2022/05/21 23:30:07
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According to the report, Metabiota is a medical data company, but its vice president wrote Hunter in 2014 to discuss how they could “assert Ukraine’s cultural and economic independence from Russia,” thus giving rise to speculation about the company’s goals.
The younger Biden and his colleagues at Rosemont Seneca Technology Partners (RSTP), an investment firm he purportedly owned, consistently raised millions of dollars for technology companies, and Metabiota was not an exception.” The most junior biden may not be the flake portrayed in the ziomedia.
https://fivegunswest.blogspot.com/2022/05/zelenskys-jumped-up-little-rent-boy.html
At the end of day all that matters is to whom has the better technology in terms of warfare.
It ain’t about who has the better music, rhetoric or movie culture.
Right now WA DC and the City of London is within the “range”, of Russia, so to say.
If this passes “moderation”, so be fate.
And who wins the propaganda wars, it seems senior moments are taking on a whole new aura these days, almost as if when is my moment going to arrive?
And we are not talking about winning the lottery here either.
Some may agree, friend, yet others have opinions that differ as to “all that matters”…. “technology” is not just machinery, Please see> http://archive.spectator.co.uk/article/15th-august-1941/8/clausewitz-and-russia (a good read!)
Consider also how the PLA bested the US Army in Korea, despite an enormous disadvantage in materials and supply and machinery, as well as a vast disproportionality in economic foundation…steel tonnage, oil production, and so on. Ask, how was super-power Persia defeated by fishermen and farmers (more or less) at Salamis?
In this context consider that the conflict between pirate global fascist domination and the classical empires of Eurasia may well go on as an active war for another 10 years, or more, and bear in mind how Napoleon was defeated…is this same method not developing with respect to the Zone AZE, the nazi zone?
excerpts> “The strategy of fighting and retreating, the strategy of the ” scorched earth ” had prepared the downfall of the man [Napoleon] and his ideas. Yet there was still that permanent threat, perhaps the most dangerous of all, the attempt to break the morale of the enemy by ” reasonable peace offers.” “….[and]
” Clausewitz, with the mind of a scientist, evolved that great strategical conception of the superiority of defence over the offensive. There he observed what our time had tended to forget, that defensive strategy, in order to be effective, has to carry all the elements of the offensive in itself. Not retreat, but fighting while retreating; not defence, but counter-attacking while defending—this was the secret of victory over the “Blitz.” ” [sic]
I believe we may regard SMO-404 as defensive and precisely consistent with v. Clausewitz’s principles. The developing “economic” shortages in AZE, rare metals, fuels, and so on might be seen as a form of scorchedearth – and these are only starting…many amplification nodes exist and are available to the Classical Empires at will (like ruble-only sales!, or no sales at all – so far Eurasian Empires don’t do sabotage…but that can change in an instant. SMO-404 is also doing a fine job of liquidating fascist army equipments…bangbangbang….taking guns away from opponents usually pays well, killing nazis is an ugly method too, but it gets results…and 404 has, some say, too many nazis. Not as many today as yesterday though.
“Within range”? This term ought not be understood solely in terms of kinetic gadgets, but also in terms of incompetence, starvation, hubris, vice, treasons and grafts and perversions, and the natural consequences of such matters…which produces a disobedient and mutinous population. As always, corrupt elites undermine their own foundations. They’re a bit like the frog and scorpion, each cannot escape his own fated character… https://toadsnfrogs.com/scorpion-and-frog/ “In range” also means in radio range…such as televised germ war trials, and surrenders, white propaganda, grey propaganda, and the dubious black propaganda…now the entire globe is indeed, in range.
Incinerating cities? Global suicide. Every city is in the cross-hairs, “in range”. War is more subtle than that. Suicide is not a political goal, and all war is to create a political solution….of course there are crazy people and accidents. I am astonished that we ain’t dead, there have been many close calls.
“is this same method not developing with respect to the Zone AZE, the nazi zone?”
Yes. Their ‘constructive destruction’ turns into a tsunami of chaos, which rebounds and grips them foremost, not the intended targets. Is the true revolution in military affairs (RMA) psychological and moral in our era? What will loss of fear, prestige, and acquisition of contempt for a degenerate enemy entail in other formerly submissive nations for the former Hegemon and his deterrent power? Fishermen and farmers at Salamis is an apt reminder. Also the defiance and increasing balance of rocketry terror of tiny Gaza.
Armstrong echoes similar concerns, from another perspective, also connected to Athens.
Of Superb Owl (coins) and the fate of those who worship Moloch. As Slick Willy’s handlers taught us back in the day, “it’s the Economy stupid!” Inflation, monetary debasement, consequences of pillage, and a globally reviled Hegemon.
