The US is not done yet unwinding itself from years of Russophobia and pro-Ukraine 'democracy' efforts. The EU, at least its political leadership, followed the same path but also always had 'US envy' ever since WW II.
For a while some attempts were made to make the Euro a serious international currency. That did not work and eliminating cheap Russian gas removed that option. The talk about forming a 'EU Army' never got anywhere.
The best we can expect, with this success record, is nothing but talk and some weapons and money shipped, piecemeal, to Ukraine. Bravado aplenty, maybe.
The only entity capable of closing the war in Ukraine is Russia. They still need some Ukie entity as a legal party for a surrender. There are at present no signs of internal political realignments, while the Russians plow ahead. Karl certainly made an extensive and detailed list of the legal hurdles to be surmounted. I expect some will be skipped. The end state will be a vote by each Donbass who it wants to belong to. That security agreement Putin wants will be a long time coming. NATO has to get rid of itself which is one heck of a predicament.
The Russians are sticklers for details and a correct legal process. I wonder how they would go about disposing of what is looking to be the rump state of West Ukraine. I seems that no one is shopping, as of yet.
A quote used by Patrick Armstrong in a relatively recent article seems apposite...
From Antony Beevor’s history of the Second World War, quoting a captured German airman as Manstein’s attempt to relieve the German Sixth Army at Stalingrad is failing:
"We have got to believe that Germany will win the war or what is the use of going on with it?"
This seems to perfectly encapsulate the state of intellectual, political and moral zugzwang the Europeans and UK have reached.
Kabuki is also a fine description for the US involvement - the narrative that the 'counter-Trump' faction will presumably try to spin is that 'if only we'd tried harder we could have defeated Russia but that idiot Trump pulled support' (rather than, the cupboard is bare and we have nothing more to offer, short of nuclear war). This maintains (to a certain extent) the fiction of plausible military primacy.
Martyanov's latest piece in which he highlights the historical significance of Novorossiya was also very useful. I read this primarily as, endgame = no Black Sea Coast for the rump state= UK the biggest looser (whose forces have been operating out of Odessa and so a significant part of the UK's gamble would have centered around this as an asset they acquire).
It seems to me like , where I heard someone say, that the obsession of Russia to be part of Europe has ended, although Russia is still the largest part of Europe if my eyes glance at a map. But Russia don't need nothing, especially the cooperation of the invaders from Europe, what does Russia need that for if scAmerica becomes a business partner,,, but not a friend, no friend is scAmerica to ourselves...itself, may it be that will change
You said it: Russia doesn’t need relations with any untrustworthy nations, and that still includes the Outlaw US Empire as it needs to do many deeds to regain any modicum of Russian trust.
Trump's first term was all bluster so it seems he was as surprised by his win as his plan to drain the swamp lacked any substance. It looks like this run has more in the way of plans as he had a stack of executive orders ready to go. He has assembled a new team instead of re-treads and walrus neocons. Ladles of US exceptionalism, and removal of blanket subsidies, they're only for those who can deliver value to the bottom line. What people like Luongo seem to be focused on is crushing the WEF/Blackrock/City of London crowd. I think the libertarian crowd are going to be disappointed.
«Project EU-Transcaucasia-Central Asia-China» The howling of starmer and Macron is also related, ports of Odessa and Romania. Energy. Trump trampled on the dogs tails, probably accidentally. Closing USAID also compromised them, again probably accidentally.
After doing my Friday duties, I arrived home and eventually turned on the computer to see what circus unfolded today, and I wasn’t disappointed, although I was also saddened. Here’s my main comment to the resulting thread at MoA:
Almost 300 comments and not one noting the actor Zelensky is just that since he isn't the Ukrainian President anymore--he's illegitimate. He can't do anything on behalf of Ukraine--nothing. He can't even overturn his own no negotiations edict. So, what transpired today was all make believe--100% theater--As The World Burns.
Putin made it very clear last year that Zelensky is kaput as a legitimate actor. That Ukraine allows him to continue acting is an issue for Ukraine; for all other actors, legally he is illegitimate, and anything he signs for Ukraine isn't worth the paper. As an individual actor, Zelensky is legit, but that's as far as his legitimacy goes. The deal he signed with Starmer--the 100-year alliance--is crap, just as is everything else he's done since his term expired. Why is all that so hard to understand?
Lots of effort wasted here. The basics remain the basics and goes thusly:
1. The no-negotiation edict is removed by a designated agent of the Ukrainian government--the Rada.
2. That agent either appoints someone or a team of Ukrainians to negotiate with Russia or it names some other agent to act for Ukraine, legally designating it/they in writing as with a power of attorney.
3. Some other nation could enter and usurp the negotiations by claiming it's actually the one that started it all and insists on acting on Ukraine's behalf, thus taking upon itself the responsibility for starting an Aggressive War in 2014.
So, unless the Outlaw US Empire confesses to its crimes or is appointed Ukraine's agent, it has no role to play in establishing the peace. The only role the Outlaw US Empire has to play is in dissolving NATO so a new Eurasian Security System can be emplaced with the Empire acting as one of the guarantors.
All the above is the writing on the wall that Russians easily see, constantly remark about, and explain to its many allies. It goes to the roots of the problem.
Only a few very long friends replied in a positive manner. Others didn’t like reality shoved into their faces since they were having such a great time. Some even went so far as to proclaim Zelensky Ukraine’s de facto president. Even the Germans at the very end of WW2 after Hitler had killed himself knew they needed to appoint a legal successor to sign the surrender documents.
