Ukraine and World Affairs: Weekly Update

27th June 2025

c/o Colonel Cassad

Tel Aviv

I have to say that this has been yet another hectic historic week: an emotional roller coaster even for people such as myself who are simply watching from a distance. It has been unpredictable, perplexing, fast moving, inspiring, in some ways, and impactful in many unwelcome ways. Much death and destruction has been visited on many innocent people in the Middle East particularly in Iran and Gaza. A war was fought between Israel and Iran in which the former probably caused more damage and certainly inflicted more civilian casualties than the latter (610 dead compared to Israel’s 12) but for various reasons (discussed below) Israel had to sue for peace. It had lasted just 12 days.

This week exploded around midnight on June 22nd, the same date that Hitler invaded Russia in Operation Barbarossa¹, when the US attacked and claimed to have destroyed 3 Iranian nuclear sites enriching uranium - at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan. Immediately after the attack, Trump claimed that Fordow ‘has gone’. Israel had previously attacked and caused some damage to these sites. B2 bombers equipped with bunker buster bombs were allegedly used. Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi has admitted that the damage to Iran’s nuclear facilities is ‘significant and serious' but they were not completely destroyed. I have no idea who is telling the truth. The IAEA is reporting that there is no radiation leaking from the sites which appears to be consistent with the Iranian claim. The fact that Israel attacked Fordow again on the 23rd June suggests that Trump is not being entirely truthful.

Trump called the operation ‘midnight hammer’, bragging that only the US forces could have carried out such an attack.

Pepe Escobar called it ‘an enormous PR stunt'. ‘It smells and walks and talks like a gigantic rat’, he claimed. Two days before the strikes, so it is claimed, everything that was important was removed from Fordow following a warning from the US that it would be attacked - which is strange. After the strike, Trump said that this was a one-off that would not be repeated should Iran decide not to retaliate.

Ate this point, the big question on everyone’s pursed, whispering lips was ‘what will Iran do?’. Will it attack US airbases, or close the Strait of Hormuz? Or will it consider a more measured response by increasing the destruction of Israel? Iran will need to act because ‘its honour has been damaged’, according Foreign Minister Araghchi. Thus, actions that restore honour will be among those chosen as part of its response.

On June 23rd Iran announced that it is leaving the much discredited IAEA. A spokesman said that Iran cannot accept the obligations of any Non Proliferation Treaty without enjoying the rights it bestows (i.e. the right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes). It should be noted that the IAEA did not even condemn the attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Sergei Lavrov actually supported Iran’s decision - other countries will be reconsidering their membership.

How dare you!

On the other side of the negotiating table - as it were - are infants like Marco Rubio who appeared to be annoyed that Araghchi went to Moscow to see Putin after the attack rather than coming to Washington to negotiate an Iranian surrender. He appeared to be genuinely disappointed and/or insulted about this rebuttal. Poor Marco, you should take some lessons in diplomatic realism. What a plonker you are. In response, Iranian leader Pezeshkian said: “The demands of the enemy for Iran to return to diplomacy are now inappropriate. The door to diplomacy is definitely closed’’. Oh Dear.

The Europeans, predictably, refused to condemn Israel for attacking another sovereign country without provocation yet they condemned Russia for attacking the Ukrainians after much provocation and a request from the DPR and LPR for help. The Europeans make judgements based on who you are not on what you do. They chanted in unison ‘Iran cannot have nuclear weapons’ - but it’s OK for Israel to have around 300.

The Ayatollah has never been more popular.

John Bolton showed how out of touch he is with reality when he claimed that Iran is on the verge of regime change. He has obviously not seen videos of the massive demonstrations against the US in Tehran or images of the crowds embracing leader Pezeshkian. He doesn’t have the sense to see that the US/Israel’s actions have made regime change unlikely - which was predictable.

On the 23rd June, the Iranians closed the Strait of Hormuz and launched an attack on the large US airbase in Al-Udied, Qatar and followed this with its largest attack on Israel so far. The Qataris and the Americans were fore warned of the attacks on the airbase and there were no casualties. Donald J said that he has no intention of responding to this attack and announced his intention to end the war in days asking for a ceasefire which came into effect on June 24th. Trump has even taken to using expletives in criticising Iran and Israel for breaking the ceasefire.

His immaturity is shining through.

