juliania | Aug 14 2025 0:03 utc | 93–
Thanks for your reply and kudos. IMO, sovereignty was the basis for Primakov’s mantra about the rise of multipolarity and basis for RIC then BRIC, etc. At Bandung in 1955 it was well known what needed to happen but very few nations then had what was needed. Last I saw, China’s Global Security Initiative had 130 sponsors out of 193 nations; it’s two key provisions being indivisibility of security and no hegemony.
BRICS challenge to the Outlaw US Empire has nothing to do with the dollar. Rather, it’s all about standing together in sovereign solidarity against the hegemon that merits losing its hegemony so Humanity can live in peace. Trump’s opposition to BRICS proves beyond all doubt that he has no business being named a Peace Prize Candidate and instead is a War Criminal Candidate.

Posted by: karlof1 | Aug 14 2025 0:47 utc | 104

I expect the best. It can be this:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=G7ZOrbCGiWc

Posted by: Esophagus | Aug 14 2025 1:08 utc | 106

Posted by: James M. | Aug 14 2025 0:20 utc | 96
What hypothesis are you testing?

Their hypothesis that Putin’s killed in Alaska. We’ve seen an insane amount of silly, stupid, hilarious… claims in this forum. The content/noise ratio is generally bad, everybody knows it and (usually) finds some way to deal with it.
The “Putin’s gonna die!” faction has this time committed to an unusually specific claim. This is why I thought it’d be fun to collect their names, for reading hygiene (but I’ll forget anyway).
Would be nice if our world had self-imposed rules such as: “Oh, I made a really stupid blunder on that forum. I’ll abstain from posting for ten weeks.” 🙂 Thanks for your list!

Posted by: Konami | Aug 14 2025 1:35 utc | 108

Trump publicly threatens Pootin with dire consequences if he doesn’t submit to his demands in Alaska.
Bye bye Pootin. Nice knowing you. Hope you like the vat of acid Trump got for you.
Trump openly threatens Putin
Global Times
August 14, 2025 09:24
Beijing
“Trump: Russia will face “very serious consequences” if it does not agree to a ceasefire
U.S. President Donald Trump said at a news conference in Washington on Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin will face “very serious consequences” if he does not accept a Russian-Ukrainian ceasefire proposal during a meeting in Alaska.
Trump also said he hopes to hold trilateral talks with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky soon if the talks with him go well.
Earlier in the day, U.S. Treasury Secretary Benson said the U.S could ramp up sanctions against Russia if Trump’s meeting with Putin doesn’t go well.
According to US media reports, the one-on-one meeting between Trump and Putin will take place on the 15th at a military base in Anchorage, the largest city in Alaska. Trump described the meeting as a “tentative one” and said the outcome was “either good or bad.”

Posted by: Surferket | Aug 14 2025 1:54 utc | 110

Perhaps it’s theatre.
Perhaps VVP is sacrificing himself.
Perhaps it’s to sign START renewal.
But the Sherpas have achieved nothing with Ukrainian peace, so it ain’t that.

Posted by: necromancer | Aug 14 2025 2:17 utc | 112

Putin, a guy thousands of people in Washington obsess about for a living, is coming to the United States. A country that never seeks peace. A country that has the CIA with an operations side that assassinates foreign leaders that won’t do what the USA wants. And yet it is preposterous to propose that the CIA will assassinate Putin.
Posted by: Cheney | Aug 14 2025 1:50 utc | 109
Exactly correct. A country, Trump, who murdered Soleimani when he had been lured to Iraq on a peace mission. A country who ran the Spiderweb attack on Russia. A country that constantly commits crimes and lies about them.
The proponents of this mad meeting should point out what can be discussed ‘face to face’ that cannot be discussed face to face on Zoom or Whatsapp or other internet means.
And no a Trump ‘signature’ means nothing.
The US could even go the ‘legal’ way and send Putin to the Dutch kangaroo court.

Posted by: acementhead | Aug 14 2025 2:34 utc | 114

Hurting Putin in any way will be war. Putin is the only person keeping Russia’s military hawks from annihilating everyone.
Not an American-style weak and gay war for Fox News. We’re talking total war, the likes of which America has never seen.
That all said, FAFO.

