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.

Russian President Vladimir Putin began talks with his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian in Turkmenistan's capital Ashgabat on Friday, Russian news agencies reported. | The meeting comes amid soaring tensions in the Middle East, with Israeli air strikes on Lebanon's capital Beirut that it says are aimed at Iran-backed Hezbollah. ● Ties between Russia and Iran -- both under Western sanctions -- have strengthened massively since the Kremlin sent troops into Ukraine in 2022, with Tehran widely believed to be supplying Moscow with weapons. In a short video published by a Russian state TV reporter, Pezeshkian accused Israel of bombing civilians and being backed by Western powers, according to a Russian translation. ● The leaders are meeting for the first time at a regional summit in the Central Asian country, one of the most reclusive in the world. The Kremlin earlier said the two will discuss mutual relations as well as the situation in the Middle East.

■ Europe, US not interested in de-escalation in Middle East — Iranian president (TASS)
■ ‘Entrenched impunity’: Pezeshkian slams US, Europe supports as Israel continues to kill (PressTV)

Slovak government commissioner for pandemic research Peter Kotlar considers mRNA vaccines dangerous and calls for a ban. | Slovak government commissioner for pandemic research Peter Kotlar considers mRNA vaccines dangerous and calls for a ban. He also questions the COVID pandemic itself. In Slovakia, Health Minister Zuzana Dolinkova has resigned, and Kotlar’s report on the investigation into the COVID pandemic, which he presented a week ago, may have been the decisive factor in her decision.

NATO kicks off its "Steadfast Noon" nuclear exercise on Monday. Member countries will be deploying 60 aircraft, including F-35A jets and B-52 bombers, across the U.K., Belgium, and the Netherlands. The annual drills, involving 2,000 personnel, simulate missions with U.S. nuclear warheads to showcase NATO’s nuclear readiness. NATO clarifies this is a regular exercise, and definitely not a reaction to recent Russian statements.

■ State Department CANCELS Today's Press Briefing (Hal Turner Show) | Russian Embassy in Tehran: "We recommend that our citizens comply with security measures due to the possibility of an Israeli attack on Iranian facilities."
■ Biden, Harris engage Netanyahu on 'Israel’s' attack on Iran (Al Mayadeen)om
■ Iran ‘fully prepared’ for war – FM (RT.com)

✅ Israel Churning-Out THREATS to Iran (Harold Turner)
✅ 2009 US Policy Paper Planned Current Israeli-Iranian Tensions (Brian Berletic)
✅ If Tehran Is Turned Into a Parking Lot, Israel Will be Soon to Follow (Mike Whitney)

Poursuivi pour avoir célébré la naissance de sa fille un 7 octobre… Faut-il interdire les anniversaires maintenant ? | L’accusation est grave : apologie du terrorisme. Oui, vous avez bien lu. Dieudonné aurait fait l’éloge du terrorisme simplement parce qu’il a salué la naissance de sa fille un 7 octobre. Ce 7 octobre n’est pas n’importe quel jour, il coïncide avec les attaques du Hamas en Israël. Donc, logiquement, quiconque ose sourire ce jour-là est suspect. Qui sait, peut-être que naître un 7 octobre deviendra un acte antisémite interdit par la loi.

Russia has “irrefutable evidence” of the supply of toxic chemicals to Kiev, the country’s mission to the UK has said | The West has been facilitating the supply of banned toxic chemicals to Kiev for use as chemical weaponry on the frontlines, the Russian Embassy in the UK has said. ● The mission issued the claim on Tuesday in response to a new round of sanctions imposed by London targeting Russia’s Radiological Chemical and Biological Defense Forces (RChBZ) and its head, Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov. London has accused them of “flagrant violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).” ● The embassy strongly rejected the accusations, pointing out that Moscow destroyed its chemical arsenal years ago, with the process overseen by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

💬 “Russia strictly adheres to the norms of international law, including the provisions of the Geneva Conventions and the Chemical Weapons Convention. There are no chemical weapons in the arsenals of our Armed Forces, which has been confirmed by international inspections,” the mission said.

