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Independent researcher/writer based in Hong Kong since 1997. Reformed academic. My long-form, analytical articles are collected here https://laura-ruggeri.medium.com/ email: lauraru852@yandex.ru
A terrorist attack kills the Deputy Chief of the General Staff’s Main Operations Directorate, Yaroslav Moskalik, just when Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, arrives in Moscow for negotiations with Vladimir Putin. I can think of a country that would stop at nothing in order to derail these negotiations and works closely with Ukrainian terrorists.
According to Baza Telegram channel, the last owner of the car that exploded in Balashikha, near Moscow, is Ignat Kuzin, a native of Sumy, in Ukraine.
He bought the Volkswagen Golf in early February 2025 from the previous owner. @LauraRuHK
September 2024, thousands of handheld pagers and hundreds of walkie-talkies exploded simultaneously in two separate events across Lebanon and Syria killing dozens of innocent civilians and injuring thousands more in markets, schools, hospitals... A few weeks later Netanyahu admitted Israel's responsibility. Now the genocidal entity is honoring the Mossad operatives behind these terrorist attacks. Makes sense. The Zionist entity has been a terrorist state since its inception. @LauraRuHK
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I am occasionally impressed by my compatriots' knack for creative accounting. The Italian government intends to reclassify as "military" existing civilian infrastructure and expenditure to reach NATO's defense spending target of 2 percent of GDP. However, Rome may still have to buy some new American weapons systems to appease Washington. The push for rearmament in Europe is hugely unpopular in Italy. @LauraRuHK 👉https://www.politico.eu/article/italy-harbors-private-doubts-over-hitting-2-percent-nato-limit/
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CUI PRODEST? In Kashmir a terrorist attack killed 26 people and injured 19 more. An obscure "rent-a-terrorist" group, the "Kashmir Resistance," claimed responsibility for the attack at the tourist resort of Pahalgam. India's prime minister, Narendra Modi, cut short a two-day visit to Saudi Arabia (India and Saudia Arabia are BRCS members) and returned to New Delhi on Wednesday morning to hold an urgent meeting with his national security adviser, the foreign minister and other senior officials.
India is currently hosting US Vice President JD Vance, who arrived on Monday and is scheduled to leave on Thursday. This attack risks triggering sectarian violence in the region, which could further complicate relations between India and Muslim countries. @LauraRuHK
🇺🇸🇨🇳Martedì Donald Trump ha cominciato a fare un passo indietro e a moderare i toni, affermando che i dazi sulle merci cinesi “non rimarranno al 145%” e che “scenderanno sostanzialmente, ma non saranno pari a zero”. Il Segretario al Tesoro americano Scott Bessent, dal canto suo, ha sottolineato che la guerra commerciale è “insostenibile” e che gli Stati Uniti hanno bisogno di una “de-escalation”. Non appena la Casa Bianca ha accennato ad un ammorbidimento della sua posizione sui dazi, i titoli di Wall Street hanno fatto un balzo.
È chiaro che prima o poi l'amministrazione Trump cederà sotto la pressione - quando i segnali di deterioramento dell'economia statunitense diventeranno impossibili da ignorare. La Cina da parte sua non mostra alcuna fretta o intenzione di concludere un accordo in tempi brevi. L'umore prevalente sembra essere “lasciamo che Washington maceri nel suo brodo e si renda conto dei suoi errori”.
@LauraRuHK
I'd better go back to the jewellery store and get my ring.😉 JP Morgan sees gold prices crossing the $4,000 per ounce milestone next year, following increased recession probabilities amid boosted U.S. tariffs and an ongoing U.S.-China trade war.
The bank now expects gold prices to reach an average of $3,675/oz by 4Q25, on the way towards above $4,000/oz by 2Q26, with risks skewed towards an earlier overshoot of these forecasts if demand surpasses its expectations.
