Day: May 16, 2023

Italy’s membership of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is up for renewal at the end of this year, and Western media outlets are speculating that Rome may choose to leave the pact.

Italy became the first and only G7 nation to join China’s multi-billion-dollar infrastructure vision, signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) just before a tidal wave of anti-China sentiment was unleashed on the world. Indeed, the country’s leadership was in a very different place then, with Italy being led by Giuseppe Conte of the Five Star Movement, whose populism faulted the Euro-Atlantic establishment for decimating the Italian economy through the 2008 debt crisis and the brutal austerity measures which followed. It is little wonder that Italy had decided to look eastwards.

Even 15 years on from the events of 2008, Italy’s economy still has not fully recovered. It was worth $2.4 trillion at the end of that year, but is only at $2.1 trillion now, and barely growing at all. New and concurrent economic crises have taken a toll. Italy’s current leadership no longer believes all roads lead to Rome, let alone to China’s modern-day Silk Road – rather, they lead to Washington. As pressure on the country has grown, its successive leaders, Mario Draghi and Giorgia Meloni, have sought to reset its foreign policy back to transatlantic-oriented goals, ending its rebellion against the establishment and thus contemplating quitting China’s grand initiative.

Oddly enough, the truth remains that it is the EU and US that stand as the biggest threat to Italy’s prosperity, not China. While dumping the BRI will receive plaudits from the US-dominated commentary circles in these countries, the reality is that they offer no alternative, no plans, and no incentives to make Italy a wealthier country. It is the “sick man” of the G7, an advanced economy that has increasingly lost its competitiveness, but also one that has been thrust into decline by being a southern EU country and a net loser of Eurozone policies.

It is precisely because of the economic upheavals that the country has faced over the past 15 years and widespread political dissatisfaction, that radical and populist politics have gained ground. China was rightfully seen as an alternative, a country that could rapidly expand Italy’s exports and invest in crumbling public infrastructure. However, this has quickly become politically incorrect. Italy’s leaders argue that BRI participation has been a waste of time. However, the reality is that when Eurocrat Mario Draghi came to office, he sought to reset Italy’s foreign policy and began using new “golden powers” to veto and cancel Chinese investments in Italy on a large scale. In 2021 alone, he blocked three Chinese takeovers, including a seed and vegetable producer.

Following Draghi, Giorgia Meloni, despite her outward populism, has been even more prone to pledging Rome’s loyalty to the transatlantic cause, having decided to become vocal in support of Ukraine in its conflict with Russia and even visit Kiev. At this stage, it is very little surprise that her country is contemplating canceling participation in the BRI, something which can score political points and help dispel doubts about her loyalty to Brussels and Washington. Predictably, the mainstream media narrative readily depicts the BRI in predatory and malign terms, ignoring the obvious empirical truth that it is the EU that has saddled Italy with a national debt larger than its GDP, and not China. Of course, there is no alternative scheme or plan for Italy on offer should it leave the BRI, meaning it is cutting its nose off to spite its face.

By forfeiting its BRI membership, Italy will undoubtedly lose the opportunity to massively enhance its trade competitiveness, namely by opting out of projects such as Chinese-owned ports and railway links. As an example of this, Greece, to the southeast, has positioned itself as a "gateway to Europe" through Chinese ownership of Pireaus port and its connecting railways, which allows cargo to go up through the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean, into the port and then across Europe. Italy could have competed for a share of this, but it has chosen not to, and it's not like it will be selling anything additional to the US with its protectionist "America first" policies, is it?

In doing so, Italy has chosen to stop being a leader pursuing its own path in the world to better strengthen its global clout, but instead to be a follower, to play second fiddle to the transatlantic establishment which doesn’t see it as a particularly prominent partner to begin with. Italy joined the BRI precisely because it was sick of being a “rule taker” from Brussels, in a similar vein to what Greece has experienced. Now it appears happy again to hold up the political orthodoxy of the elitist, US-led G7. In doing so, it can kiss goodbye any hopes of becoming a powerful and influential country again anytime soon. Italy is admired mostly for its past, as opposed to what it offers to the world presently, and if its current leadership has its way, that will likely remain the case.

Source: Russia Today

Germany will not deliver fighter jets to Ukraine, the chair of the Bundestag’s defense committee, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, has stated. The lawmaker stressed, however, that Berlin had already given the green light along with several other NATO members for the transfer of older, Soviet-designed military aircraft to Kiev.

