Same Thrust.

My good friend Byron King penned an excellent piece about Anchorage and it is along the same lines as opinions by me, Larry Johnson, Daniel Davis, Ray McGovern and others. 

Apparently, the Trump administration has wanted something like this summit for many months and summarily announced it with typical White House fanfare. Frankly, though, as an outsider looking in, this Trump-Putin summit appears to be a hastily contrived event. I won’t call it a stunt, but it’s difficult to see where it’s all headed, certainly on the Ukraine issue. For example, regarding Ukraine, what has Team Trump accomplished in the way of back-office staff work? Have American diplomats, military experts and other subject matter experts met with Russian counterparts to hash out details of a workable agreement? If any of this has occurred, it’s been kept under wraps. But okay, we’ll see. Meanwhile, it’s worth pointing out that Russia’s government has never deviated from its long-term demands and geopolitical goals vis a vis Ukraine: Russia keeps Crimea and holds the annexed eastern portions of Ukraine; Ukraine remains forever out of NATO; Ukraine must demilitarize to a relatively low level, not capable of threatening Russia; and Ukraine must “de-N@zify” in terms of its political philosophy.

Dmitry Orlov shares the sentiment: 

On Friday, August 15, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump are scheduled to meet in Anchorage, Alaska. This is all the news so far: the presidents of Russia and the US are to talk to each other in person; details of the conversation unknown ahead of time and confidential in any case. If you are interested in this sort of thing, on Friday you'd probably want to start paying attention to the official communiques by the Russian and the US sides that are likely to be made following the event. You might perhaps watch the joint press conference, if there is one. And then, if you were to practice proper informational hygiene, you would be advised to tune out for at least a week, to give competent analysts a chance to perform their analyses. Instead of such informational hygiene, what many people are being subjected to is full-on hysteria. Western mass media and bloggers are delivering a panicked barrage of fake news and commentary (for there is little actual news to report). It is mostly focused on who said what, ignoring the fact that the who is not relevant and the what is of no consequence. In particular, any sentence containing the name "Zelensky" is guaranteed to be pure nonsense.

Yes, about this informational hygiene, of which many of us speak and write ad nauseam--unplug yourself from Western establishment media, they provide NO useful information or anything resembling the truth. Here is an example--while human trash and whores (literally) in establishment media float out all kinds of "settlement" on territorial issues in 404, here is Russia's Foreign Ministry today, verbatim. 

МОСКВА, 13 авг — РИА Новости. Территориальное устройство России закреплено в Конституции и не подлежит обсуждению на предстоящей встрече Путина и Трампа, заявил заместитель директора департамента информации и печати МИД Алексей Фадеев. "Здесь даже не нужно изобретать чего-то. Территориальное устройство Российской Федерации закреплено в Конституции нашей страны. Этим все сказано. Поэтому что касается целей российской делегации в переговорах на Аляске, то они диктуются исключительно национальными интересами", — сказал он на брифинге.

Translation: MOSCOW, August 13 — RIA Novosti. Russia's territorial structure is enshrined in the Constitution and is not subject to discussion at the upcoming meeting between Putin and Trump, said Alexei Fadeyev, Deputy Director of the Information and Press Department of the Foreign Ministry. "There is no need to invent anything here. The territorial structure of the Russian Federation is enshrined in the Constitution of our country. That says it all. Therefore, as for the goals of the Russian delegation in the negotiations in Alaska, they are dictated exclusively by national interests," he said at a briefing.

SMO will continue no matter what is discussed in Anchorage. Meanwhile, DJT is going to discuss the fate of Leningrad.

Hey, Donny, YOU were the one who appointed a cuck and a treasonous coward Bolton as your National Security Adviser. You, and nobody else. He is YOUR cadre, as was and is a collection of neocons in both of your administrations.

Speaking of which, Financial Times, this British tabloid masquerading for a serious publications laments, LOL.

There was a shortage of experts on Russia in the US administration on the eve of the talks between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. Usually, the National Security Council is in charge of the preparation of meetings, but it has been significantly reduced: in May, dozens of foreign policy experts were fired, writes the Financial Times (FT). According to the publication, in July, more than 1300 employees were fired as part of the government's campaign to reduce federal staff at the State Department. Among them were analysts dealing with Russia and Ukraine. Also, in the second presidential term of Mr. Trump, "a significant part of his employees" lost the US diplomatic corps.

