Ukraine Weekly Update

10th January 2025

Courtesy of Rybar

Orthodox Christians celebrated their Christmas Day on the 7th January, the day after we took our decorations down here. As far as I know, no ceasefires interrupted the killing in the 56 conflicts that rage around the world. Nothing has really changed in the Middle East where Israel continues to murder civilians and the resistance forces continue to be effective. A ceasefire in Gaza has yet to materialise. HTS continues to execute its Shia enemies in Syria while the Europeans offered a bit of theatre in the form of a visit to Damascus by the Foreign Ministers of both France and Germany - see below. In the north, Turkish forces continue to engage with US backed Kurds.

The new Ukrainian offensive in Kursk has been bloody but the Ukrainians refuse to give it up. This is war driven by optics rather than military strategy and most of the men asked to fight it will inevitably be maimed or killed in a vain attempt to impress Western funders. This happened most notably at Krynki in Kherson but it continues to happen in Kursk, where the Ukrainians, not having been satiated in their appetite for death, have come back for ‘seconds’. It is no surprise, therefore, that desertions are on the increase. The manpower shortage that flows from casualties and desertions is exacerbated by the fact that the 2024 mobilization effort harvested only 25% of its target - which did not keep pace with losses. The shortage of manpower is being felt on the battlefronts as the Russians advance in Pokrovsk, Toretsk, Kurakhovo and elsewhere.

A narrative change which involves an acceptance that Ukraine will be obliged to concede territory and will not be allowed to join NATO, may gain some ground thanks to statements by Marcon and Trump respectively (see below). It will be interesting to see how this develops.

Zelensky himself appeared agitated in a recent interview in which he was both insulting and profane (see below). The once great Z did not serve his cause well and presented the worse side of his character, coming across as angry, abusive and irrational. The RoW will be taking note.

But Zelensky must be fearful:

Like one that on a lonesome road doth walk in fear and dread and having once turned round, walks on, and turns no more his head; because he knows a frightful fiend doth close behind him tread.¹

Surely, Zelensky must realise that there are demons behind him who are ready to plunge a knife into his back. Moreover, he must also know that he has been betrayed by Westerners who promised him much but failed to deliver. He has good reason to be agitated.

In the US, both Trump and Musk are using social media to make it clear that the attempt to Make America Great Again and keep Europe firmly under its thumb is serious (see below). Trump has talked about gaining territory in Greenland and Canada (see below). Perhaps he is keen to show his domestic audience that there are ways of making America great again that do not involve winning proxy wars against Russia or Iran (neither of which is possible). But Trump’s theatrics may also be aimed at BRICS and its attempts to free itself of the Hegemon and its currency.

Europe will stay under US control for now but there is nothing Trump can do to prevent the decaying of an Empire or the rise of its nemesis. The sooner he comes to appreciate this and seeks an accommodation with BRICS, the better. But I am not hopeful that this will happen anytime soon.

Those crazy Europeans continue to squabble while their gas reserves are being depleted by the cold weather. To add insult to injury, on instructions from the US, Zelensky has cut off Russian gas supplies - as a token of thanks for all the aid Europe has provided and all the refugees it has taken in and cared for. Make no mistake, the Biden Administration, has orchestrated this as a last slap in the face to Europe in a fit of pique inspired by the failure of his profitable Ukraine venture.

It’s been another eventful week.

Happy Orthodox Christmas To Those Who Celebrate It

Zakharova Ridicules Baerbock

Touché

Last week I reported that Annalena Baerbock was calling for the Russians to abandon their bases in Syria. This week Maria Zakharova provided an appropriate riposte to the intellectually challenged German Foreign Minister:

And this is said by the foreign minister of a country where US military bases are located. My question is: isn't it time, from the point of view of the head of the German Foreign Ministry, for her to say something similar to Washington?

Touché

Mobilisation Woes

During 2024, the Ukrainians managed to mobilise only 200,000 which was well short of the target of 500,000 needed to replace losses. In contrast, 470,000 Russians signed up for the military. in 2024.

