What can Russia do to rock the boat of the West?

The United States is committing color revolutions in post-Soviet space, trying to strangle Russia with sanctions (for the wish of Russian people to reunite against the backdrop of the fascist regime in Ukraine) and threatening its integrity. Russia faces the task of finding a good, adequate response.

According to Sky News, an advisor to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Norbert Röttgen, expressed concerns that the Russian authorities may start funding the anti-European lobby in the United Kingdom. "If he (Putin) could affect driving a wedge between Britain and other Western countries, he would definitely do it," said Röttgen.

Russia to finance anti-European lobby

The statement is arguable. In October 2012, one of the leaders of the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP), Nigel Farage, said that Russia and the United Kingdom had one common task - to restrain the German hegemony. Today, one can look for common interests with Scottish nationalists, on how, for example, to use the precedent of the Crimea to substantiate Scotland's pullout from the UK.

Russia may possibly be funding such parties already. French news agencies said that the decision to give a loan to the National Front of Marine Le Pen, who has not been able to find a creditor in France for quite a while, was made in September 2014 by First Czech-Russian Bank, headquartered in Moscow. Does this loan have a political meaning? Le Pen herself called this question offensive. Who knows?

"What's wrong with Russia financing the anti-European lobby? - Alexey Fenenko, Assistant Professor, Department of World Politics, Moscow State University, said when answering this question to Pravda.Ru. - If the West finances opposition organizations in Russia, why can't Russia finance the anti-European lobby?"

Indeed, there are candidate organizations already. The list includes such parties as Jobbik (Hungary), Ataka (Bulgaria), Five Stars (Italy), Podemos (Spain) - these organizations represent a real political force in their own countries and support Russia's position on the Crimea.

"This is a big and broad problem, because we have lost the experience of working with the opposition since Soviet times," Alexey Fenenko continued. The Soviet Union was sponsoring communist movements around the world and enjoyed adequate support. Today's Russia does not work even with opposition in the form of the Social Democratic Party of Germany, even though the party traditionally shares a favorable attitude towards Russia, the expert said.

Indeed, Putin does not invite SPD leaders to the Kremlin. However, French President Hollande did it in 2012, immediately after taking office, as evidenced by recent WikiLeaks revelations.

In addition to parties, one must support social movements. According to Politico, the Russian government supports the movement for the secession of Texas from the United States. The author of the material in the publication suggests that Russia was showing a lot of attention to the south-west of the USA, where separatist sentiments may appear. In addition, the newspaper wrote, one of the leaders of the Texas Nationalist Movement, Nathan Smith, has recently paid a visit to St. Petersburg, where he took part in the forum of pro-Russian movements.

The author recalled a statement from the head of the parliament of the Chechen Republic, who said in March that Russia should start shipping weapons to Mexico, if the United States was going to provide arms to Ukraine. "We will launch shipments of new weapons to Mexico to resume the dispute on the legal status of the territories annexed by the United States - presently, they are US states of California, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Colorado and a part of Wyoming,"  the Chechen official said.

This would not be the first precedent of the kind. Thus, the head of the German Foreign Ministry Arthur Zimmerman said prior to World War I that if the United States was going to enter the war, Germany would allocate money to Mexico to win back the lost territories of the states of New Mexico, Texas and Arizona. According to Politico, the threat from the German official had delayed USA's entry into the war.

Russia must join forces with Greece

Well, Russia is attempting. Greece would be a good example. It appears that SYRIZA coalition came to power by the will of God. Greece is also an Orthodox country, the cradle of Slavic literature, a historical friend of Russia.

Russia has to do something right now. We could give a five-billion-dollar loan to Greece for the construction of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline. Two billion has already been allocated. This is a large long-term investment that will raise the image of Greece and give it an opportunity to develop. Support for Greece is a very promising card for Russia indeed.

But there is another view. "Russia does not work like that due to the principle of its state organization, - Yevgeny Fyodorov, deputy of the State Duma, member of the United Russia faction told Pravda.Ru. Russia is a state, for which internal development is first priority. Yet, Germany, France, England, the United States develop at the expense of other nations. In fact, fascism is inherent in the technology of their government: some people living in the United States, for example, can and should live better through the exploitation of other people living somewhere in China, India or somewhere else.

"And of course, Western media are projecting this technology on Russia. However, the Russian technology is completely different. We are the largest country in the world that has become so with the help of defensive policies, while protecting its peoples against aggressors such as England, Germany and others. "

The reader is left to judge for themselves.

Lyuba Lulko
Pravda.Ru

Source: English Pravda 30-06-2015

Read article on the Russian version of Pravda.Ru

Deutsche Welle: Donetsk rebels get their message across

New media outlets in the rebel-held Ukrainian city of Donetsk are taking part in a communications war to get out their pro-Russian message. DW’s Kitty Logan visits the unrecognized state’s mouthpiece.

