I doubt if there is anyone reading this blog that remembers D-Day, June 6, 1944. I call your attention to that date because it was the start of the Allied offensive to retake Europe from the Nazis. When the operation started, however, Hitler and his Generals did not realize it was the real deal. They were still convinced that the main Allied attack would come at Pas de Calais. It took them at least a week to realize that the genuine invasion was underway.
With that historical precedent let me suggest that the “spring” offensive by Russia actually is underway. The Russian attacks along the Ukrainian defensive lines in the Donbass are significant. At the same time, Russia is punching north in the Zaporhyzhia region. Is the Russian presence in Belarus just a feint designed to tie up Ukrainian forces that otherwise might have been sent to reinforce bloodied troops in the Donbass?
Ukraine lacks armor and air power and is compelled to rely on throwing untrained troops into the front lines, where they face unrelenting bombardment from artillery and missiles. Russia is not launching human wave attacks. They are content to saturate Ukraine’s defensive positions with a volume of fire not seen since the Second World War. And Ukraine’s ability to return fire is constrained by lack of ammunition.
The gravity of Ukrainian desperation is evident in the latest effort to deal with mounting casualties:
Every male between 20 and 55 years of age to be conscripted in Ukraine—regardless of family status, profession, physical or mental health, or any other consideration.
https://t.me/sonar_21/474
Lists are to be prepared by every employer, organization, or institution (the document concerns the Kiev region specifically).
A country that is winning a war does not do that. Fifty-five year old men are good at drinking beer and playing golf. Fighting in a trench and dodging shells? Not so much.
On the diplomatic front there are some unusual moves. Secretary of State Blinken visited Egypt to chat about “regional issues.” Really?
Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry is set to head to Moscow on Monday evening to follow up on bilateral ties between both countries, said Ahmed Abu Zeid, the foreign ministry spokesman.
The visit comes just a few hours after he met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who paid a two-day visit to Cairo in the first leg of his Middle East tour. During his visit, Blinken met with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and Shoukry to discuss a host of regional issues.
https://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/1234/487211/Egypt/Foreign-Affairs/FM-Shoukry-to-head-to-Moscow-hours-after-meeting-B.aspx
But that is not all. Israel’s Foreign Minister is on his way to Kiev:
Eli Cohen made the announcement during a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Blinken who said the U.S. expects “to discuss ways to further support Ukraine and the Ukrainian people at this critical time”
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2023-01-30/ty-article/.premium/israeli-foreign-minister-to-fly-to-kyiv-to-inaugurate-new-embassy/00000186-03e9-d2c2-af97-d3e9cac30000
So what is going on? Let me suggest one possibility. Egypt agreed to carry some water for Washington and try to sound out the Russians on a possible diplomatic solution to the war in Ukraine and Israel agreed to do the same in Kiev. If that is the plan it is a fool’s errand.
Biden and Blinken do not realize that the relationship with Russia is broken. Traditional diplomatic tactics no longer apply. Russia learned, to its chagrin, that agreements with the West can no longer be trusted. Thanks to Hollande and Merkle, Putin learned that Minsk I and Minsk II were shams to buy time. Then you have the intemperate talk by Baerbock in Germany, who said that Europe is at war with Russia, and a couple of Polish legislators who talked openly about plundering Russia and breaking it up. Would you be willing to entertain a deal with people making those kind of blatant threats?
Putin and his key diplomats and generals know how to read and they see growing rifts in the NATO alliance. Turkey put the kabosh on Sweden joining NATO and President Erdogan is quite open about his disdain for France’s Macron:
“In fact, the man who is the head of France is not qualified to be the head of this state. Look, they are currently exploiting African countries,” he said.
Erdogan cited the example of Mali, which is now in a state of the complete breakdown of relations with France. He also referred to Burkina Faso and Togo, which he said “do not want to see French soldiers” on their territories.
https://t.me/sonar_21/470
Relations between Germany and Poland are not warm and fuzzy. Poland continues to press Germany to pay $1.5 trillion in reparations. Germany is scathing in its rejection of this demand. Oh yeah, almost forgot. Did you see the Sky News report today that the U.K. Army is a toothless, paper lion incapable of sustaining a brigade in industrial combat for two weeks? If you were in Putin’s shoes would you want to cut a deal with this clown show? NATO is in the process of eating itself and I think the Russians are quite content to do all they can to help it implode.
My grandfather landed on a beach called Juno one fine summers day.
As to the most amount of artillery fired? That was likely applied by the USA in Korea in the year 51 or 52.
Hard to say. But that is likely a fact.
Hi Spyguy, my father was on HMS Emerald providing your dad gunfire support. He’s still with us. I’d be surprised if any land based bombardment could match battleships large calibre delivery. Not pleasant to be under fire from.
USA,USA,USA!Also the largest tank battle of ww2 was at the Bulge.
Nope. Largest tank battle was Kursk.
Creo que lo que tiene claro occidente, es el nivel de conciliación y esmero por la paz del pueblo y la dirigencia rusas. Creo que Putin hará tregua y dejará el mar negro a Ucrania y los patrocinadores dueños de las tierras fértiles. Espero me equivoque. En verdad creen que Francia, Alemania y Ucrania engañaron a los rusos con Minks I y II? los rusos tienen una paciencia y bondad a veces insoportable. Ya no hay un chico de Geogia al frente de Rusia.
You are very mistaken. Putin will surrender nothing to Ukraine. Ukraine will lose its access to the Black Sea.
Yes Kursk had the largest tank. It went on for ten days. In fact, in one afternoon at Prokorovka the German tank losses exceeded those of any tank battle in history.
I was in Kursk 6 or 8 years ago. There are still some tank hulls in the surrounding fields because they were never able to salvage all of the scrap!
Nope. The largest tank battle was Brody, 1941
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Brody_(1941)
Double no. Just because it is in Wikipedia does not make it true. More tanks and more tank losses combined than Brody. Nice try.
Just to put some numbers to this. According to your source the Germans lost 200 tanks and the Russians lost 800. In the Battle of Kursk (which included Operation Citadel) the Soviets claimed to have destroyed 1,500 German tanks and killed or captured 500,000 men. The Germans claimed to have destroyed 1,800 tanks on the southern flank alone.
You’re not very good at math. Total tank losses in Brody was 1000. Total tank losses in Kursk was 3300. More than three times. You need to do some more reading.
Prokhorovka/Kursk (July 1943) … the battle of Dubno/Brody/Roven (June 1941)
Keyword: air supremacy
The article “Battle of Brody” in Wikipedia does not mention any significant primary source. The list of secondary sources does not even include D. Glantz (higher numbers) and A. Isaev (lower numbers) …
It wasn’t even the second largest tank battle in history.
People like you always have to make everything about America.
So BORING!!!
Get your facts right.
The battle of Kursk was almost as intense as Stalingrad.
WW II was decided on the East front, the rest were mere side shows.
So your grandfather was Canadian ? My uncle landed on Gold.
The fact is Germany had been subjected to many feints – especially over Sicily landings with “Man Who Never Was” – Operation Mincemeat.
