Vladimir Putin and the 2016 Election

A popular item for an unpopular man: Barack Obama toilet paper in Russia

Does Russia want to start a war with the United States? Why have the Russians become increasingly bold in recent years with a series of provocative actions aimed at the U.S.?

Last Tuesday (4/12/2016), a Russian Su-24 fighter jet repeatedly circled the USS Donald Cook, a naval destroyer that was cruising in the Baltic Sea. Though the ship's officials tried to warn with jet's pilot to desist, the pilot ignored the warnings.

According to a Russian military spokesman, the crew of the ship acted provocatively and aggressively, which concerned the operators of monitoring stations and ships of the Black Sea Fleet. Su-24 attack aircraft demonstrated to the American crew readiness to harshly prevent a violation of the frontier and to defend the interests of the country.

The Russians claim that the USS Cook sailed too close (24 miles) to Russian waters, while U.S. military officials claim that the ship never got closer than 75 miles from Russian waters. Who's telling the truth? The U.S. is probably telling the truth because the Russians have an ulterior motive for the provocative act.

And what's that? I believe that Russian President Vladimir Putin may be trying to influence the upcoming 2016 U.S. presidential election by drawing the U.S. into a military confrontation with Russia.

But why? Because if the U.S. responds militarily by shooting down a Russian fighter jet, the Russians might respond by bombing some U.S. military bases in Europe. Putin doesn't believe that President Barack Obama wants anything to do with a military confrontation with Russia or anyone else, and he doesn't believe that Obama will respond if the Russians launch an attack.

A Russian military strike against the U.S. would also humiliate America in the eyes of the world. It would make the U.S. look extremely weak and vulnerable. If that happens, Putin likely believes that many Americans would then reject Hillary Clinton in November as their next president because she'll be seen as an extension of Obama.

But why would Putin want the U.S. to elect a president who'll stand up to Russia? He doesn't want that. Rather, he wants someone who'll be friendly with Russia and won't try to prevent the Bear from becoming a world superpower.

Putin's still angry at the U.S. for imposing economic sanctions on his nation after he annexed Crimea in 2014. He's angry at the U.S. for trying to persuade the Ukraine to join NATO. Putin considers Ukraine part of Russia, and the Bear's influence in eastern Europe would've been emasculated had the Ukraine joined NATO.

Putin's also angry at the U.S. for intentionally flooding the world with cheap oil in order to tank the Russian ruble. Russia's economy is heavily dependent on crude oil sales, and more oil on the international market means lower demand and lower prices. And that hurts Russia. Here's what I wrote last year:

Thus, crude oil is dirt cheap right now on the global market. That's holding Russia down economically and preventing the Bear from building the formidable military that Putin envisions will one day rule the world. And indeed, it will. But when that happens will be determined by how long the western world, and particularly the United States, decides to keep the crude flowing. Though the U.S. currently possesses the largest amount of crude and coal in the world, radical environmentalists want America to turn off the spigots, shutter the coal mines and go green. 

The Russians certainly don't want war with the U.S. Russia has billions of dollars invested in the American economy, and the Bear needs America a lot more right now than America needs Russia. But the time is coming when Russia won't need America because the Bear will be able to stand on its own two feet without the aid of an archenemy.

However, that time hasn't come yet. But it will. Biblical prophecy reveals that Russia is going to build a devastating military coalition that will threaten the entire world before the return of Jesus Christ. (Ezekiel 38-39) And that coalition will attempt an invasion of Israel at an event called Armageddon:

Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshek and Tubal; prophesy against him and say: 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, Gog, chief prince of Meshek and Tubal. I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws and bring you out with your whole army-your horses, your horsemen fully armed, and a great horde with large and small shields, all of them brandishing their swords. Persia, Cush and Put will be with them, all with shields and helmets, also Gomer with all its troops, and Beth Togarmah from the far north with all its troops-the many nations with you." (Ezekiel 38:1-6)

Who is Gog? Gog was an ancient name for Russia. Who will Russia's military coalition consist of? Meshek, Tubal, Gomer and Beth Togarmah were located in what is now Turkey. Persia is now Iran; Cush is now Ethiopia, and Put is now Morocco.

Though that doesn't sound like much of a military alliance, consider that Magog represents the new Russian empire--"the many nations with you"--that will comprise Eastern Europe, Asia and much of Western Europe. Magog will also consist of the nations of the Middle East, Northern Africa and Asia Minor. Many of these nations are currently Islamic that will eventually be transformed into "Christian" nations before the advent of the dreaded Antichrist.