Zelensky

He was in a bad mood!

In his latest 3 hour interview with US blogger, Lex Fridman, the once great Z resorted to swear words as well as insults to express his dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs. He appeared agitated throughout the interview. It is clear that he feels let down by the West and this is justified.

‘I sincerely despise [the Russians]’, he said, because they did not listen to him at the beginning of the SMO . Russians ‘need someone to save them’, he added, by way of projection. Medvedev responded by reminding Z that the ‘entire Russian people despise the bastard'.

When asked about corruption Zelensky claimed: ‘we have the most complex anti-corruption program in Europe’. However, complexity does not guarantee efficiency. Zelensky was also critical of the West’s failure to sanction Russia effectively, suggesting that such promises to do so were 'bullshit'. In the sense that 15 sanctions packages by the EU have failed to work, this is true. He expressed the same style and tone when he talked about the Budapest Memorandum which purports to offer Ukrainian security guarantees in exchange for renouncing nuclear weapons. ‘It is just a piece of paper that no one gives a shit about’, he said, which is true. Zelensky is still pushing to join NATO and after Trump’s recent statement, he must now be certain that this will not happen. He also said that ‘no one gave a fuck’ about his country - which is also true.

Ominously, Z also expressed a commitment to continue the war against Russia in a ‘hybrid form’ even after a peace deal is signed - in order to exact revenge. This may make it necessary for Russia to occupy the whole country.

You can read more at Pravda.

Zelensky was visiting the US air base at Ramstein (Germany) this week where his porkie pies grew to inedible levels. According to Zelensky’s fantasies, the Ukraine offensive was his biggest victory of the whole war and forced Russia to relocate 60,000 troops from the Donbass. Can I remind everyone that the latest Russian MoD figures indicate that Ukraine has now lost more than 50,000 men since the Kursk Offensive started (see Russian MoD figures below). Ukrainians at this source are scathing in their judgement of Zelensky’s false claims.

Poor Anne of Kiev (155th Brigade)

She was raised in Kiev and was once Queen of France

On Jan 2nd, b from the Moon of Alabama wrote an article about the ‘Anne of Kiev’ Brigade (155th Brigade²) which was trained in France. After the training, rank and file troops arrived back in Ukraine and were sent to plug gaps in the Pokrovsk Direction, whereas the command staff initially remained behind in France. Their commander, arriving back in Ukraine, was annoyed that many of his soldiers had already been deployed to the front. According to Sputnik, 1,700 soldiers deserted before reaching the front (i.e. 50% of the total force) and those who arrived in Pokrovsk faltered.

b highlights the mismanagement that characterised the Brigade’s formation, including inadequate training along with the absence of leadership and equipment such as drones and electronic warfare (EW). Moreover, the 122mm mortar supplied proved to be faulty and ineffective. In the light of its failures, the Brigade was split up. But the individual soldiers were not at fault: they should have received at least 6 months’ basic training and much more besides to facilitate efficient operation. Brian Berletic of the New Atlas examines this issue here. This guy knows his stuff.

According to b the Ukrainians do not replenish Brigades when they suffer casualties but allow them to deteriorate to less that one third of their original strength while creating new Brigades from recently mobilised men with zero battle experience. Then parts of these brigades are sent to plug gaps in the line. This is what happened to the poor 155th Brigade.

Surely it would make more sense to replenish the existing Brigades so that they retain experienced personnel rather than creating new Brigades. Some believe that the French training they received was inadequate and may have contributed to the debacle. But this experience is ominous and even portentous for Ukraine: these are possibly signs of a Ukrainian army close to total collapse - as Daniel Davis discusses here. The fact that Ukrainians were able to recruit only 25% of their mobilisation target for 2024 must be worrying for them.

