ukraine Peace Talk Conditions

Last year the Canadian intelligence analyst Patrick Armstrong published this sound advice:

“LISTEN TO WHAT HE’S SAYING”

I’m fond of quoting the Duke of Wellington on intelligence:

All the business of war, and indeed all the business of life, is to endeavour to find out what you don’t know by what you do; that’s what I called ‘guessing what was at the other side of the hill.’

Find out what you don’t know by what you do“. It’s not easy, it’s not necessarily pleasant but it’s what you have to do in order to minimise your surprise when whatever it is actually comes over the hill at you.

Here’s former British Ambassador to Russia Laurie Bristow saying the same thing:

My advice to all young diplomats and analysts [is that] if you want to understand Mr Putin’s foreign policy, listen to what he’s saying. You won’t like it, but you need to understand it, you need to listen to it. The place to start is the Munich speech in 2007.

Listen to what he says”. It’s quite easy to. Putin has said a lot and most of it appears on the Presidential website in English as well as the original Russian. Never read what the Western reporters say he says – they almost always distort it – read the original. I’m sure that both Wellington and Bristow would agree.

And that’s what intelligence is all about. Try and understand how the other guy sees things.

Every few years Putin comes out with a speech or memorandum which explains - past, presence and future -  and argues for the position at large Russia is taking.

People who read these speeches will understand Russia. People who don't won't.

The later will miss the facts and come to false conclusions. Acting upon those they will weaken their own positions.

One can avoid doing so by reading Putin's latest speech held yesterday at the Russian Ministry for Foreign Affairs. It is quite long but has to be so as it necessarily touches on everything. It includes a kind of peace offer for Ukraine: Hand over the provinces Russia has recognized at its own and gain peace. It was and is not expected that the 'West' will move towards that direction. In consequence the aims of the war will have to change.

With nearly 10,000 words the speech is very long. No summarization will do it justice. I therefore urge you to read it in full.

The English language version was published in full by Sputnik. The authoritative official translation, which will soon appear on the Kremlin website, is not yet complete. As access to both sides may be limited a full copy of the speech is attached below.

What follows is a full reproduction of the English language version Sputnik put out.

Putin's Full Speech at Foreign Ministry: BRICS, NATO Expansion and Ukraine Peace Talk Conditions - Friday, June 15 2024

/* BEGIN OF PUTIN SPEECH */

Dear colleagues, good afternoon!

I am pleased to welcome you all, and at the beginning of our meeting, I want to thank you for your dedicated work in the interest of Russia and our people.

In this broad assembly, we last met in November 2021. Since then, many pivotal and, without exaggeration, fateful events have occurred both in our country and in the world. Therefore, I consider it important to assess the current situation in global and regional affairs and to set corresponding tasks for the foreign policy department. All these tasks are directed towards the primary goal: creating conditions for the sustainable development of the country, ensuring its security, and improving the well-being of Russian families.

Working in this direction in today's challenging and rapidly changing realities requires all of us to concentrate even more on our efforts, initiative, and persistence. It demands the ability not only to respond to current challenges but also to shape our own long-term agenda, to propose and discuss with partners, within the framework of open and constructive dialogue, solutions to fundamental issues that concern not only us but also the entire global community.

I reiterate: the world is changing rapidly. It will not be as it was before, neither in global politics, nor in the economy, nor in technological competition. More and more states are striving to strengthen their sovereignty, self-sufficiency, national and cultural identity. Countries of the Global South and East are coming to the forefront; the role of Africa and Latin America is growing. We have always, since Soviet times, talked about the importance of these regions of the world, but today the dynamics are entirely different, and this is becoming noticeable. The pace of transformation in Eurasia has also noticeably accelerated, where a number of large-scale integration projects are actively being implemented.

Today, on the basis of the new political and economic reality, the contours of a multipolar and multilateral world order are being formed, and this is an objective process. It reflects the cultural-civilizational diversity that, despite all attempts at artificial unification, is organically inherent to humanity.

These profound, systemic changes undoubtedly inspire optimism and hope because the establishment of the principles of multipolarity and multilateralism in international affairs, including respect for international law and broad representation, allows us to collectively address the most complex problems for the common good, to build mutually beneficial relationships, and cooperation between sovereign states in the interests of the well-being and security of peoples.

Such a vision of the future resonates with the aspirations of the absolute majority of the countries in the world. We see this, among other things, in the growing interest in the work of such a universal association as BRICS, which is based on a special culture of trustful dialogue, sovereign equality of participants, and mutual respect. During Russia's chairmanship this year, we will facilitate the smooth inclusion of new BRICS members into the working structures of the association.

I request the Government and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to continue substantive work and dialogue with partners to arrive at the Kazan BRICS summit in October with a substantial set of agreed decisions that will set the direction for our cooperation in politics and security, economy and finance, science, culture, sports, and humanitarian ties.

Overall, I believe that the potential of BRICS will allow it to eventually become one of the core regulatory institutions of a multipolar world order.

In this regard, I note that the international discussion about the parameters of state interaction in a multipolar world, about the democratization of the entire system of international relations, is already underway. For example, with colleagues from the Commonwealth of Independent States, we agreed upon and adopted a joint document on international relations in a multipolar world. We invited partners to discuss this topic on other international platforms as well, primarily in the SCO and BRICS.

We are interested in ensuring that this dialogue develops seriously within the UN walls as well, including on such a fundamental, vital issue for all as the creation of a system of indivisible security. In other words, asserting in world affairs the principle that the security of some cannot be ensured at the expense of the security of others.

Let me remind you that at the end of the 20th century, after the end of the acute military-ideological confrontation, the world community had a unique chance to build a reliable, fair order in the field of security. This did not require much – just the simple ability to listen to the opinions of all interested parties and mutual willingness to consider them. Our country was precisely focused on such constructive work.

However, another approach prevailed. Western powers, led by the United States, believed that they had won the "Cold War" and had the right to independently determine how the world should be organized. The practical expression of this worldview was the project of the unlimited spatial and temporal expansion of the North Atlantic bloc, although there were, of course, other ideas on how to ensure security in Europe.

Our legitimate questions were answered with excuses, claiming that no one was planning to attack Russia and that NATO expansion was not directed against Russia. Promises made to the Soviet Union and then to Russia in the late '80s and early '90s about not including new members into the bloc were conveniently forgotten. If remembered at all, it was mockingly said that these assurances were verbal and thus non-binding.

We have consistently, in the 90s and later, pointed out the errors of the course chosen by Western elites, not just criticized and warned but proposed alternatives, constructive solutions, emphasized the importance of developing a mechanism for European and global security that would satisfy everyone – I want to emphasize, everyone. A simple listing of the initiatives that Russia has put forward over the years would take more than one paragraph.

Let's recall at least the idea of a European security treaty that we proposed back in 2008. These same topics were raised in the memorandum from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs handed over to the United States and NATO in December 2021.But all our attempts – and there were many, countless – to reason with our interlocutors, explanations, admonitions, warnings, requests from our side found absolutely no response. Western countries, confident not only in their own rightness but in their strength and ability to impose anything on the rest of the world, simply ignored other opinions. At best, they proposed discussing secondary issues that, in essence, resolved little or topics that were exclusively beneficial to the West.

Meanwhile, it quickly became apparent that the Western scheme, proclaimed as the only right one for ensuring security and prosperity in Europe and the world, did not actually work. Let's remember the tragedy in the Balkans. Internal problems – of course, they existed – that had accumulated in the former Yugoslavia sharply escalated due to gross external interference. Even then, NATO's main diplomatic principle emerged in all its glory – deeply flawed and fruitless in resolving complex interethnic conflicts, namely: blaming one side, which for some reason they didn't particularly like, for all sins and unleashing all political, informational, and military power, economic sanctions, and restrictions on them.

Later, the same approaches were applied in different parts of the world. We know this very well: Iraq, Syria, Libya, Afghanistan, and so on – and they never brought anything but exacerbation of existing problems, broken lives of millions of people, the destruction of entire states, the spread of humanitarian and social disasters, and terrorist enclaves. In fact, no country in the world is safe from joining this sad list.

So now, the West is aggressively intervening in the affairs of the Middle East. They once monopolized this direction, and the result is clear and obvious to everyone today. The South Caucasus, Central Asia. Two years ago, at the NATO summit in Madrid, it was announced that the alliance would now address security issues not only in the Euro-Atlantic but also in the Asia-Pacific region. They claimed their involvement was indispensable there too. Clearly, this is an attempt to increase pressure on the countries of the region whose development they decided to constrain. As is known, our country – Russia – is one of the top priorities on this list.

I also remind you that it was Washington that undermined strategic stability by unilaterally withdrawing from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, the Open Skies Treaty, and, together with their NATO satellites, destroyed the trust and arms control measures built up over decades in the European space.

Ultimately, the selfishness and arrogance of Western states led to the current extremely dangerous state of affairs. We have come dangerously close to the point of no return. Calls to inflict strategic defeat on Russia, possessing the largest arsenals of nuclear weapons, demonstrate the extreme recklessness of Western politicians. They either do not understand the scale of the threat they themselves are creating or are simply obsessed with a belief in their own impunity and exceptionalism. Both could lead to tragedy.

It is evident that we are witnessing the collapse of the Euro-Atlantic security system. Today, it simply does not exist. It needs to be practically recreated from scratch. All this requires us, together with partners, with all interested countries – and there are many – to develop our security options in Eurasia and then offer them for broad international discussion.

This is exactly what was mandated in the Address to the Federal Assembly. It concerns formulating, in the foreseeable future, on the Eurasian continent, a contour of equal and indivisible security, mutually beneficial, equal cooperation, and development.

What needs to be done for this, and on what principles?

First – it is necessary to establish dialogue with all potential participants in such a future security system. To begin with, I ask you to address the necessary issues with countries open to constructive interaction with Russia.

During a recent visit to the People's Republic of China, we discussed this issue with President Xi Jinping. We noted that the Russian proposal does not contradict but rather complements and fully aligns with the fundamental principles of the Chinese initiative in the field of global security.

Second – it is essential that the future security architecture is open to all Eurasian countries willing to participate in its creation. "For all" means, of course, European and NATO countries as well. We live on the same continent; regardless of what happens, geography cannot be changed, and we will have to coexist and work together.

Yes, relations between Russia and the EU, as well as with several European states, have deteriorated, and I have emphasized many times, not through our fault. The anti-Russian propaganda campaign, in which very high-ranking European figures participate, is accompanied by fabrications that Russia allegedly intends to attack Europe. I have repeatedly said this, and there is no need to repeat it multiple times in this room: we all understand that this is absolute nonsense, only a justification for the arms race.

In this regard, let me make a small digression. The danger for Europe does not come from Russia. The main threat to Europeans lies in the critical and ever-growing, now practically total dependence on the US: in military, political, technological, ideological, and informational spheres. Europe is increasingly being sidelined in global economic development, plunged into chaos by migration and other acute problems, and deprived of international subjectivity and cultural identity.

Sometimes it seems that ruling European politicians and eurobureaucrats are more afraid of falling out of favor with Washington than losing the trust of their own people, their own citizens. Recent elections to the European Parliament also show this. European politicians swallow humiliation, rudeness, and scandals involving surveillance of European leaders, while the US simply uses them for its own interests: making them buy expensive gas – incidentally, gas in Europe is three to four times more expensive than in the US – or, as now, demanding European countries increase arms supplies to Ukraine. By the way, there are constant demands here and there. And sanctions are imposed on them, on economic operators in Europe. Imposed without any hesitation.

Now they are forced to increase arms supplies to Ukraine, expand their capacities for producing artillery shells. Listen, who will need these shells when the conflict in Ukraine ends? How can this ensure the military security of Europe? It is unclear. The US itself invests in military technologies, and in technologies of the future: in space, in modern drones, in strike systems based on new physical principles, that is, in those areas that will determine the nature of armed struggle in the future, and therefore the military-political potential of powers and their positions in the world. And now they are assigned such a role: invest your money where we need it. But this does not increase any European potential. Well, let it be. For us, it may be good, but, in essence, that is the case.

If Europe wants to maintain itself as one of the independent centers of global development and cultural-civilizational poles of the planet, it certainly needs to have good, friendly relations with Russia, and we, importantly, are ready for this.

This really simple and obvious fact was well understood by politicians of truly pan-European and global scale, patriots of their countries and peoples, thinking in historical terms, and not mere figures following someone else's will and hint. This was much talked about by Charles de Gaulle in the post-war years. I also remember how, in 1991, during a conversation in which I had the honor to personally participate, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany Helmut Kohl emphasized the importance of partnership between Europe and Russia. I expect that this legacy will sooner or later be returned to by new generations of European politicians.

As for the United States itself, the ongoing attempts by the liberal-globalist elites ruling there today to spread their ideology worldwide by any means, to maintain their imperial status, their dominance, only further exhaust the country, lead it to degradation, and directly contradict the true interests of the American people. If it weren't for this dead-end path, aggressive messianism, mixed with a belief in their own chosenness and exceptionalism, international relations would have long been stabilized.

Third – to promote the idea of a Eurasian security system, it is necessary to significantly intensify the dialogue process among multilateral organizations already operating in Eurasia. This primarily refers to the Union State, the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the Eurasian Economic Union, the Commonwealth of Independent States, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

We see prospects for other influential Eurasian associations, from Southeast Asia to the Middle East, to join these processes in the future.

Fourth – we believe that the time has come to start a broad discussion on a new system of bilateral and multilateral guarantees of collective security in Eurasia. In the long term, we need to work towards gradually reducing the military presence of external powers in the Eurasian region.

We understand, of course, that in the current situation this thesis may seem unrealistic, but that is for now. However, if we build a reliable security system in the future, there will simply be no need for the presence of extraregional military contingents. Frankly, there is no need today either—it is just occupation, that’s all.

Ultimately, we believe that the states and regional structures of Eurasia should themselves determine specific areas of cooperation in the field of joint security. Based on this, they should also build a system of functioning institutions, mechanisms, and agreements that genuinely serve the achievement of common goals of stability and development.

In this context, we support the initiative of our Belarusian friends to develop a program document—a charter of multipolarity and diversity in the 21st century. It can formulate not only the framework principles of Eurasian architecture based on fundamental norms of international law but also, more broadly, a strategic vision of the essence and nature of multipolarity and multilateralism as a new system of international relations, replacing the Western-centric world. I consider it important and ask for thorough work on such a document with our partners and all interested states. I would add that when discussing such complex, comprehensive issues, of course, maximum, broad representation is needed, considering different approaches and positions.

Fifth – an important part of the Eurasian system of security and development must, of course, include issues of the economy, social welfare, integration, and mutually beneficial cooperation, addressing such common problems as overcoming poverty, inequality, climate, ecology, and developing mechanisms for responding to pandemic threats and crises in the global economy—everything is important.

