Tag: perpetual war

Documents: Putin Was Willing To Compromise To End War in 2022

In April 2022, Ukraine and Russia were on the brink of signing a deal to end the war just weeks after it began. The New York Times published documents showing President Vladimir Putin was willing to make concessions to get an agreement signed.

According to the documents, Putin initially sought to have Kiev recognize Moscow’s 2014 annexation of Crimea. However, a draft agreement from April 15, 2022, suggests both parties were prepared to set aside the issue to end the conflict. “Paragraph 1 of Article 2 and Articles 4, 5, and 11 of this Treaty shall not apply to Crimea and Sevastopol,” the document says.

In December, Ukrainian negotiator Oleksandr Chalyi explained that an agreement was reached in the spring of 2022, stating the two sides “managed to find a very real compromise. We were very close in the middle of April, in the end of April, to finalize our war with some peaceful settlement.”

Kiev was also willing to accept neutrality with regards to NATO, according to the NYT. Ukraine’s negotiation team proposed a peace deal that would say the country “does not join any military alliances” and “does not deploy foreign military bases and contingents.”

The draft deal would have allowed Kiev to sign bilateral agreements with NATO states, as well as become a member of the European Union, but would have required Ukraine’s security partners to lift sanctions on Russia.

The Kremlin also sought to protect the rights of millions of Russian speakers living in Ukraine by forcing Kiev to repeal restrictions on the Russian language, and to bar the state from erecting monuments glorifying neo-Nazis and WWII-era Nazi collaborators.

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Will Average Western Citizens Pay the Price for G7’s Theft of Russian Funds?

Analysts worry Thursday’s announcement could spell dire consequences for the economic stability of the United States and its allies, as G7 leaders reached a deal this week to seize the interest from Russian assets to fund the ongoing proxy war in Ukraine.

News of the development emerged Thursday, although the group of Western economies has yet to formally approve the action. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni confirmed the reports, drawing a distinction between the expropriation of earned interest and the outright seizure of Russian savings held in European banks. “We are certainly not talking about confiscating these assets,” Meloni claimed at the G7 meeting in Fasano.

But the move is nonetheless highly controversial in the precedent it sets, claims analyst Dr. George Szamuely, and may be seen as a prelude to the wholesale theft of the funds. The analyst at the London-based Global Policy Institute joined Sputnik’s The Final Countdown program on Thursday to discuss how the development will harm financially strained Western citizens.

“It doesn’t in any way conform to international law,” said Szamuely of the G7’s plan, “and let’s keep in mind this has never been done before.”

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No Country Immune From NATO Attack, Putin Warns

With the world rapidly changing, things will no longer be as they were before. Today, the global political landscape, the economy, and technological competition are all evolving at breakneck speed. President Vladimir Putin stated at a meeting with top officials of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

“The world is changing rapidly. Nothing will be like it was before, not global politics, not the economy, nor technological competition,” the president clarified.

“This endeavor, in today’s challenging and rapidly changing realities, demands even greater concentration of effort and initiative towards resilience: not only the ability to respond to current challenges but also to shape our own, long-term agenda. Alongside our partners, we should propose and discuss, within an open and constructive dialogue, solutions to those fundamental questions that concern not only us but the entire global community,” he stressed.

Multipolar World Order

Russian President Vladimir Putin has emphasized that the cornerstone of this emerging reality is the establishment of a multipolar world order.

“Today, the outlines of a multipolar and multilateral world order are being formed based on the new political and economic reality. This process highlights the inherent human diversity of culture and civilization, despite ongoing efforts at artificial homogenization,” he said.

More and more countries are striving to strengthen their sovereignty, self-sufficiency, and national and cultural identity. “Countries of the Global South and East are coming to the forefront, and the role of Africa and Latin America is growing. Since Soviet times, we’ve always emphasized the importance of these world regions, but today the dynamics are entirely different,” the president stated.

Growing Interest in BRICS

Russia is witnessing a mounting interest in the BRICS organization, Putin noted.

“This vision of the future resonates with the aspirations of the vast majority of countries around the world. We see this reflected in the growing interest in BRICS, a universal association based on a special culture of trustworthy dialogue, sovereign equality of participants, and mutual respect. During Russia’s chairmanship this year, we will facilitate the smooth inclusion of new members into BRICS’ working structures,” Putin said.

He believes that the potential of BRICS will allow it to become one of the fundamental regulatory institutions in the multipolar world order.

Putin stated that Western powers, led by the United States, believed they had emerged victorious from the Cold War and could dictate the global order, while dismissing Russia’s legitimate concerns with evasive answers.

“The Western powers, led by the US, believe that they had won the Cold War and were entitled to unilaterally determine how to organize the world. This sentiment manifested in the relentless expansion of the North Atlantic bloc, both geographically and gradually. To our legitimate questions, they responded with excuses, claiming that no one intended to attack Russia and that NATO’s expansion was not directed against Russia,” the head of state maintained.

NATO Cranking Up Pressure on Other Countries

The US-led Transatlantic bloc is seeking to ramp up pressure on nation-states it seeks to constrain, such as Russia.

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NATO Seeks to Set Up 3 Bases in Member States to Coordinate Arms Supplies to Ukraine – Orban

NATO seeks to create military bases in Poland, Romania and Slovakia as part of its mission in Ukraine to coordinate arms supplies to Kiev, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday.

Orban stressed that should this bases be established in countries bordering Ukraine like Poland, Romania and Slovakia, they “will become military targets”. Prime minister underscored that Hungary is worried about its security and will not take part in these activities anyhow.

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The Enduring, Racist Trope of Palestinian ‘Rejectionism’

Since the beginning of the Zionist project in Palestine, large efforts have been exerted to paint all resistance to its colonial endeavors as irrational and at odds with progress and modernity. 

From the onset, Theodor Herzl, founder of political Zionism, envisioned that local Palestinian Arabs would welcome the progress brought by Zionist colonizers and greet them with open arms. Those who did not, or the “penniless” ones who could not contribute to this new society, would be “spirited” across the border.

Contrary to Herzl’s predictions, the Zionist colonial project was largely met with resistance. Rather than understanding this for what it was — the natural response of indigenous people toward colonialism — the majority of Zionist leaders dismissed this opposition as regressive and rooted in a fear of ingenuity and prosperity.

Later, Palestinian resistance would be characterized by charges of anti-Semitism and senseless bloodlust.

This deliberately manufactured dichotomy between the prosperous and civilized Settler and the regressive and rejectionist Arab standing in the way of progress set the tone for developments between Palestinians and Zionist settlers for decades to come. 

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US Senator Says Ukraine Is ‘Gold Mine’ with $12 Trillion of Minerals ‘We Can’t Afford to Lose’

Aprominent US lawmaker has referred to Ukraine as a “gold mine”, insisting the West must maintain access to its estimated $12 trillion worth of critical minerals.

US Senator Lindsey Graham made these comments in a June 10 interview on the CBS program “Face the Nation”.

“They’re sitting on $10 to $12 trillion of critical minerals in Ukraine”, Graham said.

“They could be the richest country in all of Europe. I don’t want to give that money and those assets to Putin to share with China”, he added.

Graham, a Republican, recalled that, when Donald Trump was president, he sent Ukraine military aid in the form of loans.

The senator strongly implied that Ukraine should pay the West for weapons shipments with its large mineral reserves.

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Military Draft Coming? House Passes Measure To Automatically Register Men For Selective Service

The House of Representatives on Friday approved its version of the annual defense policy bill, effectively clearing the $883.7 billion National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to move forward in a 217-199 vote which largely fell along party lines. Only three Republicans opposed it.

A number of ‘controversial’ amendments are part of it, setting up a further fight with Democrats as it moves forward, including a measure empowering the National Guard to crack down on the southern border.

But among the most interesting aspects to the bill for Fiscal Year 2025 is an amendment to the NDAA which automatically registers all draft-age male U.S. residents with the Selective Service System.

This means that all able-bodied males in the country age 18-26 could potentially be drafted in the scenario of a future war declaration by Congress. The selection would be based on information from Federal databases.

While there has been a Selective Service program in effect for decades, it has long previously only been voluntary, but this new amendment will make registration automatic. The merely ‘voluntary’ system had been in effect since 1980 – but critics have said that leaving it up for young men to decide for themselves whether to register has resulted in a weak and ineffective system with not enough numbers.

According to more background for this new Congressional push: 

The automatic draft registration proposal was instigated by the Selective Service System (SSS) as part of its annual budget request to Congress, introduced by Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.), “wholeheartedly” endorsed by HASC Chair Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), and approved by voice vote of the full committee without audible opposition. The text of Rep. Houlahan’s proposal can be read here. Her office’s press release on the proposal can be read here.

Rep. Houlahan had been one of the leading advocates of proposals in previous years to expand draft registration to women as well as men. Her latest proposal for automatic registration of men only for a military draft indicates that she is more deeply committed to militarization than to any purported feminism.

There’s been a rising number of military papers and reports calling for the reinstatement of a more robust draft system of late, especially in relation to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

For example, last year the US Army War College’s academic journal included a highly disturbing essay on what lessons the US military should take away from the continuing war in Ukraine.

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Senate Armed Services Committee Proposes Mandatory Draft Registration for Women in FY25 Defense Policy Bill

The Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) has proposed to include a provision in the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that mandates draft registration for women.

Under the latest National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), not only will men aged 18 to 26 be automatically registered for selective service, but an amendment also proposes mandatory draft registration for women.

Please note that the version of the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) passed by the House of Representatives is distinct from the version advanced by the Senate Armed Services Committee.

In May, the FY25 NDAA received strong bipartisan support as it was approved by the House Armed Services Committee (HASC). The vote was overwhelmingly in favor, passing 57 to 1.

On Friday, the House of Representatives approved its version of the bill to automatically register men aged 18 to 26 for selective service.

This automatic draft registration system would replace the existing system from 1980, which allows young men the freedom to decide whether or not to sign up for the draft.

