Ukraine Weekly Update
1st March 2024
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On the 25th February (a Sunday), 25 year old Aaron Bushnel, a US airman, set himself on fire outside the Israeli embassy in Washington - shouting ‘I will no longer be complicit in genocide’ and, finally, before he collapsed, Free Palestine! Later, he died of his wounds. This reminded me that in the summer of 1963, ThÃch Quang Duc, a Buddhist Monk, burned himself in public, protesting against the government of South Vietnam’s persecution of Buddhists. This American airman died protesting against the genocide of Palestinians and deserves his place in history alongside Duc. At a personal level, this, for me, is the most important event of the week because it provides hope that we human beings, who are capable of the most heinous of abominations, are also capable of this. Condolences to his kin.
In Ukraine, the Russians are progressing quickly in a number of Directions after the fall of Avdeevka and the Ukrainians are finding it difficult to erect effective fortifications to stop their advances. Some commentators believe a turning point has been reached on the battlefronts that is causing panic among Ukrainians and Westerners. There are fears of a collapse.
Meanwhile, the slaughter in the Middle East has now infected Rafah as well as Gaza and a ceasefire appears to be no closer. The Humiliating Houthis continue to thrive as the West continues to huff and puff. Finally, the second anniversary of the SMO was commemorated in Kiev and in Moscow as we enter the third year of the war. It is so sad that the conflict has lasted this long and that so many have died unnecessarily.
The SMO - Two Years On - 24th February 2022
Kiev Pilgrimages
The Prime Ministers of Canada, Italy, and Belgium have arrived in Kiev along with Ursula von der Leyen and Britain’s own blonde bombshell Boris. They will be showing the Ukrainians that they are still behind them after two years - or, more correctly, they will be giving the appearance that they are still behind them.
Interviewed on her arrival in Kiev, Giorgia Meloni of Italy blamed Russia for Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7th 2023. If the SMO had not happened, she reasoned, the world would not have become ‘disrupted’ and the Hamas plan to attack the Israelis would have stayed on the drawing board. Of course, our dear Giorgia has missed some very important links out of the causal chain there - such as NATO expansion, the arming and Nazification of Ukraine, the CIA backed Maidan Coup, the breakaway Republics, the shelling of civilians in the Donbass, the broken Minsk agreements and so on. Of course, she also misses the obvious: Hamas would have needed many years to plan and build for something like this, and they were motivated by Israeli murder and oppression, not the Russian SMO. She really needs to do some reading. But maybe she does know all of this but is simply playing a political game which seeks to blame all the world’s ills on Russia. Medvedev, in trolling mood, suggested that her irrationality could be a consequence of a fascist gene, according to Slavyangrad.
Boris Returns (to the Scene of the Crime)
Yes, he’s back in Kiev at the scene of the crime that condemned thousands of Ukrainians to death. The ‘crime’ of holding a party during lockdown does not compare to this. I just wonder what these two people have to say to each other. I can’t help feeling that Z owes Boris a punch in the face but Z knows that he must play his role in the game. He’s a bloody actor after all.
Z in Lvov
Z shows Danish PM, Mette Frederiksen, the product of two years of war. These people will not find Z’s claim of only 31,000 Ukrainian dead convincing (see below).
Ukrainian Matters
We’ll Fight Anyone, RADA Deputy
RADA MP, Alexey Goncharenko has announced that he is ready to send his army to fight alongside the US in Iran, North Korea or China. Hey, Alexey, have you had a good look at your army recently? The Chinese were none too pleased with such bellicosity.
New Offensive Coming - Zelensky
Zelensky is going with the only narrative available to him at the moment: i.e. Ukraine will win in the future. And so he announced that a new Ukrainian offensive is coming some time in 2025 that is linked with the new command structure he is putting in place - according to Tass. In a recent press conference, Zelensky’s claimed that only 31,000 Ukrainians had died in the conflict so far. He also estimated that 180,000 Russians had died but this is much fewer that the Ukrainian authorities have previously claimed - Oops!. Some will say that this is evidence of Z’s mental instability.
In response, Sergei Shoigu from the Russian MoD said that the Ukrainians have lost 440,000 killed and wounded - which is much more realistic.
