Putin, Saudi Defense Minister Discuss Syria Cooperation
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Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Saudi Arabia’s defense minister on October 11 for a dialogue that Moscow said would boost the two countries’ cooperation in Syria.
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Moscow (AFP) - Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Saudi Arabia's Defence Minister Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Sunday about the possibility of a political solution in Syria, where Moscow has been conducting airstrikes since late September
The two huddled in the southern Russian city of Sochi and were joined by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Energy Minister Alexander Novak.
"We have closely cooperated with Saudi Arabia for years on the crisis in Syria," Lavrov told journalists, according to remarks broadcast on television.
"The two parties confirmed that Saudi Arabia and Russia have similar objectives when it comes to Syria. Above all, it is to not let a terrorist caliphate take over the country."
"After today's talks, we understand better how to move toward a political solution," Lavrov said.
Mohammed bin Salman said that Riyadh was worried about Russia's military intervention in Syria, and the country's possible alliance with Iran.
He added that Saudi Arabia was in favour of a political solution in Syria, but one which includes the departure of President Bashar al-Assad, a staunch ally of Moscow.
Lavrov also said that Moscow was ready for closer cooperation with Riyadh to make clear that the country was in fact targeting Islamic State, Al-Nusra and other terrorist strongholds in Syria.
Using modern jets and older Soviet aircraft, Russia has bombed command posts and training camps of what it says are radical "terrorists", backing a ground offensive by the forces of Assad.
Moscow has flexed its muscles with the bombing campaign across the war-torn country that has put a US-led coalition in the shade and angered Washington and its allies.
Putin said Sunday that the Russian operation's objective was to "stabilise the legitimate authorities and create conditions for finding a political compromise."
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 РБК |
Москва и Эр-Рияд договорились о сотрудничестве по Сирии
РБК Россия и Саудовская Аравия договорились взаимодействовать по линии военных и спецслужб для борьбы с терроризмом в Сирии, заявил министр Сергей Лавров. Он отметил, что страны подтвердили «совпадение целей» по Сирии. Президент России Владимир Путин (справа) и ... Лавров: Москва и Эр-Рияд подтвердили общие цели по СирииРоссийская Газета Путин обсудил Сирию с главой минобороны Саудовской АравииBBC Russian Президент РФ в Сочи встретился с высокопоставленными чиновниками из Объединенных Арабских ЭмиратовПервый канал Коммерсантъ -Аргументы и факты -Газета.Ru Все похожие статьи: 107 » |
With the American-led campaign against the Islamic State largely stalemated, Iraqi Shiites are applauding Russia’s naked display of military power in neighboring Syria.
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A source close to the former head of Russian Railways has called false a report claiming his resignation from the state rail monopoly was connected to his son's reported application for British citizenship.
Russia Sees First Capital Inflow in 5 Years by By Peter Hobson
Russia has recorded its first quarterly net capital inflow in five years, with $5.3 billion flowing into the country from July to September, according to preliminary Central Bank data published Friday.
Putin’s Wars Already Costing Russia Nearly 100 Billion US Dollars a Year, Illarionov Saysby paul goble (noreply@blogger.com)
Paul Goble
Staunton, October 11 – Estimating the real costs, direct and indirect, of a military conflict is always difficult because so many factors need to be considered, but Moscow economist Andrey Illarionov says that even if one ignores direct human and property losses, Vladimir Putin’s wars are currently costing Russia approximately 94 billion US dollars every year.
One widely cited estimate of the costs of the Ukrainian war for Russia is provided in the report “Putin. War” (putin-itogi.ru/putin-voina/). It put the price tag of Putin’s actions at 18 billion US dollars. But that figure leaves out four major factors which mean that the real cost has been and remains far higher, Illarionov says (echo.msk.ru/blog/aillar/1638092-echo/).
First, he notes, “all military expenditures in the war against Ukraine have been much larger than the direct costs of carrying out military actions directly on the territory of Ukraine. Second, “spending on the preparation and conduct of the war with Ukraine began long before the start of military operations against Ukraine.”
Third, Illarionov continues, “the current war begun by the Kremlin is a war not only with Ukraine.” And fourth, “additional costs in connection with the preparation and conduct of military operations are born not only by the state budget but also by the private sector.” Consequently, one must include costs which “Putin.War” does not.
Illarionov says that his accounting is based on the following assumptions: that the costs of the war must include all increases in military spending in the period of preparing and conducting the war compared to the levels in previous years, that spending for war is greater than spending on the war in Ukraine because Ukraine is only one front in the Kremlin’s war, that the costs of Russian rearmament which began in 2011 must be included, that the base line of military spending is 2.7 percent of GDP, that increased capital outflow during the conflict must be included, and that the average capital outflow against which that is measured is about two percent of GDP from 2000 to 2011.
“Thus,” the Moscow economist says, “the total cost of the current war can be defined as the sum of the direct cost for the state budget … and the costs for the preparation and conduct of military operations for the private sector” as measured against pre-war preparation levels in both cases.”
Using these as the basis for a calculation, Inozemtsev says that Russian government spending on the military rose from 25 billion US dollars a year before the buildup to 61 billion US dollars a year from 2012 through 2015. That alone means that the Ukrainian war has been costing Moscow 36 billion US dollars a year – or 144 billion US dollars for the four years.
The cost of the war for the Russian private sector, he says, is reflected in the increase of capital outflow from the 19 billion US dollars it averaged annually from 2000 to 2011 to 93 billion US dollars a year from 2012 to 2015. That means that there has been an excess in capital outflow over the past four years totaling 232 billion US dollars.
Of course, Illarionov continues, his calculations do not take into account the human losses, the destruction of property and infrastructure, the costs of supporting refugees, as well as “certain other expenses.” And they do not take into account the new additional costs imposed by Putin’s actions in Syria.
The last, he says, “means an inevitable increase in the price of the current war for the Russian state budget, the Russian private sector, all of Russian society as well as for the residents of states in the Middle East. And those costs will all go up significantly and for even more people if Putin’s intervention in Syria leads to an increase in the price of oil.
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While Gulf Arab countries are united in the fight against the Islamic State group, the addition of Russia to the region is threatening to divide the coalition – and potentially kill any chance of a political solution to th
It’s been one year since the US and partners began airstrikes against the Islamic State, and the fight is far from over
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Syrian troops gain as Putin defends strikesby SARAH EL DEEB and LYNN BERRY
BEIRUT (AP) - Syrian troops backed by Russian airstrikes advanced against insurgents in the center of the country as President Vladimir Putin defended Moscow's intervention in the conflict, saying it would aid efforts to reach a political settlement.
Putin said Moscow's objective was to stabilize the Syrian government and create ...
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Is Russia On the Way to Losing One of Its Two Most Reliable ‘Allies’ – Its Fleet? by paul goble (noreply@blogger.com)
Paul Goble
Staunton, October 11 - Alexander III famously said that Russia has only “two allies – its army and its fleet.” Vladimir Putin, having alienated much of the world by his invading Ukraine and threatening others, is well on his way to realizing the tsar’s vision. And one military expert suggests he now faces problems with one of his remaining “allies” – the Russian fleet.
Corruption and Russia’s economic problems, on the one hand, and Moscow’s war with Ukraine, on the other, have left Russia without “sufficient opportunities” to expand its fleet or even modernize existing vessels, according to Yury Kirpichev, a Russian who was involved with ship building before emigrating to the US (ru.krymr.com/content/article/27299079.html).
He told journalist Kseniya Kirillova that Russia had not been able to come up with an “import substitution” for the turbine engines it needs now that Ukraine isn’t selling them to Russia, despite pledges by Yury Borisov, Russia’s deputy defense minister, and by Deputy Prime Minister Nikolay Rogozin that Moscow would be able to do so.
That places severe limits on Russia’s ability to expand the Black Sea Fleet and other parts of its aging naval force in the near future.
Moscow began thinking about “import substitution” in this sector already in 2009 “after the first gas war with Ukraine” and announced that it was investing enormous funds into this effort, Kirpichev says. But “the result turned out to be the classical one in Russia: the money was ‘spent’ but production didn’t begin.”
The collapse of the Russian fleet from Soviet times is shocking, the analyst continues. In 1991, the then-Soviet fleet was fully comparable in size to the American, but over the next decade, that changed dramatically. Some of the Soviet-era ships were sold to other countries, but an even larger number were sold as scrap metal.
Between 1991 and 1997 alone, 629 Russian naval ships were sold as scrap, often at far below the market value of the metal, then bought up and resold by businesses for amounts closer to the market value, with the businesses pocketing the difference. And new ships weren’t built: many in the fleet now are well past their scheduled decommissioning.
Building and maintaining a blue water navy is an extraordinarily expensive undertaking, Kirpichev points out, and at present, “Russia simply is not capable of building or even modernizing large ships.” Regaining its former status would require spending enormous sums far beyond Moscow’s capacity.
But despite that, the analyst points out, it would be a mistake to “underestimate” what the Russian navy can still do with its aging ships. The Russian navy may no longer be world class, but it may be far stronger than the navies it goes up against.
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Rejuvenation of the land forces is a significant priority under Russia’s sweeping 2020 rearmament program
Turkey has begun a three-day period of mourning following Saturday’s bomb attacks in the capital, Ankara, that killed nearly 100 people. With contentious parliamentary elections three weeks away, the attacks highlight the challenges Turkey is facing as it struggles with ethnic friction, an ongoing migrant crisis, and growing tensions with Russia. VOA Europe correspondent Luis Ramirez reports.