"Underpinning our forecast for gold prices heading towards $4,000/oz next year is continued strong investor and central bank gold demand averaging around 710 tonnes a quarter on net this year," the bank noted.
Spot gold, which has gained 29% and hit 28 record highs this year, touched the $3,500 per ounce milestone for the first time on Tuesday. (Source: Reuters) @LauraRuHK
The EU and the UK are gearing up to impose a naval blockade on Russia, Nikolay Patrushev, a senior aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, has said. He warned that Moscow has a fleet powerful enough to respond to any such move.
In an interview published on Monday by Kommersant, Patrushev, who chairs Russia’s Maritime Board, a body which oversees national policy in this domain, stated that Moscow is facing escalating threats and challenges at sea amid growing geopolitical tensions.
“The collective West no longer hides its intentions to expel our shipping from the seas, while sanctions plans mulled, for example, by the British and some EU members increasingly resemble a maritime blockade,” he said.
Patrushev warned that these steps would “meet an adequate and proportionate response” from Moscow. “If diplomatic or legal instruments do not take effect, the security of Russian shipping will be ensured by our navy. The hotheads in London or Brussels need to clearly understand this,” he said. (Source: RT) @LauraRuHK
Buona Pasqua! Счастливой Пасхи! Happy Easter to all those who celebrate. Thank you for reaching out to me. I am neither on holiday nor incapacitated. I haven't updated the channel because i am busy writing a long article that requires all my concentration and mental energy — at the best of times these are scarce resources. Even more so when i have to prepare for my next trip to Russia.
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The Militarisation of European Consciousness: An ‘Enemy at the Gates’ as a Way to Unite Society
On April 15, the Valdai Club hosted an expert discussion titled “The Radicalisation of European Society as a Response to Global Challenges”.
Anton Bespalov, the moderator of the discussion, noted that in the countries of not only the Global South, but also the Global North, the question of what Europe really wants regularly arises. What is the reason for the irreconcilable position of European elites at the national and supranational levels on the Ukrainian crisis, which is becoming increasingly radical against the backdrop of the crisis in the European economy and the weakening of transatlantic ties? Could it be that there is no “mysterious European soul”, and remilitarisation is only a way to overcome the crisis and increase social cohesion?
“Just recently, Europe celebrated the ‘end of history’ and claimed the laurels of a world symbol of economic prosperity, humanism and democracy,” said Vladislav Maslennikov, Director of the Department of European Problems at the Russian Foreign Ministry. – Today, even the most convinced Eurocentrists recognise the critical processes in the European community and the existence of systemic internal socio-economic problems.” Moreover, these problems are largely caused by the European Union’s move to curtail trade and economic relations with Russia. The policy of sanctions pressure and refusal to make use of Russian energy resources and other goods has hit the European economy, contributing to the deindustrialisation of Europe. Critical phenomena in the economy have led to an exacerbation of social contradictions.
Anatol Lieven, Senior Researcher at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Public Administration (United Kingdom), pointed out the deep gap between the rhetoric of European elites and their plans. Statements about a “state of war with Russia” have become commonplace, but at the same time, society is clearly not ready for collective sacrifices. If peace in Ukraine can be achieved, a significant part of this radical impulse will disappear. The idea of reindustrialising Europe through defence spending has come to the fore. The strategy of the current Western European elite will be based on attempts to unite the population using a military spending programme, mobilisation and the fight against the opposition put forward by Russian agents. Thus, the tectonic shift in European politics, although partly caused by the conflict in Ukraine, is primarily generated by changes in the economy. Ultimately, according to Lieven, some kind of compromise with Russia will be inevitable.
