Chechen troops arrive in Zaporozhye region

Chechen troops arrive in Zaporozhye region

    Thursday, September 15, 2022   No comments

Around the same time Chechen elite troops landed in the Zaporozhye region to help Russian forces regain control in the south, Russian Federation Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, Timur Ivanov, arrived in the ChechenRepublic on a working visit to promote and report on development and construction projects in the Muslim Republic.

The investments in the Chechen Republic is paying off. Chechen fighters were urgently dispatched after a series of setbacks for Russian forces in the east and south of Ukraine. The detachment of fighters is under the command of the OMON "Akhmat-Grozny" of the Office of the Russian Guard in the Chechen Republic, Anzor Bisaev. The unit is tasked with stopping and clearing Ukrainian troops trying to advance southward.

Two former US diplomats: Nearly 90 Percent of the World Isn't Following Us on Ukraine

Two former US diplomats: Nearly 90 Percent of the World Isn't Following Us on Ukraine

    Thursday, September 15, 2022   No comments

Echoing a more nuanced, academic analysis that predicted the outcome of Russia's Military Operation in Ukraine, two former US diplomats concluded that the majority of the world population is not falling in line with the West on this issue.

Our familiar system of global political and economic alliances is shifting, and nothing has made this change clearer than the varied reactions to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. While the United States and its closest allies in Europe and Asia have imposed tough economic sanctions on Moscow, 87 percent of the world's population has declined to follow us. Economic sanctions have united our adversaries in shared resistance. Less predictably, the outbreak of Cold War II, has also led countries that were once partners or non-aligned to become increasingly multi-aligned.

   

 

Lavrov receives Hamas delegation headed by Ismail Haniyeh

Lavrov receives Hamas delegation headed by Ismail Haniyeh

    Monday, September 12, 2022   No comments

Today, Monday, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will meet with a delegation of the Hamas movement headed by the head of the Political Bureau, Ismail Haniyeh.

"On September 12, the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, received the head of the Hamas political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, who is in Moscow at the head of the movement's delegation," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The statement pointed out that "the talks focused on the developments in the Middle East, especially the Palestinian problem."

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, Moscow stressed "the importance of speeding up the restoration of Palestinian national unity on the political platform of the Palestine Liberation Organization, and the need to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on the basis of international law, relevant UN Security Council resolutions, the United Nations General Assembly and the Arab Peace Initiative."

On Saturday, the head of the political bureau of the Palestinian "Hamas" movement, Ismail Haniyeh, arrived in the Russian capital, Moscow, accompanied by a delegation from the movement's leadership.

In a press statement, Taher al-Nono, media advisor to Hamas leader, said that Haniyeh "has arrived in Moscow on a visit during which he intends to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, and a number of Russian leaders and officials."

This visit comes after a high-level delegation from the "Hamas" movement, headed by the head of the International Relations Office, Musa Abu Marzouk, visited Moscow last May, aimed at holding talks with Russian officials on a number of important files related to the developments of the Palestinian cause.

Moscow criticized the position of Western countries in dealing with the recent Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, noting at the time that "the West is very concerned about the situation in Ukraine... while it is indifferently watching the Israelis kill the Palestinians and destroy the Gaza Strip," describing the matter as a continuation of the "Western propaganda machine."

Russia forces in Ukraine concede territories previously under Russian control; blame tactical error for their losses in the east

Russia forces in Ukraine concede territories previously under Russian control; blame tactical error for their losses in the east

    Sunday, September 11, 2022   No comments

Russian military leaders admit that they fell for a Ukrainian plan that threatened a major attack in the south when in fact it was planning all along to attack in the northeast.

"The Russian forces concluded that the Ukrainian side tried to lure them into the Kharkov battle to launch the main attack in the direction of Uglidar,” one source said to media outlets.

Russian sources have also claimed that “American generals effectively contributed to the planning of this operation, and provided abundant intelligence information to the Ukrainian army, which is fighting in the ranks of hundreds of mercenaries.”

Now, they are assessing that Ukrainian forces are planning to retake territories in autonomous region. Some of the regional military leaders were dismissed due to this failure.

Russian sources now say that Ukrainian forces "are clearing minefields that they had previously set up on the outskirts of Ugledar in the Donetsk People's Republic, which indicates that they are preparing to launch an attack."

To regain their footing, Russian military leaders are deploying more Chechen military assets, as confirmed by the president of the Chechen Republic last week, in this video release.

However, today, Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov, voiced a rare public criticism of Russia's military mistakes in Ukraine pointing out "loss of strategic areas in eastern Ukraine," and pledging to restore all these areas recovered by Ukrainian forces during their counter-offensive that has been going on for days.

The Chechen news agency quoted Kadyrov as saying that "the Russian forces made mistakes, and if there are no changes, I will talk with their leadership to explain to them the situation on the ground," adding, "We will recover all the areas we lost in Kharkiv."

In an 11-minute audio message posted on his Telegram channel, Kadyrov rejected the loss of Izium, a vital supply hub, and acknowledged that the military campaign was "not going according to plan".

