(Interfax – ST. PETERSBURG, May 17, 2013) The state catastrophe in Libya shows that lawful methods of resolving the issue have been substituted for use of force and this creates chaos in most parts of Africa, Russian Constitutional Court Chairman Valery Zorkin said. “Researchers and experts acknowledge a very dangerous destruction of the international legal system, more and more frequent and active attempts of big states as well as formal
(Interfax – April 11, 2013) Middle East conflicts are advantageous to those who would like the region to have smaller and less influential countries, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview with the RTVI channel. “This may be advantageous to many. For instance, those who want the region to have less influential countries. Those who want these countries in the case they fail to stay busy with “cleaning
(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Oleg Fomichev, RBTH – April 5, 2013) Russian experts disagree on whether or not a political solution in Syria is still possible. This April marks the second anniversary of the Syrian uprising. Unlike the other Arab revolutions, it can be characterized by its deep involvement of Russian interests. While Moscow remains critical of the Syrian opposition and its sponsors, Russian experts disagree on
MOSCOW. April 2 (Interfax) – The West has opted for a course to overthrow Bashar al-Assad by supporting rebels, not by launching a military operation, said Alexei Pushkov, the chairman of the State Duma’s International Affairs Committee. “Apparently, the stage of political maneuvers is drawing to its close. The West is passing over to a modified Libyan scenario in Syria which aims to overthrow Assad by supporting the rebels and
(Interfax – March 29, 2013) Interview Deputy NATO Secretary General Alexander Vershbow, who is visiting Moscow for an informal conference of former U.S. ambassadors to Russia and Russian ambassador to the United States, has given an interview to Interfax in which he speaks about NATO-Russia cooperation, as well as pressing issues on the international agenda, such as the missile defense issue, North Korea, Syria and Afghanistan. Question: What is the
MOSCOW. March 21 (Interfax) – A replay of the Libyan scenario by NATO forces in Syria would be a major strategic mistake, says Russian permanent representative to the EU Vladimir Chizhov. “If this is an element of some political pressure, it is one situation, which I think is unlikely to help the cause. If this is serious, this is even worse. This would be a major strategic mistake,” Chizhov said
(Interfax – Moscow, March 20, 2013) The chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, Aleksey Pushkov, has said that the USA, which suffered a serious political defeat as a result of the war in Iraq initiated by it 10 years ago, was still carrying on a similar policy towards other Middle East countries, in particular Syria. “The Americans’ decision to initiate the war in Iraq was nothing but
(Interfax – Moscow, March 15, 2013) According to Russian political analysts, after two years since its beginning, the Syrian conflict has expanded to a regional level, which means that the situation in the Arab world will stabilize only after several generations. “There is certainly a risk that the conflict will spread. It is quite obvious that the conflict is spreading and will continue to do so. There will be a
(Russia Beyond the Headlines/Interfax – rbth.ru – March 15, 2013) Russian political scientists speculate that increasing instability in the Arab world could further exacerbate the Syrian conflict and heighten tensions in the Middle East. The Syrian conflict has taken on a regional scale since it broke out two years ago, Russian political scientists said, adding that the chance of restoring stability in the Arab world is several generations away. “The
MOSCOW, March 12 (RIA Novosti) – Moscow criticized on Tuesday what it described as the United States’ biased interpretation of the Geneva Communiqué as supporting the Syrian opposition. “Public statements by representatives of the US administration in support of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces in fact point to a one-sided interpretation of the Geneva Communique,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said. “This naturally complicates the
