The 23rd June will long be remembered for the terrorist attacks on bathers at a beach in Sevastopol and on holy places in the Caucasus.1
Many will not know that the Americans have their hands dripping with the blood of the many dead and maimed on this day - a very holy day. US personnel assisted in directing the deadly cluster munitions onto their so vulnerable targets in Crimea.
At a time when Russians have been marking the Nazi invasion of 22nd June 1941 (Hitler’s Barbarossa), they have suffered yet more terror - which is one of the reasons the Ukrainians attacked at this time. But the 23rd June 1944 also marks the beginning of Bagration and this particular June 23rd is Holy Trinity Sunday for Orthodox Christians.
On this June day that will live in infamy, The Evil Empire provided vindication for all those who have opposed it over many years. The attacks will disgust and anger, but they will also inspire. It appears that Russia will no longer allow Western surveillance drones in the Black Sea to assist this sort of carnage - and will start shooting them down or disabling them.
The release of Julian Assange, a morale boost for those who never expected it to happen, is also inspiring.
The genocide in the Middle East continues as Israel appears to be redirecting its attention from Gaza to Lebanon to face Hezbollah rather than the still undefeated Hamas. An invasion of Southern Lebanon is promised but hasn’t materialised yet. I’ve seen reports that the Houthis are now employing ‘hypersonic missiles’ over the Red Sea - but have no way of confirming them. Hey Vladimir - send them some Kinzhals.
The European leaders, who think they are so wonderful, have now become thieves - and are not intelligent enough to see that they will not gain anything from stealing Russian assets (see below). Indeed, Europeans have much to lose if investors dump the Euro for ‘safer’ currencies.
In the first Trump-Biden debate, it appears that Donald J dominated his ‘stuttering’ opponent and panicking Biden supporters are regretting that he was allowed to run for second term. Some say that Hilary is waiting in the wings to replace him.
On the battlefronts in Ukraine, there has been little movement but plenty of dying, especially among Ukrainians. Russian MoD figures, which I trust as much as anything in all this, have reported record Ukrainian casualties at more than 2,300 in a single day! Such figures are staggering and records are now being broken on a weekly basis.
The Russians have the initiative in all Directions, yet the Ukrainians are promising a counter offensive - soon.
It’s been another eventful week.
June 22nd 1941 - The Great Patriotic War Begins
On this day, Hitler launched Barbarossa and the Great Patriotic War began. Around 27 millions Russians were to die in the conflict. Muscovites lit 1,418 candles: one for each day of the war. You can see some amazing images here if you have Telegram or on X.
Holy See’s Wisdom
Pope Francis has become one of the few Westerners to give Putin’s Peace Proposal A Chance. The Pope said that the Vatican shares Russia’s wider concerns about the ‘deteriorating situation in the world’ - which is significant. I have no idea what the Pope thought of the deal. Sputnik discusses it briefly here.
Russian Dead Not Welcome Here
Last week, I reported that Estonia had banned Russian dogs from competing in its ‘agility contest’. So as not to be outdone, Lithuania has come up with something even more childish: it is attempting to relocate the graves of Soviet soldiers who gave their lives to defeat Nazism. Such monuments to the dead, which have been interred outside the Cathedral of the apostles of Peter and Paul in Šiauliai, could be ‘propagandising totalitarian, authoritarian regimes and their ideologies’ according to the Lithuanian authorities - which shows just how much Lithuania is involved in the propagandising of Western totalitarian, authoritarian regimes and their Woke ideology. The authorities want the Russian dead moved from outside the Cathedral to the cemetery. RT discusses the story here.
Russia Bans Western Media
In retaliation for the Western banning of Russian media, the Russians have limited access to broadcast resources for 81 ‘foreign’ media outlets. These include Le Monde, La Stampa, Der Speigel and so on. Moscow has said that these restrictions will be lifted when restriction on Russian media are restricted.
