Time is simply not on Putin's side.

As we enter the new year, Putin and his generals are scrambling to confront the critically changing military support for Ukraine from the West.

As reported by ABC News (Associated Press),

"Germany will supply Ukraine with armored personnel carriers and a Patriot missile battery, the government said Thursday.
...
It came shortly after France said it will soon hold talks with Ukraine to arrange for the delivery of armored combat vehicles. France's presidency said that will be the first time this type of Western-made wheeled tank destroyer will be given to the Ukrainian military. (ABC News (Associated Press) : 5 January 2023) (my emphasis) 

As also reported by PBS,

"The U.S. will send Ukraine nearly $3 billion in military aid, in a massive new package that will for the first time include several dozen Bradley fighting vehicles, U.S. officials said Thursday, in the Biden administration’s latest step to send increasingly lethal and powerful weapons to help Ukraine beat back Russian forces. (PBS News : 5 January 2023) (my emphasis)

MSN (NBC News) : 9 January 2023

Adding to the US weaponry heading for Ukraine, MSN (Sky News ) reports that,

"Sky News exclusively revealed that [British Prime Minister] Rishi Sunak's government is considering providing Challenger 2s to be used by Ukrainian forces on the battlefield against Russia.

If it goes through, the move would make the UK the first country to send Western-made main battle tanks to Ukraine." (ibid MSN (NBC News) : 9 January 2023) (my emphasis)

Furthermore, as reported by News 18,

"India and the United States “agree very much" that the restoration of an enduring peace in Ukraine is essential, the Biden administration has said. (News 18 : 7 January 2023) (my emphasis)

News 18 : 7 January 2023 : YouTube

As reported by Yulia Latynina (left) in 2012,

"Nezavisimaya Gazeta reported that President-elect Vladimir Putin is poised to undertake the most significant reform Russia has seen in recent years by creating a National Guard from scratch. These special forces, numbering up to 400,000 men, would answer directly to the president and would be charged with protecting the country from internal threats." (Moscow Times : 3 April 2012) (my emphasis)

CGTN America : 2017 : YouTube

Fast forward to 2023 and, as reported by Scott McDonald (left),

"Ukraine's General Staff reported Sunday that Russia has used a national guard unit to shoot soldiers who plan on deserting or surrendering to Ukrainian forces.
...
U.K. intelligence reported in early November 2022 that

Russia began deploying such troops along the Russia-Ukraine border as "barrier soldiers" (right) to prevent Russian soldiers from retreating by the threat of shooting them." (Newsweek : 8 January 2023) (my emphasis)

By employing his National Guard as "barrier soldiers", Putin is having to admit that Russian soldiers deserting and surrendering to Ukraine has become a serious problem amongst his forces in Ukraine. 

CNN : mid December 2022 : YouTube

As reported by Catherine Belton  (right) that,

"Putin “feels the loss of his [international] friends,” said one Russian state official with close ties to diplomatic circles, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retribution. “Lukashenko is the only one he can pay a serious visit to. All the rest see him only when necessary.”(Washington Post : 30 December 2022) (my emphasis),

and as also reported by Amy Landsey (left) that,

"Russian President Vladimir Putin made a rare trip to Belarus last week, where he discussed closer military cooperation with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko.
...
Kyiv said the Kremlin was guilty of “desperate and persistent efforts to involve Belarus in its aggressive war against Ukraine”. " (Sky News AU : 28 December 2022 ) (my emphasis),

it is inevitable that Putin is now scraping the Kremlin barrel for a "peace" formula of talks that will still allow him to pronounce his victory over Ukraine, whilst at the same time hobbling the political and economic future of Ukraine.

It is no wonder, therefore, that as reported by Ukrinform,

"Oleksiy Danilov (right), the secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, said this on Ukraine's television, Ukrinform reports.