The West, through its actions, has not only undermined military-political stability in the world but has also discredited and weakened key market institutions with sanctions and trade wars. Using the IMF and the World Bank, manipulating the climate agenda, it restrains the development of the Global South. Losing in competition, even by the rules that the West itself wrote, it resorts to prohibitive barriers and all kinds of protectionism. In the US, they have practically abandoned the World Trade Organization as a regulator of international trade. Everything is blocked. Moreover, they exert pressure not only on competitors but also on their satellites. Just look at how they are now “squeezing the juices” from European economies, which are balancing on the brink of recession.

Western countries have frozen part of Russia’s assets and currency reserves. Now they are considering how to provide at least some legal basis to finally appropriate them. But despite all the legal trickery, theft will undoubtedly remain theft and will not go unpunished, on the other hand.

The issue is even deeper. By stealing Russian assets, they will take another step towards destroying the system they created themselves, which for many decades ensured their prosperity, allowing them to consume more than they earned, attracting money from around the world through debts and obligations. Now it is becoming clear to all countries and companies, sovereign funds, that their assets and reserves are far from safe — in both legal and economic terms. And the next in line for expropriation by the US and the West could be anyone — these foreign state funds could be among them.

Distrust of the financial system based on Western reserve currencies is already growing. There has been an outflow of funds from securities and debt obligations of Western states, as well as some European banks, which until recently were considered absolutely reliable places for storing capital. Now even gold is being withdrawn from them. And they are right to do so.

I believe that we need to seriously intensify the formation of effective and safe bilateral and multilateral foreign economic mechanisms, alternative to those controlled by the West. This includes expanding settlements in national currencies, creating independent payment systems, and building production and distribution chains bypassing channels blocked or compromised by the West.

Of course, efforts to develop international transport corridors in Eurasia — a continent whose natural geographic core is Russia — must continue.

I instruct the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to fully support the development of international agreements on all these areas. They are extremely important for strengthening economic cooperation between our country and our partners. This will also give new impetus to the construction of a large Eurasian partnership, which can essentially become the socio-economic basis of a new system of indivisible security in Europe.

Dear colleagues! The essence of our proposals is to form a system within which all states would be confident in their own security. Then we can indeed approach the resolution of numerous conflicts that exist today in a truly constructive manner. The problems of the security deficit and mutual trust apply not only to the Eurasian continent; growing tensions are observed everywhere. And how interconnected and interdependent the world is, we see constantly, and a tragic example for all of us is the Ukrainian crisis, whose consequences are felt all over the planet.

But I want to say right away: the crisis related to Ukraine is not a conflict between two states, let alone two peoples, caused by some problems between them. If that were the case, there is no doubt that Russians and Ukrainians, who are united by a common history and culture, spiritual values, millions of family, kinship, and human ties, would have found a way to fairly resolve any issues and disagreements.

But the situation is different: the roots of the conflict are not in bilateral relations. The events in Ukraine are a direct result of global and European developments of the late 20th – early 21st century, of the aggressive, brazen, and absolutely adventurous policies that the West has been conducting all these years long before the special military operation began.

These Western elites, as I said today, after the end of the "Cold War," embarked on a course of further geopolitical restructuring of the world, creating and imposing the notorious order based on rules, into which strong, sovereign, and self-sufficient states simply do not fit.

Hence the policy of containing our country. The goals of this policy are openly declared by some figures in the US and Europe. Today they talk about the notorious decolonization of Russia. Essentially, this is an attempt to provide an ideological basis for the dismemberment of our homeland along national lines. In fact, there has long been talk of the dismemberment of the Soviet Union and Russia. Everyone sitting in this room is well aware of this.

Implementing this strategy, Western countries have taken the line of absorbing and military-political development of territories close to us. There have been five, and now six, waves of NATO expansion. They tried to turn Ukraine into their stronghold, to make it "anti-Russia." To achieve these goals, they invested money, resources, bought politicians and entire parties, rewrote history and educational programs, nurtured and grew groups of neo-Nazis and radicals. They did everything to undermine our interstate connections, to divide and set our peoples against each other.

Such policies were further obstructed by southeastern Ukraine — territories that have been part of great historical Russia for centuries. People lived there, and still live, who, including after Ukraine declared its independence in 1991, advocated for good and very close relations with our country. People — both Russians and Ukrainians, representatives of different nationalities, who were united by the Russian language, culture, traditions, historical memory.

The position, mood, interests, and voices of these people — millions of people living in the southeast — had to be taken into account by former Ukrainian presidents and politicians who fought for this post, used the votes of these voters. But, using these votes, they maneuvered, lied a lot, talked about the so-called European choice. They did not dare to break completely with Russia because the southeast of Ukraine was inclined differently, and this could not be ignored. Such duality has always been inherent in Ukrainian power throughout the years since recognizing independence.

The West, of course, saw this. They had long seen and understood the problems there that could be stirred up, understood the restraining significance of the southeastern factor, and that no amount of years of propaganda could fundamentally change the situation. Certainly, much was done, but fundamentally it was difficult to alter the situation.

It was impossible to distort the historical identity and consciousness of the majority of people in southeastern Ukraine, to eradicate from them, including the younger generations, the positive attitude towards Russia and the sense of our historical commonality. And so they decided to act with force again, to simply break the people in the southeast, to disregard their opinion. For this, they organized, financed, and certainly took advantage of the internal political difficulties and complexities in Ukraine, but still systematically and purposefully prepared an armed coup d'état.

Ukrainian cities were overwhelmed by a wave of pogroms, violence, and killings. Power in Kiev was finally seized and usurped by radicals. Their aggressive nationalist slogans, including the rehabilitation of Nazi collaborators, were elevated to the rank of state ideology. A course was proclaimed to eliminate the Russian language in state and public spheres, pressure on Orthodox believers increased, interference in church affairs, which ultimately led to a split. No one seems to notice this interference, as if it is normal. Try to do something different elsewhere, and there will be so much artistic whistling that your ears will fall off. But there it’s allowed, because it’s against Russia.

Millions of residents of Ukraine, primarily from its eastern regions, opposed the coup, as is known. They were threatened with reprisals and terror. And above all, the new authorities in Kiev began preparing an attack on the Russian-speaking Crimea, which at one time, in 1954, as you know, was transferred from the RSFSR to Ukraine in violation of all laws and procedures, even those in force at that time in the Soviet Union. In this situation, of course, we could not abandon, leave unprotected the Crimeans and Sevastopol residents. They made their choice, and in March 2014, as is known, the historic reunification of Crimea and Sevastopol with Russia took place.

In Kharkov, Kherson, Odessa, Zaporozhye, Donetsk, Lugansk, Mariupol, peaceful protests against the coup began to be suppressed, terror was unleashed by the Kiev regime and nationalist groups. It probably doesn't need to be recalled, everyone remembers well what happened in these regions.

In May 2014, referendums were held on the status of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, where the overwhelming majority of residents voted for independence and sovereignty. Immediately the question arises: could people express their will in this way, could they declare their independence? Those sitting in this hall understand that of course they could, they had every right and grounds for it, including under international law, including the right of peoples to self-determination. I don't need to remind you, but nonetheless, since the media is working, I will say, Article 1, paragraph 2 of the United Nations Charter gives this right.I remind you in this regard of the notorious Kosovo precedent. It was talked about many times in its time, now I will say it again. The precedent, which Western countries created themselves, in a completely analogous situation, recognized the separation of Kosovo from Serbia as legitimate, which took place in 2008. Then followed the well-known decision of the International Court of Justice of the UN, which on July 22, 2010, based on paragraph 2 of Article 1 of the United Nations Charter, ruled, I quote: "There is no general prohibition against unilateral declarations of independence stemming from the practice of the Security Council." And the next quote: "General international law does not contain any applicable prohibition on declarations of independence." Moreover, it was recorded that parts of a country, any country, that decide to declare their independence, are not required to consult the central authorities of their former state. Everything is written there, all in their own hand, in black and white.

So, did these republics – Donetsk and Lugansk – have the right to declare their independence? Well, of course, yes. The question cannot even be considered otherwise.

What did the regime in Kiev do in this situation? Completely ignored the choice of the people and unleashed a full-scale war against the new independent states – the people's republics of Donbass using aviation, artillery, tanks. Bombing and shelling of peaceful cities, acts of intimidation began. And what happened next? The residents of Donbass took up arms to protect their lives, their home, their rights, and legitimate interests.

In the West, there is now a constant thesis that Russia started the war within the framework of the special military operation, that it is the aggressor, and therefore strikes can be made on its territory using Western weapon systems, Ukraine allegedly defends itself and can do this.

I want to emphasize once again: Russia did not start the war; it was the Kiev regime that, after the residents of part of Ukraine declared their independence in accordance with international law, began and continues military actions. This is aggression if we do not recognize the right of these peoples living in these territories to declare their independence. What else could it be? This is aggression. And those who have been aiding the Kiev regime’s war machine all these years are accomplices to the aggressor.

Back in 2014, the residents of Donbass did not give in. Militia units stood their ground, repelled the punitive forces, and then drove them back from Donetsk and Lugansk. We hoped this would sober up those who unleashed this massacre. To stop the bloodshed, Russia made the usual appeals – calls for negotiations, and they began with the participation of Kiev and representatives of the Donbass republics with the assistance of Russia, Germany, and France.

The conversation was difficult, but nevertheless, as a result, the Minsk agreements were concluded in 2015. We took their implementation very seriously, hoping that we could resolve the situation within the framework of a peaceful process and international law. We expected that this would take into account the legitimate interests and demands of Donbass, enshrine a special status for these regions in the constitution, and the fundamental rights of the people living there while maintaining the territorial unity of Ukraine. We were ready for this and were ready to persuade the people living in these territories to resolve issues in this way, repeatedly offering various compromises and solutions.

But in the end, everything was rejected. The Minsk agreements were simply thrown in the trash by Kiev. As representatives of the Ukrainian elite later admitted, none of the provisions of these documents suited them; they just lied and twisted as much as they could.

The former Chancellor of Germany and the former President of France, who were essentially co-authors and guarantors of the Minsk agreements, later admitted outright that they had no intention of implementing them; they simply needed to stall the situation to buy time for assembling Ukrainian armed formations and pumping them up with weapons and equipment. They simply "fooled" us again, deceived us.

Instead of a real peace process, instead of the policy of reintegration and national reconciliation, which they loved to pontificate about in Kiev, Donbass was shelled for eight years. They carried out terrorist attacks, killings, and organized the harshest blockade. All these years, the residents of Donbass (women, children, the elderly) were declared "second-class" people, "subhumans," and were threatened with reprisals, saying, “we’ll come and settle scores with each one.” What is this, if not genocide in the center of Europe in the 21st century? And in Europe and the US, they pretended that nothing was happening, no one noticed anything.

At the end of 2021 – beginning of 2022, the Minsk process was finally buried by Kiev and its Western patrons, and another massive strike on Donbass was planned. A large grouping of Ukrainian armed forces was preparing to launch a new offensive on Lugansk and Donetsk, of course, with ethnic cleansing and huge human casualties, hundreds of thousands of refugees. We were obliged to prevent this catastrophe, to protect the people; we had no other choice.

Russia finally recognized the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics. After all, we did not recognize them for eight years, still hoping to come to an agreement. The result is now known. And on February 21, 2022, we concluded treaties of friendship, cooperation, and mutual assistance with these republics, which we recognized. Question: did the people's republics have the right to ask us for support if we recognized their independence? And did we have the right to recognize their independence just as they had the right to declare their sovereignty in accordance with the mentioned articles and decisions of the International Court of Justice of the UN? Did they have the right to declare independence? They did. But if they had such a right and used it, then we had the right to conclude a treaty with them – and we did, and I repeat: in full accordance with international law and Article 51 of the UN Charter.

At the same time, we appealed to the Kiev authorities to withdraw their troops from Donbass. I can tell you, there were contacts; we immediately told them: withdraw your troops from there, and everything will end there. This proposal was practically immediately rejected, simply ignored, although it provided a real opportunity to close the issue precisely in a peaceful way.

On February 24, 2022, Russia was forced to announce the start of a special military operation. Addressing the citizens of Russia, the residents of the Donetsk and Lugansk republics, and Ukrainian society, I then outlined the goals of this operation – to protect the people of Donbass, restore peace, conduct demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine, and thus avert threats from our state, restore the balance in the field of security in Europe.

At the same time, we continued to consider achieving these goals through political and diplomatic methods a priority. I remind you that at the very first stage of the special military operation, our country entered into negotiations with representatives of the Kiev regime. They were held first in Belarus, in Turkiye. We tried to convey our main point: respect the choice of Donbass, the will of the people living there, withdraw the troops, stop the shelling of peaceful cities and towns. Nothing else is needed, the rest of the issues will be resolved later. The response was: no, we will fight. It is obvious that this was the command from the Western masters, and I will talk about this now.

At that time, in February-March 2022, our troops, as is known, approached Kiev. There were and still are many speculations about this in Ukraine and the West.

What do I want to say about this? Our units were indeed stationed near Kiev, and the military departments, the security block, had different proposals regarding our possible further actions, but there was no political decision to storm a three-million-strong city, no matter what anyone said or imagined.

Essentially, this was nothing but an operation to force the Ukrainian regime to make peace. The troops were there to push the Ukrainian side towards negotiations, to try to find acceptable solutions and thereby end the war initiated by Kiev against Donbass back in 2014, and to resolve issues posing a threat to the security of our country, to the security of Russia. Strangely enough, as a result, we managed to reach agreements that basically suited both Moscow and Kiev. These agreements were put on paper and initialed in Istanbul by the head of the Ukrainian negotiating delegation. This means that the Kiev authorities were satisfied with such a resolution of the issue.

The document was called the "Treaty on Permanent Neutrality and Security Guarantees for Ukraine." It was of a compromise nature, but its key points aligned with our fundamental demands, addressing the objectives declared as primary even at the beginning of the special military operation. Including, as strange as it may seem, I draw attention to, the demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine. Here, too, we managed to find complex solutions. They are complex, but they were found. Namely: it was intended that a Ukrainian law would be adopted to ban Nazi ideology, any of its manifestations. Everything is written there.

Furthermore, Ukraine, in exchange for international security guarantees, would limit the size of its armed forces, undertake obligations not to join military alliances, not to allow foreign military bases, not to host them or contingents, not to conduct military exercises on its territory. Everything was written down on paper.

We, on our part, also understanding Ukraine's security concerns, agreed that Ukraine, formally not joining NATO, would receive guarantees practically equivalent to those enjoyed by members of this alliance. For us, this was a difficult decision, but we recognized the legitimacy of Ukraine’s demands for its security and, in principle, did not object to the proposed formulations from Kiev. These were formulations proposed by Kiev, and we generally did not object to them, understanding that the main thing was to stop the bloodshed and the war in Donbass.

