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Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a personal message of friendship to President Putin on China’s behalf, scotching attempt by the USA to make trouble between them. President Putin met in the Oval Hall of the Kremlin with Li Zhanshu, Director of the General Office of the Communist Party of China, and Chief of Staff of Chinese President Xi. The meeting came directly after Li held talks with his Russian counterpart A E Vaino, who’s the head of the President’s Executive Office, and is President Putin’s Chief of Staff. I previously explained who Li is, and why his visit is important, and the likely reason for his visit, which is the continuing attempt by the Trump Administration to cause trouble between China and Russia, and China’s and Russia’s concern to squelch any mistaken impressions which might be caused by that attempt. In turn, that explains the way the Chinese and the Russians… undoubtedly by pre-arrangement… used Li’s meeting with Putin to publicise a personal message from President Xi to Putin. The Kremlin’s transcript of Li’s words follows:
Before my departure, I went especially to see President Xi Jinping and asked him what he wanted to pass on to you. He told me to say that today, Chinese-Russian relations are going through their best period ever in our history. Today, our relations are deservedly called an example of relations between great powers, characterised by cooperation and mutual benefit. Today, our relations are very solid, mature, and distinguished by strategic cooperation and a lasting nature. He also said that despite the serious changes in the international situation, we’d continue to work with you, unfailingly adhering to three constants, namely:
- regardless of the circumstances, we won’t change our policy of deepening and developing our strategic partnership and cooperation
- our policy, based on joint development and prosperity, won’t change
- our joint efforts to defend peace and justice and promote cooperation in the world won’t change
These were President Xi’s words.
(bold italics added)
Evidently, the “serious changes in the international situation” refers to the change of administration in Washington, and the new administration’s attempt to make trouble between China and Russia. President Xi in his personal message to President Putin went out of his way to say that this attempt wouldn’t succeed and that China’s strategic partnership with Russia “won’t change”. Of course, they primarily intend the message for the Trump Administration. The Chinese and the Russians scarcely need to reassure each other about the depth of their relationship. However, Xi and Putin are anxious that there should be no illusions about it in Washington. Alas, given the chaos in Washington, it’s doubtful whether anyone there is paying attention.
27 April 2017
Alexander Mercouris
The Duran
http://theduran.com/xi-jinping-vladimir-putin-friendship-unbreakable/
Kiev Cut Electricity to LNR… Readies Same Move Against DNR
Tags: civil unrest, DNR, Donbass, Donetsk People's Republic, LNR, Lugansk People's Republic, Novorossiya, political commentary, politics, Russia, Russian, Ukraine, Ukrainian Civil War, war and conflict
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Today, the Ukraine cut off supplies of electricity to the LNR. It said that it’s preparing to do the same to the DNR. Supposedly, they decided to do this because of unpaid power bills. In reality, it’s part of the blockade the Ukraine imposed on the two People’s Republics. After some initial disruption, it seems electric power over the LNR is back to normal. This only took a few hours. Supposedly, they did this with domestic resources. Probably, they had technical help from Russia, and possibly even some supply of electricity from Russia, as this article by Deutsche Welle claimed. Indubitably, both the Russians and the two People’s Republics anticipated this move for months, and it seems they prepared for it. When the Ukrainians cut off electricity to the DNR… as I’m sure before long it will be… I expect the power supply there to resume as effortlessly as it did in the LNR.
The fact that the Ukraine cut off electric power to the LNR and intends to do likewise to the DNR further severs whatever tenuous connection remained between the Ukraine and the two Republics. Now, in all respects, they’re de facto independent states, fully separated from the Ukraine. Now, the notion that they’re still part of the Ukraine is no more than a fiction. I understand that the people of the two Republics increasingly respond to surveys that they’re no longer Russian-speaking eastern Ukrainians. Instead, they increasingly redefine themselves as Russians. I expect this trend to accelerate and intensify, and I expect that in time that the two Republics would become fully part of Russia, although I don’t know how it’d happen or how long it’d take. Of course, for many practical purposes, they’re part of Russia already.
The Ukraine’s latest move also provides further confirmation of an unspoken truth. The Ukraine has given up hope of ever regaining control of the two People’s Republics. Moreover, it’s clear that it’d rather lose control of them than implement the constitutional provisions of the Minsk Agreement. That isn’t surprising. If the Ukraine ever implemented the Minsk Agreement’s constitutional provisions, it’d mean the end of the Maidan movement’s plan of a unitary monocultural Ukraine, distanced as far from Russia as possible. There’s no evidence any member of the Maidan leadership wants to abandon this plan, and if they did, the various far-right “activists” upon whom the Maidan régime depends for its survival wouldn’t let them.
That means that the Minsk Agreement… unloved by everyone… is dead. So long as the Maidan régime remains in power, they won’t carry it out. I’d add that if the Maidan régime ever falls… as I believe one day it will… it wouldn’t resurrect the Minsk Agreement because at that point no one would need it anymore. The Minsk Agreement is a ghost in whose existence everyone pretends to believe since it continues to provide a framework around which discussions about the Ukraine between the various parties can occur. However, it’s no longer a roadmap to a peace settlement, if it ever was. Undoubtedly, Russians understand this perfectly well. Whether Western governments do is another matter.
25 April 2017
Alexander Mercouris
The Duran
http://theduran.com/kiev-cuts-electricity-lpr-prepares-dpr/