Putin's offer of talks with Trump now has the world watching.

And so,  these 'attempts' to begin 'peace talks' about Putin's war in Ukraine are suddenly developing an 'urgency' of their own amongst Putin's 'siloviki'.

Indeed, as Lotti OBrien (left) reports,

"Russian oligarchs and business executives have directed their anger at the country’s state away from Putin - and have instead taken a swipe at their central bank’s governor.
...
However, instead of blaming the war for the economic state, the Russians are aiming their discontent at the Russian bank governor, Elvira Nabiullina. (Express: 19 December 2024) (my emphasis)

Not to be outdone, John Varga (right) reports that,

"Chechnya's strongman leader Ramzan Kadyrov (left) has launched a blistering attack on two of Vladimir Putin's most trusted and senior officials.

Kadyrov's outburst was directed at Alexander Bastrykin, the head of Russia's Investigative Committee, and Vladimir Kolokoltsev, the Minister of Internal Affairs.

The former is one of Putin's closest allies and the latter was directly appointed to his post by the Russian leader." (Express: 18 December 2024) (my emphasis)

And then we have Putin himself, during his rambling end-of-year marathon 'question-and answer' session from the Russian people, and from the international community, attempting to boast that,

"Despite the toll his war has taken on Russia’s finances and the lives of its young men, Putin claimed that sending troops into Ukraine in 2022 has boosted his country’s military and economic power." (Tom Watling and Namita Singh: The Independent: 20 December 2024) (my emphasis)

whilst at the same time Adam Toms (left) points out that,

"Vladimir Putin is facing a construction nightmare as stocks in Russia's biggest construction group plummet.
...
Russian news agency Interfax describes the Samolet Group as "the leader in terms of current construction volume in Russia".

At the time of writing, according to Investing.com, the firm's stocks have decreased by 78.05 percent in a year." (The Express: 19 December 2024) (my emphasis)

We should all be reminded of the currrent collapse of China's construction industry, and how it is causing the Chinese economy to teeter on the brink of implosion. 

As Benjamin O'Brien (right) wrote in April 2024,

"As the dust settles on China's real estate sector, the global economy awaits the Chinese Communist Party's next move. With property once at the core of Xi Jinping’s domestic economy, fueling China’s miraculous growth into the 21st century and contributing over 18 percent to global GDP in 2023, the faltering real estate market poses a daunting challenge to global economic stability." (International Relations Review: 12 April 2024) (my emphasis)

And against the backdrop of Putin's 'marathon' Q&A session,

• Some two hundred North Korean troops fighting alongside Russia's forces against Ukraine have been killed or wounded during fighting in the Russian Kursk border region, according to a senior US military official. (Chris Samuel: Express: 18 December 2024) (my emphasis) 
• Ukraine has launched a missile and drone attack on an oil refinery in the Russian city of Novoshakhtinsk, officials there have reported.
  ...
  The fire broke out in the early hours of this morning, December 19, lighting up the night sky with a glow of burning orange, the Russian Telegram news channel Astra reported. (Lauran O'Toole: Express: 19 December 2024) (my emphasis)
• Vladimir Putin is facing a fresh sanction nightmare as a new wave of economic measures hits Russia.
  The EU's Council - the bloc's institution that defines its "general political direction and priorities" - announced yesterday that it had approved its fifteenth package of measures aimed at impeding Putin's capability to wage war in Ukraine. (Adam Toms: Express: 17 December 2024) (my emphasis)
• The Danish government has prepared the 23rd military assistance package for Ukraine in the amount of DKK 2.1 billion (EUR 281.5 million) to strengthen air defence and combat aviation. (Source: Danish Defence Ministry, as reported by European Pravda)
  Details: As part of the aid package, Denmark is allocating funds, among other things, to strengthen Ukraine's air defence and operate Ukrainian F-16 fighters. (Oleh Pavliuk: Ukrainska Pravda on MSN: 19 December 2024) (my emphasis)

We also learn that,

"Ukraine possesses a laser weapon able to destroy aircraft flying more than a mile above ground and is developing breakthrough "mother drones", a top military official claims.

