20-06-2017 - 24-06-2017
FESTIVAL DEL CINEMA RUSSO
«PAGINE DELLA STORIA»
20 GIUGNO, ORE 21.00
«IL RISCOSSORE»
di Alexej Krasovskij
21 GIUGNO, ORE 21.00
«UN AFFARE DA PIONIERE»
di Aleksandr Karpilovskij
22 GIUGNO, ORE 21.00
«IO SONO UN INSEGNANTE»
di Sergej Mokrickij
23 GIUGNO, ORE 21.00
«LA CARROZZA VERDE»
di Oleg Asadulin
24 GIUGNO, ORE 21.00
«SULL’AMORE»
di Anna Melikjan
PIAZZA AURORA
IN CASO DI MALTEMPO LE PROIEZIONI SI TERRANNO AL
PALA ARREX – SALA PALLADIO, PIAZZA BRESCIA
INGRESSO LIBERO
FESTIVAL DEL CINEMA RUSSO
20-06-2017 - 24-06-2017
Indirizzo:
Jesolo -
IN VETRINA
-
Trento - Jogging nel parco naturale
Selva Gardena è un luogo ideale per fare Jogging percorrendo sentieri che si inoltrano nei boschi del parco naturale alla scoperta del fascino [...]
-
Venezia - Viva Vivaldi
A pochi passi da Piazza S. Marco, a Venezia, la musica delle quattro stagioni di Vivaldi si può ascoltare e ammirare in un’esplosio [...]
-
Genova - Palazzo Reale
Il museo residenza Palazzo Reale a Genova è un'armonia di opere d'arte, arredi e affreschi che incantano per la loro bellezza circondan [...]
-
Roma - Musei Vaticani e la Cappella Sistina
Nei Musei Vaticani si trova una raccolta immensa di opere d'arte esposte in 53 sale rifinite con un grande gusto artistico. In questi lu [...]
-
Catania - Il vulcano Etna
Un'emozione unica al mondo: visitare l'ETNA il vulcano attivo più alto d'Europa, scenari mozzafiato dove la natura si esibisce in t [...]
-
Roma - Museo Galleria Borghese
Nel cuore di Roma si può passeggiare nello stupendo parco della GALLERIA BORGHESE, stimata fra le più belle ed eleganti GALLERIE a [...]
-
Napoli - Museo Nazionale di Capodimonte
Il Museo di Capodimonte risale all'anno 1738 e al suo interno si possono visitare le collezioni permanenti Farnese ,Borbonica e opere d'arte d [...]
ITALIA
I TOP
NEWS RSS
Details of Putin-Merkel surprise meeting unveiled
Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel plan to discuss a variety of topical issues, including sanctions, the state of affairs in Syria and Ukraine, as well as issues of economic cooperation during their meeting in Germany on August 18."As for the topics, they are going to compare notes on all most vital issues. These include, of course, the crisis in Ukraine, the crisis in Syria, restrictions that many countries now face and consequences of these restrictions," Putin's official spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. Putin and Merkel will also discuss possible US sanctions, including those against German companies. "They will also talk about issues of bilateral trade and economic relations, the implementation of major international commercial projects, such as Nord Stream-2 and other issues that the parties deem necessary to discuss," he added. Official representative of the German government, Steffen Seibert, said at a briefing in Berlin on August 13 that Chancellor Angela Merkel will hold a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on August 18 at the government residence in Mezeberg Castle. The talks are to start at 18:00 local time. Photo credits: kremlin.ru
Tue, 14 Aug 2018 18:53:00 +0300Russian government prepares to get rid of US dollar in economy
Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov announced a possible move that Russia can take in response to new US sanctions. The new sanctions, which the US plans to put in effect against Russia on Aug. 22, include the ban on the supplies of dual-use equipment to Russia, restrict the activities of Russian banks, lower the level of diplomatic interaction and even ban the flights of Russia's Aeroflot to the United States.Many experts believe that Russia will choose to get rid of the US dollar in its economy. Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said that the US dollar was an "unreliable currency." "We have significantly cut investing our reserves in US assets. In fact, the dollar, which was considered the world currency, already becomes a risk instrument for settlements," Siluanov said.The Russian Finance Minister also suggested a solution that may serve as Russia's powerful response to the United States. "We can fix the dollar equivalent, but receive the euro, other freely convertible currencies, and, eventually, the national currency for oil supplies," Siluanov said adding that Russia may continue reducing its investment in US securities. The remarks from the Finance Minister triggered many discussions in social media in Russia. Some believe that Mr. Siluanov was talking about the "beginning of the end" of the domestic market, the reintroduction of the planned economy similar to the one that used to exist in the USSR. Others see more reasons for the Russian ruble to decline further against the dollar. At the same time, the topic of the dollar peg in the Russian economy is not new. When Russian President Putin warned representatives of big business that it was becoming increasingly risky to keep money in foreign accounts and in offshore companies, he spoke about the current situation. In May of this year, Anton Siluanov also spoke about the need for Russia to move away from the dollar, although those statements did not attract much attention. "The restrictions that American partners impose are of an extraterritorial nature. The willingness of Europe to provide its position to American partners will show whether the