Washington hawks float expelling Russia from SWIFT but Moscow’s budding geo-economic alliance with Beijing will keep the money flowing
By Pepe Escobar posted with permission and cross-posted with AsiaTimes
Screenshot of the recent Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin phone call. Screenshot photo: Mikhail Metzel / Pool / TASS
Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin spent an hour and 14 minutes in a video conversation on Wednesday. Geopolitically, paving the way for 2022, this is the one that really matters – much more than Putin-Biden a week ago.
Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov, who generally carefully measures his words, had previously hinted that this exchange would be “extremely important.”
It was obvious the two leaders would not only exchange information about the natural gas pipeline Power of Siberia 2. But Peskov was referring to prime time geopolitics: how Russia-China would be coordinating their countercoups against the hybrid war/Cold War 2.0 combo deployed by the US and its allies.
While no substantial leaks were expected from the 37th meeting between Xi and Putin since 2013 (they will meet again in person in February 2022, at the start of the Beijing Winter Olympics), Assistant to the President for Foreign Policy Yuri Ushakov did manage to succinctly deliver at least two serious bits of information.
These are the highlights of the call:
- Moscow will inform Beijing about the progress, or lack thereof, in negotiations with the US/NATO on security guarantees for Russia.
- Beijing supports Moscow’s demands on US/NATO for these security guarantees.
- Putin and Xi agreed to create an “independent financial structure for trade operations that could not be influenced by other countries.” Diplomatic sources, off the record, say the structure may be announced by a joint summit in late 2022.
- They discussed the Biden-hosted “Summit for Democracy,” concluding it was counterproductive and imposed new dividing lines.
Of all of the above, the third point is the real game-changer – already in the works for a few years now, and gaining definitive momentum after Washington hawks of the Victoria “F**k the EU” Nuland kind recently floated the idea of expelling Russia from SWIFT – the vast messaging network used by banks and other financial institutions to make money transfer instructions – as the ultimate sanctions package for the non-invasion of Ukraine.
Putin and Xi once again discussed one of their key themes in bilaterals and BRICS meetings: the need to keep increasing the share of the yuan and ruble in mutual settlements – bypassing the US dollar – and opening new stock market avenues for Russian and Chinese investors.
A 100 yuan bill and Russian 10 ruble coins. Photo: AFP / Demyanchuk /Sputnik
Bypassing a SWIFT mechanism “influenced by third counties” then becomes a must. Ushakov diplomatically put it as “the need to intensify efforts to form an independent financial infrastructure to service trade operations between Russia and China.”
Russian energy businesses, from Gazprom to Rosneft, know all there is to know not only about US threats but also about the negative effects of the tsunami of US dollars flooding the global economy via the Fed’s quantitative easing.
This Russia-China drive is yet another dimension of geoeconomic, geostrategic and demographic power rapidly shifting towards Eurasia and possibly foreshadowing the advent of a new world system related to other matters Putin-Xi certainly discussed: the interconnection of Belt and Road with the Eurasia Economic Union (EAEU), the expanded reach of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the coming Chinese presidency of BRICS in 2022.
The US – with US$30 trillion in debt, 236% of its militarized GDP – is virtually bankrupt. Russia-China have already experimented with their alternative payment systems, which will inevitably integrate.
The most important banks in both countries will adopt the system – as well as banks across Eurasia doing business with them, and then vast swaths of the Global South. SWIFT, in the long run, will be used only in exceptional cases if China and Russia have their way.
Maidan redux
Now to the heart of the geopolitical puzzle.
Ushakov confirmed that the Russian Federation has submitted proposals on security guarantees to the US. As Putin himself had confirmed even before talking to Xi, it’s all about “indivisible security”: a mechanism that has been enshrined all across the territory of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe since a 1975 summit in Helsinki.
Predictably, under orders of the powers that be, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg already rejected it.
Both Xi and Putin clearly identify how Team Biden is deploying a strategic polarization gambit under good old divide-and-rule. The wishful thinking at play is to build a pro-American bloc – with participants ranging from the UK and Australia to Israel and Saudi Arabia – to “isolate” Russia-China.
That’s what’s behind the narrative thunderously splashed non-stop all across the West – to which Biden’s Summit for Democracy was also tied. Taiwan is being manipulated against Beijing while Ukraine is being literally weaponized against Russia. “China aggression” meets “Russian aggression.”
