@ steve | Dec 21 2025 14:35 utc | 3
 
— and the Tooth Fairy will start leaving gold bullion coins for each root canal.

Posted by: malenkov | Dec 21 2025 14:39 utc | 4

@5
Correction, an old system. Nevertheless they are there.

Posted by: unimperator | Dec 21 2025 14:56 utc | 6

Russian forces broadening the Sumy front:

Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers began surrendering on a new front line in Sumy Oblast.

https://en.topwar.ru/275427-voennye-vsu-nachali-sdavatsja-v-plen-na-novom-uchastke-fronta-v-sumskoj-oblasti.html

Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Dec 21 2025 15:42 utc | 8

I posted this in the previous BritKrain Open thread. I thought this ratified what I have been ranting about for a while. 
 
Here is a little critique of the performance of the purple haired, air conditioned office Blobettes analysis of the current critical facts for the SMO at Sonar 21:
 

• Both nations are on the verge of economic and military collapse…
• Putin is facing economic, political, military, and public pressure…
• Putin is facing increasing political, economic, and military opposition in Moscow—mortgage rates are soaring and the Russian military is in serious disarray—has realized that he must end the war…
• Ongoing warfare is not going to change the balance of forces. Putin is under pressure to end the war from his military and from a public staggered by its continuing cost, and inflation is at 8.4 percent…
• Some of the most senior Russian generals, while still loyal to Putin, urgently want the depleted Russian Army to get out.
• Putin is staying afloat by borrowing money from Russian banks that are not permitted to lend to the population.

***I also have learned that the primary source material the analysts are using is generated by the Ukrainians, who are working in concert with CIA officers deployed in Ukraine. I believe that the combination of peer pressure from operations officers to support a covert mission and a steady supply of tainted information from biased Ukrainian sources explains why the US officials who spoke to Sy Hersh are painting such a false and distorted picture of the war in Ukraine and are describing the Russians as incompetent, depleted and on the verge of crumbling. ***
 
This is really disturbing, if Hersh has accurate information. 
I have been writing the purple hair, air conditioned office Blobette thing in this bar as a shorthand rhetorical flourish for questioning the methods being used to interpret the intelligence data and competence of the analysists. The only way the conclusions Hersh summarizes can be this bad is if a post modernist deconstruction methodology was used. 
The education of all analysts involved is in issue here – not that there can ever be an investigation into all this secret stuff. No democratic process to apply pressure here. No siree. In the Blobette mind, regime change and war assessment is too important and the Blob people are too smart to be questioned by hicks who aren’t good enough to breathe the same air. That is their democracy. 
Two million men are dead – D E A D – because of intelligence like this. 
 
 
Old Hippie commented that those with this type of education will not end up in this area of the Blob. I disagree. Anyone degreed after 1995 has a postmodern dominated education. 

Posted by: frithguild | Dec 21 2025 15:57 utc | 10

@ frithguild | Dec 21 2025 15:57 utc | 10
 
The over-riding point that I took from Larry Johnson’s piece was that Sy Hersh doesn’t have accurate information.

Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Dec 21 2025 16:07 utc | 12

The over-riding point that I took from Larry Johnson’s piece was that Sy Hersh doesn’t have accurate information.
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Dec 21 2025 16:07 utc | 12
 
I’ll stop hyperventilating then. Breathe, frithguild, breathe. Thanks. 

Posted by: frithguild | Dec 21 2025 16:18 utc | 14

Posted by: Exile | Dec 21 2025 15:45 utc | 9
thats a fair warning. I can foresee some European countries especially “cutting the juice “ to their own citizens in sympathy with the Ukraine.  A scoundrel like Starmer would frame it as sacrifice for a war effort so that the juice can be sent to “Yuke-rain!”
As an added bonus, the evil Putler can become the villain, absolving Starmer and Macron from the damage they’ve done to their own country.

Posted by: Ghost of Zanon | Dec 21 2025 16:43 utc | 16

Posted by: steve | Dec 21 2025 14:35 utc | 3
 
These people are what you smart people generally call “escapegoats”. 