JD Vance joined in the charade by claiming that Trump got the ceasefire ‘across the finish line'. So, the US lights a fire that kills hundreds then tries to claim the credit for putting it out. These people live in fantasy land yet Trump will probably get the Nobel Peace Prize for this. But a ceasefire is not a peace so it settles nothing while the genocide in Gaza continues. It must be noted that Israel has never conformed to a ceasefire so I don’t expect it to start now. Hopefully the Iranians will now obtain some decent air defence from Russia - ready for the next round.

So why did Israel sue for peace?

Alexander Mercouris, has seen reports that Israel was running out of ‘Arrow’ interceptor missiles: hence the panic. Supplies into the country were also threatened as the Iranians had targeted sea and air ports. But according to Alastair Crooke, the Israelis realised that they were suffering too much damage from increasingly violent Iranian missile attacks and the efficacy of their air defences was noticeably decreasing. So, the writing was clearly on the wall: it was obvious that Israel would soon be overwhelmed. This is why they called for help and a ceasefire. But Trump was also alarmed by the increase in oil prices as panicked markets reacted at the prospect of an Iranian closure of the Strait of Hormuz. As a businessman, Trump therefore concluded that a ceasefire would be prudent. The Ukrainians can now forget about getting extra air defence.

Perhaps it is the case that Trump was sold an idea by Netanyahu that Iran could be ‘regime changed’ through a combination of conventional bombing, especially of civilians, along with terrorist activities within Iran by sleeper cells, the activation of political activist to foment a ‘colour revolution’, the attempt to cut off the head of the snake through assassinations and an appeal to the Iranian people to rise up (which Bibi made) plus a ‘Juan Guaido type’² successor waiting in the wings. The Israelis even threatened Iranian generals and other senior officials with death unless they withdrew their support from the Iranian regime. But this failed for various reasons, including unforeseen loyalty to the Ayatollah. In a video, Dr. Foad Izadi discusses the erroneous assumptions the Israelis made that accounted for their failure.

Summary/Timeline

Based on many accounts of the events I have read and listened to, it is possible that events unfolded as follows.

After being persuaded by Netanyahu that regime change in Iran is possible, Trump agrees for Israel to attack on Friday 13th June (unlucky for some). After initial success, efforts at regime change falter and Bibi soon realises that Iran is too powerful. Israel takes damage to infrastructure and military facilities, starts running out of ‘interceptor’ missiles while its civilians are introduced to the horrors of war and Bibi pleads with Trump for help. Donald obliges on June 22nd with an attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities which may or may not have destroyed all of its enriched uranium. This is a ‘pretend’ objective just for show to mask the real objective of regime change and was founded on a non-evidence based report from the IAEA which Trump chose to believe rather than the report provided by his own intelligence services. Then Donald demands ‘unconditional surrender’ in an attempt to imitate US Grant. Later he claims that any response from Iran will be met with resounding force. The Iranians pull out of the IAEA then they attack the main US base in Qatar - and Trump, contradicting himself, announces that he will not respond. The US and the Israelis ask Iran for peace and a ceasefire comes into force on June 24th. Then Trump triumphantly takes credit for ending a war that he and the Israelis started.

The Outcome

So - Trump’s alleged objective of destroying Iran’s peaceful nuclear program, following the above events, may have led to Iran still holding lots of enriched uranium which can no longer be monitored and Iran is more likely to develop a bomb than it was on the 13th June. According to this report from CNN, all three nuclear sites are operational with centrifuges intact and enriched uranium not destroyed. Yet Trump and others believe that the enrichment facilities have been totally destroyed. If this is true, it is rather strange that Iran made no effort to intercept the alleged B-2 bomber attack.

Furthermore, the regime change operation, which was probably based on wishful thinking, failed to materialise and the Iranians are more united than they have ever been. Viewed as a wider attack on BRICS: in particular, Russia, China and Iran, the failure of the operation will persuade the three to take measures to strengthen their collective and individual security which they may not otherwise have taken. They will be concerned about the multi faceted attack by the West in Iran, including the terrorist ‘decapitation’ method and will take measures to guard against this form of warfare. China has realised that its vital energy supplies from Iran are under threat and could take economic measures against the US, including the suspension of rare earth mineral supplies to the MIC. Well done Donald!

The Future

The Russians and the Iranians are aware that this ‘ceasefire’ does not mark the end of the Iran-Israeli conflict as John Helmer discusses here. A Moscow source known to Helmer said:

This [war] is not ending. This is not the beginning of any end either. The Iranians have been hurt and damaged; they are bleeding. No one should underestimate what’s been done to them. No one should underestimate the scale of the internal bleeding. But with that, the state, the Islamic Republic, however difficult as a partner, must remain. That’s the key. Russians and Chinese can’t do it by themselves. No amount of logistics and materiel can.

Israeli General, Eyal Zamir, confirmed this when he said that ‘the campaign against Iran is not over. We have concluded a significant chapter: we are entering a new phase'. The Israeli people are right behind him.

But Iranian leader Khamenei’s response to the situation was triumphant:

Expecting Iran to submit to another country is among the absurd delusions that will undoubtedly become a subject of ridicule. Our cultural and civilizational roots are thousands of years older than America. Iran is — and will remain — victorious

However, as Alastair Crooke eruditely points out here: this is not a ceasefire: no agreements have been signed, no parameters or rules defined, nothing has been agreed regarding violations - and so on.

In the light of the above, it follows that Iran was not obliged by Trump’s ‘declaration’ to dismantle its nuclear program; to halt its missile program (both of which Trump has previously demanded) or to withdraw support to Ansar-Allah and Hezbollah. So this ‘ceasefire’ is a ‘nothing burger’ to employ a popular phrase.

The Israelis will use any Iranian movement at their nuclear sites as an excuse to break the ceasefire. If this happens Iran should attack Israel immediately - in my view.

According to this report, Trump claims to have given up on regime change but the Israelis haven’t.

In a joint statement, BRICS nations have condemned the attacks on Iran and its peaceful nuclear facilities and called for a ‘nuclear free’ Middle East. The US still opposes uranium enrichment and the Iranians insist that this will continue. So, after all this death and destruction we are back where we started - though there will be no IAEA and no negotiations with anyone - for the moment, at least. But the impression on invincibility Israel has encouraged for many years is in the trash can.

Paradoxically, Trump is not insisting that Iran sign any deal regarding enrichment which he believes is now years away and he has no objections to Iran selling its oil to anyone. In fact, as you can see here, he praised Iran’s bravery and sympathised with the Iranians and their need to rebuild the country. According to this report from Janta Ka, sanctions have been lifted on Iran as part of a deal in which this concession was made to persuade Iran to cease hostilities when Iran had Bibi on the ropes, if not on the canvass. But Bibi the smiler may also have been involved in the deal. Trump has asked for the charges against Netanyahu to be dropped and his trial dismissed - talk about foreign interference! But this may have been a concession granted as part of a deal proposed by Trump which would include a new settlement in the Middle East and an end to the genocide in Gaza. I am sure that the people of Palestine will be wary of any proposals coming from Orange man.

Alex Krainer believes that there is method in Trump’s apparent madness having participated in some theatre alongside Iran to defuse a situation which Israel allowed to get out of control. In other words, Trump was behind the regime change operation but when this failed and it became clear that Iran was too strong for Israel, he engaged in a charade that claimed to destroy Iran’s nuclear enrichment so that this ‘problem’ was taken off the table. Iran’s ‘retaliation’ was all part of the show. This is an interesting theory typical of Alex Krainer. He could be right - who knows? Alex is one of the last remaining expert commentators who believe that Trump is still against forever wars and NATO but minority views are not always wrong - as we know.

The Iranians will be very wary of the Orange Man, having been fooled before. So they will take what he says on social media with a pinch of salt. Some are saying that Israel won this war which is a ridiculous claim given the fact that Israel asked for the ‘ceasefire’ - which is not in dispute.

In Gaza, the genocide continues as dozens of Palestinians are being killed while attempting to receive aid. In one 24 hour period, the Israelis killed 103 and injured 219 innocents. But the IDF is also suffering many casualties as a revitalised Hamas sets traps for unsuspecting soldiers. The Houthis are still sending the odd missile into Israel: the ‘ceasefire’ does not affect them, while violence continues in Syria where in Damascus a suicide bomber killed 22 before blowing himself up in a church.

Z in a suit - finally.

