ROTTEN GOVERNMENTS

A most interesting analysis of British fatuousness and London’s sudden encounter with reality, as it is forced to withdraw plans for a provocation in the Black Sea, perhaps one of the most heavily fortified strategic areas in the whole planet. The Brits and the Americans were simply forced to back off and start behaving more rationally and humbly. Part of the explanation—a subject that has been brilliiantly discussed by Russian geostrategist Andrei Martyanov, and also by The Saker—is that Russia’s economy and unique ways of developing and procuring advanced military systems—perhaps a gift from the Soviet Union—is that her economic and military capabilities, not counting the intrinsic quality and morale of her soldiers, is far superior to NATO’s. That’s why bean counting is useless and actually misleading. Listen to Mercouris talk on Russia’s actual capabilities and the surprising vigor of her economy. 

ANDREI MARTYANOV–Of course, no one should forget that the Black Sea Fleet also happens to have ships and those, even considering a cruiser, a couple of frigates and SSKs attached to the Mediterranean Squadron around Syria, still pack a massive anti-shipping punch by 3M54 missiles of Kalibr family which accelerate to M=2.9 on terminal speed, and effectively are not interceptable in the salvo of 2+. All those missiles named here are AI-driven in salvo mode and possess a very high resistance to jamming (some of them can jam enemy’s sensors on their own). And this is not all, of course. The Black Sea Fleet is supported by the forces of the Southern Military District, part of which it is, and if these news above were bad for any combination of US/NATO naval forces entering the Black Sea, this is where this news becomes even more depressing for the Pentagon.

Only thanks to the coordinated actions by the state’s governing bodies and the Belorussian people we managed to save the country from lawlessness and arbitrary rule. I particularly wish to express my deep gratitude to the military and political leadership of the Russian Federation for its position and the help it rendered to the Republic of Belarus during this difficult time. The unsuccessful attempt to organize a ‘color revolution’ has been replaced by a hybrid war and unprecedented measures of diplomatic and political and economic pressure. Neither does the military component fall behind.

MoA—There don’t seem to be many rich city kids in Minsk. Throughout the week the protests groups in Belarus were rather small. The ‘western’ media have pushed high number counts and talked of countrywide protest when twenty women stood on a sidewalk in Minsk. Photos can tell the real story in such situations. Some observers got very excited when some 200 staff of the MTZ Minsk Tractor Works staged a short walkout. But MTZ Minsk Tractor Works has 17,000 employees.

FINIAN CUNNINGHAM—There is strong suspicion that the Trump administration is deliberately playing the mad man as a negotiating tactic. It’s an unconscionable and extremely dangerous gamble with world security, but this would seem to be Trump’s diabolical art of the deal.