Puppet MastersS


Nuke

Russia updates position on Baltic nukes


RT
Sat, 14 May 2022 10:21 UTC
Glushko
© Sputnik ImagesRussian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Glushko
Moves by Finland and Sweden to join NATO won't be left without a Russian response, but it's premature to talk about measures which could include the relocation of nuclear weapons closer to the two Nordic countries, Russia's deputy foreign minister Alexander Glushko has explained.

"It's too early to speak about this," Glushko told journalists on Friday when asked if NATO membership of Helsinki and Stockholm could prompt Moscow to place its nukes in the Baltic region.

Both Finland and Sweden stayed out of the US-led bloc during the Cold War, but the governments of the neighboring countries have said they've reconsidered their stance after the launch of Russia's military operation in Ukraine in late February. Media reports claim Helsinki and Stockholm could apply for admission the US-led military bloc in the coming days.

The deputy FM pointed out that by becoming NATO members Finland and Sweden would "actually give up... on their non-nuclear status. Those countries will participate in NATO's nuclear planning group," despite for decades pushing for non-proliferation and for the destruction of such weapons, he said.

Comment: Turkey protests Sweden and Finland join the bloc, here's why:
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan declared on Friday that Ankara opposes the possibility of Sweden and Finland's accession to NATO because he believes the two Scandinavian nations harbor 'terrorists'.

By 'terrorists', the Turkish leader meant militants of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and members of the Revolutionary People's Liberation Front (DHKP/C), an outlawed Turkish communist party.

The statement came after Helsinki and Stockholm demonstrated their intention to join the US-led military alliance. He told journalists:
"We are currently following the developments regarding Sweden and Finland [joining NATO], but we are not favorable towards it. At this point, it is not possible for us to have a positive approach. Scandinavian countries are unfortunately almost like guesthouses for terrorist organizations. PKK and DHKP/C are nested in Sweden and the Netherlands. And I'm going even further, in their parliaments."


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Telephone

US secretly issued subpoena to access Guardian reporter's phone records

Ed Pilkington
The Guardian
Thu, 12 May 2022 17:01 UTC
DOJ building
© Unknown
The US justice department secretly issued a subpoena to gain access to details of the phone account of a Guardian reporter as part of an aggressive leak investigation into media stories about an official inquiry into the Trump administration's child separation policy at the southern border.

Leak investigators issued the subpoena to obtain the phone number of Stephanie Kirchgaessner, the Guardian's investigations correspondent in Washington. The move was carried out without notifying the newspaper or its reporter, as part of an attempt to ferret out the source of media articles about a review into family separation conducted by the Department of Justice's inspector general, Michael Horowitz.

It is highly unusual for US government officials to obtain a journalist's phone details in this way, especially when no national security nor classified information is involved. The move was all the more surprising in that it came from the DoJ's inspector general's office - the watchdog responsible for ethical oversight and whistleblower protections.

Katharine Viner, the Guardian's editor-in-chief, decried the action as
"an egregious example of infringement on press freedom and public interest journalism by the US Department of Justice. We will be asking the DoJ urgently for an explanation for why and how this could have occurred, and for an apology. We will also be seeking assurances that our reporter's details will be erased from DoJ systems and will not be used for any further infringements of press freedom."
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X

Putin: Ukraine has 'suspended' peace talks


RT
Sat, 14 May 2022 13:57 UTC
NiinistoPutin
© Martin Lengemann/WELT/ullstein bild/KJNFinnish President Sauli Niinisto • Russian President Vladimir Putin
Peace talks between Russia and Ukraine has been "de facto suspended" by Kiev, President Vladimir Putin has said. He made the remarks during a phone call with his Finnish counterpart, Sauli Niinisto, on Saturday.

The discussion focused on Finland's push for NATO membership, which has been reinvigorated amid the Ukrainian crisis. According to the Finnish president's office, Niinisto told Putin that his country is set to make a decision on joining the US-led military bloc within days.

