Not Again: Another Military Friction between Russia & US in the Arctic!

All right, hello everybody and welcome to Geopolitical Trends, where truth matters. Very, very, very excited to be with you because of the topic I'm going to be talking to you about. I'm very, very familiar with it. I wrote a book about Russia and addressed this particular aspect of the Arctic. So this is what we're going to be addressing today. So of course there is a lot to to unpack into this, even historically speaking, when it comes down to the Arctic, which a lot of people do not know. I intend to share this with you, share with you a little bit of geography to understand the boundaries of the Arctic, and also get into the depth of analysis based on what I wrote in the book. And I'll be sharing stuff with you, so make sure to prepare your question towards the end. I'll take about 2 or 3, uh, just to answer this one since it's a topic I am very, very familiar with. Before I'll do this, I want to see who's here. Say hi to everybody. Uh, Willie Homan, wow, you logged in so early, man. Good to see you from Memphis, Arkansas, as always. Uh, Bretos Kibasa, good to see you. Uh, George, good to see you. Taiwan Steel, good to see you. Phil, uh, good to see you as always. Uh, Lori, good to see you. John Smith, New Zealand, good to see you. Truth Seeker, good to see you. CD Rohana, good to see you. Marcian Dorcier, good to see you. Chanel, good to see you. Uh, okay, uh, okay, who is Chaz? Arash, uh, Hossein Izadeh, good to see you. My, my apologies if I mispronounce. Lucio Delgado, good to see you. Juan Casey, Markup and Francis Tango, Franny. Oh, Osiris, great, good to see you as always. Osiris is the one that buys me coffee every day. Thank you so much, Osiris. And speaking of coffee, uh, I have to say thank you to another individual here, uh, which today when I wake up, uh, logged in of course to, uh, see what's going on around the world and prepare for this one here Only to find out, uh, a note came to my email regarding someone who bought me 10— yeah, I'm sorry, 100 cups of tea. This is in support of the Asia trip. So that's Francis Lucero. Thank you so much, Francis. It means a lot. Your generosity means a lot. And this goes for the Asia trip, uh, of course. That's what it's gonna go to. So thank you so much for that. I just wanted to share this with you. Another thing I want to share also is, uh, some of you asked me to invite Professor Hudson, Michael Hudson. I did reach out to him. He is not available till after June. So that's for personal reasons. I'm not going to disclose that because that's his private life. He shared it with me, but I don't have the permission to do so. But after June, I will reach out to him and I will have him Uh, here, uh, uh, towards the end of this month I will be doing the community conversation and I will be also doing my conversation with Carlza because we said we'll be doing it every 2 or 3 weeks. So I'll be reaching out to him soon. All right, today's topic, what are we going to be talking about today? Well, of course, as I put in the title, not again another provocation. So why are we provoking the Russians? And this has to do with two, uh, US bombers that went closer. Those are nuclear, uh, uh, bombers that went closer to Russia's border. What was that for? Is it intimidate? What for? To me, it's irresponsible to do so. So, and, and in response, the Russians deployed their MiG-31 and they chased those two bombers. As a matter of fact, The moment the two bombers saw the MiGs coming closer, they took off or, or they veered in a different direction. So, and this happened near the Barents Sea, which I will provide you some info about it. And this is what we're gonna be talking about today. So now the questions we need to ask about this, because it's a very, very important to understand. First of all, why is the US provoking Russia? You know, we already have enough tensions going on. Second, is this a hint of the inevitable competition over the resources in the Arctic? And if you only know, we're talking about, based on the research that I did and confirmed, over $35 trillion— there it is, $35 trillion— of untapped This is not even accessed yet, untapped natural resources, and that contains gas, oil, magnesium, you know, rare earth elements. There is a lot. So, and this is why I'm asking the question, is this a hint for the inevitable competition, competition that's going to be over there? The third question, which is important, is what will China do considering its investments in the region or intervention in the region? Intervention in terms of investments, because China has put money on the table regarding some projects, pipeline, gas, gas pipelines that's going to come over to China. Of course, it's its own interest, it has to protect it. So, and this is why those are the key question we ought to ask and to put all this within a perspective. So, all right, let's get into headlines here quickly. Then we'll jump into, uh, into the analysis of all this. So I'm going to be sharing some pictures with you. I have a lot of pictures today. I, I provided a little bit more that I— so here's a picture. This guy, this is Sébastien Lecornu. That's the defense minister of France. Well, France now is denying that it has supplying or is supplying Israel with weapons during the Gaza conflict. I mean, are you gonna trust France? You know, so Sébastien Lecornu, the one you're seeing on the image, the defense minister, denies the accusation that Paris provided components for ammunition used by the Israeli army in Gaza. Well, well, well, well. You know, no matter what they say, because there is a French website that disclosed or reported that Marseille, Marseille-based Orolinx had sold M27 belt and metal parts used to attach automatic rifle cartridge to ammunition belts. You know, do you guys know, I've been on a helicopter, I used to see them when you go on a bird, there's this, you know, machine gun that it has the belt with all the ammo in it. This is exactly what France is providing. And this is French website, uh, argued or, or sort of, uh, uh, rebuttal what the French defense minister is saying. Oh, we don't supply anything. It is a lie. So, and this is the type of ammunition that is now used against civilians in the Gaza Strip. So next one is, uh, this one here. Can anybody tell me who this gentleman is? All right, let me see quickly here, guys. And just, just hypothetically, this is one of those, uh, for us exchanging ideas and thinking. Let me see if anybody can guess who this individual is. Uh, he keep— he's keeping a low profile. You don't hear much of him. Okay, this is the president of Colombia. Yeah, here is what happened. His name is Gustavo Petro. Now Gustavo just threatened— listen carefully, guys— threatened to cut off the ties with Israel if it did not comply with the UN Security Council resolution of ceasefire. We all know ceasefire was approved, right? Is there any ceasefire? No. So he's now threatening to cut off ties with Israel, uh, altogether, uh, and, and Tel Aviv accused him of supporting Islamic resistance movement. Oh no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. He is calling for something that is right, simple as that. No, and this is why they're gonna now try to tarnish his image and all that, and that's usually what they do. So, and because here's the thing, Petro, uh, Gustavo, he said, and I quote, if Israel does