Of course, the scene was just too good and all media is having a field day with all the acting. The upshot? Further reinforcement of the meme that Trump is for peace, while Zelensky and the Europeans are for war. Based on the imagery, that statement seems to be correct, but is it?
Moa format is different, it is not for me to judge but I do not like searching for replies to comments everywhere. I do read yours when I look but I never find the replies. Generally there is a lot of TsIPSO, therefore moderation is poor, I refuse to read Ukrainian nonsense.
Your comment, well there is no reason to add, everything is clear, and I agree. There are hundreds of people writing about nothing in particular. Circus with horses, they like this. There is a shortage of adequate people around these blogs, this is not something for entertainment, men are dying every minute.
What else to say, I cannot. Only Ukrainians will not turn round and confront the enemy in the Rada. European people continue on this same road, constantly complaining about everything and electing the same bandits, that is responsible for their problems. Maybe they do not feel enough pain to change. Who wants to hear people complaining about things they are do not want to change?
It is reported, zelya arrived in England. Starmer said they will talk with others from Europe tomorrow, Sunday, and also «a deal will have to involve US military assets providing surveillance, intelligence and potentially warplanes giving air cover to deter Russian President Vladimir Putin from launching another bid to conquer his neighbour». They don't listen to words, unless it is their own? Journalist cannot challenge this nonsense with a question? Ridiculous.
Russia and US have nothing to negotiate, only diplomatic and economic issues.
Today MoA has a follow-up thread I’ve already commented upon:
james | Mar 1 2025 16:33 utc | 5--
Your synopsis is the best of the bunch so far. The Major Turning Point was when Team Trump refused to honor the Establishment Narrative for the Conflict that it began with Russia's unprovoked invasion 3 years ago and not when the Outlaw US Empire invaded and destroyed the Kiev government in 2014 and launched a war of aggression against all ethnic Russians, Russian speakers and all things Russian, not just within Ukraine but globally--the spite escalated rapidly when Crimea was rescued from NATO's arms. And of course, there's the long history of broken promises and broken treaties that occurred between 1989 and 2014. The topper is the longstanding fact of the Outlaw US Empire having saved Nazism at WW2's end and its aid to OUN and other Nazi Ukrainians from 1945 onward. That historical chapter those in the Empire are blind to while it forms part of the foundation for Russia's views of the West. Getting to the Roots means the Empire will be forced to face its history, which is something it never does.
So, what now? The Establishment Narrative lives on within European warmongers, but the initiator of that Narrative says it's no longer valid. Zelensky refuses to learn and will likely be assassinated shortly well before he realizes his only hope is to reveal all he knows. A majority of what remains of Ukraine's populace wants peace and will escalate its resistance to conscription. I expect partisans to also escalate their efforts in association with a Russian Spring offensive.
Meanwhile, Russia and the Outlaw US Empire will continue the process of normalizing relations, which will likely take most of March to accomplish. Team Trump will need to perform some deeds capable of building trust. I don't know what those might be from the Russian POV. It must be noted that Team Trump's actions internationally and domestically don't enhance its credibility--it's not just actions involving Russia that count.
Everything is clear. You are the only analyst that includes illegitimacy of Ukraine, history, including the rescue of nazis in 1945. It seems to me this would be obvious, the parliament in Canada invited a survivor of the Galicia SS division, Yaroslav Hunka. Before their eyes the people cannot see their own governments are the nazis survived, chattered about it, same as oval office argument. Circus with horses.
US can be out, and will now supply Europe and England with weapons, and they will send them to Ukraine. They will pay and pay for satellites, intelligence and everything American. Trump supporters will be happy. There will be no ceasefire, and this will be manipulated into Russia cannot be trusted. Same story and everything will be fine.
And the Europeans have nothing to negotiate with either. They don't have enough weapons, the ones they do have are not to the same effectiveness as Russia's, they are divided, and most of all, almost all of them, France, Germany, the UK and the yapping dogs in the Baltics, have no grasp of the reality of the situation - i.e. hopeless for them and the Nazi regime in the Ukraine..
Well I will not disagree, but I do follow guys that track American and ally flights, ships from her sealift command. Everything is a steady rate for a long time, nothing decreases.
Europeans do not talk for 3 years, they only fight on social platforms, therefore it is impossible to negotiate anything even if we wanted to do it with them.
Indeed the EU is utterly uncaring and disrespectful of human life and wellbeing other than being useful to exploit taxes for the elite in return for meager services. Not so much China where we find a dedication to the people's wellbeing, uplifting and social/cultural development. In China's case it is the USA that acts out the european plague on their house.
Both the USA and Europe +UK are carrying out the same scourge against humanity. And it is disgraceful, futile and serving only of their elites.
Laura Ru at telegram has just written an excellent piece for l'antidiplomatico here:
It is a substantial read read setting out the perfidious skullduggery of the USA toward China and its extraction of wealth from Taiwan being its primary objective.
