Putin has earned some raised eyebrows amongst the Russian commentariat for his sudden offer to ‘work with the US’ in exploiting Russian rare earth and mineral resources in both Russia and the Donbass.
How much better to harden his heart than to expose to the world, a snake that sells out their allies for the simplest trinket? As it was said to be an enemy is dangerous, but to be a friend is fatal. What better poison but to reinforce that truth?
I am not advocating anything, I am stating possibilities based on statements from Politicians. I would prefer if there were no wars, but my preference does not create reality.
I honestly believe your comment was not directed to me and I responded to you in error. So my apologies, if your comment was directed at me then we can continue the conversation if not let us end here.
Putin must not be fooled by the West and their mercurial promises that become irrelevant with each leadership change. You can only count on the US to serve itself and on the EU to lick their boots. Russia must continue until the SMO's goals are achieved
Anything less would be wasting the sacrifices of countless servicemen as conflict erupts again in the future when the parties behind it think everyone has forgotten their tricks. That would be the continuous war you seem to be railing about.
Offering goods for sale at prices and under conditions to be negotiated is not by any means "being fooled". It is a simple market transaction. As always, the seller has the right not to sell.
Zelya’s tech bro-style podcast event onstage in an auditorium w/ Yermak, Syrski. Podolyak, each of them seated beside him in casual attire and holding microphones so they could take turns talking about rare earths & the mineral deal in a casual give-and-take, was a relaxed opportunity for the press to pose off the cuff questions. It was also an opportunity, preemptively, for Bankhova/the EU to have planted questions from a reporter or two in order to shape the PR aspect of the event and make it seem that the questions had arisen spontaneously when really they were planned-for, scripted and staged. When someone in the auditorium asked about the death of Gonzalo Lira in Ukrainian custody, Zelya was ready for it, not by any means caught off-guard, and answered assertively that he didn’t “know this man or anything about this man.”
The occasion of a free-wheeling, apparently open access, free speech event, in other words, gave Zelya a platform for informing the world that Gonzalo’s blood was not on *his* hands.
But as Mercouris later noted, “It is inconceivable that the upper levels of the government in Kiev did not know about an American citizen being held for a lengthy period in custody in Kharkiv.”
State Department spokesman during the Collective Biden days, Matt “Count Chocula” Miller, fielded questions from the occasional media rep around the time of Gonzalo’s incarceration and then just after Gonzalo’s death and alway deflected the inquiries by saying he had nothing to report. Gonzalo’s father, Gonzalo Sr., appeared on podcasts w/ Kim Iversen and also Tucker Carlson just after his son’s death and described the agony of trying to get his son’s body back from Ukraine. Gonzalo is survived by two school-age children, believed still to be in Ukraine and a sister, who communicated w/ Gonzalo via handwritten letters during his incarceration.
Everything in his body language screamed "I'm lying!" in that clip. He made it clear - anything or anyone "Pro-Russian" is a target. After all, this is the scum that ordered the massacres in Bucha, and other mass murders, such as the terrorist attack on the concert in Moscow.
Human life means very little to him.
Nor does he put Western lives above any others.
He would happily cheer and wave through French and British Army troops onto Ukrainian soil knowing the Russian missiles were already on the way to their position.
Probable the same too of American troops.
In fairness to the POS, the West did the same to the Ukrainian population.
They would happily "conscript" every man, boy and woman to send to the meatgrinder front.
The West likes such people as their lackies. Western leaders would do the same to their own population.
Recall how often Zelia screams about the need to shut down Russian intelligence and Russian journalists operating in Ukraine.
Then he refers to Gonzalo Lira as "Russian intelligence" and a "journalist who is half-Russian" but says he knows nothing about the guy and that he couldn't have been a danger.
So Mr Zelensky was prepared to tell the world that he, supposedly the head of the Kiev regime, allowed its executioners to murder a US citizen without his knowledge. That argues incompetence and utter blindness impermissible in a head of state.
The wicked elements of Project Ukraine are off-the-rails.
Watched Michael Tracy conduct a lengthy interview last night w/ Tom Mutch, an Aussie who presents himself as an independent journalist living in Kiev.
While Tracy probed, Mutch defended Zelya's forbidding oppositional media, the jailing of Medvedchuk, the cancelation of elections and other tyrannical measures.
Tje propaganda saturation was so thick in Mutch that he claimed Ukraine is the side w/ the moral imperative in this war. (Skip to 43.40 in the link for set-up)
>That all being said, the argument that Putin’s statements are harmful do have some merit. Imagine yourself as a Russian soldier on the front, your comrades dying left and right around you, only for your leader to timidly offer the adversary mineral rights under the very land now being fertilized with your blood.
Nice to see you finally acknowledging this reality. If only more people did...
>The Russian armed forces have now likely lost somewhere approaching 100,000 dead if not more, the least they deserve in their colossal sacrifice is to know they didn’t die in vain; a stronger message from the commander-in-chief ensuring that objectives will be met would go a long way here.
Russia has loads of real resource wealth. The economic value to it of Ukrainian land is always going to reside in trading what is there (I mean the minerals, not the land itself- I did not realise I had not made that clear. The value of the land is its shield against NATO so Putin is never giving that up). That is all Putin was saying. I have no idea why Simplicius decided to run with the western propaganda that any dexterity in negotiations from the Russians represents weakness. That is how europe is trying to sell this. I do not recognise this as a belief amongst Russians except from the western propaganda arm dug in there always trying to do Putin down by pushing the argument that he is not being tough enough!
There is a Russian wing in Moscow that would be tougher militarily, MUCH tougher, that Putin wheels out routinely for western consumption - namely, remove me and what will replace me will be worse for you. Much worse. That is certainly true.
Any export of non-renewable resources is grand treason, unless you are desperate for critically important technology imports or you are trading non-renewable resources you have for non-renewable resources you simply don't have at all.
However in Russia's case:
1) It has a lot of everything
2) It has the scientific potential to be technologically self-sufficient (a country that builds hypersonic missiles, nuclear reactors and space rockets cannot build its own microchips not because it lacks the scientists and engineers)
3) It is exporting raw resources not to develop its own industrial basis, the way Stalin did in the 1930s, but for the Russian oligarchy to buy itself more megayachts, mansions, limousines and private jets. Which is the very defintion of purely wasteful consumption.
4) It is also importing finished Western high-tech goods, killing off any potential for internal development.
Now why is exporting raw resources grand treason? It should be obvious:
1) They are the only real wealth that there is out there (unlike paper money or symbols on screens)
2) They are non-renewable, thus giving them away means your own future generations are deprived of them
3) Being a raw resource appendage suppresses internal development (as described above)
The best thing that could happen to Russia would be for it to be completely shut down from being able to export raw resources. It will erode the power of the oligarchs and will stimulate internal industrial and technological development.
Which is kind of what has been happening as a result of the sanctions, but only in a mild version.
That the Russian elites and leadership are so eager to go back to being a raw resource appendage is an extremely negative sign.
Indeed. It seems to me that your analysis was correct and the elites are trying to turn back time and get access to the West again, trying to go back to things "as they were before". These overtures are troubling, as knowing Russian elites they will cuckold themselves out for the West and have since Yeltsins time. We are already seeing it with Putins really weak messaging.
I am not convinced by Simplicus' message that Putin is the consummate politician and that the lower echelon is showing us the true thinking of Russian elites - it is Putin who ultimately makes the decisions on further policies and though the lower echelons can gnash their teeth in disagreement, it would all be futile if Putin decides to take a policy of "appeasement". I think that Putin's signalling, is what he indeed is planning. There is no "4D" chess here. It is purely Putin staying true to himself.
With that being said, microchips are incredibly hard to create particularly since Russia fell 30 year behind. It is not the USSR in terms of scientific development, and it doesn't have the budget to match the Chinese in terms of microchip development (the Chinese spent the equivalent of 1 trillion USD last year on microchip developemnt). There is no way Russia can compete at the moment. It is forced to rely on the West for Chips.
Oh, it does have the budget, it just flows out of the country.
And it is not a question of catching up in 4-5 years starting from the current starting point, it is a question of policy going back decades.
Remember that the Chinese were even further behind Russia 30-40 years ago in that area.
With a program of serious investment plus repatriation of all the Russian engineers who are developing chips in the US (you can put them in Sochi, or even negotiate with the Georgians, if they are really addicted to a warm climate) it can be done. It is a matter of priorities.
Less pipelines and LNG export terminals, no megayachts, mansions in France and Italy, private jets, etc., and no more taking money out of the country, raise taxes on the rich (Russia has obsecenly low taxes right now), and the resource will be found.
Sure, China will always have the manpower advantage, but this is a matter of national survival. There isn't really much of a choice. The goal isn't to have the best 1.5 nm processors on the market, the goal is to be self sufficient for survival purposes, which is a lower bar.
How are you going to get back Russian Engineers producing chips for the West though? Many of them don't want to come back, in large part because the Russian Constitution has a "no ideology allowed" clause (don't forget the current Russian constitution was written by the Americans) and that means that many of the Engineers grew up with American movies/cartoons/dreams of living in the West. Many are also very liberal. It is unlikely that they will ever come back. And so that means that new ones must be grown - but when they are they get poached by Microsoft because Russia is part of the "international community" and "Europe" and does nothing to protect its talent. Indeed, it is too legalistic in this regard.
As for money, China is much further ahead now in almost every in Chip development from packaging, to software, to lithography, to DUV, to fabs. Russia has one fab in Zelengorod (I think) and has almost no research in microelectronics. Indeed, Russia has few scientific publications anymore at the level of Iran. I highly doubt it would be able to be competitive with China - even should it find the budget. Not unless, it returns the Soviet education system and reinstates Soviet era research institutes and has a good program for development of Scientific talent.
You know where this goes a few decades down the line -- autonomous drone swarms numbering in the millions stream out of China and exterminate every single Russian, and the hundreds of millions from what will by then be the submerged due to climate change Chinese coastal regions move in to take over the now cleared land.
P.S. Go back to the 1920s and look at the situation Stalin faced. The brain drain was on a similar level, if not worse, because of how concentrated education was in the ranks of those who fled after the revolution. And the technological backwardness was much much worse. But he didn't throw his hands in despair with "there is nothing we can do", he and everyone else rolled their sleeves and got to work.
Chinese chips are not yet at a level where they are reliable. Plus the Chinese aren't very trustworthy - we can see that by how they have remained "neutral" and continued selling drone parts to the Ukrainians/West and with some Chinese banks even sanctioning Russia and refusing to transact with Russia. In addition, it has not sent any military equipment to Russia either to match the amount of Western weapons sent to Ukraine. China is also taking a conciliatory to the West in many things, but not everything.
Once the three Great Powers start tending their spheres, it'll be interesting to see what shakes out--all the more so w/ India rising to Great Power status @ some point and beginning to tend its sphere.
You fail to see how China is playing the West and is Russias most important ally. Trump wants to divide Russia away from China as nixon did in the early 1970s.
Russia should be stepping up its economic and military ties with China. It is the only way to protect itself from the American empire which in decline is becoming ever more desperate and aggressive.
Putin has a Rada to answer to. He can't simply go rouge. And in case you didn't know this, most countries (even the US and GB) relies on other countries (even presumed enemies) for something or the other. Europe bought heaps of gas and oil from Russia since 22 etc, Europe bought oodles of titanium from Russia since 22, the list goes on and on. Russia also makes it's own chips. You guys keeping making the same mistake with Russia, over and over like knuckle dragging morons would. You keep under estimating them. Or, you simply spew shit and hope it sticks. Thank christ you guys are morons. It makes your pathetic existence so much easier.
Dude, I am Russian and speak the language fluently. I know the situation both in Russia and Ukraine at least on the civilian level.
Countries rely on each other if they have no other alternatives. Take the UK or Japan - they are small islands that have minimal resources and so must import everything to drive their industry. China is much larger and it too lacks some resources, but imports those. Unlike Britain or Japan, its strength is it can produce everything itself.
Now contrast with Russia - the Soviet times have shown us that Russia can be an autarky quite effectively (it needs to just have allowed private enterprise for consumer goods and it would have done fine) as it is in the unique position of having a smart population, large territory and every resource a hungry industry could want.
And what does it do? It destroys one of the powerful industrial machines in the world under the shouts of jubilition of Igor Gaidar stating "why do we need to waste effort to build things ourselves when we can buy it from abroad?". It dismantled its world leading education and scientific system and adopted the Western "Bauccelerate" to better fit "European" and "international" standards (that are atrocious btw). The last frontier is software development - here we (both Russia and Ukraine) still hold our own, but for how much longer? Weapon development relies on the old weapon designers from the Soviet era, very few youth want to go into it as it doesn't pay well and everyone is out for the highest pay they can get. Capitalism! And everyone wants to have an Apartment in Moscow - who wants to live in Ryazan or Novosibirsk anymore or work for little money for "the glory of the motherland" as our parents and grandparents did?
It "relies" on other countries not because it can't be self-reliant, but due to some sense of inferiority as it feels obligated to be part of the "international community" as Russian elites seek to be "international citizens" and spend their capital on hookers in Miami, villas in Monaco and vacations in the Maldives.
Thanks for these perspectives and insights and for your command of written English. This is the way the virus gets to everyone and eventually picks countries and cultures apart, insidiously and bit by bit.
