JJE comments

There is a close correlation between US satellites and martial law declarations, coups, one-party-rule etc. Hardly the first time by any measure here or elsewhere.

It's what they call the “rules-based-order”.

I was referring to the upside.

That's right - no downside, agreed - and only upside because it completely legitimizes the limited ground operation and permanent border/population changes.

Give the man his money. It's his.

Then sell him MSNBC so he can walk in there with a sink.

Trump is right here. In an overcrowded market, someone's national producer has to go bust.

NS is buying out US steel to break its promises, asset strip them, ruthlessly sack their workers, pilfer their pensions and savings and ultimately get USS's market share, which is exactly what NS needs and nothing more. It'll be the economic equivalent of a death march for those poor workers.

The question is: should this be allowed to happen...

Oh, but it does.

Besides, any decent settlement in former Ukraine, along with sensible border changes UN-recognized, will include a clause invalidating such politically motivated ICC warrants.

What most reporting on the subject of the Hunter pardon fails to mention is the broad scope of it.

Often implied the tax and gun violations are the specific pardon. But this is not true. He was given a pardon that covered from 2014 to last Sunday and covers crimes he may have committed (and hasn't been charged with) during that whole time. This was probably the most wide-ranging pardon for a non-govt related individual ever.

This conveniently covers the time from when then VP Biden and his son got involved with some controversial deals in a particular foreign country. In effect, Joe is pardoning himself too.

So much for no one being above the law.

Proxy wars are enriching US arms manufacturers at the expense of public decency.

In this article, important to observe there are two countries mentioned that have annexed land of their neighbours.

One of them, a repeat offender, is actually an ally of the country of whose senator was criticized by the Japanese judge.

Article mentions that western fig-leaf labelled as "Putin's international isolation" like it's a badge of honour.

Surely Scholz must know that there is a state visit to India in the pipeline by a certain 'isolated' someone. Indeed, this was announced while Scholz was getting off the locomotive on his whistle-stop tour.

Kremlin has developed SWIFT alternatives. Has really help neutralize the sanctions blockade to a tee.

Controlling over 20% and the lion's share of resources isn't bad at all, and those figures will creep upwards at a faster pace from here on out.

Yeah. It's unfortunate the same thing that happened to Damascus, with outside powers stepping in without UN-remits, also happened to Kyiv.

These things happen you see.

Important to observe Georgia will never be in NATO, like elsewhere. They kicked a spectacular own goal back in 2008 on that note.

Fortunately, there are peacekeepers in the restive, breakaway regions, so the chance of a wider conflagration is much less.

Putin said it quite clearly when the limited ground operation kicked off: neutral status for Ukraine (or what is left of it), demilitarization and denazification.

In Kyiv, Scholz said Russia must not be allowed to "impose a dictated peace on Ukraine" in any negotiations.

Minsk Agreements/Istanbul were negotiated peace offers but those ships sailed.

Scholz's scripted visit was a non-event. He got cleaned up in the elections and probably won't be around much longer, let alone to pretend he is a "mediator".

The Presidential Drawdown Authority, mentioned in the article, relates to old American weaponry and equipment from US reserve stockpiles (I.E. stuff taken off shelves).

Recent reports on this matter indicate the US is facing shortages of many things, with attention shifting to the Pacific and the middle east. There is really not much of relevance to be sent and the elephant in the room is manpower.

Definitely no game changers here and everyone know these AP mines will only get civilians killed.

This is no more a desperation move by an outgoing moribund dishonest regime in the US, to help another outgoing moribund dishonest regime that is their proxy, who are critical and sinking fast.

Biden cannot issue a pardon for the latter, who will face reckoning and justice.

The Kremlin is in every position to decide which currency they trade with.

These threats and continuous sanctions are the reason countries want to break the US racketeering cartel monopoly in the first place.

The Kremlin is also in every position to decide anything related to peacekeeping operations on the Russian frontier.

Let's face some obvious truths here:

These rebel "moderates" are an AQ-linked group, so it's hardly surprising certain quarters support them, particularly NATO

Assad and public decency will win. Government forces will withdraw, fortify, regroup and counterattack. This is the common pattern in that conflict. Watch.

Paris-born Zourabichvili's term is up very soon but she is threatening to just declare herself legitimate and extend her term.

She is a stooge who needs to be stopped yesterday.

Beyond time to show some consistency and apply the Kosovo model here:

Kyiv will be punished for its nasty crimes since 2014, including the coup killings, the Odessa burnings and heinous artillery assaults on the south east - all that slaughtered civilians.

Hiding behind the skirt of NATO/US is like a truant trying to avoid facing the music and the consequences of their actions.

A rent-a-mob breaking the law in the streets of the capital is not a majority and definitely not the "people". Not there or that other place.

US and their controversial ally Israel can't handle the obvious truth that it is a war criming country.

Nope, there are already Russian peacekeepers holding the fragile peace in the various restive, separatist regions. The 2008 conflict, initiated by US-puppet Saakashvili, was a disaster for them, and everyone in the country knows it. Important thing for folks there is not to get sucked down that gurgler again, which means staying neutral with a decent government.

NATO will never be in Georgia, as it will never be in Ukraine.

This is nothing but an outside financed rent-a-mob using violence to overthrow a democratically elected government. We have seen this movie before and it's a shocker.

Because Japan practices a medieval form of hostage justice that is at odds with public decency in general and EU law in particular.

This is about persecution and revenge. Doubt Macron will allow Denmark to sanction this nasty torture-death sentence on a 75 year old.

The government in Taiwan is the legitimate government of China

Won't be able to name a country in the world that subscribes to this nonsense because there isn't any.

Incorrect. More countries recognize the territorial acquisitions of Russia. Also, much larger populations in those credible countries.

Taiwan has like 11 mainly micro-states in oceans somewhere and the Vatican.

Taiwan province is non-UN recognized. Wearing a lei and a colourful shirt doesn't change this basic fact. Nor does it alter the historical record that that real estate is undeniably part of Beijing's portfolio, like Hong Kong and Macau, which have peacefully and prosperously reunified.

One wonders how certain westerns powers can pretend they possess any public decency when they arm, bankroll and underwrite groups.

These must be the "moderate" good insurgents.

Again, it takes Moscow to do the right thing.