China said US wants prolonged Ukraine conflict

Dhaka August 11 2022 :

Inside Russia : Outside Russia : News Digest by the Embassy of Russian Federation in Bangladesh on August 11 2022

INSIDE RUSSIA

NATO to fight Russia “to the last Ukrainian” — deputy chief of Russian presidential staff

MOSCOW, August 10. /TASS/. NATO will be eagerly fighting against Russia on the territory of Ukraine “to the last Ukrainian,” the first deputy chief of the Russian presidential staff, Sergey Kiriyenko, said on Wednesday.

“They (the leadership of Ukraine – TASS) have let their country, their territory and, worst of all, their people be used. They provided the territory of Ukraine and the people of Ukraine in an attempt to build a fundamental confrontation between the Western community against Russia on that territory. Of course, NATO will be eagerly fighting, as they themselves do not hesitate to declare, against Russia to the last Ukrainian and without a trace of remorse,” Kiriyenko said at the opening ceremony of a forum of Russia’s young political scientists, Digoria.

He noted that a “hot military operation” by the West against Russia was in progress.

“We understand very well that on the territory of Ukraine we are not at war with Ukraine and, of course, not with Ukrainians. The entire NATO bloc is fighting a war against Russia – on the territory of Ukraine and by the Ukrainians’ hands,” Kiriyenko said.

Kremlin spokesman lashes out at new moves within ‘cancel Russia’ strategy

MOSCOW, August 10. /TASS/. Many countries are overstepping the boundaries of reason in their desire to ‘nullify’ Russia, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday.

“Indeed, we see that very many countries are overstepping the boundaries of reason. Is it possible to nullify Tchaikovsky? No, it isn’t. It is possible to cancel Russia? No. Whether you like it or not – this is simply impossible,” Peskov told Rossiya-1 TV channel.

“Is it possible to deny the awards won by the athletes, who competed for Lithuania, by the way, to have the Lithuanian flag raised? This is also impossible. You can cancel it by decree, but it is impossible,” he said in comments on the decision of Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda to strip figure skaters Margarita Drobiazko and Povilas Vanagas of the Lithuanian state awards they received in 2000 for dancing in Tatyana Navka’s show Swan Lake in Sochi.

Russia requests UN Security Council meeting over Ukraine’s shelling of NPP — source

UNITED NATIONS, August 10. /TASS/. Russia has requested a UN Security Council meeting on August 11 in connection with Ukraine’s attacks on the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant (NPP), a source in Russia’s mission to the UN told reporters on Tuesday.

“Russia requested a UN Security Council briefing to be held in the afternoon of August 11, in connection with Ukraine’s latest attacks on the Zaporozhye NPP and their possible catastrophic consequences,” the source said.

According to information obtained by a TASS correspondent, Russia has requested participation of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi, who is to make a report on the issue.

The Kiev government forces have repeatedly launched strikes targeting the territory of the Zaporozhye NPP, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe with six operating reactors. On August 7, the Ukrainian military shelled the plant, targeting, in particular, the spent nuclear fuel repository. The military-civilian administration of Energodar where the nuclear power station is located, said that the Kiev regime had fired a 220mm Uragan rocket with a cluster warhead. Its striking elements damaged the station’s administrative buildings and the repository’s adjacent territory. Prior to that, the Ukrainian military bombarded the Zaporozhye NPP on August 5 and 6.

In March 2022, the Zaporozhye NPP was placed under the Russian army’s control. Currently, the NPP operates at 70% capacity as the area of the Zaporozhye Region liberated from the Ukrainian army has a surplus of electricity power. There are plans to direct part of electricity generated at the Zaporozhye NPP to Crimea.

IAEA says no immediate threat to nuclear safety at Zaporizhzhya NPP

MOSCOW. Aug 10 (Interfax) – The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has confirmed the absence of an immediate threat to nuclear safety at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (NPP).

“IAEA experts assessed that there was no immediate threat to nuclear safety,” the Ukrainian media quoted IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi as saying in a statement published on the agency’s website in the early hours of Wednesday.

Available radiation measurements continue to show normal levels at the site, the IAEA said.

There was no visible damage to the containers with spent nuclear fuel or to the protective perimeter of the facility, it said.

The IAEA, however, reported damage to communication cables that are part of its radiation control system, with a possible impact on the functioning of three radiation detection sensors.

Grossi, for his part, again stressed the need for an IAEA expert mission to go to the plant as soon as possible to “help stabilize the nuclear safety and security situation,” adding that he is in close contact with the Ukrainian authorities and continues to monitor the nuclear safety and security situation.

