Thread: Eurasia Topics

Originally Posted by OhOh

The full interview is now available, parts 1 and 2, here:

https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy...ent/id/4570813

Is it all as dull and vacuous?

Is that why you liked it? It reminded you of you?

Eurotrash buying chinky crap.

It's a marriage made in heaven.

An opinion piece on the recent turmoil in Russian EU relationship.

Boy, Are Those Europeans A Jumpy Lot.

Friday, February 12, 2021

"When Lavrov speaks, world listens. This is not an exaggeration. So much for a "regional power" he represents. But even when Lavrov says something to a talk-show host such as Vladimir Solovyov, news gets around. Full interview (in English) you can read at Russian Foreign Ministry' site. As Reuters reports:

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was asked in an interview published on the ministry's website on Friday whether Moscow was moving towards cutting ties with the EU. "We proceed from the fact that we're ready (for that). In the event that we again see sanctions imposed in some sectors that create risks for our economy, including in the most sensitive spheres," Lavrov said. "We don't want to isolate ourselves from global life, but we have to be ready for that. If you want peace then prepare for war."

Zakharova later reiterated the point (in Russian) and... the tempest in the teacup has been unleashed.

A German Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said "these statements are really disconcerting and incomprehensible."

I, frankly, do not find them such at all, because they are realistic and reflect present state of the relations between combined West and Russia. Some other EU "diplomats" tried to elaborate on the recent Borrell's mission to Russia and continued to speak about EU "values". But that is the problem, Russia doesn't share those "values", because she wants to avoid turning the country into Sodom and Gomorrah and a mental asylum. You know my position, I was calling for Iron Curtain 2.0, especially in cultural field, for years now. So, Russia doesn't fit EU's "values", so be it. What's the problem? Nations, cultures, civilizations differ--it is a normal state of the affairs. Russia IS NOT modern combined West and thank God for that.

For anyone who still thinks that Russia does "good cop-bad cop" routine, this is not it. Internal Russian dynamics is such that, as I point out constantly, the scale of revulsion and contempt for EU and US is unprecedented historically. This has nothing to do with "Putin's propaganda" but with this very rejection of Western "values", not to mention West's arrogance and Russophobia. Only imbeciles in EU can continue to think about themselves as an attractive civilizational model. Russians travel a lot and many do make their own conclusions on the state of the affairs in the West. Plus, Russia is a much-much freer country than any EU member and even the United States which is moving inexorably towards totalitarianism.

So, why should Russia "value" the EU? Economy? Sure, even during the Cold War 1.0 USSR traded actively with Western Europe, especially West Germany, so this MO can be re-instituted again. EU needs Russia's hydrocarbons? Sure, let them pay--they will get it. Simple as that. Nothing personal, just business and EU better get used to it, if not--well, Russia has a lot, and I mean a lot, of business in Asia. And yes, Russia is ready across the board to cut ties with EU. Lavrov meant what he said. As Russian proverb goes: насильно мил не будешь--you cannot make one like you by imposition.

In related news from NATO. Eat this Russia.

Nato should examine how it can power tanks and jets with alternative energy, such as solar panels, to reduce its carbon emissions, the alliance’s secretary general said. Reducing reliance on fossil fuels would also make troops less vulnerable to attack because they would not have to rely on long supply lines getting fuel to the front line, Jens Stoltenberg said.

Kremlin is preparing the proclamation of unconditional surrender as I type this, because Russian Armed Forces and many civilian localities in Russia sustained severe hernias due to a wide-spread hysterical laughter upon learning of the possibility to face M-1 Abrams driven by electricity from solar panels. Actually, adding the wind turbine on the top of its turret is another great idea. You know how harmful those exhausts are to soldiers during large-scale combined arms operations. God forbids to be blown up by thermobaric explosive while having one's lungs exposed to tanks' exhaust.

So harmful. "

http://smoothiex12.blogspot.com/2021...jumpy-lot.html

Which confirms exactly why the EU should not become dependent on Russian gas.

^^ Written by someone who thinks Russia is the bestest in the world. Nothing but blogspot opinions..
Strange that after Russians have traveled outside Russia then they often continue living outside Russia.

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

Which confirms exactly why the EU should not become dependent on Russian gas.

How will they heat their homes, provide electricity to their industry, their hospitals ..... ?

As an alternative from a country who has never stopped supplies to Europe since they had energy to sell.

Your alternative supplier is who?

Vlad's missing out here. The EU have fucked up royally and are there for the taking.

EMA clarified that it has not received an application for a rolling review or a marketing authorisation for the Sputnik V vaccine (Gam-COVID-Vac) developed by the Gamaleya National Centre of Epidemiology and Microbiology in Russia, despite reports stating the opposite.

