Will Putin now use a "dirty nuclear bomb" against Ukraine?

 On 14th June I wrote that,

"Putin now finds himself been dragged by a 'political and diplomatic' hook in his jaw into supporting Iran's attack against Israel's devastating pre-emptive strike against Iran's nuclear facilities." (Blog entry: 14 June 2025)

Now, as reported by Thomas Mackintosh and Nadine Yousif that,

"President Donald Trump says the US has carried out a "successful" bombing attack on three nuclear sites in Iran and they have been "obliterated". (BBC News: 22 June 2025) (my emphasis),

Putin now finds himself having to come to Iran's rescue.

As reported by Türkiye Today,

"Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (left) announced Sunday that he would travel to Moscow for urgent talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday following the U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities.

"I'm going to Moscow this afternoon and will hold 'serious consultations with the Russian president tomorrow morning,'" Araghchi said at a press conference in Istanbul on the sidelines of an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit." (Türkiye Today: 22 June 2025) (my emphasis)

 As also reported by Jacob Parry (right),

"Araghchi emphasized the “strategic partnership” between Iran and Russia. “We always consult with each other and coordinate our positions,” he told reporters in Istanbul, according to media reports.

Russia is a close ally of Iran. Tehran supplied Moscow with military drones to strike Ukraine and, in return, has received help with its civilian nuclear program." (Politico: 22 June 2025) (my emphasis)

And at the recent Kremlin propaganda fest in St. Petersburg, Sarah Hooper (left) reported that,

"Vladimir Putin promised ‘catastrophic’ consequences for Ukraine and claimed that the Russian and Ukrainian people were ‘one nation’ in a conference this week." (Metro on MSN: 22 June 2025) (my emphasis)

And as Sky News reports,

"[Putin]  also threatened a nuclear strike on Ukraine for the first time in months, promising "catastrophic" consequences if Kyiv used a dirty bomb against Russian forces." (Sky News on MSN: 22 June 2025) (my emphasis)

 

Sky News on MSN: 22 June 2025: 

The international and political confluence of :- 

• " ... the US has carried out a "successful" bombing attack on three nuclear sites in Iran (ibid Thomas Mackintosh and Nadine Yousif)
• "Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced Sunday that he would travel to Moscow for urgent talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday following the U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities.
  
  "I'm going to Moscow this afternoon and will hold 'serious consultations with the Russian president tomorrow morning,'" (ibid Türkiye Today) and,
• "Vladimir Putin promised ‘catastrophic’ consequences for Ukraine and claimed that the Russian and Ukrainian people were ‘one nation’ in a conference this week." (ibid  Sarah Hooper)

now leaves the world teetering on the brink of WW III.

The rather sinister argument of Putin that, " ... if Kyiv uses a dirty bomb ..." seems to be an ominous indication that Putin may use a 'dirty nuclear bomb' in a Ukraine territory that he controls, and shift the blame onto Kyiv.

Recall that in 2015,

"A secret meeting between intelligence figures in Moscow and Washington reportedly revealed Putin will consider any attempt to return the Crimean peninsula to Ukraine as declaration of war and will take any necessary step - including using nuclear weapons - to retain control of the region." (MailOnline : 2 April, 2015) (my emphasis) (cf also: Forbes: 11 August 2015)

This is now coming true in the case of eastern Ukraine. As Taku Dzimwasha (right), international Business Times journalist, informs us,

"Pro-Moscow rebels in Ukraine building 'dirty' bomb with help of Russian scientists" published on August 1 that pro-Russian rebels in Ukraine are "building a dirty bomb" with the assistance of Russian nuclear scientists, according to a Ukrainian security service report seen by The Times." (UNIAN : 01.08.2015) (my emphasis)

Taku Dzimwasha further reports that,

"When the accusations were put to an unnamed DPR official, he initially denied that the factory stored radioactive waste, but eventually admitted to its existence, The Times reported." (blog entry: 2 August 2015) 

So why has Putin, once again, brought up the subject of a "dirty nuclear bomb"?

Is there already a "dirty nuclear bomb" stashed away by Putin somewhere in Donetsk, ready to be rolled out and used in Ukraine as a propaganda tool to be used against Ukraine?

And will such an action by Putin signify the prelude to "a dirty nuclear bomb" that may exist in Iran, and rolled out to be used against Israel?

