Speaking to the No2Nato meeting on Saturday, I had the challenge of telling a packed and highly motivated audience some things that they very much instinctively disagreed with, from a very different viewpoint to much of what they had heard from some excellent speakers all day.
I had to follow a really effective rabble rousing performance from Chris Williamson which had raised the rafters.
On top of which, I was outlining facts and arguments which have had no discernible place in the public discourse on Ukraine on any “side” and were new to most people there.
I appealed at the start for the audience to listen with an open mind, and I think largely they did.
So here is me, with no notes and no visuals, just talking, giving people my own perspective.
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This is beyond pathetic,
“International Criminal Court issues arrest warrants for Putin, Lvova-Belova ”
https://tass.com/world/1590457
For 20 years ICC refused to open a file on the war on Iraq, Afghanistan, for 30 years they refused to open a file on Nato bombing Yugoslavia. They refused time and time again to open a file on Israel. They refused to open a file on the Libya assault of Nato in 2011
It is absurd how this mass psychosis could pervert the minds of so many westerners in high places.
How could they even think that they have some credibility with this statement on Russia?
In two decades the ICC has never referenced let alone condemned the Invasion of the Hague Act (passed by the US Congress in 2002 and still unrepealed).
That’s how credible the ICC is.
Ukrainian Commander gave this critical interview to the Washington Post 13.3.23
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/03/13/ukraine-casualties-pessimism-ammunition-shortage/
For his criticism he was demoted
also reported 3 days later by WaPo, 16.3.23
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/03/16/ukraine-commander-demoted-interview-pessimism/
Meanwhile we live in a world where Russian KIA vary between 20.000 and 200.000
despite all the talk of “information society”.
That´s odd to say the least.
Another blunder by Russia
Ukraine strike train with high profile russian Kalibr missiles
The Sun: Russian ‘train of death’ is blown up by Ukrainian drone bomb as it passes through Crimea (21 Mar 2023) – YouTube, 1m 9s
Russia cannot afford these types of follies over and over again if they seek to win this war.
This is how you make war, you target the arms/trains. I do not understand why Russia do not do this. Corruption? incompetence?
This war could and should have been avoided, Ukraine could have had the best of both worlds simply by being neutral, they had trade with Russia and unlimited supplies of energy, the Russians did not want Ukraine to be an associate member of the EU, but were willing to recognize their right to EU membership. The bright red lines were the military alliance and NATO membership, most US Ambassadors and political Scientists warned the US government that Ukrainian membership of NATO was a bad move, some saying it meant war with Russia. A couple of days before the invasion, both Biden and Stoltenberg insisted that Ukraine will be a member of NATO, and that the US ignore Russian concerns. Now Ukraine will be destroyed, in my opinion NATO troops will not be on the ground to rescue Ukraine from this US led catastrophe. Hundreds of thousands of deaths on both sides, for nothing.
Harry Law
“Ukraine could have had the best of both worlds”
Actually that´s what Yanukovych had pulled off just before the shit hit the fan…
(or to quote Lee Iacocca, manager/CEO at the Ford Motor Company: “the shit hit the Fangio”)
Here Nicolai Petro in “The Tragedy of Ukraine” on the issue of “best of both worlds”, that is EU & RU – on page 85
“(…)
The critical event turned out to be, quite unexpectedly, Ukraine’s negotiations over association with the European Union. I say unexpectedly because, as many of his critics now acknowledge, Yanukovych seemed to be handling these difficult negotiations quite skillfully. It is worth recalling that it was Yanukovych who, in 2010, had signed the lawmaking EU membership a fundamental aspiration for Ukraine, and who, at the EU summit on February 25, 2013, had reiterated Ukraine’s determination to sign an Association Agreement.¹⁴⁰ At home, however, he was hearing more and more complaints from industrialists and oligarchs about the EU’s insistence that the Association Agreement also meant that Ukraine had to withdraw from the Customs Union, a trade agreement among CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) states. Without some form of compensation, two-thirds of the country’s exports would lose their current trade preferences with Russia – a devastating blow for Ukrainian industry.¹⁴¹
Yanukovych’s strategy was to play Russia and the EU against each other. He delayed signing the EU Association Agreement at the Vilnius summit in November, and asked for a loan of 27 billion dollars. When the EU offered him the paltry sum of 833 million dollars, Yanukovych turned to Russia to try to obtain a deal that would put more pressure on the EU negotiators.¹⁴² A month later, Ukraine received a 15 billion dollar multiyear loan from Moscow, and the EU then countered with a comparable offer.¹⁴³ Yanukovych had actually achieved what many other Ukrainian politicians had only dreamed of: getting Russia and the West to compete with each other for Ukraine’s favor. But for this negotiating strategy to bear fruit, it needed domestic political support, which Yanukovych’s opponents were determined not to give him.
