Russian missiles have hit a power plant near Svetlovodsk, according to authorities in the Krivoy Rog region, while the hydroelectric power plant in the city of Novodnestrovsk has also been hit.

In addition, an attack was recorded on an electrical substation near the dam of the Dnieper hydroelectric station, in the part of the Russian Zaporozhye region currently controlled by Ukrainian forces. Likewise, the Kremenchug hydroelectric power plant, in the Kirovograd region, was also affected, leaving the area without electricity or water service.

According to Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmygal, 18 installations in 10 regions were damaged, most of them electrical. He added that hundreds of settlements in seven provinces are without power.

Russia sends 87,000 mobilized to southeastern Ukraine

Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu. Photo: Diario As.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced on Tuesday that 87,000 troops out of the 300,000 recruited in the context of partial mobilization were sent to destination areas in southeastern Ukraine.

The Minister of Defense indicated that some 3,000 instructors, who had received combat experience during the hostilities around Ukraine, trained the mobilized men, according to the Rossiya 24 channel.

During its preparation, the main efforts were focused on field training, the ability to use communication, navigation and reconnaissance equipment, the minister noted.

Likewise, the minister pointed out that combat vehicle and tank crews, artillerymen, snipers, drone specialists, electronic warfare and others are trained in the training centers.

Shoigu once again drew the attention of the commanders of the country’s military regions and the Northern Fleet to the need to use the units formed in conjunction with the troops already participating in the special military operation.

The head assured that exhaustive measures are being taken to avoid the death of Ukrainian citizens, concluded Shoigú.

Flight restriction extended at Russian airports

The Russian Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsia) reported that the flight restriction regime at 11 airports in southern and central Russia is being extended.

In a statement published this Tuesday on the website of the Russian Ministry of Transport, it is added that the limitation extends until next November 9.

Flights to Anapa, Belgorod, Briansk, Voronezh, Gelendzhik, Krasnodar, Kursk, Lipetsk, Rostov-on-Don, Simferopol and Elista airports are temporarily restricted.

Russia has closed part of its airspace in the south and center of the country to civil aircraft from February 24, 2022, in the context of the special military operation in Ukraine.

(With information from RT and Prensa Latina)

Consumer price growth in the 19 countries that share the European currency accelerated to 10.7% in October from 9.9% the previous month, Eurostat data showed on Monday.

This increase would be driven by an astronomical 41.9% growth in energy costs, compared to last year, according to the EU statistical office.

Likewise, the value of food, which increased by 13.1%, and that of imported industrial goods pushed prices up.

The European Central Bank has raised interest rates a total of 200 basis points (2%) in the last 3 months and has already promised a further tightening for December.

The ECB deposit rate, now at 1.5%, is seen to peak at just under 2.9% in 2023, a big jump from expectations around 2.6%. after the body’s meeting last Thursday.
(Taken from RT in Spanish)

Citing reliable sources from several countries, including Ukraine, the RIA Novosti agency assures that, under the direction of Western supervisors, work began on the production of these artifacts, which are already in their final phase and would be in charge of the Research Institute kyiv nuclear and uranium enrichment plant in the city of Zhióltye Vody, Dnepropetrovsk region.

According to the information provided by the media, Ukraine’s purpose in resorting to these practices is to blame Russia for the use of weapons of mass destruction in the framework of its special operation in that territory.

That situation would further undermine confidence in Moscow and sharpen the anti-Russian campaign from the West, where they raise the possibility of depriving Russia of the status of a permanent member of the UN Security Council.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday that Moscow will raise the issue of Ukraine’s preparations to create a dirty bomb at the UN.
“We have concrete information about those scientific institutes that have technologies that allow the creation of this dirty bomb. We have information, which we have re-examined through the appropriate channels, that it is not an empty suspicion, that there are serious reasons to believe that this kind of thing may be planned,” Lavrov said during a press conference in Moscow.

The head of Russian diplomacy affirmed that Moscow has already taken “the necessary steps” to address the matter in international organizations, after the telephone conversations that the Russian Defense Minister held on Sunday with his counterparts from France, the United Kingdom, Turkey and USA

He also maintained that Russia expects an “interested” and “professional” debate about this threat.

The Russian Defense Ministry warned of the possible consequences of a provocation with a dirty bomb explosion. If that scenario were to materialize, thousands of square kilometers would be contaminated by radioactive substances.

