A surprising degree of unanimity amongst EU countries will see Russian intelligence agents and diplomats expelled next week from at least 10 EU member states in response to the nerve agent attack in Salisbury, described by Emmanuel Macron as an “attack on European sovereignty”. EU leaders agreed unanimously that Moscow was “highly likely” to be responsible for the assault and Angela Merkel, said there should be further measures, beyond the recall of the EU’s ambassador to Moscow.
So the confusing and devastating tr Pluto squaring Neptune on Vladimir Putin’s chart now makes sense, despite his election win, which was widely criticised as rigged (see post below).
The chart for modern Russia has always been a quandary, given the multiplicity of dates and times around 1990/91 but I’ve gone back to the 12 June 1990 9.45am GMT Moscow chart, which seems to work better than the others. It puts an aggressive Mars in Aries in the 7th square a 10th house Jupiter opposition a can-be-fanatical Uranus Neptune; with Pluto opposition the Sun/Mars midpoint – which last Ebertin describes as ‘unscrupulous procedures, violent, ruthless.’ Though the 1917 chart also holds good.
Amidst all the conflicting theories about the Skripal attack, there have been two interesting pieces this week (URLs below). One in the Guardian about the crossover between organised crime and government in Russia. One defector suggested the poisoning was less likely to have been by Russian state operatives, more likely one of Putin’s corrupt inner circle.
The other today in the Times magazine (sadly behind paywall) in an interview with Boris Volodarsky, a former member of the GRU, the foreign intelligence service. Skirpal evidently was also GRU, the only former agent in the West for decades. ‘The clue, he says, is in the poison used. It was a nerve agent produced with Russian technology, money and scientists at the Scientific Studies and Research Centre (known by its French acronym, CERS) in Syria. This, for decades, is where all Russian chemical weapons have been developed. In December, the centre was bombed by the Israelis acting on American and British intelligence.’ He also thought the most likely point of poisoning was the cross in the church they would have visited and kissed to honour Skripal’s dead son’s memory. Whether that is all too far-fetched, time will tell (maybe). But another piece to add to the confusing puzzle.
On the Russia 1990 chart, tr Saturn is exactly conjunct Uranus and square Mars, so an aggravating and jolting setback. With tr Pluto opposition the Solar Arc midheaven for more pressure.
The Russia 1990/EU relationship chart is logjammed at the moment and through this year with tr Saturn square Pluto; and much the same with the UK, indeed worsening through April.
Putin fits the 1990 chart well – with the relationship chart having an inspirational, entrepreneurial Fire Grand Trine of Jupiter, Uranus, Mars, formed into a Kite by Mars opposition Sun Venus. With a reasonable amount of suspicion and doubt as well from Saturn Neptune trine Moon opposition Pluto. But he’s the strongest and most enduring leader they had had for decades, whose driving ambition is to make Russia great again.
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/mar/23/how-organised-crime-took-over-russia-vory-super-mafia
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/magazine/the-times-magazine/the-skripals-the-kremlin-threat-and-the-russian-security-expert-who-thinks-he-knows-why-they-were-poisoned-8bqdsh0k2
Appealing to national pride works wonders. Look what it did for Hitler.
Also, electoral fraud. There was an article in the biggest Finnish newspaper on the extent of electoral fraud in Russia over weekend. A journalist had basically stood outside a polling station at a Siberian Town he lives at for the whole day. He saw around 1500 adults coming out from the station. When the votes were tallied, there were 2500 votes from the polling station. In this particular case, it would have worked in Pavel Grudinin’s disadvantage. Putin was winning anyway, but apparently, Grudinin is popular in Siberia, and managed to win some of the more remote polling stations. He could have realistically taken up to 30 per cent of the vote, but only got 15.
But national pride is a factor too. Russians are not happy at all on how Vladimir Vladimirovich deals with internal politics. The journalist I mentioned talked about Whatsapp groups that can be brutal on him (Russia also has their own version of FB, VP, but people know not to use it to talk about politics). They just think he is the only one capable of representing them internationally.
Well here we have it. Profound decisions being made before the evidence has been submitted, such as by the OPCW. A basic legal case wouldn’t get off of the ground in such circumstances. Innocent until proven guilty … and all of that. So they say.
There seems to be a great deal of proof and I doubt the major Europen countries would back this move unless they felt pretty sure. its not the first time such things have happened here and using nerve gas is beyond the pale. putin needs rattling a bit as he has got away with a great deal already. Expelling diplomats seems tame enough but it gives out a clear united message.
Yes, the digital proof really is quite convincing. The DNC hack was unequivocably a GRU operation. Also, what ever Russians try to claim nerve gas used against Skirpal just can’t be obtained walking to a lab… somewhere.
Russians did not, really, cover their trails with Skirpal. This is classic “provokatsiya”. It’s not meant to throw people (such as Intelligence Community and Military) off, but to test how gullible the general population that’s exposed to it is. This has been used at least since 1930’s, when Stalin ordered Shelling of Mainila (with very bad results).
“One defector suggested the poisoning was less likely to have been by Russian state operatives, more likely one of Putin’s corrupt inner circle.”
Something this defector ommits is Putin’s corrupt inner circle are Russian State Operatives. They would not stay his inner circle – or alive – if they pulled a stunt like this.
It’s obvious Russia pulled this to test NATO unity during and post-Brexit and with Trump answering to last person he spoke to. Macron and Merkel called it for what it was, which is somewhat reassuring. They still have and exchange intel.
Is there any encouragement to be had in any chart that Russia’s ongoing corruption of both the UK and the USA might end anytime soon?
Would doubt it frankly. The City would have kittens if their wealthy clients were binned and banished.
Is he and Trump in some kind of a “greatness” race?