Ha, Ha-Ha, Ha-Ha-Ha... LOL))

Speaking of German "journalism", LOL))) 

Metadata from emails used to rent a yacht reportedly involved in the explosions that damaged the Nord Stream pipelines last year implicates Ukrainian nationals, Germany’s Der Spiegel newspaper reported on Friday, citing sources. In March, the outlet claimed a yacht named ‘Andromeda’ had allegedly been used by a team of divers to sabotage the Nord Stream pipelines. The publication cited the discovery of traces of explosives in the cabin of the vessel and fake identification documents that were used in the hiring of the boat. The most recent Der Spiegel report indicates that metadata from an email sent to enquire about the renting of the yacht “leads to Ukraine.” The president of a presumed shell company through which the yacht was rented also lives in Kiev, according to German broadcasters NDR and WDR, as well as other media sources in the EU country. Der Spiegel also claimed on Friday that investigators were probing if the attack could have been undertaken by an independent group of Ukrainian commandos, or if the sabotage would likely have been authorized by Kiev. The Ukrainian government, meanwhile, has denied all links to the explosions. 

I wonder what are the "professional" requirements for getting a "journo" job in Der Spiegel. Something tells me that one has to have a prior professional experience in famous German movie industry with emphasis on plumbers. You know, the documentaries where German men and women indulge in close encounters or, depending on situation, on counters as a celebration of a well done plumbing, if you know what I mean. I don't think that other types work in Western media, especially German one. No other needed.

Sure...

... I am positive that they will get to the bottom of it, if you know what I mean.

CHRISTIANSÖ in the Baltic Sea, Denmark -- Danish police have searched for a yacht on a tiny Baltic Sea island near the Nord Stream pipeline blast sites, the local administrator said on Thursday. German authorities confirmed on Wednesday they had raided a ship in January that may have been used to transport explosives used to blow up the pipelines."The police was searching for a specific boat that had moored here in September," Soren Thiim Andersen, the highest authority on the island of Christiansö, told Reuters.The Sept. 26 explosions on the Nord Stream pipelines, constructed to supply Russian natural gas to Europe, have become a flashpoint between the West and Russia after last year's Russian invasion of Ukraine.Authorities in Sweden, Germany and Denmark, who are currently investigating the blasts, say the explosions were deliberate but have not said who might be responsible.However, this week media reports in the United States and Germany suggested a pro-Ukrainian group could be responsible.Germany's ARD broadcaster and Zeit newspaper reported that German authorities were able to identify a boat used for the sabotage operation.

Kremlin reacted to this news promptly:

There were many check-ins into emergency rooms in Russia due to severe cases of lower abdomen hernias due to hysterical laughter. Peskov is still in ICU and he responded with late El Risitas' clip when asked to comment on the efforts of Danish Police and German investigators. 

Patrick Armstrong Speaking To "Belarus" Radio.

Patrick talks to international radio station Belarus. About 404, LDNR and Europe. 

NS2 is also discussed together with Russia-China "axis". Excellent delivery. 

 

Question to Patrick. How do you "smother" the background in your video? I love it and would love to do so myself. 

The Main Motif.

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. 

БРЮССЕЛЬ, 9 фев – РИА Новости. Если предположить, что газопровод "Северный поток — 2" не будет введен в эксплуатацию, Россия найдет других покупателей на этот газ, заявил в интервью РИА Новости постоянный представитель России при Евросоюзе Владимир Чижов.

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:

Russian energy company Gazprom is fulfilling its contracts and is under no obligation to increase supplies of natural gas to the EU, despite some politicians in Brussels accusing Moscow of using its exports as a weapon, Russia’s permanent representative to the bloc stated on Wednesday. Speaking to Moscow news agency RIA Novosti, Vladimir Chizhov explained that, since gas prices are on the rise, Gazprom’s European customers do not want to commit to buying more gas. If there is no demand, there will be no supply, he said.“Of course [Gazprom] is not obliged. Besides, it is already providing some extra supplies of ‘blue fuel’ to Europe, which is, apparently, still not as much as some would have preferred.”

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: 

The European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) has released a new poll suggesting that the majority of people in countries like Germany, Poland, and Sweden say that a Russian invasion of Ukraine is “likely” before the end of the year. However, when asked if they wanted their country to be involved in “defending” Ukraine, only the Polish respondents were likely to agree. A majority of respondents polled in Poland, Romania, Sweden, Germany, Italy, and France believe an invasion of Ukraine is “highly” or “fairly” likely this year, with Polish and Romanian citizens fearing an invasion the most. Over 70% of respondents from Poland believe an invasion could happen, while over 60% of Romanian respondents hold the same belief. 