(…)”
AG, thanks, very interesting
On top of that time is running out for Russia,
here is Ukraine basically saying what they are about to do, Russia cannot let such information just go by:
“Ukraine’s Crimea military plans detailed by Bild
The German newspaper has cited an unnamed NATO official as claiming that Kiev is preparing to strike in Zaporozhye and Lugansk ”
https://swentr.site/russia/573372-ukraine-counter-offensive-spring-nato/
I suspect the Crimean bridge will be bombed once and for all coming 1-2 months.
This from the link above,
“In an effort to ensure the new offensives are successful, Kiev’s backers are reportedly providing it with intelligence data as well as training, logistical support and weapons”. No sensible person would indicate when and where they are going to attack an enemy, this is more propaganda. These tanks and borrowed aircraft will be destroyed by the superior Russian antitank missiles, the aircraft will be shot down by Russian S300 and S400 systems. It is correct to say Ukraine’s backers will provide all this military equipment so long as Ukrainians provide the dead bodies. This US proxy war is disgusting.
whether the BILD info is planted or not, various reports from Febr. confirmed major arms shipments in the harbours of Hamburg, Bremerhaven and Gdansk. (And since BILD is located in Hamburg…)
purpose probably Crimea action.
and this:
It reads like a lunatic testimony – retired General Kellogg´s statement at the Senate Hearing in Febr:
Senate Committee on Armed Services:
“To receive testimony on conflict in Ukraine
Date: Tuesday, February 28th, 2023 ”
https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/hearings/to-receive-testimony-on-conflict-in-ukraine
Why Kellogg I have no idea. And to whom it is addressed. The White House? The GOP? Pentagon?
What he repeats over and over again: We have to end the war so the US can focus on China, but only after Ukraine won the war.
Totally nuts.
Statement #2 by a RAND analyst more interestig but I have to read it yet.
1 item of propaganda and 1 for intell, I guess.
You are sadly delusional. Ukraine is being reduced, it’s armies destoryed. After shelling Donestk for 8 years, frankly deserved.
The UK government are going full retard. UK Sending Depleted Uranium Shells To Ukraine Tantamount To Using ‘Dirty Bomb’: Kremlin
The UK’s junior Defense Minister Annabel Goldie told Parliament on Tuesday, “Alongside our granting of a squadron of Challenger 2 main battle tanks to Ukraine, we will be providing ammunition including armor piercing rounds which contain depleted uranium.”
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/uk-sending-depleted-uranium-shells-ukraine-tantamount-using-dirty-bomb-kremlin
provocation? testing the result on RU arms?
I assume they look into how the Crimea action goes and whether a few Ukrainians are left for Christmas. And then according to the 2024 election new funny stuff will happen.
It IS disgusting.
But perhaps even more disgusting are our German politicians who could have had the choice.
I guess I´ll never get over this historic example of corruption, not a single honest bone in those corpses.
I used to make fun about that Brit who attacked English officials by throwing cakes at them.
Recently I caught myself standing in the kitchen, beating eggs and pondering…
a comment on uranium ammo on Moon of Alabama:
“Dr. Asaf Duracovich, Georgetown Unversity Major Doug Rokke were both deeply involved in the second wave of investigations for Depleted Uranium 2000 plus. My friend Brian Terrell with others went to Basra, Iran in 1996 to listen to a pediatric oncologist and others involved trying to put together the wave of childhood leukemias, miscarriages and birth defects especially around Basra. Prof Souad N. Al-Azzawi was part of this. I have never been the same since hearing Brian talk about it that year in Des Moines Iowa.
