Putin is master of converting almost won war into a quagmire .
the Syrian Arab Army was on a roll and ready to take back Idlib but were stopped by Putin to appease Anglos
Moreover in the February of 2916 Syrian army was on verge of big victory but then Russian ambassador to UNO Mr Churchin said harsh words about president Assad pressing him for ceasefire. That traitor churchin was man of foreign minister Lavrov the traitor. Then Lavrov started calling Assad names then Putin announced falsely that mission is accomplished and that russian job is finished so in this way Putin stopped win of Syria just to please anglosaxons in the same way he had stopped massacre of British mercenaries in the enclave of Debalso in Donbass in Feb 2015.
Putin today is getting return of his treachery to his allies .
In the same way that sergie Lavrov pressurised then Russian president Medvedev to backstab president Gaddafi and leave Libya to be sanctioned and destroyed by Anglo pirates. This way Lavrov dog singularly resuscitated the then moribund NATO

Posted by: Sam | Dec 26 2024 0:30 utc | 104

@ Nervous German | Dec 26 2024 0:25 utc | 118
That’s a lot of assumptions used as facts to set up more assumptions there. You should work for the State Department.

Posted by: boneless | Dec 26 2024 0:30 utc | 106

Andrei Martynov observes that the Azerbaijan Airliner downing was definitely a terrorist act, as was the sinking of Ursa Major, apparently via submarine?

It is too early to speculate on who could have done it, but Ursa Major is a large vessel and what is described sounds like torpedo attack at the screw-rudder group (винто-рулевая группа). We still have to wait for information though.

http://smoothiex12.blogspot.com/2024/12/ursa-major-was-sunk.html

Posted by: Aleph_Null | Dec 26 2024 0:43 utc | 108

******** Ed@111
“Trump just said he wants Greenland, obviously to balance Russia….”
**********
Did Trump just make Greenland part of the Ukraine negotiations?
Not so much regarding Russian goals but European objectives. He’s position to the EU would be get me Greenland, I’ll give alot of money and as much of Western Ukraine as you can stomach.
The US really doesn’t gain much from its Ukraine war investment. Odessa’s intetedting, but really who cares from the US perspective.
The Europees on the other hand want somethings from the Ukraine settlement that they can only get with US support.
Greenland is a multi-D approach from a negotiating stand point for Trump, who could easily play the Europees for Greenland.
What’s that green cocktail called?
Ahh! Yes,Grasshopper.

Posted by: Jerr | Dec 26 2024 0:51 utc | 110

Posted by: Nervous German | Dec 25 2024 21:43 utc | 69
Posted by: Sam | Dec 26 2024 0:30 utc | 121
Posted by: wp007 | Dec 26 2024 0:33 utc | 124
Since the 3 of you are triplets, typing the same sheet, page after page, why not, if your johnny is long enough, rush off to the bathroom and go eff yourself.
Russia tried to play nice with the neighborhood bullies, allowed the stripping of national assets to the Chosen (financed by the Chosen’s personal Casinos, WallStreet and the U.S. Treasury).
Finally Russia had enough Yankee Trader bull excrement, gave a few warnings, tried to make deals that were always broken.
Now you crybabies, living on Welfare and tomorrow’s Debt think big words, and long diatribes, conjecture and grunting noises are going to bolster your losing position.
Your Brownshirt, Brown Betty strokers in Ukeland are going to need more real stuff, not your warm throat and bottom exhaust. So move to Ukeland and help out.
FWIW, the U.S. Fed has erased $2 TRILLION in liquidity by striking off U.S. Dollars. Figure out what that means. Also U.S. DEBT growth in 2024 barely matches the (coincidentally) +/- $2 trillion in relative GDP growth. Interest is increasing exponentially, now exceeding the U.S. Offense Budget.
And our new crazy (different flavor of nutty ice cream) Trump tells you in his first book to gain more working hours by sleeping less. He doesn’t quite get to “don’t sleep at all” to become infinitely productive. So…sleep deprivation, if you carefully watch him, is what is making those invade Panama, seize Greenland and do the Anschluss on Canada, grunting noises.
Oh and Merry Christmas to your programmers.
ps If China was into making deals, I suggest the party that has a history of keeping their word and written word, is the better choice.

