A Hall of Mirrors

I’ve always considered Russia to be a hall of mirrors, at least for a non-Slav who doesn’t speak Russian. Which means that figuring out what is really going on in Russia is all but impossible for me.

Russia has a long tradition of purveying disinformation for foreign consumption. Its techniques were perfected by the KGB and have continued under the post-Soviet political order. Russian propaganda artists are intelligent and skilled in what they do. The operatives who craft combinations of the classical KGB practices — including dezinformatsiya, provokatsiya, fabrikatsiya, and diversiya — are playing a long game. Shrewdly designed disinformation does not always serve an immediate goal, but is planted discreetly to achieve a long-term effect. It doesn’t have to make Russia look good (although it often does), but is intended to serve the larger interests of the Russian state.

Concerning the current war in Ukraine, there is almost no information available to me that is not ultimately derived from propaganda and disinformation, whether Russian or Western. If I were to exclude all stories that I consider to be propaganda, I would post nothing about the situation in Ukraine.

I’ve rejected out of hand almost all propaganda from the Western MSM. Unlike its Russian counterpart, it is generally shallow and obvious, and not at all interesting from my point of view. And since Vlad and I have no Ukrainian translators, this means that most of what appears here is ultimately derived from Russian propaganda.

This is not what I would prefer. No material on Ukraine is without an agenda, and I would prefer that all the different agendas were represented at Gates of Vienna. Readers could then sift through the information and make their own decisions about what appears to be plausible.

Everyone has an axe to grind, and I’d be glad to see them all ground here, provided that the grinders obey the rules of civil discourse.

I’m sure there is a wealth of useful video material in Ukrainian that presents propaganda for the Ukrainian cause. Anyone who speaks Ukrainian is invited to recommend clips and provide translations that Vlad and I can turn into subtitles. There must also be important stories from Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Moldova — all those countries that have every reason to be nervous about what is currently happening just across their borders in Ukraine or Belarus or Russia.

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The video below is from some sort of press conference given recently by Russian President Vladimir Putin. I’m not certain what the exact occasion was; something to do with Aeroflot. The owner of the channel that uploaded it is credited as the translator.

Given its draconian blackout on information from a Russian point of view, I’m surprised that YouTube has allowed it to stay up [activate “CC” to see the English subtitles]:

Video transcript:

00:00   My question concerns the current situation in Ukraine. We all support your actions and the special operation that is underway there.
00:11   Naturally, the most important question, which, one way or another, all of us have asked ourselves, is why this special operation has started. Could it not have been avoided?
00:24   Rationally, we do understand and support your actions, but as women we cannot help but worry: for our family, relatives, for those who are in Ukraine.
00:35   We know that the civilians are not impacted. But nevertheless, tell us, reassure us: what are we to expect at the end of this road? What will be the end result of the military operation in Ukraine? Thank you.
00:48   I will be brief but still will have to start, as they say, from ‘the center of the field”. I said about this at the start of the operation and also spoke about this before this decision has been made, a hard decision, without a doubt.
01:07   What is this about? The fact of the matter is that after the anti-constitutional coup in Ukraine, which, unfortunately, was strongly supported by the Western countries — let us face it.
01:20   They do not even hide the fact that they have spent $5 billion on it, not to mention cookies given away on Maidan, and so on.
01:27   And after that, instead of bringing the situation back on track, even if it had spiraled out of control, even if it had been the act of the overzealous locals — there is such legal term,
01:37   i.e. planned one thing, but the result turned out to be something else — they still could have, and should have, returned the situation back onto the political track.
01:44   Furthermore, shortly before the coup, the foreign ministers of the three countries came to Kiev in 2014 and signed an agreement with the Ukrainian government acting as guarantors of this agreement
01:56   to ensure that the situation would be developing in the political sphere. But nothing like that occurred. They organized a coup d’état and supported the perpetrators.
02:07   What followed were the well-known events related to the Crimea and the southeast of Ukraine, Donbass, where people refused to support the coup.
02:19   As we know, the Crimea made a decision; people came to vote in a referendum to return to the Russian Federation.
02:25   Naturally, yes, naturally, we cannot but support that decision, al the more so, since they felt they were in danger from the nationalists and neo-Nazis. There is strong evidence that they were absolutely right in that.
02:37   Later, or, rather, in parallel, the events in Donbass were taking place. What have these events led to? People resisting the results of the coup were persecuted.
02:52   Eventually, the new Kiev authorities initiated a military operation on that territory. They have conducted two large-scale punitive operations using of heavy weapons and combat aviation.
03:06   They directly attacked Donetsk destroying the city squares with aviation, using tanks and artillery. Both these military campaigns failed. The Ukrainian army suffered defeat.
03:23   After that, so-called Minsk agreements, or the Package of Measures, to use the official term, have been concluded. The agreements offered a path for a peaceful settlement of the conflict.
03:35   We did everything we could to direct the events along this path, to restore the territorial integrity of Ukraine as well as to protects the interests of the people living in these territories.
03:49   What did these people demand? Nothing but the basic things: the right to speak their mother tongue, i.e. the Russian, and maintain their traditions and culture. These were by no means extraordinary demands.
04:06   But no. These territories were put under economic blockade; disconnected from the banking system; the supplies of food were stopped; the payments of the pensions and social assistance were suspended.
04:19   Sometimes, some handouts were given, but in order to get those pensions and benefits a person had to cross the separation line.
04:24   Now listen.I will now say something that may sound rough but the situation compels me to say it.
04:35   You know that occasionally in some regions packs of stray dogs attack people, injure or even kill them (this is a separate problem, and it is for the local authorities to deal with).
04:54   But then these animals are poisoned or shot dead. But people of Donbass are not stray dogs. Approximately 13,000-14,000 people have been killed during these years. Over 500 children have been killed or injured.
05:15   But what is particularly intolerable is that the so-called “civilized” West has preferred all these years to look the other way. All these years — 8 years! Eight years!
05:30   Moreover, lately the Kiev authorities started to say openly and publicly that they are not going to fulfill the Minsk agreements. They are saying this from the TV screens and online.
05:45   They are saying this everywhere on the record: “We don not like them; we will not do it”. And all this time, Russia has been accused of not fulfilling the agreements.
05:53   This is simply nonsense; the theater of the absurd; white is called black and black is called white.
05:59   Lately, things got even worse. Actually, the talk has started long ago, but intensified of late. More and more often we hear that Ukraine would be admitted into NATO.
06:13   Do you understand what this could lead to? Or can lead to still?
06:19   If Ukraine is a NATO member, then according to the North Atlantic Treaty, all other members must support the country in case of a military conflict. No one besides us has recognized Crimea as a Russian territory.
06:34   They are conducting military operations in Donbas but also could move onto Crimea, and in such case we would have to fight with the whole of NATO. What is that? Do you understand the consequences? I think everyone understands.
06:47   Now they (Ukraine) are talking about acquiring the nuclear status, i.e. developing nuclear weapons. We cannot possibly ignore such things, particularly considering that we know how the so-called West behaves with regard to Russia.
07:03   First, Ukraine has some nuclear competence left from the Soviet time. As far as enrichment and nuclear material are concerned, they would be able to organize that work.
07:13   They have missile abilities: suffice is to mention Yuzhmush. This company used to build intercontinental ballistic missile equipment for the Soviet Union. They could recover that ability and do it.
