Thursday, March 20, 2025

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Former MEP: “EU leaders are brain dead”

The war in Ukraine

Published 14 March 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Clare Daly argues that it is the people of Europe who have lost out from the EU leaders' willingness to escalate the war.

Irish leftist and former MEP Clare Daly is highly critical of EU leaders’ escalation of the war in Ukraine, describing Europe’s leading politicians as “brain dead”.

She points out how those in power seem to live in a bubble where “media tells them what to hear and their industrial lobbyists are leading them on, particularly in the defense sector.

The Nordic Times has long monitored developments in Europe and highlighted how several European leaders seem to strive to further escalate the war in Ukraine and would rather drag the entire continent into a potential major war than to bring about peace, if Russia is considered to benefit from this.

One of the many critics of the war rhetoric is Irish left-wing politician Clare Daly, who was a member of the European Parliament until last year and has consistently opposed sanctions and European involvement in the war.

Daly has described the war in Ukraine as a “proxy war” waged by the EU and the military-industrial complex against Russia, pointing out that it is the people of Europe who are paying the price for war and sanctions.

Where are the peace efforts?

In an interview on the Going Underground media channel, she elaborates on her argument, saying that Europe’s leaders are “completely incompetent” and live in a bubble surrounded by establishment media that constantly tells them they are making the right decisions.

Daly points out that the mainstream media has recently openly declared that it is important to work to create fear among Europeans if it wants to gain popular support for introducing various military reforms and that this has also had a major impact.

She points to how groups of parents of schoolchildren in Belgium send messages to each other about the need to stock up on survival supplies quickly, and how the Finnish government has urged citizens to get solar-powered radios in case of war.

– Where is the effort to stop war for diplomacy? That’s what the united nations and international relations were supposed to be. The peaceful resolution of conflict, instead in the war in Ukraine, they have done absolutely everything to keep it going.

“The war will continue – whatever the consequences”

Commenting on Trump’s meeting with Zelensky at the White House, she said the US president was telling the truth when he said the war could have been over in two weeks.

– What Zelensky should have said was well it actually would have been over in four weeks but the US and Britain came in and told us to keep fighting. But he didn’t the say that but that’s the truth.

– They want the war to keep going regardless of the devastating consequences. I think many citizens in Europe see that. But its almost as they are powerless to do anything about it, because the organizations and the parties of the left or whatever who used to speak out on these issues has been caught up in a ridiculous jingoism that could end up being incredibly dangerous for Europe. And of course US is delighted. Its hobbled a potential rival. Its mad stuff, she continues.

However, Daly does not primarily believe that EU leaders are fundamentally driven by evil motives or malice but that the bubble they live in has made them “brain dead”.

– They’re brain dead, they are completely in a bubble. Their media tells them what to hear and their industrial lobbyists are leading them on, particularly in the defense sector.

– But it’s the people in Europe who are going to lose out and lose out badly, she emphasizes.

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“Europe prepares for war”

The war in Ukraine

EU leaders are deliberately choosing to burden our grandchildren with debt to continue the war in Ukraine. Meanwhile, Brussels and the mainstream media falsely claim that Russia is to blame for the EU’s economic problems, writes Josef Csiba.

Published 17 March 2025
This is an opinion piece. The author is responsible for the views expressed in the article.

The representatives of the twenty-seven EU countries have, at an urgently convened summit in Brussels, decided that the EU will not allow Putin and Trump to determine Ukraine’s fate without their participation. If the US no longer wants to support Ukraine, the EU countries will continue fighting against Russia together for as long as necessary – until a just and secure peace can be achieved.

The problem is that the EU does not have enough weapons, soldiers or money to carry out its insane plans, so the 27 countries have also agreed to put our children and grandchildren in debt by jointly taking out a loan of €800 billion for this purpose. According to Ursula von der Leyen, Russia and Putin are an aggressor and must be defeated at all costs. The package also includes support for Ukraine of around another €100 billion, which was vetoed by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. My personal view is that Ursula von der Leyen will eventually find a way to override Orbán’s veto.

But if we look back in history, we can see that it was not Russia, but always some European country (Germany, France), that has attacked Russia and not the other way around!

Someone is bound to point out that it was Russia that started the war in Ukraine. Perhaps it can be interpreted that way, but the war is first and foremost a war between Russia and the United States in Ukraine, provoked by the United States and could have ended a long time ago if the EU had not taken over the role of the United States. A role that has financed a war that is long overdue and will only lead to continued killing and suffering of the Ukrainian people, which EU leaders refuse to acknowledge.

According to Ursula von der Leyen, Ulf Kristersson, Jimmie Åkesson and others, it is necessary to continue the war until a just peace is achieved in Ukraine. This sounds like schoolchildren who have missed their history lessons, because so far in history, no war has ended with a just peace, but always the victorious power determined the terms of peace. Ukraine is no exception, because at the moment no one believes (except perhaps Ursula and our Prime Minister) that Russia will draw the short straw?

