#Arkhaven INFOGALACTIC #Castalia House
The EU member-states now have permission to pay for oil and natural gas in rubles:
The European Commission said Friday that EU companies may be able to comply with Russia’s proposed gas payment system, without running afoul of sanctions against Moscow.
Considering that democracy no longer means democracy and free trade no longer means free trade, there’s no reason why sanctions should actually mean sanctions.
In which it is observed that the predicted uprising of the people against the Russian forces simply has not happened:
In the early parts of the SMO, a big deal was made by Kiev around this mythical partisan mobilization that was set to take place. Glorious campaigns of patriotic partisan fighters were heralded in various posters and clips, Molotov cocktail campaigns were paraded on western news channels and we were told that every Ukrainian citizen would rise up against the Russian invader. Each day there was a new announcement, such as Zelensky’s bid to pay citizens tens of thousands $$$ of dollars (funded by the West / CIA of course) for anyone who can kill/capture a Russian soldier or demonstrably destroy a Russian tank or armored vehicle. Similarly, upwards of $1 million dollars was offered to Russian servicemen who would defect and turn over their tank or plane to the AFU.
Not only did any of this ever take place, in fact we saw last time that it was the AFU itself who began selling their tanks to the Russians for Rubles. But the main point to be made is that the giant, widespread partisan uprising was in fact a complete and utter failure. Not only is the vast majority of the Ukrainian citizenry utterly apathetic/ambivalent towards their own armed forces, but there are more and more signs of internal uprisings and new anti-Kiev regime partisan ‘underground cells’ being formed in cities like Nikolayev and Kharkov. One in Kharkov even released a video, their faces masked, promising an uprising against the AFU forces holding them hostage, once Russian forces begin fully taking the city.
The truth is, the longer the conflict goes on, the more the Ukrainian citizenry turns against their own forces and government, not only because of mounting evidence of the AFU’s crimes against their own citizens/civilians but simply because they tire of the war and were never passionate about the utterly corrupt Zelensky regime and its criminal military forces anyway.
After the initial one or two Molotov videos against RF troops in the first week of the war, we never again saw any citizens attacking Russian troops and in fact see the opposite each day. Now whenever we see new Russian missile strikes filmed by Ukrainian citizens, it’s very often accompanied by a complete ambivalence or even quiet jubilation from the people filming.
It has to be recognized that the grand promised awakening of the Ukrainian state, and the large scale partisan uprising was a complete failure – just hollow psyop attempts from the Zelensky regime.
Why hasn’t it happened? Because many, if not most, of the people in the affected areas view the Zelensky regime as the enemy, not the Russians.
Now, the observations above could be dismissed as pro-Russian disinformation, were it not for the fact that the Zelensky regime is clearly alarmed by the possibility that Russia will permit the people of liberated/occupied Ukraine to freely vote on whether they would prefer to be governed by Moscow or Kiev. Which means that the information is legitimate, and the Special Military Operation is genuinely popular with the majority of the people of southern and eastern Ukraine.
“Ludmila Denisova, Ukrainian Parliament’s Commissioner for Human Rights, says that the Russians are planning to hold an independence referendum in Kherson during May 1-May 10 to create another DNR and LNR like statelet in southern Ukraine. Ballots are reportedly being printed.”
“Crimean Tatars support the inclusion of Kherson and Zaporozhye regions in the Crimean Federal District. The Crimean Tatars proposed to recreate the Crimean Federal District with the inclusion of the south of Ukraine. This statement was made by the head of the regional national-cultural autonomy of the Crimean Tatars Eyvaz Umerov.”
“Residents of the Kherson and Azov parts of the Zaporozhye regions of Ukraine, who once belonged to the Tauride province together with Crimea, speak of their desire to return to Russia, because they no longer want to be under the yoke of Ukrainian nationalists
“At least 2/3 of the residents of southern Ukraine, in particular, Kherson oblast, parts of Nikolayev oblast and Zaporozhye, would vote in favor of joining Russia, if an appropriate referendum were to be held”, says Crimean senator of the Russian Federation Council Sergei Tsekov
Today Ukraine threatened that if ‘Russia holds a referendum for the Kherson People’s Republic, then Ukraine will withdraw from all negotiations with Russia.’
People don’t vote for people who “occupy” them, as the USA has learned in Iraq and Afghanistan. They prefer to vote for people who “liberate” them. Naturally, this application of self-determination and democracy will be condemned by the so-called Western democracies as “an attack on democracy”.
