Energy
Thursday 8 June 2023
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"Russian-Chinese cooperation is experiencing the best period in its history, bilateral relations ... are built on a solid foundation ... of mutual support in matters affecting each other's fundamental interests. First of all, we are talking about the protection of sovereignty and territorial integrity."
China does not recognize or support Russia's illegal attempts to annex five regions of Ukraine and has been forced to participate in Western sanctions. -
“As you know, an unprecedented sanctions aggression has been launched against Russia… aimed at crushing our economy... As we can see – in fact, this is common knowledge – this plan has fallen through.”
Sanctions are doing what they are intended to do: signal the West’s unified support for Ukraine and limit the ability to supply Russia’s war effort by crippling foreign trade and reducing domestic resources. -
“What countries bypass their own sanctions & continue trading with Russia?”
In fact, European Union imports of Russian oil have sharply declined, and a ban is set to take effect soon. -
“Global power is exactly what the so-called West has at stake in its game. But this game is certainly dangerous, bloody and, I would say, dirty.”
Putin’s war on Ukraine has killed thousands of innocent Ukrainian civilians and soldiers on both sides. Putin initiated the bloodshed without any military provocation from Ukraine. -
"[Economic] development continues here ... Despite the difficult times, the country is developing and will continue to develop."
Western sanctions are punishing Russia’s economic output, which is projected to further shrink in 2023. -
“Washington has never hesitated to use force under fabricated pretexts … using false claims to justify its actions such as the need to protect the lives and well-being of U.S. citizens.”
To defend Russia’s war on Ukraine, Lavrov misrepresents why the United States overthrew Panama’s military dictator, Manuel Noriega, in 1989. -
“American economist said bluntly that the Nord Stream [pipeline] was blown up by the United States.”
U.S. economist Jeffrey Sachs merely speculated about responsibility for the pipeline ruptures, now under investigation. -
“U.S. President Joe Biden must answer whether the United States acted on its threat on September 25 and 26, 2022, when an incident occurred on three branches of Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2, preliminarily qualified as pipeline ruptures, possibly as a result of explosions.”
The Kremlin puts a Biden remark, made weeks before Russia attacked Ukraine, in a false context. -
“But it’s obvious; we are in control of this power plant, our military is there. Are we the ones who are firing at ourselves? It’s against the common sense.”
In fact, international inspectors called for a safe zone around the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant because of the risks created by Russian troops based there. -
“Russia is coping with the economic, financial and technological aggression of the West… Estimates and forecasts of economic dynamics… are now much more optimistic than they were in early spring.”
A confidential Russian report confirmed by Bloomberg contradicts Kremlin disinformation about the economic impact from Western sanctions for the Ukraine war. -
“The regular strikes on the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant by the Ukrainian military create the danger of a major nuclear disaster that could lead to radiation contamination of vast territories.”
Russia has reportedly mined the plant, stationed troops there, fired artillery from the site, stored ammunition there and parked military vehicles next to reactor buildings. -
“We reject the unfounded accusations that Russia prevents the IAEA inspectors from visiting the Zaporizhzhia NPP and, especially, absolutely absurd speculation that a military base is allegedly being set up there.”
Credible reports say Russian artillery is firing from the occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine. There are six reactors on the site.