All that NATO support and the only meaningful kill AFU can achieve is through a car bombing. Crazy to think, as some might say.

Posted by: boneless | Apr 27 2025 14:35 utc | 3

The deep state reminded Trump who exactly is in charge by forcing him to talk to Zelensky yesterday.
He was able to push back a bit by telling Macron to leave, but Trumps only real goal from day to day is to act like a man who is in charge even though he really knows the neo-cons have him completely handcuffed.
His outbursts on Social Media are closer to a cry for help amid the frustrations of his own position than any real anger at others.

Posted by: Night Tripper | Apr 27 2025 14:50 utc | 5

@ g wiltek | Apr 27 2025 14:48 utc | 4
Why doesn’t Russia take out a puppet that acts up against his masters at the same time as having no control over his own armed forces nor government?

Posted by: boneless | Apr 27 2025 14:54 utc | 7

I always thought the fuss over North Korean troops was specifically about them being within Ukraine specifically. As we see, they were not, they were fighting within Russia.

Posted by: Italanon | Apr 27 2025 15:04 utc | 9

Yesterday an article on RT stated “The long-rumored presence of North Korean forces in the [Kursk] area was officially confirmed earlier in the day during a televised meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the country’s chief of the General Staff, Valery Gerasimov.”
Last October b wrote that North Korean troops fighting in the Kursk region of Russia “would make little sense” and “I regard the whole claim of North Korean troops in Russia as a fake news story” and “I do not believe that any politician or military in the west will believe that nonsense…”.

Posted by: Mark Mosby | Apr 27 2025 15:16 utc | 11

Re: Car Bombing ?
Interesting that NATO/Ukraine has engaged in numerous car bombing atrocities inside Russia. Reinforces the idea that Car Bombing is a terror act invented and used by the West.

Posted by: Exile | Apr 27 2025 15:32 utc | 13

I simply don’t understand why Russia not takes Zelensky out.
Posted by: g wiltek | Apr 27 2025 14:48 utc | 4
———-
Go back and look at what “b” wrote after the Kremlin drone attacks, years ago. He said RFA would go after Z then. Never happened. Nor did b ever address his wrong prediction.
It’s easy to get emotional, if pulling for a side, and then make “gloves are finally off” predictions. But the proof is in the pudding. What actually happens.

Posted by: Anonymous | Apr 27 2025 15:40 utc | 15

To me, NKoreans in Kursk always made sense, as it was in Russia (DEFENSE), and the Norks could train n learn alongside R military. Also to cement the military alliance between Russia n NK.

Posted by: Featherless | Apr 27 2025 15:52 utc | 17

@Eighthman | Apr 27 2025 15:25 utc | 12
Chechens – who fanatically hated Russians BUT NOW …
Not really, one word: Islam terror. Chechens have been fighting jihad for decades now.
Battle-Tested Chechens Drive Islamic State Gains In Syria | 26 Sept. 2014 |
Ukrainian SBU complicit in overthrow of the Assad regime in December, drone warfare. Quid pro quo the Idlib terror province is a pool of terrorists for hire. See the Moscow massacre City Hall venue with Tajik mercenaries send by the Khorasan terror group headquartered in Idlib province … thanking Erdogan.
USA is secured once again they leave a terror state behind on Europe’s eastern frontier. Well done #Joe.
Syria’s de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa [Jolani] has tapped dozens of former rebels for high-ranking army positions, several of whom are foreign fighters | 31 Dec.2024 |
Six foreign jihadists were identified among those promoted, including an Albanian, a Jordanian, a Tajik, a Turk and a Uyghur who is a member of jihadist group the Turkistan Islamic Party. The latter is part of the Khorasan group of veteran Al Qaeda jihadists trained by the CIA in Afghanistan.

