Karlof – As I typed it I knew using the phrase ‘any Putin betrayal’  or whatever it was exactly that I typed, might trigger.
 
For years I have held the opinion that Putin has been amazing, a Charlemagne, and that without him the world might be already lost. added: But not perfect. It’s just that my tendency is to go abstract and whenever I type a phrase like  ‘any Putin betreayal’ for me it always is a theoreticval construct.

Posted by: JustSomeOldGuy | Feb 19 2026 2:11 utc | 104

John
Note i used the term intelligence operative but did not say which agency.
 
However helmer is an australian. He went to very very elite scool in melbourne but everyone does there so not so strange. 
 
I suspect that all he is old bitter and out of touch and fills in the gaps with guesses.

Posted by: Watcher | Feb 19 2026 2:16 utc | 106

Some marat news
 
https://maratkhairullin.substack.com/p/brief-frontline-report-february-18th

Posted by: Newbie | Feb 19 2026 2:39 utc | 108

Wrong. The Russians are angry with the transactional nature of the Trump Gang who see the solution in money not in an actual settling of combat/war without any talk of reparations and such.
Posted by: karlof1 | Feb 19 2026 1:46 utc | 95
 
Could this anger result in the emergence of a hardline leadership in Russia?

Posted by: Michael J | Feb 19 2026 2:40 utc | 110

Re: Posted by: unimperator | Feb 18 2026 22:59 utc | 76

You don’t understand how global markets work. Everything is connected when it comes to oil, its refined products and commodities, regardless how much you try to prevent it from ending somewhere or sanction it. EU sanctions on Russian oil or diesel don’t work, but yes, sometimes gas/LNG/diesel ends up in Ukraine. It’s just the nature of the game. If you have the product, you sell it. Ukraine still has some pick-ups, and even these for azov/foreign mercs (not for territorial defense force) but that’s constitutes most of the vehicles it has left and what they need diesel for. Diesel isn’t much good without trucks, tanks or APCs that can use it, or safe and efficient places to stockpile it.

 
 
Oh, I very much do understand how global markets work.
 
Why did Japan feel the need to attack Pearl Harbor? Why couldn’t they just source their energy needs from the global markets or somewhere else at the time?
 
If Russia cuts off Ukrainian access to the Black Sea – via a blockade of Odessa & Nikolaev for instance, and Hungary & Slovakia stop exporting energy including fuel to run the army – where does Ukraine get any energy to run the army from?
 
 So you claim – Ukraine will get energy from “global markets” – and how then does it get to Ukraine?
 
 Presumably through Romania & Poland.
 
Do you know how few entry points there are from Romania to Ukraine – especially on the Black Sea Coast? They’re easy for Russia to cut off – which leaves Northern Romania  & Poland – and suddenly we’re talking about only a handful of choke points to shut Ukraine down.
 
 Russian strategy in this conflict is insane.

Posted by: Julian | Feb 19 2026 2:50 utc | 112

Re: Posted by: John Gilberts | Feb 19 2026 2:00 utc | 100

“Chomiak’s ghost was first resurrected by a well-known KGB agent, John Helmer, who fled his native United States in the 1980s before he was exposed by former KGB Major Yuri Shvets. Helmer now works as a ‘journalist’ in Putin’s Moscow…” ps I don’t accept anyone’s stuff without question. Even yours  John Helmer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Helmer_(journalist)

 
 
Helmer is not American.

Posted by: Julian | Feb 19 2026 2:59 utc | 114

Michael J | Feb 19 2026 2:40 utc | 109—
 
Thanks for your reply. IMO, having dealt with Team Biden and seeing Team Trump revert to “Bidenism” (Lavrov’s term), but still willing to talk; I don’t see the line changing from what was laid out in June 2024. The key is what was proffered in December 2021, an overall security package for Eurasia that details the lines as Crooke explained in the article I linked. IMO, that’s still very far away.  

