Brilliant interview & Conversation. A great history lesson particularly for the American audience. Thank you Scott Ritter for your every effort to bring open conversation btwn US& RUSSIA.
"Greatness is generosity," thank you Maria Zakharova for speaking the truth. Thank you Scott for bringing her to us and letting her shed her diplomatic veneer and speak from the heart. It was very painful to hear. The Ukrainians "have been deceived by those in Washington, by Biden, by Blinken .... they have been deceived, betrayed and destroyed ... this is beyond violent."
After 1991, America stopped being generous and embarked on a quest of battling the windmills of empire. We stopped being great and we only became greedy, violent and wasteful. In my humble opinion, America will never find itself until it sheds this greed, violence and wastefulness.
I do not understand the sheer animosity the West, especially the bloody British, have towards Russia. Could it be just insane jealousy for the blessings of geography (and hence immense resources) that Russia has and the pathetic Europeans (especially ones living on a resource-poor island) don't?
What Zakharova said about the late entry of the West into battle against the Nazis during WW2 is correct. I remember Stalin pleading with Churchill and Roosevelt to open a second front and relieve the pressure on the Soviet army. Instead of doing so, they dithered and went to Italy and wasted around 2 years in senseless battles in Africa and up the spine of Italy. It almost seems by design! The intension was to weaken the Nazis even if it meant bleeding Russia dry, before entering and marching through France after Russia defeated Nazis at Stalingrad at an immense cost in blood and treasure. Now, the West has the audacity to rewrite history by glorifying their own participation (I am sick of hearing about D-Day ad nauseam) and ignoring the major contribution of Russia, as if they defeated the Nazis all by themselves!
I had the same question (why the US did not open the "second front" until June 6, 1944). I got an answer during a visit to Franklin D. Roosevelt museum in Hyde Park, NY. FDR would like to open the "second front" much earlier, but he could not convince the Congress that some distant war on another continent was worth the US participation.
Perhaps that is meant for the consumption of the masses. Pearl Harbor attack was in Dec 1941 and Germany immediately declared war on USA. And the allies agreed that defeating Germany was the top priority before turning to Japan. Yet, 2.5 years had to pass before the second front was opened. Something does not smell right here! I believe it was deliberate, since US troops were deployed to Africa and Italy, while they were badly needed in Europe.
Probably you are right that it was deliberate, but what I learned by visiting FDR museum is that FDR was not to blame for the delay with the opening of the second front. It looks like in the US there already was a deep state in the early 1940's.
I was born in the USSR and lived there until 1990. Here is what we were all taught in school: the US opened the second front when the USSR had already won the fight in Europe, and if the US did not open the second front, then the USSR would take over all of the Europe rather than just the Eastern Europe. I believe that that was a good explanation; at least it was logically impeccable.
There was great fear by US and UK command that the debacle of the Dardanelles that was a poorly conceived and rushed also amphibious landing Under Winston Churchill that ended in catastrophe Would repeat.
The us and uk Did what they could at the time which was the campaign in Sicily and Italy. It did tie down nazi troops
So there is historical context that merits, remembering as well that the Allied effort Was not cynical, but simply insufficient.
I also believed that if the roles were inverted The Soviets would have come to the aid Of the Western allies, even if it cost that much blood
But again that fear was of a catastrophe during the landing because of the debacle of 1916
Your arguments make a lot of sense. Still, I must say that the people in the Soviet Union felt (and still feel) betrayed by the allies for not opening the second front sooner. On the other hand, the same people feel grateful for the material help they received as a result of the Lend-Lease Act of 1941: this was really a huge help.
I believe here you are not taking into account the enormous effort to gather men supplies build ships train, we are talking millions in about half the GDP of the usa assembled. There were not enough factories producing weapons.
So time was needed it was impossible to go faster
I think here we must also remember that the allies did what was possible at that moment. One action that was possible was bombing nazi europe.
The average life of a bomber pilot was one mission.
That’s right one mission.
So that’s what could be done and it it was done a great cost for the pilots were sacrificed so that the German air power could be grinded down
Let us not see cynical action in everything or else we become cynical ourselves
We can also remember that the battle of kursk was larger, that single battle was larger than all the engagements of the western front
So at no point we underestimate the enormous valour and sacrifice of the Soviet armies. We pray a minute for Zukhovs soul.
I see your points and appreciate it. However, a lot of effort was put into fighting in Africa and Italy, which also required enormous logistics, although perhaps not as much as would have been required for war in Europe. If a decision had been made early, a second front could have been opened in Europe at least in 1942-43.
Bombing German infrastructure would have been done, no matter where the ground conflict was fought. In fact, a combined bombing and ground war would have been FAR MORE beneficial to the allies than just bombing. Just saying, although no one can assert with 1000% certainty whether the decision was deliberate or inevitable.
I think here also merits the context that the battle in Africa was not useless, on the contrary, it was critical, exactly because the oil flowed through the Suez Canal and protecting Egypt was vital, for without oil the war would have ended in defeat.
Oil was already so critical that for the Soviets defending the Caspian Sea was essential and so we have Stalingrad. Stalingrad was held so that the Caspian oil was safe.
Similarly, the position of the Suez Canal Egypt in the African campaign.
Finally do note that Hitler himself when faced with the choice of defending the oil in Romania or Berlin sent the armies to Romania. In truth, Hitler had no choice because if he had defended Berlin and left the oil, the Soviet would have strangled his army anyways.
