Alexander Mercouris

The disturbing truth about Iuliia Mendel's interview with Tucker Carlson is that the media, certainly in the UK, but I suspect across Europe, has mostly ignored it. This is terrible. In any sane world Mendel, who is a Ukrainian patriot and a stern critic of Russia, and who knows ZELENSKY and the inner workings of the system he operates, is someone who the media should want to interview, and whose articles they should want to publish. This is all the more extraordinary as the various legal moves which have been playing out in Kiev over the last few days corroborate what she is saying. Perhaps there are political motivations behind NABU's anti-corruption actions and the steps taken against YERMAK. For the record, I believe there are. That however is not the most important fact about these actions. What is important is the extent of the corruption they expose. Corruption, as is clear at least to me, is today the organising principle of Ukrainian politics, and will remain so whilst ZELENSKY continues in charge. Every European citizen is required to accept a reduction in standard of living because of the support our governments give to Ukraine. We pay for this support through higher taxes, higher food and energy bills, higher interest payments, and through funds spent to support Ukraine, which are not spent on domestic needs. We see the results of this all around us. Our governments and media however want us to know as little as possible about the true nature of the political system in Kiev we are supporting. Witnesses, such as Iuliia Mendel, must not be heard. In the meantime ZELENSKY gets hosted by our King. This does not help Ukraine or its people. It corrodes our democracy and impoverishes us. It is immoral and wrong. youtube.com/watch?v=ayN1VX…

TRUMP'S response to the Iranian offer is disturbing and further proof that he is out of his depth. It is also further evidence for my contention that the US is not just 'agreement incapable' - as the Russians say - but 'negotiation incapable' as well. TRUMP - the 'Great Dealmaker' - doesn't seem to understand that diplomacy requires negotiation. Though the US has so far failed to defeat Iran, and though the situation in the global economy is deteriorating every day, TRUMP becomes incensed the moment the Iranians make a proposal that falls short of his maximalist demands. That the current proposal is a perfectly reasonable opening bid in intended negotiations is a possibility that doesn't occur to him. Disastrously, and indicatively, there doesn't seem to be wide understanding of this within the wider US leadership either. The result is that we are now back looking at the possibility of war, with disturbing suggestions that TRUMP may again be thinking of a ground invasion. There are 2 other factors in play: (1) NETANYAHU, whose whole position depends on continued war, continues to pour poison into TRUMP's ear. The fact that everything NETANYAHU told TRUMP at the Oval Office meeting on 11th February about Iranian weakness has turned out to be untrue doesn't seem to have made any difference. TRUMP still listens to him. (2) The rumours the Saudis are disillusioned with the US and are looking seriously at some sort of arrangement with Iran, as the Russians and Chinese have been urging, are certain to spook the Americans (not Just TRUMP). A renewal of the war to block this (very improbable) possibility from happening may be attractive to some people in Washington. By the way, it is difficult to know how much weight to place in these rumours. Prince Faisal, the Saudi Foreign Minister, did talk to Aragchi yesterday. However there is nothing to suggest so far that serious talks between the Iranians and the Saudis are underway. Whatever, a renewal of the war looks like a disastrous idea. Any number of well informed people have spoken of the immense risks. Every assessment of Iranian weakness up to now has turned out to be wrong. I personally can see no sign of such weakness. Robert Kagan, the arch neocon, has written in The Atlantic about how Iran is shaping into the biggest defeat the US has suffered since the end of World War 2. TRUMP and his advisers are working hard to prove him right. @barnes_law @unjoe @MearsheimerJ @DanielLDavis1 @Glenn_Diesen @AlastairCrooke @Consortiumnews @ggreenwald @RnaudBertrand @AXChristoforou @TheGrayzoneNews @aaronjmate youtube.com/watch?v=6aV9-8…

