Sept. 27, 2023 (EIRNS)—Russia is being left with fewer and fewer options for avoiding direct conflict with NATO. “It appears that Russia is increasingly left with no choice but to engage in direct conflict with NATO on the ground,” Dmitry Medvedev, former Russian President and current Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council, warned in a posting on his Telegram channel yesterday, reported TASS. “NATO has evolved into an openly fascist alliance, resembling Hitler’s Axis, albeit on a larger scale. We are prepared, although the outcome may come at a much higher cost to humanity than in 1945….”He cited the following developments to preface his warning:Canadian animals, led by Prime Minister Trudeau, fraternize with Nazis within their Parliament.Deliveries of Abrams tanks from NATO arsenals are taking place.There are promises of supplying longer-range missiles, such as the Army Tactical Missile System, to the authorities in Kiev. Is the U.S. Preparing To Move Long-Range Missiles into Europe?Sept. 27, 2023 (EIRNS)—When the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty died in 2019, Moscow promised that it would not place missiles facing NATO that had previously been banned under the treaty, unless NATO placed such weapons in Europe facing Russia. The TASS press review of yesterday cites the daily Kommersant as reporting that a U.S. ground launcher capable of firing SM-6 missiles was brought to the Danish island of Bornholm for a U.S.-Danish joint exercise that ended on Sept. 25. Not mentioned in the TASS review is that the launcher at issue, called the Mid-Range Capability battery that is being developed for the U.S. Army using U.S. Navy missiles, will also be capable of firing the Tomahawk cruise missile. The SM-6, which is normally a U.S. Navy surface-to-air missile but can be used in a land attack mode, has an advertised range of 240 km, too short to even reach Kaliningrad from Bornholm, but the Tomahawk can easily reach Moscow, some 1,400 km to the east.The implications of the Bornholm deployment should be clear. The joint U.S.-Danish exercise using this launcher “may raise the question of the so-called moratorium on the deployment of similar Russian weapons systems to the region,” Dmitry Stefanovich, a researcher at the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of World Economy and International Relations, told Kommersant. “I believe that at this stage, formal inquiries will be sent via diplomatic channels, but its seems appropriate to strengthen Russia’s position by an open or ‘leaked’ move to test the weapons that Russia announced following the United States’ withdrawal from the INF Treaty, including the land-based version of the Kalibr cruise missile and an intermediate-range hypersonic missile,” he added.Stefanovich remarks that there are no reports of the 9M729 missile being used in Ukraine. The 9M729, part of the Iskander system, served as the pretext for the U.S. withdrawal from the INF Treaty. “Meanwhile, reports have surfaced in the media, citing anonymous sources, which concerned the land-based version of the Tsirkon hypersonic missile and a weapon called Zmeyevik, which fits the description of a ground-based intermediate-range hypersonic missile system exactly,” Stefanovich noted.Another expert, Mikhail Barabanov, scientific editor of the Export Vooruzheny (or Arms Exports) magazine, stressed that the U.S. has “a huge arsenal of naval missiles that can be described as being of ‘intermediate- and short-range’” which are being quickly adapted for ground launchers and that this is being done. He called this one of the “consequences” of the death of the INF Treaty.Also not mentioned is the nuclear potential. In 2018, Trump’s Nuclear Posture Review mandated the development of a new nuclear-armed Tomahawk cruise missile, called the Sea-Launched Cruise Missile-Nuclear. The Biden Administration has been trying to kill it since it took office but the House version of the FY2024 National Defense Authorization Act includes $196 million to keep the program going. If this new nuclear Tomahawk missile is eventually built, it could also potentially arm the U.S. Army ground launcher.A Sept. 15 U.S. Navy press release reported that U.S.-Danish would be practicing advanced convoy protection drills using the SM-6 launcher. The exercise began on Sept. 18 and ended on Sept. 25. Though not mentioned in the press release, the presumption would normally be that the SM-6 launcher has been—or is planned to be—withdrawn following the conclusion of the exercise. The Russians have said previously, however, that NATO is using such maneuvers to practice actual strikes against Russia.
We reprint the below excerpts from an important Chinese government White Paper. Read it and judge for yourself whether what you have been reading in the media about Chinese policy intentions is true or merely anti-Chinese propaganda. You may not get to read this anywhere else.Excerpts from China’s “A Global Community of Shared Future”Sept. 27, 2023 (EIRNS)—*The following excerpts are taken from “A Global Community of Shared Future: China’s Proposals and Actions,” a 40-page White Paper issued on Sept. 26 by the State Council Information Office of the People’s Republic of China. The full document has the following sections: Preface; I. Humanity at a Crossroads; II.An Answer to the Call of the Times and a Blueprint for the Future; III.Deep Roots in History and Cultural Traditions; IV. Direction and Path; V.China’s Action and Contribution; Conclusion.