- 6/6/2025
Alexander Mercouris unpacks Moscow’s sharp response to U.S. denials of involvement in recent Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian territory. 🇷🇺💥 While Washington pleads ignorance, the Kremlin isn’t buying it — instead, placing direct blame on the UK for coordinating behind the scenes. As tensions escalate, Russia signals strong retaliation may be imminent. Is the West pushing the red line too far? A must-watch deep dive into the unfolding geopolitical storm. 🌍🧠
#AlexanderMercouris #RussiaUkraine #DroneAttacks #USDenial #UKInvolvement #Geopolitics #MoscowResponse #RetaliationComing #UkraineCrisis #RussiaBlamesUK #WesternNarratives #ProxyWar #TheDuran #GlobalTensions #KremlinStatement #MilitaryEscalation #NATOInvolvement #UKRussiaTensions #WarUpdate #WorldPolitics
#AlexanderMercouris #RussiaUkraine #DroneAttacks #USDenial #UKInvolvement #Geopolitics #MoscowResponse #RetaliationComing #UkraineCrisis #RussiaBlamesUK #WesternNarratives #ProxyWar #TheDuran #GlobalTensions #KremlinStatement #MilitaryEscalation #NATOInvolvement #UKRussiaTensions #WarUpdate #WorldPolitics
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NewsTranscript
00:00Good day. Today is Friday 6th June 2025. May I first begin this programme by apologising, giving my apologies for the late publication of yesterday's programme and I'm afraid today's programme is also going to be rather short.
00:17The reason is that this conference that I'm attending is proving absolutely absorbing and very, very interesting. We are, I think it's fair to say, often overriding in our times. Timetables are therefore very tight. That reduces the amount of time available to do programmes and I'm afraid it also occasionally, as happened yesterday, affects their public publication.
00:46I can only apologise for this. I will be back in London on Sunday and we will have normal service then and for the rest of the summer thereafter.
00:58So, let's now turn to the events of the last 24 hours and, well, I think to some extent a lot of the events that we've seen over these last 24 hours play out from the events of the previous days.
01:17The first thing to say is that over the course of last night, Russia conducted another massive combined drone and bombing strike across Ukraine.
01:32And, importantly, I believe that seven Tupel F-95 strategic bombers participated, launching Kh-101 cruise missiles and it seems that some Tupel F-22M3s were involved also and that this strike was enormous and it extended across Ukraine.
01:57Now, almost certainly, in fact, this is not a retaliatory strike to the drone attack on the Russian airbases that took place a few days ago.
02:17So, that drone attack on those airbases happened too soon, happened only a relatively short time ago.
02:31So, these major missile and drone strikes that the Russians conduct every so often have to be prepared carefully in advance, the targets have to be selected, the missiles and the drones have to be programmed,
02:53the bomber, the crews of the bombers have to be briefed and prepared and the aircraft and the missiles need to be deployed to the particular airfields.
03:10So, this particular strike, almost certainly, has been in preparation for several weeks.
03:19Inevitably, this is so, with any military operation on that sort of scale.
03:28However, it is relevant in terms of understanding the attacks on the Russian bases.
03:36Because, despite some claims, the fact that the Russians were able to conduct this bomb and missile strike right across Ukraine shows that whatever it was that that attack on the Russian bomber bases achieved,
03:56it did not affect, in any significant way, Russia's ability to conduct these strikes on Ukraine.
04:03And, in fact, as I pointed out, when I did my programme discussing the Ukrainian attacks on the Russian airbases,
04:15the Russians never operate more than about seven Tupolev-95 bombers in any one particular strike.
04:25And the attack on the strategic bomber bases is not going to have deprived the Russians of enough bombers to continue to conduct these strikes.
04:43Now, I should say, however, that we have had more and more information about what that Ukrainian drone strike actually achieved.
04:56There's been a report in the United States that the US intelligence community has concluded that perhaps 10 bombers were hit by Ukrainian drones.
05:09Sorry, 20 bombers were hit by Ukrainian drones, but only about 10 were destroyed.
05:16So that even according to this view, the American view, the damage to the Russian strategic bomber force was more limited than the Ukrainians claimed.
05:33And there is still a viable strategic bomber force.
05:37That's what we are reading in the United States.
05:44Others, however, are now telling a different story.
05:48They're suggesting that the drone attack on the strategic basis did much less damage than the damage that the Americans are saying.
05:58So Simplicius, the thinker, has done a long piece about this.
06:05He's shown some of the photographs, the satellite photographs, that purport to show damage to particular bombers on runways.
06:14He says, and no doubt he's right, that some of these photographs appear to show signs of manipulation.
06:25And it's likely that the number of bombers destroyed was actually significantly less, less than even some of these satellite photos, which have been circulating recently, have given us reasons to believe.
06:42And apparently, this is also increasingly being said in Ukraine as well.