Jungle Josep is alleged to have responded thus:
Russia's decision to block a number of European media outlets is severe censorship, while the EU's decision to block Russian media outlets is a fight against disinformation.
Typical Rules Based Order drivel: ‘do as we say not what we do’.
UK, Germany and France Train Nazis
Members of the Nazi Centura group are being trained by the UK (4,500), France (3,000) and Germany (7,500). A large majority of these soldiers are ideologically neo-Nazi and admirers of Hitler/1930s Germany.
Z Replaces General
Zelensky has replaced the commander of the AFU joint forces, Lieutenant-General Yuriy Sodol, with Brigadier-General Andriy Gnatov. Sodol was seen drinking in a restaurant in Odessa while the Russian were breaking through at Toretsk. His replacement, Gatov has been sentenced to 28 years imprisonment in abstentia by a Russian court for crimes committed against citizens of the Donbass. You can read more at RT. According to Alexander Mercouris, one of the leaders of the AZOV brigade told the Guardian Newspaper that a certain general had been responsible for more Ukrainian deaths that any Russian general - and it is believed that Sodol was the general he referred to. In sacking this general it appears that Zelensky may have been acting in accordance with the wishes of the Azov brigade.
Z Talks About Negotiations
‘We have to find and prepare this plan. We don’t have too much time’, he said, ‘because we have many wounded and dead people’. The peace plan will form the basis for a new Summit, he added. I have no idea whether he still expects Russia to withdraw its forces as a precondition for negotiations but he also said that he doesn’t want the conflict to drag on for years. It’s hard to know what to make of this but he appears to be saying that negotiations are necessary because Ukrainians are suffering heavily on the battlefield and that Ukraine is therefore running out of time. I have no idea whether he was told to say this or not - but I’m not sure that Zelensky has really advanced beyond his acting/comic stage. We should not forget that Z is only acting as a politician.
Ukraine Destroys Radiation Control Post
Ukrainian shelling has a destroyed a radiation monitoring post (above) close to the Zaporozhye NPP - according to Sputnik. Manual monitoring of the area indicates that radiation levels are normal.
Ukrainian/US Terrorist Attacks (those that target civilians)
21st/22nd June Overnight
Villages in Belgorod suffered drone attacks and shelling which injured two civilians. Many villages in Kursk also came under attack from drones and shelling which damaged a grocery store but no casualties have been reported. 17 drones were suppressed by EW in the border regions. Meanwhile villages in Bryansk also suffered drone attacks and shelling but no casualties. However, a woman was injured by drone debris in the LPR. In Donetsk City, HIMARS rockets with cluster shells killed three while in neighbouring Gorlovka, a drone attack on a civilian minibus injured three.
22nd/23rd June
Drones attacked the city of Energodar landing near an electricity sub station and a residential area. No casualties or damage was reported. It is not clear whether the Zaporozhye NPP was being targeted. An unspecified number of drones were shot down over Smolensk and Yartsevo overnight but there were no reports of damage or casualties. Bryansk, Tula and Lipetsk were also attacked with drones, 30 of which were intercepted. No casualties were reported. Belgorod was less fortunate as drone attacks killed one and injured three. Buildings and cars were also damaged.
23rd June - Beach Massacre in Sevastopol
A massive missile attack in Sevastopol (between Kazacha Bay and Lyubimovka) killed 4 (including 2 children) and injured more than 1242 on the beaches (including 27 children). An ATACMs missile armed with cluster shells did the damage after being shot down. Many of the victims were children playing in the sands and there is no doubt that US operatives have blood on their hands. Sputnik reports on the incident here, confirming that the US is responsible for the massacre. Some believe that the beaches were chosen because the attackers knew that the targets would be numerous and bunched together. Others believe that a cathedral in Sevastopol was the original target and that Russian air defences caused one of the ATACMS to explode over the beach.