In comments on Monday reported by the Interfax-Ukraine news agency, drone forces commander Vadym Sukharevskyi said, "Today we can already shoot down aircraft at an altitude of over 2 km with this laser," which he said was called Tryzub." (Chris Samuel: Express: 17 December 2024) (my emphasis)

Is it any wonder that, in his latest 'marathon' Q&A session,  

"Russian President Vladimir Putin offered to hold talks with US President-elect Donald Trump, while striking a defiant tone on his war on Ukraine by saying he should have invaded sooner.
...
“I don’t know when we’ll meet because he doesn’t say anything about it,” Putin said of Trump Thursday at his annual televised news conference and phone-in in Moscow. “I haven’t spoken to him at all for more than four years. (Really???)  I’m ready for it, of course, at any time. And I’ll be ready to meet if he wants.” (Bloomberg on Yahoo News: 19 December 2024) (my emphasis)

But if Putin and Trump think that they can cobble together a 'peace' deal that may end Putin's war in Ukraine. entirely in his favour, they have another thing coming.

As Lorne Cook reports,

"European Union leaders insisted on Thursday that no decisions can be taken about the future of war-ravaged Ukraine without its consent or behind the backs of its partners in Europe, barely a month before U.S. President-elect Donald Trump takes office.
...
In a show of solidarity at a summit in Brussels with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, many EU leaders repeated a variation of what has become a common mantra — nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine, nothing about security in Europe without Europeans." (AP: 20 December 2024) (my emphasis)

That 2018 Helsinki summit 'bromance' between Putin and Trump has not been forgotten.

Washington Post: 2019: YouTube

As Greg Miller (left) then reported,

"President Trump has gone to extraordinary lengths to conceal details of his conversations with Russian President Vladi­mir Putin, including on at least one occasion taking possession of the notes of his own interpreter and instructing the linguist not to discuss what had transpired with other administration officials, current and former U.S. officials said." (The Washington Post: 3 January 2019) (my emphasis)

Putin knows that talks with Trump in 2024 will not be the same as talks with Trump in 2018!

So does Donald Trump!

Putin's offer of talks with Trump now has the world carefully watching.

 

 

 

(to be continued)

Melting into a political puddle, Putin is now at his most dangerous.

The internet ether is filled with international political chatter about "land for peace" in Putin's ongoing war with Ukraine.

As Tony Diver and Victoria Ward informed us,

"Volodymyr Zelensky endorsed Donald Trump’s drive to end the war in Ukraine “as soon as possible” in a surprise meeting organised by Emmanuel Macron ahead of the reopening of Notre-Dame.

The three men met on Saturday at the Élysée Palace to discuss their co-operation on “defence and offence” in Ukraine, Mr Trump said, adding that the world was “going a little crazy right now”. (The Telegraph on MSN: 9 December 2024) (my emphasis) 

Tony Diver and Victoria Ward go on to report that,

"He  [Zelensky] has also suggested he would be open to ceding four eastern regions currently occupied by Russia in exchange for an end to the “hot phase” of the war.". (ibid Tony Diver and Victoria Ward)

But as Dmitry Antonov (right) reported,

"The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that Moscow was not ready to make concessions when it came to Ukraine and that President Vladimir Putin's own proposals on how to end the conflict needed to be implemented.
...
But Zakharova (left) said that anyone who thought Russia would make concessions on Ukraine was mistaken.

"Firstly, Russia is acting. Secondly, if someone expects Russia to make some kind of concessions, apparently these people have a short memory and insufficient knowledge of the matter," she said.

