Update: 2/24/22 @ 10:49 AM — Live Feed In Ukrainian, Putin Declares the Start of a “Special Military Operation” to Protect Donbass — Putin’s “Shock & Awe” War On Ukraine

In Ukraine, Putin Launches a “Special Military Operation,” Which Kiev Refers to as a “Full-Scale Invasion”

This bloodshed and suffering might have been prevented if the Obama, Biden administration and NATO had simply accepted Russia's valid security concerns about Ukraine joining NATO, which would put US/NATO military directly on Russia's border.

Live Feed From Ukrainian

Putin's "Shock & Awe" War On Ukraine

Many hours into Russia's offensive, which began about 5 a.m. Kiev time, it's become evident that a full-scale'shock and awe' invasion is underway - and it's not only in Donbas. Stunning footage from the ground depicts what appears to be a continuing air war over Kiev and other towns around the country. Tanks have also been observed driving across the Ukraine-Belarus border, with allegations that Belarusian soldiers are assisting Russian forces in the invasion.

Within a few hours of the attack, Russia's military stated that all of Ukraine's air defense systems had been destroyed. Over much of the nation, a significant Russian aircraft presence, including fighter jets and helicopters, has been reported.

Soon after the initial onslaught, which included cruise missile strikes presumably launched by Russia's Black Sea fleet, Kiev officials claimed that "hundreds" of Ukrainians, including civilians, had been killed.

Much of Ukraine's command and control military infrastructure is thought to have been targeted and struck during the initial wave, as did Ukraine border guards, with reports of soldiers fleeing the Russian assault. Any Ukrainian soldier who surrenders his arms will be granted safe passage by Moscow.

A Ukrainian military jet was also shot down, killing five persons, according to Ukraine's official emergency agency. Surreal combat imagery continues to demonstrate the brutality of an ongoing air conflict.

Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesperson, commented on the extent and intent of the military protests on Thursday, noting Putin's goal of "demilitarization and denazification" of Ukraine.

"Ideally, Ukraine should be freed, free of Nazis, pro-Nazi individuals, and ideology," Peskov said, adding that operations would finish only when these goals were met. It is uncertain if this will result in a change of government in Kiev, though that scenario appears to be more than plausible at this moment. Early reports suggested that President Zelensky had been promised safe passage out of Ukraine.

According to Ukraine's national police and emergency services, combat has erupted across the country, with Russia carrying out over 200 strikes and intense skirmishes continuing in several sections of the country.

President Biden has promised fresh penalties that would be tough and far-reaching, which he says will be unveiled in a speech on Thursday. Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor, and other Western officials denounced what they called President Putin's "reckless act" and a "sad day for Ukraine and a tragic day for Europe."

At a news conference in Berlin, Scholz stated, "There is no justification for any of this — this is Putin's war."

The massive Russian operation is already being dubbed Putin's "shock and awe" battle in the heart of Eastern Europe, a reference to America's Iraq War. According to Bloomberg and others, this is Europe's biggest security problem since WWII.

Satan Soldier Biden's foreign policy and liberal energy policies have disgraced our country. ' One narrative sums up Biden's failure in these areas: the tale of two pipelines.

The Keystone XL Pipeline was halted because of Biden's opposition, sending a message to the rest of the world that American energy independence is no longer a priority. Russia's energy dominance in Europe was further strengthened by his approval of the Nord Stream 2 project. And he handed Russia the leverage it needed to start the conflict in Ukraine that we are currently experiencing. Let's start with Biden's failed policy on the Nord Stream 2 project.

On Ukraine, Energy, and Europe, Russia is playing a long game.

As recently as last year, going tough on Russia seemed to unify conservatives and liberals on one topic. Members of Congress who worked on the House Armed Services Committee were unanimous in their assessment of Russia's danger. Russia's business developing the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which would supply natural gas from Russia to Germany, was sanctioned by Congress in 2019. Sanctions were enthusiastically endorsed by Democratic Party leaders and the Trump administration alike.

 

"High-precision means of destruction are being used to put out of service military infrastructure, air defense sites, military airfields, and aircraft of the Armed Forces of Ukraine," according to the Russian Ministry of Defense.

THE RUSSIAN DEFENCE MINISTRY IS ATTACKING UKRAINE'S MILITARY INFRASTRUCTURE WITH HIGH-PRECISION WEAPONS, RIA REPORTS.
RUSSIA SAYS IT IS GOING AFTER UKRAINE'S ANTI-AIRCRAFT DEFENSE SYSTEMS: IFX
RUSSIA ATTACKS UKRAINE'S MILITARY WITH HIGH PRECISION STRIKES: IFX ZELENSKIY: UKRAINE IS IMPOSING MARTIAL LAW ACROSS THE COUNTRY: ZELENSKIY RUSSIAN DEFMIN: THERE IS NO THREAT TO THE UKRAINE POPULATION: TASS
RUSSIA CARRIED OUT MISSILE STRIKES ON OUR INFRASTRUCTURE AND BORDER GUARDS, THE UKRAINE PRESIDENT SAYS.
REBELS BACKED BY THE RUSSIANS SAY THEY WILL ATTACK A UKRAINE-CONTROLLED TOWN NEAR LUHANSK - IFAX

Ukraine is asking the following measures to be taken:

According to reports, the Russians have taken control of an air base and/or airfield near Kiev, potentially with the goal of destroying command and control facilities supporting the Donbas operations.

AIRSTRIKES ON UKRAINIAN MILITARY COMPONENTS AND COMMUNICATION CENTERS NEAR KYIV, UKRAINE TO IMPOSE MARTIAL LAW - TOP SECURITY OFFICIAL, AS LOCAL MEDIA REPORTS
INTERIOR MINISTRY OF UKRAINE ADVISES CITIZENS TO HIDE IN SHELTERS INTERIOR MINISTRY OF UKRAINE ADVISES CITIZENS TO HIDE IN SHELTERS INTERIOR MINISTRY WARNS UKRAINE CAPITAL OF MISSILE ATTACK

Ukraine claims that Russia's operation has spread beyond the east, which Putin declared to be autonomous territory earlier. Russia appears to be destroying all major military command and control facilities across Ukraine, while concentrating ground forces and personnel in Donbas. Strikes outside the east appear to be aimed at eliminating airfields to prevent counterattack from the air. According to CNN, strikes have been reported in seven places around the country.

"Russia alone is responsible for the death and damage this strike will bring, and the United States and its Allies and allies will react...," the White House says.

In a late-night address, Biden added, "The world will hold Russia accountable." Biden goes on to say that he will address the problem tomorrow, threatening "more consequences":

President Biden makes a statement in response to Russia's unprovoked and unjustified attack on Ukraine.

