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As the “Ukraine issue” in war and peace alike will accompany us in the future here a place to put in links to stay updated independent from Mr. Murray´s blog entries.
“What’s Next for Ukraine: The Outlines of a Peaceful Settlement”
by Nicolai N. Petro and Ted Snider
Posted on November 17, 2023Responsible Statecraft, geopolitical analysis by Edward Hunt:
“The Ukraine war has been a ‘great bargain’ for US in the Black Sea
Officials boast that Washington and NATO’s foothold has opened up much-desired energy opportunities.”https://responsiblestatecraft.org/ukraine-war-black-sea/
“U.S. officials view the war in Ukraine as a way of achieving geopolitical objectives in the Black Sea, an energy-rich region that connects Russia, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East.
At two recent Senate hearings, State Department officials portrayed the war as a means of transforming the geopolitics of energy in the Black Sea. As long as Ukrainians keep fighting, they said, there remains a potential to transform the Black Sea into a new market for the European Union.”
US Senate Hearings on Black Sea:
“ASSESSING THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE’S STRATEGY FOR SECURITY IN THE BLACK SEA REGION”
Oct. 25th 2023“U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY INTERESTS IN UKRAINE”
Nov. 8th 2023https://www.foreign.senate.gov/hearings/us-national-security-interests-in-ukraine
This I assume is Branko Marcetic´ first piece for NEW LEFT REVIEW ever.
I always recommend and look into his stuff even if I think he has too strong a Ukraine bias in his reporting.
(e.g: The Crimea secession is way more complex than he sees it. Nicolai Petro as just one highly competent voice of several has always stressed that the overwhelming majority was fine with the outcome of the referendum. Also the legal question is not clear cut a case as of “aggression” as Marcetic wants it at all. Lawyers won´t ever agree on this. Cultural ties, everyday realities and geopolitical truisms mix in.)
So this has its ideological limits but I suggest everyone still take the time.
Its a piece about how things in Ukraine on the ground are not as simple as Western propaganda wants the Western public to believe.
After all the people have thoughts and worries of their own conveniently ignored by those in power in Kiev and in the West.
“Free Agents?”
23 November 2023
https://newleftreview.org/sidecar/posts/free-agentsUKR war summary & assessment aired on Nov. 24th 2023:
A good 90-min exchange at “New Atlas” between Brian Berletic and analyst Mark Sleboda:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5wbiIm11GY
Sleboda I didn´t know. An American ex-patriat in RU I assume, with a wife who is from Crimea and who has a lot of relatives in Eastern Ukraine.
Much insight on the general military sit. of the war. Not all new by now (unless one reads only Western papers) but very well summarized mainly by Sleboda who does 90% of the talking but it makes real sense especially concerning military analysis and concerning the decision-makers behind it in Ukraine and NATO. A lot of detail on the realities on the ground. That elevates it from the usual merely geopolitical talk.
Naturally unlike Branko Marcetic in the post with NEW LEFT REVIEW above, Sleboda is pro-RU as he says himself.
But that doesn´t mean he would glorify anything.After the 90 min. on UKR follow the last 30 min. on Gaza, which is ok but with less substance, its not Sleboda´s expertise beyond military aspects.
p.s. As of now: 39.000 KIA on the Russian side, UKR side possibly 10 times as many.
He speaks with much respect of the work mediazona does. Who also provide this latest figure on RU.He warns of a Zaluzny led government if the US might decide to overthrow the current regime.
After all Zaluzny is an ideologue of the worst kind unlike the “comedian” who merely adapted to the madness but not out of real faith.So just because all eyes are on Gaza the danger in Ukraine has not disappeared.
Some news from the Russian-speaking sphere on the current conflict in Ukraine.
There is Anatoly Shariy, an opposition Ukrainian blogger who currently lives in Spain and whom the current Kiev regime is out to get for many reasons.
Among which I will highlight his tireless denunciation of Nazism in the ideology of modern Ukraine (this began long before the current conflict and even long before Crimea in 2014).
Constantly uncovering corruption schemes in Ukraine.
As well as the current investigation into the state cover-up of the drug cartel in Ukraine, which receives state support. After this investigation, the house in Spain where Anatoly lives with his wife and child was attacked with Molotov cocktails.Yesterday, Anatoly published a review of an interview with a person from Zelensky’s office – Arakhamia. This official said directly that at the very beginning of the conflict, when negotiations were being held in Belarus and Turkey, Ukraine was ready to sign a commitment to non-alignment with NATO and its neutral status. But Boris Johnson forced them to abandon this idea, directly pointing out that Ukraine should not seek peace but conduct military action.
Another development of events relates to the conflict only indirectly, but it affects opposition political forces in Russia, namely Navalny’s organization. Navalny, as you know, is in prison, and his organization is recognized as extremist.
Recently, Navalny’s lawyers made statements that during visits to prison they gave him materials and questions about the organization’s activities. And they also received instructions from him, which were then passed on to the employees of the organization.
Thus, these lawyers were accused of collaborating with an extremist organization and charges were brought against them.For some time I was skeptical about this definition of “extremism” until the results of the investigation into the terrorist attack in which Vladlen Tatarsky died were published. Daria Trepova, detained in this case, received instructions, an explosive device and payment from Ukrainian curators. Her connection with Navalny’s organization is also indicated.
https://mskvremya.ru/article/2023/1423-terakt-piter-voyenkor-tatarskiy-trepova-ugolovnoye-delo
Personally, I have no doubt that it is logical for the Ukrainian special services to seek contacts with opposition forces in Russia. And the latest event has convinced me that this is so.Navalni’s organization is linked to a network of fake accounts that post anti-government comments on social networks, aka the “Elf Factory,” as if in opposition to the “Troll Factory.”
