Dutch Govt Takes Over akes Over


Posted originally on Oct 14, 2025 by Martin Armstrong |  

EUvsChina

The Dutch government is aiding the US in its plight to isolate China from the free markets, and in particular, to prevent China from digging its heels into the semiconductor manufacturing market. Taiwan controls chip manufacturing, but China believes it controls Taiwan. The US and the European Union are acting together to maintain control through economic warfare. In the latest act, the Dutch government has taken full control over Nexperia, a Chinese-owned semiconductor maker.

Nexperia was derived from NXP Semiconductors, a Dutch chip maker, and was later purchased by a Chinese investment firm in 2017 for $2.75 billion. Nexperia then began selling shares to the Chinese technology group Wingtech, which became the majority owner by 2019.

Dutch companies currently manufacture 9% of the global chip supply, which is quite significant considering Taiwan’s heavy dominance. The Netherlands is Europe’s anchor for chip manufacturing. Dutch technology is utilized in 85% of all chips produced worldwide with the sector raking in €30 billion annually.

For the first time, The Hague invoked the “Goods Availability Act” to seize control of a private company — not because it violated any specific export restriction, but because it was owned by the wrong country. The Dutch law implemented in 1952 permits the government to seize essential goods during national crises or emergencies. “The decision aims to prevent a situation in which the goods produced by Nexperia (finished and semi-finished products) would become unavailable in an emergency,” the Dutch Ministry stated. “Nexperia produces, among other things, chips used in the European automotive industry and in consumer electronics.”

Nexperia has had international pushback over the years for its ties to the CCP. The belief is that China purchases these niche companies through Chinese-backed corporations in an effort to steal sensitive technology. The UK prohibited the company from buying Newport Wafer Fab in November 2022. The US accused the company of attempting to steal semiconductor manufacturing technology and placed Nexperia on a watch list in 2024.

Dutch economy minister Vincent Karremans now controls Nexperia’s board. Under Dutch law, he now has the authority to block or reverse any decision made at the corporate level. Naturally, firms outside of the European Union see this move as a threat. Wingtech was notified that it may not make adjustments to its intellectual property, assets, business operations or staff for the next year. Nerperia executives filed against the decision with the Amsterdam court of appeals, but the court ordered Chinese chief executive Zhang Xuezheng to step down. The following week, the court installed its own director to manage the company. Additionally, the court ordered all Nexperia shares, besides one, to be placed under custodial management.

“This move gravely contravenes the European Union’s long-standing advocacy for market-economy principles, fair competition, and international trade norms,” Wingtech Corporation commented. “We express our strong protest against such discriminatory treatment targeting Chinese-funded enterprises.”

US and EU companies based in China have a valid reason to be concerned right now. The Dutch government’s seizure of Nexperia is yet another confirmation that politics are ignoring the rule of law and property rights under the banner of “national security.” What we are witnessing is the same pattern I have warned about for years, where governments turn inward as the world economy fractures. This is how World War III unfolds — not through sudden declarations, but through economic warfare first.

China Accuses Taiwan of Psychological Warfare


Posted originally on Oct 14, 2025 by Martin Armstrong |  

China v Taiwan 3

Taiwanese intelligence launched a psychological warfare attack to spread separatist activities, according to the Chinese Communist Party who has placed a cash bounty on the heads of 18 Taiwanese military officials.

Taiwan’s Defence Ministry called the accusations “despotic and pig-headed thinking.” Chinese authorities believe Taiwan’s “psychological warfare unit” deliberately created online games depicting Taiwan fighting for independence against China as part of its disinformation campaign. Names, identification numbers, and photographs of the 18 wanted individuals have been spread across Taiwan, with China promising a $1,400 USD bounty for any information leading to an arrest.

The manhunt comes one day after Taiwan’s President William Lai Ching-te announced an escalation in the “T-Dome” defense air system project. The T-Dome multi-layered air defense system is modeled after Israel’s Iron Dome and intended to protect Taiwan against Chinese aggression. The “sensor to shooter” mechanism will intercept all aerial threats including missiles and drones. Taiwan is relying on American manufactured Patriot Misses as one major component of this defense system.

“The increase in defence spending has a purpose; it is a clear necessity to counter enemy threats and a driving force for developing our defence industries,” he said in his National Day address, to applause from the crowd. “We will accelerate our building of the T-Dome, establish a rigorous air defence system in Taiwan with multi-layered defence, high-level detection, and effective interception, and weave a safety net for Taiwan to protect the lives and property of citizens.”

The Taiwanese government plans to spend tens of billions of dollars to produce the T-Dome over the next several years, but China would NEVER allow that to happen. State-controlled Chinese media mocked the project as “an expensive mirage” that will financially cripple the island.

Lai plans to increase defense spending to 3% of GDP immediately, increasing the figure by 5% by 2030. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun condemned Lai, who is not recognized as a president with any power, as a “war-maker” who is creating danger. Beijing firmly declares Taiwan as “an inseparable part of China’s territory.” China has permitted Taiwan to self-govern under its careful eye, but now, the time to fully re-integrate Taiwan may come sooner than expected.

Hitler Frees Israeli Hostages


Posted originally on Oct 14, 2025 by Martin Armstrong |  

Trump 7 18 24 RNC

The world leader condemned as “Hitler” has saved Israel. Donald Trump brokered perhaps one of the most important deals of his career after ending the Israel-Hamas conflict. The “biggest threat to democracy” received a warm welcome at the 2025 Peace Summit in Egypt, where world leaders praised Trump for convincing Hamas to release the Israeli hostages. The non-bureaucrat has finally earned a nod from the establishment.

“I really commend President Trump and his administration,” Hillary Clinton told CBS News. Former President Obama praised the deal without mentioning Trump. Former Secretary of State Antony Blinken congratulated the Trump Administration on freeing the hostages, although he added that the Biden Administration’s initial efforts paved the way for the deal to happen.

The computer had been pointing to strong leadership outside of the traditional establishment. Under lifelong politician Joe Biden we witnessed the US lose all credibility and respected. Washington bended a knee to Ukraine, destabilized Europe, withdrew from the Middle East, and permitted globalist organizations to decide what was best for America.

TrumpHitler

During his first term, we saw the Abraham Accords, where several Arab nations normalized relations with Israel. That wasn’t by accident; it was because Trump dealt with reality, not ideology. He recognized that peace comes from mutual economic benefit. It was deeply discouraging to see Trump side with the neocons over Russia as he was never pro-war.

This peace deal, if it holds, marks a historic geopolitical realignment. It signals that the Middle East is moving away from Western dependency. Qatar and Egypt played a key role in brokering the deal, as did Turkey’s Erdogan. The UAE, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia supported the political framework and are ready to focus on reconstruction. This is not unlike what happened with Syria. Arab leaders recognized the economic opportunity and were willing to collaborate with the West.

The far-left will need to find a new source of anger. Sovereign states, rather than globalist entities, are beginning to work together. Nationalist ideals are favorable when there is diplomacy and shared economic goals. There will never be peace in the Middle East, and Hamas has not entirely disarmed; however, this marks a major geopolitical turning point, as the traditional establishment has been forced to recognize that an outsider has achieved what they could not.

Protest.CivilUnrest.Palestine.TENTS_.greentent

The interesting thing is that all the college protests against Israel, demanding a ceasefire, you would think they would be cheering. But there is silence. This raises the question of whether these protests were never about Palestinians, but were really anti-Semitic. Where are the Green Tents Now?

Verifying X


Posted originally on Oct 13, 2025 by Martin Armstrong |  

MAA Teitter

Some people have been trying to pretend they are me. I DO NOT solicit money for management, NOR do I send out any hot tips to buy something via any social platform. Anything related to markets is discussed on the Blog or Private Blog.

There are people out there scamming whatever they can. I work way too much just in an advisory role. There is no way I am going back to managing money. Anyone using my name is a fraud. Some hedge funds are using our models, but they do not solicit using my name.

Orban Accuses Zelensky of Moral Blackmail


Posted originally on Oct 13, 2025 by Martin Armstrong |  

Ukraine was prohibited from joining the European Union due to ongoing political corruption. Suddenly, Brussels offered Ukraine candidate status in June 2022 but repeatedly denied the nation entry into the bloc over corruption. Viktor Orban of Hungary accused Ukraine’s Zelensky of waging “moral blackmail” and attempting to manipulate his way into the EU.

