QueenStreet

Warning - some gruesome and disturbing images Russia's Ambassador to the UN says (again) that only a ceasefire can prevent further bloodshed in the middle east conflict A desperate search for survivors continues, after a packed hospital in Gaza was hit in an airstrike, leaving hundreds dead. A doctor gives his account of the strike and says "this is a war crime that the world has seen coming" Hamza Chalan reports from the hospital which is (was) the oldest in Gaza. An IDF spokesperson spoke from Tel Aviv with a press statement saying Hamas fired the missile. Reports and opinion from other countries. Pres. Biden says "it was done by the other team" Around the world people take to the streets in protests, shocked at the scale of the devastation at the hospital, and expressing their support for the Palestinian people. Jordan cancelled the summit meeting to be held there between Pres. Abdel Fatah el-Sisi (Egypt) & Pres. Abbas (Palestine) and FM Ayman Safadi said it would achieve nothing. Director of Jerusalem's centre for political studies, Oraib Al-Rantawi discusses with Mourad Khan Yunis was under fire yesterday with devastating results. Protests in Jenin drew IDF rubber bullets and fire as they tried to disperse the demonstrators. Report from Maria Finoshina. Caleb Maupin reports on the failed efforts (by veto) of the Russian Ambassador Nebenzia's attempts to get a resolution for a ceasefire (again). China expressed shock and disappointment (again)

Warning, disturbing images. An alleged Israeli airstrike devastates a hospital in Gaza reportedly killing at least 800 civilians. Among the casualties are women, children and the elderly. Israeli Defense Forces deny all responsibility for the hospital strike, saying it was a rocket launched by Islamic Jihad militants that destroyed the facility. Outrage across the Muslim world over the deadly hospital attack with protests erupting in the Middle East. President Xi and President Putin deliver a keynote speech at the 'Belt and Road' forum in China. Both leaders celebrate the initiative and mutual cooperation amid Western pressure.

The President’s address at the opening ceremony President of Russia Vladimir Putin: President Xi, my dear friend, Ladies and gentlemen, First of all, I would like to express gratitude to President of China Xi Jinping for inviting me to the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. The forum is being held on the 10th anniversary of the initiative Mr Xi advanced, a truly important and global idea that is spearheaded into the future, towards creating a fairer multipolar world and system of relations. It is a global plan, without a doubt. I agree with the President of China that the Belt and Road idea ties in logically with multilateral efforts to promote creative and constructive interaction throughout the international community. We pointed out on numerous occasions that Russia and China, just as the majority of other countries, share the striving for equal and mutually beneficial cooperation towards universal, sustainable and lasting economic progress and social welfare based on respect for the civilisational diversity and the right of every state to its own development model. The Belt and Road initiative is based on these fundamental principles and fits in very well with the integration processes that are ongoing in many regions. It also corresponds to the Russian ideas of creating an integration contour that will ensure the freedom of trade, investment and employment and will be complemented with interconnected infrastructure. It also rhymes with our idea of creating a greater Eurasian partnership as an area of cooperation and interaction among like-minded nations and the alignment of various integration processes, such as the Belt and Road Initiative, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), which Russia is successfully developing with its post-Soviet partners. It is notable that Russia and China have reached a practical agreement on a concurrent and coordinated development of the EAEU and the Belt and Road Initiative and a non-preferential agreement on trade and economic cooperation between EAEU member states and the People’s Republic of China. A joint commission has been established to align our efforts to implement this agreement. In February 2023, we adopted an expanded roadmap, which provides, in part, for the development of relations between the EAEU and China in trade policy and the digitisation of transport corridors. I would like to note that the integration agenda in the broadest possible sense of the word is an integral part of Russia’s national development strategy, the strengthening of our economic, technological and financial sovereignty, as well as the modernisation and expansion of infrastructure. The President of China spoke in his address about this form of development in various parts of the world. Colleagues, friends, I would like to tell you about what we are doing in this area in the Russian Federation. I hope and believe that this is important for very many participants in this forum, because Russia is the largest country in the world in terms of territory, and so the connectivity of all the partners across Russia is of great importance to our partners and friends. I will mention some of our forward-looking plans we are already implementing, which harmoniously complement other infrastructure projects in Eurasia, including those that are being implemented within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative. Taken together, they will allow us to create an integral transport and logistics network and to diversify freight traffic through more effective, reliable and safe transportation. For example, we are building the North-South international corridor in European Russia, which President Xi has mentioned. It will connect Russian ports on the Baltic and Arctic seas to ports in the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean. Seamless rail connectivity, as professionals say, will be ensured throughout this route, from Murmansk in the north of Russia to Bandar Abbas in Iran. Another north-south transport artery will run via the Urals region and Siberia. Its main elements are the modernisation of the central part of the Trans-Siberian Railway, including the West-Siberian Railway line running across several regions of Siberia, namely the Omsk, Novosibirsk, Kemerovo and Tomsk regions and the Altai Territory. The other elements are the construction of the Northern Latitudinal Railway, as we call it, towards the ports on the Arctic Ocean and the Yamal Peninsula in the north of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, and a new North Siberian Railway from the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area towards our largest railway network comprising the Trans-Siberian Railway and Baikal-Amur Mainline. At the same time, we are working jointly with our foreign partners to build railway lines from Central Siberia towards the south of the country, towards China, Mongolia and the ports of the Indian and Pacific oceans. Lastly, we are planning to build one more Arctic-South corridor in the Far East; we are currently preparing the necessary elements. It includes a railway line running from the Baikal-Amur Mainline to Yakutia, across the large Siberian rivers Lena and Amur , the Pacific Railway Line, the modernisation of motorways, and the creation of deepwater terminals in the eastern part of the Northern Sea Route. These north-south transport corridors in European Russia, Siberia and the Far East will allow us to directly connect the Northern Sea Route and to integrate it into major logistics hubs in the south of our continent on the Indian and Pacific oceans. As for the Northern Sea Route, Russia offered its partners the opportunity to actively use its transit potential. More than that, we are inviting all interested countries to get directly involved in its development, and we are ready to provide reliable icebreaker escort, communications and supplies. As soon as next year, navigation for ice-class vessels along the entire length of the Northern Sea Route will become possible all year round. The creation of the international and regional logistics and trade routes I have mentioned objectively reflects the deep changes that are ongoing in the global economy and the new role the Asia-Pacific and Global South countries and other centres of growth and development are playing now. In this context, Russia, which will assume the rotating chairmanship of the expanded BRICS next year, has advanced the initiative of establishing a permanent transport logistics commission within the framework of this group. This commission of BRICS members, partner countries and other interested states could focus on the development of the entire complex of international transport corridors. I would like to add that these issues are on the agenda of the Transport Week, which is held in Moscow every year. Friends, we invite professionals from your countries to take part in the next such event, which will be held in the Russian capital in mid-November. In conclusion, I would like to express confidence that the Belt and Road Initiative, the Russian priorities I have presented and the constructive and ambitious proposals by other countries, including those that are attending this forum, will help us find collective and truly effective solutions to really important current regional and international issues. Colleagues, friends, when a major project is launched, everybody hopes that it will succeed. However, to be honest, it is difficult to expect that all its elements will be successful, considering the global scale of the initiative advanced by the President of the People’s Republic of China 10 years ago. Our Chinese friends are working successfully. We are happy for them, because this also concerns many of us. The President of China has just now presented a large programme of constructive actions aimed at achieving a common result. I would like to wish success to the People’s Republic of China and the President of China in the implementation of these plans, and to all of us in the implementation of our projects. I wish all the best to all of you. Thank you. (The Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation is being held in Beijing on October 17–18, ten years after the initiative was launched. At least 135 countries attended) part of the Russian delegation were Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office and Press Secretary of the President Dmitry Peskov, Presidential Aide Maxim Oreshkin, Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to China Igor Morgulov, and Economic Development Minister Maxim Reshetnikov.

Dozens feared dead in a Tuesday morning attack allegedly carried out by Israeli forces on a residential building in southern Gaza. Humanitarian agencies raise the alarm over the conditions civilians face in the area. In the midst of war, Israel scrambles to identify those killed in the initial attack by Hamas. A forensic investigator says her nation will remain strong despite the emotional toll. Pres. Vladimir Putin meets with a number of leaders at the third Belt and Road forum in China as Beijing hosts the event paving the way to connect the multipolar world. UPDATES 17 October 2023 16:24 GMT According to Palestinian medical sources, an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City's Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood resulted in the deaths of 14 family members of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. Among the casualties, reportedly, are Haniyeh's brother and nephew. Haniyeh himself is in Qatar at present. 16:11 GMT Israel's national security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi stated on Tuesday that the United States would become "involved" if the Gaza conflict escalated to the point where Iran and Hezbollah joined forces with Hamas. During a televised briefing, Hanegbi highlighted US President Joe Biden's expressions of support, including US naval deployments in the Mediterranean and a public warning to both the Lebanese group and Tehran against getting involved in the conflict. "He is making clear to our enemies that if they even imagine taking part in the offensive against the citizens of Israel, there will be American involvement here," Hanegbi said. "Israel will not be alone ... A US force is here and it is ready," he added, without elaborating. 16:09 GMT The Bataan Amphibious Ready Group, consisting of over 4,000 sailors and marines, will be added to an expanding US fleet near the Israeli coast, according to two anonymous American defence officials who spoke with the Washington Post on Monday. This fleet will also comprise two aircraft carriers and their accompanying escort vessels. 14:13 GMT The head of the IDF’s Military Intelligence Directorate, Major General Aharon Haliva, has said he bears full responsibility for Hamas being able to carry out its surprise attack on Israel. The events of October 7 were “an intelligence failure” on the part of the Israeli security services, Haliva acknowledged. The agency “under my command, failed to warn of the terror attack carried out by Hamas… and as the head of the Military Intelligence Directorate, I bear full responsibility for the failure,” the spy chief stressed. On Monday, the head of Shin Bet security agency Ronen Bar also said that he was responsible for his organization being “unable to generate a sufficient warning” about what Hamas planned. The attack by the Palestinian armed group resulted in more than 1,400 people being killed and more than 4,000 being wounded. Some 200 Israelis and foreigners have also been taken hostage. 14:11 GMT The US Department of Defence has confirmed media reports that around 2,000 military personnel are on alert due to the security situation in the Middle East. However, Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh clarified that so far no decision has been taken to send them into action. 14:09 GMT The Israeli military is preparing for an upcoming operation in Gaza, but it might not be the “imminent ground offensive” many expect, according to army spokesperson Lt Colonel Richard Hecht. “We are preparing for the next stages of war. We haven’t said what they will be. Everybody’s talking about the ground offensive. It might be something different,” Hecht stated. 13:45 GMT The status of Gaza will become a “global issue” for discussion after Israel concludes its operation against Hamas, IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said at a briefing. “We’ve had all kinds of endgames,” Hagari replied, when asked about the possibly of an Israeli occupation of the Palestinian enclave. “The cabinet is also discussing what that could look like… this is also a global issue, what the situation will look like in this region,” he said. US President Joe Biden, who is expected to arrive in Israel on Wednesday, warned earlier that an Israeli occupation of Gaza is going to be a “big mistake.” 13:13 GMT Some 1,200 people, including 500 minors, could be trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings as result of Israeli airstrikes on Gaza, Mohammed Abu Selmia, head of Gaza’s largest medical center, Shifa Hospital, has told AP. According to Abu Selmia, this estimate is based on the number of distress calls received by emergency services. “So many times medics say they hear victims scream, but they cannot do anything about it,” he said. 12:51 GMT Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has issued an ultimatum to Hamas fighters, saying they “have two options: either die in their positions or surrender unconditionally.” “Our planes will reach everywhere… every missile has an address. We will reach each and every one of the members of Hamas,” Gallant told Israeli Air Force pilots during a visit to the Nevatim airbase. “We will wipe out the Hamas organization and dismantle it of all its capabilities,” the minister vowed. 12:44 GMT The Israeli Health Ministry has said that 344 people out of the 4,229 injured as result of the October 7 Hamas attack remain hospitalized, adding that 82 patients are in serious condition. The death toll from the attack has surpassed 1,400. According to the latest data from the Gaza Health Ministry, more than 2,800 people have been killed and almost 10,800 were wounded in IDF’s retaliatory strikes on the Palestinian enclave.

Disturbing images from Gaza's largest hospital as it reaches a breaking point, overrun with causalities from the mounting war. Officials say over 700 Palestinian children have been killed by IDF strikes. On the other side of the conflict, Israelis gather to honour the memory of those killed and taken hostage by Hamas, sharing stories of their lost loved ones. As the IDF prepares to put boots on the ground in Gaza vowing to eliminate its enemy, airstrikes continue to hit targets across the territory. As some nations ban the show of support for Palestine, people take to the streets in defiance. BREAKING 15 October 2023 11:11 GMT - Israel’s actions in Gaza since the surprise attack by Hamas represent “an obvious example of war crimes and genocide,” Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said during a phone call with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on Saturday. The IDF is “seeking to avenge their humiliating and historic defeat on the battlefield [to Hamas] on the defenseless people of Gaza by cutting off water and electricity, preventing the entry of food and medicines, and using prohibited weapons such as phosphorous bombs,” he claimed, as cited by the state-run Press TV broadcaster. The US and its allies turning a blind eye to such conduct by Israel is “clear proof of the contradictory and hypocritical positions of Westerners, who are claiming to defend human rights,” he added. Earlier: 08:30 GMT Israel has prolonged its deadline for the evacuation of Palestinians from the north to the south of Gaza. The Israeli military announced on social media that a safe corridor would remain open from 10am till 1pm. “The IDF will not carry out any operations along this route,” it said. The Israeli military has urged residents of Gaza to use this window and move south, stating that “your safety and that of your families matters.” Health officials in the Gaza said on Friday that Israeli airstrikes have hit civilian cars in three separate locations since the start of the evacuation, killing 70 people and injuring up to 150 others. The IDF has denied responsibility, stressing that any information coming from the Hamas-controlled Palestinian enclave should be treated with “extreme caution and suspicion” as it serves “propaganda purposes.” LIVE STREAM and breaking news on RT's Channel https://rumble.com/v35waq4-rt-news-livestream-247.html If you can access the RT website, updates on the conflict available here https://www.rt.com/news/584220-israel-gaza-hamas-attack/

(questions to Pres. Putin listed below) Meeting of the CIS Heads of State Council Heads of State Council of the Commonwealth of Independent States held a meeting in Bishkek. October 13th, 2023 13:30 (Press conference topics below) The CIS leaders’ summit began with a limited format meeting attended by President of Russia Vladimir Putin, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of Kyrgyzstan and 2023 Chair of the CIS Heads of State Council Sadyr Japarov, President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, and CIS Secretary General Sergei Lebedev. The talks continued in an expanded format with members of the delegations. Taking part in the talks from the Russian side were Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office and Press Secretary of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov, Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Kyrgyzstan Nikolai Udovichenko, and Permanent Representative of Russia in the Statutory Bodies and Other CIS Agencies Andrei Grozov. SCO Secretary-General Zhang Ming took part in the work of the CIS Heads of State Council in an expanded format. The leaders signed a number of joint documents following the CIS Heads of State Council meeting. In particular, they signed the Treaty on the Establishment of the International Russian Language Organisation and decisions on the statements made by the CIS heads of state on cooperation in the digitisation of public administration; on international relations in a multipolar world; on protecting the civil and human right to the freedom of religion; and on supporting and promoting Russian as the language of international communication. They adopted decisions on the status of CIS Observer Country and the status of CIS Partner Country; on the Interstate Programme of Joint Measures Against Crime in 2024–2028; and on declaring Samarkand (Uzbekistan) the Cultural Capital of the CIS in 2024. In addition, they adopted the Agreement on the Establishment of the International Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing Risk Assessment Centre, and the Agreement on the Establishment of the Forensic Expert Activity Coordination Council of the CIS Member-States. =================================== Questions: 1) What is the future of the CIS ? 2) Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh and is there a positive outlook on the peace treaty between Yerevan and Baku? (Armenia / Azerbaijan) 3) Kant Airbase security, the joint air defence system 4) The Ruble exchange rate 5) Mikhail Fridman and people in general who were abroad and decided to return 6) The Palestinian-Israeli conflict, is there any prospect for a settlement in the coming weeks or at least the coming months? 7) Trafficked weapons used in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict 8) The visit to the People’s Republic of China and other countries 9) Accusations re: Balticconnector gas pipeline 10) What did Pres. Putin do on his birthday ? (October 7th)

Pres. Putin attended a session of the Valdai Discussion Club in Sochi on Thursday, October 5, 2023 where he delivered a keynote speech and took questions from the audience. During the event, which lasted for nearly four hours, Pres. Putin shared his thoughts on a wide array of issues, including the Ukraine conflict, the recent flare-up in Nagorno-Karabakh, and the role of the West in the origins of current tensions. Pres. Putin also outlined his vision for a more fair and equitable model of international relations, and provided an update on Russia’s nuclear arsenal. West ‘pillaging’ the world ==================== The Western countries have accumulated their riches and influence through centuries of “endless expansion,” colonialism, and economic exploitation, he said. He argued that this model, built on subjugation and blatant disregard of legitimate interests of other nations, is the source of the current tensions and will “inevitably lead us into a dead end.” Outlook for ‘new world order’ ==================== Pres. Putin outlined the six principles of international relations Russia wants to see as the foundation of a “more equitable world order.” These include the rejection of “artificial barriers” between countries and opposition to a single power dictating its will. “Nobody has the right to control the world at the expense of others or in their name,” Pres. Putin said. Russia not seeking ‘new territories’ ======================= According to Pres. Putin, Russia is focused on protecting the people of Donbass and Crimea in the conflict with Ukraine, rather than “looking for new territories.” He reiterated that the current crisis was triggered by the 2014 Western-backed coup in Kiev, which empowered Ukrainian nationalists and was rejected in Crimea. (The largely Russian-speaking peninsula voted to break away from Ukraine and join Russia the same year, while the Donbass regions of Donetsk and Lugansk declared independence from Kiev. The two Donbass republics, along with two other Ukrainian regions – Kherson and Zaporozhye, eventually became part of Russia after holding referendums in September 2022.) Ukraine’s staggering battlefield losses ========================== Pres. Putin said that more than 90,000 Ukrainian soldiers were killed or seriously wounded in the “so-called counteroffensive” launched in early June. Kiev’s forces also lost 557 tanks and roughly 1,900 armored vehicles. (The Ukrainian authorities do not release their total casualty figures, and neither does Russia.) Moscow ‘overcame’ sanctions ==================== Russia has successfully reshaped its economy towards self-sufficiency and new markets since the EU and US first imposed restrictions on Moscow in 2014. “We overcame all problems, which arose from the sanctions, and started the next stage of development,” Pres. Putin said. Nagorno-Karabakh clash was ‘inevitable’ ========================== Pres. Putin dismissed accusations that Moscow abandoned its ally Armenia when Azerbaijan re-established control over its breakaway ethnic Armenian enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh last month. Baku’s victory and the disbandment of the local military force triggered an exodus of the Armenian population from the region. Pres. Putin said Russia did everything it could to mediate the conflict and had offered Yerevan a compromise regarding Nagorno-Karabakh. He argued that an armed clash was “inevitable” after Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan officially recognized the enclave as Azerbaijani territory. Russia might be forced to ditch major nuclear pact ================================= Work on the Sarmat silo-based intercontinental ballistic missile has “effectively been completed,” the president said. He revealed that Moscow had also successfully tested the Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile. Russia might consider revoking its ratification of the 1996 Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) because it has still not been ratified by the US, Putin warned. The president did not rule out “mirrored responses” to Washington’s policies on the matter.

RT's Murad Gazdiev visits the Zaporozhye region to debunk the Western media's claims the Ukrainian army has breached Russian defences. More than 80 protesters were arrested on Friday as demonstrations in Yerevan continued for a fourth consecutive day. Armenians are angered at the government for what they see as the surrender of Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijan. Hungary slams Ukraine for not shipping 'a single gram of grain' to Sudan. That's despite Budapest donating more than three million euros last year to help alleviate the humanitarian crisis in the northeast African nation.

The plenary session was also attended by Vice President of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic Pany Yathotou. The moderator of the discussion is Ilya Doronov, managing director of the RBC TV channel. * * * Ilya Doronov: Good morning, good afternoon or good evening, everyone. It is nice that more people are attending our forum this year compared to last year. I believe there was more space between chairs in this room last year. Today we are sitting closer together. Welcome to the 8th Eastern Economic Forum. I planned to start differently, but the incoming news have changed my plans. As you have probably read, a Sochi-Omsk flight had to make an emergency landing in a field in the Novosibirsk Region. There were 159 people on board; none of them have been injured. I have read that only one person had a blood pressure problem. Let us applaud the pilots. (Applause.) There is another issue with aircraft, but we can talk about it later. So, this forum and this session are not standard. Why is that? The reason is it was announced exactly 10 years ago that the Far East and the Artic are a priority to us. Yury Trutnev was appointed Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District 10 years ago, and the President said in his Address to the Federal Assembly that the Far East was declared a priority. Therefore, I am giving the floor to the President of Russia and will ask him to tell us, as we used to say, about what has been done during these two five-year periods. President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, friends, Ms Yathotou, I am delighted to welcome our guest, and I ask the participants to do so as well. Our moderator has now greeted the audience by saying “good afternoon, good morning, good evening” – and indeed, when you arrive in the Far East, everything gets confusing and time-disorienting here. But one thing is clear: the Far East is Russia’s strategic priority for the entire 21st century, and we will stick to this. I would like to welcome the participants and guests of the 8th Eastern Economic Forum, which has traditionally brought together business leaders, experts and senior officials from our country as well as from dozens of other states from across the globe to discuss promising and strategic areas for the development of the Russian Far East, the Arctic and the entire Asia-Pacific region. In my remarks today, I will mention other Russian regions one way or another as well, because they are part of a single national economic complex. We are meeting here to assess the main trends that determine the further development of international business relations. We can all see very well the changes that the global economy has experienced in recent years and continues to experience now, including due to certain countries, primarily Western ones, of course, who are destroying the system of financial, trade, and economic relations that they had put much effort into building. It is very important that in these conditions the world sees the expanding space for actual business cooperation between states that do not yield to external pressure but pursue their own national interests, with a growing number of such states in different regions of the world. In their activities and policies, they prioritise efforts to promote their own projects in transport, energy, industry, finance and the humanitarian sphere that bring direct long-term benefit to their nations, instead of being led by current political issues. Essentially, we are witnessing a new emerging model of relationships and integration – and not by Western patterns, for the elite, for the chosen ‘golden billion,’ but for the entire humanity and the entire existing and developing multipolar world. This model offers creative energy, openness and focus on a specific outcome as a powerful competitive advantage of the Asia-Pacific region, a key factor that determines and I am sure will determine for a long time its global leadership in economic growth. Notably, last year Russia's trade with Asia-Pacific countries increased by 13.7 percent and added another 18.3 percent in the first six months of this year. It was up 13.7 percent for the whole last year and this year, it is up 18.3 percent just in the first six months. I expect our trade with the APR countries and economic relations in general to further expand, because Russia, our Far East, is open to strengthening trade and cooperation ties, and the potential of such cooperation simply cannot be overestimated. The Far Eastern Federal District accounts for 40 percent of Russia’s territory. Almost half of our forestland and gold reserves, more than 70 percent of our fish, diamonds, and over 30 percent of titanium, copper and so on are located here. Critically important strategic enterprises, seaports and railroads are located here. In short, the role of the Far East for our country and for its future, for Russia's position in a multipolar world is immense. We are well aware of it. That is why I would like to repeat what I said in my Address to the Federal Assembly ten years ago, in December 2013, and what I said at the very beginning: the advanced development of the Far East is our absolute priority for all of the 21st century, our shared responsibility and work of the Government, the regions and major Russian companies, both state-owned and private. In order to organise such work, a serious regulatory and legal framework has been created over the past several years, and modern approaches to the economic and social development of the Far East, as well as the Arctic, which is another strategic priority, have been laid down. What are the results? The moderator asked what results we have managed to achieve working together in this region over the past ten years. First of all, it concerns the economy. We have come up with special tax, administrative and customs preferences in the Far East in order to promote the development of industrial sites and high-tech production facilities and to create new jobs, and we have taken on the construction of infrastructure and bringing utilities to industrial sites. This business support is provided in the priority development areas and the free port of Vladivostok, although other territories have been added to this port as well. Last year, a special preferential regime was launched on the Kuril Islands, on even more favourable terms than in the priority development areas: the duration of benefits is longer, the tax cuts are greater, and so on. I will not go into detail now, so as not to waste time. Thanks to the Government support for the Far Eastern projects, investment agreements have been signed for over 7.7 trillion rubles, 3.4 trillion of which have already been invested. As many as 125,000 jobs have been created, and about 700 new enterprises have become operational. Among them are landmark projects such as one of the world's largest gas processing plants and a gas chemical complex in the Amur Region, the Nakhodka Mineral Fertiliser Plant and the Zvezda Shipbuilding Complex for large-capacity vessels, which is located right here, next door. Copper and other mineral deposits, including Udokan, Baimskoye and Malmyzhskoye, are being developed. Important projects have also been launched in the agribusiness sector. These include greenhouse farms in the Sakhalin Region and the Primorye Territory, fish processing in Kamchatka and Magadan, pork production in the Amur river basin, and increased soy bean production in the Amur Region. All of these are also promising areas both for supply to our domestic market and for export. In general, the investment dynamics in the Far East, and I would like to emphasise this, are three times faster than in Russia as a whole. While from 2014 to 2022, the growth in investment in fixed capital across the country was 13 percent, in the Far East it was 39 percent. This is also reflected in production output. Industrial growth rates in the Far East also exceed the Russian average. According to the results of the last five years, most of our eastern regions – the Magadan and the Amur regions, the Trans-Baikal Territory, the Jewish Autonomous Region, the Amur river basin, Chukotka and Kamchatka – are among the top 20 constituent entities of the Russian Federation in terms of gross regional product growth rates, and the Magadan Region tops this rating. Here are a few figures that speak for themselves. In 10 years, the cargo turnover of Far Eastern seaports has increased 1.6 times, housing commissioning, 1.3 times, electricity consumption, 1.2 times, annual gold production in the east of the country has increased 1.6 times, and coal, 2.8 times. You understand what we are talking about – not about the percentage increase in growth, everything is growing exponentially. I should note here that the average percentage of explored subsurface resources in the Far East is now 35 percent. You understand, only 35 percent of the subsurface area has been explored. What does this mean? It shows that there is every opportunity for the mining industries to grow by leaps and bounds, including the strategic raw materials that are in short supply, and which will be in demand in the economy of the future. All this is not only a guarantee of the country's resource sovereignty, but also a basis for the production of new materials, microelectronics and promising energy sources, for the promotion of domestic environmental and nature-saving technologies and scientific developments, for the creation of good jobs, and for making use of the natural competitive advantages of the Far East and the whole of Russia at a new level. In order to increase the scope of geological exploration, we have launched a frontal strategy, it is called so beautifully: Geology. Revival of a Legend. I ask the Government to include a separate section in it, dedicated to the study of the Far East subsurface and to start preparing a similar section for Siberia. The prospects for the Far East and the Arctic are related not only to the development of mineral deposits, which, without a doubt, enjoy high demand both in the domestic industry and internationally. To reiterate, the potent raw material base for economic development that we are laying down allows us to move forward, to increase the depth of processing of resources, as experts put it, to increase added value at domestic enterprises, including and above all, of course, to do so in the Far East. This is the most important thing. For us to be able to do this, we must constantly improve the terms for doing business in the macro-region, keep them at a globally competitive level and provide long-term and cheap financing for investment projects that is affordable to both small and medium-sized businesses, as well as major production companies in all areas and sectors, territories and districts. As you may be aware, we have launched a federal cluster investment platform. This mechanism is designed to finance major systemically important projects, primarily for the production of materials, components and finished goods in the manufacturing industry. This year, projects to produce priority output worth at least two trillion rubles should be financed as part of this investment platform. I would like the Government to use this tool to expand the Far Eastern economy, so that more sophisticated production facilities with modern and well-paid jobs can be created here. It is necessary to promote projects that require large, multi-billion investments which, in turn, become points of attraction for related sectors, the construction industry, service companies and equipment manufacturers, and for small businesses, too. I would also like to emphasise that petrochemistry and natural gas conversion, metallurgy, machine building and other manufacturing industry sectors are all energy-intensive industries. However, and it should also be mentioned, most of the Far Eastern regions, which, as I said earlier, are building housing, opening new production facilities and industrial sites, still face energy shortages, and this, of course, is a problem. The scale of the projects that we are implementing in the Far East requires a similarly sweeping upgrade of the Far Eastern energy system. At the same time, there are truly unique opportunities for developing environmentally friendly hydro, nuclear and renewable energy. I ask the Government, together with our major energy companies and business community, to prepare a programme for the development of the energy capacities in the Far East. It should cover a long-term period, until 2050, to expand the economic capacities of our Far Eastern territories to the fullest. I also ask the Government to develop mechanisms of project financing for this strategic programme. Plans call for connecting the Sila Sibiri (Power of Siberia) and Sakhalin-Khabarovsk-Vladivostok gas pipelines and then for including them in the country’s integrated gas supply system. That will resolve – I dare say – a historical and global task for our country: to integrate the Russian western and eastern gas distribution networks into one. Together with the construction of Sila Sibiri-2, it will allow us not only to work flexibly on the global energy markets, which is relevant today, as we know, but also to significantly expand the programme to connect communities in Buryatia, the Trans-Baikal Territory and other Far Eastern regions to the gas distribution system and provide the local industries in the Far East with additional resources and local cities and villages with environmentally clean fuel. The capacities of the LNG terminal, which has already been built by one of our companies, will be used to connect Kamchatka to the gas distribution network, This sector is developing actively, including in the Arctic. After the successful launch of the Yamal LNG project, a new major project has been started to build an LNG terminal in the Arctic: the first technological line of the Arctic LNG 2 project. It has already been delivered to the production site, and the startup work is underway, am I right? That’s great. I want to note that the line is in fact a floating plant to liquify natural gas. This project is the only one of its kind in the world, it is safe to say, and is built with Russian technology and capacities. The project is being implemented by the Murmansk LNG Construction Centre, which manufactures GBS liquefaction trains. By 2030, LNG production in the Russian Arctic zone is expected to increase by 200 percent, to 64 million tonnes per year. In this regard, a principled decision was made to build new LNG lines at the Murmansk centre to operate at the Arctic deposits. Naturally, it will make a great contribution to the development of our northern regions and improve Russia’s technological sovereignty. A high-capacity LNG production centre will be built in the Murmansk Region. The issue is not directly connected to the Far East, but a Volkhov-Murmansk-Belokamenka gas pipeline will be built to that end. I will not go into detail but I very much hope that our companies, with the help of the Government, will come to an agreement among themselves regarding who and how will be engaged in the construction of this important infrastructure facility. It is very important for Murmansk and local communities, as well as for Karelia. Transport projects are important as a means of support for business initiatives and in general for the economy of the Arctic and the Far East and for local residents there. It is necessary to expand the existing logistics routes and open new corridors for cargo operations. Certainly, development of the Northern Sea Route has special priority among these projects. Thirty-four million tonnes of cargo were shipped using the route last year. In the next few years, the cargo traffic on this global transport corridor will only grow, which requires prioritising the construction of a modern icebreaker fleet, as well as upgrading Arctic ports and their infrastructure. By 2030, we expect the general capacity of seaports in the Arctic waters to double. While last year, this capacity stood at 123 million tonnes, by the end of the decade it is expected to reach 252 million tonnes, in part thanks to the construction of new terminals and the expansion of railway access. By 2027, we plan to substantially ramp up the capacity of the Murmansk port, from 56 to 110 million tonnes per year. We will continue to modernise the Baikal-Amur Mainline and the Trans-Siberian Railway. Certainly, the pace needs to be stepped up, including through concessions and by attracting private capital for the construction of bridges, tunnels and overpasses. We have just discussed this matter with moderators of the respective sessions. In this connection, I want to note that, thanks to the initiative of private investors, we are building the Pacific Railway and a new port on the Sea of Okhotsk, which will allow us to utilise the resources of Yakutia and the northern regions in the Khabarovsk Territory, and to secure direct access to Asia-Pacific markets. Our major companies are currently building a new port on Taimyr and modernising the Pangody-Nadym railway on Yamal. There are many such examples when businesses making long-term investment in logistics, transport, energy projects, construction of railways and motorways, sea terminals and airports. I would like to ask the Government and our colleagues in the regions to rely on this resource and make sure that both state and private investment create a synergetic effect for renewing the infrastructure and social facilities and for spatial development of regions and the country in general. I have already told Russian business leaders, many of whom are facing pressure from some of our partners, and I want to reiterate today that it is definitely better and more reliable to invest in Russia, both in major, ambitious infrastructure projects and local but important projects related to urban development and tourism. We see what happens with capital and how and where it goes. Do not make the same mistake twice. Just recently, we have opened a section of the high-speed motorway from Moscow to Arzamas. By the end of this year, the road will reach Kazan, and then Yekaterinburg and Tyumen. I want to say that we will certainly continue this major project and build high-speed roads across Siberia and the Far East to reach the Pacific Ocean. The Rossiya integrated transport corridor will be created from St Petersburg to Vladivostok. It will help develop tourism, connect logistics, agrarian and production centres, and will give a boost to entrepreneurship and revival of cities and villages. A separate matter is the development of air travel between the Far East and the European part of Russia, as well as improving direct interconnectivity of the Far Eastern regions, so that people would not have to fly to neighbouring regions via Moscow or Siberian airports. To that end, as you know, we created an integrated Far Eastern airline. Its most important routes are subsidised by the state so that airfare becomes more affordable, and there are additional opportunities to create new routes, including local ones. I suggest that this important work be continued and made system wide. I ask the Government to put together a comprehensive plan of measures to develop air travel within the Far Eastern region by March 1, 2024. It should cover the construction of new and modernisation of the existing airports, the improvement of general aviation standards, deliveries of Russian-made aircraft and helicopters, and of course, increasing the affordability of air travel by reducing airlines’ expenses on aircraft leasing. The exact parameters and target points are to be outlined, but I think that it would be good to plan that by 2030, passenger flow on the domestic flights within the Far East should grow to at least 4 million people per year. Colleagues, The most important and integral goal of our plans, which we are implementing in the economy, transport and infrastructure of the Far East, is to improve the quality of life, to create comfortable and modern conditions for study and work, leisure and raising children, and to achieve sustainable population growth in Russia’s Far Eastern regions. For this purpose, a number of mechanisms have been launched, including the Far Eastern Hectare programme. More than 119,000 people have received land plots for doing business, opening production and tourist facilities, or building their own homes. I would like to remind you of the task at hand: this autumn we need to put in place a regulatory framework to support individual housing construction across the country. I am talking about escrow accounts that are used in the construction of blocks of flats. They will further protect people’s savings and create opportunities for them to attract mortgage loans to build their own homes. I draw the attention of my colleagues from the Government to the fact that these mechanisms must be developed by the end of this year, and, to reiterate, throughout the country, including the Far Eastern regions. Notably, special mortgage terms are available in the Far East with the loan amount being up to six million rubles, the term, up to 20 years, and the interest rate, two percent. With the help of this tool, more than 78,000 families have purchased or built new housing. I propose adjusting the parameters of the Far Eastern mortgage lending programme and making it more attractive. Yesterday, my colleagues and I discussed this. It is about raising the upper limit of the loan to nine million rubles for those who want to buy their own housing with floor space of more than 60 square metres. That way, families will have more opportunities to choose a flat on the primary market or to build their own house. Initially, the Far Eastern mortgage lending programme was designed only for young families, but since last year teachers and doctors working in the Far East are eligible for such a loan as well. I propose that we take the next step and once again expand the coverage of this programme, making mortgages at two percent available to employees of the Far Eastern defence industry enterprises. To reiterate, for all Far Eastern defence industry employees, regardless of their age or marital status, just like we did for doctors and teachers. Next. We have suggested special mechanisms for the development of housing construction, including the so-called Far Eastern Quarter project, where companies that are engaged in comprehensive development receive the benefits available to resident companies in priority development areas. As a result, the design stage includes housing plus a comfortable urban environment and social infrastructure, such as kindergartens, outpatient clinics, sports centres, and more. Bolstered by the mechanisms of the Far Eastern Quarter, a satellite town is being built near Vladivostok. It will accommodate some 80,000 people in a state-of-the-art living environment. I want to add that the so-called presidential subsidy has been introduced to help bring about comprehensive development of the social infrastructure in the Far East. As part of this programme, over 1,500 facilities have been built, repaired and equipped in all Far Eastern regions. These include schools, hospitals, gyms, fitness and health centres, houses of culture, etc. Here are several facilities that have opened recently: a cardiovascular centre in Yakutsk, a nuclear medicine centre in Ulan-Ude, a centre for team sports and martial arts in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. Housing for social sector workers was built in Chukotka. Mayak Park opened on the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk in Magadan. A separate and major area of work that we have launched is the revival of 25 agglomerations and cities in the Far East. I will not list them now; we discussed this publicly yesterday. The cities should get a new look based on the development of qualitative master plans based on the problems and advantages of each particular city. The master plans are more or less ready, we spoke about this yesterday. It is necessary to finalise them, outline financing sources, and get on with the work as quickly as possible. During the renovation of the cities, it is necessary to use the Far Eastern concession mechanism. I also suggest that additional resources be allocated for the priority master plans in the next three years; I instructed the Government yesterday to finalise these mechanisms. Later, we will consider increasing financing for the period until 2030. And, of course, it is necessary to pay special attention to municipal entities, including small ones. For example, as part of the One Thousand Courtyards programme, 1,245 public spaces were improved last year; another 562 will be improved this year. Naturally, this work should be continued. I would like to emphasise that a while back we decided that all our key development programmes should include a special section on the Far East. This has allowed us to achieve a decent growth of government investment in projects implemented in the Far East. We should maintain such levels and dynamics and continue to prioritise the Far East with regard to state investment. One more thing: Russia’s Far East should not be solely a territory where the economy, social sector and urban environment are developing rapidly. While pursuing these plans and projects, we should not neglect efforts to take care of unique ecosystems and preserve hundreds of rare plant and animal species. Incidentally, the international forum Falcon Day has been held for the first time as part of the current Eastern Economic Forum, with the aim of discussing the preservation and growth of the population of predatory and rare bird species. I would like to thank our friends and colleagues from the Middle East, who are paying particular attention to this issue. And we will obviously work with you, colleagues, on this humanitarian yet very engaging matter. Russia’s Far East has more than 60 specially protected natural areas of federal significance, many included on the World Natural Heritage Sites list such as Lake Baikal, Lena Pillars Nature Park, Wrangel Island Reserve, volcanoes of Kamchatka, and others. All this is our core national wealth and at the same time it is global heritage; we are obliged to preserve it while providing opportunities for scientific research, for education and recreation of children and young people, and for Russian and foreign tourists and visitors to get to know the wonderful nature of our Far East. I have mentioned that the Russian Far East should become a platform for new economic sectors, including the development of tourism in national parks in the Primorye and Khabarovsk territories, Yakutia, Buryatia, Kamchatka, the Kuril Islands and other regions. On September 1, a law came into effect to provide proper conditions and a legislative framework for ecotourism and create a foundation for unlocking the scientific and tourism potential of the protected areas. It is important to provide them with proper infrastructure. In this regard, I propose that additional funding be allocated to national parks in the Far East next year – and not through redistribution of funds allotted for other nature sites but by providing additional money over and above the envisaged financing. And a few words on developing new industries in the Far East. The exhibition Development of Creative Economy in Russia, which took place in late May, included a substantive discussion where young entrepreneurs, including those from the Far Eastern regions, came up with engaging proposals. For example, Yakutia boasts one of the best practices for promoting creative industries, such as computer programming, architecture, industrial design, and the like thanks to the regional authorities’ efforts and the initiative of its business people. This experience will form the basis for developing a regional standard for creative industries, which will then be extended to other constituent entities of the Federation. The most important task here is to improve Russian brand recognition. I met with our colleagues, the moderators – I mentioned this meeting earlier – and they shared the good news with me that this process is going at a fairly fast pace with good results. It is important to support the demand for domestic products and services, for example, through exhibitions, fairs, and so on. We will certainly keep this process going. The first such creative industries fair was held in Novosibirsk in August. It was attended by 70 Russian manufacturers and 17,000 people visited it in three days. The second fair was recently hosted by Vladivostok, and the event was included in our forum’s cultural programme. I think these initiatives will be taken up by other regions. Speaking of the Far East specifically, another decision has been made here, which concerns the development of new industries in the economy, culture, and sport. We have agreed that a cyber sports tournament will be held in the Far Eastern Federal District every year. This trend is vastly popular around the world, and our cyber athletes are leading the race. I am sure that holding high-level competitions in Russia will help promote computer sports in our country and internationally. The first tournament will be held later this year. I would like the domestic IT companies and companies with state participation to pay attention to this sport and support it. Colleagues, Much has been done for the Far East and the Arctic over the past ten years. A powerful boost has been given to the development of the economy, the social sphere and infrastructure, and the environment for doing business that has been created is unparalleled in our country. I am not afraid to use this word: it is an unparalleled environment. We have launched major landmark projects in the production of natural resources and the manufacturing industry, housing construction and upgrading of the transport network. Plans to modernise cities and towns have been drawn up and are being acted upon. A huge, key role in achieving these results belongs to the people of the Far East, whose families have lived here for many generations and those who have recently come here from other regions to work, study or run their own businesses. I would like to thank everyone who believes in the future of the Far East, its vast opportunities and potential, and who is contributing to its development. To reiterate, the Far East remains our strategic priority for the rest of the 21st century. I would like to end my remarks with the opening lines. I am sure its role, as well as the role and importance of our country in the world, will only grow. Thank you. Ilya Doronov: Madam Vice President, I will give you the floor a bit later, if I may. And now I would like to ask the President of Russia several questions about his address. Mr President, it is very good that you mentioned the priority importance of the Far East, because many people could think that our priority is in the other part of the world, in the West, and that all our efforts are focused on it. Vladimir Putin: We have many priorities, but the Far East is one of the top priorities. Ilya Doronov: It is the third time you have said it, and we will know now that this is really so. You mentioned the M-12 motorway. I would like to thank you and Mr Khusnullin, who is with us today, for this. I am from Vladimir, which is located 180 kilometres from Moscow, but it took us six or seven hours by car to cover it, for example, during the May holidays. It was a real headache. We will use the new motorway now and see if it is better. I have several related questions. In your address, you said – I have taken down your words – “a historical, global task” regarding the Far East. This made me think about an analogy, that the plans you have made public can be compared to what Stolypin did for the development of Siberia, or to the Soviet industrialisation plan. Here is my question: Do you think that these global domestic plans would have been made and implemented if no sanctions had been adopted [against Russia], first in 2014 and later in 2022, if the borders had not been closed, and if we had not been deprived of depositing capital [abroad]? Here are the statistics to prove the point I have made in my question. They concern the special administrative district on Russky Island, where the number of residents has increased by 43 to 60, which is snowballing growth that took place after the adoption of the sanctions. Vladimir Putin: Firstly, we launched that project 10 years ago. You asked me about it, and I replied that we started doing this long before the events that took place in the past few years, in 2014, and we did it because we saw the global economic development trends. We saw the rise of new centres of influence and economic development. I believe I do not need to name these countries, which everyone knows about. We saw what was changing and how, and we can see today that these trends have not slowed down but are gathering momentum. But what happened after 2014, after the Western countries supported a coup in Ukraine and started the war in Donbass: many processes began to accelerate. In this regard, we can only feel sorry that we did not implement the plans on infrastructure development, including the railway network to the Far East in good time. Because, honestly, the Government miscalculated to a certain extent and believed that there would not be that much cargo shipment volume; even over the past few years it has been much bigger than one could imagine. But it is okay, we are making it work, there are plans that were developed earlier and consequently it will be easier for us to implement them even within a short time frame. Just now we, together with the moderators and our colleagues, discussed the development plans for the Eastern Operating Domain. There is money, investors are interested because there is a market, and they are ready to invest their own money because they can see the profits from such a big cargo turnover. A good return on investment is guaranteed. That is why this work began a long time ago, and the events in the global economy over the past years have given a boost to our work in the Far East. Ilya Doronov: Still, the phrase “do not make the same mistake twice” was said twice today. Did not it dawn on everyone, or what? Vladimir Putin: You know, if you are interested and probably many businesspeople are interested, there is a trend: earlier, many of our businesspeople created some platforms for themselves and then saw that their legally earned money got confiscated. You know, this is not my money, but the money of our companies and entrepreneurs, and it is simply beyond the pale. People who have been doing this do not understand that there will be negative consequences for them, it seems that they still do not understand that. Take, for instance, restrictions on dollar settlements. What will it lead to? It has resulted in a situation where all countries are now considering creating their own tools, new settlement systems and are contemplating whether they should keep their savings in the US or somewhere in Europe, and if it is viable to invest in these countries’ securities. I can assure you, I know this is happening. Of course, everyone will give it some thought. Our gold and forex reserves have been frozen but we have already earned twice as much. It is not about these 300 billion, but the shattered confidence in those who are doing it. They are undermining trust in them. The same is happening in trade and restrictions on trade. So, God knows, it is their own fault that they will inevitably face negative consequences, it is already happening. This is not what we wanted, but it is an objective process related to the increasing number of rapidly developing economic centres. Ilya Doronov: And those who come here, who return to Russia… Vladimir Putin: I will now talk about stepping on a rake. Nevertheless, we can see that logistics chains and goods deliveries have now virtually been restored, and everything has been normalised. We can see that this is also linked with the national currency exchange rate, including the restrained return of foreign currency revenues, to put it mildly, and a desire to deposit something abroad once again … We can see this, and we understand everything. We need to reach some agreement with the business community, and they should understand and proceed from the premise that it is more reliable to operate here. Consequently, they should not step on one and the same rake. I am confident that those whom I am addressing understand me. Ilya Doronov: Actually, my next question has to do with relations between the state and the business community, including those who are returning here, who are coming to Russky Island, etc. I interviewed Andrei Belousov ahead of the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, and I asked him how the state and the business community should interact. He said that they should collaborate as partners, with the state being a senior partner, while the business community is a junior partner. Vladimir Putin: Did he say this? Ilya Doronov: Yes, this is what he said. Vladimir Putin: He is talking like a former State Planning Committee official. We should be equal partners. Ilya Doronov: I will have to ask his opinion following your statement. Vladimir Putin: He knows that I am always joking this way. It’s a joke. Ilya Doronov: Nevertheless, you have already said that they should be equal partners. In principle, do you get the impression that the state’s presence in the economy and in business is becoming excessive? Vladimir Putin: We are hearing this, and they are talking about this all the time. Yes, we have major companies, especially in the energy sector; however, private companies are developing rapidly, and we support them, including here in the Far East. Look, we provide state-backed infrastructure investment for all investment in the Far East. In the past three years or so, we have invested an estimated 15 billion in business support infrastructure, I do not remember the exact figure. Additionally, we have invested 8.5 billion since early 2023 alone. As far as I know, we will be investing an additional 33 billion in the next three years. This also concerns many other areas. We are incentivising the work of our companies and creating privileges for them, especially here, in the Far Eastern region. Let us stay here, on this territory. I mentioned the priority development areas earlier. They enjoy many benefits related to paying social security contributions, profit tax, or property tax. If you take the Kuril Islands, they have twice as many benefits as the priority development areas. So, cooperation between the state and business brings good results. We will continue to do this. Do you know what else is critically important? I think it is important that a very good dialogue has developed between the Government and the business community over the past decade, or maybe even a couple of decades. The Government almost never makes any economic decisions without holding prior consultations with business associations. We always strive to take into account the opinions of our business partners, as well as the trade unions. Ilya Doronov: You mentioned priority development areas and tax preferences. It all sounds good. But I have talked to experts in this field, and they say that more is needed. For example, infrastructure – gas, electricity, and all the rest – needs to be built in these areas. This is not enough. Vladimir Putin: That is why I said that. By the way, the number 25 billion just came to my mind. This is how much we spent on infrastructure in recent years. We spent 8.5 billion in the first six months of this year, and 33 more billion has been set aside. That is how we are doing it, and we will keep doing it. We realise that investing in infrastructure should be our way of supporting businesses. So, we are doing this and will keep doing it in the future. Ilya Doronov: I have a question about the ruble exchange rate. A year ago, when we were on this stage, the dollar was about 60 rubles. This summer, it went up to 100, or even higher. I checked before the session and it is 93 rubles to the dollar now. Volatility is extremely high and, as of late 2022, the Russian currency was the most volatile currency in the world. How can you make any projections in a situation where you have no idea what is going to happen to the national currency? Vladimir Putin: Yes, this is, of course, a question that needs a thorough researcher such as the Central Bank or the Government, that is, the financial authorities. Overall, I do not think there are any issues or difficulties that cannot be overcome. This is connected with many factors, including with whether our major exporters must or must not repatriate part of their foreign currency proceeds. It is connected with the fact that during the first phase, which you mentioned, when the dollar was 60 rubles, the logistics chains had yet to be established for imports. Now, imports are coming to our market in greater volumes, which means that foreign currency is in greater demand. There are other factors, but they are manageable. We see and understand them, and the Central Bank sees them as well. Of course, the Central Bank had to raise the key interest rate to 12 percent. Among other things, it had to do it because inflation had increased a little bit. Where does it stand now? Is it 5.4 percent, or 5.2 percent? I do not remember the exact number, but it is somewhere around 5.2 percent in annual terms. So, the Central Bank could not fail to respond to these developments. I think that its decision was correct, and timely too. This will mean there are fewer opportunities to take out loans, it will constrain the economy and inhibit its development to a certain extent. However, this factor has a major bearing on mitigating inflationary risks. Everything must come at the right moment. That is to say that we remain in control of the situation, and I will not go into too much detail because this is quite a delicate topic. But overall, we have all it takes to mitigate these risks. Ilya Doronov: Still, as far as I can see, the state does intend to play its regulating role. Will there be any restrictions? I am asking this question because last time the ruble started losing its value, Aide to the President Maxim Oreshkin had to write a column and the ruble went up the very same day. There was also [VTB Bank Chairman] Andrei Kostin who said yesterday in an interview with RBC that there were loopholes for taking money out of the country. Vladimir Putin: What are they doing? They are just trying to scare people by proposing that they cooperate on peaceful terms and undertake specific actions or else, they say, we will impose restrictions and force you to repatriate your revenue, etc. However, no one will make any sudden moves in this regard. Ilya Doronov: Let’s talk about the Central Bank and the 12 percent interest rate. There will be another meeting on Friday, and it may well be that the rate will go up even higher, making loans even more expensive. How do you expand manufacturing and take out new loans against this backdrop? Funding is becoming increasingly expensive. Vladimir Putin: I have already said that the key interest rate does affect funding costs, of course, and the rates private banks charge, which in turn constrains lending and stifles economic growth. Overall, we see that lending has been quite active. This is my first point. Second, we see that consumer lending has been growing even faster. In this sector, we also have the tools to mitigate these risks. I will not elaborate on this too much either, so go ahead and talk to [Governor of the Bank of Russia] Nabiullina, she will tell you. Of course, we need to influence things, but if we miss a situation that will lead to uncontrollable inflation growth, it will be ultimately even worse for the economy – because it is nearly impossible to make business plans amidst high inflation. There are no good or very good decisions here; there are only difficult decisions, and they need to be adopted promptly. So far, both the Central Bank and the Government have done so, and rather effectively. Ilya Doronov: I would also like to ask a question regarding mortgage loans… Vladimir Putin: Sorry to interrupt you, I just wanted to add a few words. With growing loan costs, we have created a whole array of tools for major industries and the largest projects that serve the interests of the entire national economy. We have a set of support measures for obtaining loans, with certain preferential terms and an array of tools to support companies that make significant investments, and this is implemented jointly with the government. I have already mentioned industrial platforms and so on. Businesses are aware of them; they will continue on. The thing is, if the costs of loans grow, the Government will probably have to consider increasing funds for these tools. This would mean additional expenses, and there is the other side of the coin, namely the budget’s sustainability and balance, and so on. But all this can be worked out. Ilya Doronov: As to mortgages, I started asking my question and you mentioned the programme for expanding preferential mortgages here in the Far East. The Central Bank executives probably winced as they have repeatedly expressed their opinion that preferential mortgages are bloated in Russia, and they see risks. Do you see risks here? Vladimir Putin: Yes, there are certain risks, but we see and address them. As for the Far East, we have only 12.5 million people living beyond the Urals; this is not a burden for the entire country and its economy. Ilya Doronov: And the last question in this section before we give the floor to the Vice-President. This is a question that concerns business: will taxes be raised or is this not necessary? Vladimir Putin: The government sees no need for that so far. Ilya Doronov: This answer matters to the entire business community. (Addressing Ms Pany Yathotou.) I will now give you the floor, but first I would like to cite some interesting facts about Laos for the audience. I think it is important. First, diplomatic relations between the Soviet Union and Laos were established on October 7, 1960. We have found another reason to celebrate this day, have we not? Vladimir Putin: We will celebrate together. Ilya Doronov: Agreed. In 2011, Russia and Laos established a strategic partnership in the Asia-Pacific region. The second fact that I discovered is that Laos is the most heavily bombed country in the world. The United States dropped over 200 million bombs on Laos during the Vietnam War, and 350,000 Lao people were killed in these bombings. Third. The ruling Lao People's Revolutionary Party remains committed to socialism. Fourth. Laos has a pioneer movement. Frankly, I knew nothing about it. I found out about it when I was preparing for this session. Fifth. Lao people still love baguettes and white bread. Such a good legacy from France. Lao coffee is considered one of the best in the world, if I have it correctly. Lastly, for us Russians, it is important that we can stay in Laos for 30 days without a visa, so welcome to Laos, and welcome to the pulpit. Please, Madam Vice President, the floor is yours. Vice President of Laos Pany Yathotou (retranslated): Thank you very much. I am pleased to take part in the 8th Eastern Economic Forum. It is a privilege for me. Laos is an ASEAN member. It is a country with a population of only 7 million people. Our country is rich in natural resources, water resources, energy resources, minerals, timber. We have many attractive tourist destinations as well. As for what Russia means to Laos and what our relations with Russia mean to us. Since the Soviet era, we have maintained traditional strong relations which later reached the level of a strategic partnership in matters of security in the Asia-Pacific region. We are cooperating in many areas, including the economy, tourism, human capital development, plus both countries share information and expertise gained in many other areas of mutual interest. Cooperation between Laos and Russia allows us to support and help each other. We build our cooperation on the basis of mutual interest. At the same time, Laos is a developing country, so our government attaches great importance to socioeconomic development. For this purpose, we are attracting investment from many other countries, including Russia. Our countries are investing in important areas such as energy, hydro resources, and hydrocarbon resources. Russia helped us demine our land. This help was provided with no strings attached; we are still dealing with unexploded mines and ordnance which affect the lives of our people. With Russia's support, we were able to clear from mines more than 20,000 hectares of our land. After demining, we returned these 20,000 demined hectares to our people. Thus, by clearing our land of unexploded ordnance, we are addressing the most important task for us, which is eliminating the danger posed by unexploded ordnance. Ilya Doronov: The Lao word for “thank you” is “khob chai.” Mr President, this question is for you. (Addressing Pany Yathotou) I will ask you a question later, too. In the 1990s, we ceased to be friends with and support many other countries, for example, Cuba and Laos. Do you think it would be difficult to build back these relations now and to improve them to the level we maintained during the Soviet era? Vladimir Putin: We gained many things in the 1990s, meaning above all, emancipation and freedom, but, regrettably, we also lost a great deal, mindlessly wasting and even squandering what we had achieved in the previous decades during the Soviet era. But, as you know, the historical memory of the nations with which we were friendly, cooperated and helped in their development has been preserved. It will not be difficult to restore our relations based on the new principles, because people in these countries want this. I am referring to Laos, where we see many friends, the Asia-Pacific region as a whole and Africa. The Russia-Africa Summit took place recently. Frankly, I was surprised once again by the Africans’ openness and their desire to work with us. I have been thinking about this too. You see, the point is not only that we did something for Africa, helping their people regain freedom and independence and fight against colonialism, although this also important. They remember that, but they also remember other things. What do I see as the main point? The main point is that we have never acted as colonisers anywhere. Our cooperation has always been based on equality or a desire to provide help and support. The countries that are trying to compete with us, including now, had a completely different policy. When people look at what happened in the past during their cooperation with Russia, or the Soviet Union as it was called then, and with other countries, their scales are tilted in favour of Russia, which we must certainly take into account and remember today. If we look at Africa and our cooperation, we see that we helped it. What did the former colonisers do? Back in 1957 – I was recently been shown a photograph – they brought people from Africa in cages to European countries, for example, Belgium. It is an ugly sight, children put up on display in cages. Ilya Doronov: Yes, they had a special exhibition, with an entire village on display. Vladimir Putin: Yes, they brought people in cages and put them up on display, whole families and children in separate cages. How can you forget this? Nobody in Africa will ever forget this. And now they are trying to issue commands and pursue their neo-colonial policy there. They have put all African countries in debt, which runs into trillions of dollars. In other words, they have created a financial credit system for Africa under which the African countries can never pay off their loans. These are not credit arrangements at all; it is a form of contribution, if you see what I mean. We used and still use a completely different approach, which gives us certain advantages when working with our partners, including those with whom we had special relations during the Soviet era and those with whom we are relaunching relations now. Our friends are aware of this as well. Therefore, I do not expect to see any major difficulties, including in regaining our former positions. Ilya Doronov: Since we have touched upon this subject anyway, can I ask you a question: What do you do with those who do not think this way? For example, what about the Baltic states, the Czech Republic or Hungary, who are saying that Russia acted as a colonising power when it ordered its tanks to invade Prague or Budapest? Vladimir Putin: We have long since recognised that this part of the Soviet Union’s policy was a mistake and did nothing but escalate tensions. A country’s foreign policy must not directly contradict the interests of other nations. That is all there is to it. However, if we are talking about stepping on rakes, this is the case today for the leading Western powers, primarily the United States. It has been pressuring its allies and its so-called partners – after all, it does not have any friends, only interests. This is an extension of a well-known British formula. Ilya Doronov: Thank you. Madam Vice President, I have a question for you. What does Lao PDR stand to win from working with Russia? For example, why have you decided to revive Russian language courses in your country? The fact that the President of Laos speaks Russian was not the reason, was it? Pany Yathotou (retranslated): Mr Putin has already said that the Lao People’s Democratic Republic has indeed maintained very good and reliable relations with the USSR and the Russian Federation, and I agree with this assessment. We intend to build on our past success and fruitful cooperation to move forward. Of course, this includes the humanitarian aid we receive. Trade between our countries has been on the rise, and investment increased to a certain extent as well. We also expect more tourists from Russia to visit our country. Of course, we greatly appreciate all the advantages these relations have offered us. It is also obvious that cooperation we had back in the Soviet era in capacity building and human resources was one of our biggest achievements which deserves a special mention. You were right to note that many of the leaders who headed Lao PDR studied in the Soviet Union in one way or another. You may also know that we have built a railway connecting Laos to China. This is a strategic project and we wanted to use it to expand this route all the way to Australia. It is our belief that expanding this railway to the territory of the Russian Federation would have a positive impact on trade and investment flows between our two countries. This would also increase passenger flows from Lao PDR to China through Russia’s territory. We would like to discuss this matter in more detail so as to be able to tap this potential in our trade and investment relations. I do hope that our countries explore this opportunity so that it yields tangible results. Vladimir Putin: You just spoke about Young Pioneers who operate in Laos as an organisation. Madam Vice-President recently visited our Okean children’s camp and was glad to note that children from Laos spend their vacation there. They are provided with very good conditions and they have made great friends with their Russian peers. But I also can add that Lao children not only attend the Okean camp, but also study in the Suvorov schools in the Russian Federation. Ilya Doronov: Lao cadets of Suvorov schools. Vladimir Putin: Yes. I will explain for our foreign guests: these are military schools for children where they study and feel very comfortable. Ilya Doronov: Thank you. Since we touched upon… Vladimir Putin: So, we are doing all of this at an easy pace and will continue to restore relations with our friends. Ilya Doronov: This is wonderful. Since we talked about logistics: Belt and Road, the Chinese initiative, marks its 10th anniversary this year. We have the Greater Eurasian Partnership project. But after the G20 summit it was announced that – I will specify the countries – the US, the European Union, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Israel, Jordan and India have concluded work on a historic, as it was put, agreement on a new India – Middle East – Europe economic corridor. Russia is not included, nor is China. Do you think this initiative will affect the implementation of our own and Chinese projects and what does it mean for us in general? Vladimir Putin: I think it is for our good; it will help us develop logistics. First, this project has been discussed for a long time, maybe for the past several years. Truth be told, the Americans joined it at the last minute. But I do not really see why they would want to be part of it, except maybe in terms of some business interest. In the meantime, the additional traffic of goods along this corridor will be in fact an addition to our North – South project. We do not see anything here that could harm us in any way. The North – South corridor goes to the Persian Gulf and then to India. If there is another route, I believe it includes Israel, we will be able to reach the Mediterranean through the Black Sea and use this corridor. I do not know, the colleagues who presented this project need to consider it carefully. This is only a memorandum of intent so far. Ilya Doronov: Yes. Vladimir Putin: But we should see the economics of this project because cargo is supposed to reach the sea by railroad, and then it will be loaded aboard sea vessels, and then travel to either the Arab Emirates or Saudi Arabia; it will be once again reloaded onto the railroad. And this double transshipment and its impact on the economics should be calculated. The head of our leading company Russian Railways, Mr Oleg Belozyorov, is nodding along, so it seems I hit the nail on the head and it is really about the economics of it, which should be thoroughly calculated. In terms of time, if we go from Northern Europe, from St Petersburg to Mumbai, it will take the same amount of time as via the North – South route. I reiterate, the economics should be considered. I think that our route might be more efficient. Also, interest in using the Suez Canal will not go anywhere. I do not think it would somehow have a negative impact on the Suez Canal. I do not believe that will happen. And, finally, the last thing. Cargo shipment volumes are growing every year, and I think that the more such routes the better. Ilya Doronov: Thank you. The next few questions will bring us back to our country. We are in Vladivostok, where many people have right-hand drive cars. I will explain the essence of my question, and the audience will most likely split into two equal or unequal parts. One will be thinking about what they are going to do, and the other will smile because this does not concern them. First of all, you are lucky to have an Aurus, a Niva and a Volga. Many other Russian officials are not so lucky, considering what you said about driving Russian-made cars. The first such attempt was made in the 1990s, and it fell through. Who can guarantee that we will succeed this time? And which cars should they drive? Vladimir Putin: You know, we did not have domestically made cars then, but we do now. It is true that they look more modest than Mercedes or Audi cars, which we bought in vast amounts in the 1990s, but this is not an issue. I think that we should emulate many of our partners, for example, India. They are focused on the manufacture and use of Indian-made vehicles. I think that Prime Minister Modi is doing the right thing in promoting the Make in India programme. He is right. We have [Russian-made] automobiles, and we must use them; this is absolutely fine. This will not lead to any infringements of our WTO obligations, absolutely not. It will concern state purchases. We must create a certain chain regarding what cars different classes of officials can drive, so that they will use domestically-made cars. You probably know about the proposals to continue buying these cars. It would be easy to do, because the logistics are streamlined. Ilya Doronov: Do you mean the purchase of foreign cars? Vladimir Putin: Yes, I do. But I have also said that I have my doubts about continuing this practice, to put it mildly. The Government and the Presidential Property Management Directorate have coordinated a system showing what class of cars officials can drive. Let them use Russian-made cars. Ilya Doronov: When will we see the first official do this? Vladimir Putin: They will start doing this now. The acquisitions will begin shortly. It concerns practical matters. The acquisitions will begin shortly. Franky, I do not know when exactly, but it will begin soon. Ilya Doronov: I would like to ask about Chinese cars. The import of Chinese cars has increased by 543 percent this year. According to forecasts, nearly half a million Chinese cars will be imported this year. Is there a danger that they will dominate our market and we will become dependent on the Chinese car industry? Vladimir Putin: No, we are working on this project together. Take the Great Wall cars, which started to be assembled somewhere near Moscow. Ilya Doronov: Haval is assembled in Tula. Vladimir Putin: Yes, in Tula. The governor has presented one to me. It is a good car. We are developing our automobile industry. Thankfully, we are doing this increasingly more on our own basis, and we are increasing localisation. And soon Moskvich cars will be produced as well. The Moscow mayor told me recently how that project is progressing. And our Lada cars will be improved. We must do this on our own basis. Of course, when we were assembling cars almost 100 percent from foreign parts, how was it our own production? We will increase localisation levels. Yes, it takes time, but it is the right thing to do from the point of view of developing the automobile industry in our country on our own foundation. We are not going to close down completely, or engage in DIY business. Did we make Aurus? We did. Ilya Doronov: But how much is it? Vladimir Putin: Yes. The price is high because they do not produce enough. Once it goes into serial production, the price will be cut in half. Yes, it takes time, but it will be our own development. It is about acquiring and restoring competencies, it is about taxes and jobs. I do not need to tell you that. Everyone knows what goes into it. But at the same time, we will cooperate with those who want to work with us. Ilya Doronov: I will ask… Vladimir Putin: Officials certainly must drive domestic cars. Ilya Doronov: Fuel prices are also car-related. You have taken this under your personal supervision, but diesel is already over 61 rubles, and petrol is also becoming more expensive. I see that many people have a question in their eyes: what is going on? And I see this in all sorts of kitchen-table chats, where people are now discussing fuel prices. Why is this happening? Are we going to fix this? Vladimir Putin: Yes, of course, the Government is working on it. I think our petroleum product producers are right. The Government should have reacted to that in a timely manner. Appropriate decisions were made, but not long ago, in order to maintain parity between external market prices and domestic market prices. Then, these mechanisms were cancelled. The Government did not react in a timely manner to changes on the global market due to rising oil prices. However, this is a regulated position, and I just talked to Mr Sechin yesterday, and he has a position of his own. But in general, producers and the Government have agreed among themselves on their actions in the near future. It is very important for us to provide agricultural producers with diesel fuel. Ilya Doronov: Yes, the Ministry of Agriculture has already sounded the alarm. Vladimir Putin: Yes. There was a physical shortage of diesel fuel. But now it is physically available, and the issue is about regulating prices. There used to be multiple mechanisms. In 2009, when I was head of the Government, a decision was made – a whole thick folio – regarding our interaction with the fuel and energy companies, and everything was laid out in detail. By the way, this resolution remains in force, but it is not being applied. Other tools are used here, the so-called damper. I have already told you that it is about striking a balance between external and internal prices. But it was halved and lost its prior effectiveness. The tools are known, and the agreements are in plac