The new legislation was introduced by Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.), a former Air Force officer, and was endorsed by HASC Chair Mike Rogers (R-Ala.).

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UN Report Details Israeli War Crimes During First Months of War on Gaza

The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry (COI) provides a detailed analysis of the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 and the Israeli assault on Gaza. The report finds both sides committed war crimes but concludes there is no evidence to support the claim that Hamas engaged in mass rape during its rampage in southern Israel. The COI found evidence of Israel intentionally killing civilians and Israeli forces engaged in acts of sexual torture. 

The report’s analysis of the events on October 7 concluded Hamas intentionally targeted two dozen civilian targets, leading to hundreds of deaths. The COI found evidence that members of Hamas committed sexual assaults on Israelis, with some female bodies found undressed. 

However, the report debunks the widespread claim that top Israeli and US officials have often repeated that Hamas engaged in mass rape during its attack. “The Commission has reviewed testimonies obtained by journalists and the Israeli police concerning rape but has not been able to independently verify such allegations,” the report says. “Additionally, the Commission found some specific allegations to be false, inaccurate or contradictory with other evidence or statements and discounted these from its assessment.”

While the assertion that Hamas engaged in mass rape on October 7 has been widely discussed in the US media, the Palestinian accusations that Israeli forces have systematically engaged in horrific sexual violence have gone largely unreported. 

The COI found evidence to back the Palestinian claims that Israel is engaging in systemic sexual torture and humiliation. “Based on testimonies and verified video footage and photographs, the Commission finds that sexual violence has been perpetrated throughout the [Israeli enforced] evacuation processes.” The report continues, “Palestinians were made to watch members of their family and community strip in public and walk completely or partially undressed while subjected to sexual harassment.”

The Israeli forces inflicted sexual torture on males, according to the COI. “Males were repeatedly filmed and photographed by soldiers while subjected to forced public stripping and nudity, sexual torture and inhumane or cruel treatment,” the report found. 

The COI concluded that the Israeli forces were authorized or allowed to engage in the sexual abuse. “The Commission concludes that forced public stripping and nudity and other types of abuse by Israeli military personnel were either ordered or condoned.” It adds, “These acts were intended to humiliate and degrade the victims and the Palestinian community at large by perpetuating gender stereotypes that create a sense of shame, subordination, emasculation and inferiority.”

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There Are Only Downsides To Prolonging The War In Ukraine

Last week, President Joe Biden and a number of top American and European officials met in Normandy to attend a ceremony marking the eightieth anniversary of the D-day invasion. In a pair of speeches, Biden recounted the operation that he said marked the beginning of the “great crusade to liberate Europe from tyranny” before drawing a direct connection to where things stand with the war in Ukraine.

Biden called Russian president Vladamir Putin a tyrant who invaded Ukraine simply because he is “bent on domination.” Biden then renewed one of his favorite tropes, asserting that if Ukraine falls, its people will be subjugated, its neighbors will be in immediate danger, and all of Europe will be threatened by Putin’s aggressive ambitions.

But the West’s chosen depiction of Putin as a tyrant bent on conquering the entire European continent suffered its latest setback last month when it came out that the Russian president is interested in halting the fighting and negotiating a deal that recognizes the current battlefield lines.

Putin is showing this interest even though the Russian military is in a strong position that seems likely to get even stronger. Last year’s long-anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive was meant to drive Russian forces out of Ukraine. But since its launch last summer, Ukraine has lost more territory than it has gained. Recently, the Russians even launched a brand new incursion into territory around the northeastern city of Kharkiv—territory that had already been recaptured by the Ukrainians in late 2022.

Russia’s minefields, artillery, and punishing glide bombs have not only kept Ukrainian forces from advancing but left them struggling to hold their positions along the current front line. Meanwhile, Russia has significantly boosted war-related production far beyond anything we’re seeing from the West, which, while bad for the Russian economy in the long run, ensures the intensity of Russia’s bombing and shelling will not cease anytime soon.

At the same time, the Ukrainian government is facing a serious shortage of soldiers that no amount of foreign aid or equipment transfers can do anything to alleviate. Earlier this year, the Ukrainian parliament passed a law that sought to boost conscription rates by making it easier for the government to find and identify draft-eligible men. But the problem persists, leading Ukrainian officials to tap into the country’s prison population, cut consular services to military-aged Ukrainian men living abroad, and forbid men who are dual citizens from leaving Ukraine. As the country’s supply of young men runs low, the average age of a Ukrainian soldier has climbed to forty-three years old.

What makes Ukraine’s situation even more tragic is how easily it could have been avoided. One month after Russia invaded in early 2022, both sides reached an agreement where Russia would pull back to preinvasion boundaries and, in return, Ukraine would agree to not seek NATO membership.

The deal could have put an end to the fighting and handed Kyiv control of all the land Russia had just seized. But, according to senior negotiators on both sides and high-level mediators from the various countries facilitating the talks, officials from the United Kingdom and the United States convinced the Ukrainians to walk away from the deal and fight.

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