Happy Midsummer to all keyboard generals, exciting the other day when we could trace a spike in the curve for hard vehicles to a failed attack.
Midsummer came this year again even though the country is on the verge of collapse – the tone is more than legally high right now and I am following with great interest the quarrel about the opposition not being allowed to use our tax money as party funds – there is zero self-awareness. But then there won’t be more in the wallet for us taxpayers anyway, I understand that too, it’s reprioritized for other fun things as everyone lacks disease awareness – seven parties who consider themselves to be a gift from God to us and have the most fun possible for the money.
I myself have taken on the greatest responsibility in a long time – alone at home with the little boy for three weeks while the rest of the family is out traveling, it has gone very well but you have to prioritize your time a bit.
We turned off the heat in April when we were away and it has probably been quite cool because there is a bit of a smell in the bed linens – fun… Normally the sun should warm up indoors during the day and then the temperature is high enough so it doesn’t get damp, but apparently that was not the case. Is it one of those ozone machines that is needed now?
There will be some general ranting below – sorry 😶
Iran is exciting – we can reasonably assume that Russia is watching with horror the dismantling of Iran, and also understands that the goal is regime change.
Half of MAGA has gone completely bananas and is now in full opposition to Trump on the Iran issue; Tulsi, Carlsson, General Flynn, Bannon, Alex Jones, Rogan, and many more.
Yes, Trump has tried to negotiate but it would be fun to know what led to his rather violent tweets because now he wants to see mullah blood.

If you have read the posts, you know that the decision was made and now the USA has started moving its stratotankers to Europe and Asia, I lost the link but it has been possible to follow on flightradar.
And the soldiers get steak and lobster
It is quite clear that the USA is going to war and Iran was already one of the Bushes eager to strike when the time came.
Iran is also the root of much evil in the MENA region where they have supported Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Syrian conflict – they are the enablers.
It is likely that Israel intends to bring down the country and that they intend to do it now even more likely.
The Iranian opposition is active on social media and is urging for violence against the mullahs.

What does this mean for Russia – it is probably important and significant for them.
In general, Trump is starting to get tired of constantly failing and was at the G7 mostly trying to talk Putin back into the organization. He now looks tired and worn out and I am starting to wonder if it’s the “new boss” syndrome we’re seeing?
1. Now I’m damn well going to sort everything out (months 1-2).
2. Damn, this was difficult, why doesn’t everyone do as I say immediately (months 3-4)
3. You can go to hell, now I’m giving up on this (exit or passivity).
He won’t stop, but maybe he won’t be as relentless about everything in the future and instead have fun trying to get back at D and make quick profits on the stock market?
Unfortunately, today our domestic politics in Sweden is only about new groups starting to redistribute to themselves instead, and previous groups that are now in opposition scream about threats to democracy.
Our taxes will continue to be party funds and no one is pursuing the right policies for the citizens.
In the USA, it is a threat to democracy to try to address “illegal immigrants,” who are individuals illegally in the country, and in Sweden, it is a threat to democracy that many organizations are no longer showered with yours and my tax money, which is not part of the core mission.
What have we done to deserve our fellow countrymen in the West is really the big question, and the countries that stick to a more old-school approach are doing much better.
But don’t forget that Russia is lurking in the shadows and constantly reinforcing all of this manifold.
Then my constant hobbyhorse – Africa is on a significant rise, I am following Angola and now investments are starting to take off there. If a Western country wants to become a Nordic Dubai, it should be at the forefront of having good trade relations with African countries.
I have my suspicions that it suits Trump well to have domestic chaos and then be fully occupied with Iran if Russia escalates, but his war rhetoric against Iran doesn’t quite fit in here.
We have previously said that he is basically just following the US line against China and Iran, but in the case of Russia, it is clear that he is appeasing Putin, and this has spilled over into the Ukraine conflict, which is bad for Europe so we oppose it. Biden and Sullivan weren’t good either but made it look a bit nicer.
Those 20,000 drone robots that Ukraine was supposed to get, for example, were sent to the MENA region instead.
Anyway, the Palestinian movement in the West has now become pro-Iran (to some extent) and does not like at all that the Iranian diaspora is demonstrating here to support Israel’s actions against Iran.
It becomes clear which groups Russia controls and our security services are surely taking notes.