Putin's proposals for peace needed to be implemented, she said." (Reuters: 11 December 2024) (my emphasis)

In other words, Putin is digging in his trembling heels as the Russian economy slides into an acute recession, and his North Korean troops are yet to make a dent in Ukraine's occupation of Russia's Kursk region now occupied by Ukrainian forces.

Oracle Eyes : 15 December 2024: YouTube

As Adam Toms (right) reports,

"A shocking video has shown an horrific blunder by North Korean troops in Ukraine as a group of soldiers were slain on the Eastern European battlefield.

The ally of Vladimir Putin has sent a small portion of its own army to fight in the conflict.
...
A translated reported stated: "On December 14 and 15, 2024, in the areas of the villages of Plekhovo, Vorozhba, and Martinovka of the Kursk region of the aggressor state of Russia, units of the North Korean army suffered significant losses - at least 30 soldiers were killed and wounded." (Daily Express: 16 December 2024) (my emphasis)

Then we had the fleeing of Bashar al-Assad into the arms of Putin as Syria fell to rebel Syrian forces. (blog entry 8 December 2024)

The fall of Syria has, no doubt, somewhat further addled the panicked political mind of Putin.

As already reported  (ibid: blog entry 8 December 2024),

"So whilst Putin 'siloviki'  Valentina Matviyenko talks about beginning peace talks with Ukraine in 2025, Putin 'siloviki' Lavrov is, like Putin himself, threatening WW3 with the West." (blog entry 8 December 2024)

Adding further panic to Putin's addled political mind, Ellen Knickmeyer, Illia Novikov and Aamer Madhani report that,

"The grinding war between Ukraine and its Russian invaders has escalated ahead of Donald Trump’s inauguration, with President Joe Biden rushing out billions of dollars more in military aid before U.S. support for Kyiv’s defenses is thrown into question under the new administration.

The Biden administration is pushing every available dollar out the door to shore up Ukraine’s defenses before leaving office in six weeks, announcing more than $2 billion in additional support since Trump won the presidential election last month." (AP: 10 December 2024) (my emphasis)

Times Now World: 11 December 2024: YouTube 

What is sticking in Putin's craw is that this money will come from the interest on frozen Russia assets in the G7 countries, and NOT from the US or G7 treasuries.

Incoming US President Trump will be helpless to undo this loan to Ukraine for his 'friend' Vladimir Putin!

The "bromance" between Trump and Putin during Trump's first presidency is now under severe political strain, given Trump's global political exhortation that he will, "end the war in Ukraine in twenty four hours"! 

Melting into a political puddle, Putin is now at his most dangerous. 

UPDATE: 18 December 2024 

The speed with which events in Russia are further adding to the meltdown of Putin as they continue to unfold.

As Steve Rosenberg reports from Moscow,

"This perception of Russia's war in Ukraine as something distant - I've heard that so often here. I get the sense that, for a considerable portion of the population, this is a war they only experience on their TV screen or on their smart phone. In many ways, a virtual war.

Astonishing, really, considering the large number of dead and wounded.

But the killing of a Russian general in Moscow: that is a definite wake-up call; proof that this war is very real and very close to home." (BBC News: 18 December 2024) (my emphasis)

NBC News: 17 Deccember 2024

PLEASE WATCH AND LISTEN CAREFULLY!! 

Times Radio: 18 December 2024: YouTube

 

 

 

(to be continued)

Putin's 'siloviki' are beginning to politically fight amongst each other.

Like the fall of Victor Yanukovich, who fled Ukraine in 2014 during the Maidan freeedom uprising in Kiev; hours before the fall Damascus  (The Times of Israel: 8 December 2024)  to Syrian rebels, and the fleeing from Syria of Bashar al-Assad, Felix Light reports that,

"Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on
Saturday it was inadmissible to allow what he called a terrorist group to take control of Syrian lands.