Ukraine Terrorist Attacks

3rd January - ATACMS Attack Belgorod Region

On the 3rd January, according to the Russian MoD, the Ukrainians/US launched an ATACMS missiles strike on Belgorod region. Air defences, employing Pantsir - SM and S-400 SAM systems shot all the missiles down. According to RT, 8 ATACMS were deployed. A Russian MoD spokesman said: ‘The actions of the Kiev regime, supported by its Western handlers, will elicit retaliatory measures’.

3rd/4th January

Also in Belgorod, one man was wounded by shelling in Shebekinsky and another in Shebekino. According to the Russian MoD:

16 UAVs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were shot down overnight. 10 over Bryansk, several over Smolensk and neighboring regions.

One drone was shot down near Luga Bay on the Gulf of Finland (Leningrad region) while two civilians were injured in the DPR by 155mm cluster shells.

4th/5th January

A drone attacked a car driving along the Donetsk-Gorlovka highway killing Izvestia correspondent Alexander Martemyanov (pictured) and injuring five other journalists. Alexander (or Sasha) was a friend of Patrick Lancaster who was saddened by the loss. You can read more at Tass.

Zaporozhye drone attack killed a ten year old boy.

In Zaporozhye region, a child was killed and his parents injured when a drone attacked the car in which they were traveling. Belgorod came under attack overnight which caused minor damage and injured a tractor driver.

Over six dozen drones were destroyed/disabled over Russian territory overnight, according to Rybar:

The most drones were destroyed by air defense forces on duty in the Rostov Region - more than 30 drones in the Millerovo, Tarasovsky and Belokalitvinsky districts. As a result of the fall of the debris of several more UAVs, residential buildings and cars were damaged in Taganrog and Novobessergenovka of the Neklinovsky district.

Bryansk, Voronezh and Oryol regions also suffered minor drone attacks which caused some damage but no casualties.

5th/6th January

Overnight, Belgorod suffered drone attacks which injured a woman and a teenage girl traveling in a car. Elsewhere in Belgorod, two civilians suffered shrapnel injuries from a drone attack while in the DPR a teenage boy was injured by a drone drop as he waited for a bus.

Zaporozhye NPP Attacked

The Nuclear Power Plant at Energodar was attacked overnight with eight ‘aircraft-type’ drones - all of which were shot down but fragments of one drone caused a fire on the roof of a training centre within the complex.

6th/7th January

Overnight Belgorod region suffered drone attacks which damaged dwellings and power lines but only one casualty was reported.

7th/8th January

Overnight, five drones were destroyed over Rostov, three over Bryansk, several over Belgorod and one over Berdyansk in Zaporozhye. In the DPR, two civilians were injured by cluster munitions. Ukrainian forces killed one and injured four civilians at a gas station in Kherson. In total, 32 drones were destroyed over Russian territory.

8th/9th January

Overnight, Belgorod suffered drone attacks that damaged cars, houses and power lines but caused no casualties.

9th/10th January

40 drones were shot down at night over Russian territory. According to the Two Majors:

At night, our air defense repelled UAV raids on Russian regions. In the Rostov region, at least 16 drones were destroyed and suppressed by electronic warfare systems in the morning. In the Myasnikovsky district, in the village of Chaltyr, a fire broke out in a private house, cars caught fire. In the village of Krym, a fire broke out at an industrial enterprise. In the Kryukov farm of the Kuibyshevsky district, several buildings were damaged due to the fall of a drone. Drones were also destroyed in the suburbs of Voronezh, private houses were damaged. At least three UAVs were shot down over the Bryansk region.

One man was injured by drone attack on his home in Belgorod where many houses and power lines were damaged. In Gorlovka (DPR) a woman was injured by an artillery strike. Artillery strikes also killed two women in Zaporozhye.

In Donetsk City and the Moloco supermarket (above) was hit with HIMARS cluster munitions causing four casualties. In Svetlodarsk (DPR) one person was killed and four injured when a residential building was attacked.

