There is one active battlefield out of five flashpoints in today’s world of geopolitical poker with the potential to level civilization, which is NATO’s active proxy war against Russia in Ukraine. Moscow’s politicos know that its military cannot compete in a full engagement on the battlefield with NATO’s superior conventional forces. For the Russian Federation, that’s where the rubber meets the road, translating into an existential threat that would elicit the use of advanced unconventional weapons and/or nuclear weapons as a last resort. That is why Putin and his diplomatic corps repeatedly exercised restraint over the West’s political belligerence for the last two decades along with the current bravado from Zelensky.
“Commodus at first behaved more like a typical spoiled, rich youth than a bloody dictator. Cassius Dio declared that Commodus ‘was not naturally wicked’ but that ‘his cowardice, made him the slave of his companions.’” – The Mad Roman Emperor
The NATOstan-Imposed Meat Grinder… “A dazed and confused Empire still bound to a maniac in Kiev who still believes that the Ukrainian S-300 that hit Poland came from Russia. Cue to the whole world – and not only Washington – as hostage to a ‘Person of the Year’ maniac with the – virtual – power of provoking a worldwide nuclear war.” – Pablo Escobar
Russian diplomacy was ignored at various embassies after presenting in writing a need for security guarantees that would end NATO’s encroachment upon its borders, seethed over the placement of nuclear-capable missile systems near its sovereign territory, and did not “invade” Ukraine in a fashion that causes high casualties among civilians who are considered their historical brethren. Moscow’s military doctrine on the use of nuclear weapons was clearly communicated in September by Dmitry Medvedev as heightened rhetoric and propaganda were exchanged between politicos, television commentators, and international media headlines. This past Friday, Medvedev published legitimate military targets that are recognized under international doctrine and law during a time of war.
Ex-Russian president weighs in on use of nukes… “He dismissed remarks by Western politicians, who have been warning Moscow against using nukes, as ‘diarrheic demagoguery.’ The conditions permitting the use of Russia’s nuclear arsenal are stated plainly and publicly in the country’s nuclear doctrine, Medvedev said. Moscow says it will only use its most deadly weapons if it or one of its allies is attacked with weapons of mass destruction or if its existence is at stake in a conventional conflict. The latest warnings against the use of nuclear weapons were led by US President Joe Biden following an address by Vladimir Putin last week… He cautioned that Moscow would use all tools at its disposal to defend itself. Medvedev, who currently serves as the deputy chair of Russia’s National Security Council, also warned that the country would not tolerate a nuclear-armed hostile neighbor. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky suggested that Kiev’s commitment not to have nuclear weapons could be withdrawn. The idea, which Zelensky voiced during a speech at the Munich Security Conference in mid-February, prompted a furious response from Moscow, which perceived the remarks as a serious threat to Russia.” – RT, Sep. 27
Medvedev listed legitimate military targets for the Russian army… “First is enemy troops… Second is any military or auxiliary equipment… Third is any object of military infrastructure and the industrial enterprises that support it… Fourth is the military-political leadership… Lastly, is the armed forces of any other states entering the war on the side of the enemy, as well as objects located on the territory of these countries.” – Top War, Dec. 16
An event in early March near Poland’s border with Ukraine that served as a warning to NATO about its involvement in the conflict was the bombing of “Foreign Legion” troops and weapon depots in Starychi and the Yavoriv military base near Lviv. A barrage of long-range, GPS-guided missiles armed with conventional explosives leveled the Yavoriv training base without warning from air raid sirens and is likely to have included Russia’s first use of a Kinzhal hypersonic missile in Ukraine. According to reports from foreign soldiers who survived and/or fled back to their home countries, dozens of mercenaries were killed and wounded. The Russian Ministry of Defense promised to continue its stated goal to “demilitarize and denazify Ukraine,” eliminate any foreign mercenary that travels to Ukraine, and called on foreign citizens to “think seven times” whether to serve Kyiv’s nationalist regime.