A H probably thought Organisation Todt had built solid emplacements to resist any attempts by Churchill at Gallipoli II – and probably that had delayed the invasion until Operation Bagration looked like giving Stalin a clean sweep of the board
In this case I think USA has achieved its main goal of punishing Germany for insubordination. Once Merkel – using EU rotating Presidency signed that Investment Treaty with China – incidentally the largest trading partner of EU – her goose was cooked in DC.
The whole exercise was to enfeeble Germany and Poland and UK were happy to oblige.
US will go sort of quiet now that the pot is simmering – main objective screw up Germany – and with Habeck creating a chocolate mess with the Rosneft refinery at Schwedt Eastern Germany will soon be without refined oil products including kerosene for Berlin BER airport and diesel and petrol
The artillery fires in the later part of the Korean War were indeed impressive, as American leaders were doing the exact same thing as Russians are doing now. And that is to decline to engage an enemy (China) which, in that case, had vastly greater numbers of soldiers in normal ground combat, and to use steel rain instead.
But I cant imagine that a country that demilitarized completely after WWII and then rapidly rebooted in two years could outproduce a country who built a gigantic MIC over the course of 60 to 70 years. Doesnt seem likely
Hey Larry, I am not on twitter but my wife is and there is a fellow with the handle Clandestine@WarClandestine, amazing revelations about the bio-labs, he was just reinstated back on twitter and he also has a substack https://bioclandestine.substack.com/p/nih-emails-show-fauci-facilitated
He’s awesome, I’ve been reading his articles for a few months now. Also 2ndsmartestguyintheworld writes about various aspects of covid, the SBF/FTX fraud, & others.
https://2ndsmartestguyintheworld.substack.com/
Linda T – @bioclandestine is also on telegram for those interested. He’s one of a handful who have been following Russia’s Ministry of Defense’s continual updates on what they have found and are learning about these biolabs.
Last week, Patrick Lancaster who reports from the Donetsk region uploaded this video of what journalists found in an abandoned biolab used by Pfizer and AstraZeneca known in Rubizhne, Ukraine as Pharmbiotest. This was a testing site to test vaccines and other bio treatments. It is mentioned that vaccines for coronavirus were tested here w/staff refusing to be tested themselves. A local mentions many deaths also occurred.
https://rumble.com/embed/v23o3s4/?pub=4
I have wondered for some time if one of the leading pandemic reset supporting doctors is going to meet an untimely end compliments of a foreign government’s intelligent servives.
People have grandmas everywhere.
Linda T – @bioclandestine is also on telegram for those interested. He’s one of a handful who have been following Russia’s Ministry of Defense’s continual updates on what they have found and are learning about these biolabs.
Last week, Patrick Lancaster who reports from the Donetsk region uploaded this video of what journalists found in an abandoned biolab used by Pfizer and AstraZeneca known in Rubizhne, Ukraine as Pharmbiotest. This was a testing site to test vaccines and other bio treatments. It is mentioned that vaccines for coronavirus were tested here w/staff refusing to be tested themselves. A local mentions many deaths also occurred.
https://rumble.com/embed/v23o3s4/?pub=4
I don’t think Russia will ever trust the west again and why should they? The US has never kept a treaty, see American Indians for example. They will only do whats best for them, not the American people mind you but themselves. Greedy, power hungry, immoral, degenerates! By they way those are the ‘values’ they always speak of.
And they always convince the American people that it is not they who are breaking the agreement but the other side. The Americans in turn believe they are fighting for “freedom and democracy”.
“freedom and democracy”, those without a doubt have become code words for “destabilization and regime change.”
Great analysis. Keep up the good work, Larry.
Anyone seen the Wagner ad for US volunteers?
Prigozhin Trolling US!
He needed a narrator with a clearer accent.
They’re trolling – kinda of an up yours US.
The neat part is it might succeed. Boys will be boys ; how much wanna fight in the US Army wearing a dress ?
Don’t want a strict dress-code ? Go PMC boyz ^^!
Biden = weak leader.
Therefore each US govt is overstepping their authority and trying to set policy.
This results in schizophrenic decision making.
one side wants peace another war another wants to profit from the situation.
Diplomacy would result in no agreement even if trust remained. Because the other side would scupper as my agreement.
I think right about now Biden is struggling with his inner self, telling himself that he’s the ‘leader of the free world’ but in reality is nothing more than a putz.
Biden is, has been and always will be a **puppet** or as some people say a teleprompter-reader, nothing else. He is clearly deranged and doesn’t know what is going on. He is not the real leader and he did not win the election fairly.
He surely has no inner thoughts. He behaves like a trained dog, sometimes reading out loud stuff from his teleprompter or his cheat-sheet that is not meant to be read out loudly. He’s a bad doggy.
Indeed, never anything more than a bag man for the credit card companies whose hq’s were registered in Delaware because there’s some levels of corruption that even the Ukrainian gov’t couldn’t stomach.
These days the only things Joe’s struggling with is 1) Did he screwup some public appearance and earn another ass-chewing from Hauptfeldwebel…I mean “Dr.” Jill, and 2) Will she punish him by withholding his daily pudding cup.
Another great article. I think you are correct in saying that the “offensive” has already started but since this is not “war” as the West understands “war”, ie in its WWII form, the “offensive” does not appear as an “offensive”. As one of your previous interviewees pointed out the Russians are rapidly reinventing their military, with emphasis on combined arms operations and highly flexibile BTGs. But sophisticated tactical operations require extensive training and in-situ learning. So, it has taken a lot longer to prepare the new groups than most of us in the West assumed. At the same time, the UAF has been serving up troops for slaughter on a platter. The current “contact” line is collapsing. The UAF are bunkerizing downtown Zaporozhe in preparation for an attack which will likely not come. Instead the UAF will end up imprisoned in the city as they did in Mariupol The real prizes are Seversk, Slavyansk, and Kramatorsk in the North. Once taken, the Russians control supply lines and can simply starve out the UAF in the cities that it hasn’t taken in the South. THEN, it can move on Krivoy Rog and the Kharkov area. Russia will not negotiate. To achieve its goals, it must take all of Ukraine and consolidate with two new states — Novorossiya and Galicia — the latter the birthplace of “Ukrainian” language and culture. It will take time. But Russia also needs that time. Each month, its military technology advances and its lead over the US and NATO increases. Each month, Russia comes together with national consensus.
https://julianmacfarlane.substack.com/p/big-serges-big-surge
try and get a good nights sleep
The much-vaunted Winter offensive, which were expected by many respected Military observers, had begun 3 weeks ago when the Zaporozhya Front and the Donbass Front received the order “to move West” from the Russian General Staffs. Suddenly, the Russian armed forces started attacking on these two fronts when comparing to the sluggish, grinding style of December last year. Now the Fronts are very dynamic, save for some strongholds (usually city and big town), where the Russian prefers to surround and ask the Ukrainian to surrender or face total annihilation. This offensive can be seen as a preemptive strike to dull the Ukrainian’s vaunting big arrows.
From my experience, I see this offensive’s significant is actually on par of the Tet Offensive carried out by the Viet Cong in 1968. This offensive will decide the out-come of the War (not the result, since it’s already determined, but rather the time, when things will end.