The people of Ukraine are in the thoughts and prayers of the whole world tonight as they face an unprovoked and unlawful invasion by Russian armed troops. President Putin has chosen a deliberate conflict that will result in massive human misery and loss of life. The Unified States and its allies and partners will respond in a united and decisive manner to the death and damage that this assault will bring. Russia will be held accountable by the rest of the world.

This tonight, I'll be watching the situation from the White House, and my national security staff will provide me with regular updates. Tomorrow morning, I'll meet with my G7 counterparts before speaking to the American people to announce the further sanctions that the US and its allies and partners will impose on Russia for its reckless assault against Ukraine and world peace and security. We will also work with with NATO allies to guarantee a robust, coordinated reaction to any assault against the Alliance. Jill and I are praying for Ukraine's strong and proud people tonight.

According to CNN, Russian missiles targeted places in Kiev, according to Ukraine's Interior Ministry; however, this remains uncertain. There is speculation that Russia is aiming at Ukraine's military "command and control" facilities.

"We are not calling it a war, we are calling it a special military operation" in Donbas, Russia's envoy to the UN said the emergency Security Council meeting.

Meanwhile...

All commercial aviation traffic is prohibited from flying over Ukraine:

Update (10:00 p.m. ET): Putin addressed a statement in New York during an emergency session of the UN National Security Council, authorizing "a special operation in Donbas." Russian official media has confirmed the news as well. Putin stated, "I have declared a special military operation." According to Fox News, Russian military have entered Ukraine from Crimea.

Putin announced Russian military operations in Ukraine to 'demilitarize' the country." Furthermore, he argued, provocatively:

"We have decided to conduct a special military operation [...] to demilitarize and de-nazify Ukraine."

"The circumstances force us to act quickly and decisively. "Russia was solicited for help by the people's republics of Donbas," Putin remarked. "In this context, I have decided to execute a special military action in line with Article 51, Part 7 of the UN Charter, with the approval of the Federation Council, and in accordance with the friendship and mutual aid treaties with the DPR and LPR, adopted by the Federal Assembly." "Lay down your arms," he urged Ukrainians.

He also stated emphatically that Russia "had no intention of conquering Ukraine."

"President Vladimir Putin says Russia will begin a military operation in eastern Ukraine," the AP adds. "A few words for anyone who might be inclined to intervene," Putin said in his broadcast speech. Russia will retaliate promptly, and you will face repercussions unprecedented in your history."

The following information is making its way through the news wires:

RUSSIAN FORCES ENTERING UKRAINE FROM CRIMEA IN THE SOUTH -FOX NEWS PUTIN CALLS ON UKRAINIAN SOLDIERS TO IMMEDIATELY LAY DOWN THEIR WEAPONS AND RETURN HOME -TASS RUSSIA'S PUTIN SAYS IN CASE OF FOREIGN INTERFERENCE, RUSSIA WILL REACT IMMEDIATELY - TASS
PUTIN SAYS THAT THE CONSCIENCE "OF THE UKRAINAIN REGIME" WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY BLOODSHED - RIA NEWS AGENCY

CNN and other Western journalists claim to have heard explosions in Kiev, Ukraine's capital, with its live reporter donning a helmet and flak jacket before everything calmed down...

Updated at 8:26 p.m. ET: Russian aviation officials have ordered the closure of certain airspace above the Rostov area. The affected area is located just east of Russia's border with Ukraine. This is "in order to guarantee safety" for civil aviation aircraft, according to an official advisory.

In addition, according to a new Reuters story, airlines in the West have started receiving revised flight danger advisories for the region. "A war zone monitor recommended on Wednesday that airlines should halt flying over any portion of Ukraine because of the potential of an unexpected shootdown or a cyber assault targeting air traffic control amid tensions with Russia," the late Wednesday article states.

According to further information obtained from the aviation traffic monitor:

Safe Airspace, which was established after Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine in 2014 to provide airlines with safety and conflict zone information, has raised its danger rating to "do not fly."

"Regardless of Russian forces' actual moves into Ukraine, the degree of anxiety and uncertainty in Ukraine has reached an all-time high," Safe Airspace warned on its website. "This, in and of itself, poses a substantial threat to civil aviation."

According to new reports, international and European airlines have been handed "do not fly" orders for most of the region due to the possibility for unrest in Ukraine.

Furthermore, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had issued a caution about two weeks earlier, warning that a cross-border battle may erupt at any time, putting the skies above the region in jeopardy.

As the ground conflict in Donbas heats up, we might be hours away from witnessing Russian regular soldiers fight with the Ukrainian Army, after the presidents of the Donetsk and Luhansk separatist republics filed a formal request for rapid military assistance from Moscow late last night local time.

According to The Associated Press, after Kremlin officials acknowledged the letter, pro-Russia rebel commanders stated immediate military assistance is needed to oppose Ukrainian "aggression." According to the Associated Press, "Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the rebel commanders wrote to Russian President Vladimir Putin to inform him that Ukrainian military bombardment had resulted in civilian casualties and prompted many others to leave."
Denis Pushilin, the rebel Donetsk People's Republic's leader, via Reuters

It comes less than 24 hours after Putin's deployment of armed personnel overseas received formal approval from the Russian parliament. Latvia claimed it had evidence confirming the presence of Russian tanks, personnel, and armored vehicles in Donbas earlier on Wednesday.

The two eastern Ukraine republics' plea enhances the possibility of Russia's troops engaging in direct confrontation with Ukrainian soldiers. It's simpler to see things spiraling out of control and increasing to the point where conflict spills over into the war-torn Donbas area from there.

Ukraine has also sought an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, according to a statement sent by its foreign minister overnight.

Brief information based on breaking Interfax reporting were cited in Bloomberg:

• It's unclear what kind of aggression the separatist appeal alludes to. • Ukraine has consistently stated that it has no intentions to launch a military operation against the separatists.

Putin is extremely likely to pull the trigger on this, based on his long and bellicose speech that following the republics' independence recognition.

And there are some further troubling signals that things on the ground are poised to become much more chaotic...

In a statement, Ukrainian intelligence authorities said, "We publicly announce that Ukraine has not planned and does not intend any sabotage measures at this plant and contradict any charges in this respect."

All of this occurs at a time when key websites and banks in Ukraine are, in some circumstances, inaccessible as a result of a previously reported significant cyberattack.

developing...

"High-precision means of destruction are being used to put out of service military infrastructure, air defense sites, military airfields, and aircraft of the Armed Forces of Ukraine," according to the Russian Ministry of Defense.

This bloodshed and suffering might have been prevented if the Obama administration and NATO had simply accepted Russia's valid security concerns about Ukraine joining NATO, which would put US/NATO military directly on Russia's border.

Putin addressed a statement in New York during an emergency session of the United Nations National Security Council, authorizing "a special operation in Donbas." Russian official media has confirmed the news as well. Putin stated, "I have declared a special military operation." According to Fox News, Russian military have entered Ukraine from Crimea.