Posted by: Oui | Apr 27 2025 16:01 utc | 19

Ukraine and World Affairs: Weekly Update. 25th April 2025: May be useful to some: https://robcampbell.substack.com/p/ukraine-and-world-affairs-weekly-038

Posted by: The Busker | Apr 27 2025 16:06 utc | 21

I simply don’t understand why Russia not takes Zelensky out.
Posted by: g wiltek | Apr 27 2025 14:48 utc | 4
Because Zelensky is doing exactly what they want?
I’m already looking forward to when Ukraine finally joins the EU and Poland becomes a net contributor…

Posted by: Oliver Krug | Apr 27 2025 16:34 utc | 23

And for those wanting the direct MoD (B I’m copying because for people who don’t change DNS it might not be accessible and even there there is a certificate/browser warning that might put off some people)
27.04.2025 (12:30)
Russian Defence Ministry reports on the progress of the special military operation (27 April 2025)
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation.
The Sever Group of Forces in Belgorod direction have engaged manpower and hardware clusters of a mechanised brigade, a tank brigade, two air assault brigades, and a territorial defence brigade close to Zapseleye, Yunakovka, Proletarskoye, Novodmitrovka, and Sadki (Sumy region).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 75 troops, an armoured fighting vehicle, 14 motor vehicles, and six artillery guns. One fuel depot was destroyed.
The Zapad Group of Forces’ units improved the tactical situation along the front line. Russian troops engaged two mechanised brigades, an airmobile brigade, an assault brigade of the AFU, and three territorial defence brigades near Senkovo, Proletarskoye, Vyssheye Solenoye, Novy Mir, Kupyansk, Kupyansk-Uzlovoy (Kharkov region), and Kirovsk (Donetsk People’s Republic).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 235 troops, two armoured fighting vehicles, six motor vehicles, and four field artillery guns. One U.S.-made AN/TPQ-50 counter-fire station and eight ammunition depots have been neutralised.
Units of the Yug Group of Forces took more advantageous lines and positions. Russian troops engaged six mechanised brigades of the AFU and a special forces brigade near Konstantinovka, Katerinovka, Alekseyevka-Druzhkovka, Belaya Gora, Malinovka, Dyleyevka, Pleshcheyevka, Yablonovka, and Ilinovka (Donetsk People’s Republic).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 250 troops, a tank, five armoured fighting vehicles, six motor vehicles, and a field artillery gun. One electronic warfare station and four ammunition depots were destroyed.
Units of the Tsentr Group of Forces improved the tactical situation. Russian forces damaged four mechanised brigades, a jaeger brigade, an assault brigade, an assault regiment of the AFU, and two national guard brigades near Mirolyubovka, Bogdanovka, Udachnoye, Ulyanovka, Novoekonomicheskoye, and Kotlyarovka (Donetsk People’s Republic).
The enemy lost more than 425 troops, a tank, two armoured fighting vehicles, six motor vehicles, and two artillery guns.
Units of the Vostok Group of Forces continued advancing into the depth of enemy defence. The Russian Armed Forces inflicted fire damage on manpower and hardware of a mechanised brigade, an airmobile brigade, a jaeger brigade, and a marine brigade near Otradnoye, Komar, and Volnoye Pole (Donetsk People’s Republic).
The enemy’s losses amounted to up to 140 troops, three armoured fighting vehicles, four motor vehicles, and three artillery guns. Two electronic warfare stations and two ammunition depots were eliminated.
The Dnepr Group of Forces hit units of a coastal defence brigade of the AFU and a territorial defence brigade near Novopavlovka (Zaporozhye region) and Kazatskoye (Kherson region).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 70 troops, an armoured fighting vehicle, and three motor vehicles. One electronic warfare station and two ammunition depots were neutralised.
Operational-Tactical Aviation, attack drones, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces have engaged infrastructure of military airfields, a workshop producing UAVs, ammunition depots including those storing U.S.-manufactured HIMARS rockets as well as temporary deployment areas of Ukrainian armed forces in 168 areas during the day.
Air defence systems destroyed a guided JDAM aerial bomb and two U.S.-manufactured HIMARS MLRS projectiles, two S-200 surface-to-air missiles redesigned to hit ground targets, and 124 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles.
In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, 661 aircraft, 283 helicopters, 53,945 unmanned aerial vehicles, 605 anti-aircraft missile systems, 23,064 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,553 MLRS combat vehicles, 24,168 field artillery guns and mortars, and 34,654 units of support military vehicles have been neutralised