06:48Now, yesterday, I mentioned the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, Sergei Ryabkov, who made some comments about the Ukrainian attack on the Russian bomber basis.
07:01I've now had a better opportunity to study his comments.
07:05And I think it's quite clear from what he's saying, that though, what he's basically saying is that though some bombers were damaged, none were actually destroyed beyond repair.
07:21Now, is any of this true?
07:23Who is telling the truth here?
07:25I'm obviously not in a position to say.
07:28If we're talking about satellite photos, I can barely see them, and I'm certainly not the person to try to guess or second guess what they mean.
07:39But my growing feeling, my growing sense, is that this drone attack did do relatively little damage.
07:48For the moment, I'm going to stick with the reports that I saw, that just three Tupolev-95 bombers were destroyed beyond repair.
08:00It could be that Ryabkov is telling the truth, or it could have been that it was a few more.
08:05But this attack that the Russians have just carried out shows that not only is the bombing fleet still viable, the bomber fleet still viable,
08:17but that the Ukrainian attack has failed to prevent the Russians from carrying out an attack that they were already preparing and working towards.
08:33And it seems to me that that is the most important thing of all.
08:37It suggests that this drone attack was not even able to disrupt Russia's plans, let alone achieve the dramatic results that some people in the West believe.
08:55Anyway, as to the nature of the attack that the Russians did, and the extent of the damage,
09:05well, the Russian Ministry of Defence has provided significant information,
09:10and there's all sorts of pictures and photographs that are appearing all over the Russian part of the Internet,
09:17showing big plumes of explosions and all of that kind of thing.
09:21It's perhaps important to say this, we have become very accustomed to treating these massive Russian bombing strikes on Ukraine
09:32as matters of routine.
09:36But in terms of total damage done,
09:42I have absolutely no doubt that the Russians did a lot more damage to Ukraine last night
09:50than the Ukrainians were able to do in their various drone attacks on Russia,
09:59including the drone attack on the Russian strategic bomber basis.
10:05I think this is an important point, and I think this is one that gets consistently overlooked.
10:11We are not comparing like with like here.
10:15So, anyway, that's the first thing I wanted to say.
10:18In terms of the military situation, we are indeed getting more news all of the time.
10:24And as I discussed briefly in my programmes yesterday,
10:29we're getting reports of further Russian advances across the entire front lines.
10:35So, it seems that in the Sumi region,
10:39the Russians have now captured an important village called, I believe, Yablonevka.
10:44There is still fighting going on in Yunarkovka,
10:51the heavily fortified strategic village that the Ukrainians control
10:57and from which they launched their attack on Suzy and Korsk region.
11:04The Russians are continuing to expand their control in Sumi region.
11:10And Ukrainian reports speak of an atmosphere of collapse
11:16and despair on the part of the Ukrainian defenders in Sumi region,
11:24that they're outmatched by the Russians,
11:26that the Russians are able to capture territory with minimal effort.
11:30So, Mariana Bezuglaya, the Ukrainian MP,
11:34has been speaking about a very, very dark situation for the Ukrainians in Sumi region.
11:41There are reports that the city of Sumi itself may have to be evacuated.
11:47The entire population is being prepared,
11:50readied for evacuation from Sumi city.
11:54And, well, there's a lot of discussion that you find about a very large forest
12:02that lies beyond Yunarkovka.
12:05But, as I discussed in previous programmes,
12:09it looks as if the Russians are in a strong position to bypass that forest
12:15and move on the city of Sumi from the north.
12:19And it's not obvious at the moment that the Ukrainians are able to resist the Russians there.
12:26Now, there are even some reports from the Ukrainians
12:32now speaking about the whole of Sumi region being in the process of being lost.
12:40And there are also some reports from the Russian side
12:44speaking of the whole of Sumi region being soon ready for complete capture.
12:54Now, this collapse that we are seeing on the part of the Ukrainians in Sumi region
13:00is the result of an offensive conducted by a group of forces north,
13:05which is still dividing its forces between Sumi region,
13:12Kursk, Belgorod regions, and Kharkov region,
13:16where it is now expanding gradually the territory it controls
13:21around the important city of Volchansk.
13:26So, Russian forces are not overwhelming in size in this part of the contact line.
13:39And despite that, they are still succeeding in making very significant progress.
13:45And if it is true that one of the great big reserve armies
13:51is located precisely in this very area in northern,
13:59around the northern front lines,
14:01and is being readied for commitment
14:04to the front lines at some point in the summer,
14:10well, we could see Russian forces in Sumi region
14:18increase by multiple folds,
14:21maybe five or six folds.
14:25And given that the city of Sumi itself
14:28lies on the main road to Kiev,
14:31it is not impossible,
14:33if things continue the way they are,
14:36that we could see the Russian army
14:37on the gates, outside the gates of Kiev,
14:41again, perhaps by the end of the year.
