RUNNING UPDATES ON THE CONFLICT IN UKRAINE - 07.11.2024
Including geopolitical issues affecting the balance of power in the ongoing end game war to establish our common future, a closely monitored prison planet or tolerance for diverse modes of governance.
THE ROAD TO THE ULTIMATE CONCLUSION OF WORLD WAR III RUNS THROUGH HERE.
*** THE SPEED OF GLOBAL CHANGE WILL NOW ACCELERATE ***
COLLECTIVE WEST-UKRAINE <-> RUSSIA
ALEXANDER MERCOURIS of THE DURAN: Moscow Unyielding SMO Goals Tells Trump; Scholz Collapse On Kiev Funding; Russia Offensive Continues.
ALEX CHRISTOFOROU of THE DURAN: Elensky curse strikes German coalition. WSJ, dumb plan wait out Putin. Macron cozies up to Trump.
Harvest Time, Kreminna Balka Has fallen, 3rd Kursk Counteroffensive Begins. Military Summary 2024.11.7
Trump cabinet to push for ‘freezing’ Ukraine conflict – WSJ.
The president-elect’s team plans to force Kiev to suspend its NATO aspirations, sources have told the outlet.
Donald Trump’s team is considering several potential plans to end the Ukraine conflict, which would require Kiev to drop its plans to join NATO in the foreseeable future and freeze hostilities along the current front line, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing sources.
Trump, who defeated his Democratic rival Kamala Harris in the presidential election, has repeatedly vowed to end hostilities between Moscow and Kiev within 24 hours, even before being sworn into office.
According to officials and aides familiar with the situation, the Trump team does not yet have a detailed plan, with different factions “set to compete to influence the Republican’s foreign policy.” Such “traditionally minded” Trump allies as Mike Pompeo, who served as secretary of state and CIA director during the president-elect’s first term, are reportedly pushing for a deal that “doesn’t appear to give a major win to Moscow.”
Read more: Marco Rubio calls for US to end Ukraine conflict
Other figures, such as Richard Grenell, who could become Trump’s national security adviser, may advocate for ending the conflict as soon as possible, even if Kiev has to make significant concessions, the article said.
However, according to the WSJ, peace proposals “uniformly recommend freezing the war in place… and forcing Ukraine to temporarily suspend its quest to join” NATO. Three unnamed officials inside Trump’s transition office told the paper that one idea is to have Ukraine pledge not to join NATO “for at least 20 years,” while in exchange, the US would provide Kiev with ample weapons deliveries to keep Russia at bay.
The reported plan would also establish a demilitarized zone along the current front line, with one Trump adviser ruling out the possibility that peace there would be maintained by American troops or US-funded international organizations such as the UN. Under this proposal, the US would seek to delegate this task to its European allies, according to the WSJ.
“We can do training and other support but the barrel of the gun is going to be European,” the paper’s source said. “We are not sending American men and women to uphold peace in Ukraine. And we are not paying for it. Get the Poles, Germans, British and French to do it.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said that the US could help resolve the Ukraine conflict since it is the one fueling it, insisting that Moscow is “open to contacts and dialogue.” Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky has ruled out “bargaining” over the country’s sovereignty or “trading” the territories Kiev claims as its own.
Trump cabinet to push for ‘freezing’ Ukraine conflict – WSJ.
AARON MATÉ: Russia On the March.
DANIEL DAVIS: Trump: The Nail in the Coffin of the Ukraine War.
Dr. GILBERT DOCTOROW: The Kremlin’s View of US Elections.
RICHARD D. WOLFF - MICHAEL HUDSON: Trump Returns! Israel & Ukraine on the Brink of Collapse.
Dr. GILBERT DOCTOROW: Trump Wins! But Huge Challenges Await in Ukraine & Israel.
ANDREI MARTYANOV: Ukraine Crumbles, Israel Losing, Trump Returns to Power.
Putin's spokesman weighs Trump's Ukraine promises amid 'historically low US-Russia relations'.
BORZZIKMAN: SHOCKING Details Have Emerged About The Destruction of U.S. Army Rangers By FSB SPETSNAZ In BRYANSK.
