#Lavrov on talks with @ABlinken: #US sought to put #Ukraine at the top of the negotiations agenda, but it seemed to me that at the end of th meeting they realized we'd eventually have to focus on the substance of [#Russia's] security proposals
#Lavrov on the meeting with @ABlinken: We believe that publicizing #US response to #Russia's security proposals would be a right thing to do, I'd ask Secretary #Blinken that we should do it
This is the key point that pundits,media,politicians in #US/#EU are missing about the situation w/ #Russia. It is not about #Ukraine or European security order/architecture. It's about #Russia's own security guarantees which #Moscow intends to ensure for itself with or w/out US
P.S. The "#Ukraine invasion" hysteria is 3rd major info attack on #Russia in the last 8 months. Recently it was "RUS will occupy #Kazakhstan" story & before that the "Havana syndrome" attributed to RUS. All proved fake. Ukraine will too.Big nothing burger. bbc.com/news/world-us-…
No one will apologise (cuz you dont apologize if it's intended propaganda),few will recognise they were wrong, the mud will stick. But at the end of the day, *Russia* remains the only way (and only hope) traits of realism penetrate back into thinking of #West/ern policy community
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1. The talks went, by and large, as #Russia/n party expected it to go:
a) #US took most RUS proposals seriously, elaborated thru them;
b) US sought to tie RUS proposals to issues of strategic stability & missile deployments
c) US sought to make it “protracted negotiation process”
2.#Russia made clear it wasn’t interested in linking strat stability conversation to security guarantees conversation – at least in the way the #US wants it.
Ryabkov: “Legal guarantees on the issue of @NATO non-(further)expansion are of the prime significance for Russia”
1/ Eurasian politics can be interesting:
Over the past 3 days the country that seemed the strongest in #CentralAsia almost turned into a failed state. #Putin sent troops to prop up the ruler who endorsed "multi-vector" foreign policy...
2/ ..and the decision had to be pronounced by #Armenia/n PM who himself came to power thru protests and who refused to turn to CSTO at the time his army was losing to #Azerbaijan
Serious clashes between protestors and law enforcement on the streets of Almaty, unconfirmed reports suggest 8 law enforcement killed, many wounded #KazakhstanProtests #Kazakhstan
Mob captures and beats up a law enforcement officer
In another episode, a policeman was surrounded and the mob took away his gun. For some reason other policemen did nothing
I read the title & thought #US was just playing fool.Then I watched @CNN asking abt "#Putin's motives for invading #Ukraine" & heard the answers such as "further dispution of #NATO" & "..constantly testing the West".
I know see why the "blind spot" edition.cnn.com/2021/11/15/pol…
Seriously thou, there're some Russia experts in #Washington who read #Russia well. There're not many but enought to draw on their expetise to make accurate policies. The intel "blind spot" isn't cuz of lack of info or access to #Putin's closed circle...
..It's abt political will to correct the course of action,resists lobbysts & political inertia.
There was no lack of intel on #Afghanistan - thou assessments divereged.There's no lack of intel on RUS,either understanding of why Putin may be inclined to use force...
1/ Charap's reasoning is most realist & reasonable of other proposals coming from Washington these days on how to contain & deter #Russia over #Ukraine. Perhaps,RU does seek to change status-quo but this,as many in #Moscow see it,exactly what #US has sought to do in last 6+ years
2/ In any case, what @scharap proposes seems to be the best option in the given situation - avoiding a major war should be the focus. Containing RUS is much needed from #US standpoint, but this policy too has its own limits & #Putin made it clear the limit been reached.
The problem is not that #Putin directs #Lukashenka's actions - he does not. The problem is that #Belarus for #Russia is transforming into what #DPRK is for #China. But this is Russia's problem, not #EU's.
The problem for #EU is it has long outsourced decision-making on key issues in regions of strategic importance for Europe to #US (which,in turn,falls prey to US domestic politics).
EU won't recognise it. Instead,it keeps looking for "#Putin factor" in every new challenge it faces
The lesson for others to learn is that turning states into failed entities has long term consequences. Lukashenka weaponizing migrants-wrong.
Europeans refusing to face consequences of their own policies (Libya, Afghanistan, Syria) - the migrants ARE exactly that - irresponsible.