14:43Now, there are reports circulating in Russia
14:48over the last 24 hours
14:49that the Russian objective is to gain control
14:54of the whole of Ukrainian territory
14:57east of the Dnieper by the end of this year.
15:01That would include the cities of Kharkov, Sumi,
15:07Czernigov, and Poltava,
15:11as well as, obviously, Zaporozhye,
15:16that part of the city of Dnieper,
15:20which is on the east bank,
15:22and, of course, the Donbass cities,
15:24Slavyansk, Kramatorsk, Konstantinovka, and Pokrovsk.
15:29It sounds like a tall order,
15:33but bear in mind that the Russians
15:36are now up against what might be considered
15:39the strongest part of the Ukrainian defence lines.
15:43If these last big remaining defence lines fall,
15:51then, conceivably, the Russians could reach
15:53the Dnieper in all of these places.
15:56And the Russians are also talking about
16:01possibly doing an operation,
16:05crossing the Dnieper River itself,
16:07maybe in the late summer of this year,
16:10to retake the city of Kherson.
16:13Apparently, there is very few,
16:16there are very few Ukrainian troops now
16:18guarding Kherson city itself,
16:21just as there are very few Ukrainian troops
16:26in Sumi region,
16:28and those, apparently,
16:30no longer elite troops.
16:32All of this is the product
16:35of the immense stretching
16:38of the Ukrainian forces,
16:40the shortages of men and equipment
16:42that they apparently have.
16:43Now, you know,
16:45let's not move too far ahead.
16:47I suspect
16:48that at some point,
16:52Zelensky and Sirsky
16:54are going to cobble together
16:55forces to try to hold the Russians back
16:58in Sumi region.
17:00They will no doubt have to take them
17:03away from other parts
17:05of the front lines,
17:06and that will enable the Russians
17:08to make further advances
17:10in other places.
17:13One of the reasons
17:13for the Ukrainian collapse
17:15in Sumi region
17:16is because the Ukrainians
17:19had to transfer troops,
17:21apparently, from Sumi region
17:22to prevent a collapse
17:24around Konstantinovka
17:26and Pokrovsk.
17:29So, we can already see
17:31the cumulative effects
17:33of attrition,
17:34and attrition
17:36is starting
17:37to weigh
17:38the Ukrainians down.
17:42One can see this, in fact,
17:44right across the front lines.
17:45This morning,
17:46there were reports
17:47that the Ukrainians
17:48have been driven out
17:49of an important fortified position
17:52in southwestern Donbass
17:54called Komar,
17:55another position
17:57which, if it falls
17:58to the Russians,
18:00will enable the Russians
18:01to advance further
18:02towards the Dnieper,
18:04in the southern Donbass area,
18:09and there's been
18:10further reports
18:11of more Russian breakthroughs
18:14in the Liman area,
18:16and of the Ukrainian positions there,
18:19further weakening,
18:21and of the Russians
18:22preparing an assault
18:23on the fortified town
18:26of Siversk,
18:27one which could start
18:29within a couple of days,
18:30maybe,
18:30and there are also reports
18:33of further Russian advances
18:35north of Chasov-Yar,
18:37and of the Russians
18:39gradually breaking
18:42further Ukrainian defences
18:44around Konstantinovka,
18:46putting themselves
18:47in a position
18:48where they will be able
18:49to attack Konstantinovka,
18:50apparently from three directions,
18:53from the south,
18:55the east,
18:57and the west simultaneously,
19:00as the Russians like to do
19:02when they are seeking
19:04to capture
19:05an important town.
19:07They like to attack
19:08from three different directions
19:10after first having cut off
19:12the supply lines.
19:14So, anyway,
19:14this is my short review,
19:16if you like,
19:17of the state
19:17on the battlefields,
19:19and there doesn't seem
19:21to be any real indication
19:24or plan
19:25or idea
19:26in the west
19:27about what to do.
19:30Now,
19:30Donald Trump
19:31had his
19:33telephone conversation
19:35with President Putin
19:37of Russia
19:38that I've discussed
19:40in my previous
19:41two programmes.
19:43Thinking hard
19:44about this conversation,
19:46I've come to the view
19:47that what probably
19:48instigated it
19:49was a very,
19:51very alarmist,
19:53alarmist,
19:54concerned
19:55and alarmed
19:57statement
19:58by Donald Trump's
20:00first national security
20:02advisor,
20:02General Flynn,
20:04basically complaining
20:05that the Ukrainians
20:07have got completely
20:08out of control
20:09and that the attack
20:11on the drone attack
20:12on the strategic
20:13bomber bases
20:14violated
20:16fundamental
20:18agreements
20:19reached between
20:20the United States
20:21and the Soviet Union
20:22during the Cold War
20:24and brought
20:25the United States
20:26closer to the point
20:27of a nuclear
20:29confrontation
20:29with Russia.