The Tet offensive was undertaken by the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese Army Bo Doi.
And it succeeded in largely wiping out the Viet Cong, leaving the conflict primarily by North Vietnamese regulars.
However, thanks to the lyin’ leftist media in the US, it succeeded in weakening political support in the US for supporting South Vietnam.
Without the spin provided by the US media, it would have been a costly disaster for the Viet Cong and North Vietnam.
B.S
Not BS.
🙂
Happily, the US pulled its life destroying ass out of Vietnam thanks in part to the valiant and long suffering Vietnamese, North and South.
….and in retrospect, was any of it worth the blood shed? We do business with Vietnam today like it was hallowed ground.
So, we lost Vietnam’s ports as staging grounds, just like we’ve lost Crimea. Life goes on. One thing the US will never lose and that’s its cruisin’ for a bruisin’ in one theater or another or even a few together.
Ironically some of the medical supplies used by the VA hospitals are made in Vietnam. Says so right on the packages.
I have underwear in my dresser that was made in Vietnam.
While I like the alliteration, it wasn’t Macron and Merkle, it was Hollande and Merkle that reveled that Minks I and II were shams used to buy Ukraine time to build up it’s forces.
Not just Minsk but the Normandy Four talks were recently owned up to being a sham too.
WWI started over less than this.
Not just Minsk and UNSC Res 2202 but the Normandy Four talks were recently owned up to being a sham too.
WWI started over less than this.
Maybe Russia should pull a reverse Minsk maneuver and feign a willingness to cut a deal – and then quickly grab Transnistria, Odessa and Kharkov.
As the Chicago riots of the 1960’s enshrined for the first time; “The whole world’s watching”. Television brought the riots to the world. Russia is demonstrating to the world that some nations keep their word and they demonstrate that their targets are military and they are protecting themselves and their friends. Their friends don’t appear to have to promise fealty. The nations abused by centuries of colonialism are watching.
LOL sentiant!Fortunatly the Russians don’t think that way.They have self respect and believe credibility is important.Very old-fashioned and stoical.Your word is your bond.
Operation Bagration started shortly after D-Day on the same day that Operation Barbarossa kicked off the Third Reich invasion of Russia in 1941.
The Red Army offensive into Byelorussia from June 22 to August 19, 1944, resulted in the destruction of 28 of 34 divisions of the German Third Panzer, Fourth, and Ninth Armies of Army Group Center.
Amen.
I agree that the offensive has already begun. I had already written it here, namely shaping the terrain in Zaporizhzhia. It is normal to speed up when Bakhmut falls or breaks through defense in Zaporizhzhia. With troops from the east and south the VSU crumbling doesn’t stand a chance. In the north in Belarus today it can be feigned to arrest the VSU but the Russian troops are there for any eventuality of Poland advancing through the West! And at the end of the day, I even think that Russia doesn’t mind that Poland stays with the nationalists from Galicia. It cannot advance to Kiev. Three axes, as Moscow likes and has already led to the supreme humiliation of the comedian asking Lukashenko for help. That the US tried to overthrow 1 year ago! More liar just BoJo, the clown!
I have always thought the same as you.The only thing in Belarus that is strategic to russia is the Polish border.Belarus forces could handle everything else on their own.Even a NATO attack from the Balkans.
It is imploding. The NAFO trolls are becoming ever more shrill in online spaces.
Totally agree. Even here in Russia, the 5th column has stepped up and is hysterical online.
Hindsight is 20/20….but the uptick in diplomatic activity and aggressive rhetoric from the west definitely is evidence of something happening…. I think the specialist urban units… Wagner…paras and Chechen Spetsnaz will clear the last of the defensive networks before the Tank Armies penetrate through…in a race before NATO and Poland can intervene.
They could crawl on their knees and get there before NATO could intervene.
Oceania was at war with Eurasia therefore Oceania had always been at war with Eurasia.
George Orwell
Indeed. Today’s geopolitics are shaping up just as Orwell portrayed it, with 3 great powers and shifting alliances between them, designed to always keep the wars going and distract from the appropriation of all the resources by the Inner Party at home. Ukraine is the great distraction needed to bring about the Great Reset.
“I doubt if there is anyone reading this blog that remembers D-Day, June 6, 1944. I call your attention to that date because it was the start of the Allied offensive to retake Europe from the Nazis. ”
Is your audience really so young , nationalistic and historically illiterate ?
The Germans didn’t understand the real location , due to British intelligence.
The comms went like this:
“Les Français parlent aux Français. Veuillez écouter tout d’abord quelques messages personnels.”
“Blessent mon coeur d’une langueur monotone.”
————————————————————-
Les Boches attendraient l’invasion au nord, mais
Rien c’est passér au Pas De Calais
Hey, the above rhymes
And the rest is History!
“Les sanglots longs des violons de l’automne blessent mon coeur d’une langueur monotone.” Auteur Paul Verlaine, poète Français .
British Intelligence. That’s a term that has lost its meaning.
A bit like Chicago Law and Order. Or was that just another TV show ?
The start to retake Europe began in the east 2 years before D-day!
You’re referring to the FUSAG deception. The only big scale deception operation that the Western Allies conducted. I have always wondered whether the Soviets gave them instructions on how to do it because big-scale deception was routine for their operations.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_United_States_Army_Group
With the help of the spy code name “Garbo” a Catalan (An autonomous community of Spain). He basically convinced the Germans that the Allies where going to the Pas de Calais. A very important double agent with the British. Has an very interesting story. He was the recipient Of the Iron cross by the German’s and the British order of chivalry (the most Excellent Order of the British Empire) go figure.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_Pujol_García
Russian forces are strengthening their positions on new frontiers that were recaptured from the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Zaporozhye region. This was reported to us by the chairman of the movement “We are with Russia” Vladimir Rogov.
“Our guys consolidated their successes and built a new line of defense at all the lines from which [the Armed Forces] were knocked out in a week by reconnaissance in combat. The enemy positions are being processed: aviation is actively working, the presence of our Tornado-S MLRS is felt on the front. I Let me remind you that this type of weapon surpasses the American MLRS HIMARS in terms of accuracy,” he said.
Sanctions collapse
The IMF has improved its forecast for the Russian economy for the next two years and lowered expectations for the US.
The fund’s forecast says that in 2022 there was no economic recession of 3.4% in Russia (now it is estimated at 2.2%), in 2023 the economy will grow by 0.3% of GDP, and in 2024 by 2. 1% (2.6% and 0.6% better than the October forecast, respectively).
The US economy, according to the IMF forecast, will grow by 1% in 2024 (0.2% worse than the previous forecast), and by 1.4% in 2023 (0.4% better).
Kherson under Kiev regime is collapsing
Kherson’s local residents write that the Ukrainian Armed Forces are preparing the city for surrender.
Kherson residents believe that the city will not remain under the control of Ukrainian troops for long. The population feels extremely uncomfortable because of the filtration measures and “mortification.”
💬 The city itself is almost intact, but the settlement is clearly being prepared for surrender. They dug trenches without concrete. “The conscripts are running away, and the residents are not paying utility bills for either water or light,” reports Olga, a local resident.
