The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation
We have available video in Russian and transcript in English.
Transcript:
Dmitry Kiselev: Our relations with the United States are really “hell”. Personally, I don’t recall them being at such a low ebb ever before. This is even worse than the Cold War times, in my opinion. Ambassadors have returned back to their home countries. What’s going to happen next? What is the possible scenario?
Sergey Lavrov: If it depended on us alone, we would gladly resume normal relations. The first possible step towards this, which I regard as obvious, is to zero out the measures restricting the work of Russian diplomats in the United States. It was as a response measure that we restricted the operations of American diplomats in Russia.
We proposed this to the Biden administration as soon as it had taken the oath and assumed office. I have mentioned the idea to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. I did not try to press it; I just said that an obvious way to normalise our relations would be to zero out the measures initiated by Barack Obama. Several weeks before leaving office, he was so annoyed he virtually slammed the door by seizing Russian property in violation of all the Vienna conventions and throwing Russian diplomats out. This has caused a chain reaction.
We patiently sat back for a long time, until the summer of 2017, before taking any response measures. The Trump administration asked us to disregard the excessive measures taken by the outgoing Obama administration. However, Donald Trump’s team failed to normalise the situation, and so we had to take reciprocal measures. But the Americans have not stopped there.
We can see that the Biden administration continues to go downhill, although US President Biden said during his conversation with President of Russia Vladimir Putin soon after his inauguration, and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told me that they are thoroughly reviewing their relations with Russia, hoping that this would clarify many things. However, instead they adopted new sanctions, which triggered not simply a mirror response on our part. Our response was asymmetrical, just as we had warned them on numerous occasions. It has to do, in part, with a considerable disparity in the number of diplomats and other personnel of the US diplomatic missions in Russia, which is way above the number of Russian diplomats in the United States.
As for the strategic picture of our relations, I hope that Washington is aware, just as Moscow is, of our responsibility for global stability. There are not only the problems of Russia and the United States, which are complicating our citizens’ lives and their contacts, communications, businesses and humanitarian projects, but also differences that are posing a serious risk to international security in the broadest possible meaning of the word.
You remember how we responded to the outrage that took place during Joe Biden’s interview with ABC. You are also aware of how President Putin reacted to President Biden’s proposal of a meeting. We have taken a positive view of this, but we would like to understand all aspects of this initiative, which we are currently analysing.
Nothing good will come out of this, unless the United States stops acting as a sovereign, as President Putin said during his Address to the Federal Assembly, accepts the futility of any attempts to revive the unipolar world or to create an architecture where all Western countries would be subordinate to the United States and the Western camp would work together to “rally” other countries across the world against China and Russia, admits that it was for a purpose that the UN Charter sealed such principles as respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity as well as non-interference in the internal affairs of other states and sovereign equality of states, and simply honours its commitments and starts talking with us, just as with any other country, on the basis of respect for each other and for a balance of interests, which must be established. President Putin said this clearly in his Address, pointing out that Russia is always open to broad international agreements if they suit our interests. But we will harshly respond to any attempts to cross the red line, which we ourselves will determine.
Dmitry Kiselev: Would it be realistic to expect them to become aware of this and stop acting as a sovereign? Hope is fine, but the reality is completely different.
Sergey Lavrov: I have not expressed any hope. I just mentioned the conditions on the basis of which we will be ready to talk.
Dmitry Kiselev: And what if they refuse?
Sergey Lavrov: It will be their choice. This means that we will be living in conditions of a Cold War, or even worse, as you have already mentioned. In my opinion, tension did run high during the Cold War and there were numerous high-risk conflict situations, but there was also mutual respect. I believe that this is lacking now.
There have been some schizophrenic notes in the statements made by some of the Washington officials. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said just a while ago that sanctions against Russia would be continued, that they are producing, by and large, a desired effect, and that their objective is not to “escalate” with Russia. Even I am at a loss about how to comment on this. I hope anyone can see that such statements are doing no credit to those who are upholding and promoting this policy.
Dmitry Kiselev: I had a chance to hear an opinion – perhaps even a commonplace opinion, to some extent, in certain circles – to the effect that diplomats are doing a poor job, that we are constantly digging in our heels, that our position is inflexible and non-elastic, and this is the reason why our relations are poor.
Sergey Lavrov: Are you alluding to circles inside this country?
Dmitry Kiselev: Yes, inside this country.
Sergey Lavrov: Yes, I also read these things. Thankfully, this country protects freedom of speech much better than many Western countries, including the United States. I read the opposition’s online resources and newspapers, and I think that perhaps these people have a right to express their point of view that consists in the following: “If we refrained from disputing with the West, we’d have Parmesan cheese and lots more things that we are sincerely missing; but for some reason, they have cut short food purchases in the West [they do not even explain that this was done in response], they have stopped buying food and gone into import substitution, thus increasing the price of food.”
You know, this is a narrow, lopsided view taken entirely from the standpoint of creature comforts, a choice between a television set and a fridge. If they think it essential to accept US values, I would like to remind them about what US President John Kennedy, the greatest US President to my mind, once said: “Don’t think what your country can do for you. Think what you can do for your country.” This is a radical distinction from today’s liberal views, where personal wellbeing and personal feelings alone are the things that matter.
The promoters of these philosophical approaches, as I see it, are not just unaware of what our genetic code is all about, but are trying in every way to undermine it. For, apart from the desire to live well, to be well-fed, to be confident that one’s children, friends and relatives are well too, a feeling of national pride always played an equally important role in what we did throughout our one thousand years’ history. If someone thinks that these values are of no importance for him or her, as it is [politically] correct to say now, it is their choice, but I am certain that the overwhelming majority of our people have a different opinion.
Dmitry Kiselev: Are you counting on a meeting with Antony Blinken? When can this meeting be held, and will it take place at all in the foreseeable future?
Sergey Lavrov: When we were talking over the phone, I congratulated him in keeping with the diplomatic etiquette. We exchanged a few appraisals of the [current] situation. The talk was, I feel, well-meaning, calm and pragmatic. When our US colleagues have completed staffing their Department of State, we will be prepared to resume contacts – naturally, on the understanding that we will engage in a search for mutually acceptable arrangements on many problems, starting from the functioning of the diplomatic missions and ending with strategic stability and many other things. US and Russian business communities are concerned with expanding their cooperation, something that the American-Russian Chamber of Commerce has recently told us. We have concluded by stating that there will be some joint multilateral events, on whose sidelines we will be able, as chance offers, to talk. But no signals have come from the US so far. Speaking about the schedule of events, Russia will be taking over the Arctic Council chairmanship from Iceland three weeks from now. An Arctic Council ministerial meeting is scheduled to take place in Reykjavík on May 20-21. If Secretary Blinken leads the US delegation, I will, of course, be prepared to talk with him, if he is interested. Given that we will chair the Arctic Council for the next two years, I have informed our Iceland colleagues that I will attend this ministerial meeting.
Dmitry Kiselev: Is there any certainty as to who will definitely join the list of unfriendly states?
Sergey Lavrov: The Government of Russia is attending to this on instructions from President of Russia Vladimir Putin. We are participating in this work, as are other respective agencies. I would not like to jump the gun right now. We are reluctant to be indiscriminate and put on that list just any country that will say somewhere “something wrong” about Russia. Our decision will be based, of course, on a deep-going analysis of the situation and on whether we see opportunities to have a dialogue with that country in a different way. If we come to the conclusion that there is no chance of this, then, I think, the list will, of course, be periodically extended. But this is not a “dead” paper. As is only natural, it will be revised in tune with how our relations develop with this or that state.
Dmitry Kiselev: When will the public be able to read this list?
Sergey Lavrov: Soon, I think. The Russian Government has concrete assignments. We understand the criteria that are guiding us in this work. So, I think, the wait will not be very long now.
Dmitry Kiselev: Will the unfriendly states be banned from hiring local workforce?
Sergey Lavrov: There will be a ban on hiring any physical persons whether Russian or foreign.
Dmitry Kiselev: Is this the only measure with regard to unfriendly states or some others are in the offing?
Sergey Lavrov: At this stage, this is the concrete aim set in the executive order signed by President of Russia Vladimir Putin.
Dmitry Kiselev: Donbass is another subject. Tensions have continued to escalate there since early 2021, and it appears that they have subsided a little since US President Joe Biden called President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin. In my show News of the Week, I noted that US military guarantees to Ukraine had turned out to be a bluff. Nevertheless, shootouts continue, and they are using banned large-calibre weapons. It seems like this peace is not very different from war, and that the balance is highly unstable. Over 500,000 Russian citizens now live in Donbass. Will there be a war?
Sergey Lavrov: War can and should be avoided, if this depends on us and on the self-defence fighters, as far as we understand their principled approaches. I cannot speak and make guesses on behalf of the Ukrainian party and President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky because, by all indications, his main goal is to stay in power. He is ready to pay any price, such as pandering to neo-Nazis and ultra-radicals who continue to brand the Donbass self-defence fighters as terrorists. Our Western colleagues should reassess the developments that have taken place since February 2014. None of these districts attacked the rest of Ukraine. They were branded as terrorists, and an anti-terrorist operation was launched against them and then another operation involving “joint forces.”. But we do know for sure that they have no desire to make war on representatives of the Kiev regime.
I have repeatedly told our Western colleagues, who are totally biased in their assessment of current developments, and who unconditionally defend Kiev’s actions, that Russian journalists and war correspondents working on the other side of the demarcation line show an objective picture. They work in trenches there almost without respite, and they provide daily news reports. These reports show the feelings of the people living in these territories that are cut off from the rest of Ukraine by an economic blockade, where children and civilians are being regularly killed, and where the civilian infrastructure, schools and kindergartens are being destroyed. I asked our Western colleagues why they don’t encourage their media outlets to organise the same work on the left side of the demarcation line, so that the scale of damage there can be assessed and to see which facilities have been the hardest hit.
