Since it is too early to comment upon the military events of the day, that info comes with delay, I wanted to mention a few things about the politics of it all.
First, from a purely military point of view, the outcome is not in doubt. Initially, about 120-150 thousand soldiers were facing each other along the LOC and the Russian Ukrainian border. According to Russian military experts, the Russians only preempted a Ukie attack by about 24 hours. The original plan was to “push back” without fighting street battles inside the cities, that for obvious humanitarian, political and economic reasons. The original phase of the special operation was set at 10 days, which means that by the next week-end the Russian high command will reevaluate the progress and failures of this operation and then decide how to proceed. To give you an idea of the dimensions of this war, Yurii Podoliaka says that at most there are about 200’000 soldiers on each side and the entire line of contact is up to 3000 km long. Check out his map:
The solid black line is the full line of contact the Ukronazis have to defend, thereby thinning their defenses.
The dotted black lines are two possible moves for the Russian force currently north of Nikolaev and Odessa.
As for the encircled Ukie force, you can see it in blue in the far right of this map, surrounded by Russian forces.
But enough about military developments for right now. I want to make a few other points.
First of all, check out these two headlines from Counterpunch and South Front:
While I never had illusions about CP or Cockburn, the stuff SouthFront have been writing about the war leave me quite speechless. I don’t know if they are really buying into the narrative or if they have been put under pressure by somebody. Maybe they are sincerely clueless civilians who don’t understand maps, I don’t know.
But the fact is that Counterpunch and SouthFront are much more in tune with this:
I feel ashamed for them, but they made their choice. Let them live with this.
In the meantime, some Germans have taught the evil Snow Niggers a good lesson, see for yourself:
Russian store in Germany.. pic.twitter.com/fNBdjcPXPc
— Geo_monitor (@colonelhomsi) March 2, 2022
But not all is bad. Some countries, and not the most powerful of big ones, have found the courage to speak the truth. Here is a Venezuelan diplomat at the United Nations:
So
Yes, the Empire is the Empire of Lies, but no matter how powerful that Empire’s may appear to cowards, to those with courage and integrity it is not a threat capable of silencing them. Here is the list:
I note a few interesting things:
- China, India and Iran abstained but did not vote “no”
- Serbia and Hungary voted “yes”
Yes, I get it, while the Empire itself is dead, it has enough momentum and residual power to force that kind of outcomes. But, as the Russian singer and poet Vladimir Vysotskii once wrote “it saddens me that the word “honor” has been forgotten” (“Досадно мне, коль слово “честь” забыто”).
I hope to write up a more military oriented report before the end of the day.
Andrei
@EVERYBODY:
I will not post an evening update. On the fronts, nothing much has moved, except that Russian forces are concentrating in several staging areas. But that’s tomorrow (probably tonight, it is after 00:00 in Moscow).
I am signing off or the evening (barring huge developments).
Cheers
Andrei
Good that you have to time off, Andrei. You’re providing a fantastic service for the world.
The fact that every legacy media story here starts off with “Russians shelled the nuclear plant” tells me that it must be (one of) the false flag target(s).
A way to leave behind a huge long-lasting mess, and blame u-know-who
The story has me praying that Russian security quickly arrests the idiots (if story is not 100% fiction),
Are the countries without any indicators places that did not vote?
Wondering about Venezula…
12 countries did not vote at all. Venezuela is one of them. I do not know why the other 11 did not vote but Venezuela has been stripped of its vote (unpaid dues?) not sure why.
Even India is being threatened with US sanctions. With that in mind, I highly doubt Serbia hasn’t been similarly pressured. And the effect of anything that has been threatened on India would be many times worse for Serbia.
Меня также огорчила Сербия. Моя Сербия.
Translation. Mod:
I was also saddened by Serbia. My Serbia.
All this makes me sick too. Counterpunch has always been controlled opposition, but I’m too surprised by South Front. Just to recap: The Americans killed millions in Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq and many other countries. They spend more on armaments than the entire world combined, and, in particular, 14 times more than the Russians do. They encircled Russia, plundered it and tried to destroy it in the 1990s. They promised not to advance NATO, and broke their promises. They encircle Russia with the clear intent of destroying it. They canceled just about any nuclear treaty with Russia. They needlessly provoke China only because they want to rule the whole world. In 2014 they toppled the democratically-elected government in the Ukraine and replaced it with Nazis, who tell the Russian speakers of Ukraine that they CANNOT use their language. Complying with the orders of their Anglo Saxons masters, these fascists arrest anyone who disagrees with them. The USA has brought, as always, poverty and desperation to Ukraine in the last 8 years. The Russians did not annex Crimea. It’s a lie too. The vast majority of Crimeans are Russian, and didn’t want to live under fascists. So there was a referendum, and more than 90% of the people of Crimea chose to join Russia. And besides, Crimea always belonged to Russia; it was given to Ukraine by Khruschev, perhaps in a drunken stupor. But that meant nothing then, for Ukraine then was part of the Soviet Union. The people of Donbas didn’t want to live under fascists, and they wanted to speak their own language (Russian), so the Ukrainian fascists have been bombarding and killing them now for 8 long years, which amounts to a genocide. Russia tried to avoid war, so it allowed that particular genocide against Russians to go on. The Americans flatten cities, and poison the countryside of defiant countries for decades and millennia (e.g., Agent Orange, depleted Uranium). The UK/US probably release the Covid-19 virus in Wuhan. The Americans have biological weapons laboratories all over Ukraine and other former Soviet states. They are taking blood samples of Slavs, and the intention is clear. Russia told the rulers of the UK/US that it wants peace, but asked them to remove their weapons from Ukraine. Russia explained that they are backing it into a corner and that it was a matter of survival to them. The Americans laughed at them. So, the Russian had no choice, and took matters into their own hands. The worst thing of all this is the hypocrisy. Americans have been invading Central and South America for centuries under the Monroe doctrine, killing people like Allende, and putting in power people like Videla, always turning a potential garden into a desert. When someone like Sandino of Nicaragua tries to defend his own people, they kill him. President F. Roosevelt cynically captured the gist of American imperialism: Yes, he said, Somoza is a son of bitch, “but he is our son of a bitch.” The US/UK steal resources from everyone. In Syria, for example, they just took the oil resources, against international laws, and continue to steal oil. They starve Cubans and Syrians. Who gave them the right to try to assassinate Fidel Castro more than 600 times? The people of Afghanistan are dying of starvation because the USA refuses to give them their money that the former government held in American banks. The USA conducts a genocide now, alongside the viciously-dictatorial Saudis, in Yemen—and no one imposes sanctions on anybody. The “liberal” West is silent or complicit. But when the Russians try to save themselves and fellow Russians in Ukraine from slavery, the whole world is up in arms. Even “neutral” Switzerland is against Russia. There is one word for this, and for a species that can behave in such a dishonorable, hypocritical, way: DISGUSTING.
@Fiona Jenkins,
I feel your anger and am totally in line with everything you said!
Copied directly from Cockburn’s 2.15.2022 CP article: “But any escalation in the threat level brings us closer to real military action and the risk of an accident – such as the shooting down of the Dutch airliner MH17 by Russian armed separatists in east Ukraine in 2014 – escalating the crisis uncontrollably.” Not sure whether laziness, inattention, or senility, but he has forfeited any credibility. No editorial comment either, guess Jimmy Dore has over-excited the sputnik left half of St Clair’s brain.
“When the chips are down, the Russian is different. They turn, look their enemy in the eye, abandon all restraint, and fight to the death, determined to kill and cripple as many of the enemy as possible.”
Skorzenny, the German commander, thought so. Leon DeGrelle, who was in the Eastern Front too, also spoke admiringly of the Russian soldier in the book he wrote on that Front. He wrote in this book that a Russian soldier could eat a dead horse raw and not get sick! Skorzenny wrote that wave after wave of soldiers would fearlessly come forward to a certain death under German machine fire, and that it was hard to watch. He mentioned a Russian leaning on a wall as if he were relaxing, but who had an awful wound in his chest. I don’t remember his words but it was like Skorzenny couldn’t believe his eyes.
Regarding other news, the Argentinian Clarin newspaper reports something (to be corroborated) that I think would now be a new military objective of Russia. In the Kremlin’s report on the conversation between Macron and Putin, says Clarin, Putin stated that a recognition of Crimea as part of Russia is also a Russian objective, besides denazification and demilitarization.
From South Front 3 March 2022:
“The morale and technical condition of the most combat-ready units of the Ukrainian military is deteriorating. Both Ukrainian servicemen and fighters of nationalist battalions in all eastern and southeastern parts of the front are surrendering.”
Well. I won’t find anything this in western MSM.
Sanctions on Russia.
Nothing is more depressing to somebody who understands Modern Monetary Theory than watching supposedly intelligent people make catastrophic decisions based entirely upon a misunderstanding of how banks work and international trade is conducted.
1. Russia doesn’t need the West’s money
Russia has its own currency – the ruble. That means when Russia needs to buy a tank Putin orders the Russian Central Bank to debit the Russian Treasury account at the central bank and transfer that to the supplier of the tank. That’s all he needs to do – forever and for as much as he wants to do that.
That causes an overdraft at the central bank which is an asset of the central bank, and that balances the new reserve liability created for the commercial bank of the tank supplier.
That reserve liability at the central bank is an asset of the commercial bank, who then credits a new bank deposit for the tank supplier. The balance sheets of the central bank, and the commercial bank expand.