The frog is always boiled slowly, but we are not in a summer of spontaneous chaos everywhere, it is Russia and China that have increased the pressure cooker a few notches according to their planning, and it is the USA that is meeting the challenge in the case of Iran. If you have read the posts, you knew this.
Those of us who have followed the Ukraine conflict know that Iran is a party to the war and a legitimate target, and they have caused havoc for Palestinians, Lebanese, Israelis, and Syrians for many years.
Not to mention their own citizens – women are tortured to death for showing their hair in that country 😐
The Iranian regime needs to be clipped, and Trump joining forces with Israel is one of the first positive things we’ve seen from McDonald’s Gandhi.
He will go down in history as one of the greater war presidents, but mostly because we are there in time now.
Ukraine continues to regress at the fronts, and Macron and Starmer have completely fallen silent, but Merz must have an enormously strong mandate because he is taking every unpopular position he can right now – against Russia, for Ukraine, for Israel, against Iran, and more.
If he survives the summer, may God the strong (the German 😶) be with him.
We have long described various situations – one of them is that our politicians in the West have mismanaged things for a long time and given Russia a golden opportunity to sow discord.
As the discussion is going on right now in the USA and in our domestic politics, one becomes a little frightened.
Yes – we in Europe and the USA have mismanaged things severely for a long time. The reason Iran is as it is is because the USA did not want an independent democracy there and struck the country long before the revolution.
Then Israel’s influence began to be a breeding ground for the Islamists and voila – today’s situation.
Same with Africa – our companies and governments have long wanted dictators to deal with because it’s easier, and democratically elected presidents who wanted to do the best for their countries ended up like Lumumba.
As some kind of independent intellectual, of which there are very few as almost everyone has an ideological or work situation that makes them support one side regardless of right or wrong, one must also look at both the current situation and in hindsight.
It’s a bit of a classic to either point to a historical event that fits – preferably cutting at the right time to benefit one’s own agenda, or just look at the current situation without any hindsight at all.
Do you hear Johan No.1 complaining that Iran retaliates against Israel at all?
No, you don’t because it’s now part of the war that started in MENA, and those who are now screaming about injustice either against Iran or Israel do so with an agenda – the laws of war apply.
What I believe characterizes independent debaters is that everyone is mad at them because from time to time they go against their core issues too 😀
No one can keep track of all injustices in the world and always end up right, but Sweden as a country is quite unique in its strong support for Islamism actually – we were the country with the most ISIS travelers in terms of citizens, and we are probably the country that has done the least about the returnees.
Even when the MENA countries themselves have grown tired and kicked out the Muslim Brotherhood, it’s quite strange that we continue to support them.
Although one considers oneself independent, one always has some roots somewhere and will always look after “one’s own house” first.
But if one “looks after one’s own house” and then doesn’t harm others – isn’t that okay, no one else looks out for my/our best interests?
Breaking it down on a micro level, if everyone goes to their jobs and behaves, and then there is a small tax for those who crash, then aren’t we pretty close to perfect?
Macro level – if we in Europe support Ukraine to a resounding victory, if Belarusian citizens regain their freedom, and if Russia is divided into a dozen new countries that Ukraine will have close contacts with and then we in Europe move towards what is sensible.
Then we have probably come a long way towards a better world.
First of all, we don’t need to silently accept Russian destabilization – doing nothing at all is just cowardly, not tolerant or brave.
But it needs to be proportionate.
Secondly, one cannot save all people or countries from themselves.
And thirdly, after all, one must still look after one’s own house first.
Somewhere there, one probably has a sensible line, but the USA has never followed that line at all, and Europe has been somewhat colonizing for hundreds of years, and now we are completely acquiescent when new world-threatening dictatorships emerge.
I’m not dumber than to understand that war is also good business and that there are those who have worked in the shadows to prolong the UA war.
And as a career politician, one is acutely allergic to sticking out one’s neck and supporting the unknown, so it became an attractive option to do nothing and sell weapons so it looked like something had been done.
Ukraine did not want this – they have tried to win as quickly as possible, and since a resounding victory is good for us, we wholeheartedly support them to their win.
Do a country’s citizens have a collective responsibility – that’s probably where it crashes with realpolitik, because not all citizens who deserve to walk away unscathed can survive without bruises.
