All of the signs are pointing to the Russian military transforming the Special Military Operation into a full-blown invasion of Ukraine next week. Simplicius goes into considerable detail about the mobilization and positioning of Russian forces and concludes that the invasion will be conducted on very different principles and will begin on the anniversary of the original operation.
Putin is now officially scheduled to give a big State of the Nation address on February 21st, which falls precisely on the anniversary of his pivotal Feb. 21, 2022 speech where he first announced the recognition of LPR/DPR’s independence, leading the way to the big Feb. 24 speech which announced the actual full military launch of the SMO invasion.
Conversely, Biden is said to fly into Poland on Feb. 20 to meet Zelensky, and Biden & Zelensky reportedly will give a joint address on Feb. 21. The timing is very climactic and intriguing. And the fact that Biden will be literally right next door on the potential day/eve of a massive offensive launch (which could include huge airstrikes only a few kilometers away from him) seems almost pre-calculated for escalation.
There are now even rumors (though the ‘source’ is uncertain) that the subject/talking points of Putin’s address will revolve around NATO’s escalations, treachery, Nord Stream attacks (Russian UN reps have just put forth a resolution regarding it to coincide), and American biolabs revelations. Some of the wilder speculation/rumors revolve around a recognition of Transnistria (and even Ossetia) as Russian territory, or an announcement for a new mobilization, but these are most likely more on the wild and improbable conjecture side.
And on top of that, the Russian federal council and Duma will convene an ‘extraordinary session’ on February 22, which could be designed to ratify new initiatives announced in Putin’s address.
With that said, if the rumors are true that the 1 hour long planned speech will touch on the various transgressions of NATO, then it does point to the likely announcement of some major Russian escalation. Whether that means using this as rhetoric simply to justify the coming offensive announcement OR a possible unforeseen doctrinal escalation, such as the announcement of new ‘red lines’ for NATO weapons deliveries/satellite ISR with a more formal warning that Russia will begin shooting them down or hitting certain facilities, etc.
The speech presumably would also make an effort to outline Russia’s new/updated goals of the SMO to give the people an idea of what this is all really about, and a possible notion of how/when people can expect the war to end.
While plans can always be called off or cancelled, I see no reason to doubt his conclusions. I don’t think there is any real question about whether the Russian offensive will begin soon or if it will be successful. Nor do I think there is much reason to fear an escalation to the nuclear level. For me, the real question is whether China is going to open the second front in harmony with the Russian actions, or whether Xi Xinping will continue to be patient in the hopes of a violence-free unification with China’s renegade island.
Regardless, you would do well to remember that the Russians historically prefer to launch offensives that are bigger and much more overwhelming than their enemies anticipate or even believe possible. And they have been preparing for this one for a long, long time. So, I suggest being prepared for the possibility that the media, as well as one’s friends and family, will start shrieking about World War III in a complete state of panic.
Here’s an outside-the-box idea: what if the timing of the joint Biden-Zelensky speech is designed to a) clear the path for Bardiem-Harris while b) stoking public support for the war against Russia in the USA? “They killed the two presidents” would certainly make for an epic false flag, and wouldn’t be too hard to execute or cover up amidst a barrage of Russian missiles.