Long but very interesting read⬇️

“Pointless and Foreign War in Ukraine":

Open Letter by Retired Major General Gerd Schultze-Rhonhof
published in - February 18, 2024

"For 37 years, I did not serve as a soldier to preserve peace in Germany, only to now passively witness as Germany is slowly but likely being steered towards active participation in a foreign and senseless war. Our 'Three Wise Men,' Mr. Chancellor Scholz, Mr. Minister Lindner, and Mr. Minister Dr. Habeck, initially refused military service in their youth, purportedly for Germany's rights, freedom, and the preservation of our democracy. Yet now, they allocate over 10 billion euros annually from our taxes for the 'right,' 'freedom,' 'democracy,' and 'western values' in a foreign state that neither embodies democracy nor western values. With our taxes and the blood of foreign conscripts, they prolong a war that has become senseless."

"The Ukraine is not a democracy and its values are not ours. In Ukraine, 11 opposition parties are banned. Selenskyj has prohibited the presidential elections scheduled for March 2024. All media in Ukraine are controlled. Ukrainian-critical reports from German journalists stationed in Ukraine are not allowed (while Russian-critical comments by German journalists from Moscow are quite common). Political assassinations are commonplace in Ukraine (according to the 3-week protocols of the Federal Agency for Civic Education before the war began). Ukraine and Russia are jointly the two most corrupt states in Europe (according to Transparency International). Draft evasion is as common in Ukraine as in Russia. Ukraine's track record of breaking state treaties and violating UN conventions and international charters is on par with Russia's in frequency and severity. The nature and frequency of Ukrainian war crimes are comparable to those from the Russian side, with the sole difference being the misuse of internationally protected humanitarian institutions as shields for combatants, which occurs solely on the Ukrainian side (according to the OSCE report of June 29, 2022)."

"This Ukraine is neither a democracy nor does it represent our values, as portrayed by German media and the majority of our parties. The interpretation presented by official sources, that Ukraine is defending our values, is as foolish as Struck's 'Germany's defense at the Hindu Kush' was. I expect former conscientious objectors in the Bundestag and the federal government, true to their past peace-mindedness, to actively advocate for a swift end to the war in Ukraine and to detach themselves from their unrealistic fantasies of a Ukrainian victory. I expect the same from all other rulers and parliamentarians. The idea of a possible reunification of two quarreling and now mutually hating parts of a people, which had been at war for eight years before the Russian invasion, into a future Ukraine of its old extent, is the pipe dream of fools. Regarding the fervor of the majority of German parties to assist Ukrainians with money and arms deliveries to achieve victory, I recall a statement by Russian Lieutenant General Alexander Lebed, who said during the first Chechen War: 'Let me recruit a company from the sons of the elite, and the war will be over the next day.' (Lebed was an unsuccessful presidential candidate in Russia in 1996)."

"Germans are tired. The second question at hand is whether the Russian Federation has actually threatened the West or even a NATO country or another neighboring country since its withdrawal from Central Europe after the Soviet collapse. I will answer this question comprehensively in the justification for the following letter to the politicians (see below). Since August 15, 2022, I have tried to inform hundreds of MPs about the background of the Russian invasion and the events within Ukraine. Then I proposed a German initiative for a quick end to the war to Chancellor Scholz and former chancellors and top politiciansAnsage.org with still open channels of communication to Moscow. My last attempt was on Christmas 2023 with the subsequent letter to members of the federal government, the faction leaders of all parties in the Bundestag, all party leaders and general secretaries, and all prime ministers of the federal states. Only two party leaders on the sidelines of the plenary session responded with approval but stated they couldn't do anything. I have just received the polite but rejecting response from the chairman of the largest opposition party, whose silence and disregard of the long history of the war I cannot accept, and whose allegations against Putin I largely cannot confirm. Allegedly proven but unjustified accusations were also abundant in the tinderbox of the two world wars. Despite all the politeness, the response gives the impression that the author did not read the justification of my proposal (see below). Part of the German people are now tired of not being informed about the background of the Ukraine war and investing 10 to 15 billion euros annually in a senseless, foreign war and the continued deaths of tens of thousands of Ukrainians and Russians, despite tight household budgets. If the German government, disregarding German interests, risks that the Ukraine war - as initially feared by Chancellor Scholz - escalates into a conflagration and also involves Germany, the people must remind the government of its primary duty. So far, the overwhelming majority of German politicians are primarily interested in a victory for the Ukrainians and a defeat for the Russians, and only secondarily in peace. Please read my Christmas letter to 'Politics' (see below) and pass on my thoughts to others interested. And try to convince your MPs of the possibility of an imminent end to the war as outlined."