Zelensky firmly stated that Ukraine will join the EU with or without Hungary’s approval. Brussels seems to back this notion as they’ve repeatedly prevented Hungary from voting, as voting in the EU is merely a show since there is no true democratic process.

“Ukraine will be in the European Union, with or without Orbán, because this is the choice of the people of Ukraine,” Zelensky said, as quoted by Ukraine’s state news agency Ukrinform. He added that he believed “the people of Hungary support Ukraine in any case.” He later suggested that the EU would be “changing the procedure” to permit entry by “finding a way without Hungary.” Zelensky affirmed that the Hungarian people support Ukraine’s accession, but their elected leader stood in the way.

Orban responded on X:

“Dear Mr. President, With all due respect, Hungary has no moral obligation to support Ukraine’s EU accession. No country has ever blackmailed its way into the European Union — and it won’t happen this time either. The EU Treaty leaves no room for ambiguity: membership is decided by the member states, unanimously. The Hungarian people have made up their minds. They overwhelmingly said no to Ukraine’s EU membership in a referendum. If you wish to change that, the media campaign you’re waging against Hungary is probably not the best way to make friends.”

Zelensky’s success depends on emotional extortion. There is a reason why Trump called him the greatest salesman. He has already undermined the EU process by preventing Hungary and Slovakia from accessing Russian oil when there was no alternative. He convinced the EU to side with Ukrainian farmers despite EU member nations seeing their agricultural sector undercut with cheap tariff-free Ukrainian goods. Every member has been forced to send his nation billions, and soon he will request blood to be shed on behalf of “the Ukrainian people,” who by the way, know their president is corrupt. Zelensky will not permit Ukrainians to vote for new leadership and asserted himself as a permanent president by decree.

Ursula and Zelensky

Hungary’s foreign minister, Péter Szijjártó, backed Orban: “Deciding which country is ready to join the EU and can actually become a member is not up to the President of Ukraine. It is up to the EU, where such decisions require unanimity. The Hungarian people have already made their decision, and we represent their will in Brussels.”

Not only is Hungary concerned that Ukraine’s accession will thrust every EU nation into the war, but Hungary believes Zelensky has unfairly treated Hungarian people living in Ukraine. Kyiv implemented a language law that forbids citizens from using minority languages, including Ukrainian. It may not be taught or used in schools, government, or public services. The government has even forbidden the media from airing content spoken in minority languages. The number of Hungarians living in Ukraine has declined over the past decade due to the hostile environment.

Brussels has demonstrated to its member nations that they are insignificant–their wishes and votes simply do not matter. The centralized government has overpowered individual states and will act as it sees fit.

Open Borders Protect Migrants from Climate Change


Posted originally on Oct 13, 2025 by Martin Armstrong |  

Sorry to the Brits, but your country has been overrun by migrants due to climate change, according to your prime minister. The globalist rhetoric is overlapping to the point of insanity.

At a recent UN General Assembly, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said, ” At this moment of intense global instability and conflict, UK diplomacy and leadership have never been more important. Innocent civilians are suffering in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan. Countries worldwide are dealing with high levels of migration including displaced and trafficked people. And climate change is not just a future threat to our survival, but a source of chaos and suffering across every continent today.”

In the same breath, the UK must implement a digital ID system to keep migrants out. Over 50 Muslim nations refused to house their brothers, so they took to the UK and Europe as their safe haven.

The UK will now classify people fleeing their nation due to climate change as refugees. Unreleased new citizenship programs will include “climate refugees” experiencing severe weather events in their home nation. The tides are changing, literally, and the weather is bound to fluctuate. In fact, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) belives there will be 1 BILLION environmental migrants in the next three decades.

The United Nations first used the term “climate refugee” in 1985, later deeming the term offensive. “Persons displaced in the context of disasters and climate change” is now the proper term for illegal migrants using weather patterns as an excuse to enter foreign nations. The World Health Organization (WHO) released a report entitled “Health system strengthening interventions to improve the health of displaced and migrant populations in the context of climate change,” in which it explains that over 216 million people will be forced to migrate due to climate change by 2050.

“Climate change is reshaping the drivers of migration and displacement, with serious consequences for health. To respond effectively, health systems must adapt, ensuring that migrant and displaced populations are not an afterthought, but integral to health system planning, delivery and resilience,” said Dr Santino Severoni, Director of Health and Migration at WHO.