Putin announced Russian military operations in Ukraine to 'demilitarize' the country." Furthermore, he argued, provocatively:

"We have decided to conduct a special military operation [...] to demilitarize and denazification Ukraine."

"President Vladimir Putin says Russia will begin a military operation in eastern Ukraine," the AP adds. The following information is making its way through the news wires:

RUSSIAN FORCES ENTERING UKRAINE FROM CRIMEA IN THE SOUTH -FOX NEWS PUTIN CALLS ON UKRAINIAN SOLDIERS TO IMMEDIATELY LAY DOWN THEIR WEAPONS AND RETURN HOME -TASS RUSSIA'S PUTIN SAYS IN CASE OF FOREIGN INTERFERENCE, RUSSIA WILL REACT IMMEDIATELY - TASS
PUTIN SAYS THAT THE CONSCIENCE "OF THE UKRAINAIN REGIME" WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY BLOODSHED - RIA NEWS AGENCY

Updated at 8:26 p.m. ET: Russian aviation officials have ordered the closure of certain airspace above the Rostov area. The affected area is located just east of Russia's border with Ukraine. This is "in order to guarantee safety" for civil aviation aircraft, according to an official advisory.

In addition, according to a new Reuters story, airlines in the West have started receiving revised flight danger advisories for the region. "A war zone monitor recommended on Wednesday that airlines should halt flying over any portion of Ukraine because of the potential of an unexpected shootdown or a cyber assault targeting air traffic control amid tensions with Russia," the late Wednesday article states.

According to further information obtained from the aviation traffic monitor:

Safe Airspace, which was established after Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine in 2014 to provide airlines with safety and conflict zone information, has raised its danger rating to "do not fly."

"Regardless of Russian forces' actual moves into Ukraine, the degree of anxiety and uncertainty in Ukraine has reached an all-time high," Safe Airspace warned on its website. "This, in and of itself, poses a substantial threat to civil aviation."

According to new reports, international and European airlines have been handed "do not fly" orders for most of the region due to the possibility for unrest in Ukraine.

Furthermore, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had issued a caution about two weeks earlier, warning that a cross-border battle may erupt at any time, putting the skies above the region in jeopardy.

As the ground conflict in Donbas heats up, we might be hours away from witnessing Russian regular soldiers fight with the Ukrainian Army, after the presidents of the Donetsk and Luhansk separatist republics filed a formal request for rapid military assistance from Moscow late last night local time.

According to The Associated Press, after Kremlin officials acknowledged the letter, pro-Russia rebel commanders stated immediate military assistance is needed to oppose Ukrainian "aggression." According to the Associated Press, "Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the rebel commanders wrote to Russian President Vladimir Putin to inform him that Ukrainian military bombardment had resulted in civilian casualties and prompted many others to leave."
Denis Pushilin, the rebel Donetsk People's Republic's leader, via Reuters

It comes less than 24 hours after Putin's deployment of armed personnel overseas received formal approval from the Russian parliament. Latvia claimed it had evidence confirming the presence of Russian tanks, personnel, and armored vehicles in Donbas earlier on Wednesday.

The two eastern Ukraine republics' plea enhances the possibility of Russia's troops engaging in direct confrontation with Ukrainian soldiers. It's simpler to see things spiraling out of control and increasing to the point where conflict spills over into the war-torn Donbas area from there.

Ukraine has also sought an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, according to a statement sent by its foreign minister overnight.

Brief information based on breaking Interfax reporting were cited in Bloomberg:

• It's unclear what kind of aggression the separatist appeal alludes to. • Ukraine has consistently stated that it has no intentions to launch a military operation against the separatists.

Putin is extremely likely to pull the trigger on this, based on his long and bellicose speech that following the republics' independence recognition.

And there are some further troubling signals that things on the ground are poised to become much more chaotic...

In a statement, Ukrainian intelligence authorities said, "We publicly announce that Ukraine has not planned and does not intend any sabotage measures at this plant and contradict any charges in this respect."

All of this occurs at a time when key websites and banks in Ukraine are, in some circumstances, inaccessible as a result of a previously reported significant cyber-attack.

developing...

 

Biden and Harris have gotten themselves into a pickle. They appear and sound frightened.
Who would have predicted that putting a dementia patient in command of the country would lead to this?

Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby Holds an On-Camera Press Briefing

PRESS SECRETARY JOHN F. KIRBY: Alright, just a couple of things to start with everybody. As the President mentioned in his remarks yesterday, at his direction, Secretary Austin ordered the additional movement of some U.S. forces that are currently stationed in Europe to continue our support for NATO allies in the defense of the Eastern Flank. These forces, comprised of aviation element and some ground forces, will move within inside the European area of operations to NATO's Northeastern and Southeastern Flanks in the coming days and we expect them to be in place later this week.

They include an Infantry Battalion Task Force of approximately 800 personnel that’ll be moving from Italy to the Baltic region. It's a movement of up to eight F-35 Strike Fighters from Germany to several operating locations along the Eastern Flank. A Battalion of attack aviation, specifically 20 AH-64 helicopters from Germany, again to the Baltic region. And an Attack Aviation Task Force, which is 12 AH-64 helicopters will move from Greece to Poland.

The additional personnel are being repositioned to reassure our NATO Allies, deter any potential aggression against NATO member states, and train with host nation forces and of course they'll continue to report to General Tod Wolters, the Commander of U.S. European Command.

These moves are temporary I want to stress that. They're temporary in nature, and they are part of the more than 90,000 U.S. troops that are already in Europe that are both there on rotational as well as permanent orders. And of course, as you know, the U.S. maintains significant numbers of combat capable forces in Europe.

Relatedly, U.S. Army Europe and Africa will be kicking off Exercise Sabre Strike 22 later this month. The exercise will run through March with approximately 13,000 participants from 13 countries. Saber Strike has been held every two years since 2010. This is the next year for it. It is scheduled during the wintertime to help demonstrate the ability to operate in austere conditions.

The Army fifth core will provide command and control for the exercise. And conducting Saber Strike now, we believe, demonstrates that U.S. forces in Europe can simultaneously support ongoing operations and regularly scheduled training without any degradation in support to our NATO allies and partners.

Training Events like Saber Strike are planned well in advance, and this one was, and demonstrate that NATO allies and partners are stronger together and through training and interoperability exercises get stronger together.

Lastly, I think you may have seen that the Secretary did approve a couple of requests for National Guard support here in the capital region. He approved that request yesterday. Those requests came from the D.C. government, their Emergency Management Agency, as well as the U.S. Capitol Police. All told, among the two requests, it's about 700 guardsmen, personnel, and about 50 vehicles. They are designed for traffic support in anticipation of potential challenges to traffic here in the D.C. area surrounding some potential protest activity.

