Tag: russia

Putin claps back at Trump’s ‘paper tiger’ comment

Following accusations from President Donald Trump that Russia is a “paper tiger” in the war against Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin did not hold back.

“We are fighting against the entire bloc of NATO and we keep moving, keep advancing and feel confident and we are a paper tiger; what NATO itself is?” Putin said. “A paper tiger? Go and deal with this paper tiger then.”

The fiery comments come as the White House is considering approving a request from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for Tomahawk cruise missiles that would allow Ukraine to hit targets deep inside Russia.

During a forum of international foreign policy experts in Russia’s Black Sea resort of Sochi, Putin said this request would bring a “new stage of escalation” between Russia and the U.S.

However, he added that with the missiles, not much would change in their air defenses.

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Russia To Nationalize and Sell Foreign Assets in Its Territory if Warmongering Leaders Seize Russian Frozen Assets in Europe: REPORT

Europe never sees a bad idea that it doesn’t love.

Whether or not you give credence to widespread reports in the MSM that the Russian economy is ‘on the brink of collapse’, the fact remains that Ukraine is a broken country, and its European sponsors are also suffering major economic difficulties, with surging cost of living and slowing down economies.

Without any further US financial help, the unpopular European leaders are struggling to find ways to keep the war going – and one of the ‘great ideas’ they’ve come up with is to seize the frozen Russian assets in Europe.

This idea has been around for years, and is always discarded because not only can Russia retaliate against European assets in Russia, they’d also be destroying the reputation of their banking institutions – and no one would ever again have assets under their custody.

But the idea has resurfaced again, stronger than ever, so reports now say that Russia may nationalize and sell foreign assets in their country, in retaliation for any European moves to seize Russian holdings abroad.

Bloomberg reported:

“President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday signed an order allowing for fast-track sales of state-owned assets under a special procedure.

The decree is intended to speed up the sale of various companies, both Russian and foreign, the person familiar with the matter said, asking not to be identified because the information isn’t public. Should the European Union begin seizing Russian assets, Moscow may respond with symmetrical measures, the person said.”

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Putin accuses France of piracy

Russian President Vladimir Putin has denounced France’s detention of an oil tanker that it claims carried Russian cargo as “piracy,” noting the seizure took place in neutral waters without justification.

Speaking at the Valdai Discussion Club in Sochi on Thursday, Putin argued that investigators were searching for “military cargo, drones, or something of that kind,” but insisted “none of that is there, never was, and never could be.”

Media reports have suggested the investigation may be linked to unidentified drones spotted near Danish airports and military sites last month. There have been suggestions that the UAVs may have been Russian, an accusation Moscow has denied.

Putin also noted that the tanker was sailing under a foreign flag with an international crew, questioning whether it had any connection to Russia at all.

The vessel in question, the Boracay, is sanctioned by the EU and was sailing under a Benin flag when French naval forces boarded it last week. It remains anchored near Saint-Nazaire, with its captain and first mate in custody as prosecutors investigate “serious irregularities.”

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Donald Trump’s Dangerous Tilt Towards War at Home and Abroad

Donald Trump’s speech yesterday at Quantico to the assembled General Officers of the US militaray was a tour de farce of narcissism (not a tour de force). His attempt to emulate the late George C. Scott in his iconic role in Patton was a bust because, instead of delivering a pithy, punchy message, Trump droned on for more than an hour repeating many of his standard lines — e.g., this war never would have started if I was President — but he did so with little enthusiasm. Definitely a low-energy moment.

Although the generals and admirals assembled sat in stony silence throughout his rambling address, none of them had the courage to stand up, walk out and resign in protest. It was a bad bobble head convention… And a lot of bald heads to boot. They are more interested in securing a lucrative retirement package than they are in refusing to obey an illegal order — i.e., bombing a civilian boat that was allegedly carrying drugs that had not fired on US ships or personnel.

In christening the Department of Defense as the new Department of War, Trump is not sending a message of peaceful intentions to the other nations that inhabit this world. Just the opposite. While he appears to have handed off the responsibility for waging war against Russia to Europe, there are disturbing indicators that he has not fully disengaged from the dream of defeating Russia. For example, just a few days after vowing never to refer to Russia as a paper tiger, he did it again.

Some European leaders are still toying with the idea of seizing Russian assets. We have this today in a short piece from Bloomberg: Moscow prepares a counterstrike in case of confiscation of Russia’s frozen assets. Here are the key points:

▪️Russia may nationalize and quickly sell foreign assets under a new privatization mechanism in response to any European moves to seize Russian assets abroad, the publication writes, Bloomberg reported a source close to the government.

▪️On Tuesday, Putin signed a decree allowing accelerated sale of state assets in a special procedure.

▪️If the European Union starts seizing Russian assets, Moscow may respond with symmetrical measures.

▪️Hundreds of Western companies operating in various sectors — from banking to consumer goods production — still operate in Russia, including UniCredit SpA, Raiffeisen Bank International AG, PepsiCo Inc, and Mondelez International Inc., the agency reminds.

▪️So far, Russia has refrained from nationalizing the assets of international corporations. Instead, it has taken some companies under temporary management.

Meanwhile, France appears to have grabbed the war-flag and is leading the charge in stirring up an expanded confrontation with Russia. The French Navy detained the tanker Boracay off the country’s coast on Tuesday, allegedly from the so-called Russian “shadow fleet.” The vessel is under sanctions by the UK and the EU. Earlier this year, it was already detained in Estonia for sailing without a valid flag.

According to MarineTraffic, the Boracay departed on September 20 from the Russian port of Primorsk carrying oil, passed through the Baltic Sea, went around Denmark from the north, entered the North Sea, and proceeded through the English Channel. The tanker is currently anchored near Saint-Nazaire in France.

In tandem with this, the French Army Chief of Staff announced that French troops must be ready for the start of intense warfare as early as tonight. This may be in response to a report from Borzzikman today that the Russians struck a maritime target in Odessa and killed 20 French engineers.

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Chinese ‘golf carts’ repurposed as remote-controlled battlefield robots by Russia 

Russian forces have converted Chinese-made all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) into remotely operated battlefield platforms. The 36th Guards Combined Arms Army of Vostok carried out this experiment, converting the Desertcross 1000-3 utility vehicles into remote-controlled battlefield systems.

The adapted systems were reported in early October 2024, with operations occurring on the frontlines of the war in Ukraine. The vehicles have been designed to reduce troop exposure by automating dangerous roles like laying fiber-optic communication cables.

The vehicles are modified using commercially available components and 3D-printed parts, enabling troops to control them remotely and minimize the risk of casualties from artillery, drones, or small-arms fire.

A safety concern

Signal troops are highly vulnerable at the front while establishing communication lines. The modified ATVs aim to mitigate this risk by helping lay fiber-optic cable through remote control. It can lay up to five kilometers of cable across varied terrain.

By deploying modified Desertcross platforms, the Russian military aims to maintain secure network connectivity while reducing frontline exposure and logistical bottlenecks.

From golf carts to battlefields

Built in China, the Dessertcross 1000-3 was never intended for war. It was positioned as a recreational off-roader and commercial utility vehicle. Manufactured by Shangdong Odes Industry, it features a 72-horsepower gasoline engine, a 50-liter fuel tank, a 916 kg mass, and a cargo capacity of around 300 kilograms.

According to Russian reports, the country purchased thousands of dessert crosses in 2023. Their affordability, availability, and adaptability have made them a cost-effective option for a military struggling to balance cost with operational necessity.

In practice, the vehicles are already being used not only for logistical roles but also during assault operations on Ukrainian positions.

According to some defense reports, some of these ATVs have been fitted with weapons like PKM machine guns, NSV or Kord heavy machine guns, and AGS-17 grenade launchers.

In some cases, units have also added anti-drone gear such as nets or cages to protect against aerial attacks.

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Putin compares ideology of modern West to USSR

Russian President Vladimir Putin has drawn a parallel between the Soviet Union and the present-day US and EU, accusing them of imposing their own political systems on other countries.

Speaking at a plenary session of the Valdai Discussion Club in Sochi on Thursday, the president suggested that political systems which force their own values on others don’t last.

“The Soviet Union once erred by imposing its system. Then, the United States has taken up that baton. The EU has also distinguished itself,” Putin said.

“A nation that respects its own tradition, as a rule, does not encroach on the traditions of others,” the Russian president concluded.

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French Navy Seizes Russian “Shadow-Fleet” Vessel Suspected of Launching Mystery Drones Into NATO Airspace

French naval forces intercepted and detained two crew members aboard the oil tanker Boracay—a vessel long suspected of being part of Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” and now under fresh scrutiny for possible links to the recent wave of mystery drone incursions into NATO airspace. 

The arrests of the two crew members from the Boracay, a vessel long suspected of being part of Russia’s shadow fleet, represent a significant development. This is one of the strongest indications yet that Russia may be orchestrating the drone incursions recently reported in NATO airspace, underscoring the far-reaching logistical networks behind these aerial disruptions.

