The opening of the 10th Moscow Conference on International Security took place at Avangard Centre for Military and Patriotic Education of Youth within the framework of ARMY 2022 IMTF. The Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation, General of the Army Sergei Shoigu, addressed the participants of the event:
Ladies and gentlemen!
It is a pleasure to welcome you to the 10th Moscow Conference on International Security.
This conference comes at a time of radical change in global and regional security. The unconditional dominance of the US and its allies is a thing of the past. On February 24, 2022, the start of the special military operation in Ukraine marked the end of the unipolar world.
Multipolarity has become a reality. The poles of this world are clearly defined. The main difference between them is that some respect the interests of sovereign states and take into account the cultural and historical particularities of countries and peoples, while others disregard them. There have been numerous discussions on this topic during previous sessions of the Moscow conference.
In Europe, the security situation is worse than at the peak of the Cold War. The alliance’s military activities have become as aggressive and anti-Russian as possible. Significant US forces have been redeployed to the continent, and the number of coalition troops in Eastern and Central Europe has increased manifold.
It is important to note that the deployment of additional NATO Joint Force formations on the bloc’s “eastern flank” had already started before the start of the special military operation in Ukraine.
NATO has dropped its masks. The aggressive nature of the bloc was no longer concealed by the wording of the coalition’s purely defensive orientation. Today, the alliance’s strategic planning documents enshrine claims to global dominance. Alliance’s interests include Africa, the Middle East and the Pacific Rim.
In the West’s view, the established system of international relations should be replaced by a so-called rules-based world order. The logic here is simple and ultimatumatic. Either the alliance’s “democratic partner” candidate loses sovereignty and becomes supposedly on the “right side of history”. Or it is relegated to the category of so-called authoritarian regimes, against which all kinds of measures, up to and including coercive pressure, can be used.
Given that the Conference is attended by heads of defence agencies and security experts from different regions of the world, I would like to highlight some aspects of the special military operation in Ukraine.
In Ukraine, the Russian military is being confronted by combined Western forces that run the leadership of that country in a hybrid war against Russia.
The supply of weapons and military equipment to Ukraine is being stepped up, and training of the Ukrainian army is being carried out. Huge financial resources are transferred to maintain the viability of the nationalist regime.
The actions of Ukraine’s armed forces are planned and coordinated by foreign military advisers. Reconnaissance data is supplied from all available NATO sources. The use of armaments is supervised by Western specialists.
NATO’s efforts are aimed at prolonging the agony of the Kiev regime. However, we know for a fact that no one in NATO has any doubt that the goals of the Russian leadership’s special military operation will be achieved, and that plans to strategically and economically weaken Russia are failing. The dollar has not reached the ceiling of 200 roubles, as predicted by the US president, the Russian economy has stood firm.
The special military operation has dispelled the myth of “super-weapons” supplied to Ukraine by the West, which are capable of fundamentally changing the situation on the front. Initially, they were talking about deliveries of Javelin anti-tank systems, some kind of “unique” drones. Lately, the Westerners have been promoting the role of super-weapons with HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems and long-range howitzers. However, these weapons also grind to a halt in battle. They did not make a significant impact. The Russian weapons, for their part, have proved their best qualities in combat.
We are taking a close look at trophy weapons from the West. The features and their specific qualities are taken into account in order to improve the way combat operations are conducted and the effectiveness of Russian armaments.
The supply of NATO weapons to Kiev means that Western countries are responsible for their inhumane use and for the deaths of civilians in Donbass and in the liberated territories. Ukrainian armed forces operations are planned in Washington and London. Not only are the coordinates of the targets to be attacked provided by Western intelligence, but the input of this data into weapons systems is conducted under the full control of Western specialists.
Kiev’s role in the West’s combat approach has been reduced to supplying manpower, which is seen as expendable. This explains the huge loss of personnel in Ukraine’s armed forces and territorial defence formations.
So far, the real figures of dead soldiers and mobilised so-called territorial defence forces have been concealed by the Kiev leadership.
In time, however, this information will become public. The testimonies of POWs of AFU allow us to form a realistic picture of what is happening on the other side of the front. The dismissive attitude towards the loss of foreign soldiers reinforces the thesis that NATO has purely selfish interests in Ukraine. Clearly, Britain’s colonial experience as the main sponsor of the Kiev regime has come in very handy for London in dealing with the current leadership in Kiev.
Against this background, speculation is spreading in the media about the alleged use of Russian tactical nuclear weapons in the special military operation or the readiness to use chemical weapons. All of these information gibberish are lies.
From a military point of view, there is no need to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine to achieve its goals. The main purpose of Russian nuclear weapons is to deter a nuclear attack. Its use is limited to extraordinary circumstances as defined in the Russian guideline documents, which are open to public inspection.
The allegations about the possible use of chemical weapons in Ukraine are also absurd. Let me remind you that, unlike the US, such weapons were completely destroyed in our country back in 2017 as part of our international obligations. Meanwhile, poisoning provocations have become the hallmark of Western-sponsored so-called civil society organisations such as the White Helmets in Syria.
The information provocations are aimed at distracting attention from the facts discovered in Ukraine that US experts have conducted banned military and biological research.
Currently, a significant amount of data has been accumulated and is regularly made available to the general public. Work will continue in this direction.
US military-biological activities in Ukraine are not exceptional. Pentagon-controlled laboratories have been established and operate in many post-Soviet, Asian, African and Latin American countries. Local authorities generally have no control over research carried out on their premises that poses a lethal threat to the local population. The consequences of epidemics, I believe, were felt by all during the period of the fight against the spread of coronavirus.