AZ Empire on the path of the Delian League
https://www.armstrongeconomics.com/world-news/geopolitical/is-america-committing-the-sin-of-athens/
“SMO-404 is also doing a fine job of liquidating fascist army equipments…bangbangbang”
Yes. Western MIC greed and hatred of Russia are fatal flaws. It is being used against them to such an extent that they have become essentially disarmed for current confrontation. And how long until they could rearm??? >> “EU Depleted Military Stockpiles Helping Ukraine – Borrell”
https://sputniknews.com/20220522/eu-depleted-military-stockpiles-helping-ukraine—borrell-1095705113.html
Sorry to learn of DU being used. Filthy stuff suitable primarily for ballast core in yacht keel.
Will check armstrong econ
Thanks old man. P
Unfortunately the “Spectator” article is behind a pay wall.
There is no question that there is a “war” in terms of public perception.
Again we turn to the better technology, for example, who controls the internet?
Why are the terrestrial TV and radio broadcast stations destroyed at the beginning of warfare?
Who writes our text books?
And who educates our children?
Who funds our universities?
I see no pay-wall http://archive.spectator.co.uk/article/15th-august-1941/8/clausewitz-and-russia
Is worth reading.
“Why are the terrestrial TV and radio broadcast stations destroyed at the beginning of warfare?” Quite often these institutions are not destroyed.
So I will play> Why are they not destroyed?
Best. P
Thanks for engaging.
The best modern example of a “radio station” destruction was in Sarajevo in the Balkan War.
The communication technology of today is far in advance of simple terrestrial radio or TV broadcasts, which was dominant pre the year 2000.
Now some may ask, why not drop a bomb on the BBC facilities, or those of TASS, or those of RIA Novosti’s RT and Sputnik? Why not just take out the internet server hubs?
So taking out the “radio stations” today, in 2022 would be of little value, but taking out the internet servers or restricting access would be of immense value to moulding the “public perception”.
Regular readers of this website will be familiar with all “shades” and sources of news and of “comment” in the public domain.
Unfortunately the SPECTATOR publication is not free and requires a subscription, after one month’s free trial.
So to answer your question “radio (and TV) stations” have been “outpaced” by technology development.
Most people use the modern “smart phone”, but that was not the case in the Balkan War.
Public perception is the “key” to modern “hybrid warfare”; the access to accurate information, could determine the political will of the people.
Of course the PR companies invest heavily in seeking to “guide” public perception, and that raises another question. Who pay’s the PR companies?
The Tiger Whippet,
there are various tricks to see items behind paywalls.. you can connect via various access points such as archives, other websites, i.e.:
I think Per gave us this advice several months ago
https://github.com/iamadamdev?tab=repositories
What I find most helpful is a simpler trick, to either (1) quickly click on the “reader” button at top of most browsers while it is still loading so it freezes the full article before the subscription demand comes up. Or (2) again, while still loading to quickly copy-and-past the entire page onto a note App or Word equivalent.
For the Spectator, using the reader button was sufficient. Hope this helps
The pertinent question is really revealing against the background of what we have discovered in Ukraine.
Metabiota’s question can easily be reformulated to: We intended to work with forbidden things in the laboratories and want to be absolutely sure of being able to keep it a secret from the Russians.
The mistake numerous good folks make concerning the (SMO) is Russia didn’t invade Ukraine and Russia didn’t try to take the northern cities for that was not their goal. To de-Nazi, make neutral, and nuke free were the three points for the “Special Military Operation” by Russia. With that said Russia has an obligation to the Donbas to protect the Russians there and that is what Russia is now doing. Will they move further west is a unanswered question at this time.
If anyone hears a faint screaming off in the distance, not to worry……just me, it was snowing here today, and the rains from the past three days almost have the river back to flood levels. It was reassuring to hear the tractors running, the ground had finally dried enough to till and seed, for one day. That’s off for another week, if it stops raining, or snowing……or whatever……screeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaming!!!!!!!!!!
Cheers M
For 30 years, I joked with relatives in Ottawa, “how’s the weather in Siberia?” Snow in May happened in recent years too. Currently they are having a major blackout. Some go to malls and to their cars to recharge their all-precious smartphones.. what will the youth of this era do when the grid goes down for good? Imagine hundreds of millions of technology addicts going cold turkey at once! This may be indeed scarier than those rampaging and scavenging for food and water.