I want to stress again, that it's a relatively small number here, about 700, and they will be supporting traffic support needs. That's their goal. That's their mission.

And with that, we'll take questions. Lita.

Q: John, people are talking about this a potential invasion by Russia, of a large scale being imminent. Can you talk about what the U.S. has seen today that may be different than what it has seen in recent days?

Why this has become sort of now imminent? Have you seen Russian troops move into Luhansk and Donetsk? Have you seen them move into that Donbas region? And have you seen that move further into Ukraine beyond those two regions?

MR. KIRBY: OK. A lot there. On the Donetsk and Luhansk, as you've heard, administrative officials say before. We do believe that marks the beginning of an invasion. We certainly believe that additional Russian military forces are moving into that region, not beyond that region, that we have seen, but we can't confirm with any great specificity the numbers and what the formations are, what the capabilities are, but we certainly believe that that's happening.

As for your larger question, Lita, without speaking to specific timing. Because only Mr. Putin knows what the timing is here, what I would tell you is that we continue to see him form his capabilities in such a way that leads us to believe that we are potentially close to some sort of action. Again, what that action is going to be, and exactly on what timeline we can't be sure. But what we see is that Russian forces continue to assemble closer to the border and put themselves in an advanced stage of readiness to act, to conduct military action in Ukraine, again, at virtually any time now. We believe that they are ready. I'll just leave it at that. They're ready.

Jen?

Q: John, there are reports of a chemical plant in Crimea that's been evacuated. This is the kind of location that was described to us by Secretary Blinken as a possible staged provocation. Are you seeing reports of any sort of preparations either, for an attack on a chemical plant? Or what are you seeing?

MR. KIRBY: I don't have any specifics on that claim. But it is a piece of the kinds of ridiculous claims that we have seen the Russians make and in recent days of alleged provocations, or assaults and attacks, unprovoked, on their people. So again, no knowledge of this particular one.

But again, we've been seeing this over now, recent days, these claims of whether they're acts of terror, or acts of violence. Unprovoked showing of Russian forces or Russian separatists. All again, that is a piece of the playbook that we have seen the Russians use time and time again, I have no specific knowledge about this particular report.

But again, it fits perfectly into the Russian disinformation playbook.

Q: Did the U.S. government help protect the Ukrainian government from this denial-of-service attack -- the cyber-attack? Did you help them with preparations for how to rebut -- to get back online quickly after such an attack?

MR. KIRBY: So first, I don't think we're in a position to attribute the cyber disruptions that you're talking about. I assume you're talking about the various websites, the government websites, that were taken offline. What I would just tell you, broadly speaking, Jen, is that we have provided some cyber resilience training and assistance to Ukrainians.

And I won't go beyond that in terms of these specific attacks. Again, not in a position right now to attribute them to any one entity. I would just say that, again, this is a piece of a Russian playbook, which is to disrupt in cyberspace.

Let's see anybody else? Janne?

Q: Thank you, John. I have a quick question on the Ukraine and (inaudible) Korea. If Russia uses nuclear weapons to invade Ukraine, what would the U.S. do? Secondly, if Russia were to use nuclear weapons in this invasion, what would be the impact on the Korean Peninsula? Because there is a fear that North Korea will copy this. Any comment?

MR. KIRBY: Yeah. I'm going to avoid speculating here and getting into hypotheticals, particularly about the potential use of use of nuclear weapons, Janne. What we've said all along, two things- One, Mr. Putin has a lot of capability at his disposal right now. As I've said, earlier, they are ready to go.

And number two, if he decides to conduct a full-scale invasion here, again, bigger than what we've seen in just the last few days, this will be a war of choice. He'll be doing so with, you know, with diplomacy and options still left on the table.

And it won't be bloodless. There will be suffering. There will be sacrifice. And all of that must and should be laid at his feet. Because he's doing this by choice. How he does this? When he does this? We don't know for sure. But if he does this, this will be a war of choice and totally unnecessary. And as for the impact on the region, I just I couldn't begin to speculate.

Nothing's changed, obviously, about our commitment to our South Korean allies. And we noted that the South Koreans also came out publicly yesterday, with a statement of support for Ukraine. That was certainly noticed by the whole international community.

Yeah, in the back there, Abraham?

Q: Yes, thanks John. Couple parts to this question. You just described a lot of different forces moving to the Eastern Flank. Is there any consideration of those forces going under NATO command? And why not? Also, because the word is temporary is pretty prominent there, is there a timeframe for ‘temporary?’ And is there any talk yet of the NATO rapid response, those U.S. forces getting activated?

MR. KIRBY: OK. Yes, there's a lot there. Right now, they're going to be under the command of General Wolters in his U.S. European command hat. I don't know of any changes to that. Temporary, I don't have an exact timeframe on this. I want to remind you that they were already in Europe, there's simply repositioning elsewhere in Europe. I don't have a timeframe on how long that repositioning is going to be, except to say that it'll be as long as we believe it's necessary. And the host nations -- the new host nations that will be hosting, these units are willing to continue to have them. So, this will be a constant discussion with each host nation that they end up in, about where they go, how long they stay, and what kind of training opportunities they're going to conduct.

This is really all about reassuring allies and partners and demonstrating that in tangible ways. On your -- I lost your third question, dang it.

Q: Rapid Response Force?

MR. KIRBY: That's a better question for NATO, Abraham. That's not a question for the United States. That will be up to the NAC to decide -- North Atlantic Council to decide, not just the United States unilaterally, of course. What I will tell you is that, as you know, the Secretary has put on a shorter alert tether our contributions to the NRF, the NATO Response Force. So, they are more ready to go if called upon. So, while I can't give you any sorts of timing or certainty about whether the NRF is going to be activated, what I can tell you with certainty, is that if it is our contributions to the NRF will be ready to go and will contribute fully.

Q: But they're still in the United States, correct?

MR. KIRBY: Correct. Yes, Tony.

Q: Is there much discussion within the Pentagon or within the National Security Council about whether all the Putin's maneuvers and the force build up is a grand game of brinksmanship? And he's got no intention of invading.

He just wants to show his muscle, get the U.S. and NATO to commit to not entering or letting Ukraine into the alliance? In other words, a game of brinksmanship bluffing, but not really an attempt to invade?

MR. KIRBY: We have seen no indication of that, Tony.

Q: But, let me ask you though, has there been group-think here though? You're all thinking, just assuming he's going to do this? Or habe you actually, skeptically looked at whether this is just a bunch of BS brinksmanship, albeit on grand scale.

MR. KIRBY: Tony, we've been looking at this now for months. And we've been talking to allies and partners for months. The Secretary was just in Brussels last week meeting with all his counterparts in the Alliance. It's not just the United States who is deeply concerned about the potential for war in Ukraine now. That other NATO Allies feel the same way.