Hey, FT retards, read my lips, again. The combined West DOES NOT have Russia's "experts", hasn't had them for a long time--what passes in the West for "Russia experts" is a bunch or brainwashed cretins from the allegedly "top" universities, who are later recruited in all kinds of orgs such as MI6, CIA or numerous "think-tanks" strictly on the merit of speaking Russian and repeating the same propaganda tropes from the Cold War 1.0. They are no "experts". It is a result of a precipitous intellectual decline of the West and a complete corruption and degeneration of its edukeishn in the so called humanities field. 

Moreover, as I also repeat ad nauseam, in the US the craft of diplomacy is non-existent. The (lack of) expertise of State Department is that of providing consular service and availing its embassies around the world to CIA and Mossad for all kinds of subversive (and criminal) activities. Those 1,300 "experts" who have been fired is not a big loss, because among those not a single person is an "expert in Russia".  The US simply doesn't know the world outside, period. Never really did. Per operation on Dobropolye axis I will write later--some really interesting insights from there from those ... who know what they are doing.   

Wow, What Sore Losers.

This is about Russian aviation and a bunch of pseudo-experts who are experiencing a huge butt-hurt. This is expected from such people like Murdo Morrison whose C.V. you can find at LinkedIn. As expected, LOL: 

So, the guy has no education but, guess what. As CNN reports, IL-96-400M is:

“Although Moscow won’t admit it, the sanctions that followed the Ukraine invasion have really damaged Russian aviation,” Murdo Morrison, head of strategic content at FlightGlobal, tells CNN. “The problem is that lack of spares – some get in through the back door undoubtedly – means that many Airbus and Boeing aircraft flying in Russia today are potentially dangerous. Although Russia has a proficient regulator, there is very little visibility as to the health of its fleet.” 

I think, CNN "experts" need to take classes in basic history of Russian aerospace, while CNN editorial staff throws themselves into the crater of active volcano, because they are neither "experts", nor journalists. But I feel their butt-hurt, and the sour grapes grew to a monstrous size. This also nicely coincides with this today's news:

Газогенератор самого большого российского турбовентиляторного двигателя ПД-35 завершил очередной этап наземных испытаний, сообщила Объединенная двигателестроительная корпорация (ОДК). Для этого использовался специально стенд в Центральном институте авиационных моторов (ЦИАМ) в Москве, где имитировалась работа полноразмерного мотора. Испытания показали хорошую сходимость полученных параметров газогенератора с проектными данными, отметили в корпорации.

Translation: The gas generator of the largest Russian turbofan engine, PD-35, has completed the next stage of ground testing, the United Engine Corporation (UEC) reported. For this purpose, a special stand was used at the Central Institute of Aviation Motors (CIAM) in Moscow, where the operation of a full-size engine was simulated. Tests showed good convergence of the obtained parameters of the gas generator with the design data, the corporation noted. 

I guess butt-hurting will continue because PD-35 can be scaled between 26 and 44 tons of thrust and it is not just for IL-96-400M, it is also for fully Russified AN-124 Ruslan with all new systems, from APU and avionics, to four PD-35s versions which will provide Russia with strategic lift until new heavy transport aircraft is ready. But then again, with "degree" in politics and "experience" of editing Car and Accessory Trader Magazine in his native UK, no surprise Mr. Morrison has issues with understanding the picture--a defining feature of British "elites". Good God, the idiot should have at least read late and truly erudite British aviation writer (with actual RAF flying experience and aeronautical engineering degree) Bill Gunston. From the times when Britons did produce people of not just good talent, but real class as late Bill was. You can still see this class shining through the last representatives such as Alastair Crooke of what once was a respectable and proud professional community. Not anymore. Now only Murdo Morrisons.

How The Tables Have Turned.

Really, amazing, actually. In general, the revenge is a dish best served cold. 

Moscow has acknowledged receiving a call request from Washington on Thursday. A conversation between the two nation’s top diplomats might take place as soon as the busy schedule of Russia’s top diplomat, Sergey Lavrov, makes it possible, the Foreign Ministry said. Lavrov will “pay attention to this request when time permits,” the ministry’s spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, told journalists, referring to Washington’s request for a phone conversation between Lavrov and US State Secretary Antony Blinken. Earlier on Thursday, State Department spokesman Ned Price said at a news briefing that the US “made it clear to the Russian Federation that we are seeking a conversation between State Secretary Blinken and Foreign Minister Lavrov.” The request had been conveyed to Russia “directly” and “repeatedly,” Price said. The US expects the two top diplomats to “have an opportunity to speak in the coming days,” he added. 

It needs no additional elaboration--Sergei Lavrov's schedule is extremely busy, obviously, because Russia is so "isolated", that it will be problematic for him to find time to talk to some low-class schlimazel who is to diplomacy as I am to Chinese choreography. So, using good ol' Russian saying--в очередь, сукины дети, в очередь (Get in line, sons of bitches, get in line). Lavrov undeniably read Bulgakov, that goes without saying. In the same time, I can only imagine what an emotional satisfaction Maria had when stating this:

Zakharova said on Thursday that the Russian foreign minister currently “has a busy schedule with international contacts,” including a Shanghai Cooperation Organization ministerial summit and some bilateral meetings.  

Meanwhile Russia's "isolation" is so complete, and Russia is so "insignificant" economically and technologically, that even fanatical Russophobic BSers from Daily Beast had to admit:

Russia Might Just Plunge the World Into a Dark Era for Space

Nah, don't worry, Tony Ho Tran (yes, that's the name of the author of the piece), who needs this insignificant "gas station masquerading as a country"? Come on, I am sure Russia's withdrawal from ISS will be unnoticed. This doesn't prevent this whole piece being filled with all kinds of BS, starting from "discussion" of Russia's upcoming space station ROSS, to asking an "expert" Wendy Whitman Cobb to comment on Russia's space program. Here is Wendy's CV and... drum roll..she has a Ph.D in political "science", meaning she has no education at all.  

That may explain (partially) why the US is nearing the bottom. With "experts" like these, who needs the enemies? The United States institutionalized illiteracy and ignorance and called it "education".

Good Ol' Truisms.

F(unny) Man at the Saker's blog beat me to it, damn)) 

Amateurs think strategy, generals think logistics … Or why Ukraine is doomed

Couldn't be more true. The reports of VSU's hardware increasingly being immobile due to lack of fuel are pouring in. So, good ol' truism is truism for a reason. In related news, economics first and yet another truism, while dogs bark, the caravan passes on:

India is stepping closer to setting up an alternative payments system to maintain its trade with Russia, identifying a potential bank, as a top panel examining the issue recommended prioritising edible oil and fertiliser imports as well as payments owed to India, an official aware of the development has said. 

Hindustan Times no less. People ask me all the time: what about dedollarization. Here it is in its full blown glory. That is why Jake Sullivan threatens China:

"It is a concern of ours," he continued, "and we have communicated to Beijing that we will not stand by and allow any country to compensate Russia for its losses from the economic sanctions."

And while Western media continue to spread fakes from 404, Jake Sullivan better learn (don't hold your breath) the actual correlation of economic and military potentials between what increasingly forms as isolated and fast declining West, headed by the US, and the rest of the world. And here are some pictures for Western mercenaries (primarily good at shooting defenseless civilians) to consider in terms of what I write for many years. These are from Yavorov Range where CIA and NATO "advisers" were training Neonazi forces and now were drilling combat cohesion for mercenaries' "units". As some of those "soldiers of fortune" admit--180 of them are gone. 

Or here:
 

As I am on record--it is one thing to shoot civilians, totally another to be under sustained fire impact of high precision stand-off weapons. Here it is. That is how it looks like and that is precisely how the rear of any--even the best NATO force--will look like in case of the war with Russia. I repeat: NATO watches this operation in a complete shock and awe, especially when one considers that VSU, especially its 80,000 grouping in  the East and which was trained and equipped by NATO is fully surrounded and broken apart and is being annihilated as I type this. 

And now, in order for me to stop constantly explaining why all those Colonel Cassads, Yuri Podolyakas, all other "military experts" are BS spreaders, here is (sadly only in Russian) retired Colonel of the General Staff.

 

It is worth listening, especially in terms of planning. 

In conclusion. As yesterday's Military Approved confirmed, 3M22 Zircon is a very low observable system and is not detectable by present detection means, not to speak of West's interception system (air defense) which cannot shoot it down. With the range of 1,500 kilometers and M=9 this version (first) of Zircon is a radical change of paradigm. So, here is you primer for Sunday. 

UPDATE: here is one of the Nazis complaining about this whole "situation" with wiping out mercenaries at Yavorov Range. 

He laments that poor dears were sleeping at the time of Kalibrs arriving to destination. Right... Russians should have waited until they wake up/s. I wonder with what speed NATO propaganda evaporates at this stage from brainwashed nazi minds in 404. It is a good luck when you die fast, but many are not afforded such a treat and die due to horrendous wounds in agony. That's the real war, fellows. They (NATO) forgot to mention to you what it is to be on the receiving end, because they don't know it themselves.