Tag Archives: Economy

China’s success in reconciling Saudi Arabia and Iran huge blow to US hegemony

Reconciliation opens the path for Saudi Arabia and Iran to join BRICS.

Ahmed Adel, Cairo-based geopolitics and political economy researcher

After agreeing with Saudi Arabia in December to buy its oil for Chinese yuan instead of just US dollars, while at the same time Russia is successfully cooperating with Saudi Arabia and Iran in the oil sector, Beijing is helping a historic reconciliation between the two major Muslim countries.Chinese efforts are all the more impressive when consideringthe persistent efforts of the US to cause conflict between thetwo countries instead of reconciliation.

It is hoped that reconciliation will lead to a huge blow to the hegemony of the US dollar. In Beijing on March 17, followingnegotiations in Iraq and Oman during the previous two years, China, Iran, and Saudi Arabia announced an agreement which includes the restoration of diplomatic relations, a confirmation of respect for the sovereignty of states and non-interference in their internal affairs, and agreements on security, economy, trade, investment, science and culture.

In short, with the mediation of China, the two regional powers, often framed as having a Sunni-Shi’a rivalry, made it official that they are embarking on a new path of improving relations instead of further spoiling them for the sake of serving Western interests that are contrary to the interests of the Islamic World. 

Therefore, it is quite clear who the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs had in mind when it announced that overcoming differences between Iran and Saudi Arabia will have a “beneficial effect on freeing the countries of the region from external interference” – evidently this is in reference to the US. As Beijing highlighted, these two countries have now “taken their own destiny into their own hands,” adding that their agreement “corresponds to epochal development trends.”

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who was recently in Moscow and confirmed that Russia-China relations are reaching new frontiers in building a multipolar world,emphasised that the agreement between Riyadh and Tehran represents “a victory for dialogue and peace.”

In a China Global Television Network (CGTN) article published on March 13 and titled: “Why Iran and Saudi Arabia trust China?”, the author highlights that “dialogue between Tehran and Riyadh has unfolded as negotiations took place in Iraq, where the two countries reached an important consensus. Meanwhile, the main regional

allies of Iran and Saudi Arabia, such as the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, have restored diplomatic relations in 2022. Hence, the resumption of diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia also is only a matter of time.”

The author’s belief in the resumption of diplomatic relations proved to be true only days after the article’s publication. The resumption signifies that a new era has dawned in the Middle East, and even more broadly when we consider the effects this could have on the hegemony of the US dollar. 

The US has been the dominant force in the Middle East since the end of British and French colonialism in the 1940’s. The region has been in a constant state of war since then, with the US now maintaining 30 military bases in the Middle East – five of them in Saudi Arabia.

For the US that relies on its global network of military bases to maintain hegemony, Beijing is showing non-Western countries how a multipolar world can function with great power diplomacy based on agreements and reconciliation, and not rooted in the idea that “might is right,” like Washington adopts.

It is noted that the day before the reconciliation in Beijing, the head of Saudi diplomacy, Prince Faisal bin Farhan al Saud, visited Moscow unannounced. And a week earlier, on March 6, Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone with his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi, who visited Beijing in mid-February. After that, Wang Yi was in Moscow. This suggests that although China was the main broker of peace between Saudi Arabia and Iran, Russia certainly played a role in reconciliation efforts. 

Russia, Iran, and Saudi Arabia are three leading oil and gas producers and are accelerating their search for payment mechanisms to bypass the US dollar. China, for their part, is already discussing such arrangements with Saudi Arabia and Iran. 

The decline of the US dollar as a world currency will weakenthe American economy and military power. This in turn willcripple the US’ ability to wage perpetual wars abroad and impose its global hegemony.

Just as importantly, reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran can be seen as a precursor to eventually joining BRICS in the near future. It is recalled that BRICS plans to decide this year whether to admit new members and under what conditions. 

Although BRICS collectively accounts for 42% of the world’s population and 24% of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP), they collectively hold less than 15% of voting rights in both the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, which are Western dominated. By admitting Saudi Arabia and Iran, BRICS’s global status will be elevated even higher as a symbol of not only peace and reconciliation, but also a path to prosperity independent of Western domination. 

Bills that REQUIRE Digital Currency Appear in 20 States, PASSED in South Dakota

flight schedule screen turned on

The Governor of South Dakota, Kristi Noem vetoed the bill in SD but in the end it won’t matter because they plan on crashing the entire current fiat system anyway. This will force the world into the new digital currency, that is if you want to recover from the devastating bank crash that’s going to happen. If the intel I have been receiving is correct, then everything (including crypto) you own will be converted to USDR.

We begin with my video that goes back to last year to show you how fast this is all coming down. I will put more info and links below as always.

Now add to that what one “whistleblower” called “Gideon” has to say on the current banking crisis and what happens to YOUR MONEY AND ASSETS when the big crash happens. Take it with a grain of salt but compare what he’s saying to what I and others have been reporting on this subject, including the video above with Tucker and Gov. Noem. I will put my initials, JS behind any comments I make so you know which author is speaking.

What happens to the money we have in the banks right now?

“Gideon” “It will be converted to the new digital asset, USDR, and anything over the allowed monthly allotment that you possess will be erased. If your bank account has, for example, $24,500 in it, that will be erased and set to $1,000. If you happen to have hundreds of thousands in a 401k, that will be erased, as well.”

And of course if you want ACCESS to your new digital money I’m sure they’ll be some “requirements” to do so such has getting all caught up on your jabs. The articles I’ve been researching haven’t come right out and said that but we know that our vaccination records will be part of the new digital ID system. JS

As for any crypto currency you may hold, they will basically do the same thing with it, convert it to the new USDR but keep in mind you won’t be allowed to OWN ANY ASSET worth over $5000 because they want you to own nothing and be happy. Here is what the whistleblower had to say on that issue. Personally I don’t own crypto and I never have. In the end they’re going to take most of it away anyway. I would focus on BARTERING ITEMS because gold, silver and other metals will also be brought to ZERO as the fiat system collapses. You can’t eat gold and silver. JS

Bill: Are they worth buying or owning? We’ve spoken about them before, I just thought I’d ask again.

Gideon: “If you were to own cryptos, you would want to own them, yes, but they will be re-priced in USDR eventually. The capital markets will be totally cut off to the average person. So, this Reset that is coming requires a person to re-orient their thinking, because the free market is over and they will not have access to it based on their CSRQ class designation. Additionally, the ultimate crypto you would want is USDR itself, above all else, but it is classified and a closed blockchain.”

Bill: So if they hold, let’s say XRP, what will happen after the Reset?

Gideon: “To buy or sell it via USDR, they will have to register with regulated exchanges via their Biometric ID. Since their USDR holdings will be severely restricted, they will be allowed to sell a very small portion of XRP, very small, and, in fact, probably negligible. The closure of the fiat on and off ramps is what will seize-up the crypto markets dramatically. It will leave behind a barter system, but we expect the cabal to issue bans and enforcement against that.”

Whistleblower interview

Bills appear in 20 states to put digital money into law

Bank Crash is a psyop

Bitchute video

Rumble video

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Cash App ID: $jstorm212

TRUTH BOMB!

The truth is that the WHO have already amended the international health regulations in May of 2022. This is an excellent blog by James Roguski that you should be subscribed to. Here is the link https://open.substack.com/pub/jamesroguski/p/truth-bomb?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email

From the blog: “Most people are unaware that amendments to the International Health Regulations WERE ADOPTED on May 27, 2022. No Presidential signature? No advice and consent from the Senate? Why the silence?

Here is the video interview James did on this subject.

The senate is powerless to stop it. Prayed up and prepped up, time is short!

The Bank Failures Have Begun as Biden Administration Announces “No Bailouts” for SVB, Iran and Saudi Arabia Normalize Ties

round silver and gold coins

There are also at least a dozen other banks in the US alone that are on the brink of failure! In the Tweet below you’ll see that the FDIC regulators are already in the offices of First Republic Bank.

Bill Ackman is on the record as saying the Federal Government has 48 hours for any kind of bailout to work. It won’t be coming.

All of that and much more is in today’s video. War is still brewing as well so stay ready, prayed up and prepped up at all times!!!

Janet Yellen Says no Bailouts

Israeli Tech Companies Affected

Crypto in Trouble

More companies affected by the Crash

The UK Tech Sector also hammered by bank seizure

US B52 Simulates Nuclear attack on St. Petersburg Russia, Violates Russian Airspace

Rumble Link to My Video

Iran and Saudi Arabia are Friends Again???

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About 20 countries now interested in joining BRICS despite Ukraine crisis

I’ve been saying it for a long time now that the power structure has shifted from the west to the east, and here’s more proof. Johnny

Lavrov stresses that attempts to maintain a pro-western order “are totally futile”.

Ahmed Adel, Cairo-based geopolitics and political economy researcher

Although the Western world alludes that Russia is internationally isolated after launching a special military operation in Ukraine over a year ago, the number of countries expressing an interest in joining BRICS continues to increase. According to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, there are around 20 countries wanting to join BRICS. Among them are Algeria, Argentina, Egypt, Iran, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and number of African countries.

“It’s worth mentioning that over the past couple of years, including during the first year of the Russian special military operation in Ukraine, the number of countries that want to join the BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation has increased dramatically. As of now, there are about twenty of them,” Lavrov said during a meeting with the regional heads of office of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

The Russian Foreign Minister also said that Moscow has managed to thwart the West’s plans to isolate Russia by increasing cooperation with most other countries in the world.

“Attempts by the West to impose its will on everyone else, to impose its so-called rules on which it wants to establish and maintain a pro-western order are totally futile and absolutely hopeless. The head of Russian diplomacy said that the updated version of Russia’s Foreign Policy Concept should be approved by the country’s president soon,” he added.

It is recalled that Lavrov visited South Africa on January 23and engaged in a “most wonderful meeting”, as his South African counterpart Naledi Pandor described it. As Pandor said, the meeting helped “strengthen the already good relations” between the two countries. Although it may beunsurprising that Lavrov received such a warm welcome, itcannot be overlooked that Pandor’s comments were said in the context of Washington’s attempts to contain Russian influence in Africa, particularly on policy regarding the war in Ukraine.

South Africa is one of the most influential countries on the continent and quickly dismissed US pressure regarding its relations with Russia. Pandor even criticised Washington’s use of “bullying tactics.” She cited the Countering Malign Russian Activities in Africa Act, which was considered by the US Congress last year, as one example of “bullying tactics”. The bill did not eventuate, partly due to the objections of theSouth African-led 16-member Southern African Development Community, but its mere threat of existence was enough to deepen already existing suspicions against the US on the continent.  

This example demonstrates why 20 major regional countries around the world have expressed their interest in becoming members of BRICS and the SCO. Ordinarily, one would assume that Russia and South Africa have little in common, but their shared memberships in BRICS puts them in a partnership where they have mutual interests in defending their own sovereignty from Western pressure. 

BRICS will decide this year on whether to admit new member states into the bloc, which will surely see a name change since the current one is abbreviated from the current member states – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. It is likely that a mechanism for new members will be made, especially as there is great interest for an alternative political-economic force to American unipolarity, whose own influence is declining on the world stage.

BRICS members are characterised as industrialised developing countries with large and emerging economies, in addition to accounting for over half of the world’s population. The five-member bloc has a combined gross domestic product equivalent to $13.6 trillion and their total foreign exchange reserves are $4 trillion.

Given the West’s overuse of sanctions as an economic weapon, BRICS is establishing its own financial institutions to challenge the likes of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. This is of significant interest to sanctioned countries, hence why Iran and Turkey have submitted their membership applications. 

It is obvious that the wealth and power of BRICS members is increasing, and by admitting new members, the prestige and influence of the bloc will only grow and serve as an economic force for countries seeking independence from Western hegemony. To move this process forward, the New Development Bank was established by BRICS as a counterweight to the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. It already has several countries outside of BRICS involved, such as Bangladesh and the United Arab Emirates, with other countries, such as Egypt and Uruguay, expected to join soon. 

Also, it is noteworthy that countries with regional rivalries, such as Iran and Saudi Arabia, and Turkey and Egypt, have all expressed interest in joining BRICS without finding a contradiction. It suggests that these countries perhaps find BRICS to be a medium to settle their differences and pursue common interests instead. It is through this idea that BRICS will continue to receive expressions of interest, well beyond the 20 already mentioned by Lavrov, and offer the world an alternative to Western hegemony.

EU prepares new sanctions against Russia and Iran while both countries advance military cooperation

Although new European sanctions may bring some damage, especially to Iran, they could also backfire as the previous ones have and may end up boosting Eurasian integration.

Uriel Araujo, researcher with a focus on international and ethnic conflicts

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, on February 15, called on EU member states to adopt yet another sanctions package (the 10th one) against Russia, this time also  including Iranian companies. The new sanctions are expected to be officially announced on February 24, the one-year anniversary of Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine, and are estimated to be worth about 11.8 billion euros in trade flows. They will require unanimous approval of all EU state members, and, if approved, will target yet another four Russian banks, as well as imports from the Russian Federation and exports to that country, including heavy vehicles.

These sanctions also include a trade ban and a technology export control package which restricts several electronic components employed in Russian armed systems, such as helicopters, drones, and missiles. They are said to be, as a whole, the heaviest one ever imposed by Europe against Moscow.

Furthermore, according to von der Leyden, this is the first time the European bloc proposes to sanction Iranian bodies and entities such as the ones linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. In addition to that, European authorities in Brussels are discussing a fifth wave of sanctions against Iran pertaining to the issue of human rights, and they will include assets-freezing and visa-banning blacklists. Israeli diplomats have been pressuring for further sanctioning of Iran.

The stated goal of these measures is to make it more difficult for Russia to finance its military efforts and to build new arms.

The many sanctions so far enforced have failed to deter Moscow, which has in fact intensified its campaign – even Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has admitted that Kiev is losing. According to Henry Foy, Financial Times European correspondent, a year of conflict has left the armories of Europe dry.  

As for Iran, its currency did fall to its lowest against the US dollar on January 21, and the country is struggling with internal problems and high inflation.

Regarding Russia, however, it is widely understood today that the sanctions thus far have backfired, and actually played a significant part in both the British and the European current energy crises. This situation has served US interests quite well, while American arms manufacturers have been profiting from perpetuating the current conflict. Europe today is facing deindustrialization (drivenby high energy costs) while its own American ally threatens the continent with a subsidy war, which is wonderful to American companies, but could be fatal for European industry.

Moreover, the sanctions and their impact have also brought about a number of unintended consequences: for example, the global rise in commodity prices has been largely  perceived as a result of Western sanction policies, and this has forced the global south to look for parallel mechanisms and alternatives. Furthermore,  international trade has been reconfigured in such a manner that may actually pave the way for new political and diplomatic opportunities, as I have written before: in the post-sanctions world, Moscow has managed to redirect much of its trade to neighboring nations, and that can in fact boost Eurasian integration; in today’s world, insulating local industries from geopolitical disputes is increasingly difficult.

Right now, the geopolitical shifts caused by the new cold war and the crisis in Ukraine has brought Russia and Iran much closer. Both countries are strengthening their military ties and Tehran plans to purchase Russia’s  Sukhoi Su-35 advanced fighter jet, as announced by Brigadier General Hamid Vahedi, Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force’s commander. This is a significant development in itself: so far, China remains the only nation to have boughtthose from Russia. Such a purchase would have the potential to change the current regional balance of air power in the Persian Gulf.

These developments are part of an even larger process: in September 2021 I wrote on how Iran’s admission into the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s (SCO) as a permanent member was the realization of a greater Eurasian concept. Iran, as well as other SCO members, has an immediate and long-term concern over Afghanistan and Central Asian stability, for instance. Moreover, the North-South Transit Corridor, once again under the spotlight, can become a new promising route and even an alternative to the Suez Canal. In defiance of sanctions, the Persian nation, with Russian help, can once again become a regional transit hub, as it always was historically

Interestingly, the US State Department has signaled that the Iran nuclear deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), is not necessarily dead – for instance, on February 10, Washington officially notified the US Congress that it would renew a six-month suspension of American sanctions targeting Chinese, Russian other foreign support to the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program. Such was one of the main requirements of the JCPOA.

The truth is that the global landscape has now changed, both economically and politically, and Russia needs to develop new supply chains. Iran plays a large part in this and both countries have an interest in working together to counter Western endeavors to isolate them economically. Although the new European sanctions may bring some damage, especially to Iran, they could also backfire as the previous ones have and may end up boosting Eurasian integration.

Zelensky left Europe without any fighter jets or further guarantees

Macron’s peace conference proposal is a sham.

Ahmed Adel, Cairo-based geopolitics and political economy researcher

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was treated like a hero when visiting Brussels on February 9. Although he received endless adulation, his lobbying to EU leaders for further military support mostly fell on deaf ears despite making an impassioned, but disingenuous plea that Ukraine is defending Europe’s eastern borders.

Zelensky visited London and Paris on his second foreign trip since the war began almost a year ago and hoped to secure modern fighter jets and long-range missiles. He then brought his circus show to Brussels to address EU leaders and MEPs directly. Unsurprisingly, Zelensky received cheers and a standing ovation in the European Parliament, yet, made no progress in convincing Brussels to allow Ukraine an express membership into the EU.

“We are defending against the most anti-European force of the modern world — we are defending ourselves, we Ukrainians on the battlefield, along with you,” Zelensky told MEPs.

However, despite the contradictory rhetoric emanating from European leaders, they are also fully aware that Russia will never attack without provocation. It is for this reason that they can make a show for Zelensky in Brussels, but will never commit to the extent that Kiev demands. 

Although French President Emmanuel Macron awarded Zelensky with the National Order of the Legion of Honour, he also made it clear that he would not supply fighter jets to Kiev in the near future. Even though Zelensky has forced the supply of fighter jets into discourse, European leaders, including Macron, are less than enthusiastic as they are fully aware it would take several years to train Ukrainian pilots to be competent enough with an unfamiliar fighter jet to have any chance against the Russian Air Force. In addition, they understand that Russia will respond appropriately too. 

Ignoring this reality, European Parliamentary speaker Roberta Metsola, declared: “Ukraine is Europe and your nation’s future is in the European Union. States must consider, quickly, as a next step, providing long-range systems and the jets you need to protect the liberty too many have taken for granted.”

Unfortunately for the European Parliament, they wield very little influence on state policies and enforcing support for Ukraine. Rather, with Zelensky seen in Western European capitals begging for more weapons, the whole exercise is a tasteless theatre to discuss supposed value systems – values that tolerates rampant neo-Nazism in Ukraine. 

In this way, Zelensky is nothing more than an actor in a show to present supposed European unity on Ukraine. The uncomfortable truth is that unity in the Western world isforced and mostly just exists at a political level. With support for Ukraine being mostly maintained by the political class, public dissatisfaction caused by economic difficulties from the sanctions against Russia is growing.

With dissatisfaction growing, Macron is desperately wanting the war to end and for a peace conference to be held – but on terms that do not correspond to the realities on the battlefield and with aims of making Russia the ultimate loser. 

At the trilateral meeting held on February 8 in the ElyséePalace with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Zelensky, Macron presented a proposal for organising a peace conference but, as said, on terms where Russia is the ultimate loser. Macron sees Kiev’s ten-point plan as a “solid foundation on the way to a peace conference” despite confirmation that Kiev is categorically refusing to negotiate on Russia’s unification with Crimea, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporozhye and Kherson.

In addition, a peace conference can only occur if Washingtonand London agree to one since they are the real masters behind the war. Although Macron has grandiose illusions of becoming a second Charles de Gaulle to lead an “autonomous Europe,” his endless failed attempts to form a European Armyand the cancellation of military contracts with Australia shows that he is far from the global and historic figure that he wants to be remembered as. It also demonstrates that Western power is still firmly in Anglo hands.

Rather, Macron’s initiative is media propaganda because the two most powerful states in the EU, France and Germany, want to legitimise themselves in the media as contributors to the peace process. It cannot be forgotten that France and Germany already mediated the signing of the Minsk Accordsand that former German chancellor Angela Merkel admitted that the aforementioned agreements allowed the Ukrainian military to become stronger as it bought time. 

Therefore, French and German mediation in the current crisis cannot be trusted, and for this reason it is unlikely that Moscow will ever entertain a peace conference under such ludicrous terms. It was French and German inaction inenforcing the Minsk Accords that led to the current conflict, and now that Russia has acted on the only option that was left available, Macron has the audacity to request a peace conference on the terms that Russia backs away from all the progress it made.

As this is unrealistic, the song and dance must continue, and Zelensky will continue playing the part. But in the end, the level of support that Zelensky wants is evidently not coming to fruition, and will likely remain this way, rendering his tour of Europe to be mostly useless. 

German citizens dissatisfied with their government’s irresponsible stance

More than 250,000 people sign a petition asking Berlin to stop sending weapons to Ukraine.

