Confused? The fog is clearing on this weeks episode of SOAP;

Wall Street Journal reports that Trump told the European leaders in that phone call that 'Putin isn't ready to end the war because he thinks he's winning'.

Trump says he also thinks Russia is winning and is pulling back from the mediator role.

Ukraine and Russia are entrenched and miles apart but it's Russia that's winning on the battlefield.

Trump realised he had no cards to make demands of Putin as an adversary so took that hat off and put on a mediator hat and tried to make demands with that. But no go, Putin's not fooled, but he is trying to work with Trump regardless.

Seeing the writing on the wall the US neocons start writing articles saying that, amazingly, Ukraine is actually winning and if they suddenly lose now it can only be because Trump failed them.

Trump is also standing up against Linsey Graham saying only he will decide on sanctions and is not starting any new ones just yet (Graham can introduce bills in the senate though needs 80 odd senators to support him, he claims to have over 70)

Russian Prime Minister Medvedev warns Ukraine 'make a deal soon or the end could be near'.

Russian Foreign Secretary Lavrov says there will 'not be any ceasefire' as envisaged by Ukraine or the west. Also, that Zelensky is not legitimate and Russia will not be signing anything with him.


Starmer apparently excluded from the Trump – EU heads phone call due to Starmer's continuing problems with young male prostitutes fire bombing his house and cars 2 now have been arrested an a 3rd is being questioned.

Sumy buffer, Russian breakthrough




Last chance ultimatum. Europe prepares to blame Trump

General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
2 hours ·
The estimated total combat losses of the enemy
from 24.02.22 to 24.05.25
personnel ‒ about 979830 (+1130) persons,
tanks ‒ 10852 (+11) units,
armored combat vehicles ‒ 22622 (+47) units,
artillery systems ‒ 28201 (+36) units,
MLRS ‒ 1395 (+5) units,
anti-aircraft systems ‒ 1169 (+2) units,
aircraft ‒ 372 (+0) units,
helicopters – 336 (+0) units,
UAV operational-tactical level – 37177 (+232),
cruise missiles – 3197 (+0),
warships – 28 (+0) units,
submarines – 1 (+0) units,
vehicles and fuel tanks – 49639 (+232) units,
special equipment – ​​3895 (+0)

Everything is really starting to roll now, Trump backing away from the mediator role, Ukraine signalling concern over those they now need to negotiate with, and Russia talking huge buffer zones and referendums throughout east Ukraine.


Oh, and it turns out Russia's not on the verge of collapse after all according to NATO's Mark Rutte. Apparently Russia is now turning out 4 x the amount of ammunition etc. as does all NATO countries combined.

Rutte continues that at this rate then by 2027, or 30 or 32, (he's not sure which), Russia will be a major threat to the whole of Europe.

(Begs the question just who started this idiocy in the first place)

But why would Russia want to continue any build up once the threat to them caused by NATO in Ukraine has been dealt with?

Looks like Rutte is looking for an excuse for his organisation to go on a major build up of their own.

Why would Russia continue any build up after the SMO? NATO starting a massive build up of their own would probably do it.

Anyway, clearly a 180 degree narrative shift by the west, gone are the days of Russians fighting with shovels, now NATO countries must borrow hundreds of billions to spend on defence before Buckingham Palace becomes Putin's Palace.


Bloomberg says Russia's territorial advance is actually slower than this time last year though conveniently they don't include the advance through Kursk (because it's not Ukraine soil) or in places such as in Sumy because Ukraine doesn't admit to it.

In fact less bias orgs show an increasing pace of Russian advancement as the Ukrainian army continues to retreat.

On Tuesday I mention talk of the possibility of Putin deciding on buffer zones, Putin declared as much on Friday for the north eastern areas but some are saying that a buffer zone will eventually stretch along the whole border all the way to include Odessa and be at least 1 or 2 oblasts deep.

Coupled with Lavrov's comments (see below) it seems Russia will hold referendums for Ukrainian oblasts to join Russia and what's left up to the Dnieper river will be buffer zone.

Reminder that Ukraine west of the Dnieper has no real industry and so is mostly agrarian and will mean an impoverish rump state of no interest to either the EU or NATO. Romania and Hungary might be interested however.














Very good 55 min summing up of the recent turns and current situation.