not comply with the UN ceasefire resolution, we will sever diplomatic relations with it, end of quote. Straightforward. And, uh, you know, to me it's like kind of he's taking a stand, you know. Where are the Arab leaders? Weak, so weak, it's beyond weak, whatever term you want to use. So here's the, the last, uh, uh, headlines I'm going to share with you. And this is very sad, uh, what just happened in, uh, during, uh, an— I won't call it an— I don't know, was it an attack or just a bombing or whatever? It's in Pakistan. By which 5 Chinese were killed. But this one was intended to target the 5 Chinese. So the 5 Chinese people were killed along with their Pakistani driver on Tuesday in a bombing targeting their car in Shangla District of Pakistan, northwestern, uh, Khyber, uh, Pakhtunkhwa Province, you know. So the Pakistani media saying that the, that provincial police officials are, uh, saying that the dead Chinese were engineers on a hydropower project as they were heading from Islamabad to Dasol in the province. Police officials said that car bomb collided with the car carrying the Chinese engineer, killing them. For winning. And seriously, wounding the Pakistani driver and dying. So because they died after this one here. And if you notice, I did read the article. There was some graphic images. I don't want to show them here, guys. Uh, the car had to, you know, this is like a cliff, you know. They didn't survive. Well, you all know why they are attacking the Chinese engineers there, because they don't want the developments to happen. You all know what happened in Balochistan. And as a matter of fact, the attack that took place in Moscow It's coming from that part of the world. That group is tied to Baluchistan because that's where the head, uh, the, the, uh, the head of the group, Khorasan, that's where he resides. He resides in Baluchistan. So, so it's, it's sad to see. Now, now the Chinese going to request a full investigation. Of course, the Chinese will have to be— I won't say careful, but it's kind of targeting them Uh, to me it's planned. All this is planned because of the developments. Remember, China comes in with economic ventures, we go in with conflicts, and we won't want to see other, uh, countries develop and so forth. And this is what we're going to be talking about today. So, all right, let's get into our topic. The Russian Defense Ministry has announced now, as of 2 days ago, that it has pushed, uh, sort of its MiG-31 fighter jets after two US bombers, uh, approached the Russian border over the Barents Sea. Let me show you a picture. Uh, this is the, uh, the, the MiGs that was used, and this is the bomber in question. Two of those, uh, reached the border, uh, of the Barents Sea, which is closer to, to Russia. So the same source added that the two bombers moved away from the Russian border after the approach of the MiG-31 fighter. So very, very interesting. And this basically was based on an article that I read by Matthew Dooley. Uh, I read it on, on its detail and sort of confirmed certain aspects, and I figured I'll do a live stream for you to provide you some insights about the Arctic and so forth, because I wrote a book about it. So, all right, let's start with geography here before I'll delve deeper into, uh, all this, because this might be a long live stream. So I got a lot of stuff to cover with you. So that's what is the purpose of it for. All right, let me share the, uh, no, not this one here, the World Atlas where I get the map. Uh, for you guys. Here we go, World Atlas. And I give credit to World Atlas. There's not a lot to see on the Arctic, by the way, just— but there are few things that you need to be aware of and understand. All right, here's the map of the Arctic, and I'm gonna just leave it here in the middle so you guys can at least, uh, have an idea. So the Arctic, which is a region of the planet, of course north of the Arctic Circle, and that includes the Arctic Ocean, okay, Greenland, Baffin Island, and smaller northern islands, and the far northern parts of Europe, Russia, Siberia, Alaska, and Canada. Speaking of Canada, I remember a few years ago, uh, a buddy of mine in Canada We went together all the way to the first circle of North Pole, about in, in, in an area called Tadoussac. If any of you who are in Canada, you probably will know what I'm talking about. And I remember we drove all the way, uh, to Tadoussac up there, and we got in a ferry and did a tour around that area. So very, very interesting, interesting area. That was the the first circle for, for, for that one. So now for the Arctic, a lot of people do not know what is the Arctic. What the Arctic is, the polar region of the Earth that surrounds the North Pole, and it includes, as I mentioned, the Arctic Ocean, numerous islands, and the northernmost portion of several countries. That's why there are other countries involved close by. Those includes Canada, Finland, Greenland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, and the United States. And most people can agree that with the statements that those countries are closer by, you know, Russia of course has much more proximity to it than others, uh, but there are some scientific disagreements over how far south the Arctic extends and what marks its southern boundaries. So, and, and, and that's a conversation for another day. Now, there is another aspect you need to understand, is the history of the Arctic. Why is it important to understand the history of the Arctic? And for this one, I'm gonna just share brief, brief history. I have a picture that I need to share with you. Yeah, right there. So, oh, not this one, it's rather this one here. Let me make this bigger, full screen. There we go. And what you're looking at, those are the, uh, this is the Italian military aircraft supporting of NATO mission over Iceland. Just, uh, but beside the point, I just wanted to show you that picture. But here is the history of the Arctic. Now you're looking at two things. One is religious. Yeah, believe it or not. And the second one is colonial. So the religious conflicts and colonial violence contributed to the establishment of the 8 modern Arctic states: Canada, United States, Iceland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, and Russia. Early interstate conflicts between Arctic nations, including Canada and the United States, That's how it all started back then. Then Norway and Sweden and further influenced the foundation of modern Arctic relations. And this is what, uh, been argued throughout the history. And there are some articles, and I'm going to provide you, uh, uh, an article from the Arctic Institute that you guys can take a look at it, which I'm getting this information from, by the way. But one thing is sure is that the Arctic resources continue to play a critical role into the national strategies into the 20th century moving forward. And here is what happened by the time World War II began. What year did it begin? What year did World War II start? I mean, I don't assume— I would like to ask your participation in the conversation here. What year did World War II start? World War II, let me see. And it takes— there's a delay here as always. Oh, Boon, good to see you, Boon, as always. Uh, Francis Tango, 1939. You guys, you got it, you got it, 1939. That's when it started. So, so by the time World War II started in 1939, Germany was dependent on Sweden for over 50% of its