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Aug 14 2025 2:41 utc | 116

The real reason Pootin is heading over to Alaska is to present the Order of Lenin to Trump for his services to the glory of the Russian Federation and the quelling of Deep State with the deployment of US military within the USA to subjugate the civilian population.
Congratulations Comrades, the day we have been having wet dreams about is upon us.
Drink (Vodka, of course), cream your pants, whatever rocks your boat!
Rejoice!
/S

Posted by: Suresh | Aug 14 2025 2:45 utc | 118

@Konami | Thu, 14 Aug 2025 01:35:00 GMT | 108

The “Putin’s gonna die!” faction has this time committed to an unusually specific claim. This is why I thought it’d be fun to collect their names, for reading hygiene (but I’ll forget anyway).
Would be nice if our world had self-imposed rules such as: “Oh, I made a really stupid blunder on that forum. I’ll abstain from posting for ten weeks.” 🙂

It would do a lot of posters here some good if they stopped posting for ten weeks, or ten months, or better yet ten years, go outside and touch grass. Get some perspective on their lives. Unfortunately, people are wedded to their preconceived perceptions, and will more likely double-down.
Putin’s team foiled the plot, Putin judo-chopped the assassin, Trump TACO’d, the Deep States wants a bigger assassination later, etc. All these excuses, and others, will pop up after the summit. And the shameless posters will continue posting nonsense shamelessly.

Posted by: James M. | Aug 14 2025 2:52 utc | 120

Posted by: acementhead | Aug 14 2025 2:34 utc | 114
“A country who ran the Spiderweb attack on Russia.”
I thought that was the British who did that. I read it here on MoA for the better part of a week.

Posted by: Paranaense | Aug 14 2025 3:04 utc | 122

Posted by: James M. | Aug 14 2025 2:52 utc | 120
“the Deep States wants a bigger assassination later,”
Yeah, right. How is the Deep State going to assassinate Putin if they can’t even get rid of Trump with an incompetent Secret Service detail? I guess they couldn’t compensate for Sovereignty.

Posted by: Paranaense | Aug 14 2025 3:15 utc | 124

@ james/Aug 13 2025 22:13 utc/ 79
I agree entirely.
While preparing our torches and pitchforks – perhaps it’s time to invest $5 in an ndp membership protest vote for Honest Yves Engler who promises to break off all relations with the Zionist genocide state and get us the hell out of NATO. That used to be part of the NDP constitution until it was removed by St Jack Layton who explained to Canucklheads: ‘We’re going to change NATO from within!’

Posted by: JohnGilberts | Aug 14 2025 3:16 utc | 126

@acementhead | Thu, 14 Aug 2025 02:43:00 GMT | 117

I’m not sure America is a party to the ICC or ICJ.
Posted by: LoveDonbass | Aug 14 2025 2:36 utc | 115
How long would it take the US to change that? Is the US secretly undergoing to actions necessary to do that? We do not know.

All states in the UN are “party” to the ICJ. The ICJ just hears cases brought to it by states suing other states, but it doesn’t have binding mechanisms.

Article 35, paragraph 1, of the Statute provides that the Court shall be open to the States parties to the Statute, and Article 93, paragraph 1, of the Charter of the United Nations provides that all Members of the United Nations are ipso facto parties to the Statute.

To be a party to the Rome Statue (ICC), a state has to sign and ratify the statue. The US signed the statue, but revoked its signature later. In order for a treaty to be ratified in the US, the Senate must approve of it by a two-thirds vote (66 votes). There’s no secrecy about it.
Side Note: The ICC claims universal jurisdiction so it can, in practice and theory, arrest and bring charges on leaders whose country is not a party to the ICC. Hence, Putin’s, Netanyahu’s, and Duterte’s arrest warrants.

Posted by: James M. | Aug 14 2025 3:33 utc | 128

Posted by: acementhead | Aug 14 2025 3:01 utc | 121
######
I’m a Muslim, nothing happens without God’s remit.
Fear of death is fear of life.