We've all been looking at this. I hope, we all hope, that we're wrong about this. But every indication we have is that he is poised to attack Ukraine again, and this time with what could be significant military force. I mean, we are talking about more than 150,000 troops that he has arrayed against that border.

And, as I said earlier, we believe that they are now at a state of readiness where they could attack at any time. That's what we're seeing. And that's what we've been saying. We've been talking about this very openly now for weeks. We've seen, sadly and unfortunately, no indication that he's willing to de-escalate, move those troops back home and actually get to some sort of serious diplomatic solution.

Every indication rather, that we see is quite the opposite.

Q: Can I ask you a China-related question? Is there any indication that President Xi has given his tacit or explicit approval to Putin for a foreign invasion? You recall, there was speculation that an invasion wouldn't happen until the Olympics were over? The Olympics are over now. Any indication that China has given its ‘wink and nod?’

MR. KIRBY: Well, I mean, I will point you back to the February 4 statement that that Xi and Putin put out, which certainly we took as tacit approval for what Mr. Putin is doing. You can point also to concerning comments by the Chinese Foreign Minister yesterday, that made it clear that they weren't going to support any, what they called, unlawful unilateral sanctions against Russia and then blame the United States for contributing security assistance to Ukraine, somehow blaming us for this issue. No mention whatsoever in their statement about the 150,000+ soldiers and the threats that Mr. Putin has been lobbying against Ukraine now for many weeks including just yesterday.

We wonder, can it really be the Chinese policy now to support separatist movements over the sovereignty of nation states? That's an interesting twist, isn't it?

Sylvie?

Q: Thank you, John. I would like to go back to the movements of U.S. troops to the Baltic States and to the Eastern Flank. Is there any consideration of sending more U.S. troops if there is an invasion? And on a permanent basis on this Eastern Flank of NATO?

MR. KIRBY: There's no expectation at this time, Sylvie, that that we're going to move to more permanent basing on NATO's Eastern Flank. What we're talking about now are short term, temporary, rotational re-deployments, if you will.

As for your first question, I assume what you're asking is, are we going to send more troops from the United States to NATO's Eastern Flank? And I have I have no such announcements or movements to speak of today. But as I have said repeatedly, we're going to keep all options on the table.

I'm not going to rule out that the Secretary might want to consider that, should there be a need. We're looking at this day by day. And just yesterday, as you saw, we did reposition inside Europe. And there are lots of options available to us to continue to look for ways to reinforce that Eastern Flank.

Q: But this will be temporary? You don't think about changing your posture in case of an invasion?

MR. KIRBY: Right now, we're focused on reassuring the allies. And we're going to be in constant contact with them and consultation about what that looks like and how you do that, given the current tensions on the continent. It's too early to tell whether any of this is going to lead to some other longer term posture changes, we're just not at that point right now.

Barbara?

Q: You mentioned before that if this conflict breaks out, it would not be bloodless. So, I assume that also somewhat of a caution to Russia, that it would not be bloodless for them in their troops.

Can you be any more specific as this is assessed? Is the Russian military, to use the expression, really 10 feet tall? Or do you see some vulnerabilities for them here?

MR. KIRBY: So clearly, if he chooses war, he chooses violence. Which means he's deliberately choosing to put lives at danger; soldiers' lives, civilians' lives. And he's going to have to bear the responsibility for that.

And I think, I would hope, that he understands that some of those lives at risk are going to be his soldiers' lives. And he's going to have to answer to Russian moms and dads, about their soldiers that aren't making it back home alive, or making it back with injuries. He's going to have to answer for that. And, as for the ‘10 feet tall,’ look, I think, you know, getting into qualitative assessments here of militaries is probably not the best exercise for me right now.

They have, as we've said for a long time, significant combined arms capabilities arrayed against Ukraine right now. And they are ready to go, right now, should that be the way that Mr. Putin wants to go. And we would obviously like to see that not happen. And we would like to see him de-escalate. We would like to see and make a better choice here, which we still think there's time to do, and de-escalate, move those troops back to Garrison. Move them back home, keep them safe, and not pursue a war of choice totally on what is his whim.

Q: As we sit here today, are there still active, functioning channels of U.S.-Russian military to military communications? Are you able to, you know, the Secretary, the Chairman, are you able to pick up the phone and will your counterparts talk to you?

MR. KIRBY: Well, I would point to conversations that we’ve read out in just recent days. The Secretary spoke with Minister Shoygu just a few days ago. Chairman Milley...

Q: I'm talking about right now.

MR. KIRBY: I know I'm getting there. Chairman Milley has had many conversations with General Gerasimov, his counterpart. And we have seen no indication that those lines of communication between those two leaders are closed.

I don't have any additional phone conversations to talk about today or to announce, but we have seen no indication that there won't be that communication should it be necessary.

Courtney?

Q: How about more of like a tactical line of communication? You know, I don't know if ‘de-confliction’ is the right term to use here because there's not a U.S. military component to this. Like they're not going...

MR. KIRBY: That's right.

Q: ...to theoretically be flying over the same skies. But what about something that might like de-conflict tactically on the ground, once Russia moves in? It seems that you know, we keep hearing about the U.S. military moving more and more assets into that region.

Is it appropriate for General Milley to be the one calling General Gerasimov when we're talking about like, potentially very quick, tactical moves on the ground?

MR. KIRBY: I don't think we're at a point right now where that's needed, right? Because there hasn't been a large-scale invasion yet of Ukraine, and hopefully, there won't be Court. So hopefully, there won't be any need for that kind of communication.

But you get to a really good point, which is the potential, if he decides to go in big in Ukraine, that puts Russian military forces right up against the Eastern Flank of NATO, his Western Flank. And that's an Eastern Flank, by the way, that we're going to continue to reinforce and make more ready. And so, you do get into a potential there for miscalculation, and miscommunication.

We're just not there yet that we can speak to specific de-confliction mechanisms, and hopefully there won't be a need for that. But it does raise a larger issue, your question does, of the potential for miscalculation here.

Q: And, given the fact that this isn't again, I know, we talked about de-confliction. I think a lot of us think of Syria.

MR. KIRBY: Right.

Q: But it's a very different situation. There's not a U.S. military component inside the potential invasion area, right?

MR. KIRBY: Correct.

Q: Would it be more appropriate for DOD or General Milley or State? Like, what would that mechanism -- who would be the one who'll be responsible for establishing that mechanism?

MR. KIRBY: Yes, again, we're not at that point right now, Courtney. So, it's hard. It's difficult to answer that question, and I'm not dodging it. It's just we aren't at that point right now. I mean, so I'd rather not speculate about who would be in communications with whom.

