Putin's retaliation to Kiev's reckless air raid is coming, and it will devastate Ukraine and its US-NATO handlers. 21st Century Wire's Patrick Henningson joins the show with US Foreign Policy expert Col. Lawrence Wilkerson and CIA analyst Ray McGovern to discuss escalations in the Ukraine conflict and the rapidly changing geopolitical situation at large.

Russia's Retaliation IMMINENT, Ukraine Drone Raid Backfires |
Col Larry Wilkerson, Patrick Henningsen & McGovern

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Warmongering @AtlanticCouncil

This war will be decided on the battlefield | Atlantic Council |

Four months of chaotic shuttle diplomacy aimed at reaching a cease-fire in Ukraine, multiple phone calls between US President Donald Trump and Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, repeated US attempts to pressure, browbeat, and bully Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy into concessions, have all yielded exactly nothing. 

[...]

"Russian imperialism will not be neutralized by negotiations, compromises, or concessions," Andreas Umland, an analyst at the Stockholm Centre for Eastern European Studies and an associate professor at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, wrote recently.

• Why Washington failed to end the Russo-Ukrainian War | Kyiv Independent - Opinion |

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White House Briefing: Ukraine's Attacks On Russian Nuclear
Bombers, White House Reaction | CNN N18G |

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Did NATO Have a Hand in Ukraine's Drone Attacks on Russian
Nuclear Sites | Rutte Ducks Question On Camera as Moscow Fumes |

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte dodged direct questions about possible intelligence support for Ukraine's dramatic drone strikes on Russian bomber bases, as Moscow fumes and accuses the West of complicity. The strikes, which damaged or destroyed dozens of Russian warplanes across multiple airfields, have sparked a furious response in Russia, with some officials and propagandists openly alleging NATO involvement.

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Crisis Call Trump w Putin

U.S. President Donald Trump said that Russian President Vladimir Putin told him "very strongly" in a phone call Wednesday that he [Russia] will respond to Ukraine's weekend drone attack on Russian airfields.

The U.S. president said in a social media post that "It was a good conversation, but not a conversation that will lead to immediate Peace."

The call that lasted for an hour and 15 minutes was Trump's first known with Putin since May 19.

Trump said he and Putin also discussed Iran's nuclear program.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE | AP NEWS |

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Trump says Putin told him that Russia will respond to Ukrainian attack on airfields ● FRANCE 24

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Fear Across Europe Russia Will Launch Tactical Nuclear Battlefield Weapon. Too many Western opinion makers and analysts are talking of a nuclear strike.

Ukraine war latest: Putin wants revenge for Kyiv's airbase attacks, Trump warns after phone call | Sky News |

Russia's deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov told Sky News' Ivor Bennett in Moscow earlier that "all options" were on the table when it comes to a response to Ukraine's recent attacks (see 16.29 post).

But one option we can almost certainly rule out is that Russia will nuclear weapons, security and defence analyst Michael Clarke said in his weekly Ukraine war Q&A this afternoon.

"The Russians have shown no indication, any physical indication, of bringing their tactical nuclear weapons forward or bringing any of the preparations together," Clarke said.

Russia uses nuclear rhetoric to frighten everybody, but there is no real advantage that it could gain by using tactical nuclear weapons, Clarke explained.

"They would have to use five or six Hiroshima-sized bombs to destroy one Ukrainian brigade, dispersed as they normally are.

"So they would have to go in for a nuclear war in a big way, and even then that would destroy one Ukrainian brigade."

Alternatively, they would have to launch two or three nuclear weapons at a city.

NATO crossed the Rubicon believing they were safe behind Article 5 ... with such aggression? No way.

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No, no, no! Ukraine was not a "nuclear power." Soviet nukes were left behind when USSR broke up. Moscow had the keys and Ukraine couldn't have used them. They were shipped back to Russia.

Important when people falsely/mistakenly claim they could have protected Ukraine now. [_link]

— Hans Kristensen (also on Bluesky) (@nukestrat) February 22, 2022

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Our new FAS Nuclear Notebook on Russian nuclear forces is now available. We estimate a stockpile of just over 4,300 warheads, modernizations, but also delays. Earlier STRATCOM projection of significant increase in tac nukes has not yet materialized. [_link] pic.twitter.com/vMJBQPue4e

— Hans Kristensen (also on Bluesky) (@nukestrat) May 13, 2025

Crimea As Endgame Before Going M.A.D. | 6 March 2023 |

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Ray McGovern and John Helmer: Putin at the ORESHNIK Moment | Diplomacy Works |

After call with Trump, indication is Russia will retaliate with a limited response and deal with Ukraine at the negotiating table.

