WW3? Ukraine/US vs. Donbass/Russia

**Bill Ryan** · 14th April 2022 10:21

Posted by Ravenlocke (here)

https://twitter.com/realGonzaloLira/...52688312049668

A little more about Viktor Medvedchuk. He featured extensively in Oliver Stone's 2019 follow-up documentary to his must-see 2014 Ukraine on Fire, titled Revealing Ukraine.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=jhu3lfgHhCI

Oliver Stone asked Vladimir Putin about his relationship with Medvedchuk. Putin said he was the godfather to Medvedchuk's daughter Daryna (because it was always an honor to be asked, and as a Christian he could hardly refuse), and told Stone: "I would not say that we are very close, but we know each other well."

Also featured in the film is Medvedchuk's wife, Oksana Marchenko, who has now asked Turkish President Erdogan for assistance in freeing her husband.

**Vangelo** · 14th April 2022 10:22

Posted by Tintin (here)
...

The U.S. Constitution assumes that society will govern itself when deciding the weight that should be put behind the words expressed by its citizens. Thus, in a nation that has outlawed slavery and racial discrimination, organizations like the Klu Klux Klan are allowed to demonstrate and give voice to their odious ideology.

America is a literal battlefield of ideas, and society is better for it. Giving voice to hateful thought allows society to rally against it and ultimately defeat it by confronting it and destroying it through the power of informed debate, discussion, and dialogue; censoring hateful speech does not defeat it, but rather drives it underground, where it can fester and grow in the alternative universe created because of censorship.

In many ways, my Twitter Wars represent a struggle for the future of America. If Twitter and other social media platforms are permitted to operate in a manner that does not reflect the ideals and values of the nation, and yet is permitted to mainstream itself so that the platform controls the manner in which the American people interact when it comes to consuming information and ideas, then the nation will lose touch with what it stands for, including the basic precepts of freedom of speech that define us as a people.

Mainstreaming censorship is never a good idea, and yet by giving Twitter a free hand to do just that, the American people are sowing the seeds of their own demise.

Scott Ritter's last few paragraphs (above) are foundational to the importance of free speech regardless of the country you live in. You can't have freedom without speech.

Mods, if you think this should be moved to another thread, please do so.

**Ravenlocke** · 14th April 2022 12:42

https://twitter.com/MapsUkraine/stat...59272633384962

More info,

https://twitter.com/porelmorro/statu...63576148729856

**Ravenlocke** · 14th April 2022 12:47

https://twitter.com/realGonzaloLira/...42046043942913

https://twitter.com/realGonzaloLira/...42937467719687

**Ravenlocke** · 14th April 2022 13:24

From investigative journalist George Webb

https://twitter.com/RealGeorgeWebb1/...80250859798529

I’m also including this “interesting” tweet to George in response to his tweet above. It’s questioning the incident of the Moskva flag ship.

https://twitter.com/FredericaIatti/s...28660623081475

However regarding the Moskva, Gleb Bazov has this to say,

https://twitter.com/NuestraIraSLG/st...92751169462275

**Ravenlocke** · 14th April 2022 13:54

This video from Vice News on YouTube, well worth a watch.

https://twitter.com/mrgubkin/status/1514426680772730881

**Tintin** · 14th April 2022 14:01

This is extraordinarily lengthy so to keep the focus relevant to the thread I won't post it in its entirety here. Maria Zakharova doesn't mince her words either

I've included some of the more interesting historical references she makes, as well as embolding certain passages.

-------------------------------------

13.04.2022 20:14
Briefing by MFA Spokesperson Maria Zakharova, Moscow, April 13, 2022

Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation
--------------------------------------------------------------------

On the situation in Ukraine

Exactly eight years ago, on April 13, 2014, the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine adopted a criminal decision "On urgent measures to overcome the terrorist threat and preserve the territorial integrity of Ukraine." It took effect the next day. Under the name "Anti-terrorist operation", a civil war of the Kiev regime began against the civilians of Donbass, who refused to accept the anti-constitutional coup d'état of neo-Nazi forces. All this happened in the total silence of the European Union "lambs".

For eight years, we have witnessed the war crimes of Kyiv and the indifference of the West to the tragedy of Donbass. In September 2014 and February 2015, the Ukrainian authorities signed "Minsk-1" and "Minsk-2" after a military defeat by the forces of the DPR and LHP. Our attempts to force Kyiv to fulfill its obligations were unsuccessful, incl. because of the position of the Western countries, which played their own game, carrying out the military development of the territory of Ukraine and turning it into a springboard against Russia. At the same time, hiding behind the words about a certain "involvement" in the political process of peace negotiations.

Having exhausted the diplomatic means of protecting the Donbass and ensuring its security, Russia was forced to launch a special military operation. The Russian armed forces are targeting military targets with precision-guided weapons and are doing everything they can to avoid civilian casualties.

The same cannot be said of the Ukrainian militias, whose barbaric methods of warfare horrify those who know about it. But how can one know about this if the leading world media of the Western world do not show the real picture, but form the public's perception, solely on the basis of the propaganda guidelines that Washington and NATO structures give them? The Ukrainian side places tanks and artillery in schools, kindergartens and hospitals. Firing points are equipped in residential buildings in order to hide behind the population as a "human shield".

April 8 this year Ukrainian formations attacked the railway station in Kramatorsk with a Tochka-U tactical missile. Dozens of civilians were killed, more than a hundred were injured. March 14 this year they hit Donetsk with the same rocket. Again, those who saw it remember, who were told by the media what the projectile was, from what territory it flew, how many people died in the end. The Western community saw a different picture. The tragedy of March 14 this year in Donetsk was presented as a result of the actions of the Russian armed forces. This completely contradicted reality. Then 17 people were killed and 36 people were injured. Where was the world community? They did not talk about civilian casualties, or about children, or about the elderly, or about civilians. Exactly the same as they haven't talked about it for eight years. April 5 and 9 this year in the city

Against this background, Western countries continue to pump up the Armed Forces of Ukraine with weapons, including obsolete Soviet-made models, the disposal of which is more expensive than the transfer to Ukraine. Terrible, cynical, criminal logic. Why would Western countries spend their own money if they can “package” it and send it to Ukraine so that the conflict never ends at all, and the number of victims is even greater. Well thought out. Then someone will have to answer for it.

The main "donor of death" - the United States - since the beginning of the special operation has supplied weapons worth more than $ 1.7 billion. This is only in the last month and a half. The European Union is confidently following - 1.5 billion euros. Among other suppliers of the Ukrainian Nazis are Great Britain, Germany, Canada, the Baltic countries, France, and the Czech Republic. This once again shows that the EU has ceased to be a purely economic association and is rapidly evolving towards a military-political entity. I would say degraded. And not because military-political formations are something bad, but because what NATO and the European Union are doing now is a crime. The supply of the regime, which for eight years has been hitting unarmed citizens, despite the fact that the conflict has "outgrown" the previously outlined frameworks and formats. Kindling, kindling and kindling.

To divert attention from its crimes, Kyiv uses fakes to show the alleged brutal treatment of civilians by the Russian military. Last week we analyzed in detail the staging in Bucha . Instead of sending forensic experts to this city, a landing force of journalists and European politicians landed there. They did not ask the question of the proportionality of what they were doing, they did not find anything better than to start taking pictures, giving interviews in the city center, where there was a criminal provocation of the Kiev regime, which they themselves created and armed. You ask yourself: is this the limit of cynicism, or can there be more "exploits" of the "collective West" in this direction? Yes, you can fall below what is happening now with the countries of the "collective West", primarily the United States and the NATO backyard.

It is noteworthy that the bodies that were cynically used in the staging in Bucha were not buried, so that five days later the EU leadership - U. von der Leyen and J. Borrell - could be photographed against their background. At least against the background of black packages. This is beyond even a staged stunt. There must be some limits. We are people. We live on the same planet. Something has to "jump" inside the hearts of Western politicians. Not everything can be cynically betrayed. Now Kyiv is preparing new productions in the settlement. Seredina-Buda and Nizhnyaya Syrovatka of the Sumy region, where Russian troops were previously located. We urge you not to succumb to these other provocations.

More and more blatant facts of illegal reprisals and abuse by Ukrainian militants against detained Russian military personnel are being revealed. In the West, they pretend not to notice the numerous videos on the Internet. We expect that the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and other organizations will insist that Kiev comply with the norms of international humanitarian law. According to my information, the Kyiv regime is doing everything to oppose the humanitarian mission of the ICRC.

We continue to seek the release and transfer of Russians held by Ukrainian forces. Recently, four employees of the Atomspetstrans company managed to return to their homeland, who delivered nuclear fuel to the Rovno NPP a month and a half ago and since then have been illegally detained by Kiev. We call on the IAEA and other international structures to give a legal assessment of such actions.

Yesterday, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the arrest of the leader of the Opposition Platform - For Life party, V.V. Medvedchuk, and his readiness to exchange him for Ukrainian servicemen. We consider this trend extremely dangerous, given that there are a lot of opposition-minded politicians and public figures in the country. Passed the use of such "tactics" in the 1990s. in the North Caucasus. Journalists, public and political figures, including foreign ones, were actively "invited" to the territory of the conflict, where militants and terrorists were operating. Then they were kidnapped and demanded a ransom. Their fate was different. This "tactic" is reminiscent of what is currently happening in Ukraine. The statements of the Kiev regime are similar to what our country went through in the North Caucasus in the 1990s.

For our part, we pay close attention to the humanitarian situation in Ukraine. Since the beginning of the special military operation in the DPR and LPR, as well as in the Kharkiv, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions of Ukraine, more than 13,000 tons of humanitarian goods have been delivered, including essentials, medicines and food.

The Russian Armed Forces open humanitarian corridors on a daily basis so that civilians can leave dangerous areas. Since the start of the operation, more than 740,000 people have left for our country, including 140,000 children. A sea corridor has been opened for the exit of foreign vessels blocked in the ports of Ukraine. However, Kyiv refuses to give civilians the opportunity to exit towards Russia and keeps foreign ships and crews. There are now 76 such courts out of 18 countries.

Russian-Ukrainian negotiations continue on an agreement on the settlement of the situation in Ukraine. They are conducted online. On the agenda are the issues of the neutral, non-bloc and non-nuclear status of Ukraine, its demilitarization and denazification, the restoration of the status of the Russian language, the recognition of territorial realities, including the Russian ownership of Crimea and the independence of the DPR and LPR. Unfortunately, the Ukrainian delegation, as it has been for seven years in the Contact Group and the Normandy format, is directing its efforts not at reaching agreements, but at dragging out negotiations.