(Eurasia Daily Monitor: Volume 10, Issue 45 – Jamestown Foundation – jamestown.org – Pavel K. Baev – March 11, 2013) Entering the second year of his third presidency, President Vladimir Putin has shown uncharacteristically scant interest to foreign policy matters perhaps suspecting that Western “partners” are sponsoring Russia’s opposition movement and that neighboring post-Soviet leaders and even Chinese “friends” are losing confidence in his leadership. He keeps Prime Minister Dmitry
(Russia Beyond the Headlines – www.rbth.ru – Ekaterina Zabrovskaya, Nikolay Surkov, RBTH – February 27, 2013) Moscow sees U.S. objection to a U.N. statement condemning the recent terrorist attack in Syria as a double standard. The discussion of a U.N. Security Council statement condemning the latest terrorist attack in Damascus, that killed 53, has engendered yet another upsurge in Moscow’s criticism of Washington. On Feb. 21, the United States blocked
(Oilprice.com – Felix Imonti – February 25, 2013) Russia is back. President Vladimir Putin wants the world to acknowledge that Russia remains a global power. He is making his stand in Syria. The Soviet Union acquired the Tardus Naval Port in Syria in 1971 without any real purpose for it. With their ships welcomed in Algeria, Cuba or Vietnam, Tardus was too insignificant to be developed. After the collapse of
MOSCOW, February 25 (RIA Novosti) – Moscow’s position on Syria stems from its concern for the Syrian people, and not the fate of President Bashar al-Assad, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday. “Russia’s position is not predetermined by support of personalities; it is dictated by concern about the fate of the Syrian people, our long-standing friend and partner, and the fate of a country which has a very long
(RIA Novosti – February 13, 2013) Russia will not agree to the ousting of Syrian President Bashar al-Asad, chairman of the State Duma Committee for International Affairs Aleksey Pushkov said at a news conference in Moscow on 13 February. He also pointed out that Russia’s position on Syria remained the same, while the West’s position was shifting in recognition of some of Moscow’s arguments. “The Americans want us to use
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Alexander Bratersky – February 14, 2013) Russia sold twice as many weapons abroad in 2012 as in the previous year. It now has a portfolio of $37 billion in foreign orders and continues to sell anti-aircraft systems to Syria, a senior arms trade executive told reporters Wednesday. Although India is still the country’s No. 1 weaponry client, sales continue to Syria, Anatoly Isaikin, the head
(Russia Beyond the Headlines – www.rbth.ru – Alaa Omar, special to RBTH – February 8, 2013) In response to Russia’s support of Bashar Assad in Syria, Russia has been condemned in Arab media and press as hostile to Islam, exporting only “immoral values” to the region. Independent journalist and political analyst Alaa Omar takes a look at the other side of the coin and defends the significance of Russian-Arab relations.
(Russia Beyond the Headlines – www.rbth.ru – Ekaterina Zabrovskaya, Combined report – February 6, 2013) Following a reported Israeli air strike on Syria in late January, the Russian Foreign Ministry has called for another gathering of parties in the Syria Action Group. Russia hopes to continuing working within the framework of the Geneva Communiqué, which was adopted at the last Action Group meeting. Russia has called for a second meeting
(Interfax – Moscow, 1 February) The events in Syria, Algeria and Mali are interrelated and demonstrate the multi-faceted nature of the modern terrorist threat, Aleksandr Zmeyevskiy, the Russian president’s special representative on international cooperation in the fight against terrorism and transnational organized crime, has said. “Al-Qa’idah and its partners in this unsavoury business seriously intend to take power in states. The situation in Mali is experiencing the consequences of the
MOSCOW, January 31 (RIA Novosti) – The Russian Foreign Ministry slammed outgoing US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday for a recent statement which referred to Russia’s “unwillingness” to assist in settlement of the Syria conflict, saying it was symptomatic of America’s obstructive attitude to resolving the crisis. “Unfortunately, we have repeatedly said that in their public statements, American representatives often show a very biased, and sometimes completely wrong
Moscow, January, 15, Interfax – Russia’s ex prime-minister, Mercury Club president and Academy of Science Presidium member Evgeny Primakov said it is wrong to look at the Islamic forces in the Middle East as a single camp. “About two years have passed since the Arab Spring wave of revolutionary protests toppled the authoritarian rulers in the Middle East and North Africa. But the Arab Spring was followed by a freeze,
(RIA Novosti – Fyodor Lukyanov – January 10, 2013) Fyodor Lukyanov is Editor-in-Chief of the Russia in Global Affairs journal, an authoritative source of expertise on Russian foreign policy and global developments, online at http://eng.globalaffairs.ru/ The year 2013 began much like 2012 with news of fighting in Syria and predictions that the tide is about to turn in the country’s protracted civil war. However, confidence that the dictator’s days
(Al-Monitor – www.al-monitor.com – Fyodor Lukyanov – January 8, 2013 – http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/01/syria-assad-speech-russia.html) Fyodor Lukyanov is Editor-in-Chief of Russia in Global Affairs, an authoritative Russian journal devoted to foreign policy and international relations, online at http://eng.globalaffairs.ru/. Addressing the nation for the first time in over six months, Syrian President Bashar Assad thanked Russia for its efforts to help find a political solution to Syria’s conflict. This sounded ironic, because the rest
[How to Work with Russia on Syria - The National Interest - Paul J. Saunders - January 7, 2013 - http://nationalinterest.org/commentary/how-work-russia-syria-7935] Paul J. Saunders writes in The National Interest on U.S. policy towards Syria, and whether there is a window of opportunity for a negotiated resolution of the conflict, with a particular eye on the potential for Russia to cooperate with way forward: As Syria’s civil war intensifies and Syrian
[Russia's Syria Support Said to be a Losing Proposition - Vedomosti - Vladislav Inozemtsev, doctor of economic sciences, director of the Center for Study of the Post-Industrial Society - December 24, 2012 - no accessible link] Vladislav Inozemtsev writes in Vedomosti on Russia’s Syria policy, also focusing strongly on economic factors such as oil, gas and Syrian debt. At the same time, he suggest current Russian leaders are an anachronism,
(Interfax – December 28, 2012) Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov speaks about the tasks facing the Foreign Ministry in 2013 and the ministry’s approach to key international problems in an interview given to Interfax in the run-up to the New Year holidays. Russia is determined to oppose attempts to legalize the practice of replacement of governments in various countries by foreign intervention, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an
(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Henry Meyer & Dana El Baltaji – December 27, 2012) Russia hosted a top Syrian official today in support of United Nations efforts to seek a negotiated outcome to the 21-month conflict in the Middle Eastern nation. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faysal Mikdad, two days before a visit to Moscow by UN envoy Lakhdar Brahimi. The UN mediator, who has
(Voice of America – James Brooke – December 24, 2012) In the days of the Soviet Union, Moscow was a major player in the Arab world. But in the last two years, the Kremlin has repeatedly backed the losing sides in the Arab Spring. In Syria, President Bashar al-Assad is using Russian-made rockets, rifles and tanks to battle rebels. But in Moscow, Russian officials are trying to put daylight between
MOSCOW, December 21 (RIA Novosti) – The West’s policy of dividing Syrian terrorists into “the bad” and “the not so bad” is dangerous, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday. “Our colleagues at the UN Security Council refuse to condemn terrorist attacks,” he said in an interview with the RT television network. “They say terrorism is bad but at the same time urge us to take into account the
MOSCOW, December 20 (RIA Novosti) Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated his opposition to military intervention in Syria on Thursday, emotionally citing the volatile situation in Libya as a sign of what would likely happen as a result. Libya “is disintegrating,” Putin said at a major press conference in Moscow, pointing to the fractious groups that have been struggling for control of the country since longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi was