The Air War (Map)

Russian heavy machine gunner hits aerial target

Russian Missile/Drone Attacks

9th/10th January

According to the Russian MoD:

Operational-Tactical Aviation, attack unmanned aerial vehicles, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces struck infrastructure of military airfields, UAV workshops and depots, as well as engaged manpower and hardware clusters of the AFU formations and foreign mercenaries.

This is the only report of Russian air attacks I have seen this week - which does not mean that more attacks haven’t happened. You can read more at Tass.

Ukrainian Missile/Drone Attacks

7th/8th January

Overnight, the oblast of Saratov, north of Volgograd (formerly Stalingrad), was attacked with drones, all of which were destroyed. However, drones or drone fragments caused a huge fire at an oil storage facility in Engels causing some tanks to explode.

8th/9th January

Overnight, the port of Berdyansk in Zaporozhye causing damage to an empty oil storage tank but no casualties.

The Ground War

Russian MoD Reports (excludes Kursk)

w/e 20th December 13,250 Casualties killed and wounded: equipment losses 519

w/e 27th December 12,910 Casualties killed and wounded: equipment losses 487

w/e 3rd January 12,455 Casualties killed and wounded: equipment losses 516

w/e 10th January 2025 13, 370 Casualties killed and wounded: equipment losses 724 (record high).

91 Ukrainian servicemen surrendered.

Kursk

Since the beginning of hostilities in Kursk region, the AFU losses amounted to up to 50,600 troops, 296 tanks, 222 infantry fighting vehicles, 161 armoured personnel carriers, 1,520 armoured fighting vehicles, 1,441 motor vehicles, 353 artillery guns, 44 MLRS launchers, including 13 of HIMARS and six of MLRS made by the USA, 16 anti-aircraft missile launchers, eight transport-loading vehicles.

The Fronts

Front Line Cats

Happy Orthodox Christmas Folks

Kursk

On January 5th, the Ukrainians launched offensive action towards Berdyn in Kursk. By the end of the day, they had lost between 11 and 17 units of equipment and 200 men - according to the War Chronicle (Sputnik claims 485 casualties). These attacks have been a disaster for Ukraine yet the Telegraph has an article with the headline:

Ukraine is humiliating Putin at the worst possible moment: Just weeks before Trump’s inauguration, Kyiv is making important advances in the Kursk region.

This was written by a Scotsman, Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, who has probably never seen a Telegram sitrep of these ‘important advances’.

On the 6th January the Two Majors reported that:

The enemy once again threw infantry and armoured vehicles into the battle, but did not succeed, losing a total of at least 35 pieces of equipment (including tanks) and more than 200 militants in the attacks. During the day, 14 enemy soldiers were taken prisoner in the area of the 'Berdin Farm.

The prisoners revealed that half the attacking units comprised ex-prisoners and forcibly mobilised men.

According to a Ukrainian source, even the Ukrainian General Staff has conceded that the latest Kursk offensive has failed and that the Russians are now advancing in four directions.

Meanwhile the Russians advanced on the village of Makhnovka. It is anticipated that the Ukrainians will launch a larger offensive elsewhere over the coming days. 20,000 Ukrainians are poised to attack between Belgorod and Kursk regions.

On the 9th January it was reported that 1,000 Ukrainians were brought under operational encirclement a Malaya Loknya near Sudzha (Kursk).

Kharkov - Vovchansk

Fighting continues in the small city of Volchansk in Kharkov which is looking a lot like Stalingrad in 1943 or Berlin in 1945.

North of Kupyansk

According to Yury Podolyaka on the 9th January:

Russian troops are gradually expanding their bridgehead on the western bank of the Oskol near Dvurechnoye, taking conrol of the hills near Zapadnoye but not yet of this tactically important settlement itself.

Svatove-Kreminna

Chasiv Yar - Detail

Chasiv Yar - Podolyaka

On January 7th, Yury Podolyaka reported that the Russians had broken through south of the railway station thereby cutting off the supply lines to the Ukrainian garrison in the refractory plant.

