In my previous articles I have discussed some of the key foreign challenges that Russia now faces. This subject deserves a more detailed discussion and not just because foreign policy is part and parcel of any government strategy. External challenges and the changing world around us are compelling us to make decisions that have implications for the economy, our culture, the budget and for investment. Russia is part of the greater world whether we are talking about the economy, media coverage or cultural development. We do not wish to and cannot isolate ourselves. We hope that our openness will result in a higher standard of living for Russia plus a more diverse culture and a general level of trust, something that is becoming increasingly scarce.
Tag: Russia
Just as the fizz seems to be going out of the BRICS grouping, the member countries have scrambled to put their act together. Apropos the crisis in Syria, which is arguably, the “hottest” issue in…
Qiu Yongzheng in Damascus and Wang Zhaokun in Beijing China and Russia yesterday rejected US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s criticism of their stand on Syria, as the European Union (EU) nations agreed to slap…
In 2010 the FBI invaded the homes of peace activists in several states and seized personal possessions in what the FBI–the lead orchestrator of fake “terrorist plots”–called an investigation of “activities concerning the material support…
The US and its faithful servants all over the world, particularly in the West and in the Middle East region seem ready to go all the way till the end in the US-led ANOTHER military…
According to Major General Luo Yuan, member of the Academy of Military Sciences of the People’s Republic of China, the US ultimatum to Syria has backfired on Washington. He has urged Moscow and Beijing to join forces to ward off any further imperial expansion by the United States. People’s Daily Online: Is the Marxist-leninist outlook on war outdated? What role should the UN play in dealing with problems concerning international wars? Major general Luo Yuan: There have been several wars recently in the world, including the war in Iraq, the war in Afghanistan and the war in Libya. They not only caused large-scale humanitarian disasters but also triggered battles between the warlords. We should reflect on that. In my opinion, the Marxist-leninist outlook on war is not outdated and there are just and unjust wars. Mao Zedong once said, “There are two kinds of wars in history: just ones and unjust ones. All wars that promote progress are just and those that block progress are unjust. We communists oppose all unjust wars but don’t oppose just wars.” Nowadays, it seems that the UN doesn’t have a say in the launching of wars. Some hegemonic powers can attack any country they want and in whatever way they like. They can create an excuse even if there is no excuse to launch a war. They can launch a war as they please and no one is there to question if the war is right or wrong. Obviously, unjust wars are not condemned. In today’s international relations, the law of the jungle dominates.
Russia, China warn against foreign intervention in Syria. Russia and China believe that foreign intervention in Syria will lead to unpredictable consequences. Russian and Chinese Foreign Ministers Sergei Lavrov and Yang Jiechi made this statement during a telephone conversation on Thursday. The two leaders urged the Syrian parties to put an immediate end to violence and ‘launch’ a dialogue without any preconditions. Sergei Lavrov and Yang Jiechi outlined steps in the direction of this goal, a Russian foreign ministry report says. Russia and China have blocked two Security Council resolutions that pave the way to foreign interference in Syria’s domestic affairs. Syria became a scene of bloody clashes nearly one year ago. According to the UN, more than 5,000 people have been killed in Syria since then.
A Foot in the Door The conventional picture of US policy in the Middle East is of a hellbound train rushing toward war with Iran, pulling burning coaches filled with European passengers howling praise of…
US and its allies are pushing Syria into civil war by backing the armed opposition, a Chinese newspaper writes. The article asserts that Beijing must stick to opposing violence in Damascus. “If Western countries continue…
In contrast to Libya, Syria became the scene of a revolt that almost immediately went off script: the majority of Syria’s population remain the government’s loyalists, and the Syrian army never disintegrated into warring factions. According to Western estimates, the rebel forces in Syria combined with the relatively small bunch of army defectors are outnumbered by at least a factor of four by the regular army which is also much better armed. The attacks launched by guerrillas on the regions where most of the residents are traditionally hostile to B. Assad and the attempts to cause the people to rebel are at the moment being successfully suppressed, while the opposition’s street marches typically run into response rallies staged by the supporters of the legitimate authority. Importantly, Russia and China strongly hold their own in the UN and block whatever Security Council resolutions that might be read as authorizing an intervention against Syria. As a result, the key objective behind the revolt in the country — to unleash a full-blown civil war in Syria — at the moment stays out of reach for those who orchestrated the unrest.