Unlike The US...

... for all America's monstrous problems in economy, in government and military, the UK and its premier military institution Military Academy in Sandhurst didn't produce a competent military thinker and commander since esteemed Sir Mike Jackson retired. US still remains grossly declining but superpower and can still theoretically deploy (under ideal, fantastic that is, conditions) a sizeable force to fight some smaller country. British Army, meanwhile, is a joke. All British ground forces can do is to deploy one fully combat ready brigade, maybe two. It is about two weeks worth of fighting similar to SMO's intensity for these two brigades to be wiped out. So, what's left for Britain? Right--terrorist, murder, diversionary and pseudo intelligence activity, because the rest is beyond British economic and military capabilities. And that drives many Sandhurst types completely nuts--they still think about the Empire on which the sun never sets. Not surprising, with such "historians" as late John Keegan and his student Anthony Beavor (a graduate of Sandhurst), among others, history and large scale combined arms operations are not British forte--too small and too insignificant. So...

Mr. Lugovoy, recall the guy who allegedly "killed" Mr. Litvinenko, who, obviously was "removed" (hack job, as usual) by MI-6 people, today discloses (obviously from a blessing of his former organization, aka KGB-FSB) that British were directly involved in Crimean Bridge sabotage and now the names are being stated. 

К теракту на Крымском мосту может быть причастен бывший офицер разведки Соединенного Королевства Кристофер Найджел Доннелли, который сейчас занимает должность советника главы МИД Литвы Габриэлюса Ландсбергиса. Об этом в своем Telegram-канале пишет депутат Госдумы Андрей Луговой (ЛДПР), который направил запрос генпрокурору России Игорю Краснову с просьбой проверить деятельность Доннелли на причастность к теракту на Крымском мосту. «В теракте на Крымском мосту четко прослеживается британский след. Тщательно продуманный план террористической операции, многоходовка и координация – все указывает на причастность западных спецслужб, действующих по заказу правительства Великобритании», – указывает парламентарий. 

Translation: Former intelligence officer of the United Kingdom Christopher Nigel Donnelly, who is now an adviser to Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, may be involved in the terrorist attack on the Crimean Bridge. State Duma deputy Andrei Lugovoy (LDPR) writes about this in his Telegram channel, who sent a request to Russian Prosecutor General Igor Krasnov with a request to check Donnelly's activities for involvement in the terrorist attack on the Crimean bridge. “There is a clear British trace in the terrorist attack on the Crimean bridge. A carefully thought-out plan of a terrorist operation, multi-movement and coordination - all point to the involvement of Western intelligence agencies acting on the orders of the British government, ”the parliamentarian points out.

Use GOOGLE to translate the whole piece with juicy details of Mr. Donnelly's so called "intelligence" and teaching career (in Sandhurst, naturally) with specialization in... Russia, and you will understand that with "specialists" like that UK doesn't need any enemies because it is being run by sore losers who still cannot reconcile themselves to the fact of UK being inconsequential in any economic or military aspect of civilization. US is, for now. But why, you may ask, this is so significant? Simple: once Russian judicial system designates Donnelly and his MI-6 and UK MoD buddies as terrorists, which is most likely, because Lugovoy obviously acts as more than just Member of State Duma but on behalf of FSB too, Mr. Donnelly better do some plastic surgery and remain in UK, because he will become hunted by people who know much more than just the art of killing the Skripal's cat or hack job of poisoning Litvinenko. That is the significance of all that and, if you followed the news, UK was getting black marks from Russia as of lately non-stop. UK is disposable, US is not, but London, evidently, still doesn't understand that it is a pip-squeak in a larger scheme of things. 

