Category Archives: Ukraine

AI: Russia Increases Sale of Gold Reserves

21 Friday Nov 2025

Posted by in 21st Century Feudal, 21st Century Modern, Conflict - Culture - Language - Psychology, Political Spychology, Russia, Ukraine

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Anna Danylchuk yesterday mentioned that Putin had resorted to selling off Russia’s gold reserves to sustain his war effort with Ukraine: “Russia is the weakest ever. Now is the time to defeat it and not appease the pathetic Kremlin goblin.”

AI Says –>

Russia’s Central Bank has recently started selling physical gold from its reserves for the first time as part of Finance Ministry operations to cover the national budget deficit, which has widened due to the ongoing war with Ukraine and Western sanctions. 

Key Details on Russia’s Gold Sales

  • Purpose: The primary reason for the gold sales is to generate rubles and cover the state budget deficit, particularly as oil and gas tax revenues have dropped.
  • Mechanism: Due to increased liquidity in the domestic gold market, the Bank of Russia is now able to conduct market operations involving the sale of physical gold in a manner equivalent to selling Chinese yuan to balance the National Wealth Fund (NWF).
  • Volume: The exact date sales began and the current volume have not been specified by the Central Bank. However, data indicates that the Finance Ministry has sold over 232.6 tonnes of gold from the NWF since the beginning of the war, reducing the fund’s gold holdings to 173.1 tonnes as of November 1, 2025.
  • Context: This marks a significant shift for Russia, which had been a major buyer of gold for years to diversify its assets and reduce dependence on the U.S. dollar, especially following the 2014 annexation of Crimea. The U.S. decision to freeze Russia’s foreign exchange reserves after the 2022 invasion has motivated a broader trend among central banks (including BRICS nations) to acquire more gold and move away from the dollar. 

Russia’s Overall Gold Reserves

Despite the recent sales from the National Wealth Fund, Russia maintains significant total gold holdings. 

  • Total Reserves: Russia holds over 2,300 tonnes of gold in its total national reserves, making it the world’s fifth-largest holder.
  • Strategic Shift: The country had aggressively built up these reserves to act as a buffer against sanctions, a strategy that has partially insulated its economy.
  • Domestic Market Focus: Sanctions prevent Russia’s Central Bank from buying gold on international markets, so domestic purchases from local miners have been a key part of its strategy. 

Related Trends

  • Public Demand: Russian citizens have also been buying record amounts of physical gold to protect their savings from inflation and sanctions, with the government encouraging this trend by scrapping the Value Added Tax (VAT) on gold bar sales to individuals.
  • Sanctions Evasion: There have been international calls, notably from U.S. senators, for the State and Treasury departments to crack down on Russian gold sales to prevent the funding of its military operation

Russia Collapses

Analyst Jason Jay Smart has been Ukraine’s drone war against Russia’s economy, logistics, and war-making capability while noting the devastating effects of the same within Russia and every aspect of its industrial and civilian life.

As the Phantom of the Soviet, Putin and his “New Nobility” project appear to be fading. Most clearly, he cannot today defend Russia, her field operations, her people, and not even select cities from Ukrainian payback. Many within Russia will find themselves surviving this winter in the cold and dark as services fail and the machinery and repairs wanted may not be available as required.

AI may be queried as regards, “Russia, damage from Ukrainian drones, civilian impacts” — a more full image of Ukraine’s success may be found through other reportage. For example, Putin appears to be staying away from Moscow and appearing only from one or another for several nearly identical rooms for his public relations. In a similar but more foreboding vein, the palace above an apparently capacious and self-sufficient below-ground bolt hole appears to have been razed — but I haven’t found confirmation of any destruction beneath the ground. The worry for that location might link to nervousness over the possibility of nuclear exchange. The palace had been used as a meeting space for high-level diplomacy.

Rarely have so few, seemingly inconsequential words generated so many consequential ones.