There is a reason every globalist organization is warning of climate change—the ultimate power grab—and linking it to the migration crisis. Climate change is the latest excuse for open borders and repopulation, and at the same time, migration is the reason for increased government surveillance and restricting citizens’ freedom of movement.

Prevalent Poverty Amid Robust Consumer Spending


Posted originally on Oct 13, 2025 by Martin Armstrong |  

American Consumer

Question: Martin, I wanted to share something that happened at church this Sunday. A deacon from a nearby town came to visit. His congregation is in a lower-income neighborhood, and they are urgently seeking financial support. Their food pantry has been overwhelmed like never before, with more families than ever lining up each week. I reside in an affluent area, and many of our members were shocked to hear about the severe struggles so close to us. You often talk about food inflation and the rising private debt in America, yet all the economic data indicates a strong economy with high consumer spending. Could this be a case of the data not reflecting the real hardships on the ground? -J.D.T.

CreditCardDelinquency_byClass

(consumer debt by income level)

Answer: The top 10% of American earners are responsible for 49.2% of consumer spending. Two-thirds of GDP is based on this aspect alone and those at the top are propping up economic data through spending. These people are not necessarily wealthy as the top ten percent of US households earn $250,000 or more. That same group INVESTS and is responsible for 93% of all equity ownership.

The government creates social programs disguised as a path to help those in need. These programs simply cause taxes to increase for everyone, including the average man who does not have the luxury of creative accounting. Instead of permitting the people to invest the money, the government takes it as an interest-free loan for the year and expects the public to cheer when they receive a refund check.

Around 26.6 million adults in the United States live in poverty, or around 10.4% of the population. The overall poverty population is 35.8 so there are about 9 million children living in poverty. The federal poverty guideline if $32,150 for a family of four, well below the median household net worth. The Supplemental Poverty Measure notes that over 10 million full-time workers live below the poverty line. For one reason or another, over 16 million adults in America are living in poverty and not working. The US currently spends $1.5 trillion on welfare programs each year, including $742 billion for Medicaid and $757 billion for other welfare programs.

Those 10 million working Americans living in poverty are not off the hook for taxes. They must pay an average of 6.3% of their pay to government, and then wait until the end of the year to receive the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Child Tax Credit (CTC) to offset the income tax alone. The government is collecting around $3 billion each year from this vulnerable population.

Spending on welfare is also a boost in terms of GDP calculation, as government spending is seen as a net positive. Household size and state vary significantly, but half of Americans are considered “middle class” and earn a household income between $53,7000 and $161,200. “Middle class” is an extremely broad term, as is “upper class.” The only true constant is the poverty class, who are reliant on the government but also expected to contribute to government spending. The US has over $36 TRILLION in debt—the taxes collected from the people are a drop in the bucket. Unfortunately, those in poverty are going to feel the brunt of stagflation. Low-income jobs are rapidly replaced through automation, and the cost of living has reached record highs. Redistributing wealth only makes everyone equal in poverty as the personal debt crisis is affecting every income level. Give what you comfortably can if you feel compelled to do so, voluntarily, as mandated wealth distribution is merely a way for the government to continue spending and profiting off the people.

Legalized Mass Murder & the Balkans


Posted originally on Oct 13, 2025 by Martin Armstrong |  

Bismark on Balkans

Trump is on the WRONG side of this war with Russia, and this is the most significant risk of taking us into World War III. You cannot deal with the Balkans as if it were any other place in the world. The region has experienced centuries of imperial domination, forced religious conversion, and forced assimilation. Because these groups lived side-by-side for so long, their grievances are almost exclusively against each other. A Serb’s historical trauma is often linked to a Croat or an Ottoman (Bosniak), and vice versa. There is a cyclical pattern of eternal vengeance in the Balkans. The violence of the 1940s was avenged in the 1990s, creating a seemingly endless cycle where each generation feels it must settle the score for the last.

Bandera Kiev 2 10 14

Then there has been the political manipulation—the most critical factor in the modern era. The hatred was not a spontaneous outburst; it was carefully, deliberately, and ruthlessly manufactured by elites for political gain over time. Bandera of Ukraine launched his ethnic cleansing to terminate anyone without Ukrainian blood to forge their own country, which today are the Neonazis who still market and display Bandera’s image following his call for ruthless ethnic cleansing. His image dominated the Maidan Revolution of 2014.