A passenger plane carrying 161 people, including 23 children and 6 crew members has landed in a field in Russia’s Novosibirsk Region. Amazingly there were no injuries and one passenger said the landing was softer than on Asphalt (1) Coverage of the plenary of eighth Eastern Economic Forum, also see separate video loaded earlier, with most of the transcript (will finish it later). Multipolar World ! https://rumble.com/v3h5vam-pres.-putin-at-plenary-session-of-the-8th-eastern-economic-forum-vladivosto.html Pres. Kim Jong-un has arrived in Russia (2) Recent tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh, a predominantly ethnic Armenian region that seceded from Baku, have escalated in recent weeks. Both countries have accused each other of provocative actions, leading to clashes that left several Armenian service members dead. Report from Donald Courter. Iran hosts a summit to tackle the challenges of Sand storms in the region which are destroying agriculture and damaging industries. Report from Yusef Jalali. Pakistan: Jailed former Pres. Imran Khan will be allowed to speak with his sons finally. Nikki talks to Syed Zulfiqar Bukhari, Pres. Khan's international media advisor who says the conditions he is being held in are dire and most people are outraged at Khan's imprisonment. "CIA pre-poll rigging" ============================== (1) Passengers of Russian flight describe ‘miraculous’ landing A Urals Airlines passenger plane has made a forced landing in a wheat field in Russia’s Novosibirsk Region. Passengers told the media they have yet to fully comprehend how lucky they are to come out of the incident alive. “Well done, you beautiful guy,” a man named Yury said of the pilot of the distressed Airbus A320. “We landed softer than on asphalt.” An emergency arose on Tuesday as the airliner was making a scheduled flight from the seaside resort of Sochi to Omsk, a major city in Siberia. However, it was diverted to Novosibirsk, further to the east. The unexpected landing took place about 200 km short from the destination. Passengers gave credit to the crew for remaining calm and keeping people’s spirits up. “I am very grateful to the crew and the pilots for saving us. It was a miracle,” a female passenger told the local news outlet Gorsite. “It’s good that we didn’t splash into the water. The weather is chilly,” Yury joked, speaking to the same outlet. The Ubinsk district, where the plane ended up, is dotted with multiple shallow lakes and bogs. The flight was carrying 161 people, including 23 children and 6 crew members. It was piloted by Sergey Belov, who happens to have a namesake who likewise works for the same airline. The other Belov kindly asked journalists not to ask him questions that he cannot answer, when the media rushed to contact him after the news broke. The actual hero who shepherded the aircraft comes from a family of aviators, Ural Airlines has revealed. His grandfather served in the Soviet military and was a navigator on a long-range bomber. Belov’s father, Vladimir, was a civilian pilot, and was involved in an emergency situation in 1989. The alert turned out to be false in the end, but he acted courageously and was awarded a state decoration for it. Later in his career, he trained younger pilots for Ural Airlines. The youngest member of the air dynasty is now 33 and has dreamed of a pilot’s career since childhood, according to the company. The cause of Tuesday’s emergency was not immediately clear, though some reports claimed the plane experienced a hydraulics malfunction. Some media compared it to the emergency landing of another Ural Airlines flight in August 2019. The Airbus A321 hit a flock of gulls during takeoff from Moscow and had to land in a nearby maize field. All 233 people on board survived, though dozens were injured. =====https://www.rt.com/russia/582810-miraculous-emergency-landing-novosibirsk/ ============================ (2) Kim Jong-un arrives in Russia The North Korean leader will meet with President Vladimir Putin to discuss a number of “sensitive issues,” the Kremlin has said The armoured train carrying North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has crossed into Russian territory ahead of the summit with President Vladimir Putin, Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov confirmed in the early hours of Tuesday. Earlier in the day, Kyodo news agency quoted local Russian sources as saying that Kim’s train was heading north along the coast after stopping at the Khasan railway station on the North Korean-Russian border. Later, RIA Novosti reported that he crossed the Razdolnaya River, near Vladivostok. Vladimir Putin arrived in Vladivostok on Monday on a two-day visit to attend the Eastern Economic Forum. Commenting on the agenda of the Russian-North Korean summit, Peskov did not specify where in the Far East the talks would take place. He said that the negotiations would be held both with Russian and North Korean delegations present and in a one-on-one format. He added that there will be an official banquet in honor of Kim, but no press conferences are planned. The upcoming talks are set to focus on a number of “sensitive issues” as well as bilateral economic and cultural cooperation, and the overall situation in the region, the Kremlin spokesman said. Earlier this month, the New York Times reported, citing Western officials, that Kim wanted to discuss further military cooperation with his Russian counterpart. In addition to this, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko did not rule out that Putin and Kim would also discuss the issue of Russian humanitarian aid to North Korea. The last meeting between Putin and Kim took place in Vladivostok in 2019. At that time, the talks focused on denuclearization, the situation on the Korean Peninsula, and a number of bilateral issues. The North Korean leader’s visit to Russia comes amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula, which has seen recurring missile launches by Pyongyang as well as military drills involving South Korean and US troops. === https://www.rt.com/russia/582806-kim-jong-un-arrives-russia/ =============================

A section of dam at the Kakhovskaya hydro-power station is damaged following Ukrainian strikes in the Kherson region. Waters have risen by 2.5 to 4 metres, civilians are being evacuated (again, you will recall the shelling of the ferry terminals from last year and threats by Ukrainian forces, on the dam and civilian-only regions) - Peace in the Middle East - but on Washington's terms - the US Secretary of State sets out to mend Riyadh-Jerusalem ties, emphasizing US national security interests while blasting Iran for it alleged plans to obtain nuclear weapons. - A three year old Palestinian boy dies after being shot by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank. His father - who was also a victim of the attack - says there is no justification for the killing. - Via RT.com 6 Jun, 2023 04:02 Hydroelectric dam in Kherson partially destroyed – mayor ' The breach could result in devastating flooding, potentially threatening thousands of civilians ' The Kakhovskaya hydroelectric dam in Russia’s Kherson Region, located on the Dnepr River upstream from the city of Kherson, suffered significant damage on Tuesday morning, according to a local official and several videos shared on social media. ' The upper part of the key infrastructure was “destroyed as a result of a strike,” the mayor of Novaya Kakhovka, Vladimir Leontyev, confirmed to RIA Novosti. While several of the dam’s floodgates were damaged and unleashed an uncontrolled stream of water, the underwater structure itself withstood the attack, the official claimed. ' Leontyev described the incident as a major “terrorist act” and said the water level downstream had risen by up to 2.5 meters, but added there was no need for evacuations thus far. He noted that the area has seen higher water levels during previous floods caused by heavy rainfall, but emphasized that local officials were focused on helping citizens as they prepare for a worst-case scenario. ' “All services work in the city, all administration employees are in place. Electricity, gas, internet, communications are available,” the mayor continued. ' The dam was reportedly struck around 2am local time. A video captured from a drone has circulated on Telegram purporting to show the aftermath of the attack, with water seen flowing through the breach. see https://t.me/bazabazon/18305 ' Moscow has repeatedly blamed Kiev for numerous attacks on the Kakhovskaya dam, warning that a breach could result in the deaths of thousands of civilians. In turn, Ukraine has claimed that Russia was planning to blow up the dam in a false-flag operation aimed at framing Kiev for the flooding. ' The persistent threat was cited as one of the main reasons for the evacuation of civilians from certain communities in the area last autumn, and an eventual pullout of Russian forces from the city of Kherson to the left bank of the Dnepr River. ' Russian military and civilian officials, including acting Kherson Governor Vladimir Saldo, warned at the time that many areas in the region, including the city of Kherson, could be flooded if the Kakhovskaya dam were destroyed. ' Kherson Region was officially declared part of Russia in early October, together with Zaporozhye Region and the People’s Republics of Donetsk and Lugansk, after people in those territories overwhelmingly supported the move in referendums. Kiev and its Western backers have labeled the votes a “sham” and vowed to recapture the territories using any means necessary. ' Ukraine considered blowing up the dam to paralyze Russian forces who were defending the city of Kherson – and even “conducted a test strike with a HIMARS launcher on one of the floodgates” – a former head of Ukraine’s Operational Command South, Major General Andrey Kovalchuk, admitted in an interview with the Washington Post in December. ========== https://www.rt.com/russia/577548-kakhovskaya-hydroelectric-dam-breach/ =====

re-post Russia says it is withdrawing troops from the city of Kherson amid fears that Ukrainian attacks on a local dam could cause catastrophic flooding. As the UN climate conference addresses rising pollution, Western countries come under fire for using Africa as a dumping ground for millions of tons of plastic. US. President Joe Biden refuses to compromise on his controversial policymaking, despite public outrage leading to a burst of support for his political rivals in the midterm elections. High inflation rates and energy prices have led to a new round of protests in Greece and Belgium. Large Greek cities saw violent clashes between protesters and riot police. ==================== 9 Nov, 2022 20:28 -- Pulling back ‘to save lives’: Key points from top Russian commander’s Kherson speech The order to leave the city came seven months after Moscow's troops captured the regional capital - Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu has ordered Russian forces to pull back from the city of Kherson and establish a new defence line along the Dnieper River. The minister made the decision on Wednesday following a report by Army General Sergey Surovikin, the commander of the country’s military operation in Ukraine. = One of the stated goals is to assume better positions and save the lives of soldiers and civilians. Here are the key points of Surovikin’s televised speech to the top military brass on the latest developments in the conflict. - Kiev’s forces are targeting civilians - Ukrainian troops have been launching “indiscriminate strikes” against the city of Kherson, hitting schools and hospitals in particular, Surovikin said during his remarks on Wednesday. “People’s lives are in constant danger due to shelling,” he emphasized. Humanitarian aid centers and routes used by civilians for relocation across the Dnieper River are being struck as well, the general added. Reasons for the pullout - Continued Ukrainian missile strikes on the Kakhovka hydroelectric dam located near Kherson also pose a serious risk to both the military and civilians on the right bank of the Dnieper, according to Surovikin. The dam has already been damaged in Ukrainian attacks, and another “devastating” blow could lead to “large areas” being flooded. It would also lead to massive civilian casualties and leave the Russian troops in the area cut off from the rest of the forces, the general argued as he suggested a pullout. Shoigu said he “agreed” with Surovikin’s arguments and ordered a regrouping of forces to the left bank of the Dnieper. - Successful defence and counter-offensives - Russian troops had earlier been able to successfully repel Ukrainian advances both in Kherson Region and in Donbass, Surovikin said. In particular, they managed to stop an offensive from the city of Kupyansk, which was seized by Kiev in September, into the Lugansk People’s Republic, he noted. The general said that a similar advance was prevented in the highly contested Krasny Liman area in Donbass. In some areas, Russian troops have launched counter-offensives, according to Surovikin. - Russian and Ukrainian losses - Ukrainian troops have suffered heavy losses in their attacks in recent months, according to Surovikin. Kiev’s forces are estimated to have lost more than 12,000 soldiers in October alone, along with more than 200 tanks and 800 other armored vehicles, as well as 18 combat planes. The general said that Russian losses were “seven to eight times lower.” Between August and October, Ukrainian attacks in Kherson Region alone cost Kiev more than 9,500 casualties, Surovikin said. - Relocation of civilians from Kherson - Russian forces have helped all civilians willing to leave the city of Kherson to relocate to the left bank of the Dnieper, the general said. More than 115,000 people had moved out of the city in recent weeks, he told Shoigu. “We have done everything possible to ensure their safety,” Surovikin said, adding that some civilians had moved to Crimea. - Situation on the frontlines - Russian troops have managed to “stabilize” the situation on the frontlines despite the continued Ukrainian attacks, Surovikin said. The general also stated that the partial mobilization carried out in Russia between late September and early November allowed Russian forces to build up reserves and greatly enhance combat capabilities. Troops that will be pulled out from the right bank of the Dnieper could also be sent to support offensive operations in other parts of the front, he added.

The head of the Wagner Group says Russian forces have essentially surrounded a key stronghold of Ukrainian troops in the Donetsk Republic city of Artyomovsk, also known as Bakhmut. RT reports from the battleground. “The pincers are closing shut,” announced Prigozhin. He added that previously the Wagner group had been fighting a professional Ukrainian army, but is now instead coming across more and more old men and children. “They are fighting, but life in Bakhmut is short. A day or two,” Prigozhin said. (see A below). Only one road is left available for the Ukrainian troops to leave by. Igor Zhdanov reports from (very very near to) the front lines. - Amazing bravery under fire: A eleven year old boy puts his life at risk in order to save other children during an attack by a Ukrainian terrorist group in Russia's Bryansk border region. The Kremlin have also commented on Friday that “everyone in the Kremlin and the president are in awe of the heroism of the boy and the man [Uncle Lenya]” and announced that their actions will be officially noted. (Dmitry Peskov) - Recall that yesterday (2nd March 2023) a group of terrorists attacked the Russian town of Bryansk and killed two people and injured another - see yesterday's and this morning's post https://rumble.com/v2bhwsk-rt-news-march-2nd-2023-late-terrorist-attack-on-bryansk-russia.html?mref=6zof&mrefc=5 https://rumble.com/v2bk6bo-rt-news-march-3rd-2023.html?mref=6zof&mrefc=4 ) - Russia's FSB released video of the car which was attacked at close range by some of the terrorists. It was clear that the occupiers were civilians. **gruesome video - 18 advisory** Donald Courter reports on who the perpetrators are and what exactly happened. - The Twitter files latest: Revelations emerge that a US think-tank with associations to George Soros and the US State department accused 40 thousand Twitter accounts of working for one of India’s biggest political parties, despite the list packed with accounts of ordinary Americans with no links at all to India. Runjun Sharma reports. Recall posts on this channel regarding Soros interference in India and elsewhere, recently (17th March) "Economic War Criminal" https://rumble.com/v29xcja-rt-news-february-17-2023-late.html?mref=6zof&mrefc=6 - are think tanks of any use to anyone except those wishing to control and interfere in other people's lives? Raghav Awasthi gives comments. - USA, Anthony Blinken making it up as he goes along: FM Lavrov says that there were no such discussions about prisoner swaps during the brief meeting he had with Blinken at the G20 FM's conference. Paul Wheelan is currently held in a Russian jail for espionage. (QS - it's amazing how these "officials" can stand there bare faced without even a flinch as they lie to the public. Kirby further compounded the myth though less convincingly). Steve Gill gives comments. - Africa, Nigerians elections: Peter Obi, the Labour party leader says the election was a fraud and intends to challenge the outcome in court. Poloum David reports. - Africa, Central Africa Republic: Protests have continued against the west's demands for C.A.R. to cease dealings with Russia. - China, Future Plans: Setting priorities will be the order of the day as China makes plans for building an open, international economy. Multipolar world. Sun Tianyuan reports. - RAISINA Dialogue: FM Lavrov attended the dialogue and spoke of the west unilaterally spreading it's interests across the globe for years, including wars based on lies (Iraq). RT spoke to Network 18's Palki Sharma (QS: I don't think related to Runjun) who says open discussion and freedom of speech is essential. (Provocation, Uncertainty, Turbulence: Lighthouse In The Tempest?) The Raisina Dialogue is India’s premier conference on geopolitics and geoeconomics committed to addressing the most challenging issues facing the global community. Every year, leaders in politics, business, media, and civil society converge in New Delhi to discuss the state of the world and explore opportunities for cooperation on a wide range of contemporary matters. Interesting website, new to QS https://www.orfonline.org/raisina-dialogue/ - MULTIPOLAR WORLD Uploaded at approx 19:53 3rd March 2023 ================================================== Below via RT website: --- - -- - - A) --- Key Donbass city surrounded – Wagner chief B) --- 3 Mar, 2023 16:52 RT meets Wagner fighters encircling key Donbass city 1) --- Russian boy praised for saving two minors in Ukrainian attack 2) --- Russian nuclear plant guards fired on – official 3) --- Blinken lied about exchange with Lavrov – Moscow 4) --- Russia scolds West over Ukraine grain deal 5) --- Russia has ‘adapted’ to sanctions – finance minister to RT 6) --- US hosts war games for Ukrainian commanders 7) --- EU accused of waging ‘food war’ 8) --- Biden’s former ‘disinfo czar’ pleads for donations 9) --- Switzerland reveals German tank deal proposal ========================================= 3 Mar, 2023 10:44 A) --- Key Donbass city surrounded – Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin has called on Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky to allow Kiev’s forces retreat from Artyomovsk The Wagner Private Military Company has de-facto completely surrounded the key city of Artyomovsk, referred to as Bakhmut in Ukraine, the group’s leader Yevgeny Prigozhin announced on Friday. In a video apparently shot on the outskirts of the city, the Wagner chief personally addressed Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, telling him that the Donbass city has been encircled and that there is now only one road left out of the city. “The pincers are closing shut,” announced Prigozhin. He added that previously the Wagner group had been fighting a professional Ukrainian army, but is now instead coming across more and more old men and children. “They are fighting, but life in Bakhmut is short. A day or two,” Prigozhin said. The Wagner chief urged the Ukrainian president to allow them to leave the city as the camera pans to what appear to be captured Ukrainian soldiers. Among them is a man with a long gray beard and two very young-looking men. They also issued a plea to Zelensky, asking him to let them return home to their families and loved ones and not to ignore their request. The city of Artyomovsk, which has seen some of the heaviest fighting amid Russia’s ongoing military campaign, is part of a 70km Ukrainian defense line created since Kiev initiated the fighting in Donbass in 2014. In a months-long campaign, Russian forces, primarily Wagner members, have systematically captured settlements around the city and have been surrounding Artyomovsk from the north, south, and east. Zelensky had long insisted that the strategically vital city would not be surrendered under any circumstances, but he has recently changed his position. After Kiev’s forces suffered heavy losses in the city’s defense, Zelensky recently stated that Artyomovsk would be held only as long as it “remains reasonable” to do so. Kiev’s Western backers have also encouraged the Ukrainian leader to cut his losses and withdraw from the city. https://www.rt.com/russia/572384-russia-wagner-surrounds-artyomovsk/ - ================= re-post Recall post from 1st March 2023 Zelensky adviser suggests possible retreat from key city - Russia is encircling the strategically important Artyomovsk, and Kiev’s forces are weighing their options, says Alexander Rodnyansky Ukrainian forces in the embattled city of Artyomovsk may be considering a retreat, an economic adviser to President Vladimir Zelensky claimed in an interview with CNN on Tuesday. Alexander Rodnyansky stated that Russia is attempting to encircle Artyomovsk (called Bakhmut in Ukraine) by using the best troops from the Wagner private military company. He told CNN’s Isa Soares that Kiev’s forces would retreat or “strategically give up” the city “if they believed the costs of holding it outweigh the benefits.” Rodnyansky added that the Ukrainian military “is obviously going to weigh all the options.” “So far, they’ve held the city, but, if need be, they will strategically pull back – because we’re not going to sacrifice all of our people just for nothing,” the presidential adviser claimed, arguing that it was ultimately up to the military to decide if and when a withdrawal was required. etc etc https://www.rt.com/russia/572255-ukraine-artyomovsk-strategic-retreat/ ============== B) --- 3 Mar, 2023 16:52 RT meets Wagner fighters encircling key Donbass city The contractors say foreign mercenaries previously active in Artyomovsk have seemingly vanished from the front lines RT’s Igor Zhdanov has spoken to fighters from the Wagner Group who are encircling the Donbass city of Artyomovsk, referred to as Bakhmut in Ukraine. The founder of the private military company, Yevgeny Prigozhin, claimed on Friday that the city was “practically surrounded” as he urged Ukrainian forces to flee while they still can. The number of experienced enemy soldiers has already dwindled in the area, the Wagner fighters said, as battered units are apparently being quietly withdrawn by Kiev. They added that foreign mercenaries have likely disappeared from the front lines in the city as well, having previously been active in Artyomovsk. “We used to see mercenaries from various countries, including Georgians and Abkhazians. They were better equipped than the Ukrainian soldiers. Now, we haven’t seen them for a month already. They were surprised when we faced them the last time, we’ve made an advance and now they’re gone,” a Wagner fighter said. Instead, Wagner contractors said they face conscripts who are elderly or still in their youth. Not only do they lack combat experience, but some have no previous military service whatsoever, papers recovered from fallen Ukrainian combatants suggest. Footage shared online that has slipped through tight censorship introduced by Kiev shows Ukrainian forces sustaining heavy casualties in grueling combat around the city, commonly referred to as the “Bakhmut meat grinder.” Artyomovsk has been the scene of some of the most intense fighting during Russia’s military operation, and the city has remained a major stronghold for the Ukrainian military since Kiev initiated the fighting in Donbass in 2014. In recent months, Russian forces, primarily Wagner Group units, have systematically captured settlements around Artyomovsk, closing in from the north, south, and east. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky long insisted that the strategically vital city would not be surrendered under any circumstances, but has recently changed his tune, stating that it would be held only as long as it remains “reasonable” to do so. https://www.rt.com/russia/572391-wagner-fighters-artyomovsk-mercenaries/ ==================================================== 3 Mar, 2023 13:12 1) --- Russian boy praised for saving two minors in Ukrainian attack The governor of Bryansk Region has proposed awarding the child a medal ‘For Courage’ for saving the girls, despite having been shot in the chest A ten-year old boy from Russia’s Bryansk Region is being hailed as a hero after he managed to save the lives of two first-graders during an attack by Ukrainian saboteurs on Thursday. According to local media reports, Fyodor and two girls, Zlata and Lena, were being driven to school by their neighbor, a 63-year-old man known as Uncle Lenya on the morning of March 2. On their way they encountered a group of armed men. After realizing that the men were not Russian servicemen the driver attempted to turn the car around and flee, but the Ukrainian operatives opened fire on the vehicle, killing the driver on the spot and wounding Fyodor in the chest. Despite being shot, Fyodor managed to pull the girls out of the car and escape the scene. “Fedya [Fyodor] told us ‘go to the forest,’” one of the first-graders told the Moskovsky Komsomolets outlet. “I was there, in that car. I saw people in white uniforms and one in green. Fedya showed us where to go and we ran together,” she said. Fyodor and the girls eventually made it out of the area and were able to catch a ride to the nearby settlement of Novy Ropsk, where the boy was taken to the hospital. Doctors managed to extract a NATO-issue bullet from his chest. Doctors say Fyodor’s condition is stable and that he is expected to make a full recovery. Bryansk Governor Aleksandr Bogomaz paid a personal visit to Fyodor on Friday and commended him on his bravery. “Despite being so young, he acted like a real man, like a true fighter,” Bogomaz wrote on his Telegram channel. The governor has announced that documents are currently being prepared to award him with a medal ‘For Courage.’ Kremlin spokesperson The Ukrainian operatives who crossed into Russia’s Bryansk Region on Thursday have since been forced back to Ukrainian territory and hit with a “massive artillery strike,” the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) said. https://www.rt.com/russia/572394-ukraine-bryansk-attack-hero/ ================================================ 3 Mar, 2023 12:49 2) --- Russian nuclear plant guards fired on – official The incident reportedly happened as the IAEA rotated personnel at Europe’s biggest atomic facility Russian security guards came under fire while overseeing the changing of UN observers at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant on Thursday, a senior Russian official has reported. He described the incident as a Ukrainian “provocation.” Two unarmed security personnel “came under intensive assault rifle fire,” Renat Karchaa, an adviser at Russian national nuclear operator Rosenergoatom, said in an interview on Friday. “Sometime later a Ukrainian machine gun went off. It was targeted fire, and it’s a miracle that our two security staff survived,” he added. The official claimed that even Ukrainian troops who were accompanying experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) across the frontline seemed surprised by the incident. Karchaa described the event as demonstrating that the situation “is absolutely out of control in this area.” The transfer location was moved some 300 meters by the UN at the last minute, Karchaa reported, adding that Russian personnel found and disarmed seven booby traps as they walked that distance. The IAEA mission at Europe’s largest nuclear power plant was due to rotate its staff weeks ago, but managed to do so only at the fourth attempt. The head of the agency, Rafael Grossi, praised the successful transfer, calling the presence of inspectors “indispensable to help reduce the risk of a nuclear accident” amid the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Karchaa blamed the safety and security department of the UN Technical Secretariat for the delays, saying it repeatedly “invented excuses” for not going ahead with the rotation. “First they cited intensive fighting in the area, which did not happen. Then there was the non-existent mining by Russia,” he told a TV news program. UN security officials likely took at face value what they were told by the Ukrainian side, Karchaa stated, alleging that Kiev “actually has no interest in nuclear safety” and is using the situation at the Zaporozhye plant “as a tool of manipulation of public opinion.” In its statement on the rotation, the IAEA said that a key power line necessary for the site’s safety was recently damaged by “shelling on the other side of the [Dnieper] river.” Karchaa said it is absolutely clear “who is shooting from where.” https://www.rt.com/russia/572392-iaea-rotation-zaporozhye-plant/ =================================================== 3 Mar, 2023 10:43 3) --- Blinken lied about exchange with Lavrov – Moscow The top diplomats did not talk about a former US Marine jailed in Russia, the Foreign Ministry in Moscow has said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken lied when he claimed that he discussed a jailed American citizen during a brief exchange with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, the Foreign Ministry in Moscow has insisted. Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Blinken revealed that he and Lavrov “spoke briefly” on the sidelines of a meeting of G20 foreign ministers in India. Among other things, the American official claimed he had “raised the wrongful detention of Paul Whelan,” a former US Marine currently serving a 16-year prison term in Russia for espionage. “The United States has put forward a serious proposal. Moscow should accept it,” Blinken added. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova denied the claims on Friday, saying she had asked Lavrov about the exchange with Blinken. The top Russian diplomat told her that his American counterpart had not brought up Whelan’s case, with Zakharova describing Blinken’s statement as “lies” and an example of “astounding” behavior by the US government. Whelan is a Canadian-born former US Marine, who in 2020 was sentenced to a 16-year prison term in Russia for spying. He claimed he was framed while on a trip to the country. The administration of President Joe Biden has called on Russia to release Whelan, branding his sentence unfair. The proposal to which Blinken referred matches those previously made by Washington to Moscow, State Department spokesperson Ned Price claimed on Thursday. US officials reportedly tried to include Whelan in a prisoner exchange last year involving American WNBA player Brittney Griner and Russian businessman Viktor Bout, although the two sides ultimately freed just one convict each. Griner was serving a term for a drug crime in Russia, while Bout was imprisoned in the US on gun trafficking charges. https://www.rt.com/russia/572381-lavrov-blinken-prisoner-exchange/ recall post from yesterday: Blinken and Lavrov meet at G20 In their first face-to-face encounter in more than a year, the US’ top diplomat asked his Russian counterpart to return to a nuclear treaty https://rumble.com/v2bhwsk-rt-news-march-2nd-2023-late-terrorist-attack-on-bryansk-russia.html?mref=6zof&mrefc=3 ==================== 2 Mar, 2023 22:15 4) --- Russia scolds West over Ukraine grain deal The EU hogs grain from the country while blocking half of the agreement, Moscow said The Black Sea “grain deal” arranged last August is not working as intended, because the grain from Ukraine is not going to the needy countries of Africa and Asia, while the West continues to block all Russian food and fertilizer exports, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday. The arrangement, negotiated by the UN and signed on July 22, 2022 in Istanbul, established a safe corridor for ships bringing corn and wheat from Odessa to countries facing food insecurity. It was also supposed to re-establish the export of grain and fertilizer from Russia, the ministry noted in a statement. Eight months later, only the first part of the deal has been implemented, and in a way “far from the declared humanitarian goals,” the ministry said. Since August 1 last year, Ukraine has exported over 23 million tons of grain, of which 70% was animal feed. Of that, the EU accounted for 47% and “upper-middle income countries” for another 34%, Moscow said, while only 2.6% is currently going to countries needing food the most. Meanwhile, there has been “close to zero” progress in unblocking the delivery of Russian grain or fertilizer, badly needed elsewhere. Kiev has continued to block the Togliatti-Odessa ammonia pipeline “for purely political reasons,” resulting in a shortage of 2.5 million tons of raw material that could produce 7 million tons of fertilizer and feed 200 million people, the ministry said. The US and its allies have said their sanctions do not include Russian food and fertilizer – but they have banned all Russian ships from docking in their ports or accessing insurance and brokerage service, imposing a total blockade on commercial shipping in effect, if not in name. “It’s time to stop playing the food card. The lion’s share of grain from Ukraine goes to the European Union as fodder at dumping prices, and not to the poorest countries,” the ministry noted. “Russian agricultural exports are being blatantly hindered, no matter how much the Europeans and Americans, who are used to telling lies, try to convince everyone otherwise.” As an example, the ministry said that 262,000 tons of Russian fertilizer has been blocked in the Dutch and Baltic state ports for months. Moscow has offered the fertilizer to African countries absolutely free of charge, yet only one shipment of 20,000 tons, destined for Malawi, has managed to depart so far. Russia is working on its own to organize deliveries to Africa, since the UN process is plagued by such difficulties and delays, the ministry added. Moscow is therefore forced to conclude that the grain deal “does not work,” identifying the main problem as “sabotage by Western countries” of the Russia-UN memorandum. “It is obvious that Americans and Europeans do not care about the needs of countries in need, nor about the efforts of the UN, which they have long and persistently tried to turn into a tool for serving their political goals,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said. https://www.rt.com/russia/572359-ukraine-grain-deal-sabotage/ ================================================= 3 Mar, 2023 16:18 5) --- Russia has ‘adapted’ to sanctions – finance minister to RT The West has been left ‘disappointed’ by Russia’s resilience to the punitive measures, most of which have backfired, Anton Siluanov says Responsible economic policy has allowed Russia to keep its economy afloat and in many ways improve its performance throughout the past year despite the unprecedented sanctions pressure, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov claimed in an interview with RT on Friday. According to Siluanov, the measures taken by the Russian government to offset the impact of the Ukraine-related Western sanctions have “disappointed” those who predicted a double-digit GDP drop, high inflation, and a sharp decline in the incomes of Russian citizens. Siluanov noted that the country’s economy dipped by only 2.1% in 2022, which is even less than the decline of 2.7% in the pandemic-marred 2020. Inflation was also kept under control, Siluanov said, registering at just under 12% by the end of the year. Real disposable incomes decreased by about 1% for the year, but were showing positive dynamics by the year’s end. This was thanks to government measures taken to help individuals and business owners, ranging from hikes to the minimum wage to various support programs for industries and businesses. “All of this made it possible to minimize the financial consequences of high inflation, which the country faced in the first half of last year…” Siluanov summarized. He noted that the positive year-end results were also achieved due to the "responsible macroeconomic policy" conducted in recent years. “We had balanced spending and budget deficit policies thanks to the budget rule. Russia also has a low national debt, which at the beginning of this year was 15.1% of GDP… which gives us maneuverability in terms of operations on the financial market and allows us to borrow to cover future budget expenditures. We also created an independent system of financial transactions [and] our own system of transmitting financial messages. Therefore, all decisions of the West to disconnect Russian banks from SWIFT, as well as Visa and Mastercard systems, have absolutely no impact on our domestic operations and payments… All of this has generally created the basis for financial stability,” he explained. Siluanov noted that sanctions have backfired, leaving Western countries to “suffer from their own restrictions” imposed on Russia. “Sanctions are harmful. And they are harmful not only to Russia, but also to those who impose these restrictions, as well as to global trade as a whole… When one imposes restrictions, it is impossible not to feel their impact on oneself.” Russia, meanwhile, is in no way intimidated by sanctions, he noted. Russia is learning and working under the new conditions. Moreover, while responding to new challenges, we began to actively invest in our own products, which we used to acquire abroad. Last year was not an easy one for our country’s economy... Nevertheless, Russia has already adapted... Despite the bans on the export of our commodities and non-commodities, we have found new markets. If you look, for example, at the volume of our hydrocarbon production last year, not only did it not shrink, but it grew,” he stated. Siluanov noted that in fact the process of reorienting the Russian market towards self-sufficiency started back in 2014, when the country first faced Western sanctions over the reunification with Crimea. “We have already been through all this. For example, before 2014, the shelves in our stores were mainly filled with imported food items, but now they are ours. The same will happen with industrial goods. It just takes more time. We hope that the measures that were taken in 2022 and are being taken now will make it possible to finally stabilize the macroeconomic and financial situation this year. We can see that so far everything is going according to plan,” he concluded. https://www.rt.com/business/572400-russian-economy-adapted-sanctions/ ====================================================== 3 Mar, 2023 16:52 6) --- US hosts war games for Ukrainian commanders Kiev's military officers took part in multi-day table-top exercises, General Mark Milley has announced A number of Ukrainian military personnel have taken part in tactical exercises hosted by the US at a war-gaming facility in Germany this week, the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, announced on Thursday. The table-top exercises, attended by dozens of Ukrainian officers at a US Army base in Wiesbaden, were meant to help Kiev’s commanders prepare for the next phase in the Ukraine-Russia conflict, Milley said. He declined, however, to share any details about specific potential battlefield scenarios examined during the drills. “No one is sitting there telling the Ukrainians, go left or go right or do this or do that. That is not the job of the international community,” Milley explained. “All we’re doing is setting up the framework and the mechanics to allow the Ukrainians to self-learn, to learn against a situation, or various scenarios.” The news comes as Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has been signaling a major counteroffensive with the intent of trying to seize control of Russia’s Crimean peninsula. Last week, he announced that new units were being formed specifically for the task, with servicemen undergoing training abroad. Zelensky and other top officials in Kiev have repeatedly pledged to capture former Ukrainian territories from Russia. Specifically, this refers to Crimea, which broke away from Ukraine 2014 and joined Russia after holding a public referendum, and the regions of Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporozhye, and Kherson, which were also incorporated into Russia after referendums last September. Moscow, meanwhile, has repeatedly warned Kiev against plotting an assault on Crimea. Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has stated that an attack on the peninsula would be interpreted as a direct attack on Russia itself and would be “met with inevitable retaliation using weapons of any kind.” https://www.rt.com/news/572413-us-ukraine-war-games/ ================================================ 3 Mar, 2023 15:32 7) --- EU accused of waging ‘food war’ Brussels is trying to change Western “dietary values” by declaring insects fit for human consumption, a Polish official has said The EU is conducting a “food war” with the aim of undermining traditional Western dietary habits, according to Polish Deputy Agriculture Minister Krzysztof Cieciora. The remarks came after a European Commission ruling in January approved the use of house crickets in food. Appearing on Poland’s Radio Lodz on Friday, Cieciora alleged that EU officials “are trying to change trends,” and argued that their recent decision represented “a battle” and “a food war.” “Overturning dietary values in the West is becoming a serious element of discussion,” insisted Cieciora, who also predicted an aggressive campaign to promote newly introduced ingredients across the bloc. According to the minister, Warsaw does not agree “to these alternatives” or to being told by the EU “what and how much we should eat.” While the Polish government is not planning to ban foodstuffs made from insects, it is determined to “protect traditional food values and the freedom of choice,” Cieciora explained. In January, the EU’s executive arm officially allowed food companies to use partially defatted and powdered house crickets as well as the larvae of the Alphitobius diaperinus mealworm for human consumption. The commission cited the scientific opinion of the European Food Safety Authority, which in August 2021 concluded that “frozen and dried formulations from whole house crickets” are “safe under the proposed uses and use levels.” The EU authorities also established a procedure for preparing insects, with adult crickets first having to undergo a 24-hour fasting period so that they “discard their bowel content.” They are then frozen, washed, thermally processed, have their oil extracted, and are ground into powder. On the completion of these stages, the resulting powder can be used in cereal bars, biscuits, pizza, pasta-based products, and whey powder, provided that these are appropriately labeled. Last month, the owner of a restaurant chain in the Italian city of Turin told the press he was planning to sell loaves of bread enriched with cricket powder. Another Italian company already produces crackers made with the same ingredient. While insects form part of traditional cuisines in some Asian countries, their use as food is still relatively novel to Europe. Proponents tout insects as an affordable source of animal protein whose production entails a far lower level of greenhouse gasses emissions compared to traditional cattle farming. https://www.rt.com/news/572407-polish-deputy-minister-eu-insects-food/ -- (recall post from November 2022 Germany may face a meat shortage and a subsequent surge in prices within the next four to six months, Die Welt reported this week, citing the German Meat Industry Association (VDF). “In four, five, six months we will have gaps on the shelves,” Hubert Kelliger, the head of group sales at meat marketer Westfleisch and a VDF board member, told the news outlet. According to Kelliger, the worst shortages are expected in the supply of pork. He says Berlin insists on reducing the number of livestock by half in order to protect the climate. However, experts say this would lead to mass shutdowns of meat-producing companies, which in turn would result in a 40% increase in the price of meat. https://www.rt.com/business/566815-german-producers-meat-shortages/ QS I have the perfect solution for this: Let the politicians and those in the employ of .govs, NGOs, green agenda workers inclusing Agenda 2030 and local councils across our "liberal democracies - some 20% of workforce, eat the bugs, crawlers and everything else. They can pig out all day long. 20% of the problem solved in one fell swoop. Recall also that (whichever country in NATO) blowing up of Nord Stream 2 released more methane than anyone can even measure accurately - a disaster which could be seen from space https://cphpost.dk/2023-02-27/news/nord-stream-explosions-severely-impacted-maritime-life-report/ ================================================ 3 Mar, 2023 15:05 8) --- Biden’s former ‘disinfo czar’ pleads for donations Nina Jankowicz, who briefly led the Disinformation Governance Board, is raising money to sue Fox News Nina Jankowicz, who briefly served as head of the Biden administration’s Disinformation Governance Board, has launched a crowdfunding campaign to sue Fox News for portraying her as “an unhinged, partisan fascist.” Ridiculed as a modern-day “Ministry of Truth,” the board was disbanded last August. Jankowicz launched her GoFundMe campaign on Thursday, and is asking the public for $100,000 to “hold Fox News accountable for its lies.” The conservative network, she said, broadcast “baseless claims that the board was a nationwide, Orwellian ‘Ministry of Truth’ and I was ‘President Biden’s chief censor’.” “Congressional Republicans and the right-wing media characterized me as an unhinged, partisan, unserious, dangerous fascist,” she continued, claiming that she resigned from the board last May due to this “smear campaign.” Jankowicz resigned one day after the board, which was under the jurisdiction of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), was paused. Announced in late April, the board was instantly met with a wave of criticism, with conservative lawmakers and pundits viewing it a blatant attempt by the Biden administration to formalize the censorship of social media. Whistleblower documents provided to Republican senators last June showed that the board “planned to coordinate efforts to leverage ties with social media platforms to enable the removal of user content.” Personal attacks on Jankowicz focused on her own role in allegedly spreading partisan disinformation. She called the New York Post’s October 2020 scoop on Hunter Biden’s abandoned laptop a “Trump campaign product,” and proposed that Big Tech platforms censor claims that Covid-19 leaked from a Chinese lab. The laptop has since been declared genuine by multiple investigations, and the lab-leak theory has been given credence by the US Department of Energy and the FBI. The board would have streamlined the administration’s existing censorship missions, which according to files released by Twitter CEO Elon Musk involved intelligence agencies and State Department-funded entities. They also covered like-minded NGOs instructing Twitter’s prior management to restrict critical content on Covid-19, the conflict in Ukraine, and “racial justice protests,” while banning accounts under the false pretext of them being linked to Russia, China, and other states. Four months after it was first announced, the DHS permanently disbanded the board last August. However, leaked documents show that the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), an agency within the DHS, is still engaged in combating so-called “disinformation,” including by instructing Facebook and Instagram to censor certain anti-establishment messages and narratives. https://www.rt.com/news/572405-disinformation-board-jankowicz-crowdfunding/ - https://nypost.com/2022/05/19/ex-disinformation-board-chief-nina-jankowicz-breaks-silence/ - ================================================ 3 Mar, 2023 14:40 9) --- Switzerland reveals German tank deal proposal Berlin wants to purchase decommissioned Leopard 2s while donating some of its own stock to Kiev Germany has asked Switzerland to sell decommissioned Leopard 2 main battle tanks back to their manufacturer Rheinmetall, so Berlin can replenish its stocks after donating its own tanks to Ukraine, Swiss authorities said on Friday. The German-made heavy tanks were originally acquired by Bern in the 1980s. Lorenz Frischknecht, spokesman of the Swiss Federal Department of Defense, confirmed the request to Swiss newspaper Blick, which first reported the story on Friday. “From the army’s point of view, it would be possible in principle to dispense with a limited number of battle tanks, minus those necessary for Switzerland’s own needs,” Frischknecht said. According to Blick, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and Economy Minister Robert Habeck formally proposed the plan to buy back 96 tanks in a letter to Viola Amherd, the top Swiss defense official, on February 23. They were said to have promised that the combat vehicles in question would not be sent to Ukraine. The newspaper noted that the Alpine country needs 34 of the decommissioned tanks for its own defense. Frischknecht was quoted as saying that the army has begun to study the issue. The final decision will be up to the Federal Assembly, the country’s parliament. Arne Collatz, the spokesman for the German Defense Ministry, confirmed to reporters that Berlin was interested in the Swiss tanks, but the exact number has not yet been decided. Although Germany and other NATO members pledged to deliver Leopard 2s to Ukraine, some European countries have since reportedly struggled to find available vehicles in their stocks. Pistorius said last month that he was “a bit shocked” that some partners “didn’t do anything” on the matter. Switzerland, which follows a centuries-old policy of neutrality, has been reluctant to allow the re-export of its weapons to conflict zones. The Swiss government has previously refused to greenlight the transfer of two Swiss-made 35mm anti-aircraft guns to Ukraine from Spain and around 20 Piranha III armored vehicles from Denmark. In February, the security committee of the upper house of the Swiss parliament turned down a proposal to return 30 retired Leopard tanks to Germany, citing the need to maintain a strategic reserve. Moscow has maintained that foreign arms will not change the course of the Ukraine conflict and will be treated as legitimate targets by Russian forces. https://www.rt.com/news/572396-germany-wants-swiss-tanks/ ================================================== 3 Mar, 2023 14:44 Nobel Prize winner sentenced to 10 years Ales Belyatsky was accused of smuggling cash and fomenting civil unrest in Belarus A Belarusian court has sentenced Nobel Peace Prize winner Ales Belyatsky to 10 years in prison on cash smuggling and breach of public order charges. Friday’s sentence came as part of a major case against members of the Vesna (Spring) human rights center. In addition to the 60-year-old Belyatsky, lengthy terms were imposed on three other activists. All of the accused deny any wrongdoing. According to Belarusian prosecutors, members of the human rights group cashed out hundreds of thousands of dollars in Lithuania between 2016 and 2021, after receiving the money from various foreign organizations. The funds were then moved across the border without being declared, the prosecution insisted. The defendants were also said to have aided participants in anti-government protests in Belarus between 2020 and 2021, while financing the unrest “under the guise of human rights and charity activities.” At the time, thousands of Belarusian citizens took to the streets to protest against incumbent leader Alexander Lukashenko’s victory in the presidential election. As well as serving 10 years in a high-security prison colony, Belyatsky was ordered to pay a fine of 185,000 Belarusian rubles ($73,000). Belyatsky has served time in prison in the past. In 2011, he was sentenced to four and a half years on tax evasion charges after allegedly storing money in foreign banks. The activist insisted that the funds in question did not belong to him. Belyatsky was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last October, along with the Russian and Ukrainian human rights groups Memorial and the Center for Civil Liberties. The Nobel Committee said that the laureates had “for many years promoted the right to criticize power and protect the fundamental rights of citizens.”

Russia’s FSB released a video of the aftermath of Ukrainian terrorist attack in Bryansk, Russia. Saboteurs raided two border villages in Bryansk Region, killing two people The deadly attack on Thursday deadly on two villages in Bryansk Region claimed at least two lives and injured a ten-year old boy. Pres. Putin described the raid on the villages of Lyubechane and Sushany, located right on the Russian-Ukrainian border, as a “terrorist attack,” while labelling the Ukrainian saboteurs “neo-Nazis.” He also noted that the gunmen opened fire despite seeing that they were attacking civilians. The FSB's one-minute clip shows a Russian-produced Lada car shredded with bullets on the front and right side, with the tires punctured. According to local media reports, its driver, who was killed in the attack, was working as an engineer at a nearby school. He is said to have been driving back from his shift to visit his mother at the time of the incident. The video also shows a second car that was attacked by the Ukrainian saboteurs. Its driver is said to have used the vehicle to take local children to school at the request of his neighbours. One boy and two girls were in the car at the time of the attack. After the raiders killed the man and injured the boy, the boy helped the two girls escape, an act that Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov described as “heroic.” (see ** below) The FSB also released photos of what appear to be several mines left by the Ukrainian operatives, as well as a portable hand-grenade launcher lying on the ground. Earlier, the agency said that numerous explosive devices of various kinds had been found around the area, adding that bomb squads were working at the scene to disarm them. According to the FSB, the saboteur group was “pushed back to Ukrainian territory, where they were hit with a massive artillery strike.” In recent months, Russia’s territories bordering Ukraine have come under recurring attacks. On Thursday, local authorities in Bryansk and Kursk Regions reported that local villages had been shelled by Ukrainian troops. According to Kursk Governor Roman Starovoyt, the attack killed one man, with another one injured. ** Via RT, 3 Mar, 2023 13:12 Russian boy praised for saving two minors in Ukrainian attack The governor of Bryansk Region has proposed awarding the child a medal ‘For Courage’ for saving the girls, despite having been shot in the chest A ten-year old boy from Russia’s Bryansk Region is being hailed as a hero after he managed to save the lives of two first-graders during an attack by Ukrainian saboteurs on Thursday. According to local media reports, Fyodor and two girls, Zlata and Lena, were being driven to school by their neighbour, a 63-year-old man known as Uncle Lenya on the morning of March 2. On their way they encountered a group of armed men. After realizing that the men were not Russian servicemen the driver attempted to turn the car around and flee, but the Ukrainian operatives opened fire on the vehicle, killing the driver on the spot and wounding Fyodor in the chest. Despite being shot, Fyodor managed to pull the girls out of the car and escape the scene. “Fedya [Fyodor] told us ‘go to the forest,’” one of the first-graders told the Moskovsky Komsomolets outlet. “I was there, in that car. I saw people in white uniforms and one in green. Fedya showed us where to go and we ran together,” she said. Fyodor and the girls eventually made it out of the area and were able to catch a ride to the nearby settlement of Novy Ropsk, where the boy was taken to the hospital. Doctors managed to extract a NATO-issue bullet from his chest. Doctors say Fyodor’s condition is stable and that he is expected to make a full recovery. Bryansk Governor Aleksandr Bogomaz paid a personal visit to Fyodor on Friday and commended him on his bravery. “Despite being so young, he acted like a real man, like a true fighter,” Bogomaz wrote on his Telegram channel. The governor has announced that documents are currently being prepared to award him with a medal ‘For Courage.’ Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov also stated on Friday that “everyone in the Kremlin and the president are in awe of the heroism of the boy and the man [Uncle Lenya]” and announced that their actions will be officially noted. The Ukrainian operatives who crossed into Russia’s Bryansk Region on Thursday have since been forced back to Ukrainian territory and hit with a “massive artillery strike,” the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) said. https://www.rt.com/russia/572394-ukraine-bryansk-attack-hero/

