https://x.com/NOELreports/status/1937543903261102236
Posted on 02/24/2024 5:59:01 AM PST by SpeedyInTexas
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte (highly competent and effective) at the opening of the NATO Summit.
Kyiv Independent (24 June):
‘Let’s not be naive’ — Rutte urges NATO to face Russia, China threats, pledges support for Ukraine
“”Let’s not be naive,” Rutte said. “You see what China, North Korea and Iran are doing in supporting the war effort of Russia ... So this is all interconnected.”
Rutte emphasized that while NATO faces multiple global challenges, from the war in Ukraine to tensions in the Middle East and Russian influence in Africa, the alliance must be able to focus on more than one crisis at a time...
...Rutte said NATO’s role is to ensure Ukraine has the military means to stay in the fight until “serious” peace negotiations begin.
“We have to make sure that Ukraine is in the strongest possible position when real talks start,” he said. “I’m not talking about these talks led by some Russian historian (Vladimir Medinsky) who wants to go back 1,000 years... That’s not serious business.”...
...Rutte said NATO’s role is to ensure Ukraine has the military means to stay in the fight until “serious” peace negotiations begin...
...Rutte also stressed that Ukraine is evolving from a security consumer into a security producer. He noted that the country’s “largely untapped” defense industrial base, with a potential value of up to $35 billion, is increasingly attracting European investment.
“Ukraine has one of the largest defense industries in Europe,” Rutte said, adding that many countries, including Norway, Denmark, and Lithuania, are now investing in it. “That helps Ukraine, and it helps us.”
Responding to concerns over Europe’s reliance on the United States, Rutte said NATO must stop “worrying so much” about U.S. commitment and instead ramp up its own military capabilities.
“There is total commitment by the U.S. President and U.S. senior leadership,” Rutte said, dismissing doubts about Washington’s future role in NATO. “However, it comes with an expectation that we will finally deal with this huge bubbling issue, which is that we are not spending enough as Europeans and Canadians.”
Rutte strongly backed the alliance’s new 5% GDP defense investment benchmark, saying increased spending must translate into ammunition stockpiles, troop recruitment, and industrial output. “The Russians are producing in three months what NATO produces in a year,” he said.”
https://x.com/NOELreports/status/1937543903261102236
“To balance their books, Gazprom has been selling these assets.”
Selling off assets has also been one of the funding mechanisms that the Russian Federal Government has been trying to use, to spread the costs of the war around, to not totally break any one of their mechanisms (like zeroing out the National Wealth Fund, for example).
Their big problems with asset sales however, are sanctions, that people don’t want to risk their good money on things in Russia that can be expropriated, and that the mafia thugs who run the place won’t give up their cut.
On 20 June, OilPrice.com discussed this asset sale approach:
“Russia is preparing to sell off chunks of its most prized state-owned companies in a desperate bid to raise cash—reviving an old strategy with a history of smoke, mirrors, and self-dealing.
Finance Minister Anton Siluanov confirmed Friday that firms in the energy, transport, and finance sectors are on the chopping block as Moscow scrambles to fund a ballooning war budget and entice private capital in a post-sanctions economy. Though no names were dropped, this is the same playbook that’s repeatedly floated Rosneft and other energy giants as “privatization candidates”—only for the state to engineer complex deals that change little beyond the headlines.
The last time the Kremlin tried this, in 2016, it announced the sale of a 19.5% stake in Rosneft to Glencore and Qatar. But multiple investigations and leaks suggested the deal was internally financed through Russian banks and structured to make it look like foreign capital was returning.
Rosneft never truly left state hands.
This time, the motivations are no less urgent. Russia’s federal budget is straining under military expenditures, and Western sanctions have choked access to foreign financing. Domestic borrowing comes at a punishing 20% interest rate, making privatization one of the few remaining tools for raising capital—at least on paper.
But skepticism runs deep. The state has promised privatization before, only to delay or dilute it when politics or prices turned unfavorable. And even if stakes are sold, few expect meaningful transfers of control. The Kremlin is unlikely to loosen its grip on strategic assets like oil, gas, and banking.
The move may generate short-term cash and headlines for the St. Petersburg Economic Forum, but without structural reform or real foreign participation, this version of privatization may be just another performance—a fire sale where nothing actually burns.”
Some physical assets are being sold, like land, some mining interests and lots of their domestic auto industry to Chinese buyers, but nowhere near enough to defray their expenses/deficits.