 Emboldened by Trump giving him "carte blance" over indiscriminately bombing the civilians of Ukraine; will Putin now use his own "dirty nuclear bomb" against Ukraine?

 

UPDATE: 23 June 2025: 13.23 GMT

Steve Rosenberg (right) reports that,

“Absolutely unprovoked aggression against Iran has no grounds and no justification,” says Russia’s president in opening remarks broadcast live on Russian state TV’s rolling news channel.

Putin adds: “I am very pleased you are in Moscow today. It gives us the opportunity to discuss all these difficult subjects and think together how to find a way out of today’s situation.” (BBC News: 23 June 2025) (my emphasis)

The world now waits with bated breath what Putin means when he says, "[Russia and Iran] together need to find a way out of today’s situation".

Dirty "nuclear" bombs??? 

                                

 

 

(to be continued)

Is Trump Putin's 'Manchurian Candidate'?

 

In 1959 Richard Condon (left) published a political thriller, "The Manchurian Candidate", about the son of a prominent U.S. political family who is brainwashed into being an unwitting assassin for a communist conspiracy.

In the novel,

"It is revealed that the Communists have been using Shaw as a sleeper agent who, activated by a post-hypnotic trigger, immediately forgets the assignments he carries out and therefore can never betray the operation either purposely or inadvertently. In Shaw's case, the suggestion that he play solitaire is the trigger. Seeing the queen of diamonds playing card transforms him into an assassin who will kill anyone at whom he is directed. Shaw's KGB handler is his domineering mother, Eleanor. Married to McCarthy-esque Senator Johnny Iselin, Eleanor has convinced the Communist powers to help install her husband as president and allow them to control the American government through him." (Wikipedia)

Fast foreward to 2025 and we have an American president, Donald Trump, whose public pronouncements about Putin's current war with Ukraine, seems to be emanting straight from the mouth of Putin himself.

In his most recent pro-Russia pronouncements about Putin's war with Ukraine, Trump proclaimed that,

" “The G7 used to be the G8,” Mr. Trump told reporters, referring to the group’s decision to eject Russia in 2014, after it attacked Ukraine and “annexed” Crimea, a prelude to its full-scale invasion.
...
“I would say that was a mistake,” Mr. Trump said, “because I think you wouldn’t have a war right now.”
….

The scene on Monday illustrated how even more aligned Mr. Trump has grown with the Russian autocrat since his first time in office, and how alienated Mr. Trump has become from American allies who have rallied around Ukraine." (Erica L. Green and Zolan Kanno-Youngs (right): New York Times: 16 June 2025) (my mphasis)

 

 

CNN: 17 June 2025: YouTube

The current war between Israel and Iran now occupies the mind of Trump, and  has conveniently allowed Trump to simply ignore the continuing brutality of Putin against the people of Ukraine.

This 'betrayal' of Ukraine by Trump has given Putin "carte blanche" to do as he wishes in his war with Ukraine, and  an emboldened Putin has now stated that,

"During a Q&A at Russia's flagship investment event in St Petersburg, the Kremlin leader was asked what his end game was in the conflict [i.e. his war against Ukraine].

He replied: "I have said many times that I consider the Russian and Ukrainian people to be one nation. In this sense, all of Ukraine is ours. " (Ivor Bennett (left): Sky News: 21 June 2025) (my emphasis)

 

DawnNews English: 20 June 2025: YouTube 

Let us recal that in 2016 the "Steele Dossier" emerged which argued that,

• Russian regime has been cultivating, supporting, and assisting Trump for at least 5 years. Aim, endorsed by Putin, has been to encourage splits and divisions in western alliance
•  So far Trump has declined various sweetener real estate business deals offered him in Russia in order to further the Kremlin's cultivation of him. However, he and his inner circle have accepted a regular flow of intelligence from the Kremlin, including on his Democratic and other political rivals.
•  Former top Russian intelligence officer claims FSB has compromised Trump through his activities in Moscow sufficiently to be able to blackmail him. According to several knowledgeable sources, his conduct in Moscow has included perverted sexual acts which have been arranged/monitored by the FSB" 

Now, more than ever, the question arises,

"Is Trump Putin's 'Manchurian Candidate' ?"

 

 OneIndia News: 16 June 2024: YouTube

                                

 

 

(to be continued)

Is Trump now hell-bent on saving Putin by betraying Ukraine?

Christian Calgie (left) reports that,

"The President will be jetting back to Washington DC to deal with the ongoing crisis in the Middle East
...
The announcement is also a brutal snub to Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was set to meet the US president on Tuesday, just a day after he suggested Russia should be let back into the annual gathering." (Express: 17 June 2025) (my emphasis)

 

Forbes Breaking News: 17 June 2025: YouTube 

Christian Calgie further reports that,

• Seven years ago, Donald Trump also walked out of the G7 summit - also in Canada - as he had a furious row with the then-Canadian premier Justin Trudeau.

and, more ominously, 

•  Earlier today the President also called for both Russia and China to be admitted to the G7, after Russia was expelled following the invasion of Crimea in 2014. (ibid Christian Calgie) 
  
  CNN : 16 June 2025: YouTube

Trump confirmed his "good" relation with Putin by proclaiming at the G7 meeting,

"Russia was a member of the Group of Eight (G8) until 2014 when the country was expelled over the Russian annexation of Crimea.

"... Mr Trump claimed Russia wasn't an enemy at that time, but was expelled because Barack Obama and Justin Trudeau wanted Russia out.

He said: "I think you wouldn't have a war right now if you had Russia in. And you wouldn't have a war right now if Trump were president four years ago."
…
"They threw Russia out, which I claimed [should be TRUTH checked] was a very big mistake. Even though I wasn't in politics then, I was very loud about it, " Trump said.

"It was a mistake in that you spend so much time talking about Russia, and he's no longer at the table, so it makes life more complicated."

Mr Trump added that President Putin was "very insulted" when he was expelled, and "not a happy person about it". (Ella Bennett: LBC: 16 June 2025) 

 As I reported in my last blog entry; in an HOUR long call between Trump and Putin on 14 June 2025, Steve Rosenberg reported that,

"What’s more, according to the Kremlin, the two leaders expressed “satisfaction” with their personal relationship.
...
Russia [Putin] may well have concluded that good working relations with the Trump administration – plus Moscow’s offer to mediate in the Middle East – will make it increasingly unlikely that President Trump will exert pressure on Russia over the war in Ukraine." (BBC News: 14 June 2025) (my emphasis)  

Trump's 'bromance' with Putin has not quite ended." "

Is Putin's abject failure in supporting Syria's Assad, and
the now uncertainty in his close political and 'security' relationship with Iran's Ayatollah Khameini as the Israel-Iran war continues, now forcing Trump to come to the aid of Putin at the current G7 meeting?

Is Trump now hell-bent on saving Putin by betraying Ukraine?   

UPDATE: 18 June 2025: 07.27 GMT 

  Steve Rosenberg (left) reports that,

"The fact remains that Russia was unable to prevent a mass strike by Israel on a country with which five months ago [Russia] signed a comprehensive strategic partnership.

"Clearly Moscow is not prepared to go beyond political statements condemning Israel, it's not ready to provide Iran with military assistance." wrote Russian political scientist Andrei Kortunov in business daily Kommersant on Monday." (BBC News: 18 June 2025) (my emphasis)

Steve Rosenberg further writes that,

"In the last six months Moscow has already lost one key ally in the Middle East, Bashar al-Assad.

After the Syrian leader was deposed last December he was offered asylum in Russia. The prospect of regime change in Iran, the thought of losing another strategic partner in the region, will be of major concern to Moscow." (ibid Steve Rosenberg) 

 

 DW News: 18 June 2024: YouTube

Even more disconcerting for Putin, Parisa Hafezi, Jaidaa Taha and Maayan Lubell report that,

"Trump's comments, delivered via social media, suggested a more aggressive stance toward Iran as he weighs whether to deepen U.S. involvement.

"We know exactly where the so-called 'Supreme Leader' is hiding," he wrote on Truth Social. "We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now...Our patience is wearing thin."

Three minutes later, he posted, "UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!" (Reuters: 17 June 2025) (my emphasis) 

Will this current stance of Trump towards Iran also reinforce him being "hell-bent on saving Putin by betraying Ukraine?"

                                

 

 

(to be continued)

Putin at the crossroads of defeat in Ukraine or 'nuclear' armageddon.

The events in the Middle East has, somewhat, thrown a spectacular spanner in the works of Putin's war with Ukraine.

 

ABC News (Australia) : 13 June 2025: YouTube 

Notwithstanding the continuous bombardment of Ukraine's civilians each night to coerce them into submission; Putin now finds himself been dragged by a 'political and diplomatic' hook in his jaw into supporting Iran's attack against Israel's devastating pre-emptive strike against Iran's nuclear facilities.