own— of its iron ore. So why is that? Because it was a critical element for the German military and economic capabilities at that time. In addition, Germany was also dependent on Norway for transit of Swedish minerals to Germany. This is why that history is important. And, uh, it was an article written by Rogers and Jester, uh, which analyzes— it's titled Knowledge Is Power: Greenland, Great Power, and Lessons from the Second World War. And I'm going to provide you the links to all these guys. This is why the history of it, of the Arctic, you need to understand it to have a better grasp of the dynamics, the geopolitical dynamics that's taking place in, in the Arctic. Then you need to think in terms of while the world is dealing with like what took place in Moscow, in, in the Gaza, in the Ukraine conflict, the US is sending its bombers near Russia's borders. So this is where You need to understand the importance of this. And the— this particular article argued that the strategic role that Greenland played in providing a different kind of resources to force— to forces in World War II. So information which was used in the planning of military operations on the European continent. And this is why the Arctic remains— and I did disclose this in my book— remain a pivotal military theater throughout the Cold War. During which— this, this period of the Cold War, the Arctic was characterized by something called militarization, or a high level of militarization. Why is this important? Because this is when— and I'm gonna show you a base, and I am very familiar with this because I, I looked at it looked into it, rather. Uh, let me hide this picture here and show you. Uh, where's the picture? Yeah, right here. Okay, stop sharing. Yeah, right there. What you're looking at, this is Glover the Russian base. And this is why I'm saying the high, uh, level of militarization in the Arctic. And this, by the way, the region now includes the placements of the ICBMs, uh, inter— uh, intercontinental ballistic missiles, in addition to long-range bombers, in addition to nuclear weapon, and a host of additional military resources. This started in the Cold War. This is why I'm saying the importance— you need to understand the dynamics of this to make sense of why all of a sudden this aspect of the Arctic, it's so crucial. So this is what's important, and I'll provide you guys the link to read up more of the article that I, uh, read by, uh, John, uh, Ian, Ian Evans, Ian, or Ian Evans, that's how they pronounce them in the Nordic states, uh, that was written, uh, through the Arctic Institute. So, so, and I've— I'm very familiar with this institute because I used to read up some of their stuff when I was doing my research about the Russia book. Speaking of that book, where is the— right there. That's when I wrote the book about the dynamics of Russia's geopolitics remaking the global order, and I address specifically the Arctic, which I will be providing you some analysis from that particular book soon. Well, once again, is— we're going to ask ourselves, is military friction now embroiling in the Arctic between the US and, and, and Russia? Second question is, why? Why are we provoking Russia? Because you're gonna ask yourself, you know, you look at it yourself. Let's say somebody's been harassing you for so long, you know, you're going to be patient about it, but to a degree. And at some point, you're going to lose your patience. This is what I'm fearing. I fear that when Russia loses its patience— because I'm starting to see the signs, and the signs to this is, for example, the statements of the Russian president that said, and I paraphrase here, we will be willing to consider nuclear option. Well, if you only know what's been placed in the Arctic, what the Russians have done, especially in the Glover base— I am very familiar with what's going on in that base. There is a lot of, lot of, a lot of presence military-wise, hardware stuff, ICBMs, bombers, and so forth, that can, that can have access to the rest of the world just from that location. So, and this is why we need— this is an aerial look of, of the base, uh, Glover. It's called Glover Base. And this is why it's important for us to understand, uh, that now you look at sending a nuclear bomber near Russia's border, how they going to interpret this? Because the first question is, say, what the heck wrong with Americans? What are they doing here? You know, are the Russians sending their bombers, uh, the, the Tu-160 near our borders? No. So it makes you just wonder. And this is where I see part of that problem. So now when you look at about the Barents Sea itself, uh, there is, uh, an important, uh, aspects of the Barents Sea that I need you to— I have a map here from the, uh World Atlas. I'm going to share it with you just for you to see, uh, the aspects of the Barents Sea, because it's very, very important. Now, the Barents Sea has an average depth of about, uh, 200-230 meters, and it is very important for fishing, of course, because that's how the locals depends on. Then the hydrocarbon exploration. And is bordered to the west by the edge of the cliff of the Norwegian Sea, the, the Svalbard archipelago to the northwest, Franz Josef Land to the northeast, and Norway's Himalaya to the east. Now, the Norwegian Sea and the Greenland Sea in the west and by the Kola Peninsula in the south. The Barents Sea is separated from the Kara Sea by the Kara Strait and the Novaya Zemlya Archipelago. Now there is one thing I need you to know about the Barents Sea, and, and this is where the— I think, where is that picture of the— yeah, this is the Norwegian Sea here. But here is in the Kara Sea. There is a strait right here. That's the one I'm pointing at. One thing also I need you to know about that region is the White Sea. I don't know if you ever heard of it or not. Well, you have the White Sea and you have the Pechora Sea. The two are parts of the Barents Sea. The White Sea is a southern arm of the Barents Sea, which separates the Kola Peninsula from the Russian mainland, the mainland that is. And the Pechora Sea is situated in the southeastern part of the Barents Sea. So, and this is why it's very, very important. There are some good pictures here for, for the Barents Sea. Uh, I'm gonna just show them while I'm having the screen on here. Before I move on into some other aspects here. So it's, it's worth, uh, it's worth understanding, uh, where, where everything is, so you'll have a better understanding of why, uh, that, that region is going to become very, very sort of the competition. In my opinion, this is what's going to be leading to. So, all right, just to follow on my own inter— uh, analysis and interpretations of all this. Like I said, the Russians, uh, have announced that they have sort of pushed the two bombers, uh, uh, after they identified, uh, an air target, uh, and prevent a violation of the state border of the Russian Federation. That's why they end up dispatching or deploying the MiG-31 from their air defenses border on Duri. They were scrambled quickly. So, and, and the Russian Fed— the Department of Defense said, and I quote, the Russian fighter crew identified the aerial target as a pair of the US Force B-1B strategic bombers. Those are the Lancer, which is the picture of it, uh, where is it? Right here. That's the Lancer. Those are the B-1, uh, B-1B, uh, Lancers. Uh, so the quote said, the, the B-1B strategic bomber, as