Alexander Kamkin, Senior Researcher at the Sector for Analysis of Political Change and Identity at the Primakov Institute of World Economy and International Relations outlined the situation in Germany. He identified the following key trends: remilitarisation, both material and mental, the search for a proper place in the foreign policy sphere, the adoption of a new migration picture, and the “Russian question”, which has become the main one in political discourse. According to Kamkin, a paradox has emerged in German politics: the most radical Russophobes and militarists are now not Alternative for Germany, but parties that were previously considered pacifist and moderate. At present, the course towards radicalisation and the remilitarisation of consciousness is actually being pursued by the ruling coalition. https://valdaiclub.com/events/posts/articles/the-militarisation-of-european-consciousness-an-enemy-at-the-gates/
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova sees the European Union's threat to reject Serbia’s bid to join the union if the country’s leader Aleksandar Vucic comes to the Victory Day Parade in Moscow as "Euronazism."
"If this is the case, then Euronazism is being revived before our eyes," she said. "80 years ago, this is how the fascists forced those who were considered ‘second-class citizens’ to abandon their homeland, ethnicity, and faith."
"The theatre of the absurd. For more than a decade now, these two words have characterized most of the events, steps, and statements that we hear and see from the so-called collective West and all those who pledge loyalty to it,"
"You said Zelensky stated that he was ready or could invite representatives of the European Union countries or heads of the European Union countries to Kiev for the event, probably on May 8, yes, they will celebrate, not on the 9th, or what?
After all, earlier he said that it was precisely on the 8th that Memorial Day should be marked in solidarity with the countries of the European Union. Am I wrong? After all, this very regime, this very Zelensky, was sailing full speed away from May 9, rejecting it, marginalizing this sacred date, inventing narratives associated with how it should be celebrated in Europe—what they call Western Europe. And he was sailing with all sails set in the direction of May 8."
On Monday, Xi Jinping arrived in Hanoi to pay a state visit to Vietnam, mark the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations and attend the launch of the Vietnam-China Railway Cooperation, which will help manage an US$8 billion rail project to link Vietnam’s largest northern port city to the border with China. Not only is China the largest trading partner of Vietnam, and one of its biggest foreign investors, Vietnam has also become an important link in the international supply chain. It is a manufacturing powerhouse and a key route for Chinese exports. Xi, and his Vietnamese counterpart To Lam, witnessed the signing of dozens of agreements covering areas such as connectivity, artificial intelligence, customs inspection and quarantine, agricultural product trade, culture and sports, people's livelihood, human resources development, and media. ▪️At a time when the region is faced with a potential disruption of global trade due to Trump's tariffs, Xi urged Vietnam and China to “resolutely safeguard the multilateral trading system, stable global industrial and supply chains, and open and cooperative international environment”.
He also reiterated that a “trade war and tariff war will produce no winner, and protectionism will lead nowhere.” The message certainly resonated with Vietnam: the US is its biggest export market and Trump has recently imposed a 46 per cent tariff on Vietnamese goods.
Today Xi Jinping will continue his South-East Asia tour by visiting Malaysia and later Cambodia. @LauraRuHK
Lavrov: la Russia ha la conferma che a Sumy c'era una "riunione" di comandanti delle Forze Armate ucraine con i loro colleghi occidentali.
Il ministro degli Esteri russo ha dichiarato che in città ci sono militari dei paesi della NATO e che guidano direttamente le operazioni militari.
Lo ha dichiarato il ministro degli Esteri russo Sergei Lavrov in un'intervista al quotidiano Kommersant, riferendosi all'attacco missilistico russo di ieri. (Fonte: TASS) @LauraRuHK
Uncontrolled development of artificial intelligence (AI) in the United States could result in tragic consequences and may turn into a catastrophe for all humanity, Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui told TASS.
"And what is happening in the United States? There, the development of artificial intelligence is largely determined by profit-driven interests. To maintain its dominance, the US has left AI unchecked, which leads to tragic consequences," the ambassador noted. "Since 2024, there have been more cases of AI chatbots developed by US companies encouraging teenagers to commit suicide. In early 2025, the world was shocked by the news of the Cybertruck explosion in Las Vegas, the first-ever [attack] planned using ChatGPT. This incident clearly demonstrates that the uncontrolled development of technology can turn into a disaster for human civilization," Zhang said.