2025_03_25_09_05_50_When_Genocide_Is_Caught_on_Film_The_New_York_Times

In conclusion, the ethnic hatred in the Balkans is a tragic story of how deep historical fault lines, when combined with the modern political tool of nationalism and weaponized by unscrupulous leaders, can be exploded into catastrophic violence. It is a stark warning about the power of history and the danger of politicians who use ethnic identity as a weapon. The West is now supporting the followers of Adolf Hitler. The ethnic hatred of the Ukrainians toward Russians started the separation movement of the Donbas when they were killing Russian-speaking people in Odessa, and the West turned a blind eye because the victims were Russians.

May 2 2014 Odessa Trade Unions House

The BBC interviewed one man: “We are from Odessa. It’s just about Odessa, about peace. It was horror. It was annihilation of people believed to be separatists. But I am not separatist, I was born in Odessa.”

What Trump does not understand is that the hatred is so deep that there is no solution to this hatred other than that Iran will suddenly accept Judaism. Every word out of Zelensky’s mouth is about the destruction of Russia. He has even called on NATO to nuke Moscow as a pre-emptive strike.

shutterstock_1068214907

Now, the Russian state media figure has warned of serious consequences if the United States provides Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine. They reported on live television that such a move would be worse than the Cuban Missile Crisis. He also claimed that if the United Kingdom were destroyed, many people around the world would approve. The British are deeply hated for their Neocons.

Ukraine_Hryvnia Y Array 6 16 24 Flatlining

The Kremlin’s strong response reflects worries about Ukraine getting long-range missiles. This would be no different than Russia handing long-range missiles to Venezuela.  This situation points to rising tensions between Russia and Western countries. It will justify all-out nuclear war, for the ONLY realistic option would be to nuke Kiev. I fear that if Trump makes this stupid mistake, he will be fulfilling what our computer has been projecting.

The only possible solution to this conflict is the FORCED removal of Zelensky, whom many Ukrainians do not even believe was fairly elected. Let the people of Ukraine vote for themselves. Since we can buy securely from Amazon online, then the 15 million or so Ukrainians who have fled their country should be allowed to vote on continuing this stupid war that our Neocons instigated. I believe that McCain, who was forced to read American propaganda when a prisoner of the North Vietnamese, just hated Russians because they were once communists, and it was his personal payback. For an American to stand up and advocate the overthrow of a government there in Kiev is unprecedented.  Nobody gives a shit about the Ukrainian people if even one will be left standing.

Merkel_Minsk_Buy_Time_to Prepare for wart

The Minsk Agreement was the solution, and Ukraine should have been divided along ethnic lines just as Yugoslavia and Chechnya. The ethnic hatred in the Balkans is systemic, and it extends back for centuries. Our Neocons have exploited that hatred to start this war with Russia.

I have been invited to a geopolitical briefing on Russia. I will express my concern that embarrassing Putin could lead to a third coup, and this time we will get a Russian Neocon to confront the Neocons of the West.

Patch Harry

The Russian people no more support such a war than the American and European people. Harry Patch, the last surviving veteran from World War I at the age of 111, had the best suggestion for war.

” I felt then, as I feel now, that the politicians who took us to war should have been given the guns and told to settle their differences themselves,

instead of organizing nothing better than legalized mass murder.”

Hillary & Her Hatred of Men?


Posted originally on Oct 12, 2025 by Martin Armstrong |  

QUESTION: You haven’t commented on Hillary’s hatred of white Christian men.

Je

REPLY: There really is nothing to say. She hates men because she resents being a woman. She is the poster child of the ’60s Women’s Liberation Movement, which shifted from advocating for equality to outright hatred. My ex-wife was one of them. We broke up, and I kept the kids. My daughter was just 6 months old at the time. The upside was that I could build a company undistracted. That is also probably why I am not married today. Even the girls in the company voted for Trump in 2016, which surprised me. When I asked why? They said Hillary was a female Nazi who wanted to draft them. The younger generation of women did not follow Hillary’s path – thank God. Otherwise, the birthrate would have collapsed much more.

