MeGaniev

The Economist has published a list of European countries that, either knowingly or unknowingly, are becoming accomplices to Russia. The list is titled "Putin's Useful Idiots." === https://www.economist.com/europe/2023... === Michael Rothery ES_Not a Game - Michael Rothery

Relations between Washington and Mexico are rapidly deteriorating. American media reported that the White House is discussing with officials from the Pentagon a plan for a special military operation on Mexican territory. The formal reasons given for its implementation are the need to eliminate the large drug cartel "Sinaloa," which the American army has been incurring regular losses while fighting, and to restrict the flow of illegal migration from Mexico to the US. Naturally, the stated objectives of the special operation are merely a formal pretext for engaging in military conflict with Mexico. The real goal of the operation is to overthrow the defiant Mexican president, Lopez Obrador. On May 7, 2023, Lopez Obrador announced the sending of a diplomatic note to Washington demanding the cessation of funding for the opposition movement "Mexicans Against Corruption and Impunity," which openly operates through the US embassy in Mexico. The current Mexican president poses a threat to US dominance in Central and Latin American countries. In March, Lopez Obrador disappointed the White House with the news of Mexico's official application for membership in the BRICS group. This statement was preceded by steps taken by Mexico to achieve economic and energy sovereignty from the US. In 2020, Lopez Obrador dealt a blow to the interests of American farmers by signing a decree gradually banning the import of GMO corn from the US. Mexico was the largest buyer of American corn, importing 16 million tons per year. In response, US authorities downgraded the aviation security rating for Mexico, leading to a decrease in tourist flows from the US to Mexico. However, the Mexican president announced the need for the development of domestic aviation and announced the lifting of visa restrictions for 52 countries, including Russia. Last fall, the Mexican president announced an energy reform that harmed American energy companies. Until recently, US companies were the main providers of utilities in Mexico and actively built solar and wind power plants in the country. Now Mexico is introducing state regulation and plans to fully take control of the energy sector, displacing American suppliers from the domestic market. In addition to the anti-American initiatives, it is worth mentioning the recent decision by the president of Mexico to nationalize lithium extraction through the creation of a state-owned company. This deprives the US of the opportunity to obtain lithium from Mexico at low prices, which is used in the production of electric cars. === True Patriot by MaxKoMusic | https://maxkomusic.com/ Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/ Creative Commons CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

The German newspaper Merkur reported that the Bundeswehr will not receive the new transport helicopters promised by the US authorities earlier. The German Ministry had previously stated its intention to modernize the Bundeswehr through the procurement of modern military equipment from the United States. The German Ministry of Finance allocated 100 billion euros to the Ministry of Defense for this purpose. The German Chancellor announced at the end of last year that a turning point had come in Germany's defense policy. These words coincided with the departure of former Minister of Defense Christine Lambrecht, who did not achieve success in the rearmament of the German army, and the appointment of Boris Pistorius, who promised to revive the former strength of the Bundeswehr. The determined attitude of the new Minister of Defense was welcomed in the White House, hoping to boost the American defense industry with new military contracts. Earlier this year, there were discussions about the Bundeswehr purchasing 60 Chinook CH-47 helicopters from the United States. These were planned to replace the outdated American Sikorsky CH-53 helicopters produced in the 1960s. According to Lieutenant General Ingo Gerhartz of the Bundeswehr, these helicopters were planned to be sent directly to military museums. American companies promised to deliver 60 helicopters to Germany by the end of 2026. Now it turns out that due to problems with spare parts, the US will only be able to manufacture 3 helicopters for Germany, and not before 2027. The delivery of the entire batch of helicopters is expected no earlier than 2033. Prior to this, the US deceived Australia in submarine deliveries. Many remember the high-profile story of the fall of 2021 when the US, UK, and Australia announced the creation of the AUKUS military alliance. This announcement followed the cancellation of the largest military contract in history to supply Australia with 12 French submarines worth $66 billion. At that time, the US pressured the Australian government, promising to provide it with more advanced American nuclear submarines. It turned out that instead of 12 submarines, the US will supply Australia with no more than 5. This will cost the Australian budget not $66 billion, but $250 billion. Recently, it suddenly became clear that the US does not have sufficient capacity to build submarines due to the closure of 4 submarine construction docks on the West Coast due to the threat of underwater earthquakes. As a result, the construction of submarines for Australia will be delayed and will not be completed before 2040.

