My Interview With Bonnie Faulkner (NYC WBAI radio-station).

Here is my hour long interview with Bonnie Faulkner of a popular Guns and Butter radio-show. 

Russian military and naval analyst, Andrei Martyanov, discusses the dangerous April standoff between Kiev and Moscow and its implications for US/Russian relations; Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky; new Russian weapons; US deployment to the Black Sea cancelled; Russia’s geopolitical, cultural and economic departure from the West; Russian Constitution; US goes to DEFCON 3; a coercion to peace; Russia discards Western payment systems; Russia’s view of the Ukraine; both Biden and Nuland involved in 2014 Ukrainian coup, both are back in power; alliance between Russia and China; scale of US deficiency v Russian firepower; US military nuclear-bias; crisis of financial predatory capitalism; global tectonic change taking place; 

It was given in April at the height of the tensions, when 404's military adventurism around LDNR threatened to unleash Russia's firepower which would drive the United States to the wall and into the military-political dead-end from which the United States would have to either go out totally militarily humiliated with the immense geopolitical ramifications for itself, or through the escalation to nuclear threshold and then all bets could be off. Chasing Russians with the de facto demand for summit has been a direct result of April events, which have been even compared to Cuban Missile Crisis by former Russia's President and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. I wouldn't go as far as to compare these two events, but there is no denial that the probability of a direct military confrontation between the United States and Russia was growing. OK, summit has happened, sides expressed enough respect to each-other and, as I quoted former Soviet FM Andrei Gromyko--ten years of negotiations are better than one day of war. When related to the nuclear superpowers such as Russia and the US this is ultimately, 146%, true. 

In related news, Lavrov (in Russian) simply ran over UK's FM Dominic Raab, or speaking in diplomatic lingo--beat the shit out of him. Alexander Mercouris thinks that Lavrov chewed him up. No matter how one calls it--Raab (and UK represented by him) have been put in their place. Here is Alexander's take on that:

But I want to remind you what I wrote more than a year ago about Noblesse Oblige in an exclusive superpowers club. Real superpowers in modern times have a very specific way of interaction because of the enormous stakes for the entire world in such an interaction. The United Kingdom is not in this club, not even close and it is time the UK finally faced the fact that it is a second tier-power way out of league of the US, China and Russia. I don't think UK can adjust its discourse but it really doesn't matter for Russia whose main economic anchor in Europe after WW II was always Germany, while UK's place is lower that that of Netherlands.  

So, let's face it, UK is not THAT important for Russia, while militarily...well, I'll abstain from commenting in order not to rub the salt into the wounds of my many British friends, majority of who are great lads and for a guy, like me, who grew up with British rock-music, comedy and wonderful literature, there is still a lot what could be admired in the UK of the past. So, there we are on this Friday. Enjoy, if you can get through my thick Rrrrusian accent.

The Summit Thing.

Russians soon will have to really hide under the bed in order to avoid being stalked by the US and NATO and being subjected to incessant requests to hold summits of one form or another. If stalking Russians to get the Geneva summit out of them hasn't been enough, now Mr. Stoltenberg wants to hold a meeting of a de facto defunct (since 2014) NATO-Russia Council. 

BRUSSELS, June 7. /TASS/. NATO is currently holding contacts with Russia in order to convene the Russia-NATO Council at the ambassadorial level, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said, speaking at the Atlantic Council Monday. "We have a standing invitation for Russia to participate in a meeting, to convene the Russia-NATO Council again. So far, they have not answered," Stoltenberg noted. "We are now in contact with Russia to convene the Russia-NATO Council," he said.

As I always state: to discuss exactly WHAT? NATO, which is the United States and a bunch of its vassals is not going to change and playing a willing side changes absolutely nothing because NATO lied to Russia and its word is worthless. As if giving Stoltenberg a bit of a cold shower, Russia's Foreign Ministry stated today:

MOSCOW, June 7. /TASS/. Sanctions against Russia have been enshrined in the legal acts of Western states and will last forever, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Pankin told the parliamentary hearings in the State Duma (lower house) on Monday."The sanctions regime has always been in place. And it will remain so forever, let us be realistic. Sanctions have been enshrined in many legal acts, in the US and other states, and it is impossible to roll them back," the diplomat stated."All of them are illegitimate, they were slapped under very shaky pretexts, without any proof, but those facts, which are deemed as committed, cannot be rolled back," Pankin noted.The diplomat stressed that Russia would not ask anyone to lift sanctions and would not say sorry for what it is not doing.

So, Mr. Stoltenberg, it is what it is and Russia also will not miraculously stop her both military and economic development and transitioning into the new economic paradigm and increasing her massive military advantage over NATO. All what Russia does, she does in her territory and Russia's red lines will be articulated at Biden-Putin summit (if it goes ahead) and the opinion of some vassals doesn't really count. Plus, Stoltenberg better attend to a much more urgent NATO problems such as this one, because this is the level of military problems NATO is still capable to solve. 

BERLIN (AP) — The German military says it has found a solution for an unusual logistics problem its troops in Afghanistan face: a glut of beer. Defense Ministry spokeswoman Christina Routsi said Monday that a recent decision by the German commander in Afghanistan to ban the consumption of alcohol for security reasons had resulted in a pileup of beer, wine and mixed drinks at Camp Marmal in Mazar-e-Sharif. German soldiers are usually entitled to two cans of beer — or equivalent — per day. Routsi said the military had found a civilian contractor who will take the alcohol back out of the country ahead of the German troops' withdrawal from Afghanistan as the NATO mission in the country ends in the coming months. The German army said the 22,600 liters (almost 6,000 gallons) of alcohol — including almost 60,000 cans of beer — couldn't be sold in Afghanistan due to local religious restrictions, or destroyed for environmental reasons. Proceeds from the German contractor's sale of the beer elsewhere should cover the cost of transporting it out of the country, the army said.

I have to admit, though, that this is a very very German problem. It cannot get any more German than that. 

So, here we are, everyone wants Russia. It is Russia, Russia, Russia all day long and even booboo Zelensky is so hurt and confused because of Biden...well, ignoring him. I don't know what it takes to explain to Ze that his country is a third world shithole which tried to do the most stupid thing in geopolitics--to interject itself into the game of superpowers. The result was totally expected, just ask Poland which now begins to feel a bit of Germany's wrath. One doesn't play (with) big boys and expect to be treated as equal. 

Denmark's environmental and food appeals board has repealed a construction permit for the Baltic Pipe, which will connect Poland's gas market with fields offshore Norway. 

This is how it always worked and will continue to work because in geopolitics some are MORE equal than others. Those who do not like it--they can go and fuck themselves. Now, for some of my readers who love a tough talk and tough actions and want to see Russia going around smashing everyone's heads and thumping her chest with the triumphant screams. This is NOT how power-balance works. Listen to Alexander Mercouris about Turkey and listen attentively. That may explain to some how the political power and influence work. Especially when superpowers are involved. 

So, apart from steady stream of news from Russia regarding the development of a cutting edge weaponry and very interesting economic data, after listening to Alexander, ask yourself a question why Erdogan does what he does and why Stoltenberg wants to talk to Russians, like really-really bad. No, it is not because Russians want to "invade" Europe. Why? The reason is different.