20:32General Flynn
20:33probably
20:34still receives
20:36high-level
20:37intelligence
20:38as a former
20:40member of the
20:40Defence
20:41Intelligence
20:42Agency
20:43and as
20:45a former
20:45national security
20:47advisor.
20:48He did
20:49have
20:50a conviction
20:52but he was
20:54pardoned
20:55by Donald Trump
20:56during his
20:57first term
20:58and I
21:00suspect
21:00that his
21:02access to
21:03intelligence
21:04has been
21:04quietly
21:05reinstated
21:05and I
21:07suspect
21:07that he
21:08and Trump
21:09still have
21:10some
21:11contacts
21:13between
21:15them
21:16and I
21:17suspect
21:17that Trump
21:18is aware
21:18of the
21:19kind of
21:20advice
21:20that Flynn
21:21is providing.
21:23and
21:24as I
21:25said
21:25it was
21:26a very
21:26interesting
21:28and
21:29concerned
21:29statement
21:30that Flynn
21:31made
21:31and I
21:32think
21:32that Trump
21:33was alarmed
21:34about it
21:35and I
21:36think
21:36his
21:36decision
21:37to
21:37telephone
21:37Putin
21:38was
21:39basically
21:39an
21:40attempt
21:41to try
21:41to assuage
21:42Putin
21:43who he
21:44thought
21:46might
21:46react
21:47in
21:49extremely
21:50dangerous
21:51ways
21:51escalating
21:53the
21:53situation
21:54and
21:55that
21:56one
21:56of the
21:57purposes
21:57of the
21:58call
21:58was
21:59for
21:59Trump
21:59to
21:59try
22:00to
22:00assure
22:00Putin
22:01that
22:02the
22:02United
22:03States
22:03and
22:04Trump
22:05personally
22:06were not
22:07involved
22:08in the
22:09Ukrainian
22:09drone
22:10attack
22:10I
22:11doubt
22:11by the
22:12way
22:12just to
22:12say
22:13that
22:13Putin
22:13would
22:14have
22:14completely
22:14believed
22:15Trump
22:15about
22:16this
22:16but
22:17my
22:18own
22:18sense
22:18is
22:19that
22:19Putin
22:19is
22:19more
22:20focused
22:20on
22:20other
22:21things
22:21as I
22:22discussed
22:22in my
22:23previous
22:23programmes
22:24my
22:24last
22:24two
22:24programmes
22:25I
22:26think
22:26that
22:26Putin
22:27is
22:27now
22:27seriously
22:28considering
22:29upgrading
22:30a special
22:30military
22:31operation
22:32to an
22:32anti-terrorist
22:33operation
22:34he's
22:35spoken
22:35about
22:36the
22:38Ukrainian
22:38government
22:39gradually
22:40becoming
22:41a terrorist
22:42organisation
22:43his aide
22:46Yuri
22:46Ushakov
22:47has said
22:48that the
22:48Ukrainian
22:49government
22:49essentially
22:51is a
22:52terrorist
22:53organisation
22:54and a
22:56Russian
22:57official
22:58a Russian
22:59senator
23:00a member
23:01of the
23:01upper
23:01house
23:02of the
23:04Russian
23:05parliament
23:05has now
23:06actually gone
23:07further
23:07and has
23:08actually said
23:09that Ukraine
23:11is a
23:13terrorist
23:14organisation
23:14it is
23:15in fact
23:16Andrei
23:17Klishas
23:17and he
23:18says
23:18that
23:18Zelensky
23:19this is
23:20a quote
23:20Zelensky's
23:21regime
23:21bears all
23:22the
23:22hallmarks
23:23of a
23:24terrorist
23:24organisation
23:25and
23:27its
23:27official
23:28designation
23:30as
23:31such
23:32is merely
23:33a matter
23:34of
23:35time
23:36and to
23:37repeat
23:38again
23:38if
23:39Ukraine
23:41is
23:41designated
23:42by the
23:43Russian
23:43authorities
23:44the Russian
23:45Ukrainian
23:45government
23:46is designated
23:47by the
23:47Russian
23:48authorities
23:48a terrorist
23:50organisation
23:51that
23:52brings
23:52all
23:53negotiations
23:54with it
23:54effectively
23:55to stop
23:56and it
23:57would almost
23:58inevitably
23:59lead to
23:59a major
24:00upgrade
24:00of the
24:01SMO
24:03Now I
24:04am aware
24:04that there
24:06is a
24:06view
24:06that has
24:07been
24:07expressed
24:08that
24:10this
24:11discussion
24:13of
24:14the
24:14Ukrainian
24:15government
24:16as a
24:16terrorist
24:16organisation
24:17is
24:19an attempt
24:19by Putin
24:20to
24:21actually
24:22lower
24:22rather
24:24than
24:24raise
24:25the
24:25temperature
24:26that
24:27it
24:28enables
24:28Putin
24:29to