Russian and Chinese soldiers take aim in a 2018 joint military exercise. Image: Twitter
Beijing has not fallen into the trap but has asserted at different levels that Taiwan will eventually be integrated into the mainland motherland, without any ludicrous “invasion.” And the wishful thinking that massive American pressure will lead to cracks inside the Chinese Communist Party is also likely generating zero traction.
Ukraine is a much more volatile proposition: a dysfunctional nightmare of systemic instability, widespread corruption, shady oligarchic entanglements, and poverty.
Washington still follows the Zbigniew Brzezinski-concocted Maidan plan laid out for cookie distributor Nuland in 2014. Yet seven years later, no American “strategist” managed to understand why Russia would fail to invade Ukraine, which has been part of Russia for centuries.
For these “strategists”, it’s imperative that Russia faces a second Vietnam, after Afghanistan in the 1980s. Well, it’s not going to happen because Moscow has no interest whatsoever in “invading” Ukraine.
It does get more complicated. The ultimate fear dictating all US foreign policy since the early 20th century is the possibility of Germany clinching a new version of Bismarck’s 1887 Reinsurance Treaty with Russia.
Add China to the combination and these three actors are able to control just about the entire Eurasian landmass. Updating Mackinder, the US would then be turned into a geopolitically irrelevant island.
Putin-Xi may have examined not only how the imperial hybrid war tactics against them are floundering against them, as well as how the tactics are dragging Europe further into the abyss of irrelevance.
For the EU, as former British diplomat Alastair Crooke points out, the strategic balance is a disaster: “The EU has virtually ruptured its relations with both Russia and China – at the same time. Washington’s hawks wanted it. A ‘European Brzezinski’ certainly would have advised the EU differently: never lose both in tandem – you are never that powerful.”
No wonder the leadership in Moscow-Beijing can’t take anyone in Brussels seriously – be it assorted NATO chihuahuas or the spectacularly incompetent Ursula von der Leyen at the European Commission.
A faint ray of light is that Paris and Berlin, unlike the Russophobic Poland and the Baltic fringe, at least prefer having some sort of negotiation with Moscow over Ukraine as opposed to slapping on extra sanctions.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (left) meets Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing on March 23, 2021. Photo: AFP / Russian Foreign Ministry / Handout / Anadolu Agency
Now imagine Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov explaining the ABCs of foreign policy to a clueless Annalena “Grune” Baerbock, now posing as German foreign minister while displaying a fresh mix of incompetence and aggressiveness. She actually placed the phone call.
Lavrov had to meticulously explain the consequences of NATO expansion; the Minsk agreement; and how Berlin should exercise its right to pressure Kiev to respect Minsk.
No leaks about it should be expected from Ushakov. But it’s fair to imagine that with “partners” like the US, NATO and the EU, Xi and Putin should conclude that China and Russia don’t even need enemies.
It come quick enough some real opposition to the West ! It is lovely to see the shoe on the other foot!!
Great article, Pepe, as usual. The core objective, the end target for the Judeo-Zionist “chef” of the Western choir is to avoid fiat monies, the US Dollar, the EU Euro & marginally the UK Pound to falling irreversibly into irrelevance. That Damocles´s sword will fall on their necks the day Russia will stop accepting their Swift monies. And they know it. Hence, the sacrificial lamb, the Ukraine, in order to divide once again the world while they can with the actual monetary & financial settings of the Judeo-Zionist Central Bankers.
Anyone thinks Senile Joe is hybrid war belligerence crazy, how about the eight Senators who recently introduced a bill that would more appropriately be entitled something like Goading Ukranazi Autocrats by Ratifying its Delusions. If their is any GUARDing, it is in the sense of “to watch over so as to prevent escape, disclosure, or indiscretion” with respect to those in Country General Protection Fault whose pots aren’t cracked.
The US will get war in Ukraine. Soon. But the Russians will stand off and the North Wind will do the work with the Donbass Army. The difficulty for Russia is how much stand off damage can they deliver using the Ukies as the cause of the war? They have to have a real cause to go and destroy Kiev.
As for the US being bankrupt: the Federal government will confiscate through the taxing authority of Congress the individual wealth of Americans. They are preparing a massive enlargement of the IRS so they can grab and use bank accounts, investments, pensions and real property seized by the Feds. The Federal government is already a tyranny, so this mass confiscation is just the next step.
The US also has massive land holdings in Federal hands. They can bring in 50 million refugees/immigrants and build prefab cities for them, charging them for citizenship. The cartels are charging thousands each for the flow coming across the southern border. The US can take over that business as well as more of the drug business flowing in the country with the illegals.