Correlation is not causation, but the stifled studies in Vieques, Puerto Rico, Iraq and Serbia all are strongly indicative of the long lasting harm from mutagenic, teratogenic and carcinogenic depleted Ur and and any other actinides present. These particles from armour piercing rounds can be hundreds of nanometers to hundreds of micrometers large, with a positive charge dance in the air via Brownian motion. When ingested inside the body it is extremely damaging, the combination of amount of energy and the larger area of impact (compared to gamma or x-rays) is almost tailor made to impact DNA.
I have no idea what the RF is deciding about how to deal with Challenger tanks armed with DU rounds, but act they will. “
The Guardian 1/3/23
“They’re lobbying for Ukraine pro bono – and making millions from arms firms – Some of Washington’s most powerful lobbyists are providing their services to Ukraine for free, but they also have financial incentives for aiding the country”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/mar/01/ukraine-lobbyists-washington-defense-industry
p.s. what I do find remarkable is the free access to The Guardian´s archive. How long will that be sustained?
This is just ridiculous
Not only have Ukraine commited warcrimes even before the war in Donbas but no ICC turn a blind eye!
Ukraine welcomes ICC office
https://swentr.site/russia/573476-ukraine-icc-office-crimes/
Heck even John Bolton is against ICC warrant against Russia!
Putin arrest warrant court ‘fundamentally illegitimate’ – Bolton
The former national security advisor believes the charge makes talks on resolving the Ukraine conflict less likely
https://swentr.site/news/573319-john-bolton-putin-arrest/
Seems like there is a systematic effort by west to get nations around russia’s border to join the ICC to pressure Russia, now Armenia have signed on to it:
“Russian ally’s top court sides with ICC
The statute is in line with Armenia’s constitution, Yerevan’s highest court has said ”
https://swentr.site/russia/573555-armenia-icc-constitution-court/
Thus another nation that Putin (and eventually not Lavrov and others?) cannot visit anymore.
and since we are about ICC
recommended reading:
Patrick Lawrence on the ICC decision,
Lawrence´s texts are sometimes overlong, but this is ok. Some good sources which everyone should look into
re: child abductions
“Patrick Lawrence: Biden and the ICC: ‘A New Level of Farce’”
https://scheerpost.com/2023/03/22/patrick-lawrence-biden-and-the-icc-a-new-level-of-farce/
2 of his sources here:
journalist Michael Tracey “traced” back the probably source for the ICC decision on those kids
its a US “NGO” which admits it has made no on-the-ground research and had no witnesses asked.
If these things turn out unquestionably true it really is a farce:
https://twitter.com/mtracey/status/1637804470808584194?s=20
Lawyer John Whitbeck on ICC
https://www.counterpunch.org/2023/03/21/on-the-icc-putin-netanyahu-and-prosecutorial-discretion/
and this is a good new piece by Branko Marcetic recapitulating Russia´s standing re: Iraq war.
It shows, without stating, clearly the double standard and hypocrisy everywhere today with people demonizing the very same president Putin that was considered a major partner back in post 9/11 era.
Until…well until he did not follow orders.
Or to quote Joe Biden in 2002:
“No Russian leader since Peter the Great has cast his lot as much with the West as Putin has”.
” For Putin, Iraq War marked a turning point in US-Russia relations – Leaked diplomatic cables show an increasingly skeptical Moscow, souring by the day on Washington’s determination to impose its will.”
23/3/23
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/2023/03/23/for-putin-iraq-war-marked-a-turning-point-in-us-russia-relations/
AG
Thanks for the link!
Another nail in the coffin was also the western assault on Libya 2011 through the UNSC resolution, which for some naive reason, Russia foolishly supported, not realizing what the west were up to.
Sigh..so the shady ukrainian group-that-hired-a-yacht-in-poland-did it claim in the western press did not do it, now the same western media claim that *drumroll*…..some shady russian boats were at the site just days before the bombing.
https://twitter.com/dw_russian/status/1639548772165320705
Funny how this information is not only is leaked after 6 months after the bombing occured and also that the claim is spread just hours after Seymour Hersh made a new claim on the Nordtream bombing:
US President Joe Biden ordered the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines because he was unhappy with the level of support provided by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to Ukraine in its conflict with Russia, veteran investigative journalist Seymour Hersh has claimed.
https://swentr.site/news/573530-biden-scholz-hersh-germany/
I’m not sure how the statement that the invasion was justified can be reconciled with the idea that Putin is just another evil 1%er who is only interested in pillaging wealth and natural resources (doesn’t Russia have enough of those anyway?)
The invasion was justified and became necessary because Ukrainian provocations gave Putin no choice in the matter. Russia tried diligently for eight years, through the Minsk accords, to achieve a diplomatic resolution to the problems faced by the beleaguered Russian speaking citizens of Donbass, and it’s important to note that at no point in the Minsk negotiations was Russian annexation of the Donbass on the table. With this in mind, it seems clear that Russia was motivated to protect the people of that region from a Ukrainian military that was out of control; I don’t accept that Putin didn’t care about the population of the Donbass because the facts don’t support this view. The irony is that the way this diplomatic process was cynically exploited by the west and used to buy time to prepare for the war (which they themselves had made an inevitability) has now made the acquisition by Russia of the resource rich Donbass region a certainty – in fact the only possible outcome for Russia, but through force of circumstances, not design
There may be no good guys in war, but there are certainly bad guys and, on balance, Ukraine does not hold the moral high ground here. Zelenski, spurred on by his NATO masters, has rejected any possible initiative for peace, which by all accounts the Russians were expecting to happen within days of the initiation of the SMO.
He has sown the wind and the citizens of Ukraine will, of course now reap the whirlwind. The conflict is a tragic turn of events that will line the pockets of the corrupt oligarchs, the black market spivs, the grifters and con artists of the western MIC and all of the other execrable war profiteers and blood suckers with their noses in the trough, whilst an entire generation of Ukrainians is eviscerated. Ukraine cannot and will not win this conflict – that is certain. What is also certain is that Russia will gain territory and resources when this is all over, but I think the recent history of the conflict, especially Russian attempts to avert it, tell us that, whatever we may think of Putin, the suggestion that this was what motivated the invasion is not grounded in reality.
Here’s a solution from an AI bot :
____________-_____—–___
Peaceful Resolution for Ukraine.
Q: Could you suggest how the Ukrainian conflict could be peaceably solved?
A:
The Ukrainian conflict is a complex and long-standing issue, with deep roots in history, politics, and culture. While there is no easy or quick solution to the conflict, there are some steps that could be taken towards a peaceful resolution:
Diplomacy and Dialogue: One of the key steps towards resolving the Ukrainian conflict is through diplomacy and dialogue. This includes engaging in talks with all parties involved, including the Ukrainian government, separatist leaders, and international mediators. Diplomatic efforts should focus on finding a peaceful and lasting solution to the conflict that addresses the legitimate concerns of all parties.
De-Escalation: Both sides must agree to de-escalate the situation and stop any military action. A ceasefire must be put in place, and all sides should work towards a peaceful resolution.
Constitutional Reform: Constitutional reform that decentralizes power and gives more autonomy to the regions could help ease tensions and address the concerns of the separatist regions. This could involve amending the Ukrainian constitution to recognize the rights of minority groups and to ensure a fair distribution of power and resources across the country.
Economic Development: A commitment to economic development in the region could help alleviate some of the underlying causes of the conflict. This could involve investments in infrastructure, education, and job creation.
International Support: The international community can play a vital role in facilitating peace in Ukraine. The United Nations, the European Union, and other international organizations can provide diplomatic support, financial assistance, and peacekeeping forces to help maintain a peaceful transition.
Overall, a peaceful resolution to the Ukrainian conflict will require compromise, cooperation, and a willingness to address the concerns of all parties involved. While the road ahead may be challenging, with the right approach, a lasting peace can be achieved.
Glenn-nl, all those things you listed were to be addressed in the Minsk agreements 1 and 2, all European Foreign Ministers also agreed in writing that European security is indivisible and that any one state should not, for instance take any measures which might negatively effect its neighbour, Of course these agreements were ignored, the Minsk agreements, according to the German and French leaders, were merely a ruse to mislead Russia and give NATO the time to build up the Ukrainian army (this has all been admitted). Finally both Biden and Stoltenberg on the eve of the Russian special operation declared that Ukraine will be a member of NATO, and as Noam Chomsky says “NATO is the most violent, aggressive alliance in the World”.