And again, as in my answer to Barb, there's no indication that we've gotten that there still isn't the ability at the strategic level for leaders to talk.

Jim?

Q: John, to build on Sylvie's question, you talked about the F-35s, and I guess 32 Apaches- Well, it's not just an aircraft and a pilot, how many people are associated with those moves?

MR. KIRBY: All told, if you added up, you know, the infantry, the battalion that we talked about, that's about 800. And then there's about another 200, crew, pilots, maintenance, that would go with those aircraft elements that we talked about.

So, all told, the President's announcement yesterday equates to about 1,000 people. Again, I want to stress two things: They're being repositioned inside Europe, they're not coming from the States, and two, these are temporary moves.

Q: And if I could just build on Courtney's question, doesn't General Wolters, in his NATO hat, can't he speak to Gerasimov?

MR. KIRBY: I would suspect yes, as SACEUR he certainly could. I know of no reason why he wouldn't be able to do that. General Gerasimov is the Chief of Defense, so he is more appropriately General Milley's counterpart, but I can't imagine that there'll be a reason why if General Wolters wanted to speak to him that he couldn't in his NATO hat.

Yeah.

Q: John, based on the fact that Russians have brought a variety of their capabilities to the area including cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, do you still think that the arms provided by the United States would help Ukrainian to defend themselves against all this capability?

MR. KIRBY: We are providing, again, lethal and non lethal assistance to Ukraine. They've expressed their gratitude for that assistance. I would remind you that -- well, a couple of things, 650 million just this year alone. And we're still in discussions with them about what kind of support they might need going forward.

And we're in constant consultation with them about their needs and what we can provide. It's not just us, that's my second point. Other nations are as well stepping up to provide both lethal and non-lethal assistance to Ukraine.
Let me go to the phones here. I haven't done that yet. Let's see, Mike Brest Washington Examiner?

Q: Thanks for taking my question, Mr. Kirby. A little bit out of left field, but the 90-day period that General Michael Garrett had to look into the Syria Strike from 2019 expires this weekend. Would you (inaudible) details or take the question?

MR. KIRBY: You know what? You broke up there, Mike. Can you just repeat the last part of your question?

Q: Yes, so the 90-day period for his investigation into the 2019 Syria Strike expires this weekend. Could you provide any update or take the question?

MR. KIRBY: I know that he's wrapping that up, Mike. I don't have a specific timeline of when that's going to be turned in and reviewed. I will take the question. And we'll see if we can't get you a better answer.

Tom?

Q: Hi John, good afternoon. I have two questions, one on Ukraine and one on the guard deployment, which would you like first?

MR. KIRBY: You can decide, Tom.

Q: The guard deployment is the easier one perhaps. There's been reports from, of complaints and concerns by the District of Columbia government and Capitol Police that they don't have the ability to remove trucks, tow trucks in other words, to remove any trucks that impede traffic situations. Is there a Defense Department asset that could be made available to help them in this situation?

MR. KIRBY: You know, I don't really know, Tom. I mean, the request that we got was for some personnel and 50 vehicles to help with traffic flow. There's been no requests of the department for tow truck capability. And frankly, I'm not sure that we have a lot of that to be honest with you.

I honestly don't know how many tow trucks we own, but I don't think it's very many. So, again, we're focused on meeting the requirements that they laid forth for help. And again, it was roughly 700 guardsmen and 50 vehicles. What's your second question?

Q: On Ukraine, you've talked a lot and others have talked about what the Russians are doing is out of their ‘playbook’ are the words there. Everything they're doing is sort of doing the playbook.

MR. KIRBY: Yes.

Q: Yet the massive development of the forces on the border, the type of overall attack that's being projected possibly for Ukraine, that's not the blunderbuss approach they usually have taken if you look at Georgia, and others. What playbook are they emulating for this possible attack on Ukraine?

MR. KIRBY: When we talk about ‘the playbook,’ as you will, we're talking about the preparatory moves that we have seen them do in the past, and 2014 is a great example of that. And when we look at the kinds of pre-textual things they were doing, it seems to me like they haven't updated their playbook in a long time because it's the same kind of stuff.

It's claiming that they're the victims. Creating false events or even, not even creating events, but simply claiming that things happen that never did to paint themselves as the victims. As if Ukraine, which has never attacked anybody, is all of a sudden going to spuriously attack Russia and threaten their national security when there's 150,000+ plus troops along the border.

I mean, it is ridiculous. But that is exactly the kind of plays we've seen them run, the preparatory plays. Now, to your point, and it's a fair one, what we've seen them array along the border, more than 150,000 troops and significant, as I said, combined arms capabilities, that is something we haven't seen them do before.

Q: Where do you think they've gotten that tactic from? That strategy from? Since they've never employed it in their past adventurisms?

MR. KIRBY: That is a great question for Vladimir Putin. I mean, I'm not trying to dodge the question, but we don't know. I mean, we can't possibly get inside his head to figure out why he's doing it the way he's doing it. And again, Tom, at the risk of sounding like a broken record, it doesn't have to be this way.

He can make another choice. Of all the options he has available to him, the one he still has is diplomacy if he chooses. And we just haven't seen any indication to do that.

Q: Hey, John I got a few questions. First off, any idea whether or not Russia has also used the Wagner Group mercenaries as part of this invasion force, or is it strictly sort of mainline Russian army troops?

MR. KIRBY: I have not seen any indications of that.

Q: Or ‘little green men,’ anything like that?

MR. KIRBY: I haven't seen indications of the Wagner Group being used, but again, that might be a level of detail we don't have.

Q: Also, to go back a little bit in history, the Soviet Union conquered Hungary in '56, stroll through Czechoslovakia in '68. The U.S. complained and made a lot of noise, but nothing really happened. How will this turn out different from what's already happened in the past with their former satellite countries?

MR. KIRBY: I was a history major at the University of South Florida, but I don't know that I can answer that one. Well, let me just put it this way. What we hope happens is that he de-escalates, and this war of choice doesn't occur.

It's difficult, if he chooses to go ahead, and again, every indication is that he will. And it's, the one thing any student of war will tell you is it's unpredictable once it starts. It's the old adage, I think it was Eisenhower, right, no plan survives first contact. It's difficult to know where this will go. What we believe is that it will involve significant casualties and destruction, and that it will only cause instability on the European continent, rather than the stability that I think most of the world and certainly the West wants to see.

Where it goes beyond that? I just don't know, Mike, because we don't know really what he has in mind here. I mean, he's pretty much, in terms of military action, that's what I mean.

If you look at his speech, he was pretty clear, wasn't he? About the disdain he has for Ukrainian sovereignty. And the false claim that, you know, Russia created Ukraine. I mean, it's pretty obvious that, as the Ukrainian Foreign Minister said just when he was here, that Putin wants to erase Ukraine as a nation state.

