Ukraine and World Affairs: Weekly Update

23rd May 2025

Did you jump or were you pushed?

There have been many events this week worthy of report but none remotely compares in terms of its importance and significance for humanity than the dark shadow of death the Zionists have cast over Gaza. Tens of thousands of men, women and children face starvation within days and weeks rather than months unless the world intervenes. Surely our Western World no longer deserves the epithet ‘civilised’ after allowing this descent into barbarism. Its leaders can be compared with a police force aware that a serial killer is on the loose yet keeps providing him with the knives with which he hacks his victims to pieces - and it pretends not to notice their screams. Some in the Arab and Muslim worlds deserve similar condemnation.

There are signs that some European leaders are deciding to speak out at last, aware, perhaps, that their stairway to heaven could be blocked by their complicity in genocide. There are other reasons of course, as Journalist Robert Inlakesh discusses here. In what is probably a case of too little, too late, the British Foreign Secretary demanded that aid is allowed into Gaza. In concert with this ‘request’, Britain’s free trade agreement with Israel has been suspended along with arms sales. Norway and Sweden are also considering sanctions along with Spain. Jeremy Corbyn, who has been championing the Palestinian cause for decades, said that European leaders are complicit in the genocide. France and Canada are also threatening sanctions in what could be a political (rather than a moral) move by the globalists against Trump. Anyway, it is frustrating that as the Zionist murder of woman and children escalates and as the children submit to hunger, none of this talk is capable of ending Palestinian suffering. No country or individual can associate with Israel after this disgraceful episode in the history of humanity without being tarnished. Hopefully, the murderers will face justice one day. I have been personally sickened by this and I am sure that many out there who have taken a close look at Gaza will feel the same.

Very few aid trucks have arrived in Gaza this week while Zionist monsters such as Moshe Feiglin are suggesting that ‘we need to colonise Gaza and not leave a single child there. There is no other victory.’ The disturbing thing is, according to Pepe Escobar, the majority of Israelis agree with him.

I have seen it reported that the Israelis are not allowing the Palestinians to protect the aid and are in league with gangs of thieves who will steal from the convoys. Whether this is true or not, it is completely consistent with Zionist thinking. Worryingly, CNN is reporting that Israel is preparing to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities with or without the Americans. But some say that this is false news circulated by those who want to prevent a war with Iran. The Israelis are even shooting at foreign diplomats from the EU, the UK, Canada and Egypt in the West Bank.

Elsewhere in the Middle East, Ansar Allah has attacked Ben Gurion airport several times forcing millions of Israelis to the shelters while the Harry S Truman has retreated to safer waters in the Mediterranean via the Suez Canal. The Houthis have promised to widen their operations - according to the Palestine Chronicle, which will now include a blockade of Israel’s port of Haifa.

Fighting continues between various groups in Syria which includes several attacks on Russia’s Hmeimim air base which killed two soldiers.

In an interview, Vladimir Putin made it clear that Russia has the resources to finish the operation in Ukraine and achieve all the objectives. These include ‘securing the interests’ of people in Ukraine who speak the Russian language and consider Russia to be their homeland. This could be understood as a commitment to occupying other Ukrainian oblasts or conducting referenda in these. Putin also stressed the importance of a lasting peace that safeguards the security of the Russian State. Russia respects the national interests of the United States, he said, and he expects the US to respect the national interests of the Russian Federation. You can read more at Sputnik.

Following the long awaited phone call with Putin on the 19th May, the Trump team is facing a backlash at home and in Europe because they are not pushing for sanctions on Russia following Putin’s refusal to call for a ceasefire. The Russian President explained the reasons for this during his call with Trump who said he was very pleased with their 2 hour long talk (see below).

On the fronts in Ukraine, the Russians are advancing towards and around Konstantinovka the southernmost section of the fortifications which include Slavyansk and Kramatorsk. They are also pushing hard around Pokrovsk and Toretsk. In Sumy, 202 settlements (i.e. 60% of the population) have been evacuated as the Russians advance. On May 22nd Putin announced that Russia will be creating a buffer zone along the borders of Kursk and Bryansk to prevent the countless terrorist attacks by drones, missiles or small groups of infantry.