"We are currently being offered the Korean scenario. The so-called conditional '38th parallel.' Here are Ukrainians, but there Ukrainians are not like that. The Russians will now invent anything. I know for sure that one of the options they can offer us is the '38th parallel'," Danilov said. (Ukrinform : 9 January 2023) (my emphasis)

The absurdity of this "Korean scenario" is summed up by the fact that,

"At the same time, Danilov said that during a recent meeting, Korean representatives noted that establishing the division of the Korean peninsula into two parts along the 38th parallel was a mistake as the concessions made in the 1950s after the end of the war between North Korea and South Korea are currently leading to problems." (ibid Ukrinform)

What Putin, nor his 'diminishing' Kremlin clique, seem not to realize is that by simply pronouncing parts of Ukraine as "legally" parts of Russia in the Russian Duma because of a series of concocted 'referendums' held at the barrel of a gun simply does not have ANY International legal status.

Furthermore, no amount of forcing Russian conscripts to become cannon fodder for his delusion of recreating the old USSR will ever legitimise his attempt at land grabs in Ukraine, including that of Crimea.

As the West has now decided to give Ukraine the weapons necessary to push Putin's army back over their border into Russia, it is now only a matter of time before Putin's delusions implodes before his very eyes.

Time is simply not on Putin's side.

 

(to be continued)

Putin has reached his last throw of the dice in his war with Ukraine.

 In a recent blog entry (29 December 2022) I wrote that,

"The desperation of Putin and Lavrov to conceal the "truth" behind their actions and their words may, indeed, point to growing rumblings of a coup against Putin. (cf Ciaran McGrath)

For Putin, the consequences to himself of the truth behind his current actions is simply too ghastly for him to contemplate.

Has Putin's "truth" now become one of "fear"? "(blog entry 29 December 2022)

And in a rare Kremlin admission, Will Stewart and Chris Jewers  reported that,

"In a rare admission, Russia's defence ministry said 63 soldiers had died in the fiery blast which destroyed the temporary barracks in a former vocational college in Makiivka, twin city of the Russian-occupied regional capital of Donetsk." (Mail Online: 2 January 2023) (my emphasis)

This Kremlin admission has now been proven to be untrue.

As reported by  Pavel Polityuk , 

"Igor Girkin (right), a former commander of pro-Russian troops in eastern Ukraine who is now one of the highest profile Russian nationalist military bloggers, said hundreds and been killed or wounded in the blast. Ammunition had been stored at the site and military equipment there was un-camouflaged, he said." (Reuters : 2 January 2023) (my emphasis)

Reuters : 2 January 2023

As also reported by Euronews,

"Increasingly influential Russian war reporters say hundreds were killed in an attack on a vocational school in Makiivka and have accused top military commanders of failing to learn lessons from their past mistakes.
...
“My God, who is going to believe the number 63? The building has been completely destroyed,” wrote a Russian, Nina Vernykh, on the main Russian social network VKontakte." (Euronews : 3 January 2023) (my emphasis) 

And as Putin's war strategy continues to unravel, Berny Torre (left) now also reports that,

"Vladimir Putin faces furious calls from Moscow officials to be tried for treason after up to 400 of Russian soldiers were killed in a Ukrainian strike. The Russian dictator is under pressure as senior politicians and war commentators openly blasted the "stupid losses". (Express : 3 January 2023) (my emphasis)

(Express : 3 January 2023)

Adding to Putin's woes, 

• French President Emmanuel Macron in his New Year's address on Dec. 31 said that France will continue to help Ukraine "without fail" and "until victory itself."
  
  "We will build a just and durable peace together. Count on France and count on Europe," Macron said. (Kyiv Independent : 1 January 2023) (my emphasis)

• The EU would begin disbursing the 18 billion euros support package for Ukraine in monthly tranches, European Commission Head Ursula von der Leyen wrote on Twitter after her first diplomatic phone call in 2023 with President Volodymyr Zelensky. (Kyiv Independent : 2 January 2023) (my emphasis)

• Taking to Twitter, [Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mark] Rutte said: ”Ukraine has held its own against Russia’s barbaric invasion for almost a year now.
  
  ”The months ahead are crucial. I just spoke to President @ZelenskyyUa and assured him that the Netherlands will do everything it can to help Ukraine not only defend itself, but also win the war.” (The Sun : 3 January 2023) (my emphasis)

•  President Zelensky @ZelenskyyUa and his fellow Ukrainians stand tall in the face of Russian attacks on Kyiv. In a call today, I [Norwegian Prime Minister, Jonas Gahr Store] was glad to reassure him of Norway’s full and continued financial support and support to Ukraines legitimate self defence. — Jonas Gahr Støre (@jonasgahrstore) (The Sun : 3 January 2023) (my emphasis)

• Rishi Sunak [UK Prime Minister] reaffirmed the UK’s support for Ukraine in an early January call with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
  
  The two leaders spoke after a Ukrainian rocket attack killed dozens of Russian soldiers in a town in the Donetsk region. Mr Sunak told the Ukrainian president that the country could “count on the UK to continue to support it for the long term”. (ITV News : 3 January 2023) (my emphasis)

ITV News : 3 January 2023

But perhaps most disconcerting of all for Putin,  Maria Sheahan (left) reports that,

"NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called on NATO member states to supply more weapons to Ukraine, according to an interview published on Friday.

"I call on allies to do more. It is in all our security interests to make sure Ukraine prevails and (Russian President Vladimir) Putin does not win," Stoltenberg told German news agency DPA. (Reuters : 30 December 2022) (my emphasis)

Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelensky, predicts that Putin will redouble his use of Iranian drones to try to beat the people of Ukraine into submission.

As reported by Sarakshi Rai (right),

"Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stressed in his New Year address to Ukrainians that Russia is planning a “prolonged” attack with drones supplied by Iran.
...
We have information that Russia is planning a prolonged attack with ‘Shaheds’. Its bet may be on exhaustion. On exhaustion of our people, our air defense, our energy sector,” he wrote." (Yahoo (The Hill) : 3 January 2023) (my emphasis)

Putin has now reached his last throw of the dice in his war with Ukraine.

 

(to be continued)

"Is Putin now staring his downfall in the face?"

On this New Year's Eve of 2022 it is interesting that, as reported by Catherine Belton,

"When Vladimir Putin visited Minsk last week to discuss deepening cooperation, a sarcastic joke by his host, Belarusian
President Alexander Lukashenko, seemed to ring all too true.

 “The two of us are co-aggressors, the most harmful and toxic people on this planet. We have only one dispute: Who is the bigger one? That’s all,” Lukashenko said." (Washington Post : 30 December 2022) (my emphasis)

Catherine Belton (right) further reports that,

"Putin “feels the loss of his friends,” said one Russian state official with close ties to diplomatic circles, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retribution. “Lukashenko is the only one he can pay a serious visit to. All the rest see him only when necessary.” (ibid Catherine Belton)

And as reported by Amy Landsey (left),

"Russian President Vladimir Putin made a rare trip to Belarus last week, where he discussed closer military cooperation with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko.
...
Kyiv said the Kremlin was guilty of “desperate and persistent efforts to involve Belarus in its aggressive war against Ukraine”. " (Sky News AU : 28 December 2022 ) (my emphasis)

 

Amy Landsey : Sky News AU : 28 December 2022

These desperate efforts by Putin to rope in Lukashenko's army to fight alongside his Russian soldiers in Ukraine are compounded by the fact that Putin is now having to resort to further bribing Russians to go and fight in Ukraine.

As reported by MSN (Aljazeera article),

Russian authorities have announced that soldiers and state employees deployed to fight in Ukraine will be exempt from income tax, Moscow’s latest effort to encourage support for a military campaign against Kyiv that has suffered multiple setbacks and defeats. (MSN (AlJazeera) : 31 December 2022) (my emphasis)

 

Besides his 'tax exemption' bribe,

 

"Earlier this week, it was announced that Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine can have their sperm frozen for free in cryobanks.

News the Russian state will fund sperm freezing for its armed forces follows reports in October that demand for sperm freezing had increased after Putin announced a partial mobilisation to funnel more troops to support Moscow’s war." (ibid MSN (Aljazeera article) )

 

These "tax exemption" and "sperm freezing" bribes of Putin reveal, as reported by Alessandra Scotto di Santolo and Emma Crabtree that,

 

"Soldiers in Belarus are gathering in hundreds to fight alongside Ukraine against Putin's aggression.
...
Ukrainian intelligence has suggested that Russia does not have the soldiers to launch an attack from Belarus.
...
Ukrainska Pravda has reported that the head of the country's State Border Guard Service of Ukraine said on Wednesday that it could not launch a "repeated offensive" from Belarus." (Express : 30 December 2022) (my emphasis)

 

And on Russia's economic front, it is being reported that,

 

"Russia’s currency hit an eight-month low Thursday, adding to sharp declines in December as global oil prices fell, and Western sanctions targeted Russia’s energy sector.

The ruble hovered below 72 to the dollar, down 18% from the start of the month, and its weakest level since late April." (Clare Sebastian (left) : CNN Business : 29 December 2022) (my emphasis)

 

Clare Sebastian further reports that,

 

"But with the price of oil, Russia’s biggest export, down by about a third from its June peak, and an EU embargo on seaborne oil, and Western price cap mechanisms now in place, Russia’s oil export revenues are likely to fall. This means less foreign currency to prop up the ruble." (ibid Clare Sebastian) (my emphasis)

 

 

 

Jenni Reid : MSN (CNBC) : 28 December 2022 

 

More significantly, as reported by Firstpost,

 

"Ship insurers have announced the cancellation of war risk coverage across Russia, Ukraine and Belarus from January. The move comes after an exit of reinsurers from the region as they faced heavy losses due to the ongoing war.
... 

The withdrawal of reinsurances will mean that ship owners or charterers would not be able to secure insurance in the new year which could lead to soaring prices of goods and some shipping firms may even decide to avoid the regions or to sail without insurance." (Firstpost : 30 December 2022) (my emphasis)

It is not only Putin's declining income from declining oils sales that is panicking his Kremlin economic advisors. 

As reported by DW News,

"European natural gas prices have fallen to levels last recorded before Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February. Warmer weather helps the EU to preserve its reserves." (DW : 29 December 2022 : YouTube)

"Is Putin now staring his downfall in the face?"

 

A Happy New Year to all my readers.

(to be continued) 

Has Putin's "truth" now become one of "fear"?

Truth is more important than its consequences.

It was Winston Churchill who remarked during WW2 that , " In war, truth is so precious that she should always be attended by a bodyguard of lies".

Yet if truth is concealed because of the fear of its consequences if it is revealed, an avalanche of lies ensues that, ultimately, buries truth itself.

Trying to reveal a truth that is often concealed under an ever increasing bodyguard of lies then becomes a task of unraveling the lies that try to conceal it.

And yet, in the face of overwhelming evidence that Putin lit the touchpaper of his current war with Ukraine we have Sergei Lavrov(right), that dyed-in-the-wool Soviet foreign minister, recently declaring that,

"The United States is responsible for the Ukraine crisis as America seeks to reap the biggest benefits from it in economic and military-strategic terms, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, according to a statement released by the Russian Embassy in India." (Ani : The Print : 28 December 2022) (my emphasis)

 

CNN : 28 December 2022

Furthermore, as reported by TASS,

"The enemy [Ukraine] is well aware of our proposals on the demilitarization and denazification of the [Kiev] regime’s controlled territories (i.e. UKRAINE), the elimination of threats to Russia’s security that come from there and it includes our new territories [DPR, LPR, Kherson and Zaporozhye Regions]," the minister said.

"There is a little left to do - to accept these proposals in an amicable way. Otherwise, the Russian Army will deal with this issue," Lavrov stated." (TASS :26 December 2022) (my emphasis) (cf also: MSN (Associated Press) : 27 December 2022)

News Of The World : 29 December 2022 : YouTube

 And whilst Lavrov is threatening Ukraine with the Russian army, Alia Shoaib reports that,

"The foreign minister (Lavrov) made the comments after Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday he was open to talks with Ukraine to end the war." (Yahoo News : 27 December 2022) (my emphasis)

 

 Former US Ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor : CNN: 26 December 2022

 But for Putin, such talks will have to totally reject the 10-point proposals (Reuters : 28 December 2022) of Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelensky, as the basis of ANY peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.

And as Putin was saying that he was, "open to talks with Ukraine to end the war", Hugo Bachega and Matt Murphy report that,

"Cities across Ukraine have been targeted by a wave of Russian missile strikes, in one of the largest bombardments since the war began.
...
Blasts were also heard in the cities of Kharkiv, Odesa, Lviv and Zhytomyr.  (BBC News : 29 December 2022) (my emphasis)

What, therefore, are Putin and Lavrov trying to conceal with their demand that peace talks should begin with President Zelensky fully accepting Putin's incorporation of  Crimea, and the Ukrainian regions of Luhansk, Donbas, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia, into Russia's territory?

One month ago (29 November 2022), in the words of Mohamed Vall,

"After setbacks for Russia's war in Ukraine .... the country's leaders say , "It cannot lose ..".

Putin : We have become stronger because we are together .. The truth is behind us ... and in truth there is strength ... which means victory ... Victory will be ours ..."

Mohamed Vall : AlJazeera : 29 November 2022 : YouTube

What, however, is Putin's "truth"?

Is it because, as reported by Ciaran McGrath, that,

• Vladimir Putin’s health is once again in the spotlight
• reports have suggested Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is also ill, suffering from depression and drinking heavily 
• there are suggestions that potential successors are beginning to plot his (Putin's) downfall (Express : 19 December 2022) (my emphasis)

Or is it because, as reported by Arpan Rai and Matt Mathers that,

"Russia’s economy is beginning to “feel the pinch” after the G7 and other countries imposed a price cap on the country’s oil exports, an expert has said.
...
In December the G7 countries, the European Union and Australia agreed to a $60-per-barrel price cap on Russian seaborne crude oil because of Russian president Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine." (Yahoo News (The Independent) : 28 December 2022) (my emphasis)

Jenni Reid : MSN (CNBC) : 28 December 2022

Furthermore, as reported by Jasper Jolly,

"European gas prices have dipped to a level last seen before Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February, after warmer weather across the continent eased concerns over shortages.
...
Oil prices are significantly lower than they were before the start of Russia’s invasion, and only marginally above where they were at the start of 2022. Brent crude oil futures traded at $100 a barrel on 28 February, but were at $81.84 on Thursday." (The Guardian : 29 December 2022) (my emphasis)

The current uptick in Putin's bombing campaign against Ukraine's infrastructure gives the lie to his call for "peace talks".

The current call, by that dyed-in-the-wool Soviet foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, for Ukraine to capitulate to Putin's demands for "peace talks", whilst at the same time threatening Ukraine with the full might of the Russian war machine, indicates that he is struggling with the Russian diplomatic playbook.

The desperation of Putin and Lavrov to conceal the "truth" behind their actions and their words may, indeed, point to growing rumblings of a coup against Putin. (cf Ciaran McGrath)

For Putin, the consequences to himself of the truth behind his current actions is simply too ghastly for him to contemplate.

Has Putin's "truth" now become one of "fear"?

(to be continued)

Is Putin's forces in Belarus preparing to unleash an unpredictable event?

As Putin continues to employ the German 'doodlebug' tactic used against London in 1945 by bombing the cities and infrastructure of Ukraine with Iranian UAV's in 2022, it should come as no surprise that the success of the Ukrainian army in pushing his Russian forces back towards the Ukraine/Russia border has now forced Putin to rush towards Minsk in the hope of dragging Lukashenko  into his war with Ukraine. 

MSN (Sky News) : 19 December 2022

Retired Air Vice-Marshal Sean Bell looks at the situation on the ground in Ukraine and says Vladimir Putin would "love Belarus more intimately involved in this war" (MSN (Sky News) : 19 December 2022) (my emphasis)

As reported by ABC (Aus),

"Vladimir Putin says the situation in four areas of Ukraine which Moscow claims as Russian territory is "extremely difficult".
...
Mr Putin also ordered the strengthening of Russia's borders and instructed special services to keep greater control of [Russian] society and ensure the safety of people in Russian-controlled parts of Ukraine." (ABC (Aus) : 20 December 2022) (my emphasis)

As also reported by Tom Balmforth (left),

"Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Belarusian counterpart extolled ever-closer ties on Monday as Putin visited Minsk for the first time since 2019, hardly mentioning the war raging in nearby Ukraine at a joint news conference.

Russian forces used Belarus as a launch pad for their abortive attack on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv in February, and there has been Russian and Belarusian military activity there for months." (Reuters : 19 December 2022) (my emphasis)

Significantly, Putin's TV propagandists in Russia are now beginning to also focus their anger towards Poland, which shares a border with Belarus.