The rapid fall of Izyum in the Kharkiv region is the worst military loss for Russia since its forces were forced to withdraw from the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, last March.

Video showing Chechen armed forces preparing to leave for Ukraine:

 

Russia’s war strategy in Ukraine and the role of the Chechen armed forces

Russia’s war strategy in Ukraine and the role of the Chechen armed forces

    Thursday, September 08, 2022   No comments

The war strategy in Ukraine is now emerging: use air and missile strikes to degrade Ukrainian defensive positions and then send the infantry forces to clear and hold territories. That is what happened in the city of Mariupol during the first four months of the operation, and this is what is happening now in the south near Kharkov and in the east. In Mariupol and the Donbas region, the infantry consisted mainly of 10,000 Chechen troops. Those forces returned home in June. Since then, there appeared little progress on the ground but constant bombardment from air and from distance. 

With Ukrainian troops leaving their defensive positions in the south to execute a plan to retake Kharkov and push Russian forces east of the river, Russian forces were able to target the exposed Ukrainian troops and plan for the next phase, which appear to aim at taking more ground and increasing the buffer zone it has created around the areas that will be declared autonomous republics. This is where ground troops will be needed. Again, Chechen armed forces seem to be the go-to option. Today, Chechen officials arranged for the transport of thousands of elite fighters who will be deployed in areas “beyond the Donbas” region.

Meanwhile, today, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that its forces repelled an attack by Ukrainian forces on the Kharkov axis, inflicting losses on the attacking forces of more than 50 people.

According to the ministry, the nationalist battalion "Kraken" opened fire on the retreating, killing most of them.

The Defense Ministry also announced the downing of eight Ukrainian drones over the Kharkov and Kherson provinces, as well as the interception of two American-made AGM-88 Harm missiles over the Antonov Bridge area.

The Russian Air Defense Forces also intercepted a "Tochka-O" ballistic missile in the Bezymyanoy district of Kherson Province, and 48 missiles, including 44 "Himars" missiles, were intercepted in the "Mozikovka", "Znamenka", "Vesuloye" and "Kamenka" regions, "Darievka", "Novaya Kakhovka", "Perslav", "Dnebriani" and "Tomarino".

Simultaneously, the Ministry announced that the units of the 72nd Ukrainian Mechanized Brigade, in the Artemovsk region of the Donetsk People's Republic, refused to carry out orders and left their positions and left, due to heavy losses, low equipment, and lack of fire support.

Also, the Ukrainian forces lost another 350 personnel on the Nikolaev-Krivoy Rok axes, during the past 24 hours, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.

"During the day, the Kyiv regime continued its unsuccessful attempts to conduct offensive operations on the Nikolaev-Kryvi Rok axes," the ministry said in a statement.

Video documenting Chechen armed forces deployment to Ukraine:

From the Croatian capital, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan: Ukrainian grain is exported to rich countries but not poor ones

From the Croatian capital, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan: Ukrainian grain is exported to rich countries but not poor ones

    Thursday, September 08, 2022   No comments

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that his country wants to start exporting grain from Russia as well, similar to the export of Ukrainian grain.

Speaking at a press conference with his Croatian counterpart, Zoran Milanovic, in the capital Zagreb, which he is visiting as part of a tour of the Balkans, Erdogan added, "Grains are exported to rich countries, but not poor ones. Unfortunately, Ukrainian grain is exported to rich countries but not poor ones."

Erdogan recalled the words of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his annoyance over the export of Ukrainian grain to countries that impose sanctions on Russia.

He continued, "There is a delay in the start of grain exports from Russia, and I will discuss this issue in detail during my meeting with President Putin next week, and all we hope for is that the grain reaches poor countries."

And he added: "Most of all this is the issue of energy. Energy prices are rising. Now Europe is confused about how to face the next winter, and I hope this crisis ends well."

The Turkish President and his Croatian counterpart chaired the meeting of the two countries' delegations, after the end of their bilateral meeting at the Croatian Presidential Palace in the capital Zagreb.

On Wednesday, Putin stressed that "the West was not fair enough regarding the grain shipment deal from Ukraine, because most of the grain shipments did not go to the poorest developing countries, but to Europe."

Earlier, Russia's permanent representative to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzia, said that "Ukrainian grain ships are heading to places other than those they were intended to go to."

Last July 22, a Russian-Ukrainian memorandum of understanding was signed in Istanbul, under the auspices of the United Nations Secretariat, on facilitating the movement of Russian food products and fertilizers on world markets.

In another context, the Turkish president announced that the volume of trade exchange between Turkey and Croatia amounted to $900 million last year.

Russian-Chinese agreement: “Siberia Power” gas payments in rubles and yuan

Russian-Chinese agreement: “Siberia Power” gas payments in rubles and yuan

    Tuesday, September 06, 2022   No comments

Russia's Gazprom and China's CNPC have agreed to transfer payments for gas supplied through the "Siberia Power" to the ruble and yuan.

