Promising the Impossible: Blinken’s Out of Tune Performance in Kyiv
Things are looking dire for the Ukrainian war effort. Promises of victory are becoming even hollower than they were last summer, when US President Joe Biden could state with breathtaking obliviousness that Russia had “already lost the war.” The worst offender in this regard remains the United States, which has been the most vocal proponent of fanciful victory over Russia, a message which reads increasingly as one of fighting to the last Ukrainian.
Such a victory is nigh fantasy, almost impossible to envisage. For one thing, domestic considerations about continued support for Kyiv have played a stalling part. In the US Congress, a large military aid package was stalled for six months. Among some Republicans, in particular, Ukraine was not a freedom loving despoiled figure needing props and crutches. “From our perspective,” opines Kentucky Republican Senator Rand Paul, “Ukraine should not and cannot be our problem to solve. It is not our place to defend them in a struggle with their longtime adversary, Russia.” The assessment, in this regard, was a matter of some clarity for Paul. “There is no national security interest for the United States.”
Despite this, the Washington foreign policy and military elite continue to make siren calls of seduction in Kyiv’s direction. On April 23, the Senate finally approved a $US95.3 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, with the lion’s share – some US$61 billion – intended for Ukraine’s war effort.
On April 24, a press release from US Secretary State Antony Blinken announced a further US$1 billion package packed with “urgently needed capabilities including air defense missiles, munitions for HIMARS, artillery rounds, armored vehicles, precision aerial munitions, anti-armor weapons, and small arms, equipment, and spare parts to help Ukraine defend its territory and protect its people.”
On May 14, in his address to the Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, Blinken described what could only be reasoned as a vast mirage. “Today, I’m here in Kyiv to speak about Ukraine’s strategic success. And to set out how, with our support, the Ukrainian people can and will achieve their vision for the near future: a free, prosperous, secure democracy – fully integrated into the Euro-Atlantic community – and fully in control of its own destiny.” This astonishingly irresponsible statement makes Washington’s security agenda clear and Kyiv’s fate bleak: Ukraine is to become a pro-US, anti-Russian bastion, with an open cheque book at the ready.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has made the prevention of that vision an article of faith. While Russian forces, in men and material, have suffered horrendous losses, the attritive nature of the conflict is starting to tell. While Blinken was gulling his audience, the military realities show significant Russian advances, including a threatening push towards Kharkiv, reversing Ukrainian gains made in 2022.
There are also wounding advances being made in other areas of the conflict. US and NATO artillery and drones supplied to Ukraine’s military forces have been countered by Russian electronic warfare methods. GPS receivers, for instance, have been sufficiently deceived to misdirect missiles shot from HIMARS launchers. In a number of cases, the Russian forces have also identified and destroyed the launchers.
Russian airpower has been brought to bear on critical infrastructure. Radar defying glide bombs have been used with considerable effect. On the production and deployment front, Colonel Ivan Pavlenko, chief of EW and cyber warfare at Ukraine’s general staff, lamented in February that Russia’s use of drones was also “becoming a huge threat”. Depleted stocks of weaponry are being replenished, and more soldiers are being called to the front.
Despite concerns, one need not scour far to find pundits who insist that such advances and gains can be neutralised. Michael Kofman of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace admits to current Russian “material advantage” and holding “the strategic initiative,” though goes on to speculate that this “may not prove decisive.”
The gong of deceit and delusion must, however, go to Blinken. Americans, he claimed, understood “that our support for Ukraine strengthens the security of the United States and our allies.” Were Putin to win – and here, that old nag of appeasement makes an undesirable appearance – “he won’t stop with Ukraine; he’ll keep going. For when in history has an autocrat been satisfied with carving off just part, or even all, of a single country?”
Towards that end, “we do have a plan,” he coyly insisted. This entailed ensuring Ukraine had “the military that it needs to succeed on the battlefield.” Biden was encouraged by Ukrainian mobilisation efforts, skipping around the logistical delays that had marred it. Washington’s “joint task” was to “secure Ukraine’s sustained and permanent strategic advantage”, enabling it to win the current battles and “defend against future attacks. As President Biden said, we want Ukraine to win – and we’re committed to helping you do it.”
Even by the standards of US Secretaries of States, Blinken’s conduct in Kyiv proved brazen and shameless. A perfect illustration of this came with his musical effort alongside local band, 19.99, involving a rendition of Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World.”
Local indignation was quick to follow. “Six months of waiting for the decision of the American Congress” had, fumed Bohdan Yaremenko, legislator and former diplomat with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s party, “taken the lives of very, very many defenders of the free world.” What the US was performing “for the free world is not rock ’n’ roll, but some other music similar to Russian chanson.”
As for the performance itself, the crowd at Barman Dictat witnessed yet another misreading – naturally by a US politician – of an anthem intended to excoriate American failings, from homelessness to “a kinder, gentler machine gun hand.” Appropriately, the guitar, much like the performer, was out of tune.
Like what we do at The AIMN?
You’ll like it even more knowing that your donation will help us to keep up the good fight.
Chuck in a few bucks and see just how far it goes!
Your contribution to help with the running costs of this site will be gratefully accepted.
You can donate through PayPal or credit card via the button below, or donate via bank transfer: BSB: 062500; A/c no: 10495969
23 comments
Login here Register here-
old bloke -
Douglas Pritchard -
Kerri -
Terence Mills -
Clakka -
Phil Pryor -
Andrew Smith -
Steve Davis -
Andyfiftysix -
Steve Davis -
Steve Davis -
David O'Neile -
John C -
-
Andyfiftysix -
Steve Davis -
Andyfiftysix -
Steve Davis -
Andyfiftysix -
Steve Davis -
David O'Neile -
Steve Davis -
Andyfiftysix
Return to home pageDidn’t some American senior official recently brag that they were hurting Russia without losing American lives? Yes, to the last Ukrainian.
I understand a democratic election for the leadership is overdue.
The result would be of particular interest, and like Israel, could signal that its time for peace which is not on the books at the moment.
Blinken strikes me as unhinged. He seems to be following his own plans and completely ignoring everything around him.
Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. And they will bend to your will.
It was just a couple of weeks ago that Antony Blinken said of the Gaza ceaseire deal :
“Hamas has before it a proposal that is extraordinarily, extraordinarily generous on the part of Israel,” Blinken said at a special meeting of the World Economic Forum held in the Saudi capital Riyadh. “And in this moment the only thing standing between the people of Gaza and a ceasefire is Hamas.”
It turned out the deal was not that good as Israel were already committed to the destruction of Rafah and the genocide of the Palestinian people.
Blinken hell, its as if they’re just biden their time to see whether Russia’s or the USofA’s aspirations blow their ecologies and economies out of existence first. They’re both already out of usable water, fully toxified and dragging themselves to total collapse, peasants first.
The peasants cannot have their revenge, as they know not how. When Uncle Sam’s faithful bring in the Donald, the master of vengeance, with his Project 2025, he’ll blow the entire caboodle to smithereens, dragging the whole world back to the dark ages.
Perhaps then within a decade the world’s population can be brought back from 8 billion to a manageable 500 million free mutants, and the anthropocene will be done and dusted.
I am one observer who held a low opinion of Blinken and of similar office holders over time. He is not clear, incisive, analytical, accurate, but, is keen to travel, laugh, speak, pose and generally appear to be seen appearing. Is a thespian career awaiting him, or a spot in, say, fast food ads? The opinion rose over time as he worked, tried, showed stamina and was heard. However, the tasks have become impossible, as might have been expected, for virtually no USA elected officials can fill the bedsocks of the expected and required roles. Even FDR, the last capable all round leader there, still has historical haters and critics, people of no merit but large larynxes. How laughable it would be to put deep faith in such as Blinken, Biden, King Choorrlles, a pope, any prelate, sultan, emir, dictator or a farcical flop like Farage, Johnson, Trump. Choking of one’s vomit would be so ugly, futile, empty, as one waited in hope for genuine diplomacy from the doomed rubbishy ratbag runoffatthemouth types we get in public life these days. But, if you ask politely, a Murdoch Maggot would pipe up and volunteer, Imagine Bolt outdoing Blinken? No? No!! NO!!!
Empathy bypass? Disagree profoundly and this ‘tankie analysis’ would not be supported by more credible experts on centre and left, as opposed to Anglosphere faux anti-imperialist scribblers, linked to the US RW libertarians (& fossil fuels) vs. Ukraine, EU, liberal democracy and empowered working age?
Citing Kentucky Republican Senator Rand Paul, who is with the Koch linked Libertarian Party and opposed aid for Ukraine, along with many in the Republican GOP Party; right wing Christian nationalist authoritarians.
Further, like many in the US etc. who implicitly support Russia e.g. Kissinger II i.e. John Mearsheimer (Charles Koch, Putin’s Valdai Club & an award from Orban) and ‘realism’ (social Darwinism) school of geopolitics, there is an assumption that Ukrainians have no agency, along with those in EU who support Ukraine, are also gaslit by tankies &/or RWNJs on behalf of Putin’s Russia; endeavouring to induce disgust or at least have people take an empathy bypass on Ukraine and the west?
Guess like others the writer agrees with those in Tony Abbott’s offshore ecosystem e.g. Danube Institute in Budapest, crossover of foundation supported by PM ‘mini Putin’ Orban, fossil fueled Koch Network’s (IPA locally) anti-Ukraine Heritage Foundation, US Christian RWNJs and the white nationalism of John Tanton (SPA locally), indirect link to Mearsheimer, Sachs, Carlson et al. with Fox now represented by Abbott himself; Tones is oblivious to the fact that Hungary is allied with both Russia and China. Need NewsCorp to investigate, not 🙂
In conclusion one would run a mile from any analysis done in the far away Anglosphere that lacks inherent expertise, depth and breadth, shoots messengers and promotes US RW Koch, GOP, Fox & Trump interests vs. Ukraine, NATO, EU and liberal democracy, but leaves e.g. Wikileaks II looking rogue or at best naive and misled? (was cited in Mueller Report and reported by left wing Mother Jones)
Finnish academic specialist and team vs. dis/misinformation on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Pekka Kallioniemi, have developed a database VatnikSoup outlining biographies of those who support Putin’s Russia and/or oppose Ukraine’s sovereignty; of course includes Assange and many others across the world, but why so many in the Anglosphere?
Vatnik Soup focuses on: ‘Russian actors and propagandists from around the world, be they so-called “independent journalists”, politicians, military personnel or just regular grifters looking to get some easy money.’
https://vatniksoup.com/
Because whether reactionary right or faux left, they all follow authority and would prefer some form of corrupt white Christian nationalist authoritarianism, without hurdles of regulation etc. see anti-EU sentiments & their support for Brexit, shared by RW oligarchs in the Anglosphere and Putin’s too?
When Andrew Smith cannot mount an argument against those he disagrees with, such as here with Rand Paul and John Mearsheimer, he resorts to guilt by association. It really is pathetic.
i just cant take these reports seriously. Seriously? Russia is on the brink of collapse.
Russia has lost by some estimates 1 million of its young through war and escaping to the west. The russian army is using stockpiles of very old tanks because they have lost 80% of their fleet. Russian black sea navy decimated by a country with no navy.
Ukraine just launched a barrage of drones deep into russia without any obstacles. Oil refineries all over russia are on fire. Gascon lost $7b last year. The biggest industry in Russia is effectively dead because of the strikes on refineries. Russian air defence is non existent. While russia has been trying to soften the people with terrorism, ukraine has steadily destroyed russia’s infrastructure that supports the war.
And yet, we still get shitty reporting that Ukraine wont last. I just dont understand how most of the media is just so so IGNORANT. Ignorance that drives opinion pieces like this crap.
Russia about to collapse?
Andy, you need to learn to read between the lines.
From the Guardian today, and remember, the Guardian has been anti-Russia from the start — “Nato’s grand 75th birthday celebration in Washington in July will ring hollow in Kyiv. The alliance has miserably failed its biggest post-cold war test – the battle for Ukraine. Sadly, there’s no denying it: Vladimir Putin is on a roll. Advancing Russian forces in Kharkiv profit from the west’s culpably slow drip-feed of weaponry to Kyiv and its leaders’ chronic fear of escalation. Ukraine receives just enough support to survive, never to prevail. Now even bare survival is in doubt. Ukraine is Europe’s fight. It’s freedom’s global fight. Joe Biden says – a fight for democracy. “Our support cannot and will not falter. Britain is with you for as long as it takes,” Rishi Sunak vows. Yet, on the ground, Ukraine is mostly left to fight alone.”
So, reading between the lines we see that the West has been lying about Ukraine from the start.
If this really was “freedom’s global fight” and a “fight for democracy” in which “our support will not falter” then how do we explain “the West’s culpably slow drip-feed of weaponry” to Ukraine? If all those things were true then there would be no “chronic fear of escalation” by the West, they would be fighting for their lives.
Ukraine would be the scene of a battle royal instead of a grinding war of attrition that has almost receded to the back pages.
For the first 18 months of the war it got a whole section of several articles in the Guardian every day, now it gets a paragraph or two.
You were lied to Andy, and your emotional response to this article suggests that at some level, you know that.
Just came across this in a blog post by Richard Haass, a long-time high ranking US official, “the dean of US foreign policy” and author of thirteen books on US foreign policy.
It seems he’s suggesting that the US definition of success in Ukraine should be revised. Which is another way of saying they stuffed up. “The bigger problem now might instead be … foreign policy overreach, of setting overly-ambitious goals for Ukraine.”
Foreign policy overreach? It turns out that ruling the world is not as easy as they thought.
But what caught my eye was the headline to his Ukraine comment. “The Forgotten War.”
A fight for Democracy? For Freedom? For Europe? For all that is good and holy? I think not. Such existential issues would not be forgotten so easily.
But a sacrifice of Ukrainian lives to further US foreign policy ambitions? That’s more like it. And that will be forgotten.
https://richardhaass.substack.com/p/success-may-17-2024
Russia is smashing Ukraine. Ukraine is running short of weapons and soldiers; at least 500k attrited since 2022
Western sanctions have enabled Russia to build markets elsewhere; India, China – exports to these have exploded in the last 12 months
Seeing usa sanction other’s sovereign wealth, the global majority are swiftly de-dollarising; China dumps usa bonds, buys gold, metals etc
blinken/biden/nuland/sullivan et al are neocon deep-state apparatchiks; usa state dept is filled with these dangerous idiots. They know only one idea: merican exceptionalism
The Divided States of Aggression are more worried about keeping their zionist masters happy in their genocidal campaign against the true citizens of Palestine than lower the amount of Ukrainian casualties being inflicted in what is fast becoming a losing battle. The Septic Tanks should never have interfered in the first place. Any time they do peace takes much longer to eventuate.
Pingback: Promising the Impossible: Blinken’s Out of Tune Performance in Kyiv – Equilibrion
guys, you have fallen for the media crap you so highly criticise. The misinformation the media has been criticised over is now your mainstream mantra. Russia will stop fighting in 6-12months. they will be crippled.
There is so much of the ” orthodoxy” in opinion pieces. Its gone bad for russia from day one. their solution is to keep throwing resources. But they have now reached a point they don’t have much left. Hubris is a magical thing…… just ask the Spartans. History repeats.
Mark my words. I will demand a coffee or two when i am shown to be right.
Andy, I provided sources to support my belief that the news media and the Western powers lied about the Ukraine war.
How about you show us all some courtesy and provide your sources.
I’m not after news outlet names, links to articles please.
Steve, you didn’t provide sources, you just went for the echo chamber experts.
Sources to me are people on the ground, collectors of data on the ground. Not rehashed opinions.
For example, how many russian tanks have been destroyed? Do you know what a turret toss is?
How many ships has the russian navy got left in the black sea? How many russian naval facilities have been attacked in the last week? How many very expensive command centre planes did russia have at the start of the war and how many have they lost over Crimea? How many oil and gas refineries have been knocked out by ukraine drones? How many tanks did russia have on their victory day parade? If you have been paying attention to the right sources, you would know the answers.