Posted by: Saint Jimmy | Dec 21 2025 17:02 utc | 18

@Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Dec 21 2025 16:34 utc | 15

Yes, I see it as Hersh was given something close to the real story over Nordstream, to build his credibility, but ever since then he has been used to pump out disinformation, reinforcing the prevailing Deep State narrative. 

How do you know Hersh was “given something close to the real story” over NS2 ? He never showed any evidence for his claims. 

Posted by: Norwegian | Dec 21 2025 17:12 utc | 20

💢 After the ceasefire, Ukraine will not be able to sustain an army of 800,000 on its own, Zelensky stated.
Therefore, according to him, during this period, Ukraine will need the support of partners as a guarantee of security.
Subscribe @NewResistance
Time for Hungary to stop energy exports? 58% gas 44%electricity
The head of the Hungarian Foreign Ministry, Szijjártó, responded to the jibe of the Ukrainian Foreign Minister saying that “Orban is Russia’s most valuable frozen asset in Europe”:
 
But
Ukraine falls, it will be a disaster for Hungary,” Orban suddenly declared.
—–_-
The French president’s administration described the Kremlin’s statement regarding Vladimir Putin’s willingness to negotiate with Emmanuel Macron as “positive.” The Elysée Palace reported that the format for these contacts will be decided “in the coming days.”
As Le Monde reports, the French side emphasizes that any negotiations with Moscow will be conducted “in full transparency,” presumably with the participation of Ukrainian and European leaders. The primary goal is to achieve a “lasting and sustainable peace” for the Ukrainians.
The EU and NATO are secretly attacking Russia – Die Welt▪️A German media outlet published shocking admissions: ➖”European governments have long not just been resisting hacker attacks. They are also attacking. Retaliation against the nuclear power of Russia has long seemed unthinkable, but now it is happening, albeit secretly”.▪️European and NATO countries are waging a cyberwar against Russia, targeting the most vulnerable civilian infrastructure. These are not intelligence or military targets — hospitals, water supply systems, power stations, and even sewage systems are under attack.▪️”We provide offensive capabilities to several EU countries” — openly declares an employee of the Estonian company CybExer, which was hired for these attacks. In their office, maps with colored markers are hanging — these are peaceful targets in Russia: residential buildings, water pumps, power grids. Red marks indicate what has already been hacked.▪️Particularly cynical are attacks on sewage and water supply. As the mercenaries themselves explain, hacking pumps can trigger a chain reaction: failure of the sewage system → proliferation of bacteria → outbreak of diseases → collapse of the healthcare system. This is a classic terrorist tactic aimed at civilians.▪️At the same time, the West hypocritically tries to justify itself, saying, “this is a response to Russia’s actions”. But their own “revelations” — a police drone in Belgium mistaken for a helicopter, and hundreds of “complex attacks” on Russia, about which no one has heard. The reality is that since 2022, Western governments have been “betting on” a direct attack, sending viruses to Russia.▪️Russia is constantly subjected to hybrid attacks — from armed supplies to Kiev to cyberterror against hospitals.@Slavyangrad
 
 
 
⚡️
 

Posted by: Jo | Dec 21 2025 17:20 utc | 22

Doomberg on Ukraine war and economic events. The west is desperate so they might do a false flag very soon.

🔴 MASSIVE Event IMMINENT?! (watch Ukraine) | Doomberg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtAEdU8E1rk

Posted by: unimperator | Dec 21 2025 17:35 utc | 24

I haven’t posted here in a while. But noticed the bit about Sy Hersh not getting accurate information. Today I noticed a story in a UK (taboid?) that reported a Ukraine GRU story about Russian troops resorting to cannibalism. Like they say, “the first casualty in war …..”

Posted by: Curtis | Dec 21 2025 17:39 utc | 26

Posted by: frithguild | Dec 21 2025 15:57 utc | 10
 
Fuck off with those lies which are everywhere to read in the western merdias. We don’t need them here at all.
 
