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Saturday, 5 July 2025

With his back against the wall, will Putin now choose the 'nuclear' option?

In the 10 years of Russia's war against the Taliban in Afghanistan, from 1979 to 1989, the Russian casualty list was :-

Number of Russian soldiers killed - 14,500-15,000  

Number of Russian soldiers wounded - 35,000 

Number of Russian soldiers who served in the war - 620,000 (Shun Culture: 16 May 2024) (my emphasis) 

Yet, as Flora Drury (right) and Tabby Wilson reported yesterday (4 July 2025)

"Russia has become the first country to formally recognise the Taliban government in Afghanistan, sparking outrage from opposition figures." (BBC News: 4 July 2025) (my emphasis) 

Fast foreward to today (5 July 2025), and the current casualties of Russian soldiers in Putin's war with Ukraine is estimated as,

“The Russian Armed Forces have likely sustained approximately 1,000,000 casualties (killed and wounded) since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Of these, it is likely around 250,000 Russian soldiers are killed or missing (presumed dead), Russia’s largest losses in an active conflict since the Second World War.” (George Allison (left): UK Defense Journal: 12 June 2025) (my emphasis)

Yet even in the face of these horrendous Russian losses, as the Ukrainain army continues with the defence of their land, Putin continues to acccellerate his brutal onslaught against the civilians of Ukraine.

 As Iona Cleave (right) reports,

"Vladimir Putin ordered the largest-ever bombardment of Ukraine hours after coming off the phone to Donald Trump.

More than 550 drones and missiles were launched at Ukraine overnight, with Kyiv bearing the brunt of the seven-hour barrage. It left one dead, 23 injured and the capital choked by explosions, smoke and fires."
(The Telegraph on Yahoo News: 4 July 2025) (my emphasis)

As also reported by Paul Adams and Jessica Rawnsley (left)

"One person has been killed and 26 others were injured after a night of intensive Russian strikes on almost every district in Kyiv, officials say.

The strikes came hours after a call between US President Donald Trump and Russia's Vladimir Putin, after which Trump said he was "disappointed" that Putin was not ready to end the war against Ukraine.

Moscow says the war will continue for as long as it is necessary to reach its objectives."
(BBC: 4 July 2025) (my emphasis) 

Futhermore, as also reported by Sky News on the call between Trump and Putin on 3rd July 2025,

"In response [to Trump], Mr Putin said "Russia will not back down" from its aims [in Ukraine] there, which include "the elimination of the well-known root causes that led to the current state of affairs," Mr Ushakov said.

Mr Trump later addressed the call while speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews, where he said he "didn't make any progress with [Putin] today".
(Sky News: 3 July 2025) (my emphasis)

 
Sky News on MSN: 3 July 2025

In his subsequent call with Zelenbsky, Trump stated that,

"U.S. President Donald Trump said Ukraine would need Patriot missiles for its defenses, after speaking with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Friday, and voiced frustration over Russian President Vladimir Putin's failure to end the fighting." (Andrea Shalal and Max Hunder: Reuters on Yahoo News:  July  2025) (my emphasis)

However, in an interview at Times Radio, Bill Browder (right)  warned that, 

"And given all the rhetoric around 'America First' "Why are we spending money on Ukraine when we have our own problems ... etc ... etc", it's hard, or almost impossible to imagine, that a new 'military aid package' for Ukraine will be approved ..." (Times Radio: 4 July 2025: YouTube)

 
 Times Radio: 4 July 2025: YouTube

With all his 'bravado' in front of the Russian public, Putin desperately met in Novo-Ogaryovo on 4th Luly 2025 with the permanent members of his Security Council (read: 'siloviki') viz. :-

"Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko, State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev, Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Anton Vaino, Presidential Aide Nikolai Patrushev, Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev, Director of the Federal Security Service Alexander Bortnikov, and Special Presidential Representative for Environmental Protection, Ecology and Transport Sergei Ivanov."

His 'failing' war in Ukraine, exemplified by his 'manic and desperate bombing' of the civilians of Ukraine, was the main topic of conversation.

 
The Military Show: 2 July 2025: YouTube 

This was followed by the accelerating effects on the declining living standards of the Russian people as the Russian economy continues to melt down

 
The Military Show: 4 July 2025 : YouTube

With his back now against the wall, will Putin choose the 'nuclear' option? 
 
UPDATE: 8 July 2025: 08.39 GMT

 
Zac Anderson and Francesca Chambers 
(left) have just reported that,

"President Donald Trump said he was unhappy with Russian President Vladimir Putin and would be sending Ukraine more defensive weapons, days after the Pentagon said it would halt some shipments as it conducted a review of U.S. military stockpiles.

"We're going to send some more weapons – we have to. They have to be able to defend themselves," Trump told reporters July 7 during a White House meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "They're getting hit very hard now. They're getting hit very hard. We're going to have to send more weapons – your defensive weapons, primarily."