Speaking to the Deutschlandfunk public broadcaster on Tuesday, Strack-Zimmermann stated that she “and most of my colleagues said relatively early on that I don’t see Tornados or Eurofighters in Ukrainian airspace.” The lawmaker then cited the complex training that would be required for Ukrainian pilots to operate the warplanes.

In contrast, Soviet-designed fighter jets sourced from former Eastern German stockpiles have proved to be more useful, she claimed.

Strack-Zimmermann suggested that if Ukraine were to be supplied with US-made F-16s, it would be a considerable contribution, although she noted that Berlin does not operate this type of aircraft.

According to the lawmaker, Germany is doing all it can to support Ukraine militarily, but cannot be expected to provide the full range of weapons that Kiev requires.

On Sunday, Politico cited an anonymous staffer from French President Emmanuel Macron’s office as claiming that any discussion of Western fighter jet deliveries to Ukraine is “a bit premature.”

During a visit by Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky to London on Monday, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pledged more military aid, including a program aimed at honing the skills of Ukrainian fighter jet pilots. According to a statement, the initiative will go “hand in hand with UK efforts to work with other countries on providing F-16 jets.”

Ukraine has increased its calls for Western-made military aircraft in the past several months, although those requests have yet to be granted. Several NATO member states have provided Ukraine with Soviet-designed fighter jets instead.

Russia has repeatedly warned Western nations that by providing Kiev with more advanced weapons, they risk getting dragged into a direct military confrontation. Moscow has also insisted that no amount of Western military aid will deter Russia from achieving its goals in Ukraine.

Source: Russia Today

France will not withdraw from a contract with Russian nuclear corporation Rosatom for reprocessing uranium, as doing so would be beneficial for Moscow, the French energy transition minister has claimed.

Under the 2018 deal, regenerated uranium from France is delivered to Russia, where it is enriched and then sent back. The recycled uranium is used to run France’s nuclear power plants.

Terminating the contract would generate higher compensation for the Russian government than merely continuing imports at a minimum level, Agnes Pannier-Runacher told the BFM Business channel on Tuesday.

In March, Greenpeace reported that France had tripled imports of Russian enriched uranium in 2022. According to the organization, the deliveries confirmed France's dependence on the Russian nuclear industry, which has not been targeted by Western sanctions.

Pannier-Runacher later denied that the operation of France’s nuclear power plants depended on Russia, noting that France resorted only “to a very modest extent to natural uranium enrichment services in Russia, as well as conversion and re-enrichment services for reprocessed uranium to improve cycle efficiency.”

France “could totally do without it as this last activity can be entirely substituted by natural uranium,” the energy minister told Montel News at the time.

Statistics showed that last year the French energy corporation EDF purchased 153 tons of uranium enriched in Russia, the same level as in 2021. Russia accounts for 15% of enrichment activities for EDF.

France generates roughly 70% of its electricity from nuclear sources. The country has long been Europe’s leading electricity producer due to its massive fleet of atomic reactors, the world’s second largest after the US. However, last year more than half of them were shut down due to corrosion problems, maintenance and technical issues, adding to concerns over the energy crisis in the EU.

Source: Russia Today

Ukrainian military intelligence (GUR) chief General Kirill Budanov has claimed responsibility for assassinating “many” Russian public figures. The spy boss made the bombshell admission in an interview with Ukrainian blogger Sergey Ivanov on Tuesday.

Asked whether high-profile Russian media figures such as prominent journalist Vladimir Solovyov or RT’s Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan, are prime targets for his organization, Budanov responded that the GUR had already “gotten” multiple high profile targets.

“We have already gotten many, including public and media personalities,” Budanov said, without providing any names.

Pressed further by the blogger on the potential involvement of the GUR in the assassination of journalist Darya Dugina, the daughter of Russian philosopher Aleksandr Dugin, or the recent car bombing of author and political activist Zakhar Prilepin, the spy boss said he could “neither confirm nor deny” the involvement of his service.

Budanov’s remarks were condemned by Moscow, with Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stating that they were a clear admission of wrongdoing.

“Terrorists. Those who provide excuses for the Kiev regime and sponsor it are accomplices of terrorists,” Zakharova wrote on Telegram. “Will the UN not notice that again?”

The remarks are the latest in a string of incendiary statements made by the GUR boss amid the ongoing conflict between Moscow and Kiev. Earlier this month, Budanov declared, “We’ve been killing Russians, and we will keep killing Russians anywhere on the face of this world until the complete victory of Ukraine.”

The pledge received an equally poor reception in Russia, with multiple top officials branding it an admission of engaging in state-level terrorism by Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, for instance, said Budanov’s statement was “unprecedented in its essence,” and it was “strange” to not hear any condemnation “from European capitals and from Washington.”

