NEWS BITS AND BITES

 

I WAS PLEASED AS PUNCH to learn that WWIII didn’t start this week. Recall that Russian president Putin made a statement on September 12 warning the United States against lifting its restrictions on the use of long-range missiles (British “Storm Shadow”, French “Scalp” and American “ATACMS”) which require American or NATO personnel to launch them using American software and satellite guidance systems to reach targets deep inside Russian territory. Last week, Biden, who was book-ended between National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Sec of State Blinken, met in the White House with British pit-bull, PM, Sir Keir Starmer and his defense minister David Lammy, along with assorted mucky-mucks. At the meeting, the President surprised a number of the attendees, by placing  a  hold on lifting restrictions for the use of long-range missile systems by Ukraine. The change of heart must have surprised the British PM who’d come to Washington with the signing documents in hand. [Why are the British so damned determined to start a war with Russia?] There were supposed to be smiles and glad handing all round the White House as the two leaders announced their decision to allow Ukraine to launch long range British missiles into Russia. Some commentators suggest Biden was furious he could not give the go-ahead for the missile strikes at last Friday’s meeting.  

SO, WHAT HAPPENED to freeze the deal? Presumably there were last minute back-channel communications between Russia and the U.S. It’s entirely possible that the new Russian defense Minister Andrey Belousov spoke with his American counterpart, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, warning him that such missile attacks into the Russian heartland were a red line for Russia, and if they are conducted, then NATO and the U.S. could expect a major escalation as a consequence. If NATO personnel, sheep dipped or otherwise, pulled the trigger using targeting data gleaned from American satellites, then Russia would have no alternative other than to declare war against NATO and the United States for, in truth, the war would inarguably be between the West and Russia. Belousov may have spelled out just what kinds of attacks Russia would pursue in retaliation. The Pentagon may have decided it was too risky a venture and would have little effect on the fighting inside Ukraine. Frightening stuff! Austin must have conveyed the seriousness of Russia’s stance to Biden and the president blinked. Fortunately. For all of us.

Later, Britain’s sad sack PM went home with his tail between his legs and no green light authorization.

 

FOLLOWING the disappointing foreign policy summit, an extremely annoyed Ukraine launched drones (from inside one the Baltics or from Ukraine proper is unclear) striking a weapons depot* and blowing it up in spectacular fashion. The operation was done to prove to its Western backers that Ukraine was still in the game and that attacking inside Russia is okay because Putin is bluffing and won’t do anything extraordinary in his response to the attack. (Such as nuke-up and fire!) Fingers are crossed on that one.🤞

    This bromance has got to stop!!

President Zelensky is set to address the United Nations in New York next week and meet Biden on the sidelines where the two will discuss Zelensky’s “Victory Plan” for Biden to read and support. Cooler heads prevailed last week but, who knows, the Biden administration may change its mind on Monday and give the go-ahead.

👉IN THE MEANTIME, enjoy the balmy, early fall weather this weekend because it may become decidedly more radioactive in the not-too-distant future if things carry on the way they are.

👉AND OF COURSE, how can we forget NATO’s favourite poodle, Canada’s PM Trudeau, who, last week, gave his full-throated support for Ukraine to launch long range missiles into Russia. Didn’t he get the memo that the Americans ixnayed the deal? Putz!

 

Cheers, Jake.______________________________________

 

* The Ukrainian drone attack occurred in the western Russian city of Toropets, some 250 miles west of Moscow. The weapons depot stored Russia’s high-tech “Iskander” missiles, along with glide bombs and other heavy munitions. The explosion is thought to have triggered earthquakes in the area registering magnitudes of 2.5 to 2.8 on the Richter scale. It is unclear where they were launched from: Inside Russia? From Ukraine? Or from one of the Baltic states?

👉And BTW, Canada has about 1600 CAF (Canadian Armed Forces) troops stationed in Lithuania under NATO command. Were they involved in launching the drone attack against the Russian arms depot? If so, they may have just painted a big bull’s eye on their back if Russia deems the attack warrants a response against the facilities that launched and controlled the drones, regardless of whether it’s a NATO member or not

👉It should be noted that these type of pinprick attacks by Ukraine won’t alter the trajectory of the war. Russia will soon capture the entire Donbas region, and is poised to move to the Dniper River. Soon, it may move on  Odessa or Kiev. Or both. Stay tuned.