(Moscow Times – December 20, 2012 – http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/putin-pictured-in-hell-on-the-economist-cover/473430.html) The cartoon’s accompanying article, which is presented as a travel guide, says the quickest way to hell is by constantly committing major sins without giving in to feelings of remorse. President Vladimir Putin was pictured in hell on the cover of The Economist‘s last issue for 2012, floating along in a fiery river with Syrian President Bashar Assad, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad,
[Did Russia Just Throw Assad Under the Bus? Not really. Watch what the Kremlin does, not what it says - foreignpolicy.com - Andrew S. Weiss - Andrew S. Weiss, director of the RAND Center for Russia and Eurasia, served on the National Security Council staff, the State Department's Policy Planning staff, and in the Office of the Secretary of Defense during the Clinton and Bush 41 administrations - Dec. 13,
MOSCOW, December 12 (RIA Novosti) – The recognition by the United States of Syria’s opposition coalition as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people shows that Washington is gambling on a military victory by the coalition, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday. “I was somewhat surprised to learn that the US, through its president, has recognized the national coalition as the sole legitimate representative of the Syrian people,”
(Interfax – Dec. 10) The majority of Russians are aware of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (86 per cent), but, just as 10 years ago, they do not tend to support any particular side and accuse the USA of stirring up the conflict in the region, sociologists have found out. Twenty-five per cent of Russians sympathize with both peoples, 31 per cent support neither side in the conflict. However, if the former
[Russia and Turkey: Cool pragmatism: They may disagree about Syria but Russia and Turkey keep close business relations - The Economist - Dec. 8, 2012 - click here for full article] The Economist reports on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent trip to Turkey, and its context. Russia has been siding with Syria’s Assad regime at the United Nations over sanctions,while also being mindful of the influence Syrian Islamists could have
(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Indira A.R. Lakshmanan – Dec. 7, 2012) The U.S. and Russia have agreed to support mediation among all sides in Syria’s civil war in a renewed bid to end the violence, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said today. Talks on Syria in Dublin yesterday among Clinton, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and United Nations Special Envoy Lakhdar Brahimi were “an important step but just the
['Syria is not Libya' - Lavrov - Russia Today - Dec. 5, 2012 - http://rt.com/politics/syria-russia-chemical-weapons-nato-lavrov-314/] Pro-Kremlin Russia Today covers Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s statements of Russian policy on the civil war in Syria. Lavrov was attending a meeting of the Russia-NATO Council in Brussels. Click here for article: http://rt.com/politics/syria-russia-chemical-weapons-nato-lavrov-314/
[Is Russia About To Ditch Syria? The Truth Is That It May Not Matter - Forbes.com - Mark Adomanis - Dec. 4, 2012 - click here for full article] Forbes.com covers Russian policy on the Syrian civil war and Russian relations with embattled Syrian strongman Bashar al-Assad: Russia has been hinting for months that it might be prepared to try a new diplomatic angle with Syria, but very little (if
[Putin visits Turkey amid differences over Syria - AP - Vladimir Isachenkov - Dec. 3, 2012 - click here for full article] AP covers Russian President Vladimir Putin’s trip to Turkey, focusing on growing trade while also in the midst of concerns over the conflict in Turkey’s neighbor Syria, as well as questions about Putin’s health: The blossoming trade relationship will be the focus of a one-day trip to Turkey
[U.S. Senate forbids Pentagon to cooperate with Rosoboronexport - ITAR-TASS - RUSSIAN PRESS REVIEW - Dec. 3, 2012 - http://www.itar-tass.com/en/c142/587557.html] Itar-Tass reports on U.S. Senate approval of sanctions against Russia for supplying weapons to Syria, in the form of a prohibition on the U.S. Department of Defence buying weapons from Russian arms exporter Rosoboronexport. Meanwhile, Russia argues that it is providing only contractually-based repairs of existing equipment. Some Russian sources
[NATO aims to repair Russia ties despite Patriot row - Reuters - Adrian Croft - Dec. 2, 2012 - http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/02/us-nato-ministers-idUSBRE8B107820121202] Reuters reports on NATO foreign ministers seeking to improve NATO’s relations with Russia, even as Russia raises concerns over NATO-member Turkey receiving Patriot air defense missiles as a safeguard against attacks from Syria. NATO-Russian cooperation includes addressing the future of Afghanistan: NATO foreign ministers, meeting for the first time this
PARIS. Nov 28 (Interfax) – Russia has no plans to support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad at any cost, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said. “Russia has no special relations with President Assad. Such relations existed between the Soviet Union and his father, but they don’t exist between our country and the incumbent Syrian president,” Medvedev said at a press conference following a meeting with his French counterpart Jean-Marc Ayrault in
(premier.gov.ru – November 26, 2012) Dmitry Medvedev: Good afternoon. Question: Good afternoon. Mr Prime Minister, you plan to visit France soon, next week. We know that you had good relations with Nicolas Sarkozy. How would you assess your cooperation with the new President of France, Francois Hollande? Do you expect any changes? Dmitry Medvedev: I believe that our relations with France have reached a level where they should not depend
(Russia airs concern over Turkey’s request for NATO missiles – Reuters – Steve Gutterman – November 23 – http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/23/syria-crisis-russia-nato-idUSL5E8MN5EV20121123) Amidst the ongoing Syrian conflict, Reuters covers Russia’s reaction to the prospect of NATO deploying Patriot missile defense systems to Turkey near the border with Syria: Russia emphasised its opposition on Friday to NATO’s potential deployment of Patriot missiles in Turkey near the Syrian border, which the Western alliance says would
(The Caucasus Emirate Goes Global – Stratfor.com – Gordon Hahn – Dr. Gordon M. Hahn is Senior Associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C. – www.stratfor.com/other-voices/caucasus-emirate-goes-global) Gordon Hahn writes on the influences of international Islamic terrorism upon unrest in the Caucasus: For a decade almost all observers ignored, downplayed, and obfuscated an ugly truth about ‘separatists’ in Chechnya and the North Caucasus: they have long
LONDON. Nov 12 (Interfax) – The boom in shale production will turn the United States into the world’s biggest oil producer by 2020, overtaking current leaders Russia and Saudi Arabia, the International Energy Agency said in its latest World Energy Outlook. Only a year ago the IEA was saying that Russia and Saudi Arabia would be the only candidates for top spot by the end of the decade. “The recent
MOSCOW, November 8 (RIA Novosti) – Russia believes the West is reviewing its approach toward the Syrian opposition, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview published on Thursday. “I have the impression that over the past couple of weeks the Western stance on the Syrian opposition has been changing noticeably,” he said in an interview with RIA Novosti, the daily Moskovskiye Novosti and the journal Russia in Global
“Russian Journalist Reports on Putin’s Meeting with Iraq’s Al-Maliki” – “Wing-span of 4.5 Billion Dollars — Meeting between Russian President and Iraqi Prime Minister Opened Deal to Supply Aircraft” – Kommersant – Andrey Kolesnikov – October 11, 2012 – no link available to English-language version Andrey Kolesnikov writes about a dinner meeting between Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Kamil Mohammed Hasan al-Maliki and Russian President Vladimir Putin confirming a $4.5 billion
MOSCOW. Sept 28 (Interfax) – Sixty-two percent of Russians are aware of the Innocence of Muslims scandalous film released in the United States. Thirty-three percent of them have heard a lot about the film, and 6% are monitoring the situation closely, the Levada Center told Interfax. Thirty-nine percent of the respondents learned about the film in the poll of 1,601 persons in 45 regions of Russia on September 21-24. Forty-four
“Israel Might Strike Iran After U.S. Presidential Elections – Russian Analyst” – Interfax-AVN – Sept. 11, 2012 [click here to read original article] Interfax-VN cites Alexei Arbatov, former Duma member and current head of the International Security Center under the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of World Economy and International Relations (IMEMO), as suggesting that Israel might launch a war against Iran after the November U.S. presidential election, perhaps by
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