The attack was thought to have been assisted by an American RQ-4B Global Hawk surveillance drone which was seen in the area. The Military Chronicle reported that the drone was behaving strangely and may even have been disabled.
Those who directed the attack are murderers - pure and simple.
The Russian Response
Maria Zakharova urged the UN Secretary to condemn the attack but the statement from his office said, simply, ‘civilian casualties must be avoided’.
A Spokesman for the Russian Investigative Committee had this to say:
There is no doubt that the United States is involved in this sinister crime. Washington and its satellites have created and nurtured a neo-Nazi regime in Kiev, actively nurture and support their Ukrainian puppets, wage war with their hands against Russia and encourage them to commit acts of international terrorism, murder Russian civilians, including using one of the most terrible types of inhumane weapons – cluster munitions. The answer to this crime will surely follow.
The US allowed Ukraine to use cluster munitions against infantry as part of last summer’s offensive: mainly because normal ammunition was in short supply. Cluster munitions are suitable for killing people rather than solid military targets such as bunkers or airfields so should not have been employed in civilian area such as Sevastopol. Dr Gilbert Doctorow talks about it here. I should say that I frequently see reports of cluster munitions being used to attack civilians - especially in the Donbass.
The Russians presented US ambassador Lynn Tracey with a démarche - which is a very strong form of diplomatic protest against the actions of another government. The Kremlin believes that the attack was intentional and therefore constitutes a war crime. The Kremlin also stated that it now considers the US to be party to what is a proxy war in which the US is using Ukraine to attack Russian civilians. Alexander Mercouris discussed the matter here.
This is probably the reason for Lloyd Austin’s phone call to Andrey Belousov on the 25th June but I have no idea what they talked about apart from Belousov’s expressed concern about the danger of escalation due to the US’s continued supply of munitions to Ukraine - according to the Russian MoD. You can read more at Tass.
What will the Russians do next is the question now on everyone’s lips. How will they retaliate? Alexander Mercouris believes that this could take the form of arm sales to the US’s enemies whereas Larry Johnson believes that something more than this is being considered. But both commentators agree that Russia will not act impetuously. Dmitry Orlov agrees that Russia will serve its revenge cold by providing sophisticated arms to organisations that may want to strike America’s numerous military bases around the world. Russia will be able to plead ‘plausible denial’ and the US may not be able to provide proof that Russia provided arms directly to the assailants.
The Kremlin has told the US that both countries are ‘no longer at peace’ but does that mean they are at war?
On June 28th, according to Slavyangrad, Defense Minister Andrei Belousov instructed the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces to take measures to promptly respond to US provocations over the Black Sea as US air traffic increases. I am not sure what this means exactly but it sounds ominous. It could mean that Western surveillance drones could be suppressed by EW? It could also mean that Western manned aircraft suspected of preparing terror attacks are legitimate targets.
It should also be noted that North Korean engineers are on their way to the Donbass front. Simplicius and The Military Chronicle provide reports.
Podolyak
But for Zelensky’s adviser, Podolyak.:
There cannot be “beaches” in Crimea, and the civilian population of the peninsula are also “occupiers” who, by their presence, cover military installations.
So, Crimean people are ‘occupiers’ of their own country which they will never return to Ukraine. Of course, Podolyak knows this.
23rd June - Terrorist Attacks in Dagestan
Russia’s Anti-Terrorism Committee gave the following report following terrorist attacks in Dagestan on Sunday evening:
This evening, armed attacks were carried out against two Orthodox churches, a synagogue and a traffic police post in the cities of Derbent and Makhachkala. As a result of the terrorist attacks, according to preliminary information, a priest of a Russian Orthodox Church and police officers were killed. Law enforcement agencies are taking all necessary measures to search for and apprehend the criminals
The synagogue was set alight with Molotov cocktails and police on duty outside and inside the building were killed. Early reports indicate that at least 15 police officers, a priest and several civilians have been killed.