Sergey Lavrov says US role in Ukraine war poses existential threat to Russia… “Speaking at a news conference on Thursday, Mr. Lavrov had strong words for the Biden administration, and refuted the notion that Russia had walked away from contact with the US… In the lead-up to the conflict in Ukraine, Lavrov said Russia had seen how ‘the West was pulling Ukraine into NATO and claimed Moscow’s call for guarantees against the expansion of the military alliance fell on deaf ears… He added that Moscow’s demand for NATO to stop expanding was rebuffed… ‘The risk that a non-nuclear confrontation between nuclear powers will turn into a nuclear war is immense,’ he said… ‘It is crystal clear that it is impossible to discuss strategic stability today while ignoring everything that is happening in Ukraine. Because the goal in Ukraine has been declared — not to save Ukrainian democracy, but to defeat Russia on the battlefield, or even destroy Russia.’” – The National, Dec. 1
Much has transpired since the war began, along with my ongoing “Little Green Men” series of articles. Peruse the Twitter thread for Part 9, published on Nov. 24, and the following excerpts from that article:
“The Kremlin’s military brass made a dramatic shift in its strategy on October 8 following a suicide bombing of the Kerch Strait Bridge (Crimean Bridge) that links the Russian mainland and the Crimean Peninsula… Two days after the attack, Russia unleashed a record barrage of long-range, GPS-guided cruise missiles across all of Ukraine aimed at specific military targets that included its nationwide electric grid… A country that’s becoming uninhabitable due to a lack of functioning infrastructure and energy to support logistics for its military cannot wage and win a war… If a ceasefire and a path to peace are not found before winter sets in and mud-season fields freeze east of the Dnieper River, the Russian military is gearing up for a military operation that will end the war or NATO’s proxy war may escalate with intervention beyond logistics, weapons, and humanitarian support. Only one path makes sense because a clash between U.S. and Russian forces could lead to the unthinkable: full-blown mutually-assured nuclear destruction (MAD).” – TraderStef
NATO is cognizant of the risk it’s undertaking and the potential consequences because Biden administration officials know that an offensive to retake the Crimean Peninsula would cross one of Moscow’s “red lines” and would likely provoke nuclear escalation due to the violation of a sovereign Russian border. The Crimean Bridge bombing was an attack on its infrastructure that launched ongoing missile strikes on Ukraine’s power grid designed to denigrate its ability to provide support to its military on the frontlines.
The most recent events and media reports escalating this conflict are numerous and include war crimes on both sides (Twitter thread), but a few stand out like sore thumbs and a flipping of the middle finger at Russia amid unprecedented tension. Germany’s former Chancellor Angela Merkel was interviewed by the Die Zeit newspaper on Dec. 7 where she said the Minsk Agreements signed in 2014 and 2015 had given Ukraine “precious time” to become stronger, and the results of this could now be seen.
Russia, West Reaches Confrontation, says Kremlin… “The relationship between Russia and the West has reached the confrontation stage, and the sides will have to live in this environment further on, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Pavel Zarubin’s program on Rossiya-1 TV channel. ‘Well, we are not moving. We have already arrived at a station named ‘confrontation,’ and we have to be reserved, strong, to have underlying strength, because we will have to live in the environment of this confrontation.’” – TASS, Dec. 11
Uproar Over Angela Merkel’s Statements… “Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry said that ‘what Germany’s former Chancellor Angela Merkel said in her interview with Die Zeit on Dec. 7, is the testimony of a person who directly stated that everything that happened in 2014-2015 had one goal: to distract the world community from real problems, to buy time, to fill the Kiev regime weapons and lead the situation to a major conflict… The representatives of the West already knew then, in 2015, when they had negotiated for many hours, that they would never implement the Minsk agreements, but that they would channel weapons to the Kiev regime. They did not feel sorry for the women, nor for the children, nor for the civilian population of Donbas and Ukraine in general. They needed a clash and have been ready for it since 2015’… In the events of 2014, Merkel was Chancellor of Germany, while she was one of the main protagonists in the formation of the Minsk agreements aimed at dealing with the conflicts in Donbass.” – WarNews247, Dec. 12
The word “existential” keeps popping up lately from political circles in Moscow, which brings to mind the warnings of what Russia would do if it faced an existential threat.
West facing ‘existential choice’… “Western countries are standing at a crossroads and must decide whether they want to continue pursuing selfish policies that address only their own security, or recognize that this is a dead-end track, the vice speaker of upper chamber of the Russian parliament, Konstantin Kosachev, said on Tuesday… ‘sooner or later, the West will have to make an existential choice between catering for only its own interests, or admitting that this suicidal strategy has exhausted itself… there are still remnants of common sense and a sense of self-preservation in France and Germany, which are behaving more responsibly.’” – RT, Dec. 13
Reports of NATO members’ direct involvement within Ukraine have also come to the forefront and confirm concerns cited in the past, especially after multiple drone attacks deep within Russian territory this month that included the Engels Air Force Base that houses bomber planes for Russia’s strategic nuclear forces. Those strikes and data from an examination of the weapons deployed don’t bode well for any ceasefire or peace because diplomatic relations were already nonexistent.