In a related context, the Russian government is studying a proposal saying that "Moscow may buy between three and four billion dollars worth of Chinese yuan, per month, until the end of the year, to help stop the rise of the ruble."

On August 12, the Chinese ambassador to Russia, Zhang Hanhui, announced Friday that "China will continue to increase national currency settlements in trade with Russia."

"Currently, the sanctions imposed by the United States and other Western countries on Russia have caused certain obstacles in trade cooperation between Russia and China. The competent authorities of the two countries need to improve coordination and interaction in order to solve all the difficulties associated with this," the ambassador told Sputnik.

In related news, and commenting on the energy crisis in Europe, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said today, Tuesday, that Europe will witness a difficult winter against the background of the gas crisis, stressing that Russia was forced to use this weapon after European sanctions, noting that "Turkey does not face that problem."

"Ankara does not have a gas problem, and Putin was forced to use the gas weapon against Europe's position and its sanctions," Erdogan told reporters, before heading to the Balkan countries, including Bosnia, Serbia and Croatia.

The Turkish president explained that "Europe will live in a difficult situation this winter because of the gas outage... However, we do not have any problem with natural gas so far," noting that "Europe is reaping the fruits of what it sowed by taking measures and decisions against Russia, and the latter used the weapons that it has sown." With her hand, the most important of which is gas.

A document seen by Reuters on Monday showed that European Union energy ministers are set to discuss options to rein in high energy prices, including setting gas price caps and emergency credit lines for energy market participants.

On August 28, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, said that the European Union will face, in the short term, serious challenges with regard to sanctions imposed on Russia, due to the situation in Ukraine.

Macron: Dialogue with Russia must continue; Iran: Iran: A senior European president asked Iran's president, Raisi, to mediate in the Ukrainian crisis

Macron: Dialogue with Russia must continue; Iran: Iran: A senior European president asked Iran's president, Raisi, to mediate in the Ukrainian crisis

    Thursday, September 01, 2022   No comments

 Macron: Dialogue with Russia must continue

French President Emmanuel Macron called today for the continuation of dialogue with Russia, stressing that "we must assume that we can always continue talking with everyone", especially "with whom we do not agree."

"Who wants Turkey to be the only power in the world that continues to talk to Russia?" Macron asked in front of the French ambassadors meeting at the Elysee Palace.

He continued, "We should not give in to any form of wrong morale that may make us helpless," stressing that "the diplomat's profession is to talk to everyone, especially people with whom we do not agree."

He added, "We will continue to do this ... in coordination with our allies," recalling that "the division of Europe" is "one of the objectives of Russia's war."

The French president is one of the few European leaders who spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin after Russia's military operation in Ukraine on February 24, in a strategy that has been criticized.

The last phone call between the French president and his Russian counterpart dates back to August 19, during which they discussed the situation at the Zaporizhia nuclear plant and the organization of a visit by a team from the International Atomic Energy Agency to the facility.

For his part, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan played the role of mediator between Moscow and Kiev at the beginning of the war. An agreement was reached between Moscow and Kiev in July in Istanbul, under the auspices of Ankara and the United Nations, to export Ukrainian grain from the ports bordering the Black Sea.

Iran: A senior European president asked Iran's president, Raisi, to mediate in the Ukrainian crisis

The Iranian President's Assistant for Political Affairs, Mohammad Jamshidi, revealed that "one of the senior presidents of Western Europe asked Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi to help mediate a solution to the war crisis in Europe."

And he said in a tweet on Twitter, "After assessing the matter, an initiative was developed that the Iranian Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, would bring to Moscow with an important message."

For its part, the Iranian news agency ISNA revealed that "the Western president who asked Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi to mediate a solution to the war crisis in Europe is French President Emmanuel Macron."

It is noteworthy that Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian is visiting Moscow today to hold consultations with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov.

Before leaving Iran, Amir Abdollahian said, "Western parties want Iran to play an active role in resolving the Ukrainian crisis."

Russia's Complex and complicated relations with Iran--Religion, communism, Islam, Gorbachev, Khomeini, Putin and Khamenei

Russia's Complex and complicated relations with Iran--Religion, communism, Islam, Gorbachev, Khomeini, Putin and Khamenei

    Tuesday, August 30, 2022   No comments

About 33 years ago, the founder and the first leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran sent a letter to the (would be last) leader of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, to tell him, among other things, that he "must face the truth: the principal problem of your country is not the question of property, economy and liberty, but the lack of true belief in God. The same problem has led or will lead the West to decadence and deadlock." Khomeini died six months after sending the letter, on June 3, 1989, at the age of 86. The Soviet Union, which was officially known as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, was dissolved on December 26, 1991--at the age of 69, when Vladimir Putin, now the president of Russia, was 39 years old. Gorbachev died today, August 30, 2022, at the age of 91. Putin, now 69, just visited Iran (July 19, 2022) to establish a strategic partnership with Iran, now led by Khomeini’s successor, Ali Khamenei, 83 years old, who was 50 years old and president of Iran when the letter was sent. The Picture of the current two leaders, Putin and Khamenei, may capture the transformation the two nation-states and these two leaders went through.