“The Kremlin relies on the NWF and oil and gas revenues to finance its war in Ukraine”
Brent Crude oil price:
23 June - $77
24 June - $67
Sell your Putin futures...
“The Kremlin relies on the NWF and oil and gas revenues to finance its war in Ukraine”
Brent Crude oil price:
23 June - $77
24 June - $67
Sell your Putin futures...
The hunters become the hunted. The equivalent of Nuremberg trials International Tribunal being established. Tomorrow.
Kyiv Independent (24 June):
“The Council of Europe and Ukraine will sign an agreement on June 25 to set up a special tribunal for the crime of Russian aggression, Yevheniya Kravchuk, a member of Ukraine’s delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), said on June 24.
The move marks a milestone in international efforts to hold President Vladimir Putin and other top Russian officials accountable for launching the full-scale war against Ukraine...
...Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna stressed that the special tribunal will have jurisdiction over the Russian president, prime minister, foreign minister, and other top officials.
“It is not a matter of debate anymore, only a matter of time. Some will get into the hands of justice sooner, some later, but they will all be held accountable. There are no exceptions,” Stefanishyna told the Kyiv Independent. “It’s critical to restore the international rule of law and prevent future acts of aggression.”
The tribunal’s jurisdiction covers all aspects of the crime of aggression, including the planning, preparation, initiation, or execution of acts of aggression, according to Stefanishyna.
“The tribunal’s design makes it clear that the official status of the accused at the time of the crime does not exempt them from responsibility,” she said. “Functional immunity does not apply here; high-ranking officials can be prosecuted even while holding office. The statute provides rules for conducting proceedings if the accused is absent.”
The tribunal will be authorized to cooperate with the International Criminal Court (ICC) to ensure jurisdictional effectiveness and share information, Stefanishyna added...
...While war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide can be prosecuted against individuals at any level, the crime of aggression applies exclusively to state leaders responsible for planning and waging a war.”
Ukrainian marine drones heading towards Kerch right now…
Kerch. Explosions now.
Thanks...
https://x.com/front_ukrainian/status/1937394962095800790
https://x.com/Maks_NAFO_FELLA/status/1937601569370812740
What Kerch Bridge doin?
Enquiring minds want to know…
NATO General Secretary Mark Rutte assessed that Russia is the largest existential threat to NATO members today and that Russia is preparing for a protracted war with NATO. Rutte stated on June 24 at the NATO summit at The Hague that Russia remains the most significant and direct threat to NATO, especially considering the support North Korea, the People's Republic of China (PRC), Iran, and Belarus provide Russia.[1] Rutte stated that Russia could attack NATO within three to seven years and is currently more prepared for a war than NATO. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated in an interview with Sky News on June 24 that Russia would not be ready to attack NATO in the immediate future but could be ready for a war with NATO by 2030.[2] Zelensky stated that the war in Ukraine is currently constraining Russia's ability to train and reconstitute its forces and that any decrease in aid to Ukraine would benefit Russia. ISW continues to assess that Russia is preparing its military and society for a potential future war with NATO in the medium- to long-term.[3] Any future ceasefire or long-term pause in combat in Ukraine would free up Russian forces for redeployment to Russia's eastern border with NATO and allow Russia to rearm and reconstitute, whereby Russia may be able to pose a significant threat to NATO earlier than 2030.
The Kremlin continues efforts to augment Russian combat power by setting conditions to subsume forces from Russia's Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) allies under a Russian military command. The Russian State Duma ratified on June 24 a protocol that allows CSTO states to send their troops to other CSTO states’ territory in the event of armed conflict, threats, crisis situations, and exercises; to respond to the consequences of emergencies; and to provide humanitarian aid.[4] The protocol now allows for the CSTO to transport troops one day after a decision from the CSTO Council — as opposed to after 30 days as the protocol stated previously. The protocol also introduces the concept of a “command of formations” that will command CSTO military forces sent to one CSTO state. This “command of formations” will likely be a Russian-dominated command. The CSTO Collective Security Council approved the protocol in November 2024.[5] ISW has long assessed that the Kremlin has been trying to subordinate the militaries of former Soviet states to the Russian Armed Forces to recreate a multinational combined army in the former Soviet space.[6] Western assessments of Russia's future combat power must take into account the forces of Russia's CSTO allies that Russia may use in future operations — not only those of Russia.