"The new administration continues the traditional U.S. policy of "constructive ambiguity" on the Taiwan issue, which was an inherent feature of both the 1952 Treaty of San Francisco, orchestrated by John Dulles, and the 1972 Shanghai Communiqué, signed during Nixon's visit to China. The Biden administration had also removed the phrase "do not support Taiwan independence" from the official website in May 2022, only to quietly reintroduce it less than a month later. Since the Taiwan issue is an "ace in the hole" that Washington regularly plays to put pressure on both Beijing and Taipei, the United States is unlikely to abandon its current policy towards Taiwan. Trump has appointed Ivan Kanapathy as senior director for China and East Asia at the National Security Council (NSC). A former Marine, he was director for China, Taiwan and Mongolia at the NSC in the previous Trump administration, after serving as a military attaché in Taiwan. In several articles written for Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy and for the think tanks of which he is a member (CSIS, Council on Foreign Relations and Beacon Global Strategies) he argued that offering Taipei an unconditional security guarantee could strengthen radical and secessionist factions, which are less cautious of Beijing's red lines. He said that unnecessarily provoking China is not in America's interest and that offering security guarantees would be counterproductive to overall military deterrence, as it would reduce pressure on Taiwanese authorities to further increase defense spending. Washington is interested in Taiwan increasing its war potential at its own expense by buying and producing ammunition and drones. Kanapathy also shared the view that Trump is likely to put more emphasis on countering what he calls the "practice of free-riders." In other words, U.S. vassals in the Asia-Pacific, like their European counterparts, will be forced to increase military spending and buy more American weapons systems. It has also been suggested that Washington should involve more key players in the Global South, such as India and Vietnam. For example, providing support to India in Central Asia or on arms markets as a strategy to challenge Russia's position and create friction with China. Despite all the provocations that Washington will continue to orchestrate, especially through its proxies, the United States has a determining reason to avoid a military conflict with China. The Pentagon is aware that the balance of power in the Asia-Pacific does not lean in its favor. According to the latest annual report on China5 , the country has the largest navy in the world and the largest air force in the region - and it should be noted that China, unlike the United States, can devote almost all of its war power to Asia-Pacific. "
It is in Italian and english. The above link is the Italian language.
Everything is connected. So many smokescreens are thrown up and there is so much media hype. I could get lost in a thousand nerve-racking details. But that is not the point of a comment. So I will limit myself to bullet points. .....
The developments surrounding the BRICS, ASEAN, EAEU, CIS, African Union and, increasingly, countries in the "Global South" that are trying to emancipate themselves with the support of China and Russia. On the other hand, the aggressive blackmail, threats, subversive activities, up to and including the instigation of bloody "civil wars", coups and color revolutions by the consolidating superpower USA, which is even walking over the "corpses" of its vassals and an increasingly totalitarian EU.
For me it is certain that the very existence of an oligarchy in the USA and Europe and its insatiable greed will always prevent trust and lasting peace from ever being established. .... Let us not forget that intensive work is being done in the background to introduce a CBDC, including social scoring. In the USA, one "deep state" is being replaced by another. There are 13 billionaires in the Trump administration. In the EU, the spy, denunciation, censorship and police state is being expanded at full speed.
At the same time, the EU and NATO are eroding due to the internal tensions of the member states and it is only a matter of time before opposition forces from outside the WEF puppets come to leadership positions. Either this fascist EU can corrupt and/or undermine the key personnel of these new, nationally oriented forces, or the EU will collapse.
Let us not forget that EU Europe has less and less access to global resources of raw materials and energy sources and itself has almost no significant deposits of these crucial components. Or that EU companies have to pay exorbitant amounts for them, which makes them uncompetitive. Rapid deindustrialization is doing the rest. The level of education in the EU population is falling dramatically. At the same time, millions of young, strong Arab and African men are being imported, who are increasingly becoming a security problem and destabilizing societies.
Compulsory military service? The majority of European generations were raised in a pacifist manner. They are neither willing to die in a war nor are they capable of doing so. The expected worsening of the socio-economic crisis in the EU will increase contempt for the WEF elites and the EU.
No, the EU cannot take decisive measures to implement imperialist ambitions in practice.
Trump reminds me of WC Fields - Never give a sucker an even break
There he is telling Starmer about the need for peace, beautiful young people are dying. The next sentence he asks Europeans to increase their defence budgets to 4 or 5%.
Is peace more expensive than war?
Starmer can wear designer suits & glasses (paid for by Lord Ali) but he still looks like the little boy who'd hand over his dinner money to the school bully.
The City of Looters and BlackRock characters need more Loot. By any means.
The degenerate brits and baltic chihuahuas will continue terrorist actions against Russian civilians until the "owners" get a very harsh Russian lesson
Sunak couldn't bail out fast enough. Look at Starmer's body language, every moment he's in that job he's losing life energy. Which goes some way to explaining his spouting utter unconvincing tripe.
Karl I like your views, but sometimes you think too deep while Pepe is often like a unrestrained formula one racing car. The Europeans don’t get it. They have been, they are and always will be notorious undecided, will always vote against each other. They cannot decide according to national priorities, but also do not want to bow to an authoritarian administration of commissioners from Brussels which is appointing itself in a totally intransparent manner. They is no such thing as European Identity, the Nazi killed this idea of the "Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation”. which was lasting from 800 to 1500. They are now in the trap like a hamster in a wheel. It’s an escalation of commitment which refers to a psychological phenomenon when people or groups continue to invest time, money, or resources into a decision or course of action, even when it becomes totally clear that it is not yielding the desired results or is likely to lead to negative outcomes. I’m sure these crazies are trying to find a way out, but then they must publicly admit that the EU is de facto the extended political arm of NATO.
Perhaps Putin is operating on the overt assumption that "America" or any other social, economic, military entity isn't unitary, doesn't have a holistic existence. Rather 'it' is a conglomerate of distinct factions or agents, some of which mutually cooperate, others are competing, but others are mutually detached, to each others' and the collective's detriment. Some are disconnected, disintegrative, from those which putatively represent the national entity.
Illustration: "The other day, the EU member states announced the approval of the next, already the 16th package of economic sanctions against Russia. And this is against the background of negotiations between the delegations of the Russian Federation and the United States, which took place in a fairly constructive atmosphere, where the restoration of economic ties between the two countries was discussed, among other things."
