Russia Holds Ground

I just finished reading the 2023 Vilnius Summit notes, which were the NATO summit conclusions from the meeting held on July 11^th and 12^th, and it spells one thing: WAR.

As I draft this publication from northern Sardinia while overlooking a quiet turquoise bay, the farthest thing from my mind could be war, but then I slap myself back into shape and remember that the city I call home, Tel Aviv, is surrounded by more enemy countries than any other and that no nation in human history has ever been independent for any meaningful amount of time in the Middle East, which has always been ruled by foreigners except for the past 75 years.

I also remind myself that nearly my entire lineage was wiped out in just two years (1943-1945) by twisted world views about inferior and superior races of people.

I’ll put these aside and enjoy Porto Cervo for now, though…

When I gaze at the billionaire yachts docking here, I think of Russia and about the threat of NATO’s Article 5. Whoever can’t understand Russia’s point of view hasn’t studied their past long enough going back to the 13^thcentury.

This is a paranoid regime, and for good reason. In the 13^th century, Moscow, the center of the universe as far as Vladimir Putin is concerned, was burned to the ground by the Mongols.

Not even three centuries later, the Tatars did the same thing. In the 16^thand 17^th centuries, the Polish and the Swedes both conquered it, and Napoleon and Hitler were stopped just short of it.

To envision Moscow surrendering is not farfetched for the Russian leadership, so when NATO originally formed in 1949 with its 12 initial members and a stated goal to contain the Soviet Union’s expansion to the west and to rule all of Europe, it wasn’t the first time they had dealt with an adversary.

Russia’s geography and topography invite foreigners because of the massive plains that are ideal for advancement.

Article 5 of the NATO treaty is lethal poison for the Russians since it means that an attack on one member is a collective attack on NATO. With this, the might and power of them all with their logistics, cyber, intelligence, industry, and weapons are fair game.

Ukraine is special for the Russians, though. They view it as part of Russia, historically speaking.

When the Polish, Czechs, and Hungarians, all former members of Soviet alliances, joined NATO in 1999, they stomached the blow. When the Romanians, Bulgarians, Slovenians, and Slovakians did the same in 2004, they didn’t make a sound, but Ukraine is a line in the sand for Putin.

In recent weeks, Ukrainians have been attempting to win back ground, but Russians have been successful at holding the line.

Even with the funding of the West and the best and most modern machinery, the military’s mission is difficult to achieve.

The NATO summit doesn’t mince words, though.

I believe that the United States is about to pour hundreds of billions into helping Ukraine win so that they can negotiate from a place of strength, and this war could last well into 2024 or 2025.

This war is too important for both sides, and neither of them is comfortable with beginning peace talks yet…

Best Regards,

Lior Gantz
President, WealthResearchGroup.com