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EDITORIAL | Are World Leaders Dumb, Stupid, Sociopaths, or Psychopaths, or All of the Above (Part 3)?

By Abraham A. van Kempen
30 May 2025

Click here for Part 1
Click here for Part 2

“Dear Abraham,

President Biden cautioned that deploying U.S. troops to Ukraine could lead to "World War III.”

Yet, how many Americans truly grasp the magnitude of the conflict? With the threat of war from a significant power rising, the WWII generation is fading. Meanwhile, many Americans and leaders today are unaccustomed to facing severe hardships as a result of their foreign policy choices.

My latest article for the New York Times argues that the US must launch a nationwide effort to recover its history. This is crucial for policymakers and the public to assess the risks associated with disasters. Our leaders must raise public awareness to prevent the worst-case scenario.

Sincerely,

CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL PEACE


Stephen Wertheim
Senior Fellow
American Statecraft Program”

Read more: New York Times Guest Essay, ‘World War III Begins with Forgetting,’ by Stephen Wertheim, New York Times, 2 December 2022

The Kremlin knows that EU countries, such as the Netherlands, Germany, and France, don't want nuclear craters in their backyards. It's only a matter of time before they yield to Russian demands. Another world war would be disastrous, with the blame on those who ignited it. Ukraine is just a pawn.

Europeans are now realizing that the EU, US, and NATO had the power to prevent Russia's response to the EU-US/NATO’s aggressive Eastward expansion.

Will the EU-US/NATO Axis risk 800 million lives to save one of the world's poorest and most corrupt countries? The US-EU/NATO Axis should not have forced Ukraine into becoming a vassal state and proxy, exploiting its people as cannon fodder and human shields in the EU-US/NATO conflict with Russia.

Why did the EU-US/NATO Axis choose war instead of resolving the Russia-Ukraine standoff diplomatically?

1. What led the EU to allow NATO to arm Ukraine with advanced weapons since 2008?
2. Why did the EU allow NATO to grow from 14 to 30 member countries, each receiving a share of NATO's nuclear arsenal?
3. Why has the EU enabled NATO to provoke Russia by positioning its nuclear arsenal in 30 member countries, including the US, UK, and Canada, since 2014, risking thermonuclear war?

Why didn't the EU adopt a hands-off approach instead of becoming entangled in an all-or-nothing conflict?

Can Europe's leadership still achieve a win-win outcome?

The EU can encourage Ukraine to be a vital economic link between Russia and the European Union, attracting investments from both sides. Instead of escalating conflict with Russia and intensifying the civil strife in Ukraine, the EU can help ease tensions.

1. Europe can ensure the safety of Ukrainians, including those of Russian heritage.
2. The EU can guarantee Russia’s access to Black Sea seaports, including Odesa.
3. The EU can still secure its vital oil and gas pipelines from Russia.

Between 2014 and 2023, 40 countries provided Ukraine with hundreds of billions of euros in aid, exceeding its annual GDP of approximately $100.1 billion.

What has Ukraine, now flush with cash, gained under President Zelensky?

1. Ukraine has suffered a massive brain drain, with millions of Ukrainians fleeing to the EU and Russia for safety.
2. Ukraine now has a new neighbor in East Ukraine, where 86 percent of the local population, mostly Ukrainian nationals of Russian descent, voted to join the Russian Federation.
3. In search of warmth in their homes, Ukraine has evidently ‘gained’ more power blackouts with freezing temperatures outside.
4. Reportedly, for every 10 Ukrainians lost, Ukraine has ‘gained’ one dead Russian.
5. Ukraine faces growing resistance from its people against the government. They refuse to serve as NATO's cannon fodder or human shields, particularly during harsh winter conditions.
6. Ukraine remains outside NATO and shows no signs of joining soon.
7. Ukraine can't become an EU member unless it first joins NATO. However, NATO members are hesitant to have Ukraine join, considering it too high a risk.

In short, Ukraine has lost the war.

Only 62.9 percent of the Electorate Turned Out to Vote.

On April 21, 2019, Ukrainian comedian Volodymyr Zelensky won a landslide victory in the presidential election. With nearly all ballots counted from a 62.9 percent turnout, he secured over 73 percent of the vote, while incumbent Petro Poroshenko followed with just 24 percent.

Only 62.09% (26,822.880) of 43.2 million Ukrainians voted, meaning 16,377,120 did not participate.

A landslide?

Only 19,580,702, or 45.3 percent, of Ukrainians elected comedian Volodymyr Zelensky as President.

In ‘Time for the Joking to Stop,’ BBC News Analyst Jonah Fisher reported from Kyiv:

               “Ukrainians are waking up this morning and discovering that the last few months were not a dream.

               They have elected a man who currently stars in a TV series as the president, as the country’s next real president. And it wasn’t even close. The pressure will now be on Mr. Zelensky to demonstrate that he knows what he is doing.

               Throughout the election campaign, he avoided thought-provoking interviews and policy discussions, preferring to post light-hearted videos on social media.

               He’s got about a month before the inauguration. Then the comedian-turned-president will face a complex in-box that includes a simmering [civil] war with Russian-backed rebels in the east.”

Mr. Zelensky, a political novice though educated as a lawyer, is best known for starring in the satirical television series ‘Servant of the People,’ in which his character accidentally becomes the Ukrainian president.

               Mr. Zelensky told reporters he would “reboot” peace talks with the separatists fighting Ukrainian forces and volunteers in the east.”

               We will have personnel changes.

               In any case, we will continue in the direction of the Minsk [peace] talks and head towards concluding a ceasefire,” Mr. Zelensky said in 2019,

Russia’s Response: Let’s Improve Relations!

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev stated that Russia expects him to display ‘sound judgment,’ ’honesty,’ and ‘pragmatism’ to improve relations. He anticipated Mr. Zelensky would “repeat familiar ideological formulas” from his campaign: “I have no illusions on that score. However, there is a chance to improve relations with our country.”

What could the newly elected and wet-behind-the-ears President of Ukraine have done?

1. Mr. Zelensky could have collaborated with the EU and the US to ensure the safety of all Ukrainians, especially those of Russian descent, fearing for their lives, as ASOV executed many as suspected saboteurs or undesirables.
2. Mr. Zelensky could have collaborated with the EU-US alliance to allow Russian access to Ukraine’s Black Sea ports, including Odesa, and maintain open shipping lanes for Russian oil, gas, grain, and other goods.
3. Mr. Zelensky could have collaborated with the EU-US/NATO Axis to facilitate the flow of Russian oil and gas via advanced pipelines from Russia to Ukraine and Central Europe.
4. Mr. Zelensky could have negotiated trade agreements with EU member states linked to the EU-US and NATO.
5. Mr. Zelensky had the chance to negotiate trade with the Russian Federation.

               And what an economic feast it could have been for Ukraine, situated at the crossroads of East and West.

               Ukraine could have been a bridge, acting as a buffer between the EU, US, NATO members, and Russia, managing the flow of natural resources the EU needs.

                Ukraine could earn billions as a go-between for East and West.

Instead, East and West are at war. Global hegemony is at stake. The people of Ukraine, serving the EU-US/NATO Axis as cannon fodder and human shields, are smack in the middle.

Reaction from President Vladimir Putin (Read ‘Vladimir Putin’s victory day speech, 9 May 2022.’):

               “In December last year … Russia called on the West to engage in honest discussion to find fair compromises that accounted for each other’s interests. All of this was in vain! They didn’t want to listen to us. This means that, in reality, they had entirely different plans, and we have seen this.

...

               Let me repeat. We observed the establishment of all this military infrastructure. We witnessed hundreds of foreign advisors beginning their work and the regular deliveries of modern weaponry from NATO countries. The danger increased with each passing day. Thus, Russia launched a preemptive attack against this aggression. It was necessary, timely, and the only option—the decision of a sovereign, strong, independent country.

…

               Russia will never reject love for our homeland, the truth, or the traditional values, customs, and heritage of our forebears, and respect for all nations and cultures.”

Editor's note: To free Europe from Nazi Germany, Russia lost 27 million of its citizens, who the Nazis slaughtered.

(Read John Mearsheimer on Putin's Ambitions After Nine Months of War – The realist American political scientist explains why Russia's move to annex four Ukrainian provinces isn't imperialism, by Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker Magazine, 17 November 2022)."

Peace can be imminent.

1. Hold elections for regime change. Urge Ukrainians to elect their government, deciding whether to retain or replace President Zelensky and the radical ultra-nationalists currently in power.
2. Hold a referendum in the new Russian territories to let residents decide their fate.
3. Encourage multilateral trade and socio-economic development.
4. Welcome the Russian Federation, the largest European nation, into the European Union.
5. Scrap NATO. It’s become a superfluous paper tiger and a waste of national resources.

Finally, destroy your enemies by becoming friends.

When a dove flaps its wings in China, the wind currents shift thousands of miles across mountains and seas. Everything we do has a ripple effect. We're all interconnected and have a responsibility to look out for each other in the generations that follow.

