Mike Whitney – The Unz Review Nov 11, 2022
“If anyone from the outside interferes in Ukraine, they should know this: If they create threats for us… we will retaliate immediately. We have all the tools we need to respond, and all the decisions on this (matter), have already been made.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin
There’s no doubt that the retreat from Kherson was a black-eye for the Russian Army. There’s also no doubt that the general who ordered the evacuation made the right decision. True, the optics are terrible, but optics don’t win wars. Strategy, valor and firepower wins wars. Russian General Sergey Surovikin appears to grasp that fact which is why he made the unpopular decision to retreat.
Surovikin could have made the more politically acceptable choice and defended Kherson to the end, but the risks far outweighed the benefits. By all accounts, the 25,000 Russian troops in the city could have easily been encircled and annihilated by Ukrainian artillery. Additionally, Surovikin would have been forced to commit more troops to a rescue mission that would not have advanced Russia’s overall military strategy in the slightest. Russia’s immediate goal is to complete the liberation of the Donbas, a task that is not yet finished and which requires more of the troops that had been pinned-down in Kherson.
For all intents and purposes, the retreat from Kherson was a no-brainer. If the nightmare scenario had unfolded –as many had expected– and thousands of Russian soldiers wound up surrounded and slaughtered in defense of a city that holds little strategic value, then popular support for the war in Russia would have vanished overnight. Neither Putin nor Surovikin could afford to take that risk. So, instead, they opted to pack-it-in and evacuate while they still could, which of course, incited the fury of their critics who are still hopping mad. The good news, however, is that the Kherson public relations disaster will have no meaningful impact on the outcome of the war. Russia is still on-track to achieve all of its strategic objectives despite the pitfalls it has encountered along the way. Here’s a brief recap of the Russian withdrawal from an interview with Colonel Douglas MacGregor:
“When General Surovikin took command… it was decided that Russia was going to wait for a decisive operation to end the war. In other words, no more simply defending southern Ukraine and the territory we’ve annexed, no more expectations of negotiations with anyone– those are over– we have to end the war.
How do you end the war? Well, you launch operations that are so devastating in their destructiveness that the enemy cannot resist them. However, if you are going to do that you’re going to have to scale back current activities. (like Kherson) In other words, you have to make changes on the ground, shuffle troops, change resource commitments because you are now building up for forces that are not yet in southern Ukraine … but are being prepared with this mobilization of 300,000 troops integrated into this new force for future operations… which will come this winter once the ground freezes…. So, I would regard (the withdrawal) as an operational decision with short-term benefit in support of the long-term strategy of building this enormous striking power…The Russians no longer place any confidence in negotiations. I don’t think we could say anything to the Russians at this point that would persuade them to stop.” (“EVERYTHING changes in 4 weeks: Interview with Colonel Douglas MacGregor”, youtube; Start at 50 seconds)
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So, according to MacGregor, the repositioning of troops is key to the overall strategy which has changed under Surovikin. Under the new commander, the primary focus of military operations is the annihilation of all forces and assets that allow the enemy to continue to wage war. I suspect that means the removal of the Zelensky regime and his security services, but I could be wrong. In any event, the upcoming Russian offensive is going to be much more in-line with a conventional combined-arms ground war than with the Special Military Operation we’ve seen up to this point. Moscow is determined settle the issue as quickly as possible and as forcefully as necessary. There won’t be any more messing around.
That said, recent reports (see below) suggest that the Biden administration may deploy US combat troops to the theatre in response to any Russian escalation that could threaten to alter the course of the war. If these reports prove to be accurate, then the greatly-anticipated winter offensive could trigger a direct conflagration between the United States and Russia. Given the trajectory of the war to this point, we think it’s only a matter of time before Washington emerges from behind its proxies and engages Russian troops on the battlefield. There are many indications that the Pentagon is already preparing for that eventuality.