In a mere 109-word paragraph tucked away in an autobiographical collection of interviews published in 2000, just as he ascended to power in Russia, Vladimir Putin tells a nightmarish tale: Once, when he and his friends were chasing rats with sticks in the dilapidated apartment building in St. Petersburg where he grew up, a “huge rat” he’d cornered suddenly “lashed around and threw itself at” him, chasing the “surprised and frightened” Putin to his door before he slammed it shut in the rodent’s face. For Putin, it’s a parable: “I got a quick and lasting lesson in the meaning of the word cornered.”

https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2023/08/putin-russia-ukraine-war-cornered-rat-story/674890/

Might Putin try to erase the memory of the world by setting off a nuclear Armageddon?

Given Putin’s association with Malignant Narcissism and related ramifications, it appears he may need to be stopped by the mutiny of his remaining admirals and generals in unison. By Russian own nuclear doctrine, he cannot launch a nuclear warhead without military cooperation. According to AI today:

In Russia, the President makes the final decision to use nuclear weapons, but military commanders have control over the launch. The Cheget briefcase connects the President to the strategic command-and-control network, transmitting launch orders to the General Staff. The General Staff then gives authorization codes to the commanders who execute the actual launch. 

The process for nuclear launch

  • Presidential decision: The President, as the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, makes the final decision to use nuclear weapons based on Russia’s doctrine.
  • Command and control: The President uses a device called the Cheget to send the launch order through the Kazbek command and control network.
  • Military authority: The Cheget transmits the orders to the General Staff, not to the individual weapons commanders.
  • Execution of the launch: The General Staff then issues the necessary authorization codes to the individual military commanders who have the authority to execute the launch procedures. 

For Russians, the present state-of-affairs must seem both puzzling, at least (given the Soviet Era hangover having to do with propaganda and totalitarian control), as well as foreboding in light of Ukraine’s demonstrated ability to attack any vital state asset in the Russian land mass contributing to the state’s defense, economy, and industry. With the initiation of the selling of gold reserves, Putin has more or less signaled the beginning of the end of not only an intolerable venture into and toward Europe but his inability to resist the war being brought home to none other than himself–and it may be his own people who do it.

–33–

Russia’s Nuclear Plant Related Accusation Against Ukraine

24 Sunday Aug 2025

Posted by in 21st Century Feudal, Russia, Ukraine

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So far, Ukraine has not confirmed any attack on Russia’s nuclear facility in Kursk and media claims only that a shot down drone — where was it going? — caused a fire at the site. There’s a difference, of course, between an attack and a damaged aircraft falling from the sky. While the character of Russian disinformation and the “fog of war” muddy conclusions, there should be no question about Putin’s intent to leverage his nuclear “option” into some realpolitik strength in position position while every other indicator coming off the Ukraine-Russia War suggests Moscow has in fact been losing in every measurable dimension. Its oil producing capacity has been reduced by 13 percent causing prices at Russia’s pumps to skyrocket accordingly; Russian casualties since the 2022 invasion have surpassed one million; and the cost of Russia’s aggression in Ukraine appears to be producing Putin’s archaic-barbaric nation-as-fief an estimated $172 billion in expenses for 2025 (AI mentions $450 billion in total accrued costs–see verbatim text in the AI section of this post).

From the above, one may suggest that Vladimir Putin must be experiencing a bad day every day or, alternatively, enjoying a deluded day in a theater all his own–one may then wonder how his inner circle feels about that.

As noted here years ago, Putin’s fear of public humiliation and shame drives frame and maintain his own image as unassailable, courageous, and heroic — see “Why Putin Won’t Stop Until Stopped” (January 20, 2023). His problem: reality won’t accept his claims of successes — none to date have proven immune to Ukrainian drone push-back and other defensive measures — nor any denials of culpability. He embarked on the conquest of Ukraine under false premises in 2014, and while he annexed Crimea without a shot fired — and nothing more than diplomatic posturing from Washington for resistance — he’s just not getting further with anything he does. Russia’s admirals and generals may note well the fate of his once-proud Black Sea Fleet:

At the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, Ukraine lacked a naval force capable of meeting the threat. What little it had didn’t last long. To prevent the Russians from capturing it, the Ukrainians scuttled their one major warship. Its other naval vessels were damaged, destroyed, or captured (“Russia’s navy looks to be stretched thin after getting battered by Ukraine and losing a key port, Western officials say” — by Jake Epstein, Business Insider, August 13, 2025).