But to return to the question of spending €800 billion on rearming Europe’s armies, or even worse – a common army for the whole of the EU, as Ursula and her comrades dream of. Have the bigwigs in Brussels considered the consequences if, as a natural response to the EU’s rearmament needs, the intended enemy will also spend the same amount of money on its defense? Will the EU then become militarily superior, or will we just become even poorer and have only contributed to a rearmament spiral that no one knows how it can end?

Germany has also been allowed to further increase its national debt (in violation of all current EU rules) by five hundred billion euros to strengthen its army and improve the country’s infrastructure.

Allowing Germany to re-arm, as part of Ursula’s plans, could be as dangerous for Europe now as it was before the Second World War, which we all know how it ended. Germany’s current leaders Scholtz, Merkel and future Chancellor of Germany Mertz, are as untrustworthy and dangerous to Europe especially if they will feel strong enough militarily as their predecessors before WWI and WWII.

The President of France, Emanuel Macron, is at least as untrustworthy as his comrades in Germany, as he openly threatens Russia with its mostly inoperable nuclear warheads, which have been unmaintained for years for lack of resources, and would prefer to evaporate at the mere mention of the word “Waterloo”.

To sum it all up, it is not Russia or Putin that is the cause of all the EU’s problems with finances, democracy, defense etc. as the propaganda machine from Brussels and SVT would have us believe, but our own politicians in Brussels and Stockholm. It is good to keep in mind for the next election, if the collapse in Brussels and Stockholm does not occur long before.

 

Josef Csiba

Here are Putin’s demands for a ceasefire

The war in Ukraine

Published 17 March 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Vladimir Putin does not want to see a temporary pause used by Ukraine to mobilize more soldiers and new arms supplies.

Recently, Vladimir Putin confirmed that Moscow is ready to discuss a ceasefire – but that the terms must first be clarified and a series of questions answered

The president stresses that Moscow is not interested in any short-term pauses in the war, but seeks a lasting and long-term peace settlement.

The background is that Washington and Kiev agreed on a proposal for a 30-day temporary ceasefire after a meeting in Saudi Arabia last week. Although Putin basically states that he wants to end the war, he is clear that a number of questions need to be answered before Russia is ready to sign a ceasefire agreement.

In particular, he emphasizes that Moscow will not approve a temporary pause in the war if this is used to strengthen and supply new weapons to the currently weakened Ukrainian army.

The Nordic Times publishes the Russian President’s response in full below:

Before I assess how I view Ukraine’s readiness for a ceasefire, I would first like to begin by thanking the President of the United States, Mr. Trump, for paying so much attention to resolving the conflict in Ukraine.

We all have enough issues to deal with. But many heads of state, the president of the People’s Republic of China, the Prime Minister of India, the presidents of Brazil and South African Republic are spending a lot of time dealing with this issue. We are thankful to all of them, because this is aimed at achieving a noble mission, a mission to stop hostilities and the loss of human lives.

Secondly, we agree with the proposals to stop hostilities. But our position is that this ceasefire should lead to a long-term peace and eliminate the initial causes of this crisis.

Now, about Ukraine’s readiness to cease hostilities. On the surface it may look like a decision made by Ukraine under US pressure. In reality, I am absolutely convinced that the Ukrainian side should have insisted on this (ceasefire) from the Americans based on how the situation (on the front line) is unfolding, the realities on the ground. And how is it unfolding?

I’m sure many of you know that yesterday I was in Kursk Region and listened to the reports of the head of the General Staff, the commander of the group of forces ‘North’ and his deputy about the situation at the border, specifically in the incursion area of Kursk Region.

What is going on there? The situation there is completely under our control, and the group of forces that invaded our territory is completely isolated and under our complete fire control.

Command over Ukrainian troops in this zone is lost. And if in the first stages, literally a week or two ago, Ukrainian servicemen tried to get out of there in large groups, now it is impossible. They are trying to get out of there in very small groups, two or three people, because everything is under our full fire control. The equipment is completely abandoned. It is impossible to evacuate it. It will remain there. This is already guaranteed.

And if in the coming days there will be a physical blockade, then no one will be able to leave at all. There will be only two ways. To surrender or die.And in these conditions, I think it would be very good for the Ukrainian side to achieve a truce for at least 30 days. And we are for it. But there are nuances. What are they? First, what are we going to do with this incursion force in Kursk Region?

If we stop fighting for 30 days, what does it mean? That everyone who is there will leave without a fight? We should let them go after they committed mass crimes against civilians? Or will the Ukrainian leadership order them to lay down their arms. Simply surrender. How will this work? It is not clear.

