Podcasts about kremlin

Anatol Lieven discusses Estonia's call for dialogue with Moscow and the need for Europe to develop realistic defense and negotiation strategies regarding Russia rather than relying solely on American protection.1917 KREMLIN

Watch The X22 Report On Video No videos found (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:17532056201798502,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-9437-3289"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="https://cdn2.decide.dev/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs");pt> Click On Picture To See Larger Picture The US Labor market was destroyed by Biden, Trump is reversing everything he has done. US housing market has more sellers than there are buyers, lower rates and 50 year mortgages will fix this. Gold,Silver and Bitcoin are on sale, the masses tend to panic during this period. Bessent breaks the [CB] independence narrative. The [DS] is losing every step of the way. The people are now longer with the D’s. They are now panicking over the midterms and they are messaging that they have plan to do something during this period. Schiff says the quiet part out loud. Trump is setting the stage for their plan for the insurrection. Trump has let the country know that we will find out who actually won the 2020 election. When it is revealed that Trump won, does he get another term?   Economy (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:18510697282300316,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-8599-9832"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="https://cdn2.decide.dev/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs"); https://twitter.com/GlobalMktObserv/status/2019218921950175742?s=20  since the Financial Crisis. The gap suggests workers are taking 2nd and 3rd jobs not by choice but out of necessity, as hours are cut and primary employment fails to provide sufficient income. The job market is WEAK. https://twitter.com/Barchart/status/2019252512013054316?s=20     Bessent Says the President Can Interfere With the Fed  Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told lawmakers on Wednesday that the president has the right to interfere with the decision-making of the Federal Reserve. Source: barrons.com  the president has the right to verbally and politically interfere with the Federal Reserve’s decision-making. He made this comment in response to questioning from Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.), saying, “It is his right…It is the right of everyone in here,” referring to members of Congress present at the hearing. Political/Rights  https://twitter.com/alexbruesewitz/status/2019226238720831674?s=20 whately https://twitter.com/PoliticalStacy/status/2019217700841726146?s=20 Human Trafficking Crackdown Nets More than 600 Suspects in Sex Trade Authorities in Los Angeles announced Tuesday the results of a statewide crackdown on human trafficking that resulted in the arrests of more than 600 suspects and the rescue of 170 victims, predominantly in the sex trade. The weeklong “Operation Reclaim and Rebuild” campaign was part of a yearly effort by the Los Angeles Regional Human Trafficking Task Force and 80 local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna laid out the exact numbers at a news conference, later posted on X. A total of 611 criminal arrests were made and 156 adults rescued as part of the operations, Luna told reporters. In addition, 14 children were rescued from sex trafficking. Officials said 71 suspected traffickers were arrested, and an additional 328 sex buyers were arrested. “This is a multibillion-dollar industry,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said. “It is nothing less than modern slavery.” According to the Los Angeles Times' reporting of the announcement: Source: breitbart.com Geopolitical Spain Amnesty: Gov't to Take Illegals' Word That They Don't Have Criminal Record The socialist Spanish government's amnesty scheme will allow illegal migrants to simply declare that they have no criminal record, rather than providing documentation from their native countries, sparking concern over criminals gaming the system. Last month, the left-wing coalition government of Socialist PM Pedro Sánchez agreed to allow upwards of half a million illegals seek amnesty and obtain residence permits to remain in Spain. While the scheme stipulates that amnesty will not apply to migrants with criminal records — other than the crime of entering Spain illegally — the regularisation decree published by the government this week revealed that Madrid will essentially be willing to take the word of illegal migrants about their past. Source: breitbart.com https://twitter.com/MarioBojic/status/2019341799148409099?s=20   this is just another step toward killing our freedoms. The EU is an open-air prison and Ursula von der Leyen is the warden. https://twitter.com/MarioNawfal/status/2019395593345393136?s=20   https://twitter.com/visegrad24/status/2019390275924230638?s=20   Kremlin to purchase Russian weapons. In the 2010s, Russia’s largest oil company, Rosneft, became a key lender to Venezuela in exchange for receiving stakes in the country's oil projects. According to Reuters, between 2006 and 2017, the Kremlin provided a total of $17 billion to the Venezuelan government and the state oil company PDVSA. https://twitter.com/visegrad24/status/2019331875572183318?s=20 https://twitter.com/GlobalDiss/status/2019133827453776172?s=20 https://twitter.com/PM_ViktorOrban/status/2019397051612647711?s=20  Brusselian censorship, Orwellian in nature.  3 US Warships Dispatched to Haiti as Part of Campaign Against Drug Traffickers   Three U.S. warships have been sent to Haiti as part of Operation Southern Spear, a military operation in the Caribbean to counter narcotics trafficking. “At the direction of [Secretary of War Pete Hegseth], the ships USS Stockdale, USCGC Stone, and USCGC Diligence have arrived in the Bay of Port-au-Prince as part of Operation Southern Spear,” the U.S. Embassy in Haiti posted on X on Feb. 3. The embassy said the presence of the warships reflects the United States' “unwavering commitment to Haiti's security, stability, and brighter future.” Source: theepochtimes.com https://twitter.com/TheSCIF/status/2018867826459562070?s=20   This is the beginning of the global operation to install these manipulative, backdoor implemented electronic voting machines worldwide to steal elections and install the candidate of their choice. This is the election fraud cartel and its inception. 866 Q !UW.yye1fxo ID: 2362f9 No.568863 Mar 6 2018 13:06:24 (EST) https://wikileaks.org/clinton-emails/emailid/629 So much is open source. So much left to be connected. Why are the children in Haiti in high demand? How are they smuggled out? ‘Adoption' process. Local ‘staging' ports friendly to CF? Track donations. Cross against location relative to Haiti. Think logically. The choice, to KNOW, will be yours. Q 1233 Q !xowAT4Z3VQ ID: 30e575 No.1133862 Apr 21 2018 14:40:05 (EST) Anonymous ID: 03b5fb No.1133796 Apr 21 2018 14:35:58 (EST) america-has-spoken.png >>1133772 THIS IS WHAT THE NEXT 6 YEARS IS ABOUT – THIS QUESTION >>1133796 They will lose black vote once Haiti revealed. Lost now (awakening). They keep them enslaved. What did Hussein do for the black community? vs POTUS? Q War/Peace Medical/False Flags https://twitter.com/EndWokeness/status/2019149006744490427?s=20 https://twitter.com/TheLastRefuge2/status/2019110609145459184?s=20     [DS] Agenda https://twitter.com/AGPamBondi/status/2019443234728989029?s=20   https://twitter.com/nicksortor/status/2019241676490051624?s=20 https://twitter.com/HillaryClinton/status/2019394858767798349?s=20   Control the narrative and turn defense into offense: In a private session, it’s all about dry facts, sworn statements, and transcripts that could be dissected later without my real-time spin. Publicly, it could be framed  as a partisan witch hunt, rally my base, and pivot to attacking the Republicans (like Comer) for hypocrisy or distractions. It’s theater—I’d get soundbites on TV, memes on social media, and maybe even sympathetic coverage from friendly outlets, diluting any real scrutiny.   Closed depositions often drag on for hours with nitpicky details, no time limits, and less grandstanding. In public, time is constrained, questions are performative, and I could filibuster or redirect more easily.  Anything of National Security cannot be discussed and Clinton could hide behind it.  https://twitter.com/CynicalPublius/status/2019169898799259770?s=20   out the part where the Democrats/Hamas initiated the violence. 3. Children are brought to “protests” as human shields. If a child is harmed as his/her parents are engaged in violence, such child is the focus of social media efforts. 4. Rank and file members (useful idiots) are actively encouraged to illegally engage with armed authorities. These are martyrdom operations, and to the extent martyrs are created out of useful idiots, that was always the unstated intent. (But nobody tells the useful idiots that.) 5. Illegal, violent operations are funded by US tax dollars, money laundered through multiple NGOs and non-profits. 6. Laws are irrelevant when they are inconvenient. Laws are ironclad rules when they are convenient. 7. Opponents are dehumanized such that any atrocity that is inflicted on them is justified. 8. A major goal is to sway public opinion on the international stage and create the story that the aggressors are actually the victims. 9. Neither Hamas nor the Democrats can meme effectively. 10. The ultimate goal of both Democrats and Hamas is to create elaborate deception operations as a path to absolute power. President Trump's Plan https://twitter.com/TonySeruga/status/2019235176363212952?s=20 https://twitter.com/RedLineReportt/status/2019175100386267570?s=20   to get TORCHED. For once, the IRS is being deployed FOR AMERICANS FIRST — not against working families. Follow the money. Audit everything. Prosecute whoever broke the law. Thank you, Sec. Bessent.   Do you firmly support Scott on this? A. Huge Yes B. No IF Yes, Give me a THUMBS-UP !! DHS Secretary Noem Identifies Another Leaker and Refers to DOJ for Prosecution  The good news is the process to identify the subversive agents inside the various offices of the administration continues to yield results.   there's a lot of them to identify and remove. Dept of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem shares another leaker has been identified and removed.  Additionally, she is referring their conduct to the Dept of Justice for criminal prosecution. [SOURCE]  The reason for that removal now seems to come to light with the release of letter former Agent Paul Brown sent to Elections Director Nadine Williams giving her a head's-up on the material the FBI was going to seize. FBI Agent Brown asks Ms Williams to voluntarily hand over the material, which has the result of giving Fulton County a heads-up about the specifics of the material the FBI were going to gather and review in their search warrant. Source: theconservativetreehouse.com https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/2019203189221065004?s=20 Trump is now setting it all up, the people are going to demand he come into the cities and states when the insurrection is happening. optics are important 4360 May 30, 2020 6:11:47 PM EDT Q !!Hs1Jq13jV6 ID: 63d310 No. 9383164  INSURRECTION Act of 1807. [Determination that the various state and local authorities are not up to the task of responding to the growing unrest] Call the ball. Q  https://twitter.com/ElectionWiz/status/2019378085913653512?s=20   https://twitter.com/Rasmussen_Poll/status/2019394557428019374?s=20 https://twitter.com/StephenM/status/1755562105678266707?s=20 https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/2019257661657633016?s=20   has to happen.” https://twitter.com/TheStormRedux/status/2019184398831100056?s=20 https://twitter.com/Patri0tContr0l/status/2019452836153581799?s=20   they need to figure out other ways to cheat now that their primary cheating techniques have been blocked. Oh, and Democrats are now threatening a government shutdown in order to prevent ICE from being at polling places. Could it be any more obvious what's going on here? They need illegals to vote or they're screwed. These people are in a full-blown panic over the Trump Administration securing our elections. Enjoy watching them squirm!   https://twitter.com/KanekoaTheGreat/status/2019236736203911681?s=20   Intelligence identified “extremely concerning cybersecurity and operational deployment practices that pose a significant risk to U.S. elections.” ODNI said some vulnerabilities in Puerto Rico's voting machines stemmed from the use of insecure cellular technology, along with software flaws that could allow hackers deep access into critical election systems. “Given ODNI’s broad statutory authority to coordinate, integrate, and analyze intelligence related to election security and our known work on understanding vulnerabilities to foreign and other malign interference, ODNI conducted an examination of electronic voting systems used in Puerto Rico's elections,” an ODNI spokesperson said. In April 2025, Gabbard told a Cabinet meeting that her office had obtained evidence showing U.S. electronic voting systems have long been vulnerable to hacking. “We have evidence of how these electronic voting systems have been vulnerable to hackers and vulnerable to exploitation to manipulate the results of the votes being cast,” she said, adding that this supports the push for nationwide paper ballots so voters can trust the integrity of U.S. elections. https://twitter.com/canncon/status/2019054407954956637?s=20  Bureau of Investigation Vic Reynolds told Senator Perdue, “I’m a team player. If the Governor doesn’t want to investigate, we’re not going to investigate.” “You said that although Mr. Reynolds had received evidence that he felt was compelling enough to open an investigation that he was not going to investigate because the governor had told him not to?” “That’s one of the things he said, yeah.” – Senator Perdue One month before the special grand jury testimony, Vic Reynolds was appointed a Superior Court Judge by……..Governor Brian Kemp. And Reynolds wasn’t the only person who ignored election fraud evidence or maladministration and got appointed to a Superior Court judgeship. He wasn’t even the second one. Reynolds was presented with video evidence, cell phone data, bank records, and testimony of a ballot harvester. Reynolds claimed that the GBI made “repeated requests” to True The Vote for their witness. True The Vote denies this saying that THEY actually reached out to GBI after their one and only meeting and were ignored. From TTV’s Catherine Engelbrecht: “After that meeting, we made repeated attempts to re-engage with the GBI and never received a response.” Why did Brian Kemp order GBI not to investigate an alleged crime, with evidence, that would ultimately lead to a UNPRECEDENTED RICO case against a former President and HIS party’s front-running candidate?? Read my story in the link below. https://twitter.com/amuse/status/2019409257137918096?s=20 https://twitter.com/TrumpWarRoom/status/2019211072755151237?s=20 https://twitter.com/TheStormRedux/status/2019416872727278048?s=20  about Russia interfering in the 2016 election, but now all of a sudden they want nothing to do with that. A solid point. Trump added, “So now they're saying Russia had nothing to do with it, because if I say Russia, it's perfectly fine. But you could add China and about 5 other countries to it.” Is Trump implying they believe there was foreign interference or is he just trolling the deep state? Time will tell. https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2019198733167260134?s=20 https://twitter.com/Patri0tContr0l/status/2019068648917217511?s=20     https://twitter.com/amuse/status/2019166626260627780?s=20 John Cornyn who are opposed to the bill by not allowing debate. https://twitter.com/nicksortor/status/2019131769665274030?s=20   Any Republican allowing our elections to be filled with fraud needs to be primaried. https://twitter.com/Lancegooden/status/2019126883192049803?s=20 https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2019414831074271739?s=20   (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:13499335648425062,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-7164-1323"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="//cdn2.customads.co/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs"); 

In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin: First up—a Russian cargo aircraft tied to Moscow's defense industry lands at a Cuban military base, raising fresh questions about renewed military coordination between Havana and the Kremlin. The flight is drawing comparisons to the secretive aircraft movements seen just weeks before Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro was taken into custody. I'll walk through what we know and why it matters. Later in the show—despite the shootdown of an Iranian drone just one day earlier, new reporting suggests Washington and Tehran are quietly preparing to resume nuclear talks in Oman. Iran is signaling it may be open to limited compromises, even as tensions remain high across the region. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President's Daily Brief by visiting https://PDBPremium.com. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief.  YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief Goldbelly: Discover iconic meals from legendary restaurants delivered nationwide with Goldbelly—get 20% off your first order at https://Goldbelly.com with promo code PDB. American Financing: Call American Financing today to find out how customers are saving an avg of $800/mo. NMLS 182334, https://nmlsconsumeraccess.org APR for rates in the 5s start at 6.196% for well qualified borrowers. Call 866-885-1881 for details about credit costs and terms. Visit http://www.AmericanFinancing.net/PDB  Ridge Wallet: Upgrade your wallet today! Get 10% Off @Ridge with code PDB at https://www.Ridge.com/PDB #Ridgepod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Director of National Intelligence showed up to an FBI raid on a Georgia elections office. Then she put the President on speakerphone with the agents. Then we found out she's been sitting on a whistleblower complaint about herself for eight months. This week, we're talking about Tulsi Gabbard, the woman who went from Bernie Sanders endorser to Democratic presidential candidate to Fox News guest host to Trump's spy chief in one of the most cynical political transformations in modern American history. We're talking about the Fulton County raid, the classified complaint locked in a safe, her documented history of consuming Russian state media, her secret meeting with Assad, and why Russian state TV calls her "Russia's girlfriend." I'm not going to dance around it: I think Tulsi Gabbard is a Russian asset. And I'm going to tell you exactly why.  Buckle up.KEY POINTSOn January 28, 2026, FBI agents seized 700 boxes of 2020 election materials from Fulton County, Georgia. DNI Tulsi Gabbard was physically present, at Trump's specific direction.The day after the raid, Gabbard visited the FBI's Atlanta field office and put Trump on speakerphone with the agents. He gave them a "pep talk" for investigating the election he lost.Former FBI officials called this "unprecedented" and said there is "unanimous disgust" across current and former agents.A whistleblower complaint about Gabbard has been locked in a safe for eight months. Federal law requires transmission to Congress within three weeks.Three former aides told ABC News that Gabbard regularly read and shared articles from RT, the Kremlin's principal propaganda outlet.In 2017, Gabbard took a secret trip to Damascus and met with Assad for nearly three hours. Congressional staffers later worried she might leak information about a Syrian defector.A former U.S. ambassador to NATO called Gabbard's 2017 foreign policy memo "basically the Russian playbook."At her confirmation hearing, Gabbard refused to call Edward Snowden a traitor. Senator Bennet responded: "Apparently, you don't understand how critical our national security is."Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/we-saw-the-devil-crime-political-analysis--4433638/support.Website: http://www.wesawthedevil.comPatreon: http://www.patreon.com/wesawthedevilDiscord: https://discord.gg/X2qYXdB4Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/WeSawtheDevilInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/wesawthedevilpodcast.

2026-02-02 | UPDATES #124 | “‘Come to Moscow,' the Kremlin says — let's all make peace in Moscow. Another offer, or rather ultimatum has been made to Zelenskyy – come to the Kremlin and hammer out peace. But this is not an offer designed for Ukraine – it's 100% for the Americans, for the Vatniks and for the propagandists, to try to make Ukraine look like the party that is obstructing a settlement. “Come to the Kremlin”, says the spider to the fly, like it's a neutral venue, like it's a normal invitation, like Moscow isn't the command centre of a war of annihilation, like this isn't a trap. But this isn't diplomacy. It's a stage-prop — built to stall, to smear, and to set up Ukraine as the ‘obstacle' to peace. Let's break down the playbook — and the history that makes it toxic, especially from Soviet times.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------A REQUEST FOR HELP!I'm heading back to Kyiv this week, to film, do research and conduct interviews. The logistics and need for equipment and clothing are a little higher than for my previous trips. It will be cold, and may be dark also. If you can, please assist to ensure I can make this trip a success. My commitment to the audience of the channel, will be to bring back compelling interviews conducted in Ukraine, and to use the experience to improve the quality of the channel, it's insights and impact. Let Ukraine and democracy prevail! https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrashttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformationNONE OF THIS CAN HAPPEN WITHOUT YOU!So what's next? We're going to Kyiv in January 2026 to film on the ground, and will record interviews with some huge guests. We'll be creating opportunities for new interviews, and to connect you with the reality of a European city under escalating winter attack, from an imperialist, genocidal power. PLEASE HELP ME ME TO GROW SILICON CURTAINWe are planning our events for 2026, and to do more and have a greater impact. After achieving more than 12 events in 2025, we will aim to double that! 24 events and interviews on the ground in Ukraine, to push back against weaponized information, toxic propaganda and corrosive disinformation. Please help us make it happen!----------SOURCES: Kyiv Post — Kremlin Rules Out Zelensky-Putin Talks Outside Moscow (Feb 2, 2026). Associated Press — Kremlin official confirms U.S.-brokered talks resuming in Abu Dhabi (Feb 2, 2026). Reuters — Zelenskiy says new trilateral talks set for Feb 4–5 in Abu Dhabi (Feb 1, 2026). Anadolu Agency — Peskov confirms Abu Dhabi talks; reiterates Moscow line (Feb 2, 2026).TASS — Russia considers Moscow sole venue for talks with Zelensky — Peskov (Jan 29, 2026; cited for direct quote). Kyiv Independent — coverage of Ushakov/Peskov venue pressure and Kyiv's refusal (Jan 28–30, 2026). The Guardian / AP — ongoing strikes context alongside diplomacy (Feb 2, 2026). ----------

2026-02-03 | UPDATES #125 | Russia's internal information front has never been more divided. You could go so far as to say it's eating itself alive. On one side: the regime's studio fanatics—smiling through war crimes, promising apocalypse, selling “victory” like they're flogging a soda brand. On the other: Z-Patriots, milbloggers, and turbo-nationalists — some angry, some exhausted, some quietly terrified that the Kremlin is steering toward yet another illusory “deal” that looks like defeat in slow motion. They can see Russia bleeding out but do nothing to stop it. As of February 3, 2026, this war has run about 1,440 days — longer than the USSR's war against Nazi Germany, commonly cited as 1,418 days. The “Great Patriotic War” myth was supposed to be the Kremlin's sacred measuring stick, the propagandist touchstone to justify every act of aggression, make sense of every horror and sacrifice. As well as being a universal vanishing point for all propaganda narratives. Now it's a timer counting down the credibility of the entire project and putting the architecture of the Russian empire in doubt. ----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------A REQUEST FOR HELP!I'm heading back to Kyiv this week, to film, do research and conduct interviews. The logistics and need for equipment and clothing are a little higher than for my previous trips. It will be cold, and may be dark also. If you can, please assist to ensure I can make this trip a success. My commitment to the audience of the channel, will be to bring back compelling interviews conducted in Ukraine, and to use the experience to improve the quality of the channel, it's insights and impact. Let Ukraine and democracy prevail! https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrashttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformationNONE OF THIS CAN HAPPEN WITHOUT YOU!So what's next? We're going to Kyiv in January 2026 to film on the ground, and will record interviews with some huge guests. We'll be creating opportunities for new interviews, and to connect you with the reality of a European city under escalating winter attack, from an imperialist, genocidal power. PLEASE HELP ME ME TO GROW SILICON CURTAINWe are planning our events for 2026, and to do more and have a greater impact. After achieving more than 12 events in 2025, we will aim to double that! 24 events and interviews on the ground in Ukraine, to push back against weaponized information, toxic propaganda and corrosive disinformation. Please help us make it happen!----------SOURCES: Kyiv Post — ISW assessment summary noting milbloggers highlighting inconsistencies (published Jan 25, 2026). RussiaPost — Ivan Filippov on Z-community split over talks/ceasefire logic (Apr 1, 2025) (background framing). The Guardian — reporting including Solovyov quote about pushing Ukraine “into the stone age” (Feb 3, 2026).Reuters — Girkin sentencing context; crackdown on nationalist critic (Jan 25, 2024) (background). The Moscow Times — appeal upheld / prison status context (May 29, 2024) (background). ----------

Day 1,439.Today, as Vladimir Putin's so-called “energy ceasefire” is reportedly broken once again, we report on another weekend of devastating Russian strikes on Ukraine – including an attack that killed 15 miners when drones hit their bus during a near Dnipro, and a strike on a maternity hospital in Zaporizhzhya that injured at least six. We then examine mounting claims that convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was not only close to the Kremlin, but may have acted as a foreign agent on Russia's behalf.ContributorsFrancis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X.Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X.Poppy Wood (Education Editor). @poppyeh on X.SIGN UP TO THE ‘UKRAINE: THE LATEST' WEEKLY NEWSLETTER:http://telegraph.co.uk/ukrainenewsletter Each week, Dom Nicholls and Francis Dearnley answer your questions, provide recommended reading, and give exclusive analysis and behind-the-scenes insights – plus maps of the frontlines and diagrams of weapons to complement our daily reporting. It's free for everyone, including non-subscribers.CONTENT REFERENCED:Epstein's links to Putin and Kremlin spies raise fears he was Russian agent (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/02/01/epstein-links-to-putin-and-fsb-raise-fears-he-was-a-russian/ Putin targets migrant smuggling networks to boost his ranks (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/terror-and-security/putin-targets-migrant-smuggling-networks-to-boost-his-ranks/ Putin ‘will send thousands of criminals to wreak havoc across Europe' (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/02/01/putin-send-thousands-criminals-wreak-havoc-across-europe/ International law meant to limit effects of war at breaking point, study finds (The Telegraph):https://www.theguardian.com/law/2026/feb/02/more-than-100000-civilians-killed-war-crimes-out-of-control-study Slovakia PM's national security adviser resigns over Epstein links (BBC):https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cnvgljj1dygo?xtor Epstein Library Database (DoJ):https://www.justice.gov/epstein LISTEN TO THIS PODCAST IN NEW LANGUAGES:The Telegraph has launched translated versions of Ukraine: The Latest in Ukrainian and Russian, making its reporting accessible to audiences on both sides of the battle lines and across the wider region, including Central Asia and the Caucasus. Just search Україна: Останні Новини (Ukr) and Украина: Последние Новости (Ru) on your on your preferred podcast app to find them. Listen here: https://linktr.ee/ukrainethelatestSubscribe: telegraph.co.uk/ukrainethelatestEmail: ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Four stories with counter-intuitive implications:PACE's new platform for dialogue with “Russian democratic forces” beg the question of whether a handpicked roster, quota politics, and delegates closely tied to Ukrainian advocacy strengthen dialogue with Russians or hand the Kremlin an easy propaganda win. Does the much-hyped energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine offer little repair time but plenty of room for Moscow to refill missile stocks and plan salvos designed to overwhelm air defences?A new report on corruption in the regions demonstrates that, despite everything, there is still a willingness in Russia's academic/thinktank community to tackle tough topicsFinally, a fascinating report from The Bell on who dies at the front -- the poor -- may mean that strategies to degrade Russia's economy might drive more into the military.Yes, it's all difficult, with no easy conclusions.The Bell's work is here (subscribers only), while the Centre for Political Information report on corruption is here.The podcast's corporate partner and sponsor is Conducttr, which provides software for innovative and immersive crisis exercises in hybrid warfare, counter-terrorism, civil affairs and similar situations.You can also follow my blog, In Moscow's Shadows, and become one of the podcast's supporting Patrons and gain question-asking rights and access to exclusive extra materials including the (almost-) weekly Govorit Moskva news briefing right here. Support the show

2026-01-31 | UPDATES #121 | Russia raids elite branches of the military to feed the infantry — while casualties spike and “mobilization” stays politically radioactive. Some units becoming elite drone pilots, but the bulk of the ‘raw meat' that Putin is trying to funnel into the army are still being expended in high-casualty, low-impact meat-wave attacks that result in catastrophic losses. Russia's war machine is doing something armies do when they're bleeding out: it's consuming its own elite troops and specialists on senseless tactics that delivery little result. New reporting says Moscow is pulling people from the Strategic Missile Forces — yes, the nuclear deterrent branch — plus the Navy and Aerospace Forces and sending them into Ukraine as ordinary infantry. (Euromaidan Press) As well as being strategically insane, this smacks of absolute desperation on the part of Putin. At the same time, multiple outlets are examining the same grisly details: Russia's losses are now so extreme that analysts say the Kremlin faces a basic choice — another mobilization or accept a military that's increasingly hollowed out and running on fumes.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------A REQUEST FOR HELP!I'm heading back to Kyiv this week, to film, do research and conduct interviews. The logistics and need for equipment and clothing are a little higher than for my previous trips. It will be cold, and may be dark also. If you can, please assist to ensure I can make this trip a success. My commitment to the audience of the channel, will be to bring back compelling interviews conducted in Ukraine, and to use the experience to improve the quality of the channel, it's insights and impact. Let Ukraine and democracy prevail! https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrashttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformationNONE OF THIS CAN HAPPEN WITHOUT YOU!So what's next? We're going to Kyiv in January 2026 to film on the ground, and will record interviews with some huge guests. We'll be creating opportunities for new interviews, and to connect you with the reality of a European city under escalating winter attack, from an imperialist, genocidal power. PLEASE HELP ME ME TO GROW SILICON CURTAINWe are planning our events for 2026, and to do more and have a greater impact. After achieving more than 12 events in 2025, we will aim to double that! 24 events and interviews on the ground in Ukraine, to push back against weaponized information, toxic propaganda and corrosive disinformation. Please help us make it happen!----------SOURCES: Euromaidan Press (Jan 29, 2026) — “Russia strips nuclear forces, Navy, and Air Force to fill infantry ranks — military expert” - https://euromaidanpress.com/2026/01/29/russia-infantry-manpower-shortage-elite-forces/The New Voice of Ukraine (Jan 2026) — “When even the navy goes infantry” (analysis context)https://english.nv.ua/opinion/how-russia-is-gutting-elite-branches-to-feed-the-infantry-50579384.htmlMeduza (Jan 29, 2026) — “Russia's military losses… Yet re-deployed wounded obscure the true toll”https://meduza.io/en/feature/2026/01/29/russia-s-military-losses-in-ukraine-surpass-any-major-power-since-wwii-yet-re-deployed-wounded-obscure-the-true-tollKyiv Independent (Jan 28, 2026) — CSIS summary + “more losses than any major power since WWII” - https://kyivindependent.com/russia-has-suffered-more-losses-than-any-major-power-since-world-war-ii-report-says/Associated Press (Jan 28, 2026) — CSIS casualty estimates; slow advanceshttps://apnews.com/article/dd4fae88202ba92cafd59455da69dedc----------

Greeting Comrades, and welcome to the frozen bunker in Ludza.In this episode, we aren't just analyzing the collapse of the Russian Empire; we are physically fighting General Winter. While the temperature hits -24°C outside my window, I had to turn a household Philips vacuum cleaner into a tactical flamethrower to save my heating system from exploding.Meanwhile, across the border, the "Energy Superpower" is burning down its own grid. We dive into the "Alpen Gold Index" (why cheap chocolate is now a luxury asset), the "Crypto-Khans" of Ingushetia destroying the power network to mine Bitcoin, and the horrifying new casualty figures—1.2 million dead and wounded—that the Kremlin is trying to hide.We also look at the "Virtual Reality" war where General Gerasimov captures fake cities, the 14-nation naval blockade that just bricked up Russia's "Window to Europe," and the surreal silence of Russian propaganda as a boy from Donetsk knocks Real Madrid out of the Champions League.IN THIS EPISODE:Operation Pilda Dragon: How I fixed a pellet boiler disaster with a vacuum cleaner and an inner tube.The 500-Ruble Chocolate: Varlamov, the "Tax Apocalypse," and the death of the middle class.The Meat Grinder: New data reveals 1.2 million Russian casualties and a terrifying 1:1 death ratio.The Tech Trap: Why Russian volunteers are crying about "Mavic Hunters" destroying their drones on Day 1.The Baltic Blockade: 14 nations declare the "Shadow Fleet" stateless. The window is closed.Sports Psy-Ops: Jose Mourinho, the Donetsk goalkeeper "Tolya" Trubin, and the erasure of Ukraine on Russian TV.The Final Betrayal: Trump orders an "Energy Truce," Putin obeys, and the Z-Patriots lose their minds.

Host Licia Cianetti talks to two Russian experts, Vladislav Gorin and Alexandra Prokopenko, about the state of Russian domestic politics today. As Russia's war of invasion in Ukraine rages on and Russians live under an ever more repressive authoritarian regime, we discuss how we got here: what made the invasion of Ukraine possible, what is keeping Putin in power, how both the regime's relationship with both the elites and the people has evolved over Putin's 26 years in power, and what a future Russia without Putin might look like. A transcript of the conversation is available here. Guests: Vladislav Gorin is a journalist at the Russian independent media company Meduza, which is based in Riga (Latvia) and has been designated as an “undesirable organisation” by the Russian government. Vladislav hosts a great podcast (in Russian) called Что случилось (What happened). You can find the English language reporting from Meduza here. As it is illegal and unsafe for people in Russia to contribute to Meduza and even share links from independent media sources, Meduza currently survives on donations from people outside of Russia. You can find their donations campaign here. Alexandra Prokopenko is a fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, and before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine she has worked as a journalist reporting from the Kremlin, as an adviser to the Central Bank of Russia, and at the Higher School of Economics (HSE) in Moscow. Her book From Sovereigns to Servants. How the War Against Ukraine Reshaped Russia's Elite will be out in English in summer 2026 (it is available to preorder) and it was already published in Russian (here). Presenter: Licia Cianetti is Associate Professor at the University of Birmingham and Founding Deputy Director of CEDAR. The People, Power, Politics podcast brings you the latest insights into the factors that are shaping and re-shaping our political world. It is brought to you by the Centre for Elections, Democracy, Accountability and Representation (CEDAR) based at the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Host Licia Cianetti talks to two Russian experts, Vladislav Gorin and Alexandra Prokopenko, about the state of Russian domestic politics today. As Russia's war of invasion in Ukraine rages on and Russians live under an ever more repressive authoritarian regime, we discuss how we got here: what made the invasion of Ukraine possible, what is keeping Putin in power, how both the regime's relationship with both the elites and the people has evolved over Putin's 26 years in power, and what a future Russia without Putin might look like. A transcript of the conversation is available here. Guests: Vladislav Gorin is a journalist at the Russian independent media company Meduza, which is based in Riga (Latvia) and has been designated as an “undesirable organisation” by the Russian government. Vladislav hosts a great podcast (in Russian) called Что случилось (What happened). You can find the English language reporting from Meduza here. As it is illegal and unsafe for people in Russia to contribute to Meduza and even share links from independent media sources, Meduza currently survives on donations from people outside of Russia. You can find their donations campaign here. Alexandra Prokopenko is a fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, and before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine she has worked as a journalist reporting from the Kremlin, as an adviser to the Central Bank of Russia, and at the Higher School of Economics (HSE) in Moscow. Her book From Sovereigns to Servants. How the War Against Ukraine Reshaped Russia's Elite will be out in English in summer 2026 (it is available to preorder) and it was already published in Russian (here). Presenter: Licia Cianetti is Associate Professor at the University of Birmingham and Founding Deputy Director of CEDAR. The People, Power, Politics podcast brings you the latest insights into the factors that are shaping and re-shaping our political world. It is brought to you by the Centre for Elections, Democracy, Accountability and Representation (CEDAR) based at the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/russian-studies

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: First up—nearly four years into Russia's invasion of Ukraine, a new report finds Moscow's battlefield losses now exceed the combined casualties from all of its conflicts since World War Two, offering a stark picture of the war's true cost to the Kremlin. Later in the show—the United States moves to ease sanctions on Venezuela's oil industry, part of Washington's effort to reopen and stabilize the economy following the removal of Nicolás Maduro. Plus—President Trump ramps up warnings to Iran, threatening severe consequences if Tehran refuses to reach a new deal amid rising regional tensions. And in today's Back of the Brief—a public clash erupts between Poland's foreign minister and Elon Musk after reports suggest Russia may be exploiting Starlink on the battlefield in Ukraine. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President's Daily Brief by visiting https://PDBPremium.com. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief. YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief Cardiff: Get fast business funding without bank delays—apply in minutes with Cardiff and access up to $500,000 in same‑day funding at https://Cardiff.co/PDB  DeleteMe: Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to https://joindeleteme.com/PDB and use promocode PDB at checkout. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

La semana pasada Donald Trump se presentó en el Foro de Davos con un anuncio que nadie se esperaba: el nacimiento del Consejo de la Paz, un nuevo organismo internacional que se encargará de velar por la paz en el mundo. El nombre era familiar para los asistentes ya que ese consejo existe, pero con una misión algo distinta. Nació en noviembre del año pasado con un mandato específico del Consejo de Seguridad de la ONU: el de supervisar la reconstrucción y la desmilitarización de Gaza. Pero el presidente de EEUU lo ha transformado en algo mucho más ambicioso que, en la práctica, podría llegar a sustituir a la propia ONU. El nuevo consejo no solo servirá para encargarse de Gaza hasta que todo se normalice, Trump pretende que se convierta en una institución permanente en la que estén representados los Estados que quieran sumarse a él. La estructura del organismo refleja la visión personalista de Trump: ejerce como presidente ejecutivo con plenos poderes, derecho a veto y un mandato vitalicio que va más allá de su permanencia en la Casa Blanca. Pero su característica más insólita es su modelo de financiación. Está concebido casi como un club de golf. Los tres primeros años serán gratuitos, a partir de ahí los gobiernos tendrán que abonar mil millones de dólares para asegurarse una plaza permanente. La idea ha atraído ya a unos 25 países, entre ellos Arabia Saudita, Egipto, Turquía y Argentina, lo que viene a demostrar que el acceso directo a Trump pesa más que las alianzas tradicionales. La reacción internacional pone de manifiesto la fragilidad de bloques como los BRICS, que se han mostrado incapaces de ofrecer una respuesta unificada. El brasileño Lula da Silva ha sido el crítico más feroz. Otras potencias como China o la India se han decantado por la cautela para evitarse problemas y represalias comerciales en forma de aranceles. En el Kremlin, por su parte, miran desde la barrera con algo de suspicacia ya que este nuevo foro diluye el poder que Rusia tiene en la ONU desde el final de la segunda guerra mundial. Aún así, Putin ha fingido cierto interés para no complicar su relación con Trump. El éxito inicial de este Consejo de la Paz radica en que ha aprovechado el fracaso en Gaza tanto de la ONU como de los países musulmanes. Trump consiguió que el Consejo de Seguridad entregase su autoridad a una sola persona que ha entendido a la perfección hasta dónde puede expandirse. Eso sí, a Trump sólo le quedan tres años en el poder, cuando lo abandone es improbable que el resto de líderes mundiales sigan tratando de complacerle. A largo plazo seguramente no funcione esta iniciativa, pero a corto si que lo está haciendo. En última instancia este proyecto de Trump desmonta la idea de un "sur global" unido por su oposición a Estados Unidos. También demuestra que los BRICS son una coalición heterogénea e inestable frente a la hegemonía del dólar y el poder duro de Estados Unidos. El orden mundial se está redibujando no mediante consensos diplomáticos, sino a través del frío cálculo del interés nacional y la conveniencia económica. Aunque la viabilidad del Consejo de la Paz a largo plazo es incierta, su mera existencia ya ha roto el mito de la resistencia frente a Estados Unidos, dejando claro que, ante la oferta de Trump, la mayoría de los Gobiernos prefiere no significarse. En La ContraRéplica: 0:00 Introducción 3:56 La ONU paralela de Trump 36:29 “Contra el pesimismo”… https://amzn.to/4m1RX2R 38:39 La degradación de la red ferroviaria 48:21 Regularización de inmigrantes 53:43 Renovación de la red de alta velocidad · Canal de Telegram: https://t.me/lacontracronica · “Contra el pesimismo”… https://amzn.to/4m1RX2R · “Hispanos. Breve historia de los pueblos de habla hispana”… https://amzn.to/428js1G · “La ContraHistoria del comunismo”… https://amzn.to/39QP2KE · “La ContraHistoria de España. Auge, caída y vuelta a empezar de un país en 28 episodios”… https://amzn.to/3kXcZ6i · “Contra la Revolución Francesa”… https://amzn.to/4aF0LpZ · “Lutero, Calvino y Trento, la Reforma que no fue”… https://amzn.to/3shKOlK Apoya La Contra en: · Patreon... https://www.patreon.com/diazvillanueva · iVoox... https://www.ivoox.com/podcast-contracronica_sq_f1267769_1.html · Paypal... https://www.paypal.me/diazvillanueva Sígueme en: · Web... https://diazvillanueva.com · Twitter... https://twitter.com/diazvillanueva · Facebook... https://www.facebook.com/fernandodiazvillanueva1/ · Instagram... https://www.instagram.com/diazvillanueva · Linkedin… https://www.linkedin.com/in/fernando-d%C3%ADaz-villanueva-7303865/ · Flickr... https://www.flickr.com/photos/147276463@N05/?/ · Pinterest... https://www.pinterest.com/fernandodiazvillanueva Encuentra mis libros en: · Amazon... https://www.amazon.es/Fernando-Diaz-Villanueva/e/B00J2ASBXM #FernandoDiazVillanueva #trump #onu Escucha el episodio completo en la app de iVoox, o descubre todo el catálogo de iVoox Originals

Victoria Coates warns that the Kremlin may use the presence of Russian-speaking populations in the Baltic states as a justification for future aggression, replicating the strategy currently deployed against Ukraine. She notes that this established pattern, which claims that Russian speakers belong to Russia, poses a threat not only to the Baltics but also to Moldova, although she expresses concern that European powers like Germany are failing to heed these warning signs.1923 PETROGRAD

Its freeing cold in Ukraine - Deadly cold by intention. Russia is trying to make Ukraine uninhabitable. But friends of Ukraine, like DW Phillips are helping to fight back. His organization Ukraine Story is on a mission to bring Generators to Ukraine. Link for DW's Generator Mission with the Ukraine Story Foundation:UkraineStory.org/donatePassword: powertothepeopleOne million in Kyiv alone are without energy. Millions of others are navigating -27C temperatures as the war criminal in the Kremlin continues efforts to destroy the Ukrainian spirit by neutralizing the energy infrastructure and making its cities uninhabitable. Please help their campaign! ----------DW Phillips is a documentary filmmaker and constitutional attorney with Ukraine Story, a nonprofit foundation for journalism and documentary reporting in Ukraine. He and his documentary team have been filming conducting interviews in Ukraine with victims of Russian atrocities, and reporting stories of courage, defiance and perseverance of the Ukrainian people. He has reported on Russian atrocities in Bucha, and is presently working on issues of Kremlin disinformation campaigns in the American Right, religious liberty in Ukraine and the KGB domination of the Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orrhodox Church. ----------LINKS:https://www.linkedin.com/in/dw-p-59111859/https://www.youtube.com/@UkraineStory----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Save Ukrainehttps://www.saveukraineua.org/Superhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.orgNGO “Herojam Slava”https://heroiamslava.org/kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and Przemyślhttps://kharpp.com/NOR DOG Animal Rescuehttps://www.nor-dog.org/home/----------DESCRIPTION:Defending Rule of Law: DW Phillips on Western Civilization's Paradigm ShiftIn this episode, filmmaker, journalist, and constitutional attorney DW Phillips discusses critical issues surrounding overreach and illegality in the modern geopolitical landscape. The conversation delves into the paradigm shift from Western civilization founded on the rule of law to a 'gangster philosophy' where power trumps legality. DW Phillips examines the interconnectedness of events from Davos to Minneapolis to Kyiv and discusses the implications for international law, U.S. foreign policy, and domestic governance. The episode also covers the constitutional crises exacerbated by the Trump administration, the disintegration of international alliances like NATO, and the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. Phillips outlines his efforts to deliver critical supplies to Ukraine and underscores the importance of support for independent journalism and activism.----------CHAPTERS:00:00 Introduction to DW Phillips00:20 The Overreach and Illegality Discussion Begins02:24 The Paradigm Shift in Western Civilization04:10 The Irony of Trump's Influence06:28 Historical Continuity and Modern Disruption10:41 The Importance of International Law16:07 Domestic Implications of Current Policies22:08 The Presumption of Guilt and Its Consequences24:52 Winning Against the DOJ and FBI25:31 The Role of Attorneys and Legal System26:13 Political Loyalty vs. Rule of Law27:20 US vs. UK Legal Systems28:32 Executive Overreach and the 10th Amendment29:06 Trump's Unconstitutional Tariffs31:39 Russia's Influence and Greenland39:38 Humanitarian Crisis in Ukraine42:46 Supporting Ukraine: How You Can Help----------

In A Nasty Little War: The Western Fight to Reverse the Russian Revolution (Basic Books, 2024), award-winning reporter Anna Reid tells the extraordinary story of how the West tried to reverse the Russian Revolution. In the closing months of the First World War, Britain, America, France and Japan sent arms and 180,000 soldiers to Russia, with the aim of tipping the balance in her post-revolutionary Civil War. From Central Asia to the Arctic and from Poland to the Pacific, they joined anti-Bolshevik forces in trying to overthrow the new men in the Kremlin, in an astonishingly ambitious military adventure known as the Intervention. Fresh, in the case of the British, from the trenches, they found themselves in a mobile, multi-sided conflict as different as possible from the grim stasis of the Western Front. Criss-crossing the shattered Russian empire in trains, sleds and paddlesteamers, they bivouacked in snowbound cabins and Kirghiz yurts, torpedoed Red battleships from speedboats, improvised new currencies and the world's first air-dropped chemical weapons, got caught up in mass retreats and a typhus epidemic, organised several coups and at least one assassination. Taking tea with warlords and princesses, they also turned a blind eye to their Russian allies' numerous atrocities. Two years later they left again, filing glumly back onto their troopships as port after port fell to the Red Army. Later, American veterans compared the humiliation to Vietnam, and the politicians and generals responsible preferred to trivialise or forget. Drawing on previously unused diaries, letters and memoirs, A Nasty Little War brings an episode with echoes down the century since vividly to life. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose forthcoming book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

Près de quatre ans après que Vladimir Poutine a envoyé ses soldats en Ukraine, la nouvelle donne en Russie se précise et s'installe. Ascenseur social pour certains vétérans, la guerre fait aussi sentir ses effets sur les finances nationales et locales. C'est notamment le cas pour le budget 2026 de la région d'Irkoutsk, difficile à boucler. Au sommet d'une colline, une petite église aux bulbes dorés qui se découpent dans le ciel de neige. Un cercueil recouvert du drapeau russe franchit la sortie, pendant que le long du chemin, des femmes, chacune un drapeau à la main, l'escorte pour un hommage : c'est l'enterrement d'un soldat russe mort en Ukraine, annoncé dans la presse locale par le comité des mères de combattants. Quelques centaines de mètres plus bas, le long d'une voie rapide, un atelier de réparation de pneus. Entre les deux, en pente douce, une petite allée arborée, bordée de portraits de combattants décédés : on l'appelle ici « l'allée des héros ». « Je les connais presque tous personnellement », confie Artëm, lui-même vétéran de « l'opération spéciale ». « Il y en a un avec qui je me suis battu côte à côte. Il y en a qui étaient avec Wagner, et il y en a d'autres du ministère de la Défense. Leurs portraits ont été ajoutés à ceux morts au combat en Tchétchénie et en Afghanistan. » Artëm est le propriétaire d'un atelier de réparation, 20 mètres carrés à la sortie de Baïkalsk, une petite localité en déclin depuis une dizaine d'années et qui comptait 13 000 habitants au dernier décompte officiel de 2021. Une agglomération sur les rives du lac Baïkal dans laquelle « on ne trouve pas de travail décent », dit-il. Recruté par Evgueni Prigojine Entre les scies visseuses, marteaux, clous et pneus, Artëm accueille ses clients avec, dès l'entrée, le drapeau de Wagner déployé sur un pan de mur. « Certains posent des questions, d'autres ne reconnaissent même pas le drapeau ; pour eux, ce n'est qu'une image. Certains sont tout simplement trop loin de cette réalité. Pour moi, bien sûr, c'est le souvenir d'y avoir participé. Même si, avec le bout de métal que j'ai désormais à la place d'une partie du bras et de l'épaule, j'ai une mémoire pour toujours. » Artëm a été blessé lors de la bataille de Bakhmout en 2023, dans un bataillon d'assaut. « Certains clients m'embrassent et me félicitent », raconte-t-il, « mais ce n'est pas le cas de tout le monde. Beaucoup de gens, je dirais à peu près 50 %, se fichent de savoir qu'il y a une guerre qui se déroule en ce moment. » À écouter dans Grand reportageSyndrome afghan : le pouvoir russe face à ses vétérans de la guerre d'Ukraine  Quant au fait que le groupe paramilitaire fondé par Evgueni Prigojine ait été sanctionné par les États-Unis et l'Union européenne ainsi que d'autres pays pour — notamment — crimes de guerre et activités déstabilisatrices en Ukraine, en Syrie et en Afrique, peu importe en Russie, tant le groupe s'est banalisé et même parfois romantisé dans certains esprits. Artëm, lui, a choisi Wagner plutôt que l'armée régulière en juin 2023 « parce que ses hommes y ont leur propre loi ». Artëm dit aussi avoir été à l'époque « épuisé mentalement » par sept années passées derrière les barreaux, sept d'une peine de dix ans pour « consommation de drogue », affirme-t-il. Les prisons russes sont réputées pour leur implacable brutalité, et celles de la région d'Irkoutsk, très nombreuses, ont été secouées en 2021 par un scandale de tortures et d'abus tels que le comité d'enquête, organe qui répond directement au Kremlin, s'en était officiellement saisi. Combattre en Ukraine : « Une deuxième chance dans sa vie » pour un prisonnier Au printemps 2023, alors qu'Artëm est derrière les barreaux, une rumeur traverse la prison « comme une radio interne », dit-il : les recruteurs de Wagner arrivent. C'est Evgueni Prigojine lui-même qui se présente. Le dirigeant du groupe paramilitaire est précédé par un bus d'Omon, les forces anti-émeutes, pour garantir l'ordre, et est arrivé dans la cour de la prison en hélicoptère, une arrivée « spectaculaire » se rappelle Artëm. Ses souvenirs sont très précis. Il décrit Prigojine qu'il surnomme « Oncle Génia » au milieu des prisonniers en cercle, posant les conditions du contrat, « ne cachant rien des pour et des contre ». Précisant aussi que n'étaient pas concernés pour le recrutement « les condamnés pour viol et pédophilie », dit Artëm, qui ajoute : « les orphelins étaient prioritaires ». À lire aussiRussie: après les funérailles, l'amertume des partisans d'Evgueni Prigojine  À 33 ans à l'époque, Artëm avait de toute façon déjà pris sa décision. « Il me restait encore beaucoup de temps à passer en prison et je n'en pouvais plus. Et pour moi, signer, c'était une deuxième chance, une chance de réparer ma vie, et il fallait la prendre. Quand on a traversé la guerre, on recommence sa vie à zéro, on est gracié par décret du président de la Fédération de Russie. On a un document officiel signé par Vladimir Poutine lui-même, qui dit qu'on est pardonné pour héroïsme et pour bravoure. C'est quelque chose qui encourage à signer. » Sorti de prison au terme de sa peine, Artëm sait qu'il aurait été en difficulté dans une société russe sans concessions pour les anciens « taulards ». Aujourd'hui, avec la somme généreuse que lui a versée Wagner pendant la guerre, Artëm a investi dans un commerce rentable. Il a aussi désormais un statut symbolique dans la société, tant les combattants sont glorifiés et présentés par le pouvoir comme des modèles à suivre, et rencontre régulièrement des gradés au sein de la société locale des vétérans. À lire aussiL'armée russe recrute aussi à la télévision  À 38 ans aujourd'hui, Alexander a lui signé à l'automne 2023 pour deux ans pour le ministère de la Défense. Sans prévenir sa famille ni ses amis, leur envoyant une simple photo de lui en uniforme. Pourquoi s'engager ? « C'est une question difficile », répond-il. Avant d'avancer que c'est la décision d'« un homme, un vrai ». C'est d'ailleurs un motif d'engagement régulièrement mis en avant par le ministère russe de la Défense dans ses spots de campagne de recrutement. Alexander affirme aussi avoir voulu « voir ce qu'était la guerre ». Il refuse de parler de ce qu'il a fait et vu, « vous ne comprendriez rien », dit-il d'un air de défi ; et ne dit pas un mot de la blessure qui lui a valu de longs mois d'hospitalisation et une démobilisation au bout d'un an et demi. Avant de s'engager, cet ancien commandant d'une unité d'assaut dirigeait une entreprise de bâtiment de taille moyenne. De retour d'un long séjour à l'hôpital après les combats, avec essentiellement l'argent de son contrat et les indemnités pour blessure, il a construit puis ouvert en décembre un restaurant de grillades, « un rêve qu'il avait depuis plusieurs années » Quant au terrain pour le construire, Alexander a fait valoir ses droits auprès de l'administration locale : un décret de Vladimir Poutine accorde gratuitement un terrain à tous ceux décorés, comme lui, de l'ordre du Courage. Il est normalement dédié à la construction de la résidence principale, mais, dit Alexander avec un sourire en coin, « avec moi, l'administration locale regarde ailleurs ». La valeur du terrain est estimée à 1,5 million de roubles, presque 20 000 euros au cours actuel. Une somme particulièrement difficile à emprunter dans une Russie où le taux directeur de la Banque centrale est à 16%. La région ne se contente pas d'appliquer les décisions du pouvoir central. Par décret régional signé le 30 décembre dernier, elle a augmenté la prime de signature d'un contrat pour aller se battre en Ukraine aux volontaires résidant dans la région à 1,4 million de roubles (près de 17 000 euros au cours actuel), allant jusqu'à 2,4 millions (près de 30 000 euros) si le contrat est signé entre le 1ᵉʳ et le 31 janvier. Nombreuses prisons et tradition militaire, double vivier de recrutement Soldats de métier, mobilisés ou volontaires, dans la région d'Irkoutsk, ils sont nombreux à être partis pour l'Ukraine, mais les chiffres précis sont inconnus : ils sont classés secret défense. Les indices d'un large engagement sont cependant nombreux. « Dans presque chaque famille, il y a des gens qui connaissent quelqu'un lié d'une manière ou d'une autre à la guerre. Ou ils ont des amis qui se sont battus, qui sont en quelque sorte impliqués », explique Alexey Petrov, historien local, désigné agent de l'étranger en 2021. « Et parce que beaucoup de Sibériens se battent là-bas [en Ukraine, NDLR], Irkoutsk se classe parmi les plus gros contributeurs régionaux en termes de montant d'argent collecté pour la guerre, mais aussi en termes d'aide directe aux soldats, sans doute la première sur les dix régions de Sibérie. Toutes les organisations et fondations qui y sont liées sont très actives ici, envoient constamment de l'aide, des cadeaux pour la nouvelle année, des cartes, toutes sortes de choses ». Les nombreuses prisons, vivier de recrutement, y sont évidemment pour quelque chose — deux ont déjà été fermées en presque quatre ans de conflit, et il en reste 21. L'argent, évidemment, aussi : « Hier, vous étiez conducteur de tracteur, et aujourd'hui, vous êtes conducteur de camion sur le front. Et vous gagnerez cinq fois plus », dit Alexey Petrov. Mais l'histoire régionale joue aussi un rôle décisif, explique-t-il, et elle prend ses racines sous l'Union soviétique : « Irkoutsk était le centre du district militaire sibérien jusqu'en 1953, date de la mort de Staline. Toutes les troupes stationnées sur le front de l'Est ont été formées ici. Le défilé de la Victoire de 1945 dans la ville chinoise de Harbin [défilé militaire solennel de troupes de l'Armée rouge soviétique le 16 septembre 1945, NDLR] était dirigé par le général Beloborodov, originaire d'Irkoutsk. Jusqu'à sa fermeture en 2011, nous avions une très grande école, l'École d'aviation militaire d'Irkoutsk. Et il y a des dizaines de milliers de soldats qui se sont toujours entraînés ici. » Rare alerte budgétaire L'attaque de drones ukrainiens le 1er juin dernier, à plus de 4 000 kilomètres de la ligne de front, a, elle, marqué les esprits. Kiev a affirmé avoir visé la base aérienne stratégique de Belaïa, à une quinzaine de kilomètres d'Irkoutsk, une cible non confirmée par la Russie. Le gouverneur de la région a évoqué une unité militaire stationnée dans un village. Mais ce dont on parle le plus facilement à Irkoutsk cet hiver, c'est de la hausse des prix, manifeste partout en Russie. Le budget 2025 de la région, qui a été si difficile à boucler, a aussi suscité des réactions. Selon le journal Védomosti, daté du 25 novembre dernier, les plus larges déficits régionaux en valeur absolue sur les 89 régions que compte le territoire national concernaient deux régions de Sibérie : celle de Kemerovo (-43.9 milliards de roubles) et Irkoutsk (-41.1 milliards de roubles). À lire aussiLe charbon russe connaît sa pire crise depuis trente ans  Kemerovo, au sud, est une région industrielle réputée pour être en crise depuis deux ans, car elle dépend d'une filière charbon qui ne trouve plus de débouchés. Pour expliquer les difficultés de celle d'Irkoutsk, Nadejda Grosheva, docteur en économie, directeur de la Baikal International Business School de l'université d'État d'Irkoutsk, et membre du Conseil stratégique de la région d'Irkoutsk, avance par exemple qu'en Russie, les entreprises paient leurs impôts sur le lieu de leur siège. « Si vous avez une société enregistrée à Moscou, l'impôt sur les bénéfices est payé à Moscou. Ils sont tous intégrés verticalement. » De nombreuses grandes entreprises comme Gazprom ou Rosneft opèrent en effet dans la région. Chute libre des investissements dans les infrastructures Face à la grogne suscitée par certains paiements publics en retard cet automne et au début de l'hiver, et notamment le salaire des professeurs, le gouverneur Igor Kobzev, lui, a notamment expliqué dans la presse locale la baisse des recettes de cette manière : « Des signes avant-coureurs sont apparus en 2024, car nous sommes une région tournée vers l'exportation avec des produits à forte valeur ajoutée qui représentent la part du lion du budget. » Derrière cet euphémisme, cette réalité : le budget de la région est fortement dépendant des impôts des entreprises des secteurs de l'aluminium, du diamant et du gaz, des secteurs tous sous sanctions occidentales depuis la guerre en Ukraine. Autrement dit : si le budget de la région souffre, c'est que les recettes de ces entreprises ont baissé. La région dispose bien d'un gisement de gaz, le gisement de Kavytkinskoye, qui doit être exploité pour le gazoduc « Force de Sibérie 2 », pour fournir la Chine. Mais le projet tarde toujours à se concrétiser. De quoi faire monter dans une partie de la population une question sensible sur le contrat social et la répartition des efforts. Dimitri et Oleg, deux habitants de la région qui ont demandé à rester anonymes, ont effleuré ce sujet tabou au micro de RFI. « Il y a un déséquilibre qui est en train d'apparaître au sein de la population », a avancé Oleg. « Parce que, si on compare de manière relative, les participants à l'opération spéciale reçoivent beaucoup d'argent, tandis que les travailleurs du secteur public reçoivent des kopecks. Et ce déséquilibre n'apporte rien de bon ».  Dimitri a tiqué et avancé : « Combattre est un métier dangereux. C'est pour ça qu'il est si bien payé. » Oleg s'est contenté de répondre : « Je comprends pourquoi ceux qui sont à l'opération spéciale gagnent beaucoup d'argent. Je dis juste que ceux qui sont restés ici, ceux qui élèvent de jeunes enfants notamment, ne reçoivent pas beaucoup d'argent. C'est un déséquilibre qui est en train de naître, je n'ai rien de plus à dire. » Fin de l'échange. On n'est jamais trop prudents. Le gouverneur a promis de ne pas couper dans les dépenses sociales, mais la région a dû prendre un prêt pour boucler son budget 2025. Il a aussi annoncé un grand coup de frein pour l'investissement dans les infrastructures. En 2026, les financements passeront dans ce domaine de 18 milliards de roubles en 2025 à 4,3 milliards. Et encore, ce montant sera dépensé essentiellement dans les projets éligibles à un cofinancement fédéral. Tous les autres projets de construction et de réparation seront suspendus ou mis en sommeil. Cela concerne notamment les écoles et les centres sportifs.

Greetings from Pilda,It is the coldest January in thirty years. Outside my window, the thermometer is dropping, and I have just finished hauling 150kg of heating pellets into the bunker. It is the perfect atmosphere for what we need to discuss today.For years, we have been documenting the slow, bureaucratic rot of the Russian Empire. We called it the “Rotting Cake”—a structure that looked impressive from the outside but was being eaten alive by corruption from within.Well, I have bad news. The cake is gone. The rats have finished it.We have now entered the Warlord Era.In this episode of The Eastern Border, we are no longer looking at a state. We are looking at a dark, geopolitical anime where the laws of physics and logic have been suspended. The “Vertical of Power” has collapsed into a collection of feudal tribes, each led by a warlord more insane than the last.The World Boss Wakes Up While the Kremlin was busy arguing about “traditional values,” the United States decided to play Grand Theft Auto. In the span of 48 hours, they kidnapped the President of Venezuela and announced plans to put a “Golden Dome” over a newly purchased Greenland. The “Multipolar World” is dead. The Sheriff is back in town, and he is drunk.The Grinch and the Cucumber Meanwhile, France—yes, France—has started seizing Russian oil tankers. Specifically, a tanker named “The Grinch” (you cannot make this up). The Russian response? Impotent rage on Telegram. Why? Because they can't afford to fight back. The “Cucumber Index” has spiked 30% in three weeks. The economy is eating itself.The Spiritual Psychosis But the real horror is in the trenches. We read the diaries of soldiers who are trapped in the “Red Marker Trap”—dying in villages that their commanders have already marked as “captured” on the map. We meet the “Shashlik Commandos”—elite bureaucrats who go to the rear to eat barbecue and steal tractors. And we listen to the “Berserkers” like Yuri Yevich, who are now screaming that the war is actually against “Satanic Space Bears” and that the only solution is… ice axes.The State is dead. Long live the Tribe.In this episode:The Global Humiliation: From Maduro to the Grinch.The Techno-Rot: Why the “Toilet Warlords” can't build drones but can brick your iPhone.The Meat Grinder: Strelkov's letter from prison revealing that Putin has killed more men in one village than WWII.The Escape: Why the “Good Russians” are finding the doors to the West locked tight.Happiness is Mandatory.

En 1985, Mikhaïl Gorbatchev ouvre les vannes d'une Union soviétique en train de s'effriter. L'homme de la Perestroïka et de la Glasnost enterre, avec Ronald Reagan, la guerre Est-Ouest. En 1991, avec la démission du réformateur du Kremlin, c'est toute l'union qui disparait, marquant définitivement la fin de la guerre froide. Découvrez le parcours du dernier dirigeant de l'URSS, l'artisan du rapprochement entre Est et Ouest, au péril de son propre pays. Crédits : Lorànt Deutsch, Bruno Deltombe.Hébergé par Audiomeans. Visitez audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

AP correspondent Laurence Brooks reports on the latest peace talks between Russia and Ukraine held in Abu Dhabi.

durée : 00:55:25 - Le Masque et la Plume - par : Rebecca Manzoni - Özpetek qui convoque ses fantômes romains, Assayas qui ausculte les arcanes du pouvoir russe, Chloé Zhao qui ressuscite Shakespeare, Salomé qui enquête et Abd Al Malik qui réclame justice, découvrez les critiques du Masque des nouvelles sorties cinéma. - invités : Pierre Murat, Murielle Joudet, Charlotte LIPINSKA, Jean-Marc Lalanne - Pierre Murat : Journaliste et auteur, Murielle Joudet : Critique de cinéma au Monde, Charlotte Lipinska : Critique française de cinéma, Jean-Marc Lalanne : Critique de cinéma et rédacteur en chef du magazine Les Inrocks - réalisé par : Stéphane LE GUENNEC Vous aimez ce podcast ? Pour écouter tous les autres épisodes sans limite, rendez-vous sur Radio France.

durée : 00:07:19 - Le Masque et la Plume - par : Jérôme Garcin - Olivier Assayas adapte “Le Mage du Kremlin, le best-seller de Giuliano da Empoli, En un peu moins de 2h30, le film revient sur 30 ans d'histoire de la Russie et sur l'ascension de Vladimir Poutine, de l'effondrement de l'URSS jusqu'en 2019. Qu'en ont pensé les critiques du "Masque et la Plume" ? Vous aimez ce podcast ? Pour écouter tous les autres épisodes sans limite, rendez-vous sur Radio France.

In The Mozhaisk Road (Austin Macauley, 2025) the time is 1978 and Moscow is still the capital of a Communist country. The political police continues to suppress the protests of dissident leader Alexander Razumovsky and his tiny group of supporters. Western observers Howard Wilde and Gels Maybey face an uncertain Christmas after a public rally is roughly broken up in the city's Pushkin Square. But when the elderly Razumovsky suddenly steps down in the New Year and a new young leader emerges, the whole world sees a sign of hope. Can this sluggish, downtrodden Russia, despised by its own leaders, suddenly change, inspired by the courage of one Boris Marlinsky?As the Kremlin responds behind the scenes, how close can Western reporters come to grasping the hidden ways of power which seem to seal Russia's troubled fate? This forcefully imagined prequel to the real events of 1991 changes the lives of Howard Wilde and Gels Maybey, and their American friends Arthur and Harriet. But what then of their Russian friends? Is it only Western hearts and minds that long for freedom along the Mozhaisk Road? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

In The Mozhaisk Road (Austin Macauley, 2025) the time is 1978 and Moscow is still the capital of a Communist country. The political police continues to suppress the protests of dissident leader Alexander Razumovsky and his tiny group of supporters. Western observers Howard Wilde and Gels Maybey face an uncertain Christmas after a public rally is roughly broken up in the city's Pushkin Square. But when the elderly Razumovsky suddenly steps down in the New Year and a new young leader emerges, the whole world sees a sign of hope. Can this sluggish, downtrodden Russia, despised by its own leaders, suddenly change, inspired by the courage of one Boris Marlinsky?As the Kremlin responds behind the scenes, how close can Western reporters come to grasping the hidden ways of power which seem to seal Russia's troubled fate? This forcefully imagined prequel to the real events of 1991 changes the lives of Howard Wilde and Gels Maybey, and their American friends Arthur and Harriet. But what then of their Russian friends? Is it only Western hearts and minds that long for freedom along the Mozhaisk Road? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literature

Why did a German immigration officer deny asylum to a Russian torture victim by citing a press release from Sergei Shoigu? Why is the Russian Orthodox Church building an Artificial Intelligence to automate the writing of police denunciations? And why is Vladimir Putin personally designing a business plan for a single pie shop while the national gold reserves vanish?In this episode of The Eastern Border, we smash the glass of the "Republic of Fake." We travel from the heated offices of Berlin bureaucrats who have accepted the Kremlin's lies as legal truth, to the frontlines where "Turbo-Patriots" are realizing that their holy war has become nothing more than an unfashionable subculture.We dig into the "Kickback Empire" where 50% of the imperial budget is stolen by handlers in Moscow, meet "Yura Unitaz"—the alleged toilet salesman in charge of Russia's drone war—and analyze the forensic data proving the Kadyrov regime is running on autopilot.The cake is rotting, friends. Don't eat it.IN THIS EPISODE:The Shoigu Precedent: How German bureaucracy was hacked by Russian apathy.The Mashenka Economy: The President, the Pie Shop, and the 1998 oil prices.Orthodox GPT: Outsourcing Judas to a server farm.The Kadyrov Glitch: Waze data, deleted Instagram posts, and the panic in Grozny.The Dead End: Why Russian nationalists admit "The SMO is out of fashion."SUPPORT THE FRONT LINE: Help our friends at Car4Ukraine turn civilian trucks into life-saving "Christmas Tree Trucks" for the defenders on the zero line:

Kate Adie introduces stories from Ukraine, Russia, France, Uganda and Morocco.As temperatures plummet in Ukraine, Russia is aggressively attacking the country's energy grid. Ukraine is heavily reliant on its nuclear power plants, which are also being targeted. There are concerns that without proper maintenance, it could trigger another nuclear disaster. Wyre Davies spoke to the head of Ukraine's nuclear authority.President Trump has claimed the threat posed by Russia and China is one of the reasons the US must acquire Greenland - but rather than antagonise the Kremlin, the pro-Kremlin Russian news service has been full of praise for the US president. Steve Rosenberg reports from Moscow.From South Korea to Western Europe, there's deep concern over falling birth rates – and it was one of the reasons behind France's decision a few years ago to amend its policy regarding egg-freezing for non-medical purposes, bringing it in line with other European countries. Carolyn Lamboley recounts her personal experience.1986 was the year Diego Maradona lifted the World Cup - and when Uganda's president Yoweri Museveni first came to power. Last week, the 81-year-old won his seventh consecutive term in office, Sammy Awami was in Kampala where he heard from young people about how they voted.The 2026 Africa Cup of Nations came to a close in Morocco last weekend and aside from missing the chance to lift the trophy for the first time in fifty years, the tournament proved controversial in Morocco due to the vast sums spent on it. Tim Hartley reflects on the discontent over prioritising sporting prestige over public services.Producer: Serena Tarling Production coordinators: Katie Morrison and Sophie Hill Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith

In A Nasty Little War: The Western Fight to Reverse the Russian Revolution (Basic Books, 2024), award-winning reporter Anna Reid tells the extraordinary story of how the West tried to reverse the Russian Revolution. In the closing months of the First World War, Britain, America, France and Japan sent arms and 180,000 soldiers to Russia, with the aim of tipping the balance in her post-revolutionary Civil War. From Central Asia to the Arctic and from Poland to the Pacific, they joined anti-Bolshevik forces in trying to overthrow the new men in the Kremlin, in an astonishingly ambitious military adventure known as the Intervention. Fresh, in the case of the British, from the trenches, they found themselves in a mobile, multi-sided conflict as different as possible from the grim stasis of the Western Front. Criss-crossing the shattered Russian empire in trains, sleds and paddlesteamers, they bivouacked in snowbound cabins and Kirghiz yurts, torpedoed Red battleships from speedboats, improvised new currencies and the world's first air-dropped chemical weapons, got caught up in mass retreats and a typhus epidemic, organised several coups and at least one assassination. Taking tea with warlords and princesses, they also turned a blind eye to their Russian allies' numerous atrocities. Two years later they left again, filing glumly back onto their troopships as port after port fell to the Red Army. Later, American veterans compared the humiliation to Vietnam, and the politicians and generals responsible preferred to trivialise or forget. Drawing on previously unused diaries, letters and memoirs, A Nasty Little War brings an episode with echoes down the century since vividly to life. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose forthcoming book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

In A Nasty Little War: The Western Fight to Reverse the Russian Revolution (Basic Books, 2024), award-winning reporter Anna Reid tells the extraordinary story of how the West tried to reverse the Russian Revolution. In the closing months of the First World War, Britain, America, France and Japan sent arms and 180,000 soldiers to Russia, with the aim of tipping the balance in her post-revolutionary Civil War. From Central Asia to the Arctic and from Poland to the Pacific, they joined anti-Bolshevik forces in trying to overthrow the new men in the Kremlin, in an astonishingly ambitious military adventure known as the Intervention. Fresh, in the case of the British, from the trenches, they found themselves in a mobile, multi-sided conflict as different as possible from the grim stasis of the Western Front. Criss-crossing the shattered Russian empire in trains, sleds and paddlesteamers, they bivouacked in snowbound cabins and Kirghiz yurts, torpedoed Red battleships from speedboats, improvised new currencies and the world's first air-dropped chemical weapons, got caught up in mass retreats and a typhus epidemic, organised several coups and at least one assassination. Taking tea with warlords and princesses, they also turned a blind eye to their Russian allies' numerous atrocities. Two years later they left again, filing glumly back onto their troopships as port after port fell to the Red Army. Later, American veterans compared the humiliation to Vietnam, and the politicians and generals responsible preferred to trivialise or forget. Drawing on previously unused diaries, letters and memoirs, A Nasty Little War brings an episode with echoes down the century since vividly to life. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose forthcoming book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/russian-studies

The first three-way talks between the US, Russia and Ukraine are due to be held later today. It's a new development - but will it bring peace closer? Senior officials from all three nations are involved, but it is unclear whether they will be in the same room together at any point. Also in the programme: A deal has been done to keep Tiktok in the US; we go inside the secret prisons of southern Yemen; and we find out how to eavesdrop on villains in 17th century London.(Photo shows Russia's top economic negotiator Kirill Dmitriev and US Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff attend a meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia on 22 January 2026. Alexander Kazakov/Sputnikl/EPA)

Forty-six states are under weather advisories, watches, or warnings, as a massive winter storm is expected to bring snow, ice, and extreme cold this weekend. The storm's footprint will stretch from the plains across the south and into the northeast, with North and South Carolina already declaring states of emergency. Weather experts are advising people to stay home and off the roads, and to be prepared for major travel disruptions.The United States, Ukraine, and Russia will meet on Nov. 23 in Abu Dhabi for tri-lateral security talks. President Donald Trump says Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy now appear open to ending the war, following separate high-level meetings. While the Kremlin called talks with U.S. negotiators substantive, Russia insists no lasting peace is possible without resolving territorial claims.TikTok's Chinese parent company, ByteDance, says it has finalized a move to avoid a ban in the United States, with a deal to create a majority "US-owned joint venture." U.S. data from TikTok's algorithm will be secured on Oracle's cloud system. American and global investors will own 80.1% of the venture, while ByteDance will retain the rest. Tech giant Oracle, private equity firm Silver Lake, and Abu Dhabi-based MGX will serve as managing investors, each holding a 15% stake.

No 3 em 1 desta sexta-feira (23), o destaque foi a avaliação do primeiro ano do novo governo do presidente dos Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, apresentada pela porta-voz do Departamento de Estado, Amanda Roberson. Segundo ela, a prioridade da atual administração é colocar os EUA em primeiro lugar, com foco na segurança nacional e no fortalecimento da atuação diplomática. Roberson afirmou ainda que Trump teve papel relevante na resolução de conflitos internacionais, sendo reconhecido como um ‘presidente da paz', além de destacar a continuidade das relações bilaterais com o Brasil e o avanço das parcerias com países europeus. Ainda no cenário internacional, Espanha e Alemanha recusaram oficialmente o convite para integrar o chamado Conselho da Paz, criado pelo governo Trump para monitorar a situação na Faixa de Gaza e atuar em outras regiões de conflito. França, Noruega, Eslovênia, Suécia, Itália, Reino Unido e Irlanda também rejeitaram a iniciativa, evidenciando a resistência europeia ao órgão liderado por Washington. Estados Unidos, Ucrânia e Rússia iniciam nesta sexta-feira (23), em Abu Dhabi, a primeira reunião trilateral desde o início da guerra para discutir um possível acordo de paz no conflito ucraniano, que se aproxima de quatro anos. O encontro ocorre sob protagonismo dos EUA no governo Trump. O presidente ucraniano, Volodymyr Zelensky, afirmou que as negociações tratarão do controle territorial da região de Donbass, enquanto o Kremlin endureceu o discurso, condicionando o fim da guerra à retirada das tropas ucranianas e à anexação integral do território. No Brasil, o Rioprevidência afirmou que todos os seus investimentos seguiram rigorosamente a legislação e as normas dos órgãos de controle. A manifestação ocorre após a deflagração da Operação Barco de Papel, da Polícia Federal, que apura suspeitas de aplicações financeiras irregulares. Em nota, o órgão informou que deverá receber de volta, nos próximos dois anos, os R$ 970 milhões investidos em letras financeiras do Banco Master. Também nesta sexta-feira, a oposição ao governador do Distrito Federal, Ibaneis Rocha (MDB), protocolou dois pedidos de impeachment por supostos crimes de responsabilidade relacionados às negociações entre o BRB e o Banco Master. As solicitações foram encaminhadas à Câmara Legislativa do DF e agora dependem de autorização do presidente da Casa, Wellington Luiz (MDB-DF), aliado do governador. O presidente do Supremo Tribunal Federal, Edson Fachin, defendeu a atuação da Corte e do ministro Dias Toffoli na supervisão do inquérito que investiga suspeitas de fraudes envolvendo o Banco Master. Em nota, Fachin afirmou que o STF atua dentro de suas atribuições constitucionais, com respeito ao devido processo legal e em cooperação com a Polícia Federal e o Ministério Público Federal. Sem citar diretamente o empresário Daniel Vorcaro, controlador do Banco Master, o presidente Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) afirmou, durante evento em Maceió, que o ‘cidadão do Banco Master' teria aplicado um golpe de R$ 40 bilhões. Segundo Lula, o prejuízo não ficará restrito à instituição e deverá ser absorvido pelo sistema financeiro. O diretor de Fiscalização do Banco Central, Ailton de Aquino Santos, negou ter recomendado ao BRB a compra de carteiras supostamente fraudadas do Banco Master. Ele afirmou que colocou à disposição das autoridades todas as informações bancárias, fiscais e registros de conversas com o ex-presidente do BRB, Paulo Henrique Costa, reforçando que sua atuação seguiu critérios técnicos e legais. Nos Estados Unidos, manifestantes protestaram em Minneapolis após a prisão de uma criança de cinco anos, episódio que gerou indignação e reacendeu o debate sobre a política anti-imigração no país. Tudo isso e muito mais você acompanha no 3 em 1. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Detienen a “El Botox” en Michoacán Clausuran call center de extorsión y droga en EcatepecPutin y enviados de EU se reúnen en Kremlin para negociar la pazMás información en nuestro Podcast

On today's podcast:1) New York City is poised to get pummeled with more than a foot of snow this weekend, a test for new Mayor Zohran Mamdani, as a massive weather system lands on the region threatening power outages, airline delays and transit system problems. New York’s Central Park may get dumped with as much as 16 inches (41 centimeters) of snow starting Sunday morning, the heaviest of the season. That comes as the storm that will hit Southern states with ice moves into the Northeast, said Brian Hurley, a senior branch forecaster with the US Weather Prediction Center. Washington, Philadelphia and Boston are also expected to see snowfall. If the forecast holds, it would be the biggest snowstorm to hit Manhattan since 2021, based on snowfall records at Central Park.2) The US wants to rewrite its defense agreement with Denmark to remove any limits on its military presence in Greenland, people familiar with the matter said, in what’s become a focal point for negotiators looking to meet President Trump’s demand for control over the territory. The original agreement, signed in 1951 and amended in 2004, says the US must “consult with and inform” Denmark and Greenland before it makes “any significant changes to United States military operations or facilities in Greenland.” The people familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified discussing private deliberations, said American negotiators want to rework that language to make sure the US faces no restrictions at all as it makes its plans.3) The Kremlin said the “territorial issue” remains unresolved after President Vladimir Putin held late-night talks with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on the latest peace plan for ending Russia’s war on Ukraine. There’s “no hope of achieving a long-term settlement” to the war until Russia’s demands for territory in Ukraine are accepted, Putin’s foreign policy aide, Yuri Ushakov, said in an audio recording on Telegram early Friday. That’s even as he characterized the almost four hours of negotiations in the Kremlin as “exceptionally substantive, constructive.” Talks will continue between US, Russian and Ukrainian representatives in the United Arab Emirates on Friday and Saturday. Separately, Witkoff and Putin’s envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, will discuss bilateral Russia-US economic matters in Abu Dhabi.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Patrick Bishop and Roger Moorhouse explore a week of geopolitical upheaval that marks a potential "1938 moment" for the modern world. One year into Donald Trump's imperial presidency, the duo discusses the stunning ultimatum issued to eight European NATO allies: accept a massive tariff hike or facilitate the American purchase of Greenland. Roger weighs in on whether NATO can survive this direct threat to member sovereignty and the unprecedented refusal of the U.S. to rule out conflict with Denmark. The conversation shifts to the "Donroe Doctrine" and the strategic importance of the High North. Patrick explains why this obsession with the Arctic might inadvertently pit Trump against Putin, potentially shifting the Kremlin from an admired friend to a strategic foe—a rare "bright spot" for a struggling Ukraine. Meanwhile, they report on the worsening humanitarian crisis in Kyiv, where a million residents remain without power in sub-zero temperatures. Interested in supporting Insulate Ukraine? Check them out here: https://www.insulate-ukraine.org/ourwindow If you have any thoughts or questions, you can send them to - podbattleground@gmail.com Producer: James Hodgson X (Twitter): @PodBattleground Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Donald Trump is so enamored with Vladimir Putin he doesn't even know the Russian leader is regularly making fun of him in ways that can't easily be translated. Trump is also running the White House like it's the Kremlin, with backdoor deals, quick enrichment schemes, nefarious activities, and cronies calling the shots—while people in official positions, like Marco, are just fig leaves. It's the exact kind of political world where Putin flourishes. And his operation against the United States continues apace. Plus, the backstory on the proposed Venezuela-Ukraine swap, Trump's TACO on Greenland, Canada and Europe have had enough of the U.S. and buying American, Western allies don't trust Vance's dependence on tech bros, and hello: Ozempic is a Danish drug.The one and only Fiona Hill joins Tim Miller.show notes Fiona's memoir, " There Is Nothing for You Here: Finding Opportunity in the Twenty-First Century" Fiona's book, "Mr. Putin: The Operative in the Kremlin" David Frum's interview with Fiona

SHOW SCHEDULE 1-21-20251928 MOSCOWSEGMENT 1: RUSSIA'S FAILING ECONOMY Guest: Michael Bernstam Bernstam analyzes the deteriorating state of Russia's economy under the weight of sanctions and war expenditures. Discussion examines inflation, labor shortages, industrial decline, and how long the Kremlin can sustain its military campaign in Ukraine as economic pressures mount and Western restrictions continue to squeeze Russian financial resources.SEGMENT 2: PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS IN EGYPT Guest: Mariam Wahba Wahba reports on the ongoing persecution of Coptic Christians in Egypt, detailing discrimination, violence, and legal challenges facing the ancient community. Discussion covers recent incidents, government responses, the struggle for religious freedom, and what international pressure might do to improve conditions for Egypt's vulnerable Christian minority.SEGMENT 3: SPACE ENGINEERING AND BOOSTER TECHNOLOGY Guest: Bob Zimmerman Zimmerman discusses latest developments in space engineering, focusing on booster rocket technology and satellite deployment advances. Discussion covers SpaceX achievements, competing launch providers, the evolution of reusable rocket systems, and how private industry continues pushing boundaries in making space access more frequent and affordable.SEGMENT 4: MARS AVALANCHE AND SPACE EXPLORATION Guest: Bob Zimmerman Zimmerman examines stunning imagery of a Martian avalanche captured by orbiting spacecraft. Discussion explores what these geological events reveal about Mars surface dynamics, ongoing robotic exploration missions, scientific discoveries from current probes, and how such observations inform planning for eventual human missions to the red planet.SEGMENT 5: CANADA-CHINA TRADE RELATIONS Guest: Charles Burton Burton examines Canada's complex trade relationship with China amid growing geopolitical tensions. Discussion covers economic dependencies, security concerns over Chinese investment, and how Ottawa balances commercial interests against pressure from Washington to reduce reliance on Beijing for critical goods and strategic resources.SEGMENT 6: CANADA SUBSTITUTING CHINA FOR US TRADE Guest: Charles Burton Burton continues analysis of Canadian trade strategy, questioning whether Ottawa might pivot toward China as alternative to American markets under Trump tariff threats. Discussion weighs the risks of such realignment, political obstacles, security implications, and whether Canada can truly diversify away from its dominant southern neighbor.SEGMENT 7: CHAGOS ISLANDS GIVEAWAY TO CHINESE INFLUENCE Guest: Jim Fanell Fanell criticizes the decision to transfer Chagos Islands sovereignty, warning it opens doors to Chinese influence near the strategic Diego Garcia base. Discussion examines the geopolitical folly of this handover, implications for Indian Ocean security, and how Beijing exploits Western diplomatic missteps to expand its global footprint.SEGMENT 8: NEW NAVY CARRIER WARPLANE EXTENDS RANGE Guest: Jim Fanell Fanell discusses the Navy's next-generation carrier-based aircraft designed to extend strike range against adversaries. Discussion covers the strategic necessity of longer-range platforms to counter Chinese anti-access capabilities, development challenges, how this aircraft fits into Pacific defense strategy, and implications for future carrier operations.SEGMENT 9: OCEANIA DEFENSE AND CHINA THREAT Guest: Cleo Paskal Paskal reports from the Honolulu defense forum on Pacific island security concerns. Discussion examines China's aggressive expansion into Oceania through infrastructure deals and political influence, the strategic importance of these island nations, and American efforts to counter Beijing's growing presence across the vast Pacific region.SEGMENT 10: PALAU NEEDS HELP AGAINST CHINA CRIME GANGS Guest: Cleo Paskal Paskal highlights Palau's struggle against Chinese criminal organizations infiltrating the small Pacific nation. Discussion covers illegal activities, money laundering, and how Beijing uses organized crime as soft power tool. Palau seeks American assistance to combat these threats while maintaining its democratic independence against Chinese pressure.SEGMENT 11: SCOTTISH ENLIGHTENMENT AND NORTH AMERICAN UNITY Guest: Arthur HermanHerman traces intellectual roots of Canadian-American cooperation to the Scottish Enlightenment's shared influence on both nations. Discussion explores how common philosophical heritage shaped institutions and values, proposing this foundation supports a modern economic condominium uniting the two countries against current global challenges and trade uncertainties.SEGMENT 12: ENERGY, MINERALS, AND KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY PARTNERSHIP Guest: Arthur Herman Herman outlines his vision for a US-Canada economic condominium built on energy resources, critical minerals, and knowledge industries. Discussion details how combining Canadian natural wealth with American technology and markets creates mutual prosperity, strengthens continental security, and counters dependence on hostile foreign suppliers like China.SEGMENT 13: MERCOSUR DEAL UNPOPULAR AFTER 27 YEARS Guest: Simon Constable Constable reports from the Pyrenees foothills on European discontent with the Mercosur trade agreement finally concluded after 27 years of negotiations. Discussion covers farmer protests, industrial concerns, and widespread opposition across EU nations skeptical that this long-delayed deal serves their economic interests.SEGMENT 14: PM STARMER'S HISTORIC UNPOPULARITY Guest: Simon Constable Constable examines Keir Starmer's remarkable collapse in public approval, making him Britain's most unpopular prime minister in modern polling. Discussion analyzes policy missteps, economic challenges, public disillusionment with Labour's performance, and whether Starmer can recover from such dismal ratings this early in his government's tenure.SEGMENT 15: TRADE WITH CHINA REMAINS UNWISE Guest: Alan Tonelson Tonelson argues continued American trade dependence on China remains strategically foolish despite political rhetoric about decoupling. Discussion examines persistent vulnerabilities in supply chains, Beijing's economic leverage, the gap between tough talk and actual policy changes, and what genuine trade realignment would require from Washington.SEGMENT 16: 2025 BOOSTER LAUNCHES AND 2026 PROSPECTS Guest: Doug Messier Messier previews the ambitious global launch schedule for 2025 and beyond, with multiple nations expanding space capabilities. Discussion covers SpaceX dominance, emerging competitors from China, Europe, and commercial startups, technological advances in reusable systems, and how 2026 promises even more dramatic growth in worldwide launch activity.

And as the Kremlin seeks to exploit the transatlantic rift, Ukraine is seeking a way to survive it. We're in uncharted waters folks. On The Power Vertical Podcast this week, host Brian Whitmore speaks with Michael Carpenter, a senior fellow for transatlantic affairs at the International Institute for Strategic Studies who served in the administration of former U.S President Joe Biden as the NSC's Senior Director for Europe as well as the US Ambassador to the OSCE; and Eric Ciaramella, a senior fellow in the Russia and Eurasia program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace who served as a deputy national intelligence officer for Russia and Eurasia at the U.S. National Intelligence Council.

SEGMENT 1: RUSSIA'S FAILING ECONOMY Guest: Michael Bernstam Bernstam analyzes the deteriorating state of Russia's economy under the weight of sanctions and war expenditures. Discussion examines inflation, labor shortages, industrial decline, and how long the Kremlin can sustain its military campaign in Ukraine as economic pressures mount and Western restrictions continue to squeeze Russian financial resources.1918

Day 1,427.Today, as Donald Trump heads to Davos with what he calls “good news” about Greenland, we examine prime minister of Canada Mark Carney's extraordinary speech at Davos where he warned that we cannot “live within the lie of mutual benefit through integration when integration becomes the source of your subordination”. We also report on Moscow's representative to the IAEA dismissing global concern over Russia's strikes on Ukraine's nuclear power plants as overblown. And later, we speak to our Kremlin watcher about what may come from Steve Witkoff's meeting tomorrow in Moscow with Vladimir Putin.ContributorsDominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X.Lily Shanagher (Foreign Reporter). @LilyShanagher on X.James Kilner (Foreign Analyst). @jkjourno on X.SIGN UP TO THE ‘UKRAINE: THE LATEST' WEEKLY NEWSLETTER:http://telegraph.co.uk/ukrainenewsletter Each week, Dom Nicholls and Francis Dearnley answer your questions, provide recommended reading, and give exclusive analysis and behind-the-scenes insights – plus maps of the frontlines and diagrams of weapons to complement our daily reporting. It's free for everyone, including non-subscribers.CONTENT REFERENCED:Telegraph Live Blog of Davos:https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2026/01/21/politics-latest-news-pmqs-chagos-china-embassy-keir-starmer/ Trump's $1bn-a-ticket plan to replace the UN (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/01/21/trump-1bn-a-ticket-replace-un/ The limits of Trump's Bazball diplomacy (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/01/20/donald-trump-bazball-diplomacy-analysis/ Save Ukraine Website:https://www.saveukraineua.org/LISTEN TO THIS PODCAST IN NEW LANGUAGES:The Telegraph has launched translated versions of Ukraine: The Latest in Ukrainian and Russian, making its reporting accessible to audiences on both sides of the battle lines and across the wider region, including Central Asia and the Caucasus. Just search Україна: Останні Новини (Ukr) and Украина: Последние Новости (Ru) on your on your preferred podcast app to find them. Listen here: https://linktr.ee/ukrainethelatestSubscribe: telegraph.co.uk/ukrainethelatestEmail: ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From the frozen balconies of Rēzekne to the digital hallucinations of the Kremlin, the Russian Federation has become a "Republic of Fake."In this episode, I broadcast from Pilda—just 22km from the Russian border—to tear down the "digital wall" Putin has built. We expose the absurdity of a war where soldiers are forced to weld rusty pipes to Soviet vans while the Ministry of Defense spends billions on AI censorship tools. We analyze General Gerasimov's "Potemkin JPEGs"—fake maps of captured villages that exist only in PowerPoint to please the Czar.And most importantly, we look at the fridge. With 35,000 restaurants closing in a year and economists advising Muscovites to buy wood-burning stoves for their skyscrapers, the "War Economy" is finally revealing its true cost: The stability of the grave.Help us send REAL trucks to the front: car4ukraine.com/campaigns/christmas-tree-trucks-2025-the-eastern-borderBecome our patron:https://www.patreon.com/theeasternborderMerch store + another option for memberships:https://theeasternborder-shop.fourthwall.com/Follow what's going on here in the very border of Eastern Europe:https://bsky.app/profile/theeasternborder.lvDownload all episodes for free on our website; pictures accompanying certain episodes can be found there as well!http://theeasternborder.lv/Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/theeasternborder. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2026-01-21 | UPDATES #110 | Russia is burning through its gold — is this a sign that Putin's war economy is getting desperate? The easy money is running out – from hydrocarbons, minerals, from the sovereign wealth fund and from strategic reserves. Now Putin must dig deeper to fuel his war mania and lust for conquest – appropriation of businesses, default on financial commitments to the poor and marginalised, and sell off Russia's strategic assets – such as its gold reserves. The Kremlin has started to pawn the crown jewels of its economy, and that signal not only desperation, but the beginning of the end for Putin's vicious regime. ----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------SOURCES: Reuters — oil & gas budget revenue expected to drop 46% y/y in January (Jan 19, 2026). The Moscow Times — record pace NWF sales; NWF gold down to ~173 tons by Dec 1, 2025 (Jan 16, 2026). The Moscow Times — early-year budget deficit risk; MMI warning on possible exhaustion of liquid assets (Jan 21, 2026). Reuters — central bank: NWF-linked net sales of FX and gold throughout 2025 (Nov 19, 2025 background). Reuters — central bank cuts FX sales from 2026 (Dec 26, 2025 background). Bloomberg (via secondary mirrors) — value of Russia's gold holdings up sharply since 2022 (Jan 20, 2026). Reuters — gold at/near records; context on the gold rally (Jan 20, 2026). Atlantic Council — analysis on militarization and NWF depletion as a “lost buffer” forcing trade-offs (Dec 12, 2025 background). ----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa were a huge success. Now we need to maintain this momentum, and change the tide towards a Ukrainian victory. The Silicon Curtain Roadshow is an ambitious campaign to run a minimum of 12 events in 2025, and potentially many more. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------

2026-01-20 | UPDATES #109 | The Kremlin's Coming Economic Squeeze and potential mobilisation prompts whispers of discontent from Russian Oligarchs. In Putin's Russia, oligarchs don't speak their minds, and certainty cannot critique power, or the decision that are made by the Tsar. They make noises that approximate dissent, coded signals with critical subtext. But if you read between the lines, the message is always the same: this war is eating the system alive – consuming the country's economic potential and resources — but nobody is allowed to say that out loud. Today's signal flare comes from a familiar messenger: Oleg Deripaska.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------SOURCES: Reuters (Aug 9, 2024): Deripaska called war “mad,” urged ceasefire without preconditions Guardian (Feb 27, 2022): Deripaska Telegram post “Peace is very important…” Fortune (Mar 28, 2022): Deripaska Telegram post “hellish ideological mobilization,” war may last years TASS (Jan 2026): Deripaska “settlement cheaper than war” framing Meduza (Jan 9, 2025): elite disappointment war didn't end; economic tensions Kyiv Independent summary (Jan 10, 2025) NEST Centre analysis (Dec 2025): elite winners/losers, limited leverage ----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa were a huge success. Now we need to maintain this momentum, and change the tide towards a Ukrainian victory. The Silicon Curtain Roadshow is an ambitious campaign to run a minimum of 12 events in 2025, and potentially many more. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------