You can't do deals with a disparate crowd. Diplomatic relations are difficult when dealing with with vague impressions, figures of speech, inapplicable metaphors, rhetorical propositions as if they corresponded to real people and actual events. From such negotiating processes emerge 'agreement incapable'.
That China, Russia, America, or 'the West' is/does this, thinks/intends/believes that is sound and fury signifying nothing. The idiot is the one telling the tales, the ideational persuader. The fool is the one who believes the tales to be empirically real. [gullible readers of the mainstream media]
Thinking of countries as if monadically human having a hypothetical mind with knowledge and agency. Epistemically nonsensical. A state is not a unitary entity; it is not an entity at all. It is the imaginary, hypothetical aggregation of its inhabitants. It can't think, intend, feel, or act. Some of its persons can do all of these individually, but only act collectively. Thinking about happenings is not experiencing them.
You have an agreement, treaty, accord, or deal with a national entity. It emerges later that the deal was with the presentational front faction of the ‘real’ entity, which, it turns out, “misspoke” and your deal is vapourware, 'Minsk'-like.
You can't have effective diplomacy if random or self-selected members, factions, of a disparate swarm are interacting with you. Ask whether this or any swarm member can communicate with the rest of the swarm - can they 'waggle dance' in front of the collective. Can the swarm tell the member what to waggle on its behalf?
Explore, find, return, waggle accordingly, others navigate to the 'food'. Collective procedural action for continued collective living, internal hive comm unication. Not a valid metaphor for hive to hive interactions.
It's all very confusing, and likely to remain so as matters develop. I can'r read fast enough to keep up.
It seems that occupation of Odessa, city and oblast, is key to the next decade or so in the area.
Perhaps China can assist the EU to process ores mined in Ukraine? Warwick Powell sees a French Twist in the absurd babbling about reconstruction, exclusive trade deals and egos:
Right now the EU needs any friend it can get to craft a way into a prosperous future. The current path is disastrous.
It is a challenge to observe the structured madman approach coming from Trump and the dishevelled distress of the EU after groking Schwabs designs etc for so long. Who would have thought that "The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship provides unparalleled platforms at the regional and global level to highlight and advance leading models of sustainable social innovation. It identifies a select community of social entrepreneurs and engages it in shaping global, regional and industry agendas that improve the state of the world in close collaboration with the other stakeholders of the World Economic Forum." (extract from Schwab's bio) would have brought Ukraine to nazism, war and total fracture - perhaps extinction AND Europe to ruin.
The Swiss kiss of death.
Try a cocktail of Russian China hug of solidarity and a dash of government as if people mattered.
Trump is being played by the Europeans. Once the Americans cut Europe loose in disgust, they’ll cozy up to Russia. That’s the plan all along, tired of being American vassal states. Besides, Russia and Germany are natural allies, since for ever, except when the Anglosphere intervened.
I believe that had FDR survived through 1949 the Morgantahu plan would have kept Germany down.....
Since FDR died Churchill scuppered the big three at Potsdam (a lot of US help) Yalta was scrapped and the big two decided "keep Stalin out" was the Europe prime order.
That sparked the cold war and rearming Germany.....
With short lived occupation zones calming Stalin for a few years.
Sorry, but you must have a jug of Kickapoo Joy Juice. Merz is a War Hawk and all EU’s been doing over the last week is to find a way to proceed toward their goal, which is now separate from Trump’s.
and what's their goal ? Victory in the graveyard. Perhaps a vampires' ball in the graveyard. Makes no sense to me...like why is that witch vanderleyen still sending money ? I can't understand but I know Trudeau's in on it too - and he's in the same position as Zelensky - he's holding onto power after his term ended. But now he's even talking about sending Canadian troops there. Canada is definitely part of Western Europe.
okay thanks Karl - now I read it. Black Sea dominance. I don't know - Europe is so weak now it makes little sense they would be interested. I guess that NATO military base explains it. Strategic Foundation website is awful - so hard to read their articles because of the banner right in front. Anyway thanks.
is BYD cars also American ? I think the entire ukraine war has been for some other purpose than war. money laundering but see this - https://youtu.be/Ya9WKaveRXU?si=7_OFB8o4uLrCnLQu - there are no rare minerals in Ukraine. WTF ? Another Gaza
BYD is Chinese and extremely successful. Yes, rare minerals are in Ukraine, mostly in the Donbass region but they’re not too economically attractive since they’ll cost too much to extract and refine. And then there’s the issue that Zelensky has no legal right to sign over anything or to conclude treaties, etc., as he’s 100% illegitimate. The Youtube source contradicts both the USGS and its Russian counterpart by saying there’re no such minerals to be had.
The US is not done yet unwinding itself from years of Russophobia and pro-Ukraine 'democracy' efforts. The EU, at least its political leadership, followed the same path but also always had 'US envy' ever since WW II.
For a while some attempts were made to make the Euro a serious international currency. That did not work and eliminating cheap Russian gas removed that option. The talk about forming a 'EU Army' never got anywhere.
The best we can expect, with this success record, is nothing but talk and some weapons and money shipped, piecemeal, to Ukraine. Bravado aplenty, maybe.
The only entity capable of closing the war in Ukraine is Russia. They still need some Ukie entity as a legal party for a surrender. There are at present no signs of internal political realignments, while the Russians plow ahead. Karl certainly made an extensive and detailed list of the legal hurdles to be surmounted. I expect some will be skipped. The end state will be a vote by each Donbass who it wants to belong to. That security agreement Putin wants will be a long time coming. NATO has to get rid of itself which is one heck of a predicament.
