There is absolutely nothing sensational about it and this message is primarily for Poland, just in case. Good ol' Iskander's range is 500 kilometers (it doesn't mean that longer range Iskanders will not appear soon) and when placed slightly West of Minsk it covers exactly half of Poland and also "improves" behavior of Baltic states. Moscow and Minsk are parties to union state of Russia and Belarus and it is only natural to do militarily whatever allied countries decide to do within their borders.
Translation:"The arsonists plan to send more than 400 tanks to Ukraine. The same goes for ammunition. During this time, we will produce new ones, and the existing ones will also be modernized, over 1,600, and the total number of tanks of the Russian Federation will exceed three times the number of tanks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,even more than three times,” Putin added.
I know, some people in Pentagon scratch their heads but, as I mentioned in my video too, the actual number of produced and modernized tanks in Russia this year may reach 3,000, with majority of them the tanks of new types, primarily of T-90M Proryv type. For T-14 Armata, nobody knows the actual number, what is known that there are now more than a hundred of them and at least couple of battalions (around 60 tanks, give and take) are training for the deployment to the front line. I am on record for years about "revelation mode". Meanwhile the fossil of Henry Kissinger also had a revelation recently when concluded that the new Cold War is much more dangerous than the old one. No shit, genius--in related news: water is wet, sky is blue and Western establishment is ignorant.
I speak about it here:
And while at it, you might as well pay attention to this decent video about British carriers, granted that some facts there are somewhat debatable, but in general it is a worthy one. Per "third" and "fourth" rules of thumb, they are tied to a business known in Russia as "Coefficient of Operational Tension" (КОН--Коэффициэнт Оперативного Напряжения) and it is the science onto itself and staffs of formations deal with that.
But there is no doubt that HMS Prince of Wales so far is an embarrassment, even when allowed for the issues of being a new design.
In related news, Ukies begin to evacuate Avdeevka, whose "position" looked like this yesterday:
There were some convulsions by VSU on Kupyansk axis, naturally, they ended bad for VSU and when people ask me (this was the question from one of the viewers on YT) what war Russia is getting ready for producing these monstrous quantities of war materiel from shells and missiles to tanks, my answer is very simple--Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum. Russia is preparing for facing down any threat emanating from the combined West with such military advantage that even psychopaths need to think twice. But then again, the narrative did change, noticeably. Somebody in Pentagon must know that Russian reserves have not been deployed yet. They will when and if needed. This is your primer for Sunday.
P.S. Ah, yes. Comrade Xi still didn't call Mr. Ze as Western media assured us was his intention. What could have possibly go wrong, wink, wink?
The speculations abound, ranging from Kiev regime's fear of Belarus' involvement into SMO to cutting Ukrainian citizens escape to Belarus, but it is clear that Kiev doesn't do anything without approval from London and D.C. Obviously this news, naturally, are not reported in the West, while they made it all over Russia, and Belarus, of course.
Each time I need to remind people about a dire need to constantly keep an eye on a larger picture. All signs of a panic in D.C. are in place now. Here is me talking about it today:
In fact, I am on this story since the start a few days ago because it was a wowser. But here is Fox News:
I cannot emphasize enough the importance of all this. Together with operational convulsions of VSU and their NATO commanders in their desperate attempts to attack along the whole length of the front in desperate attempts to breach Russian defenses there. Naturally, all those attempts failed and VSU and NATO--yes, there are thousands of them now fighting in 404--forces have been repulsed with huge losses for them. I think people in Pentagon and General Staff in London still exercise the illusion that their "tactics" of small diversionary-recon groups saturating the defense is something new and surprising. Boy... But to give even more context:
Translation:The countries also signed a memorandum of understanding with Russia worth $4 billion for field development.
MOSCOW, 9 October. /TASS/. Russia and Iran have signed deals in the oil and gas industry worth more than $40 billion, Iranian Oil Minister Javad Ouji said on Sunday.
"We signed a memorandum of understanding with Russia worth $4 billion for the development of fields, as well as an agreement on the construction of gas pipelines and installations for the production of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the amount of $40 billion," ISNA quoted him as saying.
On Sunday, Ouji's deputy Ahmed Asadzade informed that Russia is going to start developing six oil and two gas fields located in Iran. He also expressed hope that the relevant agreement would be signed before the end of the year.
I am telling you--this gotta hurt and they are throwing tantrums in D.C. Russia, meanwhile, builds bridges with the rest of the world, both metaphorically and literally.
People constantly ask me, or express their desire to see Russia saying bye-bye to the West. I have news: Russia already said bye-bye to the West. It is a done deal, fait accompli, over with or however else you want to formulate this state of the affairs. Here is one such sign out of very many.