According to the Military Chronicle:
Three of the 6 destroyed [killed] terrorists were identified as the son and nephews of the head of the Sergokalinsky district Omarov. The group was led by his son. Omarov himself has already been arrested - all of them come from the village of Sergokaly.
Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Zhang Ming told Sputnik that he expresses condolences in connection with the terrorist attacks in Russia's Republic of Dagestan, adding that there can be no justification for terrorism. ‘The SCO will persistently strive for the complete eradication of terrorism’, Ming said.
It seems that the emerging MPWO is starting to do the work that Western organisations have abandoned: in this case the work of ‘security’.
These attacks have obviously sought to cleave open cracks in Russia’s multi-ethnic/religious differences but they will not work simply because the Russian people, unlike those of the West have differences rather than divisions.
23rd/24th June
Many Belgorod villages came under attack overnight including Murom where 3 civilians were injured in a drone attack and Grayvoron where one civilian was killed and three injured. Three drones were shot down over Rostov and many villages in Kursk suffered drone attacks and shelling. These caused some damage to buildings and cars while injuring several civilians, according to this report. A total of 11 drones were suppressed by EW in the border regions. In the DPR, Ukrainian attacks killed one and injured three others.
24th/25th June
Belgorod was attacked overnight by two waves of drones directed at residential buildings but 29 were shot down - according to the Military Chronicle. Fourteen civilians were injured in Belgorod villages by drones and shelling which also caused some damage to houses and cars. In Bezymeno, a man was injured when his car was attacked by a kamikaze drone. Another two drones were shot down over Voronezh. EW and small arms fire destroyed 10 drones in the border regions. Three civilians in the DPR were also injured by 155mm shelling.
25th/26th June
Belgorod was attacked with shelling and drones overnight which injured two civilians. Five cars were damaged in the parking lot of Grayvoronskaya Central District Hospital injuring two civilians. Many villages in Kursk also came under attacks which injured two civilians. 34 drones were disabled in the border areas. In the DPR, 3 civilians were killed and another nine injured by shelling.
26th/27th June
Villages in Belgorod came under attack overnight with drone strikes on civilian motor vehicles but no casualties - according to the Two Majors. Many villages in Kursk also came under fire from shells and drones but no casualties were reported. 20 drones were either shot down or disabled with EW in the border areas. In the DPR, 155mm shelling killed one and injured another six.
27th/28th June
Both Belgorod and Kursk came under attack from shelling and drones overnight but only two casualties were reported. 32 drones were disabled in the border regions. In Bryansk, 5 ‘aircraft like’ drones were destroyed.
The Air War (Map)
Russian Missile/Drone Attacks
21st/22nd June
According to the Two Majors:
Last night, a combined strike was carried out on the enemy's rear facilities. Tu-95MS aircraft, Kalibr missiles, and Geran UAVs were used. Explosions were heard in Pavlohrad, Khmelnitsky, Vinnytsia, Volyn, and Lvov Oblasts. In the city of Stryo (Lvov Oblast), there were reports of power outages after the strikes.
The energy infrastructure was also attacked. The Russian MoD reported that the attacks were in retaliation for Ukrainian attacks on Russia’s energy infrastructure, including oil depots. Warehouses storing drones, ammo and Western airborne weapons were also attacked, according to RT.
23rd/24th June
Warehouses containing missiles and weapons were attacked overnight near the airport in Odessa. According to Rybar:
Russian troops struck targets in Zhytomyr, Ternopil, Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk and Kharkiv Regions. According to reports, the targets of the attack included the Vasylkiv airfield and energy infrastructure facilities.
26th/27th June
Kinzhals, Kalibers and Geraniums attacked close to Kiev (marked with a heart) overnight. A second wave of Geraniums was also deployed - according to Slavyangrad.
27th/28th June Overnight
Many airfields which the West will be using to deploy F-16s were attacked overnight. The port at Ilyichevsk in Odessa also came under attack.