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Putin's 1st Direct Attack on Ukraine After 'Op Spiderweb', Explodes on Kyiv's Request for Top Level Meeting

Russian President Vladimir Putin has launched his first direct missile strike on Ukraine following Kyiv's bold "Spiderweb" drone operation, which destroyed over 40 Russian military aircraft. In a televised address, Putin condemned recent railway explosions in Russia's Bryansk and Kursk regions as "terrorist acts," blaming Ukraine's political leadership for orchestrating attacks on civilians.

Putin calls Ukrainian leaders terrorists and is dubious about meeting with Zelenskyy | TASS |

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Russian president gave a detailed account of the outcome of the talks that Moscow and Kiev held in Turkey and his assessment of the terrorist attacks by the Kiev regime

MOSCOW, June 4. TASS. The Russian and US presidents, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, held their fourth phone talks since the American leader took office.

As they discussed Ukraine, Putin gave a detailed account of the outcome of the talks that Moscow and Kiev held in Turkey and his assessment of the terrorist attacks by the Kiev regime.

According to Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov, the leaders also touched on some other issues. Below are key takeaways from Ushakov's statements, as compiled by TASS.

Focus on Ukraine

The conversation lasted 70 minutes, with consecutive translation. The talks were preceded by communication between various members of the Russian and US governments.

"It was during those conversations that it was agreed that the current situation - immediately after the terrorist attacks of the Kiev regime and following the second round of the Istanbul talks - warranted a phone conversation between the leaders. This was agreed, and the leaders then issued the appropriate commands to set a time."

"With Ukraine, the emphasis was placed on two things: these terrorist attacks against civilians and the outcome of the second round of the Istanbul talks."
The Russian president gave a detailed account of the outcome of the talks, saying they generally were useful.

Moscow and Kiev are now studying each other's peace proposals before possibly continuing the talks. Putin and Trump did not discuss the proposals.

Kiev's attempt to disrupt the talks

It was said that Ukraine tried to disrupt the talks in Istanbul "on direct orders from the Kiev regime" by carrying out "deliberate attacks on purely civilian targets and civilians."

"In our view, the Kiev regime has essentially degenerated into a terrorist organization."

Trump "carefully listened to our assessments" on the attacks by Kiev. Trump said the US was not aware in advance of the Kiev regime's plans to attack Russian airfields.

The Kremlin did not disclose what exactly the Russian president told the US leader about Russia's plans to respond to the Ukrainian attack.

Cooperation potential

The presidents exchanged views on the prospects of rebuilding US-Russian cooperation in various areas, which, they said, has "enormous potential."
The issue of a prisoner exchange between Russia and the US was not brought up this time around. The presidents described their conversation as "positive and very productive" and agreed to continue communication on the Ukrainian issue at the highest level and also through other channels.

Iran, other subjects

Discussion was also given to some other international issues, mostly the "somewhat stalled" negotiations between the US and Iran on the Iranian nuclear program.

Trump told Putin that the talks could benefit from Russia's help and said he would appreciate it if Russia could work with Iran on the issue.

The leaders also discussed the halted armed conflict between India and Pakistan.

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Could be that not every word is a lie, but certainly every other senence is.

Remarks by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte with U.S. Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth at the meeting of NATO Ministers of Defence in Brussels, 5 June 2025

In his 14 years as Dutch PM, Rutte never uttered the 5-letter word P-E-A-C-E

NATO Secretary General:

Good morning.

I really want to welcome Pete Hegseth, here at NATO again. You were here in February. You were very clear about the agenda you and President Trump are driving. We heard the message.

Today will be an important meeting, because today we will agree on the capability targets we need going forward to keep 1 billion people safe in NATO territory. From this, we will decide at the NATO summit to the spending. And we already know we need to spend much, much more if we want to fulfill all these targets. And by the way, by doing that, we will also equalise in terms of spending between Canada and Europe and the United States.

There has been a total commitment by the US to NATO, but also this expectation that European and Canadian Allies will step up spending. And I'm pretty confident we will get there at the summit.

I also want to thank you and the President for what you are doing with Ukraine, driving the peace, engaging with President Putin and breaking the deadlock. 🤥  🤥 And I think that is extremely important. And also today we will discuss Ukraine.

So Pete, thank you for being here. Thank you for your leadership and thank you for being such a staunch ally.

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Putin opened governors meeting with negotiations report by envoy Medinsky.

Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of orchestrating a series of "barbaric" terrorist attacks on railway infrastructure in the Bryansk and Kursk regions, labeling them deliberate strikes to derail ongoing peace talks in Istanbul. In a government meeting, Putin detailed three bombings on May 31 and June 1, 2025, which killed civilians, injured dozens, and caused over 1 billion rubles in damage, citing evidence of Ukrainian-made control units and foreign explosives. He slammed Kyiv's leadership as a "terrorist regime" for rejecting humanitarian pauses and targeting civilians, casting doubt on further negotiations while vowing support for victims' families and heightened security measures.

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