—–
I saw this hair-raising YT recommendation (Nazi Germany – Pictures of the Madness (1937 – 1939)):
https://youtu.be/AkXPD92Fg2c
Very powerful stuff. I was reminded of the nature and purpose of parades. The solemnity, the processions, the regalia and martial outfits, then explosions of excitement – the drums, the trumpets, the vivid colors and noise – amplified in the electric age. Children romp in their gaiety, blooming lasses (“..You are sixteen going on seventeen; Fellows will fall in line..”), babushkas and grumpy geezers and all. All classes present themselves. Grand awe-inspiring architecture or settings and state-of-the art military hardware. The careful design of thousands of years behind them, whether they know it or not. The entire society on a pedestal of self-worship. After the clergy, are these Master of Ceremonies (MCs) and myth-makers the second most important oligarchic functionaries, even ahead of puppet-kings?
They are Elite rituals to build narrative and raise self-pride, arrogance and eventual bloodlust. They introduce concepts such as Destiny, Responsibility, History. “Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.”
I was also struck how scripted these scenes were. The Nazis were self-aware actors hired for a job. And clearly initiates of the mysteries.
Started way before Rome. They continue nowadays too, and not just at torchlit night marches of the Ukies. The USA and all countries have their renditions. But the grandest spectacles are at the USA. Festivals and parades with streaming banners, the homecomings at universities, at least a ritual or two each month. Even “Pride” floats for a woke degenerate age. But the biggest are the 4th of July and sports gatherings, especially the Super Bowl. Which has more flags – the 4th or the Berlin in the clip above? How was the narrative shaped over the generations? What is the similarity in purpose to Berlin 1939? Even the football gala is a ritual, best spelled as Superb Owl, as it occultly celebrates Moloch. His eyes at the equatorial night sky were celebrated since Babylon. And the men who drew the rules and designed the setting and gave the name continue the ancient traditions.
We are tottering on the knife’s edge in naziland, “what has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.”
https://i.redd.it/ehpqgbz1k6c61.png
The 20,000 we see here are of course disiplined NY freemasons
It would be nice if there were a place at your site where personal attacks from one person to another are allowed, if the cafe can’t be made suitable for that (or if cafe mod can’t act like he didn’t notice). I noticed a few who wanted to engage in name-calling, and it’s ok too.
Very interesting,the Russian (really Jewish and Ukrainian) mafia,the Mossad,corruption,high politics in the US all mixed together in this video report:
https://www.investmentwatchblog.com/amazing-polly-video-growing-up-deep-state-the-next-generation-of-corruption-vindman-twins-history/
It’s always been my habit to read between the lines to try and glean more from articles. So here are a few so far today:
1. Yesterday Poland said Norway was going to make an extra 100 billion Euro’s from their oil and gas sales this year.And demanded they share that money. Today the Norwegians said no way.
https://www.rt.com/news/555941-norway-poland-oil-gas-ukraine/
2. This is another story on foolish Poland. After Russia cut off Poland’s gas from Russia for non-payment over a week ago. Poland today officially canceled the contract for Russian gas. And said they would use the pipelines that supplied Russian gas to import gas from Germany. Of course that “German gas” is really Russian gas that Germany imports from Russia. But let’s not let facts get in the way of Poland trying to act tough and virtue signal. There might be one problem with the Polish plan though. Russia has said if Germany is shipping their gas to other countries like that they would cut the gas amounts they send Germany by the amount they are sending to those other states. In which case Germany would be shorting their own gas needs to send Poland that gas. I don’t see Germany doing that,but who knows.So if Russia does do what they said,and that is an “if” because they make more money by sending more gas. But if they do,Poland will be left holding the bag without gas.
https://www.rt.com/business/555934-poland-ends-russia-gas-contract/
3.Yesterday I wrote a comment about the Red Cross not doing anything about Russian POW’s held by the Kiev regime natsiks. Today there is an article about the Russians calling on the Red Cross to do something about that.
https://www.rt.com/russia/555965-russia-prisoners-cross-red/
4.This is an interesting article. More for reading between the lines than just the information given. It says Denis Peskov (yeah that guy) said there were no plans for exchanging Azov prisoners. And that the military would be the ones to ask about that. That has a vibe of “passing the buck” to it. As in,if it happens its the military’s fault,they did it. We’ll have to wait and see if that mistake is made or not,hopefully not. The other part was him saying Viktor Medvedchuk,as a Ukrainian citizen wouldn’t be exchanged anyway.We’ve already been told that before. The reason I bring that up,is because of a hunch I have about him. He would be someone, who unless the Ukrainians murder him first,would make a perfect candidate for President of a rump Ukraine after the SMO. And there is another interesting bit of information in the article. Zelensky only has one important rival for political power,and that is Petro Poroshenko. Now the Ukrainian Gestapo (SBU) has “convinced” Medvedchuk to say Poroshenko was involved in selling Donbass coal to the Ukrainians. Something somehow they consider a crime. Then Zelensky’s group may be going to make a move to arrest Poroshenko (again). Thus clearing the board of all Zelensky’s political rivals. Of course he will still have the nazi extremists to worry about. But I guess you can’t have everything go your way ,can you. It actually might be an idea to exchange a couple of furiously mad Azov killers. Who blame Zelensky for leaving them to rot in Azovstal after all. Them getting their hands on him might work to Russia’s advantage. But who knows,that’s just an idea.
https://www.rt.com/russia/555953-azovstal-prisoners-exchange-medvedchuk/
W/o serious economic subsidies from the west, I don’t see how northern Ukraine can remain financially stable.
