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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
The day after Trump's inauguration Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping held talks via an encrypted video conference system.
Key points:
🔹It is necessary to summarize bilateral work over the past year and outline new plans for the development of relations;
🔹Moscow and Beijing build their relations based on friendship and mutual trust;
🔹The Russia-China ties do not depend on any political situation;
🔹The comprehensive strengthening of Russia-China relations meets the objectives of their development;
🔹Russia and China jointly advocate building a more just and multipolar world order;
🔹The foreign policy ties between Russia and China play an important and stabilizing role in world affairs;
🔹Russia is the number one natural gas supplier to China;
🔹Russia and China are implementing successful projects in the spheres of industry, transport, agriculture, etc.;
🔹Russia and China are working in favor of ensuring indivisible security in Eurasia and in the whole world. (Source: RIA Novosti/TASS) @LauraRuHK
EU vassals are begging Washington for mercy as Trump intends to extort more money for the protection racket known as NATO and at the same time threatens to increase tariffs. “We cannot do this with a trade war on our doorstep, and national budgets everywhere are not capable of increasing defense budgets to more than 3 percent,” Séjourné said about increasing military spending during an interview with France Inter. @LauraRuHK https://www.politico.eu/article/stephane-sejourne-donald-trump-trade-war-europe-defense-spending-target/
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At Trump's inauguration Silicon Valley’s elite (Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Sundar Pichai, Tim Cook, Sam Altman...) were given priority seating over members of Trump's cabinet.
Their companies are part of a cartel run by US military/intelligence and shape American security and economic policy. @LauraRuHK
Politico summarized the dilemma European vassals face in 2025.👉 Option 1: Bend to US will and fully “decouple” from their reliance on Chinese goods — which will test unity among the 27 European Union countries and the Brussels institutions, trigger likely retaliation from Beijing and further stunt their stuttering economies. 👉 Option 2: Leave Trump to go it alone on China — which will test EU27 unity, could trigger the United States into slapping tariffs on European goods, and, you guessed it, further stunt their stuttering economies. @LauraRuHK
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Trump 2.0 - Imperialism Reloaded - The Deep State is just reloading the program in an attempt to make it more efficient, remove glitches, free up system resources. It needed a "force refresh" to clear the Woke/Libtard cache that is slowing down its performance with conflicting scripts. Enter Trump, again. @LauraRuHK
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The list published by the Israeli Justice Ministry of prisoners and detainees scheduled for release in the first phase of the prisoner exchange deal between the Palestinian Resistance and "Israel" contains a major flaw, as it includes the names of previously released female prisoners, indicated Thaer Shreiteh, the spokesperson for the Palestinian Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs.
Shreiteh also highlighted that the Israeli ministry’s website listed the birthdates of 10 prisoners without providing any additional information about them, emphasizing the lack of trust in the data published by the Israeli occupation authorities and its prison administration.
He added, "This is what we warned about over the past days, and we reiterate our call to our Egyptian and Qatari brothers to put an end to these violations and to deny the occupation authorities any opportunity to create confusion" among Palestinians and the families of the prisoners.
Nigeria becomes new BRICS full member
The Brazilian Government of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, in charge of the rotating presidency of the BRICS bloc, announced Friday that Nigeria, Africa's fourth-largest economy, was joining the alliance as a full member. "The Brazilian government announces today, January 17, 2025, the official accession of Nigeria as a partner country of the group," a statement from Itamaraty read. Read more »
For the first time, China is sending one of its top-ranking Communist Party officials to attend Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday.
Although Trump had invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to the ceremony, China’s Foreign Ministry confirmed on Friday that Vice President Han Zheng would represent Xi as a special envoy.
"We stand ready to work with the new U.S. government to enhance dialogue and communication … and find the right way for the two countries to get along with each other," the ministry stated.
Revolving door. Corporate commissars move effortlessly from the EU Commission to US banks. José Manuel Barroso went to Goldman Sachs and Thierry Breton to Bank of America in less than three months. They probably don't even notice the difference. It's imperceptible. @LauraRuHK
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⚡️Israel, who has just launched new attacks on Gaza, has rejected a proposed ceasefire deal that had been accepted by Hamas. Netanyahu says the security cabinet will not meet as scheduled to approve the Gaza ceasefire deal, blaming Hamas for causing a “last-minute crisis and backing out of some agreements." Hamas rejects the Israeli claim as baseless. Israel's acceptance of the deal will not be official until it is approved by the country's security cabinet and government. @LauraRuHK
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The Russian Armed Forces have hit the ground infrastructure of the largest underground gas storage facility in Stryi, Lviv Region, in response to Ukrainian strikes with ATACMS and Storm Shadow missiles in the Bryansk Region. This was reported by the Russian Defense Ministry on January 16.