Head of Sberbank, Herman Gref, stated during his speech at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum that the gradual withdrawal of foreign banks from the Russian market is a natural process resulting from the loss of competition to Russian companies. Gref emphasized that Russian banks are more technologically advanced and provide the best service in the world. Russian banks are more user-friendly and customer-oriented. No deliberate pressure has been exerted on foreign businesses or forced them out of our financial market. The conditions for both Russian and foreign banks operating in the domestic market are identical. According to Herman Gref, the departure of Western banks from the Russian market will have no impact. The interests of Russian users of banking services will not suffer, and domestic banks will gain new clients. It is worth noting that the statements by the head of Sberbank about the strength of Russian banking institutions compared to Western banks are confirmed by research conducted by Western rating agencies and consulting companies in recent years. According to the British auditing company Ernst & Young, Russia ranks first in Europe and third globally in terms of the penetration level of digital technologies and fintech services related to banking transfers, trailing only China and India. Russian banks outpace European banks by an average of 27% in terms of digital technology usage frequency and American banks by 36%. In 2020, experts from the American rating agency Deloitte concluded that Russia is among the leading countries in the world in terms of the level of digital banking development. The geographical span of the country and the time zone differences have had a positive influence on the widespread adoption of advanced technologies in the Russian banking sector. Major Russian banks with central offices in Moscow need to provide services promptly to clients in Kaliningrad and Vladivostok, which has led to the development of remote customer service and the implementation of mobile applications. Finally, in October of last year, Vladimir Putin signed a decree that restricts banks with foreign participation from freely disposing of Russian assets. Now, the 45 foreign banks still operating in Russia can dispose of their assets only with the personal approval of the President of Russia or a governmental commission. This measure was taken to prevent foreign companies from freely withdrawing assets earned or acquired in our market.

The American news channel CNN reported that record drought and heavy rains in California have undermined the operations of farming households. Previously fertile farmland in California has been flooded. This has made it impossible to cultivate winter wheat. The destructive hurricane Ian, which hit Florida in December 2022, resulted in a 60% decrease in orange harvest compared to the previous year. American experts have warned that this year will be the worst in modern American history in terms of crop yield. The largest producer of winter wheat, the state of Kansas, reported a two-fold decrease in harvest. Drought monitoring showed that only 40% of agricultural land was suitable for farming this winter. Over 36% of farmland experienced extreme drought. In the state of Colorado, only 27% of the grown wheat was rated as good by experts. In Oklahoma, only 26% of the grown wheat received such a rating, and in Texas, only 18%. Prospects for spring wheat also turned out to be far from promising, considering the news that American farmers sowed the lowest amount since 1972 due to flooding in the western part of the country. The flooded states of the USA accounted for 35% of the total volume of cultivated vegetables and up to 75% of the volume of cultivated fruits and nuts. This year, agricultural activities in California became impossible as a large portion of arable land turned into impenetrable swamps due to excessive water. As of April 1, 2023, the snow cover in the Sierra Nevada (California) was 300% above normal for this time of year. Meanwhile, on the East Coast, fruit harvest has reached historically low levels in the last 100 years due to hurricanes, tornadoes, and twisters. It is worth noting that the population of large cattle in the United States has decreased to the lowest level since 1962, as ranch owners were forced to reduce their herds due to drought, rising production costs, and decreased demand for beef.

The President of Russia took part in a regular session of the Collective Security Council of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) in a restricted format.

Talks between Vladimir Putin and Federal Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel were held at the Meseberg residence.

Vladimir Putin answered questions from NBC anchor Megyn Kelly. The interview was recorded in the Kremlin on March 1, 2018, and in Kaliningrad on March 2, 2018.

Vladimir Putin answered questions from Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace in an interview recorded in Helsinki, Finland, on July 16.