– If US-Chinese contradictions aggravate, Russia should be ready to support Beijing politically, as well as provide on a limited scale and under certain conditions, military-technical assistance to it, while avoiding direct participation in the conflict with Washington.
https://www.rt.com/russia/555916-russia-west-hydrid-war/
A lot of important question being raised here.
I will add North Korea to the equation. Once North Koreans show up in Ukraine it is game over. A troop of “nurses” (what will be special soldiers in NATO) should be a warning.
Polina Gagarina – Cuckoo
https://youtu.be/T1Co32bmmRw
Translation of lyrics –
How many songs are unwritten yet?
Tell me, cuckoo, sing it to me
Where should I live, in the city or outside
Lie like a stone or shine like a star
Like a star
My sun, come on, look at me
My palm turned into a fist
And if there’s gunpowder, give me fire
That’s how it is
Who’s going to follow my lonely track
The strong and brave laid down their lives
On the battlefield, in fight
Few of them remained in our memory
Sober-minded, with the steady hand, in arms
In arms
My sun, come on, look at me
My palm turned into a fist
And if there’s gunpowder, give me fire
That’s how it is
Where are you now, my liberal freedom
Who are you meeting sweet sunrise with
Give me an answer
It’s good to live with you and hard without you
The head and patient shoulders
To put under whip lashes, whip lashes
You my sun, come on, look at me
My palm turned into a fist
And if there’s gunpowder, give me fire
It’s like this (x2)
I had to research those lyrics..
Here is the beautiful song written by Viktor Tso, with accompanying video
Cuckoo (Kukushka) The Battle for Sevastopol
“This beatiful girl killed 309 nazi enemies near Odessa and Sevastopol. На месте боев под Одессой стоит памятник с надписью “Здесь мы стояли насмерть чтобы защитить жизнь!”
https://youtu.be/zxQY2Bnd2PY
Thank you for the song, as well as the anecdote about the sniper in the Battle for Sevastopol. Listened to a few versions of the song, liked the one posted, for the range, depth, resonance and the modulation in the voice of the truly marvelous Polina Gagarina.
A Propos of Nothing:
So, another one of those little rinky-dinky piece of shit European countries
decides, without any justification, to seize thousands of Russian railroad wagons, 20 km worth of track of them.
(It’s discussed in a Sputnik article).
The pettiness, sheer stupidity, and malevolence of it leaves one breathless.
They’ve eaten too much yellow snow (re: Frank Zappa).
If I were Putin I would say The hell with it; these people don’t deserve to live and shouldn’t be allowed to continue polluting the planet with their stupidity (not to mention
their having inflicted upon us the God-awful turgid and indigestible music of Jan Sibelius). Time to nuke those mf’s and be done with it.
And why not take out Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and the crazy Dutch as well (wouldn’t you be crazy too if you were living like they do as sardines in a tin?).
No need to take out Germany, it’s already taken itself out…
Something about Norway I don’t quite understand. Are they paranoid?
At any rate, can any sentient person buy their giving Obama the Peace prize?
How much pressure did the US put on them?
If not, then they are truly degenerate and putrid.
How could Bob Dylan have accepted his prize?
It is very difficult to wrap our minds around the insanity that is Europe.
One does not want to believe that the peoples of these countries, so intelligent and creative, who have given the world so much, are at present so stark raving mad,
given the perilous situation the world is in.
(True, they’ve always been that way – mad – as well as the rest of the world,
but the present situation is Nuclear).
Their leaders have obviously been threatened, bought off, and /or are Satan’s minions.
Satan knows he is going down, sooner or later, so wants to cause as much trouble as he can before he does.
Putin has said There will be no world without Russia.
This is unequivocal, no?
If the madness doesn’t stop and he feels that the ultimate Red Line has been crossed,
he’ll do it.
And now comes one Doo-dah who says Norway made too much money out of the present madness and should give some of it to Poland!! Hysterical.
More, he wants the Western Ukraine!
One way or another, THAT’s going to end up as a perfect shit-storm.
Someone writing for the Saker recently spoke about the emotional fragility (not the right word; I forget how it was put) of the Poles.
