Puppet MastersS


Mr. Potato

Sweden wants no permanent NATO bases on its territory, says foreign minister

Tobias Billstrom Selen Valente sweden foreign minister
'In peace time, we don't see any reason to have nuclear weapons on our territory,' says Tobias Billstrom Selen Valente
Sweden's Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom on Tuesday said the nation is against the establishment of permanent NATO bases and the deployment of nuclear arms on its territory.

Billstrom spoke to Anadolu after the flag ceremony held at NATO headquarters in Brussels on the occasion of Sweden joining the alliance as its 32nd member.

Noting that his country participated in joint operations with NATO prior to its membership, Billstrom said:

Comment: Unfortunately, that's not quite how NATO vassal status works; one doesn't get the 'benefits' without the suicidal burden. Also, in case the FM hadn't noticed, we're hardly in 'peace times', because the West's numerous war fronts could essentially be considered a world war in its relatively early stages:


Take 2

Macron is a 'coward' - Medvedev

medvedev
© Sputnik / Ekaterina Shtukina
French President Emmanuel Macron has postponed his visit to Ukraine because he is a pathological coward, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has claimed. The Elysee Palace announced on Monday that Macron's long-awaited visit to Ukraine will take place sometime "in the coming weeks."

The announcement marks the third delay of the French leader's visit to Ukraine. Macron had initially planned to visit Kiev to sign a bilateral security agreement last month, but the document ended up being signed during Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky's trip to Paris.

"Macron preparing to visit Kiev? But he's a zoological coward!" Medvedev posted in French on X (formerly Twitter), recommending that Macron's office pack "several changes of underwear" and prepare for a "strong stink."

Uzi

Pentagon reveals $10 billion arms 'hole' due to Ukraine - media

pentagon
© Icholakov / Getty Images
The Pentagon wants the US Congress to allocate $10 billion to compensate for weapons it has delivered to Ukraine and to replenish its own stocks, American media reported on Monday citing senior officials.

Unless the deficit is covered, the "ongoing hole" will put a strain on the US military itself, one source told Politico. The White House has requested over $60 billion in supplemental Ukraine assistance, but the Republican-controlled House has stonewalled repeated calls by US President Joe Biden to release the money.

The official said the "big funding piece waiting in the supplemental" needs to be approved for the US arsenal to be replenished. Otherwise "it would come back on our own readiness, on our own stockpile, to a certain extent."

The $10 billion shortfall was created due to the differences between the listed value of weapons drawn from stockpiles and the cost of replacing them with new ones. For instance, if older munitions are sent to Ukraine, the Pentagon will replace them with a newer and more expensive version.

Comment: They need billions more to keep funding their black ops across the world, not for "restocking weapons."


Star of David

Best of the Web: Israel's ultra-orthodox threaten to 'go abroad' if drafted, Sephardic Chief rejects conscription for Haredim

Israel's Sephardi Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef
© Olivier Fitoussi/ Flash90Israel's Sephardi Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef speaks during a ceremony in Jerusalem on September 22, 2022.
The army says it needs additional manpower to prosecute the genocide in Gaza and drafting religious students is necessary

Speaking on 9 March, Sephardic Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef declared that Haredi (ultra-orthodox) religious students must not be drafted "under any circumstances, no matter what" and that if they are forcibly enlisted, the Haredim would "go abroad."

"Without the Torah, without the kollels, without the yeshivas, the army will have no success," he declared.

Comment: For such an allegedly patriotic and eschatologically enthusiastic people, Israeli officials, citizens, and settlers, have been rather quick to abandon ship:


Light Sabers

Zelensky a 'clown' for badmouthing the Pope - Maduro

maduro
© Carlos Becerra / Getty Images
Ukraine's President Vladimir Zelensky looks like a clown, a brute, and a loser when he attacks Pope Francis for urging a negotiated peace with Russia, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said during a television program on Monday.

The Latin American leader was rebuking his Ukrainian counterpart's rejection of the Pope's call last week for Kiev to consider making concessions for the sake of peace negotiations.

Pope Francis is a great man who has high moral authority and Zelensky is in no position to speak poorly about him, Maduro said. The Ukrainian leader's attitude makes him similar to Juan Guaido, he added, referring to the former Venezuelan MP who attempted to usurp power in the country with US backing several years ago.

"Zelensky looks more and more like Guaido, the clown, the brute, the loser Guaido, and is as harmful for the people as Guaido was," he said. Venezuela - and Maduro as a man of faith - supports Pope Francis' message of peace for Ukraine, he stressed.

Attention

Confident dragon lays out modernization roadmap

China Rising
© Public Domain
This is the Year of the Wooden Dragon, according to China's classic wuxing ("five elements") culture. The dragon, one of the 12 signs of the Chinese zodiac, is a symbol of power, nobility and intelligence. Wood adds growth, development and prosperity.

Call it a summary of where China is heading in 2024.