The tank supplier will accept rubles for its tanks because it needs to pay its workers in rubles. The reason for that is because Russia imposes taxes in rubles on both the tank supplier and the workers, which if not paid earns them a spell in a Russian Prison.
That’s all the ‘confidence’ Russia needs to impose on its people for them to accept rubles – a confident assertion, backed by force, that they will be jailed if they don’t pony up the relevant amount of rubles when they are demanded.
Those taxes are collected. Bank deposits are debited, and bank reserves transferred to the Treasury, which eliminates the overdraft asset and the balancing reserves at the central bank. The central bank balance sheet shrinks back down along with the commercial bank.
There is no need for interest payments. No need for ‘borrowing’. There is nobody who can say no. It all just happens and is perfectly self-sustaining throughout the entire area where Russia can impose its taxes.
By this mechanism, Russia has command over all the physical real resources available within its border and can transfer them to the service of the state as required.
2. Russia is a sovereign state
Should the tank supplier decide not to take rubles, then the tank supplier will be commandeered by the state, and the leaders deposed – replaced by somebody who will take rubles.
Should somebody at the Russian central bank decide not to honour Putin’s payment order, they will be replaced by somebody who will.
Nobody can stop Russia doing any of these things, because Putin has the authority of the state to get things done, and controls the enforcement mechanisms that allow him to get his own way. Legal decisions will go Putin’s way. The central bank will be ordered by the courts to make payments, and the courts will sanction the commandeering of the tank supplier. Why? Because the legislature would have passed the legislation permitting those actions.
The only reason you can’t make an order to pay whoever you want for as much as you want is because the courts will side with the bank, not you. For the government the opposite is the case – if the legislature agrees. There is no other control mechanism, because banks can expand their balance sheet on demand.
What’s important to note is that this doesn’t just apply to Russia. It applies to all sovereign states the world over. Currencies are an expression of state power, a simple monopoly, and monopoly rules apply.
3. The exchange rate.
In the ‘seen to be doing something stakes’, nothing tops the utter nonsense spoken about central bank ‘international reserves’ and the SWIFT transaction system.
Let me explain what ‘international reserves’ do. If you’ve been abroad to lots of places you’ll end up with a drawer full of foreign small change. In my drawer I’ve some Korean Won, Japanese Yen, Polish Zloty, Bermuda cents and Gibraltar pennies alongside the usual US and Euro cents. That’s where they sit – unused except to entertain small children with funny looking coins – because they are useless were I live in the United Kingdom. Yet technically they form part of my assets.
“International reserves” are really a drawer full of loose foreign change. They are of no real use in a country and can be completely ignored or written off to no operational effect. They end up on the balance sheet of a central bank because export entities within a nation want the currency of the nation to undertake local transactions – like paying their local workers. So they swap their foreign earnings for local currency.
Since that creates an FX risk for commercial operations, an excess of foreign currency in export surplus nations tends to bubble up until it ends up under the control of some state entity – often the central bank. There it sits – because not spending it tends to hold down the currency exchange rate which favours exports.
Since the only strategic reason to export is to obtain imports, why should Russia continue to export anything if it is getting nothing material in return?
If that means layoffs in Russian export industries, then there is now plenty of work supplying armaments and equipment to the war machine, as well as substitute industries to replace imports – which will gain greater momentum thanks to elimination of foreign competition. People in Russia are not going to be unemployed.
What about those in the West currently supplying exports to Russia? Where is the untapped source of demand in the world that will take those goods and services they can now no longer supply? There isn’t one, and to believe in it is to believe in a fallacy of composition. Instead those businesses will shrink, laying off people. We don’t have a national goal that will employ people instead.
As to replacing Russian Gas and Oil, are the West sure we have enough spare pump capacity, and enough LNG ships to move that across the globe? What will happen to power prices in the meantime?
The whole idea of ‘creating inflation’ in Russia is far more likely to create inflation in the West. Russia has everything it needs within its borders, and eliminating foreign competition will simply accelerate the internal production of things it wants. All powered by its own banks, lending in its own currency, which they can do with impunity.
SWIFT is a fancy WhatsApp group for banks that allows banks to message each other when they want to move money from one account to another. What happens when you are booted out of a WhatsApp group? You create another one and talk via that. Or you use Signal, or Matrix or perhaps even have a phone call.
If nobody is selling anything to Russians, then why would Russians need to settle in anything other than rubles – which SWIFT cannot affect?
Trying to drive the ruble down just makes Russian exports even more of a bargain and incentivises ways of getting around the blockage. Since a decent team of developers could knock out a SWIFT replacement for the major transaction types in about a fortnight using RabbitMQ and an adequate supply of the finest Russian beer I doubt the Russians are going to be overly bothered by the inconvenience.
After all, the external value of your currency is of little concern if you’re not sourcing required items outside your borders. Russia is not Turkey, nor is it Iran. It is an industrial power house with a vast land area full of natural resources and an energetic people that prefers to train engineers and scientists over advertising executives, and that happens to have the fourth largest armed force on the planet.
Russians may want the stuff the West can supply, but they don’t need it. Where does West’s demand for Gas and Wheat sit on that divide?
There is a persistent notion in the West that Russia is nothing more than a commodity producer and entirely dependent upon imports. I suspect that notion is about to be disabused.
This mistake is failing to separate needs and wants, and failing to recognise that necessity is the mother of invention.
Ukraine exports most of the world’s neon gas, which is required in computer chip manufacture. How is the West going to replace that, now it can’t pay for it?
4. $ are useful but not necessary
One of the greatest repeated lies in international trade is the idea that the US dollar is king and is necessary. It’s a complete fabrication.
Just because some item is usually priced in US dollars does not mean that the contract to supply that item has to be denominated in US dollars. Even if it is, there is no requirement that it is settled end to end in US dollars.
US dollars are used in international trade because they are convenient. In reality in every international trade the seller gets the currency they want and the buyer pays with the currency they have. The international finance system makes a tidy living matching those two desires to create demand.
(What’s interesting in the analysis of currency area boundaries and financial exchange is not the border of a country, but the point at which an exchange entity has a foot in at least two currency areas. It’s by selecting the actual operational boundary that a Modern Monetary Theory analysis of international trade throws up new insights into the process).
To use an Internet analogy, the US dollar is the network layer, not the application layer. It is a financial IP packet that everybody has converged upon to allow the thing it encapsulates – the actual end to end transaction of real goods and services priced in other currencies – to occur.
If we started charging tolls for IP packets, somebody would come up with a parallel structure or use a different network layer encapsulation. It is the same with money. Once dollars stop being cheap and convenient other methods of exchange will take over. It’s the end to end exchange that matters, not how it gets there.
The Wool and Corn Exchanges of the world believed they would last forever. Now, if they survive at all, they are flats, and shops and restaurants. Trade bypassed them when they stopped being convenient and useful.
5. The saving Grace.
Sanctions are based upon a belief about Russia and a belief about money: that Russia is utterly dependent upon imports to survive, that rubles need ‘confidence’ and ‘interest payments’ to be accepted, that freezing ‘international reserves’ will cause bank runs, that inflation will run rampant.
In reality, Russia is self-sufficient in what it needs, rubles are accepted because there are tax payments to pay, interest is utterly irrelevant and can be zero to eliminate inadvertent demand injection, and freezing ‘international reserves’ will just result in dollar and euro denominated deposits in Russian banks being frozen in the same way, if not entirely confiscated under emergency tax legislation.
Putin’s Russia can easily counter sanctions. It can put taxes up – payable in rubles to ensure demand matches supply. It can freeze savings in foreign currencies at its banks. It can LOWER interest rates to eliminate the Interest/Price spiral. It can demand that its exports are settled in rubles or simply stop exporting – since there is no longer anything on the other side worth importing. It can redeploy workers from the export industry to the production of substitute products and services. It can physically ration goods and services amongst the population.
Putin is a conservative statist. The problem will be if that the ‘sound finance’ ideological nonsense is solidly in his mind and that he will make the same mistakes with money as Erdogan and other leaders have.
If he has read “How to pay for the war” by Keynes and truly understood it, and particularly if he has gained insights into the power he has with the ruble that flows from understanding Modern Monetary Theory, then it will be the West blinking wondering what happened, not Russia.
Like all alchemy, financial alchemy works like the hypnotism of the stage magician – an illusion that only captures those with weak gullible minds.
He has already hiked interest rates which was a HUGE mistake. An Orwellian “Sound finance ” trap. Which does not bode well for future actions.
Finally.
People who hold their savings in foreign currency are not patriots and likely oppose Putin. The west has just ‘taxed’ those people.
If you believe that ‘taxing the rich’ reduces their power, then taxing away the savings of those opposing Putin has just reduced their power to oppose him.
I’m looking forward to seeing those championing this approach squaring that circle.
Question:
You build your theory based upon a framework, which you call – legal…
What part of what the banking system is doing right now to reign in Russi can be considered as “legal” traditional, prudent or…anything, that one can negotiate on?
What is there left to negotiate, when the bank of settlements announces dictates without negotiations?
What are we even talking about?
What laws?
You burned them all.
.
.
…and pissed on the ashes…
Am I not right?
Outstanding comment, I learned a lot. One question: even if MMT says its unwise to raise and not lower rates, isn’t raising them justifiable as an emergency measure to deal with the initial force of the blow, to stabilize the situation in the aftermath of the West’s blitzkrieg economic offensive, before better, longer term measures can be decided by Russia’s economic ministries?
Hi Midge,
No better to set them as low as possible.
Like everyone did after the financial crash and pandemic.
If the Western ideologues actually believe their own propaganda after the financial crash and the pandemic they would have liked interest rates immeadiatly.
They didn’t they slashed them to zero.
Here is an excellent explainer Midge.
https://gimms.org.uk/2019/02/24/central-bank-operations-interest-rate-policy/
Billy, thank you for effort you put into that.
why serbia’s vote?!
Because Serbia’s leadership is trying to sit at two chairs (EU fantasia), and some of them are clearly working against Serbia’s interests, and lastly, it is surrounded by NATO.
Generally speaking, Serbia is in an almost impossible position. Trying to play neutral all along until Serbs in Kosovo & Metohija or Serb Republic in Bosnia get attacked, which would be a complete game-changer. Cui bono? In any case, average Serb is disgusted with the official position of Serbian government towards Russia and their allies (primarily Belarus).
I’m sorry if I’m saying something you already know or if someone has already posted it here, but the point is that this UN vote is worthless, or rather, it is, but not in the sense you described in the comment, as a matter of honor. Putting the problem squarely: except for NATO countries and their protectorates like Colombia, there will be no sanctions against Russia. The rest of the planet understands what’s going on with Russia and that’s what the press doesn’t say.
So why vote against Russia? For unarmed countries like Brazil, the only weapon is international law. It’s a shame to have to rely on international law when you know that what counts in international relations is force, but that’s the way it is. This is not a lack of honor, but an attempt by the unarmed to protect themselves from those who are armed. China and India abstained from the UN Security Council because they recognize that the conflict cannot be resolved through law and at the same time they do not want to renounce the international legal order. China and India can have that attitude because they have nuclear weapons. I don’t know if you saw the speech of the Brazilian ambassador to the Security Council, he voted against Russia, but he condemned the sanctions and the sending of weapons to Ukraine. And see that the Brazilian government is pro-American, the result of a coup, just like the Ukrainian government (in the last decade, Brazilian and Ukrainian history are very similar: color revolution, coup, fascist government, etc.). Argentina and Mexico said similar things and it will be the same throughout Latin America.
So I believe it is not a matter of honor. The world is divided between nobles and bourgeois. Only nobles have honor because they have weapons. And whoever has weapons and honor does the right. In the world, the honor is restricted to countries with the right of veto in the Security Council and, to a lesser extent, to nuclear countries, such as India. The bourgeois does not have honor, but rights, but he does not do the right. It remains for unarmed countries such as Brazil to ask that international law be respected, etc. And political statements must fall short of the international legal order.
And finally, sorry for my terrible English (and Google). I hope it’s understandable.
Greetings from the other side of the atlantic.
@ The Saker
“…The West deserves itself!…”
Not even during the hottest times of the Cold War the West stooped to such low levels of human degradation.
Not all is lost, though. Dmitry Rogozin, head of Roscosmos, announced no more Russian rockets for the US, and will stop servicing those previously delivered. As he put it,
“…In a situation like this we can’t supply the United States with our world’s best rocket engines. Let them fly on something else, their broomsticks, I don’t know what…”
Let them fly on broomsticks…the “Masters of the Universe”… :-)
Lone Wolf
Saker,
Thank you so much for running your site! It’s wonderful to have a platform with perspectives and opinions that I wouldn’t read elsewhere. (I first found it many years ago through a link to a review of a John Michael Greer novella and have checked in periodically ever since.)
I don’t pretend to know anything about war or Ukraine, but I do know something about public speaking, performance, and the media. I teach these things, and I have to say Russian setbacks in the informational/marketing/propaganda war are mostly self-inflicted. Putin’s administration didn’t get out in front with a coherent, straight-forward explanation of what they were doing and why. His speeches don’t communicate to people who don’t already agree with him, which is the most important thing for a speech to do. In many ways his speeches ‘negatively charismatic’–making him and the Russian cause look worse than if he gave no speech at all. And his administration is bad at other media presentation too. Yes, the ‘West’ plays the worst clips and gives the worst translations maybe but they don’t decide where to place the cameras, what room to shoot in, or how many paragraphs to devote to the various topics of a speech. You can find Russians who can write speeches and set up cameras. I’ve had Russian friends who were skilled artists. Putin or his staff just don’t evidently think it matters. And maybe it doesn’t! As I said, war is not my skill set!
Anyway, thanks again for your site. Sorry if this is overly negative.
Dude, they’re Russians. They don’t give a flying **** what the rest of the world thinks about them. When they know in their hearts they’re in the right, and they’re doing what they have to do, they simply don’t care about the propaganda. They brush it off like it’s nothing.
I know that’s not the right approach to take for convincing the rest of the world, but they don’t care about it. And it would seem they are angry, very angry. I can hardly blame them.
So it would seem! :)
@ lockean
You are right, from the perspective of a PR expert. The Russians may appear clumsy in projecting their message and point of view to “Western” audiences but, even if they hired the best Joseph Goebbels and Edward Bernays of this world, their messages would not be transmitted, let alone be heard and even less understood.
As you certainly know, you could be the best rhetorician combining unshakable logic with elegant propositions yet not be heard or believed because the transmission lines are cut off or the message is “mediated” and “adjusted” by the filtering system called MSM. So, what’s the point?
The Kremlin has consistently told the “Western partners” that the NATO moves towards the Russian borders was unacceptable and there would be consequences if Russian concerns were ignored and derided, coming as they were from an insignificant “gas station” with no clout. Deliberately, because
they believed their own hubris and propaganda.
No amount of the best Russian PR would ever reach the common man on the street in the Western world.
But even if it did, would it matter in the “democratic” West? I remember taking part in the biggest popular demonstrations ever held in Australia against the Western aggression on Iraq (2003) and the government response was to send troops to help in the aggression.
Goebbels, Bernays, and Lippmann were, I think, mostly dealing with domestic propaganda. I was thinking more along the lines of the US Declaration of Independence which had an impact in France and Netherlands at the time. I agree that better communications would make no difference in US, UK, and AU, but I think it could have helped consolidate and focus anti-NATO sensibilities in places like India, Egypt, Hungary, Greece, etc. and even Germany. Certainly it wouldn’t have hurt. But what do I know?
Putin is relying entirely on the power of military force and energy resources. It’ll be interesting to see how that plays out.
Wholly agree regards cockburn, best when he talks on Middle East. But then his reporting from his London villa on Syria was pretty average as well. Maybe he gets free rein at the schizophrenic CounterPunch, because his late brother was one of the original starters of the website.
However, isn’t it amazing how the English are clever and eloquent at talking rubbish? :) Of course Oscar Wilde only did that rarely.
I’m ashamed my country Serbia voted “yes”. Don’t know what else to say, except that I wish RF forces GOOD HUNTING!! May you eradicate Ukro nazi vermin for good!
Facebook off in Russia? Can anyone confirm this?
Good riddance!
Who needs that trash?
Lone Wolf
Me and a friend went off facebook about a year or so ago, also he used to order stuff from Amazon, he stopped using Amazon, and a number of other things to take away support from the mechanisms that try to rule us nefariously.
Also we avoid using bank cards for purchases, just draw out and buy with cash, and take as much cash out as possible. I don’t have a lot, but whatever comes in, I immediately take out in cash at the machine. We have each in our own way tried to fortify ourselves as much as possible, against crazy cr4p that can potentially happen.
Having a garden and living in an agricultural area all help.
I’m hoping you all consider fortifying yourselves (be like little Russias) as well, no matter where you live.
I’m wondering how long will last the UN, not so much I guess. Recently they look more as a sort of United Nations of the West and the only fact that the main siege is in the US reveals what’s about. It’s like the US dollar, on a tight slope. Just one hopeful thought: that Russia, China, India and the Big South just leave it to the West and its croonies. Let’s hope.
In some European universities they have gone to the extent of eliminating Russian literature, like Dostoievsky´s from the programs.
This can not be the occurrence of a nazi professor or rector, since nobody protested, not even the journalist broadcasting the news…
This was in preparations from time ago, they knew that sonner or later Russia will enter the rag as they had planned all those provocations.
What is the purpose on banning Russian literature?
Make of the Russians a foreign people in Europe, so that in a few generations, due lack of human contact and keeping that culture out of reach from the the young Europeans, the deshumanization can be achieved more easily than now when still there are way too many people in Europe who have links to the Russian people.
A battle has erupted in the parking lot ( I kid you not) of the Zaporozhe nuclear power plant, which is the largest nuke power plant in Europe. Something has caught fire–here’s hoping no repeat of Chernobyl 2.0.
Other updates:
#FLASH—#Ukraine—An insider sources at the presidential administration indicates that #UA forces are preparing for #Russia|n units soon to start the process of taking control of #Nikolayev. City has been encircled, it is expected #RF troops will penetrate from all directions. 1/3
#FLASH—#Ukraine—The insider source at #Zelensky’s presidential administration further indicates that there are no reserves in #Nikolayev, that all of the reserves were sent to #Odessa to make it into a fortress in anticipation of the #Russia|n forces march on the city. 2/3
#UKRAINE—There is further confirmation that #Zelensky hopes to exhaust the #Russia|n forces over the weekend, and, to that end, have an order not to agree to any conditions in negotiations with #RF and to drag the process out to next week. [Note: absolutely delusional, IMHO] 3/3
There has been shooting from the plant at the convoy approaching it. People watching the stream report Ukrainians have taken position inside the plant and are shooting at the Russians, they even used Javelins. The stream is available here, something is on fire: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYUT36YGOh8
This might be a major provocation (false flag) that Saker and the others have been warning off. Fortunately, many people saw the truth. I’ve seen who fired first with my own eyes.
Yep, thanks I’ve been watching the stream. Apparently there’s an administrative building on fire now that was clearly hit by Ukie forces but everyone blaming Russia and now Ukrainian ministers are begging NATO for a no fly zone “to save the world”, claiming Russia will destroy the earth soon. Complete hysteria. In reality, the whole reason behind Russia’s aggressive attempt to take the plant is to actually prevent the bloodthirsty Nazis from using the Nuke Plant for a provocation/falseflag themselves.
A rather lousy false flag. Even on Twitter very many people have seen through it. The question is, will the media use it to create further hysteria. I can imagine that happening very easily. We’re approaching dangerous grounds now.
The really stupid part of this false flag is that it’s the exact same propaganda they tried with the Chernobyl reactor just last week! They’re literally recycling the same crap every week – and the West is buying it hook, line and sinker!
Amazing. I have never seen crap like this in my 72 years. Even 9/11 wasn’t like this.
Note that bit about the UK demanding a UNSC Resolution. We know how that will work out – Russia will veto. But as I said elsewhere, this is about building up a sequences of vetoed UNSC Resolutions so that the US and NATO can claim they have to go around needing to get one to intervene either directly or indirectly via “proxy forces”.
Note: I’m not saying they’re going to succeed at anything if they try this. But it does show that SOMEONE in the US and NATO administrations actually wants a direct war with Russia. And they may have enough influence to get it.
Trust me when I tell you it’s not the last time they use this same one. Ukraine has several other Nuclear power plants left and Russia will have to capture them all.
You’re right though it’s all about slowly building concensus and pressure to ATTEMPT to boot Russia from UNSC and/or UN. Of course China would never allow it and would call the UNSC illegitimate without Russia, but U.S. hysteria will continue.
Don’t doubt for a second that China is observing very carefully how U.S. elites act in this circumstance, in particular how Trump MURDERED in cold blood without any provocation, Soleimani from Iran, and how now Graham is calling for Putin’s assassination. China now sees clearer than ever that calls for assassination of Chinese leadership would come in due time.
Honestly the best thing China can (and might) do is invade Taiwan soon.
@ Nightvision
What are your sources?
Any links?
Lone Wolf
there is supposedly a livestream from the plant.
– the fire is/was on the administration building.
– the reactors are not at risk
– firefighters were granted access to admin building
– fire appears to be under control
– ukr pols trying to milk this in their begging for someone else to step in and fight russia
https://www.worldandwe.com/ru/page/zelenskiy_dlya_sohraneniya_vlasti_poshel_na_provokaciyu_s_aes.html?utm_source=politobzor.net
According to this version, U placed Grad installations at a close distance to the plant and were firing at Russian from there. So the Russians took out the installation without ever getting close to the plant. But it was enough for Zelensky to start hyperventilating on social media.
+Saker
Dont fret Saker. Truth will always come out, especially if you are the victor and get to dictate the narrative, as Putin and Russia will soon get to do. Some actually get it. Do you know of this Anatoly Karlin? He is on substack. He wrote three uncanny spot on readings of the upcoming war (at the time of his articles).
Regathering of the Russian Lands. The Empire, Long Divided, Must Unite (Feb 16)
https://akarlin.substack.com/p/regathering-of-the-russian-lands?utm_source=url&s=r
Military-Technical Decommunization. Vladimir Putin: “We Are Ready to Show What Real Decommunization Would Mean for Ukraine” (Feb 23)
https://akarlin.substack.com/p/military-technical-decommunization?s=r
Happening: The Ukraine War 2022 The Last Argument of Kings (Feb 23)
https://akarlin.substack.com/p/happening-the-ukraine-war-2022?s=r
@ John MR
Thank you for the links. Anatoly Karlin has been a regular contributor to UnzReview and has solid credentials as a non-nonsense Russian nationalist and his predictions have been spot on as you noticed. He “knew” that current Ukraine, being an artificial creation by past administrative diktats and NATO requirements, was doomed, the only salvation being reintegration with Mother Russia – minus the westernmost excrescences.
If I may say so, The Saker and Karlin are on the same wavelength on most topics of significance.
Cheers
It will be the basis of future historiography over Ukraine when this is over over there.
I do not like Russia’s Central bank decision to double interest rates to protect ruble value. I think it will get harder for private business to expand. No wonder everyone in west is crying on even merely mention on interest rate raise. But! I do like decision to remove 20% tax when buying gold. This way, russians who want to protect its liquid assets can do so but not at expense of ruble value versus other currencies. No matter who and no matter where, hard earn money should be allowed to be protected by any government.
‘China, India and Iran abstained but did not vote “no”
Serbia and Hungary voted “yes” ‘
– I don’t think it is being acknowledged here the level of coercion that was applied to these countries in order to vote ‘Yes’. Indians are still facing massive pressure for maintaining their ‘friendship’ with Russia. I don’t recall seeing this level of hysteria even after 9/11. The actions of the European citizenry have been truly shocking! I expect that kind of craziness from say the Poles or the Balts but not from Italians or Swiss. Disgraceful! Americans have achieved their goal of creating a cleavage between Europe and Russia for another generation.
That said, there is no going back for Russia. Once, the West has bared its fangs in full there is no other choice but to immunize yourself to any future infection. It is ironic really, the most pro western elements in Russian society are being hurt the most and surely these people will hold a grudge. Europe hasn’t fully internalized the fact that Asian industrialization means there are real alternatives now that didn’t exist in the past. I do not believe US will be able to keep Japanese and Koreans out of Russian markets for long. The world isn’t going to starve or sit in the dark just because Europeans have decided to self immolate.
I think they just want to have the appearance of not being one sided. They have put up a number of other articles about Russia’s advances.
Is it summer now in Europe? I’m asking because there is no need for gas anymore there …
https://www.euractiv.com/section/global-europe/news/russian-gas-flows-via-yamal-pipeline-to-germany-decline-sharply/
Serbian vote in the UN is a terrible shame for us Serbs. But it may be a surprise only for those who have no clue about our government and their mentors.
On the other hand, just like in the case of Ukraine, people are suffering from the mistakes of their government. And Serbian gov is corrupted to the bones, with zero honor. And yes, we shouldn’t be surprised if their mistakes reflect on us, the people. We simply do not have an honorable force to replace current criminals in power. No real opposition. We are being announced that true hardcore Atlantists are ready to take over in the April elections. I wouldn’t mind any special operation conducted by RF against the Serbian gov. Being US/Nato puppet after all those atrocities performed by the Empire of Lies is so damn dishonorable.
Question for Night Vision: How are all those Javelins and other NATO supplied weapons making it over the boarder? Is it that porous?
Updates on the Nuclear plant appreciated as well.
Thanks
There is very little Russian reach to the western part of Ukrainian border at this time. There’s some airstrikes there but at the moment Russia is not concentrating much on it so yes it’s extremely porous. One of the reasons also is because massive refugee/evacuation/humanitarian route is established there so probably Russia doesn’t want to mess with that area too much for fear of any major civilian casualties or provocations/falseflags from nazi’s killing those casualties.
With that said, the stuff is being flown into Poland, Ukraine goes in there to pick it up and drives back over the border. In Syria and elsewhere the trick was to use Red Cross and humanitarian supply trucks to deliver the weapons and likely they’re doing the same thing so they can’t be targeted by Russian planes etc.
As of today a ‘senior u.s. military intelligence’ source claimed that “over 300 javelins have been fired and 200 russian armored vehicles/tanks destroyed by them’. Take it with grain of salt of course, but that’s what their side is reporting.
The nuke plant had ‘negotiations’ for Russian forces to take it over. The negotiations “failed” a couple hours ago and a Russian Rosvgardia (like an armed police force) came there and Ukraine opened fire on them from hidden positions with RPG’s and heavy weaponry. Fire was exchanged and a battle took place in the parking lot.
I read that this plant, which is the largest in all of europe, was designed for a plane to crash into the reactors and still not damage them. So the most important/reactor buildings etc should be theoretically safe from small arms fire but there’s other risks like nuclear rod storages on site etc.
You can see a nuclear expert from the wester/nato side here condemning Ukraine (as well as Russia a bit) https://twitter.com/Claire_Wahlen/status/1499552935470149652
Ukraine also claimed that radiation levels have already ‘risen’ but this apparently has been debunked https://t.co/2HcMP3owf1
“Ukrainian officials claim “elevated radiation levels” near #Zaporizhzhia power plant and call for the west to “close the skies over ukraine to save the whole world”
so far, there’s no evidence of radiation levels being raised — at least not online. (as of 10 mins ago)”
“Spokesman of the press service for the nuclear power plant declares that there is no threat of radiation spread.
Once again, Ukrainian officials are making up their own statistics and data– to cause panic and call for a no-fly zone.”
“The fire at the #Zaporozhye NPP is reported to have mostly been extinguished. #Ukraine|ian authorities report having disconnected the 3rd reactor block from the electricity grid.”