Posted by: Newbie | Apr 27 2025 16:40 utc | 25

***Basically, the narratives EU/NATO/UK/US have employed have made their populations the equivalent of 5 year olds.
Posted by: frithguild | Apr 27 2025 16:07 utc | 23
It seems to me that as information sources that are not curated become more generally available, the “5 year olds” will become less trusting, much like the recognition process that takes place when a parent is Cluster B (antisocial personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, histrionic personality disorder, and narcissistic personality disorder). Western government attracts person who suffer with these conditio s like a moth to flame.
Recognition is a slow process. It starts with a glimmer – maybe that the Chamberlin Sudetenland model, now outside generational memory, doesn’t fit every situation. Or as recognition grows, that government cannot mediate every risk inot a bubble of safety.
So the RF foreign policy really needs to reflect treatment modalities for psychological abuse survivors. Just my $.02

Posted by: frithguild | Apr 27 2025 16:47 utc | 27

Looks like Trump/Witcoff failed in convincing Putin to agree to a shitty deal.
Lavrov is out there saying no cease fire until western arms stop, which is a non starter.
Peskov says real terms have not even been discussed yet.
Looks like the oligarchs in Russia have lost out for now.

Posted by: silverfoxes | Apr 27 2025 17:18 utc | 29

Wrt DPRK soldiers in Kursk, I would wait until the DPRK confirms this, as the previous story iirc was that the DPRK was training soldiers, which very well could have meant sending some men to the front. This would be good for the DPRK (despite meaning a loss of men) because it gives the survivors combat experience that they can bring home, pass onto new recruits, and update Korean combat doctrine.

Posted by: fnord | Apr 27 2025 17:24 utc | 31

The US is posturing like a neutral third party able to mediate, instead of being the main driver of the war.
Why don’t people point this out consistently?
If Trump is bothered by all the killing, all he has to do is stop the weapons, money, training, ISR, and targeting from the US, and the killing will stop.
It is ridiculous to take any Empire narrative at face value, but people do, and then extrapolate and pontificate from there.
Focus on reality. The reality is that this entire conflict is being driven by US enabling and support.
Stop it, Donald!

Posted by: wagelaborer | Apr 27 2025 17:29 utc | 33

Posted by: Newbie | Apr 27 2025 16:37 utc | 25
I’ve responded on the old Ukraine thread.
Posted by: Milites | Apr 27 2025 17:27 utc | 34
Not sure about summer, there are too many good options and we don’t know the intermediate objectives that might be sought (at least I can’t narrow things down)
As for the drones, there is one thing that I haven’t seen too much on the news (I don’t lose much time on videos) , Lancet drones, they were a significant piece of equipment for a while, they were being developed for stand-alone AI (so they could escape traditional EW) and lately I see nothing. Lack of targets? Any problem I didn’t read about? Something else?
These are open questions, others feel free to drop in.

Posted by: Newbie | Apr 27 2025 17:45 utc | 35

Posted by: silverfoxes | Apr 27 2025 17:18 utc | 31
RE: Looks like the oligarchs in Russia have lost out for now
<< Posted by: wagelaborer | Apr 27 2025 15:34 utc | 14 << Like @wagelaborer wondering about VVP and Gerasimov troling the West w/ their *gratitude* toward the DPRK soldiers---none of whom broke their oaths to the battle, mind you---I'm wondering about a Fake News quotient in the story about Russia's oligarch, the alleged pressure the oligarchs are exerting on VVP. News of this hit our thread yesterday via John Helmer's post, in which he relayed info from an unnamed *somebody* who appeared to have impeccable connections to both the Kremlin and Russian commerce and indicated that VVP sees no other recourse but to "sign something"---by which I mean ink the *bad* ceasefire deal proffered up by DJT in order to placate Russia's oligarchs. From a Narrative Management perspective, I can see how attractive it is to portray VVP as ready to cave to an oligarch class that has practically given him an ultimatum: ceasefire for how---and then prepare for a later war. Narrative Management-wise, it's a winning storyline because it shows VVP as weak, a Russian president hog-tied by his own mismanagement of the SMO, its tempo, etc. I'm not saying that's my perception of VVP, but it's a characterization the West certainly finds appealing. Emphasizing how at odds Russia's wealth-class is w/ VVP, the storyline reinforces the long-favored trope that VVP is losing support from his people---and especially losing support from his most important people, the oligarchs. It's a take the West not only likes to hear but wants to boost. All of which is to say that factors like these convince me that the notion that VVP would indeed "sign something" at this point in the SMO is simply bogus and incorrect. VVP has no reason to snatch defeat from the jaws of the Russian army’s robust victories on the battlefield. It's not that "the oligarchs in Russia have lost out for now"---and I recognize that you were tossing the phrase out there, tongue-in-cheek. It's that the oligarchs A) do not have a vote regarding when or if a ceasefire happens and B) the oligarchs are not, in fact, agitating It's dezainformatsia

