BRICS+ Nizhny Novgorod Day Two: Remarks and Presser

Lavrov as Star. Joint Statement to follow

Today saw the conclusion of the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the BRICS countries and the Global South and East, the publication of the Joint Statement, and we’ll begin our report with Lavrov's remarks at an expanded BRICS session with the participation of foreign ministers from the Global South and East. There’s lots to cover and Lavrov’s remarks will act as a preamble:

Dear Colleagues,

Friends

We are starting our meeting in an expanded format, in the BRICS Plus/BRICS Outreach format.

It is a pleasure to welcome you all to Russia, to Nizhny Novgorod, to this beautiful city, the beauty of which and the feelings of its inhabitants you could see yesterday.

Today's meeting reflects the course of the BRICS members to develop ties with interested countries of the Global South and East, the countries of the World Majority in order to find ways to solve the most pressing global problems faced by all members of the international community without exception.

We are witnessing a profound transformation of international relations associated with the formation of a more just, polycentric world order that would reflect the entire palette of cultural and civilisational diversity of the modern world and ensure the right of each nation to determine its own destiny and its own path of development.

The main trend was the strengthening of the voice of the World Majority – states outside the "collective West": in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and the Caribbean. Only by closing ranks can we truly effectively advance the vision of a just future that we all share. In this context, it is important to strengthen the role of interstate associations that advocate balanced, equitable approaches to international development. We are talking about formats in which the principles of equal cooperation are implemented in deeds, not in words. Among them, along with BRICS, are the SCO, the African Union, the EAEU, the CIS, ASEAN, the Arab League, CELAC, the GCC, the ARSIO and many other associations. Today, the current chairmen of many of these associations are represented in this hall.

We believe it is important to establish contacts between all such integration structures operating at the regional level, on the one hand, and our global BRICS association, on the other. This will help to gradually and mutually respectfully harmonise approaches to the problems on the agenda of all associations.

The task of strengthening the international legal framework and collective principles in decision-making on global issues is coming to the fore. Only then will these decisions be effective and legitimate. That is the principle enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations. But, unfortunately, the decisions made by the "collective West", especially in the field of economy, finance, trade and more, are increasingly not in line with the basic principles of the UN Charter.

Our states have largely consonant approaches to reforming the system of multilateral institutions, including the UN and its Security Council, as well as to the post-pandemic recovery of the global economy and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals approved by the UN General Assembly. We hope that today we will be able to discuss all these issues. [My Emphasis]

We’ll now move on to Lavrov’s remarks and the presser that follows:

Ladies and gentlemen,

We have just completed the work that lasted two days. Yesterday, the BRICS members met, and today we continued our discussions with the invited states that are not yet members of BRICS. They expressed a steady interest in developing ties with this association. In addition to the ten BRICS members, 12 more Global Majority countries representing Asia, Africa and Latin America worked with us today.

We discussed the most pressing international problems and challenges facing all countries. We analysed the current international situation and the role of the World Majority in shaping the international agenda. As part of the BRICS discussions with the participation of invited countries, all delegations spoke in favor of the need to reform the existing system of global governance with an emphasis on increasing the role of the countries of the Global South. The need for collective efforts to achieve the goals of sustainable development, security and economic growth was noted.

Most delegations stressed the destructive nature of the selfish policy of trade protectionism pursued by the United States of America and its allies. There has been very little donor funding for development. These figures are in stark contrast to the allocation of hundreds of billions of dollars and euros to the Kyiv regime to continue the war against the Russian Federation, which the West has been preparing for many years and is now trying, as it claims, to defeat us on the battlefield. Such sentiments are not supported by any of the BRICS members and countries that cooperate with this association.

One of the negative factors undermining the right of states to development is the unilateral restrictive measures and illegitimate sanctions of the West, which Western countries are actively introducing into their international arsenal. In an attempt to maintain their dominance (everyone is convinced of this), the United States and its allies are undermining the international financial and economic architecture, grossly abusing the role of the dollar and Western financial markets, and using essentially neocolonial and unscrupulous methods.