Posted by: kupkee | Dec 26 2024 1:02 utc | 112

Another MH-17???????
Also. I remember a Russian plane down on Dec25 … with a famous choir, Alexandrov Ensemble, on board. Leaving Sochi for Syria.
Rerunning the scripts?
This guy is quick with a yt presentation proofing Russia shot it down.
He … works super fast on compiling an upload, …. Lots of info assembled fast. Hmmm.
NAFO quick to blame Russia.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQEghJ8UVWk
…> “Azerbaijan E190 Crash | It was shot down over Russia and Crash landed in Aktau Kazahstan”
Sitting in his mom’s basement….. He knows more than the crash investigators.

Posted by: Melaleuca | Dec 26 2024 1:11 utc | 114

Re: the plane crash
The final moments of the Azerbaijan Airlines plane before its crash in Kazakhstan were captured by a passenger onboard.
Aftermath also included in the footage.
Link below.
https://x.com/clashreport/status/1871902804350308412
The man who recorded the video survived
https://x.com/itsDivasChoice/status/1872012009707053386

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Dec 26 2024 1:15 utc | 116

Posted by: Aleph_Null | Dec 26 2024 0:43 utc | 126
Ukraine doesn’t possess any submarines to my knowledge, so any evidence of a torpedo strike (I assume the Russians are searching for the sunken vessel) would be a clear act of war from the West. I guess they could concoct a tail of ingenious Ukrainians weaponising a commercial sub, with the help of iPads and games controllers, but that would strain credulity. If it is sabotage I expect it will be either a mine attached whilst in port, or a maritime drone strike, possibly wake homing or a rear aspect attack, after trailing the vessel.

Posted by: Milites | Dec 26 2024 1:28 utc | 118

Now that it’s open season on commercial shipping in the global oceans, insurance premia will rise to an extent commensurate with the threat of routinely losing vessels in a hostile marine environment. For that and myriad other reasons both cumulative and emergent, expect inflation to make a savage comeback in late 2025, and everyone’s cost of living to rise accordingly. The inflation will show up in COGS first, and then, like clockwork, it will come home to roost in the expenditures of the ordinary end consumer. But first be prepared for the consequences of the horrific false-flag attack on a major European city in the next 3-4 weeks.

Posted by: Matthew | Dec 26 2024 1:34 utc | 120

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Dec 26 2024 0:50 utc | 128
———————————————————————–
Thank you for your response. Happy Holidays works well for me.
I hope you and your family are safe and well, too.
Note: Atheism Is Not Nihilism?
Atheism is the lack of belief in a god or gods, while nihilism believes that life has no inherent meaning. Nihilism is a philosophical position that some atheists may adopt, but it is not a necessary consequence of atheism. Atheists can, and I do believe in objective truths, morality, and values without believing in God; I think they are inherent to humans.
Atheists may also find meaning in their lives through family, friends, and good deeds. Nihilists, on the other hand, believe that life is ultimately pointless. They may find temporary happiness in things, but eventually, they will see that they are meaningless.

Posted by: Ed | Dec 26 2024 1:42 utc | 122

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Dec 26 2024 0:50 utc | 128

I’d be more specific but I have no idea what it is that nihilists celebrate.
Regardless, be safe and well.

Psst! Have you read the last chapter of the Old Testament?
Nationalist Zionists (using religion) are far more nihilistic than atheists.
I’d claim that having only ONE life means that you don’t abuse it (nor the life of others) as there isn’t any reward (for “converting” others [and failing that, killing them]).
I see NO power center/ideology that can amply claim to not hold death cards. And, well, everyone is proclaiming to know THE “truth” and we know the affects of human hubris.
Silly humans, thinking that they can actually KNOW “God” (and to do so through the interpretations of past fallible human minds). Human hubris…
“God” is a concept of striving for the best “Good.” Period. End of story. Nothing wrong with that and no one should really feel a problem with that. As to the other baggage that is attached to “God,” well, human hubris…
And a Merry Christmas to all!