We know this "tactic". This led to February 2022. Each time during the negotiations, we saw how the Ukrainian side “throws the hell out”, invents the non-existent, rejects the real. The Ukrainian side called it "arrogant offensive diplomacy", which was supposed to lead the country "to success." Now we are all seeing this "success". Want to fix it, repeat? Then we must honestly tell our citizens that they are not going to go through negotiations. They are not interested.

They are satisfied with what their sponsors in the European Union said the other day. J. Borrell urged to solve not peacefully, but on the battlefield. Until now, the EU member states cannot understand - did he make a statement on their behalf? Did they agree in any way? Is it the collective position of the European Union or the personal opinion, aspirations, night dreams of J. Borrell? Maybe the third option is that his assistants and the environment are formed in such a way that “tweets” are published at the right time, which are not agreed with anyone, but are sent “from where it is necessary” and set up as the position of the EU. Member countries of the European Union, journalists, politicians tried to quickly clarify why J. Borrell called for wars, and not for peace. The participating states cannot understand: is this their position? Has anyone asked them about this?

In conclusion, I would like to reiterate. No supplies of Western weapons to Kiev, terrorist methods of warfare by Ukrainian armed groups, intimidation, propaganda, fakes, disinformation, threats - nothing will prevent the fulfillment of the goals and objectives of the special military operation to liberate Donbass, demilitarize and denazify Ukraine and eliminate the threats to Russia that came from from its territory.

This has been repeatedly stated by the leadership of our country and the Russian Foreign Ministry.

On the discussion in the OSCE of the rocket attack on Kramatorsk by the Ukrainian side

On April 8 this year, on the day of yet another barbaric crime committed by Ukrainian armed forces against the civilian population – the rocket attack on the railway station square in Kramatorsk – the Russian side on its own initiative requested the Polish OSCE Chairmanship-in-Office to hold a special meeting of the Permanent Council. We proposed to discuss the topic in a purely factual manner and under the neutral title of the agenda item, so that all participating States have the opportunity to freely express their point of view on what happened, to understand what really happened. They offered to talk about specifics, without pre-politicized and polarized approaches.

However, the chairmanship at first shied away, and then, citing a similar request from the Ukrainian delegation, convened the Permanent Council with an openly confrontational formulation “about the ongoing Russian aggression against Ukraine.” Doesn't it remind you of anything? A week ago, the United Kingdom, which presides over the UN Security Council, "performed" the same thing. Russia convened the UN Security Council on Bucha. We were denied twice. Then it was said that the program already includes a meeting on Ukraine, and we will hold it. Without "your emergency". You know what happened next.

The same tactic. Countries follow the same logic. This is important to understand. They are not concerned about the question of what really happened there, what data, facts, information "on the ground" are. They are interested in the implementation of the course and approach, formed in advance - not yesterday, not a month ago, but for eight long years.

Thus, the mandate of the chairmanship was again grossly violated, requiring Warsaw to perform the functions of an “honest broker” - not taking a pre-engaged position, but performing presiding functions (logistics, support, organization, etc.). Instead, Poland continued with great zeal to promote the position of Ukraine and its Western patrons.

The meeting of the OSCE decision-making body on a serious issue was turned into an anti-Russian show that has already become a “tradition”. We have presented objective data, incl. the facts established by foreign (I emphasize, not Russian) journalists of the use of the Tochka-U missile, which is in service with the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and not the Armed Forces of Russia. On the part of the Westerners, there is only a stream of unsubstantiated insinuations, emotions and insults, screams, swearing, etc.

There should be only one approach here - you need to give them time to “go crazy”. This is not even an attempt to return the situation to the mainstream of calm, normalization, negotiations. Exactly the opposite. They can't even articulate what they're accusing us of. unconscious flow. Because they don't really have anything to say. People break into shouting, rudeness and swearing when there are no arguments. And they are not. All this invented "story" crumbles before our eyes. Despite, that the “organism” of the media capabilities of the West is loaded with “military shells” towards Russia, each time a ricochet of lies, fakes hits them. Everything that they "charge" with.

Once again we are forced to acknowledge the toxic, Russophobic atmosphere in the OSCE. It is created on purpose. It is forced by the functionaries of the Organization headed by the Polish Chairmanship-in-Office. Nevertheless, we will continue to bring truthful information about what is happening in Ukraine on the Vienna site. Even if individual Westerners behave like in a wild circus during our report: they jump up from their seats, run out of the hall, shout and go to the buffet, fearing to find out the true state of affairs, which is offered to them in the form of speeches, information, data. I see this in Western journalists with whom I talk and give interviews. Answering the question, I try to show them the materials - they turn away. I have never seen such a thing. They wave their hands so that nothing is shown to them. As if afraid to touch the truth. Are afraid that suddenly for a second they will allow themselves to move away from a pre-formed position - all the “castles in the sand” will collapse. They will be face to face with the truth. Then it becomes scary.

We invite all those who are interested to regularly read the speeches of our Permanent Representative to the OSCE and other materials on the website of the Russian Foreign Ministry, in social media accounts. We answer questions, comment in detail, with all the invoice.

On the exclusion by Japan of the "Azov" battalion from the "Review of the situation in the field of international terrorism"

I saw a lot of things, but did not expect this from Japanese politicians. On the one hand, this is not surprising, given the anti-Russian intensity of the current leadership in Tokyo. At the same time, the cynicism with which they approached one of the important aspects of this story around Ukraine is surprising.

The Japanese side removed the mention of the Ukrainian nationalist battalion "Azov" from the national "Review of the situation in the field of international terrorism" for 2021. Japan has a list of terrorist organizations or atrocities committed by them. It was published based on information received over the past year. Factual data collected by Japanese researchers (diplomats, international affairs, journalists). Now they have made a withdrawal. But this is not the worst.

Japanese experts apologized for the fact that they dared to include this formation in the mentioned list of terrorist organizations. As if at one moment they forgot that "Azov" was repeatedly marked by bloody crimes in the Donbass. Official Tokyo has shown itself to be an accomplice of neo-Nazism.

Unfortunately, in the history of Japan, this is not the first time that the government of the country takes the side of inhuman regimes. Japan never learned the lesson from the alliance with fascist Germany and today, following the actions of its own military in World War II, it is ready to cover for its “ideological associates” in Ukraine, as F. Kishida’s administration emphasizes.

In Tokyo, apparently, they forgot how until recently the citizens of Japan were subjected to terrorist attacks in different regions of the world. At the same time, Russia has repeatedly provided active assistance in settling such incidents.

Whitewashing the terrorists and neo-Nazis, the Japanese side, first of all, damages their own security.

On the seizure by the Polish authorities of the object of Russian diplomatic property in Warsaw

The Polish authorities seized Russian diplomatic real estate in Warsaw on the street. Sobieski 100. These are illegal actions.

We would like to remind you that the site for the construction of this facility was provided in accordance with the intergovernmental agreement of December 27, 1974. The building was built by the Soviet side on legal grounds, at its own expense and is the diplomatic property of the Russian Federation. Thus, the actions of the Polish side are a flagrant violation of international law, including both the bilateral intergovernmental agreement and the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961. A question for Warsaw: do you have any more buildings? Are you that poor? Nowhere else to "get hold of"? Turned to theft? Is that all the Polish administration is capable of? If we had said earlier, we would have known.

Particularly shameful in this situation is the position of the Polish Foreign Ministry, which, instead of ensuring the protection of a foreign diplomatic mission from encroachment on its property, said that it “accepts with satisfaction” the procedure for seizing and transferring the building to the State Treasury of Poland on the street. Sobieski 100.

At the same time, the Polish Foreign Ministry is engaged in demagoguery, talking about the “liquidation of disparity” in the field of real estate in Russian-Polish relations. Is that what they call stealing? Dont know. I will fill up the diplomatic dictionary.

The Ministry is well aware that over the past two years the Russian side has been actively and purposefully working to resolve this problem, and in July 2021 we handed over to the Ambassador of Poland in Russia a list of real estate objects that we were ready to transfer to the Polish side. She refuses to talk.

Once again we are forced to confirm: any unfriendly step by Warsaw will entail an adequate and effective response from our side.

Two Europes or how to read news in a historical context

According to the agencies, the union of port workers in Sweden has decided to blockade the ships associated with Russia. According to the organization, a letter was sent to Infrastructure Minister T. Enerut with a demand to ban the entry of Russian ships into Swedish ports, or the trade union itself initiates a blockade. “We have notified the organization of employers and intermediaries that a blockade will be introduced,” explained vice-chairman of the trade union E. Helgeson.

They introduced a "blockade" against the Russians. It turns out, against Russian sailors, our merchant fleet and its main home port in the Baltic - St. Petersburg. Again. Sweden imposed a blockade against the main port in St. Petersburg. Doesn't it remind you of anything? This is not the first blockade in the history of the northern capital. You don't know anything about it anymore. You are told only about how the Americans "saved" everyone during the Second World War, "liberated", brought you "freedom". Were they "threatened" from the Soviet Union and from Germany? It's not like that at all. The Swedish trade union put itself on a par with the Nazis. Although, probably, he again considers himself on the right side of history.

During the Great Patriotic War around Leningrad, the Nazis also gathered a noble European "union". There were also hundreds of Swedish volunteers. Look, maybe in the ranks of the current trade union activists there are relatives of those who were then, 80 years ago? 72 people even fell into Soviet captivity. We remember this every time we see Swedish neo-Nazis in the ranks of Ukrainian punitive formations in the Donbass since 2014. Does Sweden know that for eight years their volunteers have been killing civilians in the Donbass? Where have you been? To whom was the blockade announced? Nobody? And why?

The predecessors of the current Swedish port lovers of the “blockade” regularly shipped millions of tons of iron ore to the Reich, without which the Nazi seizure of all of Europe would not have happened. Do you feel any guilt? Maybe there is some day when you ask for forgiveness for the way you behaved then? How many troubles, including by your "mercy", the whole world has experienced. Then you did not immediately figure out which side of the story to stand on. They just supplied the Reich with resources. As now, you supply neo-Nazis with weapons, money, medicines. People who have a swastika on their sleeves. They greet each other like collaborators during World War II. They read the same books, watch the same films, follow the same logic.

The Holocaust and the atrocities experienced by its victims also happened thanks to the “unclear” who did not immediately take the right side of history. Every third German tank, gun, rifle, cartridge was made from Swedish raw materials. They left everything to the Reich. For those who were then considered "heroes". Is there a day when you apologize for not understanding? Do not celebrate May 8 - the liberation of Europe from Nazism, but simply apologize. If it existed, it would be easier now to sort out the right side of European history.

