Vladimir Putin Archives - Lokmarg

What Six More Years of Vladimir Putin Will Mean for the World

By Sanjoy Narayan 10th December 2023

Vladimir Putin, Russia’s President who has been in power since 1999 (for eight of those 24 years he was formally prime minister but, in effect, still called the shots), just announced that he will “contest” Russia’s presidential elections scheduled for March. The word contest is in quotes because it is almost a certainty that he will be elected President for a fifth term. Putin has no rivals or challengers of any consequence and in 2020 he amended the Russian Constitution, resetting the number of terms he has served, allowing him to contest in 2024 and 2036.

Putin is 71 now and the modification of the Constitutions effectively means that in 2036 after his next five-year term ends, he can contest again at 84 and, if he wins again, be President till he is 90. In Putin’s Russia, democracy exists only in theory.

Russia is officially a federal, democratic republic with a constitution that guarantees the rights and freedoms of its citizens. However, in reality it is an authoritarian or hybrid regime that concentrates power in the hands of Putin and suppresses dissent and opposition. According to the Economist Intelligence Unit, Russia is ranked 124th out of 167 countries in the Democracy Index, which measures the state of democracy in the world. Freedom House, a non-governmental organisation that monitors human rights and democracy, gives Russia a score of 20 out of 100 in its Freedom in the World report.

Russia has no competitive and independent political system, and the ruling party, United Russia, which backs Putin, dominates the parliament and the regional governments, and the opposition parties are either co-opted, marginalised, or repressed by the authorities.

Putin’s continuance as President obviously has big implications for geopolitics. Russia is engaged in a continuing war with Ukraine since it attacked the latter in February 2022, and the latest situation shows that it might be at an advantage because Ukraine’s counter-offensive actions have not been very successful.

Western support for Ukraine is also flagging due to the prolonged and costly conflict with Russia, the post-pandemic economic challenges, and the upcoming elections in some key countries, notably the US presidential elections next year. The total amount of aid provided or promised by the West to Ukraine since the war began is estimated to already be over $128 billion.

The West is also focused now on what happens in Israel’s conflict with the Hamas in the Middle East and this may have reprioritised the concern about the situation in Ukraine. If the West or NATO support for Ukraine wanes further, many believe that it could strengthen Putin’s ambitions to target other regions in the Baltic areas. Countries such as Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which are worried that they could be the next target of Russia’s aggression, as they have a large ethnic Russian population and a history of Soviet occupation. They are also members of NATO and the EU, which could put them in conflict with Russia’s interest.

Some other former Soviet bloc countries that could be vulnerable to Russian offensives are Belarus, Georgia and Moldova, as they have also experienced political unrest and pro-democracy movements in recent years, and have faced pressure from Russia to join its sphere of influence. However, unlike the Baltic states, they are not part of NATO or the EU, which could limit their options for defense and support.

Even Finland is aware of a potential threat from Russia. Finland has a 1340-km border with Russia and the two countries have a long and complex history of interactions, including wars and annexations to cooperation, trade partnerships, and neutrality. Finland has maintained a careful balance between the two countries, avoiding direct confrontation and seeking dialogue and cooperation. However, after Finland became a member of NATO this year and its support for Ukraine, its relations with Russia have strained.

Russia now views Finland as a hostile country. In fact, according to Finnish intelligence, Russia has already unleashed a form of hybrid war against Finland. Bypassing conventional confrontation, it has adopted other means of provoking instability: recently, Finland closed all border crossings with Russia after the latter was believed to be facilitating the entry of illegal immigrants from third countries in Africa and the Middle East into Finland; it has used cyberattacks to destabilise key Finnish official websites; and could cause disturbances in crude oil and gas pipelines that supply fuel to Finland.

Putin’s hand is also strengthened by the firmly entrenched regime of China’s supreme leader, President Xi Jingping. In March this year Xi was awarded a third five-year term as President and he is on track, like Putin, for a lifelong tenure as his country’s ruler. Xi, 70, has no rivals or challengers, and has huge ambitions of creating a new world order led by China to challenge the West’s dominance in geopolitics. He has vowed support to Putin and Russia, which he counts as China’s biggest ally.

China, Russia, and Iran could emerge as a new power triangle that is opposed to certain US foreign policies and seeks to create a new order in the world1. These three countries have recently conducted joint naval drills in the Indian Ocean, signed a 25-year cooperation deal, and expressed support for each other on various regional and global issues.