From a British and European perspective you could argue the same; they took on the US economic model and flooded the place with their dreadful market culture and over time it is dumbed down for the mass populations. This started happening under Thatcher in the 1980s ; what you have now is a different and broken country, de industrialised, moronic, banal and run by global financial elites - maybe your oligarchs see this as a model that suits them.
This happened in Europe: I remember an Italian academic friend's response when I mentioned that luckily they had their own language to counter US culture. He soon shot me down by pointing out how awful Italian tv, Berlusconi et al had made Italy and dumbed it down - and let's not even mention what they've now done to Germany.
And to your points about your older generations, I agree. Having spent much time with wonderful people from the former Soviet Union and Yugoslavia I noticed straight away the old solidarity, education, critical thinking etc was still prevalent among those now in their 50s and 60s etc. - like UK and Europeans used to be.
This is what is happening all around the globe (look at Asia too) and whether Russia "wins" this war or not the dumb, market-led, mass culture of convenience pioneered in the development of the US is everywhere. This is the Oligarch/Elite wet dream that is sold to them by US led globalists: A small group of elite ghouls acting the way you describe and running things in ways that many dystopian sci fi novels and films have warned us of.
You are going through these things now and I don't know what can be done about it. These psychopaths are relentless and your own oligarchs/elites are going to sell you out just like ours did until now, we have an utterly vacuous avatar like Starmer going to the US on his knees to get his latest orders. Pathetic.
It can of course use Chinese tech which is becoming superior to the Western tech. China in many areas is starting to pull away from the West in tech developments. Russia should be looking to follow the Chinese examples of how to develop your technologies domestically. In China even the billionaire oligarchy appears to be in full support of the country becoming self sufficient in all areas. China's technological development in the last decade has been nothing short of miraculous.
It should be a major concern for the Russian people. The billionaire oligarchs who surround Putin live in an immensely privileged universe totally divorced from the reality facing the population. They cannot be trusted.
People read the "headline", but so far what's happened, talks, that's all. A suggestion isn't an offer, it's presenting some positive points, but it's been made clear that dealing with the Dec 21 documents presented are the substance, that's not changed. I read this as Russia pressing on changing the "facts on the ground", there's no slackening. Trump's got much more to deal with, like dismantling a hostile deep state and an illegitimate debt money system. I think I'd rather have Putin's problems. In the meantime keep the US engaged, and the Brits and Eurocrats can just go shit their pants.
The great powers speak often not directly but in gestures of intent. To get to the table of solid negotiations, a few more gestures of intent must be made before.
I thought agreeing to the distribution of mineral wealth would be the easy part in any US-Russian deal. Russian government sells mining rights to US companies.
The hard part will be the role of the USD. Trump is trying to insert the US into the Russia - China relationship, trying to get Russia to dump their SWIFT alternative and stop using local currencies for international trade. Putin spoke to Xi after the US meeting, and I suspect some of Trump's demands were incompatible with the China/Russia relationship. Big decision for VVP - the US who changes policies every 4 years, or China who supported them, despite sanctions and NATO pressure.
VVP may try to *Modi-it* by wheeling & dealing w/ two entities, as the Indian prime minister often has done : matching Russia's interests both to its stable partner--China--which is an unshakable given, while exploring potentialities w/ the newly-returned unreliable powerhouse, the U.S.
Why on earth would Russia sell mining rights to US companies when it has the companies that can do it themselves?? Russia can and will sell the processed material to the highest bidder.
Trump is transient - USPolicy remains the same. It will revert to 'normal' as soon as Trump leaves office. Russia knows that more than anyone. It will milk the US for everything possible before that.
As for the US dollar, Russia will take roubles or renminbi. Not dollars. Russia is not going back to Swift. Not when it's spent the last 10yrs Swift-proofing its economy.
"Simplicius decided to run with the western propaganda that any dexterity in negotiations from the Russians represents weakness."
Not the 1st time. It's just easier to scrape the MSM and tie it together with the right words.
Quotes from:
-Politico (a USAID beneficiary)
-ABC (MSM now at war with Trump)
-Institute for the Study of War (a nuland project)
If you want the other side of the story:
"After his meeting on rare earths and the need to crank up that industry, which the Kremlin only provided Putin’s introductory remarks, Rossiya 1’s always seemingly present Pavel Zarubin asked Putin a series of questions from rare eaths to Ukraine to Trump and more:" -Karlof1’s Substack
Considering we have recently passed the 10th anniversary of the Minsk accords where Putin was hoodwinked by the West then I think you are being the naive one. Putin failed to act after the Maidan coup in 2014 leaving the people of the Donbass alone to face the murderous AFU.
Russia failed to act? Do you have eye, ears, and brains to process the incoming nformation from the frontlines in Ukraine? Have you seen a hysterical Macron and other alarmed European compradors? Do you know why they are alarmed?
You know he deliberately threw you that old, dry bone, and you are chewing on it like the hyena as expected?
If such messaging could save 10-20 THOUSAND Russian lives by sweet-talking the US into agreeing to Russian terms, would you not swallow your pride and do the same?
The Kremlin has always focussed on the aims and results, not on PR. PR is soon forgotten, the 'facts on the ground' are what the future is built upon.
>The Kremlin has always focussed on the aims and results
And the results on the ground are what exactly?
>If such messaging could save 10-20 THOUSAND Russian lives
Putin had the power to take over the whole of Ukraine with 10-20,000 Russian deaths in total since Day 1. All he had to do is give the order to hit the targets that would ensure Ukrainian defeat, and that continue to be off-limits even now.
I'm sick and tired of going round and round over the same ground with you. You are simply incapable of learning new perspectives, and simply repeat the same old tired lines, no matter how many times you are logically and rationally contradicted.
What are the "results on the ground"?
Lemme see, Russia has won, defeated the entire West and NATO, increased its standing in the World, gained the territories that voted to join it, and avoided nuclear war. That's a win.
"Putin had the power to take over the whole of Ukraine with 10-20,000 Russian deaths in total since Day 1. All he had to do is give the order to hit the targets that would ensure Ukrainian defeat, and that continue to be off-limits even now."
Armchair corporals rarely can understand the wider situation. Putin does not think about next week, but next decade+. This is why he has been the Russian President for over 20 years, and you are... not.
You are the kind of idiot that would turn the heat up on the pan rapidly, and then watch as the frog hops away - and then find some reason why that was someone else's fault, little doubt.
Actually the situation in the post-Soviet space has deteroriated quite significantly since 1999 - almost all post-Soviet republics have moved out of Russia's sphere and aligned with the West. Even traditional allies like Armenia, Moldova and Kazakhstan. I think unless Belarus gets integrated soon, and Lukashenko Sr gets replaced by his son, a Belarussian alignment with the West is also quite possible - as Lukashenko Srs position depends heavily on personal friendship with Putin. Once that is gone, the situation is questionable.
In short, Russia's foreign policy in the near abroad has been disastorous.
After 2016, it was evident to me how Ukrainian society was oriented vis-a-vis Russia. I don't know how Russian Intelligence could have missed that - they could have asked any guy who spends time on VK or the internet and figured it out.
GM is what's referred to as a "concern" troll. Always acting concerned about things, such as "Putin's disrespect for life if his own people yada yada" bullshit. To think that MI6 spent billions on hasbarrat troll farms, and this GM shit stain came out the other end 🤣🤣🤣 Its Kommisar should shoot the useless monkey now, imo.
Won what? It is likely that Odessa will be given off - there is a reason the US wants 50-50 on port infrastructure - and that means Ukraine retaining control of Odessa. Indeed, Putin has not made mention of it in his speeches, where he said that Russia demands "only the 4 territories". Which means other territories are off the table.
What other results are there? Small movements within the South, the line near Kharkov has stayed the same for nigh on two years, Kursk cannot be liberated for 9 months and we do not know how much longer it will take and if negotiations hit what Putin will trade to get it back. Thats not mentioning the Istanbul Agreement, where Putin offered to give up the entire South and Potentially Crimea in the future.
Odessa is as important to the West as Crimea is to Russia. Russia would go nuclear if Crimea was seriously threatened - do the logical math yourself.
The loss of Odessa to Russia would mean the whole east-central part of Europe flowing back into Russian arms over time.
Russia TRIED recently to cross towards Odessa, and found a hornets nest like they hadn't met before. They may try again, if this continues long enough. But they'll have to come down through Kiev to get there.
As for lack of movements, of course WW1 came to an end when Allied forces swept across Germany in a 'Big Arrow formation', right?
Kursk is a graveyard for Ukraine's far-right corps, that Zaluzhny so painstakingly kept out of severe combat for the 'Stay behind' the NATO generals knew full well this would come to one day. It's a nowhereland of small villages, and trees. The atrocities against the local population will be paid in blood.
3 months ago 50,000 Nazis had died there, now apparently that number is around 100,000, and still growing, with a cauldron forming to trap ALL of them. It is also an opportunity to live-fire train the new troops and corps, and also to show the new recruits the kind of people they are facing in the NATOfied West. They will not forget the lessons they are learning, and they will form the authority structure of the New Russia once Putin and his generation retires.
Putin will be the last pro-Western leader for generations, and he is making sure of that.
Russia never made a concentrated effort to land in Odessa though. It never even tried. It could have been done in the early days before the Ukrainians had time to mine the port. Also the distance from the tip of the Kinburn Spit to the surrounding areas of Ochakov is not so far as not to be impossible to land. But again they hadn't tried.
I assume they wanted to go through Nikolaev, but when that failed they just gave up and that section of the front hasn't moved in years. So unless there is a campaign against Nikolaev (and if Russian command has some sense there will be), there will be no campaign against Odessa. But at the moment it doesn't look like it will happen.
It is also highly unlikely that the West would go nuclear over Odessa - theres a chance they would throw their own troops at it, start provocations, sabotage, etc but not do direct nuclear war. Also, study WW2 to see how the Soviets took it even in the face of a heavy German Resistance. It is not impossible to take Odessa, there just needs to be a political will but its non-existant it seems.
Yea, you should really offer the Kremlin your expert advice and winning recipe for their success. You clearly have oodles of experience in all of these matters. Trot along now. Too many people dying while you play armchair general with yourself.
My hope as to why is to dream of some 4D rope-a-dope plan by Russia to build up their army and military industry, then draw NATO into Ukraine for a final military defeat. Then, declare along with the BRICS a gold backed currency to kill the US$ and the world starts anew.
When I wake from this delusion...
I am more likely to believe the rich are just using us like the always do with political terms, propaganda and threats to hood-wink the world into another grift where the common man is just a tool to make them richer.
As a kid I always thought the USSR and USA would join forces to explore the solar system. What a friggin letdown the last 50yrs have been in that regard.
I long for a world that reaches out to the stars so that we can find something out there to turn our hatred towards instead of each other.
You are right. In a war, a commander-in-chief should first of all be concerned about his soldiers, who are doing the heavy lifting, and not about giving a good impression to the rest of the world, let alone to the USA, the country that is, after all, the instigator of this war.
Where in this article do you see "mineral rights"?
"Putin has earned some raised eyebrows amongst the Russian commentariat for his sudden offer to ‘work with the US’ in exploiting Russian rare earth and mineral resources in both Russia and the Donbass. "
To be fair America always has been the enemy of everyone else,they just never noticed it until now. All they do is threaten you until you give them resources. Blow up your cheap gas and then become your new supplier at 5 times the cost. Dont agree to a pipeline, heres 10 years of sanctions until your country dies.
Im royally annoyed by this joint venture talk, whats the point of fighting for that?
It's not so much about a "joint venture" per se it's about interrupting the anti-Russian "we don't talk to them," rabid paranoid "diplomacy" that the West was exhibiting for years
Putin's statement that Russia can cut deals with the US over minerals is no more than taking the wind out of the sails of the argument that if the US has an economic interest in western Ukrainian land it will have to put in troops or at the very least continue to support Ukrainian independence militarily. Z said this himself!
Not so, says Putin. US economic interests will be better protected with Russia in charge than the current horrendously costly instability, making it impossible to exploit those interests, anyway.
It is another way of saying that the only way to end this war is for Ukraine to cease to exist as an independent territory.
>Putin's statement that Russia can cut deals with the US over minerals is no more than taking the wind out of the sails of the argument that if the US has an economic interest in western Ukrainian land
Sigh. Why must we cope just like Ukrainian commentariat. Of course I guess I expected a higher level of discourse from the "counter-culture" but I have been disappointed yet again.
Putin said it himself "our partners"....what "partners" can there be that are hell bent on destroying the country, arresting Putin personally and having killed tens of thousands of fellow countrymen? These are not partners, these are mortal enemies. And calling them "partners" serves only to confuse. Imagine Stalin during WW2, calling the Germans "partners", that would have been impossible and he would have been deposed by Zhukov, or even those around him for such a statement.
Precisely. He has been using the term the same way for 20 years. It means what it has always meant with him - that he is willing to work with the west if only the west would work with him.
In the speech in question he didn't talk about partners in an abstract way, as "our Western partners". He instead talked about joint business activities with partners (in a commercial sense) from the West, as possible outlook for the future.
Yes, indeed, and it's not as if this is something new, i.e. a mistake that can be forgiven a chance to repent given.
These are people who have been busy trying to destroy Russia for, depending on the specific country, between more than a century and five centuries.