This is not Russian data. These are the calculations of the Swedish historian R. Karlbum: in 1933-1943. German consumption of iron ore, taking into account its iron content, depended on Swedish supplies by an average of 43%. Even Grand Admiral E. Raeder, the commander of the German fleet, said that it would be "absolutely impossible to wage war if the fleet cannot ensure the supply of iron ore from Sweden." She was placed. The Reich fought on the basis of Swedish supplies.

This is only about ore, but there were also supplies of pulp, lumber, bearings, machinery and equipment, which the Reich really needed. Sweden then it was profitable and honorable. There was also a Swedish military "transit". On the Swedish railways in 1940-1943. 2 million 140 thousand German soldiers and more than 100 thousand wagons with German military supplies were transported.

Are you now copying yourself from 80 years ago? When you supply weapons to neo-Nazis, ship provisions and humanitarian aid, pay money. And block us. You are welcome. Watch CNN and other American channels. With the same success, you can stick photo wallpapers and look at them. Think you see the world. The Nazis also used Swedish airspace and local airfields.

Everything that was then is copied: blocking the airspace, money transfers - everything that is possible. At the same time, you provide unlimited opportunities to those who have been killing civilians for eight years, based on nationalist ideology. It is not new, which is yet to be understood. They never hid that they supported the collaborators, the Reich, Hitler, the SS. They wear the same uniform, march with torches, hang portraits of those who were Nazi collaborators 80 years ago.

When we hear about the NLAW anti-tank grenade launchers that Britain supplied to the Kiev regime, we know that they are made in Sweden. It is unlikely that they could be re-exported without the consent of Stockholm. They armed the Nazis, blockaded our cities then, they do it now. As if nothing has changed. "Rise from Hell"

Greece is a country that, according to some estimates, lost about 1 million of its citizens in the war against fascism. We know the position of the population of this country today. They write to us, screaming in pain and impotence. They cannot influence their government, which has become a puppet regime.

Employees of the Greek railway company TrainOSE did not want to take part in the transfer of US and NATO military armored vehicles to the border of Ukraine. Because ethnic Greeks lived and live there. They are on the territory of Ukraine, in the south-east of this country, in the Crimea. They tell the truth. There are not many ethnic Swedes living there as minorities. There are a lot of instructors, militants who came as volunteers.

According to the information portals of Greek public organizations, employees of the electric locomotive department of Thessaloniki refused to move to Alexandroupolis to service the trains that NATO tanks are taking out of the port these days. They are planned to be sent to Romania and Poland, then to be delivered to the Ukrainian border. When none of the railroad workers agreed to go voluntarily, TrainOSE began to force them, citing obligations under an employment contract. After that, the trade unions in Thessaloniki intervened. They adopted a resolution demanding that the Greek railroad not be used to transport NATO equipment and stop threatening workers who oppose it. I would like to ask a question to official Athens: Are you for peace or for war? The document was supported by a dozen local trade unions of workers in various industries.

It begs a conclusion. There are two Europes. They have always been the same as they were 80 years ago. Europe, which missed, and sometimes “waving” after the fascist tanks leaving to the east, helped to quarter the SS men, soldiers of the Third Reich, still enjoying life.

And the Europe that went underground, realizing that there should be no place for a misanthropic ideology in their country. It is the same now: one, like 80 years ago, Europe in every possible way at all levels directly assists neo-Nazis, using propaganda, material resources, taking away from its citizens, giving everything away. The other continues to resist. Yes, (the same with a capital letter) Resistance to the authorities and employers, following the lead of an aggressive, Russophobic and Euro-Atlantic bloc and de facto being accomplices of neo-Nazis? This is what they are resisting. They are confronted by a car "refueled" according to all the rules of the "cancellation culture".

If you did not swear allegiance to those who supported the neo-Nazis, you will be "erased with an eraser." It will not be easy to persecute you, but they will make sure that you are gone, that you yourself are not happy with yourself. This is what they worked out. In Russian it is called - persecution.

On the historical significance of the manifesto of Catherine II on the annexation of Crimea to Russia

On April 19, 1783, Empress Catherine II signed the Manifesto on the accession of the Crimea, Taman and Kuban to the Russian Empire. This step was dictated by the desire to ensure the security of Russia's southern borders. It is symbolic that Crimea also had an important ideological significance for Russia - in 988 Grand Duke Vladimir was baptized in Chersonese.

After the end of the second Russian-Turkish war (1768-1774), the Ottoman port recognized the independence of the Crimea under the Kyuchuk-Kaynardzhiysky treaty of 1774. The fortresses of Kerch, Yenikale and Kinburn and a significant part of the steppe between the Dnieper and the Bug became part of the Russian Empire. Russia was able to get access to the Black Sea, as well as confirm its rights to the territory of Kabarda, Azov and the Azov lands conquered by Peter I. However, the Ottoman Empire did not give up hope of regaining its dominion on the peninsula, raiding and devastating the lands.

Assessing the advantages of joining the Crimea to Russia, one of the closest associates of Catherine II and the ideologist of the annexation of the peninsula, G.A. Potemkin, wrote at the end of 1782: it cannot strengthen or enrich you, but only bring you peace... With the Crimea, you will also gain dominance in the Black Sea.”

The manifesto completed an important stage in the struggle with the Ottoman Empire for influence on the northern coast of the Black Sea and provided access to natural borders in the south of the country. Russia was now able to build the Black Sea Fleet and had the right to pass through the Bosporus and Dardanelles. All this has become a powerful impetus for the economic and demographic development of the Northern Black Sea and Azov regions. This is me especially for E. Truss, who must know where which seas are.

The date of the annexation of Crimea to Russia was approved at the federal level (No. 336-FZ of August 3, 2018).

Despite the fact that the region borders on Ukraine, where a special military operation is currently taking place, life in Crimea is going on in a constructive way. April 11 this year The Day of the Constitution of the Republic was celebrated there. The region is developing dynamically. It is going through a special time now, given both the influx of refugees and the challenges it has faced in recent times, despite all the attempts to make life more difficult that our opponents are making. The Crimeans will survive. They are people with a historically tempered character. It is a culture, part of a tradition. They are transmitted.

President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin instructed the federal government to extend the term of the state program for the socio-economic development of the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol until 2027. Large Russian banks, Russian Railways, and telecommunications companies come to Crimea. Mobile roaming has been cancelled.

The North Crimean Canal, which was blocked by the Ukrainian authorities in 2014, is now fully operational and has now been unblocked by Russian specialists. This opens up new opportunities for the development of agriculture. Already this year, it is planned to allocate 850 hectares for rice production, and the area under this crop will only expand.

Undoubtedly, Crimea will develop in other directions as well. We expect further growth in the tourist flow, which will lead to the accelerated development of the service sector, the hotel sector, and the catering network.

Crimeans provide all possible assistance to refugees arriving on the peninsula. What future was prepared for the inhabitants of Crimea is clearly demonstrated by the facts of the atrocities of the Nazis, neo-Nazis, which come to light during the liberation of the territories of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions that were under the control of the Kiev authorities.

Like it or not, the future of Crimea is with Russia. For us, this question is finally and irrevocably closed. No sanctions from the US and their satellites, NATO members will change our position. They can only help to strengthen it. So the "masters of the world" can rest.

On the completion of the battle for Right-Bank Ukraine (Dnieper-Carpathian operation)

The Dnieper-Carpathian operation is a strategic offensive operation of the Red Army during the Great Patriotic War, carried out from December 24, 1943 to April 17, 1944 in order to liberate Right-Bank Ukraine.

This operation included 11 operations of the fronts connected by a single concept - Zhytomyr-Berdichevskaya, Kirovogradskaya, Korsun-Shevchenkovskaya, Rivne-Lutsk, Nikopol-Krivorozhskaya, Proskurovsko-Chernovitskaya, Bereznegovato-Snigirevskaya, Polesskaya, Odessa, Tyrgu-Frumosskaya, Umansko- Botoshanskaya. The 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Ukrainian fronts under the command of N.F. Vatutin, I.S. Konev, R.Ya. Malinovsky, F.I. Tolbukhin, respectively, were involved in the offensive. The actions were coordinated by the Marshals of the Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov and A.M. Vasilevsky. In total, more than two million soldiers and officers, about two thousand tanks, more than 30 thousand guns and mortars, and 2.4 thousand aircraft were involved from the Soviet side. They were opposed by the German-Romanian troops, numbering about 1.8 million people and more than 25 thousand weapons.

In December 1943, Soviet troops took Zhitomir and Kirovograd, in January 1944 Novograd-Volynsky, Berdichev, Rovno and Lutsk, in February the advancing units of the Red Army managed to eliminate the Nikopol bridgehead, liberate Nikopol and Krivoy Rog.

The last stage was the Uman-Botoshanskaya operation of the troops of the 2nd Ukrainian Front, which ended on April 17, 1944, as a result of which the southwestern regions of the Right-Bank Ukraine and part of the Moldavian SSR were liberated, the 8th German army was almost completely defeated. During the offensive carried out in late winter and early spring of 1944, the 2nd Ukrainian Front sequentially, on the move, crossed six rivers under seasonal flood conditions.

As a result of the Dnieper-Carpathian operation, Ukraine with a population of tens of millions of people was completely liberated, and the enemy was driven back 250-450 km to the west. The Red Army restored the state border on the southwestern borders of the USSR and transferred the fighting to the territory of Romania.

Military successes came at a high price. On February 29, 1944, the famous Soviet commander, commander of the 1st Ukrainian Front, General of the Army N.F. Vatutin, was mortally wounded at the hands of Ukrainian nationalists.

The victory of the Red Army in the Right-Bank Ukraine ensured the entry of our troops to the approaches to Poland, to the border with Czechoslovakia and to Romania, had a great influence on the activation of the national liberation movement in the countries of Central and South-Eastern Europe. The front came close to Germany's vital sources of food, oil and other types of strategic raw materials in Romania and the Balkans. The successes of the Soviet troops had a huge international political effect. Romania, Hungary and Bulgaria began to look for ways out of the war (they immediately figured out where the right side of history was), and the allies of the USSR accelerated preparations for the landing of their troops in France.

In honor of the 70th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. On September 29, 2014, the Bank of Russia issued a commemorative commemorative coin - "Dnieper-Carpathian Operation".

-----------------------

Question: “A group of French technical and scientific gendarmes is in Lviv to help Ukrainian colleagues in investigating war crimes,” the French ambassador to Ukraine said. How would you comment on this post?

Answer: As far as I know, the Russian Ministry of Defense has already commented on this topic.

We hope that the mentioned experts will approach their work impartially, if possible, and impartially - they will interview witnesses, they will do it without segregation based on nationality. We hope that the shelling of Kramatorsk and Donetsk by Ukrainian nationalists will also be duly investigated. They actively called for this, including on international platforms.

