Is Military Cooperation on the Table???

And welcome as always for this live. I have a great show for you today, guys. It's because of what's been happening or just happened yesterday, uh, between Russia and China. We will detail all this for you. I couldn't wait to get on this because it's a topic I'm, I'm familiar with, given that I wrote a book about Russia and detailed in it the relationship between Russia and China and how those two countries can reshape the global order, believe it or not. So, but before I'll do all, all this and talk about anything, first of all, I'd like to always extend my thanks to the channel's members and supporters Uh, if you want to show your support for this channel, consider becoming either a supporter or member, whatever you feel comfortable with, whatever you like, whatever you want. So, and if this is your first time landing on this channel, please— and I'll ask you for this again— please make sure to subscribe. So, because that's how you show your support for this channel. So, and I can't thank you enough all for your continued support. It truly means a lot to me. So Uh, all right, today's topic: is Benji ready to take cooperation with Moscow to the higher level? What do I mean by a higher level? Are we talking about the inclusion of a military dimension to this relationship? You know, is the military dimension on the table? So those, this will be some of the 3 questions I will ask— I will try to answer for you. How will this change the global security order? Or architecture, that is. And of course, you never ignore this— is the timing of any event that happens in geopolitics. It doesn't happen in a vacuum. So, uh, this is what I'm gonna be talking to you about. Uh, before I'll do this, also, of course, I'll do a tour around the world briefly for two main events that came under my radar, and I wanted to share with you. Let me share the image with you guys. And by the way, uh, give me a thumbs up if you can hear me, uh, because I want to make sure. I never like— I don't assume, so I just— I rather ask you, and, and please give me a thumbs up so to make sure that you can hear me. So let me share the image with you here first. First of all, here is what our topic is going to be about. This is the, uh, uh, Prime Minister of Russia, uh, his name is— let me get his name here to make sure. Mikhail Mishustin. Mishustin, yes, that's his name. So he met with President Xi, and I will detail all this. This is the another image during the, uh, signing of the agreements, and I will detail all this to you. But let's talk about the tour around the world here. Here is the first one. This is an interesting one. What are you looking at? You're looking at the targeting of a Russian ship near the, uh, Bosphorus. What's interesting about this, the moment this happened, NATO, NATO announced that it's ruling out Ukraine inclusion in the alliance during the war. So which means what? The possibility that they could admit Ukraine later on, which I don't see happening. That's a red line for Russia. So I don't foresee them doing that because That's just gonna fuel the tensions between Russia and NATO in this case. And we all know what it means if, uh, uh, uh, Russia and NATO end up engaging each other. This is why NATO Secretary of State— Secretary General, rather, not a state— uh, Jens Stoltenberg has ruled out now Ukraine joining the alliance during the war, stressing that this is not on the agenda. Hmm. Interesting how they play with words when they— NATO in this case— was the one that fomented and created the tensions to begin with. And of course didn't happen, uh, in, in February 2022. It started back in 2014, and you all know the history of that. I'm not going to be repeating myself here. Second one, uh, let me see this image here. Second— oh, I already did this one here. Second one Okay, let me, let me remove this. Go here, remove that. And this is the second image right there. What are you looking at? You're looking at the world's largest aircraft. This, this is, uh, this is the aircraft carrier Gerald Ford, which has been sort of, uh, uh, sailing to Oslo, Norway. So, so So Russia sees this basically as a malicious show of force. Uh, you and I, we will interpret this as sort of provocation. Some will say— others will say it's a, you know, navigation. They just move the aircraft, you know. Uh, but the question is, okay, you could move your aircraft elsewhere, not close to Russia's borders, that is, because That is problematic. This is no different than what's taking place on the Taiwan Strait. You know, when, uh, when, for example, a US aircraft— or I'm sorry, US naval assets or Western naval assets goes there, they call it, of course, freedom of navigation. You know, how will we feel if Russia or China move their own vessels, their own naval assets to let's say Alaska, okay, or close to Hawaii, or the Gulf of Mexico, you know, are they going to be saying, well, it's freedom of invest— uh, freedom of navigation? Yeah, they have the right to. So you can just see, because that just to me didn't make any sense doing this one here. So this is the, uh, the third image I want to share with you is this one right here. This has nothing to do with politics, by the way. Look at this image here. It's a, it's a very sad image. It's really sad. You know, what are you looking at? You're looking at the— with the spread of the digital technologies in all fields, children— yeah, that's a kid of about 11 years old or so, uh, spending long hours in front of TV, the idiot box as I call it, uh, screens and computers causing many diseases, especially overweight and obesity, you know, let alone the, the, the, the, the food those little kids eat, junk stuff. And it's just sad. It's very, very, very sad to see what's going on. So anyway, let's move on to our topic. I don't have a health tip for you today, guys, because I just didn't get enough time. And if I don't research it enough, I am not going to cut the corners and and just put the stuff for you because I want to do it. No, no, no, no. If it's not that right, I don't do it. That's just how I, uh, that's how I roll. So, well, first let