Why does Germany still exist? OK, the US has nukes, can't nuke them down to zero, but Germany should have been fully wiped out the moment German tanks again entered Kursk. After WWI, then 27M dead in WWII, from which Russia never really recovered, resulting in the Soviet collapse as a delayed consequence, what sort of Russian leader working in the interests of the the country would ever want anything to do with them again? This after Russia subsidized them with cheap enerrgy, at the direct expense of its own people, for half a century, and they still send the tanks again. End it once and for all, with fire.
I'll add my 2c worth here, since the first thread has turned to complete fertiliser (as does any thread featuring the General Moron.)
Bearing in mind that any mineral extraction effort involving Western companies will have a timeline to first export of anything worthwhile measured in years (decades are not uncommon).
The key thing to remember is that possession is nine-tenths of the law, i.e. no matter which Western company gets involved in the extraction of whatever element, be it Titanium, Aluminium or whatever, the mine, the plant associated with it, the mining equipment, etc is IN RUSSIA.
So if, in the fullness of time, a Biden/Obama V3 appears on the scene and tries again, well, that's a mighty fine bit of mining production you've paid for, it's Mother Russia's now.
The offer of minerals partnership by VVP is a VERY clever way of getting the West to pay for rebuilding of parts of the Donbass and Luhansk that otherwise would HAVE to come out of Moscow's pocket. As ever, VVP plays the long game very intelligently.
Agreed. There are multiple perspectives playing in Putin's favour, most though assuming one hard fact on the ground. Russia takes back Ukraine- all of it. It continues the grind as the babble drowns out what is actually happening militarily.
Everyone is talking about minerals and energy. No one is talking about food. Cars and goods are luxuries if you don't have enough to eat. If we reach 2 degrees of warming by 2030-35, and there's no reason to think that we won't, food insecurity in Africa, India, West Asia and South America will become severe. Productivity of wheat in the exporting bread baskets of Russia, Ukraine, the US, Australia and France will decline by about 20%. 2.5 billion people (1.5 billion already in food insecurity) depend on this trade import of wheat surplus to survive.
You have a bit of reading to do about "global warming". I agree with you that not having enough food is bad, but the reason you don't hear about is, is that it is intentional. Read "Plunderers of the Earth" by Julius Ruechel.
It's not germane to this thread but nor is it bullshit. War's v. bad for emissions reduction. The climate data's horrific and physics is indifferent to you and the WEF.
Access to food is not germane to access to Ukraine's fertile land or co-operation with wheat producing Russia in a time of food insecurity? What planet are you on?
Debating the reality of global warming wasn't the point of this article. Food security is a vital strategic concern. China doesn't bother storing more food than any other nation for fun. It thoroughly understands the politics of food security and the threat of global warming so it's also got massive energy tech and infrastructure now.
Hiya lowly snail, no, debating the reality of global warming wasn’t the point of the article nor of my comment. Highlighting the greater importance of food security over minerals and gas as the planet warms was.
Storing food only goes so far when you can’t produce more and renewable energy doesn’t help if you’re starving, but yes China understands. Is China going to share this food with Africans or whoever when billions start dying? Will food not be a huge global political tool as the climate crisis worsens?
No one in the West, in MSM or alt. media even acknowledges the issue exists let alone debates it.
If you still believe that Klaus Schwab SquarePants and his vanity club WEF virtue signalling 'globalists' are actually in control and are faking the environmental crisis, you're the fucking moron. No offence.
While seated in the Oval Office before a raft of White House pool reporters, Napoleonette, grasping DJT’s thumb like Ariana Grande grasped Cynthia Erivo’s finger during their press tour for “Wicked,” listened as DJT said “My administration is making a decisive break with the foreign policy values of the past administration and, frankly, the past.”
Later, Napoleonette said it was because of Bucha, that he dropped contact w/ VVP, claiming that one couldn’t appear weak before the Russian president. BTW: Bucha was the massacre of pro-Russian civilians in early April 2023, which happened 3 days *after* Russian forces withdrew from the city of Bucha but which was blamed as a war crime on Russia—the essence of a False Flag.
After this, Napoleonette appeared to try to rope DJT into a public acknowledgement of a U.S. military backstop for a Reassurance Force in several Ukrainian cities. Napoleonette said that based on his private discussions w/ DJT if Russia violated a peace agreement with Ukraine, then Russia would also be “in conflict” not only with Europeans but seemingly with Washington too.
DJT, standing next to Napoleonette neither affirmed nor contradicted him—but he did assert that “I don’t think you’re going to need much backing of security forces inside Ukraine. I think that’s not going to be a problem. Once an agreement is signed, Russia is going to get back to their business. I don’t think it’s going to be a problem.”
Both Napoleonette and Sir Keir very badly want it to be a problem, so they keep agitating away.
The West’s proposed deployment of a Reassurance Force into various cities would constitute *sneaking* OTAN into Ukraine as A) an occupying army and B) a tripwire target, which is a nonstarter for Lavrov and Russia in a war which has been about preventing OTAN’s proximity to Russia’s borders.
The fawning and simpering of Napoleonette with Trump was hilarious. He acted like a teeny-bopper at a boy-band concert or a drunk woman coming on to a guy at a low-life bar. This guy is a national leader? Trump really does have these Europeans buffaloed. Even Trump looked shocked and embarrassed.
Hegseth said plainly that Western troops sent to Ukraine would not have Art5 protection.
So as far as Trump is concerned, it won't "Be a problem". Nor would they live long enough to need "Backstopping". Starmer may rage, but it's hardly like the fucker wasn't directly warned. Macron will smarm, and they both will be removed soon anyway, to go on to lucrative private-sector work, with nary a glance back at the broken bodies and families of the brave troops who followed their orders.
Chimpy McFlightsuit was the full moniker. It's been a while. There was also Jorge W. Busheron, the Caudillo of Crawford; along with the noted Islamic theologian Imam Al-Dubya, Mahdi of West Texas; plus Curious Jorge leading his misunderestimated Mesopotamian misadventure. Typical western clown-leader dancing to the tune of the oligarchs.
The pro-Russian civilians of occupied Bucha wore white armbands so the Z force knew the friendlies.
Russia withdrew from Bucha as part of the Good Will Gesture, the promise of Istanbul. Napoleonette had convinced VVP to withdraw in order to lubricate the Istanbul deal forward--like throwing in some earnest money.
Then the betrayal...
Russia withdrew from Bucha. The mayor ran through the town celebrating the incredible liberation, so much jubilation, etc.
Three days later--meaning the Russians had been gone three days by then--bodies of murdered civilians were found in the streets.
Where they had not been before when the jubilant mayor was running happily around--?!!?
The dead wore the white armbands.
Forensic analysis revealed that the murdered civilians were not three days dead when they were found, meaning that 'someone' murdered them *after* the Russian Forces withdrew.
Yes, I knew about the 'three days dead' thing and all that. I've been convinced of 'false flag' for a long, long time. I just didn't know that particular detail: the white armbands.
You know generally I'm of the opinion that the soldiers on both sides are mere dupes and, in fact equals. 'Brothers'.
But more and more this Kiev Ukraine lot begin to look really, truly, 'bad'.
There's constant propaganda on russian TG channels about their atrocities and perpetual attacks on civilians and I've generally seen them with a sort of 'ho hum' because I've thought they could probably say the same about the Russian side.
But more and more I tend to believe this is honest and true indignation and shock they're manifesting.
It is said that the AFU had a group of 'hard' types, Right Sector members, ready to clear Bucha of the Z-sympathizing crowd.
The Regime Media did its part in caterwauling loudly about "Russia's brutal massacre," reminiscent of how the downing of Malaysian Flight 17 got rushed at us.
The west-sponsored False Flags have a recognizable template: the swift laying of blame, the intense caterwauling, the wall-to-wall propaganda saturation of culpability.
It is notable that Napoleonette told the gathered media while standing next to DJT in the press conference on Monday that "Bucha" forced France's break w/ Russia--because *Napoelonette* was a collaborator in the False Flag set-up--!
Napoleonette had urged VVP to withdraw troops in order to sweeten the atmosphere of the Istanbul Agreement, which VVP did.
I mean, the 'ask' was reasonable--if one is negotiating w/ trustworthy people.
Although the Bucha mayor was posting video on X of the jubilation he felt after the liberation of his city, corroborating media were not permitted in for a couple days on account of 'clearing operations.'
That's when the 'hard' types were doing the wet work.
Bucha altogether was a UK/France escapade, utilizing Ukrainian 'breakers.'
The truth about Bucha-as-a-False Flag emerged almost as fast as it happened in early April 2022. Max Blumenthal of The Gray Zone began plucking threads of the Regime account of Bucha, as did Brit investigative journalist Kit Klarenberg, the latter of whom was familiar w/ UK-fomented False Flags through Bellingcat, like Skripals and the Navalny/Novichok set-up.
If something is weird, too intricate to be believed and diabolical, the UK is behind it.
Soon after Max and Kit's work w/ Bucha, Scott Ritter picked up the thread, as did the gents @ The Duran
If Russia doesn't not win the war strongly, the perception will be Russia is wea, and Ukraine fought them to a draw. This would be a false perception, but false perceptions can change reality if enough people believe it.
The reason why Europe dogpiled on Russia was the perception Russia was weak.
If Russia wins the war strongly it will out the kibosh on false narratives about Russia.
I think you mean "Combined NATO". Russia fighting the combined NATO to a draw will not look "Weak", and the hysterics among the European vassal misleadership will make it plain to anyone with a single wise braincell just how big a deal this is.
In 5 years or so, the mainstream Western corporate media consensus will have figured out a way to spin this and revise the Official Narrative any way they want, and even if Russia rolled over every ex-Soviet nation they would STILL be "Weak and the losers".
And any Westerner who still listens to these pravda lunatics will still seem batshit insane and disconnected to Reality, and anyone who questions this unreality will be accused of 'conspiracy-mongering'.
The narratives are already written, the Kremlin need take no note of them.
Few over 40 have heard or know anything about gamergate.
Iraq war lies.
Corbyn lies.
Israeli lies.
Russiagate lies.
Covid lies.
And the singular fact that every simpleton who still purchases their daily propaganda is a factual cretin who spouts daily nonsense and manufactured outrage.
The Murdochisation of every media outlet has made them all unwatchable to people who do not appreciate tabloid psychopathy.
That we have just discovered they all sup from the CIA goblet is the final straw. Some "Independent free media" when their funders are the US regime directly.
And when those (like Russia) powerful enough to stand up to these cunts realise that psychology ops through mainstream media are their strongest weapon they will treat mainstream media et al as a legitimate target. Discuss.
This is why the likes of Martin Wolf are so distraught.
Mr. Martin Wolf was born into a jewish family and has been using the shoah-biz profiteering memes for all his life. Wolf is regarded as "staggeringly well connected" within financial circles. He stands firmly for the City of Looters and fascist mega-corporations like BlackRock. We can also be sure that Mr. Wolf is a deep admirer of Kol Nidre.
As a deeply dishonest “thinker” (of Bernard Levy grade) Martin Wolf continues insisting that Israel is a "democracy." Mazel Tov, Wolf, on your support for the self-proclaimed Nazis (banderites) In Ukraine and the ongoing Genocide in Palestine! The followers of jewish fascist Jabotinsky are strong in the UK and Israel.
Talk about getting ahead of yourself! I don't get the joint venture stuff either. Stay focussed. What has to happen is that Ukraine must be disarmed, denazified and neutral. As for the Chinese, I don't think they should take arms talks completely off the table. Position should be, We develop capabilities in accordance with the threats we face. Pull back from our coast, quit messing with Taiwan, stop stirring up trouble in Korea, the Philippines, Thailand, Myanmar and the South China Sea and maybe we can talk about reductions. Of course it won't happen.
As if with wide-eyed dewy amazement, Axios reported that “DJT sparked criticism and suspicion when he made offhand remarks about how the war in Ukraine began, but his comment reflected a belief his advisors say is real: that [ OTAN ] helped ‘provoke’ the conflict years ago.”
Axios tried to pass the remark off as “a misstatement,” but it also focused on two dates, which advisors to DJT have said formed his comprehension of Project Ukraine: the declaration on 3 April 2008 @ the Bucharest Summit that Ukraine would one day join OTAN, in defiance of VVP’s wishes and on 22 February 2014, the release of the audio between Mrs. Nuland & Geoffrey Pyatt, in which they were choosing the next president of Ukraine, a phone call which revealed the depth of the U.S.’s involvement in Euromaidan.
“When President Trump is talking about who started the Ukraine war, these factors are what he is talking about,” a senior advisor to the president said. In fact, DJT has stated for quite some time that Zelya’s insistence on OTAN membership for Ukraine was a tripwire for war. He discussed this w/ venture capitalist David Sacks on a podcast in summer 2024.
Steve Witkoff, one of DJT’s lead negotiators, spoke on Jake Tapper’s show on 24 February: “The war didn’t need to happen. It was provoked, not necessarily by Russia.” He said, “There were all kinds of conversations back in 2008 about Ukraine joining [ OTAN .] The president has spoken about this. That didn’t need to happen. It basically became a threat to Russians.”
Just as DJT said, Ukraine and its OTAN backers provoked the war.
Witkoff added that going forward, “The Istanbul Agreement from March 2022 actually was a good foundation and could become the basis for negotiations to end the war.”
