Estonia wanted to take Lenin’s “gift” from Russia
Estonia wanted to take Lenin’s “gift” from Russia

A politician is running for the presidency in Estonia, openly declaring territorial claims against Russia. Former speaker of parliament Henn Põlluaas is convinced that “there is no need to legitimize the criminal occupation” of the cities of Pechora, Izborsk and territories east of Narva. Do these lands have anything to do with Estonia and why did local politicians decide to threaten Russia’s sovereignty?

Former speaker of the Estonian parliament, Henn Põlluaas, who became a presidential candidate in the republic, said that he does not recognize the existing border of his country with Russia. “There is no need or reason to legitimize the criminal occupation of Pechora and the territories beyond Narva,” said Põlluaas, speaking at the congress of the nationalist party EKRE (Conservative People’s Party), which nominated the former head of parliament to the post of head of state.

According to the logic of the Estonian politician, the “criminal occupant” is, in fact, Russia, and the indicated territories are the ancient Russian cities of Ivangorod, Pechora and the ancient fortress Izborsk, which were part of Estonia for some time in the 20th century.

Põlluaas insists that the Tartu Peace Treaty, which was signed by Soviet Russia and the first Estonian republic back in 1920, is still in effect in relations with Russia. And according to this agreement, the county of Petseri (now the Pechora district of the Pskov region) and Jaanilinn (Ivangorod in the Leningrad region) are integral parts of the Estonian state.

With this thesis, the former speaker goes to the elections, which will be held from August 10 to September 29. Let us explain: according to Estonian law, the president is elected by the Riigikogu – parliament. If the deputies are unable to determine the winner, an electoral college is convened.

 “There are really competitive elections in Estonia – ultranationalists argue with nationalists. Hence the competition in anti-Russian rhetoric, ”said Nikolai Mezhevich, President of the Russian Association for Baltic Studies (RAPI). In his opinion, the promoted nationalist EKRE Põlluaas has simply reached a climax in the corresponding rhetoric.

But we must admit that the rhetoric is not entirely unfounded – the fact is that the Russian-Estonian border is still a problem area. The agreement, which Moscow and Tallinn prepared back in 1999, has not yet been ratified. Both parties are interested in removing the disagreements, believes Mezhevich, who took part in the preparation of the technical part of the border agreement. But, as VZGLYAD newspaper noted earlier, the stumbling block lies in the desire of the Estonian side to include in the text of the agreement a reference to the same Treaty of Tartu. Moscow regards this as the desire of the Estonians to leave a loophole for themselves in order to be able to put forward territorial claims to Russia in the future.

Russia is looking for specialists in counting kittens
Russia is looking for specialists in counting kittens

The Moscow Fund for the Protection of Urban Animals is looking for specialists in counting cats.

“Throughout the summer of 2021, we will count Moscow kittens throughout the city. At the end of the project we will find out how many cats inhabit Moscow, what is the typical color of the Moscow cat, what is the population density in different areas of the city, depending on the environment. habitation “, reads the announcement of the Russian job site Head Hunter.

In order to be a “Kitten Counting Specialist” (this is the position), you do not need special abilities, apart from the ability to count and the use of a computer. The potential expert must be responsible, communicative and attentive. He will have to walk the streets and yards of the territory entrusted to him and interview the people who feed the cats. The announcement is for volunteers, but “Moskvich Mag” has opened a mayor’s grant for the Charitable Fund for the Protection of Urban Animals, amounting to 1.8 million rubles (about 45,000 levs), set aside only for counting cats.

Champagne and Russia: The French government: Russia has no right to call its wine “champagne”
Champagne and Russia: The French government: Russia has no right to call its wine “champagne”

Only French winemakers have the right to call their sparkling wine champagne.

This was stated by the Minister of Agriculture of France Julien Denormandy, Censor.NET reports with reference to UNIAN.

“Imagine the reaction of our government. The word itself comes from the name of a beautiful region where champagne is produced,” he said.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian announced the reaction of Paris in the coming days to the situation. According to him, if Russia violates the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO), France will take legal action against Moscow.

“As soon as we study all the restrictions (which the Russian law implies), we will react in the coming days at a bilateral level with the Russian authorities, as well as at a European level, in order to protect the interests of our producers, and especially our geographical indications,” said Jean-Yves le Drian.

“If by chance there is a violation of the WTO rules, (…) we will take action (…). I hope that the dialogue will solve these problems,” he added.

Let us recall that according to the amendments to the law on the regulation of alcoholic beverages, recently adopted by the State Duma of the Russian Federation, the name “champagne” remains only for the products of Russian manufacturers. Imported products, including French champagne, according to the letter of the law, are called sparkling wines. On July 2, the document was signed by President Vladimir Putin.

After that, it became known that Moet was suspending exports to Russia. The company later changed its position and announced that it would soon be selling its French champagne as “sparkling wine.”

Moet Hennessy controls about 2% of the Russian sparkling wine market, while France as a whole controls 13%.

A dispute with Russia over the supply of aid threatens the lives of 3.4 million people in Syria
A dispute with Russia over the supply of aid threatens the lives of 3.4 million people in Syria

They fled their homes to escape the rule of President Bashar al-Assad. Many Syrians who have taken refuge in the rebel-controlled northwest now fear that their fate could be put back in his hands.

Russia, Assad’s main ally, wants UN assistance for the region to come through the capital, Damascus, and not through Turkey. This raises concerns that the food they rely on will fall under the control of their oppressor.

The UK’s mandate to deliver aid from Turkey, currently through the Bab al-Hawa checkpoint, expires on Saturday. Western members of the UN Security Council want to extend it and extend the mandate, but Russia and China, which have the right to veto, are cautious (China signaled yesterday that it may change its position).

Russia missed talks on Tuesday.