me say thanks to all of you who joining me. Uh, I have Michael here, Michael Django from Washington, DC. Good to have you here. Boon, here is Boon, born in Berlin and from Malaysia. Boon is our, uh, uh, member, has been with us since forever. So, uh, ingratias KVTH7 from Spain, good to have you from Spain. Athene Wu, as always, happy to see you too, sir. You know, I always enjoy having you. Uh, Irvin Garrett from Kentucky right here, good to have you. I'm glad to see you joining me here. So I truly appreciate you all, uh, for being here. Thank you guys for giving me the thumbs up regarding the sound, so it's working perfect. So, okay guys, let's jump in into our talk here about— this is a, an interesting topic. So, so the Russian Prime Minister, uh, uh, Mikhail, uh, Mishustin, who by the way is a seasoned guy, has been around. I've been reading on his profile from way back. So has arrived to China, it was yesterday, and, uh, uh, uh, to sort of have a talk with the the, his counterpart, but also to meet with President Xi. And that's what happened, uh, yesterday. So when he visited, uh, uh, as I said, he was scheduled, he was scheduled to meet, uh, President Xi, and he did. Is what you see the, the, uh, the, uh, picture that I showed with you earlier. So he arrived on Monday, which is 2 days ago, uh, in Shanghai, and where he was greeted at the airport by none other than Moscow's ambassador to China, Igor Murkalov, and Beijing top diplomats. But that's not all about that one. You know, what's interesting about this is that there are three things happening, or happened at the same time. Uh, Russian Prime Minister in, in, in this, uh, starts China trip to First of all, deepen the trade ties, which means what? Economics. Because there's the thing, if a country is doing well economically, the rest will fall into place. If a country is chaotic and is in a mess, of course you will see— you, you, you won't see any prosperity, you won't see any movement moving forward. Mikhail, the prime minister, the Russian prime minister, that his visits coincide also with the Chinese envoy to Europe. Yeah, because the Chinese envoy is doing a European tour, you know. So, and like I said earlier, the Russian, uh, prime minister expected to meet with President Xi, and he did meet with him and addressed some other issues which I'm going to talk about Uh, the one thing that, uh, I, uh, I read the statement, by the way, issued by both foreign ministries in China and in Russia, of course translated into English because I don't speak those two languages. Um, and, and one key word that I found is, and I put it in quote, sensational pressure, in quote, you know. And this is basically was the statement from the Russian Prime Minister when he said the sensational pressure from the West was taking Russia and China ties to an unprecedented high level. And this is why I asked the question: is the military dimension on the table? When I wrote the Russia book— excuse me— I argued back then that at the time of the writing, which was a few years ago, you know, 3 or 4 years ago, At the time of the writing, I said I don't see the potential for the military dimension yet. That does not mean it's ruled out. That possibility is there, you know. And if there is— if, if and when it happens, it will serve a specific purpose. And Mike, my word on this, the specific purpose it will serve is to ensure the protection of the entire— from Central Asia all the way down to South China Sea. Yeah, you could see Russia supporting China. And if China— Russia support China, you're gonna see North Korea, you could see Iran, you could see some changes into the— it's not going to be a formal alliance of sort like what we have in NATO. No, no, no, no, it's going to be based on necessity, security one, that is. So this is where where I said, or I asked the question, is the military dimension on the table? Apparently for this, based on what I read, you know, I wasn't there inside the meeting, but based on what I read, most of it was geared towards economic. And I'll tell you why that is. So, so both countries, Russia and China, signed a set of agreement. It wasn't just one. Interesting enough, it involved trade, it involved, sports and involve other field. But what's interesting also is the delegation that went with the Prime Minister, including among them was the individual in charge of the energy sector in Russia. That is an interesting aspect. Why? It's because it should give you an indication as to how much energy China is going to be getting from Russia. And basically, Russia is making up for the difference after the sanctions from the West. This is how I, I read it, you know. Uh, uh, during the conversation between, uh, uh, uh, M. Shostin, uh, and his counterpart, the Chinese Premier Li Qiang, uh, in Beijing, it's the indication suggest that, uh, the, the, uh, the Russia and China wants really to move now the relationship, the bilateral that is, to the next level because they both, China and Russia, share a common enemy in this case. And like I said earlier, there are always trends happening, there are always other events. You can look at one event on a global stage and say this is it. You know, like I mentioned, uh, it comes on the heels of the, for example, Chinese envoy in Europe, but also the visit of the Russian Prime Minister comes on the heels also of the, uh, the, the closure, or, or, or the conclusion rather, of the G7 summit, which concluded on Sunday before that. And why is this important? It's because the final communiqué from the G7 which has a declaration that singled out both countries, Russia and China. Out of all the conflicts that's going on around the world, that's the only two, which is ridiculous and odd. And you can just tell it was targeted for specific, uh, uh, uh, audience for that. They didn't even talk about Ukraine. That That's how the G7— what they mentioned is basically Russia and China. So it tells you right there where the priorities are, you know. That's the way I see it. So of course we can't deny the facts, and then usually I, I don't sugarcoat things the way they say them, the way they are. We can't deny