Putin Recognizes Donbass Republics, Sends Russian Military to 'Denazify' Ukraine

This strikes me as a very distinct counterpoint to the above:

Putin highlights role of Christianity as constructive force in Alania

Because it is. I looked up some of the authors and signatories of the Prague document of July

Among the authors – Signatories: Rajana Dugar-DePonte (Buryatia), Ruslan Gabbasov (Bashkortostan), Rafis Kashapov (Tatarstan), Aleksey Mananikov (Siberia), Deny Teps (Ichkeria), Elena Mikhailova (Velky Novgorod), Yury Moskalenko (Novosibirsk), Gennady Gudkov (Kolomna); from Europe and North America: Janusz Bugajski (USA), Pavel Klimkin (Ukraine), Edward Lucas (Great Britain), Vojacic Pokor, Tamila Tasheva (Ukraine), Andrius Almanis (Lithuania), Oleg Dunda (Ukraine), Paul Massaro (USA), Taras Stetskiv (Ukraine), Mariusz Pilis (Poland), Evgeny Magda (Ukraine), Vadim Prokopiev (Belarus), Pavel Zhovnirenko (Ukraine).

and they are mostly activists plus some notorious trouble-makers like Manannikov (now dissident), some journalist, but there is also one big name: Janusz Bugajski, an American of Polish origins.

Wiki

Janusz Bugajski (born 23 September 1954, in Nantwich, Cheshire, England) is a senior fellow at the Jamestown Foundation in Washington, D.C., and host of “Bugajski Hour” television shows broadcast in the Balkans. He was formerly a senior fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) in Washington, D.C., and the director of New European Democracy Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

Bugajski has served as a consultant on East European affairs for various U.S. organizations and government agencies as for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the United States Department of Defense, the International Republican Institute (IRI), the Free Trade Union Institute (AFL-CIO), the International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX), and BBC television in London.

He testifies regularly before the U.S. Congress. He chairs the South-Central Europe area studies program at the Foreign Service Institute of the U.S. Department of State.

He came to the US in 1986.

1977 he obtained B.A. Honours from the University of Kent at Canterbury, UK, and in 1981 an M.Ph. in social anthropology from the London School of Economics and Political Science. He speaks English and Polish.

In 1981–1983 he has been consultant on Polish affairs for BBC Television, London; 1984–1985 he became Senior Research Analyst at Radio Free Europe (RFE/RL) in Munich, Germany. In 1986 he joined the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C., and established the center's East European department. He became associate director 1986–93 and director in 1993 for East European Studies at Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington (DC).

He was also an adjunct lecturer American University (1991); lecturer of the Smithsonian Institution, the Foreign Service Institute, the Woodrow Wilson Center; consultant of the International Republican Institute, the International Research and Exchanges Board and the Institute for Democracy in Eastern Europe.

Any questions?
 
Another insightful Paul Craig Roberts piece - just as Scott Ritter expected doctrinal offensive operations from the get go, Roberts thinks it was a mistake not to have done so:

We Might be Spared Nuclear War for Now But the Threat of Home Grown Tyranny Remains
As readers know, I am convinced that Putin’s toleration of insults and provocations has had the effect of encouraging more and worse provocations and not, as he intended, to downplay conflict. As you also know, I am convinced that his “limited military operation” in Donbass designed to protect the Donbass Russians, formerly a part of Russia, from horrible abuse by Ukrainian forces and the neo-Nazi militias, was a mistake. It is a mistake because the West characterized a limited operation as an “invasion of Ukraine,” and used its slow progress as evidence of Russian failure. It is a mistake because the go-slow nature of the Russian offensive in order to minimize the impact on civilian lives and infrastructure gave the West plenty of time to convince itself to get more and more involved with diplomatic support, money, armaments and ammunition, training, and now with satellite information for targeting the Russian forces.

As I see it, Putin has been behaving as British Prime Minister Chamberlain is alleged to have behaved, thus encouraging more aggressive actions. Wanting peace at all costs brings war.

As it is no longer possible for the Kremlin to speak of “our Western partners” or to deny that the West is at war with Russia, the Kremlin, trying to avoid a war that it knows would be nuclear, has reached my conclusion of eight years ago that if the areas in today’s artificial borders of Ukraine that require Russian protection were reincorporated into Russia, the conflict would have to cease or become direct Western military aggression against Russia. As Biden says he has no stomach for a war with Russia and will not permit one, and as NATO is incapable of such war, the referendums that begin today in the liberated areas of Ukraine, which without question will succeed, promise to reduce the threat of Armageddon. Although in my opinion the leadership everywhere in the Western world is Satanic and insane, I do not think the Western governing elites are ready to commit suicide by attacking Russian territory. The West can say it doesn’t recognize the rights of people to self-determination, but if Russia says it is Russian territory, it is.