the Russian fighter approached The American strategic bombers adjusted their flight course, moving away and then turning around from the state border of the Russian Federation. End of quote. Well, all this to me, it's a big concern, but also we have to think of why, why that is, is because you have to think about the potential for significant access to oil and gas reserves in the Arctic. It is documented, and I disclosed it in the book, that an estimated of about $35 trillion worth of untapped natural resources. Basically, what you're looking at, just the region by itself, you're looking at as much as 13% of the world undiscovered oil reserves and 30% of undiscovered natural gas. It's major. This is why China went ahead and, uh, sort of put money on the table. And, and, and I'm aware of the project that China has financed along with Russia, and, and for a reason which I'm going to be disclosing as I move forward. So now, of course, the Norwegian Armed Forces, uh, sort of, uh, uh, didn't disclose the full picture Because Norway, of course, is under the US thumb, as you may know. What was Norway involved with the US regarding a major event that took place in 2022, actually after the Russian military operations in Ukraine? Does anybody know? There was a major event that took place. Norway was involved Nobody knew at that time. If you can type in that on the chat box, I want to test your knowledge on this one here. Oh, you got it, David King, you got it! Nord Stream, which one? Which one? John Smith got it, Nord Stream indeed, guys. Which one? North Stream 2. You guys got it. Who answered that one? Chanel, you got it. And John Smith, you got it. Jane Juan, you got it also. North Stream 2. Norway was involved, the, the, the Navy of, of Norway. As a matter of fact, let me see one thing I have on my computer here that I kept. It was a satellite image. Uh, I'm gonna share it with you guys. Okay, let me see what the name of it is because I have to name certain things. Yeah, let me, let me share the picture with you. Bear with me here. Okay, I have to enter the code for the satellite. To get it. All right, I got it. Here's the picture. This is an image of a satellite, and the satellite that I had access to at that time, it shows the movement of where the boat that had to target Nord Stream 2, and it's coming out of— what's this area here? You're looking at Norway. So Norway was part of the, of the, of the plan regarding Nord Stream 2. But in any event, we, we don't care about, uh, what Norway's armed forces saying, except that they are sort of, uh, uh, cherry-picking the information not to disclose, uh, uh, uh, even though Norwegian headquarters near Bodø although that's the area where to play. Acknowledge the incursion. Spokesman Radar Flesnens did not provide additional information, and that tells me the story right there. So, and I'm not gonna bother with this as much. So now let's get in into, uh, the analysis that I did about, uh, the Arctic. Why Arctic is so important? Why the US is provoking Russia? Why you're gonna be seeing, uh, sort of competition over the Arctic. So while Russia— in case of Russia, Russia has long sought the economic and the military dominance, uh, in its northern shores, a region that holds as much as $35 trillion worth of untapped oil and gas. And as I said earlier, even China— and if you know anything, China has no territorial claim in in that part of the Arctic has begun— back when I did the research, it was 2 years prior to that, and I did the research in 2018 for the book to be published in 2021— began funding Arctic development projects. Why is this? Is because it underscores the growing, uh, global importance and influence of the Arctic. That is the reason why. So, and if you look at this picture here, this is when the Russians, after 2007, 2007 debate, went ahead and planted a titanium flag in the bottom ocean of the Arctic. That's, that's the, uh, what you call a robot taking the flag down to the ocean floor. It is another one here. So this is why it's important. So because you have to understand also how the increase in the— Russia's increase in the Arctic came about. It didn't happen in a vacuum, and nothing happens in a vacuum when it comes down to geopolitics. I even argued, I argued in the book that Mark my word that Arctic is going to become also another geopolitical front where the competition among major powers— well, which major powers are we talking about? You got 3 countries: Russia, China, and the US. End of story. As to Canada, US, uh, Canada, Norway, Finland— no, no, those are just, uh, they have to follow orders from the US. But here's what happened, because you need to have that historical understanding of it. Following the fall of the Soviet Union— USSR, that is— 1991, Moscow at that time, uh, right after the fall, paid little attention to the Arctic, especially during the '90s. Not all the way, but the first few years of, of the '90s, because at that time it was considered at best a burden fraught with socioeconomic challenges, because you all know the climate there. As a matter of fact, in that area there is one of the coldest villages in the world with a temperature that can go down to -75. Even the kids that go to school, uh, if the temperature reach -50, that's when they don't go. So they will go to school in -10, 20, 25, 30, and so forth. So I forgot the name of the village. I should have, uh, uh, anyway, the challenges that is. However, when Putin came to power in early 2000s, what happened? It was some sort of an Arctic revival. That's what took this strategy. Putin was thinking— that's why I always say Putin is a strategist. He has to think in a long term. So, so the revival led Russia to start perceiving the region as a strategic area that, that sort of could experience both cooperation and competition, forward slash confrontation. Though Russia wants to make sure that it's— that is, that is asserting its influence as a great power in the Arctic. And this is where You have the base, Glover base, came in. Because if you see how developed inside this, this base— by, by the way, some Western media were allowed access to just to see. Of course, they're not going to go to the sensitive areas within the base. Very, very, very interesting. I saw the, the, the, the technological advancements of it. I mean, high-end stuff, very, very high-end. So, and this is what Russia was doing as far as sort of cementing its, its influence in the region. Of course, you have to think about going back to different viewpoints about the debate, uh, that is now been taking place at that time. All of them converge over one question, and the question from the Western perspective is, what is Russia up to in the Arctic? That was the question. Well, the reality is that today's reality departs— really departs drastically from what the former leader of Russia, Mikhail Gorbachev, at that time, definition of the Arctic. I don't know if you were familiar with his speech of 1987. It's called Merman's Speech, and I will put the link for you guys. When he stated, and I quote, "The Arctic is a zone of peace." That era is gone. That's why he said— well, because the thinking has always been that the Arctic is an area of low political tensions between the East and the West. Well, today that picture is different. Look what the US just did, sending a bomber, not even a fighter jet. That's different story. Optics matter. When you send