Then we are back to my world-leading policy – for a policy for the majority society (the taxpaying group regardless of ethnicity), have other commitments proportionate, and fulfill the core mission. Some will always feel disadvantaged, but in a country like Sweden, everyone can become well-paid full-time working citizens and no one needs to become criminal.
And in the real world, decisions have consequences that one then owns when over 18 years old.
What Europe and the USA are beginning to understand now is that Russia, and then China, have actively worked to destabilize us since the late 90s. Our politicians have noticed it because doing right becomes like doing wrong in the subsequent domestic political storm.
We have gone through all kinds of movements – environmental, peace, and others who are always ready to go crazy on the streets for some new issue.
Then there are more subtle things because something Russia likes to do is to ensure that the West makes costly misinvestments.
An example is the Baltic states that are still testing mines and bunker models after three years.
Russia has various letter agencies whose state-prioritized function is to influence us in a direction favorable to them.
Disband the defense, ban various weapons, shut down electricity production, shut down agriculture, and if everything is worse than well-functioning, it’s okay.
I talked to a farmer the other day where I live about restoring wetlands, and he just scoffed – “we drained that once upon a time, madness.”
Another misallocation was when Hungary and Slovakia started placing orders for new equipment from Europe’s arms manufacturers to make the queue for new purchases as long as possible. The weapon producers are happy, and our governments are also happy.
Was it better during the Cold War, was it better during the interwar period, was it better before World War I?
How many democracies are there?
Right now, in Europe, we have slowly started to form something sensible, but it can quickly turn into overdoing everything, especially Germany has had a bit of a knack for sliding into something that hasn’t been great for Europe.
Then we have many obstacles – a political opposition that will vote down sensible proposals, bought parliamentarians who will be activated during critical votes to defeat proposals, and then the most dangerous –
Since probably the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia has been working to establish our gangs and criminal clans as our time’s Russian spies.
The gangs are the muscles they use for threats, and if you remember the gangs’ “honey traps” for the prison guards, that was quite clever – some suspicion that they got some help with the concept as it was apparently widespread.
In Russia, all letter agencies are working to destabilize the West – it’s good business because you make money from it, and it’s also good for your career, so they compete to be the worst, GRU, FSB, SVR, and more.
Finland has to some extent managed to block this as they have had two national traumas related to Russia in 1918 and 1939, and have lived in the shadow of Russia since then.
But in Sweden, we currently have 16,000 gang criminals with tens of thousands of hangers-on who are the muscles used for threats – does anyone think the bombings are just for fun or to silence police officers, judges, politicians, and officials?
Sometimes Russia pays to get their issues resolved.
The gangs receive weapons and drugs from Russia, as well as probably a lot of tips and help with infrastructure.
If you think a municipal politician or a member of parliament is immune to these, you are completely wrong.
The criminal clans are worse as they are like chameleons who have already integrated their unpunished members into the entire civil society.
They are also under the influence of a foreign power and are a greater threat than gang criminals as they can bring about changes.
For example, in the police force, you have seen how they first cleared out the old, mean police officers because they didn’t measure up to the standards of the 2020s.
Then they tried to recruit police trainees who reflect society at large, and the criminal clans have exploited this as much as they can to get their candidates in.
The other thing happening now is that the gangs target good police officers so that they eventually give up, and in the vacancy that arises, the police officer belonging to the criminal clan applies – and since no one else wants the job, he gets it, and it’s good for diversity.
Voila – a big problem.
An even bigger problem is that the threats and infiltration are such that the gangs and criminal clans now have such a good economy that they can start buying off the “facilitators.”
They are everywhere and impossible to reach – officials, municipal politicians, members of parliament, managers, police officers, lawyers, and so on, who are paid so well that they carry out the gangs’ and clans’ agendas.
Today, the gangs and clans control up to 90% of small businesses (perhaps immigrant-owned) to the extent that they are allowed to launder their money through them. There has been no shortage of warnings, but civil society has not acted. They have simply threatened the owners until they have accepted the setup – such as the bombings.
Then the means are legitimate, and a facilitator’s spouse receives numerous assignments for their company to give lectures for 2 million SEK per occasion, paid by a company where laundered money eventually ends up.
The tax authorities are satisfied because they receive their taxes, and the police or authorities have no way to tackle this.
And the facilitators carry out the gangs’ and criminal clans’ agendas.
