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Researcher & writer based in Hong Kong. Former academic. Longform articles archived at https://lauraruggeri.substack.com and https://laura-ruggeri.medium.com. Email: lauraru852@yandex.ru
Reuters: The Trump Administration's desire to send long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine may not be viable because current inventories are committed to the U.S. Navy and other uses. @LauraRuHK
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And here is Pushkin's poem "The Borodino anniversary" which the Russian president quoted after delivering his speech. Pushkin in it directly addressed and warned the European powers that interfered in a Slavic dispute.
Its message couldn't be clearer.
https://poetrue.com/verse/ru/PUSHKIN_Alexander/borodino_anniversary
EU leaders are seeking partners in crime to steal Russian assets - Belgium's Prime Minister Bart De Wever said on Thursday he asked other European Union leaders to give guarantees they would share the risks if frozen Russian assets held in his country were used to finance loans to Ukraine.
Belgium, home to Euroclear—the financial institution holding most of these assets—fears that transferring the funds to Ukraine could spark a wave of lawsuits from their owners.
"There's no free money. There are always consequences," De Wever said.
Meanwhile Germany, France and Italy are urging Japan and the US to use frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine, just as Europe is now seeking to do. The European Central Bank fears using Russian assets could undermine the global credibility of the euro — but these countries believe that concern could be allayed if Washington and Tokyo were to take similar action.
@LauraRuHK
André Benoit:
From Gwadar to Mongla, from pipelines through Myanmar to investments in Kabul, Beijing is laying down a lattice of routes meant to loosen America’s grip on its lifelines. The logic is simple: diversify, spread risk, and make any US attempt at a blockade less effective.
Yet each corridor comes with a price. Pakistan’s insecurity, Afghanistan’s volatility, Bangladesh’s balancing act, even the enormous costs of a Kra Canal – all highlight how fragile these alternatives remain. South Asia may be the hinge of China’s breakout strategy, but it is also a region where instability is the rule, not the exception.
For now, Washington still holds the advantage at sea. But on land, China is advancing, building assets and leverage that could one day tilt the balance.
The contest between the American thalassocracy and China’s continental reach has only just begun. And South Asia is the new front line of great-power rivalry.
Former USAID head Samantha Power, in a conversation with Russian pranksters Vovan and Lexus, stated that the agency had been transferring $1.5 billion in cash to Ukraine every month since 2022. She admitted USAID had been actively involved in supporting anti-Russian forces in the country since its independence. The pranksters called Power while impersonating former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.
Power also mentioned that one of her final actions as head of USAID was to provide the Ukrainian government with a substantial interest-free loan, using frozen assets of the Russian Federation as collateral.
"I think the lawyers have been very creative, they made it possible for us to use the interest generated from those assets. This, in turn, became a kind of repayment for the loan, if I understand correctly. So this is an infusion of money that will continue, even though the monthly flow of about a billion dollars we received from USAID was funded by our Ministry of Finance. That no longer happens. We did it through the World Bank, just to ensure we had guarantees," she said. Samantha Power also explained how tens of millions of dollars USAID allocated to Moldova went very far in such a small country. @LauraRuHK Watch the video here 👉https://rumble.com/v6zpgoo-full-prank-with-samantha-power.html
The European Commission proposes a "drone wall" along NATO’s eastern flank to counter alleged Russian drone incursions. Ukraine and NATO are invited to the party, of course. Who else would you trust with your billion-euro defense fantasy? Initial Investment: $10 billion allocated, with $6 billion going directly to Kiev.
NATO and intelligence agencies found zero evidence of Russian drone invasions, but why let facts ruin a perfectly good panic? The media whipped up a frenzy, and voilà—Europe suddenly needs a drone wall.
Lithuania pitched this gem back in 2023, and six NATO countries jumped on board by 2024. The EU initially said “meh,” but now drones are a "strategic priority."
Expect costs to skyrocket into the hundreds of billions. But don’t worry, it’s not “giving money to Ukraine”, it’s “investing in our collective security.” And hey, why not throw in €200 billion of frozen Russian assets while we’re at it? Funding the "drone wall" with confiscated assets is such a 'clever scheme'. That is until Moscow decides to return the favor. European companies still operating in Russia could find themselves waking up to the same kind of asset management. One where their factories, bank accounts, and intellectual property are no longer theirs, but part of Russia’s new “strategic security initiative.” Let's call it poetic justice. @LauraRuHK
Trump calls it a historic peace plan for Gaza. Experts call it a colonial takeover that sidelines Palestinians and guarantees Israeli impunity.
What experts think about Trump’s Gaza plan.
https://qudsnen.co/peace-or-mandate-inside-trumps-controversial-gaza-peace-plan/
Russian forces liberate Kirovsk near Krasny Liman
On September 29, troops of Russia's Zapad Battlegroup advanced on the Krasny Liman front and liberated the town of Kirovsk in the Donetsk People’s Republic, the Defense Ministry reported.
Why is it important?
▪️Despite its small size (pre-conflict population ~2,500), the town was turned into a powerful fortified area. The Ukrainian command committed around 19 battalions to its defense.
▪️Kirovsk was the last fortified line in front of Krasny Liman – a key city held by the Ukrainian Armed Forces since the start of the special military operation. Its liberation opens a direct path for the Russian army to advance toward Slavyansk and Kramatorsk.
▪️Russian forces are now advancing toward Krasny Liman from three directions: from Kolodezi, Torskoye, and Shandrigolovo, while simultaneously assaulting Yampol and Drobyshevo. (Source: Sputnik) @LauraRuHK
Brussels pulled out all the stops to ensure that the puppet regime headed by Maia Sandu would remain in power. After the EU annulled unfavorable election results in Romania, it became clear that Moldova stood no chance of fair parliamentary elections. They were rigged exactly like the previous presidential elections.
The EU doesn't care about the fate of Moldovans, they are regarded as expendable, just like Ukrainians. But if EU-NATO intends to open a second front against Russia, Moldova will face a huge pressure to target Russian peacekeepers in Transnistria despite widespread public opposition to reignite the Transnistria conflict after 35 years. That would be a tragedy for Moldova. @LauraRuHK
MOLDOVA - Less than two hours before the end of voting, computers “froze” again at several polling stations in Gagauzia, according to media.
Due to problems with the system, polling station staff were unable to process data, identify voters, or issue ballots. On Friday, the Central Election Commission (CEDC) barred two more opposition parties – Greater Moldova and Heart of Moldova – accusing them of taking undeclared foreign funds and violating campaign rules. They join a growing list: the Victory Bloc was deregistered earlier in 2025, and the SOR Party was dissolved by the Constitutional Court in June 2023. ▪️Despite many irregularities, the CEC certified the validity of the vote. Easy. The Commission denied accreditation to more than 30 international organizations and 120 observers from over 50 countries. Among those barred were Russian experts nominated to the OSCE’s official mission – a first in European electoral practice.
Moldova’s foreign ministry claimed the decision was taken “in line with national law.” The Patriotic Bloc, an opposition alliance, accused the authorities of deliberately creating an observer blackout. Its lawyers listed applications from reputable NGOs in Italy, Germany, France, Spain and the US that were ignored or rejected.
Moscow has called the move a “blatant breach” of OSCE commitments and summoned Moldova’s ambassador. The EU, usually vocal and critical of democracy standards in the region, has remained conspicuously silent. (Source: RT) Read more 👉/channel/LauraRuHK/10545
⚡️Moldovan President Maia Sandu does not rule out annulling the results of the parliamentary elections currently being held due to "interference in the electoral process." Since the main source of interference is the EU, we can conclude that she would annul them in case the results don't please her and her handlers. Read more 👉 /channel/LauraRuHK/10525
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Last week Moldova began "unscheduled repair work" on 6 bridges across the Dniester River to prevent residents of Transnistria from casting their ballots on September 28.