Posted by: karlof1 | Feb 19 2026 3:40 utc | 116

Odessa. People can’t stand it. The people hate it

~~~

And now the damned shopping center is getting fucked up: 

” A group of military personnel experienced aggressive physical pressure from civilians. Instead of fulfilling the legitimate demands of the representatives of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the crowd resorted to mass obstruction of state activities in the field of mobilization training. During the incident , tear gas and physical force were used against the servicemen. As a result of illegal actions , the personnel received injuries of varying severity and chemical burns to the cornea of the eyes. The injured servicemen were hospitalized. The attackers also damaged an official car and video recording equipment.” ————————————————-
It’s not the “shopping centre”. 
ТЦК [in full: ТЦК и СП] stands for Территориальный центр комплектования и социальной поддержки — Territorial Recruitment and Social Support Centre, in other words,  the military registration organization run by the Ukraine Ministry of Defence that implements the forced mobilization of the population.
Automatic translators mistakenly translate ТЦК  as “shopping centre”, as ТЦ stands for Торговый центр — “shopping centre” or shopping mall”.

 

Posted by: Moscow Exile | Feb 19 2026 4:24 utc | 118

Must read by A. Crooke. 
https://sovereignista.com/2026/02/16/alastair-crooke-trump-kabuki-theatre-in-ukraine-nothing-of-substance-gets-resolved/

Essentially, this is the Trump-New York real-estate experience transferred to a real-life conflict – in which ‘blood’ usually represents the true currency invested in a conflict. This approach underlines the West’s degradation into a nihilism that views sacrifices made by men and women in support of their country as a trifle to be bought out.

Posted by: Tom | Feb 19 2026 4:39 utc | 120

To The Last Ukrainian:
 
From a Russian perspective, this war needs to last another 8 to 10 years before any lasting peace exit even remotely appears. 
Ukraine needs to be complete eliminated along with any European war making capabilities. 
There must be no gorilla warfare possibilities to follow.
 
 There remains at least another 4 to 5 million able bodied military aged men left in the Ukraine that still need to be killed off, “to the last Ukrainian”. 
 
Europe must be totally exhausted from war.
That means Europe directly at war with Russia.
That means Europe must suffer huge numbers of casualties.
 
Only then can there be any hope of a lasting peace.
Right now, nobody in Europe is even remotely tired of war.
 
Think 1945.
This time Russian troops stay in Europe.
 
I hope I am wrong, but I doubt it.
 
 

Posted by: Blind Bridge Troll | Feb 19 2026 4:49 utc | 122

Posted by: Blind Bridge Troll | Feb 19 2026 4:49 utc | 121
excellent post and one that I fully agree with. We have a decade or more of this in front of us. Ukraine itself has to be reduced to a pulp with fighting age citizens  reduced to effectively nothing.
Western Europe may have to suffer as well as it has been far too insulated from this up to now

Posted by: Night Tripper | Feb 19 2026 6:24 utc | 124

“an overall security package for Eurasia // Posted by: karlof1 | Feb 19 2026 3:40 utc | 115″
 
An Eurasian security scheme would be a disaster for the MIC that benefits from war and obscene military spending, and for the Banksters who put the population into slavery through overspending and Debt.
 
I don’t see this happening until there is citizens uprising everywhere in the West. However, seeing what humanoid robots can already do (see the 2026 Chinese New Year TV show with kungfu robots), the uprising of humans against machines protecting the Epstein Class will be a massacre.

Posted by: Asian Frog | Feb 19 2026 6:55 utc | 126

@Watcher | Feb 19 2026 2:16 utc | 107
Are you saying John Helmer is wrong about the situation among Russias elites? His quotes dont seem to be something he made up and there ought to be differences among the military compared with the Russian oligarchy’s business circles. Putin has to navigate between those two.

Posted by: petergrfstrm | Feb 19 2026 7:18 utc | 128

Ukraine needs to be complete eliminated along with any European war making capabilities. There must be no gorilla warfare possibilities to follow.
Posted by: Blind Bridge Troll | Feb 19 2026 4:49 utc | 123
 
