PUTIN HAS WON

Guest Post by Paul Craig Roberts

Update on the Ukrainian situation

Ukrainian resistance seems to have ceased as its infrastructure was put out of operation. Only a few neo-Nazi militias trapped within the Donbass territories continue to offer resistance.

Russian paratroopers captured Kiev airport. Hours ago the Russian forces had reached the Dnieper and approached the suburbs of Kiev. Ukraine has lost its air force, air defense, navy, and all military airports.  With the destruction of 83 military facilities, the infrastructure of the Ukraine military has been wiped out.

The neo-Nazis will be held accountable.  Ukraine will be required to renounce NATO membership, demilitarize, and renounce all claims to Crimea and the independent republics. Ukrainian soldiers will be permitted to return home to their families.

Unlike the Americans and NATO, the Russians have avoided attacking any civilian areas and the barracks and residences of military units.

German readers write to me that they are sitting in front of TVs laughing at their idiot politicians promising that Putin’s imperialism won’t go unanswered, promising more energy sanctions against the German people and facing compensation claims from German investors in the Nord 2 Pipeline.  German defense officials admit that they are toothless and have no capability of sending troops even to protect NATO members, much less Ukraine.

The Europeans should have thought many times before they enabled Washington’s war crimes in Serbia and the Middle East. Putin said war criminals will be held accountable.  I think he means it.

The European governments are such stupid idiots that it did not occur to them to wonder what happens if Russia responds to sanctions by cutting off the gas supply.  Earlier today I asked what is Germany’s fate if Russia replies to sanctions with sanctions?  Leon Birnbaum, president of E.ON, one of Europe’s largest operators of energy networks, said that if Russia cuts gas flow to Germany, Germany´s industry would have to be cut off from the power grid.

It is difficult to imagine people so totally stupid and self-defeating as the ones Western peoples trust with leadership.  Indeed, Western “leaders” are so totally stupid they may well get us wiped off the face of the earth.

The News Headlines Tell All

US recognizes it cannot stand up to Russia:

“Latest US Sanctions Not Designed to Cause Any Disruption to Current Flow Of Energy From Russia to The World, White House Claims”

In 90 days Ukraine will not exist:

“Zelensky Declares to Hold General Mobilization in Ukraine Within Next 90 Days”

Moreover, the neo-Nazis will be dead by then and no Ukrainians will mobilize.

The dumbshit Speaker of the House must not have heard Putin’s warning:

US House Speaker Pelosi Says Wants to Provide Ukraine With $600 Million in Lethal Defense Weapons

NATO is unravelling:

NATO members object to cutting Russia from SWIFT system

The dumbshit Europeans are learning what it means to be US puppet states—death,  destruction, and financial harm, and UK with its destroyed economy wants to destroy Russia’s:

UK Working With Allies to Disconnect Russia From SWIFT, Will Not Rest Until Russian Economy Is Destroyed –British Foreign Office

Why do the British idiots think they can destroy the Russian economy?  The problem the world faces is that the Western governments have zero contact with reality.

Comment:  The world has reached the point in its history when the Western part of it has totally failed in its leadership.  The United States abandonng all principles of its founding, all allegiance to law, has attempted to impose its will on the world. Russia objects, and so does China.

These are powerful objectors.  Russia is the world’s preeminent military power. China is the world’s preeminent economic power.  Washington, a rapidly declining power, has made itself an enemy of both. This signifies the total failure of Washington’s foreign power.  So many corrupt interests are dependent on Washington’s power, that it is impossible for the United States to adjust itself, peacefully, to the new world order created by Russia.

This puts the life of the entire Western world at risk for no reason except the hubristic claim that the West is exceptional and entileded to hegemomy over the world.

Putin put an end to that hegemony a couple of days ago.

Europe Is Killing Itself With Its Russian Sanctions

The sharp rise in natural gas price in Europe is entirely due to Western hysteria and stupidity. According to the EU’s own data, Europe is dependent on Russia for 46% of its natural gas. In the face of such extraordinary dependency on Russian energy, the moronic European “leaders” are falling all over themselves imposing impotent sanctions on Russia.  The idiotic German Chancellor actually punished the German people for Russia’s recognition of the Donbass republics by “cancelling” the Nord 2 pipeline.  This foolish act was a prime reason for the hysteria that has caused a sharp rise in prices.  The price rise helps Russia–if she continues to supply Europe with energy.  It hurts Europe and whoever financed the Nord 2 pipeline. If the pipeline sits not operating, it cannot produce a revenue stream to service the capital invested in the pipeline.  I do not know who financed the pipeline. If it was Germany, then the chancellor’s sanctions on Russia have twice injured the Germans.