In Ukraine, the much neglected Zelensky has announced that he wants to lead Ukraine until the end of the war. He admitted that he may not be the best person for the job but he is ‘the most experienced'. Zelensky attended the NATO leaders’ meeting but did not attend workshops (see below). At the European Council (Strasbourg), Zelensky signed a deal to convene a ‘special tribunal’ to prosecute Russia for the ‘crime of aggression against Ukraine’. These people are trying to create their own symbolic reality that will impact on absolutely nothing and on absolutely no one. Of course Zelensky is still pressing for NATO membership and he managed to meet with Donald J for around 50 minutes. He will be disappointed that 95% of Hungarians have voted against Ukraine joining the EU. To add insult to injury, a recent poll showed Zelensky in third place with a rating below 20%. Zelenskyy will also be disappointed that Trump does not want to impose more sanctions on his enemy and has dismissed a secret team within the US National Security Council charged with formulating strategies designed to inflict strategic defeat on Russia. Finally, it seems that the Ukrainian economy is on the brink of collapse.

What a week.

Putin Meets Araghchi

Putin met with Iran’s FM on the 23rd June, after the US attack but before the Iranian response. Following the meeting, Putin strongly and publicly condemned the illegal attack on Iran and defended its right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes. He also confirmed that ‘Russia is taking steps to support the Iranian people'. Following the meeting, Kremlin spokesman Peskov confirmed that:

We have offered our mediation efforts. We have stated our position. This is one form of support for Iran. But going forward, everything will depend on Iran’s needs.

This could include military materiel.

Putin At SPIEF

Putin Quotes

“You spoke about the regions in Ukraine that we consider ours. Russians and Ukrainians are one nation. In that sense, all of Ukraine is ours." From Simonyan on X.

Putin: ‘Russia and China aren't shaping the new world order — it's rising naturally, like the sun. We’re only paving the way to make it more balanced’

'We support Iran and its struggle for legitimate interests, including peaceful use of atomic energy'. 'Those who say Russia is not a reliable partner are provocateurs'

It has to be said that Putin must be balanced in his relations with Iran and Israel because he has a huge Muslim population in Russia and 2 million Russian speaking Jews in Israel.

Key Takeaways From Putin Interview at SPIEF

On Ukraine’s Surrender

Asked whether he is seeking Ukraine’s ‘unconditional surrender’ he said:

“We are not seeking the surrender of Ukraine. We insist on recognition of the realities that have developed on the ground.”

On Ukraine’s Deteriorating Negotiating Position

At each stage, we suggested to those with whom we were in contact in Ukraine to stop and said, ‘Let’s negotiate now. Because this logic of purely military actions can result in your situation getting worse, and then we will have to conduct our negotiations from other positions, from positions that are worse for you.’ This happened several times.

On Foreign Fueled Conflict

“Those who are guided by old, neocolonial principles, including and above all in Europe, thought that now they would easily profit at the expense of Russia: crush it, destroy it, annihilate it, and receive some dividends from this.”

On Ukraine’s Sovereignty

The grounds on which Ukraine became independent and sovereign were set out in the Declaration of Independence of Ukraine of 1991, where it is clearly written in black and white that Ukraine is a non-aligned, non-nuclear, neutral state. It would be a good idea to return to these fundamental values on which Ukraine gained its independence and sovereignty

I have said many times that I consider Russians and Ukrainians to be one people, in fact. In this sense, all of Ukraine is ours.

Dirty Bomb Would Be A Mistake

Asked about Ukraine’s possible use of a dirty bomb, he said:

Our response will be very harsh and, most likely, catastrophic for both the neo-Nazi regime and, unfortunately, for Ukraine itself. I hope that they will never come to that

He also said that Russia has no evidence that such a bomb is being prepared.

Ukrainian Military Thinned Out

They got into Kursk Region. First of all, they lost 76,000 people there. It was a disaster for them,” “In the end, as we said, we drove them out of there, but they created a threat to us... along the entire line of the border with Ukraine, in two other neighboring regions….They pulled apart all their armed forces. It is hard to imagine bigger stupidity from a military point of view.

They actually lengthened the front by 1,600 kms which made life more difficult for them, he said.

Will Russian Troops Go Deeper

Putin advised that Russia is creating a buffer zone which is already 12 km deep. Asked whether they would go to Sumy, he said:

We don’t have the goal of taking Sumy, but in principle, I don’t rule it out.

The Body Exchange

There are some bizarre claims being made in relation to the body exchange - or one side of the exchange between Russia and Ukraine. Apparently, the Ukrainians have accused the Russians of including Russian soldiers in the exchange. In support of the claim they said that many of the corpses had Russian passports! I kid you not. Only 300-500 relatives will receive compensation immediately: the rest will have to wait 4-5 years.

