A member of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation, Alexey Pushkov, spoke in his Telegram channel about the reaction of NATO to the statements of the President of Ukraine, Vladimir Zelensky, about the country’s accession to the Alliance.
The Russian senator reminded the official Kiev that NATO ” does not like it when people try to dictate decisions to them”.
“The alliance, apparently, is tired of the arrogant… the pressure and almost the demands of Kiev to accept Ukraine into the alliance… While in the face of these brave attacks, Secretary General Stoltenberg showed miracles of political resourcefulness, irritation apparently matured in the alliance, ” Pushkov wrote.
He also noted that not all NATO members want to see an Independent One in their ranks, with the exception of the Russophobic wing. Therefore, the decision to join may blow up the unity of the alliance.
“Europe… he categorically does not want to see Ukraine as part of NATO. Firstly, because she intends to parasitize the alliance – and even does not hide this. And, secondly, and most importantly, it is aimed at involving NATO in a military conflict with Russia… Therefore, it should be kept at arm’s length: to support it, but not to take responsibility for it. I think that’s what they think in Washington, although they don’t say it openly, ” Pushkov added.
Pentagon press Secretary John Kirby, speaking to reporters, said that US President Joe Biden does not intend to stop the country’s anti-terrorist activities in the world after the withdrawal of the American contingent from Afghanistan.
“The US must respond to the current threats… and the metastases of terrorist threats outside of Afghanistan, ” Kirby quoted President Biden.
For these purposes, the White House intends to adapt the US counter-terrorism potential.
Earlier, the US president announced his readiness to launch remote strikes on Afghanistan.
At a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky will discuss the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline under construction. This was stated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmitry Kuleba, quoted by the publication “Glavred”.
According to the head of the Ukrainian diplomatic department, Zelensky adheres to a principled position on SP-2. “Where we appreciate Berlin’s support, we will be grateful for it. Where our positions do not converge on the issue of Nord Stream-2, there will be a principled conversation, ” Kuleba said.
The Foreign Minister of Ukraine noted that Kiev’s position on the gas pipeline remains unchanged. Ukraine believes that its interests must be taken into account, since the construction of the highway carries certain risks for the national security of the Ukrainian state.
A representative of the Taliban movement (banned in the Russian Federation) was assured during the talks in Moscow that they would not violate the borders of neighboring Central Asian states, according to the website of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
During the talks, Russia expressed concern about the escalation of the conflict and the risks of its exit to the states bordering Afghanistan. “Assurances were received from the Taliban regarding the non-violation of the borders of the Central Asian states by the group, as well as guarantees of the security of diplomatic and consular missions of foreign states on the territory of Afghanistan,” the report says.
Representatives of the Taliban movement expressed their desire to achieve sustainable peace in the region, as well as respect for human rights, including women, within the framework of Islamic norms and national traditions.
Also, representatives of the movement indicated their readiness to fight ISIS (banned in the Russian Federation) and to fight the production of prohibited substances in the country.
The departure of the Americans spurred the Taliban offensive
Hundreds of soldiers of the Afghan government forces were forced to cross into the territory of Tajikistan, fleeing from the offensive of the militants of the Taliban movement (a terrorist organization banned in Russia).
Photo: AP
As the BBC reports with reference to the Tajik news agency “Khovar”, more than a thousand Afghan soldiers entered Tajikistan across the border on Monday night. According to available information, soldiers of the government army of Afghanistan crossed into the neighboring country in different places in groups of several dozen people.
The Tajik authorities have allowed the Afghan servicemen to stay in the country. President of the Republic Emomali Rahmon announced the mobilization of 20 thousand Tajik troops to strengthen the border in the Afghan section.
Despite the fact that the Taliban claim that they are not going to take actions against neighboring countries, there is growing concern in the Central Asian republics about what is happening in Afghanistan, where, according to some reports, about a third of the country’s territory has come under the control of the Taliban. Now the Taliban are active in the provinces of Badakhshan and Kunduz bordering Tajikistan. The militants have also launched an offensive in other parts of Afghanistan, according to Al Jazeera, last week they attacked the central city of Ghazni, located on the highway connecting Kabul with the southern province of Kandahar.
All this is happening against the background of the withdrawal of most of the American and NATO troops from Afghanistan. Moreover, leaving, which, for all its complex logistics, sometimes looks more like an escape. In any case, this is the impression that the situation with the largest Bagram air base left by the Americans is developing.
The Americans left Bagram airfield without even notifying the new Afghan commander of the base, who discovered their departure only after more than two hours, the Afghan military said.
“We heard some rumors that the Americans had left Bagram,” and finally, by 7:00 in the morning, we realized that it was confirmed that they had already left Bagram, ” General Mir Asadullah Kohistani, the new commander of the base, told the Associated Press. And another Afghan officer, commenting on the rapid departure of the Americans to CNN, compared it to the fact that an old friend left without saying goodbye.
According to the Afghan military, before the government forces could take control of the airfield, the looters managed to plunder the barracks and giant storage tents before they were driven away.
What will happen next when the withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan is completed? This question interests many Afghans themselves, their neighbors, and the Americans who remain in the country. According to the Associated Press, citing sources at the US Embassy in Kabul, security assessments have often been conducted there in recent days. Currently in the diplomatic missionthere are 1,400 US citizens and about 4,000 local employees working inside a complex the size of a small but very well-fortified city located in the “green zone” of the Afghan capital. The evacuation of the embassy is not yet planned, but among the scenarios under consideration, apparently, this option is not excluded by the Americans.