*“In the universe there is only one Earth, the shared home of humanity… Whether human civilization can survive these has become an existential issue that must be squarely faced… The most pressing task is to find a guiding beacon for the sustainable development of human civilization, because we all care about our future…“To build a global community of shared future, all peoples, all countries, and all individuals—our destinies being interconnected—must stand together in adversity and through thick and thin, navigating towards greater harmony on this planet that we call home… The vision of a global community of shared future bears in mind the wellbeing of all humanity. It is based on both observation of the present and visionary planning for the future…“The Belt and Road Initiative, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative have taken root and borne fruits, bringing prosperity and stability to the world and creating substantive benefits for the people. Over the past decade, the vision of a global community of shared future has gained broader support. More countries and people have come to the understanding that this vision serves the common interests of humanity…“The vision has nothing to do with self-interest and protectionism. Instead, by presenting China’s vision of the course of human development, it confronts the hegemonic thinking of certain countries that seek supremacy. It is therefore of great significance to promote solidarity and cooperation among all countries and create a better future for humanity. The Chinese government is publishing this white paper to introduce the theoretical base, practice and development of a global community of shared future. We hope it will improve understanding and expand consensus in the international community, and reinforce the global effort to realize this vision.“This is an integrated world. Those who turn their back on it will have no place in it. Living on the same planet, all countries, adjacent or distant, large or small, developed or developing, are members of an emerging community of shared interests, responsibility, and destiny, whose wellbeing and security are interrelated. Only when appropriate attention is paid to the collective future of humanity is it possible that the wishes of every country, people and individual come true. Whatever we may encounter on our journey ahead, the only right choice is to work together for the benefit of all…“Our world is undergoing change on a scale unseen in a century… Instability, uncertainty, and unpredictability are now the norm… The shadow of the arms race lingers on, and the threat of nuclear war—the Sword of Damocles that hangs over humanity—remains. Our world is at risk of plunging into confrontation and even war. The development deficit is ballooning… Some countries… are pushing for decoupling, severing and ‘de-risking’ supply chains…“The world’s poor population has increased by more than 100 million, and nearly 800 million people live in hunger… Some countries’ hegemonic, abusive, and aggressive actions against others, in the form of swindling, plundering, oppression, and the zero-sum game, are causing great harm… No country, however strong it may be, can do everything on its own. We must engage in global cooperation. Only when all countries work together, only when we align individual interests with the interests of all, and only when we truly build a global community of shared future, can humanity tide through the crises confronting us and sail towards a better future.“The new era calls for new ideas… It is increasingly obvious that the idea that ‘all strong countries will seek hegemony’, the obsession with superior strength, and the zero-sum mentality are in conflict with the needs of our times. Humanity is in great need of new ideas that generate positive developments and conform to positive historical trends. There is no iron law that dictates that a rising power will inevitably seek hegemony…“The strong preying on the weak is not a way for humans to coexist. If the law of the jungle is imposed on human society, and the idea that”might makes right" prevails, the principle of sovereign equality will be fundamentally undermined, and world peace and stability will be severely endangered… The law of the jungle and the winner-takes-all mindset will lead nowhere… The zero-sum game in which one wins by causing others to lose is doomed to fail. Nevertheless, certain countries still cling to this mindset, blindly pursuing absolute security and monopolistic advantages…“No country should hope for others to fail. Instead, it should work together with other countries for the success of all. China consistently aligns its development with global development, and aligns the interests of the Chinese people with the common interests of all peoples around the world. When the world thrives, China thrives, and vice versa…“A Blueprint for the Future. Standing at a crossroads, humanity is faced with two opposing options. One is to revert to the Cold War mentality that deepens division and antagonism and stokes confrontation between blocs. The other is to act for the common wellbeing of humanity, strengthen solidarity and cooperation, advocate openness and win-win results, and promote equality and respect. The tug of war between these two options will shape the future of humanity and our planet in a profound way. The current international order is facing a myriad of challenges. Some countries, holding to the notion of might makes right, willfully engage in bullying, plundering and zero-sum competition…“Opening up new prospects for international exchanges… All countries are equals. The big, the mighty and the wealthy should not bully the small, the weak and the poor… We should forge global partnerships at both international and regional levels, and embrace a new approach to state-to-state relations, one founded on dialogue rather than confrontation and that seeks partnership rather than alliance…“We should create a