How big is the problem?
Sometimes we get glimpses like when France cracked Encrochat and the police could see all the communication of the gangs and clans – every gang and clan with a bit of self-respect had a personal banker who laundered their money, gave them mortgages, and in other ways managed their finances. It was so widespread that the police realized they had greatly underestimated the problem.
Then everything dies down, and we move on.
Russia is such a big problem, and if Europe misses this opportunity that comes around every hundred years or so, then we have made a big mistake.
Currently, Ukraine is leading this, and Merz seems to have succeeded in cleaning up the ranks so Germany is behind, and we in Scandinavia have managed to unite, but that’s all for now.
And that’s not enough so far; we can thank the gods that the Ukrainian spirit is what it is because it has given us in Europe the time to start unraveling this mess we are swimming in.
We have had an eventful summer as predicted, and Iran is also decided.
What remains then is Russian escalation and whether China will make a move?
The Russian offensive is in full swing in Ukraine, and UA is actually retreating on all fronts now at the end of June.
Ukraine has been restrained in attacking sensitive Russian infrastructure for too long, and Trump has influenced Ukraine out of Kursk and a few other things – there is far too little talk about that even though we on the side guessed right again as usual.
The big question that must be answered is – do China, Russia, and Iran intend to escalate or de-escalate?
The second question is what impact Trump’s fluctuating positions have on the decisions.
1. Has Iran backed down or not?
2. What has China said on the matter?
3. Is Russia starting to slow down?
First question – Iran has responded to Israel and now risks getting the USA involved in the war. If Iran does not back down, is this part of the overarching strategy to involve the USA in the MENA region?
China has come out quite strongly regarding Iran and continues to speak out strongly against Taiwan.
Russia has started its summer offensive in Ukraine and has an extremely subversive operation in the West right now – influence and sabotage.
Arguably, we have crossed the line where this global conflict has become a self-playing piano and will not slow down – country after country will be drawn in?
The only thing that could possibly de-escalate is if Russia completely collapses because China probably needs Russia. But if this tough stance continues, it will escalate.
My money is probably on a Russian escalation not being far off between today and autumn.
However, Trump’s war rhetoric against Iran and Merz’s violent statements are significant steps in the right direction.
I don’t think Ukraine is listening to Trump anymore because if they were, they wouldn’t have fought the bomber aircraft, so for the first time during the whole war, Ukraine is not held back by the USA. Germany seems to be wholeheartedly stepping in to support Ukraine in a way we in Europe have not done before.
The only way for Russia is presumably to increase the level of violence a few notches; it’s the only thing they can do, and either it works or it fails. That’s how they have always done it.
Interesting and the prelude to our contemporary global conflict, or Russia collapses, and the balloon deflates.
If the USA attacks Iran, Russia would presumably be extremely dissatisfied – unless it is part of an overarching plan to involve the USA in the MENA region. But I find it hard to believe they would play along if the regime fell in this way – better to involve the USA by projecting a threat in that case?
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GLAD MIDSOMMAR!
AIn Soras interpretation of Swedish midsummer
Happy Midsummer, you started early 👍
Thank you for a great post! 👍
The Pakistan-India situation was resolved quickly, let’s hope that the Israel-Iran issue can also be resolved relatively quickly even though it is already at a more violent level.
The USA may need to deploy some bunker busters to be satisfied in the end. IF the goal really is to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, of course.
Israel may not have the capacity to take it too far and, for example, send in ground troops on a larger scale.
No ground troops, then Netanyahu will probably fall
The Russian losses in Ukraine:
SLAVA UKRAINI
A great midsummer speech
Russia has carried out an extensive drone attack on the city of Odesa in Ukraine tonight, according to the Ukrainian emergency services on Telegram. At least 13 people have been injured.
Israel has once again carried out a series of attacks against Iran tonight, several media outlets report. Over 60 aircraft are said to have been deployed to strike, among other targets, research centers and robot factories, according to the Israeli military. It is unclear if anyone has been injured in tonight’s attacks, but the Israeli attacks have claimed hundreds of lives in recent days.
If anyone thought it was over 😀
It would have been nice with a regime change to a pro-Ukrainian government, and for the robot factories to deliver to Ukraine instead of Russia. In the event Iran gets a new leadership, there will be a need for industry so that the population can live the life Johan describes – start a small family, take care of the garden, play badminton on Thursdays, and only pay a minimum of tax for services not provided by the local community.