“It’s evident that the Kiev regime is behind the killings, not only sponsoring them but organizing, inciting, and carrying them out. De facto, we’re talking about a state sponsor of terrorism,” Peskov concluded, warning that Russia’s “special services know what to do after such statements.”

Source: Russia Today

It is highly unlikely that Ukraine shot down Russian hypersonic Kinzhal missiles, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said. His comments came after Kiev claimed to have intercepted six of the rockets overnight.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Peskov said the Kinzhal has “absolutely unique characteristics.” When asked about the details of the overnight Russian airstrikes on Kiev, the official referred reporters to the Defense Ministry.

Earlier on Tuesday, Russian military officials said that a precision strike by a Kinzhal missile had destroyed a US-supplied Patriot defense system in Kiev. The statement marks the first time that Moscow has reported the destruction of an air defense system supplied to Ukraine by its Western backers.

The head of Kiev’s military administration, Sergey Popko, wrote on Telegram that Russia had conducted an “integrated attack” on various targets in the Ukrainian capital, describing it as “exceptional in its density.”

He said that the strikes had featured kamikaze drones, as well as cruise and possibly ballistic missiles. Popko claimed the “majority of enemy targets in the airspace of Kiev were detected and destroyed.”

The commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian armed forces, General Valery Zaluzhny, later reported that 18 missiles had been fired by Russia, claiming that all of them had been intercepted by Kiev’s air defenses. Among them were six Kinzhal missiles, nine Kalibr cruise missiles, and three ground-launched Iskander ballistic missiles, the general said.

Last week, Ukrainian officials announced that a US-supplied Patriot system had shot down a Kinzhal missile above Kiev.

Moscow did not officially comment on the claims, although a high-ranking source in the Russian Defense Ministry told RIA Novosti that it was “wishful thinking” by Ukraine. The Patriot system is not capable of intercepting a hypersonic missile such as the Kinzhal, the source insisted.

The Kinzhal is a Russian hypersonic air-to-surface missile that has been in service since 2017. It can travel at speeds of up to Mach 12 (around 14,800kph) while performing evasive maneuvers, and is said to be able to penetrate any existing air defenses.

Source: Russia Today

The Chinese government has sent a notice to multiple embassies and international organizations, asking them to remove inappropriate signs from their premises, a Japanese news agency reported on Tuesday. The request most likely refers to pro-Ukraine posters displayed by embassies of Canada, Poland and Germany.

The memorandum asked foreign missions not to use the outer walls of their buildings for “political propaganda” and to “avoid causing conflicts between states,” according to Kyodo News. It was reportedly sent by the Chinese Foreign Ministry on May 10.

The notice also informed recipients that they are “obligated to follow Chinese laws and regulations.” However, there was no indication China would renege on the principle of diplomatic immunity, established under the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

Multiple Western embassies have put up posters declaring they “Stand With Ukraine,” in Chinese and English. The Canadian display in particular has drawn the attention of news photographers. Some embassies have also displayed the “rainbow progress” flag in support of LGBT causes.

Beijing’s request has reportedly “triggered a backlash” at Western embassies, according to Kyodo. One European diplomat said there was “no reasonable justification” for the request and that their embassy will not comply. None of the signs have come down yet.

The government in Beijing has resisted the pressure from the US and its allies to side with the West against Russia, urging a peaceful end to the hostilities that escalated in February 2022. At the daily press briefing on Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said the US should “reflect on its responsibility on the Ukraine issue and stop coercing other countries to pick sides and smearing others.”

“We believe that most countries would like to see a peaceful settlement of the Ukraine crisis instead of more arms sales and actions that fuel the flames, such as what the US has been doing,” Wang added.

Source: Russia Today

Italy’s sovereign debt has continued to soar, jumping by €17.8 billion ($19.3 billion) in March in monthly terms to hit a record high of €2.79 trillion ($3 trillion), according to the country’s central bank. The previous all-time high was reached in February, when debt amounted to €2.78 trillion.

The Bank of Italy said on Monday that the surge was driven by an increase in the public sector’s borrowing requirement of €31.3 billion ($34 billion), which was partially offset by a reduction in the Treasury’s liquid assets to €29.4 billion.

“New historic record! A worrying and alarming exponential rise given the rate hikes due to the ECB’s new restrictive monetary policy,” stated Massimiliano Dona, president of the National Consumer Union.

According to Dona, if the government debt were divided among the Italian population, it would amount to €47,405 per citizen, or €106,446 per household.

