The end?

[Boroboyyo]

Think what you like. The real conversations are going on behind the scenes, as they always do.

Xi has a problem. The Chinese aren't stupid. They know that Xi meeting someone charged with war crimes looks bad and, much as they don't care for what the USA thinks, they care very much about Europe. They also know what the western agencies know about "Putin" in terms of him not being in charge/alive/well. Xi would be talking with Peskov, Patrushev and Lavrov. If there's a meeting with "Putin" it will be for the cameras ... just as Putin in Crimea and Mariupol is for the cameras. The statement quoted above, put out by the drunk foreign secretary, was for the cameras (and the domestic/world home audiences).

But everything is still very much up in the air. Ukraine (Kuleba) abstained from voting on the proposal yesterday (but were actually expected to vote against). We have been here before, when Lavrov went to G9 and had a funny turn before being recalled to Moscow.

Militarily Russia is now even weaker with commanders on the ground right across the front complaining about lack of munitions and having to conduct infantry assaults with no artillary cover. I'll post a video clip if I can find it. Ukraine, meanwhile, is militarily much stronger than it was. It would be good news for all concerned if they didn't have to prove it in the coming months.

I agree that China does care what europe thinks . But China already knows europe is starting to turn against it too . Eastern Europe in particular is becoming more hostile to China . I do believe your source is becoming too optimistic sadly , as much as I wish the stuff you were saying to be true

From all of this , we are very much living in a new Cold War . We have to be a lot more vigilant at eastern efforts to destabilise us too. Had Putin bided his time , he actually might have succeeded .

 

[Mwelolo]

I agree that China does care what europe thinks . But China already knows europe is starting to turn against it too . Eastern Europe in particular is becoming more hostile to China . I do believe your source is becoming too optimistic sadly , as much as I wish the stuff you were saying to be true

From all of this , we are very much living in a new Cold War . We have to be a lot more vigilant at eastern efforts to destabilise us too

This source has always been wildly optimistic, even in posts prior to this one.

 

[TeaCider]

Random Swede claims to know the intricate details of the Russian and Chinese regimes' thinking.

Proclaims for the umpteenth that Russia is surrendering and withdrawing from all occupied land.

Meanwhile, in the real world, Putin is visiting Mariupol.

Must just be sneaking in a visit before they leave.

 

[borolad259]

Random Swede claims to know the intricate details of the Russian and Chinese regimes' thinking.

Proclaims for the umpteenth that Russia is surrendering and withdrawing from all occupied land.

Meanwhile, in the real world, Putin is visiting Mariupol.

Must just be sneaking in a visit before they leave.

As I have said before. The random swede is sharing thoughts with a few friends. I just share some of it with you. He was wrong about things being over by Dec 24th, for sure. Much of what he shares on the factual side is on the money. I know what his role is ... and he is a minion, but a minion to the people who actually make major global moves. But, as I have always said, take it or leave it. I keep posting this stuff because some people on here appreciate the insights, even if you don't.

 

[afcb_acklam]

the insights are very much enjoyed, and appreciated, regardless of how much actually turns out to happen - always an interesting perspective.

 

[johnmfc]

As I have said before. The random swede is sharing thoughts with a few friends. I just share some of it with you. He was wrong about things being over by Dec 24th, for sure. Much of what he shares on the factual side is on the money. I know what his role is ... and he is a minion, but a minion to the people who actually make major global moves. But, as I have always said, take it or leave it. I keep posting this stuff because some people on here appreciate the insights, even if you don't.

I appreciate the info, and fully understand things change every minute. Thanks for sharing, please continue to do so.

 

[Mwelolo]

I enjoy reading this thread.

The factual, on the ground in Ukraine stuff is interesting and mostly seems to be well informed.

The broader, speculative and interpretive stuff is often off beam though so I have long taken this with a pinch of salt.

 

[Hap]

As I have said before. The random swede is sharing thoughts with a few friends. I just share some of it with you. He was wrong about things being over by Dec 24th, for sure. Much of what he shares on the factual side is on the money. I know what his role is ... and he is a minion, but a minion to the people who actually make major global moves. But, as I have always said, take it or leave it. I keep posting this stuff because some people on here appreciate the insights, even if you don't.

I appreciate the insights very much. He has been right about a number of things - no one can expect to predict everything. It's a war. It's unpredictable.

There was footage of Putin supposedly driving a car, in regular traffic, along dark Mariupol streets. No motorcade. Him and three men in a saloon car. Putin at the wheel. There is no way Real Putin would be doing something so reckless.

 

[zzzzz]

Random Swede claims to know the intricate details of the Russian and Chinese regimes' thinking.

Proclaims for the umpteenth that Russia is surrendering and withdrawing from all occupied land.

Meanwhile, in the real world, Putin is visiting Mariupol.

Must just be sneaking in a visit before they leave.

Tbf the guy has often been wrong and often been right.
But it's opinion based on real events, sometimes before or 'live' while events are happening and before the mainstream media pick it up.
I've learned lots from what this guy says, not least a better understanding of detail set within the bigger picture.
No harm in it?