I would like to focus separately on the humanitarian aspects of the special military operation. Compliance with the Geneva Conventions on the rules of war has always been and remains the focus of commanders at all levels. Since the beginning of the operation, orders have been issued stipulating the procedures to be followed by soldiers in dealing with civilians and enemy prisoners of war.
In the territories liberated from nationalists, the troops are actively involved in the delivery of humanitarian aid, the restoration of infrastructure and the maintenance of law and order. This was the case in Syria, in Nagorno-Karabakh, and it is also the case in Donbass.
On humanitarian issues, there has been fruitful cooperation with the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross. We are grateful for the constructive, depoliticised cooperation of the leaders and staff of these organisations who interact with us. In particular, under the auspices of the UN and with Turkey’s active role, the difficult problem of grain exports from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports was resolved. The Red Cross specialists carry out an important mediation mission in relation to captured soldiers.
NATO has recently initiated a new phase of alliance enlargement, with Sweden and Finland joining the military bloc. The claim that the reason for this was the Russian special operation is untrue.
The practical rapprochement between these countries and the alliance has been ongoing for many years. In fact, the regional association NORDEFCO (Committee for Nordic Defence Cooperation) is a northern affiliate of NATO and serves as a cover for these countries’ participation in joint military training activities.
Of course, the official involvement of Helsinki and Stockholm in NATO’s strategic planning and the possible allocation of territory to these states for deployment of strike weapons will change the security environment in the Baltic region and the Arctic and will require a reconsideration of approaches to defence of Russian territory.
Certain conclusions have already been reached and are enshrined in the updated Maritime Doctrine approved by the President of the Russian Federation on July 31. Work will continue in this area.
The reinforcement of the NATO military grouping on the “eastern flank” completes the degradation of the trust and arms control mechanisms that emerged in Europe during the Cold War. A few years ago, experts proposed that the European experience should be used to build confidence-building measures, in particular in the Pacific Rim. Now, of all the “baggage” of the Euro-dialogue, only the idea of bloc confrontation is exported to Asia, which has not brought anything positive to security in Europe.
Today, no one remembers the US destruction of the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, the Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Limitation Treaty and the Open Skies Treaty. Although previously these agreements were crucial for disarmament and confidence-building.
Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which was conceived as a platform for dialogue and consideration of different views, has become a generator of anti-Russian narratives.
Vienna Document 2011 remains formally in force, but there are no prospects for practical implementation. In the absence of trust between the parties, the verification mechanism effectively becomes a source of intelligence, which is not in the spirit of this agreement.
The situation with regard to the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty is also complicated. The agreement remains in force until 2026. On the Russian side the commitments are fulfilled, the declared levels of carriers and warheads are maintained within the established limits.
U.S. claims that Russia must earn the right to continue dialogue with the U.S. do not resist criticism. Arms control is a two-way street.
The result is only achievable if the interests and commitment of all participants are balanced. I believe that the Russian experience of interaction with the West in the field of disarmament shows that the so-called rules-based peace it promotes does not involve the implementation of treaty obligations in the traditional sense. This fact needs to be taken into account when entering into agreements, especially in the field of security and arms control.
Western opposition to the consolidation of a multipolar world, along with Europe, is most active in the Asia-Pacific region, where the US has begun to dismantle the existing ASEAN-based system of regional cooperation. This started with the announcement of the AUKUS initiative by the US, Australia and the UK. Plans to expand this partnership to include new regional partners have not been concealed. AUKUS is merging with NATO, which in turn claimed a dominant role in the Asia-Pacific region at the June summit. This is despite the fact that all NATO countries are thousands of miles away from the region.
On 2 August, the Russian Federation marked the 77th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s entry into the war with Japan, the occasion for which was Tokyo’s militarist policy. The defeat of Japanese forces in the Far East effectively sealed the end of World War II and provided the start for the liberation of the peoples of Asia from colonial oppression. The assistance of the USSR was of key importance. We remember and are proud of the legacy of our ancestors, including those who laid the foundation for military cooperation between Russia and the countries of the Asia-Pacific region.
Another dangerous regional trend is the AUKUS focus on developing a nuclear submarine fleet in Australia. The implementation of this plan would have a complex negative impact on global and regional security, creating the conditions for undermining the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
The US claims that nuclear-powered submarines are needed in Australia ostensibly to offset China’s growing naval capabilities. This logic in fact replicates the actions of the US in justifying its exit from the Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missile Treaty. The collapse of this agreement was also motivated by the need to offset Russian and Chinese efforts to develop missiles with a range allegedly prohibited by the treaty.
In the global context, the appearance of a nuclear-powered fleet in Australia will provide an excuse for other states to begin developing similar armaments. Pandora’s box will be opened, the global nuclear arms race will resume.
AUKUS has the potential to develop into a politico-military alliance. It cannot be excluded that NATO’s experience with joint nuclear planning and joint “allied” nuclear exercises will also be transferred to the region. The technical basis for this is already being laid by the active promotion of US-made aircraft. The participation of nuclear and non-nuclear weapon states in joint exercises on the use of nuclear weapons is contrary to obligations under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. Transferring nuclear training from Europe will blow up the region.
Although it can be assumed that this is precisely the purpose of the US. The provocative landing in Taiwan of a third person of the US bureaucratic hierarchy is another move to destabilise the situation.
Block-less, equal interaction in the region is an achievement that should not be lost due to externally imposed phobias and attempts to counter a multipolar world.
Mechanisms for interaction and dialogue with extra-regional partners are created and are proving their relevance and effectiveness. First and foremost is the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ and Partners’ Meeting, the so-called “ADMM-Plus” format. Its diverse activities focus on security issues of relevance to the Asia-Pacific region.
In addition, there is positive experience of cooperation within the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, of implementing mutually beneficial projects on a bilateral basis.