It is specified that the strike was also a response to the attempt to disrupt gas supply via the Turkish Stream in Krasnodar region. @LauraRuHK
While no one knows exactly what tariffs the Trump administration is going to impose on which countries, the one certainty is that such tariffs will be met with retaliatory counter-tariffs. Or more simply: a trade war with far-reaching implications. ▪️Interestingly, a spillover of the war in Ukraine is no longer deemed a risk by economic elites more concerned about tensions between the US and China. @LauraRuHK
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It is also important that the world recognizes the entry into the Russian Federation of the DPR, LPR, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol, which are an integral part of our country in accordance with the Constitution.
I want to emphasize once again that the Ukrainian people remain close and fraternal to us, bound by centuries-old ties with Russia, no matter how much the Kiev propagandists obsessed with "Ukrainianism" claim the opposite. We are not indifferent to what is happening in Ukraine.
It is particularly troubling that violent coercion to neo-Nazi ideology and virulent Russophobia are destroying Ukraine's once-prosperous cities, including Kharkiv, Odessa, Nikolaev and Dnepropetrovsk.
It is possible that in the coming year Ukraine will cease to exist altogether.
If we talk about specific prospects for further developments, taking into account the Trump factor, we respect his statements. I believe that negotiations on Ukraine should be conducted between Russia and the United States without the participation of other Western countries.
There is nothing to talk about with London and Brussels. The EU leadership, for example, has long been unable to speak on behalf of many of its members, such as Hungary, Slovakia, Austria, Romania and some other European countries that are interested in stability in Europe and take a balanced position towards Russia.
Brookings, one of the most influential US think tanks, recommended a policy of deliberate ambiguity towards China.
The central policy challenge for the United States going forward will be two-fold: 1) how to keep Beijing off balance as it takes stock of the new administration, so that 2) the administration can advance initiatives to compete with China with a diminished risk of reprisal from Beijing. These two goals are in fact mutually reinforcing—the more uncertain Beijing is about the Trump administration’s policies, the longer it will seek to prolong this tactical pause in the competition and placate Washington. The primary challenge in the opening phases of diplomacy with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is to keep Beijing uncertain—neither reassuring it nor driving it to despair. If U.S. actions prompt Beijing to judge that no action it takes will assuage U.S. objections, then Beijing will have no incentive to placate the United States and may stop doing so altogether—leaving the United States with less leverage than if it had left Beijing uncertain. Beijing craves clarity from Washington, but we should feed it ambiguity—at least as a first course.
The new Trump administration will be able to determine the tempo, tenor, and contours of Sino-U.S. competition in the coming year. The United States has the advantage of the initiative in this moment since China remains in a wait-and-see posture. Beijing does not yet know if the new administration is aiming at decoupling or at a deal that addresses U.S. grievances about China’s trade and economic practices.
Trump: Spain is a "BRICS nation" and if BRICS countries de-dollarize their trade, they should expect a 100% tariff. When a reporter asked Trump about what we can expect from NATO countries that contribute the least amount of money, like Spain, he responded that Spain’s contribution "is very low".
Immediately after this, the US president wrongly stated that Spain was a member of BRICS.
"Spain is a BRICS nation. Do you know what a BRICS nation is? You’ll figure it out."
"If the BRICS countries want to do that, that's OK, but we’re going to put at least a 100 percent tariff on the business they do with the United States,"
"They'll have a 100 per cent tariff if they so much as even think about doing what they thought, and therefore they'll give it up immediately,"
Marco Rubio Is Confirmed by Senate as Secretary of State. The US Senate voted unanimously for Marco Rubio, a China hawk and staunch backer of Israel, to assume the position of top US diplomat. Rubio is Trump’s first cabinet nominee to be confirmed by the Republican-led Senate, only hours after the inauguration.