the fact that Russia is being squeezed hard now with the sanctions, but apparently the relationship with China is making up for that difference. That is why it is China that is benefiting more from the bilateral with Russia than the other way around. It's business, it's strategic, you know, that's just how it works when it comes down to international relations or diplomacy and so forth. China, it's not gonna do things out of, you know, just because it feels like it. No, no, no, no, no. It's because of strategic interest. Russia is not going to be willing to accept the assistance from Russia— from China, rather, because it likes China. No, no, it has to do with the strategic interest, and rightly so. So, but when you look at what's at the heart of it, okay, you look at the— as I said, the focus on this. This is why I ask the question, is the military dimension on the table? And yet, so far, based on the statements issued from both parties, most of the things indicated about the economic aspects. And I'm going to share some numbers with you to put things in perspective for you. Trade between— excuse me— trade between Russia and China. Reached a record $190 billion just last year, 2022, you know. And this one was stated according to the Chinese customs data. Now it's up to you whether you want to believe that or not. I can't decide for you, you know. I did check some other sources, the numbers slightly different, and you will expect that it's not going to be on the target. But at least within the ballpark, you know. But again, it is your decision, not mine, whether you want to believe for that or not. But to me, the indication of what I see on the ground, like the amount of massive energy that China brings from Russia, you know, and the trade between the two countries, it would suggest the numbers reflect that reality. So, so what's— what the Prime Minister Mishustin told his counterpart Li after the grand welcome in Beijing, he said, and I quote, I got you the quote here, guys: "Today relations between Russia and China are at unprecedented high level." End of quote. Again, the wording when it comes down to diplomatic statements, guys, if you learn anything about international relations, the words are measured. This is what makes a good diplomat. Good diplomat doesn't scream loud, and good diplomat doesn't speak randomly either. A good diplomat understands the weight of words, and he or she has to be very careful when delivering those kind of statements. That's why you don't have— and I don't say you, we speak for us here— We don't have in Washington seasoned diplomat. We have what we call— I call them amateurs, and I don't shy away from this, and I'll say it to their faces. You know, I hope they are watching this live stream, so, uh, if, if, if they can sit down and learn something. So he added also that— this is the Prime Minister Michelson— he added, and I quote, let me get the quote here for you. They are characterized— they are characterized by mutual— when I say they, he's referring to China and, uh, and Russia. They are characterized by mutual respect of each other's interests, the desire to jointly respond to challenges, which is associated with increased turbulence in the international arena, and the pattern sensational pressure from the collective West, end of quote. It is very loaded. You know, you pick up just few words, and I'll share it with you quickly, brief few words. Mutual respect. What do we mean by this mutual respect? As far as strategic, you know, you know, of each other's interests. Interests of Russia is to ensure the delivery of its energy, for example. Interests of China is to ensure access to energy undisrupted. Strategically, interest for Russia is to ensure the— its periphery is secure. Interest of China is to ensure its periphery in the South China Sea is not disrupted. You know, this is economic interest as well. This why these words are very, very measured: mutual respect and shared interest. Okay, the second one has to do with a joint— jointly response to challenges. That tells you what? You know, if I am to put my geopolitical analyst hat, it tells you that they are preferring that the new global order will not be managed by one country. It's not just China by itself, it's not Russia by itself, it's joint. You know, as we always say, for us in, in, in US, the, the The saying goes, two heads better than one, which is true. You know, when you exchange your ideas with others, you always come up with something better. You know, instead of working by yourself, you think, you know, sometimes it's better to do it that way. So respond jointly to challenges. You know, the second thing is increased turbulence in international arena. The reference to that term increased turbulence It's a reflection of the idea of the increased tensions that are being fueled and created. I mean, I look at it for our own president who seems to be clueless about what the, the, the sort of, uh, the, the policies here suggesting, you know, suggesting to send F-16s to Ukraine, what that's gonna do to fueling the tensions to another level. You know, because fighting now in the air is gonna bring the level of conflict to a different dimension. Forget about the small arms and all. Now you're gonna be dealing with high-velocity missiles and planes, and it's just another level. And this is part of what they mean by the word increased turbulence, 'cause we're seeing this in Ukraine, but also we're seeing the tensions in the Taiwan Strait. And the last one is the pattern. That's your keyword there— pattern of sensational pressure. Sensational, sensational pressure, because all this is fermented by design. You know, the Ukraine conflict was created by design. You know, didn't happen on its own. The Taiwan Strait conflict is created by design and is being fomented as we speak. As a matter of fact, during the G7, I recall that the president of Brazil was supposed to meet with President comedian Zelensky to talk about finding peace. And guess what happened? The comedian— the president, he's You give him the proper respect. The president, comedian Zelensky, didn't show up. What does it tell