Syria: it is not at all clear who is doing what to whom, and why. One factor which does seem to be emerging is that Turkey and Russia are actively supporting opposing sides in this war.
Consequently, it seems that Turkey has just disqualified itself from holding the kind of negotiations which took place there at the start of the Special Military Operation. In this, Turkey joins non-neutral Switzerland and all the belligerent NATO nations as places which would be unacceptable to Russia for future negotiations on ending the conflict in the Ukraine.
This increases the probability that those negotiations will have to take place in China. Where else is there? And that in turn raises the probability that the end of the Ukrainian proxy war will involve a UN Mandate to China to occupy Rump Ukraine to ensure that both Russia and NATO stay out.
Sir – if the war in the Ukraine is NOT a US/NATO proxy war, then why is the US taxpayer providing so much military & financial support to the regime there, at a time when the US has existential financial problems at home? If it is not a proxy war, why does Zelensky seem to spend much of his time going around the world begging for even more financial & military aid?
If the Ukraine’s war is entirely dependent on foreign support, then it is a proxy war.
Choosing a baseline date to make a point deceptively is one of the oldest tricks in the book. One is hardly surprised to find it coming from that quarter.
As is obvious to everyone else, the difference is that the US and NATO provoked the war in Ukraine by violating the Minsk agreement and by instigating regime change in 2013/14 (Euromaidan). No need to take my word for it; Vicky Nuland said so out loud. If you have trouble finding the clip on YouTube, someone here can help you.
In contrast, North Korea had zero involvement with Ukraine heretofore. False equivalences appear to be your specialty.
Excuse me, you will have to explain that logic to me. During WWII, FDR’s regime sent massive amounts of US military & financial aid to the communist Soviet Union which was doing most of the fighting against Germany – but no-one would ever have called that a US proxy war. The reason is simple – for once, Congressmen had stood up and voted for war, and voted for mutual prosecution of that war with the communist Soviet Union ally against the joint enemy of Germany.
This time around, there has been no hint of the required Congressional Declaration of War on Russia, no Senate-approved mutual defense treaty with the Ukraine – only Administration underhanded encouragement, funding, and support for Ukraine’s war against Russia. The war could not have happened and certainly could not have continued without that US Administration support – hence it is a US proxy war.
As far as the North Koreans in Kursk go, all the evidence is that they are about as real as the Ghost of Kiev or the granny who knocked down a Russian drone with a can of vegetables. But if they were real instead of yet another Zelensky fairy tale, that still would not constitute a North Korean proxy war – the North Koreans would be a Russian ally acting in accordance with a mutual defense treaty by aiding in repelling an attacker on Russian soil.
Dear friends.
I see us all as friends and just trying to make sense out of this Ukraine Russia conflict.
If you have some free time then here is a very excellent talk between John Mearsheimer and Alexander Dugin !!!
It is a treat.
Some interesting history about the Carol of the Bells (the video has English subtitles, and is the pinnacle of what kind of a Christmas address a political leader can come up with):
The Communist shadow still holds power in Russia.
P.S.: If anyone thinks that Ukraine is a rook being moved by USA/NATO/EU – this video proves that it’s Ukraine that’s more fit to lead all of them than vice versa.
Interesting, since the Ukrainian Orthodox Church celebrates Christmas in early January on the Gregorian calendar. But then Zelensky has tried his best to shut down the Ukrainian church. Amazing what a guy whose presidency is past its “Sell By” date can do to try to alter a country beyond recognition … but enough about “Joe Biden”.
It’s more like the pinnacle of what kind of a misleading address a political leader can come up with. The song Shchedryk was not composed as a Christmas carol; it celebrated the New Year. The English lyrics have nothing to do with the original song’s lyrics. The only thing Carol of the Bells has in common with Shchedryk is the tune.
Zelenskyy’s misdirection is simply an effort to pander to the suckers in the the West. I like the song and listen to it at Christmastime but find this sleazy exploitation repulsive, yet totally on-brand for this dishonest little troll.
“Not one inch eastward…” so sayeth the west. If you wonder why Russia might be threatened by Ukraine in NATO, why do you suppose there is discomfort among many in DC that the US no longer controls the Panama Canal, for instance? That China might?
Trump should tell NATO we are leaving. Stop right there. George got it right:
Why quit our own to stand upon foreign ground? Why, by interweaving our destiny with that of any part of Europe, entangle our peace and prosperity in the toils of European ambition, rivalship, interest, humor, or caprice?
Horrific details have also emerged. The stricken plane was denied landing at three Russian airports, despite aviation protocol—both written and unwritten—dictating that an emergency aircraft must be accommodated at the nearest airport capable of handling it without hesitation. Especially since this was an Embraer aircraft, not a wide-body Dreamliner or Airbus. Instead, the damaged plane, with failed navigation systems, was directed to Aktau, across the Caspian Sea, while flying without a GPS signal.
(so that the evidence would sink into the Caspian Sea?)
People might want to look at a map. The standard flight path was from Baku in Azerbaijan north along the western coastline of the Caspian Sea past the Caucasus Mountains and then turning inland to Grozny in Russia. (Some of the more excitable Zelensky crowd have claimed the flight was in the opposite direction, with the plane being hit by a Russian missile over Grozny!)
That flight path is about 300 miles – less than the distance from Los Angeles to San Francisco. Flight time must be less than 90 minutes. Reportedly, the plane was diverted from Grozny because of fog at that airport. But on such a short flight, why would the plane even take off from Baku when its destination was fogged in?
There is a lack of information about when (or even if) the pilot declared an emergency on board. If the pilot had not called an emergency, then there would have been no need for Air Traffic Control to take the appropriate steps. If there had been a problem, the natural action on such a short flight would have been for the plane to return to Baku. What happened instead was that the plane flew east across the Caspian Sea – an additional distance of about 200 miles – and tried unsuccessfully to land in Aktau, Kazakhstan.
So far, the public information does not make a lot of sense. However, that will not stop the Usual Suspects from blaming the evil Putin. The man must be more powerful than Zeus! He can create fog at an airport to further his dastardly schemes!
