On January 19 at 2:00 pm Moscow Time, the Valdai Club hosted an expert discussion dedicated to the consultations between representatives of Russia and the West on security guarantees in Geneva, Brussels and Vienna, titled “A three-move game: will it be possible to avoid zugzwang?” Sergei Ryabkov, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation and head of the Russian delegation at these talks, attended the discussion and present his views following the results of the first series of consultations with Western partners from the United States, NATO and the OSCE.
Relations between Russia and the West have long been characterised by a lack of mutual trust. In mid-December, Moscow proposed security assurance treaties with the United States and NATO, in which it frankly and clearly outlined its concepts for the strengthening of security near Russia’s borders.
Speakers:
- John Mearsheimer, Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago
- Malcolm Rifkind, Secretary of Defence (1992-1995) and Foreign Secretary (1995-1997) of the UK
- Sergei Ryabkov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation
Moderator:
- Fyodor Lukyanov, Research Director of the Valdai Discussion Club.
Rifkind is an anglicised version of Rivkin. Malcolm’s great-grandmother Rivka would have come from the Donbass – which explains both his ridiculously overblown upper-class accent and his Russophobia.
Rifkind was the perfect panelist to represent the Western mindset. Mearsheimer, not associated with a government post, gave a fair analysis of the perspective of both sides and why an agreement won’t happen. The average US citizen as well as the US Congress and agencies see things as Rifkind. We are screwed.
It’s weird how all these people who hate Russia often come from Russia without actually being Russian. Strange how their families had to flee due to being persecuted for no reason, they were just being good citizens then suddenly everyone hated them.
Sergei Ryabkov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, was ihmo way too diplomatic.
John Mearsheimer, Professor at the University of Chicago grasps the reality in Ukraine.
However, Washington don’t care about the consequences for Europe, Ukraine and the world.
Malcolm Rifkind, former Foreign Secretary of the UK, spilled the beans:
He openly acknowledged that Great Britain has the Biden administration on a leach barking at Russia.
What Malcom refuse to acknowledge is that Nordic Nations has long been directly against the enlargement of NATO, to include former empires that historically have been a threat to Nordic Nations.
I’m talking about the Polish Lithuanian Empire, The Austrian Hungary Empire, and the 1st, 2nd, 3rd Reich. The reason he does not mention this fact, is that by mentioned it, it opens up for the spilt of NATO.
With the formation of current British Imperial Alliance of AUKUS, and the planed formation of a 4th Reich military alliance (EU Army) the fracture of NATO into 3 separate Alliances is closer than ever.
Malcom is also quiet about Britain (MI5) involvement in the last US Presidential election.
He is dishonest about Britain’s involvement in supporting NAZI fractions to power in Ukraine.
He pretends willingness to corporate with Russia, but just below the surface he is a Russophobe.
Just take a look at his eyes and his nose that is where his hate shows.
Malcom present London’s general intend: To keep the Nordic Nations and Central Europe as vassals and in fear by their dogs in Washington.
Russia don’t fall for Malcom, he is send by the Crown to make Russia hope for yet another falls promise.
Rifkind reprises the logic of the English imperial mindset: one sophistry piled upon another. Tease them apart and the stench of their victims is overwhelming.
As I listen to Malcolm Rifkind, you can see the lies and the russophobia in his argument. These people believed their own propaganda. It is sad and delusional and how can you reason with this people. Russia has to turn the pain dial a notch so to bring senses to these idiots.
How does Russia brings the pain so these delusional western vassals state don’t keep arming Ukraine
>…How does Russia brings the pain so these delusional western vassals state don’t keep arming Ukraine…<
Maybe a firm "No Overflights" policy, including satellites, all the way out to well beyond the orbit of the Moon?
And, just what is the REAL mission of that new multi-gigabucks Webb "space telescope" anyway?
^^;;^^
Morc
Boundaries in Europe have been changed in recent years contrary to what Sir Malcolm Rifkind asserts. For example, Yugoslavia and Kosovo, Czechoslovakia has divided, Meanwhile, changes are desired and threatened in the United Kingdom (Scotland, Northern Ireland) and in Spain (Catalonia). Of course, although not European, but very much involved with it, is Israel that continually alters its boundaries with the tacit approval and vast support of the West, carrying out its own Nakba, or Holocaust, of the indigenous population in doing so. On the other hand, Sir Malcolm makes a reasonable suggestion that Ukraine might establish a neutral status within Europe. No doubt enthusiastic partner countries would gladly share the financial burden in support of Ukraine, instead of providing weapons.
