Windows to Russia

RBC, 26.08.2008, Kiev 19:44:39.Ukrainian Foreign Ministry’s delegation headed by acting First Deputy Minister Yury Kostenko has cancelled its visit to Russia, the ministry reported today. The meeting was initiated by Moscow and provided for holding political consultations on Wednesday. The visit was cancelled due to Russia’s decision to recognize the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, which are internationally acknowledged as integral parts of the sovereign republic of Georgia, the RBC Ukraine reported today.

RBC, 26.08.2008, Moscow 19:36:41.Experts believe that the escalation of the conflict due to Russia’s recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia is not likely to result in a halt in trade relations between Russia and the West. Some major investment projects are projected to be suspended, but international trade is not likely to stop, analysts note, adding that this would be too expensive for Europeans. Industries that depend on foreign investment are anticipated to feel the negative impact of the current developments.

RBC, 26.08.2008, Moscow 18:58:52.Russia is not afraid of a new Cold War, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev told the Russia Today television channel in an interview. He noted that Russia was ready to accept the consequences of recognizing South Ossetia and Abkhazia. However, Medvedev expressed hope that other countries would assume a reasonable stance on the matter and understand the reasons for Russia’s decision.

RBC, 26.08.2008, Moscow 18:27:46.The Russian stock market was able to regain part of the previous loss late in the afternoon. After a 6-percent plunge following President Dmitry Medvedev’s announcement of Russia’s recognition of the sovereignty of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the RTS index edged up to 1,577.55 points around 5:40 p.m., a 4.26-percent drop from the close on Monday. The MICEX index, which had plummeted as much as 5.5 percent during the session, showed a decline by merely 1.98 percent before the close, reaching 1,294.39 points.

RBC, 26.08.2008, Moscow 17:56:46.Vladimir Pekhtin, first deputy head of the United Russia faction in the State Duma, expects other nations to support Russia and recognize the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in due course, he told RBC today commenting on the respective decree signed by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. While it was a difficult decision for Russia, the speed with which it was made provides further evidence of Russia’s intention to stop bloodshed and bring peace in the region, Pekhtin said. He stressed that Russia was acting solely as a peacekeeper.

RBC, 26.08.2008, Moscow 16:29:53.Russia’s Federal Security Service has prevented some 10 acts of terrorism in the Southern Federal District, the service’s public relations department reported today. In July, the FSB received information that members of armed gangs operating in the North Caucasus region on behalf of al-Qaeda were preparing a number of terrorist attacks in Russia’s Southern Federal District. During this morning’s operation, an FSB group discovered two militants, who mounted armed resistance in an attempt to flee and were shot down as a result. The militants had all components for making bombs with them, the agency reported.

RBC, 26.08.2008, Moscow 16:23:48.Foreign leaders’ criticism of Russia is not supported by evidence, said deputy head of the Russian military’s General Staff Anatoly Nogovitsyn. He commented on NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer’s announcement that NATO would not have the same relations with Russia after Moscow’s involvement in the Georgia-Ossetia conflict and German chancellor Angela Merkel’s statement that Georgia would join NATO. Even Georgia acknowledged that the damage caused to it from the military activities was smaller than that incurred to South Ossetia, Nogovitsyn pointed out.

RBC, 26.08.2008, Moscow 10:20:52.Moscow has expressed “serious concern” about yet another case of a great number of civilian casualties in Afghanistan, where as a result of an airstrike by the US air force on August 22, 89 civilians lost their lives in Herat Province, including 19 women and 50 children, the Russian Foreign Ministry’s information and press department announced.

Hello,

On TV today in Moscow:

President Medvedev has said that Russia is ready to break off its relations with NATO if necessary. A statement from Medvedev about NATO.

“We’ve been developing our relations with the North Atlantic Alliance for a long time. We would like these relations to be full-fledged and to be real partners, but we don’t want any illusions of partnership. When we’re being surrounded by military bases along our borders, and when more and more countries are being dragged into NATO, we certainly don’t like it,” said Medvedev.