Rubio enjoys bipartisan support, senators from the Democratic Party describe him as a friend. He is Co-Chair of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) a transnational anti-China organization whose paid lobbyists also sit in the EU parliament and European national parliaments. It's funded by all the usual regime-change outfits, including NED and Soros' Open Society Foundations. @LauraRuHK
Those who serve the Deep State are above the law and enjoy impunity. ⚡️Joe Biden on Monday pardoned Dr. Anthony Fauci. Though it’s customary for a president to grant clemency at the end of his term to Americans who have been convicted of crimes, Biden has used the power to pardon those who have not even been investigated yet. The decision lays the groundwork for an even more expansive use of pardons by future presidents. Biden has set the presidential record for most individual pardons and commutations issued. @LauraRuHK
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🇺🇸The Trump transition team has tapped Stacey Dixon to temporarily serve as Director of National Intelligence (DNI). Stacy Dixon was appointed by the Biden administration as Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence. Trump had picked Tulsi Gabbard for the role, but the Senate still has not set a date for the confirmation hearing.▪️All 18 intelligence agencies, including the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) and the National Security Agency (NSA), report directly to the DNI.
@LauraRuHK
China runs final tests of hypersonic air-to-air missile - Details of the final evaluations of full-scale missile prototypes were given in a peer-reviewed paper published in Chinese-language journal Equipment Environmental Engineering last month. These evaluations were conducted in an arc-heated wind tunnel. Hypersonic weapons, known for their speed, maneuverability, and ability to evade traditional missile defense systems, represent a growing area of competition among global military powers.
Military analysts believe that such a weapon could undermine the effectiveness of U.S. air power in the region, challenging the operational dominance of key aircraft deployed by the U.S. Air Force.
@LauraRuHK
South Korea - Some analysts think that power transitions, both in Seoul and Washington, could alter the dynamics between East Asian neighbours South Korea, Japan and China.
Impeached South Korean leader Yoon was arrested on Wednesday over the short-lived martial law that he imposed on December 3.
The country is still dealing with the political fallout of that act. While it could be months before a final court decision is handed down, South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, who has maintained friendly relations with both China and North Korea, looks most likely to take over should Yoon be removed from office.
In the United States, meanwhile, all eyes are on Donald Trump as he returns to the White House, to see what he will do in the Indo-Pacific region. It is still uncertain whether Trump, who is known for his transactional and isolationist bent, will follow the policies of his predecessor.
With so much still up in the air, observers said that Seoul could move closer to Beijing and further from Tokyo, even putting the trilateral Japan-South Korea-US partnership in jeopardy. (Source: SCMP) @LauraRuHK
Delusions of grandeur - Britain's colonial mindset and the old imperial dream of ruling the waves on display in Kiev. The 100 Year "Partnership" with Ukraine is something that London could have pulled off in the 19th century. Actually it did. In 1898 the ailing Qing Dynasty, weakened by the Opium Wars, leased 90 per cent of Hong Kong's land mass, the New Territories, to Britain for 99 years. Keir Starmer thinks he can do even better - a 100 year deal with Kiev that provides for the creation of special joint flotillas that will operate in strategic areas, in particular, in the Black Sea. Sorry Keir, you were born 150 years too late and your country doesn't stand a chance of defeating Russia. Here is your opium pipe. Dream on. @LauraRuHK
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The Israeli government has approved a ceasefire agreement that is expected to take effect on Sunday when three Israeli women held in Gaza and 95 Palestinian prisoners are set to be released as part of the deal's first phase.
Benjamin Netanyahu said that he was assured by Donald Trump that Israel would receive a halted arms supply once he takes office, reported Channel 12 News.
"This is important because if we do not reach the second phase of the deal, we will have additional tools to return to fighting. Trump is giving Israel full backing to return to war in case of a violation of the agreement."
Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, two far-right ministers, opposed the agreement and demanded a government commitment to resume fighting in Gaza once the first phase of the deal, in which Hamas would release 33 Israeli hostages, is completed. (Source: Xinhua News)
@LauraRuHK
The Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement between Russia and Iran was signed in the Kremlin yesterday. Presidents Vladimir Putin and Masoud Peseshkian signed a document that was finalized after three years of intense diplomatic work. It paves the way for future cooperation as the two countries are determined to remove obstacles related to tariffs, banking, investment guarantees, business activities and visa issuance. ▪️The rapprochement between Iran and Russia was facilitated by their joint military activities in Syria, and the decisive role of Russia in concluding the so-called nuclear deal on the Iranian atomic program. The level of trust has increased, personal ties have strengthened, and the last illusions about the possibility of agreeing on a relative normalization of relations with the West have disappeared. The barrage of sanctions imposed on Russia and Iran has shown that no compromise can be reached with the West, which means that Iran, Russia, all other sanctioned countries, China, and India are interested in building a parallel, alternative trade and financial mechanism. Iran-Russia trade growth over the first ten months of last year was 15.5 percent, which is a good indicator of increased economic cooperation as both nations withstand external pressure. The monetary agreement between Iran and Russia has been implemented, and the national currencies of the two countries are used for payment. Russia’s Mir Card Network system and Iran’s SHETAB banking network are now connected. A free trade agreement between Iran and the Eurasian Economic Union will likely be signed in the near future
The two countries will further expand cooperation in the oil and gas sector and improve energy security. This includes joint ventures for the exploration and development of oil and gas fields in Russia and Iran, and peaceful use of atomic energy, including the construction of nuclear power facilities, investment in renewable energy technologies, including solar, wind, and hydroelectric projects. One of the cornerstones of the strategic partnership agreement is a pledge on mutual defense, whereby if one country is attacked, the other will not assist the aggressor in any form.
Both countries have committed to expanding collaboration on defense by holding joint military exercises and jointly developing military technologies. Tehran and Moscow will strengthen intelligence cooperation in accordance with international law and the United Nations Charter. @LauraRuHK
Here is the text of the agreement https://en.irna.ir/news/85722405/Text-of-joint-comprehensive-strategic-agreement-between-Iran
The law of unintended consequences strikes again - The US wanted Germany to decouple from Russia. It led to factory closures and economic depression. Then it demanded the EU increase tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles. 👉 China could soon be making cars in Germany for sale in Europe. 😅 @LauraRuHK
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NATO vs the principle of free navigation NATO intends to extend its control over the neutral waters of the Baltic Sea. This was stated by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk after the end of the NATO summit of the Baltic region that was held in Helsinki. Tusk revealed that consultations have already begun to find legal ways to control ships outside territorial waters. Experts note that such an initiative contradicts the existing international law of the sea, and countries whose ships will be subjected to illegal inspections can defend their interests by force. In international waters, boarding ships without their captain's consent is a violent act akin to a territorial invasion. The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea guarantees the right of free transit on the high seas (part of the World Ocean outside the territorial waters and economic zones of states)
NATO Baltic Guard Mission
At the summit of NATO countries of the Baltic region it was announced that NATO was launching an operation to patrol the Baltic Sea in order to protect the underwater infrastructure of European coastal countries. Alliance Secretary General Mark Rutte said that naval ships and naval aviation will be involved in the mission, which has already been called the Baltic Guard. Russia's response If NATO countries decide to control ships in the Baltic Sea, then Russia will use the navy to escort cargo ships.
"We protect our ships and vessels that carry our cargo. And in the event of an attack, a conflict begins: first local, then regional,"Nikolai Mezhevich, president of the Association of Baltic Studies, told Russian newspaper Izvestia. @LauraRuHK https://iz.ru/1822710/bogdan-stepovoi-ulia-leonova-kirill-fenin/morskie-proiski-strany-nato-dobivautsa-dosmotra-sudov-v-neitralnyh-vodah-baltiki
Mediators from Qatar, the United States, and Egypt have reached a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip.
The implementation of the ceasefire agreement is set to begin on January 19.
Key terms of the agreement
▪️Israeli forces are required to fully withdraw from all areas of the Gaza Strip and return to the pre-war borders.
▪️The Rafah crossing must be reopened, with Israeli forces withdrawing entirely from the area.
▪️"Israel" is mandated to ease the travel of injured individuals for treatment abroad.
▪️"Israel" must permit the daily entry of 600 aid trucks, as per a humanitarian protocol backed by Qatar.
▪️"Israel" must facilitate the entry of 200,000 tents and 60,000 caravans for immediate shelter.
▪️A large-scale prisoner exchange will occur, including the release of 1,000 prisoners from Gaza and hundreds of detainees serving lengthy sentences.
▪️"Israel" is to release all women and children under the age of 19 from its prisons.
▪️Israeli forces must gradually withdraw from the Netzarim corridor and the Philadelphi Route.