07:26   And those from across the ocean would even help them do it. And after that would say: “Well, we do not recognize the nuclear status; they have done everything themselves”.
07:32   And then they would put these complexes under control, and from that moment on, from that very second, the fate of Russia will be completely different.
07:41   Because in that case, our strategic adversaries would not even need intercontinental ballistic missiles. They would keep us right here at the nuclear gunpoint, that is all.
07:52   How could we disregard such a thing? These are absolutely real threats, not some far-fetched silly fantasy.
08:01   Our boys who are now fighting and risking their lives, they are fighting and giving their lives for our future, for the future of our children. This is something perfectly obvious.
08:12   And the people who do not want to understand that, particularly those among today’s leaders (of Ukraine), have to understand that if they keep doing what the have been doing
08:24   — I have spoken about this before — they put at risk the very future of the Ukrainian statehood. If this happens, that will be entirely their fault.
08:35   What is going on now? I have already mentioned our objectives in this operation. First, of course, is to protect the people living in Donbass.
08:44   How? By demilitarizing and denazifying Ukraine as well as establishing its neutral status. Why? Because the neutral status means Ukraine will not be joining NATO.
09:00   They have it written in the Constitution that the country will be joining NATO. You understand — they have included that into the Constitution!
09:06   Denazification — what does this mean? I have spoken with my Western colleagues about this. They say:” What is the problem? You also have the radical nationalists”. Yes, we do.
09:16   But we do not have them in the government, but everybody agrees that they (the Ukrainians) do. Perhaps, we have some idiots running around with swastika, but do we support that at the government level?
09:28   Do thousands of people march with torches and swastikas on the streets of our capital or other cities in Russia, like it happened in 1930s in Nazi Germany? Is something like that happening in Russia?
09:42   But it happens in Ukraine, and it is supported. Do we support those who killed the Russians, Jews, or the Poles during the war? Do we hail them as heroes? But in Ukraine, they do.
09:54   The current events are also very important. Look, the foreign citizens have been taken hostages in Sumy and Kharkov — over 6,000 young people, students. They have been driven together into a railway station and kept there for 3 days.
10:14   Listen, they have been held there for the third day. We have told everybody about this and informed the current Ukrainian authorities. They said: “Yes, yes, of course, we will deal this this right now”.
10:27   We have informed the leaders of the major European countries, I personally talked to them. “Yes, yes, we will put pressure on Ukraine right now”. We informed the UN Secretary-General: “Yes, yes, we will solve the problem right away”. Nobody is doing anything.
10:43   People who are considered the citizens of Ukraine are treated even worse. They are simply used as a human shield. Right now, in this very moment, this is happening in Mariupol.
10:59   The Kiev government called our military: “Provide humanitarian corridors so people could leave”. Naturally, our people instantly responded, even suspended the military activities, and were observing what was happening.
11:17   But no one was allowed to leave. You understand, no one was allowed out. They do not anybody leave but instead use the people as a human shield. Who are they? The neo-Nazis, of course.
11:29   We already observe the presence of the militants from the Middle East and some European countries. We know about them; we can hear them speak on the radio.
11:40   They are using so-called jihad-mobiles, i.e. cars stuffed with explosives, which they drive towards the Russian troops. But they do not achieve anything, and they will fail in the end.
11:54   Who are they, then, if not neo-Nazis? By such actions, they are destroying their own country and their own statehood.
12:02   That is why one of our key demands is demilitarization. In other words, we are helping people of Donbass by working towards the neutral status of Ukraine and the demilitarization of the country.
12:20   We have to know with certainty what weapons are there, where they are deployed, and who controls them.
12:25   A number of options are on the table. We are discussing them now, including with the Kiev government representatives in our talks in Belarus.
12:40   We are grateful to the President Lukashenko for organizing the meetings and helping us to conduct these negotiations.
12:47   Our proposals are on the table for the groups of the negotiators from Kiev to study. We hope that Kiev will respond positively to our proposals. This is pretty much all I wanted to say.
12:58   Please, let us continue.
13:01   Schvidko, Yulia, the second pilot of the Aeroflot airline. Vladimir Vladimirovich, good afternoon. My question is about the current situation.
13:11   Many rumors are circulating about possible introduction of the martial law, drafting of volunteers and reservists, and that the draftees will be sent to Ukraine.
13:26   Could you clarify whether the martial law will be declared and whether the drafted soldiers will be deployed to Ukraine.
13:36   Many of what we now see and what is happening is undoubtedly a technique to fight against Russia. By the way, the sanctions imposed today are close to a declaration of a war. But fortunately, we are not there yet.
13:58   I believe that our so-called “partners” still retain some understanding of what a war would mean and what danger it presents for everybody.
14:09   That is despite that irresponsible statements, such as made by the British Foreign Minister, when she blurted that NATO could involve itself in the conflict.
14:21   At that point, we had to immediately make a decision to put our strategic forces on high alert. They reacted by saying that they did not mean anything of the sort. However, nobody put the Minister in her place, and nobody disavowed her statement.
14:45   No one said anything to us about that statement, like it was her personal opinion, do not pay attention, or something like that. Nothing. What are we supposed to think about that? That is why we reacted the way we did.
15:04   Now about your question. The martial law is introduced by the order of the President supported by the Federation Council in the case of the external aggression, specifically in the regions where the military activity takes place.
15:40   We are not in that situation now, and I hope will not be. This is first. The second point — there is also, in addition to the martial law, a special status. This status is also declared by the Federation Council in case of a significant internal threat.
16:09   The third regime is the state of emergency, which is usually declared in particular regions, although could also be adopted in the entire territory of the country.
16:19   This regime is for technological and natural disasters. Thanks God, this is also not happening.
16:27   We are not planning to declare any of these regimes on the territory of the Russian Federation. There is no need for that today.
16:35   We can see that attempts are being made to stir up trouble in our society, which is again a conformation of my words that we are dealing with not just the radicals but with the neo-Nazis.
16:53   Here people are expressing their opinion about what they like or dislike in our action in Ukraine. But there, in Ukraine, people that express the opinions similar to those expressed by the so-called “liberal” part of our society,
17:20   are being detained on the streets and shot — we do have confirmation of that. Our special services are now collecting this information, and we will be presenting it soon.
17:36   Our liberal intellectuals are protesting, whereas in Ukraine people that say anything in favor of Russia are been executed without trial.
17:48   I repeat, that the martial law is declared in case of the external aggression, which I hope will not happen despite irresponsible statements of some officials. We hear that a no fly zone should be established over the Ukrainian territory.
18:16   This is impossible to do in the territory of Ukraine itself; this is only possible to organize from the territories of the neighboring countries.
18:25   However, we will consider any movement in this direction as active participation in the military conflict by a country, the territory of which is used to create danger for our servicemen.
18:38   We will in a second consider them as a party to the military conflict. I hope this is also understood, and it will not come to that.
18:49   Only professional military personnel are taking part in this operation, officers and contract servicemen. Not a single drafted soldier is participating, and we are not planning to send them to Ukraine, and we will not.
19:14   I repeat, only men who have made a voluntary responsible decision in their lives — to defend their country — are in Ukraine, and they are doing their duty with honor. Why this is the case, why we have the right to say these words, I have just explained to you.
19:39   This also applied to reserve personnel undergoing periodic military training — we are not planning to deploy them to Ukraine.They are summoned to the military training on the regular basis — this happens now and will be happening in the future —
19:52   but we will not enlist these people for the active military service, and they will not participate in this conflict. We have sufficient resources to achieve our objectives employing only our professional army.
20:11   I would like to comment on the military operation itself. I know many rumors and stories are being circulating. I do not have much time to learn about this, but I have been informed that people talk a lot about what is happening and how the operation is proceeding.
20:28   All analysts know what is going on, so I am not going to reveal any secrets here. We could have acted in many different ways. We could have helped the Donbass republics directly on the separation line, i.e. on the front, using our Russian army to support them.
20:50   But in such case, considering the unconditional support by the West of the radical nationalists, the Ukrainian side would have received constant support by weapons, material, ammunition, and all.
21:09   That is why our General Staff and the Ministry of Defense decided on a different strategy. First that was done is the elimination of the military infrastructure. Not entirely, but largely. The weapon depots, ammunition depots, aviation, air defense systems.
21:29   The destruction of the air defense systems requires certain time. You are civilians but you do work in aviation. You understand that these systems need to be uncovered and then destroyed; by now this work is largely done.
21:44   That is what brings about the demands for a no fly zone. However, an attempt to put this into effect would lead to enormous and catastrophic consequences not only for Europe, but also for the entire world.
21:57   I do believe that the people on the other side do understand that. That is why we have chosen this path, correctly, as it turned out. Our military is working responsibly doing everything possible to protect the civilians.
22:20   Unfortunately, those neo-Nazi bandits do not have any consideration for the people. They even shoot their own servicemen who do not want to continue fighting — we do have evidence of that.
22:35   Yes, those nationalists, neo-Nazis shoot their own servicemen. The nationalists are embedded in practically every Ukrainian military unit, several dozens of them in each, and they act in such a cruel way.
22:55   I repeat one more time: we will not deploy draftees or reservists to Ukraine to participate in this military operation. I am convinced that our army will achieve all our objectives. I do not doubt that for a second.
23:21   This is evident from the way the operation is proceeding, which is strictly according to the plan, to the schedule; all is happening the way it had been planned by the General Staff.
23:34   Oh, regarding volunteers, the young people who come to the recruiting stations — we are grateful to them for their patriotic sentiments, the desire to support their country and its army in this time.
24:12   The very fact that they come is significant. However, their help is not required at this time. And I am convinced will not be needed.
24:12   Now I am turning towards the camera. They will see me and hear what I am saying — thank you.
 