This was stated after a meeting with Russia’s ambassador to NATO, Dmitry Rogozin. Dmitry Rogozin briefed Medvedev on NATO’s attitude towards the current situation in South Ossetia. In his view they’re applying a double standard as they’re blaming Russia, although Georgia began the conflict.

Medvedev will do it….

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.

Ukraine opposition to send Georgian leader neckties to chew on

from Russia News

Hello,

While drinking my morning cup of coffee the TV reported death tolls from the conflict in Georgia.

Georgia lost 215 of its nationals in the conflict, including 13 policemen, 133 military personnel and 69 civilians, said the Georgian parliament’s defense and security committee.

Russian Ministry said, 64 Russian servicemen had been killed in the recent conflict, with more than 370 injured. Russia also said, 2,100 South Ossetians were killed in during the conflict. The number of deaths is rising as the rubble of destroyed buildings is cleared.

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.

Valery Gergiev

Hello,

Updated:
Thursday night we got a treat on TV in Russia:

London Symphony Orchestra conductor performs in war-torn Tskhinvali

The principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra and artistic director of the Mariinsky Theatre, Valery Gergiev, will lead a concert in Tskhinvali on Thursday. The performance will be staged next to the destroyed parliament building in the bombed-out capital of South Ossetia.

Gergiev is of Ossetian origin but was born in Moscow. He grew up in North Ossetia and studied in St Petersburg.

“I’ve got a lot of friends and relatives living in South Ossetia. Although I haven’t lost my loved ones, my friends lost five relatives,” Gergiev said.

He believes that Russia did everything possible to save Ossetians from complete extermination.

According to the Mariinsky Theatre, the concert will feature Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s fifth and sixth symphonies and Dmitry Shostakovich’s famous “invasion” theme from his sixth symphony. (Link)

Part 1

Part 2

The principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra and artistic director of the Mariinsky Theatre, Valery Gergiev, has led a concert in Tskhinvali. The performance was staged next to the destroyed parliament building in the bombed-out capital of South Ossetia.

This is the whole concert and it is very, very, very good!

Kyle & Svet

comment always welcome.

RBC, 22.08.2008, Novoogaryovo 15:50:03.Real disposable incomes of Russians are expected to rise 2-2.5 times by 2020, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said during a meeting on Russia’s long-term development. He pointed out that the respective goal was defined in the project of Russia’s strategies of social and economic development until 2020.

RBC, 22.08.2008, Moscow 15:40:45.Severstal is looking to acquire US coal mining company PBS Coals Corporation, the Russian steel maker said in a press release today. Severstal intends to offer $7.99 per each PBS Coals share, and the value of the deal has been estimated at $1.3bn. The US company will reportedly be bought through the purchase of Penfold Capital Acquisition Corporation, now merging with PBS Coals. The deal, which has yet to be approved by the regulating authorities, will be paid for in cash. If the deal fails, PBS Coals will, in certain circumstances, have to pay a penalty fee of $40.1m to Severstal. Both PBS Coals and Penfold Capital Acquisition have agreed to strike the deal, which is to be completed in mid-October.

RBC, 22.08.2008, Moscow 14:59:28.Russia’s armed forces will react accordingly in the event of possible terrorist attacks on the country’s Black Sea Fleet, deputy chief of the Russian military’s General Staff Anatoly Nogovitsyn told a press conference in Moscow today. He noted that all related matters, including the possibility of such attacks, were stipulated by the existing Russian-Ukrainian treaties. The recent announcements regarding attacks being prepared are aimed at undermining relations between Russia and Ukraine, which is quite regretful, Nogovitsyn stressed.

RBC, 22.08.2008, Moscow 14:40:12.Russian troops are being withdrawn from the Georgian-Ossetian conflict zone on schedule, Anatoly Nogovitsyn, deputy head of the Russian armed forces General Staff, told a press conference today. Russia does not intend to revise this schedule, the official stressed. He added that air forces were being relocated and troops were moving back to Russia. For instance, 25 strike fighters and 3 fighter planes have already returned to their permanent base, Nogovitsyn said.

