Georgia
Sunday 17 November 2019
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![Alexey Martynov]()
Alexey Martynov
Director, International Institute of the Newly Established States, Moscow
“Transnistria is an independent state.”
Read more...In a radio interview, Alexey Martynov did not use words asserting Transnistria’s independence, as attributed to him by First Transnistrian TV -
![Avia.pro]()
Avia.pro
Russian news agency
“The Georgian authorities are not giving a U.S. Navy transport [vessel] permission to enter their country’s territorial waters.”
Read more...Russia’s media pushed stories about Georgia denying a U.S. Navy vessel entry to its Black Sea port, raising questions about U.S.-Georgia relations. The news was fabricated. -
![Kommersant, newspaper]()
Kommersant, newspaper
“In fact, only his compatriots could have dealt with him - both Russian Chechens and “Ichkeria” militants, hiding in Europe from criminal prosecution [in Russia].”
Likely falseChechens “hiding” from Russia in Europe would not ask to speak with the Russian EmbassyRead more...The suspect in the murder investigation arrested by the court in Berlin demanded to talk with representatives of the Russian Embassy – a request that is highly unlikely to be made by Chechen separatists “hiding” from Russia in Europe. -
![Sputnik Serbia]()
Sputnik Serbia
Russian government-sponsored web portal
“The persecution of the SPC [Serbian Orthodox Church] in North Macedonia, as well as the latest heightened tensions and pressure on the SPC diocese in Montenegro can be interpreted as part of the wider strategy of the West to counter Orthodoxy.”
Read more...NATO is no enemy of Orthodoxy as several NATO member states are predominantly Christian Orthodox. The Orthodox churches of Montenegro and North Macedonia have been seeking independence even before the break up of Yugoslavia. -
![Russia's Black Sea Fleet]()
Russia's Black Sea Fleet
“The Ukrainian Navy’s claims that the Black Sea Fleet’s Smetlivy patrol vessel entered the closed area of the Sea Breeze 2019 exercise are untrue.”
Read more...Whether or not the Russian guided-missile destroyer Smetlivy sailed into a zone being used for multinational naval live-fire drills, the ship was present in the vicinity of the drills. Russia is demonstratively aggressive toward NATO’s presence in the Black Sea. -
![Dmitry Peskov]()
Dmitry Peskov
Russian presidential spokesman
“Russia has no intention of becoming similar [to some other countries] imposing their stance by using illegitimate sanctions.”
Read more...After targeting Georgian wine exports and announcing a flight ban following anti-Moscow protests in Tbilisi, the Kremlin claimed no "illegal" sanctions are being employed. However, the so-called "restrictions" from the Russian side are clearly designed to hit Georgia's bottom line. -
![Dmitry Medvedev]()
Dmitry Medvedev
Russian Prime Minister
“Probably, the level of integration in the CIS format is not the same as in the Eurasian Union... But this is a common story. These are, as we say, variable-speed tracks of integration.”
Read more...Looking at all of Russia’s main trading partners, only one has seen the share of trade dramatically increase over the past decade. -
![Anonymous]()
Anonymous
Alleged Ukrainian Military officer
"The army was turned into a private business. A business where you profit from the officials. It is the business of selling the bodies of our soldiers, which are supplied from Ukraine to Europe."
Read more...The Russian TV channel NTV made a number of claims about former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili and his wife Sandra Roelofs, including that she is part of black market organ harvesting in Eastern Ukraine. But the latest spin on this conspiracy theory is lacking in both evidence and logic. -
![Sergei Lavrov]()
Sergei Lavrov
Russian Foreign Minister
"I understand that some countries would like to forget as soon as possible about the role that they played in the years of prior to World War II. However, I deem those attempts to accuse us of militarizing public opinion as offensive."
Read more...Many countries distort or omit inconvenient facts from their pre-World War II history, but Russia has all but eliminated the most difficult discussions from its state education system. One man was even fined for posting factual information. -
![Maria Zakharova]()
Maria Zakharova
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokespersons
"Can NATO bring anyone closer? History does not know any such examples. What I can see is that NATO is adding new members, who are now being pulled in by various methods.”
Read more...NATO membership is based on invitation and approval by existing member states. Countries must meet certain standards to be eligible. -
![Sergey Lavrov]()
Sergey Lavrov
Russia’s foreign minister
“When Montenegro and Macedonia were out of the blue dragged into NATO, the situation with Macedonia’s name was used in a brazen manner. They held a referendum organized in gross violation of the constitution, which in Macedonia requires a referendum to put forward only one question, but they put forward three: do you want to be a member of the European Union, a member of NATO, and are you ready to change the name of the country for that. In general, a fraudulent question, of course.”
Read more...The referendum on North Macedonia’s name was called according to the country's constitution. Candidates for NATO membership must apply to join the Alliance, not the other way round. Macedonia had met the criteria for NATO membership ten years before receiving an invitation. -
![Dmitry Medvedev]()
Dmitry Medvedev
Russian Prime Minister
“The latest wave of anti-Russian sanctions is related not to our relations with the Americans but to the domestic problems in the United States.”
Read more...Russia's PM claims a tougher version of anti-Russian sanctions proposed last year is a “domestic” U.S. affair, unrelated to bilateral ties. But while efforts to pass sanctions in the U.S. have hit domestic hurdles, the sanctions themselves were drafted in reaction to Moscow’s international acts.