How will other issues be resolved on all the lines of contact? This is almost 2,000 kilometers. As you know, Russian troops are advancing almost along the entire front. And there are ongoing military operations to surround rather large groups of enemy forces.

These 30 days – how will they be used? To continue forced mobilization in Ukraine? To receive more arms supplies? To train newly mobilized units? Or will none of this happen?

How will the issues of control and verification be resolved? How can we be guaranteed that nothing like this will happen? How will the control be organized?

I hope that everyone understands this at the level of common sense. These are all serious issues. Who will give orders to stop hostilities? And what is the price of these orders? Can you imagine? Almost 2,000 kilometers. Who will determine where and who broke the potential ceasefire? Who will be blamed?

These are all questions that demand a thorough examination from both sides.

Therefore, the idea itself is the right one, and we certainly support it. But there are questions that we have to discuss. I think we need to work with our American partners. Maybe I will speak to President Trump. But we support the idea of ending this conflict with peaceful means.

Sweden sends 18 Archer systems to Ukraine

The war in Ukraine

Published 14 March 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Archer artillery.

Sweden is sending a further 18 Archer artillery pieces to Ukraine, in addition to the 8 pieces previously sent. This was announced by Minister of Defense Pål Jonson (M) at a press conference in the Bofors industrial area.

The total cost of the new package, which also includes five radar systems for artillery localization, is estimated at €270 million. It is part of an earlier military aid package to Ukraine presented in January.

Yesterday, the Swedish government announced that it is also increasing aid to Ukraine by a further €125 million, part of a total of €700 million planned for 2025.

The Swedish government, like several other EU countries, describes its support to Ukraine as a strategy to prevent Russia from expanding into other European countries.

Our assessment is that Ukraine is also a shield for Russian military expansion, says Pål Jonson, who says the Swedish government remains “very focused on increasing and intensifying support for Ukraine”.

– The Ukrainians are defending both their own and our freedom and security, explains Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Benjamin Dousa.

Sweden’s support to the Ukrainian war now totals around SEK 61.9 billion (€5.6 billion), roughly equivalent to the state budget allocation for pensions, which is just under SEK 60 billion.

Facts: Archer

Archer is a self-propelled artillery system with eight-meter-long gun barrels mounted on trucks, manufactured by Bofors in Karlskoga.

The system has been in use by the Swedish Armed Forces since 2013. It can be rapidly deployed, quickly fired, and offers high precision, with a maximum range of 30–50 kilometers.

How Russian pipeline operation cracked Ukrainian defense in Kursk

The war in Ukraine

Published 14 March 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Images from the operation in montage published on Russian RT.

Russian forces have managed to break through Ukrainian defenses in the Kursk region through a unique underground operation in a disused gas pipeline. According to RT reports, 12 villages and over 100 square kilometers of territory have been recaptured in the last 24 hours, including the Sudzhya industrial zone. The Ukrainian army has been forced to retreat, as confirmed by the country’s commander-in-chief, General Aleksandr Syrsky.

The strategic turnaround is attributed to the secret Operation Potok, in which 800 Russian soldiers made their way 15 kilometers through an abandoned gas pipeline to catch Ukrainian forces by surprise. Through a pipeline only 1.4 meters high, the troops moved under extreme conditions for over four days.

Months of preparation

According to Russian reports, preparations took around four months. The aim was to use sabotage to force Ukrainian forces to retreat from Kursk towards Sudzhya, where Russian units were waiting. The operation, which started on March 1, began with soldiers crawling through the pipeline in small groups, equipped with oxygen tubes and protection against gas residues. Ventilation was drilled under the road with the help of Russian engineers, and wagons were used to transport water and equipment.

Military blogger Alexei Zhivov, a volunteer in the Española Brigade, notes that lessons learned from a similar operation in Avdeyevka (January 2024) were used.

Image from the underground operation. Photo: private.

Extreme challenges

– The first 72 hours were the worst. Lungs were burning, heads were bursting – then came the fever and hallucinations, says a former Wagner soldier, according to RT.

On March 8, when the soldiers emerged from the line and went on the offensive, there was a calamity on the Ukrainian side. Ukrainian forces were fired upon by artillery and drones during the retreat. Military expert Yevgeny Klimov explained to RT:

– The enemy started shelling the pipe with cluster munitions, but by then we had already secured the positions.

Final battle in Kursk close

According to retired captain Vasily Dandikin, quoted in the Russian media, the liberation of Kursk is only a matter of time:

– With rain coming, it will be difficult for the Ukrainians to maneuver. We are surrounding them now.

Among the retaken villages are Malaya Loknya and Martynovka.

Kursk has been described as a card that Zelensky could have used in a future peace negotiation with Russia. However, there are now strong indications that the conquest of the land is largely over and will return to Russian control.

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