The Iranian 'Shaheed' drones of Iran, that is the backbone of Putin's nightly assault against Ukraine's civilian population, has placed Putin in such a tight 'diplomatic' corner that he is being forced to lash out even more vigorously against Ukraine.

As reported by Thomas d’Istria, 

"In recent days, after months of slowly gaining territory in the neighboring region at the cost of heavy losses in personnel and equipment, Moscow authorities declared having reached and crossed the border of the Dnipropetrovsk region – a claim Kyiv immediately contested." (Le Monde: 13 June 2025) (my emphasis)

This 'near-demented lashing out of Putin' against Ukraine also comes against the backdrop of 

• 
  Ukraine is expected to get nearly 1.7 billion pounds ($2.26 billion) from the U.K. to buy air defense systems and missiles, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on June 11, citng a decision by Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers.
  
  The new funding will be used to buy Rapid Ranger air defense systems and Martlet lightweight multirole missiles, Shmyhal said, describing the deal as a "significant strengthening" of Ukraine's air defense capacity amid intensifying Russian air assaults. (Tim Zadorozhnyy (right): Kyiv Independent on MSN: 12 June 2025) (my emphasis)
• 
  "Ukraine has received another $1 billion as a fifth tranche from the EU under the G7-backed Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration (ERA) initiative, the Ukrainian Ministry of Finance reported on June 13.
  
  It is another payment to Ukraine through the ERA, financed by interest income from frozen Russian sovereign assets. The assets were frozen following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine still aims to obtain the principal €210 billion ($227 billion) in immobilized Russian central bank assets." (Olena Hrazhdan (right): Kyiv Post: 14 June 2025) (my emphasis)   
•  "Ukraine's army has posted a video of a series of attacks carried out on Russian military   positions using lethal precision weapons. The attacks appear to have taken place over the course of the last few weeks and are said to have involved the use of French "Hammer" bombs.
  …
  The French government hopes to step up production of the weapon, as it races to resupply Ukraine's air force." (John Varga (right): Daily Express: 13 June 2025) (my emphasis)

Having lost 1 million Russian troops in his ill-fated and demented ideas about re-creating  "Novorossiya" since 2014, Putin now finds himself unable to supply Iran with Russian troops or armaments but, and this is critical, Putin can supply Iran with the FINAL where-with-all to now hastily construct an A-bomb, or have his fervent Middle East supporter, Iran, erupt into another 'Syrian failure'.

The danger that now faces Ukraine is whether Putin himself, together with his 'headless' siloviki, will justify a nuclear attack on Ukraine, thus setting the scene for surreptitiously affording Iran the ability to rapidly build an A-bomb to be used against Israel.

Is it any wonder that Trump, desperate to avert the eyes of America from his tacit support of Putin regarding Ukraine by sending in the US National Guard to supress public demonstrations in Los Angeles, now finds himself wedged between Putin, Netanhayu, and Zelensky.

As reported by Chris Boccia and Martha Raddatz,

 "Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told ABC News' Martha Raddatz that his defense minister told him Friday the U.S. was sending anti-drone weapons promised to Ukraine to the Middle East instead.

Zelenskyy said the U.S. would divert "20,000 missiles" earmarked for Ukraine in an agreement with the Biden administration to the Middle East, where it appears the U.S. would use them for its own force protection"(ABC News: 9 June 2025) (my emphasis)

 

Breaking Info: 9 June 2025: YouTube

That Trump has diverted the delivery of 20,000 US-made anti-drone missiles from Ukraine to Netanhayu signifies, on the one hand, that his 'bromance' with Putin has not quite ended.

On the other hand, it also signifies to Putin that the Iranian 'political and diplomatic' hook in his jaw, drawing him into the conflict between Israel and Iran, cannot be easily got rid of.

Putin now stands at the crossroads of defeat in Ukraine or 'nuclear' armageddon.

 

UPDATE: 14 June 2025: GMT 21.00

Steve Rosenberg (left) has just reported that,

"According to his foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov, in the fifty-minute conversation with Donald Trump (14June), President Putin “condemned the Israeli operation against Iran".
...
Despite Donald Trump’s suggestion yesterday that he and his team had known the Israeli attacks were coming, the Kremlin has voiced no public criticism of Washington.