security environment featuring fairness, justice, joint efforts, and shared interests… No country can achieve stability by destabilizing others. The law of the jungle leaves the weak at the mercy of the strong…“We should promote open, innovative and inclusive development that benefits all… We should increase inter-civilization exchanges to promote harmony, inclusiveness, and respect for differences… We should build an ecosystem that puts Mother Nature and green development first. Humanity may have the ability to utilize nature and even transform it, but it is still a part of nature. We should care for nature and not place ourselves above it. We should reconcile industrial development with respect nature, follow its ways, and protect it. We should firmly pursue green, low-carbon, circular and sustainable development…“No country should open Pandora’s box by wilfully provoking turmoil and armed conflict or undermining the international rule of law…We should build a world of common security for all through joint efforts… As long as we show sincerity, goodwill and political wisdom, no conflict is too big to resolve and no ice is too thick to break.“We should build a world of common prosperity through win-win cooperation. It means bidding farewell to the winner-takes-all mindset and sharing development achievements. In this day and age, the international community has evolved into a sophisticated and integrated apparatus, as the removal of any single part will cause serious problems to its overall operation. We must keep to the correct direction of economic globalization, and oppose any attempt to set up technological blockades, cause technological divides, or seek development decoupling… Countries and nations should respect their differences and seek harmony without uniformity, and civilizations should draw strength from each other and make progress together…“Industrialization has created a level of material wealth never seen before, but it has also inflicted irreparable damage on the environment. We must not exhaust all the resources passed on to us by previous generations and leave nothing to our children, or pursue development in a destructive way…“Inheriting the best of traditional Chinese culture… Harmony is the core concept of Chinese culture, which values the primacy of harmony and harmony within diversity, pursues the ideal of harmony and solidarity towards common progress, and embraces cultural diversity and global harmony… The Chinese nation champions universal benevolence, holding that the virtuous are never left to stand alone, endorsing good neighborliness with good faith and good will, and pursuing both friendship and interests while putting friendship first.“The Chinese nation observes the rule that ‘to establish oneself, one must help others to establish themselves first; to succeed, one must help others to succeed first’, believing that helping others is helping oneself. It also upholds the principle that ‘do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself’, and never imposes its will upon other nations…“The CPC is committed to seeking progress for China while benefiting the wider world, bringing a good life to the Chinese people and also helping other peoples to prosper, and contributing more to humanity…“China has initiated a range of visionary initiatives, including a global community of shared future, a new type of international relations, the common values of humanity, the Belt and Road Initiative, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative, and promoted a set of approaches to global governance, to friendship and interests, to security, to development, to cooperation, and to the eco-environment. All these carry distinctively Chinese features, style and ethos…“Incorporating the outstanding achievements of other civilizations… It draws on the outstanding achievements of cultural integration between diverse civilizations. It embodies the common aspiration of all humanity… All civilizations around the world have manifestations of the concept of a global community of shared future. Ancient Greek philosophers conducted primary research on this concept based on city-states, believing that humanity as one community should act in concert to pursue common interests and thus must live in harmony. Ancient Indian literature records the motto of ‘Under Heaven—one family’. The African philosophy of Ubuntu holds that ‘I am because we are,’ emphasizing interdependence of humanity. The concept of a global community of shared future reflects the common interests of all civilizations—peace, development, unity, coexistence, and win-win cooperation…“From the principle of equity and sovereignty established by the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, to international humanitarianism established by the Geneva Conventions in 1864, then to the four purposes and seven principles established by the Charter of the United Nations in 1945, and later to the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence proposed at the Bandung Conference in 1955, these norms of international relations have evolved into widely recognized principles and become the essential foundations of a global community of shared future…“Some people overstate the need to ‘reduce dependence’ and ‘derisk’, which is essentially creating new risks. Risk prevention and cooperation are not mutually contradictory, whereas non-cooperation is the biggest risk and non-development is the biggest threat to security… The old path of colonialism and hegemonism leads to a dead end and those who follow it will pay a heavy price..