EU re-Militarization Against Russia Making Future War more Likely w/Alexander Mercouris

General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
1 hour ·
The estimated total combat losses of the enemy from
24.02.22 to 25.05.25 were approximately /
The estimated total combat losses of the enemy from
24.02.22 to 25.05.25
personnel ‒ about 980850 (+1020) persons,
tanks ‒ 10854 (+2) units,
armored combat vehicles ‒ 22633 (+11) units,
artillery systems ‒ 28269 (+68) units,
MLRS ‒ 1396 (+1) units,
anti-aircraft systems ‒ 1169 (+0) units,
aircraft ‒ 372 (+0) units,
helicopters / helicopters – 336 (+0) units,
UAV operational-tactical level – 37367 (+190),
cruise missiles – 3203 (+6),
warships / boats – 28 (+0) units,
submarines - 1 (+0) units,
vehicles and fuel tanks – 49751 (+112) units,
special equipment – ​​3902 (+7)

By the way, today is a big holiday - the day Moscow was burned
And the Crimean Khan Devlet Geray burned it.
Yes, it happened 454 years ago, but we should not forget good historical events.
So I congratulate everyone and hope that we will have a reason,
for similar holidays in modern history!

Germany sends an army brigade to protect the Baltic's - YEAH!!! - oh wait – it's just a 'virtual' brigade for now, the real, actual brigade won't arrive until some time in 2027 - or whenever.

Umm, yeah ok.

Maybe the EU/UK could send hundreds of 'virtual' brigades to Ukraine right now??

As mention last week Estonia attempted to take a second Russian oil tanker, then Russia snatched an Estonian ship a few days back in retribution.

Estonia channelling Serbia pre WW1.

Russia is now talking about setting up convoys of Russian tankers to be escorted by the Russian navy through the Baltic sea in the near future.


Russia says their memorandum on conditions for talks to present to the Ukrainians is nearly ready. There's no word on Ukraine's own memorandum.

It's likely they're waiting to receive the Russian one and reject it totally so no need for one their own, which would mean no follow up negotiations at all.

Zelensky begs for more patriot missiles, Rubio says the US has none to give (???) but will ask EU countries if they can spare a few more.

Having said in the post yesterday about the western media narrative shift away from the 'Ukraine is winning' stance the WP has just come out with a completely preposterous article telling us now that Russia aren't making any gains on the battlefield, have nearly run out of tanks, and have nearly run out of men due to major recruiting problems. As told to the WP by 'anonymous sources'.

For the record the Ukraine govt's own mapping service Deep State clearly shows major Russian territorial gains over the last year and a half. NATO's Mark Rutte just told us that Russia is outproducing all NATO combined by 4x, up from 3x just a few months ago. And even Ukraine's army chief has told us that Russia is recruiting volunteers at the rate of over 30,000 a month.

It's near the end of the article that we see what's behind all the garbage, the WP implores Trump that now is the time to hit Putin where it hurts and watch the whole SMO fall apart.

This is the WP's response to Trump stating recently he thinks Russia is winning the conflict, as does Putin.

Reminder that the Washington Post has well known close connections to the CIA.


Meanwhile, western leaders continue to stamp their feet demanding Russia give up their battlefield advantage by agreeing to an unconditional ceasefire which gives nothing to Russia in return.

And of course the EU/UK want to use the ceasefire to slip in some 'peacekeeping' troops that will hopefully prevent Russia restarting hostilities when talks inevitably breakdown.

So it's not going to happen, and so the EU/UK had best set about implementing their 18th sanctions package and start planning the 19th.


And speaking of sanctions German Chancellor Mertz wants to include sanctions on err, Germany – specifically the Nordstream gas pipeline, to prevent Russia and the US (who blew up one of the pipes several years ago) from teaming up and providing umm Germany with err, cheap gas.

You just know that in some universe it all must make perfect sense.








John Mearsheimer: Ukraine is DOOMED/ Negotiations are Headed Nowhere




Scott Ritter: Will Trump Own the Ukraine War or Walk Away?




Pro-Ukrainian channel looks at western experts who don't understand attrition in warfare.
Complete Exhaustion - RU 'Choke' Strategy: Mil 'Experts' Fail To Grasp FUNDAMENTALS - Map Update