Russia
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The War Party wins – Russia is now free to act unilaterally
First, a quick update on Kazakhstan: the CSTO will begin its withdrawal tomorrow and that operation will be completed by the 19th of January (dunno if anybody will inform Blinken about how quickly the Russians leave). This operation was truly a triumph for Russia and her allies. Continue reading
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Turkey draws closer to the US and Europe
Being a “swing state” may have tactical advantages but when life gets tough and the tough gets going, there could be consequences. Turkey once faced such a moment of truth a hundred years ago. It faces a similar predicament today. Continue reading
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Putin draws the line for colour revolutions
This must be a rare page in American diplomatic history that a US Secretary of State has been literally off his rocker. Antony Blinken’s outbursts on the events in Kazakhstan were not only boorish but also illogical. Continue reading
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With No Progress In Talks Russia Will Have To React
Monday’s negotiations over Russian security demands between the U.S. and Russia were, as predicted, a failure. Russia’s core demand, to end the NATO drive to its borders by excluding membership for the Ukraine and Georgia, was rejected. A for once realistic NYT piece did not even try to hide the disaster: Continue reading
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What War With Russia Would Look Like
Sherman will face off against Ryabkov in Geneva, with the fate of Europe in her hands. The sad thing is, she doesn’t see it that way. Thanks to Biden, Blinken and the host of Russophobes who populate the U.S. national security state today, Sherman thinks she is there to simply communicate the consequences of diplomatic… Continue reading
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The Russia-U.S. Talks In Geneva Are Likely To Fail
Monday, 10 January 2022 — Moon of Alabama Like Scott Ritter I am deeply skeptical that today’s talks between the U.S. and Russia in Geneva will have any results: Continue reading
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Watch: Blinken, Stoltenberg unleash unprecedented diktat, ultimatum at Russia following NATO FM meeting
Videos of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at their respective press briefings following the virtual meeting of NATO’s thirty foreign policy chiefs on January 7, preceded by the transcript of Blinken’s comments. They provide a clear indication of what to expect from the upcoming NATO-Russia Council and Biden-Putin… Continue reading
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CSTO in Kazakhstan annoys U.S.
The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s Press Availability at Washington on Friday was largely devoted to Ukraine and the forthcoming strategic stability talks with Russia. But in response to a carefully planted question at the fag-end of the interaction, Blinken reflected bitterly on the deployment of Russian troops to Kazakhstan. Continue reading
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Kazakhstan News Links 7-8 January 2022
Saturday, 8 January 2022 — The New Dark Age CSTO in Kazakhstan annoys US Kazakhstan unrest: Ex-intelligence chief arrested for treason https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-59922258 Kazakhstan (new open thread) http://thesaker.is/kazakhastan-new-open-thread/ Continue reading
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British Intelligence Intensifies its Struggle against Russia and China in Central Asia
In a recent interview for the The Telegraph Damian Hinds, the British Minister of State for Security and Borders, named the most threatening states with which British politicians and secret service agents must contend. According to him, clear dangers are posed by Russia, China, and Iran. Continue reading
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The U.S. Directed Rebellion in Kazakhstan May Well Strengthen Russia
In early 2019 the Pentagon financed think tank RAND published an extensive plan for soft attacks on Russia. Extending Russia: Competing from Advantageous Ground. The 350 pages long report recommended certain steps to be taken by the U.S. to contain Russia. Continue reading
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Something Hopeful for the New Year – Sort of
The wise men of that Academy of Wisdom (aka The Atlantic Council) tell us “How to deal with the Kremlin-created crisis in Europe”. The piece is mostly codswallop, boasting, cheap threats and hot air but there is one good thing about it: It doesn’t threaten war. Continue reading
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Russia wants to force the US to respect the UN Charter
Russia and China have just written to the United States asking it to respect the United Nations Charter and the word it has given. This approach, devoid of any aggressiveness, calls into question not only the functioning of the UN, NATO and the European Union, but almost all the US advances since the dissolution of… Continue reading
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Russia’s shadows in Sahel region
On Friday, Mali’s transitional government has clarified that it is engaged with Russian military trainers even as French troops are drawing down. So, it is official that Russian security personnel are deployed to Mali. France, the erstwhile colonial power that ruled Mali, and Germany, another colonial power with a violent history in Africa, have been… Continue reading
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PATRICK LAWRENCE: Putin Speaks
As the Russian president’s year-end presser helped underscore, Europe will increasingly understand itself as the western end of Eurasia rather than the eastern shore of the Atlantic. Continue reading
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Exit Nord Stream 2, Enter Power of Siberia 2
Coming straight from President Putin, it did sound like a bolt from the sky: “We need long-term legally binding guarantees even if we know they cannot be trusted, as the U.S. frequently withdraws from treaties that become uninteresting to them. But it’s something, not just verbal assurances.” And that’s how Russia-U.S. relations come to the definitive… Continue reading
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Ukraine News Links 26-27 December 2021
27 December 2021 — The New Dark Age Will 2022 be Better Than the Outgoing Year? https://journal-neo.org/2021/12/27/will-2022-be-better-than-the-outgoing-year/ Big, Big Difference. https://smoothiex12.blogspot.com/2021/12/big-big-difference.html 2022 — Year Of Major Power Conflict Over Ukraine https://popularresistance.org/2022-year-of-major-power-conflict-over-ukraine/ Continue reading
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War in Ukraine? NATO expansion drives conflict with Russia
6 December 2021 — The Grayzone Aaron Maté Russia is seeking a legally binding pledge that NATO will stop expanding east, including to Ukraine. If the US refuses, is war next? Richard Sakwa joins Pushback. Russia is seeking a legally binding pledge that NATO will stop expanding east, including to Ukraine. If the US refuses,… Continue reading
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Putin hints at military options in Ukraine
The Rossiya 1 state television in Moscow broadcast today President Vladimir Putin’s annual press conference on Friday. It conveys a much fuller picture of the grave crisis brewing in the Russian-American relations than what the excerpts in the Russian media sought to convey over the weekend. Continue reading
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Japan-US ‘island chain’ will roil China, Russia
A Kyodo News agency report on Friday cited Japanese government sources to the effect that Tokyo and Washington have drawn up a draft joint operation plan that would enable the setup of an attack base along the Nansei island chain in Japan’s southwest in the event of a Taiwan contingency. Continue reading
The New Dark Age 