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Aug 14 2025 3:48 utc | 130

Boys and girls, and this is how it’s done
“There was a time when LOMys* (keyboard warriors, basically) loudly asked: “Why aren’t they…”
https://maratkhairullin.substack.com/p/brief-frontline-report-august-13th
*The abbreviation “LOMy” (ЛОМы) breaks down into three Russian words, each contributing to its sarcastic meaning:
1. Любители (*Lyubiteli*) = “Lovers” / “Enthusiasts”
2. Обсуждений (*Obsuzhdeniy*) = “of Discussions”
3. Милитарных (*Militarnykh*) = “Military” (or alternatively, Мифов *Mifov* = “of Myths”)
Taking the opportunity to propose someone extend the great questions:
1. Is Putin going to alaska because his girlfriend sent him sleeping to his sofa last week
2. The cia will infect putin with herpes… because reasons
3. The deal, that doesn’t exist is a surrender is irrelevant compared to the spin, will be signed by to body doubles
4. From unimpeachable sources , generals (plural) , the 1000 ways russia will fail and putin is a zombie

Posted by: Newbie | Aug 14 2025 3:55 utc | 132

After seeing how Yassir Arafat died; how the ‘pagers’ were organized for months or years ahead, how polonium can work, how innocent bumps into a tip of an umbrella can be lethal, – I am not so sure that some other means do not exist, to make a person get sick some weeks or months later, so that a ‘natural’ cause can be posited.

Posted by: fanto | Aug 14 2025 4:05 utc | 134

This is a great short (2 minutes 51 seconds) segment from Patrick Henningson about how the British operate and what their approach to Russia is. How America is Britain’s catspaw, and that British and Israeli tactics overlap.
https://x.com/21WIRE/status/1954075173625225392
The Israeli and British tactics overlap because they are the same entity. Britain, America, Israel.

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Aug 14 2025 4:33 utc | 136

@acementhead | Thu, 14 Aug 2025 03:51:00 GMT | 131

The US doesn’t give a damn about the law. It is quite capable of grabbing President Putin and sending him to The Hague. The US constantly does extra-legal stuff, as well as outright illegal.

So a non-American telling me how America “works”? Preconceived biases confirmed. Yes, the US has done some shady stuff in the past, because it could get away with it, but there are limits to even what the omnipotent US Empire can do in 2025. Offing sitting leaders of very powerful states on your own territory is beyond the pale, even for the evil US.
Have you ever heard of customary international law, or state practice? No, of course not. But it is a concept you should probably became passingly familiar with, if you want to understand the legal interactions among countries. I’ll give you the cliff notes version, though I doubt you’ll appreciate it, or will just outright ignore it. International law is created by state practices, their customs basically, over time.
So things like assassinating foreign leaders just because you don’t like them has been mostly phased out. There are exceptions of course, but they go against the norms put in place. Privateering is another example. It was once commonplace for states to use privateers during wartime. Now, not so much. Chemical weapons in warfare? Yeah, that’s bad.
States don’t get to do whatever they want, despite what you might think. Yes, of course there are exceptions – Israel being the main one. But Israel is now seen as a pariah, and there are certain lines that even Israel will not cross. And Netanyahu may still get his comeuppance as well.
I’ll tell you what, if you are so convinced in your own “cost-benefit analysis” regarding Putin being assassinated, I’ll make you a wager. If Putin dies or is killed while on American territory during the Alaska summit, I will stop posting here for five years. However, if he lives, then you must stop posting here for the same amount of time. Agreed?

Posted by: James M. | Aug 14 2025 5:05 utc | 138

Posted by: James M. | Aug 14 2025 5:05 utc | 138
Your proposed wager would be ‘fair’ if the probability of President Putin being murdered was .5. I consider the probability of his being murdered is way below that maybe .01 so yes you are way more likely to be correct.
But his murder isn’t the only possible adverse outcome of his trip to Alaska. Because you proposed such an absurd wager it is obvious that you have zero understanding of C/B analyses and probably even mathematics.
I note that you do not respond to my question regarding the ‘vaccine’ so assume that my conjecture is correct.

Posted by: acementhead | Aug 14 2025 5:53 utc | 140

The CIA and it’s exiled Cuban hit squads tried to assassinate Fidel Castro around 634 times.
Castro made a speech at the United Nations in New York in 1960, at over 2 hours one of the longest on record, more than enough time to assassinate him.
Nobody is going to assassinate V. Putin in Alaska.

