18 Apr, 2023 15:54

Russian envoy slams Die Welt over ‘kill Putin’ quote

The German outlet cited a US columnist claiming the “easiest way” to end the Ukraine conflict was to kill Vladimir Putin

Germany’s Die Welt daily “hit rock bottom” in its anti-Russian zeal last week, the Russian ambassador to Berlin, Sergey Nechaev, said on Monday, in response to an interview withAmerican columnist Fred Kaplanin which he said the “easiest way” to end the Ukraine conflict is for someone to “kill Putin.”

Die Welt has left “this de facto call for murder”unredactedand uncommented on and even used it as a headline, Nechaev wrote in a damning post published on the embassy’s Telegram account. The envoy was apparently referring to Die Welt’s Twitter account, which used the “killing” quote to draw attention to the interview with Kaplan on its social media.

“It is unfortunate that some German media keep crossing all the lines and hitting rock bottom,” the ambassador said, adding that “although this is outrageous, it is no longer surprising.”

Kaplan made the statement in response to Die Welt’s question about the “most plausible scenarios” of ending the military conflict between Moscow and Kiev, which has now been ongoing for now than a year.

“The easiest way for this to end is for someone to kill Putin,” Kaplan stated, adding that a “new leader” could them come to power, who would declare Russia’s military operation in Ukraine “a folly” and gain the support of the Russian elites to end the conflict. The American journalist and political scientist said he does not believe that Moscow will prevail, adding that otherwise the conflict could last “for years”and potentially end with an agreement that would involve the US and China as “guarantors.”

The US columnist also admitted thatKiev is fully dependent on US aidand that a halt to this assistance might force the Ukrainian government to “strike a deal” with Moscow. “Without the US assistance, it [Ukraine] would not last long,” he said.

Die Welt’s choice of a quote has also been met with criticism on social media. One person accused the outlet of being “no longer above … an incitement to murder.” “Is it a call for murder?” another person asked, warning that killing the Russian president could also bring “hardliners” to power in Russia, potentially putting the world on the brink of a nuclear war.

The German media outlet has not commented on the criticism so far. Neither the text of the interview nor the Twitter post has been altered in any way as of the time of this writing.

https://www.rt.com/russia/574952-envoy-german-media-kill-putin/

18 Apr, 2023 15:45

Kremlin reveals details of Putin’s surprise visit to troops

Spokesman Dmitry Peskov also explained why the country’s top military officials had not accompanied the president

President Vladimir Putin’s unannounced trip to command posts and Russian troops in Kherson Region and the Lugansk People’s Republic took place on Monday, his spokesman has confirmed. Top military officials took part remotely in working meetings with the Russian leader, Dmitry Peskov added.

The Kremlin spokesperson provided new details about the visit, which was first reported on Tuesday morning, in response to multiple questions by journalists.

There was previously some confusion about the date of the inspection, as Putin mentioned Easter while presenting troops with an Orthodox icon. Orthodox Christians marked the holy day last Sunday, but Putin’s remark that Easter was “ongoing” was a reference to a wider celebration that is traditionally observed for 40 days, Peskov explained.

The spokesman also discussed the absences of Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu and the chief of the General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, in the footage of Putin’s visit. Both officials joined the president via video link as he chaired working meetings at the military headquarters, Peskov explained.

“It’s hardly appropriate for the commander-in-chief, the minister of defense, and the chief of the General Staff to gather in one placeand present such a temptation for the enemy. And, of course, this is a big risk,” the Kremlin spokesman added.

Peskov declined to comment on whether Putin was satisfied with the state of the troops in the two regions, which joined Russia following referendums last year. Inspecting troops is “a routine job of the commander-in-chief,” the presidential spokesman remarked, adding that reporting details about military affairs was the prerogative of the Defense Ministry.

However, Peskov did identify the icon which Putin had brought with him as a gift, explaining that the president had two copies from the original, ‘Savior not made by hands’ – one for soldiers in each region that he visited.The original icon was presented by Russian Emperor Alexander IIIto his war minister, Pyotr Vannovsky, and is due to be sent to the main cathedral of the Russian military, Peskov said.

Vannovsky was credited by Peskov for leading the ministry during the “active formation and development of our armed forces.” The Kiev-born commander and statesman headed the Russian War Ministry between 1881 and 1898. He later served as public education minister for several months, after the previous incumbent of the office was assassinated by a revolutionary gunman.

https://www.rt.com/russia/574935-putin-troops-visit-details/

10 Apr, 2023 16:17

Germany hosts wife of Ukrainian neo-Nazi regiment commander – media

Ekaterina Prokopenko took part in a panel discussion hosted by Berlin, Junge Welt has reported

The German Foreign Ministry extended a warm welcome to Ekaterina Prokopenko, the wife ofnotorious Ukrainian neo-Nazi Azov regiment commander Denis Prokopenko,when she took part in a panel discussion last week, media outlet Junge Welt (jW) has reported.

Prokopenko appeared at an event hosted by the ministry which discussed the “burden imposed on Ukrainian society by Russia’s aggression,” jW reported at the weekend. In response to a request to comment, the ministry told the outlet that the event had covered the “situation with Ukrainian soldiers in Russian captivity.”

Prokopenko alsomet with several prominent German politicians in Berlin, including Knut Abraham, who is a member of the Bundestag’s Foreign Policy Committee. The first Ukrainian-born member of the Berlin parliament, Lilia Usik, and a former MP from the Greens party, Marieluise Beck, were also among those to welcome her.

Beck, who leads a think tank dubbed ‘Zentrum Liberale Moderne’ (The Center for Liberal Modernity), posted a joint photo with Prokopenko on her Twitter account. The politician praised her Ukrainian guest as a “charming and a very creative young woman,”while referring toher husband as a “teacher who fought together with Azov [regiment] for life in freedom.”

Denis Prokopenko took over command of the notorious Azov regiment in 2017. The infamous unit originated as a right-wing Ukrainian nationalist militia, which coalesced after the 2014 armed coup in Kiev. The post-coup government deployed the regiment to suppress the rebellion in Donbass. Later that same year, the unit was formally incorporated into the newly-formed National Guard by the Ukrainian Interior Ministry.

Many members of the Azov regiment espouse neo-Nazi ideology. The unit initially used the Wolfsangel – an emblem adopted by several Wehrmacht and SS Units of Nazi Germany – as its symbol. Prokopenko fought with the unit from its inception in 2014.

The regiment commander surrendered to Russian troops together with fellow Azov fighters in spring 2022, following the months-long siege of the Azovstal steel plant – the final battleground in the fight for Mariupol, a Black Sea port city in the Donetsk People’s Republic. In September, Prokopenko was released by Russia along with several other senior Azov regiment officers as part of a major prisoner exchange.

Five Azov commanders, including Prokopenko, will remain in Türkiye until the end of the conflict under an agreement struck by Moscow, Kiev, and Ankara. Meanwhile, Ekaterina Prokopenko has founded the ‘Association of the families of the Azovstal Defenders’ to collect donations for those who have returned from Russian captivity and their relatives.

Last week, the association confirmed that Prokopenko had held “several working meetings” in Germany, including with the Foreign Ministry, where she was promised aid in various fields.

(Germany acknowledging their long hidden brotherhood with Nazis!)

https://www.rt.com/news/574495-germany-host-wife-azov-commander/

18 Apr, 2023 14:13

Zelensky army stunt upset UN chief – WaPo

Secretary General Antonio Guterres was “unpleasantly surprised” when President Zelensky had him pose with Ukrainian soldiers during a visit in March

President Vladimir Zelensky ambushed UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres with a surprise ceremony in Kiev during which the Ukrainian leader awarded medals to female soldiers, the Washington Post has reported, citingalleged US eavesdropping on the UN chief.

Guterres’ reaction to the incident, which took place during his visit to the Ukrainian capital on March 8, was described in one of the slides purportedly leaked by a US National Guardsman who had access to classified US intelligence. The secretary general apparently discussed his experience privately with his spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

Zelensky “sprung the event” on Guterres, the newspaper said. The president’s aides later spun it to imply that the UN chief was “congratulating military personnel on one side of the Russia-Ukraine war.”

Guterres“emphasized that he made a point of not smiling the entire time,” according to the US document purporting to describe the conversation.

Footage of the ceremony, which took place on International Women’s Day, indeed shows Guterres maintaining an expressionless face as Zelensky awarded decorations to uniformed female troops. He offered a small nod and a brief smile to the ladies as he shook their hands while standing on the stage alongside the Ukrainian leader.

Dujarric confirmed to the Post that his boss was “unpleasantly surprised” by the event, to which he did not consent in advance.

Washington’s apparent snooping on the UN leaderfits a long record of clandestine activities by the US and other Western powers, the Post noted. Last week, a BBC report based on another slide from the same trove described the US’ displeasure with efforts undertaken by Guterres to deliver on his promise to Russia to facilitate exports of its food and fertilizers.

The pledge was part of the so-called Black Sea Initiative, which allowed Ukrainian grain to be shipped out by sea. The UN chief's attempts to deliver on the promise were “undermining broader efforts to hold Moscow accountable for its actions in Ukraine,” the slide said.

Dujarric commented on the BBC report, stating that Guterres was “not surprised by the fact that people are spying on him and listening in on his private conversations.”

“What is surprising is the malfeasance or incompetence that allows for such private conversations to be distorted and become public,” he added.

https://www.rt.com/russia/574930-guterres-zelensky-ceremony-medals/