As before, we are ready to share our experience of combat training, in particular during the Vostok-2022 strategic exercise to be held in the near future.
Despite significant successes in the fight against terrorism in the Middle East, the threat of international terrorist groups taking over the initiative remains. The Syrian military, in cooperation with allies and partners and with the support of the Russian Aerospace Forces, continues to suppress spikes in terrorist activity. We see a particular danger in using the Kurdish factor to unsettle the situation in Syria.
The engagement of the guarantor countries in the Astana format remains virtually the only legal and effective mechanism to address security concerns in Syria. We welcome the increased engagement between the Syrian leadership and the Arab world. Overcoming contradictions created by outside forces is possible and necessary.
The role of the military in building trust between countries is an important element in the search for political solutions. We expect that the Moscow conference will be one of the rallying points for the stabilisation of the situation in the Near East.
After the rapid withdrawal of US and NATO forces from Afghanistan, the situation in the Central Asian region remains extremely tense. Afghanistan’s new leadership faces serious military and economic challenges. The legacy of two decades of alliance troop presence is a disappointing one. As a result, there remains a high level of terrorist danger in the region.
The security problems of Central Asia can only be solved by coordinated action by all the countries and international organisations concerned. For our part, we will continue to support our Collective Security Treaty Organisation allies in enhancing the capabilities of national armed forces.
It is important to keep the topic of Afghanistan on the agenda of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation discussions. Russia, China, India, Iran and Pakistan together could make a significant contribution not only to stabilising the region, but also to preventing the threat from spreading beyond its borders.
The security of each region, despite the general trends of a multipolar world, has its own peculiarities.
For Africa, the specificity lies in the desire of the countries of the collective West to return to the order and rules of engagement typical of the colonial period. Neo-colonialism is imposed through military pressure on governments of sovereign countries and support for separatist and terrorist movements. A case in point is Libya, where statehood has still not been restored after the NATO invasion. Another example is the situation in West Africa, where European troops have been deployed on the pretext of combating terrorism. For decades, these EU missions had been fighting terrorists, training national security forces, until they recognised the utter failure of their own efforts.
I would like to point out that African governments and leaders are holding their own, as they call it, in the context of a multipolar world, to pursue their own agenda of independence, sovereignty, economic development and defence capabilities.
The Russian Ministry of Defence is seeking to expand cooperation with African countries in the field of military and military-technical cooperation. Interest in the participation of national teams and delegations from Africa in the Army International Games and the “ARMY 2022” IMTF has increased significantly. It is very encouraging that prominent military commanders from our friendly states – Burundi, Cameroon, Guinea, Mali, Sudan, Uganda, Chad, Ethiopia and the Republic of South Africa – are present in this hall today. We appreciate your support and intend to increase cooperation on mutually beneficial projects.
Latin America today faces serious security challenges because of the American desire to maintain influence in the region under the provisions of the so-called Monroe Doctrine. Liberal values, whose adherence is seen by the US as agreeing to live in a world based on their rules, in fact mask the true objective – to build up a military presence by blocking the possibility of sovereign development of states.
U.S. policy focuses on deterring engagement by countries in the region with any other pole of power outside Washington’s control. The purpose of this policy is to involve the region in a confrontation with Russia and the PRC, to destroy traditional ties and to block new forms of cooperation in the military and military-technical spheres.
Anti-Russian information campaigns are launched in Latin America, hiding the truth about the causes and course of the special military operation in Ukraine. Analogies can be drawn to the British actions during the conflict in the Falkland Islands. What is happening in the Western media today with the coverage of the Russian special military operation was also happening when the media was chorally broadcasting only one point of view – that of London.
The question arises: are such policies in the fundamental interest of the countries of the region? The answer is clear – no. We hope that during the discussions at the conference we will hear assessments of the situation in Latin America from our partners from Venezuela and Nicaragua.
The Tenth Moscow Conference on International Security has a special importance for the Russian Ministry of Defence as organiser of the forum for a number of reasons.
Firstly, the conference is taking place during the ongoing special military operation in Ukraine. Despite attempts of the US and NATO to isolate Russia once again, your participation in the forum is a visible confirmation that these plans have collapsed. We appreciate your support.
Secondly, a multipolar world is the reality of today. The transition from dominance by a single global leader to several centres of gravity is not an easy one. However, this creates real conditions for the development of sovereign states.
Thirdly, the role of military agencies is changing in the new realities. The military not only guarantees a secure environment for economic development, but through military cooperation it builds predictability and trust between countries.
Finally, this is the tenth anniversary conference, which allows for a kind of review of what has been achieved over the years. It is important to observe how the priorities of the discussions have changed, and which conclusions and recommendations from the forum have been put into practice over the years. A short historical overview, prepared by Russian experts, can be viewed on the monitors between plenary sessions.
I wish you all good health and interesting contacts and discussions during your stay in Moscow.
Thank you for your attention.
source: https://eng.mil.ru/en/news_page/country/more.htm?id=12433677@egNews (which is blocked by western freedom loving democracies, so you need a VPN to access it!)
With the Sakers/Mods permission I thought perhaps this post should go up as it would be a great chance to get these events critiqued/authenticated by the many experts on history that visit The Saker site.
If it is checked and authenticated it could become an important permanent reference document
I am not sure where I stumbled on it as I lost the link and only had it as a printed hard copy. I converted it from printed text to a word doc using my smartphone.
A Finnish blogger shocked social networks when he published this article… it has been translated and as such is slightly clumsy. I am not sure what the word “quilty” means in the 3rd to last paragraph… I imagine it means.. “owes a huge debt of gratitude”
A GREAT COMMENT BY A FINNISH BLOGGER
NAGY TAMAS… July 23 at 4:53 PM
DEFINITELY NOT WHAT THE RUSSIAPHOBES IN OUR MIDST WANT TO HEAR AND A TIMELY REMINDER TO THE WORLD AS TO WHO WAS THE KEY LIBERATOR OF EUROPE FROM FASCISM
… transcript…
You ask about the results of Russia’s “aggression”? These are the following: half of Europe and
parts of Asia received statehood from this particular state.