According to the Russian military body, the Ukrainian authorities would plan to sow fear in the civilian population, causing new flows of migrants to Europe and presenting Russia as a “nuclear errorist”. The head of the Radiological, Chemical and Biological Defense Troops of the Russian Armed Forces, Igor Kirillov, assured on Monday that kyiv has both the potential and the motives to use a dirty bomb. He stressed that two entities in Ukraine are in charge of manufacturing the explosive and that the work is in its final phase.

Kirillov specified that Moscow has information regarding contacts between the Ukrainian presidential office and representatives of the United Kingdom on the possibility of obtaining technologies to create nuclear weapons. Kirillov stressed that kyiv has the production capacity and scientific potential in this field.

Specifically, he mentioned three nuclear power plants under the control of kyiv with nine pools with spent nuclear fuel. Likewise, he referred to the nuclear waste that is preserved in the Chernobyl plant. Meanwhile, more than 50,000 cubic meters of nuclear waste may be moved to the Pridniprovskiy chemical plant in the Dnepropetrovsk region for possible use in a dirty bomb.

Kirillov stressed that, according to kyiv’s plans, the explosion of such an explosive could be “masked as an abnormal detonation of a low-power Russian nuclear warhead using highly enriched uranium as a charge.”
He added that the presence of radioactive isotopes would be registered by the trackers of the international monitoring system installed in Europe, which would allow Moscow to be accused of resorting to its tactical nuclear arsenal.
Ukraine denied Russia’s accusations in talks with the United States and France.

“The fact that there is distrust of the information provided by the Russian side does not mean that the threat of the use of a dirty bomb does not exist. The threat is real”, said the spokesman for the Russian Presidency, Dmitri Peskov.

Information war based on the experience of the White Helmets

From the Radiological, Chemical and Biological Defense Troops of the Russian Armed Forces they recalled that “similar information warfare technologies” had already been used by the West in Syria through the controversial organization of the White Helmets, which filmed stagings on alleged uses of chemical weapons by the country’s army.

Kirillov alluded to the provocation perpetrated by this group on April 4, 2017 in the city of Khan Sheikhun. The military official drew attention to the photos taken at the site, in which the White Helmets are seen taking soil samples without wearing any protection. “But that doesn’t seem to confuse anyone,” he said.

Turkey and Russia start bilateral trade in their national currencies
Trade between Russia and Turkey using their respective national currencies has started “at full speed”, said the head of the Turkish Patriotic Party’s Economic Policies office, Hakan Topkurulu.
All trade between the two countries is conducted in Russian rubles, and the system works “smoothly through the established network,” Topkurulu wrote in an article published in the Aydinlik daily on Saturday.

According to the author of the text, the US dollar has been expelled from Russian-Turkish bilateral trade and the US “has no chance to intervene” in the system. In addition, he considered that, with its sanctions policy, Washington is “cutting the branch on which it is sitting.”

“The dollar, accepted as the world reserve currency, no longer exists in trade between Turkey and Russia,” he added.

The politician emphasized that Ankara will promote a “liraization” policy to strengthen the Turkish lira and “deactivate the dollar, which has established itself in Turkey’s economy like the tentacles of an octopus.”
Other countries like China and Iran also use their respective currencies in trade with Russia and other nations.

(With information from RT in Spanish, AP and EFE)

State Duma Chairman Viacheslav Volodin noted that the number of Russian territorial subjects amounted to 89.

The politician commented on his Telegram channel that “the entry of the Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporozhie and Kherson people’s republics into the Russian Federation is the only way to save the lives of millions of people from the criminal regime in kyiv. Stop the bombing of the civilian population, the elderly, women and children. Protect the right to one’s mother tongue, culture, history and one’s faith.”

Both chambers of the Russian parliament must ratify the accession of the new territories. The upper house, the Federation Council, will vote on the incorporation documents on Tuesday.

According to the ratified documents, two republics and two regions or oblasts will be formed, which will retain their current names and whose leaders will hold the rank of governors.

The Russian Constitutional Court confirmed on October 2, in four court rulings, that the incorporation documents meet the requirements of the constitution.

(With information from RT in Spanish)

It is a stark analysis, as stark as the reality that the world has been forced to face in the last fifteen years, that of Pope Francis in his speech to Deloitte Global, the London-based international consultancy, whose members have been received this tomorrow at the Apostolic Palace.

Just a representation of the approximately 350,000 employees who “every moment of the day” work to advise and help other organizations. “A great responsibility!” observed Francis, who asked them to fulfill the precise mission of being “integral consultants” to “cooperate in the reorientation of the way of being of this planet of ours, which has become ill – we, who have become ill – in the climate and in inequality”.

A world that suffers
“Humanity is globalized and interconnected, but poverty, injustice and inequality remain,” the pontiff began in his speech.

“Currently, the world is suffering from worsening environmental conditions; many populations or social groups live in an undignified way in terms of food, health, education and other basic rights”.

From 2007 to today
The Pope’s gaze goes back to the last fifteen years in which “the world has gone through serious and continuous crises.”

“We couldn’t finish dealing with the 2007 financial crisis, we had to deal with the public debt crisis and the real economies, then the pandemic, then the war in Ukraine with global consequences and threats.”
However, the pontiff noted that “the planet continues to suffer the effects of climate change; meanwhile, cruel and hidden wars continue to be waged in different regions; meanwhile, tens of millions of people continue to be forced to emigrate from their lands.”

Social justice, the new name of peace
It is true what Saint Paul VI said when he stated “that the new name of peace is development in social justice”. And Deloitte consultants and anyone who does similar work can do a lot in this “difficult and uncertain” context: “You can present your analyzes and proposals according to a comprehensive view and vision: in fact, decent work for people, the care of the common home, the economic and social value, the positive impact on the communities are interconnected realities”.

(With information from Vatican News)

“To guarantee the security of our people and of the people in the liberated territories, I consider it necessary to support the proposal of the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff to carry out a partial mobilization,” the president said in a message to the nation.

He explained that in this military service only those who are part of the reserve, have served in the Armed Forces and have relevant skills and experience will be recruited.

The partial mobilization, whose decree was already published by the Kremlin, would begin this Wednesday, September 21.

Putin communicated this decree hours after the self-proclaimed people’s republics of Donetsk and Lugansk, as well as the Ukrainian regions of Kherson and Zaporozhie, announced that they will hold referendums with the purpose of joining Russia.

The Russian head of state reiterated that the main objectives of the special operation in Ukraine, which began on February 24, remain the same: “to protect people who have been subjected to abuse, to the genocide of the kyiv regime for eight years”.

“Their main objectives, the liberation of the entire territory of Donbas, have been and will be the same,” he said.

He detailed that the self-proclaimed People’s Republic of Lugansk was almost completely liberated from neo-Nazis, while fighting continues in Donetsk, regions that comprise the Donbas area.

Ukraine has lost half its army
After Putin’s message, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu offered statements in which he revealed that “Ukraine has already lost half the army, with 61,207 dead and 49,368 wounded, against Russia’s 5,937.”

The official stressed that his country “is fighting not only with Ukraine, but with the Western collective,” adding that in this partial mobilization, some 300,000 reservists will be called up.

(Taken from Telesur)

The day before, the Russian Defense Ministry said that it provided the Convention on Biological and Toxin Weapons (BTWC) based in Geneva, Switzerland, material evidence proving that the United States developed biomilitary programs in Ukraine.

“Between September 5 and 9, a summit was held in your country, convened after the US and Ukraine violated two articles of the CABT, and only representatives of 89 nations attended, of the 184 signatories, who received copies of the documents that demonstrate the execution of such acts”, explained the head of the Russian Radiological, Chemical and Biological Protection Forces, Igor Kirillov.

He also stated that none of those present doubted the authenticity of the documents provided, with data on the accumulation of pathogens in Ukrainian laboratories, including the Mechnikov Epidemic Research Institute, where dangerous biomaterials were housed in the cracks of the stairs and no control system had detected them.

“The Ukrainian side completely ignored questions about the unjustified storage of dangerous biological agents at the facility and the revealed serious violations of the conditions of their accumulation,” Kirilov said in this regard.

Likewise, the Russian side determined that despite the fact that the United States declared that its program in Ukraine sought to monitor infectious diseases by employing citizens belonging to the lower strata of society and patients with psychiatric pathologies, it was actually seeking to accumulate biological potential with military purposes.

“The explanations of the US and Ukraine were not at all convincing when it comes to the extraction of strains and biomaterials from Ukrainian citizens, as well as compliance with ethical standards when conducting studies on military, poor civilians, as well as one of the strata of most vulnerable population: patients in psychiatric clinics,” Kirillov stressed.

The Russian high command also reported that both the US and Ukraine refused to give explanations related to the urgent destruction of documents on biomilitary activities in Ukraine, and were also unable to prove that their collaboration in this area in the last 15 years improved the situation. healthcare of Ukraine.

The Russian side also referred to the pressure exerted by the US on the member countries of the BTWC, who were required to sign a joint declaration on the alleged peaceful nature of the program, aimed at reducing challenges of biological origin.

