Links — 18 Apr 2022 Part 1

The Vineyard of the Saker
Sitrep: Zone B
Amarynth for the Saker Blog

http://thesaker.is/sitrep-zone-b/

Serbs pressing on with pro-Russian stance

Kiyoshi Hatanaka for the Saker Blog

http://thesaker.is/serbs-pressing-on-with-pro-russian-stance/

Russian and Eurasian Politics

THE IRAQ SCENARIO: The Specter of Ukrainian Instability and Chaos
Gordon M. Hahn | Expert Analyst at Corr Analytics, http://www.canalyt.com and a Senior Researcher at the Center for Terrorism and Intelligence Studies (CETIS), Akribis Group

https://gordonhahn.com/2022/04/18/the-iraq-scenario-the-specter-of-ukrainian-instability-and-chaos/

India Punchline
Pakistan stirs up Pashtun hornet’s nest [by attack on Afghanistan]
MK. Bhadrakumar | retired diplomat with the Indian Foreign Service and former ambassador.

https://www.indianpunchline.com/pakistan-stirs-up-pashtun-hornets-nest/

TASS (Russian state media)
Telegram sees massive influx of audience, outshines other platforms (free speech)
https://tass.com/economy/1439291

Putin says Western barrage of sanctions failed
https://tass.com/world/1439261

Putin urges to speed up shift to rubles, other national currencies in foreign trade

https://tass.com/economy/1439239

Russia's Investigative Committee opens case on genocide of LPR’s Schastye residents
https://tass.com/society/1439255

China takes Washington to task over America’s worsening human rights situation

https://tass.com/world/1439149

Bracing Views
The American Empire Has No Moral Authority (when you lose people like Lt. Col. Astore...)
W. J. Astore, Lieutenant Colonel (USAF ret.), taught at the Air Force Academy, the Naval Postgraduate School, and currently at the Pennsylvania College of Technology

https://bracingviews.com/2022/04/18/the-american-empire-has-no-moral-authority/

Zero Hedge
British Elite SAS Soldiers Are Training Troops On Ukrainian Territory
https://www.zerohedge.com/military/british-elite-sas-soldiers-are-training-troops-ukrainian-territory

Russia Expands 'Powerful' Cruise Missile Strikes To Western City Of Lviv

https://www.zerohedge.com/military/russia-expands-cruise-missile-strikes-western-city-lviv

Tyler Durden

Sputnik International
Ambassador Antonov Accuses US of Stealing Russian Money After Central Bank Assets Frozen (Hey, it worked with Afghanistan.)
https://sputniknews.com/20220418/ambassador-antonov-accuses-us-of-stealing-russian-money-after-central-bank-assets-frozen-1094863421.html

Where is Gonzalo Lira? Fears for YouTuber Missing in Ukraine's Kharkov

https://sputniknews.com/20220418/where-is-gonzalo-lira-fears-for-youtuber-missing-in-ukraines-kharkov-1094849209.html

Chechen Leader [Ramzan Kadyrov] Says NATO Arms Shipments & Mercenaries Mean ‘Dozens of States’ Fighting Russia

https://sputniknews.com/20220418/chechen-leader-says-nato-arms-shipments--mercenaries-mean-dozens-of-states-fighting-russia-1094842784.html

Dances with Bears
NAÏVE QUESTIONS ABOUT RUSSIA’S WAR ECONOMY
John Helmer

http://johnhelmer.net/naive-questions-about-russias-war-economy/

Politico
Biden’s been consumed by Ukraine. His team wants to bring the focus back home.

Laura Barrón-López and Jonathan Lemire

https://www.politico.com/news/2022/04/18/biden-domestic-policy-shift-00025862

The Week

The sinking of Russia's flagship might be a bad sign for the U.S. Navy (Is the day of the deep-draft vessel over with the advent of long-range precision-strike missiles, especially hypersonics armed with thermobaric weapons?)

Joel Mathis

https://theweek.com/talking-points/1012665/the-nba-belongs-to-the-world-now