"Yours sincerely, Gerd Schultze-Rhonhof. I had already written to all leading politicians in December."

"Attached to this open letter from Schultze-Rhonhof was the following circular, which Schultze-Rhonhof had sent seven weeks earlier, on Christmas Eve 2023, to all party chairpersons, general secretaries of the parties, faction leaders in the German Bundestag, and the prime ministers of the federal states:

Dear Sir or Madam (…),

The war in Ukraine has been raging for almost two years now, and there is no end in sight, nor any practical initiative from Germany that could bring about a swift end to the war. After unsuccessfully and without response presenting a proposal to Chancellor Scholz and the Chairman of the SPD Parliamentary Group in the German Bundestag on this matter, I am now writing this letter to all German party chairpersons, parliamentary group leaders in the German Bundestag, general secretaries of the parties, and the prime ministers of the federal states, urging them to press the federal government to mediate a rapid peace solution (...).

By sober calculation and observation, the war in Ukraine is not winnable by either of the two warring parties unless it escalates into a "Third World War." Nevertheless, the United States, NATO, the EU, and primarily the Federal Republic of Germany within the mentioned community of states, continue to fuel the war as if victory could be achieved through Ukraine. This amounts to aiding and abetting the military insolvency of Ukraine and consciously accepting the continuation of mass killings and destruction in the war zone. It appears that the leading political forces in Germany still perceive themselves faced with the military choice of "Russia or Ukraine." Instead, we should consciously face the political choice of "war or peace." Both together, a military victory by only one warring party and a durable and reconciling peace, are not achievable.

From a sober and objective perspective, Germany and our European allies have faced eight (recently nine) theoretically possible developments so far. All the options so far promise a poor outcome. None of them ends with something better than a

Just so you know, if you're curious about Bin Laden's letter, here's the full version. You'll find the archived webpage where it was originally published at the end. It's a lengthy read but might be interesting as a historical document.

Bin Laden's 'letter to America'

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful,
"Permission to fight (against disbelievers) is given to those (believers) who are fought against, because they have been wronged and surely, Allah is Able to give them (believers) victory" [Quran 22:39]
"Those who believe, fight in the Cause of Allah, and those who disbelieve, fight in the cause of Taghut (anything worshipped other than Allah e.g. Satan). So fight you against the friends of Satan; ever feeble is indeed the plot of Satan."[Quran 4:76]
Some American writers have published articles under the title 'On what basis are we fighting?' These articles have generated a number of responses, some of which adhered to the truth and were based on Islamic Law, and others which have not. Here we wanted to outline the truth - as an explanation and warning - hoping for Allah's reward, seeking success and support from Him.
While seeking Allah's help, we form our reply based on two questions directed at the Americans:
(Q1) Why are we fighting and opposing you?
Q2)What are we calling you to, and what do we want from you?
As for the first question: Why are we fighting and opposing you? The answer is very simple:
(1) Because you attacked us and continue to attack us.
a) You attacked us in Palestine:
(i) Palestine, which has sunk under military occupation for more than 80 years. The British handed over Palestine, with your help and your support, to the Jews, who have occupied it for more than 50 years; years overflowing with oppression, tyranny, crimes, killing, expulsion, destruction and devastation. The creation and continuation of Israel is one of the greatest crimes, and you are the leaders of its criminals. And of course there is no need to explain and prove the degree of American support for Israel. The creation of Israel is a crime which must be erased. Each and every person whose hands have become polluted in the contribution towards this crime must pay its*price, and pay for it heavily.
(ii) It brings us both laughter and tears to see that you have not yet tired of repeating your fabricated lies that the Jews have a historical right to Palestine, as it was promised to them in the Torah. Anyone who disputes with them on this alleged fact is accused of anti-semitism. This is one of the most fallacious, widely-circulated fabrications in history. The people of Palestine are pure Arabs and original Semites. It is the Muslims who are the inheritors of Moses (peace be upon him) and the inheritors of the real Torah that has not been changed. Muslims believe in all of the Prophets, including Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon them all. If the followers of Moses have been promised a right to Palestine in the Torah, then the Muslims are the most worthy nation of this.
When the Muslims conquered Palestine and drove out the Romans, Palestine and Jerusalem returned to Islaam, the religion of all the Prophets peace be upon them. Therefore, the call to a historical right to Palestine cannot be raised against the Islamic Ummah that believes in all the Prophets of Allah (peace and blessings be upon them) - and we make no distinction between them.
(iii) The blood pouring out of Palestine must be equally revenged. You must know that the Palestinians do not cry alone; their women are not widowed alone; their sons are not orphaned alone.
(b) You attacked us in Somalia; you supported the Russian atrocities against us in Chechnya, the Indian oppression against us in Kashmir, and the Jewish aggression against us in Lebanon.
(c) Under your supervision, consent and orders, the governments of our countries which act as your agents, attack us on a daily basis;
(i) These governments prevent our people from establishing the Islamic Shariah, using violence and lies to do so.
(ii) These governments give us a taste of humiliation, and places us in a large prison of fear and subdual.
(iii) These governments steal our Ummah's wealth and sell them to you at a paltry price.
(iv) These governments have surrendered to the Jews, and handed them most of Palestine, acknowledging the existence of their state over the dismembered limbs of their own people.
(v) The removal of these governments is an obligation upon us, and a necessary step to free the Ummah, to make the Shariah the supreme law and to regain Palestine. And our fight against these governments is not separate from out fight against you.
(d) You steal our wealth and oil at paltry prices because of you international influence and military threats. This theft is indeed the biggest theft ever witnessed by mankind in the history of the world.
(e) Your forces occupy our countries; you spread your military bases throughout them; you corrupt our lands, and you besiege our sanctities, to protect the security of the Jews and to ensure the continuity of your pillage of our treasures.
(f) You have starved the Muslims of Iraq, where children die every day. It is a wonder that more than 1.5 million Iraqi children have died as a result of your sanctions, and you did not show concern. Yet when 3000 of your people died, the entire world rises and has not yet sat down.
(g) You have supported the Jews in their idea that Jerusalem is their eternal capital, and agreed to move your embassy there. With your help and under your protection, the Israelis are planning to destroy the Al-Aqsa mosque. Under the protection of your weapons, Sharon entered the Al-Aqsa mosque, to pollute it as a preparation to capture and destroy it.
(2) These tragedies and calamities are only a few examples of your oppression and aggression against us. It is commanded by our religion and intellect that the oppressed have a right to return the aggression. Do not await anything from us but Jihad, resistance and revenge. Is it in any way rational to expect that after America has attacked us for more than half a century, that we will then leave her to live in security and peace?!!
(3) You may then dispute that all the above does not justify aggression against civilians, for crimes they did not commit and offenses in which they did not partake:
(a) This argument contradicts your continuous repetition that America is the land of freedom, and its leaders in this world. Therefore, the American people are the ones who choose their government by way of their own free will; a choice which stems from their agreement to its policies. Thus the American people have chosen, consented to, and affirmed their support for the Israeli oppression of the Palestinians, the occupation and usurpation of their land, and its continuous killing, torture, punishment and expulsion of the Palestinians. The American people have the ability and choice to refuse the policies of their Government and even to change it if they want.
(b) The American people are the ones who pay the taxes which fund the planes that bomb us in Afghanistan, the tanks that strike and destroy our homes in Palestine, the armies which occupy our lands in the Arabian Gulf, and the fleets which ensure the blockade of Iraq. These tax dollars are given to Israel for it to continue to attack us and penetrate our lands. So the American people are the ones who fund the attacks against us, and they are the ones who oversee the expenditure of these monies in the way they wish, through their elected candidates.
(c) Also the American army is part of the American people. It is this very same people who are shamelessly helping the Jews fight against us.
(d) The American people are the ones who employ both their men and their