She also said that men are given summonses right in line for humanitarian aid. Now there is a rotation, and Kherson is flooded with unmotivated and intimidated soldiers.
💬 If these stay, then Kherson won’t have to be stormed. “The Kiev government might send in nationalist reinforcements,” said a local resident.
Wagner definitely had a shocking effect on the NATOstanis. The sudden shrill denunciation and propaganda about this group, which when all is said and done is still only a small part of the Russian presence in Ukranazistan (let alone the Russian military) is proof enough.
The Awful Avalanche blog has an interesting series of 3 interviews with ex-convict Wagner soldiers starting here https://awfulavalanche.wordpress.com/2023/01/29/ukraine-war-day-340-earning-redemption-with-blood/
Scholz is in Brazil
Lukashenko is in Zimbabwe
Blinken is in Egypt and Israel
And Putin is in Moscow
Asking them: Do you feel you’re in control?
Larry, I agree that it is in effect, but I think that as with a train building speed, it started several months ago with higher Wagner and Chechen activity, and an increase in artillery rates – they were down late fall. Historians will argue about this for decades (as long as it stays non-nuclear).
That said, NATO is not feeling enough pain yet to treat Russian security concerns seriously. I think the bait is there for Poland – grab the land now before its too late – and that would put Europeans in a very nervous situation. Unclear if the US can hold it all together at that point.
Russia will not stop until Odessa is freed. The Nazis there have already burned ethnic Russian alive in a theater. Putin promised to protect ethnic Russians, everywhere. As you say, no one can believe what either the Ukrain-o-nazis or the US or EU or UK says. So there are no assurances that Russia will accept on Odessa.
Odessa is the last link in denying, whatever is left of Ukraine, access to the sea. Access to the sea is another another bargaining chip for Russia.
Access to the sea. Isn’t that something only for Anglosphere imperialists ?
The International treaty governing the Black Sea, allows navigation of ships by countries whose shores are contiguous to the sea. Those navies allowed belong to the countries of Russia, Turkey, Georgia, Romania and Bulgaris. It would be a violation for the US to send in a vessel.
Another option, which would allow Ukraine access to the Black Sea for grain exports, but exclude military use :
https://www.lauriemeadows.info/conflict_security/Treaties_of%20_Settlement-Ukraine.html#An_Autonomous_Port_City_of_Odessa
Quite true. And not only just Odessa, but I think that Russia’s additional goals would be:
(1) Liberate Kharkov
(2) Destroy Western Ukraine and turn it into a depopulated wasteland so that it can’t be used by the West to threaten Russia ever again
I think the above, along with liberation of Odessa, will begin in right earnest once Bakhmut is liberated.
Also, along the way, in order to implement the 2nd goal above, Russia continues to slowly and systematically wipe out the bulk of Ukrainian youth so that Ukraine won’t be able to raise an army against Russia – except for kids and senior citizens. Hence if NATO does want to mount an offensive against Russia, it will have to use its own troops, which will result in WW III, and NATO simply doesn’t have the stomach for this, given its military weakness vis-a-vis Russia.
Something started over a month ago with the pick up in infrastructure attacks. Maybe the offensive has started, and, like other things about Russia’s new method of warfare, not traditional methodology. On the diplomatic front I think they (NATO) know they’ll lose and are trying to find a way to save face as they slink away leaving Ukraine a mess. They tried to bluff their way through this in typical bully fashion, but have shown to have no stroke at all here, and I suspect they, at some intelligence level, now understand that the Russians have superior military tech, and no shortage of it or ability to produce it.
I wonder what narrative they’ll try to spin to make this turd shine. They’re stuck. They need the dollar to support the empire, but that means higher rates to fight inflation and kill the economy, and thus the tax base required for funding. If the dollar goes, so does the empire. Rock and a hard place, so now they’re looking for a diplomatic solution, but I don’t think Putin or Lavrov will be taking any calls. And, truth be told, a lot of the world won’t mind if the empire collapses.
The brilliance of Russian tactics or strategy, I’m never sure which word applies, is becoming clear. By adopting the “slow grind” approach, Russia has created a situation with two favourable outcomes coming to fruition.
On the one hand, Ukraine political resolve and military capacity is nearing the breaking point. Sooner or later, and probably sooner, both will crack, and Russia will be pushing on an open door.
On the other hand, the political resolve and military capacity, especially the political resolve, of the US and NATO are/is also fracturing. They are not yet ready to admit defeat, but they are admitting that they cannot win.
Game and set. Match to come.
mr, johnson- perhaps the offensive did begin on jan 12 th and we did not notice lol
https://www.britannica.com/event/World-War-II/The-Soviet-advance-to-the-Oder-January-February-1945
i went back to the military summary channel report for that day and that was the day according to duma that the russians established total control over soledar which would mark the beginning of the end of the ukrainian forces in the donbass
regards,
ralph
FWIW, I think the offensive is underway. Instead of “big arrow” moves, it’s a coordinated distribution of small(er) arrows all along the front.
We’re hearing a lot about Wagner and various assault teams. We’re hearing a lot less about the regular AFR formations coming up behind them and consolidating the gains. IOW, what has been a war of attrition has developed a territorial component.
Maskirovka will make it difficult the AFU to differentiate between feigned and real attacks and serve to stress further the AFU’s ability to deploy its reserves. Timely and careful deployment of reserves to plug holes is crucial to the defence along such a long front. I don’t think we’ll see big arrow moves until the AFU begins to deploy the garrisons defending the larger cities to the front.
The AFU press gangs have turned into a dragnet, with employers now obliged to deliver summonses to any male from 20-55 regardless of eligibility or infirmity. The growing resistance to this plays into the Russian hand both during and after the hostilities.
There are rumours floating that Putin is going to make a major statement/speech in about 3 weeks, perhaps coinciding with the anniversary date of the SMO. Some of the rumours have it that it will echo the ultimatum(s) tabled in December 2021 while taking the new realities into account.
Separating the serious from the wild-assed speculations on what sort of terms the Russians have in mind is a fool’s errand, but it suggests that Moscow expects to have at least Donbas in hand by then.
That tends to substantiate Larry’s hypothesis that the sudden increase in diplomatic activity signifies the West’s search for off-ramps. If the rumours are based in reality, then the West surely anticipates Putin’s ultimatum and is trying to either position itself for its arrival, or to front run it.
I, frankly don’t know what to expect Putin to say, but I’m pretty certain of 2 things: that Putin will give the West an off-ramp, and that the West won’t ignore it this time.
“… I’m pretty certain of 2 things: that Putin will give the West an off-ramp, and that the West won’t ignore it this time.”
This is assuming that Putin hasn’t had a change of heart, and he no longer is what he always claimed to be, a committed neo-liberal globalist, who like all the western “partners,” “friends,” and “business associates” he has had the pleasure to see come and go over the years, the Bushes, the Obamas, the Merkels, the Macrons, the Tillersons and the Schwabs ad infinitum, has little interest in sovereign matters, other than to pay lip service to them from time to time, in order to remain in power.
