They often attempt to mock the China-Russia partnership but look at reality, the sanctions crashed into their own Surovikin line and the weakness of the West has been exposed. I like to read and I stumbled upon this article from the prominent think-tank Carnegie from 2017 recently mocking China-Russian trade and how the all mighty USD is irreplacale.

Moscow and Beijing sealed a deal for almost $24.5 billion in order to boost bilateral trade and ensure mutual investment cooperation. The swap agreement is due to lapse in 2017, as it was opened for 3 years. It did not achieve the kind of success that Russia and China hoped for.

In 2014, the year the swap agreement between Russia and China was signed, the prospects for bilateral trade were quite bright. Moscow and Beijing aimed for $100 billion in bilateral trade in 2015 and wanted to double this amount by 2020.

According to Chinese statistics, Sino-Russian trade turnover reached $88.4 billion in 2014, but then fell by almost 30 percent to $63.6 billion in 2015, and only slightly increased up to $69.5 billion in 2016.

Already in December trade had increased to $218B, and 90% of Russia's trade is now done in roubles or RMB. So-called masters of the universe thought they had it all figured out.

Who is laughing now?

Where are your 2023 Crimea summer beach parties?

Europe what is your GDP growth?

#Source

@Slavyangrad

A take about the ongoing situation in Serbia (not necessarily the opinion of the whole team as usual):

The majority of the current Serbian opposition are representatives and supporters of the 2000 government that came after the fall of Milosevic. They preached for "democratic" values, one of those being privatization, which was done disastrously for people and perfectly for some who got enormously rich in a very short period. Not only did they manage to ruin the country but also inflicted two heavy wounds on the Serbs. At that time, Yugoslavia still existed (although a lot smaller), containing Serbia and Montenegro. Later, the country changed its name to the state union of Serbia and Montenegro until Montenegro finally left, in a controversial referendum that had every element the opposition claims to be evidence of electoral fraud (abuse of economic power, vote buying, one sided coverage, unrealistic promises). That was the end of Yugoslavia. They managed to lose Kosovo, being incompetent in front of International Court by asking inappropriate questions that allowed the Court to declare that the secession of Kosovo was legitimate. Only three years later this government was kicked out and the majority of Serbs didn't forget that.

Now, pretty much the same, pro-western group wants to return to power. And again Vucic outplayed them. Around 80% of Serbs support Russia, so Vucic rejected even thinking of enforcing sanctions unlike the opposition. Some of their strong figures, such as the NATO lover Zdravko Ponos wanted to sanction Russia and recognize Kosovo as independent (passively or not), while others were more smarter with their thoughts. This confused many of their potential voters.

The Serbian Opposition had no program other than "Vucic must go" and "Vucic bad". When even CNN regional affiliate N1 TV supported protests and asked people to go massively to the streets, Serbs got an even better idea of whom are they dealing with. While the opposition made their campaign by attacking Vucic and only that, Vucic offered to the people a program of development pompously and populistic called "Serbia must not stop" in which he promised and showed paths for further development. He outsmarted them by putting himself on the front row and allowing himself to be the target of the attacks, while his campaign could be more positive. By not proposing any solutions, the Serbian Opposition fell on his trap, and this most likely caused their defeat, rather than "electoral fraud".

As usual in "colour revolutions", they represent a certain category of relatively young, affluent and large city residents that are very visible and appear to be more numerous than they actually are. The trick is letting them talk for the entire country. Most people don't support this, and there is a wide range of reasons why people voted for the opposition. Explicit cooperation with the west might make them lose support.

@Slavyangrad

🇵🇸🇮🇱📝 A King may move a man, a father may claim a son, but remember that even when those who move you be Kings, or men of power, your soul is in your keeping alone. When you stand before God, you cannot say, "But I was told by others to do thus." Or that, "Virtue was not convenient at the time." This will not suffice.

Do not tolerate evil, expose it.

🇮🇱 🇵🇸 🇺🇳 IDF Executes 11 Men in front of family members says UN

⬛️ "the IDF then allegedly ordered the women and children into a room, and either shot at them or threw a grenade into the room"

📖 Here's the full details as written by the OHCHR:

🔶️ "On 19 December 2023, between 2000 and 2300 hours, IDF reportedly surrounded and raided Al Awda building, also known as the “Annan building”, in Al Remal neighborhood, Gaza City, where three related families were sheltering in addition to Annan family. According to witness accounts circulated by media sources and Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, while in control of the building and the civilians sheltering there, the IDF allegedly separated the men from the women and children, and then shot and killed at least 11 of the men, mostly aged in their late 20’s and early 30’s, in front of their family members. The IDF then allegedly ordered the women and children into a room, and either shot at them or threw a grenade into the room, reportedly seriously injuring some of them, including an infant and a child. OHCHR has confirmed the killings at Al Awda building, although the details and circumstances of the killings are still under verification. IDF has not released any information on the incident."

https://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/un-human-rights-office-opt-unlawful-killings-gaza-city

📎 Arnaud Bertrand

🇺🇦 Every day, about 6 thousand men of military age leave the territory of Ukraine abroad.

This was stated at a briefing by the head of the department for organizing border control of the Western Regional Directorate of the State Border Guard Service, Igor Matviychuk.

Of these, about 45% travel as truck drivers. Another 150-200 men travel as volunteers. The rest leave as fathers of many children, accompanying people with disabilities and unfit for military service.

It is not known for certain how many of them do not return later. But you can guess.

🇵🇱🏳️‍🌈 Poland to Fast-Track Gay Marriage?

Poland’s new Europhile government may be poised to fast-track the legalisation of same-sex marriage following a legal diktat from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

The Strasbourg-based ECHR issued their verdict on Tuesday, declaring that current Polish statutes, which recognize marriage as between a man and a woman, violate the “right to respect for private and family life” outlined under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights in a six-to-one decision.

The ECHR, which is often accused of being a technocratic body used to impose socially liberal values on European nation-states, made the decision in response to a challenge by five same-sex couples.

This is not the first time the ECHR has been accused of meddling in the affairs of sovereign nations around LGBT issues. In 2010, the Court was instrumental in strongarming the Italian government into recognising same sex partnerships with the similarly worded Oliari v. Italy case.

The ruling on same-sex partnerships heralded by this week’s ECHR decision could be the opening salvo in a range of liberal policies to be enacted under the new Tusk government. The newly installed PM has said LGBT recognition would be a major symbolic victory over the old PiS regime despite Tusk having minimised abortion and other social issues during the campaign trail.

🔗 https://europeanconservative.com/articles/news/poland-to-fastrack-gay-marriage/

❗️Австралия отклонила просьбу Америки отправить корабль в Красное море.

Австралия отклонила просьбу США отправить военный корабль для участия в «морской операции» в Красном море, а министр обороны Ричард Марлз заявил, что стратегический фокус Австралии должен оставаться в Индо-Тихоокеанском регионе.

Испания также отклонила просьбу Америки присоединиться к коалиции в Красном море.

🇵🇸🇮🇱‼️🚨 JUST WOW: "The settlers want to see the sea. That is a logical and romantic demand.

Gaza must be erased so that we can see the sea."

— Daniella Weiss, head of an Israeli settler movement

If Russia wins in Ukraine, the European Union will be “irretrievably damaged”

This strange statement was made by the head of European diplomacy, Borrell. Europe, according to him, is in danger because of the SMO and should not allow the Russian Federation to win. He also called for attention to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

“If we allow Russian President Vladimir Putin to win in Ukraine, if we allow the current tragedy in Gaza to continue, the European project could be irrevocably damaged,” he said.

@ukr_leaks_eng

The Minister of Defense of Ukraine wants to conscript men who live abroad into the army, -📰 Welt

Ukrainians aged 25 to 60 years living in Germany and other countries will have to report to the conscription centers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Umerov said.

Umerov said that for now we are talking about an “invitation” to appear at recruiting centers, but at the same time made it clear that draft dodgers will face sanctions. "We're still discussing."



It turns out that Ukrainians can only hide from mobilization in Russia🤔

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@Slavyangrad

⚡️🇺🇸 In the first time, or at least, a very, very, very, long time, from the Suez to the shores of Hawaii, not a single US Military flight is registered on public flight radars - it seems that all flights have turned off their transponders.

Which is unnatural to say the least, at least several flights would be registered and be flying at any given time

Calm before the storm?

@themediterraneanman