Russia, terrorist attacks, Bryansk: A group of Ukraine terrorists have killed two people and injured another, a girl aged just 11 yrs old. New details emerge about the Ukrainian terrorist group whose attack on civilians in a Russian border region has left two people dead and a child wounded. The terrorists have been "pushed back" into Ukraine territory (QS according to last night's post, with missiles helping them on their way!) RT examines the evidence behind the militants' alleged neo-Nazi ideologies. Report on what is known so far, from Donald Courter. Thomas Roper talks with Rory. Iran: At least one hundred girls in Iran have been hospitalized with a mysterious respiratory ailment, fueling speculation that it might have been a toxic gas attack to force the closure of girls schools. Are some people trying to stop girls getting an education? What is behind the strange attacks which have affects around 700 girls? Nobody knows (yet) Yousef Jalali discusses. Africa, Nigerian elections: Many thousands have been deprived of their right to vote as they reside in areas controlled by terrorist factions (Boko Haram). It is hoped the new president (Bola Tinubu) will put an end to the terrorism and restore peace and freedom. (QS I wish him God's speed with all of this) Africa/France: Pres. Macron says his country has no plans to interfere in the domestic affairs of African countries, as his tour of the continent is mired by protests. The visit comes after France's military has been expelled by popular consent across several regions of Africa. (QS - Macron has got some nerve eh?? :-) ) "Africa will choose her own partners" "please go away NOW, France!" Africa, Ethiopia, Russia: Ethiopia and Russia celebrate 125 years of diplomatic relations this month with ties getting stronger. They share cultural and religious ties amongst others. What does this milestone duration mean for them both? Bisrat Melesse reports from Addis Ababa, talks with Brooks Halu Besha and Zelaem Abebe. Rachel Marsden comments on the plans of the European Union to ramp up it's weapon manufacturing sector (QS: maybe to get back some of their now almost completely destroyed economies) As the first AI-powered government adviser is introduced in Romania, our guests debate whether artificial intelligence can be trusted with official policymaking. Milind Raj and Vijay Sardana debate. =============================================== Below via RT website : --- - - -- A) --- Ex-Russian president names ‘red line’ for direct war with NATO - 1) --- US leads Ukraine war-planning drills 1a) --- Top US general inspects Ukrainian troops 1b) --- (QS comment) US citizens were told to leave Russia immediately 2) --- Russia reveals position on Istanbul grain deal 2b) --- Grain from Ukraine went to pigs in Spain 3) --- Australia vows to protect US nuclear ‘crown jewels’ 4) --- Recession coming to major Western economies – Fitch 4a) --- Oil giant sued over nooses 5) --- Europe needs new NATO without US – Orban 6) --- Musk’s human brain experiments deemed premature – media 6a) --- Musk’s brain chip company under US federal investigation – media 7) --- Argentina ends deal with UK on disputed islands 8) --- US city mayor arrested in child porn case 9) --- Twitter received ‘state-sponsored blacklists’ from US – Matt Taibbi 10) --- MI5 apologizes for not preventing terror attack 11) --- China dominates global tech race – report 11b) --- US ready ‘to do more pain’ to China’s Huawei – WSJ 12) --- Russian piano prodigy wins prestigious prize in Germany - ================================================== 2 Mar, 2023 20:29 A) --- Ex-Russian president names ‘red line’ for direct war with NATO Training Ukrainians on Western weapons qualifies, said Dmitry Medvedev after the Bryansk attack Canadian and German troops teaching Ukrainians how to use Leopard tanks already qualifies as participation in the conflict, but sending fighter jets to Poland would mean “direct entry,” former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Thursday. Medvedev, who is also deputy chair of the Russian Security Council, warned the US and its allies that they can be treated as parties to the conflict “if, in addition to supplying weapons, they train personnel to operate them,” citing legal precedents from the early 20th century. Tank training on EU territory already applies, Medvedev noted on Telegram, but if that expands to fighter jets based somewhere in Poland, “that would be direct entry of the Atlanticists into war against Russia, with all the consequences that entails.” Everyone who made the decision to deliver those weapons or repair them, along with foreign mercenaries and military trainers, ought to be considered legitimate military targets. According to Medvedev, only fear of this has so far restrained the “infantile” West from giving airplanes and long-range weapons to Kiev, though he predicted their desire to destroy Russia would prevail before long. While the US, NATO and the EU talk about the “freedom-loving people of Ukraine,” Thursday’s attack on Russia’s Bryansk Region shows that they are supporting “Nazi bastards, terrorist scum who attack civilians,” Medvedev said. “These are your proteges, Mr. Sunak, Macron, Scholz and Biden!” he wrote, addressing the leaders of the UK, France, Germany, and US. “And our attitude towards you is now the same as towards them. Your countries are now participants in the terrorist acts of the Ukrainian regime, and you are direct accomplices of terrorists.” Though the West considered him a “liberal” during his 2008-2012 presidency, Medvedev has been blunt and outspoken about the military operation in Ukraine since it was launched in February 2022. Just last month, he warned the US that its talk about “strategic defeat” means Russia now sees the conflict as existential. A group of Ukrainian soldiers crossed the border into Russia on Thursday morning, attacking two villages and shooting up a car with civilians inside. Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned the “terrorist attack” and vowed to punish the perpetrators. https://www.rt.com/russia/572354-medvedev-nato-ukraine-war/ ============================================== 3 Mar, 2023 04:02 1) --- US leads Ukraine war-planning drills The Pentagon claims it is not a party to the conflict despite providing weapons, training, intelligence, and strategic combat decision expertise The US military is overseeing war games to train Ukrainian officers, with the Pentagon saying the exercises will help commanders make better decisions on the battlefield. The move comes as top American officials continue to insist that Washington plays no role in Kiev’s planning in the conflict with Russia. The table-top exercises kicked off this week at a US Army base in Wiesbaden, Germany and are set to continue for several days. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, an Army general, traveled to the base on Thursday, where he attempted to downplay the American role. “No one is sitting there telling the Ukrainians, go left or go right or do this or do that. That is not the job of the international community,” Milley told reporters. “All we’re doing is setting up the framework and the mechanics to allow the Ukrainians to self-learn, to learn against a situation, or various scenarios.” While officials declined to provide further details about the scenarios presented to the Ukrainian officers, Reuters reported that they would involve “thought exercises to evaluate potential military courses of action.” The latest drills follow another round of US-led combined-arms training for Ukrainian troops elsewhere in Germany, who received instruction on a variety of American-made weapons, including Bradley Fighting Vehicles supplied in previous arms packages to Kiev. Moscow has repeatedly warned against such training and weapons shipments, arguing they only prolong the fighting and make a diplomatic settlement impossible. On Thursday, former Russian president and current deputy chair of the Russian Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, said that Washington and its allies must be treated as direct parties to the conflict if “in addition to supplying weapons, they train personnel to operate them.” “Everyone who made the decision to deliver those weapons or repair them, along with foreign mercenaries and military trainers, ought to be considered legitimate military targets,” Medvedev insisted, adding that the provision of Western warplanes to Kiev would also constitute a major ‘red line’ for Russia. Despite tens of billions of dollars in weapons donated to Ukrainian forces, multiple training programs hosted by the US military, and Western intelligence support offered to Kiev, American officials continue to insist Washington is not a participant in the conflict. Denying Moscow’s accusations that US forces have supplied intelligence for recent attacks inside Russian territory, Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder claimed on Thursday that “we are not at war with Russia, nor do we seek war with Russia.” https://www.rt.com/news/572365-milley-ukraine-war-planning/ - ========= re-post 17 Jan, 2023 05:19 1a) --- Top US general inspects Ukrainian troops Mark Milley visited a German camp to oversee the Pentagon’s newly expanded training program US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, the highest-ranking officer in the American armed forces, met with Ukrainian soldiers undergoing Pentagon training at a base in Germany, where Washington recently stepped up efforts to prepare foreign troops for combat. The general visited the US Army’s Grafenwoehr Training Area in the German state of Bavaria for just shy of two hours on Monday, overseeing training operations with Ukrainian soldiers and their American instructors. “This is not a run-of-the-mill rotation. This is one of those moments in time where if you want to make a difference, this is it,” Milley said during a meeting with commanders. Though journalists were allowed access to the training site, they were reportedly barred from filming or photographing the general as he spoke with Ukrainians, or from relaying the contents of their conversations. The trip coincided with an expansion of the US training program for Ukrainian troops at the Grafenwoehr base just one day prior, with Milley saying the Pentagon now hopes to turn out 500 combat-ready soldiers in five to eight weeks. He added that the program would focus on combined arms training – referring to battlefield cooperation between infantry, armor, artillery and aerial units. The Ukrainian soldiers will receive instruction on a wide variety of arms and equipment over the next several weeks, including the Bradley Fighting Vehicles contained in the latest $3 billion US arms package for Kiev. Milley noted that the Pentagon has offered similar training to Ukrainian soldiers since before the current conflict erupted, but said American advisers have been more focused on instruction for certain US-supplied gear since last February. However, despite around $25 billion in direct military aid being approved by the White House since last February, Kiev has clamored for additional supplies, specifically requesting heavy armor such as the M1 Abrams main battle tank. Washington appears unwilling to grant that wish for now. Meanwhile in Kiev, a delegation of top US military and diplomatic officials met with their Ukrainian counterparts on Monday, also holding a sit-down with President Vladimir Zelensky. The American team included Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, Under Secretary of Defense Colin Kahl and Principal Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer, who said they met with Ukrainian officials to “discuss diplomatic efforts and security assistance to strengthen Ukraine’s security capabilities,” as well as US economic aid and future trade relations. Moscow has repeatedly denounced the massive wave of foreign arms to Kiev, with President Vladimir Putin recently saying that Russia is now facing the combined “military potential and capabilities of almost all major NATO countries.” Insisting the support will have no effect on Russian military operations, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Sunday declared that Western tanks shipped to Kiev “will burn like the rest [of their weapons].” https://www.rt.com/news/569985-milley-inspects-ukrainian-troops/ ============== 1b) --- (QS comment) US citizens were told to leave Russia immediately On the 12th February 2023, the U.S. embassy in Moscow told U.S. citizens “US citizens residing or travelling in Russia should depart immediately, exercise increased caution due to the risk of wrongful detentions” and "Do not travel to Russia" https://ru.usembassy.gov/travel-advisory-russia-do-not-travel-february-12-2023/ - https://bit.ly/3KSHdoC - In September a similar advisory was issued. https://ru.usembassy.gov/security-alert-for-u-s-citizens-in-russia/ Russia is not in the habit of making arbitrary arrests/detentions of Americans going about their normal life in Russia now or ever. Instances of terrorism across Russia have increased recently and on 28th February Pres. Putin mentioned "extremism" 6 times in his meeting with the FSB board https://rumble.com/v2ba09m-pres.-putin-meeting-of-the-federal-security-service-board-28th-february-202.html?mref=6zof&mrefc=6 Are US .gov party to the terrorist acts and is something more dreadful planned in the coming weeks or months? ========== re-post from 28th February: - Putin accuses West of using ‘extremists’ against Russia - The number of terrorist attacks has grown due to the US and Kiev’s willingness to use radicals to its advantage, the president said The West never shied away from using extremists against Russia and is doing so again during the conflict in Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin has said. He claimed that western intelligence agencies are aiming to restore terrorist cells inside Russia. Countering this terrorist threat remains “an urgent” task for the country, Putin said while chairing a board meeting of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) in Moscow on Tuesday. “Over the past year, the number of such crimes has increased, which is obviously connected to the attempts of the Kiev regime to employ terrorist methods. We are well aware of that. They have been using them in Donbass for a long time,” he said. The West, which is backing Kiev in the conflict against Moscow, has “never shied away from using both radicals and extremists in their interests, despite all their loud statements about fighting international terrorism,” the president said. “They always use whatever’s at hand against us. They use everything that’s possible. It was always like this and it remains so,” he said. Active attempts are currently being made by the Western special services to restore terrorist cells inside Russia, he warned. It’s essential to intensify counter-intelligence work and keep the Russian-Ukrainian border under extra supervision to prevent the smuggling of weapons and ammunition into Russian territory, Putin told the leadership of Russia’s main security agency. He praised the FSB’s operatives, who have worked at the frontlines and “behind enemy lines” during the conflict in Ukraine, for their “personal courage, professionalism and determination in ensuring the security of Russia.” The agency, he said, has obtained “priceless experience” that will allow it to execute its duties even more effectively. Putin has previously blamed Ukraine for using “terrorist tactics” following the explosion on the Crimean Bridge in early October, which Moscow insists was masterminded by Kiev. That led to a major ramping up of Russian missile strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure and military targets, causing rolling blackouts across the country and significantly damaging Kiev’s air defense capabilities. https://www.rt.com/russia/572213-putin-fsb-ukrane-terrorist/ ============================================ 2 Mar, 2023 22:15 2) --- Russia reveals position on Istanbul grain deal The EU hogs grain from Ukraine while blocking the other half of the arrangement, Moscow said The Black Sea “grain deal” arranged last August is not working as intended, because the grain from Ukraine is not going to the needy countries of Africa and Asia, while the West continues to block all Russian food and fertilizer exports, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday. The arrangement, negotiated by the UN and signed on July 22, 2022 in Istanbul, established a safe corridor for ships bringing corn and wheat from Odessa to countries facing food insecurity. It was also supposed to re-establish the export of grain and fertilizer from Russia, the ministry noted in a statement. Eight months later, only the first part of the deal has been implemented, and in a way “far from the declared humanitarian goals,” the ministry said. Since August 1 last year, Ukraine has exported over 23 million tons of grain, of which 70% was animal feed. Of that, the EU accounted for 47% and “upper-middle income countries” for another 34%, Moscow said, while only 2.6% is currently going to countries needing food the most. Meanwhile, there has been “close to zero” progress in unblocking the delivery of Russian grain or fertilizer, badly needed elsewhere. Kiev has continued to block the Togliatti-Odessa ammonia pipeline “for purely political reasons,” resulting in a shortage of 2.5 million tons of raw material that could produce 7 million tons of fertilizer and feed 200 million people, the ministry said. The US and its allies have said their sanctions do not include Russian food and fertilizer – but they have banned all Russian ships from docking in their ports or accessing insurance and brokerage service, imposing a total blockade on commercial shipping in effect, if not in name. “It’s time to stop playing the food card. The lion’s share of grain from Ukraine goes to the European Union as fodder at dumping prices, and not to the poorest countries,” the ministry noted. “Russian agricultural exports are being blatantly hindered, no matter how much the Europeans and Americans, who are used to telling lies, try to convince everyone otherwise.” As an example, the ministry said that 262,000 tons of Russian fertilizer has been blocked in the Dutch and Baltic state ports for months. Moscow has offered the fertilizer to African countries absolutely free of charge, yet only one shipment of 20,000 tons, destined for Malawi, has managed to depart so far. Russia is working on its own to organize deliveries to Africa, since the UN process is plagued by such difficulties and delays, the ministry added. Moscow is therefore forced to conclude that the grain deal “does not work,” identifying the main problem as “sabotage by Western countries” of the Russia-UN memorandum. “It is obvious that Americans and Europeans do not care about the needs of countries in need, nor about the efforts of the UN, which they have long and persistently tried to turn into a tool for serving their political goals,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said. https://www.rt.com/russia/572359-ukraine-grain-deal-sabotage/ - ========================== recall, repost 15 Feb, 2023 21:47 - re - post 2b) --- Grain from Ukraine went to pigs in Spain The scheme to ostensibly prevent famine in Africa may have benefited Iberian ham producers instead - https://rumble.com/v29qx7c-rt-news-february-16th-2023.html?mref=6zof&mrefc=7 (includes article) ========================================== 3 Mar, 2023 05:34 3) --- Australia vows to protect US nuclear ‘crown jewels’ Canberra was promised critical submarine technology under a 2021 security pact with Washington and London Australia has insisted it will keep US nuclear propulsion technology under tight lock and key after it gains access to sensitive information, with Canberra’s envoy to Washington pledging to safeguard America’s “crown jewels.” Speaking to an audience at a US think tank on Thursday, outgoing Ambassador Arthur Sinodinos said much progress had been made on the three-way AUKUS deal signed between the US, Australia, and the UK in 2021, the details of which are set to be unveiled later this month. “The very fact that the Americans are prepared to share their crown jewels with us implies that there will have to be progress on the seamless transfer of technology. None of us want this to be bogged down,” he told the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC. “And I think that state of mind has now permeated through various levels of the [US] administration,” Sinodinos added. Though the particulars of the submarine technology transfer have not been made public, Sinodinos stated that Australia has “assured Americans” and demonstrated “the sort of protection of information measures that we take to make sure they understand that their technology is safe in terms of leakage to third parties.” The US maintains tight export controls on certain military hardware, which has created obstacles for past weapons transfers abroad. Sinodinos suggested Australia could be granted an exemption under the American regulations, saying “work is underway” but “it's not finished.” In December, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met with his British and Australian counterparts to further hammer out the AUKUS deal, declaring that Washington is committed to furnishing new capabilities to Australia “at the earliest possible date.” At the time, Canberra’s defense chief, Richard Marles, spoke of an “enormous sense of shared mission” between the three allies, also noting that the US rarely shares its nuclear technology, even with close partners. Asked about the precautions Australia would take to protect sensitive information given its lack of a domestic nuclear propulsion industry, Marles said on Friday that the technology would be kept under the “highest degree” of security. “In a short period of time we’ll be announcing the optimal pathway for Australia acquiring a nuclear-powered submarine capability, and being a nuclear steward in this context is a really important part of that announcement,” he told reporters. “It does involve a really significant hardening of security in a physical sense, with buildings and fences and the like, but also in an IT sense.” The trilateral AUKUS pact has come under fire from Russia and China. Last month, officials in Beijing slammed the deal for promoting “nuclear proliferation” in the Indo-Pacific region. Russia has echoed similar concerns, warning that the US, UK, and Australia would soon become a “military-political alliance” and seek to spark a new conflict in Asia. https://www.rt.com/news/572366-australia-us-crown-jewels/ ==== (recall that on 7th December 2022 (Speaking after meetings with Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, who also serves as defense minister and UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace) Lloyd Austin said Washington would make good on its pledge to furnish the subs to its ally. “The United States is committed to ensuring that Australia acquires this capability at the earliest possible date” Also recall the self-declared "landmark moment" post on UK .gov website https://www.gov.uk/government/news/defence-secretary-joins-aukus-partners-in-landmark-first-meeting) ================ 3 Mar, 2023 05:29 4) --- Recession coming to major Western economies – Fitch Germany and Italy will face a downturn by the end of the year despite relief measures, the rating agency predicts Germany and Italy will slide into recession by the end of the year as inflation continues to rise, Fitch Ratings told Bloomberg on Thursday. Although the downturn is not expected to be “severe,” the head of sovereigns and supranationals at Fitch, James McCormack, says that “recession is significant in and of itself.” Inflation in Germany, the EU’s largest economy, accelerated in February, rising 9.3% on the year and 1% on the month, according to the latest figures from Germany’s Federal Statistical Office (Destatis). Surging food and energy prices dealt a major blow to the country’s economy despite relief measures taken by the government. The German economy shrank by 0.4% quarter-on-quarter in the final three months of 2022. The contraction came in larger than the previously estimated 0.2% GDP drop. In Italy, the EU’s third largest economy, consumer prices rose 9.2% in February compared with the same period last year, down from a 10% increase in January, preliminary data from the country's statistics agency ISTAT showed on Thursday. Purchasing power in the country more than halved over the past year, according to a report by Nomisma think tank, which said that one in seven Italians complained they earned less than they required to make ends meet. A quarter of those surveyed said they spent all their money on essentials while 26% of Italian households said they feared not making it to the end of the month. The US is also at risk of a “modest” recession by the end of the year, McCormack told Bloomberg, adding that the “UK is already probably there.” The economist also pointed out that governments around the world are struggling to tackle the cost-of-living crisis sparked by surging food and energy prices since the start of conflict in Ukraine. So far there is little optimism about a rapid recovery and the rising costs have sent ripples of instability throughout the global economy. https://www.rt.com/business/572323-eu-italy-germany-recession-fitch/ ================= 3 Mar, 2023 08:24 4a) --- Oil giant sued over nooses ExxonMobil allowed a “racially hostile work environment” to affect its Louisiana plants, a federal commission alleges Petrochemical giant ExxonMobil allowed harassment of its black employees at a facility in Louisiana to continue by failing to properly investigate several incidents, in which a hangman’s noose was displayed there, the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) had alleged. The EEOC said in a lawsuit filed on Thursday that there were five such incidents at the Baton Rouge complex, which includes a refinery and a chemical plant. The latest one happened in December 2020. The company failed to probe some of them and did not act to stop the harassment, the body claimed. “When employers become aware of racially offensive or threatening conduct in the workplace, they have a legal obligation to take prompt, remedial action aimed at stopping it,” Rudy Sustaita, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Houston District Office, stated. The characterization of the incidents as racist is based on nooses being a reference to the history of the lynching of black people in the US. The EEOC claimed the employer’s inaction created a “racially hostile work environment,” but Exxon denied the allegations. “We encourage employees to report claims like this, and we thoroughly investigated. The symbols of hate are unacceptable, offensive, and in violation of our corporate policies," spokesperson Todd Spitler said in a statement. The EEOC said it filed the suit in the US District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana after first trying to reach a pre-litigation settlement. There have been a number of reported noose incidents in the US in the last several years. One of the more publicized cases involved Nascar’s only black driver, Bubba Wallace. He complained in June 2020 after a team member found a noose at its assigned garage at Alabama’s Talladega Superspeedway. The FBI concluded after an investigation that there was no hate crime, confirming that the knotted rope was used as a door pull long before Wallace’s crew arrived at the venue. https://www.rt.com/news/572369-exxonmobil-noose-incidents-lawsuit/ ============================================= 2 Mar, 2023 22:38 5) --- Europe needs new NATO without US – Orban The EU is doing Washington’s bidding since “Americans have the last word,” the Hungarian prime minister believes Europe needs its own military bloc free of American influence, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban told Swiss magazine Weltwoche on Thursday. The politician accused the US of dragging Europe into a conflict that cannot be won and risking a global war. “The solution would be a European NATO,” Orban said, arguing that America’s desire for further expansion of its influence is what led to the current tensions between the West and Russia. Moscow is concerned about NATO expanding further east into Ukraine and Georgia, Orban stated, referring to his conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin just weeks before the conflict between Moscow and Kiev erupted in late February 2022. “Putin told me his problem was with the American missile bases in Poland and Romania and possible NATO expansion in Ukraine and Georgia,” Orban told the Swiss media, noting that the Russian leader was concerned about the US potentially deploying its weapons to these nations as well. According to the Hungarian premier, that was one of the underlying reasons behind the conflict in Ukraine. “I understand what Putin said. I do not accept what he did,” Orban explained. He insisted that Hungary should stay out of the conflict, but added that Budapest was subjected to “constant pressure” as other Western nations “want to drag us into the war through every possible means.” Orban believes that this is because the EU is serving the interests of the US at the expense of its own. “Decisions made by Brussels reflect American interests more often than European ones,” he said. Orban argued that Western nations need to demonstrate a true “desire” and “will” for peace in Ukraine, adding “that will is what is lacking today, at least in the West.” Hungary has repeatedly called for peace amid the conflict between Moscow and Kiev, and has criticized the Western sanctions imposed against Russia and arms deliveries to Ukraine. Earlier this week, Orban said that the hostilities benefitted no one in the world. Hungary was also the only NATO nation to voice support for China’s peace plan for Ukraine. https://www.rt.com/news/572360-europe-nato-without-us-orban/ ========================================== 2 Mar, 2023 23:32 6) --- Musk’s human brain experiments deemed premature – media The Food and Drug Administration is reportedly concerned about Neuralink’s battery and potential brain tissue damage The US Food and Drug Administration has rejected clinical trials of billionaire Elon Musk’s Neuralink brain implant, seven current and former employees told Reuters on Thursday. The regulator cited multiple safety concerns the company must address before human testing can begin – a milestone they had hoped to reach this month. The FDA cited dozens of “deficiencies” barring the way to human trials when it rejected Neuralink last year, the employees explained. Dozens of pigs have already been used in experimental service to address the agency’s concern that the tiny threads that interface with the wearer’s brain could migrate, altering brain and implant functionality, causing inflammation, rupturing blood vessels and otherwise damaging the fragile tissue, employees said. The FDA is also reportedly concerned about whether Neuralink can be removed without causing damage – an issue the employees claimed has not been adequately addressed, despite the company’s assurances. Just like the lithium-ion batteries that power Musk’s Tesla electric vehicles, which can burn for hours at 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit if struck the wrong way, Neuralink’s lithium batteries could cause brain damage if they so much as overheat, experts told Reuters. The FDA wants Neuralink to prove with animal studies that the remotely-chargeable battery is “very unlikely” to fail. Displeased with the regulatory red-light, Musk has reportedly rushed the animal experiments in an attempt to address the FDA’s safety concerns. As a result, the Department of Agriculture is looking into potential violations of the Animal Welfare Act after alarms were raised about the treatment of the animals. Meanwhile, the Department of Transportation is investigating whether Neuralink correctly followed safety procedures when disposing of chips removed from animal brains. The Tesla tycoon has previously boasted that Neuralink is so safe he’d implant it in his own children, claimed it would restore total mobility to the paralyzed, and bragged that users would eventually “be able to save and replay memories.” However, Neuralink’s vice president of engineering, Dongjin Seo, told a conference last month that its “primary short-term goal” was merely to help paralyzed patients use computerized text to communicate. Anything else, he said, was “long-term.” Despite the company’s recent projection of March 7, 2023, as the day the FDA would approve human trials, employees told Reuters there were no regulatory approvals on the horizon. ============= re-post - 6 Dec, 2022 02:31 - recall 6a) --- Musk’s brain chip company under US federal investigation – media Neuralink’s animal testing allegedly caused “needless suffering and deaths” Elon Musk’s Neuralink Corp, a firm specializing in brain implants, is facing a federal probe due to alleged “animal-welfare violations” during product tests, Reuters reported on Monday, just days after the billionaire announced a new timeline for human clinical trials. The US Department of Agriculture’s Inspector General launched the probe sometime in “recent months” after federal prosecutors said Neuralink could be violating the Animal Welfare Act, the outlet reported, citing government documents and multiple sources familiar with the investigation. The Animal Welfare Act regulates the treatment of certain animals used in research and commercial product testing, prohibiting inhumane practices which cause unnecessary suffering or death. According to more than 20 current and former Neuralink employees, as well as dozens of internal company documents, Musk has pushed researchers at his brain chip firm to “accelerate development,” in some cases resulting in “botched experiments.” “Such failed tests have had to be repeated, increasing the number of animals being tested and killed,” employees told Reuters, adding that the number of animal deaths is higher than it needs to be “for reasons related to Musk’s demands to speed research.” At least four experiments involving 86 pigs and two monkeys were “marred” due to “human error” in recent years, meaning the tests had to be conducted again, resulting in more animal deaths. The errors were caused by “a lack of preparation by a testing staff working in a pressure-cooker environment,” employees added. While regulatory filings show that Neuralink has passed all prior federal inspections, sources told Reuters the company does not keep exact records for the number of animals it kills during testing. The full scope of the USDA probe is not yet clear, however, and it is unknown whether the inquiry is directly tied to the complaints raised by Neuralink employees. Reports of the ongoing investigation came just days after Musk declared that US regulators could soon approve human testing for the Neuralink brain implant, claiming human trials may begin in just six months. The exact timeline remains hazy, however, as Musk has hinted at upcoming human trials before. The billionaire entrepreneur has voiced hopes the brain implant will allow paralyzed people to walk again and the blind to regain their sight, among other medical miracles. While the new technology has yet to be tested on people, Musk has demonstrated the brain chip on more than one occasion, including an April 2021 presentation in which a macaque monkey purportedly played a video game using its mind alone. - https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1380315654524301315 - https://youtu.be/rsCul1sp4hQ - https://www.rt.com/news/567732-musk-neuralink-animal-cruelty-probe/ ============================================= 2 Mar, 2023 23:57 7) --- Argentina ends deal with UK on disputed islands The pact on the Falklands/Malvinas was seen as too much of a concession Argentina has formally renounced a 2016 deal with the UK regarding the disputed Falklands/Malvinas islands in the South Atlantic, the site of a bloody 1982 conflict, saying on Thursday that the matter needs to be resolved under the UN guidelines on decolonization. London insists that the issue was settled after local residents chose in a referendum to be ruled by Britain. Argentinian Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero said he had informed his British counterpart, James Cleverly, of the decision at their meeting in New Delhi, India, on the sidelines of the G20 summit. Argentina “has proposed to resume negotiations on the question of sovereignty,” in compliance with the mandate of the UN General Assembly and the world body’s Committee on Decolonization, added Cafiero. “The Falkland Islands are British,” Cleverly responded. “Islanders have the right to decide their own future – they have chosen to remain a self-governing UK Overseas Territory.” Minister for the Americas David Rutley, who had just visited Buenos Aires, called the decision “disappointing” and accused Argentina of choosing to “step away from an agreement that has brought comfort to the families of those who died in the 1982 conflict.” The disputed islands are located in the South Atlantic, about 600km off the Argentine mainland. Argentina lays claim to what it calls the Islas Malvinas, saying they were part of the territory granted independence from Spain in 1816. The UK has ruled what it calls the Falkland Islands since 1833. Argentina and the UK fought a ten-week war over the islands in 1982, which claimed almost 1,000 lives and ended in a British victory. A nonbinding UN General Assembly resolution from 1965 called on both countries not to make unilateral changes in the dispute over the islands. In the 2016 pact, Argentina and the UK agreed to disagree over sovereignty, but pledged to cooperate on energy, shipping, fishing, transportation, and identifying the remains of soldiers killed in the conflict. Alan Duncan, the minister who negotiated the deal with Argentina’s deputy foreign minister, Carlos Foradori, insinuated in his diaries that the talks were fueled by a constant supply of Merlot from the British Embassy’s wine cellar. Foradori has denied this. https://www.rt.com/news/572363-argentina-uk-falklands-malvinas-pact/ ============================================ 3 Mar, 2023 08:31 8) --- US city mayor arrested in child porn case Patrick Wojahn resigned from his role in College Park, Maryland shortly before being detained The former mayor of College Park in the US state of Maryland, Patrick Wojahn, has been arrested on multiple charges of child pornography possession and distribution. His detention came just hours after he handed in his resignation. The Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD) announced the developments on Thursday. According to a statement, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children brought a suspicious social media account to the state authorities’ attention on February 17. The tip-off said that the account “possessed and distributed suspected child pornography” which had been uploaded in January of this year. The PGPD then used “various investigative techniques” to establish that the account “belonged to Wojahn.” On Tuesday, detectives searched the 47-year-old official’s home, impounding “multiple cell phones, a storage device, a tablet and a computer.” Criminal charges were then brought against Wojahn, who faces 40 counts of possession and 16 counts of distribution of “child exploitative material.” Officials noted that the investigation is ongoing. According to a statement published by the College Park City Council, Wojahn submitted his letter of resignation “after business hours” late on Wednesday. Officials thanked him for his “dedicated service” in his role as mayor since 2015, and on the council since 2007. In his resignation letter, which was also made public, the ex-mayor insisted that he has “cooperated fully, and will continue to cooperate, with law enforcement.” Wojahn said that he was “stepping away to deal with my own mental health,” asking former colleagues to keep him and his family “in [their] prayers.” Wojahn’s former co-workers described the news of his arrest as a “total surprise,” adding that any residents who feel distressed by the developments are encouraged to “seek any help they feel necessary to work through this trying time.” Mayor Pro Tem Denise Mitchell will occupy office until an election is held. College Park is a city of just over 34,000 residents, and is home to the University of Maryland campus. https://www.rt.com/news/572372-us-mayor-arrested-child-porn/ =============================================== 2 Mar, 2023 20:56 9) --- Twitter received ‘state-sponsored blacklists’ from US – Matt Taibbi A State Department-funded entity pushed the social media platform to ban users for spreading “disinformation” The US State Department, both directly and through third-party organizations, pressed Twitter to censor American users for their non-existent connections to Russia, China, and Hindu nationalism, according to internal documents. Published by journalist Matt Taibbi on Thursday, the latest ‘Twitter Files’ reveal that the company’s former trust and safety chief, Yoel Roth, was approached in 2021 and given a list of 40,000 accounts suspected of engaging in “inauthentic behavior” in support of India’s Bharatiya Janata Party. The list was provided by the ‘Digital Forensics Research Lab’ at the Atlantic Council, a think tank funded by the US State Department’s ‘Global Engagement Center’ (GEC), as well as a host of NATO governments and weapons manufacturers. According to the files, Roth investigated the list and found that “virtually all appear to be real people” rather than Indian bots, while Taibbi contacted several and learned that they were “ordinary Americans” with no connection whatsoever to Indian politics. - https://twitter.com/mtaibbi/status/1631338653707378702 - Created in the final year of the Obama administration, the GEC is a State Department entity that works with multiple US intelligence agencies to “counter foreign disinformation.” It is forbidden from operating within the United States, and recently had to cut its ties with a George Soros-backed NGO that was using its funding to target American conservative news sites. While the list of supposed Hindu nationalists was given to Twitter via the Atlantic Council, the GEC directly passed other lists to the social media platform, including 500 accounts that were allegedly spreading Iranian “disinformation,” and 5,500 “Chinese accounts” engaged in “state-backed coordinated manipulation,” despite the fact that this latter list included multiple Western government accounts and at least three CNN employees. Roth described the Chinese list as “a total crock,” while fellow employee Aaron Rodericks said it provided “more entertainment value than anything.” The GEC and its organizations tangentially connected to the State Department – such as the infamous ‘Alliance for Securing Democracy’ that published the ‘Hamilton68’ dashboard of “Russian bots” – had long pressed Twitter to crack down on allegedly Kremlin-connected accounts, but Roth told staff that it was impossible to detect “Russian fingerprints” on any of the accounts. Instead, accounts that retweeted “news sources linked to Russia” were considered Kremlin-sponsored. One list handed to Twitter by the GEC considered membership in France’s anti-government ‘Yellow Vests’ movement as “being Russia-aligned.” While Twitter’s executives may have been skeptical of the GEC’s ‘blacklists’, the US media was not. Emails show that multiple news outlets and agencies – including the Associated Press – would receive reports from the organization, and then press Twitter to take action and ban the listed accounts. “Reauthorization for GEC’s funding is up for a vote this year,” Taibbi wrote on Twitter on Thursday. “Can we at least stop paying to blacklist ourselves?” https://www.rt.com/news/572357-twitter-files-state-department/ ============================================= 2 Mar, 2023 21:28 10) --- MI5 apologizes for not preventing terror attack The UK spy agency could potentially have stopped the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing if it had acted on intelligence it possessed MI5 Director General Ken McCallum has apologized to the victims of the 2017 Manchester Arena suicide bombing, declaring he is “profoundly sorry” that the British intelligence agency failed to act on key information it already held. An inquiry published on Thursday revealed suicide bomber Salman Abedi was known to the agency before the attack. “Having examined all the evidence, the chair of the inquiry has found that ‘there was a realistic possibility that actionable intelligence could have been obtained which might have led to actions preventing the attack,’” McCallum said, adding that he “deeply regrets” his agency’s inaction. The inquiry found that two pieces of intelligence regarding Abedi were judged at the time to be unrelated to terrorism but in fact “transpired to be relevant to Abedi’s plan.” “There was a significant missed opportunity to take action that might have prevented the attack,” inquiry chair Sir John Saunders admitted, noting that “an ordinary member of the public would be deeply concerned” by MI5’s response. McCallum insisted that MI5 has made “more than 100 improvements” since the bombing, which killed 22 people attending an Ariana Grande concert at the arena, claiming the agency “continually” works to improve and vowing to “do more.” The nature of MI5’s information on Abedi remains secret for national security reasons. The first item was considered unlikely to have uncovered Abedi’s plot, but had it been handled differently, it could have “increased the overall prospect that the attack would have been prevented” by the time the second item arrived, the inquiry states. It blames the MI5 officer who received the data for failing to “act swiftly enough.” The report revealed that Abedi was not under active investigation despite having traveled to Libya several times with relatives during that nation’s civil war and despite having previously been flagged by MI5 computers. While MI5 initially released a statement claiming officers had overlooked the intelligence because they thought the information related to criminal activity rather than terrorism, Saunders denied that excuse “present[ed] an accurate picture” and accused the agency of attempting to retrospectively justify not acting on it. In reality, he said, MI5’s northwestern investigative branch was “struggling to cope” with the sheer number of investigations it had open, and agents worried something would fall through the cracks. https://www.rt.com/news/572358-mi5-apologizes-manchester-suicide-bomber/ =============================================== 3 Mar, 2023 06:04 11) --- China dominates global tech race – report Beijing has a “stunning lead” over the US in most crucial technologies, according to researcher ASPI China is leading the world in 37 out of 44 critical and emerging technologies, a Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) study showed on Thursday. According to the security think tank, Beijing has now positioned itself as the world’s leading science and technology superpower. ASPI’s Critical Technology Tracker covers a range of crucial fields spanning defense, space, robotics, energy, the environment, biotechnology, artificial intelligence (AI), advanced materials and key quantum technology areas. The report pointed out that in some fields, all of the world's top 10 research institutions are based in China. It also found that a key area in which China excels is defense and space-related technologies. “China’s strides in nuclear-capable hypersonic missiles reportedly took US intelligence by surprise in August 2021,” ASPI stated. It indicated that over the past five years, China generated 48.49% of the world’s high-impact research papers into advanced aircraft engines, including hypersonics. The study, which was funded by the US State Department, found that the United States was often second-ranked in that race, although it led global research in high-performance computing, quantum computing and vaccines. “Our dataset reveals that there’s a large gap between China and the US, as the leading two countries, and everyone else,” it stressed. “Western democracies are losing the global technological competition, including the race for scientific and research breakthroughs,” the report concluded, calling for greater research investment by those governments. https://www.rt.com/business/572317-china-dominates-global-tech-race/ ======== 1 Mar, 2023 09:39 11b) --- US ready ‘to do more pain’ to China’s Huawei – WSJ Washington reportedly plans to halt export licenses to the tech company The US government is considering annulling existing licenses for American firms to export items to Chinese telecom giant Huawei Technologies, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing its sources. According to the report, the measure could be viewed as broader tightening of technology trade on national security grounds. “The policy that had allowed exports to Huawei, notwithstanding the entity listing, is being wound down,” an unnamed former senior security official familiar with the matter was quoted as saying. “The White House is now telling Commerce, ‘Cut off the 4G sales, the time has come to do more pain to Huawei, to try to finish their demise,’” he reportedly stated. Huawei has been subjected to American export restrictions on items for 5G and other technologies for several years, but the US Department of Commerce has granted licenses for some American companies to sell certain goods and technologies to the Chinese firm. However recently, Washington indicated that it was considering not granting any such export licenses to companies such as Qualcomm and Intel, which produce chips needed for smartphones and other devices. Huawei was placed on a US trade blacklist in 2019, with most American suppliers barred from shipping goods and technology to the company unless they were granted licenses. The measure is aimed at cutting off the Chinese company’s ability to buy or design the semiconductor chips that power most of its products. Tensions between the US and China, the world’s two largest economies, have been on the rise as they compete for domination in key technology areas, including semiconductors. In October, the Biden administration unveiled sweeping restrictions on China’s ability to buy semiconductors and chip-making equipment, placing the country’s companies on a list for further scrutiny. https://www.rt.com/business/572202-us-china-huawei-technology-ban/ - also see https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/silicon-fence-around-china-almost-complete ============================================= 2 Mar, 2023 22:47 12) --- Russian piano prodigy wins prestigious prize in Germany The triumph for 12-year-old Elisey Mysin comes as other European contests exclude his fellow citizens Young Russian pianist Elisey Mysin has been awarded first prize in his age category at the international Robert Schumann Competition held in Dusseldorf, Germany. The event was organized in late February. The 12-year-old Russian musician impressed the jury by first playing Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s concerto for piano and orchestra No.12, before interpreting Schumann’s ‘Colorful Leaves’ pieces. Mysin has been playing piano since the age of four, and gained prominence in Russia after taking part in the popular children’s TV competition ‘Blue Bird’. The International Robert Schumann Competition for young pianists has been held by the Society of Friends and Sponsors of the Robert Schumann High School in Dusseldorf since 2017. Mysin’s victory comes at a time when many Western music competitions have outright excluded Russian participants on the basis of their nationality amid the conflict in Ukraine. In April 2022, the Jean Sibelius Violin Competition held in Finland banned Russian participants despite previously selecting them on the basis of merit. The competition committee accused Russians of “atrocities” during Moscow’s military campaign. In May 2022, a similar decision was taken by the acclaimed Rodolfo Lipizer International Violin Competition held in Italy. The move even prompted the Italian FVG Orchestra, which traditionally accompanied the competition finalists, to pull out of the event altogether. Its president, Paolo Petiziol, then condemned the organizers’ decision to ban Russians as “inexplicable” and “completely unfair.” Kiev has repeatedly called on various Western platforms to ban Russian music and performers. In February, it urged the Swedish streaming service Spotify to remove songs by Russian artists who “support the war.” Some Western nations have also demanded a blanket ban on Russian culture. In January, Lithuanian Culture Minister Simonas Kairys said his country’s citizens should not enjoy Russian culture as long as the conflict in Ukraine continues. While stopping short of supporting what he called an “authoritarian” administrative ban on Russian culture, the minister said he favored a “mental quarantine” on it. https://www.rt.com/pop-culture/572361-young-pianist-win-international-competition/ - https://youtu.be/GIS1DNVqYcQ =============

Russia, Bryansk Terrorist attacks: Pres. Putin brands Thursday's Ukrainian-linked attacks on Russia's Bryansk region, an act of terror - with Security Services saying explosive devices have been discovered hidden across the area. A Ukrainian group, designated as terrorists by Russia has claimed responsibility for the incident. Its leader was previously tied to neo-Nazi ideology. Two people have been killed and an 11 yr old girl is in hospital wounded. Shelling of Bryansk also occurred; there are no military installations or operations there. In Kursk, one person was killed and another wounded by Kiev shelling in a civilian only region. Rachel and Eunan give more details. Mark Sleboda discusses who are, and the nature of the terrorists India/Russia G20 FM's meeting. FM Lavrov praises developing countries for their independent decision-making during a gathering of foreign ministers in India while also criticizing the West for its 'neo-colonial' habits, including sanctions and the manipulation of international law. The joint statement which normally comes from these meetings couldn't be reached. One important consensus reached however was adopting the African Union into the G20 and the need for true multilateralism. Runjun Sharma reports. European Union: The bloc is set to increase it's weapons producing capabilities (QS: why not, there's precious little else being made in Europe now. Destruction is almost complete.) The effort is supposed to help Ukraine, despite the largest majority of citizens of Europe (and Britain) wanting no more support to Kiev at all, let alone more weapons. Rachel Marsden reports. W.H.O. : As the World Health Organization calls on the global community to rally support for earthquake-struck Syria Washington appears to be using the tragedy to try and undermine political cooperation in the region. We speak to a geopolitical journalist, who says the US won't be able to put all the blame on the Syrian government anymore. (Not just Washington, British citizens are unable to help or send money either. The first thing to do is lift the illegal sanctions and stop stealing their oil - $billions worth each month) Pres. Assad met several leaders from Arab states, which was really good. Estabo Carillo discusses. Iran, toxic gas attacks: Across the country, school girls have once again been attacked by a mysterious toxic gas. Yousef Jalali reports. This morning's post was delayed as I was searching around trying to find out more information. There was a lot of detail in the associated articles, if you missed the post, I haven't had an email notifications to confirm the post so here it is : - https://rumble.com/v2bh44q-rt-news-march-2nd-2023.html?mref=6zof&mrefc=7 I've included relevant info, all I could find out, about the terrorist attacks on posts 11 and on. =================================================== - 11) P O S T E D E A R L I E R Terrorist attack on Bryansk - Below, via RT website --- - ---- 1) --- Blinken and Lavrov meet at G20 2) --- Stopping weapons supplies to Ukraine won’t bring peace – Scholz 3) --- Deadly incident at Russian military aircraft plant 4) --- US makes another China-irritating Taiwan move 5) --- Russia accuses West of trying to ‘threaten’ China 6) --- Russia comments on ‘Serb weapons’ in Ukraine 7) --- New sanctions pose no shock to economy – Bank of Russia 8) --- EU country boosts imports of Russian nuclear components – media 9) --- Ex-German chancellor fends off party expulsion attempt over ‘Russia ties’ 10) --- Ex-colonial power proclaims end of Africa interference ================================================= 2 Mar, 2023 17:12 1) --- Blinken and Lavrov meet at G20 In their first face-to-face encounter in more than a year, the US’ top diplomat asked his Russian counterpart to return to a nuclear treaty US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met on the sidelines of the G20 summit in New Delhi on Thursday. Blinken said he urged Russia to return to the New START arms control treaty, but Moscow has already insisted that Washington’s “hybrid war” on Russia makes serious discussions impossible. The two diplomats met for around ten minutes. Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters that Blinken “asked for contact” with Lavrov. However, the brief encounter was conducted on the fly and could not be considered “negotiations,” she added. In his own press conference after the meeting, Blinken said that he reaffirmed the US’ support for Ukraine, raised the possibility of a prisoner exchange for captured American Paul Whelan, and “urged Russia to reverse its irresponsible decision and return to implementing the New START treaty.” Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law this week to suspend the treaty, which was the last remaining nuclear arms agreement between the US and Russia. The treaty placed limits on the number of deployed missiles, bombers, launchers, and warheads each side could possess, and allowed both countries to inspect each others’ nuclear sites. Earlier this week, Russia’s ambassador to the US, Anatoly Antonov, said that “Washington must reconsider its hostile anti-Russian policy” before Moscow would contemplate a return to the agreement. Given that the US has “launched and dragged its European allies into a large-scale hybrid war against Russia,” and insists on inspecting the same Russian bases that its Ukrainian proxies are attacking “with the help of the Pentagon,” the deal would remain suspended. Antonov also accused the US of violating the treaty long before Russia’s withdrawal, while Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said a day later that Washington’s actions prior to the outbreak of conflict in Ukraine – which included rejecting all of Russia’s security requests – showed that “they were not ready to talk about anything with us.” The US has also accused Russia of breaching the treaty by preventing American inspectors from traveling to its bases. Blinken and Lavrov last met in Geneva last January, and spoke by phone in July. Throughout the intervening time, Blinken has maintained that the US will keep up its military support for Ukraine “for as long as it takes,” and Lavrov said in January that a subsequent message he received from Blinken offered no “serious proposals” for resolving the conflict. The US has for a long time been “in favor of the escalation of conflicts,” Zakharova said on Thursday. “Diplomacy, unfortunately, has been relegated to the background.” https://www.rt.com/news/572348-blinken-lavrov-meeting-g20/ =============================================== 2 Mar, 2023 14:55 2) --- Stopping weapons supplies to Ukraine won’t bring peace – Scholz The German chancellor has attacked critics of Western efforts to arm Kiev German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has insisted that ceasing the flow of Western weapons into Ukraine will not bring about peace. The politician criticized those protesting against the continued influx of arms during a speech in the Bundestag on Thursday. Scholz praised the solidarity among the European Union, G7, and NATO in their military support of Kiev, boasting that Germany is training the largest number of Ukrainian soldiers among its allies and pledging ongoing support for Kiev. “One also does not achieve peace when one shouts ‘never again war’ here in Berlin, and at the same time demands that all weapons deliveries must be stopped,” the chancellor stated. The comments appeared to be a reference to an anti-war protest organized by Die Linke (Left Party) politician Sahra Wagenknecht and author Alice Schwarzer last week. Thousands of protesters took to the streets of Berlin, gathering at the Brandenburg Gate to demand the government stop sending weapons to Kiev. In the same speech, Scholz urged China not to provide arms to Russia and instead use its influence “to push for the withdrawal of Russian troops” from Ukraine. That echoed recent warnings by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who has claimed that Beijing is considering supplying Moscow with “lethal aid.” China has repeatedly denied the accusations. Beijing’s deputy UN ambassador, Dai Bing, told the UN General Assembly in February that “sending weapons will not bring peace.” Last week, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning accused the US of hypocrisy, saying Washington is already fueling the fire in Ukraine by “pouring weapons into one side of the conflict, thus prolonging the fight and making peace elusive.” https://www.rt.com/news/572332-scholz-weapons-supplies-peace/ QS: Recall on Monday German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said "the country’s army isn’t prepared to protect the nation against military aggression." Said it at a meeting with fellow members of the Social Democratic Party (SPD). “We have no armed forces that are capable of defending [the country], that is, capable of defending [it] against an offensive, brutally waged aggressive war,” Pistorius said. (QS - at the time I meant to add a comment but I will now. Who does he think is going to attack Germany? Until very recently Russia has bent over backwards to live as friends with and as trading partners with Germany and the rest of the liberal democracies comprising the EU and Britain. The biggest threat to Britain and Europe are the corrupted and rotten-to-the-core liars posing as .govs who have little concern for the citizens at all. We citizens need to change this system fast, before it's too late. =============================================== 2 Mar, 2023 14:54 3) --- Deadly incident at Russian military aircraft plant A transport plane hull test in the city of Ulyanovsk resulted in several casualties, the manufacturer has said A test on a new military transport aircraft went awry in Russia on Thursday, the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), the country’s major state aircraft manufacturer, said. One employee died and several others were injured as a result of the mishap. The incident took place at the Aviastar plant in the city of Ulyanovsk located in Russia’s Volga region. The plant specializes in the production and maintenance of military and civilian transport aircraft. At least one staff member at the plant died in the incident, the UAC said in a statement on Telegram, adding that several others were injured, although the exact number was not revealed. At least five people were affected by the accident, Russia’s RIA news agency reported, citing the emergency services. The reasons for the incident are still “being investigated,” the UAC said. According to RIA, the mishap took place when the hull of an aircraft was being tested for structural integrity. Such tests entail the hull being subjected to excessive pressure, the news agency explained. Russian media reported that the aircraft in question was an Il-76MD-90A, an overhauled model of a Russian heavy military transport aircraft. The aircraft is capable of transporting loads of up to 60 tons a distance of up to 4,200km. The Il-76MD-90A is said to have a more powerful engine and more sophisticated onboard equipment and is capable of hauling heavier loads and flying longer distances. The aircraft is designed to be able to transport any heavy equipment used by the Russian Airborne Forces. The IL-76 aircraft are also regularly used by the Russian Emergencies Ministry. Four such planes were deployed to Türkiye and Syria in the wake of a massive earthquake earlier this year. The aircraft had more than 100 rescue workers on board, as well as an airmobile hospital. https://www.rt.com/russia/572336-deadly-incident-military-aircraft-plant/ ================================================= 2 Mar, 2023 16:41 4) --- US makes another China-irritating Taiwan move The State Department has approved the potential sale of millions of dollars’ worth of F-16 fighter jet missiles and other military equipment to the island The US State Department has greenlit the proposed sale of $619 million worth of military supplies to Taiwan, including ammunition for F-16 fighter jets, the Pentagon announced on Wednesday. The deal contains hundreds of High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missiles (HARM) and Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM), as well as training missiles, guidance systems, multi-purpose launchers, spare parts, classified software, and other equipment. The principal contractors listed in the deal are Raytheon Missiles & Defense and the Lockheed Martin Corporation. The Pentagon’s press statement claims that the sale “serves US national, economic, and security interests by supporting the recipient’s continuing efforts to modernize its armed forces and to maintain a credible defensive capability.” At the same time, it’s noted that the proposed sale of this equipment and support would “not alter the basic military balance in the region” but would serve to bolster Taiwan’s ability to defend its airspace and improve regional security. A State Department official was quoted by CNN as saying that the deal is “consistent with the Taiwan Relations Act,” as well as Washington’s ‘One China’ policy, and would “contribute to the maintenance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and within the region.” He added that Taipei would use its own funds for the purchase of the munitions. Before the deal is finalized, it must pass through Congress, where lawmakers will have 30 days to discuss the sale and decide whether to let it proceed. Beijing has responded to the deal by saying that it violates the ‘One China’ principle and undermines China’s sovereignty and security interests. Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning urged the US to stop arms sales and military contact with Taipei. The spokesperson also reiterated Beijing’s longstanding claim that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China and insisted that Taipei’s “separatist activities” and Washington’s attempts to use the island to “contain China” are the “root cause” of tensions in the Taiwan Strait. https://www.rt.com/news/572338-us-taiwan-f16-munitions/ ============================================= 2 Mar, 2023 14:12 5) --- Russia accuses West of trying to ‘threaten’ China The way some diplomats are behaving raises questions about their “state of mind,” Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has claimed The West has abandoned traditional diplomacy in favor of blackmail and coercion, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday, while arguing that it was unreasonable to try to intimidate China on the world stage. “I have doubts about the state of mind of those who make such threats,” Lavrov stated at a press conference after the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in New Delhi, India. “You shouldn’t make threats in general. But when someone threatens China, given the current circumstances, I can’t wrap my head around that.” “It seems that our Western colleagues have long discarded diplomacy and are only engaging in blackmail and threats,” he added. Last month, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned China of “serious consequences” if Beijing decided to supply weapons to Russia. The Chinese Foreign Ministry rejected the allegations, accusing Washington of “spreading false information.” US-China ties have deteriorated significantly over the years as the counties have been blaming each for tensions in the South China Sea and around Taiwan. Blinken canceled his trip to Beijing last month, after authorities claimed that a high-altitude balloon discovered over US territory was a Chinese spy device. Beijing has insisted that the balloon was a weather research airship that had veered off course. In the 12-point Ukraine peace roadmap proposed by China last week, Beijing urged all countries to abandon “the Cold War mentality” and work towards a more fair security model for the world. https://www.rt.com/russia/572326-lavrov-west-china-threats/ ============================================ 2 Mar, 2023 18:11 6) --- Russia comments on ‘Serb weapons’ in Ukraine Moscow is “deeply concerned” by reports that NATO members smuggled Serbian-made rockets into Kiev Claims that Serbian-made ammunition has been delivered to Ukrainian forces are a serious matter, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday, adding that Moscow is reserving judgment until all the facts have been established. Several media outlets in Russia and Serbia reported over the past week that some 3,500 rockets manufactured at the Krusik factory in Valjevo had made their way to the Ukrainian military. Asked about this at the daily briefing on Thursday, Zakharova said the reports caused “the deepest concern” in Moscow, and that the ministry was “attentively following” the matter, including the discussions about it in the Serbian parliament. “This is too serious an issue, with implications on Russian-Serbian relations, to react reflexively,” Zakharova added. “We need to get to the facts.” According to the news reports, the Krusik weapons works sold the rockets to a Turkish customer, who then sent them to Ukraine via Slovakia. The 122-millimeter projectiles are used with the M-21 Grad multiple rocket launch systems (MLRS), in service with both Russian and Ukrainian forces. Responding to the reports, Krusik officials insisted that their contracts specified the Turkish end-user could not re-export the rockets without permission, and that the documents allegedly showing the resale to a Canadian company for delivery to Slovakia were falsified. Serbian Defense Minister Milos Vucevic muddied the waters on Tuesday, however, when he told the parliament that Belgrade had the legal right to export weapons and that if they ended up in the wrong hands, that was a matter of international trade. “Serbia absolutely does not export weapons to either Ukraine or Russia, but we have the right to sell to all documented and legal end-users,” Vucevic said. “We will not sell weapons to any parties to the war. We do not want our weapons to be used in the war on either side. But we do not want to be false moralists. We produce weapons and military equipment. These are not museum pieces that sit on exhibit, this is something armies put to use.” Reports of the Krusik deliveries come as the US and the EU are pressuring Belgrade to join their sanctions against Russia, as well as accept their demands to recognize the breakaway province of Kosovo in exchange for a promise of eventual EU membership. https://www.rt.com/russia/572350-serbia-rockets-ukraine-zakharova/ ================================================ 2 Mar, 2023 16:02 7) --- New sanctions pose no shock to economy – Bank of Russia The blacklisting of 14 additional Russian banks by the West poses no systemic risks, as lenders were already prepared, the regulator says The latest Western sanctions against Russian banks will not cause a shock to the country’s banking system, the head of the Bank of Russia, Elvira Nabiullina, said on Thursday at the regulator’s annual meeting with commercial lenders. According to Nabiullina, the banks that fell under restrictions earlier have largely adjusted, while other banks had time to prepare for their potential blacklisting by reducing assets that can be blocked by sanctions. They also automatically became eligible for the Bank of Russia support measures that have been created for such situations throughout the previous year. “The recent addition of new banks to the sanctions list is no longer perceived as a shocking event and does not create systemic risks compared to banks that were previously hit by sanctions,” Nabiullina said, adding that “the acute phase of the crisis has passed.” She noted, however, that sanctions continue to impact the dynamics of the banking sector and the economy to a certain degree, and the regulator therefore “will continue to take measures that will minimize this impact.” She didn’t specify the measures in question. The US, the EU, and the UK have imposed sweeping new sanctions against 14 more Russian banks for the anniversary of the start of Moscow’s military operation in Ukraine last week. This brought the total number of Russian banks blacklisted by the West to 31, including the country’s largest lender, Sber. The aim of these restrictions is largely to cut them off from international financial operations and freeze their assets, where possible. The US Treasury announced last week that over 80% of Russia’s banking sector in asset value is now subject to Western restrictions. https://www.rt.com/business/572333-sanctions-no-risk-russia-economy/ =============================================== 2 Mar, 2023 14:48 8) --- EU country boosts imports of Russian nuclear components – media Finland spent $35 million last year to buy the necessary equipment from Russia to maintain its atomic power plants Finland has increased purchases of components from Russia to maintain operation of its nuclear power plants, business daily Kauppalehti reported on Wednesday, citing customs data. Purchases surged by 20% in 2022 compared to the previous year and reached a total value of €33 million ($35 million). The outlet noted that while imports by Teollisuuden Voima, a Finnish nuclear power operator owned by a consortium of companies, were relatively insignificant, the country’s major state-owned energy company Fortum has not disclosed the cost of Russian supplies. Fortum operates Finland’s first Soviet-designed nuclear power plant, which entered commercial use in 1977. Earlier this month, the Finnish government granted a new operating license for Loviisa NPP until the end of 2050. The plant, comprising two VVER-440 type pressurized water reactors, provides more than 10% of the country’s electricity. The development comes as some EU countries are calling for sanctions on Russia’s nuclear industry, which has so far gone untouched because it’s essential for the operation of many power plants in the region. According to the World Nuclear Industry Status Report, of the 53 reactors under construction as of mid-2022, 20 were being built by Rosatom, 17 of which are located outside Russia. Earlier this week, Lithuanian president Gitanas Nauseda announced that he would keep pressing the EU to place restrictions on Russia’s nuclear industry and to blacklist the country’s state atomic corporation Rosatom. Meanwhile, Russian nuclear fuel and technology sales soared last year as imports by EU countries climbed to the highest level in three years, according to recent data. https://www.rt.com/business/572253-finland-russia-nuclear-componets/ =============================================== 2 Mar, 2023 15:19 9) --- Ex-German chancellor fends off party expulsion attempt over ‘Russia ties’ Gerhard Schroeder will remain a member of the ruling SPD party, despite controversy over his relationship with Moscow Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder will remain a member of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats (SPD), a party committee decided on Thursday. Schroeder forged close ties with Russia during his time in office, and angered the current SPD establishment by meeting with President Vladimir Putin last summer, in the midst of Moscow’s offensive in Ukraine. An SPD arbitration committee in Hannover ruled that Schroeder had violated no party rules, and thus could not be expelled, Reuters reported. The ruling upheld a decision by the same committee last August not to revoke Schroeder’s membership over his work for Russian companies, despite more than a dozen local branches of the party demanding his expulsion. Schroeder served as chancellor from 1998 to 2005, during which he signed off on the construction of the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline. Germany’s economy flourished during his tenure, with the country’s industry fueled by cheap Russian gas. After leaving office, Schroeder worked as a director of Nord Stream AG, the German-Russian consortium responsible for both Nord Stream pipelines, which were destroyed – by the US, according to recent reporting – in September. He also served as a director on the board of Russian oil giant Rosneft, a position that he resigned from last May. These positions caused friction between Schroeder and the SPD, which has abandoned its long-standing aversion to military intervention under Scholz and sent $2.4 billion worth of military aid to Ukraine since Russia launched its military operation last February. While Scholz’s government canceled the certification of Nord Stream 2 immediately before the conflict began, Schroeder continued to push for the pipeline to be put into operation, calling Russian gas “the simplest solution” to the EU’s energy crisis. Germany’s ruling parties stripped Schroeder of his parliamentary privileges in May, a month after he relinquished his honorary citizenship of Hannover before the city could strip him of it. Less than a month into the conflict in Ukraine, Schroeder traveled to Moscow to meet with Putin. He insisted afterwards that Russia sought a negotiated solution to the conflict, and that he would keep seeking “opportunities to talk to President Putin” to help make this happen. https://www.rt.com/news/572337-schroeder-party-member-decision/ ============================================== 2 Mar, 2023 15:33 10) --- Ex-colonial power proclaims end of Africa interference France will act as “a neutral interlocutor” and not get involved in the local politics, President Emmanuel Macron has announced The era of French dominance over its former colonial possessions in Africa is now a thing of the past, President Emmanuel Macron pledged on Thursday. The French leader earlier promised to reduce Paris’ military footprint on the continent, as its relations with a number of countries have recently gone into a tailspin. Speaking in the West African nation of Gabon on the first day of his tour around the continent, the president claimed that the “age of Francafrique is over.” “Sometimes I have the feeling that mentalities are not evolving at the same pace as we do … I see that France is still attributed intentions that it doesn’t have,” Macron added, portraying Paris as “a neutral interlocutor.” According to the French president, his country acts in this capacity both in Gabon and elsewhere. Paris “speaks to everyone and its role is not to interfere in exchanges of domestic policy,” he stated. Having said that, he went on to address concerns voiced by the Gabonese opposition, who saw his visit as a way of supporting President Ali Bongo. “I did not come to invest in anyone. I only came to show my friendship and my consideration to a country and a brotherly people,” Macron insisted. The president’s remarks came after earlier this week he said that Africa would see a “noticeable reduction” in France’s military presence. According to Macron, however, these policies should not be viewed as “a withdrawal or a disengagement” but rather as “adapting an arrangement” with French allies. In recent months, France has experienced several diplomatic setbacks in the region. On Tuesday, Burkina Faso officially scrapped the military assistance agreement with Paris, showing its troops the door. The move came amid a popular perception in the West African country that French troops are unable to protect locals from radical Islamists. In August 2022, France also withdrew its troops from Mali after massive protests erupted against the presence of the former colonial power. At the time, the local government also accused the French forces of training militant groups on their land. https://www.rt.com/news/572330-gabon-macron-francafrique-over/ =============================================== - - 11) P O S T E D E A R L I E R Terrorist attack on Bryansk - - 2 Mar, 2023 09:52 A) --- Russian forces eliminating Ukrainian saboteurs that violated border – FSB The Bryansk region governor earlier said at least one man had been killed by a group of attackers Russian forces are conducting an operation against a group of Ukrainian saboteurs that intruded across the border into Bryansk region, the Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Thursday. In a statement, the service said that “the FSB and the attached forces of the Russian Ministry of Defense are taking measures to destroy armed Ukrainian nationalists who violated the state border” in the Klimovsky district of Bryansk region. Earlier in the day, Aleksandr Bogomaz, the region's governor, said that a group of Ukrainian operatives had launched a raid into the area and that the group attacked a moving car, killing one person and injuring a ten-year-old child. Some media reports suggested that the saboteurs also had taken several local residents hostage, a claim that has not been confirmed by local authorities. Russia’s regions bordering Ukraine have been repeatedly attacked by Kiev's forces in recent months. On Thursday, Kursk governor Roman Starovoit wrote in a Telegram post that Ukrainian troops had shelled a local village. Kursk officials confirmed that one person was killed in the attack. https://www.rt.com/russia/572314-russian-forces-eliminate-ukrainian-saboteurs/ ++++ ++++ 2 Mar, 2023 08:38 Russian governor reports Ukrainian attack on border villages A few dozen ‘saboteurs’ have allegedly targeted two settlements near the countries’ shared frontier - A group of Ukrainian operatives has launched a raid across the border in Russia’s Bryansk Region, local governor Aleksandr Bogomaz claimed on Thursday. Fighting is reportedly ongoing in two border villages, Lyubechane and Sushany, which are about 20km apart. There is also unconfirmed information about deaths and injuries. Writing on Telegram, Bogomaz stated that “today a sabotage-reconnaissance group intruded from Ukraine." “Saboteurs fired at a moving car. As a result of the attack, one local resident was killed, with a ten-year-old child wounded,” he added. The child has been taken to hospital, the official said. Russian forces “are taking all the necessary measures to eliminate the saboteur group,” Bogomaz added, without providing details on how many apparently Ukrainian personnel had taken part in the alleged attack. The group is said to have attacked a school bus, a claim which has not been verified. Other unconfirmed reports indicated that the children were rescued by eyewitnesses. A passing car picked up three children, including a wounded boy who was shot in the back, reports claimed. Unconfirmed reports on social media suggested that the region has been attacked by two Ukrainian groups with a combined strength of 50, who took an unspecified number of residents hostage in the village of Sushany. It was also reported that security forces are confronting the attackers. There has been no official confirmation of the claims, although Bogomaz claimed that Kiev had earlier staged a drone attack on Sushany. https://www.rt.com/russia/572307-ukrainian-saboteurs-stage-attack-russian-territory/ ================= ++++ ++++ 2 Mar, 2023 09:08 Russian regions come under mortar fire from Ukraine Kiev’s forces have carried out artillery and mortar strikes against civilian buildings in Russia’s Bryansk and Kursk regions, officials report Villages in the Russian regions of Kursk and Bryansk came under heavy artillery fire from Kiev’s forces, the governors of the two regions neighboring Ukraine reported on Thursday morning. The attacks have damaged several residential buildings and civilian structures. Several people have reportedly been killed or injured. Kursk governor Roman Starovoit wrote in a Telegram post that Kiev’s troops had shelled the village of Tetkino, which is on the Russian-Ukrainan border. At 11:17am local time he reported that the attack was still ongoing and that Russian forces were returning fire. He also noted that there had been casualties from the attack and that emergency services had been dispatched to the area. Kursk officials have since confirmed that one person was killed and another was injured in the attack on Tetkino. At the same time, Bryansk governor Aleksandr Bogomaz reported that the villages of Sushany and Lomakovka were also attacked using mortars and drones, which damaged several residential buildings. No casualties have so far been reported there, according to the governor. While the shelling was taking place, a group of Ukrainians launched a raid in Bryansk region, attacking a vehicle and reportedly killing at least one person and injuring a ten-year-old child, according to Bogomaz. He added that Russian forces were taking all required measures to eliminate the saboteur group. Russian regions bordering Ukraine have repeatedly come under attack from Kiev’s artillery and drones since Moscow launched its military operation in the country one year ago. The strikes have targeted energy infrastructure and residential areas, destroying civilian buildings and leading to a number of civilian casualties. https://www.rt.com/russia/572310-russian-regions-artillery-fire/ ============ 2 Mar, 2023 12:36 B) --- Putin condemns ‘terrorist attack’ Gunmen attacked civilians after crossing the border, the Russian president said President Vladimir Putin has described as a “terrorist attack” an incident in Russia’s Bryansk Region that involved Ukrainian saboteurs. The statement came after the regional governor and national security service reported a cross-border raid targeting two settlements earlier on Thursday. Gunmen “infiltrated the border area and opened fire at civilians. They could see the vehicle was civilian, that civilians were inside, children… and opened fire,” the Russian leader said. Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, earlier told journalists that “measures are being taken to destroy these terrorists.” He added that Moscow will continue “to draw the attention of the global public to the terrorist attacks that these people conduct.” Russian officials accused Kiev of using terrorist tactics after a powerful explosion at the Crimean Bridge in October killed three civilians and damaged the structure. Putin said at the time that it was the latest Ukrainian attack against crucial Russian infrastructure. The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) accused Ukrainian military intelligence of executing the bombing. Another high-profile incident which Russian investigators pinned on the Ukrainian government was the August assassination of Darya Dugina, whose car was blown up near Moscow. Dugina was a political activist and the daughter of philosopher Aleksandr Dugin, whom Western media have described as a prominent Russian nationalist. Putin mentioned Dugina on Thursday and said that people like the ones who carried out her murder were also responsible for the latest raid. The leader identified them as “neo-Nazis and terrorists” as he praised Russian troops for defending the country from them. Bryansk Region Governor Aleksandr Bogomaz claimed that “a sabotage-reconnaissance group intruded from Ukraine” earlier in the day and targeted two villages. He said the infiltrators fired at a moving car, killing a local resident. https://www.rt.com/russia/572321-kremlin-bryansk-region-raid/ ============================================== 2 Mar, 2023 08:41 Nikolay Patrushev spoke in Cuba, which is another country subject to US economic restrictions Nikolay Patrushev, the secretary of Russia’s Security Council, met with Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel in Havana on Wednesday. They discussed ways to counter foreign meddling, with both nations now living under sweeping US sanctions. During his trip, Patrushev spoke about measures against the “destructive activities” of NGOs and so-called “color revolutions,” according to a statement from the Security Council. In this context, the term “color revolution” describes a Western-backed coup. The two sides also spoke about cooperation against drug and human trafficking, as well as other forms of organized crime. Patrushev also met with Cuban Interior Minister Lazaro Alberto Alvarez Casas and former President Raul Castro. The Russian security chief also visited Venezuela on Tuesday, where he had a meeting with President Nicolas Maduro and spoke about “unprecedented pressure” by the US on Moscow’s partners. A Russian ally since the Soviet times, Cuba has refused to condemn Moscow’s military operation in Ukraine and blamed the US for provoking the hostilities. “We denounce the sanctions against Russia and the sources of the current conflict… make no mistake, Russia is not responsible,” Diaz-Canel said in November during his meeting with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Diaz-Canel argued that both countries were subjected to Washington’s “unjust” economic restrictions. The island nation has been living under a US trade embargo since 1962. Diaz-Canel called the expansion of NATO closer to Russian borders “unacceptable.” Moscow has maintained that the US-led bloc’s military infrastructure near its western border is a threat. Russian officials have cited the growing military ties between Ukraine and NATO members as one of the key reasons for the conflict. https://www.rt.com/russia/572306-russia-cuba-color-revolutions/ =============================================== 2 Mar, 2023 00:22 2) --- NBC journalist added to Ukrainian ‘kill list’ The notorious ‘Mirotvorets’ database labeled Keir Simmons a pro-Russian “propagandist” for reporting from Crimea NBC News correspondent Keir Simmons has been placed on the Ukrainian state-linked ‘Mirotvorets’ (Peacemaker) blacklist for “crimes” against the country. The government in Kiev has also announced it was investigating the British journalist after he filed a report from Crimea on Tuesday. “Visiting the temporarily occupied Crimea from the territory of the Russian Federation is a violation of the legislation of Ukraine,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko said on Wednesday. Violators are subject to legal liability, such as being “banned from entering Ukraine for such actions,” he added. Meanwhile, the Mirotvorets website has published a photo of Simmons and his personal details, accusing the reporter of “violating Ukraine’s sovereignty,” participating in Russian propaganda, and “attempted legalization of the occupation.” Simmons traveled to the Crimean peninsula by train from Moscow, across the Kerch Bridge, which he described as having been “blown up in a strategic and symbolic blow” to Russia last October, but is “now fully restored.” He then tuned in to an NBC newscast live from Sevastopol, claiming it was “the closest any US news crew has got to the Russian Black Sea Fleet in many, many years.” Speaking with NBC’s Andrea Mitchell, Simmons expressed doubt about US officials’ hopes that Crimea would be “demilitarized” or taken by Ukrainian troops. Simmons also insinuated that Russia has somehow intimidated local residents, even though they explicitly told him otherwise. - https://twitter.com/KanekoaTheGreat/status/1631046414926225408 - The US government has not yet commented on Ukraine targeting a journalist from a major corporate outlet. Neither has the UK, even though Simmons is a British national. Mirotvorets, which claims to be based in “Warsaw, Poland and Langley, Virginia” – the headquarters of the CIA – is a notorious website that posts private information of individuals labeled enemies of Ukraine without any process or trial. It was established in August 2014, as Kiev launched its “anti-terrorist operation” against civilians in Donbass, and allegedly maintains ties with Ukrainian and Western security services. “This kill list is maintained by the Ukrainian Ministry of Interior, which lists an address in Langley, Virginia, has an IP in Brussels,” said American political activist Jackson Hinkle, who was also added to the database on Wednesday. Hinkle noted that Mirotvorets celebrated last year’s assassination of Russian journalist Darya Dugina, which US intelligence has reportedly blamed on sections of the Ukrainian government. Several prominent people were killed after the site declared them public enemies, including writer and historian Oles Buzina and politician Oleg Kalashnikov. Western media outlets mostly ignored its existence until 2016, when Mirotvorets targeted dozens of journalists and human right activists for daring to operate in the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics. The move drew condemnation from the OSCE, which declared it “simply unacceptable for journalists to be threatened for what they say or write.” More recently, Mirotvorets has targeted Croatian President Zoran Milanovic, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, retired US diplomat Henry Kissinger, and rock musician Roger Waters, for deviating from the official narratives about the conflict. The US and its allies have continued to send weapons and money to Ukraine, claiming Kiev is fighting for “democracy” and “freedom.” https://www.rt.com/russia/572294-ukraine-kill-list-journalist/