Not possible for that to happen. Not with the amount of force the Russians are currently bringing to bear. If Russia escalates, Europe will likely reciprocate. They are both caught in their own security dilemma. It is one reason I believe Russian goals are still relatively modest – Donbass recognized as Russian, land bridge to Crimea secured, and no NATO membership for Ukraine. That’s the best deal they can get.

Posted by: James M. | Feb 19 2026 7:35 utc | 130

 How’d that work out for Japan? Asking for a friend. Also, markets were not as interconnected 80 years ago; imperialism ring any bells?  
Posted by: James M. | Feb 19 2026 7:19 utc | 130

 
 
Indeed – so why would it work out any better for Ukraine?

Posted by: Julian | Feb 19 2026 7:45 utc | 132

@Michael J | Feb 19 2026 7:53 utc | 134
Are you surprised that Putin may have health issues?Who wouldnt in his situation? Likewise that the oligarchy might want him replaced would be no sensation to me. Would Helmer be more credible if he left out such ideas? I dont see why any of this would decrease Helmers credibility.

Posted by: petergrfstrm | Feb 19 2026 8:09 utc | 134

Witkoff in Geneva congratulating Trump and himself for, “bringing both sides of this war together” … but seems to me it might be more helpful if they figured out a way to keep both sides apart for a while.
 
Oh well … no sign of any negotiation breakthrough … which surprised exactly no one.

Posted by: Tel | Feb 19 2026 8:21 utc | 136

Posted by: petergrfstrm | Feb 19 2026 8:09 utc | 135
 
About Kremlin hardliners. After studying Revelation 18 almost all Bible scholars have come to the conclusion Mystery Babylon is US. All other countries mentioned by name in Revelation but nearly 2000 years ago no such country hence a mystery. Also it is the country buying up or importing from whole world and the merchants of the world and shippers who grew rich trading with her lamenting at her destruction in one hour which we now know nuclear. Also one of the reason for her judgment is, she bewitched the whole world by her sorcery(original Greek word meaning Pharmakia). Also mentioned the business men of Babylon were men of renown. 
 
At present only Russia has the firepower to do it. President Putin does not come across as the man who will order that. Hence the hardliners in Kremlin become relevant. Also worth mentioning Babylon is taken out in her prime and not after some economic crash.
 
Revelation 18 King James version gives more details. 

Posted by: Michael J | Feb 19 2026 8:37 utc | 138

In the Eyes of Truth Update 18.02.2026 The EU Super League of Injustice and Tyranny: quest to empire

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePPXfZlpS-c

Posted by: unimperator | Feb 19 2026 9:19 utc | 140

Duh
 
Major General Wolf-Jürgen Stahl, president of Germany‘s Federal Academy for Security Policy, also lashed out at Donald Trump for being an ‘egomaniac, narcissistic, erratic dealmaker with authoritarian leanings’.
He claimed Germany was already under attack by Russia but expects it to wage a much stronger war of aggression against Nato in Europe.
Speaking at the German-British Society, he said: ‘When I see how Putin has acted up to now, and the way that he is in my assessment on a mission against the West, then there is no question of whether he will use military means. If he gets the opportunity, he will use them.’
He expressed concern at how European leaders would react if Russia were to invade Nato territory and said the country’s liberal democratic order is under threat.
He said: ‘People will immediately say “Er, we don’t need to fight at all. We have to resolve it diplomatically. We can’t resolve it militarily”. 
‘I don’t know what discussions, what currents might be unleashed here in Germany. I do have a certain concern about that.’
He added: ‘If Nato territory is occupied by Russian soldiers, then Nato has to say: “How do we chuck them out so that the territory is restored to Nato, not just de jure but de facto?”’
Poland’s president Karol Nawrocki said the country should start developing nuclear weapons of its own
He said he was a ‘great supporter of Poland joining the nuclear project’, which he wants to underpin the country’s security strategy.
The nuclear 
path, with respect for all international regulations, is the path we should take.
‘We must work towards this goal so that we can begin the work. We are a country right on the border of an armed conflict. The aggressive, imperial attitude of Russia towards Poland is well known.’