The EU’s 46% dependency on Russian natural gas is independent of the Nord 2 pipeline, the opening of which has been on hold due to Washington’s pressure on Germany. Therefore, the rise in gas price is not due to a reduction of supply, but due to speculation that Russia will reduce or cut off supply. Europe is served by other pipelines.  What if Russia responds to the EU’s “sanctions” by closing the pipelines that deliver 46% of Europe’s natural gas?  What would Europe’s fate be?

Russia has accepted sanctions without replying in kind.  Perhaps it is time for Russia to impose sanctions to teach the West a lesson.

In my opinion there is no reason for Russia to deplete its own energy resources by sharing them with its European enemies.  Perhaps the Russian government’s idea was that energy sales would be a source of foreign exchange earnings and that providing Europe with energy was in the interest of good relations with the West.

Now that the West has demonstrated that the West has no interest in good relations with Russia there is no point in the Russian energy sales.  As I pointed out ( https://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2022/02/22/russia-and-china-should-go-their-own-way/ ) Russia has no need for foreign exchange.  The Russian central bank can finance Russian economic development with no need of foreign involvement.  Russia’s holdings of instruments denominated in dollars or euros would just be confiscated by sanctions.

To summarize:  Europe brought the high energy price on itself with its thoughtless sanctions; the high prices benefit Russia and hurt Europe; Russia should consider turning off all natural gas to Europe and conserve its energy source for its own and China’s development.

Europe is nothing but a thorn in Russia’s side, a collection of Washington’s puppets.  Russia owes Europe nothing.

“They didn’t hear what we told them. They had better hear this time.” — Vladimir Putin

Think back to 2014 when the US overthrew the Ukrainian government and installed a neo-Nazi regime. The neocons were smirking, laughing at how easy it was to buffalo the Russians. Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland publicly bragged about how the US had spent $5 billion dollars preparing the overthrow of Ukraine. Much cheering of how Ukraine would now be used to destabilize Russia and seize the Russian Black Sea naval base.

After a long frustrating, humiliating 8 years of trying to get the West’s attention that this was not a scheme Russia could accept, and after one last effort which got nowhere, Russia has acted.

In his speech this morning Putin explained the long years of Russian frustration in her efforts to achieve mutual security with the West which remained intent on its own domination. Here are opening words from Putin’s address:

“I consider it necessary today to speak again about the tragic events in Donbass and the key aspects of ensuring the security of Russia.
I will begin with what I said in my address on February 21, 2022. I spoke about our biggest concerns and worries, and about the fundamental threats which irresponsible Western politicians created for Russia consistently, rudely and unceremoniously from year to year. I am referring to the eastward expansion of NATO, which is moving its military infrastructure ever closer to the Russian border.
It is a fact that over the past 30 years we have been patiently trying to come to an agreement with the leading NATO countries regarding the principles of equal and indivisible security in Europe. In response to our proposals, we invariably faced either cynical deception and lies or attempts at pressure and blackmail, while the North Atlantic alliance continued to expand despite our protests and concerns. Its military machine is moving and, as I said, is approaching our very border.
Why is this happening? Where did this insolent manner of talking down from the height of their exceptionalism, infallibility and all-permissiveness come from? What is the explanation for this contemptuous and disdainful attitude to our interests and absolutely legitimate demands?
The answer is simple. Everything is clear and obvious. In the late 1980s, the Soviet Union grew weaker and subsequently broke apart. That experience should serve as a good lesson for us, because it has shown us that the paralysis of power and will is the first step towards complete degradation and oblivion. We lost confidence for only one moment, but it was enough to disrupt the balance of forces in the world.”

The imbalance of force has been corrected, and since force is all that the West understands, Russia is using force to end the use of Ukraine as a pawn against Russia.
In the past the stupid and arrogant West ignored Russia’s warnings. In his address this morning Putin gave another warning. If the dumbshit Western leaders do not hear this warning, the West will cease to exist:

“I would now like to say something very important for those who may be tempted to interfere in these developments from the outside. No matter who tries to stand in our way or all the more so create threats for our country and our people, they must know that Russia will respond immediately, and the consequences will be such as you have never seen in your entire history. No matter how the events unfold, we are ready. All the necessary decisions in this regard have been taken. I hope that my words will be heard.”

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