COVID-19: latest updates | European Medicines Agency

Originally Posted by OhOh

How will they heat their homes, provide electricity to their industry, their hospitals ..... ?

As an alternative from a country who has never stopped supplies to Europe since they had energy to sell.

Your alternative supplier is who?

Are you fucking stupid or something?

Do you not know who produces LPG around the world?

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

Are you fucking stupid or something?

Clearly he is

Originally Posted by lom

Strange that after Russians have traveled outside Russia then they often continue living outside Russia.

Quite not so strange... Won't you know about any other citizens who (once working abroad) rarely return to their homeland?

(BTW, a small sample of such "living outside" we can see here, can't we?)

Originally Posted by Klondyke

Won't you know about any other citizens who (once working abroad) rarely return to their homeland?

Rarely?

Are you drinking again? Or still?

^Blessed are the poor in spirit...

Rouhani to Merkel: JCPOA ‘unchangeable’

February 17, 2021 - 21:48

"TEHRAN – In a telephone conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday afternoon, President Hassan Rouhani criticized Europe for failing to honor their commitment to the nuclear deal and raising new issues in relation to the 2015 agreement, officially called the JCPOA.

Noting that moves to include new issues in the JCPOA is something “impossible”, Rouhani told Merkel,

“The JCPOA is a document approved by the (UN) Security Council and is the product of long years of efforts by Iran and six great countries in the world, and it has a definite framework that is unchangeable.”

Rouhani also said if Europe is really seeking to preserve the JCPOA and realize its goals it must prove it in practice. The president added, “The only way to protect the JCPOA is cancellation of inhuman U.S. sanctions.”

For her part, Merkel said it is necessary to keep alive the JCPOA as an international agreement and called for resolving differences surrounding the nuclear agreement through dialogue.

She also called for strengthening cooperation between Iran and Germany and also among all countries to secure and stabilize the West Asia region.

Mahmoud Vaezi, the presidential chief of staff, has also said the 2015 nuclear deal is “valuable only if it meets the interests of our establishment.”

Vaezi also said Iran held long years of negotiations on the nuclear issue and it reached a “result and an agreement and we do not negotiate again about our agreement,” IRNA reported on Wednesday.

The German foreign minister has suggested including Iran’s missile program in the JCPOA. France has also proposed including regional countries such as Saudi Arabia and even Israel in possible talks on the nuclear deal.

Iran has insisted the nuclear deal is not renegotiable.

Germany, France, and Britain are three European members of the JCPOA. "

Rouhani to Merkel: JCPOA ‘unchangeable’ - Tehran Times

So basically it's negotiable again.

Good.

Originally Posted by Klondyke

^Blessed are the poor in spirit...

Spirit . . . if you only knew a bit of English . . .

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

So basically it's negotiable again.

You may wish to review your own thread on this topic.

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

Statement by the JCPOA

Biden resumes adult conversations with Beijing, Moscow

Posted on February 17, 2021 by M. K. BHADRAKUMAR


"Like a bolt from the blue, the news has appeared belatedly that the US special envoy to Iran Rob Malley initiated a call with Chinese vice minister Ma Zhaoxu on February 10. Interestingly, the disclosure has come from the Chinese Foreign Ministry, which said, “the two sides had an in-depth exchange of views on the Iranian nuclear issue.”The Biden administration has not yet spoken publicly about the call. But it goes without saying that a seasoned diplomat like Malley would have taken such an initiative involving Beijing only with the approval at the highest level, although he has a mandate to renew multilateral diplomatic efforts to stop Iran’s nuclear program.

It is known that Malley contacted interlocutors in the E3 (UK, France and Germany) and the EU no sooner than he assumed charge as special envoy to Iran.

There is every indication that Malley also sought Qatar’s help to communicate with Tehran. (See my blog Qatar on mission to break US-Iran stalemate dated Feb. 16, 2021) I had estimated in the blog the high probability that the Biden administration would seek help from China and Russia to prevail upon Iran to exercise self-restraint as the deadline of February 21 draws closer and Iran’s domestic law makes it obligatory for Tehran to ask the IAEA inspectors to stop their activities as provided under the safeguards agreed upon in the 2015 nuclear deal known as the JCPOA.

The Russian foreign ministry has let it be known that John Kerry had contacted Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on February 13. Officially, Kerry holds the position of US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate in the Biden administration. But it is also a fact that Kerry was the architect of the JCPOA and there is an old friendship between him and Lavrov that dates back to the latter’s years as the Russian envoy to the United Nations in New York (1994-2004.)