Let’s remember exactly who:
– Finland in 1802 and 1918 (until 1802 it never had its own state).
– Latvia in 1918 (until 1918 it never had its own state).
– Estonia in 1918 (until 1918 it never had its own state).
– In 1918, Lithuania restored its statehood thanks to Russia.
– Poland restored its state twice, in 1918 and 1944. with the help of Russia. The division of
Poland between the Soviet Union and Germany was only for a short period of time!
– Romania was born as a result of the Russian-Turkish wars and became sovereign by the will
of Russia in 1877-1878.
– Moldova as a state was born within the Soviet Union.
– Bulgaria was liberated from the oppression of the Ottoman Empire as a result of the victory of
the Russian arms gained in the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878 and regained its
independence, which was the goal of this. Thankfully, the state of Bulgaria participated in two
world wars as a part of the anti-Russia coalitions. Bulgaria is currently a member of NATO and
there are American bases on its territory. After 1945, no Russian soldier was present on their
territory.
– Serbia, as a sovereign state, was born as a result of this war.
– At first, Azerbaijan was formed as a state only as a part of the Soviet Union.
– Armenia physically survived only as a part of the Soviet Union and as a revived state.
– Georgia has physically remained and revived as a state thanks to the Russian Empire
– Turkmenistan never had a statehood and formed it only as a part of the Soviet Union.
– Kyrgyzstan never had a statehood and it was formed only as a part of the Soviet Union.
– Mongolia never had a statehood and formed it only with the help of the Soviet Union.
– Belarus and Ukraine first received statehood as a part of the Soviet Union republics as a result
of the Great October Revolution. And only in 1991 (also from Russia) did they get their full
independence.
– It is also worth considering the role of Russia/Soviet Union in the birth and development of
States such as China, Vietnam, North Korea, India, Greece (Russia seized it from the Turks in
1821), Algeria, Cuba, Israel, Angola, Mozambique Etc.
This is such a weird “aggression” historically on the part of the Russians!
With the significant contribution of this country, even Switzerland became independent from
France. Also, this is due to Suvorov (217 years ago), and Switzerland has never fought ever
since.
It has also happened:
– Liberation of Austria from the Third Empire in 1945;
– Liberation of Czechoslovakia from the Third Empire in 1945;
– Catherine’s position in 1780 with the establishment of the League of Armed Neutrality and
the actual support of the United States of North America in their struggle for independence
from Great Britain.
– Twice in the last 2 centuries Russia has provided independence to most European states after
the annihilation of Hitler and Napoleon;
– Stalin’s position on the negotiations with the United States and England, which gave Germany
the opportunity to retain statehood after the defeat in 1945;
-Gorbacsov’s position which allowed the reunification of both Germany in 1990 without
unnecessary issues.
-Soviet Union’s support to Egypt, followed by 1956-1957-1967-74.
-The key role of the Union secured in 1975 the achievement of the independence of Angola.
And lastly, the most important. The Soviet Union was the one that played a key role in the
majority of Western European colonies gaining their independence in the global decolonization
process initiated by the breakup of the Union.
The whole history of Russia shows that, under every government and regime, it has
consistently adhered to the principles of independence and self-determination of nations and
peoples. He was the one who helped in every possible way to create a multi-polar world for
every era and every time.
Unfortunately, he sacrificed his own interests very often at the same time, and if the policy of
the mother Russia was at least a fraction similar to that of the British, then half the world would
now be part of the Russian Imperial Community. And the Russian people, like the sheikhs of
Saudi Arabia, would bathe in luxury, at the expense of the states, countries and capitals
liberated from other colonizers.
That’s why half the world owes Russia their life.
And this is why you are so quilty to this great country!
Sending this file to create a memory chain. In memory of 20 million Soviet citizens, 10 million Christians, 1900 priests, who were killed, tortured, raped, burned, starved and exterminated by Nazis.
It is now more important than ever to do everything so that the world will never forget, always remember the contribution of the Soviet people to liberating Europe from fascism.
Being the good-guy doesn’t often win you faint heart.
This time around though I believe Russia will receive recognition as the centre of goodness and goodwill.
@ Col…’the farmer from NZ’ on August 17, 2022 · at 5:11 pm EST/EDT
“It is now more important than ever to do everything so that the world will never forget, always remember the contribution of the Soviet people to liberating Europe from fascism.”
Thank you for replicating that post.
I am not a historian, though I know a bit of Russian history, maybe more than that of my own country. I could not, however, verify Russian role in European history before Peter the Great.
On another note, the recent visit from Lavrov to Africa was an apotheosis, Africans remember the support good old Soviet Union gave them in their struggle against colonialism and neo-colonialism. Among many countries Russia helped unconditionally, e.g., Mozambique, Algeria, Guinea-Bissau, etc., the role Russia played in the demise of the South African regime is not known to many.
Angola, another country Russia help greatly in her war of liberation, was at the brink of defeat by a combination of South African forces and UNITA, forcing them to request help from Cuba, which with Soviet Union support, sent Cuban troops to Angola. At the same time, the Soviet Union sent T-55 tanks to the Cubans, whose combat experience and gallantry in the tank battle of Cuito Cuanavale, defeated the South Africans and their imperialist puppet, Jonas Savimbi, marking the beginning of the end of the South African apartheid regime.