The letter is being republished here to reflect on where these two countries (and the world) and these two leaders were then and where they are now.

Damascus breaks its silence: This is our plan for normalization with Ankara

Damascus breaks its silence: This is our plan for normalization with Ankara

    Sunday, August 28, 2022   No comments

 by Alaa Halabi

Damascus broke its silence over the “slithering” messages coming to it from Ankara, declaring from the pulpit of Moscow, which is engaged in a difficult mediation with Tehran, between the Turkish and Syrian neighbors, that it does not mind restoring relations with Turkey on a solid and clear basis, which guarantees it the restoration of its control over its entire territory, and paves the way for the start of a real Syrian-Syrian dialogue. Despite the diplomatic and media rush shown by Turkey towards Syria, the normalization path, which is currently managed by the intelligence agencies in both countries, seems to take time, unless Ankara takes dramatic steps, through which it can accelerate this path, in which investment seems a priority. For Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Following a long meeting in Moscow, the day before yesterday, Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Miqdad and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, made compatible statements focused on the two issues of Syrian refugees and the US presence in Syria. The last title, with its accompanying emphasis on the necessity of the exit of US forces as a necessary condition for resolving the Syrian crisis, has become the backbone of the efforts of the guarantor states of the “Astana track” (Russia, Iran and Turkey), in addition to forming a suitable ground to open the closed doors between Ankara and Damascus. From here, the two ministers recalled the sabotage role of the American forces that seize most of the Syrian oil regions, as well as their support for the Kurdish separatist project, which represents one of the most prominent obstacles to reaching a political settlement in accordance with United Nations resolutions, as well as threatening the territorial integrity of Syria, and impeding the return process. Refugees return to their homes due to the living and economic pressures imposed by Washington on Damascus. This position, and before it the statements of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan against the policies of the United States, foretells the existence of a preliminary agreement between Turkey and Syria from which to proceed towards political talks that are working to develop those currently being waged by Syrian and Turkish intelligence services, according to what Ankara announced.

In what could be considered the first official Syrian statement in this regard, after a long period of silence, which seems to have been deliberate, Miqdad, in his response to journalists, denied the existence of conditions for normalizing relations, adding that there are fundamental issues that must be addressed “on the basis of respect for the sovereignty of states,” adding The first entitlements before the two countries are “ending the occupation, stopping support for terrorism, non-interference in internal affairs, and solving water problems.” Reiterating that Damascus does not trust “those who sponsor and support terrorism,” he considered that “when we reach such a solution, it will be in the interest of Syria and Turkey, and it will be a prelude to restoring relations to what they were before the war began.” Al-Miqdad’s words draw clear signs of what Syria aspires to, whether in terms of ending the Turkish military presence on its lands, or in terms of stopping Ankara’s support for the opposition groups, which Damascus sees as emptying the “Syrian solution” project of its content. It appears that Syria is receiving support, in this vision, from its Russian and Iranian allies, especially in light of the latter's continued rejection of any new Turkish military attack on Syrian regions, which was explicitly expressed by Lavrov at the same conference, recalling the existence of agreements between Damascus and Ankara (Adana Agreement). Security Treaty signed in 1998) through which Turkish security concerns can be removed through diplomatic means.

As a result, the current situation can be summarized as the beginning of a Turkish turn towards Syria, through which Ankara is rushing to achieve gains, whether in the form of finding a solution to the refugee problem, or by reaping field and political gains that Erdogan can spend in the presidential election race in Turkey, which will intensify as the date approaches. In June of next year. On the other hand, Damascus wants a clear road map, which guarantees the restoration of its control over all parts of the country, and the transformation of Turkey from a party to the conflict to an auxiliary element in the solution. Both demands represent part of a long path that requires consensus on many overlapping and intertwined points, in light of the complex situation in northern Syria, where Ankara, through its affiliated factions, controls the countryside of Aleppo and Raqqa, at a time when Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (Al-Nusra Front) is unique. , which has also become affiliated with Turkey, by controlling Idlib, which is the largest stronghold of the "jihadist" groups.

In the face of the field, political and even economic equation (in view of the increasing pressure on Ankara, its desire to play a greater role in energy-related projects in the region, and the conditions that must be present to ensure the return of Syrian refugees), it seems that Russian and Iranian efforts have managed, so far, to open a window of During which, continuous security talks were held between Syria and Turkey, aimed at finding solutions to field issues in a sequential manner, and paving the ground for the transition to political action. This means that the normalization process will take a long time, unless Ankara, which wants to speed up its pace, takes the initiative to translate its diplomatic rush into similar operational steps on the ground.

  

Dmitry Medvedev predicts the outcome of the war in Ukraine: Victory or military coup--Tertium non datur

Dmitry Medvedev predicts the outcome of the war in Ukraine: Victory or military coup--Tertium non datur

    Thursday, August 25, 2022   No comments

Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said that the scenarios for the development of the situation in Ukraine are no more than "one and a half".