Trump Considering Helping Ukraine in Return for Its Temporary Refusal to Join NATO – Reports.
The team of US President-elect Donald Trump has proposed to freeze the Ukrainian conflict and provide new arms supplies in exchange for Kiev's refusal to join NATO for at least 20 years, the Wall Street Journal newspaper reported on Thursday, citing sources.
The newspaper reported that this idea also includes creating an 800-mile demilitarized zone but it remains unclear who would police the territory. The "peacekeeping force" would not involve US troops, nor come from a US-funded international body, such as the United Nations, the report added. A Trump adviser also said, as quoted by the Wall Street Journal, that Europeans should maintain peace in Ukraine. However, the US leader has not approved any of these plans yet.
The presidential election took place in the United States on Tuesday. Vice President Kamala Harris represented the Democratic Party, while Trump ran for the Republican Party.
Trump is projected to win a second term as president of the United States with 295 electoral votes, versus 226 votes for Harris. This marks a historic comeback for the Republican, who lost the 2020 US presidential race to outgoing President Joe Biden.
In June, Russian President Vladimir Putin put forward initiatives for a peaceful settlement of the conflict in Ukraine: Moscow will immediately cease fire and declare its readiness for negotiations after the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the territory of Russia's new regions. In addition, Kiev should declare it is renouncing its intention to join NATO and also carry out demilitarization and denazification, as well as accept a neutral, non-aligned and non-nuclear status. The Russian leader also mentioned the lifting of sanctions against Russia.
After Ukrainian troops attacked Russia's Kursk Region in August, Putin called negotiations with Kiev an impossible prospect. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said that Moscow's peace proposals had not been voided, but Russia would not engage with Ukraine at this point.
Trump Considering Helping Ukraine in Return for Its Temporary Refusal to Join NATO – Reports.
ISRAEL-WEST <-> PALESTINE-IRAN-SYRIA-IRAQ-LEBANON-YEMEN-VENEZUELA-DPRK
DANNY HAIPHONG - SCOTT RITTER: Hezbollah WIPES OUT Israeli Ground War, IDF Collapses on All Fronts.
PROFESSOR JEFFREY SACHS: Netanyahu On the Ropes.
BREAKTHROUGH NEWS: The Real Reason Trump Won: The Failure of the Democratic Party.
AMBASSADOR CHAS FREEMAN: Will Trump Trust Netanyahu?
COLONEL LAWRENCE WILKERSON: Israel in Turmoil.
RICHARD D. WOLFF - MICHAEL HUDSON: Trump Returns! Israel & Ukraine on the Brink of Collapse.
Dr. GILBERT DOCTOROW: Trump Wins! But Huge Challenges Await in Ukraine & Israel.
COLLECTIVE WEST <-> GLOBAL MAJORITY
Trump’s Election Win: How Will It Change the World?
Donald Trump prevailing over Kamala Harris in the November 5 US presidential election will most likely mean a redirection of Washington’s policies on a whole array of pressing issues, ex-Pentagon analyst, Michael Maloof, told Sputnik.
Speaking to Sputnik, Michael Maloof, a former senior security policy analyst in the Office of the US Secretary of Defense, gave his thoughts on how America’s domestic and foreign policy could change following Donald Trump’s reelection.
Americans Want Change
The fact that Americans voted for Donald Trump is "a clear sign that they want change from the last four years" of the Biden-Harris administration, Maloof said.
"The American people now have a chance to compare what life was like under the previous Trump administration, although they were concerned about his little personality quirks. But the policies were solid, and they benefited much, much more," the ex-Pentagon analyst pointed out.
He added that Vice President J.D. Vance "will certainly implement those policies as well and will probably be given a lot of tasks once they take office for the implementation of a lot of these policies."
"This bringing in (of) Elon Musk will see to how you change government in a way that you whittle it down to save money. Musk has already said he sees the potential for saving $2 trillion a year. That's incredible. We have about a $6 trillion budget deficit every year. And if you can carve out $2 trillion, that really cuts into the deficit," Maloof pointed out.
"So we're going to see; we're hoping to see the best," which Maloof said would come amid "tremendous resistance" due to "the bureaucracy of the US government."