Putin's press conference yesterday was interesting because it highlighted his deep feeling of anger and betrayal by Europe. (1) He reminded the journalists (all Russians) that the crisis began with the EU insisting Ukraine ratify an Association Agreement incompatible with Ukraine's free trade agreement with Russia. When Ukraine demurred the Maidan coup was the result; (2) He said Europe's objective in 2022 was to engineer Russia's collapse so that the Europeans would be able to help themselves to its parts. In a truly extraordinary passage he spoke of Finland joining NATO in order to participate in the plunder; (3) He gave a very bitter account of the events of April 2022 and of the failure of the Istanbul Agreement. Briefly: He revealed for the first time that it was Macron who called him and tricked him into pulling Russian troops back from Kiev, telling him that "the Ukrainians could not be expected (to sign the Istanbul Agreement) with a gun pointing at their head". He was careful to say that the Russians recorded the conversation and have Macron saying all this on tape. He then spoke about how, once the Russian troops had been withdrawn, 'another colourful character' - Boris Johnson - told the Ukrainians to ditch the Istanbul Agreement in return for unlimited Western support. I came away with the clear impression that Putin believes Macron and Johnson were working together and had it all worked out in advance; (4) he accused the Europeans of using Ukraine as a proxy in their conflict with Russia; (5) he signalled that the only major West European political figure in whom he retains any trust is Gerhard Schroder, who is of course out of power; (6) Contrary to many reports, Putin did NOT say that he believes the Ukraine conflict is coming to an end. This belief stems from misreporting of his words by a TASS journalist. If Putin's words are read carefully it is clear his meaning was quite different. It is that with the failure to bring about the collapse of Russia that which on The Duran we call 'Project Ukraine', ie. the West's (in Putin's view, Europe's) bid to use Ukraine as a tool to destabilise Russia, is coming to an end. Perhaps wrongly, Putin appears to blame the Europeans more for 'Project Ukraine' than he does the Americans. (7) Putin did float the possibility that with the failure of Project Ukraine, and with the crisis this has caused in Europe, a new generation of European leaders might find a way back towards a reconciliation with Russia. However he did not seem to me to say this with much conviction; (8) As for the Americans, Putin appears to think that their various diplomatic initiatives of the last year to end the war have run into a wall and are effectively over. Many people will say that Putin has a paranoid view of Europe and its intentions. He however would point to Europe's actions (eg. he spoke about Europe's work fabricating Ukraine's drones) and its rhetoric, which is frankly terrible. Certainly in Russia his opinions are widely shared. This is where in Europe relentless hostility, extreme rhetoric, and a total rejection of dialogue with the Russians, has led us. If the Russians and their leader now entertain these views of us, we should not be surprised. youtube.com/watch?v=4YnCu_… @MearsheimerJ @Glenn_Diesen @LarrySonar21 @DanielLDavis1 @Consortiumnews @unjoe @TheGrayzoneNews @GarlandNixon

PUTIN's phone call to TRUMP on 29th April 2026 was not just for the purpose of giving TRUMP a CEASE AND DESIST demand viz military action against Iran (see my earlier post on X about this). It is now clear from Ushakov's account that PUTIN also gave TRUMP a CLEAR WARNING that a drone attack on Red Square during the May 9th Victory Parade was unacceptable and would result in a DEVASTATING COUNTER STRIKE, almost certainly with Oreshnik missiles, against Central Kiev. TRUMP got the message and strong armed ZELENSKY into accepting the 3 day Victory Day ceasefire that PUTIN must have told him he was about to announce. The Red Square Parade accordingly took place without incident. This is the first occasion I can think of in any matter concerning Ukraine when the US has heeded a Russian warning since the crisis in Ukraine began, arguably with the Orange Revolution of 2004. As such it amounts to an important turning point not just in the Ukraine war but in the constantly evolving relationship between the US and Russia. youtube.com/watch?v=Zv6xKM…