The unconditional support given by the Soviet Union to Viet Nam throughout the wars of liberation, first against the bastard French, then against the bastard Yankees, is another example of the role Russia has played helping the weak and vulnerable to free themselves from the yoke of Western slavery. The support of Cuba has been monumental, even risking nuclear war to defend the right of Cuba to be free and independent.
We could go on and on with multiple examples, however, our Finish comrade seems to have covered at great length Russia’s historical role.
Lone Wolf
Thank’s so much Lone Wolf for your comment… if as many of us as possible critique this list and it stands up to this scrutiny, then I would suggest that it then becomes an extremely powerful testimony.
I can’t believe my luck stumbling on this resource. It would be great if Andrei pursued it too.
Cheers and warm regards
Col
Thanks also to Col…’the farmer from NZ’. Valuable information here.
Are you from NZ Waitemata?
It seems that there are quite a number of us commenting on this excellent site now from Downunder… great to see!
Cheers
Col
@Col…’the farmer from NZ’
Yes. Appreciate your views on GM’s site also. HP sauce OK with bananas and yoghurt.
I have to say that as a South African i fully support Russia’s SMO. I served in the South African army during the 1980s and was involved in the Angolan conflict at various points in time. Just to set the record straight, despite the anti SA propaganda at the time, the South African army was never defeated in any conventional battle during the entire war. The fact is that Cuba suffered their largest losses of the war during the battle for cuito cuanavale. This was the first time that SA deployed the famous G5 artillery gun which resulted in serious losses for the Cubans. South Africa was not defeated militarily but politically. Times have indeed changed where we now live in a very different world where old enemies have now become allies facing a common enemy in the United States.
What is this? China is older than Russia😂 very mislead comment, 1918 was internal struggle?
Thank you ‘farmer of NZ’, for highlightning the role of the Union of the Socialist Sovietic Republics in Angola. In short, without the USSR there would not be Angola independent.
Enjoyed reading most of your post but you need to get your facts straight about Serbia which was not “born” out of the Russo-Turkish war. Serbia was the first Balkan country to achieve some sort of independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1804 under the leadership of Karadjeordje and later Obrenovic. Don’t take this critique as anti Russian but you have over stated the significance of Russia for the freedom of the Balkan states which was done over two Balkan wars with limited Russian support. Alexander Ypsilanti armies didn’t even make it to Romania, Greece or Serbia for that matter . Kolokotronis and other firmly took liberation into their own hands in Greece.
Thanks for your input and insight Konstantin… it is very much appreciated.
Cheers
Col
@ Saker Team
Thanks!
Powerful speech by Shoigu, beginning with,
This conference comes at a time of radical change in global and regional security. The unconditional dominance of the US and its allies is a thing of the past. On February 24, 2022, the start of the special military operation in Ukraine marked the end of the unipolar world.
“The end of the unipolar world” is now an integral part of Russia’s foreign policy and military doctrine.
Shoigu leaves no stone unturned, and touches over all the key aspects of the struggle against US imperialism, US/NATO neo-colonialism, and the domination of the supranational elites.
His message to the 10th Moscow Conference on International Security reads like a political platform of denunciation and condemnation of the Collective West’s aggressive military policies, their role in the carnage against civilians in Ukraine, and their ambitions to create a “rules-based world order” with THEIR rules, THEIR order.
Shoigu makes clear Russia’s SMO in Ukraine, fighting against the entire military machine of the Collective West, is a call for other countries to challenge the “rules-based order” and start on a path to exercise their sovereignty and independence.
Hurray, Sergei Shoigu!
PS: This speech is historical, it should be considered a landmark in the confrontation between Russia and the Collective West.
Lone Wolf
Seems a while ago that Russia bombed the US-NATO naval base, Ochakiv , from memory. A naval base is for the long haul, exposing US intent. All’s well that ends well.
Pretty soon all the West will have is its folklore, the ghost of Kiev and other wives tales while all around the walls come tumbling down.
If Ukraine was a lame horse, you’d shoot it in the head on compassionate grounds. Meanwhile Zelensky, high as a kite, prances around on strings like the puppet he is. He shoulda remained a Showbiz personality.
Excellent video here on this very same subject.
War between fiction and reality – John Laughland at the Ukraine Symposium
https://youtu.be/QmZke_mNqSM
To project real global power, the US has one non-nuclear weapon left in its arsenal: economic sanctions.
Russia has changed the global diplomatic landscape by using military-technical means to achieve its goals wherever diplomacy is stymied. Some of those means are passive: missile defense systems, swift response to threats with rapid deployment or reinforcements or Wagner PMC. (Syria, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Mali, Sudan).
Only in Syria and Ukraine do we see the kinetic military-technical weapons of the Russian military, and kinetic weapons used by Wagner PMC by invitation in Africa.
But there are many ways and locations where Shoigu deploys the might of the military. The Arctic, the Far East, Mongolia, Central Asia, SE Asia, Space, the Mediterranean, the Baltic, the Black Sea, the Caspian Sea, Egypt, Algeria, Madagascar, Turkey, Iran and India, North Korea and China. Russia’s weapons and technology play a roll in all these places, and others, too.
Their presence, installation, training, servicing and display speak for Moscow when issues arise.
All these zones are staked out as spheres of influence, security, trade and friendship.
Shoigu has comprehensively staked out every continent and all sovereignty-seeking nations as national interests of Russia. The challenge is thrown down to the West, to the US, that a new international order is here and in process of construction and expansion.
This new reality is made possible by Russian military strength and its deployment in every region of consequence.
I’d love to see some of the Russian kinetic military-technical weapons used here in Australia.
Wipe out Pine Gap, Nurrungar Missile Base, US Marine base in Darwin, Parliament House in Canberra when full of traitors, the Masonic Lodge head office and that of the B’nai B’rith.
I’ll even volunteer to help with targeting.
Australian government just cancelled the lease and took the land back the Russian embassy was being built on. Citing uglying up the neighbourhood from unfinished works. At the same time refusing visas for the workers to build it. Very obvious, then throw in “they are all spies anyway” to justify breach of diplomatic norms. Quite a show in canberra.
Well put and fully agree. In conjunction with Putin’s equally unequivocal words during this watershed conference, tis the rolling out of Global Operation Z..
What a seminal moment this “10th Moscow Conference on International Security” is becoming! A stark contrast to the hyenas-conclave of the moribund Munich Security Conference. That decomposing nest of woke Vampires and Pederasts could not decide where to sit whom, how far to project sputum, and preoccupied itself with insulting more dignified states! Even the name of this Russian center, “the Avangard Centre”, imparts messages.
Only in Syria and Ukraine do we see the kinetic military-technical weapons of the Russian military, and kinetic weapons used by Wagner PMC by invitation in Africa.
Exactly dear Larch!
You’ve expressed something bothering me for months. There are huge silent War Rooms of the Allies coordinating the Take-Down on a planetary scale.
We have been so consumed focusing on the eye-catching Big Power moves in the last year, between AZE and China-Russia-Iran, that we have really neglected what may be even more determinative: the 1,001 little moves in L. America, Africa, Asia, even little fronts in Oceania such as the Solomons… the Rest are being marshalled quietly behind the scenes. Lavrov and Chinese diplomatic corps are truly masterful and heroic. The best response to numerous assassinated ambassadors was the redoubling of efforts. These diplomatic cadres serve as beacons drawing in all human moths worldwide, to rise out of demoralized servitude and to fight effectively.
So not just military-technical, but economic Wagners, political Wagners, tanker war Wagners by Iran, etc… all unappreciated but a significant cumulative bloodletting of the Beast. I wish someone would write us the bird’s view, focusing on these smaller fronts, especially Africa and L. America, and as Pepe does for Pipelineastan, to weave the devastating basket case AZE has been left. Even their capacity for economic sanctions is dying before our mesmerized eyes! And if Russia is given even 6-12 more months of reprieve, as Smoothie intimated in recent video, they may have such a protective air defence layers of shells, as to render the nuclear threat largely moot. The Beast is being put down, come hell or high water.
“This new reality is made possible by Russian military strength and its deployment in every region of consequence.”
And it requires China to come out of its patient shell. Deployment is extremely expensive and needs continuous infusion of treasure.. This is going on surreptitiously, but needs open positions going forward, which will demoralize and deter the AZE and attract and galvanize the insecure smaller nations among the Rest.
Other members of the team need to step up urgently too, like Mali reaffirming its sovereignty.. Serbia soon??
@ Larchmonter445 on August 17, 2022 · at 9:39 pm EST/EDT
To project real global power, the US has one non-nuclear weapon left in its arsenal: economic sanctions.
Nope.
It also has conflicts in multiple forms, color revolutions, Maidans, interventions, invasions, coup d’etat, regime change.
As Putin pointed out in his Address to the 10th Moscow Conference on International Security,
They need conflicts to retain their hegemony.
Lone Wolf
Creating chaos through those means is not projection of power. Enforcing sanctions, now through secondary and tertiary enforcement, is projection of real global power.
So, your Nope, is Noped. IMHO.
@ Larchmonter445 on August 18, 2022 · at 1:22 pm EST/EDT
Creating chaos through those means is not projection of power.
—————————————————-
Putin needs to know this one.
Larchmonter said, creating conflicts to retain hegemony, as Putin stated, is not a projection of power.
The Collective West then, creates conflicts such as in Ukraine, out of sheer weakness, to spread chaos only, hegemony is not at stake.
That is a poor understanding of power projection.
The US would have preferred a thousand times, to let Israel bomb Iran to the Stone Age, or do a conjoin bombing, than to try to erode Iran’s power by means of sanctions, the toughest sanctions ever applied to any country on earth. They could not bomb Iran, so they mounted sanction after sanction, for decades, and Iran has perfectly survived. I was there recently, and even though sanctions are felt across the board, Iran is not a poor country, by far. A vibrant economy, a promising future.
Your not-so humble opinion needs a revision.
Your Noped is null and void.
Lone Wolf
@ Larchmonter445 “Creating chaos through those means is not projection of power. ”
Maybe or maybe not. But it is a pathetic attempt to acquire it.
Creating chaos is an attempt to acquire power by catering to small, vocal, “special interest” groups. Then corralling them into one lax encampment of Neoliberal fanatics led by fascist representatives. Who denounce fascism while embracing the total control it offers them.
The assertion that “enforcing sanctions…. through secondary and tertiary…. is… real global power” are just words from global comedy script. Where “real global power” is a movement of people who lack proper motivation, and promote their self interests like pipe dreams, literally and unashamedly.
Countries who were duped into sacrificing themselves for these fascists’ survival are jumping ship as we speak. And standing up to color parades too. Nope, the fascist game is over.
https://balkaninsight.com/2022/08/15/thousands-march-in-belgrade-to-protest-against-euro-pride/
the punisher
I see Larch is in a playful mood today. I was taught not to play with my food!
Reminds of slick willy asking (non-rhetorically) “It depends on what the meaning of the word ‘is’ is.”
or maybe I merely conflate curtness with contrived coyness?
You are close to the clue, which is in the emphasis on “real” global power.
Direct meaningful kinetic tools of chaos are being curtailed going forward, and have been so in key states. Parsing the rest of Larch’s first post summarizes succinctly why kinetic tools have ceased to be meaningful. Any small fish, pirate, or highwayman can cause a brief local disturbance. It is handled like the brigandry it is with police action. SCO / CSTO / Russian AF / Wagners seal the residuals.
AZE lacks the ability to field conventional armies of the size needed for Eurasian land campaigns. Even if they did, according to Sun Tzu, and apparently their own calculations (disarmament, pruning of standing armies..), and by some gobsmacking miracle they won, this would be Pyrrhic, resulting in unacceptable losses and accelerated loss of Hegemony. They DO respect Monty’s second rule of war of waging land war on Asia. Vietnam is still in living memory.
So the key remaining Hegemonic modality left to AZE is economic blackmail of non-peer members of Zone B trading with the other Big Powers, such as cutting off from the dollar system and swift, calling in debts, blocking new loans or insurance for maritime trade, etc.. So keeping in mind these careful definitions, it is the main non-nuke gun left. But even so, this too disappears from their wretched grips faster than coke laying around Zhe! SPFS is an acronym to remember..
Folks, this is semantics. But thanks for the mental exercise and reminder of how naked they are
@ AHH on August 18, 2022 · at 7:03 pm EST/EDT
“…So the key remaining Hegemonic modality left to AZE is economic blackmail of non-peer members of Zone B trading with the other Big Powers, such as cutting off from the dollar system and swift, calling in debts, blocking new loans or insurance for maritime trade, etc…”
———————————————————————————
A useless exercise in hegemonic power, as Iran, and now Russia, have profusely demonstrated. Sanctions as a projecting power tool is fading away fast, as the multipolar world puts in effect financial mechanisms to counter any and all threats originating from the Collective West.
No better metric in the effectiveness of either modality, sanctions vs kinetic tools, can be found than the examples of Iran vs Iraq. Iraq was pounded to bits, first by sanctions, then by a disastrous war, and has never recovered, careening from one corrupt government to the next, unable to get rid of the US intervention, living in a state of perpetual crisis.
Iran has thwarted all attempts by Israel/US/NATO to attack them, entrenched themselves behind a wall of missiles/drones/air defense, and has resisted any and all attempts to blackmail its sovereignty and independence.
Both countries are oil rich, but only Iran can use its wealth to enhance their independent path. Iraq, after US intervention, remains a puppet, a shadow of a country.
Lone Wolf
Quote:
‘Latin America today faces serious security challenges because of the American desire to maintain influence in the region under the provisions of the so-called Monroe Doctrine.’
I shudder each time I’m reminded of how tough it must be for Latin America to stand-up against US aggression.
They are such a long way away from the peace loving peoples of the RF.
Very informative overview of the global situation, terse and professionally delivered. Thanks very much for providing it!!!
Russia, China…quit complaining. The Empire of Chaos doesn’t respond to complaints, you need to bring the war to THEM.
Yes that could start in Syria,and a big fat red line was crossed more than once,that big fat red line was a direct attack on the Russian Federation in Crimea,within hours the decision making centers all over Ukraine and in Kiev should have been annihilated,we don’t know all thats going on but i have not seen a appropriate response yet,now the fasists are threatening more attacks on Russia.
Shoigu’s and Putin’s speeches should be taken together. They act as a pair of bookends on either end of the official Russian view of the great tipping point the world has now reached.
One can’t help but notice that they might as well have said “Alex Jones was right”, to which they added “We decided to do something about it, with a little help from our friends.” Both deliver astonishingly frank, even blunt statements of who the enemy is, what their goals and the dangers thereof are, and state plainly, with the calmest confidence that Russia will win.
With friends the size of China, the Russians have the staying power to do what they say they’re gonna do. If/when the American “patriotic right” wakes up to the real message in their words, they’d find that “Russian collusion” is the best dish on the menu.
Plus the worlds real left could help. Not the neo-lib infested and elite controlled left that is, but old style plain socialists that they have done their best to slander and destroy because of them being a threat to their unlimited wealth and power.
What countries sent reps to this conference? It would be valuable and interesting to know who is not part of the Empire of Hatred and Lies!
The NATO masque fell when Russia acted in Feb 2022.
Now the British Empire masque falls as Truss is poised to trot after BoJo tripped at the Jolly Masqued Ball.
see link above…
Shoigu is of course correct that NATO’s true aggressive face is now public.
And that colonialism is the problem again.
FDR told Churchill the USA would enter WWII on 1 condition – the end of colonialism. FDR’s premature death and Truman’s nuclear terrorism undid that promise.
Unfortunately today neither Russia nor the USA actually identify the true face – it is absolutely amazing how the masked ball continues :
Liz Truss’ Global Britain Agenda Tries to Reverse Time
https://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2022/08/17/liz-truss-global-britain-agenda-tries-to-reverse-time/
Cecil Rhodes in his 1877 will (aka: My Confessions of Faith) where the arch racist said:
“Why should we not form a secret society with but one object the furtherance of the British Empire and the bringing of the whole uncivilised world under British rule for the recovery of the United States for the making the Anglo-Saxon race but one Empire”.
Truss : “I will ensure the Commonwealth sits at the heart of my plans for Global Britain.”
Reversing time to a feudal technocracy is simply an insane delusion.
Now the The Western strategy to dismantle the Russian Federation using “colonialism” charges shows Russia has for sure hit a nerve!
The Western strategy to dismantle the Russian Federation , by Thierry Meyssan
https://www.voltairenet.org/article217757.html
with complete maps of this Euro Maidan outfit, EU funded, despite Brexit!
The Masqued Ball continues, and Alastair Crooke parts the curtains :
The Masque of Pandora
https://archive.ph/j9Buf
from SCO.
Europe’s powers gave Ukraine no new military pledges in July, data shows
https://www.politico.eu/article/data-show-europe-waning-military-support-ukraine/
The cash spigot is drying up, drought in the trough. Panic in the piggery.
