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Kremlin: Everything up for discussion in Putin meeting with Trump - except Crimea


RFE/RL
Mon, 02 Jul 2018 14:49 UTC
ukraine new york protest
© ShutterstockFascist-supporting dimwits protest on the streets of New York in 2014.
The Kremlin says Russian President Vladimir Putin is open to searching for compromises with his U.S. counterpart on "all" issues except the status of Ukraine's Crimea region, which Moscow claims is part of Russia.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov made the comments on July 2, ahead of a planned summit between Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump in Helsinki on July 16.

Relations between Moscow and Washington have deteriorated to a post-Cold War low over issues including Russia's seizure of Crimea in March 2014, its role in wars in Syria and eastern Ukraine, and its meddling into the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Peskov said on a conference call with reporters that Putin "stated multiple times and explained to his interlocutors that such an item as Crimea can never appear on the agenda, considering that Crimea is an integral part of Russia."

"All the rest are matters [subject to] consensus, discussion, and a search for possible points of contact," he added.

Comment: Lets recall that Russia didn't simply annex Crimea - this happened at the request of the Crimean people after they understood that the government in Kiev had been taken over by neonazis:
Crimea opted to split from Kiev and re-unite with Russia during a referendum in March 2014 following months-long unrest and a coup in Ukraine. The US, EU and other Western countries did not recognize the vote, imposing a number of sanctions on Moscow. The latter fired back with similar move, while also stressing that the plebiscite has been done in accordance with all necessary international norms.
In the referendum, 96.59% of the people of Crimea voted in favor of joining Russia.

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Jet4

Elite Russian Su-30 in Iranian hands set to be a 'game changer' for the Middle East


Military Watch
Tue, 03 Jul 2018 11:19 UTC
Russian Su-30
Following Iran's entry in the JCPOA nuclear deal with the Western powers, Russia and China and the resulting withdrawal of United Nations economic sanctions against the country in 2015, a number of sources have reported that Tehran has shown interest in acquiring advanced Russian made air superiority fighters to modernise its aerial warfare capabilities.

While the JCPOA deal, which still stands despite the withdrawal of the United States, bans countries from exporting offensive weapons to Iran without the express permission of the United Nations, permission the UN's Western members would almost certainly deny, this restriction is set to expire in 2020. Allowing Iran to freely acquire weapons from abroad has been strongly criticised by Israel and a number of figures in the Western bloc, and could well have significant implications for the balance of power in the Middle East.

The Iranian Air Force today remains far from remarkable in its capabilities. The service fields a number of Vietnam War era U.S. made F-4 and F-5 fighters, as well as the more formidable American made F-14 Tomcat air superiority fighters of which approximately 30 are combat ready. These fighters were relied on heavily to wage an eight year war with Iraq from 1980 to 1988, after which Iran was able to acquire a sizeable contingent of early variants of the Soviet MiG-29 and two dozen Chinese J-7 light fighters. The country also received a number of older Soviet aircraft from Iraq in 1991 during the Gulf War, with pilots fleeing to the safety of Iranian airfields to escape the Western bloc's bombardment of their own. These included some additional MiG-29 fighters as well as dozens of swept wing Su-22 and Su-24 strike platforms. Iran has since inducted some indigenous light platforms such as the Saeqeh twin engine light fighter, a platform analogous to the U.S. F-18A and based on the same original F-5 design, and as a result of the sourcing of its fighters the Air Force today fields a somewhat ragtag force of over ten different combat aircraft types.
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Attention

Prelude to a thaw: US Sen. Shelby says 'America and Russia don't have to be adversaries, despite being competitors'


RT
Mon, 02 Jul 2018 15:11 UTC
Richard Shelby
Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., on Capitol Hill in Washington, Dec. 12, 2017. Shelby is heading a U.S. congressional delegation meeting with senior Russian officials in St. Petersburg.
America and Russia do not need to be enemies even though they are competing with one another in the international arena, a US Senator has said. The softened tone comes ahead of a much anticipated Putin-Trump meeting.

Richard Shelby, who is chairing a delegation of US lawmakers currently in the Russian city of St. Petersburg, expressed his view during talks with the local governor Georgiy Poltavchenko. While admitting that Moscow and Washington would hardly completely snub their competition, he nevertheless stopped short of painting a grim picture for relations.

"I think we will always be competitors, because we are large countries, we have different interests, but we don't necessarily need to be adversaries," he explained as cited by TASS.

Comment: Tass adds some context:
The US delegation consists of Alabama Senator and Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee Richard Shelby, Louisiana Senator John Kennedy, North Dakota Senator John Hoeven, South Dakota Senator John Thune, Kansas Senator Jerry Moran, Montana Senator Steve Daines, as well as member of the US House of Representatives from Texas Kay Granger.

