Морские происки: страны НАТО добиваются досмотра судов в нейтральных водах Балтики

 ■ The Helsinki NATO summit adopted a number of resolutions that will affect shipping in the Baltic Sea. In particular, NATO announced the launch of a patrol operation there to protect the underwater infrastructure of coastal European countries. The alliance’s Secretary General Mark Rutte said that the Baltic Sentry mission would involve naval warships and warplanes. However, he did not specify which troops would take part in the operation.
 ■ NATO makes no secret of the fact that the measures are a response to Russia’s "shadow fleet," which purportedly poses a threat to the underwater infrastructure of the Baltic states. Finnish President Alexander Stubb said that the countries attending the meeting would build a team of legal experts to find ways of countering Russia’s hybrid influence in maritime areas.
 ■ Such measures against Russian vessels and ships sailing under the flag of countries engaged in Russian trade are being taken to harm Russia’s economy, military expert Vasily Dandykin told Izvestia. He criticized the initiative announced by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk as tantamount to terrorism and piracy. (Map: © researchgate.net)

■ NATO announces a new mission to "protect" undersea cables in the Baltic Sea region (01/15/25)

The West’s refusal to accept its diminishing role is driving global instability, the Russian foreign minister has said | Attempts by the West to suppress competition and protect its privileged position at any cost are the main drivers of international tensions today, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday. The top Russian diplomat spoke with domestic and international reporters in Moscow to outline the work of his department over the last year, and to answer questions about issues the country’s diplomats are dealing with. ● Lavrov described the source of the confrontation between the West and multiple other nations, including Russia, as a clash between the US and its allies on one side, who are attempting to force a poorly-defined “rules-based order” onto other countries, versus parties that respect the UN Charter as the foundation of the world order created following World War II. Essentially, the West wants to suppress any nation that does not submit to its policies or is better in any sphere, Lavrov stated.

■ Lavrov tells reporters about Biden’s last moves, Trump and security guarantees for Ukraine (TASS)

Donald Trump has riled up America's allies and the world with his seemingly outlandish plans to purchase Greenland. But setting aside the bluster and pomp, Trump's approach isn't really all that different from that of his predecessors, international affairs observer Irina Strelnikova says. | The Arctic Strategy published by the Pentagon in mid-2024 outlined Greenland's central role in US plans for the region, and Donald Trump's strategy is merely making a few corrections, Strelnikova, a researcher at Moscow's Higher School of Economics, told Sputnik. ● “The new strategy expressed the need to expand US capabilities for conducting a campaign in the Arctic, particularly in the areas of communications, intelligence, surveillance and interaction with allies and partners,” the observer recalled. 💬 As for Trump's plans, “from the perspective of whether this is really something fundamentally new or unexpected – it’s not. This is just Trump’s standard, peculiar manner of asserting himself,” Strelnikova said.

With regards to Trump attempting to land grab Canada, Greenland and the Panama Canal, Agit Papadakis offers some interesting observation:

💬 The Bozo [Trump] Doctrine, the Bibi [Netanyahoo] Doctrine, and the Tayyip [Erdogan] Doctrine, are all converging on a new post-Westphalian world disorder of imperialism gone nuts.
For the cucked vassals of the old order this means either grow a pair and resist or lose every shred of sovereignty, dignity, and material comfort you have left. Cucks like the EU, Australia, Japan, South Korea and wounded weak states like Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq are all suffering the torment of being raped and ravaged by powerful rogue states.

Bozo didn't lose a minute to join the melée. He looked at the economic train wreck he was inheriting and decided it was now or never to hoist the Jolly Roger over his big but old and rusty military machine and what's left of the once mighty dollar's hegemony.

His first victims would be the weak and cucked vassals who poured their sorry excuse for a military and their treasure into the Ukraine black hole. Bozo knows that his unfurling of the black banner will automatically dissolve those BS "alliances" with weak vassals that were never but a frilly negligée concealing America's naked imperialism, as revealed by the the lonely squeak of the French chihuahua protesting Bozo's Greenland grab and threatening to resist.

