Ukraine Open Thread 2025-014
News & views related to the war in Ukraine ...
Posted by b on January 19, 2025 at 13:05 UTC | Permalink
next page »The U.K. just agreed a hundred year secret clauses treaty with an illegitimate expired president of Ukraine promising £billions every year whilst imposing further austerity on our populations!
Tories started this miltary mis-adventure and NuLabour have added their compliance.
So we have this abysmal ‘treaty’ with a fake state, with its expired democratic mandate, banned politics, banned media, imprisoning its own opposition, murdering many and now scrapping the barrel with their ‘Bandera Hitler Youth’.
The U.K. government and Crown State complicit in delivering this neonazi ukrop state, using the same Ziofascist PR supremos and gurus that gave us the last onew of Hitlers Germany, Pinochets Chile, Thatchers Buy British (Public services at knockoff prices😂) and many others around the world.
The poor deluded ukropians, now sent out as the modern white slaves, across the decrepit, depopulating collective waste.
To be breeders, cheap workers, soldiers and sex slaves in a Europe having been set on that course by emigration for centuries from their homelands for the benefits of the various AngloEuropean empire building - the conquests and exploitation for the same old original khazarian Kings.
That’s what happens when dumb old and NuLabInc deluded voters - put their hope in the Great Knight Dope HerrKyivStarmztrooper and let the only genuine real Labour leadership be couped multiple times.
Fools.
Posted by: DunGroanin | Jan 19 2025 14:02 utc | 2
Ukraine Weekly Update, 17th January 2025: May be useful to some: https://robcampbell.substack.com/p/ukraine-weekly-update-406
Posted by: The Busker | Jan 19 2025 14:17 utc | 3
For those who haven't thought about it, Ukraine is the mechanism for Western elite graft and has been so for some time.
Hence why no one in the West wants to give it up.
When Ukraine collapses, it's not a military defeat, it will be a blow to the foundations for of the Western "system".
The graft, the biolabs, the human trafficking. The overt Nazi worship. The stuff that Julian and the handful of other NATO apologists support. Stupidity is evil's best friend.
Posted by: LoveDonbass | Jan 19 2025 15:04 utc | 4
Posted by: The Busker | Jan 19 2025 14:17 utc | 3
Thanks a lot, Rob. Always informative and highly readable!
Posted by: Avtonom | Jan 19 2025 15:06 utc | 5
@ AI_Revenger | Jan 19 2025 14:41 utc | 4
Anyone's free to call them Martian sources if they'd like, but the kind of information they provide clearly comes from somewhere close to so-called-ukrainian government.
Posted by: boneless | Jan 19 2025 15:08 utc | 6
Excellent post, as ever, from Rob Campbell.
.
No doubt the fascists will pile in, as ever.
Posted by: Merkin Scot | Jan 19 2025 15:13 utc | 7
"He calls Telegram channel "resident_ua" a "Ukrainian source""
Yeah, how can anything be called "Ukrainian" when that nation-state hardly exist anymore? It is like saying something is "Yugoslavian".
Posted by: William Gruff | Jan 19 2025 15:22 utc | 8
Thanks a lot, Rob. Always informative and highly readable!
Posted by: Avtonom | Jan 19 2025 15:06 utc | 6
Excellent post, as ever, from Rob Campbell.
.
No doubt the fascists will pile in, as ever.
Posted by: Merkin Scot | Jan 19 2025 15:13 utc | 8
Many thanks for your support.
Posted by: The Busker | Jan 19 2025 15:40 utc | 9
Ukraine Weekly Update, 17th January 2025: May be useful to some: https://robcampbell.substack.com/p/ukraine-weekly-update-406
Posted by: The Busker | Jan 19 2025 14:17 utc | 3
Useful for those who like to eat their boogers, I guess? He calls Telegram channel "resident_ua" a "Ukrainian source", still, in 2025.
Posted by: AI_Revenger | Jan 19 2025 14:41 utc | 4
Many thanks for that.
Posted by: The Busker | Jan 19 2025 15:44 utc | 10
The LA Fires and Governor Newsome are showing Ukraine how better to self destruct without weapons, foreign money and a lot of deaths.
You'd think the EU would be envious and figure out a way to save their money. What is the graft getting them? It looks like the US is the primary beneficiary.
Posted by: Acco Hengst | Jan 19 2025 15:54 utc | 11
The U.K. government and Crown State complicit in delivering this neonazi ukrop state
DunGroanin | Jan 19 2025 14:02 utc | 2
A very big project: "The grandson of the last emperor of Austria-Hungary and the head of the house of Habsburgs called for the destruction of the Russian Federation, the main foreign policy goal of Europe" ( vk.com/wall-228616074_1939 , dzen.ru/b/Z4qD8FnJPTpSvDpJ )
Posted by: rk | Jan 19 2025 15:57 utc | 12
After the beginning of Russia's special military operation (SMO) in Ukraine in February 2022, the only reason for Ukraine's existence has become its war with Russia, says Andrei Pinchuk in an interview for the Ukraine.ru news outlet on January 4.Posted by: Red Star | Jan 19 2025 14:02 utc | 1
That was already true in 1918 when you had the series of ephemeral Ukrainian states.
The whole concept of "Ukraine" can only be sustained through stoking rabid hatred of everything Russian. Once you stop doing that, it will be quickly reabsorbed.
You can see it in Belarus - Lukashenko took power two years into its independence, and nipped the nascent extremely anti-Russian Belarussian nationalism movement in the bud. Which was admittedly much easier in that case because Belarus never got to the point of having its own Bandera and Shukhevych back in the days and a large diaspora in Canada and the US waiting to come back and take over.
The result is that if back then it was 80% of people speaking Russian in Belarus, now it is 95%, and the language that the Soviets created for them is on its way to rapid extinction. Nobody repressed the Belarussian language, it is still taught in schools and is everywhere in official documents and labels, but if you don't actively fight the Russian cultural influence, things inevitably evolve on their own towards their natural state, which is full reabsorption into the Russian cultural sphere. And eventually political reunification.
The same would happen in Ukraine. Zelensky's fame as an actor was built on movies and comedy shows entirely in Russian (which now cannot be shown without re-dubbing). Google search in Ukraine is still mostly in Russian (the one measure that we have that is objective about the real situation, as it this is private activity and people are not faking it).
If you let it be a normal country, within a decade everybody east of Ivano-Frankovsk and Ternopol, and even many people in Galicia and Volynia, will be speaking Russian everywhere, and a couple generations down the line we would be talking about peaceful reunification.
Which is what both Ukrainian elites and the West fear, so there will never be anything but a white Slavic ISIS/Al Qaeda there ever again.
The only people who don't seem to get it are the same people who didn't finish off ISIS/Al Qaeda in Syria, and we saw how well that worked out...
Posted by: ANON2022 | Jan 19 2025 16:04 utc | 13
Tomorrow it starts: People vs. Banks
And possibly AGAINST ENGLAND
.
During the confirmation hearings of US Treasury Secretary nominee Scott Bessent on Thursday, January 16, this exchange caught my attention (at about minute 52 of the video linked above):
Senator John Cornyn (Republican of Texas): "As you know, the US Treasury bond market is the largest in the world at $28 trillion and is critical to the financial stability of the United States. There is actually a proposal for a US Treasury futures settlement facility at the London Clearing House, which is overseen by the Bank of England. Some argue that the Bank of England would have control over... a default scenario in this critical market, not the US. Does that worry you?" Scott Bessent responded:
You raise a very important question that I will explore further. I was not aware of this in relation to the new exchange until a few days ago. What I can tell you as a student and professor of economic history is that it is important for the US - for US Treasuries - that we are able to resolve any stress issues that may arise in the markets in the US. We saw during the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy that many of the problems originated in the UK subsidiary. So this is something that... I am inclined to think that the resolution authority has to be based here in the US, but I will write to you with an answer to that if that is confirmed.
Read more...there was a lot more...
.
https://alexkrainer.substack.com/p/it-starts-tomorrow-people-vs-the?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=1063805&post_id=155154314&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=3gd4ql&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email
Posted by: verbannter | Jan 19 2025 16:19 utc | 14
Increasingly, it becomes evident that the EU’s clearest existential danger is not China but the United States, whose interference in European political affairs is blatant—an axiomatic reality since the end of World War II. Yet, as the US edges closer to oligarchy, with its Supreme Court elevating the presidency above the law and its next leader self-identifying as "authoritarian," the EU must critically reconsider its dependencies. Not out of hostility, but to safeguard democracy and the rule of law, the EU should position itself as an autonomous, operational, and ideological system—one designed not to imitate but to independently embody these principles at their most advanced.
Such autonomy demands that the EU reject its "umbilical" connectivity to the US. As Trump unintentionally framed it, the EU must be a bloc to be courted or resisted—not subsumed. To thrive, the EU must build itself as both a reflection of democracy at its best and a bulwark against its erosion elsewhere. This requires careful engineering of an independent system, outwardly transparent but fundamentally proprietary—its governance untethered from any external power, be it ally or rival.
China’s self-conception offers a relevant contrast. Through a framework blending practical humanism and strategic autonomy, China projects a pacific approach to most global exchanges, balancing ideological independence with systemic intelligibility. Similarly, the EU must act not from superciliousness, envy, or enmity, but to preserve and advance the West’s greatest achievements. Historically, the West has teetered on self-annihilation through imperial overreach—a catastrophic "jihad" against itself during its apogee of global power. The EU’s survival as a bloc depends on its ability to avoid repeating this pattern.
In the case of Russia and Ukraine, this hypothetical EU would not face a binary choice between US hegemony and Russian satellitism. Instead, it would embody a self-proprietary political and cognitive system, mastering the technologies and material frameworks necessary to advance authentic democracy—rejecting simulations of freedom that placate the governed while perpetuating hidden dependencies. Under such circumstances, the decision to integrate Ukraine would hinge on the reciprocal benefits or costs to this autonomous EU.
Ultimately, the question is whether a multipolar order—balancing the US, EU, Russia, and China—offers humanity greater security than a unipolar system dominated by an oligarchic US. The latter, cloaked in its apologetics, positions itself as humanity’s best hope, yet risks devolving into an Orwellian simulation of democracy. This simulation, scaling human perception itself, would collapse into a Matrix-like plaything for a ghostly, permanent tech aristocracy.
For the EU, then, the task is clear: to step beyond its current role as a subordinate appendage of the US and establish itself as a truly autonomous bloc. Only as a mirror and counterweight to other powers can it secure not only its own future but also the principles it ostensibly stands for: democracy, rule of law, and the civilizational ideals of the West. Without such independence, the EU risks being absorbed into the same spectacle it claims to resist, perpetuating a global order that prizes simulation over substance and control over freedom.
