Curious timing. Zelensky dismissed the head of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, Oleksii Danilov.

Danilov has served in the position since shortly after the beginning of Zelensky's term in office in 2019.

There was no reason given for his dismissal.

Danilov will be replaced by the current chief of the Foreign Intelligence Service, Oleksandr Lytvynenko.

Oleg Ivashchenko is the new head of the Foreign Intelligence Service. Ivashchenko used to be the Deputy Head of Defence Intelligence (GUR) @LauraRuHK

Five Chinese nationals and their Pakistani driver were killed in a suicide terror attack on Tuesday at the China-invested Dasu hydropower project.

Chinese experts believe the latest attack is a copy of the July 2021 Dasu terror attack in which nine Chinese nationals and four Pakistani people were killed. ▪️Ask yourself who doesn't want to see the success of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, the Belt and Road Initiative’s flagship project in the region? Who is trying to sabotage a project that improves Pakistan’s infrastructure, reduces its blackouts, creates tens of thousands of jobs, and boosts economic growth? If you know the answer, you know who is behind this and previous terror attacks that targeted Chinese citizens in the country. Years ago US think tanks were openly denouncing this Economic Corridor pointing out that "if Pakistan had access to another source of aid, the ability of the US to marshal Pakistan’s support on regional issues would be diminished." @LauraRuHK

Why was Danilov fired? Rogov believes the head of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine was dismissed because of the insult to Li Hui
Vladimir Rogov, Chairman of the Commission of the Public Chamber of Russia on Sovereignty, Patriotic Projects and Support for Veterans, told RIA Novosti that the reason for the resignation of Alexei Danilov from the post of Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine was a diplomatic scandal related to the insult of China's Special Representative for Eurasia Li Hui.
On Tuesday, Zelensky replaced Danilov with Alexandra Litvinenko, who previously held the post of head of the foreign intelligence service. On March 20, Danilov insulted Li Hui in an obscene manner, deliberately distorting his surname and saying that representatives of China cannot decide when Kiev sit down at the negotiating table with Moscow.

"The reason for Danilov's resignation was a diplomatic scandal. He used profanity against the respected special representative of the People's Republic of China, Li Hui, and paid for it with his position," Rogov said.
According to him, the post of secretary of the National Security and Defense Council in recent years has become a "talker's chair".
"But Danilov came up with sanctions lists and made good money on them. For a long time, he earned money for including people in these lists or excluding them. So Danilov is also an extortionist and a terrorist," Rogov stressed. @LauraRuHK https://ria.ru/20240326/uvolnenie-1936048346.html

Xi Jinping met representatives from the US business, strategic and academic communities in Beijing on Wednesday, as China hosts a series of high-level events this week, demonstrating the country's commitment to attracting more foreign investment and expanding its opening-up to the world. Guess who took part? Graham Allison. In his 2017 book Destined for War: Can America and China Escape Thucydides’ Trap? Allison had popularized the phrase Thucydides' Trap in reference to the rise of China and the US reaction to it. About the Peloponnesian War that devastated ancient Greece, Thucydides had explained: "It was the rise of Athens and the fear that this instilled in Sparta that made war inevitable." @LauraRuHK

Xi Jinping ha incontrato a Pechino alcune delegazioni statunitensi di cui fanno parte rappresentanti del mondo accademico, dei centri di ricerca e analisi strategiche, degli affari e della finanza. Questa settimana la Cina ospita infatti una serie di eventi di alto livello volti ad attrarre maggiori investimenti stranieri e a dimostrare la propria apertura al mondo. E guarda un po' chi ha partecipato a uno degli incontri. Graham Allison! Nel suo libro del 2017 Destined for War: Can America and China Escape Thucydides' Trap? Allison ha reso popolare l'espressione "Trappola di Tucidide" in riferimento all'ascesa della Cina e alla reazione degli Stati Uniti. A proposito della guerra del Peloponneso che devastò l'antica Grecia, Tucidide aveva spiegato che: "Fu l'ascesa di Atene e la paura che questa incuteva a Sparta a rendere inevitabile la guerra". @LauraRuHK

Le autorita' di Cina e Russia sono consapevoli che per realizzare l’immenso potenziale del partenariato strategico tra i due paesi sono fondamentali il sostegno popolare e le relazioni tra le persone. Un importante passo avanti in questa direzione è la designazione ufficiale del biennio 2024–25 come Anni della Cultura Russa e Cinese. Sarà dunque interessante seguire ed esaminare i progressi delle relazioni culturali sino-russe nei prossimi due anni e vedere se gli scambi saranno accompagnati da una vera e propria cooperazione strategica in campo culturale. Ma prima dell’avvio del programma ufficiale a maggio potrebbe essere utile fare un bilancio della situazione passata e presente concedendosi qualche riflessione. Il mio ultimo articolo, pubblicato tra gli altri da Strategic Culture, è ora disponibile anche in italiano. Pur essendo molto lungo, anche per i miei standard abituali, esso rappresenta solo una breve incursione in quello che è un campo sterminato e poco conosciuto fuori dai due paesi in questione: dalla musica classica a quella pop, dal cinema alla letteratura, dal teatro all'arte. Quindi, preparate il vostro drink preferito, mettetevi comodi... e iniziate il viaggio. 🔸@LauraRuHK 🔸https://laura-ruggeri.medium.com/le-relazioni-culturali-tra-cina-e-russia-entrano-in-una-nuova-fase-5d7fc361feed

Ankara: involvement of foreign intelligence services in the terrorist attack in Moscow

The official representative of the ruling Justice and Development Party in Turkey, Omer Celik, said that the terrorist attack "could not have been carried out without the support of the intelligence of some state." "Such actions always have sponsors," Celik added. And he pointed to "lobbies that want the war to continue" while Turkey is actively cooperating with Russia in terms of combating terrorism. https://tass.ru/mezhdunarodnaya-panorama/20381197 ▪️Now, you should keep in mind that the terrorists flew to Moscow from Turkey, where at least part of the planning of the attack took place. One of the killers was in Turkey for almost two months, and the question arises: were the Turkish special services aware or not? It is beneficial for Ankara to answer "no". A minor blow to its reputation is better than a long-term cooling of relations with Moscow. And in principle, no one would boast about harbouring terrorists. Hence the demonstrative eagerness to help.