This video is available by clicking ‘Valdi Club’ at the top of the article. Listening at the different presenters the American Prof. Mearsheimer provided a cogent understanding on the issue at hand although he omitted to reference the American Gov’t – Gorbachev 1990 agreement that NATO must not expand an inch.
X-British Foreign Secretary Rifkind sounded off like a member of the British Empire saturated with rhetoric especially when he suggested that Ukraine could adapt being a Neutral an defunct trick employed before WW II. He was dismissed by Ryabkov as Comic from page 165 of the Telegraph News papers.
What I hoping for is a long retort from my favorite Diplomat Sergi Ryabkov but it seems as if he did not want to keep repeating himself except to say that Russia has no intention to invade Ukraine unless if attacked.
However, Alexander Mercouris of Bit Chute dated Jan. 18th 2022 seems to encapsulate the puzzle the best as the West is ruling out of wiggle room.
Germany Foreign Minister Babercock a pro-American seems to be following instructions and left for Moscow to smooth out things before it reach a critical mass where the US may be forced to act in Ukraine against the Donbass region.
In the circumstances Russia, may have a very good opportunity to lay the Table for the German Foreign Minister educating her the importance and benefits of Russia – German relations for Germany and more so Europe – that American Imperial Colonization will eventually lead again to another devastated Europe worst than the last time. The point here is that Empire American is a Economic collapsing House of Cards of which Europe is a part and will collapse with America. Its time for the Europeans to get rid of American Military Occupation of Germany for its own interest as Germany is starved of Russian Gas only because of American domination of Germany.
It is about time to stop talking with warmongers, their answer is just in:
US not to present written response to Russia’s proposals during Friday meeting — Blinken
https://tass.com/world/1390515
As forseen they can only double down. And weapons are arriving en masse from US/UK/CAN etc + how many ‘instructors’ ?10, 20k? Russia must act right now otherwise by waiting more months, years(like after Odessay union house massacre) Ukraine will simply become the biggest NATO base en earth.
Putin, Lavrov and Ryabkov have made it quite clear there will be no compromise when it comes to Russia’s legitimate national security interests. And if the U.S. cannot understand how the accumulation of military power encompassed in a military alliance which views Russia as a singular, existential threat to its members’ security is seen by Russia as threatening. As for Yankee threats, Russia has given its response—any effort to sanction Russia would result, as Putin told Biden prior to Xmas, in a “complete rupture of relations” between Russia and those countries attempting sanctions. You don’t need not be a student of history to understand that the next logical step following a “complete rupture of relations” between two parties that are at loggerheads over matters pertaining to existential threats to the national security of one or both is not the peaceful resumption of relations, but war.
When Russia decides to move on Ukraine, it will do so with a plan of action that has been well-thought out and to which sufficient resources have been allocated for a successful outcome. Russia will not get involved in a military misadventure in Ukraine that has the potential of dragging on and on. Russia knows you do not need to occupy the country of an enemy in order to destroy it. A strategic air campaign designed to nullify specific aspects of their capability, be it economic, political, military, coupled with a focused ground campaign designed to destroy an enemy’s army as opposed to occupy its territory, is the most likely course of action.
Given the overwhelming supremacy Russia has both in terms of the ability to project air power backed by precision missile attacks, a strategic air campaign against Ukraine would be accomplished in days.
On the ground, the destruction of Ukraine’s Army is all but guaranteed. Simply put, the Ukrainian military is neither equipped nor trained to engage in large-scale ground combat. It would be destroyed piecemeal, and the Russians would more than likely spend more time processing Ukrainian POWs than killing Ukrainian troops. Needless to say any of the Uknazis who believed their own bullshite will be buried on site while the bellows men will have decamped tailess where they can whimper and whine at their masters doorstep
Why’s Jurgen Klopp, manager of LFC sitting with Ryabkov?