The state of the US economy has become the top issue of the election race, with experts warning about inflation, housing prices, and risks associated with America’s $35.7 trillion federal debt.
What Does Trump's Victory Mean for US Foreign Policy?
On Ukraine, "It's clear to me that [Donald Trump] does not want to continue funding [the Zelensky regime]. He does not want to continue a proxy war. He doesn't want any wars because during his first administration, there were no wars. And this is one of the dramatic things that people don't realize - as opposed to the Biden administration - that we've poured hundreds of billions of dollars into war,” Maloof stressed.
He did not exclude Trump having "a new perspective on NATO", suggesting that "begrudgingly, he'll [Trump] probably keep the structure, but he's going to put more requirements on the members and be much more definitive with them in terms of responsibilities."
"What we see now in terms of NATO being more of an offensive alliance as opposed to a defensive alliance, I think he's going to want to curb that. Because it's been this offensiveness by NATO that has gotten us into this mess with Ukraine," Maloof pointed out.
The US has injected a total of over $61 billion in security aid to the Kiev regime since the Ukraine conflict escalated in February 2022. But the Pentagon’s own dwindling arms stockpiles have resulted in far smaller US aid packages in recent months. Russia has repeatedly warned against Western military aid to Ukraine, which Moscow says will only prolong the standoff.
What Will Trump Do for Middle East?
On Israel, Donald Trump may take a U-turn as compared to his previous term, Maloof said. He added that Trump has already been "somewhat critical of [Israeli Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu in terms of continuing this war [in Gaza and Lebanon] endlessly."
"[Trump] has recently said to Netanyahu, get this done, finish it, stop the fighting, and come to terms. And if he doesn't, then I think he's going to have to undertake a different approach, whereas in his first administration, he was very supportive of what Netanyahu wanted. He gave the Israelis everything they wanted," the ex-Department of Defense analyst pointed out.
Trump is going to look more towards Saudi Arabia, as the kingdom is now insisting on a two-state solution in exchange for normalizing relations with Israel and reactivating the Abraham Accords, according to the analyst.
“This is going to mean a redirection in foreign policy. It's going to mean less emphasis on what Israel wants and perhaps more on what the Gulf Arab countries might want,” Maloof emphasized.
A recent report for Brown University’s Costs of War project claimed that the US had spent a record of at least $17.9 billion on military aid to Israel since the Jewish state unleashed a war against the Palestinian militant group, Hamas, in Gaza more than a year ago.
What Will Trump's Asia-Pacific Policies Be?
With regard to the US’ Asia policy, Trump may "try to reactivate his relationship with Kim Jong Un to try to get the North Korean leader to back down on any further testing," Maloof said.
He stressed that the international community was "almost on the precipice" of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula during the Trump administration.
"I think one way you do that is to stop all further US-South Korean military exercises, which North Korea views as a provocation. And I think that if that's diminished, then there's a basis for discussion. I think China would probably welcome that as well," Maloof noted.
This comes amid the ongoing militarization of the Asia-Pacific by the US, which clinched a deal with the UK and Australia in 2021 to establish the AUKUS military bloc. Moscow says that such a militarization has "an obvious focus on containing China and Russian interests in the region."
What Awaits NATO?
Trump may "be much more stringent" toward NATO members and "insist that they increase their allotments to it or pull out," the former Pentagon analyst argued.
Trump will want to make NATO "less aggressive in terms of being offensive in nature, as they've demonstrated in Ukraine, because it's absolutely wrecked the economy of Europe. So the Europeans now have come to realize that, and they're paying the consequences. And they do blame the United States for leading them in this direction in the first place," Maloof said.
According to him, Trump will "begin to cut back on NATO", which he said is going to "potentially fracture under a Trump administration and become much more regional in nature."
"There will be far less US encouragement for NATO to survive and thrive than it had under the Biden-Harris administration," the analyst concluded.
Moscow has repeatedly warned NATO against its eastward expansion, which the Kremlin says could further inflame tensions in Europe. Russian President Vladimir Putin slammed NATO for making empty promises about its commitment not to expand eastward since 1991.
Trump’s Election Win: How Will It Change the World?