The once great Z is still calling for help from way out on a limb but unfortunately for him, not many are listening. Z’s latest interview with Fox News attracted only 38,000 views whereas Putin attracted 90 millions views in just 12 hours when interviewed by Tucker Carlson.
Yermak - No Peace Until Russia Capitulates
According to former film producer, Andriy Yermak, now of Zelensky’s office, Russia has no right to participate in a ‘peace formula’ until it capitulates. What can I say? This ain’t a film Andriy.
But Ukraine Can’t Win - According to Some
We’re Stuffed, Basically, Azov Chief
Bogdan Krotevich, leader of the Azov group, has said that the Ukrainians don’t have sufficient troops to defend Kharkov or Kiev. The Russians, on the other hand, can transfer troops from one direction to another with ease and strike at will while the Ukrainians, he admitted, don’t even have enough troops to rotate properly . A Ukrainian soldier, interviewed by German television channel NTV, confirmed this manpower shortage:
We have a big problem with people. We don't have enough people at all. The fighters have lost the enthusiasm that they had at the very beginning... Many are now exhausted.
We’re Stuffed, Basically, Stoltenberg
After telling everyone to fund Ukraine for Navalny’s sake, Jens Stoltenberg has admitted that NATO is in no shape to launch a war against Russia or China. He also said that Ukraine should be allowed to strike deep into Russia if it wishes. Some call this man dangerous, which he may be but you could hardly accuse him of consistency or coherence - he’s all over the place.
They’re Stuffed, Basically, German MP
German MP, Sarah Wagenknecht, commenting on aid to Ukraine she said::
In the end it will not help Ukraine. A permanent prolongation of the conflict cannot be considered help or defence. Do you seriously believe that if we supply more weapons the Ukrainians will be able to drive the Russians out of Crimea? Do you think Russia, a nuclear power, will allow that to happen?
They’re Stuffed, Basically - Europeans
A recent poll of Europeans suggests that only 10% believe that Ukraine can beat Russia while 41% believe that the EU should push Ukraine to a negotiated settlement. Europeans are waking up but it’s a shame it took them two years.
Perhaps voices such as these that are contributing to the Western Panic (see Macron below).
Syrsky Drunk
This extraordinary video link shows General Syrsky quite clearly drunk at a ‘recruiting centre’ in Lvov. This does not bode well for the future of the Ukrainian army - they are stuffed, basically.
We’re Leaving
People’s Deputy of Ukraine Oleksandra Ustinova was not optimistic for the future of Kharkov when making this brief but revealing statement. Apartments in Kharkov are selling at 50% discount - which lends support to her gloomy speculation. People are selling up and leaving the city. The chart below also supports this rather gloomy picture (from the Ukrainian point of view). You have all probably heard rumours that the Russians wish to create a ‘buffer zone’ in order to protect Ukrainian attacks on places such as Belgorod and Kursk. Cutting off the Kharkov and Sumy regions is one way of doing this (Map). It appears that apartments in Odessa are also being sold at discount prices - according to Pravda.
Bye, Bye Kharkov
There are signs that the Ukrainian administration is preparing to abandon Kharkov as the above funding map shows. Restoration funding for the Oblast has been reduced from 999 millions to 1 millions hryvnia and an evacuation order has been issued for the whole of Kharkov region while efforts are said to underway to remove archives and important industrial equipment.
These two articles also feed into the pessimism that is panicking people like Macron.
Russian Matters
Putin’s Federal Assembly Address
Putin’s annual address was the longest ever at 2 hrs 06 mins. You can read more here. The Two Majors reported that:
The Supreme Commander began and ended his message to the Federal Assembly with the role and place of front-line soldiers in the preservation and development of the country. He clearly said that it is these men of steel who must and will determine the future development of our state. You can rely on them. They won't betray us.
A stable world order is impossible without a sovereign, strong Russia, he said. A summary of the speech is available here.
I’ll write more about it next week, maybe, once the analysts have picked at it a little. This is already too long.
Pro-Russian Demo, Belgrade
This weekend, Serbians gathered outside the statue of Russian Emperor Nicholas II in Belgrade to wish Russian ‘brothers’ victory in their Ukraine war. Demonstrators carried anti-NATO banners and Russian flags imprinted with the letter Z.
Lubas Blaha - We Must Challenge Russophobia
Deputy speaker of the Slovakian parliament, Lubas Blaha, had this to say about arms supplies to Ukraine:
Two years ago we shouted together in the squares: Slovakia wants peace. And today we say the same. Our PM Fico made it clear : we will not send weapons to Ukraine because war isn't the solution. It was the West that advanced to Russia's borders through NATO expansion into Ukraine and organised the Maidan. It was the West that watched as Ukrainian Nazi battalions killed people in Donbass or burned people in Odessa. It is not right that two Slavic nations are at war and American arms companies are making money from it.
He also reminded the world of the high price Russia paid to defeat fascism.
Crimea Remembers
The people of Crimea (including some bikers) commemorated the 2nd anniversary of the SMO and laid flowers to honour the deaths of Russian soldiers. You can see some footage of Crimean bikers here.
Russians Get Passports in Avdeevka
These residents of Avdeevka are so pleased the Ukrainians have gone that they are showing off their new Russian passports celebrating the fact that they are now part of the Russian Federation. Slavyangrad has more here.
Pentagon Confesses
A recent report by Pentagon General Robert Storch has revealed that planning in relation to military equipment supplied to Ukraine was totally inadequate in that no provision was made for maintenance and spare parts. Therefore, the continued operation of Patriot systems or Bradley Fighting Vehicles, for example, could not be guaranteed. According to Storch, the lack of such planning: "jeopardized Ukraine's ability to fight effectively using US-provided equipment".
According to the Two Majors:
The Pentagon did not determine in advance who, how, when and with what forces would repair armored vehicles damaged in battle. For its normal maintenance, specially trained specialists had to be in the field, but there is no information in the documents that the Ukrainian Armed Forces units have completed a full course of engineering training for these types of equipment.
The Majors conclude that this ‘short -term’ approach suggests that Ukraine’s failure on the battlefields was anticipated by the Pentagon long, long ago. Sufficient aid was provided to keep the Ukrainians fighting but not to win.
Saboteur Mice
Green policies have performed a disservice to military equipment equivalent to that which Woke policies have done for the US Navy. Electrical wires on much military equipment are made from corn fiber to protect the environment but this does little to protect the soldier because nibbling mice are rendering tanks and AFVs unusable. Many of these will need considerable repair before they can be shipped to Ukraine.
UK Behind Nord Stream - Or Was It Nuland?
A report by an independent investigator (Nordic Times) is pointing to the UK as the most likely perpetrator of the Nord Stream attacks during the short period when Liz Truss was in office. According to this report a British special services team using the submarine HMS Ambush caused the explosions.
This short video clip shows Victoria Nuland quite unequivocally state that if Putin moves on Ukraine, the Nord Streams would be trashed. This is proof of intent but not proof of the deed. Of course both Nuland and Truss could have been involved.
End of Cod
The Russian Duma has just denounced the 1956 treaty that allowed the British to fish for cod in the Russian part of the Barents Sea. I warned that this was coming some time ago and now it has happened. Could this be the end of Fish ‘n Chips as we Brits know it?
Transnistria
The Congress of deputies in Transnistria (where around 220,000 Russians reside) has appealed to the Duma of the Russian Federation for help following a blockade imposed by the Moldovan regime in Chisinau. You can read more here. There has been talk of military interference in Transnistria by Ukraine for some time. I have heard that there are large supplies of ammunition here which are mined to blow up should the Ukrainians attempt to seize them.
Ukrainian Terror Attacks (i.e. those attacks that target Civilians)
23rd/24th February Overnight
Drones were shot down overnight in Kursk, Bryansk and Tula and more than 20 were shot down over the DPR. Fortunately, damage was minimal and there were no reported casualties.
24th/25th February Overnight
The Voroshilovsky district of Donetsk was attacked with 155mm cluster munitions overnight killing one individual and wounding another. Petrovsky district also came under attack.
25th/26th February Overnight
Drones attacked Belgorod overnight and a number of people were injured by air strikes in Donetsk. The Two Majors gave this report:
In the Kursk region, in the village of Kulbaki… a gas pipe and power lines were damaged as a result of shelling. In Troitskoye, Korenevsky district, 3 households were damaged; in Nikolayevo-Daryino, Sudzhansky district, one household, a car and a combine were damaged. In the Belgorod region…two enemy UAVs were shot down... On the peaceful population of the DPR, the enemy fired about 100 rounds of ammunition, and three civilians were wounded.
