Heads of Caspian Sea states agree to use the sea for peaceful purposes; Putin: Joint exploitation of oil and gas fields in the Caspian Sea is already underway; Raisi: Cooperation between Caspian countries is of increasing importance due to international developments

Heads of Caspian Sea states agree to use the sea for peaceful purposes; Putin: Joint exploitation of oil and gas fields in the Caspian Sea is already underway; Raisi: Cooperation between Caspian countries is of increasing importance due to international developments

    Wednesday, June 29, 2022   No comments

The Caspian Sea heads of state agreed, during their sixth summit, held in the Turkmen capital Ashgabat, today, Wednesday, to use the Caspian Sea for peaceful purposes and to provide security in the region.

In the statement of the summit, the presidents reaffirmed that the activities of the riparian states of the Caspian Sea will be carried out on the basis of the following principles: "Using the Caspian Sea for peaceful purposes, transforming it into an area of ​​peace, good neighbourliness, friendship and cooperation, and solving all issues related to the Caspian Sea by peaceful means."

An agreement was also reached on respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, independence, sovereign equality of states, non-use of force or threat of force, mutual respect, cooperation and non-interference in each other's internal affairs, as well as on ensuring security and stability in the Caspian Sea region. .

In turn, Russian President Vladimir Putin, during his participation in the sixth summit of the countries bordering the Caspian Sea, referred to his country's call to deepen partnerships between the five Caspian countries, stressing that "the joint exploitation of oil and gas fields in the Caspian Sea is already being implemented." ".

Putin explained that "deepening partnerships between the five countries includes the policy and security sectors, and the five Caspian Sea regions should increase cooperation in rapid response to natural and other man-made emergencies," adding: "I propose to invite countries participating in the Tehran Agreement, which aims to to the protection of the Caspian Sea to the Conference".

Among Putin's proposals is the establishment of the Caspian Sea Film Festival.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is visiting Ashgabat to participate in the Sixth Caspian Sea Summit, at the invitation of the President of Turkmenistan, Sardar Berdymukhamedov.

Also participating in the summit are the presidents of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, Iran's Ibrahim Raisi, and the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. The meeting is held in accordance with the agreement, which was reached in light of the results of the previous summit in Aktau, Kazakhstan in August 2018.

On June 27, the Russian President's Assistant, Yuri Ushakov, announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin would meet with Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi, during their participation in the Caspian Sea Summit scheduled for June 29.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi welcomed the initiatives presented by the heads of states bordering the Caspian Sea, to develop economic cooperation in the fields of transportation, shipping, investment, tourism, and other economic activities, in particular, the need to strengthen cultural relations and protect the fragile environment of the Caspian Sea.

In his speech at the Sixth Summit of the Caspian Sea Countries, in Ashgabat, today, Wednesday, Raisi stressed that relations between Iran and Turkmenistan have always been expanding, pointing to the availability of opportunities and energies in order to raise the level of bilateral cooperation.

He declared his country's readiness for comprehensive cooperation on the basis of mutual respect and mutual benefit.

Iran, Argentina’s applications to BRICS will further define this block of nations

Iran, Argentina’s applications to BRICS will further define this block of nations

    Tuesday, June 28, 2022   No comments

Will BRICS become BRICSAI soon?

Iran's application to the BRICS, following a similar move by  Argentina,  are now formal. BRICS nation must decide.

China, this year's BRICS' chairmanship, actively supports the mechanism's expansion. China wants like-minded countries to join BRICS, that made Iran a very strong candidate. 

China also wanted a representative government of Muslims, so it approached Pakistan, mostly given its location and its role in the Road and Belt Initiative. India objected to including Pakistan. This strengethened Iran's position even more. 

Now BRICS nations need to decide on specific rules that will govern the expansion of the block of nations.

Being the host country, China engaged with Pakistan prior to the BRICS meetings, where decisions are taken after consultations with all BRICS members, the foreign ministry statement said. 

"We do hope that future engagement of the organization would be based on the principles of inclusivity keeping in view the overall interests of the developing world and in a manner that is devoid of narrow geopolitical considerations," said the statement.

"Regrettably one member blocked Pakistan's participation," The Hindu reported on Monday, citing Pakistan's Foreign Office. 

Read the story as reported in Chinese media

Media Review: The Causes and Consequences of the Ukraine Crisis

Media Review: The Causes and Consequences of the Ukraine Crisis

    Monday, June 27, 2022   No comments

With the Russian military operation in Ukraine entering its fifth month, voices against American policies began to rise, especially as the sanctions policy it imposed directly affected European countries and gave counterproductive effects that Washington has not succeeded in avoiding so far.

In a speech adapted into an article with the title, the Causes and Consequences of the Ukraine Crisis, University of Chicago political science professor John J. Mearsheimer has described the war in Ukraine as a multidimensional disaster, likely to get worse in the near future. "When a war is successful, no one cares much about its causes, but when its outcome is catastrophic, understanding how it happened becomes very important. Everyone would like to know how this horrific situation was reached," he said.

Mearsheimer believes that, "With regard to the Ukrainian war, the United States is primarily responsible for causing this crisis. This does not mean that Putin started the war and that he is responsible for Russia's conduct in the war. Nor does this mean denying that America's allies bear some responsibility, but they are to a large extent They are following Washington's example for Ukraine."

This came in a lecture delivered by Mearsheimer at the European University Institute (EUI) in Florence, Italy, last week, in which he spoke in detail about the causes and repercussions of the war in Ukraine, and was published by the American National Interest magazine. It can be argued that the United States has pushed policies toward Ukraine that Putin and other Russian leaders consider an existential threat, especially America's obsession with including Ukraine into NATO and making it a Western fortress on the Russian border. The Biden administration had no willingness to end this threat diplomatically, and recommitted in 2021 to bring Ukraine into NATO. Putin responded by invading Ukraine on February 24.

In Mearsheimer's words, the Biden administration's response to the outbreak of war was to increase pressure on Russia. Washington and its Western allies are resolutely committed to defeating Russia in Ukraine and using comprehensive sanctions to significantly weaken Russian power. And the United States is not seriously interested in finding a diplomatic solution to the war, which means that the war could last months, if not years.

There is no doubt that Ukraine, which has already suffered seriously, will suffer more damage during the war. There is a risk of an escalation of the war, with NATO likely to be drawn into the fight and the possible use of nuclear weapons. It can be said that we live in perilous times.

The war is likely to have catastrophic repercussions. For example, there is reason to believe that the war will lead to a global food crisis, with the death of many millions of people. World Bank President David Malpass said that if the Ukraine war continued, we would face a global food crisis that would be a "humanitarian catastrophe".

In addition, the relations between Russia and the West have been so poisoned that it will take many years to repair. At the same time, this intense hostility will fuel instability around the world, especially in Europe. Some would say that there is one thing that is positive: relations between the countries of the West have improved significantly due to the Ukraine war.

This may be true for now, but there are cracks deep beneath the surface. For example, relations between Eastern European countries and Western European countries are likely to deteriorate as the war continues because their interests and views on the war are not the same.

To be sure, the war has already mainly damaged the global economy, and this situation is likely to get worse with time.

At the conclusion of his lecture, Mearsheimer said that the current war in Ukraine is clearly a colossal catastrophe, which will cause everyone around the world to search for its causes. Those who believe in facts and logic will quickly discover that the United States and its allies are primarily responsible for this devastation. It was inevitable that the decision issued in April 2008 to annex Ukraine and Georgia to NATO would lead to war with Russia.

Quotes:

I have witnessed this phenomenon twice in my lifetime—first with the Vietnam war and second with the Iraq war. In both cases, Americans wanted to know how their country could have miscalculated so badly. Given that the United States and its NATO allies played a crucial role in the events that led to the Ukraine war—and are now playing a central role in the conduct of that war—it is appropriate to evaluate the West’s responsibility for this calamity.

One might argue that Putin was lying about his motives, that he was attempting to disguise his imperial ambitions. As it turns out, I have written a book about lying in international politics—Why Leaders Lie: The Truth about Lying in International Politics—and it is clear to me that Putin was not lying. For starters, one of my principal findings is that leaders do not lie much to each other; they lie more often to their own publics. Regarding Putin, whatever one thinks of him, he does not have a history of lying to other leaders. Although some assert that he frequently lies and cannot be trusted, there is little evidence of him lying to foreign audiences. Moreover, he has publicly spelled out his thinking about Ukraine on numerous occasions over the past two years and he has consistently emphasized that his principal concern is Ukraine’s relations with the West, especially NATO. He has never once hinted that he wants to make Ukraine part of Russia. If this behavior is all part of a giant deception campaign, it would be without precedent in recorded history.

How is the war in Ukraine being fought?

How is the war in Ukraine being fought?

    Saturday, June 25, 2022   No comments

To understand why the conflict in Ukraine will drag on for years, not months, a look at the tactics used in battles by both sides could help.

Over the past 8 years, Ukrainian forces in the east have worked continuously to establish fighting positions and defensive positions against the forces fighting for autonomy in the east. With Russia now directly involved, on the ground, those tactical measures are falling apart.

Russian forces are using modern technologies to dismantle these military positions. To do that, they are turning to highly mobile units to move quickly, eliminate the threat, and move on to the next target. 

These methods have been used in Syria, and Russia’s experience in that war is being used to fight this war. 

This means that the war will go on for years.

As Russian forces make rapid advances, encircling large enclaves, many Ukrainian fighters surrender

As Russian forces make rapid advances, encircling large enclaves, many Ukrainian fighters surrender

    Friday, June 24, 2022   No comments

The captured fighters of the Armed Forces of Ukraine spoke about the low staffing of the units, the poor provision of the group that ended up in the "Mountain boiler", the flight of the commanders and the lack of communication with them. They call captivity the only chance to stay alive and call on their colleagues for this.

Ukrainian soldiers: “...Our only way to stay alive is to lay down our arms. We were in full view, and if we hadn’t laid down our arms, we would have died.”

 

Video posted on Russia's MoD video showing Ukrainian POWs

      

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov meets Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi: Russian President Vladimir Putin is counting on holding new meetings with Raisi

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov meets Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi: Russian President Vladimir Putin is counting on holding new meetings with Raisi

    Friday, June 24, 2022   No comments

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said today, Wednesday, that Russian President Vladimir Putin is counting on holding new meetings with his Iranian counterpart, Ibrahim Raisi.

At the start of his meeting with the Iranian president in Tehran this evening, Lavrov said: "President Putin asked me to convey to you his warmest greetings and best wishes. He looks forward to new meetings with you."

He noted that the Russian president holds several meetings every day, and they are "primarily related to adapting the economic, social, banking and financial sphere to the realities that are now emerging as a result of the selfish and aggressive policy of the West."

"All countries that are negatively affected by the selfish approach of the United States and its orbiters have an objective need to reshape their economic relations in a way that does not depend on the whims and whims of our Western partners," Lavrov added.

This is Lavrov's first visit during the era of the new Iranian government that was formed last August. The Russian minister visited Tehran in April 2021 and held talks with his Iranian counterpart at the time, Mohammad Javad Zarif.

In related news; Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian announced that President Ebrahim Raisi will participate in the BRICS summit, which will be held in China.

Amir Abdollahian wrote in a tweet on his Twitter account: "The BRICS group of countries promises their great potential and innovative vision to be an effective engine for global development and peace."

The Iranian minister added, "By accepting the invitation of the Chinese president to attend the BRICS Plus summit, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, during his participation in the summit, will explain Iran's views and capabilities," stressing that his country is taking advantage of any opportunity in the form of "dynamic diplomacy" to advance its national goals.

Yesterday, the Chinese Foreign Minister welcomed the Iranian President's attendance at the BRICS meeting, expressing his hope that the course of diplomacy and dialogue would lead to an agreement in the Vienna negotiations.

Iran's ambassador to Beijing, Mohammad Keshavarzzadeh, said that a phone call took place between the Foreign Minister and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, indicating that the two sides discussed bilateral and international issues.

And the "BRICS" group saw the light of day in 2006, to form an international alliance in the face of Western domination of the world, and turned into an integrated political and economic group.

Its first summit was held on June 16, 2009, under the name "BRIC", in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg, with the participation of: Brazil, Russia, India and China first, then joined by South Africa in 2010, becoming the name of the International Alliance. BRICS, a word formed and derived from the initial letters of the name of each member state.

The population of the BRICS countries constitutes about 45% of the world's population, and the area of ​​its member states covers more than 39 million square kilometers, which is equivalent to 27% of the total land area.

The size of the BRICS economies exceeds the GDP of the Group of Seven major industrial countries (the United States, Britain, Germany, Japan, France, Canada and Italy).

According to Iranian media reports, Chinese President Xi Jinping as the host of BRICS Summit 2022, has invited President Rayeesi to attend the meeting and deliver a speech on Friday.

Rayeesi will discuss the Islamic Republic's viewpoints on international issues and the development of trade and economic cooperation with other countries at the event, which will be held on Friday.

The meeting will discuss "high-level talks for global development".  

Iran is the only country in West Asia region that has been invited to attend the BRICS+ summit.

BRICS expansion

China proposed expanding the BRICS grouping during a meeting of the bloc’s foreign ministers in May. Though the suggestion was welcomed by other member countries, there have been no official announcements of who the new members might be.

“We can get a sense of which countries might be invited by looking at their position on Ukraine and their voting behaviour regarding the conflict at the United Nations,” Huang said. “Those developing countries who abstained or supported Russia may be recruited to join.”

Oil is thicker than blood: Erdogan and bin Salman agree to start a 'new era' of cooperation

Oil is thicker than blood: Erdogan and bin Salman agree to start a 'new era' of cooperation

    Wednesday, June 22, 2022   No comments

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discuss improving relations and investment between the two countries and activating the agreements signed between them in the fields of defense cooperation.

Turkey and Saudi Arabia affirmed during talks in Ankara today, Wednesday, their intention to start a new era of joint cooperation, at a time when the two countries aim to fully normalize their relations, which collapsed after the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

In a joint statement following talks between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the two sides said they discussed improving relations and investing in the energy, defense and other sectors.

In the statement, they confirmed their agreement to "activate the agreements signed between them in the areas of defense cooperation in a way that serves the interests of the two countries and contributes to ensuring the security and stability of the region."

The two countries also expressed their desire to "work on developing projects in the energy field", "facilitating trade, searching for investment opportunities, and increasing communication to turn them into tangible partnerships."

The two parties announced, "the agreement to activate the work of the Saudi-Turkish Coordination Council, and to raise the level of cooperation in issues of common concern."

Today, Wednesday, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrived in Turkey on his first official visit to this country, after 9 years of disputes exacerbated by the assassination of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul.

The first chapter of reconciliation took place at the end of April, when Erdogan visited Saudi Arabia and discussed with the Crown Prince ways to "develop" relations between the two countries.

Three weeks before that, the Turkish judiciary decided to reserve the case for the assassination of opposition journalist Jamal Khashoggi, columnist for the Washington Post, who was killed in October 2018 in his country's consulate in Istanbul.

The challenges of building national, regional and global secirity systems

The challenges of building national, regional and global secirity systems

    Tuesday, June 21, 2022   No comments

Erdogan vows a decisive response and a Greek general threatens to bomb Istanbul .. The "Aegean" crisis raises the tension between Ankara and Athens to its most dangerous stage

Tensions are escalating between the two NATO allies, Turkey and Greece, after Ankara accused Athens of arming 12 islands in the Aegean Sea near Turkish territory, in addition to the chronic dispute over the file of natural gas exploration in the eastern Mediterranean.

The tension reached the point where the retired Greek general, Yiannis Egolfopoulos, threatened to bomb the vital bridges of Istanbul, which was met with Turkish criticism, most notably by the leader of the Nationalist Movement Party, Devlet Bahçeli, who said, “It seems that the Greeks forgot the fate of their ancestors who were buried at the bottom of a sea Aegean.”

The escalation reached its climax after the Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, accused Turkey of destabilizing the island of Cyprus in front of members of the US Congress recently, and demanded Washington not to sell Ankara F-16 fighters.

Erdogan: decisive response

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan responded to him, during his participation in the "Efes 2022" military maneuvers, that his country is serious about responding decisively to Greece, and that the latter should realize its borders and abide by them.

As a result of these statements, the military clash became the talk of the street and the media on both sides.

Military option

In light of the escalation of statements, the retired Turkish general, Erdogan Karagosh, said that a war between Turkey and Greece was inevitable, calling for the need to strengthen the strength of the Turkish Air Force.