“Mutually beneficial cooperation means that countries should reject the maximization of self-interest, address the legitimate concerns of other countries while pursuing their own interests, and promote common development of all countries alongside their own development…“China maintains that for the world, there is only one system, which is the international system with the United Nations at its core, that there is only one order, which is the international order based on international law, and that there is only one set of rules, which is the basic norms governing international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter…“Democracy is not Coca-Cola, tasting the same across the world as the syrup is produced in one single country…“The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a vivid example of building a global community of shared future, and a global public good and cooperation platform provided by China to the world… Since introducing the BRI ten years ago… Policy connectivity continues to deepen. By July 2023, more than three-quarters of countries in the world and over 30 international organizations had signed agreements on Belt and Road cooperation with China. China has successfully hosted the first Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in 2017 and the second in 2019, and will host the third this year, maximizing synergy for advancing high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. Infrastructure connectivity continues to strengthen. A general connectivity framework consisting of six corridors, six routes, and multiple countries and ports is in place… The BRI originated in China, but the opportunities and achievements it creates belong to the whole world… The BRI is an initiative for economic cooperation, not for geopolitical or military alliances… It is a broad path that can be joined by all interested countries to work together for shared benefits… an initiative to achieve common progress for humanity, an initiative that has opened up new paths for the common development of all countries. The BRI has facilitated the modernization drive of developing countries, leading the world into a new era of transcontinental cooperation.“China is committed to propelling global development through its own development. It has thoroughly applied the new development philosophy, with a focus on promoting high-quality development to foster a new development paradigm. Modernization of the more than 1.4 billion Chinese people will create a market rivalling the aggregated size of all developed countries…“Six Proposals of the Global Security Initiative… Staying committed to respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, upholding non-interference in others’ internal affairs, and respecting the independent choices of development paths and social systems made by people in different countries… Staying committed to taking the legitimate security concerns of all countries seriously, upholding the principle of indivisible security, building a balanced, effective, and sustainable security architecture, and opposing the pursuit of one’s own security to the detriment of others’ security…“Through the mediation of China, Saudi Arabia and Iran have achieved historic reconciliation, setting a fine example for countries in the region to resolve disputes and differences and achieve good neighborly relations through dialogue and consultation, and catalyzing a wave of reconciliation in the Middle East…“Concerning the fundamental issues in global nuclear security governance… China has pushed for the conclusion of a joint statement among the leaders of the five nuclear-weapon states, reaffirming that ‘a nuclear war cannot be won, and must never be fought’. China actively advocates the complete prohibition and thorough destruction of nuclear weapons, and it is the only nuclear country that has publicly committed to no-first-use of nuclear weapons, and not using or threatening to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon states and nuclear-weapon-free zones…“The key to success is simple and boils down to action. Building a global community of shared future depends on the joint actions of all countries… When all countries unite in pursuing the cause of common good, plan together, and act together day by day towards the right direction of building a global community of shared future, we can build an open, inclusive, clean, and beautiful world of lasting peace, universal security and shared prosperity, and jointly create a better future for all of humanity.”
Sept. 27, 2023 (EIRNS)—Russian Security Council chairman Nikolai Patrushev, in Cairo yesterday for meetings with his Egyptian counterpart, said there are still no prospects for the settlement of the Ukrainian crisis. TASS, citing Rossiskaya Gazeta, reported that Patrushev pointed out that Russia supports the position of Egypt and a number of other African countries on mediation in the settlement of the Ukrainian crisis. However, “as of today, the prospects for such a solution are not visible,” he said. “Ukraine will not be allowed to go for a peace agreement and will continue to be used as a tool against Russia,” Rossiyskaya Gazeta quoted Patrushev as saying.At the same time, he thanked his Egyptian partners for their balanced position on the Ukrainian crisis. “We welcome Cairo’s refusal to supply arms to the Kiev regime. At the same time, we understand that such a decision was taken despite serious pressure from the Americans and Europeans,” Patrushev said.