We paid special attention to discussing security issues at the global level and countering new challenges and threats, primarily terrorism, drug trafficking and organised crime. Crisis situations are considered, in particular, in Europe, in the Middle East, in Africa and Eurasia.

All participants without exception paid special attention to the tragic situation in the Gaza Strip, where 37,000 civilians have already been killed and about 100,000 have been injured. The operation continues, bringing more and more victims among innocent people every day. We emphasised that there is no alternative to consistent efforts to support the formation of a multipolar world order based on the sovereign equality of states, as required by the UN Charter, and an equal interstate dialogue without a hidden agenda in order to find collective answers to the challenges facing the world.

We share the view that BRICS should play a proactive role in these processes. Let me remind you that the association is more than a third of the world's area, 45% of the world's population. In terms of GDP, BRICS has already surpassed the G7 – in 2023, when there were only five members of the association, the GDP indicator for the countries of the association was more than 32% of the global total.

Everyone knows the facts that confirm that the BRICS countries are in many ways the locomotive of the world economy – according to various sources, this year the average economic growth rates of the BRICS countries continue to significantly exceed the global economic growth rates.

The Russian presidency has planned about 200 events. Of these, about 70 have already taken place. Including in such priority areas as nuclear medicine, climate, sustainable development, peaceful space exploration and a number of others. The BRICS International Film Festival was held in April this year, the Academic Forum was held in May this year, and a meeting of the Ministers of Education opens today. Tomorrow we will start the BRICS Sports Games in Kazan. These are just some of the events that we are holding as part of our chairmanship.

In accordance with the agreements of the BRICS summit. in Johannesburg in 2023, a review of the work on the harmonization of modalities for the new category of "BRICS partner countries" was introduced. I would like to note that the number of states interested in joining our work is growing steadily and has already approached three dozen. All our friends in the association understand that such a request cannot remain without a positive response. We will continue to work in this direction. We will prepare relevant recommendations for our summit, which will be held in Kazan on October 22-24, 2024.

Following the BRICS meeting, which took place yesterday, a capacious detailed joint statement was adopted, which reflects the approaches of the BRICS countries on topical issues on the international agenda, in the spirit of the assessments I outlined above. The work already in an expanded format (I am very satisfied with this) went smoothly. Everyone was guided by consensus even on the most difficult issues that are reflected in the text.

I recommend that all representatives of the media pay due attention to the joint statement in your reports from Nizhny Novgorod and in the subsequent analysis of the final work.

I am ready to answer your questions, but before we start the interactive part of our meeting, I would like to once again express my gratitude to the leadership of the Nizhny Novgorod Region and the city of Nizhny Novgorod, as well as personally to the Governor of the Nizhny Novgorod Region for the warm welcome and assistance in the excellent organization of the event. Everyone noted this moment in their speeches today.

Question: Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, speaking in Baku at Baku Energy Week (it should be noted that it was a very vivid speech), said that in view of all the existing conflicts in the world, blocs that are opposite to each other are being created again. Earlier we talked about hegemony, from which the world is moving away, but it is moving from unipolarity to bipolarity. Or is it still possible today? What needs to be done to preserve the principle of multipolarity, including in BRICS?

Sergey Lavrov: Multipolarity is not something that depends on the desire of a state or a group of states. Multipolarity, polycentricity (we call it differently) is an objectively developing historical process that cannot be stopped. Although the West is trying by hook or by crook to slow it down in order to prolong its hegemony, which is proclaimed as the main goal of the United States of America and its allies. They did not hesitate to say that the world order, in which the leading role belongs to the Americans, NATO and the European Union, cannot be allowed. This is a frankly neocolonial mentality. It is manifested in all the actions of the "collective West". It is he who is trying to divide the world into various blocks. Remember, for several years now, the Americans have been convening special summits for democracy, where they personally appointed participants and sent them invitations. There was only one criterion for receiving an invitation – loyalty to the United States and, above all, to the Democratic administration of Joe Biden. All the others were characterized as autocracies. From the same series of divisions into blocks, the infamous statements of the head of EU diplomacy Josep Borrell that Europe is a blooming garden surrounded by jungles. Let's not forget the statements of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who said that those who do not want to be at the democratic table, that is, who do not make a choice in favour of democratic values, risk getting into the "menu" that is served at this democratic table. It is difficult to even think of more racist neo-colonialist statements. Therefore, it is not BRICS that is engaged in isolation from the rest of the world. On the contrary, the association objectively developed as a group of countries interested in justice in the international arena.