Accordingly, the representative of Erdogan's party is definitely not referring to Turkish intelligence when he talks about state support of terrorism. But he didn't say which state supported it. Perhaps intensive "brainstorming" is underway about which information the Turkish side should share with Russia. And at the same time, Turkey might be negotiating with Washington and London some favourable terms in exchange for non-disclosure of particularly significant details.

▪️ On our part, the clients of the terrorist attack have already been named: according to known information, Ukraine, Britain and the United States are involved. Now let's see what the goodwill of the Turkish side in the fight against terrorism will amount to. And whether new information will appear that once again confirms the guilt of these clients. (Sources: TASS and Elena Panina) @LauraRuHK https://t.me/EvPanina/13298

One of the most common misconceptions about China is that it has a high population density. Actually despite being the second most populous country in the world after India, China ranks 86th in terms of density. China has a huge territory and many areas are underpopulated. @LauraRuHK

Avviso a chi usa i traduttori automatici. Il luogo in cui e' avvenuto l'attacco terroristico si chiama Crocus City Hall e NON e' un municipio! E' una sala concerti (concert hall) all'interno di un enorme centro commerciale che porta il nome di Crocus City.

The Russian Investigative Committee says it has evidence of connection between perpetrators of the Crocus City Hall terrorist attack and Ukrainian nationalists.

Russian investigators confirm that the terrorists have received significant amounts of money and cryptocurrency from Ukraine, the committee adds. The terrorists who attacked Crocus City Hall were under the influence of drugs. @LauraRuHK

Turkey detains 40 suspected ISIS members, with information from Moscow.

Earlier it was reported that Crocus City Hall terrorists were trained for 2 months in Istanbul.

Allowing bad news to occasionally slip through would be better than fostering a climate of total control, said James Rubin, a former State Department spokesman, who also counseled Joe Biden on foreign policy during his time in the Senate and currently leads the Global Engagement Center, a US agency tasked with exposing and countering disinformation.
Yes, most Ukrainians live in a separate universe impermeable to facts and completely detached from reality.
Now they seem to have grown tired of the telemarathon established by Zelensky shortly after the start of the conflict, which runs around the clock on national television and provides a relentlessly optimistic take on battlefield developments. @LauraRuHK

Professor Mearsheimer: Ukraine may lose four more regions

Ukraine may lose control over a huge part of its territory, American professor John Mearsheimer said in an interview with Palki Sharma.
"I think what could happen is that in the end, the Russians will take control of about 40 percent of the territory of Ukraine", he said

The political scientist did not specify which regions he meant. According to the professor, there is no talk of a frozen conflict now. He also added that Russian troops are gaining the upper hand on the battlefield and are moving towards victory in the end.
"The balance of power has shifted significantly in favor of Russia in terms of armaments and manpower, which are of great importance," Mearsheimer concluded. (Source: RIA Novosti) @LauraRuHK

❗Il successo di questa cooperazione dipenderà in ultima analisi dall’intero ecosistema di partenariato strategico tra Cina e Russia perché gli scambi culturali non avvengono nel vuoto. Idealmente, l’esperienza acquisita nel formato bilaterale sarà condivisa con altri partner e fornirà l’impulso necessario per rafforzare la cooperazione culturale in ambito SCO, BRICS, BRI, CIS, EAEU.

L'analisi di Laura Ruggeri sui rapporti bilaterali sino-russi

(LETTURA ALTAMENTE CONSIGLIATA DEL GIORNO)

https://www.lantidiplomatico.it/dettnews-laura_ruggeri__le_relazioni_culturali_tra_cina_e_russia_entrano_in_una_nuova_fase/39602_53851/

Russian push for UN cybercrime treaty puts western digital hegemony on the line

An international convention to counter the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for criminal purposes could potentially “undermine the digital hegemony of the West” if approved, the Russian Foreign Ministry has told Sputnik. A final version of the document may be agreed upon in May-June.

Russia led the creation of a UN Special Committee in 2019 to develop the first-ever global convention on countering cybercrime. Supported by 79 UN members, the committee held a briefing in Moscow on March 27 attended by delegates from 50+ countries and 100+ diplomats, to discuss the final stages of negotiations.

Moscow is optimistic that negotiations will result in the adoption of the convention, despite Western opposition. The Foreign Ministry emphasized the importance of including crimes related to terrorism and extremism in the treaty.

"We insist on the need to reflect crimes related to the use of ICTs for terrorist and extremist purposes in the document," the Ministry said.

The Ministry further highlighted the significance of addressing such crimes, noting that "this is a strong argument" in favor of Russia's approach at the UN negotiations.

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The Russian Federation has become the official digital partner of ASEAN.

We consider this event as a step towards strengthening cooperation between Russia and ASEAN member states in the field of technological innovation.

This sphere of interaction will certainly contribute to further development of Russia and ASEAN

The Embassy of Kazakhstan in Ukraine urges its compatriots to leave the Odessa and Kharkov regions as soon as possible "due to the growing tension and unstable security situation." Good advice. @LauraRuHK