As the late Harold Wilson said, in the lead up to the 1964 British election,
"‘A week is a long time in politics.’ (Wikipedia)
Fast forward to 2025, and the last 4 days has seen :-
- Russian President Vladimir Putin offered India uninterrupted fuel supplies on Friday, eliciting a cautious response even as he and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed to expand trade and defence ties between countries with decades-old ties (Shivam Patel and YP Rajesh (right): (Reuters: 5 December 2025) (my emphasis)
- "Senior Ukrainian and US negotiators have jointly called on Russia to show a "serious commitment to long-term peace" after talks in Moscow earlier this week failed to produce a breakthrough.
…
The prospect of ending the war in Ukraine depended on Russia's readiness to take "steps towards de-escalation and cessation of killing", the statement said". (Nardine Saad and Harry Sekulich (right): BBC News: 6 December 2025) (my emphasis) - After warning that, ".. "His country, [Putin] said, "wasn't planning to go to war with Europe - but if Europe suddenly wants to go to war and starts one, we are ready right now". (Maia Davies and Laura Gozzi (right): BBC News: 2 December 2025)
- John Mearsheimer (right) now reports that, " ... Hours, that forced the White House to issue a rare and urgent warning to the American people and allies worldwide. ... What Russia did today … crossed a line that American officials had hoped would hold. And when that critical lie broke, when the threshold was crossed, Ukraine did not even hesitate for even a moment. They responded with force. … Russia was preparing something unconventional. (John Mearsheimer: Unfazed316: 6 December 2025: YouTube) (my emphasis)
Rachel Maddow (left) details the escalation that Putin is preparing, and that has elicited a response from the US that Putin simply did not see coming.
As she reports, following a deep strike by Ukraine inside Russian territory against a Russian Command Centre,
"Ukraine hit a target that seemed to be untouchable. ... Ukraine struck a military location roughly 200 miles inside Russian teritory. ... Russia's Ministry of Defence issued an emergency statement accusing the United States, NOT Ukraine, the United States, on enabling the attack. ... Russian officials claimed that the strike would not have been possible without direct American involvement ..." (Rachel Maddow Talks: 5 December 2025: YouTube) (my emphasis)
The attack by Ukraine on a Russian Command Centre, and that has up-ended Putin's threatening new troop and military equipment movements, has simply increased Putin's paranoia.
As reported by John T Psaropoulos (left),
"Putin increasingly belligerent as truce talks flounder, Ukraine war rages.
Asked about peace last week, Putin told journalists, “We still have proposals coming in about ceasing hostilities. When the Ukrainian troops leave the areas they are now occupying, then the hostilities will cease. And if they don’t, we will make them leave using our firepower.”
Putin also threatened Europe, playing into fears of a broadened war.
“We have no intention of going to war with Europe,” he said. “But if Europe suddenly wants to fight us and does, we’re ready right now.” (AlJazeera: 5 December 2025) (my emphasis)
The 'Red Carpet' treatment meted out to Putin by Narendra Modi signifies that,
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that India is not neutral and is on the side of peace, as he addressed the issue of Russia-Ukraine war, during President Vladimir Putin's two-day visit to the country." (Shashwat Bhandari (Ed): Times Now: 5 December 2025) (my emphasis),
whilst at the same time,
The recent and pre-emptive attack by Ukraine on that key Russian Command Centre, and that has up-ended Putin's threatening new troop and military equipment movements, should give Modi 'pause for concern' about the Putin-Modi reshaping of defence ties.
Putin's new threats simply signify his clutching at 'soggy war straws' to save his life.
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