Kidnap Commanders Identified

General Moskalov

Russian military investigators have identified Major General Eduard Moskalov and the commandant's press officer, Colonel Alexei Dmitrashkovsky as responsible for the kidnapping of civilians in Sudzha, Kursk.

Ukraine Moving in Wrong Direction - Poll

Ukraine government building - Kiev

A recent poll shows that 56% of Ukrainians believe the country is headed in the ‘wrong direction’. I am amazed that only 56% of people believe this. Only 57% want elections, which is also unbelievable. 2,000 people were consulted in the survey which was conducted between June 6th-11th.

Ukraine Terrorist Attacks

20th/21st June

Belgorod’s governor reported much damage to vehicles, property and a gas pipeline but no casualties but another report claims that a married couple was injured when a drone attacked their car. In the DPR, one civilian was killed and another three injured by cluster munitions. Around 25 drones were shot down over Bryansk, Belgorod and Voronezh.

22nd/23rd June

Overnight in Belgorod, two people were injured when a drone attacked their car while a woman was injured when her home was shelled. In Shebekinsky District a drone attacked an ambulance injuring a doctor, a driver and a paramedic while another drone attacked a bus, injuring the driver. In the Donetsk city, three men were injured by when unexploded cluster munition detonated while in Gorlovka three civilians were injured by drone drop. Overnight, 14 drones were destroyed over Rostov, 5 over Volgograd and 4 over Astrakhan.

23rd/24th June

Overnight in Shebekinsky (Belgorod), a woman was injured when a drone hit the courtyard of her home while another woman was injured by drone attack on her home in Grayvoron. In Mokraya Orlovka (Belgorod) a firefighter was injured by shelling while four people were injured in Kherson. In total, 14 drones were destroyed over Kursk; 2 over Moscow and 1 each over Belgorod, Bryansk, Oryol and Smolensk.

24th/25th June

Overnight, in Belgorod a man was killed and his wife injured when a drone attacked their car. In Kursk, a man was seriously injured when a drone attacked his car. A total of 22 drones were shot down over Belgorod; Ulyanovsk; Saratov; Bryansk; Tatarstan; Crimea and Kherson. 7 more were shot down over Rostov; 2 over Krasnador and 2 over Kursk.

25th/26th June

Overnight in Kursk, a 52 year old man was injured when a drone attacked his truck while in Belgorod another truck driver was injured by drone attack. In total, 23 drones were destroyed over Kursk; 11 over Rostov; 6 over Bryansk; 3 over Belgorod; 3 over Moscow region; 1 each over Mordovia and Kaluga.

26th/27th June

Overnight, three civilians, including a child were injured by drone attack in Bryansk. In Kursk, a 63 year old Chines journalist was injured by drone fragments. In total, 19 drones were destroyed over Rostov; 13 over Volgograd and 1 each over Belgorod, Bryansk and Samara.

The Sea War

Sevastopol

24th/25th June

Overnight, 4 drones were shot down over Crimea and 2 over the Black Sea.

25th/26th June

Overnight, 2 drones were destroyed over Crimea.

26th/27th June

Overnight, 4 drones were destroyed over Crimea.

The Air War

MiG-29

Russian Missile/Drone Attacks

20th/21st June

Kremenchug oil refinery

Overnight, Geraniums attacked Krivoy Rog; Odessa and Kremenchuk. This report suggests that Kinzhals and Iskanders were used. In Kremenchuk, the last Ukrainian oil refinery was set alight. Locals claim to have counted 50 explosions.

22nd/23rd June

Overnight, Kiev came under attack from Geraniums and missiles. Explosions were also reported in Gostomel, Krivoy Rog, Chernigov, Vinnytsa, Cherkasy, Poltava, Kharkov and Sumy regions. In Kiev, the Igor Sikorsky Polytechnic, which produces drones, was attacked with Geraniums possessing a more powerful payload. Zhulyany airport, Patriot batteries and the Antonov plant were targeted. A training base for drone operators was hit in Nikolaev according to this Ukrainian source. Many drone operators and potential drone operators were lost.

