On Monday November 6th, there was no Большая Игра on Russian TV due to the Federal holiday День Народного Единства (National Unity Day), celebrated on November 4th, but since it was a Saturday, it was observed on Monday 6th as a non-working day. For details about the most celebrated holiday of Autumn (Fall) in Russia, read here.
This week, Dmitry Simes and his guests covered the following topics:
Ukraine against Ukraine
Israel/Palestine Conflict.
Sanctions against Russia(ns) by the G-7.
Statements of President Vladimir Putin.
Statement of Sergey Lavrov, Russia Minister of Foreign Affairs.
1. UKRAINE AGAINST UKRAINE
On November 7th, the show opened up on an interesting point of view which Dmitry Simes defined as a fight between Ukrainian politicians. More specifically, between Volodymyr Zelensky and the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Valeriy Zaluzhny. Stranges occurances and pictures circulated about the death (or assassination) of Zaluzhny’s assistant, Gennady Chestyakov. For details on Chestyakov death circumstances, you can read it here or below from “Weapons and Strategy” Substack’s author, Stephen Bryen.
2. ISRAEL/PALESTINE CONFLICT
For the conflict between Israel and HAMAS in the Gaza Strip, Dmitry Simes recalled that it was exactly one month today (November 7th) since the attack on Israel by HAMAS. Russian Academic Vitaly Naumkin, RIAC Vice-President, President of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, described the methods employed by Israel as “Brutal” or “Savage” or “Bestial” depending on how one will translate the Russian word Зверский. Later, he announced that he “doesn't think that the United States is going towards a “hot” conflict in the region but to intimidate…It is more a psychological effect than a preparation for full blown operations like it was the case for the Iraq War”.
Senator Andrey Denisov, Russian Diplomat and Politician added that:
“No one is afraid of this show of force”.
“The forces that are or will take side with HAMAS such as Iran for instance, they are, firstly, well ready and powerful, secondly, well armed including modernised weaponry arsenal, and lastly and most importantly, very highly motivated”.
3. THE G-7 AND THE RUSSIAN’S FROZEN ASSETS
On November 8th, Dmitry Simes introduced his show with the expression: “Two Worlds, Two Politics”, in regards to the decisions taken by what he called: “the ‘Great Seven’” in reference to the G-7 in Tokyo against Russia. Decisions that will leave Russia’s assets frozen until the country’s authorities agree to pay compensation to Ukraine for damage caused during the war. The statement included plans to increase economic pressure and continue to impose sanctions against Russia.
The reaction by Dmitry Peskov, Press Secretary of the President of the Russian Federation, was displayed on air, and reads as follow:
“Definitely, we will also work on retaliatory measures. It is unlikely that they will be mirrored, but they will be what will best suit our interests. They are consistently illegally taking away our holdings. This is illegal. This is contrary to all possible rules. This will be, of course, disputed and onctested indefinitely by our country. This will entail very serious legal costs for those who will make such decisions and take advantage of such decisions.”
When the floor was given to Senator Vladimir Chizhov, Russian Politician and Diplomat, he corrected D. Simes about the “Great Seven”, the “G” of G-7 stands for “Group” and not “Great”, adding the the Eight member should be added as the European Union. As you can noticed on the picture, there are 8 bodies and 8 flags, where the flag of the European Union is indeed displayed and represented by Josep Borrell, on the left.
4. STATEMENTS BY VLADIMIR PUTIN, PRESIDENT OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
On November 8th, President Putin received Zhang Yusia, Deputy Chairman of the Central Military Council of the People's Republic of China, at the Novo-Ogaryovo residence. The following extract was played on the set of the show:
“Russia and China are not building any military alliances like the Cold War, and our interaction with you is constructive and a serious factor in stabilizing the international situation.
We also work in the field of economics, and quite efficiently. Trade and economic relations are developing at a good pace, we are achieving our goals ahead of time.
We work on an international platform, in international organizations, primarily in the United Nations. But we pay enough attention to our regional platforms, which are becoming more and more global. I mean the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS”.
The full transcript of the meeting can be found here.
Also, on November 8th, President Putin participated in a video message to the participants of the XI meeting of secretaries of the security councils of the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) member states, in which the following excerpt was played on the show by D. Simes:
“We see that the international situation remains extremely difficult and tense. In a number of regions, old and new hotbeds of conflict have escalated, in particular in the Middle East, where a new round of Palestinian-Israeli confrontation has been provoked, which primarily affects civilians.
Global instability is also projected on Eurasia. Moreover, the actions of some states are directly aimed at shaking legitimate power, social stability and traditional values in the CIS countries, at violating our traditionally close trade, cooperation and cultural ties”.
The full video and transcript of his speech can be found here.
5. STATEMENT BY SERGEY LAVROV, MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
On November 8th, another important statement was made by Sergey Lavrov during the ambassadorial "round table" on the settlement of the situation around Ukraine.
Here, Dmitry Simes stressed on the tone and the language employed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs which becomes more harsh and more severe, and played the following excerpt on the air:
“The war unleashed against us by the West by the hands of Ukraine and the bodies of Ukrainians is a hybrid war in which a special role is given to illegal unilateral restrictive measures - "sanctions". With regard to Russia, their number is unprecedented and exceeded seventeen thousand. The goals are not hidden - to undermine the Russian economy and force the political leadership to abandon its independent line in foreign affairs, to set the population against the authorities. This is an directly declared goal. When the problems of unilateral restrictive measures are generally discussed, the West always swears that it pursues a policy in which sanctions do not target the civilian population. It's a lie. That's what they're doing.
They set themselves the task of provoking riots and raising the people against the authorities...”
I will close this week newsletter on a positive note offered by our host, Dmitry Simes, on November 9th. He said the following:
“History will work its cycle, and what’s happening today does not mean it has to definitely continue tomorrow. Often, we have the tendency to think that what’s happening today, is a ‘new normal’ while in fact it’s just an interval”.
Thank you to all my readers and I can interact with you in chat here, in one of your favourite language: English, Russian, or French.