BRICS does not claim to be a pole. In their polycentric world, there will be much more. Today we talked about the integration processes that are developing primarily in Eurasia, as the fastest growing continent. These are the SCO, the EAEU, ASEAN, THE GCC, THE CIS and a number of other integration associations. They establish links with each other and begin to harmonize their actions on coinciding agendas.

We see similar processes on the African continent, where the African Union is gaining more and more powers in organizing the life of the continent and the member countries. In Latin America, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) is getting a second wind. Especially given the active and proactive role of President of Brazil Lula da Silva. There are also a number of subregional integration structures there. These associations want to rely more on their own strength, do not want to depend on the whims and double standards used by the West within the framework of the global architecture that has been established for many decades – these are the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the World Trade Organization. All these mechanisms began to be crudely used by the West to promote its selfish goals, applying double standards. Everyone wants not to become dependent on this mechanism, which is run by the Americans. They grossly abuse it, imposing sanctions, threatening the disobedient, forcing everyone to join the illegal sanctions and much more. The processes of globalization, which, it would seem, united the world not so long ago, are now fragmenting into regional processes that make it possible to protect and secure the participating countries in their trade, economic, financial, and investment projects from arbitrariness and negative, subversive interference from outside.

This process is objective. BRICS, which includes countries of all regions of the world majority, has every opportunity to help these regional integration associations build their projects and programs, gradually harmonizing their work. At the global level, our association may well play the role of such a soft integrator, not dictating any of its approaches, but striving to unite natural projects and procedures in different parts of the world. This does not mean that the BRICS and the above-mentioned regional integration structures are somehow isolated from the West. We still have the opportunity to communicate within the framework of the UN. Although even there, the Americans and their allies are trying in every possible way to replace collective work with certain ideas that they formulate to their circles, and then try to impose them through the secretariats of international organizations that are heavily dependent on them. But I repeat, there is a platform. In case the West realizes that its efforts to maintain hegemony by means of blackmail, illegal sanctions, ultimatums and even military force are doomed to failure. I hope that this will happen someday, although I do not expect it soon. But if this happens and the West realises the need for an equal dialogue with the rest of the world, I assure you that the BRICS members and other countries of the world majority will be ready for this. Of course, it will be necessary to agree on the conditions under which this dialogue will have to be conducted. There is no need to invent anything. There is the UN Charter, which says that the United Nations is based on the principle of the sovereign equality of states. Only this will allow the West to become a respectable member of the world community. In the meantime, those who are ready for equal work do it in their own circle.

Question (retranslated from English): There have been reports that Russia and Iran have suspended work on a comprehensive cooperation agreement. We know that the Iranian authorities have confirmed that Russian-Iranian relations will not change. The Iranian president has done everything he can to strengthen these relations. Could you comment on this?

Sergey Lavrov: As for the work on the state agreement on cooperation between the Russian Federation and the Islamic Republic of Iran, it has not yet been signed. Although the text is fully agreed. But in order for this agreement to be submitted for approval by the presidents and signed by the Islamic Republic of Iran, it is necessary to carry out a number of procedural and legislative actions on the issues that have already been fixed in the treaty. These actions have not yet been completed.

At a meeting with Acting Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran Ali Bagheri, we reaffirmed our commitment to this document, which is designed to bring relations between Russia and Iran to a qualitatively new level. We will be able to do this as soon as the above-mentioned procedural issues are resolved on the side of our Iranian colleagues.

Question (retranslated from English): You mentioned Palestine and international security. Can the BRICS group strengthen international security and stop the war in the Gaza Strip? You noted that more than 37,000 Palestinians have died as a result of this conflict. This is the most serious security threat in the world.