It’s not like potential “off-ramps” don’t abound in this particular region if Putin wants to employ them. As the Ukraine continues to essentially by-pass failed state status on its descent into total madness, the more it becomes a playground for rapacious capital interests, in other words, whatever the irrelevant fate of Ukraine is, it can be a veritable neo-liberal paradise, if that should be collective agreement of the participants in this current “struggle.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y32lORhQebg
The question I’ve been asking since since 2008, since I first began to pose questions online; will the greatest enigma of them all, Vladimir Putin, ever have a Saul of Tarsus moment, and start acting like a committed leader of a great sovereign nation, and one that has far more relative wealth at its disposal than any civilization in this planet’s history?
Or will he continue doing what he is doing on his nation’s behalf, which seems to be not all that much beyond the cosmetic?
These questions still remain unanswered to this day, at least to my satisfaction that is.
Personally, I don’t think it should be part of Putin’s job description to provide off-ramps to an “existential enemy” that is daily threatening to destroy the nation he leads, let them find their own.
The quicker this war is won the sooner the tidying up the regional aftermath can begin, which would then allow the government of the Russian Federation to focus on internal matters, sovereign matters, which is where the focus of this government (all governments) belongs, and wherever the chips in other realms fall should happen to fall, so be it.
I believe that Russia will continue to bleed the west(USA) as long as is practical.They still operate over 800 military bases in foreign lands.Russia wants the Brass Ring.As always Russia plays the long game.
80 years ago, on 31 January 1943, the southern pocket in Stalingrad collapsed. Paulus was captured.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQ4Jz0H4fAA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njAjFqd5mp4
Larry:
If Russia has no interest in a settlement with the West, how does it manage the West’s reaction to defeat of Ukraine? Do the neo-cons escalate ad infinitum, or until someone in the US military relents to the use of tactical nukes?
The whole reputation of the US as a global power is on the line, and this reputation will suffer terribly when the Ukrainian army collapses or there is a coup in the Kiev govt.
The sooner Russia ends this and cuts off the maniacs in the west particularly the racist British aristocracy who have a visceral hatred of Russia, the better off we are all going to be. The horrific horrors coming out of Ukraine are no longer expectable. And this is the kind of horror US and British mercenaries fighting in Ukraine by killing Russian soldiers are defending as “freedom fighters.” “Freedom fighter” is an abomination and is the only thing the primitive rudimentary mind of a mercenary can understand.
If you are a British or American mercenary killed in Ukraine you have no sympathy. And for British mercenaries they are going to have a special place for Russian reconnaissance forces.
“On the second floor they got carved up….”
https://abeldanger.blogspot.com/2023/01/on-second-floor-they-got-carved-up.html
A guy with a hammer and sickle badge on his beret!??
No idea what this video is about or who the man talking is. Seems like innuendo to me.
I finally understand Merkel’s admission that Minsk was a sham.
She helped save the Ukrainian army from destruction – twice. This was her refusal to do it a third time. And Scholz was upset that she did so publicly, thus ensuring that Germany would not be involved in any attempt at a Minsk III agreement. Hollande backing up Merkel’s statements was France’s polite refusal to get involved in the attempt.
Erdogan tried to broker an agreement last year. It was actively sabotaged by his NATO partners. He is not averse to making deals (see the grain deal), but there is no advantage to Turkey getting involved in an attempt to freeze the conflict.
They left that attempt to the US – and since NATO is so obviously involved this time, US had to find someone outside NATO to make the attempt – or at least serve as a go-between. So, Israel and Egypt.
And that is all the US offers. A freeze. Accept Russia’s control of Kherson, Zaporoshe, Donbass (and Crimea) temporarily, but insisting that those regions need to be returned in the long run. Because they need time to train and arm another Ukrainian army, and fill up depleted stock piles of ammunition for the next attempt.
“Thanks to Macron and Merkle, Putin learned that Minsk I and Minsk II were shams to buy time.”
I think honest observers (and Russia) knew this from day one. If not they would have known after a couple of months when Ukraine started building trenches outside Donbas with Nato supervision.
[Was it Merkel and Macron or Merkel and Hollande?]
For me the message was that Merkel and Hollande at least, and Poroshenko, know full well that France/Germany/Kiev/Nato has no credibility.
Biden is shooting for the Noble Peace Prize…..
Larry mentioned remembering D-Day and therefore it is worthwhile to remember this as well:
On 2 February the city of Volgograd will be renamed for one day – in honour of the 80th anniversary of the battle that decided the fate of WWII – to Stalingrad. Name signs are already being changed. The idea to do this came from the former Prime Minister of the Russian Federation on 25 January and without further discussion this idea is now concretely being realised in a remarkably very short term. https://www.vesti.ru/article/3170435
I wouldn’t be surprised, when this name change will become permanent.
This may be a politically smart move.
There is more in it than meets the eye.
Plenty of folks in the Western world (and possibly beyond as well) have had trouble for decades remembering that Stalingrad is the name of the battle, whereas the city is called Volgograd.
They might have it easier after the latter gets renamed.
This might also help everybody fight amnesia with respect of WWII.
Very useful.
Chris Hedges says: “Tank battles . . . are highly choreographed and complex operations. Armor must work in close concert with air power, warships, infantry and artillery batteries.”
Yes. Ukrainian US supplied Abrams, German Leopard 2, and all western tanks will be destroyed by the close concert of Russian air power, Russian warships, Russian infantry, and Russian artillery batteries. All of which the Ukrainian military lacks.
Unless the US Navy shows up in the Black Sea and sinks Russian warships. And unless the US Air Force shows up and destroys Russian air superiority in both the Ukraine and Russia.
The odds of the “proxy war” escalating to this is pretty good. I place the odds at 60/40. The $110 Billion spent so far says so.
I would add “unless US and NATO ground forces show up and take over the proxy war and destroy Russian infantry and Russian artillery batteries,” but we already know US and NATO ground forces are already in the Ukraine. Have been for years now. Call them mercenaries. Call them whatever you want. I don’t care. Whatever they are, they have failed miserably at doing their job of “Winning.”
This is what escalation looks like. This is why it will continue to its inevitable ending.
It would not surprise if Russia says one of the acceptable terms before discussing Ukraine is the US withdraw all forces and equipment from Europe. Russia was always a tough negotiator; the US HAD very smart men to go toe to toe with them. Those tough men are unacceptable to the Biden Obama mindset.
It’s funny…so D-day was the beginning of the end for Germany…Hmm, as far as I know Paton didn’t beat von Manstein or Guderian and never would have ever because he was mediocrity, among other things from Hollywood, who drew a narcissistic nonentity like no one has ever been: Paton. and yet the bulk of the German army was crushed by the Russians on a piece of land measured in millions of square kilometers, then (the Russians) conquered Berlin and Hitler shot himself when the Russians were within a few hundred meters. ..I forgot the BS De Le May was only good for killing civilians, and meanwhile Speer increased production to equip up to 200 divisions under a hail of bombs…well.
“among other things from Hollywood, who drew a narcissistic nonentity like no one has ever been: Paton. ”
Oscar, you win an award. Take a bow, Mr. Hollywood.
George Patton.
And the people of Europe loved the Russians so much for their humanity that the Russians stopped them from fleeing ASAP
Larry,
It isn’t clear if Zaporozia is a major offensive or just taking empty land a la Ukrainian fall 2022 “offensive”. Time will tell.
