Puppet MastersS


Vader

Best of the Web: Did the West intentionally incite Putin to war?

zelensky poke bear russia ukraine political cartoon
© David Parkins/The Globe and Mail/2014
Over the last year the US and NATO countries have undertaken no effort to convince Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskiy to begin talks with Putin, despite: the death of more than half a million Ukrainians; the destruction of much of Ukraine's economy, finances, physical infrastructure, human capital, civil society; and the West's inability to sustain financial and military support even as Ukraine loses the war when said support was at its height. The West's war strategy now seems to be to prolong a 'long war' in the hope either that the war begins to affect Russia and Putin's standing there or that Putin's health wanes and his system destabilizes. All this and much more written below raises suspicions the West intentionally, maybe even 'subconsciously' - the actions of small policy victories won in order to 'confront Putin' by competing elements within it, especially inside Washington - drew Russia into the NATO-Russia Ukrainian War. Aside from the background cause and main driver of this decision - NATO expansion - and more immediate precipitants of Putin's decision in mid- to late February 2022, what efforts, of any, did the West undertake perhaps intentionally to drive this decision?

If we look at the course of events in reverse chronological order it seems to me even more glaringly so that the West sought this war and indeed drew Russia into it intentionally with the the strategy of using the war to weaken Russia's economic and political stability. The strategic goal is the reinforcement of US hegemony and power maximalization by achieving two long-standing, interrelated sub-goals: (1) NATO expansion and (2) the removal from power of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Let's reverse engineer the course of events.

Bullseye

Best of the Web: UN special rapporteur: Israel is deliberately starving Palestinians and it should be held accountable for genocide

Gaza children hunger food
© Fatima Shbair/APPalestinians line up for a free meal in Rafah, Gaza Strip, on 16 February. UN special rapporteur on the right to food Michael Fakhri says denial of food is war crime and constitutes 'a situation of genocide'.
Israel is intentionally starving Palestinians and should be held accountable for war crimes - and genocide, according to the UN's leading expert on the right to food.

Hunger and severe malnutrition are widespread in the Gaza Strip, where about 2.2 million Palestinians are facing severe shortages resulting from Israel destroying food supplies and severely restricting the flow of food, medicines and other humanitarian supplies. Aid trucks and Palestinians waiting for humanitarian relief have come under Israeli fire.

"There is no reason to intentionally block the passage of humanitarian aid or intentionally obliterate small-scale fishing vessels, greenhouses and orchards in Gaza - other than to deny people access to food," Michael Fakhri, the UN special rapporteur on the right to food, told the Guardian.

Comment: And Israel manages to take malevolence to yet another level: not only are the IDF also shooting livestock, bombing food and sanitation infrastructure - and the rest - but they're also shelling and shooting those simply scrambling for food - see the reports below.

But, there does appear to be a notable development by those working for propaganda media outlets, because it seems that even those journalists are struggling to overlook the atrocities, and, in turn, Israel and its cheerleaders in the West appear to be escalating tensions ever further, perhaps due to their realisation that their window of opportunity is closing:


Initial reports indicate Death tolls are up to: 150 KILLED AND 1000 INJURED
Video 1&2: Injuries and martyrs arriving to the hospitals.
Video 3: Civilians gathered waiting for Aid.
Video 4: the moment civilians were targeted and shot.




Bad Guys

Best of the Web: Germany's Scholz implies British troops operating long-range missiles INSIDE Ukraine, is slammed by counterparts for intel-leak

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz
© Christoph Schmidt/Getty ImagesGerman Chancellor Olaf Scholz
The chancellor said giving Kiev long-range missiles would require assistance from German troops, citing London's example

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has come under fire from the UK after he suggested that there were British troops operating in the Ukraine conflict. Explaining why Berlin would not supply Kiev with long-range Taurus missiles, Scholz said it would require German military personnel on the ground providing assistance.

He went on to say that Taurus "is a very long-range weapon, and what was done on the part of the British and French in terms of target-control and target-control assistance can't be done in Germany."

Comment: The Daily Mail further clarifies the comments:
On Tuesday, it was revealed that the UK had also stationed a 'small number' of troops in Ukraine in a support capacity, specifying only that some were involved in medical training.

Though it is known that the UK provides Ukraine with intelligence on Russian targets, it is not currently known to what extend support is given to Ukrainian troops in direct military action.
And The Telegraph:
Justin Crump, chief executive of Sibylline, an intelligence consultancy, said: "British support to Ukraine is hardly news to Moscow given repeated leaks, but this has previously been veiled in ambiguity - itself drawing on a trick from Russia's own playbook.

