MOSCOW, August 2 - RIA Novosti. The United States is directly involved in the hostilities in Ukraine, this is confirmed by the words of the deputy head of Ukrainian military intelligence about the coordination of the goals of artillery strikes, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing.
"No other confirmation of the direct involvement of the United States in the hostilities on the territory of Ukraine is required. The supply of weapons is accompanied not only by instructions on its use, but in this case they perform the function of the target setters in their purest form," the diplomat noted.

She stressed that "nothing else needs to be known how far they (the United States) are distanced from the situation."
The Ministry of Defense also commented on the interview of the Ukrainian general. As the official representative of the department, Igor Konashenkov, noted, these words were recorded there and will be taken into account.
"No one else in Ukraine and in the world should have any doubts that HIMARS missile attacks on Novaya Kakhovka on July 12, on Stakhanov on July 17, on Krasny Luch on July 24, dozens of missile attacks on Donetsk and, of course, on July 29 on pre-trial detention centre in Yelenovka, which killed 50 and maimed 73 Ukrainian prisoners of war, was planned by the Zelensky regime and approved by Washington.” Stated the official representative of the Russian Ministry of Defence Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov during a briefing

The day before, a representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, Vadym Skibitsky, said in an interview with Telegraph that the Armed Forces of Ukraine are consulting with the United States before attacking the Donbass from the American HIMARS MLRS. According to him, Washington can cancel the attack if "they are not satisfied with the intended target." Skibitsky at the same time refused to directly answer the question of whose satellite images the Ukrainian military uses for such strikes.

At the end of July, 50 Ukrainian prisoners of war were killed and 73 were injured as a result of a Ukrainian strike from HIMARS on a detention centre in Yelenovka in the DPR. As the head of the republic, Denis Pushilin, pointed out, nationalists who were hiding on Azovstal were kept there. He called the strike of the Armed Forces of Ukraine deliberate, as the militants began to testify.
Russia called on experts from the UN and the Red Cross to investigate the incident.
After the start of the Russian special military operation on February 24 to protect the Donbass, the United States and its allies increased the supply of military equipment to Ukraine. US President Joe Biden signed a bill to provide the Kyiv regime with military, economic and humanitarian assistance in the amount of about $40 billion.
Last week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, in a telephone conversation with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, said that military supplies only prolong the conflict, prolong the agony of the Kyiv regime and multiply the victims.

MOSCOW, August 2 - RIA Novosti. The Russian military continues to liberate the territory of the Donetsk People's Republic, recently they have liberated six settlements there, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said at a conference call.
"After taking control of the territory of the Lugansk People's Republic, the Donetsk People's Republic is planned to be liberated. Recently, the settlements of Grigorovka, Berestovoye, Stryapovka, Pokrovskoye, Semigorye and Novoluganskoye have been liberated. The Uglegorsk thermal power plant, the largest in Europe, with a design capacity of three thousand 600 megawatts, has come under our control." said the general of the army.

MOSCOW, August 2 - RIA Novosti. Presidents of Russia and Turkey Vladimir Putin and Tayyip Erdogan will discuss the international agenda and bilateral cooperation at a meeting in Sochi, said press secretary of the head of state Dmitry Peskov.
"This is the economy, the discussion of regional problems, this is Syria, this is Ukraine, and a good opportunity to "synchronize watches" on the effectiveness of this mechanism for the export of grain from Ukrainian ports, how effectively it works, to see, but also to exchange views on world affairs ", he told reporters.

The Kremlin spokesman added that the agenda was "very, very tense."
The previous talks between the leaders of the two countries were held on July 19 in Tehran as part of the summit in the Astana format. They also met with Iranian Rahbar Ali Khamenei and President Ibrahim Raisi.

German Foreign Minister: Berlin will help Taiwan in case of "China's aggression"

Chairman of the Federation Council Commission on Information Policy Alexei Pushkov appreciated the statement of German Foreign Minister Annalena Berbock that Berlin "will help Taiwan in the event of aggression from China."