On March 29, 2022, we withdrew our troops from Kiev because we were assured that it was necessary to create the necessary conditions for completing the political negotiation process, for completing this process. And that it is not possible for one side to sign such agreements, as our Western colleagues said, with a gun to the head. Fine, we agreed to this too. However, immediately, the very next day after the withdrawal of Russian troops from Kiev, the Ukrainian leadership suspended its participation in the negotiation process, staged the well-known provocation in Bucha, and refused the prepared version of the agreements. I think it is clear today why this dirty provocation was needed – to somehow explain the refusal of those results achieved during the negotiations. The path to peace was again rejected.

This was done, as we now know, at the behest of Western curators, including the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, during whose visit to Kiev it was explicitly stated: no agreements, it is necessary to defeat Russia on the battlefield, achieve its strategic defeat. And they continued to intensively pump Ukraine with weapons, talking about the need to inflict, as I just reminded, a strategic defeat on us. And some time later, as everyone knows well, the President of Ukraine issued a decree prohibiting his representatives and even himself from conducting any negotiations with Moscow. This episode with our attempt to solve the problem by peaceful means ended in nothing once again.

By the way, on the topic of negotiations. Now I would like to disclose another episode to this audience. I have not spoken publicly about this before, but some present are aware of it. After the Russian army occupied parts of the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, many Western politicians offered their mediation in peacefully resolving the conflict. One of them was on a working visit to Moscow on March 5, 2022. And we accepted his mediation efforts, especially since he, during the conversation, referred to the fact that he had received support from the leaders of Germany and France, as well as senior representatives of the US.

During the conversation, our foreign guest inquired – a curious episode, he said: if you are helping Donbass, why are Russian troops in southern Ukraine, including the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions? The answer from our side was that this was the decision of the Russian General Staff in planning the operation. And today I will add that the plan was to bypass some fortified areas that the Ukrainian authorities built in Donbass over eight years, primarily for the liberation of Mariupol.

Then the foreign colleague clarified – a professional person, I must admit: will our Russian troops remain in the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions? and what will happen to these regions after achieving the goals of the special military operation? To this, I answered that in general, I do not rule out the preservation of Ukrainian sovereignty over these territories, but on the condition that Russia has a strong land connection with Crimea. That is, Kiev must guarantee the so-called servitude – a legally formalized right of access for Russia to the Crimean Peninsula through the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions.

This is a crucial political decision. And of course, naturally, in the final version, it would not be made unilaterally but only after consultations with the Security Council, other structures, and, of course, after discussion with the citizens, the public of our country, and primarily with the residents of the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions. In the end, we did just that: we asked the opinion of the people themselves and held referendums. And acted according to the decision of the people, including in the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, in the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics.

At that time, in March 2022, the negotiation partner informed that he intended to go to Kiev to continue the discussion with colleagues in the Ukrainian capital. We welcomed this, as well as any attempts to find a peaceful resolution to the conflict, because every day of fighting meant new casualties and losses. However, in Ukraine, as we learned later, the services of the Western mediator were not accepted. On the contrary, as we found out, he was accused of taking pro-Russian positions – in quite a harsh manner, I must say, but that’s already a detail.

Now, as already mentioned, the situation has fundamentally changed. The residents of Kherson and Zaporozhye, during referendums, expressed their position. The Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, as well as the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, have become part of the Russian Federation. There can be no talk of violating our state unity. The people's desire to be with Russia is unshakeable. The issue is closed forever and is no longer subject to discussion.

I want to reiterate: it was the West that prepared and provoked the Ukrainian crisis, and now it is doing everything to drag out this crisis endlessly, to weaken and mutually embitter the people of Russia and Ukraine.

They are sending new batches of ammunition and weapons. Some European politicians have started talking about the possibility of deploying their regular troops in Ukraine. At the same time, as I have already noted, the true current masters of Ukraine – unfortunately, not the people of Ukraine, but the globalist elites located across the ocean – are trying to impose on the Ukrainian executive power the burden of making decisions that are unpopular with the people, including further lowering the draft age.

As you know, it is now 25 years, the next stage could be 23, then 20, 18 or immediately 18. And then, of course, they will get rid of those figures who will make these unpopular decisions under Western pressure, throw them out as unnecessary, shift all the responsibility onto them, and put other people dependent on the West, but with not yet so tarnished reputations, in their place.

Hence, possibly, the idea of canceling the next presidential elections in Ukraine. Now those in power will do everything, then they will be thrown into the trash – and then they will do whatever they see fit.

In this regard, I will remind you of what they now prefer not to remember in Kiev, and the West prefers not to talk about. What is it? Back in May 2014, the Constitutional Court of Ukraine ruled that – quote – “The President is elected for five years, regardless of whether he is elected in early or regular elections.” In addition, the Constitutional Court of Ukraine noted that – quote – “the constitutional status of the President does not contain norms that would establish any other term except for the five-year term.” End of quote, full stop. The court's decision was final and not subject to appeal. That's it.

What does this mean for today’s situation? The presidential term of the previously elected head of Ukraine has expired along with his legitimacy, which cannot be restored by any trickery. I will not go into detail about the background of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine's decision on the presidential term. It is clear that it was related to attempts to legitimize the 2014 coup. But nevertheless, this verdict exists, and it is a legal fact. It casts doubt on all attempts to justify today's spectacle of canceling the elections.In fact, the current tragic page in Ukraine's history began with a forcible seizure of power, as I have already said, an unconstitutional coup in 2014. I repeat: the source of the current Kiev regime is an armed coup. And now the circle is complete – the executive power in Ukraine is again, as in 2014, usurped and held illegally, is essentially illegitimate.

I will say more: the situation with the cancellation of elections is an expression of the very nature, the true essence of the current Kiev regime, which grew out of the 2014 armed coup, is tied to it, and has its roots there. And the fact that by canceling the elections, they continue to cling to power, these are actions that are directly prohibited by Article 5 of the Constitution of Ukraine. I quote: “The right to determine and change the constitutional order in Ukraine belongs exclusively to the people and cannot be usurped by the state, its bodies, or officials.” In addition, such actions fall under Article 109 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which speaks about the violent change or overthrow of the constitutional order or the seizure of state power, as well as conspiracy to commit such actions.

In 2014, such usurpation was justified in the name of revolution, and now – by military actions. But the essence of this does not change. In fact, we are talking about a conspiracy of the executive power of Ukraine, the leadership of the Verkhovna Rada, and the parliamentary majority controlled by it, aimed at the usurpation of state power (it cannot be called otherwise), which is a criminal offense under Ukrainian law.

Moreover, the Constitution of Ukraine does not provide for the possibility of canceling or postponing the presidential elections in the country, extending its powers due to martial law, which is currently being referred to. What is in the Ukrainian basic law? It states that during martial law, elections to the Verkhovna Rada may be postponed. This is Article 83 of the country’s Constitution.

Thus, Ukrainian legislation provides for the only exception when the powers of a state authority are extended during martial law and elections are not held. And this applies exclusively to the Verkhovna Rada. Therefore, the status of the Ukrainian parliament as a continuously operating body in the conditions of martial law is thus defined.

In other words, it is precisely the Verkhovna Rada that is today a legitimate body as opposed to the executive power. Ukraine is not a presidential republic but a parliamentary-presidential one. This is the essence.

Moreover, the chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, acting as President, under Articles 106 and 112, is endowed with special powers, including in the field of defense, security, and supreme command of the armed forces. All this is written in black and white.

By the way, in the first half of this year, Ukraine concluded a package of bilateral agreements on cooperation in the field of security and long-term support with a number of European countries. Now there is a similar document with the United States.

As of May 21 of this year, the question naturally arises about the powers and legitimacy of the representatives of the Ukrainian side who sign such documents. For us, as they say, it doesn’t matter, let them sign whatever they want. It is clear that there is a political and propagandistic component here. The United States and its satellites want to somehow support their appointees, give them weight and legitimacy.

Nevertheless, if later in the US a serious legal examination of such an agreement is carried out (I am not talking about the essence, but about the legal component), then the question will inevitably arise: who signed these documents and with what authority? And it will turn out that all this is a bluff, and the agreement is void, and the whole structure will collapse, of course, if there is a desire to analyze the situation. They can pretend that everything is normal, but there is nothing normal about it, I have read it. Everything is written in the documents, everything is written in the Constitution.

I also remind you that after the start of the special military operation, the West launched a vigorous and very brazen campaign trying to isolate Russia on the international stage. Today it is clear to everyone that this attempt has failed, but the West has not abandoned its idea of building some semblance of an international anti-Russian coalition, creating the appearance of pressure on Russia. We understand this too.

As you know, they began actively promoting the initiative of holding a so-called high-level international conference on peace in Ukraine in Switzerland. Moreover, they plan to hold it immediately after the G7 summit, that is, the group of those who, in fact, ignited the conflict in Ukraine with their policies. What the organizers of the meeting in Switzerland are proposing is just another trick to divert public attention, to swap the cause and effect of the Ukrainian crisis, to lead the discussion astray and somewhat give the appearance of legitimacy to the current executive power in Ukraine once again.

Therefore, it is logical that no truly fundamental issues underlying the current crisis of international security and stability, the true roots of the Ukrainian conflict, are going to be discussed in Switzerland, despite all attempts to give the conference agenda a more or less decent appearance.

Already now it can be expected that everything will be reduced to general demagogic discussions and a new set of accusations against Russia. The ploy is obvious: by any means, drag in as many countries as possible and present the case as if the Western recipes and rules are shared by the entire international community, and therefore our country must unconditionally accept them.

As you know, we were not invited to the meeting in Switzerland. After all, in essence, these are not negotiations, but the desire of a group of countries to continue pushing their line, to decide on issues that directly affect our interests and security at their own discretion.

I want to emphasize in this regard: without Russia's participation, without honest and responsible dialogue with us, it is impossible to reach a peaceful resolution in Ukraine and in general regarding global European security.

Meanwhile, the West ignores our interests, while at the same time forbidding Kiev to negotiate, and hypocritically calling on us for some negotiations. It just looks idiotic: on the one hand, they forbid them to negotiate with us, and on the other, they call us for negotiations and even hint that we are refusing negotiations. It’s some kind of nonsense. But we are living in a kind of Wonderland.

But first of all, they should give Kiev the command to lift the ban, the self-ban on negotiations with Russia, and secondly, we are ready to sit down at the negotiating table even tomorrow. We understand all the peculiarity of the legal situation, but there are legitimate authorities there even according to the Constitution, I just mentioned it now, there is someone to negotiate with. Please, we are ready. Our conditions for starting such a conversation are simple and are as follows.

You know, I will now take some time to reproduce the entire chain of events once again, so that it is clear that for us what I am about to say is not a matter of today’s conjuncture, but we have always adhered to a certain position, we have always strived for peace.

So, these conditions are very simple. Ukrainian troops must be completely withdrawn from the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions. Moreover, I emphasize, precisely from the entire territory of these regions within their administrative boundaries, which existed at the time of their entry into Ukraine.

As soon as Kiev announces that it is ready for such a solution and begins the real withdrawal of troops from these regions, and also officially notifies [us] of the refusal of plans to join NATO, from our side, immediately, literally at that moment, an order will be given to cease fire and begin negotiations. I repeat: we will do this immediately. Naturally, at the same time, we guarantee the unhindered and safe withdrawal of Ukrainian units and formations.

Of course, we would like to hope that such a decision about troop withdrawal, non-aligned status, and starting dialogue with Russia, on which the future existence of Ukraine depends, will be made in Kiev independently, based on the existing realities and guided by the genuine national interests of the Ukrainian people, and not at the behest of the West, although there are, of course, great doubts about this.

Nevertheless, what do I want to say again in this regard, what to remind you of? I said that I wanted to chronologically trace the events once more. Let's take the time for this.

So, during the events on the Maidan in Kiev in 2013–2014, Russia repeatedly offered its assistance in a constitutional resolution of the crisis, which was actually organized from the outside. Let's return to the chronology of events at the end of February 2014.

On February 18, armed clashes began in Kiev, provoked by the opposition. A number of buildings, including the city hall and the House of Trade Unions, were set on fire. On February 20, unknown snipers opened fire on protesters and law enforcement officers, that is, those who were preparing the armed coup did everything to push the situation further towards violence and radicalization. And those people who were on the streets of Kiev in those days and expressed dissatisfaction with the then authorities were deliberately used for their selfish purposes, as cannon fodder. They are doing exactly the same today, mobilizing and sending people to be slaughtered. And yet, there was an opportunity for a civilized way out of the situation at that time.

It is known that on February 21, an agreement was signed between the then President of Ukraine and the opposition on the settlement of the political crisis. Its guarantors, as you know, were official representatives of Germany, Poland, and France. The agreement provided for a return to a parliamentary-presidential form of government, the holding of early presidential elections, the formation of a government of national trust, as well as the withdrawal of law enforcement forces from the center of Kiev and the opposition’s surrender of weapons.

I will add that the Verkhovna Rada adopted a law excluding the criminal prosecution of protest participants. Such an agreement, which would have allowed stopping the violence and returning the situation to the constitutional field, was in place. This agreement was signed, although in Kiev and in the West they also prefer not to remember it.

Today, I will say more about another important fact, which also has not been publicly mentioned before, namely – literally in the same hours on February 21, a conversation took place at the initiative of the American side with my American counterpart. The essence was as follows: the American leader unequivocally supported the Kiev agreement between the authorities and the opposition. Moreover, he called it a real breakthrough, a chance for the Ukrainian people to ensure that the violence did not go beyond all conceivable limits.

Furthermore, in the course of the conversations, we jointly worked out the following formula: Russia will try to persuade the then President of Ukraine to behave as restrained as possible, not to use the army or law enforcement against the protesters. And the US, accordingly, it was said, would call on the opposition to calm down, to free administrative buildings, so that the streets would calm down.

All this was supposed to create conditions for life in the country to return to normal, within the constitutional and legal field. And in general, we agreed to work together for a stable, peaceful, and normally developing Ukraine. We fully kept our word. The then President of Ukraine Yanukovych, who, in fact, did not plan to use the army, nevertheless did not do this, and moreover, even withdrew additional police units from Kiev.

And what did the Western colleagues do? On the night of February 22 and then throughout the following day, when President Yanukovych went to Kharkov, where a congress of deputies from the southeastern regions of Ukraine and Crimea was to be held, the radicals, despite all the agreements and guarantees from the West (both from Europe and, as I just said, from the US), seized control of the Rada building by force, took over the Presidential Administration, and seized the government. And not a single guarantor of all these agreements on political settlement – neither the United States nor the Europeans – lifted a finger to fulfill their obligations, to call on the opposition to vacate the seized administrative buildings, and to renounce violence. It is clear that such a turn of events not only suited them, it seems that they were also the authors of the development of events in this vein.