 

[TeaCider]

Tbf the guy has often been wrong and often been right.
But it's opinion based on real events, sometimes before or 'live' while events are happening and before the mainstream media pick it up.
I've learned lots from what this guy says, not least a better understanding of detail set within the bigger picture.
No harm in it?

No harm in it, but it's lost all credibility to me with the sheer number of times that line has been trotted out and been proven to be completely wrong.

 

[borolad259]

A lot of it really is him just thinking out loud. And he has one of those minds that needs to do that for his own sanity.
I remember him going on about how crucial Vuhledar would be months ago and I couldn't even find it on the maps. The last few weeks it has suddenly been the central focus of Rusian attacks and the place where they catastrophically lost many of their remaining tanks and heavy armour, as well as the elite marines from Vladivostock. He was way ahead of the curve.
He also preedicted, with some accuracy, how the waves of Russian missile attacks would diminish.


But he's deffo not always right with his thinking out loud. Not many people are. He actually hasn't a clue how the current situation will pan out and nor do his more powerful colleagues. I'm not even sure that China knows how it will play this week.

 

[Mwelolo]

“A lot of it really is him just thinking out loud.”

That’s exactly how I see it, thinking out loud and jumping to conclusions.

 

[WeeGord]

No harm in it, but it's lost all credibility to me with the sheer number of times that line has been trotted out and been proven to be completely wrong.

Simple solution, stop reading it Instead of regular snipes?

 

[TeaCider]

Simple solution, stop reading it Instead of regular snipes?

I think it's better that it's called out and questioned, personally.

Especially when there are posters on this forum who get very worked up about the war.

False hope won't be helping their mindsets.

 

[Hap]

I think it's better that it's called out and questioned, personally.

Especially when there are posters on this forum who get very worked up about the war.

False hope won't be helping their mindsets.

Everything should be questioned. Absolutely.

He has got certain things right. The RF's representative's medical episode prior to the meeting in Malaysia being another that we heard about first. Being over by Christmas he got wrong.

We can all have opposing opinions, and question the information presented as much as we like, and all still be polite and civil. That's important too.

 

[Mwelolo]

Everything should be questioned. Absolutely.

He has got certain things right. The DR two's medical episode prior to the meeting in Malaysia being another that we heard about first. Being over by Christmas he go wrong.

We can all have opposing opinions, and question the information presented as much as we like, and all still be polite and civil. That's important too.

I would definitely say more wrong than right with the interpretive and speculative stuff but it is what it is.

 

[h_m_boro]

Right or wrong analysis, I've learned more off this thread than anything in the MSM. Gave an accurate overview of how things were panning out - not all correct, but impossible to be.

Right up there with the "8 Dart Finish" as one of the best FMTTM threads

 

[borolad259]

Everything should be questioned. Absolutely.

He has got certain things right. The RF's representative's medical episode prior to the meeting in Malaysia being another that we heard about first. Being over by Christmas he got wrong.

We can all have opposing opinions, and question the information presented as much as we like, and all still be polite and civil. That's important too.

We heard about Lavrov's "heart attack" first because our source was in the room at the time as an advisor to the mediator between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations. It's about as privileged as information gets really. And yesterday, when it all kicked off, he was in on the conversations being had at the highest level. Stuff that you will never read in the MSM. It has been an eye opener to me just how much goes on behind the scenes. You kind of imagine that East and West don't talk to each other, but they do ... privately.

The comment upthread about returning to "cold war" by the way was pretty sharp. Those of you that watch these things will have noticed nuclear capable B52s flying about near the Russian borders with their transponders on. That was the US going onto a "cold war" footing and sending a message, in response to the the MQ 9 incident. But that was before the Russians made contact through the back channels with their "offer". Whatever that amounted to ... I don't know the details.

 

[italianjob]

We heard about Lavrov's "heart attack" first because our source was in the room at the time as an advisor to the mediator between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations. It's about as privileged as information gets really. And yesterday, when it all kicked off, he was in on the conversations being had at the highest level. Stuff that you will never read in the MSM. It has been an eye opener to me just how much goes on behind the scenes. You kind of imagine that East and West don't talk to each other, but they do ... privately.

The comment upthread about returning to "cold war" by the way was pretty sharp. Those of you that watch these things will have noticed nuclear capable B52s flying about near the Russian borders with their transponders on. That was the US going onto a "cold war" footing and sending a message, in response to the the MQ 9 incident. But that was before the Russians made contact through the back channels with their "offer". Whatever that amounted to ... I don't know the details.

I've noticed the sudden appearance of B52s on flightradar.

 

[Ziggy]

The difficulties inerrant in anything like this, especially with the degree of competing factions involved vying for control must be a nightmare to disentangle the truth.
I have an Irish distant cousin who is Jesuit priest. He has worked in the Vatican in the equivalent of their foreign office for a long time. He’s not a Nuncio or anything grand…just a guy who does the graft and sorts stuff out, and gets it fixed. He doesn’t talk about what he fixed.
But he did tell me the best to approach most things in life is to keep the phrase
“ De omnibus dubitandum” (Doubt Everything) firmly locked in your head.
I suppose your man and his friends must adopt a similar stance.