Translation:BRUSSELS, February 9 - RIA Novosti.Assuming that the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline is not put into operation, Russia will find other buyers for this gas, Vladimir Chizhov, Russia's permanent representative to the European Union, said in an interview with RIA Novosti.
The idiots in Brussels and D.C. still cannot wrap their feeble brains around the fact that NS2 is about Europe, not Russia. Russia is fine without NS2 and she has all market she needs for her hydrocarbons in Asia. It is about how the United States will eat EU to prolong its own agony. Then Chizhov adds:
Russia is not obliged to solve Europe's problems. There are contracts and that's it. Want more? Get new contracts, like Hungary did. While signing new contracts Russia and Hungary signed a bunch of other mutually beneficial contracts across the whole spectrum of economic activity ranging from nuclear power stations to agriculture, to consumer goods to transportation. Soviet Union was a major market for legendary Hungarian-made Ikarus buses. Boy, a wave of sentimental nostalgia came over me, from the childhood:
To adulthood:
Our favorite "Garmoshka" (Garmon) which transported hundreds of millions of passengers in USSR to and from. They are still beloved in Russia. You may counter may argument saying that doesn't the example of Hungary contradicts my statement that Russia bid adieu to Europe. Not in a slightest. Here is the explanation:
Implications of that are huge and they do show degree to which majority of European public is brainwashed and, by implication, views Russia as an aggressor. In other words, there is not a single impetus on the level of population to question the interpretations (a euphemism for Western media propaganda) of current events. Sure, people are not obliged to be specialists in psychological operations or analysis of reporting. So, this has to be taken merely as a given, most people are immersed in their daily lives and bread and butter issues and don't se any alternative to Western political "status quo".
Here is Waldemar Herdt, former member of Bundestag, speaks to Vladimir Solovyov (sadly only in Russian) and admits that Germany is not a sovereign country and that German "elites" are overwhelmingly a product of the US "educational" (a euphemism for being brainwashed) programs and that Germany right now is in the split position.
Make no mistake, I do sympathize with average Germans but it is what it is. Both poll and spineless German political "elite" WILL sell Germany to the United States and, as Biden said himself, NS2 will be eliminated. As Herdt admits in horror--that will be the end of Germany's chemical industry, which will be the end of Germany's manufacturing. This is precisely what the United States desires above all. Obviously, the most optimal outcome for the US would be a good scale European War in which Russia would destroy EU and the United States then, pretending to be the savior of the West, will make a shitload of money and save own declining economy by helping to "restore" Europe.
As I said many times, most people in D.C. are one trick ponies and most of them do not understand modern warfare nor know the actual history of WW II. They still don't get a simple fact, that if the big war happens in Europe, D.C. will repeat the fate of Brussels. But then again, considering level of the American "elite education" it is not surprising. We can see some of its products in Europe and suicidal economic and cultural policies, which are also policies du jour in the United States. So, the decision by Russia's government to break off is totally justified. This is not to say that this whole process is without hiccups, including BS from CNN such as this:
You can bet your ass on the fact that these CNN's "four people" are most likely a figment of imagination and their Russian sources are some BSers such as senile Ivashov. In the same time US media continue to quote such "specialists" (primarily from liberal globalist Moscow "think tanks") and rumor-gatherers from Moscow foreign policy beau monde such as Andrei Kortunov from globalist RIAC.
Kortunov is a pure Soros creature who was in charge of Russia's "education and development" department in Soros' Open Society fund in Russia. So, you get the idea. As for Lukyanov--a typical MGIMO-produced journo who rubs shoulders with "big shots" and elbows in already mentioned by me Moscow's primarily globalist foreign policy beau monde which is very big on credentialism but very low on actual knowledge of the outside world and what forms geopolitical reality. It is the same cabal where demagogues like Karaganov, Timofeev (of Valdai fame) and others (RT loves to invite these "experts" who have no clue about practical geopolitics) suck on a fat teat of grants and sinecures in conducting some "research", which anyone with with IQ above room temperature can do in half the time these many offsprings of yet another globalist madrasa, VShE, do and get more accurate and more competent forecasts. But then again, there is a reason why Western propaganda loves to speak to those "experts".
But whatever the case with hysteria in modern West, including the United States, regarding Russia "invasion", the problem raised by Moscow in ultimatum remains: it is not just about 404, it is about NATO. At this stage Washington not only non-agreement capable, there are nobody to talk to in it, including the main slave of US war-mongering MSM, US Congress which creates the feedback loop with US media in calling for measures which, actually, are going to hit (already did) both EU but, remarkably, will deteriorate already tenuous Washington's position even more. Let's face it, Washington's "strategy" (quotation marks are intentional--they don't know what real strategy is in D.C.) of splitting Russia from China failed miserably, it accelerated the emergence of Russian-Chinese alliance whose economic and military capabilities dwarf those of the United States and relegated EU to a passive victim, whose consumption still will not resolve US problems. Italians nailed it in La Stampa.