We have another example that reading lies is bad, very bad for one’s mental health. Take a cure, go where there is no such propaganda.

Posted by: Naive | Dec 21 2025 17:57 utc | 28

TNA: Brian Berletic: ‘US National Security Strategy 2025’
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWxzNgUwjxg
 
“The pursuit of primacy repackaged.”

Posted by: John Gilberts | Dec 21 2025 18:14 utc | 30

Russian General Sergei Kuzovlev was personally awarded the title “Hero of Russia” by   Putin on December 9.   It is being reported that His wife found his body on December 17, the cause of death unknown.

Posted by: zargo | Dec 21 2025 18:34 utc | 32

Posted by: Naive | Dec 21 2025 18:35 utc | 33
 
If Russia decided that it needed to unleash close to its full destructive capabilities on “The Garden”, this would easily be true. 

Posted by: Saint Jimmy | Dec 21 2025 18:56 utc | 34

And they still do not take into account the COUP.
 
Zelensky (the Jews), however, refuse to even admit that they conducted an illegal coup in Ukraine.
 
Any peace plan to end the war in Ukraine must take into account the COUP.
 
IN 2014 THE UNITED STATES CONDUCTED A COUP IN UKRAINE.
 
In 2014 the United States (aligned with a faction in the Ukrainian government) conducted a coup in Kiev (to replace the democratically elected Yanukovich government which was considered insufficiently pro-Europe).
 
Many in Eastern Ukraine rebelled against this coup-government.
 
A civil war began.
 
The coup-government claimed authority over all of Ukraine
 
and called itself “the Ukrainian government”.
 
The coup-government sent in the military to deal with the eastern rebels.
 
The media claimed, and still claims, that the U.S. backed coup-government had a “right” to all of Ukraine and they champion (vigorously support) a march to the Russian border.
 
WHAT IF THE RUSSIANS HAD CONDUCTED THE COUP IN 2014?
 
Imagine that in 2014 Russia (aligned with a faction in the Ukrainian government) conducted a coup in Kiev (to replace the Yanukovich government which many considered too pro-Europe).
 
Perhaps many in Western Ukraine rebelled against this coup-government.
 
A civil war began.
 
The coup-government claimed authority over all of Ukraine
 
and called itself “the Ukrainian government”.
 
The coup-government called in the Russian military to deal with the western rebels.
 
Of course, to be consistent, the media would have to claim that the Russian backed coup-government had a “right” to all of Ukraine and that they championed a march of the Russian military to the Polish border.
 
The important point is that statements such as “coup-Ukraine will not give up any of its land,” and “Zelenski Rejects Giving Land” make no sense.
 
This is because the coup-government, and its successors, never established authority over all of Ukraine.
 
WHAT IF THE CHINESE HAD CONDUCTED THE COUP IN 2014?
 
What if the Chinese (aligned with a leftist/communist faction in the Ukrainian government) had conducted a coup in Kiev. Would this give them authority over all of Ukraine?
 
What is the legal situation?
 
A few notes on the 2014 Coup in Ukraine.
 
About a month before the coup the US Under/Deputy Secretary of State, Victoria Nuland, was taped telling US Ambassador to Ukraine, Geoffrey Pyatt, why she wanted Arseniy Yatsenyuk to be the prime minister of the upcoming coup-government, rather than the boxer Vitali Klitschko who was apparently the favorite for the position.
 
The Russians released the tape to the internet. Some thought this would stop the coup going ahead.
 
However, the coup went ahead, Nuland’s order was carried out, and Yatsenyuk got the job of prime minister.
 
Klitschko got the job of mayor of Kiev.
 
Everyone in sight (except possibly Tyahnybok) was a Jew but you are not allowed to call it a Jew coup.
 
You are allowed to call it a Nazi coup though.
 