So again, let us not see cynical action in everything.
I sincerely hope that many europeans see this brillant interview and understand how incredibly mediocre our representatives are in comparison with Madame Maria Zakharova.
Thank you Scott Ritter for your peace crusade and God bless you.
I am surprised that Maria Zakharova did not answer in English: her English is much better than what the synchronous interpreters did. Russian is my native language, but I also understand English very well when it is the original speech rather than a translation. After a translation to another language, whether it is from Russian to English, or from English to Russian, it is often difficult to figure out what the speaker meant, in part because the intonation and emotions are not translated. I wish I could hear what Maria Zakharova said in Russian, but her voice was overwhelmed by the translators. Sorry for this criticism. I do not blame the interpreters, they did a fairly good job. My classmate worked as a synchronous interpreter at the United Nations for 30+ years before he retired; he translated from multiple languages to Russian.
Post Scriptum:
I listened to the interview again using high quality earphones, which enabled me to understand what Maria Zakharova said in Russian. This changed my opinion of the synchronous interpreters: they did the best possible job rather than a fairly good job (as I wrote above). The fact is that Maria Zakharova used extremely long sentences and linguistic constructs that exist only in the Russian language; these are impossible to translate into English word-for-word. It is possible to translate into English the main essence of such Russian speech, but it is not possible to translate every word and fine nuances. However, what synchronous interpreters are trained to do is essentially to translate every word, since they start the translation before they even hear the end of the phrase. There is no way they could do this better. Maria Zakharova's Russian language is perfect; it is comparable to that of professional writers and poets. But for translation into English she would have to either use simple short sentences or, even better, speak English. I do believe that Maria Zakharova's English is very good.
As an official of the Russian government, Maria Vladimorovna can only speak her native tongue in any public appearance. And honestly, it is beautiful. It is beautiful to hear it soothes the heart. And we are wiser to learn your language, then to hear her in her perfect English.
So yes, she can only speak Russian and honestly it’s perfect
I tell my liberal friends with their great hatred, you know if you keep attacking Russia, this is gonna end poorly for the United States, which will then be renamed CWA, makes them think a little bit.
I agree with you that Maria Zakharova's interview was perfect in the original language, but the translation was not as perfect (this is not the fault of the synchronous interpreters, this is because of the difference in the language structures between the Russian language and the English language). The interview was intended for the US public, therefore the quality of the English version is what matters. Russian people pretty much knew in advance what Maria Zakharova was going to say because this is common knowledge in Russia.
You are probably right about the fact that official representatives of the Russian government are not allowed to speak in foreign languages, however, I know of a number of cases where this law was violated (e. g., Vladimir Putin speaking in German to Angela Merkel and a few Russians officials speaking English at the United Nations). If this law exists, then it is counterproductive and should be abolished.
What is CWA, the Clean Water Act or the Communications Workers of America?
Why didn't Scott speak in Russian? Because he is not fluent in Russian. He can say things in Russian that Russians will understand, but this is not a correct Russian language. On the other hand, Maria Zakharova's English language is almost perfect. And I believe that I have missed an explanation by Maria Zakharova why she spoke Russian. I will now listen to her interview for the third time and try to find that explanation.
One of the best interviews I've seen in my lifetime. A brilliant, charming, moving person. It would be wonderful to have her kind in our government. When she kept saying Samantha Powers surely must know the history, I realized Ms. Zakharova doesn't know Russian education is so superior to US education that Samantha Powers probably doesn't know the history mentioned. Scott, you always say you bleed red, white and blue and are a patriot. I was born and raised here, but have traveled in over 30 countries. I can no longer identify as American. I feel more Russian than American. If I didn't have family and friends here, I would move to St. Petersburg immediately. I felt more akin to Maria Zakharova than any friend or family member here. Thanks for this interview. Loved it.
Born and raised in Kashmir—yet Palestine lives in me—educated and worked in New York for the past 55 years, I wish to devote the balance of my days learning goodwill in St. Petersburg. So help me God.
That interview was simply one of the best I have had the pleasure to watch, thank you for making it publicly available. I've watched Tucker Carlson & Vladimir Putin, Judge Napolitano & Friends with Sergey Lavrov, and many others, all of them good interviews, but this was to me the best, and why? ... because it was how interviews should be - respectful, candid, human, and just the right balance of structure to enable genuine conversation to flow. Thank you Maria. Thank you Scott. Thank you all those behind the scenes, and Thank you Interpreter.
I agree. The greatest regret of allies in WW2 was not to be able to capture Berlin before Soviets did and won a great propaganda victory! For those in the West, who think the West won WW2, I have a simple question: Who captured Berlin, the allies or the Soviets?
At the risk of sounding like a doofus, I report that I just spent a half hour trying to subscribe to The Russia House, but wasn't able to download the Telegram app to my iPhone or MacBook. Perhaps Jeff or someone in this community could provide some instructions? (I kept getting stuck at the place where a numeric code supposedly was sent to my Telegram app, but I couldn't access the app to retrieve it.). Thanks
Dear Scott, дорогая Мария Владимировна, thank you for this wonderful gift, which is this interview, it brought me to tears and deservedly so, we the United States have done a great evil and lest we forget God remembers. I had the privilege immense of visiting Sochi St Petersburg and Moscow in 2022 and 2023 and I can only say how much love I received from such a great and generous people, everyone, just perfect. I have for example the fondest memories of truly remarkable conversations while using Yandex taxi. Just wow, I would love to tell them, but of course my text is already too long. I have been slowly learning to speak this marvelous melodic and harmonious language, and I hope someday to address my friends fluently in their beautiful Russian language.