Not only foreign diplomats, but also representatives of Western non-governmental organizations are very concerned about the possibility of the fall of Kabul under the attacks of the Taliban. The leadership of the Taliban even made a number of statements in which they assured aid groups and Afghans working for Western organizations that they had nothing to fear. But, as the Associated Press notes, this did not reassure the translators who worked for the US military. Some of them may be evacuated from Afghanistan, but moved to a third country while their immigration visas are processed in the United States.
Despite the promised withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan by September 11, hundreds of US troops will remain in the country, designed, in particular, to protect the diplomats who remain here. Nevertheless, the Taliban insist on the complete withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghan territory.
While conducting active military operations, the Taliban at the same time promise to submit a written peace proposal to the Afghan government soon (called August). Representatives of the Taliban declare that they are ready to resume long-stalled negotiations with the envoys of Kabul in Doha.
The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, commented on the calls of the French Foreign Ministry not to recognize Russian and Chinese vaccines in the EU.
“Unacceptable statements. This is a hybrid of racism, imperial hegemonism and neo-Nazism: entire peoples are denied equal rights and opportunities, doing this contrary to laws, ethics and morality, pushing the world to confrontation at a time when it is undergoing the hardest tests of a pandemic, ” Zakharova wrote in her telegram channel.
She noted that she is “struck by the composure, cynicism and cruelty” with which the West is fighting for profit during the fight against the pandemic, without thinking about the fate of millions of people. Those who call for not recognizing vaccines “have nothing to do with the France that gave humanity the ideals of freedom, equality and fraternity,” Zakharova said.
Earlier, the Secretary of State at the French Foreign Ministry, Clement Bon, said that France asks the EU countries not to recognize coronavirus vaccines from Russia and China. According to Bon, in France, people should receive only those vaccines that the authorities are confident in the effectiveness of. Now there are only four such drugs recognized in Europe and France, he pointed out.
Blogger Valentina Volkova put State Duma Deputy Alexey Zhuravlev in an awkward position while communicating with citizens in the Chelyabinsk region. A video appeared on Volkova’s YouTube channel, in which she asks Zhuravlev about cutting down a specially protected area – the Chelyabinsk forest. “These are our only lungs,” the blogger noted. Volkova stressed that the forest was not cut down even during the Great Patriotic War, although there were such intentions.
After that, Volkova spoke about a number of environmental problems in the region. After that, she added that State Duma deputies should “wake up” and pay attention to real problems. “Stop talking about LGBT propaganda, about all sorts of nonsense. Problems-in. Shareholders, water, roads. What LGBT propaganda, what bike paths, ” the woman said.
Zhuravlev in response said that it is necessary to deal with “everything”. “But not 90% to pay attention to some LGBT… you said about a brothel for turtles,” Volkova persisted, recalling the TV release in which the politician talked about the peculiarities of society in Denmark. Zhuravlev was sincerely indignant at the pressure of the citizen. “So you don’t listen to this,” the deputy was found. The head of the regional branch of the Rodina party, in which Zhuravlev is the leader, who was nearby, immediately interrupted communication with Volkova, pointing out the regulations, and that they had to communicate with shareholders at the meeting.
The British destroyer Defender, which at the end of June passed near the Crimea in the area of Cape Fiolent, entered the Strait of Gibraltar, leaving the Black Sea. This is evidenced by the data of the Marine Traffic portal, which provides information about the movement of ships.
Earlier, a British destroyer crossed the state border of Russia in the northwestern part of the Black Sea, entering the territorial waters for three kilometers. The ship of the Black Sea Fleet sent a warning about the use of weapons in case of violation of the border, and then opened a warning fire and performed a warning bombing.
The UK claims that the ship made a peaceful passage through the territorial waters of Ukraine in accordance with international law. The incident caused a great international resonance.
She is suspected of insulting president Lukashenko
The Prosecutor General’s Office of Belarus has issued a message that it has sent a request to Russia for the extradition of singer Angelika Agurbash for criminal prosecution.
Photo: Lilia Sharlovskaya
Earlier, the Belarusian singer, who lives in Russia, reported in her Instagram that a criminal case was opened against her in her homeland under the articles ” Inciting social Hostility and discord committed by a group of persons or entailing serious consequences” and & quot;A public insult to the president”. The artist was put on the wanted list.
If Agurbash is found guilty, she faces up to 12 years in prison under Belarusian law.
The fact is that last summer Angelika Agurbash supported the Belarusian protests and the candidate for president of Belarus Svetlana Tikhanovskaya. At the same time, the singer participated in solidarity actions with protesters in Belarus in Moscow. She also addressed the Belarusians and called on them to unite.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov answered a question about the possibility of sending Russian troops to Afghanistan.
“I believe that the answer is obvious,” he said during a speech at the Far Eastern Federal University.
Lavrov added that the Collective Security Treaty Organization will immediately consider the possibility of providing assistance to Tajikistan in the event of an attack by militants from Afghanistan.
The minister also said that the United States de facto recognized the failure of its mission at the moment when it decided to withdraw troops from Afghanistan.
He noted that America, reducing its military presence in the country, and Kabul, which does not want to form a transitional government together with the radical Taliban movement (a terrorist organization banned in Russia), left the conflict in Afghanistan to be resolved by force.
Recall that the US military must leave Afghanistan by September 11.