The US plan ahead is to go rogue against its own people, its allies and its adversaries. Nothing is beyond these criminals. They will not cede power to Russia or China.
Their sole guide ahead is to avoid direct war with Russia and China.
Anything goes otherwise.
We haven’t seen anything evil yet. The desperation will drive these Satanists to risk Apocalypse.
Expect far more varieties of biological warfare.
.”the Federal government will confiscate through the taxing authority of Congress the individual wealth of Americans”
Their aim is to dispose expensive local workforce with cheapo immigrant one. Only then US can restart competitive industry. To counter the outrage, they (will) do to their own what they did all over the world.
1. Demonization (deplorables, useless eaters)
2. Accusations (racism, misogyny …)
3, Divisions ( Liberals vs conservative, black vs white, women vs men…)
4. Pauperisation ( running down purchasing power. Inflation, taxation – present phase)
5. Civil war
6. “Humanitarian” military intervention.
7. Exodus of deplorables
Far cry prediction, based on proven fact that UKUS strategists are one-trick ponies.
Blacking
Civil war in the US ? Highly unlikely. What happened between 1861-1865 cannot be repeated, as today the bulk of the US population is not engaged in agriculture. How many men in the US would be willing to leave their families and participate in a civil war ? Not too many.
What is possible is something resembling a civil war, namely mass civil unrest which could well see the break up of the US. All that is required is a catalyst, like the crash of the dollar.
To B.F.
That catalyst is coming and perhaps sooner than you people think. The problem is that this mass civil unrest you have mentioned is not likely to happen in USA in the way it should. For one simple reason – americans are totally incapable to organise themselves into one cohesive resistance or a united fighting force – too many “chiefs”, not many willing “indians”. Everyone wants to be in charge. Hence your military is a total joke and has always been one. No discipline, with CO’s not knowing half the time what the hell they are doing, but everyone wants to give orders!
Cooperation is as an alien concept to americans as a basic diplomacy, as we can see it time and time again. They simply don’t know how to do either. I think it is the result of the decades of the mindfu*kery that they have been subjected to and also indoctrinated with – that they are something “exceptional”! Yah, right..
So, it will be just the total chaos. And that will be the biggest problem in getting your country back, unfortunately.
(Maybe we, Russians, can lend you our VVP for time being, as you desperately need a strong man there to take charge and lead you safely out of this your coming nightmare?) :-)
Katherine,
You are right. USA Needs a strong man, but not VVP, but a strong person of their own making. They ( the whole West) need to go through the experience of decline and desperation before they will be open to change. I write this with a heavy heart because I know it will be painful. I live in the West. That does not mean that I voted for or approve the idiots that are representing me. But the fact is that MSM PR has been so efficient in the West that the last 25 years no non MSM approved politicians were elected anywhere in Europe or USA with the exception of Orban. Look at the Greeks who after 2008 had some hope but were deceived by the caving in of the new government (SZYRIZA). The strong man started a new European party that went nowhere. The same in the Netherlands with Pim Fortyun in 2002 who was killed because ha was a danger to the establishment. Yes I know officially the establishment had nothing to do with his dead but very powerful politicians were saying he would have to disappear. ( mr Lubbers for instance). And if you look at it this murder stopped a change and the culprit Volkert Van Der Graf is already free after having killed a grass root movement by decapitating it. So do not attack the Europeans that comment here. We are not suicidal and willing to go down in flames fighting a corrupt regime. You need enough desperate people to force change. We are not there yet. Sorry for what the West does to Russia but the few here can not change that at this moment in time.
@B.F.
As I say, far cry prediction. But many times played script is unfolding in USA. To the letter.
Do you realy think that folks in other countries destroyed by the same methods were willing to leave their families and participate in a civil war ?
Of course they’re not, hence this multi-step, convoluted scenario.
High prices brings social unrest and the destruction that goes w/it, only leading to higher prices and further social unrest.
One of the options on the table is to dissolve the federal gvt and leave the states to fend for themselves financially.
That’s when you know if there was a god or not in the past, or was the whole experiment designed to crash from the start.
We err when we use the 1861-1865 conflict between the American Union’s and Confederacy’s forces as our model for what a civil war is. The so-called “American Civil War,” just like the American “Revolution,” were actually wars of secession, the one in the 1770s being successful and the one in the 1860s failing.