The Dnepro border

On May 20th, the Russians reached the border with Dnepropetrovsk as you can see in the above photograph. They also achieved success with an Iskander attack on a training centre in Sumy where they killed 70 Ukrainian servicemen, according to this report.

There appears to be discontent among some of Ukraine’s commanders as one spoke out against attacks being conducted purely for PR reasons and another was sacked for retreating to avoid encirclement in Pokrovsk Direction. Many commanders are unhappy with Syrsky. On the Russian side, General Mordvichev has taken command of the ground forces.

In Madrid, former adviser to ex-Ukrainian President, Yanukovich, Andriy Portnov, was shot dead. He featured on Ukraine’s hit list for being a traitor. Some say this could be Stage One of Zelensky’s preparation for elections: i.e. Eliminate Your Opponents.

Looking at this situation from above, as it were, the US is engaging with three of its BRICS opponents (Russia, China and Iran), as the Hegemon is obliged to do, but is not doing so with any appreciable degree of success.

Lavrov Awarded Order of St. Andrew, The Apostle

RT’s Simonyan Awarded ‘For Merit to the Fatherland’.

Talks - The Aftermath

There were some interesting reports about the talks that weren’t available to me when I last published which I would like to discuss briefly. If you would like more detail of the talks Simplicius provides a great article here.

Some in the Ukrainian delegation dressed in fatigues, presumably in an attempt to intimidate - which must have annoyed the Russians who waited a whole day for the Ukrainians to turn up on Thursday. When Ukraine demanded a 30 day ceasefire the Russians demanded that the Ukrainian army vacate the four new Russian oblasts. The Russians also warned that unless the Ukrainians do a deal now, Russia will take another eight oblasts - or so Margarita Simonyan was told. Simplicius provides a map of Ukraine showing which oblasts could be involved:

Thanks to Simplicius

Pepe Escobar provided a slightly different map:

The Russian delegation also made it clear that Russia is willing to fight for years in order to obtain the objectives of the SMO. Russia made a number of demands which are reported by the War Chronicle here and here:

1. Ukraine should remain neutral with no foreign troops or weapons of mass destruction on its territory.

2. Neither side should claim damages or reparations from the other.

3. Ukraine should adopt European standards of minority rights and cease the anti-Russian and Nazi propaganda (de-Nazification, in other words).

4. Ukraine must concede the five oblasts to Russia - i.e. the LPR, DPR, Zaporozhye, Kherson and Crimea.

5. In order for a truce to begin, Ukraine’s troops must withdraw from any parts of these oblasts that they still occupy.

Russia’s chief negotiator Medinsky expressed Russian determination when he said:

We do not want war, but we are ready to fight for a year, two, three - as long as it takes. We fought with Sweden for 21 years (1700-1721). And how long are you ready to fight?

The European irrelevants made the usual noises, claiming that Russia obstructed the talks and ignored demands for a ceasefire. Since the Russians said long ago that they would not accept a ceasefire unless certain conditions are met, the European show of righteous indignation is simply political theatre at its most pathetic. The Europeans are attempting to create an impression that ceasefires have always been used as a pre-requisite to talks but this is historically inaccurate. Medinsky pointed out that negotiations took place for years while the Korean and Vietnam wars were being fought and he quoted Napoleon who said that war and negotiations are always conducted simultaneously. He also quoted Bismarck who once said that ‘Russians always come for what’s theirs’.

When one of the Ukrainian delegates claimed that Russia was preparing to attack Poland, the Russian delegation laughed while Medinsky asked the Ukrainians ‘not to transfer the talks into the fantasy genre’.

Unfortunately, both JD Vance and Marco Rubio embarrassingly emphasised their ignorance about Russia in public statements. Vance’s claim that Putin has ‘got himself into an awkward situation’ and wants an off ramp - was particularly cringeworthy. Politicians in their responsible positions should be researching Russian history and the history of the conflict but they are obviously not doing this - just as British politicians are not researching the claim that we humans are causing the climate to change - which is the ultimate in hubris. If it is mandatory for a lawyer to learn law in order to operate, then it should be mandatory for politicians to learn about the important and relevant issues that will help them operate effectively as politicians.

The difference between these rank amateurs and their professional Russian counterparts is as wide as the gulf that separates Ukraine and Russia in the negotiations!