Result – sheer desperation, ZNPP provocations. IEA, UN inspectors are targets – naivete could be fatal!
Thanks a lot for publishing this piece.
Its still a deep pleasure to read this clean and clear language from Russian leadership making simple and logical sense to complicated matters.
May you never give in on basic gramma and word manipulation.
I have to say that as a South African i fully support Russia’s SMO. I served in the South African army during the 1980s and was involved in the Angolan conflict at various points in time. Just to set the record straight, despite the anti SA propaganda at the time, the South African army was never defeated in any conventional battle during the entire war. The fact is that Cuba suffered their largest losses of the war during the battle for cuito cuanavale. This was the first time that SA deployed the famous G5 artillery gun which resulted in serious losses for the Cubans. South Africa was not defeated militarily but politically. Times have indeed changed where we now live in a very different world where old enemies have now become allies facing a common enemy in the United States.
The SA is still British Commonwealth, like Australia, India, NZ, right?
https://www.strategic-culture.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/me17082201.jpg
Not much changed sin 1922?
While the SA Foregn Minister wonderfully trolled the US FM, Blinken, recently, note UK’s Truss, poised for Prime Minnster, stated intention, linked above, for Global Britain.
Five weeks since Lysichansk got ate. Kramatorsk line more or less intact. No dog in this fight. Whats up? Supply warehouse HIMARS losses? Russia stop or Zaporizhzhya reactors meet bad fate? Not condoning it. Five weeks is more than a rest. Intelligent replies please.
Six Zaporizhzhya reactors with precision HIMAR holes in them would be Armageddon IMO. No stopping it then. How many nuts are there in a nutcake? Nutcake terminology “leverage”.
Playing With Fire in Ukraine
The Underappreciated Risks of Catastrophic Escalation
Furthermore, given each side’s determination to
achieve its goals, there is little chance of a meaningful compromise.
The maximalist thinking that now prevails in both Washington and Moscow
gives each side even more reason to win on the battlefield so that it
can dictate the terms of the eventual peace. In effect, the absence of a
possible diplomatic solution provides an added incentive for both sides
to climb up the escalation ladder. What lies further up the rungs could
be something truly catastrophic: a level of death and destruction
exceeding that of World War II.
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/ukraine/playing-fire-ukraine
“The Underappreciated Risks of Catastrophic Escalation
Furthermore, given each side’s determination to
achieve its goals, there is little chance of a meaningful compromise.”
There is a big chance of a meaningful compromise. Fights and wars are not like debates. When the war result becomes clear to all, people normally want to sit down and sign an end to it.
I still think a military coup is highly likely. My guess is that the SMO was based on a coup happening at some point and that Putin’s open invitation for this to happen, in the first 24 hours of the SMO, reflected this.
and that the quick stationing/placing of the troops on the outskirts of key cities in the first hours of the SMO was part of that military coup expectation (not enough troops or backup for conquering those cities).
During Great Duchy of Finland Russian Empire allowed Finland to have even own money, own financial policy, own National Board of Customs own (limited) parliament.
The confrontation between West and East is something evil. It should not exist. He provides a lot of info. showing how dangerous the East-West confrontation is today from the Russian perspective. I think the Russian leaders like Shoigu make a mistake in assuming that all is coldly planned – because then you don’t have reasons to address the other side, or at least fewer reasons to do so. I thought the Russian work at Geneva was ineffective (not engaging enough); I did not hear any challenge there to the “free membership” concept itself.
There are a few instances in the speech where to my view he speaks more like a President than a DM. Medvedev, Patrushev and an economics advisor do the same, so this really reflects Putin’s leadership. He gives his men a lot of leeway to say whatever they want to say, apparently. They probably have easy access to him. For example, the statements below have basically nothing to do with his DM function and are more natural from a Head of State. (He sticks to his function in almost the whole speech and much more so than the other three leaders.) An American DM does not engage in these purely political statements:
“Multipolarity has become a reality. The poles of this world are clearly defined. The main difference between them is that some respect the interests of sovereign states and take into account the cultural and historical particularities of countries and peoples, while others disregard them.”
“This conference comes at a time of radical change in global and regional security. The unconditional dominance of the US and its allies is a thing of the past. On February 24, 2022, the start of the special military operation in Ukraine marked the end of the unipolar world.”
“In the West’s view, the established system of international relations should be replaced by a so-called rules-based world order. The logic here is simple and ultimatumatic.”
“Block-less, equal interaction in the region is an achievement that should not be lost due to externally imposed phobias and attempts to counter a multipolar world.”
“Secondly, a multipolar world is the reality of today. The transition from dominance by a single global leader to several centres of gravity is not an easy one. However, this creates real conditions for the development of sovereign states.”
Cliffs Notes version of UK/EU/UKRAINE VS RUSSIA conflict . . .
Nordstream I running through Ukraine to EU was being siphoned off with gas not being fully being paid for by EU, UK, Ukraine.
Russia builds Nordstream II which avoids Ukraine, UK, EU and runs from Russia directly to Germany. Ukraine no longer gets free natural gas. Neither does EU. Brilliant Chess move.
From Nordstream Wiki page;
“The Nord Stream projects have been fiercely opposed by Central and Eastern European countries as well as the United States due to concerns that the pipelines would increase Russia’s influence in Europe, and the knock-on reduction of transit fees for use of the existing pipelines in Central and Eastern European countries.
Germany suspended certification of Nord Stream 2 on 22 February 2022 in response to Russia’s recognition of the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics during the prelude to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[11][12] As a result, Nord Stream 2 AG went into bankruptcy.[13] ”
The present conflict is about MONEY.
Old man winter comes soon.
Russia plays chess.
NATO plays pocket pool.