That's what's coming. For now, Putin will try to influence the upcoming U.S. presidential election by embarrassing the Obama administration via provocative confrontations such as the recent one in the Baltic. Don't expect that to be the last one. There'll be more. Will Putin's strategy work? We'll find out in November.

America's War Against Russia

Suspected ISIS controlled refineries bombed by Russia

Could the United States be using ISIS to fight a proxy war against Russia? Indeed, that sounds absurd, but when you connect the dots, it begins to make a lot of sense.

A war against Russia seems to be taking place. A lot of wars have been taking place in recent years, fulfilling a prophecy that Jesus Christ revealed 2,000 years ago when He said this concerning the last days preceding His return: "You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom." (Matthew 24:6-7)

First of all, how can we connect ISIS to the U.S.? By NATO. So what? What does NATO have to do with ISIS? It has to do with this: Turkey is a member of NATO and the Turks recently shot down a Russian fighter-jet. If Russia had retaliated militarily, that would've been considered an act of war against a NATO nation. And that could've touched off an international conflagration.

The Turks claim they were merely defending their airspace. But the Russians believe Turkey shot the plane down because the Turks feared they were about to be attacked. But why would the Russians attack Turkey?

Because they've been watching ISIS oil trucks and tankers move stolen crude into Turkey from Syria and Iraq. From pravdareport.com: The top Turkish administration and President Erdogan are personally involved in illegal production and transportation of Syrian and Iraqi oil to Turkey, Deputy Defense Minister of the Russian Federation, Anatoly Antonov said.

Russia's Central Directorate of the General Staff, Sergei Rudskoy, states that we have detected three basic oil transportation routes to Turkey. The oil goes to Turkey from ISIS-controlled areas of Syria and Iraq. The western route goes to Turkish ports on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The northern one goes to the Batman refinery, and the eastern one reaches the base in the town of Cizre. 

According to Rudskoy, This terrorist organization receives the income (from oil sales) worth three million dollars a day. After Russia launched the anti-terrorist operation in Syria, their income dropped to 1.5 million a day.

We know that ISIS is selling the stolen crude to fund its military and terror operations. How does that affect Russia? Russia is one of the largest oil producing nations in the world. The Bear's economy is heavily dependent on crude oil sales. Thus, more crude oil on the international market creates an oil glut that results in lower prices and lower demand for crude. And that hurts Russia.

Certainly, the amount of crude that ISIS is unloading in Turkey probably doesn't amount to very much in terms of the global market. In fact, the U.S. has been dumping a ton of oil on the international market in order to hurt Russia's economy. If you don't believe that, then check out gas prices these days. That excess crude has lowered gasoline prices and global demand.

However, the revenue generated by the crude ISIS is selling to Turkey is helping them beef up their military and terror operations in Iraq, Syria and around the world. And the Russians want to put an end to that because without money, ISIS will have a difficult time staying in business. Religious ideology only goes so far.

Now we can begin to understand why the Obama administration wanted Syrian President Bahar al-Assad gone. And now we can understand why the Obama administration helped foment Syria's civil war to overthrow Assad by arming Syrian rebels. And now we understand why the Obama administration so abruptly pulled American troops out of Iraq four years ago, leaving behind military hardware and equipment that ISIS snatched up.

Why? To hurt Russia. If Assad goes, then ISIS and other Islamic terror groups will have a clear path to Russia because the Bear sits to the northeast of Syria and Iraq. And the nations that are in between Russia, Syria and Iraq are all Muslim. Though Assad isn't a nice guy, he's clamped down hard on Islamic terrorists since he's been in power. That's why the Russians want to save Assad and the U.S. wants to get rid of him.

And so, we can begin to understand why the Obama administration wants so badly to resettle Syrian refugees--mostly Muslims--in the United States. Why? To appease the Muslim world and keep ISIS on Obama's side.

And now, we can begin to understand why the Obama administration couldn't care less about the plight of Syrian Christians or other non-Muslim Syrians. Those people are anathema to Islam, and Obama doesn't want to give the Muslim world the impression that he's concerned about Christians. Because he isn't. In Obama's eyes, Christian lives are inconsequential in his war against Russia.

And now, we can begin to understand why Obama has been so accommodating to Iran and so harsh on Israel. And now we understand why the Obama administration has steadfastly refused to acknowledge Islamic terrorism and attribute it to Islam. And now we understand why the Obama administration--and its media sycophants--have been so hostile to American conservatives and Christians.