Russia, Bryansk - terrorist attack. https://rumble.com/v2bgotc-ukrainian-terrorists-attack-russian-bryansk-region.html?mref=6zof&mrefc=5 Donbass, Donetsk republic, Russian advance. Fighting intensifies near the strategic town of Ugledar in Donetsk Republic, as the Russian military reports 80 Ukrainian troops killed on that front over the past day. Overall the losses are high in terms of men and equipment/materiel. Whole towns and villages have also been destroyed. The next job is to reconstruct the regions which have been subject to the shelling and for people to go back home. Sami Abudiab talks to some of the prospective new-home residents. - Terrorist attack - please see posts below for up to date details - ongoing news not on this video post - will be on next post 20:00 -- As the collective west continue to arm Ukraine, the Nord Steam 2 sabotage still remains un-investigated formally with only one point being crystal clear, it was sabotage and an act of war carried out by a NATO member state. A piece of civilian infrastructure, built at the request of German government, it's destruction will adversely affect the lives of every citizen in Europe and Britain. Rory speaks with Pepe Escobar and asks "will the truth ever come out" - India, G20 FM's meeting: "The world is facing a multilateral crisis, global governance has failed" India's Prime Minister Modi delivers a powerful warning to world powers at the G20 foreign ministers' meeting in New Delhi, as he calls for the global community to support developing nations. Runjun Sharma reports on what is looking to be a real landmark conference with no holds barred. - Africa, Pres. Macron tour: France's President Macron sets out on a tour of Africa amid deteriorating relations and rising sentiments against the former colonial power on the continent. France has been asked to remove itself from several African nations recently after protests from citizens which couldn't be ignored. RT speaks to some of the people protesting Pres. Macron's visit to DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo). Karabo Letlhatlha reports. Soumaila Lah discusses from Bamako, Mali. - Mexico: Mexico has more democracy than the U.S. - that's the sentiment coming from Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Mexico's president, citing the US.'s propensity to overuse the Monroe doctrine as if Mexico is the U.S.'s back yard and should hold some power over the sovereign country. Daniel Shaw discusses and say it's time for Mexico to stand up against those who would seek to impose their controls from other countries. Multipolar world. - The US government issues a report saying Russia is unlikely to have been involved in the so-called Havana Syndrome incidents, in which American diplomats in Cuba developed mysterious illnesses. (QS still no evidence ever supplied by UK .gov to Russia or anyone else, to substantiate the claims of "Novichok" ever having been used anywhere, let alone in Britain. the "Skripal Incident" took place in 2018. Since then a policeman is said to have been a victim of Russia's Novichok and a lady with a drug habit called Dawn Sturgess who is allegedly said to have died after her husband gave her a perfume bottle containing some which he put under the kitchen sink. Nada. Not even blood samples. Nobody officially knows where the Skripals are either) **"chirping crickets"**. Ray McGovern talks about the propensity of U.S. to demonise Russia for just about everything ============================================ Below via RT website - -- - - - - - A) --- Russian forces eliminating Ukrainian saboteurs that violated border – FSB B) --- Putin condemns ‘terrorist attack’ 1) --- Russian security chief addresses foreign-backed ‘revolutions’ 2) --- NBC journalist added to Ukrainian ‘kill list’ 2a) --- *** 'Peacemaker' of death:*** This Ukrainian website threatens hundreds of thousands with extrajudicial killings — some are Americans and it's run by the CIA on behalf of Ukraine government. 3) --- remember the tank ? It's moved to Estonia. 3a) --- Estonian towns ‘reluctant’ to host destroyed Russian tank – media 4) --- Lavrov blasts Western critics at G20 5) --- Moscow issues warning of nuclear clash 6) --- US rallying allies for new China sanctions – Reuters 7) --- West pressuring UAE to stop trading with Russia – FT 8) --- Danish mayor defends decision not to sack Russian-born teacher 9) --- US has Iran war plan – media 10) --- Russia’s debt-to-GDP lowest in G20 – data - 2 Mar, 2023 14:13 +++++++++ 11) --- Russian security service comments on Ukrainian saboteur attack BREAKING 2 Mar, 2023 - =================================================== 2 Mar, 2023 09:52 A) --- Russian forces eliminating Ukrainian saboteurs that violated border – FSB The Bryansk region governor earlier said at least one man had been killed by a group of attackers Russian forces are conducting an operation against a group of Ukrainian saboteurs that intruded across the border into Bryansk region, the Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Thursday. In a statement, the service said that “the FSB and the attached forces of the Russian Ministry of Defense are taking measures to destroy armed Ukrainian nationalists who violated the state border” in the Klimovsky district of Bryansk region. Earlier in the day, Aleksandr Bogomaz, the region's governor, said that a group of Ukrainian operatives had launched a raid into the area and that the group attacked a moving car, killing one person and injuring a ten-year-old child. Some media reports suggested that the saboteurs also had taken several local residents hostage, a claim that has not been confirmed by local authorities. Russia’s regions bordering Ukraine have been repeatedly attacked by Kiev's forces in recent months. On Thursday, Kursk governor Roman Starovoit wrote in a Telegram post that Ukrainian troops had shelled a local village. Kursk officials confirmed that one person was killed in the attack. https://www.rt.com/russia/572314-russian-forces-eliminate-ukrainian-saboteurs/ ++++ ++++ 2 Mar, 2023 08:38 Russian governor reports Ukrainian attack on border villages A few dozen ‘saboteurs’ have allegedly targeted two settlements near the countries’ shared frontier - A group of Ukrainian operatives has launched a raid across the border in Russia’s Bryansk Region, local governor Aleksandr Bogomaz claimed on Thursday. Fighting is reportedly ongoing in two border villages, Lyubechane and Sushany, which are about 20km apart. There is also unconfirmed information about deaths and injuries. Writing on Telegram, Bogomaz stated that “today a sabotage-reconnaissance group intruded from Ukraine." “Saboteurs fired at a moving car. As a result of the attack, one local resident was killed, with a ten-year-old child wounded,” he added. The child has been taken to hospital, the official said. Russian forces “are taking all the necessary measures to eliminate the saboteur group,” Bogomaz added, without providing details on how many apparently Ukrainian personnel had taken part in the alleged attack. The group is said to have attacked a school bus, a claim which has not been verified. Other unconfirmed reports indicated that the children were rescued by eyewitnesses. A passing car picked up three children, including a wounded boy who was shot in the back, reports claimed. Unconfirmed reports on social media suggested that the region has been attacked by two Ukrainian groups with a combined strength of 50, who took an unspecified number of residents hostage in the village of Sushany. It was also reported that security forces are confronting the attackers. There has been no official confirmation of the claims, although Bogomaz claimed that Kiev had earlier staged a drone attack on Sushany. https://www.rt.com/russia/572307-ukrainian-saboteurs-stage-attack-russian-territory/ ================= ++++ ++++ 2 Mar, 2023 09:08 Russian regions come under mortar fire from Ukraine Kiev’s forces have carried out artillery and mortar strikes against civilian buildings in Russia’s Bryansk and Kursk regions, officials report Villages in the Russian regions of Kursk and Bryansk came under heavy artillery fire from Kiev’s forces, the governors of the two regions neighboring Ukraine reported on Thursday morning. The attacks have damaged several residential buildings and civilian structures. Several people have reportedly been killed or injured. Kursk governor Roman Starovoit wrote in a Telegram post that Kiev’s troops had shelled the village of Tetkino, which is on the Russian-Ukrainan border. At 11:17am local time he reported that the attack was still ongoing and that Russian forces were returning fire. He also noted that there had been casualties from the attack and that emergency services had been dispatched to the area. Kursk officials have since confirmed that one person was killed and another was injured in the attack on Tetkino. At the same time, Bryansk governor Aleksandr Bogomaz reported that the villages of Sushany and Lomakovka were also attacked using mortars and drones, which damaged several residential buildings. No casualties have so far been reported there, according to the governor. While the shelling was taking place, a group of Ukrainians launched a raid in Bryansk region, attacking a vehicle and reportedly killing at least one person and injuring a ten-year-old child, according to Bogomaz. He added that Russian forces were taking all required measures to eliminate the saboteur group. Russian regions bordering Ukraine have repeatedly come under attack from Kiev’s artillery and drones since Moscow launched its military operation in the country one year ago. The strikes have targeted energy infrastructure and residential areas, destroying civilian buildings and leading to a number of civilian casualties. https://www.rt.com/russia/572310-russian-regions-artillery-fire/ ============ 2 Mar, 2023 12:36 B) --- Putin condemns ‘terrorist attack’ Gunmen attacked civilians after crossing the border, the Russian president said President Vladimir Putin has described as a “terrorist attack” an incident in Russia’s Bryansk Region that involved Ukrainian saboteurs. The statement came after the regional governor and national security service reported a cross-border raid targeting two settlements earlier on Thursday. Gunmen “infiltrated the border area and opened fire at civilians. They could see the vehicle was civilian, that civilians were inside, children… and opened fire,” the Russian leader said. Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, earlier told journalists that “measures are being taken to destroy these terrorists.” He added that Moscow will continue “to draw the attention of the global public to the terrorist attacks that these people conduct.” Russian officials accused Kiev of using terrorist tactics after a powerful explosion at the Crimean Bridge in October killed three civilians and damaged the structure. Putin said at the time that it was the latest Ukrainian attack against crucial Russian infrastructure. The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) accused Ukrainian military intelligence of executing the bombing. Another high-profile incident which Russian investigators pinned on the Ukrainian government was the August assassination of Darya Dugina, whose car was blown up near Moscow. Dugina was a political activist and the daughter of philosopher Aleksandr Dugin, whom Western media have described as a prominent Russian nationalist. Putin mentioned Dugina on Thursday and said that people like the ones who carried out her murder were also responsible for the latest raid. The leader identified them as “neo-Nazis and terrorists” as he praised Russian troops for defending the country from them. Bryansk Region Governor Aleksandr Bogomaz claimed that “a sabotage-reconnaissance group intruded from Ukraine” earlier in the day and targeted two villages. He said the infiltrators fired at a moving car, killing a local resident. https://www.rt.com/russia/572321-kremlin-bryansk-region-raid/ ============================================== 2 Mar, 2023 08:41 Nikolay Patrushev spoke in Cuba, which is another country subject to US economic restrictions Nikolay Patrushev, the secretary of Russia’s Security Council, met with Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel in Havana on Wednesday. They discussed ways to counter foreign meddling, with both nations now living under sweeping US sanctions. During his trip, Patrushev spoke about measures against the “destructive activities” of NGOs and so-called “color revolutions,” according to a statement from the Security Council. In this context, the term “color revolution” describes a Western-backed coup. The two sides also spoke about cooperation against drug and human trafficking, as well as other forms of organized crime. Patrushev also met with Cuban Interior Minister Lazaro Alberto Alvarez Casas and former President Raul Castro. The Russian security chief also visited Venezuela on Tuesday, where he had a meeting with President Nicolas Maduro and spoke about “unprecedented pressure” by the US on Moscow’s partners. A Russian ally since the Soviet times, Cuba has refused to condemn Moscow’s military operation in Ukraine and blamed the US for provoking the hostilities. “We denounce the sanctions against Russia and the sources of the current conflict… make no mistake, Russia is not responsible,” Diaz-Canel said in November during his meeting with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Diaz-Canel argued that both countries were subjected to Washington’s “unjust” economic restrictions. The island nation has been living under a US trade embargo since 1962. Diaz-Canel called the expansion of NATO closer to Russian borders “unacceptable.” Moscow has maintained that the US-led bloc’s military infrastructure near its western border is a threat. Russian officials have cited the growing military ties between Ukraine and NATO members as one of the key reasons for the conflict. https://www.rt.com/russia/572306-russia-cuba-color-revolutions/ =============================================== 2 Mar, 2023 00:22 2) --- NBC journalist added to Ukrainian ‘kill list’ The notorious ‘Mirotvorets’ database labeled Keir Simmons a pro-Russian “propagandist” for reporting from Crimea NBC News correspondent Keir Simmons has been placed on the Ukrainian state-linked ‘Mirotvorets’ (Peacemaker) blacklist for “crimes” against the country. The government in Kiev has also announced it was investigating the British journalist after he filed a report from Crimea on Tuesday. “Visiting the temporarily occupied Crimea from the territory of the Russian Federation is a violation of the legislation of Ukraine,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko said on Wednesday. Violators are subject to legal liability, such as being “banned from entering Ukraine for such actions,” he added. Meanwhile, the Mirotvorets website has published a photo of Simmons and his personal details, accusing the reporter of “violating Ukraine’s sovereignty,” participating in Russian propaganda, and “attempted legalization of the occupation.” Simmons traveled to the Crimean peninsula by train from Moscow, across the Kerch Bridge, which he described as having been “blown up in a strategic and symbolic blow” to Russia last October, but is “now fully restored.” He then tuned in to an NBC newscast live from Sevastopol, claiming it was “the closest any US news crew has got to the Russian Black Sea Fleet in many, many years.” Speaking with NBC’s Andrea Mitchell, Simmons expressed doubt about US officials’ hopes that Crimea would be “demilitarized” or taken by Ukrainian troops. Simmons also insinuated that Russia has somehow intimidated local residents, even though they explicitly told him otherwise. - https://twitter.com/KanekoaTheGreat/status/1631046414926225408 - The US government has not yet commented on Ukraine targeting a journalist from a major corporate outlet. Neither has the UK, even though Simmons is a British national. Mirotvorets, which claims to be based in “Warsaw, Poland and Langley, Virginia” – the headquarters of the CIA – is a notorious website that posts private information of individuals labeled enemies of Ukraine without any process or trial. It was established in August 2014, as Kiev launched its “anti-terrorist operation” against civilians in Donbass, and allegedly maintains ties with Ukrainian and Western security services. “This kill list is maintained by the Ukrainian Ministry of Interior, which lists an address in Langley, Virginia, has an IP in Brussels,” said American political activist Jackson Hinkle, who was also added to the database on Wednesday. Hinkle noted that Mirotvorets celebrated last year’s assassination of Russian journalist Darya Dugina, which US intelligence has reportedly blamed on sections of the Ukrainian government. Several prominent people were killed after the site declared them public enemies, including writer and historian Oles Buzina and politician Oleg Kalashnikov. Western media outlets mostly ignored its existence until 2016, when Mirotvorets targeted dozens of journalists and human right activists for daring to operate in the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics. The move drew condemnation from the OSCE, which declared it “simply unacceptable for journalists to be threatened for what they say or write.” More recently, Mirotvorets has targeted Croatian President Zoran Milanovic, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, retired US diplomat Henry Kissinger, and rock musician Roger Waters, for deviating from the official narratives about the conflict. The US and its allies have continued to send weapons and money to Ukraine, claiming Kiev is fighting for “democracy” and “freedom.” https://www.rt.com/russia/572294-ukraine-kill-list-journalist/ ==================== 26 Aug, 2022 10:54 2a) --- *** 'Peacemaker' of death:*** This Ukrainian website threatens hundreds of thousands with extrajudicial killings — some are AmericanS and it's run by the CIA on behalf of Ukraine government. Mirotvorets, which compiles lists of ‘enemies of Ukraine’, has been operating with impunity for eight years For the last eight years, a group of publicly unknown activists in Ukraine have been compiling lists of ‘enemies of the people’ with impunity. Hundreds of thousands have been declared criminals without trial. Among them are not only Russian citizens, but also Ukrainian opposition figures and bloggers, European politicians, and US citizens. At the very least, being added to this list is a stigma that makes life difficult in Ukraine, but it can also serve as justification for imprisonment or, in some cases, even being killed. This is exactly what happened last weekend to Daria Dugina, daughter of world-famous Russian philosopher Alexander Dugin, who’s name also can be found on that list. RT explains what is behind the Mirotvorets, or ‘Peacemaker’, website, whose creators seek to bring ‘peace’ to their country with the help of extrajudicial killings, and why the Ukrainian authorities have done nothing about this despite condemnation from the international community. - What is Mirotvorets? - The main page of the Ukrainian Mirotvorets website proclaims that the outlet represents a ‘Center for Research of Signs of Crimes against the National Security of Ukraine, Peace, Humanity, and the International Law’. It claims to have been created by a group of academics, journalists, and other specialists. However, their names are known to no one, and the outfit itself has never even been officially registered in Ukraine. Nevertheless, this organization has been in operation for nine years, since August 2014. And although it positions itself as “independent, non-state media,” government officials still had a hand in its creation. In fact, the website emerged at the initiative of Anton Gerashchenko, a former adviser to the Ukrainian minister of internal affairs. Mirotvorets’ activities boil down to publishing personal information on people who the site’s administrators consider a threat, in one way or another, to Ukrainian statehood. The site’s owners urge the country’s law enforcement agencies to take note of the personal data and activities of the people it lists. However, street radicals sometimes also take heed of Mirotvorets’ lists. And every time someone unlucky enough to have had his or her home address or other personal data revealed turns up dead, the site is updated: the name of the deceased now appears in bright flickering letters reminiscent of a Las Vegas casino, and the person’s photo is crossed out with the callous inscription: ‘liquidated’. For example, the current Mirotvorets’ web page design displays this way the data of the Russian journalist Darya Dugina, daughter of the philosopher Aleksandr, who was brutally killed last weekend in her own car. Despite the accusations from the Russian FSB, Ukraine denies any involvement in that murder. On Mirotvorets, however, Dugina’s death is described with a brief, dehumanizing commentary, along with a conspiracy theory: “Liquidated by the special services of fascist russia (sic) due to interspecies disagreements.” - Who gets on the Mirotvorets lists and how? - According to the site’s administrators, “the sources of information used by the Mirotvorets Center for ongoing academic research are publicly available materials that are printed and posted on social networks, web publications, private web pages, and specialized forums and blogs, as well as radio and TV broadcasts.” However, it’s not that simple. In 2017, the site launched its IDentigraF facial recognition system, which was funded by donors from 40 countries, according to the center’s editorial board. This database contains more than 2 million images of “persons who have committed crimes against Ukraine and its citizens.” In addition, up until 2016, the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), and other law enforcement agencies in the country were among Mirotvorets’ partners. One can’t help but conclude that the personal information of the people who ended up in ‘Purgatory’ – a section of the site where personal information, including addresses, phone numbers, and documents, is published – were not obtained solely from social networks and newspapers. As of 2019, when the latest Mirotvorets report was published, the site contained data on “more than 30,000 Russian war criminals”, “more than 70,000 terrorists, militants, mercenaries, members of illegal armed formations and private armies controlled by the Russian aggressor”, “about 40,000 flagrant violators of Ukraine’s national borders”, “more than 44,000 traitors to the Motherland”, “more than 6,000 anti-Ukrainian propagandists”, etc. In total, nearly 200,000 people have been declared ‘criminals’ over the five years. However, these figures are far from complete since the site continues to collect personal information on a daily basis. Recently, participants in Russia’s Special Military Operation to demilitarize Ukraine, as well as Russian politicians, have been added to the list – although to an insufficient extent, according to the website’s creators, who support the official government in Kiev. - Presumption of guilt - Mirotvorets’ creators claim that the center “carries out its activities in strict accordance with the current legislation of Ukraine and international legal acts ratified by our state.” As an example, they refer to Article 17 of the Constitution of Ukraine, which obliges citizens to protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country. In legally justifying its activities, Mirotvorets refers to laws on information, terrorism, and privacy, as well as the ‘Convention on the Protection of Individuals with regard to Automated Processing of Personal Data’ adopted in 1981. However, the articles cited in the above-mentioned pieces of legislation have been chosen very selectively, with an emphasis on “protecting the security of the state.” Legally speaking, the Mirotvorets’ approach is very controversial. First of all, one of the basic principles of justice is the presumption of innocence, which is reflected, in particular, in the Council of Europe’s ‘Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms’. Among the crimes for which Mirotvorets collects data are “impingement on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine”, being a “traitor to the Motherland”, “aiding militants and terrorists”, disseminating “war propaganda”, “inciting ethnic hatred, fascism, or anti-Semitism,” etc., which are included in the Criminal Code of Ukraine. However, only a court can find a person guilty of such acts, whereas Mirotvorets has no such authority. Mirotvorets not only accuses people of committing ‘crimes’ but also includes more abstract offenses in its lists, such as producing “anti-Ukrainian propaganda” and “participating in anti-Ukrainian propaganda events.” The list even has a section for “agents of influence of the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine.” However, such areas are regulated by articles 9-11 of the ‘European Convention on Human Rights’, which concern freedom of expression, conscience, religion, thought, assembly, and association. The Mirotvorets center’s administrators are essentially seeking to deprive people whose opinions and beliefs do not suit them of their right to expression. In addition, in the site’s ‘On Interaction and Cooperation with the Center’ section, there is a sample form for reporting personal information on ‘criminals’ and their relatives, which includes fields for addresses, phone numbers, photos, links to social network profiles, and their ‘crime’ (i.e., categorization as ‘militant’ or ‘terrorist’), all without trial or investigation. The ‘criminals’ on public display, along with their wives, children, and parents, don’t even know they’re in ‘Purgatory’, let alone given a chance to defend themselves or cross-examine witnesses and confront their accusers. A scandal in the noble family As long as Mirotvorets was limiting itself to publishing information on Ukrainian citizens living in Crimea and Donbass, Ukrainian opposition politicians and journalists, and Russian residents and officials, the odious organization went unnoticed in the ‘civilized world’. But a scandal erupted in 2016, when Mirotvorets published information on employees of a host of media outlets, including the BBC, Reuters, Al Jazeera, AFP, Le Monde, the Guardian, Le Figaro, France 24, El Mundo, CBS News, CNN, Sky News, The Daily Telegraph, The Times, Cheska Televize, Radio France, Channel 9 Australia, the Associated Press, Japan TV, the Daily Mail, Die Welt, the Washington Post and New York Times, as well as representatives of Human Rights Watch and many other organizations, for “cooperating with a terrorist organization" (i.e., the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics). US State Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau noted at the time that the US was “very concerned about the hacking of a database and publication of personal information about journalists in combat areas.” “It is simply unacceptable for journalists to be threatened for what they say or write. Governments should do everything possible to ensure the safety of journalists. A wave of online threats against journalists worsens the situation,” said Dunja Mijatovic, OSCE representative on Freedom of the Media. In addition to journalists and human rights defenders, politicians have also made it into Mirotvorets’ database. The website published information on German Bundestag deputies who visited Crimea, a list that includes Evgeny Schmidt, Rainer Balzer, Gunar Lindeman, Harold Latch, Nick Vogel, Helmut Seifen, and Blakes Christian. Ten US citizens, as well as French actor Samy Naceri, were relegated to ‘Purgatory’ for the same ‘offense’. According to the website, the Greek ‘enemies of Ukraine’ include former Energy Minister Panagiotis Lafazanis, cartoonist Stathis Stavropoulos, retired Air Force Lieutenant General Pavlos Hristou, and ‘Russian Athens’ editor Pavel Onoiko. While former Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras also visited Crimea, he was removed from the database after expressing support for Petro Poroshenko. Top-tier politicians are also represented in Mirotvorets’ lists. Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder can be found there, while Croatian President Zoran Milanovic and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban have also been recently added, as has authoritative American diplomat Henry Kissinger. Inclusion in the Mirotvorets list has been used as a justification for threats directed not only against ordinary citizens and journalists, but politicians as well. As the infamous and recently recalled Ukrainian ambassador to Germany, Andrey Melnyk, wrote, "an irresponsible trip of several would-be deputies can carry very, very unfortunate legal consequences for them. It is a pity that our warnings are still not taken seriously. Well, we’ll see.” In turn, Benjamin Moreau, deputy head of the UN’s human rights monitoring mission in Ukraine, stressed that the problem is moving from a purely legal to a practical one: some banks refuse to issue loans to persons included in the Mirotvorets database. Ten US citizens, as well as French actor Samy Naceri, were relegated to ‘Purgatory’ for the same ‘offense’. According to the website, the Greek ‘enemies of Ukraine’ include former Energy Minister Panagiotis Lafazanis, cartoonist Stathis Stavropoulos, retired Air Force Lieutenant General Pavlos Hristou, and ‘Russian Athens’ editor Pavel Onoiko. While former Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras also visited Crimea, he was removed from the database after expressing support for Petro Poroshenko. Top-tier politicians are also represented in Mirotvorets’ lists. Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder can be found there, while Croatian President Zoran Milanovic and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban have also been recently added, as has authoritative American diplomat Henry Kissinger. The uproar involving the murders of opposition politician Oleg Kalashnikov and journalist Olesya Buzina after their addresses were published in the Mirotvorets database is widely known. Of course, the word ‘after’ does not necessarily mean ‘due to’, but the creators of the notorious center played along. In commenting on these murders, they wrote: “Agent 404 has distinguished himself again. He has been granted a short-term leave for the successful completion of today’s combat mission.” - Closing Mirotvorets - There have been repeated demands to shut down the website. In 2018, Germany joined the chorus of journalists and human rights activists protesting Gerhard Schroeder’s inclusion in the database. According to the Cabinet of Ministers, “the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany most definitely condemns Mirotvorets and demands that the Ukrainian government and authorities assist in its removal.” In February of 2021, the European Parliament approved a resolution stating: “The EP regrets that the political climate in the country has deteriorated when intimidation, hate speech and political pressure are widely used for political purposes; urges the authorities to strongly condemn and ban the activities of extremist and hateful groups and websites, such as Mirotvorets, which create tension in society and misuse the personal data of hundreds of people, including journalists, politicians and members of minority groups.” But so far, calls for the closure of Mirotvorets have, in fact, been limited to a chorus of journalists, human rights defenders, and parliamentarians, who lack the power to make legally binding decisions with respect to Ukraine. This issue is not included among the list of requirements put forth by the Council of Europe or the European Commission that Kiev must fulfil in order to implement the EU Association Agreement. Allocation of European and American assistance to Ukraine for carrying out reforms has not been made contingent on closing down Mirotvorets, nor have measures been taken to pressure the Kiev authorities to respect privacy and the presumption of innocence. With the Western authorities turning a blind eye, the Ukrainian government has been able to ignore the activities of the scandalous site and dismiss demands from international human rights defenders by coming up with various pretenses. For example, in response to demands by the UN for it to be shut down, Dmitry Razumkov, the ex-speaker of Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, said that the Rada does not have the authority to close media outlets. Nevertheless, when the Ukrainian authorities want to shut down certain media outlets, they do not hesitate to do so. For example, the National Security and Defense Council granted Zelensky the ability to close the 112 Ukraine, NewsOne, and ZIK opposition TV channels, and subsequently First Independent and UKRLIVE, as well as an online publication called Strana, among other media outlets. The Mirotvorets site is still up and continually updated with new data to this day. https://www.rt.com/russia/560965-ukrainian-mirotvorets-website/ (QS update, 2.3.2023 - as of today the Mirotvorets website is still active and now contains the names of peace organisations such as LaRouche / Schiller Institute and some of the people working for them and just yesterday I watched a show from "Ask the Inspector and Scott Ritter announced his name have been elevated to the top of the list. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXpu_QYZlOs Upon bringing this up to my MP and local government leader in Wales, me and others have been studiously ignored.) =============================================== 3) --- remember the tank ? It's moved to Estonia. Estonia annually celebrates the Nazi SS, in case anyone didn't know this. It was put on hold for just one year, during COVID https://twitter.com/ArthurM40330824/status/1629986777141325825 - ==== 1 Mar, 2023 22:00 3a) --- Estonian towns ‘reluctant’ to host destroyed Russian tank – media The Baltic nation’s Defense Ministry has planned a ‘tour’ for the military vehicle handed over by Ukraine A plan by the Estonian Defense Ministry to stage a “tour” of a destroyed Russian tank through several Estonian cities has faced opposition from the local authorities. Some of them called it a political stunt ahead of upcoming elections, while others treated it like a “natural disaster,” the Postimees newspaper reported on Tuesday. “After all, we all understand that it is propaganda,” said Triin Varek, the mayor of the northern Estonian city of Rakvere, adding that it would be out of place ahead of the parliamentary elections scheduled for early March. “At any other time, yes, please. But at the moment, this tank would be inappropriate between the political parties’ election tents,” Varek stated. She insisted that the city “has not given permission to the Ministry of Defense to organize a public event.” The head of Estonia’s north-eastern region of Johvi, which includes a city of the same name, opposed the idea of the tank being placed on display. Some local government officials believe “the tank should not be brought here at all,” Maris Toomel, the Johvi municipal head, told the media, adding that the region has a sizable Russian-speaking community and the exhibition could lead to “confrontation.” According to Postimees, the Estonian cities of Johvi, Narva, and Rakvere have “explicitly refused” to host the exhibition and the south-western port city of Parnu is still “considering” the proposal. Other cities such as Tartu and Viljandi have agreed to the Defense Ministry’s idea, the media outlet said. The ministry insisted on Tuesday that it would not change the exhibition plan despite opposition from local authorities, according to Postimees. “The cities that have demonstrated an interest in hosting the tank have not changed their minds,” the ministry told the newspaper, adding that an exact route of the “tour” would be revealed shortly. The tank, which arrived in Estonia from Ukraine and was put on display in a central square of the Estonian capital of Tallinn over the weekend, has already sparked controversy, with some locals laying flowers by it, much to the dismay of the authorities. On Tuesday, Estonian police fined a man after he refused to remove flowers he had placed at the tank, despite repeated demands from officers, Postimees reported. https://www.rt.com/russia/572292-estonia-destroyed-russian-tank-exhibition/ =============================================== 2 Mar, 2023 13:00 4) --- Lavrov blasts Western critics at G20 Detractors of Moscow have turned the work of the global forum “into a circus,” the Russian FM has said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has apologized to India for the behavior of some members of the G20, who, in his words, “turned into a circus” work on the group’s agenda in an attempt to blame Moscow for their own mismanagement. New Delhi currently holds the rotating presidency of the club of the world’s leading economic powers. Lavrov expressed his embarrassment to the host and other countries from the “global South” during a summit of member state foreign ministers being held at the presidential palace in the capital on Thursday. The attacks against Moscow at the G20 look “particularly wild” coming from nations who “never complained at [the organization’s] meetings over the many hundreds of thousands of victims of Washington’s adventures in the Middle East, which were conducted under a pretext of national security” thousands of miles from American soil, Lavrov remarked. Western officials have accused Russia of launching an “unprovoked attack” on Ukraine and causing a spike in global energy and food prices as a result. They have used several G20 events over the past year to express their views. Moscow has argued that the root cause of the market turbulence is ultra-loose monetary policy by the US following the Covid-19-triggered economic slowdown. The top Russian diplomat blasted the US and its allies for trying to replace international law with “voluntarist rules and double standards.” He urged the world to drop the “flawed logic of domination, diktat and sanctions” in favor of a fair multipolar arrangement, in which civilizational diversity is respected. “We need to guard against illegal sanctions, manipulation of markets, arbitrary price caps and other attempts to appropriate other parties’ resources,” he stated. Western policies are “degrading international economic relations, weaponizing them,” Lavrov stated. He said Russia was shocked by the “unpunished sabotage” against the Nord Stream pipelines, which happened “in NATO‘s and the EU’s zone of responsibility” and called for an international investigation, in which all stakeholders, including Moscow, would play a role. The ministerial meeting was opened with a recorded message from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who called for a “unity of purpose and unity of action” by G20 states to overcome a crisis in post-World War II international architecture. He urged the participants of the summit to overcome their differences toward achieving that goal. https://www.rt.com/russia/572318-lavrov-g20-western-nations/ =============================================== 2 Mar, 2023 13:02 5) --- Moscow issues warning of nuclear clash The West’s involvement in the Ukraine conflict could lead to “catastrophic consequences,” Russia’s deputy foreign minister has said Washington’s efforts to add fuel to the Ukraine conflict could potentially trigger a direct nuclear standoff, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov warned on Thursday. Speaking on the sidelines of the Geneva Conference on Disarmament, Ryabkov said “the most acute strategic threat comes from” the policies of the US and NATO, which seek to “further stoke the conflict in Ukraine and [tensions] around it which they deliberately initiated.” Against this backdrop, the senior diplomat warned that the “increased involvement” of the US and NATO in hostilities was “fraught with the threat of a direct military clash of nuclear powers with catastrophic consequences.” Ryabkov said Moscow had alerted Western countries about these risks but that its warnings “are being distorted for propaganda purposes” and deliberately misinterpreted. He went on to add that such policies are at odds with nuclear states’ declaration that a nuclear conflict should never be fought. In January 2022, in a rare display of unity, five nuclear powers – Russia, China, the US, UK, and France – issued a joint statement saying that they “consider the avoidance of war between Nuclear-Weapon States and the reduction of strategic risks” as their foremost responsibilities. The diplomat added that the “destructive actions” by the US and its allies are fomenting tension in several regions across the world, which suggests that “we can talk about the growing global struggle for a new world order,” Ryabkov added. All of these developments “make it harder and harder to deal with arms control and strategic risk reduction,” according to Ryabkov. His comments come after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced last month that Moscow would suspend its participation in the New START treaty, the last remaining nuclear deal between Russia and the US, which puts restrictions on the number of nuclear assets deployed by the two sides around the world. Explaining the reason for the move, Putin said that the West had denied under formal pretexts Moscow’s requests to inspect Western nuclear facilities in accordance with the treaty. At the same time, he noted that NATO countries were demanding access to Russia’s strategic facilities. Earlier this week, Anatoly Antonov, Russia’s ambassador to the US, said that Washington must reconsider “its hostile anti-Russian policy” to “create conditions for a return to full-scale operation of New START.” https://www.rt.com/russia/572325-moscow-warning-nuclear-clash/ ================================================ 2 Mar, 2023 05:34 6) --- US rallying allies for new China sanctions – Reuters A proposal from Beijing to end the fighting in Ukraine has been met by ramped-up threats and accusations from Washington The US is coordinating with its close allies to impose new sanctions on China should it decide to support the Russian military campaign in Ukraine, according to Reuters. Beijing has rejected claims that it intends to offer lethal aid to Moscow, and recently unveiled a plan seeking a peaceful settlement to the conflict. Washington is in “consultations” with foreign partners, namely those from the G7 nations, regarding new economic penalties, several unnamed US officials told the outlet on Wednesday. They declined to provide details about the potential sanctions, only confirming that discussions are “laying the groundwork for potential action.” The report follows repeated warnings toward China from the US and other Western nations, which claim Beijing intends to supply weapons to Russian forces for the campaign against Ukraine. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg echoed the charges during a recent interview with the Associated Press, saying “we have seen some signs that they may be planning for that,” but without offering evidence. On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken declared that Washington would “not hesitate” to target Chinese firms with sanctions in the event that Beijing supplies lethal aid to Moscow. Blinken insisted the move would carry “implications and consequences,” adding that he had raised the issue with top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi when they met at the Munich Security Conference last month. China has dismissed the claims as “groundless speculation,” arguing that it does not intend to provide weapons to Russian troops and accusing Washington of hypocrisy. “The US has no right to dictate China-Russia relations, and we will never accept coercion and pressure from the US,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Monday. She went on to observe that Washington, not Beijing, has been “pouring lethal weapons into the battlefield in Ukraine.” While Western nations have long pressured China to sever ties with Russia, accusations toward Beijing have only grown louder since it unveiled a 12-point roadmap for a diplomatic settlement for the conflict in Ukraine last month. Moscow has signaled willingness to “carefully analyze” the details of the proposal, though US officials quickly rejected the plan, claiming Beijing has adopted “Russia’s false narrative about the war” and is not “serious” about ending hostilities. https://www.politico.com/news/2023/02/24/united-states-china-ukraine-00084384 - https://www.rt.com/news/572297-us-allies-china-sanctions/ ============================================== 2 Mar, 2023 13:02 7) --- West pressuring UAE to stop trading with Russia – FT Washington views the surge in electronics exports to Moscow as potential sanctions evasion Western countries are seeking to compel the United Arab Emirates to stop exporting critical goods to Russia, particularly electronics, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday, citing sources. According to the report, Washington believes these exports, which have recently spiked in volume, can be used for military purposes in Russia’s operation in Ukraine. Officials are concerned that the UAE is being used as a “re-exporting” hub through which certain goods are sold in order to evade Western sanctions on Moscow. The news outlet notes that a number of officials from the US, EU, and UK have already approached the UAE authorities in order to clarify the trade restrictions that were placed on Russia throughout the past year and urge them to stop what they suspect to be sanctions evasion. “Our main request [to the UAE] is that they stop the re-exports [and] acknowledge these re-exports are problematic,” an unnamed official close to the discussions told the FT, noting that “conversations are continuing.” The UAE is home to one of the world’s biggest transshipment hubs, the Jebel Ali port in Dubai, and is Russia’s largest Gulf trading partner, accounting for 55% of total trade between Russia and the Gulf countries. UAE exports of electronic parts to Russia grew more than sevenfold in 2022, amounting to nearly $283 million and making them the largest export item to the country, the FT stated, citing Russian customs data analyzed by the Free Russia Foundation. UAE exports of microchips to Russia reportedly surged 15-fold versus 2021. Apart from soaring exports, the UAE has reportedly been gaining popularity as a financial haven for wealthy Russians. The Gulf state hosts more than 4,000 Russian companies and is currently in talks with Moscow over a free-trade agreement between the UAE and the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union. Several officials warned that the Gulf country could face sanctions itself should it fail to stop the allegedly illicit re-exports to Russia. “Part of the message for the private sector… is that they’re playing roulette. Anyone who’s trading in these goods, they now are subject to sanctions because some of the goods they ship are showing up on the battlefield,” said James O’Brien, head of the US office of sanctions coordination following a trip to the UAE last month. The UAE has been largely neutral in the Ukraine conflict. It has refrained from placing sanctions on Russia but has kept close ties with its Western partners, with which it shares historically close bonds. https://www.rt.com/business/572309-west-pressure-uae-russia-trade/ ============================================ 2 Mar, 2023 11:43 8) --- Danish mayor defends decision not to sack Russian-born teacher Ukrainian parents wanted the educator fired for “propaganda” The mayor of a Danish city has backed the refusal to fire a Russian-born schoolteacher despite demands from Ukrainian parents, some of whom are refugees from the current conflict with Moscow. The teacher was accused of mistreating children and spreading “propaganda” at the Nordvestskolen school in Helsingor, although the management has disputed those claims. “These mothers want the school to fire the teacher. But we don’t do that in Denmark. We don’t fire people because of their ethnic background,” Helsingor Municipality Mayor Benedikte Kiaer told TV 2 on Sunday. The teacher was described as a woman who has been living in the country for decades and is a Danish citizen. According to local media, out of the school’s 32 students, 27 are Ukrainian and one is a student from Ukraine who is a Russian speaker. The row broke out on February 3, when students were having a music class taught by the Russian-born teacher and her colleague. School inspector Soren Pedersen said both teachers complained to him about “very abusive behavior” from two Ukrainian students towards the teacher of Russian ethnicity. They also played and sang the Ukrainian national anthem in the middle of a lesson “as a provocation,” Pedersen said. The school sent a letter to parents about the incident. Three parents wrote back, saying that they did not want the teacher in question in class. “It is disrespectful to all Ukrainians to invite a teacher from Russia to work with Ukrainian children who have fled the war with Russia,” wrote one of the mothers, Diana Chynba, as quoted by the media. A second altercation occurred on February 24, exactly one year after Moscow launched its military operation in the neighboring state. Two schoolgirls brought a Ukrainian flag with them and tried to enter the classroom in the middle of a lesson they were not due to attend, the school said. “The intention was to display the Ukrainian flag as a provocation against the Danish-Russian teacher,” Pedersen said, adding that another member of staff had tried to stop them from interrupting the lesson and make them hide the flag. According to Pedersen, one of the girls told him that “if you have Russian employees, you support Russia.” Tereza Podoliak, one of the Ukrainian students involved, told TV 2 that she and her classmate, who had a Ukrainian flag wrapped around her shoulders, arrived to pick up a friend from another class. She accused the Russian-born teacher of starting the conflict. Speaking to the media, Tereza’s mother, Olga Podoliak, claimed she had no problem with the teacher’s ethnicity. “But it is important to protect our rights and stop Russian propaganda,” she stated. Kari Jorgensen, the school’s headmaster, defended the decision not to allow the displaying of the Ukrainian flag. “We are in Denmark. We celebrate the national days that are in Denmark,” she said, arguing that students “need to get to know Danish culture.” https://www.rt.com/news/572319-finland-russian-teacher-ukraine/ ================================================ 2 Mar, 2023 10:11 9) --- US has Iran war plan – media Devised under Trump, the document may be what’s guiding the latest increase in joint military exercises with Israel, according to The Intercept The Pentagon developed a conceptual plan for war with Iran during the presidency of Donald Trump, The Intercept has reported, citing budgetary documents. The document is one of several indications of Washington’s increased hawkishness towards Tehran, the outlet argued. The contingency plan code-named ‘Support Sentry’ was funded in the fiscal year 2019. Given that the Pentagon’s resources are not unlimited, the fact that effort was expended to produce such a document means that US military planners consider the risk of a clash with Iran significant enough, The Intercept suggested. Another sign of a possible escalation was the order to reassign Israel from European Command (EUCOM) to Central Command (CENTCOM) in the Pentagon’s responsibility structure, the story said. Carried out by Trump just four days before the inauguration of President Joe Biden, the reassignment built on the rapprochement between Israel and the Arab states under the so-called Arab Accords. Israel was previously kept under the European Command in order to avoid stoking tensions with countries such as Saudi Arabia. Under the Biden administration, the Pentagon has conducted a series of joint military maneuvers with Israel. The Juniper Oak exercise in January was openly touted by the Israeli leadership as a simulation of a war with Iran. The Intercept suggested that Support Sentry probably guided the drills. “CONPLANs [Concepts of Operations Plans] serve as the intellectual framework or context when developing military exercises because it makes sense for units that are honing their skills to have that work be relevant to likely tasks,” Dakota Wood, a retired US military planner, told the outlet. Last week, US Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides stated that “Israel can and should do whatever they need to deal with [Iran] and we’ve got their back.” While Israel has had an array of cabinets in the past several years amid an ongoing domestic political crisis, all of them have been hawkish towards Iran. Aviv Kochavi, who retired from the position of the chief of staff of the Israel Defense Force in January, told the media that his nation’s military had devised three operational plans to attack Iran. One includes “taking out Iranian nuclear installations and auxiliary sites” so that it could not create a nuclear weapon. Tehran denies that it is seeking nuclear armaments. https://www.rt.com/news/572312-pentagon-war-plan-iran/ recall post from 23 Jan, 2023 : (precis) Israel and US aim to send message with record military drill - Iran will take notice of the joint exercise, which is the largest ever held by the two countries, the Pentagon. US and Israeli militaries began their largest-ever joint exercise on Monday, seeking to hone seamless coordination of their forces and prove a point to Iran about their readiness to fight a conflict in the Middle East even as Washington juggles rising tensions with Russia and China. “I do think that this scale of the exercise is relevant to a whole range of scenarios, and Iran may draw certain inferences from that. Dubbed Juniper Oak, the exercise will involve over 140 aircraft, including nuclear-capable bombers and F-35 fighter jets, as well as 12 warships and about 7,500 troops, according to US Central Command (CENTCOM). It’s designed to improve the “interoperability” of both forces. ============================================= 2 Mar, 2023 09:54 10) --- Russia’s debt-to-GDP lowest in G20 – data This is a fundamental factor of economic stability, according to the country’s Accounts Chamber Russia’s foreign debt decreased for the first time in three years in 2022, official data from the country’s Accounts Chamber showed on Thursday. External debt amounted to 4.04 trillion rubles ($53.3 billion) last year, down from 4.44 trillion ($58.5 billion) in 2021, according to the department. The figure had been steadily growing in 2019 and 2020. Meanwhile, the country’s total national debt amounted to 22.82 trillion rubles ($302.7 billion) last year, putting the debt-to-GDP ratio at 17.1%, down from 18.1%. The Accounts Chamber noted that the debt figures are within the “norm,” while the debt-to-GDP ratio, a fundamental indicator of economic stability, is the lowest among the G20, which signals that Russia’s economy is in good shape. “Taking into account the accumulated reserves, the public debt of the Russian Federation is currently at a safe level,” the Accounts Chamber press service said. Last year, many experts predicted a drastic downturn for the Russian economy amid the military operation in Ukraine and unprecedented sanctions and economic restrictions imposed by the West in retaliation. However, official figures released earlier this month showed Russia’s GDP having decreased by just 2.1% in 2022, far better than some earlier Western projections of a decline of up to 20%. The IMF recently improved its forecast for Russia’s economy and now expects the country’s GDP to return to growth, rising by 0.3% this year and by 2.1% in 2024. https://www.rt.com/business/572308-russia-low-foreign-debt/ ============================================== ++++++++++++ BREAKING 2 Mar, 2023 14:13 +++++++++ 11) --- Russian security service comments on Ukrainian saboteur attack BREAKING 2 Mar, 2023 Authorities say they have found a large number of explosive devices after Kiev's operatives carried out a cross-border raid The situation in Russia’s Bryansk Region is under the control of law enforcement agencies, the Federal Security Service (FSB) reported on Thursday after an attack by Ukrainian saboteurs. The agency also confirmed earlier reports that one local resident had been killed in the attack and that an 11-year-old child had received a gunshot wound. The FSB stated that the area is currently being checked and inspected and that a large number of explosive devices of various types had been found. Bomb squads are working on the scene to disarm the explosives. On Thursday morning a number of Ukrainian saboteurs crossed the Russian border and launched raids on the villages of Lyubechane and Sushany. The gunmen attacked a civilian vehicle, killing one man and injuring a child. At the same time, Bryansk Governor Aleksandr Bogomaz also reported artillery and mortar strikes in the area. The FSB along with the Russian Defense Ministry have since reported that they are taking measures to eliminate the attackers. Russian President Vladimir Putin has described the incident as a “terrorist attack,” identifying the people responsible for such acts as “neo-Nazis and terrorists.” He also suggested whoever was behind Thursday’s attack may have also been responsible for the assassination of Russian journalist Darya Dugina, whose car was blown up near Moscow in August. Russia’s regions bordering Ukraine have been repeatedly attacked by Kiev’s forces in recent months. On Thursday, the governors of Bryansk and Kursk regions reported that Ukrainian troops had shelled local villages. Kursk officials confirmed that one person was killed in the attack. https://www.rt.com/russia/572329-fsb-comments-bryansk-attack/