Posted by: Seer | Dec 26 2024 1:59 utc | 124

On the topic of Russian responses to NATO weapons being fired from Ukraine into Russia:
The Ukrainian people are Russia’s primary enemy. In order to de-militarize Ukraine, de-nazify Ukraine, and render Ukraine eternally neutral, the Russians must make the Ukrainian people suffer for the actions of their government and for the attacks launched by NATO from Ukraine. This takes time, but there will come a point when Ukrainian people, enraged by the suffering their government and NATO have brought to them and their families, will become radicalized against the U.S., its installed government, and NATO. When that happens, Ukrainian troops, security forces, and average civilians will begin hunting and killing NATO personnel in Ukraine. ATACMs launchers will be burned and the crews killed. In Afghanistan, “friendly” local soldiers would, from time to time, begin shooting U.S. soldiers in dinning halls or out on training grounds. As the Ukrainian population fills with rage at NATO using their country as a proxy, they will begin imitating the Afghans.
The final point will come when Zelensky and other senior government and military personnel desperately flee Ukraine with dollars stuffed in suitcases. NATO cargo aircraft and helicopters will be frantically flying in and out of Ukraine rescuing any remaining NATO military still in the country. The visceral hatred of the average Ukrainian for NATO’s intransigence regarding negotiating with the Russians will boil over for generations. They will remember Putin offering to negotiate. They will remember Boris Johnson’s undermining the April 2022 peace deal. They will think of the hundreds of thousands of dead Ukrainian soldiers, all those fathers, brothers and sons killed by Zelensky’s and Biden’s refusal to deal with the Russians who stood there.with their hand out offering to negotiate. The Ukrainians won’t see the Russians as weak, but as good and decent, forced to reluctantly react to the actions of the evil NATO. The Ukrainian people will hunt down AZOV members. They will best SBU informants in the streets and hang them from lightposts.
Then the Russians will come in and rebuild Ukraine and the Ukrainians will hate Europe and the United States. They will wonder how they ever allowed the U.S. and NATO to drive them to disaster and they will look at Russia as a savior.
That is why the Russians act and talk like they do.
There is still some distance to go for the Russians, but the growing attacks on mobilization personnel, police stations, etc., combined with the small but open anti-war protests are just the initial small lapping of the anti-NATO, anti-U.S., anti-AZOV, ant-Zelensky tsunami growing just under the surface.
The CIA/MI-6 trolls know it; the globalists behind the people behind the war know it; and it is scaring the shit out of them.
As for me, I take no pleasure in any of this. I am merely observing what has obviously been the Russian’s strategy since April 2022.

Posted by: Nobody Special | Dec 26 2024 2:17 utc | 126

@ HERMIUS | Dec 26 2024 1:32 utc | 142
The sea lanes and trading routes are being weaponised.

Posted by: The Flying Scotsman | Dec 26 2024 2:23 utc | 128

Posted by: wp007 | Dec 26 2024 2:11 utc | 149
I’ll take that!

Posted by: Seer | Dec 26 2024 2:27 utc | 130

Trump will pressure China to pressure Russia. Trump will pressure India, Brazil and everybody else to pressure Russia.
Trump will do more Trump things, and the way you put it, Putin would happily fetch the bone Trump throws at him and agree to freeze the conflict, so that after some time of rebuilding and rearming another UAF army we’ll be back to where we are today, save for not another surprise safari into pre-war Russia, i.e. Bryansk. Now this has to be what Russian soldiers are fighting for!
Posted by: Nervous German | Dec 25 2024 22:59 utc | 88

Trump the dealmaker believes that everyone has a price and is afraid of him, crude tactics of a used car salesman. In his first presidency the Republican establishment played him. They strung him along with building his big beautiful wall, and used him while they implemented their own agenda. Putin and Xi will play him for a fool too. Stroke his ego whilst hiding the pea under the cup he never spots. His bullying tactics may have some leverage on smaller countries, but Putin and Xi know his moves.

