Showing posts with label Russia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Russia. Show all posts

Thursday, February 22, 2024

Russia: Forbidden Business | ARTE.tv Documentary

Feb 22, 2024 | When Russia invaded Ukraine, the European Union imposed extensive sanctions on the Russian federation. But these measures are being circumvented in a vast black market. This documentary attempt to shed light on the shady, forbidden business deals that are helping to keep the Russian economy afloat.

Wednesday, February 21, 2024

‘Putin Will Spark a Third World War If Russia Claims Victory in Ukraine’

THE TELEGRAPH: Ukrainian steel magnate Yuriy Ryzhenkov warns of global fallout from the Kremlin’s war

Vladimir Putin will spark a third world war if the Russian president is allowed to declare victory in Ukraine, according to the boss of the country’s biggest private employer.

Yuriy Ryzhenkov, chief executive of Metinvest, which ran the sprawling Azovstal steelworks that became the site of a relentless Russian assault at the start of the 2022 invasion, warned of the consequences of a Kremlin victory.

“I don’t believe that if Ukraine fails, Putin will stop,” he said in an interview ahead of the two year anniversary of the war in Ukraine. “The Baltic states, Poland, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia are the next targets.”

Ryzhenkov’s comments were made just days before Putin threatened the US with a global war that will “bring humanity to the brink” if Capitol Hill deploys troops to Ukraine. » | Szu Ping Chan |Wednesday, February 21, 2024 [£]

Monday, February 19, 2024

Fareed to Tucker Carlson: You Need to Get Out More

Feb 19, 2024 | CNN's Fareed Zakaria weighs in on Tucker Carlson's visit to Russia, and how impressed he was with the city of Moscow.

As Putin Threatens, Despair and Hedging in Europe

THE NEW YORK TIMES: There is a dawning recognition that the continent urgently needs to step up its own defense, especially as the U.S. wavers, but the commitments still are not coming.

As the leaders of the West gathered in Munich over the past three days, President Vladimir V. Putin had a message for them: Nothing they’ve done so far — sanctions, condemnation, attempted containment — would alter his intentions to disrupt the current world order.

Russia made its first major gain in Ukraine in nearly a year, taking the ruined city of Avdiivka, at huge human cost to both sides, the bodies littered along the roads a warning, perhaps, of a new course in the two-year-old war. Aleksei Navalny’s suspicious death in a remote Arctic prison made ever clearer that Mr. Putin will tolerate no dissent as elections approach.

And the American discovery, disclosed in recent days, that Mr. Putin may be planning to place a nuclear weapon in space — a bomb designed to wipe out the connective tissue of global communications if Mr. Putin is pushed too far — was a potent reminder of his capacity to strike back at his adversaries with the asymmetric weapons that remain a key source of his power.

In Munich, the mood was both anxious and unmoored, as leaders faced confrontations they had not anticipated. Warnings about Mr. Putin’s possible next moves were mixed with Europe’s growing worries that it could soon be abandoned by the United States, the one power that has been at the core of its defense strategy for 75 years. » | David E. Sanger and Steven Erlanger, Reporting from Munich | Sunday, February 18, 2024

Volodymyr Zelenskyy is absolutely right, Europe must be able to defend itself. It needs its own military as soon as possible. Visitors and followers of my blog will be aware that I have stated the same many times over the years. Europe needs to unite; and it needs to be able to defend itself – properly. This is not rocket science; rather, it is common sense. Unity brings strength; division brings weakness. To use an Arabic expression, Europe needs to work as one hand! That means to say, in harmony and in co-operation.