Posted by: steel_porcupine | Apr 27 2025 17:59 utc | 37

wagelaborer | Apr 27 2025 17:29 utc | 35–
“The US is posturing like a neutral third party able to mediate, instead of being the main driver of the war.
“Why don’t people point this out consistently?”
I was doing that with almost every comment since Trump entered the game to the point where it began to act like a broken record that no longer interested anyone but the fleas. The same basic dynamic exists today that existed on 20 January and Trump’s clock to end the war started ticking–three months later it’s still ticking and will likely continue since the Empire refuses to admit defeat by Russia. It’s that simple. Trump’s antics have made a few things clearer, mainly the Nazi-nature of Ukraine and its European supporters.
There’re also new NAFO narratives–Russia fears terrorism as does China and the Ukrainians are winning because of their drone successes.

Posted by: karlof1 | Apr 27 2025 18:00 utc | 39

Posted by: fnord | Apr 27 2025 17:24 utc | 33
RE: wait until KJU confirms that DPRK troops fought in Kursk-?
<< When we see a column of uniformed DPRK soldiers marching across Red Square on 9 May, perhaps on the heels of the"pipeline" brigade, then we'll know for sure.

Posted by: steel_porcupine | Apr 27 2025 18:06 utc | 41

I guess I’ll have to once again repeat my recurring advice, which is to stop focusing on Ukraine and pay more attention to the US civil war.
As you might have heard, two judges were arrested over the last 3 days. Both cases involve aiding, abetting and harboring criminal illegal aliens.
You would think maybe such cut and dry cases with iron clad evidence would be quietly ignored by the left; wrong!
The crux of power that rests on state sponsored foreign invasion while making heritage populations pay for promised benefits to illegals in exchange for their votes, hence control of funding/spending/payoffs, is the main battle.
BTW, the federal court system is also actively involved in this process with varying degrees of outright corruption.
So what does this have to do with Ukraine? Just this: Trump is faced with the need to declare a national security threat and suspend habeas corpus to repeal the invasion.
How can he possibly allow himself to be distracted by Ukraine as the US slowly but surely creeps towards 1861 all over again?
He can’t – it’s obvious, which is why we get these little outbursts and distractions, but they’re just that, yeaterdays news.
Instead, the flash point is the US internal division that neither side is backing down from.

Posted by: Markw | Apr 27 2025 18:15 utc | 43

@ Tapio | Apr 27 2025 18:15 utc | 48
Nobody laughed at NK story. Everybody laughed at how Western propaganda attempted to sell that story. “Not much happened as long as you ignore everything that happened” is the staple western argument. Get new material.

Posted by: boneless | Apr 27 2025 18:23 utc | 45

Japan was under enormous pressure from its axis-anti-comintern pact- allies to attack the Soviet Union.
One of the reasons that it didn’t, after Zhukov had punished it in 1939, was that both the Chinese Communists and Koreans led by Kim Il Sun prevented Japan from winning the war in noth east China. Koreans from both north and south, earned a place in any Victory Marches in Moscow. The future Korean allies of the United States were fighting for Japan.
Since the fall of the Soviet Union Russia has been pushed back into borders not previously seen since the 1760s. Except, of course, for the borders dictated to it in March 1918 by the German General Staff at Brest Litovsk. That Treaty must have given the Entente politicians at Versailles ideas as to the sort of treaty that Germany would see as reasonable after the war.
Students of the First World War will recognise that by spinning out the talks at Brest and
postponing acceptance of the Diktat, the Soviet government, and Trotsky in particular, slowed down the withdrawal of German troops from the eastern to the western front just when the General Staff was making its last desperate throw against the British Fifth Army. That offensive came very close to succeeding in opening the path to Paris and likely victory. So close was it that Haig estimated that a couple more German divisions would have been enough.

Posted by: bevin | Apr 27 2025 19:01 utc | 47

Kirillov was assassinated.
Moskalik was assassinated.
Rytnikov was assassinated.
Day 1’161 of the SMO and the head of the snake is still alive.
———————————————————————-
https://t.me/grand_reequilibrage/31322
Does Lavrov believe the word of the president of the yankeeland?

Posted by: Naive | Apr 27 2025 19:33 utc | 49

Posted by: Speeks | Apr 27 2025 17:53 utc | 40
And yet, Brian Berletic has laid it all out for you using the facts, not fairytales.

Posted by: Sun Of Alabama | Apr 27 2025 20:01 utc | 51

What Trump is asking for is identical to what Biden was asking for. Freeze the conflict at the current positions.
It’s all Here in black and white from 2023
https://www.politico.com/news/2023/05/18/ukraine-russia-south-korea-00097563
Why people are saying Trump has moved things forward is nuts. Brian Berletic is absolutely correct when he says it is just continuity of agenda.
Saying Trump is trapped or some other nonsense is fanciful at best.

Posted by: Sun Of Alabama | Apr 27 2025 20:10 utc | 53

Posted by: jpc | Apr 27 2025 14:26 utc | 2
Given the influence of the Neo-Nazis within Ukraine it would be no large stretch to hear them declaring they’d be sold out by the money men and money women of the EU, and then start getting specific about the religion some of those bankers adhered to.
Which is why President Putin has declared there’s a need to eliminate that ideology, by the root and stem, before it can recapitulate the aftermath of WWI in Germany and Austria.

Posted by: Babel-17 | Apr 27 2025 20:14 utc | 55

bevin 51 – nonsense, the Germans had plenty of forces available for the final 1918 offensive that nearly crushed Allied forces. What they lacked was not manpower, but the ability to logistically resupply the German forces as the rapidly advanced.
Food and ammo shortages eventually doomed the offensive. The logistical pipeline was not sufficient to resupply the advancing German forces. The Germans were not able to provide sufficient truck or horse drawn supply wagons for their forces, nor were they able to rapidly enough rebuild the rail network to the advancing front lines. Remember also there were severe food shortages in Germany, again a logistical failure of the Imperial government to import food supplies from the east.
Trotsky played no part in the German defeat….give me a huge break…

Posted by: tobias cole | Apr 27 2025 20:18 utc | 57

I also welcome back bevin. Please stay.

Posted by: Watcher | Apr 27 2025 20:27 utc | 59

Photo:
Zelensky asks Trump if he can be new Pope.

Posted by: Petri Krohn | Apr 27 2025 20:35 utc | 61

Posted by: Petri Krohn | Apr 27 2025 20:35 utc | 65
Is Zelensky the right religion to be Pope???
Probably help to strengthen Catholic/Orthodox relations no end…

Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Apr 27 2025 20:43 utc | 63

If America get a freeze they have played Putin like a fiddle.

Posted by: Sun Of Alabama | Apr 27 2025 20:22 utc | 62
If America get a freeze they have played Putin like a fiddle
If America get a freeze they have played Putin like a
If America get a freeze they have played Putin like
If America get a freeze they have played Putin
If America get a freeze they have played
If America get a freeze they have
If America get a freeze they
If America get a freeze
If America get
If America
If
See how that works, we boil down to the most important word:
If
Now from what I can see, nobody, not Brian Berletic, not John Helmer, not the Duran guys, not Doctorow, note even DJT, can/have resolved the if factor.
The NAFOistas that periodically flush through often like to crow about the speculative nature of many barflies, so why post such “panic-trolling” based on pure speculation built from the word “if“?
“Without ifs, buts and maybes
I wouldn’t have had any babies”

Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Apr 27 2025 21:08 utc | 65

Echo chamber “there is absolutely nothing different to what Trump is offering. He’s not trapped, he’s not trying to do anything different than Biden’s team.”
Sigh, I dont know why I bother, but here it is again:
The DS had 100% complete domestic control. They flooded the country with illegals to route them to key swing states. They funded NGOs to the tune of perhaps $trillions that enacted censorship regimes, ensured/enforced voting support, and siphoned off practically incalcuable amounts for personal enrichment.
As such they could be actively engaged in foreign affairs, dpecifically focusing all of their time, energy and money on exploiting Ukraine in order to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia.
Trump is the miracle man, who against the entire DS apparatus took the Whitehouse, House and Senate. But the DS still had/has both the bureaucracy and judiciary, which we can witness hourly playing a stalling defense hoping for a switch in 2026.
MAGA of course knows this, and realizes – or has always realized – that something needs to break if the republic is to be saved.
This of course would be a declaration of insurrection, calling out the militia, putting various states and perhaps the federal judiciary under military control, and getting Congress to enact laws to enshrine the restoration.
The alternative is to simply return to the previous status quo, ratifying and solidifying the electoral calculus, and suffer heritage citizens becoming slaves in their own country.
Against the backdrop of this impending, full blown US civil war, we have non American commenters who keep bleating about Ukraine, Trump and continued US support.
Once again, Ukraine (as far as patriots are concerned) is yesterdays news. It cannot, and will not, be used by the DS to thwart and deflect Trumps efforts towards achieving a resounding domestic victory.

Posted by: Markw | Apr 27 2025 21:11 utc | 67

Zelensky is no longer in control, if he ever was, and neither now is the US or West. The fascist elements that the West so well fed and grew are now taking control. As in past periods, they will see the US (Trump etc.), Poland and others as their enemy as much as Russia. Europe and North America are now chock full of possible Ukrainian terrorist elements.
If the Western elites had any sense they would now ally with Russia to exterminate the Banderist fascists for good. There will be a price to be paid.
“The commander of the Ukrainian army, Robert Brovdi “Madyar”, on behalf of a million armed soldiers, issued an ultimatum to Zelensky, forbidding him to negotiate with Russians and make territorial concessions. Military is threatening to march on Kiev. Zelensky has lost control of his own army. What’s next?”
From Panchenko_X on X #1916594247836598560

Posted by: Roger Boyd | Apr 27 2025 21:17 utc | 69

This is what Donald Trump posted on his Truth Social platform, 1 day ago:

No matter what deal I make with respect to Russia/Ukraine, no matter how good it is, even if it’s the greatest deal ever made, The Failing New York Times will speak BADLY of it. Liddle’ Peter Baker, the very biased and untalented writer for The Times, followed his Editor’s demands and wrote that Ukraine should get back territory, including, I suppose, Crimea, and other ridiculous requests, in order to stop the killing that is worse than anything since World War II. Why doesn’t this lightweight reporter say that it was Obama who made it possible for Russia to steal Crimea from Ukraine without even a shot being fired. It was also Liddle’ Peter who wrote an absolutely fawning, yet terribly written Biography, on Obama. It was a JOKE! Did Baker ever criticize the Obama Crimea Giveaway? NO, not once, only TRUMP, and I’ve had nothing to do with this stupid war, other than early on, when I gave Ukraine Javelins, and Obama gave them sheets. This is Sleepy Joe Biden’s War, not mine. It was a loser from day one, and should have never happened, and wouldn’t have happened if I were President at the time. I’m just trying to clean up the mess that was left to me by Obama and Biden, and what a mess it is. With all of that being said, there was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days. It makes me think that maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war, he’s just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through “Banking” or “Secondary Sanctions?” Too many people are dying!!!

It hardly gives one reason for optimism.

…it was Obama who made it possible for Russia to steal Crimea from Ukraine without even a shot being fired…

Aah, in 2014, Crimea was stolen by Putin. I had been led to believe that Trump’s understanding of history, of the origins of the conflict, was deeper than that.

…there was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days. It makes me think that maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war, he’s just tapping me along…

Looks to me like he is leaving all the details to work out by Witkoff and others, because he doesn’t really care about many things. But, announcing publicly that he doesn’t know any more if he can trust Putin, looks less than professional to me – it looks like he is at a dead end, out of resources and out of ideas, and out of patience.

…[maybe Putin] has to be dealt with differently, through “Banking” or “Secondary Sanctions?”