With admiration and respect, since 2022 I have been following closely the work of Russia’s President, Foreign Minister and spokeswoman. Just superb professionals of the highest caliber and by following them as closely as allows public information I learn from the best. My favorite thing is to write down and save and use the folk sayings that President Vladimir Putin refers to. They are superb and show the great wisdom of the Russian people. Сергей Викторович always hits the nail on the head, I wish he would give even more public speeches and interviews he has this dry humor that you have to be careful with it very sharp and sometimes you miss it his long tenure allows him to pull from his direct experience pretty much all the important events of the last 30 or 40 years. There are no people like the Russian people. A great and diverse nation compromising I believe some 200 different ethnic groups.
Родина
And through the many examples of valor, of self sacrifice, of service to others, the Russian soldier and nation inspires and renews the manhood of the world.
Мария Владимировна, please know that we are with you and will work tirelessly until the US government has repented and make peace instead of war for the first time.
Words are not enough though
In xmas 2022 you showed the work of Olga Vyaz who was helping children and elders in Mariupol. The picture showed a young Russian girl holding a gift with her platok and smiling ear to ear, and that very much moved me. So I reached out to Olga over telegram and because I had opened a Russian bank account I was able to send a monthly donation small but something for her work until August 2023 when I had some struggles of my own and was not able to contribute. But I can contribute again and this interview has reminded me. It made me happy to think that maybe another Russian child smiled ear to ear. For indeed, many tears have been shed and I very much agree and accept and feel our guilt. To this day, I have saved the picture of the little girl that you Maria showed on your Telegram. I also have always with me my russian icon of the holy mother of God. I am proud to say that I visited the naval cathedral in kronstad that has among other icons Our Lady Derzhavnaya. The reception I received that day a single traveler from the Russian school kids also visiting is unforgettable warmth. It seems hard climates and great suffering produce loving hearts.
I of course, wanted to see as well, Rublev Trinity icon, but sadly it was not on display.
Later, I read in the news that it is again in the Sergei Lavra available to be venerated, it is on my wish list to see it is amazing how Rublev represents the Trinity. Tarkovskys movie inspired me.
In the tetryakov chapel I venerated the holy mother of kazan.
There are indeed pipelines and through some flow oil, gas energy… there are also other pipelines, tiny, invisible, that are not made of metal and through them we try to flow love understanding and connection. Kremlin.ru has the answers to journalists given during the president of Russia and Belarus last meeting and the discussion on pipelines. My Russian sadly is not enough to get the whole nuance there between the Presidents but I will ask my friend Veronika to explain to me…Again, I pay great attention to your words.
You can believe there is a little pipeline of love that crosses the earth and connects us.
As I said to Яна Сергеевна, my host in 2022 I offer also here, it is my dream that our families can together go and attend a presentation of the Russian ballet in the big theater together as one. For no one dances like the Russians it’s just impossible. Something I had also the great privilege to see. (As a balletomane)
Again, thank you for your interview, thank you Scott for your efforts, I have been following your work closely as well, the truth, honesty and emotion portrayed brought me to tears
So I would say, technically, yes, in the plain meaning of the texts. They all say so, and especially in loving themselves, so they don’t become their own worst enemies.
If you lost your ass, how would you like to be treated?
Exodus 23:4 (KJV)
If thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again.
Somebody hates you. We all know how nasty that can get. It’s unnatural to help them and perhaps even risky. But it’s the law, buddy. You can have words about anything you want after, and perhaps unwisely. You can walk away, and probably should in most cases. But you do what the law says, even if the HATER says no? Then you can think about the poor ass, and to hell with the master? How about the love of asses? Be kind to animals and asses? The law also says love your neighbour as yourself and no grudges.
Exodus 23:5 (KJV)
If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him.
Even your ass gets a rest. It’s the law.
Exodus 23:12 (KJV)
Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest: that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and the son of thy handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed.
Your ass is a valuable property to be safeguarded. You may even love your ass.
Numbers 16:15 (KJV)
And Moses was very wroth, and said unto the LORD, Respect not thou their offering: I have not taken one ass from them, neither have I hurt one of them.
Your ass may love you.
Numbers 22:30 (KJV)
And the ass said unto Balaam, [Am] not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since [I was] thine unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee? And he said, Nay.
Your ass deserves a rest, and even because you were treated like asses in Egypt?
Deuteronomy 5:14 (KJV)
But the seventh day [is] the sabbath of the LORD thy God: [in it] thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that [is] within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou.
Your neighbour’s ass may look pretty good, but it’s not yours.
Deuteronomy 5:21 (KJV)
Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour's wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour's house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any [thing] that [is] thy neighbour's.
There’s different brotherhoods. There may even be the brotherhood of asses.
Deuteronomy 22:4 (KJV)
Thou shalt not see thy brother's ass or his ox fall down by the way, and hide thyself from them: thou shalt surely help him to lift [them] up again.
There can be diversity in unity but your ass may not speak the same language as your ox. Each may have their own particular virtues, for their master, but they will be inconsistent, inefficient, unmanageable or even catastrophic, at times, in working together,
Deuteronomy 22:10 (KJV)
Thou shalt not plow with an ox and an ass together.
