NATO Wars Critical Links May 31, 2023
I shall give priority today to the following (see Mercouris 05.31.,2023), because it provides interesting perspective both on the Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow yesterday and on the attack today on Belgorod. The former appears to have involved 8 major aircraft-style drones (mainly if not completely intercepted) and a number, perhaps as many as 24, of smaller drones that may have been intended as decoys. Particular credit has been extended by Putin to the effectivness of Russia’s Pantsir air defense systems. Details of today’s attack on Belgorod are still fairly scarce, but the Russian Ministry of Defense refers to as many as 260 drones mainly focused, so far as I can ascertain at short notice, on one or more settlements close to the border. Russian sources refer to one casualty and two wounded. As many as 29 civilian and residential high-rise structures were hit. Whereas Russia claims that its targets in Ukraine have military significance, those of Ukraine, it claims, are residential. The same broadcast talks about the enhanced role of Chechnyan forces in Ukraine, with especial relevance to Russian advances on Avdievka. It recalls Chechnyan leader Kadyrov’s denunciation of western support for rebel Chechnyan forces in the Chechnyan-Russian wars of the 1990s, and Kadyrov’s opposition at that time to Chechnyan attacks on Moscow. There is also an interesting discussion about the reasdouts of various diplomatic summaries of the conversation that occurred a few days ago at the G7: these show sharp discrepancies of perspective between on the one hand countries such as India, Turkey and Brazil and on the other the US and its closest allies.
Censorship, Intelligence, Media and Propaganda
THE GRAYZONE DEBATES NED VICE PRESIDENT ON GROUP’S CIA TIES
A Day Inside Putin’s Surreal Television Empire
Latest Headlines Digest - The West's Tone Drastically Shifts
And you Will Know us by the Trail of Dead
JOHN DURHAM AND THE BURYING OF AMERICAN HISTORY
Economic Crisis
THE HUMAN CONSEQUENCES OF ECONOMIC SANCTIONS
Empire
Afghanistan
EU accused of ‘staggering neglect’ after just 271 Afghans resettled across bloc
Turning Afghans away, Loving Ukrainians
Azerbaijan-Armendia
Minsk Agreement model for Armenia and Azerbaijan
Cambodia
Kissinger at 100: New War Crimes Revealed in Secret Cambodia Bombing That Set Stage for Forever Wars
Central African Republic
Ex-French colony may host Russian military base – ambassador
Peru
US TROOPS TO TRAIN PERUVIAN ARMED FORCES, PROVES US BEHIND COUP
Syria
The Arab League Has Accepted Syria Back Into its Fold. Now What?
Taiwan
Talking about the Specter of Conflict Hanging Over Taiwan with Xiangyu (in Taiwan)
Thailand
Incoming Thai Government Vows Obedience to US Foreign Policy: Myanmar to be First Victim
Tunisia
For Tunisia’s muzzled media, Arab Spring is now a distant memory
US Empire
BIDDING FAREWELL TO THE AMERICAN CENTURY
Energy Crisis
Crude from heavily sanctioned nations now make up a third of India & China's total oil imports
Multipolarity
CHINA BUILDS GLOBAL ALTERNATIVE AS US-LED FINANCIAL ORDER DECAYS
DE-DOLLARISATION CLASHES WITH INDIA-CHINA BORDER DISPUTE
Partnership to galvanize trade on a huge scale
The Role of Russia and Central Asia in the New World Economy
Prospects for Cooperation Between Russia and Central Asia Amid the New World Order
Russia, Central Asia and the New Order
Russia, the US and China in the Long Confrontation of the 21st Century
Visit of Russian Prime Minister Mishustin to China: Why China Needs Russia as Much as Russia Needs China
Russia
Eye-Witness Crimea
War in Ukraine
John Mearsheimer Ukraine Salon
What does the fall of Bakhmut in Ukraine really mean?
Europe Rebuffs China’s Efforts to Split the West in Pushing Ukraine Cease-Fire
A Dangerous Proposal: The Foreign Policy Establishment’s Love Affair with Zelensky Knows No Bounds. Expelling Russia from the U.N. Security Council
David C. Speedie: Ukraine: A tragedy in three acts.
China, Russia and UK escalation w/ PTE Geopolitics (Live)
Ukraine attacks in Russia should be an alarm bell for Washington
Kiev Rocked as New Satellite Photos Prove Patriot Destruction
Attacking Moscow, Attacking Kiev
NATO members mull secret plans for responding to Russia attack
European leaders gather for security summit on Ukraine’s doorstep
Russia 2-3 days ago hit Ukraine’s military intelligence center — Putin
Weapons
Ukraine aid — and US stockpiles — are running out. What’s next?
Ukraine aid — and US stockpiles — are running out. What’s next?