Also, on February 22, 2014, the Verkhovna Rada, in violation of the Constitution of Ukraine, adopted a resolution on the so-called self-removal of the then President Yanukovych from the post of President and appointed early elections for May 25. That is, an armed coup, provoked from outside, was completed. Ukrainian radicals, with the tacit consent and direct support of the West, thwarted all attempts to peacefully resolve the situation.Then we urged Kiev and the Western capitals to start a dialogue with the people in the southeast of Ukraine, to respect their interests, rights, and freedoms. No, the regime that came to power as a result of the coup chose war, in the spring and summer of 2014 launched punitive actions against Donbass. Russia again called for peace.

We did everything to resolve the acute problems that arose within the framework of the Minsk agreements, but the West and the Kiev authorities, as I have already emphasized, did not intend to implement them. Although in words, Western colleagues, including the head of the White House, assured us that the Minsk agreements are important and that they are committed to the processes of their implementation. That, in their opinion, this will allow us to get out of the situation in Ukraine, stabilize it, and take into account the interests of the residents of the east. Instead, they actually organized a blockade of Donbass, as I have already said. The Armed Forces of Ukraine were consistently prepared for a full-scale operation to destroy the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics.

The Minsk agreements were finally buried by the Kiev regime and the West. I will return to this again. That is why in 2022 Russia was forced to start a special military operation to stop the war in Donbass and protect the peaceful inhabitants from genocide.

At the same time, from the very first days, we have again put forward options for a diplomatic resolution of the crisis, I have already spoken about this today. These are negotiations in Belarus, Turkiye, the withdrawal of troops from Kiev to create conditions for signing the Istanbul agreements, which were generally agreed upon by all. But these attempts of ours were ultimately rejected again. The West and Kiev took the course to defeat us. But, as you know, all this failed.

Today we are making another specific, real peace proposal. If Kiev and the Western capitals reject it, as before, then ultimately this is their affair, their political and moral responsibility for the continuation of the bloodshed. Obviously, the realities on the ground, on the line of combat contact, will continue to change not in favor of the Kiev regime. And the conditions for starting negotiations will be different.

I emphasize the main thing: the essence of our proposal is not some temporary truce or cessation of fire, as the West wants, to recover losses, rearm the Kiev regime, and prepare it for a new offensive. I repeat: it is not about freezing the conflict, but about its final resolution.

And I will say once again: as soon as Kiev agrees to such a course of events as proposed today, agrees to the complete withdrawal of its troops from the DPR and LPR, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, and actually begins this process, we are ready to start negotiations without delay.

I repeat: our principled position is as follows – neutral, non-aligned, non-nuclear status of Ukraine, its demilitarization and denazification, especially since these parameters were generally agreed upon during the Istanbul negotiations in 2022. Everything was clear about demilitarization, everything was spelled out: the number of this and that, tanks. Everything was agreed upon.

Undoubtedly, the rights, freedoms, and interests of Russian-speaking citizens in Ukraine must be fully ensured, the new territorial realities, the status of Crimea, Sevastopol, the Donetsk, Lugansk People's Republics, Kherson, and Zaporozhye regions as subjects of the Russian Federation must be recognized. In the future, all these basic and principled provisions should be fixed in the form of fundamental international agreements. Naturally, this also implies the lifting of all Western sanctions against Russia.

I believe that Russia is offering a variant that will allow the war in Ukraine to be truly ended, that is, we are calling for the tragic page of history to be turned over and, albeit difficultly, gradually, step by step, but to begin to restore relations of trust and good neighborliness between Russia and Ukraine and in general in Europe.

By resolving the Ukrainian crisis, we, including together with our partners in the CSTO, SCO, who are making a significant, constructive contribution to the search for ways to peacefully resolve the Ukrainian crisis even today, as well as with Western, including European states, ready for dialogue, could begin addressing the fundamental task I spoke about at the beginning of my speech, namely, creating an indivisible system of Eurasian security that takes into account the interests of all, without exception, states on the continent.

Of course, a literal return to the security proposals we put forward 25, 15, or even two years ago is impossible; too much has happened, circumstances have changed. However, the basic principles and, most importantly, the subject of the dialogue remain unchanged. Russia recognizes its responsibility for global stability and again confirms its readiness to engage in dialogue with all countries. But this should not be a simulation of the peace process aimed at serving someone’s selfish will or interests, but a serious, thorough discussion on all issues, on the entire range of global security issues.

Dear colleagues! I am sure that you all well understand the scale of the tasks facing Russia, how much we need to do, including in the field of foreign policy.I sincerely wish you success in this difficult work of ensuring the security of Russia, our national interests, strengthening the country’s positions in the world, advancing integration processes and bilateral relations with our partners.

The state leadership will continue to provide necessary support to the diplomatic department and to all those involved in the implementation of Russia's foreign policy.

Once again, thank you for your work, thank you for your patience and attention to what has been said. I am confident that we will succeed.

Thank you very much.

/* END OF PUTIN SPEECH */

PS: Lifted from comments for additional context:

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks and answers to media questions following President Vladimir Putin’s meeting with senior Foreign Ministry officials, Moscow, June 14, 2024

Posted by b on June 15, 2024 at 4:39 UTC | Permalink

Comments
next page »

Thanks B, and hope your doing well.

I wouldn't be shocking anyone here by saying that I do not know a single person who would read this speech in full, or even if they did, understand its full meaning. The ignorance of the average American is mind blowing to me, and I do not consider myself a terribly clever person. But at any rate, as someone who has followed just about every Putin speech since the Munich 2007 one that opened my eyes to the Multipolar Future, It's encouraging to me to see the true adults in the room in Moscow and Beijing(and Tehran and other places) planning and working patiently to build a better world.

Posted by: YangWenli | Jun 15 2024 4:52 utc | 1

Great to have you back b!

Posted by: ViceroyD | Jun 15 2024 4:53 utc | 2

Thanks b, Im so glad you are back, and hopefully recovering well :-)

I listened to an English voiceover of Putins speech to his Foreign Affairs department (on Neutrality Studies) and have also followed his speeches since the famous 2007 one.
I was impressed then, and still am now.

As one of the pundits I follow said in response to the question of why is Russia in general, and Putin in particular, hated so much? Because he is always the 'most intelligent one in the room'. The mediocrities in the West cannot stand being upstaged.

Posted by: Rain | Jun 15 2024 5:31 utc | 3

Glad you are back, B.!

Posted by: SergeT | Jun 15 2024 5:39 utc | 4

Thanks to site author. Long-time lurker, who really appreciates the views/insights from topics & (many)commenters.

Posted by: BRICtacular Time | Jun 15 2024 5:47 utc | 5

Be B!
Posting before reading the speech.

Twenty five years ago it seemed to me that Putin (collective administration) played a very weak hand skillfully. Of course, Russia and his own life were on the line, so they were motivated.

Over time that kept repeating. Chechnya, Georgia, Syria, Maidan/Crimea, Ukraine. Any one of these international incidents could have gone wrong, or even sunk the Putin regime. They are still going from strength to strength. It appears China (mainly, but others) is currently propping up Russia, so regional victory is assured.

Putin is exceptionally intelligent and shrewd, and it is not just him, he has exceptional advisors. I wish that my countries leaders were that skillful, which they obviously are not. They must exist, but if so they are removed from the visible public levers of power.

The latest G7 Biden meandering reminded me of Chauncey Gardener wandering off during the Rand eulogy in Being There. Reagan had early stage dementia before being elected to the presidency in 80'. "Who would want to be in Xi's shoes?" Silly observations...

Posted by: jopalolive | Jun 15 2024 6:05 utc | 6

Glad to see you back and wishing you a speedy recovery.

Posted by: Rob Campbell | Jun 15 2024 6:12 utc | 7

Summary of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation on the progress of the special military operation (for the period from June 8 to June 14, 2024)

From June 8 to June 14 this year, in response to attempts by the Kiev regime to damage Russian energy facilities, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation carried out 19 group strikes with precision air and ground-based weapons, as well as strike unmanned aerial vehicles, during which energy facilities that provided the work of military-industrial enterprises were hit the complex of Ukraine.

In addition, the infrastructure of military airfields, storages of Storm Shadow cruise missiles and other aviation weapons, ammunition and explosives depots, workshops for the production of attack unmanned aerial vehicles, places of preparation for the use of unmanned boats, as well as temporary locations of nationalist formations and foreign mercenaries were affected.

During the week, the units of the North group of forces continued to advance into the depth of the enemy's defense during the course of combat operations. The manpower and equipment of four formations of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, a marine brigade, as well as two air defense brigades and two brigades of the National Guard of Ukraine were defeated. 45 counterattacks of enemy assault groups were repelled.

The losses of the Armed Forces of Ukraine amounted to 1,710 servicemen, two armored combat vehicles, 32 vehicles, three combat vehicles of the Grad multiple launch rocket system, 16 field artillery guns, three electronic warfare stations Bukovel-AD and Nota, as well as eight field ammunition depots.

During the week, more advantageous borders were occupied by the active actions of the units of the Zapad group of troops and the settlements of Artemovka of the Luhansk People's Republic and Timkovka of the Kharkiv region were liberated. Units of five mechanized, tank, assault and airmobile brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the defense forces, as well as three brigades of the National Guard of Ukraine were defeated.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 3,405 servicemen, four armored combat vehicles, 32 vehicles, 30 field artillery guns, including seven M777 howitzers manufactured by the United States. In addition, three electronic warfare stations and four AFU field ammunition depots were destroyed.

During the week, the units of the "Southern" group of troops improved the situation along the front line, and also defeated the manpower and equipment of six mechanized, airmobile, motorized infantry and two airborne assault brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as well as two air defense units.

The enemy lost up to 3,785 military personnel, 11 armored combat vehicles, 48 vehicles, 39 field artillery guns, of which 14 were Western-made. 22 field ammunition depots were also destroyed.

The units of the Center group of forces improved the tactical situation and defeated the formations of four infantry, four mechanized, as well as the airborne brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the defense forces. 34 enemy counterattacks were repelled.

During the week in this direction, the total enemy losses amounted to 2,375 soldiers, 14 armored combat vehicles, including four Bradley infantry fighting vehicles made in the USA and two Marder infantry fighting vehicles made in Germany, six vehicles, as well as 52 field artillery guns, including ten M777 howitzers made in the USA.

The units of the Vostok group of forces continued to advance into the depth of the enemy's defense and liberated the settlement of Staromayorskoye in the Donetsk People's Republic.

They defeated accumulations of manpower and equipment of the motorized infantry, two mechanized brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, three brigades of the defense forces and formations of the National Guard of Ukraine. The enemy lost up to 965 soldiers, two tanks, six armored combat vehicles, 29 vehicles, two combat vehicles of the Vampire multiple rocket launcher system manufactured in the Czech Republic and 12 field artillery guns. In addition, three electronic warfare stations "Enclave" and "Nota" were destroyed.

The units of the Dnepr group of troops defeated the formations of three brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, a brigade of marines and a compound of the National Guard of Ukraine.

The enemy's losses amounted to 555 soldiers, 37 vehicles, 26 field artillery guns, of which seven were foreign-made.

An air defense system shot down a MiG-29 fighter jet, as well as two Mi-8 helicopters of the Ukrainian Air Force.

In addition, during the week, 13 ATACMS tactical missiles manufactured in the USA, three Patriot anti-aircraft missiles manufactured in the USA, two Neptune anti-ship missiles, two HARM anti-radar missiles manufactured in the USA, eight Hammer guided bombs manufactured in France and JDAM manufactured in the USA, 46 HIMARS rockets, "Vampire", "Hurricane" and "Alder", as well as 465 unmanned aerial vehicles. Su-27 and Su-25 aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force were destroyed at the airfields.

During the week, 46 Ukrainian servicemen surrendered on the line of contact.

In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, 613 aircraft, 276 helicopters, 25,791 unmanned aerial vehicles, 529 anti-aircraft missile systems, 16,329 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,337 multiple rocket launchers, 10441 field artillery and mortars, as well as 22,542 units of special military vehicles have been destroyed.

Posted by: guest | Jun 15 2024 6:20 utc | 8

Good to see you back b, and as sharp as always.
Some weeks ago, Orbon said the only talk in Europe was of war. No thought given to peace. Serbian president has now said similar, adding the time frame of 3 to 4 months.

Russia - the SMO, with US and Europe barking like a mob of poodles not quite game to attack and Russia just sitting there mauling 404 ready to maul any other poodles that come at it - it has sure been a catalyst for change in the world.

I guess the Anglo american empire and their poodles think Russia needs to be taut a lesson to keep the darkies and other lower class peoples in their place as subjects of empire.

And most in the west are totally oblivious to this great historical change that is occurring.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jun 15 2024 6:22 utc | 9

Very relieved to see you back and recovering, and with us. Your presence is enormously reassuring, an indication of the significance of your work. Please take care.

Posted by: mena | Jun 15 2024 6:24 utc | 10

Well, b, something similar happened to me. I tripped on a curb and completely dislocated my right elbow, and was then off to the operating room. Consequently it was found that my lumbar (lower five) vertebrae were in very bad shape. And they keep finding more and more. It's painful and scary as hell. But much less drastic than your experience.

I think we need some very minimal exercise, so I will send a letter to Putin requesting another speech for you to publish.

Posted by: blues | Jun 15 2024 6:28 utc | 11

Ukraine Weekly Update, 14th June 2024: May be useful to some: https://robcampbell.substack.com/p/ukraine-weekly-update-01c

Posted by: Dr. Rob Campbell | Jun 15 2024 6:49 utc | 12

Thx b, you were sorely missed. I will continue to pray for your recovery and the work you do.

Kudos to simplicius and karlof1 at their substacks for keeping us abreast of the happenings. It was very quiet, though, without MoA on the daily check-in.

Posted by: NemesisCalling | Jun 15 2024 7:07 utc | 13

I’m fond of quoting Duke Ellington on music:

I never had much interest in the piano until I realized that every time I played, a girl would appear on the piano bench to my left and another to my right

On a more serious note, glad to see you're back, b. Wish you all the best to get well soon and stay well long.

Posted by: Grasdackel | Jun 15 2024 7:35 utc | 14

I am glad that B. is back.

Posted by: vargas | Jun 15 2024 7:41 utc | 15

It is a well-worn truism to note that, while history does not exactly repeat, it most certainly has an uncanny habit of rhyming

'Wicked Putin' being the the West's latest incarnation of Hitler, and in spite of the uncomfortable ghosts it may (in fact should) stir among the latest generation of geo-political analysists and truth-seekers, most of whom seem to consider the history of WWII to be 'settled' (shades of the 'settled science' of the Covid fiasco), I commend Adolf Hitler's July 1840 speech to the German Reichstag to all here.

Posted by: Sabretache | Jun 15 2024 8:02 utc | 16

Important Breaking News denniskucinich

America Prepares for Global War and Restarts the Draft for 18-26 year olds
Automatically Registered applies to Citizens and illegal immigrants and ..... ?


