A Dutch 'correspondent' in Vienna, working for an outspoken pro-Ukraine, anti-Russian newspaper in Holland went to 'X' (Formerly 'Twitter') to offer a clip in which Zelensky warned NATO that Russia is looking for expansion of the current conflict towards the Balkans. And she added that 'of course' we all know that is true. Zelensky added that the trouble for NATO-plus in the Middle East was also Putin's handiwork.
This underscores that Zelensky himself has lost hope of stemming the tide, and that Ukraine will be the 'first domino' to fall, but certainly not the last one. An interesting analogy to the original 'Domino Theory' which brought us the war against Vietnam, which expanded to Laos and Cambodia, before the US and its allies withdrew in a hurry. Interestingly, losing wars became a habit of NATO after that, and we've all witnessed the scenes in Kabul not that long ago. Therefore it is certainly true that part of the NATO establishment is not interested in winning, but in war itself, which creates demand for their war-related businesses. Not merely the classic 'Military Industrial Complex', and even less so these days, as witnessed by the lack of capacity to produce weapons and ammunition to supply Ukraine.
The entire range of 'Regime Change' agencies, other government organisations, and semi-private companies active in areas where war is raging, including the 'Mainstream Media' attracting viewers and readers on the back of wars, and 'Hollywood' or the 'Gaming Industry' profit from wars, won or lost, that doesn't really matter all that much. It is part of what is called our brand of a 'Circular Economy', thriving on destructive activities to create 'demand', while feeding itself by taxing productive countries, and countries possessing all the minerals and raw materials to pay for all of that. And increasingly so, as NATO-countries are actively destroying their industrial and agricultural base in order to 'save' the Climate. Although the more appropriate explanation for this madness is the desire to impose 'sanctions' on the countries possessing all the *real* wealth, and not the Climate.
So, in a way Zelensky is correct, that Russia (and China) are looking for ways to expand into the Balkans, but not militarily. Nor are they actively involved in provoking wars in the Middle East. On the contrary! Wars are very damaging to what they have in mind, which is expanding their *economic* influence through trade. Before February 2022, as tensions around Ukraine were rising, people asked me if Russia would go to war. On the Dutch language part of this blog I presented my point of view, telling my readers that Russia didn't want war, and that NATO could avoid war easily through diplomacy, and honouring the 'Minsk Accords', saving us from the horrors of yet another war on the European continent, after NATO's war against Serbia. But that if Russia would be provoked to fight over the Donbas and Crimea, that it would do so.
Before the Russians finally declared their 'Special Military Operation', Ukraine increased its shelling of Donetsk and other areas from places like heavily fortified Avdeevka, and Russia understood there would be no choice but to go to war. First they evacuated those civilians who would get hurt as 'deadlines' provided by NATO intelligence for the outbreak of war passed by, and then they struck. But not, as NATO planners were hoping for, to conquer all of Ukraine, but merely to show 'Kiev' that they could, in order to force them to the negotiating table, still hoping for a return to the 'Minsk Accords' before the war would start in earnest. I added as my point of view, that if the Russians would be forced to go 'all the way', they still wouldn't conquer all of Ukraine, but only the 'Culturally Russian' parts, where they would have a chance to rebuild the local economy with the help of the people, instead of fighting terrorists and getting bogged down in hostile territory. I also noted that this would create a 'Landbridge' to Southern Europe for BRICS to exploit, leaving the 'Washington controlled' part of Ukraine landlocked, and dependent on handouts for ages.
So, yes, Russia, and China, are interested in the Balkans, and will offer countries in the region possibilities the EU nor the US are able to provide. Cheap energy and plenty of everything they need to make the people in those countries happy and prosperous. Without a shot being fired. Clearly that is a *huge* threat to all those in NATO countries who live off war, directly or indirectly. Including the media. But none of those people produce anything of value if you skip the concept of 'GDP' as a measure of wealth. You can't eat a tank. An aircraft carrier won't keep you warm at night. And though soldiers know how to build trenches, and fortifications, those constructions do not serve as comfortable homes. If only we, the people, had a party which to vote for which wasn't plugged into this war-minded madhouse. Preferably a party capable of ruling a country, and aware of our culture, worth saving for future generations. Our values, and not those of the 'Warparty' which hijacked the states we live in to make us serve the billionaire-class which is after owning everything, as we live on 'social credit'.