Posted by: Persona Non Grata | Aug 14 2025 6:25 utc | 142

Posted by: CeaClearly | Aug 13 2025 17:56 utc | 8
“those UK Generals back after they were captured in last weeks raid in Ukraine”
Posted by: Fool Me Twice | Aug 13 2025 20:03 utc | 43
“Has any credible source substantiated the story?”
I have seen a fact check refuting it, so it is now a virtual certainty.

Posted by: Jan Sobieski | Aug 14 2025 6:35 utc | 144

Posted by: Konami | Aug 14 2025 1:35 utc | 108

Their hypothesis that Putin’s killed in Alaska.

Red weddings and assassinations of leaders (both domestic and foreign) have been much used expressions of power in all of recorded history. USrael is using this tool excessivly, without any negative consequences whatsoever. Both open assassinations and more ambigous covert ones are in the arsenal.
Uncontroversially (on this forum at least) the declining US empire is in a phase of open and aggressive power projection, it has to use fear and force to hold the empire together, as it has no longer any positive incentives to offer to anyone. With only brute force left, but opposed by militarily stronger adversaries, it only has the media control (where it still rules supreme) and leadership control left; corruption and threats. It is therefore reasonable to use any means neccessary to strike fear into the hearts of all relevant leaders.
During the Covid hysteria, four African presidents (and a Haitian one) died under very suspicous circumstances after successfully shielding their population from the henchmen of the WHO. All were replaced by meak yes-men. Quickly all others in Africa fell in line, despite the fact that no epidemic event was taking place in Africa.
Mocking the warnings of the possible assassination of the Rssuian president is ignorance of history, both recent and ancient and ignorance of the current state of the empire. The US blew up Northstream with zero consequences, they killed the Hezbollah and Iranean military leadership, with zero consequences. Equally there will be zero consequences when Putin has cancer in a couple of weeks. But the world’s leaders will fall in line. It is the rational thing to do.

Posted by: Hamburger | Aug 14 2025 7:03 utc | 146

For the avoidance of doubt, I predict NO assassination in Alaska.
Posted by: ChatNPC | Aug 14 2025 0:32 utc | 101
How can Nato predict that if they blow him up, someone much less friendly won’t be next president or general or whatever? I can’t see a single reason why Nato, especially US, would want to lose Putin. Some individuals or groups, both inside and outside Nato and RF may want to see him gone but Nato’s greatest expansion, sanctions without punishment, nukes at the borders, sinking ships, blowing up nuclear carriers and so on has happened with Putin. Nato loves this team, much more since the smo stays inside Russia and barely touches Ukr, their beloved toy

Posted by: rk | Aug 14 2025 8:13 utc | 148

Merz you fool!

Russian forces have struck four Ukrainian defense industrial facilities producing long-range missile systems, causing “colossal” damage and stalling Kiev’s domestic missile program, the Federal Security Service (FSB) has said.

https://www.rt.com/russia/622868-russia-derails-ukraine-missile-program/

Posted by: Ghost of Zanon | Aug 14 2025 8:16 utc | 150

“BRICS challenge to the Outlaw US Empire has nothing to do with the dollar. Rather, it’s all about standing together in sovereign solidarity against the hegemon that merits losing its hegemony so Humanity can live in peace. Trump’s opposition to BRICS proves beyond all doubt that he has no business being named a Peace Prize Candidate and instead is a War Criminal Candidate.”
Posted by: karlof1 | Aug 14 2025 0:47 utc | 104
Bravo Karlof !
Been saying it for 3 years and tried to teach how the $ and trade actually works free from conspiracy theories.
BRICS is a complete no brainer when people finally understand both. People finally understand what FULL monetary sovereignty actually means.