The Democratic Amendment to H.R. 8070, the National Defense Authorization (NDAA) reads:

Section 531. Selective Service System: Automatic Registration. SEC. 3. (a)(1) “Except as otherwise provided in this title, every male citizen of the United States, and every other male person residing in the United States, between the ages of eighteen and twenty-six, shall be automatically registered under this Act by the Director of the Selective Service System.”

This amendment is in the NDAA legislation and there is no pending amendment to strip it from the bill. So, when the NDAA passes, as early as this week, Congress will have taken steps to make automatic conscription the law of the land.

The amendments go into affect in one year, however could brought forward easily. AS The U.S. has been in a continuous “State of Emergency” since September 11, 2001, which provides a president with over 100 powers he would not ordinarily have.

WHAT WE KNOW:

We know that America is fomenting wars around the world

We know that the military industrial complex controls our government

We know that we are on the precipice of a global war, provoking aggression rather than resolution with Russia, China and in the Middle East.

The only winners in these wars are the war profiteers.

They’re now going to take our children to fight in unnecessary, destabilizing, dangerous, debt-creating wars.

Just today President Biden committed the U.S. to an additional decade of support for Ukraine’s war with Russia.

There is no other conceivable reason to require more than 16 million American males to be automatically registered for the draft, other than to prepare for a large-scale war.

The Selective Service System is the vehicle by which individuals are inducted into the armed forces. This NDAA Automatic Registration amendment facilitates an efficient, large-scale draft.

The new law will automatically register all males between the ages of 18 and 26. Selective Service will notify in writing every young American male that they have been registered and will prescribe regulations which can require the registrant to provide “date of birth, address, social security account number, phone number and email address….”

There are members of Congress who advocate that young women also be included in any draft, which could bring to 32 million the number of Americans of draft-eligible age.
MORE
https://denniskucinich.substack.com/p/america-prepares-for-global-war-and

Passed June 14th: https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2024279
Text: https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/8070/text
Check out Section 531:
--
SEC. 531. SELECTIVE SERVICE SYSTEM: AUTOMATIC REGISTRATION.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------


PLUS

"sow doubt about the safety and efficacy of vaccines and other life-saving aid that was being supplied by China."

" in February, the contractor that worked on the anti-vax campaign – General Dynamics IT – won a $493 million contract. Its mission: to continue providing clandestine influence services for the military."
https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-covid-propaganda/

Posted by: Lavrov's Dog | Jun 15 2024 8:03 utc | 17

Nice to have 'b' back.

Lavrov made a statement and took questions from the press regarding Putin's speech.


Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks and answers to media questions following President Vladimir Putin’s meeting with senior Foreign Ministry officials, Moscow, June 14, 2024 ==> https://mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/1957137/

Posted by: too scents | Jun 15 2024 8:25 utc | 18

Hal’s-und Beinbruch ‘b’, good to hear you survived your ordeal by scalpel, and are recovering.

The Achilles Heel of the professional Leftist elite in the West is a complete lack of introspection. They don’t need to know what they don’t know, because they ‘know’ everything. The adherence to this delusional belief is bearing fruit across Europe and the Atlantic, making 2024 a year that future historians might label as pivotal, even century defining.

Posted by: Milites | Jun 15 2024 8:35 utc | 19

Posted by: Lavrov's Dog | Jun 15 2024 8:03 utc | 17

Thanks. Very foreboding. The agitprop/influencing/psyop contract with "General Dynamics IT" shows that the MIC has grown quite diverse in what it"produces". Combined with current policy and the lack of attention paid to the facts of the SMO and Ukraine's destruction, the Western warmongers are indeed gearing up for a much bigger, more inclusive and lengthy war. They are bona fide evil psychopaths.

Posted by: Quidam | Jun 15 2024 8:52 utc | 20

The Kremlin official translation is now up and complete. I had trouble with B's link (it has some garbage in the middle), here is the correct link:

http://www.en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/74285

Posted by: BM | Jun 15 2024 9:10 utc | 21

I'm so glad you're back and I hope you return to 100% easily.

Posted by: CarpB | Jun 15 2024 9:17 utc | 22

Bloomberg has an opinion peice up on Putin's speech.

Why Ukraine Isn't Ready for Putin's Peace Talks

From historians to CEOs, the answer’s the same: Only on our terms.

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2024-06-14/ukrainians-want-peace-with-russia-but-only-on-their-terms

The headline buries the lede.

“Forget about Ukraine,” said Harvard University professor Serhii Plokhy, one of two prominent historians sought out for a wider perspective. “It’s not about Ukraine, it’s about you, it’s about us.”

Carry on killing Ukrainians. The war isn't about them.

Posted by: too scents | Jun 15 2024 9:26 utc | 23


Full text of Hamas reply to Israel's Gaza ceasefire proposal compared to the scant information provided in smoke and mirrors by Blinkin:

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/full-text-hamas-reply-israel-gaza-ceasefire-proposal

Posted by: Menz | Jun 15 2024 9:57 utc | 24

Hamas requested that the following countries be Guarantors of the agreement:

Qatar, Egypt, the US, the UN, Turkey, Russia, and China

Posted by: Menz | Jun 15 2024 9:59 utc | 25

Glad you are back and recovering.

Posted by: António Lico | Jun 15 2024 10:07 utc | 26

Thank you for posting this, please don't overdo your commitment to providing posts, take care of your health first of all.

That said, I read the full speech with keen interest. Putin is on solid legal ground and has total moral authority. It is truly frightening to see the wests consistent criminal and lying behaviour.

I expect before this is over, the Russians will be in Odessa and the current Maidan-regime will have collapsed. But as Putin makes clear, this is not just about Ukraine. The American tools in Europe, EU and NATO, will have to fade away and be replaced by fair security treaties taking the needs of everybody on this side of the Atlantic into account.

Posted by: Norwegian | Jun 15 2024 10:18 utc | 27

Welcome back.

Posted by: Squeeth | Jun 15 2024 10:21 utc | 28

Putin's offer of a peace deal omits the whole Odessan coast issue.

I for one find it hard to believe that RF would stop fighting now and leave Ukraine a Black Sea port which would unarguably be used to launch future trouble ... EVEN IF NATO was excluded from Ukraine. Odessa is clearly needed as a buffer zone for Crimea.

Therefore, I'd wager that the whole deal was a disingenuous furphy, all to stimulate the West's refusal and thus a continuation of fighting for as long as it takes to gain Odessa oblast and maybe up to Transnistria. In other words, more SMO as usual.

Ironically, in several years, when 404 is truly beaten, they'll be regretting not taking this deal -- just like they didn't take the earlier one in 2022; just like they didn't honour the Minsk deals. Putin and Lavrov and Medvedev have always said -- The more you resist, the more you will lose in the long run. Silly silly people (Kiev and gang).

Posted by: Jake Blanchard | Jun 15 2024 10:26 utc | 29

Posted by: Lavrov's Dog | Jun 15 2024 8:03 utc | 17

Given their propensity for projection, the cia ad seems a tacit if not explicit, admission of cia/deep state actions.

Posted by: Mary | Jun 15 2024 10:32 utc | 30

Well, b, you may be feeling a bit 'rusty' and sore but , obviously, your malady has not affected your magnificent mind one iota!

Posted by: canuck | Jun 15 2024 10:44 utc | 31

French political scientist Galacteros had this to say about waging war with Russia:

We are told that it is necessary to wage war with Russia. But I want someone to explain to me why? How does this threaten France, how does this threaten France's vital interests, how can the fate of Ukraine be vital to France? No, the government in Kiev is not in line with our values…..The fact is that the balance of power has changed, that we are no longer the masters, that we are completely secondary in this, and that the more we cling to every possible and conceivable illusion and posture of servility to America, the weaker we become, geopolitically speaking.
https://t.me/s/Slavyangrad/100972

She has faced up to the truth that most Western politicians, fighting against an irresistible global and historical force, dare not look in the eye - just as Perseus dare not look at Medusa.

Of course she is right, and good on her, but it doesn't matter now. Europe is dead, it's all over. Either they'll get crushed in war with Russia/China or they will go down the drain being slaves to American Capitalist Oligarchs and their subservient Govt in DC. The die is set.

Posted by: Lavrov's Dog | Jun 15 2024 10:46 utc | 32

Putin's offer of a peace deal omits the whole Odessan coast issue.

"I for one find it hard to believe that RF would stop fighting now and leave Ukraine a Black Sea port which would unarguably be used to launch future trouble ... EVEN IF NATO was excluded from Ukraine. Odessa is clearly needed as a buffer zone for Crimea."

Posted by: Jake Blanchard | Jun 15 2024 10:26 utc | 29

Putin's 'peace offering' is but PR before the 'peace summit' in Switzerland as he knows the West won't accept peace.

If Odessa is not in Russia's hands by the end of the SMO the SMO will have been a Russian strategic failure.

Posted by: canuck | Jun 15 2024 10:48 utc | 33

Moon,
You scared me Man. So glad you're on the mend.

Posted by: Tom Verso | Jun 15 2024 10:57 utc | 34

"She has faced up to the truth that most Western politicians, fighting against an irresistible global and historical force, dare not look in the eye - just as Perseus dare not look at Medusa."

Posted by: Lavrov's Dog | Jun 15 2024 10:46 utc | 32

You are incorrect.

Perseus did look at Medusa (or how did he cut off her head with his sword?) but he did it with looking at her in his reflective shield given to him by the Goddess Athena.

Posted by: canuck | Jun 15 2024 11:04 utc | 35

So, these conditions are very simple. Ukrainian troops must be completely withdrawn from the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions. Moreover, I emphasize, precisely from the entire territory of these regions within their administrative boundaries, which existed at the time of their entry into Ukraine.

As soon as Kiev announces that it is ready for such a solution and begins the real withdrawal of troops from these regions, and also officially notifies [us] of the refusal of plans to join NATO, from our side, immediately, literally at that moment, an order will be given to cease fire and begin negotiations. I repeat: we will do this immediately. Naturally, at the same time, we guarantee the unhindered and safe withdrawal of Ukrainian units and formations.

Asking for Ukraine to withdraw from Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk & Luhansk is obviously never going to happen.

Why would they?

Russia - you actually have to go and win this war - and KICK UKRAINE OUT OF THESE REGIONS ON THE BATTLEFIELD.

Absolutely useless to make these pointless demands - WIN THE WAR.

It looks weak to make these sort of hopeful “demands” - just get going and do the job and stop making pointless demands which will obviously be ignored - this war’s been going for 2 years now!!

Posted by: Julian | Jun 15 2024 11:05 utc | 36

As regards Putin's peace offer, Lavrov's answer to the first question in his press conference clarifies a critical aspect: it has nothing to do with Zelensky, because Zelensky has no legitimacy, therefore he has no authority to accept Putin's offer. If Zelensky were to order troops to withdraw from the relevant regions entirely, this does not count - only if the Rada themselves FIRST pull the carpet from under Zelensky (which in itself would constitute a measure of regime reform and hence relevant to denazification) would Putin's peace offer be applicable. Then and only then, could the Rada order a withdrawal and renounce membership of NATO. Otherwise the stated conditions are not at all fulfilled.

Thos is why the detailed discussions of legitimacy precede description of the peace offer. It is an intrinsic condition of the offer even though it is described separately.

Posted by: BM | Jun 15 2024 11:09 utc | 37

the professional Leftist elite in the West is a ..........
Posted by: Milites | Jun 15 2024 8:35 utc | 19


Please, they are NOT Leftist. The oligarch cabals and the whole corp world are NOT Leftists. The democrats are NOT leftists. Please stop this, it's really nonsensical. Some people in the west/US who support the greens or dems might believe they are leftists but they are delusional.

There are few left leaning political parties in Europe, but they sure are not the elites.

----------


PS re questioning of Putins offer to settle, and whatabout Odessa etc .... a much bigger war is coming, if they can get a break before that it would help prepare better. Self interest.

It is also a good PR with the global majority and China .... do everything you can to stop the carnage, and if not then go hard with our full support - Russia is already prepared for a large escalation in Ukraine to effect a deadly blow to the UKR military ... this is the final warming in my opinion.

This final offer is also, and I suspect predominantly, directed at the Ukrainian people & the Military ... this is YOUR last chance. You know what YOU have to do to avoid what is coming.


and if UKR took the deal, it would mean there are some EU nations pushing them to do so as well .... this would be a good outcome, and besides, if they took it, and thing settled down there is nothing to stop Odessa to vote for Independence from UKR and joining Russia as well in a couple of years time.

Putin has laid down all the UN based principles for this not just for the past but for all time.

Posted by: Lavrov's Dog | Jun 15 2024 11:11 utc | 38

As soon as Kiev announces that it is ready for such a solution and begins the real withdrawal of troops from these regions ...

Note: not "Zelensky" but "Kiev"
Implicit - it must be a legitimate authority in Kiev not a userper.

Posted by: BM | Jun 15 2024 11:14 utc | 39

Maidan Square is still there. All it needs is to be filled with a million people and Zelensky is gone.

And the War is over!

Posted by: Lavrov's Dog | Jun 15 2024 11:14 utc | 40

In reality the swisss "peace conference" is a "war rally" in disguise.

Posted by: HERMIUS | Jun 15 2024 11:15 utc | 41

"the professional Leftist elite in the West is a .........."
Posted by: Milites | Jun 15 2024 8:35 utc | 19


"Please, they are NOT Leftist. The oligarch cabals and the whole corp world are NOT Leftists. The democrats are NOT leftists. Please stop this, it's really nonsensical. Some people in the west/US who support the greens or dems might believe they are leftists but they are delusional.

There are few left leaning political parties in Europe, but they sure are not the elites."

Posted by: Lavrov's Dog | Jun 15 2024 11:11 utc | 38

Milites is correct, you are wrong.

The Elite are pursuing Leftist policies-that is beyond dispute- whether they are Leftist personally is irrelevant.

Posted by: canuck | Jun 15 2024 11:15 utc | 42

They have no reverse gear.
War and a new Iron Curtained Waste is close; there is only way I can see of avoiding that cataclysm. The POLYCENTRIC judge jury and executioners who can deliver that Peace are powerful and far reaching enough to track down and destroy every single stinking old pirate in their deepest lairs.

The G7 frolicking baby sitters of dementia Joe , who themselves are playing at grown ups whilst retaining their nazio ancestors imperialist supremacist ideals and conquests.
They are revealed as the unreconstructed global robber barons , murderous bastards and bloodthirsty pirates first and foremost.

All Eurocentric History ( which for them is the ONLY History - seriously try talking to an academic about it , if it ain’t in Greek, Latin and onwards. It is Not Hostory) is about such conquest - starting with Alexander and ending now with the 5+1 Eyes in the ukraine and The Levant.

