🧩🧩🧩 The Strike on the Residence

This case will serve as an excellent illustration of the rules of postmodernity: what matters is not what exactly happened, but how the situation will be interpreted by the key actors.

Were there drones over the Novgorod region? Yes, there were.
Do the official reports from the Russian Ministry of Defense align with Lavrov's statements? No, they do not.

Therefore, one can speculate at length about what actually happened. But that's not important. Other things are important.

First. There have been attacks on Putin's residences before. There was, as we recall, even an attack on the Kremlin, and a dome caught fire. However, there was no such reaction before. This speaks to a qualitatively different self-perception of the Kremlin in this conflict.

Second. The Kremlin immediately stated that the response would be in two directions: a military response and a change in the negotiation position. In our view, the key element here is the second one, and it is more beneficial for them to invest 90% of the response precisely there. Because no one is going to shoot at Zelenskyy, and everything else is pointless.

Third. The strike, as described, deals a maximum blow to Zelenskyy's positions because:

✅ Trump now looks somewhat foolish (in Putin's eyes), telling Putin that he is negotiating with Zelenskyy and that he agrees to many things, and then Zelenskyy goes and personally attacks Putin at night.

✅ All of this looks like an attempt to undermine Trump's overall peace efforts and provoke escalation.

A long time ago, as soon as Trump was re-elected, we wrote that one of the real changes in the situation would be that Zelenskyy would no longer be able to escalate with impunity as before, when the entire West turned a blind eye to any of his actions.

Fourth. The tough and immediate reaction from the UAE, India, and Pakistan. In principle, this is enough for the situation to be recorded as real. And despite all denials, Zelenskyy could no longer ignore it.

Ukraine, by the way, is directly denying escalation for the first time, while the globalists are silent, formulating their position.

In our opinion, the pretext that has emerged provides an opportunity to break out of the negotiation deadlock.

After the visit, the situation was heading into another 100th-500th round of negotiations and was likely to drown in the referendum and Zelenskyy's demands. But now, Trump has an excellent card to pressure Zelenskyy. Exactly like after a scandal, but without a scandal.

And, of course, it's better for Trump to use it than to continue going in circles according to the rules of the globalists.

Now let's see how Trump uses this. A lot depends on it.