NATO suffering delusions of grandeur - Lavrov

© Press Service of the Russian Foreign MinistryRussian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov

The top Russian diplomat has accused the military bloc of attempting to undermine Moscow's relations with Beijing.

The US and its allies are targeting Russia and China because of their strong relationship, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has claimed, citing the final communique from this week's NATO summit in Lithuania.

The NATO document stated that "the deepening strategic partnership between [China] and Russia and their mutually reinforcing attempts to undercut the rules-based international order run counter to our values and interests."

Commenting on Thursday during a trip to Indonesia, Lavrov said that "apparently, we are not even allowed now to have a relationship [with China], or so they wish." The diplomat noted that the US had previously limited itself to referring to Russia and China as its "rivals."

The NATO statement further justifies Russia's efforts to oppose "modern forms of colonialism" and to advocate international relations based on respect, Lavrov insisted.

"People in NATO are obviously not prepared for [the same approach]. Delusion of grandeur is expressed in all actions of the NATO leadership, as well as member states, frankly speaking. Everybody sees that," the Russian minister claimed.

Lavrov accused the West of attempting to preserve its hegemony and dress it up as a "rules-based order," but predicted that multipolarity would ultimately prevail.

He also alleged that NATO's appetite for spreading its influence globally was causing destabilization outside of the North Atlantic region.

"They already have plans to build up NATO military infrastructure in the [Asia-Pacific] region, including in the nations that were invited to the summit in Vilnius... I mean Australia, New Zealand, Japan, [South] Korea," said the minister.

Canberra violated its own commitment to keeping the Pacific free from nuclear weapons when it agreed to host "elements of infrastructure" related to nuclear arms under the AUKUS arrangement, Lavrov argued.

Tokyo and Seoul "have been signaling that they would not oppose stationing American nuclear weapons or obtaining some of their own," he added.

The Russian foreign minister was speaking in Indonesia after a summit with ASEAN, a regional integration bloc. He claimed the US was pushing for the Southeast Asian organization to be replaced by structures under Washington's control, so that it could undermine China.

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Cuba Rejects Entry of US Nuclear Submarine in Guantanamo

On Tuesday, the Cuban Foreign Affairs Ministry (MINREX) rejected the entry of a U.S. nuclear-powered submarine into the Guantanamo naval base from July 5 to 8.

For 121 years, the United States has occupied a territory of 117 square kilometers against the will of the Cuban people and as a colonial remnant of the illegitimate military occupation that began in 1898, the MINREX recalled, mentioning that the Guantanamo base lacks strategic importance for the United States but "its permanence only responds to the political objective of trying to violate the sovereign rights of Cuba."

The Cuban Foreign Affairs Ministry reiterates the complaint that the Guantanamo base has become "a center for the detention, torture and systematic violation of the human rights of dozens of citizens from various countries."

"The presence of a nuclear submarine there at this moment makes it imperative to wonder what is the military reason behind this action in this peaceful region of the world; what target is it aiming at and what is the strategic purpose it pursues."

Cuban diplomats thus recalled that 33 nations adhered to the Declaration of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace, which was signed in Havana in January 2014.

"It is also important to take into account the fact that, as a threat to the sovereignty and the interests of Latin American and Caribbean peoples, the United States has established more than 70 military bases in the region with different times of permanence, plus other operational forms of military presence. Recently, its high military commands have publicly announced their intention to use their war capabilities to realize the U.S. ambitions over the natural resources of Latin America and the Caribbean."

Secret Service Ending White House Cocaine Investigation

The FBI lab couldn't find fingerprints or sufficient DNA on the cocaine bag.

Of course the Secret Service is ending the investigation into the cocaine found at the White House.

The FBI lab couldn't find fingerprints or sufficient DNA on the cocaine bag:

In a statement Thursday, after briefing members of Congress on the matter, the Secret Service said the cocaine was found on July 2 "inside a receptacle used to temporarily store electronic and personal devices prior to entering the West Wing."

The Secret Service said it has been investigating "how this item entered the White House," including a "methodical review of security systems and protocols."

"This review included a backwards examination that spanned several days prior to the discovery of the substance and developed an index of several hundred individuals who may have accessed the area where the substance was found," the Secret Service said. It said investigators developed "a pool of known persons for comparison of forensic evidence gleaned from the FBI's analysis of the substance's packaging."

Plus no surveillance cameras:

"Therefore, the Secret Service is not able to compare evidence against the known pool of individuals," the Secret Service said, adding that the FBl's evaluation of the substance "also confirmed that it was cocaine."

"There was no surveillance video footage found that provided investigative leads or any other means for investigators to identify who may have deposited the found substance in this area," the Secret Service continued. "Without physical evidence, the investigation will not be able to single out a person of interest from the hundreds of individuals who passed through the vestibule where the cocaine was discovered."

"At this time, the Secret Service's investigation is closed due to a lack of physical evidence," they said.

Who are the known persons? Last week, Sen Ton Cotton sent a letter to the Secret Service with six questions. The first question asked for a list of those who have access to the White House without having to go through any security screening.

It doesn't help that officials changed the location of the cocaine three times: the residence's library, a heavily trafficked entrance, and then a secure but still heavily trafficked area by the Situation Room.

I guess the Secret Service settled for the heavily trafficked entrance as the discovery spot. Probably easier to say and get away with saying they couldn't find the culprit.

The Wagner Group private military company has surrendered more than 2,000 pieces of military hardware to Russia's military inventory, the country's Defense Ministry said on Wednesday. The transfer process is going "according to plan" and is nearing completion.

The inventory includes hundreds of heavy weaponry pieces, including main battle tanks of various types, multiple rocket launcher systems, self-propelled and towed artillery, anti-aircraft systems, and other combat vehicles, the ministry said in a statement. The military also released a video, showing rows of tracked and wheeled combat vehicles, as well as other equipment kept at undisclosed locations.

Dozens of combat vehicles transferred by the PMC group "have never been used in a combat environment," the military noted. The group also surrendered over 2,500 tons of assorted ammunition as well as around 20,000 firearms.

The equipment is currently being transferred to rear field sites for maintenance, the ministry stated. Afterwards, it will be transferred to Russian military units for its "intended use," the ministry concluded.

US President Joe Biden's administration has agreed to push forward with the controversial sale of F-16 fighter jets to Türkiye, just hours after Ankara stopped obstructing Sweden's accession to NATO.

White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan confirmed the decision on Tuesday, saying Biden would work with Congress to get the arms deal finalized.

"He has placed no caveats or conditions. He intends to move forward with that transfer in consultation with Congress."

A group of US senators threatened to block the aircraft deal in February unless Ankara approved the bid by Sweden and Finland to join the US-led military bloc. Finland became a NATO member in April.

Despite the change in Ankara's position, some US lawmakers still have qualms over the F-16 deal. The US must "find a way to ensure that Turkey's aggression against its neighbors ceases," said Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Bob Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat. He also has raised concerns about Turkish human rights and Ankara's overflights through Greek airspace.

Menendez added that he wants assurances that Türkiye will not use the warplanes "to act in the belligerent way they have against other NATO allies, not just Greece."

In 2019, Washington removed Türkiye from a program to buy F-35 fighter jets because of Ankara's purchase of Russian-made S-400 air defense systems.

Ankara requested US approval in October 2021 for a $20 billion purchase that would include new F-16 fighters, built by Lockheed Martin, as well as around 80 modernization kits for its existing warplanes.

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