The Russians are sticklers for details and a correct legal process. I wonder how they would go about disposing of what is looking to be the rump state of West Ukraine. I seems that no one is shopping, as of yet.
Krainer mused about West Ukriane’s fate in his chat with Nima yesterday, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzCu-inyCyI
A quote used by Patrick Armstrong in a relatively recent article seems apposite...
From Antony Beevor’s history of the Second World War, quoting a captured German airman as Manstein’s attempt to relieve the German Sixth Army at Stalingrad is failing:
"We have got to believe that Germany will win the war or what is the use of going on with it?"
This seems to perfectly encapsulate the state of intellectual, political and moral zugzwang the Europeans and UK have reached.
Kabuki is also a fine description for the US involvement - the narrative that the 'counter-Trump' faction will presumably try to spin is that 'if only we'd tried harder we could have defeated Russia but that idiot Trump pulled support' (rather than, the cupboard is bare and we have nothing more to offer, short of nuclear war). This maintains (to a certain extent) the fiction of plausible military primacy.
Martyanov's latest piece in which he highlights the historical significance of Novorossiya was also very useful. I read this primarily as, endgame = no Black Sea Coast for the rump state= UK the biggest looser (whose forces have been operating out of Odessa and so a significant part of the UK's gamble would have centered around this as an asset they acquire).
It seems to me like , where I heard someone say, that the obsession of Russia to be part of Europe has ended, although Russia is still the largest part of Europe if my eyes glance at a map. But Russia don't need nothing, especially the cooperation of the invaders from Europe, what does Russia need that for if scAmerica becomes a business partner,,, but not a friend, no friend is scAmerica to ourselves...itself, may it be that will change
You said it: Russia doesn’t need relations with any untrustworthy nations, and that still includes the Outlaw US Empire as it needs to do many deeds to regain any modicum of Russian trust.
Trump's first term was all bluster so it seems he was as surprised by his win as his plan to drain the swamp lacked any substance. It looks like this run has more in the way of plans as he had a stack of executive orders ready to go. He has assembled a new team instead of re-treads and walrus neocons. Ladles of US exceptionalism, and removal of blanket subsidies, they're only for those who can deliver value to the bottom line. What people like Luongo seem to be focused on is crushing the WEF/Blackrock/City of London crowd. I think the libertarian crowd are going to be disappointed.
When I glance at a map, Europe looks more like a peninsula of Asia, than a continent it seemingly wants to be. Russia constitutes most of Asia.
Yep! Glenn Diesen wrote a book about that little finger and its natural geoeconomic dependence on Russia and the rest or Eurasia,
https://globalaffairs.ru/articles/rashishhenie-evropy-fabrichnikov/
Thanks for finding and providing the original essay. It's far more explanatory than the abridged version.
Happy.
«Project EU-Transcaucasia-Central Asia-China» The howling of starmer and Macron is also related, ports of Odessa and Romania. Energy. Trump trampled on the dogs tails, probably accidentally. Closing USAID also compromised them, again probably accidentally.
Helping I am happy to do it.
After doing my Friday duties, I arrived home and eventually turned on the computer to see what circus unfolded today, and I wasn’t disappointed, although I was also saddened. Here’s my main comment to the resulting thread at MoA:
Almost 300 comments and not one noting the actor Zelensky is just that since he isn't the Ukrainian President anymore--he's illegitimate. He can't do anything on behalf of Ukraine--nothing. He can't even overturn his own no negotiations edict. So, what transpired today was all make believe--100% theater--As The World Burns.
Putin made it very clear last year that Zelensky is kaput as a legitimate actor. That Ukraine allows him to continue acting is an issue for Ukraine; for all other actors, legally he is illegitimate, and anything he signs for Ukraine isn't worth the paper. As an individual actor, Zelensky is legit, but that's as far as his legitimacy goes. The deal he signed with Starmer--the 100-year alliance--is crap, just as is everything else he's done since his term expired. Why is all that so hard to understand?
Lots of effort wasted here. The basics remain the basics and goes thusly:
1. The no-negotiation edict is removed by a designated agent of the Ukrainian government--the Rada.
2. That agent either appoints someone or a team of Ukrainians to negotiate with Russia or it names some other agent to act for Ukraine, legally designating it/they in writing as with a power of attorney.
3. Some other nation could enter and usurp the negotiations by claiming it's actually the one that started it all and insists on acting on Ukraine's behalf, thus taking upon itself the responsibility for starting an Aggressive War in 2014.
So, unless the Outlaw US Empire confesses to its crimes or is appointed Ukraine's agent, it has no role to play in establishing the peace. The only role the Outlaw US Empire has to play is in dissolving NATO so a new Eurasian Security System can be emplaced with the Empire acting as one of the guarantors.
All the above is the writing on the wall that Russians easily see, constantly remark about, and explain to its many allies. It goes to the roots of the problem.
Only a few very long friends replied in a positive manner. Others didn’t like reality shoved into their faces since they were having such a great time. Some even went so far as to proclaim Zelensky Ukraine’s de facto president. Even the Germans at the very end of WW2 after Hitler had killed himself knew they needed to appoint a legal successor to sign the surrender documents.
Of course, the scene was just too good and all media is having a field day with all the acting. The upshot? Further reinforcement of the meme that Trump is for peace, while Zelensky and the Europeans are for war. Based on the imagery, that statement seems to be correct, but is it?
Moa format is different, it is not for me to judge but I do not like searching for replies to comments everywhere. I do read yours when I look but I never find the replies. Generally there is a lot of TsIPSO, therefore moderation is poor, I refuse to read Ukrainian nonsense.
