Category Ukraine

Jun 13 2022

Russia Gains More Ground in Donbas Region as Desperate Zelenskyy Arranges Emergency Meeting with France, Germany, Italy


Posted originally on the conservative tree house on June 12, 2022 | Sundance 

The constant and strategic pressure by Russian military in eastern Ukraine is slowly and methodically taking more ground each day.  Russian troops have now encircled and captured the city of Severodonetsk, which will join Lysychansk under full Russian control within days, according to the Washington Post.

Ukraine forces are running out of supplies as the U.S. State Dept. tries to organize the battle formations on behalf of U.S. interests in the country.  The Russian advances are slow, methodical and very deliberate.  The Ukraine military is losing ground and Zelenskyy is calling for more western help urgently.

LVIV, Ukraine—The leaders of France, Germany and Italy plan to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv this week, officials said, as reports showed Russia making gains in the country’s east and Ukrainian officials urgently sought arms from Western nations to hold Russian forces at bay.

French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi were planning to visit the Ukrainian capital on Thursday, said two European officials, who cautioned that plans could yet change. The trip would be the first to Ukraine since the beginning of the war for the three Western leaders.

News of the planned meeting came as Ukrainian officials said Russia had made fresh gains in its efforts to encircle and capture the city of Severodonetsk, which would bring Moscow significantly closer to its goal of controlling the Donbas area in the country’s east, its foremost target recently in the war.

Serhiy Haidai, the Ukrainian governor of the Luhansk region, which includes Severodonetsk, said on Sunday that Russians had destroyed a second bridge connecting Severodonetsk to Lysychansk, a Ukrainian stronghold just across the Siverskyi Donets river. Russian forces also shelled a chemical plant in the city’s industrial section, where civilians had taken shelter in bunkers, Mr. Haidai said.

The battlefield advances were the latest evidence that Russia is outgunning Ukrainian forces, using its superior artillery power to steadily take territory. Its gains have thrown added focus onto Ukraine’s pleas for more powerful and longer-range artillery and other weaponry from the West, as well as on Ukraine’s lack of capacity to manufacture ammunition for the Soviet-era heavy weapons in its arsenal. (read more)

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Jun 9 2022

Former Brazilian President Accuses Zelensky of Using War for Fame  


Armstrong Economics Blog/Politics Re-Posted Jun 9, 2022 by Martin Armstrong

Former Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva speaks at Forca Sindical Congress in Sao Paulo, Brazil December 8, 2021. REUTERS/Carla Carniel

Former Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva speaks at Forca Sindical Congress in Sao Paulo, Brazil December 8, 2021. REUTERS/Carla Carniel

Former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who plans to run again in the 2022 Brazilian Presidential Election, believes Zelensky is equally responsible for the ongoing war. “I see the president of Ukraine, speaking on television, being applauded, getting a standing ovation by all the [European] parliamentarians,” he said when speaking to Time. “This guy [Zelensky] is as responsible as Putin for the war.”

Lula believes Zelensky made a fatal misstep by failing to promise he would not seek to join NATO. Furthermore, he believes that he should have negotiated a settlement with Russia’s Putin long before the fighting began. “We should be having a serious conversation. OK, you were a nice comedian. But let us not make war for you to show up on TV,” Lula said, claiming the Ukrainian president simply wants more fame and attention.  

Current Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has not condemned Putin’s actions.  Vice President Hamilton Mourão claimed, “Brazil was not neutral,” but Bolsonaro quickly corrected that statement. “It is my decision, but I want to hear from people who are actually ministers to deal with these issues. We are for peace, we want peace. We traveled in peace to Russia. We had an exceptional interaction with President Putin,” he said, stating that Brail will not be taking sides. In fact, Bolsonaro traveled to Russia a week before the conflict began and spoke highly of his “friend” Putin.

Regardless of the West’s stance, Brazil does not appear poised to enter the conflict anytime soon. Brazil is likely more interested in securing lucrative deals with Russia now that they have been shunned from the global economy.

Jun 8 2022

Interesting Video, A Walk Through a Russian Supermarket


Posted originally on the conservative tree house on June 7, 2022 | Sundance

I found this 8-minute video to be quite interesting.  As we consider the scale of food price increase in the United States, this video of a Russian supermarket yesterday is fascinating.

