Russia Rushes Oil To China As Iran Prepares Hormuz Closure; Medinsky Crushes Kiev Hopes Geneva Talks
Topic 1817

Macron free speech BS. Zelensky demands to meet Putin. UK sabotage Geneva talks. Iran war nears
Topic 1973

Xi Jinping and Putin pushback against Trump drive for war
The Duran: Episode 2468

The Duran: Episode 961
France's Marine Le Pen Acquitted in Case Over Violating Hate Speech Laws
https://sputniknews.com/europe/202105041082797685-frances-marine-le-pen-acquitted-in-case-over-violating-hate-speech-laws/

The most chaotic negotiations I can remember at a Great Power level - both on the Iran issue and on the Ukraine issue - have now ended in Geneva. The Iranians and the Ukrainians are furious at the way they were conducted - see Zelensky's splenetic interview with Axios - whilst the Russians (as always) maintain a disciplined silence.

I am totally unable to see the signs of 'progress' in either negotiation which some people - eg. Ben Aris, Anatole Lieven, in the case of the Ukraine talks - are seeing. On the contrary, it seems to me that the gulf between the sides if anything is widening.

As the Ukrainians are angrily saying, this was all a show put on for the benefit of Donald Trump, and there was nothing more to it than that.

War with Iran now looks to me all but certain, with Iran rehearsing the closure of the Straits of Hormuz. As for the Russians, they give impression of continuing work on their Spring offensive.

These and other, hopefully more cheerful, things to talk ...

Scott thinks that the US-Iran negotiations are as much in bad faith as they were last June, and these negotiations are just giving the US time to accumulate its military forces. He thinks Iran should do a preemptive strike now, before the buildup is complete. Yet he also thinks this war should stopped. But he always sounds like he is threatening Iran with a massive military strike. Even though he recommends a preemptive strike by Iran, he also warns them not to sink an aircraft carrier or they will be nuked. I don't see this analysis as being very helpful. I prefer that of Ray McGovern. In spite of the bad faith of the US last June, he still thinks they are meaningful and can prevent war. Maybe that is just because I share with Ray an optimistic nature. Scott seems to be very pessimistic because all the arms control agreements that he spent his life building has been trashed.