■ West Ignores Use of Chemicals by Ukraine Against Russia (Sputnik)
⚡Commentary of the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry M.V.Zakharova in connection with the use and preparation for the use of chemical weapons by the Kyiv regime (10/08/24)

Putin has warned that any attack by Ukraine with Western-supplied long-range missiles would be treated by Moscow as being directly launched by NATO. | Moscow would trigger a “contingency plan” outlined by President Vladimir Putin in the event that Ukraine receives permission to use Western-supplied long-range missiles for strikes deep inside Russia, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has warned. ● Putin earlier said that any such strikes would be treated by Moscow as a direct attack by the countries that provided the weapons. ● The diplomat was commenting on an upcoming meeting of Kiev’s foreign arms donors, which Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has been touting as “historic.” Moscow does not follow statements on the issue as it already has a response prepared, the foreign minister said. “As soon as this decision is taken [by the West to allow Ukraine to use long-range missiles], if it is taken, we will learn that, and the contingency mentioned by Vladimir Putin will already be in action,” Lavrov told Russia’s Channel 1 broadcaster. Power plants, bridges, defense factories, and American bases are among the first targets. That does not bode well for Scranton, PA, where an Army Ammunition Plant is located. Ukraine's Zelensky met with Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro at that plant a week ago, where the two autographed artillery shells to be used to kill Russian troops.

■ Ukraine: Geopolitical Background (Swiss Policy Research)
■ Ukraine War: A Geostrategic Assessment (Swiss Policy Research)
■ NATO openly preparing for conflict with Russia – Moscow (10/08/24)
✅ The War's Pivotal Impasse Crystallizes as Russia Cements Negotiation Terms (Simplicius)

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)

CJ Hopkins | [It] wasn’t to pretend to be carrying out justice. It was a show of force. A demonstration. A public humiliation ritual. And, all things considered, they staged it well. | The first rule of New Normal Germany is, you do not compare New Normal Germany to Nazi Germany. If you do that, New Normal Germany will punish you. It will sic the Federal Criminal Police on you. It will report you to its domestic Intelligence agency. It will ban your books. It will censor your Tweets. It will prosecute you on fabricated “hate-crime” charges. I know this, because that’s what happened to me. I broke the first rule of New Normal Germany. I compared New Normal Germany to Nazi Germany. I did it with the cover artwork of my book.

The US-led military bloc is choosing the path of confrontation, according to Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksandr Grushko | NATO is no longer hiding that it is gearing up for a potential military conflict with Russia, Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksandr Grushko has said, pointing to this year's Steadfast Defender drills, the bloc's largest maneuvers since the end of the Cold War. ● The US-led military bloc has been expanding eastward for decades, despite assurances given to the Soviet Union in the run-up to German reunification in 1990 that it would not do so. Russia has repeatedly described the expansion toward its borders as a threat to its security. Speaking to RIA Novosti on Tuesday, Grushko said that...

💬 “...now NATO representatives have stopped hiding that they are preparing for a potential armed clash with Russia.” “Regional defense plans have been approved, concrete tasks for all of the bloc’s military command structures have been formulated. Possible options for military action against Russia are being continuously worked out,” the diplomat added. He cited the Steadfast Defender exercise that ran from January through late May, saying that “for the first time, the enemy was not a fictitious state, but Russia.”

While NATO did not specifically name Russia in its announcement of the drills, it called the exercises preparation for a conflict with a “near-peer” adversary. NATO’s main security document identifies Russia as the bloc’s largest threat.

■ Russia to respond if West approves Ukrainian long-range missile strikes – Lavrov (RT.com) | Moscow would trigger a “contingency plan” outlined by President Vladimir Putin if Ukraine receives permission to use Western-supplied long-range missiles for strikes deep inside Russia, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has warned. Putin earlier said that any such strikes would be treated by Moscow as a direct attack by the countries that provided the weapons.