According to Alexey Mukhin (cf: video below),

"Where Poland is concerned, it's certainly preparing an army of occupation. This most likely pertains to W. Belarus and W. Ukraine. Poland basically does not conceal these intentions

Another of Putin's TV pundits then states that,

"We will burn European humanitarians with napalm, along with their weapons on the territory of Ukraine"

 Russian Media Monitor : 17 December 2022 : YouTube

And whilst Putin's TV propagandists are calling for the burning of European humanitarians with napalm, Rohan Gupta reports that,

"The military-political leadership of Ukraine and the armed forces of its allies will now be considered "legitimate military targets", Security Council Deputy Head Dmitry Medvedev (Putin's glove-puppet) (left) wrote on the Telegram. According to him, during the conflict with Ukraine, issues of legal military purposes are interpreted differently. At the same time, there are "rules of conduct in times of war (jus in bello), which originate in sacred sources." (Express : 16 December 2022) (my emphasis)

Invoking "sacred sources" has recently become a central theme in Russian TV propaganda about Putin's war with Ukraine being fed to the Russian people.

In the words of one of Putin's top TV propagandists, Vladimir Solovyov,

"We live in the era of latter days. What's happening in Ukraine won't stay in Ukraine. A Holy War is underway. We're fighting for the right of mankind to live in its original state, as designed by the Creator ... " (Russia Media Monitor :  YouTube : 18 December 2022) (my emphasis)

Russia Media Monitor :  YouTube : 18 December 2022

Notwithstanding either 'Putin's puppet', Dmitry Medvedev, or Solovyov invoking 'sacred sources' to justify Putin's war in Ukraine, Anna Nemtsova (left) reports that,

• "The war in Ukraine has opened up a credibility gap, and for the first time many Russians no longer feel they can trust what their leader is saying to them. 
• Putin’s rock-solid system is crumbling. 
• Putin’s contortions are no longer convincing his domestic audience.
• Both independent and Kremlin-controlled polls show that Putin has lost support for his war, with less than 30 percent of the country wanting it to continue. 
• Last week, the Kremlin published an image of Putin with a glass of champagne in his hand, and that immediately gave rise to many anecdotes about “drunk Putin.” (Daily Beast : 18 December 2022) (my emphasis)
  

More disturbing for Putin, as Katie Balevic now also reports,

"As the cracks in Russia's war on Ukraine deepen, Russian oligarchs sanctioned by the West are now saying Russian President Vladimir Putin tricked them into appearing to support his invasion of Ukraine, according to an extensive investigation published Saturday by The New York Times.
...
But as the "special military operation" has dragged on, some Russian oligarchs have expressed doubt and frustration after they were heavily sanctioned by Western nations as a result of their allyship with Putin, the Times reported." (Business Insider : 18 December 2022) (my emphasis)

Yahoo Life : 18 December 2022

Putin's growing isolation is not only confined to his 'siloviki' and the Russian people beginning to distance themselves from him.

As reported earlier (8 December 2022) by Pyotr Kozlov (left),

"The war in Ukraine has not only led to Western sanctions on Russia and wide-spread condemnation from international bodies, but has even seen Moscow’s influence wane in its own backyard.
...
In September, the Russian leader [Putin] found himself left waiting for meetings with his counterparts from Turkey, Azerbaijan, India and Kyrgyzstan at a Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting in Uzbekistan’s Samarkand. Russia was also chided for starting the Ukraine war by both India and China at the event." (Moscow Times : 8 December 2022) (my emphasis)
 
Will Putin's growing isolation from the people of Russia, and on the international stage, precipitate him into rash actions that will have catastrophic global consequences?

Is Putin gathering his forces in Belarus for an unpredictable Black Swan event? 

STOP PRESS!!!

Thomas Mackintosh has just reported (18.05 BST) that,

"Vladimir Putin believes Russia is not to blame for the war in Ukraine, adding both countries are "sharing a tragedy".

