US Deep State Hits Putin-Trump Summit with Preemptive Strike as Russiagate Fizzles Out

 

In order to save face over an investigation that has failed to produce a smoking gun regarding charges of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, the US elite have opted to indict Russian intelligence officials for election meddling. Yet the evidence, once again, is missing in action.

Amid harsh criticism at home for its failure to provide proof of Russian collusion in the 2016 presidential election, at the very same time that Trump is preparing to meet with Vladimir Putin for a summit in Helsinki, the US Deep State has resorted to playing spoiler with the most overplayed hand in modern political history: the ‘Blame Russia’ card.

On Friday, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein announced indictments against 12 members of Russia’s Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff, also known as GRU, for “conspiring to interfere with the 2016 presidential election.”

5 Things that ‘Come Next’ with Syria

 

The Danger Of World War Is Far From Removed Following The West’s ‘One And Done’ Missile Strikes.

Now that the “one and done” missile barrage against Syria’s purported chemical weapons program following the alleged gas attack in Douma is over, here are five consequences that need to be monitored in the weeks ahead.

Russia Has A “Surprise” Planned For US If It Bans RT, Sputnik Ads

 

A day after certain members of the Senate Intelligence committee expressed their profound disappointment with Facebook, Twitter and Google for appearing to blow off lawmakers’ concerns about a “sophisticated” Russia-backed propaganda campaign purportedly being carried out on their platforms, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova is hitting back, warning that Russia has “a surprise” response planned if US lawmakers overtly ban Russia Today and Sputnik from running advertisements on twitter and other US social media platforms.

Moscow Furious Over US Plan To Search Russia Trade Mission, Calls It “Unprecedented Aggressive Action”

 

Yesterday, the San Francisco fire department scrambled a team of firefighters to the city’s Russian consulate (scheduled to be vacated today in the latest tit-for-tat diplomatic escalation between the US and Russia) following reports of “blowing smoke” emerging from the building, only to learn that the Russians were engaged in what appears to have been some last minute confidential document “redaction.”

Maria Zakharova, the spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry, explained that the smoke was part of a “mothballing” according to Reuters.

“In relation to this, the windows could be closed, the light could be turned off, the water could be drained out, the heating appliances could be turned off, the garbage could be thrown away, essential services could be turned off and many other things.”

Russian diplomat found dead in Moscow apartment

(MOSCOW, RUSSIA) Russian media outlet REN TV is reporting that police found Peter Polshikov, the Head of Russia’s Latin America Department of the Foreign Ministry shot dead in his Moscow apartment Monday evening. Officially, this information is not confirmed, but is being widely reported by British and Russian media. A source who knew Polshikov shared pictures with REN TV reporters of the now deceased diplomat. 

‘NATO will be punished’ Russian diplomat threatens nuclear war over exercises in E Europe

BRITAIN and its NATO allies face the prospect of nuclear annihilation if the West continues to “encroach on Russia” with expanded exercises in Eastern Europe, according to a top Kremlin official.

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But Sergey Karaganov, who sits on the influential Foreign Policy and Defence Council of the Russia Foreign Ministry, said NATO’s actions would be met by a fierce response.

He said: “The help offered by NATO is not symbolic help for the Baltic states. It is a provocation.

“If NATO initiates an encroachment – against a nuclear power like ourselves – it will be punished.”

Russia Adds 111 Warheads Under Arms Treaty

A Russian truck-mounted Topol intercontinental ballistic missile displayed at Moscow’s Red Square during the annual Victory Day parade in 2008 / AP

 

Moscow warheads above New START treaty limit

Russia has now deployed more than 100 nuclear warheads in its strategic arsenal above the limits set by the New START arms treaty limits—two years before it must meet treaty arms reduction goals.

New START nuclear warhead and delivery system numbers made public Oct. 1 reveal that since the 2010 arms accord went into force, Moscow increased the number of deployed nuclear warheads by a total of 111 weapons for a total of 1,648 deployed warheads. That number is 98 warheads above the treaty limit of 1,150 warheads that must be reached by the 2018 deadline of the treaty.

At the same time, U.S. nuclear warheads, missiles, and bombers have fallen sharply and remain below the required levels under the New START pact.

Russia formally stakes claim to North Pole and vast Arctic expanse

A titanium capsule with the Russian flag is seen seconds after it was planted by the Mir-1 mini submarine on the Arctic Ocean seabed under the North Pole in 2007. Photo: AP

 

Moscow: Russia formally staked a claim on Tuesday to a vast area of the Arctic Ocean, including the North Pole.