Hosam Kaheil fled to Idlib in 2018, when the riot in Guta, near Damascus, was defeated. He does not trust the Syrian authorities to miss the aid if the supply lines are changed. “The situation in Idlib is good, but if the checkpoints are closed, there will be a humanitarian catastrophe,” the 36-year-old said. He recalled that he was so hungry in 2014, when the Syrian army besieged Guta, that he had to eat animal feed.

He added that two of his siblings had died from a shortage of medical supplies during the siege, described by UN investigators as the longest in modern history.

UN assistance across the Turkish border has helped supply millions of Syrians with food, medicine and water in the last part of Syria still held by rebels against Assad.

Syria has said it is committed to facilitating the delivery of UN aid from its own territory. The Syrian Ministry of Information did not respond to questions emailed to Reuters about the article.

Last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the Red Cross and Red Crescent should be allowed to monitor for suspected theft, although he did not think that would happen.

The trump cards of Russia

The dispute marks tensions on the diplomatic front in a war that has been at a military standstill for several years. Moscow and Damascus are trying to restore state sovereignty over part of Syria beyond their control.

Since winning most of Syria with Russian and Iranian aid, Assad has struggled to move forward. Turkish forces are blocking its route to the northwest, and US forces are on the ground in the Kurdish-controlled east, where oil fields, agricultural land and land routes to Iraq are located.

The government-controlled part of Syria, along with the rest of the country, is in economic crisis. Assad’s failed recovery and economic recovery plans faced a new hurdle with the imposition of new US sanctions last year.

“This is a time when Russia has a lever of influence – a dispute over a strategic advantage in which humanitarian issues are used as a fulcrum,” said Joshua Landis, head of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma. “Unfortunately, the Syrian people are the real losers in this battle between Russia and the United States.”

The United States wants a renewal of the aid mandate. As well as Turkey, which exercises power in the northwest through support for the rebels, aid and soldiers on the ground. The UN has warned that not resuming the aid operation would be devastating for millions.

“We don’t want these people to become pawns in the political game,” said Mark Cutts, the UN’s deputy regional humanitarian coordinator for the Syrian crisis.

“It’s really a shame that we’re talking about reducing access at a time when we need to expand the operation.”

The number of people dependent on aid from the northwest has risen by 20% to 3.4 million a year, the UN said.

Distrust

Russia cites US sanctions as the cause of humanitarian problems. Washington, whose sanctions are aimed at cutting off access to funds for the Assad government, rejects this.

Agreed in 2014, when Assad was retreating, the UN mandate initially allowed supplies from four places. Russian and Chinese resistance reduced their numbers to one last year. Russia says the operation is out of date.

Delivering aid across the front lines proved difficult, if not impossible, throughout the war. “We have demanded access for convoys across the front lines many times … because we would like as much access as possible from all sides, but the war is not over,” Cutts said.

“In this kind of environment, it is very difficult to reach agreement on both sides to allow convoys to cross this first line.”

The rebels in the northwest include groups declared terrorists by the Security Council. UN oversight has prevented the diversion of aid to armed groups, Coates said, expressing concern that the loss of such oversight could deter donors.

Durmus Ayden, secretary general of the Turkish Humanitarian Aid Foundation (IHH), part of the operation, told Reuters that deliveries across the fronts did not seem possible at the moment. “One of the reasons this is not a realistic solution is the people’s distrust of the Syrian government and Russia.”

“Authority on Russophobia”: why the Estonian presidential candidate opposed the border treaty with Russia
“Authority on Russophobia”: why the Estonian presidential candidate opposed the border treaty with Russia

The topic of Tallinn’s territorial claims against Moscow is being touched upon by Estonian politicians in order to “shake up anti-Russian sentiments” in the country. This is how the Federation Council of the Russian Federation commented on the words of the candidate for the presidency of Estonia Henn Põlluaas from the right-wing EKRE party, who opposed the ratification of the border agreement with Russia. The politician said that the Tartu Peace Treaty, concluded more than 100 years ago, is now supposedly in effect and Russia “occupied Pechory and the territories beyond Narva.” According to experts, the politician’s statement should be viewed as part of the internal political struggle in the republic. Analysts note that due to his Russophobic statements, Põlluaas wants to score political points.

“Authority on Russophobia”: why the Estonian presidential candidate opposed the border treaty with Russia

Estonian-Russian border Reuters © Ints Kalnins

The issue of Estonia’s territorial claims to Russia is being raised by the republic’s politicians in order to “shake up anti-Russian sentiments” in the country. This was stated in an interview with RT by the first deputy head of the international committee of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Dzhabarov.

“I think this is counterproductive. Estonia is our neighbor. If they want to live amicably with their neighbors, it is nevertheless necessary to start not with some mythical territorial claims, but raise the issue of improving relations between the two countries, ”Jabarov said.

So the first deputy head of the international committee of the Federation Council commented on the words of the presidential candidate Henn Põlluaas from the right-wing EKRE party, who opposed the ratification of the border treaty with Russia. According to Põlluaas, the Tartu Peace Treaty, concluded more than 100 years ago, is in force today, according to which part of the modern Pskov and Leningrad regions of Russia allegedly belongs to Estonia.

“There is no need and reason to legitimize the criminal occupation of Pechora and the territories beyond Narva,” the ERR portal quoted Põlluaas as saying.

The head of the international committee of the State Duma, Leonid Slutsky, in turn, noted that Põlluaas’s words “could be called ordinary pre-election rhetoric,” however, “the broadcast of such a position is increasingly postponing” the ratification of the Russian-Estonian border agreement.

“It remains to be regretted that Estonian politicians are not worried about the fact that the border with Russia is still not legally fixed. It is more convenient for them to keep her “hostage”, declaring about “criminal occupation” to attract the electorate, “he wrote on his Telegram channel.

Die Welt: Russia has found the “Philosopher’s Stone” of nuclear power
Die Welt: Russia has found the “Philosopher’s Stone” of nuclear power

Russia has developed a prototype of the Brest-300 waste-free nuclear reactor, Die Welt reports. The new technology will provide the country with a leading position in the field of nuclear energy for decades to come. It will begin to be exported in the 2030s, but it is possible that both economic and technical difficulties may arise on the way to the implementation of the project, in particular those related to cooling and safety, experts say.