The cucked chihuahuas of the Rules Based Order are suddenly up against Judgement Day, naked and defenseless between two raging behemoths, Amerisrael and Russia, while an even bigger and scarier one, China, looms over everybody else.

It's the 19th century with nukes and hypersonics and space jets, which would normally be followed by the world wars of the 20th. But with 21st century speed, it shouldn't take longer than a decade if that.

India’s Index of Industrial Production (IIP) recorded a growth of 5.2% in November 2024, marking the highest growth rate in the past six months. This increase follows a growth rate of 3.5% in October 2024, according to data released by the Ministry of Statistics. | The November performance represents an improvement over the 2.5% growth recorded in the same month in 2023. The manufacturing sector, which constitutes the largest share of the IIP, recorded a growth of 5.8% during November, compared to 4.1% in October. ● Eighteen out of 23 industry groups within the manufacturing sector showed growth during November when compared to the same period last year. Among these, the manufacture of basic metals grew by 7.6%, electrical equipment production rose by 37.2%, and other non-metallic mineral products saw a 12% increase.

The court hearing on January 6 will be held upon an address of the EU office of prosecutor | The court of the Belgian city of Liege will hold a session to consider whether President of the European Commission (EC) Ursula von der Leyen has legal immunity against charges on corruption when procuring COVID-19 vaccines to the amount over 35 bln euro, Frederic Baldan, the plaintiff, told TASS. 💬 "The court hearing on January 6 will be held upon an address of the EU office of prosecutor that should investigate acts of corruption in EU institutions but which is de facto acting to defend von der Leyen now. The European Public Prosecutor’s Office sent an address to the court, stating that von der Leyen has the immunity against court prosecution on charges of corruption when buying COVID-19 vaccines that did not pass clinical trials," Baldan said.

■ Pfizergate: What is EC Chief Von Der Leyen Accused of? (Sputnik)

On New Year's Day, Russian gas stopped flowing through Ukraine to Europe. Kyiv is calling it a "historic" moment because the refusal to extend the transit contract with Russia's Gazprom has stopped the flow of money financing the invasion of Ukraine. | In Transnistria, a separatist region in eastern Moldova loyal to Moscow, the year began with only hospitals and key infrastructure having heating, while homes remained without heating. Transnistria broke away from the rest of Moldova in a short war after the collapse of the Soviet Union. There are still Russian troops on its territory, and they are completely dependent on Russian gas, for which the authorities in Tiraspol do not pay anything. "They simply keep track of the debt every month," explains Jakub Pieńkoski of the Polish Institute of International Affairs (PISM). "But Russia is not interested in collecting that money."

The transfer of $1 bln on account of Russian assets frozen by the West may prompt legal action, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, adding that the money has been stolen from Russia. 💬 "Speaking in Russian, the money has been stolen from us. The blocked assets have been frozen absolutely illegitimately. This contradicts all norms and regulations," he said. ● "Such illegal actions, including the transfer of this billion, may surely prompt legal action. And we will surely use all possibilities in the future to protect our rights and the rights to our property," Peskov added.

Slovakia’s Robert Fico has shared details of his discussions with the Russian president | After meeting Putin at the Kremlin on Sunday evening, Fico posted a comment on Facebook, providing insight into their discussion and noting that EU leaders were informed of the purpose of his trip in advance. [...] “My meeting today was a response to Ukrainian President [Vladimir] Zelensky, who, answering my personal question on Thursday, said that he was against any transit of gas through Ukraine to our territory,” Fico explained. He noted that the Ukrainian leader has also been lobbying his EU supporters to impose sanctions against the Russian nuclear energy sector. [...] Fico stated he had a “long conversation” with Putin, during which they discussed “mutual relations” between Slovakia and Russia, which he intends to “standardize.” They also “exchanged views on the military situation in Ukraine” and explored possibilities for reaching “an early peaceful end” to the conflict.