And this is why Russia has steadily refused to describe its actions as a war. Because, from the start, it has been signaling the people living within the Ukrainian borders that it has no desire to go to war with anyone who regards themselves as being Russian.
Contemplate the significance of the two subsequent statements:
Former US commanding general of the United States Army Europe, Lieutenant General Ben Hodges said on Monday that Russians are about 10 days away from reaching the “culminating point” . Once they reach there, the US commander said, the Russian troops will be “forced to stop their assault on Ukraine due to a lack of resources”. According to Lt Gen Hodges, “Russians are about 10 days away from what is called the culminating point, when they just no longer have the ammunition nor the manpower to keep up their assault.”
Russia has shown no signs of halting its assault on Ukraine despite the sanctions being imposed on it by the Western countries. However, experts are of the opinion that Russian forces will soon run out of resources.
15 March 2022
It’s now 34 days later, more than three weeks after the Russians ran out of ammunition and manpower, according to the US military experts.
While there are not official confirmations (that I know of) from the Russian military, it appears that Lavrov is the first, and so far only, Russian official who declared that the 2nd phase of the operation has begun. Truth be told, pretty much everybody else thinks likewise. Considering the intensity of Russian bombings and artillery strikes overnight, which were reported by numerous sources, it certainly appears reasonable to me to conclude that this 2nd phase has indeeed begun. For example, the Russian defense ministry reported on Tuesday morning that its troops had delivered artillery strikes at 1,260 Ukrainian military targets overnight, including 1,214 locations where Ukrainian troops amassed their forces.
How long this phase of the war will last is anybody’s guess. Optimists think a week, pessimists a month, but in reality nobody really knows because the outcome will be determined not by maneuver like during the first phase, but by logistics, specifically fuel and ammunition, in other words by mobility and firepower.
19 April 2022
So, it appears the Russians just might have some ammunition and manpower left, considering that they’re only now beginning the second phase of the Operation Z. So this raises the obvious question: is there any reason to suspect that the NATO forces might be projecting a shortage of ammunition and manpower onto their enemies?
Never, ever, listen to anyone the media anoints as an “expert”. Their expertise, such as it is, usually consists of their ability to repeat the media’s narrative with a straight face, no matter how obviously absurd it is.
It appears that once Mariupol falls, the second phase of the Russo-NATO war will begin.
Too many people have now been propagandized by the west to believe Russia somehow “failed” and is incapable of taking the western part of the country, but that is not even close to reality. Russia is not capable of taking it all at the same time from 5 different fronts. There’s a huge difference and distinction there. But once Donbass and everything east of the Dnieper is cleared, Russia can and likely will take the rest with concentrated forces. There will likely then be only 2 fronts, one coming up from the south that will cut off Odessa and take Nikolayev and one that returns from the north into Kiev. But we’ll save that for another time as either way that’s far off in the future.
In logistical news, Poland has reportedly begun its shipment of 100 T-72 tanks and BMP-1s to Ukraine. While Australia ships Bushmasters.
In other interesting news which shows that Turkey’s “closing of the Bosphorous” straits was not what it seemed, and was in fact a more than subtle blow against NATO, Turkish defense minister has confirmed that Turkey is strictly prohibiting any NATO ships from passing the straits as well.
“Turkey will not let NATO warships into the Black Sea,” said Minister of Defense of this country Hulusi Akar. At the same time, he referred to the Montreux Convention and said that the passage would be closed to warships of countries that do not have access to the Black Sea.. Akar also admitted that the presence of mines in the sea could be deliberate: they could have been fired as part of a plan to pressure Ankara to let NATO minesweepers into the Black Sea, which is contrary to the Montreux Convention. “We have a suspicion that the mines were deliberately introduced. Perhaps they were fired as part of some plan to put pressure on us in order to let NATO minesweepers [through the straits] into the Black Sea. But we are committed to the rules of the Montreux [Convention] and do not let warships enter the Black Sea,” the minister said.
So much for NATO solidarity.
Also, the first formal appeal for the following: “In the State Duma of Russia, Crimean deputy Mikhail Sheremet today proposed to unite the Republic of Crimea with the Zaporizhia and Kherson regions into the Tauride province within the Russian Federation. “Residents of the regions do not seem to mind – they raise Russian flags everywhere and complain about the attitude of the Ukrainian authorities.”
American Secretary of Defense Lloyd addresses Ukrainian troops.