The Biden Administration is well aware that Russia and China wield considerable influence on Iran and, equally, they were willing to be cooperative and to leverage that influence in response to US requests during President Barack Obama’s efforts to negotiate the JCPOA.

Ironically, one side effect of the maximum pressure policy toward Iran pursued by the Trump administration is that Tehran stepped up its strategic communication with Moscow and Beijing to create space to push back at the US pressure.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Javad Zarif has paid numerous visits to Russia and China in the most recent years to hold confidential exchanges and finesse a coordinated approach not only on the nuclear issue but on Iran’s regional strategies as a whole.

Reports suggest that Iran and China have finalised a 25-year strategic partnership envisaging economic cooperation to the tune of $400 billion, which is veritably an economic lifeline that Beijing is willing to extend to Iran that would make it easier for the latter to withstand Western pressure.

Similarly, Russia and Iran already began discussing arms deals following the removal of UN restrictions on military cooperation with Iran. Russia also has interest in Iran’s energy sector and has discussed a far-reaching economic package, including barter trade.

Again, Iran has a preferential trade agreement with the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union since October 2019, which has significantly boosted Iran’s exports despite restrictions on banking ties between Iran and other countries due to the US economic blockade — so much so that the Export Guarantee Fund of Iran is presently offering up to $800 million in guarantees for export to the Eurasian Economic Union member states.

By the way, with Russian help, Iran began constructing a second nuclear reactor at its Bushehr power plant in November 2019 – a facility being fuelled by uranium enriched further than the limits outlined in the faltering 2015 nuclear deal with world powers — where the new reactor to be installed (and a third reactor planned to be built thereafter) will each add more than 1,000 megawatts to Iran’s power grid.

Clearly, what emerges from the above is that the US’ exchanges with Russia and China are motivated by the Biden administration’s quiet confidence that the tense relations with these two great powers notwithstanding, Beijing and Moscow will only play a constructive role in addressing the situation around Iran, thanks to their commitment to nuclear non-proliferation and reflective of their obligations as responsible UN Security Council members who are strong advocates of the preservation of the JCPOA.

Isn’t it fascinating that Malley called the Chinese Vice-Minister Ma (responsible for international organisations and conferences, international economy and arms control affairs) on the same day that Biden held a 2-hour conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping? In fact, the White House readout of the conversation had concluded saying, “President Biden committed to pursuing practical, results-oriented engagements when it advances the interests of the American people and those of our allies.”

The Xinhua report on the conversation, in turn, highlighted Xi’s remark to Biden that the US and China “can deliver more tangible benefits to people in both countries, and make their due contribution to fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, promoting world economic recovery and maintaining regional peace and stability.” Specifically, Xi proposed consultations on regional and international issues and revival of the mechanisms needed.

The Iran nuclear issue has profound implications for international security. If the US can work with China and Russia to resolve the issue, what is it that prevents the three big powers from expanding such cooperation to global governance and strategic stability?

The time has come for the US to jettison its “unipolar predicament”. The Iran issue underscores that reality. Biden has set his eyes on the reconstruction and regeneration of America, alongside, his legacy on the global arena lies in abandoning the path of competition and containment as the leitmotif of his foreign policy.

https://indianpunchline.com/biden-re...eijing-moscow/

Originally Posted by OhOh

You may wish to review your own thread on this topic.

You don't really understand this stuff, do you HooHoo?

The JCPOA have said they want Iran to stop playing with nuclear toys.

Iran has said they want sanctions lifted.

So basically it's negotiable again.

Good.

Originally Posted by OhOh

Biden resumes adult conversations with Beijing, Moscow

And this is Biden saying the US will rejoin the JCPOA.

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

playing with nuclear toys

Nuclear power stations to produce electricity are not toys.

Or are you referring to deployed military weapons, that Iran does not possess?

Originally Posted by OhOh

Nuclear power stations to produce electricity are not toys.

Or are you referring to deployed military weapons, that Iran does not possess?

Did I refer to either? Do you want to write my posts for me or something?

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

Did I refer to either

Your noun was "toys". One can include anything that meets the "toy" definition.

Originally Posted by OhOh

blahblahblahblahblahblah

As for your LPG supply countries, are they able to deliver the agreed commodity, Natural Gas, that can meet the consumer's requirements:

1. A similar cost? Probably not.
2. An acceptable guarantee of delivery? Some are already banned due to their inability to sign binding contracts.
3. At the agreed quantities? Are there enough LPG tankers available for shipping?
4. Utilising existing European countries' infrastructure? Or new infrastructure is required to be designed, approved, built and licensed?
5. To be delivered in a similar timescale?

All of this can be dealt with when you are talking about protecting your national security, you dimwit.