“We have to get new F-16 fighters by any means, and maintain the ones we have,” Qaragosh said, in an interview with one of the private Turkish channels, according to the Al-Jazeera report.

He added that Turkey has no problem with its land and naval forces, "but we must strengthen the strength of our air force, because in the event of any military conflict between the two countries, the air force will resolve the situation, and in the event that we do not obtain new fighters, the balance will tip in favor of Greece." .

In turn, the Turkish expert in military and security affairs, Mateh Yarar, ruled out the outbreak of any direct military clash between the two countries, indicating that Athens relies in its verbal escalation on the West's support for it, and that it will not be able to engage in a military confrontation against Turkey, given "the disparity in the balance of power between the two sides." ”

Yarar pointed out - in a statement to the Turkish newspaper Milliyet - that Ankara calls on Greece to abide by the Lausanne agreements in 1923 and Paris in 1947, which stipulate keeping the mentioned islands demilitarized, referring to Athens' pledge before the major powers at the time to abide by this condition.

sovereign right

On the other hand, the Greek political analyst, Taki Barbarakis, said in an interview with the Turkish "Khabar Turk" channel, that talk about the possibility of a military clash between Ankara and Athens has increased recently among Greek politicians and even among the general public.

He pointed out that there is great popular support for the Greek government regarding the issue of arming the Aegean islands, and that public opinion in Greece believes that arming the islands is a sovereign right of Athens stemming from the Charter of the United Nations.

According to the Greek analyst, Athens relies on arming the Aegean islands on Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, which provides for the “right of self-defense”; Her government has repeatedly announced that it has taken this step in order to counter any potential threat from Turkey. She pointed out that the "Aegean Sea" army, which Turkey formed outside the NATO command, has a landing fleet on the coasts near the islands.

Turkish opposition

In parallel with the debate between Ankara and Athens, the Turkish opposition entered the line, accusing the ruling Justice and Development Party governments of neglecting the issue of the Aegean islands, and went on to consider that President Erdogan and his governments did not take the necessary measures in time, and that Greece intensified its arming of the islands after the arrival of Justice and Development to power in the country in 2002.

In this context, the former deputy of the opposition Republican People's Party, Mustafa Balbay, says that Greece has begun to intensify arming the islands near the Turkish shores since 2004, and has also settled civilians on these islands.

"Where were the justice and development governments at that time?" Balpay asked. Why did Erdogan’s governments not take deterrent measures at that time?”

In his opinion, President Erdogan's recent statements regarding Greece's arming of the Aegean islands are nothing but "media propaganda, in preparation for the upcoming presidential elections" scheduled for June 2023.

real occupation

Balpay sees Greece's arming the Aegean islands as a real occupation, especially with Athens also housing civilians on these islands, and called on President Erdogan to focus on the issue of "occupation" during his talks with the leaders of the countries concerned with this issue.

The former deputy called for taking more necessary measures and preparing for all possibilities, including the military option, indicating that in the event of any armed conflict, Turkey will not only face Greece, but will also face major global powers, led by the United States of America, which recently began establishing bases Large military in the Greek islands near Turkey.

NATO and Other Security Structures

Finnish President Sauli Niinisto expressed hope on Tuesday that progress will be made in the ongoing talks with Turkey on Helsinki's accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Niinistö said during a press conference with the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Mitsola, that "Finland continues talks with Turkey about joining NATO, and we hope to make progress in those negotiations."

"I think it will be difficult to reach an agreement before the Madrid [NATO summit]," he added.

The Finnish president indicated that he does not believe that his country's accession procedures to NATO can be completed by next September.

And the Finnish presidency announced yesterday that "a new round of negotiations conducted by Finland and Sweden with Turkey will be held in Brussels," against the backdrop of Ankara's objection to the two countries' request to join NATO.

Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin confirmed yesterday that the progress of Sweden and Finland's accession to NATO is linked to the steps that these two countries will take, in line with the words of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan a few days ago.

Last Wednesday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu announced that "Turkey will send a document to Sweden and Finland to form the basis for negotiating the two countries' accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)," adding during a press conference with the Foreign Ministers of Ireland and Norway in Ankara: "We must Reaching an understanding with Sweden and Finland on how to meet our demands."

Erdogan also stressed during the meeting of the parliamentary bloc of the "Justice and Development Party", Wednesday, that his country "will not change its position regarding the accession of Sweden and Finland to NATO until they take clear and tangible steps towards combating terrorism." "We will not forgive any countries that support terrorist organizations that threaten Turkey," he added.

And last May, talks were held in Turkey between Turkish officials and delegations from Sweden and Finland. Sources told "Reuters" that "the talks made little progress in addressing the motives behind Ankara's objection to the two countries joining NATO."

Turkey, the conflict of NATO and the Collective Security Organization

Turkey has tended to sell arms to Central Asian countries, to perpetuate the idea that it is able to guarantee the defense capacity of countries that revolve in its ideological, social, economic and military orbit.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization cannot be seen as the only military bloc and force in the world. It is possible to rely on the assessment of the CSTO’s bloc as an almost parallel bloc, as it includes countries that enjoy an important military power, such as Russia, Belarus and Armenia, in addition to Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan; Countries considered full members, some members as observers, and others as potential candidates, such as Iran.

At a meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Collective Security Treaty Organization in the Armenian capital recently, the speaker of the Kyrgyz parliament indicated that the organization’s crisis response system and confronting escalating security challenges and threats constitutes an essential element of its activity, including the fight against international terrorism and extremism.

Also, he noted the need for Member States to deepen interaction to ensure a timely response, and stressed the need to focus the organization's efforts, not only on confronting challenges and security threats, but also on "eliminating the causes of their occurrence", and suggested the establishment of an entire military-political structure on the basis of a treaty organization. collective security.

The Russian Foreign Minister also noted that NATO countries are concerned about the growing importance of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, and stressed the need for it to play the role of "a guarantor of balance in the Euro-Atlantic region" and the indivisibility of security.

On May 16, a meeting of the heads of state of the Collective Security Treaty Organization was held in Moscow, during which the Russian president indicated that “NATO expansion is artificial, and goes beyond its geographical objective,” in an attempt to influence other regions, and noted that the CSTO “plays a role extremely important in stabilizing the former Soviet Union,” which encourages other countries to “consider joining the CSTO, which has sufficient capabilities to respond to the challenges of NATO expansion.”

However, the "Western European flock" continues its attempts to counter the influence of the organization, by preoccupying its members with their security, as well as by turning Turkey, as the spearhead of NATO, into a lever for anti-Russian influence, through escalation in Nagorno-Karabakh. At the request of Brussels and Washington, Ankara tried to play an active role in resolving this conflict, by exploiting Moscow’s lukewarm intervention in its results, and tried to offer a trade-off for the military alliance of the countries of the region with it, in exchange for accepting its membership in the Collective Security Treaty Organization.

With the aim of enhancing its importance in the region, Turkey pumped its investments, sent preachers, opened centers for educational programs in the Central Asian region, and circulated the terms and concepts of "Uzbek Turks", "Tatar Turks" and "Kyrgyz Turks" in its media, and began talking about the "Turkish world" And it established the “Turkish Council”, in parallel with the intensification of its activity in spreading the ideas of Turkish nationalism, as it seeks to create a new and alternative ethnic national identity for the post-Soviet republics, and to replace the region’s original society with a new fake one under Turkish leadership.

Turkey has also tended to sell arms to Central Asian countries, to perpetuate the idea that it is able to guarantee the defense capacity of countries that revolve in its ideological, social, economic and military orbit. Thus, it is trying to open the way towards Erdogan's project known as the "Great Turan" to restore the lands of the Ottoman Empire, by focusing on Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, to create a unified army for the Turan project, with the aim of extricating these countries and withdrawing them from the Collective Security Organization, and weakening the Eurasian Union militarily and economically.

As in the past, in order to create a permanent and constant threat to Russia, Britain created the Ottoman Empire. Today, both London and Washington are using Turkey as a member of NATO to confront Russia, especially in the Central Asian region, by proposing Erdogan the idea of ​​"the Great Turan", which is supposed to be able to bring about a radical change in the international balance of power.

For these purposes, the Westerners bear the filth of dealing with the Turkish president and his government, and suffer to see an “Asian NATO” under the Turkish leadership. The hostility of the Russian state makes them unable to determine the interests of their peoples, and unable to guarantee the Turkish-Erdogan fulfillment of their plans, amid the Turks’ dissatisfaction with their presence in NATO. In light of the mutual distrust between the two parties.

In the midst of this atmosphere, we are hearing some of Ankara’s Atlantic allies talking about the need to exclude it from the alliance, and they are closely following its positive contacts with Russia, which contributes to pushing Turkey to abandon its historical anti-Russian role, with the Turkish President’s assertion and his recent statements about Turkey’s unwillingness To participate in the anti-Russian sanctions policy imposed by Washington.

Message to US: China not hesitate to start war

Message to US: China not hesitate to start war

    Friday, June 17, 2022   No comments

Officials reported that China's defense minister warned his US counterpart Friday that if Taiwan declares independence, Beijing will "not hesitate to start a war."

Wu Qian, the spokesperson of the Information Bureau of the Ministry of National Defense of the People's Republic of China, quoted defense minister Wei Fenghe saying  "If anyone dares to split Taiwan from China, the Chinese army will definitely not hesitate to start a war no matter the cost," during a meeting with Lloyd Austin. 

The meeting is Austin and Wei's first since they spoke on the phone on April 20, which was the first such call since the Biden administration took office.

According to the Chinese defense ministry, the Chinese minister also promised to "smash to smithereens any 'Taiwan independence' plot and resolutely uphold the unification of the motherland."

He stressed that "Taiwan is China's Taiwan... Using Taiwan to contain China will never prevail."

Austin told Fenghe during the talks that Beijing must "refrain from further destabilizing actions toward Taiwan", the US Department of Defense said.  

In related news, China on Friday formally launched its third aircraft carrier during a ceremony marking the landing of the ship at a shipyard in Shanghai, CCTV reported.

Putin: Energy and food problems are the result of the West's wrong policies; All objectives of the Russian military operation in Ukraine will be achieved

Putin: Energy and food problems are the result of the West's wrong policies; All objectives of the Russian military operation in Ukraine will be achieved

    Friday, June 17, 2022   No comments

 Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed today, Friday, that "the world is diverse and one framework cannot be imposed on everyone from one center," adding: "The world is no longer the same as before."

In his speech at the Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin said that "the United States of America announced that it had won the Cold War and considered itself descended from heaven."

He recalled what he said in Davos a year and a half ago that the "unipolar world has ended" and that there are strenuous attempts to try to restore it, noting that "it is no longer possible to ignore the interests of the new centers of power in the world."

"Outdated geopolitical illusions have undermined confidence in global currencies," Putin said.

The West expected the ruble to collapse, but what happened was the opposite

The Russian president pointed out that "the West's measures to destroy the Russian economy failed and did not bear fruit," explaining that "the reaction of the Russian people came against what the West wanted, as we have increased strength and cohesion."

Putin stressed that "the Russian financial system is stable," noting that "the West expected the ruble to collapse and reach 200 against the dollar, but what happened was the opposite and their expectations were not fulfilled."

"The goal of the sanctions was to bring down the Russian economy, but they did not succeed because the Russian economic sector worked efficiently," he said.

"The Russian people are a strong people who will deal with any problem, and this is evidenced by the thousand-year history of our country," Putin said.

He added that "European politicians have harmed their countries' economies," noting that "the consequences of sanctions imposed on Russia will be $400 billion on European economies."

He stressed that "sanctions can be imposed on any country, including European countries and any European companies."

The European Union has completely lost its sovereignty

During his speech, Putin saw that "the European Union has completely lost its sovereignty, is subject to external dictates, and implements everything that is dictated to it," noting that "inflation growth in some eurozone countries has now exceeded the level of 20%."

Considering that "the world has reached this situation as a result of the activities carried out by the seven major industrialized countries at the level of economy and politics."

There is a danger that Ukrainian wheat will go to finance arms deals

"The Russian military operation in Ukraine was an excuse to hold Russia responsible for all the mistakes," the Russian president said, stressing that "the special military operation in Donbas has nothing to do with the situation in Europe."

He pointed out that "the United States was at the forefront of exporters in the global market, but the US role has now changed."

Putin pointed out that "the West deliberately created a food crisis by buying foodstuffs in world markets above its actual needs," adding that "the United States was the main supplier of many food commodities, and today it has become an importer rather than an exporter."

He revealed that "Russia is interested in exporting 50 million tons of wheat, a priority for needy countries in the countries of the Middle East and Africa," explaining that "the West is pursuing the same old policy of plunder and imperialism, but in a new way."

He added, "Democratic procedures, elections in Europe sometimes look at what's going on there, what forces come to power. It all seems like a screen [to camouflage], because political parties are alike, like twins, superseding each other. However, the The essence of this does not change, the real interests of citizens, national business are being pushed more and more into the backyard, to the fringes.”

He stressed that Russia does not obstruct food exports from Ukraine and that it is not the one who planted mines in the ports, and said in this context, "We will secure the transportation of grain from the ports, but the Ukrainian side should secure the ports from what they planted of sea mines."

Putin warned that "there is a danger that Ukrainian wheat will go to finance arms deals."

Putin: All objectives of the Russian military operation will be achieved

Putin said that "the reason for the energy crisis in Europe lies in the wrong policy of the European Union and the unjustified dependence on alternative energy," stressing that "there was no escape from the decision to launch military currency, as the Donbas residents were subjected to abuse by the Western-backed Ukrainian regime."

Putin added that "all the objectives of the Russian military operation will be achieved," adding that "our soldiers are defending the homeland, the people and human values, and they are resisting extraneous values ​​and moral decay."

He pointed out that "sovereignty in the 21st century is indivisible."

He denounced Western actions, saying: "The West has always been generous in raising the level of hostility against Russia and creating a poisonous atmosphere of Russophobia."

Putin: Russia will not be isolated

Putin pointed out that "the change in the Russian economy and its ability to confront sanctions is what we have made over the past years," noting that "the structure of Western sanctions was based on a false belief that Russia is not a self-sufficient economy."

"The sanctions provide us with a great opportunity and impetus to move forward with regard to technological independence," he said, adding that "Russia will not undergo the process of isolation that the hostile countries thought we would submit to."

He added that "Russia will deal with leaders who want to deal with it, who are able to distinguish between the interests of their countries and foreign dictates."

Putin predicted that "the current situation in Europe will lead to an escalation of radicalism in the future to change the ruling elites," adding that "everyone working with Russia is under unprecedented pressure from the United States and the European Union."

Chechen leader says his forces have deployed to Ukraine; why and how?

Chechen leader says his forces have deployed to Ukraine; why and how?

    Thursday, June 09, 2022   No comments

In February, as reported by Reuters, the leader of Russia's Chechnya region and an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin,Ramzan Kadyrov, said that Chechen fighters had been deployed to Ukraine and urged Ukrainians to overthrow their government.

In a video posted online, Kadyrov said that Chechen units had so far suffered no losses and said Russian forces could easily take large Ukrainian cities, including the capital Kyiv, but that their task was to avoid loss of life.

More than 3 months later, the Chechen leader continues and even increased his forces in support of the operation in Ukraine. What turned this rebel republic into a central force in Russia's reach and power?

This video shows the radical transformation of the country, Checheniya, and the role played by its current leadership.

...

More indepth analyses show a long strategy at work that changed the relationship between Muslims and the Russian leadership, including regional events and global trends.

  

Algeria suspends friendship treaty with Spain amid Western Sahara tensions

Algeria suspends friendship treaty with Spain amid Western Sahara tensions

    Wednesday, June 08, 2022   No comments

 

Algeria said its decision was due to Spain's "unjustifiable turnaround" over the Western Sahara region. Earlier this year, Spain recognized Morocco's plans for the disputed territory, sparking tensions with Algeria.

The announcement came hours after Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez reportedly said his government's policy shift on Western Sahara has "improved (Spain's) bilateral relations with Morocco."

In March, the Spanish government shifted its long-standing position on Western Sahara by endorsing Morocco's autonomy plan for the territory, paving the way for easing diplomatic tensions between the two kingdoms.

The new Spanish position "violates international legitimacy, and directly contributes to the deterioration of the situation in Western Sahara and the region as a whole," the presidential statement said.

 read more...