UA Military and SBU - they have tried everything by the playbook of NATO:

- massive mobilization (also forced)
- terror acts SBU
- diversion attacks with terror units
- used nearly every available AD system (NATO and Russia)
- used nearly every available MLRS (from both) - used nearly all Aircraft they had
- intimidated and killed civilians in Donbass to break moral
- foreign and own drone systems
- massive propaganda acts
- ran like Lemmings into defenses
- payed foreign mercenaries to fight
- got NATO involved with weapons and instructors

Heavy fighting at the Antonovsky bridge does not stop: the enemy is trying to cut off the landing force with a blow from kamikaze boats and create a bridgehead

▪️"After the landing of the Armed Forces of Ukraine at the Antonovsky Bridge, it is important to clarify that this is a landing on the islands, more precisely, on the Antonovsky Island. I am attaching a map, the islands in the Dnieper Delta are marked in red. The islands have been in the gray zone since autumn. After the flood, secrets, positions, minefields were washed

Events of last night in one thread - starting from around midnight - will take some time so please be patient and check for the update:

Air defense is working over Kursk. At least three explosions in the sky over the city.
It is reported that the air defense systems also shot… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… There are preliminary reports of launches (5 minutes ago) from 5 TU-95ms from the Caspian Sea area
Time of missile approach to Ukraine - approximately 02:20-03:00 +/- (Moscow time)

Photos from the House of Culture.Evgenia Martynova in the center of Artemovsk, which the Ukrainians blew up before their retreat from the city, under the onslaught of the fighters of the Wagner PMCs. The building of the People's House with a dome and a tower was built back in… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

🇷🇸🇷🇺Serbs in Zvecan unfurled a 250-metre-long Russian tricolour in front of the municipal building where KFOR soldiers had arrived.

Kosovo's ROSU special forces are also present in the building itself, which is surrounded by barriers.

Thousands of demonstrators gathered again… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

The Russian and Ukrainian drone attacks in the night packed into one thread: twitter.com/i/web/status/1… ‼️💥 The alarm is roaring in many regions of Ukraine, Shahids are flying to hit targets
Explosions in Kyiv, Sumy and Rivne regions.

Time for a break

News Summary
From the night till 12.00
26th May 2023

1. Medvedev warns of the possibility of a Russian pre-emptive nuclear strike due to Europe's actions

2. German Chancellor Scholz rejects freezing the conflict in Ukraine without Russian troop withdrawal… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… Temps pour une pause

Résumé des nouvelles
De la nuit jusqu'à 12h00
26 mai 2023

1. Medvedev met en garde contre la possibilité d'une frappe nucléaire préventive russe en raison des actions de l'Europe.

2. Le chancelier allemand Scholz rejette la possibilité de geler le conflit… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

Nightly air strikes as a thread

Russian Gerans and Kalibrs attacked during the night targets in middle, south and east Ukraine.

Ukraine attacked Krasnodar with a drone strike.

In order of appeared news:

‼️💥A series of powerful explosions thundered in Dnepropetrovsk
A… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… ⚡️ Massive air-raid alert in Ukraine

Ukrainian TG channels write about approaching missiles.

Explosions are reported in Kharoiv region and AFU-occupied Kherson.

#source

Join Slavyangrad chat. Your opinion matters.
t.me/+B6ixfOM5VkxhO…

@Slavyangrad
Join SLG 🔺… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

The nightly air strike were again a combination of Kalibr and Geran attacks.

How the situation unfolded in one thread. ‼️🇷🇺Strategic aviation has taken off and is flying towards Ukraine
This is reported by monitoring resources, as well as resources related to Ukrainian intelligence. The enemy is preparing to fly:
3 Tu-95s on the way.
The 4th Tu-95 flies over Saratov (probably referring to the… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

Time for a Break

Nightly Russian attacks on targets in Ukraine
- except for Geran attacks on Kiev with video evidence, not much is known - certainly more on this from the Russian MoD, later

AFU missile attacks
- 12 Himars and Storm Shadow missiles were knocked out of the sky by… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… Zeit für eine Pause

Nächtliche russische Angriffe auf Ziele in der Ukraine
- bis auf Geran-Angriffe auf Kiew mit Videobeweis ist nicht viel bekannt - sicherlich mehr dazu vom russischen Verteidigungsministerium, später

AFU-Raketenangriffe
- 12 Himars- und Storm Shadow-Raketen… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

On May 20, Russia celebrates the annual "Night at the Museum" festival. From 18:00 hundreds of exhibition centers, theaters, galleries and museums will open their doors to visitors. While some events will end before midnight, others will run until 6am. Quite a few events will be… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

Guess where I am…

Time for a break:

A long night...

Russian air strikes:
- again aimed mainly at destroying warehouses, industrial facilities storing weapons and ammunition - attacks on Odessa, Kharkov, Kramatorsk, Pokrovsky district of the DPR, Kirovograd and Cherkassy, Poltava and Vinnitsa,… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… Время для перерыва:

Длинная ночь...

Российские авиаудары:
- снова направлены в основном на уничтожение складов, промышленных объектов, хранящих оружие и боеприпасы - удары по Одессе, Харькову, Краматорску, Покровскому району ДНР, Кировограду и Черкассам, Полтаве и Виннице,… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

Interesting opinion and analysis from BMA.

Very long read ahead (but it will explain to you operational and strategic picture of the conflict )

Black Mountain Analysis

As you all know, I only write updates when I have something to add to my previous analysis and operational… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… ve and reduce its own losses. I’d say that if Russia fortifies its defensive positions in Zaporizhzhia with 50,000 troops, the ratio against Ukraine would skyrocket from 1:10 to 1:20. With this ratio and battlefield setup, the Ukrainian offensive would fail and the Russians most… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

Lviv Ternopol

‼️💥The enemy went on the attack on the Zaporozhye front
▪️In the evening, after artillery preparation, the armored group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine again went on the offensive in the area of Orekhov in the Pohovsky district of the Zaporozhye region.
▪️ Enemy forces were met… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… Update:

‼️💥The failure of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the Zaporozhye Front: ours repelled the attack, the enemy suffered losses
▪️In the evening of 05/03/23, after a little artillery preparation, the infantry of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, with scant support from armored… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

The G7 foreign ministers called on Russia to reaffirm the inadmissibility of nuclear war. And this strange creature Blinken issued a pearl that the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki is evidence of immeasurable human suffering. At the same time, he did not mention his country, which committed this crime.

Here are the lying creatures. They use nuclear weapons, but do not repent. They are endlessly hypocritical and lie to their own and others, but they say that our country is spreading “false information” about

Putin, at a meeting at the headquarters of the Dnepr group of troops in Kherson region: I do not want to distract you from your direct duties related to command and control. Therefore, we are working here in a businesslike manner, briefly but concretely. It is important for me to hear your opinion on how the situation is developing, to listen to you, and to exchange information. I would ask you to start your report with the situation in the Kherson direction, then in the Zaporozhye direction, and after that I

China will become the biggest driver of global growth over the next five years and will contribute double what the US adds, according to the International Monetary Fund.

Based on Bloomberg calculations from data in the IMF's World Economic Outlook released last week, China's slice of global gross domestic product expansion will be at 22.6%, India's at 12.9%, and the US will add 11.3%. 

They are followed by Indonesia, Germany, Turkey, and Japan, each with a less than 3.6% contribution.
Three-quarters of global growth will stem from 20