A true civil war is a conflict in which competing domestic military forces vie for sole control of state power. Two true examples of civil wars would be the conflict between Reds and Whites in Russia after the Bolshevik coup and the conflict between Mao Tse-Tung’s Communist forces and Chang Kai-Shek’s Nationalist forces in China in the 1930s and 1940s.
If we want to consider the possibility of civil war in the United States, we need to ponder the possibilities and probabilities of two competing domestic military forces engaged in kinetic warfare to seize control of federal authority in Washington, with a follow-on cementing of that control on the part of the victor. Other forms of conflict at the local level may be categorized as civil disturbances or even anarchy, but not civil war in the literal sense.
I’m not sure where you are getting your opinion that CW cannot happen in the US. What does agriculture have to do with it? Are you saying farmers hate their families? Not sure what your argument is. Leaving your job is not as bad as leaving your farm to go fallow, livestock to die off, etc.
Read Thomas Chittum’s “Civil War 2” for a better perspective and many logical arguments for why a CW2 is virtually inevitable. It is available for free if you search.
The Empire isn’t concerned so much with money as it is with power. They want to control money so they control people. They don’t even have to seize bank accounts, just keep printing money. And keep fudging the stats so cost of living increases are kept far lower than the actual rate of inflation.
I don’t think they have quite grasped the significance of the fact that the invincible petrodollar is about to become just a regular dollar. They might have total control w/i the US, but internationally they’ll be like the USSR: they’ll need to fly a guy with a briefcase full of diamonds or gold whenever they want to buy something on the international market.
much of what you state i think will come to pass but not as soon as you may think. it is an oversight to think about the financial condition of the usa in terms of the usa alone. capital moves all the time around the world and as long as capital controls are not draconian it will continue sloshing around. right now the low hanging fruit ready to drop is europe so expect even larger capital flows out of europe into the us markets and the us dollar. powells renomination over braenard was the canary in the coal mine telling global capital the usa is still open for business whereas braenard along with omarova for comptroller of the currency would have accelerated the federal/american/dollar demise into the near future.
the ecb is doa with no tricks left to keep european countries funded without massive inflationary pressures well beyond what is in the usa. expect massive money to leave europe even faster in 2022 than in the past few years which will bolster the dollar and usa domestic economy if this money moves into t bonds now that the fed has stated 3 at least rate rises. short term t bonds paying positive rate is far better than below zero in europe. th rate rises are also hoped to cool the usa stock market.
the longer term problem is rate rises will raise the dollar exchange rate against most other money which will deeply in time cause export problems for the usa. this also if it comes to pass ( a much higher dollar exchange rate) could be the last time it will be possible to exit dollar assets before the usa staggering debt load, bilateral currency deals bypassing dollar usage become very widespread in years ahead not just russia/china.
we are following europe down the drain just lagging by several years pushing our crisis farther out in the decade whereas europes is here and now.
Apparently the NATO fools think that Russia is bluffing. Look at what that idiot Stoltenberg just said:
“NATO countries are already training Ukrainian troops and consulting with them,” he explained. “They are conducting joint exercises and providing military supplies and technology. The alliance’s support for Ukraine is not a threat to Russia.”
Stoltenberg added that a possible partnership with Ukraine would be the chief item on the agenda at the upcoming NATO summit in Madrid in June 2022
https://www.rt.com/russia/543418-stoltenberg-nato-continue-expansion/
To Perimetr
It never ceases to amaze me – the level of sheer hypocrisy these people can spew and this NATO specimen in human garbage, Stoltenberg, in particular. Lets see what will happen next. I predict that after “playing to the Gallery” i.e. the captive Euro population with his anti-Russian rhetorics and also, pleasing his Masters in doing so, this prick will be quietely withdrawing all their NATO garbage from Ukranian territory pronto, as demanded by Russia. Or else! And this “or else” is scaring the crap out of them. Pathetic and inherently weak, but still trying to come across to the dumb Eurotrash as something to be reckoned with, as far as Russia is concerned. They are going to show it to these Russkies! In their wet dreams. And they know it. Shmocks.