26th/27th February Overnight
Only 7 shells were directed at the DPR on the 26th February which is s record low. Several villages were attacked by drones in Belgorod overnight killing 3 construction workers in a car and wounded 3 others. 6 MLRS rockets were shot down during the evening. Another Belgorod village came under mortar attack injuring two children. Kursk and Bryansk regions were also shelled and the latter was attacked by three ‘aircraft type’ drones which were shot down. Here is the full report from the Two Majors.
27th/28th Overnight
Villages in Bryansk were shelled overnight injuring 5 civilians. Aircraft type drones were shot down over Belgorod and villages in Kursk were shelled. 93 rounds were launched at the DPR but fortunately only one person was injured.
28th/29th Overnight
Tishanka in Belgorod region was attacked overnight with shells and drones.
29th Feb/1st March Overnight
Several ‘aircraft-type’ drones were shot down over Belgorod at night while one village came under shell fire. Kursk was also attacked by drones and shellfire and 100 shells were lobbed into the DPR wounding several civilians.
Russian Saboteurs
The Two Majors have recently started reporting on the work of Russian saboteurs operating in the border regions mainly. In places such as Sumy and Chernigov they are ambushing Ukrainian sabotage/terror groups. But they are also operating in Odessa.
Odessa
Last week I reported some sabotage in western Ukraine at Lvov and on the 26th Feb someone on the MoA referenced a report claiming that saboteurs derailed a train near Odessa. A group calling itself ‘Partisans of Ukraine’ declared: ‘‘We are the Ukrainian people, we decide when and where to bring justice to Zelensky, his clique and the oligarchs who are robbing our country". I can find no confirmation of this as yet but a train was derailed in Odessa on the 24th December last year, according to this.
The Sea War
25th/26th Overnight
Two Stormshadow type missiles were shot down over the Black Sea by air defences overnight.
The Air War (Map)
The Director of the company LLC Stupor has said that they have helped Russia create a comprehensive defense system against drones, capable of detecting and suppressing them in several ways at once. Artificial intelligence is embedded in the software complex, which allows Stupor to work without an operator. Data can be uploaded directly to a phone. In addition, it is capable of integrating devices of other producers into the system. WoW! It’s a long way from swords and spears.
Russian Missile/Drone Attacks
23rd/24th February Overnight
At 22.30 hrs Moscow time on the 23rd Feb, Geraniums attacked Kanatovo airfield in Kirovograd as well as targets in Kiev and Odessa. Dnepropetrovsk and Nikolaev also came under attack. A drone factory, military workshops, refueling machines, weapons stashes and ammunition dumps were among the targets hit.
25th/26th February Overnight
According to Slavyangrad:
Our Aerospace Forces attacked targets in Ukraine. The focus of our attention is on air bases. It is known about explosions on the territory of airfields in the Nikolayev region and Starokonstantinov in the Khmelnitsky region. region. The Belkozin Plant in Priluki and the Polychem Plant in Shostka were also hit. In Konstantinovka (DPR), a railway junction and a train station were destroyed by an air bomb.
26th/27th February Overnight
According to sitreports:
Our Aerospace Forces, have again attacked Ukrainian facilities. Two fighters were hit at the airfield in Kanatovo. In Dnepropetrovsk, the airport was on fire, which, judging by the secondary detonations, is used by the AFU. The Yuzhmash Plant, where drones were developed and assembled, was destroyed.
The Two Majors gave this report:
At night, "Geraniums" and missile weapons were struck at enemy targets in the Kharkov, Poltava regions, Pokrovsky district of the DPR (temporarily under the AFU). There are two powerful arrivals in Poltava.
27th/28th February Overnight
A port in Odessa came under attack overnight. Air bases at Kirovograd and Poltava were attacked along with a miliary storage facility in Sumy region.
It is clear that the Russians are prioritising attacks on airfields and military targets rather than the electric grid.
28th/29th February Overnight
Port and warehouse facilities in Odessa came under attack again overnight.