23rd/24th June

Overnight, Kharkov, Kramatorsk and Odessa came under attack. Dnepropetrovsk was also attacked with a number of ballistic missiles which destroyed a military plant and a diesel locomotive repair plant. Poltava; Sumy; Zhitomir and Kharkov.

24th/25th June

Overnight, Odessa; Dnepropetrovsk; Kharkov; Zaporozhye and Sumy came under attack.

25th/26th June

Overnight, Geraniums attacked Dnepropetrovsk; Kharkov and Odessa.

26th/27th June

According to the War Chronicle:

…more Geranium-2s were used overnight than usual. Two hypersonic "Daggers" were noted for Starokonstantinov [airfield]. Explosions were registered in Zhytomyr, Kyiv, Khmelnytskyi, Cherkasy, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, Mykolaiv, and Poltava regions.

The Ground War

Russian T-72B3 tank gun

Russian MoD Reports - Ukraine’s Losses

w/e June 6th 10,045 Casualties killed and wounded: equipment losses 599

w/e June 13th 9,570 Casualties killed and wounded: equipment losses 427

w/e June 20th 9,350 Casualties killed and wounded: equipment losses 410

w/e June 27th 9,130 Casualties killed and wounded: equipment losses 462

The Fronts

Luhansk

Russians raise flag in Petrovskoye

Petrovskoye was liberated on June 24th. It was the final settlement of the LPR still in Ukrainian hands.

Front Line Cats

Kursk

By the end of the week, the Ukrainians were still attempting to break through towards Tyotkinsky and Glushkovsky while attempts to break through at Tyotkino and Bessalovka were thwarted.

Sumy

On June 26th, according to the Two Majors:

In the Sumy direction, the enemy has pulled together reserves and is counterattacking near Yablonovka, Novonikolaevka, three each in Alekseevka, Yunakovka and in the area of ​​the village of Sadki, 11 attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces have been repelled. Nevertheless, the Russian Airborne Forces, having repelled three enemy counterattacks, cleared several households in Yunakovka, and advanced in the border forest belts with heavy fighting.

On June 27th, Alekseevka came under Russian control.

Kharkov-Volchansk

By the end of the week, the Russians had crossed the Volchanka river and had established a bridgehead on the southern bank within the city of Volchansk.

Seversk

Toretsk

Pokrovsk

Velikaya Novoselka

On June 26th, according to the Majors:

In the Pokrovsky (Krasnoarmeysky) direction, battles are underway near Novosergeevka, in the area of ​​Kotlino, Zverevo, Shevchenko and Lysovka. Despite the intensity of the battle, the LoC has not yet changed significantly.

On June 26th, the Russians liberated Shevchenko and Novosergeevka.

Novopavlovka

According to Colonelcassad on June 26th:

During the decisive offensive actions of the fighters of the 36th Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 29th Army, the settlement of Yalta in the Donetsk People's Republic was liberated!

In less than three days, the Transbaikalian warriors established full control over the village and installed the flags of the Russian Federation, thereby completing its liberation.

In the course of five days, this is the third settlement liberated by the Vostok group (after Zaporozhye and Perebudovo).

The Economic War

Russia’s Economy Healthy

According to Finance Minister Siluanov:

Russia’s economy has grown by over 4% — higher than the global average. We took this seriously and succeeded, because we supported people — their real incomes rose by 7%.

Eurasian Economic Union Meet In Minsk

The EAEU met in Minsk this week. It is ten years old and is now a global centre of economic development, according to Vladimir Putin. Almost all trade in conducted in national currencies (not the dollar). Trade within the bloc has doubled, reaching $97 billion in the past year.

World Politics

NATO Heads of State Meeting - June 24th/25th The Hague

Vladimir Zelensky is in the photo but was not invited to the working meetings. He was allowed to speak at some point and claimed that Ukraine is also fighting North Korea, China and Iran. He also begged for more money.

Please increase your investments in Ukraine and joint weapons production.

In an obvious example of projection he claimed that Putin needs the war to secure his political survival.

Then, in a bid to frighten the Europeans into coughing up he said:

Our intelligence confirms that Russia is planning operations in NATO countries. This means that we must stop Putin in Ukraine.

According to this Ukrainian source, the leaders attending the meeting avoided talking about long term commitments to Ukraine.