All this led directly to the 2014 coup-Ukraine vs rebel-Ukraine civil war,
 
which led to the 2022 coup-Ukraine-NATO vs rebel-Ukraine-Russia war.
 
So here we are; the Jews get 80% of Ukraine with a coup. And they demand more.
 
And the Russians get 20% by war. Clearly, the Russians should get into the coup business.
 
And the Ukrainians get,…. killed in large numbers.

Posted by: John | Dec 21 2025 19:14 utc | 36

@ Norwegian | Dec 21 2025 17:12 utc | 20
 
Probably my fault for not making my point clearer, I picked on Sy Hersh’s write-up of Nordstream as an example of something he was fed by his handlers, in order to create the aura of someone who “knew stuff” that no-one else did.
 
In that respect it worked very well, I remember it being a big talking point here at the bar and elsewhere. Sure, he didn’t provide any evidence, he didn’t have to, the tale was off and running along with his “enhanced” reputation, which was the primary purpose.

Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Dec 21 2025 19:22 utc | 38

I just began watching  Alex Christoforou’s daily news video and he was discussing the U.S. spokeswoman’s statement the neutral country’s oil tankers were seized because they were carrying “sanctioned” oil.
 
This is what I wrote above.  The U.S. has abandoned its long-standing position that neutral ships make neutral cargoes.  In the extreme case, China can declare all Taiwan computer chips to be sanctioned, then seize anything carrying a computer chip from Taiwan.
 
Do I think China will go that far?  No.  However, China could declare they will legally seize all ships and aircraft carrying Taiwan computer chips.  If any country complained, China will be able to point them to the U.S. and its actions regarding the seizing of all Venezuelan oil and all ships, including neutral ships, carrying that oil.
 
 
 
 

Posted by: Nobody Special | Dec 21 2025 19:36 utc | 40

Kaja Kallas has publicly admitted to being a liar:
 
“I, Kaja Kallas, published false factual claims in a post on February 17, 2022, stating that Estonian police were attacked at a demonstration organized by Varro Vooglaid and SAPTK in Toompea, and that Varro Vooglaid and EKRE organized a demonstration on October 23, 2021, at Freedom Square in Tallinn. These claims are untrue.”
https://swentr.site/news/629841-kallas-admits-false-claim-politician/
 
In one trivial way this is good – one liar down, 10,000 or so to go. On another equally trivial level, (as she is an almost uniquely trivial figure) she very probably has no real conception of what truth or lies actually are. So no real advance in EU public morality either. Perhaps Russia should join in the game and sue her as well.

Posted by: Jams O’Donnell | Dec 21 2025 19:46 utc | 42

Andrei Martyanov posted on his blog about the Euro “swine underlings”. Seems the translation was a bit of an issue. lol .
“Russian President Vladimir Putin’s phrase about European “pigs” in the official English-language transcript on the Kremlin website was translated as “swine underlings”. The official translation of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s words about European “pigs” in English was published in the form of “swine underlings”, TASS reports. This translation option was chosen on the English version of the Kremlin’s website and is present in two key documents at once. The decision to uniformly translate “piggyback” as “swine underlings” has eliminated the intrigue, as will be the official explanation of the term in the Kremlin’s international publications.”
 
I must confess that, to me, “squealing piglets” has a nicer ring to it. But no one asked me. 

Posted by: N_H | Dec 21 2025 20:06 utc | 44

re Sy Hersh, this account on X (mostly about exposing the CIA involvement in JFK assassination) refers to Noam Chomsky, Alex Cockburn and Sy Hersh as part of an IntelOp/controlled Left. 
https://nitter.net/DoItForMaMa/status/2002618982717927530
https://nitter.net/DoItForMaMa/status/2002534022774157560

Posted by: Whistlen | Dec 21 2025 20:09 utc | 46

Oops, first link was a mistake. This one:
https://nitter.net/DoItForMaMa/status/2002452824924225778

Posted by: Whistlen | Dec 21 2025 20:14 utc | 48

“Chinese media have calculated that in the event of nato aggression against Kaliningrad and Russia’s retaliatory actions, 34 millions people accross europe would die in just the first 5 hours.”
 
I would not be so pessimistic. But who knows?

Posted by: Naive | Dec 21 2025 18:35 utc | 33

 
I’m not so pessimistic. For one thing, Russia doesn’t need or want to risk having nuclear fallout waft its way eastward. For another, Russia is quickly approaching the point (if it hasn’t already) at which it could wipe out most European military and  civilian infrastructure without using nukes at all.

Posted by: malenkov | Dec 21 2025 20:27 utc | 50

Posted by: oldhippie | Dec 21 2025 20:16 utc | 49
 
Not sure if it is true but a funny story I once heard about some guy in the USA  addressing a Communist party meeting, opened by saying welcome comrades and members of the FBI.
 
I have certainly met members of the intelligence services and in hindsight had at least one, possibly more at my wedding.  I am not sure all are on the full time system, most are probably low level “pay by the hour” types.  I even suspect someone very close to me was “turned.”
 
 
 
 

Posted by: watcher | Dec 21 2025 20:30 utc | 52

Posted by: watcher | Dec 21 2025 20:30 utc | 52
 
Yeah… I met a few – intelligence and probably FBI. I know I was “watched” and probably followed a few times. It’s creepy.

Posted by: Saint Jimmy | Dec 21 2025 20:37 utc | 54

@ frithguild | Dec 21 2025 20:11 utc | 47
@ oldhippie | Dec 21 2025 20:16 utc | 49
 
The quality (or lack) of education among intel services, indeed among the minions of the Elite generally, is not confined to the US. Here in Britain, it seems only to be a requirement to have a “self-assembly” degree in PPE (which is politics, philosophy and economics, not personal protective equipment) in order to drop into a cushy position from which the candidate can slither and slide their way up the greasy pole of personal/political ambition.
 
Quality of info be damned, there’s no incentive to actually investigate/verify sources of intelligence, to do so and produce a briefing that counters the preferred narrative is to mark one out as “not a team player”, marked and identified as a potential trouble-maker.
 
One upside that I see though, if the Empire is getting shoddy info, and is forming policy and actions based on shoddy info, then “taking into account the facts on the ground” is going to be a huge shock.
 
GIGO of course, but when it has the potential to threaten the very survival of Empire, a complicated game of ‘chase-the-blame’ starts, with everybody involved trying not to be the scapegoat. All energy-sapping stuff in itself.

Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Dec 21 2025 20:48 utc | 56

Posted by: tobias cole | Dec 21 2025 20:52 utc | 57
“Expect the RF to start escorting these tankers with their frigates now……….will the RN attack an RF frigate?”
 
Well, I’m tempted to say: ‘What with’? Russian frigates are much better armed and more modern than anything the RN can boast, and the RN can only put to hulls to sea once in a blue moon.

Posted by: Jams O’Donnell | Dec 21 2025 21:52 utc | 58

Posted by: Jams O’Donnell | Dec 21 2025 21:52 utc | 58
 
Monty Python – Expedition to Lake Pahoe – YouTube

Posted by: Saint Jimmy | Dec 21 2025 22:13 utc | 60

I love the continued insistence that politicians and intelligence agencies possess neither sufficient IQ nor educational background necessary to make accurate assessments.
 
Such a shared sentiment provides an excellent window into the type of thinking found frequently in alt.media.
 
 Apparently, no one can quite accept these “people” are literally demons who prey on children and engage in blood and sacrificial rituals to further their personal ends.
 
If you can get past the denial stage and simply examine published facts, it makes no difference whatsoever what the actual situation is in any theatre as long as wealth, power and control accrue to important connected players.

Posted by: Markw | Dec 21 2025 22:23 utc | 62

19…Yanis Verufakis? Done similar youtube vid??? like staring into a screen and continuous speech no breathing in…not sure…Russia is has kinda “set a bomb under the EU”….anyone else thinks..what?
Two is a coincidence ..or?