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:

Russian officials have expressed fears that an invasion of Ukraine could prove to be more difficult and costly than Russian President Vladimir Putin and other leaders realize, according to intelligence intercepted by the U.S., a CNN report states. CNN cited four people familiar with the intelligence in reporting on the fears within the Russian government. "In the assessments we see it is clear some people on the [Russian] defense side are not really understanding what the game plan is," one official said, according to CNN, speaking of the possible invasion. The official also noted that the defense personnel think "it's a very difficult game plan to stand up."

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. 

Yet two Moscow-based analysts who specialise in deciphering the signals from the Kremlin said Putin's late-night comments after hours of talks with French President Emmanuel Macron suggested that he was serious about negotiating. "Of course he sticks to his positions but I've not got the impression that he's in the mood for escalation," said Andrey Kortunov, head of the Russian International Affairs Council. "Probably you wouldn't speak to an opponent for seven hours if you wanted just to lecture him and close the file."

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. 

The tactical victory of Evromajdan thus produced a strategic nightmare: the China-Russia duo is here to stay. And the Pentagon’s equations include the risk of finding themselves fighting a war on two fronts, the Indo-Pacific and the European. All this for having won in Kiev, an objective neither central nor urgent in the world view of the American apparatuses. So much so that Biden has signaled in every way that he is unwilling to wage a war for Ukraine against Russia. Washington's uncertainties in the Ukrainian theater stem from a miscalculation of Moscow's intentions and capabilities. Quite normal for the superpower, used to seeking victory and only then to draw the consequences. What has prevented her from winning a real war since 1945 while leading her to bleed into unlikely minor theaters. Therefore to lose credibility, the most precious asset of any power. To correct this negative trajectory and avoid an unwanted but nonetheless disastrous war, Washington tries to get out of the Ukrainian trap that Moscow has set for it. This entails recognizing Russia's role and rank by involving it in an all-out negotiation on pan-European security arrangements. To undermine the basis of her engagement with China in the only possible way: by showing her that she does not need it. The alternative is to slip into a dead end tunnel of which we Europeans would be the first victims, starting with the next barrage of sanctions and counter-sanctions. All the more reason why Rome also makes her voice heard. Nothing is lost yet.   

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.   

Peter Hitchens And Pepe Escobar Weigh In.

First is ever classy Peter Hitchens weighing in in a series of interviews on the state of the British society. He is not optimistic, especially when discussing the "education". I agree on many points with him and the tragedy with school education (including private ones) which unfolds in the combined West is already having a major geopolitical effect. 

Then, Pepe writes a superb piece on Germany and NS2 which symptomatically is titled Frozen Deutschland. As Pepe notes:

Translation: gas from Nord Stream 2 will be absent during the coming winter in Europe and the pipeline, at best, might start running only by mid-2022. And that certainly ties in with the politicking angle, as the German regulators are de facto waiting for the new German ruling coalition to emerge, including the neoliberal Greens who are viscerally anti-Nord Stream and anti-Russia. The European energy executive did not mince his words on a quite possible scenario: “If Germany does not obtain their oil and natural gas by land now they cannot fashion a fall back position, as there is not sufficient LNG capacity or oil for that matter to supply the EU this winter. They are going to freeze. Much of their economy will be forced to shut down. Unemployment will soar. It would take four years to build up LNG capacity for natural gas but who will build it for them?” Germany has zero margin of maneuver to dictate conditions to Gazprom and Russia. The gas that Gazprom won’t sell to northern Europe will be sold to eastern and southern Europe via Turk Stream, and most of all to Asian clients, which do not engage in blackmail and pay much better than the Europeans.

Russia IS already redirecting a lot of her resources to Asia and, in general, countries like Germany will be supplied on the "what's left" or "leftovers" bases. I wrote about it a year or so ago, during the oil crisis--those who are interested they may find it. It all, actually, ties extremely well with what Peter Hitchens says, because the products of this "education", which was in a downward spiral since 1990s, are beginning to reach important posts in EU nations and in the US. As Pepe duly notes:

It will be up to the “resolve of Poland and Lithuania” to “counter the Kremlin threat”. The ideal framework in this case should be the Lublin Triangle – which unites Poland and Lithuania with Ukraine. These are the lineaments of the new Iron Curtain, erected by the Atlanticists, from the Baltic to the Black Sea, to “isolate” Russia. Predictably, German Atlanticists are a crucial part of the package. Of course, to be successful, these actors should “also seek greater U.S. and UK engagement”, with every movement complementing “the role of NATO as the ultimate guarantor of peace in the region”. So behold, EU mortals: a “perfect storm of Russian aggression during the coming winter months” is all but inevitable. Watch it on your screens while you properly freeze.

It goes without saying that most of modern Atlanticists on both shores of the Atlantic are extremely incompetent and something tells me that Russia at this point is really indifferent to new Iron Curtain and, in fact, as I am on record constantly, this new Iron Curtain could be a blessing in disguise to Russia who seeks to preserve her culture, traditions and sanity.

Parallels, Analogies Etc.

I wrote about this extensively when quoting a brilliant article by Irina Alksnis a couple of years ago. Recall this: 

However, to hear this simple advice--not to mention  following it--the United States need to stop, at least for an instance, and silence themselves. To stop shaking air with statements, declarations, demands, and threats, which come across as either strange, or outright silly because of their obvious inability to ever become a reality. But it is precisely, it seems, what the US is not capable of doing. As a result--the continuation of never-ending declaratory carousel: Moscow, Assad must go! Russians, we will provide for freedom of navigation in Kerch Strait! Russians, we will punish you for support of Maduro. But the most insulting for Americans is that only Russia can understand them. Because we remember the pain behind those words. 

As you may know, I hate historical parallels--most of them lack necessary depth and context. Yet, Vladimir Putin yesterday drew a direct MO parallel between Soviet Union and the United States. 

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said the United States was wrong to think that it is "powerful enough" to get away with threatening other countries, a mistake, he said, that led to the downfall of the former Soviet Union.  Putin made the comments during a press briefing late on Friday as he spoke about U.S. sanctions against Moscow, according to Russia's news agency TASS. "We hear threats from the Congress, from other sources. It is all done within the context of the United States' domestic political process," Putin was quoted as saying. "The people who do this, they probably assume that the United States has such economic, military and political might that it can get away with that. It is no big deal, that is what they think." Putin said such behaviour reminded him of the Soviet Union. "The problem with empires is that they think they are powerful enough to make some mistakes. We will buy these (people), bully them, make a deal with them, give necklaces to them, threaten them with battleships. And this will solve all the problems. But problems accumulate. A moment comes when they cannot be solved anymore."

This moment has come already in 2014 and since then, as you all know, things were not going that well for the United States, especially in the field in which the United States proclaimed itself "the finest fighting force in the history of the world".  Why the United States arrived to this conclusion is the question I am trying to answer in my books and this blog for 7 years now. But Putin is correct insofar as pointing out great, if not gross, limitations of the American power, which, for starters, as any power, is not static and undergoes transformation non-stop. This Putin's statement, as well as his dramatic "we are not obliged to feed everyone" (in Russian),

and a very satisfied expression on Gerhard Schroder's face (starting at 1:42) are good indicators of Russia's position for the upcoming summit in Geneva and it is a very bad news for Ukraine. Well, this plus the fact that the first stage of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline is completed. That amounts, actually, to Ukraine's worst nightmare because Russia, indeed, doesn't want to support Ukraine economically in anyway and the main issue today is WHO will pay for Ukraine's mess. Certainly not Russia. US' feeble attempts to convince Germany to allow Ukraine to be a party of US-German negotiations on NS2 is just a political circus, because nobody wants this shithole of a country on their balance. The United States obviously wants to continue to use Ukraine as a ram against Russia, but...but...but one has to have at least some bang for a buck and in Ukraine this is simply not possible, because it is against Russia, not Iraq.

The sooner all those ignoramuses in the State Department, especially its Russia "section", headed by Kagan's cabal, understand that, the better it will be for the United States which is in no position to press Russia through Ukraine, because if pushed too far, Russia will react and that will make the United States look very weak. Well, that is the main reason for the American side stalking Russians trying to obtain the agreement on holding the summit. While I do not agree with recent events around Ukraine being compared to Cuban Missile Crisis, there was no doubt that the only option the United States had if Russia would "deal" with Ukraine was to escalate to nuclear threshold in desperate attempts to mitigate enormous political and reputational losses the United States would incur after Russia would annihilate both VSU and current Ukrainian statehood. Even ignorant and possessed neocons in D.C. understand that and want to live. The upcoming summit will be primarily about that--somebody in D.C. got the message and got scared. 

I still cannot wrap my brain around the whole proceedings in Geneva in terms of how Putin would communicate with Biden, but it is what it is, so I don't really care. As long as US exceptionalists begin to understand that they are not that exceptional--good, we all may avoid a major war and it is all for the better. Putin, obviously, knows the present state of the United States and the talk we hear from Moscow today indicates that Russia is absolutely confident and means what she states. As long as the United States will not do stupid things in Ukraine, like trying to "rebuild" Ukrainian Army--a dubious proposition in a better times for the US, forget about now--things should be fine and Europe will get its gas, thus giving Germany a small fighting economic chance before Bundestag will get filled with woke globalist shills from the Green Party whose main objective is to turn already badly mauled Germany into the third world shithole. But that is a strictly internal German affair--people deserve the government they elect. In this sense, Putin drawing parallels with the Soviet Union are not incorrect and as I wrote recently, the United States simply reached limits, which cannot be pushed anymore. It is a completely new paradigm.