As Putin’s fortunes and prospects continue to decline in the face of western resolve (even without the fulsome resolve of American will while the nation weathers an administration whose loyalties to the American secular democratic republic appear doubtful), he’ll strive to sustain his illusion of the absolute control of Russia through the deadly and grinding machinery of the “mafia state” that he has built around himself, a state that may fear him more than it admires or loves him.

AI Recaps, August 24, 2025

Russian Nuclear Accusations Against Ukraine

Russia’s nuclear accusations against Ukraine are primarily disinformation campaigns, such as the late 2022 claim that Ukraine was preparing to use a “dirty bomb” on Ukrainian territory. More recently, on August 24, 2025, Russia accused Ukraine of launching a drone attack on the Kursk nuclear power plant, causing a fire and minor damage to a transformer, though radiation levels remained normal and no casualties were reported. These accusations are often seen as propaganda aimed at discrediting Ukraine and justifying Russia’s actions in the ongoing conflict. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]

Accusations of a “Dirty Bomb” (October 2022) [1, 2, 9, 10]

  • Russia’s claim: In late October 2022, Russia accused Ukraine of planning to detonate a radioactive “dirty bomb” on Ukrainian soil and warned international partners about it, according to The New York Times.
  • Ukraine’s response: Ukraine, in turn, accused Russia of secretly building dirty bombs at Europe’s largest nuclear power plant.
  • International view: U.S. intelligence officials considered the claims to be a Russian tactic, possibly as a “bluff” or a way to employ its “escalate to de-escalate” nuclear doctrine.

Drone Attack on a Nuclear Plant (August 2025)

  • Russia’s claim: Russia accused Ukraine of launching drone attacks, including one that struck the Kursk nuclear power plant. [3, 5]
  • Damage and effects: The attack caused a fire and damaged a transformer, forcing a reduction in the power plant’s capacity. However, the fire was quickly extinguished, with no casualties and normal radiation levels reported. [4, 5]
  • Ukraine’s response: Ukraine did not immediately comment, but a Ukrainian center called the accusations “typical methods” of Russian propaganda. [6]
  • International reaction: The UN’s nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, was aware of the reports but had not independently confirmed them, emphasizing that all nuclear facilities must be protected. [4, 5]

AI responses may include mistakes.

[1] https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/10/25/world/russia-ukraine-war-news

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_risk_during_the_Russian_invasion_of_Ukraine

[3] https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/8/24/russia-accuses-ukraine-of-attacking-nuclear-plant-causing-a-fire

[4] https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/as-ukraine-marks-independence-day-moscow-says-kyiv-struck-a-nuclear-power-plant-in-russia

[5] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/24/russia-accuses-ukraine-drone-strike-kursk-nuclear-power-plant

[6] https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czxy2v9dzgxo

[7] https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/ukraine-uses-chemical-weapons-without-control/

[8] https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2025/04/21/7508441/

[9] https://world-nuclear.org/information-library/country-profiles/countries-t-z/ukraine-russia-war-and-nuclear-energy

[10] https://www.businessinsider.com/us-asked-non-allies-prevent-russia-using-nuclear-weapons-report-2024-3