you? You know, in the world of diplomacy, that's a very diplomatic slap in the face for someone. Disrespect at the highest order. You know, if you don't want to show up, you don't, you don't leave the guy just standing waiting for you. That shows low class. But what do you expect? President comedian Zelensky is not a politician, is a comedian who turned— been turned into becoming a politician. You can't function like that, you know. That's just, uh— in response to this, the, uh, the, the Chinese— the, uh, the Russian prime minister's counterpart, uh, the premier, Chinese premier Li in turn hailed— and I put this in quote— the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between China and Russia in the new era. Your keyword right there are two keywords there: strategic, comprehensive strategic, and a new era. We all know what it means. The new strategic is— has to do with the new global order. The new era is where the direction of this new geopolitical trajectory is headed. So the Chinese statements is also measured, and this is how you interpret. This is again why I like personally to read the statements from, uh, from either summits or whatever. That's— I always like to do that because that's how I learn about the stuff. So that is— let me, let me check something here quickly. Uh, oh, there we go. Uh, just to make sure, uh, I'm not missing anything on your end if you put any, uh, and I'll get to your comment, guys, as I move forward. So now, as I said, these statements are The wording is measured, but also the events that go parallel with— let's say, let's say hypothetically, uh, there is a major event in Country A in some continent, and at the same time there is an event in Country B on the other continent that goes parallel to that. So with this meeting of the Russian Prime Minister, uh, Mr. Putin, in, in China. At the same time, China summoned the Japanese ambassador over criticism, you know. And I read up on it, uh, when Beijing summoned the, the, the Japanese. If we are to talk about Japan, we all know where Japan stands, you know, because Japan doesn't have an independent foreign policy. You take Japan, you take South Korea I am considering also Philippines. Yes, I will say it straightforward. Then you take the EU and Australia, of course, New Zealand to a degree, but I will add Canada to the mix. You know, those, they don't have an independent foreign policy, and even they might give the appearance that they have foreign independent policy or independent foreign policy, that foreign policy has to be checked in Washington. That's the example of Australia. Australia's decision are not made in Canberra. Australia's decision are made in Washington. You know, Japan is no different. South Korea is no different. And this is again where you have to put this in context. When, uh, when I read up on the— on this trip, I said to myself, no, no, no, no, You know, our viewer, my viewers here on the channel, needs to truly have an in-depth understanding because this is a reflection of the new global order as we speak. Not what country is calling the shots here. No, no, no, no. Bilateral. That also a hint of this is how we like the new global order to be managed. And like I said way back, and I do remember saying this, and there is the record for it, you know, the new global order can manage itself, doesn't need a police to police it. You know, that's, that's my belief. So, and what I mean by this is collaboration, and that's exactly what China and Russia are doing. And that's what I argued a few years ago. I said back then, and I remember I said, the bilateral relations between Russia and China will only move up. And this is a reflection of it. Once again, on the, uh, on the economic front of it, you look no further than just the first quarter of this year. Do you guys know that the trade between those two countries already reached $70 billion? Just the first quarter so far this year. No. And this is like you go year on year to figure that out, which means what in a different language? It's an increase of 40%, 4-0%, 40%. That tells you right there, you strengthen the economic aspects of it, and that economic is going to reflect itself in other areas. You know, I am yet to see the military dimension yet, which I don't— I, I'm not seeing the signs that will convince me for sure, oh, Russia and China are moving into the military alliance of sort. You know, it might be quiet. As a matter of fact, one of our viewers, my viewers here, made a comment that could be a quiet one. Yeah, the possibility is there, but at the same time In international relations or on the international stage, uh, uh, context matters. So is the optics of it, because if it kept hidden, what significance doesn't have or does have, you know, versus if Russia and China announced their military alliance on global stage, and you can only imagine with their strength combined Who's going to challenge them? I mean, think about it. Some might say, well, NATO. No, no, not for what the capabilities of both China and Russia combined. Remember, because we in the United States, we do have a military strength, you know, and the question for us is, are we able to take on two, uh, fronts simultaneously? I don't think so. You know, there are those in Washington do not like to hear that because we always have to project power, which is fine, but you can't be lying about it because you put in the lives of those soldiers that, you know, they don't even understand what they're fighting for. You know, let alone you're fighting a force, you combine China and Russia together capabilities-wise And this is where that difference is. Now, the other aspects to this economic ties, because that was the whole purpose of the trip, it's also investments. Now, I am aware of how much China is putting in, in an investments in the Arctic, not even inside Russia, way up. And the reason for that is because that part of the world, the Arctic, under that sheet of ice, there are about $35 trillion worth of untapped natural resources. As a matter of fact, the, the, uh, the Russians put their titanium flag right at the ocean floor of the Arctic. There's an