Sergey Lavrov: I have already said in my opening remarks that the tragedies in the Gaza Strip paid special attention to the discussion of international problems. Immediately after October 7, 2023, after the terrorist attack that we condemned, we also condemned the methods that Israel began to use in response to Hamas's actions. These methods are unacceptable.

You cited the figure of 37,000 dead Palestinians, more than half of them women and children. About 100 thousand were injured. Of course, this is unacceptable.

We believe that this operation must be stopped immediately. There must be a ceasefire, an urgent solution to the gravest humanitarian problems, and then, without any pauses or delays, it is imperative to proceed to the implementation of UN decisions on the creation of a Palestinian state that would coexist in peace and security with Israel and its other neighbours.

Russia was the first to propose a corresponding resolution to the UN Security Council in October 2023. Similar attempts were made by Arab and African countries. All of these attempts have been blocked, except for one, when at least a resolution calling for a ceasefire for the holy month of Ramadan was adopted. The Americans did not use the right of veto at that time. But having missed this resolution, they said that it was not binding.

Just yesterday, the Security Council adopted another resolution. The Americans proposed its project. It claimed that an agreement had been reached between Hamas and Israel to declare a ceasefire at the first stage for a period of time and to accompany this ceasefire with the surrender of hostages in exchange for Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. Then the second stage, etc., to solve humanitarian problems.

We tried to get confirmation that such an agreement exists. We were told that the resolution says that Hamas and Israel agree. But in the UN Security Council, when this resolution was adopted, the Israeli delegation did not mention anything in its speech that some kind of agreement exists. The Israeli delegate said that Israel would not participate in endless and meaningless negotiations and the goal set by the prime minister to completely destroy Hamas remained unchanged. This is a sad development of events.

Yesterday and today, the BRICS countries unanimously came out in favor of immediately influencing Israel, stopping the bloodshed, which is already taking super-tragic forms. This position remains valid. The international community must use all the political and legal tools that we have at our disposal to achieve this goal.

Q: At yesterday's meeting, Mr Wang Yi called BRICS a "big golden brick" if translated into Russian literally. We see how the West often "throws bricks" at the developing centers of the future multipolar world and builds sanctions "walls" out of bricks. At the same time, there are common interests between our countries and the West, especially when it comes to solving issues of a global scale. How can we build a "bridge" from our bricks so that Western countries can meet us halfway towards cooperation?

Sergey Lavrov: I think you know very well that it is not us who are fencing ourselves off from the West, we are not building walls (not only figuratively, but also literally), as is now happening on the borders with the Russian Federation by a number of members of the North Atlantic Alliance. We are not dividing the world into blocs (I have already touched on this topic), we are not declaring that those who disagree with us will be punished. All this is happening at the initiative of our Western colleagues.

I will not repeat myself, this is now part of their genetic code. After 500 years of domination in the world, after a long period when they showed complete disrespect for the great civilisations that existed before the West began to rule the globe (I mean the Ottoman, Chinese, Indian and Arab civilisations in the broad sense of the word), our Western colleagues do not want to build any bridges. They use bricks only to build walls, as you said, and also to try to hit those who do not obey them on the head.

I have already said that we are not closing ourselves off from the West. But he must understand that nothing will come of the way he behaves except the continuation of confrontation. Processes are now underway within the framework of BRICS and other integration associations that will protect the rest of the world from the outrages and aggression of the Western masters of the international market.

Together with the People's Republic of China, we built a bridge across the Amur River. We are our half, and they are their half. But in order to start building, the same process must go from the other side. And to build your half in the expectation that someday it will be useful to someone, I think, is not a very productive use of physical and mental strength.

The West has built a "wall" between itself and the rest of the world. If he wants, let him "knock her down", explain to us on what conditions he is ready to return to the civilized world and to civilized communication. We'll see.

Question: What is Moscow's reaction to Israel's latest operation to free hostages in the Nuseirat camp in the Gaza Strip, which killed at least 250 Palestinians?