India/Russia - FM Lavrov visit: "Moscow and New Delhi stand against the neo-colonial practices of illegitimate sanctions, threats and blackmail" Russia's top diplomat highlights the importance of strengthening inter-cultural dialogue within the G-20 group, in order to find answers to the challenges that the world faces today. FM Lavrov met with Brazil's, Türkiye's and India's FM counterparts on the sidelines of the Foreign Ministers conference. Runjun Sharma reports on the day. - Africa, Nigerian Elections: The ruling party's candidate Bola Tinubu is declared victorious in Nigeria's presidential election - but questions are raised about the integrity of the ballot. Karabo Letlhatlha updates on the current state of play. - Africa/France: Pres. Macron is on a five day tour of Africa. This comes after more countries in Africa have requested France's military departure. In DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo) one of the states he will visit, there are protests ahead of the visit. (QS not surprising as they have only just managed to kick the French out) - Donbass, Artyomovsk advance: Russian MOD say around 600 Ukraine soldiers have been killed in the past 24 hours (QS I would so like to get my hands on those who told Pres. Zelensky to fight to the last Ukrainian, the blood is entirely on their hands, not just Ukrainians but Russians too have lost many soldiers. The special operation should have concluded with proper negotiations in April last year - when Boris Johnson went to Kiev to ensure those talks/negotiations were not going to be allowed). **Sensitive imagery** Igor Zhdanov reports from Lugansk. - Italy, migrant shipwreck update. 67 are now reported dead including 15 children. Rachel Marsden reports on the foreign policy which has created the desperation for people to leave home for "greener" pastures. - China/Belarus: Pres Lukashenko is in Beijing. Pres. Lukashenko underscored the importance of ties with Beijing for his country's future and said that in pursuing closer relations neither country seeks to undermine others but to work for the benefit of their own countries interests and those of their citizens. They discussed the conflict in Ukraine and the need for peace negotiations and to rid the cold-war mentality of the west. Many documents were signed. Yang Chengxi reports. "Great opportunities for everyone" - Vovan and Lexus -v- Wlliam Hangue (ex foreign sec of UK, QS I am not going to spoil it....) Marina Kosareva and Rory Suchet discuss. - Africa, Mozambique: Seven people have died and many injured after a tropical cyclone hit the country. More than 20,000 have been displaced. Around 80,000 people were affected by the cylone. Read more https://public.wmo.int/en/media/news/tropical-cyclone-freddy-hits-madagascar-and-mozambique Aid is arriving. (QS Well done U.A.E. !! ) - Iran/Russia: The west is doing it's best to break up the ties that bind Moscow and Tehran. Kazem Jalali (Iran's Ambassador to Russia) talks about the historical ties, including their common approach to global issues. Yousef Jalali reports. (QS I don't think they are related, despite the name) - Stun grenades are fired as protests engulf more cities around Israel, coming as anger over the new government's judicial reforms grows. The rallies extend all across Israel. Ronnie Bar says Israel won't be a "free country" any more. ========================================== - Below, via RT website -- - --- - -- - A) --- Kremlin reacts to Kiev’s claim about raids into Russia B) --- Ukrainian drone raid on Crimea foiled – Moscow Russian air defenses took down 10 aircraft, the Ministry of Defense said C) --- Russia reports success against Ukrainian drone incursion D) --- Moscow reacts to alleged radioactive shipment to Ukraine - 2) --- Zelensky and his cronies are trying to cover up a major corruption scandal in Ukraine – what role is the US playing? 3) --- Belarus and China never intend to work against third nations – Lukashenko 3) --- Zelensky adviser suggests possible retreat from key city 4) --- Turkish FM speaks out on sanctioning Russia over Ukraine 5) --- G20 foreign ministers’ meeting likely to end in deadlock with the body’s relevance under threat 6) --- Key NATO member reacts to claims it’s helping Russia's military 7) --- Why are people afraid of ‘15-minute cities’? 8) --- EU nation’s MPs greenlight joining NATO 10) --- US ‘doomsday plane’ flies to Europe Vovan and Lexus) --- Former UK FM dreams of mutiny against Putin in prank call - Such an outcome is unlikely, however, William Hague admitted - ================================================= 1 Mar, 2023 14:35 A) --- Kremlin reacts to Kiev’s claim about raids into Russia Putin’s spokesman rejected Ukraine’s assertion that it wasn’t involved in the recent incidents Moscow believes that Kiev is responsible for a recent spate of attempted attacks on Russian soil despite Ukrainian claims to the contrary, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday. His remarks came after the Russian Defense Ministry said drone attacks had been repelled in various parts of the country. During a call with journalists, Peskov was asked to comment on a statement by Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s top aide, Mikhail Podoliak, who suggested earlier on Wednesday that Kiev “doesn’t strike” Russian territory. Peskov replied that Moscow “doesn’t believe” those claims. According to a daily report from the Russian Ministry of Defense on Wednesday, ground forces shot down or disabled ten Ukrainian UAVs that were aiming to strike Crimea. The ministry said separately that two drones were neutralized early on Tuesday when they were trying to attack targets in Russia’s southern Krasnodar and Adygea regions. Local officials also reported drone incidents in Belgorod, Bryansk, and Moscow regions on Monday and Tuesday. In a Twitter post on Wednesday, Podoliak described the raids as “internal attacks on infrastructure facilities by unidentified flying objects.” Ukrainian officials typically deny or do not confirm involvement in incursions inside Russian territory, but have said that they view sites in Crimea as legitimate targets. The peninsula voted to leave Ukraine and join Russia shortly after the 2014 coup in Kiev. Ukraine has refused to recognize the new status of the area. Moscow launched its military operation in the neighboring state a year ago, citing the need to protect the people of Donbass and Kiev’s failure to implement the 2014-2015 Minsk peace accords. Russian regions that share a border with Ukraine have since been repeatedly shelled. In December, drones attacked the Dyagilevo and Engels military airfields located 500km (310 miles) and 700km (435 miles) from Ukrainian-held territory respectively. Moscow said that Kiev was behind the raids. https://www.rt.com/russia/572264-kremlin-ukraine-drone-attacks/ =========================================== 1 Mar, 2023 11:14 B) --- Ukrainian drone raid on Crimea foiled – Moscow Russian air defenses took down 10 aircraft, the Ministry of Defense said Russian forces have thwarted an air attack on the Crimean peninsula, neutralizing a total of ten Ukrainian drones, the Ministry of Defense said on Wednesday. In a statement, the ministry announced that Russian forces “have prevented an attempt by the Kiev regime to carry out a massive drone attack on objects in the Crimean peninsula.” It added that six Ukrainian attack drones were taken down by air defenses, while another four were disabled by means of electronic warfare. “There were no casualties or destruction on the ground,” the ministry stated. It also noted that apart from these aircraft, in the past day the Russian military had destroyed another 15 Ukrainian drones in Kherson and Zaporozhye Regions, the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, and in Ukraine’s Kharkov Region – where Moscow’s forces are conducting a military operation. The raid comes after an unidentified drone crashed on Tuesday near a gas compression station not far from the city of Kolomna in Moscow Region. According to Governor Andrey Vorobyov, the aircraft “probably targeted a civilian infrastructure facility,” but failed to achieve its aim. The same day, Russia’s Defense Ministry said that Kiev had tried to stage a drone attack on civilian facilities in the southern region of Krasnodar and the Republic of Adygea. However, the ministry claimed that the two drones were suppressed by means of electronic warfare, causing them to lose control and deviate from their flight paths. https://www.rt.com/russia/572254-ukraine-drone-raid-crimea-foiled/ ================================================= 28 Feb, 2023 13:02 - re-post C) --- Russia reports success against Ukrainian drone incursion The aircraft had targeted civilian infrastructure but the military drove them off course, the Defense Ministry said Kiev's forces launched drone attacks on Russia’s southern Krasnodar Region and Adygea Republic, but they were successfully repelled by the military, the Russian Defense Ministry has reported. Images of one of the aircraft were apparently shared by a regional head. The incursions happened in the early hours of Tuesday and targeted civilian infrastructure, according to a statement released by the ministry. Russian forces used electronic warfare to suppress the two drones, causing them to veer off course. One “fell in a field,” while the other “failed to cause any damage” to its target, the ministry said. Earlier in the day, Adygea head Murat Kumpilov shared images showing the wreckage of an unidentified aircraft, which he said was discovered near the village of Novoye, located to the north of the provincial capital Maykop. The official said the crash resulted in no injuries, but caused minor damage to an outbuilding on a farm. Meanwhile, there was a fire overnight at an oil refinery in the city of Tuapse in Krasnodar Region. Municipal head Sergey Boyko said the blaze had broken out in a technical building, but did not spread to fuel tanks and was extinguished by firefighters within 30 minutes. Some Russian media claimed, citing anonymous sources, that the fire was caused by a failed attack involving unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). According to these reports, as many as two aircraft carrying explosives crashed some 100 meters from the fuel reservoirs, damaging a boiler room instead. In Belgorod Region, which borders Ukraine, three drone wreckages were discovered in the provincial capital on Monday evening. One of the UAVs crashed through the window of an apartment building, prompting evacuation. Some media claimed the drones were Ukrainian and carried British-made plastic explosives, based on images of the debris. https://www.rt.com/russia/572199-russia-ukrainian-drones-infrastructure/ ================================================ 1 Mar, 2023 12:34 D) --- Moscow reacts to alleged radioactive shipment to Ukraine The Russian Foreign Ministry has called attention to claims about possible delivery of Californium-252 nternational organizations should take a look at reports of highly radioactive material being delivered to Ukraine’s Black Sea port of Odessa, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said on Wednesday. Maria Zakharova voiced concerns that the alleged shipment happened near Moldova’s breakaway Transnistria region. Ukraine has been “deliberately stirring up tension” in the area, she said. According to unconfirmed claims that appeared on social media last week, a ship carrying containers of Californium-252, a synthetic radioactive element, arrived in Odessa on February 19. It was also claimed that the radioactive monitoring system was turned off during the offloading process. Zakharova mentioned reports that the cargo was supplied by the Ohio-based company Frontier Technology Corporation. The spokeswoman also mentioned allegations that, on February 16, unspecified radioactive material was delivered to the port city of Chernomorsk, near Odessa, “from the territory of one of the European countries.” Allegedly the supposed delivery was not subjected to customs control. “We call on the appropriate international organizations to pay close attention to this information,” Zakharova said. The Moldovan government, meanwhile, said it was “not commenting on lies and speculation” regarding Transnistria. It added that its authorities were monitoring the situation and stated they “do not confirm the information disseminated by the Russian side.” Last week, the Russian Defense Ministry accused Kiev of planning to invade Transnistria, whose population is largely Russian-speaking and where Russian peacekeepers are stationed. Both Ukraine and Moldova denied these allegations at the time. Frontier Technology Corporation produces Californium-252 neutron sources and containers designed to transport radioactive material. Californium-252 is used in scanners and for fission in nuclear reactors, as well as for cancer treatment and geological surveys, according to the company’s website. Last year, Moscow alleged that Ukraine was preparing to detonate a "dirty bomb," which is typically understood as a conventional munition with radioactive elements. Kiev rejected the claim. https://www.rt.com/russia/572256-ukraine-radioactive-shipment-reports/ ================================================= 1) 1 Mar, 2023 10:51 Russia moves to extend anti-smear legislation The State Duma will consider amendments to protect volunteer units and other entities aiding Russian forces in Ukraine Russian lawmakers could expand legislation so that any attempts to discredit personnel and entities involved in the country’s military operation in Ukraine can be punished, State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin has announced. Current legislation covers only the discrediting of Russian military and government agencies. Writing on Telegram on Wednesday, Volodin revealed that the lower house of the Russian parliament would look into the initiative, which he said “would protect everyone who is now risking their lives while ensuring the security of the country and our citizens.” The Duma official stated that any actions aimed at smearing the Russian Armed Forces or those who assist them, including volunteer formations, was unacceptable. Perpetrators could face “severe punishment,” including a prison term of up to 15 years, community labor of up to five years, and fines of up to 5 million rubles ($66,500), Volodin added. The initiative comes after Evgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner private military group, published an open letter to Volodin in late January, asking the speaker to introduce amendments targeting anyone who attempts to discredit volunteers, including ex-convicts, who are involved in Russia’s military operation in Ukraine. At the time, Volodin promised that the State Duma would consider the issue. To enter into force, the amendments must pass three readings in the State Duma, be approved by the Federation Council – the upper house of parliament – and be signed into law by the president. Following the launch of Moscow’s military campaign in Ukraine in February 2022, Russian authorities have significantly intensified efforts to combat false information about the nation’s forces. In early March, Russia adopted legislative changes which allow the authorities to impose large fines on those who break the law. Should such activities entail “grave consequences,” offenders could face a prison term of up to 15 years. https://www.rt.com/russia/572249-russia-discreditation-legislation-ukraine/ ============================================== 1 Mar, 2023 08:54 2) --- Zelensky and his cronies are trying to cover up a major corruption scandal in Ukraine – what role is the US playing? The purge in Kiev was expected to culminate with the defense minister’s resignation.Why didn’t it happen? Last month’s shockwave of resignations among top Ukrainian officials, caused by numerous corruption scandals, ended as quickly as it began. At the start of February, it seemed that Defense Minister Alexei Reznikov would become the ultimate victim of the purge. His imminent departure was openly discussed in the Ukrainian parliament and hints were even dropped by the President's office. His possible resignation was also discussed in leading international media. However, just two weeks later, the threat hanging over Reznikov disappeared when the politician met with Western leaders and plainly stated that he had no intention of leaving office. How did Reznikov avoid being culled, what role did the visit of US inspectors to Kiev play in the process, and what was the big corruption scandal in the Defense Ministry of Ukraine all about? An internal conflict Various sources began speculating about the possible resignation of Reznikov on February 5. They claimed that the current Chief of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, major general Kirill Budanov, would become Reznikov’s successor. The reports appeared against the background of a large corruption scandal at the ministry linked to food procurement for front-line troops. At the time, the chairman of President Vladimir Zelensky’s Servant of the People political party, David Arakhamiya, said that Reznikov would be offered the position of Minister for Strategic Industries in order to “strengthen military-industrial cooperation” and would handle Western supplies of military equipment for the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU). In the following days, the possible resignation was discussed not just in Ukrainian and Russian media, but in foreign publications such as The Guardian and Politico. Discussions simultaneously proceeded in Kiev’s Verkhovna Rada where Dmitry Razumkov, a former ally of Zelensky, promised that if the Defense Minister were to resign over a corruption scandal, parliament would not support his appointment to a new position. However, discussions in parliament quickly dissipated and Arakhamiya, who previously pushed for Reznikov's resignation, announced that no forthcoming personnel changes are expected in the government in the near future. Failed resignation On February 15, Reznikov himself clarified the situation. Asked by Reuters whether he planned to remain in office for the next few months, he replied: “Yes, it was my president’s decision.” At the same time, the official suggested that criticism of him could be attributed to a desire for personal revenge by anti-corruption activist Vitaly Shabunin, over his transfer from the Ukrainian Defense Ministry back to units of the Territorial Defense Force. “There are people, who, in the midst of a political anti-corruption career, wake up and fall asleep with my surname,” the minister said. However, there are various theories as to why the resignation did not take place. According to one, an upcoming meeting with Western backers at Ramstein Air Base at that time played a role. Replacing Reznikov would have created an unfavorable impression and could have affected the negotiating process. Additionally, there is another unofficial version, according to which the head of the presidential administration, Andrey Yermak, defended the minister. Yermak is considered to be a patron of Reznikov, and he allegedly tried to block the replacement. Yermak has been involved in a lengthy, bitter conflict with Arakhamiya, and this has intensified amid the speculation around the defense minister. Despite the minister’s various versions and statements, there is still talk on the sidelines of a scenario in which Reznikov will be replaced by Budanov. After all, the corruption scandal has proved to be too high-profile – not only for Ukrainian society but also for Kiev’s foreign partners. Big cash It began when Ukrainian publication Zerkalo Nedeli disclosed the details of a 13 billion hryvnia ($353 million) contract between the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and Aktiv Company LLC for the purchase of food supplies at extremely inflated prices. The deal didn’t involve the purchase of any special equipment, but rather basic food supplies such as potatoes, onions, and eggs. Secondly, the document was signed with a company whose authorized capital amounted to just 1,000 hryvnia ($27). The outrageous prices constituted the third and central reason for the scandal. The “wholesale” cost stated by the Ukrainian Defense Ministry was several times higher than the retail cost of the same products in a premium-class supermarket. A few days later, Reznikov accused the journalists of “manipulation” and of “informational attacks” which could negatively impact Ukraine’s military-aid negotiations with the West. Later, the politician admitted his “communicative failure” and attempted to write it off as a “technical error,” explaining that eggs and other products were priced per kilogram, not per unit. “This is a common technical error made by the supplier. Eggs are the only category from the catalog that is calculated in pieces in the appendix to the transaction. The supplier mistakenly indicated the price not per piece, but by weight when he transferred data from one table, where everything was measured by weight, to another,” Reznikov assured the press, claiming that taking this correction into account, the cost “fully corresponds to the market price.” Nevertheless, a cloud of suspicion descended over several ministry officials. On January 24, Deputy Minister of Defense Vyacheslav Shapovalov resigned, and, on February 3, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) detained two businessmen for selling food at inflated prices. Two other high-ranking officials also came under suspicion – Bogdan Khmelnitsky, former Deputy Head of the Department of Public Procurement and Supply of Material Resources, and Vladimir Tereshchenko, Deputy Head of the Department for the Coordination of Foreign Economic Activity. Interestingly, they were charged with offenses unrelated to the procurement of military food supplies. Charges against Reznikov have not yet been brought, although he has admitted he is responsible for the actions of his subordinates stating, “No official remains in office forever. Not a single one. The ruling regarding my position as the Minister of Defense will be made by a single person – the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky, in accordance with the constitution. My own decisions will be based solely on the decision made by the President of Ukraine.” The scandal was handled in an unusual way. Instead of dismissing the minister, Reznikov himself announced the replacement of a number of his deputies. Among them were the former Ukrainian ambassador to Canada, MP Andrey Shevchenko, and a volunteer, Vitaly Deynega. “The minister has been given a chance. He has conducted a lot of activity: he proposes to appoint new deputies, to set up a public anti-corruption council. Perhaps this will give him something. But obviously this is not done on a day-to-day basis. The fact that he was given military man Aleksandr Pavlyuk as his first deputy is also a point in his favor,” a source close to the leadership of the presidential party Servants of the People told news outlet Strana. Footprint of US The corruption scandals in Ukraine are being actively publicized by the media and are linked not only to the government’s political opponents, but also to Ukraine's partners, primarily the United States. For example, Bihus.Info published an investigation into Yermak's ties with former deputies from the now banned Opposition Platform – For Life party. This was Ukraine’s second largest political faction, until it was prohibited by Zelensky, as part of his crackdown on political opponents. Many experts have viewed the saga as an attempt by the American government to solve its own pressing issue of Republican demands that the White House establish control over US aid to Ukraine. Having gained a majority in the the House of Representatives, the Republican Party wants stricter controls over the expenditure of multibillion-dollar tranches allocated to Kiev. In Ukraine, the political consequences may also be significant. On January 29, several inspectors arrived in Kiev from the US. The commission included Inspectors General Diana Shaw, Robert Storch, and Nicole Angarella from the US Department of State, the Pentagon, and the Agency for International Development (USAID), respectively. According to the US Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink, the purpose of their visit was “to advance independent oversight of US assistance to Ukraine”. The offices of all three inspectors have established an interdepartmental working group that includes similar services in other departments and several government auditing services – 17 in total. The group will be responsible for holding meetings with “key American and Ukrainian officials, colleagues in various government agencies and non-governmental organizations implementing programs funded by the United States.” The inspectors are clearly trying to work with the civilian population, bypassing the Ukrainian authorities. Among the inspectors, Robert Storch is closely familiar with Ukraine’s internal affairs. From 2007 to 2009, he worked in Ukraine as a consultant on anti-corruption issues, and in 2014, he returned to Kiev to help develop anti-corruption legislation. He also advised the authorities on the creation of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU). Storch has already been active in Ukraine. He met with Shabunin, director of the Anti-Corruption Centre (ACC), who recently criticized the Ukrainian Presidential Office and raised issues of graft in the higher echelons of power, and who was in turn criticized by Reznikov. After the meeting with Storch, however, the anti-corruption activist wrote in his Telegram channel that "all three inspectors-general are deeply aware both of corruption in food purchases and other problems in the Ministry of Defense (which will soon become public)." Storch also made time to hold a meeting with Reznikov directly. - What’s next? - It remains unclear whether the increased interest in policing corruption is an initiative by Ukraine’s pro-Western structures or is part of a new strategy from Washington. Nevertheless, the US inspectors’ main goal was to investigate the misuse of allocated funds. Given that the aid accounts for about half of Ukraine’s budget, the US reasonably expects the funds to be used for achieving set goals and not enriching officials. Consequently, we can be certain that the inspectors won’t disclose any serious abuses following the audit, since this would deal a blow to President Joe Biden and would also reflect negatively on American officials. However, the real information will be likely conveyed to the Ukrainian authorities in private, accompanied by urgent recommendations to dismiss the violators, even down to key members of the president’s team. The recent wave of resignations in the Ukrainian government and in the Office of the President, which occurred before the arrival of the inspectors, was spurred only by media accusations. Except for the deputy minister for the development of communities, territories and infrastructure, Vasily Lozinsky, who was detained on suspicion of bribery, none of the dismissed officials were charged. These removals were supported by the US, but undoubtedly the words of the inspectors will carry even more weight. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky will face a difficult choice. If he fires members of his team at the insistence of the United States, including key people like Yermak, this may lead to a loss of political control, since the power vertical will become aligned with the opinion of Western structures and its intermediaries, and not with the president. Conversely, if Zelensky resists, it will endanger additional financial assistance from the United States and its allies. The latter option, however, seems controversial. The Office of the President may decide that Ukraine’s survival is currently more important for the United States than changes in government structure, which risk destabilizing the country during wartime. Therefore, it is possible that the President’s Office will try to convince the US that now is a bad time for structural changes and there is no need to rock the boat any further. Nonetheless, even this argument will not save Zelensky from a wave of negativity and reputational damage among pro-Western media and activists. It could be a serious blow to Kiev’s credibility, especially in the midst of an armed conflict, and may result in an internal political crisis. What seems more likely is that the resignations will continue, but with a gap of several months – a strategy that will demonstrate Ukraine’s efforts to fight corruption to appease its Western sponsors but to also placate Ukrainian society. At the moment, it looks as if Reznikov has been placed under stricter supervision by activists, who are now members of the Public Council under the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, in order to retain his position. This is obviously designed to reassure US inspectors and Western agencies, demonstrating that work is being done to overcome government corruption at the highest levels. But it is possible that Reznikov’s possible dismissal will be raised again in the event of a new escalation in the internal political struggle between the head of the Ukrainian presidential administration, Yermak, and his opponents, or in the event of new corruption scandals from elsewhere in government. Petr Lavrenin, political journalist and expert on Ukraine and the former Soviet Union - https://www.rt.com/russia/571470-ukrainian-corruption-scandal-again/ =============================================== 1 Mar, 2023 09:31 3) --- Belarus and China never intend to work against third nations – Lukashenko Veteran president says Minsk and Beijing seek mutual prosperity and don’t undercut other countries Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko underscored the importance of ties with Beijing for his country's future and said that in pursuing closer relations neither country seeks to undermine others, in comments delivered on Wednesday during a three-day trip to China. “We wish you success, which is pragmatic for us, because if China is strong, Belarus will be strong and will develop,” the leader of Belarus told Li Keqiang, the premier of China, during a meeting in Beijing. “We see the situation on the international stage. And we praise you for the thoughtful progress you make. You go your way, don’t undermine anyone, and don’t get triggered by the barbs that people all over direct at China,” Lukashenko added. “This is absolutely in line with the spirit and character of the Chinese people.” Minsk and Beijing “have no forbidden directions for cooperation” and “never intended to … work against third nations, whoever they may be,” Lukashenko said. He boasted that Belarusian-Chinese bilateral trade was set to reach $6 billion per year and said that the aim of his three-day visit was to “outline new horizons” in the countries' ties. Li noted that the relationship between the two nations was built on a foundation of “mutual respect, trust, and win-win cooperation” and had the potential for further improvement. Belarus, a traditional Russian ally, shares Moscow’s concern about the expansion of NATO in Europe. Amid the security crisis in Ukraine, the two agreed to form a joint military force, a move touted as a way to counter the military buildup of the US-led bloc in Poland and the Baltic states. China is a strategic Russian partner. While Beijing criticized Moscow for sending troops into Ukraine, it laid the blame for provoking the crisis in the first place on the US and NATO and has defied Washington’s wishes by refusing to impose economic sanctions. The US claimed in February that Beijing was considering sending military aid to Russia and threatened retaliation for such a move. China has denied the American allegations. https://www.rt.com/news/572236-lukashenko-china-state-visit/ ============================================== 1 Mar, 2023 12:03 3) --- Zelensky adviser suggests possible retreat from key city Russia is encircling the strategically important Artyomovsk, and Kiev’s forces are weighing their options, says Alexander Rodnyansky Ukrainian forces in the embattled city of Artyomovsk may be considering a retreat, an economic adviser to President Vladimir Zelensky claimed in an interview with CNN on Tuesday. Alexander Rodnyansky stated that Russia is attempting to encircle Artyomovsk (called Bakhmut in Ukraine) by using the best troops from the Wagner private military company. He told CNN’s Isa Soares that Kiev’s forces would retreat or “strategically give up” the city “if they believed the costs of holding it outweigh the benefits.” Rodnyansky added that the Ukrainian military “is obviously going to weigh all the options.” “So far, they’ve held the city, but, if need be, they will strategically pull back – because we’re not going to sacrifice all of our people just for nothing,” the presidential adviser claimed, arguing that it was ultimately up to the military to decide if and when a withdrawal was required. Rodnyansky stated that the region west of the city had been fortified and that if Kiev’s forces pulled out of Artyomovsk, Russian troops would not be able to advance quickly. “Make no mistake, our counter-offensives will be around the corner soon,” he insisted. Artyomovsk is part of a 70km Ukrainian defense line created since Kiev initiated the fighting in Donbass in 2014. Russia claims sovereignty over the city along with the rest of the Donetsk People’s Republic. In a months-long campaign, Russian forces, primarily Wagner members, have systematically captured settlements around the city and now have Artyomovsk surrounded from the north, south, and east. CNN also spoke to a Ukrainian soldier who wished to remain anonymous, and who described the situation in Artyomovsk as “much worse than officially reported.” “We should add another 100% difficulty to the official reports. In all directions. Especially in the northern direction where the [Russians] have made the biggest advance,” he said. Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Anna Malyar stated on Tuesday that more reinforcements are being sent to the strategically vital city. This was confirmed on Wednesday by the head of Wagner, Evgeny Prigozhin, who said Kiev had sent tens of thousands of its best fighters to Artyomovsk. “They are putting up fierce resistance. The bloodshed of the battles is increasing every day,” Prigozhin noted. Meanwhile, Kiev’s Western backers have reportedly called on Zelensky to cut his losses and withdraw. The Ukrainian president previously declared that “nobody is going to surrender Bakhmut,” but has recently changed his tune after Kiev’s forces suffered significant losses. The Ukrainian leader now claims that the city will be held “while it remains reasonable” to do so. https://www.rt.com/russia/572255-ukraine-artyomovsk-strategic-retreat/ ================================================ 1 Mar, 2023 16:20 4) --- Turkish FM speaks out on sanctioning Russia over Ukraine Ankara only supports UN-backed restrictions, Mevlut Cavusoglu says Türkiye will not be joining unilateral sanctions imposed on Russia by the West over the conflict in Ukraine, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Wednesday. Cavusoglu was asked how long Ankara would be able to resist pressure from the US and its allies to put restrictions on Moscow ahead of talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting in India’s capital New Delhi. “We don't need to resist anyone, we make our own decisions as a sovereign state. We don't join any unilateral sanctions. We support only those [restrictions that are] introduced with the backing of the UN,” the foreign minister replied, as cited by the media. “It’s not just about Russia, but we also don’t support sanctions against Iran or any other country,” Cavusoglu pointed out, adding that “no one can put pressure” on Türkiye. India, which chairs the G20 this year, is hosting the summit of foreign ministers on Wednesday and Thursday. An Indian foreign ministry official told Reuters on Wednesday that New Delhi didn’t want the conflict in Ukraine to dominate the discussions at the event, but acknowledged that it would likely be among the top issues on the agenda. The host nation’s “intention [is] to continue playing the voice of the Global South [Latin America, Africa, Asia and Oceania] and raising issues pertinent to the region,” the official said. High-ranking Indian diplomat Vinay Kwatra told reporters that “questions relating to food, energy and fertilizer security, [and] the impact that the conflict has on these economic challenges that we face” will be among those to receive “due focus” in New Delhi. However, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who is a stalwart supporter of Kiev, insisted that India should use the G20 gathering to “make Russia understand that this war has to finish.” According to Borrell, the “success” of the whole meeting “will be measured in respect to what we will be able to do on that.” An EU source said separately the EU delegation in New Delhi won’t support the final statement as a result of the summit if it doesn’t include condemnation of Russia’s conduct in Ukraine, Reuters reported. https://www.rt.com/russia/572270-russia-turkey-india-g20/ ============================================= 1 Mar, 2023 07:36 OP-ED 5) --- G20 foreign ministers’ meeting likely to end in deadlock with the body’s relevance under threat Representatives of the world’s 20 largest economies are meeting in India amid discord over Ukraine and US-China tensions Joydeep Sen Gupta, Asia Editor The G20 is in the throes of global dissonance ahead of a meeting of its member's foreign ministers in New Delhi this week. India holds its rotating presidency until November 30, 2023. The two-day event, which starts on Wednesday evening with a gala dinner, is an early gathering in the run-up to the heads of state summit that will be held in the same city in September. Representatives of the world’s 20 largest economies (including the 27-member European Union) are expected to attend the event. “Besides, nine nations are special invitees, who are not members of the grouping, apart from 13 international organizations,” said Vinay Mohan Kwatra, India’s foreign secretary during a media briefing on Wednesday morning. An early jarring note was struck by Japan, whose foreign minister Yoshimasa Hayashi will not attend the meeting, Kwatra confirmed. The top Indian diplomat cited the minister’s “domestic compulsions” — he has chosen to take part in parliamentary business back home — despite New Delhi’s “sterling relationship” with Tokyo. But Hayashi’s decision should not be seen as a snub to New Delhi. Instead, it can be interpreted as a worrying sign that the G20 itself, for all its economic clout, is seen as insignificant in the current global political climate. With winds of change sweeping the world since the start of Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine over a year ago, and the Kremlin’s spokesman stating that NATO is de facto at war with Russia, what can the meeting hope to achieve? The clout of emerging economies - G20 members represent around 85% of global gross domestic product (GDP), over 75% of global trade, and about two-thirds of the world population. Among them are many emerging economies, such as India, which are happy to take a middle path and don’t want to be fully aligned with either the US-led Western nations or the Russia-China axis. The combined economic might of eight of the nine (Russia excluded) G20 members that are emerging economies – India, Brazil, Mexico, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, Argentina and South Africa – amounts to more than $9.5 trillion. Cumulatively, the size of their economies is larger than any single member’s except the US ($23.32 trillion) and China ($18.32 trillion). India’s headache - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s slogan, Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, a Sanskrit text from the Vedic scripture of the Maha Upanishad, loosely translates to One Earth, One Family, One Future. This optimistic outlook is somewhat pale amid the prevailing global situation. New Delhi has to play host to guests from opposing global camps, such as the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, together with his Western counterparts, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The gathering is bound to be a tense affair amid a growing schism among G20 members over the Ukraine conflict and the escalating US-China tensions over Taiwan as well as Washington’s attempts to cut Beijing off from technical and economic development. India, as the current president, is likely to try and steer the discussion towards more neutral and global issues, such as climate change and the debt burden suffered by the world’s poorest countries. On the former, Indian Minister for External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said in January that a Green Development Pact would be one of the main items on the G20 agenda under India’s presidency. On the latter, Modi made developing countries’ growing debt one of the main talking points during last month’s Voice of Global South Summit. According to data released by the World Bank last year, $13.1 billion or about 37% of the $35 billion in debt service payments due from the world’s 74 lowest-income nations during the year is owed to Chinese entities. A similar amount, $13.4 billion, is owed to the Chinese private sector. To make matters worse, the $35 billion estimate for last year was a 45% increase over the total debt payments ultimately owed in 2020 at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the bank. The lack of transparency in Chinese debt holdings has been a source of global debate. India is eager to play a leading role in the Global South, and speaking out against debt burden has been one of its main avenues for doing so. This issue itself could be a source of discord at the G20 gatherings even as New Delhi tries to steer discussion away from more immediately contentious subjects. Talking points - Kwatra refused to speculate on the possible outcome of the meeting and on whether the Ukraine crisis would be the overarching topic of discussions. He parried the media’s searching questions about which side India would lean on and deflected on terminology – whether New Delhi would like to call it a conflict, war, military aggression or special military operation. He did, however, refer to Modi’s remark that "today’s era is not one of war”, made by the PM in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, last September during the annual Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit. He also listed out the agenda for Thursday’s meeting, which are divided into two distinct sessions to be presided over by Jaishankar. The first session would deliberate on the three principles of multilateral issues such as food, fertilizer and energy security coupled with developmental cooperation. The second session will center on new and emerging threats such as countering terrorism, including lethal use of narcotics, global skill mapping and humanitarian assistance and disaster risk reduction. India, which has been a beneficiary of cheap Russian crude oil since the imposition of Western sanctions over the Ukraine conflict, is keen to ensure that Moscow’s military operation doesn’t dominate the event. The topic will still almost certainly be the case, with Blinken planning to highlight US efforts to address food and energy security issues affecting developing nations. He is planning to “underscore the damage that Russia's war of aggression has caused” and urge other nations to press Moscow for “cessation of hostilities in Ukraine”, according to Ramin Toloui, the US assistant secretary of state for economic and business affairs. The other big global stand-off between the US and China will most likely feature prominently as well. Recently, Beijing has been seeing red over Washington’s attempt to “endanger peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait” after a US military aircraft flew over the contentious waterway. Previously, the Chinese Foreign Ministry had issued a rare straightforward rebuke to American ‘hegemony’ in a scathing essay widely shared by Chinese media. And earlier this month, a row erupted when the US military shot down what it claimed to be a Chinese spy balloon that flew over its airspace. Though China maintained it was a civilian research vessel that was accidentally blown off course, the dispute led to Blinken calling off his scheduled trip to Beijing. State Councilor Wang Yi called the US handling of the balloon incident “unimaginable” and “hysterical”. These factors make it likely that Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, who is on his maiden trip to India after his predecessor Wang was elevated as the State Councilor, will try to counteract Blinken’s anti-Russian overtures at the G20 meeting. The likely outcome - In a zero-sum game that has come to signify modern-day diplomacy, a lack of consensus is the most plausible outcome after the two-day meeting, as Russia and China refuse to back down to bullying from US-led Western nations over the Ukraine situation. The emerging economies will likely be reduced to playing the role of a casual bystander, even as New Delhi bids to amplify its stance as the leading voice of the Global South. The G20 finance ministers’ meeting last Saturday failed to adopt a joint statement on the global economy over lack of consensus on a raft of issues. A similar outcome is on the cards in this week’s meeting. ".... The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT..... " https://www.rt.com/india/572217-g20-india-russia-china-us/ ============================================= 20 Feb, 2023 11:58 6) --- Key NATO member reacts to claims it’s helping Russia's military Türkiye says it hasn’t provided Moscow with any electronics that could be used in the defense industry Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has rejected allegations that Ankara is helping Russia to bypass Western sanctions by providing it with technology products. His comments came after Washington reportedly warned Türkiye against supplying Moscow with anything that could help it to fight in Ukraine. Speaking at a joint press conference with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday, Cavusoglu was asked to comment on Washington’s concerns that Türkiye could be exporting tech items to Russia in violation of Western sanctions. The foreign minister claimed that, while Moscow and Ankara have recently seen an increase in bilateral trade, the country would not allow “the US and EU sanctions to be pierced through Türkiye.” “It is not true that products such as electronics and so on to be used in the defense industry are exported to Russia by us,” he stated, adding that Ankara had asked its American and European partners to share any information that could point to any violations whatsoever so they could be addressed. Cavusoglu noted that, since the start of the Ukraine conflict, Türkiye “has taken a clear stance” on hostilities and does not allow any warships to pass through the Bosphorus. Earlier this month, Reuters reported that the US had warned Ankara that it could face punishment should it decide to export chemicals, microchips and other products to Russia that could potentially be used for military purposes. Since the start of Moscow’s military operation in Ukraine in February 2022, Western countries have slapped unprecedented sanctions on Russia, banning, among other things, the sale of sensitive technologies in an effort to cripple its economy. In late December, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that the West’s “full-blown sanctions war” had failed to bring about the collapse of the national economy. Türkiye is opposed to Western restrictions against Russia but has said it will not allow them to be circumvented on its territory. Ankara has repeatedly pushed both sides to engage in peace talks while offering its mediation services. It also played a vital role in brokering a grain deal to unblock agricultural exports via the Black Sea from Russia and Ukraine last July. https://www.rt.com/news/571769-t%C3%BCrkiye-defense-tech-russia-sanctions/ ============================================== 27 Feb, 2023 13:50 OP-ED 7) --- Why are people afraid of ‘15-minute cities’? The newly popular concept of having all you need within easy reach is seen by some as a step towards total control Robert Bridge In an effort to make towns more user- and eco-friendly, urban planners have unveiled the ’15-minute city,’ which hopes to keep residents close to home to battle climate change. But will this plan open the door to greater restrictions? More than 2,000 protesters went out into the streets of Oxford, England earlier this month to express their hostility to the controversial concept of the 15-minute city, which has already been quietly unveiled in a number of major cities, including Barcelona, Melbourne, Paris and Milan. Centered on the work of the French-Colombian urbanist Carlos Moreno, 15-minute cities are designed so that human necessities and services, like shopping, work, education, and healthcare are accessible with a short bike ride or walk from one’s front door. Such a city is divided into neighborhoods or zones, and local residents have little to no need to ever travel outside their immediate surroundings. When necessary, such trips can be taken via public transport or ring roads, keeping private cars’ harmful emissions into the city air at a minimum. https://www.dezeen.com/2021/10/26/15-minute-city-carlos-moreno-obel-award/# At first glance, it seems hard to argue with this proposal. After all, most people at one time or another have found themselves cursing at automobiles, maybe even chasing after them with a clenched fist (as an Australian friend of mine was prone to do when the cars didn’t stop for him in the crosswalks), wishing that the contraptions would just disappear. In fact, something like that happened recently in the center of Moscow when the local government converted several lengthy streets around Red Square to pedestrian traffic only. The results have been spectacular. Along spacious roads once reserved for the fire-breathing machines, young people ride electric scooters, kids run without fear of becoming roadkill, and diners enjoy casual meals on patios minus vehicular noise and pollution. Meanwhile, the businesses do not seem negatively affected by the change. In fact, they seem to be flourishing like never before. So where exactly is the problem? It seems that much of the skepticism and even paranoia about 15-minute cities stems from recent history, particularly humanity’s experience with the Covid pandemic and the restrictive methods that some world leaders chose for dealing with it. What started off as “15 days of lockdowns to flatten the curve” of the disease with a survival rate above 95%, turned into what many feel was a marathon in prison living. These skeptics now see 15-minute cities as a continuation of the dreaded ‘Great Reset’, a part of the unsettling formula of ‘You’ll own nothing and you’ll be happy.’ They view the idea of renouncing at-will car travel as something akin to “eating bugs”, which is already being promoted as a way to mitigate climate change. And they are asking: can people who promote such ideas be trusted with regulating day-to-day city life? https://www.dw.com/en/eu-insects-climate-change/a-64503440 To further complicate matters, the very idea that climate change is a problem that must be fought at all costs is an issue that seems to be as controversial as the great debate over abortion or gun control in the US. Some people, many of them on the political right, see this environmentalism as nothing more than an excuse for exerting more government control over people. Besides, the 15-minute city’s ability to help the environment has itself been called into question. During the Oxford protest, one of the speakers, a 12-year-old girl named Jasmine, provided an imaginary scenario: “Let’s say my friend lives in Zone 3 and I’m in Zone 1. If, for example, I went to my friend’s house in Zone 3. My parents normally come and pick me up in their car, it only takes 10 minutes. So does that mean that they’d have to go around the ring road and back into town again? If my mom or dad had to drive around the ring road, it would take 30 minutes, causing much more pollution and leaving a much bigger carbon footprint.” https://live.childrenshealthdefense.org/chd-tv/events/stop-oxford-no-15-minute-cities/stop-oxford--no-15-minute-cities/ Moreover, is it realistic to think that every material good and service will always be readily accessible by a 15-minute bicycle ride or casual stroll? After all, what government bureaucrats promise and what they ultimately provide seldom align. And let’s not forget that business failures happen on a regular basis and often with little notice. Will residents of Zone 1, for example, be forced to pay fines in the event they must travel to Zone 5 for essential products, like food, medicine and even water in the event of unexpected shortfalls? Even if a self-contained neighborhood is ultimately able to maintain stable access to all the wants and needs of its residents, opponents of the idea have gone so far as to compare it to a gulag. They feel the 15-minute city would deprive them of the freedom of choice to leave their neighborhoods and venture to other businesses, schools, and health services without having to fork over money, time and nerves for the privilege. “The idea that neighborhoods should be walkable is lovely,” Dr. Jordan Peterson commented over Twitter. “The idea that idiot tyrannical bureaucrats can decide by fiat where you're ‘allowed’ to drive is perhaps the worst imaginable perversion of that idea - and, make no mistake, it's part of a well-documented plan.” https://twitter.com/jordanbpeterson/status/1609255646993457153 Additionally, there are other socio-economic questions regarding equal opportunity, privilege, and even race. Nobody has been able to predict the consequences of imposing travel restrictions on more marginalized consumers who lack quality services in their poorer neighborhoods, and must now pay more to access them at a much greater distance. Oxford’s 15-minute-city plans themselves do not actually include traffic restrictions or fines, instead focusing on making the scheme workable by ensuring that residents have access to everything they need. This includes boosting local retail, improving delivery services and other, equally benevolent measures with no encroachment on personal freedoms. Given this, the detractors of the 15-minute city have been dubbed conspiracy theorists. However, Oxfordshire City Council also has a separate plan, a set of traffic-reducing measures that will go into trial mode next year. Under this plan, residents will not be allowed to drive on some city streets for most of the day unless they have a 100-day permit. They are encouraged to instead use the ring road or public transport. Traffic cameras will monitor compliance and fines will be imposed for violations. https://www.oxford.gov.uk/news/article/2332/joint_statement_from_oxfordshire_county_council_and_oxford_city_council_on_oxford_s_traffic_filters The aforementioned ‘conspiracy theorists’ in Oxford have been accused of conflating the two plans to make the idea of the 15-minute city seem more ominous than it is. But their concerns are justified by the power creep they’ve seen during and after the Covid-related lockdowns – where we now know that digital tracking measures have been used for more than just reducing the spread of the virus. Back in 1986, former US president Ronald Reagan famously told a group of journalists, "The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government, and I'm here to help." Those protesting the idea of 15-minute cities believe they need to get a foot in the door before the power creep actually does start encroaching on personal freedoms – which they now feel is the inevitable outcome. "...The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.... - Robert Bridge is an American writer and journalist. He is the author of 'Midnight in the American Empire,' How Corporations and Their Political Servants are Destroying the American Dream. https://www.rt.com/news/572123-15minute-cities-control-protests/ ================================================ 1 Mar, 2023 16:34 8) --- EU nation’s MPs greenlight joining NATO Meanwhile, two members of the bloc haven’t ratified Helsinki’s bid yet The Finnish parliament on Wednesday overwhelmingly voted in favor of joining NATO. The vote was held before Hungary and Türkiye had the chance to ratify the Nordic nation’s accession to the US-led military bloc. The bill was supported by 184 MPs of the 200-seat parliament, while only seven voted against it and one abstained. Seven others were not present during the vote. Some of the bill’s opponents, including the Left Alliance MPs Markus Mustajarvi and Johannes Yrttiaho, expressed their concerns over Finland not setting any conditions for its NATO membership regarding a potential deployment of nuclear weapons to its territory. “I consider [it to be] the biggest problem with NATO membership … that Finland accepts NATO’s nuclear weapons policy and at the same time effectively renounces its non-nuclear status,” Yrttiaho said during the debate on Tuesday. Finland’s foreign and defense ministers then assured the MPs that NATO membership would not change Helsinki’s stance on nuclear weapons. “I have already stated before that we are not trying to bring them to Finland, and no one is trying to force them here either,” Finnish Defense Minister Antti Kaikkonen said. The results of the vote were hailed by Finnish parliament speaker Matti Vanhanen, who called it a “historic decision” comparable to Finland joining the EU in the 1990s. The parliament head also said that NATO membership once again placed Finland “on the map of Europe.” The vote comes as NATO itself is yet to accept Finland into its ranks. While 28 members of the bloc formally ratified the bid of the Nordic nation and neighboring Sweden, Hungary and Türkiye are yet to do so. The parliament justified the move by saying it wanted to finalize its part of the process before the elections scheduled for early April. The legislation must now be signed by the president before it comes into force. Last week, Budapest indicated it might need more time for its lawmakers to vote on the bids by Sweden and Finland to join the Western military bloc. However, on Wednesday, MPs started the ratification process for the Nordic nations’ bids following calls by Hungary’s president for it to be sped up. Ankara has previously expressed reluctance to allow either of the two nations to join NATO, citing their support for Kurdish groups that Ankara considers to be terrorists. Türkiye, Sweden and Finland signed an agreement last June to address those concerns and pave the way for approving NATO’s expansion. https://www.rt.com/news/572279-finland-parliament-join-nato-bill/ ** QS: recall Hungary have not yet formally approved bids by Sweden and Finland to join the Western military bloc and need more time. Turkey has also not ratified. ================================================ 1 Mar, 2023 15:47 -- -- ANALYSIS - 9) Ivan Timofeev: Could China and the US eventually end up like the USSR, as collapsed superpowers? Ivan Timofeev Nothing lasts forever, and the pair could collapse under the sheer weight of their own ideological and geopolitical obsessions. Modern international relations scholarship has torn itself inside out trying to define the nature of modern superpowers. What distinguishes a true claimant to the title from the rest? Is there a universal set of characteristics that distinguishes a single leader from a multitude of outsiders? Until now, the key criteria of a “superpower” has been considered by scholars mainly in material terms. It must have economic potential, military power, critical technologies, a developed scientific and industrial base, and human capital that far exceeds that of other countries. The sum of these material capabilities provides a non-negotiable, but measurable, criterion for ranking states. Intangible factors are much more complex. They are difficult, if not impossible, to quantify. Assessing them is too subjective and potentially biased. Whose culture is stronger? Whose ethics are correct? Whose value system is better? Such questions lead to theoretical arguments, but do little to distinguish superpowers from other actors in the international arena, and here lies one of the most important factors. We could suggest that the notable difference between a superpower and lesser peers is the existence of a systematic and coherent political philosophy of international relations. A superpower offers its own unique perspective on how the world should be structured, by what rules it should exist, what its purpose is, and why this particular country is legitimate in its role. Of course, political philosophy is not just a collection of slogans and clichés. It is not only a pretty package or a simulation, an ideology or, indeed, a utopia. All this may be a derivative of the theme, but it should not exhaust its content. It is a specific interpretation of key political concepts in international relations – power, authority, justice, equality and the like. Such an understanding should be based on a deep intellectual tradition and one's own practical experience, which make the arguments of the proposed doctrine convincing both for oneself and for others. Can a country represent a value based on material factors alone? Undoubtedly. A state can concentrate considerable power and live solely on the principles of realism, pursue pragmatic policies, promote its economic interests and achieve domination wherever possible. However, naked realism will sooner or later reach the limits of its legitimacy. The rule of the bayonet and the purse will be shaky without a clear understanding of why, and for what reason, it exists. Can a country have an influential political philosophy while being materially backward? Certainly. At a certain point it can be a model of stoicism or heroism, a bearer of innovative and attractive ideas. But without a solid fiscal base, these run the risk of hanging in the air and remaining as wishful thinking. It is noteworthy that there are surprisingly few countries with both material power and a political philosophy of their own. It seems that creating such a doctrine is much easier than building a missile or a nuclear bomb. Put “clever people” in charge, process the results of their “brainstorming”, write some basic works and turn them into manuals for propagandists, and that is all! In reality, many such efforts crumble and get lost in the noise of information. A few copies remain in the hands of a few people. Must the political philosophy of a superpower be “sovereign”? Should it be based solely on a national intellectual tradition? The answer tends to be “no”. Exceptionally original political-philosophical doctrines with a global impact are extremely difficult to find. They are usually a mixture of universal ethical principles, categories of major political-philosophical doctrines such as liberalism, socialism or conservatism, nationally specific views and principles, and even religious doctrines such as Christianity or Islam. There are only two countries in the world today that combine both significant material potential and their own political philosophy. They are the United States and the People's Republic of China. The political-philosophical core of the US is well known and widely reproduced at all levels – from university monographs and textbooks to propaganda videos and social media posts. It is based on liberal principles, with their supremacy of human reaso

Greece: Two trains have collided head on in Tempe, about 140 miles north of Athens. At least 32 people dead and more than 80 injured. A fire broke out igniting some carriages. - Africa, Nigeria elections: Nigerian Electoral Body, INEC declared Bola Tinubu the winner of the presidential election. The three leading presidential candidates won in 12 states each while Rabiu Kwankwaso claimed only Kano State. This is amid protests by the Labour Party and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and calls from various quarters that the results of the elections be cancelled going by irregularities around the Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS). Questions are raised about the integrity of Nigeria's electoral system as the ruling party's candidate narrowly wins victory in the presidential election. Karabo Letlhatlha reports. RT also spoke to residents to see what they thought of the election. Lere Olayinka (PDP party) also comments. - Africa, Zimbabwe/South Africa: Arthur Mutambara, former deputy PM of Zimbabwe, decries the continuing interference and interjections of USA in the general running and policies of South Africa. He says a country with 1.3 billion people and $2.5 trillion GDP deserves better. Recently, USA has decried by resolution, the joint military drills going on between South Africa, China and Russia and has demanded South Africa to take sides against Russia's special operation in Ukraine and for S.A. to review their bilateral ties with Russia. Jackie Shandu reports. - Yemen/USA : The US pats itself on the back for providing humanitarian aid to Yemen, while at the same time supplying weapons for the Saudi-led coalition that's bombing the Middle Eastern country. RT hears from a Red Cross representative about the situation. (QS we must stop confusing the actions of mostly highly corrupted, bank/corporate controlled political parties with good government. They are mutually exclusive). Abdul Lattif Alwashali reports on the gross hypocrisy and outright lies. Imene Trabelsi (Red Cross) talks of the hauntingly dire situation in Yemen where 30 million people struggle to stay alive every day. - Syria: Years of war raged on Syria by the west, including the funding of XYZ alphabet soup of head-chopping "rebels", have left Syria devastated. The recent earthquakes/aftershocks which killed thousands of people and injured even more, has destroyed homes and infrastructure yet the sanctions illegally imposed on Syria to effect regime change (which isn't going to happen) are still in place, with the Caesar sanctions ruining the lives of everyone in the country. Bouthania Shaaban talks about the problems facing the government and citizens of Syria. If you are interested in Syria and it's myriad of problems and would like to make changes for the good of all, watch this video https://youtu.be/-4zmzNa6UW0 - Africa, Uganda/South Africa : Pres. Yoweri Museveni is visiting South Africa on a State visit. Pres. Cyril Ramaphosa (S.A.) and Pres Museveni will discuss trade and bi-lateral ties. They have signed memorandums of understanding on cooperation in the fields of women, youth and persons with disabilities, an MOU on cooperation in tourism, an MOU on cooperation in the field of correctional services and prisons, an MOU on cooperation in transport related matters and MOU on cooperation in the field of information and communication technologies. The last visit was 12+ years ago. Several officials and business leaders went with Pres. Museveni. Imports seem to be well over priced. Noluvuyo Kunge reports from J'burg. - Tik-Tok: You'll have to listen as QS has no idea. Lionel reports, he knows. - Moldova: Protests continued on Tuesday in Chisnau, as thousands of people gave dissent (again) against their .gov over rising cost of living and other economic problems. They are getting more and more ticked off. The huge rally was filmed from above by drone. The protest in Chisnau brought people from all over Moldova. Ilan Shor gives comments. - India/Russia: FM Lavrov arrived in India yesterday night and will meet with Indian FM Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and other FMs today at the G20 FM's meeting. 30 countries delegates will attend (this time in person) - more info https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/new-delhi-welcomes-foreign-ministers-for-key-g-20-meeting/article66564054.ece (turn off ad-block) https://twitter.com/the_hindu/status/1630637010493796353 Updates to come later. =============================================== Below, via RT website - - ---- -1) --- Horror train crash kills dozens 2) --- EU is threatening Serbia – Vucic 2a) --- Serb leader ‘proud’ of relations with Russia 3) --- Pentagon makes nuclear prediction 3a) --- Iranian FM reveals nuclear 'signals' from US 3b) --- Iran reacts to uranium claim 4) --- US senator threatens Brazil with ‘crippling sanctions’ 4a) --- Brazil ignores US demands 5) --- Indian spirits to replace Western liquor brands in Russia – Kommersant 6) --- German FM plans ‘feminist’ blitz 6a) --- Twitter clarifies ‘violent speech’ policy 6b) --- New Twitter bombshell: How American spies used false claims of Russian election interference to bring the tech giant to heel 6c) --- Gov Sponsored Censorship? FBI Paid Twitter Millions, Raising Serious Questions 7) --- FBI makes claim over ‘most likely’ Covid origin 7a) --- US funded Chinese lab for intelligence op – whistleblower 8) --- Ukraine sends more reinforcements to Artyomovsk ‘meat grinder’ 9) --- Berlin left unprotected as air defense systems sent to Ukraine – arms maker 10) --- Russia finds answer to IKEA exit – media 10a) --- IKEA of Sweden Nazi heritage - BBC + others ================================================ 1 Mar, 2023 00:57 1) --- Horror train crash kills dozens The collision between freight and passenger trains in Greece caused a blaze with people trapped inside overturned cars At least 32 people have been killed and dozens more injured following a head-on collision between two trains in northeastern Greece. Some 350 passengers were on board one of the trains at the time of the crash, with rescuers pulling many survivors from the wreckage. The incident took place shortly after midnight on Wednesday near Tempe, close to Greece’s eastern coast and some 144 miles (233km) north of Athens. A representative of the Greek fire service, Vassilis Vathrakogiannis, confirmed 32 fatalities, in addition to some 85 injured. At least 25 of those injured are said to be in “serious condition,” according to state-run broadcaster ERT News, which noted that several train cars were derailed in the collision. “It was a very powerful collision. This is a terrible night… It’s hard to describe the scene,” Costas Agorastos, the regional governor of Greece’s Thessaly region, told state media, adding that around 250 survivors had been evacuated to Thessaloniki on buses. - https://twitter.com/SaadAbedine/status/1630733630380167170 - Passengers reached by local media described the moment of the crash, saying they felt a “strong jolt” before the train lost power, forcing panicked travelers to smash windows in order to flee overturned railcars. - https://twitter.com/eha_news/status/1630724795292610560 - Thirty ambulances reportedly rushed to the scene to treat the victims, with multiple hospitals in nearby Larissa now operating on an “emergency basis,” local reports added. Fire crews battled a blaze that erupted in some cars, while the police and military have also mobilized rescue teams. It remains unclear what caused the collision, and officials have yet to discuss any investigation into the deadly incident. https://www.rt.com/news/572232-greece-train-collision-victims/ =============================================== 28 Feb, 2023 21:56 2) --- EU is threatening Serbia – Vucic No “normalization” agreement has been signed with Kosovo, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has said Serbia has not agreed to the EU’s “normalization” proposal on its relations with the breakaway province of Kosovo, President Aleksandar Vucic said on Tuesday while appearing on national TV. He added that Belgrade was facing threats from Brussels, but still refused to discuss the recognition of Kosovo and its accession to the UN. His words came a day after the EU’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, said on Twitter that both Belgrade and Pristina supported the Franco-German proposal for a “path to normalization” of relations between Serbia and Kosovo. Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti then said he had offered to sign the plan, but that Vucic refused to do so, even though he had apparently “agreed to” it. On Tuesday, however, Vucic said that the sides “did not agree,” but simply agreed on continuing the talks. He added that “nothing has been signed in Brussels.” Serbia is “ready to work on the implementation of many [points of] this plan,” Vucic said, but Belgrade still does not want to discuss “mutual recognition” as well as Kosovo’s accession to the UN. Serbia has not struck any “secret agreements,” the president said, adding that “not a single agreement is hidden” and he has “nothing to hide.” Vucic also called Borrell’s statement “very vague” and said that he was ready to discuss the “concept” of normalization. Vucic vowed that he would never sign any “formal or informal recognition of Kosovo” as long as he is Serbia’s president. He also admitted that Belgrade was facing pressure from Brussels and that the consequences of rejecting the plan would be a halting of Serbia’s integration into the European Union and a withdrawal of EU investments. “We currently have 80,000 people working in German-owned factories alone. They threatened a number of other measures, including that Serbia would become a pariah isolated from the [rest of the] world,” Vucic said. An EU plan published by the bloc’s External Action Service says that Serbia and Kosovo would “develop normal, good-neighborly relations with each other on the basis of equal rights” and their dialogue would be guided by UN principles, including “those of the sovereign equality of all States.” The EU has insisted on Serbia recognizing Kosovo’s independence as a precondition for joining the bloc, even though five member countries – Spain, Slovakia, Cyprus, Greece, and Romania – do not recognize it either. https://www.rt.com/news/572229-eu-threaten-serbia-kosovo-vucic/ ============== 28 Feb, 2023 19:20 2a) --- Serb leader ‘proud’ of relations with Russia Rumors of sanctions against Moscow are just propaganda, said Republika Srpska’s Milorad Dodik Bosnia-Herzegovina has not made the decision to join the US-EU sanctions against Russia, and any diplomats who claim otherwise are renegades, Serb Republic President Milorad Dodik said on Tuesday. By law, the three-member Presidency is in charge of Bosnia’s foreign policy, but the Foreign Ministry and Sarajevo’s envoy to the UN are acting on their own and beyond their authority, Dodik told RT Balkans. Bosnia was among the countries that voted to condemn Russia last week in the UN General Assembly. The previous government ignored the constitution and proper procedures and conducted foreign policy on behalf of only one of Bosnia’s three constituent communities, Dodik said, noting that some traces of this renegade behavior continue to linger. “We will not end relations with Russia. We wish all the best for everyone. We don’t care about the position of the US ambassador. We are proud of our cooperation with Russia. We also want good cooperation with the US, but the terms they insist on make that impossible,” Dodik noted. According to Dodik, the EU and the US are pressuring Bosnia to join their sanctions against Moscow, but such a decision has not been made by the Presidency, the Council of Ministers, or the Parliament, whatever some politicians may claim. “There will be no sanctions against Russia,” he said. The leader of the Alliance of Independent Social-Democrats was elected president of the Serb Republic (Republika Srpska, RS) last year, having previously served a term in the tripartite presidency. The RS accounts for half of Bosnia, while the Federation consisting of ten Bosniak- and Croat-majority provinces makes up the other half. The decentralized arrangement was built into the 1995 Dayton Accords, the peace treaty that ended almost four years of sectarian conflict. Dodik has opposed attempts by international overseers to centralize Bosnia-Herzegovina, which got him accused of “undermining peace” and placed on the US sanctions list. After taking office last year, he said the West needed to understand that “communication is no longer possible from the position of demanding complete obedience and submission” and that outsiders need to respect the foreign policy priorities of RS, among which were good relations with Moscow. Neighboring Serbia has also refused to join the EU sanctions against Russia, insisting on neutrality in the Ukraine conflict. Earlier this month, however, President Aleksandar Vucic said the Western pressure might soon compel him to submit. https://www.rt.com/news/572219-russia-bosnia-serbs-sanctions/ ================================================ 1 Mar, 2023 00:44 3) --- Pentagon makes nuclear prediction US officials and media speculate that Iran is less than two weeks away from having enough material to make a bomb Iran is just 12 days away from making enough uranium for an atomic bomb, the Pentagon’s top policy official told Congress on Tuesday. Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl was asked about the defunct nuclear deal with Iran, while testifying at the House Armed Services Committee hearing about arming Ukraine. “Iran’s nuclear progress since we left the JCPOA has been remarkable,” Kahl said, referring to the 2015 agreement by its acronym. “Back in 2018, when the previous administration decided to leave the JCPOA it would have taken Iran about 12 months to produce one bomb's worth of fissile material. Now it would take about 12 days.” According to a “confidential” IAEA report, seen by the Associated Press on Tuesday, the United Nations nuclear watchdog’s inspectors had allegedly discovered traces of uranium “particles” enriched up to 83.7% in Iran's underground Fordo nuclear site. However, they found no signs of Tehran actually stockpiling it – in line with Iranian officials' explanation. Behrouz Kamalvandi, spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), previously dismissed a similar report by Bloomberg as “slander and a distortion of the facts.” While US officials and media claim Iran may be on the cusp of producing enough fissile material for a nuclear weapon, the Pentagon reportedly doesn’t believe Tehran has the technology to actually build one. The agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), placed severe restrictions on Tehran’s nuclear program in exchange for lifting the UN sanctions. It was signed by Iran, China, Russia, the US, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the EU. In May 2018, however, US President Donald Trump withdrew from the agreement and reimposed sanctions unilaterally. Iran responded by continuing the program, which Tehran has described as entirely peaceful. The Joe Biden administration has attempted to revive the deal, but has been unwilling to lift the sanctions or provide Iran with guarantees it would not violate the agreement again. Negotiations have been stalled since August 2022. “I think there is still the view that if you could resolve this issue diplomatically and put constraints back on their nuclear program, it is better than the other options,” Kahl told lawmakers on Tuesday. “But right now, the JCPOA is on ice.” On Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said that the US had sent a message via the Iraqi foreign minister that Washington was “ready to conclude an agreement.” Iran was willing as well, so long as any settlement respected the Islamic Republic’s “red lines,” said Amir-Abdollahian, noting again that it was the US that reneged on the deal. https://www.rt.com/news/572231-pentagon-iran-nuclear-enrichment/ ================== 27 Feb, 2023 09:16 3a) --- Iranian FM reveals nuclear 'signals' from US Agreement with the US is possible, if Washington “behaves realistically,” Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said The US has signaled that it’s ready to engage with Tehran with a view to reviving the landmark 2015 nuclear deal, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on Sunday, noting that any settlement must respect the Islamic Republic’s “red lines.” Speaking to Al-Alam TV network, Abdollahian said Iraqi Foreign Minister Fouad Hossein, who recently returned from a trip to Washington, “carried the message that the American side is ready to conclude an agreement” on the Iranian nuclear deal. “We have always welcomed the path of diplomacy and negotiation. We are and we have not distanced ourselves from the negotiations,” the minister stated. Abdollahian went on to say that Tehran is ready to work toward an agreement based on the results of marathon Vienna talks to revive the 2015 deal, as well as intermediary contacts between Iran and the US. “I imagine that if the American side behaves realistically within the framework of the message it sent and does not repeat the previous hypocritical media statements, we will not be far from an agreement,” the Iranian foreign minister said, noting that it was the American side that had deviated from its obligations under the deal in the first place. The agreement, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was signed by Iran, China, Russia, the US, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the EU in 2015. It sought to place severe restrictions on Tehran’s nuclear program in exchange for lifting sanctions. However, in 2018 the US unilaterally withdrew from the agreement, with then-President Donald Trump describing the deal as flawed. However, the administration of US President Joe Biden has repeatedly said it is ready to engage with Iran on the matter. Subsequently, negotiations on reviving the deal kicked off in April 2021 in the Austrian capital, which resulted in hammering out the so-called “final” draft text of the agreement in August 2022. Since then, the negotiations have stalled, however, with Washington unwilling to lift all anti-Iranian sanctions and refusing to give guarantees that it would not exit the agreement again. Earlier this month, the US also imposed new sanctions on Iran’s petroleum industry, targeting entities that sought to bypass restrictions that had already been in place. Tehran’s foreign ministry denounced the move, portraying it as further proof of “hostility and hypocrisy” toward the nuclear accord. https://www.rt.com/news/572120-iran-nuclear-deal-us/ =============== 20 Feb, 2023 07:16 3b) --- Iran reacts to uranium claim Tehran denies changing its enrichment targets, after US media reported that it has produced ‘almost’ weapons-grade material Tehran has rejected as misleading a Bloomberg report, which claimed that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was investigating how the country enriched uranium “to levels just below that needed for a nuclear weapon.” The news agency cited two anonymous diplomats, who alleged that the UN nuclear watchdog found uranium of 84% purity, or “just 6% below what’s needed for a weapon” in Iran, Bloomberg explained in its article, published on Sunday. Responding on Monday, Behrouz Kamalvandi, spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), said the piece was “slander and a distortion of the facts”. “The presence of uranium particles above 60% during the enrichment process does not mean enrichment above 60% level,” he told IRNA news agency, claiming that in publishing the story, Bloomberg was serving as a tool of anti-Iran pressure. Bloomberg did, however, acknowledge the possibility that the sample was found after unintended accumulation in an enrichment centrifuge cascade. The IAEA has commented on the news by stating that it was “discussing with Iran the results of recent Agency verification activities” and would report the outcome to its board of governors when appropriate. Iran agreed to impose restrictions on its nuclear industry, including enrichment activities, under a 2015 deal with world powers. The agreement was torpedoed by US President Donald Trump, who pulled out in 2018 to pursue a so-called “maximum pressure” campaign of sanctions. Iran eventually started reneging on its commitments, and announced it was enriching uranium to 60% purity at its Natanz facility in 2021 and at the Fordo site in 2022. The nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, was touted as a way to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, an ambition that Tehran denies having. https://www.rt.com/news/571753-iran-uranium-enrichment-bloomberg/ =============================================== 28 Feb, 2023 22:24 4) --- US senator threatens Brazil with ‘crippling sanctions’ Ted Cruz was furious after Iranian warships docked in Rio de Janeiro over American objections Washington should sanction everyone having anything to do with the visit of two Iranian warships to Brazil, Senator Ted Cruz said on Tuesday, declaring the visit “a direct threat to the safety and security of Americans.” The Iranian Navy frigate Dena and the supply ship Makran are on the mission to sail around the world. They arrived in Brazil on Sunday, with the intent to resupply before proceeding to the Panama Canal. The US has previously demanded of Brazil to refuse them permission to dock, citing the unilateral American sanctions against Tehran. “These Iranian warships are already sanctioned, and so the port in Rio de Janeiro where they docked is now at risk of crippling sanctions, as are any Brazilian companies that provided them services or accepted payments – and so are all foreign companies that entangle themselves with the port or those Brazilian companies in the future,” Cruz said in a statement. Insisting that US anti-terrorism laws are “not optional,” the senator demanded of President Joe Biden to “impose relevant sanctions” and re-evaluate whether Brasilia is adequately cooperating with Washington. “If the administration does not, Congress should force them to do so.” The Texas Republican sits on the Foreign Relations Committee and is the ranking member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. Though his party is in the minority in the Senate, it currently controls the House of Representatives. Cruz also described the Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as “aligned against the US and our interests,” and said that Biden either did not convey the US concerns to him when hosting Lula at the White House, “or the Brazilians did not care.” Glenn Greenwald, an American journalist who lives in Brazil, pointed out that Cruz’s statement illustrates the US hypocrisy on the world stage. “The US officially regards all of South America as its property, and sees itself as the Supreme Ruler of the whole region,” Greenwald tweeted, adding that this is the reason Brazil and many other countries “laugh in Biden’s face” when he talks about “the US war in Ukraine” being about defending sovereignty. “If Ukraine has the right to host all of NATO right on the Russian border, then Brazil can host whichever ships it wants,” Greenwald added. https://www.rt.com/news/572228-brazil-iranian-ships-sanctions/ ============================================ 27 Feb, 2023 19:33 4a) --- Brazil ignores US demands Rio de Janeiro has welcomed the Iranian Navy after a brief delay Brazil has allowed two Iranian warships to dock in their country. The visit on Sunday comes after a diplomatic delay and in spite of US pressure. Iranian warships IRIS Makran and IRIS Dena have docked in Rio de Janeiro, as confirmed by the deputy chief of Brazil's Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Carlos Eduardo Horta Arentz, in the state’s Official Gazette (Diário Oficial da União). The ships will remain there until March 4, when they depart further for the Panama Canal that divides the American continent. The decision comes in spite of US Ambassador to Brazil Elizabeth Bagley’s warning Brasilia not to allow the Iranian Navy access to the South American port. She said at a press conference earlier this month that these ships “facilitated illegal trade and terrorist activities.” She added that, to date, no other countries have provided a port for these vessels. The Iranian warships started their journey in January, departing from the south of Iran to circumnavigate the world. Initially, the plan was for Brazil to receive the ships in January, but it was delayed in order to appease the US. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, commonly referred to simply as Lula, was planning his trip to Washington to meet with US President Joe Biden and delayed the ships’ entry into his country’s port. After the two leaders met earlier this month and, as their joint statement says, “reaffirmed the vital and enduring nature of the US-Brazil relationship,” Tehran’s ships are once again welcome in Rio. Lula has a history of relations with the Islamic Republic, welcoming then-president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Brasilia in 2009 to try and broker a nuclear deal between Washington and Tehran. The US and Iran have a longstanding animosity towards each other, dating back to the Islamic Revolution and the 1979–81 hostage crisis. The US is also strongly opposed to Iran’s possible nuclear power developments, arguing that they would grant the Middle Eastern country access to atomic weapons. Washington has also accused Tehran of sponsoring terrorism. In 2019, the Pentagon killed one of Iran's most powerful generals – Qassem Soleimani, in an airstrike, an event that only increased the mutual antagonism. https://www.rt.com/news/572156-brazil-us-iran-ships/ =============================================== 1 Mar, 2023 05:24 5) --- Indian spirits to replace Western liquor brands in Russia – Kommersant ABD is aiming to enter the Russian market Indian company Allied Blenders & Distillers (ABD), which produces the world’s third-most-popular whisky, Officer’s Choice, is planning to enter the Russian market, according to business daily Kommersant. Russian vodka manufacturer Alcohol Siberian Group (ASG) will be the sole distributor of two ABD brands, the Indian company announced on Tuesday. ABD is eyeing the market share that was vacated after the departure of some Western brands, Kommersant said. The Indian company’s brands have not been marketed in Russia before. According to the newspaper, deliveries of ABD products started in February. The contract is valid until October 2025, while the specific sales volume has not been agreed. Officer’s Choice Blue whisky from rare Scotch malts and Indian grain spirits will reportedly cost between 1,000 and 1,200 rubles ($13-$16) for a 0.75-liter bottle. Sterling Reserve premium blend’s price in Russia will vary from 1,100 rubles to 1,500 rubles ($14-$20) per bottle. Whisky has been the most affected type of alcohol in the Russian market as a result of Western trade restrictions. According to WineRetail estimates, bottled whisky imports have halved in 2022 to between 11 million and 12 million liters. Some brands, including Johnnie Walker, Jack Daniel’s, Bushmills, Jim Beam and White Horse were allowed for parallel import, and the number of their suppliers is growing. In addition, 36 new local whisky brands appeared in the market in the first nine months of 2022, according to analysis by NielsenIQ. India produces 60% of the world’s whisky, with ABD exporting to more than 20 countries. The company’s revenue in the 2021 financial year exceeded $765 million. https://www.rt.com/business/572197-indian-spirits-replace-western-liquor-russia/ ================================================ 28 Feb, 2023 23:54 6) --- German FM plans ‘feminist’ blitz Annalena Baerbock believes gender issues are “bitterly necessary” for Berlin Green Party leader Annalena Baerbock has put together a platform for “feminist foreign policy,” several outlets reported on Tuesday. The revamp of Berlin’s diplomacy, due to be made public later this week, will infuse “gender issues” into everything from humanitarian aid and energy to climate change. “We are pursuing a feminist foreign policy because it is bitterly necessary. Because men and women are still not equal worldwide,” Baerbock wrote, according to Politico Europe. The 80-page report outlines 10 principal guidelines, according to the German news agency DPA. Among them are offering “gender-sensitive” humanitarian aid, involving “women and marginalized groups” in economic development and considering the “gender issues” dimension of climate and energy policies. The measures are intended to “shape our inner workings and help us to form a ‘feminist reflex’,” Baerbock reportedly wrote, arguing that one of the foreign ministry’s goals should be to “measurably advance gender equality worldwide.” She also wants to create a new post of “ambassador for feminist foreign policy.” By her definition, however, feminism policy is not just for women, but also for those “marginalized by society on the basis of gender identity, origin, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation or other reasons.” Therefore, in addition to spending 85% of project funds in a “gender-sensitive” manner, the Foreign Ministry intends to spend another 8% in a “gender-transformative” way that “actively challenges gender norms” by the end of the legislative cycle. Baerbock’s Greens are currently in the “traffic light coalition” with Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats and the Free Democrats. The opposition has already pushed back, however. Bavarian PM Markus Soeder, who chairs the CSU party, told the Mediengruppe Bayern that her plan was “incomprehensible” and that “traveling the world and telling everyone else what they should and should not do is doomed to failure.” Soeder has already called on Scholz to sack Baerbock before she becomes a “security risk.” The foreign minister has made a series of un-diplomatic gaffes over the past several months, mostly in relation to the conflict in Ukraine, reportedly prompting Scholz’s office to keep “careful track” of her mistakes. In August 2022, Baerbock infamously told an EU conference in Prague that she intended to deliver on her promises to Ukraine “no matter what my German voters think.” Last month, during a debate in the European Parliament on sending Ukraine more weapons, Baerbock said EU members should not fight among themselves, since “we are fighting a war against Russia.” She later walked that back, but still claimed her remarks were taken out of context and deliberately misinterpreted by the “Russian regime’s propaganda.” In mid-February, Baerbock told the Munich Security Conference that Moscow’s policy needed to “change by 360 degrees,” prompting former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to dub her a “connoisseur of geometry.” https://www.rt.com/news/572230-germany-baerbock-feminist-foreign-policy/ ================================================ 1 Mar, 2023 03:06 6a) --- Twitter clarifies ‘violent speech’ policy The social media giant said it would continue to allow “hyperbolic and consensual speech between friends” Twitter has unveiled new rules to crack down on “violent speech,” saying it will impose a “zero tolerance” policy toward those threatening or glorifying the harm of another person or group. Certain exemptions will apply for cases involving satire, jokes and some forms of “artistic expression.” The company announced the decision on Tuesday, noting that going forward, Twitter users “may not threaten, incite, glorify, or express desire for violence or harm,” part of a policy change intended to “prevent the normalization of violent actions.” “In most cases, we will immediately and permanently suspend any account that violates this policy,” it said in a press release, adding that “for less severe violations,” some accounts may simply be locked temporarily. However, the new policy will also make several exceptions, including for posts which contain “no clear abusive or violent context,” such as “hyperbolic and consensual” ribbing between friends, or during the “discussion of video games or sporting events.” “We also allow certain cases of figures of speech, satire, or artistic expression when the context is expressing a viewpoint rather than instigating actionable violence or harm,” the company added, claiming it would “evaluate” all flagged posts before taking action against users. While the decision marks one of the first major speech policy changes adopted by Twitter since its takeover by Elon Musk last October, the site’s rules have continued to evolve over the years. In 2018, under the leadership of the platform’s original owner and co-founder Jack Dorsey, Twitter imposed a ban on speech which “dehumanize[s] anyone based on membership in an identifiable group, as this speech can lead to offline harm.” The following year, it expanded that policy to prohibit posts attacking users on the basis of their “religion, caste, age, disability, disease, race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation,” and later took additional steps to curtail violent posts following the riot at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. https://www.rt.com/news/572233-twitter-violent-speech-policy/ ================= 4 Jan, 2023 17:00 --- ---- ---- recall ---- 6b) --- New Twitter bombshell: How American spies used false claims of Russian election interference to bring the tech giant to heel Files reveal how the specter of Moscow's supposed underhand ways was used to subjugate the platform to the US Democratic Party In a pair of blockbuster #TwitterFiles threads, this week, journalist Matt Taibbi has blown open, even wider, the media giant's concerning collusion with the US national security state. The former Rolling Stone writer exposed how political pressure from the US Democratic Party very effectively forced the company to endorse the lie that its platform was extensively weaponized by Russia, with hugely significant consequences. Find the "Russian trace" at any cost - The first, boldly titled 'How Twitter Let the Intelligence Community In', documents how in August 2017, despite dubious allegations that Russian bots and trolls were responsible for the election of Donald Trump in the mainstream media reaching fever pitch, Twitter's hierarchy knew its platform wasn’t riddled with malign Kremlin-directed actors. In internal emails, the company’s senior executives and communications professionals almost mocked the idea that it was overrun with Russian bots. They could neither detect “a big correlation” in account activity related to the November 2016 election, nor any “larger patterns” at all. They forecast potentially taking action against less than 25 users. As such, it was decided to simply ignore approaches from the media on the issue. The next month, Twitter informed the Senate it had suspended 22 possible Russian accounts, and 179 others with “possible links” to those accounts. Senator Mark Warner, a ranking Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, immediately held a high-profile press conference to denounce the social network’s response as “frankly inadequate on every level.” Such pressure, combined with bitter, twice-failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton declaring, “It’s time for Twitter to stop dragging its heels and live up to the fact that its platform is being used as a tool for cyber-warfare,” forced the social network to set up a dedicated “Russia task force” to investigate the issue. It did – and found nothing. “No evidence of a coordinated approach” between accounts flagged as potentially Kremlin-run was identified, despite an “exhaustive” internal investigation. In all, after manually scouring through the posts of thousands of accounts flagged as “suspicious” by external actors, they found that just 32 were questionable, 17 of which were connected with Russia, and only two had spent any money on advertising – one being RT, which was specifically given favorable marketing offers by Twitter before the election. Again, senior Democratic party officials were enraged by these results. What followed was a flurry of unhinged, sensationalist news stories, claiming Twitter was either covering up the Kremlin’s dirty work for sinister reasons, either by lying about the issue, or actively deleting reams of incriminating data to cover its own tracks. “Were Twitter a contractor for the FSB … they could not have built a more effective disinformation platform,” professor Thomas Rid, an adviser to the Intelligence Committee, remarked to Politico at the time. Surrender to politics - None of this was true. But it provided the Democrats with ammunition to threaten regulations on Twitter’s political advertising, which could’ve been extremely costly to the company’s revenue. This sent senior staffers into a panic, which was only intensified by the timely leak of a database of thousands of alleged Russian bots and trolls to major media outlets by the Intelligence Committee. This resulted in a flood of aggressive queries from journalists. Realizing the pressure would only keep mounting – as media outlets and politicians had decided this absolutely was a major scandal, irrespective of the available evidence, and were going to keep pushing until they got what they wanted – Twitter kowtowed, and publicly declared bots and trolls were in fact a massive issue on its platform, and it would be proactive in rooting out such activity in future. Internally, Twitter executives settled on an informal, secret policy for dealing with rogue actors on the network. Publicly, they would stick to the line content was removed and users were banned “at our sole discretion,” while privately they would “off-board” anything and everything “identified by the US intelligence community as a state-sponsored entity conducting cyber-operations,” without argument. Twitter had actively invited US spies to run its moderation process, without anyone knowing, and on the explicit internal understanding they would not be leaving. That sinister penetration widened substantially when Covid-19 arrived in the US, and again the bogeyman of Kremlin “disinformation” was the battering ram. In February 2020, US State Department intelligence wing the Global Engagement Center published a report, “Russian Disinformation Apparatus Taking Advantage of Coronavirus Concerns.” It claimed that a vast network of bots and trolls controlled by Moscow and amplified by China and Iran was pumping endless propaganda “describing the Coronavirus as an engineered bioweapon.” The report’s criteria for determining if an account was a bot or troll was, unbelievably, whether the user followed “two or more” Chinese diplomats. The 250,000-strong network included Western government officials, and media outlets, including CNN. Such a weak evidentiary foundation did not deter mainstream journalists publishing countless stories endorsing the report’s findings. Twitter staff, likely due to past experience at this point, could see what the Center was up to – namely, attempting to “insert themselves” into the “content moderation club” through which Google, Twitter and Facebook were controlled by the FBI, DHS, and other US government agencies. Executives at these tech giants were unanimously opposed to the Center’s inclusion, not least due to its “mandate for offensive” information operations to “promote American interests.” Hell under the heel - After years of bending over backwards to placate the Democratic establishment, Twitter attempted to push back. Over a series of internal emails, various executives spelled out deep concerns about allowing the Center any influence over the platform, and initially rejected an FBI request for the organization to be included in the moderation club’s regular 'industry call'. It was felt the Center’s involvement would pose “major risks … especially as the election heats up.” Eventually, the FBI offered a compromise – the CIA, NSA, and Global Engagement Center would be able to simply listen to the industry calls, but wouldn’t be active participants. Twitter relented, a decision its higher-ups seem to have quickly come to regret. Before long, the social network was being bombarded with requests to censor content and ban users from every US government body under the sun. This extended to US government officials asking for users to be banned because they didn’t personally like an individual in question. Notorious House Intelligence Committee chief Adam Schiff, a Democrat, once asked Twitter to ban journalist Paul Sperry, due to his critical reporting on the Committee’s work. After initially refusing, Sperry was later suspended. Almost every other request was granted immediately, even those from the Global Engagement Center. This included demands to ban independent media outlets falsely claimed to be “GRU-controlled” and linked “to the Russian government.” In one email, a former CIA staffer remarked that Twitter would soon be unable to deny a single request. “Our window on that is closing,” they said. In the weeks before the 2020 Presidential election, Twitter was flooded with demands from so many officials, departments and agencies, they were confused and overworked. If action wasn’t taken promptly, followup emails quickly appeared, asking if action had yet been taken, and if not, why, and when it would be. In one request, an FBI official even apologized “in advance for your workload.” Once, a no doubt exhausted senior attorney at the social network complained internally, “my inbox is really f***ed up at this point.” Previous #TwitterFiles threads exposed how the FBI paid the social network $3 million to process its requests. Based on the most recent disclosures, it’s clear the company and its staff were significantly underpaid for their efforts. Future releases promise yet further bombshell revelations, but the long-hidden truths divulged so far should prompt every Twitter user to reflect how the site for many years in secret operated as an effective wing of the US intelligence – and may well still do so. https://www.rt.com/news/569389-politicized-xenophobic-witch-hunt/ =========================================== 6c) --- Gov Sponsored Censorship? FBI Paid Twitter Millions, Raising Serious Questions - https://youtu.be/3kz-2J3x73U - ============================================== 1 Mar, 2023 05:28 7) --- FBI makes claim over ‘most likely’ Covid origin The head of the bureau accused Beijing of attempting to “thwart” investigations into the source of the global pandemic FBI Director Christopher Wray has claimed Covid-19 “most likely” originated due to a leak from a Chinese government laboratory, citing a bureau assessment. The assertion follows reports regarding a classified briefing by the Energy Department, which also alleged that the pathogen may have emerged from a lab. Speaking to Fox News for an interview that aired on Tuesday, Wray was asked to comment on the genesis of the worldwide health crisis, and replied that his agency is confident the virus escaped from a lab in Wuhan, China in late 2019. “The FBI has for quite some time now assessed that the origins of the pandemic are most likely a potential lab incident in Wuhan. Here you are talking about a potential leak from a Chinese government-controlled lab,” he said. Wray added that the virus has killed “millions of Americans” and “that's precisely what that capability was designed for.” - https://twitter.com/FBI/status/1630733743777300483 - The bureau took the additional step of transcribing Wray’s comments into a series of tweets, apparently hoping to amplify the director’s claims online. He provided no evidence to support his assertions, instead telling Fox’s Bret Baier that most details surrounding the FBI probe are “classified.” Wray went on to accuse the Chinese government of “doing its best to try to thwart and obfuscate the work here,” referring to investigations by US federal agencies and “foreign partners,” but did not describe the alleged efforts to hinder the probes. The director’s comments came on the heels of a report published in the Wall Street Journal over the weekend, which cited a classified intelligence briefing recently seen by the White House and senior lawmakers. The missive noted that the Energy Department had changed its stance on the origin of the virus and now believes Covid-19 probably emerged from the Wuhan lab. However, the department reached that conclusion with only “low confidence,” the report added, also stating that four other federal agencies remain convinced the pathogen jumped to humans by way of natural transmission, not accidental exposure in a laboratory setting. A previous assessment released by the Director of National Intelligence in 2021 indicated the FBI had “moderate confidence” in the lab leak theory, while the Energy Department was undecided at the time. Officials reached by the Journal said the change in stance was the result of “new intelligence,” though they declined to offer additional details. A team led by the World Health Organization (WHO) traveled to China in 2021 to investigate the origins of the virus, ultimately concluding the lab leak theory was “extremely unlikely.” Beijing, for its part, has rejected the leak claim as an unfounded rumor at best, and a coordinated effort to smear China’s international image at worst, insisting it has been “open and transparent” with investigators looking into the cause of the pandemic. https://www.rt.com/news/572234-fbi-director-covid-lab-leak/ =================== 5 Dec, 2022 10:31 -- recall -- 7a) --- US funded Chinese lab for intelligence op – whistleblower America’s technology transfer to China resulted in the Covid-19 pandemic, a former EcoHealth Alliance executive claims US-funded bioresearch on foreign soil appears to be a “giant intelligence operation” for assessing biowarfare capabilities, according to a whistleblower. Collecting and tinkering with bat coronaviruses in China ultimately resulted in the accidental release of SARS-CoV-2, the infection that causes Covid-19, he believes. Dr. Andrew Huff once worked as the vice president of EcoHealth Alliance, an NGO involved in funneling US taxpayer dollars to bioresearch projects around the world. One of them, which was conducted at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), was the origin of Covid-19 pandemic, and both Beijing and Washington were involved in a massive cover-up, he claimed. On Saturday, British tabloid The Sun reported on the allegations, which Huff has detailed in an upcoming book. According to his revelations, in 2009, EcoHealth Alliance launched a program called PREDICT. Funded by foreign aid agency USAID, it was aimed at collecting samples of potentially harmful diseases throughout the world, ostensibly to prepare humanity for potential outbreaks. The Wuhan lab was one of the foreign partners of the program, studying coronaviruses in bats, Huff said. According to the whistleblower, who has a background in bioweapons threat assessment for the US military, the PREDICT program was not collecting the data that it should have, but appeared to be an intelligence operation for assessing foreign biolab capabilities. Huff was also involved in assessing a 2014 funding proposal for gain-of-function research at the WIV. The work was funded through EcoHealth Alliance by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH). Gain-of-function is the modification of pathogens to enhance them in various potential ways, including transmissibility. The rationale is that scientists can study new strains and find ways to stop them before similar adaptations emerge naturally. “EcoHealth Alliance … was responsible for the development of the agent SARS-CoV-2 during my employment at the organization,” Huff alleged. He believes that the virus was created at the Wuhan lab with technologies it received from the US and accidentally leaked into the general population. “It could be reasonably argued that EcoHealth Alliance set up China to fail,” he said, claiming that the Chinese institute suffered from shortage of qualified personnel and that US government officials were well aware of it. The ‘lab leak’ theory – that the coronavirus leaked from a Chinese lab – was popularized by then-US President Donald Trump, who made the allegation amid a trade war with China. Major US media organizations and tech platforms initially labeled it as ‘disinformation’ and tried to suppress the theory from public discourse. The World Health Organization investigated the origins of Covid-19 and concluded that natural evolution was the most likely explanation. Beijing also says accidental transmission from animals to humans is the most plausible theory, blasting the ‘lab leak’ allegations as ‘lies’. https://www.rt.com/news/567682-bioresearch-intelligence-operation-wuhan/ ============================================= 28 Feb, 2023 21:02 8) --- Ukraine sends more reinforcements to Artyomovsk ‘meat grinder’ With the Donbass city almost completely encircled, Western officials have reportedly been urging Kiev to retreat for weeks Kiev has sent reinforcements to the strategically vital city of Artyomovsk/Bakhmut, Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar said on Tuesday. The city has been pounded by Russian artillery, to the point where Kiev’s Western backers have reportedly called on President Vladimir Zelensky to cut his losses and withdraw. Malyar announced the deployment of reinforcements on national television, with various Ukrainian media outlets carrying her comments. According to the deputy minister, the decision to reinforce Artyomovsk (called Bakhmut in Ukraine) was “made by the military, who are not guided by political motives.” Artyomovsk is a major Ukrainian stronghold and logistics hub in the People’s Republic of Donetsk (DPR). Russian forces, primarily members of the Wagner private military corporation, have systematically seized outlying settlements around the city in a months-long campaign, and now have Artyomovsk surrounded from the north, south, and east. While Zelensky declared a month ago that “nobody is going to surrender Bakhmut,” he has since said that the city will only be held “while it remains reasonable” to do so. Doing so, however, has proven costly. While Ukraine has not released the number of troops it has lost in Artyomovsk, Zelensky has admitted that fighting there is “hell,” while a prominent Ukrainian reporter described the situation all across the Donbass front last year as “a senseless meat grinder.” The current state of attritional warfare plays to Russia’s strengths, allowing Russian forces to leverage their artillery superiority. Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin stated last month that seizing a settlement like Artyomovsk was a secondary goal compared to “the destruction of the Ukrainian army and the reduction of its combat potential.” According to a recent Washington Post report, senior US officials believe that Zelensky “attaches symbolic importance” to the city, and fears a collapse in morale if it is surrendered. According to the Post and other US media outlets, the White House has been pressing Ukraine since January to relinquish Artyomovsk and look for opportunities to attack elsewhere. https://www.rt.com/russia/572227-ukraine-reinforcements-bakhmut-wagner/ ============================================= 28 Feb, 2023 19:54 9) --- Berlin left unprotected as air defense systems sent to Ukraine – arms maker The Skynex and Skyranger air defense systems were intended to defend the German capital Germany is sending two air defense systems to Kiev in a move that may leave Berlin unprotected, Armin Papperger, CEO of Germany’s leading military contractor Rheinmetall said in an interview with the Pioneer podcast on Tuesday. The two systems in question, Skynex and Skyranger, were commissioned by the German government in order to protect the airspace over Berlin, the arms manufacturer revealed. The two units cost around €200 million ($212 million) and they are to be sent to Kiev within the year. “We had two whole systems that could have certainly defended Berlin,” Papperger said, as quoted by RIA Novosti. According to Papperger, four of the systems would be enough to protect Berlin, but now there will not be enough. On Saturday, thousands of protesters rallied in the German capital, calling for Chancellor Olaf Scholz to “stop the escalation in weapons deliveries.” Germany also pledged Western-made tanks to Ukraine in late January, promising 14 of their Leopard 2 tanks and pledging to work with partners to create two armored battalions containing 30 tanks each. However, Germany’s EU and NATO allies have been reluctant to deliver. Similarly to Germany sacrificing their own protection for the sake of solidarity with Ukraine, Denmark opted in January to send its 19 French-made Caesar howitzer artillery systems to Kiev, compromising their own defensive capabilities. The artillery systems had been a key component of Denmark’s plan to field a heavy infantry brigade. Officials in some NATO nations have been cautioning that the constant supply of arms and ammunition to Ukraine on such a massive scale would eventually come at a cost to their own defensive capabilities. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has warned on numerous occasions that providing Kiev with military aid will not change the course of the conflict, and will instead just “prolong the suffering of the Ukrainian people.” https://www.rt.com/news/572226-berlin-air-defense-unprotected/ ========================================= 1 Mar, 2023 06:14 10) --- Russia finds answer to IKEA exit – media The Swedish furniture maker has closed stores and sold factories to local buyers Belarusian furniture maker Swed House is planning to fill the void left by IKEA in the Russian market, the head of the Union of Shopping Centers Bulat Shakirov said on Monday, as quoted by TASS. Under the terms of a cooperation agreement signed between the organization and Swed House, which sells home goods intended to look like IKEA products, the Belarusian company is expected to open up to ten stores in Moscow by the end of the year. Another 50 outlets could open across the country in the coming years. Swed House is looking at opening stores in Moscow with the area up to 1,000 square meters, according to Shakirov, who also said the union had started negotiations for the Belarusian firm to become a tenant of Mega shopping centers, which were sold by IKEA. “We have recently received over 100 requests from shopping malls that want to host them. It doesn’t matter where it will be located – in the center of Moscow, on the Moscow Ring Road or in residential areas,” he said, adding that home products and textiles will inevitably enjoy demand. In March, Ingka group, the Swedish company that owned IKEA stores and Mega shopping centers in Russia, joined a long list of international corporations suspending business in the country due to Ukraine-related sanctions. The world’s biggest producer of furniture said it would sell factories, close offices and reduce its 15,000-strong workforce in Russia. It reopened for a brief online fire sale last summer. Local media had previously reported that the company was looking for buyers for its Russian real estate. Meanwhile, the sale of IKEA’s three factories were approved by a Russian government commission earlier this month. https://www.rt.com/business/572138-russia-ikea-belarus-sweden/ ============================================= 10a) --- IKEA of Sweden Nazi heritage - BBC + others https://apnews.com/article/43698f8211d2409a9e0d0b60ae27b7e8 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-14661582 (paywall) https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/29/opinion/ingvar-kamprad-ikea-fascist.html https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/aug/25/ikea-ingvar-kamprad-new-nazi-claims =========================================