North West of Chasiv Yar

On January 9th, Podolyaka reported:

With the remnants of the Ukrainian garrison blocked inside the refractory plant, the Russian army launched a successful attack south of Orekhovo-Vasilievka, taking over Ukrainian positions on a hill both south and north of this village. This suggests that the advance towards the city of Kramatorsk has started.

The Slavyansk/Kramatorsk conglomeration is the final fortified area before the Dnieper.

Toretsk

Looks as though much of the city is intact but can’t be sure.

Toretsk - Detail

Toretsk - Wider View

According to Yury Podolyaka on January 8th, the Russians were preparing to attack the Toretskaya mine.

Pokrovsk

Pokrovsk - Podolyaka

According to Yury Podolyaka:

There is fierce fighting south of Pokrovsk in the area of Solenoye, Volchoye, Zverevoye and Zelenoye, with significant forces and reserves involved from both sides. The Russian army is pushing towards Udachnoye – Kotlino, which the Ukrainian army is desperately clinging to as the last line of defense preventing Pokrovsk from an encirclement.

Kurakhovo

On January 9th, According to the Two Majors:

West of Kurakhovo, our troops liberated the settlement of Shevchenko and are expanding the zone of control near it, worsening the situation of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the "pocket" to the south. Fighting is underway for the settlement of Dachnoye.

Vremivka Sector - Velyka (Bolshaya) Novosilka Detail

On January 8th, according to Rybar:

The main events are still focused in the vicinity of Velyka Novosilka, where the Russian troops expanded the control zone in the area of Novyi Komarov, and also significantly cleared the fields east of Velyka Novosilka and occupied a fairly large fortified area. Parallel to this, attacks are underway in the fields to the west of Velyka Novosilka and Vremivka in order to expand and deepen the wedge of the breakthrough deeper into the defense of the Ukrainian formations and further worsen the supply of the remnants of the enemy in Velyka Novosilka.

Velyka (Bolshaya) Novosilka - Podolyaka

According to Yury Podolyaka:

The Ukrainian army was pushed back behind the "Gulyaipole" highway west of the Mokrye Yaly river. This secures the flank for the last strike west of Vremeyevka to cut the country roads the Ukrainian garrison in the village can use for supplies.

The Economic War

German Stuff

German Imports of Russian Uranium Increase by 70%

During 2024, Germany imported 60.8 tons of Uranium from Russia which is an increase of 70% over previous years. I am not sure why Uranium appears to have been excluded from the list of sanctions against Russia. You can read more at RT.

German Bankruptcies to Increase This Year

Germany recorded 364 bankruptcies of major companies in 2024 which is a 30% increase on the previous year. This is bad enough but it is anticipated that the number of failing companies for 2025 will surpass those recorded during the financial crisis of 2008/9. Automotive suppliers, mechanical engineering, construction and health care will be hardest hit. You can read more at Zero Hedge.

Fico’s Revenge

Slovakia’s PM Robert Fico is calling for Ukrainian refugees to be deprived of benefits if Zelensky doesn’t turn the gas back on. He is also considering withdrawing electricity supplements to Ukraine, as I mentioned last week. You can read more at Sputnik. I know this may sound harsh but I don’t think Fico is proposing a ‘collective punishment’ here (Zionist style). This is a contractual matter. Why should Slovakia continue to support Ukrainian refugees who could return to their mother country when that country is causing hardship to Slovakians. Fico also said that the withdrawal of Russian gas supplies through Ukraine will not affect domestic consumers in Slovakia but he will be seeking compensation (from the EU, I assume).

Ukraine to Cut Off Oil

Probably photoshopped

Ukraine is contracted to transit Russian oil to Europe until 2029 via the Druzhba pipeline but the RADA is considering a bill to cut the oil now. That’s like cutting off the hand that feeds you - the Europeans will not be amused since reducing the amount of Russian oil on the market will raise the cost of oil for everyone. As I explained last week, Ukraine has also cut gas supplies from Russia to Europe. In this connection, Moldova and Transnistria are most affected and will struggle to keep warm.