They too are bat-shit crazy. They were one of the sparks that lit the fuse igniting
WWII, and they’re at it again. They may be the ones who will cause the end of it all.
“At any rate, can any sentient person buy their giving Obama the Peace prize?”
It made no sense to Obama, who couldn’t dissimulate that it was absurd to him also. He had just started. He had already ordered too much violence to receive the peace prize. Was it their worse choice ever? I guess so. He probably does not even mention it. He is not proud of the prize, no way. No recipient was more embarrassed.
Seems like a good source:
WTI crude hovered around $110 per barrel on Monday, as recession worries offset expectations of increased fuel demand in the US. Gasoline demand in the US remained at record levels ahead of the US peak driving season, traditionally starting on Memorial Day weekend at the end of May. At the same time, political and business leaders flagged the possibility of economic slowdown during the Davos World Economic Forum. Adding to woes, work from home measures was extended in Beijing after Covid cases grew further during the weekend, denting hopes of higher energy demand in China. Also, reports emerged that the EU is unlikely to approve the Russian oil embargo during next week’s leader’s meeting as Hungary continues to oppose it.
Lots of very sane reporting from the Duran team on the Poland/Ukraine fiasco. The Ukraine SMO in relation to the USA and New York Times and more.
Meanwhile the governor of the Bank of England has side stepped Johnsons dithering avoidance of what is really going on – how many other world leaders are doing the same – and announced the looming global food/energy crisis. Mercouris analysis also relevant,and link to the news article below:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2022/05/16/bank-england-warns-apocalyptic-global-food-shortage/
BoJo, like Biden and Hans & Gretel, is being fattened for the blame. Hence their pointed disinterest in matters domestic.. Practiced betrayers know the score and how events roll for all in their shoes. That knock eventually comes on their door too.
Thanks so much (and to Sudhi) for Cuckoo (Kukushka) The Battle for Sevastopol. I think Mr P posted on female snipers of the USSR a few months ago.. So heartbreaking what war does to entire societies!
If it is a consolation, in the stand-off missile and ISR age, it appears this time there will be no need to draft all the eligible young women of Russia. The foolish and suicidal enemy will still eat lead, but of a much larger [k]aliber.
Sure BJ is being saved for whatever, but the incidence of his own paper publishing the report by Andrew Bailey, Governor of the Bank of England and informing the country is rather striking, shall we say.
‘ So heartbreaking what war does to entire societies’, indeed we see it everywhere, and the variable aspects of military war being a metaphor in the epochal spiritual battle for humanity, including the behind the scene female fighters and leaders, taking whichever side they will, our time is now.
I have a soft-spot for snipers, and especially girl snipers, as I have competed against them on the range. And they are very good. Years later, over wine, I discovered that they felt I was the better marksman, while I thought they were. Withal, I thank heaven I never went to war. I was able to match the best girls, national match quality shooting… but that was all. Pavlichenko would have nailed me on the first day.
“In a speech given in Chicago, Pavlichenko stated: >“Gentlemen, I am 25 years old and I have killed 309 fascist occupants by now. Don’t you think, gentlemen, that you have been hiding behind my back for too long?””
https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/lady-death-red-army-lyudmila-pavlichenko
They say that the natural enemy of a submarine is a submarine, and this is so. And it is also the same for sniper – natural enemy of sniper is sniper. Some people, and often it is girl people, are naturally good marksmen, but it is the ability to shoot properly when one has to lie still in the snow for 12 hours and stay alert and out-wait the other fella., resolve, will, motivation, and character, with a bit of luck and god’s approval.
The saphic Elanor had a touching regard for her friend, according to Gore Vidal.
>”In 1957, 15 years after Pavlichenko’s tour around the United States, Eleanor Roosevelt found herself visiting Moscow. The former First Lady was adamant that she would not leave without a visit to her old friend, Lyudmila Pavlichenko. Eventually her request was granted, and Mrs. Roosevelt was brought to the small apartment in Moscow where Pavlichenko was living. With Cold War tensions high, Mrs. Roosevelt was not able to visit her friend without supervision. But, the two women found a moment to slip past their attendants to laugh, catch up, and reminisce on the summer they spent together across the United States.”
It’s interesting how Pavlichenko chose to see her “kills” as “not men, but fascists”…
As a remark more general, and recalling the Roman experience fighting the Germans led by women, when the women join the fight against you, you’re in deep trouble.
Woody G> https://youtu.be/acryQYzaCng
Thank you AHH, for your kind regards.