in a bomber, even though he wasn't carrying nuclear weapons, it doesn't matter. It's the optics of it. That's what I'm saying. And today the picture is very different as the dynamics in the Arctic sort of are changing by the day. Look at the Chinese investments in the Arctic. And Russia, that's when, when Putin came to power, embarked on this exploration of the Arctic for two main reasons. Two main reasons. Can anybody tell me, guys, what are the two main reasons? Think big picture, think a global aspect, think, you know, from that aspect of competition with, with global powers. What are those two main, uh, reasons for why when Putin came to power, it embarked on, on, on expanding the Russian presence in the Arctic? Let me just see your, your answer because I like to have your input into this. Ah, you're right, West, there are no adults in Washington. I agree with you. Uh, energy and security. Yeah, yeah, that's, that's basically what it is. Trade routes, resources. You guys got it. The two main thing, military and economics. And what you said is exactly that. Security falls into a part of the economic aspects of it, and, and you're absolutely, uh, correct on that assessment. Now, and that is the two reasons why. Now, now, my own analysis that when I wrote the book— and again, I'm sharing with you what I disclosed in, in the book here, uh— the idea is that from a military perspective, Russia's approach to the Arctic, which has increased over sort of a decade plus because it compels Moscow to expedite its presence to the changing geopolitical landscape. It became clear that the expansion of NATO wasn't gonna slow down after the fall of the Soviet Union. We went back on our word when we promised not to expand an inch eastward. So when Putin came to power, he saw those dynamics and started to think, if I don't take care of that, you're gonna have NATO establishing bases in the Arctic right across the borders from Russia. And they're like, no, that ain't gonna happen, and we're not gonna allow it. And this is the reason why the Russians went ahead and wanted to ensure their presence there. So this is from a military perspective thinking., the geopolitical landscape, the changing of it. So, and of course, knowing full well how the West will eventually react to Russia's military buildup in the Arctic, Moscow wanted to cement its presence in the Arctic as quickly as possible since it's no longer considered the Arctic an, an isolated or valueless region. That is what was very important about this, and we need to understand this dynamics of that. Of course, what you're looking at here with the white stuff, that's the how far expand the ice can go, and when you look at when Greenland and so forth, uh, all this plays the dynamics into why Russia had to ensure its military presence in the Arctic. That, that's the key to that one. So similarly, I argued— this is based on my own analysis here— gone the era when, uh, or when the Arctic was sort of, uh, what's the word I'm looking for, off-limits to military activities. Why? Because at that time it was harsh climate conditions. This is why I showed you that map, guys. It's because Uh, that's because the, the, the weather conditions are very, very unforgiving, very, very, very harsh. So you have to allocate, uh, some sort of major resources there. Well, also because the temperature start to warm up across the, the, the, the globe. And what this means that is that now for Russia started to give the same threat level to the Arctic than it did to other regions like the Baltic States, like the Balkans, like the Black Sea. Start to think in those terms. So what happened is that, uh, Russia at the time started to have sort of expand its full control over what happens and who operates near its northern borders. You all, as I said, and I disclosed it in the book, you all recall when NATO, after the fall of the Soviet Union 1991, expanded eastward all the way to Russia's doorsteps. This time around, Moscow sort of, uh, wanted to prepossess itself militarily one militarily to do two things. One is to counter any expansion of that nature, and two, to allow Russia easy access to its Northern Fleet, because that's where it is headquartered. Now, uh, there are those who say— I was one of those who said at that time that Russia's buildup is for defensive, uh, nature. What do you guys think? Was Russia— I'm, I'm still saying that today, but I am starting to change my mind given what just took place with Sweden and Finland. So in your opinion, was Russia's, uh, sort of, uh, uh, uh, buildup in the region Uh, in the Arctic was for defensive in nature, yes or no, in your opinion? Let me see your answer, guys. So, Caracola, good to see you, by the way. And you say yes. Francis, okay, let me see. Ivana, are you answering the question? Uh, YT, you said yes, required. John Smith, you said yes. For, for defensive. Part, part-time thinker, yes. Truth Seeker, yes. Yeah, it becomes clear. I mean, when I argued this back then, just now I am starting to see that if Russia is going to be moving tactical nuclears near the Finland border, that's still for defensive, but it can go both ways. But that's what I argued back then. So now, now of course what made this very prominent at that time was none other than the termination of the INF Treaty. So, and the INF Treaty that has to do with the, uh, medium-range nuclear missiles, uh, between Russia and the Soviet Union— between Russia and the United States, that is. So, so Russia now, with the end of this INF Treaty, Russia now is well positioned to deploy its missiles in the best area for targeting any enemy, for that matter. Europe, US, you name it, whomever. So, so, so it makes sense that for me personally, if I were to advise Moscow, I'll say you need to place your strategic nuclear assets, especially around the Dokola Peninsula, because the deployments, in my opinion, If I am to advise Moscow, which I'm sure they do have smart people there, it will do two things. One is to serve as a second strike capability, and two, it will be a convincing deterrent. That's the way I read it at that time when I was doing the analysis, and now it makes more sense because look what just happened with Finland and Sweden. So it makes perfect sense. So my assessment was on target back then and still holds today. And this is why the Russian president said, 'We will be moving heavy weapons.' He didn't disclose what it was. Of course you don't disclose what it was. For me, at that time, I did say it. So now, when you think of the Arctic, of course Russia gained another military advantage by establishing assets in the Arctic. Because it can now strengthen its Northern Fleet and push any Arctic-based conflict towards the sea lines of communication between the North Atlantic and the Baltic Sea. Why is this important? Can anybody think? Let me see, let me see what you guys put in. Why do you think that will be very— just think strategically, guys. Think the big picture. Why will it make more sense for Russia to gain that, uh, presence there? Because it will strengthen its Northern Fleet and push any Arctic-based conflict towards the sea line of communication between the North Atlantic and the Baltic Sea. Let me see what you guys came up with. Uh, boom, Kaliningrad. That's, that's one, that's one. I'm looking something specific. Disconnecting allies. Okay, you're on the right track, you're on the right track. I'll give