What that ends up looking like long term is difficult to know. And again, at the risk of sounding like I'm dodging, and I'm not, I truly don't know the answer to your question. It's a good one. And I don't know that anybody can know that. But it doesn't have to be that way. It just doesn't have to be that way. He can choose a different path here, which is still open to him. And that's what I think all of us would like to see him do.

I got time for a couple more. Yes, go ahead.

Q: A country is invading another country just because that country wants to be part of an alliance that United States is leading, like NATO? Isn't it an indirect threat to NATO and the United States national security at the same time?

MR. KIRBY: Well, primarily, it’s a threat to the Ukrainian people. And I think, again, if you go back and look at his speech, and certainly he's groused about potential NATO membership for Ukraine, no doubt about it. But he laid out an even more sweeping alternative reality in his speech, that it isn't just about whether or not Ukraine joins NATO.

And as for whether it further threatens NATO, I think that remains to be seen. Clearly, we are making it very obvious that we take our obligations to NATO seriously. That's why we're sending these additional forces. That's why we're bolstering our allies. That's why Secretary Austin was in Europe just last week to deliver that message, so that Mr. Putin knows, and quite frankly, our allies know to what President Biden said. We will defend every inch of NATO territory.

Again, we don't want to see it come to that. But if it does come to that, the United States will be ready.

Q: You're really saying that the open-door policy -- you are sticking to the open-door policy of NATO?

MR. KIRBY: It is up to the Alliance and the nation state in question to determine future membership. It is not something that Mr. Putin gets to veto, period.

OK, thanks, everybody.

Now From A Biblical Standpoint

Many people will naturally like to discover what the Bible says about Russia. It is one of the world's major powers, having one of the most powerful, modern, and well-equipped military in the planet.

It also possesses the world's largest territory, with about double the land mass of Canada, the world's second-largest country.

We don't have a crystal ball, but we do have something far more valuable: the Bible. "Remember the previous things of old, because I am God, and there is none like Me, announcing the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that have not yet been done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand, and I will perform all My pleasure,'" God stated in Isaiah 46:9-10. Only He knows what the future holds for sure!

"The prophetic word... which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts," wrote the apostle Peter, "knowing first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation [or origin], for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit" (2 Peter 1:19-20).

The bible correctly reflecting events in the past, present, and future from God's perspective. Despite the fact that prophecy had a lot to say about what happened next in ancient times, there is one period in particular that it mentions more than any other. The Bible uses phrases like "the end time," "the time of the end," "the latter days," and "the final days" to describe this period.

God reveals what will take place in the days leading up to Christ's second coming. Of course, He has the ability to predict what will happen in the future and which countries will be involved at this critical juncture. And one of them looks to be Russia, based on the historical and geographical descriptions provided in the Bible.

It's worth noting that when predictions are discussed in the Bible, they're almost always provided from the perspective of Israel and its capital, Jerusalem. God defines this as the location where Jesus Christ will return to rule the entire world one day.

"Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those countries, as He battles in the day of war," the prophet Zechariah said of where Christ would set His foot when He comes to our world. And on that day, His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which looks east toward Jerusalem... And the Lord will be King over all the earth" (Zechariah 14:3-4, Zechariah 14:9).

So, where does Russia fall into all of this? There is a clear hint that Russia will play a key part in end-time events based on the geographical description given in a biblical prophecy.
Armed forces ready to fight

Let's look at a description of the end times in Daniel's book, which mentions a few of the nations participating.

Notice what Daniel 11:40-45 states in Daniel 12:1-3:

"At the end, the king of the South will attack him, and the king of the North will come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and numerous ships, and he will enter the lands, overrun them, and pass through." He will also invade the Glorious Land, and many kingdoms will be toppled; but, Edom, Moab, and the powerful people of Ammon will escape his grasp.

"He will reach forth his hand against the nations, and Egypt will not be spared." He will have control over Egypt's gold and silver riches, as well as all the country's valuables; the Libyans and Ethiopians will be right behind him. However, news from the east and north will disturb him, so he will strike forth with a vengeance, destroying and annihilating many. And he will pitch his royal tents between the oceans and the majestic holy mountain; but he will meet his end, and no one will be able to save him.

"At that time, Michael, the great prince who watches over your people's boys, will rise; and there will be a time of turmoil like there has never been since there was a country, even to that time." And at that time, all of your people who are listed in the book will be delivered. And many of those who slumber in the earth's dust will awaken, some to everlasting life, others to humiliation and eternal contempt."

Because some Bible interpreters feel this part is actually dealing about a period in the past, it's critical to put these final few lines in the context. However, as you can see, these occurrences are referring to the end days, from just before Jesus Christ comes until the resurrection of the dead upon His return (see 1 Corinthians 15:22-23; 1 Thessalonians 4:16), which has yet to occur.

So we have a glimpse of end-time conflict in this section, with one alliance led by a ruler known as "the king of the South," another known as "the king of the North," and then forces from "the east and the north" (or possibly "northeast," for which there is no equivalent Hebrew term) of the Holy Land that will eventually enter the fray.
King of the North and King of the South

The Persian Empire ruled the land of the monarch of the North when Daniel made this prophecy. The Greek Empire then captured it, which was afterwards incorporated by the Roman Empire. Although the ancient Roman Empire fell apart in 476 A.D., there were occasional revivals up to the twentieth century (usually referred to as "the Holy Roman Empire" or a similar term).

For example, Adolf Hitler's partnership with Benito Mussolini (who said in Italy that he was reconstructing a version of the old Roman Empire) eventually led to World War II, a global carnage.

As a result, this "lord of the North" is destined to appear one final time—at the end of the world, as we understand it. His soldiers will sweep south and occupy the domains of a final monarch of the South after being provoked.

Since the Scriptures name several of them—Edom, Moab, Ammon (their ancient territory now making up a large part of modern Jordan), Egypt, Libya, and Ethiopia—we can see that the end-time king of the South will be a leader commanding a confederation of nations primarily to the south of Israel, but also extending to the east and west.

It's worth noting that Scripture states "many kingdoms would be overturned" (including Israel) in this region, meaning that it might include nations to the east, south, and west of Israel that aren't named by name. Except for Israel, these countries have two things in common: they are largely of Arab heritage and they practice Islam.

This southern confederation looks to be mostly made up of Arab countries that practice Islam—possibly a revived Islamic caliphate, which has long been a dream of millions of Muslims. Many Muslims also wish to conquer Europe, recreating the glory days of former Islamic empires that conquered and occupied portions or all of Spain, Portugal, France, Eastern Europe, Sicily, and Italy for centuries.

Several Muslim politicians and religious figures have boasted in recent years about their intention to conquer Rome, which they consider as the capital of Europe and Christianity, and which, in their minds, would demonstrate Islam's dominance over Christianity.

