Did a Chinese-Russian-Iranian coalition opposing NATO debut in Moscow?

Click banner for more info

by Mahdi Darius Nazemroaya for GlobalResearch

The Moscow Conference on International Security in April was used as a venue to give notice to the US and NATO that other world powers will not let them do as they please.

Russia’s Defense Minister Shoigu and Iran’s Defense Minister Dehghan at the IV Moscow Conference on International Security (RIA Novosti/Iliya Pitalev)

Back from Moscow

Click banner for more info

by Alexander Mercouris

As everyone by now knows I have been a week in Moscow.

It was an extraordinary, wonderful visit packed with productive work and meetings with good friends.  There is so much to say and I will try to say it when I can.  But first a quick general impression about the economic and security situation unrelated to specific political news or to the Nemtsov murder (of which more soon).

Briefly, there is no doubt the inflation is hurting.  I saw more beggars – overwhelmingly old and poor people – precisely the sort of people on low fixed incomes who get hurt most when inflation takes off.  Their numbers are still far below those in London and compared to Athens there is simply no comparison.

Int’l Organizations Should Join Probe Into East Ukraine Mass Killings: Moscow

Click banner for more info

Russia wants international organizations to join an investigation into the deaths of civilians buried in a mass grave near the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk, the Russian Foreign Ministry's human rights ombudsman Konstantin Dolgov said Wednesday.

"We have been trying to attract attention of inter-governmental and [non-governmental] human rights organizations to the reports about mass graves near Donetsk. We believe that they should make a practical contribution and ensure that this investigation is unbiased and effective," Dolgov said.

"The international community should insist on the inevitable punishment of those guilty of these crimes," he said on his Twitter account.

Moscow ‘Shocked’ by Ukrainian Defense Minister’s Remarks of Looming Bloody War

Click banner for more info

The Russian Foreign Ministry said Monday it was “shocked” by the Ukrainian defense minister’s recent remarks, in which he warned of an imminent war between Russia and Ukraine that would lead to thousands of deaths.


“Moscow, of course, noted the remarks by the Ukrainian defense chief Valeriy Heletei, who claimed that ‘the operation to free east Ukraine from terrorists is over’ and announced the beginning of ‘the Great patriotic war’ that would leave ‘dozens of thousands’ dead. The degree of adequacy of the Ukrainian defense minister, who published this post on his Facebook page, requires a careful study, albeit not by military experts,” the Ministry said in a statement.

Russia Suspends Operation at 4 McDonald's Restaurants in Moscow over Food Safety

Click banner for more info

Russia's consumer rights watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor, said Wednesday it had suspended operations at four McDonald's restaurants in Moscow after numerous violations of sanitary regulations had been found at popular fast food outlets.

"Inspections of other outlets pertaining to this chain will continue," the Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection said in a statement.

"We are studying the claims to determine the measures we need to take in order to accelerate the opening of restaurants for our visitors. McDonald's chief priority is the provision of quality and safe products," according to the statement made by the company.

Continue..

UN Conclusions Disprove Claims Against Russia Over Ukrainian Crisis - Moscow

Click banner for more info

The Russian Foreign Ministry said Friday that recent remarks by the top UN human rights official shed doubt on claims of Russia's direct involvement in escalation of the Ukrainian crisis.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay told reporters in Geneva on Thursday that the United Nations did not possess any hard evidence that Russia supplied independence supporters in eastern Ukraine with weapons.

"We consider it [Pillay's statement] as yet another confirmation of the fact that all accusations against our country over its alleged role in the escalation of the Ukrainian crisis are groundless and unwarranted," the ministry said in a statement.

In case of another shelling of Russian territory responsibility to fall on Kiev authorities - Moscow

Click banner for more info

Russian Foreign Ministry expressed its strong protest over the firing of Russian checkpoint "Gukovo" by Ukrainian military forces on the Russian-Ukrainian border on July, 10. The ministry stressed that in case of a repetition of such cases the responsibility for the consequences of attacks will be on the Kiev authorities., reports Russia Today.

The Russian Foreign Ministry pointed out that at the moment of firing at the "Gukovo" checkpoint there were about 230 refugees from Ukraine, and "only by luck there were no casualties," mentioned in the Russian Foreign Ministry statement.

