Reflexive Control
RC is defined by Lefebvre as ‘a process by which one enemy transmits the reasons or bases for making decisions to another’, or as he put it in the title of one his books, ‘a Soviet concept of influencing an adversary’s decision-making process’.[6] Timothy Thomas defines it as ‘a means of conveying to a partner or an opponent specially prepared information to incline him to voluntarily make predetermined decision desired by the initiator of the action’.[7] The core concept in these definitions is that an actor provides specific and predetermined information to another actor, with the explicit goal to control the decisions made by the receiver. In other words, controlling the decision-making process leading to the receiving actor making decisions that will lead to his defeat and/or enable the desired outcome for the transmitting actor.
I am now positive that Russia has captured the White House. Their method is reflexive control, which is old, so I am providing a definition.
In effect, they are feeding the Trump administration what they want to hear and know that Donald Trump is going to do whatever he needs to do to protect Moscow.
Even after the attack on Sumy, the administration is unwilling to be critical of Moscow. We see it here:
The US administration has completely derailed from reality. Despite Russia’s deadliest missile strike this year killing 35 civilians in Sumy — including children — the White House blocked a G7 statement condemning it. All to “keep talks with Moscow on track.” Disgraceful.
We are unwilling to issue a mildly critical note because that might anger Moscow. We have seen this before at the United Nations, and it is now a pattern.
This is why we need to name this. And it's precisely this: reflexive control. Russians are manipulating the White House. Whether there is Kompromat or just fellow ideological travelers, it matters little. It is a combo, to be honest.
Attacks like Sumy should shake them up. But other matters tell us they don’t care. Supreme Court orders mean little to this administration.
Now, other countries see clearly because they are not subject to reflexive control. This is Italy, for example:
“Nothing has changed with the Russians”: Italian Defense Minister Warns Trump That Putin Could Fool Him
Russia is clearly not committed to peace in Ukraine, despite pressure from the United States. The authorities in Moscow want to continue the attacks, as they have been doing for the past three years.
This statement was made by the Italian Minister of Defense, Guido Crosetto. Read more .
Now, let's look at something else the Russians are doing. Mind you, it's another war crime on top of so many others. I am highlighting it because a lot of these are not in your paper anymore:
The Russian Armed Forces are using toxic substances along the entire front from the Limansky to the Zaporizhzhya direction
We have already written several times that Russian troops use RG-VO grenades with toxic substances. Since February 2025, they have been modified: now, instead of chloroacetophenone, the grenades use a mixture of chloropicrin and thiuram (a chemical substance, including that used to kill rodents).
The toxic substance standard for this ammunition is used by police in various countries to disperse protesters and is considered non-lethal. Chloropicrin in high concentrations can lead to death. Thiuram is a dehydrant that leads to severe dehydration of the body. The combination of these two substances gives severe consequences, including fatal ones. Burns and swelling of the mucous membrane, respiratory failure, burns of the eyes and throat.
In the last few days alone, the Russian Armed Forces have dropped several hundred RG-VOs from drones on Ukrainian positions in the area of the village of Shcherbaki on the Zaporizhzhya Front, in the Limansky, Seversky, Toretsky, Pokrovsky directions and in Chasovy Yar.
The use of chemical weapons of this type has become so widespread that the press service of the Main Intelligence Directorate made a statement about it.
The Russian Armed Forces are trying to use chemical attacks to support their infantry attacks where there is almost no progress or where these progresses are associated with the highest losses. Ukrainian infantry is forced to constantly use protective masks and gas masks.
Chloropicrin was used during World War I by the German army on the Eastern Front, but was much less lethal than the infamous phosgene and mustard gas.
The RG-VO with the new filling did not play a decisive role in the military sense. Chloropicrin and thiuram greatly complicate life and put some personnel out of action, even kill some, but do not ensure the Russians capture of Ukrainian positions.
Russians use RG-VO not only because the RF has a large stock of such grenades (they are used by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Russian National Guard), but also because, if necessary, they will justify chemical attacks by the fact that the standard substance of the grenade is more or less conventional chloroacetophenone. And they will habitually disown reasonable accusations that other toxic substances are used. As they did with the civilians killed by two Russian missiles in Sumy, calling them “military”.
Judging by the fact that the Russian Armed Forces are suffering ever greater losses amid a shortage of personnel, toxic substances will be used more and more often, because the headquarters at the front consider them a cheap but effective weapon capable of changing the situation. Moreover, their destructive effect only increases with the onset of warm weather.
@Volyamedia
This is a crime that we are not seeing in the news media for multiple reasons. We are dealing with a lot of other matters.