China regards security as a fundamental principle of AI development, "emphasizing the priority of ethical norms and the need to keep AI under control and channel its development with a view to benefit mankind," the diplomat stressed. (Source: TASS) @LauraRuHK
Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin tells RIA Novosti that the EU decided to impose sanctions against him, banning him from entering EU countries. Earlier on Wednesday, Vulin told the European Parliament that Serbia will never go to war with Russia in exchange for EU membership. He said Serbia for 20 years has been fulfilling "every wish and demand" of the EU but was told the bloc will admit Ukraine and Moldova as next members, even though they haven’t yet met a single condition to join.
He also rejected a chance of Serbia imposing sanctions on Russia. Serbia will not "do something so low as imposing sanctions on Russia because of a conflict that could have been avoided if you had just respected the Minsk Agreement."
He also told TASS that Brussels had devised a plan to overthrow Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic with the support of Western intelligence services. @LauraRuHK
The Times' article highlights Britain's central role in the proxy war in Ukraine, from training Ukrainian forces to orchestrating military operations, from supplying weapons and intelligence to acting as the glue for the Western crusade against Russia and the motivational coach for Kiev. The Brits recklessly pushed, and continue to push, for an escalation of the conflict. The U.S. is depicted as a major arms provider but hesitant to fully commit. London doesn't hide its irritation with Washington, accused of stepping back. But signs of a strained relation between the two allies were visible even before Trump took office. According to The Times, Admiral Radakin was the person keeping the US on side, and the Biden administration leaning into Ukraine despite its reluctance.
Though I, and other researchers, have repeatedly highlighted London's role in fueling Ukraine's devastation, aiding and abetting terrorist attacks, whitewashing war crimes, radicalizing public opinion both inside and outside Ukraine through media campaigns, it's not clear why the British newspaper, known for being the voice of the establishment, would publish such an article now. It could possibly signal a widening rift with Washington and/or an attempt to 'normalize' British involvement in Ukraine and prepare public opinion for an even deeper involvement. @LauraRuHK https://www.thetimes.com/article/27dc780e-baf3-4a4c-963e-e40a511dbd23?shareToken=ea03d5cf677015c868a34aa1dcc9f302
Vladimir Putin would not be at risk of being arrested in Italy under an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant, as officials never completed the procedures required to make it valid. The failure to file the necessary paperwork is not likely to have been the result of an oversight or a coincidence, La Repubblica reported, suggesting instead a “political choice.”
The decision reflects the Italian government’s position that heads of state and government are protected from prosecution. Diplomatic immunity does not apply to the other Russian officials mentioned in the ICC warrants. Nevertheless, neither the Russian president nor other officials and commanders are likely to travel to Italy, as some are subject to personal EU sanctions. Despite this, Russian Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova is set to travel to Italy to attend the funeral of Pope Francis, according to the Kremlin. (Source: RT) @LauraRuHK
Sul Corriere della Sera il sud-est dell'Ucraina diventa "sud-est asiatico". Meraviglie dell'Intelligenza Artificiale o della deficienza umana? @LauraRuHK
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This article is for dreamers and pragmatists. /channel/italiabrics/813
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Officials from the US, Europe, and Ukraine were unable to hold a meeting in London to discuss the Ukraine issue because they had failed to bring their positions closer, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said at a briefing.
"As far as we understand, they have been unable to align their positions on some issues, which is why the meeting did not take place," he noted.
Peskov also pointed out that the London meeting was supposed to give the US "an opportunity to continue its mediation efforts."
According to the Daily Telegraph, the US planned to present a seven-point settlement plan at the London meeting, which included Washington’s recognition of Russia’s sovereignty over Crimea. However, Vladimir Zelensky rejected the option on Tuesday, after which, according to the New York Times, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called off his trip to the UK. (Source: TASS) @LauraRuHK
On Tuesday, Donald Trump dialed back his rhetoric, stating that tariffs on Chinese goods “will not be as high as 145 per cent” and that “they’ll come down substantially, but won’t be zero”. While US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the trade war is "unsustainable" and the US needs a "de-escalation". As soon as The White House hinted at softening its stance on tariffs against China Wall Street stocks jumped.
It's clear that sooner or later the Trump administration will cave under pressure as signs of a deterioration in the US economy become impossible to dismiss. China, on the other hand, is showing no urgency and no intention to rush into a deal anytime soon. 'Let Washington come to its senses' seems to be the prevalent mood. @LauraRuHK
What a difference a day makes. With my birthday coming up, last night i took a picture of this ring. Today i walked into the jewellery store...and then walked out. Without the ring. 😅
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Today is Tin Hau festival and local fishermen are having a blast: dragon boat races, lion dances, music, copious amounts of food and beer, Cantonese opera...
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The US will seek to force the EU to choose between the US and China on trade, according to briefings circulated to senior ministers and officials.
The overall US strategy is to decouple from China, and any country wishing to have a trade deal with the US will also have to distance itself from Beijing. ▪️The Europeans have already experienced deep economic trauma because of cutting off Russia. They cannot imagine cutting off China. Expect more strong arm tactics. ▪️In 2023 the Biden administration, during Von der Leyen's visit to Washington, had tried to cajole the EU into linking arms to confront China. Right on cue the European Commission initiated its "anti-subsidy investigation" into Chinese electric vehicles at the end of 2023 and introduced tariffs in July 2024. The US had also persuaded European policy makers to apply export restrictions to the high tech sector. For example, ASML, a Dutch maker of semiconductor production equipment, was forced to suspend the export to China of EUV lithography machines. The EU is also developing a bloc-wide export control system to limit technology transfers to China, especially in high-tech sectors like semiconductors, AI, and quantum computing, which makes little sense considering EU countries lag behind China in these fields. @LauraRuHK
The 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, celebrated on May 9, 2025, in Moscow, has several confirmed heads of state attending, according to recent reports.
Robert Fico, Slovakia
Aleksandar Vučić, Serbia
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Brazil
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Kazakhstan
Mahmoud Abbas, Palestine
Xi Jinping, China
Narendra Modi, India
Alexander Lukashenko, Belarus
Nikol Pashinyan, Armenia
Emomali Rahmon, Tajikistan
Miguel Diaz-Canel, Cuba
Milorad Dodik, Republika Srpska
Tô Lâm, Vietnam
Ibrahim Traore, Burkina Faso
Sadir Japarov, Kyrgyzstan
Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Uzbekistan
Smoke and mirrors - I asked Grok two questions "How many X accounts are bots?" and "How much of non-bots content is AI-generated?"
Obviously this state of affair is not limited to X/Twitter. Bots and AI-generated content have flooded all social media platforms, follower counts are artificially inflated, while real users are increasingly frustrated and disillusioned. And i am not even talking about censorship and shadow-bans, as i have already done so ad nauseam. Bots and undeclared AI undermine real engagement drowning out original content. Algorithms amplify these trends.
Several authors i respect and whose content always provide intellectual stimulation have left social media platforms and erased their profiles to concentrate on their writing and real life interactions. Though I haven't followed their example yet, I now limit the time I spend online to a bare minimum and dedicate myself to healthier and more rewarding pursuits than feeding the Moloch. @LauraRuHK
The bipartisan consensus, which has solidified over the past decade, frames China as the lead villain in trade and tech, and as the United States’ primary geopolitical rival. The narrative about the imaginary genocide of Uyghurs and Tibetans, and the rhetoric about repression in Hong Kong, are co-authored by both parties.
Trump is just less interested in moralizing and seeking allies than the Dems. In his impatience to show results before midterms, he is tripping over the stage props while trying to stage a play featuring China as the wicked dragon. Unsurprisingly, the audience isn’t impressed.