■ Ukraine: Geopolitical Background (Swiss Policy Research)
■ Ukraine War: A Geostrategic Assessment (Swiss Policy Research)
✅ The War's Pivotal Impasse Crystallizes as Russia Cements Negotiation Terms (Simplicius)

■ Since February 2022, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), the UN Security Council, and the UNGA have repeatedly disseminated detailed data indicating the large-scale use of toxic substances by the Kyiv regime in violation of Ukraine's obligations under the CWC, as well as provocations organized by Kyiv and its Western patrons to accuse the Russian Armed Forces of similar activities.

■ Despite the irrefutability of the information we have presented, Ukrainian armed formations continue to systematically use toxic chemicals (chlorine, ammonia, ammonium nitrate, sulfuric acid), including those included in Lists 2 (Bi-Zet) and 3 (chloropicrin) of the CWCW, as well as the CWCB against units of the RF Armed Forces, civilians, and officials of the civil administration.

■ The reason for this is the political patronage and de facto approval of such crimes by Washington, Berlin, London and Paris. In particular, Russian experts have documented violations by Ukraine of the provisions of the articles: MORE

Robert Fico has warned that attempts to inflict a defeat on Moscow will fail | The West is deliberately fueling the Ukraine conflict because its ultimate goal is to weaken Russia, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has said. In an interview with Slovak broadcaster STVR on Sunday, Fico expressed concern over the EU’s increasing involvement in the ongoing hostilities between Moscow and Kiev, arguing that the conflict cannot be resolved on the battlefield.

💬 “There is a military conflict in a neighboring country where Slavs are killing each other, and Europe is significantly supporting this killing, which I just don’t understand,” Fico said. He added that the fighting “continues only because it is being strongly supported by the West.” “The sooner it ends, the better it will be,” he added, arguing that Western efforts to use the conflict to inflict a defeat on Russia will fail. “Everyone thinks that through Ukraine we will bring the Russians to their knees, but this Russophobia does not work. It turns out that this problem cannot be solved militarily,” Fico stated.

■ NATO state’s PM pledges to block Ukrainian membership (RT.com)

Simplicius | About a hundred Ukrainian Troops from the 187th Battalion of the 123rd Brigade refused to carry out a combat mission and left the military unit in Donbass, Ukrainian media write. | As the key fortress-town of Ugledar fell days ago, a number of MSM articles began to highlight a truly grisly picture of the situation behind the scenes. The first horrors were recorded from the 123rd Brigade, a commander of which reportedly committed suicide by shooting himself after hundreds of his troops mutinied.

Japan did similar things with their Embassy staff and gear, just prior to Pearl Harbor. | Russia's ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Antonov, is "concluding" his diplomatic mission, Russian agencies reported late on Saturday. "Russian Ambassador to the US, Anatoly Ivanovich Antonov, is concluding his Washington assignment and heading to Moscow," Interfax agency cited a representative of the Foreign Ministry as saying. The envoy will be returning to Moscow within hours.

■ Anatoly Antonov completes term as Russian ambassador to US (RT.com)

Ukraine could end up sacrificing land in order to end the conflict with Russia, the former NATO chief has said | Ukraine may have to recognize the loss of some of its territory to Russia in order to achieve peace and security guarantees, Jens Stoltenberg said in his first long interview after stepping down as NATO secretary-general. ● Stoltenberg ended his ten-year tenure as the chief of the US-led alliance on October 1. In a conversation with the Financial Times published on Friday, he said that Kiev may be forced to rethink seeing the restoration of the 1991 borders as a prerequisite for any peace deal.

"We did not abandon our brothers and sisters but sought to achieve a peaceful resolution to this grave conflict. You know how those talks ended: with lies, deceit, and betrayal by the Western elites, who in that time turned Ukraine into their colony, into a military outpost aimed at Russia," Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a video address. | Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday claimed that Western elites have turned Ukraine into a "military outpost" as the country marks the second anniversary of its illegal annexation of Ukraine's Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia regions. He further accused the West of...

💬 "...systematically instilling hatred and radical nationalism" in Ukraine and providing Kyiv with weapons to prepare its military for a "new war." "The subsequent developments fully confirmed the need for and validity of the special military operation and its genuinely liberating nature," he added.