Later on 24 February, when asked if Russia had invaded Ukraine, SecDef Hegseth said, “It is fair to say that it was a very complicated situation.”
“This was a longstanding problem inherited by President Trump,” Michael Caputo, a Trump advisor and creator of “The Ukraine Hoax,” a MAGA documentary. “The Clinton-Bush-Obam-Bidena foreign policy for years played Ukraine as a pawn against Russia in a globalist game that ended up in a deadly war,” Caputo said. “And the America First moment wants it over.”
Ukraine expert & Canadian academic Gerard Toal said, “It’s a matter of reasonable debate to accept the view of some academics who believe the West and Russia co-created the deterioration of relations, starting in 2008 with talk of [ OTAN ] expanding closer to Russia. That was a red line for Putin and for the Russians. This, on their border, was seen as a direct security threat.”
The war in Ukraine began in 2014, when the Kyiv regime decided to obliterate Russian language and culture from the whole of Ukraine, including the parts in the east where most people were of Russian language and culture.
The fledgling CIA under Allen Dulles began prepping the ground around 1949, which was the same year the CIA began prepping the ground in what was Formosa
You probably know that Soros got into Ukraine in 1990.
The "ethnic" Kievan Junta is a baby of the US ziocon/CIA/NATO thugs.
The Kagans' clan and its famous member, Nuland-Kagan, who collaborated with the Ukrainian Nazi Party to initiate WWIII against Russia, are possessed by rabid Russophobia. They are mad with their supremacist lunacy, the idea of full-spectrum talmudic dominance, and boundless hatred towards "others:" Iranians, Iraqis, Libyans, Syrians, Germans, Spaniards, Poles, Russians, Palestinians. All these nations has a misfortune of being infested by the nomadic jewish tribe that lives by "rules-based order" founded in Kol-Nidre, a permission to lie to and swindle the "others."
The jewish bolshevik revolution in Russia was financed by the German and American jews belonging to the same incestuous family. The westerners are in general blithely unaware about the enormous crimes committed against people of the former Russian empire by jewish revolutionaries. There was the Goloschyokin (Itsikovich) Genocide in Kazakhstan, where 40% of active Kazakhs were "eliminated." There was a mass murder of Russian officer corps (the 50,000 POWs) in Crimea, which was organized by jews Zalkind ("Zemlyachka") and Cohn ("Bela Kun"). The system of concentration camps, GULAG, was led by Naftali Frenkel. The inventor (and practitioner) of the a gas chamber was the NKVD operative Isai Berg. The first soviet government was 85% jewish, and they were set on destroying Russian civilization.
The aipac-occupied US congress has been betraying American citizenry and western civilization. The American patriot Henry Ford's warning, "The International Jew," should have been an obligatory reading for each member of US congress. Instead, US congress stands firm with the Ukrainian Nazis and Israeli genociders, thus bankrupting the USA financially and morally.
I recently wrote that Putin needs to suck up to Trump, but do it carefully, not pettily. He needs to create the impression of one alpha male bowing to another alpha male's greatness, not of an omega jumping around on his hind legs.
Putin doesn't read me, as it turns out. Sad. So he offered Trump Russian rare earth elements and something else - almost exactly like Zelensky did.
Wait a minute: it turns out Putin doesn't read Zelensky either. I can forgive him for not reading me. But Zelensky? Hey dear, you're wrong.
Zelensky should be read. He made Trump an offer of long-term mutually beneficial cooperation, and immediately got slapped in the face, being ordered to simply turn out his pockets. Then Zelensky had to yell at the American minister to be left alone. What happened?
Well, it's like with certain drunk men. A lady, meaning nothing special, smiled in response to his joke, thinking it was just politeness, but he decided it was time and literally starts pulling up her skirt. The lady starts fighting back (this is where they caught Zelensky shouting at Trump's envoy). After that everything's not the same, the evening is ruined.
You can't act like that with Trump, he's just that way, interprets any kindness as a signal that "it's okay." Now try to figure out what was meant by the offer to dig earth together - but certainly not taking off pants, probably for both Ze and Pu - if we're talking about money, not psychology; with psychology it's worse.
And this happened with Zelensky, Putin learned about it - and decided to do the same. Because he doesn't read, and it's fine if it's just me he doesn't read.
I understand the feminine feeling of opportunity behind this: "He started pulling up her skirt, she started screaming - this is my chance! Let him pull up mine." A standard feminine submission to an alpha. But damn... You yourself have been portraying an alpha for so long, it wasn't easy for you, but you tried. Why sell it all like this? You can lose money this way. Why?
Because you can take the girl out of the village, but you can't take more than that.
I woke up to a text from my American friend, " Do you have an opinion on why the US voted against the UN Ukraine resolution?" So I checked and indeed, "US rejects UN resolution condemning Russia’s war." So, it looks like something tangible the US is putting on the table - publicly siding with Russia, acknowledging that this war wasn't "unprovoked." I think it's a good start and Putin's words might be in response to the above. Again, we are far far away from where the US and Russia need to be, but it's a decent & long overdue begining & sends a strong message (that the US owns UN:-)) & the times hopefully changing and not for 360 degrees :-)
Thanks for your points on Putin and his real role in the Russian state system. We in the West are not segregated from the propaganda hammering into our brains for decades now that Putin is the one-man-show, the almighty dictator who decides everything in Russia. We fall for that from time to time and become unsure, wavering. There is in Russia a deep state too which makes sure that the state’s interest are being taken care of. With respect to the US’ strategy: I listened to the Brian Berletic video yesterday in which he very convincingly (bolstered by documents and a hearing in Washington) argued that Trump’s »reset« is the same temporary pause as that of Obama/Clinton in 2009 and that Trump wants it, because US’ aggression against Russia has hit the wall and has to be modified. No change in the overall objective to destroy Russia, though. Trump wants the European states to take the lead here, and it seems to me they are ready to oblige (look at Germany, France, Britain). Worth discussing, I believe.
The Europeans have already thrown most of what they can at the Russians in this proxy war. Without US support there is zero possibility of them turning it around. Just look at the Polish position.
Yes, I agree, it will take time. They project the year 2030 here in Germany for the war against Russia to start. The people are all for it, as the election result shows. It should be possible to make the industry war-ready until then, one should not underestimate states such as Germany and France, they can achieve that. Look what Germany accomplished after WW I and WW II.
I thought until very recently Germany sourced most of its energy from Russia? They seemed to have stalled without it judging by the GDP numbers post 2022. And the UK and France seem to also be in dire economic and political straits. Do you believe the spin about ramping up for war without the US? Where will the money come from? And even if they do manage, the Russians have proven they can prepare and rebuff a full NATO attack in Ukraine. I doubt they'll sit around twiddling their thumbs.
The Germany of today are most assuredly not the Germany that came out of WW II, and there ain't no Marshall Plan incoming this time around. The only war you're gonna have is the Reconquista (or whatever ever it is in Kraut talk) that everyone in Europe will have to fight soon.
Putin's comments about possible jvs with the US are gold. Trump is a deal maker and the Russians will use that to their advantage. There is a reason why Lavrov opened in Riyadh with the $330 billion of lost business to the US. I'm sure the first jv will be signed the day after their frozen reserves arrive in the Russian central bank.
Now I think about it more, it seems like a masterstroke. US investment in the new territories or the Arctic is an implicit security guarentee. No Minsk III required.
Finally, a person on the internet who thinks. I thought I was alone.
The reason why the US were so trigger happy with sanctions is, that they "were divested" from Russia in early 00's and there was nothing really to lose in terms of investments. Also, US didn't invest in non-strategic or non-energy related industries in Russia before they "were divested". With hindsight, it even looks planned.
On the other hand, Eurostanis didn't invest in energy or strategic companies (with some exceptions, which were divested too anyway), so their companies remained (car companies for example).
And when the sanctions came, it was simply "fuck the EU".
The Europeans are the big losers, Nord Stream was an attack on Germany, Russia was collateral damage. Biden's Inflation Reduction Act spells it out. Europe has been thrown under the bus, willingly!
I wouldn't even say Nord Stream was such a bad hit economically. After all, economic growth in Europe predates even the first Nord Stream.
The political hit and optics... That was really bad.
But, the biggest economic hit were the sanctions themselves, not even those implemented since 2022, but it goes way back to 2014 at least. Or even 2008 (tho bitch slapping France for Mistrals was very bad politically too).
The decent Europeans should arrange a Red Alert hunt on Nuland-Kagan and other activists guilty of the largest ecological terrorist act in Europe - the bombing of NorthStream.
NOOOO HARDEN YOUR HEART OH PUTIN
Just saying no to everything is the strategy of a two year old and of the europeans. Putin is better than that.
well said
How much better to harden his heart than to expose to the world, a snake that sells out their allies for the simplest trinket? As it was said to be an enemy is dangerous, but to be a friend is fatal. What better poison but to reinforce that truth?
You are advocating continuous war?
I am not advocating anything, I am stating possibilities based on statements from Politicians. I would prefer if there were no wars, but my preference does not create reality.
"How much better to harden his heart" (not advocating??)
"I am stating possibilities based on statements from Politicians" What possibilities? What politicians? Whose reality?
I honestly believe your comment was not directed to me and I responded to you in error. So my apologies, if your comment was directed at me then we can continue the conversation if not let us end here.
Silly and senseless.
Or senseless and silly
take your choice.
Harden your heart to what?
Are you advocating continuous war?
Putin must not be fooled by the West and their mercurial promises that become irrelevant with each leadership change. You can only count on the US to serve itself and on the EU to lick their boots. Russia must continue until the SMO's goals are achieved
Anything less would be wasting the sacrifices of countless servicemen as conflict erupts again in the future when the parties behind it think everyone has forgotten their tricks. That would be the continuous war you seem to be railing about.
Offering goods for sale at prices and under conditions to be negotiated is not by any means "being fooled". It is a simple market transaction. As always, the seller has the right not to sell.
Zelya’s tech bro-style podcast event onstage in an auditorium w/ Yermak, Syrski. Podolyak, each of them seated beside him in casual attire and holding microphones so they could take turns talking about rare earths & the mineral deal in a casual give-and-take, was a relaxed opportunity for the press to pose off the cuff questions. It was also an opportunity, preemptively, for Bankhova/the EU to have planted questions from a reporter or two in order to shape the PR aspect of the event and make it seem that the questions had arisen spontaneously when really they were planned-for, scripted and staged. When someone in the auditorium asked about the death of Gonzalo Lira in Ukrainian custody, Zelya was ready for it, not by any means caught off-guard, and answered assertively that he didn’t “know this man or anything about this man.”
The occasion of a free-wheeling, apparently open access, free speech event, in other words, gave Zelya a platform for informing the world that Gonzalo’s blood was not on *his* hands.
But as Mercouris later noted, “It is inconceivable that the upper levels of the government in Kiev did not know about an American citizen being held for a lengthy period in custody in Kharkiv.”
State Department spokesman during the Collective Biden days, Matt “Count Chocula” Miller, fielded questions from the occasional media rep around the time of Gonzalo’s incarceration and then just after Gonzalo’s death and alway deflected the inquiries by saying he had nothing to report. Gonzalo’s father, Gonzalo Sr., appeared on podcasts w/ Kim Iversen and also Tucker Carlson just after his son’s death and described the agony of trying to get his son’s body back from Ukraine. Gonzalo is survived by two school-age children, believed still to be in Ukraine and a sister, who communicated w/ Gonzalo via handwritten letters during his incarceration.
Everything in his body language screamed "I'm lying!" in that clip. He made it clear - anything or anyone "Pro-Russian" is a target. After all, this is the scum that ordered the massacres in Bucha, and other mass murders, such as the terrorist attack on the concert in Moscow.
Human life means very little to him.
Nor does he put Western lives above any others.
He would happily cheer and wave through French and British Army troops onto Ukrainian soil knowing the Russian missiles were already on the way to their position.
Probable the same too of American troops.
In fairness to the POS, the West did the same to the Ukrainian population.
They would happily "conscript" every man, boy and woman to send to the meatgrinder front.
The West likes such people as their lackies. Western leaders would do the same to their own population.
In other words he's perfect zionist scum.
Exactly
How does the "body language" imply he's being dishonest?
I agree. And in the last contact, Gonzalo was stating that "Nuland knows my name." I'm sure she put pressure to "teach a lesson."
And to bring her another gallon of ice cream, she'd already finished off the first six.
Her favourite flavour: "Russian blood".
when will russia start making sure the jew such as Nuland, blinken, soros, start having "accidents" wherever they may be?
He openly contradicts himself.
Recall how often Zelia screams about the need to shut down Russian intelligence and Russian journalists operating in Ukraine.
Then he refers to Gonzalo Lira as "Russian intelligence" and a "journalist who is half-Russian" but says he knows nothing about the guy and that he couldn't have been a danger.
Of course Zelenskii is lying. But persons of influence and authority in the US have since dropped the matter, it is irrelevant.
So Mr Zelensky was prepared to tell the world that he, supposedly the head of the Kiev regime, allowed its executioners to murder a US citizen without his knowledge. That argues incompetence and utter blindness impermissible in a head of state.
The wicked elements of Project Ukraine are off-the-rails.
Watched Michael Tracy conduct a lengthy interview last night w/ Tom Mutch, an Aussie who presents himself as an independent journalist living in Kiev.