Iran, along with North Korea, Syria, and Belarus support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and China, although it remains ambivalent on the issue, views Russia as a key partner and counterbalance to the West.

A continuance of Putin’s rule in Russia will, therefore, mean that the country will remain under the influence of its powerful intelligence and security services and those will continue to shape Russia’s policies, both domestically and internationally.

It will also mean that Russia will continue to challenge the West on various fronts with cyberattacks, military interventions such as its attack and invasion of Ukraine, and human right violations. Unless Putin is forced to step down or a popular uprising against him succeeds, Russia under his leadership will continue to be a big threat in geopolitics.

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Putin-Wagner Dispute Exposes Real Crack: Blinken

By LokMarg 25th June 2023

The dispute between Russia’s President and Wagner mercenary exposed the “real crack” in Vladimir Putin’s reign, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Sunday.

To a question on whether he knew Wagner will abort his plan, Blinken in an interview with Jonathan Karl for ABC’s “This Week” said, “I don’t know, and I’m not sure we’ll fully know, or it may be something that unfolds in the coming – in the coming days and weeks. We simply don’t have a clear picture of that. And this really is fundamentally an internal matter for the Russians. We’re seeing it unfold. Again, we saw the rising tensions over several months that led to this. But exactly where this goes, we don’t know”, according to a statement released by State Department.
“But what we do know is that we’ve seen real cracks emerge – again, a direct challenge to Putin’s authority surfacing very publicly: the notion that this war, this aggression by Russia was being pursued under false pretenses; the notion that Ukraine or NATO somehow presented a threat to Russia that it had to deal with militarily. That’s now much more out in the open than it’s been. What that leads to, again, we just don’t know at this point,” he added.

On Saturday morning, Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, in a Telegram post, announced that his men had crossed the border from Ukraine into southern Russia and were ready to go “all the way” against the Russian military, TASS News Agency reported.

But later on, the governor of the southern Russian region of Voronezh said Wagner units are continuing their withdrawal and forces are departing “steadily and without incident.”

Meanwhile, in the interview, Blinken said wherever Wagner is present, death, destruction, and exploitation follow, as per the statement.

To a query on Putin’s hold on power, Blinken said, “It raises lots of questions that we don’t have answers to. As I said before, I think you see cracks of different kinds that have emerged. These are in a sense different in that it’s internal. When you’re being challenged from within, as Putin has been over the last few days, that also raises profound questions.”

“But we’ve seen, I think, lots of different cracks that have emerged in the conduct of this aggression, because everything Putin has tried to accomplish, the opposite has happened. Russia is weaker economically. It’s weaker militarily. It’s standing in the world has plummeted. It’s managed to strengthen and unite NATO. It’s managed to alienate and unite Ukrainians. It’s managed to get Europe off of its dependence on Russian energy,” he added.

“In piece after piece, issue after issue, what Putin has tried to prevent, he’s managed to precipitate. And Russia’s standing is vastly diminished as a result. Now, add to that internal dissension. Again, we can’t speculate on where this goes. We have to remain and we are focused on Ukraine, but it certainly raises new questions that he’s going to have to address,” US State Secretary said. (ANI)

Russian Mercenary Rebel Chief Says ‘We Are Patriots, Putin Mistaken’

By LokMarg 24th June 2023

Hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin slammed the Wagner group for their “armed rebellion” and vowed to punish those who were on the “path of treason”, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the mercenary group, said that the Russian President is “deeply mistaken” and the group is a patriot, the Washington Post reported.

He was referring to Putin’s remarks alleging that the Wagner group betrayed Russia by “staging hostilities” inside the country.

In an audio message posted by his press service, Prigozhin said on Saturday, “Regarding the betrayal of the motherland, the president is deeply mistaken”.

Calling Russia, a country of “corruption, deceit and bureaucracy”, he said that the group will continue to fight.

“We are patriots of our motherland, we have been fighting and continue to fight, all Wagner fighters, and no one plans to go and confess at the request of the president, the FSB [Federal Security Service] or anyone else, because we do not want the country to continue to live in corruption, deceit and bureaucracy,” the Post quoted Prigozhin.

Earlier in the day, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin in a televised address to the nation said that the “armed mutiny” by the Wagner Group is a “stab in the back” and vowed to punish those who were on the “path of treason” or anyone who takes up arms against the Russian military.