Video shows some of the most heated exchange. If I remember the orientation right, it seems those would be Russian troops shooting from bottom left as they had arrived via a road (I could be wrong, have to wait and confirm). If they’re shooting at the building then it would seem they were attacked by Ukrainian hidden positions in the building. This could be completely wrong but, if true then complete madness for Ukies to take cover in the buildings of a nuclear reactor and start and ambush with live fire. From everywhere I’ve read, it was confirmed by our sources that the opening shots came from the Ukies onto the Russian convoy, before fire began to be exchanged.
https://twitter.com/gbazov/status/1499548271903133696
If I may cut in:
These guys better have their life insurance policies crossed and dotted.
…and they know it.
Regarding to the weapons cache sitting in Poland…
I mean…if it was me…🙄
but no.
Those doodes are not suicidal.
Listen: Spec ops are NOT better, or more lethal, than a regular infantry, they are simply used in and trained for special circumstances.
Like a regular infantry doode is a sharp kitchen knife, while your spec ops guy is a tomato peeler.
And lemme tell you – most times in life your best tool to have is nice sharp regular kitchen knife.
…unless ya want to peel a tomato…
Now: you get these spec ops guys into ukraine proper.
Now what? What can they do?…before a drunk ukranian civilian opens up on them within sight of the border for thinking they are Alpha. Do they speak Russian? Ukranian?
Where is CAS for the convoy…where is rapid response?…cos someone is watching…
How do they get 20 klicks off the border before they are noticed and reported?
In short…where do you send the death certificates for insurance purposes?
These people are not stupid.
They will fly in, look around, collect their checks and say – do svidanja…
“Poet Vladimir Vysotskii once wrote “it saddens me that the word “honor” has been forgotten” (“Досадно мне, коль слово “честь” забыто”).”
What an appropriate quote. Building on that premise, I – sadly and with heavy heart – would like to share this war crime being perpetrated. Seems Ukranian citizens are fleeing forced conscription and taking Putin’s door and safe corridors to flee but chose to leave via a Ucraine controlled checkpoint (a shortcurt). ALL ucranians flee have been shot as “traitors”.
http://67.211.223.35/stone-mirror.html
The video came from one of Jin Stone’s servers. Couple didn’t make it
Putin and Russia better win this and Nuremberg these war crimminals on live TV for all to see and hear.
nah…knowing our legal system, you do not want to do that – unless you have a half a decade in reserve…you’ll feed them, house them, let them out for weekend community associations…and will probably die b4 they do…
Obviously, having any NPP on fire is an extremely dangerous proposition, however, other than webcam at the plant, which doesn’t allow much to see, we don’t have more information about the particular situation in Zaporozhe nuclear power plant. The Russians wouldn’t be shooting at it trying to take it, if they didn’t have a powerful reason to fight the Ukronazis for it.
Zaporozhe NPP is the largest in Europe, its water-water energetic reactors (WWER) or VVER (from Russian: водо-водяной энергетический реактор; transliterates as vodo-vodyanoi energetichesky reaktor; water-water power reactor), is a series of pressurized water reactor (PWR type, Ed.) designs originally developed in the Soviet Union, and now Russia, by OKB Gidropress.
https://tinyurl.com/6ftpt592
A short description of the NPP can be found here.
https://www.uatom.org/en/general-information/zaporizhzhya-npp
Having Russian-made reactors at the plant, built with Russian technology, we can speculate the unit in charge of taking it has a clear idea of what they are doing. The Ukronazis “defense” would be, as they are doing anywhere else with innocent civilians, to use the plant as a nuclear shield.
We certainly hope the Russian army will come out clean from this one. This is a military operation that could endanger the entire Russian strategy in Ukraine and beyond, if something goes terribly wrong.
Let’s hope for the best…and pray…
Lone Wolf.
Dear Saker,
Please do not get discouraged. This is from one of Indonesian news channel.
https://youtu.be/V0QBoAWLeXA
I do not expect you to watch the interview, since it is done in Indonesian language. I post it anyway as a proof that you are not losing information war.
Ms. Connie Bakrie is one of the most respected military analyst in Indonesia. She call thing as it is. In this video she is basically saying that this situation is American’s fault.
I have been scanning comment of netizen in some of Indonesian channel news on youtube. Out of first 100 (more or less) comments, i found 2 netral, 1 negative and the rest is positive. They are very supportive of Russian troop.
I suppose it would be expected if the number above come from Venezuela or Cuba. But…it came from Indonesia. A country that under the feet of western gang for nearly a half of a century and bombarded by western media day in day out.
You are not losing information war. I am confident the situation is not very different in Malaysia and The Philippines.
I am old and technologically incompetent. But in the fullness of time, i intent to sent you some video with english translation. You dont have to post it. It is just for your additional information.
I apologize for lack of sophistication in my english and the typo (if any).
Regards
Ms. Nobody
Jeez, Mr N!
If half of the unsophisticated “americans” could put together sentences and concepts that you have just done, including me, we wouldn’t be in the mess we are…😁
Lindsay Graham a US Senator is calling for Putin’s assassination! Pure madness.
It’s the only way America knows how to solve problems. Assassinate the leaders of any nation that disagrees with them or overthrow the government if possible. Unfortunately this is just the beginning of the long war. Things are going to get way worse from here, and way uglier.
Also I should mention, if you’re familiar with twitter parlance, Graham’s posts on twitter are being heavily ‘ratio’d’. i.e. way more comments/retweets than “likes”. This means people are reacting very badly to his declaration and are not in support of his tweets.
It seems prudent that the russians put a bounty on Sen. Graham’s head. Say, 5 kilos of investment grade gold bullion (by current prices – over 300 thousands USDs). I’m pretty sure that there be more people willing to collect the bounty on Graham’s head, than willing to assassinate Vladimir Vladimirovitch. As J.P. Morgan said (yep, that J.P. Morgan) – gold is money, nothing else is ;-)
You map and other similar ones show aRussian axis of advance inexplicably pointing north-northeast from Kherson almost to Pervomaisk, in the northwest corner of Nikolaev (Nikolaev) oblast. Before 1991, Pervomaisk was the former location of the 46th Rocket Division of the 43rd Rocket Army of the Soviet Strategic Rocket Forces, according to Wikipedia. Since more than one of the right-wing crazies infesting the Ukrainian defense apparatus have warned that “Moscow will burn someday,” or “Moscow will be destroyed,” it’s not impossible that Russia has information the Ukraine is trying to reconstruct an ICBM capability there. Ukraine retained a large number of SS-19 missiles (after selling 60 to Russia), and until 2016 used them occasionally to launch commercial satellites; they’re known to have some remaining. Dirty-bomb warheads would be trivial to construct; actual fission warheads would be more of an engineering challenge, assuming the Ukraine could acquire U-235 or Plutonium. But there been rumors for some time that suitcase bombs might be hidden here and there throughout the former Soviet Union. The Polonium alpha emitter Litvinenko was poisoned with was thought to be a possible trigger for one (by Patrick Armstrong, as I recall). Even though low yield, “only” a kiloton or two, a suitcase-bomb warhead hitting Red Square would indeed burn Moscow. So there may be something significant behind the Russian’s drive toward Pervomaisk.
I already posted earlier today an unconfirmed report that Russian SVR intel agency supposedly uncovered secret plans in Ukraine that Ukies were in fact already developing a nuclear bomb or planning to do so, and that the U.S. were willing/ready to help them. If true, this would give the appropriate urgency and impetus for the current ‘invasion’.
Your comment may not be far from the truth, something evil was brewing in Ukraine that prompted Putin to launch a security operation of this magnitude. It could well still be going, reason they are dragging their feet at the negotiating table, allowing time for a project the Russian operation might have put in jeopardy.
Ze stupidly announcing Ukraine’s aspirations for nuclear weapons got the cat out of the bag, forcing Putin’s decision. This nuclear weapon project could have been the top secret weapon the West was supporting in Ukraine, hopefully Russia got in on time.
Let’s hope for the best…..
Lone Wolf
Re the UNGA resolution. As discussed yesterday, what matters is how many condemned Russia vs how many are not sanctioning Russia despite going along with said condemnation. That count goes in Russia’s favor. Since this operation isn’t a “personality contest” for Russia, the Resolution is irrelevant.
My only concern with that Resolution is that it will be used as a fig leaf to “justify” a US/NATO involvement in Ukraine either directly or indirectly with “proxy forces.” Not that it will change the outcome of the conflict – Russia will still defeat Ukraine handily and achieve its objectives. But it raises the risk of more direct US/NATO confrontation with Russia, which could get out of hand.
I see that current nuclear plant false flag operation has resulted in the UK calling for another UNSC meeting. This of course will go no where as Russia will veto any Resolution put forth. But keep in mind that the US introduced THREE Resolutions with Chapter 7 language in them in Syria, which Russia and China, burned by their going along with the Libya Resolution, vetoed. So this is another attempt to build up a “consensus” that “something must be done” to “help Ukraine” and “prevent a threat to the region”, in order to “justify” more US/NATO involvement. The more Resolutions introduced and vetoed by Russia, the more the US and NATO will say they have to bypass the UN and “go it alone” because of “Russian intransigence.”
We’ve seen this scenario before and we know where it ends.
Check this out.. The DS is beginning to lose its collective mind..
https://www.latestly.com/socially/world/watch-u-s-senator-lindsey-graham-calls-for-president-putins-assassination-latest-tweet-by-bno-news-3432554.html
@ Richard Steven Hack
Good point. Let’s assume they bypass NATO and build a “coalition of the willing idiots” to intervene in Ukraine. I am sure the Russians were counting on that, and their deliberate pace in Ukraine might have utter intentions. Russians calculated US/NATO would intervene, well, let them come. So far Russia has not even use her second echelon in men and materiel, and Konashenkov just announced Russia will not apply Geneva Convention to mercenaries.