Hat tip for the video: Vlad Tepes.

32 thoughts on “A Hall of Mirrors

  1. Blinken lies about Polish jets being transferred to Ukraine as a cause of war by Russia against Warsaw, then, our NATO treaty is triggered to begin WWIII.

    The US is like Dracula sucking blood, lots of blood in all our endless aggressions.

  2. I am from Lithuania. It is so painful to see conservative sites one by one falling for ‘neonazi’ batallions, ‘it all started in 2014’, ‘8years shelling is fine, but now you’re paying attention’, ‘biolabs’.

    It didn’t start in 2014, and pro Kremlin Yanukovich from Donbass is no more legitimate than Biden. If anyone remembers, in 2004 opponent of Yanukovich, Youshchenko was poisoned (still has scarred face), because he was winning. People went to the streets. Finally Yanukovich was ousted. Unfortunately, tandem of Youshchenko and Timoshenko (a beautiful lady – prime minister) was unsuccessful, to say the least. That was a chance for Yanukovich, but apparently only with the help cheating. People went again to the streets in 2014…

    But it is way deeper than that. Think Holodomor. Think history, which is very rich in Eastern Europe, and tainted with lots of blood. These things are sleeping, normally, but never go away, and given a chance… So these superficial explanations, this virtue signalling on the right about ‘neonazis’ is so disappointing. And not because of Ukraine. People who take pride in being able to see ‘through’ the rigged elections, vaccines, fall for biases just as easily.

    From where I am, in Lithuania, Ukraine was late by 15 years. In 1990s when all Eastern Europe finally was able to get rid of russians, we in Lithuania feared very much of this kind of clampdown. And we had hopes for Ukraine. If only Ukraine rises, we all are strong together… In Siberian Gulags, where lots of lituanians were sent, all of them had neighbours from Ukraine. We were sure Ukraine will follow. But nothing happened. Luckily Russia was weak then in 1990s. But when in 2004 Ukraine rose – we just said – finally.

    Today is even more distant from 2014, than 2004 was from 1990. The nation has found it’s roots. I have no idea how Putin didn’t see this. I guess soon we will know. There is no way out for Putin if he looses. And there is no way he can win. Ukrainians are in WWII mood now. Russians, just the opposite, they have no motivation whatsoever.

    In case anyone wants to check it out, telegram is where I follow events hour by hour.

    This is ukrainian site, but in russian language (google does OK translation job):
    https://t.me/uniannet

    A Russian opposition site, banned in Russia – sad and melancholic view by russian intelligentsia, an occasional read:
    grani.ru

    This is very emotional farewell speech by beautiful presenter of Dozd (TV Rain) station from Moscow, just before station self-closes because of censorship.
    Addresses by the way, most of the talking points raised by Putin in the clip of this article here above:
    https://t.me/operativnoZSU_chat/63353

    • Liudas, welcome. It would be awesome if you told us more. It’s hard to find voices on the ground, in the grassroots.