Is Russia preparing new proposals to resolve the situation in the Middle East? You recently said that a meeting with five Arab colleagues in Moscow is being prepared in the near future.

Sergey Lavrov: As for the first part of the question. Just as we reacted to the terrorist attack on October 7, 2023 and the methods that Israel began to use in response. I consider it unacceptable when hundreds of other people who are not guilty of anything are sacrificed for the sake of saving people.

The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, and Jordan participated in negotiations on the release of hostages in various formats. We have also been involved in this work. Moreover, they took care not only for Russian citizens, but also for citizens of other countries. These efforts have yielded some results. This group of mediators between Hamas and Israel is perhaps better than anyone else to understand the challenges that remain in order to resolve the situation peacefully.

Our position has been stated repeatedly, including in draft UN Security Council resolutions: an immediate and indefinite ceasefire, the release of all hostages and all Palestinians held in Israel, the resolution of urgent humanitarian tasks and the mandatory resumption of negotiations on the creation of a Palestinian state.

We held an intra-Palestinian meeting in Moscow. We did this repeatedly. The last time it was held in late February and early March of this year, all Palestinian factions, including Hamas and Fatah, were present. For the first time, an event of this kind ended with the adoption of a joint statement in which everyone, including Hamas, expressed their readiness to unite the Palestinian ranks on the basis of the platform of the Palestine Liberation Organization. Previously, it was not possible to achieve this.

The objective of our initiatives to restore Palestinian unity is that only a united Palestine can be a partner in negotiations aimed at achieving the maximum desired outcome. As long as the Palestinians are divided, this is unlikely to work. Now, without any Palestinians, they are beginning to think about what to do with the Gaza Strip next: either to establish some kind of protectorate of Arab countries, or to introduce some kind of peacekeeping force, or to artificially declare that these will be territories governed by the Palestinian National Authority. These are all initiatives that are imposed by external players. The Palestinians themselves, still in a fragmented state, depend on various external sponsors.

Our idea was to gather all external sponsors, all countries that in one way or another influence, finance and help various Palestinian factions and agree that there would be no disagreements between these external players and that they would unite and call on the Palestinians not to play on the existing nuances in the position of external players, in order to speak with a single voice at the talks and seek recognition of their legitimate rights in the UN.

We are still ready to do this work. But now all efforts are made to stop the tragedy. Once this happens, the most important component of our long-term policy in this area will be to support the movement for the creation of a Palestinian state in full compliance with UN resolutions.

Question: You said earlier that Moscow sees NATO countries' nuclear weapons as a single arsenal aimed at the Russian Federation. Is it possible to imagine a situation where the West would have to take into account the joint nuclear potential of Russia, China and North Korea?

Sergey Lavrov: At certain stages, the United States, having undermined all the basic prerequisites that made it possible to conclude the Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms, wanted to convince us that the war it is waging against the Russian Federation by the hands of the Ukrainians should not prevent the resumption of dialogue on strategic stability.

Among other arguments that we gave to our American colleagues, explaining that this is impossible in conditions when Russia has been declared the goal of the entire North Atlantic Alliance, an enemy that needs to inflict a strategic defeat "on the battlefield", we said that after the entire North Atlantic Treaty Organization united against us in a single impulse, when it comes to resuming talks about strategic stability, we will not be able to ignore the nuclear arsenals of France and Britain, which are in the forefront of NATO members in anti-Russian actions.

As for the arsenals of the People's Republic of China, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the strategic arsenals of the Russian Federation, we are in no way united in an alliance. We are united only by the fact that all three countries have been declared the targets of the aggressive policy of the United States and its allies. There is nothing to say about Russia. We see how the situation around Taiwan in the South China Sea is escalating, how China is literally being provoked to make sudden movements on the Korean Peninsula.

We see the formation of an alliance between the United States, South Korea and Japan. They are conducting exercises, including increasingly introducing nuclear components into these maneuvers. The situations are not identical. But the fact that we are categorically against playing nuclear provocations and the nuclear card – this was convincingly stated by President Vladimir Putin in his speech at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum.

Question: In what context was Ukraine discussed at the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers? You have already noted the organization of the event here, in the capital of the Volga region – what did you manage to see and appreciate in addition to the business program? Our region has strong and warm relations with the BRICS countries in the framework of trade relations and, of course, social and humanitarian contacts. The request of all Nizhny Novgorod residents is to come to us more often, please.

Sergey Lavrov: As for what you have seen in addition to the business programme, you are so tempted that you cannot tell about everything. Amazing city, people. Wherever we are on the streets, on the embankments, there is such a friendly and hospitable atmosphere that all our foreign guests without exception fell in love with the city, with its people, with its beauty and with the way you keep this city in an increasingly attractive condition.

We talked a lot with the Governor of the Nizhny Novgorod Region, Gennady Nikitin. You can see how much he literally lives this city and region, how much he and his team do to ensure that both the region and the city prosper.

In the final communiqué regarding Ukraine, all participants reaffirmed their positions, stated, in particular, during the discussion of the relevant topics in the Security Council at the UN General Assembly. That's all it says. In their speeches, some countries (not the majority) mentioned Ukraine solely with regard to the need to move away from any unilateral initiatives and promote a settlement not by convening "get-togethers", which will open in Switzerland in the coming days. There, as a basis for discussion, there is no alternative to the completely empty and worthless, dead-end "Vladimir Zelensky's peace formula."

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Brazilian Foreign Minister Manuel Vieira said that it was important to look for a new basis for promoting a settlement. A framework that will be acceptable to the parties involved. It is clear that the Zelensky regime will not do anything without the permission of the United States. He simply has no right to do so.

We talked about this at bilateral meetings with our Chinese and Brazilian colleagues. We appreciate the initiatives put forward at different times by the People's Republic of China, Brazil, the Republic of South Africa and the League of Arab States. A special delegation from the League of Arab States visited us shortly after the start of the special military operation. We see these initiatives as a sincere manifestation of goodwill and a desire to help find just ways to a settlement.

I have already noted that China's proposals, which were formulated jointly by China and Brazil last year, rightly focus on the need to look at the root causes of the deep security crisis in the Euro-Atlantic region and to address these causes above all. The unacceptability of dividing the world into blocs is also emphasized, recalling the first question of today's press conference. Neither political nor economic blocs will bring anything good. The Chinese proposals, on the other hand, emphasize the need to find a solution based on the implementation of the principle of indivisible security of all parties concerned.

We are often called upon (including by our colleagues from Asia, Africa and Latin America) to negotiate. President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly commented on this topic. We were not just ready for the talks, we completed them in April 2022 in Istanbul. A document has already been initialed that allows the end of hostilities. As you know, the Ukrainian participants themselves admitted that they were forbidden to do this by the British, Americans and other puppeteers. Let's call a spade a spade.

But I would like to ask those who are now trying to promote some initiatives to start negotiation processes to pay attention to two key circumstances. First, in September 2022, Vladimir Zelensky signed an executive order prohibiting all Ukrainian officials from holding talks with Vladimir Putin's government. In early May, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine made an official statement that Ukraine does not recognise Vladimir Putin as a democratically elected legitimate president. Secondly, those who promote initiatives, say the right things about the indivisibility of security, the inadmissibility of creating blocs and the need to understand the root causes, should nevertheless, when developing their approaches, fully take into account the fact that the Russian language is completely banned in Ukraine by law, in gross violation of all conceivable international conventions on the rights of national minorities. The Russian language is banned in the field of education, in the media, in culture and simply in everyday communication. There, for contacting the seller or the waiter in Russian, you can get into big trouble.

Another point that echoes what has just been said is the legislative consolidation and practical implementation of the theory and practice of Nazism, outright Nazism, including the glorification of those who were sentenced by the Nuremberg Tribunal.

Our comrades in different countries wholeheartedly propose to start negotiation processes, just stop hostilities and start talking. Is the demand to respect the rights of any national minority, especially one as large as the Russians in Ukraine, some kind of artificial precondition? I don't think so. It is necessary to return the Ukrainian regime to the legal framework in which all other responsible and decent members of the international community live. We have also talked about this, and President Vladimir Putin has touched on this topic more than once.

I think that it is wrong to just leave this situation and sit down at the negotiating table, as if nothing had happened. Moreover, no one in the West (we had some unadvertised contacts) wants to notice this Nazi, Russophobic effect and the order that this regime creates. Moreover, the West not only does not want to notice this, but it directly encourages the preservation of this very nature of the Ukrainian state in order to further use the Kiev regime in the war against Russia.

In fact, the goal is the same as that of Adolf Hitler, and before that of Napoleon – to gather all of Europe and defeat the Russian people and state accordingly. Yesterday I read an interesting idea. Mr. John Kirby, Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the White House National Security Council, said in an interview the other day that President Joe Biden made it clear that they will do everything to ensure that Ukraine has the necessary capabilities to defend itself. Next, the most important thing is that the United States does not seek a third world war. This would have dire consequences for the European continent.

Here is the answer to the question of how the United States feels about Europe. They are sure that if they provoke a nuclear war (which they are actively doing), then only Europe will suffer. As always, as in the First World War and in the Second World War, they will continue to win. This is the philosophy and mentality of those who now determine the policy of the United States, and therefore those who lead Ukraine. [My Emphasis]

The 54 Point Joint Declaration will require a separate posting. Someone needs to ask Lavrov the following question: Since 77% of Zionists agree that genocide is required so they can continue their eschatological project and almost one million such zealots illegally occupy the West Bank in such a way as to prevent any attempt at the Two State Solution, how will it be possible to halt the carnage in Gaza and the Zionist’s genocidal project and also remove the million zealots from the West Bank without using force to do so—why is that reality so hard to accept? Isn’t the prevention of genocide one of those parts of the “international legal framework” that needs to be “strengthened”? One of the grounds cited by Russia for its SMO was preventing the genocide of the Russian speakers within Ukraine; isn’t it a double standard not to recognize what’s being done to Palestinians whose very right to exist is being threatened, not just their loss of language rights? Yes, Russia and BRICS+ as a whole are correct to see and say the Imperialists will continue their ways until they are forced to stop by history’s inevitability, but the Zionists clearly refuse to conform to any norms of Humanity and are zealous to negate any sort of historic inevitability. In other words, their behavior makes Zionists something other than human, just like Nazis are something other than human.

As for the formation of Blocs, IMO that cannot be avoided as long as the Outlaw US Empire wants to remain outside of Humanity like its Zionist kin. The main difference now versus Cold War 1.0 will be the absence of a Non-Aligned Bloc since the Global Majority will consist of one Bloc, which means an Us versus Them ethos will arise, although the Global Majority will continue to openly invite members of the NATO Bloc to secede and join.

It should also be noted that all of the so-called additional “security issues at the global level and countering new challenges and threats, primarily terrorism, drug trafficking and organised crime” are all connected in the final analysis to the Imperialist Bloc.

I’d say there’re two concepts of globalization, the first being directly connected to the Age of Conquest, Plunder & Colonization that can be lumped together under the recently coined rubrics Globalism and Globalists; while the second is the still developing post-WW2 emergence of individual nations from the dominance of the prior Age that are now busy formulating the new Age of Multipolarity or Polycentricity or Multilateralism based on the tenets espoused by the UN Charter and related documents like the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Genocide Convention. Clearly, the need for the Just portion of this new Age must be enacted ASAP to halt the Imperialist’s predations.

As for a Third World War beyond the Hybrid one already in full flight, only Eschatological Zealots favor such a course and the vast majority of those lack the power to ignite one. The current crop of Exceptionalists will die with Humanity’s task being to keep a new generation from arising, and that means the need to refute and abandon all exceptionalist philosophies—an extremely tall task as some have become very deeply entrenched within cultures.

*
*
*
Like what you’ve been reading at Karlof1’s Substack? Then please consider subscribing and choosing to make a monthly/yearly pledge to enable my efforts in this challenging realm. Thank You!