Of course, it was socialism that altered the marriage landscape. The Great Depression contributed to a decline in the husband–wife age gap. During the Great Depression, the economic uncertainty pushed both men and women to postpone marriage. That is also what causes recessions. The uncertainty of the future causes people to save rather than spend. That is why the ECB went negative on interest rates in 2014, and why QE failed. They finally raised rates in 2022 (Europe’s Lost Decade). However, after the Great Depression, with Socialism and the post-1937 economic recovery, there was a cultural shift that led to younger marriages overall and a smaller age difference.

In Colonial America, men (often 25–35) married women 16–22. Men waited until they had established farms or trades. Women were expected to marry young. In Victorian England, wealthy widowers frequently remarried younger women, producing age gaps of 20–30 years. It was socialism that upset everything. Men no longer had to prove they could support a family. Under socialism, there was always welfare.

Even the practice of the dowry came to an end. The dowry was usually cash, land, livestock, jewelry, or household goods given by the bride’s family. It often substituted for inheritance—since sons inherited the family land, daughters received their share as a dowry. When John Wayles died in 1773, he left his daughter Martha (Thomas Jefferson’s wife) 135 slaves, along with other property. When Martha married Jefferson, these slaves became part of Jefferson’s household under Virginia law at the time, effectively transferring their control to him.

The Women’s Lib movement of the ’60s was much more hostile than anything ever since. Hillary is just filled with hatred of men, I believe, because she resents not being a man. I believe she was always anti-Christian because of this contest in her mind with men.

Fighting for Peace


Posted originally on Oct 11, 2025 by Martin Armstrong |  

ana paulina luna military
2025_10_11_01_57_19_Rep._Anna_Paulina_Luna_on_X_I_have_officially_confirmed_a_meeting_with_Kirill_

Not all Americans are NEOCONS looking for World War III like Lindsey Olin Graham. I believe Trump is being played by the NEOCONS, and advocating that NATO can shoot down Russian planes if they even venture into their airspace is an act of war. Some of the NEOCONS, such as John Bolton, never served, yet have no problem sending others to die in combat. Lindsey has served in the military, though he has not fought in combat or been in an active war zone.  He was in the United States Air Force (active duty from 1982–1988).

Anna Paulina Luna was in the military from 2009 to 2014. I can say she is anti-war, and she does have a fire in her belly. It is Congress that must issue a declaration of war. Roosevelt had to impose sanctions on Japan, freezing all their assets in the USA, then threatening to put an embargo on it to prevent Japan from buying energy from anyone else. That was what led to Pearl Harbor. Once they attacked, then Roosevelt finally got his declaration of war from Congress.

Luna is at least on our side. I give her credit for opening a dialogue with Russia. Putin is doing everything he can to avoid World War III. My concern is that the media in Europe and in the USA are bought and paid for by the NEOCONS and the Military Industrial Complex that President Eisenhow warned us about, which will always promote war, for that is how they make their billions with the blood of others.

Khruschev Brezinski

When Kruschev backed down from the 1962 Missile Crisis, the dignity of Russia was called into question. There was a coup and Kruschev was ousted.

Yeltsin Tank
Clintons Russia Coup

Russia was invited to join NATO. Because the hardliners feared he might do that and surrender Russia to its postwar enemy, NATO, they staged another coup and overthrew Gobabchev. That is when Yeltsin stood on the tank and told the military not to follow their orders and not to shoot their fellow Russians.

Trump and NATO are playing a perilous game of chicken. Trying to force Putin into this corner to show your balls are bigger than his runs the risk of yet a third coup, and this time they will get more than they bargained for. With longer-range missiles, Ukraine can destroy all the military targets inside Russia to reduce it to ashes, which is the real goal of this Ukraine War. My sources have been obvious. NOBODY EVER EXPECTED Ukraine even to survive. The only objective was to use Ukraine to weaken Russia so that NATO could walk in unopposed.

Merkel_Minsk_Buy_Time_to Prepare for wart
Zelenskyy Johnson

Any news article that starts out saying “When Russia launched an unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, it set off the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War II,” is propaganda put out by NATO, NEOCONS, and the war mongers. If anyone cared about the Ukrainian people, they would have honored the Minsk Agreement.  The powers behind the curtain want war with Russia, and they intend to get it.