As for the recent developments, when we openly announced the military exercises in the Southern and Western military districts – we made no secret of that, you remember the shouts about the alleged Russian build-up on the border with Ukraine. Just take a look at the terms used: we speak about drills in the Southern and Western military districts, while they say that Russia is amassing troops on the Ukrainian border. And when the drills ended and we made the relevant announcement, the West claimed maliciously that Russia had to back off, to withdraw. This is an example of wishful thinking.
This is reminiscent of the situation with the G7: every time they meet they announce that Russia will not be invited to the group. We have stated on numerous occasions that we will never re-join it, that there will not be any G8, and that this is a thing of the past. However, continued references to this subject, as well as claims that Russia has “rolled back” and has ordered its troops to “return to their barracks” shows, of course, that in this instance the West wants above all to take advantage of this situation to prove that it has the last word and the dominant place in modern international relations. This is regrettable.
The subject of a settlement in Ukraine has been discussed by President Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The other day President Putin spoke about it with President of France Emmanuel Macron. The issue was also raised during a recent conversation with US President Joe Biden. The situation is clear, as I see it. The patrons of President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky and his team refuse to make him honour the Minsk Agreements, even though they are aware of the futility of trying to use military force; they have heard the signals sent from Donetsk and Lugansk about their readiness to defend their land, their homes and their people who refuse to live by the laws being enforced by neo-Nazis.
President Putin has said clearly that we will never abandon the people of Donbass, who are standing up to the openly radical neo-Nazi regime. President Zelensky keeps saying in his interviews that there are no problems with the Russian language or the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, and that he is willing to discuss all these subjects with President Putin. It is a shame perhaps that a person I have always regarded as clever says that the Russian language and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church have no problems in Ukraine. I have no doubt that he is very well aware of the situation. Maybe nothing at all is being reported to him, but in that case he is living in a dream world. But the West has definitely sent its signals to Zelensky.
As you have mentioned, it would be senseless to pin hopes on US military assistance. This has always been clear to everyone. If anyone entertained such illusions, such advisers are good for nothing in any government, including the government of Mr Zelensky. Regrettably, the West continues to try to convince us that the Minsk Agreements should be mitigated and the sequence of the actions set out in them changed. Zelensky says he likes the agreements, but only if it is all the other way round, that they first take full control of these territories, including the border with Russia, and only then deal with the elections, amnesty and a special status for these territories. It is clear that if they did this, if they were allowed to do this, there would be a massacre. The West is unable or unwilling to force Zelensky to comply with the Minsk Agreements strictly in accordance with the sequence set out in them, which does not permit any double interpretation and has been formulated unambiguously from the first to the last step. Control of the border is the very last step to be taken after these territories receive a special status, which must be sealed in the Constitution of Ukraine, after free elections are held there and their results are recognised as such by the OSCE.
Of course, there must also be total amnesty. Not in the way envisaged by the Poroshenko government or the current regime, which only want to approve an amnesty on an individual basis for those who are proved to have committed no crime. This is yet another misinterpretation. The Minsk Agreements stipulate an amnesty for those who took part in fighting on both sides, without any transitional justice process, which our Western colleagues are now beginning to discuss.
I believe that the brunt of responsibility lies with the West, because only the West can make President Zelensky honour the commitments which his predecessor signed and he himself signed in Paris in December 2019 when he, the presidents of Russia and France and the Chancellor of Germany reaffirmed the absence of any alternative to the strict observance of the Minsk Agreements, and he pledged to amend the legislation and the Ukrainian Constitution to formalise the special status of Donbass on a permanent basis.
Dmitry Kiselev: Many people are wondering why Russia fails to recognise Donbass. It did recognise Abkhazia and South Ossetia. There is an inner “lobby” in Russia, even among my fellow journalists, who are demanding that we recognise Donbass – the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Lugansk People’s Republic. Why are we failing in this?
Sergey Lavrov: You are right that there is an analogy with Abkhazia and South Ossetia. But there is just one exception: no agreements similar to the Minsk Package of Measures were signed in those countries, when Saakashvili’s aggression against Tskhinval and the positions of peacekeepers, including Russian peacekeepers, occurred. The Medvedev-Sarkozy document was discussed there, and it implied a number of steps. But it was not signed by Georgia. President Nicolas Sarkozy of France, after reaching an agreement with us in Moscow, took a plane to Tbilisi to ensure Saakashvili’s support for the document. Saakashvili signed it, but he deleted all the key provisions. Mr Sarkozy attempted to represent this as a compromise, but everyone understood everything. It had a preamble saying that the Russian Federation and the French Republic, desirous of normalising the situation in South Caucasus, propose to Georgia, Abkhazia and South Ossetia the following: a ceasefire. Saakashvili crossed out the heading, leaving just the first and subsequent items. Since then, the West has been demanding that we comply with these agreements. This is just an example.
In the case of Donbass, the situation was different. The 17-hour long negotiations in Minsk involving the Normandy format leaders (President Franсois Hollande of France, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, President Petr Poroshenko of Ukraine, and President of Russia Vladimir Putin) produced a result, which was endorsed, two days later, by the UN Security Council without any amendments or doubts that it should be implemented.
Today, the moral and international legal truth is on our side and on the side of the Donbass militias. I think that we must not let Mr Zelensky and his entire team “off the hook,” writhing as they might. Mr Zelensky’s statement is a fine specimen (made when he had all but given up hope of turning the Minsk Agreements upside down) to the effect that they are no good, albeit necessary, because the saving of the Minsk Agreements guarantees that the sanctions against Moscow will be preserved as well. We asked the West, what they think about this. They just look aside shamefacedly and say nothing. I think it is a shame and a disgrace, when an international legal document is held up to mockery in this manner. The West, which has co-authored this document and supported it at the UN Security Council, is demonstrating absolute helplessness.
Dmitry Kiselev: President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky cannot get a call through to President of Russia Vladimir Putin, who is not picking up the receiver. Your Ukrainian counterpart, Dmitry Kuleba, cannot get a call through to you. What does this mean? Why is this?
Sergey Lavrov: This means that they are seeking to revise the Minsk Agreements and represent Russia as a party to the conflict even in this area of their activities.
Requests that came in until recently both from my counterpart Kuleba and President Zelensky dealt with the topic of settlement in Donbass. We replied that this [topic] should be discussed not with us, but with Donetsk and Lugansk, as you agreed under the Minsk Agreements. The agreements say in black and white that the key stages of settlement should be the subject of consultations and coordination with Donetsk and Lugansk. When they say that a “nasty situation is looming large” at the line of contact and want to talk to Minister Sergey Lavrov and President Vladimir Putin, they are barking up the wrong tree. Meeting with President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko in the Kremlin the other day, President Putin made it amply clear that if they wanted to talk about this, the address should be different. If our colleagues, including President Zelensky, want to discuss how to normalise bilateral relations, they are welcome. We are always ready to talk about this.
Dmitry Kiselev: There is no reply or acceptance so far, is there?
Sergey Lavrov: I heard that Mr Zelensky instructed the chief of his office, Andrey Yermak, to come to terms on the timeframes. The location is of no importance, because each day of delay means new deaths.
Incidentally, let us take the fact that people are dying and what is happening at the line of contact. Over the last couple of weeks, Kiev has been insisting quite aggressively on the need to reaffirm the ceasefire. All of its Western patrons have also been urging us to influence Donbass so that the ceasefire takes hold in earnest. Speaking on the phone with President Emmanuel Macron and Chancellor Angela Merkel last week, President Putin reminded them of the facts. And the facts are as follows: In July 2020, the Contact Group reached what was perhaps the most serious and effective ceasefire agreement, because it contained a verification mechanism. It implied a sequence of actions, primarily each side’s commitment not to return fire immediately on the spot but report the violation to the top command and wait for its order on how to act, to wit, whether to respond in kind or to negotiate an arrangement under the mechanisms created for commander-to-commander liaison on the ground. This agreement, as it was implied, was translated into military orders issued by the DPR and the LPR. These orders were published. Kiev pledged to do the same, but did nothing. Instead it started fiddling with words again. Instead of performing the obligation to report each shelling attack to the top command and get orders from them, they began replacing this clear-cut arrangement with confused formulas, although they were blamed for this by Donetsk and Lugansk at all subsequent meetings, and Russian representatives in the Contact Group, too, repeatedly said as much. The same happened in the Normandy Format. This is what Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Dmitry Kozak has been doing all these months in contacts with his French and German colleagues. The head of President Zelensky’s Office, Andrey Yermak, was representing Ukraine. I read transcripts of their talks. It was like talking to a brick wall. They were at cross purposes: the Ukrainian leaders had obviously decided that it was necessary to revive the ceasefire story. It was shameful and unseemly.
It was a great pleasure to watch the Servant of the People series, when no one suspected that its main character would follow this path in real life. But he took the wrong path. If Mr Zelensky watched the series again today and tried to fathom the convictions of the person he had impersonated so well on screen, and later compared those convictions with what he is doing now, he would, perhaps, have achieved one of the most effective transformations. I do not know when he was himself and when he underwent a transformation. But the contrast is striking.
Dmitry Kiselev: Another subject is the Czech Republic. What was it? How are we to understand it?
Sergey Lavrov: I cannot speculate on this because I do not understand intellectually what they wanted. One can watch it like a not too elegant television series.
This story is full of schizophrenic components. Czech president Milos Zeman says it should be sorted out, not denying the possibility of a subversive act by foreign agents, but suggesting taking into account the story told by the Czech leadership, including the incumbent Prime Minister Andrej Babis (the then Minister of Finance, in 2014), that it was the result of negligence by the depot owners. President Zeman only suggested that consideration should be given to the case that has never been disproven over the seven years. He is accused of high treason now. President of the Senate Milos Vystrcil said that by stating the need to investigate all the leads President Zeman had disclosed a state secret. Is this not schizophrenia? A pure case, I think.
There needs to be an investigation into what was stored in the depot. The German media said that they kept antipersonnel mines prohibited by the convention signed, inter alia, by the Czech Republic and Bulgaria. A lot of questions remain.
Dmitry Kiselev: Indeed, how could it happen that a certain Bulgarian citizen supplying antipersonnel mines (by all appearances they were found there), controlled a depot in the Czech Republic which was not then under the control of the government?
Sergey Lavrov: It so happens.
Dmitry Kiselev: Maybe the Czechs would be better to start with themselves?
Sergey Lavrov: Probably. Or follow the example of Ukraine where too a vast number of armed people, weapons and ammunition are controlled not by the Ukrainian armed forces, but by “volunteer battalions.” It is a trend where the state proves its inability to ensure, if you like, its monopoly over the use of force.
Dmitry Kiselev: Ukraine is one thing but the Czech Republic is a member of the EU. It is bound by other international commitments than those of Ukraine and presents itself differently.
Sergey Lavrov: Above all, in addition to the aforementioned conventions (Ottawa Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention and the so-called Arms Trade Treaty, they are all parties to it), the EU has its own quite strict rules that do not encourage but rather prohibit any actions like supplies and sending forces to regions where there are conflicts.
Dmitry Kiselev: What do you think about the so-called British files? This looks like an orchestrated information campaign against Russia.
Sergey Lavrov: As before, the British continue to play a very active, serious and subversive role in relations between Russia and Europe. Britain has withdrawn from the EU but it has not slackened its activities there. On the contrary, it has been trying to exert maximum influence on the EU countries’ positions towards Moscow. This is not surprising at all.
You don’t even need to go very far back in history. In 2006, Alexander Litvinenko was poisoned with polonium. The inquest began in one way, and then the process was classified because it was necessary to analyse the materials of intelligence services. And then they announced the verdict, but the materials involved in the case have never been made public. As Arnold Schwarzenegger used to say, “Trust me.” I would rather side with Ronald Reagan’s “trust but verify.” But they don’t allow us to verify; they only demand that we trust them.
In 2014, the Malaysian Boeing was downed. They formed a team comprising a narrow group of four countries – the Netherlands, Belgium, Australia and Ukraine. They did not even invite Malaysia, the country that lost the plane. These four countries have agreed, as it has since transpired, that any information would only be revealed on the basis of consensus. Ukraine, where the disaster took place, was given the right of veto, while Malaysia was invited to join the group only six months later. The black boxes, which the self-defence forces provided to Malaysia, were analysed in London. I don’t recall them making the information public.
In 2018, there were the Skripals and the “highly likely.” Nobody knows to this day how the Skripals survived the alleged poisoning, why the police officer who worked with them did not display any symptoms of poisoning, and why the woman involved died while her partner did not get sick. There are very many questions.
In 2020, we had the case of Alexey Navalny. He was flying from Tomsk to Moscow, but the plane landed in Omsk. Nobody on board the plane or in the Omsk hospital got sick. A bottle of water [from his hotel room] was taken by Maria Pevchikh to Germany on the plane that transported Navalny – nobody knows anything. Doctors at the Charité hospital did not find any traces of poison, but they were found at the Bundeswehr. German Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer demanded transparency in connection with our recent military drills in the southern and western regions of Russia. But we announced the drills beforehand, whereas the Bundeswehr, whose experts allegedly found traces of Navalny’s poisoning, is keeping information from us. Our request for the results of tests and biomaterials has been denied.
After that there was a long story involving the OPCW. It allegedly took part in collecting samples from Navalny. According to the remarkable information from Berlin, German experts were present during the collection of the samples, but OPCW experts are not mentioned at all. We are trying to sort this information out. Nobody wants to explain anything. Germany is directing us to the OPCW, which says that the request came from Germany and so we should ask them. It is a conspiracy of silence. We have seen this happen in crime movies about bandit groups operating all over the country after the war. This is regrettable.
Getting back to Britain, we can see that London is continuing its anti-Russia policy. Chief of the UK Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) Richard Moore said a few days ago that Russia is “a declining power” whose allegedly “reckless behaviour” needs to be dealt with. This is inherent arrogance and a belief that they continue to rule the world. They are sending “signals” to us and propose establishing ties. In other words, they are not against communicating with us, but they are trying to discourage others from doing the same. This could be an aspiration for a monopoly of contacts and a desire to prove that they are superior to others.
Dmitry Kiselev: Speaking about decline, Britain is a perfect example of a declining empire “on which the sun never sets,” a small island in the North Sea with clouded prospects. To return to the Czech Republic, opinions within the country on the latest developments are totally inconsistent. There is no consensus, and nothing has yet been proven, but diplomats have been expelled. There has already been a result.
Sergey Lavrov: They claim that this is not the reason why our diplomats were expelled. Two statements were made on the same day. They appeared to be interconnected. Prague is now trying to prove that there is no connection between them. They have announced that the explosions were organised by Petrov and Boshirov, the ubiquitous Russian suspects. It’s like blaming them for the sinking of the Titanic. The same day it was announced that 18 diplomats would have to leave the country. The majority of people accepted this as “punishment” for the 2014 explosions. After that, the Czech authorities said they would track down Petrov and Boshirov and issue an arrest warrant for them. As for the 18 diplomats, they identified them as spies. They expelled them because they turned out to be intelligence agents. No proof that any of these 18 diplomats are guilty of illegal activities has been provided. It is not surprising that former Czech President Vaclav Klaus said that the country’s authorities were like a tiny pooch barking at a huge dog, hoping that the big boys (the United States and Britain) would throw their weight behind them. Do you remember a time from your childhood when local bullies waited until dusk to demand 15 kopeks from a smaller kid, and if he refused they summoned the “big boys.” The logic is very similar. This is regrettable.
We never schemed against our Czech colleagues. Why would we need to blow up that warehouse? Some people say that the Russians were angry that the Bulgarian planned to send munitions to Ukraine. This is a completely schizophrenic view of the situation. This is impossible to imagine. But the machinery has been set in motion. I hope our Czech colleagues will come to their senses after all and will take a look at what they have done. If reason prevails, we will be ready to gradually rebuild the conditions for our diplomatic missions to function normally. If not, we will make do. We know how we will be working. We don’t have to ingratiate ourselves with anyone.
Dmitry Kiselev: Working on what?
Sergey Lavrov: We know how we will be working in the Czech Republic and other countries. Pinpoint attacks are being made against Russia in the Baltics, Poland and, recently, Romania. Bucharest has added, though, that its decision was in no way connected to the EU’s position. This came as a surprise. They just decided to send that Russian diplomat back home. Why? They have not explained.
Dmitry Kiselev: It is notable that Germany has not supported the Czech Republic.
Sergey Lavrov: I have read the relevant statement by German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas. He spoke like a responsible politician. It is not always that the German Foreign Ministry takes such a balanced and astute position. Many of its other statements have indiscriminately supported injustice, for example when Ukraine adopted sanctions against the Opposition Platform – For Life political party, its leader Viktor Medvedchuk and several of his associates, all of them Ukrainian citizens. The German Foreign Ministry expressed its approval, saying that this was fully in keeping with OSCE principles. This is absurd.
Therefore, what Heiko Maas said the other day is a responsible political statement. It has not smoothed over differences but pointed out the importance of maintaining dialogue and looking for agreements, since we live side by side.
Dmitry Kiselev: Recently in China, you said we needed to look for alternatives to the SWIFT international payment system, and Russia was preparing for this. Is there a specific timeframe, and what stage of the preparations are we at?
Sergey Lavrov: Many have already spoken about this. This is happening because in recent years, the West has been looking for more ways of infringing on Russia’s legitimate interests. Now they are openly mentioning the possibility of disconnecting our country from SWIFT. Responsible politicians just have to think of ways to play it safe.
In addition to these statements, the United States is increasingly abusing the role of the dollar in the international monetary system, using certain countries’ dependence on dollar settlements to limit their competitive opportunities – China and other states they dislike. China, Russia, and Turkey are now looking for opportunities to reduce their dependence on the dollar by switching to alternative currencies, or even better – by making settlements in their national currencies. The responsible agencies, including in our country, are thinking about how to prevent damage to the economy and the financial system if some hotheads actually disconnect us from SWIFT. Russia launched a national payment card system a few years ago; MIR cards have been in use in Russia since then. The system is already developing ties with its foreign counterparts, as similar cards are being issued in China and Japan. It is also building ties with the internationally accepted payment card Maestro.
As regards the SWIFT system, specifically, the Central Bank of Russia recently introduced and continued to develop a system for the transfer of financial messages. It is quite popular. I think we need to support and strengthen this in every possible way to ensure we do not depend on anyone. Let me emphasise that we are not trying to self-isolate. We want to be part of the international community. Part of a community where justice and democracy work. We have discussed the problems of democracy with the West. But once they are asked to come to an agreement, to declare that democracy should triumph in international relations, too, they lose their enthusiasm. They are full of lectures on internal democratic processes, but when it comes to the international arena, we get raised eyebrows. Here, allegedly, there are established ‘practices’ that ‘Russia and China are trying to implement’ (it’s about this). But in reality, Moscow and Beijing only want to preserve the principles of the UN Charter, according to which everyone is equal and must seek agreement.
One needs to have a safety net in terms of payment systems and transfer of financial messages. We have one. I hope it will grow stronger and be able to provide a guarantee if suddenly, contrary to our desire to cooperate with everyone, the West discriminates against Russia, abusing its current position in the international economic and monetary systems, in this situation, we really cannot afford to depend on anyone.
Dmitry Kiselev: So the Central Bank’s system for transfer of financial messages is the budding alternative to SWIFT?
Sergey Lavrov: I am not an expert. I don’t know how reliably and effectively it provides a full warranty. But the groundwork is already there. I am confident that the Government and the Central Bank must do everything to make it reliable and guarantee us complete independence and protection from more damage that might be inflicted on us.
Dmitry Kiselev: In a conversation with your Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, you proposed an initiative to create a coalition of countries affected by illegal sanctions. To what extent has this project progressed? What countries could join it?
Sergey Lavrov: I would not put it like that. We have been working at the UN for a long time to end the practice of unilateral illegitimate sanctions such as embargoes, blockades and other restrictions. We have been working for a number of decades to lift the embargo the United States declared on Cuba. The respective resolution is supported by more than 190 votes annually, with only the United States and one small island nation voting against it.
However, since this practice of unilateral restrictions began to be widely used (started by Barack Obama, expanded by Donald Trump, and applied to this day), a large group of countries voted in the UN to establish the position of Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of the unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights and their impact on the civilian population and the socioeconomic situation in a particular country. Special Rapporteur Alena Douhan is a citizen of Belarus. This institution, created by the UN General Assembly, is working and circulating reports. I think it is a very useful step.
Another specific course of action is now being developed in New York to the same end, as you mentioned, to counter illegal unilateral measures. It is a group in support of the UN Charter. Nothing revolutionary – just in response to our Western colleagues forming flagrantly non-universal groups.
US President Joe Biden has put forth the idea of holding a Summit for Democracy. Naturally, the Americans will recruit the participants and will judge who is worthy to be called a democracy and who is not.
Also, in recent years, our French and German colleagues have being making calls to ensure freedom of the media through the Alliance for Multilateralism, a group they announced outside the framework of universal institutions. They rallied more than thirty states under its banners even though there is UNESCO, where the same topic is discussed by everyone.
Or, there was an appeal in support of international humanitarian law. Law is universal. It is the responsibility of the UN bodies. But again, they recruited about 50 states.
Such appeals have nothing to do with universal bodies, but they cover the agenda that is discussed at a universal level. They place that agenda into a framework where they are more comfortable negotiating with those who obey, and then they present it as the ultimate truth.
This movement against illegitimate unilateral actions is much broader than just sanctions.
Dmitry Kiselev: Can this movement be formalised by membership?
Sergey Lavrov: The membership is in the UN. This is the difference: we are not creating anything against anyone. In the Asia-Pacific region, we would like to leave everything as it is. ASEAN has its partners, while anyone else can join security discussions. The logic of the West acts against this. They are implementing the Indo-Pacific Strategy with its declared goal of containing China and isolating Russia.
The same is happening at the UN. They create various partnerships on topics that need to be discussed as part of the UN agenda. We insist that everyone must fulfil their obligations under the UN Charter, not scatter the global agenda across their compartments, only to present it later as the international community’s opinion.
Dmitry Kiselev: A recent update: the Americans confirmed they had made efforts to prevent Brazil from buying the Russian Sputnik V vaccine. Brazil indeed refused, even though the coronavirus situation in that country is simply awful. What is your assessment?
Sergey Lavrov: This does not surprise me. The Americans are not even embarrassed to do things like that; they are not hiding it.
When former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo travelled to Africa, he openly and publicly called on his colleagues at a press conference to cut off trade with Russia and China because these countries pursue selfish goals. Right, the United States trades with African states for the sole benefit of their peoples, of course.
As for the vaccine issue, a protest movement kicked off in Brazil against that decision. If the Americans have admitted they were behind it, that means they are true to their logic and believe everything is possible and permitted, and they can now openly dictate their will.
Not so long ago, French President Emmanuel Macron warned of a new type of world war, and that Russia and China were using vaccines as a weapon and means of propaganda. That rhetoric is now receding. Germany, including Chancellor Angela Merkel, is already seriously talking about the possibility of using the Russian vaccine.
We are not going to force anyone. I think life itself will set things straight. Vladimir Vysotsky said: “I always try to find the good in people. They will show the bad themselves.”
Dmitry Kiselev: A year ago, in an interview with our agency in the midst of the pandemic, you said you missed football. Are you back to sport yet?
Sergey Lavrov: In fact, I am. I did miss playing for a couple of weeks. We took a break and kept it low-key. But later, when we realised what precautions we could take, the games resumed. We play every Sunday.
co vid nine-eleven has been used for political games just like 9/11. no different. Brazil is another big apple for the west to consume and keep away from russia and china. same with india. get india away from any business dealings with russia and china and buy from the west. curious that when you add india and brazil and western europe and the usa, you see by far the most cases of the virus. and by far the most deaths. when there is a doubt, there can be no doubt, and the west has been trying to use the virus to concentrate power into to the west. when apples fall from the tree, try another tree is the motto of the uni-polar world. when one has the courage to look at the big picture, there is one thing that is really destroying earth: western fascism. western fascism is now such a daily affair that the west does not even know…as long as they think they are winning. most people in the west have absolutely no idea how to even define fascism, let alone fight against it! though putin etc never use fascism as a word, he is constantly alluding to this idealogy. at least with this website, we get to see a fair picture of ukraine and not the bs of western media- whom are fed info like happy hyenas. russia and china just need to keep face and stay cool, and do not fal) into the tricks of the west! ukraine again is a great example! show the usa/nato military (both are sooooo overrated) what can be done. and leave it at that. The english and most americans are going to blame russia anyways.
Lavrov’s astuteness continues to astound.
And articulateness.
His characterization of actions and choice of words is scalpel-like.
So many examples in this interview.
One small example, re the Brits:
” In other words, they are not against communicating with us, but they are trying to discourage others from doing the same. This could be an aspiration for a monopoly of contacts and a desire to prove that they are superior to others.”
Spot-on analysis of the psychology of controlling communications and thus people (and states).
Katherine
You are right. Mr. Sergei Lavrov is cream of the crop in international diplomacy…calm and composed, diplomatic, patient and non-emotional, articulate. Even Chinese FM Wang Yi doesn’t look that patient, but nonetheless, a distinguished diplomat.
The UK, like all liars, want to control the narrative, thus control the perception and the response to their lies. It is that simple.
“US President Joe Biden has put forth the idea of holding a Summit for Democracy. Naturally, the Americans will recruit the participants and will judge who is worthy to be called a democracy and who is not.
Also, in recent years, our French and German colleagues have being making calls to ensure freedom of the media through the Alliance for Multilateralism, a group they announced outside the framework of universal institutions. They rallied more than thirty states under its banners even though there is UNESCO, where the same topic is discussed by everyone.
Or, there was an appeal in support of international humanitarian law. Law is universal. It is the responsibility of the UN bodies. But again, they recruited about 50 states.
Such appeals have nothing to do with universal bodies, but they cover the agenda that is discussed at a universal level. They place that agenda into a framework where they are more comfortable negotiating with those who obey, and then they present it as the ultimate truth.
This movement against illegitimate unilateral actions is much broader than just sanctions.”
You have to hand it to the America and the Western-led Free World, they specialize in manufacturing new Orwellian language and concepts to subvert international law.
Summit for Democracy!
Alliance for Multilateralism!
Weasel Words to Unsurp the United Nations Charter!
Three national leaders who have no counter-party peers:
President Putin
Foreign Minister Lavrov
Defense Minister Shoigu
Russia is ascendant because of these three igniting the Russia spirit and will.
Quite so; it is as you say.
The Dream Team. Given the state of world affairs today, we must be thankful that these three individuals are where they are.
The western politicians are hamstrung because they are just talking heads for the real powers that are driving the western agenda behind the scenes. The bankers and the MIC. Of course this does not diminish the wonderful talents of Putin Lavrov and Shoigu. Russia can take over the mantle formerly bestowed on Australia as “The Lucky Country.” Australia will have to find a new name. perhaps “US pawn land” .
The hypocrisy of western politicians means they deserve the ridicule that is bestowed on them.
Bankers, bankers, bankers……who are those bankers manipulating the strings of human destiny? Do they have names, race, gender, religion, ethnic profile? It is high time to name the names, whatever the consequences if we want to enchain Humanity from the Hydra.
As spokesmen, both Putin and Lavrov have total command of all relevant material facts and developments.
Then they provide quick background analysis.
Then Lavrov adds these funny apercus, like the one about Zelensky’s show.
Priceless.
Katherine
Don’t forget Maria Z : )
Thank you for this!
A bit of sanity in an upside-down world!
it is axiomatic that self confident societies who know who they are and where they are going invite the rest of the world to share in that journey. they make themselves available and open to foreigners/tourists highlighting and showcasing their material progress and cultural values.
insecure societies in decline resort to censorship to prevent as many people as possible from discovering what really lies under the surface of fatuous propaganda which never ends in the hope of fooling as many as possible from seeing the truth.
the world will decide who is who and in the age of the internet it does not take long!
@tedrichard
Perfect analysis – the exact same applies in the business world. Companies that do well are open and talkative at exhibitions or when contacted by telephone…Companies that are in trouble, tell staff to be polite but say nothing much, at exhibitions and have a policy of not allowing enquiries through on the telephone. Many a time i have turned the tables on staff who are cagey, by pointing out that their company must be in trouble. I then get a defensive response as to how i could possibly say this….and i simply point out that my long experience in the business world tells me that those staff who are reluctant to give data about their operations have obviously been given instructions by paranoid higher management who think that they need to hide their operations from predatory competitors.
Thank you for posting this easily readable transcript. Not sure if it came directly from Russian Foreign Office, or TheSaker translated it. Took me a good 50 minutes to read it. Russia is doing a great job in documenting their patient and calculated actions against massive harassment campaign from the West, so that if Russia goes to a defensive war that destroys the West then people around the world will understand their actions as justified.
It is the official Foreign Ministry transcript.
@Saeed – “so that if Russia goes to a defensive war that destroys the West then people around the world will understand their actions as justified.”
Yes. Thank you for putting into words what I have long struggled to formulate. Russia deals with the “information war” in its own way, changing multiple paradigms for the whole world through the demonstration of its example, rather than by engaging in the same terms of abuse that are used by enemies to attack it.
Indeed I believe that it is true that if Russia is ever, in the ultimate extreme, forced to fight the west, then if anything survives of the world after, those people will understand, from Russia’s own witness, that it was justified.
~~
And by the way, every minor and major action less than such a war is justified by exactly the same process, that of recording the terms of Russia’s position and its relations with others. One could not ask for a more scrupulous party to a contract.
I am sure the multi-polar world sees this and sets its own mind accordingly, to what it will applaud and what it will forgive.
@Saeed, When there are important speeches, it is always better to read the official transcript (like the one published above) than to read “selected” extracts published by the Western press…
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation
https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/4715136
Kremlin
http://en.kremlin.ru/
It’s nice to see Lavrov finally interviewed by someone who can keep up with him, asking good questions and providing informed commentary/ follow up questions.
This interview is alarming and reassuring at the same time. Alarming, because Lavrov has confirmed the worst of what we suspected about the West. Reassuring, because he is clearly aware of it and the Russian leadership is actively doing something about it.
Regarding Russia’s alternative to Swift, it looks like it may be tested quite soon:
https://www.rferl.org/a/31228416.html
(EU draft resolution to remove Russia from Swift)
The EU parliament has as much power and influence as retirees playing chess at the table in the park.
Though its reaction can serve as a kind of litmus paper over the sentiment in the USA/Nato power structures.
“Sergey Lavrov: I would not put it like that. We have been working at the UN for a long time to end the practice of unilateral illegitimate sanctions such as embargoes, blockades and other restrictions. We have been working for a number of decades to lift the embargo the United States declared on Cuba. The respective resolution is supported by more than 190 votes annually, with only the United States and one small island nation voting against it.
Delicious.
I wouldn’t be surprised if that ‘small island nation’ were the UK. Is it?
It’s Palau.
A location truly astonishing in its history (recent), use of symbology, deep connection to Jeffrey Epstein, Gislaine Maxwell …… and Senator Joe Biden.
If this were an image board I could post the most astonishing material harvested over some years, but especially at the time of Epstein’s “suicide”, and the round of revelations re Maxwell at the time of her arrest.
Of all the incredible, unbelievable, astonishing revelations about Palau, what piqued my interest the most was the intersection of undersea internet cables.
And the most unbelievable claims about Palau have US State Dept docs to substantiate them.
Very interesting.
See
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuart_Beck
Beck had been in the communications business.
An interesting pointlet in the Wiki entry:
“Served as a board member on the TerraMar Project and attended two United Nations meetings with Ghislaine Maxwell, an associate of Jeffrey Epstein.”
See also
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_TerraMar_Project
See board members.
Plenty of fuel here to feed curiosity about the true purposes of TerraMar.
Katherine
Dmitry Kiselev: Is there any certainty as to who will definitely join the list of unfriendly states?
Sergey Lavrov: The Government of Russia is attending to this on instructions from President of Russia Vladimir Putin.
It will be interesting to see who is on this list.
Many would like to nominate Israel and the UK as 1 and 2 or 2 and 1.
UK & Israel are one & the same. The right listing starts with 1: City of London, where all things evil get their source. Not only against Russia but against all the “other” humans. And this goes all the way back to the 19th century.
Masterclass as usual. Who would dare tackle Lavrov on the football pitch?
I would. It is football, so anyone is expected to get some kicks, deliberate or else. And to be ready to stand them, too. No bad feelings, it is just a funny game. Of course, to join for beer and cigarettes after the match, I’m experienced in that too. :)
I’ve no doubt he could turn the air blue, if contacted in a sensitive part.
The position of the Donetsk and Lugansk needs clarification. Lugansk is at least 2/3rds occupied and Donetsk also has lost a large chunk of territory and urban centres in Slavyansk and Kramatorsk and along the southern border Mariupol on the Sea of Azov. These are occupied by the Ukie army since the big battles of Ilovaisk and Debaltsevo when the Ukies were finally stopped in their tracks. But the situation has remained in situ since that time. The question is would the peoples republic of Donetsk/Lugansk recover these territories which are still under Ukrainian control? Of course the question hasn’t arisen since their have been no talks by the Ukrainian authorities and representatives of the Peoples’ Republics.
This would be very tricky for the Ukies since Kharkov and Zaporizhia might start clamouring for reintegration within broader areas of Eastern Ukraine. This opens another can of worms. How would Russia react, how would the Ukies in Lviv react, how would the west react. Interesting times.
The USA staged the coup in 2014 because of neocons like Victoria “cookie” Nuland and her husband Robert Kagan. They are of the Ashkenazim who were originally the Khazars whose old stomping ground was none other than what is now Ukraine. They’ve had it in for Russia since at least 965 when Sviatoslav I destroyed the Khazar city of Sarkel and its capital at Atil. That they are now in league with the Nazis is the ultimate irony that no one in the Biden Administration seems to get.
Absurdity from EU continues
https://sputniknews.com/business/202104281082751326-brussels-wants-swift-shut-off-halt-to-russian-energy-purchases-if-aggression-in-ukraine-continues/
Especially Borrell (why on earth should Lavrov ever speak to him again)and c 50 representatives from “eastern europe” behind this……hope Russia is taking note of who they are….and include them in some list of undesirables…..trace back the peoples and organisations behind them…..etc
Motion has been passed….
The measure, tabled by MPs hailing from Poland, the Baltic states and Romania, passed Thursday with 569 of the legislature’s 705 members voting in favour, while 67 opposed, and 46 abstained. …….
if one wishes to study their pathogical status and understand their “reasoning”
Check out
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/RC-9-2021-0236_EN.html
Seems to be becoming even more hard line….EU must speak as one voice selling out there soul…..etc etc
Extract
…”considers that the EU should seek further cooperation with like-minded partners, in particular NATO and the US, to use all means available at international level to effectively counter Russia’s continued interferences, ever-more aggressive disinformation campaigns and gross violations of international law that threaten security and stability in Europe; 20. Calls on the EU Member States to act in a timely manner and with resolve against disruptive actions by Russian intelligence services on the territory of the EU and to closely coordinate its proportionate response with transatlantic partners; recommends that the Member States enhance counterintelligence cooperation and information-sharing; 21. Calls on the VP/HR and the Council to devise a new strategic approach to the EU’s relations with Russia, which must better support civil society, strengthen people-to-people contacts with the citizens of Russia, draw clear red lines for cooperation with Russian state actors, use technological standards and the open internet to support free spaces and restrict oppressive technologies, and demonstrate solidarity with the EU’s Eastern Partners, including on security issues and peaceful conflict resolution; underlines that any dialogue with Russia must be based on respect for international law and human rights;…..”
Relax. The decision is purely advisory. There is no compunction on any European state to implement anything in response to it. Sponsored by the Poles and Balts to try to give Zelensky some cover when he meets Blinken next week. Blinken will tell Zelensky to cool it in the Donbas and that will be that.
It is an illusion that Russia is going to be left alone.
It is an illusion that Russia won a victory recently.
The west would never stop with efforts to conquer Russia.
The mentality of the ‘west’ seems to be descended from the mentality of Rome, and the core of that mentality seems to be a grinding ruthlessness that places real value on nothing but power. Like the cauldron-born, they keep coming until they conquer. Once they grasp they never let go. It is the true ‘banality of evil’.
I think that you are right.
But one day Russia will be left alone. After big war in Europe.
That war Russia is not going to lose.
“The promoters of these philosophical approaches, as I see it, are not just unaware of what our genetic code is all about, but are trying in every way to undermine it.”
This is an explanation/exposition in moderated form of:
1. “The United States of America” are social relations not restricted to a geographical area with Canada to the North and Mexico to the South.
2. “The United States of America” perceive correctly that the Russian Federation poses an existential threat to “The United States of America”.
3. “The United States of America” perceive that the Russian Federation is not the “Soviet Union” which did not pose an existential threat to “The United States of America”.
4. “The United States of America” that unlike the “Soviet Union” the Russian Federation will not effect detente on the terms of “The United States of America”.
whilst some spectators are immersed in notions and degrees of apprehension fear which form the bases of some of Mr. Kiselev’s initial questions including :
“Dmitry Kiselev: Our relations with the United States are really “hell”. Personally, I don’t recall them being at such a low ebb ever before. This is even worse than the Cold War times, in my opinion. Ambassadors have returned back to their home countries. What’s going to happen next? What is the possible scenario? “
“Dmitry Kiselev: Would it be realistic to expect them to become aware of this and stop acting as a sovereign? Hope is fine, but the reality is completely different. “
“Dmitry Kiselev: And what if they refuse? “
“Dmitry Kiselev: Are you counting on a meeting with Antony Blinken? When can this meeting be held, and will it take place at all in the foreseeable future? “
“Dmitry Kiselev: Is there any certainty as to who will definitely join the list of unfriendly states? “
“Dmitry Kiselev: Many people are wondering why Russia fails to recognise Donbass. It did recognise Abkhazia and South Ossetia. There is an inner “lobby” in Russia, even among my fellow journalists, who are demanding that we recognise Donbass – the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Lugansk People’s Republic. Why are we failing in this? “
“Dmitry Kiselev: President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky cannot get a call through to President of Russia Vladimir Putin, who is not picking up the receiver. Your Ukrainian counterpart, Dmitry Kuleba, cannot get a call through to you. What does this mean? Why is this? “
“Dmitry Kiselev: There is no reply or acceptance so far, is there? “
“Dmitry Kiselev: Another subject is the Czech Republic. What was it? How are we to understand it? “
which some in “The United States of America” may choose to view as opportunities, whilst some will believe that Mr. Kiselev is “an enemy of the people”.
“Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s interview with Director General of Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency Dmitry Kiselev Moscow”
Some immersed in sports metaphors including volleyball think some do the set-ups and some the strikes.
An example of both do the set-ups and both do the strikes, since co-operation is wiser in many activities including rolling away stones.