Posted by: Mike R | Dec 26 2024 2:37 utc | 132

(1) I see no power center or ideology that can amply claim not to hold death cards. And, well, everyone is proclaiming to know THE “truth,” and we know the effects of human hubris.
(2) Silly humans think that they can actually KNOW “God” (and to do so through the interpretations of past fallible human minds). Human hubris…
Posted by: Seer | Dec 26 2024 1:59 utc | 147
——————————————————————-
Forgive me, but I cleaned up your sentence.
(1) Atheists do not (or should not) claim to “know” the truth about God; we only say that the evidence is not sufficient to prove that a God or Gods exist. I, for one, could change my mind if such evidence should come forward.
(2) If silly humans can not know God, then how can they know God exists? Supernatural claims require a high level of evidence; when you have it, we can talk smack.
Happy Holidays,

Posted by: Ed | Dec 26 2024 3:04 utc | 134

I don’t like your choice of words, it’s fascist language. It doesn’t make you any better or different.
Posted by: wp007 | Dec 26 2024 3:00 utc | 160
——————————————————————————
Fascists are a special breed of human, like zombies; decent people can’t live with them because once they get organized, they will eat you for breakfast. Perhaps you should read something about WW2.

Posted by: Ed | Dec 26 2024 3:09 utc | 136

Posted by: Nobody Special | Dec 26 2024 2:17 utc | 151
Well stated. Feel the first evidence of this will be seen in Odessa liberation. The local partisans will be hunting down nato and ukie forces. The remaining ukie forces likely to flee or switch sides

Posted by: Michael J | Dec 26 2024 3:13 utc | 138

rk@54…..so if a person uses logic and common sense to predict a future trend they are a troll. Anyone with zero knowledge of how the Imperial British Empire works is a…… Enough with the name calling, I didn’t predict anything, Russia is dealing with the Brits, they haven’t a clue what their partners, their friends have in store.
Unless Russia has some hmm, cure for the Whitehall Itch, more Ukies will die unnecessarily……and more Russian Ships, Planes, Trains and Automobiles will have unfortunate deadly accidents…..world wide. See: Brits, above.
Cheers M
Britkrainia has free hand to attack or steal Russian assets and Russians anywhere, anytime all over the planet. They will train proxies, already are in Africa to combat Russian PMUs. Anywhere Russia goes FUKUS will be there. Well except 404, Russia has that under control …kinda.

Posted by: sean the leprechaun | Dec 26 2024 3:15 utc | 140

Posted by: Ed | Dec 26 2024 3:04 utc | 161
My way of thinking about it is to suppose there is a god space. That space is the part of the world that we live in that we believe is being directed in some way by a divine entity. The effect of the expansion of knowledge based on scientific enquiry has been to reduce the god space. Most people no longer think it takes a god to make it rain or for water to run down hill. Few farmers have a priest bless the seeds they plant. And so on. Currently for me the god space has gotten kind of small.

Posted by: Jmaas | Dec 26 2024 3:18 utc | 142

@ Jianso | Dec 25 2024 21:01 utc | 61
Lovely example of a lurker speaking up nicely❤️
Best wishes to you on your projected relocation💎
I’m in Canada. Different curve, but same shit💩

Posted by: Featherless | Dec 26 2024 3:24 utc | 144

From Zakharova’s briefing today:

Sergey Lavrov’s interview with Russian and foreign media
On December 26 at 11:00 Moscow time, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will answer questions from the Russian and foreign media on current foreign policy issues and the current international agenda.
I would like to draw your attention to the fact that this is not a replacement for Sergey Lavrov’s final news conference, which is usually held in January (we will inform you about it separately). It’s just such a format. We received a lot of questions and at the end of the year I want to place the appropriate accents.
Traditionally, the broadcast will also be carried out on the Foreign Ministry’s official resources – on the Foreign Ministry’s website and social media accounts with simultaneous translation into English, French and Spanish. Connect. See. A number of Russian media will broadcast this interview on their platforms.
By the way, one curious detail. In preparing for the interview, we invited various media outlets, including one of the German ones, to take part in it. However, they did not give an answer immediately. They said that they needed to consult with Berlin (with their editorial board or with some other German “structures”). A day later, they replied that the leadership of this German media outlet had banned its correspondent in Moscow from participating in an interactive conversation with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. What do you think was the reason? It was invented simply amazing – the “Christmas agenda”. This German channel, which covers international issues, turns out to have no questions about international relations now. Allegedly, everything is dedicated to the holidays. And this is despite the fact that the communication itself from the point of view of Catholic Christmas is supposed to take place already on the post-holiday day. This does not mean that the day can be non-working. The German press is not only not interested in first-hand news from Russia and officials of our country, but they are simply blocked.
Until recently, in Berlin, German journalists, the German Union of Journalists, and the country’s authorities were hysterical about the revocation of the accreditation of one German journalist. Let me remind you that the Russian side revoked the accreditation of this journalist in response to the fact that similar measures were taken against the Russian correspondents of Channel One. Traditionally, they turned everything upside down and began to talk not about Moscow’s-for-tat measures, but about the fact that Russia is allegedly behaving aggressively towards German journalists. It is surprising that when mirror measures were taken against this journalist, the German officialdom launched the thesis that Moscow allegedly “hinders the work of the German free press.” How does Moscow hinder the work of German journalists, if it is their editorial offices that prohibit their journalists from carrying out their direct functional duties and working on the territory of our country? Where is the freedom of the German press? Where is the independence of German journalists if they are forbidden to do their job?
In this regard, an applied question arises: if an interview with the head of the foreign ministry of the country of accreditation is not a significant reason for the German media, then what are these journalists doing in Russia at all? Against the backdrop of such a surprising development for the uninitiated and natural for people following the situation, no one in Germany has any right to accuse us of allegedly restricting the activities of German journalists in Russia.
This is an example of how the activities of a German journalist in Russia were limited to the editorial board of a German media outlet. Whether it was her decision or it was imposed by the German Foreign Ministry or the German special services – let them figure it out for themselves. We have a specific fact: under the pretext of the “Christmas agenda”, the editorial office banned a German journalist in Moscow from taking part in a news conference by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. I am referring to the self-censorship of the German media and the self-ban on German journalists from participating in real, live, non-fictional media events in the format of direct communication. This is an example of restricting freedom of speech. This suggests that German journalists are not allowed to take part in such events and hear the truth at all.

Yet another example of Liberal Totalitarianism.

Posted by: karlof1 | Dec 26 2024 3:30 utc | 146

@burak
… We’re talking about sub-humans, animals …
I don’t like your choice of words, it’s fascist language. It doesn’t make you any better or different.
Posted by: wp007 | Dec 26 2024 3:00 utc | 160
––––––––––––––
Maybe you wouldn’t like if I use the same language for Hitler, the Nazis, Netanyahu et al … or all the rabid rats butchering, torturing humans, even children just because they do not belong to their herd, having a different “identity”? Perhaps you haven’t spent your life under these rats. Perhaps you haven’t read what their heros (Bandera et al) have done and you’re ignorant of what they’ve done now.
Your dislike means nothing.

Posted by: burak | Dec 26 2024 3:41 utc | 148

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Dec 26 2024 3:28 utc | 173
Let’s put it this way: I’m perfectly fine, thank you very much! And I am happy with all others who are also “perfectly fine.” What works (for the good) in another’s mind is none of my business (it’s not my place to dictate what others should believe, just as it is of no place for others to dictate what I should believe).
Peace and do good! (I’ve always appreciated your posts.)

Posted by: Seer | Dec 26 2024 3:44 utc | 150

Southfront has an article about a father killed by ukie recruiters in Odesss who was trying to prevent his son being forcibly taken away. Feel Odessans will be screaming silently with pure rage and intent for revenge built up over decades. They could go berserk at the first sign of liberation. Believe arms have been freely distributed in the beginning. So that won’t be a problem. Feel it will be pure slaughter, magnitude which we have never seen and rivers of blood will flow. Who can stand in front of river of blood surging nato,mercenary, ukie forces?

Posted by: Michael J | Dec 26 2024 3:45 utc | 152

Posted by: wp007 | Dec 26 2024 3:32 utc | 175
—————————————————————- |
So, Russia is wrong for trying to take out Banderites and other neo-Nazis in Ukraine? One of Putin’s announced goals was to de-Nazifie Ukraine. No one understands fascism like the Russians do. It has existed in Ukraine since WWll, and it is having a resurgence in many Western countries, including the USA and Russia.
I wonder what the world would look like if Hitler had obtained the Atomic Bomb first and had time to use it.