RUSSIA, UKRAINE ET AL: WHAT NEXT?
Unfortunately the Blinkens, Sullivans, Farkas’, Nulands and others who seem to be driving USA policy don’t understand any of this. They remain convinced that the US is a mighty power, that Russia is feeble and fading, that Putin’s position is shaky, that sanctions are biting, that Russia’s economy is weak and so on. And that they understand modern warfare. Everything in the past twenty years contradicts their view but they hold to it nonetheless…
https://patrickarmstrong.ca/
My secret sauce (forgive my Maine accent) in Geneva has sent me a highly classified video of the outcome of some preliminary secret negotiations between highest-level US/NATO and dumbfounded, flummoxed Russian VIPs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPMmC0UAnj0
Unfortunately, even though billions of people assume that simple human logic will rule the day and ultimately produce a peaceful, mutually beneficial agreement, I think that the outcome of the aforementioned negotiations will be repeated at the end of all future negotiations between “the West” and Russia — some handshakes, smiles, and maybe even some waterproof, bulletproof, ironclad WORDS printed on signed pieces of highest-quality paper for all the world to see ………. and then, an amazingly short time later …………………….the proverbial stab in the back delivered by you already know who.
Seriously, though, John Mearsheimer mentions George Kennan’s late ’90s warning to not expand NATO. But George Kennan also said something even more important a few years before the completely unexpected end of the USSR.
“Were the Soviet Union to sink tomorrow under the waters of the ocean, the American military-industrial establishment would have to go on, substantially unchanged, until some other adversary could be invented. Anything else would be an unacceptable shock to the American economy.”
What Kennan said over 30 years ago is even more true today. It means that “world peace” is more of a threat to the US’s war-addicted economy than perpetual war. The instant that “investors” realize that world peace is at hand, the US military industrial complex will collapse and those annual $800+ billion injections of no-longer-able-to-be-borrowed, printed-out-of-thin-air USD will end. What Kennan said also means that Russia has been ASSIGNED the permanent role of “adversary” to justify perpetual war-spending. Therefore, there is absolutely nothing that VIP Russians can say, no matter how logical, to get that designation removed.
“Blinken said he would not present a written response to Russian security proposals during his meeting with Lavrov on Friday. The top US diplomat said the two sides need to explore common ground.” Will Russia let the Empire keep on dragging?
So the U$A and NATO (the Financial Empire) don’t want their duplicity exposed. Russia would have made the written responses public. Russia & China will need to defeat and dismantle the Empire to achieve sovereignty and security. It looks like Russia is going for a jugular?
The NATO is a “weapon of confrontation”. It is time to De-Dollarize, demilitarize and dismantle the Financial Empire!
Source:
https://www.dw.com/en/ukraine-faces-unprecedented-challenge-from-russia-say-us-top-diplomat/a-60471414
the empire is ignoring the non-ultimatum ultimatum. And the US population, workers have now on drugs, cocaine, etc., the escape for their pain and despair.
A demonstration of chaos and nihilism: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dad6t3HjcPo
https://youtu.be/Dad6t3HjcPo
The Blinkens, Sullivans, Farkas, Nulands have forgotten their people. It is not easy for china and russia to deal with this government that has abandoned the people.
Apologies, but the Blinkens, Nulands etc. have not forgotten “their” people… that special 2% of the US population is uppermost in the minds of these people and guides all of their actions.
Jean-Pierre
Rifkind is a (UK) MIC stooge and an intelligence ‘oversight’ gook. You know exactly what you are going to get using establishment tools like him. Symptomatic of British delusional thinking. They don’t even know why they hate the Russians anymore, they just do and that’s enough. (many never forgave them for shooting the Queens cousin – if I’m not mistaken it was Ukranian bolsheviks who did that – the present day irony is immense if so)
The UK is a tiny bankrupt island off the coast of Europe that wishes it was off the coast of America. It has an irrellevant military and no standing in the world at all beyond that money laundering cesspit in ‘The City’. People like that think they’re still part of the NWO when in fact they are nothing. The UK is mired in poverty, 4.3 million children live in poverty, that is 31% of all children live in poverty, overall poverty rate is 23%. The UK has the worst cancer detection rates in Europe, one of the highest child mortality rates and almost the highest pensioner poverty rate in Europe. But still they ignore it all and play their delusional geoplitical power games. If the missiles start to fly then one can only hope that they turn Rifkind and his ilk to dust first of all.
