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American Colonel: “Ukraine a collapsed state”

The war in Ukraine

  • The war in Ukraine has been catastrophic for the Ukrainian people in general and for the Ukrainian army in particular, says the decorated American Colonel Douglas Macgregor, former advisor to the Pentagon.
  • He estimates that as many as 400,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in the battles, while Russia, in comparison, has had minimal losses and has now mobilized up to a million soldiers at the front.
  • The responsibility for the war lies primarily with the US, he says, pointing out that the war could have been easily avoided if they had been willing to accept a neutral Ukraine.
Published 16 October 2023
– By Editorial Staff
Colonel Douglas Macgregor in an interview with Tucker Carlson.

Douglas Macgregor, educated at the prestigious West Point, is a highly decorated, now retired, colonel who among other things served as one of the leading commanders in the Gulf War and was one of the planners of NATO’s bombing campaign in Yugoslavia in 1999. His philosophy on modern warfare is said to have influenced the overarching American strategy during the invasion of Iraq in 2003, and he has also served as an advisor to the Pentagon. In relation to the Ukraine war, however, Macgregor has become widely known to the public for his detailed and candid analyses, which offer a different perspective on the proceedings and the situation than what is presented in mainstream media reports.

According to the colonel’s overall analysis, the conflict primarily stems from a reluctance on the part of the West to accept Ukraine’s neutrality. He has drawn parallels between Russia’s reactions to Ukraine’s approach to NATO and the American reactions during the transportation of Soviet missiles to Cuba during the Cuban Crisis. Initially, according to Macgregor, the Russian invasion forces consisted of a limited army of about 40,000 troops, a modest force by military standards intended to shock Ukraine and its Western allies in a final desperate attempt to get them back to the negotiating table. The demands were neutrality for Ukraine, autonomy for the Donbass republics, and recognition of Crimea’s annexation to Russia.

– From the very beginning, Putin and his advisors were never interested in a war with NATO or the U.S. That’s why you’ve had so much incrementalism, this slow grind of movement forward. Defensive operations for a long period of time to build up force, and then continued offensive operations, he says in an interview with Tucker Carlson.

Such a peace agreement, according to Israel’s then-Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, was very close to being reached during the negotiations in Istanbul in March 2022. However, after pressure from the US and UK, Ukraine withdrew from the negotiations at a late stage, prompting Russia to make a strategic retreat from the Kiev region and focus on taking control of most of the predominantly Russian-speaking areas in the southeast, where they established defensive lines.

– If they had made peace back in March or April, I think the Russians would have retained very little territory, probably Luhansk and Donetsk, the two so called breakaway provinces and I think there had been guarantees for neutrality of Ukraine, and guarantess of equal rights before the law for Russians. That’s what people don’t understand, most of this has to do with abuse meated out to Russians in Ukraine, by the Ukrainian government, summarizes Macgregor, pointing out that the government in question was essentially installed by the USA following the Maidan coup in the country in 2014.

“A disaster for Ukraine”

The sizeable Ukrainian army, which at the outset was estimated by some to be almost ten times the size of the Russian forces, has since then launched an offensive in a devastating manner, according to Macgregor, while Russia primarily operated from a favorable defensive position and in the meantime gradually mobilized up to a million soldiers.

Macgregor in conversation with senior Israeli military officers, March 2020. Photo: Share Alike 4.0 International.

Since the start of the war, NATO and the collective Western world, including Sweden, with the USA in the driver’s seat, have pumped in military aid amounting to trillions in Swedish kronor. Despite this, the Ukrainian army has never really had a chance, Macgregor argues. He estimates that as many as 400,000 Ukrainian soldiers have lost their lives in the battles, referring, among other things, to analyses of newly dug graves in satellite images. Meanwhile, he believes, Russian casualties can be estimated to be only a fraction of Ukraine’s – around 50,000 killed in action.

This inhumanity cannot be stressed enough, as the wounds Ukrainian soldiers sustain on the battlefield are injuries most of them will never recover from. We don’t know how many people have already been disabled, but we’re talking about tens of thousands. I’ve heard some say 70,000, others 60,000. It’s insane. They stand no chance of winning, he expresses.

The explanation for Russia’s extreme advantage despite its smaller force initially, according to the colonel, is not just that it’s a much larger country, but primarily that they have developed a modernized form of warfare that mainly relies on advanced space surveillance and extensive artillery support. In practice, the Ukrainian army has had very poor conditions to defend itself, even though it has closely cooperated with the USA. In contrast to the general media portrayal that’s still broadcast on many state channels, he believes the situation for Zelensky’s administration is overall desperate.

Even more money being thrown down a rat hole when he absolutely has no chance of winning – which he never did, and his government is really unpopular in Ukraine. They’re gathering people off the streets, going to the Carpathians, looking for any living person they can find there. They want NATO’s governments to round up Ukrainian men of draft age and send them back to Ukraine to die in the Russian meat grinder, says Macgregor.

“A collapsed state”

Macgregor has long been deeply critical of the US support for the Ukrainian leadership in Kiev and emphasizes that those who have suffered the most from the policy and the failing diplomacy in the end have been the Ukrainian people. He notes that Ukraine has effectively been shattered and that many millions have left the country, seeing it as unlikely that these will return to any significant extent.

Douglas Macgregor interviewed by Tucker Carlson. Photo: facsimile/X.

– The longer this goes on, the more people are senselessly slaughtered and the destruction of Ukraine becomes even greater. Ukraine is now effectively a collapsed state and may be completely erased from the map, he says.

According to Macgregor, Russia, in sharp contrast to the general media image, has made great efforts to minimize civilian casualties. This is partly because the population in the territories where they have operated is largely ethnically Russian and because they also view Ukrainians as a fraternal people. He also points to this as one of the reasons for reports that more and more Ukrainian soldiers have surrendered to the Russian army when they could no longer fight.

– The Soviet army was an exercise in barbarity and brutality, mass rapes and all that. That’s not Russia today. It’s a very different society and state, Macgregor argues.

Rather, according to the colonel, from the Western side, they have not at all had the best interests of the Ukrainian people in mind, where cynical geopolitical motives come into play. His support for Ukraine is largely based on a stubborn hostility towards Russia stemming from Vladimir Putin’s administration, unlike predecessor Boris Yeltsin, managing to establish the country as an independent state with a traditional Orthodox Christian culture. This is something the ruling oligarchy in the West disapproves of as it poses a barrier to accessing Russia’s vast natural resources and is also perceived as a growing threat to their power position in Europe.

It’s probably another reason why so many want to destroy Russia, for it’s the last European state that hasn’t been overrun by foreigners and turned into some sort of polyglot experiment, he adds.

From the American perspective, Ukraine has been seen as a strategic power base and battering ram that they’ve done everything to turn against Russia. Macgregor, for instance, points out that the US, according to recordings of Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland, handpicked the Ukrainian government after the coup in connection with the Maidan revolution, when the neutrally oriented president Viktor Yanukovych was overthrown.

“We don’t need Ukraine in NATO”

Macgregor points out that the negotiating room has shrunk significantly for the US-led block and Ukraine since the outbreak of the war.

– The Russians have a series of demands – which at the beginning of the war were suggestions – and Ukraine and the West seem unwilling to consider any of them. Ukraine will not join NATO, period. So Ukraine can remain neutral.

We don’t need Ukraine in NATO. Ukraine as a neutral state is actually a wonderful idea. That’s almost 500 miles between us and the Russians. Is that a bad thing? Not at all.

As part of the effort to stop the war, Douglas Macgregor recently launched the civil rights movement Our Country Our Choice. An initiative across current party lines aimed at uniting the American population and strengthening public opinion against the war in general and the US’s involvement in particular.

 

– Whatever we have set out to achieve has failed, what we need to do now is stop this and come to a settlement that we might not like but it needs to happen and soon, before this thing is out of control, says the colonel, who, however, does not see any signs of interest in peace negotiations from the Western-Ukrainian side, despite the dire situation.

The people bathing in blood are in Kiev and Washington, not in Moscow. This sort of thing is gonna play well until it can’t. We’re gonna see this whole thing collaps and implode, it’s coming, Macgregor states.

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USA signs mineral deal with Ukraine

The war in Ukraine

Published 1 May 2025
– By Editorial Staff
The newly signed US-Ukraine mineral agreement may be the first sign that the hatchet between Zelensky and Trump is at least temporarily buried.

The US and Ukraine have formally signed a comprehensive mineral agreement that gives Washington access to Ukraine’s strategic mineral resources. The agreement can be seen as a deepening of cooperation between the countries in the wake of the high-profile and aborted meeting between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky in February.

On April 30, the US and Ukraine signed an economic partnership agreement that gives the US access to Ukraine’s important mineral reserves, including rare earth metals, reports PBS News.

The agreement also means that the parties will create a joint investment fund to support Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal describes the agreement as “a strategic deal for the creation of an investment partner fund. This is truly an equal and good international deal on joint investment in the development and restoration of Ukraine between the governments of the United States and Ukraine”.

Trump: Repayment

The fund will be managed jointly with equal voting rights, with both countries contributing to the capital. Revenues from new licenses for critical minerals, oil, and gas will be shared, with 50 percent going to Ukraine’s treasury via the fund.

Donald Trump has described the mineral agreement as an important part of the US’s continued commitment to Ukraine. He has emphasized that the agreement gives the US access to strategic resources and can serve as a form of repayment from Ukraine for the military support Washington has provided to Kiev.

In his speech to the US Congress on March 4, 2025, Trump mentioned the mineral agreement and emphasized Ukraine’s willingness to sign it. He highlighted the importance of the partnership for US national security and stability in the region, without going into details about the content of the agreement.

Difficult negotiations

The agreement has been preceded by lengthy and at times difficult negotiations, in which security guarantees have been a key issue. During a meeting at the White House in February, a planned summit between Trump and Zelensky was abruptly canceled after disagreement over the terms.

Zelensky has emphasized the importance of security guarantees and said that negotiations are ongoing. However, Prime Minister Shmyhal has expressed optimism that the agreement will be signed and that it will strengthen Ukraine’s future.

Ukraine’s mineral resources include 22 of the 50 materials classified as critical by the US Geological Survey, including rare earth metals that are essential for electronics, clean energy technology, and certain weapons systems.

The agreement is also part of the US strategy to reduce dependence on China, which dominates global production of rare earth metals.

In parallel with the agreement, the US and Ukraine have discussed the possibility of including future military support as part of the investment fund, although previous military aid is not covered.

At the time of writing, no official comments from the Kremlin or Moscow have been published in connection with the agreement.

Putin: The entire Kursk region has been retaken

The war in Ukraine

Published 28 April 2025
– By Editorial Staff
According to Russia, more than 76,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed or injured during the Kursk offensive.

Over the weekend, the Russian president announced that the entire Kursk region had been liberated and that all remaining Ukrainian troops had been forced out of Russian territory.

At the same time, Moscow also confirmed that North Korean troops had participated and played a significant role in the fighting.

It was on Saturday that Putin announced that the last Ukrainian forces had been driven back from Kursk in connection with the capture of the small community of Gornal, 1 kilometer from the border.

– The defeat of the armed formations of the Ukrainian armed forces that invaded Kursk Region has been completed, confirmed Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, adding that Kiev’s plans to “create a so-called strategic bridgehead and to disrupt our offensive in Donbass have failed”.

It was in August last year that Ukraine launched a large-scale and initially successful offensive in the region, forcing Russia to focus on trying to slow it down.

Over time, however, the roles were reversed, with Ukraine finding it increasingly difficult to gain new ground and Russia instead regaining previously lost territory. The latest Russian counteroffensive began in early March, and it is this that is now said to have led to the collapse of the last Ukrainian forces in Kursk.

“Huge losses”

– The enemy’s complete rout in the borderline Kursk Region creates conditions for further successful operations by our troops in other major frontline areas and brings the defeat of the neo-Nazi regime closer, declared Russia’s leader, who has long argued that the “de-Nazification” of Ukraine is of utmost importance to Russia.

– The Kiev regime’s venture has failed completely while the huge losses suffered by the enemy, in particular, those among the most combat-fit, best prepared and equipped Ukrainian army units, including the formations provided with Western equipment – and these are assault units and special operations forces – will undoubtedly have their impact along the entire engagement line, he continued.

According to Russian figures, 76,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed or wounded during the offensive and thousands of tanks and other military vehicles have been lost.

Praise for North Korean soldiers

It is also noteworthy that Russia officially acknowledged that North Korean troops played a significant role in the fighting – and special thanks were extended to them.

According to Gerasimov, the North Koreans distinguished themselves and “demonstrated high professionalism, courage, and heroism in battle”.

Although the fighting in the region is over, the Russian army’s work in Kursk is not finished. The focus is now on searching for “individual Ukrainian armed forces service members attempting to hide on Russian territory”, according to reports.

Comment: The military-industrial complex excels

The war in Ukraine

In the shadow of the war in Ukraine, the Swedish military-industrial complex is growing faster than ever. The question is no longer who benefits from the war – but why so few dare to talk about it.

Published 16 April 2025
– By Jenny Piper
Soldier with Saab Bofors Dynamics NLAW anti-tank missile.
{ $opinionDisclaimer }

A look at the ten largest Swedish companies on the Stockholm Stock Exchange reveals that the Wallenberg family is the majority owner in most of them, topping the list with its holding company Investor, valued at approximately SEK 860 billion (€77 billion).

newcomer to the list is the defense conglomerate Saab, which is now reaching new record levels on the stock exchange after rising over 2% and surpassing the historic industrial company Sandvik in market value.

It is interesting to note that before the outbreak of war in Ukraine in 2022, SAAB B had a market capitalization of just under SEK 30 billion (€2.7 billion) and that Sandvik SAND at the same time was worth about SEK 280 billion (€25 billion).

Three years and countless stock rallies later – this year alone the stock has surged nearly 90% – the picture looks completely different. Recently, the industrial giant was surpassed in market value, and as of today, Saab is worth SEK 239 billion compared to SEK 238 billion for Sandvik.

That people don’t understand that the entire Ukraine war, with ingredients like war-mongering, military buildup, “standing behind the Ukrainian people”, “fighting for freedom and democracy”, and so on, is merely a facade for the military-industrial complex – which uses Ukraine as a playground and exploits the Ukrainian people to the fullest to enrich itself without any interest in stopping the suffering it has helped create.

The Swedish establishment works in symbiosis with Brussels to bring us down, but the Swedish people are so incredibly indoctrinated that I fear there is no salvation for this country, where citizens willingly line up to praise the war profiteers and help contribute to the collapse instead of acting against the abuse of power.

 

Jenny Piper

All Jenny Piper's articles can be found on her blog.

US envoy proposes territorial solution for Ukraine

The war in Ukraine

Published 14 April 2025
– By Editorial Staff
The war in Ukraine has now been going on for over three years (stock photo).

US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff opens the door for Russia to retain control of four Ukrainian regions in exchange for a ceasefire, Reuters reports. The proposal is criticized both in Kiev and in Washington.

Witkoff met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on April 8 in St Petersburg. The meeting, which lasted more than four hours, is part of the ongoing negotiations on a possible peace settlement in the now three-year-long conflict.

According to Reuters sources, Mr. Witkoff proposed that Russia retain Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhya and Kherson – areas under Russian control since 2022 – as a way to pave the way for a ceasefire.

The proposal was presented to US President Donald Trump after talks between Witkoff and Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev in Washington. According to Reuters, Witkoff stressed that control over the territories is already de facto Russian.

Ukraine rejects

Ukraine has categorically rejected the idea of ceding territory. President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly reiterated the country’s line that territorial integrity is non-negotiable.

Several European governments are taking the same line, stressing that any peace agreement must be based on international law.

In Washington, Mr. Witkoff’s initiative is divisive. The second US envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, is skeptical about the proposal and considers it unrealistic.

– Ukraine would never agree to unilaterally cede total ownership of the territories to Russia, Kellogg said, according to sources.

Unclear US line

President Trump has not yet taken an official position on Witkoff’s proposal. The administration is still working to coordinate its strategy, according to two Western diplomats. The US line is described as unclear, raising questions among allies.

Within Congress, several Republican members have reacted with concern. Contacts have been made with National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to discuss alternative negotiating paths.

In parallel, talks between the US, Russia and Ukraine continue, but without any concrete results. Both sides are standing by their demands, while Ukraine’s Western allies recently met in Brussels to coordinate continued support.

According to the Kyiv Independent, Russia controls about 20% of Ukraine, which puts Moscow in a strong negotiating position for a possible peace agreement.

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