“We have not seen anything evil yet. Despair will make these Satanists risk the Apocalypse.” Never before has humanity been exposed to the highest scale of evil than today. I do not mean brutality, but the NWO with new world leaders highlighted as a dynamic EU-US community of exceptional people with a vision of courage towards positive change in the world. And it is the announcement of a new distorted ethic and the idea of “human nature” that mocks primarily charity, altruism, care for others, and respect for others, and most mocks the notion of responsibility. There have been evil leaders and idiotic leaders in the history of mankind in the world, and now for the first time, leaders appear as evil idiots, who even undermine the children of their peoples. This is a fact no matter how embarrassing and no matter how painful. Even Armageddon would be salvation, so that one could begin to live, so the death of this idiotic evil is life.
some kind of expected answer surely
via RT
NATO expansion will continue whether Russia likes it or not, the US led bloc’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has declared, insisting that despite Moscow’s objections, his organisation does not pose a threat.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Stoltenberg addressed the possibility of Ukrainian membership, an outcome that Kiev has pushed for, but Russian President Vladimir Putin has described as a “red line.”
The ex-Norwegian prime minister said that whether Ukraine joins NATO is up to the bloc’s member states and its leadership, and that Moscow shouldn’t have input into the decision. He also emphasized that NATO is already supporting the eastern European nation militarily.”
we will see what the press release is from Borrell after the EU leaders conference finishes today. Seems like everyone is using the opportunity to gang up and lead the EU to confrontation against Russia.
Nato statement today
We are gravely concerned by the substantial, unprovoked, and unjustified Russian military build-up on the borders of Ukraine in recent months, and reject the false Russian claims of Ukrainian and NATO provocations. We call on Russia to immediately de-escalate, pursue diplomatic channels, and abide by its international commitments on transparency of military activities.
We are seriously assessing the implications for Alliance security of the current situation. We will always respond in a determined way to any deterioration of our security environment, including through strengthening our collective defence posture as necessary. NATO will take all necessary measures to ensure the security and defence of all NATO Allies. Any further aggression against Ukraine would have massive consequences and would carry a high price. NATO will continue to closely coordinate with relevant stakeholders and other international organisations including the EU.
We reiterate our support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders, and call on Russia to withdraw its forces from Ukraine in accordance with its international obligations and commitments. We support the right of all countries to decide their own future and foreign policy free from outside interference. NATO’s relationship with Ukraine is a matter only for Ukraine and the 30 NATO Allies. We firmly reject any attempts to divide Allied security.
We are ready for meaningful dialogue with Russia. We reiterate our long-standing invitation to Russia for a meeting of the NATO-Russia Council in the near future. We are aware of Russia’s recent European security proposals. We are clear that any dialogue with Russia would have to proceed on the basis of reciprocity, address NATO’s concerns about Russia’s actions, be based on the core principles and foundational documents of European security, and take place in consultation with NATO’s European Partners. Should Russia take concrete steps to reduce tensions, we are prepared to work on strengthening confidence-building measures. The OSCE is also a relevant platform.
NATO is a defensive Alliance and will continue to strive for peace, security, and stability in the whole of the Euro-Atlantic area. We stand united to defend and protect all Allies.
Once again proving that Biden is lying. NATO would not issue such a statement without the US’ blessing.
Or it is the case as I’ve said before that Biden is frankly not in control of his own administration, and this statement comes with the blessing of the CIA and the neocons in his administration.
Either way, the end result is a furthering of the encouragement to Ukraine to attack Donbass, provoking a war with Russia. And that is the agenda: sacrifice Ukraine to achieve a geopolitical and propaganda “win” – or perceived win – for the CIA and the neocons in their hatred of Russia. Whether it actually turns into a win is irrelevant as long as they think it is or might be. By then, the damage will already have been done.
NATO statement is message to NATO members, especially those who joined ranks without thinking of consequences membership brings in case of war with Rusia and China.
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NATO Leaves Unanswered All Deescalation Proposals Previously Made by Moscow, Diplomat Says
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The building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation in Moscow. – Sputnik International, 1920, 17.12.2021
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MOSCOW (Sputnik) – NATO has left unanswered all proposals for de-escalation previously made by Moscow, the alliance has not presented any concrete and serious initiatives to resume the work of the NATO-Russia Council, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said on Friday.
“We have not received any concrete serious proposals from NATO. All our previously made proposals for de-escalation remained unanswered,” Grushko said.
I know, right? The US is separate from Europe by a whole ocean, whereas Russia is connected by land. This could facilitate trading of manufactured goods by rail, which can run faster and at shorter distances than relying on Transatlantic ships.
I’ve posited at least once that Russia has more in common with continental Europe than the Anglosphere ever will. And if I’m interpreting the words of Dmitry Orlov’s article correctly, Russia is probably closer to Europe than to China (and this is not to say I see any problem with Russia and China developing ties).