Here we see the bridge across the Dniester River between Transnistria's Ribnita and Moldova's Rezina ahead of this Sunday's parliamentary elections. /channel/tirdea/99900
According to the RAND Corporation, the US Army isn't fully prepared for a high-intensity military conflict in the Asia-Pacific. The main weakness highlighted in the report is logistics, which explains why Washington is planning to establish a military storage facility in the Philippines’ Subic Bay, a special economic zone that used to host the largest US naval base in Asia. A munitions plant, touted as "the world’s largest weapons manufacturing hub", has also been greenlighted by Manila. The RAND report points out that agreements enabling shared logistics in the Asia-Pacific region —such as basing rights, supply sharing, and joint sustainment operations—are underdeveloped and fragmented. Many existing pacts, like the U.S.-Japan Mutual Defense Treaty or bilateral status-of-forces agreements (SOFAs), prioritize peacetime cooperation but falter in wartime scenarios. For instance, restrictions on foreign troops operating on sovereign soil, export controls on sensitive munitions, and liability concerns create legal hurdles for rapid, multinational resupply. The Philippine Constitution expressly prohibits foreign bases on Philippine territory unless approved by the country’s Senate, but the US has rotational access to nine Philippine military facilities. This allows US forces to position equipment, conduct joint training, and stage operations without owning the land. @LauraRuHK
https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA2434-3.html
The actions of the Moldovan authorities during the election campaign can only be described as lawlessness, but these actions will subsequently be used against them by the next government, Igor Dodon, the leader of the Patriotic Electoral Bloc, told TASS.
"Sandu’s ruling party is trying to stay in power at any cost, increasing the number of polling stations abroad from 230 to 301, even though no more than 300,000 people usually vote there. I would like to remind you that Sandu managed to be re-elected for a second term thanks to the votes cast at these polling stations after losing the election within the country. These polling stations secured a mere 0.7% majority for the referendum on EU accession, which also failed within the country. Now, almost a third of the printed ballots — 864,000 — will be sent to these stations, while only about 2.7 million will be available for voting within the country. In Russia, where most of our citizens live, there will only be two polling stations. This is complete lawlessness. They are setting precedents that the next government will use against them," he said.
English translation of Vladimir Putin's speech at the The 22nd meeting of the Valdai Club, “The Polycentric World: Instructions for Use.” http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/78134
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The annual address by President Vladimir Putin at the Valdai Discussion Club in Sochi demands a full read. As always, it’s packed with insights. Focusing on just the highlights risks missing the broader picture.
The English translation will be available later on the website of the Kremlin, but if you can't wait, here is the Russian version.
http://www.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/78134
Donald Trump has allowed intelligence agencies and the Pentagon to provide Ukraine with intelligence for strikes deep into Russia against energy infrastructure facilities, The Wall Street Journal newspaper reports, citing US officials.
Washington is also asking NATO countries to provide similar support, the report says.
In addition, the US is reportedly considering supplying Ukraine with Tomahawk and Barracuda missiles, as well as other missiles with a range of about 500 miles (804 kilometers).
The US administration has notified Congress of a $4.73 billion arms deal with Estonia, the Kyiv Post newspaper reports, citing sources.
The agreement includes HIMARS and ATACMS missiles, the report adds. (Source: RIA Novosti)
The Financial Times (https://www.ft.com/content/078b8e70-a58c-47cc-b573-598850dd5685 reports that Russia has upgraded the Iskander-M and Dagger missiles, increasing their effectiveness against the American Patriot air defense systems in Ukraine.
According to the British newspaper, the attacks on Ukrainian drone manufacturers this summer were an illustrative example of how Moscow has improved its ballistic missiles to more effectively bypass Patriot systems. Experts believe that the changes affected both the Iskander-M mobile complexes and the Dagger aircraft missiles. Now they can first follow a standard trajectory, and then abruptly go into a steep dive or perform maneuvers capable of "confusing and bypassing" Patriot interceptors.
According to experts, the increase in the effectiveness of Russian missiles is most likely due to changes in the software. (Source: /channel/SolovievLive/339371) @LauraRuHK
Italy’s Unione Sindacale di Base (USB) trade union announced a nationwide general strike for October 3. The move came after reports that Israel intercepted the Gaza-bound aid flotilla known as the Global Sumud Flotilla.
https://qudsnen.co/italys-largest-union-calls-nationwide-strike-over-israeli-attack-on-gaza-flotilla/
CNN proudly reports that in 2023, USAID announced $300 million in aid to support Moldova’s energy independence from Russia.
When the Trump administration made cuts to USAID funding, the EU picked up the tab and allocated more than $2 billion in energy aid to Moldova. I am sure EU citizens will be thrilled to know that they are subsidizing Moldova's electricity bills while struggling to pay theirs. @LauraRuHK
Politico reports that other European leaders support Orban's bid to stop Ukraine from joining the EU. They may disagree with Orban, but want to preserve their own ability to block other membership bids they see as problematic. The Bulgarians want to be able to block the Macedonians, the Croats want to be able to keep the Serbs out, Greece and Cyprus don’t want Turkey to come any closer to the EU, and Greece also would want to stop Albania's bid. For this reason they are reluctant to change the current rules that require unanimous consent before formal accession talks can start. @LauraRuHK https://www.politico.eu/article/hungary-viktor-orban-ukraine-eu-accession/
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The primary danger of the current escalation of hostility against Russia lies in the reckless actions of certain actors driving massive military budget increases, arming Ukraine with increasingly advanced weapons, and fueling anti-Russian paranoia. These actors fail to consider the long-term consequences of their rhetoric and decisions beyond short-term objectives. Even Politico, known for its strong anti-Russian stance, published an article acknowledging a stark reality: the growing tensions between Brussels and Moscow risk a "Franz Ferdinand moment"—a reference to the assassination that triggered World War I.
When the West began to implement the Eastern Partnership project https://medium.com/p/6726fa1014a1, move NATO to the east, orchestrate colour revolutions in Ukraine, advise, support, fund and arm Russophobic forces within Ukraine, it laid the ground for a military confrontation. Russian historian Shishkin in a long interview to MK https://www.mk.ru/politics/2025/09/26/evropa-poteryala-strakh-istorik-shishkin-nazval-prichinu-antirossiyskogo-kursa-starogo-sveta.html expands on the reason for Europe's belligerence and the fact that it is ready to escalate the conflict and does not seek a peaceful resolution. Shishkin maintains that the "strategic defeat of Russia" is vital for Europe. Not for specific European politicians and specific European elites, but for Europe as a whole and the leading European powers.
Only by pursuing a defeat of Russia the EU would get the opportunity to plunder its wealth.
The assertion that the collapse of Russia is vital for Europe is not an invention, it is formulated in the official documents of the European Union. They clearly state that the current conflict with Russia over Ukraine is existential for Europe. That is, the question is like in Hamlet: "to be or not to be".
Europe is well aware that under modern geopolitical conditions, even large states such as Germany, France or Italy are not able to play a hegemonic role. And yet only that role would endow some EU countries with the “exorbitant privilege” of any rent-seeking hegemon. The collapse of the Soviet Union gave old Europe the huge markets of Eastern Europe, the Balkans, and the former USSR, and also gave Europe a colossal amount of resources, not only energy, almost for nothing. It was with this money that European unity was bought. The EU is now pursuing an escalation to keep expanding its reach and thus save the house of cards from collapse. Europeans have largely forgotten what a conflict with Russia leads to. They seem to have lost the fear that had ensured peace for decades. But the new "Franz Ferdinand moment" won't just lead to the tragic annihilation of one generation of Europeans, it will make the entire continent uninhabitable for generations. @LauraRuHK
After watching the military parade in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square the Pentagon got penis envy 😏. @LauraRuHK
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China Offers 0% Import Duty On Indian Medicines After Trump Imposed 100% Duty - China slashes 30% import duty on Indian medicines to zero. This landmark decision could transform global pharma trade dynamics. The move arrives just as Donald Trump slaps a 100% tariff on pharmaceutical imports, threatening India’s $25 billion-plus drug export sector. As the US market turns hostile, China opens a vast gateway for Indian firms to serve its enormous population and surging healthcare needs. Dubbed the “pharmacy of the world,” India dominates in affordable generics and vaccines. Yet, steep Chinese duties had long curbed market entry. Tariff elimination evens the odds, empowering Indian players in the world’s second-biggest pharma market. Experts predict it will recalibrate lopsided India-China trade, tilting it toward balance. @LauraRuHK
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MOLDOVA - Sunday's elections were a complete sham. Maia Sandu’s pro-EU Action and Solidarity Party (PAS) narrowly clinched a parliamentary majority. As in previous elections, diaspora votes were decisive, suspiciously securing over 85% support for the PAS in some Western nations. Voters in opposition-leaning areas were effectively sidelined. Residents of the breakaway region of Transnistria, home to nearly half a million people, were left with only 12 polling stations, all located on government-controlled territory. Several abruptly relocated further away from the area on the eve of the vote.