Ukrainian Missile/Drone Strikes
24th/25th February Overnight
In Lipetsk region a metallurgical plant was attacked causing a fire which was quickly extinguished.
The Ground War
Russian MoD Reports
w/e 9th Feb 6030 Casualties killed and wounded: equipment losses 257 (including 7 boats).
11th-16th February 5550 Casualties killed and wounded: equipment losses 385.
w/e 23rd February 7505 Casualties killed and wounded: equipment losses 433 (includes 6 motor boats)
w/e 1st March 7395 Casualties killed and wounded: equipment losses 429 (includes 4 motor boats)
The Fronts
Avdeevka
On the 24th February, the village of Lastochkino, west of Avdeevka, was captured by the 35th brigade of the 41st army (Central Military District). Slavyangrad shows the Russians raising their flag in the village. The village of Severnoe is also under Russian control. On February 26th, it was reported that:
Ukrainian resources are increasingly calling the AFU situation a disaster. The first line of the AFU defence along the Novobakhmutovka - Berdychi - Orlovka - Umanskoye-Pervomayskoye line may become the last, since there are no further serious defensive lines. And this line is close to a breakthrough in a number of areas.
The Ukrainians are now constructing their own defences as they withdraw but these are not as good as the concrete fortifications they enjoyed within Avdeevka and are more vulnerable to Russian FAB bombing, especially. A Ukrainian channel is reporting that defensive lines west of Avdeevka were not constructed until the end of January and are therefore inadequate. Therefore, the Ukrainians are having to abandon villages to avoid being surrounded. One Ukrainian source admitted that they are unable to prevent the Russians from destroying temporary defence structures as they advance slowly westward. Another Ukrainian source reported that Russia launches 80-100 Geranium drones daily and the Ukrainians do not have sufficient air defences to counter them.
On February 28th, The Military Chronicle reported that the Ukrainians in this Direction are in an ‘operational crisis’. Indeed, this is true of all Directions as the Ukrainians take to the defence while the Russians attack. Further retreats by the Ukrainians to more defensible positions are expected but a Ukrainian source confirms that the construction of these has been neglected. By the end of the 28th, the Russians had occupied Orlovka and part of Tonenkoye and on the 29th the Ukrainians were hit by their own artillery as they abandoned Tonenkoye and Berdychi and retreated towards Umansky.
Zaporozhye - Verbove - Rabotino
Fighting here has been intense with the Russians being forced out of parts of Rabotino but stabilising the situation by the 26th Feb. There is nothing left of the village itself but it is situated on valuable high ground. By the end of the week, the Russians were expanding control of the area and the Ukrainians were retreating.
South Donetsk
On the 26th Feb, the Russians continued to advance on Krasnogorovka (a city comparable in size to Avdeevka) while Ukrainian counter-attacks have been repelled. A number of refuseniks have surrendered in the Maryinka sector.
Bakhmut
The Russians started clearing the forests north of Ivanovskoye (Krasnoye) which will allow them to attack the village from the high ground. The loss of this village will disrupt supplies generally but the garrison at Chasov Yar will be especially vulnerable.
Svatovo - Kupyansk - Lyman - Seversk
Geromat provided this to go with the above map:
Krasnolimansk direction
Today [28th Feb], another important breakthrough is planned in the north: Makeyevka (a bastion of dill in the area of the Tor ledge) has finally been taken. Here, almost five Nazi brigades immediately fall into the next pincer movement at the line Makeevka-Nevskoye-Yampolovka-Zarechnoye-Torskoye.
If we take this important line or simply level it, the question immediately arises of our troops breaking through Oskol and, in particular, unblocking the road to Krasny Liman.
The entire defense structure built by dill from Kupyansk to Slavyansk is crumbling. The radial route Slavyansk-Izyum-Kharkov, the most important for supplying the Ukrop group in the Kramotorsk-Slavyansk region, immediately becomes under threat of closure.
(Dill = Ukrainian Soldiers)
Kherson-Krynki
At the end of the week the Ukrainians were still trying to bring reserves into the Krynki area and there was fighting still going on in the village itself. So, previous reports that the Russians had taken the village were premature.