Speaking of which:

Turkey has begun to pay partially in rubles for the Russian gas it receives, Turkish Energy Minister Fatih Donmez told a local broadcaster on Tuesday. Over the coming months, Turkey will increase the share of ruble payments for Russian gas, the minister told the TRT Haber television channel. Shortly after the invasion of Ukraine, Russia demanded that the so-called “unfriendly” countries – a designation of Moscow for most of the Western countries – pay for their Russian gas supply in rubles. Several EU countries have refused and saw their gas supply from Russia cut off. Turkey is not on the “unfriendly” country list, but both Turkey and Russia have tried to boost bilateral trade in local currencies for years. Turkey may also host a conference of natural gas suppliers and importers as part of its efforts to set up – with Russia – a natural gas hub locally, Donmez told TRT Haber.

So, how much London's banking, audit and insurance "complex" is worth? Pretty much worthless in the new geopolitical reality. Again, the tragedy of the combined West, I repeat, is in the fact that it long ago lost the touch with the reality and cannot properly size itself up. It is not as "big" as it always thought. In fact, it is dramatically smaller in the larger scheme of things and, in a metaphysical sense, Russia's war with it is about cutting it to size, in which UK's role is that of a regional European island who will do as told. I think Colonel Donnelly is about to learn about it.  Somebody will certainly write to him and it is not going to be from UK military (intel) pension fund.

In conclusion:

Russia is not engaged in negotiations with the US over Ukraine, a senior Russian diplomat said on Tuesday, signaling, however, that Moscow remains completely open to talks with Kiev. When asked by reporters over possible bilateral talks with Washington on Ukraine, Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko replied, “No, we are not.” However, the diplomat stated that Moscow is ready to hold negotiations with Ukraine “without any preconditions,” except for the key condition – “that Ukraine shows goodwill.” Rudenko offered a reminder, however, that Ukraine has adopted a law prohibiting talks with Russia. “That’s their choice. We have always said we are ready for such negotiations, which had been interrupted not at our fault,” he added.

You see, Russia can also do lawyering. This is your primer for Tuesday.

Here Is Russia's Investigative Committee's Video...

 ... of yet another darling of the West, who, when he learned about the married couple from Mariupol being taken prisoners by VSU, got drunk, went into the cellar where the couple was held and started, threatening with his handgun, to rape the wife in a front of her husband. When husband "expressed objections" this courageous ukie killed him.

This is not an exception, this is typical of large segments of VSU and, of course, Nazis. I think US Department of Education should seriously consider introducing the study of these "defenders of democracy" into curricula of history and civics as great examples of personal sacrifice for liberty and against totalitarianism. I am positive many Western universities humanities programs already use these shining examples, like this guy, of human courage and selflessness in their political science and journalism programs because how else would we have gotten such people as Rachel Maddow or late Madeleine Albright and terrorist admirers Lindsey Graham and  his late buddy John McCain. 

Nah, I am screwing with you. The flow of psychopaths into the Western "elites" was reaching its peak right around 1980s and today the combined West lives in a completely distorted reality, especially so in moral terms. Just ask 500,000 Iraqi children how it feels. Now per these Putin's remarks:

In Putin’s opinion, the West has since changed its goal. “… As they realise that this is impossible, they try to achieve a different objective instead – to split Russian society, to destroy Russia from within. But here, too, there is a hitch; this hasn’t worked either,” Putin said. In his opinion, Russian society “has shown maturity, solidarity,” and supports its armed forces and the efforts “to ensure Russia’s ultimate security and help the people living of Donbass.” After a ‘fiasco’ in the media field, Putin claimed, the West has turned “to terror, to arranging the murder of our journalists.” He was referring to Monday’s announcement by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) that it had detained a group of “neo-Nazis” instructed by the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) to kill popular Russian TV host and journalist Vladimir Solovyov. Kiev has denied any role in organizing the assassination attempt. “In this regard, it should be noted of course that we know the names of all the Western handlers, of all members of Western services, primarily the CIA, who are working with Ukrainian security agencies. Apparently, they are giving them such advice,” the Russian leader said.

The attempts at assassination is what I was talking about yesterday--sleeper cells or "insertions" in Russia from 404. Sabotage and terrorist acts will continue inside Russia, albeit FSB obviously is working and does its job. This is an act of desperation and those are now not just diversionary acts, those begin flow into a pure terrorism, which is CIA's and MI-6's and their poodles specialty. The whole (love) affair with ISIS or murdering General Soleimani while on diplomatic mission--are just small fragments of a much larger picture of a metaphysical problem with continental warfare for Anglo-American world in the 20th century. It got lucky once in WW II, after that its performance was rather dubious and today it is a pure terrorism. Terrorism is a weapon of weak. It is an axiom, not even a theorem.

Plus, in case with Russian journalists it is a continuation of a total delusion and alternative reality combined West resides in when it comes to Russia. They still believe that they can "regime change" in Russia if only they could kill n-amount of Russian media figures and their families and clear the road to "forces of democracy", fifth column that is. Read more Solzhenitsyn and Russian anti-Soviet dissidents, that will ensure that you know shit about Russia and will continue to fail in every subversion endeavor in Russia. 

Bernhard of MoA gives a good write up on the significance of Russia basically cutting 404 in two in terms of rail lines of communications, which, as he puts it:

All the diapers, weapons and munitions the U.S. and other countries supply to Ukraine will now mostly be stuck in west Ukraine where they will rot until some clever Ukrainian oligarch manages to sell them off to some third country. The fall out from the railway attacks will also hit civilian supplies in Ukraine. It will hinder civilian passenger traffic especially for people who have fled towards the west and now have less transport available to return home. Since the war started Russia has intentionally avoided to hit civilian infrastructure in Ukraine. Electricity and communication networks as well as water supplies have all stayed intact. (In recent U.S. wars those were the first things it destroyed.) The attacks on the Ukrainian railway became only necessary after the U.S. and others provided more and more war materials to the Ukraine. Russia will not allow its troops to come under fire from those newly delivered weapons.

As I am also on record, not only the supply channel was largely choked but whatever may trickle into the combat zone of surrounded VSU grouping in Donbass will be annihilated by whatever means necessary. That is why primarily Western military porn addicts with life experiences and education in wargaming and Hollywood ejaculate each time when some Western military toy (the masturbation object du jour is M-777 howitzer) gets shipped to 404 and expectations of this toy ensuring ukie victory run high, this is until dubious effectiveness of the NATO weapons gets exposed, and the masturbation cycles starts anew with expected results. As I said, having no serious military background and basic tools of critical thinking is not good for facing the reality. 

But all this is just a background of a larger drama:

April 20 (Reuters) - Russia's Rosneft has asked for roubles and full prepayments in tenders for crude, sources have told Reuters, as the country's top oil exporter aligns itself with President Vladimir Putin's push for roubles-only trade in natural gas. While Rosneft left scope for payment in other currencies, it also reserved to right to refuse deals where prepayment is not offered in full.

You see, here is a conundrum for dimwits in D.C. Russia is not Libya, which was demolished the moment Qaddafi hinted at gold for oil payment system. Even Lord Austin is somewhat underwhelming in his new objective:

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin says the US aim is to make Russia so weak it can’t invade another country again. 

Well, that is really underwhelming. Honestly and I do not want to elaborate now on the sheer delusion of this statement, but truth is--the only thing combined West can do is to continue with terrorist and diversionary acts on Russian territory because any kind of military confrontation with Russia means a serious rearranging of the stones in Western capitals and losses no NATO nation, especially the United States, has any historic experience with. Well, with the exception of Germany. Some people in D.C. do understand it. So, the resource-Ruble is here and Gold Ruble is next. As The Doors sang: "This is the end". Everything else develops from this point. 

Like this.

Lie Down With Dogs, Get Up With...

Well, you all know how it goes. Already in 2015, when ukranization of the US foreign policy started in earnest (I wonder how much competition is there between Israel and Ukraine at this stage) one US Senator got himself a flea infestation, when:

The 'exclusive' photos of 'Russian invasion in Ukraine' in 2014 turned out to be easily found in the Web, with at least one of them dating back to 2008. Now, US senator James Inhofe is furious with the Ukrainian delegation for setting him up with the 'evidence'. Questions have been raised about the veracity of reports that claim Russian troops have invaded Ukraine after US Oklahoma Sen. James Inhofe confessed that several photos of Russian convoys he obtained from a Ukrainian parliamentary group were taken during the 2008 Georgia conflict, the Washington Free Beacon said. On Tuesday, the Washington Free Beacon ran a story that unveiled "exclusive" photos of victims of militia bombs and Russian armed vehicles seemingly rolling into Ukraine. The photos were provided to Inhofe's office in print by an obscure Ukrainian delegation, led by a Georgetown professor, who said the images were taken at the height of Russia's alleged military incursion between August 24 and September 5, 2014.  

Now America's Ukie "friends" have their own ideas on how the whole NATO proceedings should be conducted and they simply do this:

The White House and the Ukrainian government initially sent out conflicting official accounts of Monday's phone call between President Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Why it matters: Ukraine's government initially reported on its official website that Biden had "highlighted... the importance of providing the Ukrainian state with a NATO Membership Action Plan," which would put Ukraine on course for membership in the alliance. The White House denied Biden expressed support for such a step on the call.

• "The Ukrainians mischaracterized the statement and corrected the record," a National Security Council spokesperson told Axios.
• By Monday evening, the Ukrainian government's readout had been changed to remove the reference to NATO membership for Ukraine.

Oh come on, guys. Give poor Ukraine a break, they want to matter so much that "little" lie here, "little" lie there shouldn't matter, really. Why don't the US give Ukraine codes from the US nuclear weapons, that is a swell idea. But in the game who will pay for this shithole of a country one very important step has been made. Not that the promise from D.C. worth anything but Anthony Blinken stated:

....что США намерены "возместить" Украине возможную потерю трансферных платежей и обеспечить, чтобы Россия "не могла использовать газ как инструмент принуждения".

Translation:  The United States have all intentions to "compensate" Ukraine for the possible loss of payments (due to Nord Stream 2) and provide for "Russia not using gas as the instrument of coercion".  

 

That's more like it, after all (don't forget to turn on English subs) this was stated just couple of days ago.

Generally, chutzpah is the MO of Ukraine (also known in Russia as Country 404 or simply 404), so financing killing people of LDNR and alleged "war with Russia" should rest, as 404's thinking goes, on Russia financing 404's armed forces by means of paying for the transit of gas. This is so...Israel-like, who gets free US money to occupy territories, which do not belong to Israel. Well, Russia is no US and is independent from anyone in formulation of her foreign policy and follows this good ol' principle--you broke it, you bought it. The US broke 404 (together with EU), so the US must pay, simple as that. Putin, ever relaxed, meanwhile trolled the new MI-6 boss who insists that Russia is a "declining power". 

I have to admit, the pool of imbeciles ready to spew any kind of propaganda BS in the West is limitless. The decline is not just visible, it is dramatic, if not shocking. As Matt Purple noted (correctly): 

Our Elites Couldn’t ‘Reset’ a Wall Outlet, Let Alone the Global Economy  

So, make your own conclusions. 

This Is Exactly How It Happened. .

The title in Russian in the picture reads: This is exactly how it happened. Meanwhile many Russians are suggesting, with a snark, Grigory Rodchenkov to immediately get back to Russia to save his life. Something tells me that Rodchenkov by now may indeed begin to contemplate this move. After all FSB or GRU (wink, wink) somehow "dispose" of their former own spies, despite exchanging them with all that comes with the territory, in a very efficient and, what is most remarkable--very public manner. I am sure CIA and MI-6 have absolutely, like total zero, nothing to do with this sudden spike in mortality of those Russian turncoats (wink, wink).