Reductions in Russian Oil Refining Capacity

Note: some bolded italics added–>

Ukraine’s long-range drone attacks have significantly degraded Russia’s oil refining capacity, knocking out approximately 13% of the country’s processing capability since early August 2025, leading to elevated fuel prices and production disruptions. The attacks have targeted major refineries and infrastructure like the Druzhba pipeline, with repairs complicated by Western sanctions that restrict access to specialized equipment and prolong outages. This campaign is a strategic effort to undermine Russia’s economy and its ability to fund the war, as evidenced by the soaring wholesale gasoline prices and potential reliance on government subsidies for Russian energy firms. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Key Impacts on Russian Oil Production: [1, 2, 3]

  • Reduced Refining Capacity: Around 13% of Russia’s total refining capacity has been knocked out, with estimates suggesting about 44.3 million tons of annual processing capability disrupted.
  • Prolonged Outages: Major facilities like the Volgograd, Samara, and Ryazan refineries have been rendered inoperable, with repairs expected to take months due to a lack of specialized parts, exacerbated by sanctions.
  • Supply Chain Disruption: The Druzhba pipeline was also struck, causing a temporary shutdown and raising concerns in Central Europe.
  • Economic Strain: Russian energy firms face reduced revenues, strained profit margins, and increased dependence on government bailouts.

Strategic Context:

  • Targeted Campaign: The strikes are a coordinated effort by Ukraine’s intelligence services (GUR and SSU) to dismantle Russia’s energy infrastructure, which they view as a crucial economic engine for its war efforts. [4, 5, 6]
  • Shift from Previous Ceasefire: This intensified focus on oil facilities marks a departure from a previous understanding that limited mutual attacks on civilian energy infrastructure. [5]
  • Economic Warfare: By targeting the oil sector, Ukraine aims to cripple Russia’s wartime finances and force a slowdown in oil production. [4]

Consequences:

  • Soaring Fuel Prices: Wholesale gasoline prices have surged sharply, with AI-92 and AI-95 gasoline prices reaching record highs in August 2025. [3, 7]
  • Market Instability: The ongoing disruptions and the financial strain on energy companies are reflected in underperforming stock valuations for firms like Rosneft and Gazprom. [2]
  • Russia’s Vulnerability: The attacks highlight the fragility of Russia’s centralized energy infrastructure and expose its struggles to protect against deep-penetration drone swarms. [2, 8]

AI responses may include mistakes.

[1] https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/putin-is-facing-a-fuel-crisis-as-ukraine-escalates-attacks-on-russian-refineries/

[2] https://www.ainvest.com/news/shattered-pipeline-ukraine-drone-campaigns-reshaping-global-energy-markets-investment-risks-2508/

[3] https://united24media.com/latest-news/ukraines-drones-shut-down-13-of-russias-oil-refining-fuel-prices-soar-10886

[4] https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/ukrainian-drones-reportedly-knock-out-10-percent-of-russian-refining-capacity/

[5] https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-08-15/ukraines-drones-are-punishing-russian-oil-industry.html

[6] https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/19/world/europe/ukraine-russia-energy-infrastructure.html

[7] https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/08/11/ukrainian-drone-strike-halts-operations-at-rosneft-refinery-in-saratov-a90168

[8] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aG2W7-50iig

Not all images can be exported from Search.

The Cost to Russia of its War with Ukraine

The figure of $172 billion is Russia’s projected military expenditure for 2025, not a total cost to date, and represents about 8% of its GDP. While this isn’t a specific “war cost,” the Russian war in Ukraine has other significant economic consequences, including substantial direct military spending, which may have exceeded $132 billion through 2024 and reached over $450 billion by some estimates, along with broader economic costs like GDP losses and long-term effects on the economy. [1, 2, 3]

Breakdown of Costs and Projections:

  • 2025 Military Expenditure: Russia’s planned military spending for 2025 is around $170-$172 billion, accounting for approximately 8% of its GDP. [1]
  • Direct Military Spending: Some estimates place Russia’s direct military spending on the war at $132 billion or more by the end of 2024. [2]
  • Total Direct War Cost: One source indicates the total direct costs of the war for Russia have exceeded $450 billion, though this is a broader figure encompassing all direct expenses. [3]
  • GDP Losses: Beyond direct military costs, Russia has also incurred significant losses to its GDP as a result of the war, with estimates for 2022 alone falling between $81 billion and $104 billion. [2]