The US actually has an obvious way out of its disastrous war against Iran and the mess it finds itself in the Middle East and with the global economy: (1) Send a proper negotiating team to meet the Iranians. Ditch Witkoff and Kushner. (2) On nuclear enrichment take the deal on offer; (i) a 5 year moratorium on uranium enrichment; (ii) enrichment up to 3.6% thereafter; (iii) dilution of the existing stockpile which however remains in Iran; (iv) the return of the IAEA inspectors (surprisingly the Iranians apparently agreed to this before the war); (v) no sunset clauses. (3) Agree a full lifting of sanctions. This should be done immediately NOT in a phased way with the primary agent being the UN Security Council. By now the Iranians deeply mistrust any phased removal of sanctions and would probably not agree to it. Besides phasing the removal of the sanctions keeps the US tied in, when the whole objective should be to get out; (4) Close the US Persian Gulf bases, which the war has exposed are useless and a stategic liability; (5) negotiate a return to free transit through the Strait of Hormuz, returning to the situation which existed before 28th February. This may seem impossible but the pre war status quo actually suited the Iranians well and the US will have strong support from China and Russia if it pushes for it as part of a global agreement; (6) negotiate security guarantees for both Iran and the Persian Gulf States, guaranteeing them against future attack, confirmed by a UN Security Council Resolution; and given by China and Russia as well the US. (7) Agree to Russia and China acting as guarantors of Iran's commitments on enrichment (see (2) above). The Russians have already offered to do this multiple times and if asked the Chinese will agree also. Russia and China strongly oppose Iran acquiring nuclear weapons so they have every incentive to ensure Iranian compliance with their enrichment obligations. The US has already dropped its demands for limits to Iran's ballistic missile programme, an end to Iranian support for Hezbollah, the Iraqi militias, and the Houthis and for sweeping internal changes in Iran, (see my video of yesterday). There is no sense in harping on about Iran declaring that it has no intention of acquiring nuclear weapons. It has made that very declaration multiple times and is a member of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. This demand is otiose and silly. In return insist that Iran drops its demand for reparations from the US. I don't believe the Iranians believe in this demand. They must know that the Americans will never agree to it, and wouldn't pay reparations anyway even if against all expectations they did agree to it. For the Iranians getting the sanctions lifted is the prize. The demand for reparations muddles the issue. The US should also encourage the Iranians and the Gulf States to set up with each other some sort of regional security structure to safeguard peace and freedom of navigation in the Gulf. The Chinese and the Russians have suggested it and it serves the interests of all parties. However this is something the regional states must agree with each other. The US should not let itself get bogged down in negotiations on this issue. The approach I have suggested not only extricates the US from an unwinnable war. It also provides for an agreement which satisfies the core interests of all parties. Objectively it is good for both Iran and the US. The Iranians would see the end of the long economic siege they have endured since 1979, giving their economy a route to grow. They would also get some reassurance for their long term security, though there can never be a full guarantee of this in the Middle East. The Americans would get strong guarantees that Iran will never become a nuclear power, something it doesn't appear to want to become anyway. They would also bring to an end their long debilitating entanglement in the Persian Gulf and the Middle East, which is what ever since Obama announced a 'pivot to Asia' they have said they want. None of this should be difficult to agree. An agreement that so obviously satisfies the core interests of all sides never is What stands in the way is that in the US it would be presented as a defeat, even though objectively, in the long term, it should be seen as a deliverance. The 'hyperpower' cannot fail in a war, especially against a country like Iran, and even though 'victory' now looks unattainable, it must be sought anyway, regardless of cost. Moreover in Israel such an agreement would be treated as a disaster, failing to achieve the obsessively desired objective of regime change in Tehran, so earnestly needed in order to achieve Israel's maximalist objectives, even though by now it ought to be obvious that this objective is unachievable. So we will probably see the negotiations fail, if they take place at all, which to say the least, currently looks doubtful. Instead of a perfectly attainable and mutually beneficial agreement we are therefore likely to see a long, pointless and extremely dangerous struggle, ending almost certainly in a US defeat, leading to a global economic catastrophe. The lesson, which in Washington they never seem to learn, is that if you play for all or nothing, you risk ending up with nothing. That however is where we are heading at the moment @MearsheimerJ @TheGrayzoneNews @LarrySonar21 @Glenn_Diesen @ggreenwald @Consortiumnews @aaronjmate @RnaudBertrand @barnes_law @RealPepeEscobar @AXChristoforou youtube.com/watch?v=Bukq0o…

Honoured to have had this great discussion on The Duran with the great Trita Parsi. Key takeaway: 'Shock and Awe' failed in Iran, which withstood the US attack and fought the US to a standstill. This is the first time this has happened since the end of the Cold War. In previous wars, even if the long term outcome for the US has been bad, initially, at the start of the war, US power has appeared overwhelming. This is a revolutionary moment in world affairs. The fear that underpins the US hegemonic system will diminish. @LarrySonar21 @Glenn_Diesen @ggreenwald @TheGrayzoneNews @MaxBlumenthal @barnes_law @RealPepeEscobar @RnaudBertrand youtube.com/watch?v=Pv7003…

The Russian Defence Ministry's explicit threat to strike Central Kiev - the area where the government ministries, the embassies and Zelensky's Office are located - and the call to civilians and diplomats to leave, is unprecedented. I remember that there were reports about a year ago that the Russian Defence Ministry asked Putin for permission to use an Oreshnik to strike Central Kiev following a Ukrainian attack inside Russia. I don't remember which one of the many Ukrainian attacks that was. The reports said that Putin categorically refused because of the risk of high civilian casualties. The fact that the Russian Defence Ministry are now publishing this very same threat can only mean that Putin has reversed his position and is now prepared to authorise that which he had previously rejected. I doubt that there will be such an attack. The threat is a counter to Zelensky's apparent threat to drone attack the Victory Parade in Moscow on 9th May. I don't believe that such an attack will take place. The fact that Putin has now changed his stance does however matter. I have been saying for some time that since the Valdai attack, which the Russians have no doubt was an assassination attempt, Putin has been under increasing internal pressure to take a harder line. This is one result. @LarrySonar21 @Glenn_Diesen @MearsheimerJ @raymcgovern youtube.com/watch?v=MZkXR2…

The CNN and Financial Times reports of the Kremlin worrying about a coup - of which there is no sign - and CNN's admission that 'hoping' for Russia's internal collapse is the West's only 'strategy' for winning the Ukraine war shows just how desperate the West has become. Betting everything on internal collapse in Russia is not a 'strategy'. It is a confession of strategic and moral bankruptcy, sacrificing a nation (Ukraine) whilst holding out for a miracle. That miracle will not come. Russia is politically and economically stable and its army is advancing. That is the reality. It is beyond time for these fantasies to be abandoned and for serious negotiations with the Russians to begin. Further delay compounds the disaster. Of course for that to happen there needs to be an honest debate, which in the West - and especially in Europe - it is now all but impossible to do. All discussed in today's video. youtube.com/watch?v=vysZ1l…