If you go down or are taken down, even your ass could be lost.
Deuteronomy 28:31 (KJV)
Thine ox [shall be] slain before thine eyes, and thou shalt not eat thereof: thine ass [shall be] violently taken away from before thy face, and shall not be restored to thee: thy sheep [shall be] given unto thine enemies, and thou shalt have none to rescue [them].
Some conventional wars are almost like nuclear war.
Joshua 6:21 (KJV)
And they utterly destroyed all that [was] in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword.
But presently, in sectarian divisions, they all become their own worst enemies, let alone loving their lesser enemies.
Perfidious Albion, for example: if we find ourselves hating the present day political masters and mistresses of Albion, we may have a hint of how the Russophobes may hate Russia and Russians.
Semper Perfidious?
So if we can’t pity ourselves for our own blind hatred of some imaginary state, bounded by imaginary lines, like the new American 51st state, then maybe we can start by pitying the poor blind Russophobes?
But why do we or they hate Russians, or Perfidious Albion? It’s because of perfidy.
I am a vicarious enjoyer of violent spy movies for some reason.
After watching so many perfidious Russophobic mischaracterizations of villainy, and sometimes falling asleep under their influence, learn while I sleep, I had to make a conscious decision to counteract every slander and depiction of Russian villainy by thinking about it, and being determined to see it for what it was. In other words, it wasn’t real, even if I learned that stupidity in my sleep.
So let’s keep it real. Of course there’s not much real published about Putin either.
Putin: “I don’t have bad days because I’m not a woman”
The Russian president has a history of making demeaning remarks about women.
dislike or fear of Russia, its people or its culture or language
Anti-Russian sentiment (or Russophobia) is a dislike or fear of Russia, Russians or Russian culture. “Russian nationalists and apologists of Russian politics are sometimes criticised for using allegations of "Russophobia" as a form of propaganda to counter any criticism of Russian state policies or practices.”
With misogyny being hatred of women and gynophobia being fear of women, why is there no English language way of saying or no single word for describing those that hate Russians, as opposed to those that fear Russians? But instead they put it all under phobia, or fear of Russians, Russophobia, like the asininity of the hatred of Russians doesn’t merit a special word, or like they would never openly admit that they hate Russians, because that’s would expose the true degree of their folly, animosity and prejudice?
Gynophobia
Gynophobia or gynephobia is a morbid and irrational fear of women, a type of specific social phobia. It is found in ancient mythology as well as modern cases. A small number of researchers and authors have attempted to pin down possible causes of gynophobia. Wikipedia
allergy to, hard feelings, invidiousness, no use for
Where can I submit a complaint to the English Language Police?
Even my ox and my ass should complain about the Russophobic abhorrence, abomination, aversion, coldness, detestation, disapproval, disfavor, displeasure, execration, ignominy, malevolence, malignance, militancy, odium, pique, repugnance, repulsion, scorn, spite, spleen and venom.
To call it anti-Russian sentiment or a mere phobia seems too mild. It is hate plain and simple. If we hate our neighbours as ourselves and we don’t even love the sects of our own religions very much, even that could be an improvement over plain old hate, but in many cases of the sectarian divisions of religion, it just ain’t so.
“Essentally combat is an expression of hostile feelings. But in the large-scale combat that we call war hostile feelings often have become merely hostile intentions. At any rate, there are usually no hostile feelings between individuals. Yet such emotions can never be completely absent from war. Modern wars are seldom fought without hatred between nations; this serves as a more or less substitute for the hatred between individuals. Even when there is no natural hatred and no animosity to start with, the fighting itself will stir up hostile feelings: violence committed on superior orders will stir up the desire for revenge and retaliation against the perpetrator rather than against the powers that ordered the action. It is only human (or animal, if you like), but it is a fact.”
― Carl von Clausewitz
Religious war at its simplest is killing each other over who has the best imaginary friend.
Richard Jeni
The Autobiography of Will Rogers (1949)
* There is only one thing that can kill the Movies, and that is education.
* Communism is like prohibition, it's a good idea but it won't work.
* You can't say civilization don't advance, however, for in every war they kill you in a new way.
* When you put down the good things you ought to have done, and leave out the bad ones you did do — well, that's Memoirs.
Brilliant interview & Conversation. A great history lesson particularly for the American audience. Thank you Scott Ritter for your every effort to bring open conversation btwn US& RUSSIA.
"Greatness is generosity," thank you Maria Zakharova for speaking the truth. Thank you Scott for bringing her to us and letting her shed her diplomatic veneer and speak from the heart. It was very painful to hear. The Ukrainians "have been deceived by those in Washington, by Biden, by Blinken .... they have been deceived, betrayed and destroyed ... this is beyond violent."
After 1991, America stopped being generous and embarked on a quest of battling the windmills of empire. We stopped being great and we only became greedy, violent and wasteful. In my humble opinion, America will never find itself until it sheds this greed, violence and wastefulness.
I do not understand the sheer animosity the West, especially the bloody British, have towards Russia. Could it be just insane jealousy for the blessings of geography (and hence immense resources) that Russia has and the pathetic Europeans (especially ones living on a resource-poor island) don't?