Over the past year, the rebel leadership in Donetsk has solidified its grip on power, developing its own state – the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic – and a remarkably efficient local infrastructure independent from the rest of Ukraine.

An important part of this developing ‘republic’ is an entirely new media scene. Gone are Ukrainian government broadcasters, their buildings seized in the early days of the rebel takeover, the channels no longer available to a regional audience in rebel-held areas.

Instead a variety of fresh media outlets have sprung up – a pro-rebel news agency, an official media center to host press conferences for the rebel leadership, a ‘state-run’ newspaper and a number of pro-Russian, pro-rebel TV and radio stations.

One of those is Novorossia Today – named after the rebel ideal to create a ‘new Russia,’ based on old borders that reach into Ukraine. It employs around 50 staff, including reporters, presenters, cameramen and studio technicians.

Georgy Morozov heads the television output of Novorossia Today’s website. This is a completely new line of work for him. Until recently, he worked as an analyst in Donetsk and had no experience of journalism. His career change came about when the conflict in eastern Ukraine began, just over a year ago.

“When the war started, I couldn’t stay indifferent to the situation,” he told DW. “I started out as a regular militiaman, but then they found a better use for me. Just like a man with a rifle, I could have a purpose.”

Getting the message out

Novorossia Today’s website reaches out to a local and global audience, in five languages, including English and German. It was born out of a hybrid conflict where the information war has proved just as critical as military battles.

“I don’t remember who said this, but who owns the information, owns the world,” says Morozov. “Information is important and necessary. We give this information to people, starting with those who live in our (Donetsk and Luhansk) republics, but also reaching those in Ukraine and the whole world. Yes, it is weapon. It’s a real weapon and each side is using it as best as they can.”

Novorossia Today is self-evidently a pro-rebel news outlet, with an agenda that focuses on news coming out of the self-proclaimed republic in Donetsk, with sources within its leadership. But Morozov says that despite the political pressures that go with working in a conflict environment, he wants to keep his reporting neutral.

“As a newbie journalist, who already experienced a lot this past year, it’s very important for me to give information honestly and objectively, to obey the rules of journalism, not to lie in my reports,” he says. “And to share information as a distant observer. So I’m not taking any sides.”

The Novorossia Today website is slick and professional, with a breaking news ticker and pages with local and international stories. “We don’t just focus on war,” says Morozov. “We show school life, the humanitarian situation, sports events. For us it’s very important to show the whole picture of life in our Republic.”

The channel broadcasts news bulletins on terrestrial TV as well as online, from a small but well-equipped studio, complete with a new teleprompter and green screen. There is a radio station too, with the slogan ‘Novorossia rocks.’

Bringing young, professional people such as Morozov on board has surely helped to boost those rebel media outlets. He, for one, wants to change the image that the outside world has of pro-Russia rebels in Donetsk. “The majority are fed with information from Ukrainian and western media that we’re all terrorists here, that we shell ourselves, that we are here all Russian terrorist forces, but it has nothing to do with reality,” he says.

The fact that the two sides do not see eye to eye on media coverage of the war in Ukraine comes as no surprise. 

There are often bitter exchanges on social media and there have been tit-for-tat restrictions on Russian journalists in Ukraine and visa versa in rebel-held areas. But the rebel leadership in Donetsk is learning fast about how to handle its media image and messages, not just locally, but also internationally. The Ukrainian government is trying to do all it can to match that effort.