This is a machine translation, but give Italians credit where the credit is due, except, of course, for mentioning a two-front war--the United States is incapable to fight a war in a single theater against first rate power. But in general, Italians got strategy right, problem, of course, that in the last 30 years American machine of producing "elites" produced nothing but incompetent, ignorant, badly educated narcissists across the full spectrum of national activities, from economics, to military, to education, who have zero skills in governing such country as the United States, or, for that matter, even running 7-11 convenience store. They are hysterical because they do not want to face the facts which, they correctly feel it, will blow their world view up completely. Because in the end, they understand deep down that they are losers and always were--this is not an easy way to encounter reality.
In related news, it seems that some sort of Russia-Belarus genuine integration process has started and in the mid-to-long term that also means a much closer integration between Russian and Belarus armed forces. I know, adding another 60,000+ of well equipped and well trained personnel doesn't sound that good for many in NATO. Plus with Belarus getting ready to receive own S-400s and MiG-31Ks with hypersonic Kinzhals are now flying over Kaliningrad:
The message is clear. Not to forget, of course, the Baltic Fleet whose main base is in Baltiisk already received first 4 latest SU-30SM2 which are very advanced versions of venerable SU-30 and it is not just fully netcentric but is capable to operate swarms of UAV by forming its own network with them. I think it is just a warm up before Russia (after Beijing Olympic Games close) begins to "take measures of military-technical character" due to the West's inability to give a coherent and favorable response to Russia's ultimatum. But I warned about it from the start.
For anyone who continues to exercise this good ol', and beaten to death, delusion that once the United States leaves (if it leaves) Europe, Russia and Europe will immediately find common language; or, that somehow Russian-European relations are hostage to American geopolitical adventurism, I have some suggestions--wake up. Allow me to remind you that it was Germany who played a very serious role in dismemberment of Yugoslavia and that the state of Ukraine and coming of radically Russophobic forces to power there had a lot to do with Germany, and EU in general. France, meanwhile, is a "convicted felon" when it comes to unleashing hell in Libya. Just a reminder.
Well, you get the idea. It is always same ol', same ol'. France played the same tune.
A report from Reuters on Monday, headlined ‘EU leaders to support
Belarusian protesters, tell Russia to stay out’, raised eyebrows in
Moscow. As did comments from Macron calling on the EU to “continue to mobilize” on the side of anti-government protesters in Belarus. The French president's stance prompted a harsh rebuke from Moscow, with Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova asking “when
will he call on the European Union to be mobilized in support of
hundreds of thousands of ‘Yellow Vests’ demonstrators (in France).”
As I continue to stress for years--there is no worse transformation when chihuahua decides that she is a mastiff. Neither France, let alone Germany, are mastiffs. Bar some limited nuclear arsenal, France is a geopolitical midget with Mediterranean phantom pains and ambitions, while Germany is nearing economic irrelevance with news like that:
Actually, Germany's economy continues to contract for 20 months in a row. Once one begins to consider generally suicidal and radically anti-scientific energy policies of EU, plus adds here the fact that EU for Russia's hydrocarbons' export is losing its priority status, it becomes not only warranted but irresistible to ask a question: who the fuck these losers think they are? This also shows that geopolitical fates of Russia and Europe are diverging and, as I say non-stop, culturally the abyss between Europeans and Russians continues to grow. Germany and France may continue to initiate calls to Kremlin but it is patently clear that they will increasingly be told to mind their own business and keep their noses out of business of Russia, for who both France and Germany are merely secondary geopolitical players and shrinking real economies. EU for Russia is merely a market, nothing more. The fact that Putin is a germanophile (he is) should not be mistaken for mastiff being concerned with the bark of chihuahuas.
You know that my characteristic of Lukashenko is pretty straightforward--I define him as a used condom. But this is just me, I don't have access to high power corridors of Russia. Vladimir Zhirinovsky, however, due to him being a court jester, has. Looks like our opinions on Lukashenko are closely matched.
As I already stated, the only way for Belarus to survive as a Belorussian entity, despite Russians and Belorussians being essentially the same people, is to join Russia in a genuine unified state, initially as confederation and then as a subject--Krai, Region what have you. For that, Belarus, whose economy, despite support from Russia for decades, is pretty much a basket case, needs to convince Russia to take on economic balance more than 9 million people and a shitload of economically nonviable companies. And I am talking about Belarus and Belorussians, not about Lukashenko who is done as a viable player--a common fate for people who have no principles other than satisfaction of lust for power by any means.
Now Lukashenko calls Moscow, talks to Putin and suddenly recalls that Belarus is a member of a unified state, which he himself sabotages for a decade, and lo and behold, suddenly Lukashenko states that Russia will help Belarus upon first request (in Russian) because... well, he suddenly feels the love and is ready to do anything just like any prostitute who sees a wealthy client. But, of course, what Putin told him to do will never be fully known but something tells me that it is not up to Lukashenko and his incompetent state security apparatus how the dealings will proceed from here.
Lukashenko is a typical political prostitute and Putin knows that. Rumor has it that some Russian "forces" are already on the move. As Russian modern saying goes: if you don't want to talk to Lavrov, you will talk to Shoigu. In the end, Lukashenko surrounded himself with a bunch of crooks on a payroll of Western NGOs and, likely, intelligence services. He did it completely on his own volition and, depending on the outcome of current events, if the "deal" with Russia will come down to actual integration, he should be removed and given some symbolic posts as a honorable chief of Kremlin's housekeeping. And even this position could be too high for him. After all, nobody needs used condoms. Just ask Yanukovich.
Let me address the issue which many, as it should be the case in our world of unsolicited "expertise", tried to comment on. This huge elephant-like white gorilla in the room is Belarus. Let me state immediately my personal position regarding the events there--I don't care. When Ukraine happened almost 7 years ago and Crimea returned home in 2014, I was initially ambivalent on the issue, which many "pundits", allegedly of the "patriotic" Russian variety, pushed for--full-blown invasion of Ukraine and "regime change" to suit Russia's geopolitical objectives. It was then that the term "Putin Vse Slil", meaning Putin failed miserably, was coined. As it turned out, Kremlin's decision to support Donbas and leave Ukraine be was a strategic master-stroke, which allowed Russia to accumulate resources and start playing much larger than Ukraine "game of thrones" globally.
Russia has NO obligations to support, often largely anti-Russian populations of her former "brotherly" Soviet Republics. As I am also on record, collective Putin's main task is to care about 146 million of Russia's own citizens, not to support people who want to remain nationalistic at the expense of Russia. As Ukrainian experience has shown--all those pro-Russian sentiments among some segments of Ukraine and, now we can add her here, Belarus, are skin-deep and are largely secondary if not tertiary factors of what essentially formed as a cabal of freeloaders in 1990s and 2000s. Enter Belarus. Remove Russia from Belarus economy--a process which is ongoing as I type this--meaning closing Russia's market for Belarus's few products which have been already substituted by Russia, and you have a bankrupt backward economy.
As people with good political sense say nowadays, Belarus will either become Russia's region, or some other form of administrative subdivision, or it will cease to exist. It is simple as that. Obviously Belarus is yet another good reminder of West's malfeasance in its addiction to color revolutions and regime change, but we should not also forget about Lukashenko being nothing more than a narrow-minded clownish autocrat who in his attempts to hold on to power will destroy Belarus. But, the truth is--if to imagine the opposition coming to power in Belarus, the result will be absolutely the same. Belarus has no good options. Now to this ever important geopolitical and military issue: what if NATO moves in, some people will ask. OK. Russia then will move in too. NATO knows this. If Brussels or Warsaw want to feel the heat--they will, but for Russia, if push comes to shove, it will be much easier to take over Belarus militarily, than that would have been the case with Ukraine.
Belarus is much smaller geographically and population-wise than Ukraine, but we are not talking about this scenario yet. Russia is more interested in seeing how current events play out, because Lukashenko IS NOT Russia's own Son of a Bitch anymore. He stopped being such a couple years ago (it was a process of unbecoming) and the title and a position of Russia's own SOB are increasingly valuable and sought after privileges. Lukashenko didn't want to follow Russia's advice on unified state formation, he was warned, he ignored warnings and now he is a definition of a used condom, which must be disposed of. Lukashenko may yet hold on to power but he is done and Russia is not going to spend her resources on supporting Belarus' economy. Same way as Russia refused and followed through with decoupling from Ukraine's economy. We all know the result of this decoupling for Ukraine and for Russia, the difference couldn't have been starker. Same goes for Belarus. Russia doesn't owe anything to anyone, she spent too much time supporting and feeding people who hate her in return. This time is over. And yes, I don't buy this "brotherly" or "same" people thesis at all. Putin says that because he has to placate all kinds of headless "patriots" inside Russia. It is understandable.
So, here it is--my position on this Belarus issue. The scenario is always the same, the playbook of color revolutions is fairly warn by now and, finally, Russia consistently looks out for her own national interests, not somebody else's and it is about freaking time. Not to mention, that the only emotion Lukashenko may evoke is that of a condescending squeamishness one feels when approached by unwashed, stinking arrogant homeless beggar on the street demanding the pocket change. Simple as that.