Your comment, well there is no reason to add, everything is clear, and I agree. There are hundreds of people writing about nothing in particular. Circus with horses, they like this. There is a shortage of adequate people around these blogs, this is not something for entertainment, men are dying every minute.
What else to say, I cannot. Only Ukrainians will not turn round and confront the enemy in the Rada. European people continue on this same road, constantly complaining about everything and electing the same bandits, that is responsible for their problems. Maybe they do not feel enough pain to change. Who wants to hear people complaining about things they are do not want to change?
It is reported, zelya arrived in England. Starmer said they will talk with others from Europe tomorrow, Sunday, and also «a deal will have to involve US military assets providing surveillance, intelligence and potentially warplanes giving air cover to deter Russian President Vladimir Putin from launching another bid to conquer his neighbour». They don't listen to words, unless it is their own? Journalist cannot challenge this nonsense with a question? Ridiculous.
Russia and US have nothing to negotiate, only diplomatic and economic issues.
Today MoA has a follow-up thread I’ve already commented upon:
james | Mar 1 2025 16:33 utc | 5--
Your synopsis is the best of the bunch so far. The Major Turning Point was when Team Trump refused to honor the Establishment Narrative for the Conflict that it began with Russia's unprovoked invasion 3 years ago and not when the Outlaw US Empire invaded and destroyed the Kiev government in 2014 and launched a war of aggression against all ethnic Russians, Russian speakers and all things Russian, not just within Ukraine but globally--the spite escalated rapidly when Crimea was rescued from NATO's arms. And of course, there's the long history of broken promises and broken treaties that occurred between 1989 and 2014. The topper is the longstanding fact of the Outlaw US Empire having saved Nazism at WW2's end and its aid to OUN and other Nazi Ukrainians from 1945 onward. That historical chapter those in the Empire are blind to while it forms part of the foundation for Russia's views of the West. Getting to the Roots means the Empire will be forced to face its history, which is something it never does.
So, what now? The Establishment Narrative lives on within European warmongers, but the initiator of that Narrative says it's no longer valid. Zelensky refuses to learn and will likely be assassinated shortly well before he realizes his only hope is to reveal all he knows. A majority of what remains of Ukraine's populace wants peace and will escalate its resistance to conscription. I expect partisans to also escalate their efforts in association with a Russian Spring offensive.
Meanwhile, Russia and the Outlaw US Empire will continue the process of normalizing relations, which will likely take most of March to accomplish. Team Trump will need to perform some deeds capable of building trust. I don't know what those might be from the Russian POV. It must be noted that Team Trump's actions internationally and domestically don't enhance its credibility--it's not just actions involving Russia that count.
Everything is clear. You are the only analyst that includes illegitimacy of Ukraine, history, including the rescue of nazis in 1945. It seems to me this would be obvious, the parliament in Canada invited a survivor of the Galicia SS division, Yaroslav Hunka. Before their eyes the people cannot see their own governments are the nazis survived, chattered about it, same as oval office argument. Circus with horses.
US can be out, and will now supply Europe and England with weapons, and they will send them to Ukraine. They will pay and pay for satellites, intelligence and everything American. Trump supporters will be happy. There will be no ceasefire, and this will be manipulated into Russia cannot be trusted. Same story and everything will be fine.
And the Europeans have nothing to negotiate with either. They don't have enough weapons, the ones they do have are not to the same effectiveness as Russia's, they are divided, and most of all, almost all of them, France, Germany, the UK and the yapping dogs in the Baltics, have no grasp of the reality of the situation - i.e. hopeless for them and the Nazi regime in the Ukraine..
Well I will not disagree, but I do follow guys that track American and ally flights, ships from her sealift command. Everything is a steady rate for a long time, nothing decreases.
Europeans do not talk for 3 years, they only fight on social platforms, therefore it is impossible to negotiate anything even if we wanted to do it with them.
Indeed the EU is utterly uncaring and disrespectful of human life and wellbeing other than being useful to exploit taxes for the elite in return for meager services. Not so much China where we find a dedication to the people's wellbeing, uplifting and social/cultural development. In China's case it is the USA that acts out the european plague on their house.
Both the USA and Europe +UK are carrying out the same scourge against humanity. And it is disgraceful, futile and serving only of their elites.
Laura Ru at telegram has just written an excellent piece for l'antidiplomatico here:
https://www.lantidiplomatico.it/dettnews-leffetto_maga_sulle_relazioni_usacina_cresce_lambiguit_strategica/5871_59336/
I went there from her latest telegram post here: https://t.me/LauraRuHK/9770
It is a substantial read read setting out the perfidious skullduggery of the USA toward China and its extraction of wealth from Taiwan being its primary objective.
