For Ukraine issues, we can still use the latest sitrep here.

Please use this as open thread for all other issues pertinent to the Saker Blog.

A few latest happenings and statements:

Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui:  “We must put an end once and for all to the hegemony of the United States, with its eternal desire to interfere in the affairs of sovereign states”

The following is non-trivial and has been widely reported:  Wu Qian, the spokesperson of the Information Bureau of the Ministry of National Defense of the People’s Republic of China, quoted defense minister Wei Fenghe saying “If anyone dares to split Taiwan from China, the Chinese army will definitely not hesitate to start a war no matter the cost,” during a meeting with Lloyd Austin.   https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/china-will-not-hesitate-to-start-war-over-taiwan—mod

Medvedev:  “Russia’s achievement of the goals of the special operation in Ukraine should lead to the creation of a new non US centric system of international security.”

Lavrov: “The more long-range weapons supplied by the West to Ukraine, the further Moscow will move the line of threat from Neo-Nazis to the Russian Federation.”

Putin: “I would like to begin by saying the following. We live in an era of change; this is obvious to everyone; everyone understands and sees this. Geopolitical, scientific and technological transformations are happening. The world is changing, and it is doing so rapidly. In order to claim some kind of leadership – I am not even talking about global leadership, I mean leadership in any area – any country, any people, any ethnic group should ensure their sovereignty. Because there is no in-between, no intermediate state: either a country is sovereign, or it is a colony, no matter what the colonies are called.”  http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/68606

The China/Russia bridge linking the Russian city of Blagoveshchensk to the Chinese city of Heihe across the Amur River – known in China as Heilongjiang – was opened on Friday with a distance of just over one kilometer.  https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2022/06/11/683695/Russia,-China-open-cross-border-bridge-to-expand-ties-amid-hostile-US-vows

 

 

Finally, bye-bye G7 – Welcome to the Big 8

The group of eight countries not participating in the sanctions wars – China, India, Russia, Indonesia, Brazil, Mexico, Iran, Turkey – in terms of GDP at PPP is 24.4% ahead of the old group,” Volodin, Russian State Duma speaker.  https://www.rt.com/russia/556987-g8-volodin-bloc-us/

Use as open thread.