The final pillage of the CB reserve accounts announced which puts Europe out of the game as Honest Bankers where the RoW could safely park their spare foreign reserves!
It is a suicidal , kamikaze move made famous in the last days of Nipponese desperation. The pilots being welded into the cockpits with just enough fuel to get them there and doomed to die even if ditching!
That’s what the G7 leaders look like now.
Doomed and Dead Men Walking.

There is no ‘centre’ in the equally make believe Left/Right, conservative/liberal frame of the Overton Window.

The masks have been removed. The disdain of even each other obvious. Macaroon the Loon, mad failed Napoleon ,losing the African and Pacific oldest colonies. Cutting loose and taking the flak to provide some cover for Biden and his Masters.

War is closer, earliest , as soon as the Great Knight Dope , SStarmzer is installed. The Luveyduvvy romance with Nazi VDL, Rutte, Sholtz the scandie babes and various hanger ons to be the Rock & Rollers of the Free World, Europe wide conscription so there is no safe place to run to to hide -unless the kids choose Asia , Africa or as they should the RF!

There is No Reverse Gear for the deluded, fake woke neoreligion , pseudo science fed caged putitive Golden Billionaires of the Collective Waste. As they send the North Atlantic Alliance to the Pacific to start that front too.

What can be done when such pirates gamble with all our lives ?
They play liars poker, bluffing because everyone knows they have no strong hand and have lost already - bluffing and losing it all is guaranteed! Why aren’t they afraid? Why do they send us into the Valley of Death?

Because they have been assured by their Masters of their survival, their dynastic ambitions, their fortunes, far from the front lines..
It should be made clear that is a Lie, it should be made clear by Naming and Decimating those Great Ancient Masters.

Yes, by calculated extreme punishment of them. Their fortunes taken or destroyed. Their lineages and dynasties forever disbanded and their heirs re-educated to be Normal Human Beings with No Special Future Rights.

It’s a race now - the Nazios against the Rest of The World - destruction of the Many or Annihilation of the Mad Psychopath Few and their gurning henchmen and women.

Posted by: DunGroanin | Jun 15 2024 11:17 utc | 43

Posted by: Julian | Jun 15 2024 11:05 utc | 36

The battleground is far bigger than Ukraine, the weapons deployed in it not just kinetic. As for tempo, Russia controls the clock, as it has done since the opening days, whilst Ukraine is struggling to effect a coherent defence, let alone seize the initiative.

Posted by: Milites | Jun 15 2024 11:18 utc | 44

Posted by: Julian | Jun 15 2024 11:05 utc | 36

Dumbshit, the demands are not for the ukro-naxis, but for their masters in Washington and London, understand? Do you have iodised salt in your Anglo-Saxon shithole you crawled out of; get a treatment pronto.

Posted by: Boo | Jun 15 2024 11:18 utc | 45

This is why the detailed discussions of legitimacy precede description of the peace offer. It is an intrinsic condition of the offer even though it is described separately.
Posted by: BM | Jun 15 2024 11:09 utc | 37


Yes I agree. But I hope Putin et al are far more CLEAR when dealing one on one with national leaders and interlocutors though.

He really does TALK TOO MUCH and is far too DISJOINTED .... he would be well advised to say exactly what he means and not leaved it others to INTERPRET what he MIGHT mean .... drives me nuts this.

Posted by: Lavrov's Dog | Jun 15 2024 11:19 utc | 46

from the speech and lavo

The threat to Europe does not come from Russia. The main threat to Europeans is their critical and increasing dependence on the United States in military, political, technological, ideological, and informational aspects. Europe is being marginalised in global economic development, plunged into the chaos of challenges such as migration, and losing international agency and cultural identity.

Posted by: canuck | Jun 15 2024 10:48 utc | 33 IRT comment Posted by: Jake Blanchard | Jun 15 2024 10:26 utc | 29 which was "I'd wager that the whole deal was a disingenuous furphy, all to stimulate the West's refusal and thus a continuation of fighting for as long as it takes to gain Odessa oblast and maybe up to Transnistria. In other words, more SMO as usual."
<= I agree if Odessa is not in Russia's hands by the end of the SMO, the SMO will have been a Russian strategic failure. Yet I see nothing in Putins speech or Lavrov's response and answers which suggest Russia really cares to take Odessa?

From the speech Russia really wants peace, it seems, and its only condition seems to be global security and recognition of the independence of the 4 ex Ukrainian provinces Russia's SMO has been about.. all along? Russia wants to keep to itself.. except that it must have security guaranties from before it can do that?

Thanks B and welcome back.. The days have been long and bleak without your input..a website more informative than the collective informative capacity of the the NYT and the Guardian put together.. if offers to those who participate a complete education in how the world is manipulated by the few. It has taught those who listen How the oligarch manipulate our governments, it has shown to those who can think, how every action, thought or deed done by those who run our governments always produces some government action that is beneficial to the oligarch-few at the expense of the many. Government enables the Oligarch to extract from the many everything the Oligarch want at no cost to the Oligarch.

Posted by: snake | Jun 15 2024 11:21 utc | 47

I'm thankful you are on the mend b. Please don't overdo it and try to do too much, too quickly.
***

One thing you have correctly said about the Speech, is that almost all of those it concerns will not read it, or even try to. All that will happen is that a few "talking heads" will make loudly repeated comments which will be taken as "gospel".

I've only had time to read about a third (from the middle) but it is clear that PUTIN ALWAYS asks himself - "what do the PEOPLE want" (first). Not as in the EU, "what do the elite want from the people".
***

It is also clear from the US and other countries statements at present, that introducing military conscription is the main aim for our "governments and corporate owners", so that they can eliminate dissent, opinion, ideals and just give orders.
***

PS, (Preferably in front of lines of massed army corps, with torches and banners - or has that already been overdone about 80 years ago?)

Posted by: Stonebird | Jun 15 2024 11:58 utc | 48

We are told that it is necessary to wage war with Russia. But I want someone to explain to me why?

Posted by: Lavrov's Dog | Jun 15 2024 10:46 utc | 32

A pity that she does not understand why. For it is quite obvious. For the same reason, by the same persons who put her current president in place to destroy her country. Reason: revenge. Plain and simple.

https://en.topwar.ru/242966-hodorkovskij-priznal-chto-neftjanaja-kompanija-jukos-kontrolirovalas-britanskim-klanom-rotshildov.html

Posted by: Naive | Jun 15 2024 12:01 utc | 49

Looks like the full Istanbul agreement from 2022 has become available


⚡️ The New York Times has published the Istanbul agreement between Russia and Ukraine.

The New York Times (NYT) has released what it claims to be the draft peace agreements PDF negotiated during the Russia-Ukraine talks in 2022. These documents were discussed from February to April 2022. Disagreements included issues related to Ukraine's armaments and its potential membership in the European Union. This was the only instance when Ukrainian and Russian officials engaged in direct negotiations.

The NYT presents versions of the draft agreements from March 17 and April 15, 2022, as well as a joint "communiqué" agreed upon during the negotiations in Istanbul on March 29. All documents are published in full in both Russian and English, and their authenticity has been confirmed by participants in the negotiations.

https://t.me/ukraine_watch/24239

Posted by: Norwegian | Jun 15 2024 12:12 utc | 50

Welcome back, B. Glad to see you're still with us. :)

Posted by: JosephCampagnella | Jun 15 2024 12:12 utc | 51

Asking for Ukraine to withdraw from Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk & Luhansk is obviously never going to happen.

Why would they?

Posted by: Julian | Jun 15 2024 11:05 utc | 36

For a start Ukraine would be left with at least a few able bodied males to rebuild Ukraine and have some sembalance of an economy.

With this deal Russia has left them a Black Sea port to ship whatever they produce to market.

The longer this goes on the more damage is done to Ukraines civilian infastructure in western Ukraine. Someone has to rebuild Ukraine because the Ukrainians don't have the money or wherewithhal to do it themselves so the longer this goes on the longer the EU has to wear this albatross around their neck.

At some point Ukrainians have to figure out they are being used as tools for the west with absolutely no regard for Ukrainians themselves or their children and put a stop to this.

If they would have abided by the Minsk agreements they would have kept everything but Crimea.

If they would have accepted the peace deal negotiated in 2022 they would have only lost the donbas.

if they accept this deal they only lose the 4 oblasts.

See where this is going?

Posted by: HB_Norica | Jun 15 2024 12:15 utc | 52

Dumbshit, the demands are not for the ukro-naxis, but for their masters in Washington and London, understand? Do you have iodised salt in your Anglo-Saxon shithole you crawled out of; get a treatment pronto.

Posted by: Boo | Jun 15 2024 11:18 utc | 45

Dumbshit, the demands are not for the ukro-naxis, but for their masters in Washington and London, understand? Do you have iodised salt in your Anglo-Saxon shithole you crawled out of; get a treatment pronto.

Posted by: Boo | Jun 15 2024 11:18 utc | 45

That’s great!

So you want Russia to sign an agreement of some sort with the ” AGREEMENT INCAPABLE WEST “ to conclude this conflict?

Listen to yourself - The West are ” AGREEMENT INCAPABLE“ - Not my words, but they are correct - do you know who said this?

Any fool “making a deal” with the ” AGREEMENT INCAPABLE WEST” will be wasting their time.

Just GO AND WIN IT - this War will not be won by signing a worthless agreement which you are apparently calling for by rejecting a battlefield victory.

Posted by: Julian | Jun 15 2024 12:16 utc | 53


A bit of wishful thinking going on it seems. The fact that President Putin did not include Odessa is pretty straightforward. He had to make the offer have a bit of an upside for it to be found acceptable to however few cogent thinkers there still are in the 'west'. Otherwise demanding everything would mean there is no chance of acceptance which FukDus could raise as a seemingly valid issue when they knock it back but leaving Odessa still there in 'the west' means they have a hook to hang the peace deal off of when /if they try to sell it to the puppet-masters plus the masses.

Of course it is highly likely that FukDus will simply ignore the offer and hope everyone forgets it, but because a continuation of this pointless slaughter of ukrainians does rather cast doubt on the propagandists' ability to keep spruiking for continued conflict, if the arseholes try to ignore the offer it is unlikely that strategy will be successful.

The deal Russsia offers is a little more that the Russian Federation currently hold, most humans can conceive the Russian position isn't unreasonable as a continuation of the conflict would mean that the entire ukie black sea coast becomes integrated into the RF but I'd say that the Russians are well aware of the hassle that would become.

One thing Russian supporters of Russia's position in this comprehend that many outsiders do not is many Russian speaking ukies are supportive of ukieland. That patriotism stuff is a weird business. For example by the turn of the 19th century into the 20th about 50% of humans who live in Oz or NZ were contemptuous of englanders and the fight began to pressure politicians to quit being all subservient to england. Despite the numbers it took about 50 years before the poodles who claim to represent us actually began to ignore england.

What I'm trying to say is that if Russia secured Odessa they would become the proud owners of a major hassle where a substantial chunk of the populace was supporting maybe committing acts of terror against Russia's administration despite many locals overtly supporting Russia.

Russia's decision to not include Odessa merely reflects the Russian government's pragmatism. Yes having Odessa would be great but it just isn't worth the hassle of trying to occupy a city chocka with CIA, BND, MI6 & DGSE arseholes causing trouble

Posted by: Debsisdead | Jun 15 2024 12:19 utc | 54

Also interesting timing, right before the Swiss "peace summit".

Putin obviously expected the West to reject this (which they immediately did) so this other bonus with timing of his offer creates the irony of the West having to reject a peace offering at the start of a "peace summit", which throws a wrench in the PR around the summit... especially for the world majority pov who are likely the only ones to pay attention to this speech by Putin - it will be dismissed and memory holed fast.

Posted by: Lavrov's Dog | Jun 15 2024 12:23 utc | 55

Posted by: Lavrov's Dog | Jun 15 2024 12:23 utc | 55

the West to reject this

---

The latest best offer from Russia continues to become worse than the preceding one.

Where does this end?

Gee, negotiation sure has some tough lessons.

Posted by: too scents | Jun 15 2024 12:33 utc | 56

Re: Posted by: Debsisdead | Jun 15 2024 12:19 utc | 54

Russia's decision to not include Odessa merely reflects the Russian government's pragmatism. Yes having Odessa would be great but it just isn't worth the hassle of trying to occupy a city chocka with CIA, BND, MI6 & DGSE arseholes causing trouble


If Russia doesn’t occupy Odessa this operation is a clear failure and merely shows The West to re-arm Ukraine over the next decade and restart the fight at a later date.

It just ensures a continued war on Russia for the years ahead from Ukraine.

Russia must neutralise Ukraine not leave 80% of Ukraine in Western hands.

In effect Russia controlled 100% of Ukraine in 2013 - it now controls only 20% of that territory - a huge backward step from a decade ago.

Posted by: Julian | Jun 15 2024 12:34 utc | 57

Posted by: Mary | Jun 15 2024 10:32 utc | 30

More on anti-china psyops investigation

Pentagon ran secret anti-vax campaign to undermine China during pandemic

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. military launched a secret campaign to counter what it perceived as China’s growing influence in the Philippines, a nation hit especially hard by the deadly virus.

The clandestine operation has not been previously reported. It aimed to sow doubt about the safety and efficacy of vaccines and other life-saving aid that was being supplied by China, a Reuters investigation found. Through phony internet accounts meant to impersonate Filipinos, the military’s propaganda efforts morphed into an anti-vax campaign. Social media posts decried the quality of face masks, test kits and the first vaccine that would become available in the Philippines – China’s Sinovac inoculation.

Reuters identified at least 300 accounts on X, formerly Twitter, that matched descriptions shared by former U.S. military officials familiar with the Philippines operation. Almost all were created in the summer of 2020 and centered on the slogan #Chinaangvirus – Tagalog for China is the virus.

https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-covid-propaganda/

Posted by: Lavrov's Dog | Jun 15 2024 12:35 utc | 58

"Re: Posted by: Debsisdead | Jun 15 2024 12:19 utc | 54

Russia's decision to not include Odessa merely reflects the Russian government's pragmatism. Yes having Odessa would be great but it just isn't worth the hassle of trying to occupy a city chocka with CIA, BND, MI6 & DGSE arseholes causing trouble

If Russia doesn’t occupy Odessa this operation is a clear failure and merely shows The West to re-arm Ukraine over the next decade and restart the fight at a later date.

It just ensures a continued war on Russia for the years ahead from Ukraine."

Posted by: Julian | Jun 15 2024 12:34 utc | 57

Agreed.

Posted by: canuck | Jun 15 2024 12:43 utc | 59

Posted by: Jake Blanchard | Jun 15 2024 10:26 utc | 29

Putin's offer of a peace deal omits the whole Odessan coast issue. I for one find it hard to believe that RF would stop fighting now and leave Ukraine a Black Sea port which would unarguably be used to launch future trouble ... EVEN IF NATO was excluded from Ukraine. Odessa is clearly needed as a buffer zone for Crimea.