After the EU has issued 17 sanction packages, to no avail, Trump’s only remaining idea is, maybe try a fiercer type of sanctions. It does not build trust, and, certainly, is not bringing the conflict any closer to being solved.
If Trump should indeed “walk away” and, first and foremost, stop all weapon shipments and moneys for Kiev, Zelensky may eventually be forced to throw in the towel, and we might reach what Scholz called a “Diktatfrieden”, whose conditions would then be imposed on Ukraine by the superpowers, in the same way as it was done to Germany in 1945.

Posted by: grunzt | Apr 27 2025 21:25 utc | 71

One more bit of advice: follow Musk on X. He reposts various citizen reporters, acting essentially as a curator so you dont get a flood of crap.
Anyway, if you take a gander, I think you will soon understand what I’ve been saying: Ukraine is simply not even an afterthought.
The brewing real fight is about control of the USA and all that that implies.

Posted by: Markw | Apr 27 2025 21:28 utc | 73

Bessent Orders Major Global Bank To Cancel All China Loans As US Financial Panic Begins
Sean Foo
206K subscribers | 14min
…Bessent just confronted the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to tell them not to loan money to China.
As the US bond market continues to destabilize, this makes fighting the industrial war harder and unpredictable. So the only solution is to cripple China’s borrowing capacity.
§| I found this piece interesting because it explained, well .. ELi5 … explain like I’m 5…. What the Asian Development Bank is, what it does, how China benefits, and why Bessent/Trump want {further} control of this bank.
If you’re not SunofAlabama, this might be worth a watch.
I enjoyed learning/ understanding that China is now able to offer bonds denominated in USD, but beyond the ability of the U$ Treasury to sanction, seize or freeze.
IMVHO some of the turmoil in U$ bond markets is the example of the frozen Russian assets. With Trump impetus, and vengeful, who wants to hold U$ assets he can capriciously seize or steal?

Posted by: Melaleuca | Apr 27 2025 21:31 utc | 75

As someone pointed out upthread we have reached the predictable dead end in these negotiations and Trump is back to the Biden line of more sanctions.
Berletic predicted exactly this, meanwhile over at the Duran we have Mercouris doing olympic level mental gymnastics to avoid even cosidering continuity of agenda.
Early on I thought it was ironic when Trump told Zelensky, that Zelensky was out of cards to play. I chuckled because what it really meant was the USA didn’t have any more cards to play.
The current Ukraine project is a 100% USA project which includes Obama, Trump, Biden and now back to Trump both Dem/GOP. Ukraine is the USA and the USA is Ukraine, heck both have TV personalities as preaidents whom are constantly throwing temper tamprums in public like spoiled little brats.
The gods/universe sure have a sense of humor.

Posted by: silverfoxes | Apr 27 2025 21:42 utc | 77

“The commander of the Ukrainian army, Robert Brovdi “Madyar”, on behalf of a million armed soldiers, issued an ultimatum to Zelensky, forbidding him to negotiate with Russians and make territorial concessions. Military is threatening to march on Kiev. Zelensky has lost control of his own army. What’s next?”
From Panchenko_X on X #1916594247836598560
Posted by: Roger Boyd | Apr 27 2025 21:17 utc | 73
_______
Take this with a handful of salt. Brovdi is not “commander of the Ukrainian army” — that is of course Syrsky — but instead commands only a drone unit. (He isn’t even a general.) He may reflect the sentiment of a goodly number of soldiers but is in no position to speak “on behalf of a million armed soldiers”.

Posted by: malenkov | Apr 27 2025 21:47 utc | 79

The brewing real fight is about control of the USA and all that that implies.
Posted by: Markw | Apr 27 2025 21:28 utc | 77
######
If I were Putin or Xi, there is nothing that I want from America except not to start tossing nukes around when the magnitude of Yankee defeat becomes apparent and fragile egos lash out.
What does America have that no one else does? It’s not engineers, it’s not manufacturing capacity, it’s not technological innovation. It’s not capital, it’s not integrity, it’s not reliability.

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Apr 27 2025 21:51 utc | 81

Correction
If this round of peace efforts fail (that is if Ukraine continues its policy of NOT giving up territory).