More importantly: I still don’t see much incentive for Russia to change its tactics or strategy when Ukraine is still rubbing its head, then jamming its weiners (divisions) into the meat grinder…
The USA is not agreement capable and nothing they say can be trusted. In fact virtually everything they say verbally or in print is a massive deception or outright lie. People like Blinken like to project their behavior onto others.
RT reports about ‘another scandal’ that involves Western mercenaries in Ukraine, this time the founder of ‘Mozart’ https://www.rt.com/news/570708-sexual-harassment-threats-corruption/
“Why was the leader of Mozart sued?
A lawsuit taken by Andy Bain, Mozart’s former chief financial officer, against Milburn, and “defendants John Doe 1 through 10,” who are “individuals or entities who have acted together with, or under the direction of” Milburn, might offer a clue as to why Washington and its international lackeys have been so reticent to stump up any cash for the effort.
Bain’s suit paints a shocking picture of an utterly chaotic, corrupt, criminal organization, in which “on multiple occasions” Milburn “has taken actions which have and will continue to cause harm to the company.” A 26-point list, running from a-to-z, outlines the alleged behavior. This bombshell rap sheet has been completely ignored by the Western media since its publication.
They include “threatening and harassing a private business owner who volunteered a newly refurbished apartment for Mozart Group,” a residence where Milburn held “numerous late night parties,” and kept “a stray untrained dog…which defecated and urinated freely.” When the owner evicted the company due to this conduct, Milburn is said to have bombarded them with “hostile messages,” including one in which he warned “you have no idea who you are dealing with” and “will not escape unscathed.”
Milburn also “unilaterally” hired a Ukrainian woman he met on a dating app – “and with whom he had a prior personal relationship” – as his personal assistant, paying her an annual salary of $90,000, “which is at least four times more than the usual compensation rate for a Ukrainian based employee in such position.”
Milburn purportedly made “unwanted sexual advances and propositions to a female office manager” too, and when these were rejected, he “preemptively labeled her as a liar”to Bain and possibly others, “in the event she would not keep silent about his actions.”
Bain further charges that Milburn embezzled donations and enriched himself through a number of scams. For example, he is said to have secretly meddled with donation links on Mozart’s website, so money intended for the organization was actually redirected to another company he set up. Yet another business entity with an almost identical name to Mozart Group’s is also apparently being established “to confuse donors and continue to facilitate the diversion of funds.”
It could be the case that certain donors knew their money would be spent on highly dubious, if not outright criminal activities. Milburn allegedly solicited cash from private companies, “promising to use those funds to pay bribes to senior military leaders to make military decisions favorable to safeguarding specific private assets, irrespective of damage such decisions may have to Ukraine’s military position,” therefore “forcing the Ukrainian government to divert badly needed Ukrainian counter-intelligence resources to track his illegal activities.”
Bain claims to have received “numerous threatening texts”from Milburn when he left the company, including promises “to tell the media about non-existent compromising information,” should he go public with what he knew.
If Mozart’s chief financial officer is to be believed – and the nature of his accusations suggest he may have incriminating evidence to support them – senior Ukrainian military officers called Milburn the “Crazy American”, and wished he’d “go home and stop saving our country.””
I have said it before. The Russians are not 4D chess masters. But they have a winning formula. Grind, grind, grind. And while they do? They do not lose many of their own troops. No big arrows. Just grind forward. While carefully husbanding resources in case Pedo Joe goes full nutcase. Time is on Russia’s side. The Western world is full of short attention span children. Satiated by their 15 second smart phone TikTok videos. And porn and weed. A two-year war? Puhleese! ‘Muricans will move on to more BLM riots and the insanity of the 2024 election where we decide what destructive puppet we pick next. Our military industry is too corrupt and expensive to match simple Russian artillery rounds. Our children will not fight for Pedo Joe’s 10%. Europe is full of cucks born of the shopkeepers that stayed home while the men died in the 40’s. And they are short of those with the demographic time bomb Europe has. And Russia will not negotiate. I am a card-carrying Choctaw Indian. Let me tell you about the US and treaties.
Good points, especially, “While carefully husbanding resources in case Pedo Joe goes full nutcase”. That is a key consideration.
Maybe we’ll see some medium size arrows once the grinding has sufficiently reduced the opposition. However, as you know, I think there is a fine, delicate balance that Russia must strike. Slow grind too long and Pedo Joe will have been afforded the time to do something crazy.
Yep, Russia would be nuts to accept any peace proposals from the US. That would merely represent the US buying time to regroup. Great Father in Washington speaks with a forked tongue, always. Or even if he was a rare example with good character, his replacement in a few short years would not honor the agreement.
Blinken has an IQ of probably 80. I can see the terms;
If Russia offers unconditional surrender and agrees to sell the US oil at $40/bbl, the US will consider lifting some of the sanctions next year.
I’m sure Lavrov will get a good laugh out of that one.
Blinken is an Ashkenazi jew which means his IQ is probably pretty high. However, people who are bright can do really stupid things when they let their arrogance and entitlement guide their action. Also who knows what his true objectives really are.
IQ means nothing if you are being driven mad by demons or whoring yourself to corrupt masters who only want you to solve for their immediate ambitions and care not a hoot for your bigger thoughts.
I don’t know, I look at that guy and the saying “the light is on but nobody is home” keeps coming to mind.
I guess ot doesn’t matter how supposedly smart you are when you keep doing stupid things, “stupid is as stupid does”
Well, some might say the Allied campaign to retake Europe started in 1941.
Larry, I think you made a typo, referring to Macro and Merkel, rather than Hollande. Understandable. Ciphers are nearly indistinguishable.
I was thinking French.
Yeap, the US has burnt the bridge with Russia: both literally and figuratively. Furthermore they had to know what was really happening on the ground this past year. To cynically use the lives of Ukrainians as cannon fodder to weaken a supposed foe is really despicable. And why was Russia every considered an enemy? Was is it Putin’s kicking out all the oligarchs that were exploiting Russian resources without benefit to Russia. These oligarchs then came to the West and used their money to bribe Western governments. Or perhaps it was Putin thwarting the neocons in Syria during Obama’s reign. The US government is an alien presence that cares as little for its citizens as it cares for the lives of Ukrainians. Dugin nailed it.
https://katehon.com/en/article/united-states-court-against-ideology-progress
Is the spring offensive under way? Yes, I do believe it is and I have no doubt the West is aware of that.
As to Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry and Israels’s Eli Cohen visit by Blinken. Well, Blinken is the equivalent of a mafia consigliere and does as he is told to do by his boss of bosses. It is rather apparent the posturing and behaviour of America and Europe over the past century has the same intrigue and maneuverings of a mafia. Now the “deep state mafia” sends their consigliere to other countries to convey messages.