The Kremlin said in a statement:
"Vladimir Putin, in particular, shared his assessment of the state of the negotiation process between Russian and Ukrainian representatives, which has been de facto suspended by Kiev, which has not shown interest in a serious and meaningful dialogue."
Putin warned that Helsinki's move to abandon its "traditional policy of military neutrality" would be a "mistake," stressing that there were "no threats to Finland's security." The move "may have a negative impact" on "mutually beneficial" relations between the two countries, he outlined.

Finland's neighbor Sweden, is also considering a NATO membership, and could lodge its application as early as Monday, according to local media reports.

Comment: Finnish President goes direct:
Niinistö told his plans to the Swedish news agency TT in an interview published on Friday afternoon and said he wanted to address the matter directly by talking to his Russian colleague.
"I'm not the kind of person who just slips around the corner. I am going to call him and say that the situation has changed, as we both know."
The two leaders have been in regular contact over the past decade and usually met twice a year before the pandemic. They last met face-to-face in Moscow last October after a two-year hiatus.
What will talks produce?
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu conducted their first phone call since the start of Moscow's operation in Ukraine in late February. The news was confirmed by both sides on Friday.

Austin has called for an "immediate ceasefire in Ukraine," Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said.

According to Kirby, Austin also "emphasized the importance of maintaining lines of communication" after nearly three months without contact with his Russian counterpart.

The Russian Ministry of Defense later on Friday confirmed the call, noting that the pair discussed issues of international security, including but not limited to the situation in Ukraine.
France denies Ukrainian claims:
French President Emmanuel Macron has "never" asked Volodymyr Zelensky to make territorial concessions to end the ongoing conflict with Russia, contrary to statements by the Ukrainian leader, the Elysee has insisted.

During a Thursday interview with Italian broadcaster Rai 1, Zelensky accused Macron of suggesting that an effort should be made to "look for a way out for Russia" so that the fighting in Ukraine could stop. When asked about his French counterpart's warning that Europe must avoid humiliating Putin, he said:
"Proposing to us to give up something of our sovereignty to save [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's face doesn't seem right coming from some leaders. It is a waste of time."
The French presidency responded to those claims on Friday, insisting that Macron
"has never asked for concessions from Zelensky. He has always said that it is up to the Ukrainians to decide the terms of their negotiations with the Russians. The President of the Republic has never discussed anything with Vladimir Putin without the agreement of President Zelensky."
Macron remains one of very few Western leaders who has continued direct dialogue with Putin amid the conflict in Ukraine. However, he also insisted on stepping up sanctions against Moscow, including tougher restrictions on Russian energy, and has authorized shipments of weapons to Kiev.
Meanwhile, the bulk of the West sits back and gawks at the deadly spectacle they created and support.

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Pirates

West accused of 'state piracy'


RT
Sat, 14 May 2022 14:55 UTC
Lavrov
© AP/Russian Foreign Ministry Press ServiceRussian FM Sergey Lavrov
The West has declared a "total hybrid war" against Russia, resorting to open "robbery" and "state piracy," Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday. Everyone "without exception" is set to feel the impact of this conflict, the top diplomat warned.

Lavrov, during his speech at a meeting of the Foreign and Defense Policy Council (SVOP) forum, said:
"Political correctness, decency, rules, and the legal norms are simply discarded, the cancel culture is applied to everything Russian, any hostile actions against our country are allowed, including outright robbery."
The hostile steps taken by 'the collective West' against Moscow in recent weeks have completely undermined its own reputation as a "predictable partner," the diplomat continued. Such actions only bring the emergence of a truly multipolar world closer, as
"not only Russia, but many others are reducing their dependence on the US dollar, on Western technologies and markets, no longer feeling safe from Western 'state piracy. I am sure that a consistent demonopolization of the world economy is not [a matter of] some distant future."
The ongoing assault on Russia has already turned into a "total hybrid war," he added. That "war" has already reached such a scale that "everyone" in the world will be affected by it, he warned.
"The collective West has declared a total hybrid war against us, and while it is difficult to predict how long all this will last, it is evident that everyone will feel the consequences, without exception."

Comment: As with all self-serving, nefarious plans, the hubristic West has miscalculated the intended outcome. You get what you give. Consequences will be unavoidable.

