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Concerning Admission: Biden Admits Russia ‘Will Be Able to Prevail Over Time’ if It Invades Ukraine

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President Biden blundered during his White House news conference Wednesday by saying that Russia’s military “will be able to prevail over time” if it launches an invasion of Ukraine — moments after suggesting that a “minor incursion” by Moscow on Kiev’s territory may see a less severe response from Washington and its NATO allies.

Biden began by vowing that “Russia will be held accountable” if it launches an attack against Ukraine, but then hedged by saying: “It depends on what it does.”

“It’s one thing if it’s a minor incursion, and then we end up having a fight about what to do and what not do, etc.,” the president went on. “But if they actually do what they’re capable of doing with the force they’ve massed on the border, it is going to be a disaster for Russia.”

“I’ve already shipped over $600 million worth of sophisticated equipment, defensive equipment to the Ukrainians,” Biden said moments later. “The cost of going into Ukraine in terms of the physical loss of life for the Russians — and they’ll, they’ll be able to prevail over time, but it’s going to be heavy. It’s going to be real. It’s going to be consequential.” (Read more from “Concerning Admission: Biden Admits Russia ‘Will Be Able to Prevail Over Time’ if It Invades Ukraine” HERE)

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Putin Is Russia’s Sexiest Man, Russian Poll Finds

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. . .When asked who the most handsome man in their country was, 18% of Russia’s men and 17% of its women allegedly thought of their bare-breasted, horseback-riding, scandal-immune leader, Vladimir Putin.

The highly suspect and mildly terrifying poll by job board site Superjob.ru surveyed 2,000 Russians and determined that the 68-year-old bachelor is the sexiest man in the country, the Moscow Times reported. . .

And coincidentally, the “open-ended” survey, which was conducted in person, was published after Putin was granted permission by lawmakers to run for president until 2036.

No word yet on what happened to the 82% of men and 83% of women who didn’t vote for Putin in the poll. However, it should be noted that 19% of men named themselves as Russia’s most handsome man. And 18% of women said there does not exist a single handsome man in all the land, according to the Times. (Read more from “Putin Is Russia’s Sexiest Man, Russian Poll Finds” HERE)

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Biden Says Putin Is “a Killer,” “Has No Soul,” and “Will Pay the Price” ; Putin to Biden After ‘Killer’ Comments: ‘It Takes One to Know One’

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By New York Post. Biden made the comments about Putin during an interview on ABC’s “Good Morning America” following the release of a declassified report from the Director of National Intelligence that claimed the Kremlin interfered in the presidential election.

“He will pay a price. We had a long talk, he and I, I know him relatively well,” Biden said. “And the conversation started off, I said, ‘I know you and you know me. If I establish this occurred, then be prepared.’ ”

“Look, the most important thing dealing with foreign leaders in my experience — and I’ve dealt with an awful lot in my career — is just know the other guy.”

Asked if he thinks Putin is “a killer,” Biden responded, “I do.” . . .

Biden said he told the Russian leader, “I said, ‘I looked through your eyes, and I don’t think you have a soul,’ ” the president told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos — and Putin looked back and replied, “We understand each other.” (Read more from “Biden Says Putin Is “a Killer,” “Has No Soul,” and “Will Pay the Price” HERE)

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Putin to Biden After ‘Killer’ Comments: ‘It Takes One to Know One’

By New York Post. Russian President Vladimir Putin said “it takes one to know one” and wished President Biden “good health” after Biden referred to his Russian counterpart as a “killer.”

Putin’s comments, which aired on Russian state TV, come as the Kremlin demanded that Biden apologize for his “killer” remark and Moscow recalled its ambassador to Washington, DC, in retaliation.

In an interview on ABC Wednesday, anchor George Stephanopoulos asked Biden if he believes Putin is a “killer.”

Biden responded: “I do.”

“I remember in my childhood, when we argued in the courtyard, we used to say: It takes one to know one. And that’s not a coincidence, not just a children’s saying or joke,” Putin said. “We always see our own traits in other people and think they are like how we really are. And as a result, we assess (a person’s) activities and give assessments.” (Read more from “Putin to Biden After ‘Killer’ Comments: ‘It Takes One to Know One'” HERE)

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Putin Associate Found Dead in DC Hotel

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A prominent Russian millionaire with high-level ties to the Kremlin has been found dead inside a Washington hotel, a Russian official and a senior U.S. official told ABC News.

Mikhail Lesin, the former head of media affairs for the Russian government who’s been accused of curtailing the country’s press freedoms, had been staying at Hotel Dupont when he was found Thursday, according to officials.