Originally published at - http://www.voanews.com/media/video/bombing-a-sign-of-turkey-deep-troubles/3001307.html
Originally published at - http://www.voanews.com/media/video/bombing-a-sign-of-turkey-deep-troubles/3001307.html
Putin: Russian Ground Operation In Syria ‘Ruled Out’by support@pangea-cms.com (RFE/RL)
Russian President Vladimir Putin says Moscow will not deploy ground troops to Syria, where it has conducted air strikes against what it claims are Islamic State (IS) targets.
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(KATHMANDU, Nepal) — Nepal’s parliament elected Communist party leader Khadga Prasad Oli the new prime minister Sunday, thrusting him into the center of daunting challenges, from ethnic protests over the new constitution that has also upset vital neighbor India to rebuilding from April’s devastating earthquake.
Oli received 338 votes from the 597-member chamber, Parliament speaker Subash Nemwang announced. Oli defeated his predecessor Sushil Koirala, who received 249 votes.
Oli, 63, is generally popular in Nepal and has a reputation for being an outspoken leader who is not afraid to criticize. Some describe him with the phrase, “Oli ko goli,” which means, “When Oli speaks he fires” (a bullet).
He had previously served as deputy prime minister and as a minister in previous governments. He suffers from a kidney illness and has had to make trips abroad for treatment to India and Thailand.
The leader of the Communist Party of Nepal Unified Marxist Leninist received the support of many smaller parties, including their rival United Communist Party of Nepal Maoist.
Oli and Koirala are leaders of the top two political parties and were coalition partners in the last government. Koirala became prime minister in 2014, but the constitution that was adopted last month required him to step down.
It was still undecided which other parties would join in Oli’s new government.
He comes to power at delicate time, with ethnic Madhesis and other groups in the south protesting against the new constitution in riots that have left 45 people dead. India, which has close ties to the Madhesis, is also unhappy with the constitution.
The country is facing a severe fuel shortage, thanks to an unofficial blockade by India and Madhesis blocking a key border checkpoint. Fuel and cargo trucks have been stopped at the border since late last month, after the constitution was approved Sept. 20.
The constitution divides Nepal into seven new states, with some borders slicing through the Madhesis’ ancestral homeland in the southern plains along the border with India. The Madhesis, along with several other small ethnic groups, want the states to be larger and to be given more autonomy over local matters.
Talks last week between the government and protesters made little progress.
Indian officials deny there is a blockade and say drivers are afraid to enter Nepal, but Nepali authorities say there is no trouble at many other border crossings.
Soon after the election, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Oli on the telephone, congratulated him and invited him to visit India, according to a tweet from Modi’s office.
The conversation between the two men is the biggest positive development in recent days between the two South Asian nations. Modi has not talked to Nepali leaders in recent weeks mainly due to his travels to United States and other countries.
A statement issued by the Indian embassy in Nepal said Modi expressed the hope and expectation that Oli will support all sectors of society so that there is peace and stability in the country.
“We are confident that the Government of Nepal will address the remaining political issues confronting the country in a spirit of dialogue and reconciliation,” the statement said, an apparent reference to the tension with the Madhesi.
Madhesi lawmaker Laxman Lal Karna, who participated in the voting for the prime minister in parliament, said they would continue their protests until their demands are met.
Oli also must lead the country as it rebuilds from the devastating earthquake that damaged hundreds of thousands of homes and killed thousands were killed. The disaster also damaged the tourism industry, which relies on Westerners to trek the mountain trails and climb the soaring peaks.
Oli’s party, known to be a center leftist group, has traditionally followed an economic policy that combines capitalist and socialist principles.
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Rebel forces in Syria come under pressure as government troops reportedly make significant gains in the wake of heavy Russian air strikes.
The army says it struck the convoy for the extremist group's leader in western Anbar province
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An Iranian judicial official said a final verdict was given, according to the semi-official Tabnak website, but did not provide any further details.
DUBAI (Reuters) - The Iranian parliament gave preliminary backing on Sunday to a bill approving Tehran's nuclear agreement with world powers, with supportive voices overcoming determined opposition from conservative lawmakers.
Thousands of people have taken part in demonstrations after more than 100 people were killed in twin explosions in Ankara. Two suspected suicide bombers struck a rally of pro-Kurdish and labour activists near the Turkish capital’s main train station on Saturday
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Adm. Mark Ferguson Commander, Allied Joint Force Command and U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa discusses Russian warships on the Mediterranean, NATO Southern Strategy, European migrant crises and naval force levels.
Thousands in Turkish Capital Protest Saturday's Bombingby webdesk@voanews.com (Dorian Jones)
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