The only agreements coming out of the exchange was a 1,000 for 1,000 prisoner swap and a commitment to meet again. Each side will bring their ‘roadmap’ for a ceasefire to the meeting.

The Phone Call

You can watch Putin’s 3 minute statement on X.

Here is Ushakov’s Summary:

The conversation was quite long, lasting 2 hours and 5 minutes;

▪️At the beginning of the conversation, Putin congratulated Trump on the birth of his 11th grandson, wishing health to the newborn and the US leader’s daughter;

▪️The conversation was frank and constructive, and took place in a mutually respectful manner;

▪️The leaders discussed the state of relations between Russia and the United States and spoke in favor of their further normalization;

▪️The presidents discussed issues of prisoner exchange, the Kremlin reported on the discussion of plans to exchange citizens according to the 9 for 9 formula;

▪️Trump sees Russia as one of the most important partners of the United States;

▪️Putin and Trump agreed to continue dialogue on all issues, including Ukraine;

▪️The leaders do not rule out holding a personal meeting, the place and dates have not yet been determined;

▪️There was no talk in the conversation about the time frame for reaching a possible agreement on a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine.

Zelensky-Trump Response

I don’t think they get on.

The once great Z said that he will wait for Russia’s proposals to be presented but will not concede any territory and will not abandon ambitions to join NATO. He also considered the possibility of high level delegations from the US, the EU, Russia and Ukraine meeting in Turkey, Switzerland or even the Vatican.

Donald Trump was impressed with the talk suggesting that the ‘tone and spirit of the conversation was excellent’. He revealed that he and Putin had talked about largescale trade between the countries once the war is over. Trump also suggested the Vatican as a possible venue for a meeting.¹ He also stated that the ‘warring parties’ (i.e. Russia and Ukraine) should be left to negotiate alone, neglecting to admit that the US is also a ‘warring party’. But Trump also implied that the US would remain part of negotiations for now. He also lied when he said that the conflict should have remained a European problem given the indubitable fact that the US has been heavily involved in Ukraine for decades. US policy has long involved regime change in Russia and the dismantling/dismemberment of the country into manageable pieces: such a policy was repeated by Callous Kallas quite recently. The US pushed NATO eastward, it nurtured a Nazi-Nationalist culture in Ukraine that was fervently anti-Russian, it armed Ukraine to the teeth (Trump boasted that he gave them javelins), it provided intelligence, it trained Ukrainian soldiers and it helped to overthrow a legitimate government in the 2014 Maidan coup while installing a new one in its place. Immediately prior to the SMO, the Ukrainians were about to attack the LPR and DPR with massive force.

The US is still providing arms, technical assistance and intelligence which is being used to kill Russian soldiers and for terrorist attacks on Russian civilians. So, Trump’s attempt to exclude the US as a ‘warring party’ is simply nonsense. When he says that ‘this is not my war’ he is being dishonest. If this is not his war, he could simply walk away, taking the military arms and assistance with him. This would end the war in a very short time.

Trump is reported to have said that the US will not be involved in further negotiations and rejected the idea that sanctions will be imposed on Russia - which the Europeans are introducing. The rift between Trump and the Globalist Europeans is clearly widening.

Putin in Kursk

Vladimir Putin visited Kursk on Wednesday and talked to volunteers and residents. The destruction of war monuments in Kursk was characteristic of the neo-Nazism they are fighting against, he said. He then gave a mini pep talk. Mine clearing has not been completed therefore many can’t return home yet. Having a dig at the neo-Nazis, he said that they couldn’t even win second place in an ‘idiot’ contest. Putin was visiting the construction site of a new Nuclear Power Station in the region.

Medvedev On Ukrainian Legitimacy

I think he’s put on weight

Speaking at the Legal Forum on May 20th, Dmitry Medvedev took the opportunity to point out that:

Any agreements with state puppets are doomed to failure. Given this, it is important to approach the final legal settlement of the Ukrainian conflict from a legal point of view. It has been said more than once that among the main set of actors in the Ukrainian regime there are no persons authorized to conclude a peace treaty. And this is a big problem.