It is not clear why such an initiative has never appeared, in particular, among the French over the past eight years. No one ever considered it necessary to send at least some kind of delegation, for example, to help the Kiev regime to investigate the crimes of the "House of Trade Unions" in Odessa, when not the house was burned, but the people in it. Where were the French specialists? Or, for example, for some reason, the European community also “rottenly” worked on snipers, without showing any desire, except in words (absolutely in solidarity with the Kiev regime), but in deeds, without showing any interest in establishing the truth. Although we remember the negotiations conducted by Brussels officials. Then, unambiguously saying among themselves that it is clear who opened fire on the Maidan in 2014, that these were forces that were supported by the very opposition,

Where were all the eight years of crimes, when children were killed, when they were buried alive, when mass graves were now found, mass graves of civilians, when people were tortured, kidnapped? Where were all these "investigators"? And what about those who were kept in prisons without trial or investigation? The same KV Vyshinsky. Have you ever seen statements from the French Interior Ministry that it would be nice to interview KV Vyshinsky in order for him to tell how he was treated as a journalist in Ukraine.

Where was everyone? Where was the Union of Journalists? Maybe France showed some desire? They only blocked any attempts by residents of Donbass, Donetsk and Luhansk. It was necessary to tell about how they all lived and survived all these years. Zero information came out. Moreover, they did everything to ensure that not a single Western journalist ended up there. But now there is not a single Western mainstream newspaper that does not write what is happening there, but, of course, only from one angle. Segregation in the 21st century? Some lives matter, others don't?

---------------------

Question: How could you comment on the information about the use of the OSCE SMM technical equipment in Ukraine to correct the fire of artillery of the Armed Forces of Ukraine?

Answer: The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission worked for 8 years on both sides of the line of contact in Donbass, using various technical equipment, incl. small, medium and long-range unmanned aerial vehicles, various types of cameras. The data from these devices was intended to monitor violations of the ceasefire and agreements on the withdrawal of military equipment. The OSCE leadership has repeatedly assured us that the Mission does not transmit any operational information to Kiev. Interesting, really, how does it work?

From March 7 this year. all international personnel of the Special Monitoring Mission were withdrawn from Ukraine, the DPR and the LPR. Monitoring activity has actually ceased. March 31 this year the Mission's mandate has also expired, which excludes the continuation of its work, incl. use of technical equipment. It is necessary to find out in whose hands the equipment of the Special Monitoring Mission, which has not yet been removed, is currently located and how it is being used.

So where is the equipment, where was it taken or to whom was it given? If the information about the use of technical means of observation of the Special Monitoring Mission to adjust the fire of artillery of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is confirmed, this will completely discredit the Mission and the leadership of the OSCE Secretariat. All those who "covered" it all. Then the role of the OSCE will be completely different from that declared in this story.

Unfortunately, there were precedents for the misuse of OSCE property (this information). Back in February of this year. Armored vehicles of the Special Monitoring Mission in Mariupol ended up with the militants of the Azov National Battalion. OSCE Secretary General H. Schmid ignored our warnings. She did absolutely everything so that these facts were not made public and said that "there is no need to spread fake news." Everything we love. We know it.

We demand that the OSCE leadership honestly, and not like last time, report by whom and how exactly the organization’s equipment left on the territory of Ukraine, the DPR and the LPR was used. There is no politics here. These are facts, data. The organization is obliged to provide them to the public and report.

We remind you that in the current political and legal realities, the performance of its functions by the Special Monitoring Mission has become impossible. Further activities of the Mission do not have the consensus support of the participating States and cannot be carried out.

We call on the Secretariat and the Polish Chairmanship-in-Office of the Organization to promptly prepare and submit for consideration by all participating States a draft decision of the OSCE Permanent Council on the parameters for the closure of the Special Monitoring Mission, which would make it possible to allocate funds for the removal of the remaining property and close the financial obligations of the Mission.

On the territory of Russia, after the evacuation of the international personnel of the Special Monitoring Mission from Ukraine, the DPR and LPR, 75 armored SUVs of the Mission remain, the further purpose of which - sale, transfer to another OSCE field presence or, for example, donation to the civilian authorities of the DPR and LPR - is also to be determined.

-----------------

Question: Does Moscow see the risk that, under the new prime minister of Pakistan, cooperation with Islamabad in the gas sector may be curtailed and the Pakistan Stream gas pipeline construction project frustrated?

Answer: I would like to remind you that the current Prime Minister of Pakistan, Sh. Sharif, is the head of the very party - the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), which was in power at the time of the signing in October 2015 of the Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan on cooperation in the implementation of the North-South gas pipeline construction project, later renamed "Pakistan Stream".

An objective reality is the fact that the project is mutually beneficial. In Pakistan, this is well known. Its implementation will give a good impetus to the development of the Pakistani energy sector and help solve the problem of energy shortages in the country. Also beneficial to us. Based on this, we expect that work on this project will continue under the new government of Pakistan.

---------------

Question: Russia's withdrawal from the UN Human Rights Council was carried out after the General Assembly voted the day before to suspend its participation due to a special operation in Ukraine. Among others, Serbia also voted for it. Such actions were quite unexpected, since the country had previously been neutral on the issue of the conflict in Ukraine, and in early March, the population staged rallies of 50,000 in support of Moscow's actions. How will this affect relations between Moscow and Belgrade?

Answer: We have seen a series of identical votes, not only at the UN site, but also at other sites. These were identical votes in recent weeks. All of them were against our country.

We record the statements of Serbian politicians regarding the pressure that is being exerted on them, as well as statements by the Serbian side that Russia is their friend. Maybe we have different views on what friendship is. We always support our friends in difficult times. We always proceed from the fact that those who call us their friends profess the same approaches.

Representatives of many states striving to pursue an independent, balanced policy tell us (this was repeatedly said by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia S.V. Lavrov) that they are under tremendous pressure from Western countries, primarily the United States, who want to “incite” Russia the whole world, launch the "cancellation culture" mechanism. Accordingly, they go to "compromises". We don't understand this. We know there is pressure. But if we are talking about those who declare themselves our friends, then this is impossible to understand.

We presume that our traditional partners in their activities within the framework of international organizations, at various multilateral platforms, will consistently adhere to positions that reflect their true national interests and a true, friendly attitude towards us.

This is not about the fact that we encourage them to make a deal with conscience by substituting facts. No, not only the Russian position, but also the origins of this crisis are well known in Belgrade. This has been repeatedly discussed at the highest level. They have the full range of materials. Most importantly, they lived through no less difficult historical moments, which are similar in many respects to what is now happening on the territory of Ukraine. After all, the sponsors of this perennial hell are the same. Here it is also important to understand that we are talking not just about supporting our country on the basis of friendship or on fundamental grounds,

----------------------

Question (translated from English): Russian officials have previously stated that they do not rule out expanding cooperation, including in the field of defense, with partners in the Western Hemisphere in response to growing US and NATO military activity near Russia's borders. The Western powers have begun to do just that, by deploying additional US soldiers and military equipment on NATO's eastern flank. Given this situation, has Russia considered expanding its presence in partner countries in Latin America, including Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua?

Answer: Let me remind you that the events that took place in Ukraine, as well as the United States and NATO countries behind Kiev, crossed the well-known "red lines", showed that Latin America continues to be an independent, original direction of our country's foreign policy.

We understand that Latin Americans are currently under powerful pressure from the United States and the “collective West”. For this, the whole arsenal of means is used, which has nothing to do with diplomacy and something legal, this is political influence, economic leverage and individual blackmail. In their pressure, the United States and the "collective West" frankly do not care about the global socio-economic consequences of anti-Russian sanctions, including for the region of their own residence. If we are talking about the two Americas - South (Latin) and North, this is a single organism and structure.

As a result of the imposition of illegal restrictive measures against Russia, global supply chains have been disrupted, and there has been a sharp increase in food prices. Naturally, due to the fact that there has been a sharp increase in fuel prices around the world, we hear the “baby talk” of American politicians who have come up with nothing better than every day to blame Russia for the rise in fuel prices. They say that V.V. Putin raised the price of gasoline in the USA.

No, it's not because of V.V. Putin that gasoline prices have become high in America and in this region, no matter what N. Pelosi, J. Biden, J. Psaki say. This is because of those who developed sanctions and did not assume that they were a boomerang, they would quickly return to them. Or, if it is more convenient for them, they will rebound on their own economy.

Traditionally, Russian-Latin American interaction was free from any ideological restrictions. It was not subject to any opportunistic factors and was never directed against third countries.

We have always been open to mutually beneficial cooperation, further constructive cooperation with Latin Americans in all areas - from politics and trade to the humanitarian and military-technical spheres. At the same time, we emphasize that our current cooperation in the field of military-technical cooperation is carried out strictly in accordance with bilateral agreements, with respect for national legislation and international legal norms, and is not aimed at changing the military-political balance of forces in the region, much less directed against other countries.

---------------------------

Question: Jean Borrell, head of EU diplomacy, spoke not so long ago about a "military solution" to the problem of Ukraine. Earlier, with obvious regret, he said that Russia “prepared” for sanctions and transferred part of the funds to countries where they would not be blocked. Where do you see the value for Russia of maintaining relations with the European Union as an organization?

Answer: A commentary with appropriate assessments of the statements made by the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Jean Borrell , made by him following his visit to Ukraine, was posted yesterday on the official website of the Ministry. I recommend that you familiarize yourself with it, as well as with the answers of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia Sergey Lavrov to the relevant questions, transcripts and videos are available on our website.

I can only note once again that the statements of a European official that “this war will be won on the battlefield” confirm that today's European Union has finally renounced its lofty peacekeeping ideals laid down by the founding fathers. They wanted a new war in Europe to be "unthinkable and impossible." J. Borrell came today and ruined everything.

Before the eyes of the whole world, the EU is degenerating into a militarized and aggressive instrument of external expansion, reinforcing its far from market methods of work with such militaristic aspirations. There is no limit to the hypocrisy of the European Union - assistance to Kiev in order to help Ukrainian neo-Nazis continue to kill people with impunity is provided through the European Peace Foundation.

The true values of the exceptional "enlightened West" are evidenced by the widespread use by EU politicians of the Nazi slogan, I will not repeat it - it is a tracing from the greeting used in Nazi Germany. Maybe the Brussels officials do it thoughtlessly, but they also have ideologists, speech writers, people who are engaged in fact-checking, they could tell what kind of greeting this is? N. Pelosi in the USA got out of the situation, now says “Glory to Wuhan”. They, too, could come up with something for themselves.