Instead, Ushakov noted that in their telephone call Putin had wished Trump a happy birthday and had spoken about American Flag Day.

What’s more, according to the Kremlin, the two leaders expressed “satisfaction” with their personal relationship.
...
Russia may well have concluded that good working relations with the Trump administration – plus Moscow’s offer to mediate in the Middle East – will make it increasingly unlikely that President Trump will exert pressure on Russia over the war in Ukraine." (BBC News: 14 June 2025) (my emphasis)  

Trump's 'bromance' with Putin has not quite ended.

                               

 

 

(to be continued)

  

The cards are now stacking against Putin.

As Putin, in his madness, continues to bombard the people of Ukraine with continuous droves of drones; the news of "Operation Spider" has circumvented the Global Internet Ether and, one can only imagine, that Putin and his generals are reeling from the utter devastation "Operation Spider" has wreaked on their 'invincible' armada of planes raining missiles from deep within Russia upon the people of Ukraine.

As Arpan Rai (left) and Rachel Clun (right) report, 

"Dozens of Russian military aircraft have been destroyed in an unprecedented drone attack deep inside Russia, a Ukrainian official has said, the day before critical peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv resume in Istanbul.

Volodymyr Zelensky hailed the “absolutely brilliant” operation which he said destroyed one-third of Russia’s strategic cruise missile carriers stationed at air bases. 

Codenamed ‘spider web’, drones were smuggled deep inside Russian territory inside trucks, before they were unleashed on multiple Russian airfields destroying more than 40 warplanes, Ukrainian security officials said." (The Independent on MSN: 2 June 2025) (my emphasis)

 

CNN: 1 June 2025: YouTube 

Significantly, "Operation Spider" occured yesterday, as "ceasefire" talks between Russia and Ukraine are scheduled for to-day, 2nd June, in Istanbul.

As reported by Vitaliy Shevchenko (left), 

"Last night saw the largest-ever aerial attack on Ukraine, followed by Ukraine's daring raid on bombers deep within Russian territory.

This shows that Russia is as keen to attack Ukraine as ever, and, in turn, President Zelensky is keen to prove wrong those who think - to use Donald Trump's phrase - that he has "no cards". (BBC News: 2 June 2025) (my emphasis)

 

Oneindia News: 1 June 2025: YouTube  

As also reported by NDTV World,

"The timing of Ukraine carrying out these attacks [Operation Spider] is significant. Russian and Ukrainian officials will be meeting in Istanbul today to discuss plans to end the three-year war, Europe's largest conflict since World War II. The timing of the drone attack suggests that Ukraine would try to leverage more during the talks, having demonstrated its striking capabilities. (NDTV World (Edited by Saikat Kumar Bose (right)) on MSN:  :2 June 2025) (my emphasis) 

As Yeni Şafak  also reports,

“We [Volodymyr Zelenskyy with his Defense Minister Rustem Umerov] discussed our expectations for the meeting in Istanbul on Monday.

“We continue to propose a full and unconditional ceasefire, along with all dignified and rational steps that could lead to a lasting and reliable peace. The Ukrainian proposal we presented to the Russians is logical and realistic,” he added.

“The Russians have not shared their ‘memorandum' with anyone. We don't have it, the Turkish side doesn't have it, and the American side doesn't have the Russian document either. Despite this, we will attempt to achieve at least some progress on the path toward peace,” he said." (Yeni Şafak: 2 June 2025) (my emphasis)

The "deafening silence" from the White House about "Operation Spider" speaks volumes.

Where is the latest Trump "tweet"?

Where is the response from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio?

What we have, instead, as Ronny Reyes (right) reports, 

"Secretary of State Marco Rubio doubled down on President Trump’s demand for peace talks between Ukraine and Russia after the war escalated over a weekend with a series of intense bombings inside both countries.

Rubio told Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Sunday that both sides needed to engage in direct talks “to achieve a lasting peace,” according to the State Department." (New York Post on MSN: 2 June 2025) (my emphasis)

In other words, the Trump administration is "walking away" from any involvement in Putin's war with Ukraine, precisely what Putin wants to continue, unfettered, to rain bombs down upon the people of Ukraine.

  

 (left to right: Witkoff, Kellog, Hegseth, Rubio)

As I stated in my last blog entry (28 May 2025),

"Will "tune-changing" Trump rescue Putin once more? This is the $64 question!"

notwithstanding Trump's " 'threat' of more sanctions ... etc ... etc ... against Putin".

President Zelensky has proved wrong those who think - to use Donald Trump's phrase - that he has "no cards".

The cards are now stacked against Putin 

UPDATE: 3 June 2025: 06.44 GMT  

As inevitably as night follows day, and as was to be expected, Charlie Bradley (left) and John Varga (right) report that, 

"Russian papers and military bloggers are discussing the prospect of Russia using nuclear weapons to strike Ukraine after Kyiv launched brutal strikes on Vladimir Putin's airbases. The country is reeling after Ukrainian drones are reported to have destroyed more than £5 billion worth of strategic bombers in what some pro-Kremlin commentators have described as Russia's "Pearl Harbour"." (Express: 2 June 2025) (my emphasis)

 This 'Pavlovian-like' response of Putin's propaganda acolytes is best exemplified by Vladimir Solovyov (left), Putin's TV propaganda Czar, who ranted on Russian TV that,

"He said: "They [the army of Ukraine] can't win in the Ukrainian conflict, because anyone who understands Russia and Putin knows that during the entire existence of the Russian state, it was never possible to force any Russian government into a desired outcome." Solovyov added the eight-word statement: "This is Europe's problem. Europe will burn down. He continued: "Why should we immediately cease fire when war is happening in our constitutional territories and they [the people of Ukraine] haven't even been liberated yet?" (Rebecca Robinson: Express: 29 May 2025) (my emphasis)

 

Russian Media Monitor: 2 June 2025: YouTube.

Putin now stands wobbling at the edge of the 'nuclear-abyss' prospect of Russia using nuclear weapons to strike Ukraine, nervously considering lighting the 'nuclear' touchpaper that he believes will save himself from an ignominious end as his 'siloviki' begin to sharpen their knives whilst glaring at him.

Recall that during the assasination of Julius Caesar.

"... senator Tillius Cimber grabbed hold of Caesar's toga and pulled it down from his neck, which signalled to the other conspirators that it was time to attack. According to the historian Suetonius, Caesar shouted out in Latin, "ista quidem vis est!" ("Why, this is violence!" or "But this is violence!") when his toga was ripped down from his shoulder. Suetonius further writes that Caesar spoke no more after this, besides a groan after the first knife blow, and died without saying anything." (Wikipedia)

JUNE 3: 17.33 GMT 

"Operation Spider" continues with its deadly assault against Putin.

Matthew Dooley and Ciaran McGrath report,

"Ukraine's SBU has claimed to have hit the Kerch Bridge in Crimea with underwater explosives in the latest attack on the key transport link between the peninsula and Russia. The SBU said the operation took months to plan and used 1,100kg of explosives which damaged the structure. Local media reported the bridge was closed earlier on June 3." (Express: 3 June 2025) (my emphasis)

 

 

 

(to be continued)

Will "tune-changing" Trump rescue Putin once more ?

The dust has now settled on those phone calls of Trump to Putin, Zelensky, and certain members of the EU, on May 18th 2025.

 

Hindustan Times: 20 May 2025: YouTube

Since then, Putin has continued with his manic onslaught against the people of Ukraine by sending hundreds of drones than rained bombs on Kiev, and many other cities, including Dnipro, causing many civilian deaths in the process.

This has prompted Trump to exclaim that, 

"We are following the developments between US, Russia, and Ukraine, after president Trump called Russian president Vladimir Putin, quote, "Absolutely crazy!", for his latest action in the war on Ukraine. (CNN: 27 May 2025) (my emphasis)

 

CNN: 27 May 2025: YouTube

Trump further said that,

"If he [Putin] tries to conquer all of Ukraine, it will lead to Russia's downfall" (ibid CNN) 

Furthermore,

"There will now be a hope that president Trump's comments about Putin mark a significant change . I'm not sure if anyone is holding their breath in Ukraine, though"  (ibid CNN)

CNN now also reports that Trump is considering more sanctions on Moscow.

They also report that,

"In the mantime, Russia is blasting a decision by Germany, and other Ukrainian allies, including the US, to lift a ban on firing long range missiles into Russia." (CNN: 27 May, 2025) (my emphasis)

 

CNN: 27 May, 2025: YouTube

As also reported by Usaid Siddiqui (left), ,"Germany’s newly elected chancellor, Friedrich Merz, has announced that
Ukraine’s Western allies are lifting range restrictions on the weapons they have
been supplying to Kyiv
." (Al Jazeera: 27 May 2025) (my emphasis) 

It is interesting to note that, as reported by Taryn Pedler,

"In an explosive twist to the war in Ukraine, it has emerged the country secretly had the
green light to fire missiles into Russia since November last year.
…
While headlines suggest President Donald Trump is about to officially lift the embargo, insiders have claimed the real decision was made long ago - making Trump's move largely symbolic." (Daily Mail on MSN: 28 May 2025) (my emphasis)

Trump's remarks about "Russia playing with fire" has, as reported by Ciaran McGrath (right), drew the usual "nuclear war" threat response from Putin's glove-puppet, Dmitry Medvedev (left).

 "The remark drew a sharp response from Mr Medvedev, now deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council and one of Mr Putin’s most outspoken allies. Posting on X, formerly Twitter, he said: “Regarding Trump's words about Putin ‘playing with fire’ and ‘really bad things’ happening to Russia. I only know of one REALLY BAD thing — WWIII. “I hope Trump understands this!” (Express: 27 May 2025) (my emphasis)

And now, as reported by Alice Scarsi (right) and Emily Wright,

"The wider Moscow region was pummelled by a series of drone attacks overnight.
…
Reports of drone attacks also emerged in the town of Ramenskoye and Moscow city itself." (Express: 28 May 2025) (my emphasis)

Added to which, as reported by Rebecca Robinson (left),

"A top Russian official has issued a dire warning regarding the country's soaring interest rates as its economy continues to struggle. The country's central bank will meet to set interest rates next Friday, and Economy Minister Maxim Reshetnikov urged it to take into account slowing inflation." (Express: 28 May 2025) (my emphasis) 

Is it any wonder, as reported by John Varga (right), that,

"Vladimir Putin fears he could be "hanging from a lamppost" if he fails to win in Ukraine, according to a British volunteer soldier. The Russian tyrant is doubling down on his war efforts, as his army seeks to make a decisive breakthrough on the frontlines." (Express: Tue, May 27, 2025) (my emphasis)

The fearful panic of Putin is underscored by  Lavrov (left) that dyed-in-the-wool Soviet foreign minister, suddenly announcing that,

"Russia will announce the next round of direct talks between Russia and Ukraine in the nearest future, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday." (Vladimir Soldatkin: Reuters: 28 May 2025) (my emphasis)

Interestingly, Lavrov goes on to state that,

"The neutral status of Ukraine remains one of Russia's key demands in the peace negotiations, Lavrov added." (ibid Vladimir Soldatkin)

It would seem as though  Ukraine's response to Putin's manic bombing of Kiev, amongst other cities in Ukraine, together with the  fact that Ukraine’s Western allies are lifting range restrictions on the weapons they have
been supplying to Kyiv, has propelled Putin to the edge of the abyss of oblivion.

Will "tune-changing" Trump rescue Putin once more? This is the $64 question!

UPDATE: 28 May 2025: 14:56 GMT 

 Rachel Hagan (left) has just reported that,

"Germany's new chancellor, Friedrich Merz, has told Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky that Berlin will help Kyiv produce long-range missiles to defend itself from Russian attack.

"We want to talk about production and we will not publicly discuss details," he said, when asked by reporters in Berlin if Germany would supply Kyiv with its Taurus missiles.
...
Despite the continued diplomatic manoeuvres, Ukraine's military reported one of its largest drone barrages on Russian targets to date overnight in to Wednesday, while Zelensky said Russia had launched more than 900 drones over a three-day period ending early on Monday morning." (BBC News: 28 May 2025) (my emphasis)

Scraping the bottom of the Russian political barrel, 

"The Kremlin has warned that any decision to end range restrictions on the missiles that Ukraine can use would be a quite dangerous change in policy that would harm efforts to reach a political deal." (ibid Rachel Hagan),

whilst at the same time,

"Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov did not dismiss the idea out of hand but said such a meeting could only take place after "concrete agreements" had been reached between "the two delegations." (ibid Rachel Hagan) 

Now that the "nuclear" bluff of Putin and his glove-puppet, Dmitry Medvedev, together with their 'siloviki' and TV propaganda acolytes, has been called, the next step would be to hand Zelensly an even stronger hand by racheting up sanctions against Putin and his ilk.

 

 

 

(to be continued)