Puppet MastersS


Alarm Clock

Optimism on Ukraine conflict was 'premature' or 'delusional' - NYT

Zelensky Avdeevka
Zelensky posted a photo in front of the entrance to Avdeevka just a few weeks ago, though many questioned if it wasn't just stagemanaged in a studio. A few weeks later and Avdeevka fell.
Western speculation that Kiev was on the verge of victory has reportedly given way to "despair and hedging."

The mood among Ukraine's Western backers has reportedly turned from sanguine and hopeful to "anxious and unmoored" in the past year, as Russian forces make gains on the battlefield and doubts rise over continued US aid to Kiev.

The turnabout in disposition was apparent as leaders from Ukraine and its benefactors gathered at the Munich Security Conference over the weekend, the New York Times reported on Monday. The attendees assessed "confrontations they had not anticipated" when they held the same event in February 2023.

"The dourness of the mood contrasted sharply with just a year ago, when many of the same participants - intelligence chiefs and diplomats, oligarchs and analysts - thought Russia might be on the verge of strategic defeat in Ukraine," the newspaper said. "There was talk of how many months it might take to drive the Russians back to the borders that existed before their invasion on Feb. 24, 2022."


Comment: The trouble of group think where sceptical voices are ignored or drowned out. Many analysts in touch with reality said a year ago, that Ukraine was losing but there was no way in which believing their own lies could grasp that. Many still don't as to admit to having been wrong is just a place they can't go. The price of this delusional thinking will be more hundred of thousands of dead Ukrainians.


Comment: In 2007, President Putin made a speech at the Munich security conference where he warned the West of not responding to reality. That was not what the West wanted to hear and Putin was from then on clearly seen as an adversary. They never invited him back and continued to seriously underestimate him.

Here is the speech:




Biohazard

Russia says Ukraine is using US-made chemical weapons

Igor Kiríllov
Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, head of the Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological Protection Troops of the Russian Armed Forces
Moscow claims that Washington and Kiev have violated the articles of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons

Washington and Kiev have violated articles of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) as Ukrainian forces have used illegal munitions on the battlefield, Russian Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov has claimed.

The head of Russia's Nuclear, Chemical and Biological Protection Forces provided several examples of Kiev's alleged use of banned chemical weapons and non-lethal chemical agents that he said were obtained from the US.

Kirillov claimed that Ukraine used drones to drop US-made gas grenades on December 28, 2023 containing "CS" compound - a chemical classified as a riot-control tool that irritates the eyes and upper respiratory tract, and can cause skin burns, respiratory paralysis and cardiac arrest when used in high concentrations.

Comment: Russia already noted this in November 2023:


Putin

Ukraine a 'matter of life and death' - Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin
© SputnikFILE: Russian President Vladimir Putin. The head of state noted Russia was fundamentally evolving from within, becoming more self-sufficient, autonomous, and self-assured
The conflict is a "tactical" issue for the West, but an existential one for Moscow, the Russian president has argued.

The Ukraine crisis is of existential importance for Russia, President Vladimir Putin told reporter Pavel Zarubin on Sunday, while it is only a tactical issue for NATO.

He explained that the main goal of his deep dive into the country's history during an interview earlier this month with American journalist Tucker Carlson was to give the Western audience a chance to understand Moscow's mindset on the issue.

Comment: See also:


Cruise Missle

Disguised NATO personnel fighting in Ukraine - Russian general

Patriot air defense system
© Getty Images / Axel Heimken/picture alliance via Getty ImagesPatriot air defense system.
Western specialists operate Kiev's air defenses and rocket systems, Colonel General Sergey Rudskoy claims.

NATO soldiers are fighting against the Russian Army in the Ukraine conflict disguised as mercenaries, a senior Russian defense official has claimed, days after Moscow dealt a major blow to Kiev with the capture of the key Donbass city of city Avdeevka.

Ukraine's shelling of Russian civilians - a significant part of which was carried out from Avdeevka in the years prior - is happening at Kiev's behest and with the tacit consent of Western states, the deputy head of the Russian General Staff, Colonel General Sergey Rudskoy, told Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper on Monday.

The US and its allies pump Ukraine full of weapons and provide it with communications services and intelligence information, but some of the equipment requires qualified Western personnel on the ground, the official said.

Comment: See also:


Russian Flag

'Polite' Carlson, 'our guy' Blinken, backing Biden: Putin weighs in on US politics

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks with journalist Pavel Zarubin.
© Kremlin press serviceRussian President Vladimir Putin speaks with journalist Pavel Zarubin.
The Russian president has made his first public comments on his sit-down with American journalist Tucker Carlson

Russian President Vladimir Putin has made his first public comments on his headline-grabbing recent interview with US journalist Tucker Carlson. Putin said the event had fallen short of his expectations, while suggesting Carlson may end up being punished for traveling to Russia.

He shared his thoughts in an interview with Russian reporter Pavel Zarubin that was published on Wednesday. The Russian leader also touched on US politics, including the presidential race shaping up between Joe Biden and Donald Trump.

Below is a summary of Putin's key comments.

Comment: See also:

Exclusive: Tucker Carlson Interviews Vladimir Putin


On the Kremlin website, there is transcript in English, Interview to Tucker Carlson,

Immediate reports about the interview:
Ukraine conflict, fallout of NATO expansion, relations with US: Key takeaways from Putin's interview with Tucker Carlson
Putin clarifies 'denazification' to Tucker Carlson

Comments from Tucker Carlson about the interview with Vladimir Putin
Tucker Carlson on US-Russia After Putin Interview | Ukraine War | World Government Summit (Link to YouTube)
Putin wants to end Ukraine conflict - Tucker Carlson

Commentary on the Tucker Carlson interview:
Tucker Carlson committed 'treason' to interview Russian President Vladimir Putin... and the World loved it!
On President Putin's Interview With Tucker Carlson...- Cynthia Chung
Tucker, Putin, and the Apocalypse- Dr. Alexander Dugin
What NO ONE is saying about Tucker Carlson's Putin interview
If anyone wishes to see the places that Vladimir Putin talked about in the Tucker Carlson interview, try this video:
I Filmed What Putin TOLD About in Carlson Interview: RURIK, Novgorod, Princess Olga, Prince Vladimir
NewsReal: Western Obsession With Russia: Carlson's Putin Interview, Navalny's Death and the Ukraine War Racket (The beginning of the show discusses Russia, Ukraine, Tucker Carlson interview very short).
See also:
Anti-Putin Russian outlet fact-checks Putin's claim that Lenin conspired with the US to break up Russia into smaller countries... and finds it to be true!
The passing of Navalny has come in handy considering the publicity that the Tucker Carlson interview received:
Navalny death planned and coordinated by the West
Death of Aleksei Navalny: The Brits did it!
From Russian far-right nationalist agitator to darling of Western liberals: Who was Alexey Navalny?

Western elites expressed their displeasure at the release of the interview. One example:
Ex-UK PM Boris Johnson slams Tucker Carlson as 'traitor' for Putin interview
Still it did not deter other journalists for signing up:
Western media send dozens of Putin interview requests following Tucker Carlson broadcast — Kremlin

Regarding the recent comment by Vladimir Putin about Annalena Baerbock, it followed earlier reports that:
German foreign minister's grandfather was 'ardent Nazi' - Bild


Hourglass

Arab regimes collude with Israel's genocide and ethnic cleansing of Gaza

refugee camp rafa gaza
© Saleh Salem/ReutersA tent camp for displaced Palestinians in Rafah.
As Israel's fascist government prepares to launch a massive ground invasion to take over Rafah city, discussions are now under way about setting up 15 campsites — each with around 25,000 tents — across the southwestern part of the Gaza Strip, to house the million-plus Palestinians that have taken refuge in the city.

These tent cities are to be funded by the United States and Arab despots and operated by the butcher of Cairo, Egypt's Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. Egypt and other Arab regimes are in effect providing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with the ability to claim he has assured the "safe passage" he said he would provide so that the planned ground invasion could take place. As Netanyahu again declared as Israel mounted a massive aerial bombardment of the city, his real goal is "total victory" — which means killing as many Palestinians as possible and driving the rest into the desert.

Comment: And thus are 'popular uprisings' leveraged.

More on the proposed new prison for Gaza Palestinians:
Egypt is building an 8-square-mile walled enclosure in the Sinai Desert near Gaza to prepare for an influx of Palestinian refugees as Israel is vowing to launch an assault on Rafah, which borders Egypt and is packed with about 1.5 million Palestinians.

The revelation of Egypt's construction, which was reported by The Wall Street Journal and an Egyptian rights group, signals Cairo is caving to Israeli pressure to allow Palestinians to enter its territory.

Egyptian officials told the Journal that more than 100,000 people would be able to fit into the camps they are constructing. If a mass exodus of Palestinians from Gaza does happen, the Egyptian officials said they want to limit the number of refugees they allow in to between 50,000 and 60,000.

The Sinai Foundation for Human Rights first reported on the construction on Wednesday and said the project is expected to be completed within 10 days. Egyptian officials told the Journal they expect a broad Israeli offensive on Rafah could start "within weeks." Israel must be aware of the construction and will likely try to push as many Palestinians into the camp as it can.

Israeli government officials have not been shy about their desire to cleanse the Gaza Strip of its Palestinian population and re-establish Jewish settlements. A document prepared by Israel's Intelligence Ministry that was leaked back in October said the best-case scenario for Israel would be to send all 2.3 million Palestinians living in Gaza into Egypt.

But Cairo's opposition to the plan caused Israeli officials to look elsewhere and suggest Western countries take in Palestinian refugees. According to Israeli media, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu previously said he was looking for countries to "absorb" Palestinians, but he's cooled the rhetoric since the Biden administration criticized other Israeli ministers for making similar comments.