The EU media space is being "cleansed" of alternative views everywhere, unprecedented pressure is being exerted in the EU countries on Russians and Russian-speakers, ranging from citizens, the media, public figures, ending with business, humanitarian organizations. There is only one desire: for them to abandon today's Russia, from their historical homeland. They signed some papers, literally and figuratively, or gave some kind of virtual oath of allegiance to the Western world.

This is 1930s Germany. Burning of books in the squares, torchlight processions, greetings and refusal in written or oral form (dissociation) from national feelings, traditions, cultural roots in favor of the current (then called so) liberal democratic community. All the same.

The theses about the need for a political solution and support for negotiations have disappeared from the EU lexicon. There is none of this. It is clear why: a political decision will interfere with their main goal - the continuation of the proxy war to the last Ukrainian.

And this is actually so. At first, they looked at how some Ukrainians blocked accounts, railway routes, logistics, money transfers from other citizens of Ukraine. They watched for eight years how one part of Ukraine mocked another part. At that time we were not involved in such an open phase of the conflict, but we helped with food, money, medicines, humanitarian aid. The EU did not help. They were satisfied with this situation of destruction of one part of Ukraine by another. Now the “bonfire” is even bigger. Apparently, there is no limit to their joy.

Such "diplomacy" of the EU runs counter to the interests of the inhabitants of European countries, striving for peace and stability, preventing manifestations of Nazism and discrimination on our common continent.

---------------

Question: The United States and Great Britain responded to Ukrainian media reports based on statements from the secretariat of the People's Militia of E.A.Basurin about the alleged use of chemical weapons by the DPR forces and the Russian military during the liberation of Mariupol, saying that they were "preparing a response" to the possible use of this type of weapon. Is it planned to publish a separate commentary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with a refutation on this issue?
Would the Russian authorities be ready to allow representatives of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) into the territory of the DPR or into Russia to provide the necessary evidence of the work done in 2017, if such a request is received? (In 2017, work was already underway to eliminate all chemical weapons, and the same organization recorded that at the time of 2017 there were no chemical weapons left in Russia?)

Answer: It has already been fixed. Or do you mean what to do with the British, American and Ukrainian accusations? We know what to do with them. The Russian Foreign Ministry continues to record the appearance of various insinuations in the West and in Kyiv regarding the alleged use of toxic chemicals and chemical weapons by the people's militia of the DPR or LPR, as well as by the Russian military in the Donbass. Today there was news of an exotic plan that the Pentagon or one of the American security officials or J. Psaki said that there were no such data, but they could be (this is their favorite phrase). But they can use the means of spraying that are used against demonstrators. Some sort of fantasy.

Speculation on this subject is absolutely groundless. Regarding the fact that we said that there will be special messages, we comment on this regularly. Now, answering your question. I can say that this is absolutely baseless speculation. At the same time, I would like to recall that information from the Russian Ministry of Defense was recently made public that it was the Kiev authorities that were negotiating with the Turkish manufacturer of BYKAR UAVs on the subject of "improving" Bayraktar Akinci military aircraft manufactured by this company with mechanisms for spraying certain substances from 20 liter containers. I'm guessing it's not water. There are doubts that this is holy water.

Moreover, we are talking about people who do not shun anything. These footage of bullying is not just "leaked" to the network. They do it all with pleasure. This is a matter of their special pride, for them it is absolutely the norm to use means that provide opportunities for greater destruction - no matter the enemy, the civilian population, the territory, etc.

According to experts, the use of such aircraft in equipment with the indicated volumes, even chemical warfare agents, is ineffective from a military point of view, but the delivery of biological weapons in this way, which, even in such small quantities, can cause much more significant damage to the population, which has been exposed for eight years of genocide by nationalists in Ukraine is quite real. Moreover, the scale of the US military biological activities in the order of 30 specialized laboratories on the territory of Ukraine, operating under the auspices of the Pentagon, is already well known to everyone.

We emphasize once again that any insinuations about the use of chemical weapons by Russia have no basis and only remind of a series of accusations of a similar nature against the Syrian authorities, the Russian Aerospace Forces on the territory of Syria, against the backdrop of endless chemical provocations carried out by the pseudo-humanitarian NGO "White helmets." The White Helmets have now become more active, they came to London and received instructions. There is evidence of their activation in the context of events in Ukraine. So look there. I think soon everything will become clear and will be confirmed by facts.

---------------------------

Question: In a recent interview, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Russia's special military operation is aimed at ending US dominance in the world. Does this mean that Russia does not rule out an escalation of the war, including a possible direct military confrontation with NATO?

Answer: I would like to immediately remind the rest of our colleagues of the full quotation from Sergey Lavrov's interview with the Rossiya 24 TV channel: “Our special military operation is designed to put an end to the reckless course of complete US dominance in the world. We are talking not only and not so much about Ukraine. Not everyone is ready to obey their dominance. Russia, of course, with its history and with its traditions, is one of those countries that will never occupy a subordinate position.” Now this is a test of the strength of the whole world.

Who is a friend, who is an enemy, and who is so. Who can oppose, who has the potential to conduct an independent sovereign foreign policy, and who has exchanged, sold, surrendered this sovereignty, lost it for a while, forgot about it. Anything can happen. There are no single patterns. Now there is a global check.

This meant (when S.V. Lavrov spoke about this) that the United States and NATO countries. Before - it is the cultivation, feeding, training of militants, who later proved themselves on the "Maidan", in camps in the Baltic countries and Poland, then the implementation of an anti-constitutional coup at the expense of these resources, which were well-trained trained militants with weapons in their hands, who knew how to fight in the street, with material and political support, etc.

After this coup, a process of a different level, when the hidden forces that trained as militants gradually began to receive military weapons and legitimize on the territory of Ukraine, and began to join the ranks of the armed forces of Ukraine, infecting regular Ukrainian troops with this neo-Nazi bacillus. Here's what to remember. On this base, “anti-Russia” was created from Ukraine, in a historical context, it was actively pumped up with weapons, turning its territory into a military foothold against our country. And not only against our country. 30 biological laboratories are not only against our country. With whom else does Ukraine neighbor? Biological weapons spread regardless of borders, they have no limit.

Russia has always done everything to prevent a military confrontation with NATO. We hope that the West will have enough common sense to avoid further escalation. But you are asking the right question. Escalation from the West is underway. Arms deliveries, material support, complete political, ideological, moral carte blanche, deliberate suppression of these facts, propaganda. This is part of the escalation.

---------------------

Question: French intelligence claims that the US and UK are waging a "secret war" against Russia in Ukraine. The same information was published in the Russian media. What is Moscow's position on this matter?

Answer: I don't see anything "secret" in their actions. Of course, there is also an underwater part, which is not visible to ordinary people, but it is clearly visible to specialists.

It seems to me that the “surface” part is quite enough to understand the role of these countries. I already talked about this today. We've been talking about this all these years. Creation of a springboard for conducting a hybrid war against our country, training militants under neo-nationalist cover, then incorporating them into the armed forces of the state and legitimizing them, creating dangerous "points" for the development of biological weapons under the guise of supposedly the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, but in fact they acted under the auspices and with Pentagon money. We are talking about creating a real monster on the territory of Ukraine. Training and testing of all these methodologies was carried out on citizens of Ukraine who live in the south-east of Ukraine and border on the territory of Russia. The role of these countries is obvious, it is not hidden.

------------------

Question: The British "The Times" reported that the "White Helmets", remembered for a number of provocations in Syria, offered assistance to Ukraine. What do you think, what could such “cooperation” turn out to be, given how many fakes come from the Ukrainian side during the Russian special operation?

Answer:It will turn into a whole series of provocations, similar to those that took place on the territory of Syria. With a large number of informational staged materials, a number of actions that are well known to the Western media community and understandable to the local inhabitants. Now they will blame Russia at a new level and at the same time use everything that has been worked out on the territory of Syria. There is no doubt about it. They received instructions. The British special services, the main ones on "poisons", instruct them, their specialists are both on the territory of Ukraine and abroad.

The White Helmets are back in the game. They are financed by the State Department, Great Britain, NATO structures. They were created for this and, in practical terms, taught everything on the territory of Syria. Now a new task has been set. The methodology is the same. They are familiar to the media space of the West. They don't need to be unrolled. They went through an Oscar nomination, received a number of prestigious international awards, and became a transnational company. At the same time, being a front for the unsightly and illegal activities of Western intelligence services, primarily American and British.

-------------------

Question (translated from English): ITV News and many other organizations have documented numerous alleged war crimes in Ukraine. US President Biden accused Russia of genocide in Ukraine. What is your answer to this?

Answer: The press service of the White House should comment on President Joe Biden. As a rule, after his statements, the press service issues two or three denials. Let's wait, maybe they will refute it once again.

With all due respect to democratic institutions that allow people in America to make their choice by voting, and recognizing this choice as legitimate, we respect the opinion of the American people and recognize American President Joe Biden. But not all of his statements are, frankly, adequate. This is proved by the work of his administration, which constantly makes adjustments to what he said, disavows or gives additional explanations.

But the most interesting thing is that even the formation of his statements occurs with the help of some people who write theses to him. Did he read them correctly? Did he hit all the words and letters? I can not tell you. It is impossible to take seriously at such an important moment such statements that are made with regularity as the official position of the state. Because the press service of the White House constantly disavows what was said by its own president. I will not comment on these words and statements.

Speaking in general, regarding the position of the US Administration, we can talk not only about the current position and accusations against Russia. Let's look in retrospect. When was it different? When have we not been accused by the US administration or Downing Street of something? Can you remember the year when there was no announcement of another "guilt" of our country? There hasn't been a single year like this in the last 15 years. Every year we were guilty of something. There is only one small nuance. After these statements, no evidence was presented.

Today's accusations are made against the backdrop of an eight-year silence of the administration of the current and previous US presidents, the silence of Downing Street, Brussels regarding the real genocide that took place in the Donbass. Now, if US President J. Biden, D. Trump, the presidents of other NATO countries, British Prime Ministers B. Johnson, T. May, if they had made at least one statement over the course of eight years reproaching the Kiev regime with calls to stop shelling of civilians, I would believe in their sincerity.

As of today, you cannot present me with a single statement from Washington, London, Brussels regarding the Ukrainian presidents V.A. Zelensky or P.A. Poroshenko with an urgent demand to stop shelling civilian objects, killing children for eight years, transport routes for food, medicines, sending humanitarian aid to the residents of Donbass. These statements have never been made. And there were victims. And there were thousands of them. Accordingly, one must sign one thing - the hypocrisy of those who make such statements. If they do not see the killing of the civilian population for eight years, there is no trust in their assessments either.

---------------------

Question (translated from English): You spoke about Western governments, including the UK, who were talking about fakes about the brutal actions in Ukraine. What evidence do you have for this?