No one on the Western side appears to appreciate this. Zelensky’s legitimacy expired more than a year ago and Ukraine’s constitution does not allow an extension of his tenure. Therefore, the whole parliament is illegitimate and elections should have been called.

Cheekily, Medvedev also suggested:

….that there is another path for the Kiev regime, which has also been repeatedly stated. This is the path of unconditional surrender. Such a formula for peace also exists in international law. To be honest, many in our country like it much more.

Medvedev was also critical of the World Bank and the IMF which are financing the Ukraine war ‘in violation of their own mandate'.

For those who are interested, Russian diplomat, Maxim Musikhin discusses the problem of legitimacy in this brief article from Tass.

We Will Protect Orthodox Believers - Lavrov

Sergei Lavrov has reassured Orthodox believers in Ukraine, who have been the subject of oppression and violence from the Kiev regime, that Russia will not abandon them. Lavrov noted that:

The authorities in Kiev have brought [the UOC] to the brink of legal liquidation… Churches continue to be seized, vandalized, and attacked, along with priests and parishioners.

Upholding the rights of these people is perfectly consistent with Western liberal morality but Westerners have ignored the fact that the Ukrainian Administration has denied certain rights to Russian speakers which they view as universal². For European leaders, morality is a tool, not a principle.

Lavrov also warned against the rise of Nazism and Satanism. So, Lavrov is making it clear that Russian will afford protection to Russian speaking people throughout Ukraine. Whether they will do so by invasion or by forcing referenda, remains to be seen. But it is obvious that this cannot be achieved while the Banderite Nazis are in place.

The Ukrainian administration has threatened the Ukrainian Orthodox Church that unless it breaks completely with the Russian Orthodox Church, it will be liquidated through the courts - which serves to justify Lavrov’s concerned remarks.

‘We Don’t Want a Ceasefire’ - Russian Soldiers

The New York Times recently interviewed a number of Russian soldiers on their attitude to the SMO which revealed that a 30 day ceasefire would not be acceptable to them. One soldier said:

We’re all tired, we want to go home. But we want to take all of the regions, so that we don’t have to struggle for them in the future, Otherwise, have all the guys died in vain?

By ‘all of the regions’ I think he is talking about the four Oblasts that have joined the Russian Federation. If they are not allowed to take these regions they will feel betrayed: that their comrades had died in vain. They are also concerned that if they stop now they will still need to continue the fight sometime in the future. So, they want to get it over with pronto.

The attitude of military people is important: it is impossible to ignore because they and their families have borne the brunt of suffering in this war on the Russian side. Putin knows this. This is why I believe that the Russians will do everything they can to meet the objectives of the SMO - which have remained consistent since 2022. This is why I am not worried that Russia will make compromises. Russia has lost twice as many dead as the American did in Vietnam over ten years. Any compromise would indeed be a betrayal of the dead. The same feeling applies to the Ukrainian side: the difference is that Ukraine can’t win.

We Want A Ceasefire - Ukrainians

Kartopolov

Andrei Kartapolov, Chair of the State Duma Defence Committee in explaining why the Ukrainians and the Europeans are desperate for a ceasefire, had this to say:

In essence — according to my assessments — Ukraine has enough resources left to support active military operations for about a month more. After this period, in all likelihood, we will no longer witness actions as intense on their part as the current ones. The European partners are fully aware of this situation and are well informed about it. The entire position of the West is based on this. It's clear, we know it, but we're not going to meet it.

The Trump Team is coming under pressure to provide more military aid so the situation could change.

Russian Advances Accelerate

The amount of ground currently being captured (31.5 km² per day) has increased to the same level it was this time last year (see blue line).

Kursk Killer Revealed

Oleksandr Poklad of the SBU supervised the operation of Ukrainian troops in the Kursk ‘invasion’ where they committed many atrocities. He stands accused of countless murders and sabotage including the Kerch Bridge attacks. Until now, no photographs have been available of the killer. He is also photographed next to Umerov in the above photo of the negotiations.

Demography Ukraine

In 2024, 495,000 Ukrainians died while 176,000 were born.

Ukraine Terrorist Attacks

Terrorist attacks have increased substantially this week, especially overnight on Thursday/Friday when 3 people were killed and another 42 injured. According to a Ukrainian source, the Moscow region is being targeted to lure Putin into a harsh retaliation.