RBC, 22.08.2008, Moscow 13:59:06.Investors are expecting a further rise on the Russian stock market, experts told RBC TV today. While Russian stocks opened higher today thanks to an increase in oil prices, trading activity slowed considerably half an hour into the session. Analysts point out that Russian shares are likely to remain highly volatile. Given that oil prices may correct downwards, this could affect the Russian market, experts fear. The RTS index is projected to ease gradually to 1,700 points, or even to the 1,680 mark, by the end of the day, analysts note.

RBC, 22.08.2008, Moscow 13:48:58.The situation in the Georgian-Ossetian conflict zone is ‘far from normal’, deputy chief of the Russian armed forces General Staff Anatoly Nogovitsyn told a press conference today. He pointed out that the situation in both the Georgian-Ossetian and Georgian-Abkhaz conflict zones could not be characterized as stable. Nogovitsyn also noted that Georgia’s armed forces were massing in the central part of Georgia, restoring their military efficiency and prepared for further actions. In particular, they conducted reconnaissance, as well as prepared military actions in the Georgia-Ossetian conflict zone.

RBC, 22.08.2008, Moscow 12:55:06.A Russian convoy of trucks loaded with humanitarian aid for South Ossetians is to set out from Vladikavkaz, the capital city of the Russian region of North Ossetia, for Tskhinvali today, said Sergei Shatirov, First Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council’s industrial policy committee and a member of the coordination council for humanitarian aid set up by the Russian parliament’s upper house. He noted that articles of prime necessity, as well as refrigerators, furniture, and power generators, would be delivered to Tskhinvali. This is everything South Ossetians need the most at the moment, Shatirov stated. Russia plans to send a total of 260 tonnes of humanitarian aid collected by the Federation Council along with the country’s constituent entities, according to Shatirov.

RBC, 22.08.2008, Moscow 09:45:04.Russia’s cooperation with NATO is a complex issue, and until the government makes a decision on its future, military cooperation with the alliance has been temporarily frozen, the Mayak radio station reported Russian envoy to NATO Dmitry Rogozin as saying. Rogozin pointed out that Russia’s Defense Ministry had sent a formal notice to NATO that Moscow was halting military cooperation. The alliance has already confirmed its receipt.

Hello,

Today while drinking my morning cup of coffee, I came across interesting articles from all over the world. Articles from Western press, that act in horror that Russia is not going to pull out of South Ossetia! The Western world has ignored Abkhazia and the fact that Russia will not be pulling out of Abkhazia either.

I have said all along that Medvedev is pissed off about this situation down in Georgia. You must understand the reality, that South Ossetia & Abkhazia are no longer part of Georgia in Russians minds. In fact Russian State Duma MPs and Federation Council members have made it clear that they are ready to recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

As I live amongst the Russians, I have come to conclude that there are several areas that are still considered Russian! The Caucus Region, The Crimea and The Black Sea are just a few. When you talk about areas like these, many Russians just automatically consider them Russian.

I also this morning read about the waffling of Ukraine’s tough stance against Russia’s Black Fleet! One minute Ukraine is threatening to blocking the port, the next minute they say welcome back please remember to leave by 2017!

Talk about Medvedev, He is telling NATO farewell, goodbye and so long. He says Russia has no use for a Cold War relic like NATO! America stuttered and stammered on that news, while Europe most likely said: See we told you so!

The same goes true for the G8, World Trade Organization and any other USA backed organizations. The USA has effectively steered Russia into Iran, China and the Eastern worlds arms. The chance that the Western world had to influence Russia is gone.

One last statement about the death counts: Due to the heat and decomposing bodies, masses of humans in those unidentified hillocks. Only in some cases have they been able to determine who is buried there. (The death is not counted unless the Western world does an autopsy.) If you ever have been near dead humans by the dozens or hundreds (like I have), you would understand why you have to bury them and bury them quick. I have chosen not to print pictures of the dead, just caskets. We have seen hundreds on the news and that is enough for Svet & I!

Posted by Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia…