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Lavrov said it as it is. The US has for decades been trying to create a rift between Russia and China, the old divide and conquer tactic of Imperial Rome. While both Russia and China have had their differences in the past, neither has succumbed to these tactics. Both Russia and China need each other, creating a partnership which in reality is an alliance.
The US is hoping to apply additional sanctions against Russia, trying to provoke economic, financial, political and social troubles in the country. It won’t work. For example, bilateral trade between Russia and China is more than 140 billion dollars a year. The US even threatened Chinese companies with sanctions if they pursued trade with Russia after introduction of additional sanctions, which is not only imperial arrogance, but proof that even the US is not sure that additional sanctions against Russia can work. When sanctions were first introduced in 2014, all they did was boost Russian infrastructure.
I love Lavrov. He is the best diplomat of the last half century. He’s the kind of person that I would love to sit down with a drink, and have a most intelligent conversation on any and every subject. I’m sure when he finishes speaking with his Western counterparts, and he’s away from all cameras and people, he howls over in a good belly laugh just on how undiplomatic and unintelligent they are.
However, I admire Sergi Ryabkov better as his discourses are filed with irony, metaphors, pun seemingly comical accompanied with smiles unlike Lavrov who almost always barley in very serious conversations.
Lavrov is serious, of course. But he has a sense of humor. I remember a few years back on April 1 when he had the Russian MFA phone tree in English changed so say, Press 1 to arrange a regime change. Press 2 to request Russian interference… You gotta love it.
I’m just guessing, but some people’s sense of humor is more subtle than with others.
The most extreme example was the time I got the privilege of listening to Steven Hawking speak. He of course used that voice generation box. So, what you had to get used to, was that while the mechanical voice was the ultimate deadpan, Steven Hawking was funny and liked to sprinkle jokes through his speech. It was interesting. About half the audience wouldn’t even notice the joke, while half was LOL and trying to avoid ROF.
USS Bonhomme Richard suffered a fire. On 12 July 2020, a fire started on a lower vehicle-storage deck while the ship was undergoing maintenance at Naval Base San Diego. It took four days for firefighters to extinguish the fire, which injured at least 63 sailors and civilians and severely damaged the ship. After a long investigation into the cause of the fire, a sailor was charged with arson.Repairs to the ship were estimated to take up to seven years and cost up to $3.2 billion so the ship was decommissioned on 15 April 2021 and sold for scrap.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Bonhomme_Richard_(LHD-6)
An couple of alternative explanations
i) the ships have been moved from base to save their sorry ass in the light of a mass missile strike against US military logistics facilities
ii) the ships are being moved in the light of a Pearl Harbor redux false flag.
Not only does Russia have an economic monopoly of natural resources they also have an intellectual monopoly.
Is there a western counterpart who’d make it into Putin’s cabinet, can’t think of a single one. Fluff like Blinken, who looks like he’s ready to shit in his pants at any given moment, couldn’t head up a junior ministerial post and yet the US pair him up with Lavrov. Which only proves that the Americans don’t want anything other than for talks to fail.
Read earlier on SouthFront that there have been some developments, Ukrainian Armed Forces manoeuvres in Donbass. Anyone?
“Which only proves that the Americans don’t want anything other than for talks to fail.”
or that the Americans have a very shallow bench.
My thoughts. 1) The Americans don’t develop talent. People don’t join the diplomatic corps and spend a lifetime learning to be a diplomat. You don’t seem to see that career path anymore.
2) America does not believe in meritocracy. Both political movements oppose meritocracy. For one side, the only thing that matters is loyalty to da Fuhrer. On the other site, meritocracy is a structural racism legacy of white supremacy. Being good at a job gets someone exactly nowhere in modern America.
So, these people are chosen for who they know? What backers do they have? Do they have any useful blackmail material? And of course, quotas on numbers based on various Identity Political groupings. The ability to actually do the job well is meaningless.
3) Then there is the fact that America just doesn’t do diplomacy. They make threats. They issue ultimatums. They act like a TV pro wrestling act. If America actually found a competent diplomat, they obviously would not fit in well.
I am a bit confused by this phrase “military-technical” which the Russians keep using. What is the difference between “military” and “military-technical”? Both phrases are used by Lavrov.
I am no expert, so take with a grain of salt;
but my understanding is that :
* “military” : when you use your own army to attack (eg, when Iran bombed that US base, it was a military action)
* “military-technical” : when you provide military means (weapons, and the information on how to use them) to another army (eg: when Russia provides some advanced weapons to Belarus, it is a military-technical action from Russia)
Hello Pavlo,
I agree with your definitions, and I would like to add the following:
( This is my interpretation of course)
Military-Technical are actions designed to change a paradigm within a specific environment. I.e. when Russian EW assets began jamming GPS signals over Northern Israel. This has for effect to make further Israeli attacks against Syria more difficult. It is also a stern message.
I was debating including the intervention to stop the coup in Kazakhstan as part of an M-T action, but I changed my mind upon reflection. In that case, they used a political organization to seek concensus to deploy military assets to provide political assistance through military means. It should be considered another category.
iii) the ships are being escorted to Davy Jones’ Locker as part of a FF
iv) the ships are going round in circles chasing the Flying Dutchman
v) the ships are rendezvousing with Russian and Chinese LHCs to exchange hugs, flags, signed balls and other memorabilia of friendship
vi) the ships are conducting a mourning ritual for the rusting stealth coating of the F-35C…
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sorry, I couldn’t resist.
For the Neocons and other imperial functionaries still Hooked on Phonics and YT videos, the key points are:
(1) at 1:15, “The PRC President reaffirmed support for Russia’s stand on this problem.” fullstop
(2) “[China and Russia] agreed to closely coordinate our actions in the international arena, including countering the attempts to erode the UN… and to establish 𝙝𝙤𝙗𝙗𝙮 𝙘𝙡𝙪𝙗𝙨 that will only create more dividing lines in international affairs.”
So US Democracy summit, NATO, Freedom Fries, Barney and Friends Fan Club, the whole lot of you – we put you on notice. Time outs coming
It’s being reported that there is a new pipeline deal to be settled in… Euros. I’m choking with laughter as I write this. I expected Putin and Xi to announce a huge diversification away from the dollar, maybe to Yuan… but settling the deal in Euros is like a message to the EU. Wake up! Surely you cannot spurn such trade and opportunity. You cannot say no to prosperity. Could further deals be settled in Euro? Will the Eurocrats continue to shoot themselves in the foot, freeze in winter because Uncle Sam said, “jump,” so that they can buy overpriced US LNG? It seems Putin’s mastery of Judo combined with Xi’s Confucianism gave the West an answer that will tear them apart. Once the US loses the EU, as in, the EU becomes sovereign, the game is all over.
China runs trade surpluses with the EU, and it needs a place to spend them. What Russia will do with them, I do not know.
ABC, I agree, well said.
This is beyond brilliant.
And wise long-term, to avoid putting the same reserve-currency pressures on China which tempted then hallowed out the USA via USD abuse.
USA wanted to decouple Russia-China.. but they are decoupling Europe from USA!
It would be nice to have a terminus at the end of the BRI on the Atlantic. Not a dark wasteland.
Europe, once current uber-criminal elites are jettisoned, the USA umbilicus is cut, and the endless Propaganda of hate is unplugged .. has much to hope for, and to offer.
But they have to first take the chance and kick the 5-Eyes out.
Are they lucid enough?
Or are its elites still drunk on delusion and partying like it is 1999?
They need to grab this gift card, given generously and with wisdom in the last-chance saloon.
It says, “your 1,000-year Reich is over, but here is an even better deal.”
Reporter Matt Lee had this funny exchange with Ned Price claiming Russia is planning a false flag video:
https://twitter.com/thehill/status/1489336004637044746?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Not on topic – take to correct post in future please. Mod.
The US palming the shoddy work of the CIA sponsored mockumentary onto Russia was so egregiously bad that it might work. No one will believe that the CIA with a War Chest equal to that of Russia’s Defence Budget could be so freakishly amateur. Maybe it’s the fear of working close to Russian territory that has them flummoxed.
ned price is male version another clown …jen psaki…
Eyewash for allies, a military presence to shore up the illusion of US power.
Lavrov is himself, perhaps more than anyone else, most responsible for those best, bilateral relations “in the entire history of ties between Russia and China” and, therefore ought to be smiling happily at his own accomplishment. There was a bit of mischievous merriment in his remarks here.
Uncle Sam played matchmaker.
First, there was “Poke the bear with a stick.” All those provocations, one after the other. Began I think about as far back as the Cheney regime.
Then there was “Poke the dragon with a stick”. Another series of provocations and lies. This was Hillary’s and Obama’s great thinking. Especially the part where they kept on poking the Bear with a stick while they began poking the dragon. Brilliant. Provoking two world powers at the same time. Brilliant.
So, Putin and Xi could only but notice that they had one neighbor who wasn’t always poking them with a stick. And then, when they said hello, they discovered that the other is actually at least reasonably bright and can discuss and reach deals and then, miracles of miracles, actually abide by them.
It was so different from playing chess with pigeons, that only love could blossom from there.
Edward – I asked the same – My guess is military/technical sounds more movement of military (and preparedness!!) than actual military action whereas only military would sound more action-like and scarier.
On the military-technical, here’s an example. Suppose the Russian AF got tired of Turkish actions in Syria. They could reply by identifying the exact location of every piece of Turkish artillery in the area. You know. As if to say that those guns are going to be wiped out – and the crews operating them – if they keep firing.
My understanding is that something very much like this did happen in Syria. But, true or false, you might call this “military-technical” as it achieves the goal without firing a shot. Very nice indeed.
They hope to invade Russia and/or China with 13 amphibious assault ship. You don’t say? LOL.
Your analysis is plausible.
Full risk for these ships, especially for the one in the Baltic – it wii try to impose the guardian to the gate/exit of the Baltic Sea.
Good luck with that.
Russia – China trade is > $140 billion / yr.
Goal…. >$200 billion / yr.
Would make Russia larger trading partner than the EU…
INDY
And unless the EU learns to stop following Uncle Sam around like a poodle, the EU’s graph of trade with China won’t be going up. Uncle Sam will demand sanctions and cutoffs.
western people like their leadership are very confused, they still delude that they are a factor in the evolving geopolitical world, The proposed Projection of power through Naval warships is not only outdated but hardly of any military use isolated so far from home.
Perhaps you are not familiar with the anti warships and Aircraft carriers missiles in Chinese and Russian arsenal. A single DF 20/21 series Chinese missile can take out the largest aircraft career in US fleet; a year ago the Chines Deputy Defence minister said so in so many words “Lets see what Americans will do when we take out an aircraft career along with 4000 crew with a single blow”
So I dont think any of these rust buckets can withstand whats in store for them, Besides entire NATO and America put together for 20 years with all their Micky mouse war toys couldn’t even handle Afghan Dudes in Flip Flops with second war AK47 rifles ; what to talk of war with Powers like Russia and China. The western Powers should realise that their time is up and should quietly slink with whatever little dignity they have left and accept their fate.