Ties with Russia are becoming increasingly toxic

In the European news landscape, information about two mysterious deaths last year, directly related to the Russian special services and the Kremlin's propaganda comes into the foreground. Generally speaking, honest, unbiased journalism in Russia died long ago - only propaganda flourishes. That is why news coverage, preparation of political talk shows, and even the creation of entertainment content - everything is brought into line with the one task: broadcasting the Kremlin’s messages and shaping public opinion favourable for V. Putin and special services.

In doing so, the Russians are acting in big-picture terms - the messages necessary for the Kremlin are successfully disseminated not only within the Russian Federation itself and the adjacent post-Soviet space, but also throughout the West. To this end, Russia employs not only its official news agencies (RT, Sputnik), but also local media registered in Western countries, skillfully hiding their pro-Russian nature, as well as foreign non-profit organizations and ordinary citizens.

However, the problem is not only that Russians, through bribery, blackmail and deception, manipulate information and completely distort the general world picture. Everything is much worse - the Kremlin's propaganda can pose a fatal danger to its distributors.

Thus, on May 26, 2020, Jon Hellevig, a Finnish citizen, mysteriously died in Moscow. The intrigue is that shortly before his death, on May 10, he published two posts on Twitter, where he reported that the Russian regime would try to eliminate him. Unfortunately, Jon Hellevig did not specify the reason for the Russian special services to announce a hunt for him. But, as it is not difficult to guess, his problems arose from the very fact of cooperation with Russian business, media and... special services. What is then known about Jon Hellevig?

He contributed to the advancement of the interests of the Russian Federation on the territory of Finland; participated in carrying out propaganda campaigns in the EU media space prepared in favour of the Kremlin; financed a disinformation campaign against Ukraine in the Finnish media; repeatedly visited Crimea and the military conflict zone in Donbass, and also financed trips of his compatriots there; worked as an observer at the “elections” in Russian-captured Luhansk in November 2018. Probably, a Finnish friend of the Russian Federation has crossed someone’s pass. Perhaps he asked for an exorbitant payment for carrying out the Kremlin's delicate orders. It is also possible that he wanted to "quit the game" and break off too close cooperation with Russia, but the Russian special services did not like this idea.

It stands to mention that Jon Hellevig was not a “grey mouse”, but an experienced and successful businessman. He studied law (Finland), business administration (France), international business (Great Britain), worked at the Central Bank of Finland, founded the Mandatum bank, was engaged in business in various companies (including Russian), was a board member of the Association of European Businesses (the most influential business association of foreign companies in the Russian Federation).

In early May 2020, Jon Hellevig received confidential information that the special services of the Russian Federation are expecting to use the COVID-19 pandemic to cover up finishing him off, i.e. to announce that he died as a result of coronavirus infection. Jon Hellevig tweeted that he is in Moscow and feels himself fine having no signs of COVID-19. Hellevig probably had serious reasons for worrying about his future. Therefore, he considered it necessary to publicly declare that if he dies in the near future, it will be definitely the result of a special operation planned by the special services of the Russian Federation. But despite this, after some time he was found dead in his hotel room.

So, despite the fact that Jon Hellevig made a desperate attempt to escape from the grasp of death, he still had to pay a high price for being too close to the Kremlin. Last year, this episode did not attract much public attention, however now, as Russian propaganda has exceeded all conceivable limits, such stories have become trending.

Generally, any ties with Russia, and particularly cooperation with it, are becoming increasingly toxic. This fact is confirmed by another resonance story and another death instigated by Russia and its propagandists. Moreover, in this case, the interests of the Kremlin were served not by agents recruited by the special services, but, figuratively speaking, by “useful idiots.”

Thus, journalists got e-mails, indicating that the British "Working Group on Syria, Propaganda and Media" has consistently discredited UK civic, volunteer and charitable organizations that dealt with various "hot spots" worldwide - from providing humanitarian aid to pursuing rigorous war crimes investigations. The members of the group denied massive repressions in Syria (ruled by the Kremlin-friendly B. Assad regime), which in fact fully met Moscow's interests.

The main sensation was that this "Working Group" includes not some amateurs (misled or simply stupid), but researchers from leading English universities! These scientists wrote questionable articles on topics not related to their specialty (chemical attacks, bombing, mass murder, torture), but, on the other hand, in the correct scientific form. All the materials they wrote had one common feature - their conclusions always fell in line with the narratives of Russian propaganda. As it became known from the e-mails, some members of this group did not see anything wrong with fulfilling information orders and even expressed their readiness to cooperate with the special services of the Russian Federation.

Not all British scientists engaged in the Working Group are supporters of V. Putin and B. Assad, spreading Kremlin propaganda and slander against other NGOs helping troubled Third World countries. Many of them are "useful idiots" and passionate adherents of conspiracy theories. But, unfortunately, there are enough of these “useful idiots”, whom the Kremlin is brilliantly able to use for its own purposes, to bring noticeable harm to both the UK and the democratic world at a whole.

For example, the Working Group targeted such NGOs as the Commission for International Justice and Accountability (CIJA), led by Bill Wiley, and White Helmets, led by James Le Mesurier. Both NGOs tried to drive home to the world community the truth about the developments in the Middle East, as well as somehow help the local population. But the Working Group falsely accused these organizations of financial fraud and lack of documentary evidence of cash receipts.

The Working Group especially strongly tarnshed the image of the White Helmets organization, claiming that its employees are jihadists, as well as a tool of the CIA and British intelligence services. In fact, reputational damage to the "White Helmets"

was necessary in order to disseminate the Russian version of the war in Syria in the West.

According to the investigation, following the accusations against the White Helmets organization, James Le Mesurier committed suicide in the summer of 2020. It is unlikely that the former British professional soldier was a weak-willed person.

