Tag Archives: Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) with Chinese President Xi Jinping

This morning/afternoon.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is “waiting for official results” from the US presidential election before congratulating a winner, the Kremlin said today.

“We consider it correct to wait for the official results to be finalised. I want to remind you that President Putin repeatedly said he will respect the choice of the American people,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

…China said today it would follow international custom in making a statement on the US election, when asked why Beijing had not congratulated Democrat Joe Biden on his victory.

“We noticed that Mr Biden has declared election victory. We understand that the US presidential election result will be determined following US law and procedures,” foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a daily media briefing.

China, Russia delay congratulating US president-elect Biden (RTÉ)

Getty

Earlier: No Vote Left Behind

This morning.

The World anti-doping agency has voted unanimously to ban Russia from international sport for four years for doping offences.

Russia now have 21 days to appeal the sentence, which would see the country banned from participating at next summer’s Olympics in Tokyo and the Qatar World Cup of 20

Russia banned from Tokyo Olympics and football World Cup (The Guardian)

Having sold Americans the seductive and conspiratorial notion that the man in the oval office was a compromised foreign agent, now comes a moment of reckoning for the US media…

Al Jazeera’s The Listening Post on Trump, Russia, and the collapse of the collusion narrative – the theory that Donald Trump colluded with Vladimir Putin to hijack the 2016 US presidential elections.

Previously: I’m Gonna Set It Straight, This Watergate

Yuriy Filatov, Ambassador of the Russian Federation in Ireland

Your editorial Mueller Report: Open Questions (March 26th), reflecting on the findings of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation, in itself raises, perhaps unwittingly, some valid questions.

The article rather flatly declares that “we do know that the Russian government interfered repeatedly” in the US elections. That might be an article of faith (as well as useful political tool) in some quarters in Washington, but otherwise looks like a hollow allegation, not supported by any fact.

What kind of evidence is there to support such a claim? We certainly know the answer – there is none, since it has never been a policy of the Russian government to meddle in the US president elections, nor, for that matter, in the elections in any other country of the world.

One should respect the right of The Irish Times to hold an opinion of the US president and his policies. But is it not an interference in the US elections to make an outright claim that a legitimate president of a foreign country – whether you like him or not – is “unfit for office and must be replaced”? – Yours, etc,

Yuriy Filatov, Ambassador of the Russian Federation in Ireland, to the editor of the Irish Times

Fightski!

Irish Times Letters

Tuesday: But…But…

‘I’m Gonna Set It Straight, This Watergate’

After two years and 200 interviews, the Senate Intelligence Committee is approaching the end of its investigation into the 2016 election, having uncovered no direct evidence of a conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia, according to both Democrats and Republicans on the committee.

Fightski!

Senate has uncovered no direct evidence of conspiracy between Trump campaign and Russia (NBC)

Pic: Getty

Meanwhile…

The Russian Ambassador, Mr. Yury Filatov, leaving the Department of Foreign Affairs after being told by the Secretary General that a named diplomat had ten days to leave the coutry as a result of the Salisbury attack.

“In essence Taoiseach, you are asking us to trust Boris Johnson, and I dare say that this may not be the wisest course of action,” [Mary Lous McDonald told the dail]

Ms McDonald accused the Taoiseach of attempting to dismantle Ireland’s neutrality.

However Leo Varadkar said the decision was taken following an assessment carried out by Irish security services, including the defence forces and gardaí.

“This is very much an act of solidarity with the United Kingdom,” he said, but added that Ireland had no quarrel with the Russian people.

He said the decision on the individual person asked to leave was based on advice from gardaí and military intelligence….

Sorry.

Too silly.

Taoiseach says expulsion of diplomat is act of solidarity with UK (RTÉ)

Earlier: ‘Neutrality Hardly Compatible With EU Membership‘

Eamonn Farrell/RollingNews

Meanwhile…

Anyone?

drone

Footage released by the The Russian Ministry of Defense this afternoon of Shayrat Airbase in Syria, showing the aftermath of a US missile strike which killed at least six people this morning

Syria war: US missile strikes brings angry Russian response (RT)

US missile strike in Syria: What we know so far about target, victims & reactions (RT)