"[Mr] Scholz though has more clearly pierced this veil. His assertion is a gift to Russian propagandists, already forming a key part of Russia's effort to undermine Nato cohesion and support for Kyiv during this critical period ahead of US and UK elections."
Meanwhile the overall press coverage seems to be dancing around the issue, such as with the following from The Standard:
His comments led to reports that British soldiers are in Ukraine helping with weapons system, or at least helping to fire them remotely.
Whilst one could put this down to infighting and/or incompetence - and it does come amidst the German Navy's recent embarrassment - what with the admission from the US about CIA bases stationed in Ukraine since 2014; with Macron's calls to send in France's troops to Ukraine; and the seeming need for the West to escalate matters, one can't help but wonder whether it's, at least in part, laying the ground for a provocation.

Although perhaps that's giving the desperate, bungling, albeit sinister, establishment puppets too much credit.

Either way, the outcome seems as though it will be the same: note that Russia's response is that, indeed, a direct (official) confrontation does seem to be brewing:


Black Magic

Best of the Web: 'Hiding something': Journalists from BBC, CNN, write open letter calling for access into Gaza, question motive for obstruction

Niña en medio de las ruinas causadas por los bombardeos israelíes en la Franja de Gaza.
Gaza
A group of more than 50 broadcast journalists have sent an open letter to the embassies of Israel and Egypt calling for "free and unfettered access" to Gaza for foreign media.

The letter, sent by correspondents and presenters from the main broadcasting outlets based in the UK, also appeals for better protection for journalists already reporting in the territory.

The broadcasters represented are Sky News, the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, CNN, ABC, NBC, and CBS.

Comment: For the legacy media to be speaking so frankly is quite a development.

Considering how the truth is now breathing down the necks of the establishment, it's probably no wonder that they're beating the drums of war ever louder, and that the probability of them provoking a significant escalation in at least one of their war fronts appears to be on the cards:


Magnify

US intel tried to track Putin - Wired

putin limo
© Adam Berry/Getty ImagesRussian President Vladimir Putin.
A tech firm devised a new surveillance tool under the auspices of the CIA and Pentagon, the media outlet has claimed, citing a new book.

A US tech firm with close ties to the CIA and the Pentagon used a powerful tool to try to track the movements of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Wired has claimed, citing a new book by former Wall Street Journal reporter Byron Tau.

The company, PlanetRisk, reportedly created the tool - originally named Locomotive but later rebranded as VISR (Virtual Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) - to tap into geolocation data used by digital advertisers, and was supposedly able to snoop on people close to the Russian president, thus gaining information on his whereabouts.

Comment: If only the Pentagon was this good at tracking its $1 billion in weapons to Ukraine. It's amazing how efficient they can be, when they want to be.

See also:


Radar

'Catastrophic scenario' if NATO troops deploy to Ukraine - top Russian senator

Nato and Ukrainian flag
© Getty Images / LightRocket / SOPA Images / Dominika Zarzycka
The possibility mulled by the French president could be taken as a declaration of war on Moscow, Konstantin Kosachev has said.

The potential deployment of NATO troops to Ukraine will lead to a "catastrophic scenario," and could be interpreted as a "declaration of war" on Moscow, top Russian senator Konstantin Kosachev has said.

The Vice Speaker of Russia's upper chamber, the Federation Council, offered his take on remarks by French President Emmanuel Macron on the possibility of sending troops in a Telegram post on Tuesday. The approach exhibited by the French leader carries a risk of the situation devolving into a "catastrophic scenario," Kosachev warned, stating that the move would not be tolerated by the Kremlin.

Comment: See also:


Russian Flag

Moscow updates estimate of Kiev's military losses

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.
© Sputnik/Sergey GuneevRussian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.
Kiev has lost over 444,000 troops in two years of hostilities against Moscow, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu estimated on Tuesday.

His remarks come days after Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky claimed that his country's forces recorded some 31,000 fatalities in the two years of fighting. Western media have pointed out that the latest figure from Kiev is even significantly lower than a US estimate released in the summer of last year.

Shoigu said the high attrition rate on the Ukrainian side was evidence "that the US strategy to contain Russia at the cost of Ukrainian lives and passive economic and military support of the Kiev regime has no way forward." Speaking at a ministerial meeting, Shoigu said the average daily cost of the conflict for the Ukrainian army was more than 800 troops and 120 pieces of weaponry. He did not break down casualties into killed and wounded soldiers.

While making his claim on Sunday, Zelensky contrasted his 31,000 figure with Russian estimates, which he branded as lies. He declined to say how many Ukrainian soldiers were injured, explaining that revealing that information would benefit Moscow's military planning.

Comment: Quite a stark difference between the two numbers. One number suggests everything is fine and the other suggests disaster. Which is more likely to accurately represent the reality on the ground in Ukraine?