Britain should be part of this, too. That is why we should never have left the EU. In doing that, we Brits played right into Putin’s hands. Our exit from the EU was exactly what Putin wanted: he wanted to sow chaos and disunity in Europe. Our British politicians were too blinkered to be able to see it, too blinkered to see that they were being manipulated. This is why this stupid move needs to be reversed as soon as possible. By now, even the most blinkered and dense of our politicians should be able to see how important it is for Europe to have a full-scale military to be able to defend itself. Especially with people like Trump hovering on the horizon, ready to inflict full-scale damage on his own country and the world with his ridiculous policies and stated lack of willingness to defend "delinquent" NATO countries, and quite possibly, nay probably, dragging the US out of NATO altogether! – © Mark Alexander

Saturday, February 17, 2024

Indian Government: We're Sticking with Russia | DW News

Feb 17, 2024 | ndia is standing by its close relationship with Russia - refusing to join the widespread condemnation of the death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Speaking to DW at the Munich Security Conference, BJP National Spokesman Jaiveer Shergill said India is “on the side of peace.” With Germany and France signing pledges to keep providing Ukraine with weapons, Shergill urged Europe to consider “what would it take to stop the war?” Shergill addressed the challenge facing India from China, saying “the era of one single power domination is long gone.”

'It Is in Our Interest that Russia Is Defeated': Former US Commander Ben Hodges | DW News

Feb 17, 2024 | Republicans in the US Congress is blocking a multi-billion-dollar military aid package that Ukraine urgently needs in its fight against Russia. Can Kyiv expect a release soon? At the Munich Security Conference, DW spoke with the former Commander of the US Army Europe, Ben Hodges.

Friday, February 16, 2024

Alexei Navalny Reported Dead: General Petraeus Reacts

Feb 16, 2024 | “In a way I’m surprised that he lived as long as he did.” General Petraeus reacts to reports of the “tragic” death of Putin’s main opposition leader Alexi Navalny on Times Radio.


Related video, article and material here.

Russian Opposition Leader Alexei Navalny Has Died, Russian Media Report | BBC News | BBC News

Feb 16, 2024 | Russia's most significant opposition leader for the past decade, Alexei Navalny, has died in prison inside the Arctic Circle, Russian news agencies report, quoting the prison service.

Seen as President Vladimir Putin's most vociferous critic, Navalny was serving a 19-year jail term for offences widely considered politically motivated. He was moved to an Arctic penal colony, considered one of the toughest jails, late last year.

The prison service in the Yamalo-Nenets district said he had "felt unwell" after a walk on Friday. He had "almost immediately lost consciousness", it said in a statement. The causes of his death were being established, Tass news agency reported.



Related articles/material in German, French here.

Tuesday, February 13, 2024

Russia Declares Estonian PM Kaja Kallas a 'Wanted' Person | DW News

Feb 13, 2024 | The Kremlin says it placed her on the wanted list for taking hostile actions against Russia – and what it calls "the desecration of historical memory". Moscow has long criticized Estonia for removing Soviet-era monuments. Estonia's state secretary and Lithuania's culture minister are also on the list. Kallas has been a vocal support of Ukraine since Russia's invasion. For more, we talk to our Russia analyst Konstantin Eggert, who joins us from Vilnius.


En direct, guerre en Ukraine : poursuivie par Moscou, la première ministre estonienne dénonce la « tactique d’intimidation » russe : Moscou a lancé un avis de recherche contre Kaja Kallas, la première ministre d’Estonie, le secrétaire d’Etat estonien, Taimar Peterkop, et le ministre de la culture de Lituanie, Simonas Kairys, invoquant la vision opposée de l’histoire qu’ont la Russie et ces Etats. LIVE EN COURS »

Sunday, February 11, 2024

Nato Chief Says Trump Remarks May Put US and EU Lives At Risk

THE GUARDIAN: Jens Stoltenberg says Nato ‘ready and able to defend all allies’, after Trump invited Russia to attack member countries

The Nato chief, Jens Stoltenberg, has said any attack on the western military alliance would be met with a “united and forceful response”, after Donald Trump invited Russia to attack member countries that he perceived as not meeting their financial obligations.

Stoltenberg said in a statement: “Any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines all of our security, including that of the US, and puts American and European soldiers at increased risk. I expect that regardless of who wins the presidential election, the US will remain a strong and committed Nato ally.”