On this episode, we break down the Don Lemon backlash spiral after he livestreamed an anti-ICE church disruption in Minnesota and Nicki Minaj jumped in with nuclear-level posting, then pivot to Larry Fink's Davos warning that capitalism is losing legitimacy, and the Kremlin claiming Putin got invited onto Trump's Gaza “board of peace.” Plus: James Dolan's plan for a second U.S. Sphere near D.C., Meghan Markle's Netflix show allegedly ending after season two, your review of Netflix's The Rip (and the very real $22M Miami bust behind it), and Nick Fuentes going full awkward-mode when someone tries to introduce him to women.#DonLemon #Davos2026 #PutinGet more AoA and become a member to get exclusive access to perks:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOfx0OFE-uMTmJXGPpP7elQ/joinGet Erin C's book here: https://amzn.to/3ITDoO7Get Merch here - https://bit.ly/AnthonyMerchSubscribe to the Anthony On Air Podcast here:Facebook - https://bit.ly/AntOnAirFBYouTube - https://bit.ly/AntOnAirYTApple Podcast - https://bit.ly/AntOnAirAppleSpotify - https://bit.ly/AntOnAirSpotTwitter - https://bit.ly/AntOnAirTwitterInstagram - https://bit.ly/AntOnAirInstaTikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@anthonyonairpodDiscord - https://discord.gg/78V469aV22Get more at https://www.AnthonyOnAir.com

2026-01-19 | UPDATES #108 | Nothing makes sense. And everything is clear. Trump says he “needs” Greenland to deter Russia… while starving Ukraine of support and now inviting Putin, Orbán, and Lukashenko onto something called the “Board of Peace.” A “peace board” with a $1 billion cover charge.He's invited Putin, a man who has started more wars than any other leader alive today and been responsible for more deaths that most tyrants of the last 100 years. A man who has demonstrably not made peace in 2025, despite being presented with many opportunities through draft proposals and ceasefire requests. If this was not real and serious, one could pass it off as the greatest piece of trolling ever carried out in history. But Trump means it. This is indeed a lucrative club, and by design, perhaps the fees will only appeal to autocrats, kleptocrats and oligarchs. Democracies, not so much. If you ever needed a single headline for the collapse of the rules-based order into a demented billionaire's vanity project, is it this.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------SOURCES: Reuters (Jan 19, 2026) — Trump's Norway message, Greenland “Complete and Total Control,” tariff linkage, Danish FM quote, Greenland PM quote. Reuters (Jan 19, 2026) — Kremlin says Putin invited to Trump's “Board of Peace.”The Guardian (Jan 19, 2026) — Board of Peace reporting incl. invitation claims, $1bn-permanent-seat framing. Washington Post (Jan 17–19, 2026) — Board of Peace structure/appointments; reporting on pay-for-seat concept. Bloomberg (Jan 17–18, 2026) — $1bn contribution reporting around Board of Peace permanence.ITV News (Jan 19, 2026) — Additional excerpting of the Norway letter text. The Independent (Jan 19, 2026) — Published full letter text and extended excerpts. Sky News (Jan 19, 2026) — “gift for Putin” analysis framing around the Board of Peace. ----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa were a huge success. Now we need to maintain this momentum, and change the tide towards a Ukrainian victory. The Silicon Curtain Roadshow is an ambitious campaign to run a minimum of 12 events in 2025, and potentially many more. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------

The end of a twenty-year dictatorship didn't come with a revolution. It came with the screech of tires at 5:00 PM on a Friday.While mainstream outlets are waiting for Kremlin press releases, we spent the night tracking the digital fallout of a catastrophic event in Chechnya. We know Ramzan Kadyrov is suffering from organ failure. We know his plan was to force his violent, 18-year-old son, Adam, onto the throne.Last night, that plan was smashed on the asphalt of Kishiev Avenue.In this expansive investigative report, we lay out the forensic evidence of the regime's collapse:The Flight Logs: The midnight scramble of an elite “Flying ICU” (An-148) and Kadyrov's private jet fleeing Grozny.The Fortress: How Strava heatmaps reveal the “digital cage” Kadyrov built around his palace long before the crash.The Cover-Up: The definitive proof. We caught the Russian authorities scrubbing their official maps (2GIS) at 4:00 AM, making the city look green and clear. But a simultaneous check of Waze revealed the truth: a massive, desperate blockade at the crash site that the censors couldn't delete.The King is dying in Moscow. The Prince is broken. The throne in Grozny is vacant. This is the autopsy of a regime change.I really thing that you should be watching this in video format, but for those of you who prefer audio - well, who am I to stop you. But here's a YouTube link anyways: https://youtu.be/pKnOjkLu4a8#TheEasternBorder #Kadyrov #Chechnya #Russia #OSINT #BreakingNews #InvestigativeJournalismLinks:Help Ukraine win: car4ukraine.com/campaigns/christmas-tree-trucks-2025-the-eastern-border

SHOW SCHEDULE1-15-25`1923 GREENLAND Rival Factions Contending for Power in Post-Maduro Venezuela. Guest: PROFESSOR EVAN ELLIS, U.S. Army War College. Following Maduro's detention, four major crime families are competing for authority in Caracas, including the Rodriguez siblings and military leadership. While Delcy Rodriguez shows cautious cooperation with the U.S. regarding oil and prisoners, the country remains unstable as criminal interests and political repression continue to stifle progress. Cuba's Collapse Amidst U.S. Oil Blockade and Economic Ruin. Guest: PROFESSOR EVAN ELLIS, U.S. Army War College. The Trump administration has halted oil shipments to Cuba, exacerbating a crisis where the electrical grid is failing and life is becoming "impossible." Despite minimal aid from Mexico, the repressive communist apparatus remains ingrained, and the regime is expected to muddle through despite massive out-migration. Regional Tensions: U.S. Pressure on Mexico and South American Shifts. Guest: PROFESSOR EVAN ELLIS, U.S. Army War College. The U.S. is pushing Mexico for joint military operations against cartels, forcing President Sheinbaum into a "delicate dance" to protect sovereignty. Meanwhile, Brazil's Lula balances leftist ties against a conservative military, and Colombia shows a potential shift to the right as Petro's policies face significant discredit. Trade Integration and Security Concerns in Mercosur and Costa Rica. Guest: PROFESSOR EVAN ELLIS, U.S. Army War College. Mercosur has achieved a historic trade deal with the European Union, potentially offsetting U.S. economic pressure and deepening ties with China. In Costa Rica, rising public insecurity has led the government to consider El Salvador's "mega-prison" model as they head into elections dominated by concerns over organized crime. The Risks of Seizing Russia's Shadow Fleet at Sea. Guest: ANATOL LIEVEN, Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. The U.S. seizure of Russian-owned "shadow fleet" tankers raises the risk of a direct military clash if European nations follow suit. Russia views a maritime blockade as an act of war. Hardliners in the Kremlin may seek to escalate to terrify the West into withdrawing support from Ukraine. Russia's Role as a Stabilizing Factor in Middle East Tensions. Guest: ANATOL LIEVEN, Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. Russia has reportedly arbitrated between Jerusalem and Tehran to prevent preemptive strikes and maintain stability in Eurasia. While Russia lacks the power to defend Iran from a U.S. attack, it seeks to avoid regional instability. Russia's diplomatic approach contrasts with perceived universal aggression from other global actors. Economic Realities: Chinese Struggles and U.S. Consumer Strength. Guest: CHRIS RIEGEL, CEO of Stratacache. China's economy is struggling, evidenced by declining imports of raw materials and factory workers facing destitution. In contrast, the U.S. economy remains strong, with banner retail sales during the Christmasseason. However, the "K-shaped" economy shows consumer fatigue in the quick-service restaurant sector. Strategies for a Democratic Transition in Venezuela and Cuba. Guest: CLIFF MAY, Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Marco Rubio is reportedly developing a plan for a gradual transition in Venezuela by making specific demands on the remaining "gangster regime." By cutting off subsidized oil to Cuba, the U.S. hopes to cause the collapse of the Castroite regime, encouraging people to seek liberation from tyranny. Canada's Strategic Pivot to China. Guest: CONRAD BLACK. Prime Minister Mark Carney is visiting Chinato establish a "new strategic partnership" and a "new world order." This mission serves as a "Plan B" to offset potential trade losses with the United States under President Trump, specifically regarding strategic minerals and the renewal of the USMCA agreement. The Upwardly Mobile but Anxious Middle Class. Guest: VERONIQUE DE RUGY. Despite reports of a shrinking middle class, data shows many individuals are actually moving into the upper middle class. However, significant anxiety remains due to rising costs in government-regulated sectors like healthcare, housing, and education. This discontent leads to a search for scapegoats among the elite. Cosmological Mysteries: The Little Red Dots. Guest: DINESH NANDAL. The James Webb Space Telescopediscovered "little red dots"—compact, bright objects in the early universe that are not easily explained as galaxies or accreting black holes. These findings challenge the standard model of cosmology, suggesting the universe matured much earlier than previously thought by 21st-century scientists. Mapping the Future of Space Observation. Guest: DINESH NANDAL. Advancing cosmology requires a "James Webb 2.0" with larger mirrors and a successor to the Chandra X-ray telescope. Funding is also needed for researchers to develop new mathematical models. While AI can assist with pattern recognition, human physicists remain essential for creating the necessary new theoretical frameworks. Sovereignty and the Russian Identity Crisis. Guest: GREGORY COPLEY. Sovereignty is fundamentally tied to geography and identity. In the current period of "cratomorphosis," Russia exhibits defensive nationalism rather than expansionism. To the Kremlin, Ukraine remains the "cradle of Russia," making its loss a profound threat to Russian ethos, historical religious origins, and its personal identity. China's Quest for Legitimacy and Defense. Guest: GREGORY COPLEY. The Chinese Communist Partyyearns for ancient China's legitimacy while defending its modern borders. Rather than traditional imperial expansion, China employs "total war" non-military means. However, the state currently faces a crisis of sovereignty as it implodes internally under disproven totalitarian models and intensifying defensive pressures. The Reassertion of American Empire. Guest: GREGORY COPLEY. During Donald Trump's second term, the United States moved into an offensive mode to reassert dominance and energy security. Simultaneously, the European Union faces a crisis of legitimacy, with nation-states rebelling against its supra-state model. The EUlacks a cohesive vision, leading to internal distress. Lessons from the Superpower's Economic Resurgence. Guest: GREGORY COPLEY. The 21st century reveals that nations prioritizing energy security and enforced borders tend to succeed. President Trump's focus on manufacturing and cheap energy has bolstered the U.S. economy, positioning it as an unchallenged superpower. However, his dynamic approach often alienates allies while redefining grand strategy.

Sovereignty and the Russian Identity Crisis. Guest: GREGORY COPLEY. Sovereignty is fundamentally tied to geography and identity. In the current period of "cratomorphosis," Russia exhibits defensive nationalism rather than expansionism. To the Kremlin, Ukraine remains the "cradle of Russia," making its loss a profound threat to Russianethos, historical religious origins, and its personal identity.ROSTOV ON DON

The Risks of Seizing Russia's Shadow Fleet at Sea. Guest: ANATOL LIEVEN, Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. The U.S. seizure of Russian-owned "shadow fleet" tankers raises the risk of a direct military clash if European nations follow suit. Russia views a maritime blockade as an act of war. Hardliners in the Kremlin may seek to escalate to terrify the West into withdrawing support from Ukraine1905 AMIRAL KORNILOV

Video version on YouTube (with actual video this time - I fixed the lights)https://youtu.be/ArDauZSpDT8In this episode of The Eastern Border, we strip away the propaganda and look directly into the terminal necrosis of the Z-Empire. The "Geopolitical Greatness" has peeled off like cheap wallpaper, revealing the rot underneath.The Economic Suicide Note We start with the panic in the Kremlin's wallet. The US has seized a sixth Russian tanker, and the "Z-Patriots" are finally realizing that Donald Trump isn't their savior—he is their repo man. We read the latest dispatch from oligarch Oleg Deripaska, who has penned what amounts to a suicide note for the Russian economy. He calls it "Perestroika-2." He warns of mass bankruptcy by June. He confirms that the "Sovereignty" they fought for is just a clearance sale for China.The Phantom Airforce We listen to Vladimir Baglaev, a Cherepovets factory director who sounds less like a captain of industry and more like a nihilist philosopher. He breaks down the Kremlin's plan to build "1,000 airplanes" by 2030 and reveals the funding gap is 99%. There are no planes. There are no machines. And, thanks to the war, there is no one left to build them.The Asylum of Lost Souls But if you think the economy is broken, wait until you see the minds. We tour the ideological asylum with Colonel Vladimir Kvachkov, the retired GRU officer who wants to combine the Gulag with the Monastery into a "Russian Christian Socialist State."And finally, we witness the ultimate collapse of meaning. Alexander Dugin—the "Brain of the State"—has identified the true metaphysical enemy of Russia. It is not NATO. It is not the West. It is Cheburashka. Dugin has declared a holy war against the Soviet cartoon character, identifying him as a "Demon of the Moon" and a symbol of liberal post-humanism.The pipes are bursting. The factories are silent. And the philosophers are hunting cartoons. This isn't strategy. It is entropy. And entropy is undefeated.Stay warm, stay hard, and keep your powder dry.Links mentioned in this episode:❄️ Support the Show: Patreon