karlof1’s Geopolitical Gymnasium
KARL SANCHEZ

Members of the "White Empire" dividing the world.

US Imperialism is and was always in charge of itself in the sense that it didn’t listen to others and made its own decisions, good or bad, as it went along. That its behavior along the way was savage is correct, and it’s also correct it projected that savagery onto those it exterminated—a trait it learned from its European parents well before it gained independence in 1783. In 1890 when the Frontier was officially declared closed, consternation arose within the elite class as to what would be next, although that direction was already in motion as the earlier illegal annexation of Hawaii proved. Low-hanging fruit was seen everywhere, and the nascent US Empire already had a doctrine ready to launch thanks to Alfred Thayer Mahan’s The Influence of Sea Power upon History: 1660–1783 published in 1890 that provided the template for what were to become known as Maritime Empires past and present. Mahan’s ideas were expanded by Halford Mackinder into the first formulations of geopolitics, which Theodore Roosevelt had already put into action by stealing Panama from Colombia, elbowing the Empire way into the Unequal Treaties imposed of China via the Open Door policy that still exists today, and prosecuting the remaining massacres of the American War on Spain. It was in the Philippines where the US Empire began to again rely on terrorism as its main weapon to deal with “savages” not wanting to be colonized.

Woodrow Wilson has been canonized by imperialist historians, but in reality, far from democracy champion, he was a highly hypocritical authoritarian.

The Liberty Narrative imposed on the world beginning with the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago, AKA Chicago World’s Fair initiated the gaslighting of the global public about US intentions. Conduct against its substantial German-American population during WW1, the lies that enabled Wilson to say he was for peace when he wanted war, and the Massive Assault on person liberties during the Palmer Raids and Red Scare coupled with the passage of the unconstitutional Espionage Act were far more illustrative of US Values than giving women the vote and allowing for the direct election of Senators. Of all those, the vast repression of German-Americans has been very nearly erased, far more so than Jim Crow history.

Insistence that Europe repay its war loans directly caused the Great Depression, while prior to that event during the 1920s the US Empire engaged in a form of imperialism known as Dollar Diplomacy where a loan was tendered to a foreign nation who then, unable to pay, had its ports invaded by US Marines who collected import fees to be sent to the bankers as payment. All of that was done in Mexico, Carribean, and Central America where no other nation could interfere. General Smedley Butler’s War is a Racket stem s from all that and more. Clearly, doing whatever it wanted whenever it wanted was a cornerstone of US Imperial behaviour that had moved from the continent to the seas and lands beyond.

Much of the above is known to most but needs reviewing in light of what’s happening today in West Asia most specifically where all too many are under the impression that the Zionists are the Boss instead of the Zionists acting as Agents of Empire. The Zionist enclave in Occupied Palestine was supported by the Outlaw US Empire after WW2 but not decisively so as it had another much more powerful proxy in the region from 1954 to 1979—Iran. Many people forget that very important fact. Iran, however, was more of a tool in the Anti-Communist Crusade than in trying to wrest control of West Asia oil, which was actually very much under the control of the Seven Sisters (Majors) then and still to a degree today. Until the Iranian Revolution in 1979, the Outlaw US Empire had 100% control over West Asian oil—even during the oil embargoes, it still had control as the Majors loved the price increases that boosted their profits greatly. But the Iranian Revolution put all that under threat as all the comprador governments were correctly seen as vulnerable to similar revolutions.

here and here, while I strenuously suggest reading all his September transcripts.) What’s important for the current debate is the basic relationship between the two—the Boss and its Agent—and how it was formed and has remained ever since. Too many think the Neocons only surfaced in the 1990s or perhaps during Reagan’s term in the 1980s, but both assumptions are incorrect—the posture and policy is a direct result of the Outlaw US Empire’s desire to control the world after WW2 without the interference of any other nations. Here’s Crooke:

Well, after the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh and part of Hizbullah’s leadership cadre (including a senior Iranian general), Iran – demonised as the ‘octopus head’ – entered the conflict with a volley of missiles that targeted airfields, military bases and the Mossad HQ – but intentionally caused no deaths.

Israel thus made the U.S. (and most of Europe) partners or accomplices to a war now definitively cast as neo-imperialism versus the whole of the non-West. Palestinians – the global icons of the aspiration for national liberation – were to be annihilated from historic Palestine.

Further, the bombing in Beirut, and Iran’s riposte to it, now ranges Israel backed and materially supported by the U.S. vs Iran, backed and materially supported by Russia. Israel, the military correspondent of Yedioth Ahronoth warns, ‘must go crazy and strike Iran – because striking Iran “will end the current war”’.

Plainly, it marks the end to ‘playing nice’ – of incrementally escalating, one calculated step after another – as if playing chess with an opponent who calculates similarly. Both now threaten to take a hammer to the chess board. ‘Chess is over’.

It seems that Moscow too, understands that ‘chess’ simply cannot be played when the opponent is no ‘adult’, but a reckless sociopath ready to sweep away the board – to gamble all on an ephemeral ‘great victory’ move.

Looked at dispassionately, either the Israelis are inviting their own demise by over-extending across seven fronts. Or their hope lies with invoking the threat of their demise as the means to bring in the United States. As with Zelensky in Ukraine, there is ‘no hope’ unless the U.S. adds its fire-power decisively – both Netanyahu and Zelensky assume.

So, in West Asia the U.S. is now supporting, no less, than a war against humanity per se, and against the world. This clearly cannot be in America’s self-interest. Do its power-broker Panjandrums realise the possible consequences for it to stand against the World in an act of gross immorality? Netanyahu is betting his house – and now the West’s – on the outcome of his roulette table ‘bet’.

Is there a sense amongst the Panjandrums that the U.S. is betting on the wrong horse? Whilst it seems there are some contrarians placed at a high level in the U.S. military who do have reservations – as in every ‘war game’ the U.S. loses in the Near East – their voices are few. The wider political class clamours for revenge on Iran.

here and here):

“Everything that’s happened today was planned out just 50 years ago, back in 1974 and 1973. “I worked at the Hudson Institute for about five years, 1972 to ‘76. I sat in on meetings with Uzi Arad, who became Netanyahu’s chief military advisor after heading Mossad. I worked very closely with Uzi there … I want to describe how the whole strategy that led to the United States today, not wanting peace, but wanting Israel to take over the whole Near East, took shape gradually.

“On one occasion, I brought my mentor, Terrence McCarthy, to the Hudson Institute, to talk about the Islamic worldview, and every two sentences, Uzi would interrupt: “No, no, we’ve got to kill them all”. And other people, members of the Institute, were also just talking continually about killing Arabs”.

The strategy of using Israel as the regional battering ram to achieve U.S. (imperial) objectives was worked out essentially in the 1960s by Senator Henry “Scoop” Jackson. Jackson was nicknamed ‘the Senator from Boeing’ for his support for the military-industrial complex. And the military-industrial complex backed him to become chair of the Democratic National Committee. He was too twice an unsuccessful candidate for the Democratic nomination for the 1972 and 1976 Presidential elections.

Well, he was backed by Herman Kahn too, who became the key strategist for U.S. hegemony in the Hudson Institute.

And that arms-length arrangement enabled the U.S. to play the role, Hudson says, of the ‘good cop’, whilst designating Israel to play its role as ruthless proxy. And that’s why the State Department turned over management of U.S. diplomacy to Zionists – to separate and distinguish Israeli behaviour from the claimed probity of U.S. imperialism.

Herman Khan described the virtue of Jackson for Zionists to Professor Hudson as precisely that he was not Jewish, a defender of the military complex and a strong opponent of the arms control system that was underway. Jackson fought against arms control – “we’ve got to have war”. And he proceeded to stuff the State Department and other U.S. agencies with neocons (Paul Wolfowitz, Richard Pearl, Douglas Fife, among others), who, from the beginning, planned for a permanent worldwide war. The takeover of government policy was led by Jackson’s former senate aides.

Herman’s analysis was systems analysis: Firstly, define the overall aim and then work backwards.“Well, you can see what the Israeli policy is today. First of all, you isolate the Palestinians [into] strategic hamlets. That’s what Gaza had already been turned into for the last 15 years”.

“The aim all along has been to kill them. Or first of all, to make life so unpleasant for them that they’ll emigrate. That’s the easy way. Why would anyone want to stay in Gaza when what’s happening to them is what’s happening today? You’re going to leave. But if they don’t leave, you’re going to have to kill them, ideally by bombing because that minimizes the domestic casualties”, Hudson notes.

“And nobody seems to have noticed that what is happening in Gaza and the West Bank now – is all based on the “strategic hamlets” idea from the Vietnam war: the fact that you could just divide all of Vietnam into little parts, having guards at all the transition points from one part to another. Everything that Israel is doing to the Palestinians in Gaza and elsewhere throughout Israel was pioneered in Vietnam”.

If you analysed these neo-cons, Hudson relates,

The Scoop Jackson neo-cons were brought in – from the beginning – to do exactly what they’re doing today. To empower Israel as America’s proxy, to conquer the oil-producing countries, and make them part of greater Israel.

“And the aim of the United States was always oil. That meant the United States had to secure the Near East and there were two proxy armies to do it. And these two armies fought together as allies, down to today. On the one hand, the al-Qaeda jihadis, on the other hand, their managers, the Israelis, hand in hand”.

“[W]hat we’re seeing is, as I said, a charade that somehow what Israel is doing is “all Netanyahu’s fault, all the fault of the Right-wing there” – and yet from the very beginning they were promoted, supported with huge amounts of money, all of the bombs they needed, all the armaments they needed, all the funding they needed … All of that was given to them precisely to do exactly what they’re doing today”.

“No, there can’t be a two-state solution because Netanyahu said, “We hate the Gazans, we hate the Palestinians, we hate the Arabs – there cannot be a two-state solution and here’s my map,” before the United Nations, “here’s Israel: there’s no one who’s not Jewish in Israel – we’re a Jewish state” – he comes right out and says it”.

Hudson then gets to the bottom of it all. He points us to the fundamental game-changer: Why it is difficult for the U.S. to change its approach – the Vietnam War had shown that any attempted conscription by western democracies was not viable. Lyndon Johnson in 1968 had to withdraw from running for election precisely because everywhere he would go, there would be non-stop stop-the-war demonstrations.

The ‘bedrock’ which Hudson underlines, is the understanding that western democracies no longer can field a domestic army through conscription. ‘And what that means is that today’s tactics are limited to bombing, but not occupying countries.Thus, Israel – whose forces are limited – can drop bombs on Gaza and Hezbollah, and try to knock out things, but neither the Israeli army, nor any other army, would really be able to invade and try to take over a country, or even south Lebanon – in the way that armies did in World War II – so the U.S. drew the lesson. It turned to proxies’.

“So what is left for the United States? Well, I think there’s only one form of non-atomic war that democracies can afford, and that’s terrorism [i.e positively seeking huge collateral deaths]. And I think you should look at Ukraine and Israel as the terrorist alternative to atomic war”, Hudson suggests.

The bottom line, he notes, is what then does this imply with Israel continuing to insist on engaging the U.S. in its regional war? The U.S. is not going to send troops. It can’t do that. The ruling cadre have tried terrorism and the result of terrorism is to align the rest of the world against the West, appalled by the wanton killing and by the breaking of all of the rules of war.

Hudson concludes, “I don’t see Congress being reasonable. I think that the State Department and the National Security Agency and the Democratic Party leadership, with its basis in the military-industrial complex, is absolutely committed”.

The latter might say “Well, who wants to live in a world where we can’t control? Who wants to live in a world where other countries are independent, where they have their own policy? Who wants to live in a world where we can’t siphon off their economic surplus for us? If we can’t take everything and dominate the world, well, who wants to live in that kind of a world?”

his chat with Judge Napolitano IMO because it contradicts the line held by the Judge and his advisors that Netanyahu’s the Boss. Deemed more important is the current situation in West Asia. It’s a shame because the history told by Hudson and seconded by Crooke is essential contextually to what’s happening now and what’s been happening since 1968. There’s an important summation provided by my colleague Outraged at Moon of Alabama that will help fill in the gaps for those who don’t remember and educate those for whom the history is new:

Israel IS doomed, and will be abandoned by Empire.

See: Iran-Iraq war, 1980-1988.

Note: PRC became essentially an Iranian co-belligerent, arming and assisting Iran throughout the War, and ever since. A de facto, undeclared, low profile ally since 1980. Think on it.

Ultimately a failure alongside Afghanistan War (Targeting USSR/'Stans/yet especially PRC), further shifting focus to Israel.

Oct 7 '23 opening of hostilities is Empire enacted/protected/sponsored move due utter failure of Ukraine Proxy war, imminent conclusion.

Israel is expendable ... just as for all the rest ...

Empire, Global/transnational, not US vassal, only has 'Interests'.

To misquote: Events matter, dear boy. Events!

(1) to what Empires long term strategic Purpose/Objective
(2) Cui Bono ?

Empire never truly risks, mano a mano, a near peer, full peer, multi-peer contestation, that could result in conclusive utter defeat/collapse. Always refuses the gauntlet, and withdraws from the field.

See: Brave, Brave Sir Robin. (Youtube)

PS further to previous posts on same theme:
PPS Dougie MacArthur, Korean War, travesty of UN Command in Korea(still extant!) vs damned pinko commies in China: No Nukes for You! Oh, and, you're fired! 😉

History, most definitely, does indeed appear to, rhyme.

I hope his shorthand was understandable to most. To review, Iran was a tool of Anti-Communist containment while control of oil was presumed to be everlasting. The Zionists were hedges against Arab Nationalism that threatened control of oil. And given the Outlaw US Empire was a Settler State, it empathized with the Zionist adage that they were a people without a land who discovered a land without a people (Paraphrase of David Ben-Gurion) since that was the same story/myth the USA told itself and taught its children. And then there’s this very important point provided by Dr. Wolff in the most recent podcast:

The Zionist Project is what it’s always been, the ousting of all from Palestine so it can be claimed as Judea. The Outlaw US Empire wants it to attain that goal as it eases its way forward in the Big Picture War against Humanity. In closing, I’m adding this very important point supplied by Dr. Hudson in the second most recent podcast:

So what you have is a more or less realistic military -if not at the top, which is sort of a political appointee, at least the generals who have actually done the war games – is realism against a religious fanaticism that has been back because fanatics are more willing to die to the last Israeli or the last Ukrainian than realists who look at the situation and try to do what, let’s say, President Xi and China talks about: the win-win situation. Well already, when this split began to occur in the 1970s, I actually heard discussions of the idea that: let’s rethink World War II, that it was really fought over was “what kind of socialism is going to be after the war? Is it going to be national socialism -Nazism- or democratic socialism emerging out of the dynamics and self-interest of industrial capitalism?” Well, much of the government was backing from 1945, the minute of peace, the American government began supporting Nazism. [My Emphasis]

In 1996 and again in 1999, the Neocon Doctrine emphasized above was put into print and published in Joint Vision 2010 and Joint Vision 2020—Full Spectrum Domination of the planet and its people being the goal, and another paper in support of that doctrine and goal suggested a “new Pearl Harbor” was needed to motivate the populous since it was mostly pacific and remains so. Many millions knew Colin Powell lied at the UNSC when he held up the vial of borax. How much more gaslighting will be done to residents of the Empire before they finally call the huge bluff that directly relates to the vast lie of their existence? As John Kerry recently confessed, free speech makes it hard to control America. So, here again we have the party of Control trying to contain the party of Movement, which is actually an unled, uncontrolled populism that has nothing to do with Donald Trump, although he’s hijacked some of it. But that amorphous mass knows too little about its genuine past, nor does the Global Majority know how it can help the mass overthrow the oligarchy that controls them and impoverishes the nation.

Not only does history rhyme, it’s vital to our current and future wellbeing.

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KARL SANCHEZ

karlof1’s Geopolitical Gymnasium

Putin's Interview with the Mongolian Newspaper "Onodor" & Onset of Talks

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Putin's reception in Mongolia. Here’re the troops sent to "arrest" Putin as he arrived in Mongolia.

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As is becoming somewhat usual, Putin was interviewed by a major newspaper within the nation he’s about to visit, in this case Mongolia’s Onodor newspaper.

Question: During your visit to Mongolia on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the victory at Khalkhin Gol, you highlighted the long history of mutually beneficial relations and friendship between our countries and signed a comprehensive Strategic Partnership agreement. How do you assess the implementation of the agreement? Have there been any changes in relations between our countries over the past two years?

Vladimir Putin: On the eve of my next visit to friendly Mongolia, I would like to share my vision of the history, current state and future of bilateral relations from the pages of your authoritative publication.

I would like to note at once that the development of a comprehensive and mutually beneficial partnership with Mongolia, our close neighbor and long – standing friend, has always been and remains one of the priorities of Russian foreign policy in the Eurasian direction.

Our states and peoples have been linked by many decades of fruitful cooperation in almost all spheres. Let me remind you that our country was the first in the world to recognize Mongolia's independence in 1921 and for a long time remained the only guarantor of its sovereignty and security. During the critical period for Mongolia in the summer of 1939, the USSR, faithful to its allied duty in accordance with the Protocol on Mutual Assistance of March 12, 1936, immediately responded to the request of the Mongolian government to help repel Japanese aggression on the Khalkhin-Gol River. More than 10 thousand soldiers and commanders of the Red Army gave their lives in the battle for freedom and independence of Mongolia. I would like to take this opportunity to note the noble and selfless mission of Russian and Mongolian volunteers who continue to search for and bury the remains of fallen heroes.

It is symbolic that a new interstate agreement that consolidated bilateral relations at the level of a comprehensive strategic partnership was signed on September 3, 2019 in Ulaanbaatar on the sidelines of events dedicated to the 80th anniversary of our joint victory over Japanese militarists on the Khalkhin Gol River. These days I plan to take part in the next anniversary events in your capital.

Other significant dates that we are celebrating this year are also evidence of our rich and diverse joint history: the 75th anniversary of the creation of the flagship of our economic cooperation-the Ulaanbaatar Railway, the 65th anniversary of the beginning of the development of virgin lands in Mongolia with the assistance of Soviet specialists, and the 50th anniversary of the foundation of the city of Erdenet. And of course, our people remember with gratitude the support that Mongolia gave us during the Great Patriotic War, and keep the memory of the joint victorious battles with the Kwantung Army in the summer of 1945.

Today, Russia and Mongolia are multiplying the priceless traditions of friendship, good neighborliness and mutual assistance. So, this year alone, Russia sent more than eight and a half thousand tons of grain fodder to Mongolian livestock farms affected by severe cold and snowfall, and the Mongolian government allocated financial resources to overcome the consequences of floods in the Urals.

It is important that our bilateral partnership in all key areas is proceeding at a good pace. Political contacts, cooperation in the field of defense and security, interaction between parliaments and through parties and public organizations, humanitarian exchanges, cross-border and interregional ties are developing successfully.

In recent years, we have been working on a number of new promising projects in the economy and industry, including the construction of the trans – Mongolian gas pipeline from Russia to China, modernization and efficiency improvement of the Ulaanbaatar Railway joint venture, Rosneft Corporation's participation in providing a refueling complex at the new Genghis Khan International Airport, and reconstruction of Ulaanbaatar's CHPP-3 with the company's participation Inter RAO-Export.

We always respond to requests from our Mongolian friends for assistance in meeting the growing demand for fuel and lubricants at preferential prices. The relevant intergovernmental agreement is being negotiated.

With Russia's participation, in less than a year we have made significant progress in drafting an interim free trade agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union and Mongolia, which will allow increasing the supply of goods from your traditional exports to the markets of the Eurasec member states.

I would like to add that we have always paid special attention to training national cadres for Mongolia. This year alone, 620 state-funded places were allocated for Mongolian applicants to study at domestic universities. We know that the interest of your young people in getting Russian education is traditionally high. And of course, it is important that people in Mongolia love and study Russian, and the system of teaching it has been well established over many decades. And this has opened up and continues to open up great opportunities for gaining knowledge, deepening business, scientific and cultural ties with Russia and the CIS countries.

All this and much more are elements of our joint work with our Mongolian friends to implement the provisions of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty. I am confident that the constructive cooperation between Russia and Mongolia will become more and more meaningful and multifaceted, and will serve the benefit of our peoples.

Question: During the economic forum held in Davos in January this year, the Prime Minister of Mongolia, L. Oyuun-Erdene, noted the importance of holding a trilateral meeting of Russia, Mongolia and China at the level of heads of state. However, the trilateral meeting was held in July of this year at the level of foreign ministers. Is a trilateral meeting at the level of heads of state possible in the near future?

Vladimir Putin: Ten years ago, my Chinese colleagues and I supported the Mongolian initiative to create a trilateral mechanism for cooperation between Russia, Mongolia and China. On September 11, 2014, the first such summit was held in Dushanbe on the sidelines of a meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State.

Over the past years, we have managed to lay a solid foundation for the development of comprehensive mutually beneficial cooperation. In 2015, my colleagues and I approved a corresponding road map covering almost all key areas: politics, economics, science and technology, education and culture, and foreign policy issues. In 2016, at the level of relevant departments, a program was signed to create the China–Mongolia–Russia economic corridor, aimed primarily at maximizing the unique transit potential of your country, creating prerequisites for effective integration of cooperation within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union, the Chinese "One Belt, One Road" project and the Mongolian "Steppe Road" program.

After a forced break due to the coronavirus pandemic, our sixth face-to-face summit was held on September 15, 2022 in Samarkand. Since then, due to technical reasons, we have not been able to organize another high-level meeting due to different working schedules. However, we believe that this mechanism is very important and in demand. And Russia, of course, is interested in meaningful work in such a trilateral format.

Question: Will Russia put forward proposals and initiatives aimed at making the economic corridor between Russia, Mongolia and China and the Power of Siberia – 2 gas pipeline project more beneficial for the economy and infrastructure development of Mongolia?

Vladimir Putin: I am convinced that cooperation in a bilateral, and even more so in a trilateral format, can only develop successfully if it is beneficial for all the parties involved.

As you know, the initiative to create the Russia–Mongolia–China economic corridor was initially put forward by the leadership of your country as part of the implementation of the Mongolian Steppe Path program. As one of the achievements, I can note that over the past ten years, the volume of cargo transportation along the Ulaanbaatar Railway has grown by one and a half times and reached a record high of 32.4 million tons in 2023. At the same time, the transportation of transit container cargo between Russia and China through Mongolia has significantly increased.

In recent years, all Mongolian presidents, regardless of their party affiliation, have raised the issue of building a gas pipeline from Russia to China through Mongolia. The decision to start preparatory work was made in 2021. A special purpose joint venture, the Soyuz Vostok Gas Pipeline, has been established to carry out design and survey work according to the approved schedule. The development of the Soyuz Vostok gas pipeline project with a length of more than 960 kilometers continues – in January 2022, its feasibility study was approved, the necessary engineering surveys and studies were completed, and the project documentation was completed at the end of December 2023.

By the way, if initially the Mongolian partners wanted to limit themselves only to the transit role, now the possibility of using part of the cheap pipeline gas for the development of your economy and infrastructure is being considered.

Question: As a result of amendments to the Constitution and changes in the electoral system, representatives of four political parties and one coalition were elected to the current Parliament of Mongolia, and the party that won the majority did not establish a single government, but formed a joint government consisting of representatives of three parties. How do you assess this new page in Mongolia's political life?

Vladimir Putin: First of all, I would like to mention the successful holding of the next elections to the Great State Hural in June this year. The electoral process was organized at a very high level – this is confirmed by the Russian observers we sent to Mongolia.

We respect the choice of the Mongolian people. As I recall, this is not the first coalition government in Mongolia. I am confident that the personnel changes will not affect the mutual desire of our countries to further develop a comprehensive strategic partnership and deepen bilateral cooperation.

Question: At present, the issue of freedom of the press is very acute in our country. Russia has also banned the activities of some of the country's media outlets. At the same time, Western countries have banned traditional Russian media and blocked them in social networks. How do you think the balance between press freedom and national security should be maintained?

Vladimir Putin: Indeed, in almost all Western countries where our journalists try to work, various obstacles are put in their way, Russian TV channels are banned, and direct censorship is introduced against our media and Internet information resources. Of course, this is contrary to the democratic principles of freedom of speech and free dissemination of information. Although the only thing that our mass media do is bring the Russian point of view to the actual modern problems and processes taking place in the world in a reasoned manner. They do this respectfully and in compliance with the norms of morality and ethics, as well as the national legislation of a particular country. And in order to hide from inconvenient facts, from truthful information, the West, which considers itself the standard of freedom, has launched outright harassment of Russian correspondents, who are indiscriminately labeled "Kremlin propagandists".

In Russia, the mass media are free. This is firmly guaranteed by the Constitution. We are convinced of the need for pluralism and openness in the information sphere. The authorities interact constructively with TV channels, news agencies, newspapers, Internet portals, and other mass communication organizations, regardless of their editorial policies. The only requirement for them is to comply with Russian legislation. This should be understood by foreign correspondents accredited in our country. In this way, the necessary balance between press freedom and national security, which you mentioned, will be preserved.

Question: Russian athletes were banned from participating in the 2024 Olympic Games under the flag of their country, while Israel was not subject to any restrictions. What do you think is the reason for this differentiated approach?

Vladimir Putin: The current leaders of the International Olympic Committee, acting at the behest of the collective West, and above all the United States, are blatantly flouting the Olympic ideals that they are supposed to defend. Instead of fighting for the rights of athletes, for the integrity and universality of the Olympic movement, they are busy preserving their own status, power and financial well-being.

Our athletes are not allowed to participate in competitions, and national symbols are prohibited. It has reached the point where the words "Russia" and "Russian" are completely canceled at international tournaments. All this blatantly violates the fundamental principles of the Olympic Charter, which states that it is unacceptable to politicize sports that should unite people, not divide them. Until recently, this has been the reason for the importance of openness and accessibility of the Olympic Games for all athletes, regardless of their nationality, race, ethnicity, or political beliefs.

Russia supports the observance of the political neutrality of sports, recognizes its great role in strengthening humanitarian ties, building mutually respectful communication, and strengthening relations between States and peoples in the spirit of peace and good neighborliness, equality and non-discrimination. Therefore, we will continue to follow the path of democratizing the sports movement, removing far-fetched barriers and restrictions, and expanding the formats of national and international sports events.

Question: You started your interview with the American journalist T. Carlson in February of this year with the history of Russia and modern Ukraine. Speaking about the decisions of previous Russian leaders related to Ukraine, you have repeatedly described them as "incomprehensible". Does this mean that the current situation in relations between Russia and Ukraine arose not only because of external policies, but also because of mistakes in Russia's domestic policy?

Vladimir Putin: The current situation in Ukraine has been significantly influenced by a whole range of external and internal factors. The consequences of the decisions of the Soviet leaders on the national-territorial issue also played a negative role.

Let me remind you that the very process of creating Ukraine began immediately after the 1917 revolution, when unstable and short-lived quasi-state formations without clear borders appeared on this territory. In the future, the borders of the union republics within the USSR were cut quite arbitrarily, based on" proletarian necessity". Thus, the industrial Donbass, populated mainly by Russians, was transferred to Ukraine. Then, on the eve of and after the Great Patriotic War, J. V. Stalin included in Ukraine – as an integral part of the Soviet Union – some lands that previously belonged to Poland, Romania and Hungary. In 1954, N. S. Khrushchev actually gave Ukraine the Crimea, which was part of the RSFSR.

It should be understood that the Soviet leaders acted in the context of the geopolitical realities of their time, not assuming that the USSR would cease to exist and disintegrate along artificially drawn internal administrative borders. Therefore, what is happening now, of course, has its own historical background.

At the same time, the main reason for the current tragedy in Ukraine is the purposeful anti – Russian policy of the collective West led by the United States. For decades, they have sought full control over Ukraine. They financed nationalist and anti-Russian organizations there, systematically instilled the concept that Russia is supposedly the eternal enemy of Ukraine, the main threat to its existence. In fact, Ukraine has become a bargaining chip in realizing the geopolitical ambitions of the West.

In 2014, the Americans and their satellites organized an armed coup in Ukraine. Its ideologues and main participants were radical neo-Nazi groups, which later began to determine the entire state course of Kiev. For many years, millions of civilians in Donbass were subjected to genocide, shelling and blockade by the Kiev regime.In Ukraine, hatred of everything Russian has become the official ideology. New restrictions were imposed on the Russian language, canonical Orthodoxy was persecuted, and now even outright baned.

Today we are witnessing a natural outcome of the West's destructive strategy towards Ukraine. Moreover, Western elites continue to provide large-scale political, financial and military support to the current regime, considering it as a tool for fighting Russia. We see all this and will continue to consistently fulfill all the tasks set as part of a special military operation to ensure the security of Russia and our citizens. [My Emphasis]

It appears that Russia intends to put more energy into its relations with Mongolia, but at the same time Mongolians need to be more determinative regarding their own development. It will be interesting to see how the state visit unfolds. Here’s the Kremlin’s readout about the expected events:

At the invitation of the President Mongolia Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukha Vladimir Putin has arrived with an official visit to Mongolia to participate in the celebrations dedicated to the 85th anniversary of the joint victory of the Soviet and Mongolian armed forces over the Japanese militarists on the Khalkhin-Gol River.

During the negotiations, the heads of the will discuss the prospects for the further development of Russian-Mongolian relations of comprehensive strategic partnership, will exchange views on topical international and regional problems.

It is planned to sign a number of bilateral documents.

There are also Vladimir Putin's talks with Chairman of the State Ih Hural (Parliament) of Mongolia D. Amarbayasgalan and the Prime Minister of Mongolia L. Oyun-Erdene.

Sometimes the photos of the formal arrival are better than the content provided for the talks in the restricted format. So, a few of the 33 photos and then the usual greetings prior to the secretive talks:

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Not certain who’s in the big chair, although Genghis Khan would be my guess.

 

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Some will recall the Cone of Silence from either Dune or Get Smart.

 

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Inside the Royal Yurt.

 

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Note the long bow and arrows behind Putin. Mongolians love their colors.

The following was said for the cameras:

Ukhnaagiyn Khurelsukhom: We are very pleased that you, the highly respected President of the Russian Federation, have once again paid a visit to our country.

This year, we have had several anniversaries that characterize the stages of development of our relations between our countries: the 85th anniversary of the joint victory in the battle of Khalkhin Gol River, as well as the 75th anniversary of the establishment of our joint Mongolian-Russian Ulaanbaatar Railway, 65 years since we began to develop jointly. It is 50 years since the city of Erdenet was established, including on the basis of the joint mining and processing plant "Erdenet".

In 2019, when we celebrated together the 80th anniversary of our joint victory in the Battle of Khalkhin Gol, you and our President signed an Agreement on Friendly Relations and Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, the fifth anniversary of which we can also celebrate this year.

We are very happy that in such a year of rich anniversaries you are visiting our country again and together with us you will celebrate the 85th anniversary of the joint victory in the battle on the Khalkhin Gol River. All our people perceive this as a tribute to this event. We are very happy and sincerely grateful to you for taking the time to visit our country.

This year, in June, the next elections to our parliament were held – the Great State Hural. This is the first parliamentary election since we introduced the relevant amendments and additions to our Constitution. The main change is that if earlier we had 76 members of Parliament, now we have 126. And we are also proud that of these 126 members of Parliament, 25 percent are women who have become members of Parliament.

Representatives of four parties and one union entered the parliament, and on the basis of this, we created a coalition, joint government. The Prime Minister of our party, who was Prime Minister for the previous four years, has now been re-elected Prime Minister, and a new person has been appointed Chairman of the Great State Hural.

Politically, we are in a stable political environment. We recently submitted to the Parliament and approved the main directions of the Government's activities for the next four years.

Over the past four or five years, our countries and peoples have jointly overcome the difficulties that have befallen us in this period. This is, for example, the covid epidemic, and also-based on this-in our economic situation, there were corresponding difficulties in the situation.

During the covid-19 period, our economy experienced negative growth: it fell by 4.5 percent. And recently, last year, the real growth of our economy was seven percent. The volume of foreign trade has doubled. If earlier the inflation rate was 17 percent, now it has dropped to five percent. And in this regard, over the past one or two years, the real incomes of our population and citizens have increased.

Both our society, the Government – and the state-we have always sought and are striving to ensure the further development of our comprehensive strategic partnership. This is a priority area of our foreign state policy. Our relations have intensified in recent years: several mutual visits were carried out both at the highest and at the highest level.

Our main mechanism that regulates our relations is the Mongolian-Russian intergovernmental commission, which held its 25th meeting. Our intergovernmental commission is very active, and they coordinate their efforts. Even based on the results of their activities, we can say that our trade and economic cooperation has intensified, which has ensured economic growth.

We view your current visit as a visit of great importance: it will further develop our strategic and comprehensive partnership, as well as develop our comprehensive trade and economic cooperation, and, of course, bring significant prosperity and prosperity to our peoples.

That is why I would like to wish you to feel well and wish you a pleasant stay in our country, and once again thank you for the fact that we will celebrate our historic anniversary together.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you very much.

Dear Mr. Khurelsukh,

First of all, I would like to thank you for the invitation.

Indeed, it has become a good tradition: almost every five years we meet in Mongolia to celebrate outstanding and bright events in our common history.

You have already listed the dates that we celebrate this year. All of them are significant for both Russia and Mongolia. The only thing I would like to add is that the Erdenet you mentioned was planned by architects from Leningrad.

I am also pleased to note that our relations are already developing on a new basis and, despite all the difficulties, including those you mentioned, the covid – 19 history, we have nevertheless reached the trajectory of growth in trade relations and trade turnover.

Indeed, relations are developing in all directions. In addition to the economy and the political sphere, where we also cooperate quite actively, I would also like to note the effective work in the humanitarian sphere, in particular in the field of education.

The Intergovernmental Commission is actively working, and the results are there. In the course of our work today, we will certainly repeatedly return to the main areas of our cooperation in the field of economics.

I would like to conclude my opening remarks by inviting you to Kazan, Russia, where we will host the BRICS summit this year. This will be the first event of this level after the expansion of this organization. I hope you will take part in the BRICS Outreach – BRICS Plus format.

We are waiting for you in Russia.

(as translated) At.Khurelsukh: Thank you. I accept your invitation.

A good summary provided by President Khurelsukh. Only 3.5 million people live in Mongolia, the least dense of any nation, with half living in Ulaanbaatar.

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© 2024 karlof1

KARL SANCHEZ
karlof1’s Geopolitical Gymnasium

Putin making a point.

Today’s conference was held at the dacha in Novo-Ogaryovo and would probably be 100% classified if not for the 20-minute portion dealing with aid rendered to civilians and further measures for their protection and wellbeing. It must be noted that Russia is treating the Ukie assault of Kursk as a terrorist action since it’s absolutely clear the main targets are the civilian population and its supporting infrastructure. The attack has flushed out one of the longstanding fifth columnist figures that was notorious during the Yeltsin years, whose recent actions were reported by Marat Khairullen over the weekend and will follow the meeting transcript.

Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, dear colleagues!

The topic of our meeting is the situation in the Russian border areas: Bryansk region, Belgorod region, Kursk region.

An assessment of the current events should certainly be given, and this will be done. But the main thing now is to solve the actual problems that are emerging at this point in time and based on the forecasts of the situation.

The main task, of course, is for the Ministry of Defense: to squeeze out the enemy from our territories and – together with the Border Guard Service – to provide reliable cover for the state border.

The Federal Security Service together with Rosgvardiya should ensure a counter-terrorist situation regime and an effective fight against enemy sabotage and reconnaissance groups. And Rosgvardiya faces its own combat tasks.

Civilian agencies are required to ensure that law enforcement agencies are supplied with everything they need. I won't list everything, but this certainly applies to industry, transport, construction, medicine and financial support.

Finally, all of us – together with the leaders of the respective regions – should focus on the main task. And this is the support of our people who need help and protection.

Before getting to work and giving the floor to the meeting participants, I will add a few more words.

It is now clear why the Kiev regime refused our proposals to return to the peace settlement plan, as well as to the proposals of interested and neutral mediators.

Apparently, the enemy is using its Western masters to fulfill their will, and the West is at war with us through the hands of the Ukrainians. So, apparently, the enemy is trying to improve its negotiating positions in the future. But what kind of negotiations can we even talk about with people who indiscriminately strike at civilians, civilian infrastructure, or try to create threats to nuclear power facilities? What can you even talk about with them?

Second. Such actions, of course, pursue the main military goal, namely, to stop the offensive of our troops to completely liberate the territories of the Luhansk and Donetsk People's Republics and the territory of Novorossiya. So what? What is happening on the contact line, what are the results? The pace of offensive operations of the Russian Armed Forces, volunteers, and veterans has not only not decreased, but on the contrary, it has increased by one and a half times. Our Armed Forces are moving forward along the entire line of contact.

And finally, one of the obvious goals of the enemy is to sow discord and discord in our society, to intimidate people, to destroy the unity and cohesion of Russian society, that is, to strike at the internal political situation. But here, too, there is already a response from the citizens of Russia – it is the unanimous support of all those who are in trouble, the support of the army and, what is very important, an increase in the number of people who want to join our men, to the fighters who heroically defend Russia with weapons in their hands. The number of people willing to sign contracts with the Ministry of Defense has increased in recent days.

The leaders of the Kiev regime not only commit crimes against the Russian people, but, in fact, have embarked on the path of extermination of the Ukrainians themselves, the Ukrainian people, which, apparently, they no longer consider their own. The losses of the armed forces of Ukraine are dramatically increasing for them, including among the most combat-ready units and units that the enemy is transferring to our border.

The enemy will certainly receive a decent response, and all the goals we face will undoubtedly be achieved.

Let's get to work. At the beginning of our meeting, I would like to give the floor to the regional leaders.

Let's start with the Bryansk region. You are welcome.

A. : Hello, dear Vladimir Vladimirovich!

We can say that the situation in the Bryansk Region is stable today, the same as it was a month ago. We can see by the number of attacks that it is basically constant, that is, in the range of 80-90 attacks per week.

But I would like to note that recently we have seen them start firing more and more at civilians. If we take literally the previous day, the ninth: out of 22 attacks, 11 were on civilians, on the population that lives there, on homes, on cars, on buses.We compensate all the damage from the regional budget.

We don't move people out today. Our power unit analyzes the situation that is happening there, and we make a general decision that we do not need to move out yet. But we are also working with residents, so we always offer them to go to a temporary residence center if they are afraid, but no one wants to do it yet. Therefore, we have this work in place, and we have established cooperation with all law enforcement agencies.

As part of the counterterrorism operation, we have 1,576 temporary residence centers ready, and if necessary, we can deploy more than 32,000. But we have now reviewed, taking into account the experience of the Kursk region, all temporary residence points were moved to a distance of more than 50 kilometers.

Today, the tasks are set by the Ministry of Defense, Marat Shakirzyanovich Khusnullin is holding meetings with us, in principle, everything is ready, everything is mobilized, and we are starting to work. What problems there were – funding, lack of profiled flooring – they were all solved.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you.

Here's what I want to say. It is obvious to us, and I have already said this, that the enemy will continue to try to destabilize the situation in the border zone in order to shake up the internal political situation in our country. Therefore, if the Bryansk region is relatively calm today, this does not mean that the same situation will remain there tomorrow.

And I ask you to take this very carefully together with the law enforcement agencies, together with the headquarters that is being created through the FSB of Russia with the support of Rosgvardiya. All issues that need to be discussed and prepared for any development of the situation should be prepared and resolved in advance together with the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia.

Ok?

A. Bogomaz: All right.

Vladimir Putin: Agreed.

Please, Belgorod region.

V. Gladkov : Good afternoon, dear Vladimir Vladimirovich!

Dear colleagues!

We have recently improved the situation only in the city of Belgorod, compared to the first quarter of 2024, there were only two rocket attacks on Belgorod with cluster munitions. In general, the situation on the border area has sharply worsened, and the number of attacks by both barrel artillery, mortars, MLRS, and attacks by unmanned aerial vehicles has increased significantly.

Sharply in 2024, the number of destructions and damage to housing in general is growing. We have damaged more than 30 thousand houses and apartments in 2.5 years, and now we have restored 25 thousand. But, unfortunately, the situation along the border does not allow us to actively do this. The most difficult situation is now in Shebekino, it is 38 thousand people-the city, 85 thousand-the district. In 2024, almost 300 people were injured and 36 people died. We have from three to five attacks a day, mainly from cannon artillery and MLRS, three to five houses are damaged, almost completely windows and roofs. There is no complete information, but according to our calculations, about 50-70 percent of the city of Shebekino has left the territory today, and social tension in Shebekino is growing, because the main thing is that we cannot guarantee security, provide it.

We place them in temporary accommodation points. In general, in 2022, we have 17 thousand places deployed. Currently, we have 2,100 people in the TAU (in the region), and 1,000 people outside the region. After today's events, we have moved about 10 thousand people in the Krasnoyaruzhsky district, and temporary accommodation facilities have grown by another one and a half thousand.

According to your decision, Vladimir Vladimirovich, we have the opportunity, today there are 2,800 people outside the Belgorod region (we have a limit of 6,5 thousand people – those who are slightly injured, whose housing is damaged or completely destroyed). Thanks to your decision, 5,5 thousand children have left the country. In general, during the summer it is about 15 thousand people. We will continue this work. In general, in addition to Shebekino, these are Krasnaya Yaruga, Grayvoron, a third of the Belgorod district, Borisovsky district and Valuysky district.

We are very grateful for your decision, dear Mr Putin, to resettle 12,000 people in those localities that are now closed in fact. But in general, where there are daily attacks, we see the threat of the approaching winter and practically do not have the opportunity to call in rescue vehicles. Why? Because the enemy destroys it. We are not able to provide medical assistance, because the enemy destroys it. We are often unable, in many cases, to restore electricity supply, and we understand that when winter approaches, this will multiply the problem. In general, this situation is about 115 thousand people on the border.

I wanted to ask for solutions. Recently, a decision was made to increase payments for emergencies and terrorist attacks, and, unfortunately, realizing that this is a technical error, but still people are very worried, they believe that it is unfair. This did not affect payments for residents of the affected areas from the shelling by the armed forces of Ukraine. And I ask that these payments (this increase from 10 to 15, from 50 to 75, from 100 to 150) be transferred to the Belgorod region as well.

I would like to ask, if there is an opportunity, it is also a very big problem when housing is completely destroyed, a person still has obligations to pay the mortgage. Holidays are given only for six months by the bank, but after six months it is physically impossible to build a new house or apartment building. I think it would be fair to write off the mortgage with the subsequent provision of housing under the programs that are currently being implemented.

Today's situation in Krasnaya Yaruga, I hope that the interaction between all law enforcement agencies, first of all the Ministry of Defense and the border services will solve the current situation that arose in the morning, and tomorrow I hope that we will return people to their places of residence, with the exception of three settlements, first of all Kolotilovka, which has not yet been completed. it is inhabited, but it is actually under constant fire, and we will make a decision on its resettlement with the provision of housing. This possibility exists within the framework of previous decisions taken by the Government of the Russian Federation and your decision, Mr President.

All.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you.

Denis Valentinovich.

Dmitry : Yes, Mr Putin.

Vladimir Putin: Please comment. We have already discussed some issues just now. You are welcome.

Dmitry Manturov: Yes, Mr President, thank you very much.

As for the Kursk region, we are in daily contact with Alexey Borisovich. Reports are received from all departments that have formed their headquarters, first of all, this concerns the federal emergency situation, this is the Ministry of Emergency Situations. All work is being carried out to evacuate the population to temporary accommodation points.

According to your decision, payments are provided, and a one-time payment of 10 thousand rubles per person is provided. Today we have clarified, including those payments that are provided in the framework of an emergency, that these are two different payments – 10 thousand and 15 thousand. All necessary measures are being taken, and we are keeping them under control.

The same thing happens with "Rosseti", transformers are constantly damaged, there is a power outage. "Rosseti" quickly goes to those areas where it is safe. Where this cannot be done, switching occurs. I just recently reported to you on the situation in Kurchatov.

Vladimir Vladimirovich, all other issues are under control, and we are working quickly with the region. Thank you.

Vladimir Putin: Look, Vyacheslav Vladimirovich Gladkov has just raised a few questions: on mortgages and some others. Can you directly respond to this right now or not?

Dmitry Manturov: As far as the Belgorod Region is concerned. I can say that a decision has been made, and you have supported it, on Kursk regarding a moratorium on mortgage payments and consumer loans. All the banks have already started working. This applies to Sberbank, VTB, and all other banking institutions that provided services to residents of the Kursk region. We will also work quickly in the Belgorod region.

Vladimir Putin: Yes, it must be done.

Marat Shakirzyanovich.

Mikhail Khusnullin : Vladimir Vladimirovich, we will prepare this decision, it is absolutely fair, and it should be immediately extended to Belgorod, Kursk, and potentially Bryansk regions, if such cases arise. Denis Valentinovich and I will work out the relevant decisions here and report back to you.

Vladimir Putin: Good.

Vyacheslav Vladimirovich, you will arrange this as a paper, so that it is a document.

Vladimir Gladkov: All right.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you.

Please, Kursk region. Alexey Borisovich Smirnov.

A. : Good afternoon, dear Vladimir Vladimirovich!

Dear colleagues!

Currently, the situation in the region is difficult, as of today, 28 settlements are under enemy control. The depth of penetration into the territory of the Kursk region is 12 kilometers, the width along the front is 40 kilometers.

Vladimir Putin: Listen, Alexey Borisovich, this is the military department that will tell us how wide and deep it is. You can tell us about the socio-economic situation and report on helping people.

Alexey Smirnov: We have 28 localities located in this zone, which is about two thousand people whose fate we do not know.

Colonel-General Yevgeny V. Nikiforov has arrived to coordinate our actions. Interaction has been established with all security forces.

During this time, as you instructed, Vladimir Vladimirovich, we have divided the resettlement of people into two stages. The first stage: in four districts – a 10-kilometer zone, and Sudzhansky, Korenevsky districts completely. On the 8th, all six border districts were fully operational, and two districts, Bolshesoldatsky and Lgovsky, were added to them, those that border the nuclear power plant. Total-180 thousand people. 121 thousand people left for today and were evacuated, and work continues on 59 thousand of them. In addition to our services and federal ones, the DND has also attracted volunteers from the Molodaya Gvardiya .

As of today, 53 thousand places have been deployed in the PVR, of which 20 thousand places have been deployed in Moscow (thank you very much to Sergey Semyonovich – we are constantly in touch). In all other regions of Russia – 25 thousand places. Mobile PVR we have 2400 seats at the station here – this is Russian Railways. In total, there are 106 camps, and 7524 people are accommodated in them. 1083 of them are children. There are reserves: a camp of the Ministry of Emergency Situations from the Federal Reserve for 10 thousand places has come up and an additional 10 thousand places are being prepared in Moscow. Psychologists from the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia, as well as local psychologists from our schools, work in each of these centers, and free legal assistance is provided.

Humanitarian aid is issued around the clock. Today we have 10 thousand daily rations, 28 thousand weekly food packages, and 112 thousand liters of water. There are 13 thousand daily meals, 260 thousand water and 148 thousand food packages on the way. There are no problems here. There is also a lot of additional humanitarian assistance from residents, there is no shortage.

On medicine. 1912 beds are available. In addition, a 100-bed FMBA hospital and a 100-bed hospital of the Russian Ministry of Health have been deployed. The number of ambulance crews is 108, 61 work in the border area, and sanaviation. The supply of medicines and blood is sufficient. We continue to draw blood if necessary, there are no problems. The number of doctors who arrived in the Kursk region is 422 people, 436 Kursk doctors work, and 840 – secondary medical personnel.

12 civilians were killed and 121 wounded, including 10 children. A call center works around the clock, and all our possible points of receiving information are written, the administration has reception offices, during this time 35 thousand citizens ' appeals were received. We make payments of 10 thousand rubles each, we have received funds, and as of today, these funds have been received by 2,100 citizens, although 46,700 applications have been submitted. We worked with the Ministry of Digital Resources, and from this morning we will be able to automatically transfer a thousand applications per hour, so we are closing this problem.

Funds have been received to relocate people from the shelled border area to 300 families, 131 applications have been processed, people are selecting housing, certificates have been issued, and work continues. A decision was made – thank you very much – on a moratorium on payment for housing and communal services and interest on loans. Emergency crews have been created, all services are working, and we are also working with damage to industrial enterprises and agricultural producers. Just now, a team was sent out in the morning. The first time the Rosseti brigade failed to restore electricity supply in the Belovsky district the day before yesterday, it came under fire, and the shells were loaded with chemical weapons. They took refuge in the police department, everyone is alive, but both the police officers and the head of the village council were poisoned. But today it turned out, the transformer was repaired with the support of Rosgvardiya, and the head of IDGC of Center personally went there. Half of the district is powered by electricity, as well as a pig farm.

Currently, the Ministry of Defense has started fulfilling the task of building 90 platoon strongpoints, which involves 350 units of equipment and involves up to 5 thousand builders. We are in constant cooperation with the First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov, Marat Khusnullin, the Ministry of Construction and the Ministry of Transport.

In addition, 40 kilometers of an anti-tank ditch have been dug out of the planned 46, and the work is being completed. We have also started placing 40 checkpoints. The KTO mode was introduced from 23 hours on August 9 this year. We work with the FSB of Russia and the Department of Internal Affairs.

Problematic issues. Given that there is no clear front line, it is a problem for us to understand where the combat units are located. Volunteers are working, constantly trying to get people out. We have applications from relatives for 3,500 people. Two volunteers disappeared, our DND fell into the DRG's area of operation, and they took out about 2 thousand people during these days. Work continues. Then, it is very important to know at what moment and where the enemy is.

There was a question about payments: 10 thousand and 15 thousand. Thank you so much for getting it settled. People were worried: this is the same payment, either mutually absorbing or different. Now let's calm their doubts. Thank you very much, Vladimir Vladimirovich, for your decision. We will calculate the damage later.

And now we are facing a problem: settlements and district centers are empty. Of course, they are now engaged in military units, not all of them are leaving, we are not forced to move out, so the shops continue to work. We were forced to ban the sale of alcohol, and we monitor cases of looting.

Of course, there is a danger that sabotage groups are operating here in our clothes, in our cars, with our documents, so we are increasing our patrols. Moscow helped, and 1,000 people came to us from the state-owned Moscow enterprise. Now we are waiting to strengthen the protection of railway bridges, roads, people from the Department of the Ministry of Transport of Russia, our DND.

But we still hope in resolving the issue that they can be armed in the same way as with Moscow. Applications were submitted by 1,200 people. Currently, up to 500 people are employed in shifts every day.

I finished my report. Ready to answer questions. Thank you. [My Emphasis]

This isn’t the first report of the Ukie’s using gas-loaded artillery shells which confirms the terroristic nature of the operation. The aim to foment political unrest and demand for the SMO to cease has failed, yet the effort outed one of the sleeping enemies within Russia. The following short essay by Marat Khairullen was posted to his VK and his Telegram yesterday and tells quite a tale that few readers here will be aware of. Oleg Deripaska is the person being investigated, his name is linked to his Wiki bio, which notes he’s been sanctioned by the Outlaw USW Empire and its UK dog, so he can’t fully enjoy the Cypriot citizenship he bought. His desire to have the sanctions dropped are clearly a motive for his actions, but how closely was he involved with the Ukies is a pertinent question. Now for Marat’s report:

Deripaska and emptiness

Against the backdrop of the terrorist attack of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kursk region, entrepreneur Oleg Deripaska called for a ceasefire. To which a number of commentators immediately responded with a parallel with Khasavyurt[In 1996, the agreement was signed in Khasavyurt between Russian Federation and Chechen Republic of Ichkeria following the First Chechen War, known as Khasavyurt Accord.]. Indeed, the comparison suggests itself - peace agreements with the separatists were concluded immediately after the attack of the militants on Grozny, and before that all our most combat-ready units were withdrawn from the city, which the militants immediately took advantage of. Today, this fact is assessed as an obvious betrayal of the Russian elites and part of the generals, which led to the conclusion of the Khasavyurt agreements, which are unfavorable for our country. Historians call these agreements a forced mistake, which later had to be corrected by the new leadership of Russia.

Thanks to Khasavyurt, our country had to live side by side with a terrorist entity for more than five years. I will remind you what it has been over the years: kidnappings, constant terrorist attacks, the transit of everything prohibited to our territory - from weapons to drugs.
But it was the Chechen people who suffered the most, and for many years they became hostages of outright bandits who turned the republic into a hotbed of international terrorism and crime.
If you compare it with today, the analogy with ukropia is complete - democratic and independent Ichkeria number two, a stinking cancerous tumor on our border, only on a larger scale. This is another victim of the cursed Western friendship.
However, in addition to the external similarity, there is also an internal track. And it is as follows: the agreements were concluded by General Lebed, a direct creature of the oligarch Berezovsky.

In those years, Berezovsky was the headliner of the so-called Yeltsin family - he openly represented its political and financial interests. Today, it is no longer a secret that all the most crazy Russian opposition, from Kasyanov and Kasparov to Navalny, was grown under the umbrella of the Family. Since 2012, the Family has been openly trying to replace Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin with any other politician who can be directly manipulated. And the external forces interested in this act in the domestic political field of Russia precisely through the Family.

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Why. Because there is a legend, confirmed by reality, that at one time Putin gave his word to Yeltsin that he would not persecute the Family - first of all, Naina Iosifovna and daughter Tatiana.
And now the super-respectable VVP keeps its word, despite outright sabotage.

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Naina Iosifovna is considered a kind of absolute in this regard. For example, now Pugacheva and her stupid husband are waiting for a call in the Baltic States from her - allegedly only Naina Iosifovna can settle the disgrace of a pop family, Vladimir Vladimirovich very rarely can refuse her. Not to mention the fact that VVP always answers her calls.

Today, Oleg Vladimirovich Deripaska is still part of the Family. Officially, he divorced the daughter of Valentin Yumashev (husband of Tatyana Dyachenko, the youngest daughter of Boris Nikolaevich), after the events on Bolotnaya Square, in order to take the business out of harm's way. However, in the expert community, it is believed that Russian Aluminum, and earlier the Basic Element holding, is still part of the financial and industrial empire of the Family.

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The Family does not directly control them, but the resources of Oleg Vladimirovich's giant business are always at the disposal of the Family.Figuratively speaking, until a certain X.

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And now, apparently, this hour of X is coming. External forces directly appealed for support to the Family, as the only real opposition force within Russia that has representation in power. Let me remind you that de facto it is believed that a number of heads of departments of the Presidential Administration, and the heads of some state corporations (for example, VGTRK) have also remained loyal to the Family.

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Oleg Deripaska in 2020

And Deripaska's speech [reported here in English] (however, so far quite cautious) against the backdrop of the terrorist attack of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kursk region can be regarded as such - the family reminds of itself and is ready to use all resources.
Another thing is that today in Russia the situation is completely different.

Let me remind you that the Chechen war was terribly unpopular among the people - any termination of it (on any terms) by the Russian people, immersed in the despair of the 90s, was considered as a respite - at least one problem less, at least for a while.

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Today, for example, people who are inside the front know very well that a whole generation of young officers has come to the troops. They are from thirty-five and above, and they are already combat colonels and generals - they are smart, evil, they managed to go through defeats and won difficult current victories with their blood, losing friends and relatives in this crucible.
They sincerely hate the drill and everything behind them, and they are sure that they have the right to vote. And their voice is as follows - the war must finally become a people's war, so as not to crush the enemy by a teaspoon at an hour. Now they are commanders of regiments and brigades, and tomorrow the commanders of armies and fronts, the future Zhukovs and Vatutins, are still very young, magnificent and brilliant.

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This is not the subtle Yashin, who was mated with Sobchak to get rid of the blue sins of youth, but it did not help - the sins won.

Having pushed Khasavyurt through the loyal and trampled officers of the 90s, the Family thinks that they can push these heroes over the baseboard. But it is no coincidence that Putin relies on them, opening the doors of all elevators - this is insurance against the treacherous actions of this very counter-elite, ready to sell the interests of the country when victory is just around the corner.
In this regard, Deripaska's call hung in the void - the people see victory, thirst for it, and to stop hostilities now is the same as signing a political sentence for oneself.
In this regard, Putin is more of a deterrent, because in addition to the military elite, let me remind you, there is a very influential group of industrialists (especially those related to the production of weapons and the public sector as a whole).
They are very uninterested in a world that will be interpreted inside and outside Russia as a direct defeat. They are interested in a world that looks and feels like a victory. Putin, as a system of power, relied on them in this difficult period, and, accordingly, Russian industrial capital expects to receive good bonuses from this.
Moreover, here it is - Victory - is already very close. And if an immediate peace is concluded on the advice of Oleg Deripaska, then all these bonuses will again go to European and American financial capital.
And therefore, when Oleg Vladimirovich begins to speak in this way, questions immediately arise: is Russian aluminum really Russian, or is it just called that?
Maybe it is still worth bringing its content in line with the official name. So, just in case, to deprive the counter-elite of potential resources, ready to give the Victory, already won with the considerable blood of our people, to the cursed West?! [My Emphasis]

Pretty powerful invective. The linked article from Novaya Gazeta Europe dealing with the speech is actually a retelling of an interview given with Nikkei Asia that itself is also edited and not reported in whole. Why didn’t they allow all his words to be known? One of the interesting snippets is this admission:

When asked about his current relationship with the Kremlin, Deripaska, who has long been rumoured to be close to Vladimir Putin, said that there had been “no changes”, adding simply: “They don’t touch me, and we don’t touch politics.”

Except that he just did deeply touch politics, so he just lied. Here’s the lie:

“If you want to stop the war, first you need to stop the fire,” Deripaska told Japan’s flagship financial newspaper, calling for an “immediate, unconditional ceasefire" in Ukraine.

And so the snake reveals itself. My cursory search to see how widely Russian media reported his speech got very few returns, the one provided being the most complete. An example of his being anti-Russian political-economic policy and the lies he employs to sell his point can be read in this article in English from 2023 by Politnavigator, where he whines Russia won’t see any foreign investment and is called Russia’s version of Donald Trump. Will this be the last time we hear about Deripaska and his antics? Probably not since he’s sanctioned and can no longer spend his ill-gotten loot in the West. But now that he’s entered the political realm, perhaps Putin will joust with him once the situation normalizes, whenever that happens.

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