Context and Broader Impacts: [4]

  • Economic Impact: The war has led to Russia’s focus on a “war economy” that prioritizes military spending, which drives short-term growth but undermines long-term economic health.
  • Labour Shortages: The increased militarization of the workforce contributes to severe labor shortages.
  • Inflation: Wage growth in Russia has outpaced productivity, fueling inflation.
  • Sustainability: This approach creates a narrow and brittle economic foundation, making Russia’s long-term economic trajectory unsustainable.

AI responses may include mistakes.

[1] https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/russia-and-ukraine-are-locked-in-an-economic-war-of-attrition/

[2] https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA2421-1.html

[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_invasion_of_Ukraine

[4] https://www.visionofhumanity.org/russias-war-economy-growth-built-on-unsustainable-foundations/

–33–

Ukraine Independence Day

24 Sunday Aug 2025

Posted by in 21st Century Feudal, 21st Century Modern, Russia, Ukraine

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Ukraine’s Monster — Barbaric Russia : Black Thursday | Holodomor | Invasion of Crimea | Invasion of Donbas.

Also Related on BackChannels

FTAC: Endemic Russian Anti-Semitism — A Note
Linkage: Israel-Ukraine; Russia-Dictatorships & Terrorists

–33–

American Coward and Sellout – Donald Trump Hands Over Ukraine

16 Saturday Aug 2025

Posted by in 21st Century Feudal, 21st Century Modern, Conflict - Culture - Language - Psychology, Russia, Ukraine, United States of America

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The slings and arrows of outrageous slurs — “vile ignoramus” has become my latest favorite — appear never to reach the armored, delusional, malignantly narcissistic, and unreachable Ill Trumpolini (another fave). His realm: mafia realpolitik along the lines of “your money or your wife” — or both (plus other “property”) according to Jeffrey Epstein via assorted reportage. This week, he predictably added to his ignominious reputation by offering Putin everything asked for: expanded land assets for Russia; the submission of Ukraine to Russia; the abandonment of Ukraine by NATO to Russia.

Related in the News: https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2025/aug/15/trump-putin-alaska-meeting-summit-news-updates | Elsewhere: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/08/16/ukraine-washington-zelensky-russia-trump/; https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/15/us/politics/trump-putin-summit-ukrainians.html.

Related for Background: https://www.reuters.com/article/world/toppled-mafia-president-cost-ukraine-up-to-100-billion-prosecutor-says-idUSBREA3T0KA/ | https://transparency.eu/corruption-opulence-and-decadence-in-ukraine/ | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revolution_of_Dignity | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_in_Donbas | https://conflict-backchannels.com/2022/02/24/ukraines-black-thursday/

–33–

Medvedev: Muscovy Clown and Kremlinal

15 Friday Mar 2024

Posted by in 21st Century Feudal, 21st Century Modern, Conflict - Culture - Language - Psychology, Europe, Gaza, Germany, Israel, Middle East, North America, Palestinia, Politics, Russia, Ukraine, United States of America

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In a recent Tweet, the high and not so mighty Dmitry Medvedev, chair of the Security Council of Russia, referred to Ukrainian President Zelensky as a “provincial clown”. After so many years of accumulating material about Russia, I had quite a bit to pack into one riposte–>

Provincial clown?

Look in the mirror.

