The Monday Edition

Our Monday News Analysis | What the World Reads Now!

June 08, 2026

Helping to Heal a Broken Humanity (Part 94)

The Hague, 8 June 2026 | If you know of a decisive story, tell the world! We're still searching.

Our Monday News Analysis | What the World Reads Now!

Peace of heart is the heart of peace

And let us never forget that the final triumph over darkness has already been won ...
Our hope for the victory of peace is rooted in the Creator of heaven and earth.

God saw all he had made, and it was very good.

Saint Pope John Paul II
Wellington, New Zealand
23 November 1986

Building the Bridge Foundation

Click here for Part 55

‘FUNDAMENTALLY WHAT AMERICA NEEDS TO RUN ITS ECONOMY IS PRODUCED IN RUSSIA’ – ROBERT AGEE

‘The United States and Russia are somewhat natural strategic partners economically. While we will always have geopolitical issues, essentially, what America needs to support its economy is produced in Russia,’ says Robert Agee, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia.

Watch the Video Here (28 minutes, 41 seconds)

HomeShowsSanchez Effect
6 June 2026

At the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Rick Sanchez meets with Robert Agee, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia.

The episode focuses on Russia-US trade and its outlook. Agee notes that the US delegation to the forum, led by Rodney Cook, was confirmed at the highest level in the White House.
Sanchez highlights this as unusual for recent US presidents and suggests it may indicate improving relations.
Agee also advises against isolating Russia amid the Middle East crisis, noting that mineral and fertilizer prices have soared.

The Sanchez Effect is a journalistic rebellion ... in search of truth.

RT’s flagship show is hosted by Rick Sanchez, an Emmy- and Peabody Award-winning journalist known for challenging the status quo. “When only one side of a story is allowed, I push even harder.

If Moscow is off-limits, that’s exactly where I want to be, because truth often lies in the places we’re told not to investigate.”

GUEST EDITORIAL | ZELENSKY’S FASCISM FETISH IS BOOMING, AND THE WEST IS STILL (MOSTLY) OKAY WITH IT

The Ukrainian leader is exploiting his Jewish identity to promote the normalization of fascism – a stunning intellectual and moral perversion

FILE PHOTO: Ukrainian nationalists commemorate the Ukrainian Insurgent Army in Kiev © 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

30 May 2026

Respectfully annotated by Abraham A. van Kempen

It’s hard to believe one’s eyes while witnessing the latest performance by the comedian-tyrant of Ukraine.

Within the space of a week or so, the regime of President-for-eternity-no-elections-needed Vladimir Zelensky has repatriated and reburied with pomp and ceremony the remains of Andrey Melnik, a twentieth-century Ukrainian fascist leader and Nazi collaborator, and has named a contemporary military elite unit “Heroes of the UPA” (the Ukrainian Insurgent Army of World War Two).

The UPA served as the military branch of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN), which had two factions led by Andrey Melnik and Stepan Bandera. Despite rivalry, both factions shared fascist ideologies.

During the war, both OUN factions tried to collaborate with the Nazis. Despite Nazi rejection, the OUN was eager to align. The OUN and UPA participated in German violence against Jews, aiding mass murder. They also conducted a genocidal campaign targeting Poles.

Predictably, the in-your-face obscenity of Kiev’s latest fascism worship has provoked Israel as well as Poland. Polish President Nawrocki would like to deprive Zelensky of the high state honors that Warsaw has foolishly bestowed on him and has threatened to curtail Poland’s support for Kyiv’s EU ambitions. In Israel, both its official Holocaust remembrance and exploitation agency, Yad Vashem, and the foreign ministry have taken exception. That is, of course, ironic, since Israel itself engages obsessively in genocide and ethnic cleansing as well. Maybe, in this case, it takes a genocidal fascist to know one.

Read more
Zelensky names a commando unit after WWII Nazi collaborators

Official Kiev faces major corruption scandals and embarrassing rumors about Zelensky, who is portrayed as a narcissist and kleptocrat by a well-connected insider. The ruling elite repeatedly supports Nazis, risking diplomatic repercussions, but often abandons caution and honesty, which is unusual for Kiev.

Some observers believe that the public's renewed fascination with fascism stems from recent scandals and the regime's declining popularity. They suggest Zelensky and his allies, who benefit from war and proxy conflicts, deliberately invoke Nazi imagery as a strategy of weakness to distract from Ukraine's growing corruption.

This is a mistake. Even the slowest in the West should accept a simple truth about Zelensky—he genuinely likes fascists. His cynical tactics, persecution of opposition, propaganda use, and disregard for democracy reveal his strong affinity for them.

Silly, racist pseudo-arguments by Western proxy war supporters claiming Zelensky can’t ally with the far-right because he's Jewish merit no serious response. The Israeli regime's policies of war, genocide, supremacy, and ethnic cleansing are fascist.