A number of readers of English RT apparently wish for Russia to e.g. cut off all gas supply to Europe and send it Eastward. No doubt that the European leaders like Baerbock (USian puppets that they are) have lately acted unreasonably towards Russia, but what is to be gained from such a motion if it plays in the hands of the USA (and the UK and Israel)? Why let the USA win? I’m pretty sure Putin has had good reasons to not make this move.
Something must be seriously wrong if people think the likes of Baerbock were elected by the population, as if they had a voice.
Some time ago (can’t remember exactly when) it was announced that rather than deal with the EU as some monolithic entity, Moscow would instead deal with individual European nations. Besides breakup of the EU and abolition of the euro, what will it take before the revival of the mark and franc as currencies?
“For these “strategists”, it’s imperative that Russia faces a second Vietnam, after Afghanistan in the 1980s. Well, it’s not going to happen because Moscow has no interest whatsoever in “invading” Ukraine.”
Once again, everyone misses the real agenda.
It’s not a question of Russia “invading” Ukraine or “facing a second Vietnam”. Neither will happen.
What *will* happen is that the CIA and neocons – bolstered by Zelensky’s desperation at how he’s basically doomed if he *doesn’t* do a war with Russia – will force Ukraine to attack Donbass again, forcing Russia to respond. Then the West can go on a orgy of propaganda against Russia and re-arrange the Titanic deck chairs with sanctions, etc.
The second point is that none of those results need to be effective in causing any harm to Russia. What matters is what the CIA and neocons *think* they will achieve by this situation. And what also matters to the CIA and neocons is that the ignorant US and EU electorate believe their propaganda. Because that’s how you stay influential and in power in government – not whether what you did worked but whether you can convince people it worked.
Basically the West has decided to sacrifice Ukraine in a war with Russia so they can achieve their own personal agendas. The CIA and the neocons – and their poodles in the UK and Eu – hate Russia and embroiling Russia in a war with Ukraine is just something they have to do.
Therefore a war is almost inevitable – unless it is derailed by some other crisis, or unless some faction in the US elites can rein in the CIA and neocons – and I don’t see Biden doing that.
Rich,
Everything you stated is correct. However, there is one Neocon monkey wrench that can detour the whole agenda. Some of the most vociferous and aggressive members of the Neocon cabal and their friends in the private central banks see Crimea and Odessa as the second coming of Palestine. They wish to occupy and depopulate so that it may be repopulated in their own unique way.
Will it happen? No.
Will they try? Yes.
I think you are correct that the real targets of the Monster are domestic. A lot of Russophiles on this site think everything revolves around Russia, but I see little evidence of that. Russia is just a convenient boogeyman; if it didn’t exist, Greenland would be set up as a looming threat right off the coast plotting to land mechanized snowmobile forces.
I don’t think anyone can seriously believe that nuclear-armed powers are going to be threatened militarily within their own borders. It’s all a smokescreen for Patriot Act 6.66, rounding up evil neon-nazis that pretended to be black while burning down liberal cities, cyber/crypto regulations for the internet, etc. etc. Anything in the past few years that the “experts” have said in the media is something that we absolutely need to protect Our Democracy will be rolled out when they get their fake war. With anyone. If Russia and China don’t play ball, we’ll be going to war against the Venezuela/ Greenland Axis of Evil.
@Zorost
I hardly think that anyone on this forum is under the assumption that “everything revolves around Russia”. Most people want to see a multipolar world, which has no single center of power. That’s why this forum focuses on various countries in the Global South.
“Basically the West has decided to sacrifice Ukraine in a war with Russia so they can achieve their own personal agendas. “
The opponents seek to assign agency and hence focus to/on themselves limiting perception of the agency/focus of others.
Consequently the outcome of the attempted coup in Ukraine was “The United States of America” secured an albatross to wear, whilst the Russian Federation secured a new member of the Russian Federation without unpleasant exercise.
However admitting to, or being seen to be, wearing an albatross can be embarrasing, but killing an albatross after the expense, effort a related “sacrifices” of securing anything other than an albatross, would limit their target audiences belief in “hegemony”/”Trust us we are Americansness”, so they sought to find others to do the removal and be blamed – an attempted reprise of “whatever happened to Stepan Bandera ?” – due to widely practiced conflations of “The Soviet Union” with the Russia Fedration.