The second session of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) was finalized on Sunday in Beijing.

The wider world should know that within the framework of grassroots democracy with Chinese characteristics, an extremely complex - and fascinating - phenomenon, the importance of the CPPCC is paramount.

The CPPCC channels wide-ranging expectations of the average Chinese to the decision level, and actually advises the central government on a vast range of issues - from everyday living to high-quality development strategies.

This year, most of the discussion focused on how to drive

China's modernization even faster. This being China, concepts - like flowers - were blooming all around the spectrum, such as "new quality productive forces, "deepening reform," "high-standard opening-up," and a fabulous new one, "major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics."

As the Global Times emphasized, "2024 is not only a critical year for achieving the goals of the '14th Five-Year Plan' but also a key year for achieving the transition to high-quality development of the economy."

Mr. Potato

Never surrender? NATO head rejects Pope's 'white flag' appeal to Ukraine

NATO vs Pope
The pontiff suggested that Kiev should "find the courage" to end the conflict with Moscow through talks.

Ukraine needs more military aid before it can start negotiating a peace deal with Russia, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said. His comments came after Pope Francis told Swiss broadcaster RSI that Kiev should have "the courage of the white flag" and begin talks with Moscow.

Speaking with Reuters on Monday, Stoltenberg rejected the idea, saying more military support for Ukraine is the way to achieve a negotiated peaceful solution.

The secretary-general added that "what happens around a negotiating table is inextricably linked to the strength on the battlefield."

"It's not the time to talk about surrender by the Ukrainians. That will be a tragedy for the Ukrainians. It will also be dangerous for all of us," he claimed.


Comment: NATO apparently thinks that the situation on the battlefield against all odds will improve. When that doesn't happen, then the negotiations will be left to accepting all the demands which Russia will put on the table.


Comment: It is a sign of the times, when a major religious leader is being chastised for calling for peace negotiations.

The conflict will not end as long as the West continues to push for a fight to the last Ukrainian. The concessions the West will make at the end will be enormous and likely ensure a diminished role in world affairs for Europe for the rest of the century.


Vader

Theft! EU to start sending Russian money to Ukraine this summer

Freezing assets
The European Commission is pressing ahead with its plan to give Kiev up to €3 billion ($3.2 billion) from profits generated by frozen Russian assets amid waning financial support from the US, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday.

Brussels is fast-tracking the decision to seize the interest earned from the assets held at clearinghouse Euroclear, starting from February onwards, the article stated.

A first tranche of money could be sent to Kiev as early as July if Brussels can secure the approval of all bloc members, the outlet said, citing EU officials. The proposal is reportedly expected before a summit of EU leaders next week.

The West has frozen roughly $300 billion in holdings belonging to the Russian central bank since the start of the Ukraine conflict two years ago. Brussels-based clearing house Euroclear holds around €191 billion ($205 billion) of them and has accrued nearly €4.4 billion in interest over the past year.

Comment: It not only could erode trust in the euro's status, it will erode trust in the euro. Countries around the world will take notice and park their money elsewhere. It is clear that those in the EU elite who make these decisions have no concern for the consequences and know that they themselves will not suffer from them.


Eiffel Tower

Macron delays Kyiv visit amid tensions over Ukraine comments

Emanuel Macron
© Pool photo by Gonzalo Fuentes via AFP/Getty ImagesMacron has upped anti-Russia rhetoric in recent weeks, ruffling feathers among allies, particularly in Germany.
The Elysée Palace denied security concerns over the visit after a Russian missile landed near the Greek prime minister's motorcade in Ukraine last week.

French President Emmanuel Macron has pushed back a long-planned visit to Ukraine amid tensions with allies over his increasingly hawkish comments on Russia.

The visit has been delayed several times and was initially planned for February, before being pushed back to mid-March. On Sunday, a statement from the French Presidential Palace said the visit would take place "in the next few weeks."

Comment: See also:


Post-It Note

Adam Schiff says Intel Community should 'dumb down' briefings for Trump if he's GOP nominee

schiff meet press
© Screenshot/NBC News/"Meet the Press"
Democratic California Sen. Adam Schiff stated Sunday on NBC that if former President Donald Trump is the Republican nominee, the intelligence community should "dumb down" his briefings.

Schiff appeared on "Meet the Press" to discuss his recent win in advancing to the general election for potentially filling late Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein's seat and his future campaign plans. NBC host Kristen Welker questioned Schiff on Trump's potential intelligence briefing by U.S. officials as the former chair of the House Intelligence Committee before being replaced by former Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

"Congressman, let me ask you about this development this weekend. U.S. intelligence officials are planning to provide briefings for Donald Trump if he officially secures the nomination, despite the fact that he's facing 40 felony charges for his handling of classified documents. As the former chair of the house intelligence committee do you think it's appropriate for him to receive intelligence briefings?" Welker questioned.

Comment: See also: