European Leaders Seethe over Putin-Orbán Meeting

GUARDIAN EUROPE: Czech president calls on western capitals not to fall for Russian leader’s tactic to break European unity

Viktor Orbán (left) and Vladimir Putin shake hands on Tuesday before their meeting as part of the Chinese belt and road forum in Beijing. Photograph: Grigory Sysoev/Sputnik/Kremlin/EPA
European leaders must not “fall” for the tactics of Vladimir Putin, the Czech president, Petr Pavel, has said, two days after Hungary’s prime minister shook hands with Russia’s leader.

Viktor Orbán, in a rare move for the leader of a country that belongs to the EU and Nato, met Putin in Beijing on Tuesday for what the Hungarian leader’s office described as a discussion on energy cooperation and peace.

Hungary has long been criticised for democratic backsliding at home and its Russia- and China-friendly policies abroad.

Its foreign minister, Péter Szijjártó, routinely visits Moscow. And in a move that has frustrated its allies, Hungary – along with Turkey – has yet to ratify Sweden’s application for Nato membership. » | Lili Bayer in Brussels | Friday, Octoner 20, 2023

With Putin by His Side, Xi Outlines His Vision of a New World Order

THE NEW YORK TIMES: China’s close ties with Russia in countering American dominance point to a geopolitical rift that could shape the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

The leaders of China and Russia hailed each other as “old” and “dear” friends. They took swipes at the United States and depicted themselves as building a “fairer, multipolar world.” And they marveled at their countries’ “deepening” trust.

China’s top leader, Xi Jinping, used a Beijing-led conference of leaders from mostly developing countries on Wednesday to showcase his ambitions to reshape the global order, as the world grapples with a war in Ukraine and a crisis in Gaza. He cast his country as an alternative to the leadership of the United States. And he gave a prominent role to President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, underscoring how central their relationship is to Mr. Xi’s vision.

The event, the Belt and Road Forum, is centered on China’s signature foreign policy initiative, which aims to expand Beijing’s influence abroad with infrastructure projects. Mr. Putin was treated as the guest of honor and often pictured by Mr. Xi’s side. The two leaders also met for three hours in Beijing on Wednesday.

While Mr. Putin and Mr. Xi huddled, President Biden landed in Israel on a visit aimed at preventing the war between Israel and Hamas from spreading. Though Mr. Xi did not publicly remark on the war, Mr. Putin, at a news briefing, blamed the United States for increasing tensions in the Middle East by sending warships to the region. He said that such regional conflicts were “shared threats that only strengthen Russo-Chinese relations.” (+ video) » | David Pierson, Anatoly Kurmanaev and Tiffany May | Wednesday, October 18, 2023

Xi Jinping Welcomes ‘Dear Friend’ Putin in Beijing

THE TELEGRAPH: The leaders have a shared vision for a new international order to counter the US and other democratic nations

Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping meet at the Belt and Road summit in Beijing | SERGEI SAVOSTYANOV/AFP
Vladimir Putin met with his “dear friend” Xi Jinping as the two smiling leaders shook hands and posed for photos in Beijing to underline their “no limits” friendship.

The Russian president, who is wanted for war crimes, met with the Chinese leader at the Belt and Road summit on Tuesday which is marking the 10-year anniversary of China’s flagship global infrastructure project.

Putin was joined at the conference by a Taliban minister and the Kazakh president along with representatives from 130 other countries.

The Russian president was keen to cast himself as a close ally of China, telling reporters ahead of the trip: “President Xi Jinping calls me his friend, and I call him my friend, too.” » | Nicola Smith, Asia Correspondent and James Crisp, Europe Correspondent | Tuesday, October 17, 2023

Hamas Terrorism Echoes Barbaric Playbook from Putin to ISIS, Warns Historian

Oct 11, 2023 | “Hamas terrorists paid no attention to any modern laws of war, or any norms of any kind” in their attacks on Israel, says historian Anne Applebaum, a barbarism that reflects a wider attack on the institutions built to defend human rights after World War II. The Pulitzer winner discusses her essay and the war with MSNBC’s Ari Melber.

Zelensky Says Gaza War Furthers Russian Aims

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The Ukrainian president said Moscow was aiming to sow division in the region and the attack on Israel could distract allies from his country’s conflict.

President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, left, and President Klaus Iohannis of Romania during an honor guard welcoming ceremony on Tuesday in Bucharest. | Daniel Mihailescu/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine has accused Russia of wanting to precipitate conflict in the Middle East to undermine international support for Ukraine, in comments that reflect concern that the war between Israel and the militant group Hamas could distract attention from Kyiv’s fight.

In remarks released on social media on Monday night, Mr. Zelensky, who has repeatedly expressed support for Israel, also appeared to seek to rally support for his country at a time when Ukraine is facing stiff Russian resistance on the battlefield amid signs of wavering support among a few of its allies. » | Matthew Mpoke Bigg, Reporting from Kyiv | Tuesday, October 10, 2023

The Lincoln Project: Appeasement

Oct 6, 2023

Russia's New Anti-LGBT Law Now Takes "Propaganda" Books Off Shelves | DW News

Feb 1, 2023 | It's been almost two months since Russian President Vladimir Putin signed into law a regulation that bans so-called LGBT-propaganda in Russia. It prohibits what it calls promotion of 'non-traditional values'. The change has already affected a wide range of books and films, with now-illegal material being removed. Critics say that this is just one more step in what the Russian government sees as a fight against Western values.

Unease in the West as Slovakia Appears Set to Join the Putin Sympathizers

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The front-runner in the parliamentary vote has pledged “not to send a single cartridge” to neighboring Ukraine, a sign of the flagging European support for a victim of Russian aggression.

Robert Fico, center, in Bratislava, Slovakia, on Sunday, has said he will “not send a single cartridge” of ammunition to Ukraine. | Martin Divisek/EPA, via Shutterstock
The victory of Robert Fico, a former prime minister who took a pro-Russian campaign stance, in Slovakia’s parliamentary elections is a further sign of eroding support for Ukraine in the West as the war drags on and the front line remains largely static.

Slovakia is a small country with historical Russian sympathies, and the nature of the coalition government Mr. Fico will seek to form is unclear. He may lean more toward pragmatism, as Italy’s far-right prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, has done since her election last year. Still, the shift in Slovakia is stark: It was the first country to deliver fighter jets to Ukraine.

The election results come as disquiet over the billions of dollars in military aid that the West has provided to Ukraine over the past 19 months has grown more acute in the United States and the European Union, with demands increasing for the money to go to domestic priorities instead. » | Roger Cohen, Reporting from Paris | Sunday, October 1, 2023

Vladimir Putin Praises Elon Musk as ‘Talented Businessman' | #shorts

Elon praised by Vladimir here.

Russia's Putin Signs Decree on Autumn Military Conscription

REUTERS: Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree setting out the routine autumn conscription campaign, calling up 130,000 citizens for statutory military service, a document posted on the government website showed on Friday.

All men in Russia are required to do a year-long military service between the ages of 18 and 27, or equivalent training while in higher education.

Putin's move comes as Russia's armed forces press on with their "special military operation" in Ukraine, now in its 20th month.

The president, who signed an order in March calling up 147,000 people for the spring campaign, said this month he was bracing for a long war in Ukraine. » | Reuters: Reporting by Maxim Rodionov | Editing by Gareth Jones | Friday, September 29, 2023

Decoding Putin and Xi's Blueprint for a New World Order | DW Analysis

Sep 29, 2023 | China and Russia are getting closer. Rather than distancing himself from Vladimir Putin over his war against Ukraine, Xi Jinping is doubling down on the relationship. And Putin is becoming more and more dependent on Xi as an economic, military and geopolitical lifeline. Why is this happening? What do Xi and Putin want to achieve? And what does their relationship mean for the rest of the world?

DW’s Richard Walker goes on a deep dive into the roots of the Moscow-Beijing relationship. Finding how the two sides are an economic “match made in heaven.” How China’s People Liberation Army wouldn’t be where it is today without military supplies from Russia when it was frozen out from other suppliers. And how the personal bond between Putin and Xi is feeding into a joint mission by the two men to reshape the world.

This relationship has potentially deep implications for every nation on earth. In part 3, we explore the impact in three areas currently underestimated by many: the prospect of joint China-Russia nuclear weapons planning, the impact on India of Russia becoming subordinate to China, and the implications for the endgame of the Ukraine war.

Featuring interviews with leading experts including Alexander Gabuev, Bonnie Glaser, Zhou Bo, Garima Mohan, Wang Huiyao and Decker Eveleth.

Oligarchs' 'Hatred' for Putin Grows as He Stops Caring about Ukraine Losses | Bill Browder

Sept 25, 2023 | "There's not enough soldiers on the front line and so Putin doesn't rotate them out. He doesn't care. 300,000 Russian men have died in this war." Only violence holds Putin in power as he becomes hated by his inner circle and callous about military failures in Ukraine, says Bill Browder on Times Radio's Frontline.

Timothy Snyder: Way to End Putin's War in Ukraine Is to Help Ukraine Win It

Sep 14, 2023 | Denmark has announced its largest military aid package yet to Ukraine, worth $833 million, as Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un hold arms talks in the Far East. Yale University professor of history Timothy Snyder joins MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell to discuss.

Former NATO General: Western Self-deterrence Only Prolongs Ukraine War | Conflict Zone

Sep 13, 2023 | Retired British Army General Sir Richard Sherriff says NATO may eventually need to conduct operations against Russia if the war in Ukraine dragged on and became “a running sore” in Eastern Europe. The former Deputy Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, also told DW that Western self-deterrence had prolonged the war and that the best way to end the Kremlin’s nuclear saber-rattling was to build a credible conventional defense in NATO.

Being Queer in Putin's Shadow

Sep 14, 2023 | Russian exiles have fled Putin's harsh anti-LGBTQI+ laws. But will they find a safe haven in neighbouring Georgia? Or will Putin's conservative crackdown follow them?

What Possible Kim-Putin Deals Could Look Like? | DW News

Sep 13, 2023 | North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met with Russian President Vladimir Putin Wednesday for a day of talks that began at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia's Far East. The two leaders were at a remote Siberian rocket launch site, and began the day by inspecting a Soyuz-2 space facility. Later, the two lavished one another with compliments during a state dinner. …

‘Duo of Gangsters: Trump and Putin in Lockstep on Indictments

Sep 13, 2023 | Former CIA Director John Brennan, U.S. Special Correspondent for BBC Studios Katty Kay and MSNBC Military Analyst Barry McCaffrey join Nicolle Wallace to discuss the newest comments coming from the Russian leader - currently accused of war crimes - about Donald Trump’s indictments as Putin meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Putin Toasts Kim over a Six-course Lunch.

THE NEW YORK TIMES: After a closely watched two-hour summit in Russia’s Far East, North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia sat down for a six-course lunch intended to showcase the wide span of Russian cuisine.

According to a menu posted on the messaging app Telegram by Russian reporters who cover the Kremlin, the meal opened with two appetizers: a duck salad with figs; and dumplings, called pelmeni, stuffed with crab from Kamchatka, a volcanic peninsula on Russia’s Pacific Coast that is known for its wildlife. The first two courses were followed by a clear-broth soup called ukha that is usually made with trout, salmon or other fish; parsley; dill; and potatoes or other root vegetables.

A sorbet made from sea buckthorn berries served as a palate cleanser before the main course, a choice of sturgeon with mushrooms and potatoes or entrecôte beef with baked vegetables. » | Valeriya Safronova | Wednesday, September 13, 2023

Kim Jong-un Offers Putin ‘Full Support’ in Russia’s ‘Sacred Fight’ with West

THE GUARDIAN: North Korean leader backs Moscow in ‘protecting its sovereignty and security against the hegemonic forces’ that oppose it

Kim Jong-un has offered Vladimir Putin his support for Russia’s “sacred fight” against the west during talks that also touched on possible Russian help with North Korea’s space programme.

The North Korean and Russian leaders met on Wednesday at a space base in the far east of Russia amid warnings that Kim was poised to offer the Kremlin artillery shells and other munitions for the war in Ukraine.

Putin, who greeted Kim with a handshake and a lengthy chat outside the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the remote region of Amur, reportedly offered Russian help with the Pyongyang regime’s troubled satellite programme.

North Korea has made huge advances in its nuclear and ballistic weapons programmes despite years of UN-led sanctions supported by Russia, but it has fared less well in its attempts to launch a satellite.

It failed to put a military spy satellite into orbit in recent months, experts said. While Kim made the long train journey north hoping to secure Russian expertise in weapons technology, and potentially food and other aid, their first meeting for four years was a rare opportunity for Putin to welcome one of the Kremlin’s few international allies. (With video) » | Justin McCurry and Andrew Roth | Wednesday, September 13, 2023

North Korea's Kim Jong-un Arrives in Russia

Sep 12, 2023 | Russian officials rolled out the red carpet for Kim Jong Un after his armored train arrived in the country today ahead of talks with President Putin that are expected to focus on North Korean weapons supplies for Moscow.

The North Korean dictator was escorted past a military guard into a train station in Khasan, the main border crossing between the two countries, according to images broadcast by state media. There was a heavy security presence at the station. Kim, who was wearing a dark suit, smiled as he stepped off his train, which was pulled into Khasan by a red Russian locomotive.

The Kremlin has said that Kim and Putin will meet after an economic forum in Vladivostok, a port city in Russia’s far eastern region, which ends tomorrow. It has given no other details about the time and location of the talks, which come after Washington warned North Korean not to supply Russia with arms and munitions for use in Ukraine. Sergei Shoigu, the Russian defence minister, will also take part in the talks, Moscow has said.