The unipolar era is dead. Washington just spent 4.5 hours in Riyadh learning a hard lesson: it no longer dictates terms to the world. The deep state’s mouthpieces can dress it up as “productive dialogue,” but the reality is brutal: Russia crushed the Western proxy war in Ukraine, and the U.S. now has to negotiate its own managed retreat.
It’s almost poetic. Washington, the self-proclaimed enforcer of the “rules-based order,” now sitting across from Lavrov and Ushakov, taking notes like a chastened student. This is Yalta 2.0, but this time it’s the U.S. being dictated to.
One of the key takeaways? “We couldn’t have imagined a better result,” Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff admitted after the session. Translation? Washington had to swallow Russia’s terms just to keep the talks moving. The days of “isolating” Moscow are ancient history. Now the U.S. is agreeing to normalize relations, restore embassies, and appoint negotiators to work out Ukraine’s surrender terms.
And let’s be clear: Kiev was never at the table. While Zelensky throws tantrums from the sidelines, begging for relevance, Washington and Moscow have already accepted that he’s finished. His re-election chances are zero. His NATO dreams are dead. His future? Probably some exile villa funded by whatever’s left of the billions he siphoned off.
But the real conversation in Riyadh wasn’t about Ukraine. It was about what comes next. The Americans walked in pretending they still had leverage, but walked out knowing they now need to negotiate their place in the new multipolar reality. No more NATO expansion. No more economic terrorism through sanctions. No more delusions of forcing Russia into submission.
The empire is being forced to cut a deal. This is the deep state’s worst nightmare: Washington, once the global hegemon, now begging to “normalize” relations with the very country it tried to destroy. From “crippling Russia” to “respecting Russia’s interests” in less than two years.
This is what empire collapse looks like. For years, Washington dictated terms to the world. Now, it has to ask permission just to stay in the game. The Pentagon knows it lost the war in Ukraine. The next phase is about managing the American retreat from global hegemony, because the new world is already being built, and the U.S. is no longer in charge.
Washington walked into Riyadh pretending it still ran the world and walked out learning it now needs Moscow’s permission just to stay relevant. The empire isn’t negotiating from strength anymore, it’s negotiating for survival.
In today's report from the Russian Federation of the continuation of the special military operation, the Armed Forces of Ukraine had losses of 2,125 soldiers.
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation.
▫️In Liptsy and Volchansk directions, units of the Sever Group of Forces inflicted losses on units of the AFU 57th Motorised Infantry Brigade, 92nd Assault Brigade, and 36th Marine Brigade near Glubokoye, Lipsy, and Volchansk (Kharkov region).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 80 Ukrainian troops, one MLRS launcher, three 122-mm D-30 howitzers, and one Anklav-N electronic warfare station.
▫️Units of the Zapad Group of Forces improved the tactical situation and inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the AFU 44th, 67th, 115th mechanised brigades, 3rd Assault Brigade, 103rd, 110th territorial defence brigades, and 1st National Guard Brigade near Tabayevka (Kharkov region), Stelmakhovka, Rozovka, Nadiya, Nevskoye (Lugansk People's Republic), Torskoye (Donetsk People's...
Units of the Sever Group of Forces supported by Army aviation and artillery strikes conduct reconnaissance-search actions to locate and eliminate the enemy's sabotage and reconnaissance groups in forest belts attempting to get to the depth of the Russian territory to the south of Alekseyevskoye, Safonovka, and Sheptukhovka.
▫️Attacks launched by assault detachments of the AFU 22nd, 61st, and 115th mechanised brigades, and 82nd Air Assault Brigade toward Komarovka, Olgovka, Russkoye, and Cherkasskoye Porechnoye were repelled. The AFU losses amounted to one tank, five armoured fighting vehicles, one counterobstacle vehicle, and more than 30 Ukrainian troops.
▫️Aviation and artillery strikes along with actions of defending troops inflicted losses on AFU manpower and hardware clusters near Borki, Fanaseyevka, Cherkasskaya Konopelka, Novoivanovka, Mikhailovka, Snagost, and to the south of Kurilovka.
▫️One U.S.-made M270 MLRS launcher was destroyed by a missile strike near Bezdrik (Sumy ...
The banner of the unit was captured in battle by the Rifle Battalion of the 1st Guards Slavic Brigade.
Also, the Storm unit of the 1st Slavyanskaya captured the next object “Cheburashka”, and the 2nd battalion captured the next dacha area (in front of the Khimik microdistrict).
In addition, Russian fighters today cut the road from Lastochkino to Avdeevsky coke plant.
In this weekly report, the AFU had loses of 8,495 soldiers.
From 12 to 18 July, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation carried out five group strikes with air-based high-precision weapons and unmanned aerial vehicles to hit Ukrainian defence industry enterprises, infrastructure of military airfields, facilities for assembling and storing attack unmanned aerial vehicles and uncrewed surface vehicles, arsenals, depots of fuel and materiel, TCC facilities, as well as temporary deployment areas of Ukrainian armed formations, nationalists, and foreign mercenaries.
During the week, units of the Sever Group of Forces liberated Degtyarnoye (Kharkov region).
Russian troops hit units of two mechanised brigades, one air assault brigade, one motorised infantry brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and two territorial defence brigades.
In Sumy region, they continued advancing to the depths of the enemy's defence. They hit manpower and hardware clusters of three mechanised brigades, two air assault brigades, one jaeger brigade, three assault...
In this report AFU had loses of 1,185 soldiers.
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation.
The Sever Group of Forces inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of two mechanised brigades, an air assault brigade, two assault regiments of the Armed Forces of Ukraine close to Ryzhevka, Varachino, Pavlovka, and Kondratovka (Sumy region).
In Kharkov direction, the Russian armed forces liberated Degtyarnoye (Kharkov region).
Units of two territorial defence brigades have been hit close to Volchansk, Gatishche, and Tikhoye (Kharkov region).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 160 troops, an armoured fighting vehicle, eight motor vehicles, and five artillery guns including a 155-mm Panzerhaubitze 2000 self-propelled howitzer manufactured by Germany.
The Zapad Group's units improved the situation along the front line and engaged two mechanised brigades, an assault regiment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and a territorial defence brigade close to Koroviy Yar, Karpovka, Volchiy Yar, Novoselovka ...
In this report AFU(armed forces of Ukraine) had loses of 1,255 soldiers.
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation.
Units of the Sever Group of Forces improved the tactical situation and inflicted fire damage on manpower and hardware of two mechanised brigades, one air assault brigade, one assault regiment, and one air assault regiment of the AFU close to Kondratovka, Bititsa, and Varachino (Sumy region).
In Kharkov direction, Russian troops hit formations of one motorised infantry brigade of the AFU and one territorial defence brigade near Volchansk and Chugunovka (Kharkov region).
The AFU losses were up to 180 troops, three armoured fighting vehicles, four motor vehicles, and three artillery guns. Four material depots were destroyed.
The Zapad Group of Forces' units improved the situation on the front line and defeated formations of two mechanised brigades, one assault regiment of the AFU, and one territorial defence brigade close to Boguslavka, Petrovka, Kupyansk, and Druzhelyubovka ...