But, apparently, he could not withstand the huge avalanche of charges brought against him. We will never know whether the British scientists from the Working Group were happy when they became aware of the suicide of James Le Mesurier, but the Kremlin achieved one of its goals - there was one less enemy of V. Putin and B. Assad in the world.

So, it would be well-advised for any Westerner and supporter of an open democratic community to fear and avoid any ties with Russia. The above examples of cooperation, with a fatal outcome, clearly demonstrate that everything that Russia touches falls in a zone of increased danger. Any ties with Russia are becoming more and more toxic today.

 

‘The perfect target’: Russia cultivated Trump as asset for 40 years – ex-KGB spy

If Trump were merely disinterested, willfully ignorant, and deeply stupid, he would have gotten some things right merely by happy circumstance. He'd have half-assed the majority, and fucked up the rest.
However, that's not what happened. With astounding consistency, every single decision he made in office was not simply a bad choice, but the worst choice imaginable; the choice that would inflict maximum damage to the United States. Nowhere is this pattern of malfeasance more glaringly apparent than the Federal government's catastrophic response to the global pandemic. Under his reign, America had 4.3% of the world's population, but 25% of the deaths.
That unerring level of consistency can't be wholly ascribed to Trump's bovine stupidity; nobody's that goddamned stupid, not even Trump. It can only be attributed to wilful, intentional malevolence; sabotage.
I've thought that Trump was a Russian "Manchurian Candidate" for years, and everything he's said and done in that time has only reinforced this suspicion.

 

Russian FM: US-Russia ties worse than during Cold War (msn.com)

I think diplomacy goes a long way. I'm not one to turn a blind eye to atrocities. But Russia is basically a civilized society, and I don't think demonizing them or keeping them at arms length is going to get anywhere.


Our country is becoming increasingly reliant on social programming. As poverty increases, so does the need to finance every means for low-income families to stay afloat.

We also need to keep after our roads, national parks, and continue paying our unemployment program, Medicare, and social security. One recent development is the idea of government funded education, and of course Medicare for all.


The point? We are not terribly different from at least the backbone of the Russian Federation - one of unity and provisions for even the poorest family.

 

Thought to bump this up due to events in the news.

 

NATO and the fascist West is more toxic than ever. It's too late now !

 

Well 22/02/2022 is a dark day in history as this is the day I will remember that World War 3 has commenced .

In a way what Putin is doing mirrors very much what Germany did in the 1930s .A repeat of History.

Diplomacy hasnt worked and some parts of the West need a reality check.Its real and needs to be dealt with by force .Sanctions will not affect Russia that much as they have alternative markets with China . Thats why they were there a few weeks back .

This is going to be one bloody mess with conventional forces with modern weaponary , Cyber attacks , Electronic warfare ,chemical attacks and the possibility of tactical Nuclear weaponary being used.

A lot of lives will be lost on both sides unless this can be deescalated .

But with a Mad man in charge and surrounded by Yes men , I doubt Russia will change course .

 

There will be no nuke war , be sure ! Why ? Simply because there will be NO winners !!! What's the point of waging a nuke conflict when you know you and your family are going to perish in the mess as well ?! Even the uttermosr of evil.minds will never do that.
Lest we ever forget what Einstein said:
"

 

I consider Putin to be the new Czar, let this be known. We all know what his domestic policies against internal opposers are , etc etc.
BUT , we must NEVER EVER forget the sick role Western intelligence had in all perilous wars since WW I : the C.I.A. has fostered / supported / financed every single provocation towards local and international conflicts: Vietnam, Cambodia, Nicaragua, Chile, Falkland Islands, Cuba missile crisis, Iraq, Iran, the first and 2nd Gulf War, Afghanistan, etc etc etc . If we do not acknowledge this straightfwd fact and put an end to all of this sickness , we will never stand a chance !!!

 

When I Say tactical Nuclear weapons , I am not talking about IBMs and the like .

I am going back to the old NATO doctrine of Nuclear first strike option .
I am talking about much smaller being delivered in laymans terms a tracked tank like vehicle or armoured car .



These will in effect take out part of a battlefield or a small town . Still very nasty for sure and a last resort and thats why I said a "Possibility"

 

HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

 

I know perfectly well what you're on about .....however, for each "short-range tactical attack" , there will be all mini Cernobyls in and surrounding the target areas

 

Of course there will .

That will be evaluated .

At end of the day despite my interest in military history ,war is nasty dirty business .Modern war more nastier.

AS un update from the UK the Parliament is going on a war footing .

This is a dark day for sure

 

As a means of bastard boris dodging the issue of 'partygate' and lying, both to his own 'lobby fodder' back-benchers and to Parliament (possible even the Police too ) !!!

 

I think this is more important than partygate if being honest .

 

It may or may not be, but we must not lose sight of 'partygate' !!!

 

True and that can stay at home and in your UK threads that cover it perfectly

WE have literally gone into WW3 today and that affects the wider community and is of serious concern

 

Why is America so concerned about the Ukraine ??? There was no tears from the US when Egypt once again became a military dictatorship, nor were they concerned when Israel illegally occupied large parts pof Palestine and made the Palestinian people second class citizens in their own country ??? Where were the US democrats when the CIA destabilised the Allende (Marxist) regime in Chile and then supported the illegal fascist Pinochet regime ???

The only reason the US is weeping crocodile tears is because Ukraine is bang next door to Russia - its sworn enemy !!!

 

Crude but true 100 %

 

IN very simplistic terms because America is an Important member of Nato . The largest player in fact . What Putin has done is in effect invaded a partner nation but not yet a member . So this is seen as a threat to the west.

The Nato doctrine is to defend the other member states .