“The leaders of Germany live in the illusion that they can go into conflict with the two leading powers of the world, throw money away and to distant countries, and the state of Germany itself will not suffer from this at all.

But it is already suffering and will suffer more: ideological mirages and “battles for democracy” are expensive,” Pushkov stressed.

BP profits TREBLE to 14-year high of £6.9bn due to surge in oil and gas prices: Energy giant will hand BILLIONS to shareholders as families face soaring bills amid cost-of-living crisis

- BP has revealed second-quarter profits more than trebled to a 14-year high
- Profits at 8.5 billion US dollars (£6.9 billion) for the three months to June 30
- This up from 2.8 billion US dollars (£2.3 billion) a year ago, the oil company said
- It comes as households face an energy bill of £3,615 this winter, analysis says
- Jacob Rees-Mogg said you need a 'profitable' energy sector to 'extract energy'
- Rachel Reeves said bills are soaring while BP enjoys 'eye-watering profits'

Who said that life is hard? Certainly not for everyone.

In addition to Chinese planes flying close to the median line of the strait, several Chinese warships have sailed near the unofficial dividing line since Monday, the source told Reuters. Chinese warships and aircraft "squeezed" the median line on Tuesday morning, the source said, an unusual move the person described as "very provocative."

Chinese aircraft repeatedly conducted tactical moves of briefly "touching" the median line and circling back to the other side of the strait on Tuesday morning, while Taiwanese aircraft were on standby nearby, the person said.

The Chinese planes left the area in the afternoon, but the vessels remained, the person said.

Neither side's aircraft normally cross the median line.

Taiwan's Defence Ministry said in a statement it has a full grasp of the military activities and will appropriately dispatch forces in reaction to any "enemy threats".

Taipei residents gather around Songshan Airport to wait for Pelosi's special flight to land

According to the media from Taiwan, everything is ready in the main state institutions for the arrival of the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the US Congress, Nancy Pelosi. As many websites reported, a red carpet was laid in Taiwan's parliament.

🇨🇳⚡New Video emerges of Tank units being moved by transport trucks from Fuzhou Depot of People's Liberation Army (PLA) located in the city, which is in Central Fujian.

Sadly Pelosi's plane just landed in Taiwan ⬇️⬆️

Nancy Pelosi plane lands in Taiwan
#PelosiTaiwan
#China

Whatever the outcome of the crisis around Taiwan, it is obvious that relations between China and the United States will rapidly deteriorate. We will see a definite sign of irreversible consequences when China begins to rapidly shed US bonds and reduce its holdings in the US and Europe.

Boris Rozhin

China lives by the principles of Sun Tzu. And he never does what is most expected of him)

“If there is no gain, do not move; if you cannot acquire, do not use the troops; if there is no danger, do not fight. The sovereign must not take up arms because of his anger; a general should not engage in battle because of his malice. Move when it corresponds to the benefit; if it does not correspond to the benefit, they remain in place."

🇨🇳🇹🇼⚡️ China will be conducting war games off the coast of Taiwan between August 4th-7th.
#Chinawargames
#Chinamilitarydrills

Jeremy Corbyn condemns UK decision to send weapons to Ukraine and the fact 'Russian soldiers are dying' as he calls for a peace deal on pro-Assad Middle East TV channel

- Jeremy Corbyn gave interview to pro-Assad TV channel over the weekend
- In it, he condemned the UK's decision to send military aid to Ukraine
- Ex-Labour leader said 'Russian soldiers are dying' and called for a peace deal
- He also took a swipe at NATO, saying expanding alliance 'will not bring peace'

Jeremy Corbyn has criticised the UK's decision to send military aid to Ukraine, accusing the West of 'prolonging and exaggerating' Russia's war.

The ex-Labour leader, who infamously refused to blame Russia for the Salisbury poisoning in 2018, said leaders should instead force a peace deal between the pair - turning to the African Union and Arab League, including Syria, for mediation.