Ukrainian Missile/Drone Attacks
21st/22nd June
Ilsky oil refinery in Krasnador was attacked causing some damage.
22nd/23rd June
On the 22nd June, Ukraine attacked the Kurchatov Nuclear Power Plant (Kursk) with HIMARS. It appears that all missiles were shot down.
25th/26th June
Overnight, two drones aimed at a military facility were shot down over Smolensk.
26th/27th June
Four drones attacked the Redkino chemical plant in Tver. Three were shot down while one drone damaged the roof of the plant.
27th/28th June
In Tambov region, a drone hit an oil depot causing fire which was quickly extinguished.
The Ground War
Russian MoD Casualty Reports
This week, on the 25th June, daily Ukrainian casualty rates reached a record 2,345 - which is staggering. Russia’s use of FAB-3000 bombs in Kharkov may have contributed to the casualty rates but Ukraine’s use of untrained or inadequately trained units certainly did not help. Ukraine’s administration is claiming to be mobilising 5,000 a day - which I do not find credible given the degree of resistance. But it could be true.
Weekly Reports
w/e 7th June 11,140 Casualties killed and wounded: equipment losses 447.
w/e 14th June 12,795 Casualties killed and wounded: equipment losses 409.
w/e 21st June 13,710 Casualties killed and wounded: equipment losses 452.
w/e 28th June 13,820 Casualties killed and wounded: equipment losses 474.
The losses of w/e 28th June set a new record.
The Fronts
Front Line Cats
Kharkov
Volchansk - Detail
This week in Volchansk, the Ukrainians have attempted to rotate and withdraw troops across a narrow bridge over the Volchya river (see video) - suffering heavy losses in the process. The Military Chronicle provided the following report for June 28th:
In the Kharkiv direction near Liptsy there have been no changes per day. The enemy continues to accumulate armored groups in the landings, and ours are working on them with artillery and the Aerospace Forces.
In Volchansk, multi-storey buildings are ironed by our TOSs. Fighting is taking place on the territory of the Aggregate Plant, to the east of Oles Dosvitnogo Street and Korolenko Street to Zernovaya Street and Khleboroba Street, there is a vast gray zone in which the Armed Forces of Ukraine sit and shoot at each other, which is typical for street fighting.
Ukrainian reinforcements have managed to prevent a Russian breakthrough here but at the cost of weakening other sectors of the front.
Liptsy
In the Glubukoye area of Liptsy, the Ukrainians continue to launch raids in which they are taking heavy casualties. Fighting continues around Zelenoye where the Russians are having difficulty dislodging Ukrainian units due to the high activity of drones.
Kupyansk
Fighting has begun for Stepnaya Novoselka and continues near the outskirts of Stelmakhovka.
Siversk
In Seversk Direction fighting is especially fierce around Rasdolovka and Belogorovka - according to the Two Majors.
Chasiv Yar
In the eastern part of Chasov Yar, the Russians are ‘ironing out’ multi-storey buildings occupied by the Ukrainians whose forces are also attempting to counter attack on the flanks.
Bakhmut - Toretsk
By the end of the week, fighting continued in Krasnogorovka where the Russians have occupied most of the city. According to one Ukrainian source, their forces in this area are exhausted, there are no reinforcements and the city will be abandoned soon. Shumy was also liberated earlier this week.
In the Uhledar Direction, further progress was made south and southwest of Novomikhaylovka in the direction of the Konstantinovka - Ugledar motorway. Once this is reached, Ukrainian logistics will become complicated.
Toretsk - Detail
By the end of the week, according to the Military Chronicle, Russian troops entered the villages of Zalizne and Yuzhnoye in the Toretsk Direction. Fighting continues on the outskirts of Severnoye, Nyu-York and Dzerzhinsk (Toretsk) - according to Sitrep. The Chronicle also reports that according to Arestovich, former adviser to Z, 6 battalions of infantry refused orders to counterattack in this Direction during the week.
Avdeevka
On June 28th, according to the Two Majors:
West of Avdeyevka, the RFAF are attacking in the direction of Novosyolovka1st. Near Yasnoborodovka, our troops are pushing through the AFU defence in the direction of the village, attacking with the support of motorised rifle units. We managed to gain a foothold in the built-up area near Yasnobrodovka. On the southern edge of the front at the positions near Karlovka, the RFAF are using all available firepower to grind down the enemy's defence lines.
Zaporozhye
By the end of the week, the Russians were advancing on the village of Zagornoye having destroyed the advanced positions of the AUF.
Kherson
Fighting continues near the Antonovsky bridge. According to the Two Majors:
Our units are having a hard time advancing in the island zone: the constant work of enemy drones makes it difficult to bring drinking water, rotate personnel and evacuate the wounded. The hot season makes it difficult for soldiers to contract infectious diseases if they drink water from reservoirs and wells.
The Economic War
Tatanya Bakalchuk To Create Alternative to Swift
Tatanya Bakalchuk is a billionaire who runs ‘Bakalchuk’s Wildberries’ - Russia’s answer to Amazon. Bloomberg is reporting that Putin has asked her to create an alternative to the Swift payment platform for cross-border transactions. Sanctions against Russia have denied it use of the Swift payment system - as you probably know.
China Bites Back
China is to impose sanctions on Lockheed Martin’s executives in retaliation for the company’s supply of arms to Taiwan. They will also be banned from entering China.
Poor Germans
It seems that the destruction of the German economy is proceeding even faster than expected as the Swiss Business Institute judges its economic competitiveness to be greater than Luxembourg but not as good as that of Thailand. You can read more here. Bankruptcies of German firms at 11,000, are 30% higher in the first six months of 2024 than they were during the first six months of 2023.
Ukraine Agriculture Sold To Blackrock
Apparently, the once great Z has sold his country’s agricultural industry to US giant, Blackrock ,according to Alastair Crooke.
EU Turns Thief
The EU has finally decided to steal $billions in interest from frozen Russian assets, and give them to Ukraine in the form of a loan, as I discussed last week. Russia will probably steal an equivalent amount of European assets so won’t lose overall. But Europe will gain nothing apart from denting its reputation as a safe place to keep money. The cost of this is incalculable - according to Dmitry Orlov.
World Politics
Assange Free
Julian Assange has been granted bail and has left Belmarsh Maximum Security Prison (where he spent 1901 days in a 2m x 3m cell) to fly to Saipan where, according to a US spokesman:
We anticipate that the defendant will plead guilty to the charge… of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified information relating to the national defense of the United States.
As part of this ‘plea deal’ Assange will be allowed to return to his wife and children in Australia. He will be free! Assange suffered years of torment because he dared to provide people with the truth. I wish him well. You can read more at RT.
Trump’s Deal
Donald J has enlisted the support of some experts to contrive a plan to end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours of his election. And America’s role as the head of the Unipolar World Order shines through the assumptions their politicians make. First, both countries will be told to adhere to a ceasefire - then Ukraine will be told to negotiate or lose all military aid and Russia will be told to negotiate or Ukraine will be provided with more aid. This is the head teacher telling his pupils that they must do as he instructs - but the problem is that Russia does not see itself as needing to be taught anything, or instructed in anything by the leaders of a failed system. The deal doesn’t even provide the reassurance that Ukraine may not join NATO one day. Mercouris talks about it here.
The fact that Trump believes this will work appears to highlight both his ignorance of the conflict and his ignorance of Russians. But sadly for Americans, this casts doubt on the capacity and willingness of a Trump administration to change anything to improve their lives.