West Loses Out To China in Air War

The countries in pink do not allow Russia to fly over their airspace. In retaliation, Russia does not allow them to use its airspace and in consequence Chinese airlines are capitalising on the situation. Westerners are probably lamenting their hasty decision.

World Politics

Trudeau Gone!

I followed the Truckers Protest very closely back in 2022 and like many out there I was disgusted with the way they were treated. I was also disgusted by the way in which Trudeau’s administration treated all Canadians around Covid and lockdown. Back then I was following a guy called Clyde among others. I expect he will be having a celebration this evening (6th Jan). Unfortunately, the smell will be around until a new leader is elected on 9th March, which is much too long for many Canadians.

Annalena Refused Handshake

‘Sorry dear, women don’t count’.

Annalena Baerbock visited HTS leader al-Jolani (the ‘head chopper’) in Damascus who apparently ignored her request to shake hands but enthusiastically shook the hands of the French Foreign Minister standing beside her. However, according to RT, Annalena was informed beforehand that the handshake wouldn’t happen. Annalena’s casual attire certainly made her stand out and some believe this could have been a ‘post-feminist’ statement. Others described it as an item from the ‘Gap clearance rack’. She will not be pleased that Syrian media censored images of her; neither will she be amused at the German media’s parodies of her visit as you can see below and here.

Baerbock insisted that support would be provided to Syria on three conditions:

1. Treat women well.

2. Do not form an Islamist government.

3. Do not allow Russian bases to remain in Syria.

The arrogance of these people knows no bounds: they have been placed in roles that they are simply not capable of fulfilling. I have no idea what the two Foreign Ministers sought to achieve by such a visit. The most honest and polite thing I can say about them is that they are amateurs masquerading as professionals and they make it so obvious with displays like this.

LA Burns - Thanks to Ukraine?

Dante’s Inferno

LA is suffering a ‘perfect storm’ of four fires driven by high winds which the fire services are finding it hard to tackle. The aerial photo above shows how widespread the blaze is. Mercifully, only five have died so far but 180,000 have been evacuated. The firefighters have complained about a lack of equipment which has not been helped by the fact that in 2022, the LA Fire Department donated much fire fighting equipment to Ukraine. The equipment was sorely needed in Los Angeles this week.

Donations to Ukraine in 2022

There has been a furious backlash against this very avoidable fire which resulted from poor forest management and a reduction of $18 million in the budget for fighting fires. Much of this money was spent on Woke Projects and proxy wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. However, the Green Lobby must also shoulder some the blame because it halted the practice of ‘controlled fires’ to burn highly combustible vegetation - according to Sputnik.

Austria’s ‘Freedom Party’ to Form Government

In what has been described as ‘a turning point in Austria’s history’, President Van der Bellen has instructed Herbert Kickl of Austria’s ‘right wing extremist’ Freedom Party to form a government. The Freedom Party (FPO), which received the highest number of votes in the last election, is against Russian sanctions and military aid to Ukraine. The move by the country’s President follows the failure of the Austrian People’s Party (OVP) and the Social Democratic Party (SPO) to form a governing alliance of the centre. The FPO may now attempt a governing alliance with the OVP. You can read more at RT.

European Squabbles

Donald Tusk has marked the beginning of Poland’s EU Presidency by refusing to invite Hungary’s Orban to their opening ‘bash’.

Biden Rewards Devil’s Disciples

Sleepy Joe has awarded George Soros and Hilary Clinton with the ‘Presidential Medal of Freedom’ for services to humanity. What can I say!

Trump - Musk - The Dynamic Duo

Trump - ‘Get rid of the Windmills’

On his ‘Truth Social’ network Donald J advised the UK: ‘Open up the North Sea. Get rid of the windmills ’. Good advice imv.

Trump - Make Greenland Great Again!