Answer: When an allegation is made that someone is involved in a crime, evidence must be presented.

The Kyiv regime, Washington, London, a number of Western capitals accused Russia of the events in Bucha. I address your question to them - where is the evidence? As alleged evidence, they presented photographic and video materials, which were disavowed by us. They stated that these are either photographic materials that were taken after the departure of the Russian armed forces from there, or are not reliable at all. Therefore, the evidence of the accusation should be presented by those who originally made these accusations.

Second moment. A lot of materials were presented in support of our position. There is an interview and a public statement made by the mayor of the settlement of Buchi, A.P. Fedorchuk, immediately after the armed forces of the Russian Federation left from there. He said that the city was without the Russian military, that life was getting back to normal. He did not say a single word about what we were then accused of.

For any normal person, this situation will no longer have a logical continuation. Because if the mayor of Bucha A.P. Fedorchuk says that life is getting back to normal, he says it on camera and no one stands behind him with a gun barrel, he is free in his assessments, joyful, careless, it means no tragedy he did not see. The tragedy appeared a few days later, when Ukrainian militants arrived there.

There is another moment. In the village of Bucha, when Russian servicemen were there, the people who lived there had their mobile phones working. People had the Internet, communication with the outside world. They could take photos, send messages, make calls to the media, send relevant photos, leave voice messages, and so on. There was none of this. Do you know why? Because there were no facts on which they could call, tell and send materials. These facts appeared only when the Ukrainian military arrived there. We talked about how this is a staged story. Made exactly according to the same patterns that have been used for staged stories in Syria for several years, using chemical materials. And before that, one of the biggest staged stories in Europe is Srebrenica. She was passed off as one thing, but then

Therefore, the evidence base of the accusations made by the West against us crumbled. Do not have another one. Some experts are now sent there, who will sort it out on the spot. We presume that they will find the strength to conduct a real depoliticized investigation. But I strongly doubt it. Do you know why?

May I ask you a rhetorical question (I think you will not answer it):
what about the Skripals? You represent a British TV channel. Have you ever seen them? Have you spoken to them? How many years have passed. We were accused of being poisoned. Only once, on the camera of an unknown TV channel, most likely on the camera of the British special services, was a recording of the daughter of S.V. Skripal. And they did not answer any questions from journalists, the public, or investigators that could be presented to the whole world.

No one knows where they are, what happened to them and what happened then. Scotland Yard took over the investigation. How much more time does Scotland Yard and all the rest of the British intelligence services need to figure out what happened then. At the same time, measures were introduced against our country, accusations were made and statements were made from the Prime Minister, British Foreign Secretary. This is the provocative behavior that lies at the heart of Western politics.

---------------

**Ravenlocke** · 14th April 2022 14:28

General Cloutier caught!!!??

https://twitter.com/LuMan_/status/1514347800447836168

However this says no,
https://twitter.com/pierrejovanovic/...49824934318084

https://twitter.com/AFPFactCheck/sta...19351365632008

**Satori** · 14th April 2022 14:39

Posted by Ravenlocke (here)
General Cloutier caught!!!??

https://twitter.com/LuMan_/status/1514347800447836168

However this says no,
https://twitter.com/pierrejovanovic/...49824934318084

Really? The person’s face is blurred out. I’m not convinced by this.

**Bill Ryan** · 14th April 2022 14:50

Posted by Satori (here)

Posted by Ravenlocke (here)
General Cloutier caught!!!??

https://twitter.com/LuMan_/status/1514347800447836168

However this says no,
https://twitter.com/pierrejovanovic/...49824934318084

Really? The person’s face is blurred out. I’m not convinced by this.

Whoever this is, his face would have been blurred because of the Geneva Convention requirement to "protect POWs from public curiosity".

The film was from РИА НОВОСТ, which is RIA Novost, a Russian TV channel. Website here: https://ria.ru. It'd be important to see if the insert at the top left (definitely showing Cloutier!) was edited in by the TV channel, rather than post-edited by someone on Twitter.

This is a translation of their Mariupol-tagged articles and videos, but I've not found the video clip yet.

https://ria-ru.translate.goog/locati..._x_tr_pto=wapp

Their Ukraine-tagged articles and videos are here: (all pretty interesting to read in English)

https://ria-ru.translate.goog/locati..._x_tr_pto=wapp

**Ravenlocke** · 14th April 2022 15:13

https://www.rt.com/russia/553872-ukr...attack-russia/

Russia says Ukrainian helicopters carried out strikes on its territory

Russia has claimed that two Ukrainian helicopters were responsible for an attack on the border village of Klimovo in Bryansk Region on Thursday, which left seven people injured. The incident had earlier been attributed to the Ukrainian military by the region’s governor.

An update on the attack was given by Russia’s Investigative Committee, which said it was treating the incident as a criminal conspiracy. Its statement said two Ukrainian military attack helicopters crossed into Russian airspace at around midday local time, flying at a low altitude.

The aircraft fired heavy weapons at the village, delivering at least six strikes on residential buildings, the statement said. Seven people were injured and six houses were damaged in the attack, the investigators said.

Earlier, health officials said a two-year-old boy and his mother, who is pregnant, were among the seven victims of the attack. Two people were said to be in a serious condition.

The attack was one of two separate incidents in the border area on Thursday that Russian officials blamed on Ukrainian forces. The second one was an alleged Ukrainian shelling of a border crossing some 40km southwest of Klimovo.

Russian border guards said a group of some 30 refugees from Ukraine came under mortar fire as they were passing the checkpoint. Nobody was hurt in the attack, but two civilian cars were damaged, the report said.

Seven injured in cross-border shelling from Ukraine
Seven injured in cross-border shelling from Ukraine
On April 1, a similar Ukrainian air raid targeted an oil storage facility in the Russian city of Belgorod. Investigators reported that two helicopters fired at least four missiles, causing significant damage on the ground.

The Russian Defense Ministry on Wednesday warned it may escalate military action in Ukraine if the country’s military conducts more attacks on targets in Russia. “Decision-making centers” in Kiev may be targeted, the statement said.

Russia attacked its neighbor in late February, following Ukraine’s failure to implement the terms of the Minsk agreements, signed in 2014, and Moscow’s eventual recognition of the Donbass republics of Donetsk and Lugansk. The German- and French-brokered Minsk Protocol was designed to give the breakaway regions special status within the Ukrainian state.

Russia has since demanded that Ukraine officially declare itself a neutral country that will never join the US-led NATO military bloc. Kiev insists the Russian offensive was completely unprovoked and has denied claims it was planning to retake the two republics by force.

**Bill Ryan** · 14th April 2022 15:26

Okay, I found it. (It's not Cloutier

)

https://twitter.com/labiocca/status/1514373152968687619

**Ravenlocke** · 14th April 2022 15:31

Posted by Bill Ryan (here)

Posted by Satori (here)

Posted by Ravenlocke (here)
General Cloutier caught!!!??

https://twitter.com/LuMan_/status/1514347800447836168

However this says no,
https://twitter.com/pierrejovanovic/...49824934318084

Really? The person’s face is blurred out. I’m not convinced by this.

Whoever this is, his face would have been blurred because of the Geneva Convention requirement to "protect POWs from public curiosity".

The film was from РИА НОВОСТ, which is RIA Novost, a Russian TV channel. Website here: https://ria.ru. It'd be important to see if the insert at the top left (definitely showing Cloutier!) was edited in by the TV channel, rather than post-edited by someone on Twitter.

This is a translation of their Mariupol-tagged articles and videos, but I've not found the video clip yet. If it's not Cloutier, he definitely looks like he might be a US/NATO senior officer.

https://ria-ru.translate.goog/locati..._x_tr_pto=wapp

Their Ukraine-tagged articles and videos are here: (all pretty interesting to read in English)

https://ria-ru.translate.goog/locati..._x_tr_pto=wapp

This tweet besides the AFP fact check tweet that I added to post 2228, also claims it’s a fake news. So the mystery of his whereabouts remains.

https://twitter.com/StratcomCentre/s...06959109738499

**Ravenlocke** · 14th April 2022 15:45

Regarding the Skripals

https://inteltoday.org/2022/04/09/fo...-this-and-why/

Four Years Ago — The Skripals Drama Begins (March 4 2018) [UPDATE — Vladimir Pozner : “Who would do this, and why?]
Posted on April 9, 2022 by L
“This is a carefully constructed drama as part of the propaganda campaign that has been building now for several years in order to justify the actions of NATO, Britain the United States, towards Russia. That’s a fact. The whole role of Porton Down has been integral to the Cold War apparatus of this. And this is so dangerous, with Russia being effectively pushed into a corner with these accusations, it’s part of a propaganda campaign. I can tell you that, I’m a journalist who has spent almost all my career working in the mainstream [media] in Britain. This is a propaganda campaign promoted specifically in the media and in the Government.”
Journalist John Pilger

March 4 2021 — No one who has looked into the case in any detail can possibly be satisfied that the account given by the UK Government and The Metropolitan Police is correct. The narrative put out by the Metropolitan Police is not simply questionable, it is plain impossible. I believe that this affair is a carefully constructed drama to push Russia in a corner and justify Western foreign policies in various places such as Ukraine, Iran and Syria. Who really tried to assassinate Sergei Skripal? And why?

**Bill Ryan** · 14th April 2022 15:57

Posted by Ravenlocke (here)
Who really tried to assassinate Sergei Skripal? And why?

See this long Avalon thread, from March 2018:

Sergei Skripal: who was behind the Salisbury poisoning?

**syrwong** · 14th April 2022 16:45

He Xin is a renown Chinese scholarly who worked at the Academy of Social Science in China. In the early days of the reform and open door in China he often gave political analysis to the top leaders like Deng. He made many predictions which turned out true, the most famous one was his prediction of the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1988, saying that as the consequence of the inevitable failure of Gorbachev's reform. He was not valued by the later leaders but continued to do research in many fields. Quite outspoken at times but remained in low profile after publishing books some ten years ago on Masonry that made it well known to the Chinese intellectuals (and some leaders). The current Chinese environment is more restrictive on free speech. BTW, his later interest in Masonry came as the result of watching Bill's documentary on Anglo Saxon Mission, after which he immediately did a great deal of research on the secret society and published a few books and articles on it. He said it's existence solved some political puzzles he could not explained before. In his seventies now, he recently wrote a short note on what would be the outcome of the Russian Ukrainian conflict. Here is the translation.

***

The war is in its final stages. Both sides are close to exhaustion. There is no winner in this battle.

The final stage will be a stalemate, a stalemate, and the inevitable outcome will be peace, peace talks.