It will be the Russian version of “They have got us surrounded, the poor bastards.” (Gen. Creighton Abrams, Battle of the Bulge)
Lone Wolf
Correction
Instead of “Let’s assume they bypass NATO…” I meant to say “Let’s assume they bypass the UN…”
Lone Wolf
Yes, whatever they try will not succeed. The problem is that the mere attempt raises the risk that the conflict gets out of control and goes nuclear. At the very least, any such attempt will complicate the Russian operation, which I’m sure everyone agrees would be unwelcome, not that Russia won’t handle it.
India is understandable they have this Modi who is neo fascist himself…but China man their abstinence is equal to back stabbing…they should realize that the next thing is that they will force Taiwan to say we will acquire Nukes and then China would have to intervene and then what!…such supine invertebrate protoplasmic jellies (quoting BoJo)
Taiwan already has nukes.
It probably wields the most potent devices known to us:
You invade – we destroy all the fabs.
That is all.
At that point Taiwan’s significance is lost both to China and everyone to b honest.
A few points on CounterPunch:
In 2016 CP published a few articles by an author called Alice Donovan which apparently turned out to be a Russian bot or so they thought. After that there was a purge of pro Russian writers, including to my great disappointment the late, great Andre Vltchek. Ever since then the tone towards Russia has been more negative.
Patrick Cockburn stands head and shoulders above most British journalists (maybe not a high bar). He seems to have been “disappeared” by the Independent where his output had been in stark contrast to the other shills there. However, on this one I strongly disagree with him.
CP is strongly left leaning tending towards anarchist although there is a broad range of views on it. As such it would be unlikely to take a positive line on the Russian action in Ukraine. Overall I would describe it’s line as “Russia is wrong but…”
In contrast to the Cockburn piece, Michael Hudson ‘s piece “America defeats Germany…” which Saker published already was the headline article a few days ago which contained the sort of points Saker has been making here.
After the Russian action last Thursday I was bracing myself for Jeffrey St Clare’s editorial on Friday but he was quite even handed.
Most days since then there are articles published that contrast with each other: strongly pro-Ukrainian articles are usually balanced by articles, which if not exactly pro-Russian lay blame on the west.
My two cents as a CounterPunch reader.
Excellent quote from twitter:
“Zelensky said this is the first time in history a country (Russia) has targeted a nuclear plant. Actually, that’s not true. Israel regularly blows up Iranian nuclear plants, it’s just no one really gives a shit because Israel gets a pass.”
The list of countries voted ‘for’ and ‘abstained’ are stunning. Although we all understand the reasons why Russia was forced to get into this war path, still I thought Sri Lanka supporting or abstaining this UN resolution might be risky for their national issue. But however, for my surprise, they have abstained. That is a big deal considering Sri Lanka’s difficulties with INDIA in relation to Sri Lankan national issue. However, my personal belief or my wish is that India with the help of Russia will mend her differences with China ASAP notwithstanding adamantly dwelling on the wrong side of the history. (Hope the LGBTQ lobby advocating gender neutrality will not get angry with me for using the word ‘her’ when referring INDIA) It is always a difficult task for India due to the power and the influence of the colonized comprador class in India. I have noticed Indians are colonized from head-to-toe extremely well for which the Brits deserve to get a Nobel Prize. If India can normalize relations with China, most of the problems of Sri Lanka can be resolved easily.
P.C Roberts: “Someone should tell Lavrov that it is the loser, not the winner, who asks for negotiations.”
“The main obstacle to a quick end of the war is Lavrov and the Kremlin’s minimum force orders. Lavrov cannot keep from demonstrating the appearance of Kremlin irresolution by calling for negotiations, promising Ukraine that Russian demands are minimal, and reaffirming Russian security guarantees for Ukraine and the entirety of Europe. After demonstrating what can be interpreted as irresolution, Lavrov complains that “again, the Ukrainian team found some pretext to postpone these negotiations.” Someone should tell Lavrov that it is the loser, not the winner, who asks for negotiations. As I have often said, the Russians need to learn to shut up and to act decisively. If they don’t, their invasion will turn out to be a wasted effort by failing to establish that Russia means it when she designates red lines.”
Honestly, I don’t hate PC Roberts, he’s got his heart in the right place and he’s on the right side, but I’ve stopped reading his stuff because he’s almost always wrong and spews a lot of reactionary crap. And quite simply, his track record for predictions is really bad.
The Chinese people are supporting Russia. Yes, from Reuters.
In China, a run on Russian chocolates as show of support
https://www.reuters.com/article/ukraine-crisis-china-ecommerce-idAFL1N2V607Y
BEIJING, March 3 (Reuters) – A Russian-run online store on Chinese e-commerce platform JD.com thanked Chinese shoppers for their support after it sold out of most items including chocolate and fabric softener, saying it showed the country’s friendship in “difficult” times.
The online shop front of the “Russian State Pavilion” store, which says it is endorsed by the Russian Embassy to China, displayed multiple sold out signs on products ranging from KDV candies to chocolate wafers. It also offered pre-sales for St. Petersburg vodka, at 528 yuan ($83.57) for six bottles.
“Dear Chinese friends, thank you for your support to Russia and Russia State Pavilion at this difficult time,” said a man identifying himself as Sergey Batsev, a representative from non-profit organisation Business Russia in a short video posted to the online store.
…
(Imagine if the Chinese used their consumer buying power to purchase everything Russia could send their way.)
—-
Also, Canadian Embassy in Beijing put up “We support Ukraine” sign in Chinese.
A few hours later somebody marked below that in scratchy English “Fxxk Nato”.
https://twitter.com/CarlZha/status/1498992952609099778/photo/2
China also removed all restrictions on importing Russian wheat.’
https://www.world-grain.com/articles/16451-china-lifts-import-restrictions-on-russian-wheat
Can someone tell me where I can find Putin’s 45 minute speech at the beginning of the war? When I search for it I just get links to news reports of it, and commentary about it by assholes. I just want the speech itself.
https://www.bitchute.com/video/wxZD3ZJIpWUH/
I do not know, if this one is the compete one, but if it not, there is an internal search engine on Bitchute. It’s out there.
seems it’s being wiped everywhere, not surprisingly. Try this one https://rumble.com/vvti1j-putin-full-speech-special-military-operation-de-militarization-and-de-nazif.html
Patrick Coburn has always been close to MI6
For anyone interested to see what likely started the war, here’s source of what I mentioned earlier:
https://sputniknews.com/20220303/russian-intelligence-chief-says-intel-showed-ukraine-was-working-on-nukes-us-knew-about-it-1093559308.html
“Russian Intelligence Chief Says Intel Showed Ukraine Was Working on Nukes, US Knew About It”
“The head of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), Sergei Naryshkin, has stated that the SVR had obtained intelligence showing that Ukraine was working on building its own nuclear weapons. Naryshkin stressed that President Volodymyr Zelensky’s threats to abandon the Budapest Agreement were “not an empty promise”.
Naryshkin noted that Ukraine has preserved technical potential to create nuclear armaments and that this is higher than those of Iran and North Korea.”
nasa novajsaja nuklear stancia: Kazaria II …😁
This was forwarded by Colonelcassad 06:38:
Rybar
🇺🇦 The Ukrainian authorities are actively organizing the departure of radical families to Bulgaria, Germany, Lithuania, Croatia, and the Czech Republic. The measure applies only to local neo-Nazis: law enforcement officers are not allowed such privileges.
At the same time in the Kharkiv branch of the organization connected with “Azov”.The “National Corps” recruits extremists in Russia for sabotage in cities. They will be paid $ 1,000 for setting a car on fire, $ 8,000 for killing a police officer, and $ 250,000 for blowing up a residential building.
In “Azov” demand to record each crime on video for proof. All payments to perpetrators of terrorist attacks will be transferred in bitcoins.
#Ukraine
@rybar
*Support us: 4377 7278 0407 7977
/27228
Despicable if true.
1. Yeah, SF and CP chased the clickbait.
2. Just in case someone hasn’t read it in the media. In the evening of 03.03.2022 (European time), “Guaido” Zelensky spoke at a press conference – https://ukraina.ru/news/20220303/1033434311.html
In appearance, it is noticeable that he is under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The nominal “president” of Ukraine is incapacitated and deprived of liberty. On the Internet, the photo of Zelensky sitting on a chair was reacted with comments: “Hello, I’m Vladimir, and I’m a drug addict.” This refers to the beginning of the conversation at the meetings of “Narcotics Anonymous”.
I will supplement it. The history of alcohol and drug addiction of the Presidents of Ukraine is long – https://ukraina.ru/sn/20190405/1023229793.html
Back in 2019, Zelensky and Poroshenko passed medical tests, as during the elections they accused each other of using drugs and alcohol. Drunks are not allowed to drive a car, and here is the management of the country and the troops.
May the moderator forgive me, thank him for his work. Photo from “Wolfshanze” during Zelensky’s press conference – https://t.me/kornilov1968/9235 The authenticity is on the conscience of the author of the post.
Although, based on the routes of the Ukrainian delegation to the negotiations in Belarus, there were suggestions that Zelensky and his camarilla are not under “Lemberg”, but on the territory of Poland.