He was speaking in the Qatari capital Doha after meeting the Turkish and Iranian foreign ministers following a rapid advance by Syrian rebels led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) militant group that threatens President Bashar al-Assad's rule." (Reuters: 7 December 2024) (my emphasis)

Lavrov's panic may have something to do with the fact that, as reported by Andrew Osborn,

"Two strategically-important Russian military facilities in Syria and Moscow's very presence  in the Middle East are under serious threat from rapidly advancing insurgents, Russian war bloggers have warned....

Russian war bloggers, some of whom are close to the Russian Defence Ministry and whom the Russian authorities allow greater freedom to speak out than the military, say the most immediate threat is to the future of Russia's Hmeimim airbase in Syria's Latakia province and to its naval facility at Tartous on the coast. (right)
...
The Tartous facility is Russia's only Mediterranean repair and replenishment hub, and Moscow has used Syria as a staging post to fly its military contractors in and out of Africa. (Reuters: 7 December 2024) (my emphasis)   

And just a few days before Bashar al-Assad was entering the 'private' jet that secretely whisked him out of Syria from Baghdad to a destination unknown, Lidia Kelly (left) reported that,

"There are no grounds yet for negotiations on how to bring the war in Ukraine to an end, Russia said on Wednesday, in comments about peace talks that have become more frequent since Donald Trump won the U.S. presidential vote in November.
...
Valentina Matviyenko (right), speaker of the Federation Council, Russia's upper house of parliament, said on Monday that there could be attempts to begin peace talks with Ukraine in 2025.
(Reuters: 4 December 2024) (my emphasis)

These 'attempts' to begin 'peace talks' about Putin's war in Ukraine are suddenly developing an 'urgency' of their own amongst Putin's 'siloviki'.

Least of all is the fact that,

"The Ukrainian defense industry has unveiled a missile weapon prototype that can be scaled up for production
...
On December 6, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the Defense Forces had received several dozen Peklo missile-drones, which the Ukrainian manufacturer had created in record time - in a year." (Espreso: 7 December 2024) (my emphasis)

Futhermore. as Ukrinform reports.

"President Volodymyr Zelensky shared the news on Telegram, according to Ukrinform.

"The second batch of F-16s from Denmark has arrived in Ukraine. This is an example of leadership in defending lives that sets Denmark apart. The aircraft from the first batch, provided by the Danish people, are already intercepting Russian missiles, saving our people’s lives and our infrastructure," the President noted" *Ukrinform: 8 December 2024_ (my emphasis)

And as  Oren Liebermann (right) also informs us,

"Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Saturday announced a $1 billion military aid package for Ukraine as he forcefully argued for US leadership around the world.
...
The package, which includes more drones and ammunition for a critical rocket system, brings the total US security assistance to Ukraine to $62 billion since the war started nearly three years ago, a key component of keeping Kyiv in the fight. Russia has suffered more than 700,000 battlefield casualties since the war began, Austin said, and “squandered” more than $200 billion." (CNN: 7 December 2024) (my emphasis)

Is it any wonder that the dyed-in-the wool Soviet Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, is now also threatening  'nuclear war' on Ukraine as the sweat runs down his panicked brow? 

As David Averre reports,

"Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (left) has declared Russia will 'keep sending messages' in the form of devastating strikes on Ukraine if Western officials continue their course of action in supporting Kyiv.

Lavrov said that Moscow doesn't want a war with the United States but will use 'all means' to defend its interests in an interview with former Fox News host and X broadcaster Tucker Carlson." (Daily Mail on MSN: 6 December 2024) (my emphasis)

So whilst Putin 'siloviki'  Valentina Matviyenko talks about beginning peace talks with Ukraine in 2025, Putin 'siloviki' Lavrov is, like Putin himself, threatening WW3 with the West.

 Putin's 'siloviki' are beginning to politically fight amongst each other. 

UPDATE: 9 December 2024: 02.52 GMT

 Like Victor Yanukovich (left), who fled Ukraine into  the welcoming arms of Putin in 2014 during the Maidan Revolution of Dignity, we now have Bashar al-Assad (right) fleeing Syria in December 2024 into the arms of a panicked Putin, seeking asylum from  the Syrians baying for his blood.