Talking about Hansel and Gretel, in a slightly old but quite prophetic article by David Goldman, Asia Times, in which he again has a conversation with “the ghost of Cardinal Richelieu” –
“France suffered during the Thirty Years’ War as well,” Richelieu burbled, “but there is a reason that the cannibal witch of Hansel and Gretel was a German and not a Frenchwoman.”
https://asiatimes.com/2022/04/cardinal-richelieu-explains-vladimir-putin/
“Ladybird, ladybird fly away home,
Your house is on fire and your children are gone.”
“A quick victory, indeed? And what makes you think that Putin ever wanted a quick victory?”
That stumped me. “Pardon my effrontery, Eminence, but if Putin didn’t want a quick victory, what did he want?”
“Time,” said Richelieu, “is the ultimate weapon. I understood this, and Putin has learned his lesson well. Clausewitz was in general correct when he said that war was the continuation of policy by other means, but there are occasions when war itself is the policy.”
Again, I must thank Mr. P for his enlightening comments, as well as, the most interesting article posted about General W. W. Schutz Clausewitz.
Kazakhstan is the key. Without those very important sanctions the US cannot save the world from starvation. bring prosperity and thus ensnare a huge part of Russia’s backyard. They required Putin to go into Ukraine and made it impossible for him not to. There are two related texts below, all part of the one plan.
CSTO won’t be drawn into Ukraine war
https://www.indianpunchline.com/csto-wont-be-drawn-into-ukraine-war/
MAY 22, 2022 BY M. K. BHADRAKUMAR
The leaders of the member states of Collective Security Treaty Organisation met in the Kremlin, Moscow, May 16, 2022
There should be no surprise that the summit meeting of the leaders of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) hosted by Russia at the Kremlin on May 16 fell short of articulating against the “collective West” over the Ukraine conflict. The same pattern as in the 2008 Russo-Georgian war is repeating. Russia is not dictating policies and is going along with the consensus opinion. The contrast with the US-led North Atlantic Treaty Organisation couldn’t be sharper.
The president of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko said at the summit in Moscow, “It is absolutely clear that without united pushback from the CSTO allies and other integration associations in the post-Soviet space, the collective West will ratchet up its pressure.” But President Vladimir Putin was the only other speaker to echo what Lukashenko said. Putin dilated on the NATO’s expansion strategy and its implications. But the remarks by the CSTO leaders from Central Asia — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan — and Armenia show that they weren’t impressed. None of them even referred publicly to the Ukraine war as a topic of urgent concern for the CSTO.
Without doubt, Washington has taken careful note. The Biden Administration singled out Kazakhstan as a special invitee to the ministerial meeting on global food security at the UN Headquarters in New York on May 18. Secretary of State Antony Blinken invited Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi to Washington for a bilateral on May 20.
The US has always prioritised Kazakhstan as a key partner in the Central Asian region. In retrospect, the uprising in January in Kazakhstan made no difference to Washington’s assessment. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s consolidation of power in Astana — ironically, with the help of CSTO forces led by Russia — seems to work splendidly for the US.
As Washington sees it, President Tokayev, formerly a career diplomat himself, has potential to transform Kazakhstan as a “swing state.” Thus, it estimates that Europe and the US can help the Kazakhs break free from the ties of history and move toward a freer, more independent future, which is bound to have a domino effect on the Central Asian region as a whole in due course.
In his welcoming remarks at the meeting with Tileuberdi at the state department on Friday, Blinken said all the right things and came straight to the point — “Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine,” which would have “profound impacts” in Central Asia in the areas of food, energy, trade, etc. The readout of the meeting said Blinken “confirmed our commitment to minimising the impact on allies and partners, including Kazakhstan, from the sanctions imposed on Russia.”
This assurance virtually rules out secondary sanctions and will come as a matter of great relief to Kazakhstan. In fact, the primary outlet for Kazakh fossil fuels has been a pipeline to the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk. Although Kazakhstan has the world’s twelfth-largest proven oil reserves and is fourteenth for gas, profiting from those resources has proven difficult because it is landlocked, making it cumbersome to bring the fuel to market and difficult to transport exploration and extraction infrastructure to the sites in the first place. Also, Russian irredentism has the potential to disrupt Kazakh energy export routes. (Three years back, Russia forced an end to Kazakh oil and coal shipments to Ukraine, which transit Russian territory by rail.)
Paradoxically, Kazakhstan’s liberator comes from Beijing. Kazakhstan now supplies oil to China via pipeline and there is a parallel gas line that transits Turkmen exports through Kazakh territory. Whereas the conventional wisdom was that a China-Central Asia pipeline connection would be prohibitive cost-wise due to the vast distances involved, China has made the strategic investments along with Kazakh oil company KazMunaiGas, and the result is that the China National Petroleum Corporation has become Central Asia’s main energy player, overtaking Russia’s Gazprom.