The US congressional delegation arrived in Russia on Saturday. Their first visit has been to St. Petersburg. They will then come to Moscow, where they will stay until July 5. In Moscow, the delegation members have set out to meet with Russian officials from the Federation Council (upper house of Russian parliament) and the Russian Foreign Ministry.
See also:

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Eye 2

Depraved Iraq war architect and neocon sociopath Bill Kristol is very excited about recent developments in Iran

Caitlin Johnstone
caitlinjohnstone.com
Sun, 01 Jul 2018 10:25 UTC
Bill Kristol tweet Iran
One year after the CIA escalated covert operations in Iran, the protests across that nation are reportedly beginning to get more violent. This is happening on the same day the Iranian terror cult MEK hosted Rudolph Giuliani and Newt Gingrich in a pro-regime change rally that was so sparsely attended that half the audience consisted of bused-in Europeans unaffiliated with the cause.

"We are now realistically being able to see an end to the regime in Iran," said Giuliani, who earlier this year infamously led a "Regime change! Regime change!" chant at a related MEK event.

"The Mullahs must go, the Ayatollah must go, and they must be replaced by a democratic government which Madam Rajavi represents," Giuliani said in reference to MEK cult leader Maryam Rajavi.

"Freedom is right around the corner," added Giuliani, who is currently serving as President Trump's lawyer. "Next year I want to have this convention in Tehran!"


Comment: More Caitlin Johnstone telling it as it is on Iran:

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Blackbox

Lee Camp: 'Rulers need myth that US is a democracy to give Americans illusion of control'


RT
Tue, 03 Jul 2018 08:23 UTC
Mt. Rushmore
© Reuters
Jeff Bezos has $141 billion, and 63 percent of Americans say they can't afford a $500 emergency. The system of massive inequality is unsustainable, but it keeps going thanks to the myths we are told, Lee Camp says.

Comedian Lee Camp breaks down the eight great myths of American society in the latest edition of his satirical talk show Redacted Tonight on RT.

In the opening segment, Camp says that the corporatocracy is steadily tightening its grasp, the insanely wealthy get richer every day, and the poor get exploited more and more.

Comment: While we're at it, here's a few more myths we can take apart!

See:

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Better Earth

Russian budget earns $65 billion boost from OPEC oil production cut deal


RT
Mon, 02 Jul 2018 10:59 UTC
safe
© Raymond Boyd / Contributor / Getty Images
The agreement with OPEC to cut oil production has given Russia over 4 trillion rubles (shy of $65 billion) in additional revenue, according to the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF).

"Thanks to the work of President Vladimir Putin with the King and Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, relations are in a unique phase, and this gives a great boost to the budget. We believe that the Russian budget received an extra 4 trillion rubles thanks to this deal with Saudi Arabia," said the head of RDIF Kirill Dmitriev in an interview with Russia's NTV channel.

In December 2016, OPEC, Russia, and other major producers agreed to curb production by 1.8 million barrels per day (bpd) for six months. The agreement has been extended twice. In this period, Brent crude prices have grown from $54 to above $80 per barrel.

Comment: The oil deal is just one of many areas - that includes gold, gas, weaponry - which demonstrates Russia's influencial position in the emerging multipolar world. And it manages to do all this while at the same time bringing benefits to all invovled rather than through the tired Western tradition of intimidation and plunder:

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2 + 2 = 4

SOTT Focus: The Scourge of Modern 'Liberalism' in France

Pierre Lescaudron
Sott.net
Mon, 02 Jul 2018 16:00 UTC
In these depressing times marked by lies, fear and nihilism, I would like to brighten your mood by sharing a heart-warming story; a real life event that is better than a fairy-tale and should restore your faith in humanity and our burgeoning postmodern society.

A Modern Fairy Tale

What happened? In a nutshell, a heroic individual saved a 4-year-old boy from a deadly fall.
Gassama climbing up to save the boy
Gassama climbing up to save the boy
On Saturday, May 26th 2018, at 8:00 p.m. in Paris' 18th district, the boy was left alone by his white French father who was busy playing 'Pokemon Go'. The boy went to the balcony and fell from the 6th floor over the handrail.

During the fall, the vigorous young boy managed somehow to grab the 4th floor handrail as he hurtled toward the ground. Hanging there precariously, death seemed just a few moments away.

Fortunately, Mamoudou Gassama, a migrant from Mali, was in the right place at the right time. He saw the distressed boy and swiftly climbed 4 floors of the building exterior, pulled the boy up over the handrail and safely dropped him onto the balcony while a crowd below cheered and clapped.

Here is the video, made by an eyewitness:


Less than 24 hours after the heroic rescue, French President Macron received Gassama at the presidential palace. The latter was immediately given French citizenship and a job in a firefighter's squad.

Macron receiving Gassama at the presidential palace
Macron receiving Gassama at the presidential palace
Then Gassama was received at Paris town hall and given its highest distinction: the vermeil medal of Paris. Gassama's triumph went international, and a few days later the hero received a BET award in Los Angeles.

So, there you have it, all the ingredients of a good tale: Gassama, the hero from an oppressed minority, the powerless innocent victim, the dramatic tension, a literal cliffhanger, and the happy ending. Frankly, it was as good as a scene directly extracted from a Spiderman movie.