In the closed city of Seversk, the Russian state-owned concern Rosatom is creating the future of nuclear energy, Die Welt writes. Plutonium was produced there 25 years ago for the Soviet and later Russian nuclear weapons program. In the 1950s, according to declassified archives, Seversk was on the American list of targets for nuclear strikes. Today, there are four Rosatom plants operating here, producing low-enriched uranium for nuclear power plants. Nuclear waste is also stored on site. According to the documents, this enterprise is a joint-stock company, but it is guarded by the army. Seversk is a mixture of “Soviet legacy and Putin’s state capitalism,” explains article author Pavel Lokshin.

It is here that the newest experimental waste-free reactor “Brest-300” with a lead coolant is being developed. It should ensure that Russia has a leading position in the field of nuclear energy for decades to come. “It’s about prestige, geopolitics and big business,” the newspaper explains. The head of Rosatom, Alexei Likhachev, said that a “new era” was coming. According to him, Russia has found a “philosopher’s stone” in the field of “clean and safe” nuclear energy. The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, congratulated Moscow on such a success.

In Rosatom, the project is called Breakthrough. He must – no less – solve the problem of nuclear waste. The new reactor will be able to use the remains of raw materials from its own production, as well as conventional reactors cooled with water under pressure. Thanks to the new type of fuel, which is a mixture of uranium and plutonium nitrides, Brest-300 is able to process the energy in uranium ore by 99%, and not 0.7% as its predecessors. At the same time, it will be extremely safe, which excludes the possibility of such disasters as in Chernobyl and Fukushima.

Today Rosatom plans to build or has already built reactors in Asia, China, India and Bangladesh. There are nuclear power plants of Russian design in Egypt, Iran, Turkey, Belarus, Hungary, Slovakia and Finland. “With such deals, Russia binds to itself foreign partners for decades, at least until the end of the nuclear power plant’s life,” explains Lokshin. Brest-300 will be able to operate for at least 60 years.

If this technology proves its effectiveness, it will have no competitors, because the similar project of American businessman Bill Gates TerraPower will take more years to reach the experimental stage. The international thermonuclear experimental reactor ITER in France, in the creation of which Russia is also participating, is still under construction. In Moscow, they say that they will be able to export the new technology as early as the 2030s.

This is an ambitious plan, but experts are convinced that unforeseen difficulties, both economic and technical, may arise on the way to its implementation, in particular related to cooling and ensuring safety. But on paper, the new Russian reactor looks very attractive, experts admit.

“Putin needs to think.” What future did the Dalai Lama predict for Russia?
“Putin needs to think.” What future did the Dalai Lama predict for Russia?

One of the main rulers of the planet’s thoughts, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, the XIV Dalai Lama celebrates his 86th birthday. Religious people expect from him teachings about the soul and faith, and secular people – allusions to the fate of the planet and its inhabitants. RIA Novosti publishes the brightest quotes about the prospects for Russia and the world.

About the pandemic:

The coronavirus pandemic in general is the result of bad karma that we have accumulated in previous lives. This is quite obvious, and in the Abhidharma (Buddhist doctrine of the world order. – Ed. Approx.) It is said that there will be a kalpa (a long time period. – Ed. Approx.) Weapons, a kalpa of disease and a kalpa of hunger. The Kalpa of weapons is what happened in previous years – World War I, World War II – and now weapons are still used, and they bring a lot of trouble. The next kalpa, hunger, is when people face financial difficulties. And the coronavirus pandemic, I think, is the beginning of a calpa of disease.

On the main problem of modern education:

The fact is that modern education is too obviously materialistic. People who have gone through such a training system build their lives around material values, create a materialistic culture. Because of this, when faced with difficulties in their own inner life, with emotional difficulties, they do not know what to do. So the problem is in the modern education system. I think it needs to include lessons on working with emotions. Just as we teach children about body hygiene, we need to teach about the hygiene of the mind and senses.

On the relationship between Russia and the United States:

Russia needs the Western world and America, it needs their technologies, and the West needs Russia, because it possesses enormous natural resources. Russia’s future depends on the Western world, and its future is closely linked with the fate of the Eastern world, including Russia. It is imperative for all of humanity that the countries of the East and West live in mutual respect. Russia has a unique geographical position – it plays a very important role as a bridge between East and West.

Also, the southern world (Africa, Latin America) is experiencing big problems, its fate depends on the northern world, and the future of the northern world depends on the southern one.

If we want to build a happy life on earth, then differences in nationality, religion and other grounds must recede into the background. In the 21st century, we must realize that all seven billion people on the planet are one big family … And in this respect, the Russian Federation is a great country, you have enormous potential to build a happy world.

On the future of Russia:

Russia is a great nation with great potential: new ideas, respect for each other, the joy of being human. I think Russia will be able to correctly distribute the opportunities. It has everything to become the leading nation in the world.

About Vladimir Putin:

Russia is a great country with power. Recent events have shown that Putin, as a leader, pays great attention to what is happening in different parts of the world, and this is good (the Dalai Lama said these words in an interview with RIA Novosti in May 2019. – Ed.). But Putin’s colleague, President Trump … (makes a hand gesture, indicating his hopelessness.) Like Putin, he runs a huge country, bears a great burden of responsibility. The leader of such a state must see the big picture. And think about what will be beneficial for the country in the long term. It is very important. He should not only think about getting short-term results. Of course, I have no right to criticize the activities of President Trump. But think about it: he sold billions of weapons to Saudi Arabia. In my opinion, this is wrong. He also withdrew from the Paris Climate Agreement. This is very unfortunate.

The world is in a critical situation today. And Putin needs to think very carefully about his actions, take into account the big picture and understand what will be beneficial in the long run.

Russia protested to PACE over Ukraine’s law on indigenous peoples
Russia protested to PACE over Ukraine’s law on indigenous peoples

The Russian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), together with deputies from Serbia, Armenia, Hungary and Moldova, protested the adoption of the law on indigenous peoples by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. The head of the Russian delegation, Deputy Speaker of the State Duma, Pyotr Tolstoy, announced this in his Telegram channel on Thursday.

“Russia has already declared a protest in PACE in connection with the actions of Kiev. Our initiative to condemn the actions of the Ukrainian side was supported by deputies from Serbia, Armenia, Hungary, Moldova. I am confident that the number of those dissatisfied with the actions of Kiev will increase, ”the head of the delegation said.

Tolstoy also clarified that the actions of the Ukrainian deputies, “shouting joyfully about the adopted law,” cannot be left unanswered. In his opinion, “outspoken Nazis” who are covered by the European authorities have settled in the Verkhovna Rada. “By their decision to delete 20 million Russian people from history, they lead to a repetition of the events of the second quarter of the XX century,” added the head of the Russian delegation.

On July 1, the Verkhovna Rada, by a majority (325) votes, adopted the law “On the Indigenous Peoples of Ukraine”, which was previously introduced by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. According to the text of the document, an “indigenous people” is an ethnic community that “was formed on the territory of Ukraine, is a bearer of a distinctive language and culture, recognizes itself as an indigenous people of Ukraine, does not have its own state education outside of Ukraine”

In Russia, the new law has been repeatedly criticized because it did not include Russians as indigenous peoples. Thus, during the direct line, Russian President Vladimir Putin called this law an example of the unfriendly attitude of the current Kiev administration towards Russia. “This is generally simply incomprehensible to the mind. From time immemorial, Russian people have lived here, and now they are declared non-indigenous, ”he said, adding that this could lead to a reduction in the number of Russians in the country. According to Putin, this is comparable to “the use of weapons of mass destruction.” The State Duma also condemned the draft law, calling it a “flagrant provocation” aimed at exacerbating tensions inside and outside Ukraine.

Putin Signs Law That Cause Moet’s Champagne Supply to Stop
Putin Signs Law That Cause Moet’s Champagne Supply to Stop

According to the adopted amendments, the concept of “champagne” is allowed to be used only in relation to champagne produced in Russia, and importers must rename the product to “sparkling wine”

President Vladimir Putin signed a law that led to the suspension of shipments of champagne from Moet to Russia. The document was published on the portal of legal information.

This document provides for amendments to 171-FZ “On the regulation of alcoholic beverages”, which clarify the definitions and introduce additional requirements for wine products.

In particular, the wording “sparkling wine (champagne)” was replaced by the category “sparkling wine, including Russian champagne”. At the same time, the classification of protected geographical appellation (PGI) / protected appellation of origin (PRO) wines is carried out on the basis of the Russian national system for the protection of wine products, which applies only to Russian wines. Thus, the concept of “champagne” was allowed to be used only in relation to champagne produced in Russia.

Moet Hennessy has already warned about stopping shipments of champagne to Russia.

In connection with the adoption of these amendments, one of the largest champagne producers, Moet Hennessy, announced that it was suspending shipments to Russia for an indefinite period. Changes in the legislation will require the distribution division of the company “Moet Hennessy Distribution Rus” to recertify sparkling wines in order to change the category to sparkling wine and change the product labeling. As stated in her letter to Russian partners, the champagne producers “did not confirm their readiness to change the category of champagne wines for the Russian market.”

According to statistics, Russia annually imports about 50 million liters of imported sparkling and champagne wines, of which 13% is champagne from France. Moet Hennessy accounts for less than 2%.

The amendments clarify definitions and introduce additional requirements for wine products. In particular, they exclude the use of the concept of “champagne”, allowing it to be used only in relation to “Russian champagne” produced on the territory of Russia. “And oblige the producers of champagne wines from the French region of Champagne to rename their products to“ sparkling wine, ”explains Moet Hennessy in a letter.

Changes in legislation will require Moet Hennessy Distribution Rus to recertify sparkling wines in order to change the category to sparkling wine and change the product labeling. According to the company, mesons (champagne producers) “did not confirm their readiness to change the category of champagne wines for the Russian market.”

The Ministry of Finance (oversees the alcohol industry) and Rosalkogolregulirovanie and explained that the amendments are changing:

1. In the definition of the types of alcoholic products, the wording “sparkling wine (champagne)” has disappeared – it has been replaced by the category “sparkling wine, including Russian champagne”.

2. The classification of wines with protected geographical indication (PGI) / protected designation of origin (PRO) is carried out on the basis of the Russian national system for the protection of wine products, which applies only to Russian wines, which means that importers will not be able to use it. Champagne is the name for a sparkling wine produced and marketed under the protection of the Champagne AOC French appellation. But based on the amendments, Russian legislation will not take this “protection” into account.

Johnson explanes the violation of Russian borders by the destroyer with the non-recognition of Russian Crimea
Johnson explanes the violation of Russian borders by the destroyer with the non-recognition of Russian Crimea

British prime minister Boris Johnson, claim on the occasion of the incident with the carnage of ships on the naval naval force of the Defender in the Black Sea, which he beat in the sea, right yes, along the water route, cover the coast of the Crimean Peninsula, which is not in the Russian territory of the sea, but the United Kingdom not recognizing annexation on the Cream from Russia.

Think of the premier of the last two accusations against Moscow and London, who spread the lies of the incident and denounced the incident, warned of the shooting and sabotaging of some bombs at the target.

Johnson, who had a visit to the barracks in Oldrshot, was approeached directly from a journalist who personally approved the route to the Defender destroyer on the coast of the Creme.