What Zakharova said about the late entry of the West into battle against the Nazis during WW2 is correct. I remember Stalin pleading with Churchill and Roosevelt to open a second front and relieve the pressure on the Soviet army. Instead of doing so, they dithered and went to Italy and wasted around 2 years in senseless battles in Africa and up the spine of Italy. It almost seems by design! The intension was to weaken the Nazis even if it meant bleeding Russia dry, before entering and marching through France after Russia defeated Nazis at Stalingrad at an immense cost in blood and treasure. Now, the West has the audacity to rewrite history by glorifying their own participation (I am sick of hearing about D-Day ad nauseam) and ignoring the major contribution of Russia, as if they defeated the Nazis all by themselves!
Amazing hypocrisy!
I had the same question (why the US did not open the "second front" until June 6, 1944). I got an answer during a visit to Franklin D. Roosevelt museum in Hyde Park, NY. FDR would like to open the "second front" much earlier, but he could not convince the Congress that some distant war on another continent was worth the US participation.
Perhaps that is meant for the consumption of the masses. Pearl Harbor attack was in Dec 1941 and Germany immediately declared war on USA. And the allies agreed that defeating Germany was the top priority before turning to Japan. Yet, 2.5 years had to pass before the second front was opened. Something does not smell right here! I believe it was deliberate, since US troops were deployed to Africa and Italy, while they were badly needed in Europe.
Probably you are right that it was deliberate, but what I learned by visiting FDR museum is that FDR was not to blame for the delay with the opening of the second front. It looks like in the US there already was a deep state in the early 1940's.
I was born in the USSR and lived there until 1990. Here is what we were all taught in school: the US opened the second front when the USSR had already won the fight in Europe, and if the US did not open the second front, then the USSR would take over all of the Europe rather than just the Eastern Europe. I believe that that was a good explanation; at least it was logically impeccable.
I believe here I can add a little tiny bit.
There was great fear by US and UK command that the debacle of the Dardanelles that was a poorly conceived and rushed also amphibious landing Under Winston Churchill that ended in catastrophe Would repeat.
The us and uk Did what they could at the time which was the campaign in Sicily and Italy. It did tie down nazi troops
So there is historical context that merits, remembering as well that the Allied effort Was not cynical, but simply insufficient.
I also believed that if the roles were inverted The Soviets would have come to the aid Of the Western allies, even if it cost that much blood
But again that fear was of a catastrophe during the landing because of the debacle of 1916
Your arguments make a lot of sense. Still, I must say that the people in the Soviet Union felt (and still feel) betrayed by the allies for not opening the second front sooner. On the other hand, the same people feel grateful for the material help they received as a result of the Lend-Lease Act of 1941: this was really a huge help.
I believe here you are not taking into account the enormous effort to gather men supplies build ships train, we are talking millions in about half the GDP of the usa assembled. There were not enough factories producing weapons.
So time was needed it was impossible to go faster
I think here we must also remember that the allies did what was possible at that moment. One action that was possible was bombing nazi europe.
The average life of a bomber pilot was one mission.
That’s right one mission.
So that’s what could be done and it it was done a great cost for the pilots were sacrificed so that the German air power could be grinded down
Let us not see cynical action in everything or else we become cynical ourselves
We can also remember that the battle of kursk was larger, that single battle was larger than all the engagements of the western front
So at no point we underestimate the enormous valour and sacrifice of the Soviet armies. We pray a minute for Zukhovs soul.
I see your points and appreciate it. However, a lot of effort was put into fighting in Africa and Italy, which also required enormous logistics, although perhaps not as much as would have been required for war in Europe. If a decision had been made early, a second front could have been opened in Europe at least in 1942-43.
Bombing German infrastructure would have been done, no matter where the ground conflict was fought. In fact, a combined bombing and ground war would have been FAR MORE beneficial to the allies than just bombing. Just saying, although no one can assert with 1000% certainty whether the decision was deliberate or inevitable.
I think here also merits the context that the battle in Africa was not useless, on the contrary, it was critical, exactly because the oil flowed through the Suez Canal and protecting Egypt was vital, for without oil the war would have ended in defeat.
Oil was already so critical that for the Soviets defending the Caspian Sea was essential and so we have Stalingrad. Stalingrad was held so that the Caspian oil was safe.
Similarly, the position of the Suez Canal Egypt in the African campaign.
Finally do note that Hitler himself when faced with the choice of defending the oil in Romania or Berlin sent the armies to Romania. In truth, Hitler had no choice because if he had defended Berlin and left the oil, the Soviet would have strangled his army anyways.
So again, let us not see cynical action in everything.
I sincerely hope that many europeans see this brillant interview and understand how incredibly mediocre our representatives are in comparison with Madame Maria Zakharova.
Thank you Scott Ritter for your peace crusade and God bless you.
I am surprised that Maria Zakharova did not answer in English: her English is much better than what the synchronous interpreters did. Russian is my native language, but I also understand English very well when it is the original speech rather than a translation. After a translation to another language, whether it is from Russian to English, or from English to Russian, it is often difficult to figure out what the speaker meant, in part because the intonation and emotions are not translated. I wish I could hear what Maria Zakharova said in Russian, but her voice was overwhelmed by the translators. Sorry for this criticism. I do not blame the interpreters, they did a fairly good job. My classmate worked as a synchronous interpreter at the United Nations for 30+ years before he retired; he translated from multiple languages to Russian.