As reported, one of the Zaporizhzhya NPP’s three functioning power units was disconnected from the grid on August 5 after a high-voltage power line was damaged.

Kremlin aide orders plan to modernize ship repair facilities in Kamchatka

PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY. Aug 10 (Interfax) – Kremlin aide Maxim Oreshkin has instructed the transport, industry, finance and economic development ministries to work out a comprehensive plan to modernize ship repair facilities on the Kamchatka Peninsula, the Kamchatka Territory government’s press service said.

Oreshkin issued the instructions after a meeting in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky on the establishment of a ship repair cluster in the regional center and prospects for developing the region’s ship repair and shipbuilding industry, the press service said. The meeting was attended by Governor Vladimir Solodov, and representatives of federal and regional government agencies, development institutions and city planning organizations.

All small ships and 50% of medium-sized vessels are currently repaired in Kamchatka, but there is virtually no repair of large vessels. They are repaired in Primorye, China and South Korea.

“The goal is to restore the industry that we have unfortunately lost over decades and for which all objective prerequisites exist. As mariners themselves say, it’s impossible to pass by the coast of Kamchatka without calling on Petropavlovsk. This is the only sheltered port with such characteristics and port for maintenance,” Solodov was quoted as saying in the press release.

The governor said that the development of the Northern Sea Route will make it possible to dramatically increase shipping in the next ten years.

“This means that we must be ready for growing demand for ship repair and this is what our initiatives are aimed at,” Solodov said.

He said the plans for the ship repair cluster in the region have already been drawn up and the meeting discussed how various government agencies can get involved in the actual implementation of these plans.

The press service said that 34 businesses in the region are currently certified for ship repair work by the Russian Register of Shipping. Existing businesses have six docks with capacity of 800 to 25,000 tonnes. Along with comprehensive fleet services, there is also demand for small shipbuilding in Kamchatka.

OUTSIDE RUSSIA

Russian envoy to US urges to expose Kiev’s crimes against its people

WASHINGTON, August 10. /TASS/. The international community must see the Ukrainian government’s crimes against its own people, Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov said.

“They do not stop attributing to us the deeds of the thugs from Kiev. The time has long come to truthfully show the crimes of the Kiev regime to the world, calling it to account for atrocities, primarily against its population,” the ambassador said.

He also rejected the US Department of State’s attempts to accuse Russia of planting mines on the territory of Ukraine.

“Washington unfairly holds us responsible for mining the territory of the Republic. In the Russophobic campaign, the Americans surpassed themselves by comparing the actions of the Russian Armed Forces with the tactics of ISIS [outlawed in Russia] in Syria. We were accused, among other things, of blocking access to farmland. We strongly reject these insinuations,” the ambassador said.

Mines and explosives from United States

The Russian diplomat went on to say that “during the negotiations on grain exports, the international community has already made sure that the Ukrainians themselves mined the coastal waters of the Black Sea.”

“This practice extends to numerous social and infrastructure facilities. In particular, the Armed Forces of Ukraine are installing explosive devices on the territory of schools and kindergartens, literally dotting forests and fields with mines in various directions. By the way, some of the ammunition (for example, Claymore and C-4) is supplied from the USA,” he continued. “Ukrainian terrorists are firing shells equipped with Butterfly anti-personnel high explosive mines (PFM-1) at the cities of Donbass. More than 30 people, including children and elderly people, have already been blown up on them.”

According to Antonov, such actions “clearly demonstrate the attitude of the Zelensky regime towards the population of those lands that Kiev would like to consider its own.”

“As for farmland, there is evidence of repeated targeted arson of crops by Ukrainian formations. Even helicopters are used for this, scattering heat traps,” he continued. “All this proves that the real situation is the exact opposite of what the State Department states. However, this does not stop the organizers of the disinformation campaign against Russia.”

The statement came as a response to a media question about the US Department of State’s plans to allocate $89 million to the Kiev government for demining Ukrainian territories.

The PMF-1 Lepestok (Petal) is an antipersonnel pressure-type landmine, which can be deployed remotely by rocket artillery. The body of a mine is made of plastic in colors which make them extremely difficult to detect. The mines are extremely dangerous for civilians as their unusual shape makes it difficult to see a dangerous object.

In May 2005, Ukraine ratified the Ottawa Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction. However, Ukrainian forces have recently been shelling DPR cities with Lepestok mines almost every day.

Oil pumping via Druzhba to resume in next 24 hours, says Slovakian deputy PM

PRAGUE, August 10. /TASS/. The pumping of Russian oil through Ukraine via the southern line of the Druzhba oil pipeline may resume in the next 24 hours, Slovakian Deputy Prime Minister, Economy Minister Richard Sulik said in an address broadcast by the country’s TV channels on Wednesday.