      Many of us know it did not start in 2014. But for those who don’t know that much history, it’s a shortcut. That’s when the putsch happened, and eastern Ukraine tried to get federation, and was prevented.

      Here is my view of it, and please tell me where I am wrong, but back it up. I am told that everybody, everybody, including the pretty lady Timoshenko, was robbing Ukraine blind. That everybody from 91 onwards was horrible and corrupt. Including Yanuk, of course, but at least he did not come into power by shooting over a hundred people in the Maidan square. Yes, Biden is not legit, but that does not mean we go and shoot people, chase him off and take over.

      Not neo-nazis? I have seen endless videos. In America, there is a saying. If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, it’s a duck. These people carry pictures of Hitler, they venerate Bandera who was a brave man and a nationalist in the good sense, but also collaborated with the Nazis and staged mass murders. They have swastikas on their helmets. They brutalize people. They heil. How is it not right to call them neo-nazis?

      Now I know that the (western) Ukrainians were abused by the Soviets. That there was holodomor. That it’s not a surprise that they detest Russians. And I can’t even blame them they welcomed the Nazi Germans as liberators. But to massacre today’s eastern (Russian) Ukrainians? Whose only offence was to try to draw some measure of independence from the Kiev government? To send an army and keep killing them? Over and over and over? Sorry, but pointing at the wretched history does not wash it. The dead children of the Donbas did not cause the wretched history.

      So. Give me something more than “the Soviets were horrible.” I know that. How is piling up dead bodies of the Donbas people helping anything? How is sweeping the Odessa massacre under the carpet helping anything?

      • Because if Ukraine gives the Donbas area and Crimea to Russia, they will want more territory, that is why.

      • Hey Vera,

        What can I say.

        Corruption. Do you invade country because of corruption? Silly question I know. By the way Russia is no less corrupt, only it has strict vertical control by the chieftain.

        Neonazis. Have you read https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swastika. You will be surprised if you didn’t. So many people fall for symbols. Varoufakis (former left wing Greek finance minister) told on Russel Brand podcast, that in Greece the third parliamentarian party was neonazi. Hardly a reason to bomb Greece. Are there neonazis in Ukraine ? Sure. As there are in StPetersbug (Russia) and Moscow. You deal with them, but do not invade the country. Someone said (Douglas Murray ? I am sorry if mistaken) – it is very convenient when a nazi comes in german uniform, salutes by raising a hand, wears a swastika. Then we are sure. What if nazi comes dressed as Antifa? What if Hitler comes not with moustache but looks like Putin ? How would you tell Hitler is Hitler in 1939?

        Tymothy Snyder wrote a book, Bloodlands – about Eastern Europe. That would be a starting point to understand how people could turn to germans, in order to fight russians. Nothing happened out of nowhere.

        But I can’t tell you much about ‘8 years of shelling’, except that it didn’t happen. If you understand russian watch the last video I put in my last post, by native russian, TV presenter from Moscow. You will just see.

        All in all, Ukraine created a miracle. It was supposed to be 3 days. Few people realize that Putin’s program ‘Europe within borders of 1997’ is not a joke, at least Putin doesn’t think so. So if it was just 3 days, what would have happened next ? Illarionov (Putin’s ex adviser) puts all blame on weak response from Biden admin. It wouldn’t have happened under Trump. Tell everybody as early as 2021 that you are going to do nothing, good idea for peace. Now as Putin saw his chance, and narrow time frame – he acted.

        And all these neonazis, biolabs, corruption – is nothing but window dressing.

        • Very well put… First, Antifa launched “denazification” in the USA, targetting fans of Trump. Now Putin launches “denazification” on Ukraine, because of some units who pose with Swastikas… Which, let’s face it, in a nationalistically-charged conflict linked to World War 2 history, is not too surprising?!

          As you write, Russia also has its neo-nazis, and ultra-nationalists fighting in Donbas for many years but somehow this is not a reason for “denazification”…

          It’s just another excuse, every bit as lame as Hitler’s leading up to World War 2.

        • Liudas, I have no desire to defend the invasion. I think it was a mistake. We will find out soon, how terrible a mistake.

          You suggested that “neo-nazi batallions” were somehow fake news. I argued back that of course they are not, there is tons of documentation. Now you admit they do exist, but “other nations have neo-nazis.” (Including those who style themselves “antifa.”)

          Yes, they do. But your argument does not wash. Ukraine is the only nation I know of, where the neo-nazis are part of the government. They have received plenty of support from post 2014 governments, there have been neo-nazis named into positions in the government, and they have received training and been given weapons, including from abroad, by the US (and maybe others, I don’t know). That’s why this is an outrage. And they have been allowed to brutalize their fellow Ukrainians with impunity.

          Like in Odessa. They killed 48 people and the massacre was swept under the rug.

          Now you are trying to sweep under the rug the abuse and killing in the Donbas. “It did not happen.” Bloody hell. This is the sort of blind hatred that feeds more violence. If you would admit, yes, great harm was done, Kieve initiated civil war against the Donbas, you could heal one tiny bit of the shredded fabric of society. But instead, you deny.

          I do not accept that, Liudas. And if you can’t handle the truth about one thing, why should I believe you in any other thing?

          • There are two kinds of people – those who don’t know, that russians lie always, routinely, even without obvious plan, and those who just take sides, no matter what (willfully blind). Think about it, if you had to refute all that Goebbels claimed, how many people would be left unconvinced ? There is a lot information about that Odessa fire, for those who want to know. Just how do you deal with lies? Yesterday’s example – russian officials tell: ukrainians will make provocation in Mariupol (city port around the same Donbass region). Next day hospital is bombed, people die. Is that the ‘truth’ that Ukrainians did it, or better yet – those neonazis ?

          • It is not easy, sifting the truth from the lies and propaganda. But it can be done. The hospital? I have seen information from the locals that it was taken over by the nazis, that it was no longer functional. Where is truth in this? I don’t know. I listen to all the sides I can find.

            But I know something vital about Odessa. During the confusion and skirmishes and later the fire, nobody reported deaths on the pro-Kiev side. There were 48 deaths on the pro-Russian side. Furthermore, the local nazis prevented proper investigation and nobody was brought to justice — that much we do know. And that ought to tell you something about the truth in Odessa and who brutalized whom.

            I don’t doubt the Russian side lies. So does the Ukrainian side. (Check out the nonsense they spread about Babi Yar memorial being damaged. Or that the nuclear reactor in Zaporozhi was hit.) The question I have is this: are YOU willing and able to dig for the truth, or are you so blinded by anti-Russian antagonism so that you never will?

  3. https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/03/03/telegram-russian-war-dead-ukraine-pows/

    The gory online campaign Ukraine hopes will sow anti-Putin dissent probably violates the Geneva Conventions
    The Ukrainian government has posted grisly photos and videos of killed and captured Russian soldiers in hopes of undermining the Kremlin’s onslaught. But military-justice experts argue the campaign violates international law.
    ===========
    I think it will backfire. And as a result – an even greater escalation.

  4. There are about 20 beautiful young women in the video and NO (absolutely none!) nose-, lip-, eyebrow- RINGS or (horrible) TATTOOS. Is this NORMAL? You answer.

    • That’s precisely why the scum behind the Great Reset and the Davos & WEF reptiles want to get a war started there. No one in positions of power and influence cares about wars between brown peoples but a war that destroys Christians and dare I say “white” populations is highly desirable since it removes the only real impediment to their neofeudalist dreams.

  5. Gas pump prices don’t lie. Food prices don’t lie. Commodity prices don’t lie.

    Prices are real information and they a result of what is actually happening. What is happening? A war on all of us.

  6. Everyone is lying, and the West is eager to start a nuclear war
    through various actions against Russia, such as moving Polish Soviet planes
    to Ukraine, or donating 5,000 armored personnel pazer-shots.