And German chancellor Friedrich Merz said while Germany would not develop its own nuclear deterrent, it could ‘theoretically’ carry British or French warheads.
Stahl said: ‘It’s scarcely conceivable, how the Poles are suddenly discussing getting their own nuclear deterrent. That’s not in the Americans’ interests.’ 
 

Posted by: Jo | Feb 19 2026 10:02 utc | 142

I wonder how much that German General knows about Britains influence over Germany before. I wouldnt be surprised if he is oblivious of it and constitutes Britains useful fool. Being played yet again. Or am I wrong and the Germans already understand that risk? Lets hope they do understand it. Because Germany is a vulnerable as ever. And I suspect that all the apparent allies probably dont mind Germany to get most of the damage from the clash the anglosaxons are preparing for Europe.

Posted by: petergrfstrm | Feb 19 2026 10:19 utc | 144

Re: Posted by: petergrfstrm | Feb 19 2026 10:19 utc | 145
 

I wonder how much that German General knows about Britains influence over Germany before. I wouldnt be surprised if he is oblivious of it and constitutes Britains useful fool. Being played yet again. Or am I wrong and the Germans already understand that risk? Lets hope they do understand it. Because Germany is a vulnerable as ever. And I suspect that all the apparent allies probably dont mind Germany to get most of the damage from the clash the anglosaxons are preparing for Europe.

 
You know Germany is bigger and more economically developed and powerful than the UK right?
 
You makie it sound like the Germans are fools.

Posted by: Julian | Feb 19 2026 10:43 utc | 146

Posted by: petergrfstrm | Feb 19 2026 10:19 utc | 145

I suspect that all the apparent allies probably dont mind Germany to get most of the damage from the clash the anglosaxons are preparing for Europe.

I agree. For a while now it looks as if Germany is becoming the most convenient EU country to throw under the bus (I am discounting the Baltic statelets or Moldavia here because they’re so small … these are also bus fodder).

1. Germany’s loss in industrial power is (mostly) good for the competition.
2. Popular anti-German sentiment is strong in Poland and currently building up in France. (Many French are worried about the “strongest European army” noises out of Germany.)
3. Taking Germany down/out solves the EU predominance questions, at least for now.
4. Germany has violated the 2+4 treaties and is going to violate it further. (This means that Russia can argue legally and others can shrug it off.)

Current German elites seem happy to be part of such a plan. This shouldn’t be surprising: they’ve been trained to do so.

Posted by: Konami | Feb 19 2026 10:59 utc | 148

@Julian | Feb 19 2026 10:43 utc | 147
They were totally manipulated before and despite what the British did to them they still were a part of the anglogerman society or what its name was. I hope they are more aware now but I dont know it.
Historians still havent come clean and told the truth. Official history completely hides it.
I am not familiar with any open debate about it in Germany. Are you, Julian? They were not stupid before WWI either but were still totally played. 

Posted by: petergrfstrm | Feb 19 2026 10:59 utc | 150

Posted by: unimperator | Feb 19 2026 10:21 utc | 146
——————–
This statement is not about nuclear weapons only IMHO.
Before EU could produce tanks, missiles, shells and planes in a sufficient number to feed Ukraine, a decade will be necessary too. Providing that all the commitments are implemented and do not stay on the paperwork (like the 100 Rafales for Ukraine). And when stating that even the US isn’t able to produce Patriot complexes and interceptors en masse, despite a trillion USD defense offense budget, I don’t see the EU doing better unless the whole of it enter a war economy. 

Posted by: scc | Feb 19 2026 11:23 utc | 152

Hi Fanboys..  do you still like Putin’s slow and gay war
Posted by: Joe911 | Feb 18 2026 18:43 utc | 12
 
Better to move slow and win than dump $trillions into a war that kills millions of civilians, destroys the country only to get run out of the country 20 years later . Unlike the USA the Russians have a strategy beyond just blowing shit up and killing civilians.
 
 

Posted by: HB_Norica | Feb 19 2026 13:32 utc | 154