He said Nato remained “ready and able to defend all allies”. » | Angelique Chrisafis in Paris and Lili Bayer in Brussels | Sunday, February 11, 2024

Trump should under no circumstances be allowed back into the White House. Trump is a clown and a fool - a dangerous clown and fool! The man is a moron - a mentally unstable moron at that! Why it is taking the authorities in the US so long to lock him up is puzzling indeed. The man belongs in jail for all he has inflicted on the US and for all the damage he has done to democracy worldwide. The best-case scenario for Trump is that he be locked up in a madhouse, as I wrote yesterday in German. (ich schrieb, daß er in einem Irrenhaus gehört und nicht im Weißen Haus.)

What has been reported today regarding what Trump has said re Russia and NATO is proof positive that my words are no exaggeration.

Why the hell is the world wasting so much time on this waster: America's gift to Putin? – © Mark Alexander

Donald Trump Says He Would Encourage Russia to Attack Nato Allies Who Pay Too Little

THE GUARDIAN: Remarks by former president and presumptive 2024 Republican nominee described as ‘unhinged’ by the White House

Seeking a second presidency as the Republicans’ presumptive 2024 White House nominee, Donald Trump has said he would “encourage” Russia to attack any of the US’s Nato allies whom he considers to have not met their financial obligations.

The White House described the remarks as “appalling and unhinged”. Trump made the statement on Saturday during a campaign rally in Conway, South Carolina, ahead of the state’s Republican presidential preference primary on 24 February.

The former president has voiced misgivings about aid to Ukraine as it defends itself from the invasion launched by Russia in February 2022 – as well as to the existence of Nato, the 31-nation alliance which the US has committed to defending when necessary.

On Saturday, Trump claimed that during an unspecified Nato meeting he told a fellow head of state that the US under his leadership would not defend any countries who were “delinquent”. » | Guardian staff and agencies | Sunday, February 11, 2024

Friday, February 09, 2024

Key Takeaways from Tucker Carlson's Interview with Russia's Putin | DW News

Feb 9, 2024 | Russia's President Vladimir Putin has given his first one-on-one interview to Western media since 2019 – to a controversial right-wing US talk show host.

Tucker Carlson is a former Fox News host, a key ally of 2024 election candidate Donald Trump – and a vocal opponent to US military aid for Ukraine. He travelled to Moscow to conduct the interview, which was broadcast on the 'Tucker Carlson Network'. The Russian president used the occasion to push for recognition of Moscow's interests – depicting Russia as a victim of Western betrayal and fearmongering.

Carlson left Putin largely unchallenged. In video from Tucker Carlson Network, some questions led to jokes rather than real answers.


Russia Could Attack Nato within Three Years, Warns Denmark

THE TELEGRAPH: The Danish defence minister has warned Russia could go to war with Nato in as little as three years.

Troels Lund Poulsen, who also serves as Denmark’s deputy prime minister, has joined colleagues from the UK, Sweden, Romania, Germany and others in raising the alarm about increased Russian defence spending and manufacturing.

“It cannot be ruled out that within a three- to five-year period, Russia will test Article 5 and Nato’s solidarity. That was not Nato’s assessment in 2023. This is new information that is coming to the fore now,” Mr Poulsen told Jyllands-Posten, a Danish newspaper. » | Friday, February 9, 2024

Thursday, February 08, 2024

Why Vladimir Putin Allowed ONLY Tucker Carlson to Interview Him: Explained by Bill Browder

Feb 8, 2024 | In a surprising turn of events, Tucker Carlson, former Fox News host and current host of his own show on X, announced that he had travelled to Moscow to interview Russian President Vladimir Putin.

This marks the first time a member of the Western media has interviewed Putin since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The announcement has ignited a conversation about the decision to give a platform to the Russian dictator, particularly during a time of war.

Putin's biggest critic Bill Browder speaks to TalkTV about why Tucker Carlson was the only person allowed to interview Putin. Critics argue that Carlson, who has openly expressed his support for Putin in the past, is not a journalist but an influencer, and his interview is seen as an influence operation rather than a legitimate journalistic endeavour. They question the value of giving a voice to Putin without asking tough questions about his actions, such as the arrest of opposition figures and the bombing of civilians in Ukraine.


Wife of Jailed Putin Critic Responds to Tucker Carlson’s Interview

Feb 8, 2024 | Evgenia Kara-Murza, the wife of Russian jailed journalist Vladimir Kara-Murza, explains to CNN's Erin Burnett why Vladimir Putin "needs" Tucker Carlson to spread his message.

US Funding Failure Will Have Serious Battlefield Consequences, Says Ukraine

GUARDIAN EUROPE: Zelenskiy aide says ‘foreign policy has become a hostage of internal politics’ after Republicans torpedo aid bill

The repeated failure of the Biden administration to get a funding package for Ukraine approved by the Senate will have real consequences in terms of lives on the battlefield and Kyiv’s ability to hold off Russian forces on the frontline, say Ukrainian officials.

The latest move by Senate Republicans to torpedo a bipartisan bill that would have combined $60bn (£48bn) in aid for Ukraine with aid to Israel and increased border security measures is a bitter blow for Kyiv. It could signal a very grim year ahead as the US political agenda settles into an election year with Donald Trump all but certain to be the Republican candidate.

As the two-year anniversary of Russia’s full-scale war in Ukraine approaches, Ukrainian officials say the delay in US support has already had a clear impact on the battlefield, where Kyiv’s exhausted troops have a severe hardware deficit in comparison to the Russians. » | Shaun Walker in Kyiv | Thursday, February 8, 2024

And some Americans, hopefully albeit few in number, appear to be rooting for Putin to win this war! Scott Ritter appears to be one of those people! (And what, pray tell, are we to make of Tucker Carlson’s interview of Vladimir Putin?)

Please don’t forget to watch this discussion between the distinguished, if a little controversial, extremely right-wing Roger Köppel [Wikipedia] of the well-known Swiss journal, Die Weltwoche, and the no less controversial American, Scott Ritter [Wikipedia], who clearly argues Putin’s case for him!

I have decided not to embed this video lest people think that I endorse Scott Ritter’s viewpoint. I CERTAINLY DO NOT. Listening to Scott Ritter speaking in this video, stuns me. Prepare yourselves to be stunned, too! – © Mark Alexander

Please note that the video starts in German but soon changes to English for Roger Köppel's discussion with Scott Ritter.

Click here to watch the video and listen to the discussion. By the way, even its title is mind-blowing!

Wednesday, February 07, 2024

Tucker Carlson Is the Most Cynical Man in America | The Warning

Feb 7, 2024 | Steve Schmidt explains why Tucker Carlson is in Moscow. Tucker Carlson has become a dangerous demagogue in recent years. His actions and conduct are reprehensible. He is no journalist. He is a very bad American. Tucker Carlson is a stooge, and specifically he is Putin’s stooge. What a disgrace.


Kremlin confirms Putin gave interview to ex-Fox News host Tucker Carlson: MOSCOW, Feb 7 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin granted an interview to U.S. television host Tucker Carlson on Tuesday, the Kremlin said, his first to an American journalist since before Russia's invasion of Ukraine nearly two years ago. / Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin had agreed to the Carlson interview because the approach of the former Fox News host differed from the "one-sided" reporting of the Ukraine conflict by many Western news outlets. »

"Why Do I Feel Guilty Like I'm Betraying My Country": Tucker Carlson before Putin Interview

Feb 7, 2024 | Tucker Carlson questioned by Russian media over Putin interview during his Moscow trip.


Tucker Carlson not first Western journalist to seek interview with Putin, says Kremlin: Right-wing commentator made false claim that others had ‘not bothered’ to try to speak to Russian president »

Tuesday, February 06, 2024

Tucker Carlson Confirms He Is in Russia to Interview Vladimir Putin

Feb 6, 2024 | The former Fox News broadcaster shared a video on Twitter filmed in the country’s capital, following days of speculation.