Reading The Signs.

US journos suffer from the lack of reading comprehension. I also noted that their interest in Russia is, how to put it politely, arose to an incredible height because headlines are dominated by Russia. Especially after the sober reality of oil dawned on those cretins today and the desire to hail Trump's "brokerage" and Russia's "defeat" evaporated over night. Now they report this:

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia is ready to discuss hypersonic missiles and other arms control issues with the United States as part of wider discussions about strategic stability, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday. Cold War-era arms control agreements have been in jeopardy as Russia's relations with the West have soured in recent years. In August 2019, the United States pulled out of a landmark strategic arms accord, the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), citing Russian non-compliance. Both countries are developing hypersonic missiles to expand their defence capabilities, with Russian President Vladimir Putin overseeing a test in Crimea in early January.

I wrote on this issue many times, I might as well reiterate. Discussing and acting on something is not the same--this is the thing which journos seem unable to grasp. This is not to mention the fact that Russia IS NOT "developing" hypersonic missiles but long time ago developed them and have them not in IOC (Initial Operation Capabilities) mode but deployed in full combat mode, be that hypersonic Kinzhal or strategic Avangard. The only other hypersonic system, 3M22 Zircon, is in final testing and will be accepted for full combat deployment by 2022 (in Russian). This is what those journos do not understand: the United States has absolutely nothing, zero, to counter it with since has NO viable hypersonic weapon systems and will not have those for at least a decade. Yet, they note:

Lavrov said he wanted to speak to U.S Secretary of State Mike Pompeo again after receiving a call from him a couple of days ago during which he said Pompeo touched on resuming talks on arms control and strategic stability. "We welcome such interest from our American partners because we have encouraged them to address these problems more actively for a long time," Lavrov said. "We are open to talks about new promising developments, including hypersonic weapons in the context of, and I emphasise this especially, taking into account all aspects and factors that influence strategic stability, without exception."

Lavrov statement is so loaded, as were numerous calls by Trump to Moscow last few days, that I am not sure those people in Reuters can actually "unpack" it. Russia, as an example, can reduce the number of Avangards but will demand in return some things which for the US will be very painful (emotionally) to deliver. And then again, it was Pompeo who called Moscow, not the other way around. "Strategic stability" is not just the matter of weapons which Russia has and more are coming: some sources state now that nuclear-powered Petrel is also a hypersonic weapon (M=6+) on terminal, while capable of loitering for days before attacking. Strategic stability is about the balance, quid-pro-quo, and Russia, certainly, has some things she needs from the US--first one which comes to mind is a Nord Stream-2, the second one, I think, is for the US to foot the bill for Ukraine. You know old saying: you broke it, you own it. So, the United States finds itself in an unfamiliar territory where it has to trade huge geopolitical favors for reduction of weapons which Russia may or may not agree to reduce the way the United States wants. Expect a lot of butt-hurt, and I mean a lot. But as I wrote more than two years ago:

It was over for some time now, it just took Putin’s speech to demonstrate the good old Al Capone truism that one can get much further with a kind word and a gun than with a kind word alone. After all, Russia did try a kind word alone, it didn’t work and the United States has only itself to blame.

We can see now how this "discussion" is going to proceed. Yeah, the tables are turning in such a funny way as of lately. But as Kubler-Ross model predicts, we find the United States in a Stage 3--Bargaining--with Stage 4, Depression (economic and psychological), following very close after the bargaining will be completed. It will be Stage 5, though, at which Noblesse Oblige will kick in full force, because, as I already stated many times, Russia IS NOT seeking the collapse and disintegration of the United States. In fact, Russia seeks the United States as a predictable, stable geopolitical entity. Why so--is a huge, monstrous, separate topic, which I may elaborate upon later. After all, it is the part of my third book. In related news, Brent today fell another 6%, while WTI dropped 9%. Urals, on the other hand, rose 19%. Where's Bloomberg when you need one, wink, wink.