Russian proposals to strengthen the BTWC
The Russian soldier also said that his country has proposed three actions to strengthen the CABT, first of all a verification mechanism, the establishment of a scientific committee and the presentation of reports on foreign biological activities.

Likewise, Russia proposes to establish a collective scientific committee with geographical representation and equal rights for the participants, obeying the “principle of 10″, according to which agreements must respect alternative points of view, even if they are expressed by a single State.

Kirilov assured that Russia will take measures to closely monitor the situation, noting that the US builds laboratories on the borders of its opponents, collects strains of dangerous microorganisms in some regions and tests harmful substances on humans.

(With information from TeleSur)

The US Department of Commerce intends to include new regulations, based on the notification letters sent at the beginning of the year to three companies in the North American country: KLA Corp, Lam Research and Applied Materials. Those letters prohibited the sale of equipment to manufacture microcircuits to Chinese companies that produce advanced semiconductors with processes smaller than 14 nanometers.

The new restrictions would also apply to Nvidia and AMD, companies that were also notified in August to stop any sales of their chips used in artificial intelligence to the Russian and Chinese markets. Furthermore, the regulations could even apply to companies trying to challenge the two firms’ dominance of such technology.

A Commerce Department spokesman said the US is “taking a comprehensive approach to implement additional actions to protect its national security and foreign policy interests” as well as prevent China from obtaining applicable US technology in modernization. military.

For its part, from the Chinese Embassy in Washington they criticized the “export control abuses” by the US government, and pointed out that these measures “violate the rules of international trade, harm global growth and harm companies from both countries. ”.

According to the technology expert at the American Center for Strategic and International Studies, Jim Lewis, the US strategy “is to suffocate China” and they have discovered that chips are the “choke point”, since in the Asian giant “They can’t make these things, they can’t make manufacturing equipment” for semiconductors.

The sources quoted by Reuters added that the US government is pressuring its allies to enact similar policies so that their companies cannot sell technology to China either.

More fuel to the fire: the US “would defend Taiwan”
This Sunday, US President Joe Biden stated that his country would defend Taiwan in the event of an alleged military conflict with China, in an interview with the CBS television channel. Beijing regards Taiwan as an inalienable part of its territory, and insists that any US negotiations with Taipei that bypass the Chinese central government violate the key principle of its one-China policy.

Although Washington does not diplomatically recognize Taiwan’s independence, it maintains a policy of strategic ambiguity towards the island, reserving the right to maintain special relations with Taipei, which, in its opinion, makes its own decisions.

Tensions around Taiwan were reignited in August due to the visit to Taipei by the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi.

Recently, the Committee on Foreign Relations of the United States Senate approved a bill that would expand military aid to Taiwan and thus revives tensions with China today. With this rule, Taipei would receive 4.5 billion dollars in weapons and equipment within four years.

(With information from RT in Spanish)

Almost all of them had applied for a visa to the United States and intended to remain on the island only until they could enter the country. But eight days before the Saint Louis set sail for Cuba from the German port of Hamburg, Cuban President Federico Laredo Bru, by a decree, invalidated the landing permits. To enter Cuba it would then be compulsory to have an authorization from the Secretary of State and another from the Secretary of Labor, plus the payment of a $500 bonus, requirements from which, of course, tourists were excluded. None of the passengers on the Saint Louis knew about the entry into force of this measure until they arrived at the port of Havana. And it was too late. They had to return to Europe. Not many of them survived to tell the story.

In short, only 28 of the 937 passengers on the Saint Louis were able to disembark in Havana on May 27, 1939, after a two-week voyage. Six of them (four Spaniards and two Cubans) were not Jewish, and among these, only 22 were able to show the new documentation required for the landing. One more passenger, a Jew, attempted suicide on board and was rushed to a Havana hospital. It was never known whether he was returned to the ship or left on land.

One day after the arrival of the Jews to the Havana port, Lawrence Berenson, lawyer of the American Jewish Committee for Joint Distribution (JDC), arrived in Havana to intercede for the passengers. He had been president of the Cuban-American Chamber of Commerce and therefore had many relations and extensive business experience in Cuba. He met with Laredo Bru and tried to convince him to authorize the landing. The President persisted in his refusal. On June 2, the President ordered the Saint Louis to leave Cuban waters, but he did not cut off the talks with Berenson, from whom he asked for $435,500 in exchange for letting the passengers disembark. The negotiator made a counteroffer; Laredo Bru rejected it and broke off contacts.

Inés and Renata look sadly through the porthole of the transatlantic, one of the most famous pictures of the trip. Photo: the Andalusian Post Office.

Meanwhile, the St. Louis slowly sailed to the United States. They sent a telegram to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt requesting refuge. Roosevelt never responded. Already the White House and the State Department had decided not to allow them entry. They had to, said American diplomatic sources, wait their turn on the waiting list and then meet the necessary requirements to obtain an emigration visa in order to be admitted to U.S. territory.

After Washington’s refusal, the Saint Louis set out for Europe. Some of the passengers were admitted to Great Britain, Holland and France. The rest disembarked in Antwerp on June 17, 1939, after spending more than a month at sea. The French, Belgian and Dutch authorities took them to internment camps, as well as to other German refugees. The British authorities interned them on the Isle of Man and in confinement camps in Canada and Australia. With the German invasion of Western Europe in May 1940, the passengers of the Saint Louis were again in danger. Some 670 of them fell into the hands of the Nazis and died in concentration camps. Another 240 survived years of hunger, abuse and forced labor.

The Saint Louis was not the only ship with Jews on board to suffer this fate in Havana harbor. The same thing happened to other ships.

On May 27, 1939, the same day as the arrival of the Saint Louis, the English ship Orduña touched down in Havana, with 120 Austrian, Czech and German Jews on board. Forty-eight of these passengers carried landing permits that had been invalidated by the national authorities. They were still able to go ashore. The remaining 72 were forced to make a long pilgrimage through South America.

Also in May 1939 the French ship Flandre arrived in Havana, with 104 Jews on board. Landing was impossible. The Flandre returned to France, where the government accepted the emigrants but placed them in an internment camp.

Another ship, the Orinoco, twin of the Saint Louis, was due to arrive in Havana in June with 200 passengers on board. But when her captain heard about what was happening in that port, he tried to get England and France to take them in. They were not accepted, and neither was the United States. U.S. diplomats then pressured the German ambassador in London to give guarantees that once the refugees returned to Germany they would not be victims of Nazi barbarism. Those 200 Jews returned to Germany in June 1939. Their fate is still unknown.

(By Ciro Bianchi Ross)

Journalist: Mr. President, thank you very much for giving us this opportunity and meeting with us. We are here in Syria on the fifth anniversary of the start of Russian military operations on the territories of your country, the operation which aimed at liberating Syria from terrorism. That’s why we want to discuss with you and sum up the outcomes of these events.

President Assad: You are welcome in Syria. It’s my pleasure to meet you today and to give this interview to your respectable TV station.

Question 1: Mr. President, if we look back at the events which happened five years ago, how do you describe the situation which existed in Syria in 2015? Did you hope to get outside help then?

President Assad: In order to sum up the position at that time, I can say that it was very dangerous. The terrorists were advancing in different regions of Syria and occupying cities, with direct support from the United States, France, the UK, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia; in addition to the indirect support from other Western countries.

This dangerous situation in Syria was the subject of discussions between us and the Russian military and political leadership, particularly after 2014 when ISIS started operating and occupying large areas in the Syrian steppe. We were hoping, of course, to receive help for a number of reasons. First, the political position of Syria is important, and consequently any disturbance in this region will spread throughout the Middle East and also affect other regions. The struggle for Syria dates back to prehistoric times because of its importance, this is nothing new. The other reason is that the terrorism, which Syria is fighting, is the same terrorism which kidnapped the children of the Beslan school in 2004, and it is the same terrorism which attacked the Moscow theater and killed innocent people. This is a global terrorism and therefore it is in Russia’s interest, first to strike at this terrorism in Syria, and second to preserve this stability which might affect other countries’ interests, including Russia’s own.

Question 2: If we compare the situation that existed five years ago with the situation now, what is your assessment of what Russia is doing, the role of the Ministry of Defense, and what the Russian troops are doing, operating here for the past five years on the frontline in the war on terrorism?

President Assad: There is no doubt that the Russian Army is highly advanced technically, this has been proven and has become evident during the war. It is also highly professional, in terms of identifying its goals accurately and proceeding with determination to achieve them. With regards to the Russian military personnel that we have engaged with at all levels from officers to soldiers, they have worked incessantly; for example, when the battles were fierce, Russian pilots would start their air raids at three in the morning, before sunrise, and would sometimes continue late into the night. They had no time to rest. The Russian Army has of course made sacrifices, some of its members have been martyred on Syrian territory.

The Russian Ministry of Defense – which is the umbrella under which these fighters operate – in its military and political capacity, has shown a great degree of credibility. It would have been difficult to carry out these joint military operations between our two armies, had it not been for the credibility of the Russian Defense Ministry which was made evident by their transparency, clarity and integrity in everything that we agreed and implemented together during the past five years. This sums up the impressions of many Syrian military personnel in their relations with their Russian counterparts. I would like to add a final point: The Russian people have always been proud of their army, but after all these battles, they have every right to be even prouder of its great achievements.

Question 3: Thank you very much for these words. Let’s go back to the cooperation between the Russian and the Syrian armies. Since we have talked about this, the Syrian Army has also changed a lot during the past five years. What are the areas of expertise which the Syrian experts, the Syrian military, have acquired through their interaction with the Russian military and the Russian Defense Ministry?

President Assad: There is no doubt that the Russian Army possesses a wide range of expertise. This dates back to the Great Patriotic War during which it acquired military expertise in a conventional war, in addition to the expertise it acquired during the Chechen War. That was an unconventional war and similar to the one we are fighting today, in the sense that it was supported by foreign powers in order to weaken Russia and perhaps even with the objective of dividing it. It involved terrorist groups which appeared in different forms as sleeper cells; everything in the Chechen War was unconventional.

We also have a lot of experience, albeit different. Our experience in fighting terrorism dates back to the second half of the 1970s and continued into the early 1980s; it was also a fight against extremist terrorist groups. However, the war we are currently fighting is similar to the Chechen War in that it is unconventional and they are being supported by foreign powers; they are less than an army but more than sleeper cells.

Therefore, merging the Russian and Syrian expertise in dealing with terrorism was undoubtedly very important, especially since during this time (past five years), the terrorists have developed their techniques in ways which are outside of our expertise. This means that there are lessons for both armies to learn from in dealing with terrorism. It is safe to say that militarily it was a very rich experience; and since terrorism has not ceased, there are always new lessons to learn, especially since no battle is the same. No doubt that bringing together the vast experience and expertise of both the Syrian and Russian Armies proved to be very useful, especially for us in Syria.

Question 4: You know that in the end there are similarities between our two countries in many ways. Syria has for many centuries been at the crossroads of the interests of different countries, or let’s say different powers. Russia, too, throughout its history, has fought many wars. But we have never started a war. The enemy has always come to us. Since you have touched on this subject, our country celebrates this year the 75th anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War. In that war, which had a horrible impact on the Russian people, the turning point was the battle for Stalingrad, after which the offensive started westward. We were able to expel (excuse me for the expression) the fascists from our country. Can we compare that to what happened to the Syrian people, I mean the battle for liberating Aleppo, which is often described as the Syrian Stalingrad. What is the impact of liberating Aleppo on the process of liberating Syria from terrorism?

Image on the right: Russian military inspect suspected chemical weapons workshop in Aleppo, November 14, 2016 © / Ruptly

President Assad: You are asking about a very important juncture in the Syrian war – the battle for Aleppo. The comparison you are making is familiar to Syrians because Aleppo was besieged for more than two years. During most of that time it was a complete siege, and so if it was possible to bring in foodstuffs or basic necessities, it was done at a high risk through corridors that were constantly under terrorist fire with no certainty of delivery. There was no electricity, no water, no basic supplies; nevertheless, the people of Aleppo were steadfast throughout the battle.

So, I believe that the importance of the comparison lies first in the siege and also in the steadfastness of the people. When you referred to Stalingrad, you highlighted the steadfastness of the people before you mentioned the military victory; in other words, without the steadfastness of the people of Stalingrad, the Russian army wouldn’t have been able to launch a great offensive. The same also applies to Syria; without the steadfastness of the people of Aleppo, it wouldn’t have been possible for the Syrian Army to prepare for such a major battle.

Coincidentally, a further comparison is that in Stalingrad, the army kept moving west until the end of World War II. In Aleppo too, the army moved west; and to continue the process of liberation towards Idleb, we must also continue to move westward.

Both Aleppo and Damascus are the two largest Syrian cities, and so Aleppo has a political, economic, and military importance. There is no doubt that in terms of strategic outcomes, the battle of Aleppo was very important, regardless of the surface area or the number of fighters. Its outcome was decisive and changed the course of the war in Syria; and therefore, I believe that militarily and politically, the situation after the battle of Aleppo, was very different to that before the battle. So, the comparison you have made is correct, after taking into account of course the difference in surface areas between the two countries.

Question 5: This battle had great dimensions for Syria, and also incurred huge losses. It played an essential role in changing the course of events. Mr. President, based on the agreement which was signed between Russia and Syria in your country, today there are two Russian military bases, Hmeimim and Tartous. In your opinion, what is the role that these two bases will play in providing security in Syria today? And what is the role that they will play in the future?

President Assad: The Russian military role in Syria –particularly the role of military bases – can be viewed from two perspectives; the first is fighting terrorism, which we call international terrorism. This will end one day or at least it will be weakened as a result of the continuing battles to eliminate it; so, what comes after this terrorism? The other perspective is related to the role of Russia in the world. Today, we live in an international jungle; we do not live under international law. The reason why we live in this jungle is that for a quarter of a century there has been no international balance. International balance requires a Russian role: politically – in international organizations, and militarily – through military bases.

How do we benefit from this situation? Syria, as a small country and like many small countries, and possibly even most countries around the world, will all benefit from this international balance. In that sense, Syria will benefit indirectly from this new balance.

Therefore, we shouldn’t have a narrow view of the Russian presence to only fighting terrorism, because the time frame of the base, or the agreement, is 45 years. Terrorism will not continue to exist for 45 years, so what comes after terrorism? There is an important Russian role necessary for international balance in which military presence in different parts of the world plays an essential part. Of course, when the West abandons the use of military force to create problems around the world, Russia might not need these bases, but for now, Russia and the world need the balance that I have mentioned.

Question 6: Mr. President, let’s talk about those who constantly violate and ignore international law, and you know who I’m talking about. You are the elected President of the Syrian Arab Republic. You led the war on terrorism. The law is on your side, and the people are behind you; nevertheless, we constantly hear some Western leaders making bad statements such as: “Assad must leave.” We remember very well how Barack Obama talked about this. Unfortunately, the same is being repeated now by Donald Trump. Recently, a book was published in the United States, Fear: Trump in the White House, by famous American journalist Bob Woodward, in which he states that in 2017, after the missile attack on Syria, Trump wanted to assassinate you, and I quote: “Let’s kill him! Let’s go in. Let’s kill the lot of them.” How do you comment on that? What did you do? Why do they demonize you?

President Assad: First of all, regarding the statements which always call for the removal of the president: The United States is used to having presidents – let’s say, as American agents, in the sense that it appoints them – and consequently it tells them: now you stay. And when their role comes to an end, it tells them: go. They are used to that. I am not one of those (presidents), and consequently all the statements they make do not concern us at all. They do not bother us, and we do not care about them. This is an American discourse directed at the Americans themselves.

Question 7: Aren’t you vexed by the West’s disregard for its relationship with you, which can sometimes be rude?

President Assad: No, no, because it is less important than warranting one’s concern about it and I’ll tell you why. If we look at Trump’s recent statements quoted in the book you mentioned, they are neither surprising nor new. The American policy since the Cold War, and even since the end of World War II up until today, is a policy of hegemony, of coup d’états, of assassinations and wars. So, this is normal, Trump hasn’t said anything new.

On the contrary, we have to recognize that Trump has an important merit, which is exposing the American regime. For us, it was already exposed, but it was hiding behind some pretty masks – like democracy, human rights, and other similar things. Trump is frank. He says, “this is what we do.” So even if Trump doesn’t say it, we must know that it is part of their policy and part of their thinking. The United States does not accept partners in the world, and consequently does not accept independent states, including in the West. The West is a satellite of the United States, not its partner. They are not independent. The Americans do not accept an independent individual or an independent state. They do not even accept Russia, which is a superpower, to be independent. They do not accept you even in history; they even deny your role in eliminating Nazism, as if Russia had no role in that.

So, if they haven’t accepted Russia in the past, why would they accept it in the present? And if they haven’t accepted the large Russian state as independent, would they accept Syria, a smaller country, as an independent state? This is the problem with the Americans: they do not accept any individual who acts in the best interest of his country, any individual who respects himself, or maintains an independent national decision.

Question 8: Yes, this is another similarity between our two countries. Well, can we talk about the process of granting amnesty to members of the armed groups. How is the process of reconciliation between the opponents going? In July, parliamentary elections were held in which the ruling coalition won. We congratulate you on that, but it is clear that the problem of the opposition is still there.

I still remember when the Geneva talks were conducted, representatives of the government and the opposition were brought into the meeting halls from different doors, so that they do not fight among themselves. How is this process going now? What is new about the constitutional committee? What is the role of the international mediators in this process? The role of the United Nations? What is the role of Russia? And whom do you personally trust in this process?