The Vikings once lived there

If ever there was concrete evidence that ‘all that is solid melts into air’ it most certainly comes in the larger than life form of Donald J Trump. In recent days, The Don has been saying things on social media that would make most of his predecessors wince. He has been wearing his heart on his sleeve and expressing things that are usually kept private by the US establishment - or so it seems. Emperors are usually coy regarding their expansionist intentions but Trump boasts about them. Canada, the Panama Canal and Greenland are among his targets. Alex Christoforou discusses the matter in his laid back style here. Is Trump trying to compete with BRICS, he asks? Trump teased Canada about becoming the 51st state in a recent tweet, which many Canadians would welcome, according to the comments underneath this video (Clyde Do Something).

This may be about ‘spheres of influence’ as Alex suggests, or even the prelude to attempts at gaining more territory to Make America Great Again. But I can’t help wondering whether this is a form of theatre designed to showcase US strength/resolve and to test public opinion. Maybe Trump is telling BRICS countries, with which he will need to negotiate, that the US means business. Maybe he wants to appear tough, which, he believes, will impress or intimidate his opponents. In this, I feel, he is mistaken.

b from the MoA (January 8th) believes that this talk of expansionism is actually a diversion from the disastrous conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. I agree, as I have said elsewhere.

According to the Islander, the idea of merging Mexico, Canada and resource rich Greenland with the US was a globalist ambition from 2008³. So there may be more to this than theatre as the world continues to divide into two camps which will compete for resources, including those in the Arctic. Greenland, which is home to around 56,000 people, is strategically important in this respect. However, it remains to be seen whether the people of these countries will resist Trump’s efforts - if he is actually serious in his aspirations. Anthony Blinken has denied that the US has any interest in acquiring Greenland.

Colonel Cassad points out that Trump is able to make such outlandish statements because international law no longer exists. Therefore, new territories can be obtained by force with impunity. This is why Israel is able to absorb new territories while committing genocide - because international law is impotent. It could be argued that this has been the case for decades since the UN veto system has enabled the US to neuter international law.

Pepe Escobar provides some good analysis about the Trump Administration’s plans here. He argues that BRICS as whole is the target - which makes sense from a US point of view.

Trump’s interest in Greenland may have sparked some interest in Ukraine:

‘We will identify as Greenland’ - Z

Musk

Musk And Political Interference

I have to admit that I find Trump’s recent utterances (on Twitter) baffling but those of Elon Musk are equally so. Musk has attempted ‘regime change’ in the UK with his recent attacks on Starmer. According to a poll, apparently, a large percentage of people in the UK would approve of an American overthrow of their ‘tyrannical government’. This introduces the notion that it is permissible for the US to do something like this - which is worrying. But attacks on Starmer are welcome as far as I’m concerned and the ‘grooming gangs’ should have been stopped years ago. You can read more at Zero Hedge.

But Musk also insisted that Tommy Robinson (who exposed the grooming gangs) be released, which brought him into conflict with Nigel Farage: Trump’s ally up until now. Musk is also promoting the ‘right wing’ AfD Party in Germany, annoying the hell out of the European establishment - which is considering a ban, according to RT. It seems that Musk has no respect for European political independence and maybe this is indicative of the Trump Administration’s future attitude towards the Europeans who will be required to do as they are told, keep quiet and Make America Great Again by buying its LNG.

It will be interesting to see how long this new form of ‘diplomacy’ on social media will carry on.

Hey, I just had a thought. The Mexicans have an active army of 412,000 soldiers. If they added reservists to that, they could possibly make a grab to take California back. What’s good for the goose….⁴

I think it would be fair to say that more and more utterances and events will baffle us as the Empire continues its long descent into oblivion.

We live in very interesting times.

Musk, Twitter and Free Speech

I imagine that many out there have been skeptical about Elon Musk’s claims to be bringing us free speech via X. It appears that Musk’s algorithms will promote positive statements while discouraging dissent, irony or skepticism. I have to admit that I don’t like Twitter⁵ though it is useful to make certain images available to people who read this Update. There will be plenty of discussion on this out there but I will say no more here because it is too early to pass judgements on Musk.