MAX BLUMENTHAL: Neocons and the Security State.
CMD SGT DENNIS FRITZ: How Neocons Tricked Us.
Malaysian Politician Hits Back at Blinken and the US for Trying to Dictate Their Actions.
USA
GEORGE GALLOWAY: MENU: Kamala Harris is not speaking now.
MINTPRESS NEWS: Trump and GOP Capture All Branches of Government: What is next for America and the World?
KIM IVERSEN: Dems React To Trump Landslide. Will They Learn Or Get Worse?
GEORGE GALLOWAY: The greatest comeback since the Rumble in the Jungle.
RACHEL BLEVINS: SANCTIONED 08 Preview: Trump Wins 2024 Election – What It Means for The Middle East.
NOVARA MEDIA: Trump's Revenge: USA Election Night As It Happened.
MULTIPOLARITY - RUSSIA-CHINA / BRICS
PROFESSOR YAN LIANG: BRICS Financial System Will Be Like NOTHING We've Seen Before.
EUROPE / UK
ALEX CHRISTOFOROU & ALEXANDER MERCOURIS of THE DURAN: German government heading towards collapse.
ALEX CHRISTOFOROU & ALEXANDER MERCOURIS of THE DURAN: EU pushes Moldova towards chaos.
Early German Elections Likely As Scholz Fires Minister, Coalition Collapses.
German government has collapsed.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz has announced a vote of confidence, paving way for potential snap elections.
Germany’s ‘traffic-light’ coalition has fallen apart, leaving Olaf Scholz at the helm of a minority government consisting solely of his Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the Greens. This follows the Chancellor's dismissal of Free Democratic Party (FDP) leader Christian Lindner from the position of Finance Minister.
After failed crisis talks on Wednesday night, the Chancellor dismissed the Free Democratic Party (FDP) leader Christian Lindner from the position of Finance Minister.
In response, the FDP's parliamentary group leader, Christian Durr, announced that the party is withdrawing all its ministers from Scholz's government, formally ending the three-way coalition.
The Greens expressed regret over this development but stated they wish to remain part of a minority government, emphasizing the need for the EU – and Germany in particular – to demonstrate its capacity for action following Donald Trump's election as US President.
READ MORE: Germany’s Scholz fires coalition partner’s leader
“I want to say for us that this feels wrong and not right tonight – almost tragic on a day like this, when Germany must show unity and the ability to act in Europe,” said Vice Chancellor and Economy Minister Robert Habeck in a joint press statement with Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Wednesday night.
“This is not a good day for Germany and also not a good day for Europe,” Baerbock added.
Finance Minister Christian Lindner was fired after he reportedly proposed early elections when the leaders of the three coalition parties once again failed to find common ground on how to address the multibillion-euro deficit in next year’s budget.
“All too often, Minister Lindner has blocked laws in an inappropriate manner,” Scholz stated, accusing Lindner of refusing to ease spending rules which among other things would allow for more aid to Ukraine.
Lindner, in turn, accused the Chancellor of ignoring the real “economic concerns” of the German people. “Olaf Scholz has long failed to recognize the need for a new economic awakening in our country,” Lindner said.
READ MORE: German government in ‘crisis’ – state media
Scholz said he now wants to reach out to opposition leader Friedrich Merz of the Christian Democrats to offer him the “opportunity” to collaborate with his government, adding that in light of the US elections, this is “perhaps more urgent than ever.”
Meanwhile, the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) opposition party welcomed the coalition's collapse as a long-overdue “liberation” for Germany.
“After months of gridlock and countless self-centered therapy sessions, we now urgently need a fundamental political fresh start to lead the economy and the country as a whole out of the severe crisis into which it has been plunged by the ideology-driven policies of the SPD, Greens, and FDP,” said AfD parliamentary leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla in a statement on X.
Scholz announced that the Bundestag will hold a vote of confidence on January 15. According to the German constitution, if the Chancellor fails to secure sufficient support, he may formally request the President to dissolve the 733-seat lower house and call new elections within 60 days. This could push Germany's parliamentary elections from next fall to March 2025.
German government has collapsed.