The U.S. just STOLE, and sent, $20 billion to Ukraine, using cash from frozen Russian assets. | Russia’s reaction? Calling it “simply robbery” and threatening to snatch Western assets in return. Moscow is accusing the U.S. of cooking up “Russophobic” moves before Biden hands over the White House. The U.S. says the funds fulfill a G7 promise to back Ukraine’s fight against Russia, and Moscow is not taking it lightly. Hal Turner Editorial Opinion: There is no authority under US law or under International law, for one country to "seize" the sovereign wealth funds of any other country, whether there is a war going on (Ukraine) or not. The US just did exactly that. This is outright theft. Brought to you by the same people who just overthrew the government of Syria last weekend. Miscreants, Murderers and Thieves: That is the United States Federal Government.

■ Moscow slams decision to grant Kiev loan funded by Russian frozen assets (TASS)
■ US loan to Ukraine is ‘theft’ of Russian money – deputy FM (RT.com)

The loan is provided within the framework of the initiative of the Group of Seven on provision of the $50 bln loan to Kiev, the Treasury said | The US Department of the Treasury announces the disbursement of the $20 bln loan to Ukraine with the repayment from proceeds earned from Russian assets frozen in the West. ● The loan is provided within the framework of the initiative of the Group of Seven on provision of the $50 bln loan to Kiev, the Treasury said. "These funds - paid for by the windfall proceeds earned from Russia’s own immobilized assets - will provide Ukraine a critical infusion of support," Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen said. Washington is going to toughen sanctions against Russia, she added.

Moon of Alabama | During its Ukrainian proxy war on Russia the Biden administration and its minions have pushed China for allegedly providing support to Russia. This year it even started to sanction Chinese companies for allegedly providing 'dual-use items' to Russian businesses.

US President-elect Donald Trump said on Saturday that he would impose 100% tariffs on BRICS countries if they did not abandon plans to create an alternative currency to the US dollar.

💬 "The idea that the BRICS Countries are trying to move away from the Dollar while we stand by and watch is OVER. We require a commitment from these Countries that they will neither create a new BRICS Currency, nor back any other Currency to replace the mighty U.S. Dollar or, they will face 100% Tariffs, and should expect to say goodbye to selling into the wonderful U.S. Economy," Trump said on Truth Social. The President-elect emphasized that any country that attempts to replace the US dollar in international trade will "wave goodbye to America."

■ TRUMP: We require a commitment from these Countries (X)
■ Donald Trump Threatens BRICS Countries—Including Russia, India—With 100% Tariffs (Forbes)
■ That's the end of the fairy tale. The "sucker" responded with threats (tsargrad.tv)

Russian Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov earlier said that the upcoming face-to-face meeting in Astana will be the sixth personal gathering between Putin and Tokayev in 2024. | November 27 will see talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Kazakh counterpart Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in Astana as part of Putin’s two-day state visit to Kazakhstan. The two leaders are expected to discuss further development of the bilateral strategic partnership, especially in light of Kazakhstan's chairmanship in the Collective Security Treaty Organization and Russia chairing the Commonwealth of Independent States and BRICS.

⚡ Казахстан и Россия: новые горизонты стратегического партнерства (Касым-Жомарт Токаев)
■ Путин и Токаев заявили о продолжении взаимной поддержки против подрыва стабильности (Известия)
■ Assessing The Feasibility Of A Russian Gas Pipeline To China Through Kazakhstan (Andrew Korybko)

The Russian foreign minister noted that American companies had already bought up most of the fertile land | The United States needs Ukraine's rare-earth metals, including lithium, and intends to take them as payment for military assistance, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a meeting with participants in the academic and educational program of the A. M. Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Support Fund "Dialogue for the Future."