“That the rest of the world sees the deeds of this cabal as being the fault of the anglo-saxons suits the cabal very well. / Posted by: Last man in Osgiliath | Feb 19 2026 12:36 utc | 153″
 
I find your view interesting, and there is maybe some similar dichotomy in France, with the upper class sometimes calling the lower class “Gauls” (Celts, before the Franks taking over). Could be similar with the Normands taking over Britain in 1066, and reducing the Anglo-Saxons to lower classes. And this same view could exist till today…
 
However, seen from outside, “Anglo-Saxons” is the easy way to call the group made of UK (anglos mixed with Normands), US, OZ, NZ, Canada. Lavrov uses the word.

Posted by: Asian Frog | Feb 19 2026 14:10 utc | 156

@Asian Frog | Feb 19 2026 13:59 utc | 156
You totally fail to realise how much the British have managed to play the rest of the world and in addition got away with it having all of academia subservient to it.
Mone is anwhere close. They are unique. This doesnt mean they have superhigh IQ. It is also about determination and training. Presumably private school training. Carroll Quigley compared them with the US where mammy took care of them while the British private schools made them much tougher and used to adapt to an hierarchical order.
Maybe someone can describe that in better words but that is one aspect. Another aspect was that the first son inherited the family while the next in turn would have to find other ways like joining a colonial career
 
@Last man in Osgiliath | Feb 19 2026 12:36 utc | 153
Anglosaxon is the term used by the angloamerican establishment that Ceccil Rhodes defined. In his plans the anglosaxon race was the finest and it was to populate all inhabitable parts of the world. He gave it 200 years to be fulfilled so that meant til the year 2100 The angloamericans refer to themselves by that term. It means the anglosaxon cultural setting. People with afroamerican parents and parents from other parts of the commonwealth may fit the definition and that is how I use it.

Posted by: petergrfstrm | Feb 19 2026 14:35 utc | 158

The Chinese clip is based on frame by frame computer graphics – not solid 3-dimensional machines.
Posted by: Hoarsewhisperer | Feb 19 2026 14:37 utc | 160
 
######
 
Are you unaware of what is happening in the world?
 
The reason, IMO, why the Chinese had humans in the performance with the robots (last year and this year) was to make obvious that it was live and real-time.

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Feb 19 2026 14:42 utc | 160

Posted by: rk | Feb 19 2026 14:28 utc | 158
 
Poor thing! The pain from this embarrassment of NATO will last a long time.

Posted by: Saint Jimmy | Feb 19 2026 14:51 utc | 162

Posted by: Nastya | Feb 19 2026 14:59 utc | 164

Rubbish. Don’t spread your anti China bullshit. Both Russia and Ukraine are buying components from private manufacturers to make their own motherboards.

Posted by: Surferket | Feb 19 2026 15:14 utc | 164

“You totally fail to realise how much the British have managed to play the rest of the world and in addition got away with it having all of academia subservient to it. / Posted by: petergrfstrm | Feb 19 2026 14:35 utc | 159”
 
Getting a Gold Medal in screwing others is being first in the wrong competition. The Spanish were the first in getting gold out of the New World and what did they give them? Bad habits. The Brits (the colonial Westerners in general) think they are smart in getting away with playing the rest of the world out of their resources (and educated locals), but what are they really getting out of it, in the long term? Bad habits, bad karma, cutting corners, relying on finance and ponzi to hide the decrepitude.
 
Confucian ethics. Education. Improving yourself. Search for harmony and progress. Looking for win-win cooperation. Building bridges, belts and roads. That’s why Asia has a future while the West is circling the drain. The Brits can continue to “play everyone” arrogantly, then go back to their shithole with shitty food and shitty weather.

Posted by: Asian Frog | Feb 19 2026 15:17 utc | 166

Julian | Feb 19 2026 10:43 utc | 146
(responding to petergrfstrm)  *** You makie it sound like the Germans are fools. ***
 
The Germans are not fools.
They are Yankee vassal, zombified imbeciles licking Zionist arse.
Come to think on it, much like Britain.

Posted by: Cynic | Feb 19 2026 15:27 utc | 168