Considering the sanctions levied upon Russia by the western alliance, it would appear that they are coping quite nicely.  The guy who uploaded the video shares, “I took my camera with me on a quick Beer run to give you folks an idea of what a small local supermarket in a village South of Saint Petersburg, Russia looks like. How do the prices compare to where you live?”  WATCH:

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This is the kind of real information the U.S. media would never mention.

Jun 5 2022

Biden Implies Ukraine May Need to Cede Territory to Russia During Negotiated Settlement


Posted originally on the conservative tree house on June 4, 2022 | sundance 

During press remarks yesterday, Joe Biden implied that Ukraine may need to cede territory in Eastern Ukraine to Russia as part of a “negotiated settlement.”

The statement came at the end of remarks centered around the May jobs report and Biden’s claim that U.S. consumers were in the best economic position of the past decade, therefore the government must begin increasing direct subsidies to offset energy costs and massive inflation pressure.  When Biden was asked, “does Ukraine have to cede territory to achieve some peace?” he stated:

[Transcript] – [F]rom the beginning, I’ve said and I’ve been — not everyone has agreed with me — nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine.  It’s their territory.  I’m not going to tell them what they should and shouldn’t do.

But it appears to me that, at some point along the line, there’s going to have to be a negotiated settlement here.  And what that entails, I don’t know.  I don’t think anybody knows at the time.

But in the meantime, we’re going to continue to put the — the Ukrainians in a position where they can defend themselves.  Thank you all so very much. (link)

It has been obvious from the outset that annexing Eastern Ukraine, the region containing a majority pro-Russia population, was always the intended objective of Russian aggression.  With Biden making this admission public, it raises the question then why did we agree to send $40 billion?

Russia’s hold on the Eastern Ukraine Donbas region is now essentially complete.  This is the area that had been in a state of civil war since 2008, and the Russian annexation would essentially bring that conflict to an end.

Any Ukraine-Russia negotiation would come down to Ukraine acquiescing to the territory already lost.  It’s not like Russia is going to give it back.  The “negotiated settlement” amounts to the Ukraine and western NATO alliance admitting Russia has accomplished its intended objective.

It seems doubtful that Joe Biden sought approval from the U.S. State Dept, CIA and Senate Foreign Relations Committee, specifically those who are conducting this proxy war, prior to this statement.

Remarks at 18:13 of video. WATCH:

May 31 2022

Putin & Ukrainian Propaganda


Armstrong Economics Blog/Russia Re-Posted May 31, 2022 by Martin Armstrong

The rumors keep flying that Putin has cancer and has a maximum of three years to live. The stories are claiming he is ‘losing his eyesight’ but all of this is unconfirmed coming reports in recent weeks have suggested the 69-year-old president’s health has been deteriorating quickly. Much of this propaganda from Ukraine has been talking about a coup and all sorts of stuff.

Our model does not show that Putin will run again in 2024. That year will be monumental for the US presidential election is then as well and even Zelensky, the WEF’s puppet, will stand for election. Why people are putting out this propaganda that somehow if Putin dies, Russia can be vanquished is total nonsense. The second tier behind Putin are far more nationalistic and will definitely use nuclear weapons whereas Putin is at least far more rational.

Putin did NOT invade Ukraine to conquer it.  Even when the US attacked Iraq, the first thing you do is take out the power, communications, and then the water supply. Putin has done none of that has is doing what he said, defending the Russians in the Donbas. Crimea was always Russian and it was allocated to Kyiv (Russian: Kiev) by Khruschev in 1954 because (1) he grew up in the Donbas, and (2) he was in charge of Ukraine post-World War II and rebuilt it. It was his home.

The Eastern region of Ukraine was historically always Russian. Ukraine was created by the USSR – it did not exist as a country before. This idea put out by the Ukrainians that keep trying to paint Putin as dead or just put down a coup is all propaganda. Yes, he is sick. But this nonsense that somehow replaces Putin and Ukraine wins is tempting far worse a fate than anyone can imagine. The next level will be far worse and our model turns up sharply with civil unrest and war in 2023, but the worse is yet to come post-2024.

May 29 2022

Russia Takes Control of Key Railway Hub in Lyman, Solidifying Gains in Eastern Ukraine


Posted originally on the conservative tree house on May 28, 2022 | Sundance 

If you were to read the play-by-play of information in the U.K. Telegraph [SEE HERE], you could get whiplash from the diametrically opposed narratives coming from both sides in the propaganda war.