Stories from the Zhuangzi

Postscript – Will the Baboons in Europe Catch Up to Reality?

EU leaders, the clowns and stooges of our time, have not only demonized Russia's president but also humiliated and belittled the US president to such an extent that Mr. Trump wishes he could drop the EU like a hot potato. Enough is enough! The US has wasted too much blood and treasure to enforce Eurocentric policies. Mr. Trump no longer wants the US to serve as the EU’s whipping boy.

Also, Russia claims that the recent snafu perpetrated by NATO and purportedly carried out by Ukraine hardly made a dent. The planes targeted were damaged, not destroyed, and can be repaired. So, for the moment, there is no reason for a tit for tat. If Mr. Putin were to ask me what I would do if I were in his shoes, I would urge him to stay the course.

1. Pursue peace.
2. Avoid falling into the same trap as in February 2022.
3. Establish trade relations with a new and eager ‘Coalition of the Willing.’

The EU-US/NATO have attacked Russia. Even if Ukraine's 41 aircraft were destroyed, who cares? These war machines are outdated. The nature of warfare has changed. Make friends with the United States and rein in the post-colonial EU troublemakers who are still captivated by:

               What is mine is mine.
               What is yours is mine also.
               It’s my way or the highway.
               If you don’t do it my way, you’re dead meat. 

JEFFREY SACHS: NATO AND RUSSIA ON THE BRINK OF NUCLEAR WAR

Prof. Glenn Diesen with Prof. Jeffrey Sachs

Watch the Video Here (33 minutes, 58 seconds)

Host Prof. Glenn Diesen
Substack.com
3 June 2025

Professor Jeffrey Sachs is a leading economist, a trusted advisor to global leaders, a bestselling author, and a key figure in promoting sustainable development worldwide.

He discusses the decline of diplomacy, rational thinking, and self-preservation in the West. Prof. Sachs warns that Ukraine and NATO may face a painful response as their conflict with Russia enters a new and more perilous phase.

When Russia's nuclear forces were targeted, Western politicians and media outlets responded with glee.

Ukraine's latest strikes on Russian soil have crossed Putin's red line, and the fallout could be catastrophic.

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN – JUNE 3, 2025

By Heather Cox Richardson
Substack.com
4 June 2025

Annotated by Abraham A. van Kempen

On June 1, Ukraine launched "Operation Spider Web," a surprise attack deep inside Russia with 117 drones, each piloted individually, targeting airfields in five regions. Ukraine claims the drones damaged 41 strategic bombers used against Ukrainian cities, destroying at least 13. According to Western narratives, Russia is unable to replace these bombers due to its limited industrial capacity.

Ukraine's SBU chief, Vasyl Malyuk, stated that military airfields and bombing planes are "completely legitimate targets...[a]ccording to the laws and customs of war.” The SBU estimates drone damage at $7 billion, affecting 34% of planes carrying cruise missiles.

Planning took over 18 months. The operation involved sending trucks with wooden cabins featuring remotely detachable roofs. Drivers, unaware of their cargo's purpose, delivered the cabins near airbases for drone launches.

Once the drones took off, the vehicles with the cabins erupted in flames. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that those who assisted the operation from Russia have been pulled back and are now safe.

Russia denied significant damage, yet the attack dealt a major blow to its war effort, proving Ukraine can strike domestically. Kateryna Bonder from the Center for Strategic and International Studies highlights that June 1 is Military Transport Aviation Day in Russia, a crucial holiday for the armed forces. President Putin often ties operations to important dates, as seen when he hosted American lawmakers on July 4, 2018; targeting military aircraft on this date disrupted that tradition.

Analysts view the Ukrainian attack as a pivotal moment in warfare. By involving unwitting civilians, Ukrainians got drones close to targets, evading Russian air defenses. Bonder notes that the drones utilized a system enabling operators to target aircraft's strategic weaknesses. Costing between $600 and $1,000 each, these drones, through deception, technology, and strategic surprise, destroyed billions in aircraft.

Bonder notes that the attack signals a shift in modern warfare, where technological agility surpasses industrial capacity, favoring countries that adapt quickly to changes.

Some observers call the attack the Russian Pearl Harbor, referencing the Japanese Navy's strike on the U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, which led to U.S. entry into World War II. However, Russia has been attacking Ukraine since 2014 and initiated a full-scale invasion in 2022. This attack reflects an extraordinary vulnerability, akin to if Pearl Harbor occurred in early 1945.

