28 March, 2024

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Give Putin An Escape Route

By Kumar David

Prof. Kumar David

Russian President Vladimir Putin is an unusual specimen of the genus homo sapiens; he reasons and acts differently from most folks. Every Russian is right in insisting that a high price is worth paying for Ukrainian neutrality (no NATO membership, no nuclear weapons) to avert the certainty of nuclear war down the line in the future. That is now irreversibly ensured, but it could have been done at a lower cost in lives, property and credibility. Putin has inflicted devastation on Ukraine (thousands dead, cities burning, 5 million refugees by the time it ends), his army is bogged down by stiff Ukrainian resistance, he has aroused considerable opposition at home, made himself a pariah in the eyes of Western public opinion and media, created havoc in the existing Russian economy and painted himself into a corner.

Ukraine will never ever join NATO. NATO will not touch it. It is worthless real-estate, an insignificant for defensive purposes lump of property in an age of cyber war, cruise missiles and outdated tank-divisions. NATO has already made it abundantly clear that it will not commit one non-Orthodox Christian soul or fighter-jet to protect Ukraine at this juncture. Zelenskyy is an unwanted, unloved and hungry urchin begging at a locked kitchen door. So, find Putin a retreat lane; the loud double-speak behind Russian diplomacy proclaims “Putin wants out!” Now “build your enemy a golden bridge over which he can (save face and) retreat” (Sung Tzu in The Art of War).

Both Ukrainians and Russians are Slave people and share some common history. English and French royalty too overlapped to the extent that Henry V and French royalty thought themselves one. This makes for extreme brutality in internal conflict (Sinhala-Tamil, Irish-English, neighbouring Africans). Henry is thought by the English to be their greatest military hero second only to Nelson; the ferocity of his threats against the ‘other’, the French defenders of Harfleur unless they surrendered, is surprising – so says Henry V, Act III, Scene 3.

Therefore, you men of Harfleur,

Take pity on your town and on your people,

Whilst yet my soldiers are in my command,

Whilst yet the cool and temperate wind of grace

O’er blows the filthy and contagious clouds

Of heady murder, spoil, and villainy.

If not—why, in a moment look to see

The blind and bloody soldier with foul hand

Defile the locks of your shrill-shrieking daughters;

Your fathers taken by their silver beards,

And their most reverend heads dashed on the wall;

Your naked infants spitted upon pikes.

You see, it was all their fault, Prabaharan’s fault, when we bombard hospitals, slit children’s throats and raped! Such is internecine warfare between brothers.

I will close with a few words about impending economic restructuring in Russia. I am pleased that Putin’s adventure has disrupted the dysfunctional, kleptocratic, dependent on American corporate capital and slave to dollar-domination, Russian economic, banking and crooked financial order. This is in sharp contrast to China and Vietnam; it was going nowhere but down the tube. Oligarchs and Putin’s kleptocrat friends were bleeding the country. I am delighted that they have been ‘kicked’ (Chelsea, Monaco, Bournemouth football idiom) and exposed as leeches. American tech giants, food & beverage providers have taken dominant market share in the big cities and global investment banks dominate. I am not an economic recluse opposed to globalisation and as a citizen of the world I hold that humanity must be open to ideas (especially to radical ones), imports, exports and unrestricted flow of labour. But what happened after the collapse of the Soviet Union was economic colonialism and oligarchic kleptocracy. Pressing a reset button is good, it can provide an opportunity, but my no means a guarantee, that the entire economic system can be recast. The 4000 sanctions imposed on Russia are the biggest economic attack ever in history but they hurt the oligarchs more than the ordinary people.

The China-Russia economic equation will be altered with China as the senior partner. The hundreds of billions China pouring into the Second Silk Road can be more profitably and reliably invested nearer home.

The high points will be energy, Chinese industries in Russia (why waste good money in god-forsaken Africa, Pakistan, Lanka or bureaucratic, dysfunctional Brazil?). Russia has high-tech but still way behind the US; Its second-class military knowhow was exposed in Ukraine. Cooperation with China will help blunt the edge of American leadership. However, the most important development will be enabling a new global financial system that can bypass dollar-dominance. This will be a long process but both countries know that making a start cannot be deferred. In truth Ukraine and Putin are just pawns in a great game between Western financial power and its primary foe rising China.

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  • 6
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    “Both Ukrainians and Russians are Slave people”
    I like that if it was meant to be funny.

    • 6
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      I think he meant to say, Slavic people.