image there of that. I, I disclosed it in a book. I research it. And I provided the reference where I get that information, and it is confirmed. Of course, I would not put something in my book because that's my credibility in line, you know. So you think of the investments, because there is also a pipeline that was supposed to be coming from that Arctic that's going to go through to China as far as natural gas. Now you see why China reached out to Central Asia, because because they want to secure that region and prevent any interference from outside. And you all know what I mean by that. So once you secure that area, you add to other dimension, which is now the agreement between Russia and Iran. Even Indonesia is going to benefit from that, by the way. No, I did find out that, uh, uh, and there are some individuals that I'm meeting here at the hotel They're from Indonesia, and I'm going to ask them to— I like to talk to people from different parts of the world because that's how you learn about it. So in the case of the Central Asia and moving forward, this is how even ASEAN countries seeing those possibilities. That's why they decided to stay neutral, except we are noticing Philippines. Philippines doesn't seem to be able to make up its mind. For whatever reason. So now, even the Chinese part, uh, the, the premier, the Chinese Premier Li, he added, and I put this quote here, strategic large-scale projects are steadily advancing, end of quote. Once again, guys, these words are measured, but also these words are sending a message. To the West, because the pressure of the West thinking that they're gonna just pressure these countries and they're gonna cave in. They won't. They won't. Strengthening Russia and China, strengthening their bilateral ties on mainly on the economic front and the investments at the moment, it's going to pave the way for the possibility of the military. Maybe, maybe not. We shall see. And like I said earlier, Like I said earlier, the Prime Minister of Russia, uh, uh, Mishustin, he went to China accompanied by, uh, the Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak. Now why is this guy important? Well, it's because Alexander Novak, based on what I know about the guy, and I read up on him, of course, Alexander Novak is the one who handles Russia's energy policy. You don't take somebody at that status with you on a trip unless you are planning on ensuring access to the Chinese market and extending the contracts. That is exactly what is going on. You know, this is why Alexander Novak is in, in, in China along with the, with the Prime Minister Mishustin. Because remember also, Russia's top customer when it comes out to energy, which country? If, if any of you can put this on the chat box, which is Russia's top energy customer? Let me see if if any of you would put that. I like to engage you guys, like we always say. Uh, I know it takes a while. By the time you guys type in, it takes a little bit longer for this to show up. Just how internet is. Oh, oh, let me say thank you first while you guys type in that. I want to say thank you to Boon Thank you so much. You know, the old emperors say war is not only about armies but also economics and logistics, end of quote. No military support but economic support. You're absolutely correct, Boone, and history proves that. You know, you can have all the military, but if your economy is weak, forget about it. Thank you so much for sharing this, and thank you so much for your support, continued support, and the Super Sticker. Truly appreciate it. So, all right, let me see who answered the question here. Uh, uh, George, which country is the top? Uh, no, it's China. It is China. China is, uh, uh, uh, question more. He wrote that. Yeah, thank you for putting that in. Yeah, indeed, indeed, it is China. It's because this is why you have a a, a, an energy, top energy, uh, analyst or advisor going to China. He's not gonna go for just for the heck of the trip. He's going to ensure that the contracts that exist and the one to be created with China are long-term. And this is why when conflict with Ukraine started, Europe is gonna— and there is a record for it, by the way, guys, you can check it out. I said back then, Russia— I mean, Europe would not be able to survive without Russia's energy. Why? Because its proximity, logistics, and cost. And second thing I said, Russia will be able to replace— after the sanctions— will be able to replace its energy that is sending to Europe just between two markets, the largest markets in the world. China and India. And this is the example for it. So China last year, by the way, became Russia's top energy customer as Moscow— or Russia's gas exports to, uh, uh, Europe plummeted, of course, because of the sanctions. But China and India made up the difference, and This is exactly what Novak— the reason why he went over with the, the Prime Minister. Uh, and like I said, Russia— as a matter of fact, Russia's supply, energy supplies to China went up by 40% year on year in 2023. The year is not even over yet and the energy is up to 40%. And that just tells you, you know what it means? If you put this in a data, if, if you are to create a chart with all the graphs and all that, and you put a percentage, when you take this figure, the 40% increase year on year, that means that's an increase of over 150% year on year. That is very major. And it gives Russia an incentive not to— so why bother about Europe? Because Europe is collapsing on its own, due to its own making, because it does not have an independent foreign policy. That is the heart of the issue. Of course, we the one created the tensions because we never wanted Europe to get closer to Russia. Economically speaking. And that's how, uh, this is going to move forward, I believe. So the other question that you need to ask yourself, and I'm going to ask you, feel free to, if you, you feel comfortable answering or not, who do you think is benefiting more from this relationship between Russia and China? Is it China or is it Russia? I'll let you answer that one first, at least, and I'll elaborate later on as we move forwards. Now, there is one thing that