He said in a televised address, “Renegade actions against those fighting in the front is a stab in the back of our country,” CNN reported. Putin also pledged a harsh response and punishment to those who plan “an armed rebellion”.

“We will defend both our people and our statehood from any threats, including internal treachery. What we have been confronted with can be precisely called treachery. The unbounded ambitions and personal interests have led to treason and a betrayal of the country and its people,” Putin was cited by TASS.

This comes after, Prigozhin, the alleged head of the Wagner mercenary group, in a series of recordings released on social media on Saturday, announced that his troops had taken control of military facilities in two Russian cities.

Wagner on Saturday claimed to have taken control of Russian military facilities in Voronezh, including the airfield in Rostov-on-Don.

Prigozhin noted that planes that leave for combat work have no problems and the medical flights were also leaving, according to CNN. He further said, “All we did was to take control so that the attack aviation would not strike us but strike in the Ukrainian direction.” (ANI)

Putin Expected To Address Nation Soon, Says State Media

By LokMarg 24th June 2023

Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to deliver a televised address to the nation “soon,” state news agency TASS reported citing Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

“Indeed, Putin will deliver an address shortly,” Peskov said in response to a question as reported by TASS.
The news follows claims of the Wagner private military group taking military control of a Russian city, reported CNN.

Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin has said that his forces have taken control of military facilities in Rostov-on-Don and of the airfield as well.

According to the CNN, Prigozhin has in a series of messages on Telegram accused the Russian forces of striking a Wagner military camp and killing a “a huge amount” of his fighters.

A CNN report said that Prigozhin in a video posted on the Wagner official Telegram channel stated, “We are at headquarters at 7:30 a.m. Military facilities in Rostov, including the airfield are under [our] control.”

“Planes that leave for combat work leave as usual no problems. Medical flights are leaving as usual. All we did was to take control so that the attack aviation would not strike us but strike in the Ukrainian direction,” he added.

Prigozhin said he is in Rostov-on-Don and his men are not stopping the officers from carrying out their duties.

“The main headquarters, the main control point is working as normal, there are no problems. No officers have been cut off,” Prigozhin said, CNN reported.

Earlier, Prigozhin said that his men had crossed the border from Ukraine into Russia and were ready to go “all the way” against the Russian military.

As a long-running standoff between Prigozhin and the military top brass appeared to come to a head, Russia’s FSB security service opened a criminal case against him, TASS news agency said. It called on the Wagner private military company forces to ignore his orders and arrest him.

The move came not long after the Kremlin accused Prigozhin of calling for armed mutiny.

Prigozhin, whose frequent tirades on social media belie his limited role in the war as head of the Wagner private militia, has for months been openly accusing Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Russia’s top general, Valery Gerasimov, of rank incompetence and of denying his forces ammunition and support, reported CBC News.

Prigozhin urged Russians to join his forces and punish Moscow’s military leadership in the most audacious challenge to President Vladimir Putin since the start of the offensive in Ukraine last year. (ANI)

Russia Will Continue To Increase The Combat Capability Of Armed Forces: Putin

By LokMarg 22nd December 2022

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday said Russia will continue developing its military potential and boosting the combat readiness of its nuclear arsenal against the backdrop of Moscow’s offensive in Western-backed Ukraine.

“The armed forces and combat capabilities of our armed forces are increasing constantly and every day. And this process, of course, we will build upon,” Putin said during a televised meeting with his country’s high-ranking officers.
“Today, our goal is to implement the entire scope of necessary measures to achieve a qualitative renewal and improvement of the armed forces,” Putin said at an expanded meeting of the Russian Defence Ministry Board.

He ordered the military to maintain and improve the combat readiness of the nuclear triad, which is “the main guarantee that our sovereignty and territorial integrity, strategic parity and the general balance of forces in the world are preserved.”

The Russian leader highlighted the new Zircon hypersonic cruise missile, which Russian troops will be able to use beginning in January.

“In early January, the Admiral Gorshkov frigate will be equipped with the new Zircon hypersonic missile, which has no equivalent in the world,” Putin said.

He said that the level of modern armaments in Russia’s strategic nuclear forces has exceeded 91 per cent, and ‘we will carry out all of our plans’ to equip the strategic forces with the latest weapon systems.