Source: Novorossia Today 29-06-2015

Deutsche Welle: Donetsk rebels get their message across on: June 29, 2015 New media outlets in the rebel-held Ukrainian city of Donetsk are taking part in a communications war to get out their pro-Russian message. DW’s Kitty Logan visits the unrecognized state’s mouthpiece. Over the past year, the rebel leadership in Donetsk has solidified its grip on power, developing its own state – the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic – and a remarkably efficient local infrastructure independent from the rest of Ukraine. An important part of this developing ‘republic’ is an entirely new media scene. Gone are Ukrainian government broadcasters, their buildings seized in the early days of the rebel takeover, the channels no longer available to a regional audience in rebel-held areas. Instead a variety of fresh media outlets have sprung up – a pro-rebel news agency, an official media center to host press conferences for the rebel leadership, a ‘state-run’ newspaper and a number of pro-Russian, pro-rebel TV and radio stations. One of those is Novorossia Today – named after the rebel ideal to create a ‘new Russia,’ based on old borders that reach into Ukraine. It employs around 50 staff, including reporters, presenters, cameramen and studio technicians. Georgy Morozov heads the television output of Novorossia Today’s website. This is a completely new line of work for him. Until recently, he worked as an analyst in Donetsk and had no experience of journalism. His career change came about when the conflict in eastern Ukraine began, just over a year ago. “When the war started, I couldn’t stay indifferent to the situation,” he told DW. “I started out as a regular militiaman, but then they found a better use for me. Just like a man with a rifle, I could have a purpose.” Getting the message out Novorossia Today’s website reaches out to a local and global audience, in five languages, including English and German. It was born out of a hybrid conflict where the information war has proved just as critical as military battles. “I don’t remember who said this, but who owns the information, owns the world,” says Morozov. “Information is important and necessary. We give this information to people, starting with those who live in our (Donetsk and Luhansk) republics, but also reaching those in Ukraine and the whole world. Yes, it is weapon. It’s a real weapon and each side is using it as best as they can.” Novorossia Today is self-evidently a pro-rebel news outlet, with an agenda that focuses on news coming out of the self-proclaimed republic in Donetsk, with sources within its leadership. But Morozov says that despite the political pressures that go with working in a conflict environment, he wants to keep his reporting neutral. “As a newbie journalist, who already experienced a lot this past year, it’s very important for me to give information honestly and objectively, to obey the rules of journalism, not to lie in my reports,” he says. “And to share information as a distant observer. So I’m not taking any sides.” The Novorossia Today website is slick and professional, with a breaking news ticker and pages with local and international stories. “We don’t just focus on war,” says Morozov. “We show school life, the humanitarian situation, sports events. For us it’s very important to show the whole picture of life in our Republic.” The channel broadcasts news bulletins on terrestrial TV as well as online, from a small but well-equipped studio, complete with a new teleprompter and green screen. There is a radio station too, with the slogan ‘Novorossia rocks.’ Bringing young, professional people such as Morozov on board has surely helped to boost those rebel media outlets. He, for one, wants to change the image that the outside world has of pro-Russia rebels in Donetsk. “The majority are fed with information from Ukrainian and western media that we’re all terrorists here, that we shell ourselves, that we are here all Russian terrorist forces, but it has nothing to do with reality,” he says. The fact that the two sides do not see eye to eye on media coverage of the war in Ukraine comes as no surprise. There are often bitter exchanges on social media and there have been tit-for-tat restrictions on Russian journalists in Ukraine and visa versa in rebel-held areas. But the rebel leadership in Donetsk is learning fast about how to handle its media image and messages, not just locally, but also internationally. The Ukrainian government is trying to do all it can to match that e

Message to the young people of the nation

Official message of the head of the Donetsk People's Republic Alexander Zakharchenko to the young people of the South-East of Ukraine:

“Friends!

I heartily greet my young fellow countrymen, residents of the South-East on the Day of Youth! For my part, in fact, for all the Donbass, you’re like relatives and family. Dnepropetrovsk and Odessa, Kharkov and Nikolayev, Kherson and Zaporozhye - these are beautiful Russian cities, true sister cities of Donetsk and Lugansk.

However, today, everyone in the southeast, but especially young people, are living through hard times. To maintain their grip on power, the Ukrainian oligarchs allied themselves with fascists, the worst enemy of our people. When you raised up your voices against extremism, when you openly protested against their alien ideology, the criminal regime in Kiev declared war on our people. Their actions led to the burning, imprisonment, and disappearance of thousands of people. They sicced their forces on the Donbass, but we repulsed the aggressors; with guns in our hands, we won our freedom. It was hard, but we survived; today, we’re building our independent and fair state.

I urge you, the young people of the southeast, to cast aside all your fears, to unite your efforts, and present a united front against the occupation regime.

Free yourselves, be masters in your own land; stand up to defend your culture, traditions, and mother tongue!

Today, you’re young, strong, and courageous; on you alone depends the future of your country, the welfare of your family and friends, and our common peace and prosperity!”

Source: http://dnr-online.ru/…/obrashhenie-glavy-doneckoj-narodnoj…/

28-06-2015

Actions of protest in Yerevan have no anti-Russian character - president

"Some experts are trying to perceive anti-Russian sentiments in it," he said. "But the demonstrators themselves say such assertions are absurd, and that’s good."

YEREVAN, June 27. /TASS/. Current actions of protest in Yerevan do not have an anti-Russian character, President Serzh Sargsyan of Armenia said on Friday night as he met with the Russian Transport Minister, Maxim Sokolov, who is taking part in a session of the Inter-Governmental Commission for Economic Cooperation.

"Some experts are trying to perceive anti-Russian sentiments in it," he said. "But the demonstrators themselves say such assertions are absurd, and that’s good."

Sokolov said he had discussed the issues related to the operations of the Armenian Power Grids distributor company with members of the Armenian government. This company, which is an affiliation of the Russian corporation INTER RAO UES, is the focus of criticism of the protesters.

The meeting was attended by the Armenian Deputy Prime Minister, Energy Minister and the chairman of the Commission for Public Services and Utilities.

"What’s most important, there’s a clear programme for how to extricate this enterprise from its critical situation," Sokolov said. "Certain measures have been mapped out and a schedule for them has been drawn up. Also, the necessary instruments have been envisioned.".

Source: ITAR-TASS 27-06-2015