EU wants Russian energy but rejects Moscow integration efforts in Eurasia.

Click banner for more info

It looks like the Europeans have been seriously offended with Moscow’s assistance to Ukraine, which had frozen the signing of the agreement on the associated membership in the EU and had made a choice in favour of developing relations with its Eastern neighbor. The upcoming 32th Russia-EU summit in Brussels on January 28 will be held in a truncated format and without a traditional dinner. Diplomats explain this by the need to concentrate on the most important things and as soon as possible.

Not two days, but only two hours are allocated now for the partners to discuss the key issues of interactions between Russia and the European Union. Moscow and Brussels have agreed that consideration of the details of numerous joint projects could wait, and they needed to focus on the issues of strategic partnership.

The matter will, of course, concern the economy and more specifically – energy, trade, international obligations and neighborly policy. It is unlikely that the President of Russia and his European colleagues will be able to avoid a conversation about the situation in Ukraine in the light of the last months’ events. The matter is that the European Union categorically rejects Moscow’s integration efforts in the Eurasian region, expert of the Institute of Europe Vladislav Belov says.

Moscow hails Ukraine for suspending talks on forming an association with the EU - Kremlin

Click banner for more info

 

Moscow hails Ukraine’s willingness to improve and promote trade and economic collaboration with Russia, Dmitry Peskov, the presidential press secretary told reporters Thursday.

“The Russian President has laid out our position quite clearly and it stipulates our readiness for trilateral negotiations from the point of view of working out and perfecting the modality of our trade and economic cooperation,” Peskov said.

Continue

Vids: Polish Nationalist Attacks Moscow Embassy in Poland, Protesters retaliate Polish embassy in Moscow, tension rises.

Click banner for more info

The regional court of the Polish capital has passed the first sentences on ruffians who participated in the nationalist ‘independence march’ in Warsaw on Monday.

Continue

Moscow police detained 16 Nigerian students over Embassy violence

Click banner for more info

Ambassador Assam

Moscow police have detained 16 Nigerian students accused of smashing furniture inside their country’s embassy, reportedly in anger over unpaid grants.

The 16 suspects were removed from the embassy building at the request of Nigerian staff, Russia’s interior ministry told local media.

All of them are enrolled at colleges of higher education in Russia, it added.

Continue after the break.

Nigerian Students Cause Damage In Moscow Embassy , faces Charges

Click banner for more info

Moscow, Russia -- Sixteen Nigerian students were arrested in Russia's capital, Moscow, for wreaking havoc inside Nigeria's embassy. The students were reportedly angered over financial issues. 

The sources within the inner ministry say the 16 students now face administrative charges for hooliganism. The is going to be transferred to a Moscow court for futher processing.

Continue after the break.

FULL UPDATE: Snowden On the run to 'third country' via Moscow. (PHOTOS)

Click banner for more info

Edward Snowden, a former CIA employee charged with espionage in the United States, is flying to Cuba via Moscow. A source with the Aeroflot airlines confirmed that the a man named Snowden was listed among passengers of Flight Su213 bound for Moscow. According to the source, the same passenger is to leave for Cuba on June 24 aboard Aeroflot Flight SU150.

Edward Snowden, a former CIA employee charged with espionage in the United States, is flying to Cuba via Moscow, a source close to Snowden said.

"He has departed on a direct flight for Moscow and will be there in the evening. But he will not stay in Moscow long. He discussed an option of further transit to Cuba," the source added.

Continue After The Break.

Snowden leaves Hong Kong on Aeroflot flight to Moscow

Click banner for more info

US whistleblower Edward Snowden is en route to Moscow from Hong Kong on an Aeroflot flight, reports AFP.

Former US intelligence technician Edward Snowden is en route from Hong Kong to Moscow heading to a third destination, the South China Morning Post reported Sunday.

"US whistleblower Edward Snowden has left Hong Kong on an Aeroflot flight to Moscow, credible sources have confirmed to the South China Morning Post," the newspaper, which has carried exclusive interviews with Snowden in Hong Kong, said in a brief report on its website.

"Moscow will not be his final destination," it said, raising the possibility of Iceland or Ecuador as Snowden's final destination.

See More Updates After The Break.