As Sky News reports.

"Syria's ousted President Bashar al Assad has arrived in Moscow, Russian state media has confirmed.

Mr Assad and members of his family arrived in the Russian capital on Sunday, a Kremlin source told the TASS news agency.

The source added: "Russia, for humanitarian reasons, has granted them asylum." " (Sky News: 9 December 2024) (my emphasis) 

It remains to be seen how Putin's increasingly fractious 'siloviki' will react to this news.

 

 

 

(to be continued)

Will Putin's 'siloviki' now allow Putin to destroy Russia?

With the Russian economy teetering on the edge of collapsing into 'freefall', and Trump moving closer to taking over the reigns in the White House, panicked Putin is throwing everything at Ukraine to 'break the will' of the people of Ukraine, and to ensure that any 'peace negotiations' about his war with Ukraine will be entirely on his terms.

As Max Seddon (right) reports,

"He [Konstantin Malofeyev, a Russian tycoon] warned that “the world is on the brink of nuclear war” after Kyiv fired US- and UK-made long-range missiles into Russian territory, and Putin responded by firing an experimental nuclear-capable ballistic missile at Ukraine.
...

Malofeyev (left), however, argued that if the US did not agree to roll back its support for Ukraine, Russia could fire a tactical nuclear weapon. “There will be a radiation zone nobody will ever go into in our lifetime,” he said. “And the war will be over.” (Financial Times: 2 December 2024( (my emphasis) (cf also: Moscow Times: 3 December 2024)

Furthermore, as Newsweek reports

"Chinese banks are refusing to work with sanctioned financial institutions in Russia, delivering another blow to the economy, which has been hit hard by Russian leader Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine.
...
Now trade between Russia and China faces another barrier after most Chinese banks terminated their relations with Russian credit institutions, general director of investment and consulting firm First Group, Alexey Poroshin, told the Russian daily broadsheet newspaper Izvestia." (Newsweek: 3 December 2024) (my emphasis)

 

Newsweek: 3 December 2024 

Besides Ukraine, Putin is further beset by problems in Syria and Georgia, as reported by CNN.

CNN: 2 Dec 2024 : YouTube

It is therefore no wonder that, as reported by the Times of India,

"Russian President Vladimir Putin has approved a massive defense budget for 2025. Putin allocated a staggering $126 billion to national defense. The record defense budget amounts to 32.5 percent of Russian government spending. Russia's military spending has surged dramatically in the past two years." (Times of India: 3 December 2024) (my emphasis)

Times of India: 3 December 2024 

It is thus no co-incidence that one is reminded of the Holodomor 'genocide' (1932 to 1933) perpetrated against the people of Ukraine by Stalin (right), 

 "... as a means to punish Ukrainians for resisting Soviet policies and to suppress their nationalist sentiments." (Wikipedia)

In 2024, Putin's current 'insane' assault on the people of Ukraine is, likewise,

"... a means to punish Ukrainians for resisting his invasion of, and theft of, Ukrainian land, including Crimea, and to destroy their democratic sentiments."

Putin may wish to believe that the West will buckle under the weight of his insane and indiscrimanate near 'carpet' bombing in Ukraine, as well as his closeness to making a reality of his 'nuclear' threat, but this is not so.

US President Biden (left: with Zelensky), as reported by The Associated Press on Wyoming Public Media,

"The U.S. is preparing to send Ukraine an additional $725 million in military assistance, including counter-drone systems and munitions for its High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, which could indicate more of the longer-range missiles are headed to the battlefield.
...
President Joe Biden has pledged to spend all of the military assistance funds Congress approved this year for Ukraine before the end of his administration on Jan. 20, which before Monday's announcement included about $7.1 billion in weapons that would be drawn from the Pentagon's stockpiles." (The Associated Press on Wyoming Public Media: 3 December 2024) (my emphasis)

Furthermore, as Nicholas Cecil reports,

"The West should give Ukraine more weapons now to strengthen its hand in possible peace talks, Nato’s chief is urging. 