However despite hopes to the contrary, the Russian Federation is not represented by bears of little brain who concentrate on honey intake.
Consequently the opponents manufactured what they thought was a cunning plan namely:
The set up was/is creating tension based on intents which were never intended, to allow deflations of tensions on the basis that the “intents” were frustrated by others (good persons) – the continued “panic” that the Russian Federation will “invade” Ukraine.
However the opponents have a history of premature ejaculations and “phantom pregnancies”.
So unlike Ms. Lesley Gore they gave a party for properly vetted “good persons” and named it a “Summit for Democracy” partly to convince themselves that they are/will be be the tops given their immersion in Anything Goes.
One less worry for China and Russia is a focused United States
The war between the DEEP STATE and the people has only just begun.
2022, 2023 and 2024 witness much greater internal strife
and the outcome is still in doubt
“independent financial structure for trade operations that could not be influenced by other countries.”
This was the real cause of WW2, and the reason behind why the US destroyed most of the nations it has since WW2. Expect things to get spicy.
Good points by Pepe. Is the Empire planning “Russian aggression”, “China aggression” and “Iran aggression” using Ukraine, Taiwan (declaring independence) and Israel respectively, early 2022?
These aggressions will put the EU, Japan/South Korea, and the Middle East on the frontlines. The Five Eyes will drive from behind. The U$A and UK will then be able to build a grand global coalition against China, Iran and Russia. It doesn’t seem like the Empire wants peace and through its information warfare and propaganda creating a situation for a conflict that will be blamed on its opponents, the Non-$ Bloc.
Based on Petro Poroshenko’s conversation at CFR (link below), it doesn’t seem like Ukraine is agreement capable and neither interested in a good neighborly relationship with Russia, particularly Putin. Russia would do better by going on an offensive to resolve the situation. Ukraine doesn’t want NS2 to become operational and wants to join NATO & EU. With regards to the Minsk agreement it is blaming Russia.
https://www.cfr.org/event/conversation-petro-poroshenko
There is a YouTube video of this conversation which is better as it reveals tone and spin from Poroshenko.
I don’t think that the fear of an alliance between Germany and Russia still means as much as it once did for the Anglo-American grand strategy. As much as I like Pepe Escobar’s writing, there is one thing he keeps getting wrong all the time: He overestimates the importance of Germany.
Bismarck’s Germany was a fully sovereign great power, acting in the international sphere according to its own interests. If the Kaiserreich and Imperial Russia would have agreed on building an alliance, there is nothing that could have stopped them from doing so.
Present-day Germany is not a fully sovereign nation that could independently decide its foreign policy. Its political class and the media are overwhelmingly pro-atlanticist. Therefore I predict that the new German government is going to cancel Nordstream 2 to please its American masters.
20 years ago, when Putin held a speech in German in front of the parliament in Berlin, there was a certain hope that Russia could build a privileged partnership with Germany. This is no longer possible as there is simply no one left to talk to. The German political scene is now entirely dominated by corrupt opportunists and indoctrinated greenhorns.
This is unfortunate but also increasingly irrelevant as Germany is a rapidly declining, I would even say self-destructing country. At the end of this month, in the middle of winter, another 3 nuclear power plants, fully functional and perfectly fine, are going to be switched off in Germany. The new foreign minister Baerbock is taking advantage of this ‘momentum’ and now threatens Russia with cancelling Nordstream 2. Nice timing…
I think I know who is going to be blamed when the lights go out in Germany: Evil Mr P of course.
“I think I know who is going to be blamed when the lights go out in Germany: Evil Mr P of course. “
“Representative democracy” is predicated upon Mr. Rove’s observation that “You can fool some of the people all of the time and those are the ones you should concentrate on.” – one of the fooleries being belief in “If only the papa czar knew, things would change”.
However Mr. Rove forgot the adage that “Abscence makes the heart grow fonder, whilst familiarity breeds contempt”.
Hence whether opponents do blame or do not blame, do try of do not try, these afford opportunities for others, hence Mr. Escobar’s observation “Putin, Xi running circles around Biden’s hybrid war” which perhaps should be suffixed by – with the complicity of the opponents trying to “fool some of the people all of the time and by concentrating on those.”
Remember, it was German’s idea and request that started the construction of Nordstream 2.
Russia is selling plenty of gas to nations in the east and will not lose money or sleep if the opening of Nordstream 2 is delayed or indefinitely postponed.
