Puppet MastersS

Attention

The lone gunman strikes again

Robert Fico
© Social Media
The "lone gunman," that cartoonish figure that for the last several decades - at least since November 1963 - has regularly framed most high-profile assassinations, has struck again, this time in disobedient Slovakia. He always pops up whenever his presence is required to warn misfits and discipline even team players who are inattentive to their tasks.

The assassination attempt on the Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico fits (no pun intended) that pattern. Fico's political record going back for decades may have provoked a measure of distrust in globalist circles. However, his electoral victory and return to power in the fall of last year probably would have been treated as a manageable challenge had Fico been rotten enough to act as his colleagues routinely do, saying one thing before elections and doing the opposite afterwards.

He has, instead, turned out to be a man true to his word, certainly quashing any rumours that he had ever been recruited as one of WEF's Young Leaders. At a critical juncture for the globalist string-pullers, when being a cooperative team player is considered de rigeuer, he chose to go off the beaten path with other outcasts like Victor Orban and to champion old fashioned values, such as Slovakia's national sovereignty.

Fico however did not just insist on Slovakia's sovereignty, which would have been bad enough, but also on other despised notions, equally discredited in present-day Europe: Statehood, Nationhood, Religion, and Family. It is his adherence to those values, once the cornerstone of the European civilisation before its cultural implosion, that made Fico a lone gunman target.

But to these shortcomings several other, no less bothersome and also potentially life threatening faults, should be added. Over the last several months, as Project Ukraine was turning into a shipwreck, Fico defiantly refused to allow military aid for the Kiev regime, called for cancelling anti-Russia sanctions, and repeatedly expressed the prohibited notion that Ukraine will be defeated.

Bomb

West chooses to prolong fighting in Ukraine - Lavrov

Acting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov
© Sputnik / Russian Federation CouncilActing Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov addresses the Federation Council, the upper house of parliament, on May 13, 2024.
Moscow is ready to settle on the battlefield what could be resolved through diplomacy, Russia's acting foreign minister has said

The Ukrainian conflict will be decided on the battlefield if that is the wish of the US and its allies, Acting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday.

The veteran diplomat was speaking to members of the upper chamber of the Russian parliament as part of the process of his reappointment after a government reshuffle. The assessment he offered is that Western nations have no desire for a negotiated end to the hostilities.

Comment: The news keep coming fast and furious:


Better Earth

'No country should be punished for its sovereignty' - Fico in quotes

Slovak prime minister, Robert Fico
© Getty ImagesSlovak prime minister, Robert Fico speaks during a joint press conference after summit of the Visegrad Group (V4) in Prague.
How Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who survived an assassination attempt, sees the world and what he says

An assassination attempt on Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico took place on Wednesday in the city of Handlova, where a government meeting was being held. The attacker fired up to five shots at the prime minister, who received gunshot wounds to the chest, abdomen, and arm.

Fico's condition after the assassination attempt was critical, and the operation ended up being protracted due to damage to several organs. However, according to Slovak media reports, it was ultimately successful. The prime minister's condition has stabilized, and he is now able to communicate with doctors.

The shooter has been arrested. He turned out to be 71-year-old Slovak writer Juraj Cintula, who was also an activist of the liberal party Progressive Slovakia. Before opening fire, the assailant shouted at Fico: "Robo, come here."

Comment: Words do not carry weight, at least it is minimal in a physical sense, but the value of the above statements should not be overlooked, although that may in fact happen, as one thing is survive, but will Fico be able to recover enough to return to his post?

From the same source:
15 May, 2024 15:50
Slovak PM Robert Fico: Noted critic of Western approach to Ukraine conflict
The shots targeting the premier were also aimed at Russian-Slovak relations, a Moscow lawmaker has said

Robert Fico's third term as prime minister of Slovakia has put him squarely at odds with both the European Union and NATO on the matter of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. RT takes a look at the Slovak leader's stance, and why it has drawn the ire of Brussels.

The Slovak prime minister was shot on Wednesday, during a visit to the town of Handlova, and was rushed to the hospital for surgery in serious condition. His attacker has been arrested and identified in media reports as Juraj Cintula, 71, a poet and supporter of the opposition Progressive Slovakia party. Cintula told police he shot Fico because he "disagreed" with his government's policies.

"This is not only a shot at Fico and Slovakia, but also at Russian-Slovak relations," Russian lawmaker Konstantin Zatulin said in reaction to the news.

"Fico knew very well that the majority of Slovaks, at least half, sympathize with Russia, despite the campaign of deception that rules the roost in Europe," Zatulin added, noting that the Slovak PM had been "subjected to endless extortion and threats" from the EU over his political positions that ran counter to those of Brussels.
[...]

Earlier this month, Fico pushed back on talk by French President Emmanuel Macron about possibly sending NATO troops to help Kiev's war effort, saying this would bring the world to the brink of a third world war.

"Slovakia has nothing to do with the war in Ukraine, and let me send a clear message to the whole of Slovakia: Whoever might ask us, no Slovak soldier will set foot beyond the Slovak-Ukrainian border," Fico told the parliament in Bratislava.