Lavrov: Russia has factual information that in Sumy there was a "meeting" of the Armed Forces of Ukraine with their Western colleagues. The Russian Foreign Minister said that NATO military personnel are in the city and are directly in charge.
Moscow has confirmed that there was another "gathering" of Ukrainian military leaders with their Western counterparts at the facility hit by the Russian strike in Sumy. This was stated by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in an interview with the newspaper Kommersant. (Source: TASS) @LauraRuHK
Il vice primo ministro serbo Aleksandar Vulin ha dichiarato a RIA Novosti che l'UE ha deciso di imporre sanzioni nei suoi confronti, vietandogli l'ingresso nei Paesi dell'Unione. Mercoledì scorso Vulin aveva dichiarato al Parlamento europeo che la Serbia non entrerà mai in guerra con la Russia in cambio dell'adesione all'UE. Ha detto che la Serbia per 20 anni ha soddisfatto “ogni desiderio e richiesta” dell'UE, ma gli è stato detto che il blocco ammetterà l'Ucraina e la Moldavia come prossimi membri, anche se non hanno ancora soddisfatto una sola condizione per entrare.
Vulin aveva anche respinto la richiesta di imporre sanzioni alla Russia. La Serbia non “non scenderà così in basso da imporre sanzioni alla Russia a causa di un conflitto che si sarebbe potuto evitare se solo aveste rispettato gli accordi di Minsk”.
Ha inoltre dichiarato alla TASS che Bruxelles ha elaborato un piano per rovesciare il presidente serbo Aleksandar Vucic con il sostegno dei servizi segreti occidentali.
@LauraRuHK
Oggi il Times ha pubblicato un articolo che mette in luce il ruolo centrale della Gran Bretagna nella guerra per procura in Ucraina, dall'addestramento delle forze ucraine al coordinamento delle operazioni militari, dalla fornitura di armi, consulenza strategica e intelligence al ruolo di collante della crociata occidentale contro la Russia e di coach motivazionale per il regime di Kiev. I britannici hanno spinto, e continuano a spingere, in modo irresponsabile per un'escalation del conflitto. Gli Stati Uniti vengono lodati per aver armato gli ucraini, ma criticati per essere eccessivamente cauti. Londra non nasconde la sua irritazione nei confronti di Washington, accusata di voler fare un passo indietro. Del resto i segnali di una relazione tesa tra i due alleati erano visibili anche prima dell'insediamento di Trump.
Sebbene io e altri ricercatori da tempo evidenziamo il ruolo di Londra nell'alimentare la devastazione dell'Ucraina, nel favorire gli attacchi terroristici, nell'oscurare i crimini di guerra e nel radicalizzare l'opinione pubblica sia all'interno che all'esterno dell'Ucraina attraverso martellanti campagne mediatiche, non è chiaro il motivo per cui il quotidiano britannico, noto per essere la voce dell'establishment, pubblichi ora un articolo del genere. Potrebbe essere il segnale di una crescente frattura con Washington e/o di un tentativo di “normalizzare” il coinvolgimento britannico in Ucraina e di preparare l'opinione pubblica a un coinvolgimento ancora più profondo. @LauraRuHK https://www.thetimes.com/article/27dc780e-baf3-4a4c-963e-e40a511dbd23?shareToken=ea03d5cf677015c868a34aa1dcc9f302
Politico:
"President Donald Trump this week upended not just his tariff strategy but his trade team.
Former hedge fund manager and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent — the White House’s main conduit to beleaguered financial markets — is now at the helm, with populist Peter Navarro relegated to the sidelines and Howard Lutnick recast into the role of “bad cop,” according to three people close to the White House. The personnel shuffle comes amid a tug-of-war in the White House between the “fair trade” and protectionist camps.
"every country in the world who wants to come and negotiate, we are willing to hear you, we are going to go down to a 10% baseline tariff for them."