So that you understand, the referendums are Putin’s way of ending the conflict before it widens into nuclear war. Putin’s rescue of the world from nuclear war will not be acknowledged by the Western presstitutes, Washington’s puppet EU and UK governments, or by the puppet who serves as NATO secretary general.

But what they think does not matter. Putin, belatedly, is doing his best to save us all from nuclear war. Pray that he succeeds.

Putin’s success in forestalling nuclear war does not mean peace for Russia. The breakup of the Soviet Union by Washington that turned Soviet provinces or republics into independent states, together with the freedom the West has had for 30 years in funding NGOs and building subversive networks in the former Soviet provinces, gives Washington the opportunity to foment wars on the Russian Federation’s borders, as is now brewing between two former Central Asian Soviet Republics, Kyrgystan and Tajikistan and to foment coups such as the one in the recent attempt in Kazakhstan. The empire served a security purpose to which Russia will eventually have to return if the West continues to operate against Russia.

Article pivots to all the domestic threats America is experiencing that will not have Putin's help to confront. He expounds on this for a total of 14 paragraphs! But back to his take on the SMO - a previous article dated Sept. 10:

Is Putin’s Goody Two Shoes Behavior with His “Limited Operation” Blowing Up in His Face?

Hard to say if there would have been fewer civilian deaths had Putin gone in full force at the outset - was he foolish to think anything less would get the result he was after? Of course, we're not privy to all the info he has and thus, why he chose the limited operation. Maybe a factor:

White House Sent Multiple Threats to the Kremlin Via Backchannels
The Joe Biden administration has sent several warnings to Russia via backchannels regarding the possible use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine, the Washington Post reports. The White House’s messages to Russia have been intentionally nondescript to foster uncertainty in Moscow about what the US would do if Russia deployed its ultimate weapon.

The White House has sent the message several times since the war in Ukraine started, according to the US officials who spoke with the Post. The White House’s communications with the Kremlin have been intentionally vague.

The Biden administration believes these nonspecific threats will deter Russia through "strategic ambiguity." "Strategic ambiguity" is an intentionally unclear policy that causes the enemy not to act out of fear it could cross a red line without knowing it.

For nearly 50 years, the US maintained a policy of "strategic ambiguity" toward Taiwan. By refusing to commit to defending the island, Washington has deterred Taipei from declaring independence. At the same time, suggesting it could defend Taiwan has deterred China from acting more aggressively against the island.

However, Biden has taken steps towards abandoning "strategic ambiguity" towards Taiwan. Since taking office, Biden has said he would go to war for Taipei four times.
 
Not exactly. It is no surprise that those living in Ukraine/Russia see things differently and one can also say, they see different things than other forum members. It's like looking at the world through a telescope just holding it in opposite positions. Focusing on details vs. seeing a big picture. Both parts try to be as objective as possible and both views can complement each other but their fields of applicability overlaps only partially. As for that "trend" and "just because" - if that's how you really see it, we must be participating in two different forums.
In general, I agree, but I still want to correct the image with the telescope a little. What I'm posting may look like focusing on details from the outside, but it's not. I used to try to explain what and why I publish, I'll try again. I publish those things that seem important to me and which, in my opinion, may pass by the attention of forum members due to known limitations. After all, our media environment is very different. The personal things that I publish are intended to enable many forum participants to see more fully, voluminously, colorfully, and, accordingly, to realize what is happening, i.e. this is not a concentration on details, but an attempt to convey to the forum participants some things that, again, in my humble opinion, may remain unrecognized/ not noticed, in order to better understand the general. The telescope, therefore, does not seem to me to be inverted, but simply focused a little differently.

В целом я согласен, но все таки хочу немножко поправить образ с телескопом. То что я публикую может со стороны выглядеть как фокусировка на деталях, но это не так. Раньше я пытался объяснить, что и почему я публикую, попробую еще раз. Я публикую те вещи, которые мне кажутся важными и которые, по моему мнению могут пройти мимо внимания членов форума из-за известных ограничений. Все таки медийная среда у нас очень разная. Вещи личного порядка, которые я публикую имеют целью дать возможность многим участникам форума более полно, объемно, красочно увидеть, а соответственно и осознать происходящее, т.е. это не концентрация на деталях, а попытка донести до участников форума некоторые вещи, которые, опять же по моему скромному мнению, могут остаться не узнанными/не замеченными, с целью лучше осознавать общее. Телескоп, таким образом, мне видится не перевернутым, а просто немного по другому сфокусированным.
 
Scott Ritter clarifies Russia's use of its air force @11:57 in this Sept. 22 interview:
Thanks for the video. I had read Russia have planes ready to go.
So the thinking now, is that Russia are all in. I suppose that will mean hitting NATO command centers, lights out for Ukraine and probably targeting weapons as they come in. Nothing off the table. Well it appears to be popcorn time and all out there, better get ready. It'll be strategic enclosure to the max while everyone has their version of reality re-written osit. Lets hope for all our sakes it doesn't go nuclear and the nuclear plants continue to avoid destruction.
 

Russia calls out Western elites at UN (WATCH FULL SPEECH)​

By refusing to negotiate, the US and NATO left Moscow no choice but to launch its military operation in Ukraine, FM Sergey Lavrov said
Russia calls out Western elites at UN (WATCH FULL SPEECH)

Sergey Lavrov addresses the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York, September 24, 2022

(video at the link)

Years of NATO encroachment on Russia and the West’s refusal to negotiate over Ukraine left Russia “no choice” but to launch its special military operation, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told the UN on Saturday. However, Lavrov added that Russia is now shaping “the future of the world order.”
“The US and its allies want to stop the march of history,”
Lavrov declared from the podium in New York, describing how in the aftermath of the Cold War, Washington appointed itself “almost an envoy of God on earth,” launching foreign conflicts at will and expanding the NATO alliance deeper into Eastern Europe.
The shifting of NATO’s borders to the east and its official declaration of interest in the Indo-Pacific region mean that the US-led bloc “now has the goal of subjugating the Asian area,” Lavrov stated. However, it was the West’s refusal to negotiate over Ukraine that led Russia to fight back, he continued.
 

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Exactly, and there has been a lot of focus on the families of these people in the British press. The story has been spun by focusing on the dubious claims of torture and mistreatment at the hands of the Russians. But this will ring hollow, when everyone can see the obvious fact that these men have been shown mercy. They do not appear to have been badly mistreated, starved or injured in captivity.

If they show up again at the front, God help them. This will sort the truly naive and brainwashed mercenaries from the psychos.


"...both men thanked people who had been supporting them while they were in captivity"

Of course, anything positive whatsoever that they say about their captors will be omitted or obscured somehow. Still, the pictures and videos which millions will see speak volumes. They are visibly relieved at being given a second chance, something which we know many captured Russians will never have. I there is positive PR in this, not that I think it matters that much in the long run.

Despite saying that he was going to 'lay low' media wise in the video on my previous post, Aiden Aslin then gave an interview to the propaganda tabloid rag 'The Sun' less than a week after being released.


We might never find out how where the truth lies in his account, claims of mistreatment, starvation etc. I'm not sure it would be worth the time and effort anyway. Inherently unreliable, coming from a mercenary fighting in Syria and Ukraine. What we do know is that he looks healthy enough (not starved, even chubby in the video here). We know that a previous video in which he was 'forced to sing the Russian anthem' was edited and shown in British press, having removed the part of the footage in which he is laughing and joking with the translator beforehand.

I should have waited a couple of days before making my previous post. Of course maximum anti Russian propaganda was always going to be extracted from this.

Edit - just saw Sottreader's post above. So he's also appeared in the Metro, a free paper distributed to public transport. Classy.
 
In general, I agree, but I still want to correct the image with the telescope a little. What I'm posting may look like focusing on details from the outside, but it's not. I used to try to explain what and why I publish, I'll try again. I publish those things that seem important to me and which, in my opinion, may pass by the attention of forum members due to known limitations. After all, our media environment is very different. The personal things that I publish are intended to enable many forum participants to see more fully, voluminously, colorfully, and, accordingly, to realize what is happening, i.e. this is not a concentration on details, but an attempt to convey to the forum participants some things that, again, in my humble opinion, may remain unrecognized/ not noticed, in order to better understand the general. The telescope, therefore, does not seem to me to be inverted, but simply focused a little differently.

В целом я согласен, но все таки хочу немножко поправить образ с телескопом. То что я публикую может со стороны выглядеть как фокусировка на деталях, но это не так. Раньше я пытался объяснить, что и почему я публикую, попробую еще раз. Я публикую те вещи, которые мне кажутся важными и которые, по моему мнению могут пройти мимо внимания членов форума из-за известных ограничений. Все таки медийная среда у нас очень разная. Вещи личного порядка, которые я публикую имеют целью дать возможность многим участникам форума более полно, объемно, красочно увидеть, а соответственно и осознать происходящее, т.е. это не концентрация на деталях, а попытка донести до участников форума некоторые вещи, которые, опять же по моему скромному мнению, могут остаться не узнанными/не замеченными, с целью лучше осознавать общее. Телескоп, таким образом, мне видится не перевернутым, а просто немного по другому сфокусированным.
And it was a general picture meant to show a different (to some extent) perspective. No offence intended. It's only natural that we see matters concerning our own countries somehow differently. We know more about the players, their flaws and connections, agendas, etc., we are personally affected by their decisions, and more emotionally involved too whether we want it or not. Insider's knowledge and perspective, if relatively objective, is a necessary part of the image of the whole chess board, even if in the grand scheme of things not so much depends on details. I think most members here are interested in both perspectives. :)
 
Despite saying that he was going to 'lay low' media wise in the video on my previous post, Aiden Aslin then gave an interview to the propaganda tabloid rag 'The Sun' less than a week after being released.