Just a few days later, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell lamented that "not everybody in the EU" agreed with his assertion that Russia is an existential threat to the bloc, and that some members considered Moscow "a good friend." While he did not name any names, both Fico and Hungarian PM Viktor Orban have dissented from Brussels on the matter of Ukraine, and have sought to maintain relations with Russia.

During his first term as PM, Fico sought to improve relations with Moscow, citing Russia's support for the Slovakian national awakening in the 1850s. He criticized the 2014 EU sanctions on Russia as "senseless" and harmful to Slovakia's economy. He has said the same about the expanded sanctions imposed since February 2022.
See also:
Best of the Web: Slovakia's PM Robert Fico in 'life-threatening condition' after assassination attempt


USA

US warns India over Iran deal

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (R) and India's External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar hold a joint press
© Kevin Dietsch/Getty ImagesU.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (R) and India's External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar hold a joint press availability at the State Department on September 27, 2022 in Washington, DC.
The White House brought up the threat of sanctions while commenting on New Delhi's latest port agreement with Tehran

Hours after New Delhi and Tehran announced a ten-year deal for operating and managing Iran's strategically-located Chabahar Port, Washington issued a veiled warning - reminding India that dealing with the Middle Eastern nation comes with a potent risk.

"Any entity, anyone considering business deals with Iran, they need to be aware of the potential risk that they are opening themselves up to and the potential risk of sanctions," Vedant Patel, the principal deputy spokesperson for the US State Department, said, responding to a media query on the deal. "US sanctions on Iran remain in place and we'll continue to enforce them," he added.

Comment:
On the same topic, from the same source:
13 May, 2024 13:17
India and Iran sign long-term port deal
South Asian nation will operate Iran's strategic Chabahar Port on the Gulf of Oman, connecting it with Central Asia and Russia

[...]
According to the contract, state-run India Global Ports Limited (IGPL) will assume operations of general cargo and container terminals at one of Chabahar's two facilities, the Shahid Beheshti port. This one lies to the west of Iran's border with Pakistan and not far from that country's port of Gwadar, used as a hub in China's Belt and Road Initiative.

By inking the long-term deal, which comes after three years of negotiations, New Delhi effectively counterbalances China's presence in the region, reports suggest. It has also offered Tehran a rupee-denominated credit line equivalent to $250 million for infrastructure projects related to the port's development.
[...]
Chabahar is also seen as a gateway for unlocking India's trade potential with Central Asia, Russia and European countries. The port is a part of the INSTC multi-modal, north-south trade route linking the Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf to the Caspian Sea via Iran and Azerbaijan, and on to northern Europe.

This trade corridor originates in Mumbai and passes through Bandar Abbas, Bandar-e-Anzali, and Chabahar, then crosses the Caspian Sea to reach Astrakhan in southern Russia, linking Moscow and St Petersburg via rail and road connections. Data shows that the INSTC is projected to reduce transit times by 40%, shortening average trips from 45-60 days to 25-30 days. It is also likely to decrease freight costs by 30% and to emerge as a commercially viable alternative to the Suez Canal trade link between Asia and Europe.
In this article, Interview: Join hands for future success of Russia-China partnership, says Putin there are quotes from a written interview with Vladimir Putin that explains how the BRICS approach to business is different from the approach of the US which aims a hegemony, or can we say preserving it, rather than multipolarity.


Russian Flag

Putin explains why peace talks with Ukraine collapsed

Russian President Vladimir Putin.
© SputnikRussian President Vladimir Putin.
Any discussions on the conflict must address global stability and focus on multilateral security guarantees, the Russian president says

Russia has never ruled out talks for a peaceful settlement of the Ukraine conflict, but any discussions must take into account the interests of all parties involved, including Moscow, President Vladimir Putin has said.

In an interview with the Xinhua news agency on Wednesday ahead of his visit to China this week, Putin commended Beijing's peace initiative for the Ukraine conflict, saying it showed "the genuine desire of our Chinese friends to help stabilize the situation" in the region.

The proposal, which was first released by Beijing last February, calls for a ceasefire, "respecting the sovereignty of all countries" and "abandoning the Cold War mentality." It also stipulates that "the security of a region should not be achieved by strengthening or expanding military blocs."

Comment: See also:


Putin

Interview: Join hands for future success of Russia-China partnership, says Putin

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, March 21, 2023.
© Sputnik / Alexey MaishevChinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, March 21, 2023.
MOSCOW, May 15 (Xinhua) -- On the eve of his two-day state visit to China, which starts on Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated in a written interview with Xinhua that Russia and China are promoting the prosperity of both nations through expanded equal and mutually beneficial cooperation in economic and cultural fields.

In the interview, Putin emphasized that the coordination of foreign policies between the two countries is propelling the establishment of a fair multipolar world order, which underpins the future success of the Russia-China comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for the new era.

Putin highlighted that contemporary Russia-China relations transcend ideology and are a strategic choice made independently by the two countries regardless of the political situation. This choice is grounded in the extensive common interests, deep mutual trust, strong public support, and the genuine friendship between the peoples of the two countries. Both nations are jointly committed to safeguarding sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security.