Case closed.

The Zelensky regime has a long history of engaging with and honoring the far right, including Neo-Nazis, white supremacists, fascists, and ultra-nationalists, who share significant commonalities.

Read more
Polish president wants Zelensky stripped of top state honor

Relabeling has helped spread misinformation. In Ukraine, a Cold War-era tradition involves misrepresenting Ukrainian World War II fascists by linking them to terror, genocide, and ethnic cleansing. Calling these fascists ‘integral nationalists’ is as absurd as calling Idi Amin Dada—a Ugandan dictator known for violence and reportedly tasting his victims—a ‘total vegan.’

The situation remains the same. While words can be flexible, Zelensky’s Ukraine faces a significant fascist issue rooted in the interwar period, which peaked during World War II. Historically, fascism was mainly in western Ukraine and among refugees in the US, Canada, and Europe after 1945. These groups promoted anti-Communist fascism, supported the West during the Cold War, and undermined Ukrainian communities and institutions like Yale, Harvard, and Columbia.

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, this Ukrainian ‘diaspora’—a term fueled by Israel-envy and a desire to claim a personal Holocaust through the Holodomor—reintegrated into Ukraine and reintroduced its ideology. They have significantly damaged Ukraine’s culture and politics, achieving considerable success.

In the long term, Zelensky and his regime’s support for fascist elements is part of a broader narrative. Zelensky’s role is not just significant but vital, surpassing previous Ukrainian leaders in integrating fascism into a disturbed new normal. He has used his Jewish identity to promote fascist ideas amid a world dominated by superficial identity politics. This could be seen as moral and intellectual corruption, and given his actions, such a perception might be inevitable.

Tarik Cyril Amar is a historian specializing in international politics. He holds a BA in Modern History from Oxford University, an MSc in International History from the London School of Economics, and a PhD in History from Princeton University.

Dr. Amar has held fellowships at the Holocaust Memorial Museum and the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute and has directed the Center for Urban History in Lviv, Ukraine. Originally from Germany, he has lived in the UK, Ukraine, Poland, the USA, and Turkey.

His book, 'The Paradox of Ukrainian Lviv: A Borderland City between Stalinists, Nazis, and Nationalists,' was published by Cornell University Press in 2015. He is preparing to publish a study on the political and cultural history of Cold War television spy stories and is also working on a new book about the global response to the war in Ukraine.

Dr. Tarik Cyril Amar has appeared on several programs, including multiple interviews on Rania Khlalek Dispatches and Breakthrough News.

His website is https://www.tarikcyrilamar.com/; he is on Substack under https://tarikcyrilamar.substack.com, and tweets at @TarikCyrilAmar.

BREAKING: IRAN LAUNCHES MISSILES AT ISRAEL – W/ AARON DAVID MILLER

Mario Nawfal interviews the former U.S. Mideast Negotiator, Aaron David Miller.

Watch the Video Here (26 minutes, 17 seconds)

Host: Mario Nawfal
MARIOXNAWFAL
7 June 2026

Mario’s discussion with Aaron David Miller examines a quickly intensifying exchange between Iran and Israel after an Israeli attack in Beirut’s southern suburbs.

The speakers describe the recent missile launches into northern Israel as both a response and a message that Iran is now enforcing stricter red lines than previously.
The discussion highlights uncertainty about the scale of the attack but views multiple missile waves as signs that escalation might be exceeding deterrence.
A key theme is the connection between the Lebanon front, Hezbollah, and wider US-Iran negotiations.
The analysis indicates Lebanon has become a major hurdle in diplomacy, with Trump and Netanyahu seen as having overlapping yet distinct strategic aims.
The speakers suggest that only a broader US-Iran deal could curb further escalation, but they are skeptical, as all sides believe they can gain more by applying pressure.

Overall, the discussion depicts the crisis as risky, dynamic, and diplomatically delicate.

CHAS FREEMAN: THE GREATER ISRAEL PROJECT IS COLLAPSING

Ambassador Chas Freeman explains that the era of Greater Israel is drawing to a close.
He is a former Assistant Secretary of Defense, awarded with top public service honors for his work in creating a NATO-focused European security framework after the Cold War and for rebuilding defense and military ties with China.
Freeman also served as the U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia during Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

Watch the Video Here (58 minutes, 13 seconds)