Narrative Shift

It seems that more voices among Western leaders are expressing the view that Ukraine must be willing to give up territory as part of negotiations. Opinion polls conducted in Ukraine indicate that a majority of the people would be willing to concede territory as part of a peace deal. This week, Emmanuel Macron suggested that Ukrainians must engage in ‘realistic territorial negotiations; to resolve the conflict - which is the latest version of ‘as long as it takes’. The narrative shift will continue and follows from Donald Trump’s various statements on the conflict including an acceptance that the prospect of Ukraine’s NATO membership was one of the reasons the Russians invaded Ukraine:

A big part of the problem has been Russia for many years, long before Putin said Ukraine cannot be brought into NATO. Now they have said it, and it's kind of written in stone. At some point Biden said, 'No, Ukraine should be able to join NATO.' So Russia has somebody right on their doorstep, and I understand their attitude toward that. There have been a lot of mistakes in these negotiations. When I heard Biden leading these negotiations, I said, 'You're going to end up in a war.' And this war has turned out to be a very bad one. It could escalate to a much worse state than it is now.

Trump has now said that he will end the conflict in Ukraine within months, rather than 24 hours. Pepe Escobar suggests that it will be difficult for Trump to ignore the wishes of the Deep State by ending Ukraine’s funding. He must surely know that the more he attacks the Deep State, the less likely he is to live for much longer. Therefore, a Russian military victory may be required to end the war.

About Optimism - Palestinian Journalist

How can one be "cautiously optimistic"? Optimism is a feeling that can be taken completely or we swallow its opposite.

And we have no choice but to be optimistic, even when death is staring at us from every window and besieging us in every alley and street, we have nothing but this hope.. Oh God

Journalist Yousef Fares - North Gaza Strip.

I think he is correct to say that optimism is no use unless you swallow it completely. If you are ‘guarded’ (cautious) about feelings such as optimism this cannot count as optimism (which has no room for doubt). And I think he is correct to say that people in the situation currently occupied by the Palestinians have no choice but to be optimistic: to be otherwise would lead to paralysis. It seems that Yousef’s optimism - or hope - comes from his belief in God.

The emerging Multi-Polar World

Indonesia to Join BRICS as Full Member

Indonesian President Prabowo with Xi.

Brazil’s government has announced that Indonesia is joining BRICS as a full member. Brazil holds the Presidency of BRICS for 2025. Indonesia has a greater GDP (Purchasing Power Parity) than the UK and France.

You can see from the above a table of the top ten performers that the top five BRICS countries have a far larger GDP (PPP) than the top five Western countries. Indonesia is the world’s fourth most populous country with 283 millions people.

44 Signs Of Decay - Zero Hedge

Courtesy of Blogspot

Tyler Durden from Zero Hedge highlights 44 US statistics from 2024 that are almost too crazy to believe. I was most impressed (and saddened) by the following:

1. $11 billions spent on the election.

2. Household debt $18 trillions.

3. Home prices up by 1,000% since 1974

4. More than 3 million Americans are now living in their vehicles.

5. 770,000 Americans are homeless - that figure should be 3,770,000 since a car is not a home.

6. 37% of Americans can’t pay basic bills.

7. Sperm count is down 50% since 1973.

8. Microplastics in the brain have increased 50% since 2016.

9. 56 military conflicts are being fought around the world (the highest number since World War 2).

10. 2 billions people eat insects as part of their normal diet.

That’s it for another week. Many thanks for your views, subscriptions, shares, restacks, likes, follows and comments. Best wishes - Rob

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

1. The Rime of the Ancient Mariner - S.T. Coleridge

2. The brigade was named after Anne of Kiev who became Queen of France in 1051.

3. This was known as the North American Union (NAU).

4. Is good for the gander. Google it.

5. I really haven’t had a good experience of Twitter - which may be be my fault. But I absolutely hate the polls delivered by the likes of Trump and Musk. These insult our intelligence. If you vote in a certain way, these icons will condescend to follow you. I find such attempts to persuade nauseous.