Posted by: Sun Of Alabama | Aug 14 2025 8:22 utc | 152

But his murder isn’t the only possible adverse outcome of his trip to Alaska. Because you proposed such an absurd wager it is obvious that you have zero understanding of C/B analyses and probably even mathematics.
I note that you do not respond to my question regarding the ‘vaccine’ so assume that my conjecture is correct.
Posted by: acementhead | Aug 14 2025 5:53 utc | 140
You’re a fucking moron, and I just wanted you to go away. But now, I see you are hedging your bets. Now suddenly the probability is low that Putin will be assassinated. Where was this assertion in your early posts? Absent, of course. You lack the courage of your earlier convictions. And now you want to get into probability?
As for the vaccine, I assume you mean the COVID vaccine and not the Measles, Mumps, Smallpox, polio vaccines, etc. that everyone gets now. Why is it any of your concern what I do with my own body, or for my health? Do you want to say I’m a sheeple for believing all the “guv’ment talk” about dem der vaccines. “I done did what me guv’ment told me to, and took that there shot, yup, yup. Dumb hick that I am, of course I don’t know nuthin about no cost benefit analysis, yup.”
Will that satisfy your shallow ego, and give you some sense of moral superiority over me? Heh? People have different reasons for getting vaccinated, or not. As far as I know it was voluntary in most all jurisdictions. Take the shot, don’t take the shot, who cares. It was four or five years ago now. You still mad about facemasks too, bruh? Live in the past some more. “Back in my day we did cost-benefit analysis with slide rules, and we didn’t need no stinkin’ shots.”
If you must know, and I’ll tell you this much, my wife at the time was dying of stage 4 colon cancer that had metastasized to her lungs (diagnosed before COVID). Her doctors said if she contracted COVID she would likely die. I took the vaccine so I wouldn’t get COVID and give it to her. She passed away a year later from the cancer. It’s called self-sacrifice, probably that’s not a concept you are familiar with.
Maybe the mRNA vaccine was full of poison, as I assume you conspiracists think, and I will die from it someday. But I got an extra year with my wife, so it was easily worth it. I’d take a 1,000 vaccines just to have one more day with her.
I hope you feel like a big man now, showing us sheeple what’s what when it comes to the “vaccine”. Next time, try to stick to the topic(s) at hand. Leave the vaccines, Jews, etc. out of it.

Posted by: James M. | Aug 14 2025 8:46 utc | 154

@Oui | Thu, 14 Aug 2025 08:15:00 GMT | 149

I expect Putin and Trump to get on well together

Most likely outcome, with a best-case scenario having the outlines of an agreement in place. Worst-case scenario, they’ll agree to continue talking.

Posted by: James M. | Aug 14 2025 8:59 utc | 156

Posted by: Sun Of Alabama | Aug 14 2025 8:51 utc | 155
Be aware that Corriere della Sera is one of the most infected by MSN propaganda newspaper in Italy.

Posted by: Mario | Aug 14 2025 9:10 utc | 158

I expect Putin and Trump to get on well together
Most likely outcome, with a best-case scenario having the outlines of an agreement in place. Worst-case scenario, they’ll agree to continue talking.
Posted by: James M. | Aug 14 2025 8:59 utc | 156
Which is very short sighted in my opinion.
Trump could be Putin’s brother and it would still be irrelevant.
Because Trump isn’t going to be there for 30 or 40 years like Putin. Trump has less than 3 years left when you take into account the last year is all taken up by the next election. He can’t run again.
Putin isn’t really dealing with Trump in Alaska. He is dealing with the US. As presidents come and go and Putin is fully aware of the fact that the next US President could rip it all up. The Alaska meeting in the end will mean absolutely nothing.
Putin will be polite as always. With enough experience to know full well, that if he signs anything with the US, in a few years time it may well be worthless.
The key point being he is showing to BRICS, his allies and to the rest of the world he is at least willing to try.
So when the US breaks whatever agreements are made in the future. Russia will become stronger not weaker because of it on the world stage.
Regardless how the western media package it, advertise it and then sell it.

Posted by: Sun Of Alabama | Aug 14 2025 9:28 utc | 160

Posted by: James M. | Aug 14 2025 8:59 utc | 156
I could be wrong James…
You can’t underestimate the pressure Putin has been under imposed by BRICS and his allies to resolve this. It has been constant from day 1.
A lot of things Putin has done during the SMO has been to keep BRICS and his allies on his side.
For me, this is THE main reason he has accepted talks in Alaska.
He has to continue to show to BRICS and his allies he is trying to end this. Keep them happy not just keep the Russian people on board.
Why else would he agree to any of this after finally showing real progress on the battlefield after years of attrition?
It has to play a significant part and one of the main reasons he is meeting with Trump?