24:30avoid
24:30treating
24:31the
24:32drone
24:33attack
24:34on
24:34the
24:34air
24:34bases
24:35as
24:35an
24:36act
24:36of
24:36war
24:36which
24:38for
24:39some
24:39unexplained
24:40reason
24:40Putin
24:41doesn't
24:42want
24:43to do
24:43and
24:45that
24:45therefore
24:47enables
24:48Putin
24:48not
24:49to
24:49move
24:50forward
24:51immediately
24:51to
24:52retaliation
24:53with
24:54Oreshnik
24:55missiles
24:56which
24:57he
24:57might
24:58in
24:59fact
24:59have
25:00been
25:00considering
25:01doing
25:01and
25:03that
25:03it
25:03therefore
25:04amounts
25:05to
25:05almost
25:06if you
25:06like
25:07a
25:07moderate
25:08a
25:08relatively
25:09moderate
25:09step
25:10I
25:11don't
25:11myself
25:12agree
25:12with
25:13this
25:13view
25:14at
25:14all
25:15I
25:15think
25:16anybody
25:16who's
25:16followed
25:17Vladimir
25:17Putin's
25:18career
25:18from
25:19the
25:19moment
25:20when
25:20Boris
25:21Yeltsin
25:22appointed
25:22him
25:22acting
25:23Prime
25:23Minister
25:24of
25:24Russia
25:25in
25:25the
25:26summer
25:26of
25:261999
25:27in
25:28the
25:28middle
25:28of
25:29a
25:30terrorist
25:30campaign
25:31directed
25:32against
25:33Russia
25:33by
25:34jihadi
25:35terrorists
25:35and
25:37has
25:37followed
25:38Putin's
25:38career
25:39ever
25:39since
25:40then
25:40they
25:42will
25:42know
25:42that
25:43Putin
25:43does
25:44not
25:44use
25:44the
25:44word
25:45terrorist
25:45lightly
25:46as
25:47far
25:47as
25:47I
25:47am
25:48concerned
25:48this
25:50on
25:51the
25:51contrary
25:51would
25:53be
25:53a
25:53very
25:53significant
25:55upgrade
25:56of
25:57their
25:57special
25:58military
25:58operation
25:59indeed
26:00and
26:02at
26:02the
26:02very
26:03least
26:03it
26:04would
26:04enable
26:05the
26:05Russians
26:06to
26:07start
26:07directly
26:09targeting
26:10the
26:11most
26:11senior
26:12Ukrainian
26:13officials
26:14including
26:15political
26:16officials
26:16including
26:17Zelensky
26:18and
26:18Yermak
26:19and
26:19Podolyak
26:20and
26:21all
26:21of
26:22the
26:22others
26:22which
26:23up
26:24to
26:24now
26:24the
26:25Russians
26:26have
26:26not
26:27done
26:28I
26:28think
26:29that
26:29there
26:29are
26:29legal
26:30barriers
26:30to
26:30doing
26:31that
26:31in
26:31Russia
26:32I
26:33think
26:33that
26:33upgrading
26:34it
26:35upgrading
26:35the
26:36SMO
26:36to
26:36an
26:36anti-terrorist
26:37operation
26:38would
26:39lift
26:39them
26:39and
26:40of
26:40course
26:41Putin
26:42also
26:43made
26:43strong
26:44warnings
26:44gave
26:45very
26:45strong
26:45warnings
26:46that
26:46some
26:47of
26:47Ukraine's
26:48Western
26:48backers
26:49are
26:49accessories
26:50in
26:51these
26:52acts
26:52and
26:53again
26:54I
26:55said
26:56that
26:56I've
26:57discussed
26:57in my
26:57programmes
26:58my
26:58very
26:59real
26:59concerns
27:00that
27:00Britain
27:01has
27:01been
27:02involved
27:02in
27:02some
27:03ways
27:03in
27:04all
27:04of
27:04these
27:04operations
27:05and
27:06the
27:06Russians
27:06now
27:07have
27:07made
27:08it
27:08pretty
27:08obvious
27:09that
27:09that
27:09is
27:09indeed
27:10what
27:10they
27:10believe
27:11and
27:12they're
27:12starting
27:12to
27:13take
27:13and I
27:14stress
27:14starting
27:15to
27:16take
27:16retaliatory
27:17action
27:18against
27:18Britain
27:19they've
27:20now
27:20banned
27:21the
27:22British
27:23Council
27:23from
27:24Russia
27:25something
27:25which
27:26the
27:27Russian
27:27security
27:28services
27:29have been
27:29aching to
27:30do for
27:31years
27:31by the
27:31way
27:32but
27:32it's
27:32now
27:33finally
27:33been
27:33done
27:34perhaps
27:35that's
27:37almost
27:37a
27:37minimal
27:38minimal
27:39step
27:39but
27:40the
27:40Russians
27:41are
27:41doing
27:41something
27:41else
27:42which
27:43is
27:43that
27:43they
27:44are
27:44now
27:44issuing
27:45public
27:47warnings
27:47to
27:48as
27:49they
27:49say
27:49friendly
27:50countries
27:51not
27:52to
27:52host
27:52the
