Former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, who fled the country during the Taliban's conquest of Kabul (an organization recognized as terrorist and banned in Russia), said he did not withdraw money from the country. He talked about it in an interview with the BBC radio station.
According to him, the politician didn't quite understand what was going on in those days. A bodyguard ran into his office and said that the president and his family must flee Afghanistan immediately or they would all be killed.
“I did not know where we would fly, only after the start it turned out that we were leaving Afghanistan, everything that happened was very unexpected. According to the original evacuation plans, I was supposed to fly to Khost in the southeast of the country, but it turned out that the city was already occupied by the Taliban, “Ghani admitted.
Ghani noted that he had decided to flee to prevent the city of five million from falling into ruins, and that he had not taken any money with him.
“I want to say categorically that I didn't take any money out of the country. Everyone knows how I live. What should I do with the money?” – emphasized the politician.
A number of media outlets around the world have previously reported that Ghani took millions of dollars in cash during the evacuation from Afghanistan. The former president is now based in the United Arab Emirates.
See also: Taliban decides to appoint ambassador to Moscow
In an interview with journalists in Delaware, US President Joe Biden answered a question about a possible meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
photo AP
By agency Reuters, a media spokesman asked Biden if he intended to meet with Russian President Putin in person in January 2022. “We'll see,” Biden said evasively, without saying a categorical “no.”
Earlier, the head of the US State Department's press service, Ned Price, said that Washington expects the consultations with the Russian side scheduled for January 10 to focus on issues of strategic stability.
Shamans of Peru held a ceremony with pictures of world leaders, including the presidents of Russia and Ukraine Vladimir Putin and Vladimir Zelensky. They did so in order to clean up international relations of negativity and ease tensions between countries, writes swissinfo.ch
The ceremony of attracting health and happiness traditionally takes place before the New Year in Peru. The shamans drew a circle with the number 2022 on the ground with seeds and petals and piled up offerings in it. They called for an end to the pandemic and world peace. In addition to portraits of Zelenský and Putin, they also used a portrait of Joe Biden.
Healer Andres de Los Santos told reporters that the year would be good, conflicts would subside and health care would develop. He is sure that peace and tranquility will come.
It is worth noting that shamans regularly ask the forces of nature for help in resolving political conflicts. They have previously prayed for the prevention of conflict between the United States and the DPRK and for peace in Venezuela.
The poet was right: “Yes, we are Scythians.” More precisely, not us, but them. Those who sentenced the International Memorial to execution and liquidation (in the Russian Federation recognized as a foreign agent). A public organization acting contrary to official ideological discourse is easy to imagine in any civilized country. And now, after the Supreme Court decision, we will not have it.
Photo: Alexey Merinov
We are separated from the absolute similarity with the powers that were once thought to have overtaken the race of civilization, but now that the change in the vector of our movement is fast catching up, we are separated by only a small gap called the “Supreme Court of Appeal”.
To clarify: The Board of Appeal considers as a court of second instance cases decided by the Supreme Court as a first instance
Memorial International has already announced that the organization will appeal against the verdict handed down by Judge Anna Nazarova … But the whole process and especially the course of the last, final meeting suggests that there is no point in hoping for a different outcome.
After the debate began, representatives of the General Prosecutor's Office immediately came up with “trumps” and eventually dispelled doubts that the persecution of the organization had political reasons. So here are his main sins:
1) The Memorial, created as a memorial organization for victims of political repression, “is now almost entirely focused on distorting historical memory – especially World War II.
2) Memorial “creates a false image of the USSR as a terrorist state.”
3) Memorial seeks to “rehabilitate Nazi criminals” – “because someone pays for it.
Is it really possible to allow an organization that does such acts to do so legally and with impunity? Not out of malice, of course, but in the name of the highest interests of the state.
This logic has been known for a long time and meets quite a lot of sympathizers in our area. A striking example of this is the statement of a popular movie hero: “If Brick is a thief, he should be in prison. And people aren't afraid of hiding him there. ”
However, such thoughts can only occur to the person who heard about the case first. Anyone who is at least somewhat familiar with the background is likely to conclude that nothing is true: neither political nor formal accusations.
Well, rather, it is a separate, alternative reality that exists in the imaginations of our ordinary “witch hunters.” As is clear from their statements in the Supreme Court, everything that does not fit into the concept of our purely heroic past seems like a lie, slander and distortion to them.
However, they do not separate the Stalinist USSR from post-Soviet Russia. How can a state be called a terrorist state, he claims, having done so much to restore justice? “Since 1991, the Prosecutor General's Office alone has rehabilitated 500,000 people and the Ministry of the Interior three million people. Work continues to this day … “
” The prosecutor's office says it has rehabilitated 500,000 people, but on behalf of which state were these people repressed? ” innocent, including death sentences, were handed down, among other things, “where we are now.”
Lawyer Henry Reznik's speech was predictably clear and emotional. “I draw attention to one passage (we are talking about the arguments of the Public Prosecutor's Office – MK), which says that” the liquidation of the Memorial is aimed at protecting the rights and interests of others, “said the workshop of a large lawyer. The Attorney General when he signed the statement. These are certainly not the faces of those who came to Lubyanka Square for 15 years and read the names of the oppressed. ” And overall, not all of these efforts can be considered in vain, and this process will undoubtedly go down in history, both for the country and for Memorial itself, both of which are far from over.
Sooner or later, the history of the International Memorial will return to the same point – to the Supreme Court, because, as is known from “great” history, any political repression always ends in rehabilitation and periods of state toughness – sobering and thawing.
A proposal for changes to the state's constitution has been published in Belarus and will be submitted to a referendum after popular debates. The text of the Basic Law was expected to explain the mechanism by which President Alexander Lukashenko would agree to a transfer of power. But the Belarusian ruler does not seem to be leaving. He intends to stay, albeit in a different position. The European Union has already stated that it has taken note of the document, but fair elections and a cessation of repression must take place in order to establish a dialogue in the country.
Whoever orders the Constitution is the one who “dances” it. Photo: president.gov.by
“This draft constitution was seen as a constitutional reform, as a mechanism for handing over power from Lukashenko to another person or people. The most important and most important thing about this constitution is the creation of a new authority in the person of the All-Belarusian People's Assembly (VNS), which is subject to the powers of the president and parliament, “said MK political scientist Valery Karbalevich.
A whole chapter is devoted to the All-Belarusian Assembly in the new version of the Constitution. The Basic Law defines it as “the highest representative body of democracy in the Republic of Belarus, which determines the strategic directions of development of society and the state, ensures the inviolability of the constitutional system, continuity of generations and civic consent.” The delegates of the Assembly are the current and former presidents, representatives of the legislature, the executive and the judiciary; representatives of local councils; representatives of civil society, elected from each region and city of Minsk … What falls within the remit of this new body? Approval of domestic and foreign policy guidelines, military doctrines, national security concepts; socio-economic development programs. The Assembly has the right to discuss the legitimacy of elections, to submit proposals for a referendum, to introduce a state of emergency and martial law, to elect the President and Judge of the Constitutional Court in agreement with the President. judges of the Supreme Court, chairman and members of the election commission. This body also “gives instructions which are binding on public authorities and officials”. And most importantly, it is the All-Belarusian People's Assembly, which can remove the president from office if he is suspected of treason. Generally a very influential body that Lukashenko can secure in the event of his resignation. He automatically becomes the delegate of the All-Belarusian People's Assembly and possibly its chairman. Lukashenko himself has repeatedly suggested that early elections could be called after the country's reform, and a new constitution is being written for the future president. “At the last moment, it turned out that he had changed his mind about leaving. Therefore, they devised such a scheme that the president can stand at the head of the National Belarusian Assembly and thus retain all its possibilities, “says economist Jaroslav Romančuk.
“The fixation of the All-Belarusian People's Assembly in the Constitution creates a system of dual power. The new body is not permanent, but receives more powers than parliament, government and other branches of government. It is convened in an incomprehensible way, it is not clear who represents and duplicates the functions of parliament, government and president, “believes political scientist Dmitry Bolkunets.
PHOTOS FROM THE PRESS OFFICE ADMINISTRATIVY SYMPHEROPOLOP p> since April this year Valentin Demidov has asked for an appeal, informs the head of Crimea Sergei Aksenov in his channel Telegram.
“ This is an honor, & # 39; Aksenov said, adding that the mayor had acted responsibly, as a self-critical official who had failed to make the necessary results and admitted a mistake.
Valentin Demidov has become the fifth head of the Simferopol administration since 2014. He previously worked as head of the city and head of the city of Armjansk, after transferring to the regional government and in 2016 becoming head of the Crimean Economic Development Ministry.
Lawyer ex Georgian Nika President Mikhail Saakashvili's Gvaramia said his client had been taken from Gori Military Hospital to Rustavi Prison. He posted a post on Facebook.
The defender noted that he was close to the institution and was preparing to meet with his client.
“I have to meet Mikhail Saakashvili and make sure he's alive,” the lawyer said.
Earlier, a member of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and a friend of the former Georgian leader Mikhail Saakashvili, Elizaveta Yasko, said that the politician had been taken out of the city of Gori in an unknown direction.
The Iraqi Prime Minister announced the withdrawal of an international coalition unit from Iraq. The official thanked the participating countries for their assistance and assured that Baghdad is able to ensure the security of its citizens independently. Nevertheless, foreign military specialists will remain in Iraq as advisers and instructors. The coalition's military mission ended in early December.
A similar statement was made by the chief of forces of Iraqi Kurdistan (“Peshmerga”), who said that neither federal troops nor his charges needed foreign aid.