      Slavic people (Slavs) can be divided into three subgroups based upon their geographic and linguistic distribution: West Slavs (Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia), East Slavs (Russia, Belarus, Ukraine), and South Slavs (Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Slovenia).

      • 4
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        They also follow three forms of faith. Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodox Christianity, and Islam. The western Slavs like the Poles, Czech, Slovaks are Roman Catholic by faith and use the Latin Alphabet. The eastern Slavs, the Russians, Ukrainians, and Byelorussians are Eastern orthodox but around 10% of the Ukrainians are Roman Catholics, largely in the west around Lviv which was part of the Austro Hungarian Empire and then Poland until the second world war. The Southern Slavs follow all three religions. The Croats and Slovenes are Roman Catholic and again use the Latin Alphabet. The Serbs, Macedonians, Montenegrins, and Bulgarians are Eastern Orthodox and use the Cyrillic Alphabet just like the Russians. The Bosnians or Bosniaks are Muslim. You also get ethnic Slavic Bulgarians who converted to Islam during the Ottoman rule and are called Pomaks. Ethnic Macedonian Muslims are called Torbesi. Just like the way ethnic Tamil Muslims in Sri Lanka are called Moors

        • 2
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          Dr. KD: Sri Lankans are like the hapless people of Ukraine who are caught in the American proxy war on Russia in Europe,
          Sri Lankans are being used by the Washington Consensus to wage its proxy war on China using India. These are dangerous times as the IMF fronted economic crisis in Sri Lanka is externally organized with the US citizen Goats and Basil Rajapaksa brothers in tow. Is Sajith and AKD Capable of understanding this? Will Sri Lanka become an Indian Ocean Ukraine?
          Leon Panetta, the former US secretary of defense and CIA director under Barack Obama said that the United States is involved in a proxy war with Russia in Ukraine. “We are engaged in a conflict here, it’s a proxy war with Russia, whether we say so or not,” Panetta said.
          http://www.defenddemocracy.press/the-west-is-escalating-the-war/

  • 7
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    “In truth Ukraine and Putin are just pawns in a great game between Western financial power and its primary foe rising China.”
    It takes two to play a game.
    I see only one player. You imagine the other.

    • 3
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      SJ
      There is a complication for China though. Trillions of dollars are invested in US treasuries.
      Biden’s threat to China could (I am just speculating here) include the freezing of Chinese assets. Since China is the largest (followed by Japan) holder of US treasuries, the US has a huge incentive to freeze Chinese assets. Such an outcome is what China would dread. Hence, China may not openly support Russia.
      With Russia isolated, the US is free to pursue its policy of prolonging the war (provide military and intelligence support) unhindered
      After all, it is the Ukrainians who are fighting the US war. Ukrainians are weakening Russia. The US never had it better!

      This is the first time that the reserves of a significant Central Bank have been frozen. Loss of access to Russian reserves could lead to debt defaults and consequently, to a Lehman Brothers moment.
      We are in interesting times.

  • 3
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    “NATO has already made it abundantly clear that it will not commit one non-Orthodox Christian soul or fighter-jet to protect Ukraine at this juncture.”
    That must be taken with a large pinch of salt. There are a lot more than one volunteer, mercenary, advisor, call them what you will, fighting in Ukraine, quite effectively too it seems. Where else could a career soldier hone his skills against Russians?

    • 4
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      OC
      NATO wound up Mr Z only to slip out silently when Russia attacked.
      When one takes what any big power says seriously, one is preparing for long rides.

  • 3
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    SJ,
    It was slavic, not slave. It was a simple typo,not to be laughed at !.

    • 2
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      I think that we are a little short in a sense of humor hereabouts.

  • 4
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    “Slavs” or Slavic people”

    • 0
      4

      Spoilsport.

  • 4
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    The living Residuals of LTTE will come-up with mind boggling comparisons between “Russia-Ukraine” conflict and LTTE terrorist campaign. It seems the former proponents of LTTE does not know the difference between “A declared Military Campaign” that take place between two National Militaries and a Terrorist campaign launched by a disguised terror outfit against a National Military. It is sad, the racist elements seem to be giving excuses for the ruling junta some excuses to ignite division between Tamils and Sinhalese under various pretexts.

  • 4
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    I posted this comment on 23/02/2022.
    “Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka
    Your article tells the other side of the story which is omitted by others.
    The top two arms sellers in the world; the USA and Russia are signaling war. What does that mean in astrology?
    The dwarf planet Pluto returned to the USA after 248 years on 22/02/2022 (inspired by an article published in New York Times). Dwarf Pluto is the slow motion, miniature Mars; the planet of war and death, which means, if there is a war, it will remain a very long time.
    According to US Intelligence, if there is a war between Russia and Ukraine, approximately 25,000 to 50,000 civilians will be killed/wounded and roughly 1.5 million Ukranians will be displaced!!!! (Hello to the UN and the UNHRC). In addition to that, 3,000 to 10,000 Russian soldiers and 5,000 to 25,000 Ukrainian troops will be killed/wounded.
    The number of casualties from NATO’s side was not given. I guess it is zero.
    If the Ukrainian President is wise, he will enter into a truce with Russia.”.
    (Today is 18/03/2022)

  • 3
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    Today is Day 23 of Russia’s special military operation. Still there is no truce.
    Even before the military operation was started, President Putin offered peace. Ukraine declined.
    President Zelensky personalized Ukraine’s offensive/defensive against Russia. When he challenged Russia, he didn’t even have a war strategy. He only had his pride, valour and the loyalty to his country. He thought NATO troops would come on white horses and fight against Russia on behalf of Ukrainian people. Those things happen only in fairy tales.
    Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan recently lamented at the loss of 80,000 Pakistani soldiers who fought in Afghanistan in a joint mission with NATO. He said that NATO didn’t even thank Pakistan.
    President Biden and State Secretary Blinken say Russia may use chemical weapons. President Putin regards Russians and Ukrainians as one people. Therefore, Biden’s and Blinken’s ‘dream’ will never come true. However, if NATO challenges Russia, there is a high possibility of Russia using hypersonic missile “Satan II” which is capable of “erasing France from the world map”. (Oooops, sorry, peacemaker, wrong example. I meant, any country of that size).
    “War does not determine who is right — only who is left.” – Bertrand Russell.

    • 0
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      Champa
      .
      For your information, RS-28 Sarmat (Satan II) is not yet operational. By the way, it is actually an ICBM, an intercontinental ballistic missile with multiple nuclear warheads.
      .
      Hypersonic missiles are an entirely different type of weapon, used mostly to evade air defense systems using high speed. Anything above Mach 5. Russian hypersonic weapons travel above Mach 5. Hypersonic weapons use airbreathing engines for propulsion, while ICBMs use rocket engines.
      .
      ICBMs travel around Mach 25 with nuclear payloads and could have a range in excess of 12,000 to 16,000 km.
      .
      USA, France, and Britain are also equipped with ICBMs with equal capability. ICBMs are defensive weapons or Deterrent weapons. They are not used for first-strike.
      .
      So don’t worry Putin will only use it as a last resort, the response of deploying a nuclear weapon will be devastating for Russia on the counterattack by the west.
      .
      Meanwhile, the west is equipping their fighter aircraft with Laser cannons as a defense against hypersonic weapons. Lasers can destroy hypersonic missiles in flight.

  • 5
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    KD,

    If the Europeans aren’t comfortable with America-led NATO-they can come up with a European-led security mechanism, and Ukraine can be part of it. But Germany, despite having raised its defense budget, is still unreliable when it comes to security. France and UK are more reliable, but they can’t do it alone. So I don’t see American leadership of NATO going anywhere.

    Now think about who will help rebuild Ukraine after the war. There will have to be a new kind of Marshall Plan. Ukraine will be rebuilt as a modern European nation, and being part of NATO will be in play again. Why would they expose themselves to Russian perfidy again? As for Russia, will the Slavic people who identify themselves as white and European, be happy with their dependence on China? More likely, some disgruntled Russian FSB guy will take out Putin, as befitting the modern-day Hitler that he is. Russians and Ukrainians are of the same Slavic stock, so it will be hard for Putin to prevent the prenetration of Ukrainian-friendly people into his security apparatus.

  • 5
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    SJ,

    Continuing from KD’s previous article, while you may have a sharp mind and good memory for your age, you keep repeating several falsehoods from your reading of conspiracy theory-minded sites that peddle fiction. The Chechen’s struggle for independence wasn’t instigated by Americans. The revolution in 2014 that toppled Yanukovych was a spontaneous uprising by Ukrainians who were opposed to his pro-Putin policies. And in Syria, the uprisings were spontaneous, encouraged, and supported by Turkey, Qatar, and others in the region. You show a sickening indifference to the agency and struggle of the people who rise up for freedom and exaggerate any marginal, after-the-fact support by Americans.

    • 1
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      Agnos
      Who gives the license to the biggest bully on the planet to decide who should rule where?
      It was the US that backed Saddam Hussain in his misdeeds: the war against Iran, attack on Kurds etc.
      The US had no business to back a tyrant when it suits or to destroy him when it does not suit US interests.
      If the US seriously wants to free the wold of tyrants, it should start with Saudi Arabia.
      Is Israel the kindest state on the planet?
      The question concerns US meddling and US killings in the name of getting rid of tyrants.
      The US and its loyalists never learned from Vietnam. They will not learn from Afghanistan.

      • 6
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        SJ,

        You cannot on one hand support the realist “great power theory” of people like Mearsheimer and Kissinger when it comes to Russia v. Ukraine, and on the other decry the status of America as the global hegemon and its “exceptionalism.”

        I have made fun of American exceptionalism by telling Trump supporters it is true: they are “exceptionally stupid.” Where America has shown hypocrisy, lack of any moral consistency in the name of realpolitik, the country has faced heavy internal criticism, including from me. But protesters and media people are not arrested, nor poisoned and killed, as they do in China and Russia

        The ghosts of Vietnam were exorcised by the swift and overpowering victory in the first Gulf war. Likewise, the ghosts of the second war in Iraq and Afghanistan are being exorcised by the unified Western support for Ukraine. It is not that America learns from its mistakes, but others keep making bigger mistakes. It is Russia that should have learned its lessons from the USSR’s adventures in Afghanistan.

    • 2
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      “spontaneous uprising by Ukrainians”
      “Chechen’s struggle for independence “
      “in Syria, the uprisings were spontaneous”
      If you believe these, you have every right to believe that Iraq possessed WMD and that the Taliban was responsible for 9/11.

      • 2
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        “If you believe these, you have every right to believe that Iraq possessed WMD and that the Taliban was responsible for 9/11. “ Ha Ha ha………It is the Kurtis people who are the witness of Saddam using Chemical weapons, cluster bombs ……….on them, just like Tamils are witness of Chitanta Aanduwa borrowing these from Sonia and using on them. Which world do you live? Siri Ma O came back home from moon with rice and gone to Kailash . You are still there for looking for the spilled rice, like sage Kusalar?

      • 4
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        SJ,

        You are the one who repeats Putin’s farcical claim of ‘denazification’ of Ukraine.
        I have better things to do than waste my time arguing with you.

        • 2
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          Agnos, I’m not sure how much familiar you are with SJ. He produces falsehoods and made up facts as he goes and when confronted, will try deflecting by generalizing or giving stereotype information which are not pertinent to the discussion. Just see the reply here. you asked about Chechen’s and his reply is about Iraq, Iran, Vietnam and Afghan.

  • 5
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    SJ/OC,

    Continuing again from the earlier article from KD, I stand by my conviction that Saddam Hussein was a tyrant and taking his regime out was a noble cause, regardless of who did it and how it was done. While I didn’t support Bush’s war on Iraq, I would have supported regime change there in some other form, including any covert action. Same with Gaddafi. Hopefully, with Putin as well.

    OC, I put the words “sleep with” in quotes because in the Western world it is a euphemism for “having sex.” In the case of Gandhi’s experiments on his celibacy, the girls concerned themselves had made clear that it didn’t happen, that they felt like sleeping next to their Moms. So while it is true that Gandhi showed a disturbing lack of judgment, you are equating this relatively minor issue with the horrible deeds of MBS–aka “Mr. Bone Saw” — who abducted Jamal Khashoggi and used a bone saw to cut him to pieces at the Saudi consulate in Turkey. Both you and SJ show a disturbing lack of a sense of proportion in understanding evil.

    • 3
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      Agnos,
      “In the case of Gandhi’s experiments on his celibacy, the girls concerned themselves had made clear that it didn’t happen,”
      I would be surprised if he could make anything happen at that age. Remember, Viagra had not yet been invented. I must repeat, public figures are rarely what they are made out to be by their friends or enemies. Give it time. This isn’t our fight. Eventually we may find out ( maybe even from CNN) that Putin isn’t as evil as currently painted. Certainly no more evil than someone who wiped out 100,000 civilians in one day. I will let you guess who that was.

      • 5
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        OC,

        I don’t agree but I will conserve my time and let it go.

  • 5
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    One of the best outcomes for the third world is the abandoning of the USD as reserve currency. Let us hope China will take the leadership role and others co-operate to ensure it. Saddam and Gaddafi paid with their lives for it.

    • 2
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      LP
      It is too early to tell.
      Saudi Arabia is moving from Petrodollars to “Petroyuan” in its dealings with China. But it could be a ploy to ease US pressure.
      *
      Both China and Russia erred in not standing up for Iraq & Libya. They should have objected to the US war in Afghanistan too. The US took advantage of the wave of sympathy after 9/11.
      They could not have stopped the US-NATO attacks, but they would have alerted the Third World years earlier than when the US tried its nonsense in Syria.

      • 0
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        “they would have alerted the Third World years earlier than when the US tried its nonsense in Syria What do you mean by this? Do you say that if China had warned Langkang Modayas, the 6.9M + one Tamil Sadampi would not have voted to Royals and now would not stand in the lines for provision until the end for the life comes?

  • 0
    0

    Angoda Hospital is filled with Covid-19 Patience. But is that the case now with Australia too?
    “The high points will be energy, Chinese industries in Russia (why waste good money in god-forsaken Africa, Pakistan, Lanka or bureaucratic, dysfunctional Brazil?) “ Then close down the Middle East Construction Industry?
    All these times the only left out Tamil Left and Tamil Viyathmaha, the Sadampi were arguing that it is China up lifted the African countries and South American countries to the heaven, so Britain Made Asian Switzerland, the Langkang should surrender itself to the Dragon to make it The Wonder of Asia. By the left’s advice Langkang surrendered and it turned out to be “Ullathaiyum Keduthan Kolli Kannan”. Now the comedians are playing the record on the reverse side. “China is wasting its money on the Pariah Nation (only they surrender to China anyway). Ha Ha Ha Ha comedy Thamai! What a rubbish talk to say China wasted it money when Ugandan airport and Langkang seaport are gone to China, while Langkang still have pay $15 $ interest to China. What a compassionate Marxism only towards China. Even the Vodka Man Thero was not crying that much when the world stopped selling Russian Vodka. People should be wearing cloth not to switch sides on the snatch of the finger.

  • 0
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    Mistakes are mistakes, but one’s self-respect doesn’t get wiped out by any even big mistake. It is me who wrote that it is likely Russia creates heaps of bodies on the first day. Second day President Zelensky runs to Germany to hide. Third day Russia establishes a puppet government in Ukraine and returns home. Almost who all are here in CT read that. But nothing of that happened. Instead Zelensky challenging, if Ukraine lose, the world only can see his body, not him ever again. Then I start to turn around and wonder about Ukrainian’s patriotism. But neither of them convoluted, concocted dedicated defense of dead communism but right and wrong of an ordinary man’s opinion.
    The Tamil Left and Tamil Viyathmaga have been bragging that if Russia starts a war, it will burn down the west in a few seconds. Now the Tamil left is writing that Russia has shown it inferior, outdated war techniques. Is that what they wrote when Russia got involved in Syria? I ask the Tamil Left professor to compare & contrast the destruction of American bombing for years in Vietnam and 25 days of Russian bombing in Ukraine. If you people have conscience, people, please talk straightforwardly.

  • 0
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    In Tamil they say, “by the hard work it was doing the donkey has become an ant”. President Gorbachev paved a path for Russia to become a country in the world map. Our moran kept writing that President Gorbachev was a weak & coward man who destroyed Russia. Now the strong man president Putin did not just closed path, even he looks like going to erase the Russia from the world map. By its unwanted muscle flexing wars, USSR- Russia has become Cuba. By the wrong enthusiasts’ pushing ups, President Putin has become a contemporary “Porima Thoondi” (A greedy character in Indian fables). Putin had pledged all what Russia had for his loosing gambling. Russian are educated crowd. Russian like literature as much as science and math. Their art theaters, their musical composing, their writers are much above to Nobel Prize standard. They will come back after this thunderstorm & Tsunami together. But President Putin’s Weda is Ivarai with this war.

  • 0
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    Our erudite Tamil Left is deeply entrenched in outdated Marxism, so nothing can bring a change in his thinking. He is dreaming China or Russia to build currency in competition to dollar then the America can be won in a war. Childish theories the result of hate, not because of being defendant of Human rights in CT. Neither IMF nor European Union has won that war of creating alternate to dollar. We have to wait and see the cryptos, in future. In any case a communist currency will bring not bring an end to dollar domination. Yet it is the wish of brain washed Lefts by outdated Marxism.
    Our Tamil Left has to start to take pills to strengthen his heart to hear Putin’s final result. In this condition if Russia go for atomic weapon to teach a lesson to West, that will would prove more of Putin’s dump military strategy
    Viva Ukraine!

  • 2
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    Ukrainians are said to be kept in basements in Mariupol against their will. If the Russian forces have evacuated them for safety, it is good news.
    I have a serious question about the 20 surrogate babies who are kept in a makeshift bomb shelter in Kyiv. Why weren’t they evacuated to a different city when Russian forces were 30km away?
    The Donbass region falling into Russian hands is inevitable. I don’t think President Putin will let history repeat. Since 2014, the Ukrainian Army has killed over 16,000 Russians & Ukrainians in Donbass. A lot of children have also been killed. If necessary, residents will come forward to testify. People say, it was Russian President Vladimir Putin who stood by them, not Ukrainian Presidents.
    According to a tripartite agreement, the Ukrainian Army was supposed to protect Donbass. Instead, they have bombed cities in Donbass. The last two attacks were on February 18 and March 14, 2022.
    Going by the situation in the Donbass region, if there is a referendum, even Ukrainians will choose Russia!
    .
    French Journalist and Film Director Anne-Laure Bonnel’s documentaries on “Donbass”. A must-watch.
    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CY7rwaQQYxE
    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cRd0AGEz4Qw

    • 0
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      Dinuk
      I watched Bonnel’s documentaries, tho not positive they were the same u me too, but I was somewhat frustrated by them as there was no info re time — when exact all that was taking place. Even who was doing the bombing wasmt clear to me.

      Did I miss something?

  • 1
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    Like the hapless people of Ukraine who are caught in the American proxy war on Russia in Europe, Sri Lankans are being used by the Washington Consensus to wage its proxy war on China– using India. The US is desperate for a war to destroy rising Asia.. Sri Lanka may be the proxy point?!!
    These are dangerous times as the IMF fronted economic crisis in Sri Lanka is externally organized with the US citizen Goats and Basil Rajapaksa brothers in tow. Is Sajith and AKD Capable of understanding this? Will Sri Lanka become an Indian Ocean Ukraine?
    Leon Panetta, the former US secretary of defense and CIA director under Barack Obama said that the United States is involved in a proxy war with Russia in Ukraine. “We are engaged in a conflict here, it’s a proxy war with Russia, whether we say so or not,” Panetta said.
    http://www.defenddemocracy.press/the-west-is-escalating-the-war/

  • 1
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    Dinuk,

    I agree it is a proxy war, at this time. But sadly, at this time, available options are let Ukrainian be devastated without any defense and become Putin’s slaves in future. Or go for a proxy war. At the start I was skeptical to believe the defensive talk that if America(NATO) stepped into Ukraine, Russia would turn it into World War. After using the Hyper-sonic missile to attack Ukraine, I am starting to believe that talk. After all, Ukraine is a country with the same border as Russia. What is the justification for a hypersonic weapon ? Some time back a comedy was on “Saturday Night”, ridiculing President Bush’s hunting weapon policy. ” The hunter came with a shoulder carrying a massive rocket launcher. The hunting wild animal was a cow unaware of anything, peacefully grazing in the backyard. Hunter launched the rocket on the poor animal, to make barbecue for his outdoor lunch. The bomb burned down everything around there into a hand full of ash. The hunter went hungry.” Russia using Hyper-sonic missiles is telling a lot.

  • 0
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    The United States should proudly claim the “full credit” for elevating “Russia’s slow and steady special military operation in Ukraine” to a “level of hypersonic speed”. From the very beginning, the Ukrainian President wanted the whole of Europe to get involved in the ‘game’. But, more experienced, more mature, wise leaders in the West should have known better. Now, neighbouring countries of Ukraine which did not even take part in NATO’s ‘online war game’ have to face real hypersonic missiles.
    When the US was talking about sending Switchblade suicide drones, Javelins & Stinger missiles to Ukraine, Russia pulled out three hypersonic missiles from its coat pocket! In a different scenario, I would have had a belly laugh!
    Russia is still in the military operation mood. If the mood changed to a full blown war, it wouldn’t be World War III, it would be World War III & IV together. Also, it will be the shortest war on the planet. Russia will finish WW III+IV in 3-4 days, no, 3-4 hours, and emerge as the winner. I said two weeks ago, if there is a war between Russia and NATO, Russia will be the winner.

  • 2
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    I feel so sorry for all those who lost their lives. Civilian death toll is fifty times smaller than the US Intelligence predictions. Their estimate was 25,000-50,000 civilian casualties. I can see that Russian soldiers are sacrificing their lives to save civilians in Ukraine. How do I know? Because, our boys did the same.
    My heart goes out to all fallen military heroes on both sides.
    Who is responsible for all the deaths and destruction in Ukraine? The US, NATO and EU. Their stratagem against Russia is fully exposed now. Do we have a right to be surprised at President Vladimir Putin’s strong response? Thirty countries against one Russia!!! After Ukraine, will he challenge them one by one? I hope not.
    At the beginning of Russia’s military operation in Ukraine, President Putin didn’t have many supporters. However, it is fast changing. Am I the only one who notices that more and more countries are beginning to understand the Russian side and respect President Putin’s right to defend Russia from the threat posed by the US and NATO?
    A good lesson the world learnt from the US’s sanctions against Russia was ‘not to put all eggs in one basket’.

  • 3
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    Back to real Russian news and not the biased western media news. Almost 4000 academics, students, graduates of the Russia’s oldest university, Lomonosov state university (founded in 1755) have signed a letter released to media ” we categorically condemn the war unleashed in Ukraine”. It further says Russia and our elders gave us a strong education, the true value of which lies in being able to critically evaluate what is happening around, weigh arguments, hear each other and be faithful to the truth – scientific and humanistic , We know how to call a spade, a spade and we cannot stand aside. Do I have to say more ??

  • 3
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    cont) Acting on behalf of the Russian Fed, which it’s leadership calls a special military op is war and in this situation there there is no room for euphemisms or excuses. War is the most cruel act of dehumanization, should never be repeated. The values of the absolute human life, humanism, diplomacy, and peaceful resolution of contraindications, were trampled upon and thrown away in an instant, when Russia TREACHEROUSLY invaded the territory of Ukraine. The lives of millions of Ukrainians have been threatened every hour since the invasion.The losses inflicted by this bloody war, first of all human, but also social, economic, cultural, are irreparable. We are aware, war is a humanitarian catastrophe , but we cannot imagine the depth of the wound that we as the people of Russia , are inflicting on the people of Ukraine and ourselves right now. We demand immediate cease fire, leave the territory of the sovereign state of Ukraine and end this SHAMEFUL war.

  • 4
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    Just like those Russians , we Lankans who experienced first hand for more than 30 years, should know better. By the way, when we have real Russian people, do we really need Mearsheimer, Harwood, Naftali, Craig Murray, consortium, Chatham —– to tell us about Putin’s war.

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    Why do I believe Russia’s military operation in Ukraine the fault of the West? Because, what is happening in Ukraine today is exactly what the “R. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service, Political Science Professor John J. Mearsheimer” said in his presentation at the University of Chicago Alumni on June 4, 2015 (almost 7 years ago!).
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrMiSQAGOS4&t=448s
    .
    Contd’

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      These are the salient points in Professor John J. Mearsheimer’s presentation:
      “The Causes and Consequences of the Ukraine Crisis”
      1. Deep cause: The aim of the United States and its European allies to peel Ukraine away from the Soviet orbit and incorporate it into the West.
      Key elements in that strategy:
      – NATO expansion
      – EU expansion
      – Fostering an Orange Revolution
      2. Precipitating cause: The February 22, 2014 coup in Ukraine.
      3. Russia’s response: This is what we see today. We have no right to be surprised. Russia was forced to launch a military operation in Ukraine before the US & NATO attacked Russia using Ukraine’s territory. Simple logic!
      Not only that, constant supply of weapons (bio & other) to Ukraine by the US & NATO before and during Russia’s military operation in Ukraine has brilliantly legitimized Russia’s preemptive (pl. see I & II below) and preventive military operation (III below).
      Professor John J. Mearsheimer’s presentation (Annex I), the US and NATO strategic planning documents (Annex II) and dossiers that contain details of US- run bioweapon laboratories in Ukraine (Annex III) will stand testimony for Russia to prove her case. Moreover, if President Vladimir Putin decided to ‘finish what he started’, Russia can even justify WWIII.