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No Entry

Zelensky signs law banning pro-Russian political parties in Ukraine


RFE/RL
Sat, 14 May 2022 00:00 UTC
zelensky
© Press Service of Ukraine's presidentUkraine President Volodymyr Zelensky
"The president of Ukraine has signed a law banning pro-Russia political parties! The law will come into force on the day following the day of its publication," Olha Sovgirya, a deputy from Zelensky's ruling Servant of the People bloc, wrote on telegram on May 14.

The Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, passed the bill on May 3, banning pro-Russian political parties that engage in anti-Ukrainian activities.

On March 20, Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council suspended 11 pro-Russian political parties while martial law was in place in the country.

The largest of the parties with links to Russia is the Opposition Platform for Life, which has 44 out of 450 seats in parliament. The party is led by Viktor Medvedchuk, who has friendly ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the godfather of Medvedchuk's daughter.
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Bullseye

Trudeau wants freedoms for Ukrainians that he denies Canadians


RT
Sun, 15 May 2022 12:38 UTC
Justin Trudeau
© John THYS/AFPPrime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks during a plenary session of the European Parliament in Brussels, on March 23. Freedom for Ukraine apparently matters more than freedoms at home.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a surprise visit to Kiev this week. Given that the threat level in the city has been reduced to the point where U2's Bono can now play an impromptu concert, the real surprise is that Trudeau was photographed without his face mask, which has been nearly omnipresent when he's on Canadian soil.

Trudeau's mask-wearing serves mainly as propaganda in an ongoing attempt to justify his vaccine mandates to Canadians. Required for citizens to board an airplane or train within their own country, the mandates effectively keep many stuck at home and unable to travel, but also can prevent them from working, as being fully jabbed is a condition of employment in some cases.

While almost 82% of Canadians are double-jabbed, only 35% of Ukrainians had received two doses of an anti-Covid vaccine around the time the conflict broke out on February 24, according to Time Magazine. And yet Trudeau was traipsing around Kiev mask-free in a recent conflict zone while he insisted on hiding from Canadian truckers and their Freedom Convoy supporters when they convened on Ottawa's Parliament Hill earlier this year.

Comment:



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Attention

The threat of Polish involvement in Ukraine

Douglas Macgregor
The American Conservative
Tue, 10 May 2022 15:12 UTC
ukraine poland zelensky duda
© Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visits Polish President Andrzej Duda at the Presidential Palace on August 31, 2019 in Warsaw, Poland.
The war against Russia in Ukraine has evolved, but not in the way Western observers predicted.

"In economics," wrote John Kenneth Galbraith, "the majority is always wrong." Galbraith might have added that in military affairs, there is a mountain of historical evidence to suggest that American generals and military analysts are always wrong, too.

When the Spanish Civil War ended in March 1939 after three years of brutal fighting that saw Soviet, German, and Italian equipment, advisors, and troops in heavy combat, senior military leaders in London, Paris, and Washington found surprisingly little evidence to suggest a profound change in warfare. In fact, a U.S. Army officer who later became a major general witnessed the fighting and suggested that, "In Spain, the theories proclaimed for the devastating power of Panzer divisions and other massed armored formations used 'independently' are apparently refuted by actual events." Five months later, events in Poland would repudiate these words, but at the time, his views were widely shared in the West.

The war against Russia in Ukraine is different from the Spanish Civil War. It's a proxy war designed to employ the full range of American and allied capabilities against Russia in Ukraine. If Americans are beginning to wonder whether Washington's enormous investment in Ukrainian assistance has colored the opinions of U.S. analysts and their evaluation of events in Ukraine, their suspicions are justified.
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Bullseye

The real reasons behind the EU's drive to embargo Russian oil

Tom Luongo
Gold, Goats 'n Guns
Thu, 12 May 2022 14:47 UTC
russia ukraine novorussia
Ukraine's ultimate fate?
This week the European Union is expected to announce a complete import ban on Russian oil. Hungary, in its first real act of defiance, is threatening to veto this; Germany, after some hemming and hawing, has finally decided it can survive such a ban.

Assuming Hungary's objections are eventually overcome, at first blush this looks like yet another energy "own goal" by the people obsessed with soccer. The U.S. has already issued this ban.