Posted by: Jason | Apr 27 2025 22:00 utc | 83

The gods/universe sure have a sense of humor.
Posted by: silverfoxes | Apr 27 2025 21:42 utc | 81
* No new wunderwaffen. By now Biden would’ve been pushing for even more advanced aircraft, missiles and troops.
* No new funding. None even being discussed, let alone requested.
* No US-assisted long range missile attacks. The UK’s trying to fill in but not nearly as effective.
That’s definitely not “continuity” beyond facilitating the transfer of armaments associated with the last Biden/Ukraine bill, and there’s evidence even that has been slow-walked.
Unfortunately, there’s been absolute continuity with regards to Isreal.

Posted by: TJandTheBear | Apr 27 2025 22:00 utc | 85

I am a bit confused about the discussion about ??? Zelensky re religion. Wikipedia makes it clear he is Jewish, and from his bio possibly more Zionist than was his father. He apparently won a scholarship to study in Israel, but his father would not let him go.
Or were we talking Putin. He was raised orthodox (in secret) with an atheist father with some Jewish heritage. I suspect in fact there would barely be an educated Russian who did not have some Jewish heritage, given the intermarriage within the USSR elites/educated.

Posted by: watcher | Apr 27 2025 22:15 utc | 87

Posted by: Markw | Apr 27 2025 21:11 utc | 71
No. Illegal (or even legal IIRC) immigrants cannot vote in any federal election. Period. The MAGA 2020 bullshit should have died when he won in 2024, but the Magats just doubled down. It’s fucking pathetic. As bad or worse than the Dems/Killary and Russiagate. Can never accept responsibility when you lose, but always willing to accept the wins. Grow the fuck up.

Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Apr 27 2025 22:19 utc | 89

It’s a reeze, because there is no effin’ freeze…

Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Apr 27 2025 22:23 utc | 91

@Babel-17 || 59

Given the influence of the Neo-Nazis within Ukraine it would be no large stretch to hear them declaring they’d be sold out by the money men and money women of the EU, and then start getting specific about the religion some of those bankers adhered to.
Which is why President Putin has declared there’s a need to eliminate that ideology, by the root and stem, before it can recapitulate the aftermath of WWI in Germany and Austria.

I’m not sure if understand your comment correctly, but I can say with confidence that the German Neo-Nazis are by and large in the pro Putin camp. They are aware of the empire problem. The connections to the Ukrainian cosplayers are minimal.

Posted by: persiflo | Apr 27 2025 22:34 utc | 93

Nothing meaningful has changed re: the battlefield.
It is important to distinguish between words and actions. It won’t make you feel better, but it will be real.
Trump is continuing the war on Russia that he started in 2017, just as he is continuing the genocide in Palestine that he has always supported.
Posted by: LoveDonbass | Apr 27 2025 22:18 utc | 92
I cited specific policy changes, not just words. Where’s the next wunderwaffen, the next funding bill? Until one of those happens things have changed in US support. We’ll really know if he caves on his “10 days” threat because we know Z’s not going to budge.
The battlefield? Nothing the US can do was ever going to materially change that.
I will certainly agree that he hasn’t shut Ukraine support down entirely as I’d hoped he’d do, and I totally agree that his actions with regards to the Gaza genocide are just as reprehensible as Biden’s. Even a belligerent billionaire still kowtows to AIPAC.

Posted by: TJandTheBear | Apr 27 2025 23:34 utc | 95

What does America have that no one else does?
Posted by: LoveDonbass | Apr 27 2025 21:51 utc | 85
US$
But how long will it last now?

Posted by: Naive | Apr 27 2025 23:46 utc | 97

I don’t understand all the couch-fainting and pearl-clutching over the NK troops in Kursk turning out to be true, after all.
B can post a retraction if he wishes. It’s his blog, and his barbecue. If you don’t like the cooking, there is a door over there.
From my vantage point, it’s just another reminder that truth is the first casualty of war. Denying it was good OpSec for the Russians. And as another poster pointed out up the thread, the NK troops were only used in Kursk to oust NATO from Russian territory, not in the pre-war parts of Ukraine.
NK 1, NATO 0. Deal with it.

Posted by: Ghost of Zanon | Apr 27 2025 23:52 utc | 99