Wall Street

Joe the 'rainmaker': Payments, deals followed key Biden meetings with son's foreign associates

hunter and joe biden
© Getty Images / Kris ConnorHunter Biden and Joe Biden.
House impeachment investigators are seeking to uncover what role, if any, Joe Biden played in his son's foreign business dealings. After repeated denials of ever having met Hunter's business partners, evidence of meetings, key payments and witness testimony tell another story.

Evidence including sworn impeachment inquiry testimony, confirmed emails and financial records increasingly show that President Joe Biden's meetings with his son's foreign clients were closely followed by payments and agreements that advanced his family's business deals.

House Republicans on Thursday subpoenaed new financial records belonging to Hunter Biden, his associates, and companies in a growing effort to find evidence that Joe Biden benefited personally from his son's foreign dealings.

Rep. Greg Steube agreed on the "Just the News, No Noise" television show on Thursday that Joe Biden played a "rainmaker" role in Hunter Biden's business ventures.

Comment: The walls are (finally?) closing in. Creepy Joe has clearly outlived his utility to the Deep State. What more spectacular way to lever him out of the White House than the juicy scandal that's been simmering for years?


Toys

Paper tiger Ukraine signs 'security pacts' with paper tigers Germany and France

ukraine germany france security pact scholz macron zelensky
© Sarah Meyssonnier / POOL / AFPGermany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, and France’s President Emmanuel Macron
G7 countries have pledged to sign bilateral security deals with Kyiv to signal their long-term support in the face of Russia's aggression.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday struck separate long-term agreements with France and Germany for military support and training for Ukraine.

Germany committed to not only support Ukraine's defense against Russia's invasion "for as long as it takes," but to also assist Kyiv "in building up modern, resilient armed forces to deter any future attack," German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told reporters in Berlin.

Zelenskyy said the details of the agreement with Berlin "are very specific and involve long-term support," which he claimed was a sign that Western allies understood that Ukraine will eventually become a NATO member.

Comment: Paper tigers making agreements with each other. It would be risible if it wasn't so pathetic. If "Ukraine" can't even defend itself, how will it 'defend' Germany or France against Russia? Or for that matter, how will Germany or France defend themselves, as they have poured nearly all their current arms stockpiles into Ukraine already? The majority of these pledges are for weapons yet to be manufactured. Macron and Scholz may never have to make good on them if Russia rolls up Ukraine at the pace it's currently maintaining.

Brian Berletic discusses the problem. Though his focus is on U.S. manufacturing problems, the same analysis can be applied to Europe.


The fact of the matter is they know Russia has no designs on western Europe, hence they can afford political posturing.

There is some other type of manoever going on here.


Briefcase

Jack Smith is in a hurry, but he can't say why

JSmith
© Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesSpecial Council Jack Smith
You've read it in this newsletter here and here, but it has popped up again. Jack Smith, the federal prosecutor pursuing former President Donald Trump, is again urging a court to speed up procedures in Smith's case charging Trump in connection with the 2020 election and Jan. 6.

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court gave Smith one week to respond to Trump's effort to keep his 2020 election trial on hold while the court decides on Trump's argument that he should be immune from prosecution. Smith responded in one day. His argument is that it is very, extremely, super-duper important that Trump's trial move ahead as quickly as possible. Of course, it has been clear for some time that Smith feels that way. What is important is why Smith says the Trump case should speed ahead.

The reason for Smith's haste has been obvious all along: He wants Trump to be tried, convicted, sentenced, and possibly jailed before the Nov. 5 presidential election. Could anything be clearer? Everything that Smith has done since Aug. 1, 2023, when the indictment was unsealed, has been to rush the case to a decision before deadline — and the deadline has always been the 2024 presidential election.

But here's the problem for Smith. The Justice Department forbids prosecutorial interference with elections. The guidelines are very clear:
"Federal prosecutors and agents may never select the timing of any action, including investigative steps, criminal charges, or statements, for the purpose of affecting any election, or for the purpose of giving an advantage or disadvantage to any candidate or political party."

Comment: Seems like Trump has a window of opportunity should his gargantuan lead remain his ace.


Footprints

Russia says its forces move forward after Ukraine withdraws from Avdiivka

remaining
© New York Times/Getty ImagesSome Ukrainians refuse to leave Avdiivka
Russia said on Saturday that its forces had inflicted a series of defeats on Ukrainian forces along the 1,000-km (620-mile) front line just as Ukrainian troops withdrew from the devastated eastern town of Avdiivka.

The Ukrainian withdrawal from Avdiivka paves the way for Russia's biggest victory since the May 2023 capture of Bakhmut after a deadly battle that left thousands dead in a devastated city with barely a building intact.

After the failure of Ukraine to pierce Russian lines last year, Moscow has been trying to grind down Ukrainian forces just as Kyiv ponders a major new mobilisation and President Volodymyr Zelenskiy appoints a new commander to run the war.

Russian forces made inroads against Ukrainian troops along the front lines in a number of different directions, according to the Russian defence ministry.

"Avdiivka, as a major node of resistance for the armed forces of Ukraine, has fallen," pro-Russian military blogger Yuri Podolyak said on Telegram.