all this comes during a time when, uh, uh, China said and stated on the record that it is, uh, it is staying neutral when it comes down to the Ukraine. Same way India did, and some African countries. Majority of African countries or Global South are staying neutral. You gotta accept Ghana, I think, and Kenya, uh, and if I'm not mistaken, and Cameroon, the third country, if I'm not mistaken. Don't quote me on the last country, Cameroon, I'm not certain, but I know Ghana and, and Kenya, uh, they are condemning Russia. You know, that's fine if that is what they want. So So this is where I see the, the importance of this, uh, the timing of it. The timing is not coincidental and didn't happen in a vacuum either. So, and because also remember China sent an envoy to Ukraine after the phone call between President Volodymyr Zelensky and President Xi. Of course Chinese president is not going to go And I hope he doesn't, because that's the image of his status. And it won't— as a matter of fact, and I am going to say it because I don't shy away from this, you know, uh, it would be a mistake if President Xi meets with, with, uh, uh, with the President comedian Zelensky one-on-one. You don't lower the standard, you raise the standards. So, and I am, I'm certain President Xi's advi— advisors who's going to say, no, no, no, no, no, sir, you can't meet with him at this point, send an envoy. And that's exactly what is happening. So this happens because China staying neutral, but also China wanted to broker a deal between Russia and Ukraine. But the West, of course, rejected the moment China presented the 12 points. You all remember, and I mentioned that a couple times, the West criticized those and rejected it immediately. Yeah, yeah. Why is because you can just see how much they want to foment the tensions to keep going, uh, uh, uh, forward. So the other thing has to do with also China's, uh, uh, reached out to Central Asia because they want to ensure the stability of that part of the world because it's very, very crucial. Remember, that's Central Asia. I wish I kept the map, but I did not. You know, it represents really a link. It's a very, very, very strategic areas of great, great interest. So, and, uh, and this is why where I see the challenges that lies ahead as far as this brokering a deal between Russia and Ukraine. Uh, the US is not gonna let it, you know, because the, the US holds the key. Ukraine cannot do anything unilaterally anyway. That's just, that's just the way, the way it happened, or the way it is happening. And again, when, when China released the peace, uh, the peace plan in, in, in, uh, about a month and a half ago, The Western countries, including the US, and headed by the US, rejected it, dismissed that, uh, right away. Because what they argued is that, well, the Russian president Vladimir Putin must sort of, uh, withdraw his forces. He's not going to do that. And I said this couple times, guys, that the territory that Russia took over ain't coming back to Ukraine. That, that's, that's, that's long gone, you know. It's a reality that President Volodymyr Zelensky needs to get a grip with. So, uh, just how it is. So I don't foresee any, any changes to that. Let me take a look at your answer here and see if, uh, if you answer that one. Yeah, okay. China will profit more. George Chan, uh, uh, yeah, I mean, it's reality of it, you know. China has the upper hand. I'll say it as an analyst. China has the upper hand. Is this means that China taking advantage? Not necessarily, but China also is serving its strategic interests. And most countries do that. The opportunity presented itself, you know, China can get a cheap energy from Russia. China can extend the hand of assistance to Russia, but it will be at China's terms. Not Russia's turn. And also, China, by doing this, it's securing the support and assistance of Russia when the time comes. China's thinking long term. Russia's looking at it for survival. That, that's just how it works, and most countries do that. Now, we do it— well, just, we do it in a bad way. That, that's just how— mostly China, Uh, Marduk, you're absolutely correct. Yeah, it's mostly China that is benefiting from it. It's a reality of it, you know. I'm sure Russians understand this. President Putin understand this reality and he's okay with it. Because remember that statement, mutual respect, you know, that does not mean China's taking advantage of Russia. It just the timing of it is of benefit to Russia to China— I'm sorry, to China more so than it is to Russia. That's just the norm. Things could turn down the road because here's the thing, you need to think about what if the next conflict in Taiwan Strait get to a different level. It's going to be now the turn for China, and Russia could lend a helping hand. That's just the way, the way I see it. So you're absolutely correct, uh,, uh, uh, uh, in the answer here. So, all right, let me go back to the top, say where you are joining me from, and I am gonna make a quick conclusion here and close this out here. Lucio from Montreal, good to see you in Montreal. Uh, I'm gonna be in Montreal in the summer, by the way, so, uh, I got a business trip there quickly. Uh, oh, oh, Somar from Hamburg. Germany. I used to enjoy Hamburg when I will go, uh, sometimes to Kiel, K-I-E-L, before I head out to Denmark. And, and I used to travel back then. So, all right, let me see. Athene Wu, good to see you as always. Boon, good to see you as always. Uh, let me see. Yeah, if you can type in quickly here where you guys are joining me from. And already mentioned some other ones from, uh, uh, uh, like Ingenious from Spain. Espana, what part in Spain? So, all right, let me see what you, uh, Athene Woo. David, but what's worse than the junk food is LGBTQ, which is imposed on the kids in the West. I find this more disturbing. It is disturbing. Yeah, nothing against LGBTQ, but the children should not be exposed to this too early. I agree with you, you know, I don't shy away from that. I don't give a damn what others think, you know what I mean? Because you're gonna have to take stand on certain things, you know. That's their life, you