Posted by: Ludovic | Jan 19 2025 17:33 utc | 15
Posted by: Ludovic | Jan 19 2025 17:33 utc | 15
###################
The Israelis are American puppets, as America is the UK's puppet.
It is the UK that wants to wrest control of Europe from Germany, and now the Italians are getting in on the act with Meloni saying that the capital of the EU should be in Rome.
The easiest way to identify bad actors is their tendency to announce their plans and re-hash old plot lines from B-movies.
Evil often presents itself as a caricature.
Posted by: LoveDonbass | Jan 19 2025 17:52 utc | 16
Posted by: Ludovic | Jan 19 2025 17:33 utc | 15
That text is as empty of substance as is Europe empty of ideas. There is nothing here that can galvanize renewal, just old ideas rehashed with new dictionaries.
People forget that we live in a post-industrial society that lost its ability to tackle challenges.
Posted by: alek_a | Jan 19 2025 17:58 utc | 17
As the one commentator says in this article "Food for thought, if nothing else. Whatever these guys are smoking makes for an interesting discussion."
https://www.unz.com/ishamir/unravelling-the-mystery-of-war/
nough said.
Posted by: gT | Jan 19 2025 17:58 utc | 18
LoveDonbass | Jan 19 2025 17:52 utc | 16
"America is the UK's puppet"
Come on, man !
When deluded people (of whom there are many) here in the UK spout about Russian weakness, I point out that the kind of sanctions applied to Russia would flatten the UK in a fortnight.
I vaguely remember Obama telling us that if we voted for Brexit, the US weren't going to be doing us any favours.
How exactly does basket case UK, whose economy consists of selling houses and coffee
to each other, exert control over the US?
Posted by: YetAnotherAnon | Jan 19 2025 18:16 utc | 19
Posted by: YetAnotherAnon | Jan 19 2025 18:16 utc | 19
#####################
I'm guessing you're an atheist if power has to be public and obvious for you to acknowledge it.
"Obama said ..." I laughed out loud when I read that.
Posted by: LoveDonbass | Jan 19 2025 18:31 utc | 20
Posted by: Ludovic | Jan 19 2025 17:33 utc | 15
Don’t forget the Euro Army, snort! An alternative scenario is that the artificial construct of the EU that predictably metastasised well beyond its original purpose, like all good bureaucracies, is recognised as a tumour and cut out.
Posted by: Milites | Jan 19 2025 18:34 utc | 21
I see in the EU there is now a plan to bypass the national veto on sanctions by labelling it ¨trade¨ and not ¨foreign policy¨, despite all previous sanctions rounds being treated as the latter. If a member state chooses to appeal this I assume that would delay implementation, but it would seem this ¨coup¨ would be worth the trouble vs. a delay in marginally incremented sanctions (I assume a court would not suspend existing sanctions during the process, despite them expiring every 6 months.
But if they go this route, would each member state not then be able to ¨opt out¨ as happens with various trade treaties that lack national support? Albeit in the case of land-locked countries like Hungary, it´s simple to sabotage their trade, but then again the entire sanctions package´s ¨foreign policy¨ authority would be expiring.
Posted by: xox | Jan 19 2025 19:19 utc | 22
Posted by: xox | Jan 19 2025 19:19 utc | 22
###############
The beauty of the Chinese approach is that with time all of their enemies will destroy themselves.
The haste to act immediately in a big way is driven by emotion, not strategy.
The EU is undergoing the inevitable unraveling as we see happening in the US, and previously happened to the USSR.
There is nothing new under the sun.
Posted by: LoveDonbass | Jan 19 2025 19:28 utc | 23
@LoveDonbass 23
Indeed, and while there may be very smart people pulling the strings of US/EU policy, it seems any positive qualities are outweighed by the collective ego delusion they labor under. And for all the levels of propaganda and dissimulation, often the imperial strategies can be found in public access, namely during Bush 2 / Obama transition when it was openly discussed the merits of ¨Byzantium¨ strategy which recognized their collapse is unavoidable but seeks to delay it for a bit longer, by getting ¨allies¨ to fight for them, to fight with other allies to keep them weak and compliant, etc. But of course capital is mobile, and all these ¨allies¨ being screwed over have their capital flowing to ¨good investments¨ in the US or other favored jurisdictions. I believe I read that Sweden is actually the country which has the highest part of it´s GNP comprised of foreign investment earnings (hardly ¨democratically¨ distributed, clearly...) Thus the hyper dedication to ¨Western World Order¨.
Posted by: xox | Jan 19 2025 19:41 utc | 24
LoveDonbass | Jan 19 2025 17:52 utc | 16
*** Meloni saying that the capital of the EU should be in Rome.***
Whole shit-spouting lot of them, whatever nationality --- and particularly UK establishment -- are and always have been fanatical devotees of the Roman Empire.
And even people posting here (not just meaning the bots and trolls) play along with their centuries long propaganda -- 'bad' is of course "barbarian". Not Roman! Says who?
No, the worst regimes around act like imperial Rome, and that's their aspirational holy-cow blueprint.
So fuck Rome ... way beyond time that dump was nuked in revenge for the multiple forms of destruction it inflicted. Meloni herself should be sent with VdL and Merkel as bargain-basement merchandise to slave-markets its proxies now run in some countries that fell to its present day NATO manifestation.
What did imperial Rome basically run on? -- slaves.
And to hell with propagandist "religions" derived from the Middle East -- lies, myths and incantations originally cobbled up there by various evil conniving bastards as instruments of psychological warfare and megalomania.
PS : other so-called "religions" adopted by pretentious killer-chimps are no better; just as ridiculous and corrupt as their other fake religion ie. what's become reduced to drivel as modern mainstream "economics".
Posted by: Cynic | Jan 19 2025 20:00 utc | 25
Additional Evidence of Ukrainian Atrocities in the Kursk Region of Russia Unveiled
The Russian region of Kursk continues to yield evidence of the brutal killings of civilians by combatants of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Russian forces discovered the corpses of civilians with their hands tied in one of the cellars after they regained control over the village of Russkoe Porechnoye. In January 2025, the residents were shot and murdered while they were seeking refuge from the fighting in the basement of the house.
Previously, Russian soldiers discovered the corpses of civilians in the basement of another residence. The bodies bore evidence of beatings, gunshot wounds to the legs, and bound hands.
Simultaneously, pro-Kiev propaganda obscures the war crimes of Ukrainian soldiers, and Volodymyr Zelensky asserted that the AFU "behave like human beings." It appears that Zelensky had an alternative interpretation of this phrase in mind.
A criminal case has been initiated against AFU fighters who were involved in the torture and murder of civilians in the village of Russkoye Porechnoye, according to the Investigative Committee of Russia.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated, "The atrocities against civilians in Russkoye Porechnoye in Kursk Region are a blatant statement of the terrorist gut of the Kiev regime."
Posted by: HERMIUS | Jan 19 2025 20:08 utc | 26
YetAnotherAnon | Jan 19 2025 18:16 utc | 19
*** How exactly does basket case UK, whose economy consists of selling houses and coffee
to each other, exert control over the US? ***
Flattery and grovelling plus an endless supply of "cunning plans"?
Posted by: Cynic | Jan 19 2025 20:09 utc | 27
xox | Jan 19 2025 19:19 utc | 22
This may well have something to do with Orban threatening to Veto all new aid to Ukraine, and the regular renewing of Sanction packages.
However, this goes deeper. Ursula Fonda-Lyin' is proposing to give €3 billion now, out of the 35 billion promised by the MEP's and her, taken from the "interests" on the frozen Russian assets at Euroclear in Belgium. If Orban vetos the renewal of sanctions, potentially the (about) 216 billion US dollars worth held by Euroclear, could be given back to Russia. It is money that was the payment for gas and oil already received in Europe. But, this is now classed as "collateral" for the loans made by European and UK Banks for the next forty years (if memory serves me right>). Collateral byebye?
Similarily Herr Stzarmtrooper making a "promise to supply funds for the next hundred years" is also a way to make sure that Ukraine can pay the Banking interests even if the original cash has been "corrupted and secretly hidden". (CASHed). With interest being paid regularly, the Banks can continue to claim that the "loans" are still valuable, and can be used in derivatives or by daisy-chaining paper issues.
Why? because without collateral or even the means to pay interest, those "loans" from EU and UK Banks will make them liable for a series of "out of pocket expenses (and Bankruptcies?)". Or perhaps it is the EU commission who is liable?
So we see Ursula Fonda-lyin' re-appearing from a "serious" pneumonia, which somehow coincided with a inquiry into the Pfizer orders made by her to her husband, CEO of Pfizer (also €35 billion). We now see her being photographed in company of the King of Belgium. Why? He theoretically has to "sign" somewhere to allow the transfer of Russian assets from Euroclear, If he does NOT sign, then no transfer can be made, or so I think VdL hopes.
****
PS.The "saving of Bankers debts" started with the Irish signing to cover the debts made by German Landesbanks many moons ago. The Germans had no legal right to gamble with money outside Germany, so they used Irish banks as Proxies. Their gambling would have led to large losses. Why the Irish signed to "cover" the local Banks for German debts I have no idea. However, the precept of citizens paying for Banking losses had been established.
*
Another time was the Greek fiasco to save German Banks again, this is why "technocrats" were imposed, and the citizens were claimed responsible. (They had one of the best and biggest "black" economies, and there was a noticible lack of enthusiasm for paying taxes.)
****
Re: Herr Stzarmtrooper; The UK is still sending spy planes from Akrotiri (Cyprus) over Gaza today, in spite of one condition being that there should be no air activity. They have been providing targetting information for the IOF.
Reposting from old thread:
The Ukro-tards have themselves a dilemma!
They've shut down the Pokrovsk coal mine owned by Metinvest Oligarch, but now they face a choice:
1. Abandon it, and all that equipment and resources becomes Russias.
2. Dig in with troops, try to turn it into a fortification. But, it is already in range of tube artillery and this will just invite total destruction.
It's Zugzwang for Zelensky!
Posted by: Ghost of Zanon | Jan 19 2025 20:26 utc | 29
2. Dig in with troops, try to turn it into a fortification. But, it is already in range of tube artillery and this will just invite total destruction.Posted by: Ghost of Zanon | Jan 19 2025 20:26 utc | 30
probably this one, as the owners of the "ukraine" dont want any little win for russia. so salted/scorched earth it is i think.
Posted by: Justpassinby | Jan 19 2025 20:39 utc | 30
OMG. Lucky 13 for once. Comment 13 by Anon2022 is the first time he has made an accurate, flawless , sane post. I agree with every word. Its a miracle!
Under the same guise they banned all the most popular Russian popstars from performing in Ukiestan.
