Vladimir Putin, as the first Russian president to directly address the German parliament, said in the Bundestag in fluent German that "it must finally be said clearly that the Cold War is over" and that new ways of cooperation and coexistence should be sought
Ten years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Moscow is still extremely influential in Central Asian countries such as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and especially Tajikistan, whose defense against Islamic radicalism directly involves the 201st Division, whose personnel are not conscripts but "contractors". , professional contract soldiers, is deployed along the border between Tajikistan and Afghanistan. In addition, Moscow has for years been supporting and arming the Northern Alliance, a loose coalition of remnants of the Mujahideen who were ousted from power by the Taliban in Afghanistan in 1995. This aid was officially confirmed last week for the first time in Moscow, when President Vladimir Putin said that Russia "will continue and increase military aid to the Taliban's opponents." In other Central Asian countries, Russia also has a greater or lesser military presence and an even greater economic influence, as all these countries are more or less dependent on Moscow as a trading partner.
SILK COOPERATION: Because of all this, Moscow's consent was crucial to any US military presence in the countries bordering Afghanistan, which in turn is crucial to any major military action. Airports in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are particularly important and in many ways more favorable than those in Pakistan. According to Dmitry Makarov of the Center for Strategic and Political Studies in Moscow, "in these countries there is not the kind of anti-American sentiment that exists in Pakistan."
Although Moscow already offered help in the fight against terrorism on September 11, a few days later the signals from Moscow were often contradictory. Chief of the General Staff, General Kvashnin, for example, stated that it is "out of the question that the Americans use airports in the countries of Central Asia." According to the distinguished Moscow military analyst Pavel Felgengauer, it is quite clear. "A bunch of secret Russian military facilities, and even the space center in Baikonur, from which Russian intercontinental missile tests are regularly conducted, are located hundreds of kilometers away from those airports. Russia's military top brass bristle at the thought that the Americans could establish a military presence so close."
On the other hand, Felgengauer says there is a completely different kind of fear. "For the Americans to come... to rouse the hornet's nest and then fold their tails and pick themselves up, leaving Russia to deal with the consequences." But, Felgenhauer continues, "President Putin still left the door open, apparently wanting concessions from Washington, especially when in the matter of Chechnya".
WIDE OD AFGHANISTAN: Last week, Washington sent just such signals, and directly from the White House. First, spokesman Ari Fleischer said "Chechnya" and "terrorism" in the same sentence for the first time. A bit twisted… but still, it was sweet music for the Kremlin auditorium. "The leadership in Chechnya, like other responsible leaders in the world, must immediately and unconditionally cut all contacts with international terrorist groups, Osama bin Laden and the Al Qaeda organization," Flasher said.
That same evening, President Bush personally repeated the message. For Moscow, that was enough. A day later, Vladimir Putin, as the first Russian president to directly address the German parliament, said in fluent German in the Bundestag that "it must finally be said clearly that the Cold War is over" and that new ways of cooperation and coexistence should be sought. Russia has announced that it will allow American planes to fly over its territory "for humanitarian purposes."
It will not be difficult for our readers to recall what can be classified as "humanitarian purposes", for example the one from the spring of 1999. The cooperation between Washington and Moscow has already started on the exchange of intelligence data and according to Dmitry Trennin, deputy director of the Moscow branch of the Carnegie Foundation, " this is a turning point in Russian foreign policy. Putin made a decision that is much broader than Afghanistan or the Central Asian republics... He made it strategic decision - to become an ally of the West and NATO". Chechnya is not the only thing Russia wants from the West, Trennin says. Above all, Putin wants to change the perception of Russia, the acceptance of him personally and his country by the West. Apparently, it is slowly coming to that.
Analysts were alarmed by reports that Iran was enriching uranium to 60 percent, and a series of other reports added to the anxiety in the West. And then, on the morning of June 13, Israel systematically launched an attack on all of Iran's nuclear capabilities, from human to technological to military.
Mafia boss Giovanni Brusca (pictured above) was acquitted on the basis of a law that was insisted on by his most famous victim: Judge Falcone (pictured below). He was released from prison after 29 years. How and why did it happen?
The life and connections of an American citizen and a Russian poet and a Jew, born 85 years ago, an incomplete elementary school student, a metal apprentice, an assistant pathologist and geologist, a poet who was a victim of an ideological turn and political-literary intrigues, tried twice, twice placed in an insane asylum, attempted suicide because of love, for parasitism was sentenced to five years of exile with community service, which a tractor driver on the Danilovsky collective farm he did not appreciate it, nor the song about it, in the village of Norenska he enjoyed respect as an exile who rose up, "voluntarily" obtained a visa without the right to return and meet his parents, achieved a university career, won the Nobel Prize, was a poetic pop star, loved by women, loved cats, smoked a lot, died at 56 - and was buried for the second time in Venice, still a little far from Ezra Pound
And while Vladimir Putin expresses his condolences to Iran and condemns the Israeli attacks, Russian tanks remain in garages. In the background – diplomatic maneuvers, strategic interests and careful weighing of benefits at a time when the Kremlin is looking for a new offensive opportunity in Ukraine.
Chancellor Friedrich Mertz openly said that he hopes for a regime change in Tehran or a return to the negotiating table, otherwise Israel will "go all the way"
The dramatic appeal of United Media employees shows what can happen when the media is controlled by the regime and corporations. It is happening in Serbia now. If the audience does not recognize this, an even blacker media darkness threatens
Aleksandar Vučić now has only the old, proven methods of classic dictatorships left, because these modern methods of insanity and poisoning the public are failing. And that, however, goes against his head
Vučić is not defending the state, but himself from the state. With a drum on his back and a guitar in his hands, this man-orchestra performs two or three of the same songs without hearing, with falsifications and falling out of rhythm. His government and politics are like that. In short - dangerous for the environment
The archive of the weekly Vreme includes all our digital editions, since the very beginning of our work. All issues can be downloaded in PDF format, by purchasing the digital edition, or you can read all available texts from the selected issue.
See all