Because European industry is heavily dependent on Russian oil and gas, the conventional wisdom is that the EU Commission is just petulant and incompetent.

Are they petulant? Yes. Incompetent? Possibly? But only if you think in conventional terms of doing the right thing for their people. What is clear to any serious observer of EU politics is that they are not interested in what their people have to say or want.
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Attention

Third world problems, coming your way

Eamon McKinney
Strategic Culture
Sat, 14 May 2022 07:43 UTC
The West is facing a systematic crisis both economically and socially and it appears to have no solutions but more money printing and war. Neither of which will help.
Sri Lanka Riots
© REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar
While most of the world's attention is focused on the Ukraine, there are events happening in Sri Lanka that should alarm everyone. Sri Lanka is a small independent island nation off the southern tip of India. Relatively insignificant in the global context it may prove to be the "canary in the coal mine" that portends a wider global and economic crisis. A long corrupted and badly run country, it has announced that it can no longer meet its international debt obligations. Like so many others, Sri Lanka was devastated by Covid, without tourism and trade its lacks the foreign currency essential to pay its debt. With some $56 billion in foreign debt it has been forced to return to the IMF to seek further loans to pay for imports of food, energy and medicines.

Chaos and riots are widespread throughout the country and on Monday Prime Minister Majinda Rajapaska stepped down. The resignation failed to quell the riots and protestors are also demanding the President, Gotabaya Rajapaska, the former P.M.'s brother also step down. On Tuesday 10th, the Government ordered troops to shoot anyone looting public property. The Government also ordered thousands of Army, Navy and Air Force to patrol the streets of Colombo, the capital. Eight people are reported dead and more than two hundred wounded. Houses belonging to the Rajapaskas and other Ministers were torched. It is not the country's first economic crisis, but is by far its worst and the long beleaguered people have reached breaking point. There are shortages of everything, inflation is rampant and the healthcare system has broken down. Enter the IMF.

The IMF as always has a plan for such situations. Structural reform, usually involving feeding money in so that the interest on the debt can continue to be serviced although never repaid. It will also involve cutting any Government spending on essential services and the privatising of any remaining public assets. As we may imagine none of these measures will be popular with the people who as always will suffer the most. Not that the concerns of the ordinary people will worry IMF or the investor class it represents. Debt must always be serviced before the people eat. These are the rules of the "rules-based order".

If the economic and societal breakdown occurring in Sri Lanka was just an isolated problem then the West may just look on, as it has done many times in the past, and regard it as just more third world poverty porn. However an isolated incident it is not, it is just the first domino to fall in what will be a much wider global crisis. The World Bank has warned that there are more than sixty other countries in a similarly perilous situation as Sri Lanka. One of which incidentally is the Ukraine.
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Newspaper

Medvedev: NATO's involvement in Russia-Ukraine conflict brings risk of 'full-fledged nuclear war'

Greg Norman
Fox News
Thu, 12 May 2022 07:43 UTC
Dmitry Medvedev
Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman and the head of the United Russia party Dmitry Medvedev chairs a meeting on saving businesses and jobs in foreign companies via video link at Gorki state residence, outside Moscow, Russia, on March 16.
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is warning Thursday that the "pumping of Ukraine by NATO countries with weapons" brings the risk of the conflict "turning into a full-fledged nuclear war."

Medvedev, who now is the deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, wrote in a Telegram post that such an escalation would be a "catastrophic scenario for everyone."

"The pumping of Ukraine by NATO countries with weapons, the training of its troops to use Western equipment, the dispatch of mercenaries and the conduct of exercises by the countries of the Alliance near our borders increase the likelihood of a direct and open conflict between NATO and Russia instead of their 'war by proxy,'" he said.

Comment: As it is, it seems as though it's unlikely it will escalate to all out nuclear war; if the establishment can't destroy Russia, as they're hoping, and instead they will do everything in their power to at least isolate them from their increasingly shrinking sphere of influence.

Also check out SOTT radio's: NewsReal: USA vs Russia: Could Proxy War in Ukraine Escalate to Nuclear Conflict?



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