Posted by: Winston | Jan 19 2025 20:48 utc | 31
Ghost of Zanon | Jan 19 2025 20:26 utc | 30
You are a bit late, the Ukrainians are leaving and they set the coal on fire. (At least there are VERY big fires next to mine shafts.
Posted by: Stonebird | Jan 19 2025 20:56 utc | 33
Well, thanks for that update. So, its door number 1! I suspect they've rigged a lot of it with explosives, as well. They probably don't care about the owner and figure he can file a claim with Trump to get reimbursed.
Posted by: Ghost of Zanon | Jan 19 2025 21:05 utc | 33
How exactly does basket case UK, whose economy consists of selling houses and coffee
to each other, exert control over the US?
Posted by: YetAnotherAnon | Jan 19 2025 18:16 utc | 19
The US currently has 13 military bases in the UK - they masquerade as RAF stations, but are leased to the US and the UK has very little control over them.
One of these, RAF Menwith Hill in North Yorkshire, controlled by the US’s National Security Agency (NSA), and is the largest military spy base in the world outside the US.
It is believed that another, RAF Lakenheath, is now being prepared to host US nuclear weapons. The US Department of Defense has added the UK to a list of NATO nuclear weapons storage locations in Europe being upgraded under a multimillion-dollar infrastructure programme. The British public wont have any say in this, in fact the MSM wont even mention it.
RAF Lakenheath previously hosted US free-fall nuclear bombs until they were withdrawn in 2008, following consistent anti-nuclear protest.Now here they come again.
The UK looks more like an occupied territory than the puppet master which controls the US. In reality we're just the global bully's little henchman.
Posted by: Red Star | Jan 19 2025 21:06 utc | 34
Posted by: Stonebird | Jan 19 2025 20:56 utc | 33
Surely that's very bad for the environment? But it seems that burning coal or releasing methane is OK when they do it, just not when we do it.
Any TG links to what's happening at the mine?
Posted by: YetAnotherAnon | Jan 19 2025 21:08 utc | 35
Donald Trump Jr. says Zelensky desperately sought inauguration invite
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky repeatedly requested an invitation to the inauguration from incoming US President Donald Trump but was continuously turned down, according to his son Donald Trump Jr.
Trump Jr. criticized the Ukrainian leader's recent interview with American podcaster Lex Fridman, in which Zelensky indicated that he would be unable to attend the inauguration on January 20.
Zelensky informed Friedman that he could not attend because he did not believe it to be "proper" while his country is at war. "I’m not sure it’s proper to come because I know that in general, leaders are for some reason not usually invited to the inauguration of presidents of the United States of America," he stated.
Trump Jr. responded by saying, “the funniest part is that he asked for an invite like three times unofficially, and each time got turned down.”
He referred to Zelensky as a "Weirdo," adding, “Now he’s acting like he decided not to go himself."
Full article : https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/donald-trump-jr-says-zelensky-desperately-sought-inauguratio
Posted by: Red Star | Jan 19 2025 21:16 utc | 36
Red Star | Jan 19 2025 21:06 utc | 35
Don't forget this place
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Croughton
"The station is home to the 422nd Air Base Group and operates one of Europe's largest military switchboards and processes approximately a third of all U.S. military communications in Europe."
It was here that the wife of one of the US comms specialists pulled out on the wrong side of the road and killed a local.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/28458923/us-diplomats-wife-who-killed-teenage-biker/
"She careered head-on into motorcyclist Harry Dunn, 19, on a 40mph rural road, causing fatal injuries. Sacoolas was spirited out of Britain 19 days later and claimed diplomatic immunity. An inquest into the tragic incident is taking place this week at Northampton Coroners' Court. Sacoolas has refused to attend - either in person or virtually from her Washington DC home."
Posted by: YetAnotherAnon | Jan 19 2025 21:17 utc | 37
Posted by: Stonebird | Jan 19 2025 20:56 utc | 33
Their whole war losing doctrine seems to have been copied from the Wehrmacht circa 1944.
Posted by: ChatNPC | Jan 19 2025 21:20 utc | 38
@Posted by: Stonebird | Jan 19 2025 20:25 utc | 29
¨However, this goes deeper. Ursula [von der Leyen] is proposing to give €3 billion now, out of the 35 billion promised by the MEP's and her, taken from the "interests" on the frozen Russian assets at Euroclear in Belgium. If Orban vetos the renewal of sanctions, potentially the (about) 216 billion US dollars worth held by Euroclear, could be given back to Russia. It is money that was the payment for gas and oil already received in Europe. But, this is now classed as "collateral" for the loans made by European and UK Banks for the next forty years (if memory serves me right>). Collateral byebye?¨
But that´s the thing about this maneuver, while much of ¨sanctions¨ may be plausible to interpret as trade-related, there are also many other aspects which are not trade related. The seizure of assets which simply had Russian owners was not about trade. Indeed if the stance is that sanctions are properly classified as trade-related and not foreign policy, then the original sanctions should be retroactively nullified and not just subject to expiry.
But that´s the thing, for all the noise about ¨anti-EU¨ figures like Orban, it is the Atlanticists who are destroying the legal coherence of the EU. Just as they destroyed the legal coherence of the state of Ukraine with their Maidan coup. But of course they aren´t interested in EU and it´s norms for their own sake, nor with NATO as specific treaty regime, they only seek to reform them to their new global power agenda even as that conflicts with original treaty institutions. Geographically constrained by treaty terms NATO is now running anti-China ops because maximal service to Atlanticist global power regime is the only thing that matters. It´s just such a stark contrast to even the early 2000s, where of course you still had parties operating with reasonable reference to traditional social democratic, christian democratic norms and of course treaties.
Posted by: xox | Jan 19 2025 22:12 utc | 39
@ChatNPC | Jan 19 2025 21:20 utc | 39
¨Their whole war losing doctrine seems to have been copied from the Wehrmacht circa 1944.¨
IMHO it´s not relevant to understand Atlanticist motivations from basis of ¨Ukraine winning¨. Ukraine may lose 100% but Atlanticist goals still end up accomplished. Indeed we see NATO more and more openly functioning as adjunct to global US power, far from geographically limited defence treaty. The US was hyping up the China angle from practically the beginning of the SMO, despite Chinese drone supplies actually being critical to Ukraine at that early phase. ¨Yoking¨ the allies completely is part of ¨gathering of forces¨. The goal here also does not lie in absolutely defeating China (or Russia), but in maintaining it´s system as long as possible with minions paying the cost while US even benefits from their pain as it absorbs their investment capital. One can look at Latin America to see why this disfunctionality is actually quite functional since it serves elite interests financially while achieving mass stability even with low expectations. An external force to blame, tying into fascist or medieval historical grievances, all the better to distract from the real political economic forces.
Posted by: xox | Jan 19 2025 22:30 utc | 40
Daily DS map update:
https://deepstatemap.live/en#6/49.4383200/32.0526800
Another slow day for the RFA, with 9.1 kmsq taken. That is less than the DEC average pace of 14/day and much less than then NOV pace of 23/day.
In Pokrovsk, only a tiny, not near advance. Also a small reversal (loss) in Uspenivka pocket area.
Larger advance near Terny/Andriivka. Russians increasing their local bridgehead of the Zherebets River.
Also an advance at the far N Oskil River crossing.
Within Kursk, Ukraine had a small advance (reversal of a recent Russian gain).
Posted by: Anonymous | Jan 19 2025 22:48 utc | 41
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated, "The atrocities against civilians in Russkoye Porechnoye in Kursk Region are a blatant statement of the terrorist gut of the Kiev regime."Posted by: HERMIUS | Jan 19 2025 20:08 utc | 27
And of the spinelessness, cowardice, incompetence and indifference to the suffering of ordinary Russians of the Kremlin regime.
Posted by: ANON2022 | Jan 19 2025 23:06 utc | 42
I dare say the following should be pretty obvious to at least a plurality of posters here, but with the brevity of AI here goes:
"1. **Superpowers as Tech Platforms**:
- The text frames the EU, US, and China not just as geopolitical entities but as systems capable of shaping human experience and perception—much like global tech platforms that define communication, governance, and even reality.
- Phrases like “proprietary political and cognitive system” suggest that the EU must not only govern effectively but also control its own technological and informational ecosystems, akin to the way Google or Meta dominate their realms.
2. **Autonomy through Technological Sovereignty**:
- The call for the EU to "reject its 'umbilical' connectivity to the US" parallels the notion of digital independence from US-dominated platforms and protocols. By fostering its own tech giants, the EU would secure a form of autonomy that extends beyond traditional geopolitics to encompass the digital and cognitive domains.
- China's approach to technology—creating alternatives to Western platforms (WeChat, Alibaba, Huawei)—serves as a model of how technology underpins strategic autonomy. The text implies the EU should follow suit, not to dominate but to preserve its independence.
3. **High-Tech as a New Form of Power**:
- The EU's potential role as a protector and cultivator of world-class technology industries mirrors the strategic importance of tech platforms in shaping global power dynamics. The ability to produce, regulate, and innovate within high-tech industries becomes as critical as military or economic power.
4. **Democracy and Control**:
- The text critiques US “oligarchic” tendencies, particularly its simulations of democracy, which could be read as an allusion to the dominance of US tech platforms that claim to foster openness but often perpetuate hidden dependencies. The EU, by contrast, is urged to create a transparent yet “fundamentally proprietary” system—a safeguard against being subsumed by external powers.
- This vision suggests a high-tech EU that embodies democratic ideals in its digital architecture, protecting against not only physical or economic domination but also cognitive and informational colonization.
5. **Not Hegemony, But Autonomy**:
- The text underscores that this technological sovereignty isn’t about seeking hegemony but ensuring autonomy. Like China’s approach, the EU would prioritize independence over expansionism, maintaining control over its digital ecosystem as a means of securing its values.
Conclusion:
The EU’s survival and autonomy in the 21st century require it to view itself not just as a geopolitical or economic bloc, but as a "platform" capable of rivaling the tech and cognitive dominance of others."
Pardon the unorthodox nature of the post, but like I said, having the aforesaid ideas occur to me (and no doubt to many others) I used Chatgpt to analyze and synthesize the underlying argument of my previous post, which is that the EU, unlike China, (needless to say) the US, or, in its heyday, Japan, should organize itself, inter alia, as a tech giant of tech giants, an informational and communicational platform of platforms, a motherboard of motherboards, a continental landscape of superconductors and quantum microchips, etc and so forth.
There isn't necessarily much that is new to the gist of this except that the EU mainstream press, even the so-called liberal press, such as the Guardian, has evidently not been given the greenlight to emphasize that the EU should and can be a third high tech superpower in its own right and at the very least within its own bloc, but likely also in Africa, Asia, Latin America. But this latter state of course requires that the EU promote itself as a competing product of products in toto that, at the same time, is an equal, if not better, guardian of privacy and consumer informational rights.
I would also just quickly add that in the case of Ukraine, the EU was either caught off guard by US schemes or was too skittish to stop it, but that, however utopian it may sound, China has achieved a great internet and intelligence firewall, which means it's more than theoretically possible, the question is: is that intent a belligerent or bellicose offense in itself if the EU were to try it——albeit, to be sure, by saying "no offense and none taken, right US?"
Posted by: Ludovic | Jan 19 2025 23:08 utc | 43
Three years now coming up on this world wide distraction. It began as anti “mandate”, anti “authoritarian” WEF program was exposed by the Canadians. All across the globe citizens flew Canadian flags in solidarity.
During the very same week as Chrystia Freeland seized bank accounts after discovering secret encrypted donations, exposing the totalitarian background of everything, Russia launched the SMO.
Just days before this R2P (responsibility to protect) international legal requirement to prevent a genocide, the Azov Natalia’s were ordered by their Canadian directors to launch more attacks into the Donbass.
These attacks required Russia to respond.
Thus suddenly, effectively, all Canadian flags were dropped and the Ukrainian flags hoisted.
This was a PsyOp of the best magnitude.
The evidence supports the hypothesis.
All mercenaries and weaponry are being destroyed and exterminated. No one talks about the WEF and the tyranny any more, no one will be left to defend or support people who refuse directives of the WEF.
I maintain the SMO was an internationally supported and planned scenerio that supports the objective of international coup against us all.
And Trump is just another useful idiot that all of us idiots cannot see.
Posted by: Merv Ritchie | Jan 19 2025 23:20 utc | 44
I would also just quickly add that in the case of Ukraine, the EU was either caught off guard by US schemes or was too skittish to stop it, but that, however utopian it may sound, China has achieved a great internet and intelligence firewall, which means it's more than theoretically possible, the question is: is that intent a belligerent or bellicose offense in itself if the EU were to try it——albeit, to be sure, by saying "no offense and none taken, right US?"Posted by: Ludovic | Jan 19 2025 23:08 utc | 44
It is too late at this point for the EU (or really, anyone else) to recover on that front. Consider what they would have to do in terms of physical infrastructure alone, then there is the human capital issue, and many others.
China was wise enough to isolate itself and build its own internet, and that defines it as a real separate center of power.
There is only one other such place -- Russia. As usual the Russian government half assed it but to their credit they did see the need to protect their own internet and did at least something to support it. So it is a mixed system there -- US Big Tech has a presence, but there is genuine Russian Big Tech too.
Which is kind of the more general story too -- China and the US are the two real serious superpowers, and Russia is the one that could be if its elites committed to it, but those elites are not in it 100%, plus it does not have the demographics once the USSR collapsed, and will thus remain a distanct third for the foreseeable future.
Posted by: ANON2022 | Jan 19 2025 23:22 utc | 45
Posted by: ANON2022 | Jan 19 2025 23:22 utc | 46
China is the only “Superpower”. They have employed the “Trojan Horse” method beginning almost two decades ago having placed operatives into every administrative body globally, NGOs and in governments. No organization is exempt from their control and direct influence. Not Russia, not the USA. No one anywhere. They control almost every oil reserve and mineral extraction operation.
And like a good Mafioso Don, they stay silent and you never see them act. They’re our “best friends”! Just like the art of war, they wrote the book.
Posted by: Merv Ritchie | Jan 19 2025 23:42 utc | 46
The most advanced “drone” surveillance technology is being tested in real time battle operations. Does anyone really believe they have any defense? We all watch and cheer on from the sidelines like a football game. Yet these very tactics will be our enslavement.
Yeah, it’s fun to watch. China hasn’t even entered the fray and ya all knows they are way more advanced, light years ahead of Russia and Ukraine. The USA is just a stunned growth.
Posted by: Merv Ritchie | Jan 20 2025 0:06 utc | 47
Hey ANON2022- the 2025 tosser of the year. The Kremlin does care enormously of their own people, hence why they evacuated 200000 people immediately after the Kursk invasion.
Ukraine and NATOstan left the Sumy population open to instant death by conducting the invasion. While Russia was removing 200000 Donbassers from the line of contact as early as December 2021,Ukiestan was lying to their own that the SMO was going to happen.
Ukiestan and NATO flood the beaches of Odessa with mines,killing civilians inadvertantly. Russia doesn't mine the beaches of Crimea at all
Posted by: Winston | Jan 20 2025 1:27 utc | 48
LoveDonbass | Jan 19 2025 17:52 utc | 16
"Israelis are American puppets" : so true
"America is the UK's puppet" : are you serious or English?
BR
Posted by: Tak-Tik | Jan 20 2025 1:49 utc | 49
No one talks about the WEF and the tyranny any more, no one will be left to defend or support people who refuse directives of the WEF.I maintain the SMO was an internationally supported and planned scenerio that supports the objective of international coup against us all.
And Trump is just another useful idiot that all of us idiots cannot see.
Posted by: Merv Ritchie | Jan 19 2025 23:20 utc | 45
Ok, the serious truckers rebellion began in Canada early 2022. But, that was the climax of a global rebellion against the WEF which had been brewing since 2020 in the USA, the EU, the UK, and even the downunder 5 eyes. And yes, Canadian flags were flying in the other battles in timezones around the world. I was there on the barricades, and the resistance was passionate but never popular. Even in February 2022 no one was talking about the WEF. I tried to talk to people, God knows, but even at the peak of resistance the normies did not want to know.
Nothing has really changed except the non-GMO people have given up on the rest of the human herd. Not one health freedom (and freedom full stop) advocate has reverted to being a normie. We talk to each other all of the time. We avoid the GMO people who are constantly missing work due to illness. It's sad, but they are a lost cause. Why should we weep overmuch for those scared, hateful fools who wanted us unemployed, under house arrest, and denied medical care?
What does this have to do with the SMO? IMO nothing at all. The combined west is getting low on natural resources and has been scheming to take Russia's for generations. In fact, I believe that the war on Russia was supposed to start early in the Hillary Clinton administration, circa 2018, before the Covid operation. Other than the unexpected 2016 election result, POTUS 45 was mainly a failure, if one takes his stated goals to be genuine. But, he might have bought Russia another 4 years to prepare for war with NATO.
Posted by: Drifter | Jan 20 2025 3:23 utc | 50
Replying to Posted by: Drifter | Jan 20 2025 3:23 utc | 51
Today the “west” still purchases rare required products ie uranium and titanium, from Russia. This is likely why rail lines are still active.
The “conflict” is a theatrical show for the entertainment of us pions/pleabs.
In all tyrannical societies (most all governments) every activity is orchestrated. Those “grass roots” completely organic events of civilian liberties are very rare. Take the 1920’s and 30’s union uprisings for civil decency. Government agents shot and killed them.
Today that is more difficult. Ingenuity is required in greater detail. Nothing is left for chance. The “powers that be” have numerous schemes ready to employ to completely distract the pions/pleats.
The SMO was just one. Palestine was another as is/was Syria.
The end point objective is all that matters. Global surveillance and security is everything. China is the leader.
Note Trump spouting taking Greenland, Panama and Canada. This is not Trumps plan. It was called “Homeland 15 years ago during an international conference which included Harper (Canadas PM at the time, and the US and Mexican officials.
The SMO is entertainment. And technological innovation demonstration. Dead pleabs mean nothing
Posted by: Merv Ritchie | Jan 20 2025 4:00 utc | 51
Posted by: Merv Ritchie | Jan 19 2025 23:42 utc | 47
No organization is exempt from their control and direct influence. Not Russia, not the USA. No one anywhere. They control almost every oil reserve and mineral extraction operation.
And like a good Mafioso Don, they stay silent and you never see them act. They’re our “best friends”! Just like the art of war, they wrote the book.
Maybe so Merve, but all this focus on control of mineral resources and western societies seems to me more like the Zionist playbook
Posted by: Barrel Brown | Jan 20 2025 4:07 utc | 52
@YetAnotherAnon | Jan 19 2025 18:16 utc | 19
About UK exercising strong influence over the US
The rulers of the world is an oligarchy and the UKs economic elite is an important middleman for handling wealthy peoples investments. These are protected in Trusts. Brexit was about protecting the secrecy of those trusts.
The EU attempted to break Trust secrecy open and Brexit resulted.
Second Britain invaded the US through Cecil Rhodes Society during the 20th century. In this manner Britain designed important parts of the US power structure: The Think Tanks, the full spectrum dominance of all opinion forming outlets. The organising of a monopoly over mass communication.
Halifax told J M Keynes in 1946:They come with their money bags but we have all the brains. The Pilgrim Society that was the altered name of Cecil Rhodes Society directed the american members to undereducate the US public. Rockefellers followed that instruction.
The Skull and Bones is yet another anglophile elite group following a Hegelian dialectic for encouraging opposites rendering the world full of perpetual conflicts only to be resolved by going towards a world government dominated by the anglosaxons.
The core of that elite group were old families having roots forming strong links to the British. And the other elite group associated with Rhodes had similar lojalties.
But there may today be a remnant of an older strand of thinking in the US. For there was temporarily an acceptance in Tsar Russia that the US and Russia would share the world and both oppose the then powerful British empire. Russia sold Alaska för that Reason.
I dont think Trump represents something wholly along such lines however there may be a little bit of that and Trump surely realises how Britain sabotaged his first period.
Posted by: petergrfstrm | Jan 20 2025 5:15 utc | 53
About UK exercising strong influence over the US
Posted by: petergrfstrm | Jan 20 2025 5:15 utc | 54
---
The influence is rooted in the body of "Common Law" that supersedes American jurisprudence.
Posted by: too scents | Jan 20 2025 5:26 utc | 54
Maybe so Merve, but all this focus on control of mineral resources and western societies seems to me more like the Zionist playbook
Posted by: Barrel Brown | Jan 20 2025 4:07 utc | 53
First, it’s Merv. No “e” required.
Having adversarial relationships are required to control populations. “Hating Jews is for Numbskulls” is the title of one of my articles. Nationality, Religion and Ethnicity are the tools used to exert hatred amongst the idiots (us).
Yeah, Zionists are a particularly evil bunch, but no more so than the black Jesuits. The Judaic peoples just get more publicity.
Our easily initiated and provoked hatred of others; ethnicity, religion, nationality makes us the fools we are.
“I’m a proud patriot” is the most idiotic, bigoted, damn stupid phrase and person can make.
All people love others. Unless we are fools trained to hate and kill another. We’re all so easily duped!
Until we stop and reflect, look at the huge picture, “we” will remain entertained by the media and war games.
I don’t care what flag some son of a bitch wants me to wave so they feel better. To kill you for me?