“Over 5,000 children between the ages of six months and five years have received treatment for acute malnutrition in Gaza in May. This is reported by TT with reference to figures from Unicef. It is an increase of almost 50 percent compared to April.”
Not good
Good that they are receiving treatment. Is the help reaching them?
Good that Sweden supports UNICEF where the aid reaches the children.
AFU: “In total, 176 combat clashes took place during the past day.
Happy Midsummer and don’t forget to alternate water, the Russians are hiding in the reeds and waiting
👍 A good encouragement!
Thank you, every other water against the Russian devils ✊✊
Every other water with the Russians in the reeds?
You mean a drinking song, a gulp, a drinking song, a drowned Russian, a drinking song, a gulp, a drinking song, a dr…… etc.?
It’s just a damn mess!
Well, I guess one has to introduce something new now and then. Out with kubb and in with clubbing Russians.
Happy Midsummer (it will be the Goose Race as tradition dictates, so you can guess where I am)
Fire in the fireplace for a long time can help against moisture.
Speaking of fire, increasing fire attacks in Southern Slobozhansky (including Kharkiv). Otherwise high, slightly increasing in recent days overall, compared to a declining trend some time ago.
Happy Midsummer
NSlobozhansky Kursk 13💥↘️⏱️29, 28, ..
SSlobozhansky 12💥↗️⏱️8, 3, ..
Kupyansk 2⏱️2, 1, ..
Lyman 29💥💥↗️⏱️15, 7, ..
Siverskyi 4⏱️2, 3, ..
Kramatorsk 13💥⏱️15, 11, ..
Toretsk 20💥↗️⏱️15, 16, ..
Pokrovsk 52💥💥💥↗️⏱️48, 57, ..
Novopavlivka 17💥↘️⏱️20, 22, ..
Huliaypillia 1⏱️1, 2, ..
Orikhivsk 1⏱️1, 0, ..
Prydniprovsky 0⏱️0, 2, ..
Thank you! 👍
When I was at the liquor store last time, I spotted the beer: “Russian Imperial Stout” from Poppels brewery.
I immediately felt like smashing every bottle.
The interesting thing is that they don’t advertise it on their website.
I hope they have stopped production so that it’s a leftover stock they are trying to sell out.
Or maybe it’s popular among Sweden’s friends of Russia.
https://www.systembolaget.se/produkt/ol/poppels-bryggeri-3028503/
Basically, I support this but smashing bottles with alcohol inside Systembolaget is a bit like desecrating the Pope’s grave in the Vatican – I think heaven is closed after that
😂
Tone-deaf to name it that, but it is a Swedish manufacturer and not Russian, so I think it’s okay for it to be sold, it likely has nothing to do with that country. One could ask the brewery what they were thinking.
I could order a Moscow Mule because I know it has nothing to do with the Russian pack, it’s just a name. It’s an American drink after all.
It’s completely detached from reality! How can one market this after three years of one-sided war crimes? Not a Poppels after this, how I will manage without the state alcohol monopoly is still unclear….
Start a farm brewery?
After you have read through 140 pages of legal text and held a half-hour lecture, you get to sell 9 bottles of beer to a thirsty customer.
“After being informed about both the advantages and disadvantages of an attack on Fordow in Iran, President Donald Trump is convinced that the nuclear facility must be destroyed, according to several sources speaking to CBS News.
– He believes there isn’t much of a choice, says a source to the channel.
Trump is reportedly willing to involve the USA in the conflict if that is what it takes to take out Fordow, according to the reports.”
Ryssland har just av misstag erkänt sina enorma truppförluster i Ukraina. En högt uppsatt rysk tjänsteman bekräftade oavsiktligt de enorma förlusterna som Moskvas styrkor ådragit sig under sin fullskaliga invasion av Ukraina.
https://kyivindependent.com/russia-just-accidentally-admitted-to-its-staggering-troop-losses-in-ukraine
Ukraine must accept Moscow’s demands or ‘surrender,’ Russia’s ambassador to UK says. Russia’s ambassador to the United Kingdom, Andrei Kelin, said Russia is continuing its offensive and sees no need to stop hostilities, publicly acknowledging Moscow’s disregard for U.S.-backed ceasefire efforts.
https://kyivindependent.com/ukraine-must-accept-moscows-terms-or-surrender-russias-ambassador-to-uk-says
Sigh, that they have the energy!