Other non-Arab countries, such as Pakistan, which has dozens of nuclear weapons, and Iran, which is generally suspected of seeking nuclear weapons, are virtually totally Islamic. Furthermore, various violent Islamic religious strains are currently destabilizing a vast swath of the planet, spanning from North Africa's Atlantic coast to Afghanistan and India.
"News from the East" and "News from the North"

Where Russia appears in Daniel's prophesy is in the statement that "news from the east and the north shall disturb him" when the king of the North invades the Holy Land (Daniel 11:44). Because the monarch of the North is about to attack and conquer numerous nations in this region, important powers to the north and east (or, again, potentially northeast) of that region will naturally react.

A significant swath of Muslim nations sits to the east of the Holy Land, and a conquest of Islam's third-holiest city, Jerusalem, would enrage them. Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and numerous predominantly Muslim former Soviet Union countries, as well as India's 200 million Muslims, are among them. To the north of the Holy Land, there are additional Muslim countries: Lebanon, Syria, and Turkey, as well as Muslim-populated portions of Russia.

Any European-led invasion of the Holy Land, as predicted in this prophecy, would be considered as yet another "Crusade" against Islam by Muslims in these areas. Although it may sound strange to Western ears, many Muslims referred to the US-led invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan as such. The Crusades never ended in the minds of millions of Muslims, who believe that Islam is still at war with Christianity in a fight for dominance, as seen by many jihadists' statements and deeds today.

A Western occupation of Jerusalem and the Holy Land would undoubtedly rouse many Muslims to fight and drive out the "Crusaders"—exactly as happened in Iraq and Afghanistan, when humiliating Western exits led to anarchy as violent Islamic organizations flooded into the breach.

A map reveals that there is only one great power beyond these Muslim nations and above the Middle East (and east of the monarch of the North's domain), and that is Russia. Israel lies approximately straight north of Moscow. And even if the true translation of the passage in question is "northeast," there is still only one great nation northeast of the Holy Land, and that is Russia, which has a territory that extends further east than any other Asian state.

For political, economic, military, and religious reasons, Russia is very interested in the Middle East. When European nations have attempted to dominate the Middle East in the previous 200 years, a historical pattern has emerged: sooner or later, Russia would become involved, as this region has a substantial impact on Russia's national interests.
"Kings from the East" is a phrase that means "Kings from the East."

The king of the North will be much troubled by "news from the east" (assuming that is a single direction), according to Daniel 11:44. What could this possibly be about?

Expanding on portions of Daniel's prophesy, the book of Revelation portrays two significant army marches involving the Euphrates River, the historic border between the Roman Empire and its eastern opponents. These moves from the east are very certainly in response to the monarch of the North's seizure of the Holy Land.

The eastern countries would raise a large 200-million-man army and launch an apparent counterattack known as the second woe, in which a third of humanity will perish—obviously as a result of the use of weapons of mass destruction (Revelation 9:13-18). Later, when Jesus Christ returns, a troop led by "the kings [rulers] from the east" will cross the Euphrates, which would subsequently dry up, in the sixth of the seven last plagues, commonly known as the third woe (Revelation 16:12).

As previously stated, a huge number of Muslim countries border the Holy Land to the east. India, China, and Japan, as well as other Islamic countries like Indonesia and Malaysia, are even further east. Because the Middle East affects their national interests, several of these countries may establish an alliance. Some of them rely heavily on Middle Eastern oil, and members of the Islamic religion in Asia regard Jerusalem, Mecca, and Medina, all in Saudi Arabia, as holy places.

Clearly, seeing their sacred cities endangered by a European force would be unthinkable to them. Furthermore, with a European army dominating at least a portion of the Middle East, the balance of power and riches would be changed and skewed against these powers.

China and its Asian allies, including Russia, are another alternative for the identification of these eastern powers, given they often share political and economic goals.

According to a recent article in The Economist magazine, ""Relations with China, Russia's largest neighbor and Asia's most powerful country, are growing, spurred by a 30-year pipeline contract signed last May [2014] to transport Siberian gas to China... China has a large demand for Russian energy, and it has a significant diplomatic shield as a permanent member of the UN Security Council."" ("Banyan: Bear With Us," p. 41, February 21, 2015).

As a result, a threat to Middle Eastern oil supply and crucial maritime lanes may elicit a response from any of these countries. With a population of over 1.3 billion people, China could undoubtedly muster a large military force, while Russia's military might and technology remain unrivaled.

The Bible states the king of the North will fight those who form an alliance against him, and that he would "go forth with great rage to slay and exterminate many" (Daniel 11:44).

As a result, we can discern two main geopolitical movements to the east and north of the Holy Land, both beyond the Euphrates River, and multiple strong candidates to head these forces. The great majority of Muslims in southern Asia, as well as individuals from Russia, China, India, and Japan, are likely to be among them.

The last march into the Holy Land to compete with European armies will take them to Armageddon and the great battle upon Christ's return, in which both European and eastern forces will be annihilated. (For further information, see The Middle East in Bible Prophecy, a free Bible study tool.)

As a result, it looks that the growth of Russian power is destined to have a huge influence on these end-time events leading up to Christ's return, therefore we must be vigilant by keeping up with international news, particularly as it relates to these key nations.
In the end, Russia and the rest of the globe will benefit.

However, there is some good news for Russia—and the rest of the world—in the end. The return of Jesus Christ will put an end to human politics, greed, and violence.

Isaiah 2:2-4, which predicts what will happen once this period of world conflict ends and Christ comes to govern the nations, is one of the most uplifting verses in this respect.

It is our aim and ultimate goal to be a part of His coming Kingdom, for only then will the world be at peace and harmony. Do you want to be a member of that Kingdom, too? That is, after all, the point of this publication.

"Now it shall come to pass in the later days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be set on the top of the mountains, and shall be elevated above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it," says Isaiah 2:2-4.

"Many people will come and say, 'Come, let us go up to the Lord's mountain, to the house of Jacob's God; He will teach us His ways, and we will walk in His courses.' The law will come from Zion, and the Lord's word will come from Jerusalem.

"He shall judge between the nations, and many people shall be rebuked; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; country shall not pick up sword against nation, nor shall they learn war again."

Russia's Role in End-Times Prophecy

 

Putin: So this “king of the North” is destined to arise, as I understand it, one last time—at the time of the end. After being provoked, my forces will sweep down and occupy the lands of a final king of the South. Be Warned.

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SRH: The book of Revelation, expanding on aspects of Daniel’s prophecy, describes two major troop advances involving the Euphrates River, the ancient boundary between the Roman Empire and adversaries to the east. No doubt these movements from the east will be in response to the takeover of the Holy Land by the king of the North.

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Source: HNewsWire    HNewsWire    HNewsWire    ucg.org  contributed to this report.

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