Post Scriptum:
I listened to the interview again using high quality earphones, which enabled me to understand what Maria Zakharova said in Russian. This changed my opinion of the synchronous interpreters: they did the best possible job rather than a fairly good job (as I wrote above). The fact is that Maria Zakharova used extremely long sentences and linguistic constructs that exist only in the Russian language; these are impossible to translate into English word-for-word. It is possible to translate into English the main essence of such Russian speech, but it is not possible to translate every word and fine nuances. However, what synchronous interpreters are trained to do is essentially to translate every word, since they start the translation before they even hear the end of the phrase. There is no way they could do this better. Maria Zakharova's Russian language is perfect; it is comparable to that of professional writers and poets. But for translation into English she would have to either use simple short sentences or, even better, speak English. I do believe that Maria Zakharova's English is very good.
As an official of the Russian government, Maria Vladimorovna can only speak her native tongue in any public appearance. And honestly, it is beautiful. It is beautiful to hear it soothes the heart. And we are wiser to learn your language, then to hear her in her perfect English.
So yes, she can only speak Russian and honestly it’s perfect
I tell my liberal friends with their great hatred, you know if you keep attacking Russia, this is gonna end poorly for the United States, which will then be renamed CWA, makes them think a little bit.
I agree with you that Maria Zakharova's interview was perfect in the original language, but the translation was not as perfect (this is not the fault of the synchronous interpreters, this is because of the difference in the language structures between the Russian language and the English language). The interview was intended for the US public, therefore the quality of the English version is what matters. Russian people pretty much knew in advance what Maria Zakharova was going to say because this is common knowledge in Russia.
You are probably right about the fact that official representatives of the Russian government are not allowed to speak in foreign languages, however, I know of a number of cases where this law was violated (e. g., Vladimir Putin speaking in German to Angela Merkel and a few Russians officials speaking English at the United Nations). If this law exists, then it is counterproductive and should be abolished.
What is CWA, the Clean Water Act or the Communications Workers of America?
Dimitri T, Why didn't Scott speak in Russian? You know why she spoke in Russian. She explained it.
Why didn't Scott speak in Russian? Because he is not fluent in Russian. He can say things in Russian that Russians will understand, but this is not a correct Russian language. On the other hand, Maria Zakharova's English language is almost perfect. And I believe that I have missed an explanation by Maria Zakharova why she spoke Russian. I will now listen to her interview for the third time and try to find that explanation.
One of the best interviews I've seen in my lifetime. A brilliant, charming, moving person. It would be wonderful to have her kind in our government. When she kept saying Samantha Powers surely must know the history, I realized Ms. Zakharova doesn't know Russian education is so superior to US education that Samantha Powers probably doesn't know the history mentioned. Scott, you always say you bleed red, white and blue and are a patriot. I was born and raised here, but have traveled in over 30 countries. I can no longer identify as American. I feel more Russian than American. If I didn't have family and friends here, I would move to St. Petersburg immediately. I felt more akin to Maria Zakharova than any friend or family member here. Thanks for this interview. Loved it.
Yeah you are absolutely right.
Born and raised in Kashmir—yet Palestine lives in me—educated and worked in New York for the past 55 years, I wish to devote the balance of my days learning goodwill in St. Petersburg. So help me God.
That interview was simply one of the best I have had the pleasure to watch, thank you for making it publicly available. I've watched Tucker Carlson & Vladimir Putin, Judge Napolitano & Friends with Sergey Lavrov, and many others, all of them good interviews, but this was to me the best, and why? ... because it was how interviews should be - respectful, candid, human, and just the right balance of structure to enable genuine conversation to flow. Thank you Maria. Thank you Scott. Thank you all those behind the scenes, and Thank you Interpreter.
Thank you! Is it possible to hear the original without the voice over but with subtitles?
I agree. The greatest regret of allies in WW2 was not to be able to capture Berlin before Soviets did and won a great propaganda victory! For those in the West, who think the West won WW2, I have a simple question: Who captured Berlin, the allies or the Soviets?
Thanks Scott. Now I know why the Russians are considered tough negotiators - tough but honest and genuinely serious
At the risk of sounding like a doofus, I report that I just spent a half hour trying to subscribe to The Russia House, but wasn't able to download the Telegram app to my iPhone or MacBook. Perhaps Jeff or someone in this community could provide some instructions? (I kept getting stuck at the place where a numeric code supposedly was sent to my Telegram app, but I couldn't access the app to retrieve it.). Thanks
Don't download the telegram App from the AppStore. Open the Telegram website and download the original version.
You must have been successful. Otherwise, you couldn't have posted a comment.
Dear Scott, дорогая Мария Владимировна, thank you for this wonderful gift, which is this interview, it brought me to tears and deservedly so, we the United States have done a great evil and lest we forget God remembers. I had the privilege immense of visiting Sochi St Petersburg and Moscow in 2022 and 2023 and I can only say how much love I received from such a great and generous people, everyone, just perfect. I have for example the fondest memories of truly remarkable conversations while using Yandex taxi. Just wow, I would love to tell them, but of course my text is already too long. I have been slowly learning to speak this marvelous melodic and harmonious language, and I hope someday to address my friends fluently in their beautiful Russian language.
With admiration and respect, since 2022 I have been following closely the work of Russia’s President, Foreign Minister and spokeswoman. Just superb professionals of the highest caliber and by following them as closely as allows public information I learn from the best. My favorite thing is to write down and save and use the folk sayings that President Vladimir Putin refers to. They are superb and show the great wisdom of the Russian people. Сергей Викторович always hits the nail on the head, I wish he would give even more public speeches and interviews he has this dry humor that you have to be careful with it very sharp and sometimes you miss it his long tenure allows him to pull from his direct experience pretty much all the important events of the last 30 or 40 years. There are no people like the Russian people. A great and diverse nation compromising I believe some 200 different ethnic groups.
Родина
And through the many examples of valor, of self sacrifice, of service to others, the Russian soldier and nation inspires and renews the manhood of the world.
Мария Владимировна, please know that we are with you and will work tirelessly until the US government has repented and make peace instead of war for the first time.
Words are not enough though
In xmas 2022 you showed the work of Olga Vyaz who was helping children and elders in Mariupol. The picture showed a young Russian girl holding a gift with her platok and smiling ear to ear, and that very much moved me. So I reached out to Olga over telegram and because I had opened a Russian bank account I was able to send a monthly donation small but something for her work until August 2023 when I had some struggles of my own and was not able to contribute. But I can contribute again and this interview has reminded me. It made me happy to think that maybe another Russian child smiled ear to ear. For indeed, many tears have been shed and I very much agree and accept and feel our guilt. To this day, I have saved the picture of the little girl that you Maria showed on your Telegram. I also have always with me my russian icon of the holy mother of God. I am proud to say that I visited the naval cathedral in kronstad that has among other icons Our Lady Derzhavnaya. The reception I received that day a single traveler from the Russian school kids also visiting is unforgettable warmth. It seems hard climates and great suffering produce loving hearts.
I of course, wanted to see as well, Rublev Trinity icon, but sadly it was not on display.
Later, I read in the news that it is again in the Sergei Lavra available to be venerated, it is on my wish list to see it is amazing how Rublev represents the Trinity. Tarkovskys movie inspired me.
In the tetryakov chapel I venerated the holy mother of kazan.
There are indeed pipelines and through some flow oil, gas energy… there are also other pipelines, tiny, invisible, that are not made of metal and through them we try to flow love understanding and connection. Kremlin.ru has the answers to journalists given during the president of Russia and Belarus last meeting and the discussion on pipelines. My Russian sadly is not enough to get the whole nuance there between the Presidents but I will ask my friend Veronika to explain to me…Again, I pay great attention to your words.
You can believe there is a little pipeline of love that crosses the earth and connects us.
As I said to Яна Сергеевна, my host in 2022 I offer also here, it is my dream that our families can together go and attend a presentation of the Russian ballet in the big theater together as one. For no one dances like the Russians it’s just impossible. Something I had also the great privilege to see. (As a balletomane)
Again, thank you for your interview, thank you Scott for your efforts, I have been following your work closely as well, the truth, honesty and emotion portrayed brought me to tears
Kind regards Miguel Feitosa
This was really a wonderful interview Scott. Would like to hear another interview with her in the future.
Please PLEASE WILL SOMEONE WHERE TO PUT IN MY CARD DETAILS TO PAY FOR A YEARS RUSSIA HOUSE Dr Jo East Anglia NO LINKS SEEM TO ASK FOR THESE DETAILS
Love your enemies?
It’s the Jewish way? The Judaism way? The Judaite way? The Israeli way? The Abrahamite way? The Abraham accords way? The Christian way?
Is it the Muslim way?
https://questionsonislam.com/question/does-islam-teach-us-love-our-enemies-too
So I would say, technically, yes, in the plain meaning of the texts. They all say so, and especially in loving themselves, so they don’t become their own worst enemies.
If you lost your ass, how would you like to be treated?
Exodus 23:4 (KJV)
If thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again.
Somebody hates you. We all know how nasty that can get. It’s unnatural to help them and perhaps even risky. But it’s the law, buddy. You can have words about anything you want after, and perhaps unwisely. You can walk away, and probably should in most cases. But you do what the law says, even if the HATER says no? Then you can think about the poor ass, and to hell with the master? How about the love of asses? Be kind to animals and asses? The law also says love your neighbour as yourself and no grudges.
Exodus 23:5 (KJV)
If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him.
Even your ass gets a rest. It’s the law.
Exodus 23:12 (KJV)
Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest: that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and the son of thy handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed.
Your ass is a valuable property to be safeguarded. You may even love your ass.
Numbers 16:15 (KJV)
And Moses was very wroth, and said unto the LORD, Respect not thou their offering: I have not taken one ass from them, neither have I hurt one of them.
Your ass may love you.
Numbers 22:30 (KJV)
And the ass said unto Balaam, [Am] not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since [I was] thine unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee? And he said, Nay.
Your ass deserves a rest, and even because you were treated like asses in Egypt?
Deuteronomy 5:14 (KJV)
But the seventh day [is] the sabbath of the LORD thy God: [in it] thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that [is] within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou.
Your neighbour’s ass may look pretty good, but it’s not yours.
Deuteronomy 5:21 (KJV)
Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour's wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour's house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any [thing] that [is] thy neighbour's.
There’s different brotherhoods. There may even be the brotherhood of asses.
Deuteronomy 22:4 (KJV)
Thou shalt not see thy brother's ass or his ox fall down by the way, and hide thyself from them: thou shalt surely help him to lift [them] up again.
There can be diversity in unity but your ass may not speak the same language as your ox. Each may have their own particular virtues, for their master, but they will be inconsistent, inefficient, unmanageable or even catastrophic, at times, in working together,
Deuteronomy 22:10 (KJV)
Thou shalt not plow with an ox and an ass together.