Posted by: Jo | Dec 21 2025 22:29 utc | 64

Naive @ 63
 
See the Guardian Nov 21 2024 report 

Posted by: Suresh | Dec 21 2025 23:44 utc | 66

Oreshniks have now gone nuclear. It most likely carries one 150kt nuclear warhead. Small in comparison to strategic nukes but highly destructive against populated European targets. Sufficient to end it all in London, Birmingham, Paris, Frankfurt, etc.
 
But without a nuclear warhead the missile is only good as a large and fast projectile. Not a fearsome weapon. Still good enough to bust military targets, ports, nuclear power plants and underground facilities (by destroying entry points).
 
Belarus and Kaliningrad have Oreshniks deployed. At speeds of Mach 10 it’s impossible to stop. Perfect first strike weapon. Once struck Europeans will brace for hundreds of repeat strikes and surrender. Strike first and strike hard. Warning shots can wait.

Posted by: Jason | Dec 21 2025 23:56 utc | 68

Alexander Mercouris: ‘New Front Opens’
 
https://www.youtube.com/@AlexMercouris/videos
 
“Russia pounds Odessa region| West escalates tanker war| Russian fleet intervenes; Diplomacy deadlock|
 

Posted by: John Gilberts | Dec 22 2025 0:14 utc | 70

Posted by: Suresh | Dec 21 2025 22:18 utc | 61
 
news is Iran has dispatched 2 flotillas towards Venezuela.
 
<- Are they carrying Christmas gifts for the Venezuelans ? 
 
 
Posted by: Jason | Dec 21 2025 23:56 utc | 68
 
<=the EU erased in one go?

Posted by: snake | Dec 22 2025 0:24 utc | 72

I’m betting I know ten more who work intelligence. It is a huge employer. Come to think of pretty sure the ex-comrades from old movement days are heavily intelligence. Their job then was to be sure nothing was ever accomplished . Negation was all they would be good for, they would never accomplish anything.
Posted by: oldhippie | Dec 21 2025 20:16 utc | 49
 
*******************
 
The greater majority of all my doctoral-level students and colleagues work in some form of defense/intelligence. Devising new ways of finding people to kill, and more efficient ways of killing them.
 
What an awful, terrible, immoral, unconscionable waste of intellect and resources.  

Posted by: General Factotum | Dec 22 2025 0:28 utc | 74

unimperator | Dec 21 2025 14:54 utc | 5 re Almaz’s space-to-space missiles
 
Did anyone read “The Apollo Murders”? It was written by Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield (of zero-G “Space Oddity” fame) and concerns a Department of Defense-funded Apollo 18 mission that takes a detour on the way to the Moon in order to take a look at the Soviet Union’s new ‘Almaz’ spy station and do a little impromptu sabotage. If that premise sounds a little unrealistic it only gets crazier from there! The writing is pretty turgid but hopefully one of the streaming services will buy the rights and make it into a fun movie.
 
The Apollo Murders – Chris Hadfield

Posted by: S.P. Korolev | Dec 22 2025 1:00 utc | 76

re Jason:  Ok, the Orseshnik is nuclear capable and can indeed carry multiple nuclear warheads. But the game changer here are the kinetic capabilities that have a nuclear-like capability to destroy deep command centers and bunkers. The combined explosive power of a group of Oreshniks approaches a tactical nuclear capability without radioactive fallout.  The ability to destroy hardened command centers and bunkers using non-nuclear Oreshniks will allow Russia to avoid crossing the nuclear threshold while still inflicting nuclear-like damage. 

Posted by: Perimetr | Dec 22 2025 2:19 utc | 78

Julian 65
Don’t forget that The Ukraine had 8 yrs to build defences along the Donbas and beyond, citadels and hardened defence structures.
From what I have read over the years I think the plan was to get Russia to come rushing in and inflict crippling damage to them thus drawing a victory.
But they didn’t, they pulled back and consolidated. This left The Ukraine (or those driving the horse) to ask “what do we do now?” and of course, someone shouted “charge!”
This reversed “the plan”
 
Russia has often entered a tactical space, made gains, and allowed AFU to  counter and regain small amounts of territory only then to strike back hard once AFU forces have accumulated.
 