THROUGH THE EYES OF... ANIA: WHAT POLISH PM DONALD TUSK HAS SAID ABOUT DONALD J. TRUMP.
German and French defence ministers hold talks following Trump win, calls on NATO to 'stand united'.
NON-ENGLISH NEWS
LIU SIVAYA: "ES UNA ENORME MORGUE PARA UCRANIA": ESTÁN ATRAPADOS Y ACABAN DE PERDER A TODO EL EQUIPO DE RESCATE.
LIU SIVAYA: ¿SE ACABÓ LA GUERRA? TRUMP NO HA GANADO - HA ARRASADO EN LAS PRESIDENCIALES, PERO ¿Y QUÉ PASA AHORA?
RUSSIA / EXPATS IN RUSSIA
SCOTTISH GUY IN MOSCOW: SAINT PETERSBURG - Hustled For MONEY By A Queen! 👸
MAPPING CHANNEL UPDATES
Harvest Time, Kreminna Balka Has fallen, 3rd Kursk Counteroffensive Begins. Military Summary 2024.11.7
German Government Collapsed, Insane Losses In The Battle For Siversk. Military Summary For 2024.11.07
RUAF Capture 3 Settlements & Storm Several Others | 16SQKM Advance.
Trump Victory: How Will It Affect Ukraine & NATO? | Blessing In Disguise Or Tragedy?
VICTORY BELONGS TO RUSSIA: IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME
Each day that passes makes a conclusive Russian victory in the Donbass and beyond more certain. As Russia bolsters her forces, and weaponry, those of Ukraine decrease. Russian forces gain ready access to rest and recuperation as troop numbers increase. The increasingly exhausted and demoralised Ukrainian troops have an ever decreasing prospect of such respite. This situation is likely to bring them to complete breakdown as Russia unleashes the firepower of the more modern and advanced weaponry that is arriving with the newly mobilised Russian troops.
The various Ukrainian offensives are now weak when confronted by the reinforced Russian lines. A few futile efforts achieve quite miserable results before fire reigns down on the Ukrainian troops and they are forced back to their starting positions.
And now, all this being said, we have arrived at the wet, and later, freezing conditions where these pathetic Ukrainian forces will be subject to myriad forms of abject misery with death and injury all around them while they lie sodden or frozen, abandoned to their fate by Kiev.
The pitiable young and old of Ukraine have been frogmarched to their deaths as cannon-fodder while the bestial elites of the collective West urge their "president" to add more to their number there at the gates of Hell and their doom. We must feel for the majority of them as they are not the Nazis we revile, in most part they are decent men, fathers, sons, brothers, husband and uncles, who no doubt saw through the coup of 2014 for what it was. But sadly, their fate seems sealed.
Nothing will stop Russia now. Every factor favours them. Victory will be Russia's. In Donbass and beyond and in due course across the world.
Victory belongs to Russia: It is now only a matter of time.
UPDATES TO BE ADDED HERE AS AND WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
UPDATES TO BE ADDED HERE AS AND WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
WITH DONALD TRUMP IN THE WHITE HOUSE COME JANUARY ZELENSKYY’S LUCK WILL HAVE FINALLY RUN OUT.
Nothing lasts forever. Zelensky’s run in the western casino has been a long one with billions accrued. But now the last chips must be cashed and the exit sign beckons.
Donald Trump is virtually certain to interrupt a stagnant and obdurate reluctance in the West to engage in diplomacy with Vladimir Putin of Russia. Going by his past practice of talking with those others regard as beyond the pale we can be certain he will do so again. Just as Victor Orban has reached out seeking a way forward to a peaceful settlement of the differences between Russia and Ukraine we can be sure that Donald Trump will follow suit. When Robert Fico, the prime minister of Slovakia does the same we can be fairly certain others will gradually follow.
No doubt Trump will visit Volodymyr Zelenskyy immediately before or after his meeting(s) with Putin. Whether Trump will follow through with his plan to threaten both into coming to terms remains to be seen. He has spoken of threatening Vladimir Putin with sending a massive tranche of weapons (and presumably cash) to Zelenskyy if he doesn’t call a ceasefire. Likewise, in regard to Zelenskyy Trump has said he will threaten him with turning off the cash and weapons spigot if he refuses to comply by arranging an immediate ceasefire. Will his perhaps typical Trump tactic work? We will have to see.
In regard to Russia there will be close to zero enthusiasm for Trump’s ultimatum. Having progressed the war despite the USA and its allies having sent billions of financial support and myriad weapons including almost every so-called gamechanger weapon to the Kiev regime Russia may well simply say bring more of that on. Since Russia set herself free from the constraints put upon her by the western powers she became free to assert her rights to protect her national interests within her local sphere of influence. It is difficult to see her giving up in this task while she is so obviously winning.
Looking at the ultimate in intransigence characterized by Zelenskyy it is also difficult in his case to see any possibility of him caving to Trump’s demand for a ceasefire, especially if there is even a whiff of Russia being able to retain the territory she has captured thus far. However, if there is no suggestion of this then Zelenskyy will no doubt see Trump’s plan as an opportunity to regroup and rearm and possibly even a chance to twist NATO’s arm into accepting Ukraine into its ranks. By accepting Trump’s plan Kiev would then put Russia on the back foot notwithstanding Russia’s clear ability to continue winning no matter what the West gives Kiev.
Russia knows that only direct intervention by NATO forces can offer Kiev any hope of slowing, and potentially stopping the Russian military’s ever-quickening forward progress. But Russia also knows this is something NATO will not do and that those in control of NATO, primarily the USA, knows would be virtual suicide to do. The risk of the war widening and even broadening to a nuclear conflict thereby, is obvious. Russia also knows that most of the world has her back.
The virtual stranglehold western power has had over the world in general has been vastly loosened in recent years primarily due to the economic rise of China and to a lesser extent the return to the world stage of Russia.
Numerous countries across the planet are steadily gravitating to these two and are increasingly resistant toward western influence. Subsequently there is an ongoing and cumulative effect whereby this group grows stronger while the West is subsequently becoming weaker. This is a natural consequence of a desire to escape the western yoke that has consistently undermined the national sovereignty of those it has sought over the years to dominate, manipulate and coerce to its will.
The western powers sought to exercise their accustomed ability to shape global events in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24th 2022. In light of the, until then, apparently still powerful ability of the West to respond, Russia appeared to be putting itself at great risk of being weakened by what was clearly the western plan with this in mind. The expectation in the West was that they would wreak havoc on the Russian economy through the mother of all sanctions policies while it leveraged the rest of the world to comply with western wishes, and do the same. However, Russia had prepared the ground in expectation of these tactics as we can now plainly see.
The situation we now find ourselves in, in November of 2024 is quite extraordinary. What was supposed to be a devastating and highly coordinated series of economic attacks on Russia meant to render Russia a bankrupt supplicant crawling to the West for mercy, has resulted in an outcome that has turned the tables completely on the West. Instead of this intended scenario we have seen that it is the western world that has reeled in agony with successive boomerang emanating from the methods used. In addition and in general, most nations have graduated closer to Russia rather than away from her.
Meanwhile, as the West rather than Russia, succumbs to economic and financial turmoil Russia’s campaign in Ukraine is closer than ever to achieving her goals. With the Russian economy prospering it has a newfound energy and dynamism along with a far higher degree of self-sufficiency and protection from outside threats than ever before. Russian entrepreneurs have successfully filled the vast majority of corporate niches abandoned by western enterprises and new, friendly trading partners are constantly being found. Rather than making Russia weaker, as was the stated goal, the last years since the war began, Russia has become far stronger.
Money and weaponry has flowed into Ukraine during this time weakening the West. There appeared to be no limit to this waterfall of scarce western resources even as the economies across the West failed and its citizens found the standard of living enjoyed by them dropping like a stone. The sky appeared to be the limit for the largesse provided to Ukraine, the most corrupt nation in Europe. However, we will no longer hear western politicians talk of supplying this endless waterfall of cash and weapons, “dor as long as it takes”. A new acceptance of the hard reality of defeat is now settling in deeper and deeper among them. Trump’s arrival in the White House in January will signal, once and for all, Zelenskyy’s luck has finally run out.