Posted by: Ed | Dec 26 2024 3:58 utc | 154

Trump the dealmaker believes that everyone has a price and is afraid of him, crude tactics of a used car salesman.
Posted by: Mike R | Dec 26 2024 2:37 utc | 158
Many similarly ridiculed Ronald Regan for only being a B grade actor. And like Regan, Trump remains the frontman for a massive power bloc that is unequivocally anti-Russia, anti-China, and anti-anything that challenges its interests. While he may come across as a crude, impertinent used car salesman, he wields the backing of the world’s largest military power, with a global network of bases, naval fleets, and air assets.
He also commands the resources of the world’s largest economy, achieving this with just a quarter of China’s population, alongside the unwavering support of the Europe and the OECD—a coalition of the richest nations completely aligned with U.S. interests.
What the U.S. and Trump lack in moral authority, wisdom, and human decency, they more than compensate for with overwhelming force and influence. As yet unchallenged.

Posted by: just in | Dec 26 2024 4:10 utc | 156

Posted by: Barrel Brown | Dec 26 2024 4:11 utc | 189
Should have written -will be existential for both sides AND the future of humanity and this little planet.

Posted by: Barrel Brown | Dec 26 2024 4:18 utc | 158

Posted by: just in | Dec 26 2024 4:10 utc | 188
############
Unchallenged?
Have you never heard of the Houthi?
Trump is in for a big surprise.
He’s the top dog of a declining, bankrupt, discredited Empire
Also, Reagan was never the same after the CIA shot him.

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Dec 26 2024 4:31 utc | 160

Dear Trump and Mr.Putin
Before starting a world war! Please give me time to sell off all my assets and move myself to live in the Philippines away from western trash culture, and so I may at least be sun bathing on Boracay beach enjoying the remainder of my existence and spend it on wonderful Filipinos. Please also stay away from taiwan, so we white trash can live in south Asia peacefully. Quite frankly Europe and North America is terrible for retiring.
Sincerely yours,
Mango

Posted by: Mango | Dec 26 2024 5:14 utc | 162

Posted by: Mango | Dec 26 2024 5:14 utc | 195
############
Wealthy Westerner in the Phillippines. Those Pinay women will eat you alive.

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Dec 26 2024 5:39 utc | 164

Speaking of religion, anyone here has read John Allegro’s “The Sacred Mushroom & The Cross”?
John was an unfortunate victim of “cancel culture” before it had a name.

Posted by: Suresh | Dec 26 2024 6:27 utc | 166

Btw. Trump has said he has been speaking to the Russian but the Russian deny it … it’s not the first time Trump has lied about negotiating with Russian either.
Posted by: HB_Norica | Dec 25 2024 15:25 utc | 8

We may soon discover that Vovan and Lexus have been impersonating Putin while “negotiating peace” with Trump. LOL.

Posted by: retroflecks | Dec 26 2024 7:05 utc | 168

ZH has a posting up with the title
Owners Of Russian Ship Ursa Major Declare Sinking An “Act Of Terrorism”
quote

Reuters cites the Russian news agency RIA, which reported on Christmas Day that Oboronlogistika, the ship’s owner and a subsidiary of the Russian Defense Ministry’s military construction operations, stated that the cargo ship, named Ursa Major, had been targeted in “a terrorist act.”

Our civilization war is spreading its events

Posted by: psychohistorian | Dec 26 2024 7:28 utc | 170

So, Russia is wrong for trying to take out Banderites and other neo-Nazis in Ukraine?
Posted by: Ed | Dec 26 2024 3:58 utc | 184
You idiots who prattle on about Nazis.
As everyone knows,… the wages of the Nazi soldiers were paid by the Jew Kolomoisky till American Jew politicians began paying them with American taxpayer money (which is the current situation).
If the Jews stopped paying them, the Nazis would simply go away.
The Nazis/Banderites have almost no power in Jew run Ukraine.
All the main politicians, including Zelensky, are Jews.
There are zero neo-Nazi politicians.

Posted by: username | Dec 26 2024 8:28 utc | 172

The Ukrainian people are Russia’s primary enemy.
…
Posted by: Nobody Special | Dec 26 2024 2:17 utc | 151

No.
If you actually believe that statement, then you probably only started following these events 2 or 3 days ago.
If you don’t believe that statement, but are spouting CIA talking points anyway: then I have serious doubts about your moral compass.

Posted by: retroflecks | Dec 26 2024 8:36 utc | 174

Posted by: Nervous German | Dec 25 2024 21:43 utc | 69

This is the whole point of my rants, which many here might see as trolling or outright treason to the Russian High Command.

