the Russian are fighting alongside and in support of their allies, they've earned respect from both friend and foe, hence the neverending pilgrimages to Moscow by Israel, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.

In any case, the overhead on the US projection of power is so overwhelming that it's bankrupting America. The last gasp of empire come when it employs mercenaries rather than patriotic sons. The US is long into the circular cycle down of paying for fealty and feats of arms, instead of inspiring them.

Sad, really, to see so much money ill-spent while whole states go without highway maintenance, major cities like Detroit rot into the ground, university students face life crippling debts and the sick go without treatment or lose their houses. America could have done so much morestop now". In gratitude, it appears a false flag attack on the Charlie Hebdo was orchestrated (part of the new Operation Gladio). Its close proximity after the French vote in favour of Palestinian statehood on the UN Security Council is more than suspicious. To follow cui buono reasoning, that attack would have been a CIA/Mossad joint operation.

On the German side, Chancellor Merkel has said weapons must not be shipped to Ukraine and German foreign minister has spoken out against sanctions repeatedly. Greece, Hungary, Austria and Czech Republic are all against further sanctions and even continuing the current sanctions (only just strong-armed into agreeing to continue the current ones).

I'm physically located in Central Europe. Despite the incessant war mongering of the international (read American/Anglo) media and their local agents,