Historic Speech By Stoltenberg … Wait, No … By Putin

The broadcast of NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg’s speech on the German TV channel Deutsche Welle was interrupted by a picture with a speech of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Stoltenberg was speaking to reporters at a briefing when the broadcast was interrupted, and then the Russian leader was shown, speaking at a concert rally on Red Square on the occasion of the entry of four regions into the Russian Federation.

Historic Speech By Stoltenberg … Wait, No … By Putin

Yes, it happened:

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg holds a press briefing at NATO headquarters | DW News (Timestamp: 6:45)

EU parliamentarian calls to sanction Vanessa Beeley and all observers of Donbass referendums

MEP Nathalie Loiseau of France is lobbying for individual sanctions on all observers of the Russian-organized referendums in the Donbass region. She has singled out journalist Vanessa Beeley not only for her coverage of the vote, but for her reporting on the foreign-back war against Syria’s government.

EU parliamentarian calls to sanction Vanessa Beeley and all observers of Donbass referendums

New $1.1 Billion Arms Package for Ukraine Includes 18 HIMARS Launchers, as The U.S. and Europe are running out of weapons to send to Ukraine

New $1.1 Billion Arms Package for Ukraine Includes 18 HIMARS Launchers

The HIMARS that the US has been sending to Ukraine are equipped with missiles that have a range of about 50 miles. But that can change, and Kyiv is requesting Army Tactical Missile Systems, which have a range of 190 miles, but Washington has been hesitant to send the longer-range missiles. Russia has warned that providing such arms would cross a “red line.”

Related:

The U.S. and Europe are running out of weapons to send to Ukraine

In the U.S. weapons industry, the normal production level for artillery rounds for the 155 millimeter howitzer — a long-range heavy artillery weapon currently used on the battlefields of Ukraine — is about 30,000 rounds per year in peacetime.

The Ukrainian soldiers fighting invading Russian forces go through that amount in roughly two weeks.

Is the U.S. ability to defend itself at risk?

The short answer: no.

The U.S. has essentially run out of the 155 mm howitzers [M777?] to give to Ukraine; to send any more, it would have to dip into its own stocks reserved for U.S. military units that use them for training and readiness. But that’s a no-go for the Pentagon, military analysts say, meaning the supplies reserved for U.S. operations are highly unlikely to be affected.

Source: CSIS.

Scott Ritter Interview: How Donbass Joining Russia Just Turned the Tables on Ukraine

A New War

“Do you know who endorses revenge?” he says, “Azov endorses revenge. So the Donetsk people will have to look themselves in the mirror and say ‘do we really want to become that which we hate, or are we better than that?’ And its hard to be better than that when so many bad things have happened to you. But again, if they want to become part of Russia, they’re going to have to behave as Russians.”

Scott Ritter on the prisoner exchange, which included four leaders of Azov Battalion.

I didn’t see a tribunal, as revenge, but as justice. Revenge would’ve been executing them, on the spot, or worse!

Video via Deborah Armstrong

Russia demands Apple explain after VK apps removed from App Store

Russia demands Apple explain after VK apps removed from App Store

These apps are being distributed by developers majority-owned or majority-controlled by one or more parties sanctioned by the UK government,” said Apple spokesperson Adam Dema in a statement given to The Verge. “In order to comply with these sanctions, Apple terminated the developer accounts associated with these apps, and the apps cannot be downloaded from any App Store, regardless of location. Users who have already downloaded these apps may continue to use them.

Related:

Apple Removes Russian VK Apps From App Store in Response to UK Sanctions

“PUTIN IS GOING TO ANNEX” — in human language, that means protect the population from extermination

The yellow press is raving that “Putin is going to annex”. They care zero about people. They are apparently not human because they do not hate Russia. Donbas is a “land without people” to NATO and the US. As is Crimea or Kherson.

“PUTIN IS GOING TO ANNEX” — in human language, that means protect the population from extermination

Related:

Alexei Zhuravko – A rebellious opposition politician assassinated by the Kiev regime

RT news crew comes under Ukrainian fire in Kherson

Peace in Ukraine or U.S. Hegemony? America Must Decide

Peace in Ukraine or U.S. Hegemony? America Must Decide

But looking at it from another angle, Putin’s speech also presents a golden opportunity for the United States to checkmate Russia, end the war in Ukraine, avoid a nuclear catastrophe, and shape a new world order. It might sound strange, but this is a “now or never” moment to steer the world out of the immediate mess created by Russia, as well as decades of bad statecraft by the United States and Europe.

It will come at a price. These three countries will resist being enrolled in an initiative that has a hidden agenda of helping the United States maintain global supremacy. They more or less acquiesced to Russia in the first place precisely given their resentment of U.S. supremacy. This allowed them to overlook their adversarial interests with Russia in Central Asia, for example. To help end the war, they will ask that the United States soften the pursuit of its values abroad as a policy benchmark. Even more so, they will ask for the United States to amend and reform the international system so that it no longer serves American interests exclusively and is used by the United States to underwrite its global policies.

The United States might get away with going solo thanks to its military power. It might be possible to push Russia back and uphold America’s right to be the global leader. Recalling prognoses for global economic growth putting Emerging Markets and Developing Economies (EMDE) in the forefront, such a policy might postpone the reckoning by a decade. Yet, the risks of doing so are higher compared to the benefits of moving now when the United States is still strong and can play a major role in designing a new global system that does not exclusively reflect American and European interests.

H/T: MoonOfAlabama

Not sure what he’s trying to get at, as it seems contradictory. It sounds like he’s saying that the US should accept a multipolar world, yet he also states that there would be a “hidden agenda of helping the United States maintain global supremacy”. Doesn’t sound multipolar to me. 🤷🏼‍♀️