Russia

Collage of photos: President Putin (Credit: Kremlin.ru) and President Biden being sworn in (Source. Wikimedia Commons.)

US and Russia Should Agree to a New “Reset”

Viewpoint by Jonathan Power*

LUND, Sweden (IDN) – There is a dangerous element in President Joe Biden’s foreign policy. It comes from his deeply embedded dislike of the Russian president, Vladimir Putin. During the campaign, he even called Putin a thug, which was not a very sensible thing to do if you are hoping to do business with him.

For all Biden’s conciliatory and pacific instincts, which I described in my column on January 19, his rigid position on Putin seems to lead him astray when it comes to US-Russian relations.

: Jonathan Power; OPINION; 26 January 2021

Photo: From left to right, former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, and former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger chat at the State Luncheon in honour of the Prime Minister at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., on March 10, 2016. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]

Encourage USA To Compromise with Russia, Iran, China and The Islamic World

Viewpoint by Jonathan Power*

LUND, Sweden (IDN) – We are waiting. Waiting for a quick decision on whether the US will renew its agreement with Russia to extend the New Start Treaty, that cuts the long-range nuclear weapons each possesses by 1550 (a 30% cut). It’s due to expire in just over a month on February 5. The Russians have said they want to renew it. President Donald Trump has done nothing about nuclear arms control- despite ridiculously being accused at home of being in President Vladimir Putin’s pocket. Indeed, he has made Russia more vulnerable to a nuclear attack than it was before he came into office.

: Jonathan Power; OPINION; 29 December 2020

Photo: President Ronald Reagan and Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev at The First Summit in Geneva Switzerland, 19 November 1985. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Biden Would Do Well to Roll Back the Expansion of NATO

Viewpoint by Jonathan Power*

LUND, Sweden (IDN) – Top of President-elect’s Joe Biden’s foreign policy list must be Russia. Not China, not Europe. Russia has been the West’s mortal enemy since shortly after the end of World War II, with a short break when Communism was overthrown in 1991, until NATO began its expansion in 1999 and the Cold War, supposedly dead and buried, was resurrected. Only Russia and the US with their massive nuclear arsenals have the power to destroy civilization.

: Jonathan Power; OPINION; 08 December 2020

Photo: Rex Essenow (left by Kester Kenn Klomegah) and NIDO Russia.

A Window Opens in Business Ties Between Russia and Nigeria

Interview by Kester Kenn Klomegah*

MOSCOW (IDN) – As part of efforts to connect Russia with Nigeria and to lure potential Russian investors and businesspeople to Nigeria and vice versa, a business lecture platform "Doing Business with Nigeria" has been created in November. Its primary aim is to get the Russian business community to understand the economic and investment potentials as well as the current market conditions in Nigeria.

: Kester Kenn Klomegah; OPINION; 01 December 2020

India Succeeds Russia as BRICS Chair Amid Rising Challenges

By Kester Kenn Klomegah*

MOSCOW (IDN) – India assumes the rotating Chairmanship of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) regional association on January 1, 2021. The South Asian nation takes over from Russia under whose leadership the organization managed to achieve progress in the political, economic and humanitarian fields.

During the five-nation bloc's last meeting held under the theme “BRICS Partnership for Global Stability, Shared Security and Innovative Growth” – on November 17, the organization noted that much advance has been attained in streamlining the full-scale operational activity of BRICS.

: Kester Kenn Klomegah; THE WORLD; Russia; 29 November 2020

Photo: Russian military expands in Africa by building bases in Africa. Credit: Russian Ministry of Defence.

Russia Expanding Its Military Bases in Africa

By Kester Kenn Klomegah*

MOSCOW (IDN) – After years of negotiations with Djibouti, Eritrea and Somalia to establish naval bases, Russia has finally signed an agreement with Sudan, signifying further its return to Africa. Sharing a northern border with Egypt, Sudan is located on the strategic Red Sea coastline.

Moscow had a naval base in Somalia during the Soviet days, Eritrea appears to be steadily working for Russia, while Djibouti already hosts Chinese and American naval bases. China has a military base in Djibouti which was set up to support five mission areas. India is another Asian nation that has increased its naval presence in Africa. In order to protect its commercial sea-lanes from piracy, it has established a network of military facilities across the Indian Ocean.

: Kester Kenn Klomegah; THE WORLD; Russia; 18 November 2020

Photo: Pro-European Union Euromaidan protesters in Kyiv, December 2013. CC BY-SA 3.0

Outmanoeuvring Russia, Not Spreading Democracy Is US Priority

Viewpoint by Jonathan Power*

LUND, Sweden (IDN) – It’s rather revealing that during the conflict which now besets Azerbaijan and Armenia the US is barely interested, happily leaving it to Russia to do the mediating and peacekeeping and the UN to deal with the refugee problems. Quite the reverse with the Ukrainian crisis that began in 2013. Why? What’s the difference?

As the crisis evolved and fighting broke in the east and south with pro-Russian Ukrainians on one side and pro Westerners on the other the US shipped in arms and Russia sent in troops without insignia. The fighting continues to this day.

: Jonathan Power; OPINION; 17 November 2020

Photo credit: Ms. Jane Mufamadi, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Freedom Park Memorial Museum Complex in Pretoria, South Africa.

The Five-Nation BRICS Finds Unity in Cultural Diversity

Interview by Kester Kenn Klomegah*

MOSCOW (IDN) – Under the Russian Chairmanship of BRICS 2020, Moscow has organised and hosted a series of corporate conferences, business forums and other important events. For example, the Roundtable discussion on the theme “International Cultural Cooperation for Strengthening BRICS Unity” brought high-profiled participants from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. It was part of efforts at broadening the scope of cooperation in different directions, and steps toward attaining an admirably influential position and becoming active on the global stage.

: Kester Kenn Klomegah; THE WORLD; Russia; 13 November 2020

Photo: Zanzibar. Credit: Kester Kenn Klomegah

Undeterred by Health Warnings, Russians Begin Flocking to Africa's Islands

By Kester Kenn Klomegah*

MOSCOW (IDN) – Despite the worsening coronavirus situation in Russia, at least during the months of October and November, Russian tourism agencies have briskly been organizing group tours to the Indian Ocean islands of Zanzibar, Seychelles and Mauritius.

Obviously, because the islands seem to have the lowest cases of the pandemic and have taken strict measures to halt the spread of COVID-19. And, these islands are favourite destinations for foreign tourists and have closely diverse geopolitical relations with the world.

: Kester Kenn Klomegah; THE WORLD; Russia; 06 November 2020

Five BRICS Countries Accentuate UN's Central Role in International Affairs

Parliamentarians Pledge Partnership for Global Stability

By Kester Kenn Klomegah*

MOSCOW (IDN) – Parliamentarians of five BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) have pledged to join hands in combating COVID-19, facing the challenges and threats that each member state currently faces, and strengthening cooperation, including at the inter-parliamentary level.

In view of the coronavirus pandemic, the Sixth Parliamentary Forum on October 27 was organized via video conference. Its main theme was "BRICS Partnership for Global Stability, Shared Security and Innovative Growth: parliamentary dimension".