    Einstein said: … human stupidity is infinite, he was convinced, however not about the equivalent for cosmos.

    Least Putin may be lying – and at least he knows what he wants – and that is not irrational.

    The power elite in Ukraine is durchaus rotten,
    and completely dominated by Ihor Kolomoyskyi;
    much worse than the situation in Sweden so far,
    although we are heading in the same direction
    in a social democratic spirit. Multiculturalism is
    the death of any nation.

    See further:
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ihor_Kolomoyskyi

    • “The West is eager to start a nuclear war”. Really?

      So when our lords and masters (and their offspring?) emerge from their bunkers, after the radioactivity has dropped to a “relatively” safe level (ie after several decades at least), and their reserves are running out, whom will they have to rule over? Where will they find more food, or drinkable water? How will they get around, with no functioning infrastructure or transport?

      Watch “Dr Strangelove”: if people like that have only each other as company, it will just be a further punishment.

      • The motivations of creatures from Davos are so alien to normal humans that they might as well be different species. While a nuclear war would seem an unimaginable catastrophe to you or I, to such uber powerful creatures it is simply an opportunity to return the planet to a more natural state without people, or maybe even a means to end their boredom and the ennui that comes with such obscene wealth and power.

        Of course, many of them likely believe that such destruction will not affect them too seriously, or possibly they just see their own deaths in such a conflagration as a small price to pay for returning the planet to nature. And like in Dr Strangelove maybe some of them fantasize about repopulating the earth after we are all gone.

    • The problem is, when Russia marched into Ukraine, it has now set into motion certain events that once wars start, they never go according to plan and take on a life their own. Where this ends up is a crapshoot.

    • Err, I think you’ll find it’s Putin who is threatening a “conflict like you’ve never known in your history”, eg a nuclear war. Russia has no problem using other countries to attack Ukraine (eg Belarus), asking for militaries of other countries to join its attack (eg Belarus and Kazakhstan), or using foreign mercenaries…

      It’s only when Ukraine and the West do this, that they’re “eager to start a nuclear war”.

      Put it this way – if Ukraine was an ally of Russia and a Western country attacked it, how would Russia respond?

  7. I’m sorry to disappoint you, but this video has been dismantled frame by frame by conspiracy theorists who claim it’s a computer overlay.
    The image of the teapot was enlarged, passed through an equalizer, and it was concluded that the recording was made in an empty studio.

  8. Regarding the conference with “stewardesses” given by Putin, the “stewardess” sitting closest to him was already near him in other situations, while having very different occupations…

    https://9gag.com/gag/avAWEnb

    And yes, everything coming out of the Kremlin these days is smoke and mirrors, but Putin especially has a nerve to talk about Ukraine “developing nuclear weapons”…

    Strangely this has not been reported anywhere else, but also Ukraine gave away its nuclear weapons – the third largest nuclear arsenal in the world – in the Budapest Memorandum agreement, where in return, it was guaranteed that Ukraine’s sovereignty and independence would be respected. The agreement was signed by USA, UK and – yes – Russia.

    And a majority of Ukrainians wanted to sign up for Nato, only after 2014… I wonder why?

    Other countries in the region were lucky to have already joined but, yes, they are also feeling nervous because, if taking Ukraine is easy for Putin, it is likely to be just the start.

    At the moment, the best argument for joining Nato is none other than Vladimir Putin.

      • Right now, I wouldn’t be worried about Russia repeating Germany’s mistake in WW1 and 2 ie fighting on multiple fronts… They’re barely able to do it, on one.

        They could, however, press the nuclear button in a fit of rage, in which case the target could be any.

        I hope the powers-that-be, in Washington DC, Brussels and London, have such a scenario game-planned.

        • That is the one thing you should never say about the Russians, never say never, they are not stupid people no matter how much people in the west want to believe they are. As for our so called leaders? They could not plan a circle jerk right now, they have been completely wrong so far.

  9. This is an extraordiary video of historical significance. The sad eyes of these beautiful and intelligent women are telling me that they know that it will be a very, very, very nasty war.

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