For , this has been ’s work in its support of dictatorship-https://conflict-backchannels.com/2018/02/24/war-east-west-abomination-syria-bombing-hospitals/ -of the lust for the wealth of others and the power to steal it: #StormInMoscow-https://conflict-backchannels.com/2023/05/03/reference-journalist-alexander-zhilin-operation-storm-in-moscow-aka-moscow-apartment-bombings/ (you bombed in the dead of night as part of an obscene political theater) and here you will destroy what doesn’t shoot back: https://youtu.be/a245RkGUXfk; https://youtu.be/c1xFSCDy8Jo; https://youtu.be/q2nfuIP2tU0; https://youtu.be/8_XCe86resg. Your #JewHate traces back to about here: https://conflict-backchannels.com/2021/02/01/ftac-endemic-russian-anti-semitism-a-note/ -and your own #RussianNazism does too. Regarding ’s sideshow: you know of #WhiteRussianLoyalist #MaxErwinVonScheubnerRichter-https://conflict-backchannels.com/2017/12/29/ftac-middle-east-conflict-back-to-max-erwin-von-scheubner-richter-and-forward-to-the-plundering-of-palestinian-misery-by-palestinian-leadership-elites/.

In the end, the darkness you believe surrounds you–that paranoia–is your own and fixed by a reliably delusional, grandiose, messianic, and malign narcissism that has no other purpose than the want of adoration (narcissistic supply).

As an X-Pression–>

–33–

VladimirPutin #ParanoidMalignantNarcissist

16 Friday Feb 2024

Posted by in 21st Century Feudal, 21st Century Modern, American Domestic Affairs, Conflict - Culture - Language - Psychology, Europe, North America, Political Psychology, Russia, Ukraine, United States of America

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On Elon Musk’s X platform, all Xpression may as well be flushed down the digital river of tweeted communications: the appearance is brief and the flood mighty.

Countermeasure: copy-paste and blog the message as well.

Prompt: Vladimir Putin’s laughable statement: “We did not initiate this war [in Ukraine]. Rather, we are striving to end it.”

Vladimir Putin using Viktor Yanukovych as his lackey had sorely abused Ukrainian business with time-honored mafia methods, i.e., plain skimming theft in the end:

https://www.occrp.org/en/yanukovychleaks-national-project/; https://www.occrp.org/uk/yanukovychleaks-national-project/.

A popular turn toward Europe against the will of the Kremlin’s puppet and a related “Revolution of Dignity” ensued.

Euromaidan2014.

#RussianInvades – https://euromaidanpress.com/2014/12/07/fsb-colonel-girkin-tells-details-of-how-russia-invaded-ukraine-in-twice-censored-interview/; https://www.brookings.edu/articles/watch-out-for-little-green-men/.

& #RussianNazis spread chaos, degradation, deprivation, and desperation worldwide, and then cover their crimes with lies, specifically baseless accusations, deflections, denials, erasures of collective memory, fabrications, and omissions of facts.

Regarding #EvilMirroring and : https://conflict-backchannels.com/2023/06/28/a-dark-mirror-in-language/.

#DarkMirrorInLanguage #MedievalVModern #PhantomOfTheSoviet

Thematically Related

’s shared basic psychology: Malignant Narcissism and Process. The lies told by both represent the “Covering” of deeply seated humiliation (“Narcissistic Mortification”) and the fear of its repeat. The psyche creates an alternative undamaged courageous-heroic self, and that becomes the leader’s principle project both in its assertion and its defense (in the psychology, “Splitting” or, together, “Covering/Splitting”). Complementary observation, term, or trope: “delusional, grandiose, messianic ideation absent of normal boundaries or limits, i.e., the parameters of conscience” (so I quote myself). The end of the process for the Russian dictator and the American wanna-be dictator: “Unlimited Narcissistic Supply”, i.e., the validating infinite love of millions without end in sight.

Putin rose to power on a false-flag operation, the “Moscow Apartment Bombings” (also reference David Satter’s “The Unsolved Mystery Behind the Act of Terror That Brought Putin to Power”, National Review, August 17, 2016 or on this blog “Reference: Journalist, Alexander Zhilin, Operation Storm in Moscow AKA Moscow Apartment Bombings” – May 3, 2023 ); Trump, by contrast, appears to have run fairly for 2016 but then attempted to rig the 2020 election with the Big Lie that it had been stolen while he, in fact, he had lined up fraudulent election ballots to steal it for himself–he had hoped to order Mike Pence to interrupt the count, have authentic ballots replaced, and then reclaim power with the now apparent intent to functionally disestablish America’s democracy as well as the NATO security umbrella against the rapacious and politically absolute enemies of freedom.