During a televised address with senior military officials, the Russian president said he continued to see Ukraine as a "brotherly nation".
...
During his address President Putin claimed the West had "brainwashed" post-Soviet republics, starting with Ukraine.
...
The address came as Ukrainian leader Volodmyr Zelensky arrived in Washington for his first visit outside of Ukraine since Russia invaded 10 months ago." (BBC News : 21 December 2022) (my emphasis)

Meanwhile, as Putin was addressing his senior military officials, more Iranian drones have been pounding cities in Ukraine.

More ominously,

"Under the current law, Russians aged 18-27 can be called up for mandatory military service - Mr Shoigu is now proposing this covers citizens aged 21-30." (ibid  Thomas Mackintosh)

PLEASE WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW! 

Nataliya Vasilyeva • 52m ago : MSN (The Telegraph) : 21 December 2022

 

Zelensky visit to US 21 December 2022

BBC News : 22 December 2022

 

 (to be continued)

Putin is now, dangerously, at 'panic stations'

As reported by the New Zealand Herald (AP article),

"Russian President Vladimir Putin has ditched his annual marathon news conference following a series of battlefield setbacks in Ukraine — a tacit acknowledgment the Russian leader’s war has gone badly wrong.
...
But this year, with his troops on the back foot in Ukraine, it could be impossible to avoid uncomfortable questions about the Russian military’s blunders even at a highly choreographed event. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed on Monday Putin wouldn’t hold the news conference this month, without explaining why." (NZHerald : 13 December 2022) (my emphasis)

And as Putin ditched his annual marathon news conference, PBS (AP) reports that,

"Dozens of countries and international organizations threw their weight and more than 1 billion euros (dollars) in aid pledges behind an urgent new push Tuesday to keep Ukraine powered, fed, warm and moving amid the onset of winter.
...
An international donor conference in Paris quickly racked up substantial promises of financial and in-kind support, a defiant response to sustained Russian aerial bombardments that have plunged millions of Ukrainian civilians into the deepening cold and dark by targeting critical infrastructure." (PBS News : 13 December 2022) (my emphasis) (cf also: NBC : 13 December 2022)

NBC : 13 December 2022 : YouTube

 

Furthermore, as reported by Barbara Starr and Oren Liebermann (left),

"The Biden administration is finalizing plans to send the Patriot missile defense system to Ukraine that could be announced as soon as this week, according to two US officials and a senior administration official.
...
Once the plans are finalized, the Patriots are expected to ship quickly in the coming days and Ukrainians will be trained to use them at a US Army base in Grafenwoehr, Germany, officials said. " (CNN : 13 December 2022) (my emphasis)

 

They further report that,

 

" Last month US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told CNN that the US is “very focused” on providing air defense systems to Ukraine.

“We’re now very focused on air defense systems and not just us, many other countries,” Blinken told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour." (ibid Barbara Starr and Oren Liebermann) (my emphasis)

 

 

(CNN : 13 December 2022)

 
Could this urgent plan to send the Patriot missile defense system to Ukraine be, in part, due to the fear that Putin is now so cornered that the use of a 'nuclear' strike is now viewed by himself as his only option to prevent the defeat of his army in Ukraine?

 

As Russian Commander,  Alexander Khodakovsky (left), stated on Russian TV,

"We realize that our resources, of course, have their limits. And the next spiral of escalation can only be one ... NUCLEAR ... And we don't have the resources to defeat the NATO bloc with conventional means ... but we have Nuclear weapons for that ..." (video below: CNN : 13 December 2022)

 

On the economic front, Huileng Tan (left) (Business Insider) reports that,

 

"Russia's central bank just issued a warning about 'new economic shocks,' and it shows the new $60/barrel cap on oil is working

• The price cap on Russian crude and EU's oil embargo present "new economic shocks," the Bank of Russia said.
• They could "significantly reduce" Russia's economic activity in the coming months, per the bank.
• Russia is mulling options to counter the price cap, including banning oil sales to some countries.

Despite the Kremlin's general skepticism over the West's myriad economic sanctions, analysts at the country's [Russia's] central bank foresee "new economic shocks," thanks to a $60 per barrel price cap on Russian oil and the European Union's ban of the country's crude." (MSN News :  13 December 2022) (my emphasis)

 

Putin is now, dangerously, at 'panic stations'.

 

(to be continued)