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        My today’s comments are a repayment of kindness to Russia for using veto power to save Sri Lanka at the UNSC.
        My comments are in no way a justification for war.
        I reread the speech made by President Putin on February 21, especially the following section:
        “I pay special attention to the fact that the danger of a sudden strike against our country will increase many times over. Let me explain that U.S. strategic planning documents contain the possibility of a so-called preemptive strike against enemy missile systems. And who is the main enemy for the U.S. and NATO? We know that too. It’s Russia. In NATO documents, our country is officially and directly declared the main threat to North Atlantic security. And Ukraine will serve as a forward springboard for the strike. If our ancestors had heard about it, they probably would simply not have believed it. And today we don’t want to believe it, but it’s true.” – President Vladimir Putin
        Then I saw this: “The Russian Foreign Ministry said Monday that it had summoned the U.S. ambassador to warn that President Joe Biden’s recent remarks have put Russian-American relations on the verge of rupture.”

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          Russia and China together means, we are talking about hypersonic missiles 27 times faster than sound!!! A chill went down my spine.
          In the event WWIII erupts, I have one special request to be made to Russia and China, i.e. to EXCLUDE CANADA from its target list. I am serious. As far as I know, Canada doesn’t have an anti-aircraft or anti-missile defence system. Canada was busy in providing humanitarian and refugee assistance to vulnerable people. They have saved millions of lives of refugees from crisis-affected countries, protected the unprotected and assisted them rebuild their lives in Canada. I don’t think Canada has any plans to modernize their defence system in the near future. In a world war, NATO’s ‘collective defence’ will become meaningless. I am not sure whether Canada has made any arrangements with the USA. Nevertheless, Russia and China should not target Canada for any reason. That doesn’t mean Canada should stay neutral. Canadians have every right to defend their country. But, Russia, China and their allies should NOT target Canada. Thank you!
          These days, hypersonic missiles invade my dreams.
          Will I be able to stop WWIII? I wish my “pen is mightier than Russia’s hypersonic missiles”.

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    According to Russian Govt media 9861 military personal have died (380 death /day) and 16,153 are injured. Whereas Ukrainians claim, killing more than 15, 000 and injuring 21,000. Reportedly Putin’s plan was to capture Ukraine within days and definitely not lasting more than a week. It’s soon going to be a month. The real bad news for Putin is that many of his generals (his confidantes) have been killed.

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      chiv
      Exactly. That is the difference between the US and Russia.
      If it is the US which attacked Ukraine, the civilian death toll would have been 50,000, the number of soldiers killed/wounded would have been less than 10, and all Generals would be safe.
      Don’t forget, in a different scenario, the aggressor could have been the US and NATO, and the defender could have been Russia.
      When I wrote my first comment on February 23, 2022, I knew nothing about the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. When I did some research, I realized that Russia has a valid case. But, I extended my support to Ukraine. In every comment, I encouraged peace talks.
      A little diplomacy, rather than economic sanctions against Russia could have been more meaningful. What I have noticed is, economic sanctions have failed to weaken political leaders. It is the ordinary citizens who have faced difficulties. On the other hand, in most cases, it is the non-sanctioned countries that are more affected by economic sanctions than the target country. Economic sanctions on Russia have an impact on half of the world. Do starving people make the West very happy?

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    What will happen to Sri Lanka, when the Third World War started?
    Sri Lanka’s Trincomalee harbour will be completely destroyed. It doesn’t matter whether it is used by Russia and China or the US and Japan, Trinco harbour will be completely destroyed along with a part of the Northern and Eastern provinces. Basil Rajapaksa signed a treacherous US$ 1 billion aid package with India, selling a large chunk of strategically important lands in the North and East to India. The US is behind the treacherous deal. I normally protest against such acts, but, this time I didn’t bother for obvious reasons.

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    A week ago, I wasn’t even thinking of WWIII. But, there is a shift. I think the US’s and NATO’s plan was to take Crimea first and then launch a surprise attack on Russia. President Putin is correct. He knew it. He was multiple steps ahead of NATO when he started his military operation in Ukraine. I think NATO was taken by surprise. However, they may have brought lots of weapons to other NATO countries in the Eastern Europe. I don’t think Russia will send war tanks over territories of other countries which is suicidal. Russia has developed sleek and sophisticated modern weapons, so why should they follow conventional battlefield tactics? Most probably, they will use Ukraine as a base, the same thing NATO intended to do. Ukraine is done. I feel very sorry for them.This is Russia’s war. They are not impulsive like Americans. They have a clear objective and they go for it. Why am I writing all these? I loathe wars.

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