Russia’s prison chief sentenced in absentia for torture chambers in Kherson Oblast.
[Arkady Gostev, head of Russia’s Federal Penitentiary Service] was found guilty of orchestrating the transformation of captured Ukrainian prisons into torture sites used to detain and brutalize members of the local resistance. The SBU said victims were subjected to “brutal torture” intended to break their will and force submission to the Kremlin rule. https://kyivindependent.com/russias-prison-chief-sentenced-in-absentia-for-torture-chambers-in-kherson-oblast/
“Some Russian prisoners refuse to be exchanged,— Deputy Justice Minister, Pikalov 🗣️ “First of all, this concerns mercenaries who are not citizens of Russia. They said that they have three meals a day here, paid work, medical support. But at home there was none of that.”
https://bsky.app/profile/maks23.bsky.social/post/3lrzgmkbkek24
Are the translations not working, or did you intentionally disable them? (Or do you need donations to buy tokens?)
Rescuers among the injured as Russia again targets civilians in Odesa and Kharkiv A collapsing structure wounded three firefighters in Odesa during intense operations to save residents.
Happy Midsummer to all of you – long cans and herring purchased, it will be a good day.
All ways to support Ukraine are good – drinking a long can for Ukraine is also very good so do your part.
Slightly legendary when Friday’s binge and Midsummer collide, like a new supernova when a star is born.
The old man should also do something fun today, he infiltrated from Kazakhstan the day before yesterday and has promised “a Midsummer fireworks like Hiroshima but bigger” whatever that may mean 😶
Just received a WhatsApp from Dengamle saying that he has infiltrated from Vladivostok, not Kazakhstan, and definitely not anywhere near Omsk 👍
😂
Great post today 👍
For a moment, I almost thought No-1 stood for one-liner 🤣 but today you showed what you can do.
“🤡 “Israel’s attack on Iran is the end of international law. Russia’s attack on Ukraine is the way it should be”, — Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Tolstoy.”
One wonders if they even believe in that shit themselves once
Update: 1 killed, 14 injured in ‘massive’ Russian drone attacks on Odesa. Russian forces struck residential buildings in Odesa overnight on June 20, killing a civilian and injuring at least 14 others, including three emergency workers, the Prosecutor General’s Office reported.
Thank you for an interesting post!
Happy Midsummer ☀️
🇩🇪 The conglomerate of German defense companies Diehl Defense and POLARIS is working on a project for a jet interceptor drone under the designation AirLAS, which will be able to carry one IRIS-T air-to-air missile.
https://x.com/heroiam_slava/status/1935961586461491334?s=46
johanno1: Ukraine has been restrained in attacking sensitive RU infrastructure for too long, and Trump has influenced Ukraine out of Kursk and a few other things.
Ukraine Confirms US Is Now Protecting Putin’s Oil Assets
Hours later, Ukraine’s First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko reinforced the message in a statement of her own.
“Some allies have asked us not to strike Russian energy infrastructure—even as Russia wages all-out war on ours: targeting power plants, oil and gas infrastructure, hydroelectric dams—every form of energy we rely upon.”
The comments provide the clearest public evidence to date that Kyiv has been operating under external pressure to avoid actions that could destabilize global energy markets, even as its own grid, heating infrastructure, and fuel reserves face repeated attacks.
https://kyivinsider.com/ukraine-confirms-us-is-now-protecting-putins-oil-assets/
What might be the reason for the fact that higher oil prices result in better profitability for American oil.
I believe it is more due to Trump’s and Putin’s good relationship, Trump has no relationship with countries, only their leaders, and everything depends on the first meeting, there is no deeper thought behind anything.
Happy Midsummer, 1st long can of Obolon down.
A thought I have regarding analyzing the events is that every country has some negotiable core issues that will determine when they back down and when they don’t. Iran wants nuclear weapons, Russia wants to control Ukraine, etc. As for China, I believe that besides wanting to control Taiwan, they also want to build their new Silk Road. The USA (& Korea, Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines) can actually deny China the export route and starve them. A trade route through Asia is also historically proven and for historical reasons, they believe they surely have the right to it.