This comes on the heels of new revelations of how deeply embedded U.S. and NATO command structures (and troops) are in Ukraine. A French journalist here describes what he saw in his time in Ukraine. In short, he says he was shocked to see American generals running the entire show on the ground, and he says the names of them will be revealed in his new exposé in the French Figaro newspaper this week.
This is further proof that this conflict is truly NATO vs. Russia, and NATO is losing badly.
Another report states: “the United States is moving its advanced headquarters units to the western borders of Ukraine. In particular, the 5th Corps is being relocated. This suggests that it is not the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine that controls military operations, but NATO officers. And we are at war not with some puppet regime in Kiev, but with the collective West.”
I couldn’t help but notice that the Tory Party’s defense of Boris Johnson for Partygate, and explanation for why he should not be forced to resign despite a) being found guilty of breaking the law, b) lying to Parliament, and c) facing calls to resign from the First Ministers of Scotland and Wales, among many others,, is that Britain is at war. This is a fascinating statement, in light of the fact that the UK has not actually declared war on anyone since Johnson took office.
Mr Johnson faced more calls to resign over his fine from the leaders of the devolved administrations – but Tory backbenchers hit back at criticism, asking: ‘Don’t they know there’s a war on?’
But it’s true. NATO is very actively involved in waging war against Russia, and both the USA and the UK are the most observably belligerent, with personnel, intel, and equipment all being actively engaged against Russian forces. And it’s also obvious that all of the media’s claims that Russia was running out of men and ammunition were completely false, as instead of being forced to conclude operations within two weeks, the media is now reporting that “Russian President Vladimir Putin has massed troops on Ukraine’s eastern flank for fresh offensive on the area.”
And it looks like the third phase of the war may well include Finland and Sweden in addition to Poland, as both formerly neutral countries appear to be on the verge of joining NATO. And if the multiple reports I’ve heard on the topic are correct, Russia will be making use of its first-rate troops equipped with the latest hardware and supported by its best air, armor, and artillery in the third phase.
Having failed to keep China in line, the imperial USA is desperately trying to keep India in submission to its failing neoliberal world order:
The US defense chief said that, as the world’s largest democracy, India is central to the so-called “rules-based order,” and he called for collaboration with “like-minded partners.” This collaboration may include co-development of weapons.
Austin and Singh followed their talks by holding a so-called 2+2 meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Indian Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. “This is a momentous moment in global affairs, and I think as a result, this partnership is even more consequential and more vital,” Blinken said.
However, the partnership has been strained in recent weeks amid efforts by the US and its Western allies to punish and isolate Russia over the Ukraine conflict. Late last month, a top US national security official warned India that there would be “consequences” for countries that try to “circumvent” Washington’s sanctions campaign against Moscow.
“We are keen for all countries, especially our allies and partners, not to create mechanisms that prop up the ruble and that attempt to undermine the dollar-based financial system,” Deputy National Security Adviser Daleep Singh told reporters during his visit to New Delhi on March 31.
President Joe Biden’s top economic adviser, Brian Deese, reiterated those concerns last week, saying Washington had warned India that it would face significant and long-term costs if it aligned strategically with Russia. “There are certainly areas where we have been disappointed by both China and India’s decisions, in the context of the invasion,” he said.
India has declined to impose sanctions on Russia and has ramped up purchases of Russian oil. Indian and Russian officials have also discussed a ruble-rupee payment mechanism for trade between the countries, bypassing the dollar and the euro.
Another source of tension between Washington and New Delhi is India’s historic reliance on Russian-made weapons. India has ordered five S-400 anti-aircraft systems from Russia – in defiance of a warning from the US against the $5.5 billion deal – and it reportedly has an option to purchase more of the surface-to-air missiles.
If India is, in fact, “central to the rules-based order”, then that order is definitely going to collapse, because there is no way India is going to side with the USA and Europe against China and Russia. India may have its differences with China, but it shares a very long legacy of British invasion and oppression with China.
The fact that Westerners have conveniently forgotten their history doesn’t mean everyone else has.
French sources report that US and UK special forces have been present in Ukraine from the beginning of Russia’s special military operation.
La visite de Boris Johnson à Kiev confirme la place de Londres comme premier allié de l’Ukraine. “Les unités d’élite des forces spéciales SAS sont présentes en Ukraine depuis le début de la guerre, de même que les Delta américaines”, confie une source française du renseignement.
Russia Today provides more detail.
Elite special forces from the UK and the US have been present in Ukraine since the beginning of hostilities with Russia in late February, a source in the French intelligence community reportedly told a Le Figaro reporter last week.
The claim was reported by the newspaper’s senior international correspondent Georges Malbrunot on Saturday, the day when British Prime Minister Boris Johnson made his surprise visit to Kiev. The British leader was reportedly surrounded by guards from the elite SAS force, though this claim was not officially confirmed.
UK hopes Ukraine will keep fighting – mediaREAD MORE: UK hopes Ukraine will keep fighting – media
SAS units “have been present in Ukraine since the beginning of the war, as did the American Deltas,” Malbrunot tweeted citing a French intelligence source. He added that according to the source Russia was well aware of the “secret war” waged against its troops by foreign commandos. Le Figaro included his report in their updates on Ukraine.The UK and the US have been among the most active military supporters of Kiev. Johnson reportedly personally urged his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky to keep on fighting against Russia and not settle for peace until better terms are offered.
Western pro-fighting consensus was apparently confirmed last week by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who said on Saturday that the “war will be won on the battlefield” as he too was visiting Kiev.
British media earlier reported that dozens of “retired” SAS soldiers went or planned to go to Ukraine to contribute their expertise in reconnaissance and anti-tank warfare to Kiev’s cause. Their services were allegedly paid for by “a country in Europe, still to be named, via a private military company” rather than by the British government, according to the UK tabloid the Daily Mirror.
The Russian military reported action against what it described as “mercenaries” fighting for Ukraine on several occasions. One of the recent instances was on Saturday, just as Johnson and Borell were in Kiev.
The Russian defense ministry said Ukraine attempted to use a civilian ship in their latest failed attempt to evacuate high-value personnel from the port city of Mariupol, which saw some of the most intensive fighting during the conflict. The individuals intended for evacuation were identified as leaders of the ultranationalist Azov battalion and foreign mercenaries. There are unconfirmed reports that hundreds of foreign nationals could be blocked in Mariupol along with several thousand Azov troops.
Russia has been remarkably patient. What I wonder is how long will Russia refrain from striking back directly against its real enemy instead of fighting the multiple layers of proxies?
Strategic Culture interviews former USMC intelligence officer Scott Ritter about the Russian military operation in Ukraine:
Question: Do you think that Russia has a just cause in launching its “special military operation” in Ukraine on February 24?
Scott Ritter: I believe Russia has articulated a cognizable claim of preemptive collective self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter. The threat posed by NATO expansion, and Ukraine’s eight-year bombardment of the civilians of the Donbass fall under this umbrella.
Question: Do you think Russia has legitimate concerns about the Pentagon sponsoring biological weapons programs in laboratories in Ukraine?
Scott Ritter: The Pentagon denies any biological weapons program, but admits biological research programs on Ukrainian soil. Documents captured by Russia have allegedly uncovered the existence of programs the components of which could be construed as having offensive biological warfare applications. The U.S. should be required to explain the purpose of these programs.
Question: What do you make of allegations in Western media that Russian troops committed war crimes in Bucha and other Ukrainian cities? It is claimed that Russian forces summarily executed civilians.
Scott Ritter: All claims of war crimes must be thoroughly investigated, including Ukrainian allegations that Russia killed Ukrainian civilians in Bucha. However, the data available about the Bucha incident does not sustain the Ukrainian claims, and as such, the media should refrain from echoing these claims as fact until a proper investigation of the evidence is conducted, either by the media, or unbiased authorities.
Question: Do you think the alleged Russian bombing of a hospital and an art theater in Mariupol were false-flag provocations?
Scott Ritter: Both locations are available for detailed forensic examination that would either confirm or refute Ukrainian allegations that these locations were struck by Russian aerial bombs. Other data, such as the existence of any NATO radar data that would put Russian aircraft over these two locations at the time of the alleged attack, should be collected. A detailed forensic examination of each site would go a long way in proving or disproving the Ukrainian claims through the collection of weapons fragments and the evaluation of environmental samples which would show the chemical composition of any explosive used, thereby allowing a better idea of what weapon or explosive was used to destroy the sites.
Question: The Western media are reporting that the Russian military operation in Ukraine is floundering because it has not over-run Ukraine entirely. As a military expert, how do you see the Russian operation proceeding?