Russia and the US may be at odds, but I’m not trusting what either of them is saying. I was stupid enough to think that Russia wasn’t interested in The Great Reset, but after reading the following stories I think we’re all being played.
https://unlimitedhangout.com/2021/04/investigative-reports/wef-warns-of-cyber-attack-leading-to-systemic-collapse-of-the-global-financial-system/
https://unlimitedhangout.com/2021/02/investigative-reports/from-event-201-to-cyber-polygon-the-wefs-simulation-of-a-coming-cyber-pandemic/
On May 7 Sergey #Lavrov will participate online in #UN Security Council meeting on maintaining multilateral and @UN -centric system of international relations. The participants will discuss ways to promote international cooperation on the key global issues.
I wonder if anything can be added to the above….and what will be said. Hope there is a follow up. Could be interesting.
Just when you think Lavrov has hit it out of the park and there is no more good stuff coming, he delivers another grand slam:
Lavrov on new accusations against Russia: “It’s good that we haven’t killed Archduke Ferdinand yet”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov commented on the statements of the Bulgarian authorities about the involvement of Russians in explosions at arms depots in the country.
“It’s a good thing that we haven’t killed Archduke Ferdinand yet, but it looks like this is coming,” the minister joked at a press conference following talks with Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard.
He also advised Brussels to look into the attitude of private entrepreneurs to ammunition depots in the Czech Republic and Bulgaria.
“I can assume that the European Union should take care of the situation in both the Czech Republic and Bulgaria. A situation that is related to the fact that some private entrepreneurs are involved in the arms trade, the storage of weapons and ammunition. The European Union should still answer the question that we asked, which is how much the European Union controls the fulfillment by its members of their obligations under various documents in the field of arms trade, ” TASS quoted Lavrov as saying.
The Russian Foreign Minister noted that the time frame from 2011 to 2020, in which Bulgaria accuses Russian citizens of organizing four explosions at the country’s weapons factories, creates the feeling that Sofia has decided to surpass Prague in its accusations.
“The time frame itself-over the past 10 years, it turns out-either the Bulgarian side did not know anything and only now, after the Czech Republic realized about the events of 2014, decided to surpass the Czechs and look much deeper into the historical retrospective. Or they knew all this time what was happening, but for some reason did not make it public,” the minister added.
Earlier it was reported that the Bulgarian prosecutor’s office suspects six Russians of organizing four explosions at the country’s weapons factories between 2011 and 2020, where products belonging to Bulgarian merchant Emilian Gebrev were stored. According to the prosecutor’s office, the attempt on the arms dealer was made in the period from April 28 to May 4, 2015.
Initially, Prague accused Moscow of involvement in the incidents at the arms depots. Czech authorities have said that Russian special services staged an explosion at an ammunition depot in Vrbetice in 2014, and expelled employees of the embassy in Prague. This provoked retaliatory actions on the part of Russia, which later resulted in a diplomatic scandal. At the same time, Moscow called Prague’s accusations a “senile parade”.
Russians Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, suspected in the UK of an attempt on the life of the family of ex-intelligence officer Sergei Skripal, are linked by the Czech side to the explosion at an ammunition depot in the village of Vrbetice on October 16, 2014, which killed two people.
Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife Sofia Hohenberg were shot dead in Sarajevo in 1914 by Serbian high school student Gavrilo Princip, who was part of a terrorist group. This murder was the reason for the outbreak of the First World War.
Source: https://cont.ws/@sensei/1978663
The real saboteurs were not Petrov and Boshirov but these two nefarious and well known Russian spies who always deny their involvement in any acts of espionage. Here we see them being deported back to Moscow where they belong!
See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoeHDeQiMuE
Goodbye and good riddance Boris Badenov and his accomplice Natasha Fatale
Franz Ferdinand assassination was just an excuse for Austria to attack Serbia.
Austria-Hungarian empire wanted war for long time to eliminate Serbian independence.
As a only South Slavic independent state, Serbia was example for other South Slavs and it was then strong political movement for uniting with Serbia and MonteNegro in South Slavic regions that were under Austrian rule.
And that was big problem for A-H Empire.
Austria attacked, world war started and that war costed A-H Empire dearly. Empire ceased to exist.
That A-H fate should be huge warning to West.
But the West is bad student.
RE Bosnian Croat on April 29, 2021 · at 11:07 pm EST/EDT
“But the West is bad student.”
The “bad student” is he/she who projects precedents in order to avoid testing hypotheses since he/she have neither the facilitity nor opportunity to test hypotheses through implementation, thereby remaining students/spectators.
The “bad student” is he/she who attempts to deny time and lateral interactions, thereby remaining students/spectators.
The “bad student” is he/she who overestimates his/her abilities and significance limiting facilities in evaluation including self-evaluation, thereby remaining students/spectators.
The “bad student” is he/she who does not embrace doubt, but resorts to belief to bridge doubt to attain certainty, thereby remaining students/spectators.
The “bad student” is he/she who conflates correlation with causation.
The “bad student” is not restricted to the “West” – a construct conflating a spatial relationship of direction in an almost spherical environment with a specific collection of political geographic entities and/or a specific collection of social relations – but he/she to resorts to such conflations and consequently becomes lost. .
The “informed student” is he/she who understands that opponents are often “bad students” and this is an opportunity to facilitate the “informed student”‘s purpose through appearing to enter the “bad student”‘s perceptual universe by constructs such as
“Collective West is living in fantasy land”
of which “bad students” will offer sole interpretation – “their own”.
Please share a few crisis in the international arena that Russia has completely resolved in the last decade. Its conflicts are mainly frozen with unimplemented agreements (Minsk–Ukraine, Astana–Syria,…).
Also, JCPOA agreement appears to be flawed, as it should have incorporated a clause that nullified the agreement if any party walks away from it.
In the dollar payment realm, Russia still conducts 40-50% of transactions in the US$. Its de-dollarization process has been very slow. Also, it is moving from Financial Empire’s prevalent currency (US$) to another (Euros). Why not trade with China in Yuans and Rubles? Also, Putin can issue an executive order whereby the payments in all contracts is changed to Rubles or respective national currencies. Instead Russian companies are now modifying contracts away from the dollar.
It seems like in Russia’s gas transit agreement with Ukraine, its payment to Ukraine are in US$. Imagine if those payments were in Rubles then it would have significant leverage over Ukraine. Why did Russia have this dollar dependency?
“Also, JCPOA agreement appears to be flawed, as it should have incorporated a clause that nullified the agreement if any party walks away from it. ”
Wouldn’t that clause be totally redundant? In the world I inhabit if you renege on an agreement the agreement no longer stands and the other party is free to behave as if the agreement never existed, if they so choose.
Any other state of affairs is not an agreement, it is bullying.
@eagle eye,
The structure of two and multi parties agreements are different. The crux of my comment is that Russian diplomats haven’t shown creativity in structuring agreements and successfully resolving conflicts completely.
§Why did Russia have this dollar dependency?
Bretton Woods.
Every country has a US$$$ dependency.
It is how the global monetary system was set up post WW2.
which is why the US was/is the wealthiest country globally.
But in recent years the US has chosen to “weaponise” its $$$.
The more it does so, the more it the effect will be like killing the goose that laid golden eggs.
@White Whale,
Nixon ended Bretton Woods System in 1971.
Russia’s new monetary system was put in place around 1991. In 2006, I came across an article from Russia complaining about the dollar system. In 2010, Vladimir Putin gave a speech calling the “United States a parasite on the global economy.”
China introduced CIPS and Union Pay way earlier than Russia. In some place in the United States they accept Union Pay cards and not Amex.
We will see how much worth is the loot and what are the liabilities. Change is coming…
https://www.zeit-fragen.ch/en/archives/2021/no-9-28-april-2021/when-they-are-at-their-wits-end-they-make-war.html
I have raised that same question at the 27 April MFC and have yet to receive a response. Anyone?
The present composition of Russia’s foreign currency holdings is 35% US$, 35% Euros, 10% British Pound,15% Renminbi and 5% Yen.
Why such large holdings of British Pound? What does Russia trade with the UK? The share of US dollar and euro decreased from 45% to 35%. One can understand that its holdings of currencies is driven by its trade with respective regions.
It appears that Russia is moving in the direction of Eurasia and increasing its holdings of Asian currencies. However, this is at a slower rate.
There are some pretty little gems in there. For example:
“…Russian journalists and war correspondents working on the other side of the demarcation line show an objective picture. They work in trenches there almost without respite, and they provide daily news reports. These reports show the feelings of the people living in these territories that are cut off from the rest of Ukraine by an economic blockade, where children and civilians are being regularly killed, and where the civilian infrastructure, schools and kindergartens are being destroyed. I asked our Western colleagues why they don’t encourage their media outlets to organize the same work on the left side of the demarcation line, so that the scale of damage there can be assessed and to see which facilities have been the hardest hit.”
I rather suspect that there are no civilian casualties “on the left side of the demarcation line” at all; Sergey Viktorovich is probably making that point without saying it directly.
In general, when it is a question of overwhelming numbers of civilian casualties on one side, and that side is “the enemy” of the Western regimes, then we generally get an attempt to muddy the waters by making reference to casualties “in general” and thereby disguise the fact that “our” side is doing most of the killing.
fyi – Kennedy’s quote is not exact. The original is a little crisper:
“Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.”
That’s probably the result of translating from English to Russian and then back to English again.
A bit of news that as a good description how much is Russia hated outside its borders.
Czechs protest pro-Russian president, accuse him of treason
Thousands of Czechs have rallied in the capital against President Milos Zeman, accusing him of treason for his pro-Russian stance over the alleged participation of Russian spies in a huge 2014 ammunition explosion
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/czechs-protest-pro-russian-president-accuse-treason-77401138
This video bellow is a Russian film “White tiger”. on 1:32 there is a good explanation about this and about things yet to come.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiGDJ5-dXaI
Czechs, Slovaks, Ukrainians, Poles, they would rather die then take Sputnik V.
Any cooperation with Russia is unthinkable in Eastern Europe.
I think the Europeans have bigger issues to worry about than Sputnik V.
The EU courts have ruled in favour of forced vaccinations with their dodgy mRNA vaccines.
https://www.dw.com/en/echr-rules-obligatory-vaccination-may-be-necessary/a-57128443
But don’t let that distract you from marching and shaking your fists at those “evil Russians”..
Seriously lmao!
@ChC Morris says its the same shit: Oligarchs, large business groups fighting about the global cake.
Bank of England is investing in “green projects” in Caucasus. China in the Board of BIS. China bank and JP Morgan partner invest in Ukraine. Putin in his national speech lately mention the grave problem of Clima Change, investments in environmental CO2 clean energy, E-money.
As you write, we dont really see Russia stand up for the true narrative either. So, the old “follow the money” applies. But the approach is still many times better than the lunatics. But we will see it in a two month time.
@Serbian girl
Pls dont confuse the subject. ECHR ruled that for decades well proven vaccines could be enforced on children; measles, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B.
Covid-19 is not a vaccine in legal terms, its not officially approved, only approved for emergency use.
Not saying we will not see apartheid and enforcement in ways along the developments, just that there up to now is a clear difference between the old vaccines and the new one.
Czechs, Slovaks, Ukrainians, Poles, they would rather die then take Sputnik V.
Any cooperation with Russia is unthinkable in Eastern Europe.
¿Why is it? Due to western propaganda? Due to soviet time? I guess the second one. Only a guess.
It is both. They are not allowed to see or hear any good news about the new Russia. Russia was also a victim of Communism. It was one of the 15 republics.
We in the west get no good news about Russia in our “free” MSM. The new West in Eastern Europe gets the same western “free” MSM.
Russians are allowed to see and hear the western “free” MSM and the Russian press. They notice a difference in the two. The western “free” press is not so free anymore. The “unfree” type of thinking went west, it left the east. The eastern Europeans have not figured that out yet.
Things change. Deception works so well on people who are only allowed “one” viewpoint.
Somebody force them to take Sputnik V?
I can understand that they hate Russia
But why they want and need conflict and war with Russia …they want war for any price.
Cannot they live in peace with Russia?
We as a people were opressed by Ottoman Turks for 415 years.
So what are we supposed to do, to lose our minds by hating Turks and to go to eternal war with Turks.
Those East Europeans are idiots.
Very often I think now, that Russians made mistake by liberating East Europe from Germans.
Maybe…maybe, they were supposed to make separate peace deal with Germans after kicking them out of USSR teritorries.
And to leave Poles, Czechs, Slovaks and others to deal with Hitler by themselves.
And to wait Americans and Brits to liberate them.
Germans would turn all their elite armies from Russia toward Western front.
It would be interesting to see Normandy invasion in such circumstances.
Of course it would never happen.
And Russia would save hundreds of thousands of their soldiers who died … died for liberation of East Europe.
Died for NOTHING. Less than nothing.
RE: “Bosnian Croat on April 29, 2021 · at 10:56 pm EST/EDT
” that Russians made mistake by liberating East Europe from Germans.”
Some are immersed in illusions of sole agency of irreplaceable “geniuses” including in respect of Mr. Putin, Mr. Stalin and Mr. Zhukov and thereby blinded to the activities of collectives.
Among the major weaknesses of “The Bolshevik Project” known to some as “The Soviet Union” was democratic centralism which had been Bolshevik practice since the 1903 conference in London – Mr. Lenin’s “What is to be done” refers.
Resort to this practice contributed to the strategic over-extension of the counter-offensive during the Battle of Moscow in late 1941/early 1942.
In November 1941 Stavka as a collective discussed the matter.
Some strategic planners posed questions of whether or not they should restrict efforts defeating “Axis forces, their social relations and derived ideologies” after kicking them out of USSR teritorries as defined in August 1939, which also informed the planning of Operation Bagration in 1944.
Since Stavka understood by October 1941 after the Battle of Kiev, that the purpose of the “Axis forces, their social relations and derived ideologies” was the death and enslavement of any remnants of Russian/Slavic/Central Asian civilisations after discussion they decided that it was necessary to secure the unconditional surrender of ” “Axis forces, their social relations and derived ideologies” , but placed the tactics to achieve this under constant review, including the interactions of populations in Eastern Europe.
Prior to September 1941 the strategy of the “Soviet Union” included aspects of attempting to differentiate between the soldiers and the Greater National Socialist state.
In some degree this attempt at differentiation was resurrected from November 1942.
“who died … died for liberation of East Europe.”
The “liberation” of East Europe was a consequence/contingency not a prime purpose, a consequence which the “Soviet Union sought to rectify by offering the “Allies” options including the re-unification of Germany and the reconstitution of Austria in its 1937 borders. The “Allies” refused in respect of Germany the consequences of which facilitated the reconstitution of Austria in its 1937 borders.
The Red Army had support from various citizens of East European countries who lived and some died for the “liberation” of East Europe.
The Red Army had support from various citizens of Central and Western Europe who lived and some died for the “liberation” of Europe.
Some citizens of the Soviet Union lived and died for the “Soviet Union”.
Many citizens of the Soviet Union lived and died for Russian/Slavic/Central Asian civilisations, their fellow soldiers, their families and friends, which was finally acknowledged and celebrated by “dignatories” joining others holding placquards in celebration of their relatives.
“Died for NOTHING. Less than nothing.”
You are mistaken.
In one paragraph of the translated transcript, the logic goes awry:
… the country’s authorities were like a tiny pooch barking at a huge dog, hoping that the big boys (the United States and Britain) would throw their weight behind them. Do you remember a time from your childhood when local bullies waited until dusk to demand 15 kopeks from a smaller kid, and if he refused they summoned the “big boys.”
Is this due to the transcriber or the translator, or did Lavrov really say such?
Lavrov has said this before, in other interviews, ircc.
America once had such a man. He is now vilified almost on par with Vladimir Putin.
Here is a wondrously instructive quotation from Lee about acting as a gentleman:
“The forbearing use of power does not only form a touchstone, but the manner in which an individual enjoys certain advantages over others is a test of a true gentleman. The power which the strong have over the weak, the employer over the employed, the educated over the unlettered, the experienced over the confiding, even the clever over the silly — the forbearing or inoffensive use of all this power or authority, or a total abstinence from it when the case admits it, will show the gentleman in a plain light. The gentleman does not needlessly and unnecessarily remind an offender of a wrong he may have committed against him. He can not only forgive, he can forget; and he strives for that nobleness of self and mildness of character which impart sufficient strength to let the past be but the past. A true man of honor feels humbled himself when he cannot help humbling others.” You can read the whole article, “Robert E. Lee: The Believer” here on the Abbeville Institute
Thank you Davi for this gem from General Robert E. Lee. This quote was an immense inspiration to me.
David
Russia will live in peace when Russian Army get to Atlantic Coast.
Then, the West will leave Russia to live normally.
If you want to know EXACTLY what the US Elite think about the world, read the following testimony/report given by the Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in August 2018. It is entitled “U.S. Strategy Towards the Russian Federation”.
https://www.foreign.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/082118_Mitchell_Testimony.pdf
And if you want to truly understand the meanings of the words “irony” and “hypocrisy”, watch JFK’s so-called “Pax Americana” speech at American University in 1963, just a few months before his murder by the CIA in Dallas.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fkKnfk4k40
Take careful note of what Kennedy says beginning at 9:17. Here’s a transcript of that IMO most important part:
“Second: Let us reexamine our attitude toward the Soviet Union. It is discouraging to think that their leaders may actually believe what their propagandists write. It is discouraging to read a recent authoritative Soviet text on Military Strategy and find, on page after page, wholly baseless and incredible claims–such as the allegation that ‘American imperialist circles are preparing to unleash different types of wars . . . that there is a very real threat of a preventive war being unleashed by American imperialists against the Soviet Union . . . [and that] the political aims of the American imperialists are to enslave economically and politically the European and other capitalist countries . . . [and] to achieve world domination . . . by means of aggressive wars.’
Truly, as it was written long ago: ‘The wicked flee when no man pursueth.’ Yet it is sad to read these Soviet statements–to realize the extent of the gulf between us. But it is also a warning–a warning to the American people not to fall into the same trap as the Soviets, not to see only a distorted and desperate view of the other side, not to see conflict as inevitable, accommodation as impossible, and communication as nothing more than an exchange of threats……”
Now that we have the 20/20 hindsight of a decent understanding of history, compare what the US Elite said through their mouthpiece, the Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, to their Congressional slaves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in August 2018, to what JFK said about Soviet “propaganda” in his speech at American University in 1963.
Ishka B, I do not understand in what way this quote by Kennedy presented a distorted and desperate view [from the USSR] of the other side [the U$A]. Surely the past 60 years have confirmed the accuracy of the USSR’s allegations against the U$A:
‘American imperialist circles are preparing to unleash different types of wars . . . there is a very real threat of a preventive war being unleashed by American imperialists against the Soviet Union . . . the political aims of the American imperialists are to enslave economically and politically the European and other capitalist countries . . . to achieve world domination . . . by means of aggressive wars.’
Dear Dr. NG Maroudas,
In his interview, Mr. Lavrov said the following.
“You know, this is a narrow, lopsided view taken entirely from the standpoint of creature comforts, a choice between a television set and a fridge. If they think it essential to accept US values, I would like to remind them about what US President John Kennedy, the greatest US President to my mind, once said: “Don’t think what your country can do for you. Think what you can do for your country.” This is a radical distinction from today’s liberal views, where personal wellbeing and personal feelings alone are the things that matter.”
When I read the above, I thought to myself, why would he select Kennedy? So I endeavored to answer my own question in a necessarily historical context. (Note the time-compression of Kennedy’s life.)
Kennedy was born on May 29, 1917. He graduated from one of the US-Elite-Training-Schools called “Harvard University” in 1940, at the age of around 23.
Kennedy participated in combat activity during so-called WWII (after which the so-called Berlin Crisis, Korean War, Cold War and the French/US’s SE Asian genocide ensued).
Kennedy’s family got him elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1947, at the age of around 30.
Kennedy was elected to the U.S Senate in 1953, at the age of around 36.
Kennedy was elected POTUS on November 8, 1960 and took the oath of office on January 20,1961 — both of these events with Kennedy at the age of 43.
In April 1961, a mere 3 months after taking the oath of office, the still-only-43-year-old “Kennedy” authorized/ordered the Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba – at the time an island nation of only 7.3 million people – which failed to overthrow the new revolutionary government of Mr. Fidel Castro.
Kennedy delivered his Pax Americana speech on June 10, 1963 at the age of 46 (while he was still authorizing terrorist operations in Cuba).
After a period of serious superpower tension around the Cuba situation and some serious secret negotiations between the US and the USSR, a Treaty Banning Nuclear Weapon Tests in the Atmosphere, in Outer Space and Under Water, which prohibited all test detonations of nuclear weapons except for those conducted underground, was signed by the governments of the USSR, UK, and the US in Moscow on August 5, 1963 (only two months after the Pax Americana speech). The treaty formally went into effect on October 10, 1963.
Kennedy was murdered by the CIA on November 22, 1963 – one month and 12 days after the Test Ban Treaty went into effect – when Kennedy’s splattered brain had had 46 years of aging in a carefully controlled political atmosphere.
I believe that Mr. Lavrov selected Mr. Kennedy as best POTUS simply because during his time Kennedy chose peace rather than all-out nuclear war – a war which the CIA at that time believed, and probably rightly so, that the US Elite could “win” (with perhaps only a few tens of millions of US citizens as casualties of war).
Finally, Dr. NG Maroudas,
Kennedy said during his Pax Americana speech, ”It is discouraging to think that their leaders may actually believe what their propagandists write.” Then he goes on to say what the Soviet analysts and leaders and propagandists are telling the world about what the US Imperialists intend to do in the future. Quite obviously, as you point out, history has proven that what those Soviet analysts said about the future behavior of the Imperialists was exactly CORRECT.
The ultimate irony that I referred to is that Kennedy himself, at the exact moment he said it, literally could not “realize” the fact that what those Soviet military analysts said was in fact an accurate description of the future behavior of his own “government”! The statement I just quoted proves that that was the case; otherwise, why say it? If Kennedy knew that what those evil Soviet analysts had said was accurate (a long-term plan that I believe the CIA knew at that time to be accurate), Kennedy never would have said it, because that “plan” would have been a state secret, ESPECIALLY from the members of the US Bewildered Herd, who were then (just like today) brought up to believe that the US was (is) a “peace loving” nation!
Even as POTUS, Kennedy either was not told, or did not realize (more accurately, was, because of his severely limited education, literally incapable of realizing) that the “ship” that he was supposedly in command of, was headed directly on the course (on capitalist auto-pilot) that the Soviet analysts had so accurately described.
While I’m typing, I could not help but notice that what Mr. Lavrov paraphrased of part of one of Kennedy’s more famous speeches is not quite correct. Kennedy said “Ask not”, etc. and “Ask what”, etc., not “Don’t think…..” and “Think what…”. But I’m actually glad that Mr. Lavrov said what he said because it gives me the opportunity to write the following amended version of what Kennedy’s speech-writer actually meant (but Kennedy, again, because of his education, couldn’t realize what he was actually saying).
“Ask not what your country can do for you (because nobody’s listening). Ask what you can do for your country (like kill people in Cuba or SE Asia for the cause of US Capitalist Imperialism).”
Sorry I screwed up the bold symbols. There should be an end-bold at the end of the first Lavrov quote.
The Anglo-Saxon nations (like the Britain, America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand) specialize in deception, manipulation, and sowing division. Those characteristics are fundamental to their national identities.
As such, they cannot be trusted.
Even Sergey Lavrov is dispensing with diplomatic niceties and calling out Perfidious Albion for what it is.
Lavrov Calls Out Perfidious Albion in EU Diplomat Spat
https://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2021/04/28/lavrov-calls-out-perfidious-albion-in-eu-diplomat-spat/
Two Russian giants. Therefore the interview was a little disappointing. Cooked down to:
“The American-Russian Chamber of Commerce are concerned with expanding their business cooperation”.
The rest is pussy footing although Kiselev try hard to confront Lavrov .
Russia Says US Policy Dangerous, Leading to 2nd Cuban Missile Crisis. Excellent analysis on very long Medvedev statement.
https://youtu.be/vqqiBDwKsIQ
Blinken Goes To Ukraine With A Tough Message For Zelensky
https://youtu.be/LVYoCvAgHyw
Who the hell this psychopath believes he is?
Blinken to call for Nord Stream 2 project closure at meeting with German counterpart
Washington openly opposes the Nord Stream 2 construction
https://tass.com/economy/1285701
Let’s see if Merkel is ready to sell out her country?
Blinken Ukraine must enter NATO.
Ukraine Can Work to Meet Standards to Become NATO Member, State Dept Says
https://sptnkne.ws/GfhF
Odessa
https://sputniknews.com/world/202105011082775835-us-activists-proclaim-may-2-to-be-international-day-of-solidarity-with-odessa/
Putin up at 65%(+ 3) in levada(US asset)
But not good for the govt: 49 ok and 48 ko
Navalny still at 4%.
Libs at 2 or 1 %.
Putin signed a law banning civil servants from holding a second citizenship or residence permit abroad.
With their operation Barbarossa 2.0 along the Russian border Western elites have confirmed that humanity will always make the same mistakes, imperialism and greed are more important than the well being of the people.
U.S. Embassy Moscow will cut staff by 75% from May 12.
Evacuation before war?
It’s time for the Russian bear to show its teeth and claws. And the notorious red lines should remain from these claws on the body of Russia’s enemies.
It may seem to you that I am calling Russia to war. This is not true. I am saying that the goodwill shown by Russia, which is perceived by the West as Russia’s weakness, is a direct path to an inevitable war. Only strong actions and not threatening words can have an impact.
Czech Rep asked Nato to activate art 5(no news from Bulgaria).
Diplomatic relations with both UE and NATO are now de facto terminated.
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine registered bill N5419, officially prohibiting the supply of water to the Crimean peninsula from the Dnieper through the North Crimean Canal.
Sadly I agree with you. US/NATO is determined to have confrontation – to force Russia into submission. This cannot and should not be resolved by Russia actually submitting. The only option for Russia is to resist the pressure. Non-military if possible, but military if necessary.
The US Embassy in Moscow called on American citizens to urgently leave Russia and all but “closed” consular services. America made similar moves before attacks on Yugoslavia, Libya, Iraq …
THE UNOFFICIAL TOP TEN
RUSSIAN “UNFRIENDLY COUNTRIES”
BLACKLIST
It’s not fully confirmed by Maria – at least not yet – but THIS is the Top Ten, according to Izvestia:
1. undisputed champion U.S.A.
2. U.K.
3. Canada
4. Poland
5. Ukraine
6. Czech republic
7. Estonia
8. Latvia
9. Lithuania
10. Australia
As a Canadian, I have to say that I’m grateful that Canada is on this list for one reason, and one reason only. If the US and UK are on it (which they have to be), and Canada is not, we will be under unending pressure to smuggle in their assets/agents whatever through our embassies. It will not be representatives of Canada who will be staffing our embassies, but we’ll have to take the fall for it. (Not that that has happened a thousand times before or anything.) Let some other country be the pack mule.
On the list, off the list, little punks always hide behind the tail of the bully’s trenchcoat.
They went to the Kush
Shove came to Push
Home they all came,
Tail ‘tween the Tush
Cheers, M
Looks to me like a top ten list of punk countries when it comes to a fight at equal weight. Except Uncle $cam, who has never been beaten in equal combat because The Man from Uncle never takes part in equal combat.
Just in:
I warmly congratulate Victoria Nuland on her appointment as U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs.
Victoria Nuland is the prominent American diplomat. She is a true friend of Ukraine.
Many successes and victories, Toria! May every good intention come true!
Arseniy Yatsenyuk
Here is an excellent explanation of what is going on. The USA is compelled to concentrate of China. The USA is over-extended in Europe. We are going back to “spheres of influence”. Gradually, Ukraine will be forced to respect the Minsk Agreement. Poland, the Baltic States, Georgia, Armenia, Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria and so on will find that the Americans have lost interest. There will be lots of cries of anguish by the despots of these places. :)
“Blinken Goes To Ukraine With A Tough Message For Zelensky”
https://theduran.com/blinken-goes-to-ukraine-with-a-tough-message-for-zelensky/
RE: Alfred (Cairns) on May 01, 2021 · at 3:07 am EST/EDT
“We are going back to “spheres of influence”.
The opponents have always hoped that the fallback is Oceania, as Mr. Orwell understood in large part due to his first wife Eileen whom for a period was employed within the “British intelligence” nexus of censorship.
In the period from 1969 until 1974 in parallel with tactics of Mr. Nixon, Mr. Kissinger and their associates including but not limited to leaving the gold standard and opening to China was branded as detente interpreted by some as “going back to “spheres of influence” as was the case between November 1956 and August 1964.
Some in the “Soviet Union” advised the Politburo of the dangers of detente but the Politburo decided to base strategy on precedent and over-estimation of their own agency/facility, whilst some others in the Soviet Union and elsewhere perceived the “dangers of detente” to also be opportunities to accelerate the lateral process of the transcendence of the “Soviet Union”, whilst a smaller sum of some also perceived as opportunities to accelerate the lateral process of the transcendence of “The United States of America”.
The words of the song by Carole King namely “I think I’m going back ….” should be rendered as “I believe I’m going back ……” since the Russian Federation is not the “Soviet Union” but a contemporary relationship to transcend it and “The United States of America” obscured by the opponents’ resort to short evaluation horizons and other reflexes of attempts to deny time.
As Mr. Donne observed – Time and tide wait for no man”.