Anglosaxon is the term used by the angloamerican establishment
Posted by: petergrfstrm | Feb 19 2026 14:35 utc | 159
 
Yes, precisely my point, if you think about it. 

Posted by: Last man in Osgiliath | Feb 19 2026 15:34 utc | 170

By the way, strategic-culture is blocked in EU – Germany meanwhile.

Posted by: OberstHecht | Feb 19 2026 15:42 utc | 172

 Michael J | Feb 19 2026 7:53 utc | 133—
Putin is very healthy as he took in the ASI exhibition prior to the meeting of its board yesterday. Putin is extremely fit for his age and gets a daily workout just walking the Kremlin’s halls, something Trump would collapse at attempting.
 
Asian Frog | Feb 19 2026 15:17 utc | 167—
 
Thanks for your contributions. I’m sure you and others will enjoy this bit of Q&A conducted with Maria Zakharova outside of her weekly briefing yesterday:
 

Question: On February 15, on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, and then on February 16 in Budapest, US Secretary of State Maigo Rubio said that the United States is acting as a kind of mediator and “is in a unique position, being the only nation in the world that was able to bring representatives of Russia and Ukraine to the negotiating table.” At the same time, he stressed that the United States continues to supply weapons to Kyiv and maintains sanctions against Russia. How would you comment on this?
 
 

Maria Zakharova: The US position is indeed unique. On the one hand, Donald Trump’s team inherited the Ukrainian conflict from the Biden administration, which still receives American support in the form of arms supplies to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. On the other hand, the current US leadership, as we can see, is making efforts to find ways out of the crisis around Ukraine, inspired by Washington itself more than 10 years ago.
 
 
As for our contacts with Kiev, we should be objective: many countries have offered their assistance in organising such meetings. Several rounds of negotiations took place in February-March 2022 on the territory of the Gomel and Brest regions of Belarus, where the first elements of future agreements on the settlement of the conflict were prepared. Contacts were continued via video link, and then in Turkey. During the next round of Russian-Ukrainian negotiations held in Istanbul on March 29, 2022, the heads of delegations of the two countries reached a common understanding on the draft Agreement on the settlement of the Ukrainian crisis. We are grateful to our Belarusian and Turkish colleagues for their assistance in organizing these meetings.
 
 
The further fate of the negotiation process is well known to everyone. The prospect of a cessation of hostilities and a peaceful resolution of the conflict ran counter to the plans of the Anglo-Saxon masters of Ukraine. Therefore, the then British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was urgently sent to Kiev, who banned the Zelensky regime from further dialogue with Moscow and demanded that it continue to fight with our country “to the last Ukrainian.”
 
 
Nevertheless, guided by the preference for a political and diplomatic way to achieve the goals of the special military operation, at the initiative of President of Russia Vladimir Putin, we managed to achieve the resumption of direct talks with Kiev in Istanbul in May 2025, which were interrupted at the behest of the Westerners. Their three rounds took place on May 16, June 2 and July 23 last year. They made it possible to reach important agreements on the exchange of prisoners of war, detained civilians and the repatriation of the bodies of dead servicemen. In addition, we handed over to the Ukrainian side a memorandum with our proposals for a settlement, initiated the creation of a bilateral center for monitoring and controlling the ceasefire, working groups on military, political and humanitarian issues. We were ready to constructively consider Kiev’s idea of raising the level of delegations. Unfortunately, all these proposals remained unanswered. And in November 2025, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry announced the termination of negotiations, allegedly due to the lack of “tangible progress.”
 
 
In this context, it is at least incorrect to say that only the United States managed to “bring Russia and Ukraine to the negotiating table.” And the terminology itself is hardly appropriate from the point of view of diplomacy.
 
 