euro can replace the dollar in settlements," he said. "If our European partners declare their unequivocal position, we certainly see a way out in using the European settlement unit and European organizations for financial settlements, payments for goods and services that often fall under various restrictions today," he added. Today, Siluanov continues this line of thinking and sees other currencies that may replace the dollar - the euro, the ruble and the yuan. The minister believes that one should invest less in dollars and use them less to be less dependent on sanctions. Yet, those who prefer to read between the lines are led to believe that the Russian government was going to ban the use of dollars in Russia. For the time being, Russia's state policy in relation to the US economy eyes further reduction of Russia's investment in US bonds and public debt. Photo credits: Fotodom.ru/Kommersant
Mon, 13 Aug 2018 18:21:00 +0300Russia could abolish state pensions
State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin said that state pensions could be abolished in Russia in the future. did not rule out that in Russia state pensions could be abolished. "Our pension system has a deficit, there's a big whole in it, and they fill it in from the budget. Whether we are going to have state pensions or not - this is a question too, because the budget has a deficit now too," Volodin said at a meeting with residents of the city of Saratov. The speaker of the lower house of the parliament urged citizens to think about the raise of monthly pensions, rather than about the raise in the retirement age."We in the State Duma have decided - and this ratification was adopted in the first reading - that the pension should be at least 40 percent of the salary of a retiring person who retires," he said noting that the issue has not been fully elaborated yet.Large-scale changes in the pension legislation were announced in Russia in mid-June. The government initiated the bill on raising the retirement age. President Vladimir Putin urged not to rush with such a radical decisions and stated that he, like most citizens, did not like this reform.The State Duma will consider the bill again on August 21. Photo credits: Fotodom.ru
Mon, 13 Aug 2018 16:18:00 +0300Putin convenes Security Council meeting to discuss new sanctions
Russian President Vladimir Putin convened a meeting of the Security Council of the Russian Federation to discuss the new sanctions that Washington is going to impose on Russia on August 22. The participants of the meeting agreed that the sanctions are completely illegitimate. "The participants of the meeting discussed the new unfriendly steps that Washington may take in the form of trade restrictions. They stressed out the illegitimacy of such actions from the standpoint of international law," the Kremlin press service reported. State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, the head of the presidential administration Anton Vaino, Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and FSB Director Alexander Bortnikov took part in the meeting. On August 8, the US State Department announced new sanctions against Russia in connection with the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the UK. The USA is to introduce the first package of new sanctions on August 22. The new restrictions will affect exports of goods for the defense industry. During the meeting, Putin also discussed issues related to preparations for the Caspian summit in Kzakhstan. The summit of the Caspian Five (Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Iran) is to take place on August 12. The leaders of the "Caspian Five" intend to sign the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea, the work on which has been conducted since 1996. The parties will also consider key aspects of cooperation in the Caspian region and sign a number of five-sided intergovernmental documents. Photo credits: commons.wikimedia.org
Fri, 10 Aug 2018 16:17:00 +0300Russia PM: USA declares economic war on Russia. Russia must respond
The tightening of economic sanctions against Russia can be considered a declaration of an economic war, and Russia will have to respond to this war, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said on August 10 at a meeting with employees of the Kronotsky State Reserve."I would not want to comment on future sanctions, but I can say one thing. If they ban the activities of banks or the use of a particular currency, then it can be called a declaration of an economic war, " said the Prime Minister. "We will have to react to this war - with economic methods, political methods, and, if necessary, with the help of other methods, and our American friends should understand this," Medvedev said. Speaking about the current and recently announced sanctions, Medvedev said that the USA wants the Russian government to change its positions on certain issues. "By and large, they want to restrict our economic power," the Russian prime minister said. He reminded that the West had imposed sanctions on Moscow many times during the Soviet times as well. "For the last 100 years, our country has been living under conditions of constant pressure of sanctions. They want to remove Russia from the list of powerful competitors on the international field," he said."Russia was developing fairly well in