We might never find out how where the truth lies in his account, claims of mistreatment, starvation etc. I'm not sure it would be worth the time and effort anyway. Inherently unreliable, coming from a mercenary fighting in Syria and Ukraine. What we do know is that he looks healthy enough (not starved, even chubby in the video here). We know that a previous video in which he was 'forced to sing the Russian anthem' was edited and shown in British press, having removed the part of the footage in which he is laughing and joking with the translator beforehand.

I should have waited a couple of days before making my previous post. Of course maximum anti Russian propaganda was always going to be extracted from this.

I wouldn't trust anything that comes out of the mouth of Aslin and similar people, with such a history. In fact, I would tend to work from the viewpoint that I should be very critical of anything he claims, first and foremost:

As for the trustworthiness of Aiden Aslin; I would put that likelihood pretty low, considering his history.
 
Hard to say if there would have been fewer civilian deaths had Putin gone in full force at the outset - was he foolish to think anything less would get the result he was after? Of course, we're not privy to all the info he has and thus, why he chose the limited operation. Maybe a factor:
Hardly a factor, just saving the face for the naive domestic and european public.
 
I'm very curious about your thoughts and information that you have. Is it possible for you to post it here without translation? There are ways to translate things, plus people who know Russian and come here can read it too.

It's getting more and more dangerous here in my city, massive shelling from MLRS and howitzers is taking place anywhere in the city and at any time of the day, every day dozens of residential buildings are destroyed, burned, and people are injured and killed. Yesterday and the day before yesterday were the most extensive and heavy shelling of my city in the last month and a half. At dawn about 6 o'clock both yesterday and the day before. People died, and more under the rubble and wounded.
I had no electricity and no water again, in many areas of the city.
So that slows down my responses here a lot, too. I just don't have time for anything, even when I sit in front of my smartphone screen all day long and monitor the news and make selections for the forum.

For the third day I have been collecting and adapting texts for translation into English and in general for normal perception (because often in Russian much is written in a complex way and with a lot of terms and expressions, which are not clear to foreigners and can not be translated by machine), trying to bring everything into a more or less convenient format and thematically blocks, it is hundreds of links and kilometers of text. And I still haven't managed even half of this volume, my head is already exploding :)
With that said, more and more data, articles and events keep popping up, which is even more confusing and time-consuming.

I will try to post the first part of my thoughts and links to events and data in the next few days (because I still need to translate into English, and there is a really VERY large amount of text).

To speed this up, I can post here in Russian, and you can use the help of an online translator to read this.
 
JEEP said:
Hard to say if there would have been fewer civilian deaths had Putin gone in full force at the outset - was he foolish to think anything less would get the result he was after? Of course, we're not privy to all the info he has and thus, why he chose the limited operation. Maybe a factor:

"The Joe Biden administration has sent several warnings to Russia via backchannels regarding the possible use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine, the Washington Post reports. The White House’s messages to Russia have been intentionally nondescript to foster uncertainty in Moscow about what the US would do if Russia deployed its ultimate weapon."
Hardly a factor, just saving the face for the naive domestic and european public.
I completely agree - these "warnings" carry less weight than that of a gnat - Putin & Co. know better. But, I think what has been a factor in Putin's decision in exercising the limited operation rather than the all out doctrinal offensive operations, is the nuclear war reality.

Paul Craig Roberts:
As it is no longer possible for the Kremlin to speak of “our Western partners” or to deny that the West is at war with Russia, the Kremlin, trying to avoid a war that it knows would be nuclear [...] Although in my opinion the leadership everywhere in the Western world is Satanic and insane, I do not think the Western governing elites are ready to commit suicide by attacking Russian territory.

And I think that bolded part is what Putin thought could prevent an eventual nuclear holocaust of the entire planet and not just Mother Russia. Has he come to the realization that the insane Satanic controllers will not stop no matter what? That the day of reckoning is upon us?

Earth changes and the leveling of the playing field loom large in this scenario now.
 
Does anyone doubt a world war is at hand?

Attack on Russia is Attack on Africa, Ugandan Commander of Land Forces Says
During Sergei Lavrov's tour of Africa in July, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni assured the Russian foreign minister that “if Russia makes mistakes then we tell them. But when they have not made a mistake we cannot be against them.”

Uganda's military would treat aggression against Russia as aggression against the African continent, Land Forces commander Muhoozi Kainerugaba has indicated.

"President Putin does not have to threaten nuclear war. We hear him. An attack on Russia is an attack on Africa!" Kainerugaba wrote in a tweet Saturday.
 

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