Host Prof. Glenn Diesen
Substack.com
7 June 2026

The interview suggests that Israel’s efforts to maintain a wider regional strategy are growing harder because military actions have damaged its international reputation and diminished outside support.
Amb. Freeman states that Israeli policy depends largely on coercive force rather than diplomacy, particularly in Gaza, Lebanon, and the West Bank. This approach is seen as increasing isolation instead of enhancing long-term security.
A key argument is that Israel’s effort to achieve complete security leads to insecurity in neighboring countries, which in turn promotes balancing actions and greater regional opposition.
Iran is depicted as the primary strategic barrier to Israel's regional goals, whereas Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Pakistan are portrayed as progressing towards a more self-sufficient regional security system that is increasingly collaborative with Iran rather than opposed to it.
Turkey is portrayed as particularly significant due to its central geographic location, expanding regional influence, and its increasingly adversarial public and political attitude toward Israel.
The United States is depicted as a fading diplomatic power, with inconsistent policies and domestic political limitations hampering its capacity to secure enduring agreements.
Both Trump and Netanyahu are portrayed as limited by internal political pressures, which makes a negotiated agreement with Iran, Lebanon, or the Palestinians seem unlikely in the near future.
Prof. Glenn Diesen and Amb. Chas Freeman agree that the current path is unsustainable: ceasefires and tactical pauses won't solve the crisis unless the fundamental territorial, diplomatic, and regional security issues are also tackled.

SEAN FOO: CHIP WAR ESCALATES, CHINA SELLS U.S. TREASURIES & THE AI BUBBLE BEGINS TO CRACK

Sean Foo is a financial analyst and China expert.
He talks about the chip war, China's dumping of U.S. treasuries, the AI bubble, and the potential collapse of US financial markets and the dollar.

Watch the Video Here (33 minutes, 46 seconds)

Host Prof. Glenn Diesen
Substack.com
4 June 2026

Prof. Glenn Diesen’s discussion with Financial Analyst Sean Foo offers a highly critical perspective on the ongoing U.S.-China economic confrontation. He argues that it has expanded beyond tariffs and trade balances to include finance, energy, technology, and geopolitical influence.

A key argument is that China is gradually reducing its reliance on the United States by reducing its holdings of U.S. Treasuries, imposing stricter capital controls, and enhancing ties with Russia, other BRICS countries, and Asian markets.
The analysis indicates that Washington’s application of sanctions, asset seizures, and military pressure has eroded global confidence in U.S.-dominated financial systems, prompting diversification into gold, non-dollar assets, and alternative markets.
Another key theme is the instability of the U.S. domestic economic model. While higher energy prices can boost large oil companies, they also drive up inflation, sustain high bond yields, and strain sectors of the economy with heavy debt burdens.
The American AI and semiconductor boom is shown to be more vulnerable, particularly if interest rates stay high and foreign capital inflows decline.
The discussion suggests that U.S. restrictions on advanced chips haven't hindered China’s technological progress. In fact, they might have accelerated domestic innovation by compelling Chinese companies to develop substitutes and explore alternative manufacturing approaches.
Europe and other U.S. allies are seen as economically vulnerable rather than secure, facing rising energy prices, military rearmament efforts, and waning confidence in American protection.
Overall, the discussion illustrates a shift toward a more fragmented, multipolar economic system in which resilience, diversification, and regional cooperation are increasingly prioritized over heavy dependence on a single dominant power.

MAJOR STUDY SHOWS WORLD SEES USA AS BIGGEST THREAT, AND PREFERS CHINA

A global survey found people in most countries see the United States as the biggest threat to the world, and prefer China over the US. These are the results of the EU-backed Democracy Perception Index

By Ben Norton
Geopolitical Economy Report
7 June 2026

A comprehensive global study surveying tens of thousands of people in nearly 100 countries found that the vast majority view the United States as the biggest threat to the world.

Meanwhile, an increasing number of countries favor China over the US. China’s approval ratings have soared in the Global South, especially as support for the US has sharply declined.

These results come from the 2026 Democracy Perception Index, an annual study carried out by the Alliance of Democracies.

The Alliance of Democracies cannot be labeled as either “pro-China” or “anti-US.” It was established by Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who is a former NATO secretary general and a right-leaning ex-prime minister of Denmark.

It is also financed by a prominent lineup of European government agencies, leading US corporations, groups connected to the US government, and even Taiwan.

Some of the organizations that finance the Alliance of Democracies include Palantir, Microsoft, the EU’s European Endowment for Democracy, the right-wing Atlas Network, the US government-sponsored Freedom House, and the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy.

Despite these links, the group’s 2026 Democracy Perception Index reached conclusions that will doubtless infuriate hawks and cold warriors in Washington.

The survey asked 23,968 respondents in 84 countries which nation they consider to be “the biggest threat to the world”.

Most people in 65 out of the 84 countries said the United States is the largest danger.

Another 10 countries, mostly in Europe, identified Russia as the biggest threat. Seven countries in West Asia and North Africa pointed to Israel. Israel, in turn, cited Iran, while Japan indicated China.

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

Making a Difference – The Means, Methods, and Mechanisms 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 seeking 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 Mechanisms 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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