16th/17th May

Overnight in Belgorod, a drone killed a man riding his bicycle while another injured a man driving his car. In Kherson, four civilians were killed by shelling.

17th/18th May

Overnight in Kursk, a 69 year old woman was killed by drone drop.

18th/19th May

In Shebekino (Belgorod) a drone attack killed the driver of a car and injured a passenger. Elsewhere in Belgorod, a drone attack hit a car injuring the driver while in Kherson a man was injured by an exploding mine. Nine drones were destroyed over Bryansk and 1 over Belgorod. Also in Belgorod, on the afternoon of the 19th May, a ten year old was killed after picking up a cluster submunition.

19th/20th May

Overnight, a number of cars and a truck were hit by drones which killed one civilian and injured another seven. In Kherson two civilians were injured while tackling a fire at a store.

20th/21st May

Overnight, 41 drones were shot down over Bryansk; 37 over Oryol; 31 over Kursk; 6 over Moscow; 5 over Vladimir; 3 over Ryazan and 1 each over Belgorod, Tula and Kaluga. In Belgorod, one man was injured when a drone hit his vehicle while two women at an agricultural enterprise were injured by drone drop.

21st/22nd May

Tula

Tula region suffered drone attacks which damaged an apartment building and injured two civilians.. More than 30 drones were shot down over Moscow on the 21st May and another 26 overnight. In the DPR, a man was injured by drone drop. In total of 485 drones were destroyed over Russian territory overnight: 26 over Belgorod; 135 over Oryol; 59 over Bryansk; 121 over Kursk; 15 over Ryazan; 4 over Lipetsk; 7 over Voronezh; 3 over Smolensk; 2 over Rostov; 13 over Kaluga; 63 over Moscow and 6 over Vladimir.

22nd/23rd May

Overnight, 16 civilians were injured by missile strikes near Lgov in Kursk. Elsewhere in Kursk one person was killed and another two injured by shelling while drone attacks injured another three. In Zaporozhye, a drone attack on a car killed a woman and injured four children. Four more were injured by a HIMARS attack supported by the US in the DPR while drone strikes in Lipetsk injured 8 civilians. In Bryansk, one person was killed and another two injured by drone strikes while in Belgorod two women and a 7 year old child were injured by drone attacks on their home. 12 drones were shot down over Moscow city while 159 drones were shot down over the Moscow region and over Kursk, Oryol, Tula, Bryansk, Tver, Ryazan, Kaluga and Belgorod regions.

The Sea War

Sevastopol

16th/17th May

Overnight, Ukrainian drones attacked an ammunition depot in Perevalnoye in Crimea.

18th/19th May

Overnight, 26 drones were shot down over Crimea.

21st/22nd May

Overnight, 3 drones were shot down over Crimea and the Black Sea.

22nd/23rd May

Overnight several drones were shot down over Crimea.

The Air War (Map)

BM-21 GRAD MLRS

Russian Missile/Drone Attacks

16th/17th May

Overnight, Geraniums attacked Odessa, Kharkov, Chernihiv, Cherkasy, Vinnytsia, Dnepropetrovsk, and Poltava regions..

17th/18th May

Overnight, according to Ukrainian reports, 273 drones attacked areas around Kiev.

18th/19th May

According to the Two Majors:

At night, the enemy counted more than 30 "Geranis" in the sky over Ukraine. Explosions were reported in the Kirovograd, Cherkasy, Poltava, Kharkov, Chernigiv, Cherkasy, and Nikolaev regions.

19th/20th May

According to the Majors, a total of 30 drone strikes were reported in Zhytomyr, Cherkasy, Vinnysta, Poltava and Dnepropetrovsk regions.

20th/21st May

According to the Two Majors:

Our "Geraniums" in Sumy hit two enterprises, reported power outages. Explosions were also heard in Zhitomir, Vinnytsa, Kiev, Cherkasy, Kharkov, Poltava regions.

The war head on Geraniums has increased in weight from 50kg to 90kg - almost double.

21st/22nd May

Overnight, Russian Geraniums attacked targets in Kharkov, Dnepropetrovsk and Poltava regions.

