Nuclear-Speed Impact of US/Israeli Aggressions

In his most recent press interview Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov does indeed seem to have hardened Russian terms for a settlement to include for example the return of seized Russian assets (and accumulated interest) and the calling off of lawsuits against Russia. These are things that are beyond the Ukrainian remit to negotiate in any case and which Europe, having already spent much of the interest on stolen assets and some of the capital, will be very unlikely to concede.

But I was struck by the fact that in terms of territory nothing has changed since the end of 2022 especially in view of how obvious it is how far acquisition of Kharkiv, Sumy, Cherniv and Odessa would make such good sense from the perspective of Russian long-term security interests. I speculate therefore that Putin is adopting a conservative poise in order to entice Ukraine (especially if Zelenskiy does not extend martial law and allows elections) to come to the negotiating table (which it will likely do before the end of July, but not for ceasefire nor peace talks) and also to provide some cover for Trump’s withdrawal of US aid to Ukraine and the ambition of both superpowers to restore relations between them.

In Europe as I argued yesterday, the political class seems determined to build itself up into the threat against Russia that It has previously argued, falsely, that Russia is to Europe. Germany is engaged in dangerously extreme rhetoric, is raising a trillion dollars to re-arm, and has already agreed with Washington to host US ballistic nukes targeting Moscow. Against that level of idiocy from a country whose mainstream media are utterly lost Russia may have to do that which Europe - in the search for a pretext to help the US dismember the RF - has claimed, falsely, Russia has all along intended.

On the battlefield fresh developments indicate Russian forces poised for a major offensive on Pokrovsk.

Meantime Middle East pressures on Russia and Iran are accentuating as Israel and Jolani’s Syria talk a “peace” that may involve Israel giving back part of the Golan to Syria in return for Jolani and Israel taking a slice of northern Lebanon to give to Israel.

This represents the complete breakdown of international law and highlights the fecklessness of the UN that these countries can even talk in such terms. All the more reason why Iran, with support from Russia and China need to hit back decisively, now, before Israel in alliance, yet again, with the lunatic jihadis that in theory should be Israel’s mortal enemy, prepare the ground for a major new aggression against Iran that exploits Israeli presence in Syria not to mention its friend in Azerbaijan.

For more idiocy follow Trump’s threats to impose additional sanctions on BRICS members and their supporters, his 25% tariffs on goods from (former) US allies Japan and South Korea, his rising ambitions to expel undocumented immigrants in the US, all of which things will reduce labor supply and tax revenues. raise costs and inflation for US consumers and depress the global economy.