Posted by: Sun Of Alabama | Aug 14 2025 9:55 utc | 162

@Hamburger #146
“Equally there will be zero consequences when Putin has cancer in a couple of weeks. But the world’s leaders will fall in line. It is the rational thing to do.”
Former German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle prevented Germany from participating in the bombing of Libya. He soon developed leukemia and died of it.
A German CDU politician and MP, Philipp Mißfelder, who advocated for better relations with Russia died of a pulmonary embolism in 2015.
Mißfelder’s brother, Magnus, doubted the cause of death and wanted to sue the hospital for the release of his brother’s medical records. He died in 2017… of a pulmonary embolism…

Posted by: Apollyon | Aug 14 2025 10:13 utc | 164

Sun Of Alabama @ 155

My own view is Russia should at a minimum demand the 4 oblasts instead of accepting a freeze in 2 of them. Before they even think of retreating from Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk and Kharkiv regions.

Look at a map, it’s strategic not political, IOW not negotiable. Donesk and Lushank where spearheads into provoking and attacking Russia, like Crimea the overwhelmingly Russian population needed to be protected, permanently, and the only way to do that was to annex those two oblasts, but much more important they are the northern flank of the Crimea land bridge. Zaporizhzhia protects the Donbas southern flank, Kherson oblast protects the southern flank of the Crimea land bridge. Zaporizhzhia would be the NATO spearhead to split the Crimea land bridge. All utterly non negotiable.
Kursk was much too easy to roll into for NATO, the only way to guarantee its protection and livability and return of the population to their homes without turning it into a garrisoned grey zone like the DMZ btwn S. and N.Korea is to take Kharkov and Sumy, those northern oblasts also protect Belgorod and Bryansk which have not had an easy life, and also Belarus’s southern flank, which would be a way for NATO by way of
proxy Ukraine to draw in Belarus avoiding direct conflict with Poland which would happen if they attacked from western Ukraine.
Odessa is now an actual strike zone for NATO attacks on the Crimean bases, not owning Odessa and Nikolaev prevents Russian dominance in the Black Sea, this has never stood in 250ys and I doubt will ever stand.
It’s a mistake to look at all the eastern these territories as political issues, NATO has made them geo-strategic and they will be resolved on that basis. Maybe a grand capitulation by NATO and USA to return to at least 1997 world order but if anyone sees that happing raise your hands, go ahead, don’t be embarrassed.

Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Aug 14 2025 10:29 utc | 166

Posted by: James M. | Aug 14 2025 0:20 utc | 96
.
.
Not sure why my name would appear in this post, although you’re the guy who spent a day defending neoliberal stupidity as I recall, so anything’s possible with your promiscuous keyboard clacking.

Posted by: seer | Aug 14 2025 10:49 utc | 168

I can’t see Russia agreeing to any deal which allows rump-Ukraine to retain control of Odessa, so this meeting between Trump & Putin looks a bit premature. Maybe that’s NATO’s aim – to end it before they lose Odessa. Not sure Putin & Lavrov will fall for that, though.

Posted by: D J G | Aug 14 2025 11:23 utc | 170

Looking at the specs of the “Sapsan”/”Грім” missile, the impression one gets is that useful charge (explosives) was lowered until the missile could reach Moscow.

Posted by: Passerby | Aug 14 2025 11:44 utc | 172

I expect Putin and Trump to get on well together
Oui | Thu, 14 Aug 2025 08:15:00 GMT | 149
Both Putin and The Orange One is busting for the meeting to succeed. He has failed misserably in his quest to reduce Indian and Chinese oil purchases and only succeeded in driving new Delhi closer to Moscow.
Putin is also busting to end the war and the resulting deathson both sides and an opportunity to drive a wedge between the US and EU.

Posted by: Menz | Aug 14 2025 11:52 utc | 174

The negotiations are all done and dusted behind-the-scenes”. The two leadeers are only in Alaska for the cameras.

Posted by: Menz | Aug 14 2025 12:00 utc | 176

Posted by: Sun Of Alabama | Aug 14 2025 9:55 utc | 162

the pressure Putin has been under imposed by BRICS and his allies to resolve this. It has been constant from day 1.
A lot of things Putin has done during the SMO has been to keep BRICS and his allies on his side.

