[Am Thinker] As bad as Joe Biden and his wretched allies in Europe are, they aren't anywhere near the level of trouble that Vladimir Putin is, as the latter's war on Ukraine drags on with no results.
Not only has Putin has not won his war, but he is now in hock to China, as another Chinese puppet-string actor, which is a wretched booby prize. China's help is likely to provide some comfort to Putin's economy in Russia for now, but it leaves Putin in roughly the same position as Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela, who stays in power only due to Russia's patronage.
Richard Fernandez, via Twitter, has some observations: which I reformat slightly because I don't like the twitter quote thing
What am I getting wrong? By starting the war Putin lost the gas sale of the century, ruined this year's wheat harvest and is in hock to China. Where's he making it back?
It seems inescapable that, by going to war, Putin has undermined the system of oligarchs and strongmen of which he occupies the apex. From now on, the Chinese ambassador is the second most important man in Moscow. The longer the war the bigger he gets. Unless now Putin's the second most important man in Moscow, that's usually how the patronage game works.
As every bum knows, when you have to cadge drinks and mooch meals, you can pretend to be the big man but who are you kidding?
My thought: The old Soviet Union had the tripod of the Party, the Military, and the KGB/whatever they are this week, which was stable. Modern Russia just has Putin, which isn't a tripod.
Putin's the bum in that one, because he's bumming favors off China — finance, wheat-buying, oil- and coal-buying, internet, help on bank and financial transactions.
Putin threw it all on the table when he opted to invade Ukraine, and he's losing his shirt. Russia's economy is ruined when it could have been so good what with all those gas sales.
And even with scorched-earth warfare, redolent of how he flattened Chechnya, he still doesn't have Ukraine in pocket.
He made a bad bet and won't be able to unwind it without some stunning fumbling from the West or Ukraine, which could happen but most likely won't, given that the Europeans are getting pretty canny about how to move. I have my doubts about the last bit. Anyway... there's more formatting, go there if you want to read the rest.
Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain ||
03/07/2022 11:39 ||
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Commentary by Russia military journalist Boris Rozhin
[ColonelCassad] 1. Negotiations between the Russian Federation and Ukraine will be held tomorrow on the territory of Belarus. Moscow once again made it clear today that if Kyiv does not accept the conditions (without any concessions), then the consequences for Ukrainian statehood will be severe.
The United States says that the second phase of the operation could begin on Monday, including operations to establish control over Odessa and Kiev, as well as to encircle the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Donbas. In the statements of the Zelensky gang, there are more and more hysterical notes and accusations against the West that it has thrown (there has never been such a thing).
2. The humanitarian corridors in Mariupol and Volnovakha are still being disrupted by the Nazis from Azov, despite all the agreements. Is anyone surprised? Me not. So far, about 300 people who have settled in Mariupol have been released from the hands of terrorists.
A few dozen more were able to escape from Volnovakha. Ukrainian terrorists do not want to get rid of their human shield. Which dooms many people to death when the counter-terrorist operation begins in Mariupol itself and the active cleansing of Volnovakha continues.
3. Misunderstandings continue with the real location of Zelensky, and Ukrainian and American sources disperse the evil about the impending evacuation of Zelensky to the West.
The search for spies and traitors also continues. Kivu was accused of "high treason" and put on the wanted list. Caught, probably killed like Kireev. And there they will already think who he is a "traitor" or a "hero". Zelensky himself said today that the West wants Ukrainians to be killed (wake up) and that "we are fighting for where the new border will go."
The old border will obviously no longer exist. In any case, the borders will change - the question is, of course, an interesting one, where they will pass.
4. Anti-war rallies are taking place in the Russian Federation today, with the help of which Zelensky called for stopping the operation in Ukraine. Judging by the number of those gathered, even the arrest of Navalny (who is this, by the way?) And coronavirus restrictions (by the way, where is covid?) worried citizens more. But let's see, maybe by the evening the number will grow up.
In the meantime, everything is rather pathetic, which apparently contributed to the fierce information purge, which has continued today.
5. Enforcement of the law on fakes about the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation began today. The first lucky man got off with a fine of 60,000 rubles. I had an idea to write about the problems in the offensive operation (of course, they also exist), but for now I'll wait - I need to see how the law works in practice. Well, or after the end of the operation there will be material when military censorship will not be so fierce.
With regard to the operation itself, it is worth noting that even in the West there are discrepancies regarding the plans of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, although progress on the map gives some idea of what they are striving for.
From a subjective point of view, priority number 1 is the destruction of the APU grouping in the Donbas by encircling and defeating this grouping, which will deprive Ukraine of most of the armed forces and heavy equipment.
There may be a military summary in the evening, if I gather my strength, I’m tired as hell - the first thing I will do when it’s all over, I’ll disconnect from the Internet for a day, they will just sit and watch some kind of movie.
The broadcast in Ukraine continues as usual here https://t.me/boris_rozhin (today the channel has exceeded 350,000 subscribers, oh wei)
In the title photo - the destruction of the airfield in Vinnitsa, 8 "Caliber" flew in and that's it. Zelensky was crying, they say, for what, and Vinnitsa. Well, yes, but the Nazis from Vinnitsa who fought in the Donbass had nothing to do with it. He is such a boomerang. And keep in mind that the Russian Federation frankly spares not only civilians, but even the Armed Forces of Ukraine. But she could (if she were the way she is painted, to fuck around residential areas, like the Armed Forces of Ukraine).
[Khaama] Sure to pucker ISI assholes: "Why don't they stay bought!?"
Do you suppose this will stop the Haqqani boys from attacking Indian projects and equipment in-country at the ISI’s request?
India has earmarked USD 26.7 million to Afghanistan, keeping a continuing focus on its people, without recognizing, like the rest of the world community, the Taliban regime.
The sum allocated in India’s Annual Budget for the year April 2022-March 2023 is less compared to USD 47.6 million of 2021-22, which can be easily explained by the lack of formal ties, especially the economic relations since the Taliban took control last August.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
[Khaama] 