"The new administration continues the traditional U.S. policy of "constructive ambiguity" on the Taiwan issue, which was an inherent feature of both the 1952 Treaty of San Francisco, orchestrated by John Dulles, and the 1972 Shanghai Communiqué, signed during Nixon's visit to China. The Biden administration had also removed the phrase "do not support Taiwan independence" from the official website in May 2022, only to quietly reintroduce it less than a month later. Since the Taiwan issue is an "ace in the hole" that Washington regularly plays to put pressure on both Beijing and Taipei, the United States is unlikely to abandon its current policy towards Taiwan. Trump has appointed Ivan Kanapathy as senior director for China and East Asia at the National Security Council (NSC). A former Marine, he was director for China, Taiwan and Mongolia at the NSC in the previous Trump administration, after serving as a military attaché in Taiwan. In several articles written for Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy and for the think tanks of which he is a member (CSIS, Council on Foreign Relations and Beacon Global Strategies) he argued that offering Taipei an unconditional security guarantee could strengthen radical and secessionist factions, which are less cautious of Beijing's red lines. He said that unnecessarily provoking China is not in America's interest and that offering security guarantees would be counterproductive to overall military deterrence, as it would reduce pressure on Taiwanese authorities to further increase defense spending. Washington is interested in Taiwan increasing its war potential at its own expense by buying and producing ammunition and drones. Kanapathy also shared the view that Trump is likely to put more emphasis on countering what he calls the "practice of free-riders." In other words, U.S. vassals in the Asia-Pacific, like their European counterparts, will be forced to increase military spending and buy more American weapons systems. It has also been suggested that Washington should involve more key players in the Global South, such as India and Vietnam. For example, providing support to India in Central Asia or on arms markets as a strategy to challenge Russia's position and create friction with China. Despite all the provocations that Washington will continue to orchestrate, especially through its proxies, the United States has a determining reason to avoid a military conflict with China. The Pentagon is aware that the balance of power in the Asia-Pacific does not lean in its favor. According to the latest annual report on China5 , the country has the largest navy in the world and the largest air force in the region - and it should be noted that China, unlike the United States, can devote almost all of its war power to Asia-Pacific. "
It is in Italian and english. The above link is the Italian language.
Everything is connected. So many smokescreens are thrown up and there is so much media hype. I could get lost in a thousand nerve-racking details. But that is not the point of a comment. So I will limit myself to bullet points. .....
The developments surrounding the BRICS, ASEAN, EAEU, CIS, African Union and, increasingly, countries in the "Global South" that are trying to emancipate themselves with the support of China and Russia. On the other hand, the aggressive blackmail, threats, subversive activities, up to and including the instigation of bloody "civil wars", coups and color revolutions by the consolidating superpower USA, which is even walking over the "corpses" of its vassals and an increasingly totalitarian EU.
For me it is certain that the very existence of an oligarchy in the USA and Europe and its insatiable greed will always prevent trust and lasting peace from ever being established. .... Let us not forget that intensive work is being done in the background to introduce a CBDC, including social scoring. In the USA, one "deep state" is being replaced by another. There are 13 billionaires in the Trump administration. In the EU, the spy, denunciation, censorship and police state is being expanded at full speed.
At the same time, the EU and NATO are eroding due to the internal tensions of the member states and it is only a matter of time before opposition forces from outside the WEF puppets come to leadership positions. Either this fascist EU can corrupt and/or undermine the key personnel of these new, nationally oriented forces, or the EU will collapse.
Let us not forget that EU Europe has less and less access to global resources of raw materials and energy sources and itself has almost no significant deposits of these crucial components. Or that EU companies have to pay exorbitant amounts for them, which makes them uncompetitive. Rapid deindustrialization is doing the rest. The level of education in the EU population is falling dramatically. At the same time, millions of young, strong Arab and African men are being imported, who are increasingly becoming a security problem and destabilizing societies.
Compulsory military service? The majority of European generations were raised in a pacifist manner. They are neither willing to die in a war nor are they capable of doing so. The expected worsening of the socio-economic crisis in the EU will increase contempt for the WEF elites and the EU.
No, the EU cannot take decisive measures to implement imperialist ambitions in practice.
EU toxic propaganda is deadly to those under its spell.
The EU appears to be unconscious of what’s happening in the real world relying solely on hubris to explain events.
It’s as if hubris is considered to be life itself and will die thinking it’s real.
You’re right about the EU being confused.
Wake up time coming?
No, elections!
Trump reminds me of WC Fields - Never give a sucker an even break
There he is telling Starmer about the need for peace, beautiful young people are dying. The next sentence he asks Europeans to increase their defence budgets to 4 or 5%.
Is peace more expensive than war?
Starmer can wear designer suits & glasses (paid for by Lord Ali) but he still looks like the little boy who'd hand over his dinner money to the school bully.
Starmer seems to be offering boots and aircraft! Macron wants in as well.
Empire needs to endure more casualties in Kiev.
The City of Looters and BlackRock characters need more Loot. By any means.
The degenerate brits and baltic chihuahuas will continue terrorist actions against Russian civilians until the "owners" get a very harsh Russian lesson
Neither France nor the UK have a pot to piss in Ed.
Agree.
Sunak couldn't bail out fast enough. Look at Starmer's body language, every moment he's in that job he's losing life energy. Which goes some way to explaining his spouting utter unconvincing tripe.
Karl I like your views, but sometimes you think too deep while Pepe is often like a unrestrained formula one racing car. The Europeans don’t get it. They have been, they are and always will be notorious undecided, will always vote against each other. They cannot decide according to national priorities, but also do not want to bow to an authoritarian administration of commissioners from Brussels which is appointing itself in a totally intransparent manner. They is no such thing as European Identity, the Nazi killed this idea of the "Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation”. which was lasting from 800 to 1500. They are now in the trap like a hamster in a wheel. It’s an escalation of commitment which refers to a psychological phenomenon when people or groups continue to invest time, money, or resources into a decision or course of action, even when it becomes totally clear that it is not yielding the desired results or is likely to lead to negative outcomes. I’m sure these crazies are trying to find a way out, but then they must publicly admit that the EU is de facto the extended political arm of NATO.
MEGA pronounced in English 'Meagre' [US 'meager']
Perhaps Putin is operating on the overt assumption that "America" or any other social, economic, military entity isn't unitary, doesn't have a holistic existence. Rather 'it' is a conglomerate of distinct factions or agents, some of which mutually cooperate, others are competing, but others are mutually detached, to each others' and the collective's detriment. Some are disconnected, disintegrative, from those which putatively represent the national entity.