If you go down or are taken down, even your ass could be lost.
Deuteronomy 28:31 (KJV)
Thine ox [shall be] slain before thine eyes, and thou shalt not eat thereof: thine ass [shall be] violently taken away from before thy face, and shall not be restored to thee: thy sheep [shall be] given unto thine enemies, and thou shalt have none to rescue [them].
Some conventional wars are almost like nuclear war.
Joshua 6:21 (KJV)
And they utterly destroyed all that [was] in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword.
But presently, in sectarian divisions, they all become their own worst enemies, let alone loving their lesser enemies.
Perfidious Albion, for example: if we find ourselves hating the present day political masters and mistresses of Albion, we may have a hint of how the Russophobes may hate Russia and Russians.
Semper Perfidious?
So if we can’t pity ourselves for our own blind hatred of some imaginary state, bounded by imaginary lines, like the new American 51st state, then maybe we can start by pitying the poor blind Russophobes?
But why do we or they hate Russians, or Perfidious Albion? It’s because of perfidy.
I am a vicarious enjoyer of violent spy movies for some reason.
After watching so many perfidious Russophobic mischaracterizations of villainy, and sometimes falling asleep under their influence, learn while I sleep, I had to make a conscious decision to counteract every slander and depiction of Russian villainy by thinking about it, and being determined to see it for what it was. In other words, it wasn’t real, even if I learned that stupidity in my sleep.
So let’s keep it real. Of course there’s not much real published about Putin either.
Putin: “I don’t have bad days because I’m not a woman”
The Russian president has a history of making demeaning remarks about women.
https://www.vox.com/world/2017/6/8/15757876/putin-women-bad-days-russia-domestic-abuse
Also see
Anti-Russian sentiment
dislike or fear of Russia, its people or its culture or language
Anti-Russian sentiment (or Russophobia) is a dislike or fear of Russia, Russians or Russian culture. “Russian nationalists and apologists of Russian politics are sometimes criticised for using allegations of "Russophobia" as a form of propaganda to counter any criticism of Russian state policies or practices.”
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Anti-Russian_sentiment
With misogyny being hatred of women and gynophobia being fear of women, why is there no English language way of saying or no single word for describing those that hate Russians, as opposed to those that fear Russians? But instead they put it all under phobia, or fear of Russians, Russophobia, like the asininity of the hatred of Russians doesn’t merit a special word, or like they would never openly admit that they hate Russians, because that’s would expose the true degree of their folly, animosity and prejudice?
Gynophobia
Gynophobia or gynephobia is a morbid and irrational fear of women, a type of specific social phobia. It is found in ancient mythology as well as modern cases. A small number of researchers and authors have attempted to pin down possible causes of gynophobia. Wikipedia
71 Synonyms & Antonyms for HATRED - Thesaurus.com
https://www.thesaurus.com/browse/hatred
Strongest matches
acrimony, alienation, animosity, animus, antagonism, antipathy, bitterness, contempt, disgust, dislike, distaste, enmity, envy, grudge, hate, horror, hostility, ill will, loathing, malice, prejudice, rancor, revenge, revulsion
Strong matches
abhorrence, abomination, aversion, coldness, detestation, disapproval, disfavor, displeasure, execration, ignominy, malevolence, malignance, militancy, odium, pique, repugnance, repulsion, scorn, spite, spleen, venom
Weak matches
allergy to, hard feelings, invidiousness, no use for
Where can I submit a complaint to the English Language Police?
Even my ox and my ass should complain about the Russophobic abhorrence, abomination, aversion, coldness, detestation, disapproval, disfavor, displeasure, execration, ignominy, malevolence, malignance, militancy, odium, pique, repugnance, repulsion, scorn, spite, spleen and venom.
Anti-Russian sentiment
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Russian_sentiment
To call it anti-Russian sentiment or a mere phobia seems too mild. It is hate plain and simple. If we hate our neighbours as ourselves and we don’t even love the sects of our own religions very much, even that could be an improvement over plain old hate, but in many cases of the sectarian divisions of religion, it just ain’t so.
“Essentally combat is an expression of hostile feelings. But in the large-scale combat that we call war hostile feelings often have become merely hostile intentions. At any rate, there are usually no hostile feelings between individuals. Yet such emotions can never be completely absent from war. Modern wars are seldom fought without hatred between nations; this serves as a more or less substitute for the hatred between individuals. Even when there is no natural hatred and no animosity to start with, the fighting itself will stir up hostile feelings: violence committed on superior orders will stir up the desire for revenge and retaliation against the perpetrator rather than against the powers that ordered the action. It is only human (or animal, if you like), but it is a fact.”
― Carl von Clausewitz
Religious war at its simplest is killing each other over who has the best imaginary friend.
Richard Jeni
The Autobiography of Will Rogers (1949)
* There is only one thing that can kill the Movies, and that is education.
* Communism is like prohibition, it's a good idea but it won't work.
* You can't say civilization don't advance, however, for in every war they kill you in a new way.
* When you put down the good things you ought to have done, and leave out the bad ones you did do — well, that's Memoirs.
The Hannibal directive
https://rumble.com/v6qxs0w-ask-the-inspector-with-scott-ritter-ep.-248-streams-live-on-march-21-at-8-p.html?start=3240