On one hand the western narrative is that Russia is losing, getting weaker, running out of money and weapons.  On the other hand, France and Germany are asking Russian President Vladimir Putin to release all of the captured soldiers he is gathering, while western media claim all the Ukraine retreats are “strategic”.  It would appear the Monty Python knight has lost all his appendages and is yelling, “come back coward, I’ll bite your kneecaps.”

(Via Telegraph) – Russia said its forces were in full control of the Ukrainian town of Lyman, a railway hub in the Donetsk region, on Saturday in a gain that would help set the stage for the next phase of the Kremlin’s offensive in the eastern Donbas.

Ukrainian and Russian forces had been fighting for Lyman for several days. The town lies 40 km (30 miles) west of Severodonetsk, the largest Donbas city still held by Ukraine but now under heavy assault from Russian forces.  The governor of Luhansk region, which along with Donetsk makes up the Donbas, said on Friday that Russian troops had entered Severodonetsk.

The Russian gains indicate a shift in momentum in the war. (read more)

Meanwhile the U.S. State Department, the actual combatant command center for the U.S. proxy war, along with internationally aligned diplomatic corps and the U.S. intelligence apparatus, are continuing to push the propaganda as if we cannot see how clearly staged it is.

Indeed, with the Pentagon preferring a ceasefire and peaceful negotiations while the State Dept demands more war, these are very remarkable times on the other side of the looking glass.

In the narrative tweet below….. If you ignore the new and clean uniform, to include the fresh out of the package gloves and helmet; and if you ignore the clean, groomed and well presented appearance of the “soldier”; carefully chosen for the youthful connection needed with the targeted audience; then it’s possible to admire the cinematography as well contextualized and constructed for social media delivery.  The background music is a generally good selection, and has the ‘feels’ as they say.

However, the Ukraine narrative engineers consistently run in to a problem when people start looking at the marketing aspect.  World War Reddit, becomes transparent.

May 26 2022

The Ukrainian Solution: Money, Weapons, and Embargo


Armstrong Economics Blog/Uncategorized Re-Posted May 26, 2022 by Martin Armstrong

The Kremlin has made it known that they will not evacuate troops from Ukraine until their victory is declared. “We are sure that everything will be fine, and we are sure that we will win, we will achieve all the goals,” spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. Russia has already downgraded “unfriendly states” to “hostile states” as Western countries are now directly involved. “Sometimes it seems that the very existence of Russia is a significant irritant for the collective West, and they are ready to do anything to prevent us from developing and living the way we want,” Peskov stated.

Kissinger suggested that Ukraine surrender some of its territories to Russia, as it is land that is composed of mostly Russian-speaking individuals who have not been allowed to vote on whether they’d like to remain under Ukrainian rule. “Negotiations need to begin in the next two months before it creates upheavals and tensions that will not be easily overcome. Ideally, the dividing line should be a return to the status quo ante,” Kissinger said, ““pursuing the war beyond that point would not be about the freedom of Ukraine … but a new war against Russia itself.” Furthermore, Kissinger is concerned that the West’s hostility will cause Russia to form a closer alliance with China.

Kissinger’s suggestion could end the war. Russia would feel as if they achieved the objective, and Ukraine would remain an independent country. Western nations would not need to spend billions of taxpayer funds on war while teetering on their own recessions. The food shortages due to the lack of wheat coming from Russia and Ukraine would end. Most importantly, the threat of the next world war would dissipate.

Zelensky’s advisor adamantly rejected the peace offer. “The shortest way to end the war – weapons, money, embargo,” Mykhailo Podolyak declared on Twitter. That may be the easiest solution for those in power, but it comes at the expense of the people. Ukraine and its Western allies will continue throwing money and fuel on the problem until the global economy crumbles so that they can reset it to their liking.

May 24 2022

Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer Team Up to Expedite Finland and Sweden Entry into NATO


Posted originally on the conservative tree house on May 23, 2022 | sundance 

The preparations and proactive moves to establish the global cleaving are being carried out by Wall Street globalists, the World Economic Forum and the various western politicians who align with the objective.  The opinion of the citizens within each nation are irrelevant to the decisions of the leaders.

Fundamentally, the big picture dynamic is to create a global network of allied nations based on one overarching principle, energy and human control through the carbon trading platform.  There are multiple moving puzzle pieces, but one big dynamic. Western government leaders are cleaving the world into two economic systems.

One economic system will be based on traditional energy as the underpinning of the economy.  One system will be based on renewable energy, with climate change agenda as the overarching basis for all of their economic shifts.  Pressure from within traditional alliances like the G7, G20, NATO etc, will create the wedge.  Terms like Build Back Better, Green New Deal, Paris Treaty Accords, and other reference points are part of this cleaving agenda.

Each nation will eventually have to make a decision about which team they will join.  The entry of Finland and Sweden into the NATO alliance is only one part of this dynamic.

WASHINGTON – Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) plan to present a resolution that will press the Biden administration to rush the paperwork for Finland and Sweden to join NATO.

In the resolution text, first obtained by Politico, both Senate leaders note the roles played by the Nordic countries in organizations such as the United Nations and the European Union, and their neutral stance on matters pertaining to Europe as reasons why they should join the alliance.

The resolution calls on President Biden to move swiftly to complete all necessary documents involving both countries’ NATO membership so the Senate can advance the measure, also calling on fellow NATO members to swiftly complete their own ratification processes. (read more)

As we evaluate the geopolitical ramifications of everything from military alliances to food distribution and trade, this overarching global cleaving should be the prism to determine the motive of each move.  Unfortunately, as mentioned, the opinion of the average citizen within each system is irrelevant to the decisionmakers.

It is very easy to see how this global split is being created. It is much more challenging to figure out how, or even if, it can be stopped.

In the United States we have a federation of states, a constitutional republic, so we can try and combat the agenda by demanding state government draw hard boundaries from federal intervention.  However, this battle is going to get increasingly difficult.  Freedom is not expanding in this era, it is contracting.

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May 23 2022

With $40 Billion Secured, Zelenskyy Says Ukraine War Must be Solved Through Diplomacy and Negotiations


Posted originally on the conservative tree house on May 22, 2022

Heh, it’s almost as if Team Zelenskyy read the tea leaves inside the New York Times editorial opinion recently [SEE HERE] that warned Joe Biden he better get to a negotiated peace deal quickly or the administration will look even worse than it already does.

Two days after the New York Times editorial board says, “it is still not in America’s best interest to plunge into an all-out war with Russia, even if a negotiated peace may require Ukraine to make some hard decisions; and the U.S. aims and strategy in this war have become harder to discern, as the parameters of the mission appear to have changed,” now Zelenskyy is saying he needs to enter diplomatic talks with Russia.

(BBC News) – The war in Ukraine can only be resolved through “diplomacy”, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said. Speaking on national TV, he suggested his country could be victorious against Russia on the battlefield. However, he added that the war could only come to a conclusive halt “at the negotiating table”.

Meanwhile, heavy fighting is taking place in and around Severodonetsk, as Russian forces step up efforts to seize the whole of the Luhansk region.

The end of fighting in the southern port city of Mariupol has freed up Russian troops for redeployment elsewhere and allowed them to intensify their onslaught in the east. Local governor Serhiy Haidai said the Russians were “destroying” Severodonetsk as they gradually surrounded it. (read more)

Don’t forget there was a critical point made two weeks ago by Defense Intel Agency (DIA) Director Lt. Gen. Scott Berrier, that not a single media outlet or politician discussed.  During his briefing to the Senate Armed Services Committee, Berrier was asked “can Ukraine win” the conflict against Russia?

Lt. General Berrier replied: “That is a difficult predication to make. I think where the assessment is at, is a prolonged stalemate should no factor change on either side. In other words, the Russians continue to do what they’re doing, and we continue to do what we are doing for the Ukranians.” [link]

The facts on the ground show that Russia has gained almost all of the territory they were trying to achieve.  The Ukrainians are getting crushed, and they’ve lost the ports and cities they were fighting hardest to defend.  “BBC correspondent James Waterhouse said Russia had increased its artillery and air strikes as well as missile attacks – gaining ground mile by mile in Luhansk while the Ukrainians are forced to retreat.”

Comrade Zelenskyy is like the idiot knight in the Monty Python skit who gets his arms and legs chopped off and shouts, “merely a flesh wound.”

In another development, Russia has switched off its gas supply to Finland after it refused Moscow’s demand to pay for fuel in Russian roubles.

May 22 2022

Kissinger on Ukraine


Armstrong Economics Blog/Geopolitical re-Posted May 22, 2022 by Martin Armstrong

I am sure he would never remember me, but we met a long time ago in Washington and he taught me a lot. I had asked him the question about the China v Russia tactic under Nixon. At 99, he still has a sharp mind. My mother died at 99 and she too retained a sharp mind until the end.