NATO's War in Ukraine spreading into Russia thanks to the Pentagon

 

It's been more than two years since it became obvious that NATO and America were behind the proxy war in Ukraine. Both Ukraine and Russia were willing to negotiate a settlement for the abuse Russian-speaking peoples of eastern Ukraine were enduring for years, as per the Minsk accords. Neither country wanted the war, but NATO was still in need of a raison d'être as cover for being the storefront for western military industries, and America needed the war to keep the war inventories moving, otherwise the American economy would collapse. Why they are still escalating the conflict simply lends to their sheer madness.

Alternative Politics International

Anneke de Laaf  ·   · 

A Russian perspective on the Kursk situation.

Column by Kirill Strelnikov, published on Ria Novosti.

All the popular "war blogger" couch channels, as well as concerned citizens who, despite persistent calls from Russian officials not to escalate the situation and remain calm, willingly or unwillingly (we'll figure this out) immediately gave up Sudzha, condemned Kursk and prepared for the victorious march of the Ukrainian terrorists to Moscow, did exactly what our enemies expected of them.

As always happens in the case of terrorist acts (and the breakthrough of the Ukrainian Armed Forces into the Kursk region is a classic terrorist act that has no objective military goals), after an information pause filled with noise, incredibly expert comments, wild speculations and necessary pictures, the true intentions and demands of their organizers are already being brought out in the information field.

Despite the fact that Western media are now clumsily trying to convince the audience that " Kiev's actions came as a surprise even to the US and its other allies," based on publicly available information, one can already conclude that the United States was behind the terrorist attack on the Kursk region, including planning, implementation, and talented information directing.

You don't have to be a million-follower couch blogger to simply compare yesterday's Western publications, where comments from American officials and statements from representatives of Zelensky's gang appeared simultaneously, repeating each other not only word for word, but also letter for letter.

Having waited for the right time, the Ukrainian pseudo-president Zelensky made a statement from every Western iron as a snack with the following passages: "Russia brought war to our land and must feel the consequences"; "Everyone can see that the Ukrainian army knows how to surprise and how to achieve results"; "This is demonstrated on the battlefield, where our soldiers confront superior forces."

Remember? Key words and thoughts: consequences, Russia itself is to blame , surprise, ability to surprise, could be worse.

Then, after the first and second, there was an addition - the adviser to the office of the pseudo-president of Ukraine, Podolyak, put in his voice, who stated: "The root of every escalation (including Kursk ) is the unequivocal aggression on the part of Russia, which believes that it is possible to invade Ukraine without consequences"; "Russia is reaping the fruits of its actions."

Key words and thoughts: consequences, Russia itself is to blame, it could be worse.

After the compote, dessert was served.

Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh, in response to a clearly prepared question about whether the Ukrainian Armed Forces' attack on the Kursk region would lead to escalation, stated that this operation is not an escalation, because reducing the escalation is in the hands of the Russian president: "If we want to reduce the escalation, the best way to do this is for Putin to make a decision to withdraw troops from Ukraine."

Key words and thoughts: consequences, Russia itself is to blame, it could be worse.

And like a thin chocolate glaze, the directorial role of the already well-known American Institute for the Study of War (ISW), which is the drain tank of the US deep state, runs through all Western publications.

As Zelensky's press secretary, this "institute" gives the same comment in almost every publication: "The significant progress that Ukraine has made in three days (in the Kursk region) indicates that Ukrainian forces can achieve operational success and surprise along the entire border with Russia."

The key words and thoughts are still the same: surprise, the ability to surprise, it could be worse.

In other words, we are witnessing a carefully prepared and coordinated terrorist and information attack by the Americans, and their organizers and perpetrators are making little secret of the fact that the US and Ukraine carried them out in a completely synchronized tandem.

At the same time, the Pentagon reported that Ukraine's actions in the Kursk region and the use of American weapons there do not violate the rules by which Washington provides support to Kiev. Answering the question of whether the Kursk region is a region in which, according to the US, Ukraine can use weapons transferred by Washington, the Pentagon representative said with a straight face: "Yes, this is in line with our policy."