It’s just boring and repetitive: Putin should do this, Putin weak, Russia should do that, Russia weak, BRICS must do X, China must do Y, etc, ad nauseum. All of you trolls sing the same fucking song all the fucking time. Boring.

Posted by: Johan Kaspar | Dec 26 2024 8:44 utc | 176

The Ukrainian people are Russia’s primary enemy.
…
Posted by: Nobody Special | Dec 26 2024 2:17 utc | 151
No.
If you actually believe that statement, then you probably only started following these events 2 or 3 days ago.
If you don’t believe that statement, but are spouting CIA talking points anyway: then I have serious doubts about your moral compass.
Posted by: retroflecks | Dec 26 2024 8:36 utc | 207
Read Nobody Special’s entire post, not only the first sentence. It is quite good, actually. Not the post of somebody who just woke up two days ago.
Yes, the Ukrainians are the main adversary – for now. And will most likely flip to hating the Europeans and Americans in years to come.
I actually think that this point is understood in Western capitals, however dimly. It is causing at least part of the panic that seems to have gripped Western leadership lately. They are looking for a way to end the conflict without turning the Ukrainians against them for decades to come.

Posted by: Martina | Dec 26 2024 9:03 utc | 178

Posted by: Martina | Dec 26 2024 9:03 utc | 211
I did read Nobody Special’s entire post. But if you start with the statement “Green is Spaghetti”, then proceed to derive Quantum Mechanics from first principles, I will still call you out for perverting reality.
Green is not Spaghetti, no matter how or why you assert that this is so. Why start a decent dissertation with a blatant untruth?

Posted by: retroflecks | Dec 26 2024 9:16 utc | 180

Posted by: retroflecks | Dec 26 2024 8:22 utc | 204
Lady Graham from South Carolina is on record salivating about the mineral wealth under Donbass to be “lost” if US doesn’t win in Ukraine.

Don’t take that too seriously. He was just putting lipstick on a pig.
Posted by: Johan Kaspar | Dec 26 2024 9:17 utc | 214

I don’t have to take it seriously. Lindsay Graham takes it seriously, and has brought this topic up several times. The Donbass is worth at least 1 Trillion dollars in mineral wealth.
It seems like 3 or 4 months ago, this site hosted a deep dive into the relative worths of the various oblasts of pre-2014 Ukraine, and the Donbass won quite handily.

Posted by: retroflecks | Dec 26 2024 9:28 utc | 182

So, how many people think it’s a coincidence that a commercial airliner flying over the Caucasus/Caspian Sea was struck by shrapnel just as Russia was conducting its December 25 massive missile attack on Ukraine?
Big oopsie.
Tupolev’s carrying missiles fly over those skies, and GPS gets jammed. That explains the huge gap on the airliner’s tracking data on Flightradar24.
The photos and videos of the fuselage damage indicate without a doubt those are penetration holes, typical of AA missiles. The are clearly visible inwards deformation on the holes and paint peeling rings around the holes.
Of course my favourite ‘military expert’ either doesn’t have the brains or expertise to see this, or worse, is deliberately deceiving his readers:
“..there is no doubt that it was a terrorist act with Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer jet.”
https://smoothiex12.blogspot.com/2024/12/ursa-major-was-sunk.html
“These are holes from the elements of the explosive device on board.”
No mate, they are clearly not.
Someone is either a liar or not qualified to comment on military matters, I’m afraid that is the only thing in no doubt of right now.

Posted by: Rubiconned | Dec 26 2024 9:51 utc | 184

Posted by: Johan Kaspar | Dec 26 2024 9:17 utc | 214
I don’t deny the Donbas is very rich, what I’m saying is that Graham was coping, trying poorly to present a failed project as something worth still pursuing and spending treasure on.

Posted by: Johan Kaspar | Dec 26 2024 10:05 utc | 186

@ Rubiconned | Dec 26 2024 9:51 utc | 217
A powerful, persuasive indictment. I generally look for corrigibility, rather than perfection. Many must cling for dear life to an insistence that they never make embarrassing mistakes. I’m not convinced AM is incorrigible. People can make mistakes and then find themselves capable of saying “Ooops!”
We’ll see. He hasn’t yet made a single subsequent post, has he?

Posted by: Aleph_Null | Dec 26 2024 10:14 utc | 188

Destroying Ukro energy system is the best option for Russia.
This would make Ukraine empty.

Posted by: vargas | Dec 26 2024 10:59 utc | 190

Posted by: Milites | Dec 26 2024 9:57 utc | 218

As for Russia and China, Putin’s no idiot, he knows his SMO’s economic survival strategy is allowing China to extend its influence into his country, and the historical disputes between the two.

While the former part about China’s extending its influence over the Russian economy is obvious, for the latter part of your thesis, about China’s influence extending any historical disputes between China and Russia, I don’t see any evidence.
On the contrary, China and Russia are building bridges (literally, physical bridges) across their borders between their most populated neighboring cities and regions.
One of Russia’s pending tasks into consolidating its prosperity and security, is to populate and develop its eastern regions. China is there already, with many super big and developed cities and regions. So it makes a lot of sense for Russia to remain close to China.

He also knows that in the BRICS bloc he is the junior economic partner and risks his country replicating the fate of the West, as his country becomes evermore dependent on China.

It’s impossible not be economically smaller than China due to sheer population size on top of educated, disciplined and intelligent population and effective governance. And being dependent on China for consumer products is not bad per se, as long as geopolitical interests overlap, which is the case for Russia and China, as long as the USA fights for primacy.

As a poster stated, international relations are based on the mutual satisfaction of interests, not feelings of international comradeship. China needs to worry that Trump becomes the next Nixon, after all he has been impeached, twice!

Trump is very good for the USA but he doesn’t fit the size of a stateman that can separate Russia and China, he’s just not that talented and disciplined, energetic and intelligent. Nixon had it easy because the Soviets and the CPC hated each other from the start, the Soviets being committed Marxists while the Chinese being more pragmatical, so driving a wedge between the two was picking low hanging fruit. Current situation is totally different.

Posted by: Johan Kaspar | Dec 26 2024 11:03 utc | 192

“Trump is very good for the USA but he doesn’t fit the size of a stateman that can separate Russia and China, he’s just not that talented and disciplined, energetic and intelligent. Nixon had it easy because the Soviets and the CPC hated each other from the start, the Soviets being committed Marxists while the Chinese being more pragmatical, so driving a wedge between the two was picking low hanging fruit. Current situation is totally different.”
Posted by: Johan Kaspar | Dec 26 2024 11:03 utc | 225
An excellent post but on this point I have a quibble.
In 1970 Kissinger gave the following counsel to Nixon: rapprochement with Russia to isolate China. Kissinger’s thinking was that China is the long term threat to USA Hegemony, not Russia.
Nixon did the short term thing but had he listened to Kissinger USA would be in much better shape than it is today, and we wouldn’t have the SMO, inter alia.

Posted by: canuck | Dec 26 2024 11:23 utc | 194

“If I remember right all the contracts for NatGas that gets transported across Ukraine to Europe expire today? No lump of coal from the Donbass, no gas from the pipeline. That outta hurt.”
Posted by: comrade simba | Dec 25 2024 20:01 utc | 53
“No, its at 24.00 on 31st December.”
Posted by: JohninMK | Dec 26 2024 11:02 utc | 224
What idiot buying bureaucrat puts an energy deadline in the middle of winter? The deadlines should be done in ‘shoulder seasons’-spring and fall where energy inputs are not as critical.

Posted by: canuck | Dec 26 2024 11:26 utc | 196

What idiot buying bureaucrat puts an energy deadline in the middle of winter? The deadlines should be done in ‘shoulder seasons’-spring and fall where energy inputs are not as critical.
Very logical if you are working on an annual basis and logic and basic need defines that the arrangement will not come to a shuddering end.

Posted by: JohninMK | Dec 26 2024 11:40 utc | 198

Posted by: just in | Dec 26 2024 7:02 utc | 200
“No sorry, I didn’t know about the KSA Trump and Houthis. What is this thing called a ‘media bubble’?”
You seem to know so little that I’m surprised you are able to use the internet. Either you’re faking, or you need to give yourself an education before you can comment seriously

Posted by: Jams O’Donnell | Dec 26 2024 12:04 utc | 200