President Assad: Concerning the negotiations, Russia and Iran play an important role in supporting these negotiations and moving them forward in order to try and achieve something, albeit partially – because the negotiations will take a long time. But let’s be frank. When we talk about another party which we call “the opposition” – and you have opposition in your country – a prerequisite of the opposition is that it should be patriotic, and it should come from within the Russian people and represent at least part of them. However, when you, as a Russian citizen, know that this opposition, or this individual, is linked to a foreign intelligence agency, you do not call them opposition, because opposition is linked to patriotism.

With regards to what is happening in the negotiations, there is a party supported by the Syrian government because it represents its views. However, there is another party which has been chosen by Turkey, which is not a Syrian party. Turkey, and those countries behind it, like the United States and others, have no interest in reaching any genuine results in the deliberations of the committee. They are seeking to weaken and dismantle the state; this is exactly what has happened in other regions where the United States interferes and imposes a constitution that leads to unrest and chaos instead of stability.

This is something we do not accept and we will not negotiate over things which undermine Syria’s stability. That’s why if we really want the negotiations to produce results, all those individuals need to take their cue from what the Syrian people, in their different sections and political affiliations, want. I believe that the coming rounds of negotiations will show this more clearly. If the dialogue is Syrian-Syrian, it will succeed. But as long as there is foreign interference, the negotiations cannot succeed.

Question 9: If you don’t mind, I would like to ask you a number of personal questions which have to do with the past in one way or another. Can you please tell us if you have thought, throughout all the horrible events that you and your country have experienced throughout the war, that you are hanging between life and death? Have you thought about that at any point in time?

President Assad: If you had come to Damascus before 2018, for instance, we would have been sitting here with shells falling around us from time to time. Death was a probability for any citizen, anyone walking in the street or riding a bus, in their car, going to work or going anywhere. They could have been hit by shells that could have caused death or injury. That was a probability during the war. But I think that humans, by nature, are capable of adapting to this situation, in any country or any place in the world. That’s why life carried on in Damascus, and I personally went to work every day, never stopped at any time, even under the shelling. There was no other choice. One cannot hide; otherwise the terrorists would have achieved their objectives. Our strength is that life continued. That’s why I think that with the passing of time, you stop thinking about it. Maybe, it becomes part of your subconscious mind, but not part of your daily thinking; it becomes something you get used to.

Question 10: Looking at your life today, as president of a state leading the fight against terrorism, is that the life you dreamt of at a certain point in time when you had a different type of life?

President Assad: This terrorism we are experiencing today has been attacking us since the 1950s. At every stage, it developed its techniques. In the 1950s it created chaos but it wasn’t armed, in the 1960s it started to become armed. In the 1970s and 80s it became organized, and today this same terrorism has developed its tactics and gained political support, with backing from countries and banks.

Our fate with terrorism has existed even before I, and most Syrians, were born and therefore it should always remain in our minds. Even if we defeat this terrorism, we should always think that it could come back. For the simple reason that first and foremost, it is not about individuals in as much as it is about ideology; as long as the West continues to take reference from its colonial past and continues to think of hegemony, it is inevitable that it will continue to bring this terrorism back to life in other forms. We must think realistically that even if it was eliminated, it could appear later in different forms. That’s why the battle for us, is against terrorist ideology before it is a battle against terrorists as individuals; when this ideology is eliminated, the West and Syria’s enemies, will no longer have the tools to resurrect it.

Journalist: Do you think so?

President Assad: I do think so, because the West will not change in the foreseeable future. And also, because the intellectual war is more difficult than a military war and it takes longer to rehabilitate and equip new generations with the right kind of thinking: with non-extremist thought, non-fanatic thought, with open-mindedness. Just as this terrorist ideology has been developed since the 1960s; it took 50 years to reach the stage we are at. It does not appear and spread throughout the world overnight. Hundreds of billions have been spent to establish it and the West has been supporting it since the days of British rule, even before the American presence. They have supported religious extremism since the beginning of the 20th century; so, fighting it needs time.

Journalist: We hope for the best, and that with the help of God, and with open-mindedness, we will win together. Mr. President, thank you for meeting with us, and for the time that you have taken to answer our questions. Allow us to wish you and your family good health and well-being, and to wish Syria peace and prosperity. Thank you.

President Assad: Thank you; and I would like to take this opportunity to send my regards, through your programme, to the families of the Russian fighters in Syria. As I mentioned at the beginning, the Russian people are proud of what their army has achieved in Syria, but these families certainly have the right to be even prouder, than any other citizen, of the great achievements made by their sons in Syria; they have not only protected the Syrian people, but they have also protected their own families and their Russian compatriots.

Once again, you’re welcome in Syria, and thank you.

Journalist: Thank you very much for these kind words.

(Interview to the Russian Zvezda TV Station)