Medvedev noted that this includes the achievement of all the objectives of the special military operation and the recognition of its results by the Kyiv authorities or the occurrence of a military coup in Ukraine and the subsequent recognition of the results of the military operation.

"Analysts of all stripes are competing in preparing forecasts for the Ukrainian conflict," Medvedev wrote on his Telegram channel, and the Kyiv authorities and Western pro-Ukrainian countries are preparing "predictions of victory."

“But in reality, it is all lies and demagogy to deceive voters. Everyone understands it all. They are just executing roles. There is only one and a half scenarios. The first is the achievement of all the goals of the special military operation and the unequivocal recognition of its results in Kyiv. The second is the military coup in Ukraine, and only after that the recognition of the results of the special operation.”

The statement:

Analysts of all stripes are practicing forecasting the Ukrainian conflict. Here The Guardian came up with five pieces. Forecasts of victory are being built in Kyiv and in the Ukrainian-affiliated countries of the West.

In fact, all this is pure lies and demagogy for the treatment of the electorate. Everyone understands everything. But they work out the roles.

There are only one and a half scripts.

The first is the achievement of all the goals of the [operation] and the unequivocal recognition of its results in Kyiv.

The second is a military coup in Ukraine, and only then the recognition of the results of the special operation.

That's all the options.

Tertium non datur!

     

Meanwhile, today, Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree to increase the number of members of the Russian Armed Forces by 137,000, bringing the total number of soldiers to 1,150,628.

The presidential decree stated: "The number of the Russian Armed Forces has been set at 2,039,758, including 1,150,628 soldiers."

On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed that Russia is a superpower that pursues a policy that meets its interests.

On the occasion of the Russian Flag Day, Putin said that "Russia is a great power that will not pursue any policy in the international arena that contradicts its basic interests," noting that his country "will always follow traditional values."

 

Who is Alexander Dugin, who is described as Putin's brain, and whose daughter Daria was killed by Car Bomb in Moscow?

Who is Alexander Dugin, who is described as Putin's brain, and whose daughter Daria was killed by Car Bomb in Moscow?

    Monday, August 22, 2022   No comments

Aleksandr Gelyevich Dugin is said to have great influence on Russian politicians including the current president, Vladimir Putin. His daughter killed by a car bomb. The Russian authorities announced the killing by detonating her car with an explosive device planted under the driver’s seat in a suburb of the capital, Moscow. Daria Dugin worked as a press secretary for her father, who is described as "Putin's brain", a nationalist and one of the most prominent theorists of the Kremlin's ideology who predicted the end of the era of Western liberalism.

To learn more about Dugin, we provide a summary of his ideas that he shared with Aljazeera network in an extended set of interviews (See interview1, and interview 2; Arabic) in which he talked about Russia, the West, Christianity, Islam, Chechnya, Sunnism, and other topics.

Russian identity and change

On the other hand, Dugin spoke to Al Jazeera about the Russian identity and the radical change that he said had affected it over the course of one century, as the country was an empire with its faith and perception, and after the Bolshevik Revolution, perceptions changed dramatically, and in 1991 the Russian identity changed again and Russia became part of The Western world, then Putin, changed identity again and Russia became a powerful country that defends its own conservative values, according to what the Russian philosopher says.

 

On Russian identity, "Putin's mind" says that his country is changing its position and "we are in a spiritual search for ourselves", and it is sensitive to changes.

 

However, Dugin confirms - in the first part of his meeting in the episode (14/11/2021) of the "The Interview" program - that Western tendency is still largely present within Russia, and there is a liberal elite and strong resistance to President Putin's reforms on the part of liberal intellectuals, and that This Western tendency hinders the special orientation of Russia.

 

He also believes that other civilizations have the right to rely on their own political teachings that are based on their own values, not on Western values.

 

He indicated in the context of his review of his identical vision with his president's on the Chechen issue, which he said Putin had found a solution for, as well as with regard to Georgia and Ukraine and the annexation of the Crimea in 2014.

 

Fourth political theory

The Russian thinker Alexander Dugin focused in the second part of his interview with the "The Interview" program on the fourth political theory, which he said is an anti-capitalist tendency, and talked about his vision of terrorism and its relations with Iran and Turkey.

 

Dugin described the fourth political theory as the theory of revolution and decolonization for Russian society, and it defends the originality of Russian civilization and human rights, but not according to Western values, which he said are not totalitarian and are unacceptable neither in Russia, nor in the Islamic world, nor in China.

 

Definition of terrorism

In the interview, Ali Al-Dhafiri's guest linked the issue of defining terrorism to the interests of states, and gave an example of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who said that he supported Washington's position after the September 11, 2001 attacks, and in return was waiting for the US administration to classify those he called the Chechen separatists in the category of Terrorists, which did not happen, and the Russian thinker says that Putin understood at that time the meaning of geopolitical considerations.

 

In another context, Dugin - one of the most prominent political theorists in Russia - saw that Iran is an ally of Russia and is one of the opponents of globalization and American leadership, and that radical Sunni Islam in the Arab world had supported the American strategy in the MiddleEast, but the new generation of leaders - continues the speaker - In SaudiArabia, Qatar and Egypt, he is looking for a new approach to Arab Sunni Islam, and he believes that staying in the orbit of American policy is bad for the Islamic world.

 

He also talked about his ideas, and said that he is a supporter of Islamic traditional values ​​in Iran, but nevertheless he has strong relations with Turkey, noting in his touch on Russia's future that Russia is Putin and he determines everything in politics, to conclude his speech by saying that in his country "the law does not something and rule everything."

 

It is noteworthy that after Putin took power in Russia, a new phase began in Dugin's political activity when he moved from the radical opposition camp to the pro-power camp.

 

The War in Ukraine creates new tends: Proliferation of weapons and widening of conflict areas

The War in Ukraine creates new tends: Proliferation of weapons and widening of conflict areas

    Monday, August 15, 2022   No comments

This is serious development: Russia will widen its operation in Ukraine to cover the range of weapons supplied by NATO to Kyiv; that seems to be the new strategy developed by Russian leaders, including supplying nations that are friendly to Russia with weapons the same way the West supplies it allies.

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned that "if the West provides Kyiv with long-range weapons, the geographical objectives of the special operation in Ukraine will move beyond its current goals."

Russia has previously sent a memorandum to NATO countries, due to the supply of weapons to Ukraine. Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov indicated that any shipment "containing weapons to Ukraine would become a legitimate target for Russia," considering that NATO's arming of Ukraine was "playing with fire."

This comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed today, Monday, that Moscow values its relations with the countries of Latin America, Asia and Africa, and is ready to supply its allies with modern weapons. He made the remarks while opening the Army-2022 International Military-Technical Forum and the International Army Games-2022, which started on Monday in the Moscow Region.

This year, over 6,000 soldiers and officers from 37 countries of the world are taking part in them.

The reconciliatory comments issued by Turkish officials towards Damascus continue; The head of the Turkish "National Movement" Party Devlet Bahçeli announces his support for the foreign minister's statements on Syria and calls for raising the level of dialogue with Damascus

The reconciliatory comments issued by Turkish officials towards Damascus continue; The head of the Turkish "National Movement" Party Devlet Bahçeli announces his support for the foreign minister's statements on Syria and calls for raising the level of dialogue with Damascus

    Monday, August 15, 2022   No comments

After statements by Turkish Foreign Minister Mawad Çavuşoğlu about his meeting with the Syrian Foreign Minister and his announcement of Turkey's support for reconciliation in Syria, and after leaks by a Turkish newspaper about communication between Damascus and Ankara. Today came the statement of the head of the Turkish Nationalist Movement Party, Devlet Bahçeli, who welcomed the dialogue with Damascus and supported the statements of Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu Bahçeli, an ally of the Justice and Development Party in the “People” coalition, which includes the “Great Union” party. In an official statement issued The party expressed its support for the recent statements of the Turkish Foreign Minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, regarding the Syrian issue.

“Turkey’s steps in Syria are valuable and accurate, and the constructive and realistic statements of our foreign minister on bringing peace between the Syrian opposition and the Assad regime are a strong outlet for the search for a permanent solution,” the statement said.

The statement, signed on behalf of Dovlet Bahceli, added, "No one should be disturbed by this," and explained that raising Turkey's talks with the Syrian regime to the level of political dialogue, in the context of removing "terrorist organizations" from every region in which they are located, is one of the most important issues on the agenda. politics in the future.

Bahlachi expressed his desire for an atmosphere of normalization to prevail in every region and with every neighbor of Turkey by 2023, with reference to the brotherhood relationship and the strong ties based on history, culture and faith between the Turks and the Syrians. Bahceli added: “There is a really independent people.. There are also regimes and the opposition.. 11 years ago many people died. Many people left their country. These people should be able to return, including those in Turkey.”

Devlet Bahceli is described as a man behind the scenes who drives the politics of governance in Turkey, in alliance with the Justice and Development Party. He had lined up behind Erdogan in the project to overthrow the regime in Syria, declaring that Assad was a president who had lost his legitimacy, and now he is forming a national cover for the expected transformation of President Erdogan in his policies toward Syria.

In light of the continuation of positive signals from Ankara towards Damascus, and what appears to be a Turkish review of the hostility relationship with it, silence remained prevailing in Syria, and no Syrian official body commented on these statements or press leaks. Perhaps Damascus prefers to wait for some space for Iranian-Russian mediation. The two sides are making great efforts to reach results in reformulating the relationship between Turkey and Syria.

Mass demonstrations in northern Syria condemning Ankara's call for "reconciliation" between the government and the opposition

Mass demonstrations in northern Syria condemning Ankara's call for "reconciliation" between the government and the opposition

    Friday, August 12, 2022   No comments

Thousands protested across parts of rebel-held northern Syria [See locations in attached pam] on Friday after Turkey's foreign minister called for reconciliation between Ankara-backed Syrian opposition groups and the government of President Bashar al-Assad.