Africa, Nigerian Elections: Both political parties in Nigeria, Labour and the PDP (People's Democratic Party), have held a joint press conference and have have called to nullify the presidential elections, stating that they cannot see the fairness or freeness of the election and the preliminary results are a 'sham' and that the voting process has been manipulated. Election materials have been destroyed, ballot boxes pinched and set fire to. There have been protests across the country. Karabo Letlhatlha reports from Lagos. Adamu Garba discusses with Eunan. The Head of 'Russian House' cultural centre in the Central African Republic, who was injured in an assassination attempt in December, talks to RT after local law enforcement publishes details of the attack. CCTV footage shows the alleged culprit of the attack on the centre, a man with Spanish documents. Mourad speaks with Dmitry Syty. Revelations of war crimes and more: RT speaks exclusively to a former American mercenary in Ukraine who defected to Russia, revealing what he says are war crimes committed by Kiev. John McIntyre also describes the role of US intelligence agencies in the conflict. Tank Quarrels: After both USA and Germany pledged to send tanks to Kiev, it seems that the agreements arrived at by the parties is being contested. Eunan and Mark Sleboda discuss and detail what was said (and meant? - recall posted articles made on this channel giving the details of the conditions for supplying Kiev as reported by the Whitehouse and by German PM Scholz) ============================================ Below, via RT website -- - -- A) --- Putin accuses West of using ‘extremists’ against Russia - 1) --- Reason for air traffic halt over St. Petersburg revealed 1a) --- Unidentified drone crashes near Moscow 1b) --- Drone wreckage found in Russian city near Ukrainian border 1c) --- Russia reports success against Ukrainian drone incursion 2) --- Sanctions against Russia dubbed ‘poison’ for EU 3) --- US preparing false flag chemical attacks in Ukraine – Moscow 4) --- Kiev’s troops have big Nazi problem – ex-US soldier who escaped Ukraine 5) --- Neighbor of Russia assesses mutual ties 6) --- Blinken issues warning to China 7) --- *** White House pushes to renew controversial spying law *** 8) --- Court orders Siemens to deliver trains to Russia 9) --- NATO a 'distant prospect' for Ukraine – Stoltenberg 10) --- US Air Force sacks nuclear base staff 11) --- Artists refuse to perform at king’s coronation – media ================================================ 28 Feb, 2023 16:42 A) --- Putin accuses West of using ‘extremists’ against Russia The number of terrorist attacks has grown due to the US and Kiev’s willingness to use radicals to its advantage, the president said The West never shied away from using extremists against Russia and is doing so again during the conflict in Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin has said. He claimed that western intelligence agencies are aiming to restore terrorist cells inside Russia. Countering this terrorist threat remains “an urgent” task for the country, Putin said while chairing a board meeting of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) in Moscow on Tuesday. “Over the past year, the number of such crimes has increased, which is obviously connected to the attempts of the Kiev regime to employ terrorist methods. We are well aware of that. They have been using them in Donbass for a long time,” he said. The West, which is backing Kiev in the conflict against Moscow, has “never shied away from using both radicals and extremists in their interests, despite all their loud statements about fighting international terrorism,” the president said. “They always use whatever’s at hand against us. They use everything that’s possible. It was always like this and it remains so,” he said. Active attempts are currently being made by the Western special services to restore terrorist cells inside Russia, he warned. It’s essential to intensify counter-intelligence work and keep the Russian-Ukrainian border under extra supervision to prevent the smuggling of weapons and ammunition into Russian territory, Putin told the leadership of Russia’s main security agency. He praised the FSB’s operatives, who have worked at the frontlines and “behind enemy lines” during the conflict in Ukraine, for their “personal courage, professionalism and determination in ensuring the security of Russia.” The agency, he said, has obtained “priceless experience” that will allow it to execute its duties even more effectively. Putin has previously blamed Ukraine for using “terrorist tactics” following the explosion on the Crimean Bridge in early October, which Moscow insists was masterminded by Kiev. That led to a major ramping up of Russian missile strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure and military targets, causing rolling blackouts across the country and significantly damaging Kiev’s air defense capabilities. https://www.rt.com/russia/572213-putin-fsb-ukrane-terrorist/ video of address : https://rumble.com/v2ba09m-pres.-putin-meeting-of-the-federal-security-service-board-28th-february-202.html?mref=6zof&mrefc=6 ============================================= 28 Feb, 2023 14:25 1) --- Reason for air traffic halt over St. Petersburg revealed Fighter jets were scrambled in area as part of drills, the Defense Ministry says Russian air defense forces held drills aimed at enhancing cooperation with civilian authorities in the country’s western military district on Tuesday, the Defense Ministry has announced. Earlier in the day, the airspace over St. Petersburg, the country’s second-largest city, was closed for around an hour before flights fully resumed. The local authorities confirmed that Pulkovo International Airport had stopped receiving aircraft but did not reveal the reason behind the move. Meanwhile, reports in the media claimed the restrictions had been introduced after an unidentified flying object was spotted near the city. The Defense Ministry issued a statement a short time later, saying on-duty air defense units attached to the western military district had been training to identify and intercept a simulated aerial intruder as part of drills in the area. The other goal of the exercises was to enhance cooperation with civilian security agencies and emergency services in the event of an actual incursion in Russia’s airspace, the statement read. Fighter jets were scrambled as part of the exercise, the Defense Ministry added, confirming reports by the locals who claimed to have heard warplanes flying overhead. The western military district, which has its headquarters in St. Petersburg, covers the city itself and the surrounding Leningrad Region. Also on Tuesday, Governor of Moscow Region Andrey Vorobyov said a drone had crashed near the town of Kolomna, some 114km (71 miles) southeast of the capital Moscow. The UAV, which was suspected to be Ukrainian, may have been aiming to attack a gas facility in the area, but failed to reach its target, Vorobyov suggested. There were no injuries or damage as a result of the incident, he added. Earlier in the day, the Defense Ministry reported that Ukraine had also attempted to use drones to attack civilian infrastructure in the southern region of Krasnodar and the Republic of Adygea. The UAVs were suppressed by electronic warfare units and failed to cause any damage, it added. https://www.rt.com/russia/572205-petersburg-airspace-closure-drills/ ========================== 28 Feb, 2023 11:33 1a) --- Unidentified drone crashes near Moscow A UAV has reportedly fallen near a gas compression station, says Moscow region governor An unmanned aerial vehicle has crash-landed close to a Gazprom facility near the city of Kolomna in the Moscow region, Governor Andrey Vorobyov reported on Tuesday. According to the official, the unidentified drone came down near the village of Gubastovo and appears to have been targeting civilian infrastructure, however it failed to cause any damage or casualties. The governor added that security services and other agencies are investigating the incident and that there is no danger to the population. Earlier media reports also stated that emergency services and bomb squads had been dispatched to the area. Gazprom has also confirmed the incident, with the management of the Voskresensk gas compressor station telling Russian media that the “drone fell near us, but did not affect our operation at all.” They added that the issue is currently under the jurisdiction of the Federal Security Service (FSB). Photos allegedly depicting the drone in question have started circulating on social media, however there has yet to be any official confirmation of the authenticity of these images. The news comes after Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Tuesday that Kiev attempted to use drones to attack civilian infrastructure in the southern region of Krasnodar and the Republic of Adygea. It’s noteworthy that the UAVs were suppressed by the electronic warfare units of the Russian Armed Forces. According to the ministry, both drones lost control and deviated from their flight paths, failing to cause damage to any civilian infrastructure facilities. https://www.rt.com/russia/572190-unidentified-drone-crash-moscow/ ================== 28 Feb, 2023 09:39 1b) --- Drone wreckage found in Russian city near Ukrainian border A UAV has crashed into an apartment block, the mayor said The wreckage of three drones has been discovered in the Russian city of Belgorod, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Monday. The city and the surrounding region, which borders Ukraine, have been repeatedly shelled since Moscow launched its military operation a year ago. In a post on his Telegram channel, Gladkov said that there were no casualties. He added that some windows were blown out, and cars were “slightly damaged.” “The special services are handling the situation,” the governor said. Several local media outlets have published photos of wings and other drone parts lying on the ground. Belgorod Mayor Valentin Demidov said one UAV had “flown through the window of an apartment,” and the residents were evacuated from the building. Local media cited a witness as saying a drone crashed into a wall of a residential building. News website Mash reported that one of the aircraft was a Ukrainian UAV equipped with a “British-made plastic explosive device containing metallic shrapnel.” According to Mash, the drones were flying towards an electrical substation and were downed by local air defense forces. Gladkov also said Ukrainian forces shelled the village of Stary Khutor on Monday morning, and that eight homes and a power line were damaged. Moscow launched a military operation in Ukraine a year ago, citing the need to protect the people of Donbass and Kiev’s failure to implement the 2014-2015 Minsk peace accords. Russian officials have since accused Ukrainian troops of shelling Russian border territories, including the Bryansk and Kursk regions. The strikes have targeted energy infrastructure and residential areas, resulting in civilian casualties. https://www.rt.com/russia/572180-belgorod-drone-wreck-found/ =============== 28 Feb, 2023 13:02 1c) --- Russia reports success against Ukrainian drone incursion The aircraft had targeted civilian infrastructure but the military drove them off course, the Defense Ministry said Kiev's forces launched drone attacks on Russia’s southern Krasnodar Region and Adygea Republic, but they were successfully repelled by the military, the Russian Defense Ministry has reported. Images of one of the aircraft were apparently shared by a regional head. The incursions happened in the early hours of Tuesday and targeted civilian infrastructure, according to a statement released by the ministry. Russian forces used electronic warfare to suppress the two drones, causing them to veer off course. One “fell in a field,” while the other “failed to cause any damage” to its target, the ministry said. Earlier in the day, Adygea head Murat Kumpilov shared images showing the wreckage of an unidentified aircraft, which he said was discovered near the village of Novoye, located to the north of the provincial capital Maykop. The official said the crash resulted in no injuries, but caused minor damage to an outbuilding on a farm. Meanwhile, there was a fire overnight at an oil refinery in the city of Tuapse in Krasnodar Region. Municipal head Sergey Boyko said the blaze had broken out in a technical building, but did not spread to fuel tanks and was extinguished by firefighters within 30 minutes. Some Russian media claimed, citing anonymous sources, that the fire was caused by a failed attack involving unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). According to these reports, as many as two aircraft carrying explosives crashed some 100 meters from the fuel reservoirs, damaging a boiler room instead. In Belgorod Region, which borders Ukraine, three drone wreckages were discovered in the provincial capital on Monday evening. One of the UAVs crashed through the window of an apartment building, prompting evacuation. Some media claimed the drones were Ukrainian and carried British-made plastic explosives, based on images of the debris. https://www.rt.com/russia/572199-russia-ukrainian-drones-infrastructure/ ============================================ 28 Feb, 2023 12:28 2) --- Sanctions against Russia dubbed ‘poison’ for EU The bloc’s new restrictions only increase its dependence on direct competitors, according to Moscow EU sanctions against Russia are missing the mark and instead chipping away at the bloc’s economic independence, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Tuesday. She slammed the tenth package of EU sanctions, which was unveiled on Saturday to mark the one-year anniversary of Moscow’s military campaign against Ukraine. The measures targeted Russia’s banking sector and sought to curb its access to dual-use and advanced technologies. "Each consecutive sanctions package clearly demonstrates one thing: anti-Russia restrictions are instruments that did not work." Zakharova said she agreed with Josep Borrell, the EU’s top diplomat, who earlier this month described the restrictions as “slow-acting but certain poison.” “The only thing is that they, first of all, ‘kill’ the economic sovereignty of the European Union. The EU can slap itself with any number of restrictions regarding trade with Russia; this will only increase its dependence on its direct competitors,” she explained. Zakharova also blasted the bloc’s crackdown on Russian media, noting that Brussels was “deliberately destroying the foundations of democratic society, undermining the principles and values the EU was built on in the first place.” The spokeswoman also offered a reminder that “the EU, the US and their satellites found themselves alone” in imposing sanctions on Russia. “The rest of the world… did not join any of the ‘packages’, rejecting restrictions as illegal, hurting the global economy and undermining food and energy security,” she said, adding that the EU’s threats to punish those who refuse to comply with the sanctions would only strengthen global opposition to what “essentially is the neo-colonial dictatorial policy of the West.” Since the start of the Ukraine crisis, the EU has imposed restrictions on a total of 1,473 individuals and 205 entities that the bloc said undermined Ukraine’s territorial integrity. Russian President Vladimir Putin has described this campaign as “a full-blown sanctions war,” adding that it had failed to bring about the collapse of the nation’s economy. https://www.rt.com/russia/572196-sanctions-russia-eu-poison/ ============================================= 28 Feb, 2023 09:44 3) --- US preparing false flag chemical attacks in Ukraine – Moscow The Americans believe a provocation won't be properly investigated due to the fighting, Russian military alleges The US is preparing to stage false flag chemical attacks in Ukraine to pin the blame on Moscow for the use of banned toxic agents, the chief of Russia’s Nuclear Biological and Chemical Defense troops, Igor Kirillov, has said. The Americans believe that the international community wouldn’t be able to organize an effective investigation of such “provocations” due to the fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces, which would allow Washington to escape responsibility, Kirillov said during a briefing on Tuesday. Russia’s Defense Ministry has obtained information that a train with a cargo of chemical substances in one of its cars had apparently arrived in the Ukrainian-controlled city of Kramatorsk in Donbass on February 10, the commander said. The 16 metal boxes with special markings that suggest they contained BZ (3-Quinuclidinyl benzilate) incapacitating agent as well as CS (chlorobenzylidenemalononitrile) and CR (dibenzoxazepine) harassing 'riot-control' agents, were accompanied by the “citizens of foreign nations,” he also alleged. According to Kirillov, the chemicals were unloaded at a local metallurgical plant under the supervision of Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) and put on US-supplied armored vehicles that later moved out towards a contact as part of a convoy. Russia also established that eleven cars with specially marked shrapnel ammunition were unloaded in Kramatorsk on February 19, the commander said. The shells of this type had been previously upgraded in the US to be able to deliver harassing chemical substances, he added. NATO has also planned a large delivery of means of chemical protection to Ukraine, including hundreds of antidotes for various toxic substances, Kirillov is also alleging. “The facts of simultaneous delivery of toxic chemicals and means of protection against them indicate an attempt to carry out large-scale provocations using the BZ military-grade psychoactive chemical agent during the conflict,” he said. Despite announcing the depletion of all of its stocks of BZ back in 1990, the US has preserved samples of the toxic agent, which causes acute psychosis, disorientation, hallucinations and memory impairment. Washington maintains the capability to produce the substance in significant quantities, the commander claimed. If a provocation using chemical weapons is carried out in Donbass, “the true culprits will be identified and held accountable," Kirillov warned. Russian forces in the area have all the means to promptly detect the use of toxic agents and to contain such incidents, he assured Tuesday's briefing, adding that they can identify not just the substance being deployed but also the country where it was produced. Chemical warfare is forbidden under the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) of 1997, to which the US, Ukraine and Russia are all signatories. The document bans their militaries from even using riot-control agents or tear gas, despite them being allowed in law enforcement. https://www.rt.com/russia/572187-ukraine-chemical-attacks-us/ ================================================== 28 Feb, 2023 17:47 4) --- Kiev’s troops have big Nazi problem – ex-US soldier who escaped Ukraine John McIntyre, a former US army soldier, spent a year as a mercenary in Ukraine before fleeing to Russia The Nazi influence in the Ukrainian military is omnipresent, John McIntyre, a former US soldier who served in various Ukrainian military units for a year, has told RT. He defected to Russia after witnessing the actions of the Ukrainian troops amid the ongoing conflict between Kiev and Moscow. “When I came, I was really surprised. Everybody had tattoos and Nazi symbolism,” the former American soldier-turned-mercenary told RT’s Murad Gazdiev in Moscow. McIntyre also admitted he did not believe Nazi ideology was “that big of a problem” for Ukraine until he saw things on the ground himself. The soldier also said he had to conceal his own anti-fascist and communist views to fit in with the Ukrainian troops. Some other Western mercenaries also directly told him: “The Russians aren’t the Nazis, we are the Nazis,” according to McIntyre. The ex-US soldier served with the Ukrainian forces for a year, although now he claims he had always planned to defect to Russia once he gathered enough intelligence. At a certain point, he was “compromised as a whistleblower” after talking to someone about the war crimes committed by the Ukrainian forces. According to McIntyre, whistleblowers are treated in Ukraine even more harshly than spies. “Anybody who confesses or is known to be about to confess is shot in the back of the head,” he claimed, adding that “a lot of people go missing … including foreigners.” McIntyre himself managed to flee to Russia through Moldova after finding out that Ukraine had snipers hunting down defectors trying to cross the frontlines. The former soldier, who previously served in Fort Bliss, Texas, for two years, claims the Ukrainian forces actively use civilians as human shields as they station their troops in basements next to residential buildings and then blame Russia if the area gets targeted in a strike. When such attacks happened, news crews covering the incidents “would not show you the houses to the left and right full of soldiers,” he said. The former mercenary also said he had heard about the Ukrainian nationalists, including the members of the infamous Azov battalion and another military formation called Carpathian Sech, who torture and kill Russian POWs by cutting off their genitalia or cutting their stomachs open and slitting their throats. McIntyre, who served with the Carpathian Sech, said he personally knew people who executed POWs, including foreigners from Portugal, France, and Argentina. “It’s funny to them. It’s hatred. They hate the Russian people, they want to kill them, they want to genocide them and remove them from their land,” the man said. “And we're supporting these guys? And these are supposed to be our allies? And we’re supposed to put them in NATO with us? And they can’t even follow Geneva conventions?” the former soldier asked, adding that “this would never fly in America” if it were made known to the public. The US, however, is directly involved in providing the Ukrainian forces not only with weapons but also intelligence, McIntyre said. The former mercenary revealed he personally knew about a US Navy intelligence officer working with the Ukrainian foreign legion, where McIntyre himself was serving for some time. “He had a satellite phone and computer provided by the CIA. And every day he would call his contacts and he would get information about the positions, troops movements and so on,” the former soldier said. The weapons and equipment the US sends to Ukraine also often end up on the black market or in the hands of extremists around the world because of rampant corruption there, according to the former mercenary. https://www.rt.com/russia/572220-ukaine-nazi-problem-us-soldier/ ================================================ 28 Feb, 2023 17:19 5) --- Neighbor of Russia assesses mutual ties Kazakh Foreign Minister says his country does not feel or see any threats from Moscow Kazakhstan sees no risks or threats coming from Russia, the Foreign Minister of the Republic Mukhtar Tileuberdi proclaimed during a joint press conference with US secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday. “At the moment, we do not see and do not feel any threats from the Russian Federation,” Tileuberdi said, responding to a question from an American journalist. The minister noted that his country is a member of the Eurasian Economic Union, the Collective Security Treaty Organization and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), regional groups that unite several former Soviet states. He said that Kazakhstan considers relations with Russia as “an alliance that functions within the framework of these multilateral structures." The Kazakh senior diplomat added that Astana continues to pursue a multi-vector foreign policy for mutually beneficial cooperation with countries from all across the world. Tileuberdi also stressed that Astana was not helping Russian companies evade sanctions put in place by the US and its allies, but noted that the situation was difficult for Kazakhstan, because its economy is closely intertwined with that of its neighbor. In September, the diplomat explained his country’s stance on the ongoing split between Russia and the West by stating that Kazakhstan does “not need any external enemies or internal strife.” Therefore, Tileuberdi said, Kazakhstan pursues a neutral position in foreign policy and aims to develop strong allied and strategic relations with Russia, China, the US and fraternal Central Asian states. A similar stance has been taken by other Central Asian nations that are part of the so-called C5+1 group, which includes the US, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Tileuberdi’s comments came after the Biden Administration pledged on Tuesday to support the independence of the five Central Asian nations. That’s while State Secretary Antony Blinken is meeting with top diplomats from these countries in Astana and Tashkent in an effort to convince them to reassess their relations with Russia. Pointing to the ongoing military conflict in Ukraine, Blinken tried to suggest that the C5 countries, which abstained from a UN General Assembly vote to condemn Russia for its actions, could potentially also become the targets of “Russian aggression” if Moscow “sets its sights on them.” Blinken urged the Central Asian states to “stand up and say ‘no, we don’t accept this.'” Russia, meanwhile, has refused to comment on Blinken’s visit to Kazakhstan, with Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stating that Moscow trusts in its partnerships with CIS nations. https://www.rt.com/russia/572215-kazakhstan-russia-no-threats/ ================================================= 28 Feb, 2023 16:28 6) --- Blinken issues warning to China The top US diplomat said Washington would “not hesitate” to target Chinese companies or individuals who violate its Russia sanctions US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has again warned China of “implications and consequences” should it contribute lethal aid to Russia in its conflict with Ukraine. The senior US diplomat made the comments in Kazakhstan on Tuesday as part of a tour of Central Asian nations. Blinken is meeting representatives of several former Soviet republics this week, including from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. “We did very clearly warn China about the implications and consequences of going through with providing such support,” he said at a news conference in Astana, following meetings with Kazakh foreign minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi and President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. “We will not hesitate, for example, to target Chinese companies or individuals that violate our sanctions, or are otherwise engaged in supporting the Russian war effort,” he warned, adding that he'd discussed the issue “directly” with top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi when they met at the Munich Security Conference earlier this month. CIA Director Bill Burns told CBS News on Friday that the agency was “confident that the Chinese leadership is considering the provision of lethal equipment” to Moscow to aid it militarily in its conflict with Ukraine – an accusation which Beijing denies. Last week, China issued a 12-point plan detailing a potential roadmap to peace between Russia and Ukraine. Speaking on Tuesday, Blinken warned that any Chinese moves to aid Russia would create a “serious problem” for US-China relations, and harm many of China’s political relationships across the globe. “China can’t have it both ways when it comes to the Russian aggression in Ukraine,” Blinken added. “It can’t be putting forward peace proposals on the one hand, while actually feeding the flames of the fire that Russia has started with the other hand.” Beijing for its part has accused Washington of hypocrisy and of fueling the conflict in Ukraine by sending weapons worth billions of dollars to Kiev. “The US has no right to dictate China-Russia relations, and we will never accept coercion and pressure from the US,” foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told journalists during a briefing on Monday. https://www.rt.com/news/572214-us-blinken-china-russia-aid/ ================================================ 28 Feb, 2023 15:19 7) --- *** White House pushes to renew controversial spying law *** Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act allows agencies to spy on anyone, anywhere Attorney General Merrick Garland and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines wrote to Congressional leaders on Tuesday, asking them to renew a post-9/11 law allowing the US to spy on foreign targets anywhere in the world. While the law is explicitly intended to surveil foreigners, it has been used to monitor millions of Americans. Section 702 of the 2008 amendment to the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act legalized the Bush administration’s secret wiretapping program, allowing US intelligence agencies to monitor messages from abroad made through American networks like Google. Set to expire at the end of the year, the White House is already pushing lawmakers toward its renewal. “The information acquired using Section 702 plays a key role in keeping the United States, its citizens, and its allies safe and secure,” Garland and Haines wrote in their letter, describing the reauthorization of the law as “a top legislative priority for this administration.” Garland and Haines, the latter of whom served as deputy director of the CIA under Barack Obama, claimed that information gathered using Section 702 was instrumental in foiling cyberattacks on the US, halting the trafficking of weapons of mass destruction, and thwarting foreign states’ attempts to recruit spies in the the US. In a separate statement on Tuesday, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan described Section 702 as a “cornerstone of US national security.” However, while Garland and Haines stressed that Section 702 cannot be “directed against Americans at home or abroad,” that is not the case. A report last year by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) found that the FBI alone made “fewer than 3,394,053” queries of US citizens between December 2020 and November 2021, based on data obtained under Section 702. Although the law cannot be used to surveil Americans directly, it allows the US to gather intelligence on any American whom a foreign surveillance target contacts. This intelligence is stored for five years, during which it can be searched – for example by name, phone number, or email address, by US intelligence agencies. President Joe Biden will likely face opposition from some Republicans when it comes to renewing Section 270. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan said last year that Congress “should not even reauthorize FISA.” Allies of former president Donald Trump previously condemned the FBI for abusing the FISA process to illegally wiretap the ex-president. https://www.rt.com/news/572211-us-surveillance-act-restoration/ =============================================== 28 Feb, 2023 16:24 8) --- Court orders Siemens to deliver trains to Russia The German company has been accused of failing to meet its contractual obligations The Arbitration Court of Moscow ruled on Tuesday that Siemens Mobility’s refusal to honor a contract signed with Russian Railways is illegal, and ordered the German firm to deliver high-speed trains. Under the deal signed by the two companies in June 2019, a branch of the German multinational conglomerate focused on rail technology and intelligent traffic systems was to deliver 13 high-speed Sapsan trains from September 2022 to July 2023. The total value of the supply contract amounted to €513.5 million ($546.2 million), according to Russian Railways. Siemens was also to provide maintenance and repair for the trains during their entire serviceable life, which is 30 years. The cost of the additional maintenance agreement reportedly amounted to €583.1 million ($620.3 million). At the time of signing the contract in 2019, Russian Railways operated 16 Sapsan high-speed trains. The company was planning to increase the number of journeys between Moscow and St. Petersburg, and Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod, using the new trains. However, last October, Siemens Mobility notified the Russian company about the termination of the contract “due to the sanctions imposed on Russian legal entities,” the court ruling read. “The sanctions legislation of the US and the EU contradicts public policy” and cannot be applied in Russia, the court ruled, adding that the defendant did not have a legal basis for terminating the contract unilaterally. Moreover, the court highlighted that restrictive measures, according to the explanations of the EU, are not applied retroactively. German concern Siemens and all its subsidiaries announced plans to withdraw from the Russian market last May. The company also said it would withdraw from joint ventures and terminate service contracts for maintenance with Russian Railways. Siemens also said the decision was due to the inability to further fulfill its contractual obligations because of sanctions and the requirements arising from them. https://www.rt.com/business/572206-russia-germany-siemens-trains/ ============================================ 28 Feb, 2023 14:12 9) --- NATO a 'distant prospect' for Ukraine – Stoltenberg There are more important priorities for Kiev, the bloc's chief said The member states of NATO have already agreed to accept Ukraine into their ranks, but the issue of membership is not a priority at the moment, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Tuesday. Speaking to journalists during a visit to Finland, the head of the US-led military bloc noted that although Kiev’s membership is welcomed, it is “a distant prospect” because the priority right now is to make sure Ukraine “prevails as a sovereign and independent state.” He also added that after the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia ends, it is necessary to “ensure that history doesn’t repeat itself.” To that end, the NATO chief insisted that the bloc needs to “strengthen the military capabilities of Ukraine” and establish frameworks that would prevent Russia from launching any more attacks against Kiev. Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin, who spoke alongside Stoltenberg, also proclaimed that the future of Ukraine is to be part of the European Union and NATO and stressed the need to continue providing military aid to Kiev. “The faster and the sooner we can give them more heavy weapons, the sooner the war will end,” Marin stated. Meanwhile, Moscow has once again blasted the collective West for rejecting security talks and insisted that the US and its allies must change their approach to global security and take Moscow’s concerns into consideration. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Tuesday that Russia’s relations with the US and Europe “changed radically” when Moscow presented its draft security treaties to Washington, Brussels and Vienna in late 2021, all of whom stated they were “not ready to talk about anything.” Peskov said the US and Europe “could have sat down at the negotiating table” long before the conflict in Ukraine started. “There would have been very complex, positional, sometimes irreconcilable talks, but they would have been under way. But they refused,” he said. Now, NATO is fully involved in the hostilities, “their intelligence is working against us 24 hours a day,” and their weapons are supplied to Ukraine for free to shoot at Russia’s military and Ukrainian citizens, he said. “The moment when NATO de facto became a participant in the conflict in Ukraine, the situation changed,” the spokesman added. “In fact, the NATO bloc is no longer acting as our conditional opponent, but as our enemy.” https://www.rt.com/news/572207-ukraine-nato-membership-prospects/ =============================================== 28 Feb, 2023 15:29 10) --- US Air Force sacks nuclear base staff Six service members, including two commanders, were dismissed due to “loss of confidence” The US Air Force has dismissed six military service members who were stationed at a key nuclear base, including two commanders. They were sacked over “loss of confidence” in their ability to perform assigned duties, according to an official statement. The firings occurred at Minot Air Force Base in Ward County, North Dakota, which is the only US military base that hosts two legs of the nuclear triad. Minot is home to 28 B-52H Stratofortress nuclear-capable bombers and 165 Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles, as well as associated equipment. Colonel Gregory Mayer, the head of the 5th Mission Support Group, and Major Jonathan Welch, the 5th Logistics Readiness Squadron commander, were the two senior officers whose dismissal was announced on Monday by Air Force Global Strike Command. “These personnel actions were necessary to maintain the very high standards we demand of those units entrusted with supporting our Nation’s nuclear mission,” Major General Andrew J. Gebara, commander of 8th Air Force, explained. Four subordinates of the two commanders were axed as well. They held leadership positions but were not identified by either name or rank in the press release. The Air Force declined to explain what exactly had led to the decision, but Gebara assured the public that the military remained “committed to the success of [its] no-fail mission” of strategic deterrence. According to Air Force Times, Mayer has a 25-year-long career under his belt, with experience in civil engineering. He arrived at Minot last June and took charge of 1,900 airmen and military assets worth $4.3 billion. There were several high-level dismissals at the base over the past two decades, the outlet noted. The facility also faced scrutiny over misconduct, including “widespread cheating on the monthly proficiency test for missileers, mishandling of nuclear weapons, unprofessional conduct and drug use,” the report added. In 2013, Associated Press reported that an inspection of the base unearthed what one commander described as “rot,” including weapons safety-rule violations, possible code compromises and other failings being tolerated. The Air Force removed 17 launch officers from duty at the time. https://www.rt.com/news/572201-leaders-dismissed-nuclear-base/ =========================================== ..............OP-ED 28 Feb, 2023 12:48 French military bases in Africa will now self-identify as schools Emmanuel Macron wants to rebrand Paris’ presence in its former colonies as cultural and economic projects. Rachel Marsden Since France was dumped by some of its former colonies in Africa in favor of new partners, like Russia and China, French President Emmanuel Macron has announced a new plan in an obvious effort to have an excuse to keep hanging out in the hope of winning hearts and minds. How exactly does Macron plan on doing that? Certainly not by “taking people for imbeciles”, as he said on February 28 while announcing his new African strategy ahead of a tour of the continent this week. “We aren’t going to do common good,” Macron stated, underscoring that France clearly has interests and isn’t going to pretend otherwise. After a remark like that, one might be lulled into believing that everything else that he said would be equally straightforward. That’s not exactly the case. Rather, Macron is just announcing a different manipulation tactic – because Washington’s model of deploying military shock and awe on resource-rich countries in the hope of ultimately translating it into business deals apparently isn’t getting the job done. Even worse, the West is now worried about being outdone on the security and economic front by Russia and China. And for all the patronizing attempts to warn African countries to avoid dealing with them — most recently by Western officials at the Munich Security Conference — it turns out that treating African leaders like they don’t know what’s in their own best interests isn’t working, either. The big question in the wake of Mali giving the boot to France’s years-long “counter-terrorism” mission, leading to an exit of the country’s armed forces from the region, was how Paris would justify sticking around. In 2021, there were over 19,000 deaths related to Islamist violence, more than in 2015, when Boko Haram was at its strongest, in the Sahel – the region that France ostensibly sought to stabilize. So France was fired. For all its time in the region, Paris wasn’t able to parlay its security footprint into the kind of economic and resource deals that it wanted on behalf of both itself and resource-poor Europe. Macron tipped his hat early in his speech by evoking the Franc of the Financial Community of Africa, as a sort of anchor for the Franco-African cooperation that he’s introducing. The controversial currency, used in 14 African countries and printed in France, is pegged to the Euro. Some consider it a symbol of colonialism and a lack of sovereignty, while the Western establishment generally considers it a source of stability for these countries that attract investment. Back in 2019 when she was in opposition, Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni called it the “colonial currency” to which France “applies seigniorage and by virtue of which it exploits the resources of these nations.” Macron would now like to build on that, s’il vous plaît. To that end, the French President has a new idea that involves Africans forgetting France’s military presence on the continent. Its bases in Africa are now going to be co-managed with Africans and some will be rebranded “academies”, he said. Apparently, in today’s Western world, if an army base wants to self-identify as a school, that’s now entirely its right. The move to soften France’s image in Africa after having overseen the proliferation of jihadists under its counter-terrorism missions looks a lot like the Biden administration’s new PR efforts aimed at Africa. “Jill Biden’s visit to Namibia was a big hit with scores of giddy children who crowded around her Thursday as she handed out boxes of White House M&Ms after visiting an organization that gets US support for programs that teach young adults about HIV/AIDS and gender-based violence,” the Associated Press reported on February 23. Macron is also playing up new French-led cooperative initiatives for Africa in culture, sports, health, digital technology, and education. All backed by a European team, he said — in case there were any doubts as to the European Union using France to wedge open the door to resource heaven. Macron also repeatedly mentioned partnerships with African civil society. Translation: French cash for NGO “influencers”. That’s generally called a “paid partnership” on social media, and the ethical protocol is to disclose that funding relationship. What are the odds that the French-backed NGOs will be doing the same when attempting to influence their fellow citizens? Macron spoke of France’s network of African diaspora, able to open the doors to increased business cooperation in their countries of origin. It sounded like he was planning to just swoop in and rain cash on African enterprise. But how much of that, in reality, will end up benefiting French companies and their shareholders? One would think that Macron has discovered “soft power”, and figures that seducing Africans with football, French art, French-style philosophical debate, and French rap will give France faster access to the continent’s riches than pretending to do something useful with guns. Africa shouldn’t be reduced to a terrain of competition, Macron said, now that France has been eliminated from that particular competition and sent home. “The flaw of France is that it’s too divided, too hard to read and not concrete enough,” he added. If Africans were hoping that France would go home and do some soul searching before attempting a return, they might be disappointed to learn that Macron places much of the blame for the failure to implement his grand vision for Africa on the contradictory debate that French democracy still allows — albeit barely. But now that his failures self-identify as successes, he’s circling back around for another go. - Rachel Marsden is a columnist, political strategist, and host of independently produced talk-shows in French and English. - " ... The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.... " https://www.rt.com/africa/572192-macron-french-military-africa/ ============================================== 28 Feb, 2023 12:53 11) --- Artists refuse to perform at king’s coronation – media Harry Styles is the latest of many in the UK to turn down the royal offer, according to multiple reports Pop star Harry Styles has reportedly refused an offer to perform at King Charles III’s upcoming coronation. Styles is the latest big name to turn down the gig, apparently due to a busy schedule, with royal experts insisting the British monarch is not being snubbed. Charles III, who succeeded his late mother Queen Elizabeth II on the British throne after her reign of 70 years, is set to be crowned on May 6, but is reportedly having trouble securing popular musical acts for the ceremony. According to the Sun newspaper, pop legend Elton John and the Spice Girls have also passed up the opportunity due to prior engagements. Previous reports also suggested Adele and Ed Sheeran had rejected offers to perform. British band Take That will headline the coronation, but its most famous former member Robbie Williams, who left the group in 1995, has apparently ruled out a return for the event. Australian singers and sisters Kylie and Dannii Minogue are also tentatively due to perform. The Sun’s royal sources claimed Elton John, who performed at Queen Elizabeth II’s platinum jubilee in 2022 and at Princess Diana’s funeral in 1997, was “top of Charles’ list,” but couldn’t make it due to other touring dates. Royal expert and author Christopher Andersen told Fox News Digital on Tuesday that there was “a long list of American pop stars chomping at the bit to perform.” He claimed artists who previously performed at events for the queen, such as Diana Ross, Alicia Keys and Andrea Bocelli, would likely be invited to do so again. Another royal expert, Shannon Felton Spence, told Fox that Charles has “a ton of goodwill in the entertainment industry” and stars turning down the invitation likely “doesn’t reflect anything other than scheduling conflicts.” The king’s start to his reign has been overshadowed by a scandal over his younger son Prince Harry’s tell-all memoir, in which he claimed he was “subjected to waves of abuse, racism, and lies” by the press. He and his American wife Meghan Markle also accused members of the royal family of making racist comments about their mixed-race child in an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021. https://www.rt.com/pop-culture/572198-charles-coronation-harry-styles-snub/ ============================================= 28 Feb, 2023 12:52 12) --- Inflation in France and Spain accelerates Soaring food and energy prices have dealt a blow to Eurozone’s second and fourth-largest economies Consumer prices in France and Spain resumed their upward trend in February, driven by higher food and energy costs, official statistics showed on Tuesday. In France, the consumer price index increased by 6.2%, up from 6.0% in January, according to preliminary data from the statistics bureau Insee. The report noted that food inflation edged higher to 14.5% from 13.3%, services prices were up to 2.9% from 2.6%, while prices of manufactured goods rose slightly to 4.6% from 4.5%, with the end of winter sales. Energy prices jumped 14.0% on year in February, Insee said. The EU-harmonized index stood at 7.2% compared to 7% in January. Meanwhile in Spain, which succeeded in containing price growth in the second half of 2022, inflation has now risen for two consecutive months in annual terms. Consumer prices increased 6.1% year-on-year in February, the National Statistics Institute (INE) reports. Preliminary data showed that higher electricity and food prices were the key drivers of the increase. Core inflation, which excludes volatile fresh food and energy prices, stood at 7.7% year-on-year, up from 7.5% recorded in January. Consumer prices, harmonized for comparison with other European Union countries, rose to 6.1% in February in annual terms from 5.9% in the previous month. “The increase in Spain’s headline EU harmonized inflation is another reminder that the path of price growth will be choppy and sticky on its way down, as underlying price pressures remain strong,” Bloomberg economist Ana Andrade said. “While base effects will dominate over the next few months, bringing inflation meaningfully down by the summer, we still expect it to end the year at above 5%,” she added. Economists project inflation in Spain and France will continue rising in the coming months, prompting more interest rate hikes by the European Central Bank. The ECB has already promised to raise rates by 50 basis points to 3% in March, to get soaring inflation in the 20-nation Eurozone under control. It may still need to raise interest rates significantly beyond March, as inflation remains too high, Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel warned earlier. https://www.rt.com/business/572181-inflation-accelerates-france-spain/ =============================================

Pres. Putin took part in an expanded meeting of the Federal Security Service Board. - President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Comrade officers, - Today, at the annual expanded meeting of the Board you will sum up the results of the Federal Security Service’s work in 2022, outline key areas to be focused on in the future and improve the efficiency of field and analytical work. At the same time, I would ask you to absolutely take into account the internal and external factors, as well as the basic development objectives which I spoke about last week in my Address to the Federal Assembly. - I want to note that 2022 was a special year for the entire country and your service. Federal Security Service units directly participated in the special military operation, dealt with complex, non-standard field tasks, protected the state border, cracked down on terrorism, organised crime, corruption and extremism. - I want to thank the leadership and all employees of the service, especially those who were at the forefront – in the liberated areas, in the frontline zone and behind enemy lines. Comrade officers, I want to thank you for this work, your personal courage, professionalism and determination in ensuring Russia’s security. - I already said that our Armed Forces have acquired invaluable combat experience. The same experience was acquired by the Federal Security Service and our other special services, and we must use it in full to strengthen our country’s national security, protect our state, society, and the rights and freedoms of our citizens. - Unfortunately, comrade officers, we know that there have been losses in our ranks. The leadership of the Federal Security Service must do its utmost to support the families of our fallen comrades-in-arms. We will always remember their heroism and bravery. - Comrade officers, I would like to say a few words about the priorities of your future work. - Your primary task is to continue assisting the Armed Forces and the National Guard in their efforts to fulfil the objectives of the special military operation, including in terms of counter-intelligence support for our troops and ensuring that they can access intelligence information swiftly and without delay. - You will have to pay special attention to establishing security agencies in the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics and the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions. We need to reinforce their operational and staffing capabilities and fit them out with the latest equipment. Engaging with people and helping those who find themselves in challenging situations is essential. Building trust among people in Donbass and Novorossiya is our and your most reliable and critical pillar. - The FSB Border Guard Service must undertake special efforts to control the Russian state border with Ukraine. Today, a special group is deployed there, formed by units of the border agencies, the FSB air arm, as well as the Armed Forces and the National Guard. Your mission is to prevent any incursions by sabotage groups and stop any attempts to smuggle weapons and ammunition into Russia. - In addition, we need to fine-tune the system of border passage for refugees, as well as for military convoys, military equipment, humanitarian and construction cargoes. - Furthermore, we need to strengthen our counterintelligence. After all, Western intelligence agencies have always kept a close eye on Russia. Today, they have assigned even more staff and added technical and other resources to use against us. We need to respond accordingly. - We must make sure to reliably protect and seal, if I may, critical information about our system of administration, military and law enforcement agencies, defence industry enterprises, critical technology and personal data. This includes all data related to Russia’s latest weapons and technology. - There is also a need to further improve the security of Russia’s information and digital space, as well as expose and cut short any attempts at interfering with the operation of Russia’s resources and communications. - Countering the terrorist threat remains on your agenda. Over the past year, there was a growing number of such crimes. It is obvious that this is attributable to the attempts by the Kiev regime to use terrorist methods, as we know all too well, since they have been using them in Donbass for quite a while now, as well as attempts by the West to revive extremist and terrorist cells formed by their so-called old-time friends on our territory. - We know that they have never had any qualms relying on radicals and extremists when it suited their agenda, despite all their vociferous talk about fighting international terrorism. They have always used all means at their disposal against us, anything they could. This has always been the case, and this is the way things stand today too. - It is essential to effectively respond to all these challenges, act with resolution and assertiveness in cooperation with law enforcement agencies and in coordination with the National Counter-Terrorist Committee, using the entire arsenal of operational, analytical and other resources. - It is also important to continuously monitor critical infrastructure facilities, crowded public areas, transport hubs, defence industry enterprises, and fuel and energy facilities. - I noted this earlier and will reiterate: we must develop regional segments of the national counter-terrorist system, including in the DPR, the LPR, the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions. - Obviously, we must continue exposing and preventing the activity of those perpetrators who use the internet and social networks to promote terrorist and extremist ideology and who attempt to recruit our citizens to become members of terrorist groups. Of course, we all know that the most vulnerable category here is young people. - It is important to take proactive measures against extremism. The extremism-related crime rate has also increased in the past year. - And, of course, it is important to expose and curb the illegal activity of those who are trying to divide and weaken our society by using separatism, nationalism, neo-Nazism and xenophobia as their weapons. These weapons have always been used against our country – and recently, of course, the attempts to bring all this hideousness to our land have particularly intensified. - As before, we must address the issues of economic security and countering corruption with utmost seriousness. I ask you to toughen operational control over the implementation of state defence orders and supplies to the troops involved in the special military operation and the Armed Forces in general; immediately respond to incidents of unlawful appropriation of budget funds allocated from the federal budget for regional programmes. - Comrade officers, - I am certain that FSB staff, the headquarters and all regional branches will continue to honourably perform their duties, which are numerous and challenging as there are no low-priority tasks. I expect you to work with complete dedication, competitive spirit, loyalty to the best traditions of this service that have been tested by the sharpest turns in our history. - Our security and intelligence services have always – I want to stress this – performed their duty to the public effectively and with great dedication. I am confident that it will remain so. - Thank you. <…>

War crimes, human shields, barbarous acts, cocaine and other hard drug use, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. RT speaks exclusively to a former US mercenary in Ukraine who defected to Russia to report on alleged war crimes by Kiev, also revealing the role of US intelligence in the conflict. 250 Ukraine troops have been eliminated as Russian troops continue their advance. RT talks to Denis Pushilin. Deadly landmines: Nearly a hundred civilians including children are injured just this year as Ukraine continues scattering banned landmines throughout residential areas in the Donetsk republic. They are illegal for use in civilian areas under every convention of war. Roman Kosarev reports Africa/ France - Macron visit: France won't be made a scapegoat for Africa's problems, or drawn into a tug of war for influence. That's according to President Macron, ahead of his four-nation tour of the continent coming amid much recent opposition to Paris's presence there. Rachel Marsden reports Basic RT + write-up - will give full edit later (dropped my speaker this morning at 6 a.m. shops don't open until 9 a.m. luckily long leader which needs no write up) - If you aren't getting your emails on time (should be 1 hr or so after I make the post) you should contact support@rumble.com and they will fix it for you - ============================================ Below via RT website Breaking) --- 28 Feb, 2023 08:20 Airspace near St. Petersburg, Russia closed due to ‘UFO’ A) --- Moscow outlines conditions for unfreezing nuclear deal B) --- NATO is de facto at war with Russia – Kremlin C) --- Nord Stream blasts harmed Baltic wildlife – scientists 1) --- EU reveals cost of latest anti-Russia sanctions 1b) --- Washington reveals scope of Russia sanctions 2) --- EU nation backs Chinese peace plan 3) --- German debt skyrockets 4) ---- US treasury head pledges to fortify Ukrainian economy 5) --- Two very important videos which explain one heck of a lot of what's going on and why we are being robbed blind by our governments 6) --- Russia explains halt in oil exports to Poland ============================================= Breaking) --- 28 Feb, 2023 08:20 Airspace near St. Petersburg, Russia closed due to ‘UFO’ – media The local Pulkovo airport isn’t accepting civilian flights, the authorities say The airspace near St. Petersburg, Russia’s second-largest city, has been closed off on Tuesday morning due to the appearance of an unidentified flying object in the area, media have reported. The city authorities confirmed that Pulkovo International Airport has stopped accepting civilian flights, but didn’t reveal the reason for the move. According to Baza news outlet, jets were scrambled in the air as the so-called Kover (carpet) plan was activated in St. Petersburg. The plan is initiated in the event of an illegal incursion by an aircraft or UFO into the country’s airspace, according to the outlet. https://www.rt.com/russia/572177-saint-petersburg-ufo-jets/ ============================================ 28 Feb, 2023 07:28 A) --- Moscow outlines conditions for unfreezing nuclear deal The US must reconsider its anti-Russia policies before New START can be resumed, Ambassador Anatoly Antonov said Russia’s decision to suspend New START, the last remaining nuclear arms control treaty with the US, was the right response to Washington’s anti-Russia policies and its violations of the deal, Moscow’s ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov said on Monday. Commenting on Washington’s criticism of the move, Antonov accused the US of shifting the blame. He noted that “Washington has launched and dragged its European allies into a large-scale hybrid war against Russia,” while openly stating that its goal is “to inflict a strategic defeat on our country.” “At the same time, as if nothing has happened, it insists on the inspection of our bases, which store strategic nuclear weapons. These are the same bases that have been attacked by Ukraine with the help of the Pentagon,” the envoy stated. Antonov accused Washington of substantially violating the central provisions of New START. He said the US had “illegitimately” withdrawn submarine-launched ballistic missile systems and heavy bombers from the deal’s counting rules after declaring them incapable of carrying out nuclear missions following “a procedure not agreed upon with Russia.” “Our inspectors have never been given the opportunity to verify the results of the ‘conversion,’” Antonov explained. Against this backdrop, the ambassador described the decision to suspend participation in New START as “the only right one under the circumstances,” adding that Moscow still complies with the quantitative limitations imposed by the treaty. “To create the conditions for a return to full-scale operation of New START, Washington must reconsider its hostile anti-Russian policy,” he asserted. Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Moscow had “suspended its membership” of New START, saying the West had denied Moscow’s requests to inspect Western nuclear facilities in accordance with the treaty under formal pretexts. The president also noted that NATO members were demanding access to Russia’s strategic facilities, despite the fact that the deal was signed only by Moscow and Washington. New START was originally signed in 2010 by then-US President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev. It was aimed at halving the number of strategic nuclear missile launchers deployed around the world. Under the treaty, both countries were supposed to allow the other side a limited number of inspections per year to verify compliance with the agreement. Unless extended, the treaty was set to expire in 2026. https://www.rt.com/russia/572168-russia-conditions-new-start-nuclear/ ================================================= 28 Feb, 2023 05:33 B) --- NATO is de facto at war with Russia – Kremlin Western states stubbornly rejected any security talks even before the Ukraine conflict, Dmitry Peskov said The US-led collective West must change their approach to global security and finally take Moscow’s concerns into consideration, before talks on the New START nuclear agreement can be renewed, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said. Speaking to the Izvestia newspaper for an interview published on Tuesday, Peskov said relations with the United States and Europe have “changed radically” since President Vladimir Putin formulated draft security treaties that were sent to Washington, Brussels and Vienna in late 2021, only to hear that “they were not ready to talk about anything with us.” “If they wanted, they could have sat down at the negotiating table [back then, before the decision to launch a military operation in Ukraine],” he said. “There would have been very complex, positional, sometimes irreconcilable talks, but they would have been under way. But they refused.” With the failed attempt at dialogue, tensions continued to soar between Moscow and the West in the lead up to the conflict in Ukraine. Peskov argued that NATO is now fully involved in the hostilities, noting “their intelligence is working against us 24 hours a day, their weapons… are supplied to Ukraine for free to shoot at our military, not to mention that they shoot at Ukrainian citizens.” “The moment when NATO de facto became a participant in the conflict in Ukraine, the situation changed,” the spokesman continued. “In fact, the NATO bloc is no longer acting as our conditional opponent, but as our enemy.” “President Putin was and remains open to any contacts that can help Russia achieve its goals in one way or another,” Peskov continued. “Preferably peacefully, at the negotiations table, but when this is not possible, also by military means, as we are seeing now.” Peskov touched on the New START treaty, a US-Russian accord intended to limit both nations’ nuclear stockpiles and allow them to monitor each other’s military facilities to confirm compliance. Amid the conflict in Ukraine, however, Moscow and Washington have accused each other of failing to facilitate such inspections. Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Moscow intended to formally suspend its obligations under the pact, with Peskov explaining “the conditions must somehow change.” During the New START negotiations, the nuclear arsenals of France and Great Britain were left out of the equation, even though they are “significant enough for the entire system of European strategic security,” he said. “These countries – France, Britain, the United States – are members of an organization which is de facto at war with us... you need to call a spade a spade,” Peskov added, noting how Western states nevertheless keep “repeating like a mantra that they do not want to be participants in the conflict.” Putin has also accused NATO specialists of helping Kiev to launch drone attacks against Russian airfields hosting long-range bombers, which are part of Moscow’s system of nuclear deterrence. He blamed Washington and NATO’s proxy war against Russia for destroying the foundation of trust on which the treaty was initially built. https://www.rt.com/russia/572165-nato-war-russia-peskov/ ============================================= 27 Feb, 2023 21:55 C) --- Nord Stream blasts harmed Baltic wildlife – scientists Researchers say the pipeline explosions stirred up chemical waste and threaten cod and porpoise populations report: https://cphpost.dk/2023-02-27/news/nord-stream-explosions-severely-impacted-maritime-life-report/ The destruction of Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines did not just cut off the flow of Russian natural gas to western Europe, it killed and poisoned the already endangered fish and marine mammal species in the Baltic Sea, says a new report by Danish, Polish and German scientists. Two pipes of Nord Stream 1 and one pipe of Nord Stream 2 were blown up in late September 2022, in what Moscow has called an act of international terrorism. The “four explosions” stirred up the surrounding seabed, including the area previously used to dump toxic waste, according to a study conducted by the Aarhus University in Denmark. “This could mean that fish that have been exposed to substances [such as lead and TBT] will become ill. There are some of them who will die, and there are some of them who will have difficulty reproducing,” Hans Sanderson from the Department of Environmental Science at Aarhus told the Copenhagen Post on Monday. The researchers estimated that a quarter million tons of contaminated seabed, an area “twice the size” of the island of Bornholm, may have been stirred up by the explosions. This has threatened the Baltic Sea cod and porpoise populations, which have breeding grounds nearby. Explosions may have deafened all porpoises within 50 kilometers of the blasts, while those within 4 kilometers were “probably killed,” the researchers said. “It really was in the worst imaginable place. It is a tragedy that this has happened right here, where nature is already completely on its knees,” Bo Oksnebjerg of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) told the Post. He urged the Danish and Swedish governments to come up with a “sea plan” to safeguard the Baltic from future incidents. Denmark’s Environment Minister Magnus Heunicke promised that the government would “continuously monitor and share the information with our neighboring countries around the Baltic Sea, so that we have an overall picture of the consequences and can follow up to the relevant extent.” Denmark, Sweden and Germany have refused to release any information about their investigations into the Nord Stream sabotage, despite Russia’s repeated requests. Last week Moscow asked the UN to open a probe into the act of international terrorism. Earlier this month, American investigative journalist Seymour Hersh published an article blaming the US and Norway for blowing up the pipelines. While the US government brushed off his claims as “completely false,” President Joe Biden had threatened Nord Stream 2 last January and multiple State Department officials spoke approvingly about its destruction. https://www.rt.com/news/572159-nord-stream-blasts-wildlife/ =============================================== 27 Feb, 2023 15:50 1) --- EU reveals cost of latest anti-Russia sanctions The restrictions target exports of advanced technologies and imports of high-revenue goods The European Commission (EC) has estimated the cost of penalties imposed on Russia as part of its tenth sanctions package at a total of €12.7 billion ($13.4 billion), according to a press release published on Saturday. The EU rolled out its latest raft of sanctions a day after the one-year anniversary of the start of Moscow’s military operation in Ukraine. The new bans cover EU exports worth €11.4 billion ($12 billion), they come on top of the €32.5 billion ($34.3 billion) worth of goods already sanctioned in the previous packages, and account for nearly half (49%) of its exports in 2021, the EC said. The new restrictions target exports of assorted dual-use goods, namely "electronics, specialized vehicles, machine parts, spare parts for trucks and jet engines, as well as goods for the construction sector." The sanctions also ban Russian exports to the bloc worth €1.3 billion ($1.37 billion) in addition to €90 billion ($95 billion) previously sanctioned, representing altogether 58% of the EU's 2021 imports. The imports black list includes high-revenue goods such as bitumen and related materials like asphalt, synthetic rubber and carbon black. These goods can be delivered to the EU until May 27, 2023 under contracts signed before February 26, except for carbon and synthetic rubber, for which import quotas have been issued until mid-2024. According to Politico, Italy, with its leading tire manufacturer Pirelli, has lobbied for high quotas for imports of synthetic rubber which is used in tires. The bloc has also broadened the scope of restrictions on Russia’s banking sector, blacklisting three large private lenders, Alfa-bank, Tinkoff and Rosbank. The tenth package of EU sanctions also bans Russian residents from holding top posts at critical European infrastructure companies and restricts the provision of gas storage capacity to Russian entities, excluding liquefied natural gas (LNG). It also requires European banks to report on funds that belong to Russia’s central bank and on those linked to sanctioned Russian companies and individuals. https://www.rt.com/business/572124-eu-new-sanctions-russia-cost/ ============================= 25 Feb, 2023 08:00 1b) --- Washington reveals scope of Russia sanctions The restrictions affect over 80% of the country’s banking sector, according to officials Washington added around 15 additional Russian financial institutions to its sanctions blacklist on February 24, the first anniversary of Moscow’s military operation in Ukraine. It broadens the scope of restrictions that already target more than 80% of Russia’s banking sector in asset value, the US Treasury has announced. According to the department, it has implemented more than 2,500 sanctions since the beginning of the conflict in February 2022. “Russian banks representing over 80% of total Russian banking sector assets are already subject to US and international sanctions. OFAC today is designating over a dozen financial institutions in Russia, including one of the top ten largest banks by asset value,” the Treasury said in a statement. It noted that many of the newly sanctioned entities are smaller banks and wealth-management firms allegedly helping previously blacklisted organizations to evade restrictions. They include Credit Bank of Moscow, Lanta Bank, MTS Bank, Bank Saint-Petersburg, Bank Primorye and Uralsib, as well as wealth-management-related entities CONFIDERI and Veles Capital. Overall, the new sanctions target 22 Russian individuals and 83 entities. The Treasury also noted that, over the past year, Washington had “designated over 200 targets associated with Russian sanctions evasion” in Europe, Africa, and Asia, “including key transshipment jurisdictions in the Middle East, the Eurasian Economic Union, and East Asia.” Sanctions also targeted nearly a fifth of the Belarusian financial sector for its support for neighboring Russia. Pressured by sanctions, “more than 1,000 foreign companies reportedly have ceased or curtailed their operations in Russia” since the start of the military operation, the Treasury said. In response to the new sanctions package, Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov called the measures “thoughtless.” “Does anyone really think that this is the way to get our country to abandon its independent policies, to force it off its chosen path towards building a multipolar world based on the principle of indivisible security, on international law and the UN Charter?” he said, according to a post on the embassy’s Facebook page. https://www.rt.com/business/572045-washington-reveals-scope-russia-sanctions/ ============================================== 27 Feb, 2023 22:04 2) --- EU nation backs Chinese peace plan The ongoing conflict between Moscow and Kiev is bad for both Russia and Ukraine, as well as “the whole world,” Budapest believes Hungary’s government supports Beijing’s peace plan for the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Prime Minister Viktor Orban told parliament on Monday. The 12-point plan released by China last week calls for resuming peace talks and respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations while condemning unilateral sanctions. “We also consider China’s peace plan important and support it,” Orban told the lawmakers. In his half-hour-long speech, Orban insisted that the ongoing conflict was “bad for Ukrainians, Russians, Hungarians, Europe, and it is becoming increasingly clear [that] it is bad for the whole world.” The prime minister then maintained that Budapest should stay out of the conflict, as was decided through a “national consultation.” The prime minister also criticized some opposition parties for being seemingly overzealous in their support for Kiev to the point where they barely “differentiated” between Ukraine and Hungary, but said that he agreed there should be a country between Russia and Hungary. “We respect the Ukrainians, we help the Ukrainians,” Orban said, adding, however, that “the interests of Ukraine can never precede the interests of Hungary.” He also admitted that Ukraine was likely to eventually join NATO “sooner or later” while arguing that the bloc’s further expansion to the east “must be reconsidered ten thousand times.” At the same time, Orban supported the accession of Sweden and Finland to NATO. He also described the military bloc as a guarantor of security, while admitting that he was not enthusiastic about everything that happens within NATO. Meanwhile, Kiev’s backers in the West have brushed off Beijing’s proposals. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that China didn’t “have much credibility” in this issue as it refused to condemn Russia’s actions and join the Western sanctions. Moscow earlier welcomed Chinese efforts aimed at resolving the ongoing conflict through peaceful means. Last Sunday, the Kremlin said, however, that it saw no opportunity for a political resolution of the conflict at the moment. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky recently maintained that there was “nothing to talk about” with Russia and “no one” in Moscow Kiev could talk to. His words came amid reported attempts by his Western backers, including France, Germany and the UK, to encourage Ukraine to engage in talks with Russia. https://www.rt.com/news/572160-eu-nation-china-peace-plan/ ============================================== 28 Feb, 2023 06:15 3) --- German debt skyrockets Interest charges have jumped tenfold in two years, according to the Finance Ministry Interest owed on Germany’s public debt has soared from €4 billion ($4.2 billion) in 2021 to €40 billion (over $42 billion) currently, German Finance Minister Christian Lindner revealed on Monday. “This is the money that we will not have enough of for other purposes in the future: education, digitalization and investment in climate protection. Thus, it makes economic sense to contain the growth of debt,” he wrote on Twitter. At the same time, the minister noted that Germany would continue to strengthen its energy security, increase assistance to Ukraine and strengthen the national armed forces. Germany’s public debt exceeds €2.3 trillion ($2.4 trillion) and, according to the International Monetary Fund, is 68.3% of the country’s GDP. Last week, Lindner said in an interview with T-Online news portal that the increase in debt was due to emergency measures during the Covid-19 pandemic and the energy crisis. In this regard, he insisted that the government needed to limit its spending, and therefore the state would not be able to solve current economic problems such as falling wealth. The EU’s biggest economy has been struggling to cope with skyrocketing energy costs. The nation, which relies mainly on natural gas to power its industry, has vowed to replace imports from its once major supplier – Russia – by as early as mid-2024. However, attempts to diversify gas supplies have contributed to the energy crunch. EU sanctions pressure, maintenance issues, and the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines have further exacerbated the problem. This year, the German government plans to issue record debt to counter the deepening energy crisis. According to the Federal Finance Agency, overall federal debt issuance will balloon to about €539 billion ($570 billion), sending servicing costs higher to €42.2 billion ($45 billion) from €15.3 billion ($16 billion). https://www.rt.com/business/572133-german-government-debt-skyrockets/ =============================================== 28 Feb, 2023 02:36 4) ---- US treasury head pledges to fortify Ukrainian economy Janet Yellen took a surprise trip to Kiev amid rising inflation and recession fears back at home US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has traveled to Ukraine to meet with President Vladimir Zelensky and other top officials, vowing indefinite support for Kiev despite a lagging US economy and trillions in government debt. The unannounced trip to the Ukrainian capital kicked off on Monday, with Yellen saying she wanted to highlight the White House’s “close partnership in providing economic and budgetary support” for Kiev during her meeting with Zelensky. “Our support is not ‘charity,’ it’s an ‘investment in global security and democracy,’” she said – echoing Zelensky’s own words to US lawmakers during his trip to Washington, DC in December. The official added that US assistance would continue “for as long as it takes” amid the conflict with Russia. Yellen’s visit comes days after Washington announced $12 billion in additional aid for Kiev, including a $2 billion arms package and $10 billion more to support energy costs and the Ukrainian government’s budget. She noted on Monday that the US has provided nearly $50 billion in support since last year, much of it devoted to weapons. In an op-ed published during her junket to Kiev, Yellen acknowledged that Ukraine still has “vast unmet economic needs,” arguing that Washington must continue “fortifying” Kiev’s “home front” to enable “Ukraine’s stalwart frontline defense against Russia.” However, despite her vocal support for American largesse to Kiev, the Treasury chief also noted economic troubles back in the United States, telling CNN on Monday that inflation remains “too high” while pointing to massive debt held by the US government. With Congress nearly reaching its $31.4 trillion debt limit, Yellen said the Treasury has been forced to take “extraordinary measures” in order to avoid a disastrous default, which, in a worst-case scenario, could mean suspended welfare payments to Americans and chaos in the financial markets. https://edition.cnn.com/2023/02/27/economy/yellen-inflation-debt-ceiling-ukraine/index.html The US is a “country with the deepest most liquid financial markets where Treasuries are the ultimate safe asset,” she said, adding “It’s utterly essential to preserve that to avoid economic and financial catastrophe.” Throughout the year-long conflict with Russia, Kiev has demanded increasingly heavy weapons from its foreign backers, with Washington agreeing to supply a long list of advanced arms, vehicles and ammunition. Though recent polls indicate that support for continued aid is falling among Americans, Ukrainian officials have nonetheless continued to press for additional weapons and cash. When asked about the lagging enthusiasm during a briefing last week, President Zelensky warned the US would “lose [its] leadership position” in the world should it cease the flow of weapons. https://www.rt.com/news/572163-yellen-ukraine-financial-support/ ================================================ 5) --- Two very important videos which explain one heck of a lot of what's going on and why we are being robbed blind by our governments 1) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYkQO5fOXH8 2) https://youtu.be/CkQCSPM2QUY ================================================ 27 Feb, 2023 14:31 6) --- Russia explains halt in oil exports to Poland Warsaw didn't pay for the crude supply to its refineries, according to Transneft Russian oil flows to Poland have been halted due to the stoppage of payment for deliveries, Russia’s state-owned pipeline transport company Transneft announced on Monday. Transneft, which operates Russia’s section of the Druzhba pipeline, explained that it transfers oil to other countries in line with the export schedule approved by the Russian Ministry of Energy, as well as routing orders processed by freight forwarders. "Transneft is not currently transporting oil to Poland," the company’s spokesman Igor Demin said. He noted that pumping to Polish refineries was scheduled for “the third ten-day interval” of February. However, “routing orders with confirmed resource and transit payments were not processed," he explained, adding that "operational changes were made to the schedule, excluding supplies for Polish consumers." On Saturday, Poland’s largest oil company PKN Orlen said it had stopped receiving oil via the Druzhba pipeline from Russia. While the EU banned seaborne oil imports from the country last December, pipeline deliveries were exempted from the sanctions package in order to secure supplies to landlocked members of the bloc. According to Orlen’s CEO Daniel Obajtek, Russian oil currently accounts for 10% of Poland’s imports, after Warsaw slashed shipments from the sanctioned country. The current contract with Tatneft provides 200,000 tons of oil per month to Polish refineries and expires in December 2024. The northern part of the Druzhba pipeline system feeds two refineries in eastern Germany as well as plants operated by Orlen in Poland. Warsaw has repeatedly pledged to replace Russian oil with crude from the US, the Middle East and other sources. Oil shipments via the pipeline’s southern branch to Slovakia and the Czech Republic, where Orlen operates two refineries, remained unchanged. https://www.rt.com/business/572128-poland-russian-oil-exports-halt/ =============================================