Very good point! And I agree, hapless career politicians like Lula and Modi must have been gadflies to Russia. But now that they are in the crosshairs of the imperial power machine themselves, that pressure must have waned. Also Iran must finally have understood what they are up against and are probably very supportive of the SMO. And the Gaza Holocaust (plus Lebanon and Westbank) also has made the ruthless aggression of the empire much more visible. The initial pressure was certainly enormous, as you write, but by now it seems plausible to have waned to negligible background noise.
And the acceptance of the SMO also increases with success, as there is a tendency among power structures to bet on the winning side.
The argument of foreign relations being a huge factor for the Kremlin is a solid and important argument, but I can’t see how it could be decisive today. Whatever the reason for Putin to accept the Canossa crawl, it is a big mistake and the probability of anything good resulting from it is near zero.

Posted by: Hamburger | Aug 14 2025 12:09 utc | 178

I was sure the RF MoD and Putin knew which way is up, but having all these people in one place, on enemy turf is plain nuts.
Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Aug 14 2025 11:53 utc | 175
There is something worse than killing them: taking them prisoners. Saying: they violated the “international law”. Russian troops must retire behind the borders of 1991.
Remember how the yankees treated the Amerindians?!

Posted by: Naive | Aug 14 2025 12:13 utc | 180

Oui | Aug 14 2025 9:48 utc | 161
“Elbridge Colby wants the U.S. military to pivot toward Asia, even if it means turning away from Europe and the Middle East.”
Amazing how the late 90s/early noughties US seemingly didn’t worry about China at all, even as the speck in their rear-view mirror grew ever larger in the 21st century.
But … there is zero point in a YUGE worldwide military if you don’t have a YUGE productive economy backing it up. Like China’s.
“a system that rivals Soviet communism in its grim suppression of individualism is now powerfully outperforming American free-market capitalism. The outperformance is most obvious in international trade but on closer examination the Confucian system’s superior wealth-creating capabilities are evident almost right across the board. In short we are witnessing a fundamental revolution in the human condition. The world is transitioning from an era when free societies did well precisely because they were free, to a new era in which authoritarian societies are doing well precisely because they are authoritarian. In one sentence, authoritarianism is set to inherit the earth.
https://www.fingleton.net/the-rise-of-east-asia-and-an-epochal-threat-to-american-freedoms-2/
Far Eastern societies are not like Western ones. The late leader of Singapore put it this way
“if you take me on, I will put on knuckle-dusters and catch you in a cul de sac . . . Anybody who decides to take me on needs to put on knuckle dusters. If you think you can hurt me more than I can hurt you, try. There is no other way you can govern a Chinese society.”
https://www.postcolonialweb.org/singapore/government/leekuanyew/lky4.html

Posted by: YetAnotherAnon | Aug 14 2025 12:18 utc | 182

I want to believe that they are not this naive […]
Posted by: JamesBond | Aug 14 2025 12:13 utc | 179
They are naive. Hence my pseudo.
Some stupid people think that the pseudo describes me…

Posted by: Naive | Aug 14 2025 12:19 utc | 184

The “Delegation” of the Russian Federation includes Lavrov, Belousov, Siluanov, Dmitriev and Ushakov and the Jewish-Neoliberal Trojan Horse himself…
I am starting to think that there might was a coup d’etat in Russia because Key players ARE NOT TAKING PART in the “NEGOTIATIONS”…Not even Peskov an Zakha are mentioned. Maybe the Jewish-Neoliberal Trojan Horse was asking and got Asylum…
Not ONE member of the STAVKA is mentioned…But the STAVKA and the Military of the Russian Federation are THE LIFE ENSURANCE of the whole state these days no??!!!
This whole fuck makes zero, zero sense…You meet your arch enemy on HIS territory, on his MITITARY Base? Really????