My hypothesis being tested now is therefore that China will support the Iranian regime if they think they can win. Then the Silk Road is saved for now. Otherwise, they may choose to support Iran towards a good deal with the USA:
I believe this is a deal that Trump would gladly make – after all, they eventually want to isolate themselves in North America. With such a deal, the USA can bomb Iran and get it over with while China just watches from a distance.
They have already started the construction, not of one, but of several, they have probably anticipated an uncertain future so they want alternatives.
“Russia’s economy minister says the country is on ‘the brink of recession’”
https://apnews.com/article/russia-economy-recession-ukraine-conflict-9d105fd1ac8c28908839b01f7d300ebd
“Russia needs monetary policy changes to avert a recession, says economy minister”
https://www.reuters.com/markets/europe/russia-is-verge-going-into-recession-economy-minister-says-2025-06-19/
Two years ago, Midsummer was celebrated by checking the phone for the latest news about Prigozhin’s march towards Moscow.
Let’s hope we have a peaceful Midsummer so we can focus on herring and snaps. Can’t they declare a Midsummer peace just like the Christmas peace during WW1.
Happy Midsummer 😀
For my part, I wouldn’t mind if some other commander shows up marching towards Moscow, as long as he succeeds better than Prigge.
I can easily sacrifice herring and snaps for that!
Although a midsummer peace wouldn’t have been bad either, at least if it means that Ukraine gets rid of Shaheda and other scoundrels.
An interesting yellow wall today, with a lot to think about.
Regarding Finland’s Russian traumas, we probably have a few more.
One of the worst was the Great Wrath, 1713-21, when Peter the Great decided to depopulate 100km of Finland’s west coast to protect against the Swedes.
They ravaged, burned, and stole everything of value, raped, and took slaves. The congregations that had time sank the church bells and church silver in the sea, otherwise the Russians took them. Many farmers and farm women ended their days dragged through the oven or hung in the rafters by Cossack robbers looking for silverware or other valuables.
Genealogists in western Finland go back to around 1720, as the Russians burned churches and rectories with all the church books.
Those who lived on the west coast fled to Sweden, and those who didn’t have time fled to the woods. When they returned, everything was destroyed.
The Russians did as they always have.
Later, from 1742 to 1743, the Russians returned during what is called the Lesser Wrath.
Then it was relatively calm for 60 years until the war of 1808-9 when they came and ravaged again, just as we had rebuilt the country, but then the war was more soldier against soldier, even though the civilian population was of course plundered.
Interesting!👍
Sweden is not on the list of 13 EU countries that demand action from the Commission against GPS interference in the Baltic Sea, reports Expressen. Among others, Finland and Denmark propose a number of measures to strengthen the GPS system.
Israel claims to have killed a senior leader of the Mujahideen Brigades in Gaza. According to a statement from the Israeli military, Ali Saadi Wasfi Al-Ahga was killed in an attack on Monday. The military describes him as the organization’s top military commander and an expected successor to the organization’s top leader Asad Abu Sharia, who was killed by Israeli forces earlier this summer.
“Russia and Ukraine have initiated a new prisoner exchange, reports AFP. ‘A group of Russian officials have returned from territory controlled by Kyiv. In exchange, a group of Ukrainian prisoners of war have been handed over,’ stated a release from the Russian Ministry of Defense. The exact number of individuals handed over is not specified.”
Where is Friday’s binge drinking?
Happy midsummer everyone! Putin speaks plainly in St. Petersburg: https://x.com/silupescu/status/1936098967063814447
(Yes, the translation into Italian is correct, that’s what he’s saying – “Wherever a Russian soldier sets foot – (it is) ours”. But he looks quite nervous.)
Wherever a Russian soldier sets his foot.
He and his weapon shall turn into scrap metal!
“For we, we shall arm ourselves!”
Yes, he’s trying to look superior but it’s not working. What is it they say: he is a prey to conflicting emotions.
He is very flaky, isn’t he?
This thing with meat and lobster for soldiers was something new to me. Sometimes some kind of rumor/interpretation arises in the moment that spreads and becomes some kind of truth. But here is a YouTube video on the subject that at least is not newly created. [Link to YouTube video: https://youtu.be/QOcRGc0JY5M%5D
I have seen several posts saying that it was part of the 250th anniversary celebration of their armed forces.