It is not clear what Trump will do when Putin tells him to take a hike. I am no expert, but I can’t see why Russia would want to enter any negotiations that do not recognise the liberated oblasts as part of the Russian Federation or disrespect its need for security (Dmitry Pescov was quick to make this point after the deal was published). Surely, Trump must realise this if he has been paying attention. All five oblasts have voted overwhelmingly to join Russia - so does anyone out there seriously believe that Putin is going to tell his fellow Russians in Ukraine: ‘sorry, you may have to go back to Ukraine, depending on the negotiations?’. We all know that this will not happen - so Trump should have a rethink and maybe get better advisers.
If Trump has been paying attention, he must know that Putin has, for a long time, been calling for better security arrangements in Europe. NATO is not really qualified or authorised to do this: it is outside of its current scope. So, it is not surprising that Russia and other ‘eastern/southern’ nations should also want something like this.
Anyway, Putin has now reiterated this requirement for better security arrangements agreed by all countries (European and Asian) - and NATO will feel threatened.3
Mark Rutte - New NATO Secretary
Former Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutter, has been appointed NATO General Secretary in place of Old Stolty. He will take up his position on October 1st. Some say he is a more hard line ‘Westerner’ than his predecessor. Time will tell.
German Protests 22nd June
Kaiserslautern played host to a demonstration against NATO, the supply of arms to Ukraine and peace with Russia instead of World War Three. The demonstration took place outside a US air base and some placards read ‘Ami go home’. You can see some footage on CCTV.
Farage/Trump - West Provoked Russia
Both Nigel Farage and Donald Trump have publicly expressed the view that the West provoked Russia into attacking Ukraine by pushing NATO eastward - against promises from the US that this would not happen. It should be noted that Farage and Trump are allies and may even be friends - so maybe the timing of these statements has been planned - who knows. But this is a narrative change that represents a significant departure from the claim that Russia’s attack on Ukraine was unprovoked.
Most of you will know this already but for two of the big players in this drama to make such an announcement in unison demonstrates that the forces arrayed against the globalists are gaining in confidence: anyway that’s how it appears to the optimist in me.
When pressed on the issue, neither politician backed down. Thus, it appears that going into election campaigns both are confident that they can ‘sell’ this idea. However, I think the claim that Russia was provoked may be more difficult to sell on this side of the pond than the other side. Trump has huge support but Farage is weak by comparison - though his party’s popularity is growing. It will be interesting to see what part this will play in his election campaign. But I wish him well - as one of the UK’s representatives of sanity - alongside George Galloway (unlikely bedfellows). Alex Christoforou, discussed the issues here.
Rishi Sunak was quick to come out with the weather worn cliches, accusing Farage of ‘appeasement’. This one goes back to Neville Chamberlain and the Munich Agreement of 1938. He was also accused of being a ‘danger to Britain’s security’ and ‘playing into Putin’s hands’. But such claims are preposterous. Telling the truth about NATO expansion to include Ukraine is hardly appeasement and presents no security risk to the UK. Anyway, the issue allowed Sunak to impersonate a statesman for one last time.
Kaja Kallas Replaces Jungle Josep
Kallas will be the new EU Foreign Minister, replacing Josep Borrel. At a press conference with old Stolty, she embarrassed herself with the claim that: ‘We have to define victory as our goal in the war, because you can’t win a war if victory is not defined as a goal’. She’s beginning to sound a lot like Kamala. Sorry Kaja but victory can be achieved even if it is not defined as a goal. But her statement makes it clear that the West is at war with Russia and that the moral imperative for Ukraine to win will be part of her narrative going forward - so it appears.
AfD To Create Pro-Russian Faction In EU Parliament.
The Alternative for Germany party is to create a pro-Russian group in the EU parliament under the name ‘Sovereigntists’. They believe in the right of people to self-determination which has been suppressed by European ideologies and replaced by the dictatorship of authoritarian bureaucracies - according to Slavyangrad.
Western Hypocrites - Habeck
Germany’s Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Affairs, Robert Habeck, has the nerve to criticise China for providing Russia with ‘dual use’ products that could assist Russia’s war effort. ‘This must stop’, he said. Yet it is OK for Western countries to provide weapons worth billions to Ukraine which they then use to kill Russian civilians on beaches in Sevastopol. No wonder top Chinese officials didn’t want to see him.