Secret communications between national security advisor Jake Sullivan and the former Russian ambassador to Washington, Yuri Yushakov, and the former head of the FSB, Nikolai Patrushev, suggest that Sullivan warned his Russian counterparts that the US would not allow Russia to settle the conflict on its own terms, but would take whatever steps were needed to prevent a decisive Russian victory. Check out this excerpt from another interview with Colonel Douglas MacGregor:
MacGregor– “Jake Sullivan talked about the dangers of escalation… He simply said that ‘We see evidence that you, Russia, are preparing to escalate this conflict.’ Which is true; we have been talking about this (impending Russian winter) offensive. ‘And we are warning you against that’ (said Sullivan) The unspoken implication at this point, is that we’re prepared to jump into this conflict in some way because we will not allow you to partition Ukraine. We will not allow you to fight and win this war on your terms……
Napolitano– Do you know whether Sullivan mentioned the presence of the 40,000 US troops (101st Airborne) in Poland?
MacGregor– We don’t (know that) But we think– based on the language that has leaked-out in the paragraph I received from another source, that he (Sullivan) did imply that they have 90,000 troops in Poland and Romania, and that, potentially, if Russia escalated, presumably– on the scale that we think the Russians will escalate– that we (the US) might be prepared to jump in. And we would jump in with 40,000 US troops, 30,000 Polish troops and 20,000 Romanian troops….. Sullivan made it clear that we are in a position to intervene.”
…”What we don’t know is what the Russians said in response, because if you are Russian, the red line is clear: ‘If you move into Ukraine, you’re going to be at war with Russia.’ We seem to be in denial about that.”
Napolitano– “Let me get this straight: Are you of the belief, …that Jake Sullivan…threatened the Russians that if they crossed these red lines, they would meet with US military resistance in Ukraine?”
MacGregor– I think that implication was made. That is the impression I am getting and I don’t think we should be surprised about that because Ukraine’s position is deteriorating very rapidly… And we are very concerned about a Ukrainian collapse. Some estimates indicate that the entire economy and social structure will collapse within 60 days. Some say they are going to general mobilization in Ukraine right now, which may include women, because their manpower base is exhausted. And, remember, people continue to leave Ukraine as much as possible because nobody wants to be stuck in a country that shortly will have no power, no electricity, and where there will be trouble getting water, and trouble getting food. The situation in Ukraine is dire.”
Napolitano– What are 40,000 US troops in the 101st Airborne doing in Poland?
MacGregor– They are preparing for combat operations….
Napolitano– Has the Department of Defense given the President of the United States plans for the entry of US troops into Ukraine? Is that done?
MacGregor– I think those plans have certainly been discussed if not briefed to Jake Sullivan. Certainly, the Secretary of State (Anthony Blinken) is aware. I don’t know what they’ve told the president. My hope is that he received some briefing. Again, this is all very serious because we are in the middle of an election and this could happen without any consultation with Congress whatsoever.
Napolitano– What is the status of the 300,000 reservists that Putin called up a month ago?
MacGregor– The majority of them have already been integrated into formations and units –alot of them have gone into units that were under-strength that are now back to ‘full strength’. Some have gone into new units. (Note: I think MacGregor could be wrong about this. Other analysts suggest that only 80,000 reservists have been sent to Ukraine so far. The process could take a few months before the entire deployment is concluded.) It’s almost complete but, the bottom line is, the low temperature in Ukraine has been 37 degrees. which means you’re still going to be stuck in the mud whether you are attacking or defending. Until the ground freezes, I don’t think alot going to happen…But when the winter arrives and the ground freezes, that is when the Russians will attack. And we see evidence of this from at least three different directions including the east, the southeast and the north. And, judging from the (military) buildup and the weapons systems that are in place and supplies that are available, this is an offensive that is designed to end the war. Whether it will or not, we don’t know. But I think that is the idea.
MacGregor– There’s one last thing I’d like to leave you with: When General Surovikin, the commander of the western theatre accepted his appointment, he made these brief remarks. He said “A Syrian solution for Ukraine is unacceptable.” In other words, we will not allow Ukraine to fall under the influence of various actors that maintain Ukraine in a state of permanent turmoil and war. That’s a very clear signal, that when they launch (the winter offensive) they plan to put an end to the conflict. So, it would be very unwise for us to get in the way of this…..We simply do not have the level of support to guarantee success.” (“This is a Red Line in Ukraine”, Colonel Douglas MacGregor, Judging Freedom)
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Russia is now prepared to do whatever it takes to win the war quickly and roll-up the hostile army that poses a threat to its national security. If US forces join the fighting, the calculus for winning could change dramatically, but the strategic objectives would remain the same. No nation can be expected to live at peace when a gun is pointed at its head. That is why Putin opposed NATO membership for Ukraine, and that is why the current war is being fought.
‘Biden’s being a apopa-apoca-apop…’
https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1590467220819148800?s=20&t=aZrjjhQSHefiXdk9dBG4wg
Sun-Tzu said there is no shame in withdrawing your army to await favourable battles. The shame lies in sending your army to certain defeat.
If you meet an army of equal size, fight.
If you meet an army of lesser size, crush.
If you meet an army of greater size, flee.
It’s strange how these gung-ho American politicians who like to start wars don’t understand there may be a need for a tactical withdrawal and insist they won’t take one step back. Even stranger that for all their tough talk most of them were draft dodgers. They didn’t want to appear tough then. Quite the opposite.
massive support for suella braverman to stohp UK mass migration
we dont need them we dont want them and tey can go back home
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmpJfIHlg8w
That interview was very interesting concerning red lines. In a previous comment I said it was Blinken who had the meeting but it was Sullivan, other analysts have said that Sullivan would have been given short shrift if he had threatened Russia. NATO’s problem is what number of tanks has it got? because it looks like Russia’s next phase is going to be a massive armoured attack.
Interesting British media spin on kherson like little kids in a sweet shop ! Completely delusional, lie after lie about what’s really happening and all the while hiding the economic tsunami that’s heading our way.
I’m aware it’s the coat of arms on the shield.
It’s also the symbol for the ‘Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. The number 32 inside the triangle represents the 32nd degree of the Scottish Rite.’
The 33rd degree is by invitation only. Just ask JFK at Dallas (32° N) that fateful day.
Did I miss it? Did I miss the blow up the dams threat?
Go on Amerika, put your boys in Nazi UKraine. What would Russia assume if the US entered UKraine? This could go nuclear almost instantly.
I don’t want to say much more, accept to say the usual deep state owned truthers a preparing those who listen to them. The US neocons are juggling nukes, so good luck with that. If Putin had used nukes in UKraine on the 7th day after a proper invasion, we wouldn’t be in this mess.
The ONLY “stage being set”….
is that for the upcoming annihilation the US/UK Axis Of ZOG
What the Biden Administration is doing makes sense if you assume that they have pledged allegiance to some entity other than the American Republic.
Latest news:
Antifa Russia reinstating statues of Lenin in occupied Ukrainian towns. Just search for ‘Moscow reinstates Lenin statue Melitopol’.
Also Commies have dismantled a monument to the Holodomor in Mariupol. Just search for ‘Russia dismantles Holodomor monument’.
Why is TTS supporting a Judeo-Communist regime erecting Lenin Statues & removing Holodomor monuments??
its not nazi ukraine
its dirty jewboy ukraine
the US forces have a lot of homosexual deviants
they deserve to be bombed
The shield in the above graphic beneath the headline should have the Bolshevik hammer & sickle on it instead–since that’s what Jutin really represents. Otherwise Russia wouldn’t be re-erecting statues of the Commie Jew Lenin in these various Ukrainian towns they occupy–thus exposing the ‘fall of Communism’ in 1991 was simply a smokescreen..
Conspicuously missing is any mention of aircraft (aka) air power.
david lambert dilambert@live.com,
Are you unable to see what’s going on?
Can you not see the part, in the catastrophic ideological subversion of European people, Suella Braverman is playing?
Firstly, She’s an Indian woman, in a position of power and authority in the UK government – that in itself is treason. She should not be anywhere near a European government. How many Europeans in the Indian government?