“Some work for the Ministry has been taken away, but what seems to be my opinion is crumpled, but there’s a lot of international traffic and, in between, there’s a moment that is not recognized annexation on the Crimea from Russia. Creme is often from the sovereign of the Ukrainian territory and is absolutely correct, yes, upholding the law and then free on the ship, we will eat along a short route between two points on the route …“, explain the British premier.

In the meantime, Johnson said, that the United Kingdom was not open for different relations with Russia. On a pretext for staying in the British-Russian relationships, Boris Johnson declared, remembering the times, when those were beat enough.

Lord Danath, the commander of the British army, both declare that Vladimir Putin is due to the incident in the West with the incident. “I’m worn out, why the Ministry has been selected for the retirement, it’s happened so and think that you’ll prevent the shooting from the military doctrine of the most stupid things,” declared Lord Danath.

British Foreign Minister Dominic Raab told the reporter about the time of his visit to Singapore, which “hadn’t been shot at the Defender”.

А Russian woman – the only passenger on the flight from Turkey: “How did you end up here?”
А Russian woman – the only passenger on the flight from Turkey: “How did you end up here?”

“Personal charter” cost only 3 thousand rubles

On June 25, a native of Yekaterinburg, Anna Filina flew home from Turkey. She turned out to be the only passenger on board the huge Boeing, which can accommodate 500 passengers.

Why it happened – the girl told “MK”.

Anna Filina shared her unusual flight story on her Instagram page. In the story, the girl posted pictures of an empty plane.

“The first oddities began at the airport when I noticed that I was alone at the check-in counter,” Anna recalls. – Received a boarding pass with number 001.

Then the girl walked to the boarding gate. Here, too, not a soul.

– For an hour I sat in an empty hall and did not understand why there were no people. From time to time I was covered with a slight panic, I did not understand what was happening, – continues the interlocutor.

On board, Anna was greeted by equally surprised staff. The flight attendants, in turn, did not expect that they would have to serve one passenger either.

“The staff of twelve were in shock, as was I. They had one question for me: how did you end up here? I have a counter question for them: “Why did they start the flight for the sake of one person?”, Says Anna.

The flight attendants explained that, in any case, they are running the flight so as not to stand. But there are no passengers, because Russian tourists were started to enter Turkey two days ago.

– As I understand it, it is not profitable for them to keep the plane in the parking lot, and there is no one to fly. Moreover, this was the first flight from Antalya to Yekaterinburg. I have been living in Turkey since September, apparently, apart from me, there were no people willing to fly away, because tourists have just started arriving in Turkey, – Anna explained.

– How much did you pay for the ticket?

– My “personal” charter cost only 3 thousand rubles.

– Probably, for the sake of you alone, the flight attendants did not explain the flight rules, demand that you fasten your seat belts and put on a mask?

– No, everything went clearly according to the rules, as if the board was with passengers. The flight attendant gave a briefing before takeoff, the flight attendants were wearing masks and gloves. During the flight, they all came up in turn to look at me, always asking how I was doing. They also gave me a bottle of water.

Russia returns to France the remains of Napoleon’s general
Russia returns to France the remains of Napoleon’s general

The gesture is on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of Bonaparte’s death

Russia returns to France the remains of General Charles-Étienne César Gudin de La Sablonnière (13 February 1768 – 22 August 1812), who fought in 1812 with Emperor Napoleon I near Smolensk, TASS reported. Negotiations between Moscow and Paris lasted for two years. The ceremony marked the 200th anniversary of Napoleon’s death on May 5, but a later date was set for the pandemic.

The general’s bones were discovered by archaeologists in 2019. Since his death on August 22, 1812, his tomb has been considered unknown. The remains were identified by the missing left leg, detached from a Russian cannonball. After he was wounded, doctors struggled for three days to save his life by amputating the rest of his left leg. But he died of gangrene at the age of 44. His heart was then removed from the field hospital to be buried in the Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris. His body remained unknown to historians, and two years ago his skeleton was found buried in a municipal park in Smolensk.

The Battle of Valutino, as the French call it after a nearby village (for the Russians it is the Battle of Lubino, after another village) took place on August 19, 1812 on the right bank of the Dnieper. 30,000 French clashed with 30,000 Russians from the rearguard covering Prince Bagration’s retreat. The casualties on the French side were 8,000, and on the Russian side – 5,000. After Smolensk, Napoleon continued to pursue the Russian army on August 25. General Gudin had been a close ally of Bonaparte’s since military school in Brienne. His name is inscribed on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris as a hero of France.

His remains were identified not only by the marks of the wound, but also by DNA examination compared to samples from the remains of his close relatives. They will be met in France at the Home for the Disabled (L’hôtel national des Invalides), where Napoleon’s sarcophagus is located, and their reburial will be at the Pere Lachaise.

Photo: Portrait of General Gudin (1839) by Georges Rouge and his remains as found in Smolensk

Elon Musk joked about the invasion of Russia
Elon Musk joked about the invasion of Russia

American entrepreneur, founder of SpaceX, Elon Musk, ridiculed Napoleon Bonaparte’s attempt to invade Russia in 1812. On his Twitter account, he posted another meme.

In the picture, the French emperor tells his first wife Josephine Beauharnais about his desire to invade the territory of Russia and seize the country. She, in turn, asks Napoleon if he is going to do this in the summer. The emperor is meaningfully “silent” to this question, and his wife asks: “In the summer, right?”

Elon Musk signed his post: “Timing (meeting deadlines – Profile) is everything.” So he made a reference to the French army freezing in Russia in winter.

Recall that the army of Napoleon Bonaparte invaded the Russian Empire in June 1812, but was defeated. According to one opinion, the winter cold was the decisive factor in the failure of the French.

Some of the businessman’s followers asked for an explanation of the tweet, while others began to accuse Elon Musk of losing money invested in Dogecoin cryptocurrency. The businessman often jokes on Twitter, but some of Musk’s “funny” tweets seriously hit the wallet of millions of people. For example, in early June, he joked about cryptocurrency and parting, after which the value of bitcoin fell by more than $ 1,000.

Putin spoke about the risks for Russia due to climate change
Putin spoke about the risks for Russia due to climate change

Russia feels risks from global environmental problems, as some Russian cities are built on permafrost, President Vladimir Putin said at the plenary session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. RBC is broadcasting on YouTube.

“We have often heard talk that Russia is not interested in solving global environmental problems. But I can tell right away – this is nonsense, this is a myth or even an outright distortion. Like other countries, we feel the risks and threats in this area, including desertification, soil erosion, melting permafrost” Putin said.

The President recalled that “entire cities” are located in the Arctic part of Russia, which is built on permafrost. According to him, if the ice begins to melt, the consequences may come for the country.

He pointed out that, according to scientists, more than 2 trillion tons of greenhouse gases have accumulated in the earth’s atmosphere due to human economic activity. Each year, their number increases to 50 billion tons, Putin said.

The head of state added that all countries bear joint responsibility for climate processes in the world. Putin also urged “not to turn the transition to carbon neutrality into an instrument of unfair competition, when, under the pretext of a carbon footprint, they try to reshape investment trade flows in purely specific interests, and restricting access to green technologies becomes a deterrent to individual countries and manufacturers.”

The head of state expressed confidence that environmental and climate projects in Russia will play a leading role in global efforts to preserve the climate for many decades.

“We have set a goal: in the next 30 years, the accumulated volume of net greenhouse gas emissions in Russia should be lower than in Europe,” Putin said.

He asked the government to develop a detailed action plan in this regard by October 1 of this year. The relevant issue will be raised at a separate meeting.

Among the projects that the authorities plan to work on:

  • reduction of emissions in sectors of the economy due to the construction of nuclear, hydroelectric power plants and renewable energy sources;
  • reduction of emissions from hydrocarbon production;
  • modernization of thermal power engineering;
  • electrification of gas transportation infrastructure;
  • improving energy efficiency in the residential sector, heat supply systems;
  • conversion of public transport to gas, electricity;
  • reduction of material consumption in construction.

For all this, the state will issue subsidized green bonds. The authorities have also developed performance criteria for environmental projects.

One of the main tasks on which the country’s leadership will work, Putin also named capturing, storing, and using carbon dioxide from all sources.

In late April, Putin spoke at the climate summit. In his speech, he called for all interested countries to join in joint research in the field of climate change, as well as to actively develop low-carbon technologies.

According to him, over the past 31 years, Russia has reduced greenhouse gas emissions more than other countries – from 3.1 billion tons of CO2 equivalent to 1.6 billion tons, i.e. about twice.

The Kremlin agrees to a joint press conference between Putin and Biden after their meeting in Geneva
The Kremlin agrees to a joint press conference between Putin and Biden after their meeting in Geneva

The Kremlin is ready to hold a joint press conference of Presidents Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden at the end of the Russian-American summit in Geneva, but a decision has not yet been made.

This was stated in an interview with CNN Dmitry Peskov – spokesman for the Russian president.

Asked why Putin agreed to meet with Biden, Peskov said the Russian president was going to Geneva because “relations between Russia and the United States are bad,” not to be in the same room with his American counterpart.

The first Russian-American summit after Putin’s talks with Donald Trump in Helsinki in July 2018 is scheduled for June 16 in Geneva.

The trip to Geneva will be the Russian leader’s first visit abroad since January 2020, when he visited Israel and the Palestinian territories.

Back at the end of May 31, Secretary-General of the North Atlantic Alliance Jens Stoltenberg said that NATO is striving to improve relations with Russia. According to him, it is necessary to maintain a dialogue, which is even more important in the current conditions. He spoke about this at a press conference before the meetings of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defense of the NATO member states, which took place on June 1.

The NATO Secretary-General stressed that the Alliance intends to continue its policy of a double approach towards Moscow. “We will continue our bi-directional policy towards Russia, which is that we provide sufficient protection (NATO countries -” Profile “), but at the same time we work to maintain a meaningful dialogue with Russia. We believe in dialogue,” said Stoltenberg.

The politician stressed that even if relations between NATO and Russia cannot be improved, it is still necessary to maintain a dialogue. It is needed in order to ensure transparency and prevent dangerous incidents, TASS reports, citing Stoltenberg’s words.

Earlier, the NATO Secretary-General said that Russia is behaving aggressively despite the fact that the West offers dialogue, so the alliance is introducing measures to contain it. He explained the essence of the bilateral approach to Russia, assuring that NATO does not want a cold war.

At the same time, in Ukraine, they talked about a “nightmare” over the meeting between Putin and Biden.

Political scientist Bondarenko told RIA Novosti about Ukraine’s “nightmare” over the meeting between Putin and Joe Biden.

The meeting between the presidents of Russia and the United States, Vladimir Putin, and Joe Biden, could turn into a “nightmare” for Ukraine, political scientist and director of the Institute of Ukrainian Politics Kost (Konstantin) Bondarenko said in his article in Glavred.

According to the expert, most of all in Kiev they are worried about how the conversation between the two leaders may end. “In this situation, there is only one question – will the US give Ukraine an order to fulfill the Minsk agreements or will it say to continue imitating the implementation process,” Bondarenko said.

According to the political scientist, Biden’s determination to insist on Ukraine’s implementation of the agreements will depend on how much he manages to defuse the situation with Putin. If certain agreements are reached, Washington may begin to put pressure on Kiev, forcing them to implement these Minsk agreements, Bondarenko expressed his opinion, adding that from the moment the agreements were signed, it was the United States that instructed Ukraine to pretend that it adheres to them.

According to the results of the bilateral summit, Washington may set a deadline for the implementation of agreements for Kiev, the political scientist continued. “It will become a nightmare for the Ukrainian authorities – if Washington begins to force Kiev to comply with the Minsk agreements,” he stressed.

At the same time, Bondarenko added that if Ukraine is forced to implement the Minsk agreements in their current form, Kiev can establish closer contacts with Great Britain and “ignore the US position”, taking steps to please London, not Washington, as well as creating regional blocs, to for example, with the participation of Turkey.

“However, in any situation and in any scenario, the fate of a non-subject state will await us, which will be manipulated in the interests of major players.

In order not to be manipulated, we need to become strong and adults ourselves, “the expert concluded.

Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden will meet next week on Wednesday. The Kremlin emphasized that it does not expect “much” from the talks because of the existing disagreements between Russia and the United States. The presidents are expected to discuss Russian-American relations, strategic stability, the fight against COVID-19, and the settlement of regional conflicts.

The latest amendments to the Religion Law  – Russia
The latest amendments to the Religion Law – Russia

The latest amendments to the Religion Law, signed by President Vladimir
Putin on 5 April, will bar those the state considers – rightly or wrongly
– to be extremists from participation in religious groups. Such people
are already banned from participation in registered religious
organisations.

Religious groups can be either independent or affiliated to centralised
religious organisations. In neither case is the religious group a legal
entity.
Those banned from leading or participating in religious groups could
include individual Muslims who meet to study the works of Said Nursi,
individual Jehovah’s Witnesses, and individuals associated with the Crimean
Tatar Mejlis, if these people have been convicted under the Extremism Law
or have been added to the Federal Financial Monitoring Service
(Rosfinmonitoring) “List of Terrorists and Extremists”.

The Duma may make corresponding changes to the Administrative Code in order
to introduce explicit penalties for non-compliance, though there has been
no indication as yet of if or when this will take place.

Lawyer Konstantin Andreyev thinks that specific administrative penalties
will be introduced, although lawyer Vasily Nichik of the Seventh-day
Adventist Church points out that this is not obligatory, and prosecutors
could use the existing Article 19.7 (“Failure to provide information”),
Article 19.4 (“Disobedience to a lawful order by an official of a state or
municipal supervisory body”), and Article 19.5, Part 1 (“Failure to comply
within the prescribed period with a legal order on the elimination of legal
violations, issued by a body exercising state supervision”).

The various Parts of these Articles carry penalties ranging from a few
hundred Roubles for private individuals, to a few thousand for people in an
official role, to tens of thousands for legal entities.

It is also unknown how the authorities might enforce compliance with the
new amendments.

The Religion Law amendments, introduced by the Justice Ministry and
overseen by the State Duma’s Committee for the Development of Civil Society
and Issues of Public and Religious Associations, are “aimed at increasing
the transparency of religious associations’ activities and increasing the
efficiency of the justice authorities’ exercise of their powers of state
supervision over the activities of religious associations”, according to
the Committee’s conclusions of 16 September 2020.

The State Duma’s Committee for the Development of Civil Society and Issues
of Public and Religious Associations said in a press release on 5 April
that the law “is directed at strengthening the spiritual sovereignty of
Russia” (https://www.forum18.org/archive.php?article_id=2657).

The Religion Law amendments – which come into force on 3 October 2021 –
also ban legal entities from including a religious affiliation in their
name unless they were founded by or get the approval of a centralised
religious organisation. This would affect a company wanting to set up an
Islamic or Christian book shop, for example, or a non-governmental
organisation, such as an Islamic or Christian human rights group (see
below).

Religious groups will also be obliged to submit information on their
composition and activities to the Justice Ministry once a year, rather than
every three years (see below).

Another major change introduced by the amendments will be a requirement for
clergy, religious teachers, and missionaries who have received professional
training abroad to undergo a course in “state-confessional relations in the
Russian Federation”, and to be re-certified by a centralised religious
organisation (https://www.forum18.org/archive.php?article_id=2657), before
they can begin working in Russia. 

According to Olga Sibireva, the head of the Religion in Secular Society project at the Moscow-based SOVA Center for Information and Analysis, generally, Russia did not make any positive progress concerning challenges to freedom of religion or belief that emerged in previous years. In her blog post, she explains the recent Russian developments regarding freedom of religion or belief protections in 2020. The post is based on the April 2021 report released by the Moscow-based human rights monitor, the SOVA-Center.

Full reports on freedom of thought, conscience and belief in Russia
(https://www.forum18.org/archive.php?query=&religion=all&country=10)
For more background see Forum 18’s survey of the general state of freedom
of religion and belief in Russia
(https://www.forum18.org/archive.php?article_id=2246), as well as Forum
18’s survey of the dramatic decline in this freedom related to Russia’s
Extremism Law (https://www.forum18.org/archive.php?article_id=2215)

European Council President Tells Putin EU-Russian Relations At ‘Low Point’
European Council President Tells Putin EU-Russian Relations At ‘Low Point’

With a view to the European Council meeting of 25 and 26 March a phone call between the President of the European Council Charles Michel and President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin took place on Monday 22 March 2021.

The Presidents discussed relations between the EU and Russia.

President Michel expressed the view that EU-Russia ties are at a low point and confirmed the EU’s approach of the five guiding principles, based on the EU’s core values.

There is currently disagreement in many areas.

From the EU perspective, the relationship with Russia can only take a different direction if there is sustained progress on issues like the implementation of the Minsk agreements, stopping hybrid and cyber-attacks on Member States and respect for human rights. In this context Alexey Navalny’s case was raised. Charles Michel reiterated the EU’s call on the Russian authorities to release Mr Navalny and proceed with a transparent investigation into the assassination attempt on him.

The leaders also exchanged views on the Covid pandemic, on vaccines and on regional and global issues.

EU foreign policy chief Borrell rejects Russian move to expel European diplomats
EU foreign policy chief Borrell rejects Russian move to expel European diplomats

Josep Borrell condemned Russia’s move to expel European diplomats on Friday in an interview with Euronews.

The EU’s top diplomat said that he learned of the news during his meeting with Russia’s foreign minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow.

“During my meeting with Minister Lavrov I got news that three European diplomats were going to be expelled,” Borrell said.

“I strongly reject the decision. I reject the allegations that these diplomats were performing activities incompatible with their role as diplomats.”

Russia’s foreign ministry said it expelled diplomats from Germany, Poland and Sweden because they took part in illegal demonstrations in support of Alexei Navalny.

Tens of thousands of Russians protested last weekend in support of the Kremlin critic who was detained upon returning to Russia from Germany after recovering from being poisoned.

While Borrell said that EU-Russia relations are at their lowest level, the bloc is not planning on issuing sanctions.

“For the time being there is no proposal but things can change, let’s see next week,” Borrell told Euronews. “This can be considered; nothing is excluded.”

Russia Expels European Diplomats, Top EU Official Laments ‘Low Point’ In Relations
Russia Expels European Diplomats, Top EU Official Laments ‘Low Point’ In Relations

Moscow said it was expelling diplomats from three European Union members saying they participated in protests to support opposition politician Aleksei Navalny, a topic that the bloc’s top diplomat said earlier in the day had brought bilateral relations to a “low point.”

Russia’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the Swedish ambassador, the charge d’affaires of Poland, and the German envoy were summoned to the ministry where a protest was lodged with the diplomats in connection with the “recorded participation of diplomatic employees of the Consulates General of the Kingdom of Sweden and the Republic of Poland in St. Petersburg and the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Moscow in illegal actions on January 23.”

The announcement came hours after EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell met his counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, in Moscow, amid a deterioration of relations that has worsened in recent weeks over Navalny’s detention and a crackdown on anti-government protesters.

Many of the EU’s 27 members, along with the United States, have demanded the release of the 44-year-old Kremlin critic, who survived a nerve-agent poisoning in August 2020 that he accuses Putin of ordering.

Borrell “strongly condemned” Moscow’s decision on the expulsions when he was informed of them during a meeting with Lavrov and “rejected the allegations that they conducted activities incompatible with their status as foreign diplomats,” the EU official’s spokesman said.

“The decision should be reconsidered,” said the spokesman, Peter Stano.

Chancellor Angela Merkel told reporters that the “unjustified” expulsion of German diplomats was “yet another aspect that can be observed right now of Russia being quite far from the rule of law.”

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said in a statement that the Russian decision is “further damaging relations with Europe” and will “not go unanswered.”

The Polish Foreign Ministry summoned the Russian envoy to Warsaw to protest against Moscow’s move and said it “expects the Russian authorities to reverse this erroneous decision.”

“Otherwise, Poland leaves itself the option to take appropriate steps,” the ministry said in a statement.

A spokeswoman for Sweden’s Foreign Ministry said that one of its diplomats was being expelled from the country and rejected “Russia’s claim that the diplomat participated in the demonstration.”

Strained Relations

French President Emmanuel Macron also condemned Russia’s expulsion of European diplomats, saying: “With regards to the Navalny affair, I condemn with the greatest firmness from start to finish what has happened, from his poisoning…to the expulsion of German, Polish, and Swedish diplomats decided by Russia.”

The first visit by a senior EU envoy to Moscow since 2017 started tensely, with Borrell noting as he headed into his first meeting with Lavrov that “our relationship is indeed in a difficult moment.”

“I have conveyed to minister Lavrov our deep concern and reiterated our appeal [for] his release and the launch of an impartial investigation of his poisoning,” Borrell told journalists after the morning round of talks.

Lavrov, who told reporters as he headed into the meeting with Borrell that “a fair review” of Russia-EU relations was “long overdue.”

He also noted that Moscow had noticed how Brussels was increasingly behaving like the United States and imposing unilateral restrictions on countries.

“For Russia, the EU is an unreliable partner,” Lavrov said as the two sides took a break.

While Russian officials have accused the West of interfering, Borrell said before arriving in Moscow that his visit was “not about meddling in internal affairs,” but rather “universal principles and international commitments.” He cited that Russia has signed on as a member of the Council of Europe and as a participating state of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

Navalny was sentenced on February 2 to 3 1/2 years in jail for violating the terms of a suspended sentence while recovering in Germany from the poisoning. Because of time already served, the judge said Navalny will spend 2 years and 8 months in prison.

US, EU hail Belarus democrats amid Russia protests
US, EU hail Belarus democrats amid Russia protests

The United States and the European Union on Friday hailed demonstrators in Belarus six months after disputed elections, in a message sure to irritate President Vladimir Putin of neighboring Russia.

US President Joe Biden’s administration and the Europeans said they backed a “day of solidarity” called for Sunday by Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who believes she defeated President Alexander Lukashenko, an authoritarian ally of Putin, in August.

“We continue to be amazed by the exceptional strength, resilience and courage of the Belarusian people in the face of unyielding repression,” State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters.

“They continue to demand freedom and democracy. The world has been inspired by the people of Belarus, especially Belarusian women peacefully demonstrating for the right to have a voice in Belarus’ future,” he said.

Price said the United States backed a “peaceful and inclusive dialogue” in Belarus, where demonstrators have kept taking to the streets.

The European Union issued a similar statement, saying that “many thousands” have been detained in Belarus and pointing to “hundreds of documented cases of torture.”

“The European Union continues to stand firmly with the people of Belarus,” said a statement by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and enlargement coordinator Oliver Varhelyi, promising economic support for a democratic Belarus.

In a recent interview with AFP, Tikhanovskaya said that the “regime will collapse from within” and drew a parallel to protests in Russia led by Alexei Navalny, who was allegedly poisoned last year and was arrested on his return to Moscow last month.

Tikhanovskaya ran for president after her husband was imprisoned after trying to register to run against Lukashenko, who has ruled the country since 1994.

Tikhanovskaya, who fled to Lithuania, is calling for elections in which Lukashenko is not a candidate, a proposal rejected by the president.

Biden has vowed to robustly promote democracy and to take a tough line on Russia, drawing a contrast with his predecessor Donald Trump’s warm words for Putin.