💬 "It is no coincidence that US Senator Lindsey Graham said outright (he is not a diplomat and does not hide his thoughts), that the US needs to ensure that Russia suffer a defeat in Ukraine, because there are many rare-earth metals, including lithium," Lavrov said. "He said so to Vladimir Zelensky when he visited him recently. He said that the US needs these riches. And he added that they would help Ukraine and in return they would take all this from it as payback."

Lavrov noted that American companies had already bought up most of the fertile land.

💬 "They keep talking about the 'Black Sea initiative', about the need to feed Africa. First of all, the West exported more than 50% of grain to the European Union, and not to Africa. American corporations made money on this grain. And they want to do the same to the rest of our neighbor's wealth," Lavrov stressed.

■ Ukraine can make America rich – Trump ally (RT.com)
■ UK sees privatisation ‘opportunities’ in Ukraine war (Declassified UK)

The US national debt reflects the borrowing by the government to finance its operations and obligations. Concerns about the sustainability of the debt level, its impact on future economic growth, and its potential burden on taxpayers continue to be the subject of significant debate among policymakers and economists. | The US national debt has exceeded the mark of $36 trillion and updated the historical maximum, according to the US Treasury Department. This is the largest national debt in the world in nominal terms, and it has increased by $2 trillion since the beginning of the year. ■ As of November 21 (the last day for which statistics are available), the national debt was just over $36,034,994,586,981. ■ The US national debt is the amount owed by the federal government to creditors. The latter can be individuals, such as American citizens or small foreign investors, as well as states and large endowments. ■ The national debt is divided into two parts: intragovernmental and public. Intragovernmental debt is debt owed to various government agencies, such as pension funds. It makes up about 20% of the total debt, and as of November 21, it was $7.3 trillion. Public debt is owed to private entities, individuals, and foreign countries. It makes up the remaining 80% of the debt, or nearly $28.7 trillion as of November 21.

'Get them out,' president-elect reportedly instructed his generals, concerned they could be caught in a potential conflict | US President-elect Donald Trump wants to pull American troops out of northern Syria instead of leaving them as “cannon fodder” if fighting breaks out between other parties, said his political ally Rober F. Kennedy Jr. Kennedy, who endorsed the Republican candidate in Tuesday’s presidential election, said that Trump recently expressed concern to him about the US military presence in Syria. In an interview with American journalist Tucker Carlson, Kennedy discussed the role of US presidents in critical decision-making processes and shared details of a recent conversation he had with Trump.

■ US Ramps Up Systematic Looting of Syrian Oil, Ships 35 Tankers Out of Country (07/17/23) |

US troops began digging in in Syria in 2016-2017, with Donald Trump stating repeatedly (to the Washington establishment’s horror) that America would "keep the oil" and retain boots on the ground in Syria "only for the oil." The Biden White House claims US forces remain in the country to prevent Daesh’s* resurgence, but US actions speak otherwise. | U.S. forces in Syria have ramped up the looting of the war-torn country's oil resources, with local sources in the al-Yarubiyah countryside in eastern Hasakah province telling Syrian media on Saturday that the latest act of smuggling involved 35 oil tankers, which made their way into northern Iraq via the illegal al-Walid border crossing. "The U.S. occupation forces brought to their bases in northern Iraq a convoy consisting of 120 vehicles, including 65 tankers, some of them carrying covered damaged military equipment, 20 refrigerated trucks, and 35 tanks loaded with stolen Syrian oil," the sources said, adding that the convoy was accompanied by four Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) militia pickups for protection. Saturday’s account follows on reporting last week that a convoy of 39 tankers loaded with Syrian crude left fields in Hasakah and was similarly smuggled into Iraq, this time via the Mahmoudiya checkpoint -- another border crossing which the Damascus government doesn't control and hence considers illegal.

136-point recovery plan includes direct payments to those affected, reconstruction of industrial areas and infrastructure | Spain's Valencia region requested €31.4 billion ($34 billion) in emergency aid from the central government Monday following devastating floods that killed 217 people. ■ The comprehensive aid request to Madrid includes additional housing support of up to €15,000 per household, €7 billion for industrial reconstruction, €2.6 billion for immediate reconstruction of public infrastructure and €2.2 billion for flood prevention infrastructure, according to information shared by the regional government. ■ Valencia’s president, Carlos Mazon, unveiled a 136-point recovery plan at an extraordinary Cabinet meeting, alongside an immediate regional aid package worth €250 million. The plan includes direct payments of €6,000 to residents whose homes were damaged, with disbursements expected this week. Local municipalities will receive minimum grants of €200,000 for urgent expenses, while the regional government has secured tax payment deferrals for affected residents. ■ The floods and Storm Dana damaged more than 20,000 hectares of agricultural land and destroyed over 100,000 vehicles across 50 municipalities. Some 30% of homes were reportedly damaged along with numerous hospitals, industrial sites and shopping centers.

■ Una semana de horror (CS) + Mazón reclama al Gobierno 31.402 millones en ayudas para los afectados por la DANA
■ DANA, zona cero (V): "Todo lo que estaba a menos de dos metros de altura está destruido" (RTVE)
■ The shattered lives of Paiporta at the epicenter of Spain's floods (11/03/24)

Adnrew Korybko | He wanted to dispel whatever doubts some undecided voters might still have about his ties to Russia by reminding them that he imposed sanctions against that megaproject, which debunked the Democrats’ Russiagate claims and were even hypocritically waived by Biden for a nine-month period. | Trump boasted during his live interview with Tucker Carlson at a charity event in Arizona on Thursday night that he was responsible for “killing” Nord Stream II. In his words, “The Democrats] love to say that I was a friend of Russia, I worked for Russia, I was a Russian spy. The biggest job Russia ever had [was] Nord Stream 2. This is the biggest pipeline in the world, [it] goes from Russia to Germany and all over Europe. I killed it. Nobody would kill it but me. I stopped it.” He has a point that’ll now be elaborated on. ■ For starters, he clearly wasn’t referring to September 2022’s terrorist attack since he wasn’t in office then and therefore couldn’t have had anything to do with it. Rather, what he wanted to convey is that the Democrats’ false claims of him being a Russian puppet are debunked by the fact that he sanctioned Nord Stream II, which was done in an attempt to poach the European energy market from Russia. In an unexpected turn of events, Biden waived those sanctions in May 2021, one month before meeting Putin.

Elon Musk on D.O.G.E:

"I think we can reduce the annual federal budget by atleast $2 trillion per year. Your tax money is being wasted and the Department of Government Efficiency is going to fix that." pic.twitter.com/isu5ZHOaGz

— DogeDesigner (@cb_doge) October 27, 2024

Donald Trump wants the tycoon to lead his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and audit the federal government | Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has made an appearance at a Donald Trump rally at Madison Square Garden where he promised to save American taxpayers trillions of dollars if the Republican candidate wins. ● Despite previously having proclaimed political neutrality, Musk has leaned towards the former president in recent months, publicly endorsing him after the first assassination attempt. Following this, Trump promised that if he wins the November election, he will establish a “government efficiency” commission headed by the billionaire entrepreneur. ● As he walked on stage in New York on Sunday, Musk was asked, “How much do you think we can cut from this wasted $6.5 trillion Harris-Biden budget?”

■ Musk Vows to Cut US Budget Spending by $2 Trillion If Trump Wins (Sputnik)

The country is outperforming Japan in terms of purchasing power parity, according to the Washington-based organization | The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has ranked Russia as the world’s fourth-largest economy based on purchasing power parity (PPP). PPP compares economic productivity and standards of living between countries by adjusting for differences in the cost of goods and services. In its World Economic Outlook published on Tuesday, the IMF said Russia’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2024 amounts to 3.55% of global GDP in terms of PPP, outperforming Japan, which has 3.38%. According to the report, Russia ranks fourth in terms of PPP after China (18.8%), the US (15%), and India (7.9%). The latest figures show that the world’s leading economies by PPP now include three BRICS countries – China, India, and Russia – the report authors noted, pointing out that Russia’s upgrade has been driven by Western sanctions.

Simplicius | The BRICS 2024 summit kicked off as the big highlight of the week. There are an endless amount of things to be said from a variety of different analytical perspectives, but we’ll just mention a few of the salient points that stick out most for now. | Overall, the key takeaway from the BRICS summit can be the following. Look closely at some of the scenes presented: India and China after having just negotiated a settlement to their border conflict, Armenia and Azerbaijan hashing out their disputes, other “ostracized” members of the world community being greeted with open arms, no leering judgmental supremacism, condescending sermonizing and pompous pontificating like so often seen by the West at their global institutions, from the EU to the UN, etc. ■ The BRICS’ strongest achievement is sending a message of acceptance, compromise, openness, civility, and cooperation—the true definition of anti-illiberal qualities, the same the West so adamantly claims it champions. There was a kind of contagious energy that was palpable in the air: an alternate vision for a world led by sovereign grownups, not the small-minded, nervous little elitist compradors and pushy apparatchiks, the likes seen dotting the halls of the West’s equivalent institutions.

■ Les BRICS, ce nouveau Veau d'Or ? (Karine Bechet-Golovko)

BRICS member states have approved Bolivia’s admission to the organization as a partner nation, Bolivian President Luis Arce said on Friday. | The Bolivian president added that this step represented the most significant achievement of Bolivian foreign policy, with the results being multidimensional. [...] Russian President Vladimir Putin said earlier that BRICS member states had agreed on a list of partner states during the summit in Russia’s Kazan.

■ BRICS Summit Proves There's Alternative to Western-Led Global Order – Bolivian President (Sputnik)

The Chinese president says Beijing and Moscow should further deepen economic ties while defending the UN-based global system | Beijing and Moscow should further deepen their already strong economic cooperation while defending global stability, Chinese President Xi Jinping said at talks with counterpart Vladimir Putin at the BRICS summit in Kazan on Tuesday. He also stressed that Sino-Russian ties have been steadily developing in recent years despite the turbulent geopolitical situation. ● BRICS country leaders were joined by those from aspiring member states for the group's 16th annual summit in the capital of Russia’s Tatarstan Republic. Russia holds the rotating chairmanship of the group this year. ● Commenting on relations with Moscow, Xi stated that “despite the chaotic and confused external situation, trade and cooperation in other spheres between the two countries are actively developing,” as evidenced by a number of large-scale joint projects. Chinese TV quoted the president as stressing the importance of further enhancing the bilateral economic partnership as part of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative, as well as the Eurasian Economic Union.

■ World ‘tired’ of US-led West – RT editor-in-chief (RT.com)
■ Xi advocates high quality development of greater BRICS cooperation (Global Times)
■ The five major goals empower 'Greater BRICS Cooperation' with focused strength (Global Times editorial)

Russia’s city of Kazan is hosting the 16th BRICS Summit on October 22-24. Day one of the gathering featured a packed itinerary that included Russian President Vladimir Putin's bilateral meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa. | The agenda of the second day of the 16th BRICS Summit – the association’s main event during Russia’s presidency – is expected to be a packed one. ● Russian President Vladimir Putin will continue the marathon of bilateral talks on the second day of the summit in Kazan, according to presidential aide Yuri Ushakov.

■ PUTIN: Multipolar world order, leading role of emerging economies, and Western debt: Key takeaways (RT.com)
■ UN reform, conflicts, sanctions: key provisions of BRICS Kazan Summit Declaration (TASS)
■ UN secretary general arrives in Russia’s Kazan for BRICS Summit (TASS)
■ A new world order in the making: Here’s why this BRICS summit will be special (Egountchi Behanzin)

Lubos Blaha has questioned the move against Moscow, noting that US funds were not targeted when it attacked Iraq | The blocking of sovereign Russian funds in the West amounts to “theft,” Slovak MEP Lubos Blaha has said. He called on the EU authorities to stop pumping Ukraine with money and weapons in the conflict with Moscow. ● The US, EU, and their allies have frozen an estimated $300 billion in assets belonging to the Russian state since the Ukraine conflict escalated more than two years ago. The bulk of the funds, around €197 billion ($214 billion), is being held at Brussels-based clearinghouse Euroclear.