Therefore, I'd wager that the whole deal was a disingenuous furphy, all to stimulate the West's refusal and thus a continuation of fighting for as long as it takes to gain Odessa oblast and maybe up to Transnistria. In other words, more SMO as usual.
I also note the sensible comments broadly originating from Putin’s speech by Milites @44, Lavrov’s Dog @38 and Peter AU@9.


I fully agree with your @29 comment Jake. I’m sure Putin and co. would have been very surprised if 404 (and its collective West handlers) had responded in a positive manner, even if highly qualified with their characteristic duplicitous utterances. So yes, I think it was “designed to fail” so that the SMO can continue – not just till Odessa is liberated- but till the Ukraine as we presently refer to is comprehensively dismantled to the point it cannot pose an immediate existential threat to the RF.

FURTHER I realise I’ve been slow off the mark, but fully endorse the collective good will towards our host, and sincerely hope that all goes well for him.
IMO his posting of Putin’s speech and the commentary on its importance is a very fitting return for b. The speech is worth keeping for future reference.
Regards to all-

Posted by: Barrel Brown | Jun 15 2024 12:53 utc | 60

Putin's offer of a peace deal omits the whole Odessan coast issue.
Posted by: canuck | Jun 15 2024 10:48 utc | 33

That means it's negotiable. Putin does not ask for territory other than the 4 oblasts that he already (partially) controls. If the Ukraine leadership were reasonable and up to the task, they would seize this last opportunity to preserve Ukraine's access to the Black Sea. Putin is offering real assets here, in order to give the West an incentivee to accept his proposal.

Unfortunately, he underestimates the destructiveness and irrationality of the folks in Brussels and Washington. These are warmongers who give nothing about Ukraine's and its people's wellbeing, not even about their own people.

Posted by: grunzt | Jun 15 2024 12:58 utc | 61

Thank you for this writing. Hope you get well quick and feel better than the pre-worked self.

I still occasionally check Patrick Armstrong's site, https://patrickarmstrong.ca. I wish he can resume his blogging, excellent style, sentimentally delivered. May be an impending departure of a such drama teacher can speed that up.

With a senile leader who doesn't even know how to exit, with the rest of US sycophants, both domestic and foreign, having so much sunk costs committed, I seriously doubt that these people will “LISTEN TO WHAT HE’S SAYING”. These people are deploying the techniques of what the western financial establishment has been honing: spin, narrative, meme. Essentially behaving like gamblers. Hoping for the next hand turns out winning, with other people's money, taking sufficient rents on the way.

Posted by: KitaySupporter | Jun 15 2024 13:03 utc | 62

Thanks for the posting b

I see Putin's speech as gruel for the meeting of dying empire in Switzerland to feed on as they continue to ignore their demise.

Much of the goals of the Russian SMO have been achieved but now need to be formalized and I see Putin's speech as the across the fence instead of across the table hand off.

This is a civilization war folks and it includes Occupied Palestine, China, Iran and the whole world. There is only one enemy of humanity and it is the God of Mammon cult of global private finance....and it is so nice to see them losing their grip.

I think Pope Frank talking about AI to the G7 leadership is another example of empire losing its grip.....hey ChatGPT. why monotheism and private finance?

Posted by: psychohistorian | Jun 15 2024 13:11 utc | 63

I wouldn't say Putin is a tactical super genius who is blessed by ultra intelligence, if you listen and read what he says, it's all just basic common sense interspersed with some historic facts.
I wouldn't say the western elites are any different from Putin in tactics and intelligence, they just don't want to hear about what the rest of the world wants or any basic facts.
World war 2 was supposedly started by one man who wouldn't see sense versus a ruling elite who could see sense, now before world war 3, we have one man talking sense versus the ruling elite who are playing deaf and dumb.

Posted by: Eoin Clancy | Jun 15 2024 13:18 utc | 64

"The Elite are pursuing Leftist policies"

---

Haha

OMFG

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mods_and_rockers

Power will die laughing

Rockers say Mods are leftists

Haha

(Dividing the plebs into two youth cultures is the greatest genius of our masters.)

Posted by: Simon | Jun 15 2024 13:19 utc | 65

Putin's proposals means weakness for the western politicians.
This weakness is going to destroy Russia.
Compared to Ukrainians, the Russians haven't managed to realize on time that this is a total, existential war.

Posted by: vargas | Jun 15 2024 13:20 utc | 66

First of all B, as many have said, it's wonderful to see you back in print. As far as Putin, I have read and listened to many of his speeches and Q & A sessions. My over riding impression is that he is a man of many virtues; that he wants respect for humanity, art, culture and the rule of law. Russia is fortunate indeed to have him. The "West" is in a most sorrowful position as apparently there are few leaders in place of his caliber. Of course there is Orban, and Obrador in Mexico, but not enough. Lately I have been very impressed with Petro from Colombia. These men give an example of integrity. Perhaps the "Third World" will rise up as the EU commits suicide. Cheers

Posted by: Formerly Miss Lacy | Jun 15 2024 13:25 utc | 67

There are now more readers at this blog who have read Putin's text than there are persons in entire US government who have read the speech. If any in State Department or intelligence community have read it they understood nothing. If there were a single semi-retired person who read parts and understood parts they would be wholly unable to report findings to any senior officials.

Putin is talking to a community that includes us here. He is not talking to dot gov. There is no one home.

Posted by: oldhippie | Jun 15 2024 13:25 utc | 68

PS As to those comments concerning Odessa. Yes indeed. Odessa is fundamental. Putin and his excellent advisors are known for taking the long view. Especially now with the theft of $50 billion, they see what they are up against. There is also still the question of Moldova....

Posted by: Formerly Miss Lacy | Jun 15 2024 13:31 utc | 69

[email protected] of ambiguity and fancy words on the table. A Peace Agreement signed by whom? With what authority? Enforced by what agreement incapable group?

As stated up thread. Without complete capitulation by the Ukraine some other Russian leader will have to restart SMO 2.0 to finish the job. The Baltics will be militarized on Russia's borders. Same for rest of East EU.

If the current speech is to take air out of proposed USEU and lacky Peace Agreement and expose the conference as the War Planing Sham it truely is....one might hope Russia has a bowel movement or rolls over off the pot. Enough pussy footing around.

Cheers M

Posted by: sean the leprechaun | Jun 15 2024 13:32 utc | 70

Test. Man, another post ate by the Borg. What gives?

Posted by: sean the leprechaun | Jun 15 2024 13:33 utc | 71

If Power has 1, 2, 3 and 4 on its agenda, it assigns 1 and 2 to lackey team A, and assigns 3 and 4 to lackey team B.

Power uses two masks, two decks of cards, two teams of theater actors.

The collateral effect is a society fractured in two cultural identities and that drowning in lies tends to madness as it is logical and natural.

We live inside a delirious madhouse in an attempt to cover up the nakedness of the brutality of the Anglo-Zionist empire.

Posted by: Simon | Jun 15 2024 13:33 utc | 72

@ Posted by: Julian | Jun 15 2024 12:34 utc | 57

Julian and the various devils advocates who I’m sure have the best interests of Peace in Ukraine and an end to Russophobia at heart, glad that you have not wasted a beat before charging in where Angels would think twice 😈 … re Odessa.

Have you read the whole speech? Be honest.

If you hadn’t noticed - Listened to VVP - the 4 regions have VOTED for independence and asked for alliance with the RF, by the referendums held there.
I.e the residents of the regions have made a clear democratic choice for both these outcomes.
All other regions of the borderland , illegally as it was they were handed over by Kruschev (its in the speech - you read it right?) have not held any such referendum recently.

If after Peace , in compliance with the RF Terms and Conditions, any other region wants to hold referendums about whether to be independent and then align with RF or remain part of a Neutral Rumpkraine - then so be it!

If Odessa wants, it WILL seek that independence and maybe an equal assimilation with its ancient Peoples of Russia to enjoy the benefits, investments and prosperity which for sure is evident for the 4 regions which have already voted for that.

Mind you, if they don’t LISTEN and Don’t read VVP’s speech, it is obvious that the SMO continues, it will get ever closer to Odessa!

I stick by my initial post above (before I READ the whole speech) we are doomed and our propagandists, hasbarats and 77th (Nazi 88’e in reality ) are all aimed at BLUFFING their losing cards - because they play dumb gambling games whilst the SCO played grand master chess. When that bigger hotter war kicks off in a couple of months, remember this speech in full - because it is about that as well.

The mass sacrifice of ‘to the last ukropian’ ! Many of whom now know they can surrender to the RF drones and will be saved by becoming a PoW if they can survive their own bastards droning them to death as they escape! Won’t be surprised that they will stop resisting and demand being sent to the Front immediately, with a ptchfork to stop the dastardly Russians 😝

Carry on Devilling !

Posted by: DunGroanin | Jun 15 2024 13:35 utc | 73

Even if Odessa is not part of this offer, the outcome is certain anyway.

Assuming Kiev accepted the offer, it would mean they accepted the four new regions right to determine their own independence including the decision to join Russia. Then Odessa would be free to make a similar decision in the future.

Assuming Kiev does not accept the offer, the SMO continues and eventually includes Odessa.

Posted by: Norwegian | Jun 15 2024 13:36 utc | 74

Posts my test comment, but not my actual comment.
Weird that happened three times on b's return post. Only posts my test but no comments. Same again today.

Posted by: sean the leprechaun | Jun 15 2024 13:37 utc | 75

@DunGroanin | Jun 15 2024 13:35 utc | 72

You beat me by a minute. Same logic.

Posted by: Norwegian | Jun 15 2024 13:39 utc | 76

B, been checking almost every day and said more than a few prayers for you during your absence. Very happy to see you return to your keyboard and wish you a speedy recovery 🙏

What I worry about is...
West takes up the offer.
Breaks every part of the agreement (Misnk1-2 ?), uses the time to rebuild Ukro forces and move in NATO officially. SMO Round 2 will be much worse. And Aegis ashore and missiles surrounding Kiev.

As been said many times, these neocons don't have an off switch, cannot dial down (always stuck at 11).

Blessed Sunday to you B!

Posted by: Parfum | Jun 15 2024 13:45 utc | 77

Ukraine is claiming the 1991 borders. Russia is claiming the four oblasts (plus Crimea), even though they only hold portions of those four oblasts. Sure looks like the natural compromise would be in between, which would roughly work out to the current line of contact. Korean War solution.

Team Odessa continues to live in cheerleader fantasy land. Like The Last Refugers who thought Biden would get kicked out of office and replaced by Trump (well after inauguration). They say to listen to what Putin says...but ignore it when they don't like it. Then it's triple reverse 5D chess and magical muh attrition, where they believe Russia's kill reports and not Ukraine's and ignore that both sides aren't sharing their own losses...which is really all that they each know!

Looking at the public comments as well as the NATO backing and the like, it's clear that if anything Putin is more serious about a compromise than Ukraine. Ukraine and their backers will need to suffer more, before a Korea solution occurs. ( And the West is really not even suffering. It's just money and the US has been living deep in debt for years. Politicians don't give a damn about if we go bankrupt in the end. All they care about is the next election. That's why we stayed in Afghanistan for 20+ years, and well after OBL was already killed. Just took forever for them to finally deal with the "optics", which in Washington is WAY more important than reality.

Or Russia eventually give up and take even more of a minimalist face saving. What would happen if Putin died, e.g.? He is 71 years old. Never forget how the Taliban said "we have more time--you have more weapons".

Posted by: Anonymous | Jun 15 2024 13:46 utc | 78

Posted by: vargas | Jun 15 2024 13:20 utc | 66
The Russians haven't managed to realize on time that this is a total, existential war.

<=Yes, its possible this 'total, existential war' is still not in the realm of believable in the mind of Putin..? But then you could look at the peace offer as a final offer.. much as Putin's December 2021, pre SMO offer, here, says Putin is "the best Russia can do.. take it please". A few days after it was clear there were no takers the SMO began.. I believe one might interpret the above "peace offer" as a prelude to more to come if you don't take it?

Posted by: oldhippie | Jun 15 2024 13:25 utc | 68
Putin is talking to a community that includes us here. He is not talking to dot gov. There is no one home. <=sad but true.

<=maybe this community needs to enlighten dot gov.? But how shall that be done?

Posted by: snake | Jun 15 2024 13:50 utc | 79

First and foremost, B, so glad you're doing better. Second, and admittedly selfishly, trying to stay abreast of reality is really difficult without this site. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has been checking this site daily in great hopes of seeing your return. We are blessed to have you!

Posted by: Dogtired | Jun 15 2024 13:52 utc | 80

@Anonymous | Jun 15 2024 13:46 utc | 77

Ukraine is claiming the 1991 borders.
They seem to be aiming for January 1991 borders.

Posted by: Norwegian | Jun 15 2024 13:56 utc | 81

By the way, in the magical month of May, Russia took .03% of Ukraine.

https://x.com/War_Mapper/status/1797118738241646793

Not 3%. Not .3%. But .03%. That was better than previous months in the .01-.02% range. But still completely minuscule in terms of Odessa waving or force them back to Poland or other cheerleader fantasies. It would take over 250 years to conquer the rest of Ukraine at that rate of advance.

Oh...and June is already half over and looking SLOWER than May where we got the little Kharkov border region advance.

In fact that .03% was very similar to the best month of the Ukraine counteroffensive. Just look at the actual VERIFIABLE facts--you know math and maps and stuff. The symmetry of the last six months of R advance versus the six months of U advance is just eerie.

Oh...but magical muh attrition. Somehow that is happening. Despite offense usually taking more losses. Oh...and the muh attrition lovers won't be pinned down on a "when Ukraine cracks" date. No estimates, guesses, nothing. Just more magical thinking. I'm sure Biden is going to be thrown in Gitmo any day now and we will find the WMD in Iraq. Any day now...

Posted by: Anonymous | Jun 15 2024 13:59 utc | 82

"We are told that it is necessary to wage war with Russia. But I want someone to explain to me why?"

The reason has been a constant since 1918 when the Russian Revolution became the object of imperialist aggression- every imperialist power in the world intervened militarily to crush it- and the Bo;shevik focus began to switch from icitinf proletarian revolution in the imperial metropolis to encouraging the burgeoning anti-colonialism of India, China and the rest of the world.
As BRICS shows that threat has now grown to the point that it is an existential necessity for the imperialists to reduce Russia and China, as the main military and strategic pillars of anti-colonialism and mutipolarity, to dependence. It is a hopeless but very dangerous strategy from which the Empire can only emerge victorious in the unlikely event that it wins a war against 90% of humanity.
The logic of imperialism was always planetary domination- the unipolar illusion that the US enjoyed until, in an explosion of hubris, it decided in 2001 to attack and kill off not just its enemies and critics but those of its allies who differed slightly from its policies.
When imperialism is defeated the main enforcer of the class system of the capitalists will have been removed and humanity will be able to decide what courses to plot for a future without having to be ready to defend itself against imperialist diktats. This won't bring Allende back to life but it will allow future reformers and revolutionaries to do what their supporters want rather than risk death by offending US finance and corporate power.

On the, unrelated matter of Odessa and the extent of NovoRussiya's bounds, the logic of peace must involve plebiscites: so long as Russian speaking people are threatened by a Ukraine defined as Galician in dialect and politics they will insist on being able to separate themselves from such a state. Putin refers to this when he repeats the SMO objectives of 'demilitarisation and denazification', the current fascist, post Maidan, state of Ukraine cannot be allowed to exist.

(It is wonderful to be able to comment on our host's writing, many thousands rejoice at 'b's recovery and wish him well in the process of recuperation.)

Posted by: bevin | Jun 15 2024 14:10 utc | 83

"CIA, BND, MI6 & DGSE arseholes causing trouble"
Mo' SS ssssad??????

On the off chance peace deal be accepted (coup d'etat) the terms would be good for Russia. Current lines/fortifications jumped over in the Donetsk east moved west, up to the Dneiper boundaries north of Zaporizhia city with toe hold to the west, Kherson would be a stronghold west of the Dneiper.

Control of river traffic, better staging point for Odessa grab in a decade or so, control of Crimean water source, ZNPP largest nuclear power plant (25%? prewar electric), extra AD buffer zone. It would allow the development of Donbass/Crimea with water/electric/minerals and Chinese industrial backing. Stops the West's Black Sea oil/gas development. Territory acquisition without loss of 10,000 per months Russ troop loss - how long would it take to gain that territory? Another year? That would be 120,000 saved Russian troop lifes.

Of course the Russian peace terms were immediately rejected before the peace conference. Still a ROW PR bump.

In negotiations there is an advantage in being the first to offer. z-girl avariciously tried it already, but it has to be something the other side would accept. There are peeps in my govt. that are seriously considering the offer, because while good for Russia, it is better than the West losing everything. An into the future functioning Kiev/Kharkiv West base on Russia border must be tempting to hold on to. It would appeal to the West intelligence agencies who really run the shows around the world. Yes, that includes Putin's membership.

If in five months the war trajectory continues and the west decides to negotiate, Russia would imo be content with these win-win terms for the reasons above. Into next year they might want mo.

Quite the fine tuned parsing on the Russian side. Another Chechnya, Georgia, Syria step. Not outright wins, but in a chess metaphor not the opponent losing a full pawn, but turning it into your own color tiny pawn.

Posted by: jopalolive | Jun 15 2024 14:20 utc | 84

"All Eurocentric History ( which for them is the ONLY History - seriously try talking to an academic about it , if it ain’t in Greek, Latin and onwards. It is Not Hostory) is about such conquest - starting with Alexander and ending now with the 5+1 Eyes in the Ukraine and The Levant."

Posted by: DunGroanin | Jun 15 2024 11:17 utc | 43

I have to disagree with the Alexander the Great characterization. He liberated Persia and liberated the gold, silver, indigo, spices (made the colour purple was extremely expensive) that the Persian Kings of Kings had hoarded, for centuries-Alexander paid his troops liberally and coin began a greater circulation which aided the lower classes.

Start with the forces that assassinated Caesar and I am with you

Ale xander led his armies

Posted by: canuck | Jun 15 2024 14:22 utc | 85

It occurs to me that Kherson Zaporizhia Lugansk acquisition would turn the remaining area into a large scale cauldron with weak defensive positions. Belarus to Belgorod to Donetsk to Kherson.
I have to admit that the Russian time scale of the SMO, and adjacent areas of decades is difficult for an American.

Posted by: jopalolive | Jun 15 2024 14:38 utc | 86

Great to see you back b and thanks for posting this. Definitely a hard one to summarize.

Posted by: financial matters | Jun 15 2024 14:42 utc | 87

Posted by: canuck | Jun 15 2024 11:15 utc | 42

Absolute nonsense. The 'left' is nothing if it is not an anti-capitalist movement. Whereas the elites in the US (both parties) and in the UK and EU are rabidly capitalist. Perhaps you are thinking of the saying that the rich practice socialism for themselves and capitalism for everyone else? This is only trivially true. They are still rabidly in favour of the capitalist system. Also, don't confuse 'wokeism' with 'leftism' - there his no connection.

This stupid US confusion of the left with the Democrats and wokeism is just one of the many tools the elites use to stop collective action on the part of the mass of the population.

Posted by: Jams O'Donnell | Jun 15 2024 14:48 utc | 88

Not 3%. Not .3%. But .03%. That was better than previous months in the .01-.02% range. But still completely minuscule in terms of Odessa waving or force them back to Poland or other cheerleader fantasies. It would take over 250 years to conquer the rest of Ukraine at that rate of advance.

Posted by: Anonymous | Jun 15 2024 13:59 utc | 81

Interesting stat you're obsessed with. I am sympathetic to OCD, I have just enough of it myself to empathise but not so much as to let it get in the way of my life. Being obsessive and detail oriented has contributed greatly to success in my career but you have to learn when to activate that power and when it causes you harm.

With that being said have you looked at the real, pertinent stats that show the picture of Russia's military operation in Ukraine rather than obsessing over real Estate?

How about the size of the pool of military age men Ukraine can draw on compared to Russia? Or better yet how man able bodied taxpaying men are still active in the Ukraine economy? Who brings in the crops and gets them to market if they are all at the front?

How about the rate of arms production? ... Russia is currently producing at 4X the rate of the west and the west no longer even makes the pig iron necessary to make gun tubes ... they have to import that from places that still produce it like Russia and China. Those steel mills that made the USA the arsenal of democracy in 1942 are long gone.

Who in the world produces the materials necessary to make explosives and rocket fuel? It's ain't the EU or USA.

Consider that Russia isn't taking territory because far fewer Russians die sitting back and killing from a distance than assaulting defended positions. The Russians are winning this war on demographic and economic terms so why die taking land by force when your enemy can be ground down to the point where they give it to you or die trying to hold it?

It's not that Russians are kinder to their soldiers than Ukrainians ... it's that they don't want to pay death benefits and care for vast numbers of damaged government employees by taking ground unnecessarily to keep keyboard warriors that don't understand the true nature of war happy.

Posted by: HB_Norica | Jun 15 2024 14:59 utc | 89

A lot of people are saying Putin made a peace offer. But that is a mischaracterization. He announced Russia's conditions for negotiation.

Posted by: Figleaf23 | Jun 15 2024 15:16 utc | 90

Another massive advantage of Putin's peace offer is the effect it will have on both Ukrainian military personnel and civilians. It seems large swathes of both categories have increasing misgivings about diverse contentious issues - mass conscription to a hopeless cause, increasing death rates, corruption and theft in non-construction of defense measures in Kharkov, sacking of Zaluzhny, incompetence of officers, sacrifice of Ukraine for foreign interests, etc etc. It was certain from the start that Zelensky would reject it, and from now on that rejection by Zelensky will act as a cancer in the minds of all Ukrainians feeding and nourishing those doubts and creating ever growing resentment. It will demolish troop morale, feed desertion and surrender attempts, incite insurrection and coup plots, create divisiveness, and myriad other effects. It was a stunningly brilliant action, and carried out at the perfect moment.

Posted by: BM | Jun 15 2024 15:23 utc | 91

Glad you are well enough to post again. Here's a toast to your health and willingness to continue your work. Thanks.

Posted by: Objective Observer | Jun 15 2024 15:33 utc | 92

VV Putin is a very wise and knowledgeable man, but even if the collective West listened to him, their jobs--indeed, their very existence--depend on their not understanding him.
Putin's advice could be summarized in just four words: "Swallow the red pill."

Posted by: pasha | Jun 15 2024 15:43 utc | 93

Posted by: Figleaf23 | Jun 15 2024 15:16 utc | 90

Don't be so pedantic. How many times in your life have you seen a "peace offer" which does not also require negotiations? It is an offer of conditions that could lead to peace.

Literally he announced conditions for negotiations, yes, but it is an offer of an opportunity to achieve peace. Since he specifically said Ukrainian forces would be able to withdraw from the four provinces safely under an immediate ceasefire, and since Ukraine would hardly voluntarily withdraw and give up territory without serious intent to follow up, it has many crucial aspects of a peace offer.

Posted by: BM | Jun 15 2024 15:48 utc | 94

"...at the end of the 20th century, after the end of the acute military-ideological confrontation, the world community had a unique chance to build a reliable, fair order in the field of security."

Aaargh! Rage! You ignorant fool! You utter clown! You weak imbecile!

A confrontation doesn't end just because one side of that confrontation meekly offers its ass for its opponents to do with as they please; when one side rolls onto its back and exposes its jugular to their enemy!

Perhaps the Yeltsinites (including Putin at the time), and the entirety of the Soviet version of the "professional-managerial class" (nomenklatura and apparatchiks), and fair portions of the rest of Soviet society, were sado-masochists who wanted to abuse and be abused. Well, they got their wish, but it wasn't as glamorous as depicted in the Madison Ave glossy brochures and Hollywood bootleg "video salons". All of the young Soviet "men" of that period needed their Jordache jeans and designer handbags, even though it made them look gay as hell (or perhaps because it made them look gay?), and were eager to trade their sovereignty away to be pets of the West. I'm betting Putin himself proudly showed off his ass in skin-tight Jordache jeans back then, and the dignity only came later when the glamour of being second tier pets and prostitutes for the Empire lost its luster.

The reality is that the world was much more "multipolar back before the Soviet PMCs deliberately dismantled the Soviet Union. The world didn't go hardcore unipolar until after the Soviets voluntarily abandoned their sovereignty to become the chained and abused dancing bear in the Empire's circus. The elective dissolution of the Soviet Union handed ideological victory to the Empire's capitalism, and they ran with that victory, destroying labor movements and workers' organizations globally. It is not by accident or unfortunate fate that none of Europe's political parties are worker-centric today, not even the ones with "socialist" or even "communist" in their names.

The world is clawing its way back from the disastrous decision by the Soviet PMCs to roll over for the Empire, but the progress we're seeing today is not due to Russia's strength being anywhere equivalent to the Soviet Union. Rather, the Empire, which has been in economic and cultural decline since the middle of the 1970s, has degenerated to the point where even the ghost of the Soviet Union that Russia now represents can stand up to it.

And that ghost of the Soviet Union hasn't been enthusiastically summoned by Putin, but rather grudgingly. The correct attribution of most of Russia's economic growth is re-nationalized industries and revitalization and expansion of the remaining un-privatized Soviet era industries. These are Russia's real economic drivers, and Putin pursues them not because he likes the idea (he criticizes the basic concept of Communist economic planning, rather than its boneheaded Stalinist implementation, at every opportunity) but because he has no other choice. State owned enterprises (SOEs) are the only ones the state (and thus Putin) can intervene directly in. Furthermore, Russia's oligarchs are kept under control not by Putin being such a chad, but paradoxically by western sanctions! Again, disempowering Russian oligarchs isn't some master plan by Putin, but a consequence of America trying to harm Russia's economy (retarded American imperial managers believe "What's good for Warren Buffett is good for America!", so they assume the same dynamic applies in Russia and thus attack Russian oligarchs... self-defeating retards).

I apologize for the rant, but it infuriates me when people who were involved in the creation of a problem pretend that the problem just came out of nowhere.

1990's Russia: "Let's exploit the world as equal capitalist empires!"
1990's America: "Yeah, we'll exploit, and starting with you!"
1990's Russia: "Ohs noes! Who could have expected such treachery?!?!"

The Scorpion and the Frog(wiki)

Fools. Russians have no excuse for not knowing.

Posted by: William Gruff | Jun 15 2024 15:59 utc | 95

Posted by: Julian | Jun 15 2024 12:34 utc | 57

If Russia doesn’t occupy Odessa this operation is a clear failure and merely shows The West to re-arm Ukraine over the next decade and restart the fight at a later date.

It just ensures a continued war on Russia for the years ahead from Ukraine."

----

This is short term thinking. You postulate that the West is capable of rearming the Ukraine. You postulate that the West will not be in terminal economic and social collapse before your ten year period is up.

In a contest of whose economy and society will last longer when the West completes its stupid Iron Curtain 2.0, I would bet on Russia and China, not the Collective Waste.

Posted by: john brewster | Jun 15 2024 16:04 utc | 96

>> Posted by: William Gruff | Jun 15 2024 15:59 utc | 95

>> And that ghost of the Soviet Union hasn't been enthusiastically summoned by Putin, but rather grudgingly. The correct attribution of most of Russia's economic growth is re-nationalized industries

Good post. Putin is kind of like Trump ... somewhat ineffective, muddling, and indecisive, just not to the same degree. And in his 10k-word speech he talks about being willing to re-engage with Germany as if the last 2 years have taught him nothing at all.

Posted by: ivanislav | Jun 15 2024 16:06 utc | 97

"She has faced up to the truth that most Western politicians, fighting against an irresistible global and historical force, dare not look in the eye - just as Perseus dare not look at Medusa."

Posted by: Lavrov's Dog | Jun 15 2024 10:46 utc | 32

That's an exact quote from my latest Update?

Posted by: Dr. Rob Campbell | Jun 15 2024 16:09 utc | 98

Glad you are back, b, and a good kickoff post. And it's good to start getting updates from the regular contributors. Like others, I was getting very worried.

""Please, they are NOT Leftist. The oligarch cabals and the whole corp world are NOT Leftists. The democrats are NOT leftists. Please stop this, it's really nonsensical. Some people in the west/US who support the greens or dems might believe they are leftists but they are delusional.

There are few left leaning political parties in Europe, but they sure are not the elites."

It is astonishing to me that this observation, here by Lavrov's Dog, needs to be repeatedly made against claims that, essentially, there are no left options beyond "progressive" neoliberalism, DEI + rampaging capitalism and austerity. A glance at the political history of the last 15 years shows that the claim in wrong. It's a version of a Thatcherite, TINA mentality that tried to "end history" with the sludge of ideological triumphalism.

Alternatives to the left of progressive neoliberalism aren't currently in power, but to deny there are alternatives, alternatives which just might become more significant as the current catastrophe plays out, is myopic and immobilizing. Is that the intention? Is what happened after World War I completely irrelevant here?

Posted by: dadooronron | Jun 15 2024 16:10 utc | 99

"...at the end of the 20th century, after the end of the acute military-ideological confrontation, the world community had a unique chance to build a reliable, fair order in the field of security."

Aaargh! Rage! You ignorant fool! You utter clown! You weak imbecile! ..

Posted by: William Gruff | Jun 15 2024 15:59 utc | 95


Gruff, with that response of yours to VVP's words, you have shown yourself to be an irredeemible idiot whose words are not worth giving much attention.

Posted by: Ново З | Jun 15 2024 16:15 utc | 100

next page »

The comments to this entry are closed.