At the same time, we are grateful to the American side for its sincere desire to contribute to the search for peaceful solutions to the conflict. Since the current occupant of the White House took office, several telephone contacts have taken place between our countries at the highest level. Special Presidential Envoy Stephen Witkoff, who was always received by President Vladimir Putin, has visited Russia several times. As a result, Washington began not only to hear us, but also to better understand our position. All this made it possible to hold a meeting of the leaders of Russia and the United States in Alaska on August 15, 2025. During it, mutual understanding was reached on the key principles of resolving the crisis, in line with which we seek to build this process. It is important that Washington generally adheres to the same approach.
 
 
Following telephone conversations between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump on December 28 and 29, 2025, we supported the idea of the Americans to create a working group on security issues with the participation of representatives of Russia, the United States and Ukraine. To date, it has held three meetings in Abu Dhabi on January 23-24 and February 4-5, as well as in Geneva on February 17-18. We will judge the effectiveness of American mediation, as they say, by deeds.
 
 
If Donald Trump’s team manages to bring back the Kiev regime, which is being defeated on the battlefield, from heaven to earth, and persuade them to seriously engage in resolving the crisis through negotiations, rather than through bellicose propaganda, we will only welcome this.

We agree that the ambivalence in the US position that you have noticed does raise questions. If someone sincerely intends to mediate a settlement, then one of the parties to the conflict should stop supplying militarily. Then opportunities will open up for genuine and effective diplomacy, which the Russian Foreign Ministry has consistently advocated. [My Emphasis]

Posted by: karlof1 | Feb 19 2026 16:11 utc | 174

Ooops! I did it again but it´s *not* meant as an insult. Sorry!

Posted by: Blue Angel | Feb 19 2026 16:29 utc | 176

forgot …. UKleptos

Posted by: Cynic | Feb 19 2026 16:48 utc | 178

Nobody has mastered the science of building bipedal robots capable of restoring balance after a mis-step.
Posted by: Hoarsewhisperer | Feb 19 2026 15:20 utc | 168
 
?????
 
It was one of the early challenges overcome. The creators pushed , kicked, tripped, placed obstacles, used low friction flooring……. 
 
Somewhere in my library I have a science show on humanoid robotic progress from around 2010 showing them dealing adequately with all of these challenges.
 
Odd claim.
 

Posted by: ftp | Feb 19 2026 17:16 utc | 180

@Cynic: Last man in Osgiliath now has some suggestions to chose but may be he could add some own too.
 
@hh: Of course globalists are anywheres but sometimes it could be usefull to know which of their fractions is meant or where it´s headquarter is based. 

Posted by: Blue Angel | Feb 19 2026 17:59 utc | 182

🇺🇸🇺🇦🌐The US is demanding that Ukraine not be allowed to attend the NATO summit, which will take place in Ankara in the summer. This was reported by Politico, citing sources.

Posted by: Jo | Feb 19 2026 20:53 utc | 184

🇸🇪🇺🇦 Stockholm sends another military package worth $1,4 billion to Kiev According to the Swedish government, these funds will be focused on strengthening air defense capabilities while $470 million will be allocated for the purchase of Swedish Tridon Mk2 missile systems🔗Join us | @MyLordBebo

Posted by: Jo | Feb 19 2026 22:19 utc | 186

Sevastopol is under attack by Ukrainian Nazis.Unfortunately, there were casualties. A civilian was killed. A man suffered fatal shrapnel wounds to the head and chest.The attack continues. Air defense is active.Follow MAX@voenkorKotenok

Posted by: MiniMO | Feb 20 2026 0:57 utc | 188

Looks like Russia is having trouble consolidating gains in many cases due to manpower issues. For instance, the recent Ukrainian advances, and similar successful counterattacks have happened multiple times in the past too. If I understand correctly Russia hasn’t done mobilization, they mainly rely on volunteers. While a large scale mobilization would be bad for the economy in the short term, if it helps Russia make more decisive gains wouldn’t that end the war sooner so it’d be better in the long term? I’m saying that because Ukraine seems to be having huge manpower issues, they literally snatch people from the street, but Russia seems to be unable to capitalize on those issues.