Scott Ritter: Russia is fighting a very difficult campaign hampered by its own constraint designed to limit civilian casualties and damage to infrastructure and the fact that Ukraine possesses a very well-trained military that is well led and equipped. Russia deployed some 200,000 troops in support of this operation. They are facing some 600,000 Ukrainian forces. The first phase of the Russian operation was designed to shape the battlefield to Russia’s advantage while diminishing the size and capacity of the Ukrainian ability to wage large-scale conflict. The second phase is focused on destroying the main Ukrainian force concentration in eastern Ukraine. Russia is well on its way to accomplishing this task.
The complete failure of pattern recognition by the media is not a surprise, as the media is entirely corrupt. The failure of those who consume media to recognize the intrinsic unreliability of the media is also not a surprise, but only because we now seen people accept obvious absurdities at face value for the last two years. It is, however, disappointing.
The persistent rumors of US and other troops surrounded in the besieged remnants of Mariupol have been officially confirmed by the Russians:
We finally have high level confirmation from Russian officials that NATO instructors and foreign fighters are in fact trapped in Mariupol.
Firstly Russian State Duma member Adam Delimkhanov in an interview with RT has openly stated he estimates around 100 such foreigners there, and that they are in communication with them and the rumors are true that they are trying to negotiate a release and escape corridor. It seems to imply all those Macron rumors were accurate.
Igor Konashenkov on the other hand, also confirms that significant numbers of foreign fighters are known to be there because Russia can hear them crying in over 6 different languages in intercepted radio calls. Not to mention there’s now a report that they tried to break through the blockade with a ship to rescue them (ran out of helicopters I guess?)
So this is no longer the realm of speculation and fantasy.
This is proof of an act of war by whatever government’s troops, which presumably include both the USA and France, are trapped there. The only question is if they have sufficient PR and intel value to the Russians to prevent the Russians from simply flattening the buildings in which they are holed up with artillery.
Who do we have to invade to be so lucky?
DISNEY is stopping all business operations in Russia including sale of all products and streaming services.
Some of the world’s biggest companies have been shutting up shop after being hit with massive outrage against Putin’s war in Ukraine. Many corporations have ceased operations in the country in protest of the invasion.
In a statement, Disney said: “Given the unrelenting assault on Ukraine and the escalating humanitarian crisis, we are taking steps to pause all other businesses in Russia. This includes content and product licensing, Disney Cruise Line activities, National Geographic magazine and tours, local content productions and linear channels. Some of those business activities we can and will pause immediately.”
Unfortunately, they’re only going to “pause” their business activities there. But given the organization’s long and ongoing relationship with confirmed pedophiles, to say nothing of its current advocacy on behalf of child groomers, the Russians, and in particular, Russian children, would be well-served if Devil Mouse’s operations on Russian soil were to permanently cease.
Lacey Fairchild’s most recent HYPERGAMOUSE episode summarized the situation in an apt, but succinct manner, treating the Devil Mouse in much the same way that the woodchipper treated Steven Buscemi in Fargo.
It appears NATO is determined to find out whether Russia is prepared to take on the globalist alliance directly
The Czech Republic has become the first NATO country to send tanks to Ukraine, providing T-72 and armoured infantry vehicles following President Zelensky’s plea for help.
Several BVP-1 infantry fighting vehicles, howitzer artillery pieces and more than a dozen T-72 tanks were yesterday loaded on a train bound for Slovakia where they are expected to head on to Ukraine, footage run by public broadcaster Czech Television showed.
The delivery is understood to be a gift agreed on by NATO allies, raising fears the trans-Atlantic bloc could be dragged into the Russian war in Ukraine despite remaining on the sidelines for more than a month.
NATO leaders have so far given Ukraine anti-tank and anti-craft missiles as well as small arms and protective equipment, but have not offered any heavy armour or fighter jets. Prague’s decision to supply tanks to Kyiv will pile pressure on NATO allies to follow suit.
It would not be a surprise if that train is taken out with a hypersonic missile or two before it enters Ukraine. This is a clear and obvious escalation on the part of NATO, most likely taken in response to the beginning of Phase 2 of the special military operation that began with the fall of Mariupol and the withdrawal from Kiev, and it would be appropriate for Russia to respond with a similar escalation.
It’s evident that Russia has a number of cards to play that it is retaining for future use. But given the Russian predilection for swift and unexpected action, we should not be surprised if it acts in a disproportional manner that takes everyone by surprise when it finally strikes directly at the real enemy.