OF THE
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"The videos... whose authenticity has been verified by The New York Times, offer a rare look into one gruesome moment among many in the war, but do not show how or why the Russian soldiers were killed," the NYT wrote, adding that what actually happened to the soldiers remains "a mystery."
"The Ukrainians are in bad shape... It won't be long before the Ukrainians run out of food. It won't be long before they freeze... They have done all that we can reasonably expect them to do. It's time to negotiate.... before the offensive begins, because once it begins, there will be no further discussion between Moscow and Kiev until it is over to the satisfaction of the Russians." Colonel Douglas MacGregor, "War in Ukraine; Quiet Before the Storm", 15 minute-mark
The relentless attacks on Ukraine's electrical grid, fuel-storage units, railway hubs, and Command-and-Control centers mark the beginning of a second and more lethal phase of the war. The increased tempo of the high-precision, long-range missile attacks suggests that Moscow is laying the groundwork for a major winter offensive that will be launched as soon as Russia's 300,000 reservists join their formations in east Ukraine. Kiev's refusal to negotiate a settlement that addresses Russia's core security concerns, has left Russian president Vladimir Putin with no other option but to defeat Ukrainian forces on the battlefield and impose a settlement through force-of-arms. The impending winter offensive is designed to deliver the knock-out punch Russia needs to achieve its strategic objectives and bring the war to swift end. This is from Reuters:"Strictly speaking, we haven't started anything yet." Russian President Vladimir Putin
A very rare, or we should say unprecedented, moment was caught on a hot mic at the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia on Wednesday which involved Chinese President Xi Jinping openly berating Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
In the encounter, President Xi is seen angrily confronting Trudeau for leaking the details of a conversation that happened between them at the summit, which the Chinese leader assumed was private. It was an absolutely humiliating scene for the Canadian PM, especially as it was caught on film - a clip of which is now going viral.
The episode also caught the attention of Bloomberg, The Guardian, and other international outlets. The two conversed via a translator standing close to them.
"That is not appropriate, and we didn't do it that way," Xi said in Mandarin, at first with a half-smile.
"If there is sincerity, we can communicate well with mutual respect, otherwise the outcome will not be easy to tell," he added, charging Trudeau with misleadingly conveying the contents of a prior dialogue to the media. "Everything we discussed was leaked to the paper(s), that's not appropriate."
The tense exchange continued, with Trudeau hesitantly trying to calm the Chinese leader, who is rarely if ever seen venting or losing his temper in public (Chinese state media seeks to carefully present his image to the public). Trudeau cut in: "In Canada we believe in free and open and frank dialogue and that is what we will continue to have, we will continue to look to work constructively together but there will be things we disagree on.
By then a visibly frustrated Xi cuts him off, firing back, "That's great, the conditions first" - and then quickly shakes Trudeau's hand and briskly walks off.
The day prior, on Tuesday, the two leaders held a 10-minute informal meeting, the contents of which did not result in a press readout issued from either government. Meanwhile, Reuters speculates on the likely source of Xi's exasperation:His displeasure was likely a reference to media reports that Trudeau brought up "serious concerns" about alleged espionage and Chinese "interference" in Canadian elections when meeting with Xi on Tuesday, his first talks with the Chinese leader in more than three years.
One commentator underscored his impression that at the end of the exchange of pointed words Trudeau walked off "like a scolded puppy."
A diplomatic row between France and Italy erupted last week when Rome forced Macron's hand to accept a humanitarian rescue ship, the Ocean Viking with 234 migrants aboard, after Italy had refused it a port for weeks.
The presidents of Italy and France sought to tamp down tensions over migration Monday by asserting the need for "full cooperation" on a host of issues and the importance of strong bilateral relations after days of diplomatic barbs over the fate of migrants crossing the Mediterranean. In response to Italy's demand France accepted migrants from the Ocean Viking rescue ship, President Emmanuel Macron retaliated by suspending its participation in an EU solidarity pact to accept 3,000 relocated migrants this year from Italy and sent officers to reinforce its southern border crossings and prevent migrants from entering.
Comment: This 'suggestion' rather suspiciously comes at a time when the UK is experiencing a financial crisis even worse than the global crash of 2008, and, coincidentally, or not, it follows the US Fed's decision to start a token trading system, and these plans also just happen to converge with agendas set by nefarious groups such as the WEF. Note also the shady dealings surrounding FTX - one of the supposed impetus for this move - with Ukraine, and the connections with the US government: