LINE OF FORTITUDE

George Washington in his farewell address warned against monolithic alliances with foreign powers. One would think that includes treaties that contract a lot of countries on opposing sides as triggered signatories to all-out war (think Archduke Ferdinand & WWI). In view of this, we have suggested in our planks that NATO become NAMTO for 'North Atlantic Military Training (or Tactical) Organization' acting more as a confederation of military powers who train and perform military exercises together to show their active solidarity and work for their militaries to be interoperable but without the strict clause that an attack on one necessitates an immediate state of war between the attacker(s) and ALL the signatories or participants of the alliance. Our variant would be more a flexible framework defined more so by interim relevant actions as opposed to a heavier focus on an invoking promise on paper -- somewhat like the Quad involving the U.S., Australia, Japan and India concerning China's military encroachments.

By going with a more outwardly open approach, it would seem that mutual military preparation, cooperation or saber-rattling would more likely have to be maintained by support of all adherents in accordance to a perceived threat. There would be less incentive for some to slack off in the face of an adversary, relying merely on the strength of others as in an alliance that is more so by contract. This is because there would be greater transparency to the dedication and performance by all the members. Such a structure calls for greater summated strength. Through a flexible agreement, if one member is attacked then the response by others can be contingent to just meeting the amount of combined force necessary to protect the affiliate(s) under attack. In other words, this more flexible option gives chance at least to slow down or better contain armed conflicts to within a subset of militaries necessary to meet security objectives of the confederate members under assault.

Though this is no guarantee that all members won't eventually find themselves involved in a larger conflict, it does provide more time or leeway to avoid a larger war of all parties on both sides through containment via the initial efforts being limited to just an adequate subset of associates being called into action under less encompassing clauses. Such an approach to NATO would mean adjusting the Article V clause. All of this however would call for more nuance in how responding foreign troops stationed in a member state are considered in representation by the alliance and by the enemy, so pursuit of the subset ideal may be elusive in some contexts. Still it is worth attempting a better strategy where each member has to prove its active military strength and dedication more so by exercises and contributions while inheriting a lesser likelihood that all members will be drawn into a larger conflict. The active solidarity and subset flexibility approach should be included as opposed to only having the promise of instantaneous involvement by all members into a comprehensive campaign despite a possible lack of military preparation or contribution up to that point by various associates who were intent on merely riding the security promises on paper of the whole.

Now having said all that in order to better contain conflicts and to provide more elastic flexibility amongst allied nations, we are however under no illusions as to the promises some assure through neutrality, non-interventionism, appeasements or peace pragmatism which they advertise as a guarantor of security for all situations. Using force to protect against the ravages of mad warmongers is preferable to a peace-at-all-costs approach which is in effect surrender to the subjugation of our national interests, of our quality of life and should the ravaging be intense enough or allowed to encroach far enough then the threats are to to our sovereignty, our freedom and our very lives.

Speaking of encroaching ravagement, the current conflict in Ukraine is now threatening the world's food supply. The Russians have the audacity to steal their grain and are effecting a naval embargo of grain shipments out of the country. These actions are threatening other nations to suffer famine in an environment already subject to general shortage brought about by the pandemic and fuel disruptions in response to the war or occurring for other reasons. As tensions mount as a result of Russian imperialism, counter actions are spreading such as Lithuania's sanctions on goods coming through between Russia and Khalingrad.

Along with all the other stressors, millions could be exposed to starvation which can exacerbate or cause strife in various regions leading to national conflicts. Why should the international community suffer great hardships or be subject to cascading conflicts in other regions not to mention the deaths of their own brought out by the war in Ukraine? Will there be fighting in the streets for food both abroad and at home? Are we to allow mass starvation and its adjacent instabilities so that Putin can pursue his new Russian empire fantasies at our expense? Hell no! Such a "peace" amongst domestic civil strife is a lousy deal. The impending shortages of grain are of vital national interest to many so the impetus now is for the international community to take action in order to prevent such famine and hardships. A defensive initiative is now warranted. Accordingly, an extra-NATO international coalition should be formed to keep the grain coming out of Ukraine. This coalition should be assembled now and put into western Ukraine and in defensible waters while the Russian invaders are occupied in the Donbas and Crimea.

We call for a line of fortitude to be established by the international coalition which meets Ukrainian approval and secures the country west of the Dnieper River against Russian or Belarussian incursion. This can be done by manning a sufficient missile network that will rain down upon any invading forces and/or by an accumulation of troops and fortifications along the west bank of the Dnieper plus whatever necessary installations west of the bank and in the pertinent waters which secures the permanent return of Ukrainians to west Ukraine and the flow of grain. East of the Dnieper the Ukrainian Defense Forces (UDF) will act as a buffer by securing the territory between the Dnieper and the Donbas/Crimea. The extent of the liberation of the Donbas and Crimea will depend upon the successes of the UDF about those areas. We note that had such capabilities been given to all of Ukraine beforehand then the atrocities now witnessed could have been deterred.

This line of fortitude is not without precedent as Germany after WWII was divided for decades with opposing forces eye-to-eye about the Iron Curtain where no major war broke out. Similar can be said of the Koreas. The coalition should fortify positions about Ukraine asap to best establish for a new cold war which hopefully would be short-lived if we all support the dissident Russians in gaining the momentum to impeach Putin for his constitutional usurpations, murder of journalists, war crimes and general incompetence in starting and in carrying out the Ukraine war under false pretense plus his other offenses through the years. Putin's regime could be dissolved as the USSR was.

Should the Kremlin be foolish enough to cross the Dnieper red-line then so be the repercussions. It will only prove further that war-pig Putin and his henchmen are mad dogs who cannot be reasoned with. Their whole intention in all of this is not some true security concern over the West but of their own imperialism to expand back towards the boundaries of the old Russian Empire which would now encroach on modern sovereign populations and identities wanting no part in being conquered by the despotic, oligarchic faction of Russia. Putin has admitted to such intentions in his recent treatise and speeches using intentional and theatrical misinterpretations of history. Their pursuit of these goals means eventual conflicts with or invasions of NATO countries which means having to confront an encroaching Russia anyway perhaps with the imperialist forces in an improved condition. We cannot appease such despots and hope for their mad visions to fade. How many more lives will be sacrificed in vain by lack of fortification beforehand? We now appear to be on an unavoidable confrontation anyhow. Only to the real threat of force do despots yield. History bears witness to this. Fortunately, the Russian army is in a weakened state yielding us a greater opportunity to act in the present.

Keep in mind that we are not talking about the internationals going in shooting but instead establishing a solid, static defense in areas already cleared by the Ukrainians that promises to hammer only those who violate such secure areas. There will be a UDF buffer plus the psychology of M.A.D. (mutually assured destruction) to deter against nuclear escalation as there has been now for decades. Still, there is risk and some may not wish certain countries to participate directly in the establishment of the line of fortitude for risk of direct confrontation between nuclear powers, so the initial implementation can consist of international troops from less risky countries in that regard. Any resultant shifts in manpower may be channeled over to other areas like the Quad navies who are patrolling in the Pacific in order to prevent the unallowable taking of Taiwan's semiconductor industry by China. Also, all of this could reserve for NATO the manpower necessary for commitment to the usual areas plus the new Finnish line as Finland enters the alliance. By the way, we tire of Turkey's duplicity and we should just go ahead and let NATO vote them out, vote Sweden and Finland in and negotiate northern Iraq as an independent homeland for the Kurds which should have been done long ago.

There should be no more negotiation with Putin. Focus instead on putting forth a coalition of anti-famine defense forces that will act if triggered. There is not much logistical time but there should be a tentative plan by Mid Year which is 12:00 noon, July 2nd in each applicable time zone. (Pop champagne and lite a candle!) No deals, no ceasefire by the UDF as long as they are willing to fight and they should be adequately supplied to do that with checks against waste and corruption while emphasizing weapons and materials as opposed to vast sums of money. We also need to ramp up our own production of weapons in order to replenish our stocks that have been donated and to prepare for possible conflict. Forget the order to make solar panels -- we need missiles, artillery, vehicles, drones, ammo, etc! War production can boost the economy -- green initiatives not so much.

This is what a Commonwealth-like president would be proposing in the face of this evolving threat as well as proposing to secure our grid and computer networks against EMP and cyberattacks as opposed to the endless showboat talks about it in congressional committees by those in the establishment who have left you open to the mercies of the enemy while they get access to their underground bunkers should anything happen.

'Southerners like Thomas Jefferson and Madison, opposed Hamilton’s economic policies. They also split with the Federalists in foreign policy, favoring a closer relationship with France over Great Britain.'

'Washington supported Hamilton’s financial programs and sided with the Federalists in supporting the Jay Treaty with Britain. By the end of his presidency, Washington was weathering increasingly bitter attacks from his Republican critics, and his farewell address represented his response to such attacks, as well as a more general statement of his principles.'

'Europe had its own, very complicated, set of interests, and the United States should keep its distance from European affairs, Washington believed. A foreign policy based on neutrality was the safest way to maintain national unity, and stability, in the United States. Although Washington saw the need for the nation to involve itself in foreign affairs in the case of war or other emergency, he argued that it must “steer clear of permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign world.” ~ BY SARAH PRUITT

'For us to who have been accustomed to think of the Farewell Address as delivered to a patriotic and affectionate nation, eager to receive from its most honored and revered statesman his parting words of counsel, it is a shock to learn that Washington meant it to be his justification before posterity for a policy which had been as roundly abused and more generally disapproved by contemporaries than perhaps any other ever initiated by an American statesman.'

'Washington therefore concluded that the United States must preserve peace at all costs and was urged thereto "by motives of policy, interest, and every other consideration, that ought to actuate a people situated and circumstanced as we are, already deeply in debt, and in a convalescent state from the struggle we had been engaged in ouselves."

'This period of probabation, when America's weakness thrust upon her a policy of circumspection and political isolation, was estimated by Washington and Hamilton at not less than twelve nor probably more than twenty years.'

'It should, therefore, be clear that Washington himself explicitly implied in the Farewell Address that the growth of the country would probably invalidate his counsel regarding entangling alliances within twenty years. Would he not be the last to hold that the American people are to-day to feel themselves bound to follow under present conditions a counsel regarding alliances explicitly based upon the fundamental problems of a small, weak, disorganized, debt-ridden country in which firm constitutional government, the public credit, and nationality, had yet to be established beyond the possibility of change?' ~ Roland G. Usher | The North American Review Vol. 204, No. 728 (Jul., 1916), pp. 29-38 (10 pages)

'ENTANGLING ALLIANCES. Contrary to common belief, the phrase "entangling alliances" was turned by Thomas Jefferson, not George Washington. Washington advised against "permanent alliances," whereas Jefferson, in his inaugural address on 4 March 1801, declared his devotion to "peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none." It is a pet phrase of isolationists warning against foreign commitments.' ~ Theodore M.Whitfield | derivation: Lawrence Kaplan - Entangling Alliances with None: American Foreign Policy in the Age of Jefferson. Kent, Ohio: Kent State University Press, 1987.

'The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand gave the hardliners in Austria-Hungary the opportunity to take action against Serbia and put an end to their fight for independence. In July 1914, the situation escalated. After demanding impossible reparations and failing to receive them, Austria-Hungary declared war against Serbia. As was expected, the complex web of alliances was activated as Russia declared war on Austria-Hungary, Germany declared war on Russia, and France and Britain declared war on Germany and Austria-Hungary. World War I had begun.' ~ Biography.com Editors | Updated May 20, 2021

"We need to be prepared for it to last for years," Stoltenberg said, urging allies "not to weaken support for Ukraine, even if the costs are high, not only in terms of military aid but also because of the increase in energy and food goods prices."

'Germany reduced its military support to Ukraine in May as Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Germany and France against sending arms to Ukraine, saying it would risk "further destabilization of the situation." ~ Katie Balevic | Jun 19, 2022, 2:07 PM

'The very need for such measures is discussed in Russia as a sign of government incompetence, and the perception of incompetence undermines enthusiasm for the war, even among ardent Russian nationalists. If its troops become demoralised in Ukraine because of prolonged massed casualties, the Kremlin may struggle to find replacements.'

'If the rate of Russian casualties can be increased, collapse is possible For the Ukrainians, the existential stakes in the fighting have meant that morale is high, despite their taking up to 100 casualties a day over the last couple of weeks. Ukraine has no shortage of military volunteers but it does have a shortage of equipment for them. Ukraine’s greatest immediate vulnerability is its ammunition stocks.'

'The final process of attrition for Ukraine is economic, and in this realm there can be no doubt that it is running out of money, while Russia can withstand western sanctions. Soon it will be essential for economic relief to sustain the government in Kyiv. Alongside the military considerations outlined above, therefore, ending the attritional struggle in Ukraine is ultimately a question of how much Nato members are prepared to invest in Russia’s defeat.'

'If President Vladimir Putin believes that western commitment may fade in the shadow of a European recession, the risk is that he will be encouraged to grind on.' ~ Jack Watling | Sun 19 Jun 2022 05.00 EDT

'The Suwalki Gap is a thin band of land skimming the borders of Belarus, Lithuania, Poland and the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad.'

'Russian exiled political scientist Ivan Preobrazhensky has warned that Putin could test NATO’s resolve by first flying Russian civilian planes through the area.'

'He added that Russia has air defence rockets stationed in Belarus and Kaliningrad, which Putin could use to threaten to shoot down any NATO jets that aim to intercept the civilian planes.'

'It is also the only way to get by road or rail from Poland and Central Europe to the Baltic states — arguably NATO’s most exposed members.' ~ By JAMES LEE | UPDATED: 15:06, Mon, Jun 20, 2022

'According to the report, the row could cause an import ban on Patagonian toothfish, also known as Chilean sea bass, which US officials claim is being caught illegally near Antarctica. The move comes after Russia rejected toothfish catch limits proposed to conserve Antarctic marine life.'

'US officials have also privately told their UK counterparts that they would likely bar imports of any toothfish caught near South Georgia, according to correspondence seen by the Associated Press.'

'The fight underscores how Russia's attempts to undermine the West have extended to even obscure forums normally removed from geopolitical tussles.'

'It also risks reviving Britain's tensions with Argentina, which invaded South Georgia in 1982 as part of its war with the UK over the Falkland Islands.` ~ ASTHA SAXENA | UPDATED: 04:17, Thu, Jun 23, 2022

'Since the invasion of Ukraine, Russian forces have blocked more than 20 million tons of grain from being shipped through Black Sea ports. The European Union’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has called Russia’s action a war crime. Given the quantity of grain blocked, United Nations personnel have warned a famine could take place in parts of the world. This is not an accident. Russian officials are open about leveraging the prospect of mass starvation to compel Western governments to lift sanctions harming the Russian economy.'

'Russia is not relying on famine alone. It is also stealing wheat and steel from Ukraine. Russian media has openly stated Russia is selling wheat it stole from Kherson in Ukraine.'

'The Russian government has difficulty finding enough manpower to prosecute military operations in Ukraine, in part, because it has not declared war and must rely on contracts with troops. One enticement to service appears to be allowing widespread looting, which at least one Russian soldier said in an intercepted phone call was sanctioned by Russian leader Vladimir Putin.' ~ Stuart Anderson | Jun 21, 2022 12:14am EDT

'The food that has been grown and harvested cannot find its way to export points for want of working transportation infrastructure. Anything that makes it to port — such as at Odesa, which normally ships 98 percent of Ukrainian grain exports — cannot leave. The water around Ukraine’s coastline is heavily mined, and the Russian navy lurks beyond. The Kremlin has tried, and failed, to secure sanctions relief in exchange for lifting the blockade.'

'There is also good reason to believe that the 2022 food price crisis will dwarf the one in 2007-2008. Prices have already shot past the 2008 peak, and it is more likely than not that they will continue to climb. Ukraine and Russia are world leaders in exports of not only food, but also fertilizer and potash; a decline in agricultural productivity due to insufficient fertilizer could result in food prices remaining dangerously high for years. Given that natural gas is also a key ingredient in nitrogen fertilizer, the current energy shortages caused by the sanctions on Russia will further exacerbate the problem.'

'All this is likely to cause social unrest both in poor countries, which are faced with death and malnourished children; and in rich countries, where costs of living are steeply increasing. The 2007-2008 crisis triggered immediate large-scale protests and food riots in at least a dozen countries. Two years later, when the Arab Spring began to sweep through the Middle East, many analysts pointed to persistently high food prices as one of the key reasons for the social unrest. If the current situation is as bad as it seems, expect revolutions to follow in its wake.'

'For starters, get rid of the Renewable Fuel Standard, which mandates that a substantial portion of crops grown in the U.S. are turned into “renewable fuel” rather than food. This top-down program is wasteful in the best of times; given how high food inflation is right now, it’s practically criminal.' ~ by JOHN JIANG | June 12, 2022 11:22 PM

'Russia, meanwhile, has been accused of blocking Ukraine's ports and exacerbating a global food crisis. According to the United Nations, the food crisis is being driven to famine levels by the war in Ukraine and the resulting lack of grain exports, driven partly by the Black Sea blockade and Russia's seizure of farmland in Ukraine'

'A representative of Ukraine told the Security Council that Putin's war threatens some 400 million people globally who rely on Ukrainian grain exports, which have almost stopped due to blockages of Ukrainian seaports. Russia is also seizing Ukrainian grain for its own consumption or to illegally sell it on international markets, he said.' ~ BY ISABEL VAN BRUGEN | 6/21/22 7:48 AM EDT

'The United States, Argentina and other wheat-producing nations are likely to limit exports as governments seek to ensure domestic supply, he said.'

'Adding to the pressure, countries that depend on Russian and Ukrainian wheat are likely to increase imports. Egypt, Turkey, Bangladesh and Iran buy 60% of their wheat from Russia and Ukraine. Also heavily reliant are Lebanon, Tunisia, Yemen, Libya and Pakistan.'

'The U.N. agency said its simulations suggest that “the global number of undernourished people could increase by 8 to 13 million” in 2022-2023, particularly in Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and North Africa.'

'Potential for unrest could rise with the prices.' ~ By Associated Press | March 11, 2022 1:37 p.m.

'A food crisis is looming, especially in African countries.'

"Russia is still blocking millions of tons of urgently needed grain," said EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday.'

'To counteract this, the EU Commission now wants to provide 600 million euros.'

"These funds are being used to support African, Caribbean and Pacific countries (ACP countries) so that they can master the catastrophic situation," the Brussels authority said on Tuesday.'

'According to the information, the money comes from the reserve of the European Development Fund.'

'Zelenskyy accused Russia of taking Africa "hostage".

'The main task now is to “eliminate the danger of famine”.

'The United Nations meanwhile assumes that the Ukraine war could plunge up to 49 million people into starvation or starvation-like conditions, especially in African countries.' ~ Source: merkur | Late June 2022

'In 2020, Ukraine exported roughly 18 million metric tons of wheat out of a total harvest of 24 million metric tons, making it the world’s fifth-largest exporter. Customers include China and the European Union, but the developing world is where Ukrainian wheat has become an essential import.'

'Of the 14 countries that rely on Ukrainian imports for more than 10 percent of their wheat consumption, a significant number already face food insecurity from ongoing political instability or outright violence. For example, Yemen and Libya import 22 percent and 43 percent, respectively, of their total wheat consumption from Ukraine. Egypt, the largest consumer of Ukrainian wheat, imported more than 3 million metric tons in 2020—about 14 percent of its total wheat. Ukraine also supplied 28 percent of Malaysian, 28 percent of Indonesian, and 21 percent of Bangladeshi wheat consumption in 2020, according to FAO data.'

'In politically unstable countries such as Libya, Yemen, and Lebanon, additional food price shocks and hunger could easily turn an already bad situation worse. In many other countries, too, price spikes and food insecurity could inflame conflict, heighten ethnic tensions, destabilize governments, and cause violence to spill over borders.'

'Russian intervention in Ukrainian agriculture is nothing new. The horrific famine perpetrated by Soviet policies in Ukraine in the 1930s—known as the Holodomor and considered a genocide by many historians—killed between 4 million and 7 million Ukrainians.' ~ By Alex Smith | JANUARY 22, 2022 7:25 AM

“As with any military invasion, all countries must work in solidarity to address the urgent nutritional needs of all vulnerable people especially refugees, older persons, people with disabilities and children,” said Fakhri.'

“Food should never be weaponised and no country in the world should be driven into famine and desperation.”

'The Moscow-based Institute for Agricultural Market Studies (IKAR) said Russia had temporarily banned grains exports to former Soviet states because of concerns at how quickly grains were being exported.'

'David Beasley, head of the World Food Programme, appealed to donors to not ignore crises beyond Ukraine and warned that rising hunger could fuel further instability.'

“While you’re focused on Ukraine, please don’t neglect the Sahel, please don’t neglect Syria and Jordan, Lebanon. If you do, the consequences will be catastrophic,” he said. “Without food security, you’re not going to have peace. It’s just that simple.” ~ Kaamil Ahmed | Fri 18 Mar 2022 14.12 EDT

'The British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and her Lithuanian counterpart have discussed sending the Royal Navy to break the Russian blockade by allowing a “protective corridor” to get essential wheat and grain out of the Ukrainian port of Odesa.'

'Allies of the Ukraine are set to form a “coalition of the willing” and Egypt who have been hit hard by wheat shortages could also join in the coalition.'

'Vladimir Putin’s navy have blockaded the port of Odesa preventing huge cargo ships who are laden with grain from leaving and the Ukraine have also planted sea mines in the area.'

'Putin is also deliberately targeting and destroying food stocks and storage locations” in Ukraine which could affect around 18m people.'

“Russia will not be able to stand against the leading countries of the world.'

“We are talking to the Baltics about using their seaports.”

'But a Western official warned The Times this would be very risky to do without Russian permission.' ~ MARK CHANNER | 24TH MAY 22 10:53 AM

'Normally, 98 percent of these exports depart Ukraine by sea. Now, most sits in silos and other storage sites in Ukraine — a total of some 25 million metric tons of corn and wheat that, according to the Economist, is “equivalent to the annual consumption of all of the world’s least developed countries” combined.'

'Efforts to ship wheat and other grains to other ports on the Black and Baltic seas by road and rail can only go so far. Not only is there a lack of trucks and fuel, but Ukrainian and European rail gauges are different, requiring cumbersome transits of cargo.'

'Navy ships from a coalition, preferably including grain-importing countries like Egypt, would escort the freighters, and minesweepers could clear a safe path for the ships.'

'Yet, while preferable, Russian consent isn’t strictly necessary. The shipping routes are through international and Ukrainian waters, giving Russia no right to block the cargo vessels or their escorts. And any attempt to do so, would require Moscow to make the first move, risking military confrontation with nations not directly involved in the war.'

'A naval escort also carries risks of confrontation, though much less so than policing the vast skies of Ukraine. And given the colossal humanitarian need, the risks are worth taking.' ~ BY IVO DAALDER | May 28, 2022 4:03 am

'We have reached a pivotal point: Grain shipments are cut off, the Ukrainian economy is devastated, and the coming food crisis must be avoided. The democratic allies should explore an Operation Earnest Will-style approach. Simply allowing Putin to have his way on the high seas cannot continue.'

'Which brings us to the idea of breaking the blockade by escorting merchant ships. The first challenge is the most obvious: Who will do the escorting? This could be done under the auspices of the United Nations, by NATO or by a coalition of nations willing to undertake what will be a provocative and dangerous mission.'

'The most likely approach would be the latter.....'

'Lastly, there is the task of informing Russia of the plan and ensuring that it understands that the coalition conducting the operation will tolerate no interference — but also has no wish to enter combat with the Russian Black Sea fleet. Moscow will likely bluster....' ~ James Stavridis | May 30, 2022

'The principle of freedom of nagigation is important, in the Indo-Pacific region as well as here. These would be in international or Ukrainian waters and there would be no legitimate reasons to interfere with peaceful passage by commercial vessels. The Russians have not even declared a formal blockade. The accompanying force would not be looking to initiate any direct naval engagements. Nonetheless, for now NATO appears wary about taking this forward.'

'There have been suggestions that it would make more sense for something similar to be organized under the aegis of the United Nations, but that could be vetoed by Russia. A broad coalition of countries, including non-NATO members, could take on the task, but it would still need serious naval capabilities. The issue of enabling Ukraine to export its agricultural produce will be high on the agenda of any general cease-fire talks, and would soon be linked by Russia to discussions on relieving economic sanctions. It will also want to address the problems with its own overseas trade. Most major shipping companies have suspended their operations to and from Russian ports. Western countries have banned Russian flagged, owned, and operated ships from calling at their ports.'