“Now planning to reduce taxes for everyone with the flat tax means either making fun of the Italians, recovering what you give with the rates with deductions and charges, or getting the country into trouble,” Dona warned. “For this reason, the government would do well, for the moment, to limit itself to limiting electricity and gas bills, restoring discounts on system charges in the bill.”

Soaring energy prices have exacerbated the cost-of-living crisis in the EU’s third largest economy and have pushed up the level of public debt, which amounted to 144% of GDP between October and December 2022, according to the latest data from Eurostat.

Italian officials have lashed out at the European Central Bank over its monetary policy, claiming that rate hikes aimed at taming inflation have piled more financial pressure on one of the Eurozone’s most indebted countries.

The ECB once again increased rates last week, hiking them to 3.25% in an attempt to curb double-digit inflation across the Eurozone.

Source: Russia Today

Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) has detained the chair of the country’s Supreme Court, Vsevolod Knyazev, local media have reported. He is allegedly suspected of receiving a $2.7 million bribe as part of a scheme that may involve other officials.

In a Facebook post late on Monday, NABU said it had “uncovered large-scale corruption in the Supreme Court, namely a scheme that allowed the leadership and judges to receive illicit profit.” The bureau added that an “urgent” investigation was under way, and that details would be provided in due course.

In a separate message on Tuesday, NABU announced a press conference on the case at midday local time in Kiev.

While officials have stopped short of revealing any names, several Ukrainian media outlets have cited anonymous sources as claiming that Knyazev was taken into custody.

Ukraine’s highest judicial body indirectly confirmed the news by posting a message on Facebook, stating that “in light of what is happening around Supreme Court chair Knyazev, an extraordinary meeting of the Supreme Court’s plenum will take place on May 16, 2023.”

According to ZN.UA, citing unnamed sources in NABU, authorities have conducted searches at properties belonging to 18 other Supreme Court judges.

Sergey Leshenko, an adviser to the head of Ukraine’s presidential office, cited a bribe totaling $3 million when discussing Knyazev with the media. Vitaly Kim, governor of Nikolaev Oblast, gave a figure of $2.7 million.

The Strana media outlet claimed that Knyazev had received the money from Ukrainian oligarch Konstantin Zhevago, who is currently in France but is wanted in his homeland for his role in the collapse of a bank.

Earlier this month, Ukraine’s High Anti-Corruption Court ordered the arrest of Odessa Mayor Gennady Trukhanov over allegations of misusing city funds dating back to 2017.

NABU conducted raids in the Zhitomirsky and Kharkov regional military administrations in April.

Source: Russia Today

The wife of former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, So-yeon Schroeder-Kim, has been fired from her position at NRW, a business development agency, after visiting the Russian Embassy in Berlin to celebrate Victory Day.

“Ms. Schroeder-Kim has been released with immediate effect, and the employment relationship will now be terminated by NRW.GlobalBusiness without notice,” a spokeswoman for NRW told German media on Tuesday.

The company explained that it had on several occasions explicitly told Schroeder-Kim, who worked there as a representative for South Korea, that she should “not speak out in public on politically sensitive topics,” particularly with regard to Russia and the situation in Ukraine.

The move comes after Schroeder-Kim and her husband visited the Russian Embassy on May 9 to attend a reception dedicated to the 78th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. The event was also attended by other German politicians, including co-chairman of the right-wing populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party Tino Chrupalla, and chairman of the Bundestag committee on climate protection and energy and member of the Left Party Klaus Ernst.

Schroeder himself has also faced backlash for maintaining close ties with Moscow. The former chancellor forged friendly relations with Russia during his time in office between 1998 and 2005, and subsequently joined the boards of Nord Stream and Rosneft respectively.

Although Schroeder has repeatedly spoken out against Russia’s offensive in Ukraine, he has also expressed doubt that distancing himself from Putin “would do any good.” Shortly after Moscow launched its military campaign, Schroeder personally traveled to Moscow to meet with Putin. He has insisted since that Russia sought a negotiated solution to the ongoing conflict and had vowed to keep seeking “opportunities to talk to President Putin.”

The former chancellor’s stance has put him at odds with other members of the ruling Social Democrats Party (SPD), some members of which have recently unsuccessfully demanded his expulsion. The SPD did, however, manage to strip the former leader of his parliamentary privileges last year.

Under current German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the SPD has sought to reduce the country’s ties with Russia and its reliance on Russian energy. Berlin, under Scholz’s leadership, has also sent billions of dollars worth of military aid to Kiev’s forces.

Source: Russia Today