On the 28th Feb the Ukrainians attempted to land on the Tendrovskaya Spit (left bottom corner of map) using five boats. Four were destroyed and the other retreated.
The Economic War
Sanctions - 13th Time Lucky?
The thirteenth batch of sanctions has been imposed on Russia by the EU to mark the 2nd Anniversary of the SMO. This lot targets Russian individuals along with the defence industry and third parties, such as China, Turkiye and India. You can read more here.
Meanwhile the virtue signaling US has tied its sanctions to Navalny by black listing anyone connected with his imprisonment.
Obviously such actions involve a risk of retaliation from big players such as China or India and it didn’t take long before the former expressed its fears that global supply chains will be affected. The Chinese are also concerned that ‘world order’ is being undermined (which will affect trade) and are annoyed by what amounts to ‘economic coercion’ (aka war) on the US’s part. Let’s face it, this is trade war dressed up as punishment against Russia. In the case of the Biden misadministration, the sanctions are being presented as a moral retaliation for an alleged killing of a Russian dissident while in captivity (i.e. Navalny).
The US’s ‘exceptionalism’ dictates that only finger pointing is required to condemn - evidence is superfluous.
Sanctions - the Cost to Russia:
Growth has increased 2.3 times higher than predicted by the IMF - 3.6% in 2023.
5.4% increase in real disposable income.
Agricultural output has increased 30 fold since 2000.
6th highest gold and currency reserves in the world.
Unemployment at a record low.
Key member of BRICS and the de-dollarisation process. 90% of trade between Russia and China conducted in Rubles and Yuan. The same process is underway between Russia and Iran.
Take that you Russkies!
Expert ‘Legalises’ Theft of Russian Assets
The G7 has managed to enlist the support of an ‘expert’ (or experts) who claims that the theft of frozen Russian assets is legal. Alexander Mercouris - who is quite knowledgeable in such matters, talks about it here on the Duran (22 mins). These are complex legal issues that I’d prefer not to discuss in depth. But Alexander and many others, including a spokesperson from the IMF, have warned against it. You can read more at RT.
Russia Conquers LNG Market
In spite of sanctions, Europe has been increasing its import of Russian LNG as supplies from Qatar have been affected by the Middle East war and US supplies have become unreliable due to Green policies. You can read more at Pravda. I should say that all of these ‘selective sanctions’ make no sense at all. It’s a bit like refusing to buy Israeli olives, which you don’t like but eagerly buying their Jaffas because they are tasty. Sanctions are presented to us as the product of decisions based on morality, so any adjustment to allowable Russian imports that accommodates much needed LNG is not really acceptable from a moral viewpoint. Yet it is happening. It makes no sense for Russian gas and oil to be prohibited and for LNG to be permissible. Reality is kicking in: that’s what we are seeing and the need to be pragmatic defeats any idealism under such circumstances.
World Politics
Hungary approves Sweden NATO Bid
We all knew it was coming, given the pressure being exerted on Hungary - but now it has finally happened. I am disappointed but hardly surprised. And they sold their soul, not for 30 pieces of silver but for some Swedish Saab Grippen fighter jets! Anyway, I’m not really having a go at Orban - there is much more to international politics than meets our eyes. If he did this to benefit his fellow countrymen (or because he thought it was for their benefit) I can’t complain. For the moment, Hungary is in a very difficult position. You can read more, at RT.
Macron - France Could Send Troops To Ukraine
Macron held a brief ‘brainstorming’ meeting with leaders of European countries in which he asked how they could assist Ukraine collectively with weapons and ammunition (among other things). The meeting also considered the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine - which is alarming. If you would like to learn more, b from the MoA has done a piece on it dated 27th Feb.
Russian spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, stated that if NATO countries send troops into Ukraine then Russia would be at war with NATO - and NATO does not want a war. Most other European countries were quick to point out that they would not be sending troops to Ukraine. Medvedev called Maron’s outburst ‘speech incontinence'. Could the President have been inspired by Netflix?
Alexander Mercouris believes that this hastily arranged meeting lends support to the view that Western elites are panicking due to the dire state of affairs on the battlefield. You can find out more here.