The leaders agreed to increase military spending from 2%-5% of GDP which will no doubt cause hardship if it is enforced. At the meeting, Donald (‘Daddy’) Trump was highly critical of Spain because it will not spend more than 2% of GDP. Trump once talked about abandoning NATO - i.e. when he was the ‘peace President’. But now having inhabited the clothes of a ‘war President’ - he is talking about strengthening NATO.

Kallas Blunders

What did I say?

A Sinn Féin MEP has criticised air head Kallas for telling the Irish to shut up because they have not experienced ‘atrocities, mass deportations, suppression of culture and language’. He has asked for an apology given her total ignorance of the British oppression and even enslavement of the Irish.

EU Leaders’ Summit

The 27 leaders of EU countries agreed to extend sanctions on Russia for another 6 months. But a proposal for an 18th sanctions package was vetoed by Robert Fico of Slovakia. According to this report, Von der Leyen could face a vote of no confidence due to her alleged involvement in making money illegitimately from Covid vaccines. Macron has broken ranks by stating that Europe cannot arm itself ‘endlessly’ and must be prepared to talk with Russia. This was on of the most sensible things to come out of the meeting.

Spain - ‘Suspend EU-Israel Trade Agreement’

It seems that someone with a conscience, i.e. FM Jose Manuel Albares, will be asking the EU to cancel the trade agreement it has with Israel.

Protests

Mauritania

Hundreds took to the streets of Mauritania to protest against the Gaza genocide and the attacks on Iran.

Berlin

Thousands gathered in Berlin chanting ‘Free Palestine’ and ‘Stop the Genocide'

Sweden

Hundreds gathered in Stockholm to protest the genocide in Gaza.

London

Thousands gathered in London to protest Israel/US attacks on Gaza and Iran.

Argentina

Thousands demonstrated in Buenos Aires against the genocide in Gaza.

The US - Hands Off Iran

Massive demonstrations have taken place in many major US cities over last weekend including Washington, Chicago and Los Angeles.

International Forum For Peace - Brussels

While the warmongers of NATO and the EU were meeting in The Hague, the Peace Forum met in Brussels to demand an alternative path to that of war: one based on justice, dialogue and human dignity. 50 social, political and diplomatic delegations called for the dismantling of military blocs and the promotion of multilateral dialogue and disarmament. You can read more at teleSUR.

The emerging Multi-Polar World

SCO - Defence Ministers Meet in China

Defence Ministers who are part of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation met in Qingdao, China on the 25th/26th June. The Iranian Defence Minister (above) was there.

At the meeting Russia’s Andrei Belousov said:

Many hotbeds of instability are being created around the world. Including in the borders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation member countries and the Organisation's perimeter. The situation in the Middle East has escalated significantly

He also noted that:

In the Asia-Pacific region, the activities of certain states to create closed, block structures of anti-Chinese and anti-Russian directions have a destructive impact on stability.

Chinese Defence Minister, Dong Jun said:

At a time when international situations are intertwined with chaos and change, it is particularly important for the SCO to play the role of a stabilizing anchor. China is willing to work together with all member states to uphold the original aspirations of the SCO and promote the "Shanghai Spirit," firmly defend international fairness and justice, jointly address security challenges, and promote the steady and long-term development of defense and security cooperation in moves to provide stronger support for building the shared home featuring solidarity, mutual trust, peace, prosperity, development, good neighborliness and friendship, as well as fairness and justice.

They also agreed to cooperate and coordinate measures to combat terrorism and regime change operations (i.e. colour revolutions). The meeting was judged to be a success.

Two years ago this week I published my first Update as you can see here. I had been reporting to family and friends for a year prior to that, initially for my wife who was not keen on my frequent verbal ‘updates’. In that Update, I had 168 views, one ‘like’, from my wife, and one share. Anyway, I enjoy doing the Update as much as ever and really feel privileged to be alive in these times and able to contribute, if only in a small way, to the historical narrative that is being shared by many of us. On June 26th, I published an article entitled The Four Horsemen on Rubio, Vance, Hegseth and Trump which some may not have seen. Thank you all for supporting my efforts to make the Busker available to as many people as possible. Have a good week - best Rob

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

1. A date that will ‘live in infamy’ for the Russians much more than Pearl Harbour did for the Americans. In Operation Barbarossa the Germans attacked the whole Russian country in a war of annihilation, while the Japanese attacked a little island hundreds of miles from America.

2. Trump attempted to use Guaido as part of a failed regime change operation in Venezuela during his first term.