27:53British
27:53Council
27:54they're
27:55telling
27:56friendly
27:56countries
27:57that
27:57the
27:57British
27:58Council
27:58is
28:00an
28:01intelligence
28:02gathering
28:03organisation
28:04of the
28:04British
28:05intelligence
28:05services
28:06somebody
28:07by the
28:07way
28:07who's
28:08had
28:08contacts
28:08with
28:09the
28:09British
28:09Council
28:10in a
28:10number
28:10of
28:11places
28:11I
28:13would
28:14immediately
28:15say
28:15that
28:16some
28:16of the
28:16people
28:16that
28:17I
28:17met
28:17there
28:18working
28:19for
28:19the
28:19British
28:19Council
28:20struck
28:20me
28:20as
28:21being
28:21both
28:22very
28:23capable
28:23and
28:25very
28:25sincere
28:26about
28:27what
28:27they
28:27were
28:27doing
28:28but
28:29if
28:31there
28:32are
28:32other
28:32people
28:33working
28:33in the
28:34British
28:34Council
28:35who
28:36do
28:36not
28:37act
28:37with
28:38good
28:38face
28:39well
28:40I
28:41can't
28:41say
28:42that
28:42I
28:42know
28:42about
28:43it
28:43but
28:44neither
28:44would
28:45it
28:45surprise
28:45me
28:46just
28:46to
28:46say
28:47but
28:47anyway
28:47lots
28:48of
28:48things
28:48like
28:49that
28:49appear
28:49to be
28:50going
28:50on
28:50and
28:50I
28:51suspect
28:51that
28:51over
28:52the
28:52next
28:52couple
28:53of
28:53months
28:53we're
28:54going
28:54to
28:54start
28:54to
28:55see
28:55a
28:55major
28:55Russian
28:56influence
28:57campaign
28:58with
28:59friendly
29:00countries
29:00China
29:01India
29:01who
29:02knows
29:02Malaysia
29:03Saudi
29:04Arabia
29:04whatever
29:05to
29:06start
29:06to
29:06cut
29:07back
29:07contacts
29:09with
29:10Britain
29:10because
29:11of the
29:12sort
29:12of
29:12things
29:12that
29:13Britain
29:13has
29:14been
29:15up
29:15to
29:15so
29:16just
29:17saying
29:17so
29:18anyway
29:20coming
29:21back
29:21to
29:21Trump
29:22I
29:22think
29:23that
29:23was
29:23his
29:24purpose
29:24to
29:25reassure
29:25the
29:26Russians
29:27that
29:28he
29:28was
29:28not
29:28that
29:31he
29:31was
29:31not
29:31involved
29:33personally
29:34in the
29:34drone
29:34attacks
29:35on the
29:36bases
29:36and
29:37of
29:37course
29:37we
29:39have
29:39no
29:39more
29:39of
29:39the
29:40language
29:40about
29:41crazy
29:41Putin
29:42and
29:43all
29:43of
29:43that
29:43that
29:43we
29:43had
29:44just
29:44a
29:44week
29:44ago
29:45and
29:46my
29:46own
29:46sense
29:47is
29:47that
29:47Trump
29:48for
29:48the
29:48moment
29:48at
29:49least
29:49has
29:50probably
29:50made
29:51the
29:51decision
29:51that
29:52he's
29:53not
29:53going
29:53to
29:53support
29:54further
29:55sanctions
29:55against
29:56Russia
29:56that
29:57he's
29:57going
29:57to
29:57try
29:57and
29:58bear
29:58down
29:58on
29:59Zelensky
30:00to
30:00the
30:01extent
30:01that
30:01he
30:01can
30:02both
30:03to
30:03keep
30:03Zelensky
30:04in
30:04the
30:04negotiating
30:05process
30:06with
30:06the
30:06Russians
30:07and
30:08also
30:09to
30:09try
30:10to
30:10the
30:10extent
30:11that
30:11he
30:11can
30:12to
30:12prevent
30:12the
30:13Ukrainians
30:13from
30:14carrying
30:14out
30:14more
30:14attacks
30:15inside
30:16Russia
30:17of the
30:18sort
30:18that
30:19they
30:19have
30:19been
30:19doing
30:20the
30:20Ukrainians
30:21have
30:21been
30:21making
30:21defiant
30:22statements
30:23about
30:23this
30:23they've
30:24been
30:24saying
30:24that
30:25so
30:25long
30:25as
30:26Russia
30:26continues
30:27its
30:28war
30:29against
30:29them
30:30they
30:31feel
30:31that
30:32they're
30:32entitled
30:32to
30:33attack
30:34the
30:35Russian
30:36military
30:36anywhere
30:37and
30:38everywhere
30:39that it
30:40is
30:40located
30:41now
30:42one can
30:43perhaps
30:44understand
30:45the logic
30:46of that
30:47from
30:48from
30:48from a
30:48Ukrainian
30:48point
30:49of
30:49view
30:49but
30:50of
30:50course
30:51here
30:52we
30:52see
30:53how
30:54open
30:54ended
30:55support
30:56for
30:57Ukraine
30:57cuts
30:59against