“The Ukrainian army’s counteroffensive has faltered. Ukraine continues to sustain huge human losses and destroy its own infrastructure,” the Rossiyskaya Gazeta quoted him as saying further. “As for the Western weapons that have been supplied to the Kiev regime, they have turned out to be ineffective against Russian weapons and Ukraine keeps on losing them on the battlefield,” he added.Patrushev’s point on Ukraine not being allowed to go for peace was echoed by Russian Defense Minsiter Sergei Shoigu in his opening remarks to a meeting of the Defense Ministry Board yesterday. “Despite the absence of any meaningful results of the so-called counter-offensive, Ukraine’s Western handlers are not deviating from their inhuman principle: ‘weapons are the way to peace,’” he said. “The United States and its allies continue to arm the Armed Forces of Ukraine, while the Kiev regime continues to throw untrained soldiers into senseless assaults and slaughter. Such cynical actions by the West and their henchmen in Kiev are only pushing Ukraine towards self-destruction.”Shoigu also reported that Ukrainian forces have suffered more than 17,000 casualties this month, and that Russian forces have destroyed more than 2,700 pieces of military hardware, including 51 self-propelled artillery systems from Germany, France, Poland, and the United States, 77 American M777 artillery systems, seven American Bradley IFVs, two German-made Leopard tanks, and one UK-made Challenger tank
Sept. 23, 2023 (EIRNS)—From the outset of his address to the UN General Assembly today, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov identified the underlying cause of conflict in the world, as being the Western powers’ desperation to stop the unstoppable: the nations of the world joining together in new ways—through the BRICS, the SCO, the African Union, ASEAN, CELAC, etc.—so as to develop in freedom. He was equally blunt about the supreme danger: The West not only seeks global NATO domination, but also has revived plans for nuclear war against the Russian Federation.An official translation of his speech is not yet available, but given its strategic importance, we provide here some key quotes via machine translation, despite the inadequacies.“…A new world order is being born right before our eyes. The contours of the future are being created through struggle between the world majority, which stands for a more equitable distribution of global benefits and civilizational diversity, and the few who use neocolonial methods of subjugation to hold on to their elusive dominance.“The hallmark of the collective West has long been its rejection of the principle of equal rights and its total incompetence. Accustomed to looking down on the rest of the world, Americans and Europeans make promises and commitments, including written and legally binding ones. And then they simply do not fulfill them….“In 1945, when we, along with Washington and London, were together vanquishing the enemy on the front in World War II, our allies in the anti-Hitler coalition were already preparing plans for the military operation called ‘Unthinkable’ against the Soviet Union. Four years later, in 1949, the Americans drafted ‘Operation Dropshot’ to launch massive nuclear strikes on the U.S.S.R. These insane plans remained on paper. The U.S.S.R. created its own weapons of retaliation. It took the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, when the world was on the brink of nuclear war, for the idea of unleashing it and the illusion of winning it to cease being the basis of U.S. military planning….“Unprecedented since the end of the Cold War, was the recent series of joint exercises between the United States and European NATO allies, including scenarios for the use of nuclear weapons on the territory of the Russian Federation. The declared objective of inflicting a ‘strategic defeat’ on Russia has finally blinded the eyes of irresponsible politicians who are obsessed with their own impunity and have lost their elementary sense of self-preservation….“The world minority is trying its best to slow down the natural course of things. The North Atlantic Alliance’s Vilnius Declaration characterizes the ‘growing partnership between Russia and China’ as a ‘threat to NATO.’ Speaking recently to his ambassadors abroad, President Macron expressed sincere concern about the BRICS expansion, considering this event as evidence of ‘the complication of the international arena, which threatens the risk of weakening the West and Europe in particular’…. Here is a revelation: If someone gathers somewhere without us, makes friends without us or without our permission, that poses a threat to our dominance. NATO’s advancement in the Asia-Pacific is a good thing, while BRICS expansion is dangerous.“However, the logic of the historical process is inexorable. The main trend has become the desire of the majority of world states to strengthen their sovereignty and defend their national interests, traditions, culture and way of life. They no longer want to live under anyone’s dictate. They want to be friends and trade among themselves, but also with the whole world—only on an equal footing and for mutual benefit. Associations such as BRICS and the SCO are on the rise, providing the countries of the Global South with opportunities for joint development and defending their worthy place in the objectively emerging multipolar architecture.“Perhaps for the first time since 1945, when the United Nations was established, there is a chance for genuine democratization in world affairs. This gives optimism to all who believe in the rule of international law and wish to see the UN revitalized as the central coordinating body of world politics. Where they agree on how to solve problems together on the basis of a fair balance of interests….“I would like to urge Western politicians and diplomats to once again carefully re-read the UN Charter. The cornerstone of the world order created as a result of World War II is the democratic principle of the sovereign equality of states, large and small, regardless of their form of government, internal political or socio-economic structure.”