Russian forces are expanding their use of motorcycles along the frontline in Ukraine — a tactic that the Russian military may leverage in future wars beyond Ukraine, possibly including operations against NATO states. A servicemember in a Ukrainian brigade reported on June 24 that the threat of Russian motorcycle assaults is increasing along the frontline as Russian forces increasingly integrate motorcycles into assault tactics.[7] The servicemember stated that Russian motorcycle forces are no longer attacking along roads but mainly attacking through open fields and trying to bypass Ukrainian engineering barriers along the frontline. Ukraine-based open-source intelligence organization Frontelligence Insight provided additional information on June 23 about the tactical doctrine the Russian military is establishing for motorcycle usage.[8] Frontelligence Insight reported that Russian forces are mainly using motorcycles as a form of transport for attacking infantry to support diversion, reconnaissance, infiltration, and flanking support missions. Frontelligence Insight reported that Russian motorcyclists operate in squads of six to eight motorcycles with one or two riders on each motorcycle (between six and 16 personnel in total). Each squad reportedly has two to four portable electronic warfare (EW) systems and one device scanning for Ukrainian drones. Frontelligence Insight reported Russian forces are also leveraging motorcycles for casualty evacuation and logistics support. Ukrainian military observer Kostyantyn Mashovets reported in May 2025 that Russian forces were mainly using motorcycles in tandem with armored vehicles.[9] Russian forces appear to be increasingly relying on motorcycles as a method of transport and advancement independent from tanks and armored vehicles in recent weeks, however.[10]
Frontelligence Insight reported that Russian forces have been training troops on motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) at ad hoc motocross tracks in Russia and occupied Ukraine as of Spring 2025.[11] Frontelligence Insight reported that Russian forces are also conducting more advanced training programs, including for drone evasion, and that the length of these courses varies between 16 hours to over a month. Frontelligence Insight reported that Russian forces are mainly using foreign-made motorcycles, primarily those manufactured in the People's Republic of China (PRC), and that volunteer organizations in Russia provide most of the motorcycles for frontline Russian units. Frontelligence Insight reported, citing internal documents from the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD), that Russia intends to equip over half of its infantry forces with motorcycles, ATVs, and buggies in the future. ISW continues to assess that Russian forces will likely increasingly depend on motorcycles and other quicker unarmored vehicles, as slower-moving vehicles have become a hazard on the more transparent battlefield of Ukraine.[12] Russian efforts to integrate tactical innovations, such as motorcycle usage, among frontline units indicates that the Russian military is learning modern ground warfare lessons that it intends to leverage beyond the war in Ukraine.[13]
NATO General Secretary Mark Rutte highlighted NATO's plans to invest more in its own defense capabilities, including by investing in the Ukrainian defense industrial base (DIB) — in line with US President Donald Trump's initiative for Europe to shoulder more of the burden of collective security. Rutte called on NATO states to invest in Ukraine's defense industrial base (DIB), which Rutte assessed has an untapped potential of about $35 billion, in order to prevent NATO states from reducing their own stockpiles and to allow NATO states and allies to buy weapons from Ukraine in the future.[14] Rutte stated that NATO states will agree to introduce a baseline of allocating five percent of GDP toward defense spending during the NATO summit.[15] Rutte stated that NATO's new defense investment plan will include a five-fold increase in investments in NATO air defense capabilities and investments to produce “thousands” more tanks and armored vehicles and millions of artillery ammunition rounds.
Ukraine's European partners allocated military aid to Ukraine and financial support for drone production during the NATO summit on June 24. Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans announced on June 24 that the Netherlands approved a new military aid package for Ukraine worth 175 million euros (about $203.4 million), which provides 100 drone detection radars and 20 Ermine partly unmanned vehicles for casualty evacuation and includes 80 million euros (about $93 million) toward the international drone coalition.[16] Brekelmans stated that the Netherlands also recently signed a contract worth 500 million euros (about $5.8 million) with Ukrainian drone manufacturers to fund the production of 600,000 drones.[17] Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov announced on June 24 that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and United Kingdom (UK) Prime Minister Keir Starmer agreed to launch a new joint drone production initiative.[18] Umerov stated that the UK will produce Ukrainian-designed drones in the UK for three years as part of a project to support integration between the British and Ukrainian defense industries. Umerov stated that the UK and Ukraine will share the produced drones after the war in Ukraine ends and that the project will enable British defense companies to rapidly design and produce state-of-the-art drones at scale. Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister for Digital Development Kateryna Chernohorenko, NATO Digital Staff Deputy Director Marco Criscuolo, and NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA) Director General Ludwig Descamps announced on June 24 that NATO will provide 37 million euros (about $43 million) for Ukrainian satellite communications, including satellite radio stations, trackers, and services.[19]
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-june-24-2025
Philosopher Alexandr Dugin said this in a conversation with us. He contacted us to comment on Vladimir Putin's decision to classify information that reveals the foundations of state policy in the area of the country's mobilization preparation as a state secret. “Vladimir Vladimirovich has taken a very important step towards total mobilization. I am glad that the Kremlin has finally heard my calls (Dugin has repeatedly called for a total mobilization of several million people and preparation for a long war, - ed.)! Now such mobilization can start at any moment, and we will finally begin the path to Victory. Instead of what is happening now and is called the SVO,” said Alexandr Gelyevich.
He agrees with the president's decision to “classify the processes associated with mobilization.” “Many people in our country are very tender. They do not want to fight. That is why their statement about the mobilization of 1-2 million would have killed them morally. And now such statements do not need to be made, very good!” - the philosopher explained.
It should be noted that the Kremlin and the Ministry of Defense refused to comment on his words. After Putin's decision, they are not very willing to talk about mobilization. However, one of the channel's interlocutors noted that the president has classified a significant amount of information regarding the mobilization of the economy. But he did not deny that there are also secret points related to the recruitment of new people into the army.
“Fraudsters” intended to carry out a coup d’etat in Armenia, but the attempt failed. This was stated by the country's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on the social network Facebook (owned by the Meta corporation, whose activities are recognized as extremist in Russia and are banned). “This trial will go down in history as a ‘failed coup by crooks,’” he wrote, adding a link to the Civic article to his post. The article states that the Armenian opposition was preparing a coup d’etat in the country and developed a special plan for this purpose. It mentions former presidents of Armenia and Russian companies.
The document states that the plan's implementation should begin on July 23. The “human resources” section mentions former Armenian presidents Robert Kocharyan and Serzh Sargsyan, as well as the leader of the “Tavush for the Motherland” movement Bagrat Srbazan (Galstanyan), the recently arrested billionaire Samvel Karapetyan, and the founder of the “Prosperous Armenia” party Gagik Tsarukyan. The list also includes Russian companies Gazprom Armenia and the South Caucasus Railway, which belongs to Russian Railways.In mid-June, a Yerevan court arrested 59-year-old billionaire and head of the Tashir Group of Companies Samvel Karapetyan.
https://www.rbc.ru/politics/24/06/2025/685acb669a7947ae3f19ae56
Continuation of this?
On 18 September 2024, the Government of Armenia announced that the National Security Service (NSS) had thwarted a coup attempt by Armenian Russophiles armed, trained, and financed by the Russian Federation.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_Armenian_coup_attempt_allegations
Ha!
Very likely true.
Also true in some degree, in CCP's China, where functionaries are ordered to hit their targets, no matter what.
The problem is, do we even know how much is true and how much is mere bureaucratic fantasies?
What’s true: In China, they use rocket fuel to heat their tea ... in China, they are very good at hitting stationary outlines of aircraft carriers ... in China, they are very good at military parades.
Russian Lada Vesta:
"Currency manipulation" is often mentioned by Pres. Trump as one method countries use to price US exports out of their domestic markets.
It simply means that they keep their own currencies worth much less than they should be in order to encourage their own exports (especially to the USA) and reduce imports (especially from the USA).
Those "currency manipulations" are what "Purchase Price Parity" (PPP) calculations are intended to account for and equalize.
Suppose, for example, that a "middle class" standard of living costs $100,000 in the US, but $50,000 in the UK and just $20,000 in Russia, then -- as I understand it -- Purchase Price Parity (PPP) tries to equalize those numbers and calculate the countries' GDP based on "parity" of costs.
As I said, PPP is a valid way to look at things, but only up to a point, and that point begins where things like product quality start to matter.
Consider the example of automobiles -- "middle class" Russian families often buy a Russian Lada Vesta for around $15,000 while a "middle class" American family might buy a $45,000 Traverse or Grand Cherokee.
PPP attempts to equalize those vehicles and calculate the country's GDP based on that, but are those vehicles objectively "equal"?
In reality, they are only "equal" relative to a country's "middle class" standard of living.
I'm only saying that while PPP is very useful, it's not the end of any discussion.
See PIF's analysis in post #17,716 above!
Jeep Grand Cherokee:
Information from this report is believed to have been provided to several media outlets, including CNN, FOX, NBC, and the New York Times, who all published articles yesterday containing references to the classified report published by the DIA.
https://x.com/sentdefender/status/1937872592410444160
Hopefully, the "leakers" will be caught & prosecuted.
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