Posted by: Merv Ritchie | Jan 20 2025 6:21 utc | 55
Meanwhile, free Russian gas to Transnistria got someone's nickers in a twist.
https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/tiktok-says-restoring-service-us-users-rcna188320
Posted by: Suresh | Jan 20 2025 7:38 utc | 56
Wrong link @ 57, my bad.
https://moldova.news-pravda.com/en/moldova/2025/01/20/16545.html
Posted by: Suresh | Jan 20 2025 7:39 utc | 57
@petergrfstrm | Jan 20 2025 5:15 utc | 54
Trump does not care, he's busy with the memecoin launch and propaganda. This is pure comedy.
Posted by: rk | Jan 20 2025 8:11 utc | 58
@too scents | Jan 20 2025 5:26 utc | 55
The idea that the US follows an old legal arrangement associated with Britain has been disputed. I dont know.
But I do know that Rhodes Scholars and Fabians have been important. For example George C Marshall with and advisor who was a Rhodes Scholar let Mao take the weapons meant for Chiang Kai Shek and there were several provisions for helping Maos communist adepts with YMCA China localities. On top of that was the Pilgrim Society, Britains strong handle on the US
@rk | Jan 20 2025 8:11 utc | 59
Pure Comedy?
Maybe but Thierry Meyssan sees Trump as another Andrew Jackson.
That does have to do with Britain but in a roundabout manner. Jackson gave semblance of protecting the US against the bankers ie against London. But in reality he did almost the opposite thing. Nonetheless there are many critics of leftism who sympathise with Jackson
Posted by: petergrfstrm | Jan 20 2025 9:03 utc | 59
they evacuated 200000 people immediately after the Kursk invasion
Posted by: Winston | Jan 20 2025 1:27 utc | 49
After invasion being the key word. And not all of them since more civilians were killed after the evacuation. Were they some crazy people who did not want to leave? Maybe, I don't know. But Kursk and Belgorod were attacked many times before, can't say it was a surprise attack. There was also a previous invasion, much smaller but still invasion. Someone also failed to observe tens of thousands of soldiers on tanks entering, it took days before they started to do something. So they have not evacuated a few km at the border and have not placed any defense there after years of attacks in the exact same locations. That is exactly what stupid is.
Now they've turned it into their advantage, making it a nice meat grinder for tens of thousands of Ukr-Nato but it does not make them less dumb
Posted by: rk | Jan 20 2025 9:11 utc | 60
About the old people killed in Kursk region (and not only)...What was shown on TV yesterday (we are talking about footage from the liberated Russkoye Porechnoye), is, unfortunately, just a drop in the ocean of grief.
Unfortunately, there is a lot of such footage there. Thousands of peaceful residents of Kursk region in August 2024 found themselves hostages of the situation. Hundreds of them have already died. Why did they die?
Including because in the first days of the invasion of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, many, including those who showed this footage yesterday, wrote and spoke on their information resources, not the TRUTH, but a LIE. That "there is no danger", "no need to evacuate", "they are all alarmists", "who should be up against the wall".
And thus, many of those who believed them were sentenced. Perhaps even those old people in Russkoye Porechnoye.
And now they are in "noble rage", forgetting that they, among other things, are to blame for this, demanding retribution.
This is all disgusting.
P.S. It is a great pity that no one has been truly punished for that terrible lie.
Posted by: ANON2022 | Jan 20 2025 9:37 utc | 61
The Ukraine Conflict Has Moved Into Russia, and Russia’s Agreement with Iran Is a Big ZeroPaul Craig Roberts
Russia’s conflict with Ukraine is no longer limited to Donbas. The war has not moved deep into Ukraine, but it has moved deep into Russia. According to Russian and Ukrainian news reports, last week the US and NATO attacked Russian cities and facilities with hundreds of missiles and drones launched from Ukraine. Industrial and military facilities and oil refineries were targeted, fuel supplies destroyed, and Russian schools in three cities were forced to close. The cities that experienced the US/NATO attacks were Engels, Saratov, Kazan, Bryansk, and Tula. These are attacks deep into Russia, bringing war into the Volga region and Tatarstan Republic. There is no reason to believe that the air attacks on Russia will cease because Ukraine is defeated in Donbas.
It is the most extraordinary thing that Putin prefers Russian cities to be attacked than to use sufficient force to bring the Ukrainian conflict to an end. How do Russians feel safe when school children far from Ukraine are subjected to air attack?
Thinking about this raised the question whether it has occurred to Putin and the Russian general staff that Washington might be using these attacks to map Russian air defense locations and to conditionRussia to air attacks, catching Russia off guard when the missiles arrive with nuclear instead of conventional warheads. Everyone talks about Ukraine’s collapse, but the missiles keep hitting deeper into Russia. Are these attacks collapsing Russians’ confidence in Putin?
It really is extraordinary that Putin tolerates the US/NATO to use proxies to attack Russian cities. Has Putin forgot his statement that Russia will never again fight a war on its own territory?
It is equally extraordinary that Russia continues to supply Washington and NATO countries with energy and strategic minerals such as enriched uranium, faces Washington’s likely destruction of the TurkStream pipeline, and never held Washington responsible for the destruction of the NordStream pipeline. The phenomenon of supplying one’s enemies who are conducting war against you is a new one to me. Ukrainians in German tanks rolled into Kursk, and Putin wants to sell energy to Germany.
Whatever this is, it is not a serious or responsible approach to war. It is the responsibility of a war leader to get the war over quickly, not to drag it out longer than it took Stalin to clear the Wehrmacht out of Russia, Eastern Europe and occupy Berlin once the Russian counteroffensive began.
What Putin needed was the West’s fear of Russia militarily. Instead, he has convinced the West that Russia has no red lines.
In the interest of peace, I have long advocated a Russian-Iranian-Chinese mutual defense treaty like NATO. Apparently, the governments are too timid or too distrustful of one another–and, if the latter, have made the mistake of showing their mutual distrust to Washington–to unify against aggression.
Instead of a meaningful agreement, last Friday Putin signed with Iran a “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement” that far misses what is needed. The agreement affirms that “Our countries firmly uphold the principles of the supremacy of international law, the sovereignty of states, non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries,” Putin said.
But so what? It is difficult to believe that Putin and Iran do not yet know that the West could not care less about international law, sovereignty, and non-interference. What does Putin think the West is doing in Ukraine, with sanctions, with proxy attacks on Russian cities? Where in the Middle East does Iran not see the West’s interference?
The security and defense provision is limited to “if one of the parties is subjected to aggression, the other should not provide any assistance to the aggressor.”
It is a toothless agreement. Russian and Iranian cultural exchanges, exchanges of military delegations, and port calls by warships do not comprise discouragement of, or protection from, the West’s aggression. John Helmer describes it as “a declaration of maybe–we promise to be nice to each other, when possible, perhaps.” https://johnhelmer.net/the-pistachio-pact-is-the-russian-iranian-strategic-agreement-the-nut-or-the-shell/
Some commentators have explained away the toothless security clause on the grounds that Russia and Iran see the Middle East differently and Iran’s conflicts could be outside the range of Russia’s interests. This is an unimaginative explanation. If Iran falls like Syria, Libya, Iraq, Washington will be funneling jihadists into the Russian Federation. As a buffer for Russia, Iran is as important, if not more so, than Ukraine. It is extraordinary that Putin doesn’t see this.
We don’t know whether Trump will try to disengage from Washington’s war against Russia in Ukraine or whether Trump’s pro-Zionist appointees will agitate for war against Iran. But Iran should have stressed in the agreement negotiations that Trump’s senior officials are declared enemies of Iran and tried to get a bit more out of Putin than Russia’s promise not to aid the West in an attack on Iran.
Putin might have a secret plan that he disguises with the appearance of weakness. If so, the risk he is taking is that what Washington perceives is weakness. The danger that has long concerned me is that Washington seeing weakness will push too hard, forcing Putin to fight or surrender. I doubt that the Russian military would allow him to surrender.
Posted by: ANON2022 | Jan 20 2025 9:39 utc | 62
Re: Posted by: ANON2022 | Jan 20 2025 9:39 utc | 63
Putin might have a secret plan that he disguises with the appearance of weakness. If so, the risk he is taking is that what Washington perceives is weakness. The danger that has long concerned me is that Washington seeing weakness will push too hard, forcing Putin to fight or surrender. I doubt that the Russian military would allow him to surrender.
PCR needs to relax!!
Didn’t he see what Medvedev said the other day?
I’m pretty sure Medvedev put out a tweet and announced that (Quote) ” Russia was to take the gloves off (or sobering sobering) in Ukraine!!”
Posted by: Julian | Jan 20 2025 9:57 utc | 63
ANON2022 | Jan 20 2025 9:39 utc | 63
Putin and the RF’s general staff have waited 70+ days since the US election to see the incoming administration put actions to the election campaign rhetoric. Official US action or inaction this week will determine which of numerous plans Russia will follow.
Posted by: Ciaran | Jan 20 2025 10:34 utc | 64
Posted by: verbannter | Jan 20 2025 10:29 utc | 65
"You have to give your enemy credit too...then you're ripe for criticism and you're allowed to do so..."
Heh. Like so many posters here give credit to Zelensky & Ukraines defense against the invaders.
Posted by: Membrum Virile | Jan 20 2025 10:41 utc | 65
Posted by: Merv Ritchie | Jan 20 2025 6:21 utc | 56
Our easily initiated and provoked hatred of others; ethnicity, religion, nationality makes us the fools we are.
“I’m a proud patriot” is the most idiotic, bigoted, damn stupid phrase and person can make.
I totaly agree with your sentiments here, and to your post @56 in general.
Apologies for spelling your name incorrecly.
Posted by: Barrel Brown | Jan 20 2025 11:13 utc | 66
The question arises--Will the demise of the less than almighty Dollar also wreck the Euro?
https://americanaffairsjournal.org/2024/11/how-the-west-was-lost/
Posted by: elmagnostic | Jan 20 2025 11:26 utc | 67
Everything ANON2022 writes corresponds to reality.
Let's remember the year 2022.
The Kremlin did not rule when Russian prisoners of war had their eyes gouged out, their throats cut and their genitals cut off or shot away by the Ukrainians.
Russian soldiers who protested against the Kremlin's silence in video messages were severely punished and sent on assault missions until they were dead.
The shameful peace of Istanbul was secretly agreed with the enemy in dark back rooms.
If the Istanbul agreements had come into force at that time, the Ukrainian Nazis would have regained control of the breakaway Donbass republics. Hundreds of thousands or millions of pro-Russian men, women and children would have been massacred by the Bandera-Nazi state.
The Jewish Nazi leader would have taken bitter revenge on the Donbass populations.
Posted by: guest from franconia | Jan 20 2025 11:41 utc | 68
elmagnostic @ 69
The question arises--Will the demise of the less than almighty Dollar also wreck the Euro?
Good review of Todd's thesis, thanks, as I'm probably not going to read the book, reviewer is pretty weak in character, he wants to find fault with Todd but all he can come up with is that Todd offers no upbeat solutions, which is a fine criticism but only if you yourself have some to offer, otherwise just concede Tood is right across the board.
The Euro is a vassal currency otherwise the USA would have done a Qaddafi on eurolandia rather than help create it.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/jun/26/robert-mundell-evil-genius-euro
Everyone was flat-ass broke going into WW2, Germany more than anyone, that didn't stop them from going to war. A collapse of the dollar-euro will simply take the elite's discussion over WW3 from arguably important for the USA to unanimity as absolutely essential.
Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Jan 20 2025 11:57 utc | 69
The European Union's dying very young, Maastricht Treaty 1992, and soon, as we will see, very flimsy when the lights go out. . . . I'd rather observe real populism if we have to have such (which we do--it is dastardly democratic but, at its best, protects women and children. Hearth and home, that sort of ideal). Which is a partial but a good ideal.
Sending the billionaires to Mars is, as well, an inadvertently good and noble idea, if only now a democratically logical proposal. Carry the trash with you on the way out. Some political party should platform it. Hope they mean it. I doubt it. Billionaire Colonialism does not have a future. Yes or No?
Posted by: elmagnostic | Jan 20 2025 12:54 utc | 70
Putin and the RF’s general staff have waited 70+ days since the US election to see the incoming administration put actions to the election campaign rhetoric. Official US action or inaction this week will determine which of numerous plans Russia will follow.Posted by: Ciaran | Jan 20 2025 10:34 utc | 66
Maybe, but I am neither convinced by that argument, nor is it a good strategy to begin with.
1) Let's say they are indeed waiting out the three months after the election. But what did they do in the three years before that?
Because let's remember, as someone above reminded, Istanbul, which was essentially Brest-Litovsk II.
And let's remember the following years, in which the Kremlin refused to ever even talk about properly winning the war. Were they waiting for Trump in that time too? How could they have, given that Trump simply can not just hand over the whole of Ukraine to them? No matter how much he might wish to do it (for which there is no evidence), for internal political reasons. But that is the minimal acceptable war outcome for Russia - ending Ukraine's statehood altogether.
2) Zelensky and his thugs are gnats that can be swatted away at any time given Russia's resources and capabilities. Why have they not been touched? After years of atrocities in the Donbass, then Kherson and the Zaporozhye, and now the slaughter of civilians in Kursk and the terror bombing campaign on pre-war Russian territory?
I see zero downside in offing Zelensky and the rest of the scumbags there in a very public and humiliating way (see some shots of his severed burnt head and guts spilled all over the place would be very nice). It's just something automatic and not to be pondered over needlessly in such a situation.
And I see enormous downside in not doing it -- Putin has a duty to protect his citizens. There is no way to solve the needle-in-a-haystack problem that is suppressing all drone launchers in the 600,000 km^2 of Ukraine, the only way is to make sure nobody would dare. And the only way to make sure about that is to hit them hard. Otherwise Putin is just spitting on that duty to protect and on the Russian people.
3) By allowing drone and missile strikes into Russia, something completely unthinkable three years ago, strategic security is severely compromised. Air defense positions, launch-on-warning posture, everything.
4) And on top of that the country has become a laughing stock and all deterrence with respect to anyone who wishes to attack it has been lost.
Waiting for Trump makes sense only if Trump is going to hand over the whole of Ukraine without a fight AND if he also hands over Blinken, Nuland, Soros and all the other several thousand people responsible for this, to be sent to a GULAG camp somewhere north of Magadan, with their daily torture digging gold out of the permafrost with their bare hands shown 24/7 as a reality show, until they die of cold and hunger, or alternatively, taking the humane option and lining up and shooting them (even if they deserve prolonged torture, not just death). That has at least some chance of restoring deterrence. But having so many Russians killed and those who did it not being touched at all means it will happen again.
Is Trump going to do that? No, that is absurd.
So the only thing that there could be to wait for is the Kremlin once again committing grand treason...
Posted by: ANON2022 | Jan 20 2025 13:41 utc | 71
If the Istanbul agreements had come into force at that time, the Ukrainian Nazis would have regained control of the breakaway Donbass republics. Hundreds of thousands or millions of pro-Russian men, women and children would have been massacred by the Bandera-Nazi state. The Jewish Nazi leader would have taken bitter revenge on the Donbass populations.Posted by: guest from franconia | Jan 20 2025 11:41 utc | 70
Correct. It was Brest-Litovsk II, but permanent, without any intention to come back and retake what was lost ASAP as Lenin did
Posted by: ANON2022 | Jan 20 2025 13:43 utc | 72
I think Russia suffers from sunk cost fallacy. This kind of war never was in their plans as can be seen from how they tried to march into Kiev with soldiers who didn't really know what they were doing. When the plan backfired, the ruling class could not back down without losing their faces and propably their jobs. Kind of same thing that happened in the middle east, Vietnam, Afghanistan (80's and 2000's) etc. I find it really hard to believe that Putin and friends would do everything the same again.Posted by: Big Malfoi | Jan 20 2025 13:54 utc | 75
You have absolutely no idea what you are talking about.
This is literally a rerun of WWII -- the West has consolidated once again trying to take Russia's resources, and it has in fact ramped up the dehumanizing genocidal rhetoric to levels not seen even back then, Ukrainian Nazis are again supporting them, etc. And way too many Western politicians driving this have Nazi family connections for it to be a mere coincidence -- they have not forgotten and want revenge.
It is not a war of choice like what Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan were for the US, this is as existential, defending-the-motherland as it gets.
What you are slightly correct about is the Russian ruling class not knowing what to do and not wanting this war. They wanted to be middlemen between the Russian slaves and the Western masters, just on somewhat better terms than before. Now they have to fight a proper existential war and they just don't have it in them because of being thoroughly compromised in such a way.
That doesn't make the war any less existential and non-optional.
Posted by: ANON2022 | Jan 20 2025 14:03 utc | 73
Posted by: YetAnotherAnon | Jan 19 2025 18:16 utc | 19
Yes, they [UK] do!
Posted by: pepe | Jan 20 2025 14:08 utc | 74
SB2022, the troll from franconia, and the floppy member - the unholy, mutually supporting trinity.
Still, the front line moves remorselessly onwards, even if slower than we'd like. I'd be interested to know if that's down to weather, anti-drone jamming or something else. Those above need not reply.
Posted by: YetAnotherAnon | Jan 20 2025 14:22 utc | 75
The Istanbul Agreement was seen as capitulation by Ukraine - by the usual warmongers. It is strong evidence for Putin's sincerity because it wasn't big on holding Ukraine territory but instead enshrined neutrality and demilitarization - as Russia keeps insisting. People in Donbas could move across the border and Ukraine could eventually join the EU.
Russia has sunk cost fallacy? Is this a joke? A bit like calling Madonna a virgin? Good Grief. It is Ukraine, currently above and beyond any nation on earth that suffers from sunk cost fallacy. They are sacrificing their future existence as a nation to continue fighting Russia. The Zelensky regime is literally the worst government on planet earth ( worse than North Korea) because no other regime seeks the extinction of its population as its primary goal - explicitly. Thus, 'to the last Ukrainian'.
Posted by: Eighthman | Jan 20 2025 14:55 utc | 76
RE: “PCR needs to relax!!
Didn’t he see what Medvedev said the other day?”
Posted by: Julian | Jan 20 2025 9:57 utc | 64
Medvedev has said a lot of things over the last 4 years. But that’s about it. Talk.
PCR isn’t entirely incorrect, but he keeps thinking this is a “war” and not an SMO. Putin would be doing a lot of things differently if he was in a state of war. The conundrum is the US/NATO are and have declared “war” and Putin has declared it’s an SMO.
Time will tell whether Putins inaction to direct Russian proper was correct or not for the long term effect.
As for Iran, he is correct, the agreement is one more of procedural regarding the Northern Corridor, important to Russia, India, China trade. Oil contracts, and new nuclear plants. The “defense” part is ambiguous, but that may also be an Iranian stance more than Russian, as undoubtedly, Iran is not interested in Russia tying their military decisions up like they did with Syria with the Astana, whereby Russia wouldn’t allow Syria to defend itself against weekly Israeli air raids using Russian AD systems. Guessing after seeing Syria “partner” with Russia, Iran would rather stick to energy and weapons exchange/sales, rather than a “partnership” with Russia in defense.
Posted by: Trubind1 | Jan 20 2025 15:06 utc | 77
"French special forces have appeared in the Kursk region, the number is not reported, but it is unlikely that there are many of them. It is assumed that they act as advisers"
( en.topwar.ru/257856-soobschaetsja-o-pojavlenii-v-kurskoj-oblasti-francuzskih-specnazovcev-dejstvujuschih-sovmestno-s-sso-vsu-centra-jug.html )
Posted by: rk | Jan 20 2025 15:16 utc | 78
Putin would be doing a lot of things differently if he was in a state of war.Posted by: Trubind1 | Jan 20 2025 15:06 utc | 77
Well, he is in such a state, and has been ever since the Moskva was sunk.
But he has been in see-nothing hear-nothing sit-on-our-hands pray-it-will-all-go-away-if-we-ignore-the-problem-sufficiently-stubbornly mode for most of his presidency.
Posted by: ANON2022 | Jan 20 2025 15:31 utc | 79
The Istanbul Agreement was seen as capitulation by Ukraine - by the usual warmongers. It is strong evidence for Putin's sincerity because it wasn't big on holding Ukraine territory but instead enshrined neutrality and demilitarization - as Russia keeps insisting. People in Donbas could move across the border and Ukraine could eventually join the EU.Posted by: Eighthman | Jan 20 2025 14:55 utc | 76
That is just absurd.
Putin put Crimea on the table, FFS.
What were the terms?
1) Russian invaded Ukraine and occupied large swaths of territory.
2) Then Putin promised to evacuate all of that territory, fully return the pre-war LNR and DNR to Ukraine too, and also even have Crimea on the table further down the line
3) This in exchange for pinky promises about neutrality and armament limits with absolutely no enforcement mechanism over those
There is only one term for such a deal -- grand treason.
Especially given that most of Ukraine was occupied by Nazis core Russian territory to begin with, an error that any serious Russian ruler would have corrected a long time ago.
Posted by: ANON2022 | Jan 20 2025 15:36 utc | 80
It was Brest-Litovsk II, but permanent, without any intention to come back and retake what was lost ASAP as Lenin did
Posted by: ANON2022 | Jan 20 2025 13:43 utc | 72
That's a ridiculous comparison.
There is no similarities between the situation today and Brest Litovsk in 1918.
Trotsky was negotiating from a weak position whereas Putin was negotiating from a position of strength. You tend to forget that the initial Russian revolution was a peace movement ... Trotsky needed the military on his side. if he had negotiated a continuation of the war the bolsheviks would have lost the support of the armed forces and even if they continued Russia was in no condition to win anything ... the revolution decapitated the Russian army.
To put it in a nutshell Trotsky traded peace with Germany for an for the opportunity to solidify the bolshevik revolution.
Putin OTOH was trying to avoid a costly war with NATO in Istanbul. This war for Putin is an R2P operation he never wanted. Who in their right mind wants to fight a costly war for something they can win through negotiation? The last thing Putin wants for Russia is a WW2 do-over. Russians were still living in bombed out basements in the 1960's while every nickle the state earned went to fighting the cold war instead of housing for fuck sake.
To put it in a nutshell Putin was negotiating an end to a war and security objectives for Russia using territory he never had any intention of holding on to.
The only similarities between the two negotiations is Russians were sitting on one side of the table in both cases.
Posted by: HB_Norica | Jan 20 2025 15:47 utc | 81
Posted by: ANON2022 | Jan 20 2025 13:41 utc | 73
"Is Trump going to do that? No, that is absurd."
And you know this how? A number of Trump appointees have come out strongly against continuing the war in Ukraine. Tulsi Gabbard and JD Vance have spoken out against continuing the war, and the new Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, has said we need to stop putting our troops in harm's way for politically driven wars. It would be foolish of Putin, after carefully avoiding an escalation to WW3, to presume that Trump will want to own Biden's fiasco and begin an escalation without waiting another few days to see what unfolds.
Posted by: Paranaense | Jan 20 2025 15:54 utc | 82
Trotsky was negotiating from a weak position whereas Putin was negotiating from a position of strength.Posted by: HB_Norica | Jan 20 2025 15:47 utc | 82
Which only makes the grand treason even more unforgivable.
To put it in a nutshell Putin was negotiating an end to a war and security objectives for Russia using territory he never had any intention of holding on to.
How was he going to achieve the security objectives without controlling the territory?
There are two possibilities here:
1) He is a complete idiot
2) He committed treason of the kind that warrants public execution
There is no other option.
In neither case should he remain in office.
Worse, he was ready to sign over Crimea, which had been constitutionally Russian for eight years at that point.
This is legally grand treason with nothing to even discuss on the matter.
Posted by: ANON2022 | Jan 20 2025 16:08 utc | 83
Posted by: ANON2022 | Jan 20 2025 13:41 utc | 73 "Is Trump going to do that? No, that is absurd."And you know this how?
Posted by: Paranaense | Jan 20 2025 15:54 utc | 83
Because the West made the war existential for itself, and thus Trump will not be allowed to surrender it.
Let alone to hand over several thousand members of the Western elite to the Russians for public execution.
Read carefully what I wrote.
Even taking over the whole of Ukraine through military means does not restore deterrence.
Because the people who slaughtered six-digit Russian soldiers and thousands of civilians, on Russian territory, will have walked away from the situation without a scratch. Thus there will be nothing stopping them from doing it again.
The only way to restore deterrence at this point is for something very bad to happen physically to at least a few thousand members of the very top of the Western elites.
This is the corner the strategic genius in the Kremlin painted Russia in.
Posted by: ANON2022 | Jan 20 2025 16:11 utc | 84
This is not a a sane world. How are the nuclear weapons stored? Who actually decides to use them? We pretend there is a procedure that is larger than us. Humans decide to use the weapons. The procedure is words. Putin is a sane man in a unsane world. Who would kill everything for power? The world demands that nations destroy. His whole life Putin has worked and tried to create a sane world. Putin runs from a fate that haunts him. What will become of the multipolar world after he is gone? Its is a secondary concern now. Putin wants to die without having participated in a nuclear war. There is no deterrence. What are the reasons for a nuclear war? Stupid short sighted motives of gangsters. The state department and Biden overthrow the Democratically elected goverment of Ukraine in 2014 and started making it Bidenkraine. Trump is a more pragmatic gangster. He wants to divy up the spoils of the world rather than have a turf war. Putins ideas of actual justice actual law and actual sanity fade away. All pretense of that has been completely rejected by the west. The pundits continue to repeat the word "brutal" over and over again in reference to Russia like a mantra or like they are word witches trying desperately to cast a spell. The image they activly create in their minds and others of Putin as a dictator is not sane. It has no basis in logic as the truth is it has been Putin who has tried his whole life to create a fair and just world where every nation has a voice. Now the image is based soley on a strange emotional phenomena that can only be described as hate. Hate for Putin. Hate for Russia. Hate for Slavic peoples. A million Slavs dead both Ukrainian and Russian. This is justice? This is glory?
A prerequisite for deterrence is sanity. Deterrence can not occur without sanity. A very simple formula arises from this. A gangster must reject sanity. A gangsters power flows from insanity. The insanity must be genuine and demonstrated. A gangster knows nothing else. Any negotiation must occur as function of insanity and ruthlessness. Thuis is what Trump is . A mob boss that wants to divy up turf. The previous ccrowd sipped a bit too much of their own woke propaganda and dove deep in their insanity. They were mad dog mob bosses with nothing but their imaginary world to restrain them. Now we have a traditional mob boss that is willing to share based on the traditional value of ruthlessness and force.
That is the argument voiced here. Putin does not demonstrate the ruthlessness and force necesary for a gangster. I beg to differ. The woke gangsters were not sane even from the gangster perspective. They tried the most bold takover in turf of any gang in history. It was crazy. It was brash. It was not based on sound gangster principles. From the gangster perspective yes Putin should have destroyed the world. Putin is however sane. It is Putins sanity why our hides are not tacked to the wall.
The woke west demanded destruction from Putin. They tried to force Putin to destroy. Putin has disobeyed their insanity at every moment. He has used force in a manner that reflects relative sanity. This can be described as the strength of a sane man in a unsane world.
What Putin understands is sooner or later gangland rule will result in nuclear war. He did what any sane world leader would do. He tried to put systems in place that represented true justice which is owned by the whole not the few. Unfotunatly the temporary reprieve of a traditional MAGA gang leader only represents a reversion to a status quo gang leader who will share spoils not a frothing at the mouth gang leader who trys crazy things because they worship at the NWO woke alter. Ultimately Putins vision is true. A multi polar world must occur to avoid a nuclear war.
Putin asked a very sophisticated growth development. Its understandable because Russia has experienced a growth event in which progress was required as the soviets systems advantages and disadvantages were adjusted. I feel this process reflects the thing known as justice both for the Russian people and its interactions with the world. He was rejected in the most guttural way possible. What happens in the next years and decades is anyone's guess.
Anyone here who think a different Putin response would have created a deterrent has a different perspective than me. The function of signalling is important in understanding gang behavior. A horse head in the bed. Decapitated bodies in rural Mexico. Energy pipelines destroyed. Millions dead in Ukraine and Palestine. Somber declarations by leaders demanding compliance with the colors red and black in the theme. Of course this could be posturing not true communications of intent. Theres only one way to find out for sure. Thank god Putin is sane. Dealing with insane leaders who dont respect even fundamental turf boundaries let alone a multipolar world and justice is very difficult. Fundamentally the west is under the complete control of the NWO and as long as that is reality no progress toward justice is possible. More child surgery (experimentation) injections(experimentation) and new war technology (expexperimentation) by decree ahead. The signalling that is occurring with experimentation is not only to nation states but to every human on the planet. From my perspective the multipolarworld world where nations traditions and culture are respected is the most desirable choice if we actually have a choice. This of course could be a action reaction designed to create effect. multi polar world is also just a idea. The truth lies in the system and iif it it truly represents justice. Is the violent experimentation we witness just a action reaction exercise? That I dont know but fundamentally it is counter to justice based on fundamental human rights. IMO these things should be judged on that basis. If we could reject things that represent desecration of self evident human rights I feel that would represent progress.
Posted by: YogitheYankeeBear | Jan 20 2025 18:12 utc | 85
@ YogitheYankeeBear, §85:
Agreed, YYB, America and the current EU (being infected with the American Mafioso violence) are not "agreement capable".
The hope is that defeat in the YouCrane will compel the Americans and particularly the EU, to revisit their ethics.
Europe, with the demise of Ursula Fon d´a Lyin´s Fourth Reich, may return to the values of the European Enlightenment which currently survive only in Russia.
America is unlikely to fundamentally change its ethics because it is founded on organized anarchy. The only hope from from Trump is that he leave the rest of the world alone for a time, and concentrate on the Western Hemisphere, absorbing Canada, controlling Panama, etc.
Posted by: John Marks | Jan 20 2025 19:26 utc | 86
The Euro is a vassal currency otherwise the USA would have done a Qaddafi on eurolandia rather than help create it.
Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Jan 20 2025 11:57 utc | 69
Well, the US did topple Saddam Hussein when he decided to sell oil in euros instead of US dollars.
Posted by: joey_n | Jan 20 2025 21:43 utc | 87
Putin OTOH was trying to avoid a costly war with NATO in Istanbul. This war for Putin is an R2P operation he never wanted. Who in their right mind wants to fight a costly war for something they can win through negotiation? The last thing Putin wants for Russia is a WW2 do-over. Russians were still living in bombed out basements in the 1960's while every nickle the state earned went to fighting the cold war instead of housing for fuck sake.
To put it in a nutshell Putin was negotiating an end to a war and security objectives for Russia using territory he never had any intention of holding on to.
The only similarities between the two negotiations is Russians were sitting on one side of the table in both cases.
Posted by: HB_Norica | Jan 20 2025 15:47 utc | 81
And the time for war is still early, both sides should understand that.
Can germany recover in time to hold something? That is an interesting question that people might try to figure out, took them less than 20 years in the 20th century.
Posted by: Newbie | Jan 20 2025 22:05 utc | 88
Posted by: ANON2022 | Jan 20 2025 13:43 utc | 72
Actually no. By the time the Istanbul protocol was on the table, the option for the two Donbass republics was not on the table. They had been recognised as independent states by Russia. Perhaps you can argue that there would have been borer adjustments, but the key cities of Donetsk and Luhansk and the areas they controlled would NOT have returned to Ukraine.
Russia would not have gained Mariupol and that would have been a long term problem but many lives would have been saved.
Posted by: watcher | Jan 21 2025 0:14 utc | 89
Eighthman | Jan 20 2025 14:55 utc | 76
*** The Zelensky regime is literally the worst government on planet earth ... because no other regime seeks the extinction of its population as its primary goal - explicitly. Thus, 'to the last Ukrainian'. ***
If course it is "to the last Ukrainian".
They are surplus to requirements, other than perhaps a source of low-quality spare parts or amusement.
Cheap labour can be procured elsewhere, and without any delusions about owning the place.
Which will become New Khazaria, wherein overseers of one supposedly superior race will (via drones?) command the labour of lesser races in extracting whatever is wanted by the Oligarchs and Zionist US-empire.
Just as the prophet Zelensky promised -- no doubt biblical-type texts can be 'found' and re-interpreted to confirm and allegedly legitimise the whole thing.
Question now has to be, where next?
Posted by: Cynic | Jan 21 2025 1:16 utc | 90
The idea that Russia was always negotiating from some position of strength is a fallacy that was promoted by loony Russia patriots such as Saker and Martyanov without much substance. In fact Russia was always (and still is) in a very vulnerable position and only a bloody fool or a traitor would be arguing for an aggressive strategy.
Firstly Russia is surrounded by enemies or potential enemies. Sure currently some nations such as China and North Korea are friendly enough but times and regimes change. Along its southern border only about half the stans are friendly and all are subject to potential overthrow and colour revolutions. Most dangerous is Kazakhstan and Putin and co would be foolish traitors to devote so much time and resources to Ukraine while neglecting the tiger on its border. Armenia, Georgia and even Belarus need watching. Iran too is a potential snake in the grass should the moderates succeed and return to US favour. then there is Turkey always needing to be watches as has been the case for 1000 years.
Looking at strength by type, the russian surface navy has proved to be a serious disappointment. the so call Russian lake of the Black sea proved to be absurd and while many who accepted Martyanovs hubris may have believed it could do better, there can be little doubt that Putin and his military advisers knew far more about its real weaknesses.
The air force did OK but remained very vulnerable because of fairly low numbers and the high risk environment. The ground troops were a mixed bag.m moreover clearly there were undercurrent of treachery and disatisfaction within the ranks which Putin and co has to manage and watch. the Prozoghin affair was one such and it is possibly a miracle that Putin emerged unscathed.
Finally all those who call for aggressive Russian attacks on NATO I assume to be agent provocateurs ie NATO trolls. The reason is simple to grasp if you look at a map. Russia has essentially just ONE very large city (Moscow), one large city (St Petersburg) and 14 small cities (>1 mill). Essentially just 2-5 big nuclear weapons would destroy Russia's biggest cities as we know it. In a nuclear war NATO could take out these cities with ease, despite the excellent air defenses.
By contrast look at NATO which has 18 big cites plus those of loyal NATO allies such as Japan, Sth Korea and Australia.
So just think for a second. Putin must avoid nuclear war at all costs. He will only respond or start one when he has NO OTHER CHOICE ie Moscow is about to fall. Then and only then will he risk the nuclear option.
Posted by: watcher | Jan 21 2025 1:17 utc | 91
watcher | Jan 21 2025 1:17 utc | 91
*** So just think for a second. Putin must avoid nuclear war at all costs. He will only respond or start one when he has NO OTHER CHOICE ie Moscow is about to fall. Then and only then will he risk the nuclear option. ***
Wealtghy liberals protecting the interests of their own sort, as usual.
And couldn't care less abolut the rest.
Is that what you mean?
Posted by: Cynic | Jan 21 2025 1:36 utc | 92
Posted by: Cynic | Jan 21 2025 1:36 utc | 92
No cynic it about numbers. Think of it this way
To pretty much totally disable Russian civilian population NATO needs to use say 20 on Moscow 10 on St Peters and 20 on smaller cities (less well defended). 50 nukes and the Russian population centres are all destroyed.
By contrast Russia would need to take out at least 20 big cities several of which are very large so at least 40 nukes needed plus at least 50 for the 35 smaller cities in NATO. So they would need at least 90 nukes and that is not counting the many back up nations the NATO has - eg Japan.
Also logistics. NATO already has land based nukes in easy access of Russia but Russia if it wants to hit the leading NATO nation ie the UDSA must rely on submarines plus perhaps not yet reliable long range super missiles.
So Russia is not is a strong position if it comes to nuclear war. it is all about numbers and the relative dispersal of the population.
War is about logistics and strategies not the emotion of a country and western song.
Posted by: watcher | Jan 21 2025 2:09 utc | 93
Posted by: Melaleuca | Jan 21 2025 5:32 utc | 193
Gratifying to see some A-team barflies on duty this arvo (my time).
Skipped a lot of threads in the past week/ 10 days.
Haven’t seen one of my Must Read posters, ole Rhythmic Slang @bar … or have I just scrolled too fast?
Maybe he irked Brigade77 with his ongoing curiosity re oreshnik, and they served him some walnut pie.
I would not get too despondent Melaleuca. The coronation of King Donald has taken precedence in all western MSM, so it is a really a “slow news time” for anything else to be reported.
In truth, I have found this blog (MoA) becoming increasingly insipid of late so far as information exchange is concerned, and even the quality of trolling has become second rate. Even from our regular Brigade 77 and CIA aligned operatives.
JRL has been great on trying to coax some response from the MI6/CIA shills about Oroshnik, and it is possible they got really annoyed. But at any rate as stated by JRL and others the official western silence on this says an awful lot about just how shocked, surprised and amazed the military and political PTB are. In effect we have a devastating bevy of nut based information sanctions imposed on us by a very concerned western establishment.
I’ll bet they are hoping these Oroshnik thingies are powered by washing machine and toaster chips, and are desperately trying to estimate how many of these things the despicable Putin regime has in its inventory and ready to be launched. I’m hoping King Donald will issue a royal decree on this matter and reassure us all that the USA has super-dooper faster than light drones with a new type of warhead -rumoured to be probability inverting (attribute to Artur C.Clarke)-.
Whatever, I understand if JRL got tired of posting here for a while. Hopefully he will return when there are new substantive issues to discuss and comment on. Again this might depend on how King Donald approaches the SMO, and how Starmer and other vassals react to his regal decisions.
Posted by: Barrel Brown | Jan 21 2025 6:50 utc | 94
@Trubind1 77
Syria was not a Russian vassal state.
Russia did not dictate what Syria could or could not do.
Syria had at its disposal, ballistic missiles in excess to that of Hezb'Allah. Despite the IRGC's hopes of Syria making a stand and retaliating to constant provocations, Assad was a coward. And incredibly vain refusing to talk to Erdogan.
You are repeating West talking points, they wanted Russia to get bogged down in Syria. Just as they had hoped would happen in Ukraine in 2022 with a swift takeover.
What bit of multipolarity and sovereignty do people don't get?
Ansullah, Hezb'Allah, etc are not vassals but independent organizations.
Posted by: Suresh | Jan 21 2025 7:32 utc | 95
I recommend reading the latest John Helmer.
You will see that our esteemed commentator ANON2022 is right in his views.
Posted by: guest from franconia | Jan 21 2025 10:45 utc | 96
Iran is not interested in Russia tying their military decisions up like they did with Syria with the Astana, whereby Russia wouldn’t allow Syria to defend itself against weekly Israeli air raids using Russian AD systems.
That's not accurate. Syria was free to target Israel with Syrian air defences but Russia refused to engage the IAF with Russian air defence assets. Israel attacked Syria by flying down the Bekka valley in Lebanon where they were shielded from Syrian air defence radars by a mountain range.
Russian air defence assets were in Syria to protect Russian assets not Syrian. Russia was in Syria for Russian interests not Syrian. Putin questioned "If not Assad then who?" which implied that Russia was better off with Assad in power in Syria than letting Syria fall to Islamic fundamentalists. Putin also had an interest in not allowing the 25,000 Russian's fighting for ISIS to ever return to Russia alive.
Putin had a good relationship with Assad but Israel hosts over a million Russian jews ... they have friendly relations ... going to war with Israel is against Russian interests.
Guessing after seeing Syria “partner” with Russia, Iran would rather stick to energy and weapons exchange/sales, rather than a “partnership” with Russia in defense.
You're confusing the Assad regime with Syria. Syria exists without the Assad government and Russia's relationship with Syria still exists. Abu Mohammed al-Julani the leader of HTS currently acting as Syria's president said he wants Russia to remain in Syria and keep their military bases.
States like Syria, Iran, Russia and the USA don't have friendships ... they have interests. If an HTS government in Syria is in Russia's interests the Russians don't give a shit what happens to the Assad government. Assad and his family will be treated well by the Russians in exile but Russia's relationship with Syria remains.
Posted by: Trubind1 | Jan 20 2025 15:06 utc | 77
Posted by: h | Jan 21 2025 11:43 utc | 97
I recommend reading the latest John Helmer.
You will see that our esteemed commentator ANON2022 is right in his views.
Posted by: guest from franconia | Jan 21 2025 10:45 utc | 96
said one sock puppet to another.
Posted by: HB_Norica | Jan 21 2025 11:44 utc | 98
It's funny to see how pissed off you Putin trolls get when a patriot like ANON2022 makes his “unpopular” comments here.
Posted by: guest from franconia | Jan 21 2025 13:36 utc | 99
@ Stoic | Jan 21 2025 16:08 utc | 100
Your comment makes no sense whatsoever.
Posted by: malenkov | Jan 21 2025 16:16 utc | 100
The comments to this entry are closed.
Dmitri Kovalevich, Al Mayadeen's special correspondent in Ukraine posts interesting articles on Ukraine roughly every fortnight.
Extract from current one :
After the beginning of Russia's special military operation (SMO) in Ukraine in February 2022, the only reason for Ukraine's existence has become its war with Russia, says Andrei Pinchuk in an interview for the Ukraine.ru news outlet on January 4. He is a reserve colonel and commander of the Russian BARS-13 battalion, a former Ukrainian military officer, and today First Minister of State Security of the Donetsk People's Republic (a constituent of the Russian Federation).
Pinchuk says there is no longer an 'economy' in Ukraine, only warfare. "Negotiations are possible, no doubt about it, but I think they are impossible at the present time. After the start of the Special Military Operation in February 2022, the only reason for the existence of the state of Ukraine became waging war against Russia. As soon as the wheels stop turning on that Ukraine 'bicycle', everything will fall apart. Soldiers will leave the frontlines and travel to Kiev to demolish the government, and Western sponsors will stop giving money, which makes up half of the revenue of the budget of the Zelensky government."
In order to convince the West it is too early to write off the Kiev regime, the Ukraine Armed Forces launched a new attempt at a counteroffensive in Russia's Kursk region on December 5. This turned into a mass destruction of military equipment newly delivered by the United States. Ukrainian opposition blogger Anatoliy Shariy writes that this attempted offensive on Kursk could well enter the Guinness Book of Records as the largest destruction of Western military technology in one event.
All of Kovalevich's articles can be found at :https://english.almayadeen.net/authors/dmitri-kovalevich
Posted by: Red Star | Jan 19 2025 14:02 utc | 1