Nord Stream 2: Hungary and Serbia Hungary vowed there must never be another terrorist sabotage such as that carried out on Nord Stream 2, which will affect the lives of not just their countries but all of Europe, Viktor Orban said today, Peter Szijjarto says it was an attack "by whoever" but cannot be ignored or side stepped. They brand the attack on the Nord Stream pipelines a terrorist act, and call for a UN investigation vowing that such an incident can never be repeated. This follows extensive reports from Seymour Hersh. Russia has asked for a full investigation (QS more than once) but the UN says "national" investigations must be completed first. George Szamuely gives comment and analysis. - Ukraine: Drone strikes were reported across multiple regions of Ukraine this morning. Explosions were heard in Kiev and other cities. Donbass, Lugansk, Zaporozhye : Ukraine forces have once again shelled civilian only regions and a university building. Cluster bombs (prohibited under every convention, against civlians) were used. No casualties. Igor Zhdanov reports from too near to the front line - Africa, Nigeria Elections: Nigerians wait to see who will lead their country, along with many other official roles after the elections took place last weekend. It wasn't all plain sailing but most of the polls were just fine. With vote counting underway, early results from the country's presidential and parliamentary election are emerging. Lagos state is of prime importance, Karabo Letlhatlha explains why and reports on the current state of affairs and some of the preliminary results. - Black Gold, African oil (or is it?): With some north African countries dramatically ramping up oil product imports from Russia, are the imports from Africa to the EU "good African oil" or "bad Russian oil" nobody can determine which. Prof. Laeed Zaghlami reports from Algeriers. - Israel/Palestine : Palestinian authorities denounce Israeli settlers for their part in violent riots in the West Bank town of Huwara, which left at least one Palestinian dead and wounded more than a hundred. It follows the killing of two Jewish Israelis there in a shooting attack on Sunday. Cars were set afire by the settlers, so were homes. One home was set fire to with the family still inside it. The police were supposed to be protecting the Palestinians who were under attack they but did not. Instead they protected the settlers. At the Aqaba summit, Palestinians asked for their officials to be recalled and to boycott the summit. Promises have been made by Pres. Netanyahu with regards to planning and construction and demolition of Palestinian homes but subsequently he has denied them. Ofer Cassif gives opinion. - Iraq, Baghdad: Protests have broken out after the government have devalued their currency. The currency has lost nearly 7% of its value since mid-November. The official rate stands at 1,470 dinars for $1. On Wednesday, the street exchange rate was about 1,610 to the dollar. (QS: It's a knock-one effect of recent measures by the U.S. Treasury, it's happening everywhere) Raid Fahmy, an Iraqi MP spoke to RT. - Who is to blame? : Grain, oil and gas are now priced at levels BELOW that of what they were before the Ukraine conflict. Chris Emms talks with Eunan and explains it was all deliberate spin and money printing. Also the consumers are not seeing the drop in prices at all. ============================================= Below via RT website -- - --- A) --- Russia strikes intelligence center near Kiev B) --- Russian spy chief reacts to claim by CIA Director C) --- Russia no longer at mercy of global elite – Lavrov D) --- Ex-Russian president warns of nuclear ‘apocalypse’ - 1) --- West considers ‘ultimatum’ for Ukraine – media 1a) --- NATO members float Ukraine negotiations plan – WSJ (re-post) 2) --- Ex-White House doctor warns of Biden danger 3) --- Hungary outlines flaws with arms shipments to Ukraine 4) --- Impact of Ukrainian arms deliveries on German military revealed 5) --- Zelensky aide explains why Ukraine won’t let men leave 6) --- How Russia managed to survive Western sanctions (Explainer) 7) --- Landmark US military victory slammed as ‘evil’ 8) --- ******** Chinese military put on ‘high alert’ ********** 9) --- ‘Impossible to escape’ prison accepts first inmates (horrible video) FEATURE) --- The Righteous: Smash hit movie tells the story of a Russian who saved hundreds of Jews from Nazi Germany's holocaust ============================================== 27 Feb, 2023 13:57 A) --- Russia strikes intelligence center near Kiev A special operations center in Western Ukraine was also hit, according to Moscow A Ukrainian electronic intelligence center located in the settlement of Brovary in the Kiev region has reportedly been struck by Russian missiles, according to a Monday update on the Russian Defense Ministry’s official Telegram channel. The ministry also reported that Russian missiles had struck the “West” special operations center, located near the city of Khmelnitsky in western Ukraine. The update states that Russia’s Armed Forces have continued their offensive in the Donetsk direction, where they have neutralized over 250 Ukrainian servicemen, as well a dozen pieces of military equipment, including two tanks. The Russian military also claims to have destroyed an ammunition depot near the city of Artyomovsk/Bakhmut as well as a US-made AN/TPQ-37 counter-battery radar. In the Kupyansk direction, the ministry claims that Russian forces have eliminated up to 70 Ukrainian soldiers, and killed or injured about 140 troops in the Krasno Limansky direction. In the South Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions, they claim to have eliminated up to 95 enemy combatants, and up to 60 in the Kherson direction. In a similar update on Sunday, the ministry also announced the destruction of six sabotage and reconnaissance groups in the Kharkov region, as well as the shooting down of a Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopter near the village of Golubovka. Since the launch of Russia’s military offensive in Ukraine one year ago, the Russian Defense Ministry estimates that the Ukrainian Armed Forces have lost a total of 390 airplanes, 211 helicopters, 3,248 UAVs, 406 anti-aircraft missile systems, 8,058 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 4,228 field artillery guns and mortars, as well as 8,574 special military vehicles. https://www.rt.com/russia/572134-russia-strikes-intelligence-center-kiev/ ==================================================== 27 Feb, 2023 11:45 B) --- Russian spy chief reacts to claim by CIA Director William Burns suggested that Sergey Naryshkin showed signs of “hubris” during talks in Ankara last November The head of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) has given a positive assessment of last November’s talks with the CIA director in Türkiye. Sergey Naryshkin’s remarks came after William Burns accused his Russian counterpart of displaying “a very defiant attitude” and “a sense of cockiness and hubris” during the negotiations. Speaking to reporters on Monday, Naryshkin was asked to comment on the remarks made by Burns in a CBS News interview, during which he described the high-level meeting between the two as “pretty dispiriting.” “I still positively assess the nature and results of the meeting with my colleague William Burns”, Naryshkin said, noting that the negotiations in Türkiye’s capital were substantial and proceeded “in a very comfortable atmosphere.” Moscow’s spy chief went on to express his “great respect” for his American counterpart. Burns is “a very experienced, skilful diplomat… who, perhaps, has not yet obtained a lot of experience” as CIA Director, Naryshkin remarked. The SVR chief noted that the negotiations went on for 2.5 hours. “This alone shows that the meeting could hardly last as long as it did if one of the sides behaved cockily, rudely, arrogantly,” he added. Naryshkin also speculated as to why Burns may have got such an impression. “Maybe, he understood that during this conversation, during these talks, I was leaning not only on my opinion… but on the opinion of the many millions of Russian people.” The meeting took place in Ankara in mid-November and is believed to have been the first in-person contact between top US and Russian officials since Moscow launched its military campaign in Ukraine in February 2022. At the time, the White House said Burns was “conveying a message on the consequences of the use of nuclear weapons by Russia, and the risks of escalation to strategic stability.” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the meeting was organized at the request of US President Joe Biden. In late November, Naryshkin himself told Russian media that aside from issues of nuclear security, the meeting was dedicated to the conflict in Ukraine. https://www.rt.com/russia/572129-russia-spy-chief-cia-hubris/ ================================================ 27 Feb, 2023 11:24 C) --- Russia no longer at mercy of global elite – Lavrov Moscow will determine its own external conditions for development, the diplomat said Western political leaders will no longer have the power to dictate terms to Russia, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday. Speaking with the heads of the ministry’s regional offices, the diplomat stressed that Russia will now determine its own needs for development. “Until recently, a couple of years ago, the external conditions that we needed for development were determined not by us, but by the Western minority,” said Lavrov. He added that all the foreign policy initiatives promoted by the so-called “golden billion” group serve the sole purpose of making sure that the world lives by rules that allow Western elites to continue their colonial policies and live at the expense of others. “Therefore, we will no longer rely on someone when it comes to creating the external conditions for the development that we need,” Lavrov stressed, also pledging that Russia will not follow in the footsteps of the “selfish” West, and will take into account the interests of other independent states. According to the diplomat, Moscow aims to create external conditions that are as favorable as possible for the development of the country, but stressed that these conditions must also reflect “the consensus of all independent states” and fully comply with the principles of the UN Charter, which have been “repeatedly violated by our former Western colleagues.” During the meeting, Lavrov also noted that the number of countries wishing to join BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) economic blocs had increased to almost two dozen by the end of 2022. The diplomat noted that the countries wishing to join the alliances, such as Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Indonesia, Argentina, Mexico and several African nations, “play a very prominent role in their regions.” “Just listing the names of these states already shows the failure of attempts [of the West] to isolate our country,” Lavrov observed, adding that the opposite has happened, with independent countries now uniting with other like-minded states. https://www.rt.com/russia/572126-lavrov-russia-global-elites/ ============================================== 27 Feb, 2023 08:08 D) --- Ex-Russian president warns of nuclear ‘apocalypse’ Continued Western support for Ukraine will lead to “a collapse” and “defeat for everyone,” Dmitry Medvedev says The West is endangering the very existence of human civilization by threatening Moscow, former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev has claimed. Continued support for Ukraine from the US and its allies could result in a nuclear “apocalypse,” he warned. A great achievement of the Soviet and Russian leadership in the early 1990s was that it was able to preserve the country’s nuclear potential after the collapse of the USSR, Medvedev argued in an article published in Izvestia newspaper on Monday. The West is “delusional” if it thinks that, “after putting the Soviet Union to rest, it’ll be able to also bury modern Russia without significant problems for itself, by throwing the lives of thousands of people involved in the conflict [in Ukraine] into the furnace,” he wrote. “Those are extremely dangerous misconceptions,” added Medvedev, who is now the deputy chair of the Russian Security Council. “If the issue of the very existence of Russia is raised seriously, it won’t be decided on the Ukrainian front. [It’ll be decided] together with the issue of the further existence of the entire human civilization,” he warned. The US and its allies, who continue to pump Ukraine with weapons and prevent all attempts to restore peace talks between Moscow and Kiev, “refuse to understand that their goals are bound to lead to a total fiasco; the defeat for everyone; a collapse. An apocalypse when the former life would have to be forgotten for centuries, until the smoky debris ceases to emit radiation,” the former president said. “Russia will not allow this to happen,” Medvedev wrote. He noted that the West and its “satellites” represent only 15% of the world’s population, while the rest of the world “is greater in numbers and a lot stronger.” “The calm power of our great country and the credibility of its partners are the key to preserving the future for the entire world,” he concluded. During the conflict in Ukraine, Russia warned that it was ready to use its nuclear arsenal in the event it faced an existential threat from nuclear or conventional weapons. However, Moscow denied Western claims that it was planning to deploy nuclear weapons on Ukrainian territory. https://www.rt.com/russia/572117-medvedev-nuclear-ukraine-apocalypse/ ================================================== 27 Feb, 2023 16:24 1) --- West considers ‘ultimatum’ for Ukraine – media Kiev has until autumn to retake territories seized by Russia or the West will pressure it into talks with Moscow, Bild claims Ukraine’s Western backers are considering the imposition of an ultimatum on Kiev in relation to potential talks with Moscow, German tabloid Bild reported on Monday, citing anonymous government sources in Washington and Berlin. With new arms supplies, the US and its allies want to provide Kiev with an “incentive” to try and recapture territories seized by the Russian forces, Bild claimed, adding that the West wants to see results in this respect by the fall. “Should the counter-offensive fail, the pressure on Kiev to negotiate with the Kremlin will increase,” the paper reported. Earlier, the Wall Street Journal reported that the UK, France and Germany had allegedly offered Kiev weapons and security commitments under a plan aimed at pushing Kiev to negotiate with Moscow. The US media outlet claimed last week that London, Berlin and Paris were supposedly ready to offer security guarantees just short of NATO membership. According to Bild, however, the conditions were not that generous. “The Europeans and the US cannot and do not want to provide Ukraine with hard security guarantees such as NATO membership at the moment,” German MP Norbert Roettgen, who previously headed the Bundestag’s Foreign Affairs Committee, told the tabloid. The German Chancellor’s Office also said on Sunday that potential NATO security guarantees played “no role at all” in the discussions between the three bloc members. Berlin neither outright denied nor confirmed the existence of the negotiations plan, Bild added. French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also encouraged Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky to engage in talks with Moscow earlier in February, according to the media reports. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg previously admitted that Moscow was winning the logistical war of attrition. He also said it was unclear how much the bloc could spend on further military support for Kiev. Last week, the Russian Foreign Ministry set out its conditions for a diplomatic solution to the conflict. The list included the West halting military aid for Kiev, as well as Ukraine returning to its neutral status after being “demilitarized” and “denazified.” Zelensky rejected any negotiations with Moscow by saying there was “nothing to talk about” and “nobody” to talk with. https://www.rt.com/news/572144-west-ultimatum-ukraine-bild/ - =========== recall, repost 24 Feb, 2023 21:01 1a) --- NATO members float Ukraine negotiations plan – WSJ (re-post) UK, France and Germany reportedly offered weapons and security commitments as a way of starting talks with Russia NATO's three most powerful European members collectively back a plan aimed at pushing Ukraine to negotiate with Moscow, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday. The newspaper claimed that France and Germany support the British initiative and have already advised President Vladimir Zelensky to talk, though he has refused. Under the proposals, Kiev would receive even more Western weapons and be provided with security guarantees just short of NATO membership, the outlet explained, citing anonymous officials. Though French President Emmanuel Macron has publicly called for “a military offensive which pushes back the Russian front in order to open the way for a return to negotiations,” he has privately advised Zelensky to make “difficult decisions,” according to officials who spoke to the Journal. Over dinner at the Elysee Palace earlier this month, Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told Zelensky he needed to start considering peace talks, according to people familiar with the conversation. London, Paris and Berlin would not comment on the record. “We keep repeating that Russia mustn’t win, but what does that mean? If the war goes on for long enough with this intensity, Ukraine’s losses will become unbearable,” a senior French official told the Journal. “And no one believes they will be able to retrieve Crimea.” As a way to encourage Zelensky, the outlet said, British PM Rishi Sunak has put together a plan to give Kiev “broader access to advanced military equipment, weapons and ammunition,” to be considered at the NATO summit in July. “The NATO summit must produce a clear offer to Ukraine, also to give Zelensky a political win that he can present at home as an incentive for negotiations,” an unnamed British official told the outlet. If Moscow sees that the West is prepared to support Kiev even more, maybe it will be persuaded it can’t achieve its military objectives, the official added. France and Germany support the initiative and see it as a way to “boost Ukrainian confidence” and give it an incentive to start negotiations with Russia, according to unnamed officials from both countries. Sunak’s plan does not include stationing NATO forces in Ukraine or offering Kiev “Article 5” commitments to intervene in case of an attack, the officials said. Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Melnik said it was a good first step, but that Kiev needed “a clear commitment that it does not exclude NATO membership, which is the only solution for a lasting peace.” On Friday, the Russian Foreign Ministry listed its conditions for the diplomatic solution of the conflict, which included the West ending its “supply of weapons and mercenaries” to Kiev and Ukraine returning to neutrality after being demilitarized and “denazified.” Meanwhile, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said that Russia is winning the logistical war of attrition, leaving it unclear how much the US-led bloc could spare for Ukraine in terms of weapons and ammunition. Zelensky has rejected any negotiations with Moscow, saying on Friday that “There is nothing to talk about and nobody to talk about over there.” https://www.rt.com/news/572032-macron-scholz-zelensky-negotiate/ ================================================= 27 Feb, 2023 16:42 2) --- Ex-White House doctor warns of Biden danger The US president’s “cognitive decline” could get people killed, Ronny Jackson claims Former White House physician and Republican Representative Ronny Jackson has hit out against US President Joe Biden, arguing that his declining mental state poses a danger to the entire country. “It’s TERRIFYING for our country that Biden is our commander-in-chief,” Jackson wrote on Twitter on Saturday. “He doesn’t know where he’s at half the time and every day he brings us closer to an all-out war with Russia and China. His cognitive decline is going to get people KILLED!!” Jackson, who served as the White House Physician to the President under Barack Obama and Donald Trump until 2018, has previously criticized the current US administration for failing to disclose the truth about Joe Biden’s mental health. Earlier this month, the White House issued a summary on the status of Biden’s health based on a medical history review and a “detailed physical examination,” which found that the president was a “healthy, vigorous, 80-year-old male” who was fit to execute his duties. Replying to the president’s health report, Jackson stated that the medical exam was a “joke” and a “cover up.” He also pointed out that Biden, unlike his predecessor, Donald Trump, had not taken a cognitive test and argued that the sitting president’s “ability to think and reason is gone” and that he should not be in office. According to a recent Harvard CAPS-Harris Poll conducted earlier this month, some 57% of Americans have doubts about Biden’s mental fitness, with 67% thinking he seems to be too old to lead the country. Speculations about the president’s cognitive abilities have only continued to grow due to his numerous recurring gaffes, the latest of which was him proclaiming that “more than half the women in my administration are women.” https://www.rt.com/news/572142-biden-health-danger-doctor/ =============== - Biden giggles from Sky News Australia https://youtu.be/WxXepkdJHko - ============== 27 Feb, 2023 07:46 3) --- Hungary outlines flaws with arms shipments to Ukraine Neither weapons deliveries nor sanctions help to save people’s lives, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said Western sanctions on Russia and military support for Kiev will achieve nothing in terms of ending the Ukraine conflict, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto claimed on Monday. Speaking to RIA Novosti, he stated that the main duty of the international community must be saving people’s lives. Szijjarto said this goal could not be achieved by sanctions or weapons shipments, but only by reaching a peace settlement, reiterating Hungary’s long-standing position that Moscow and Kiev should agree to an immediate ceasefire. The foreign minister went on to lament that not everybody agrees with this line of thinking. He described it as deplorable that, when somebody stands for peace, they are immediately branded as a Russian supporter. Szijjarto stressed that Budapest is not on the side of the Russians, but is rather on the side of peace, because it does not want more people to die. He said rational dialogue on resolving the Ukraine conflict could yield some results, but current conditions made the chances of a peaceful settlement unlikely The minister also suggested that the EU would try to introduce new sanctions on Russia, which would target Moscow’s nuclear industry. However, he signaled that this is “something we would never agree with.” “This is something that we will definitely veto in case such points are being included into any kind of sanction measure,” he added. On Saturday, the EU unveiled its tenth sanctions package against Russia, which took aim at the nation’s banking sector, as well as its access to dual-use and advanced technologies. It also expanded the blacklist of entities that allegedly support Moscow’s military operation. Hungary, which is heavily dependent on Russian energy, has consistently spoken out against Western restrictions on Moscow, arguing that they have failed to meaningfully weaken the country while taking a heavy toll on the EU economy. Budapest has also refused to support Kiev with weapons or allow munitions to be transported across its border with Ukraine. Moscow has repeatedly blasted Western arms shipments to Ukraine, warning that they would only prolong the conflict. On Sunday, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said that, should Kiev receive long-range weapons from it Western backers, it would prompt Moscow to “push the threat away” from Russia’s borders even further. https://www.rt.com/news/572115-hungary-ukraine-weapons-sanctions/ ===================================================== 27 Feb, 2023 11:47 4) --- Impact of Ukrainian arms deliveries on German military revealed The head of the German Armed Forces Association now doubts Berlin’s capacity to fulfill its commitments to NATO The German military is facing a shortage of essential hardware as a result of Berlin’s provision of weapons to Ukraine for use in its conflict against Russia, according to Colonel Andre Wustner, the head of the German Armed Forces Association (DBwV). Last February, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz vowed to invest €100 billion ($105.6 billion) in the Bundeswehr with the aim of making it the best-equipped military in Europe. However, Wustner told Bild am Sonntag newspaper on Sunday that, one year on, Scholz’s promise remains unfulfilled. “For the soldiers, nothing has noticeably improved since then,” said the head of the union, which represents serving and former German troops. The Bundeswehr wasn’t in full operational readiness even before the conflict in Ukraine, but the deliveries of German weapons to the Kiev government have further increased gaps in its material supply, he explained. “To date, we haven’t received a replacement for a single self-propelled howitzer that we handed over to Ukraine last year,” Wustner said. There’s also a shortage of spare parts and some of the few remaining German howitzers have to be decommissioned and dismantled for this purpose, he added. The DBwV chief also revealed that “out of the approximately 300 Leopard tanks possessed by the Bundeswehr, only 30% are currently operational.” It’s essential that the 18 Leopard 2s that Berlin promised to send to Kiev earlier this year are swiftly replaced, he said. “I doubt whether we’ll be able to meet our commitments to NATO for 2025,” he continued, noting that Germany has pledged some 60 aircraft, 20 ships, 20,000 troops and 7,000 vehicles to the US-led military bloc by that time. The country needs to “finally accelerate” the production and procurement of military hardware to meet the Bundeswehr’s needs, Wustner insisted. Germany provided more than $2 billion worth of military aid to Ukraine in 2022, including anti-aircraft tanks, multiple rocket launchers, the IRIS-T air-defense system, and self-propelled howitzers. However, even after securing the promise of Leopard 2s in January, Kiev continues to demand an even greater contribution from Berlin. Last week, Ukraine’s deputy foreign minister and former envoy to Germany Andrey Melnik urged Scholz “to cross all self-drawn red lines and provide the Ukrainian Armed Forces with all available weapon systems.” The new arms deliveries by Germany could include fighter jets, as well as warships and submarines, Melnik suggested. Moscow has long condemned the supply of Western arms to Ukraine, arguing that it only prolongs the conflict without changing its outcome and increases the risk of a direct confrontation between Russia and NATO. https://www.rt.com/news/572125-germany-ukraine-weapons-nato/ --- recall --- 16 Sep, 2022 - Germany will have ‘best equipped’ army in Europe – Scholz The German chancellor pledged that Berlin's forces will pass out those of Russia. The German military should assume a leading role in beefing up European security, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has said. He also pledged more funding for the country’s armed forces while naming Russia as the primary adversary for the foreseeable future. https://www.rt.com/news/562966-germany-best-equipped-army/ - ============================================ 27 Feb, 2023 18:08 5) --- Zelensky aide explains why Ukraine won’t let men leave Human rights take the back seat to obligations to the state, Mikhail Podoliak told German TV The top aide to Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has defended Kiev’s decision to ban men from leaving the country, saying obligations to the state trump human rights. Fleeing the draft means wanting Ukraine to be destroyed, Mikhail Podoliak told the German state outlet DW. “Let’s be blunt here. No need to speculate. What does the restriction of rights mean? Do people in Ukraine not have obligations also? Or are we just talking about rights?” Podoliak told DW in an interview making the rounds on social media on Monday. “The state has a duty to provide things, let people travel, let people live as they wish. Yes, in peacetime,” he continued. “But in wartime, that’s not a question to raise. Do you want to cross the border? That means you want Ukraine to stop existing, because you crossed the border.” “Because when you say ‘Open the borders for men,’ that means opening the border so they can run away from the manly choice. And they want to run away,” Podoliak said. His comments came as some Western outlets pointed out the “aggressive” mobilization tactics of the Kiev government. A report in The Economist on Sunday referred to the case of a man who was missing both hands since childhood, but the draft office in Lviv insisted he was fit to serve – until social media uproar forced them to relent. After the conflict in Donbass escalated last year, Zelensky imposed martial law and banned Ukrainian males aged 18-60 from leaving the country. Since then, there have been several waves of mobilization, as Kiev sought to rebuild units shattered in the fighting. Recruiters have moved from serving summonses on one’s doorstep to “violently enforcing” them in the streets, at shopping centers, and even at military funerals, according to The Economist. Meanwhile, there have been reports of people bribing officials to dodge the draft and paying to be smuggled out of the country. Lawyers for some of the “unjustly” mobilized received summonses themselves, preventing them from practicing law. Kiev is likely to ramp up “recruitment of less-motivated Ukrainians,” the outlet said, as it hopes to launch a massive offensive before the summer, using heavy weapons provided by the US and its allies. from The Economist, Feb 26th 2023 : Ruslan kubay was surprised to receive a draft notice in late January. Registered as seriously disabled since childhood—Mr Kubay is missing both hands—he falls under a list of automatic exemptions from service. Even more surprising, however, was the reaction of officials at the local registration office in Drohobych, near Lviv. Far from admitting their error, they doubled down and declared him fit for service. Only a social-media post and subsequent national scandal reversed the decision. “I was disgusted by how easily our blind people can start seeing,” he wrote on Facebook. https://www.economist.com/europe/2023/02/26/ukraine-finds-stepping-up-mobilisation-is-not-so-easy (Paywall) ============================================ 27 Feb, 2023 11:37 6) --- How Russia managed to survive Western sanctions (Explainer) Washington has acknowledged Moscow’s resilience to severe financial restrictions The Russian economy has managed to hold up against the massive sanctions imposed by Western countries and their allies over Moscow’s military operation in Ukraine, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby admitted on Friday. As the conflict enters its second year, Washington revealed more anti-Russia penalties, targeting dozens of companies and individuals linked to the country, and raising tariffs on Russian goods whose imports were still allowed. Meanwhile, the EU approved its tenth package of sanctions against Russia, which includes export limitations on dual-use items and technology, measures against so-called Russian disinformation, and new restrictions against individuals and entities for their alleged support of the Russian military. Western allies Britain, Switzerland, Australia, Japan and New Zealand joined the measures. Russia’s economy is “showing some resilience,” according to Kirby, who added, however, that it’s not clear whether this “can be sustained for the long haul.” “He has had to take some drastic measures to prop up his economy, to prop up his currency, including playing pretty aggressively with interest rates, for instance,” Kirby said, commenting on steps approved by Russian President Vladimir Putin Russian statistics service Rosstat reported that GDP of the sanctions-hit nation contracted by just 2.1% in 2022, much less than the 10-15% some had predicted after sanctions hit last March. The Russian economy is actually forecast to increase by 0.3% during the current year, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The strength of the Russian economy has been partially attributed to global prices for oil and gas, which saw a dramatic surge shortly after one of the world’s biggest exporters of the two commodities was targeted by Western sanctions. The growth of energy prices has reportedly compensated for the drop in the volume of the country’s exports. At the same time, Russia managed to re-orient some of its exports, including energy sales, eastwards after Western buyers opted to shun direct shipments under the sanctions pressure. The Russian national currency, the ruble, has also managed to stay afloat after bouncing back following a dramatic decline seen shortly after the sanctions were imposed last March. This has been attributed to strict capital controls, a dramatic interest-rate hike by the Russian central bank, and the country’s move to trade transactions with allied countries in domestic currencies. The share of the ruble in Russia's international settlements has doubled compared with December 2021. Last week, President Putin said that Moscow would continue to work with partners to form a stable and secure global payment system independent of the US dollar and of other Western currencies. The ruble strengthened further after Moscow introduced a new payment mechanism from April 1. This requires nations that impose sanctions on Russia to pay for natural gas in rubles. President Putin has also attributed Russia’s economic resilience to the country’s strong agricultural sector. According to the latest data provided by Russia’s statistics service, the harvest amounted to 153.8 million tons, a 26.7% increase year-on-year against 2021. “By the end of the agricultural year, that is, by June 30, 2023, we will be able to bring the total volume of grain exports to 55-60 million tonnes,” he said last week during his annual address to the Federal Assembly. Meanwhile, parallel imports of non-sanctioned products and flourishing trade with countries that refrained from punishing Moscow had also contributed to the economic resilience. In addition, Russia has been successful in moving a lot of products to Asian markets such as India and China, and to Türkiye. Additionally, Russia also had several years to prepare for sanctions following its reunification with Crimea in 2014. Moscow succeeded in developing an alternative to SWIFT, the messaging network that underpins global financial transactions. This came in response to Western threats to cut the country off from the international banking system. The Russian authorities also created a national payment system called Mir as a domestic alternative to Visa and Mastercard, after Crimea-related sanctions were imposed. The Central Bank of Russia has issued some 150 million Mir cards since late 2015. https://www.rt.com/business/572119-russia-economy-western-sanctions-ukraine/ ============================================== 27 Feb, 2023 14:58 7) --- Landmark US military victory slammed as ‘evil’ Critics have called for Abrar Omeish to be removed from her post as a school board member in Virginia A school board member in the US state of Virginia has ignited a media maelstrom for suggesting that the Battle of Iwo Jima, a key victory for the United States army during World War II, “unfortunately happened” and that it set a record for “human evil.” “Something for us to certainly reflect on as we learn our history and think about it,” said Abrar Omeish, who is Muslim, at a meeting of the Fairfax County School Board in Virginia last week in reference to the United States’ Japanese Day of Remembrance, which notes the internment of Japanese-Americans in 1942 following the attack on Pearl Harbor. “The days when, you know, Iwo Jima unfortunately happened and set a record for really, what I hate to say, human evil is capable of,” she said. Omeish’s account of the key military win sparked criticism, not least of which from the Fairfax County Parents Association, who questioned why she was “condemning the brave US Marines that invaded Iwo Jima.” “Perhaps she meant to say something else,” they added. Other Twitter critics demanded that Omeish step down from her position. Omeish reacted to the reports by claiming in an email to the New York Post that her comments were directed at the US’ policy at the time of the internment of Japanese-Americans, and not the military battle. The Battle of Iwo Jima is considered to be among the most violent battles of World War II. Fighting for control of airfields more than 600 miles south of Tokyo between US Marines and the Imperial Army of Japan lasted for five weeks in 1945. It resulted in the deaths of nearly 7,000 members of the US military, as well as the vast majority of the 18,000 Japanese soldiers stationed there. Omeish was criticized last year when she voted against a resolution to honor victims of the September 11th terrorist attacks in the United States. She claimed that doing so would ostracize Arab-Americans, American Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus “and all brown or other individuals that have been mistaken for Muslims since that day over the past two decades.” Omeish’s father, Dr. Esam Omeish, is a founding member of an Islamic Center in Virginia that was previously under the authority of Anwar Al-Awlaki, an American imam who was reportedly radicalized and subsequently killed in a US drone strike in Yemen in 2011. https://www.rt.com/news/572139-us-iwo-jima-military-evil/ ================================================ 27 Feb, 2023 14:17 8) --- ******** Chinese military put on ‘high alert’ ********** The US is threatening peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, a Chinese army spokesman said A US warplane’s recent flight through the Taiwan Strait is a threat to the stability of the region, a Chinese army spokesman stated, as cited by China Daily on Monday. The P-8A Poseidon anti-submarine patrol and reconnaissance aircraft flew through the strait separating mainland China and the self-governed island of Taiwan on Monday. A Chinese Su-27 took off and monitored the American spy plane along its path. Senior Colonel Shi Yi, a spokesman for the PLA (People’s Liberation Army) Eastern Theater Command, said this maneuver “deliberately damaged the regional situation and jeopardized peace and stability” in the region. He added that the Chinese military was “on high alert to resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity.” The US forces in the region acknowledged the maneuver. “The United States will continue to fly, sail, and operate anywhere international law allows including within the Taiwan Strait,” the 7th Fleet Command said in a statement. Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense confirmed that they knew of the P-8A’s flight in a short official statement on the same day, calling the situation “normal.” Back in June 2022, the US sent a P-8A into the Taiwan strait soon after Beijing deployed 29 aircraft into Taiwan’s self-declared air defense identification zone (ADIZ). Back then, Shi similarly accused the US and Taiwan of “hyping” the maneuver up and testing China’s determination by sending American warships through the straits. Taiwanese foreign ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou argued that the waterway was part of international waters. In response to the US spy plane flythrough, Beijing held their own military exercises in August. China-US relations are experiencing increased levels of tension due to the ‘spy balloon’ scandal. A Chinese high-altitude balloon crossed over the continental US in late January and early February. Beijing assured it was a weather aircraft veering off course, while the Pentagon claimed it was part of a vast surveillance network of spy airships and shot it down. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken canceled his planned trip to China, while Beijing accused Washington of “hysteria” and an “overreaction.” https://www.rt.com/news/572136-us-warplane-taiwan-strait/ ================================================== 27 Feb, 2023 15:14 9) --- ‘Impossible to escape’ prison accepts first inmates (horrible video) New facility will remain the home for gangsters for decades, El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele says The first 2,000 inmates have been transferred to a mega-prison set up by authorities in El Salvador amid a crackdown on violent street gangs, the Central American nation’s President Nayib Bukele has announced. Photos and videos made at the Center for the Confinement of Terrorism (CECOT) on Friday showed numerous heavily tattooed men stripped-down to their underpants, arriving at the facility under the supervision of armed guards in full riot gear. The inmates were filmed crouching down with their hands behind their heads before being positioned on the floor next to each other and chained. President Bukele said on Twitter that the men were “gang members” and that CECOT will “be their new home, where they’ll stay for decades, mixed up, unable to do any more harm to the population.” - https://twitter.com/jgallardo_sdm/status/1629313497430368256 - The so-called ‘mega-prison,’ located 74 kilometers (46 miles) southeast of the capital San Salvador, has the capacity to host 40,0000 convicts, according to authorities. It’s said to be the largest penitentiary in the Americas. The facility, which consists of eight buildings, is reportedly guarded by 600 soldiers and 250 police officers and is fitted with the most modern equipment. Bukele claimed earlier that “it’s impossible” to escape from CECOT. El Salvador, a nation of around 6.5 million on the Pacific Ocean, introduced a state of emergency in March 2022 amid a major spike in gang violence. Some 64,000 people have been arrested in the country since then on suspicion of being involved in organized crime. The majority of them are currently awaiting trial in custody. Human rights activists have expressed concerns that the crackdown was carried out in violation of the constitution and saw many suspects detained without warrants. Bukele, who describes the country’s criminals as “terrorists,” has been mulling prison sentences of up to 30 years for the very fact of being a member of a street gang. According to the head of state, the clampdown has led to a significant drop in crime in El Salvador in recent months, with the number of killings being reduced to almost zero. https://www.rt.com/news/572137-salvador-prison-gangs-bukele/ ===================================================== 27 Feb, 2023 08:30 FEATURE) --- The Righteous: Smash hit movie tells the story of a Russian who saved hundreds of Jews from Nazi Germany's holocaust More than 2,000 descendants of people who were saved by Nikolay Kiselyov’s small guerrilla detachment live all over the world today Nikolay Kiselyov wasn’t one of the most famous heroes of the Second World War. And if not for the unexpected box-office success of The Righteous, a new Russian military drama directed by Sergey Ursulyak, his feat may have remained one of the many little-known episodes in that long and bloody conflict. During its first weekend available for rent, this “film about a true hero,” has knocked the mega-hit Cheburashka off the top of the national box office. As the director himself said, The Righteous is not a picture about a righteous man, but about someone “who does what he has to do.” Kiselyov, played by Alexander Yatsenko, had no intention of becoming a war hero at all – he was a calm, competent clerk who preferred spending time with his family. But by force of circumstances, he became a partisan and, by his own inner strength, became a hero who performed a humanitarian miracle. Jewish Hell - At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, as World War Two is known in Russia, the evacuation from the western regions of the USSR was disrupted. Tens of millions of people were trapped in territory occupied by the Nazis. Jews were in the worst position – they could not count on mercy, from the Germans, under any circumstances. In some territories, the situation was complicated by the wild antisemitism of local Nazi supporters. For example, Estonia had already been declared judenfrei – ‘free of Jews’ – by December of 1941, after literally six months of occupation. Historically, many Jews had been living in these areas, and now they were under attack. To the north of Minsk in Belarus, there was a Jewish town named Dolginovo. The war rolled over it quickly: Wehrmacht field troops quickly passed through the territory without stopping. The gears of the punitive machine did not immediately turn, but in the spring of 1942, Dolginovo was remembered. The Nazi punitive units’ usual method – both in Jewish and Slavic villages – was to cordon off the settlement, drive its inhabitants into a large building, set it on fire, and then shoot those who tried to escape. This was exactly the fate that befell Dolginovo in 1942. Partisans to the Rescue - Incredibly, many residents managed to survive. Some escaped into the forest, while others even managed to hide and survive among the fires. In total, more than 200 survivors gathered amongst the trees. However, now they were faced with the question of what to do. Yes, it was a warm summer, but there was no food or shelter, and the situation would be hopeless by autumn. If there had been only men, they could have joined the partisans, but there were a lot of women and children among the Dolginovites. They turned to Vasily Voronyansky, the commander of a local partisan detachment. Voronyansky – usually called ‘Uncle Vasya’ – had commanded a communications battalion as an officer before the war. In the summer of 1941, he found himself surrounded, but instead of making his way east, he created his own group. By 1942, he had a powerful, well-armed detachment under his command and considered protecting the civilian population as one of his responsibilities. However, the Dolginovsky fire victims presented a problem for him. The hundreds of escapees needed to be fed, and besides, the survival of his guerrillas depended on mobility. Women and children were not a fitting addition to a mobile squad. Voronyansky did not have an excess supply of food and warm clothes. A decision had to be made. Voronyansky decided to evacuate the Dolginovites to the ‘mainland’ through the front line. Given the circumstances, this was the equivalent of flying them to Mars, but the guerrilla commander had a few ideas. The Chosen One - Kiselyov was tapped to lead the Dolginovsky Jews to safety. He was born near Ufa in Bashkiria and was less than thirty years old. Initially, he had had no intention of becoming an officer. Kiselyov graduated from the Institute of Foreign Trade in Leningrad (the Soviet name for St. Petersburg) but had no chance to settle into his chosen caree, as the war broke out. He served as a junior officer in the militia, but in the autumn of 1941, his unit was surrounded near Vyazma, and Kiselyov was wounded and captured. However, here he showed character. As soon as he recovered, Nikolay escaped – he jumped out of a moving train heading west with other prisoners. Exhausted and still recovering from his wounds, he reached a village where he was hidden. It was there that the young officer was found by the partisans. By 1942, he had already well established himself as a tactical commander in the detachment of Voronyansky, who now entrusted Kiselyov with a devilishly difficult mission. To begin with, he organized a field camp, where he prepared for the trip with the survivors. Besides the commander and the refugees, among whom there were 35 children, the detachment included only seven armed partisans, one of them a young woman, Anna Sirotkova. At the end of August, the caravan set off to the east. A Hard Road - The target of the partisans was the ‘Surazh Gate’ – one of the strangest places on the Soviet-German front. This sector on the border of Russia and Belarus was a solid array of extremely dense forests and swamps, so for a long time there simply was no front line there, as such: large forces simply could not get through, and only sparse patrols controlled a line of about forty kilometers. From the point of view of the Russians, the main function of the ‘gate’ was to supply the partisans. It was a real highway for such remote places – several thousand people passed through over a few months. Instructors and partisans – equipped with walkie-talkies and explosives – proceeded to the west, while civilians, the wounded, and specialists and commanders considered important to evacuate from the German rear headed in the opposite direction. Kiselyov and his squad had to walk hundreds of kilometers. The Surazh Gate was not a guarantee of salvation – it just held out a chance of success. Literally at the very beginning of the march, the unexpected happened. The partisans came across a patrol. People scattered, but Kiselyov had already instructed everyone on what to do and where to go in such situations, so this incident had few consequences: only a couple of people were lost, and these eventually found their way back to the partisans. Within three days, Kiselyov had managed to regather his charges. They walked along forest paths, almost always at night. The roads were deadly – crossing them was a whole operation every time. If they had run into a patrol, eight armed partisans would not have been able to shoot their way out. And with 35 children and many women, it was unrealistic to run away, so they had to proceed with the greatest caution. It was often necessary to make huge loops through the forests in order to bypass a particularly unpleasant swamp or a German garrison blocking the path. Leave No One Behind - Local partisans sometimes provided food and guides. The route was not always clear and it was necessary to just walk in an approximate direction. Provisions had to be requisitioned in the villages. When the exhausted refugees lay down to sleep, Kiselyov and his comrades continued to work – they searched for food, scouted, stood guard, and negotiated with local residents. Everyone was chronically malnourished; many were sick. One young man named Shimon had bloody diarrhea on the way and could barely walk. Someone demanded that he be left behind, but his mother said she wouldn’t allow her son to be killed: the partisan commander calmed everyone down and ordered that the young man be carried by the arms. A three-year-old girl named Bella constantly cried from hunger. The child couldn’t be consoled, but her sobs could have been the ruin of everyone – because of the marshes blocking the roads, they often had to make their way right under the noses of German garrisons and patrols. Some of the refugees proposed leaving her or even drowning her. Kiselyov carried the toddler in his arms for many kilometers, calming and feeding her from his own ration. He understood that people were simply mad with hunger, fatigue, and fear. This man proved himself to be pure iron. He didn’t allow his group to fall apart: the stragglers were waited for, while the lost ones were persistently searched for. And his group began to grow as new people joined Kiselyov’s rag-tag band. Meanwhile, some dropped out from exhaustion, while cold, hunger, and deprivation exacerbated all diseases. It often happened that a refugee just didn’t wake up in the morning. They had to hurry. It was already late autumn, and it was only at the end of November that Kiselyov’s caravan approached the Surazh Gate. Snowfall had already begun. The party could simply die in the cold, either from hypothermia or by attracting the attention of patrols with bonfires. However, the partisans and refugees still had time.But there was almost a catastrophe. The Last Push - At the end of the autumn of 1942, the Germans decided to finally solve the problem of the Surazh Gate and strengthen its perimeter. To begin with, they simply reinforced the patrols, sending jagdkommandos to the gate. Kiselyov’s detachment stumbled upon one of them just a hair’s breadth from territory controlled by the Red Army. A chaotic shootout ensued in the autumn forest. The partisans fought while the refugees rushed to freedom – there was only a scant distance left to go. The partisans covered the refugees retreat and followed them. In the end, the German detachment fell behind – the soldiers were afraid to wander too deep into Soviet territory. There were no more Nazis ahead. At the end, when already at a railway station, the refugees were hit by an air raid – fortunately with no consequences. Kiselyov, exhausted to the extreme, relinquished his charges, reported to command... and was immediately arrested! Counterintelligence decided that he was just a deserter. The partisan commander was only rescued by refugees that came running back and vividly explained who he was and what he had done. Already among his own, Kiselyov compiled a brief report for the partisan movement’s central headquarters. Fifty-two refugees had died of exhaustion or been lost along the way, while 218 were brought out alive. The march undermined Nikolay Kiselyov’s health, and he was medically discharged. However, the partisan gradually recovered and returned to normal life after the war. He married Anna, the partisan girl with whom he had shared the hardships of the campaign. He didn’t live with her too long but had quite a full life. He died in the 1970s at the age of 60. He received an order for his epic feat in the Belarusian forests, but only after the war, in 1948. But his main reward was letters – until the end of their lives, more than 200 rescued Jews and many of their descendants regularly wrote letters to the partisan. Today, Kiselyov’s surname is carved on the memorial wall in the Garden of the Righteous at Israel’s Yad Vashem Museum, and more than 2,000 descendants of people who were saved by Nikolay Kiselyov’s small guerrilla detachment live all over the world. - By Evgeny Norin, a Russian historian focused on conflicts and international politics - https://www.rt.com/russia/572071-odyssey-of-savior-kiselyov/ ===================================================

