Thread: How dangerous is Vladimir Putin?

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There are different kinds of rocket systems with different ranges.

Originally Posted by pickel

There are different kinds of rocket systems with different ranges.

Are they sending both types of rockets, then?

June 2, 2022 by M. K. BHADRAKUMAR

Reports of OPEC+ death are greatly exaggerated

"The fact that the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states held a joint ministerial meeting with their Russian counterpart Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in the Saudi capital of Riyadh at this point in time in global politics conveys a powerful message in itself. To drive home the message in no uncertain terms, the Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud said at a press conference following the ministerial on Wednesday that the GCC member-countries share a common stance with respect to the crisis in Ukraine. (The news conference was broadcast live by the Al-Arabiya TV channel.)

“The countries of the Persian Gulf share a common stance regarding the Ukrainian crisis and its negative consequences, especially with regard to the food security of other countries,” Al Saud said.
For his part, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told the media that “the GCC countries understand the nature of the conflict between Russia and the West.” Earlier, during a bilateral with Lavrov who was on a 2-day visit, Al Saud said the “the kingdom’s position regarding the crisis in Ukraine is based on the principles of international law and support for efforts aimed at achieving a political solution to the crisis.”
After the meeting, Lavrov said the GCC countries will not join the West in imposing sanctions on Moscow over the conflict in Ukraine. In his words, “Aspects of the international situation, which are connected with the events unfolded by the West around Ukraine, are well understood by our partners from the Gulf Cooperation Council states.”
Lavrov added, “We appreciate and reaffirmed today once again the balanced position that they take towards this issue at international forums, and in practice, refusing to join the illegitimate, unilateral Western sanctions that were introduced against Russia.”

Lavrov said Moscow and Gulf countries intended to further develop their partnership in sharp contrast with the growing tensions between Russia and the US and its European allies. After meeting with the top diplomats of the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman in Riyadh, Lavrov said, “We reaffirmed our focus on the comprehensive development of our partnership, including in the new conditions that are emerging in the world economy in the context of the policies of our Western colleagues.”

Looking ahead, Lavrov expressed satisfaction that “We reaffirmed our focus on the comprehensive development of our partnership, including in the new conditions that are emerging in the world economy in the context of the policies of our Western colleagues.”

The timing of the GCC-Russia ministerial and Lavrov’s visit to Riyadh is highly significant at a juncture when the Biden Administration is pulling out all the stops to repair the US’ fractured relationship with Saudi Arabia ever since Candidate Biden famously christened the Kingdom as a “Pariah state” and the Washington establishment launched a concerted campaign to defame the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman personally over the killing of the ex-CIA consultant Jamal Khashoggi.
The latest reports in the US media have spoken of Biden’s interest to personally make amends with the Saudi Prince by visiting Riyadh and meeting with him. This is after Biden’s refusal to speak with the Prince so far or to have any dealings with the latter in any form!

The volte-face in Biden’s approach to Saudi Arabia is to be attributed to the realisation in Washington that to isolate Russia and weaken that country permanently, there is imperative need to gain control of the world oil market, which in turn necessitates the break-up of the Russian-Saudi concord regulating world oil output in the recent years.

In a nutshell, Saudi Arabia has overnight become a “swing state” in the US’ strategic calculus whose stance on the Ukraine conflict is going to be of momentous consequence to the Biden administration’s agenda to weaken Russia.
Indeed, Saudi Arabia’s potential as a “swing state” has been in the making ever since 2006 when late King Abdullah used his first trip outside the Middle East since becoming the Saudi ruler to visit China and India. It was the first visit by a Saudi king to China since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1990, and the first such visit to India since 1955. Perceptive observers saw the Saudi monarch’s tour presaging an era of reduced influence for the United States in Riyadh and of Saudi friendship with a widening spectrum of nations in Asia.

That shift, emanating from the desire to move away from a monocultural situation — having one big friend America, one big product (oil), and based on one big idea, the Islamic idea — was proceeding at glacial pace through the next decade until Prince Mohammed bin Salman was appointed as the Crown Prince in June 2017, making him heir presumptive to the throne.

Under Prince Mohammed’s leadership, the KIngdom’s transformation began accelerating, and acquired an ideological mooring of Saudi nationalism. The strengthening of relations with Russia and the signing of an agreement in 2016 to cooperate with Russia in global oil markets in a matrix that subsequently came to be known as OPEC+ was an early manifestation of that shift.
It coincided with launch of the Vision 2030 carrying the Crown Prince’s imprimatur, embodying the country’s strategic orientation for the next 15 years. From a historical perspective, Vision 2030 can be regarded as marking the abandonment of the Saudi reliance on a rentier economy. In the foreign policy sphere, its impact came to be felt in a steady assertion of the Kingdom’s strategic autonomy.

Against such a tumultuous geopolitical backdrop, it comes as no surprise that the US’ confrontation with Russia finds Saudi Arabia in the eye of the storm. Lavrov’s trip to Saudi Arabia rang alarm bells in Washington. On the eve of Lavrov’s arrival in Riyadh, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had a call with Al Saud ostensibly to discuss Yemen and other regional issues.

The state department readout said inter alia, “The Secretary (Blinken) underscored the importance of international support for Ukraine as it defends its sovereignty and territorial integrity and emphasised the need for a global response to the food security crisis resulting from President Putin’s brutal war.”
Plainly put, Blinken canvassed for the support of the Gulf states to the US-led “global response” to the temporary food crisis, which aims to put the blame on Russia’s doorstep for creating the current shortage of wheat. Evidently, the Saudi leadership hasn’t fallen for the trap. At any rate, under the UN auspices, Russia and Turkey have begun work on arranging humanitarian corridors through the waters of the Black Sea, which have been mined by Ukraine. The UN Secretary-General has appealed to the US to ease sanctions to allow Russian exports of food grain to the world market.

To deflect attention from Lavrov’s successful trip to Riyadh, the US-led “information war” has concocted the fake news that Saudi Arabia is “reportedly considering” Russia’s removal from the OPEC+.

Lavrov’s talks in Riyadh underscore that on the contrary, Russia and Saudi Arabia are signalling that OPEC+ is indeed going strong.

The message cannot be lost on Washington. "

https://www.indianpunchline.com/repo...y-exaggerated/

2 Jun, 2022 10:24 HomeBusiness News

Russia restricts export of gas critical to chip production

The measure comes in response to EU sanctions targeting technology exports to the country.

"Russia has restricted the export of noble gases, including neon, in an apparent tit-for-tat response to the fifth round of sanctions imposed by the EU in April.
The government decree, published on Tuesday, states that through December 31 of this year the export of noble, and others, will be subject to government approval, based on the recommendation of the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
Noble or inert gases, such as neon, argon, xenon, and others, are crucial to the semiconductor manufacturing process. Semiconductors are used to make the microchips needed for gadgets, cars, and household appliances."

Continues at:

Russia restricts export of gas critical to chip production — RT Business News

2 Jun, 2022 18:22 HomeRussia & FSU

Fyodor Lukyanov: Russia’s role in the global economic order has turned out to be more significant than the West believed

Western sanctions against Russia are speeding up the end of globalization as we’ve known it. A new economic order awaits.

https://www.rt.com/russia/556528-fyo...-russias-role/

Originally Posted by Backspit

^ China and Russia have the most neon because China

Originally Posted by sabang

^ China and Russia have the most xenon because the Soviet union invented it.

Originally Posted by OhWoe

^ OhWow, sabang and Backspit have the most clingons because they're full of shit

The propaganda just continues

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

Much hilarity today when Putin stooge Lavrov's plane to visit the Serbian suck ups was turned back because many neighbouring countries didn't want the stench going through their airspace.

Well done to Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Montenegro!

Excellent!

7 Jun, 2022 19:45

HomeWorld News


UN comments on grain stealing allegations

The organization has no proof that Russia has been illegally exporting Ukrainian grain

"The UN is unable to verify accusations made by Kiev that Moscow is “stealing” and exporting Ukrainian grain, Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, has said.Asked about the claims during a news briefing on Tuesday, Dujarric said that neither the UN Secretary-General’s office nor the UN World Food Programme (WFP) had any credible information on the matter.

“We’ve seen recent media reports, we’re talking to our colleagues at WFP. They have no way of verifying these allegations.

I think WFP, as we all have, has been advocating for a free movement of food from the Black Sea to ensure that the needs of people around the world are met,” he said."

Continues at:

UN comments on grain stealing allegations — RT World News

So this is clearly the RT/TASS propaganda dump being pushed by OhDoh the imbecile.

Originally Posted by bsnub

So this is clearly the RT/TASS propaganda dump being pushed by OhDoh the imbecile.

Well of course, you don't expect any actual facts do you?

The US feels quite entitled to steal Syrian oil, even though it is there illegally- so frankly it would not surprise me one bit if the russki are making off with some ukie grain.
But the UN says it has no proof, that's all.

A Russian in Russia

Originally Posted by sabang

The US feels quite entitled to steal Syrian oil, even though it is there illegally- so frankly it would not surprise me one bit if the russki are making off with some ukie grain.
But the UN says it has no proof, that's all.

More bullshit. Why does America need Syrian Oil you stupid boy?

Syria: US continues to steal oil through Iraq – Middle East Monitor

Originally Posted by sabang

Middle East Monitor

As usual your source is complete shit...

Haaretz reporter Anshel Pfeffer described MEMO in 2015 as a "conspiracy theory-peddling anti-Israel organisation"^[11] and in the same year, MEMO was described by Dave Rich as promoting conspiracy theories about "Jews, Zionists, money and power." and said that MEMO had "questioned the suitability of Matthew Gould for the post of UK ambassador to Israel simply because he was Jewish".^[12]

Writing in 2016, Yiftah Curiel, an employee of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, wrote that some of the staff of MEMO as well as the similar Middle East Eye are also active in Interpal, which has been designated in Israel as a terror-supporting group, as well as being on the United States Treasury's list of specially-designated terrorist organisations. The site itself is sympathetic to Hamas, and the Hamas website and social media accounts post and share material from the Middle East Monitor.

So just more horseshit then. At some point, a reasonable person would think you would tire of constantly posting fake news and complete garbage all the time.

School Kids Get The Ride Of A Lifetime On [Z] Bus


https://vk.com/video-192615048_456239874

Originally Posted by sabang

Syria: US continues to steal oil through Iraq – Middle East Monitor

Syrian state propaganda you utter fucking moron.

Answer the question or shut up talking drivel.

Syrian??? What a feckin' idiot. Like taking candy from a baby-

Middle East Monitor - Wikipedia


MEMO is headquartered in London, UK. It is not Syrian at all.

Originally Posted by sabang

MEMO is headquartered in London, UK.

As I posted above, it is a shit source.

Originally Posted by sabang

Syrian??? What a feckin' idiot. Like taking candy from a baby-

Middle East Monitor - Wikipedia


MEMO is headquartered in London, UK. It is not Syrian at all.

Thus proving you don't have a clue what you're posting. You're an imbecile.

The United States continues to loot oil from Syria's Al-Jazeera region through Iraqi territories, Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported yesterday.