Retired U.S. Army Lieutenant General Mark Hertling stated: “For months, some believed Ukraine didn't 'hold any cards.' Many of us refuted that claim, citing an inflection point—stemming from the failing Russian war economy, poor leadership adaptation, and especially a strong Ukrainian government, military and population support combined with innovative use of Special Operations, drones, and fiber optic capabilities to counter Russian EW—would emerge on the battlefield. The recent coordinated attack has likely decimated much of the Russian air fleet based over 4,000 km from the front line, showing that Ukraine certainly has many aces up its sleeve.”

Hertling comments that some believed Ukraine had no cards, referencing President Trump, who ambushed Zelensky in the Oval Office on February 28, warning him to cut a deal with Putin because Zelensky didn’t “have the cards” to win the war.

Please Continue Reading …

What is the Side of the Story that is Not Yet Decisive? Edited by Abraham A. van Kempen

GUEST EDITORIAL | TRUCE OR TRAP? UKRAINE MAKES SURE PEACE TALKS GO NOWHERE

Progress toward a settlement will be gradual, slow, and painful; maybe going nowhere.

Members of delegations attend a second round of direct talks between Russia and Ukraine at the Ciragan Palace in Istanbul, Turkey. © Sputnik / Sputnik

By Tarik Cyril Amar, a historian from Germany working at Koç University, Istanbul, on Russia, Ukraine, and Eastern Europe, the history of World War II, the cultural Cold War, and the politics of memory

@tarikcyrilamartarikcyrilamar.substack.comtarikcyrilamar.com

HomeRussia & FSU
2 June 2025

Annotated by Abraham A. van Kempen

On Sunday, in Russia's Bryansk and Kursk regions bordering Ukraine, bridges collapsed on and under trains, killing seven and injuring dozens. These were not accidents or acts of nature but confirmed acts of sabotage, as classified by Russian authorities. Given that the perpetrators likely acted for Kiev, Western media have largely ignored these attacks. Moscow understandably regards them as terrorism.

On the same day, Ukraine conducted drone attacks on key Russian military airfields. This story, celebrated by Ukraine’s SBU intelligence service, has been highlighted in the West. Western hawks, eager for good news, have seized on Ukraine’s likely exaggerated claims to fantasize about Ukraine being “a genius,” while Russia appears “vulnerable” and nearly defeated. Despair breeds imagination, but in the wrong way.

The reality of Ukraine’s drone strikes is unclear. What is certain is that Ukraine targeted five regions, including northern and central Russia, as well as Siberia and the Far East. Kyiv’s drone swarms were launched from inside Russia using subterfuge and civilian trucks. Under International Humanitarian Law, this likely constitutes the war crime of perfidy, a point often unmentioned in Western commentary.

At the very least, in this case, the targets were military. This could be seen as a special ops sabotage mission involving a war crime (the most generous interpretation) or simply as terrorism, or possibly both, depending on how you look at it. Three of the airbases that were attacked managed to repel the Ukrainian kamikaze drones, which were equipped with first-person cameras. However, in two locations, enough drones made it through to cause significant damage.

Ukrainian officials and Western media claim that over 40 Russian aircraft, including strategic bombers and an early-warning plane, were destroyed. Russian sources acknowledge losses but provide no details. Informed Russian military bloggers cited much lower figures (“in the single digits,” thirteen) but still labeled them a “tragic loss,” as Russia no longer produces these aircraft.

Read more
The last drone parade: Ukraine tries to reset a war it already lost

Ukrainian officials claim they inflicted “at least 2 billion” dollars in damage. Even if they were less effective, Kiev has achieved significant results: though “Operation Spiderweb” took time and resources like a warehouse and trucks, Kiev’s expenses were likely far less than Moscow’s losses.

Russia’s social media military commentators express shock and anger at both Kiev and Russian officials for not taking the threat of Ukrainian strikes seriously, even within Russia. A key Telegram “mil-blogger” indicated he would welcome dismissals among air force leadership, noting the systemic issues behind Kiev’s recent drone attack. Another prominent mil-blogger described the situation as “criminal negligence.”

Regardless of the Russian political fallout from these Ukrainian attacks, heed the Western commentators’ tendency to overestimate it. For example, the German newspaper Welt is exaggerating the attack’s “monumental significance.” In reality, despite frustrations in Russia, this incident will not destabilize the government or hinder its war efforts.

Its real net effect will likely support Russia's mobilization. Remember the Wagner revolt, where Western commentators predicted the imminent collapse of not just the Russian government but the entire country? No? Exactly.

The consequences of terrorist attacks on civilian trains are easier to predict. They will harden Moscow’s resolve and that of almost all Russians, elite and “ordinary.” Both military airfield and civilian train attacks raise the puzzling question: What is Kiev trying to achieve?

Read more
Trains derailed by saboteurs in two Russian border regions: As it happened

We can only speculate now. My guess: Kiev’s desperate regime sought four things:

               First, a propaganda victory for domestic consumption. Zelensky’s Ukraine, a de facto authoritarian state with obedient media, may temporarily succeed. However, the tragedy of forced mobilization for a losing proxy war on behalf of a demented West will soon set in, likely in a day or so.

               Second, with its atrocities against civilians and an assault on Russia’s nuclear defenses, Kiev attempted to provoke a harsh response from Russia, risking escalation into a direct clash between NATO (likely minus the US) and Russia. This tactic is as old as the war itself and routinely fails.

               The attempt to sabotage the second round of revived Istanbul talks set for Monday, 2 June, involved provoking Russia into cancelling or retaliating swiftly, which Kiev could use as a pretext for a similar action. This tactical move also failed.

The above is devious yet typical. States will be states. Sigh!

               The fourth likely purpose of Kiev’s wave of sabotage and terror strikes is more disturbing: The Zelensky regime and some Western backers (likely Britain) signal readiness for a prolonged campaign of escalating terrorist attacks inside Russia, even if fighting in Ukraine ends. Think of the Chechen Wars, but worse. This will also fail. A lesson from the Chechen Wars is that Moscow is determined not to yield to terrorism but to eliminate its source, regardless of the cost.

The Istanbul talks took place, but Ukraine was unable to persuade Russia to withdraw its forces. The results of this second peace attempt were modest, as predicted. While losing, Kiev humorously offered Moscow a chance to surrender. Moscow reiterated its unchanged terms that reflect its war success, and Kyiv promised to review them.

Read more
Russia-Ukraine talks wrap up: As it happened.

The gap between Ukrainian delusions and Russian demands appears unbridgeable, rendering even a large-scale ceasefire unreachable. This may be what the Zelensky regime and its European backers desire. Moscow has consistently stated its intention to fight until it achieves its war aims. Thus, the new talks reaffirm the earlier signals from the attacks: peace is not imminent.

Russia’s chief negotiator, Vladimir Medinsky, offered local ceasefires of “two to three days” to retrieve fallen bodies for burial. Russia has also committed to handing over 6,000 bodies of Ukrainian soldiers and officers.

More prisoner exchanges have been agreed for severely ill, injured, and young individuals. Though the figures are unclear, conducting these on an “all-for-all” basis reflects a gesture of goodwill from Russia.

In the latest update, Medinsky shared some important news about the situation concerning children. He mentioned that the Ukrainian side provided a list of 339 children who Russia has evacuated from the war zone. Medinsky reassured everyone that, just like in previous instances, Russian officials will carefully trace these children and do their utmost to return them to Ukraine. He also noted that the number of children on Kiev’s list stands in stark contrast to the narratives presented by Ukraine and Western sources regarding a so-called “genocidal” Russian kidnapping operation.

From that perspective, the talks at least helped ease an outdated part of the Western information war. That could be possible for now: slow, steady humanitarian progress and a gradual shift toward a more productive way of communicating. Better than nothing, but it's a low standard to meet, I admit.

BUILDING THE BRIDGE! | A WAY TO GET TO KNOW THE OTHER AND ONE ANOTHER

Making a Difference – The Means, Methods, and Mechanism for Many to Move Mountains

Photo Credit: Abraham A. van Kempen, our home away from home on the Dead Sea

By Abraham A. van Kempen
Senior Editor
Updated 19 January 2024

Those who commit to 'healing our broken humanity' build intercultural bridges to learn to know and understand one another and others. Readers who thumb through the Building the Bridge (BTB) pages are not mindless sheep following other mindless sheep. They THINK. They want to be at the forefront of making a difference. They're in search of the bigger picture to expand their horizons. They don't need BTB or anyone else to confirm their biases.

Making a Difference – The Means, Methods, and Mechanism for Many to Move Mountains

Accurate knowledge fosters understanding, dispels prejudice, and sparks a desire to learn more about the subject. Words have an extraordinary power to bring people together, divide them, forge bonds of friendship, or provoke hostility. Modern technology offers unprecedented possibilities for good, fostering harmony and reconciliation. Yet, its misuse can cause untold harm, leading to misunderstandings, prejudices, and conflicts.

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