You can rely on Medvedev to produce words fitting to the occasion and he didn’t disappoint:
Petty heirs of Bonaparte, donning the gold epaulets torn off two hundred years ago, with Napoleonic grandeur thirst for revenge and unleash fierce and extremely dangerous blizzard about the deployment of NATO troops in Kyiv, as well as about new weapons for striking Russia. Examples of cerebral decay among Western politicians appear every day. And thus, the pale horse and its rider draw ever closer...
Dixi et animam levavi...
He chose to end with a line from Chekov, which is pure class - ‘Dixi et animam levavi – I have spoken and relieved my soul’. I love this man!
Stoltenberg was quick out of the blocks to confirm that NATO will not get involved in a war with Russia.
Scholtz - Oops!
Chancellor Scholtz let the cat out of the bag, poor man. He admitted that French and British forces are assisting the Ukrainians to launch Stormshadow missiles at targets - i.e. Civilian targets, in Russia. Oh dear! Most of us knew this already but the Brits were not pleased with the revelation.
Protests
Farmers have been protesting all across Europe this week and one of the main sources of their complaints is the flooding of European markets with cheap Ukrainian grain. The price set for this grain is 90 Euros per ton which compares very favourably with German produced grain at 250 Euros. Farmers in Germany (and many other countries in Europe) simply can’t compete at these prices. And the reason Ukraine has so much grain and can therefore offer it at such low prices, is because it has stopped exporting to China, India and Egypt since the start of the SMO. They have done so for political reasons. It’s a mess.
Belgian Farmers
Police fired tear gas and water cannon at farmers demonstrating in Brussels on February 26th outside the European Council’s main building. In return, the farmers sprayed the police and buildings with manure (nice touch!). They were protesting against cheap Ukrainian grain along with unnecessary and stifling bureaucracy, including ‘climate’ regulations. Ukraine is getting the best of all worlds because it is not subject to EU regulations and taxes.
Polish Farmers
Polish farmers blocked a highway into Germany on the 25th February, protesting against EU environmental policies (they want out of Europe’s Green Deal) and the import of cheap products from countries such as Ukraine. The banner asks for a return to the 2021 trade agreement with Ukraine.
They’re On The Run in Paris
It’s like 1789 all over again as Macron flees from the peasants.
Paris farmers, protesting against environmental policies, rising costs and taxes, were responsible for this agile response from the French President. They called for his resignation..
Farmer’s protests have also been held in Germany, Romania and Bulgaria.
The emerging Multi-Polar World Order
Anton Siluanov
Anton Siluanov, Russia’s Finance Minister, in an interview with RIA Novosti, said that the world’s finance system is changing as developing countries are now far outpacing the economies of the West. This amounts to nothing less than a ‘paradigm shift’, the Minister said. Sanctions are a tool employed by the West to slow down these emerging economies but the failure of sanctions against Russia is a sign that the global financial world has changed. The shift will not be painless however. You can read more at RT.
Multipolarity Forum Moscow
230 countries were represented at this forum in Moscow on the 26th February . Abdiwahab Sheikh Abdisamad, CEO of the Afro-Asia Institute for Strategic Studies in Nairobi, told Sputnik Africa that:
The world is fed up with the unipolar system. Today is a historic day whereby more than 230 countries are coming together in common cause. That common cause is to advance the multipolar system because the world is fed up with the unipolar system. That's why they're coming together to defend their own common interests.
That’s it for this week. Sorry if it is longer than usual but there has been so much to cover. Thanks for your views, subscriptions, shares, likes and comments. Best Rob.
Non subscribers can view Updates on Telegram: https://t.me/UWUupdate.
Your update is not too long. Always a pleasure to read it!
Another excellent recap. Not much to comment on except Macron's lunacy. He just double-downed on his idiocy. Scott Ritter pointed out yesterday that between the UK, France, Germany and Poland, they can only put together maybe a dozen brigades total. Russia has dozens if not scores of brigades in Ukraine. So any EU country unilaterally entering Ukraine is going to die. And he also notes that in that case Russia is within its international law rights to conduct strikes directly against those EU countries. Which means Paris vanishes.
I suggested over at Antiwar.com that Russia merely needs to drop a hypersonic missile with a conventional warhead on Macron's head. No nuke needed. Take out one loudmouth as a warning to the others. :-)