The importance of this news is being underestimated. In my opinion it is epoch making. China is apparently telling its refiners to ignore US sanctions and to conduct their business in disregard of them. In other words it is telling them that if the US comes for them because they are violating US sanctions, they have China's back. If that expands to include other Chinese businesses, and sooner or later it surely will, the US sanctions era is over. The US remains an enormous consumer market, but China holds the high cards. It is both the 'workshop of the world' and increasingly its high tech research institute and laboratory, and it is also rapidly becoming a major source of global investment capital. Trading with the US remains profitable and attractive, but not trading with China is not an option, even for the United States. It goes beyond saying that if China opposes US sanctions they become unenforceable. It means that they become impossible, and the whole structure which has been created around them must end. Fyodor Lukyanov, who is very well connected in Moscow, is saying the Chinese are undertaking a review to assess whether the US is, as the Russians say, 'agreement incapable'. If so then this decision points to the outcome. @RnaudBertrand @AXChristoforou @TheGrayzoneNews @RealPepeEscobar @thecyrusjanssen youtube.com/watch?v=PZmepe…

Arnaud Bertrand a year ago wrote a brilliant article about how behind all the bombast and the bluster the US is quietly retreating in Asia. The retreat in Europe has now also begun. It is not a question of will - the most overrated factor in politics. It is a question of resources. Quite simply US resources do not stretch far enough for the US to be strong against all its adversaries everywhere all the time. The ones who come out worse from this process are the pathetic lickspittle vassals of the US in Europe, the most absurd of whom is Germany's ludicrous Chancellor, Friedrich Merz. In Germany they increasingly get that. Outside Germany, not so much. youtube.com/watch?v=uWJYIe… @RnaudBertrand

@IuliiaMendel Iuliia, your courage, integrity and sincere patriotism deeply move me.

Seven billion dollars could have flowed into a Ukrainian drone company backed by friends of Volodymyr Zelensky. Of that amount, 20 percent—nearly one and a half billion dollars—was reportedly set to be pure profit for the insiders: Zelensky’s inner circle and the ministers he personally appointed. This is the very same company that Zelensky himself has been hawking nonstop—personally flying it around to foreign investors as Ukraine’s great success story. The details come from secret audio recordings made by Ukraine’s Anti-Corruption Bureau and leaked to an independent investigative journalist. Right now in Ukraine, politicians are openly talking about impeaching Zelensky. Tomorrow, a sitting member of parliament is going to read even more of these recordings publicly. I’m told some of the voices captured may include the First Lady herself. Other tapes casually refer to “Vova”—Zelensky’s nickname—as both a participant in the deal and the owner of one of four massive luxury mansions being built in Ukraine’s richest suburb outside Kyiv, each worth millions. Here’s the kicker: Out of 90 billion euros the European Union is lending to Ukraine, the first tranche is earmarked for “drone production.” They call it “defending the country.” Guess which company is first in line to get the money? On the recordings, a former Defense Minister is heard openly discussing how to steer a billion dollars from Western partners straight into the company of Zelensky’s friends. But let’s be honest: this isn’t really about defense. Drones aren’t just shields—they’re weapons. This is about offense. This is about keeping the war going. While ordinary Ukrainians continue to die under shelling, flee a collapsing economy, and watch our country disintegrate, the president’s inner circle is getting filthy rich. This bloody war is now entering its fifth year. And the people closest to Zelensky are profiting handsomely from it. Ukrainian activists, members of parliament, and independent media have been screaming this out loud. The only ones who refuse to report it? Western mainstream media. Instead of any serious scrutiny of corruption, you get glowing tributes to Ukraine’s “drone sector,” endless praise for “democracy’s great leader Zelensky,” and stories about exporting surplus weapons. So I’m asking my former colleagues in the media directly: Is this what journalism is now? Covering up massive corruption at the highest levels? Is this what “standing with the people” looks like? My country is dying. My people are dying—so that one man and his friends can get obscenely wealthy. If you’re in Ukraine, you already know there is nothing democratic about Zelensky’s government. This war is the only thing keeping him in power and money. The moment peace comes, it all evaporates. This isn’t about one man playing Winston Churchill. This is about the destruction of an entire nation. You may not be able to publish this by quoting your Ukrainian colleagues yet. But tomorrow, when a member of parliament—the highest elected office in the country—publicly reads these records, there will be no more excuses. The gap between what Western media tells you and what is actually happening in Ukraine has grown too wide. It’s time to close it.