Secondly, the hypocrisy of this is staggering – an immigrant stopping immigration. Can you not see that Europeans are being conditioned to have non Europeans defend them, because for them to actually try to would be considered ‘racist’ and ‘xenophobic? Are you incapable of seeing all those blacks popping up, speaking up for the whites (Candace Owens is one, a heavily controlled Zionist mouthpiece, married to the son of an English, conservative Peer, George Murray) are conditioning people to not only accept them, therefore stopping any homegrown, indigenous fightback and at the same time ACCEPTING non indigenous immigration into their lands and rule over them?
If a European said what she was saying you know the outcome, but in the meantime, they are stopping us from defending our lands, putting immigrants into power and worse, telling us what we can say about them IN OUR OWN, F*CKING LANGUAGE!!!
I do not support any immigrant telling me what to do in my land, whether they’re a politician, a member of the judiciary, a member of the police, owning a newsagent, a minimart or driving an unlicensed taxi. None of these immigrants have ANY authority over me, regardless of their title. And the fact that there are non indigenous members of Parliament, presiding over what the British can and can’t do, let alone the immigrant invasion, proves the Queen was guilty of treason, on her watch, along with all the other treasonous acts, such as ratifying all the treaties that took the UK into Europe and the control of it by a foreign power.
WAKE THE F*CK UP! Geez…You should not be supporting this Indian. You should be doing your best to get her, her fellow non indigenous MP’s out of their positions and on a slow boat to India, back to where they belong. “But she was born in the UK…blah…blah…” is the usual BS answer given by moronic people, failing to understand, that she could be 4th generation Indian, but regardless, STILL an Indian living in England.
Allowing these puppets to speak for you and worse AGREEING with them is submission. Get off your knees man. Wake up and see that you should not be listening to any immigrant in affairs of your life and nation as a whole.
You are either of the European peoples or you are not. Being born in a land does not make you of that land’s nation, regardless what you may believe.
Do you really think the ‘Rot-Shield’ of (Rothschild) Freemasonry wants a ‘nuclear’ mess? I hear a veiled death-wish in those proclaiming its potential with such imminent urgency.
Make it rain!
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2022/11/11/exclusive-colin-wayne-on-veterans-day-honor-military-with-increased-compensation-decreased-foreign-aid/
Murdered KGB Defector Claimed Putin was Caught on Film Raping Boys
http://www.renegadetribune.com/murdered-kgb-defector-claimed-putin-was-caught-on-film-raping-boys/
QUOTE:
……”KGB/FSB defector Alexander Litvinenko claimed that Soviet strongman Vladimir Putin was sexually compromised by KGB elites, who had footage of him raping young boys.
When Vladimir Putin was a KGB trainee, he was filmed sexually abusing children in a flat where another top politician had a threesome with prostitutes, Litvinenko wrote in an explosive blog post. Litvinenko made the accusation after the president was pictured kissing the stomach of a five-year-old boy during a walkabout in the Kremlin in June 2006.
It is widely believed that this accusation was the main motivation for Litvinenko’s assassination which Putin personally ordered, according to Kremlin insiders. A British inquiry also stated that Litvinenko’s 2006 allegation was the final straw that led to him being marked for elimination by Putin. The inquiry report describes how the Russian truthteller claimed Putin was a ‘paedophile’, adding that videos existed of him ‘making sex with some underage boys’.
Litvinenko said that Putin destroyed the footage after becoming head of the FSB/KGB, which allegedly saw him sent away from Soviet Russia for a while when he was in training…….”
===================
Check the link and Biden photos
Whether Putin is a pedophile or not may be irrelevant…we should NOT trust him.
He may keep Russia “white” and (((Christian))) but concurrently or after the West is destroyed.
O: it isn’t a death wish. If Russia and the free world can’t actually be free, then it is better to end that world.
The City and Wall Street, and all the trimmings haven’t done anything for the free world.
In Russias case, they are literally fighting for the right to exist as a sovereign country.
Did Suella by any chance attend any WEF get togethers.
Amonkey puts 100,000 troops in Ukraine. Iran attacks Israel (use up more amonkeys troops). China, Bazil, Mexico, Koroa, and everybody else in the world that amonkey has shafted attack amonkey. Aus has had trade deal after trade deal stolen or shafted by amonkey and we are their friend, imagine how the rest of the world feels.
What amazes me is that y’all still fall for this East vs West crap — even after decades worth of evidence that all wars are “bankster” wars. This is another manufactured conflict. Surely Russia’s complicity in the covid1984 lie blatantly shows this?
Wise up.
@ Carl Jones
‘it isn’t a death wish. If Russia and the free world can’t actually be free, then it is better to end that world.’
There’s a bitter irony in this. I suggest keeping one’s eye on that two-faced eagle.
It is a wargame hoax. Odd that all the smart people that post here actually believe it’s a real war.
They are going to announce a Ukraine victory soon in the headlines. It will boost the markets and overall economy.
UNZ Your quote: There’s no doubt that the retreat from Kherson was a black-eye for the Russian Army.
Did remind me of Napoleon in 1812… Russian Army under Kutuzov & Suvorov is in full retreat …..
I doubt it.
1) You need the support of the US soldiers to believe their own death was worth fighting n losing, naaaa, soldiers know the FUkraine gov is a garbage installation. Zelensky is another jewish puppet actor, hes the cause of it all, hes been bombing n killing Christian Ukrainians since his first day. His whole admin, like Bidens, like the new British prime minister Rishi’s, its all jewish, when Ukraine is 98% Christian. Despite what Kissinger thinks, US soldiers arent stupid.
2) You need the support of the American citizenry n they dont have chit, never will, no matter how many communist revolutionaries they got in the media spewing lies. Everyone i know is on the same page, FUK UKRAINE!
I never thought there are this many stupid(IGNORANT) people on the planet.
Most people cannot think. “Satan: Autobiography”, Cabal Centre, New York City.
“from book you call me Satan, I creep into you mind, I am DOUBT. ” paraphase.
Nuclear War on the way, It WILL be the destruction of the United States or they back down.. It is too EVIL, VERY EVIL.
Let the FOOLS rush in , They are going to be annihilated.
Third Eye
Mystic and Yogi
ALEXANDER LITVINENKO FSB & BILL FAIRCLOUGH MI6
In the 1990s Alexander Litvinenko worked for Russian Intelligence investigating, infiltrating and tackling international organised crime. He was poisoned with polonium-210 by Russian Intelligence in London and died shortly afterwards in November 2006. The case made headlines around the world and many books and films have been published about it.
In the 1970s Bill Fairclough worked for British Intelligence investigating, infiltrating and tackling international organised crime. He was poisoned with botulism toxin in London, went into a coma and nearly died in June 1974. No one told the press about it and in 2014 a little publicised non-fiction book was printed which disclosed what transpired.
What happened to Bill Fairclough (MI6 codename JJ aka Edward Burlington) is as described in the non-fiction espionage thriller Beyond Enkription, the first stand-alone novel in The Burlington Files series.
Indeed, in 2001 Bill Fairclough later became a favoured patient of the renowned neurologist Professor Andrew Lees in London’s University College Hospital. Why? As Lees said at the time, it was a rare pleasure being able to research a patient who hadn’t died from having been poisoned with such a large dose of botulism toxin.
Of course, if you are a true espionage aficionado and know about puffer fish poisons used by the Stasi and Ian Fleming’s “Trout Memo” you will have already studied Beyond Enkription and know a lot about The Burlington Files and also the links twixt MI6 Colonel Alan Brooke Pemberton CVO MBE, Colonel Oleg Gordievsky, Kim Philby, David Cornwell and Greville Wynne.
Pemberton’s People in MI6 even included Roy Astley Richards OBE (Winston Churchill’s bodyguard) and an eccentric British Brigadier (Peter ‘Scrubber’ Stewart-Richardson) who was once refused permission to join the Afghan Mujahideen. See the news article about Pemberton’s People, Ungentlemanly Officers & Road Heroes dated 31 October 2022 on The Burlington Files website for more.
Do look up the authors or books mentioned on Amazon, Google The Burlington Files or visit theburlingtonfiles.org and read Beyond Enkription about events in Harley Street and Whittington Hospital in London.
@ O
surely as long the nuklear war is only on
northern globe Rothschild will appreciate
since he surely dwells on southern tropical
globe –