On Sept. 30, 2022, Russia annexed four Ukrainian regions -- Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson -- following referendums that were widely condemned as illegal by the international community, including Türkiye.

■ Putin just announced Russia’s own Monroe Doctrine (Sergey Poletaev)

A German man and his Ukrainian wife allegedly provided banned Russian channels | The German authorities have arrested a couple suspected of providing RT and other Russian TV channels to customers via the internet, in violation of EU sanctions. ● The bloc banned almost all Russian media organizations in March 2022, calling them a threat to democracy and citing the Ukraine conflict. The EU bans were then applied worldwide by US-based social media giants such as YouTube. [...] The District Court in Karlsruhe, a city in Baden-Wurttemberg near the German border with France, has also issued an asset seizure order for approximately €120,000 ($134,000) in “illegal income” from the alleged activity.

■ Moscow reacts to Germany’s arrest of couple for ‘illegal’ RT broadcasts (RT.com)

Tarik Cyril Amar | Washington and Brussels are ramping up the pressure on Georgia again, believing others’ sovereignty isn’t the same as theirs | Say what you will about the EU’s “elites,” they are persistent. They are on the verge of losing the Ukraine proxy war they have been waging under US command against Russia, but they never miss a chance to antagonize. This time it’s Georgia’s turn – the one in the Caucasus, of course: Brussels would never dare raise its voice about anything in the US, no matter how rotten the sorry remnants of “democracy” are over there. ■ If the Georgian government – duly elected and all that but still led by the Georgian Dream party, which Eurocrats love to hate – won’t do as told by the EU, then, so the warning from the European Commission, “all options are on the table, including the potential temporary suspension of the visa liberalization scheme.” What this means is that Georgians would lose their right, based on a 2017 agreement, to travel to and within the EU’s Schengen Zone for up to six months without a visa.

The Belarusian president has said that any violation of the country’s border would cross a “red line” and be followed by an instant response | A NATO attack on Belarus would trigger a world war and prompt Minsk to deploy nuclear weapons in response, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko warned during a meeting with university students on Friday. ● Earlier this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed amendments to the country’s nuclear doctrine. Under the changes, a nuclear response could be triggered if either Russia or Belarus becomes the target of aggression using conventional weapons by a non-nuclear state, but with the participation or support of a nuclear state. “As soon as they attack us, we use nuclear weapons. And Russia gets involved for us,” Lukashenko said, also recalling that he had already said that any attack on Belarus would trigger a third world war.

■ Nuclear arms to be used as soon as NATO attacks Belarus, Lukashenko says (TASS)

Secretary of State Antony Blinken has decried President Vladimir Putin’s comments as “irresponsible” | President Vladimir Putin’s warning that Russia plans to update its national nuclear doctrine is “irresponsible,” according to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. ● On Wednesday, Putin suggested that under a revised version of Russia’s nuclear doctrine, any aggression against the country by a non-nuclear state with the participation or support of a nuclear state could be considered a “joint attack” and cross the nuclear threshold. The proposed change implies that the new rules could apply to a Ukrainian strike deep inside Russia with advanced weapons supplied by the US, Britain or France.

💬 “It’s totally irresponsible,” Blinken said in an interview with MSNBC on Thursday, accusing Putin of “rattling the nuclear saber.” He also suggested that the Russian President’s comments were poorly timed, as world leaders gather in New York for the UN General Assembly this week, and called on the international community to discuss “the need for more disarmament, non-proliferation.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, meanwhile, has explained that Putin’s proposal to update the nuclear doctrine is intended to serve as a warning to Western states about supporting increased Ukrainian aggression against Russia or its key ally, Belarus. ● “This is a signal warning to these nations of the consequences of their participation in an attack on our country by various means, including non-nuclear ones,” Peskov said, adding that he was sure that all reasonable leaders and analysts have understood the gravity of Putin’s announcement.

■ Putin Explicitly Confirmed What Was Already Self-Evident About Russia’s Nuclear Doctrine (Andrew Korybko)

It appears that Russia found the west-supplied F-16 fighter jets. FIVE are now reported destroyed. | At least 4 Russian Kinzhal hypersonic missiles have been launched over the past couple of hours. All of them struck the Ukrainian city of Starokostyantyniv in Khmelnytskyi Oblast. It is now apparent those missiles hit the airfield there. In one case, the sirens sounded after explosions were reported, indicating a degradation in the Ukrainian radar system, which could not provide early warning. According to a social media post from the wife of a Western-supplied Military "Advisor" who was apparently KILLED in the missile strikes, there were F-16 fighter jets at the airfield that was hit, and they are all destroyed.

■ Russian Air Force Vet on Ukrainian F-16's Weak Spot: There's No Place Jets Can Hide From Kinzhals (Sputnik News)

According to Finnish TV channel MTV, this proposal has already been approved. | The Finnish Defense Ministry proposed on Friday to place the headquarters of the NATO ground forces in city of Mikkeli near the border with Russia. "Finland's defence administration proposes Mikkeli, the town where the Finnish Army Command is based, as the location for NATO's Multi Corps Land Component Command (MCLCC)," the statement read. ● Finland joined NATO on April 4, 2023, along with Sweden. In an interview with Dmitry Kiselev, Vladimir Putin stated that the accession of these countries to the alliance was a pointless step in terms of their national interests, as Russian troops and strike systems would now appear near their borders. Russia has repeatedly pointed out NATO's unprecedented activity near its western borders in recent years. The alliance claims it is expanding initiatives as part of "deterring Russian aggression." ● Moscow has frequently expressed concern over the buildup of NATO forces in Europe. The Kremlin has noted that Russia does not pose a threat to anyone but will not ignore actions that could potentially endanger its interests.

Dmitry Medvedev (Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council) (Дмитрий Медведев) |The President of Russia has outlined approaches to the new edition of the Fundamentals of State Policy in the field of nuclear deterrence. The main changes are as follows:
1. Aggression against Russia by a non-nuclear-weapon state, but with the support or participation of a nuclear-armed country, will be considered a joint attack. Everyone understands which countries we are talking about.
2. Equal nuclear protection will be established for Belarus as our closest ally. To the “ delight” of Poland and numerous NATO pygmies.
3. Massive launch and crossing of our border by the enemy's aerospace means of destruction, including airplanes, missiles and UAVs, under certain conditions can become the basis for the use of nuclear weapons. A reason to think not only about the rotten neo-Nazi regime, but also about all of Russia's enemies, who are pushing the world towards a nuclear catastrophe.

It is clear that each situation that gives reason to turn to nuclear defense must be assessed in conjunction with other factors, and the decision to use nuclear weapons will be made by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief. However, the very change in the normative conditions of our country's use of nuclear components may cool down the ardor of those opponents who have not yet lost their sense of self-preservation. And for the dumb-heads, only the Roman maxim will remain:

"Cælo tonantem credidimus Jovem Regnare..."("We believed from his thundering that Jupiter had dominion in the heavens...")[The soldier forfeits his country who surrenders himself to the enemy in battle. In this ode the political object of Horace is to stigmatize the Roman soldiers, who, being made prisoners—or, to use an appropriate French word, détenus-after the defeat of Crassus, had accustomed themselves to the country in which they were detained, married into barbarian families. (Source)]

(Translation: DeepL (free version) + Grammarly)

■ Putin Explicitly Confirmed What Was Already Self-Evident About Russia’s Nuclear Doctrine (Andrew Korybko)
■ Putin orders changes to Russia’s nuclear doctrine (09/25/24)

The president has suggested several new criteria that would merit a nuclear response | Russia should update its nuclear doctrine to clearly define circumstances that could prompt Moscow to launch a nuclear strike, President Vladimir Putin told a meeting of the national security council on Wednesday. He also suggested an expanded list of threats that would include “reliable information” of a major airstrike being launched against Russia. ● The list of criteria that would justify Russia's use of its nuclear deterrent should be expanded in the updated version of the doctrine, Putin told the meeting.

💬 “Aggression against Russia by any non-nuclear state… supported by a nuclear power should be treated as their joint attack,” the president said.