My sources are constantly monitoring the situation, sure with a slight Ukraine bent but its backed up by footage. Its a daily feed. There are no articles… just daily reporting.
So Andy, Richard Haass, a long-time high ranking US official, “the dean of US foreign policy” and author of thirteen books on US foreign policy is in your opinion just an “echo chamber expert?
Read between the lines of what he said. You were lied to.
“Just daily reporting.”
That’s good Andy, so just give us some links to this daily reporting.
Here’s a couple from outlets that have been pro-Ukraine from the start, but they see it differently to your “sources”. There’s no suggestion in these reports that Russia is on the brink of collapse.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/05/17/russia-ukraine-front-line-gains/
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/western-aid-ukraine-too-slow-risks-us-election-limited-zelenskiy-2024-05-20/
Steve, for your information. Again, you seem to assume so called experts know what’s going on . Writing a book some how bestows super human analysis? You have to imagine, the background work would be at least 12months behind the current situation, The books aren’t written in a day.Washington post isn’t all that creditable and reuters is a sham of a service…..tesla is going broke reports and all. Al Jazeer has more credibility.
How many of my little questions could you answer? This is critical information that is missing from mainstream media. How can you say the russians are winning if you dont know about their attrition ?
Enforcer Ukraine
The russian dude
Russian media Monitor ( good for a laugh if a bit scary )
Denys Davydov
jake broe
these are some of my sources of information. Like i said, a lot of the info is backed by footage and reports are daily.
“How can you say the russians are winning if you dont know about their attrition ?”
Andy, you’re confused. I did not say that Russia is winning– that was the Guardian. My point was that from the Guardian article and the Haass article, it was clear that the West has lied about Ukraine from the start.
I specifically asked you in an earlier comment “I’m not after news outlet names, links to articles please.”
And so what do you do? You give a list of outlets.
I cannot evaluate names Andy, give me links — something concrete.
The Duran
Alexander Mercuris
Scott Ritter
The New Atlas
Moon of Alabama
RT
Consortium News
Are (some of) my daily geopolitical analyst diet – I commend you to them
On second thoughts Andy, don’t bother with links to your “experts” who know more than a former US Director of Policy Planning.
I’ve checked them out and they are all pulling a “new trick in the book” by broadcasting their opinions on you-tube.
You see, the problem with you-tube Andy, is that unscrupulous types can get away with countless lies because the nature of the medium is such that it deals in impressions. In things that are only loosely linked to reality.
I’ve discussed this problem with you before. I recall pointing out to you that you could not even quote someone without presenting it as an impression. And now I know why. You get your facts from you-tube. Trouble is, a lot of the time they are not facts, and because of the nature of the medium, you don’t have time to question an assertion because by the time you’ve said to yourself “Can that be true?” they’ve moved on to the next lie.
At the end of a you-tube clip all you’re left with is a bunch of impressions because there is not enough time for concepts to sink in and be analyzed.
steve, stick to your knitting and i will stick to mine. Your view is clouded by BS. You claim i am being mislead, your determined to hammer in your view when from my perspective your too stuck in american conspiracy crap. Like the Ukrainians really really want Russian induced genocide on their land. You clearly dont understand whats going on on the ground.
“a former US Director of Policy Planning.”. yea right, Former as he knows whats happenning right now.
” Trouble is, a lot of the time they are not facts, and because of the nature of the medium, you don’t have time to question an assertion because by the time you’ve said to yourself “Can that be true?” they’ve moved on to the next lie.”
You know, clearly you have thrown the baby out with the bath water. There is scepticism and there is blind wanton ignorance. your trying it on, bamboozle with conspiracy crazyness. Fox is full of shit therefore everyone else is too. Sorry , that kind of nutter attitude dont work for me.
as for your “I’ve checked them out …”, you definitely are full of it. Dont lie…….whats the story today? If you did check them out you would know. At least i am getting confirmed facts on the ground…..you rely too much on 3rd hand “experts”. I bet you dont even know what a turret toss is.