💬 “The freezing of Russian assets is theft and robbery. You can find hundreds of justifications for this, but this is theft,” Blaha said at a European Parliament plenary session in Strasbourg on Monday. “Europe didn’t steal American assets at the time of unjustified aggression against Iraq, Will we do the same with Israeli assets?” the lawmaker asked, referring to the latest escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Blaha, who visited Moscow earlier this month, also called on EU lawmakers to use “common sense,” stating that Brussels should “stop sending Ukraine weapons and billions of euros” that are needed in the bloc. “This is unfair to our own citizens,” the MEP insisted. ● On Tuesday, the European Parliament backed the allocation of a loan of up to €35 billion ($38 billion) for Ukraine, using immobilized Russian assets as collateral for the repayments.

The BRICS Summit, attended by heads of state, is held in Kazan, Russia, on 22-24 October. | The 16th annual BRICS summit began on Tuesday in the Russian city of Kazan, in the Republic of Tatarstan. The three-day summit will bring together officials from 36 countries, including 22 top ones, as well as leaders of six international organizations. [...] The summit will be devoted to discussions on strengthening multilateralism, integrating new members of the bloc and addressing regional challenges. Russian President Vladimir Putin will host the summit.

⚡ Dumping US dollar ‘keeps politics out of economic development’ – Putin (RT.com)
■ BRICS not aiming to ‘defeat the dollar’ – Kremlin (RT.com)
■ Putin to have a series of bilateral meetings on sidelines of BRICS Summit (TASS)
■ Developments on payment mechanisms expected in BRICS — Russian Foreign Ministry (TASS)
■ BRICS Economic Dominance Taking Shape, West Can Do Nothing About It - French Politician (Sputnik)

Andrew Korybko | It’s important for the public to be more aware of this since it helps explain Russian and Israeli policies towards one another in the context of the Ukrainian Conflict and the regional Israeli-Resistance War. | There’s been grassroots pressure on Turkiye to cut off Azerbaijan’s oil exports to Israel via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline ever since what can now be described as the regional Israeli-Resistance War broke out one year ago. Activists believe that this trade literally fuels Israel’s war machine and thus makes all the involved parties indirectly complicit in its alleged war crimes. Regardless of whatever one thinks about this claim, what’s interesting is that there’s no such pressure upon Russia.

The publication of the evidence will depend on how the situation around the investigation unfolds, Maria Zakharova said | Russia has proof of the United States’ and the UK’s involvement in the Nord Stream gas pipeline sabotage, and publication of said evidence will depend on the situation, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said. She made this comment, answering a question about the data, obtained by the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR).

💬 "This evidence exists. As to whether we will publish it - which will also tell you what kind of evidence it is - that would depend on how the situation around the investigation unfolds," Zakharova said. "Because we have repeatedly offered cooperation to everyone, we did it both publicly and via the available legal channels between law enforcement agencies, we have contacted them repeatedly. We supported these legal requests, both politically and publicly, and we received zero response."

[...] Previously, SVR Director Sergey Naryshkin claimed that the United States and the UK are directly involved in the Nord Stream sabotage. He stated that professional saboteurs rom the Anglo-Saxon intelligence agencies were involved during the organization, preparation and carrying out of the detonation. According to the official, the US Administration "has found such sabotage justified in order to guarantee Europe’s - mainly Germany’s - separation from Russia."

■ US-Marine soll kurz vor Nord-Stream-Zerstörung am Tatort gewesen sein, berichtet dänische Zeitung (Die Weltwoche)