Putin has Provoked US into Taking Steps that Threaten Gazprom, His Own ‘Purse,’ Portnikov Saysby paul goble (noreply@blogger.com)
Paul Goble
Staunton, September 2 – In advance of the G-20 summit in China, both Moscow and Washington have sent powerful signals of their intentions. In hopes of forcing the West to put pressure on Kyiv and to cut back or lift sanctions on Russia, the Kremlin increased its military presence not only near the Ukrainian border but in Syria, Vitaly Portnikov says.
But those aggressive moves instead of intimidating the West have had exactly the opposite effect, the Ukrainian analyst says. Instead of backing down in the face of Russian pressure, the United States has signaled that it is now prepared to take an even harder line than it has in the past and even to threaten Putin’s “purse” – the gas giant Gazprom.
In a comment to Ukraine’s Gordon news agency, Portnikov says explicitly that “the US has sent a signal that in principle Putin can lose control of his purse, Gazprom,” because the new sanctions the US is planning to counter Russian aggression will “seriously hurt this company and all its projects including those in Europe” (gordonua.com/news/politics/portnikov-ssha-poslali-signal-chto-putin-mozhet-lishitsya-svoego-koshelka-gazproma-148303.html).
That possibility, now very real thanks to the expansion of the sanctions regime announced by the US this week (gordonua.com/news/worldnews/ssha-vveli-sankcii-v-otnoshenii-ryada-rossiyskih-kompaniy-i-grazhdan-148211.html) is something both Putin and those who want a more conciliatory policy toward Moscow “must take into consideration.”
All the sanctions that the “civilized world” has imposed on Russia “are having a cumulative effect,” Portnikov argues, because they are weakening the Russian economy and hence the Russian regime which depends on the Russian economy for the money it needs to carry out all of its projects.
Especially in their new format, when they will hit Russian firms as well as imports, “will inevitably achieve their goal” of forcing the regime to change course or to collapse. “After the destruction of the regime in Russia,” Portnikov continues, “Ukraine can play a significant role in the development of civil society in its neighbor.”
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Obama: 'Not There Yet' on US-Russia Deal on Syria Violenceby webdesk@voanews.com (Associated Press)
The United States is skeptical an agreement with Russia to decease violence in Syria can work but will keep pursuing it nonetheless, President Barack Obama said Sunday as negotiators from both countries edged toward a deal. Obama, speaking on the sidelines of the Group of 20 economic summit in China, said the U.S. and Russia still have “grave differences” about what's needed to end Syria's civil war and which opposition groups are legitimate targets for the U.S. and Russian militaries. But he said “it is worth trying.” “We're not there yet,” Obama said. “I think it's premature for us to say there's a clear path forward, but there's the possibility at least for us to make some progress.” A deal could be announced as early as Sunday by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, said a senior U.S. State Department official, adding that the two countries were close to a deal but still had unresolved issues. The official wasn't authorized to discuss the negotiations publicly and requested anonymity. Kerry and Lavrov have been deep in talksfor weeks over a deal to boost U.S. and Russian military cooperation to fight the Islamic State group and other extremists in Syria - a step Moscow has long sought. The package would include provisions so aid can reach besieged areas of Syria and measures to prevent Syrian President Bashar Assad's government from bombing areas where U.S.-backed rebels are operating. U.S. officials have said that as part of a deal, Russia would have to halt offensives by Assad's government, something it has failed to do over months of diplomatic efforts. They said the U.S. must get rebels to break ranks with the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front, a task that grew tougher after Nusra fighters last month successfully broke the siege of Aleppo, Syria's largest city and the site of fierce recent fighting. Though negotiators have been hopeful a deal could come together while world leaders are gathered in Hangzhou for the G20, that optimism has been tempered by the failure of previous ceasefire deals to hold. The U.S. has long been wary of increasing military coordination with Russia in Syria's civil war because it says Russia continues striking moderate, U.S.-backed opposition groups in a bid to prop up Assad. The U.S. wants Russia to focus exclusively on IS and al-Qaida-linked groups. Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin plan to huddle on the sidelines of the summit, the White House said. For Obama, a military partnership with Russia would mark a significant change. When Russia started bombing targets in Syria last year, the U.S. declared the intervention an act of desperation and said its coalition fighting IS wasn't coordinating with Moscow. The minimal cooperation focused on avoiding mid-air collisions between Russian and coalition planes. The new approach would involve intelligence and targeting cooperation. Assad's forces would be barred from attacking areas outside of IS' control; attacks on Nusra and its allies would be up to the U.S. and Russia to work out among themselves in their Joint Implementation Group. Defense Secretary Ash Carter and National Intelligence Director James Clapper both have expressed misgivings. Discussions