–33–

EU – Charles Michel Says Additional $50 Billion Authorized for Ukraine

01 Thursday Feb 2024

Posted by in 21st Century Modern, Conflict - Culture - Language - Psychology, Fast News Share, International Development, Ukraine

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Michel

Charles Michel serves as the President of the European Council. When the news comes straight from the authority who makes it, no further confirmation would seem needed.

Update: Related Online

Bayer, Lili. ”Deal reached over EU’s €50bn Ukraine package – Europe Live.” The Guardian, February 1, 2024.

McGee, Luke. ”EU agrees to $50B funding deal for Ukraine at pivotal time in the war.” CNN, February 1, 2024.

–33–

Elon Musk ISO Self-Navigating Soul

08 Friday Sep 2023

Posted by in 21st Century Feudal, 21st Century Modern, Conflict - Culture - Language - Psychology, Epistemology, Russia, Ukraine

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Have these emperors no clothes?

Putin has turned out a monster fairly bathing in blood; Trump has been all but declared a felon several times over–his image will lose the “alleged” before the charges against him; and here Musk, the world’s wealthiest industrialist appears ill-informed and lacking in insight. The first two I would cast as feudal-medieval thugs and in modern parlance “malignant narcissists”; the third has expressed concern for his fellow travelers in the most democratic terms, but while his platform, literally, and stature give him a mighty voice, he appears without background for the world he may view, also literally, from outer space.

Here follow three brief X-Riposte (I guess) to his callous and naive suggestion on Russia’s ethnocide in Ukraine: “Both sides should agree to a truce.”–>

I know I know my little bit of history in relation to Russia but am no match for Ph.D’s in Russian Studies–and to my own disadvantage, don’t speak a word of the language. On the other hand, inflection points and nodes may emerge from broad and general knowledge (plus boundless curiosity), and that much I have enjoyed in abundance. With respect to Russian history, I do know that those who crossed from what is today Scandinavia found the northern soil of the new continent thin and consequently would roam south for more fertile land (credit the thought to Pipes, Richard.  Russia Under the Old Regime: The History of Civilization.  New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1974).

For vision, it helps to have background, engagement over time, an understanding of historic as well as present issues, and awareness–sometimes in depth–of variables contributing mightily to the way things look and, in fact, appear real and true with high confidence.

For Elon Musk and others, Russia has behaved in the manner of a criminal enterprise since the early mid-1990s. It’s leader’s malign narcissistic psychology has been expressed through especially cruel and sadistic operations in service to his development of political power. He hasn’t Russia’s better interests in mind but rather the defense of his own projected and sustained heroic image, and given his underlying fear of humiliation–or related cowardice–has no reverse gear, however irrational the prospect of his own continued success may appear.

Over time, BackChannels has covered Russia’s establishment of its anti-Semitic beliefs and traditions, its transfer of related thought to Adolph Hitler, and its yoking of the Palestinians to its own hate and related political paradigms.

Packaged here for compression, all cited URL’s may be unpacked but perhaps not in a simple hour or a day, but to any devoted to seeing how things work and have worked, what matters a little more time?

For the technology-enabled future of greatest benefit to humanity, both Putin and Trump must be defeated as the anachronistic and far bent personalities each has become. For Ukraine, there will be no security for Russia left as a politically intact and ever ruthless and vicious kleptocracy with imperial ambitions; for the United States, there should be no drift into criminal horse dealing of its own and the compromising of the privileges, prerogatives, and rights of citizenship without bounds of the nation’s Constitution and established political and social ideals, processes, and traditions.

# # #