one more chance here for someone. Safety and perhaps shipping. Yeah, that's of course, that's, that's on that side. I'm talking about militarily, militarily, guys. Yeah, of course you guys are right. The, the, the New Silk Road and all that, that's true. But of course, if that, that route is not secure militarily, you got a problem there. So, sub base, naval, blank, uh, uh, who did this one? Blank share, shares. Yes, sub, that has to do with the subs, because what Russia is known for also regarding its submarine technologies They can go very, very, very, very deep. They have some very advanced sonars. They can detect whatever. This, it will pave the way, but also because it will be problematic if they stay near the Arctic because the ice melting, it will be useless for, uh, submarines to hide there. That is one of the reasons for that. So, and of course, the risk remains, as I argue back then, that, uh, will follow if Russia or other country misjudge its other's intentions. Is intentions, or rather not attentions, intentions. This is the same arguments I've made about the South China Sea. The US keeps provoking the Chinese through Taiwan for that. My big concern is any miscalculation. Once the first shot is fired, you can't get it back. You can bring it back, that's it. Because the Chinese gonna interpret that as an attack and they're gonna have to retaliate. We all know what it means, and especially now with China developing some very advanced sonar system as well, some sub technology that we are now concerned because they will be able to detect— they, China in this case, able to detect US submarine in the region. Yeah, yeah. So, so now it makes sense to you why Russia has been— and I argued back then— that is going to be putting even more billions into developing not only its global base in the Arctic, but also ensuring the buildup of its Arctic military infrastructure that includes the Northern Glover military base, the one you're seeing. And it's located, by the way, on Kotelny. Uh, it's K-O-T-E-L-N-Y, Kotelny Island. So, and because the reason for it is because Russia's buildup in the Arctic sends a message to the West that it intends to play a far greater role geopolitically. So that is the reason why. There is another option, uh, uh, not option, but another objective, which is Russia is also making it clear to the West and NATO Alliance for that matter in the Arctic that the Arctic rather is fundamentally Russian territory. That's why they want to head and put the titanium flag near their areas, especially since the 4 other coastal nations are NATO members. You can just see the arguments. All because they are NATO members, that means they can bring in NATO weapons, establish bases there, and so forth. And this is why, as I mentioned earlier, this is why, as I mentioned earlier, in 2007, the debate followed, uh, Russia's planting the titanium flag, uh, the white, blue, and red tricolor flag on the seabed below the North Pole, claiming ownership. It's over. So the US now can do it, it's our territory, and this and that. Now, there's a question that some have said that maybe Russia made a mistake back then when they sold Alaska to the US. As a matter of fact, the Russians wanted to buy Alaska back, but the US said no. So, so, and now since Russia, since the time they planted that flag, has been projecting its dominance of the Arctic and has prevented any challenge to that status quo. Now, to me personally, I would say that it will resolve to using tactical nukes if there's any other challenge to it. So now here is what happened with one particular, uh, quote from Sergey Lavrov. As you know, he's the Russian foreign minister, has been around for a long time, very, very, very shrewd diplomat. Uh, he said, and I quote, the Americans think that only themselves can alter the music and make the rules. And of quote. Very, very interesting. So because what I can tell you based on what I did on in my, uh, research on the book, what I can tell you guys is that I am— I was convinced back then, the one, the research I know that is that the Arctic to Russia is what Berlin was to the West. So the greater powers competition during the Cold War in Europe will now be replicated in the Arctic in the 21st century, except there is a caveat to that, and that caveat is— can anybody tell? Oh, no. Yeah, the caveat is that you have to add now China to the mix because China is putting billions of dollars also in projects in the Arctic because of the pipeline. So this is where that challenge is. So, and I, like I always say, if you are to think about Russia and China, the two major powers also in the world, Russia and China— and I did disclose this in the book also and did a brief analysis on it, one section for the Arctic— Russia and China expand their relations on mini spheres. As a matter of fact, they have significantly focused this past few years on three main ones. One is energy, second is military, and third is technology. So, and for me personally, I took a special interest in China's energy focus to highlight how Beijing is financing projects in the Arctic. Like I argued before, it seems from the fact that, in my opinion, that China will benefit from investing in the energy infrastructure. What are we talking about here? We're talking about pipelines, because the region's estimated untapped natural resources, as I mentioned earlier, especially natural gas and oil, amounts to about $35 trillion. So, and once I, uh, once again, I made, I made it clear that China should benefit from joining Russia Arctic effort, what I argued back then. And apparently my assessment turns out to be right, because China is benefiting and is going to benefit even more from having access to— and this is why you're seeing some, uh, the— not targeting of certain things, like what happened with the 5 Chinese engineers that been attacked in, in Pakistan, because they are hydro engineers. They're dealing with with, with building up infrastructure. The West doesn't want that. Those whomever attacked those, they didn't do it of the, the whim of themselves, you know, just because they feel like it. No, they've been ordered to do so and given instructions. Because you always have to think, who's funding those groups? The same arguments can be made about what just took place in Moscow. And by the way, that group who conducted that they are tied to the entity that attacked the, uh, the 5, uh, scientists, the Chinese scientists. So China, as I said back then, and I still hold my, uh, statement to, uh, for its, uh, its content, as far as China, I said back then that it will benefit from joining Russia's Arctic effort. So because now the melting ice will allow China to plan accordingly as it forges with its BRI, the Silk Road, which some of you mentioned earlier. And as a result, any, any shipping lanes or routes in the Arctic are considered part of China's grand strategy. That is very, very important. Now you have to think in terms of, okay, Is this why we are now witnessing, uh, witnessing the US presence in the Arctic? Because here's what the US doing right now. The US Army has now its eyes on the Arctic, and I read the article by Chris Penella, which was published just about a week and a half ago, because I had to read up through it and, and check out on that information Uh, what it says basically is that the US has its eyes on the Arctic and is readying soldiers for the cold unforgiving