Putin also stressed the importance of increasing the numbers of fighters and bombers operating in the zone covered by modern air defence systems and called it ‘a pressing task’ to upgrade drones.

Presenting a report at the meeting, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu proposed to increase the number of the Russian armed forces to 1.5 million servicemen, including 695,000 contract soldiers.

“It is necessary to increase the number of armed troops to 1.5 million servicemen, including 695,000 contract soldiers,” Shoigu told Putin, who ‘agreed’ with the proposals, at a defence meeting.

Shoigu also said Russian servicemen in Ukraine are fighting “the combined forces of the West” there.

Shoigu also said Moscow plans to use the two Ukrainian port cities on the Sea of Azov that its troops seized during the ongoing offensive. (ANI)

Five things that happened last week (And what to make of them)

By Sanjoy Narayan 6th November 2022

How healthy is Vladimir Putin? What happens if he dies suddenly?

As Russia’s military offensive against Ukraine enters the ninth month and shows no sign of an early end, there is speculation about whether the West (read: the US and its allies) can set the stage for negotiated settlement to the war. Given the relentless attacks by Russia that can seem far-fetched as of now but many observers feel that it could be the only logically plausible solution. But, equally, there is huge speculation about another matter: Vladimir Putin’s health.

The Russian president, who turned 70 last year, has always been portrayed as a macho strong man. Photos of him bare-chested on horses, hunting with rifles, or swimming in icy seas have conjured up an image of a physically rugged man. The fact, however, is that he may not be that.

At 5’7”, Putin is actually quite diminutive–not the big man that he is portrayed in larger than life photographs. Moreover, he may be suffering from serious health issues. According to emails purportedly leaked to the media about the Russian supreme leader’s health, Putin may be suffering from pancreatic cancer that has been spreading to other organs in his body and which could prove to be fatal. Besides, according to the emails, Putin may also be suffering from early stages of Parkinson’s disease, a brain disorder that causes unintended or uncontrollable movements, such as shaking, stiffness, and difficulty with balance and coordination. In recent photographs Putin’s hands seemed discoloured and black, further fuelling speculation about his health.

If these leaked emails are correct and if indeed Putin is suffering from health issues that can turn fatal, what could happen if he suddenly dies? Geopolitical experts are debating this question and the answer is not so obvious.

First, according to Russian law, if Putin dies or is unable to continue in office, the Federation Council or Senate will have to call for fresh presidential elections within 14 days. In the meantime, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin would become interim president. However, Mishustin is not close to Putin nor is he likely to be a candidate in case there is a fresh election for the president’s post.

Instead, many believe that Putin’s exit could see the emergence of a power struggle. Putin has been president since 2012 (and before that he was also president between 2000 and 2008). So his vice-like grip over Russia’s governance, foreign policy, and virtually everything else has been a long-lasting one. That means opposition against him is totally hobbled. And that also means there is no obvious successor to him. However, many speculate that defence minister Sergei Shoigu, 67, could be one of the most likely contenders for president in a post-Putin scenario.

Some others predict that if Putin departs, Russia’s conservative elite–including business leaders–could regroup. Many of them, at least initially, were not so happy about Putin’s decision to attack Ukraine. And many of them feel the sanctions against Russia have debilitated the economy seriously–a fact that they think Putin has not accorded enough attention to.

Although all of this is in the realm of speculation, if Putin departs, many think that with him his “historical mission” that fuelled the attack against Ukraine could also peter out.

Netanyahu’s return and what it means for Israel and the world

Benjamin “Bibi” Netyanahu has been Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, having served from 1996 to 1999 and again from 2009 to 2021. Now he has won another term by winning an absolute majority in Israel’s general elections last week. This time Netanyahu, 73, has won on the wings of a right-wing bloc, a coalition of parties whose ideologies range from Netanyahu’s own conservative Likud party, which won 32 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, to the extremist party Religious Zionists.

The significant thing is that the Religious Zionists managed to garner double the support it got in the previous elections. The Religious Zionists comprise a cocktail of extreme right-wing ideologues with their hallmarks being Jewish supremacists, anti-Arab sentiment and homophobia. Three parties make up the Religious Zionists platform: the supremacist Jewish Power (in Hebrew, Otzma Yehudit), the National Union, an alliance of smaller right-wing parties, and the anti-LGBTQ party, Noam. The Religious Zionists increased the number of seats they won from six to 14 this time and that was what gave Netanyahu victory.

Even as Netanyahu began his talks over the weekend to form a coalition government, there is no doubt that the extreme right will play a critical role in whatever configuration emerges in power. Western observers, particularly in the US, are still unsure about what this could mean. For one, it is unlikely that they would take easily to talks with ministers representing the far right with whom even Netanyahu does not share common objectives except the opposition to the creation of a separate Palestinian state.

Cut to India. Netanyahu and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi have enjoyed a rapport for years. During his previous stint as prime minister of Israel, India forged deeper bilateral ties with Israel. It is expected that the two countries will continue to build stronger ties. For India, it means trade and know-how benefits but also strategic advantages in a world where its own diplomacy has been led more by pragmatism than ideological concerns.

Kejriwal and the politics of pollution

’Tis the time of smog in Delhi. Last weekend as the Air Quality Index rose to cross 250 in Delhi, it was a sense of unwelcome deja vu for the megacity’s residents. As the weather cools down, Delhi’s air pollution levels soar. For many years now, it has also led to a blame game. The Delhi state blames the Centre for not finding a solution and vice versa.

The smog that envelops Delhi’s atmosphere is often blamed on stubble burning by Punjab farmers. Delhi’s chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has in the past blamed that and not Delhi’s own industrial emissions from factories, burgeoning traffic, and so on, for the high levels of air pollution.

Ironically, this time the shoe is on the other foot. Punjab is a state that is governed by Kejriwal’s party, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and if it is stubble-burning by that state’s farmers that is a prime cause of pollution in Delhi, is it not the responsibility of the government of that state, which is run by the AAP, to think of ways to stop that? That was the sentiment expressed by the government of Haryana, another northern state that is beleaguered by air pollution. It would be interesting to see how Kejriwal and his government in Punjab react.

Elon Musk and his ongoing saga at Twitter

Even if you’re not a big Twitter aficionado, the ongoing events at the social media platform could provide fodder for entertainment. It began recently when the billionaire considered the richest man in the world, Elon Musk (net worth: est. $203 billion) bought the platform for $44 billion.

Immediately after buying the company, Musk walked into Twitter’s headquarters in San Francisco carrying a bathroom sink and declared: “Let it sink in.” He then sacked the top four honchos at Twitter and paid them each $120 million.

That is the kind of drama that we have come to associate with the rich tycoon. Besides Twitter, Musk owns Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink, and The Boring Company, which do everything from building electric cars, building rockets and brain chips to digging tunnels.

At Twitter, Musk recently changed the descriptor of his handle (@elonmusk with 114 million followers) to Twitter Complaint Hotline Operator shortly after he faced widespread criticism of some of his announcements, chief among them was his plan to charge a fee of $8 a month for users to retain the “blue tick” that one can get for a company-verified account. The proposal has led to uproarious protests from many who feel this can enable people or organisations who use social media for trolling or propaganda to be able to “buy” credibility. Others are of the opinion that Twitter being a for-profit enterprise should be free to choose whatever business model suits it.

Meanwhile in India, Twitter fired most of its employees. Reports suggested that Twitter fired 180 of the 230 employees that it had in the country.

Is Mastodon the new Twitter?

Heard of Mastodon? No? Well, it has been around since 2016 and is a small social media network with limited success… till recently. Media reports suggest that Mastodon is seeing a rise in the number of people ditching Twitter to join the platform.

Mastodon has similar looks to Twitter’s and has gained 230,000 users since Musk bought Twitter. And although it is tiny still–with just 655,000 active users each month compared to Twitter’s daily active monetizable users numbering 238 million–social media analysts expect it to grow into a sizable niche player. Will Musk’s loss be Mastodon’s gain? We have to wait and watch.

Putin Oversees Drills Of Nuclear Forces Amid Escalating Tensions With Ukraine

By LokMarg 26th October 2022

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday monitored drills of the country’s strategic nuclear forces involving multiple practice launches of ballistic and cruise missiles, the Kremlin said.

State television showed Putin overseeing the drills from a control room.
The manoeuvres followed President Vladimir Putin’s warning about his readiness to use “all means available” to fend off attacks on Russia’s territory, in a clear reference to the country’s nuclear arsenals, reported Sky News.

The drills come amid growing fears Russia may trigger a major escalation in Ukraine.

During the exercises, the country’s nuclear forces carried out multiple practice launches of ballistic and cruise missiles, reported Sky News.

Russia’s Defence Minister, Sergei Shoigu, said that Putin had overseen the training, which he said was being held to practice delivering a “huge nuclear strike in response to an enemy nuclear strike”.

The drills saw the test-firing of a Yars land-based intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), the launch of a Sineva ICBM by a Russian nuclear submarine and the Tu-95 strategic bombers set off cruise missiles at practice targets, reported Sky News.

Meanwhile, the US said that it was notified Russia was planning to stage the routine drills and the country had complied with the terms of the nations’ last arms control agreement.

Military exercises involving land, sea and air components of the Russian nuclear triad have taken place on an annual basis to train the country’s nuclear forces and demonstrate their readiness.

Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig Gen Pat Ryder in a press briefing said, “The US was notified, and, as we’ve highlighted before, this is a routine annual exercise by Russia.”

The move comes amid Russia’s claim this week that Ukraine could use a so-called “dirty bomb” on its own territory. It is seen by analysts as a new attempt to stoke fear of nuclear escalation among Kyiv’s backers, if not a pure one and simple distraction.

Meanwhile, The US and other Western officials have dismissed Moscow’s claim that Ukraine plans to use a so-called dirty bomb as a Russian false-flag operation.

A “dirty bomb” is a conventional bomb laced with radioactive, biological or chemical materials disseminated in an explosion.

The term is often used interchangeably with radiological dispersal device (RDD), a bomb where radioactive materials are used.

In a joint statement, the US, France and Britain — three of the other nuclear powers on the United Nations Security Council — said Sunday that Russia’s claims were “transparently false”.

They and Kyiv suspect that Russia might use a dirty bomb in a “false flag” attack, possibly to justify Moscow’s use of conventional nuclear weapons as it finds itself on the back foot in eastern and southern Ukraine.

Russia on Tuesday also flagged allegations to the UN Security Council that Ukraine is preparing to use a “dirty bomb” on its own territory.

Under the New START Treaty, Russia is obliged to provide advance notification of such missile launches.

New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) was the last remaining arms reduction pact between the former Cold War rivals and caps 1,550 the number of nuclear warheads that can be deployed by Russia and the United States of America. (ANI)

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Xi Jinping Elected Chinese President For 3rd Term

Chinese Prez Xi Is All Set For Third Term With Greater Powers

By LokMarg 22nd October 2022

Chinese President Xi Jinping is all set to start his unprecedented third term with an even greater concentration of power as he is retiring top Chinese Communist Party leaders to make way for his own allies.

The once-in-five-year National Congress will be concluded on Saturday. The Congress revealed the newly-formed Central Committee, the party’s main leadership body. Of the 205 members listed, only 11 are women. Xi’s name is included in the list of new Central Committee members, reported CNN.
The newly-formed Central Committee will select a new slate of top leaders and Xi is also expected to be appointed as CCP’s general secretary on Sunday.

The Chinese Premier, the second most powerful official after Xi, is not listed in the new Central Committee, which means that Li will retire from his party role.

At the closing ceremony of the Chinese national Congress, the Communist Party claimed Taiwan as its territory, despite the fact that they have never controlled it, reported CNN.

Meanwhile, today, during the closing ceremony of the National Congress, former Chinese president Hu Jintao was unexpectedly escorted out of the ‘Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Hu Jintao, 79, was removed by unnamed Chinese Communist Party (CCP) agents during today’s closing ceremony of the congress, which is held once in five years.

The reason is unclear as to why the Chinese leader was removed, and more details were awaited.

However, information about such incidents is rarely revealed by China.

As Hu was being removed, the former leader looked at Xi Jinping and had a conversation that was not audible to the cameras that captured the moment.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang was also seen next to Xi, who also remained stone-faced and did not react as the former Chinese president was being removed.

According to a Reuters report, the Chinese Communist Party amended its constitution to make Xi Jinping the “Core” of its party. It is now expected that Xi Jinping will remain the final authority in China.

Tomorrow, the new members of the party’s Standing Committee will make their first appearance in the “Great Hall of the People,” where the entire 20th National congress took place, and is expected to confirm Xi’s step into a norm-breaking third term and cement his place as China’s most powerful leader in decades, according to CNN.

The congress is taking place at one of the most perilous periods in international affairs in recent years. A war is raging in Ukraine as President Vladimir Putin attempts to burnish his credentials as a great Russian leader, and China remains a staunch supporter of this would-be tsar.

At the same time, Taiwan Strait tensions are at their highest in decades, as China attempts to pummel Taipei into acquiescence. (ANI)

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ICC Issues Arrest Warrant Against Putin Over Alleged War Crimes In Ukraine

Putin Declares Martial Law In Annexed Regions Of Ukraine

By LokMarg 19th October 2022

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday announced the imposition of martial law in four areas of Ukraine that Russia announced it had annexed last month.

The four regions occupied by Russia are Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia. Putin made these comments during a security council meeting, CNN reported.
“In this regard, let me remind you that in the Donetsk People’s Republic, the Luhansk People’s Republic, as well as in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, martial law was in effect before joining Russia,” Putin said during a televised address.

“Now we need to formalize this regime within the framework of Russian legislation,” he said, adding that a decree of martial law in these four regions of the Russian Federation has been introduced formally and will be immediately sent to the Federation Council, CNN reported.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Russian leaders in the annexed regions started relocating people in huge numbers amid global condemnation.

After Russia annexed four Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhia, concerns have sparked globally that Moscow could resort to nuclear weapons.

Putin formally announced the annexation of four regions – Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhia recently and claimed that “this is the will of millions of people,” according to CNN.

Putin said the residents in the four annexed regions will now be Russia’s “citizens forever”.

Russia’s annexation has sparked wide criticism from around the world. The United States announced that it will impose a “swift and severe cost” on Russia.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the “United States unequivocally rejects Russia’s fraudulent attempt to change Ukraine’s internationally recognized borders.”

After Putin’s formal announcement of the annexation of the said four regions, western leaders condemned it, termed it “illegal” and vowed that they will “never recognize” these areas. (ANI)

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China Tightens Grip Over Tibet Amid Ongoing 20th National Party Congress

By LokMarg 19th October 2022

Amid the ongoing 20th National Party Congress, Beijing has started reinforcing tight control over the highly surveilled Tibet autonomous region and the authorities continue to increase their repression in the name of the Zero-Covid policy.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping opened the ruling Communist Party’s twice-a-decade National Congress on Sunday. Regional experts say that Chairman Xi Jinping will undoubtedly extend his term in power for another five years, according to Tibet Rights Collective.
He will either be re-elected as general secretary of the CCP or will be newly elected as chairman of the CCP, a title that has lain dormant since 1982 and was once the highest position ever held by Mao Zedong. The congress is taking place at one of the most perilous periods in international affairs in recent years. A war is raging in Ukraine as President Vladimir Putin attempts to burnish his credentials as a great Russian leader, and China remains a staunch supporter of this would-be tsar.

Meanwhile, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)’s atrocities in Tibet continue to take place as minorities are at the receiving end of the repressive Chinese government policies, especially the Uyghurs.

Recently, a new Human Rights Watch report pointed towards DNA collection drives by CCP among Tibetans in and outside Tibetan Autonomous Region from children as young as five years old without consent which clearly explains the possible implications of Xi Jinping’s re-election on Tibet and Tibetans.

Moreover, Beijing’s quest to sinicize Tibetan Buddhism in compliance with Chinese policies, which they refer to as “Socialism with Chinese Characteristics” also explains how the election of the Chinese premier for the third term will prove for Tibet.

In 2021, Xi Jinping made an unannounced visit to Tibet and was the first Chinese President to do so in 30 years. Not only this, but he also visited the region during his vice-presidency, to mark the 60 years since the Communist takeover, and gave an aggressive speech from Potala Palace, promising to “smash anyone who attempts to destabilize Tibet, according to Tibet Rights Collective.

Also, when Xi Jinping began his second term without designating a successor as party leader, China scrapped the two-term limit on the presidency, paving the way for Xi to rule for life if he chooses.

Since China illegally occupied Tibet in the 1950s, the brutality of the Chinese Communist government on the people of Tibet started and turned the lives of the Tibetan people into a living hell.

The lack of basic human rights is also an issue that has been raised on every occasion to gain the attention that it deserves on international platforms. But sadly, it has never been considered a case worthy of being seriously taken up by organizations such as the United Nations. (ANI)

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