In Russia, where tens of thousands of Moldovan citizens reside, Chisinau opened just two stations out of more than 300 foreign polling sites. Only about 4,100 votes were counted there, with long lines leaving many unable to cast their ballots before the locations closed their doors. @LauraRuHK
Genoa Spearheads Mediterranean Dockworkers' Push for Global Strike: "Ports of Peace Against Arms Routes"
On September 26-27, Genoa hosted the second "International Coordination of Dockworkers" meeting to halt military escalation and block arms shipments to countries at war. “We refuse to load, unload, or facilitate weapons transit,” the dockworkers declared. The group plans to set a strike date that could paralyze major Mediterranean ports. Their immediate focus is stopping the genocide in Palestine, but their broader aim is to resist all arms routes and port militarization, turning ports and logistics hubs into “ports of peace” that prioritize workers’ rights and safety.
In a joint statement, the dockworkers rejected being “cogs in the war machine” and condemned the diversion of public funds to rearmament, noting, “They privatize ports, slash wages, cut health and education to funnel 850 billion euros into the war industry.” The challenge now is translating these commitments into action, especially in countries where “political” strikes are prohibited.
/channel/LauraRuHK/10544
Yesterday evening Genoa dockers, like their colleagues in Marseilles, refused to load a ZIM cargo ship bound for Israel. Three large demonstrations against the genocide of Palestinians were also held in the city on the same day. A protest presidium was called by the Genoa Port Workers’ Collective (CALP) which is part of the International Coordination of Dockworkers. The logistics sector once again proves to be crucial in the resistance against the Zionist entity. @LauraRuHK
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Several Hungarian news outlets have reported that Kiev intends to orchestrate a false-flag operation targeting key NATO logistics hubs in Poland and Romania. The scheme allegedly involves staging drone strikes to mimic a Russian attack, thereby provoking a direct Russia-NATO confrontation and providing a pretext for broader escalation. According to these reports, the operation's blueprint includes: *Repairing several captured or downed Russian Geran-2 (Shahed-136) UAVs.
*Arming them with high-explosive warheads.
*Launching the modified drones from western Ukraine on major transport nodes in Poland and Romania.
*Coordinating a robust disinformation campaign in Ukrainian and Western outlets to attribute the strikes to Moscow, building on existing "panic-inducing" coverage of imaginary or unidentified drones over Europe.
The objective is to fabricate a casus belli to drag NATO into open war with Russia, as Ukraine's forces face mounting defeats on the front lines. @LauraRuHK
Dmitry Kornev: China's PLA Rocket Force now features the world’s most diverse missile lineup —intercontinental, intermediate, hypersonic, submarine-launched, and air-dropped.
Read more 👉 https://swentr.site/news/625296-might-of-dragon-chinas-missiles/
If you can’t tell original content apart from AI-generated slop, below is an example of the latter.
My prompt was: write a feel-good piece about the multipolar world.
I wanted to find out if an AI-generated text differed from the fuzzy articles on the same topic I routinely come across. It doesn’t. Guess why.
If you are into reassuring narratives (too bad I am not) you won’t find fault with it.
If we believe that a better world is possible, should we also shy away from complexity or avoid confronting contradictions?
A better world isn’t born from inauthentic feel-good stories. The argument for a multipolar world loses credibility when it's reduced to marketing slogans churned out by social media hustlers with the help of AI. lauraruggeri/note/c-160261477" rel="nofollow">https://substack.com/@lauraruggeri/note/c-160261477