And don't forget that the Russians rightly suspected the Obama administration of instigating last year's Euromaiden Revolution in the Ukraine that led to the ouster of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych who was a Russian puppet. What was the revolution's objective? To install an American puppet who would hurt Russia by admitting the Ukraine into NATO.

Yes indeed. Now we can begin to understand a lot of things about Barack Obama, an utterly contemptible person with an utterly corrupt administration.

Even worse, Obama has woken up a sleeping giant. Unlike Obama, Putin's a shrewd and intelligent man. And he knows who his enemies are. At the appropriate time, he'll reciprocate against those enemies. And that's going to be extremely bad for America and NATO. Just wait and see.

Vladimir Putin: Friend, Foe or Fiend?

Is Russian President Vladimir Putin the Antichrist? Only to some folks who fear that Putin intends to rebuild the old Soviet Empire through military force.

Putin's not the Antichrist. Rather, he's a shrewd and ruthless political leader who takes no prisoners when it comes to those who oppose and cross him. Just ask former Russian oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky who served eight years in prison, (2005-2013) allegedly for financial fraud.

In reality, Khodorkovsky was one of Putin's most outspoken critics until he was jailed. Before he was arrested, Khodorkovsky was one of the richest men in the world with an estimated wealth of $15 billion. When he was released from prison two years ago, his wealth was estimated at $100-200 million. Did Khodorkovsky's harsh criticism of Putin have anything to do with his incarceration and loss of wealth? Does the sun come up in the east?

Indeed it does. And indeed, Putin's not a nice guy when it comes to his enemies. But he's not stupid either, unlike many western political leaders who see the world much differently than he does. Putin deals in reality rather than in the fantasies and social theories that his western counterparts deal in.

For example, western leaders such as President Barack Obama, British Prime Minister David Cameron and Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel are convinced that the upheaval going on in Iraq, Syria and Libya is caused by poverty and joblessness. Putin knows that it was caused by ignorant western leaders who believed they could replace strongmen dictators such as Assad, Saddam Hussein, Hosni Mubarak and Muammar Gaddafi with benevolent leaders disposed to "democracy."

Why has Putin put Russian troops in Syria? To protect Syrian President Bashar al-Assad by destroying the coterie of rebels from "freedom-fighters" to ISIS that marched into Syria after the United States pulled its troops out of Iraq. Though Assad's a brutal man who has used force and torture against his enemies, he's kept a lid on terrorism and religious fundamentalism in Syria.

There are those who want Assad out of Syria--western leaders who want to a more "democratic" leader to rule that nation, and Islamists who want Assad out so they can reestablish a caliphate in that region that vanished 90 years ago with the fall of the Ottoman Empire.

Why does Putin need Assad? Because if Assad falls, ISIS will take over that nation and begin moving northward into nations such as Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

Those are Muslim nations that will offer no resistance to ISIS. And Russia sits to the north of these nations. Thus, the Russians can either deal with ISIS in Syria, or they can deal with the jihadists in Russia. Since Russia's too massive of a nation to build a fence around, Putin plans to do away with ISIS and the American-trained rebels who are fighting Assad in Syria before they begin moving northward toward the Bear.

And if Putin succeeds and keeps Assad in power? Then what? Will Putin abandon the Middle East? Hardly. With the United States retreating from the world stage, Putin plans to reshape the Middle East according to his worldview. That means that Islamists will eventually be driven from the Middle East into the west where they will cause havoc and destruction before Russia eventually extends her power across the entire world.

Here's what Putin said in a speech to the Russian Duma in 2013: :"In Russia, we live as Russians. Any minority, from anywhere, if it wants to live in Russia, to work and eat in Russia, should speak Russian, and should respect the Russian laws. If they prefer Sharia Law, and live the life of Muslims, then we advise them to go to those places where that's the state law. Russia does not need Muslim minorities. Minorities need Russia, and we will not grant them special privileges, or try to change our laws to fit their desires, no matter how loud they yell discrimination."

Putin clearly means that Islam has no future in Russia. And if he has his way, Islam won't have a future in many other places on the planet. Taking a swipe at the west, Putin said this: "We will not tolerate disrespect of our Russian culture. We had better learn from the suicides of America, England, Holland and France, if we are to survive as a nation. The Muslims are taking over those countries and they will not take over Russia. The Russian customs and traditions are not compatible with the lack of culture or the primitive ways of Sharia Law and Muslims. When this honorable legislative body thinks of creating new laws, it should have in mind the Russian national interest first, observing that the Muslim minorities are not Russians." 

Putin indeed plans on building a new Russian empire. And unlike the old Soviet Union, the new empire will be a global one. Who says? Biblical prophecy says. Two ancient prophets--Daniel and Ezekiel--who lived about 2,600 years ago, revealed the rise of Russia as a world power in the last days (Daniel 11, Ezekiel 38-39). 

And we're beginning to see that happen. It will take time; perhaps many years. But it's going to happen. And the dreaded Antichrist will eventually come from this rejuvenated superpower. Thus, Russia's ascent to global dominance is no coincidence. It's prophetic. And in some ways, Vladimir Putin has become a foreshadow of the coming Antichrist.

Rumors of War

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu

Only a fool would deny that relations between the United States and Russia are bad and getting worse. And only a fool would deny that the morally and intellectually bankrupt Obama administration is largely responsible for the deteriorating relations.

Recently, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered snap checks of his military's combat readiness in Russia's central district. According to Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu: We have to check the capabilities of paratroopers when they are deployed over large distances and their readiness to make landings on unknown aerodromes.

Russia's defense minister added that the latest wargames also involve civilians, including from the health and agriculture ministries, and are designed to test "their readiness to carry out their tasks in wartime conditions."

Is Putin readying Russia for war against the United States? That's extremely unlikely when you consider that Russia's economy is currently in the toilet. While the Russians possess a massive amount of firepower, including 8,000 nuclear weapons, they're not planning on getting into a military confrontation with the U.S. At least not just yet. A war with the U.S. would cripple Russia's already fragile economy.

But in the future? That may depend on who occupies the White House. The Russians are hoping that American voters make the same mistake in 2016 that they made in 2008 and again in 2012 when they elected and reelected the most unqualified, incompetent president in the history of the United States.

And considering how apathetic and clueless many American voters are, there's a strong possibility that a Hillary Clinton or (God forbid) a Bernie Sanders could become America's 45th president. If that happens, Putin and his comrades in the Kremlin will be celebrating with a lot of cognac and vodka.

Does Putin really want war with the United States? Of course not. Rather, Putin realizes that Barack Obama is an extremely weak president who's paralyzed by his leftist ideology that equates war with a deadly plague. Thus, Obama can be pushed around, as Putin demonstrated in 2008 when he threatened to destroy an anti-ballistic missile system the U.S. had planned to install in eastern Europe.

Putin also recognizes that the Obama administration appeased Iran by negotiating a terrible nuclear agreement that guarantees the Persian state will become a nuclear power within two years. That will touch off a nuclear arms race in the Middle East that will also affect much of Europe, including Russia. Russia exists to the north of several Islamic states that could get weapons and nukes from Iran. Obviously, Putin isn't going to sit back and wait for a catastrophic attack to occur in Russia. That's why he's getting his military ready.

Russia's ascent towards becoming a global military superpower is prophetic. Nearly 2,600 years ago, the ancient prophet Daniel received a vision from God concerning the rise of two powerful nations in the last days. (Daniel 11) Daniel described one of these nations as a northern kingdom.

What is the identity of the northern kingdom? The northern kingdom is Russia. But how can we be sure of that? Because the Bible always places Israel at the center of its geographical map. And Russia is located directly north of Israel.

And consider that the prophet Ezekiel, who lived about 2,500 years ago, prophesied that a powerful nation he identified as Gog would launch an invasion against Israel in the last days along with a vast military coalition. (Ezekiel 38-39) 

Here's what the prophet wrote: "Son of man, prophesy against Gog and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, Gog, chief prince of Meshek and Tubal. I will turn you around and drag you along. I will bring you from the far north and send you against the mountains of Israel. Then I will strike your bow from your left hand and make your arrows drop from your right hand. On the mountains of Israel you will fall, you and all your troops and the nations with you. I will give you as food to all kinds of carrion birds and to the wild animals. You will fall in the open field, for I have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord. I will send fire on Magog and on those who live in safety in the coastlands, and they will know that I am the Lord." (Ezekiel 39:1-6)

Who is Gog? Gog was one of the names for the ancient tribe of Rosh that many modern Russians are descended from. Is it any coincidence that Russia is now becoming a military power that will menace the world? Hardly.

And keep in mind that the dreaded Antichrist will also come from Russia.  Thus, when we see Russia flexing her military muscles, we know that we're getting close to the end. Extremely close.