Mark Rutte (right) issued the rallying cry for more military aid for Kyiv ahead of a meeting of the alliance’s foreign ministers in Brussels.

“We will all need to do more,” he said.

“The stronger our military support to Ukraine is now, the stronger their hand will be at the negotiating table.” (The Standard: 3 December 2024) (my emphasis) 

The Independent on MSN: 6 Dec 2024

What is even more frightening for Putin is the fact that,

"Ukraine has conducted a test on new domestically made missiles and is ramping up missile production, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday.

Zelenskiy said on the Telegram messaging app that he had received
reports from his military on the test.

"We can thank our Ukrainian missile developers. We are speeding up the production," he said, without providing further details." (Yuliia Dysa (right): Reuters: 3 December 2024) (my emphasis)

Will Putin's 'siloviki' now allow Putin to destroy Russia?

  

 

 

(to be continued)

Putin has opened the "Pandora's Box" of WW3.

In my last blog entry (20/11/2024 11:25 GMT) I stated that,

"Putin is opening the "Pandora's Box" of WW3.".

As  Mikey Smith (right) now reports,

"Vladimir Putin has threatened the UK with strikes from a “new” kind of missile - as Russia warned Britain it was now “directly involved” in the war.

It comes in a week where Russia has repeatedly stoked fears that the war could extend beyond Ukraine - dragging Western allies including the UK in to the fighting." (Mirror: 21 November 2024 : 21:26 GMT) (my emphasis)

In an interview on Sky News, Andrei Kelin (left), Russian Ambassador to the UK, stated that,

"Britain is now "directly involved" in the Ukraine war after its Storm Shadow missiles were used to strike targets inside Russia, according to Moscow's ambassador.

Speaking to Sky News, Andrei Kelin also warned the West to carefully consider the lower bar Russia has established for using nuclear weapons." (Sky News: Friday 22 November 2024 07:49, UK) (my emphasis)

He further stated what Putin threatened viz.,

"We believe that we have the right to use our weapons against military facilities of the countries that allow to use their weapons against our facilities," Mr Putin said." (ibid Sky News)

Sky News: Friday 22 November 2024

 

And whilst the UK and France have stated that,

"The UK and France will do "everything that is necessary" to support Ukraine and achieve lasting peace, Foreign Secretary David Lammy has said in a newspaper piece co-written with his French counterpart, Jean-Noel Barrot, external." (BBC News: 22 November 2024) (my emphasis),

whilst German Chancellor Olaf Scholtz (left) is maintaining that,

"‘I refused to supply Taurus to Ukraine' – Scholz is trying to gain votes, telling the Germans that they are not in danger of the Hazel Bush [Putin's recent ICBM missile used on Ukraine in Dnipro].

"Anyone who gives audacious interviews and makes audacious demands should understand that when you provide assistance to Ukraine, you need to do it judiciously, to do so in order to prevent the war from escalating into a war between Russia and NATO." (Pravda EN: 22 November 2024) (my emphasis)

As I wrote in my blog entry of  18 November 2024,

"This 'threat' of Putin scared German Chancellor Scholtz to such an extent that he steadfastly refused suppplying Ukraine with German Taurus missiles and, more recently, sought to appease Putin by having a tête-à-tête  with him. (Remember the former Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel (right), and Putin's 'Minsk Agreements' in 2014 and 2015? )

We should not forget that Putin's prints are all over the 2014 and 2015 Minsk Agreements, together with those of Angela Merkel.