More than 11 years after the outbreak of the civil war in Syria, the northwestern region near the Turkish border is the last stronghold still under the control of fighters seeking to overthrow Assad, with control divided between militant groups and other fighters backed by Turkey.

The Turkish government maintains thousands of troops in the area and supports an alliance of anti-Assad armed groups under the banner of the Syrian National Army.

"We need to bring the opposition and the regime together in order to somehow reconcile, otherwise there will be no lasting peace," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters in Ankara on Thursday.

After he spoke, protests began in areas of Syria controlled by opposition forces, with people waving opposition flags in the streets on Thursday night and pulling Turkish flags from buildings including police stations and local administration offices.

"We have suffered from this criminal for 11 years and we will continue our revolution," teacher Mahmoud Salo, 45, told Reuters during a protest in Azaz, Idlib, on Friday.

About three thousand people gathered in Azaz on Friday, while protests erupted in other areas of the northwestern Idlib province and in the northern areas of the neighboring province of Aleppo.

A Reuters reporter in the region said many Turkish consultants who work in a number of local institutions did not come to work on Friday.

Ahmet Shobak, a refugee from Aleppo who works as an engineer in Azaz, said Cavusoglu's comments were unacceptable.

"If Turkey wants to stand with the world that is already against us, so be it, it won't change anything much," he added. But we hope that Turkey's position will become more positive."

Yesterday, the cities and towns under the control of the Syrian opposition, in the north of the country, witnessed protests against Çavuşoğlu’s statements. The cities and towns of Al-Bab, Azaz, Sego, Jarabulus, Al-Ra’i and Marea in the countryside of Aleppo, Salqin and Idlib witnessed demonstrations during which protesters burned the Turkish flag and raised slogans condemning the statements of the Turkish Foreign Minister, calling To the continuation of the protests, the reactions of the Syrian opposition, through its statements and the positions of its leaders, varied, between those who aligned with the demonstrations and denounced the new Turkish position, and the opposition forces that refused to offend Turkey and denounced the burning of the Turkish flag.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu revealed a meeting he had with Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Miqdad on the sidelines of the Non-Aligned Conference in Belgrade months ago, declaring that Turkey was seeking reconciliation between the regime and the opposition for the sake of Syria's stability and territorial integrity.

Organizations and figures in the Syrian opposition denounced Çavuşoğlu’s statements, and the so-called Department of Political Affairs in the opposition Salvation Government in northern Syria, where Turkish influence areas, said, “We followed up with strong condemnation these statements that offended the Syrian people and their great revolution, as well as the positions of the countries that sympathized, supported and supported this blessed revolution, Proceeding from its moral and humanitarian principles, foremost of which is the Republic of Turkey and its generous government, these statements come in a context of interest that is not befitting the principles of Turkish policy that is biased towards the just causes of oppressed peoples.

Fahim Issa, the commander-in-chief of the "Revolutionary" movement, one of the largest armed groups in the north, said, "There is no reconciliation with Assad, no reconciliation with terrorism and killers. There is no place for Assad or the regime in the future of Syria." "We will not betray the blood of our martyrs, and we will not betray the country's revolution," he added.

Meanwhile, the Defense Minister of the so-called Syrian Interim Government, Hassan Hamadeh, said: “At the first cry of the people wanting to overthrow the regime, it was the point of no return. It's over, there is no alternative to toppling Assad."

Opposition figures praised the movements and demonstrations denouncing the statements of the Turkish Foreign Minister. While others denounced the demonstration and burning of the Turkish flag.

The so-called Syrian National Army confirmed in a statement that “the flag of the Turkish Republic, as the flag of the Syrian revolution, is a source of pride, a title for victory, and a emblem for a great people, and its place is above the heads of the brave and the bodies of the martyrs.”

The statement stressed the need to hold accountable those who crossed their borders by insulting the Turkish flag.

As for the Ministry of Defense in the opposition’s interim government, it retracted in a statement, describing the Turkish flag as “sacred for the people for those who shed their blood on Syrian lands from the Turkish army and people.”

She vowed to hold accountable those she called "ignorant people" who do not represent the constants of the revolution.

She explained that some parties in Syria aim to "destabilize the relations of brotherhood and blood between the Turkish and Syrian peoples, to serve the enemies."

As for the National Coalition of Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, it stressed its refusal to burn the flag of the Turkish people, which hosts 4 million Syrians, and indicated that the blood of the Turkish people was mixed with the blood of the Syrians.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry clarified the Turkish position on the situation in Syria, and said in a statement issued by the ministry’s spokesman: “Turkey, since the beginning of the crisis in Syria, has been the country that has worked the most to support solutions to the crisis based on achieving the legitimate demands of the people.”

He added: “In this context, Turkey was at the forefront of the parties that worked to consolidate the ceasefire on the ground, and contributed to the Astana and Geneva tracks, building the Constitutional Committee and providing full support to the opposition and the negotiating body. And it is working on a solution in Syria in accordance with Security Council Resolution 2254.

