by MEMRI
The past week witnessed a further deterioration in Russia-US relations, prompting German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeir to call the situation "more dangerous" than the Cold War
Russia This Week is a weekly review by the MEMRI Russian Media Studies
Project, covering the latest Russia-related news and analysis from media in
Russia, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and Eastern Europe.
The past week witnessed a further deterioration in Russia-US relations,
prompting German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeir to call the situation
"more dangerous" than the Cold War (Dw.com, October 8) citing the
tension over Ukraine and Syria and the lapse in nuclear material cooperation. Such
cooperation had always been an area respected by both sides during the Cold War
and was insulated from clashes in other areas.
Cartoon Of The Week
Source: "Vk.com/13studiya, October 7, 2016"
Zakharova Dixit
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova is one
of the most-quoted Russian officials. She is known for using colorful language
when describing Russian foreign policy in her weekly press briefings. The
following are Zakharova's quotes of the week:
(Source: Facebook.com/maria.zakharova.167)
"We are facing another round of the
anti-Russian information campaign in connection with the Syrian crisis, and this
is not for the first time... We are currently facing the extreme, even
extremist, round of this campaign. It's not even a campaign, it's hysteria in
which everyone is involved: the UN Security Council, news conferences by
government officials, newspapers, TV, articles, heads of foreign ministry
agencies, observers, and others. This time, they are trying to make us look
like a bloodthirsty aggressor, an outlaw. On September 29, The New York Times
published an article branding Russia 'an outlaw state' and saying that Russia
kills hundreds of innocent children and women in Syria."
(Mid.ru,
October 6)
"We should react more calmly to what is now
being said [in the US] because many statements are being made solely in line
with heated pre-election passions. They don't reflect any short-term Middle
East strategy, not to mention a long-term strategy. It appears that these
spurts are due to the need to add some fire to the election campaign."
(Mid.ru,
October 6)
(Source: Facebook.com/maria.zakharova.167)
Responding to US Republican vice-presidential nominee Gov. Mike
Pence's comments that the "Russian bear never dies, it just hibernates,"
Zakharova wrote on her Facebook page:
"Attention! It is my coming out today. Hello, people! I
am the Russian everlasting bear that never dies but hibernates from time to
time. I am not alone. There are lots of Russian bears like me. I am even
married to such a bear and we have a bushy daughter-bear. I eat honey and try
to be funny.
"And I love you with all my Russian bear heart!"
(Facebook.com/maria.zakharova.167,
October 5)
Quotes Of The Week:
During a press-conference, Permanent Representative of the Russian
Federation to the United Nations and President of the UN Security Council
Ambassador Vitaly Churkin was asked the following question:
Q: "You have
been very patient with us but it is still not clear in my mind, do you come to this
press-conference with any sense of moral responsibility or do you regard Syria
as just entirely disconnected from Russian foreign policy or Russian military
policy? Do you have a sense of responsibility for what is happening in Eastern
Aleppo?"
Churkin answered: "When you
come clearer in your mind about what you want to ask, please ask me the
question."
(Russiaun.ru, October 3)
Tweet Of The Week:
Senator @Alexey_Pushkov:
"Obama is concluding his second term by sharp degradation in the relations
with Russia and tense relations with China. [He] deserves a Cold War, rather than a [Nobel] Peace
prize."
(Twitter.com/Alexey_Pushkov,
October 5)
(Source: Twitter.com/Alexey_Pushkov, October 5, 2016)
In The News:
US
Dixit – Kerry: Russian, Syrian Actions Beg For An Investigation Of War Crimes
On October 7, during a joint
press conference with French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, US State
Secretary John Kerry said: "Russia and [Syrian] the regime owe the world
more than an explanation about why they keep hitting hospitals and medical
facilities and children and women. These are acts that beg for an appropriate
investigation of war crimes. And those who commit these would and should be held
accountable for these actions. They're
beyond the accidental now – way beyond. Years beyond the accidental. This
is a targeted strategy to terrorize civilians and to kill anybody and everybody
who is in the way of their military objectives."
(State.gov, October 7)
US State Department's
spokesperson John Kirby then explained: "[Kerry]'s the Secretary of State,
he doesn't just toss words around for rhetorical exercises. You have seen his
frustration build. You, yourself – all of you have seen his frustration build
over the last several weeks. You heard what he said at the UN, called it like
he saw it, that these were clear violations of international law. And today, he
said that they begged for an appropriate investigation, and I think he meant
every word of what he said. I'm not trying to parse here. I'm not trying to be
– to dance around this thing, but the Secretary
believes that what's happening is an abomination, is – obviously violates
international law. We're talking, again – let's remember and let's remind
people we're talking about hospitals and homes and businesses and innocent men
and women and children."
(State.gov. October 7)
Russia
Replies – Zakharova: 'Shouldn't We Just Turn Off Telephones In The Foreign
Ministry?'
Commenting on Kerry's statements,
Zakharova wrote on her Facebook page: "By making statements equating
Russia's actions in Syria with war crimes, the US State Department should
understand that this may all end with the national referendum in Russia with
one question: 'Shouldn't we just turn off telephones in the Foreign Ministry?'"
(Tass.com, October 8)
Senator Alexey
Pushkov said: "Kerry's accusations against Russia are not just rhetoric or
an intimidation attempt. This is a preparation for the new round of sanctions
against Russia - this time because of Syria."
(Twitter.com/Alexey_Pushkov,
October 7)
UNSC: Russia Vetoes France's Resolution
– Russia's Resolutions Receives The Minimum Number Of Votes
Russia vetoed a French-drafted UNSC resolution on Syria.
France's resolution called for a complete cessation of the bombing in Aleppo,
as well as military flights over the city. On the other hand, the Russian draft
resolution failed to receive a minimum number of votes at the UNSC. Prior to
the vote, Russia's Permanent Ambassador to the UN said: "Today we are
participating in one of the most bizarre scenes in the history of the UN
Security Council. We will vote on the two draft Council resolutions, and we are
all well aware that neither of them will be accepted."
In another interview, Churkin said: "The French proposal
is very hastily put together and I frankly believe that this is designed not to
make progress and take the situation out of the current stalemate and not to
help Staffan de Mistura but to cause
a Russian veto which I will try to explain. It is unprecedented for the members
of the Council to ask a permanent member of the Security Council to limit its
own activities... the French draft as I explained before contains some elements
which we think are really harmful...this is not a proposal, a draft which is
right for adoption, as I say I have this suspicion that the real motive is to
cause a Russian veto even though from the outset we were told by the French
colleagues that this was not their intention. But unfortunately I have to get
used to working under strange circumstances."
(Russiaun.ru, October 7; Rt.com, October 9)
US-Russia Relations Heating Up –
Zakharova: S-300 Anti-Aircraft Missiles Were Deployed In Syria To Counter US
Cruise Missile Threats To Russian Forces
Russia's
Defense Ministry informed that a battery of Russian S-300 air defense missile
launchers has been transported to Syria. The news was confirmed by Defense
Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov: "Indeed, the
Syrian Arab Republic received an S-300 anti-aircraft missile system. This
system is designed to ensure the safety of the naval base in [Syrian city of]
Tartus and ships located in the coastal area [in Syria]..." He added that
it is unclear why the deployment of the S-300 caused such alarm in the West,
stating that "the S-300 is a purely defensive system and poses no
threat."
(Rt.com, October 4)
Igor Konashenkov (Source: Tass.ru)
In an interview with the RIA TV
channel on October 7, Zakharova said: "the S-400 has been deployed there (in
Syria) for a long time - everyone treated that normally and no one said that
was a show of [force].
Those systems have been there for a long time - and everyone, i think, knew it.
The S-300 appeared in Syria after there were leaks from American experts, close
to the American establishment, regarding a possible targeting of Syrian airfields
by cruise missiles. Those leaks were consistent and had some basis..."
(Ria.ru, October 7)
RIA Columnist: "If The US Chooses War -
Russia Won't Be Able To Flee The Fighting"
Commenting on possible US strikes
against Syrian governmental military target, Konashenkov warned: "Any
missile or air strikes on the territory controlled by the Syrian government
will create a clear threat to Russian servicemen... Russian air defense system
crews are unlikely to have time to determine in a 'straight line' the exact
flight paths of missiles and then who the warheads belong to. And all the
illusions of amateurs about the existence of 'invisible' [stealth technology] jets
will face a disappointing reality." He also noticed that the Syrian army
is equipped with quite effective systems such as S-200, as well as BUK systems.