about the intractable Syria conflict and the related fight against IS have been a major focus as world leaders gather for the G20, which brings together the world's major economies. Obama met first Sunday with new British Prime Minister Theresa May, then with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for their first sit-down since failed coup in his country in July. Obama called the attempted overthrow “terrible.” He assured Erdogan that his national security team and the Justice Department would ensure that those responsible are brought to justice, a reference to Turkey's extradition request for an exiled cleric it holds responsible. The U.S. is still weighing Turkey's evidence against Pennsylvania-based cleric Fethullah Gulen. Turkey's demands for the U.S. to hand over Gulen have coincided with growing clashes between Turkish forces and U.S.-backed Kurds in Syria. The Pentagon has backed the incursions, but said they should only be aimed at IS fighters. Turkey has used the operations to push back Syrian Kurds it accuses of seeking to claim more territory. Obama called Turkey a key ally in the campaign to defeat the Islamic State and said “we now need to finish the job” of securing Turkey's border with Syria. Since the failed coup, the U.S. has been alarmed by Turkey's diplomatic flirtations with Russia, Assad's patron, and softened demand for Assad's exclusion from a political transition. Erdogan said it was important for the U.S. and Turkey to “embrace a common attitude against terrorism.” In a reference to Washington's support for the Kurds, he said there are “no good terrorists or bad; all terrorism is bad.”
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Snubs Abound as G-20 Summit Gets off the Groundby webdesk@voanews.com (William Ide)
As China’s Group of 20 Nations Leaders Summit kicked off Sunday, a commotion on the tarmac during President Barack Obama’s arrival and a series of other disputes continue to provide distractions. When President Obama arrived in Hangzhou Saturday, the airport did not have airplane stairs ready for him to disembark Air Force One, and when he did step off the aircraft, the red carpet provided for other arriving leaders was missing. Tensions were also high on the tarmac where a Chinese official screamed at White House press photographers as they tried to get into position to take pictures of the president. A White House official tried to intervene stating that the U.S. would set the rules for where the photographers positioned themselves. But the Chinese official yelled back: “This is our country! This is our airport!” And that was just the beginning. The same official tried to keep National Security Adviser Susan Rice from walking to the president’s motorcade, at which point the U.S. Secret Service intervened. Later in the evening, after holding a ceremony to announce China and the United States joining the Paris Agreement on climate change, and holding wide-ranging bilateral talks for more than three-and-a-half hours, tensions rose again. This time, disputes arose over how many journalists could witness a late night stroll Presidents Obama and Xi Jinping took. Chinese officials suddenly cut the number of journalists from six to three, and then to one. “That is our arrangement,” a Chinese official told a White House press official. “But your arrangement keeps changing,” the White House press official responded. In the end, the two settled on two journalists from the White House press corps. When asked about the string of apparent snubs at a press conference Sunday with British Prime Minister Theresa May, President Obama said he would not “over-crank the significance” of the incidents, noting that it was not the first time issues around security and press access have become an issue during a visit to China or other countries. And part of that is a difference in values, he said. “We think it's important that the press have access to the work that we're doing. That they have the ability to answer questions. And we don't leave our values and ideals behind when we take these trips. It can cause some friction,” Obama said. High level diplomatic visits almost always involve weeks or months of negotiations to set the terms for issues such as arrival ceremonies, press access, seating arrangements and more. But President Obama said, “Maybe as [Press Secretary] Josh [Earnest] put it, the seams are showing a little more than usual in terms of some of the negotiations and jostling that takes place behind the scenes.” A Chinese Foreign Ministry official, however, told the South China Morning Post that it was the U.S. decision to have President Obama disembark his plane using a small bare metal stairway. “China provides a rolling staircase for every arriving state leader, but the U.S. side complained that the driver doesn’t speak English and can’t understand security instructions from the United States,” the official told the Post. “China proposed that we could assign a translator to sit beside the driver, but the U.S. side turned down the proposal and insisted that they don’t need the staircase provided by the airport.” Incidents have not been limited to President Obama and his traveling press entourage. Last week, when reporters traveling with Secretary of State John Kerry tried to apply for visas to come to China and attend the G-20, their applications were denied. This reporter and a VOA Mandarin service reporter were also denied credentials for the G-20 Leaders Summit. Several other reporters have also had their applications rejected. Chinese officials have not said why the applications were rejected.
