I'm adding this bit from Zakharova's briefing today:
"Sergey Lavrov's interview with Russian and foreign media
"On December 26 at 11:00 Moscow time, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will answer questions from the Russian and foreign media on current foreign policy issues and the current international agenda.
"I would like to draw your attention to the fact that this is not a replacement for Sergey Lavrov's final news conference, which is usually held in January (we will inform you about it separately). It's just such a format. We received a lot of questions and at the end of the year I want to place the appropriate accents.
"Traditionally, the broadcast will also be carried out on the Foreign Ministry's official resources – on the Foreign Ministry's website and social media accounts with simultaneous translation into English, French and Spanish. Connect. See. A number of Russian media will broadcast this interview on their platforms.
"By the way, one curious detail. In preparing for the interview, we invited various media outlets, including one of the German ones, to take part in it. However, they did not give an answer immediately. They said that they needed to consult with Berlin (with their editorial board or with some other German "structures"). A day later, they replied that the leadership of this German media outlet had banned its correspondent in Moscow from participating in an interactive conversation with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. What do you think was the reason? It was invented simply amazing - the "Christmas agenda". This German channel, which covers international issues, turns out to have no questions about international relations now. Allegedly, everything is dedicated to the holidays. And this is despite the fact that the communication itself from the point of view of Catholic Christmas is supposed to take place already on the post-holiday day. This does not mean that the day can be non-working. The German press is not only not interested in first-hand news from Russia and officials of our country, but they are simply blocked.
"Until recently, in Berlin, German journalists, the German Union of Journalists, and the country's authorities were hysterical about the revocation of the accreditation of one German journalist. Let me remind you that the Russian side revoked the accreditation of this journalist in response to the fact that similar measures were taken against the Russian correspondents of Channel One. Traditionally, they turned everything upside down and began to talk not about Moscow's-for-tat measures, but about the fact that Russia is allegedly behaving aggressively towards German journalists. It is surprising that when mirror measures were taken against this journalist, the German officialdom launched the thesis that Moscow allegedly "hinders the work of the German free press." How does Moscow hinder the work of German journalists, if it is their editorial offices that prohibit their journalists from carrying out their direct functional duties and working on the territory of our country? Where is the freedom of the German press? Where is the independence of German journalists if they are forbidden to do their job?
"In this regard, an applied question arises: if an interview with the head of the foreign ministry of the country of accreditation is not a significant reason for the German media, then what are these journalists doing in Russia at all? Against the backdrop of such a surprising development for the uninitiated and natural for people following the situation, no one in Germany has any right to accuse us of allegedly restricting the activities of German journalists in Russia.
"This is an example of how the activities of a German journalist in Russia were limited to the editorial board of a German media outlet. Whether it was her decision or it was imposed by the German Foreign Ministry or the German special services - let them figure it out for themselves. We have a specific fact: under the pretext of the "Christmas agenda", the editorial office banned a German journalist in Moscow from taking part in a news conference by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. I am referring to the self-censorship of the German media and the self-ban on German journalists from participating in real, live, non-fictional media events in the format of direct communication. This is an example of restricting freedom of speech. This suggests that German journalists are not allowed to take part in such events and hear the truth at all." https://mid.ru/ru/foreign_policy/news/1989140/#%D0%B22
karl... lavrov sounds pissed... not just the plane, but also the ship from a few days ago in the area of spain -both obviously terrorist acts.. the west turns a blind eye to it, because the west has now become the number 1 rogue terrorist country of the planet probably followed by the uk in a close 2nd.... nordstream, and on and on it goes...
Now I don't speak "diplomat" but trying to understand what Lavrov is saying here is:
1 The West has designated Russia as a strategic enemy
2 Ukraine is being used as a proxy to inflict a defeat on Russia
3 This is an existential threat to Russia
4 So Russia will carry on until that threat is removed
5 If the threat can be removed via diplomatic means then Russia is OK with that
6 If it cannot then Russia will remove it using other methods
7 But Russia won't stop and allow the threat to regrow forcing SMO2 or worse
For the incoming Trump administration with its alleged [BS] peace plans, then none put forward so far remotely meet Russia's security needs. So the war will go until the USA walks away or maybe we get WW3. If it was me, Mr T should walk on day 1. But then he doesn't listen to me. Maybe he can do a big deal with Russia that meets its concerns? Looks unlikely but then so was the end of the Cold War. But anyway you look at this, Ukraine is finished in its current position and as a vassal state of the USA and a threat to Russia. And really this has been obvious for years when you think about it.
The message was directed at the Russian audience that the job will continue until finished as Russia requires—no Minsk or other stoppages allowing NATO to try and reconstitute Ukraine’s and its own military. Putin followed that up in answer to a different question about 2025 asked in today’s presser that I’ll publish once the transcript’s complete.
Thanks for posting this on 'our' Christmas Holiday. Insightful and depressing at once. May those responsible for conducting US foreign policy experience karma soon.
I live in the West where the smell of death is palpable ... death of the values that make us human ... ... The ''WEST'' being the 500 year old colonial mindset... that has been spreading death where ever it could reach for 500 years ... it is at last dieing andbut wants to take all of mankind with it.... ... NO WAY ...... NO WAY will we let it do that.... Let us all help it die fast... we shall burn it and bury the ashes. . . . and be done with it.
The air will clear... the waters will clear, the land will clear and our minds will clear... we can breathe again... and get on with the job of living.
The year of the dragon has not left us yet and anything could emerge in the next month. I am thinking it will be an exciting ending leaving a worthy challenge for the year of the snake.
Yes, I read that a few days ago. More to come today with Putin presser and very limited results of the Meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council.
As you say right at the end — nothing but escalations. It is really tragic…….Anyway, thank you for all your great work and discussion! All the best in 2025, even it is hard to say it in this simple manner.
The west's propaganda apparatus will spin variations on their narrative fantasies. I'm hopeful that a real dose of reality hits them in the eye sockets and nether regions, that should muster some attention.
I think this situation will get worse, not better. I see no optimism that NATO will back down, or that there are sufficient sane actors in the west to find a diplomatic solution. In all honesty, I think they believe that they can still win this, that Russia can be balkanized, and that the west's hegemony is a necessity which justifies any and all options.
This is worth a listen. It's quite long, but I think he's right about what 2025 will be - i.e., a lot worse than 2024.
It was attacked by a flock of birds is what the RT article said, I didn't even question that since it is a possible thing . But no one doubt the Ursa Major was blown up, thank you for clarifying. Truth comes out quick these days
yes, I've been reading about it all day. You think it was the Ukrainians ? the last theory I read was that Kazakistan air protection shot it down But I suppose it wasn't even really Ukraine...but NATO in your thinking.
When is Moscow going to give a responce to all of these provocations? Haven't they realised it yet, the only thing the idiots in the West see is Russian weakness?
Do you really want to see a full international war with shipping being sunk everywhere along with the warships accompanying them in convoys? All major arms manufacturing centers in Europe hit repeatedly by Russian missiles, while NATO has nothing but its woeful nukes for response? It does appear NATO has some sort of death wish and is trying hard to make that level of war a reality. Russia would like to keep the conflict confined to Ukraine but will escalate beyond it if provoked to do so.
I'm adding this bit from Zakharova's briefing today:
"Sergey Lavrov's interview with Russian and foreign media
"On December 26 at 11:00 Moscow time, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will answer questions from the Russian and foreign media on current foreign policy issues and the current international agenda.
"I would like to draw your attention to the fact that this is not a replacement for Sergey Lavrov's final news conference, which is usually held in January (we will inform you about it separately). It's just such a format. We received a lot of questions and at the end of the year I want to place the appropriate accents.
"Traditionally, the broadcast will also be carried out on the Foreign Ministry's official resources – on the Foreign Ministry's website and social media accounts with simultaneous translation into English, French and Spanish. Connect. See. A number of Russian media will broadcast this interview on their platforms.
"By the way, one curious detail. In preparing for the interview, we invited various media outlets, including one of the German ones, to take part in it. However, they did not give an answer immediately. They said that they needed to consult with Berlin (with their editorial board or with some other German "structures"). A day later, they replied that the leadership of this German media outlet had banned its correspondent in Moscow from participating in an interactive conversation with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. What do you think was the reason? It was invented simply amazing - the "Christmas agenda". This German channel, which covers international issues, turns out to have no questions about international relations now. Allegedly, everything is dedicated to the holidays. And this is despite the fact that the communication itself from the point of view of Catholic Christmas is supposed to take place already on the post-holiday day. This does not mean that the day can be non-working. The German press is not only not interested in first-hand news from Russia and officials of our country, but they are simply blocked.
"Until recently, in Berlin, German journalists, the German Union of Journalists, and the country's authorities were hysterical about the revocation of the accreditation of one German journalist. Let me remind you that the Russian side revoked the accreditation of this journalist in response to the fact that similar measures were taken against the Russian correspondents of Channel One. Traditionally, they turned everything upside down and began to talk not about Moscow's-for-tat measures, but about the fact that Russia is allegedly behaving aggressively towards German journalists. It is surprising that when mirror measures were taken against this journalist, the German officialdom launched the thesis that Moscow allegedly "hinders the work of the German free press." How does Moscow hinder the work of German journalists, if it is their editorial offices that prohibit their journalists from carrying out their direct functional duties and working on the territory of our country? Where is the freedom of the German press? Where is the independence of German journalists if they are forbidden to do their job?
"In this regard, an applied question arises: if an interview with the head of the foreign ministry of the country of accreditation is not a significant reason for the German media, then what are these journalists doing in Russia at all? Against the backdrop of such a surprising development for the uninitiated and natural for people following the situation, no one in Germany has any right to accuse us of allegedly restricting the activities of German journalists in Russia.
"This is an example of how the activities of a German journalist in Russia were limited to the editorial board of a German media outlet. Whether it was her decision or it was imposed by the German Foreign Ministry or the German special services - let them figure it out for themselves. We have a specific fact: under the pretext of the "Christmas agenda", the editorial office banned a German journalist in Moscow from taking part in a news conference by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. I am referring to the self-censorship of the German media and the self-ban on German journalists from participating in real, live, non-fictional media events in the format of direct communication. This is an example of restricting freedom of speech. This suggests that German journalists are not allowed to take part in such events and hear the truth at all." https://mid.ru/ru/foreign_policy/news/1989140/#%D0%B22
i wonder if the german journalists are going to have a problem with this? lol... or are they allowed to ask any questions of their gov't??
karl... lavrov sounds pissed... not just the plane, but also the ship from a few days ago in the area of spain -both obviously terrorist acts.. the west turns a blind eye to it, because the west has now become the number 1 rogue terrorist country of the planet probably followed by the uk in a close 2nd.... nordstream, and on and on it goes...
Now I don't speak "diplomat" but trying to understand what Lavrov is saying here is:
1 The West has designated Russia as a strategic enemy
2 Ukraine is being used as a proxy to inflict a defeat on Russia
3 This is an existential threat to Russia
4 So Russia will carry on until that threat is removed
5 If the threat can be removed via diplomatic means then Russia is OK with that
6 If it cannot then Russia will remove it using other methods
7 But Russia won't stop and allow the threat to regrow forcing SMO2 or worse
For the incoming Trump administration with its alleged [BS] peace plans, then none put forward so far remotely meet Russia's security needs. So the war will go until the USA walks away or maybe we get WW3. If it was me, Mr T should walk on day 1. But then he doesn't listen to me. Maybe he can do a big deal with Russia that meets its concerns? Looks unlikely but then so was the end of the Cold War. But anyway you look at this, Ukraine is finished in its current position and as a vassal state of the USA and a threat to Russia. And really this has been obvious for years when you think about it.
The message was directed at the Russian audience that the job will continue until finished as Russia requires—no Minsk or other stoppages allowing NATO to try and reconstitute Ukraine’s and its own military. Putin followed that up in answer to a different question about 2025 asked in today’s presser that I’ll publish once the transcript’s complete.
Thanks for posting this on 'our' Christmas Holiday. Insightful and depressing at once. May those responsible for conducting US foreign policy experience karma soon.
I live in the West where the smell of death is palpable ... death of the values that make us human ... ... The ''WEST'' being the 500 year old colonial mindset... that has been spreading death where ever it could reach for 500 years ... it is at last dieing andbut wants to take all of mankind with it.... ... NO WAY ...... NO WAY will we let it do that.... Let us all help it die fast... we shall burn it and bury the ashes. . . . and be done with it.
The air will clear... the waters will clear, the land will clear and our minds will clear... we can breathe again... and get on with the job of living.
Thank you Karl. It is a worthy task to puzzle through the Syrian Challenge game and Indian Punchline has an interesting contribution as well> https://www.indianpunchline.com/putin-weighs-in-on-the-syrian-situation/
The year of the dragon has not left us yet and anything could emerge in the next month. I am thinking it will be an exciting ending leaving a worthy challenge for the year of the snake.
Yes, I read that a few days ago. More to come today with Putin presser and very limited results of the Meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council.
As you say right at the end — nothing but escalations. It is really tragic…….Anyway, thank you for all your great work and discussion! All the best in 2025, even it is hard to say it in this simple manner.
The west's propaganda apparatus will spin variations on their narrative fantasies. I'm hopeful that a real dose of reality hits them in the eye sockets and nether regions, that should muster some attention.
I think this situation will get worse, not better. I see no optimism that NATO will back down, or that there are sufficient sane actors in the west to find a diplomatic solution. In all honesty, I think they believe that they can still win this, that Russia can be balkanized, and that the west's hegemony is a necessity which justifies any and all options.
This is worth a listen. It's quite long, but I think he's right about what 2025 will be - i.e., a lot worse than 2024.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFYpPrBtB8Y
are you talking about the plane crash here ? I mean at the very end - your comment at the end
Yes, it was bombed.
It was attacked by a flock of birds is what the RT article said, I didn't even question that since it is a possible thing . But no one doubt the Ursa Major was blown up, thank you for clarifying. Truth comes out quick these days
It was bombed. The video posted here and witness testimony prove so, https://www.blogger.com/profile/09006510168168626923
The pilots are heroes for landing the plane.
yes, I've been reading about it all day. You think it was the Ukrainians ? the last theory I read was that Kazakistan air protection shot it down But I suppose it wasn't even really Ukraine...but NATO in your thinking.
When is Moscow going to give a responce to all of these provocations? Haven't they realised it yet, the only thing the idiots in the West see is Russian weakness?
Do you really want to see a full international war with shipping being sunk everywhere along with the warships accompanying them in convoys? All major arms manufacturing centers in Europe hit repeatedly by Russian missiles, while NATO has nothing but its woeful nukes for response? It does appear NATO has some sort of death wish and is trying hard to make that level of war a reality. Russia would like to keep the conflict confined to Ukraine but will escalate beyond it if provoked to do so.