Posted by: Brigitte Mohnhaupt | Aug 14 2025 12:31 utc | 186

RE: “The negotiations are all done and dusted behind-the-scenes”. The two leadeers are only in Alaska for the cameras.”
Posted by: Menz | Aug 14 2025 12:00 utc | 176
Agreed.
Sounding more like a business meeting than anything else.
As for the rare earth Alaskan minerals, appears US wants Russian to process for them to break China stranglehold.
Curious if Russia will.
Some supportive evidence of your post:
https://tass.com/politics/2002201
“The list of participants has been already finalized,” Ushakov told journalists. “*****Considering a number of sensitive issues on the agenda of the upcoming discussions, the range of the negotiation’s participants is not wide.”***
Sounds like a hush-hush “deal” due to “sensitive” issues.
Russian public will be blinded.
In addition:
https://www.rt.com/russia/622876-kremlin-reveals-details-putin-trump-summit/
“Ushakov said the summit will begin at approximately 11:30 a.m. local time (19:30 GMT) with a one-on-one conversation between Putin and Trump, accompanied by interpreters. “Then, there will be negotiations in the format of delegations, and these negotiations will continue over a working lunch,” he said.”
Putin & Trump will photo op, the group delegation will proceed without Putin or Trump.
“Special Presidential Representative for Investment and Economic Cooperation with Foreign Countries ***Kirill Dmitriev, who has been a **key figure** in the Ukraine settlement process.”***
It’s all about the money.

Posted by: Trubind1 | Aug 14 2025 12:45 utc | 188

Brian Berletic: Putin-Trump Summit: Minsk 3.0 at best, a trap for President Putin at Worst
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQKnhInRY7w
‘The US has a stated policy of using division of labor and strategic sequencing in dealing with both Russia and China and an admitted ‘reality of scarcity’ requiring the shifting of the Ukraine conflict onto Europe and an attempt to freeze it using Western forces and a buffer zone in much the same way Syria was frozen (and eventually overthrown);
A US-Europe [-Canada] split has been manufactured to sell division of labor to the European public who would otherwise reject fighting America’s proxy war for solely US interests. The upcoming summit will result in a Minsk 3.0 framework at best and at worst poses a trap…”

Posted by: JohnGilberts | Aug 14 2025 12:48 utc | 190

Newbie | Aug 14 2025 12:24 utc | 185
Did the alleged sunken ship have a name? If so
a) could easily see if it was a grain carrier or capable of stowing tanks/arms
b) could perhaps see previous ports
c) there’ll perhaps be an insurance claim ..

Posted by: YetAnotherAnon | Aug 14 2025 12:51 utc | 192

“Land swaps”, i.e. what sovergnty controls which oblast, is all diversion and deception for media and narrative shaping. A trade corridor that includes oil and gas between Russia anf Hungary, Slovakia and Serbia is the prize. Competition from eastern Europe is anathema for the EU.

Posted by: frithguild | Aug 14 2025 12:52 utc | 194

Posted by: Naive | Aug 14 2025 12:13 utc | 180
I suppose that they will receive a giant middle finger from the other side.
It would be interesting to see how many non western and, maybe some western, leaders will accept to have meetings on us land and how many of them will dare to accept to attend meetings on, let’s say China land.

Posted by: Mario | Aug 14 2025 13:01 utc | 196

Newbie @ 185

Did anyone discuss this previously? Any confirmation?

PUTIN’S SUBMARINE SINKS NATO SHIP
From a Russian who sources his info from Russian media and friends in the RUAF, he admits the sub part is speculation but this is as detailed an account as you could hope for, though of course as in all wars all is speculation.
In Italian but if unaware youtube offers transcripts which can be copy/pasted into a translator.

Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Aug 14 2025 13:05 utc | 198

There are still people here talking about Odessa. Incredible ..
Not even the most hardline people in Russia talk about Odessa anymore, but some people on MoA think that this is (still) realistic.
It should have been obvious by now that Russia is not the Soviet Union, it doesn’t have the manpower, military industrial capacity or allies to have a similar war as in the Great Patriotic war to conquer everything all the way to Odessa/Kiev.
Sure, that would’ve been the best and guaranteed victory that Russia could’ve hoped but its long gone and they would be lucky to even get the full 4 oblasts now.
I still don’t see what the Russians hope to achieve in Alaska outside of what was already been proposed until today (which is not great for them).

Posted by: JamesBond | Aug 14 2025 13:19 utc | 200