The geopolitical implications of Kazakhstan’s multi-vector policies are self-evident. Unsurprisingly, the Western majors have invested heavily in Kazakh oilfields too. Suffice to say, Washington senses that Kazakhstan’s current transition from the rule of former President Nurusultan Nazarbayev will likely fortify its independent foreign policy for years to come.
While Washington’s engagement of the Central Asian region used to be episodic in the past, in a marked departure, the Biden Administration has shown the determination to pay sustained attention. This coincides with the sharp deterioration of US-Russia relations during the past year. The state department readout on Friday stated pointedly that “Secretary Blinken and Foreign Minister Tileuberdi plan to stay in close contact.”
The CSTO summit in Moscow last Monday, timed to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the Collective Security Treaty and the 20th anniversary of the organisation, conveys a powerful signal that the allies of Russia and Belarus are taking a neutral stance vis-a-vis the war in Ukraine. They are neither supportive of Moscow nor opposed to it.
However, this is not to be construed as a reflection of the character of the Russia-Kazakhstan strategic partnership. Putin has long known and worked with Tokayev, who before becoming president in 2019 served as chair of the Senate with earlier stints as prime minister and foreign minister. That said, looking back, Russia had its own compelling reasons to help Tokayev overcome the January uprising in Kazakhstan. To be sure, the presence of the CSTO troops was a game changer for Tokayev who was able to consolidate his grip on power and stabilise the situation, which in turn re-established his own position as president.
However, as a result of it, Tokayev does not owe any “debt” to Moscow and indeed there has been no major shift in Kazakhstan’s internal or external politics in Russia’s favour, either. Five months later, we can clearly see that Kazakhstan does not support the war in Ukraine.
Kazakhstan has ruled out any diplomatic recognition of the two breakaway republics in Donbass region. But Kazakhstan has also so far consistently abstained from international votes, such as those in the United Nations, voting neither for nor against measures directed at Russia. Nonetheless, on the other hand, Kazakhstan also maintains that it will follow the principles and norms of the UN when it comes to the Ukrainian conflict. It is a delicate trapeze act which Tokayev skilfully handles.
The outcome of the CSTO meeting has come as a disappointment to Chinese experts who expected the leaders who gathered in Moscow “to deliver a consistent message to the West which has been sowing discord between Moscow and other CSTO members,” as a commentary in Global Times put it.
The commentary noted: “Chinese analysts said Monday’s summit was of great significance to Russia and the bloc amid the Ukraine crisis and multiple emerging internal challenges on security and economy… On the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the Central Asian countries did not fully support Russia or criticize Russia like Western countries.”
Related…
There is a serious attempt to make the Trans-Caspian alternative means for transporting goods from Central Asia to Europe. What is worse and all too familiar the US Embassy is partnering with Azerbaijan to bolster maritime security on the Caspian Sea and defeat narcotics traffickers along the borders.
17 May 2022 16:47 USAID explores opportunities for increasing Trans-Caspian trade NUR-SULTAN. KAZINFORM The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is conducting a study tour to Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Georgia, to find opportunities to increase trade along the Trans-Caspian route on May 16-24, 2022. This international transport corridor is an alternative means for transporting goods from Central Asia to Europe, having great potential for trade and business development.
https://www.inform.kz/en/usaid-explores-opportunities-for-increasing-trans-caspian-trade_a3933990
US proud to partner for Azerbaijan to bolster maritime security on Caspian Sea – embassy
Politics Materials 18 May 2022 16:25
https://en.trend.az/azerbaijan/society/3597022.html
I just read the MKB article earlier today. I was not impressed. We and MKB just see surface appearances, in a murky age of deception. Is the SMO clear to any even now? What really took place at the CSTO meeting? The trend since the Kabul exit debacle, and attempted coups in KZ and UZ earlier this year, was a circling of the wagons around the CSTO, with SCO support on the side.
Is it as clear cut as it appears – that the fellow CSTO are not supporting Russia? Perhaps there is a healthy understanding among fellow former apparatchiks that they assume ambiguity (not support Russia openly) to give insouciant and suicidal westerners hope? That they keep extending themselves and dropping further into the Abyss without taking us all with them, through contrived appearances. Those wily Soviets and their penchant for maskirovka! The key Operation is not Z, but collapsing the West into their own putrid footprint, without going bangbang.
Meanwhile they continue to lose strength, manpower, resources, prestige, their economies tanking, and they are being humiliated and annihilated in the most significant war since WW2 – in Europe itself.
So a bone must periodically be thrown their way, to give the fools hope that 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙨 Russia’s neighbors can be swung against them, and a coup is 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙚 within Russia itself.. and so the game is strung out while they bleed out. Americans know the Crying Game (1992), Russians the Waiting Game. IMO, all can see the end game, and the real canny partners of the Steppes are helping build mirages for a dying Hegemon with unfortunately a lot of nukes.
Meanwhile, the focus is being rapidly taken off the Bear anyhow, or at least put on the back burner? Bi-Don and gang are in Asia scrounging up a war with China.. pure madness
B.K. mentions ‘Chinese analysts’ yeah they did pick this up. Throws a little more light on the situation.
Number one fear is the economy which could precipitate their number two fear a color revolution. To get their country functioning financially they seek aid from the US who is the foremost instigator of color or velvet revolutions ever. Lots of Luck
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202205/1265802.shtml
Central Asia faced multiple challenges recently, with economic pressure as the priority, Zhu said.
The Russia-Ukraine conflict aggravated the economies of many Central Asian countries that have already been hit hard by the pandemic, facing currency devaluation and rising prices, Zhu said, noting that the economic problem may also lead to social and political problems.
You mentioned focus is being taken off the Bear. During Russia’s Pacific Fleet’s excercise Top Gun Miramar not far from my home regained consciousness and went into a continually very loud din of military noise until 11pm each night – something had their attention. In addition note that three submarines, 2 nuclear, are being deployed here in the Pacific, not to mention the promised Status-6 Kanyon which is also on the way. We end up with the exercises, the subs, Top Gun practicing something and then a call from Milley. What were the other security issues? All happening at the same time but I can’t say related.
The two top military officials discussed various “issues of mutual interest,” including the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement. The talks were held at the request of the American side, it noted. The Pentagon remained tight-lipped as well, providing no details on the conversation.https://www.rt.com/russia/555775-moscow-washington-generals-talk/
Russian naval ships practice missile, artillery fire off Pacific coast
Ilyushin Il-38 anti-submarine warfare aircraft of the Pacific Fleet’s naval aviation provided support for the operation of the tactical naval group during the maneuvers
MOSCOW, May 18. /TASS/. The Pacific Fleet’s missile corvettes Inei and Smerch practiced missile and artillery fire during drills off the coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula, Fleet Spokesman Captain 3rd Rank Ilya Kolesnikov said on Wednesday.
“Pursuant to the scenario of the tactical exercise, the crews of the combat ships practiced measures stage by stage to repulse an enemy air attack by missile fire from the Osa-M air defense system, set up aerosol cloud camouflage and generate electronic interference, following which they performed a series of artillery firings from the AK-176, AK-630 guns against aerial and naval targets,” he said.
The missile corvettes Inei and Smerch operated as part of a naval strike group. The drills were held at the naval training range in the Avacha Bay of the Pacific Ocean, the spokesman added.
Ilyushin Il-38 anti-submarine warfare aircraft of the Pacific Fleet’s naval aviation provided support for the operation of the tactical naval group during the maneuvers, he said.
“Following the results of the exercise of the naval strike group, the command assessed its operations as successful and all the targets were hit during the firings,” the spokesman said.
https://tass.com/defense/1452563?utm_source=yandex.com&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=yandex.com&utm_referrer=yandex.com
Russia’s Pacific Fleet to receive new nuclear-powered submarines
9h ago 11:59 PM May 20, 2022
Russia’s Pacific Fleet to receive new nuclear-powered submarines
By Xinhua
Russia’s Pacific Fleet will receive two nuclear submarines and one diesel-electric submarine in 2022, Fleet Commander Admiral Sergei Avakyants said Friday.
The first nuclear strategic submarine of the Borei-A class, Knyaz Oleg, and the first nuclear submarine of the Yasen-M class, Novosibirsk, will join the Pacific Fleet this year, Avakyants was quoted by TASS as saying.
Knyaz Oleg will be equipped with Bulava ballistic missiles, which have a range of more than 8,000 km. Novosibirsk is a multi-purpose nuclear submarine, armed with Kalibr and Onyx cruise missiles.
Speaking on the occasion of the 291st anniversary of the Pacific Fleet, Avakyants said that the fleet is also expecting the arrival of a silent diesel-electric submarine, Magadan, which is also equipped with Kalibr missiles.
The Russian Pacific Fleet is a part of the Russian Navy, based in the city of Vladivostok. It belongs to the Russian Eastern Military District.
https://www.globaltimes.cn/special-coverage/Ukraine-Tensions-Timeline.html#1266187
Russian drones are chasing these guys around as they close in on their locations, this could go on for a while.
https://us.yahoo.com/news/american-heavy-artillery-enters-fight-181629210.html
Might be best to just wait until the war is over before making plans going forward.
The price of fuel at the pump is a good indication of the risk involved in finding a solution before then.