Let me start by saying that I don’t know next to nothing about diplomacy, either the Russian or the Western version of the art. What strikes me as surprising is that despite being quite assertive, Mr. Ryabkov does not mention (as a/the prime current example, but the examples abound) the US government’s representatives/agents (Nuland, Pyatt, McCain) on site, encouraging/guiding the overthrow of the democratically elected Ukrainian government and how that has no other interpretation than as an agressive, threatening and destabilizing US/NATO operation on its borders. I would think that there is no way any pro-US person at those levels isn’t aware of the exact nature of Russia’s concerns and, in the closed sessions which have just been held last week, it is probably quite easy to stick to one’s guns and refuse to acknowledge Russia’s views and then, in the following press conference, continue with all of the tired old evil-Russia cliches.
Is the Valdai forum not a perfect opportunity for Mr. Ryabkov to attempt to educate some of the Western public who may be amenable to hearing such Russian concerns/views that they are not getting from the mainstream. Many here decry Russia’s inability to combat US/Western soft power and I would have thought this sort of public discussion might be the correct time and place to open some eyes. I heard in Mr. Mearsheimer (the neutral one) far more of these examples in defense of Russia’s interests/concerns.
Maybe someone more knowledgeable can weigh in here and educate me.
Cheers from the colon (close to the belly) of the beast, Canada
Jean-Pierre
Highly embarrassing that a fellow Scot, albeit a Lithuanian Jewish one is unable to grasp the fundamental basic understanding of what we as a nation refer to as ‘taking liberties, taking the piss, grab what you can when the other side is most vulnerable, much like our fellow Scots, Jardine & Matheson, took similar liberties with China and Hong Kong in the opium wars, which still rankles today.
I laughed inwardly when he alluded to the Baltic States enjoying Independence, in their case, gathering all the firewood you can to keep warm. lol
The writing’s on the wall for America! Nation States see through leaves and what they see is very f*cking ugly.
The Brit has a typical ‘western’ view of Sevastopol and Krimu and referendums in same. “We don’t like the result of the referendum and we insist on another referendum under international observation and control”. In other words SehSha wants us to vote again and again and again until the result is what SehSha wants, IOW Sevastopol and Krimu ‘return to the orcs’. We will return to the orcs over my and our dead bodies and heaps of their dead bodies, and I don’t care what ‘insignia’ ‘their’ dead bodies have, they’ll still be worm food.
Auslander
Author http://rhauslander.com/
In light of the fact that Blinken said that he will not provide a written response to Lavrov on Friday, maybe Lavrov should cancel the meeting.
“There is no risk of a large scale war to start to unfold in Europe or elsewhere.We do not want or will not take any action of argressive character ,we will nor strike, attack, invade, whatever,quote,unquote,Ukraine.”
Quote from Sergei Ryabkov in discussion above in answer to questions from CNN ,I forget the questions, however the answer does hold some hope for a solution short of a shooting war.
at 42.30 in the vid.
“There is no risk of a large scale war to start to unfold in Europe or elsewhere”
Could USA understand something like “there will be not any written response because they say there is no risk of war”?
It sound like a weird answer to me. Like NATO standing for Non Action Talk Only.
Ryabkov is talking about Russia doing something *unilaterally* towards Ukraine. He says nothing about responding to a Donbass attack by Ukraine.
In the next meeting Lavrov should start off by having Blinken write “I will hand in my papers on time” 50 times.
It seems that Mr Rifkind never contemplated moving beyond the Cold War 1.0 mindset and cannot think outside that paradigm: ie the basic structure in Europe is “The West” v Russia. To avoid coming back to where we now are (ie reprise of Cuban Missile crisis etc) a new paradigm was needed at the outset (1990’s), Putin talked of a free-trade area ‘from Lisbon to Vladivostock’, of Russia being integrated into Europe (in trade, security) rather than frozen out. But Mr Rifkind betrays that he never did think that way, and possibly cannot, think in these terms….so history inevitably returns to its starting point….