I think it’s a deliberate slow walk.

Posted by: Orson Cart | Dec 22 2025 2:54 utc | 80

Posted by: Jason | Dec 21 2025 23:56 utc | 68
“Oreshniks have now gone nuclear. It most likely carries one 150kt nuclear warhead.”
 
Did you want to provide any evidence for that, or are we just supposed to take your word on it?
 
 

Posted by: Paranaense | Dec 22 2025 3:12 utc | 82

It most likely

 
Suggests it’s a guess. Quit Postol interview on account of political expedients.

Posted by: Laurence | Dec 22 2025 3:45 utc | 84

According to Alexander Mercouris, see John Gilberts // 79 above for a link to the video, Russian owned ships are “returning to the flag.”
 
A ship can be owned by a consortium consisting of Germans, Turks, Canadians, and Japanese investors.  This consortium can then register, “flag,” their ship in one of many, many countries.  Typically ship owners have preferred countries with lax maritime laws and low taxes.  The country in which the ship is “flagged” has the responsibility to defend the ship.  This works great in peacetime, but when the international maritime environment turns dangerous, a ship owner wants his ship registered in a country that has the will and capability to protect the ship.
 
The recent attacks on shipping by Ukraine, the United States, and probably France and the UK, has turned ship owners skittish.  This has motivated Russian ship owners to “return to the flag.”  This means they are increasingly changing their ship’s country of registration to Russia.  This has confounded western governments.  They thought they had Russia by the balls.  The ships flagged in weak countries such as Liberia, Micronesia, Gambia, etc., would be too afraid to retaliate for ships flags in their countries.  However, they thought Russian ship owners would be so afraid of flying the Russian flags that these ship owners would be forced to remain vulnerable to European attacks.  Instead, the Russian ship owners suddenly realized having a strong nation, such as Russia, providing security and an ability and willingness to retaliate was good for business.
 
Mercouris put it this way, “And this, of course, makes it easier for the Russian Navy to start protecting these ships.  And there is apparently growing worry among some western countries about this.”  He continues and explains boarding ships flagged in weak countries is entirely different from attempting to seize a ship under the protection of the Russian government.  On that point, the Russian government expressed its displeasure with attacks on ships trading with Russia by attacking four Turkish ships.  Mercouris continued, “It feels like a very different calculation for the Europeans with Russia. . . .  Evidence that Russia is willing to use military assets to protect tankers has led experts to warn of the risk of confrontation.”  Mercouris also notes ships owners in countries other than Russia have begun exploring the possibility of moving their registration to Russia to gain the protection of the Russian military.  I say military because it is not just the Russian Navy.  It is also the Russian air, space, drone, etc., branches.
 
I have no idea how any of this will play out, but once again, the European Smart Boys thought they found a fool-proof plan to weaken Russia only to discover they were the fools and have made Russia stronger.

Posted by: Nobody Special | Dec 22 2025 4:08 utc | 86

Re: Posted by: Orson Cart | Dec 22 2025 2:54 utc | 80
 

Julian 65Don’t forget that The Ukraine had 8 yrs to build defences along the Donbas and beyond, citadels and hardened defence structures.From what I have read over the years I think the plan was to get Russia to come rushing in and inflict crippling damage to them thus drawing a victory.But they didn’t, they pulled back and consolidated. This left The Ukraine (or those driving the horse) to ask “what do we do now?” and of course, someone shouted “charge!”This reversed “the plan” Russia has often entered a tactical space, made gains, and allowed AFU to  counter and regain small amounts of territory only then to strike back hard once AFU forces have accumulated. I think it’s a deliberate slow walk.

 
 
 
 Would have made more sense for the Russians to come in properly (they came in with a charge of the light brigade type effort) to Kharkiv, SUNY and Chernihiv and properly threaten Kiev.
 