22nd/23rd May

Overnight, Geraniums attacked Kyiv, Chernivtsi, Zhytomyr, Ivano-Frankivsk, Mykolaiv, Cherkasy, Poltava, and Dnipropetrovsk regions.

The Ground War

Russian heavy artillery

Russian MoD Reports

w/e 2nd May 2025 9,740 Casualties killed and wounded: equipment losses 551.

w/e 9th May 2025 9,480 Casualties killed and wounded: equipment losses 573.

w/e 16th May 2025 8,770 Casualties killed and wounded: equipment losses 570

w/e 23rd May 2025 8,905 Casualties killed and wounded: equipment losses 487

The Front Line Cats - Troop Inspection

Cat Major - ‘Eyes front boys’.

Kursk

By the end of the week, small groups of Ukrainian forces continued unsuccessful attacks towards Novy Put.

Belgorod

Kharkov

Seversk

Toretsk

Konstantinovka

Pokrovsk-Konstantinopol

Pokrosk-Mirnograd

Novaya Poltavka was liberated on May 22nd.

Novopavlovka

Velikaya Novoselka

On the 22nd May, according to the Majors:

…units of the Vostok group began to liberate the settlement of Otradnoye. Far Eastern soldiers approached the southeastern part of the settlement. The enemy counterattacks, throwing infantry and armored vehicles into battle, but to no avail. In Zelenoe Pole, our assault groups have consolidated two blocks in the northern and southern parts of the village…. In Novopol, the clearing of the northern part of the village, as well as the area between the two settlements, has been completed.

The Economic War

US Credit Rating Downgraded

Moody’s has downgraded the US’s credit rating according to Sputnik:

Moody's Ratings (Moody's) has downgraded the Government of United States of America's (US) long-term issuer and senior unsecured ratings to Aa1 from Aaa and changed the outlook to stable from negative. This one-notch downgrade on our 21-notch rating scale reflects the increase over more than a decade in government debt and interest payment ratios to levels that are significantly higher than similarly rated sovereigns.

As a result, we expect federal deficits to widen, reaching nearly 9% of GDP by 2035, up from 6.4% in 2024, driven mainly by increased interest payments on debt, rising entitlement spending, and relatively low revenue generation. We anticipate that the federal debt burden will rise to about 134% of GDP by 2035, compared to 98% in 2024

You can read more detail at Zero Hedge. This is the first US downgrade since 1917.

De-Dollarisation

Over many years, the US has placed sanctions on many countries which have sought refuge in other currencies in consequence - thereby reducing trade in the dollar. This has happened to Iran and to Russia, for example. Both countries were forced to find alternatives to trade in the dollar. But countries such as China, watching from the sidelines, as it were, could see the writing on the wall and also started looking for alternatives to the dollar. Trump’s recent imposition of tariffs made the situation worse, especially with regard to China which has accelerated its move away from the dollar. Furthermore, many countries from the Global South, including BRICS countries, have also moved to trading in their own currencies, thereby reducing trade in the dollar. Many countries have started to view the US as an unreliable trading partner, which is not helped by the reduced credit rating above.

Some, such as China, are reducing their holdings of US debt (see above chart) which could be catastrophic for the US which is hugely indebted. De-Dollarisation is inevitable but many believe that this will take decades. However, the process does appear to be accelerating beyond these hopeful predictions - according to some. Ben Norton is among those who holds this view. He provides a fairly short and clear assessment of the current situation here. This provides much more detail including the role of inflation in making it more difficult to remedy the situation for the US. But the bottom line is that many foreign investors (i.e. millionaires/billionaires) are beginning to view investment in the US as risky - thereby accelerating De-Dollarisation.

Russia Detains Tanker

Following Estonia’s attempt to detain a Russian oil tanker recently, the Russians, in a bit of tit for tat, detained a Liberian flagged tanker that strayed into its waters.

Russian Tankers Sanctioned

The 17th sanctions package imposed by the EU targets Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ of 189 tankers. 75 individuals along with Turkiye, Belarus and the UAE have also been sanctioned. It is worth noting that the term ‘sanction’ also applies to the professional objective of a hired assassin.

Russian Firms Double Turnover

In the past three years Russian firms have doubled their turnover to $74 billions. Sanctions helped clear the market for them.

German Business Closures Reach Record High

Nearly 200,000 German businesses closed in 2024 - a 16% increase on the previous year and the highest since 2011. High energy costs are among the reasons for the closures but you can read more at Pravda.

Biden Ukraine Aid To End in Summer

According to this report, aid to Ukraine allocated by Biden will end this summer.

World Politics

Negotiate You Fools! Orban

Viktor Orban is one of only a very few sensible voices in the EU. He has been consistent in his criticism of Europe’s attitude to Russia, Putin and the Ukraine conflict. If Europe’s globalist leaders managed to secure a dose of realism, they would see that a friendly relationship with Russia would benefit their people more than one based on antagonism. Rearming due to a threat that exists only in their heads is a waste of money and denying themselves Russian energy is a moral luxury they can’t afford. So, Orban is quite sensibly suggesting that the Europeans resume negotiations with Russia.

Kallas Incompetent

Kaja is top right in the pink dress.

Apparently, Kaja Kallas has been removed from EU Defence Policy Planning due to ‘absolute incompetence’ according to Tass. She has also failed to forge relationships with EU leaders. Have a look at this German MEP telling her the truth about her capabilities to her face. He compared her intelligence to that of a hamster. Ouch!

Trump - ‘Stop the Massacre!’

‘We agree, Donald, so pull the plug now!’

Trump recently talked about ‘stopping the massacre’ but he was not referring to the genocide he is helping to perpetuate in Gaza: rather he was stating that the Ukrainians have a choice to ‘stop the massacre’ by negotiating. Marco Rubio also called for the Ukraine war to stop.

In an interview with the International Press, General Apti Alaudinov, leader of the Akhmat special forces, explained that Ukraine is controlled completely by the US and Europe. Every day is a minus for Ukraine because the continued loss of territory threatens its integrity as a state:

we, having these four regions as part of the Russian state, do not intend to leave them to Ukraine. So it turns out that for Ukraine, every day that this conflict drags on is a minus, and it is not a fact that Ukraine will preserve itself as a state. That's all.

The withdrawal of US support will ‘stop the massacre’, so stop the support now Donald, or Ukraine could cease to exist. Then you would be known as the President who not only lost a war but lost a state in the process. Not even Biden managed that.

Harry S Truman Exits Red Sea

The Truman has left the Red Sea via the Suez Canal having sustained damage from Houthis attacks, according to some.

Iran Sticks To Its Guns

In the face of some threatening and contradictory remarks from the Trump team, Iran’s Foreign Minister Araghchi, has insisted that:

We want a fair and balanced agreement, an agreement formalized within the framework of the NPT³ with full respect for Iran's rights in the atomic sphere and explicitly guaranteeing the full lifting of sanctions.

I am sure that most of the world will regard Iran’s request as reasonable. But Witkoff has ridiculously claimed that the US will not allow Iran even 1% enrichment which appears to suggest that the US wants war. This was stated in hubristic, exceptionalist and arrogant language that assumes that the US has a right to demand this. On whose authority Stevie boy? Not long before this, JD Vance said that it was acceptable for Iran to retain its peaceful nuclear program. Witkoff’s demand, based on what he erroneously termed a red line, is so outlandish as to make one wonder whether he is being serious.

Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei, responded by saying: ‘No one in Iran is waiting for their permission. The Islamic Republic has its own policies and direction and it will stick to them’.

With regard to Israel, Araghchi made the obvious point that:

The international community must confront the reality that the Israeli entity, which systematically violates international law, resorts to rampant militarism, and enjoys virtual impunity, cannot have a place in any sustainable regional security framework.

This sounds like a riposte but it is warranted and true. Hopefully, the world is confronting that reality.

Last week I reported on a possible rift between Trump and Bibi which appeared to fit with some promising reports about negotiations between Iran and the US, along with rumours about a ceasefire and the transfer of aid to Gaza. The ceasefire hasn’t happened and the aid arrangements have been totally inadequate so far. Trump himself has denied claims of a rift between him and Bibi - as you can read at Zero Hedge. But reports have been conflicting to say the least, which has inspired scepticism among some.

While visiting Saudi Arabia, Trump called Iran the biggest threat to the Middle East and demanded it stop supporting ‘proxies’ such as Hezbollah and the Houthis. So, Trump is increasing his demands to levels he must know that the Iranians will not accept. He also appeared to be attempting to divide Arabs from Persians and hoped for better Arab Israeli relations: neither of which is likely at the moment. Among the sceptics is Professor Marandi, who believes that this has all been ‘Trump theatre’ and that the neo-cons will get their war - which they will live to regret. Marandi speaks about this issue with Jamarl Thomas in this 42 minute video.

It is difficult to judge whether Trump doesn’t really know what he is doing and is out of his depth (along with his team) or is trying to resist the neocons desire for war while creating the impression that he is on board with them. But there’s very little of the politician in Trump, or diplomatic empathy. He probably has no idea how much the Iranian people will be insulted by this and enraged by these demands. This is US neo-colonial exceptionalism at its most stark - and Trump doesn’t have a clue - Doh!

However, I can’t believe that the businessman in him would want a catastrophic war with Iran. Israel is threatening to attack Iran’s peaceful nuclear facilities with or without the US but perhaps they hope that once the attacks has begun the US will be dragged into the conflict to rescue Bibi from an Iranian pummeling. I think this is possible because Bibi is so desperate he would take the world down with him - the same attitude Hitler had in his bunker as the Russians knocked on his door in 1945.⁴ Alex Krainer believes that the Israeli lobby, which has congress in its pocket, will force the US into war - which would be a catastrophe for everyone involved. But Araghchi has made it clear that Iran will hold the US responsible for an Israeli attack and will respond accordingly. I assume this means that US bases in the ME will not be spared in Iran’s retaliatory strikes.

Nicusor Dan Wins Romanian Elections

When anti-establishment Simonian won the first round of votes it seemed unlikely that pro-West Dan could win the second round but he did. To be honest, I would have been surprised if the globalists had allowed a Simonian victory and I am suspicious of this result. Simonian has submitted a complaint of electoral interference from France.

Rubio Tells The Truth - with his eyes

I don’t really like you!

Wacky Westerners - Francken

Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken recently announced that Belgian troops would go to Ukraine as part of a peacekeeping force following a ceasefire. In a recent interview, a reporter asked him about Russian objections to European forces on Ukrainian soil, he claimed that ‘it is Russia that must leave Ukrainian territory’. There’s that moral ‘must’ again - but what happens if they don’t want to leave - you moron?

Protests

There has been a huge increase in pro-Palestinian protests this week

London

London held a massive demonstration against the genocide in Gaza on May 16th when 500,000 protested according to the Socialist Worker.

Dublin

The Hague

According to this report, more than 100,000 attended the demo. They demanded that their government stop supporting Israel.

Tunisia

Thousands gathered in Tunis last weekend to protest against the displacement of Palestinians and the genocide in Gaza.

Morocco

Thousands marched in Morocco calling on all Arab and Muslim countries to stop the genocide in Gaza.

Yemen

Tribal gatherings in support of the Palestinians, such as that above in Sana’a, have taken place all over Yemen.

Eurovision Song Contest

Protesters shouted ‘free Palestine’ during the Israeli contestant’s performance at Eurovision in Basel, Switzerland but the chants were censored.

Mexico

On the 18th May, thousands gathered in Mexico to commemorate the 77th anniversary of the Nakba⁵ and to condemn the genocide in Gaza.

The emerging Multi-Polar World

Algeria Joins BRICS Development Bank

The move was confirmed by NDB Chief Dilma Rousseff (pictured) at a meeting in Cape Town signaling growing Global South alignment.

Russia-China Forum

The Russia-China Forum concluded on May 20th in the Russian city of Khabarovsk with 34 cooperation agreements made on the economy, culture, tourism and ecology.

That’s it for another eventful yet somewhat upsetting week. Many thanks for you views, subscriptions, shares, restacks, follows, likes and comments. Have a good week. Best Rob

Non subscribers can view Updates on Telegram: https://t.me/UWUupdate.

1. The Russians aren’t keen as you can read here.

2. e.g. freedom of religion.

3. Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

4. Hitler wanted Speer to destroy all that could sustain life in Germany because in his view the people did not deserve to survive.

5. In 1948, 750,000 Palestinians were ejected from their homes to create Israel. This event was called the Nakba.