Comment: The policy makers of the US and allies could learn from the above, but they have their own century old trusted ways of doing business. Their citizens on the other hand may have a chance to reflect on the changes taking place all around them.

See also:


Warning

New report to Congress shows US determined to militarize space

Space war
© Viesha Lewand LinkedIn
Back in mid-February, the mainstream propaganda machine bombarded us with a slew of reports about "big bad Russian space nukes", claiming that Moscow is using its technological prowess to build strategic space-based weapons. And while it's true the Eurasian giant is a cosmic superpower and that it certainly has the know-how to accomplish such a feat, the mainstream propaganda machine conveniently "forgot" to explain why the Kremlin would make the decision to expand its space capabilities. Namely, Russia is indeed planning to deploy a nuclear-powered anti-satellite weapon (ASAT), but there's a massive difference between having thermonuclear warheads pointed at Earth from space and having a nuclear-powered spacecraft. The Russian military is already in possession of the former, as it was the world's first operator of the FOBS back in the early 1960s.

Comment: Space: The 'final' frontier.


Helm

Dmitry Trenin: A massive transformation is taking place in Russia, and the West is blind to it

Putin
© Vyacheslav Prokofyev/SputnikRussian President Vladimir Putin taking the oath of office during his inauguration ceremony at the Kremlin
A societal transformation in Russia that started before fighting broke out in Ukraine in early 2022 now seems irreversible

Two and a half years into its war against the West in Ukraine, Russia certainly finds itself on a course toward a new sense of itself.

This trend actually predated the military operation but has been powerfully intensified as a result. Since February 2022, Russians have lived in a wholly new reality. For the first time since 1945, the country is really at war, with bitter fighting ongoing along a 2,000-kilometer front line, and not too far from Moscow. Belgorod, a provincial center near the Ukrainian border, is continuously subjected to deadly missile and drone attacks from Kiev's forces.

Occasionally, Ukrainian drones reach far deeper inland. Yet, Moscow and other big cities continue as if there were no war, and (almost) no Western sanctions either. Streets are full of people and shopping malls and supermarkets offer the usual abundance of goods and food items. One could conclude that Moscow and Belgorod are a tale of two countries, that Russians have managed to live simultaneously both in wartime and peacetime.

This would be a wrong conclusion. Even the part of the country that ostensibly lives 'in peace' is markedly different from what it was before the Ukraine conflict began. The central focus of post-Soviet Russia - money - has not been eliminated, of course, but has certainly lost its unquestionable dominance. When many people - not only soldiers but civilians, too - are getting killed, other, non-material values are coming back. Patriotism, reviled and derided in the wake of the Soviet Union's collapse, is re-emerging in force. In the absence of fresh mobilization, hundreds of thousands of those who sign contracts with the military are motivated by a desire to help the country. Not just by what they can get from it.

Dollars

Ukrainian military stole money intended for fortifications - local media

Ukraine guy
© Diego Herrera Carcedo/Getty ImagesUkrainian soldiers keep watch from a trench in Kharkov region, Ukraine โ€ข March 10, 2024
With millions of dollars reportedly embezzled, Russian armor was free to roll across the border into Kharkov.

Military and civilian authorities in Ukraine's Kharkov Region paid millions of dollars to fake companies for the supply of non-existent building materials to construct defensive fortifications, the newspaper Ukrainska Pravda reported on Monday. With no fortifications built, Russian forces have advanced rapidly through the region.

Russia has seized dozens of towns and villages in the northern part of Kharkov Region after launching an offensive last Friday. According to the latest update from the Russian Defense Ministry, Russian troops had captured the village of Bugrovatka on Monday and are inflicting losses on Ukrainian manpower and hardware near Veseloye, Volchansk, and Liptsi, the latter of which is located just 20km from the outskirts of Kharkov city.

Writing in Ukrainska Pravda on Monday, Ukrainian anti-corruption activist Martina Boguslavets explained that Kharkov's Department of Housing and Communal Services (ZhKG) and Regional Military Administration (OVA) had been given 7 billion hryvnias ($176.5 million) to build fortifications to hold back this advance.

Comment: US money bought Biden a war.


Pistol

EU shifts toward 'war economy'

factory
© Guillaume Souvant/AFP/FileEU commissioner Thierry Breton visits a factory that manufactures the belting of the 155 shells for the French-made Cesar howitzer.
The European Union's defense industry has partially switched to a war economy, European Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton has said.

Kiev could face a "dangerous period" this year as the focus of Western politicians backing it has now turned to the European Parliament elections on June 6-9 and US presidential election on November 5. Breton explained in an interview with French broadcaster BFMTV on Monday:
"Russia may well take advantage of this uncertainty and move forward on the front line. Because of this, we in Europe have decided to significantly increase our subsidies in terms of weapons and ammunition for Ukraine."
According to Breton, the EU is now on track to be producing 2 million shells, including 155mm caliber, per year for Ukraine. He said:
"It is fair to say the EU has moved into a war economy at least in terms of shell production. Now the challenge is for us to move into a war economy in all segments of the European defense industry."

Comment: How to win a war of delusions? See it for what it isn't. One bullet at a time.