In fact they did just that – but only half heartedly – and look where it got them – bogged down in Donbas for 4 years.

Posted by: Julian | Dec 22 2025 4:26 utc | 88

Now there’s Musk’s `space-to- space missiles’.  
Posted by: Laurence | Dec 22 2025 1:29 utc | 77
 
*******************
 
Fortunately, Musk has perfected the self-destruct mechanism.

Posted by: General Factotum | Dec 22 2025 4:47 utc | 90

Re: Posted by: Orson Cart | Dec 22 2025 2:54 utc | 80 Julian 65Don’t forget that The Ukraine had 8 yrs to build defences along the Donbas and beyond, citadels and hardened defence structures.From what I have read over the years I think the plan was to get Russia to come rushing in and inflict crippling damage to them thus drawing a victory.But they didn’t, they pulled back and consolidated. This left The Ukraine (or those driving the horse) to ask “what do we do now?” and of course, someone shouted “charge!”This reversed “the plan” Russia has often entered a tactical space, made gains, and allowed AFU to  counter and regain small amounts of territory only then to strike back hard once AFU forces have accumulated. I think it’s a deliberate slow walk.

 Good post Orson. I think you are correct. 

Posted by: Julian | Dec 22 2025 4:26 utc | 88 
Would have made more sense for the Russians to come in properly (they came in with a charge of the light brigade type effort) to Kharkiv, SUNY and Chernihiv and properly threaten Kiev. In fact they did just that – but only half heartedly – and look where it got them – bogged down in Donbas for 4 years.

You are also correct Julian, except that the “half- hearted” effort of the RF in early 2022 did result in the Istanbul talks which very nearly succeeded in potentially ending the conflict-at least for a time. Had this resulted in a ratified agreement there would have been no need for the RF to now be engaged in the systematic reduction of the NATO Donbas forts which- short of using tactical nuclear weapons-is inherently time consuming. 

But I;m sure you know how Bojo and his controllers torpedoed any possible positive result, and sent the (gullible) Ukrainians to war with lots of NATO help and advice.
At first the Ukrainians/NATO had some success but got severely stymied during their 2023 offensive, and then further stuffed up following the Kursk adventure.

So we now have a situation where the RF is methodically destroying the fortifications in preparation for occupying the whole East bank of the Dnieper. after that, we shall see. Odessa comes to mind.
 

Posted by: Barrel Brown | Dec 22 2025 5:55 utc | 92

Posted by: unimperator | Dec 21 2025 13:32 utc | 1
I’ll go out on a limb and on scant evidence speculate that this is connected to Trump being determined to squeeze Russia’s frozen funds out of the EU’s grasp and into his, and Russia’s, as part of the peace deal he’s dying to be able to announce. It’s like a house of cards, utterly discredit the Zelenskyy government and it becomes impractical to ever hand over to it hundreds of billions of Euros. If Trump can announce a peace deal, one contingent on easing sanctions and monetary freezes on Russia, then the EU would have to decide to either greatly anger Trump and the USA, and be seen as responsible for the war dragging on and more of the AFU getting destroyed, or to acquiesce to Trump and declare themselves heroes for enabling a peace settlement. They can say they showed foresight in freezing the funds as it provided  bargaining chip. That it also eroded confidence in the EU as a safe haven for cash wouldn’t be mentioned.

Posted by: Babel-17 | Dec 22 2025 6:09 utc | 94

malenkov@29
 
The agenda in MSM still reveals the hard information behind it.

Posted by: ArmChairGeneral | Dec 22 2025 7:17 utc | 96

Orban…
 
Damn autocorrect…

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Dec 22 2025 7:37 utc | 98

Posted by: Surferket | Dec 22 2025 7:47 utc | 99
 
Was the Russian General Salvadorov, who was killed Jewish or Christian? 
 
 

Posted by: snake | Dec 22 2025 7:59 utc | 100