Explosion

How Macron's latest Ukraine comments blew NATO apart

French President Emmanuel Macron
© Ludovic MARIN / POOL via AFPFILE PHOTO: French President Emmanuel Macron reviews troops.
Senior Western officials have rushed to disavow remarks made by French President Emmanuel Macron this week suggesting that some NATO members could deploy troops in Ukraine. Moscow responded by saying such a move would make a direct war with the US-led military bloc "inevitable."

Here is how the French leader apparently overplayed his hand, highlighting the lack of cohesion within the North Atlantic alliance regarding how to proceed with the Ukraine crisis.

Anniversary meeting

Supporters of Kiev gathered in Paris on Monday at Macron's invitation to discuss what to do as hostilities between Russia and Ukraine entered their third year. Ukrainian President Zelensky reportedly participated in the event, which was held behind closed doors, via a video link.

The leaders convened the week after Ukrainian troops suffered a new series of setbacks on the battlefield, having lost their foothold in Avdeevka in Russia's Donetsk People's Republic. The Kiev government is also struggling to replenish lost troops and controversial mobilization reform which would introduce harsh punishments for dodging the draft is mired in parliament. Meanwhile, a partisan row in the US Congress has kept a White House request for additional Ukraine aid in legislative limbo.

The Elysee Palace touted the gathering as a way for participants to "reaffirm their unity" and express their determination to defeat Russia. Some guests, critical of the general Western approach to the conflict, expressed concerns beforehand. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said the agenda "sends chills down my spine."

Comment: See also:


Russian Flag

Putin allies tell Macron: Any French troops you send to Ukraine will suffer fate of Napoleon's army

French President Emmanuel Macron
© REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/Pool/File PhotoFrench President Emmanuel Macron attends a press conference at the end of the conference in support of Ukraine, with European leaders and government representatives, at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, February 26, 2024.
Allies of Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday warned French President Emmanuel Macron that any troops he sends to Ukraine would meet the same end as Napoleon Bonaparte's Grande Armee whose 1812 invasion of Russia ended in death and defeat.

Macron opened the door on Monday to European nations sending troops to Ukraine, although he cautioned that there was no consensus at this stage.

His comments prompted a slew of other Western countries, including the United States and Britain, to say they had no such plans, while the Kremlin warned that conflict between Russia and the U.S.-led NATO military alliance would be inevitable if European members of NATO sent troops to fight in Ukraine.

Vyacheslav Volodin, the chairman of the State Duma, the lower house of Russia's parliament and a close Putin ally, said Macron appeared to see himself as Napoleon and warned him against following in the footsteps of the French emperor.

"To maintain his personal power, Macron could not think of anything better than to ignite a third world war. His initiatives are becoming dangerous for the citizens of France," Volodin said on his official social media feed.

"Before making such statements, it would be right for Macron to remember how it ended for Napoleon and his soldiers, more than 600,000 of whom were left lying in the damp earth."

Comment: The lessons of history are often lost on the wicked and unwise.


Attention

Who's brain-dead now, Macron?

Brain Dead
© Strategic Culture Foundation
French President Emmanuel Macron wants to send NATO ground troops into Ukraine to defeat Russia.

Only a delusional fool could make such a crass proposal which goes to show that Macron is brain-dead. NATO troops deployed to fight Russian forces would mean an all-out war, which most likely would spiral into a nuclear conflagration.

Ironically, the French leader made headlines a while back when he labeled the US-led NATO alliance as being "brain-dead". He's now competing for the same epithet.

When Macron made those harsh remarks about NATO in an interview with the Economist in November 2019, some observers thought that he was being intelligently critical of the transatlantic military organization and how it was no longer fit for purpose in the modern age.

But, no, Macron wasn't offering constructive criticism of NATO or American leadership. He was simply being a conceited charlatan, trying to promote himself as the "strong leader" of Europe and peddling his hobby horse of building up a European army by appearing to bad mouth NATO.

This week, the former Rothschild banker was at it again, indulging in his grandiose fantasies of leading the rest of Europe.

Macron hosted 25 European heads of state or government at the Conference in Support of Ukraine. In the grandeur of the Elysee Palace, he warned that Russia "must not win the war in Ukraine" otherwise, he claimed, the whole of Europe would succumb to Russian aggression.

This is reckless and dangerous fantasy by the French president indulging in the most unhinged Russophobia. Moscow has categorically stated that it has no interest in anything beyond denazifying the NATO-sponsored regime in Kiev and protecting its national security.

To offset such a purported nightmarish outcome of Russian tanks rolling over Europe, Macron told European leaders that they should not rule out deploying NATO ground troops to assist the Kiev regime.

"Nothing should be excluded. We will do whatever it takes to ensure that Russia cannot win this war," the French president said in front of approving European leaders.