As the Economist wrote in 2014,

"When Germans add the word Versteher (one who understands) to a term, they generally mix flattery with irony. So a Frauenversteher (one who understands women) is usually a man who boasts excessively about his knowledge of the opposite sex. The label is now being attached to so-called Russlandversteher or Putinversteher: members of the elite or intelligentsia who gush with empathy for Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin, on talk shows, in journals and at dinner parties." (The Economist: May 8th 2014)

Fast forward to 2024 and the "Putinversteher" mentality is still alive and well in Germany.

Now that Putin has used an ICBM in all but name in Ukraine, as Matthew Dooley (left) reports,

"According to North Korean state media, Kim [Jon Un] (right) said: "Never before have the warring parties on the Korean peninsula faced such a dangerous and acute confrontation that it could escalate into the most destructive thermonuclear war."

The fiery rhetoric comes just hours after Vladimir Putin announced the test of a new Russian  missile on Ukraine. Ukraine claimed the weapon was an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). However, Pentagon officials believe the weapon was more likely an intermediate-range ballistic missile." (Express: 22 November 2024) (my emphasis)

Putin has opened the "Pandora's Box" of WW3.

UPDATE: 23 November 2024: 13:40 (GMT)

 Laura Kuenssberg (left), (13:13 GMT 23 November 2024) reports that,

"There are no "red lines" when it comes to support for Ukraine, the French Foreign Minister has told the BBC.

 Jean-Noël Barrot (right) said that Ukraine could fire French long-range missiles into Russia "in the logics of self defence", but would not confirm if French weapons had already been used.

...
Barrot, who held talks with Foreign Secretary David Lammy in London on Friday, said Western allies should not put any limits on support for Ukraine against Russia, and "not set and express red lines".
...
Barrot hinted at inviting Ukraine to join Nato, as President Zelensky has requested. "We are open to extending an invitation, and so in our discussions with friends and allies, and friends and allies of Ukraine, we are working to get them to closer to our positions," Barrot said. (BBC News: 23 November 2024) (my emphasis)

 

BBC News: 24 November 2024

 

This comes after  Ruth Comerford yesterday  reported that,

"In an unscheduled TV address, the Russian leader said the Oreshnik missile could not be intercepted and promised to carry out more tests, including in "combat conditions".
...

This week's escalation has also prompted several warnings from other world leaders about the direction of the war between Russia and Ukraine.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the war was entering a decisive stage - with a real risk of global conflict.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban meanwhile said the West should take Vladimir Putin's warnings "at face value" because Russia "bases its policies primarily on military power". (BBC News: 22 November 2024) (my emphasis)

Putin's 'end of line'?

UPDATE 2: 24 November 2024: 08:44 GMT

Rebecca Robinson (left) reports that,

"A senior Russian official has warned that Vladimir Putin is within his rights to target NATO countries backing Ukraine amid rising tensions over military aid to Kyiv.

...

He hailed the strategy as "an appropriate and long-awaited response," accusing the US and its European allies of "using missiles to strike Russian territory."

He added: "Our country has the right to target military facilities of states that attack us. Despite Western claims that Russia will not dare to act, it will-and it has every right to do so." (Daily Express on MSN: 23 November 2024) (my emphasis)

The Times of India on MSN: 23 November 2024

Rebecca Robinson further reports that,

"Volodymyr Zelensky has condemned the West for seemingly capitulating to Putin's strategy: "What is needed are strong actions that will force him to peace, not persuasion," Zelensky demanded." " (ibid Rebecca Robinson)

And as Dr. Sergey Suleni (left) points out,

"So Putin is afraid, he's weak, but he believes that the West is more ...is than he is and he threatens the West with nukes" (WION on MSN: 23 November 2024) (my emphasis)

He further states that,

"Well, the division between ICBM and IBM is purely ... purely numbered divisions. Like does missile come from further than 5000 kilometers or does it not. So that practically it's the same missile, the same technology of the same, the same principles." (ibid WION)

WION on MSN: 23 November 2024

 

 

 

(to be continued)