Turkish media: Erdogan and Assad may hold talks at the suggestion of Putin; US Media: Turkey builds "Bayraktar" aircraft factory in Ukraine

Turkish media: Erdogan and Assad may hold talks at the suggestion of Putin; US Media: Turkey builds "Bayraktar" aircraft factory in Ukraine

    Tuesday, August 09, 2022   No comments

The Kremlin announced today, Tuesday, that Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, discussed the situation in Syria.

Turkish media revealed that President Erdogan and his Syrian counterpart, Bashar al-Assad, may hold a phone call, during the coming period, at the suggestion of Putin.

And the newspaper "Turkey" published a report, in which it was based on private sources, that Erdogan, who recently visited Sochi, Russia, exchanged views on Syria with President Putin, and the Russian President suggested that he meet Assad and Erdogan, in order to solve the problem of terrorism in Syria.

But Ankara made it clear that it is "too early" for a meeting between the two presidents, while a phone call is still possible.

The newspaper pointed out that there are diplomatic contacts from a Gulf country and an African one with Syria and Turkey, in order to arrange a meeting between Presidents Assad and Erdogan.

During their bilateral summit in Sochi, Putin and Erdogan confirmed their support for preserving the unity of Syria. 

During this meeting in Sochi, Putin was accompanied by the president of the Chechen Republic, R. Kadyrov, who might be called upon to nudge Turkey further in the direction of Russia.

Erdogan announced, earlier, that his country intends to launch a military operation inside Syrian territory to combat “terrorism” and establish what he described as a “safe zone,” noting that his country “will not ask permission before launching a military operation in Syria.”

While Ankara says that its military presence in Syria aims to prevent the threat from the Kurdish factions, Damascus considers the Turkish military presence in the country an occupation and a threat to regional and international peace.

In a letter sent by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to both United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the Security Council, Syria protested Turkey's intention to launch a military operation inside its territory.

Last May, an official source at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates confirmed that "Syria's sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity will not be the object of blackmail or bargaining by the Turkish regime."

Reacting to the latest media report about possible talks between the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is Syrian sources, off the record, rejected the the idea of such event happening, characterizing it as "totally incorrect."

...

Meanwhile, US media sources highlight another aspect of Turkish involment in matters of concern to Russia.

The American "Newsweek" magazine said today, Tuesday, that the Turkish company "Baykar", which produces the "Bayraktar" unmanned combat aircraft, is currently building a factory on Ukrainian soil.

The magazine quoted Ukraine's ambassador to Turkey, Vasyl Bodnar, as saying that the Turkish company had already purchased a plot of land in Ukraine and developed the station project. Bodnar added that "Baykar" intends to build the plant in fulfillment of the personal commitment of the company's owners to make this production in Ukraine.

The magazine pointed out that the Bayraktar TB2 drones were considered one of the most valuable weapons for Ukraine in the first months of the war, especially before the arrival of the American "HIMARS" missiles.

She noted that Ukraine had more than 20 unmanned aircraft produced by the "Baykar" company when the war began, and acquired them during the past two years.

Because Kyiv currently has a limited supply of these planes, and given that Russia has learned a lesson from weakness during the first phase of the war, it is unlikely that Ukrainian forces would risk losing their TB2s from unmanned aerial vehicles, by pushing them forward in areas where Russian air defenses could easily fall."

She added that "a TP2 aircraft factory can fundamentally change the situation in Ukraine," noting that the time required for the construction of the factory is still unclear.

...

Editors' Note: This story was updated to include the Syrian government's rection to the news about the phone call between the two presidents.

Türkiye, Russia to work against terror groups in Syria; Erdoğan confirms the payment of Russian natural gas in rubles

Türkiye, Russia to work against terror groups in Syria; Erdoğan confirms the payment of Russian natural gas in rubles

    Saturday, August 06, 2022   No comments

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Aug. 5 that he discussed with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin the steps to be taken against terrorist organizations in Syria and agreed to take necessary steps to protect Syria’s territorial integrity.

Erdoğan has also confirmed that Türkiye will start paying for some of its Russian natural gas imports in rubles.

"As Türkiye, our door is open to everyone. One good thing about this Sochi visit is that we agreed on the ruble with Mr. Putin," Erdoğan said.

"Since we will conduct this trade in rubles, it will of course bring money to Türkiye and Russia."

Neither Erdoğan nor Russian officials have said what portion of the gas will be covered by ruble payments.

Putin and Erdoğan on Aug. 5 adopted a statement pledging to boost political and economic cooperation including in energy and trade.

At the start of the talks Putin also praised the TurkStream natural gas pipeline project, saying Europe should be grateful to Türkiye for uninterrupted supplies of Russian gas.

"I believe that (today’s meeting) will open a whole different page in Turkish-Russian relations," Erdoğan said.

Putin and Erdoğan last met for a three-way summit in Iran in July.

Read original story.