But the post-war world is a very unpleasant place. Pandemic and war have demonised the world. The world is in tatters, the New World Order that followed the end of the Cold War has collapsed completely, the process of globalisation has been halted and the world has lost its direction. Looking ahead to the post-war future, crises and dangers abound.

Firstly, if the US and the West continue to isolate and blockade Russia and, by association, China, it will lead to an extremely tragic financial war.

If China and the US and Europe impose sanctions on each other, it will force non-Western countries to choose sides.

Second, this confrontation would inevitably force China into a broad economic and political alliance with Russia.

In this alliance, Russian energy, raw materials as well as food can replace US-Canadian supplies, and Chinese industrial consumer goods can be used as an exchange item. The two economies would be highly complementary, scientific research could cooperate, and a new system could be formed strong enough to counter the US and Europe in the long term.

However, there would be a painful transition period. The spread of technology will be cut off. Many unpredictable things will happen.

Thirdly, the Russian and Chinese systems will distance themselves from US Western capital, and the global free-market process that has followed the end of the Cold War will be brought to an end. The system of central planning will be strengthened during the transition period.

Fourthly, the Russian and Chinese systems will compete fiercely with the US and Europe in Asia, Africa and the peripheral countries of Europe and America.

This would mean a new global competitive dynamic, not quite a cold war, but possibly a local hot war, and even, towards a world war.

But let's hope that this will not be the case.

***

Note. Apparently he is foressing an open confrontation between East and West, first beginning with peripheral states in between. Maybe wars between the Koreas, Chinese and Taiwan, Israel and Iran? Then the third world war. But I think it will come very late and we may have middle scale wars for the next twenty years.

**Ravenlocke** · 14th April 2022 18:30

https://twitter.com/realGonzaloLira/...66337448169474

The whole thread (seven tweets ) can be read here:
https://twitter.com/threadreaderapp/...67105853091850

https://twitter.com/realGonzaloLira/...72219770785794

**Ravenlocke** · 14th April 2022 18:48

https://twitter.com/TheCradleMedia/s...33742622597124

https://thecradle.co/Article/interviews/9135

By Pepe Escobar April 14 2022
Sergey Glazyev is a man living right in the eye of our current geopolitical and geoeconomic hurricane. One of the most influential economists in the world, a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and a former adviser to the Kremlin from 2012 to 2019, for the past three years he has helmed Moscow’s uber strategic portfolio as Minister in Charge of Integration and Macroeconomics of the Eurasia Economic Union (EAEU).

Glazyev’s recent intellectual production has been nothing short of transformative, epitomized by his essay Sanctions and Sovereignty and an extensive discussion of the new, emerging geoeconomic paradigm in an interview to a Russian business magazine.

In another of his recent essays, Glazyev comments on how “I grew up in Zaporozhye, near which heavy fighting is now taking place in order to destroy the Ukrainian Nazis, who never existed in my small Motherland. I studied at a Ukrainian school and I know Ukrainian literature and language well, which from a scientific point of view is a dialect of Russian. I did not notice anything Russophobic in Ukrainian culture. In the 17 years of my life in Zaporozhye, I have never met a single Banderist.”

Glazyev was gracious to take some time from his packed schedule to provide detailed answers to a first series of questions in what we expect to become a running conversation, especially focused to the Global South. This is his first interview with a foreign publication since the start of Operation Z. Many thanks to Alexey Subottin for the Russian-English translation.

The Cradle: You are at the forefront of a game-changing geoeconomic development: the design of a new monetary/financial system via an association between the EAEU and China, bypassing the US dollar, with a draft soon to be concluded. Could you possibly advance some of the features of this system – which is certainly not a Bretton Woods III – but seems to be a clear alternative to the Washington consensus and very close to the necessities of the Global South?

Glazyev: In a bout of Russophobic hysteria, the ruling elite of the United States played its last “trump ace” in the hybrid war against Russia. Having “frozen” Russian foreign exchange reserves in custody accounts of western central banks, financial regulators of the US, EU, and the UK undermined the status of the dollar, euro, and pound as global reserve currencies. This step sharply accelerated the ongoing dismantling of the dollar-based economic world order.

Over a decade ago, my colleagues at the Astana Economic Forum and I proposed to transition to a new global economic system based on a new synthetic trading currency based on an index of currencies of participating countries. Later, we proposed to expand the underlying currency basket by adding around twenty exchange-traded commodities. A monetary unit based on such an expanded basket was mathematically modeled and demonstrated a high degree of resilience and stability.

At around the same time, we proposed to create a wide international coalition of resistance in the hybrid war for global dominance that the financial and power elite of the US unleashed on the countries that remained outside of its control. My book The Last World War: the USA to Move and Lose, published in 2016, scientifically explained the nature of this coming war and argued for its inevitability – a conclusion based on objective laws of long-term economic development. Based on the same objective laws, the book argued the inevitability of the defeat of the old dominant power.

Currently, the US is fighting to maintain its dominance, but just as Britain previously, which provoked two world wars but was unable to keep its empire and its central position in the world due to the obsolescence of its colonial economic system, it is destined to fail. The British colonial economic system based on slave labor was overtaken by structurally more efficient economic systems of the US and the USSR. Both the US and the USSR were more efficient at managing human capital in vertically integrated systems, which split the world into their zones of influence. A transition to a new world economic order started after the disintegration of the USSR. This transition is now reaching its conclusion with the imminent disintegration of the dollar-based global economic system, which provided the foundation of the United States’ global dominance.

The new convergent economic system that emerged in the PRC (People’s Republic of China) and India is the next inevitable stage of development, combining the benefits of both centralized strategic planning and market economy, and of both state control of the monetary and physical infrastructure and entrepreneurship. The new economic system united various strata of their societies around the goal of increasing common wellbeing in a way that is substantially stronger than the Anglo-Saxon and European alternatives. This is the main reason why Washington will not be able to win the global hybrid war that it started. This is also the main reason why the current dollar-centric global financial system will be superseded by a new one, based on a consensus of the countries who join the new world economic order.

In the first phase of the transition, these countries fall back on using their national currencies and clearing mechanisms, backed by bilateral currency swaps. At this point, price formation is still mostly driven by prices at various exchanges, denominated in dollars. This phase is almost over: after Russia’s reserves in dollars, euro, pound, and yen were “frozen,” it is unlikely that any sovereign country will continue accumulating reserves in these currencies. Their immediate replacement is national currencies and gold.

The second stage of the transition will involve new pricing mechanisms that do not reference the dollar. Price formation in national currencies involves substantial overheads, however, it will still be more attractive than pricing in ‘un-anchored’ and treacherous currencies like dollars, pounds, euro, and yen. The only remaining global currency candidate – the yuan – won’t be taking their place due to its inconvertibility and the restricted external access to the Chinese capital markets. The use of gold as the price reference is constrained by the inconvenience of its use for payments.

The third and the final stage on the new economic order transition will involve a creation of a new digital payment currency founded through an international agreement based on principles of transparency, fairness, goodwill, and efficiency. I expect that the model of such a monetary unit that we developed will play its role at this stage. A currency like this can be issued by a pool of currency reserves of BRICS countries, which all interested countries will be able to join. The weight of each currency in the basket could be proportional to the GDP of each country (based on purchasing power parity, for example), its share in international trade, as well as the population and territory size of participating countries.

In addition, the basket could contain an index of prices of main exchange-traded commodities: gold and other precious metals, key industrial metals, hydrocarbons, grains, sugar, as well as water and other natural resources. To provide backing and to make the currency more resilient, relevant international resource reserves can be created in due course. This new currency would be used exclusively for cross-border payments and issued to the participating countries based on a pre-defined formula. Participating countries would instead use their national currencies for credit creation, in order to finance national investments and industry, as well as for sovereign wealth reserves. Capital account cross-border flows would remain governed by national currency regulations.

The Cradle: Michael Hudson specifically asks that if this new system enables nations in the Global South to suspend dollarized debt and is based on the ability to pay (in foreign exchange), can these loans be tied to either raw materials or, for China, tangible equity ownership in the capital infrastructure financed by foreign non-dollar credit?

Glazyev: Transition to the new world economic order will likely be accompanied by systematic refusal to honor obligations in dollars, euro, pound, and yen. In this respect, it will be no different from the example set by the countries issuing these currencies who thought it appropriate to steal foreign exchange reserves of Iraq, Iran, Venezuela, Afghanistan, and Russia to the tune of trillions of dollars. Since the US, Britain, EU, and Japan refused to honor their obligations and confiscated wealth of other nations which was held in their currencies, why should other countries be obliged to pay them back and to service their loans?

In any case, participation in the new economic system will not be constrained by the obligations in the old one. Countries of the Global South can be full participants of the new system regardless of their accumulated debts in dollars, euro, pound, and yen. Even if they were to default on their obligations in those currencies, this would have no bearing on their credit rating in the new financial system. Nationalization of extraction industry, likewise, would not cause a disruption. Further, should these countries reserve a portion of their natural resources for the backing of the new economic system, their respective weight in the currency basket of the new monetary unit would increase accordingly, providing that nation with larger currency reserves and credit capacity. In addition, bilateral swap lines with trading partner countries would provide them with adequate financing for co-investments and trade financing.

The Cradle: In one of your latest essays, The Economics of the Russian Victory, you call for “an accelerated formation of a new technological paradigm and the formation of institutions of a new world economic order.” Among the recommendations, you specifically propose the creation of “a payment and settlement system in the national currencies of the EAEU member states” and the development and implementation of “an independent system of international settlements in the EAEU, SCO and BRICS, which could eliminate critical dependence of the US-controlled SWIFT system.” Is it possible to foresee a concerted joint drive by the EAEU and China to “sell” the new system to SCO members, other BRICS members, ASEAN members and nations in West Asia, Africa and Latin America? And will that result in a bipolar geoeconomy – the West versus The Rest?

Glazyev: Indeed, this is the direction where we are headed. Disappointingly, monetary authorities of Russia are still a part of the Washington paradigm and play by the rules of the dollar-based system, even after Russian foreign exchange reserves were captured by the west. On the other hand, the recent sanctions prompted extensive soul searching among the rest of the non-dollar-block countries. western ‘agents of influence’ still control central banks of most countries, forcing them to apply suicidal policies prescribed by the IMF. However, such policies at this point are so obviously contrary to the national interests of these non-western countries that their authorities are growing justifiably concerned about financial security.

You correctly highlight potentially central roles of China and Russia in the genesis of the new world economic order. Unfortunately, current leadership of the CBR (Central Bank of Russia) remains trapped inside the intellectual cul-de-sac of the Washington paradigm and is unable to become a founding partner in the creation of a new global economic and financial framework. At the same time, the CBR already had to face the reality and create a national system for interbank messaging which is not dependent on SWIFT, and opened it up for foreign banks as well. Cross-currency swap lines have been already set up with key participating nations. Most transactions between member states of the EAEU are already denominated in national currencies and the share of their currencies in internal trade is growing at a rapid pace.