the early twentieth century, and despite all the difficulties of the Soviet period, there were periods of rapid development, and many did not like it. This is not particularly appealing to those countries that are involved in the imposition of sanctions - largely the United States and a number of their allies. Nothing has changed since then," Medvedev said.As an example of unfair economic competition, Medvedev referred to restrictions with regard to Russia's gas supplies to Europe. The US is interested in supplying its own liquefied natural gas to the European market, and this is a tool of unfair competition," Medvedev said.On August 8, it also became known that the USA would introduce additional sanctions against Russia on August 22 over the poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury. The new restrictions will affect exports of dual-purpose goods to Russia. If Russia provides no guarantees to the United States that it will not use chemical weapons, Washington may impose more restrictions on Russia, which may ban, inter alia, Aeroflot flights to the United States and denial of bank loans.The news of the sanctions have depreciated the Russian ruble against the euro and the dollar. One dollar is traded at around 67 rubles (77 rubles for one euro).
Fri, 10 Aug 2018 13:45:00 +0300Kremlin running out of patience as USA tries to create smoke without fire
The Kremlin has reacted to the news about the US intention to impose new sanctions against Russia because of the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergey Skripal and his daughter."We consider it absolutely unacceptable to link the new restrictions, which we still consider illegal, with the Salisbury incident," Putin's official spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on August 9. "We once again strongly deny any accusations in the context of Russia's possible involvement in what happened in Salisbury. This is out of the question," he added. When asked about possible retaliatory actions that Russia could take in response, Peskov said: "For the time being, talking about countermeasures would be wrong, because we need first to understand specifically and officially, what this is all about." The Kremlin spokesman called the intention of the United States to impose new sanctions on Russia an "absolutely unfriendly" move, which comes contrary to the recent meeting between Russian and US presidents in Helsinki.However, according to Peskov, the United States is "a very unpredictable participant of international affairs," and "now you can expect anything from Washington." At the same time, Putin's press secretary said that Russia retains hope for building constructive relations with the US.Dmitry Peskov also said that Russia manages to keep its financial system in proper condition, despite Western restrictions.Maria Zakharova, an official spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, said that the United States wants to deteriorate bilateral relations with Moscow deliberately."As a condition for lifting the sanctions, the Americans set forth clearly unacceptable requirements for us, and this is the first stage. We are being threatened with a further escalation of sanctions pressure," she said. "Thus, the US is consciously following the path of the further aggravation of bilateral relations, which they have in fact reduced to zero already," Zakharova added. She assured that Russia would develop measures in response. Dialogue with Russia from the standpoint of power and ultimatums "is useless and unpromising," she added. It is worthy of note that the outflow of capital since the beginning of the year, the export of capital from Russia has increased to $21.5 billion and is to reach $30 billion by the end of the year.
Thu, 09 Aug 2018 19:28:00 +0300Russians tired of Putin's foreign policy
The share of Russians, who support Putin's foreign policy has been decreasing. A recent opinion poll shows that the Russians are tired of Russia's foreign political agenda and want to help themselves, rather than other countries. When asked "What attracts you in Vladimir Putin?" in 2016, 22 percent of Russians said that they supported his foreign policy. In July 2018, the share of those sharing the same view dropped to 16 percent, a new study conducted by Levada Center said. In 2016, 25 percent of the polled said that they admired Putin's policy to defend Russia's interests. In 2018, however, the number of those people dropped by eight percent to 17 percent. At the same time, almost a half of respondents said that they considered Putin an experienced politician (49%), while in 2016 only 33% of respondents chose such an answer. Many Russians still admire Putin's vigour and determination (30% in 2018 and 31% in 2016), and 22 percent (in 2016 - 21 percent) called him a visionary politician.When asked "What you do not like about Vladimir Putin?" 17 percent of respondents both now and in 2016 preferred to indicate to his connections with big capital. In 2018, 16 percent of respondents said that Putin is indifferent to interests of the people (+5% since 2017). Fourteen percent said that the head of state is connected with corrupt politicians (17 percent in 2016). Nine percent of the polled believe that Putin does not cope with his job (six percent in 2016). The poll was conducted on July 19-25 among 1,600 people.
Thu, 09 Aug 2018 18:34:00 +0300Russia's pension reform to split Putin's majority in Navalny's favor
Alexei Navalny announced another protest action in Russia on September 9. On this day, which will be the single voting day in Russia, Navalny urges all Russians to publicly express protest against the pension reform. Mr. Navalny traditionally tries to make his mass events happen on special and important days. Apparently, the opposition blogger tries to receive as much media coverage as possible in Western countries. Most of Navalny's meetings and rallies take place as unauthorized events, in which his followers often clash with representatives of law-enforcement agencies. It is important to understand that Alexei Navalny is not an independent persona. Simply put, he acts as a conductor of Western influence in Russia. It became especially evident after the rallies on Bolotnaya Square in Moscow. Those rallies became an attempt to make Maidan riots happen in Russia. It is worthy of note that Mr. Navalny had openly spoken about the need to raise the retirement age in the past. These days, however, he wants the Russians to protest against the pension reform. We have no questions to Mr. Navalny about it, because this is common logic of his political "struggle," or business, better to say. He has been extremely consistent in this business of his. The main question is why he had an opportunity to appear in the niche that is highly important for the entire Russian society. We believe that he appeared there because a public discussion on the need to raise the retirement age in Russia had failed from the very start. The State Duma is now on holiday, so there is no communication between electors and parliamentarians. However, Internet and social media never go on holidays. Russian bloggers express their ardent protest against the pension reform bill and pay absolutely no attention to statements about important changes that the bill may have during further discussions in the parliament. State-run mass media, however, try to work in accordance with their agenda. First off, they do not call the pension reform a "reform" and refer to the experience of foreign states, even though Russia has major ideological discrepancies, if not confrontation, with Western countries. At the same time, the silence of the government, which came up with this reform and started promoting it, and the active position of the parliament, which started passing the bill contrary to all of its principles and reputation, creates interesting political sentiments in the Russian society. The majority of Russian people have their eyes on Vladimir Putin as the only power institution that remains with this majority and who is ready to conduct a full-fledged dialogue with his people, or listen to them, at least. All this takes us back to Putin's pre-election campaign, which the presidential administration should have supported informationally. It turned out, though, that it was Putin himself, who conducted the campaign for himself with his own forces and his real policy.In general, the situation with the pension reform is the same. The Kremlin should have launched a massive propaganda campaign to inform the population and establish communication channels with people to make the discussion as massive as possible. Nevertheless, the Kremlin does not seem to be willing to pay attention to the problem, whereas the majority of Russians have their hopeful looks attached to President Putin as the only legitimate representative of power in the country.What was the point of running the campaign of "transparent and legitimate" elections in Russia, if those who won the elections are unwilling to listen to their electors nor do they want to pay attention to what their electors say on such an important topic as retirement age. As for Navalny and its protest activity, it is clear how he is going to promote it in the media. Alexei Navalny will portray himself as a person, whom the Russian administration accuses of working for the West, of stealing timber and buying luxury cars, etc, etc. Meanwhile, a social protest in Russia is turning into a political one. Mr. Navalny can now win the support of not only young people, who want more adrenaline in their blood. He can win the support of mature adults - people of pre-retirement age, who make the core of so-called Putin's majority. The consolidated majority has made it possible for Russia to achieve considerable economic and political progress. Today, however, this majority may split. One is left to wonder if OMON riot police dare to twist elderly people's arms and drag them into police vans during street protests. What will Putin say if it happens? On September 9, 2018, the Russian Federation is to hold elections of various levels, including additional elections of seven deputies to the State Duma, elections of heads of 26 subjects of the federation (22 direct and 4 through voting in parliament), and elections of deputies of legislative (representative) state power bodies in 17 regions of the Russian Federation. In regions where governors resigned after June 9, the elections will be held on the single voting day in 2019.Pravda.Ru Read article on the Russian version of Pravda.Ru
Wed, 08 Aug 2018 17:48:00 +0300Most Russians do not notice absence of delicious foreign food products
Most Russians are not concerned about the absence of imported foodstuff that fell under Russia's food embargo that the country introduced four years ago, a new study from Romir public opinion search center said.According to the study, only 24% of respondents said that they were upset about the shortage of imported products in Russian grocery stores. At the same time, 76% of respondents said that they were not concerned about the absence of certain foodstuffs that Russia used to import from the United States and other countries of the West that imposed sanctions against Russia, the study said.However, many Russians are still unhappy about the quality of domestic products (particularly cheese) that replaced foreign analogues in food stores. Fifty-five percent of the polled said that they were satisfied with the substitution of imported foodstuffs. More than a half of the polled - 55% - supported the extension of the food embargo, while 45% said that Russia should lift it. The study was conducted among 1,300 people over 18 years of age living in all federal districts of the Russian Federation. On August 6, 2014, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree banning imports of certain types of agricultural products, raw materials and foodstuffs from the countries that imposed sanctions against the Russian Federation. The Russian food embargo affected the United States, the European Union, Canada, Australia and Norway. To this day, Russia does not import meat, sausages, fish and seafood, vegetables, fruits, and dairy products from those countries.
Tue, 07 Aug 2018 15:18:00 +0300Russia to respond with military-strategic blow to new USA's sanctions
Russia is prepared for another package of US sanctions and may respond to it with a military and strategic blow.The new bill about new sanctions against Russia includes measures against the Kremlin elite and bans transactions with a new Russian sovereign debt. The Russian side will respond to the US with mirrored military and strategic measures, Anatoly Aksakov, the chairman of the Committee for Financial Market at the State Duma said. Russia may revise some of Moscow's international obligations. Aksakov stressed that it goes about new acquisitions of Russia's sovereign debt, which does not need to be increased as the budget operates with a surplus.Russia's budget is based on the price of oil at $40 per barrel. Taking into account the fact that today the price of oil is above $70, the Russian National Welfare Fund, which accumulates reserves, has been growing lately. Thus, the impact of US sanctions in this regard will be minimal.Russia is prepared for the new sanctions, which, as Aksakov believes, are not going to affect the Russian economy. However, foreign investors have been turning their backs on Russian securities lately because of the intention of the US administration to impose new sanctions on Russia. The Kremlin noted that US senators are going too far. As long as Russia's unsubstantiated and far-fetched interference in US elections gives US officials the right to cause economic damage to the Russian economy and to the well-being of the Russian population, Russia has every reason to develop its own measures, including military and strategic ones, that would lead to irreparable losses for the US economy and population. Russia may revise some of its international obligations against the background of its highly strained relations with the West. In the past, Russia had assumed certain obligations under certain international legal conditions. As long as the conditions are changing, the obligations will change too. The US abjures its international responsibilities on a regular basis as well, including in the sphere of control over the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons (Iran nuclear deal), and in terms of tariff and non-tariff protectionism in trade.According to the Nezavisimaya Gazeta newspaper, the document entitled "Defending American Security from Kremlin Aggression Act (DASKAA), is intended to exert economic, political and diplomatic pressure on Russia in response to Russia's ongoing interference in the American electoral process. The authors of the document pay special attention to Russia's "pernicious influence in Syria" and "aggression in the Crimea".The authors of the document are Democrat Ben Cardin, Republican Lindsey Graham, Democrat Robert Menendez, Republican Cory Gardner, Republican John McCain, Democrat Jeanne Shaheen. The measures to be taken against Russia include "sanctions against political figures, oligarchs, family members and others who directly or indirectly contribute to illegal and corrupt activities on behalf of Vladimir Putin."DASKAA also contains a paragraph on restrictive measures against transactions involving investment in energy projects that have the support of state or parastatal organizations of Russia, as well as sectoral sanctions against any person in Russia that could be involved in "malicious cyberactivity."The bill has received a lot of media attention lately because of its requirement to prohibit transactions with the new Russian sovereign debt. Interestingly, the bill appeared soon after the Putin-Trump summit in Helsinki. The DASKAA text also complicates the procedure for the US withdrawal from NATO as much as possible and simplifies the transfer of defense equipment to the countries of the military bloc in order to reduce the dependence of certain NATO countries on Russia's military equipment.US officials started proposing new anti-Russian initiatives after the Helsinki summit. For example, Republican Senator John Barrasso put forward an initiative against Russia's Nord Stream 2 energy project. According to him, European countries need to diversify their imports of natural gas and opt for organic fuels from the United States.Experts believe that such actions could take the world to a global crisis as financial markets would experience the shock that the world has not seen since the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers in 2008. Restrictions on capital mobilization and sales of energy carriers would imply default on Russia's external obligations, the amount of which is only slightly less than the debts of LB before its bankruptcy. USA's new measures may thus trigger the effect of a house of cards and lead to deleverage on all markets. In the beginning of the current year, when everyone was expecting sanctions on Russia's federal OFZ bonds, the US Treasury Secretary clearly stated that such a move would be dangerous for the world financial system. At the same time, the USA may pass the DASKAA act to keep Russia on a short leash as was the case with the CAATSA act, the implementation of which took place only eight months after the document was adopted.
Mon, 06 Aug 2018 17:54:00 +0300Russian ruble declines in value because Russia has no economic sovereignty
Russia should end the sanctions war with the United States by creating its own national monetary system, Valentin Katasonov, an economist, told Pravda.Ru. This week, a group of US senators submitted a bill on the introduction of yet another package of sanctions against Russia. They include, inter alia, a ban on the purchase of Russian debt securities (federal loan bonds, OFZ bonds) by US companies. These securities appear as one of the main lending tools for the economy under the conditions of restricted access to the banking sector. Given the intention of US Congress to put more and more pressure on Russia for interfering in US elections, one shall assume that President Trump will sign it. If the new sanctions affect Russian federal bonds, the ruble may decline in value by 5-15 percent.
Fri, 03 Aug 2018 17:51:00 +0300Iskander missile complex can now strike sea targets
Russia's Iskander-M missile complex will now be able to strike static targets at sea. Earlier, the system could be used against ground targets only, a source told Interfax. For example, now the Iskander missile system can strike a moored vessel. The original version of the system could not conduct such operations. Russia's Baltic Fleet based in the Kaliningrad region, received Iskander-M operational-tactical complexes in May of this year.
Fri, 03 Aug 2018 13:58:00 +0300Russia explains reasons to write off debts of many countries worldwide
According to Russian Minister for Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov, the Russian Federation has written off a considerable amount of debts from the times of the Soviet Union to several countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS, former USSR). According to Lavrov, this money could hardly help Russia in resolving its current problems.The minister believes that Russia would have never received that money anyway. In addition, Lavrov said, it would be extremely difficult to prove at which rate the money had been given to borrowers during the times of the Soviet Union. The USSR, Lavrov added, was not a participant of the international monetary and financial system, and the ruble rate would be established by the State Bank of the USSR.Over the last quarter of the century, the Russian Federation has waived the debts to foreign states totalling $140 billion. Russia has written off $30 billion of Cuba's debt and a bit more than $10 billion of the debt of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea). The debts that Russia has waived for African countries total $20 billion. In 2016 and 2017, Russia wrote off $1.5 billion for Kyrgyzstan, Mozambique, Uzbekistan and Mongolia.Writing off debts to the countries that would never be able to repay them, one can gain political benevolence of their governments and thus create if not an ally, but reliable and grateful partners.
Wed, 01 Aug 2018 13:35:00 +0300Moscow aware of NATO's plans to attack Russia
Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergei Lavrov said that the Russian administration was aware of the plans of Russia's potential enemies to start a war against the Russian Federation. "Our awareness of what plans the US and other Western countries' militaries are nursing in relation to the Russian Federation is guaranteed," Lavrov said during the "Territory of Meanings" youth forum. The minister also said that Russia's military presence in the world ensures the nation's security and defense capability. Despite recent changes in the global agenda, Russian citizens will be protected accordingly, he added. Lavrov's remarks on the subject were not incidental. NATO regularly conducts exercises near Russian borders, especially in the Baltic countries. At the same time, the presence of US Navy vessels in the Black Sea has been growing steadily. NATO officials, including Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, constantly speak about "Russia's aggression" and NATO's need in defence. In February of this year, Lavrov spoke about NATO member states preparing a pre-emptive nuclear strike against Russia, linking those efforts with large-scale military exercises near Russian borders. NATO continues its expansion policy and does not mind accepting Georgia. These statements, however, are still extremely difficult to implement in practical terms. For Georgia to join the alliance, NATO should first recognise South Ossetia and Abkhazia as sovereign and independent states. Needless to say that the West is not ready to do it. At the same time, NATO continues the program for the modernisation of non-strategic B61 nuclear bombs in Europe. This is an American weapon that should be upgraded before 2024. There were 150 such bombs in Europe as of the winter of 2017. This fact does not contribute to easing tensions between Russia and a number of Western countries either. This is probably one of the reasons why Putin paid so much attention to the development of new types of nuclear weapons when he delivered his annual speech to the Federal Assembly. It is worth mentioning here that Russia has completed the trials for the new weapons and launched serial production of some of them. In general, the awareness of potential threats is a normal situation for any developed country, and this is what Sergei Lavrov meant when he spoke at the forum. NATO does not want to stop its manoeuvres against "those Russians," although this is a political and demonstrative step. However, such a demonstration of power, in turn, makes it clear that Russia needs to continue strengthening its own armed forces as well.
Wed, 01 Aug 2018 12:35:00 +0300Russia obediently sells RD-180 rocket engines to USA if and when requested
The new contract for the sale of Russian RD-180 rocket engines produced by Energomash to the United States may fall under the Russian anti-sanctions law. Does Russia want to use this law? Igor Arbuzov, General Director of the maker of RD-180 rocket engines, NPO Energomash, said on Tuesday that his company and the US-based United Launch Alliance (ULA) entered into a new agreement on the delivery of RD-180 rocket engines to the USA. The engines that Russia is selling to the USA are used for the first stage of US Atlas 5 space vehicles. It is an open secret that the Americans have not been able to build an analogue to the Russian engine yet. Can the Russian government use the law "On measures of influence (counteraction) in response to unfriendly actions of the United States of America and other foreign states" for the above-mentioned deal?Washington has been persistently expanding restrictive measures against the Russian Federation for years now, but Moscow prefers not to do anything in return. The rocket engine deal between Russia and the USA does not affect common citizens. Many would probably say that Russia would harm itself by terminating cooperation with the USA in the space industry. What is the point of such laws then? Scientific director of the Space Policy Institute, Ivan Moiseyev, told Pravda.Ru that Russia's refusal to sell RD-180 rocket engines to the USA would cause considerable damage to their maker, NPO Energomash, to the entire domestic engine building industry, and to Russia on the whole. "The Americans will not even feel any damage. All foreign transactions of this category come as government orders, and Russia receives money for that. There's also our reputation. If we cancel the contract, the reputation will worsen, and new contracts are not likely to follow. As for laws that do not work, this is a common peculiarity of Russian laws - they are adopted for the promotion of certain MPs, rather than for real action," Ivan Moiseyev said.On June 4, 2018, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the law "On measures of influence (counteraction) in response to unfriendly actions of the United States of America and other foreign states." According to the law, the government of the Russian Federation, upon the decision of the head of state, will be able to introduce retaliatory measures. At the same time, these measures should not affect essential goods, analogues to which are not produced either in Russia or in other countries. For the time being, the Russian government has not submitted any suggestion for responsive measures to the president.
Tue, 31 Jul 2018 18:53:00 +0300Russia to ship Karakurt missile vessels to Asia-Pacific countries
Russia may supply Karakurt vessels to Vietnam, China, India and other countries of the Asia-Pacific region, Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov said. Karakurt are small missile ships of Project 22800. "These are very good ships with large tonnage, fine weapons, and most importantly, they have Caliber missiles. The corvette has an acceptable price. This is a compact and high-speed vessel. This ship has a very good export potential for a number of countries, especially of the Asia-Pacific region - Vietnam, China, India, other countries," the official said.For the time being, Russia uses Karakurt vessels for Baltic, Northern and Black Sea fleets, as well as for the Caspian Flotilla. "The construction of three new ships has recently started at the Eastern shipyard, and I think that the interest in them will increase when new models are released," the Deputy Prime Minister said. Small missile ships of Project 22800 Karakurt are Russian multipurpose missile and artillery ships of near sea zone. The Russian Navy is to receive 18 small missile ships of Project 22800; the first two are to be delivered in 2018. The ships are armed with a complex of high-precision missiles and modern artillery systems.
Mon, 30 Jul 2018 16:15:00 +0300Russia's X-31 supersonic missile destroys target ship in Caspian Sea. Video
A video of the launch of the X-31 supersonic anti-ship missile from the Su-34 bomber appeared on the Internet. X-31 (NATO reporting name Krypton) is a medium-range tactical guided missile.In addition to Su-34 fighters, Su-30SM, Su-24 and Su-34 and Su-25 attack aircraft also took part in military exercises that took place in the Caspian Sea about a week ago. In total, more than ten ships of the Caspian fleet and about 50 aircraft were involved in the drills. A target vessel was successfully destroyed. Su-34 is a Russian 4++ generation fighter-bomber. The fighter is designed to strike enemy ground and air targets. The aircraft is equipped with state-of-the-art means of electronic warfare.The Su-34 was put into operation in 2014. As of January of this year, more than a hundred fighter-bombers of this type have been assembled in the Russian Federation.Russia used Su-34 aircraft during military operations in Syria.
Mon, 30 Jul 2018 14:16:00 +0300Russians go on mass rallies nationwide protesting against retirement age raise
Many Russians took part in mass rallies held in Russia during the weekend to express their protest against the decision of the government to raise the retirement age. Predictably, the rallies in Moscow were the largest. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, about 7,000 Muscovites gathered on Saturday on Sakharov Avenue, and about 3,000 came to the same street on Sunday. On Saturday, the rallies were held under the patronage of the Communist Party, whereas the meetings on Sunday were organised by libertarians. The rallies organised by the Communist Party gathered at least twice as many people, even though on Sunday, the agenda of the rallies was broader: in addition to the retirement age, the rallies were also devoted to so-called Yarovaya laws* and the VAT increase from 18 to 20 percent. The turnout, of course, could have been much higher, but given that the rallies took place during the holiday season, the numbers are acceptable. Experts say that the Russian government, most likely, was expecting a much smaller turnout. The rallies will not overturn the pension reform, of course, but the people have sent their message to the government. Many experts believe that the protest activity will increase considerably in autumn. *The Yarovaya law refers to a pair of Russian federal bills, 374-FZ and 375-FZ, passed in 2016. The bills amend a pre-existing counter-terrorism law and separate laws regulating additional counter-terror and public safety measures. It is known to the public under the last name of one of its creators - Irina Yarovaya. Among the amendments included an expansion of authority for law enforcement agencies, new requirements for data collection and mandatory deciphering in the telecommunications industry, and increased regulation of evangelism, including a ban on the performance of "missionary activities" in non-religious settings.
Mon, 30 Jul 2018 13:06:00 +0300Russia stops producing An-124 Ruslan jumbo jet
Russia will no longer produce the An-124 Ruslan jumbo aircraft. Instead, a new superheavy aircraft will be created to replace the Russian by 2027. According to Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Borisov, Russia simply does not need the Ruslan aircraft. The vice-premier said that the Ruslan would undergo profound modernisation: the research work for its improvement was included in the State Armament Program.The An-124 Ruslan is a heavy long-range transport aircraft designed in the Soviet Union. The Ruslan had not had a competitor airplane for six years - from 1982 to 1988. The An-124 was created for airdrop missions, for the transportation of mobile intercontinental ballistic missiles and other heavy military equipment. A Ruslan aircraft is capable of lifting a cargo of 120 tons into the air.Fifty-five Russian aircraft haму been built since the time when the first aircraft was assembled. The last aircraft was assembled in 2004.
Mon, 30 Jul 2018 12:40:00 +0300Problem of Russia's smoking aircraft carrier solved
The modernisation of the combustion system, the injector part and power management will solve the problem of "black smoke" that was coming out from the pipes of Russia's only aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov, scientific director of the Krylov State Research Center, Valery Polovinkin said. "We know, figuratively speaking, the weak points of this ship and will offer solutions for their modernisation. First of all, it goes about energy. We are revising problems related to ecology as well," the official said. "As for the asbestos that the ship's boilers are lined with, there is a way out too. There are internationally used eco-friendly polymer materials that are resistant to high temperatures," Polovinkin said.The official believes that Russia needs at least four aircraft carriers (two for the Northern and two for the Pacific fleet). Polovinkin believes that such ships should have the displacement of up to 100 thousand tons, as well as an atomic power plant and an electromagnetic catapult. The construction of small aircraft carriers is a dead-locked situation, the official said.
Fri, 27 Jul 2018 15:04:00 +0300
