Russia Holds 90% Bakhmut, Sweden Refutes ‘6 Guys in Boat’ Nord Stream Claim, Macron Accused of ‘Betraying US’ in China, Russian Inflation Unemployment Fall Output Rises

IMHO, the latest missile attack on Crimea merely means that Russia will expand its territory to forestall future such attacks, and will also destroy that missile system and any similar ones at the point of origin as well as the command center that ordered it.

The Europeans are also worried about a cutoff or at least reduction of trade with China, especially with regard to rare earth and other important mineral resources over whose supply China has overwhelming control or dominance such as lithium, etc. (Von der Leyen made that point when she was in China.)

It could be that Ukrainian command remembers their school years where they read:
For want of a nail the shoe was lost.
For want of a shoe the horse was lost.
For want of a horse the rider was lost.
For want of a rider the message was lost.
For want of a message the battle was lost.
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.”
This could be why they are seeking artillery shells in small places.

Macron’s feigned cooperation during his visit to China, while pretending to act as a peacemaker, partly might have been a retroactive diplomatic slight against the US policy that usurped France’s submarine deal with Australia that he has not forgiven.

Entirely off topic but I have to say that the lighting in this video is the best I’ve seen in ages. Very good.