Politics
Wednesday 10 January 2018
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The recent decision by the Japanese government to deploy the U.S. Aegis Ashore ABM [missile defense systems] on its territory causes a deep regret and a grave concern. Whichever arguments and motivations it invokes, … the deployment … represents yet another step in the creation of a full-fledged Asia-Pacific component of the U.S. global ABM [system] … the mentioned systems are equipped with versatile missile launchers also capable of using offensive equipment [missiles]. In practice, this will represent yet another violation of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty by the Americans with Japan’s practical assistance.
The missile defense system does not violate U.S. treaty obligations or undermine Russia’s nuclear deterrent. In fact, it is a meant to bolster regional security in response to the North Korean nuclear and missile threat. Japan is also not a party to the treaty and thus cannot violate it. -
“The appearance of a Boris Nemtsov plaza in Washington is interference in Russia’s internal affairs.”
The names that the Council of the District of Colombia, the legislative branch of the local government of the U.S. capital, chooses for it streets is the council’s constitutional right and the city’s own business. In no way does it violate diplomatic protocols or constitute interference in any foreign country’s internal affairs. -
“Brussels surely understands that replacing the Russian pipeline gas with American LNG does not increase, but reduces the energy security of the EU.”
American supplies of liquefied natural gas challenge Russia’s domination of Europe’s energy market, reduces European dependence on Russian supplies and expands the EU’s energy options, promoting fair competition and potentially leading to lower prices. -
“Do not forget to mention
- USSR & US were allies
- Baltic states were dictatorships
Hopefully historian Richie will tell how Lithuania received its capital in 1939, about Holocaust in t/ Baltics, Nordic Waffen SS volunteers”
While the Embassy press secretary’s tweet included factual information, it also leaves out key context. -
“Russia does not interfere in the domestic affairs of foreign states. Iran is a sovereign state, they have their own legitimate government, and we in such instances act the same way practically everywhere. As I told you, Russia does not interfere in the domestic affairs of sovereign states.”
A senior Russian legislator claimed not only that Russia is not interfering in the current situation in Iran, but also has not ever interfered in any foreign state’s domestic affairs. Based on evidence, the second claim is completely false, while the first claim cannot be yet be assessed, with circumstantial evidence suggesting it is false. -
"Our elections are being interfered in constantly, and our president has repeatedly cited specific examples. The U.S. Embassy is engaged in this, including through the participation of its diplomats in rallies of opposition parties, including non-systemic ones.”
Lavrov gave no concrete examples of U.S. diplomats attending political rallies in Russia, and even if they attended, this cannot be considered political meddling. -
“About eight months ago, they [the U.S.-led coalition] also started to inform, to provide a summary [about airstrikes in Syria]. Of course, the difference is fundamental. They [do it] from time to time, but we [do it] on a daily basis."
Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov, speaking about Russia’s military operation in Syria, made several claims about the U.S. and the anti-Islamic State coalition it leads, which had been previously debunked. He also falsely claimed the coalition has not been regularly providing the public with the information about airstrikes. -
“US training a “New Syrian Army” near refugee camp in Al-Hasakah to fight the government, core fighters of the group are ISIS terrorists allowed to leave Raqqa (as BBC has revealed)”
The New Syrian Army has a well-established record of fighting against the Islamic State. There is no evidence to suggest that the U.S. is deliberately arming or training ISIS fighters. -
…in 2005 the concerned parties came to an agreement with North Korea that it would terminate its nuclear weapons programme ... Only several months later, the United States decided that these agreements were not enough. The US side promptly froze the accounts of North Korean banks and said that North Korea had to do something else outside the framework of these agreements. But North Korea decided not to bother and withdrew from all those agreements, and started developing its nuclear programme once again. Why did you do that? ... In reality, you provoked North Korea to withdraw.
It was a local government-controlled Macau bank that, threatened by U.S. sanctions, froze the illicit funds. Yet, North Korea signed the 2005 deal announced days later, and continued to participate in the talks after a months-long hiatus, while conducting unauthorized missile and nuclear tests. -
“Why do we seem to have vocal and proactive opposition members in this country but they do not really provide any serious competition to the incumbent authorities? You know, Russia’s path in the past decades has been quite remarkable, to put it mildly. Why is that? Of course, some younger people do not remember or do not even know what was happening here in the 1990s and the early 2000s. So they cannot really compare it to the present situation.”
Putin explains that the reason he faces no serious rivals for the presidency is due to the accomplishments of Russia during his tenure, and implies that the opposition has no program. However, both domestic and foreign analyses of the past 17 years say that Russia’s accomplishments have been largely negated thanks to Putin’s own policies. There also are domestic political reasons why Putin’s rivals are weakened, which he does not mention. -
“There is no Russian army on the territory of Donbas but there have been created military-police formations, ready to repulse an offensive against Donbas.”
President Putin’s responses at his annual news conference repeat his claim that Russia is not involved in the Ukraine conflict, that Crimeans freely chose annexation. He turned his view of interference in the U.S. election to disputes over Russian state media – RT and Sputnik. Polygraph has fact checked many similar comments by the president. -
«… a significant part of the Russian military contingent stationed in Syrian Arab Republic is returning home to Russia. I order the Minister of Defense, the chief of General Staff to proceed with the withdrawal of the Russian group of forces to the places of their permanent deployment."
Two days after publicly ordering the withdrawal of the Russian troops from Syria, Vladimir Putin requested Parliamentary approval to significantly expand of Russia’s Naval presence in the country.