Earlier, representatives of the “Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps” warned Washington against the inadmissibility of maintaining a contingent in Iraq after December 31, 2021 and intimidated them with decisive action. Pro-Iranian groups have protested about the military's presence in the United States and are believed to have attacked them on several occasions. Recently, the rhetoric of Shiite militants has begun to call for the withdrawal of all foreign troops from Iraq, including the Turkish Armed Forces, which are leading the CTO against the Kurdish Workers' Party in the northern part of the country.
Washington is ready to discuss Russia's concerns, but they will not publicly announce the problems they want to discuss with Moscow.
Significant progress is possible in a number of areas of dialogue with the Russian Federation.
Tomorrow, US President Joe Biden will tell his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, who has diplomatic opportunities to desecrate around Ukraine. The White House press service reported.
“The Cold War will not disappear even in the most optimistic scenario”
Russia has confirmed that consultations with the United States on security guarantees can take place as early as January 10. The issue of Ukraine and arms control will be discussed during the negotiations. The decision to convene a meeting of the NATO-Russia Council on 12 January has already been announced by the Secretary General of the North Atlantic Alliance, Jens Stoltenberg. Experts said what can be expected from these negotiations.
Photo: AP
Representatives The Russian Federation and the United States will hold talks on the situation around Ukraine, security in Europe and arms control on January 10, the AFP said, referring to representatives of the White House's National Security Council. “The United States is looking forward to a dialogue with Russia,” the source said.
In addition, according to a representative of the National Security Council, a meeting of the Russia-NATO Council may take place on 12 January and a meeting between representatives of the Russian Federation and the OSCE on 13 January. “When we sit down at the negotiating table, Russia can express its concerns and we will express ours, including the activities of the Russian Federation,” said a representative of the US National Security Council. Any agreements with Moscow will take into account the interests of Kiev, the US official stressed.
“It will be a very difficult negotiation,” comments MK Alexei Makarkin, first vice president of the Center for Political Technology, professor at the University of Economics … – The main point on them is the issue of guarantees of NATO's non-proliferation to Ukraine and Georgia. Russia has demanded that the results of the 2008 Bucharest summit be canceled. This, in turn, is unacceptable to the North Atlantic Alliance, because we are talking about legal fixation here. Other issues – including missiles, drills, and so on – can be discussed.
A new version of the Cold War is now underway. When we look at its old version (40-50 years ago), rocket issues were actively discussed there. Then these topics went into the technical phase – in some respects the parties agreed, in some respects. In principle, this was considered quite possible. At the same time, the issue of admitting new members to NATO was not relevant (at least in the area of the Soviet borders), because the red lines after the results of the Second World War had already been drawn. p>
Therefore, a rather unusual situation now arises for the Cold War. Here it will be very difficult for the parties to find a mutually acceptable option. Because, on the one hand, Russia does not believe in word of mouth. Moreover, time passes quickly – even if we take a realistic time frame, that neither Ukraine nor Georgia will be accepted into NATO for the next 10 years. Awareness of this fact is probably one of the stimuli for Russia to start these negotiations.
On the other hand, the West also has two key points. First, NATO does not want to allow Russia to influence its internal decisions. Secondly, in this case, Georgia and Ukraine may be disappointed with the alliance, which NATO would not want to admit. “
According to the expert, there are two possible options in this situation. One is that the parties will still be able to agree, moreover on a wider range of issues or even on a big compromise between Russia and the West. In addition, some other issues may be linked, not just those originally raised.
“The pessimistic scenario is that it will not be possible to reach an agreement,” Alexei Makarkin continues. – The parties will try to transfer the responsibility for the failure to each other. And in this case, the negotiations will be short-lived, because Moscow is interested in setting some informal conditions. If he does not do so, there will be a new phase of the arms race and the possible deployment of missiles in sensitive areas for one side or the other.
Meanwhile, if negotiations fail, the level of mistrust will be extremely high. Moreover, even in the most optimistic scenario, the “Cold War” will not disappear. However, it adopts a certain framework that can be modified. In this context, confidence in the country can be increased. Another option is the Cold War, in which there is no framework or trust. “
Sergei Kislitsyn, head of the Center for Strategic Planning Studies, IMEMO RAN, is skeptical about the upcoming negotiations.
“Russia is trying to get guarantees that NATO will not expand, which the alliance will of course never guarantee,” the political scientist said. – The heads of NATO and Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg have spoken about this. Accordingly, the parties encounter here. And they actually have no other interaction. There is also no interaction through the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. Her work has been suspended, she can only meet on some urgent matters.
In fact, we have nothing but confrontation. Either way, there is now no reason for any kind of trustworthy interaction.
Gun control is a completely different story. There is a dialogue between Russia and the United States. However, it is very pragmatic and linked to dry security issues. We should now see some changes in this system, mainly due to the strengthening of other actors in international relations, in particular China. It can be recalled that the administration of former US President Donald Trump just wanted to involve China in the arms control system.
As for Ukraine, it is an important factor in US foreign policy, as tensions in Moscow-Kiev relations allow Washington to use it as an incentive to increase NATO's intra-block discipline. “