know, as long as they don't impose things on me. And they can keep that away, you know. They just— well, we become in this society that is like noodles, you know. What happened to when a man is a man? Come on, it's pathetic, very pathetic, you know. And, and, and, ah, don't even get me on that, Athene. I get frustrated with this stuff. All right, let me see if you guys have a question. If you have a question, please put a question here. I'll answer it quickly for you, and I will sign up because I— it's almost bad time here where I am in this part of the world. So, and I'm still doing this from overseas. I should be back home soon, and we'll resume our schedule with all the videos. I know I haven't been doing videos, regular recording, uh It's just, you know, it's not a conducive environment for me here, but it's just the way it's gonna work. So, all right, let's see any question from any of you. Uh, uh, all right, let's see here. Athene Wu. Yeah, there's question. US seems to want to keep the current conflict in Ukraine going. However, with debt ceiling problem of the US and EU being driven bankrupt by US soon, Where does the West get the money? Printing, especially in the US, uh, uh, uh, especially in the US, uh, the Europeans also, they can do the same, but we all know what it means. The more you print, the weaker you make your currency. And this is why you get countries, especially now with China discovering the gold in Shandong area, about 200, uh, I think 28 tons or something like worth of gold, $28 billion worth, $28 billion. So China is amassing gold, Russia is amassing gold, uh, Brazil, South Africa, Global South, and so on. But also Western central banks are also stacking on gold. What does it mean? Is something coming up? Most likely looks to me that way. Central banks will not amass gold especially when it comes down to, for example, China selling the US debt. Yeah, because they don't want to hold the US dollar, which to them, do you blame them? No, this is exactly so. Europe, Europe, Europe is in, Europe is weak. Europe cannot even take stand and they're being dragged into this. And it was a reason for why we in the United States had to weaken the euros. That was a strategic move on our part so they can stay dependent on the US. Same thing with this energy thing. That is the reason why the conflict was created, because we never wanted Europe to get closer to Russia, especially Germany. Germany being the heart of the European economy. Because when you think about Europe, literally, who do you think of? Not France. France is gone. UK is a mess. Anyway, UK, what does he have? You know, nothing. No, you are left with Germany. Germany is the key. So that is part of where the problem is. So where it's going, and especially now with the debt ceiling in the US, and as a matter of fact, the meeting that took place yesterday between President Biden and the Speaker of the House McCarthy didn't yield any results, and we only about 6 days from June 1st. About 7 days from June 1st, or 8 days, that is, because that's when deadline, which means if nothing, if they don't come up with a, a solution to this, that means we're gonna have to default. And defaulting is going to trickle down to— it's not the wealthy that's going to suffer, it's not the millionaires that's going to suffer, it's the average people, you know, let alone some of us in the US don't even understand what's going on because the mainstream media is feeding the narrative that has nothing to do with the reality. So people stare at the idiot box and consume in whatever they are telling them. Yeah, it's their fault, you know, they shouldn't be blaming others. Go educate yourself and learn about the issues, you know. And yet they prefer, even in YouTube, you know, they prefer to watch silly stuff. You know, instead of using brain, make the brain work, because brain is a muscle too. You need to work it. How do you work it? By thinking critically. Yeah, it's their problem. They're the one creating it. So, so what you're gonna see, you're gonna see hardships there. That's the— in Europe we're already seeing it. And, and I was in Europe, and I'm gonna go back to Europe, and I've talked to people, and, and Yeah, they are not happy with the economic outlook that it's looking up there. Uh, oh, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. I love Dr. Dave, I love this channel. Cool to be here for a live stream, New Zealand. I couldn't thank you enough for giving me your time because that's why it means a lot to me. All of you guys, your time mean a lot to me. I know I would never waste your time. You, you can have my word on it. It's because time is precious, you know, and, and, and if I have nothing of value or of substance, I won't come on the air because, because it won't be fair. It won't be fair to you, me wasting your time for what? For views? Heck, who cares? So, so thank you so much for that. All right, let me do one more here at the bottom, see if there is any question. Jack Robert, good to see you as always. All right, let me see here. Oh, that's an interesting one. Hey, uh, Doc, why the hell have the United States and the West double down on woke military marketing? If so, how can they be serious about defeating Russia and China? Yeah, it really pains me to see. I wore the uniform, you know, I was proud to do, to do so, but it was in a time where you meant something, you know, and you kind of like, you know, when you are asked question by some way high ranking, whatever, you just answer according to what is good for the country. You know, I recall one incident when I was asked one time by a way high-ranking officer, and I answered, and I kind of like, you know, I didn't work for the guy. So, well, Mr., we could mean it this way. I said, no, sir, it means this way here. He didn't like what I said. Well, I don't give a damn whether you like it or not. I am thinking about the welfare of the country, not your political career, not your, your whatever, because you want to sound whatever. And I don't want to sound intelligent. I want to sound pragmatic. You asked me a question. I provide you an answer to the best of my abilities that I know will serve the country, not your interest. Well, I didn't mean it that way. I see. No, you did, sir. You know, and if you got an issue, take it up with the boss. You never answered me back or never asked me question either. It's like, too bad. So yeah, I see your point. You really got a point there. So, and that's, that's unfortunate. That is unfortunate, you know. And even military, I still talk to some folks in the military and they are not content with the direction. The Pentagon, it's really, it's losing that. The Pentagon used to be independent. It's becoming also infiltrated by politics. And once you have that, there is nothing left in the American system. We used to think back then that the Supreme Court was supposed to be independent. Supreme Court is fragmented, you know, is corrupted too, just in a different way. The Pentagon used to be independent. The military entity stays away from politics. They don't— not anymore. So there is nothing left. No institution that can claim independence and said, no, we stand for, you know, what's right and what's good for the country. No, this is usually an indication for a decline. That's usually how it starts. That's how it starts. All right, let— oh, Denmark! Who is from Denmark? Alex! Alex from Denmark, good to see you. Jack Robert from London, good to see you as always. H from Australia, good to see you as always. Uh, DM Gor from Pakistan, good to see you. Uh, West Dakota, that's, uh, Mustafa, good to have Good to have you here. George Chang from Netherlands, good to have you. Hang Long from UK, good to have you. Uh, let me see. New Zealand, yes, that's, uh, SMCO, good to have you here. Mani from India, good to have you. India, by the way, India needs to work on some stuff, you know. India has potentials, except that they need to work on really some domestic infrastructure for them to move, to move forward. Marduk from Iraq. You know, I, I enjoyed my time in Iraq, even though it was under different circumstances. I had a chance to really talk to the locals. I speak the language. I'm very familiar with the culture. And like I said in my last show, I think, or the one before, uh, I read in history enough about how Iraq used to be. And how Baghdad used to be the center where the, the, the rules of the Arabic grammar was established. So, so, uh, Baghdad, it has a lot of history to it. So, so good to have you, uh, Yanis from Seattle, Washington. Good to have you, uh, Yanis, right here. Oh, I'm sorry, right here. Yanis from Seattle, Washington. So good to have you here. Let me see if any other— oh, oh, that's an interesting question. Spring Penny: Why does the West hate Russia so much? Yeah, there is this hatred towards, you know, and, and I, I met Russian people, you know, and, and I was in Eastern Europe recently, and I will share this with you later on once I get back, to the States and all that. Yeah, it's, it's historically, if they only understand, especially after World War, uh, uh, One and, and World War Two, uh, just the role that Russia played back then. But, uh, it's, it's, it's to create the— you have to identify the enemy. It's kind of, uh, I, I don't have a word for how to describe it because I don't hate people. Hate doesn't exist for me. It's a negative feeling. I never, you know, anybody who hates someone else, they need to look inward. It's not an, it's not a positive energy. You know, you can't hate another human being. They're just other human beings. You can't do that. Yeah, it's gonna eat you alive. That's like when you harbor either anger or something. No, it's not good. We're just passing through. So why it's— and this is where if you have a, a population that is educated, you know, any society in the world, once the population becomes educated and understands, you won't, you won't feel or hear or see this kind of behavior towards other human beings. You know, I, I wish I have an answer. I really wish I have, uh, uh, uh, I wish I have an answer to that. So, all right. Oh, somebody from Valencia, from Catalonia in Spain. Catalonia, that's nice. Good to have you here. Uh, okay, uh, see one more question and I am going to sign off. I got to go for my walk. I walk bed It's always nice to walk, guys. Walking is very, very, very, very important. Oh, let me say thank you to Mr. Iman for the super sticker. I thank you so much for your super sticker, Mr. Iman. I really appreciate it. Thank you. Who is Mancy? I agree, Dr. O. I appreciate your insight about India. You are most welcome. And it was never ever, and I would never ever meant to, uh, negatively. It's only meant to point out where improvements can be made. It's a, it's a, a positive criticism of sort. And I welcome you guys to do that with me as well. Please don't ever hesitate to criti— criticize me as long as it is constructive, you know. Yeah, I shared with you a couple times when we have those stupid comments that have no, no, no, no link to reality whatsoever. And, and why do people will put such stupidity like that? It's reflecting on them. But your criticism is welcome, you know. I don't shy away from it, and I welcome it, and I will work on if something needs to be whatever. It's like today, guys, I made a mistake when I put the description. I, I was typing so fast and I cut and pasted quickly and I made the mistake. It was my responsibility. I fixed it later on. But thank you all for those who point that out. Dr. O is confusing. You're absolutely correct, and I thank you for that. He meant to be corrective. It was productive. It was like, uh, uh, constructive, and I welcome that, and I thank you for that. So because we are a community, that's what we are. So all right, let me see. And if I don't have— and that's it. So I am going to sign off, guys, because I need to go for my quick walk and go to bed because I get up very early at 06:10 an hour. So my time here in this part of the world where I'm at. I hope you find this very informative, and I can't thank you enough for joining me. And I look forward to seeing you next time. As always, remember, your politics impact your daily life in more ways than one. Till next time, guys. Bye-bye.