At the same time, information was received from the US Department of Defense that the American military provided, is providing and will provide Ukraine with "necessary intelligence data", including the operation in the Kursk region, and news also appeared about the development of the issue of granting Kyiv permission to strike with long-range high-precision weapons deep into Russian territory.

All of the above speaks to one simple thing.

The remaining hopes of some that Kyiv and Washington have certain red lines that they will not cross can be safely thrown into the trash.

The main goal of the Americans in the terrorist operation in the Kursk region is to show Russia that they can give Kyiv any order, even if it is suicidal for it. The main message: Russia must now understand that the Americans are ready to commit any atrocities and crimes through the hands of the Ukrainians, and the way to avoid this is to retreat and surrender.

Many on our side thought that we were fighting a crazed terrorist Ukrainian regime, but now it should be obvious to everyone that the main terrorists are not sitting in Kyiv and the conversation with them should be completely different; there will be no return to negotiations in the previous format.

It is obvious that with the confident advance of our troops to the West and the inevitable collapse of the Ukrainian army and the Ukrainian Nazi government itself, the terrorist threat from the US and Ukraine will only increase, because this is the only option where they can, in some cases, get ahead of us and cause pain.

In this regard, one cannot but agree with the Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev , who once again looks at the root of the matter:

"There is another important political and legal consequence of what happened. From this moment on, the SVO must acquire an openly extraterritorial character. This is no longer just an operation to return our official territories and punish the Nazis. It is possible and necessary to go to the lands of the still existing Ukraine. To Odessa , to Kharkov , to Dnepropetrovsk , to Nikolaev . To Kiev and further. There should be no restrictions in the sense of some borders of the Ukrainian Reich recognized by someone. And now it is possible and necessary to talk about this openly, without embarrassment and diplomatic curtseys. The terrorist operation of the Banderites must remove any taboos from this topic. Let everyone, including the English bastards, realize this: we will stop only when we consider it acceptable and beneficial for ourselves."

Those who shed the blood of innocent people in the Kursk region are already being punished: according to reports from the field, our forces are pounding the terrorists with tripled force, the enemy's losses are enormous, there is an acute shortage of donor blood in the Sumy region , and the roads are filled with ambulances.

Do we feel sorry for them? Let us answer with the message of one of the Russian fighters who is currently conducting a cleanup near Sudzha: "The enemy will not just be defeated, humiliated and destroyed, we will kill them all. Everyone we can reach, and we will reach many."

Military Madness > Britain and France determined to escalate the war in Ukraine into Western Europe

 

I used to like David Cameron. He was one of the first national leaders to actually try to do something about child sexual abuse. But his recent decisions on Israel and Russia has revealed that he is just another Deep State war monger. This is stupidity on a colossal level.

Ex-PM David Cameron says Ukraine can use

British weapons in Russia

By Simon Druker

May 3 (UPI) -- Ukraine can use British weapons inside Russian territory, former British Prime Minister David Cameron said Friday.

Cameron, currently the secretary of state for foreign, commonwealth and development affairs, made the comments during a trip to Kyiv Friday.

"Just as Russia is striking inside Ukraine, you can quite understand why Ukraine feels the need to make sure it's defending itself," Cameron told reporters during the trip, where he also said Britain would supply Ukraine with $3.75 billion ( £3 billion) annually as long as necessary.

Cameron said it should be up to Ukraine, saying it has the "right" to decide how it uses Western weaponry in its conflict with Russia, which entered day 800 Friday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stressed the need for more military aid while thanking Cameron for the financial commitment.

"First of all, armored vehicles, ammunition, and missiles of various types," Zelensky said Friday during a meeting between the two, according to the president of Ukraine official website.

Russia cautioned Britain's support could further escalate tensions across Europe.

"This is a direct escalation of tension around the Ukrainian conflict, which would potentially pose a threat to European security," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow Friday.

Which, of course, is the very opposite of NATO's stated purpose. Their 'stated purpose' and their real purpose, which is to keep the munitions inventory moving, are two different things.

Peskov was also responding to remarks made by French President Emmanuel Macron a day earlier.

On Thursday, Macron said he was "not ruling anything out" when it comes to sending Western troops to Ukraine, should Russian forces break through the front line.

But if Macron sends French troops to Ukraine, he's ruling out the peace of Europe and revealing NATO as the war monger that it is.

=========================================================

Military Madness > Another Escalation in the war, another infusion of cash to war mongering oligarchs

..

Another insane escalation in NATO/America's proxy war in Ukraine with Russia. Ukraine will not benefit from this madness, it will continue to be destroyed until it regresses back to the Middle Ages. The real point of this war is to use up the many inventories of war weapons in NATO and America so that the weapons-manufacturing oligarchs continue to get filthy rich.

In all the media stories about the almost daily movement of weapons from western countries to Ukraine, you never read about who is paying for these weapons. It is most likely that western tax-payers (read middle-class) are paying for this madness. 

'A strong gesture': French delivery of SCALP missiles

to Ukraine marks shift in Western strategy

French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Tuesday that SCALP missiles, capable of striking the Russian army at long range, would be delivered to Ukraine. Western countries had previously been hesitant to fulfil Ukraine’s long-standing request for these weapons for fear of escalating the conflict. 

Issued on: 13/07/2023 - 17:58

4 min

A model of a SCALP missile is displayed inside the MBDA factory in Bourges, central France, March 20, 2023.

© Guillaume Souvant, AFP

Text by:Barbara GABEL

French President Emmanuel Macron caused quite a stir when he announced the delivery of long-range SCALP missiles to Ukraine on Tuesday July 11, upon his arrival at the NATO summit in Vilnius. "This is a strong gesture," said Guillaume Lasconjarias, a professor at the Paris-Sorbonne University, military historian and former NATO researcher. "France is giving the Ukrainian air force the ability to better support the counteroffensive, and further inland." 

This air-launched cruise missile was developed jointly by France and the UK, the latter of which has been supplying Ukraine with its own version of the SCALP, the Storm Shadow, since May. With a range of over 250 kilometres, it will enable Kyiv to reach Russian-controlled areas in the eastern part of the country. A French military source told AFP that the SCALPs were already in Ukraine. 

From political risk to stealth

Until now, NATO member countries, including France, had felt that long-range weapons could represent a "political risk", according to Swiss military expert Alexandre Vautravers. "This type of weapon raised questions in the sense that the Ukrainians could use them to bomb critical infrastructure on Russian territory," said Vautravers. "The West thought that if the Ukrainians managed to target an air base, then they could target a hydroelectric dam, a nuclear power station or even Moscow’s Red Square."  

But today, long-range missiles are seen in a different light. Since the SCALP missile has standoff capabilities – meaning that it can be fired from a safe distance away – it won't be dropped directly from the front line. "We should not assume that these weapons will hit civilian infrastructure situated 250 kilometres inside Russian territory," said Vautravers. "Furthermore, Russia’s anti-aircraft defence system is so effective that Ukrainian aircraft are forced to drop their weapons from 100 kilometres behind the front line." 

This new weapons capacity will help the Ukrainians to continue with their counteroffensive. Such capability is "critical for Ukraine’s forces to disrupt Russian logistics as well as command and control", Ivan Klyszcz, a researcher at the International Centre for Defence and Security in Estonia, told AFP. Furthermore, SCALP strikes could help "with Ukraine's current approach, which is to advance slowly so as to protect its forces and reduce losses to the extent possible," said Klyszcz.

SCALP missiles can target bunkers and specific infrastructure behind the Russian front line, as they are extremely accurate. They are also difficult to detect, which means that the probability of the missile hitting its target is very high. 

Kyiv has promised Paris not to use these missiles outside of its internationally recognised borders. However, those on France’s right and far-right political spectrum feel that this promise is insufficient. 

Bringing Russia to the negotiating table

Long criticised for having maintained relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin in hopes of bringing a rapid end to the conflict, Macron has made a notable shift in stance since the end of 2022. Given that the French president continually expresses support for Kyiv, Vautravers says he is "not at all surprised by Emmanuel Macron’s announcement". 

Nor is the delivery of such long-range cruise missiles a first. The British government supplied Ukraine with Storm Shadow missiles in May, and the Russians have already announced having captured one without destroying it. This means that Russian engineers are now attempting to copy its technology. Vautravers feels that the new missile deliveries are above all a publicity stunt: "France is under pressure, like many other countries. It is in a sort of race to see who can help Ukraine the most."  

The aim of sending long-range missiles to Ukraine is to bring Russia to the negotiating table, according to Jean-Pierre Maulny, deputy director of the French Institute for International and Strategic Affairs (IRIS). "The Westerners want to give Zelensky all the means he needs to ensure the success of the Ukrainian counteroffensive," said Maulny in a televised interview with FRANCE 24. "They want to show Putin that this aid will continue over the long term, that they will provide unfailing support, and therefore that Putin cannot win this war."

The French army's SCALP missile stocks are estimated at 400 or fewer, depending on the source. Their unit price is €850,000, according to the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI). The number of missiles delivered to Ukraine has not been specified. The number "is quite significant, but keeps French stocks well above the capabilities we need for the defence of France", said a military source. 

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov announced in a press conference that France’s move was a "mistake" and that Russia would be forced to "take countermeasures" in its war in Ukraine.

=============================================================================================

Political Unrest in West Means Idlib Will Provoke Serious Escalation

The UK, USA & France are all in political trouble, and what do

western governments do when they are in trouble - go to war!

Western threats against Syria using chemical weapons have started preparing their electorates for an escalation in the civil war in Syria. They claim that chemical weapons are being prepared. Big news - Russia made that announcement two weeks ago. If Russia-Syria were involved in preparing chemical weapons, do you think they would announce it to the world two weeks ahead of time?

There was no chemical attack in Douma, and yet western governments and Mainstream Media (MSM) have never reported that, even though the OPCW admitted it. If there is a chemical attack in Idlib, it will be at the hands of those rebels supported by western countries, and yet, the west will go ballistic and attack Damascus in an effort to be rid of Assad, and they will do it before the OPCW has had a chance to investigate. Then Syria will join the list of failed states like Libya who's leaders were assassinated by the west. This is one of the few ways the situation in Syria could possibly get worse.

Western countries need to remove their forces and those rebels whom they are supporting from Idlib. Of course, they will have great difficulty finding a place to move them to, but Libya could handle a few thousand more Islamic lunatics, I'm sure.

U.S. official: Syrian forces could be preparing chemical weapons for attack on Idlib

ByNicholas Sakelaris

James Jeffrey, U.S. special representative for Syria, warns that pro-government forces in Syria are preparing

to use chemical weapons against Ibib. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo

(UPI) -- Syrian forces are closing in on the last rebel stronghold in Idlib, raising concerns that millions of civilians could be caught in the crossfire.

James Jeffrey, U.S. special representative for Syria, said Thursday, "there's lots of evidence that chemical weapons are being prepared". Jeffrey added that the attack would be a "reckless escalation."

Pro-government forces backed by Russia and Iran have been shelling the rebel enclave for two straight days. Russia, Iran and Turkey are meeting in Tehran Friday to discuss what could happen in the next few weeks. Russia has called Idlib a "nest of terrorists" and a "festering abscess."

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he's concerned about a bloodbath in Idilb, which could send a stream of refugees into Turkey.

"If we can ensure a ceasefire here, this will be one of the most important steps of the summit, it will seriously put civilians at ease," Erdogan said. "We need to find a rational solution in Idlib that will address everyone's concerns."

Russian President Vladimir Putin said the terrorist fighters that have taken shelter in that region haven't been part of peace talks. He added that Syria should retake all of its territory.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government is legitimate and should be respected.

"To fight terrorism in Idlib is inevitable and part of a mission to bring about peace and stability to Syria," Rouhani said. "We are fighting for peace. Our final goal whether in Syria or in the region is peace but in order to have sustainable peace we have to fight terror decisively."

Politically, Jeffrey said Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad "has no future as a ruler" but it's not up to U.S. forces to remove him.

Amnesty International warns that the residents of Idlib, many of them already refugees from elsewhere in Syria, cannot bear another offensive using starvation and indiscriminate bombardment.

"The shocking civilian death tolls and war crimes witnessed recently in other parts of Syrian such as eastern Aleppo city, Eastern Ghouta and Daraa must not be repeated in Idlib," Samah Hadid, Middle East director of Amnesty International, said. "It is essential that all parties to the conflict do not attack civilians, grant safe passage to civilians wishing to flee the fighting and attacks, and ensure unimpeded access to humanitarian relief for all civilians in need in Idlib."

One recent air strike targeted rebel forces, but human rights organizations claim 13 civilians, including children were killed in the attack. There were no militants killed, the organization claims.

Elsewhere, Russia has warned that it will attack At Tanf, a key U.S. stronghold near the border of Syria, Jordan and Iraq, to root out militant troops in the area.

U.S. officials have said they will defend themselves if attacked.

"We have absolutely advised them to stay out of At Tanf," one U.S. official told CNN. "We are postured to respond."

Idlib province, Syria

NATO - Empire Building, Escalating the Drama with Russia

NATO Plans to Add Two New Commands to Counter

Imaginary Russian Threat

BY: Jack Heretik   

NATO is set to approve the creation of two new commands to strengthen alliance weaknesses in a potential conflict with Russia, according to allied officials.

NATO defense ministers will review a new command structure—meant to improve allied logistics and protect supply lines—at their quarterly meeting next month, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.

The recommendations include one new command to manage NATO logistics, which would focus on moving people and materiel more quickly, and one new command for the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, which would focus on protecting sea lanes, critical for supplying Europe, from submarine threats.

The potential command changes come amid rising tensions between NATO and Russia. Alliance leaders have warned that member countries must be able to move quicker to effectively deter and counter Russian forces.

Rising tensions are entirely caused by the spectacular build-up of NATO troops and weapons on Russia's European borders this year. Yes, I have complained in recent years of Putin's ambition to rebuild the Russian Federation to at least equal the Soviet empire, but the situation in Ukraine was brought about by the western sponsored coup of a Russia-friendly government. I don't believe it is an example of Russian aggression as much as cutting their losses against western aggression.

My fear is that NATO is now moving that theatre of aggression from Ukraine into the entirety of northeast Europe. However, other than Belarus, there are no Russia-friendly countries in northeast Europe, and Belarus is very stable with a strong dictator maintaining ties with both Russia and the west. Alexander Lukashenko has been running Belarus since 1994 although he is still just in his early 60s.

One potential source of conflict is the Kaliningrad Oblast, on the southern Baltic. It belongs to Russia but is not attached to it. As Russia's only seaport on the southern Baltic, Russia will protect it from aggression as they did Sevastopol in the Crimea, their western-most Naval base in the south. 

"The alliance has to move as quick or quicker than Russian Federation forces for our deterrent to be effective," Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, the top Army commander in Europe, said earlier this month. "Speed is what will give our civilian leaders options other than a liberation campaign."

NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said the command structure review is meant to focus on military mobility so the alliance can "deploy forces quickly across the alliance." She added that NATO members are "adapting national legislation to allow military equipment to transit faster across borders and are working on improving national infrastructure."

The potential changes are partly in response to calls from some Eastern European alliance members to better prepare for crises.

"We have to revise how fast we make decisions and prepare better," Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė told the Journal.

The new commands' headquarters would be at the same level as NATO's Joint Forces Commands, located in Brunssom, Netherlands and Naples, Italy.

Plans for a new NATO command structure review come as the United States places more military resources in Europe to deter Russian aggression. This week alone, the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade arrived in Belgium with 89 helicopters that will go to Germany, Latvia, Romania, and Poland. Congress is evaluating whether to permanently station a tank brigade along with other units in Europe permanently.

This is great business for the companies who make military helicopters and tanks. What a brilliant idea - NATO has a reason for its existence and the military industrial establishment continues to suck up astonishing amounts of international resources that could be used for useful purposes.

NATO is reviewing a new logistics command partly because of the difficulties NATO faces with moving personnel and equipment across borders. Often a country has to give approval ahead of time for certain weapons and equipment to cross its borders, and many European roads and bridges cannot handle the weight of an American battle tank, the U.S. Army's five-axle tank transport trailers, or heavy air-defense batteries, further complicating movements.

At sea, Russia has recently invested in newer submarines with more advanced technology, triggering calls for a new Arctic and Atlantic command.