The arrests come on the heels of a sweeping wave of mystery drone incursions targeting sensitive sites across NATO countries over the past week. These incursions, which involve unidentified drones flying over military installations and critical infrastructure, have caused significant disruptions. Denmark has borne the brunt, with flights forcing the temporary closure of major hubs including Copenhagen, Oslo, Aalborg, and Billund airports. Since September 22, Sweden, Finland, Lithuania, France, and Germany have also reported drones operating near military installations and critical infrastructure. 

Taken together, the incidents suggest a coordinated effort to probe Europe’s defenses, intensifying questions about who is directing the flights and how they are being launched.

According to reports, the French military first boarded the Boracay on September 27, ordering the tanker to anchor off Saint-Nazaire. French prosecutor Stéphane Kellenberger told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that two crew members—who identified themselves as the ship’s captain and first mate—were taken into custody for “failure to justify the nationality of the vessel” and “refusal to cooperate.”

Citing military and intelligence sources, several Danish media outlets reported that the French raid was ultimately prompted by suspicions that the Boracay had been used as a launch platform for the recent mystery drone incursions in NATO airspace. 

Shipping records indicate that the Boracay departed from Primorsk, Russia, on September 20, officially bound for India. Its route took it through the North Sea and past Danish and German waters, as the mystery drone incursions were first being reported, from September 22 to 25. 

During that same period, maritime trackers also logged two other Russian commercial vessels—the Oslo Carrier 3 and Astrol-1—alongside the Russian Ropucha-class landing ship Aleksandr Shabalin operating in waters off Denmark.

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Russia remains top uranium fuel supplier to US – Energy Department data

Russia is still the leading supplier of nuclear fuel to the US despite an import ban introduced under former President Joe Biden, the US Department of Energy has revealed.

According to the agency’s annual uranium marketing report released on Tuesday, Russia provided 20% of the enriched uranium purchased for American commercial reactors in 2024. France supplied 18%, the Netherlands 15%, Britain 9%, and Germany 7%, while 19% of enriched uranium was produced domestically.

Biden signed the Prohibiting Russian Uranium Imports Act into law in 2024, with the ban formally coming into force in August that year. In retaliation, Moscow imposed a temporary cap on enriched uranium exports to the US in November.

The legislation, however, contains a system of waivers allowing purchases from Russia until 2028 if no alternative supply is available or if the imports are considered strategically important. Bloomberg reported that waivers were granted to Constellation Energy Corp, the largest US nuclear operator, and Centrus Energy Corp, one of only two domestic uranium enrichers.

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Ex-UK defense minister calls for Crimea to be made ‘uninhabitable’

Kiev’s Western backers must help make Crimea “not inhabitable,” former UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace has said.

Speaking at the Warsaw Security Forum on Tuesday, Wallace argued that Russia views the Black Sea peninsula as a “Holy Mount,” and that Ukraine should strike where it can inflict the greatest damage.

“We have to help Ukraine have the long-range capabilities to make Crimea unviable. We need to choke the life out of Crimea,” Wallace said.

“If it is not inhabitable or not possible for it to function… I think, if we do that, [Russian President Vladimir] Putin will suddenly realize he’s got something to lose.” 

He suggested that Kiev should prioritize attacks on the Kerch Strait Bridge, which connects Crimea with Russia’s Krasnodar Region. Ukrainian forces struck the bridge in October 2022 and July 2023, temporarily halting traffic.

Wallace, who served as defense secretary from 2019 to 2023, previously urged Ukraine to mobilize more of its population to fight Russia.

Crimea voted to secede from Ukraine and join Russia shortly after the 2014 Western-backed coup in Kiev. Since then, Ukraine has imposed an economic blockade, cutting electricity and water supplies to the region. Home to around 2.5 million people, the peninsula also hosts Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.

The Kremlin has described the UK as “one of the leaders of this pro-war camp” due to its military aid to Kiev and calls for tighter sanctions on Russia.

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EU leaders ‘want to go to war’ with Russia – Orban

The EU leadership appears intent on pushing the bloc into a war with Russia, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Thursday.

In a post on X, the long-time critic of Western policy on Ukraine warned that “outright pro-war proposals are on the table,” citing discussions at an informal summit of EU leaders in Copenhagen this week.

“They want to hand over EU funds to Ukraine. They are trying to accelerate Ukraine’s accession with all kinds of legal tricks. They want to finance arms deliveries. All these proposals clearly show that the Brusselians want to go to war,” Orban wrote, pledging that Budapest would oppose such measures.

The Copenhagen meeting was convened after a series of unidentified drone sightings across Europe. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said her government could not determine the origin of the aircraft but claimed that “we can at least conclude that there is primarily one country that poses a threat to Europe’s security – and that is Russia.”

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