A similar transition is taking place in trade with China, Iran, and Turkey. India indicated that it is ready to switch to payments in national currencies as well. A lot of effort is put in developing clearing mechanisms for national currency payments. In parallel, there is an ongoing effort to develop a digital non-banking payment system, which would be linked to gold and other exchange-traded commodities – ‘stablecoins.’

Recent US and European sanctions imposed on the banking channels have caused a rapid increase in these efforts. The group of countries working on the new financial system only needs to announce the completion of the framework and readiness of the new trade currency and the process of formation of the new world financial order will accelerate further from there. The best way to bring it about would be to announce it at the SCO or BRICS regular meetings. We are working on that.

The Cradle: This has been an absolutely key issue in discussions by independent analysts across the west. Was the Russian Central Bank advising Russian gold producers to sell their gold in the London market to get a higher price than the Russian government or Central Bank would pay? Was there no anticipation whatsoever that the coming alternative to the US dollar will have to be based largely on gold? How would you characterize what happened? How much practical damage has this inflicted on the Russian economy short-term and mid-term?

Glazyev: The monetary policy of the CBR, implemented in line with the IMF recommendations, has been devastating for the Russian economy. Combined disasters of the “freezing” of circa $400 billion of foreign exchange reserves and over a trillion dollars siphoned from the economy by oligarchs into western offshore destinations, came with the backdrop of equally disastrous policies of the CBR, which included excessively high real rates combined with a managed float of the exchange rate. We estimate this caused under-investment of circa 20 trillion rubles and under-production of circa 50 trillion rubles in goods.

Following Washington’s recommendations, the CBR stopped buying gold over the last two years, effectively forcing domestic gold miners to export full volumes of production, which added up to 500 tons of gold. These days the mistake and the harm it caused are very much obvious. Presently, the CBR resumed gold purchases, and, hopefully, will continue with sound policies in the interest of the national economy instead of ‘targeting inflation’ for the benefit of international speculators, as had been the case during the last decade.

The Cradle: The Fed as well as the ECB were not consulted on the freeze of Russian foreign reserves. Word in New York and Frankfurt is that they would have opposed it were they to have been asked. Did you personally expect the freeze? And did the Russian leadership expect it?

Glazyev: My book “The Last World War” that I already mentioned, which was published as far back as 2015, argued that the likelihood of this happening eventually is very high. In this hybrid war, economic warfare and informational/cognitive warfare are key theaters of conflict. On both of these fronts, the US and NATO countries have overwhelming superiority and I did not have any doubt that they would take full advantage of this in due course.

I have been arguing for a long time for replacement of dollars, euro, pounds, and yen in our foreign exchange reserves with gold, which is produced in abundance in Russia. Unfortunately, western agents of influence which occupy key roles at central banks of most countries, as well as rating agencies and key publications, were successful in silencing my ideas. To give you an example, I have no doubt that high-ranking officials at the Fed and the ECB were involved in developing anti-Russian financial sanctions. These sanctions have been consistently escalating and are being implemented almost instantly, despite the well-known difficulties with bureaucratic decision making in the EU.

The Cradle: Elvira Nabiullina has been reconfirmed as the head of the Russian Central Bank. What would you do differently, compared to her previous actions? What is the main guiding principle involved in your different approaches?

Glazyev: The difference between our approaches is very simple. Her policies are an orthodox implementation of IMF recommendations and dogmas of the Washington paradigm, while my recommendations are based on the scientific method and empirical evidence accumulated over the last hundred years in leading countries.

The Cradle: The Russia-China strategic partnership seems to be increasingly ironclad – as Presidents Putin and Xi themselves constantly reaffirm. But there are rumbles against it not only in the west but also in some Russian policy circles. In this extremely delicate historical juncture, how reliable is China as an all-season ally to Russia?

Glazyev: The foundation of Russian-Chinese strategic partnership is common sense, common interests, and the experience of cooperation over hundreds of years. The US ruling elite started a global hybrid war aimed at defending its hegemonic position in the world, targeting China as the key economic competitor and Russia as the key counter-balancing force. Initially, the US geopolitical efforts were aiming to create a conflict between Russia and China. Agents of western influence were amplifying xenophobic ideas in our media and blocking any attempts to transition to payments in national currencies. On the Chinese side, agents of western influence were pushing the government to fall in line with the demands of the US interests.

However, sovereign interests of Russia and China logically led to their growing strategic partnership and cooperation, in order to address common threats emanating from Washington. The US tariff war with China and financial sanctions war with Russia validated these concerns and demonstrated the clear and present danger our two countries are facing. Common interests of survival and resistance are uniting China and Russia, and our two countries are largely symbiotic economically. They complement and increase competitive advantages of each other. These common interests will persist over the long run.

The Chinese government and the Chinese people remember very well the role of the Soviet Union in the liberation of their country from the Japanese occupation and in the post-war industrialization of China. Our two countries have a strong historical foundation for strategic partnership and we are destined to cooperate closely in our common interests. I hope that the strategic partnership of Russia and the PRC, which is enhanced by the coupling of the One Belt One Road with the Eurasian Economic Union, will become the foundation of President Vladimir Putin’s project of the Greater Eurasian Partnership and the nucleus of the new world economic order.

**Ravenlocke** · 14th April 2022 19:05

https://twitter.com/RT_com/status/1514661009566412811

https://www.rt.com/russia/553878-ukr...n-experiments/

US conducted ‘inhumane’ lab experiments in Ukraine – Russia
A biolab in Ukraine has allegedly conducted unethical human experiments on behalf of the US government, Russia’s defense ministry claimed on Thursday, in its latest update on Pentagon-funded research in the country.

The allegations concern a laboratory located in Merefa, a city in Ukraine’s Kharkov region, located about 20 kilometers (12 miles) southwest of the provincial capital. The Russian military claimed that “American scientists from the lab” conducted a series of human experiments between 2019 and 2021, using patients at a psychiatric ward in Kharkov as subjects.

The research involved testing “potentially dangerous biological preparations,” the ministry claimed, without explaining what exactly was being tested.

The subjects were screened based on their age, nationality, and immunity status and were closely monitored, the ministry said. The ward kept no records about the alleged trials while its staff members were made to sign non-disclosure agreements, it alleged.

The Russian military claimed it had eyewitness testimonies of the “inhuman experiments,” but declined to provide any evidence of that, citing the necessity to protect them.

It said the lab shut down in January and all its equipment and research materials were moved to western Ukraine.

US outsourced dangerous infections studies to other countries – Lavrov to RT
Russia suspects the Pentagon of funding clandestine bioweapons research in Ukraine and many other nations. The US government says the labs operating under the US military’s Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DRTA) act as biological outposts monitoring the environment for potentially dangerous infections emerging naturally. Moscow says the research may have military applications.

The Russian defense ministry has conducted a number of media briefings regarding the program and labs in Ukraine since Moscow launched an attack on the country. The Russian government has argued that the evidence presented confirmed its long-held suspicions about American intentions.

Beijing supported Russia in its calls to Washington to open up DRTA labs for international scrutiny.

Russia attacked its neighbor in late February, following Ukraine’s failure to implement the terms of the Minsk agreements, signed in 2014, and Moscow’s eventual recognition of the Donbass republics of Donetsk and Lugansk. The German and French brokered Minsk Protocols was designed to give the breakaway regions special status within the Ukrainian state.

The Kremlin has since demanded that Ukraine officially declare itself a neutral country that will never join the US-led NATO military bloc. Kiev insists the Russian offensive was completely unprovoked and has denied claims it was planning to retake the two republics by force.

**Ravenlocke** · 14th April 2022 19:17

https://twitter.com/MapsUkraine/stat...74944210259972

Thread: WW3? Ukraine/US vs. Donbass/Russia

Thread Tools

Re: WW3? Ukraine/US vs. Donbass/Russia

The Following 16 Users Say Thank You to Bill Ryan For This Post:

Re: WW3? Ukraine/US vs. Donbass/Russia

The Following 13 Users Say Thank You to Vangelo For This Post:

Re: WW3? Ukraine/US vs. Donbass/Russia

The Following 12 Users Say Thank You to Ravenlocke For This Post:

Re: WW3? Ukraine/US vs. Donbass/Russia

The Following 15 Users Say Thank You to Ravenlocke For This Post:

Re: WW3? Ukraine/US vs. Donbass/Russia

The Following 13 Users Say Thank You to Ravenlocke For This Post:

Re: WW3? Ukraine/US vs. Donbass/Russia

The Following 10 Users Say Thank You to Ravenlocke For This Post:

Re: WW3? Ukraine/US vs. Donbass/Russia

The Following 14 Users Say Thank You to Tintin For This Post:

Re: WW3? Ukraine/US vs. Donbass/Russia

The Following 6 Users Say Thank You to Ravenlocke For This Post:

Re: WW3? Ukraine/US vs. Donbass/Russia

The Following 7 Users Say Thank You to Satori For This Post:

Re: WW3? Ukraine/US vs. Donbass/Russia

The Following 12 Users Say Thank You to Bill Ryan For This Post:

Re: WW3? Ukraine/US vs. Donbass/Russia

The Following 9 Users Say Thank You to Ravenlocke For This Post:

Re: WW3? Ukraine/US vs. Donbass/Russia

The Following 15 Users Say Thank You to Bill Ryan For This Post:

Re: WW3? Ukraine/US vs. Donbass/Russia

The Following 9 Users Say Thank You to Ravenlocke For This Post:

Re: WW3? Ukraine/US vs. Donbass/Russia

The Following 15 Users Say Thank You to Ravenlocke For This Post:

Re: WW3? Ukraine/US vs. Donbass/Russia

The Following 12 Users Say Thank You to Bill Ryan For This Post:

Re: WW3? Ukraine/US vs. Donbass/Russia

The Following 11 Users Say Thank You to syrwong For This Post:

Re: WW3? Ukraine/US vs. Donbass/Russia

The Following 8 Users Say Thank You to Ravenlocke For This Post:

Re: WW3? Ukraine/US vs. Donbass/Russia

The Following 7 Users Say Thank You to Ravenlocke For This Post:

Re: WW3? Ukraine/US vs. Donbass/Russia

The Following 6 Users Say Thank You to Ravenlocke For This Post:

Re: WW3? Ukraine/US vs. Donbass/Russia

The Following 4 Users Say Thank You to Ravenlocke For This Post:

Tags for this Thread

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions