Trouble Ahead For Brits
Disturbing news out today. The UK could be headed for major trouble with Russia, and they’re unlikely to get much help from Trump. Why would he help the people who’ve been conspiring against him with the Deep State for the last ten years? What’s really disturbing is the extent to which Brits are living in a fantasy world. PP blames it on the pervasive UK Deep State control of media and propaganda:
Philip Pilkington @philippilk
The relentless crude war propaganda has sent Britain into a suicidal tailspin. People really drank the Kool Aid. Dissent was weeded out at every level. Now, the deluge.
Still, it remains very difficult to explain polling results like these—with even Nige siding against his own supporters:
The majority of people in Britain say that it's more important for the UK to support Zelensky than it is to maintain good relations with the United States. It's the same all across the board, with even Nigel Farage taking the same position as the establishment.
Well, have it your own way, of course. Nobody’s required to maintain good relations with the US, and the US over the decades since WW2 has certainly provided plenty of reasons that would lead other countries to seek to maintain a healthy distance. On the other hand, how did it ever become important to so many Brits that the UK government should “support Ukraine”? And remains important? To the point that there’s fantasy blather about Britain somehow going it alone, but not really, or something like that. This is pretty crazy stuff, considering the UK’s miniscule military:
Saddest article I’ve read this week. The title makes you think that Europe is going to declare war on America but the content is just whining and vague hopes the bad man will go away. When did Europe become such a loser continent?
7am on Fantasy Island and some crackpot on the radio is saying an invasion of Taiwan is imminent because of the Ukraine peace talks and Britain must go to war with China so that British industry has access to semiconductors. Britain has become a surreal country. Sad.
All of this would be simply baffling except that the Brits continue to take serious steps that could backfire in a major way. For example, MoA has a very interesting article today on the British role in the sea war on Russia, which is to say, the continuing sea war on Russia.
By Drones, Mines And Missiles - The British Naval War Against Russia In Ukraine
It seems like it was only, um, last year that the claim was being made that the Black Sea had been swept free of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. We haven’t been hearing too much about that for some time, and MoA explains how the Russians countered the British sea war—by locating the operators and killing them. MoA begins with this bit of context:
Since at least 2014 The United Kingdom has been a major participant in NATO's proxy war against Russia. During the hot phase of the war it has directed a drone and missile campaign in the Black Sea. It is likely responsible for current attacks against Russia related sea transport. It is developing new naval drones for further assaults on Russia.
Britain had initiated and run massive public relation campaigns blaming Russia for various outrages which, in fact, never had happened. Consider the Skripal Affair, the MI6's Steele dossier used to launch Russiagate and other operations launched through the anti-Russian Integrity Initiative run by the UK government's Institute of Statecraft.
It was the Brits who, during the war in Ukraine, directed the Black Sea Attack Network (BSAN) to push the Russian fleet out of Sevastopol in Crimea. British Storm Shadow missile were fired against various ships. Directed by British signal intelligence seagoing drones, made in Britain, attacked Russian transports as well as the Kerch Bridge.
One would think that, what with recent events between the US and Russia, the Brits would be reconsidering their position. The Scandis, too, who not too long ago were jubilantly declaring the Baltic a “NATO lake”. But no.
There is however a new maritime campaign under way against all ships, not only Russian ones, which have recently visited Russian ports:
A spate of blasts recorded across the Mediterranean on tankers that have recently called at Russian ports has security analysts concerned about a new form of attack targeting merchant shipping.
Two Thenamaris aframax tankers – the Seajewel and the Seacharm – have both reported explosions onboard in the past month in the Mediterranean, while the Grace Ferrum product tanker has also been badly hit off Libya, all suffering similar damage – holes in hulls below the waterline, leading to some security analysts to suggest the vessels were targeted with limpet mines.
In late December, the Russian Ursa Major general cargo ship sank in the Mediterranean between Spain and Algeria after an explosion.
Away from the Mediterranean, the Turkish-owned Koala tanker, laden with 130,000 tonnes of heavy fuel oil, was about to set off from the Russian port of Ust-Luga when three explosions ripped through the rear of the ship on February 9, forcing the crew to evacuate.
Could it be that the spate of undersea disruptions of “critical infrastructure” in the Baltic Sea a Russian response? To indicate to the Scandis that stupid games have consequences?
Another Undersea Fiber Optic Cable Damaged In Baltic Sea As Incidents Pile Up
At any rate, MoA argues that the recent attacks on Russia linked shipping are likely the work of the Brits working in concert with Ukrainians. And, incredibly, it could get worse—the Brits are making no bones about it:
More naval warfare will be coming as a new British sea-drone campaign is about to commence:
New British naval drones in testing for Ukraine, ukdj, Feb 6 2025
The Ministry of Defence is putting two newly developed uncrewed maritime systems—Snapper and Wasp—through final testing.
During a Written Question session on 30 January 2025, Luke Akehurst (Labour – North Durham) asked about progress on both systems, referencing remarks from the Defence Secretary’s speech at the ADS Annual Dinner on 28 January 2025.
In response, Maria Eagle, Minister of State at the Ministry of Defence, stated that both Snapper and Wasp are “new uncrewed maritime system[s], which [have] been rapidly developed specifically to support Ukraine.” She added that “The system is currently undergoing final testing and further details will be set out in due course.”
A third British sea-drone system is still under development:
Recently, we reported that the Ministry of Defence (MOD) had announced a Project COOKSON Challenge Session back in January. The event invited industry partners from NATO, Ukraine, and Five-Eyes countries to help shape the development of a versatile, fast, and low-observable maritime system designed for operations in Ukraine and beyond.
...
The MOD described the system as follows:"A COOKSON system consists of a small, fast, vessel with low observability, with >2 one-way effectors mounted on it, including relevant launch system and support equipment. A COOKSON system should be able to travel to Ukraine via Ground Lines of Communication (GLOC) [and] must fit onto a 40 foot flatbed, ideally a 20 foot flatbed.”
The Snapper and Wasp sea-going drones may appear in the Black Sea within the next few months. Cookson systems will still take a year to be ready for action.
From their work against the first wave of Black Sea drones the Russian naval forces have learned that it is more efficient to destroy the network behind a series of attacks than to defend against each of them.
One wonders how deeply the British Ministry of Defense has thought about that.
How to explain this degree of madness? All I can offer is that it may be part of some mad and desperate attempt to provoke a Russian reaction that might somehow force Trump to call off peace. My advice to these people is not to hold their breath on that one. Trump, I believe, is determined to put an end to our pointless wars.
The extent of the looming financial crisis in England cannot be overstated. The Bank of England is the primary guarantor of enormous loans made to Ukraine ostensibly as payment for mineral rights and those agreements are the underlying collateral supporting these loans. Once Russia asserts full control over the Donbass, that collateral becomes worthless and the Bank of England becomes insolvent. And that is no trivial matter. Very. hard times are in store for British citizens in the near future, and that fate cannot be postponed by a few naval drones.
I think this situation absolutely requires a really futile and stupid gesture be done on somebody's part. We're just the guys to do it... LET'S DO IT!
-British Ministry of Defense
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Britain always has been, is now, and will be our eternal enemy. At least until such time as their arrogant, despicably dank island sinks into the abyss of the sea from a wave triggered by a cutting-edge Russian weapons system
Russia's Dmitry Medvedev, 2023
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FAFO at the nation state level.