It’s unclear why the long-time adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin was in Washington, but the Metropolitan Police Department is now investigating his death. On Thursday, U.S. authorities notified the Russian embassy in Washington that one of its citizens had died, and Russian officials are now working with American authorities to determine the circumstances of the death, the embassy told ABC News in a statement. (Read more from “Putin Associate Found Dead in DC Hotel” HERE)

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While Russian Anti-American Sentiment Grows to Highest Level Since Cold War, Putin Says War in Ukraine Would be “Apocalyptic”

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War Over Ukraine Would be “Apocalyptic”

By Adam Withnall. The Russian President Vladimir Putin has described war with Ukraine as an “apocalyptic scenario” in his first comments since the signing of a shaky peace agreement in Minsk.

With a ceasefire struggling to take hold and neither the Ukrainian government nor rebels withdrawing heavy weapons from the frontline as promised, Mr Putin gave a confident interview on Russian TV.

Asked if the situation in eastern Ukraine and renewed calls for Russia to return the annexed territory of Crimea meant we could “wake up one day to discover a war has started”, Mr Putin said: “I think that such an apocalyptic scenario is unlikely and I hope this will never happen.”

Foreign ministers from Russia and Ukraine are to meet with those from France and Germany in Paris on Tuesday to discuss how the deal set out on 12 February is progressing. (Read more about what President Putin said about the war in Ukraine HERE)

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Moscow Times: Anti-American Sentiment Reaches 25-Year High in Russia

By Peter Spinella. Russians are more anti-American than they have been at any point in the past 25 years, according to a recent opinion poll.

More than 80 percent of Russians view the United States negatively, the exact inverse of how the public felt in 1992, respected independent pollster the Levada Center said in a statement.

More than 70 percent currently have a negative opinion of the European Union, according to the poll, which was conducted between Jan. 23 and 26.

Russia’s political relations with the West sank to post-Cold War lows last year as Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula from neighboring Ukraine, and Russia and the West faced off in a series of tit-for-tat sanctions.

Now, with the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine heating up and U.S. lawmakers renewing a push to supply weapons to the Ukrainian military, popular opinion of the West is not likely to improve anytime soon in Russia. (Read more from this story HERE)

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Report: Crime, Anti-American Harassment in Russia Grows

By Bill Gertz. Anti-American sentiment and criminal activities have increased in Moscow since Russian forces took over Ukraine’s Crimea and continue to destabilize eastern Ukraine, a recent State Department security report reveals.

Security threats in Moscow and Russia include petty crime, physical attacks, activities by organized crime groups, corrupt law enforcement and security officials, widespread cyber crime, and economic espionage, according to the Feb. 6 report produced by the Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC), a State Department group that supports American businesses abroad.


“The social and political unrest in Ukraine has led to increasing political tensions between the Russian Federation and the U.S. and other Western nations,” the report, based on reports from the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, said. “As a result, anti-American and anti-Western sentiment appears to be increasing, especially in certain media outlets” . . .

The report said U.S.-Russia ties were “greatly strained” after Moscow’s actions in Ukraine.

Embassy reports indicate a number of Americans were verbally harassed and physically assaulted in the last part of 2014 . . . (Read more from this story HERE)

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Why Do Libertarians Support Putin Given His Catastrophic Corruption?

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Photo Credit: American Conservative Over 100,000 entrepreneurs and small business owners are in prison in Russia for not paying bribes to assorted inspectors or because parties to business disputes bribe police to arrest them on trumped-up charges. Russia’s private sector has very little security in law for its property rights. Almost everybody dragged before any court is found guilty. The consequences are minimal re-investment, low productivity growth, and owners who seek security by taking out maximum cash and, if able, stashing it abroad.

Consequently, Russia depends upon imports for 90 percent of its consumer goods. Its agriculture is still a shambles, with no secure property rights, lousy roads to get products to markets, and younger farm workers fleeing the boredom and poverty of the countryside. Just fly over any Russian city, as I have done, and see how little of the land is cultivated compared to cities in the rest of Europe.

Yet many leading libertarians have been very soft on Putin’s elimination of political freedoms and ruination of his country, excusing Russia because of NATO expansion and Western support for the overthrow of Ukraine’s Moscow-backed Yanukovych government. Some conservatives have even argued that Putin is an ally in supporting traditional “family values” because of his public opposition to homosexuality and gay marriage.

Ron Paul defends Putin, writing that there was no proof that Russian missiles shot down Malaysia’s Flight 17 over Ukraine. His allies argue that criticism or exposure of Putin’s regime merely strengthens the War Party in Washington, helping it to gain more spending and bring about more wars against more nations. They argue that it was NATO expansion and NATO’s attack on Serbia launched by Bill Clinton that ultimately led to the reactions and new aggressiveness of Russia. This is an argument I once appreciated, but it’s not a reason to whitewash today’s Russian dictatorship and incredible corruption. (Read more about why this author believes Libertarians support Putin HERE)

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The Duopoly Just Put Taxpayers on the Hook for Trillions in Oil Derivatives

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bankers-what-now-249By Ellen Brown. The sudden dramatic collapse in the price of oil appears to be an act of geopolitical warfare against Russia. The result could be trillions of dollars in oil derivatives losses; and the FDIC could be liable, following repeal of key portions of the Dodd-Frank Act last weekend. . .

