Lavrov: "rules-based order" "Totalitarian"

Lavrov made the above comments during his remarks and answers to media questions at a joint news conference following talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs and Exile of the Arab Republic of Egypt Bebash Abdelati, Moscow, September 16, 2024. Similar observations were made by other key members of Team Putin during September. IMO, we’ll be reading that description more often. Let’s look at what Lavrov had to say and then comment further:

Ladies and gentlemen,

We have had detailed and useful talks with my colleague, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Migration of the Arab Republic of Egypt Abdelati.

We expressed satisfaction with the level of traditionally friendly Russian-Egyptian relations. They are progressively developing in accordance with the Treaty on Comprehensive Partnership and Strategic Cooperation, signed by the presidents in Sochi in 2018 and entered into force in 2021 after ratification by parliaments.

The positive dynamics of trade and economic cooperation cannot but be inspiring. At the end of 2023, the volume of bilateral trade amounted to more than $7 billion. This is significantly higher than the previous year. We have a common intention to do everything to ensure that this positive trend is maintained and strengthened.

In this regard, we highly appreciate the activities of the Joint Russian-Egyptian Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation. We noted its important coordinating role in strengthening our multifaceted ties. Earlier this morning, Mr Minister met with Minister of Industry and Trade Anatoly Alikhanov, the new co-chair of the intergovernmental commission from the Russian side.

We reviewed the implementation of major joint investment projects. First of all, this is the El Dabaa nuclear power plant and the creation of the Russian Industrial Zone in Egypt (in the Suez Canal area). We paid considerable attention to issues related to the supply of Russian grain products to the Egyptian market. We noted their stability.

We share the view that Egypt's accession to BRICS in January gave a significant impetus to the development of our partnership, and we discussed preparations for the BRICS summit in Kazan in October and for the association's ministerial meeting at the end of this month in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

We discussed in detail current issues on the international and regional agenda. We have a common intention to continue close coordination at the UN and other multilateral venues.

We paid special attention to discussing the crisis in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict zone in light of the unprecedented escalation of violence in the Gaza Strip. We agree with our Egyptian friends that it is necessary to achieve a ceasefire as soon as possible and to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the population of the enclave.

We noted the importance of continuing collective work without any pauses to create conditions for establishing a political settlement process based on the two-state formula approved by UN resolutions, according to which Palestine and Israel, as two independent and independent states, should coexist with each other in peace and security. That is what will guarantee sustainable peace for the peoples of Palestine and Israel. We highly appreciate the efforts made by Egypt to ensure that such agreements are reached. First of all, I mean the ceasefire. In turn, we are working in the UN Security Council, but so far, due to the well-known position of the United States, it has not been possible to ensure that Israel fulfills the demands put forward by both the mediators and the members of the Security Council.

We discussed in detail the situation in Libya and around it. Like our Egyptian friends, we are committed to the concept of a comprehensive settlement of the crisis based on the principles of sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Libya. We emphasised the need to appoint a new special representative of the UN Secretary-General for Libya as soon as possible. This position has been vacant for too long.

We welcomed the commitment of our Egyptian partners to develop a political dialogue with the Syrian Arab Republic. Cairo's constructive position was of great importance in making the decision to resume Damascus' full membership in the League of Arab States. We hope that the restoration of Syria's natural ties with the regional environment will continue. This process will not only help to overcome the consequences of the long-standing crisis in that country, but will also create additional opportunities for strengthening security and stability in the Middle East as a whole.

There are many other problems in the regions adjacent to the Arab Republic of Egypt that directly affect Egypt's interests. These are Sudan, Somalia, and the Red Sea. We believe that all these problems should be resolved through a direct dialogue between the parties directly involved with the support of neighbouring states.

We reviewed a number of practical issues related to the first ministerial conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum following last year's summit, which was held in St Petersburg in July 2023. A session of the Partnership Forum at the level of foreign ministers will be held in Sochi on November 9-10.

I expressed gratitude to our Egyptian friends for their balanced and constructive position on the situation in and around Ukraine. We exchanged views on how this issue is being discussed in various formats. For our part, we set out our vision of the problems that are emerging now (including in the international community) and our vision of ways to overcome them on the basis of taking into account the legitimate interests of the Russian Federation.

We agreed to continue joint work in all areas of the bilateral agenda and on international and regional affairs.

Question: What steps do Russia and Egypt intend to take to resolve the problem in Palestine?

Sergey Lavrov: In our opening remarks, we mentioned the steps we are taking. Egypt, along with a number of other countries, is trying to find recommendations that will be acceptable to Israel and Hamas.

We welcome any steps aimed at ending the bloodshed as soon as possible and ensuring a sustainable and permanent ceasefire. We are trying to achieve the same in the UN Security Council. We are working in parallel with our Egyptian friends.

The problem is that the U.S. doesn't want to miss out on solutions that would seriously imply what everyone wants: an end to the bloodshed. They vetoed several resolutions promoted by us and by our Arab colleagues and other members of the Security Council. A couple of months ago, in May of this year, the Americans submitted their own draft resolution, which was "murky" and unspecific. But they said it was enough. They say that Israel agrees with this approach - everything will be fine.

We asked for proof. We asked our Israeli colleagues to confirm their agreement with what was written in the US document. Israel refused to do so. We were compelled to abstain on that resolution. Our Arab friends, including Palestine, asked not to use the veto in order to give a chance to the document that the Americans were promoting so much. We abstained and the resolution was adopted. As it was adopted on "blank paper", so it remains so now.

No promises of the United States have been kept. This does not mean that we should stop our efforts. If the mediation, which Egypt is actively engaged in with a number of other Arab countries, leads to a result, then we will only be happy.

In the Security Council, this topic cannot be ignored, because it is the main international problem today. No matter what anyone tries to portray in a different way.

Second. We also agree that as soon as the ceasefire is established, humanitarian supplies must be delivered immediately. Because the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is catastrophic, and the situation in the West Bank is not much better.

Most importantly, in order not to keep this conflict frozen again, it is necessary to force all those who oppose it to comply with the decision of the UN Security Council and General Assembly to create a Palestinian state. This is not an easy task, given the current situation on the ground with a huge number of illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

We cannot deviate from those decisions adopted and supported by the overwhelming majority of the world's states. Those who are used to deciding everything alone will have to sooner or later (preferably early) listen to the voice of all humanity.

Question: What do you think about the latest sanctions that the United States has imposed on Russian media outlets, including RT? How would you comment on US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's call to treat RT as intelligence? This is a serious accusation.

Sergey Lavrov: Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova, and many other officials and politicians have spoken about this. I will not repeat it.

I will only add that George Orwell had a rich imagination and historical foresight. But even he could not imagine what a totalitarian state would look like. He described some of its contours, but failed to penetrate the depths of the totalitarianism that we now see within the framework of the "rules-based order." I have nothing to add. The current leaders in Washington, who suppress any dissent, have "outdone" him. This is totalitarianism in its purest form. McCarthyism, as it turns out, was also "child's play."

I hope that all this is clear to independent observers who are closely watching what is happening in the world and how the United States and its satellites are doing everything possible, impossible and unimaginable, to stop the objective process of forming a multipolar, just and democratic world order. They need democracy only to give instructions to different countries on how to "organize" life. As soon as you tell them, let's discuss the democratisation of international relations, there will be no conversation. "Rules-based order." But all this is doomed. This is obvious to any person. They are historically doomed. The course of history is accelerating.

Question: What does Turkey's desire to join the BRICS mean? What will its possible accession affect?

Sergey Lavrov: It is difficult to explain on behalf of the Turks the reason why they turned to our association. But a few comments are probably appropriate here.

First, there is an objective, historical and unstoppable process of forming a multipolar world order. Second, it is clear that BRICS, with its rapidly growing authority and reputation in all parts of the globe, is becoming one of the locomotives, one of the main creators of a multipolar world order. The number of requests to BRICS to establish relations or join the association has already exceeded 30. These are all well-known countries that play an important role in their respective regions. Probably, the leaders who are thinking about the future of their countries, which is being formed within the framework of this multipolar world order, do not want to lag behind this process.

It is important that within the framework of BRICS, special mechanisms are being developed to increase the role of the BRICS states and their partners in solving problems of global governance, including the reform of the functioning of the Bretton Woods institutions, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, where the acquisition by the BRICS countries and other like-minded countries of the necessary number of votes corresponding to their real economic weight is artificially hampered by the United States and its Allies.

The same is true of the World Trade Organization. Its reform, which will allow the real economic indicators and trading capabilities of each country to be appreciated, is artificially blocked. All this is artificially restrained.

Of course, against this background, many are attracted by the fact that alternative settlement platforms are being developed within the framework of BRICS, which will allow trading, investing, and conducting other economic transactions without experiencing any dependence on those who decided to make a "weapon" out of the dollar and euro. No one wants to be in such a situation. Everyone understands that anyone can be under American and other Western sanctions.

There is a process of "collapse" of the structures that were created at one time within the framework of Western globalisation, when everyone was convinced that eternal values are fair competition, the inviolability of property, the work of free market mechanisms, and that the dollar is the common heritage of mankind.

Now everyone understands that this is not at all true. That it is precisely these levers and mechanisms of globalization, which were promoted primarily by Western countries, that are used in the illegal policy of suppressing competitors by any means in order to try to maintain their hegemony, which is slipping away before the eyes of the whole world.

It seems to me that if we look objectively at the positions of the countries that are turning to the BRICS, if we speak in general terms, then all this becomes important for these countries to determine their future course. [My Emphasis]

Mr. Alikhanov’s responsibilities have dramatically increased since he was promoted from Governor of Kaliningrad earlier this year. I continue to believe he’s one to watch as a potential successor to Putin in 2030.

As Crooke reminded us yet again today in his chat with Judge Napolitano, the Zionists will not cede anything as they want to conclude the Zionist Project that was begun in 1948—to cleanse all Palestinians from what the Zionists believe is their historical homeland. That means no negotiations are going to obtain anything the Global majority wants to see occur in Palestine. At least Lavrov has finally admitted that force must be used against “all those who oppose it to comply with the decision of the UN Security Council and General Assembly to create a Palestinian state.” Crooke confirmed Ansarallah’s use of what it called a hypersonic missile did indeed occur, evaded all Zionist AD systems and caused damage near to Ben Gurion airport. Crooke also provided some basic details as to the political moves Netanyahu is undertaking so he can get on with escalating the war against Hezbollah. No question from Napolitano about the situation in Jordan, but time limited the extent of what he could ask. Crooke again emphasized Biden’s Neocons seem to have no awareness of the Zionists’s goals; and while publicly they say they want to avoid a wider war, they continue to supply the Zionists with as much war material as they need. Even NATO states are opposed to Zionist and Outlaw US Empire actions in Palestine.

As Lavrov astutely noted, it’s the Outlaw US Empire’s attempts to forestall the birth of Multipolarity as ordained by the UN Charter that’s exposed its true nature as a Totalitarian entity that’s clearly violating its own constitution in numerous ways, not just with freedom of speech and assembly. The longstanding war on labor within the Empire that’s been ongoing for about 130 years and the political ideas that accompany labor solidarity is at the root of what was initially described as “Friendly Fascism” and then further refined to be termed “inverted totalitarianism. The initial “spurt” of totalitarian actions occurred during WW1 with the persecution of German-Americans, the #1 non-anglophone ethnic group, via vicious propaganda approved by the Wilson administration, which was then turned onto any socialist-related group during the infamous Palmer Raids and associated Red Scare. That ended rather swiftly with the defeat and withdrawal of the US forces sent to Russia to fight against the Red Army and the return of the R-party to the presidency. But much damage was already done. The clearly unconstitutional Espionage Act of 1917 that remains is a reminder of when the Totalitarian turn within the Outlaw US Empire began. That Julian Assange was also indicted under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act also indicates how the most prying and invasive espionage practicing nation of all time doesn’t like it when the tables are turned and its systems allow information that should never be classified in an actual democracy to be revealed.

Long ago I wrote that all Russia and China need do is tell the truth about what’s actually happening in the world as that would be enough to combat the Outlaw US Empires Propaganda System. And so they have and have been accused of spreading misinformation ever since, which is quite a ripe irony. I highly suggest reading what Larry Johnson’s been subjected to as he documents here. Then there’s the assault on Scott Ritter by the Injustice Dept that he’s fighting. Much will depend on the political freedom of the US court system in these cases. Judge Napolitano has written a short essay at his website about the First Amendment that IMO has great validity. Here’s his conclusion:

​In reading about the Soviet show trial of Daniel and Sinyavsky and the recent indictments of Americans and others for expressing so-called Russian propaganda, my stomach turned. The federal government has become what it once condemned. Just like the Soviets in 1966, it mocks free speech, it assaults basic human rights, it evades the Constitution it is commanded to uphold and now it punishes those who dare to disagree. This may bring it to the same untimely end as the Soviet Union it now emulates. [My Emphasis]

The Judge omits the attack on free speech and press during John Adams’s administration—the Alien & Sedition Acts—and also the attack the Espionage Act contains, but his general historical interpretation is correct. We could also say the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. was an attack on free speech and that was responded to by riots nationwide that might have moved the conscious of Daniel Ellsberg to abscond with and leak what became known as The Pentagon Papers. What we see happening now is censorship being done by what are deemed “private” entities, not the government, despite the mass of evidence showing direct linkage between Google, Meta, Twitter (prior to Musk), and other electronic information sources such as Wikipedia, with the federal government and the D-Party component of the Duopoly. The same sort of censorship has long occurred within businesses that wanted to avoid union organizing attempts. And that intolerance found many friends with almost every presidential administration since the rise of mass industrialization after the US Civil War. Curious readers will want to start with the Great Railroad Strike of 1877, which happened to follow the first deeply disputed election result of 1876. 1877: Year of Violence is one of several books on the topic. The war against labor organizing and speech/press advocating solidarity amongst all workers began in earnest that year, which is to say the rise of fascism within the USA also began then.

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