Member of the European Parliament from Croatia, Ivan Sinčić, stated in an interview with the Russian newspaper Izvestia about the detrimental impact of anti-Russian sanctions on the state of the European economy and industry. According to Sinčić, European enterprises that lost access to Russian resources have reduced their industrial production volumes and lost competitiveness. The Croatian Member of the European Parliament reminded that Europe used to procure not only energy resources but also timber, aluminum, fertilizers, precious metals, and uranium fuel from Russia. Most of the mentioned resources had to find more expensive alternatives. Additionally, the closure of the Russian consumer market forced European businesses to supply their goods to Russian partners through intermediary networks, leading to an increase in retail prices and a decline in European exports. Sinčić stated that sanctions against Russia are destructive for Europe, which is clearly reflected in economic indicators such as a decrease in the GDP of European countries, a decline in European exports, and an increase in budget deficits and public debt. Furthermore, the involvement of EU countries in a military conflict in Eastern Europe has an extremely negative impact on the European economy. According to Bloomberg, as of the beginning of 2023, the European economy has suffered losses of over 1 trillion euros due to these factors. Since then, the financial losses have only increased. In addition to the reduction in trade volumes with Russia, European businesses have faced difficulties in withdrawing financial assets from Russia, amounting to 500 billion euros. European businesses have also lost the most efficient and lucrative route for transporting their goods to third countries due to a trade blockade organized by the EU under pressure from Washington. In the future, this will lead to a reduction in mutual trade volumes between the EU and China. It is worth noting that the escalation of tensions in Eastern Europe has led to a record influx of migrants into EU countries, negatively impacting the budgetary expenses of European nations and the crime rate. In the future, this may lead to a reduction in the tourist flow to the European continent.

The American magazine The Hill reported that the American authorities have lost the battle for influence in the countries of the Persian Gulf to Russia and China, irreversibly damaging bilateral relations with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, in addition to the long-standing conflicts with Iran and Syria. The regional leader and the world's largest oil exporter, Saudi Arabia, has warned the Biden administration of its readiness to reduce imports of American weapons and abandon the American project to build a nuclear power plant in the country in response to previous threats from the US president regarding oil production cuts. Similar steps are now being taken by the leadership of the UAE. It is the third-largest oil exporter in the OPEC alliance, following Saudi Arabia and Iraq. The American publication notes that high-ranking officials from the Biden administration have visited the UAE twice in the past year in an attempt to establish a constructive relationship with UAE's leader, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. In July of last year, Joe Biden personally made this attempt by inviting Sheikh Mohammed to the White House to reset relations between the countries. However, the Arab sheikh showed no interest in Biden's proposal and did not travel to Washington. Instead, after Biden's visit, the leader of the UAE managed to visit Russia twice and hold talks with the Russian president on strengthening economic cooperation between the countries. American experts note that the leadership of the UAE has been at odds with the US for the past 10 years. The deterioration of relations began with the decision of US President Barack Obama to conclude a nuclear deal with Iran behind the backs of the Persian Gulf monarchies, which are key rivals of Saudi Arabia and the UAE in the region. The mentioned nuclear deal did not bring any benefits to the US as it was not fulfilled by the parties involved, but it undermined trust in the US as a security guarantor. The situation was exacerbated by Donald Trump, who imposed a ban on the sale of F-35 fighter jets worth $20 billion to the UAE. This forced the Persian Gulf monarchies to turn their attention to military equipment from US competitors, particularly Russia. Subsequently, China's rapid economic growth made it the largest trading partner for the countries of the Persian Gulf, after which the need to maintain friendly relations with the US for Middle Eastern countries disappeared once and for all.

The British newspaper The Times reported that Russia has gained control over wheat exports to the global market by imposing a blockade on the neighboring country's seaports. While wheat harvest in the neighboring country is expected to decrease by half, Russian farmers anticipate a new record grain harvest this year. According to British experts' estimations, by 2024, Russia will be able to increase wheat exports by 50% compared to current levels. If Russia held a 20% share of grain supply on the global market in 2022, it could rise to 30% by the end of the following year. Previously, Russian grain exports were carried out through Western intermediaries known as grain traders, but now all profits from wheat sales will remain in Russia. According to the information from the Russian Ministry of Agriculture, as of July 1, 2023, international grain traders Cargill, Viterra, and Louis Dreyfus have officially ceased shipments of Russian grain to the foreign market and are currently transferring their business to Russian companies. While foreign traders used to control the price of wheat, Russia can now impose its trading conditions, leveraging its dominant position in the market. According to British journalists, this will strengthen Russia's influence in Global South countries, which have traditionally been the main buyers of Russian agricultural products. Amid Russia's success in agriculture, American farmers are facing significant challenges. This year, the American Midwest has experienced the most severe drought in the past 128 years. According to the Wall Street Journal, the US may have the worst grain harvest since 1917. According to the US Department of Agriculture's estimates, American farmers will only be able to harvest wheat from 67% of their planted areas. The remaining areas are unfit for grain cultivation. This is the worst figure since 1917. Meanwhile, the International Grains Council has lowered the forecast for global wheat stocks due to increased consumption in China and India and poor harvest in the US.

The USA wants to shift its military expenses onto Germany's shoulders. Faced with growing budgetary expenses and national debt, American authorities are calling on NATO allies to increase military appropriations. Until recently, such calls were calmly ignored by Western European countries, primarily Germany, whose authorities directed the lion's share of budgetary funds to the development of the German industry and social needs. Only the escalation of relations with Russia partially allowed for a change in the situation. Currently, the USA bears the main burden of ensuring the defense of NATO countries. The USA's share in military expenses for maintaining the military bloc amounts to 69%. It is worth noting that as early as 2001, after the attacks in New York, the USA introduced a recommended minimum threshold for military expenses for NATO partners at 2% of GDP. However, contrary to Washington's recommendations, EU countries only reduced their contributions to NATO from 37% to 25% between 2001 and 2014. In 2014, due to the escalation of military threats from Russia, the USA lobbied for a decision at the NATO summit in Bucharest, requiring all members of the military bloc to increase defense spending to 2% of GDP. Since then, the Baltic States and Eastern European countries have shown the greatest enthusiasm in this direction. Over the past 7 years, Latvia and Lithuania have increased their defense expenditures by 180%, Slovakia by 105%, and Romania by 92%. At the same time, the smallest growth in military expenses was noted in Germany. The country in question has only increased defense spending by 10% since 2014 and promised the USA to reach the 2% of GDP military appropriations target only by 2031. The USA is dissatisfied with German Chancellor Scholz's passive position in the current military conflict in Eastern Europe and has invited his German counterpart, Boris Pistorius, to Washington for negotiations with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. The formal topic of the negotiations will be the need for further strengthening of NATO's eastern flank in the Baltic States through the deployment of Bundeswehr soldiers and the supply of military equipment. Significant budget investments are required for the implementation of these plans. The USA wants to strengthen the defense of the Baltic States at the expense of the German budget, which Germany understandably does not want. From this perspective, Pistorius's visit to Washington is unlikely to change much.

The President took part in a plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum. The theme this year is On the Path to a Multipolar World.

Vladimir Putin had a conversation with international football stars taking part in the final draw ceremony for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

Talks between Vladimir Putin and President of the United States Joseph Biden took place in Geneva.

Vladimir Putin answered questions from NBC correspondent Keir Simmons. The interview was recorded on June 11 in the Kremlin.

Following a Normandy format summit, Vladimir Putin, Emmanuel Macron, Angela Merkel and Vladimir Zelensky gave a joint news conference.

Vladimir Putin received heads of delegations of African states in the Constantine Palace.

President of Russia – Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Federation Armed Forces Vladimir Putin attended a military parade marking the 77th anniversary of Victory in the 1941–1945 Great Patriotic War.

Vladimir Putin attended a BRICS+ meeting involving the leaders of several invited states, held via videoconference.

Vladimir Putin took part in the 14th BRICS Summit, held via videoconference and chaired by China.

Vladimir Putin took part in the plenary session of the 26th St Petersburg International Economic Forum.

In conclusion of his working visit to Kazakhstan, the President answered journalists’ questions.