But like in every fairy tale or superhero movie, there's always a villain. In this case, the villain appeared four days after the heroic rescue, and goes by the name of André Bercoff.
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Better Earth

Russia is guarantor of EU energy security, not US - And Europe knows it


Sptunik
Sat, 30 Jun 2018 11:19 UTC
nord stream 2
© Sputnik / Sergey Guneev
The European Union realizes that Russia is the guarantor of the European energy security, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko told Sputnik commenting on the US calls to abandon the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project.

"I think that everyone in Europe realizes that Russia is the guarantor of continent's energy security. And if we talk about US ambitions to ensure this security, the current US share in the European gas market is about only two percent," Grushko said in an interview.

The energy cooperation requires maximum depoliticization and should be based on economic interests, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko told Sputnik.

"We have always assumed that the energy cooperation should be based on economic factors. It is necessary to achieve maximum depoliticization of such cooperation, to eliminate the influence of any geopolitical factors," Grushko noted.

Comment: Despite the Western propaganda, Russia have proven itself to be a reliable, fair and stable partner and, as time passes, the US, with its illogical sanctions and chaos creation abroad, is exposing itself as bad for business: Also check out SOTT radio's: Behind the Headlines: Trump Ditches Europe, Europe Bluffs, Russia and China Carry on With Eurasian Integration

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Megaphone

Italy's Salvini wants to unite an "international alliance of populists" to protect borders and jobs


RT
Mon, 02 Jul 2018 16:39 UTC
Matteo Salvini
© Miguel Medina / AFPItalian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini greets supporters on July 1, 2018.
Italy's interior minister wants to turn next year's European Parliament elections into an immigration referendum. It comes with the EU still split on how to handle migrants after a summit on the topic produced a failed compromise.

Speaking to around 50,000 supporters at his party's annual gathering on Sunday, Lega Nord's Matteo Salvini said that he wants the 2019 election to be a "referendum between the elite, the banks, finance, immigration and job security, and the Europe of the peoples and of work."

He also said he wants to unite with political movements in other countries that want to "defend their people and their borders."

"I am thinking of a League of Leagues that will put together all the free, sovereign movements" in various countries, Salvini said at the event in Pontida, Italy, referring to the idea as an "international alliance of populists."

"I will tour capital cities, and not just European ones, to create an alternative to this Europe founded on exploitation... [and] mass immigration," Salvini said.

Comment: Populist politicians in the EU would do best to ally not only with those in the Eurozone, but with the multipolar powers of Russia and China , who aren't involved in the worldwide chaos creation and are instead actively involved in creating an alternative governed by the rule of law: Also check out SOTT radio's:

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Rocket

Russian military downs unidentified drones near Khmeimim Airbase in Syria - UPDATE: Militants launch third drone attack


RT
Sun, 01 Jul 2018 13:59 UTC
Pantsir-S1 Khmeimim
© Dmitry Vinogradov / SputnikPantsir-S1 air defense system seen at Khmeimim airbase
A group of unidentified drones has been shot down by Russia's Air Defense units near Khmeimim Air Base in Syria, the Russian MoD has announced. No damage to the facility was reported.

The objects were detected north-east from the military facility on Saturday, the base's authorities said. "All aerial targets were destroyed," they confirmed. The military, however, stopped short of naming exact weapon systems which were used to bring down the drones (UAVs).

This is not the first time Khmeimim Air Base, located south-east of the port of Latakia, has been targeted with unmanned aircraft this year. In May, the Russian MoD said its units also downed a drone near the military compound.


Comment: Russian air base in Syria repels another Western proxy drone attack


But the most large-scale assault on Khmeimim was launched in January with at least 10 drones attacking the site. Three others targeted the Russian maritime logistics point in the city of Tartus. The majority of the intruders were successfully downed by the Russian Pantsir-S1 anti-aircraft weapon system. The radio electronics warfare specialists also managed to override the operating systems of other drones.

Comment: The Russians probably have a pretty good idea of who the foreign party might be.

See also: Pentagon: US 'concerned' that ISIS in Syria now using drones against Russians

Update (Jul. 2): For the second time in the last 48 hours, the militants in northwest Syria have targeted a Russian base with armed drones near the Syrian coast.
According to a military source in the coastal city of Jableh, an unknown militant group targeted the Hmaymim Airbase with armed drones at midnight.

The source stated that the Russian military was able to intercept the armed drones after they approached the Hmaymim Airbase's northeastern perimeter last night.
Russia has accused Turkestani and Uzbek jihadists in northwestern Syria of carrying out the drone attack on the Hmaymim Military Airbase recently.
According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, Turkestani and Uzbek members of a jihadist group in the southwestern Idlib city of Jisr Al-Shughour were responsible for carrying out this drone attack on the Hmaymim Airport.
Update (Jul. 3): For the third time in four days, the militant forces have targeted the Russian Hmeymim Airbase using armed drones.
The militant drone attack was once again launched at night in a bid to evade the Russian air defenses at the Hmeymim Airbase.

However, the Russian military was able to foil the attack and destroy all of the armed drones that targeted their positions at the Hmeymim Airbase last night.


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