He then added that after the September 17 US striking of Syrian
army positions in Dir-Az-Zour, Russia took all necessary precautions in order
not to let such mistakes recur against Russian soldiers and infrastructure in
Syria.
It is worth noting that Konashenkov recalled that Russia's
bases in Hmeymim and Tartus were protected by S-400 and S-300 air defense
systems, "whose range of operation may prove a surprise to any
unidentified flying object."
(Ria.ru,
October 6; Rt.com, October 6; Tass.com, 6)
In
an article, titled "The dialectics of S-300 in Syria," Aleksandr
Khrolenko, a columnist for RIA news, wrote: Russia will consider any strikes
against Syrian governmental army as an attempt to sabotage the anti-terror
operation in Syria with all that this implies. "I think, that sooner or
later, the Americans will try to use force in various capacities. If the US
chooses war - Russia won't be able to flee the fighting," Khrolenko wrote.
(Ria.ru, October 7, 2016)
Russian Embassy
Under Mortar Fire In Syria – Zakharova: 'The US Is Protecting Jabhat Al-Nusra
By All Possible Means'
On October 3, the Russian embassy in Syria
came under mortar fire. The Russian Foreign Ministry published a special
statement accusing those "who, like the US, are provoking continued
bloodshed in Syria by flirting with various militants and extremists."
(Mid.ru,
October 4)
Commenting on
the mortar attack druing her weekly press briefing, Zakharova said that there
is a connection between the Russian embassy shelling in Damascus and Washington's
threats. Zakharova stated: "We suspect a connection between this terrorist
attack and the vague threat of attack recently passed on by Washington. It is
indicative that the attack happened in the midst of a discussion to possibly
supply the militants with man-portable air-defense systems and other military
equipment that could be used from anywhere.
"We get
the impression that our Western partners are forgetting that Jabhat al-Nusra
(Jabhat Fateh al-Sham), ISIS, Jund al-Aqsa, Ahrar ash-Sham, Jaysh al-Islam and
other similar groups are basically the same evolving Al-Qaeda that conducted
the horrible terrorist attacks in the United States 15 years ago. Why do our
American colleagues not remember that and why do they not remind their people
about it on a daily basis at public events? It is beyond my understanding.
"The US is
protecting Jabhat al-Nusra by all possible means. For the past two years,
almost every day we hear tragic reports of American police killing ordinary
citizens who only looked like they could hypothetically be a threat to the
police or the public. Some police officers thought they were armed, the others
thought they could be dangerous, etc. Those were ordinary people who were only
suspected of being a threat. Now imagine that two or three people from Jabhat
al-Nusra – so thoroughly protected by the US government – walk down the streets
of Washington. Imagine what the police would do to those people if they walked
down the street in Washington, Chicago or any US city looking the way they
usually look. Nobody would have any doubt that those people clearly pose a
threat to civilians. Then why is it that those people would be immediately
destroyed in one geographic location with complete public support but in
another location, they are presented as fighters for justice, as the moderate
opposition, a group that is not yet on the genuine path to political
resolution, a group that needs refinement but does not yet meet the high
standards completely? It is a very strange approach."
(Mid.ru, October 6)
Russia's Decision To Terminate The 2010 Implementing
Agreement Between Rosatom And The US Department of Energy – Russian Foreign
Ministry: 'We Can No Longer Trust Washington In A Sensitive Sphere'
On September 3, a Russian Presidential
Executive Order suspended the 2000 U.S.-Russia agreement concerning the
management and disposition of plutonium designated as no longer required for
defense purposes and related cooperation (PMDA). On October 5, Russia adopted
the decision to terminate the 2010 Implementing Agreement between the Russian
State Corporation for Atomic Energy, Rosatom, and the US Department of Energy,
concerning cooperation on feasibility studies of the conversion of Russian
research reactors to use low-enriched uranium fuel. The Russian Foreign
Ministry wrote: "This step follows the notification received from the
United States in 2014 regarding the termination of civil nuclear energy
cooperation with Russia, as well as other hostile steps and statements by the
United States. As a result of these actions, we can no longer trust Washington
in a sensitive sphere such as the modernization and safety of Russian nuclear
power plants. If Russia makes the decision to convert particular research
reactors to low-enriched nuclear fuel, we will conduct this work independently."
(Mid.ru,
October 5)
Russia's
Suspension Of The 2013 Russian-US Agreement On Cooperation In Nuclear- And Energy-Related
Scientific Research And Development
On October 5, Russia suspended
the 2013 Russian-US Agreement on Cooperation in Nuclear- and Energy-Related Scientific
Research and Development. The Russian Foreign Ministry explained: "This
step was taken following the restrictions imposed by the United States on
nuclear energy cooperation with Russia. In 2014, notification was received from
Washington that the US was suspending nuclear energy cooperation with Russia in
connection with the events in Ukraine. By their decision, the Americans
effectively froze cooperation in science and technology in all areas specified
in the Agreement and rendered impossible the implementation of projects in
which both countries were interested. Under these circumstances, Russia is
suspending the Agreement in response to the US's hostile actions..."
(Mid.ru, October 6)
Deputy FM: The US Intelligence Is Trying To
Recruit Agents Amongst Russian Diplomats
During an
interview, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov talked about the "ongoing
practice of US special services abducting Russians across the world." He
also stated that the US administration is trying to use "hyped-up public
concern about its representatives to conceal active espionage operations conducted
under diplomatic cover." [1] Ryabkov
then added:
"The situation facing Russian
diplomats in the United States is, in fact, steadily deteriorating. Over the
past two and a half years, there has been a clear increase in the number of
attempts to recruit our officials, while US special services resort to the most
unseemly methods to apply pressure, including threats against the well-being of
family members. The smooth operation of our diplomatic missions is hindered by
artificial difficulties in making official contacts and other contrived
restrictions.
"Not long ago,
Washington tightened regulations on the movement of Russian officials on US
territory. Now the overwhelming majority of our representatives need to notify
the State Department of their itinerary well in advance, without which they may
not go anywhere. This runs counter to the rules that were jointly agreed on and
were in effect for almost a quarter of a century. This will further undermine
conditions for the development of ties as well as opportunities for bilateral
cooperation.
"Unfortunately, this is
precisely what the administration of Barack Obama has sought, to the
accompaniment of rabid anti-Russian propaganda, especially since the adoption
of the controversial sanctions-related 'Magnitsky
Act'[2] in 2012.
Nevertheless, Washington will not succeed in laying the blame at someone else's
doorstep."
(Mid.ru,
October 4)
Turkey–Russia Relations
On October 10,
Russian President Vladimir Putin is to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
at the World Energy Congress in Istanbul. On October 5, the two leaders had a
phone conversation at the initiative of the Turkish side. The phone call
focused on Turkish-Russian cooperation and the Syrian crisis.
(Kremlin.ru,
October 5)
Iskander – M In Kaliningrad Region
Russia deployed Iskander -M
tactical missile systems in Kaliningrad region. The move sparked tension in the
Baltic States. On October 8, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Konashenkov
said: "By the way, nobody made a big secret out of the
transportation of the system onboard the freighter Ambal. I'll tell more - one Iskander
system was deliberately exposed prior to the shipment to an American
intelligence satellite, which was on its trajectory above (the region) - that
was made in order to clarify (check out) certain parameters of this
satellite." He also added that the Russian side did not have long to wait since
the US partners in their "exposure impulse" have confirmed everything
(that the Russians needed).
(Ria.ru, October 8)
He also stated:
"The Iskander ballistic missile system is mobile, as during the training
process missile force units improve their skills year-round [which involves] covering
major distances across Russian territory by various means: by air, by sea and
by their own movement."
On another note, Putin transferred the Kaliningrad Region's
governor, Yevgeny Zinichev, to another job, presumably on Zinichev's own request
and appointed Regional Government Chairman Anton Alikhanov as Kaliningrad's new
head.
(Ria.ru, October
8; Tass.com, October 8; Rbth.com, October 8)
Endnotes:
[1]
The US has charged with Russia with harassment of its diplomats both within
Russia as well as throughout Europe. State Department spokeswoman Elizabeth
Trudeau reported that other Western countries were encountering similar
harassment. See: Cnn.com, July 28, 2016.
[2]
In December 2012 the US Congress passed this act allowing the US to withhold visas
and freeze assets of Russian officials
involved in human rights violations. Sergei Magnitsky was a Russian lawyer who
discovered massive fraud by Russian tax and police officials. Rather than act
on his charges, Russian officialdom arrested Magnitsky who died in custody,
allegedly of torture and failure to receive medical care.
MEMRI
Source: http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/9494.htm
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