The German people are the ones who need to cry out to their government when the cost of heating their homes and factories becomes too much.
If they do that there is a chance they will get lower costs through Nordstream 2 gas supplies.
If not, oh well.
Not only was NS2 Germany’s idea, the construction was also mostly funded by them.
If NS2 is not opened up, the price of natural gas in Europe will rise due to shortages. Those will only increase with European gas fields in the North Sea being almost depleted and the pipeline network in Ukraine nearing total disintegration as no maintenance work has been done for decades.
So one way or the other Russia is going to get its money, either through higher volumes of gas sales or through higher prices at lower volumes. Germany (and the EU) has the choice of being dependent on Russian energy or freezing and starving to death. There are no other options, all this talk of wind and solar energy is complete BS.
Imagine a January week with little to no wind and thick fog with freezing temperatures in the Germany-Benelux region, a perfectly common weather situation in that area. And then tell me how this is supposed to work out with so-called renewable energies. I’m not an engineer but the outcome seems pretty obvious to me.
And now look at Germany, threatening Russia, putting up demands and applying pressure towards Moscow. It is hard to believe what is happening, knowing that Germany is in a position of absolute inferiority in this whole configuration. It is complete madness. There will be a lot of suffering and Germany as an industrial powerhouse will be a thing of the past.
The talk about Russia and China bypassing SWIFT is a red herring. They’ve already done that.
Nobody here likes it, I also dont like it but Russia is defeated. In NATO, they say, there shall be no compromise. That means, nuclear weapons shall be soon placed into Ukraine, 5min flight from Moscow.
Another strategic error was to rely on “Europeans”, specially Germans. It turned out that Germany is not a state but an occupied territory.
“Europeans” would do anything also against own interests to serve their Anglo Saxon masters.
What the Anglo Saxons want is to separate Russia from the West and to push it into Asia. They are building the fence to separate their dominion form the rest.
@Marko
““Europeans” would do anything also against own interests to serve their Anglo Saxon masters.”
No offense, just curious…
What would you (personaly) do, against own interests, to serve your Anglo Saxon masters?
“They are building the fence to separate their dominion form the rest.”
The conflation of attempt with achievement is a popular ploy of the opponents as are notions of sole/primary agency – wishing the opponents away.
“In NATO, they say, there shall be no compromise.”
The conflation of saying with doing is also quite popular with the opponents.
Boris and Ming are still doing business with uncle Shamuel behind the scenes. These are just adjustments that will Not lead to war because all capitalist mafias, white,yellow or red must fall at the same time. All this jabbing maniacs are part of the same rotten scum.
‘Expel’ Russia from SWIFT and it is western Europe that owns the consequences.
The 30 trillions that were given to banks and few big corporations have to be protected and forgotten. To do that, imho, there have to be a war or some form of civil war, so the sheeple don’t get the upper hand and lynch those responsible when they wake up. When you have 55 thousand American companies moved to China with tax credit prior to 911. This is in part due the greedy nature of the “the land of opportunity” mind set. They, along with their men in Washington thought, can control the Chinese market. In the process they only managed to blunder and destroy America along with Europe and the cash cow in the middle east. And more importantly the world now has seen the real face of America and its values. This I think is done by cold bloodied sociopaths who carefully designed the eventual collapse. The American market reached its peak. China has 5 times as much population as America. Therefor, it has 5 times as large GDP as American potential. And who ever controls and owns America decided that how it was going to be. Now they have all America and its vassals bound in debts to the IMF and will be transferred to the new owner (police station of the world). And I think the “God send” Covid is a camouflage to what about to happen. The masters don’t want Europe and Russia allied. They want them controlled and tied.
everyone seems to think this is something new. those who know the history of East India Company, and the USA which is nothing more than a continuation of it, these tactics are nothing new. Victoria even tried to tax salt in India that lead to the implosion of the “Great Britain”. Read up on how the taxed Indian cotton to give Manchester a leg up, how they created famine in Bengal so India can be curtailed, how they made Indian soldiers rip a bullet casing with teeth that was coated in beef fat etc etc. This was a mix of economic, moral and psych treatments.
these one sees today and is in total disbelief has been practised and perfected a few centuries ago.
Funny to see all the Americans on here sulking as if there is anything salvageable for their aiming ship. Exceptionalism to the end huh? Wow, while the global south continues to suffer to prop their Ponzi scheme all they can do is complain about cheap migrant labor (typical). Take your pill quietly God won’t spare you from your crimes.