Politics
Saturday 13 January 2018
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[This is] A dull student report about how we assaulted democracy in all countries at once. Boring, my friends. Wake me up in five years when they find nothing and reluctantly acknowledge that there was no Russian interference.
Evidence of Russian interference in the affairs of European countries through a variety of means has been well documented. -
“The fact that the U.S. State Department is advising its citizens against travel to Russia is quite logical: if U.S. citizens go to Russia en masse, they will be able to see with their own eyes that there is not a trace of what U.S. officials routinely frighten them with.”
Russian government media have been promoting anti-American sentiments for years, U.S. diplomats have been harassed and intimidated in the Russian media and by Russian law enforcement, and U.S. organizations have been expelled and churches labeled as “extremist.” In addition, a Public Opinion Survey released on January 10 found that majority of Russians see the U.S. as Russia’s “enemy #1” -
“There is a new social network being tested in Chechnya @ Mylistory, which is as good as the foreign ones”
IT experts say the application is in “no way superior” to the original Instagram, users go further reviewing it as “wretched copy” of Instagram. -
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.