Illustration: "The other day, the EU member states announced the approval of the next, already the 16th package of economic sanctions against Russia. And this is against the background of negotiations between the delegations of the Russian Federation and the United States, which took place in a fairly constructive atmosphere, where the restoration of economic ties between the two countries was discussed, among other things."
You can't do deals with a disparate crowd. Diplomatic relations are difficult when dealing with with vague impressions, figures of speech, inapplicable metaphors, rhetorical propositions as if they corresponded to real people and actual events. From such negotiating processes emerge 'agreement incapable'.
That China, Russia, America, or 'the West' is/does this, thinks/intends/believes that is sound and fury signifying nothing. The idiot is the one telling the tales, the ideational persuader. The fool is the one who believes the tales to be empirically real. [gullible readers of the mainstream media]
Thinking of countries as if monadically human having a hypothetical mind with knowledge and agency. Epistemically nonsensical. A state is not a unitary entity; it is not an entity at all. It is the imaginary, hypothetical aggregation of its inhabitants. It can't think, intend, feel, or act. Some of its persons can do all of these individually, but only act collectively. Thinking about happenings is not experiencing them.
You have an agreement, treaty, accord, or deal with a national entity. It emerges later that the deal was with the presentational front faction of the ‘real’ entity, which, it turns out, “misspoke” and your deal is vapourware, 'Minsk'-like.
You can't have effective diplomacy if random or self-selected members, factions, of a disparate swarm are interacting with you. Ask whether this or any swarm member can communicate with the rest of the swarm - can they 'waggle dance' in front of the collective. Can the swarm tell the member what to waggle on its behalf?
Explore, find, return, waggle accordingly, others navigate to the 'food'. Collective procedural action for continued collective living, internal hive comm unication. Not a valid metaphor for hive to hive interactions.
It's all very confusing, and likely to remain so as matters develop. I can'r read fast enough to keep up.
It seems that occupation of Odessa, city and oblast, is key to the next decade or so in the area.
Perhaps China can assist the EU to process ores mined in Ukraine? Warwick Powell sees a French Twist in the absurd babbling about reconstruction, exclusive trade deals and egos:
https://warwickpowell.substack.com/p/a-french-twist
Right now the EU needs any friend it can get to craft a way into a prosperous future. The current path is disastrous.
It is a challenge to observe the structured madman approach coming from Trump and the dishevelled distress of the EU after groking Schwabs designs etc for so long. Who would have thought that "The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship provides unparalleled platforms at the regional and global level to highlight and advance leading models of sustainable social innovation. It identifies a select community of social entrepreneurs and engages it in shaping global, regional and industry agendas that improve the state of the world in close collaboration with the other stakeholders of the World Economic Forum." (extract from Schwab's bio) would have brought Ukraine to nazism, war and total fracture - perhaps extinction AND Europe to ruin.
The Swiss kiss of death.
Try a cocktail of Russian China hug of solidarity and a dash of government as if people mattered.
Trump is being played by the Europeans. Once the Americans cut Europe loose in disgust, they’ll cozy up to Russia. That’s the plan all along, tired of being American vassal states. Besides, Russia and Germany are natural allies, since for ever, except when the Anglosphere intervened.
I believe that had FDR survived through 1949 the Morgantahu plan would have kept Germany down.....
Since FDR died Churchill scuppered the big three at Potsdam (a lot of US help) Yalta was scrapped and the big two decided "keep Stalin out" was the Europe prime order.
That sparked the cold war and rearming Germany.....
With short lived occupation zones calming Stalin for a few years.
Yes. History’s What Ifs?
Natural allies, maybe, if they resurrect the wall.
Sorry, but you must have a jug of Kickapoo Joy Juice. Merz is a War Hawk and all EU’s been doing over the last week is to find a way to proceed toward their goal, which is now separate from Trump’s.
and what's their goal ? Victory in the graveyard. Perhaps a vampires' ball in the graveyard. Makes no sense to me...like why is that witch vanderleyen still sending money ? I can't understand but I know Trudeau's in on it too - and he's in the same position as Zelensky - he's holding onto power after his term ended. But now he's even talking about sending Canadian troops there. Canada is definitely part of Western Europe.
Do read Escobar’s essay as it shines further lght.
okay thanks Karl - now I read it. Black Sea dominance. I don't know - Europe is so weak now it makes little sense they would be interested. I guess that NATO military base explains it. Strategic Foundation website is awful - so hard to read their articles because of the banner right in front. Anyway thanks.
Curious your issue with SCF. I have zero problem with it. I used to reproduce its articles because so many were cut off from reaching the website.
I like the contributors...its their website...that banner hangs down in front of the article and I can't read the article because of it.
is BYD cars also American ? I think the entire ukraine war has been for some other purpose than war. money laundering but see this - https://youtu.be/Ya9WKaveRXU?si=7_OFB8o4uLrCnLQu - there are no rare minerals in Ukraine. WTF ? Another Gaza
BYD is Chinese and extremely successful. Yes, rare minerals are in Ukraine, mostly in the Donbass region but they’re not too economically attractive since they’ll cost too much to extract and refine. And then there’s the issue that Zelensky has no legal right to sign over anything or to conclude treaties, etc., as he’s 100% illegitimate. The Youtube source contradicts both the USGS and its Russian counterpart by saying there’re no such minerals to be had.
ah- thanks for clarifying that about the minerals. I will make sure to say that underneath the video if I pass it along. Thanks Karl.