While Tracy probed, Mutch defended Zelya's forbidding oppositional media, the jailing of Medvedchuk, the cancelation of elections and other tyrannical measures.
Tje propaganda saturation was so thick in Mutch that he claimed Ukraine is the side w/ the moral imperative in this war. (Skip to 43.40 in the link for set-up)
<<
https://rumble.com/v6pb3g3-glenn-from-moscow-russia-reacts-to-trump-michael-tracey-debates-ukraine-war.html?e9s=src_v1_ucp
He lies easily, as sociopaths do.
>That all being said, the argument that Putin’s statements are harmful do have some merit. Imagine yourself as a Russian soldier on the front, your comrades dying left and right around you, only for your leader to timidly offer the adversary mineral rights under the very land now being fertilized with your blood.
Nice to see you finally acknowledging this reality. If only more people did...
>The Russian armed forces have now likely lost somewhere approaching 100,000 dead if not more, the least they deserve in their colossal sacrifice is to know they didn’t die in vain; a stronger message from the commander-in-chief ensuring that objectives will be met would go a long way here.
Yes, indeed.
?
Russia has loads of real resource wealth. The economic value to it of Ukrainian land is always going to reside in trading what is there (I mean the minerals, not the land itself- I did not realise I had not made that clear. The value of the land is its shield against NATO so Putin is never giving that up). That is all Putin was saying. I have no idea why Simplicius decided to run with the western propaganda that any dexterity in negotiations from the Russians represents weakness. That is how europe is trying to sell this. I do not recognise this as a belief amongst Russians except from the western propaganda arm dug in there always trying to do Putin down by pushing the argument that he is not being tough enough!
There is a Russian wing in Moscow that would be tougher militarily, MUCH tougher, that Putin wheels out routinely for western consumption - namely, remove me and what will replace me will be worse for you. Much worse. That is certainly true.
FAFO as they say.
Any export of non-renewable resources is grand treason, unless you are desperate for critically important technology imports or you are trading non-renewable resources you have for non-renewable resources you simply don't have at all.
However in Russia's case:
1) It has a lot of everything
2) It has the scientific potential to be technologically self-sufficient (a country that builds hypersonic missiles, nuclear reactors and space rockets cannot build its own microchips not because it lacks the scientists and engineers)
3) It is exporting raw resources not to develop its own industrial basis, the way Stalin did in the 1930s, but for the Russian oligarchy to buy itself more megayachts, mansions, limousines and private jets. Which is the very defintion of purely wasteful consumption.
4) It is also importing finished Western high-tech goods, killing off any potential for internal development.
Now why is exporting raw resources grand treason? It should be obvious:
1) They are the only real wealth that there is out there (unlike paper money or symbols on screens)
2) They are non-renewable, thus giving them away means your own future generations are deprived of them
3) Being a raw resource appendage suppresses internal development (as described above)
The best thing that could happen to Russia would be for it to be completely shut down from being able to export raw resources. It will erode the power of the oligarchs and will stimulate internal industrial and technological development.
Which is kind of what has been happening as a result of the sanctions, but only in a mild version.
That the Russian elites and leadership are so eager to go back to being a raw resource appendage is an extremely negative sign.
Indeed. It seems to me that your analysis was correct and the elites are trying to turn back time and get access to the West again, trying to go back to things "as they were before". These overtures are troubling, as knowing Russian elites they will cuckold themselves out for the West and have since Yeltsins time. We are already seeing it with Putins really weak messaging.
I am not convinced by Simplicus' message that Putin is the consummate politician and that the lower echelon is showing us the true thinking of Russian elites - it is Putin who ultimately makes the decisions on further policies and though the lower echelons can gnash their teeth in disagreement, it would all be futile if Putin decides to take a policy of "appeasement". I think that Putin's signalling, is what he indeed is planning. There is no "4D" chess here. It is purely Putin staying true to himself.
With that being said, microchips are incredibly hard to create particularly since Russia fell 30 year behind. It is not the USSR in terms of scientific development, and it doesn't have the budget to match the Chinese in terms of microchip development (the Chinese spent the equivalent of 1 trillion USD last year on microchip developemnt). There is no way Russia can compete at the moment. It is forced to rely on the West for Chips.
Oh, it does have the budget, it just flows out of the country.
And it is not a question of catching up in 4-5 years starting from the current starting point, it is a question of policy going back decades.
Remember that the Chinese were even further behind Russia 30-40 years ago in that area.
With a program of serious investment plus repatriation of all the Russian engineers who are developing chips in the US (you can put them in Sochi, or even negotiate with the Georgians, if they are really addicted to a warm climate) it can be done. It is a matter of priorities.
Less pipelines and LNG export terminals, no megayachts, mansions in France and Italy, private jets, etc., and no more taking money out of the country, raise taxes on the rich (Russia has obsecenly low taxes right now), and the resource will be found.
Sure, China will always have the manpower advantage, but this is a matter of national survival. There isn't really much of a choice. The goal isn't to have the best 1.5 nm processors on the market, the goal is to be self sufficient for survival purposes, which is a lower bar.
How are you going to get back Russian Engineers producing chips for the West though? Many of them don't want to come back, in large part because the Russian Constitution has a "no ideology allowed" clause (don't forget the current Russian constitution was written by the Americans) and that means that many of the Engineers grew up with American movies/cartoons/dreams of living in the West. Many are also very liberal. It is unlikely that they will ever come back. And so that means that new ones must be grown - but when they are they get poached by Microsoft because Russia is part of the "international community" and "Europe" and does nothing to protect its talent. Indeed, it is too legalistic in this regard.
As for money, China is much further ahead now in almost every in Chip development from packaging, to software, to lithography, to DUV, to fabs. Russia has one fab in Zelengorod (I think) and has almost no research in microelectronics. Indeed, Russia has few scientific publications anymore at the level of Iran. I highly doubt it would be able to be competitive with China - even should it find the budget. Not unless, it returns the Soviet education system and reinstates Soviet era research institutes and has a good program for development of Scientific talent.
I didn't say it was going to be easy.
But there is no choice.
You know where this goes a few decades down the line -- autonomous drone swarms numbering in the millions stream out of China and exterminate every single Russian, and the hundreds of millions from what will by then be the submerged due to climate change Chinese coastal regions move in to take over the now cleared land.
P.S. Go back to the 1920s and look at the situation Stalin faced. The brain drain was on a similar level, if not worse, because of how concentrated education was in the ranks of those who fled after the revolution. And the technological backwardness was much much worse. But he didn't throw his hands in despair with "there is nothing we can do", he and everyone else rolled their sleeves and got to work.
VVP could strike a deal w/ China for chips.
Chinese chips are not yet at a level where they are reliable. Plus the Chinese aren't very trustworthy - we can see that by how they have remained "neutral" and continued selling drone parts to the Ukrainians/West and with some Chinese banks even sanctioning Russia and refusing to transact with Russia. In addition, it has not sent any military equipment to Russia either to match the amount of Western weapons sent to Ukraine. China is also taking a conciliatory to the West in many things, but not everything.
Once the three Great Powers start tending their spheres, it'll be interesting to see what shakes out--all the more so w/ India rising to Great Power status @ some point and beginning to tend its sphere.
Oh..
So those chips win everything? Oreshnik, Kinzhal etc says nyet.
You fail to see how China is playing the West and is Russias most important ally. Trump wants to divide Russia away from China as nixon did in the early 1970s.
Russia should be stepping up its economic and military ties with China. It is the only way to protect itself from the American empire which in decline is becoming ever more desperate and aggressive.
Putin has a Rada to answer to. He can't simply go rouge. And in case you didn't know this, most countries (even the US and GB) relies on other countries (even presumed enemies) for something or the other. Europe bought heaps of gas and oil from Russia since 22 etc, Europe bought oodles of titanium from Russia since 22, the list goes on and on. Russia also makes it's own chips. You guys keeping making the same mistake with Russia, over and over like knuckle dragging morons would. You keep under estimating them. Or, you simply spew shit and hope it sticks. Thank christ you guys are morons. It makes your pathetic existence so much easier.
Dude, I am Russian and speak the language fluently. I know the situation both in Russia and Ukraine at least on the civilian level.
Countries rely on each other if they have no other alternatives. Take the UK or Japan - they are small islands that have minimal resources and so must import everything to drive their industry. China is much larger and it too lacks some resources, but imports those. Unlike Britain or Japan, its strength is it can produce everything itself.
Now contrast with Russia - the Soviet times have shown us that Russia can be an autarky quite effectively (it needs to just have allowed private enterprise for consumer goods and it would have done fine) as it is in the unique position of having a smart population, large territory and every resource a hungry industry could want.
And what does it do? It destroys one of the powerful industrial machines in the world under the shouts of jubilition of Igor Gaidar stating "why do we need to waste effort to build things ourselves when we can buy it from abroad?". It dismantled its world leading education and scientific system and adopted the Western "Bauccelerate" to better fit "European" and "international" standards (that are atrocious btw). The last frontier is software development - here we (both Russia and Ukraine) still hold our own, but for how much longer? Weapon development relies on the old weapon designers from the Soviet era, very few youth want to go into it as it doesn't pay well and everyone is out for the highest pay they can get. Capitalism! And everyone wants to have an Apartment in Moscow - who wants to live in Ryazan or Novosibirsk anymore or work for little money for "the glory of the motherland" as our parents and grandparents did?
It "relies" on other countries not because it can't be self-reliant, but due to some sense of inferiority as it feels obligated to be part of the "international community" as Russian elites seek to be "international citizens" and spend their capital on hookers in Miami, villas in Monaco and vacations in the Maldives.
Thanks for these perspectives and insights and for your command of written English. This is the way the virus gets to everyone and eventually picks countries and cultures apart, insidiously and bit by bit.
From a British and European perspective you could argue the same; they took on the US economic model and flooded the place with their dreadful market culture and over time it is dumbed down for the mass populations. This started happening under Thatcher in the 1980s ; what you have now is a different and broken country, de industrialised, moronic, banal and run by global financial elites - maybe your oligarchs see this as a model that suits them.
This happened in Europe: I remember an Italian academic friend's response when I mentioned that luckily they had their own language to counter US culture. He soon shot me down by pointing out how awful Italian tv, Berlusconi et al had made Italy and dumbed it down - and let's not even mention what they've now done to Germany.
And to your points about your older generations, I agree. Having spent much time with wonderful people from the former Soviet Union and Yugoslavia I noticed straight away the old solidarity, education, critical thinking etc was still prevalent among those now in their 50s and 60s etc. - like UK and Europeans used to be.
This is what is happening all around the globe (look at Asia too) and whether Russia "wins" this war or not the dumb, market-led, mass culture of convenience pioneered in the development of the US is everywhere. This is the Oligarch/Elite wet dream that is sold to them by US led globalists: A small group of elite ghouls acting the way you describe and running things in ways that many dystopian sci fi novels and films have warned us of.
You are going through these things now and I don't know what can be done about it. These psychopaths are relentless and your own oligarchs/elites are going to sell you out just like ours did until now, we have an utterly vacuous avatar like Starmer going to the US on his knees to get his latest orders. Pathetic.
Always fascinating watching world leaders go rouge. Macron and Obama spring to mind.
….going ROGUE… Rouge is what women sometimes put on their faces.
It can of course use Chinese tech which is becoming superior to the Western tech. China in many areas is starting to pull away from the West in tech developments. Russia should be looking to follow the Chinese examples of how to develop your technologies domestically. In China even the billionaire oligarchy appears to be in full support of the country becoming self sufficient in all areas. China's technological development in the last decade has been nothing short of miraculous.
more BS
what r u smokin' dude?
It should be a major concern for the Russian people. The billionaire oligarchs who surround Putin live in an immensely privileged universe totally divorced from the reality facing the population. They cannot be trusted.
what percent are jews?
People read the "headline", but so far what's happened, talks, that's all. A suggestion isn't an offer, it's presenting some positive points, but it's been made clear that dealing with the Dec 21 documents presented are the substance, that's not changed. I read this as Russia pressing on changing the "facts on the ground", there's no slackening. Trump's got much more to deal with, like dismantling a hostile deep state and an illegitimate debt money system. I think I'd rather have Putin's problems. In the meantime keep the US engaged, and the Brits and Eurocrats can just go shit their pants.
The great powers speak often not directly but in gestures of intent. To get to the table of solid negotiations, a few more gestures of intent must be made before.
I thought agreeing to the distribution of mineral wealth would be the easy part in any US-Russian deal. Russian government sells mining rights to US companies.
The hard part will be the role of the USD. Trump is trying to insert the US into the Russia - China relationship, trying to get Russia to dump their SWIFT alternative and stop using local currencies for international trade. Putin spoke to Xi after the US meeting, and I suspect some of Trump's demands were incompatible with the China/Russia relationship. Big decision for VVP - the US who changes policies every 4 years, or China who supported them, despite sanctions and NATO pressure.
VVP may try to *Modi-it* by wheeling & dealing w/ two entities, as the Indian prime minister often has done : matching Russia's interests both to its stable partner--China--which is an unshakable given, while exploring potentialities w/ the newly-returned unreliable powerhouse, the U.S.
Why on earth would Russia sell mining rights to US companies when it has the companies that can do it themselves?? Russia can and will sell the processed material to the highest bidder.
Trump is transient - USPolicy remains the same. It will revert to 'normal' as soon as Trump leaves office. Russia knows that more than anyone. It will milk the US for everything possible before that.
As for the US dollar, Russia will take roubles or renminbi. Not dollars. Russia is not going back to Swift. Not when it's spent the last 10yrs Swift-proofing its economy.
No selling - a suggestion of cooperation.
Agree.
"Simplicius decided to run with the western propaganda that any dexterity in negotiations from the Russians represents weakness."
Not the 1st time. It's just easier to scrape the MSM and tie it together with the right words.
Quotes from:
-Politico (a USAID beneficiary)
-ABC (MSM now at war with Trump)
-Institute for the Study of War (a nuland project)
If you want the other side of the story:
"After his meeting on rare earths and the need to crank up that industry, which the Kremlin only provided Putin’s introductory remarks, Rossiya 1’s always seemingly present Pavel Zarubin asked Putin a series of questions from rare eaths to Ukraine to Trump and more:" -Karlof1’s Substack
Considering we have recently passed the 10th anniversary of the Minsk accords where Putin was hoodwinked by the West then I think you are being the naive one. Putin failed to act after the Maidan coup in 2014 leaving the people of the Donbass alone to face the murderous AFU.
Russia failed to act? Do you have eye, ears, and brains to process the incoming nformation from the frontlines in Ukraine? Have you seen a hysterical Macron and other alarmed European compradors? Do you know why they are alarmed?
You know he deliberately threw you that old, dry bone, and you are chewing on it like the hyena as expected?
If such messaging could save 10-20 THOUSAND Russian lives by sweet-talking the US into agreeing to Russian terms, would you not swallow your pride and do the same?
The Kremlin has always focussed on the aims and results, not on PR. PR is soon forgotten, the 'facts on the ground' are what the future is built upon.
>The Kremlin has always focussed on the aims and results
And the results on the ground are what exactly?
>If such messaging could save 10-20 THOUSAND Russian lives
Putin had the power to take over the whole of Ukraine with 10-20,000 Russian deaths in total since Day 1. All he had to do is give the order to hit the targets that would ensure Ukrainian defeat, and that continue to be off-limits even now.
I'm sick and tired of going round and round over the same ground with you. You are simply incapable of learning new perspectives, and simply repeat the same old tired lines, no matter how many times you are logically and rationally contradicted.
What are the "results on the ground"?
Lemme see, Russia has won, defeated the entire West and NATO, increased its standing in the World, gained the territories that voted to join it, and avoided nuclear war. That's a win.
"Putin had the power to take over the whole of Ukraine with 10-20,000 Russian deaths in total since Day 1. All he had to do is give the order to hit the targets that would ensure Ukrainian defeat, and that continue to be off-limits even now."
Armchair corporals rarely can understand the wider situation. Putin does not think about next week, but next decade+. This is why he has been the Russian President for over 20 years, and you are... not.
You are the kind of idiot that would turn the heat up on the pan rapidly, and then watch as the frog hops away - and then find some reason why that was someone else's fault, little doubt.
>Putin does not think about next week, but next decade+. This is why he has been the Russian President for over 20 years
Are you sure you as a Putin fanboy want to play that game?
Yes, indeed, Putin was installed in power in 1999.
What was the situation in Ukraine and Eastern Europe back then and what is it now?
How did that "next decade+" thinking play out in the end?
Actually the situation in the post-Soviet space has deteroriated quite significantly since 1999 - almost all post-Soviet republics have moved out of Russia's sphere and aligned with the West. Even traditional allies like Armenia, Moldova and Kazakhstan. I think unless Belarus gets integrated soon, and Lukashenko Sr gets replaced by his son, a Belarussian alignment with the West is also quite possible - as Lukashenko Srs position depends heavily on personal friendship with Putin. Once that is gone, the situation is questionable.
In short, Russia's foreign policy in the near abroad has been disastorous.
After 2016, it was evident to me how Ukrainian society was oriented vis-a-vis Russia. I don't know how Russian Intelligence could have missed that - they could have asked any guy who spends time on VK or the internet and figured it out.
Well said
GM is what's referred to as a "concern" troll. Always acting concerned about things, such as "Putin's disrespect for life if his own people yada yada" bullshit. To think that MI6 spent billions on hasbarrat troll farms, and this GM shit stain came out the other end 🤣🤣🤣 Its Kommisar should shoot the useless monkey now, imo.
He is a troll, but he is very easily readable. Waste of time engaging him.
LOL well said.
He formerly was shitstain running down the back of his mother's leg.
Won what? It is likely that Odessa will be given off - there is a reason the US wants 50-50 on port infrastructure - and that means Ukraine retaining control of Odessa. Indeed, Putin has not made mention of it in his speeches, where he said that Russia demands "only the 4 territories". Which means other territories are off the table.
What other results are there? Small movements within the South, the line near Kharkov has stayed the same for nigh on two years, Kursk cannot be liberated for 9 months and we do not know how much longer it will take and if negotiations hit what Putin will trade to get it back. Thats not mentioning the Istanbul Agreement, where Putin offered to give up the entire South and Potentially Crimea in the future.
What kind of victory is this?
Odessa is as important to the West as Crimea is to Russia. Russia would go nuclear if Crimea was seriously threatened - do the logical math yourself.
The loss of Odessa to Russia would mean the whole east-central part of Europe flowing back into Russian arms over time.
Russia TRIED recently to cross towards Odessa, and found a hornets nest like they hadn't met before. They may try again, if this continues long enough. But they'll have to come down through Kiev to get there.
As for lack of movements, of course WW1 came to an end when Allied forces swept across Germany in a 'Big Arrow formation', right?
Kursk is a graveyard for Ukraine's far-right corps, that Zaluzhny so painstakingly kept out of severe combat for the 'Stay behind' the NATO generals knew full well this would come to one day. It's a nowhereland of small villages, and trees. The atrocities against the local population will be paid in blood.
3 months ago 50,000 Nazis had died there, now apparently that number is around 100,000, and still growing, with a cauldron forming to trap ALL of them. It is also an opportunity to live-fire train the new troops and corps, and also to show the new recruits the kind of people they are facing in the NATOfied West. They will not forget the lessons they are learning, and they will form the authority structure of the New Russia once Putin and his generation retires.
Putin will be the last pro-Western leader for generations, and he is making sure of that.
Russia never made a concentrated effort to land in Odessa though. It never even tried. It could have been done in the early days before the Ukrainians had time to mine the port. Also the distance from the tip of the Kinburn Spit to the surrounding areas of Ochakov is not so far as not to be impossible to land. But again they hadn't tried.
I assume they wanted to go through Nikolaev, but when that failed they just gave up and that section of the front hasn't moved in years. So unless there is a campaign against Nikolaev (and if Russian command has some sense there will be), there will be no campaign against Odessa. But at the moment it doesn't look like it will happen.
It is also highly unlikely that the West would go nuclear over Odessa - theres a chance they would throw their own troops at it, start provocations, sabotage, etc but not do direct nuclear war. Also, study WW2 to see how the Soviets took it even in the face of a heavy German Resistance. It is not impossible to take Odessa, there just needs to be a political will but its non-existant it seems.
I hope you're right. Thanks for the insights.
He is not an idiot, just a troll.
Avoid him.
Trollen are a misunderstood and protected Norwegian minority lifeform.
Please don't insult them by association like that. ;)
I didn't know that, so I had no intention of insulting anyone. I have much to learn, and that is the purpose of my visit to this forum.
Please don't feed the trolls...
Trollen are a misunderstood and protected Norwegian minority lifeform.
We can afford to lose a few sheep and christians, it's a small price to pay for this ancient species. ;)
Yea, you should really offer the Kremlin your expert advice and winning recipe for their success. You clearly have oodles of experience in all of these matters. Trot along now. Too many people dying while you play armchair general with yourself.
"...you play armchair general with yourself."
General Moron just plays with himself.
The little girl GM wants a magic pony right away, immediately!!!
Check the military budget of the empire of Lies and Loot ($831 billion) and compare it to the Russian budget ($109 billion).
Do you understand what has happened during the last 10 years worldwide?
My hope as to why is to dream of some 4D rope-a-dope plan by Russia to build up their army and military industry, then draw NATO into Ukraine for a final military defeat. Then, declare along with the BRICS a gold backed currency to kill the US$ and the world starts anew.
When I wake from this delusion...
I am more likely to believe the rich are just using us like the always do with political terms, propaganda and threats to hood-wink the world into another grift where the common man is just a tool to make them richer.
As a kid I always thought the USSR and USA would join forces to explore the solar system. What a friggin letdown the last 50yrs have been in that regard.
I long for a world that reaches out to the stars so that we can find something out there to turn our hatred towards instead of each other.
You are right. In a war, a commander-in-chief should first of all be concerned about his soldiers, who are doing the heavy lifting, and not about giving a good impression to the rest of the world, let alone to the USA, the country that is, after all, the instigator of this war.
Is he offering mineral rights?
Where in this article do you see "mineral rights"?
"Putin has earned some raised eyebrows amongst the Russian commentariat for his sudden offer to ‘work with the US’ in exploiting Russian rare earth and mineral resources in both Russia and the Donbass. "
To be fair America always has been the enemy of everyone else,they just never noticed it until now. All they do is threaten you until you give them resources. Blow up your cheap gas and then become your new supplier at 5 times the cost. Dont agree to a pipeline, heres 10 years of sanctions until your country dies.
Im royally annoyed by this joint venture talk, whats the point of fighting for that?
It's not so much about a "joint venture" per se it's about interrupting the anti-Russian "we don't talk to them," rabid paranoid "diplomacy" that the West was exhibiting for years
Well put.
Putin's statement that Russia can cut deals with the US over minerals is no more than taking the wind out of the sails of the argument that if the US has an economic interest in western Ukrainian land it will have to put in troops or at the very least continue to support Ukrainian independence militarily. Z said this himself!
Not so, says Putin. US economic interests will be better protected with Russia in charge than the current horrendously costly instability, making it impossible to exploit those interests, anyway.
It is another way of saying that the only way to end this war is for Ukraine to cease to exist as an independent territory.
Everyone knows this now.... including Ukraine.
>Putin's statement that Russia can cut deals with the US over minerals is no more than taking the wind out of the sails of the argument that if the US has an economic interest in western Ukrainian land
Sigh. Why must we cope just like Ukrainian commentariat. Of course I guess I expected a higher level of discourse from the "counter-culture" but I have been disappointed yet again.
Putin said it himself "our partners"....what "partners" can there be that are hell bent on destroying the country, arresting Putin personally and having killed tens of thousands of fellow countrymen? These are not partners, these are mortal enemies. And calling them "partners" serves only to confuse. Imagine Stalin during WW2, calling the Germans "partners", that would have been impossible and he would have been deposed by Zhukov, or even those around him for such a statement.
Putin always calls the West “partners “. It doesn’t have the meaning you think.
Precisely. He has been using the term the same way for 20 years. It means what it has always meant with him - that he is willing to work with the west if only the west would work with him.
In the speech in question he didn't talk about partners in an abstract way, as "our Western partners". He instead talked about joint business activities with partners (in a commercial sense) from the West, as possible outlook for the future.
It’s a manifestation of the same thing - a willingness to cooperate.
Showing a willingness to cooperate, is a good thing, ALWAYS.
It doesn't mean you will be a b&tch, it just means you are smart
You can trace a direct causal link between "cooperation" with the West, starting with Khrushchev, and the eventual collapse of the USSR.
Scipio is Russian. Tell him some more about the nuances of Putin's language.
>These are not partners, these are mortal enemies
Yes, indeed, and it's not as if this is something new, i.e. a mistake that can be forgiven a chance to repent given.
These are people who have been busy trying to destroy Russia for, depending on the specific country, between more than a century and five centuries.
Why does Germany still exist? OK, the US has nukes, can't nuke them down to zero, but Germany should have been fully wiped out the moment German tanks again entered Kursk. After WWI, then 27M dead in WWII, from which Russia never really recovered, resulting in the Soviet collapse as a delayed consequence, what sort of Russian leader working in the interests of the the country would ever want anything to do with them again? This after Russia subsidized them with cheap enerrgy, at the direct expense of its own people, for half a century, and they still send the tanks again. End it once and for all, with fire.
you really should brush up on history. Stalin and Hitler did in fact have a pact
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/aug/06/devils-alliance-hitlers-pact-stalin-1938-1941-roger-moorhouse-review
plus... it is now somewhat likely that Trump is or was an KGB asset...
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/2/22/2305510/-It-s-a-Spy-novel-starring-Donald-Krasnov
while it reeks of conspiracy theory...everything is somewhat plausible..and furthermore confirmed by the Trumps 180 turn in politics
I'll add my 2c worth here, since the first thread has turned to complete fertiliser (as does any thread featuring the General Moron.)
Bearing in mind that any mineral extraction effort involving Western companies will have a timeline to first export of anything worthwhile measured in years (decades are not uncommon).
The key thing to remember is that possession is nine-tenths of the law, i.e. no matter which Western company gets involved in the extraction of whatever element, be it Titanium, Aluminium or whatever, the mine, the plant associated with it, the mining equipment, etc is IN RUSSIA.
So if, in the fullness of time, a Biden/Obama V3 appears on the scene and tries again, well, that's a mighty fine bit of mining production you've paid for, it's Mother Russia's now.
The offer of minerals partnership by VVP is a VERY clever way of getting the West to pay for rebuilding of parts of the Donbass and Luhansk that otherwise would HAVE to come out of Moscow's pocket. As ever, VVP plays the long game very intelligently.
Agreed. There are multiple perspectives playing in Putin's favour, most though assuming one hard fact on the ground. Russia takes back Ukraine- all of it. It continues the grind as the babble drowns out what is actually happening militarily.
Russia only needs to take the parts of Ukraine that were traditionally Russian. The rest will get "peace-keeping" forces.
The Banderan government-in-exile will be safely tucked away in Lviv, Poland.
Hahaha... excellent insight.
Everyone is talking about minerals and energy. No one is talking about food. Cars and goods are luxuries if you don't have enough to eat. If we reach 2 degrees of warming by 2030-35, and there's no reason to think that we won't, food insecurity in Africa, India, West Asia and South America will become severe. Productivity of wheat in the exporting bread baskets of Russia, Ukraine, the US, Australia and France will decline by about 20%. 2.5 billion people (1.5 billion already in food insecurity) depend on this trade import of wheat surplus to survive.
It's entirely feasible that 1 in 4 will starve to death in the next 10 years. https://richardcrim.substack.com/p/the-crisis-report-103
You have a bit of reading to do about "global warming". I agree with you that not having enough food is bad, but the reason you don't hear about is, is that it is intentional. Read "Plunderers of the Earth" by Julius Ruechel.
https://www.amazon.com/Plunderers-Earth-Erosion-Civilization-Crusade/dp/B0DDCHYTNK?crid=MISYZHFT8TTD&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Q00_axkPdwDvcTxehNDwuhDFn5Wc9S7Y-UHV2BYS-onG6F_RsGRQderyV115L0JvceV9qiBG_z3JSUbnyxtXv2iGwP_X7IaYK5gM7hP3A9AJ5S8stXb-vHZQrPmGx53izCZ4j5N4UIb7HzTf893ZZL2LRGK73ztj_v3ZnXMtdySPeU8gtoe-ZRGJmBZv61rm_7yrHQ5KoA9fqyRr3xvNZGRoGQOhp5agmdVAtSsmHWY.4ONB5I1cnnKh7yPrssNPfJIShyEbNgkSRcUIUz4UHYM&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+plunderers+book&qid=1740562105&sprefix=plunderers+%2Caps%2C202&sr=8-1
It's you who needs to do more reading if you're still putting the climate crisis, of which global warming is a part, in scare quotes like the industry funded Heartland Institute does https://jowaller.substack.com/p/climate-change-hasnt-been-debunked
But I agree food insecurity and climate colonialism by the West is deliberate. My point stands- why are Simp and alt media not talking about it if they know it's intentional? https://jowaller.substack.com/p/burning-fossil-fuels-is-the-plan
This climatetard is posting it's deluded crap everywhere it can.
"1 in 4 will starve to death in the next 10 years" Absolute bullshit straight from the WEF. What a fucking moron.
It's not germane to this thread but nor is it bullshit. War's v. bad for emissions reduction. The climate data's horrific and physics is indifferent to you and the WEF.
It is bullshit. Do your research away from the cult of global warming renamed climate change.
Access to food is not germane to access to Ukraine's fertile land or co-operation with wheat producing Russia in a time of food insecurity? What planet are you on?
Debating the reality of global warming wasn't the point of this article. Food security is a vital strategic concern. China doesn't bother storing more food than any other nation for fun. It thoroughly understands the politics of food security and the threat of global warming so it's also got massive energy tech and infrastructure now.
Hiya lowly snail, no, debating the reality of global warming wasn’t the point of the article nor of my comment. Highlighting the greater importance of food security over minerals and gas as the planet warms was.
Storing food only goes so far when you can’t produce more and renewable energy doesn’t help if you’re starving, but yes China understands. Is China going to share this food with Africans or whoever when billions start dying? Will food not be a huge global political tool as the climate crisis worsens?
No one in the West, in MSM or alt. media even acknowledges the issue exists let alone debates it.
If you still believe that Klaus Schwab SquarePants and his vanity club WEF virtue signalling 'globalists' are actually in control and are faking the environmental crisis, you're the fucking moron. No offence.
I think I've told you this before; when you get back in the kitchen where you belong make sure to not use fossil fuels.
Great point. Thanks.
Exactly!
While seated in the Oval Office before a raft of White House pool reporters, Napoleonette, grasping DJT’s thumb like Ariana Grande grasped Cynthia Erivo’s finger during their press tour for “Wicked,” listened as DJT said “My administration is making a decisive break with the foreign policy values of the past administration and, frankly, the past.”
Later, Napoleonette said it was because of Bucha, that he dropped contact w/ VVP, claiming that one couldn’t appear weak before the Russian president. BTW: Bucha was the massacre of pro-Russian civilians in early April 2023, which happened 3 days *after* Russian forces withdrew from the city of Bucha but which was blamed as a war crime on Russia—the essence of a False Flag.
After this, Napoleonette appeared to try to rope DJT into a public acknowledgement of a U.S. military backstop for a Reassurance Force in several Ukrainian cities. Napoleonette said that based on his private discussions w/ DJT if Russia violated a peace agreement with Ukraine, then Russia would also be “in conflict” not only with Europeans but seemingly with Washington too.
DJT, standing next to Napoleonette neither affirmed nor contradicted him—but he did assert that “I don’t think you’re going to need much backing of security forces inside Ukraine. I think that’s not going to be a problem. Once an agreement is signed, Russia is going to get back to their business. I don’t think it’s going to be a problem.”
Both Napoleonette and Sir Keir very badly want it to be a problem, so they keep agitating away.
The West’s proposed deployment of a Reassurance Force into various cities would constitute *sneaking* OTAN into Ukraine as A) an occupying army and B) a tripwire target, which is a nonstarter for Lavrov and Russia in a war which has been about preventing OTAN’s proximity to Russia’s borders.
The fawning and simpering of Napoleonette with Trump was hilarious. He acted like a teeny-bopper at a boy-band concert or a drunk woman coming on to a guy at a low-life bar. This guy is a national leader? Trump really does have these Europeans buffaloed. Even Trump looked shocked and embarrassed.
Napoleonette was all over DJT like a puppy, constantly touching, grabbing his thigh, getting ever so handsy, playing the coquette.
Just making sure that the "part A" of the binary poison that MI6 is aiming at Trump has made thorough contact with DJT.
Not sure if required but, just in case
/s
he was selected for his insignificance, lack of competence, and "interesting" private life with an "interesting" one of a murky past.
Hegseth said plainly that Western troops sent to Ukraine would not have Art5 protection.
So as far as Trump is concerned, it won't "Be a problem". Nor would they live long enough to need "Backstopping". Starmer may rage, but it's hardly like the fucker wasn't directly warned. Macron will smarm, and they both will be removed soon anyway, to go on to lucrative private-sector work, with nary a glance back at the broken bodies and families of the brave troops who followed their orders.
Any more than B'Liar, KKKlinton or Chimpie did.
Haha, who is Chimpie?
Chimpie was one of GWB's nicknames back in the day. He looked like a very stupid chimpanzee - and still does.
Haha, gold!
Hilarious 😂
Indeed. Even in chimp world he's a fucking retarded cunt.
you mean a chimp like Obama?
Chimpy McFlightsuit was the full moniker. It's been a while. There was also Jorge W. Busheron, the Caudillo of Crawford; along with the noted Islamic theologian Imam Al-Dubya, Mahdi of West Texas; plus Curious Jorge leading his misunderestimated Mesopotamian misadventure. Typical western clown-leader dancing to the tune of the oligarchs.
Article 5 was written by and for lawyers and thus was designed only to be referenced, never invoked.
AKA mission creep 101
Bucha - I didn't know that - known to be 'pro Russian' civilians were they? Makes it even more ludicrous to try pin it on Russians, if so.
The pro-Russian civilians of occupied Bucha wore white armbands so the Z force knew the friendlies.
Russia withdrew from Bucha as part of the Good Will Gesture, the promise of Istanbul. Napoleonette had convinced VVP to withdraw in order to lubricate the Istanbul deal forward--like throwing in some earnest money.
Then the betrayal...
Russia withdrew from Bucha. The mayor ran through the town celebrating the incredible liberation, so much jubilation, etc.
Three days later--meaning the Russians had been gone three days by then--bodies of murdered civilians were found in the streets.
Where they had not been before when the jubilant mayor was running happily around--?!!?
The dead wore the white armbands.
Forensic analysis revealed that the murdered civilians were not three days dead when they were found, meaning that 'someone' murdered them *after* the Russian Forces withdrew.
Bucha
Which is why Russia goes after the Azov/Kraken types... hard.
And why *they* DON'T stand and fight anymore... just run.
Yes, I knew about the 'three days dead' thing and all that. I've been convinced of 'false flag' for a long, long time. I just didn't know that particular detail: the white armbands.
You know generally I'm of the opinion that the soldiers on both sides are mere dupes and, in fact equals. 'Brothers'.
But more and more this Kiev Ukraine lot begin to look really, truly, 'bad'.
There's constant propaganda on russian TG channels about their atrocities and perpetual attacks on civilians and I've generally seen them with a sort of 'ho hum' because I've thought they could probably say the same about the Russian side.
But more and more I tend to believe this is honest and true indignation and shock they're manifesting.
It is said that the AFU had a group of 'hard' types, Right Sector members, ready to clear Bucha of the Z-sympathizing crowd.
The Regime Media did its part in caterwauling loudly about "Russia's brutal massacre," reminiscent of how the downing of Malaysian Flight 17 got rushed at us.
The west-sponsored False Flags have a recognizable template: the swift laying of blame, the intense caterwauling, the wall-to-wall propaganda saturation of culpability.
It is notable that Napoleonette told the gathered media while standing next to DJT in the press conference on Monday that "Bucha" forced France's break w/ Russia--because *Napoelonette* was a collaborator in the False Flag set-up--!
Napoleonette had urged VVP to withdraw troops in order to sweeten the atmosphere of the Istanbul Agreement, which VVP did.
I mean, the 'ask' was reasonable--if one is negotiating w/ trustworthy people.
Although the Bucha mayor was posting video on X of the jubilation he felt after the liberation of his city, corroborating media were not permitted in for a couple days on account of 'clearing operations.'
That's when the 'hard' types were doing the wet work.
Bucha altogether was a UK/France escapade, utilizing Ukrainian 'breakers.'
That is very sad. How did you get such information? RT? I love to learn the insider take because the Western media are Khazars.
Synthesizing sources (non-Regime Media.)
The truth about Bucha-as-a-False Flag emerged almost as fast as it happened in early April 2022. Max Blumenthal of The Gray Zone began plucking threads of the Regime account of Bucha, as did Brit investigative journalist Kit Klarenberg, the latter of whom was familiar w/ UK-fomented False Flags through Bellingcat, like Skripals and the Navalny/Novichok set-up.
If something is weird, too intricate to be believed and diabolical, the UK is behind it.
Soon after Max and Kit's work w/ Bucha, Scott Ritter picked up the thread, as did the gents @ The Duran
So Russia's withdrawal was an especially bitter betrayal of its friends.
Hi simplicius,rist thank you for the article.
Can you share te link of the video with the funder of Blackwater PMC please?thank you
Yes I want to watch the entire interview
Yes, please, I was looking for it, too. The man is loud and clear and certainly has much authority.
I think I found it, hope Simplicius approves:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPMgzm_9K50
or
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPMgzm_9K50&t=1955s
Ah nice,i almost sure this is the video,thank you
Google it. Then choose video search results. Easy peasie lemon squeezie.
If Russia doesn't not win the war strongly, the perception will be Russia is wea, and Ukraine fought them to a draw. This would be a false perception, but false perceptions can change reality if enough people believe it.
The reason why Europe dogpiled on Russia was the perception Russia was weak.
If Russia wins the war strongly it will out the kibosh on false narratives about Russia.
Or they thought they were going to get a slice of the Russian pie ie minerals, oil and gas ect.
"Ukraine"???
I think you mean "Combined NATO". Russia fighting the combined NATO to a draw will not look "Weak", and the hysterics among the European vassal misleadership will make it plain to anyone with a single wise braincell just how big a deal this is.
In 5 years or so, the mainstream Western corporate media consensus will have figured out a way to spin this and revise the Official Narrative any way they want, and even if Russia rolled over every ex-Soviet nation they would STILL be "Weak and the losers".
And any Westerner who still listens to these pravda lunatics will still seem batshit insane and disconnected to Reality, and anyone who questions this unreality will be accused of 'conspiracy-mongering'.
The narratives are already written, the Kremlin need take no note of them.
Spot on, Gnuneo. Do what's best not what looks best. It's not a popularity contest.
True, but the Western corporate media is in its death throes, and has no legitimacy left. Gamergate broke them.
Few over 40 have heard or know anything about gamergate.
Iraq war lies.
Corbyn lies.
Israeli lies.
Russiagate lies.
Covid lies.
And the singular fact that every simpleton who still purchases their daily propaganda is a factual cretin who spouts daily nonsense and manufactured outrage.
The Murdochisation of every media outlet has made them all unwatchable to people who do not appreciate tabloid psychopathy.
That we have just discovered they all sup from the CIA goblet is the final straw. Some "Independent free media" when their funders are the US regime directly.
the west is just a colony of the jew....
And when those (like Russia) powerful enough to stand up to these cunts realise that psychology ops through mainstream media are their strongest weapon they will treat mainstream media et al as a legitimate target. Discuss.
Russia has already won the war strongly.
This is why the likes of Martin Wolf are so distraught.
Mr. Martin Wolf was born into a jewish family and has been using the shoah-biz profiteering memes for all his life. Wolf is regarded as "staggeringly well connected" within financial circles. He stands firmly for the City of Looters and fascist mega-corporations like BlackRock. We can also be sure that Mr. Wolf is a deep admirer of Kol Nidre.
As a deeply dishonest “thinker” (of Bernard Levy grade) Martin Wolf continues insisting that Israel is a "democracy." Mazel Tov, Wolf, on your support for the self-proclaimed Nazis (banderites) In Ukraine and the ongoing Genocide in Palestine! The followers of jewish fascist Jabotinsky are strong in the UK and Israel.
French kisses and squeezing each other’s balls and rare earths, no rabbits in the sleeves.
Talk about getting ahead of yourself! I don't get the joint venture stuff either. Stay focussed. What has to happen is that Ukraine must be disarmed, denazified and neutral. As for the Chinese, I don't think they should take arms talks completely off the table. Position should be, We develop capabilities in accordance with the threats we face. Pull back from our coast, quit messing with Taiwan, stop stirring up trouble in Korea, the Philippines, Thailand, Myanmar and the South China Sea and maybe we can talk about reductions. Of course it won't happen.
Did you see the Chinese war ships doing live fire tests in the sea between NZ and Australia?
Tit for tat. What's good for the goose is good for the Peking duck.
And laughably the useless AOF didn't have a clue until a commercial jet pilot alerted them.
As if with wide-eyed dewy amazement, Axios reported that “DJT sparked criticism and suspicion when he made offhand remarks about how the war in Ukraine began, but his comment reflected a belief his advisors say is real: that [ OTAN ] helped ‘provoke’ the conflict years ago.”
Axios tried to pass the remark off as “a misstatement,” but it also focused on two dates, which advisors to DJT have said formed his comprehension of Project Ukraine: the declaration on 3 April 2008 @ the Bucharest Summit that Ukraine would one day join OTAN, in defiance of VVP’s wishes and on 22 February 2014, the release of the audio between Mrs. Nuland & Geoffrey Pyatt, in which they were choosing the next president of Ukraine, a phone call which revealed the depth of the U.S.’s involvement in Euromaidan.
“When President Trump is talking about who started the Ukraine war, these factors are what he is talking about,” a senior advisor to the president said. In fact, DJT has stated for quite some time that Zelya’s insistence on OTAN membership for Ukraine was a tripwire for war. He discussed this w/ venture capitalist David Sacks on a podcast in summer 2024.
Steve Witkoff, one of DJT’s lead negotiators, spoke on Jake Tapper’s show on 24 February: “The war didn’t need to happen. It was provoked, not necessarily by Russia.” He said, “There were all kinds of conversations back in 2008 about Ukraine joining [ OTAN .] The president has spoken about this. That didn’t need to happen. It basically became a threat to Russians.”
Just as DJT said, Ukraine and its OTAN backers provoked the war.
Witkoff added that going forward, “The Istanbul Agreement from March 2022 actually was a good foundation and could become the basis for negotiations to end the war.”
Later on 24 February, when asked if Russia had invaded Ukraine, SecDef Hegseth said, “It is fair to say that it was a very complicated situation.”
“This was a longstanding problem inherited by President Trump,” Michael Caputo, a Trump advisor and creator of “The Ukraine Hoax,” a MAGA documentary. “The Clinton-Bush-Obam-Bidena foreign policy for years played Ukraine as a pawn against Russia in a globalist game that ended up in a deadly war,” Caputo said. “And the America First moment wants it over.”
Ukraine expert & Canadian academic Gerard Toal said, “It’s a matter of reasonable debate to accept the view of some academics who believe the West and Russia co-created the deterioration of relations, starting in 2008 with talk of [ OTAN ] expanding closer to Russia. That was a red line for Putin and for the Russians. This, on their border, was seen as a direct security threat.”
The war in Ukraine began in 2014, when the Kyiv regime decided to obliterate Russian language and culture from the whole of Ukraine, including the parts in the east where most people were of Russian language and culture.
It may have started then however the planning and provocations started decades earlier.
The fledgling CIA under Allen Dulles began prepping the ground around 1949, which was the same year the CIA began prepping the ground in what was Formosa
You probably know that Soros got into Ukraine in 1990.
The CIA has always instigated trouble. I really believe it's the biggest danger to the world, and must be abolished though that won't be easy.
The "ethnic" Kievan Junta is a baby of the US ziocon/CIA/NATO thugs.
The Kagans' clan and its famous member, Nuland-Kagan, who collaborated with the Ukrainian Nazi Party to initiate WWIII against Russia, are possessed by rabid Russophobia. They are mad with their supremacist lunacy, the idea of full-spectrum talmudic dominance, and boundless hatred towards "others:" Iranians, Iraqis, Libyans, Syrians, Germans, Spaniards, Poles, Russians, Palestinians. All these nations has a misfortune of being infested by the nomadic jewish tribe that lives by "rules-based order" founded in Kol-Nidre, a permission to lie to and swindle the "others."
The jewish bolshevik revolution in Russia was financed by the German and American jews belonging to the same incestuous family. The westerners are in general blithely unaware about the enormous crimes committed against people of the former Russian empire by jewish revolutionaries. There was the Goloschyokin (Itsikovich) Genocide in Kazakhstan, where 40% of active Kazakhs were "eliminated." There was a mass murder of Russian officer corps (the 50,000 POWs) in Crimea, which was organized by jews Zalkind ("Zemlyachka") and Cohn ("Bela Kun"). The system of concentration camps, GULAG, was led by Naftali Frenkel. The inventor (and practitioner) of the a gas chamber was the NKVD operative Isai Berg. The first soviet government was 85% jewish, and they were set on destroying Russian civilization.
The aipac-occupied US congress has been betraying American citizenry and western civilization. The American patriot Henry Ford's warning, "The International Jew," should have been an obligatory reading for each member of US congress. Instead, US congress stands firm with the Ukrainian Nazis and Israeli genociders, thus bankrupting the USA financially and morally.
Steve Witkoff the jew - listen to him dissemble about the genocide in palestine committed by his tribe.
"he Clinton-Bush-Obam-Bidena [zion don] foreign policy" is the jew foreign policy with the USA as the big dumb goyim....
If there is a pecking order in such matters, the Ukraine Lobby will never have the muscle of the Israel Lobby in the U.S.
Ukraine is the worst of all the puppets.
The text isn't mine, machine translated:
I recently wrote that Putin needs to suck up to Trump, but do it carefully, not pettily. He needs to create the impression of one alpha male bowing to another alpha male's greatness, not of an omega jumping around on his hind legs.
Putin doesn't read me, as it turns out. Sad. So he offered Trump Russian rare earth elements and something else - almost exactly like Zelensky did.
Wait a minute: it turns out Putin doesn't read Zelensky either. I can forgive him for not reading me. But Zelensky? Hey dear, you're wrong.
Zelensky should be read. He made Trump an offer of long-term mutually beneficial cooperation, and immediately got slapped in the face, being ordered to simply turn out his pockets. Then Zelensky had to yell at the American minister to be left alone. What happened?
Well, it's like with certain drunk men. A lady, meaning nothing special, smiled in response to his joke, thinking it was just politeness, but he decided it was time and literally starts pulling up her skirt. The lady starts fighting back (this is where they caught Zelensky shouting at Trump's envoy). After that everything's not the same, the evening is ruined.
You can't act like that with Trump, he's just that way, interprets any kindness as a signal that "it's okay." Now try to figure out what was meant by the offer to dig earth together - but certainly not taking off pants, probably for both Ze and Pu - if we're talking about money, not psychology; with psychology it's worse.
And this happened with Zelensky, Putin learned about it - and decided to do the same. Because he doesn't read, and it's fine if it's just me he doesn't read.
I understand the feminine feeling of opportunity behind this: "He started pulling up her skirt, she started screaming - this is my chance! Let him pull up mine." A standard feminine submission to an alpha. But damn... You yourself have been portraying an alpha for so long, it wasn't easy for you, but you tried. Why sell it all like this? You can lose money this way. Why?
Because you can take the girl out of the village, but you can't take more than that.
I woke up to a text from my American friend, " Do you have an opinion on why the US voted against the UN Ukraine resolution?" So I checked and indeed, "US rejects UN resolution condemning Russia’s war." So, it looks like something tangible the US is putting on the table - publicly siding with Russia, acknowledging that this war wasn't "unprovoked." I think it's a good start and Putin's words might be in response to the above. Again, we are far far away from where the US and Russia need to be, but it's a decent & long overdue begining & sends a strong message (that the US owns UN:-)) & the times hopefully changing and not for 360 degrees :-)
My thoughts exactly. And lolz for 360 degrees. It always gets me. In a good way.
Baerbock will be remembered for 360 degrees forever :-)
Never forget 😂
Thanks for your points on Putin and his real role in the Russian state system. We in the West are not segregated from the propaganda hammering into our brains for decades now that Putin is the one-man-show, the almighty dictator who decides everything in Russia. We fall for that from time to time and become unsure, wavering. There is in Russia a deep state too which makes sure that the state’s interest are being taken care of. With respect to the US’ strategy: I listened to the Brian Berletic video yesterday in which he very convincingly (bolstered by documents and a hearing in Washington) argued that Trump’s »reset« is the same temporary pause as that of Obama/Clinton in 2009 and that Trump wants it, because US’ aggression against Russia has hit the wall and has to be modified. No change in the overall objective to destroy Russia, though. Trump wants the European states to take the lead here, and it seems to me they are ready to oblige (look at Germany, France, Britain). Worth discussing, I believe.
The Europeans have already thrown most of what they can at the Russians in this proxy war. Without US support there is zero possibility of them turning it around. Just look at the Polish position.
Yes, I agree, it will take time. They project the year 2030 here in Germany for the war against Russia to start. The people are all for it, as the election result shows. It should be possible to make the industry war-ready until then, one should not underestimate states such as Germany and France, they can achieve that. Look what Germany accomplished after WW I and WW II.
I thought until very recently Germany sourced most of its energy from Russia? They seemed to have stalled without it judging by the GDP numbers post 2022. And the UK and France seem to also be in dire economic and political straits. Do you believe the spin about ramping up for war without the US? Where will the money come from? And even if they do manage, the Russians have proven they can prepare and rebuff a full NATO attack in Ukraine. I doubt they'll sit around twiddling their thumbs.
the supremacist thinking (where did it come from, one wonders) makes the EU into a hateful and wasteful fool.
Methinks there is a far better chance that EU "leaders" will start dropping out of windows before they stoke up another war.
War is when your government tells you who the enemy is. Revolution is when you figure it out for yourself.
The Germany of today are most assuredly not the Germany that came out of WW II, and there ain't no Marshall Plan incoming this time around. The only war you're gonna have is the Reconquista (or whatever ever it is in Kraut talk) that everyone in Europe will have to fight soon.
the jew is implementing the morgenthau plan 2.0....
Europe/UK = no power
Agree. Still, the City of Looters needs a harsh lesson in reality.
Brian Berletic's political analysis is always outstanding.
Putin's comments about possible jvs with the US are gold. Trump is a deal maker and the Russians will use that to their advantage. There is a reason why Lavrov opened in Riyadh with the $330 billion of lost business to the US. I'm sure the first jv will be signed the day after their frozen reserves arrive in the Russian central bank.
Now I think about it more, it seems like a masterstroke. US investment in the new territories or the Arctic is an implicit security guarentee. No Minsk III required.
It's genius, for sure.
Finally, a person on the internet who thinks. I thought I was alone.
The reason why the US were so trigger happy with sanctions is, that they "were divested" from Russia in early 00's and there was nothing really to lose in terms of investments. Also, US didn't invest in non-strategic or non-energy related industries in Russia before they "were divested". With hindsight, it even looks planned.
On the other hand, Eurostanis didn't invest in energy or strategic companies (with some exceptions, which were divested too anyway), so their companies remained (car companies for example).
And when the sanctions came, it was simply "fuck the EU".
The Europeans are the big losers, Nord Stream was an attack on Germany, Russia was collateral damage. Biden's Inflation Reduction Act spells it out. Europe has been thrown under the bus, willingly!
I wouldn't even say Nord Stream was such a bad hit economically. After all, economic growth in Europe predates even the first Nord Stream.
The political hit and optics... That was really bad.
But, the biggest economic hit were the sanctions themselves, not even those implemented since 2022, but it goes way back to 2014 at least. Or even 2008 (tho bitch slapping France for Mistrals was very bad politically too).
The decent Europeans should arrange a Red Alert hunt on Nuland-Kagan and other activists guilty of the largest ecological terrorist act in Europe - the bombing of NorthStream.
Payment in ruble please 😎
This strategy is called struggle truce struggle, you can't ask your society for everything. Rulers have to take into consideration everything.