Moscow would also “consider” resorting to a nuclear response if it gets “reliable information” about a “massive” missile or air strike launched by another state against Russia, or its closest ally, Belarus, according to Putin. The weapons used in an enemy’s potential strike could include anything from ballistic or cruise missiles to strategic aircraft and drones, he stated.

■ Putin: Russia Reserves Right to Use Nuclear Weapons in Response to Critical Threats (Sputnik News) | The Russian President noted that Russia reserves the right to use nuclear weapons in case of aggression against Russia and Belarus.

💬 "We reserve the right to use nuclear weapons in the event of aggression against Russia and Belarus, as a member of the Union State. All these issues have been agreed upon with the Belarusian side, with the President of Belarus, including if the enemy, using conventional weapons, creates a critical threat to our sovereignty," Putin said at the meeting.

In late June, Julian Assange returned to Australia a free man after years of suffering in harsh conditions in a Britain prison with the threat of extradition to the United States hanging over him. Since then, the WikiLeaks founder, who the US government sought to prosecute for exposing US dirty secrets including related to US military actions, has not spoken publicly. That will change by October 1. ● WikiLeaks announced in a Tuesday press release that Assange will next Tuesday, October 1, at the Palace of Europe in Strasbourg, France “give evidence before the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).” The press release further states:

💬 This comes following the release of the PACE inquiry report into the Assange case, authored by Rapporteur Thórhildur Sunna Ævarsdóttir. The report focuses on the implications of his detention and its broader effects on human rights, in particular freedom of journalism. The report confirms that Assange qualifies as a political prisoner and calls on the UK conduct an independent review into whether he was exposed to inhuman or degrading treatment. Read the press release here.

Units of Russia's Battlegroup Yug have also liberated the settlements of Ostroye and Grigorovka in the Donetsk People's Republic. | Russian aviation, artillery, and drone units have struck a Ukrainian Armed Forces communication center, as well as drone production workshops and warehouses, the Russian Ministry of Defense has reported. [...] Likewise, it informed that air defenses had shot down four French-made Hammer guided bombs, 14 US-made HIMARS rockets, Czech-made Vampire rockets, and 31 fixed-wing drones. ● Furthermore, as a result of decisive actions by units of the Yug Battlegroup, the settlements of Ostroye and Grigorovka in the Donetsk People's Republic have been liberated, the statement said.

Vladimir Zelensky’s ‘victory plan’ is a predictable “wish list,” an official has told the news agency | At least one Western nation backing Ukraine is calling for diplomatic engagement with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday, citing multiple sources. According to the outlet, some officials are skeptical of Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky’s ‘victory plan’ to end the conflict. ● The possible talks with Moscow could happen before the G20 leaders’ meeting in Brazil in mid-November, and would be conducted either by Zelensky or other parties, the report said. ● Zelensky is currently visiting the US, where he is pitching his purported roadmap to resolve the conflict, long-dismissed by Moscow as unrealistic, now re-branded as a 'victory plan.' He plans to reveal its contents to US President Joe Biden later this week, as Washington’s support is key for its success, according to the Ukrainian leader. However, Bloomberg cited sources as saying that the proposal includes no real surprises and won’t be a game-changer in the conflict. One official described it as a “wish list” rather than an action plan.

■ Kremlin labels Zelensky ‘delusional’ (RT.com)
■ Meeting of UNSC 'Big Five' leaders currently unrealistic — Kremlin (TASS)
■ Захарова назвала мифотворчеством предложения Запада и Зеленского о "переговорах" (Мария Захарова)
■ Zelensky the proxy stooge comes to America with singular mission: Draw U.S. more directly into his protracted war with nuclear-armed Russia (Leo Hohmann)

Dmitrij Ljubinskij (Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Austria) | The Russian ambassador in Vienna responds to the guest commentary by his Ukrainian colleague.

■ On September 18, a guest commentary by the Ukrainian ambassador in Vienna was published here in the "Presse". Given the Austrian reader's obvious fatigue with the omnipresent, almost daily repetition of Ukrainian propaganda, I would have liked to have spared myself a polemic at this point. However, I will allow only a few comments on the principle here.

■ The Kyiv ambassador's wild assertion that the Ukraine crisis is one of the most important election campaign issues in Austria can only be seen as an attempt at brazen interference in domestic affairs. Such a thesis sounds particularly obscene in light of the immense damage recently caused by the devastating natural disaster in this country and the associated concerns of ordinary Austrians.

■ As far as Ukraine is concerned, it has become nothing more than a pawn in the collective West's large-scale confrontation with Russia in recent years. The so-called Selensky formula can play no role in a sustainable settlement of the crisis, which incidentally began long before 2022. It is totally out of touch with reality, even its authors understand that.

■ Today's world politics is about much more than Ukraine. The world majority is fighting for a new, fairer and progressive multipolar world order that will be based exclusively on international law and free from US-dictated "rules". This will also be discussed at the upcoming BRICS summit in Kazan (October 22-24) in a broad format and under the chairmanship of Russia.

■ As far as Austria is concerned, it risks getting stuck in a group of countries that are throwing everything imaginable into the bottomless pit of support for Ukraine ("Whatever the cost ..."). Not only to the detriment of their people but also to further aggravate the international strategic situation. The total ceiling of the so-called European Peace Facility, in which Vienna is also making a substantial financial contribution, now amounts to more than twelve billion euros. Wouldn't these funds have deserved a more sensible use than being senselessly squandered on the war economy in the interests of a laughing third party outside Europe?

The facts speak for themselves: Unlike representatives of Ukraine and their Western puppeteers, we never seek to impose our opinion on others as the only correct one. However, the decision-makers in Austria are not only reluctant to hear it, they fear it. The facts speak for themselves. For example, the recent de facto expulsion of two young Russian journalists from Austria for no reason and without explanation, a total ban on Russian media in the country, or the constant refusal to publish our articles in domestic newspapers. The Austrian government and media are denying their citizens access to a different perspective on world events. The question of why such a thing happens and is even conceivable in a country that supposedly champions freedom of expression and media freedom remains up in the air. You conclude yourself. (DeepL + Grammarly)

The bloc should disregard Russia’s potential response to proposed long-range strikes using Western weapons, Denmark’s PM says | Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has claimed that NATO should take a no-holds-barred policy towards the Ukraine conflict and allow Kiev fire long range missiles deep into Russia. Public discussion on how far NATO countries should go to defeat Russia only plays into Moscow’s hands, she argued. ● Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky is set to meet US President Joe Biden this week to present his “victory plan.” Kiev is lobbying Washington to permit long-range strikes using donated Western weapons, deep inside Russia, a move that Russian President Vladimir Putin has said would amount to an act of war by the US-led military bloc. Frederiksen, a staunch supporter of Kiev, told Bloomberg TV that such permission should be granted regardless of how Moscow might react.

■ What the European Parliament is calling for leads to a world war with the use of nuclear weapons (09/20/24)
■ Lavrov Explained What Russia Hopes To Achieve By Talking About Red Lines (Andrew Korybko)

Europe cannot be limited by the EU and NATO if the continent is to be peaceful, the French president has said | French President Emmanuel Macron has called for reform of the current “unjust” world order so that humans can coexist more peacefully. He outlined his "vision" on Sunday as part of the international ‘Imagining Peace’ gathering in Paris, which brought together leading political and religious figures. Speaking before the Catholic community of Sant’Egidio, Macron said “We must be imaginative enough to think about the peace of tomorrow, a peace in Europe in a new form.” [...] The speech comes as Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky is set to meet US President Joe Biden to present his so-called ‘victory plan’ – a purported roadmap to pressuring Russia into conceding defeat. He wants permission to conduct long-range strikes deep inside Russia with Western weapons as part of the plan. France is among a handful of nations that have donated such military hardware to Ukraine in the form of SCALP/Storm Shadow cruise missiles, which the country produces jointly with the UK. British officials have supported Kiev’s request to strike Russia, but the ultimate decision is understood to be in Washington’s hands.