So here is what my wife thinks about Zelenskys performance. His comedy show was considered brilliant. He could do perfect caricatures of political figures and portray them as drunk, etc. He was not high or tired, etc, but acting for his intended audience who ate it up. His answer to the first question, “How do you feel?”, produced a strong sympathetic reaction in Kiev. He is playing his role perfectly and has gained hero status, where as a few months ago he was reviled. Reportedly he uses cocaine – rumors in Kiev to this effect.
I found the telegram channel of an Ukrainian MP Ilya Kiva and he posted a snippet of the interview of Zelensky. He was presumably high (https://t.me/The_Kyva/1848). I understand when putin mentioned to get rid of the junkies and Nazis
Precisely.
Do you also understand, that for instance, Winston Churchill was a bottle of two a day alkie most his life?
I want to believe that Churchill was a hero with iron health. But nowadays, if you drink 2 bottles of cognac a day for a week, then the next week will start in a psychiatric clinic. :)
Whatever it was, for Ukrainians, a reasonable way out is to organize a new government on the ground without looking back at Zelensky and the Rada.
Once again, we have a battle of perception management versus substance.
The big picture revolves around the two mutually exclusive models, WEF, (World Economic Forum) for multinationals and banks on top dictating government policy, versus BRICS, with goal of sovereign nations on top and a counterweight to WEF.
The western dollar system is bankrupt and increasingly collapsing, due to its inherently cannibalistic nature and self-inflicted damage. Ironically, the US can only be saved by joining the BRICS / Silk Road model, kicking the WEF out of power, and writing off most of the speculative claims created by that system.
Sundance just did an article which speaks to the WEF versus BRICS competition, and how it played out, suggesting to properly understand Putin’s moves within the wider global context, this background of two systems is essential.
The Motive for the Strategic Creation of BRICS Resurfaces in the Ukraine Conflict
https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2022/03/03/the-motive-for-the-strategic-creation-of-brics-resurfaces-in-the-ukraine-conflict/
Meanwhile, Putin is over the target in more ways than one. Look at the crazy rhetoric:
Senator Lindsey Graham Calls for the Assassination of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Things Are Getting Out of Control
https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2022/03/03/senator-lindsey-graham-calls-for-the-assassination-of-russian-president-vladimir-putin-things-are-getting-out-of-control/
Large armies are always more successful when they can act in a coordinated manner. Perhaps some of the successes of the Ukrainian army come from the fact that Elon Musk has unlocked his satellite internet for Ukraine. The prerequisite is, of course, that the army has received the appropriate receivers, which is likely to have happened as part of the weapons assistance.
The West has started a media run “totaler Krieg” vomiting Russophobia ad nauseam.
Hitler / Goebbels would be proud of it.
The “Gleichschaltung” is working well.
Anybody dissenting is branded a monster.
It is a strong sign of helplessness and desperation and that democracy, what was left of it, is destroyed.
Next comes (in Eirope) inflation, energy shortages and the disruption of the chain of supplies.
It could have been all avoided by forcing Ukraine to comply with the Minsk agreements and Ukraine adopting neutrality, but Washington decided otherwise to create the present crisis.
Cheers
The problem is a bit more accute:
https://mobile.twitter.com/RealAlexRubi/status/1497747535783411714
WOW, just WOW how utterly ***** disgusting these ***** scum are, no words to describe how i feel about this shite, outraged dosn’t come close to starting.
Apologies to the Russian people that you have to put up with these scum and foul remarks like this, (wonder how fast i’d have the police at my door if i were to make the same calls about POTUS)
https://www.rt.com/news/551201-putin-assassination-plot-grahem/
+ Thorvid
It is beyond the pale. Not even surreal anymore. And the sad part is they never are held accountable for their actions. Above all civilized law and norms.
Agreed!
Don’t understand why the general public isn’t up in arms about comments like this, they should be holding that scumbag to account and demanding their resignation at best…..
Well I guess i do know, they/we are in a very very small minority, our voices are shouted down at best, vilified and censored for daring to hold an opinion that differs from the ‘approved narrative’, while the clueless masses feast unthinking & unquestioning on the MSM 24/7 ‘approved narrative/web of lies’
Hey Saker, I just wanted to report in from the arse end of the world. I never normally comment, even when being smeared because I live in a 5 eyes country (a satellite on a farm with a balloon concealing it) but I have been following developments since @2007 on various platforms. Today while watching the ban of Russian athletes from the para Olympics I received a call from my nephew to come and meet for a drink at a pub nearby. I decided after some contemplating to go and have a drink and leave the serious (world wide condemnation and propaganda) stuff behind for a couple of hours and have a normal catch up. After chat about golf etc the conversation turned (not by me) to Russia and that other country. I was shocked and impressed, not only were they all pro Russia they were very loud and boisterous in their support!! No one in the bar (a prominent and well known one) was left wondering and no one objected to the raucous support of Russia’s position and their actions. Turns out that the young people here are sick of fags and lesbians (news readers) telling them what to do and how to perceive the world. All is not lost my friend, you have more allies than what you know about! Lots of us!! Peace my bro. Hold tight. We are all in this. Thanks for what you do, Simon, down here at the arse end of the planet. NZ.
OT
Sputnik Iran is working perfectly and without interruption:
https://ir.sputniknews.com
France:
RT.COM TV blocked
RT.COM Telegram blocked.
RT.COM Smartphone application working.
Sputnik Smartphone application blocked
Intel Slava Z Telegram working.
in germany rt is totally blocked now. Is there some way to access the site? Thanks
American diplomacy:
The US State Department sent out a threatening memo to its embassies (since recalled) to forward to the governments of India and the UAE. The message à la Bush in the Gulf War: “You are either with us or against us on the Ukrainian issue!”
Snippets of the memo:
“Continuing to call for dialogue, as you have been doing in the Security Council, is not a stance of neutrality; it places you in Russia’s camp, the aggressor in this conflict,” the cable read, according to Axios, which saw parts of the document.
“We strongly encourage you to take the opportunity to support Ukraine in the HRC, an opportunity you failed to seize in the UNSC,” it added.
https://hascoding.com/makale/different-content/us-recalls-official-memo-that-hammered-nations-for-being-in-russia-s-camp
The US has also threatened India with sanctions for buying Russian weapons if it does not declare itself for the US position on Ukraine.
ttps://www.news9live.com/india/us-threat-of-sanctions-on-india-a-mix-of-delusion-and-hypocrisy-156867
Andrei, you have faith and intellect. Let the faith part sustain you through this. I get it. You live in 2 worlds, now one you love preaches hatred and practices genocide openly aginst those you love irrespective of their home locale. You know this is how it works. Until now, always has. My life began as part of the untermenschen, has been ever since, but first I learned to fight with words and keep the peace. Then I learned to fight physically, not until my mid life, but it’s set my path of life since.
I am not of the orthodox faiths like you and many others of our ilk, who despise nazism and all the sickeness and putrification of the human essence nazism is.
But I believe in what is human and humane, and I believe in an existence beyond this life.
Listen to Amarynth, he’s right, for too long these fetid creatures of inhumanity have ensconced themselves flowing like toxic excresence into voids, hidden, waiting, funded by nazis to do so.
Southfront’s day has passed. Trust broken cannot be repaired as the agreement non-capable are learning.
You have our trust, because you speak truth, as Amarynth said look to China: smile when you read how they write they were ahead of the curve, they banned youtube in 2009. There is hope.
Part of me died when I read of Andre Vltchek passing. I remember him writing, after endless war zone to war zone reporting, utterly exhausted, broke, dying within himself saying the only ones who he could turn to for help were family: but he never lost hope. The evil will be broken on the rocks of history.
I am first descendant old Macedonian Australian born, my Father were he alive would be 109. He was “uneducated” whatever that means. Most cannot live without being educated experientially. And I am proud to carry slavic DNA. My Father and I descended a hospital lift after visiting my mother. Altogether a sombre time and place. When we reached the ground floor the doors opened to a family laughing and happy sharing a common joy. As we left the lift my father said to me “so there are still civilised peeople”. Remember what Aram Mirzaei said about “relatively civilised”.
My Grandfather was Russian born, he loved me , I loved him.He was a tunneller on the Western front. I am proud to be of Russian extraction.
I watched the people’s army of Donetsk leaving for the front line attacks days ago. They were men of my age.
I watched them in 2014 after the coup in the Ukraine. Again they were men of my age on night missions reconnoitering cross country and obliterating a snipers’ nest. The LDR militias’ are the peoples’ army, and this is as you educate, “hot war”. They are unafraid of what lays ahead, but go they must, and have. I understand what drives them, they will prevail.
Be careful, heed the advice of your friend Andrei Martyanov, “it is what it is”.
You are blessed with history and insight few have. This does not make it an obligation that you carry the world on your shoulders. Remember we look to you to fathom issues beyond our resources, and explain them to us so as we ourselves do not lose faith. Be kind to yourself, “it is what it is” learn from it, do not be dismayed. You are in the invidious position of being an alien in you country of choice. Recognise that limitation, but also recognise your intellectual power to overcome these setbacks. Above all look to that place in you that provides succour when needed and visit it regularly.
,
@ Closer to the Truth
Beautiful.
You’re close to the truth.
May Allah bless your soul.