30:59the
31:00security
31:01interests
31:02of the
31:03United
31:03States
31:04what
31:05Trump
31:06or the
31:07Americans
31:07are going
31:08to be
31:08prepared
31:09to do
31:09about
31:10all of
31:10this
31:11I'm
31:12not
31:12absolutely
31:13sure
31:13no
31:15previous
31:15administration
31:16has ever
31:17exerted
31:18itself
31:18in any
31:19serious
31:19way
31:20to
31:20restrain
31:20the
31:21Ukrainians
31:21at all
31:22I don't
31:24know
31:24whether
31:25the
31:25Trump
31:25administration
31:26will
31:26or whether
31:28it even
31:29can
31:29but
31:30anyway
31:31for the
31:31moment
31:32it seems
31:33that the
31:33administration
31:35is backing
31:36away
31:36from
31:37sanctions
31:38Marco
31:39Rubio
31:39delivered a
31:40very interesting
31:41speech
31:41in which
31:42he spoke
31:43in effect
31:43about the
31:44limits of
31:44American
31:45power
31:45he spoke
31:46about wrong
31:47decisions
31:48made by the
31:48United States
31:49over many
31:50years
31:50by opening
31:52up the
31:53US economy
31:54to the
31:54import of
31:55goods
31:55from outside
31:57that this
31:57not only
31:58had an
31:59effect
32:00on the
32:01US
32:01economy
32:02hollowing
32:03it out
32:03but that
32:04it restrained
32:05it limited
32:06American
32:07freedom of
32:08action
32:09in a
32:10diplomatic
32:11military
32:12sense
32:12as well
32:13and you
32:14could argue
32:15that this
32:16is a
32:16veiled
32:16criticism
32:17of the
32:18plan
32:19to impose
32:20500%
32:21tariffs
32:22on China
32:23if
32:24China
32:25continues
32:26to import
32:27Russian
32:28oil
32:28so
32:29anyway
32:30that's
32:31I have to
32:32say how
32:32it rather
32:33looked to
32:34me
32:34Rubio
32:35is
32:36extremely
32:37clever
32:37in
32:38riding
32:39two
32:39horses
32:39at once
32:40and it
32:41seems
32:41that this
32:42has been
32:42what he's
32:42been doing
32:43for some
32:43time
32:44but it
32:45does
32:45suggest
32:45that perhaps
32:46within the
32:47administration
32:48for the
32:48moment
32:49maybe
32:50after the
32:51attack
32:51on the
32:52air bases
32:53the
32:54balance
32:55of
32:56argument
32:57of discussion
32:58within
32:59the White
33:00House
33:00has tilted
33:02again
33:02back
33:03towards
33:03restraint
33:04now
33:05that then
33:06brings me
33:06to
33:07Merz's
33:07visit
33:07to
33:08Washington
33:09and
33:10Merz
33:10had his
33:11meeting
33:11with
33:11Trump
33:12barely
33:13anybody
33:14turned up
33:14to meet
33:15him
33:15at the
33:16airport
33:16when his
33:17plane
33:17arrived
33:18no
33:18senior
33:19official
33:20at least
33:20came
33:21which
33:22many
33:22I think
33:23correctly
33:23by the
33:24way
33:24are
33:25interpreting
33:25as a
33:26snub
33:26the
33:27German
33:28media
33:28are saying
33:29that he
33:29survived
33:30the
33:30meeting
33:30with
33:31Trump
33:31in
33:32the
33:32Oval
33:33Office
33:33where he
33:34survived
33:35in the
33:35sense
33:35that there
33:36wasn't
33:36an open
33:37quarrel
33:38as there
33:38was
33:39when
33:40Zelensky
33:40arrived
33:41but
33:42I don't
33:44think one
33:44can say
33:45much
33:45more than
33:46that
33:46I got
33:49the sense
33:50that
33:50Trump
33:51was not
33:52keen
33:53on going
33:54down the
33:55sanctions
33:55route
33:55with
33:56Russia
33:56which is
33:57what
33:57Merz
33:57was trying
33:58to push
33:59him
33:59towards
34:00doing
34:00and
34:01given
34:01the
34:02mood
34:02in
34:02Washington
34:03at the
34:03moment
34:04I think
34:04that at
34:05least for
34:05the time
34:06being
34:06the
34:07Americans
34:07are probably
34:08not going
34:08to
34:09greenlight
34:09attacks
34:10on
34:11Russia
34:14using the
34:15tourist
34:15missiles
34:16and
34:17Trump
34:18made
34:19a very
34:20interesting
34:21comment
34:22he said
34:23that he
34:23felt that
34:24the war
34:24had now
34:26reached that
34:26stage
34:27when
34:28the
34:28Ukrainians
34:29and the
34:29Russians
34:30seemed
34:31intent
34:31on
34:31fighting
34:32it
34:32out
34:32with
34:33each
34:34other
34:34and
34:35perhaps
34:35the
34:36best
34:36thing
34:37to do
34:37for the
34:37United
34:38States
34:38was to
34:39stand
34:39aside
34:40and let
34:41that
34:41happen
34:41because
34:42all
34:43mediation
34:44efforts
34:44up to
34:45this time
34:45have been
34:46unsuccessful
34:47that
34:48suggests
34:48that the
34:49United
34:50States
34:50that Donald
34:51Trump
34:51has
34:52quietly
34:52made
34:53a
34:54decision
34:54to
34:55step
34:55back
34:56and
34:57of course
34:57in his
34:58now deleted
34:59truth
35:00social post
35:01he spoke
35:02about
35:02the
35:04Russians
35:05providing
35:06assistance
35:07to the
35:09United
35:09States
35:10in relation
35:12to Iran
35:13Putin is
35:15supposed to
35:15be visiting
35:16Iran
35:17fairly soon
35:18and he
35:19could be
35:20about to
35:21discuss
35:21all of
35:21that
35:22with the
35:23Iranian
35:24leadership
35:24we shall
35:25see
35:26but
35:27anyway
35:28I get
35:28the sense
35:29that
35:29Trump
35:30raising
35:30that
35:31was
35:32intended
35:32at least
35:33in part
35:34to try
35:35to moderate
35:36pressure
35:37in Washington
35:38to get
35:40tough
35:40on the
35:41Russians
35:41so if
35:43I'm
35:43right
35:44then
35:45most
35:46likely
35:46we're
35:46going
35:47to see
35:47Istanbul
35:48come
35:51to a
35:52stop
35:53for a
35:54couple
35:55of months
35:55Zelensky
35:56as I
35:57said
35:57yesterday
35:57doesn't
35:58want to
35:59proceed
35:59with
36:00Istanbul
36:00Putin
36:01is
36:02certainly
36:02not
36:02interested
36:03in
36:03meeting
36:03him
36:03at the
36:04present
36:05time
36:05Trump
36:07doesn't
36:07seem
36:07keen
36:08for the
36:08moment
36:09on the
36:09sanctions
36:10and the
36:12Russian
36:12offensive
36:13has not
36:14yet
36:15reached
36:15full
36:16flood
36:16so
36:18it may
36:18be
36:19and this
36:20is an
36:21observation
36:21that others
36:22I believe
36:22Daniel Davis
36:23for example
36:23has made
36:24that the
36:25right thing
36:26to do
36:26is indeed
36:27precisely
36:28this
36:28to wait
36:28it out
36:29to let
36:30events
36:31on the
36:31battlefronts
36:32take their
36:33course
36:34when the
36:36crisis
36:36deepens
36:37for
36:38Ukraine
36:39which it
36:40will
36:40that may
36:41be the
36:42moment
36:42when
36:43diplomatic
36:43efforts
36:44to bring
36:44the war
36:45to an
36:45end
36:45might
36:46succeed
36:47when the
36:48Ukrainians
36:48might be
36:49at least
36:50if not
36:51the
36:51Ukrainians
36:51the
36:52Europeans
36:52might be
36:53more
36:54willing
36:54to
36:55listen
36:55to
36:56proposals
37:00to end
37:01the war
37:02to start
37:03addressing
37:05the conflict
37:06realistically
37:08and that
37:10the best
37:10thing to do
37:11for someone
37:12like Trump
37:13who wants
37:13to end
37:14the war
37:14or at least
37:15to extricate
37:16the United
37:16States
37:17from it
37:17is to
37:18wait
37:19until that
37:20moment
37:20comes
37:20so
37:22that means
37:23that over
37:24the next
37:25couple of
37:25months
37:25as I
37:26discussed
37:27in a
37:27recent
37:27video
37:28probably
37:29these
37:29programs
37:30will be
37:31mostly
37:31devoted
37:31to
37:32military
37:32development
37:33anyway
37:34that's
37:35my
37:35program
37:35for
37:35today
37:36there'll
37:36be
37:36more
37:37from
37:37me
37:37soon
37:37let me
37:38remind
37:38you
37:38again
37:39you can
37:39find
37:39all
37:39our
37:40programs
37:40on
37:40our
37:41various
37:41platforms
37:41locals
37:42rumble
37:43and x
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37:45via
37:45patreon
37:45and
37:45subscribe
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37:47going
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37:48please
37:49remember
37:49if you've
37:49liked
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37:54today
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37:57good
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