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US, Russia Work to Finalize Syrian Cease-Fire Deal, Tough Issues Remain by webdesk@voanews.com (William Ide)
The United States and Russia are working to finalize a cease-fire deal for Syria that would allow more humanitarian aid into the war-ravaged country, as world leaders meet in Hangzhou China for the Group of 20 Nations Leaders Summit. The two countries appeared to be closing in a possible deal, but obstacles remain. There are hopes that U.S. President Barack Obama and Russia’s Vladimir Putin will have a chance to talk informally on the sidelines of the G-20 meetings. But so far, nothing has been arranged. Kerry-Lavrov meeting U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov Sunday and the two will meet again Monday. “It's fair to say that out of the review I think there are a couple of tough issues that we talked about today," Kerry told reporters after the meeting, but declined to give details. “We will meet tomorrow morning and see whether or not it is possible to bridge the gap and come to a conclusion on these couple of issues.” Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said the two sides are close to a deal and that they are talking about the most serious issues of implementing a cease-fire. "The most intense work is continuing,” Ryabkov said. "Until we lay the last brick... We can't say that the results have been achieved." The civil war in Syria has killed more than 250,000 people, displaced 11 million and led to a refugee crisis in the Middle East and Europe. The conflict is also contributing to a rise in militant Islamist groups. U.S. and Russian military officials have been meeting for weeks to try and work out the terms of the deal. Previous cease-fire agreements have failed to last for long as both back opposite sides in the five-year war. Different views “We have grave differences with the Russians in terms of both the parties we support but also the process that is required to bring about peace in Syria," Obama told reporters Sunday. Russian President Putin is quoted as saying the Syrian conflict can only be resolved through political means. Moscow has backed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, but the United States has worked with moderate opposition forces fighting Assad. "But if we do not get some buy-in from the Russians on reducing the violence and easing the humanitarian crisis, then it's difficult to see how we get to the next phase," said Obama.
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LIVE UPDATES: A prominent Chechen writer and former official has disappeared, joining a long list of others who have gone missing, only some of whom have returned to recant on TV.
Welcome to our column, Russia Update, where we will be closely following day-to-day developments in Russia, including the Russian government’s foreign and domestic policies.
The previous issue is here.
Recent Analysis and Translations:
– What Has Ramzan Kadyrov Been Up To? Quietly Cultivating Regional and Kremlin Officials, Now He Meets with Putin
– RBC Publishes Report Sourced in FSB and Military on Wagner Private Military Contractor with 2,500 Fighters in Syria
– Russian Parliamentary Elections Round-Up: Open Russia’s Baronova Registered; Shevchenko Disqualified
– The Kremlin is Working Hard to Make Donald Trump President
– RBC Publishes Report Sourced in FSB and Military on Wagner Private Military Contractor with 2,500 Fighters in Syria
– Russian Parliamentary Elections Round-Up: Open Russia’s Baronova Registered; Shevchenko Disqualified
– The Kremlin is Working Hard to Make Donald Trump President
UPDATES BELOW
The Politburo and the “collective Putin” are out; the court of the Tsar and the reign of the supreme leader are in.
Another Russian political season is upon us and change is clearly in the air.
And as Vladimir Putin steadily purges his old inner circle, he isn’t just changing personnel — he appears to be abandoning the governing model he’s relied on for the past 16 years.
So what is the new Putinism? Will it work? Or will it undermine the foundations of the Kremlin regime?
On the this week’s Power Vertical Podcast, we discuss Putin’s new deal and where it is likely to lead Russia.
Joining me are Moscow-based political analyst Nikolai Petrov of the Center for Political and Geographic Studies and Sean Guillory of the University of Pittsburgh’s Center for Russian and Eastern European Studies, author of Sean’s Russia blog and host of the SRB Podcast.
Enjoy…
Listen to or download the podcast above or subscribe to The Power Vertical Podcast on iTunes.
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Путин решил судьбу Курил? by SvobodaRadio
Президент России Владимир Путин и премьер-министр Японии Синдзо Абэ договорились в пятницу подготовить предложения, чтобы завершить спор о Курильских островах. Об этом сообщает Рейтер из Владивостока со ссылкой на премьер-министра Японии.
В ходе встречи в кулуарах Восточного экономического форума во Владивостоке лидеры двух стран решили, что представители обеих сторон продолжат работать над проектом соглашения, которое Абэ и Путин рассмотрят, когда президент России посетит Японию в декабре.
Хотя Россия и Япония имеют прочные дипломатические и торговые связи, спор мешает подписать мирный договор, который бы формально подтвердил окончание Второй мировой войны. Абэ сообщил журналистам, что в ходе встречи с Путиным с глазу на глаз произошло довольно подробное обсуждение этой проблемы. Теперь яснее, как продолжить переговоры на основе "нового подхода", заявил Абэ.
"Поиск решения на основе взаимного доверия будет единственным способом вырваться из этого ненормального состояния, при котором мирный договор не был заключен в течение более чем 70 лет," - сказал он. По словам Абэ, он хочет провести декабрьский саммит с Путиным в его родном городе городе Нагато "в спокойной атмосфере, чтобы ускорить переговоры о мирном договоре".
Спор связан с решением Советского Союза в последние дни Второй мировой войны захватить острова Большой Курильской гряды, которые в Японии называют Северными территориями, находящимися по суверенитетом Токио.
Уступки в отношении островов представляют риск для Путина, но могут привести к увеличению японских инвестиций в Россию в то время, когда Москва пострадала от низких мировых цен на нефть и от западных санкций и остро нуждается в финансах. С точки зрения Токио, улучшение отношений позволило России и Японии сформировать противовес Китаю.
Как заявил журналистам глава МИД России Сергей Лавров по итогам встречи Путина и Абэ в кулуарах Восточного экономического форума, российская сторона "ощутила готовность японских партнеров обсуждать вопросы, связанные с совместной хозяйственной деятельностью на островах".
Ранее в интервью Bloomberg Путин допустил компромисс с Японией в территориальном споре по поводу Южных Курил.
В то же время российский лидер отверг возможность передачи части российских территорий Японии. "Мы не торгуем территориями", – подчеркнул он, отметив, что речь идет о поиске решения, при котором ни одна из сторон не будет чувствовать себя ни побежденной, ни проигравшей.
Ситуацию обсуждают историк-японовед Сергей Арутюнов, журналист Ашот Насибов, корреспондент Радио Свобода во Владивостоке Валерия Федоренко.
Ведущий - Владимир Кара - Мурза - старший.
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RT |
Why Putin Is Escalating Russia's Military Buildup
Huffington Post On May 4, 2016, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu announced that Russia planned to form 3 new military divisions to counter NATO's growing military presence in Eastern Europe. These new military divisions will consist of 10,000 troops deployed on ... US anti-Russia sanctions upgrade 'changes nothing' – MoscowRT Russia is massing thousands of troops on Ukraine's border. Here's why we shouldn't panic.Vox Russia in the grey zonesEuropean Council on Foreign Relations DefenseNews.com -Wall Street Journal (blog) -UPI.com -US Department of the Treasury all 201 news articles » |
Fox News |
Putin calls DNC hack public service, denies Russia's involvement
Fox News Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that the hack of the Democratic National Committee's emails was a public service, but denied that Moscow played any part in the cyberattack. Security experts have suggested that Russian-backed cyber ... 3 ways a Russia-China axis is seeking to undermine the WestBusiness Insider Japan's Abe makes plea for friendship with RussiaFinancial Times Russian, Japanese leaders express new resolve to settle island rowReutersBloomberg-Press TV -Voice of America all 652 Telegraph.co.uk all 522 news articles » |
Business Insider |
3 ways a Russia-China axis is seeking to undermine the West
Business Insider As Chinese President Xi Jinping prepares to host the annual G20 summit next month, it's no secret that Russian President Vladimir Putin will be the top guest. Come September 4, leaders of the world's biggest economies will gather in Hangzhou, China, ... US anti-Russia sanctions upgrade 'changes nothing' – MoscowRT At G-20 Summit, Russia May Upstage China With Focus on Politics, Not EconomyVoice of America Russia in the grey zonesEuropean Council on Foreign Relations Wall Street Journal (blog)-UPI.com-bellingcat-US Department of the Treasury all 235 news articles » |
The Sydney Morning Herald |
Kevin Rudd appears in Russia with Vladimir Putin, Shinzo Abe, South Korea's Park Geun-hye
The Sydney Morning Herald Kevin Rudd has surfaced on the international scene – this time in Russia's far east, at the centre of a high-level event with the leaders of that country, Japan and South Korea. The former Australian prime minister, who is president of the Asia Society ... [Editorial] MOUs with RussiaThe Korea Herald South Korea's president calls on Russia, others, to pressure Pyongyang ove...Reuters all 182 news articles » |
BBC News |
G20: Theresa May urges 'frank relations' with Russia
BBC News Prime Minister Theresa May has said she wants a "frank and open relationship" with Russia as she held her first meeting with President Vladimir Putin. Mrs May accepted there were some "complex and serious areas of concern" such as the Syria crisis as ... U.S., Russia Near Deal to Impose New Cease-Fire in SyriaBloomberg 3 ways a Russia-China axis is seeking to undermine the WestBusiness Insider Putin and Erdogan seek to restore Russia-Turkey tiesChannel NewsAsia ITV News- Xinhua-Sputnik International all 178 news articles » |
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CBS News |
US-Russia deal in jeopardy
CBS News Secretary of State John Kerry told reporters that a “couple of tough issues” are holding up a military and intelligence sharing agreement with Russia that would partner them in a fight against al Qaeda and ISIS-linked terrorists in Syria. Russia is now ... Obama: No deal in place with Russia over Syria conflictUSA TODAY US, Russia working toward Syria peace deal, Obama says not there yetFox News US, Russia at Impasse on Deal to Reduce Violence in SyriaWall Street Journal New York Times -Washington Post -RT all 80 news articles » |
During a panel discussion Saturday in Russia, the Japanese leader made an impassioned plea to end a seven-decade-old territorial conflict.