If the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, the UN commission that arbitrates sea boundaries accepts Russia’s claim, the waters will be subject to Moscow’s oversight on economic matters, including fishing and oil and gas drilling. However, Russia will not have full sovereignty.

Maneuvering Russian Satellite Has Everyone’s Attention

 

WASHINGTON – A Russian military satellite launched in March has made at least 11 close approaches to the rocket upper stage that released it into orbit, according to a spokesman for the U.S. Air Force.

Such maneuvering capability is consistent with, but not necessarily indicative of, an on-orbit anti-satellite weapon.

Air Force officials previously said they were closely watching the satellite, and independent space tracking experts and policy analysts have joined the vigil. The maneuvers started in April, and the most recent occurred in early July, experts said, adding that in at least one case the satellite appears to have nudged the upper stage to a higher orbit.

Russia Could Revise Commitment to START Due to ‘Unfriendly’ US Actions

GENEVA, January 13 (Sputnik) — Russia could revise its commitment to the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) in response to ‘unfriendly’ US actions, the head of the Department for Non-Proliferation and Arms Control of the Russian Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.

“We have not taken any concrete steps in this direction, but I am not ruling out the possibility that Washington could force us to do so, to adjust our policy in this area,” Mikhail Ulyanov told RIA Novosti.

Russia, China welcome India, Pakistan joining Shanghai Cooperation Organization

All decisions necessary for that have been taken at an SCO summit in Dushanbe in September last year, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov told Chinese state news agency Xinhua

MOSCOW, January 13. /TASS/. India’s and Pakistan’s accession to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) should help the security grouping comprising Russia, China and four ex-Soviet states in Central Asia to work more efficiently, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov told Chinese state news agency Xinhua.

Russian convoy vanishes on road to Ukraine

Uncertainty surrounded a 262-truck “aid convoy” on Wednesday that appeared to grind to a halt before reaching the border

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The convoy, which departed from an army base near Moscow on Tuesday, appeared to vanish on Wednesday, adding to confusion surrounding the route and purpose of the cargo.

Last seen in the city of Voronezh, 300 miles south of Moscow, on Tuesday, the convoy never reached the border near the Russian city of Belgorod that the Russian foreign ministry said it would use.

Rumours that the convoy had headed south from Voronezh to cross the border directly into rebel-held territory – a move that would be viewed by Kiev as tantamount to a declaration of war – could not be substantiated.

Russian state television initially reported the convoy to be en route to Belgorod. But journalists waiting at the Pletenivka checkpoint, on the Ukrainian side of the border where Russia had said the convoy would cross, saw no sign of the vehicles.

No more US GPS stations in Russia from June 1 – Russian vice premier

Russia will suspend the work carrid [sic] out by US GPS stations sited within its borders if no agreement is reached to set up GLONASS ground stations in the US, said Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin to the press.

“We are suspending the work of these stations on Russian territory starting from June 1,” he said as reported by Interfax. Rogozin said that American stations were deployed in Russia in line with agreements signed in 1993 and 2011.

“In accordance with these agreements, eleven GPS stations are located in ten Russian regions,” he said.

Ukraine may have to go nuclear, says Kiev lawmaker

KIEV, Ukraine — Ukraine may have to arm itself with nuclear weapons if the United States and other world powers refuse to enforce a security pact that obligates them to reverse the Moscow-backed takeover of Crimea, a member of the Ukraine parliament told USA TODAY.

The United States, Great Britain and Russia agreed in a pact “to assure Ukraine’s territorial integrity” in return for Ukraine giving up a nuclear arsenal it inherited from the Soviet Union after declaring independence in 1991, said Pavlo Rizanenko, a member of the Ukrainian parliament.

“We gave up nuclear weapons because of this agreement,” said Rizanenko, a member of the Udar Party headed by Vitali Klitschko, a candidate for president. “Now there’s a strong sentiment in Ukraine that we made a big mistake.”

Armed Caspian becomes dangerous

At the end of September – early October, Russia and Iran will carry out joint military drills in the Caspian Sea to train maritime security-enforcement operations. Iranian military attaché to Moscow Col. Suleiman Adeli said: “Iran and Russia want Caspian states to maintain maritime security without interference of foreign states. They consider presence of foreigners a source of tensions and conflict.”

When they mention “foreign interference”, they usually keep the US in mind. Although, it is not only the US that has political, military-strategic and economic interests in the region. The EU and China have own palates. The reason why Caspian states arm themselves is terrorism, extremism, separatism and expansionism of the West. These are the new threats of the Caspian Sea. The US strategy in the Middle East remains a sensitive issue for the Caspian Sea, but the steps made in the Middle East to disrupt the balance of power by pressing on Syria may cause problems for all Caspian and Trans-Caucasus states.