Latest news with #OperationBarbarossa
The South African
06-08-2025
- Business
- The South African
Warren Hammond's Personal View: A warning of missiles, missteps and August risks
Over the weekend, the headlines confirm recent forecasts: Trump moves nuclear subs after Medvedev's threat (July 31) Ukraine strikes Russian energy infrastructure with drones (Aug 1–2) On Friday, 1st August, I published a forecast before these escalations, predicting that August would be geopolitically frustrating and prone to costly missteps. Frustration, stalled momentum, and the underestimation of resilience, logistics, terrain, or intent- these are the classic ingredients of escalation. And history show, when pressure builds, brinkmanship often follows. In Friday's article, I highlight why this week and this month demand vigilance. August 2025 echoes moments from history's most dangerous cycles of frustration and overreach: 1962 – The Cuban Missile Crisis 1951 – The Korean War escalation 1941 – WWII's pivotal miscalculations: Pearl Harbour and Operation Barbarossa Each was triggered by distrust, delay, and rising pressure. So is today. Trump deploys two nuclear submarines after provocative Russian comments. Published before events accelerate, why August may become the most geopolitically frustrating month in years. August will be geopolitically frustrating. And history shows: frustration breeds missteps. Here's why the so-called 'ceasefire' masks rising systemic risk, and what investors must prepare for now. What's your take on August's rising risks and the shadow of history? Share your thoughts below! Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
Russia Today
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Zelensky has a Nazi problem. He can't lie his way out of it
Anniversaries can be opportunities. For better or worse. In the case of the recent anniversary of Nazi Germany's massive attack on the Soviet Union of 22 June 1941 – code-named Operation Barbarossa by the Germans – Ukraine's beyond best-by-date president Vladimir Zelensky went for the worst. Using his own Telegram channel, Zelensky shared his bizarre view of why that anniversary mattered. In short, because it can serve in the information war against Russia. 'Eighty years ago,' the Kiev regime leader wrote, 'the world overcame Nazism and swore 'Never again.' But today Russia is repeating the crimes of the Nazis […] Now Ukrainians are fighting against rashism [a pejorative term fusing the words 'Russia' and 'fascism'] with the same courage with which our ancestors defeated Nazism…' Where to begin? Why not with the obvious: IF Russia were following Nazi examples, then much of Ukraine would now look like, for instance, Gaza. And while every death is a tragedy, the numbers of Ukrainian civilians killed in the Ukraine War would be of an entirely different order of magnitude. This is not a matter of opinion. It's a fact that can be quantified and proven: As of the end of May, the UN counted about 13,279 Ukrainian civilians killed, since the beginning of the large-scale fighting in February 2022. It is true that the UN also warns that these are conservative, minimum figures. Yet consider some figures for Gaza under Israeli genocidal assault since October 2023. As of early June, the enclave's health ministry – generally acknowledged as reliable and also conservative with its numbers, notwithstanding Israeli and Western propaganda – has counted over 55,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza alone (Israel's victims in the West bank and elsewhere should, of course, not be forgotten.) The Gaza Health Ministry does not distinguish between resistance fighters and civilians, but there is a virtual expert consensus that the share of the latter is unusually high, as you would expect during a genocide. A peer-reviewed study in the prestigious and unbiased medical journal The Lancet, for instance, has estimated that 59.1% of deaths between October 2023 and June 2024 were women, children, and the elderly. Other equally reputable organizations have even estimated around 90% of civilian casualties in Gaza. Keep in mind that the above is deliberately restricted to minimum estimates. As The Lancet has also shown, the real death toll in Gaza is likely to be far higher. Let's also not even dwell here on 'details,' such as that Gaza now has the highest concentration of child amputees in the world. For even the bare figures cited suffice to gain a sense of proportion and perspective: Gaza, before the Israeli mass murder attack had a total population of between 2.2 and 2.4 million. Ukraine's total population on the eve of the large-scale escalation of February 2022 was just over 41 million, according to Ukrainian official sources. And now compare the numbers of civilian casualties and the total populations. It is obvious: If Vladimir Zelensky is looking for a state that uses methods – if that is the word – of Nazi warfare, then that would be Israel, not Russia. But he cannot say that because Israel is aligned with the US and the West, just like his own regime. Figures can help expose blatant lies, especially when they are as stunningly unambiguous as in this case. But the quantitative isn't everything, obviously. What about what social scientists and historians – such as me – call the qualitative dimension? In other words, what about what makes people tick? In that regard, the West's proxy war against Russia and via Ukraine has seen one of the most successful operations of political whitewashing in recent memory. Before Kiev, first under Zelensky's predecessor Petro Poroshenko and then under Zelensky himself, turned Ukraine into a Western tool and battering ram against Russia, at least some Western experts and even mainstream media were well aware that Ukraine had a rapidly growing, increasingly powerful, and extremely subversive (domestically and internationally) far-right movement. As of 2014, even the BBC was still admitting that Ukrainian media and politicians were deliberately 'underplaying' the potency and significance of their far-right. But then, as if on command, Western mainstream media united to belittle this malevolent force, pretending that it was either hardly there (and any impressions to the contrary were, of course, 'Russian disinformation'), really harmless (a handful of misunderstood 'patriots' with a few tattoos that look Nazi but are really just Tolkien), or on the mend, undergoing a steady and, of course, totally honest conversion to mainstream politics. What happened in reality was that instead of adjusting to the Western 'value' mainstream or Center – wherever that supposedly might be – the Ukrainian far right succeeded in making that mainstream adjust to its will. Probably because real-existing Western 'values' have a genuine affinity to fascism anyhow. Now with the West's war going badly, as even Western media have to recognize, even French paper of record Le Monde – as russophobic and rarara-proxy war as its worst peers in the US – has noticed that far-right, indeed strictly Neo-Nazi tendencies – polite expression – are alive and kicking in key units of Ukraine's armed forces. Dear colleagues from France: Congratulations! And you should see the politics. Since the West and Ukraine are losing the war, expect more of such shocked re-discoveries of what every objective observers has known for a long time: In the Ukraine War, the home of men and women who genuinely enjoy displaying Nazi symbols – from the swastika to the Wolfsangel to the sun wheel – is in Ukraine. That does not mean that the majority of Ukrainians side with them. But their regime and its controlled media do. The same regime and media droning on about Russia and Nazis. As they – rightly – say about Israel, so about the Zelensky regime: Every accusation is a confession.
Russia Today
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Every accusation is a confession: Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky has ideas about Nazis
Anniversaries can be opportunities. For better or worse. In the case of the 80th anniversary of Nazi Germany's massive attack on the Soviet Union of 22 June 1941 – code-named Operation Barbarossa by the Germans – Ukraine's beyond best-by-date president Vladimir Zelensky went for the worst. Using his own Telegram channel, Zelensky shared his bizarre view of why that anniversary mattered. In short, because it can serve in the information war against Russia. 'Eighty years ago,' the Kiev regime leader wrote, 'the world overcame Nazism and swore 'Never again.' But today Russia is repeating the crimes of the Nazis […] Now Ukrainians are fighting against rashism [a pejorative term fusing the words 'Russia' and 'fascism'] with the same courage with which our ancestors defeated Nazism…' Where to begin? Why not with the obvious: IF Russia were following Nazi examples, then much of Ukraine would now look like, for instance, Gaza. And while every death is a tragedy, the numbers of Ukrainian civilians killed in the Ukraine War would be of an entirely different order of magnitude. This is not a matter of opinion. It's a fact that can be quantified and proven: As of the end of May, the UN counted about 13,279 Ukrainian civilians killed, since the beginning of the large-scale fighting in February 2022. It is true that the UN also warns that these are conservative, minimum figures. Yet consider some figures for Gaza under Israeli genocidal assault since October 2023. As of early June, the enclave's health ministry – generally acknowledged as reliable and also conservative with its numbers, notwithstanding Israeli and Western propaganda – has counted over 55,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza alone (Israel's victims in the West bank and elsewhere should, of course, not be forgotten.) The Gaza Health Ministry does not distinguish between resistance fighters and civilians, but there is a virtual expert consensus that the share of the latter is unusually high, as you would expect during a genocide. A peer-reviewed study in the prestigious and unbiased medical journal The Lancet, for instance, has estimated that 59.1% of deaths between October 2023 and June 2024 were women, children, and the elderly. Other equally reputable organizations have even estimated around 90% of civilian casualties in Gaza. Keep in mind that the above is deliberately restricted to minimum estimates. As The Lancet has also shown, the real death toll in Gaza is likely to be far higher. Let's also not even dwell here on 'details,' such as that Gaza now has the highest concentration of child amputees in the world. For even the bare figures cited suffice to gain a sense of proportion and perspective: Gaza, before the Israeli mass murder attack had a total population of between 2.2 and 2.4 million. Ukraine's total population on the eve of the large-scale escalation of February 2022 was just over 41 million, according to Ukrainian official sources. And now compare the numbers of civilian casualties and the total populations. It is obvious: If Vladimir Zelensky is looking for a state that uses methods – if that is the word – of Nazi warfare, then that would be Israel, not Russia. But he cannot say that because Israel is aligned with the US and the West, just like his own regime. Figures can help expose blatant lies, especially when they are as stunningly unambiguous as in this case. But the quantitative isn't everything, obviously. What about what social scientists and historians – such as me – call the qualitative dimension? In other words, what about what makes people tick? In that regard, the West's proxy war against Russia and via Ukraine has seen one of the most successful operations of political whitewashing in recent memory. Before Kiev, first under Zelensky's predecessor Petro Poroshenko and then under Zelensky himself, turned Ukraine into a Western tool and battering ram against Russia, at least some Western experts and even mainstream media were well aware that Ukraine had a rapidly growing, increasingly powerful, and extremely subversive (domestically and internationally) far-right movement. As of 2014, even the BBC was still admitting that Ukrainian media and politicians were deliberately 'underplaying' the potency and significance of their far-right. But then, as if on command, Western mainstream media united to belittle this malevolent force, pretending that it was either hardly there (and any impressions to the contrary were, of course, 'Russian disinformation'), really harmless (a handful of misunderstood 'patriots' with a few tattoos that look Nazi but are really just Tolkien), or on the mend, undergoing a steady and, of course, totally honest conversion to mainstream politics. What happened in reality was that instead of adjusting to the Western 'value' mainstream or Center – wherever that supposedly might be – the Ukrainian far right succeeded in making that mainstream adjust to its will. Probably because real-existing Western 'values' have a genuine affinity to fascism anyhow. Now with the West's war going badly, as even Western media have to recognize, even French paper of record Le Monde – as russophobic and rarara-proxy war as its worst peers in the US – has noticed that far-right, indeed strictly Neo-Nazi tendencies – polite expression – are alive and kicking in key units of Ukraine's armed forces. Dear colleagues from France: Congratulations! And you should see the politics. Since the West and Ukraine are losing the war, expect more of such shocked re-discoveries of what every objective observers has known for a long time: In the Ukraine War, the home of men and women who genuinely enjoy displaying Nazi symbols – from the swastika to the Wolfsangel to the sun wheel – is in Ukraine. That does not mean that the majority of Ukrainians side with them. But their regime and its controlled media do. The same regime and media droning on about Russia and Nazis. As they – rightly – say about Israel, so about the Zelensky regime: Every accusation is a confession.