waste that could be their next battlefield. There will be no battlefield, that's what they're saying, because Russia already put the strategic nuclear, you know, it will be too late by if the US deployed, that things will be destroyed before it leaves it. The ground. And this is what you're looking at. This is the 5th Squadron of 1st Cav Regiment. I was part of the 1st Cavalry, uh, uh, for— but mine was into the military intelligence aspects, is a different aspect. But we were aware of all this. But the 1st Cav, it's, it's one of the biggest as far as 3rd Corps. So, and this is, this is a, some sort of, uh, uh, training. And by the way, this training wasn't in the Arctic, this was in Alaska. Took place on February 18th of this year. And I'll give credit, by the way, to, uh, PFC Sergeant Sar Paul, who took that picture there. So, so the US is increasing its focus on readying the force. Well, of course, because we failed after 20 years in the Middle East. We failed after another 20 years in Afghanistan, which by the way, the US is saying that we lost about $2 trillion. That's not true. How about if you triple that amount? Yeah, that's what it is. That's how much we lost in, in Iraq and Afghanistan. So when they're saying they are deploying, uh, uh, this kind of units now. They, they are moving units into, uh, that are spec— because the, the, the US argument is that now China and Russia are hoping to gain further powers in the region. So the US hopes to strengthen its position. It's too late. It's too late for that. We are always doing catch-up anyway. Even our foreign policy is reactionary. We never had actionary— another word, uh, we, we anticipate the event and, and strategize for that. This is why our foreign policy establishment is so weak, is irrelevant, is incompetent. Look just what's going on around the world on the global stage, how we become a laughing stock. We don't have any. So nonetheless, the US is intensifying, has been intensifying its focus on the frozen north, preparing its forces to dominate, if necessary, the Arctic. That's wishful thinking. You ain't gonna dominate a thing because you're dealing with Russia and China. You're not dealing with Yemen. You're not dealing with Afghanistan. This is why we went ahead and attack Yemen. We couldn't attack Russia because we know what the outcome is going to be. We couldn't attack China because we know what the outcome is going to be. So despite what you see, this is nothing but a just, uh, uh, sort of, uh, what's the word, just a, just a— I'm drawing a blank on the word here. Hypes, no more, no less, no more, no less. So, but also there is one thing we can agree on is that US sort of readiness like this is reflecting the growing concerns that the US has about Russia and China's activity there. Well, it's too late. Russia and China already joined forces together China with the money, Russia with the hardware, and they're moving forward to expand the access to the Arctic for trade, resources, and power projection into this strategic area. You know, are you going to see Finland? You know, are you going to see Sweden? Are you going to see Greenland? Denmark? No. Canada? Canada is useless anyway. So And this is why you're seeing the US, uh, sort of joining, uh, the training or extending its training in the region there, just to highlight. And all the way, by the way, this stuff's taking in, in Alaska, not in the Arctic. Those pictures you are looking at, these are in the Arctic— in the Alaska, I'm sorry. That's where the training— I'm very familiar with the unit that is, uh, headquartered in Alaska So I used to have some individuals that I know were stationed there. And all this is because they are concerned— they, the US, the Pentagon, is concerned about the Russia's— I remember a few years ago, uh, I did a presentation. It was a private presentation for the military at the time. I did it at Fort Hood, where I was stationed, by the way, by And I did it about the Arctic. And at the end, I remember, uh, on front row, uh, just me looking from a distance, I could tell there was like a, a one-star general sitting there. And in the back of my mind, I was saying to myself, what a four-star general doing here? Usually you have colonels, uh, four-birth colonel and so forth. Generals, when— I just didn't expect it. Till at the end when I finished with the presentation and I opened up for questions and I was done with everything, I saw all groups walking towards the stage where I was sitting, including that first, first star general, uh, one-star general rather. And when he said, Mr. O, Dr. O, can I ask you a question? And of course, the moment he starts speaking, I could hear the accent. He was British accent. And of course I'm not gonna get involved there. Oh, British, whatever. And it's like, wow, you flew all the way from England to come here? Oh, I said, yeah, I am attached to NATO and all that, and we are preparing our unit for the Arctic. And right there I put the two and two together. I see, I see now why you are here. Of course. And he asked the question, and the question he asked was you know, are we, are we going to be seeing a major competition to the point of a conflict in, in the region? And I said, most likely, if you are to go and establish bases there, don't expect that to be peaceful one, because Russia, it's not gonna, uh, uh, sort of, uh, uh, accept that. And you might want to also consider that China is going to be involved as well. Even though from an economic perspective, but China will come to support and protect its interests. And he looked at me with his eyes gets wider like that, like I'm speaking, uh, some foreign language, because he didn't expect that. And I said, well, what do you expect? You got about $35 trillion under that ground there. So The major powers, which they are only three, you either have to cooperate or a conflict will be inevitable. And that is the reason why Russians have went ahead and already established their ICBM and put everything that in place to defend the region. So, and this is why, just I remembered, uh, when I did this presentation for them, and this is why you're seeing now this presentation and so forth in Alaska, uh, into this direction. So like I said earlier, there is— if there is nothing— if there's one thing you get out of all this, out of all this, one thing is that what the Arctic to Russia is what Berlin was to NATO. That's the one thing I want you to get out of this. Which means what? That means they're gonna defend it by any means. The same arguments that was made, uh, uh, when, uh, when NATO wanted to start to see the presence of the Russians in East Berlin, or East Germany, that is. And of course, they didn't, they didn't want that. And that was the whole argument for what Russia is making right now. The same, same arguments can be made. So what, what, uh, Arctic to Russia is what Berlin was to NATO, and they're gonna, they're gonna defend it by any means. So, all right guys, I am going to take a question or two from you. I, I hope you guys find this very, very informative. If you get a chance, even though I know it's a little expensive to buy a book like this, but I wish I had a say into the pricing of this. I have to wait on this book till I get the full rights, and when I do that, I am gonna upload it myself and drop the price for this. I probably will put it for you guys for $20, whatever, but they're charging about $120 for