'But if the war does drag on this is an issue that will not go away. The greater the threat to global food supplies pressure for drastic action will grow. The major naval powers need to be thinking ahead.' ~ Lawrence Freedman | May 17, 2022

'But it hasn’t happened – mainly because Biden disproportionately fears direct Nato-Russia confrontation, because the UN security council is paralysed, and because Macron and Scholz privately oppose it. The Paris-Berlin dynamic duo, AKA the two stooges, still believe they can talk their way out of trouble by pressing Kyiv to give ground and making nice with a monster.'

'UK foreign secretary Liz Truss’s visit to Turkey last week which, like her trip to Moscow in February, achieved precisely nothing. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s regime, buying missiles from Russia while claiming to be a loyal Nato partner, has been predictably two-faced since the war began.' ~ Simon Tisdall | Last modified on Sun 26 Jun 2022 06.27 EDT

Russian Taking Preparing For The Next War - How Russia Turned Its War Around - Peter Zeihan War ~ Economy And Geopolitics | Jun 16, 2022

Putin's phony justification and his intentions.

PUTIN IS REALY HITLER IN THE MAKING, HERE'S WHY :: 2022 ~ Warthog Defense | Jun 16, 2022

Is Putin's goal to rebuild the Russian Empire? : Maxim Tucker ~ Times Radio

'Putin isn't "trying to hide. His intention is still to recover, to subjugate the whole of Ukraine into the Russian Empire."

'The West needs to be prepared to confront Russian weapons and manpower, says The Times' Maxim Tucker, reporting from Kharkiv.'

Russia threatens Lithuania over blocking Kaliningrad ~ Sky News | Jun 22, 2022

'Russia has warned Lithuania of "serious" consequences unless it allows the transit of goods to its territory Kaliningrad.'

'Lithuania has banned the rail transfer of some goods to Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea. The Kremlin says if it is not restored then it will take measures to defend its national interests.'

How Lithuania Cut its Ties With Russian Gas ~ GEONOW | Jun 21 2022

'The first deals with a new flash point in the conflict. Not in Ukraine proper, but instead directly between the Europeans and Russians over Russia’s Baltic enclave of Kaliningrad. The second deals with the early stages of the collapse of the European energy system, with the immediate event being Germany’s decision to move back to coal in a very big way.'

'War. Energy shortages. Transport breakdowns. Famine on the horizon. It’s getting real out there. Stay safe.'

Lithuania Blockades Kaliningrad: What happens now? ~ TLDR News

'With tensions between Russia and Lithuania rapidly escalating over Lithuania’s trade blockade of Kaliningrad, an escalation looks worryingly likely. So, in this video, we’re going to be explaining Lithuania’s Kaliningrad embargo and where it could lead.'

Russia cuts off the gas: What Next? ~ TLDR News

'Over the last few days, Russian energy giant Gazprom has slowly but steadily reduced the amount of gas flowing to Europe. Originally, they blamed the shortfall on technical problems but various European leaders have accused the Russians of playing politics.'

Why promised weapons aren't making it to Ukraine ~ DW News | Jun 20, 2022

'Top Ukrainian officials say they need a massive increase of military hardware if they are to drive Russian forces out of their country. Right now western allies have supplied Ukraine with just over 100 howitzers - only one tenth of what Ukraine says it needs.'

'And no rocket launchers have arrived, even though Ukraine has asked for 300 of them. DW’s Nick Connolly reports from the frontlines in the southern Mykolaiv region, where Ukrainian forces are making some advances despite a shortage of equipment.'

British troops must prepare 'to fight in Europe once again' : Lord Dannatt ~ Times Radio | Jun 19, 2022

"We have got to be prepared to face down Russia from a position of strength, not just a war of words."

The generation that must prepare to fight' : Jerome Starke ~ Times Radio

'The Sun defence editor @Jerome Starkey tells #TimesRadio about his exclusive interview with General Sir Patrick Sanders, who said the UK must get ready to fight the Russians and win in a potential WW3.'

Ukraine War: 'Horrendous casualties, it's becoming a meat grinder' ~ Sky News

'Military Analyst Sean Bell discusses where the latest casualties are occurring in eastern Ukraine.'