Lucas Leiroz, researcher in Social Sciences at the Rural Federal University of Rio de Janeiro; geopolitical consultant.

European citizens express their dissatisfaction with the irresponsible policy of supporting Kiev. In a recent online petition, a quarter of a million people called for an end to the aid to Ukraine. Indeed, the desire for peace among Europeans has been ignored by EU officials in recent months, but, at some point, this situation will need to change, otherwise an unprecedented crisis of legitimacy will arise.

The petition was created on the initiative of German politician Sahra Wagenknecht and journalist Alice Schwarzer. They argue that the best way to end the current conflict is through bilateral negotiations, the possibility of which is thwarted by the western policy of sending weapons, since with military aid the hostilities are prolonged. Therefore, they ask that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stop his military partnership with Kiev, which would increase the chances of a resumption of peace talks and the achievement of a peaceful resolution.

In recent interviews, Wagenknecht and Schwarzer said that negotiating is not the same as surrendering, so there would be no reason for Kiev to refuse to talk to the Russians and try to find mutually beneficial terms. They emphasized that peace discussions are a way to avoid that Ukraine ends up becoming a “depopulated, devastated country”. With this statement they evidently admit the Russian victory and the serious situation of the Kiev’sforces, which suffers terrible losses on the battlefield.

The online petition reached an extraordinary level of popularity, achieving over 250,000 signatures in onlyforty-eight hours. The case revealed the real desire for peace of a large portion of the German, European people, who, as expected, are increasingly impatient with the economic and social consequences of the conflict.

“We call on the Chancellor to stop the escalation in arms deliveries. Now! He should lead a strong alliance for a ceasefire and peace negotiations at both German and European level (…) Now! Because every lost day costs up to 1,000 more human lives – and brings us closer to a 3rd World War”, the document says.

The petition was appropriately named “the Manifesto for Peace” and has gained so much force that it has already crossed the limits of the virtual world. On her social media, Sahra Wagenknecht called subscribers to a demonstration in Berlin, scheduled for February 25. In the words of Wagenknecht, the protests will be “against armament deliveries and for peace and diplomacy”. This may be a new motivation in the wave of anti-NATO demonstrations that have taken place in several European countries – mainly in Germany itself – since last year.

There are many reasons why the German people are becoming increasingly angry with the extended conflict. During the winter, with the energy crisis and the rise in gas prices, German citizens had their living conditions drastically affected, which motivated many people to take an anti-sanctions stance. Some pro-Western experts believed that after January the people’s indignation would diminish, as the worst moments of winter would be over. However, the Scholz government’s insistence on an anti-Russian aggressive policy did not please German citizens.

It is necessary to remember that Berlin recently approved the supply of Leopard 2 tanks to the neo-Nazi regime in Kiev. The government has also committed to training Ukrainian forces in accordance with the necessary instructions to operate this type of tank. In addition, the German state has also used its “diplomacy” to foment anti-Russian hostility around the world, asking other countries to also supply arms to the Zelensky regime. This was done with Brazil, for example, which is a country that produces ammunition for Leopard tanks – the Brazilian government, however, refused getting involved in the conflict.

In fact, Germans see these measures and rage against their own government because they know that this will prevent the end of the conflict, thus making Europe’s social crisis permanent. It seems increasingly clear that for people it does not matter which side is the winner – there is only concern that peace is achieved as quickly as possible. This contradicts the Western narrative that “the entire Europe supports Ukraine”. Only political leaders and economic elites linked to the military industry sector seem to have an interest in continuing the war against Russia until a Ukrainian victory, while ordinary citizens call for peace.

However, despite correct in their wish, Wagenknecht and Schwarzer also seem quite naive. Negotiations, unfortunately, have become a scenario virtually removed from the current reality of the conflict. After so many war crimes, terrorist attacks and unnecessary provocationscommitted by Ukraine with the support of the West, the situation has escalated to a level where resolution only seems possible through Kiev’s unconditional surrender.

However, both for there to be hope for negotiations resumption and for the possible surrender of Ukraine to occur quickly, the path must be the same: stoppingWestern aid. Indeed, at some point European governments will have to admit this and attend to the interests of their people – otherwise, it will be impossible to reverseunpopularity and the crisis of legitimacy, generating a dangerous situation of social instability.

Washington’s interest in Ukraine is also to control titanium reserves

US hopes Ukraine can be an alternative to Russian and Chinese sources of rare earth minerals.

Ahmed Adel, Cairo-based geopolitics and political economy researcher

Although US President Joe Biden’s policy on Russia is guided by the interests of the American military industrial complexand his son’s business activities in Ukraine, the US also has other special interests in the Eastern European country, especially relating to titanium.

Newsweek magazine revealed that the US and its NATO allies have an interest in Ukraine’s large titanium reserves. This is because Ukraine is one of seven countries that producestitanium sponge, the basis for making titanium plates. China, which represents 57% of global ore production, and Russia, with 13%, are also part of the select group.

The location of these reserves adds a geographic factor for the US to contend with and puts the country in a delicate situation as it imports more than 90% of titanium for its aviation, technology, and weapons industry. The volatility is only heightened because Washington is waging a trade war against Moscow and Beijing through sanctions.

Furthermore, the US no longer has titanium sponge in its national defence stockpile and the last domestic producer closed in 2020. Washington made this decision despite the fact that titanium is among the 35 minerals of great importance to its economy and national security.

From a more practical point of view, titanium is a critically important metal as it is extremely resistant. Just as importantly, it is 45% lighter than other resistant materials,such as steel. For these reasons it has been widely used for producing military equipment, such as planes, war helicopters, ships, tanks and even long-range missiles.

“[Titanium] is a key vulnerability. We’re talking about our ability to produce more planes, we’re talking about our ability to produce munitions. They all rely on titanium, and we’ve allowed ourselves to grow reliant on foreign suppliers for these things. Russia has previously been one of those primary suppliers,” a source close to the US defence industry told Newsweek.

This is one of the major reasons for the US’ interest in Ukraine. This is especially the case as it forms a part of the American strategy to become less dependent on countries it considers an adversary. For this reason, Washington wants to prioritize trade relations with Ukraine in this field. 

It is worth noting that there are other Ukrainian resources that may be of interest to the US, such as corn, wheat and grains. However, the US is also interested in Ukraine’s oil, natural gas, steel, nickel, palladium and copper.

“Ukraine has really significant deposits of rare earth minerals, and if we play our cards right could actually be a really attractive alternative to Russian and Chinese sources, which is where a lot of dependency currently is,” one congressional staffer told Newsweek.

Washington found an ally in post-2014 coup Ukraine. Thecurrent Zelensky government has proposed to be a close partner of the US and the European Union, just like his predecessors since Maidan, and has actively sought to establish closer trade relations with the two actors.

According to Newsweek, “winning improved access to Ukrainian titanium will help the US in its simmering conflict with China, which policymakers expect to dominate the 21st century.”

However, for all the US’ hope surrounding Ukrainian titanium, the outcome of the war remains a major issue. According to the Kiev-based GMK Center in an article titled ‘Ukrainian titanium: the export of titanium ores from Ukraine decreased by 42% y/y in 2022’, the war in Ukraine “also affected the titanium industry, in particular, the mining of titanium ores and the production of titanium products.”

“Last year, the export volume of titanium ores decreased by more than 40%. In addition, the sanctions policy and the return to state ownership of titanium assets can lead to a redistribution of the market,” the author’s article added.

It is clear that the war has significantly affected the Ukrainian titanium industry and companies have not disclosed their production figures. According to market estimates though, production has significantly decreased. This should not be considered surprising when we know, in one example, that the Velta company was operating at only 50% of its capacity due to a decrease in electricity supplies.

The war has indefinitely postponed Ukraine’s strategic planswith the US in the titanium industry. Although Ukraine is one of the seven countries that produces titanium sponge and occupies a leading position in the global production and reserves of ilmenite ores, which is of huge interest to Washington, the war has uncertain outcomes and thus makes strategic planning in this industry difficult.

For example, Ukraine could lose all its Black Sea ports and most of its titanium reserves and industries to Russian forces. In such a scenario, it would be questionable whether the US would have the same enthusiasm for Ukrainian titanium.

What is evident is that the US has huge interests in Ukrainian titanium and was one of many reasons why Washington emboldened Ukraine to war with Russia. However, it is seemingly unlikely that Ukraine can be the titanium partner that Washington hopes, especially in the pursuit of replacing Russia and China. 

At what point does NATO stop arming Kiev regime?

Drago Bosnic, independent geopolitical and military analyst

Almost anyone with a basic capability to process information has noticed a pattern in the relationship between the political West and its favorite Neo-Nazi puppet regime – Kiev asks for something, the United States, European Union and NATO “categorically deny” they would ever deliver such weapons in order to “avoid antagonizing Russia” and then a few weeks later (at most) there’s a “sudden change of heart”.

This rather comical back and forth started even before Russia launched its counteroffensive, when NATO provided thousands of ATGMs (anti-tank guided missiles) and MANPADS (man-portable air defense systems) to Kiev. Since then, the scope of so-called “lethal aid” has expanded dramatically.

It would seem the same is true regarding the recently announced delivery of Western-made heavy tanks which were first denied and then approved just days later. Mere hours after the political West confirmed this, the Neo-Nazi junta once again started insisting on fighter jets. In a statement for Reuters, Yuriy Sak, currently serving as an adviser to Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov (now exposed for his involvement in a massive corruption scandal), said that the Kiev regime will keep pushing for the delivery of Western-made jets to replace its dwindling fleet of Soviet-era aircraft.

“The next big hurdle will now be the fighter jets,” Sak said, adding: “Every type of weapon we request, we needed yesterday. We will do everything possible to ensure Ukraine gets fourth-generation fighter jets as soon as possible.”

The “fourth-generation fighter jets” request also includes US-made F-16 fighters that have been at the top of the Neo-Nazi junta’s wish list at least since mid-March last year when Volodymyr Zelensky implored the US Congress to send jets to help “close the sky”. After the request proved to be quite unpopular with the American public, the Kiev regime frontman was instructed to “tone it down” as this boils down to enforcing a no-fly zone over Ukraine. This would essentially mean direct armed confrontation between NATO and Russia, further inevitably leading to a world-ending thermonuclear exchange.

And yet, the mainstream propaganda machine is once again preparing its audiences for the eventual delivery of advanced combat aircraft to the Kiev regime. For instance, The Hill admitted that “Western fighter jets and longer-range artillery units, which would allow Ukraine to strike Russian forces deeper in occupied territory, will likely be the next debate for NATO.” If the aforementioned pattern continues, this will be yet another step toward uncontrollable escalation and the proxy conflict turning into a fully-fledged war. The Neo-Nazi junta is perfectly aware that its so-called “begmanding” approach is working and continues insisting on heavier and more advanced weapons.

“They didn’t want to give us heavy artillery, then they did. They didn’t want to give us HIMARS systems, then they did. They didn’t want to give us tanks, now they’re giving us tanks,” Sak boasted, further stating: “If we get them, the advantages on the battlefield will be just immense. It’s not just F-16s: fourth generation aircraft, this is what we want… …Apart from nuclear weapons, there is nothing left that we will not get.”

Given the pattern of incessant escalation, Yuriy Sak’s concluding remarks are quite alarming and could indicate that the Kiev regime never gave up on its quest to acquire WMDs (weapons of mass destruction). Given the sheer magnitude of the Neo-Nazi junta’s clinical Russophobia, fanned up to a hatred of genocidal proportions at this point, any such statement will surely be taken very seriously in Moscow. Despite these psychotically disturbing comments, the political West continues to expand its support for such extremist puppet regimes. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby stated there are “constant discussions” with Kiev officials on what they need, adding that he “can’t blame the Ukrainians for wanting more and more systems”.

“It’s not the first time they’ve talked about fighter jets, but I don’t have any announcements to make on that front,” Kirby said.

Again, here we see the same back-and-forth pattern of the political West’s supposed “reluctance” with a “no” becoming “we’ll see” or “maybe” only to then be announced as “we have no choice due to Russia’s unprovoked aggression” at some point.

Unfortunately, debate on this disturbing issue is virtually completely absent from the public discourse. The blame for everything happening in Ukraine is simply cast on Moscow and any attempt to question this is immediately shut down. Even the question of whether Western-made tanks can actually help the Kiev regime forces might be “problematic” and the ones asking it run the risk of being labeled as supposedly “pro-Russian”. This nullifies even the slightest chance of a public debate on whether the political West should reassess its belligerence toward a nuclear-armed superpower, one which has shown remarkable restraint thus far. However, as Russian officials said so many times before, Moscow’s patience is not an endless resource.

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