Orban Banned?
Daniel Freund, a German MEP from the Green Party, sent a letter with 20,000 signatures to the President of the European Council, calling for the suspension of Hungary's upcoming presidency of the Council of the EU. You can read more here. So much for European democracy then. According to Slavyangrad, Orban has demanded the recognition of Transcarpathia as a traditional Hungarian region - as a condition for allowing talks on EU membership for Ukraine. This will make him even less popular with Europeans than he already is. It will be interesting to see how this develops.
Wise Westerners - RFK Jnr.
Writing on X, according to Slavyangrad, Kennedy warned about escalation in Ukraine citing the example of Vietnam, which, he said, began to undermine perceptions of the US as a moral leader. Ukraine has served to cement this view among many countries:
Many of the undecided are choosing BRICS instead of NATO for moral and economic reasons that are easy to understand. In this war, America is risking death on its own sword.
Wise Westerners - Friedrich Merz
The CDU leader, who had previously supported military aid to Ukraine is now pushing for negotiations. Merz will be challenging Scholtz for the Chancellorship according to the Times - reported in Sitrep. Given that the AfD also supports negotiations, German policy towards the conflict could soon change.
Wise Westerners - Alastair Crooke
Here, Alastair Crooke demonstrates why he is considered to be one of the wisest political commentators out there. Alastair Crooke: Putin Reshaping the American Mood - YouTube - 32 mins.
The emerging Multi-Polar World Order
On Falling Empires:
Even a slight weakening of its powers is catastrophic to a falling empire. Faced with this, it has to wave its fists about - as if to say: ‘I am still the alpha male’. But the old ape is greying, the muscle in his arms is shrinking - and he is starting to feel the tiredness associated with longevity. Yet he still believes in his youthful invincibility. Such is the fate of apes, humans and Empires.
New BRICS Applications To Be Postponed
BRICS countries have voted to postpone new applications in order to focus on the assimilation of recent new members and to agree of different categories of membership, according to Sputnik.
That’s it for yet another eventful week. Many thanks for your views, subscriptions, likes, shares and comments. I should say that the ‘substack’ version of Ukraine Weekly Update is a year old this week though the family and friends version had been going for around a year before that. - best Rob
Non subscribers can view Updates on Telegram: https://t.me/UWUupdate.
Some Westerners may be totally or partially ignorant of the attacks, as I found when talking to friends after reading about it through Russian sources.
This was later revised to over 150 injured.
Even a slight weakening of its powers is catastrophic to a falling empire.
Trying to understand the mentality of "the West" vs. Russia via Putin:
1. To paraphrase Dubya Bush's dancing monkey Karl Rove, "While you are sifting through the tea-leaves of our recent Crimes, we will already be committing new Crimes." Once you accept that the USA is a Criminal Enterprise masquerading as a Democracy, you might begin to understand what is going on.
2. Russia is a stoic culture, not a hand-wringing basket case. While endless words are written about what Russia is doing and why, it is always from the perspective of ignorance, often willful. Russia survived Bolshevism. Europe and the United States will not survive the revival of Feudalism. There is no safe castle anywhere, in any country, even in the vaunted Totalitarian State of New Zealand.
"But sadly for Americans, this casts doubt on the capacity and willingness of a Trump admin..."
LOL Ya think?
Kaja Kallas - well, she's a lot better looking than Borell...
Russian Note To The U.S.: Your Drones Are Now Targets
https://www.moonofalabama.org/2024/06/russian-note-to-the-us-your-drones-are-now-targets.html
About frickin' time...
"Such is the fate of apes, humans and Empires."
That's because humans are apes and Empires are run by apes. Everyone needs to remember that the difference between humans and chimpanzees is 1.5% in the genetic code.