Lone Wolf
I went through about 135 comments under an article about India being pressured by the US about her lack of support for the condemnation of Russia. It was at Times of India, a globalist type of outlet. Well, one hundred percent of the comments were defenses of Russia and criticism of NATO expansionism. Many were offended that India was being treated as some kind of satrapy that had to support the US regardless of the merits of the case. Others recalled how during India’s war to end the Bangladesh crisis, the very definition of a just war, Nixon had sent the US 7th fleet to Indian waters as an explicit threat. Still others maintained that a reliable friend like Russia was not to be exchanged for the very treacherous friendship of the USA, which was behind many anti Indian policies and practices by Pakistan. People also asked where the world was when China encroached on Indian territory only in the past couple of years.
I am in mind of President Putin’s words during his lengthy address, words to the effect of “we should have done this earlier”. Indeed. The time was ripe when the Ukranian forces were surrounded and yet escaped with the Minsk agreement which they never intended to abide by. This time round Putin must finish the job, preferably with a few show trials, evidence of Ukronazi murderous criminality, biolabs, nuclear ambitions and whatever else necessary to win the PR war.
I don’t think I have ever seen a situation whereby a nation is so vilified by false propaganda that even cats are banned! A sure sign that the opposition is desperate, and may yet get more desperate still.
In green are the scared and the weak.
In Red the strong.
In Yellow are the principled.
@ Salvo
Use Tor Browser, download it here.
https://www.torproject.org/download/
Pass it on.
Lone Wolf
There will be presidential elections in Hungary, held on April 3rd. There was no other option but voting “yes”.
https://t.me/s/rian_ru
RIA Novosti
In most of Ukraine, the catastrophic humanitarian situation is rapidly deteriorating, with the most difficult situation in Kiev, Kharkiv, Sumy, Chernihiv and Mariupol, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.
According to him, the Kiev regime has almost lost the ability to manage the administrations of regions and districts of the country, the administrations of settlements are not able to solve elementary social issues.
In most cities, the national battalions of “territorial defense” are rampaging, in fact, they are Nazis and terrorists, tens of thousands of people, including foreigners, have been turned into terrorists. Officials in Kharkiv are afraid of radicals and do not help organize the humanitarian corridor, the ministry said.
More than 7,5 thousand foreigners are being held hostage in Ukrainian settlements, Ukrainian Nazis fired at a group of Indian citizens at a train station in Kharkiv yesterday, and more than 1 thousand Indian students who are trying to cross to Russia on their own are blocked in the Sandbox near Kharkiv, the Defense Ministry reports.
In Sumy, neo-Nazis fired at a hostel with Indian students, 5 were injured, the fate of 11 people is unknown.
12:44
You’ve been telling us brilliant the Leader is and how the Leader has prepared for all eventualities. But I thought China was supposed to be the Leader ally. https://www.businessinsider.com/2-china-based-development-banks-suspend-business-with-russia-2022-3?amp
Pakistan Imposes Economic Sanctions On Russia, Refuses To Repay Loans:)
https://thefauxy.com/pakistan-imposes-economic-sanctions-on-russia-refuses-to-repay-loans/
That was a very bad attempt at Indian so-called satire and is fake, at least up to this moment.
@ Saker
@ Amarynth
@ Moderators
We seem to be getting a lot of fake info disguised as “news information” from unknown posters that place one comment and disappear not to be seen again.
Russia’s Duma just adopted a law that punishes any fake news about the RF Armed Forces, and Colonel Cassad issued a warning to his posters, stating his moderators will have to take this document into account.
Any way we can replicate a version of this for The Vineyard of the Saker blog?
Without the years in prison, of course. :-)
We already have to wear waders to navigate the PSYOPS cesspool, this is one of the few venues we have to stay sane, rational, and objective. More stringent rules are needed to keep the pollution out.
Just a suggestion from the wolf lair.
———————————–
https://colonelcassad.livejournal.com/7475100.html
The State Duma adopted a law on criminal punishment for fakes about the actions of the Russian armed forces:
• for knowingly false fakes – a fine of 700 thousand to 1.5 million rubles, or up to 3 years in prison
• for knowingly false fakes created by officials, an organized group, with artificial creation of evidence or motivated by hatred or enmity – a fine of 3 to 5 million rubles, or from 5 to 10 years in prison
• for knowingly false fakes that entailed serious consequences – from 10 to 15 years in prison
• for calls to prevent the use of Russian troops to protect the interests of Russia, maintain peace and security or for discrediting such use (if earlier during the year the violator was brought to administrative responsibility for this) – a fine of 100 thousand to 300 thousand rubles or up to 3 years in prison
• if such calls for obstruction or such discrediting entailed serious consequences – a fine of 300 thousand to 1 million rubles or up to 5 years in prison
• for calls for sanctions against Russia (if earlier during the year the violator was brought to administrative responsibility for this) will be punishable by a fine of up to 500 thousand rubles or up to 3 years in prison
. try to be careful in the comments. Fig he knows what it will be like to enforce the law.
After signing the law, the moderator will be forced to take this document into account in his activities.
Well, with the tamers everything is clear – they will gradually be cleaned up.
———————————-
Lone Wolf
Thanks for the caring Lone Wolf. At the site we seem to be in a phase of breaking records – pages served and so on. I was laughing a day or so ago because I think we broke a record of trash in the trash bin as well.
Let me assure you that most get cut off at the pass. The few – meh – learning opportunities :-) I like the odd troll, then we see what the troll farms are farming out.
sokole
izvini se srbskim patriotama
nemas pojma sta i kako mislimo i koliko nas je
——————-
Google-translate from mod:-
Sokole.
Sorry to the Serb patriots
don’t even know what and how we think and how much we are
This is claimed to be in Serbia right now
https://twitter.com/200_zoka/status/1499797416421339140
https://twitter.com/ASBMilitary/status/1499799533072662532
Updates:
-RF has taken Energodar and Zaporozhe Nuke Plant is confirmed controlled by RF forces. Photos show RF forces at the plant, with destroyed Ukie vehicles littered around https://twitter.com/200_zoka/status/1499683719120134148
-Kherson is being integrated such that the local TV tower was captured and now Russian TV stations play throughout the city while a humanitarian corridor is established. Russian troops are feeding the locals and facilitating civil order. Literally dozens and dozens of trucks of food/aid for Kherson from Russia https://twitter.com/gbazov/status/1499774204257964032
Yet disinfo agents claim Russian supply lines are dried up.
On Mariupol front:
-DNR/LNR forces advance slowly into eastern neighborhoods and have captured a few sections including metallurgical V.I. Lenin plant. https://twitter.com/spriter99880/status/1499733660202946561/photo/1
-RF forces meanwhile are active in pushing to the north and have reached/captured Volnovakha after major battles where tons of Ukr armor destroyed and Ukr losses. You can see aftermath here https://youtu.be/WTJlhclLISA
This town is important because it is going one step closer towards closing the eventual cauldron in the Donbas and means RF is serious about pushing towards that cauldron
-Also RF forces are starting to enter Nikolayev from the south https://twitter.com/spriter99880/status/1499733217364037640
This is the next city that will fall after Kherson in that axis towards Odessa, and is in fact the last major city that stands in the way to Odessa, the rest are small settlements that will be conquered quickly.
-RF releases first footage of some of its drones in action https://twitter.com/200_zoka/status/1499706349910904842
-Major loss of morale for Ukr troops. Here video shows a Ukrainian officer making a plea on his phone camera, stating that his commanders abandoned the troops and ran away and told some lightly equipped soldiers to hold off a major tank advance by themselves https://twitter.com/RWApodcast/status/1499735647296311299 He’s very angry at commanders and curses them profusely.
-“American mercenary group going by the name:
“Forward Observations Group -FOG-” posted a video formally announcing their ‘presence’ in Ukraine.” https://twitter.com/MapsUkraine/status/1499632170159296513
-more western ATGM’s captured https://twitter.com/spriter99880/status/1499735014698803201
Ukie nazis have captured one of their own parliament members, Nestor Shufrych https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nestor_Shufrych
And are now violently interrogating him, who knows what will happen to him as they are now turning on their own.
https://twitter.com/RWApodcast/status/1499792702732443659
https://twitter.com/RWApodcast/status/1499805018953814024
For those that don’t know, this is the same man who was just slugged on national TV debate a few weeks ago: https://youtu.be/IeZAAMveJdA
I always thought that SouthFront is an ‘Israeli’ front
They are subtly anti-Iranian and anti-Syrian , anti-resistance
Ukraine got handed numerous small victories early on, due to very light approach-movement, basically route-order with light cav forward. No more.
My guess is that Hostomel was a failed attempt at a decapitating coup de main. Worth the risk.
Just remember, the western roman empire was “dead” for 700 years.
There’s still a lot of damage the empire can do even as a black hole.
I am an unredeemed orthox communist, and I am disgusted with the rump-left. Putin the lawyer is not the least mystrious he says what he means he steps through international law which he understands. He is a patient nationalist in the sense he wants the best for Russia but not at the expense of other nations. He has skillfully avoided WW3 by knocking out the US proxy. The map tells the story, Gallatia is being returned and the Ukraine will become a prosperious nation in the emegent Eurasia.
My mistake was I thought there would be a pause, there was not one. I just cannot get over how people can read it differently. Plus the ignorance on Nuremberg rulings upon which the UN is based are very clear the aggressor state was the US Nato amulgum, Russia is fighting a defensive war, which it has every right to do when faced with aggressive proxies, illegal sanctions, couple attempts and mercenary forces. Really war is horrible, but US rapine must be resisted.
Bravo Saker