Ukraine: Multiple drone strikes are reported in several Ukrainian regions on Monday, that's as our correspondent follows the battles of Russian artillery in the Donbass. Explosions were heard in Kiev as well as other regions on power infrastructure. Donbass, Lugansk, Zaporozhye : Ukraine forces have once again shelled civilian only regions and a university building. Cluster bombs (prohibited under every convention, against civilians) were used. No casualties. Igor Zhdanov reports from (very, very near to) the front line - NATO, protests in Europe: Mass rallies took place across Europe over the weekend, London, Madrid, Milan, Amsterdam and Germany at the Ramstein Airbase ("little America"). In each the purpose was to demand "No more weapons to Ukraine". - Africa, Nigeria Elections: Vote counting continues. There have been disruptions, ballot box theft and burning and voter intimidation which have marred the general elections in Nigeria as the country counts ballots. The state of Abia is set for a fresh vote scheduled on Monday. Polum David reports on the story so far, part of RT's special coverage. - India/Germany: While German Chancellor Olaf Scholz tries to convince Prime Minister Narendra Modi to side with the West against Russia. The Indian leader says New Delhi is ready to contribute to any peace process refraining from condemning Moscow. Modi: "since the beginning of the developments in Ukraine, India has insisted to resolve it by dialogue and diplomacy and India is ready to contribute to any peace process". The west has wrongly continued to blame Russia for food shortages and the energy crisis. Report from Runjun Sharma. The pressure on India to act against it's own national interests is mounting. Suvrokamal Dutta give analysis. - Palestine/Israel: Palestinian authorities condemn violent riots by Israeli settlers in the West Bank town of Huwara overnight, which left at least one Palestinian dead and more than a hundred injured. One home was set fire to as the family was inside. Yesterday, a drive-by shooting left two Israelis dead. See yesterday's report on this channel. - War of Terror - Iraq: RT continues with it's special coverage series. Presentation by Mourad. Rory Suchet speaks with Daniel Bosworth, a Desert Storm vet. Masses of history of this illegal war of lies waged by NATO on Iraq which claimed more than 1 million lives =================================================== Below, via RT website -- -- A) --- Defecse minister explains conditions for Russian advances in Ukraine 1) --- Anti-NATO protests hit France 1a) --- Protesters gather outside major American airbase in EU 1b) --- Thousands rally for peace in Italy 3) --- White House distances itself from Covid ‘lab-leak’ theory 4) --- US' inspector general for Afghanistan warns against Ukraine aid ‘wastage’ 5) --- My favourite economist talks about Ukraine "THE ECONOMICS OF THE UKRAINE PROXY WAR w/ MICHAEL HUDSON AND RADHIKA DESA" 6) --- Another train derails after Ohio chemical spill 6a) --- Ohio train derailment ‘100% preventable’ – regulator 7) --- Pentagon wants to make it harder for US soldiers to kill themselves 8) --- Over a dozen injured in blast in Cameroon --- Zelensky press conference; 1 yr on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvBJppHbq6k ============================================ 26 Feb, 2023 14:26 A) --- Defense minister explains conditions for Russian advances in Ukraine A widening of the military operation depends on the weaponry Kiev gets from the West, Sergey Shoigu has said Russia’s defense minister has outlined the conditions for a widening of Moscow’s military operation in Ukraine, explaining that potential advances are directly tied to Western arms deliveries to Kiev. “It depends on the weaponry that will be supplied,” Sergey Shoigu said in a brief remark to the TV program ‘Moscow. Kremlin. Putin.’ The minister appeared to be speaking on the sidelines of President Vladimir Putin’s address to the Federal Assembly, the country’s main legislative body, earlier this week. “One thing must be clear to everyone,” Putin said during the event. “The longer the range of the Western systems that arrive in Ukraine, the further we will be forced to push the threat away from our borders. It’s obvious.” Russia sent troops into Ukraine on February 24, 2022, citing the need to protect the people of Donbass republics and Kiev’s failure to implement the 2014-15 Minsk agreements. Ukraine, as well as its supporters in the West, consider the offensive to be completely unprovoked. Russia has repeatedly urged Western states to stop “pumping” Ukraine with weapons, maintaining that the continuous flow of arms will only prolong the conflict rather than change its ultimate outcome. Kiev, for its part, has repeatedly demanded more and longer-range weaponry from its Western backers, insisting that such systems are needed to push Russian troops out of the territories Ukraine claims as its own. https://www.rt.com/russia/572090-defense-minister-ukraine-weaponry/ ============================================= 26 Feb, 2023 21:00 1) --- Anti-NATO protests hit France Rallies against the US-led NATO bloc and the supply of weapons to Ukraine have been held across France Multiple mass protests against France’s NATO membership and its continued support of Kiev were held on Sunday in the capital Paris and at other locations across the country. he demonstrations, taking place for the second consecutive weekend, were organized by the right-wing Les Patriotes party, led by Florian Philippot, who personally attended the rally in Paris. The politician claimed the event on Sunday, dubbed National March for Peace, attracted even more participants than last week, when some 10,000 showed up for a rally in the French capital. According to Philippot, smaller-scale anti-NATO protests were held at some 30 other locations across France as well. "Nouvelle manifestation contre la subvention de la guerre en Ukraine et la sortie de la France de l’OTAN." https://twitter.com/tamilatapayeva/status/1629872855671349251 - https://twitter.com/f_philippot/status/1629890310389092352 - The politician has been actively staging protests against French membership in NATO and the EU since last fall, while arguing against the supply of weapons to Ukraine. Between 2012 and 2017, Philippot was the deputy head of the biggest opposition party in France, the National Rally, led until last year by Marine Le Pen. After leaving the National Rally, the 41-year-old politician established his own right-wing party, Les Patriotes. France has been among the top supporters of Kiev in the ongoing conflict with Russia, which broke out a year ago. While Macron has repeatedly called for a diplomatic settlement of the hostilities, Paris has actively supplied assorted weaponry to Ukraine, including armored vehicles and advanced self-propelled howitzers https://www.rt.com/news/572112-france-nato-ukraine-protest/ ================= 26 Feb, 2023 16:24 re-post 26 Feb, 2023 16:24 1a) --- Protesters gather outside major American airbase in EU Demonstrators descended on the Ramstein military installation in Germany, calling for an end to arms deliveries to Ukraine Several hundred people gathered on Sunday outside Ramstein US airbase in southwestern Germany to demand an end to weapons shipments to Ukraine. The military site is where Western officials have regularly held meetings over the past year to coordinate their aid to Kiev. The demonstrators also called for a cessation of hostilities and peace talks between Ukraine and Russia. They chanted slogans and beat drums, with an assortment of banners seen during a live stream of the event on YouTube, including the Russian and Soviet flags. The placards called for the Americans to “go home,” and also featured slogans including “Freedom to Julian Assange” and “Stop the weapons deliveries.” - https://twitter.com/TwoFace36620002/status/1629842416885813249 - When the rally organizers notified the local authorities several days before the event, they said they expected it to kick off at midday and conclude around 5:30pm, with around 2,000 attending. Ramstein air base has repeatedly made headlines since Russia launched its military campaign against Ukraine a year ago. It’s where the US-led Ukraine Defence Contact Group has held its meetings aimed at shoring up the Ukrainian military. The last such gathering took place on January 20. On Saturday, tens of thousands of demonstrators turned up in central Berlin for the ‘Uprising for Peace’ protest organized by prominent Left Party politician Sahra Wagenknecht and author Alice Schwarzer. They, too, denounced Western arms deliveries to Kiev and called for peace negotiations between the warring sides. Earlier this month, approximately 10,000 people took to the streets of Munich for a similarly themed rally just outside of the Bayerische Hof Hotel, where world leaders convened for the Munich Security Conference. Further military support for Ukraine was among the topics high on their agenda. Among the speakers addressing the crowd was former Christian Democratic MP Juergen Todenhoefer, who argued that “we have to serve peace and not the Americans.” Much like the latest event outside Ramstein air base on Sunday, the demonstrators in Munich also called for American troops to leave Germany. watch on Rumble https://rumble.com/v2b01g0-rally-against-arm-deliveries-to-ukraine-at-ramstein-air-base.html?mref=6zof&mrefc=4 - ================== - 26 Feb, 2023 14:25 re-post 1b) --- Thousands rally for peace in Italy Demonstrators in the cities of Genoa and Milan are demanding an end to weapons supplies to Kiev Several thousand people turned up for peace demonstrations in the Italian cities of Genoa and Milan on Saturday. Union members and left-wing activists claimed, among other things, that authorities in Rome have breached national law by sending weapons to Ukraine. The rally in Genoa drew nearly 4,000 participants from across the country as well as from Switzerland and France, local media reported. Organized by the Collective Autonomous Port Workers (CALP) group with the support of the Italian communist party, the protest took place under the slogan “Lower weapons, raise wages.” CALP’s Riccardo Rudino was cited in the media as saying that the “conflict in Ukraine did not begin last year” but rather “in 2014, with the massacre of the Russian-speaking population in Donbass.” The demonstrators filed through the port of Genoa, demanding an end to the use of the facility for arms shipments destined for Ukraine. CALP spokesperson Jose Nivoi accused the Italian government of violating law 185 of 1990, which “imposed a ban on the import, export and transit of weapons from Italy to states at war.” The group’s representatives also described how they had been networking with like-minded “associations and activists in various European cities.” The procession went off without serious incidents, marred only by a few acts of vandalism at the hands of anarchists, who smeared and damaged several vehicles and broke windows in a bank. A protest was also held on Saturday in Milan. Ruptly video news agency filmed several hundred people chanting slogans and waving flags, including those of Russia and the Donetsk People’s Republic. The demonstrations in Italy coincided with one in the German capital, Berlin. There, tens of thousands of people heeded the call of prominent Left Party politician Sahra Wagenknecht and author Alice Schwarzer. Named the ‘Uprising for Peace,’ the protest called for peace talks to end hostilities in Ukraine. The participants also urged the German government to stop shipping weapons to Kiev. Addressing her supporters, Wagenknecht criticized Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government for allegedly trying to “ruin Russia,” and described Saturday’s protest as the start of a new peace movement in Germany. https://www.rt.com/news/572091-italy-peace-rally-ukraine-russia/ ========================================= 26 Feb, 2023 19:46 3) --- White House distances itself from Covid ‘lab-leak’ theory A major newspaper has claimed that the US government believes the Covid-19 pandemic most likely originated in a Chinese laboratory White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan has rejected a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report which stated that a US Department of Energy study concluded that the Covid-19 pandemic was likely the result of a failure of safety practices at a laboratory in China, stating that there is “not a definitive answer” as to the true origins of the virus. The paper claimed on Sunday that the Department of Energy had viewed “new intelligence” which led them to believe that Covid-19 wasn’t naturally produced in the environment, but rather the result of a so-called ‘lab-leak’ – but it added that it has “low confidence” in its findings. Responding to the WSJ report, Sullivan said that President Joe Biden has ordered a full investigation into the potential origins of Covid-19 but he stressed the various governmental bodies looking into the matter have yet to reach a unanimous verdict. “President Biden has directed, repeatedly, every element of our intelligence community to put effort and resources behind getting to the bottom of this question,” Sullivan told CNN on Sunday. “If we gain any further insight or information, we will share it with Congress, and we will share it with the American people. But right now, there is not a definitive answer that has emerged from the intelligence community on this question.” The virus was first reported to have been discovered in Wuhan, the capital of China’s Hubei province, an area which also features a prominent virology institute which is an active research center for the study of coronaviruses. The FBI has also backed the lab-leak theory but four other US agencies have determined that natural transmission was the more likely source of the virus. Two other agencies are currently undecided, according to the WSJ. Last year, extensive studies conducted by the peer-reviewed ‘Science’ journal determined that the initial virus was very likely transmitted to a human from an animal at one of Wuhan’s wet markets. Further studies into the lab-leak theory are expected to take place in the US in the coming weeks and months, after several Republican lawmakers included investigations into the pandemic’s origins among the key pledges on the campaign trail ahead of last November’s midterm elections. https://www.rt.com/news/572111-white-house-covid-lab-leak/ ============================================ 26 Feb, 2023 17:54 4) --- US' inspector general for Afghanistan warns against Ukraine aid ‘wastage’ Washington has been the largest financial contributor to Ukraine in its conflict with Russia Robust safeguards must be in place to prevent fraud and corruption from undermining foreign aid packages to assist Ukraine in its conflict with Russia, according to John Sopko, the United States’ Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR). Sopko, who was appointed to the role of overseeing the reconstruction of Afghanistan by the Obama administration in 2012 amid the United States’ extended military presence in the country, admits that “significant mistakes” were made in Afghanistan’s rebuilding – principally due to much of the funds allocated being “diverted or stolen.” And Sopko predicts that a failure to learn from these mistakes might severely limit the impact of foreign assistance to Ukraine. “The very worst outcome is that the assistance gets diverted, stolen in such a way that it doesn’t accomplish its intended purpose – in this case, providing Ukrainians with the weapons and the money to win their war against the aggressor, Russia,” he said to Fox News. “You’re bound to get wastage,” he explained. “You’re bound to get corrupt elements of not only the Ukrainian or host government, but also of US government contractors or other third-party contractors to steal the money.” He added that without the necessary oversight “the average Ukrainian will see the waste” rather than the intended impact of the aid and this could lead to a loss of support for Kiev's and Washington's measures. He cited similar experiences in Afghanistan, where he concluded that Afghan soldiers and police officers lost confidence in their government after first-hand observations of corruption. The United States has continued to increase its aid packages to Ukraine in recent months. On Friday, the one-year anniversary of the launch of Moscow’s military operation in the country, the US announced a further aid package of $2 billion and imposed further sanctions and tariff increases on Moscow. In 2022, the Biden administration rubber-stamped more than $112 billion in financial assistance for Kiev. Last month, Washington revealed plans for an oversight committee to track the assets sent to Ukraine – an exercise Sopko said would be akin to “herding cats.” Figures within the US Congress have also called for a special inspector to be appointed to oversee Ukraine aid. It was reported last month that Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky had fired government officials found to have been engaging in bribery and corruption. https://www.rt.com/news/572106-ukraine-us-aid-packages-wastage/ ============================================= 5) --- My favourite economist talks about Ukraine "THE ECONOMICS OF THE UKRAINE PROXY WAR w/ MICHAEL HUDSON AND RADHIKA DESA" (listen/watch, no visuals, 2 hrs approx) https://youtu.be/CkQCSPM2QUY not on Rumble, yet. ============================================= 26 Feb, 2023 08:07 6) --- Another train derails after Ohio chemical spill There is no danger to the public arising from hazardous materials, the railway operator says A train derailed in Lexington, North Carolina, USA on Saturday, Norfolk Southern Railway has confirmed. The incident comes just weeks after another cargo train operated by the same railway company came off the tracks in East Palestine, Ohio, causing a major toxic spill. The incident in Lexington appears to be on a much smaller scale, with a Norfolk Southern spokesperson telling Fox News that only “one set of wheels” derailed on a single car out of 132 on the train. “There are no reports of a hazmat situation or danger to the public,” the company’s representative said, adding that the train’s crew were unharmed. However, the spokesman noted that the derailment would still require “clean up” work, with additional personnel deployed to Lexington to carry it out. The incident led to a stoppage of traffic and delays to numerous passenger trains, according to the US media. Meanwhile, the clean-up continues in East Palestine, where 38 cars, including 11 containing vinyl chloride and other hazardous materials, went off the tracks on February 3, causing a major blaze and chemical spill. A control burn had to be carried out at the crash site to prevent an explosion as temperatures inside one of the tanks with vinyl chloride began to reach dangerous levels. The state and federal authorities insisted that air and water were safe for residents in the area. However, some of the locals reported feeling unwell in the wake of the crash. Earlier this week, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources said at least 45,000 animals, including all aquatic life forms, had died in a five-mile (8km) radius of the derailment. On Friday, East Palestine residents filed a class-action lawsuit against Norfolk Southern, blaming the railway for being “a public nuisance” and demanding punitive damages, the creation of a fund for medical monitoring, new testing and cleaning procedures, among other measures. US President Joe Biden has come under fire for traveling to the Ukrainian capital Kiev instead of East Palestine this week. “At this point, I’m not,” Biden said when asked if he plans to visit Ohio. East Palestine Mayor Trent Conaway insisted that the decision by the head of state was “the biggest slap in the face, that tells you right now he doesn’t care about us.” The community was visited by Donald Trump, who said Biden’s behavior “terrible” and assured locals they were “not forgotten.” https://www.rt.com/news/572084-train-derails-us-norfolk/ ======================================= 24 Feb, 2023 18:50 6a) --- Ohio train derailment ‘100% preventable’ – regulator The US National Transportation Safety Board is investigating whether safety standards should be revised The devastating chemical spill caused by the derailment of a Norfolk Southern train in East Palestine, Ohio earlier this month was “100% preventable,” National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) chair Jennifer Homendy told reporters on Thursday. The press conference followed the agency’s release of a preliminary report on the incident. “We call things accidents. There is no accident,” Homendy said. “Every single event we investigate is preventable.” However, she added, there was no indication that the train crew had done anything wrong. “Know that the NTSB has one goal, and that is safety, and ensuring this never happens again.” The NTSB’s preliminary report on the disaster revealed that the temperature of one of the train’s wheel bearings spiked 215 degrees Fahrenheit over the last 30 miles (48km) it traveled, confirmed by two sensors placed along the route used to detect hot bearings. While Norfolk Southern confirmed on Thursday that the heat sensors were working properly, the train’s own alarm was not set to go off until an even higher temperature was reached. By the time the alert sounded, the bearing was 253 degrees hotter than its surroundings, and while the engineer quickly acted to slow the train, the bearing reportedly failed, causing a derailment at the 23rd car, according to the report. The plastic pellets inside the car caught fire when they were exposed to the overheated bearings, soon spreading to the 11 other cars containing hazardous materials, including five full of vinyl chloride that authorities ultimately decided to vent and burn onsite. The investigation determined this action was taken because the temperature inside one of the tanks full of vinyl chloride was continuing to rise, leading the operator to fear an explosion was imminent. Acknowledging that it was “too early to tell” for certain how the disaster could have been avoided, Homendy told reporters that the NTSB will continue to investigate whether industry safety standards regarding the heat threshold for high-temperature alarms and other defect detectors, rail car and wheel design, and the spacing of sensors along the track need tweaking. Norfolk Southern’s inspection practices will also be scrutinized, and the agency will look at whether the rail operator properly disposed of the vinyl chloride, she said. Residents have blamed the fire for a growing number of bird, livestock and fish deaths as well as water contamination in the area, although state and federal officials insist the air and water are safe. https://www.rt.com/news/572031-east-palestine-disaster-avoidable-ntsb/ =========================================== 25 Feb, 2023 22:11 7) --- Pentagon wants to make it harder for US soldiers to kill themselves With America’s military facing a suicide crisis, a study group has suggested blocking service members from buying firearms A Pentagon advisory panel formed to help address a suicide crisis in the US military has recommend imposing gun control measures on American service members to make it harder for them to kill themselves. Soldiers under age 25 would be banned from buying guns on US bases, while all others would face a seven-day waiting period to complete their firearm purchases under a plan released on Friday by the Pentagon’s suicide prevention committee. The group also called for creating a database to track guns purchased on US military property, which would require repealing legislation passed by Congress in 2013 to prohibit such tactics, as well as a waiting period on ammunition sales. “When we look at the science of suicide prevention, there's arguably only one thing that all researchers agree on,” said panel member Craig Bryan, a safety expert at Ohio State University. “And that one thing is that taking steps to slow down convenient access to highly lethal methods like firearms is the single-most effective strategy for saving lives.” Such measures would put the US military in the position of inhibiting the constitutional gun rights of its own service members, who exist ostensibly to defend American freedoms. It will be up to the Pentagon and Congress to determine whether to implement any or all of the panel’s recommendations. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin created the advisory committee last March. The Pentagon said it has “taken note” of the group’s report and will use it to enhance its current approach to suicide prevention. “Secretary Austin has emphasized that the department’s most valuable resource is its people and that they will spare no effort in working to prevent suicide and save lives.” Deaths by suicide among active-duty US troops jumped 44% between 2015 and 2020, rising to 384, even as the military adopted special training and intervention measures. Nearly 17 US military veterans kill themselves each day, on average, according to the Veterans Administration. Stores on US military bases reportedly sold more than 113,000 firearms in 2021. The advisory committee said guns were involved in two-thirds of suicides by active-duty troops. https://www.rt.com/news/572078-pentagon-suicide-panel-recommends-gun-control/ info: "An average of 24 former service members are dying each day by officially declared suicides, 37% more than has been reported by the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), according to a study released on Saturday by a not-for-profit group called America’s War Partnership (AWP). An additional 20 veterans, on average, are dying each day by “self-injury mortality,” such as drug overdoses." https://e55c5558-502f-457d-8a07-a49806f5ff14.usrfiles.com/ugd/e55c55_3e4c6bae16a945bbb8dbfa36739af2df.pdf ============================================ 26 Feb, 2023 08:20 8) --- Over a dozen injured in blast in Cameroon A bomb went off during a race in the central African country, with an Anglophone separatist group claiming responsibility An explosion during an athletics event in Cameroon has left at least 19 people injured. A separatist militia seeking independence for the central African nation’s English-speaking regions said it was behind Saturday’s attack. The incident took place during the Mount Cameroon Race of Hope in the town of Buea, in southwest Cameroon. Local governor Bernard Okalia Bikai told the Associated Press that nine athletes and ten civilians, including a baby, sustained injuries and have been taken to the local hospital. According to Reuters, citing unverified social media footage, there was not one, but a series of explosions along the race’s route. The Ambazonia Defense Forces, one of the separatist groups fighting for the independence of English-speaking regions of the country, has claimed responsibility. It said the military were the primary target and regretted injuries to civilians. The insurgency began in 2017 in Anglophone North-West and South-West regions of Cameroon and was preceded by protests by local teachers and lawyers, who decried what they viewed as marginalization of the English-speaking minority at the hands of the Francophone national government. Cameroonian authorities, in turn, accuse the militias of perpetrating atrocities against civilians. According to UN estimates, the conflict has claimed more than 3,300 lives to date, with over 750,000 displaced. The Mount Cameroon Race of Hope is held annually, with more than 500 athletes from 13 countries taking part this year. https://rumble.com/v2axj96-explosions-injure-19-people-during-marathon-in-cameroon.html?mref=6zof&mrefc=15 - https://www.rt.com/africa/572082-cameroon-race-blast-separatists/ ============================================

Africa, Nigeria Election: RT continues the special coverage. In the main the voting went smoothly but there were problems in some of the regions. In Lagos, unknown gunmen turned up on motor bikes and fired shots, they also stole some of the ballot boxes and burned them. The election committee put a hold on voting in 141 polling stations. Vote counting is underway in Nigeria, which is electing its next president and parliament, with several states seeing disruptions and one even postponing voting till Sunday morning. Karabo Letlhatlha reports from Lagos. Donbass, Donetsk, Artyomovsk advance: RT reports from the Donbass front lines, as Russian forces break through Ukrainian defences in and around the key city of Artyomovsk. Another village (Yagodnoye) has been taken under Russian control. Yesterday, Ukrainian forces blew up a dam. Igor Zhdanov reports, *sensitive footage* - China/Ukraine: China has asked the world to prevent the conflict in Ukraine escalating further. "China’s Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis" https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/zxxx_662805/202302/t20230224_11030713.html - China has called on the West to stop abusing unilateral sanctions, while urging all side's interests to be considered with most Western officials dismissing Beijing's peace proposal, but Moscow isn't abandoning the pact leaving the door open for cooperation if the US de-escalates its stance on Russia. The comments came from Vladimir Putin during his annual address to the country's parliament on Tuesday. China says the cold-war mentality has to stop; Jens Stoltenberg speaking on behalf of NATO, says China has no credibility because they refuse to condemn the special operation in Ukraine whilst simultaneously saying "the west must support Ukraine militarily, now, that military support todays is the way to peace tomorrow" (QS: I hear Boris Johnson wants his job after Stoltenberg takes up his central bank job he was expecting to go to last year whilst Chrystia Freeland has a questionable fascist history) Kiev echoed Washington's tone over the peace proposal; earlier Pres. Zelensky said Ukraine is ready for peaces talks when Pres. Putin is not longer in office and has signed this into Ukraine law. - Pres. Biden visited Kiev last week and promised more military aid for Ukraine. (QS: good footage from Fox news :-) ) Mark Sleboda reports and said "it was spin" ============================================ Below, via RT website, --- 1) --- Zelensky threatens unsupportive Americans 2) --- Ex-Russian president explains how ‘trophy’ weapons are used 3) --- Elon Musk calls 2014 Ukraine regime change a ‘coup’ 4) --- Fewer Americans perceive that Ukraine is winning – poll 5) --- Less than half of Americans support Ukraine military aid 6) --- NATO member may delay vote on expansion 6a) --- Iran still wants to kill Trump, top general says 7) --- The country will not confiscate blocked funds despite pressure from Western allies, an official said 7a) --- Switzerland warned against seizing Russian assets 8) --- Berlin rally against arming Ukraine draws tens of thousands 9) --- Poland picks US firm to build first nuclear power plant – AP 9a) --- Ukraine shells holiday camp with US-made HIMARS – governor 10) --- Ukraine figures high on talks between Chancellor Scholz and PM Modi 11) --- Ukraine has ‘total dominance’ over US – Trump 12) --- US spends more on Ukraine than it burned through in Afghanistan – researcher 12a) --- Iran awaits green light to start exporting cars to Russia – official 13) --- Japanese inflation hits four-decade high LR 1) --- No quiet on the Eastern front: How the US has worked to prevent Russia and Japan from putting a formal end to World War Two - long read LR 2) --- 71 years of RFE/RL: How the CIA-founded American state run media outlet survived the Soviet collapse to fight Cold War 2.0 - long read ============================================== 25 Feb, 2023 20:46 1) --- Zelensky threatens unsupportive Americans The Ukrainian leader alleged the US would lose its influence in the world if it stopped backing Kiev Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky warned Americans to keep supporting Ukraine or risk geopolitical irrelevance, during a press conference on the anniversary of Russia’s military operation in the country. Should it stop funding Kiev’s war effort, the US will "lose the leadership position that they are enjoying in the world," the Ukrainian leader declared on Friday. "If they do not change their opinion…they will lose NATO, they will lose the clout of the United States, they will lose the leadership position they are enjoying in the world," Zelensky declared, following a speech in which he declared 2023 the "Year of Invincibility" and vowed to unite the world against Russia. The warning was a response to a reporter asking what Zelensky would tell the "growing number of Americans" who believe their country is giving too much money and support to Ukraine. The president made sure to thank his American supporters – a group he hinted included not just Congress and President Joe Biden but also "the TV channels" and "the journalists" – before threatening those who held the "dangerous" opinion that the US should "give up" on Kiev. "The US is never going to give up on a NATO member state," Zelensky declared, insisting that should Ukraine fall because of flagging support from Washington, Russia would "enter the Baltic states, NATO member states, and then the US will have to send their sons and daughters exactly the way as we are sending their [sic] sons and daughters to war." "They will be dying," the Ukrainian leader stressed. The actor-turned-politician added that interrupting the flow of dollars to Ukraine would also cause the US to "lose the support of a country with 40 million population, with millions of children. Are American children any different from ours?" he asked. The Republican Party regained control of the House of Representatives in last year’s midterm elections in part on a promise to curtail the Biden administration’s blank check to Kiev. While Congress has not yet passed any legislation to rein in spending on the conflict, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia) promised earlier this week to introduce a bill to force an audit of the Ukraine aid program and the House Oversight Committee demanded the administration turn over documents proving the military and economic aid being sent to Ukraine was not being lost to "waste, fraud, and abuse." The US has thus far pledged $113 billion to Ukraine's war effort, vowing to continue pouring money into the conflict for "as long as it takes." https://www.rt.com/news/572077-zelensky-warns-us-support-flagging/ ============================================== 25 Feb, 2023 14:03 2) --- Ex-Russian president explains how ‘trophy’ weapons are used Russia examined Western-supplied arms seized in Ukraine and learned some ‘useful things’, Dmitry Medvedev says Russian arms makers have carefully studied Western weapons captured during the fighting in Ukraine and used this experience for the benefit of the country’s military, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has said. “Our country’s defense industry is working in such a manner that no large-scale supply of Western weapons to our enemies will be able to assure [Kiev] the advantage on the contact line,” Medvedev, who is now the deputy chair of the Security Council, pointed out in an article published in the Natsyonalnaya Oborona (National Defense) magazine on Saturday. During the conflict in Ukraine, Russia managed to not only expand the production of military hardware, but also introduce new technologies and improve them, while remaining “on the march,” he pointed out. “By the way, we’ve also studied enemy weapons, which were captured in the form of trophies and dismantled piece by piece in our military design bureaus,” the official, who is also President Vladimir Putin’s First Deputy in the Military-Industrial Commission, said. “We’ve learned a lot of useful things for ourselves and turned the enemy’s experience to our own advantage,” Medvedev wrote. He said that he had visited many production facilities of the military-industrial complex over the past year and saw them “working consistently, without failures” and fully coping with the state order, which has increased multifold amid the conflict. Russia’s opponents have been “surprised” that Moscow managed to pull this off in such a short time frame, he also pointed out. Russia’s Defense Ministry said last month that the country’s air defense systems, including Pantsyr-S1, had been upgraded with special software, making them more effective in intercepting missiles fired by US-supplied HIMARS multiple rocket launchers. Military experts suggested that the program was developed after the study of downed HIMARS ammunition. According to Medvedev, the US has so far supplied more than 40 HIMARS launchers to Ukraine. Moscow has been saying that most of them have already been destroyed, while Kiev denies this. Russia has long condemned the supply of Western arms to Ukraine, arguing that this only prolongs the fighting without changing its outcome. According to Moscow, such deliveries, as well as intelligence sharing and training provided to Ukrainian troops, have de facto already made the US and its allies parties to the conflict. https://www.rt.com/russia/572057-medvedev-western-weapons-ukraine/ ============================================= 25 Feb, 2023 20:01 3) --- Elon Musk calls 2014 Ukraine regime change a ‘coup’ The billionaire described Viktor Yanukovych’s election as ‘dodgy’ but said the coup was beyond question Twitter CEO Elon Musk polarized his followers with a tweet declaring there was “no question” that the 2014 change of government in Ukraine was a “coup.” On Saturday, the billionaire tweeted that while “the election” – presumably referring to the 2010 vote that elected Viktor Yanukovych president – was “arguably dodgy,” what followed “was indeed a coup.” The tweet was a response to a post from user @KanekoaTheGreat that featured the front page of an article by University of Chicago Professor John Mearsheimer titled “Why the Ukraine Crisis Is The West’s Fault.” Dating from 2014, the piece – subtitled “The Liberal Delusions That Provoked Putin” – argues that “NATO enlargement” and Western meddling in Ukrainian politics, and not “Russian aggression,” are to blame for Crimea’s accession to Russia. Mearsheimer states that “for Putin, the illegal overthrow of Ukraine’s democratically-elected and pro-Russian president – which he rightly labeled a ‘coup’ – was the final straw,” an explanation Musk appeared to agree with, at least in part. - https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1629417851890159616 - While the 2010 election that installed Yanukovych as president was deemed an “impressive display” of democracy by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the West soured on the Party of Regions politician when he abandoned a 2013 economic cooperation agreement with the EU. Massive violent protests followed, forcing Yanukovych to flee. The US’ hand in the unrest was confirmed in a leaked phone call between then-assistant US Secretary of State Victoria Nuland and US ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt in which they appeared to be plotting to overthrow Yanukovych and install Arseniy Yatsenyuk – who indeed briefly became Prime Minister following Yanukovych’s ouster. Musk also replied approvingly to a previous post by Kanekoa that featured a video clip of All In podcast host David Sacks claiming that the US “courted” the Ukraine conflict. The video likened Nuland to former Biden administration medical adviser Anthony Fauci, a frequent target of Musk's ire. “The same way that Fauci was supposed to be protecting us from viruses and then funded gain of function research, Victoria Nuland was supposed to be our chief diplomat with respect to Russia and Eastern Europe and what did she do instead? She ginned up this conflict. How? We backed an insurrection in Ukraine in 2014,” Sacks said in the video, which Musk described as an “accurate assessment.” https://www.rt.com/news/572075-elon-musk-ukraine-coup-election/ (QS: also see Alex Christoforou's post about 6 minutes in https://rumble.com/v2aqqv4-boris-wants-nato-job.-musk-calls-out-nuland.-sachs-and-mcgovern-at-un.-mold.html?mref=6zof&mc=dgip3&ep=2) =========================================== 25 Feb, 2023 19:25 4) --- Fewer Americans perceive that Ukraine is winning – poll Just 21% of voters consider that Kiev is heading for victory, while 46% see a stalemate with Russia, a new poll has shown Americans are losing confidence that Ukraine is winning its conflict with Russia, a new Rasmussen Reports poll has shown. The latest figures indicate that more than one-third of US voters who were confident of a Ukrainian victory in December no longer expect Kiev to prevail. The poll, which was conducted last week and released on Friday, found that 46% of likely US voters believe the Russia-Ukraine conflict has become a stalemate. Those Americans who believe that one side or the other is winning are about evenly divided, with 21% in Ukraine’s camp and 19% saying Russia has the upper hand. Just two months ago, a Rasmussen poll asking the same questions showed that 32% of Americans believed Ukraine was winning the conflict. And just as around one-third of voters who were confident in December that Ukraine would prevail no longer expect a victory for Kiev, the percentage of respondents who see Russian forces winning has increased by about the same proportion. Rasmussen’s findings dovetail with recent polling showing that public support for US aid to Ukraine has dropped sharply. For example, an Associated Press-NORC poll conducted in late January showed that less than half of US adults (48%) still agreed with sending weapons to Kiev. Just 26% said Washington should continue to play a “major role” in the conflict. Middle-aged voters are most likely to say that President Joe Biden’s administration is doing “too much” to help Ukraine, Rasmussen said. Washington has already allocated $113 billion of military and economic aid for Ukraine since Russia began its offensive against Kiev a year ago. During his visit to Kiev earlier this week, Biden vowed “unwavering” support for Ukraine’s defense, pledging to continue backing the former Soviet republic “as long as it takes.” The US and its NATO allies also have declared that Ukraine will win, and must win, to preserve the “rules-based international order.” However, critics of US foreign policy have argued that Ukraine’s battlefield successes have been greatly exaggerated, and US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley said last week that the conflict will need to end in a negotiated settlement because neither side can likely achieve victory on the battlefield. https://www.rt.com/news/572070-amercans-less-confident-ukraine-winning-poll/ ================= 15 Feb, 2023 17:52 5) --- Less than half of Americans support Ukraine military aid Just 48% of respondents in a new AP poll agree with continuing to send weaponry to Kiev Nearly one year on from the launch of Russia’s military offensive against Ukraine, many Americans oppose their government’s policy of providing massive military and economic assistance to Kiev, a new poll revealed on Wednesday. Less than half of US adults still agree with sending weapons to Ukraine, while only around one in four believes Washington should continue to play a “major role” in the conflict, the Associated Press-NORC poll showed. The survey, conducted in late January, found that 48% of Americans support continued military aid to Ukraine, down from 60% back in May, while 29% are opposed and 22% are unsure. Likewise, just 26% of poll respondents say the US should have a “major role” in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, down from 32% in May. Most of that support comes from Democrats. Just 17% of Republicans want Washington to play a big part in the conflict, compared with 40% of Democrats. A handful of GOP lawmakers, including Representatives Matt Gaetz of Florida and Thomas Massie of West Virginia, have called for halting US aid to Kiev, arguing that President Joe Biden’s policy has heightened the risk of war with Russia, depleted America’s weapons stockpiles and caused more bloodshed by prolonging the conflict. Biden himself warned last March that giving Ukraine offensive weapons, such as tanks and planes, would lead to World War III. He then proceeded to champion a US aid program that has grown to $100 billion in approvals. Americans also are increasingly reluctant to support continued economic aid to Ukraine, with just 37% approving and 38% opposing, the AP-NORC poll showed. US adults favored such aid by a 44-32 margin as of last May. Support for anti-Russia sanctions has dropped to 63% from 71% over the same period. The poll found that 59% of Americans believe limiting damage to the US economy should be a bigger priority, compared with 36% who say sanctioning Russia as effectively as possible is more important. When an AP-NORC poll asked the same question in March, respondents prioritized sanctions effectiveness over protecting the US economy by a margin of 55-42. Fewer than one in five Americans (19%) has “a great deal” of confidence in Biden’s ability to handle the crisis. Even among Democrats, just 40% of respondents are highly confident that the president will effectively manage the conflict. https://www.rt.com/news/571540-us-ukraine-aid-support-wanes-poll/ ========================================== 25 Feb, 2023 22:14 6) --- NATO member may delay vote on expansion A Hungarian official has suggested that lawmakers may need more time to consider bids by Sweden and Finland to join the bloc Hungary, one of only two NATO members that have not yet formally approved bids by Sweden and Finland to join the Western military bloc, may need more time than expected for its lawmakers to vote on ratification, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s chief of staff has indicated. Budapest had planned to take up the issue in its first parliamentary session of the year, earlier this month, but Orban said on Friday that legislators need more time to discuss the matter. He has accused both NATO aspirants of questioning Hungary’s democracy and rule of law with “outright lies.” The Hungarian National Assembly said earlier this week that it could hold a final vote on NATO’s proposed expansion during the week starting March 6. However, Orban aide Gergely Gulyas told reporters on Saturday that lawmakers may need more time. Parliament will put the matter on its agenda on Monday and start debating Sweden and Finland’s NATO bids next week, Gulyas said at a press briefing. “Based on Hungarian procedure, adopting legislation takes about four weeks, so it follows that parliament can have a vote on this sometime in the second half of March, on the week of March 21,” he said. The delay comes amid strained relations between the two proposed NATO members and the bloc’s lone recalcitrant states, Hungary and Türkiye. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said last month that he had ruled out approving Sweden’s bid, blasting Stockholm for allowing a Koran-burning demonstration outside Türkiye’s embassy. Any proposed NATO member must be approved by all 30 members of the alliance. Erdogan had previously expressed reluctance to allow either of the two Nordic countries to join the bloc, citing their support for Kurdish groups that Ankara considers to be terrorists. Türkiye, Sweden and Finland signed an agreement last June to address those concerns and pave the way for approving NATO’s expansion. However, Erdogan said the Koran-burning stunt violated that deal. Sweden defended its approval of the Koran demonstration by saying it couldn’t be prohibited because of the country’s free speech protections. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto took Türkiye’s side in the row, stating Sweden’s response was “just plain stupidity.” https://www.rt.com/news/572080-hungary-nato-expansion-delay/ =========================================== 25 Feb, 2023 21:09 6a) --- Iran still wants to kill Trump, top general says The country hasn't given up on targeting the former US president and top officials behind the assassination of Qassem Soleimani Tehran is still seeking to assassinate former US President Donald Trump, his secretary of state Mike Pompeo and other officials responsible for the 2020 assassination of Qassem Soleimani, Amirali Hajizadeh, the head of the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) aerospace force, said on Friday. The top general made the remarks as he unveiled a new cruise missile, said to boast a range of 1,650 kilometers (1,025 miles). "We hope we can kill Trump, Pompeo, [retired US general Kenneth] McKenzie and the military commanders who gave the order," Hajizadeh stated. Iran’s top general, Qassem Soleimani, was killed in a US drone strike on January 3, 2020, while visiting Iraq's capital Baghdad. Then-president Trump repeatedly bragged about personally commissioning the attack, insisting it came in retaliation for the alleged attacks on US personnel across the region, purportedly staged by the Iranians. Top officials in Tehran have repeatedly pledged to avenge the assassination of Soleimani, threatening to kill Trump and others behind the strike. At the same time, Iran has been pursuing a more legal route to punish the culprits, repeatedly requesting that Interpol assist in catching Trump and nearly 50 other US officials whom it believes to be linked to the strike. It was not immediately clear from the remarks by Hajizadeh whether Tehran seeks to eliminate all the Americans it had previously sought to arrest with the help of Interpol. The organization, however, had rejected such requests, citing its charter as prohibiting it from undertaking "any intervention or activities of a political, military, religious, or racial character." https://www.rt.com/news/572076-iran-revenge-kill-trump/ =========================================== 26 Feb, 2023 05:28 Switzerland confirms stance on frozen Russian assets 7) --- The country will not confiscate blocked funds despite pressure from Western allies, an official said Swiss banks have no legal right to use Russian money frozen in the country under sanctions for their own purposes, a spokesperson for the country’s State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), Fabian Maienfisch, told the RIA novosti news agency this week. Any action that allows the management or use of frozen assets is prohibited except for routine administrative actions performed by financial institutions such as accounting for interest rates or banking charges on the account, he noted. “The management of actual portfolio of frozen assets such as attracting new investments, selling assets or changing revenue is not allowed,” Maienfisch added. He also pointed out that all the costs associated with the Russian property blocked in Switzerland should be defrayed by the owners. Earlier, the Swiss government ruled out the seizure of funds frozen in the country, saying that the confiscation of private Russian assets would undermine the Swiss constitution and the prevailing legal order. Swiss banks have opposed the appropriation. “There is no legal basis for confiscation today,” the Swiss Bankers Association said last month. Switzerland has been facing increasing US and EU pressure to release the frozen funds for the reconstruction of Ukraine. Western countries have been discussing the idea for some time but have come up against legal hurdles. Former head of Deutsche Bank Josef Ackermann recently warned that such a step by Switzerland in particular would jeopardize investor confidence in the Swiss banking system and result in the country losing its status as a global financial center. Switzerland currently holds 7.5 billion Swiss francs ($8 billion) worth of frozen financial assets belonging to Russian citizens, SECO revealed last month. https://www.rt.com/business/571855-switzerland-banks-russia-frozen-assets/ ============== - 11 Feb, 2023 12:22 re-post 7a) --- Switzerland warned against seizing Russian assets The move would undermine confidence in the country’s banking system, according to the former head of Deutsche Bank Former head of Deutsche Bank Josef Ackermann has warned Switzerland against confiscating Russian assets that have been frozen under EU sanctions, as the move would jeopardize investor confidence in the Swiss banking system. In an interview with Blick news outlet, Ackermann likened the measure to “opening a Pandora’s box.” He said Switzerland could well lose its status as a global financial center if it chooses to formally hold individual Russian citizens responsible for the actions of their government. “Then in future, citizens of other countries would also have to be afraid of investing money in Switzerland… Such a message would be devastating for the country as a financial center,” the banker stated. In his opinion, Switzerland needs to determine its own stance on the matter and not rush to emulate the actions of other Western countries. According to Blick, around 7.5 billion Swiss francs ($7.9 billion) worth of Russian assets is currently frozen in Switzerland, along with 15 properties that belong to Russian citizens. The Swiss government is under increasing international pressure to release the frozen funds for the reconstruction of Ukraine. So far, Switzerland has not done so because there is no legal basis for the procedure. However, according to Ackermann, the Federal Council has not completely ruled out such a step. The banker said that, in order to seize the funds legally, authorities would have to classify their owners as criminals. Ackermann warned against such a move, noting that it would jeopardize the rule of law and property rights. The notion of confiscating frozen Russian assets to help rebuild Ukraine has been discussed by Western countries for some time. According to media reports, US Attorney General Merrick Garland last week announced the first transfer of frozen Russian assets toward aiding Ukraine. The funds in question belonged to Russian businessman Konstantin Malofeyev. Moscow has repeatedly warned against such actions, saying that they may create a dangerous precedent in international law. Vyacheslav Volodin, the speaker of the State Duma, Russia’s lower house of parliament, last month warned that if its assets were seized, Russia would have the right to confiscate foreign assets kept in the country in retaliation. https://www.rt.com/business/571183-switzerland-warning-seizing-russian-assets/ ============================================ 25 Feb, 2023 22:09 8) --- Berlin rally against arming Ukraine draws tens of thousands An estimated 13,000 to 50,000 people attended the event calling for peace talks Tens of thousands of Germans braved the elements to attend the Uprising for Peace, a massive rally organized by Die Linke (Left Party) politician Sahra Wagenknecht and author Alice Schwarzer on Saturday. The demonstrators massed at the Brandenburg Gate, calling for peace talks to end the conflict in Ukraine and demanding Berlin cease supplying Kiev with weapons. Wagenknecht slammed the German government for trying to "ruin Russia," urging leaders to make Moscow an "offer" so that peace talks could begin. The rally, she said, represented the "start of a citizens’ initiative" and the launch of a "new, strong peace movement in Germany." - https://twitter.com/BenjaminNorton/status/1629513125220196352 - https://twitter.com/BenjaminNorton/status/1629514420241027078 - https://twitter.com/KevorkAlmassian/status/1629514531859734531 - Wagenknecht and Schwarzer earlier this month published a Manifest for Peace urging Chancellor Olaf Scholz to "stop the escalation in weapons deliveries." It has since been signed by over half a million people, including well-known public intellectuals and political figures. - https://twitter.com/EMichaelJones1/status/1629590281082359814 - Scholz has repeatedly declared peace talks to be outside the realm of possibility, insisting that it is Russia that is unwilling to come to the table, despite Moscow’s many attempts since the start of the conflict to resolve things peacefully. https://www.rt.com/news/572079-peace-rally-berlin/ ========================================= 24 Feb, 2023 04:55 9) --- Poland picks US firm to build first nuclear power plant – AP The facility will reportedly be constructed by Westinghouse Warsaw has signed a deal with Westinghouse Electric Company for pre-design cooperation on Poland’s first nuclear power plant, using the American company’s technology, the Associated Press reported this week. According to AP, the agreement was inked by Poland’s minister for climate and environment, Anna Moskwa, and the US ambassador to Poland, Mark Brzezinski, during a visit by US President Joe Biden to Warsaw. Moskwa said that construction of the plant is expected to begin in 2026, with the facility to start supplying Poland’s power grid in 2032. Warsaw accepted a US offer to build the power station in October. Under its terms, the foreign investor must provide the technology and assist with managing and funding, in exchange for a 49% stake in the project. US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm pitched the project as a way for Poland to reduce carbon emissions by phasing out coal. The country generates almost 70% of its energy from black and brown coal and has been attempting to embrace renewable energy. Warsaw cut itself off from Russian natural gas imports in April, citing the conflict in Ukraine. A pipeline delivering natural gas from Norway was inaugurated in September, just a day before the Nord Stream pipelines from Russia to Germany were blown up. https://www.rt.com/business/571906-poland-us-nuclear-power-plant/ ========================================= 11 Dec, 2022 01:17 ( QS - missed post ) 9a) --- Ukraine shells holiday camp with US-made HIMARS – governor At least a dozen people were injured or killed in Melitopol, Russia Ukrainian forces launched a barrage of rockets towards the city of Melitopol on Saturday night, hitting a hotel and restaurant complex, according to the acting governor of Russia’s newly incorporated Zaporozhye Region, Evgeny Balitsky. Located near the Sea of Azov, Melitopol had a population of nearly 149,000 before the conflict. The missile strike took place around 9pm local time and was supposedly carried out using the US-supplied M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS). Two of the rockets were reportedly intercepted by air defenses, but the remaining four missiles hit a cottage estate on the outskirts of the city and “completely obliterated” a small recreation center, killing and injuring patrons and staff, Balitsky said in a Telegram post. Two people were killed on the spot, while another ten were rushed to hospitals, the official added. At least three of the victims are reportedly in critical condition, with doctors fighting to save them. Footage shared by Balitsky shows several houses on fire, with firefighters and rescuers working at the scene. Another extremely graphic video has been making rounds online, purportedly showing the immediate aftermath of the strike with several victims lying on the ground in agony and first responders assisting them. https://t.me/BalitskyEV/586 - Zaporozhye was officially declared part of Russia in early October, along with Kherson Region and the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, after voters in these regions overwhelmingly supported the move in public referendums. Kiev rejected the results of the referendums and pledged to use military force to oust Russia from all lands that Ukraine considers its own. President Vladimir Zelensky has said he wants all people living in what his government calls the “temporarily occupied territories” back under Kiev’s control, and threatened to punish “collaborators” who work with Russia. Melitopol-born politician Balitsky, who turned 53 on the day of the attack, accused the “Kiev Nazis” of “deliberately targeting civilians” who were trying to enjoy a peaceful Saturday evening, in an apparent attempt to make life unbearable for the residents of the newly incorporated Russian territory. https://www.rt.com/russia/568031-melitopol-hotel-ukraine-himars/ ============================================== 25 Feb, 2023 18:56 10) --- Ukraine figures high on talks between Chancellor Scholz and PM Modi The German leader is on his maiden two-day visit to India to bolster ties in defense and technology - By Joydeep Sen Gupta, Asia Editor Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine, which marked its first anniversary on Friday, figured high on the one-to-one talks between visiting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Saturday. Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra reiterated India’s position on the Ukraine situation. He emphasized that New Delhi has been concerned about the impact on food, fertilizer and fuel security, which is hurting the developing economies in Asia, Africa and Latin America – collectively known as the Global South – in a major way. Kwatra maintained that Germany shares concerns similar to those of India, that it's in favor of an early cessation of hostilities between the two countries, and that it acknowledges the complexities in the global economies arising out of the situation. He said both New Delhi and Moscow have a deep understanding of each other’s position at the United Nations (UN). The comment was made in reference to India’s action at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) on Thursday. India was one of the 32 nations who abstained from voting on a UNGA resolution that condemned Russia’s ‘invasion’ of Ukraine. “India and Germany are of the firm agreement that dialogue and diplomacy are the path forward because peace is beneficial for all developing countries. Both nations are in favor of strengthening the constituency of peace,” he added. “The German leader, who is on his maiden visit to India since assuming office in end-2021, was visibly impressed by the country’s economic growth and development. He had last visited India in 2012 as the mayor of Hamburg,” Kwatra said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India and Germany were committed to realizing their untapped potential in sectors such as security and defense cooperation. Germany is in talks with India to sell it six conventional submarines for $5.2 billion. Experts see the move as a bid to wean New Delhi away from its dependence on Russia for military hardware. But the ploy appears duplicitous because of Germany’s strong trade ties with both China and Russia. For instance, China is one of the primary buyers of German machine tools and Berlin is heavily dependent on Russia for its energy supplies. Germany is also India’s largest trade partner in the 27-member European Union (EU) and has been among New Delhi’s top ten global trade partners. Data shows that the total bilateral trade between the two countries stood at $24.8 billion during 2021–22, and over 1,800 German companies are known to operate in India. Germany is the ninth largest investor in India, with cumulative foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows of $13.8 billion from April 2000 to September 2022. Transportation, electrical equipment, and metallurgical industries, the services sector (in particular insurance), chemicals, construction activity, trading and automobiles are key areas of German investment in India. Scholz last met Modi at last June's summit of the Group of Seven (G7) industrial powers during an outreach to rally New Delhi’s support amid growing concerns over China’s backing of Russia over Ukraine. https://www.rt.com/india/572072-ukraine-india-germany/ ========================================== 25 Feb, 2023 20:08 11) --- Ukraine has ‘total dominance’ over US – Trump The ex-president suggested Kiev might actually be behind the Nord Stream pipeline blasts as well Ukraine has asserted "total dominance" over the US, former President Donald Trump said Friday during an interview with Glenn Beck. The ex-president also suggested that Kiev might be the real culprit behind the destruction of Russia’s Nord Stream pipelines last October. Commenting on the recent report by veteran American journalist Seymour Hersh, who suggested the pipelines were targeted by Washington in a clandestine operation ordered directly by President Joe Biden, Trump did not rule out US involvement but rubbished allegations that Moscow destroyed the installation itself. "Well, it could have been us, and it could have been Ukraine, and it could have been some third-party country that wants to see trouble. The one group it wasn’t is Russia… This is a main source of massive income for them. They didn't blow it up to make a point. That's the one thing I can tell you for sure," Trump stated, adding that "everything gets blamed on Russia" by the "sick" people. The US might have been "working in conjunction" with Ukraine to target the pipelines, the ex-president suggested, since Kiev has already asserted "total dominance" over Washington. "We’ve given them probably $150 billion, and Europe has given them almost nothing," he added. Earlier this week, Trump, who is seeking to get elected back into the White House in 2024, already vowed to end the Ukraine conflict within hours should he make it to the office again. "I would literally start calling, not from the day I took over, but from the night I won," he told a campaign rally in Florida this week. The ex-president has also blamed the "warmongers and ‘America Last’ globalists" entrenched at the State Department, the Pentagon, and the "national security industrial complex" for pushing the hostilities forward. "I was the only president who rejected the catastrophic advice of many of Washington’s generals, bureaucrats and so-called diplomats who only knew how to get us into conflicts," he said in a campaign video released Tuesday. https://www.rt.com/news/572069-trump-us-ukraine-dominance/ ============================================== 25 Feb, 2023 19:25 12) --- US spends more on Ukraine than it burned through in Afghanistan – researcher Washington’s military aid to Kiev exceeds its annual outlays to fight America’s longest-ever war, a Statista analysis has shown President Joe Biden’s administration has shelled out more money on military aid to help Ukraine fight Russia than the US spent annually to fight its own war in Afghanistan, according to data compiled by German research firm Statista. US military aid to Ukraine through mid-January, spanning the first 11 months of the conflict, totaled $46.6 billion, Statista said in a report this week, citing data from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy. That compared with an average annual military spend of $43.4 billion, in 2022 dollars, during the first ten years of the Afghanistan war. “When calculating the average annual costs of previous wars in which the United States has been involved in, the true magnitude of the country’s Ukraine aid expenditure can be seen,” Statista data journalist Martin Armstrong said. The Ukraine total doesn’t include an additional $5 billion worth of weapons and equipment that the Pentagon sent to Kiev, he said. The figures also exclude non-military aid, such as the $4.5 billion that Biden pledged to fund pensions, government salary and other public spending. All told, Washington has allocated $113 billion in Ukraine aid, and multiple administration officials have vowed to keep supporting Kiev “as long as it takes.” Some Washington lawmakers, such as Representatives Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, a Democrat, and Georgia Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene, have called the Ukraine crisis a “proxy war” that the US and NATO are waging against Russia. Remarkably, even without officially deploying any troops in Ukraine or declaring itself a direct party to the conflict, the US is spending more than it doled out to fund its own war – in fact, the longest war in the nation’s history. When converted to 2022 dollars, US military spending was far higher in Vietnam, averaging $90.9 billion from 1965 to 1975; Iraq, totaling $125.1 billion per year from 2003 to 2010; and Korea, where the annual rate was $138.2 billion from 1950 to 1953. Republican lawmakers, who won control of Congress in last November’s midterm elections, have called for tougher oversight of US aid to Ukraine. Eleven US House Republicans introduced a bill earlier this month calling for an immediate halt to the aid program. https://www.rt.com/news/572074-us-ukraine-spending-tops-afghan-war/ ============================================ 26 Feb, 2023 05:46 12a) --- Iran awaits green light to start exporting cars to Russia – official Deliveries may begin pending Moscow’s approval, an Iranian trade representative told the media Two major Iranian automakers, Khodro and SAIPA, are currently undergoing certification in Russia for future car deliveries, a spokesperson for the country’s Trade Ministry, Omid Ghalibaf, told RIA Novosti this week. He revealed that SAIPA had signed an agreement with a Belarusian company to supply 45,000 Shahin and Quick model cars, adding that “these two models will be delivered to the Russian market” as well. However, Ghalibaf didn’t specify whether the automaker would be shipping the cars directly to Russia or via Belarus, explaining that the issue needs to be clarified due to Western sanctions. He also pointed out that there are no direct agreements between Iranian automakers and Russia, but stressed that negotiations with Moscow are underway and that the cars are awaiting certification. “The concern [Khodro] sent one of its vehicles to Russia as a sample for certification, after which it will contact private companies from Russia to sign a supply agreement,” the Iranian official added. Last November, Moscow and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding for Iranian car exports to Russia valued at $300 million. The two countries also explored the possibility of joint automobile production. Major Middle Eastern carmakers are eyeing the Russian market following the exodus of European, American, and Japanese brands. Khodro assembles revamped models of the Chinese Haima and Dongfeng brands. Last year, Iran also launched production of the Tara sedan based on the Peugeot 301, while other new models using the Peugeot and Citroen as prototypes are coming, according to data from the companies. https://www.rt.com/business/571897-iran-russia-car-certification/ ========================================= 24 Feb, 2023 10:33 13) --- Japanese inflation hits four-decade high Consumer prices are rising as higher energy costs are passed on to households Japan’s core consumer inflation index hit a 41-year high last month as companies continue to pass rising energy costs continue on to households, government data showed on Friday. The consumer price index (CPI), which excludes fresh food but includes energy costs, jumped 4.2% in January from a year ago, up from the 4.0% reading the previous month. It was the biggest increase since September 1981, when the country suffered from a spike in fuel costs due to the Middle East oil crisis. On a monthly basis, consumer prices grew 0.4% in January, following a 0.3% rise in December. Core inflation has now been well above the Bank of Japan’s (BoJ) 2% target for nine months in a row. This is largely attributable to continued increases in the cost of fuel and raw materials, which Japanese companies are passing on to consumers. “Inflation will probably peak in January but may not fall back below the BoJ’s 2% target for some time. But there are questions as to whether the rise in inflation will be sustainable, as it is still driven largely by food and fuel costs,” Yoshimasa Maruyama, the chief economist at SMBC Nikko Securities, told Reuters. The BoJ now faces a challenge in maintaining its yield control – a policy of purchasing government bonds so as to target a certain interest rate level – as markets expect high inflation to force it to hike interest rates. However, the bank’s incoming governor, Kazuo Ueda, said on Friday that it would take time for rising prices to be contained, which makes monetary tightening under the current conditions risky as it could slow down the economy. “There have been various side effects, but in light of the economic and price conditions, the methods have been necessary as well as appropriate to sustainably achieve the 2 per cent inflation target. I believe it is appropriate to continue monetary easing measures while being creative in line with the situation,” he said, referring to the regulator’s adoption of negative rates and yield curve control. https://www.rt.com/business/572008-japanese-inflation-four-decade-high/ recall post from 13th January: More than half of Japanese households have experienced worsening living standards as a result of soaring inflation, the latest survey conducted by the Bank of Japan has shown. In its quarterly report, the BOJ said 53% of people surveyed admitted that their wealth had slumped last year compared to 2021, while only 3.7% said their livelihood had improved. This is the highest percentage of households reporting financial problems in almost 13 years. https://www.rt.com/business/569699-japan-households-spending-inflation/ ========================================== LR 1) --- No quiet on the Eastern front: How the US has worked to prevent Russia and Japan from putting a formal end to World War Two Russia and Japan have technically been at war with each other for almost 80 years. The US is the main roadblock to a peace treaty “Give back the Northern Territories! You’re illegally occupying our land!” Every year, on February 7, slogans like this blare out through loudspeakers opposite the Russian embassy in Japan. This is the day when Japan celebrates the so-called Northern Territories Day." This refers to what Russia calls the Southern Kurils — Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan, and Habomai Islands, — which became part of the Soviet Union after World War 2. In 2022, a protest staged by rightwing radicals began a day early and resulted in unrest. According to Russian diplomats, “a group of militant young men'' attempted to break into the embassy premises and fought with police securing the entrance. The next day, on February 7, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida addressed a national rally in Tokyo calling for the return of the Northern Territories. This year has been no exception. Far-right activists again staged a rally outside the building, making a detour around the perimeter of the block in vans and using loudspeakers to shout their demands for the return of the islands. In addition, for the first time since 2018, the phrase “illegal occupation” was included in the statement that is traditionally read out at the end of the annual ‘National Rally for the Return of the Northern Territories’. Tokyo ties the Kuril Islands dispute with another issue that has been souring relations with Moscow for almost 78 years — the absence of a peace treaty between the two capitals after World War Two. On March 21, 2022, Russia exited the negotiation process with Japan, which had been gaining momentum since the end of the Cold War. The Russian Foreign Ministry stated it was impossible to hold such discussions with a state that “displays an openly unfriendly position and attempts to damage the interests of our country.” This came after Tokyo placed sanctions on Moscow. The Southern Kuril Islands are a very valuable asset. The Catherine and Vries Straits are the only year-round ice-free links between the Sea of Okhotsk and the Pacific Ocean. Additionally, the Sea of Okhotsk can be considered an internal sea of the Russian Federation, thus preventing any other country from fishing or extracting mineral resources there without Moscow’s permission. The area around the Southern Kuril Islands boasts rich fishing grounds, where the USSR used to catch most of its Japanese pilchard and Pacific saury. Iturup has one of the world’s largest deposits of rhenium, a remarkably rare metal. A major underwater hydrocarbon deposit has been discovered off the coast of the Lesser Kuril Chain, with reserves in the Mid-Kuril Oil and Gas Basin estimated at 300 million tons. Pursuing sanctions and Kurils - What little hope there was to sign a peace treaty ended after Tokyo’s response to Russia’s military operation in Ukraine. Maria Zakharova, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, has counted 15 packages of individual and sectoral sanctions imposed by Japan over this time. “Sometimes Japan was even overzealous, rushing new sanctions before its Western allies,” she added. Any hypothetical resumption of talks can only happen after the whole crisis around Ukraine is resolved, Vladimir Nelidov, an associate professor of Eastern Studies at MGIMO, told RT. While the [conflict] is ongoing, no talks and certainly no resolution are possible. This issue is part of the bigger context of the relations between Russia and the West, which are currently involved in a confrontation,” he said. Although located off Asia’s Pacific Coast, Japan coordinates its policies with its allies in the West. Valery Kistanov, Head of the Center for Japanese Studies at the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of China and Contemporary Asia, told RT: “A peace treaty is very unlikely in the foreseeable future, I’m not even sure the next generations will live to see it. Relations with Japan are so bad now, a peace treaty is not on the table. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is still talking about his willingness to keep negotiating, even though Japan is one of the global leaders in this whole anti-Russian business. I’m certain that this course will remain for decades or even centuries to come. Russia can’t abide by that.” Meanwhile, Japan seems determined to continue maintaining sanctions pressure on Russia. In the latest package to date, it banned exports of vaccines, medical equipment, and robots and expanded sanctions against individuals. In response, Moscow put Japan on the list of unfriendly countries, suspended peace talks, and stopped joint economic activities on the Kuril Islands and visa-free travel for Japanese citizens to the Kuril Islands last year. In 2023, Russia followed up by refusing to hold annual talks with Japan over fishing near the islands under a 1998 treaty. “Essentially, the only thing left is the energy bridge. Japan decided not to quit the Sakhalin-1 and Sakhalin-2 projects because it badly needs resources, and there is no alternative. Otherwise, Japan’s whole energy sector will go under,” Kistanov says. According to him, in all other respects, the countries’ relations have ground to a halt. Approved by Churchill and Roosevelt - The agreement to give the Kuril Islands and the southern part of Sakhalin to the USSR was reached at the Yalta Conference attended by Joseph Stalin, Franklin Roosevelt, and Winston Churchill, in February 1945. The USSR, in its turn, pledged to join the war on the eastern front no later than two or three months after defeating Nazi Germany. The Southern Kurils were taken by Soviet forces in August-September 1945 and officially declared a part of the USSR a year later. Japan confirmed that it renounced all claims to the Kuril Islands and South Sakhalin when it signed the Treaty of San Francisco, yet the text of the treaty drafted by the US and Great Britain neither said who it renounced those territories to, nor listed the names of the specific islands. Nevertheless, Tokyo gave up the ability to have a say in the future of the territories because all of the 48 treaty signatory states could then also lay claim to them. Those provisions and the absence of the People’s Republic of China at the conference led the Soviet delegation to refuse to sign the Peace Treaty of San Francisco. At first, it would appear that Japan was resigned to losing the territories. Kumao Nishimura, chief of the Treaty Bureau of the Japanese Foreign Ministry, described the loss of Kunashir and Iturup in the Japanese parliament as a fait accompli. However, Washington, which was waging a cold war against Moscow by that time, was bent on creating a territorial problem for its competitor. When discussing the treaty, the US Senate adopted a resolution which refused to accept any Soviet rights or claims to territories that belonged to Japan on December 7, 1941, including the Kuril Islands and even South Sakhalin. Soon enough, Tokyo found new grounds to dispute the Southern Kurils. American Interference - Japan and the USSR began bilateral talks in 1956 hoping to reach a settlement. Tokyo’s demands were very ambitious at first – approving Japan’s UN membership and returning all the territories that were under Japan’s control in 1905 after the Russo-Japanese War, including Southern Sakhalin and all the Kuril Islands. The Soviet Union’s proposal included giving Tokyo control over Shikotan and the Habomai Islands if Japan agreed to give up all future territorial demands. Shunichi Matsumoto, who represented Japan at the talks, later shared that he “couldn’t believe what he heard” at first and “greatly rejoiced”. After several rounds, Japan narrowed its demands down to the four South Kuril Islands. Their reasoning was that historically these four islands weren’t considered part of the Kurils, and therefore were not covered by the Treaty of San-Francisco. This was totally in line with US interests, since America didn’t want the agreement to be broken, but it also didn’t want the Soviet Union to have control over the two Kuril Islands. Washington benefited from Tokyo gaining control over all four islands, but the Soviet Union wouldn’t budge. When Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu made his recommendation to the Japanese government to accept Moscow’s proposal and agree to the transfer of the two islands, the country’s leadership didn’t like it. Deputy Cabinet Secretary Takizo Matsumoto commented, “Moscow influenced him, and the Cabinet decided to send him to London, where he could meet with the [US] Secretary of State”. At the talks in the UK capital, the US delegation threatened their colleagues from Tokyo, reminding them that they had no legal rights to the Kuril Islands and could not discuss their status with the USSR. On August 19, 1956, State Secretary John Dulles told Shigemitsu that if an agreement between Moscow and Tokyo were to be reached, "Japan might tell the Soviet Union of the tough line the United States was taking – that if the Soviet Union were to take all the Kurils, the United States might remain forever in Okinawa, and no Japanese Government could survive.” This thinly veiled threat, disguised as “a friendly recommendation” effectively brought the Soviet-Japanese talks on the Kuril Islands to a halt. The Ryukyu Islands were seized by US troops in 1945, with its largest island, Okinawa, remaining under American control until 1972. Today, the US maintains military bases there. “Japan was under American pressure back in the 1950s, of course, and there is no consensus among historians to this day as to how that incident should be construed. But one thing we know for sure – the US was not interested in letting the Soviet Union normalize its relations with Japan, even if pro-US political forces in Japan were not opposed to restoring relations with the Soviets,” Vladimir Nelidov explained. However, despite America’s best efforts, the USSR and Japan did sign a joint declaration in Moscow in 1956, formally putting an end to the state of war between the two countries. Moreover, the Soviet Union pledged to return the Habomai Islands and Shikotan to Japan, but only after a peace treaty was signed. This generous gesture, however, was overshadowed by the US concluding a new treaty of mutual cooperation and security with Tokyo, giving it the right to establish and use military bases on Japanese soil, as well as deploy any number of troops there. This practically meant that any Soviet territories returned to Japanese jurisdiction could be used for American military bases. Therefore, the USSR chose to annul the Joint Declaration with Japan in 1960. And again, the US interferes - In theory, that’s when Moscow could have ended the Kuril Islands dispute once and for all. Years later, in 2018, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and President Putin agreed to resume talks based on the 1956 declaration. However, the Japanese leadership still interpreted the document, which only mentioned two of the four islands, in a very peculiar manner. Tokyo would never abandon its plans to get back all the four islands. Besides, it was not going to meet the requirement to recognize Russia’s sovereignty over the Kuril Islands. In January 2023, during a press conference, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov recalled that period of active negotiating, led by Prime Minister Abe: “At some point, the Japanese said they didn’t need the “big” peace treaty that Russia was offering… We had proposed signing a comprehensive peace treaty that would outline the principles of cooperation based on mutual respect, mutual interests, and neighborliness. The peace treaty was also supposed to cover investment, economic and humanitarian cooperation. All that was supposed to serve as a basis to define the border. The Japanese turned our proposal down saying they needed a document that’s strictly to the point, not a superfluous treaty full of rhetoric.” According to Valery Kistanov, Putin sincerely believed that a peace treaty was a necessity – and that’s what the diplomatic thaw during Abe’s term was about. The leaders of Russia and Japan held a total of 27 meetings, but the United States got involved in that too. According to Vladimir Nelidov, after 2014, President Obama “took a stand against Russia and Japan’s cooperation.” “For example, in 2016, Obama asked Prime Minister Abe to cancel his visit to Russia, but Abe didn’t listen. The United States has been a negative influence on this relationship more often than not, and now especially so.” Today, the US ignores the Treaty of San-Francisco. On the occasion of Japan’s Northern Territories Day in 2022, US Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel openly said that Washington fully backs Tokyo. Japan’s new government has made its position crystal clear and is sticking to its narrative of “four illegally occupied islands” that, in its opinion, Russia must return prior to signing a peace treaty. Kistanov concludes, “As far as I see it, Russia doesn’t even need a peace treaty with Japan. We’ve lived for 70 years without one, and can keep on doing just that. We’ve always been accommodating and supportive of any effort to find a compromise, but Japan has never responded in the same way and I believe we shouldn’t expect it. Foreign Minister Lavrov recently quoted one expert on Japan who said, ‘should one day Japan decide that they are not getting back these four islands, it’ll join the club of Russia’s most fierce opponents.’ And that’s exactly what’s happening today.” By Maxim Hvatkov, a Russian journalist focusing on international security, China's politics and soft-power tools. https://www.rt.com/news/571050-russia-and-japan-peace-treaty/ ============================================ LR 2) --- 71 years of RFE/RL: How the CIA-founded American state run media outlet survived the Soviet collapse to fight Cold War 2.0 Originally established as an anti-Bolshevik endeavor, RFE/RL has thrived as US-Russia relations have nose-dived The first of May marks the 51st anniversary of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (hereinafter “RFE/RL”, although this didn't become the official name until 1976) – radio stations which broadcast into Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union, respectively. As detailed in an internal CIA document from 1951 titled “Radio Aims and Objectives,” RFE/RL was to be operated by refugees or exiles from the various Socialist Bloc countries to broadcast information intended to encourage “hatred against the regime(s)” and to increase the “will to resist the regime(s).” In other words, this project had an explicit function to remove governments unfavorable to Washington. https://digitalarchive.wilsoncenter.org/document/114359 Undoubtedly, May 1 was chosen as the launch of this project as it coincided with International Workers’ Day, one of the most important holidays in the Socialist Bloc. From its inception until 1972, it was the CIA which funded RFE/RL, though it did so covertly without congressional knowledge or authorization. And it was CIA Director Allen Dulles – the mastermind behind the overthrow of democratic governments in countries such as Iran (1953) and Guatemala (1954) – who greenlit the secret financing of RFE/RL in the hope that it would contribute to the overthrow of communism in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. https://www.jstor.org/stable/43134017 https://www.wbur.org/npr/234752747/meet-the-brothers-who-shaped-u-s-policy-inside-and-out - Ironically, even as the CIA was backing this project, it was helping to restore fascist, military rule to Greece – which it preferred to a Greek communist government. The left-wingers had great political stature among the electorate because of their valiant fight against the Nazis. https://www.salon.com/2014/03/08/35_countries_the_u_s_has_backed_international_crime_partner/ The memories of this betrayal by the West in Greece were awakened recently when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appeared by video before the Greek parliament alongside a neo-Nazi Azov fighter, causing some of the members to get up and leave in protest. https://peoplesdispatch.org/2022/04/08/progressives-in-greece-reject-zelenskys-address-to-parliament-with-neo-nazis/ The US and its CIA made similar choices in countries such as Indonesia, and later Chile and Argentina, opting to support ultra-right-wing dictatorships in lieu of socialist, albeit democratic, governments. https://www.salon.com/2014/03/08/35_countries_the_u_s_has_backed_international_crime_partner/ According to Cord Meyer, who took charge of the CIA’s relationship with Radio Liberty in 1954 and led these operations for many years, “[t]he CIA maintained control over [radio] content by formulating general policy guidelines, which were supplemented by daily meetings to determine the handling of specific news.” Meyer insists, however, that this control did not interfere with the journalistic integrity of the radio programs. https://www.jstor.org/stable/43134017 In addition, while Meyer insists that there were no actual spies operating within the radio stations, the radio personnel nevertheless kept detailed accounts of what they observed in the various countries in which they operated; in other words, they did provide intelligence for the CIA. And even after Congress ended CIA funding of RFE/RL in 1972 – the money would come directly from Congress from then on – its primary purpose remained to broadcast anti-communist programs into the East Bloc, at least until the communist governments in Eastern Europe and then the Soviet Union collapsed. https://pressroom.rferl.org/history Of course, RFE/RL openly takes credit for helping to bring about this ultimate collapse, believing that its influence whittled away at the support of the various communist governments. It has found support for this claim from the likes of Vaclav Havel (who invited RFE/RL to move from its original headquarters in Munich, Germany to Prague after the collapse of the East Bloc) and Boris Yeltsin. https://pressroom.rferl.org/history I recall quite vividly, as someone who grew up in the 1970s and 1980s, the incessant complaints that the Soviet Union would often jam the signals of Radio Liberty – evidence, we were told, that Moscow simply could not handle the truth. I think of this now as the outlet I am writing this article for – RT, of course a Russian-based news outlet – is being suppressed in the US or outrightly banned in the