Time of India
22-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
US bombing of Iran has an unlikely Nazi Germany link; Hitler invaded USSR on June 22, Trump's forces attack on same date 84 years later
The United States military struck three nuclear sites in Iran early Sunday, June 22, 2025, inserting itself into Israel's effort to decapitate Iran's nuclear program. President Donald Trump announced the 'obliteration' of Iranian nuclear facilities a few hours after US B-2 stealth bombers and submarines sent their deadly GBU-57s and Tomahawks flying towards the intended targets. The US strikes came as Russia observed Nazi Germany's surprise attacks on the Soviet Union on the same day back in 1941. Despite the different circumstances, there is an unexpected link in the two incidents. The similarity can be drawn in terms of the intention and purpose behind the two attacks. In 1941, when Nazi Germany unleashed an unprovoked attack on the Soviet Union along with its European Axis allies under Operation Barbarossa , it expected to capture and weaken the Joseph Stalin ruled country. As far as the US's involvement in the Middle East crisis is concerned, it's because Washington wants to weaken Tehran and prevent it from joining the list of countries with nukes in their arsenal and protect its ally Israel. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Why Seniors Are Snapping Up This TV Box, We Explain! Techno Mag Learn More Undo German dictator Adolf Hitler's attack on the Soviet Union with the hope of a quick victory had massive consequences, as it further escalated the ongoing World War II, which began in 1939. Following the onslaught, the war entered Eastern Europe, turning it into the bloodiest battlefield of the war. Hitler's unprovoked attack on the Soviet Union intensified what Moscow calls 'the bloodiest and most brutal, devastating and terrible war.' It lasted over 1400 days and claimed the lives of some 27 million Soviet citizens. A large number of people were also killed on the opposite side as well. Live Events Now, with Washington joining Israel in its conflict with Iran over nukes, the magnitude of the consequences remains to be seen. The experts, however, have hinted towards the further escalation of the conflict. Russia has also questioned Trump's decision to attack Tehran. President Vladimir Putin's close aide, Deputy Chairman of Russia's Security Council Dmitry Medvedev, has claimed that with Washington's actions against Iran, Trump has started a new war for the US. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said he'll travel to Moscow later on Sunday, June 22, 2025, to meet with President Putin. The strikes from Washington came more than a week after strikes by Israel on Iran that have moved to systematically eradicate the country's air defenses and offensive missile capabilities while damaging its nuclear enrichment facilities. As the Middle East continues to remain on the edge amid the Israel and Iran conflict, the anticipation of Tehran's response to the US's surprise attack will keep the pot boiling.
Boston Globe
22-06-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Today in History: June 22, Joe Louis knocks out Max Schmeling
In 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte abdicated for a second time as Emperor of the French. In 1938, in a rematch that bore the weight of both geopolitical symbolism and African American representation, American Joe Louis knocked out German Max Schmeling in just two minutes and four seconds to retain his heavyweight boxing title in front of 70,000 spectators at New York's Yankee Stadium. 1941, Nazi Germany launched Operation Barbarossa, a massive and ultimately ill-fated invasion of the Soviet Union that would prove pivotal to the Allied victory over the Axis Powers. In 1944, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, more popularly known as the 'GI Bill of Rights,' which provided tuition coverage, unemployment support, and low-interest home and business loans to returning veterans. Advertisement In 1945, the World War II Battle of Okinawa ended with an Allied victory. In 1970, President Richard Nixon signed an extension of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that lowered the minimum voting age to 18. In 1977, John N. Mitchell became the first former US Attorney General to go to prison as he began serving a sentence for his role in the Watergate cover-up. In 1981, Mark David Chapman pleaded guilty to killing rock star and former Beatle John Lennon. In 1986, Argentine soccer player Diego Maradona scored the infamous 'Hand of God' goal in the quarterfinals of the FIFA World Cup against England, giving Argentina a 1-0 lead. (Maradona would follow minutes later with a remarkable individual effort that become known as the 'Goal of the Century,' and Argentina won 2-1.) In 1992, the US Supreme Court, in R.A.V. v. City of St. Paul, unanimously ruled that 'hate crime' laws that banned cross burning and similar expressions of racial bias violated free-speech rights. In 2011, after evading arrest for 16 years, mob boss James 'Whitey' Bulger was captured in Santa Monica, Calif. In 2012, former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky was convicted by a jury in Bellefonte, Pa., on 45 counts of sexually assaulting 10 boys over 15 years. (Sandusky would later be sentenced to 30 to 60 years in prison.)