General Magowan: UK Marines Conducted Covert Ops in Ukraine… “The British Royal Marines have carried out high-risk special operations on the ground in Ukraine, according to the former head of the elite unit, who said UK commandos have been deployed to the country on more than one occasion this year… The UK Defense Ministry previously acknowledged that soldiers were sent to protect embassy staff, but has never discussed missions on the scale described by Magowan and rarely comments on covert ops.” – Libertarian Institute, Dec. 14
Moscow Accuses U.S. of Direct Involvement in Attacks on Russian Territory… “Russia officials said there were two explosions—one at the Engels airfield in the Saratov region, which is about 373 miles from Ukraine, and another involving an engulfed fuel truck at the Dyagilevo airfield near the city of Ryazan, which is about 127 miles southeast of Moscow. A facility in the Bryansk region, about 50 miles inside Russia’s border with Ukraine, was also targeted.” – Newsweek, Dec. 16
Moscow has data confirming U.S. and Poland involvement in terror attacks inside Russia… “Data from electronic components of the intercepted unmanned aerial vehicles, used by Ukraine for attacks on Russian infrastructure… in particular, in Sevastopol, in Crimea, in Kursk, Belgorod, and Voronezh Regions… confirm the direct involvement of the US and Poland in the massive military-logistical support of the Kiev regime, in preparation and implementation of joint terror attacks on the Russian Federation territory.” – TASS, Dec. 1
Moscow claims that the drone avionics and control stations were manufactured by SpektreWorks, based in Arizona. The final assembly and test flight of the drones took place on Polish territory near Rzeszow Airport, which is used by the U.S. and NATO as the main supply hub for Ukraine’s military. Installation of payloads and the flight mission originated out of Odessa and Krivoy Rog.
Let’s add some fuel to this bonfire by sharing a publicly available video of American boots on the ground and recent clips from the Russian media. Keep in mind that the U.S. Defense Department confirmed the deployment of U.S. troops within Ukraine, which is beginning to sound a lot like mission creep. The soldiers in this video are sporting Ukrainian military patches on their uniforms, have gotten lost inside Ukraine, and request a map and directions from a Russian-speaking individual who’s clearly housed in a communications center.
What’s also reported by independent journalists are concerns in Poland over the amount of Polish troops being sent home for burial at local cemeteries. And lastly, the U.S. is contemplating the shipment of Patriot missiles for use in Ukraine. If recent events weren’t enough, that would surely result in an unwelcome military response. NATO was warned on multiple occasions about consequences if specific weapon systems or NATO-affiliated troops were found to be on Ukrainian soil killing Russians.
U.S. To Send More Wunderwaffen To Ukraine… “The U.S. and its ‘allies’ are engaged in a boil-the-frog operation in which they steadily increase the lethality and complexity of arms and other support they deliver to Ukraine. At some point in time this process will cross Russian red lines. That’s when it will become really interesting. The newest gimmick to be deployed is the Patriot air defense system likely soon to be followed by main battle tanks… The HIMARS missiles, the previous Wunderwaffen, are now routinely shot down by Russian missile and air defense systems… The Patriot battery to be deployed to Ukraine is likely one of those that the U.S. currently has in Poland. A German Patriot unit will be deployed to replace it. The phased array radar that Patriot systems use are good but they are also a weakness. They are visible from satellites with Synthetic Aperture Radar. As researchers have found some years ago.” – Moon of Alabama, Dec. 14
Russia warns of ‘consequences’ if US missiles go to Ukraine… “Russia’s Foreign Ministry warned Thursday that if the United States confirms reports that it plans to deliver sophisticated air defense missiles to Ukraine, it would be ‘another provocative move by the U.S.’ that could prompt a response from Moscow. Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said in a weekly briefing that the U.S. had ‘effectively become a party’ to the war in Ukraine, following reports that it will provide Kyiv with Patriot surface-to-air missiles, the most advanced the West has yet offered to help repel Russian aerial attacks. Growing amounts of U.S. military assistance, including the transfer of such sophisticated weapons, ‘would mean even broader involvement of military personnel in the hostilities and could entail possible consequences,’ Zakharova added.” – Navy Times, Dec. 15
I wish I had uplifting news about the world prior to Christmas, but I don’t. Reality bites, and General Macgregor adds more color to the Ukraine situation and discusses recent modifications made in the West’s nuclear doctrine. Hug your family, and keep your home and financial house in order.
Col. Douglas Macgregor: Complete Destruction of Ukraine is Unavoidable – Judge Napolitano, Dec. 8
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Headline Image From The Movie “Gladiator”