My greatest wonderment about this visit by Shoukry and Cohen to Moscow is the offering of an ultimatum by the U.S. and west to Russia. It is plain to see the U.S. and Euros still operate with the arrogance of an organisation that believes they control the situation. They do not. If by chance, the U.S. and its Euro puppets are attempting to find a path to the aisle that leads to the exit door then they will be a that mercy of Russia. I cannot imagine Russia accepting any offer that did not immediately cede all of the southern and water front of Ukraine, and Transnistria to Russia. No vote, no bickering…it becomes a part of Russia. The rest is up for speculation and I still believe that most of Ukraine will go to Poland, Romania and Hungary. Russia will not leave Ukraine in a position where it will economically have the power or will to ever be an issue to Russia or any other European country.
” I cannot imagine Russia accepting any offer that did not immediately cede all of the southern and water front of Ukraine, and Transnistria to Russia. No vote, no bickering…it becomes a part of Russia”
I think you have not been paying attention to how Putin acts if you think that he and the Russian Government will act that way. Putin is a stickler for legality, everything that Russia does in relation to Ukraine will more likely be done on the basis of international law – as interpreted by Russia/Putin. He has stated more than once that only after a vote in favour will any region be accepted into Russia. I think he means it.
Hi y’all, my grandfather was a Group Commander in the Dutch Underground who was provided with a camera and radio by a British Major in a canoe. He used the radio to help with the Calais Deception.
During 5 years of Nazi occupation my Grandfather’s Group protected an entire extended Jewish family without a single loss while losing half their Group.
I took my Oath of US Citizenship on June 6, 1973 at 18.
All I can say is thanks for that and also thanks for Operations Chowhound and Manna. If it wasn’t for that, I would not exist because my parents would have starved.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…….Napoleon (fitting)……
Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake!
It’s worthy of note that Merkel actually didn’t say that Minsk was a feint as far as she was concerned. Reading the German transcription carefully, she said something like “Minsk was signed. It bought Ukraine time to rearm.” That’s a subtle difference to “Minsk was signed _TO_ buy Ukraine time to rearm.” This sleazy backdoor rhetoric is typical of Merkel. Putin, for his part, just played the naive guy when Merkel came out with her statement. He is far too clever to have been duped by Merkel, ever. Posing as the naive victim of Merkel’s supposed underhandedness just played into Putin’s hand before the global South.
Back to Volkssturm aka Kanonenfutter it seems.
Why don’t they turn around those poor bastards doomed to die needlessly.
Allied D-Day deception plans were well conceived and achieved their intended result(s)…well done!
UKR recruiting 55 year-old men…right on lol…that didn’t work so well for Uncle Adolph. Recruiting “old men and boys” reeks of desperation and could very well backfire on Zelensky…I’m quietly praying for a UKR coups…its generals are fully capable of such a self-serving maneuver.
I’ve mentioned this before–I don’t think every member of NATO has the stomach for another European war with Russia. At best you get the US (of course), the UK, Poland and the Baltics–maybe a couple of others. In any event I think NATO as we know it dissolves and Macron’s EU Army emerges from the ashes.
Egypt…WTF…Blinken’s visit is just the US clinging to its wet dream that it remains the global unopposed hegemon.
This just keeps getting better and better each day…unless you’re NATOstan member or the Ukraine.
Yes. The US and Brits also knew how to use maskirova like masters – and it served them well on D-Day.
That said, I always thought the f’ed up hugely and got a lot of good men killed on Omaha Beach – almost losing the day there – by not having CAS flying parallel to the waterline and strafing, napalming and bombing the bejeezus out of the Germans on the bluffs. Or, for chrissakes, at least lay down a heavy smoke cover.
I wondered the same, whilst lacking your military expertise.
Navy fire and an overwhelming air force.
Yeah Eric things could have easily gone bad quickly on those beaches…probably a combination of planned and unplanned events saved the day…that and some bad ass fighting men.
“Every male between 20 and 55 years of age to be conscripted in Ukraine—regardless of family status, profession, physical or mental health, or any other consideration”
Does that mean the cowardly psycho cokehead Zelensky is going to conscript himself and his sidekicks and deploy themselves to a trench on the eastern front to face the relentless assault of Russian artillery and infantry firepower?
On the question of the Kremlin negotiating with the US/NATO if I were Vladimir Putin I’d rather bed down with a nest of vipers…you can trust vipers!! Remember all those “treaties” the US government made and broke with the native Americans and the campaigns of genocide that ensued.
It was exactly the same thing with the Brits and the native Irish. That’s why we regard the UK as a rabble of murderers thieves and liars and why their precious union jack is called the “Butchers Apron” in Ireland. End of rant.
Since Russia will not trust or accept sweets in any peace deal the US will be pressed to up the stick greatly and escalate. I wouldn’t be surprised to find army guard and reserve forces activated in the next few months and Army Core size deployments of logistical preparations. Not to start a War of course Just to Protect Europe from further Russian aggression..
If this is to be then a rapid expansion in Europe air base capacities will occur perhaps entirely new air strips being laid down. War has an infrastructure and you can see it being laid down and built…..
The question is will Russia just stand around and wait like “Sadom Hussain” waited while the US deploys entire Armies in Poland and the Baltics? I doubt Putin will just wait and see while American builds its Armies up for the inevitable..
“…it was the start of the Allied offensive to retake Europe from the Nazis.”
As has been disclosed by AJP Taylor 60+ years ago when writing “The Origins of the Second World War”, the expansion of the war was due to Allied provocations. Taylor lost his position at Oxford for writing the book. “The Forced War: When Peaceful Revision Failed” by David Hoggan, discloses the diplomatic documentation that the UK used to manipulate the situation in Poland into WWII. Documentation, made public by Germany, after the fall of Poland, showing US involvement in blocking peaceful resolution, was confirmed factual by the US Ambassador to Poland A. J. Drexel Biddle, Jr and the Polish Ambassador in Washington Jerzy Potocki, as being genuine. Soviet defector and former GRU officer Rezun, who had access to Soviet archives and writing under the pseudonym Viktor Ovstoski, has written two books, starting with “Icebreaker” in 1990 that outline Stalin’s plan to invade Europe, thus negating the Soviet/Russian narrative of the “Great Patriotic War.”
Ironically, the only similarity to WWII is that Russia under Putin, what is incorrectly labeled “invaded” Ukraine for the same reason Germany under Hitler invaded Poland – to stop the ethnic cleansing of resident populations by the governments of Ukraine and Poland respectively. Wars are always about the economic interests of the international banking cartel and its financial sector appendage, and this one is no different. Russia and China are moving toward an economic system that will break their stranglehold. Ukraine and Taiwan are today’s Poland and Czechoslovakia.
Just because a plan exists does not mean it is intended to be used. The USA had plans for nuclear attack on USSR after WW2 and during the cold war. Churchill’s government had detailed plans drawn up for an attack on the USSR as well. I strongly suspect there are plans somewhere in US for a takeover of Canada should we ever look serious about throwing off their yoke. I think that drawing up plans for every contingency is part of what war departments do. I also think that most of them are never acted upon.
I also think that your author, Viktor Ovstoski, was well aware of the American hatred of Stalin and USSR, and wrote what would sell.
As I suspected, Anthony Blinken, consigliere for the U.S. and Euro government mafia bosses delivered his message and it was not one of “maybe we should talk about ending this mess.”
https://www.rt.com/news/570754-lavrov-gets-blinken-message/
” I can confirm that,” Lavrov said. The Russian diplomat added that the message once again urged Moscow to “stop” and “leave,” and “then everything will be fine.” ”
Russia have bloodied the nose of these western bullies and now they stand there, bleeding on themselves and telling Russia they better go home.
I expect it is safe to speculate that this request has fallen on deaf ears.
In 1944, Moscow was delighted with the Normandy invasion; it distracted Berlin from the east front. In setting up Operation Bagration, the Red army had 3 choices. A performance was laid on indicating an attack on #2, while the real attack was prepared for #3. German historians consider ‘The Destruction of Army Group Centre’ to be the worst defeat suffered by German armed forces, ever. That said, people tend to forget how good German armed forces were in WW2.
I was a kid watching the Tet offensive on TV. Westmoreland, the hot new general, had unfortunately said, a week or two before Tet; ‘I can see light at the end of the tunnel’! It was a pyric victory for Vietnamese resistance, but, the television pictures beamed into middle America caused huge disquiet. This was a dirty civil war, not fighting Nazis, & Washington & the military were lying.
“… people tend to forget how good German armed forces were in WW2 …”.
No, people tend to forget how criminal the Wehrmacht were … in Yugoslavia, Poland, the former Soviet Union …
“No, people tend to forget how criminal the Wehrmacht were …”
“US propaganda has worked very well in German”.
Not really a significant part of the “communications” until the creation of The Federal Republic of Germany was directed at an external audience outside Germany.
In Austria and the “allied zones” (French, American, and British) of Germany itself, the “convincer” was the virtually wholesale Persilscheinery to absolve the complicities of the whole of “Nazi” society including but not limited to the Wehrmacht , excepting these evil doers in the black hats and uniforms called the SS – the people with whom Mr. Allen Dulles agreed a “conditional surrender” with Mr. Karl Wolff the adjutant of Mr. Heinreich Himmler acting on Mr. Himmler’s behalf on or about the 4th of May 1945 on the continuing basis that there is none so maleable as he/she who is completely compromised.
This absolution campaign throughout all 3 “allied” zones was assigned the highest priority – Mr. Springer in Hamburg in the British zone even being given almost non-existent newsprint in 1945 upon which to start his post-war activities, which some suggest was the beginning of integration of the “free press” into the government of post-war Germany.
The Babelsberg facilities were in the Russian Zone and hence the “renaissance” of post war German communications including films, under similar patronage was facilitated primarily in Hamburg and Munich, ZDF, RFE/RFL, and subsequently BND sharing facilities outside Munich, and NDR and subsequently MI6 sharing facilities outside Hamburg, in part emulation of that MI5 and MI6 enjoyed and continues to enjoy with the BBC.
Effectively the “West” attempted to re-write the history of the Greater Reich and the rest of Europe obfuscating/memory holing their complicities from 1918 to 1945 in hope of ressurecting the Treaty of Versailles of 1919 in modified form – the modification being primarily but not completely in matters of ethnic nationalism which facilitated the divide and rule policies of “The United States of America” and associates, and evangelising that co-operation was the prevailing methodology as in the subsequent European Union and NATO, which to some degree informed the creation by Mr. Blair/Orwell’s Animal Farm and 1984.
All of the above has informed to some degree the strategies of both “The Soviet Union” from at least 1943 until 1991, and The Russian Federation from 1991 to date – hence likely no wholesale Persilschienery this time, and a contribution to current oscillations between fear and stupidity of some who attempt to emulate the efforts of 1945 in assigning blame to others as a component of trying to broker a deal.
“No, people tend to forget how criminal the Wehrmacht were …”
The sum of some forgettors are decreasing and this process is likely to accelerate in the near future facilitated by some trials, and further transcendence of “history” deemed to be so by “The United States of America”.
I believe I have heard somewhere (i believe militarywatchmagazine ) that egypt has some soviet weapons systems. Maybe mig29 or tanks? not sure. Thats probably the reason for the diplomatic exchange from the us and egypt as the ukranian armed force would need less training time and would have some kind of immediate relief.
I think Russia will ‘trust’ the West, when it’s politicians and diplomats are of a similar cadre and competency to their own. Few countries are going to trust mobsters or suits who are puppets, placed in positions by a shady cartel of self-styled ‘elites’ and their deep state apparatchiks.
Due to the artificial and duplicitous nature of 21st Century Western democracy it is impossible to be deal with it’s politicians, beyond the most superficial of levels and then only from necessity. Far better for Russia to speak directly to the puppet masters in a language they can understand, the fear of losing power and control.
Larry writes: “Then you have the intemperate talk by Baerbock in Germany, who said that Europe is at war with Russia.”
In fact it`s worse than that. Baerbock`s verbatim statement in front of (if I recall correctly) a commission of the European Parliament was that “Germany is at war with Russia”.
This from the same person that in a German television interview in September 2021 openly stated that “Germany is a rich country, and my intent is to change that”.
Well, the least we can say is that here`s one politician that, for once, is actually living up to her words.
Lorna Mackay: “I suspect there are plans somewhere for a U.S. takeover of Canada.”
There actually were contingency plans in 1920 for an invasion of Canada by the U.S, as all countries have these plans. We had a plan then for war with Japan. In it, the Philippines were immediately written off as being indefensible. But there was a graphic novel in 2001 by Brian K. Vaughn called We Stand on Guard, where Canadians are invaded one hundred years from now by a drought ravaged America and because “Canada is the Saudi Arabia of clean water.” The Americans are all robocop types, and the brave Canucks form a guerrilla army of all sorts and kinds unified…as the author explained, “…like many things Canadian, it involves beer.”
The series began because the author’s wife was an American who, when she took Canadian citizenship, had to vow to take up arms against any invader…and that also meant America.”
So, Canadian readers, will you vow to die for Justin Trudeau? Ponder that. Of course, a bottle of Molson might help in your musings.
As for June 6th and D-Day, the Germans always seemed easy to play regarding intelligence. They did pretty good in the first part of the war, but MI5 was just a step ahead of them. The Man who Never Was, inflated phony tanks located near the channel at Calais…the Germans were so easy to play.
I also think Hitler losing lots of good troops helped weaken Germany, and his policy of never retreating and fighting to the end. Imagine how June 6th might have turned out if Rommel had the Afrika Corps in France, and within three hours they were all over Omaha beach and the rest.
A major re-education for Americans comes when they realize the real war was in Russia. There were 194 divisions in Operation Barbarossa. In France, only 39.
Whilst you might have a point bout Erdogan and the way he seems to be stopping NATO’s expansionism (Blocking Sweden joining etc) I’m an ex-pat living in Lesvos, Greece. Every week his fighters fly over our island, illegally (quickly chased by Greek fighters….) Every day his airforce violates Greek airspace. In this region he is a danger.
Greeks on this island are happy trading with Turkey’s markets – everyday small ferries cross both ways. Turks I know, though, do not trust this man. One close friend is ex Turkish Intelligence. He is very wary of him….
Personally, it would have been better for Greece if they’d taken GREXIT (as they thought they’d voted for in a mandate a few years ago) and/or accepted Putin’s offer to buy Greece out of its debt – which, due to EMF/World Bank it can NEVER get out of……