[T]he shocking $50 drop in the price of oil was not due merely to the forces of supply and demand, which are predictable and can be hedged against. According to an article by Larry Elliott in the UK Guardian titled “Stakes Are High as US Plays the Oil Card Against Iran and Russia,” the unanticipated drop was an act of geopolitical warfare administered by the Saudis. . .

If the plan was to break the ruble, it worked. The ruble has dropped by more than 60 percent against the dollar since January. But it came at a cost: not only are U.S. oil producers hurt, but the derivatives banks will get killed if oil prices don’t go back up soon.

At least they would have been killed before the bailout ban was lifted. Now, it seems, that burden could fall on depositors and taxpayers [since the FDIC will now cover derivative losses due to the repeal of parts of Dodd-Frank last weekend]. Did the Obama administration make a deal with the big derivatives banks to save them from Kerry’s clandestine economic warfare at taxpayer expense?

Whatever happened behind closed doors, we the people could again be stuck with the tab. We will continue to be at the mercy of the biggest banks until depository banking is separated from speculative investment banking. Reinstating the Glass-Steagall Act is supported not only by Elizabeth Warren and others on the left but by prominent voices such as David Stockman’s on the right. (Read more from this story HERE)

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Vladimir PutinRussian Economy Shrinking

By Nataliya Vasilyeva. MOSCOW (AP) — The Russian currency extended its losses on Monday after a report showed the economy has started shrinking in annual terms for the first time since 2009 as the country is buffeted by falling oil prices and Western sanctions.

Meanwhile, the government, which has been scrambling to support the ruble and the economy, announced fresh steps to keep the banks afloat.

The ruble has been one of the world’s worst performing currencies this year and was down another 5 percent on Monday, trading at 56 rubles per dollar in early afternoon in Moscow, wiping off some of the gains it made last week.

The fall came as the Economic Development Ministry issued a report showing the economy shrank by 0.5 percent in November compared with a year earlier. The ministry attributed the year-on-year decline in the economy, Russia’s first in five years, to a sharp drop in manufacturing and investment. (Read more from this story HERE)

Putin: We're Stronger Than Everybody

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Photo Credit: Yahoo

Photo Credit: Yahoo

Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his belief that Russia is the strongest nation, which will lead to — in his eyes — a positive end in Crimea, according to an interview with the state-owned TASS news agency.

During the interview, Putin stated that everything will “end well” in Crimea because “it’s just that we’re stronger [than] everybody.”

“We’re stronger,” he said, “because we’re right. When the Russian feels that he’s right, he’s unstoppable. I’m saying this sincerely, not just to pontificate,” he added.

Right now, there is an ongoing conflict in the southern and eastern parts of Ukraine — areas that have had predominantly ethnic Russian populations since the days of the Soviet Union.

Back in March 2014, Russia annexed Crimea , which was previously a part of Ukraine. Since then, there has been conflict between the pro-Russian separatists and the Ukrainian government — most notably in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions.

Read more from this story HERE.

In Emotional Speech, Putin Says Russia Will Not Tolerate U.S. Domination

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Photo Credit: AP / RIA-Novosti, Mikhail Klimentyev, Presidential Press ServicePresident Vladimir Putin of Russia said Friday that the world is becoming an increasingly dangerous place because of U.S. attempts to enforce its will on other countries and that his nation will not comply.

In an emotional speech before international political experts, Putin unleashed scathing criticism of the United States for what he called its disregard of international law and unilateral use of force.

If the United State fails to abandon its “desire of eternal domination,” then “hopes for peaceful and stable development will be illusory, and today’s upheavals will herald the collapse of global world order,” Putin said during a meeting that lasted about three hours in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.

His voice strained with anger, Putin accused the U.S. and its allies of trying to “tailor the world exclusively to their needs” since the end of the Cold War, using economic pressure and military force and often supporting extremist groups to achieve their goals.

He cited the wars in Iraq, Libya and Syria as examples of flawed moves that have led to chaos and left Washington and its allies “fighting against the results of their own policy.”

Read more from this story HERE.

Russian Official Burns Obama with Putin-Leopard Pic

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It’s come to this.

Russia is turning to Twitter to drop a sissy bomb on President Obama, using photos to challenge the manliness of America’s commander in chief, while pumping up their main man, President Vladimir Putin.

The post by Russia’s deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin included side-by-side images of the two presidents. In one, Putin is confidently holding a majestic leopard. In the other, a notably younger Obama is holding a small, fluffy dog.

The caption: “We have different values and allies.”

Burn.

Read more from this story HERE.