Uzbek President Islam Karimov has died at age 78 after dominating public life in the country he ruled for 25 years. RFE/RL’s Central Newsroom looks back at the life and legacy of one of the most feared men in Central Asia.
Both Moscow and Washington say they are close to reaching a cease-fire deal on Syria but still require more time.
Islam Karimov's death could leave some members of his immediate family in precarious positions, at least if they entertain any thoughts of staying in Uzbekistan now that he is no longer president.
Matisse paintings in Sergei Shchukin’s Trubetskoy Palace, in 1920. “Icons of Modern Art” at the Louis Vuitton Foundation will include paintings by Picasso, Matisse and Gauguin, among others, from Shchukin’s collection.
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Mr. Karimov after greeting Secretary of State John Kerry at Samarkand Airport in Uzbekistan on Nov. 1, 2015. Mr. Kerry was visiting five Central Asian nations.
In this week’s Western media highlights, the New York Times explores the connection that seems to exist between Julian Assange and the Kremlin in light of the recent Democratic National Committee email leak that many experts trace back to Russian intelligence. Writing for Vox, Mark Galeotti dismisses the West’s fears that Russian troops are amassing by the Ukrainian border in order to invade. And in the Russian media, analysts discuss recent shifts in the Kremlin’s power structures and implications of the death of Uzbekistan president Islam Karimov, who occupied the office for 27 years.
Саммит G-20: противоречия углубляются by golosamerikius
Лидеры крупнейших экономик мира пытаются устранить барьеры на пути к глобализации
Originally published at - http://www.golos-ameriki.ru/a/g20-isssues/3491297.html
Originally published at - http://www.golos-ameriki.ru/a/g20-isssues/3491297.html
European ambassadors inspect British diplomatic complexes as E.U. discusses response to Iranian incursion.
The last speaker of a dialect called Cromarty fishfolk died recently, taking an obscure language with him.
William H. Tobey reviews the motivations, strengths, and weaknesses of the nuclear security summits and provides recommendations for how governments can maintain momentum and awareness now that the summit process is over. He concludes that some of the innovations from the process will continue to be useful tools.
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A top Kyrgyz diplomat and an Afghan government official say Uzbekistan is holding a funeral for its president on Saturday.
BERLIN/COLOGNE, Germany (Reuters) - Ercan Karakoyun has long played a prominent role in Berlin's Turkish community, promoting education and dialogue among Muslims and Germans of other faiths.
Islam Karimov crushed all opposition in the Central Asian country of Uzbekistan as its only president in a quarter-century of independence from the Soviet Union.
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Vladimir Putin has claimed that he “[doesn’t] know anything” about the thousands of Democratic National Committee emails and documents that were procured by an unknown hacker and then posted by Wikileaks earlier this year.
But the Russian President added, in an interview with Bloomberg two days before a G20 meeting in China with President Obama and other world leaders, that he felt it was important for the content to have been given to the public.
“There’s no need to distract the public’s attention from the essence of the problem by raising some minor issues connected with the search for who did it,” he said, adding, “But… I don’t know anything about it, and on a state level Russia has never done this.”
Officials have blamed hackers guided by the Russian government for the cyber attack on DNC severs just before Hillary Clinton’s nominating convention in July. The emails showed that top officials mocked Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders during the primary race and, in at least one exchange, considered using Sanders’ religious beliefs as a way to hurt his campaign. DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz resigned from her post in the aftermath of the hack.
At a press conference in Florida in July, Donald Trump appeared to encourage Russia to commit a cybercrime against Hillary Clinton, saying he hoped Russian hackers could recover some of her deleted emails.
“Russia, if you’re listening, I hope you’re able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing,” he said. “I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press. Let’s see if that happens.”
If Russia or any other country or person has Hillary Clinton's 33,000 illegally deleted emails, perhaps they should share them with the FBI!
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