▪️Displaced residents must be allowed to return to their homes, with guaranteed freedom of movement throughout the Gaza Strip.
▪️Hostile aircraft must vacate Gaza's airspace for 8 to 10 hours daily.
▪️All hospitals in Gaza must be rehabilitated. Field hospitals, medical equipment, and surgical teams must be permitted entry.
Commenting on the number of detainees, The Times of Israel considered that "Israel" will pay a steep price to secure the release of female soldiers being held captive, each of whom would be released in exchange for 50 Palestinian prisoners, including 30 convicted security prisoners who are serving life sentences. https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/al-mayadeen-obtains-terms-of-gaza-ceasefire-deal
Is Jake Sullivan a psychic, besides being a psycho? Put his words in the context of what Nikolai Patrushev just said: "The attempt on Trump's life showed that we need to be prepared for the most unthinkable scenarios." /channel/vicktop55/30176
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Interview with Nikolai Patrushev, Assistant to the President of the Russian Federation, permanent member of the Security Council.
The American elite is split and does not have the same idea of how to build policy both in the world and within the country.
Trump's main slogan is that he allegedly has a plan to return the US to a pragmatic policy that would be beneficial to both the state and its citizens. How this will relate to the interests of other countries and peoples is not yet clear.
One way or another, today we are witnessing serious changes in the world. I am referring not only to the geopolitical situation, but also to the state of affairs in the economy, the technological sphere, social and cultural processes. The last time such tectonic shifts occurred was after the collapse of the USSR. At that time, the West could not properly adapt to the new realities and continued to live as during the Cold War, constantly looking for enemies.(...)
Time will tell whether Trump will be able to realize his intentions to the fullest. As his first term demonstrated, the notorious deep state in the US is very strong. It may prevent it from unfolding. And the experience of the election campaign and the attempt on his life showed that you need to be prepared for the most unthinkable scenarios.
It is clear that Trump's positions are not shared by all US elites. His views are significantly at odds with the plans hatched by representatives of the Democratic Party, individual owners of industrial giants and transnational corporations. Therefore, it is extremely important that the safety of Trump and his entourage is ensured before taking office as head of state, as well as in the presidency.
For the Biden administration, Ukraine was an absolute priority. It is clear that the relationship between Trump and Biden is antagonistic. Therefore, Ukraine will not be among Trump's priorities. He is more concerned about China.
In addition, he outlined his interests in relation to Greenland, the Panama Canal, Mexico and Canada. Redrawing the map of the world to suit one's interests and interfering in the affairs of countries on different continents is an American tradition.(...)
As for relations between the United States and China, I believe that Washington's disagreements with Beijing will escalate, and the Americans will inflate them, including artificially. For us, China has been and remains the most important partner with whom we are linked by relations of special privileged strategic cooperation. These relations are not subject to conjuncture, they persist regardless of who occupies the Oval Office.
The main priority for us is the protection and well-being of our citizens and compatriots around the world. If we talk about the international aspect, then discrimination against the Russian population in a number of countries, and, of course, in the Baltic States and Moldova, must be stopped. The authorities of these states continue to lead themselves into the deepest crisis with ill-conceived actions and at the same time stubbornly spin a Russophobic narrative. The energy crisis is especially indicative, the blame for which lies one hundred percent with the Moldovan authorities, who obediently carry out the orders of Brussels to reduce gas dependence on Russia.
I do not rule out that Chisinau's aggressive anti-Russian policy will lead to the fact that Moldova will either become part of another state or cease to exist altogether. In this situation, we can look at the example of Ukraine, where neo-Nazism and Russophobia led the country to collapse, and long before the special military operation.
The territories once ruled from Kiev became part of Russia as a result of the expression of the will of citizens in accordance with international law, the laws of the Russian Federation and the legislation of these regions.
Russia's policy towards Ukraine remains unchanged. It is important for us that the goals of the SMO are achieved. They are known and have not changed. They have been repeatedly named by Vladimir Putin.
Lavrov blamed the US for attacks on the TurkStream pipeline.
"The United States does not need any competitor in any field, starting with energy, they <...> gave the go-ahead to carry out terrorist attacks that destroy the basis of the energy well-being of the European Union."
"They [the United States] are encouraging their Ukrainian clients to disable the TurkStream after blowing up the Nord Stream pipelines," the Russian foreign minister said. (Source: Izvestia) @LauraRuHK