He also bemoaned the fact that 'Ukrainians are dying... and Russian soldiers are dying' in an interview with a pro-Assad TV channel, whilst condemning NATO expansion for causing 'greater strain and greater stress.'

A recent poll showed 61 per cent of Ukrainians are against ending the war until all territory occupied by Russia, including Crimea, is back under their control.
...
He said: 'What I find disappointing is that hardly any of the world's leaders use the word "peace", they always use the language of more war and more bellicose war
'Ukrainians are dying and Ukrainians have gone into exile, thousands and thousands of them. And Russian soldiers are dying, conscripted young Russian soldiers are dying... Therefore there has to be more, much more, effort put into peace.'

Corbyn did say he 'disagrees' with the Russian invasion, but then parroted a Kremlin talking-point by adding that arming Ukraine will 'prolong and exaggerate' the war.

Meanwhile, he praised UN chief Antonio Guterres for travelling to Moscow to meet with Putin, insisting the global body should be at the forefront of negotiating peace.

If the UN cannot help, Corbyn suggested, then the African Union or Arab League - which includes Syria - should mediate because they 'have no direct economic interest one way or the other'.

Pelosi’s Taiwan trip is a new headache for Biden, increases tension with China

PUBLISHED TUE, AUG 2 2022 4:22 AM
By Christina Wilkie

- The Biden White House has tried for weeks to convince Beijing and the world that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan says nothing about U.S. policy toward China or Taiwan.

- Yet experts say that effort misses the point, because intraparty schisms in Washington are effectively meaningless to the rest of the world.

- The fact that U.S. policy toward Taiwan is deliberately ambiguous has only made it more difficult for the White House to draw a distinction between what Pelosi is doing and what Biden is saying.

Officially, the Biden administration has been careful to avoid directly answering questions about whether it agrees with Pelosi’s decision to make the trip.

But unofficially, the White House and the Pentagon have made little secret of their opposition to such a visit, which comes at a time when U.S.-China relations are the poorest they’ve been in decades.

In late July, Biden responded to a question about Pelosi’s then-rumored stop in Taiwan by saying, “The military thinks it’s not a good idea right now. But I don’t know what the status of it is.”

For weeks, American officials from the president on down have tied themselves into knots trying to talk about Pelosi’s choice to visit Taiwan, and stressing that it was her decision, and hers alone.

Now, experts say it’s becoming clear that this effort missed the point. That’s because schisms in Washington are effectively meaningless to the rest of the world, which has learned to view American presidents and their top allies in Congress as interchangeable stand-ins for one another on foreign policy matters.

The fact that U.S. policy toward Taiwan is deliberately ambiguous only serves to make it that much more difficult to draw any meaningful distinction between what Pelosi is doing and what the White House is saying.

#China #Pelosi

For 4 months now, the DPR forces have been holding back the enemy in the dangerous Maryinsky direction, in the Krasnogorovka area - up to 600 meters from the Ukrainian positions, the command was tasked with starting a battle to identify enemy firing points. RIA Novosti correspondent transmits footage from the scene.

I read some channels and I am amazed how people would reckon that Xi has already lost his face and his balls and deprived China of the title of a superpower. People don't have the patience. They proceed from the assumption that China had to react immediately and recklessly, otherwise they compare the Empire with a paper tiger.

China is a very patient and mostly reserved country that has a long-term vision of what it wants to achieve.

Pelosi's visit was Beijing's red line. The symbolic act of crossing this line occurred as soon as she got off the plane. So now China has every reason to do whatever it sees fit with respect to Taiwan.

When you say "no", you must mean "no". This determination can only be demonstrated through actions, not words. And China will act.

An announced military exercise since Thursday sets a new precedent, with some exercise areas intersecting with Taiwan's territorial waters. China actually encircles the island and sets up a blockade. This is just the beginning.