this. But so, but anyway, if you ever get a chance to read it, uh, you will find it very, very, very interesting and informative. So, uh, like I always say, I greatly appreciate your continued support, uh, especially to those who wants to support the channel. You know, I'm, I'm by myself on this. I don't have any outsources funding and all that. You all know how it is. I'm doing this as a full-time, basically So, uh, I decided to focus on this. So your support means a lot. Uh, you can do it either through the links here, or you can do it, uh, through the— let me, let me put the link for you in— oh no, I'm sorry, let me show this one here. Yeah, let me, let me put the link for you in the description for PayPal, for those who might be interested in supporting the channel through PayPal. And here is the link for it right here, guys. So, and I thank you very, very much. All right, let me see your, uh, once again I want to thank, uh, Drag88, which is Osiris the Great. For your continued support. TC Quan, for your continued support. Uh, Boon, uh, uh, J, all of you, all of you guys that just— that comes— Alim, just Muslim Revert, all of you guys that I'm, I'm very grateful for your support and it means a lot to me and, and I don't take it for granted. I want you to know this one here. Uh, once again, I want to give a shout out to Francis Lucero, uh, for your, uh, really, it was so generous of you. That, that's the word that comes to my mind here, uh, to buy me 100 cups of tea in support of my Asia trip, uh, which, by the way, I am working on the administrative aspects because you need visas, you need— you can't just walk in. And, and I intend to, uh Once I finalize everything, there is no specific date. Uh, usually, uh, certain countries will give you visa for 5, I think, or 10 years, but I'm not gonna travel in 10 years. No, it's gonna be before that, of course. But, but I just wanted you to know how much I, I appreciate you. So, so once again, thank you, Francis Lucero, TC Kwan, Rocky Chan, Tatan Groen. Thank you so much. Xian, thank you very much. Uh, Steve in Virginia, TC Kwan, SK Shan, thank you all, thank you all. So, all right, let me take a question or two from you guys. All right, uh, all right, let me see this one. I see it right away in front of me. Phil, why doesn't China Construction build US border wall for a good deal? No, no, that's That's, that's US problems. They need to— why? To me, I would not— if I would advise China, I say no, let the US deal with it. You create the problem, you solve it. You all know what immigration issue here. Of course, the things I can't say here, and I might even do a live stream on Rumble to address this issue, and I'm gonna do it because what's going on here, guys, you won't believe what's going on. You won't believe what's taking place. This is what I said last time. There are people now in America are considering leaving the country. I am one of this. I'm one of those people. I'm talking to my significant others and, and my tribe and all that. And if this comes to that point, I'm gonna— we're gonna make final decisions and just pack and live somewhere else. I know some have suggested to me to go and teach in China, I will be open to that and might consider it. But also, I like doing this, I like connecting with you guys all. So, so to me, I don't see, uh, why will China want to do this. And no, no, they better not. All right, let me see, uh, another question, uh, from Omzi. Question: Israel demanded billions in air superiority weapons. Uh, are they planning to attack Egypt as part of the Rafah? I can't say that word there, you know what it is, you guys can read the question. Uh, yeah, to a degree, but the US made it clear there is now a shift inside Washington as far as supporting weapons. Pardon me, even Germany now is saying that we're gonna have to halt some shipments of weapons. France, of course, saying we don't ship, which is a lie. Canada, of course, saying there's voices inside Canada saying they want to hold the shipment, but the, the government of the dictator Trudeau is, is, is, you know, the guy is useless anyway. So, but there is now in the US some kind of, uh, that's why I posted for you guys in the community as to, uh, is the end near? Of course the US will always support, uh, uh, Israel. But as far as advanced, uh, I don't know. I don't know about that one. So Francis Tango, question Dr. O, when UFOs? When you want me to talk about UFOs? Maybe we'll do it this coming time when we talk about, uh, the, the community conversation. So I'll, I'll put some questions on the community to get the survey and we go from there. So Because there are certain things, if I share them, a lot of people will think I lost my mind. They'll say like, Dr. O became crazy, lost his mind. Uh, uh, one from Onana: Dr. O, what do you think about the bridge that fell in Baltimore? Well, first of all, it was embarrassing. That's one. Second, we're sending billions to other countries while we are— our infrastructure is crumbling. And the third is, was it intentional? Don't rule that out. Don't rule that option out. Yeah, because you have to look at the videos recording of the boat, how the boat has turned directly towards the column of the bridge. So I didn't read much about it. To me, it was just embarrassing, the fact that a bridge would collapse that way. But there are a lot of stuff going on in this country that most Americans are not even aware of. So, so, all right, let me see one more question before I sign off here. Uh, Chanel, uh, Dr. O, is North Korea involved in this project? No, no, no, it's not. North Korea is, is, is concerned about its own area per se. And, uh, uh, uh, it's, it's, uh, what's the word I'm looking at? Because remember, South Korea and the US and Japan, they all agreed to some sort of alliance of sort. North Korea has to ensure that is prepared for any eventuality, and North Korea does not bluff. You know, they will attack if they start to feel, uh, unsafe or something like that. And as you all know, their medium-range missiles are within reach to our 35,000+ troops. So that's, that's where, where it's, it's going. So, uh, Francis Tango, you wrote, Dr. O, how are the visas for traveling? I submitted some, uh, it's a process. It takes a— of course they had to kick stuff back. This is not filled right. This is this, this is that. The picture has to be certain measurements. It's protocol, it's their countries. I respect their laws or whatever. So it will take whatever it takes. So if I don't travel in May, then I'll travel in August or something like this, because I do have a trip in Europe already that's separate, uh, but it's moving along. So it's moving along, and I am looking forward to, uh, receiving the visas and, and start, booking the stuff. I didn't book anything yet till I know. You can't book anything without knowing. So, all right guys, I hope you find this very informative. And by the way, I am still working on putting that video for you. I'm gonna release a recorded video. And, uh, uh, next week I'm gonna have some guests here. Nothing confirmed yet, but for Carlza, I'm gonna send him Usually he and I will communicate on, on X, uh, then, then we just go from there. I'll set up the community conversation. I hope you can join me for that, and I look forward to seeing you. As always, remember, geopolitics impact your daily life in more ways than one. Till next time, guys, bye-bye.