“The pumping of oil via Druzhba may resume in the next 24 hours,” he said.

The payment for transit of Russian oil through Ukrainian territory was performed by the Hungarian oil and gas concern MOL, which owns the Bratislava-based Slovnaft refinery, one of the largest in Central European countries, Sulik said, adding that Ukraine should allow transit after funds are credited to bank account.

“The issue is purely about a technical issue [with suspension of oil supplies via Druzhba]. Do not interpret it in a different way,” he noted.

The payment to the Ukrainian side was made through a Slovnaft account, according to Deputy PM. The concern transferred “9-10 mln euro,” he said, adding that “no drama occurred from the financial viewpoint, everything was fixed today.”.

Anniversary of Agent Orange Disaster: Only United Can We Relieve the Suffering of Many Generations

The US chemical war in Vietnam was the longest and most catastrophic in human history, lasting nearly a decade. Hanoi has been trying to overcome its consequences for 61 years.

The Vietnam Association for the Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin (VAVA) plays an important role in efforts to deal with the consequences of the US’ inhumane war. It has been helping victims of Agent Orange and representing their interests in the fight for justice for more than 18 years.

In an interview with Sputnik, Lieutenant General Dr. Dang Nam Dien, VAVA’s vice president and secretary general, explained that, “Over the past 18 years, VAVA has raised more than 30 trillion dong (some $1,300,000) and built 26 rehabilitation and care centers for Agent Orange victims. We also create jobs, provide vocational training, and offer them livelihood opportunities.”

VAVA also pays great attention to the involvement of volunteers and socio-political organizations in helping victims. The secretariat of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam has mandated party committees at all levels to take the lead in dealing with the consequences of the use of pesticides during the Vietnam War, and VAVA monitors how party bodies across the country comply with this directive.

Nguyen Thang Long, director of the Vietnam Social Protection Center for Agent Orange/Dioxin victims located in Yen Binh Commune, Thach That district of Hanoi, spoke about the measures taken by the government.

“The victims of Agent Orange are given low-interest loans to start their own businesses and productive labor. We have a program to provide housing at no cost to families of victims who are in especially difficult situations. There are free de-toxification programs every year. The VAVA gives money for medication to all Agent Orange victims who come to our Center.”

“In recent years, the association has worked with the Veterans Association of Vietnam (VAVN) and the Vietnamese Volunteer Youth Association to review the use of the benefits intended for victims of Agent Orange/dioxin by people who were not involved in the war and were not exposed to this poisonous defoliant. At the same time, the association is actively cooperating with the relevant authorities to have real victims of Agent Orange recognized and entitled to state benefits as soon as possible,” Dang Nam Dien continued.

VAVA is actively fighting to seek justice for the victims. The association has organized lawsuits against chemical companies in the US, but they were never concluded. Dang Nam Dien explained:

“We understand that this is a very long process. Therefore, in the near future, we intend to join with the World Peace Council, the International Association of Democratic Lawyers, and other peace-loving organizations such as the Japan Council against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs in the fight for justice for the victims of Agent Orange.”

Mention should be made of the VAVA’s involvement in the lawsuit of Tran Thi To Nga, a French woman of Vietnamese origin, against US chemical companies that produced dioxin intended for use by the military during the Vietnam War. Although the trial lasted seven years, the case was not completed. Tran Thi To Nga continued to file lawsuits in Paris’ higher courts.

Now, offices of the Vietnam Association for the Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin, led mostly by war veterans, are active in all 63 provinces and central cities of the country, as well as at the level of more than 600 districts and more than 6,000 communes.

“The repeated spraying over a long period of time of a large volume of toxic Agent Orange has had severe and lasting effects on the environment, ecosystems, and human health. In recent years, VAVA has collaborated in the field of detoxification and research efforts with the joint Russo-Vietnamese Research and Technology Tropical Center. Right now, dioxin concentration levels are still high or very high, especially around Da Nang, Bien Hoa, and Phu Cat airports, where toxic defoliants were stored, mixed and destroyed during the war. The Vietnam-Russia Tropical Center conducted a pollution survey in some areas near Bien Hoa Airport, but for some reason had to suspend the work. We hope for more cooperation with the tropical center in the near future in the decontamination of dioxin-contaminated sites in Vietnam,” General Dang Nam Dien said.

In conclusion, the VAVA vice president talked about the association’s immediate plans.

“First, we will continue to talk about the consequences of pesticides, and encourage state and party agencies to pay more attention to the victims.

Second, we will continue to coordinate the study of the number of victims of Agent Orange, especially in the third and fourth generations.

The Vietnamese government has just revised the Merit Ordinance, but it does not yet include measures to help third generation victims of Agent Orange. We will soon ask the relevant government agencies and the National Assembly to resolve this issue as soon as possible.

There are still some points to be corrected in the implementation of measures for the victims of Agent Orange, especially for the participants in the Resistance War [against the United States]. For example, people helping families with several severe victims do not have official status and rights. Insurance is voluntary, like health insurance. We want them to have a voice in the discussion and application of state measures. If a victim of Agent Orange has deceased parents, he or she should be taken into the custody of the state, not the community, as was the case in the past. These are the issues where VAVA should actively participate.”

Finding resources is also a major challenge facing VAVA in the near future, especially with regard to business. Despite numerous efforts over the two years of the pandemic, the results of this work have diminished.

“For this reason, we are striving to introduce new forms of activities, expand the scope of campaigns, and cooperate with businesses and benefactors, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, paying special attention to young people who are passionate about volunteer work,” Dang Nam Dien stressed.

US wants prolonged Ukraine conflict – China

According to Beijing’s ambassador in Moscow, in this way Washington is seeking to “exhaust and crush Russia”

Washington is seeking to prolong the conflict in Ukraine as much as possible in order to weaken Moscow, China’s ambassador to Russia has suggested. 

In an interview with Russia’s TASS news agency published on Wednesday, Zhang Hanhui said, among other things, that it was the US that had initiated “five rounds of NATO’s eastward expansion, directed the ‘color revolution’ in Ukraine’ and ‘driven Russia into a corner’ in terms of security.” According to the diplomat, all these factors combined led to the current conflict in Ukraine.  

He went on to describe the US as the “initiator and chief arsonist of the Ukraine crisis.”  

Zhang claimed that by slapping Moscow with “unprecedented” sanctions and providing Kiev with yet more weapons, Washington is seeking to prolong the armed conflict for as long as possible. This strategy is aimed at “exhausting and crushing Russia” eventually. 

The Chinese ambassador noted that he saw parallels between the conflict in Ukraine and the latest escalation around Taiwan. He alleged that the White House is deploying the kind of tools it previously used in the Eastern European country.  

According to the diplomat, the fact that the US is “flexing its muscles” on China’s doorstep, arranging “various anti-China groups, and has now openly crossed all borders on the issue of Taiwan” just goes to prove his assessment. He dubbed this as nothing short of an “Asian-Pacific version of ‘NATO’s eastward expansion’.” 

The envoy pointed out that the US is pursuing effectively the same goals with respect to China as it is vis-à-vis Russia – to “hinder the development and rise of China, interfere in its internal affairs” as well as to “exhaust and contain it with the help of war and sanctions.” 

The official went on to argue that both the crisis in Ukraine and Nancy Pelosi’s latest visit to Taiwan indicate that Washington is intent on reviving the Cold War mentality.   

Moreover, this new Cold War is already underway, the Chinese ambassador claimed.  

Zhang described the US as a force which is destroying international rules and causing instability and uncertainty the world over. Washington’s hegemony and reliance on force are the “greatest challenge to progress and the peaceful development of human civilization,” he added. 

The ambassador reminded the US that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China and has been since time immemorial, meaning that any issues surrounding the island are solely China’s own internal affairs. He also stressed that “today’s China is not the China of one hundred years ago, which was poor and weak, and let others decide its fate.” 

The diplomat noted that Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan will not change the “historic and legal reality” of the island being part of China, nor will it stop the “historic tendency of China’s complete reunification.”  

However, with the visit of the speaker of the US House of Representatives to Taiwan earlier this month and her meeting with and support for the “separatists,” the US reneged on its previous commitment to the principle of ‘One China,’ the ambassador explained. He said that it was the latest example of America’s duplicity, as on paper the White House professes to respect China’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, but in practice this is not the case.   

The Chinese ambassador also thanked Moscow for speaking out against Pelosi’s visit along with “more than a hundred countries and international organizations.”

Zhang went on to commend the level of bilateral relations between China and Russia, describing these as having reached their “best period in history.” According to the envoy, this alliance is an “important power helping to shape a multi-polar world.”

Taiwan is a self-governing territory, which has been de facto ruled by its own government since 1949, when the losing side in the Chinese civil war fled to the island and set up its own administration there. Beijing considers the Taiwanese authorities to be separatists, insisting that the island is an inalienable part of China. 

In recent years, top Chinese officials, including President Xi Jinping, have openly said that Beijing would not rule out the use of force to ensure the “reunification” of Taiwan with the mainland. 

Under the One China principle, the vast majority of countries refrain from officially recognizing Taiwan’s independence. 

Taiwan has, nevertheless, for years enjoyed extensive diplomatic and military support from the US, which maintains unofficial relations with the island.

Russian steel giant quits US business

Major Russian steel and mining company Evraz announced on Wednesday the planned sale of its North American business, and began seeking buyers.

According to a statement published on the company website, the process is being conducted under the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) General License. “The possible transaction will be subject to regulatory and corporate approvals and applicable sanctions laws, and will require approval from relevant sanctions authorities, including OFSI,” the statement reads.

Evraz North America describes itself as a leading, vertically integrated producer of engineered steel products for the North American rail, energy, industrial and construction markets. It has steelmaking capacity of 2.3 million tons per year.

Evraz shares were suspended from trading on the London Stock Exchange in March, and in May the UK government placed sanctions on the firm, along with one of its main shareholders, Roman Abramovich. The UK-based steelmaker was formerly counted among Britain’s biggest companies.

For more stories on economy & finance visit RT’s business section

SPECIAL MILITARY OPERATION IN UKRAINE

Darknet sells U.S. Switchblade drones sent to Ukraine — Readovka.world

Effi Stounem

High-tech weapons are available to terrorists.

Ads for Switchblade 300 kamikaze drones have appeared on the darknet. The 300 weapon is designed to strike small targets. It can fit in a rucksack, weighs a little over 5 pounds and has a range of 10 miles.

Criminals are already taking the opportunity to earn money by selling advanced weapon systems for a mere price of $4,000.

The U.S. sent 100 killer drones in a colossal weapons package for Ukraine in March this year. Cameras, navigation systems and guided explosives are equipped on each drone. The system can be programmed to automatically strike targets that are miles away or can loiter above a target until engaged by an operator to strike.

The drone is destroyed after striking the desired target. Each Switchblade is a single-use or a «kamikaze» drone.

Don’t be surprised if these drones will end up in the hands of ISIS (banned in Russia) terrorists.

INSIGHTS

Tragic Anniversary: 14 Years Since Conflict Between Georgia and South Ossetia Began

Andrei Dergalin, Sputnik News

Fourteen years ago, on 8 August 2008, while the attention of most of the rest of the world was focused on the Olympic games in China, Georgian military forces launched an offensive against South Ossetia in an attempt to bring that breakaway region to heel.

How It All Started

The origins of this conflict date back to the early Nineties when South Ossetia and Abkhazia, autonomous regions of Georgia back when it was part of the USSR, broke away from Georgia after violent armed conflicts.

The independence of the two self-proclaimed republics was not recognized by Georgia’s government, and a ceasefire was maintained thanks to Russian peace-keeping forces deployed in the two regions.

How the Conflict Developed

After the so-called Rose Revolution of 2003 – when Mikheil Saakashvili became the new Georgian president – Georgia started to enjoy increased support from the US while its relations with Russia began to deteriorate.

In 2008, Georgia tried to change the South Ossetia situation by force of arms, but its efforts were thwarted by the stiff resistance mounted by South Ossetian forces and Russian peace-keepers, and by the rapid arrival of Russian armed forces who entered the fray under the orders of Russia’s then-President Dmitry Medvedev.

The conflict, during which Russian forces entered Georgian territory and systematically destroyed the country’s military infrastructure, thereby forcing Tbilisi to stand down, ended in a matter of days.

Peace At Last

On 16 August, Medvedev and Saakashvili signed a treaty agreeing on the conflict’s peaceful resolution.

The agreement was arranged with the help of then-President of France, Nicolas Sarkozy, (at that time, France held the EU presidency) and then-Prime Minister of Russia, Vladimir Putin.

The six points of the agreement included full cessation of hostilities; free access to humanitarian aid; no recourse to the use of force; the withdrawal of Georgian military forces to their bases; the withdrawal of Russian forces to where they had been stationed before the conflict; and the opening of international talks on enduring security in Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

Who Started It

Although a number of western media outlets claimed during the conflict that Russia had launched an attack against Georgia, an EU investigation led by Swiss diplomat Heidi Tagliavini established that the conflict was in fact initiated by Georgia.

How the Conflict Changed Things

Georgia continued to regard South Ossetia and Abkhazia as its breakaway provinces but Russia recognized their independence shortly after the hostilities ended.

These days, the independence of these self-proclaimed republics is also recognized by Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru, and Syria. However, the majority of western powers seem to have followed the US’ lead by refusing to recognize South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states.

Read us@googlenews