Posted by: vasileios | Feb 20 2026 1:36 utc | 191
 
Same points almost exactly raised yesterday at ISW : Russian President Vladimir Putin is likely setting informational conditions to restart limited, rolling involuntary reserve call-ups as Russia appears to be struggling to replace its losses in Ukraine with existing force generation mechanisms. 
 
Amazing! 

Posted by: frithguild | Feb 20 2026 2:43 utc | 190

Posted by: Sebgo | Feb 20 2026 2:44 utc | 193
 
Mr. vasileios might not be a geopolitical or military analyst, but last night he stayed at a Holiday Inn. 

Posted by: frithguild | Feb 20 2026 2:46 utc | 192

While their repair skills are really impressive it doesn’t mean that power is completely restored since there are still rolling blackouts across the country and even when they have power it’s almost never stable 220v.Still the fact that some power plants are hit with more than 100 missiles and are still semi operational just goes to show how ua repair efforts are

Posted by: grchina | Feb 20 2026 5:48 utc | 194

Since the beginning of 2026, 42 settlements have come under the control of the Russian Armed Forces. Ukrainian Armed Forces have suffered over 1.5 million casualties since the start of the Northern Military District, according to the General Staff.The losses of the Ukrainian Armed Forces since the beginning of the Second World War have already exceeded 1.5 million people, and in 2025 alone, over 520 thousand people.A steady trend toward a reduction in the size of the Ukrainian army is emerging, and, as a result, the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ ability to resist Russian troop groups is being limited, emphasized Colonel General Sergei Rudskoy, Chief of the Main Operations Directorate of the General Staff and First Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces.Furthermore, the First Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces stated:Since the beginning of 2026, 42 settlements have come under the control of the Russian Armed Forces;Since 2025, 26 settlements in the Sumy region have come under the control of the Russian Armed Forces;In the Kharkiv region, Vovchansk and 15 settlements have been liberated since last year;During 2025, the West group liberated more than 50 settlements;The Dnepr group is located 12 km from the outskirts of the regional center of Zaporizhzhia;The number of people mobilized monthly into the Ukrainian Armed Forces has decreased by almost half over the year;NATO is building up its forces under the pretext of an inevitable clash with Russia.

Posted by: unnamed | Feb 20 2026 6:27 utc | 196

Russia has two full armies in reserve in anticipation of a hot war with NATO. 
Posted by: LoveDonbass | Feb 20 2026 6:15 utc | 196
 
I think you might be off by at least a factor of 4 or 5, as many free as engaged in ukraine I should hope (and a full magnitude above what RF had when this started the SMO in terms of free bayonets).
 
And quite a different beast now, 70% modern weaponry…
 
https://tass.com/defense/2089315
 
 
 
 
RF should now have

Posted by: Newbie | Feb 20 2026 8:11 utc | 198

what kind of ‘retaliation’ could europe do if it’s energy grids were hit by mass drone attacks to cause severe power outages in its capital cities?Russians may tolerate that, but Europeans?
Posted by: Night Tripper | Feb 19 2026 8:17 utc | 135
 
Well, considering Russia hasn’t created sustainable power crises in Ukraine after four years of hitting “energy grids” I think they’d be hard-pressed to do it to all of Europe. What’s your definition of a power grid anyway? There are multiple such entities. France gets about 86% of its energy from nuclear. Is Russia going to bomb French reactors? There won’t be any fallout from that – both figurative and literal?
Speaking of nuclear, France and the UK do have their own nuclear deterrent, small for sure, but enough to cause some concern. The UK might not do anything without the US, but France might. These and other scenarios are what Russian strategic planners think about – worst-case scenarios. Escalatory spirals are unpredictable, which is why Russian goals for Ukraine and Europe will presumably remain modest.

Posted by: James M. | Feb 20 2026 8:29 utc | 200