The Trump administration has worked for months without success to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine." (USA Today: 8 July 2025) (my emphasis) 
 
NDTV on MSN: 7 July 2025
 
In light of  " ... the Pentagon [saying] it would halt some shipments as it conducted a review of U.S. military stockpiles" (ibid Zac Anderson and Francesca Chambers) but a few days ago, and as Bill Browder said in a recent interview that,

"And given all the rhetoric around 'America First' "Why are we spending money on Ukraine when we have our own problems ... etc ... etc", it's hard, or almost impossible to imagine, that a new 'military aid package' for Ukraine will be approved ..." (Times Radio: 4 July 2025: YouTube),

we will wait and see IF, and more importantly, "WHEN", supplying defensive weapons for Ukraine will be resumed by the Pentagon. 

 
 
 
(to be continued)

Sunday, 29 June 2025

Putin's 'fear for his own life'!

The 'panicked verocity' with which Putin is raining down missiles on Ukraine's civilian population is yet another indication of Trump watching from the sidelines, precisely where Putin wants him.

As John T Psaropoulos (left) reports, whilst

"Ukraine’s European allies pledged increased levels of military aid to Ukraine this year, making up for a United States aid freeze, as Russian President Vladimir Putin reaffirmed his ambition to absorb all of Ukraine into the Russian Federation."

whilst Trump shielded behind the excuse that,

"At The Hague this week, Zelenskyy said he discussed those Patriot systems with Trump. At a news conference on Wednesday, Trump said: “We’re going to see if we can make some available,” referring to interceptors for existing Patriot systems in Ukraine. “They’re very hard to get. We need them too, and we’ve been supplying them to Israel,” he said."
(AlJazeera: 27 June 2025) (my emphasis)

 
 AlJazeera: 27 June 2025

 
 AlJazeera: 28 Jun2 2025

 John T Psaropoulos also reports that,

"Russia has made a ceasefire conditional on Ukraine’s allies stopping the flow of weapons to it [Ukraine] and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov (left) repeated that condition on Saturday." (ibid John T Psaropoulos)

No doubt this panicked threat to continue bombing civilians in Ukraine is the response of Putin to,

"NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has said there is "no alternative" to the 32 member states spending more on defence, given the threat from Russia and the broader international security situation." (Laura Gozzi & Paul Kirby: BBC News: 24 June 2025) (my emphasis)

Furthermore,

"[Mark] Rutte said Europe and Canada had already committed to more than $35bn (£26bn) in military support for Ukraine this year."
(ibid Laura Gozzi & Paul Kirby)

 
The Military Show: 27 June 2025: YouTube

Added to which, as reported by AlJazeera,

"Ukraine said it carried out an overnight drone strike on the Kirovske airfield in Crimea and claimed that multiple Russian helicopters and an air defence system were destroyed in the strike.

According to a Ukraine Security Service (SBU) statement, the drones targeted areas where Russian aviation units, air defence assets, ammunition depots and unmanned aerial vehicles were located. The agency claimed that Mi-8, Mi-26, and Mi-28 helicopters, as well as a Pantsir-S1 missile and gun system were destroyed."
(AlJazeera: 28 June 2025) (my emphasis)

Further driving Putin insane with 'fear and anger',  

Jon King (left) reports that,

"Housing and utility bills in some parts of Russia are expected to soar by up to 25% as the country's economic meltdown worsens. Russian media reports that tariffs on housing, gas, water and electricity will go up by an average of 11.9% on July 1, but some regions will see an increase between 23% and 25%. Mortgage rates have also soared to 25% in recent months. One Russian newspaper, translated into English by the BBC's Russia Editor Steve Rosenberg and shared on social media, says the increase will be "painful for many families".

Economists warn of mounting pressure on Russia's economy and the likelihood it will stagnate due to a lack of investment in sectors outside of defence.

A slow-down would also threaten Russia's ability to pay for Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine, which has been raging for more than three years."
(Express: 26 June 2025) (my emphasis) 

Putin is now 'running scared' for his own life.

Yet, as   Jerry Fisayo-Bambi (right)  reported a day before Putin's current missile onslaught against Ukraine civilians,

"Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday said Moscow is ready for a fresh round of direct peace talks with Ukraine, even as both warring countries traded long-range drone attacks.

Speaking to reporters in Minsk, during a visit to Belarus, Putin said Russian and Ukrainian officials are discussing the timing of a potential new meeting.

The Russian leader said that the terms of a potential ceasefire, which the Kremlin has so far effectively rejected, are expected to be on the agenda."
(Euronews: 27 June 2025) (my emphasis) 

 
Euronews: 27 June 2025

But as Zelensky re-iterated four days ago [25 June 2025],

"There are no signs that Putin wants to stop this war. Russia rejects all peace proposals, including those from the United states of America.

Putin only thinks about war. That is a fact!.

Maybe he connects he's own political survival with his ability to keep killing" (MSN: 25 June 2025) (my emphasis)

  

MSN: 25 June 2025

Calling for a 'fresh round' of 'peace talks' seem to be yet another sign that simply illustrates Putin's 'fear for his own life'!  

 
 
 
(to be continued)

Monday, 23 June 2025

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,

" (cf also: Forbes: 11 August 2015)



"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)

Saturday, 21 June 2025

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)

Tuesday, 17 June 2025

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)

Saturday, 14 June 2025

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)